Sustainability of rice production systems: an empirical evaluation to improve policy

An evaluation is needed to monitor the progress of sustainable development (SD) in rice production systems. The purpose of this study is to provide policy inputs, examine the sustainability of rice production, and determine major policy areas. A requisite set of 12 indicators of three dimensions of SD, namely economic, was generated by employing an assemblage of top–down and bottom–up approaches. The data were gathered from farm households’ survey as well as in-depth discussion with stakeholders from the regions that represent irrigated, rain-fed lowland, rain-fed upland, flood-prone, and saline-prone rice-growing ecosystems in Bangladesh. By constructing composite indicators, the results revealed that 44 % of rice growers were economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially developed. The irrigated rice production system was found to be the most sustainable. The path analysis measured the contribution of the indicators to the index, and results highlighted that rice growers’ knowledge, skills, and social networks development, improving land productivity, and integrated nutrient management were essential for promoting sustainable rice production. However, the study findings suggest that pluralistic (i.e., government and non-government) agricultural advisory services can serve as an engine of transition to rice production sustainability in which a multi-year planning and strategy formulation are crucial besides investing in the modernization of extension services. Overall and ecosystem-specific policy implications that emerged from the findings of this study are outlined.     

Ex situ bioremediation of a soil contaminated by mazut (heavy residual fuel oil)--a field experiment

Mazut (heavy residual fuel oil)-polluted soil was exposed to bioremediation in an ex situ field-scale (600 m(3)) study. Re-inoculation was performed periodically with biomasses of microbial consortia isolated from the mazut-contaminated soil. Biostimulation was conducted by adding nutritional elements (N, P and K). The biopile (depth 0.4m) was comprised of mechanically mixed polluted soil with softwood sawdust and crude river sand. Aeration was improved by systematic mixing. The biopile was protected from direct external influences by a polyethylene cover. Part (10 m(3)) of the material prepared for bioremediation was set aside uninoculated, and maintained as an untreated control pile (CP). Biostimulation and re-inoculation with zymogenous microorganisms increased the number of hydrocarbon degraders after 50 d by more than 20 times in the treated soil. During the 5 months, the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) content of the contaminated soil was reduced to 6% of the initial value, from 5.2 to 0.3 g kg(-1) dry matter, while TPH reduced to only 90% of the initial value in the CP. After 150 d there were 96%, 97% and 83% reductions for the aliphatic, aromatic, and nitrogen-sulphur-oxygen and asphaltene fractions, respectively. The isoprenoids, pristane and phytane, were more than 55% biodegraded, which indicated that they are not suitable biomarkers for following bioremediation. According to the available data, this is the first field-scale study of the bioremediation of mazut and mazut sediment-polluted soil, and the efficiency achieved was far above that described in the literature to date for heavy fuel oil.     

Levels, sources, and health risks of carbonyls in residential indoor air in Hangzhou, China

Concentrations of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone, propionaldehyde, i-pentanal, and butyraldehyde in residential indoor air in Hangzhou were determined. The mean concentration of the total carbonyl compounds in summer was 222.6 μg/m³, higher than that in winter (68.5 μg/m³). The concentration of a specific carbonyl in indoor air was higher than the outdoor air measurement, indicating the release of carbonyls from the indoor sources. Formaldehyde and acetone were the most abundant carbonyls detected in summer and winter, respectively. Multiple regression analysis indicated that carbonyl concentrations in residential indoor air depended on the age of decoration and furniture, as well as their concentrations in outdoor air. In addition, a primary estimation showed that the health risks of carbonyls in summer were higher than those in winter.     

CS-Fe和CS-Fe/Ni的制备及其用于去除钴离子

以氯化铁为铁源，硼氢化钠为还原剂，壳聚糖为稳定剂，采用液相还原法制备壳聚糖稳定纳米铁（CS-Fe）；并以氯化铁为铁源，硫酸镍为镍源，硼氢化钠为还原剂，壳聚糖为稳定剂，采用液相还原共沉淀法制备壳聚糖稳定纳米铁镍（CS-Fe/Ni）。通过SEM、EDS、XRD、FT-IR等表征手段，对所制备的CS-Fe和CS-Fe/Ni的形貌及微观结构进行表征，并以Co²⁺为目标去除物评价CS-Fe和CS-Fe/Ni的反应活性。初步研究表明，制成的CS-Fe含有单质纳米铁，颗粒多数以30~90 nm球形颗粒为主；而CS-Fe/Ni材料中含有纳米铁镍，颗粒多数以30~60 nm球形颗粒为主；在相同的实验条件下，反应60 min，CS-Fe/Ni对Co²⁺的去除率高达100%，但是CS-Fe仅为88%，即CS-Fe/Ni对Co²⁺的去除率比CS-Fe高。     

