青海大通脑山区退耕还林还草地土壤质量演变的初步研究

文章选取青海大通县脑山区退耕还林还草典型土壤类型（山地棕褐土），进行标准地调查及标准剖面采样，以空间代替时间序列的方式，利用主成分分析（PCA）等多元统计方法来定量化比较不同退耕年限（0、5、10、15、20、25、30a）的综合土壤质量指数，揭示退耕还林后不同退耕年限对土壤质量演变的影响。结果显示随退耕年限的增长，土壤质量指数均呈增长趋势，其过程基本分为4个阶段：①退耕初期（退耕5a），林分幼林期，为土壤质量指数相对增长期；②退耕中期（退耕5—20a），针阔叶林林分速生期，为土壤质量指数大幅度升高并达到峰值期；③退耕中后期（20-25a），林分相对稳定期，林分郁闭度增大，土壤质量指数略显呈下降；④退耕后期（退耕〉25a），林分进入自疏期，土壤质量指数略有升高并渐趋于稳定。     

优质饲草饲料甜高梁在塔里木河下游的引种研究

试验本着农村产业结构调整,退耕还草畜养和绿洲生态农业优化管理的研究宗旨,把甜高粱作为南疆农村产业结构调整和发展生态畜牧业的优良品种在尉犁县进行栽培试验.结果表明在南疆类似尉犁县气候条件的地区,其生育期为130d,每年除收获种子外还可收割一茬牧草,年产鲜草86 400 kg/hm2、收获种子1 770 kg/hm2.     

伊犁河谷生态旅游资源环境分析及评价

伊犁河谷地理位置独特，特殊的气候及水文条件孕育了丰富的生态旅游资源，具备开展生态旅游的资源基础。从自然环境和人文环境两个方面分析了伊犁河谷生态旅游资源形成的条件，在对伊犁河谷生态旅游资源分类的基础上，采用定性与定量相结合的方法对伊犁河谷适宜开展生态旅游的景区（点）进行了综合评价，以期为制定伊犁河谷生态旅游开发与发展战略提供依据。     

沙湾县三个泉子退耕还草项目区对区域生态环境的影响

沙湾县三个泉子退耕还草项目区的建设,彻底改变了长期以来由于草地在陆地生态系统中的巨大作用和在国民经济发展中的重要地位未被充分认识,加之受传统的重农轻牧,重牧轻草,轻草贱草等社会思想的影响,彻底改变了草地建设等许多措施没有落到实处,尤其是草地生态建设的步伐远远不能适应生态环境发展要求的现状。     

伊犁河谷生态旅游形象定位及产品设计

生态旅游资源是生态旅游开发的基础,但拥有旅游资源并不等于就拥有旅游产品,旅游资源要成为旅游产品,还必须根据市场需求进行形象设计、加工和再创造。伊犁河谷具有得天独厚的生态环境和世所罕见的生物多样性特征,是开发生态旅游产品、发展生态旅游的理想之地。以伊犁河谷生态旅游源为基础,塑造伊犁河谷生态旅游形象,设计开发特色生态旅游产品。     

读者来信

封面介绍:特克斯草原之春特克斯县地处天山北麓、伊犁河谷,这里有着豪放而质朴的民族风情、秀丽而广阔的草原、幽深而雄奇的峡谷、神奇而奥妙的"八卦名城"。在我的眼中,特克斯草原的春天是那么迷人:阔克苏河在山涧开阔地带形成了漂亮的九曲十八弯,亮闪闪地流淌在碧绿的草毯上。让人不由得忘了年龄,想在这温柔的草毯上撒欢儿打滚儿……     

基于RS/GIS的伊犁河谷生态环境模糊综合评价

土地利用/土地覆盖是生态环境系统的组成部分,它的变化是区域生态环境演变的直接反映和结果,它是区域生态环境演变的一个重要因素。运用RS/GIS技术,采用土地利用类型覆盖率作为评价因子,参考国际和国内各省的土地利用类型覆盖率制定评价标准,对伊犁河谷生态环境进行模糊综合评价。得出伊犁河谷生态环境质量属"优"的面积覆盖率占伊犁河谷总面积的73.2%;生态环境质量为"良"的县市面积覆盖率占伊犁河谷的26.3%。伊犁河谷生态环境总体较好,局部较差。伊犁河谷各县市的耕地面积覆盖率、建设用地覆盖率和草地面积覆盖率是各县市生态环境状况差异的主要原因。该方法与其他方法比较,所得的评价结果比较一致,结论符合实际状况,且有计算简便快捷等优点,方法可行,具有一定的可靠性和理论价值。     

