The Chemistry of Soils, Rocks and Plant Bioindicators in Three Ecosystems of the Holy Cross Mountains, Poland

In June of 2000, biogeochemical study was carried out in three ecosystems of the Holy Cross Mountains (south-central Poland). This paper presents element concentrations and stable sulfur (and in one site lead) isotope ratios in rocks, detailed soil profiles, and plant bioindicators including epiphytic lichen Hypogymnia physodes (L.) Nyl., mosses (Pleurozium schreberi (Brid.) Mitt., Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. S. Str., Hylocomium splendens (Hedw.) B.S.G.), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), common birch (Betula pendula Roth.), aspen (Populus tremula L.) and English oak (Quercus robur L.). Chemical analyses were performed with ICP-AES and AAS methods in the accredited laboratory (Central Chemical Laboratory of the Polish Geological Institute in Warsaw). The principal objective of this study was to compare the chemical composition of rocks, soils and selected plant bioindicators between investigation sites using the same methods of sample collection, preparation and analyses. The results of this study have shown that there is a high variability in concentrations of elements in plant bioindicators from the same sites that can not be explained only by soil properties or anthropogenic influence. This conclusion indicates that for biomonitoring purposes (especially with vascular plants) we cannot neglect individual features of the species examined.     

长白山西坡风灾干扰区的恢复和保护

长白山西坡发生的灾害性风灾干扰,一方面给长白山自然保护区的森林资源造成巨大损失,同时也提出了如何加强保护和加速恢复的新课题。文中分析了风灾干扰区的更新格局和过程以及干扰后处理的有关问题,提出了从立地和景观水平促进更新恢复的保护措施     

Differential N uptake by maize cultivars and soil nitrate dynamics under N fertilization in West Africa

Nitrate is prone to leaching in the sandy soils of the West African moist savannas. Better management of nitrogen (N) resources and maize cultivars with enhanced genetic capacity to capture and utilize soil and fertilizer N are strategies that could improve N-use efficiency. In two field experiments conducted at Zaria, northern Nigeria, five maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars planted early in the season were assessed under various N levels for differences in N uptake, soil N dynamics, and related N losses. Cultivar TZB-SR accumulated more N in the aboveground plant parts in both years than the other cultivars. All, except the semi-prolific late (SPL) variety, met about 50–60% of their N demand by the time of silking (64–69 DAP). In both years, SPL had the greatest capacity to take up N during the grain filling period, and it had the highest grain-N concentration and the least apparent N loss through leaching in the second year. There were no significant differences in soil N dynamics among cultivars in both years. At harvest, the residual N in the upper 90 cm of the profile under all the cultivars ranged from 56 to 72 kg ha⁻¹ in the first year and from 73 to 83 kg ha⁻¹ in the second year. Apparent N loss from 0 to 90 cm soil profile through leaching ranged from 35 to 122 kg ha⁻¹ in both years. N application significantly increased N uptake by more than 30% at all sampling dates in the second year of the experiment, but had no effect on apparent N loss. Results indicate that the use of maize cultivars with high N uptake capacity during the grain filling period when maximum leaching losses occur could enhance N recovery and may be effective in reducing leaching losses of mineral N in the moist savanna soils.     

黄河上游西线调水工程对调出区气候影响的初步分析

在分析南水北调西线工程水量调出区气候特征的基础上,采用定性与定量相结合的方法,重点分析了调水工程对库区与坝址下游临近河段局地气候的影响,以及调水对引水坝址下游“干旱河谷”区的可能影响,并对干旱河谷的分布及其成因进行了较深入的分析。结果表明:调水对库区气候影响不大;对坝址下游临近地区的气温、降水等将不会造成明显的影响;对干旱河谷区的局地气候虽有影响,但很微弱。     

中国东、西部工业污染和经济发展的分析比较

从经济发展水平和工业污染排放角度出发,对比分析了东部、中部和西部3个地区的差异。结果表明,90年代以来,中国的经济发展和工业污染在东、西部之间存在着较显著的差异,所表现出的综合效应是形成了明显的工业污染物排放强度梯度。即在空间上,工业污染物排放强度存在从东部、中部到西部逐渐升高的梯度。建议在西部大开发过程中,要充分利用西部环境保护的后发优势,减缓或遏制工业污染的“西迁”,实现环境保护的跨越式发展。     

