Traditional agriculture in transition: examining the impacts of agricultural modernization on smallholder farming in Ghana under the new Green Revolution

Following the renewed effort at achieving a new green revolution for Africa, emphasis has been placed on modernizing smallholder agriculture through the deployment of improved inputs especially mechanized technologies. In Ghana, the government has in the last decade emphasized the provision of subsidized mechanized ploughing services to farmers alongside a rapidly growing private sector tractor service market. While mechanized technology adoption rates have increased rapidly, the deployment of these technologies has been without critical analysis of the impacts on production patterns and local agrarian systems. This paper examines the distributional impacts of agriculture mechanization on cropping patterns and farm sizes of smallholder farmers in northern Ghana using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques, and semi-structured interviews with smallholder farmers (n=60). Specifically, comparative analysis of the field sizes and cropping patterns of participant farmers prior to and after the adoption of mechanized technologies was conducted. In-depth interviews were used to contextualize the experiences of smallholder farmers toward understanding how mechanization may be impacting traditional agriculture. Our findings reveal a mechanization paradox in which farm sizes are expanding, while cropping patterns are shifting away from traditional staple crops (pearl millet and sorghum bicolor) to market-oriented crops (maize, rice and groundnuts). This transition we argue, has adverse implications on the cultural dimension of food security, the organization of social life, and climate change adaptation. We recommend a retooling of the current agricultural policy focus to ensure context sensitivity for a more robust battle against food insecurity.     

不同轮作模式下作物根际土壤养分及真菌群落组成特征

为研究宁夏中部干旱带不同轮作模式下土壤养分及真菌群落组成的特征,以谷子轮作大豆（MRG）、轮作籽粒苋（MRA）、轮作藜麦（MRQ）及谷子连作（CK）为对象,测定了土壤养分含量,并利用Illumina MiSeq高通量测序平台测定了土壤真菌的ITS变异区序列.结果表明,不同轮作模式对土壤养分的影响存在差异.3种轮作模式下土壤pH和电导率均有所下降,土壤全氮、全钾、全磷和有机质含量均上升,OTUs数和α多样性指数均高于连作.真菌群落组成研究结果显示,子囊菌门（Ascomycota）为4种模式下的优势菌群.聚类分析显示MRA和MRG的真菌属组成最为相似,其次是MRQ,CK与3种轮作模式相差较大.相关性分析显示,土壤养分与几种优势真菌属呈显著相关性（P<0.05或P<0.01）,土壤全氮、全钾、硝态氮和有机质含量是影响土壤真菌群落最主要的因子.主成分分析（PCA）表明,MRG轮作模式优于MRA和MRQ模式.综上所述,轮作提高了真菌群落多样性指数,改变了土壤真菌群落结构,改善了土壤肥力状况,其中以谷子与大豆轮作效果最佳,建议将谷豆轮作作为中部干旱带杂粮产业中主要的轮作模式之一进行推广.     

新冠肺炎疫情期间我国居民洗手行为研究

直接接触和飞沫传播等方式是新型冠状病毒传播的主要途径,合理的洗手行为是切断暴露途径和降低病毒感染风险的有效防控措施,对于新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19,简称“新冠肺炎”）疫情的防控具有重要的作用.该研究于2020年2月25日—3月14日,采用电子问卷的方式调查了覆盖我国31个省（自治区、直辖市）1 728个县（区）18岁及以上的居民,收集共计8 330名成人的洗手情形及洗手时长等信息,分析不同暴露情景下的洗手行为及其影响因素.结果表明:女性、城市地区居民在洗手比例和洗手时长上均分别高于男性、农村地区居民.人群在一般暴露情景下的洗手比例较高,而对于病毒感染风险较高的暴露情景（如咳嗽或打喷嚏后、接触他人后等）的洗手率（分别为73.6%和83.9%）排名靠后,说明人群对病毒的传播途径和防护措施有待深入理解;在洗手时间上,根据WHO规定的洗手时长标准（20 s）,仅有41.7%的人群洗手时长合格（大于20 s）,城区居民洗手时长的合格率（42.0%）显著高于农村地区（39.7%）;总体上,具有外出经历的人群洗手比例较未曾外出的人群高,新冠肺炎疫情期间居住地是否存在新冠肺炎疑似和确诊病例显著影响居民的洗手行为,但是疫情最严重的地区居民的洗手时长合格率（37.2%）最低,反而疫情最轻的地区居民的洗手时长合格率（43.6%）最高,说明居民的洗手行为可能受疫情等多方面的影响.研究显示,相比于非疫情期间而言,疫情期间我国居民洗手行为发生率提高,洗手时长合格率提高,但是仍然水平偏低.应提高居民洗手行为意识,科学地执行洗手这一防护措施,相关政策制定以及个人防护应当进一步关注和重视洗手行为的防疫作用.      

