Soil Fertility Quality and Agricultural Sustainable Development in the Black Soil Region of Northeast China

The black soil in northeast China is considered one of the most fertile soils in China. Consequently, the black soil region has become one of the most important regions for cereal grain production in China. Agriculture has developed rapidly since the early part of the nineteenth century. To date, approximately 70 percent of total land in the area is cultivated. Even though the agricultural production in this region is increasing continuously, some soil fertility quality problems have become serious. This is hampering agricultural development and sustainability in the region. A brief history of population growth and agricultural development in the region is presented. Major soil quality problems, particularly soil degradation and soil erosion, are analyzed. Based on studies, suggestions for improving soil quality and for promoting sustainable agricultural development in the region are presented. These suggestions include improving agricultural landscape patterns, developing conservation cultivation, promoting combinations of crop production with combinations of forestry and animal husbandry, and implementing integrated management for soil and water conservation.     

绿色技术进步、农业经济增长与污染空间溢出——来自中国农业水资源利用的证据

基于2002～2016年的省级面板数据,以农业水资源利用过程中的化肥源面源污染、厩肥源面源污染、灌溉过程碳排放及农药流失作为非合意产出,构建了以"蓝水-绿水"为中心的水资源分析框架,借助SBM模型和Malmquist-Luenberger指数,探析我国农业水资源利用过程的绿色技术进步情况,利用空间面板模型重点考察绿色技术进步、农业经济发展水平与农业水资源利用过程的污染排放之间的关系。化肥源面源污染排放量和农药流失量均表现出空间聚集的特性;在其他投入和产出不变的的既定条件下,促进农业水资源利用过程中的绿色技术进步能够缓解农业污染的局面;将农药流失污染作为非合意产出的农业水资源利用绿色技术进步带来的环境污染减排积极影响更强;农业经济发展水平与4类污染排放分别体现为倒N型、倒U型、正N型和倒N型的关系,随着农业经济发展水平的提升,我国绝大多数地区仍处于农药、化肥粗放使用的倒N型的上升阶段,农药流失和化肥施用引起的面源污染情况仍在加剧,农业经济发展水平与厩肥还田造成的面源污染相分离的状态逐渐消失,而农业水资源利用过程中产生的碳排放污染情况则不容乐观,大部分地区农业灌溉所产生的碳排放面临快速上升的趋势。     

Critical linkages between land-use transition and human health in the Himalayan region

This article reviews critical linkages between land-use transition and human health in the Himalayan region by applying ecosystem approaches to human health (or EcoHealth). Land-use transition in the Himalayan and similar regions includes sedentarization, agricultural intensification, habitat modification, migration, change of livelihoods and lifestyles, biodiversity loss, and increasing flash floods. These transitions, which can have impacts on human health, are driven by state policies, a market economy, and climate change. Human health is dependent on access to ecosystem services for food, nutrition, medicine, fiber and shelter, fresh water, and clear air. Ecosystem management has been a key means of controlling disease vectors and creating suitable habitats for human well-being. The paper identifies the web of environmental factors that influence human health. Institutional and policy issues for land-use and health transitions are also discussed.     

基于环境容量的县域农用地土壤重金属风险概率预警研究

《土壤污染防治法》的正式出台,标志着我国土壤污染防治工作由"现状治理"转向"风险预防",为此开展区域土壤重金属风险预警研究具有一定的理论与现实意义。以太湖沿岸某产粮县为研究对象,以2015年为基准年,运用重金属输入-输出通量模型和土壤环境负载容量法对研究区耕地土壤中的As、Hg、Cr、Cd、Pb 5种重金属15年(2030年)与35年(2050年)后的风险概率进行预警研究。研究结果表明:大气干湿沉降成为除As以外其他4种土壤重金属的主要来源,畜禽粪便、化肥投入与灌溉水也会在一定程度上影响土壤重金属输入;此外,研究区耕层土壤中As、Cr、Pb 3种重金属整体情况较为良好,Hg、Cd污染风险概率较高,主要分布在研究区中部的O镇、P镇。通过GIS技术与区域物质流通量模型的结合能够很好地对不同区域以及不同重金属污染类型的区域进行风险预警,这可以为土壤污染差别化管控策略的制定提供重要思路。     