厦门西港和九龙江口浮游植物生化组成及其环境因子效应

厦门西港和九龙江口浮游植物碳水化合物与光强、盐度和叶绿素ａ均显著正相关，蛋白质与光强有负相关关系，脂类受光强的影响较小，蛋白质与碳水化合物之比与氮磷比显正相关。１０月该海域浮游植物叶绿素ａ与生化组分含量都比４月高，与１０月海水温度和海面辐照度较高有关     

西部旅游资源的困境与保护

充分评价了西部旅游资源的优势特点，详细地分析了目前西部旅游资源受到的各种威胁和存在的困境，并有针对性地提出了一些切实可行的保护措施。     

发展中国西部的生态旅游业

生态旅游作为“保护生态”和“发展经济”双赢理念的新兴旅游类型,被西部各省(区、市)所关注并将其定为本地区发展的主导产业.通过对西部地区的生态旅游资源优缺点、市场定位、产品转化及空间布局的分析,初步勾画了西部生态旅游业的发展前景,并提出相应地发展策略.     

Socio-economic Comparison Between Traditional and Improved Cultivation Methods in Agroforestry Systems, East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania

The East Usambara Mountains, recognized as one of the 25 most important biodiversity hot spots in the world, have a high degree of species diversity and endemism that is threatened by increasing human pressure on resources. Traditional slash and burn cultivation in the area is no longer sustainable. However, it is possible to maintain land productivity, decrease land degradation, and improve rural people’s livelihood by ameliorating cultivation methods. Improved agroforestry seems to be a very convincing and suitable method for buffer zones of conservation areas. Farmers could receive a reasonable net income from their farm with little investment in terms of time, capital, and labor. By increasing the diversity and production of already existing cultivations, the pressure on natural forests can be diminished. The present study shows a significant gap between traditional cultivation methods and improved agroforestry systems in socio-economic terms. Improved agroforestry systems provide approximately double income per capita in comparison to traditional methods. More intensified cash crop cultivation in the highlands of the East Usambara also results in double income compared to that in the lowlands. However, people are sensitive to risks of changing farming practices. Encouraging farmers to apply better land management and practice sustainable cultivation of cash crops in combination with multipurpose trees would be relevant in improving their economic situation in the relatively short term. The markets of most cash crops are already available. Improved agroforestry methods could ameliorate the living conditions of the local population and protect the natural reserves from human disturbance.     

Assessing effects of non-native crayfish on mosquito survival

Introductions of non-native predators often reduce biodiversity and affect natural predator–prey relationships and may increase the abundance of potential disease vectors (e.g., mosquitoes) indirectly through competition or predation cascades. The Santa Monica Mountains (California, U.S.A.), situated in a global biodiversity hotspot, is an area of conservation concern due to climate change, urbanization, and the introduction of non-native species. We examined the effect of non-native crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) on an existing native predator, dragonfly nymphs (Aeshna sp.), and their mosquito larvae (Anopheles sp.) prey. We used laboratory experiments to compare the predation efficiency of both predators, separately and together, and field data on counts of dragonfly nymphs and mosquito larvae sampled from 13 local streams. We predicted a lower predation efficiency of crayfish compared with native dragonfly nymphs and a reduced predation efficiency of dragonfly nymphs in the presence of crayfish. Dragonfly nymphs were an order of magnitude more efficient predators than crayfish, and dragonfly nymph predation efficiency was reduced in the presence of crayfish. Field count data showed that populations of dragonfly nymphs and mosquito larvae were strongly correlated with crayfish presence in streams, such that sites with crayfish tended to have fewer dragonfly nymphs and more mosquito larvae. Under natural conditions, it is likely that crayfish reduce the abundance of dragonfly nymphs and their predation efficiency and thereby, directly and indirectly, lead to higher mosquito populations and a loss of ecosystem services related to disease vector control.