江西定南县离子型稀土尾矿周边水体氮污染状况与分布特征

为探究"稀土王国"江西省赣南地区离子型稀土矿对周边水体环境的影响,以离子型稀土矿分布密集区定南县濂江月子河流域和龙迳河龙头流域为研究对象,综合分析研究区特征污染物ρ（NH₄+-N）空间分布特征,采用相关性分析和主成分分析揭示其主要污染来源及影响因素.结果表明:①离子型稀土矿停产整顿半年后,濂江月子河流域和龙迳河龙头流域ρ（NH₄+-N）超过1.00和2.00 mg/L的采样点分别达72%和68%;pH范围为2.95~7.66,平均值分别为6.23和5.53,水体总体上偏酸性;ρ（TN）、ρ（NH₄+-N）、EC与ρ（NO₃--N）变异系数较大,均介于0.80~1.50之间.②相关性分析结果显示,ρ（NH₄+-N）与ρ（TN）、EC均呈极显著正相关（P < 0.01）;ρ（NH₄+-N）与pH呈显著负相关（P < 0.05）.③流经稀土尾矿区的水体中ρ（NH₄+-N）随距离增加呈现明显的空间梯度分布特征,即距稀土矿区边界200 m处水体中ρ（NH₄+-N）最高（12.20~200.00 mg/L）,其次为1.15 km内（3.69~11.80 mg/L）及3.5 km以上水体（0.80~1.51 mg/L）,矿区周边未受到采矿活动影响的水体中ρ（NH₄+-N）最低（0.03~0.15 mg/L）.④PCA结果表明,2条河流的主要环境影响因子为ρ（TN）、ρ（NH₄+-N）、pH和EC,主要受到周边稀土矿山尾矿的强烈影响.研究显示,离子型稀土矿原位浸矿开采停产半年后,重点小流域水体中ρ（NH₄+-N）高概率超标的现状仍然存在,受稀土开采活动影响较大.建议进一步开展重点小流域NH₄+-N剩余"库容"精算和矿山周边地表水定期监测.      

Nitrogen isotope ratios in pine bark as an indicator of N emissions from anthropogenic sources

The article describes the use of Scots pine bark to identifynitrogen sources in eastern Germany, as well as background areas in Russia and Bulgaria, by using natural isotope ratios of total nitrogen (N_t) and individual N compoundssuch as ammonium (NH₄ ⁺), nitrate (NO₃ ^-)and amid nitrogen (amide-N). The samples collected were analysed using an elemental analyser in connection with a gas isotope mass spectrometer (EA-IRMS). Natural ¹⁵N abundances in pine bark from impact areas suggest that the ammonium accumulated on the surface of the bark is releasedfrom livestock management. Bark of Scots pines growing near agricultural land had highly depleted ¹⁵N_t values (between –8 and –12), while bark from background areas (unpolluted areas) displayed slightly negative ¹⁵N_t values (mean ¹⁵N_t = –3.8). It is assumed that part of the N adsorbed on the bark surface is mainly derived from ammonia(mean ¹⁵N_t = –40.3) escaping from livestock housing and during the application of manure. This assumption is confirmed by experiments under controlled conditions in which manure samples were spread on soil. In addition, temporal and spatial variations of ¹⁵N_t abundances in pine bark from various locations in eastern Germany as wellas pine stands in Nature Park Dübener Heath are discussed.     

