Management of an Agroecosystem

Agroecosystems (AESs) are autotrophic ecosystems managed by man. The goal of the management is to obtain the maximum possible amount of high-quality agricultural products while preserving agricultural resources, primarily the soils and biodiversity. The main components of the management of AES structures and functions, including primary and secondary biological production, the ratio between the energy flows in the plant–man and plant–livestock–man food chains, the efficiency of energy transfer in the plant–livestock link, and conservation of agricultural resources, are considered.     

我国粮食生产布局变化特点及其成因分析

建国以来,我国粮食生产呈波浪型上了四个台阶,粮食总产量分别达到２亿ｔ、３亿ｔ、４亿ｔ、ｔｗｎ ｔ。总的来说,粮食产量呈现超伏涨落但缓慢上升的趋势。过去５０年,我国的粮食生产及布局发生了巨大的变化。首先,粮食增长逐渐由以前的单产和总产并重转变为以提高单为主。其次,粮食结构也发生了变化,很长一段时间,我国的粮食增长主要信赖于水稻增产,８０年代以后,水稻在粮食生产中的比重迅速下降,而小麦和玉米所占比重帽     

论我国耕地保护与粮食安全

耕地资源关系到国家经济发展、社会稳定和粮食安全。对我国而言，经济飞速增长，人地矛盾十分突出，每寸土地都显得弥足珍贵。在收集我国1997-2005年耕地面积变化的资料，并作相关分析的基础上，研究得出我国耕地资源呈现不断减少的趋势，其中生态退耕和非农建设用地占用耕地是其变化的主要原因。耕地资源的减少引起了粮食总产量和单产量的变化，而耕地复种指数也是影响耕地产量的主要原因之一。在此基础上分析了耕地保护和粮食安全的内在关系，并提出适合我国的耕地资源可持续利用与粮食安全的措施。     

Global factors shaping the future of food aid: the implications for WFP

Food aid is a key component of a humanitarian response but its use in other programming contexts is subject to numerous criticisms. Even in humanitarian emergencies food aid is often late, unreliable and out of proportion to other elements of the response. Three major factors will shape the future of food aid. First, mechanisms of food aid governance are being reviewed and may undergo major changes—particularly the Food Aid Convention now that hopes have diminished for an Agreement on Agriculture at the World Trade Organisation. The second significant factor is donor agency trends. Overall levels of food aid have dropped fairly steadily in recent decades and there are several discernible trends in resource allocation, procurement and the use of food aid. The third factor is an emerging body of best practice that will define acceptable standards of food aid programming in the future.     

Conflict, camps and coercion: the ongoing livelihoods crisis in Darfur

This paper presents the findings of a study commissioned by World Food Programme (WFP) in early 2006 to enhance understanding of how the conflict in Darfur has affected livelihoods and markets, and of the effects of food aid. The livelihoods of many in Darfur were devastated early on in the conflict, principally through the widespread looting or destruction of assets and highly restricted population movements, which struck at the heart of pre-conflict livelihoods. Livelihood strategies for most people are now restricted, poorly remunerated and often associated with high risk of attack. Patterns of coercion and exploitation have also become entrenched; and markets and trade, the lifeblood of Da fur's economy pre-conflict, severely disrupted. Against this backdrop the impact of food aid on livelihoods in Darfur has been overwhelmingly positive. The paper proposes a number of preconditions for investment in recovery in Darfur, and recommends ways in which livelihoods can be supported in the current context of ongoing conflict.     

Edible Invertebrates Among Amazonian Indians: A Critical Review of Disappearing Knowledge

For the indigenous populations of Amazonia, invertebrates constitute an important component of the diet. We have information on entomophagy for 39 ethnic groups, about 21,4 per cent of the 182 groups known in the Amazon Basin, but the use of this non conventional food resource is probably much more widespread. We present here a data-base of all the information available for each ethnic group regarding the species included in the diet, the scientific and the ethno name if known, the stage of life-cycle consumed, the manner of preparation and, when known, the host plant. This data-base lists 115 species scientifically identified and 131 ethno names. In addition, we have information about other 384 ethno names, with unsecure link to the Linnean taxonomy suggesting that local knowledge is very extensive. The data-base represents not only an easy to consult resource, but also a support for further research. The knowledge of the relations between indigenous populations and ecosystem is indeed the base for the natural and cultural biodiversity preservation.     