雅安市天保和退耕工程的生态效益评价

天然林保护、退耕还林还草工程是人类生存哲学的革新,其目的在于改善人类生存环境,达到人与环境的协调统一,促进经济社会可持续发展。探讨了森林在改善生态环境方面的作用,以截止2005年底雅安市天保和退耕工程取得的成绩为基础,估算了增加森林在涵养水源、保护土壤、吸收CO2和释放O2、净化空气、娱乐与旅游方面今后每年将产生的生态效益为112.56亿元,表明了实施两大工程后的巨大生态效益。     

以八大分类为基础的伊犁河谷土地利用结构

在研究伊犁河谷土地开发利用中,除大农业用地外,还应充分考虑到伊犁河谷的城乡居民、工矿及交通用地。随着伊犁地区经济的迅速发展,这部分用地的比例将随之提高。到本世纪末,伊犁地区的经济结构将会发生三个较大变化。一是在工农业结构中工业的比重将有较大提高;二是从三个产业结构上看,二、三产业的比重也将有较大提高;三是在大农业内部结构中,畜牧业的比重也会有大的提高。经济结构的变化将直接影响到伊犁河谷土地利用结构的改变。在这里我们采用全国土地利用现状统一分类系统来研究与预测伊犁河谷土地利用状况及结构的变化,其中重点分析城乡居民点、工矿及交通用地。因大农业用地另有专题研究,故仅作粗略分析。     

伊犁河谷土地利用/土地覆盖遥感调查分析研究

伊犁河谷水土资源开发使得土地利用/土地覆盖类型这一区域生态环境演变的重要因素处在变化之中,由此产生的生态环境问题还没有得到有效控制。在解析2000和2005年伊犁河谷的Landsat TM遥感影像基础上,分析、探讨土地利用/土地覆盖现状和动态变化及其特征,揭示生态环境问题。为了防止生态环境问题进一步恶化,使生态环境效益与经济效益同步协调发展,提出调整产业结构、建设草业、设计生态用水、实行环境保护工作“一把手”负责制的建议。     

Conversion of temperate forests into heaths: Role of ecosystem disturbance and ericaceous plants

Fire and logging in nutrient-poor temperate forests with certain ericaceous understory plants may convert the forests into heaths. The process of disturbance-induced heath formation is documented by using examples ofCalluna in western Europe,Kalmia in Newfoundland, andGaultheria (salal) in coastal British Columbia. In a cool, temperate climate, rapid vegetative growth ofCalluna, Kalmia, and salal following disturbance results in increasing organic accumulation (paludification), nutrient sequestration, soil acidification, and allelochemicals. These are thought to be the main reasons to conifer regeneration failure in disturbed habitats. If continuation in forest is a land-use objective, then temperate forests with an ericaceous understory should not be logged unless effective silvicultural methods are devised to control the ericaceous plants and restore forest regeneration. Preharvest vegetation control may be considered as an option. Failure to control the understory plants may lead to a long-term vegetation shift, from forest to heathland, particularly in nutrient-poor sites. Successful methods of controllingKalmia andGaultheria, however, have yet to be developed. While theKalmia- andGaultheria- dominated heathlands are undesirable in Canada and the Pacific Northwest, a wide range ofCalluna heathlands of western Europe are being conserved as natural and seminatural vegetation.     

Using Paleo Reconstructions to Improve Streamflow Forecast Lead Time in the Western United States

In water stressed regions, water managers are exploring new horizons that would help in long‐range streamflow forecasts. Oceanic‐atmospheric oscillations have been shown to influence streamflow variability. In this study, long‐lead time streamflow forecasts are made using a multiclass kernel‐based data‐driven support vector machine (SVM) model. The extended streamflow records based on tree ring reconstructions were used to provide a longer time series data. Reconstructed data were used from 1658 to 1952 and the instrumental record was used from 1953 to 2007. Reconstructions for oceanic‐atmospheric oscillations included the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, and North Atlantic Oscillation. Streamflow forecasts using all four oscillations were made with one‐year to five‐year lead times for 21 gages in the western United States. This is the first study that uses both instrumental and reconstructed data of oscillations in SVM model to improve streamflow forecast lead time. SVM model was able to provide “satisfactory” to “very good” forecasts with one‐ to five‐year lead time for the selected gages. The use of all the oscillation indices helped in achieving better predictability compared to using individual oscillations. The SVM modeling results are better when compared with multiple linear regression model forecasts. The findings are statistical in nature and are expected to be useful for long‐term water resources planning and management.     