Tie them up tight: wrapping by Philoponella vicina spiders breaks, compresses and sometimes kills their prey

We show that uloborid spiders, which lack the poison glands typical of nearly all other spiders, employ thousands of wrapping movements with their hind legs and up to hundreds of meters of silk line to make a shroud that applies substantial compressive force to their prey. Shrouds sometimes break the prey’s legs, buckle its compound eyes inward, or kill it outright. The compressive force apparently results from the summation of small tensions on sticky lines as they are applied to the prey package. Behavioral details indicate that wrapping is designed to compact prey; in turn, compaction probably functions to facilitate these spiders’ unusual method of feeding. This is the first demonstration that prey wrapping by spiders compacts and physically damages their prey, rather than simply restraining them.     

浙江省辐射环境监测现状及对策研究

辐射环境是生态环境的重要组成部分,核与辐射环境安全是国家环境安全的重要内容.详述了目前浙江省辐射环境监测网络的建设情况,以及对核设施、铀矿及伴生矿放射性污染源、核技术运用、电磁辐射环境、辐射应急等进行辐射环境监测的情况,分析了存在的主要问题,并提出了相应的对策,为浙江省辐射环境监管提供技术支撑和科学依据,同时也对全国辐射环境监测和管理具有积极的指导意义.     

建设海峡西岸高效持续农业示范区的基本思路与技术对策——以福建省龙海市为例

本文以福建省龙海市为例,分析了龙海市农业发展优势与存在的问题,提出了建设海峡西岸高效持续农业示范区的基本思路与技术对策     

Institutional Arrangements for Flood Hazards in Malaysia: An Evaluation Using the Criteria Approach

Institutional aspects of flood hazards significantly affect their outcomes in Malaysia. Institutional arrangements to deal with floods include: legislative activity, organisational structures, attitudes and sub-culture, and policies and instruments. When assessed in terms of four specific criteria, institutional aspects of flood hazards are found to be largely inadequate. Disaster reduction programmes are over-dependent on a reactive approach based largely on technology and not even aimed at floods specifically. Structual flood reduction measures are the predominant management tool and, although the importance of non-structural measures is recognised, thus far they have been under-employed. Current laws and regulations with regard to flood management are also insufficient and both the financial and human resources of flood hazard organisations are generally found to be wanting. Finally, economic efficiency, equity and public accountability issues are not adequately addressed by institutional arrangements for flood hazards.     

Modeling distribution changes of vegetation in China under future climate change

Climatic change will result in great changes in vegetation. In this paper, a biogeographical model, the BIOME1, was used to predict potential vegetation distribution in China under climate change. Firstly, the BIOME1 was validated according to the climate–vegetation relationships in China. Kappa statistics showed that the validated BIOME1 was able to capture the geographical patterns of vegetation more accurately. Then, the validated BIOME1 was used to predict the distribution of vegetation of China under two climatic scenarios produced by a Regional Circulation Model, RegCM2/CN. The simulation results showed obvious northward shifts of the boreal, temperate deciduous and evergreen and tropical forests, a large expansion of tropical dry forest/savanna and reduction of tundra on the Tibetan Plateau. Three vulnerable regions sensitive to climate changes are pointed out, i.e., Northern China, the Tibetan Plateau and Southwestern China (mainly Hengduan Mountains in Yunnan Province and west of Sichuan Province). In recent decades, China has experienced dramatic industrialization and population growth, which exert strong pressure on the environment of China. The consequences of climate changes warrant more attention for maintaining a sustainable environment for China.     

持续农业的新发展--生态农村的建设

本文分析了现今农村影响农业持续发展的因素 ,提高建立高产优质高效生产体系以及提高资源利用率的技术措施和优化物质循环转化环节等三项生态村建设的必备条件与对策。阐述了全村总体型和家庭生态型二种建设模式的基本原理与设计原则 ,并详细介绍了城郊型生态村 ,山区型生态村 ,庭院型生态村模式。