The importance of differentiating urban and rural phenomena in examining the unequal distribution of locally desirable land

Previous research addressing the unequal distribution of locally desirable land (LDL) has mainly ignored their associated environments (i.e., rural or urban). However, this study proposed a new framework that treats rural and urban regions separately. In rural areas, the LDLs included all public lands. In urbanized areas, the LDLs were defined as green open spaces. Potential inequities in the distribution of LDL were assessed with respect to socioeconomic characteristics of residents in the State of Georgia. Using US Census Bureau Data (2000), Census Block Groups (CBGs) adjacent to LDLs were compared to CBGs outside of LDLs on four socioeconomic variables (per capita income, occupation, education, and race) in urban, suburban and rural environments. Results showed that CBGs adjacent to LDLs were composed of statistically significant upper-class communities containing fewer blue-collar workers, more whites, and higher income and higher educated people in rural, suburban and urban areas.     

虹膜识别在肉类食品安全追溯系统中的应用及关键技术研究

为了提高大型动物肉类食品的安全性,在研究肉类食品供应链的安全管理的基础上,将大型动物的虹膜识别技术引入食品供应链管理中,构建基于虹膜识别的大型动物肉类食品安全可追溯系统,达到肉类食品安全信息查询及出现安全问题后的个体溯源的目的。借鉴人眼虹膜识别的相关技术,以牛眼为例对大型动物虹膜识别的相关算法和虹膜定位等关键技术进行研究,运用改进的Sobel算子对图像进行边缘检测;引入二次B样条曲线算法实现了牛眼虹膜的精确定位;分析牛虹膜纹理特征的分布特点,实现了虹膜特征区域的提取及归一化处理。研究成果对大型动物的虹膜识别研究和肉类食品供应链安全管理具有一定的参考意义。     

A model for estimating the potential biomagnification of chemicals in a generic food web: Preliminary development

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of organic pollutants have been increasingly assessed and modeled during the last years. Due to the complexity of these processes and the large variability of food webs, setting generic assessments for these parameters is really difficult. Equilibrium models, based on a compound's lipophylicity, are the main tool in regulatory proposals, such as for identifying Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Toxic Substances (PBTs), although a refinement has been claimed by the scientific community. Toxicokinetic studies offer an alternative for these estimations, where biomagnification is modeled as a succession of bioaccumulation processes, each one regulated by toxicokinetic parameters. METHODS: A review of kinetic models covering species belonging to different trophic levels and with different ecological behavior has been conducted. The results were employed for setting a conceptual model for estimating the biomagnification potential in a generic food web, which was mathematically implemented through system dynamic models developed under data sheet software. Crystal Ball was then employed for allowing Monte Carlo based probabilistic calculations. Bioaccumulation laboratory assays have been performed to estimate toxicokinetic parameters in mussels (Mytilus edulis) with two PAHs (chrysene and benzo[a]pyrene). The contamination was delivered via food. The exposure period lasted more than one month followed then by a depuration phase. The contaminant content was determined on an individual basis on five replicates. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:. The reviewed information suggested the development of a tiered conceptual biomagnification model, starting with a simplified food chain which can be refined to more realistic and complex models in successive levels. CONCLUSIONS: The mathematical implementation of the conceptual model offers tools for estimating the potential for bioaccumulation and biomagnification of chemicals under very different conditions. The versatility of the model can be used for both comparative estimations and for validating the model. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: Since bioaccumulation and biomagnification processes are crucial elements for a proper risk assessment of chemicals, their estimation by mathematical models has been widely tested. However, inregulatory assessments, too simplistic models are still being used quite often. The biomagnification model presented in this study should be amore accurate alternative to these models. In comparison to other previously published biomagnification models, the present one covers the time variation of bioaccumulation using just a few toxicokinetic parameters.     

Inequalities in exposure and awareness of flood risk in England and Wales

This paper explores the environmental inequalities of living in the floodplains of England and Wales and the differences in flood awareness of those 'at risk'. An area comparison is made between an etic, objective flood risk exposure, and an emic, subjective perception of that risk by social class. In all areas except the Midlands, the working classes were more likely to reside in the floodplains; the greatest exposure inequality is seen in the North East and Anglian regions. Flood awareness in the Anglian regions was much lower than average, but there were no significant class differences. In the Thames region, despite equal flood risk exposure between classes, the most deprived displayed the least awareness of flood risk. In the North East, inequalities in the distribution of flood risk exposure accompanied inequalities in perception, resulting in the least aware and most deprived experiencing the greatest flood risk.