Urban ecological systems: scientific foundations and a decade of progress

Urban ecological studies, including focus on cities, suburbs, and exurbs, while having deep roots in the early to mid 20th century, have burgeoned in the last several decades. We use the state factor approach to highlight the role of important aspects of climate, substrate, organisms, relief, and time in differentiating urban from non-urban areas, and for determining heterogeneity within spatially extensive metropolitan areas. In addition to reviewing key findings relevant to each state factor, we note the emergence of tentative "urban syndromes" concerning soils, streams, wildlife and plants, and homogenization of certain ecosystem functions, such as soil organic carbon dynamics. We note the utility of the ecosystem approach, the human ecosystem framework, and watersheds as integrative tools to tie information about multiple state factors together. The organismal component of urban complexes includes the social organization of the human population, and we review key modes by which human populations within urban areas are differentiated, and how such differentiation affects environmentally relevant actions. Emerging syntheses in land change science and ecological urban design are also summarized. The multifaceted frameworks and the growing urban knowledge base do however identify some pressing research needs.     

Neighbourhood characteristics and urban gardens in the Toledo metropolitan area: staffing and voluntarism,food production,infrastructure, and sustainability practices

Urban gardens are important sources of sustenance for communities with limited access to food. Hence, this study focuses on food production in gardens in the Toledo metropolitan area in Northwest Ohio. We administered surveys to 150 garden managers from November 2014 to February 2015 in our attempt to better understand how neighbourhood racial composition and poverty levels are related to staffing and voluntarism, food production and distribution, the development of infrastructure, and the adoption of sustainability practices in urban gardens. The results from 30 gardens are presented in this paper. We used Geographic Information Systems to map the gardens and overlay the map with 2010 census data so that we could conduct demographic analyses of the neighbourhoods in which the gardens were located. Though the gardens were small – two acres or less – up to 46 varieties of food were grown in a single garden. Gardens also operated on small budgets. Food from the gardens was gifted or shared with friends, family, and neighbourhood residents. Gardens in predominantly minority neighbourhoods tended to have fewer institutional partners, less garden infrastructure, and had adopted fewer sustainable practices than gardens in predominantly White neighbourhoods. Nonetheless, residents of predominantly minority and high-poverty neighbourhoods participated in garden activities and influenced garden operations. Volunteering and staffing were racialised and gendered.     

Predicting deer-vehicle collisions in an urban area

Collisions with deer and other large animals are increasing, and the resulting economic costs and risks to public safety have made mitigation measures a priority for both city and wildlife managers. We created landscape models to describe and predict deer-vehicle collision (DVCs) within the City of Edmonton, Alberta. Models based on roadside characteristics revealed that DVCs occurred frequently where roadside vegetation was both denser and more diverse, and that DVCs were more likely to occur when the groomed width of roadside right-of-ways was smaller. No DVCs occurred where the width of the vegetation-free or manicured roadside buffer was greater than 40 m. Landscape-based models showed that DVCs were more likely in more heterogeneous landscapes where road densities were lower and speed limits were higher, and where non-forested vegetation such as farmland was in closer proximity to larger tracts of forest. These models can help wildlife and transportation managers to identify locations of high collision frequency for mitigation. Modifying certain landscape and roadside habitats can be an effective way to reduce deer-vehicle collisions.     

BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS AND BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ESTUARINE/COASTAL POLLUTION1

ABSTRACT: Sustained interest in and concern about the health status of the aquatic environment has resulted in extensive research focused on (1) effects of pollution on survival, growth, and reproduction of resource species at all life stages; (2) diseases of fish and shellfish, as they may be related to pollution and as they may serve as indicators of environmental stress; and (3) contaminant body burdens in fish and shellfish - their effects on the aquatic animals and their potential effects on humans. Effects, lethal and sublethal, of pollutants on life history stages of fish and shellfish have been documented, as have impacts on local stocks in badly degraded habitats, but as yet there has been no adequate quantitative demonstration of effects on entire aquatic species - probably because of the difficulty in sorting out relative effects of the many environmental factors that influence abundance. Sublethal effects, especially those that result in disease, have been examined intensively, and some diseases and disease syndromes have been associated statistically with pollution. Other pollution indicators (biochemical, physiological, genetic, behavioral, and ecological) have also received some attention, as have body burdens of contaminants in aquatic species. Research, especially that conducted during the past decade, has done much to clarify the many pathways and toxic effects of contaminants on aquatic animals, and has also helped to identify mechanisms for survival of fish and shellfish in the presence of environmental changes caused by human activities.     

Journalists' views of advertiser pressures on agricultural news

All major journalism ethical codes explicitly state that journalists should protect editorial copy from undue influence by outside sources. However, much of the previous research on agricultural information has concentrated on what information various media communicate (gatekeeping studies) or communication's role in increasing innovation adoption (diffusion studies). Few studies have concentrated specifically on organizational and structural constraints that might adversely affect agricultural journalists' ethical standards; those that have, focus largely on farm magazines. A study of newspaper reporters who cover agricultural news found that the most pressing ethical concern is the effect of advertiser (agri-business) pressure on editorial copy, and that their concerns in general parallel those of farm magazine writers and editors. The majority reported being in situations in which they might be exposed to advertiser pressure, including pressures to change or withhold editorial copy. Large minorities suggested that advertising pressures affect the overall environment in which agricultural journalists work, and more than one in ten said they allow advertiser pressures to influence editorial decisions. The newspaper reporters who cover agricultural beats showed slightly more resistance to advertiser pressure than did farm magazine editors in a parallel study.     

Definition Procedures Have Little Effect on Performance of Environmental Classifications of Streams and Rivers

Mapped environmental classifications are defined using various procedures, but there has been little evaluation of the differences in their ability to discriminate variation in independent ecological characteristics. We tested the performance of environmental classifications of the streams and rivers of France that had been defined from the same environmental data using geographic regionalization and numerical classification of individual river valley segments. Test data comprised invertebrate assemblages, water chemistry, and hydrological indexes obtained from sites throughout France. Classification performance was measured by analysis of similarity (ANOSIM). Geometric regions defined by a regular grid and without regard to environmental variables and a posteriori classifications based on clustering the test datasets defined lower and upper bounds of performance for a given number of classes. Differences in classification performances were generally small. The ANOSIM statistics for the a posteriori classifications were around twice that of all environmental classifications, including geometrically defined regions. The hydro-ecoregions performed slightly better for the invertebrate data and the network classification performed slightly better for the chemistry and hydrological data. Our results indicate that environmental classifications that are defined using different procedures can be comparable in terms of their ability to discriminate variation of ecological characteristics and that alleged differences in performance arising from different classification procedures can be small relative to unexplained variation. We conclude that definition procedures might have little effect on the performance of large-scale environmental classifications and decisions over which procedures to use should be based primarily on pragmatic considerations.     

MANGANESE CYCLE IN IMPOUNDMENT WATER

Manganese entering impounded water will undergo a cyclic transformation. Oxidation precipitates manganese from top waters. At the bottom of the lake, biological activity will render manganese soluble by both intracellular as well as extracellular activity. The study was made to demonstrate that biological reduction and transformation, organometallic complexation, together with the presence of carbon dioxide and the lowering of pH all have some effect on the solubility of manganese. Dissolved manganese may be brought back to top waters during the lake overturn and therefore deteriorates the water quality.     

Provincial development plans in Zimbabwe: an analysis of their content,structure and methodology

Zimbabwean provincial plans were instituted to help in the achievement of the national goal of the creation of an egalitarian, socialist and integrated society. The national goal itself was adopted as an antithesis to the dualist society characterised by spatial, economic, social, politican and technological inequalities that Zimbabwe inherited from colonialism. This meant that provincial plans had to play both a functional (or growth allocating/distribution) and a territorial (or redistribution) role.

This paper reviews their role in achieving the national goal by examining their functions, content, structure and methodology. The paper concludes that because of their nature, provincial plans are not suitable tools for the achievement of the national goal.