4－AAP光度法测定污水中挥发酚的干扰规律研究及其应用

矿物油（原油、机油、柴油等）、苯胺、部分金属离子及ＣＩＯ－等物质对４－ＡＡＰ法测定污水中的挥发酚有干扰。本文采用标加干扰物的方法研究了各种干扰物质对挥发酚测定过程中的回收率的影响规律，得到总回收率Ｙ方程。由Ｙ值和４－ＡＡＰ法测定值ＣＤ可求得水样中挥发酚的实际含量ＣＴ（ＣＤ／Ｙ）。混和干扰物加标拟合实验结果的相对误差＜±５％。该方法测定实际水样的结果与４阶导数光谱法的结果基本吻合。本文是针对油矿区污水特点，提出的消除各种干扰挥发酚测定物质影响的研究方法。     

Carbon Budget Implications of the Transition from Natural to Managed Disturbance Regimes in Forest Landscapes

Land-use change from an unmanaged to a managed forested landscape in northern forests is associated with a reduction of the area annually affected by natural disturbances (wildfires and forest insects) and the introduction of harvesting as a new disturbance. This study examined the impacts of changes in the disturbance regime-the frequency and type of disturbance-on landscape-level carbon (C) content and fluxes. The Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector was used to assess these impacts in six representative landscapes (100,000 ha each) with a range of disturbance regimes that are characteristic of conditions in coastal British Columbia, the interior of British Columbia, and the eastern boreal forest in Canada. The model was used to simulate ecosystem C fluxes during a period of natural disturbances, a 50-year transition period during which harvesting replaced natural disturbances, followed by 150 years of harvesting. The initial landscape-level biomass C content under natural disturbance regimes in the six example landscapes was 22 to 75% of their potential maximum content which is often used as the reference or baseline case. After 200 years of forest management, the C stored in the landscape plus the C retained in forest products manufactured from harvested biomass was between 58 and 101% of the landscape C content prior to the onset of harvesting. Landscape-level ecosystem C content was found to be affected by changes in the disturbance frequency, the age-dependence of the disturbance probabilities, and the disturbance-specific impacts on ecosystem C content. The results indicate that using the potential maximum C content of a landscape as the baseline always overestimates the actual C release due to land use change. A more meaningful procedure would be to assess the actual differences in landscape-level C content between the natural and the managed disturbance regime.     

土地利用变化对浙江生态系统服务价值的影响

生态系统服务功能价值理论可定量估算各类生态系统为人类提供服务的经济价值.土地是一切陆地生态系统的载体,在人类改造和利用自然的过程中不可避免地要影响各类生态系统的状况,进而影响到它们为人类提供的服务与功能.以浙江省1990年、1995年、1999年和2002年的土地利用类型数据为依据,结合浙江省的具体情况对生态价值计算方法进行修正,估算了该省生态服务价值的动态变化环境效益.结果表明,浙江省的生态服务价值经历了一个先缓慢上升后迅速下降的过程,其中水分调节和水分供应项变化的幅度大,而且不同土地类型发挥了不同的效应.     

浙中典型富硒土壤区土壤硒含量的影响因素探讨

通过对浙江省中部典型富硒土壤区的系统调查研究,总结了影响土壤硒含量的主要因素.结果表明,地质背景对土壤硒含量有控制作用,汤溪组、之江组和金华组分布区的土壤硒含量明显高于其他地质背景区.研究同时发现,土地利用方式对土壤硒的迁移富集有不可忽视的影响,旱地土壤比水田土壤更易富集硒元素.由于土壤有机质对硒的吸附与固定作用,致使其成为影响硒含量的重要因素之一.除此之外,研究认为土壤质地也是影响土壤硒含量的重要因素,土壤中黏粒含量越多,越黏重,硒含量往往较高.