农业面源污染现状与防治进展

通过对国内外农业面源污染研究资料的分析,认为农业面源污染的形式主要有:化肥污染、农药污染、农膜污染、秸秆燃烧污染、养殖业污染及水土流失等。农业面源污染导致了土地退化,在全世界不同程度退化的12亿hm2耕地中,约12%由农业面源污染引起;是河流和湖泊的重要污染源,导致美国40%的河流和湖泊水质不合格;是引起地表水氮、磷富营养化的主要因素,欧洲国家由农业面源污染排放的磷为地表水污染总负荷的24%-71%;中国的农业面源污染造成的水体氮、磷富营养化也显著超过来自城市的生活点源污染和工业点源污染。提出目前比较好的防治措施有:最佳农田管理措施、植被过滤带和人工湿地。建议我国控制农业面源污染必须从政策和法律上对农业生产活动进行规范,采用先进的理论和技术实行源头控制,并辅助以过程控制和末端控制。     

苏南地区耕地质量评价与分区保护研究

耕地质量监测与评估研究是我国耕地保护工作的重要支撑。针对苏南地区耕地保护面临的新问题,整合农用地分等定级、多目标地球化学调查和土壤侵蚀等相关研究资料,重构耕地综合质量评估指标体系,综合运用空间分析、加权综合和聚类分析方法,根据耕地基础地力、耕地健康和耕地外部环境的空间分异和组合特征,识别优先保护、地力提升、污染治理和水土保持等耕地类型,分类讨论耕地保护与整治路径。分析表明:苏南地区现状耕地中,优质耕地占比不足65%,近30%的耕地基础地力较差,超过5%的耕地受到水土流失、重金属污染威胁。其中,优质耕地集中于茅山以东的太湖平原和沿江平原地区,茅山以西地区基础地力相对较差,宁镇沿江、太湖东北岸部分地区土壤重金属污染和水土流失风险较高,需要因地制宜开展地力提升、土壤修复、水土保持和农业结构调整等治理措施,以增强地产农产品质量安全。     

城市化对周边土壤资源与环境的影响

城市化快速发展对土壤资源产生巨大压力。因而对粮食安全与环境生态健康带来严峻挑战，作为一种非再生性自然资源，土壤的各种功能在城市化过程中强烈的人为活动影响下转化，演变和消失，那么，寻求城市化过程中土壤资源的可持续利用，在环境友好的模式下协调土壤自然生态与社会经济发展，最大限谋发挥土壤生态，生产和社会，经济功能，也是城市化快速发展的重要前提，也是最终实现可持续城市目标的基础。     

蔬菜出口产地农户对食品安全规制的认知及其农药决策行为研究

食品安全与农药残留一直是备受关注的焦点问题。基于此,本文应用山东省蔬菜出口产地安丘市392个农户的调查数据,对农户食品安全规制的认知及其农药使用行为的影响因素进行了分析。研究结果表明,农户的学历层次、农产品国内销售和出口日本的比例、农户对国内外农产品市场的评价及是否接受农药残留检测显著影响其对食品安全规制的认知;而农户的平均生产支出、是否接受农药残留检测、检测标准的严格程度及是否作生产记录影响其农药使用行为。此外,本文发现该制度的实施导致一些农户产生逆向选择,且农户的农药使用因种植结构而不同。针对当前农业生产的特点和食品安全现状,为了促进当地农业生产方式的转变和保护生态环境,政府应加强对农业主体的培训和技术指导,引导当地农户加强与产业组织的联系,有效开展农药残留检测、优化种植结构,提高农产品的质量和国际竞争力。     

Pesticide levels and environmental risk in aquatic environments in China — A review

China is one of the largest producers and consumers of pesticides in the world today. Along with the widespread use of pesticides and industrialization, there is a growing concern for water quality. The present review aims to provide an overview of studies on pesticides in aquatic environments in China. The levels in the water, sediment and biota were scored according to a detailed environmental classification system based on ecotoxicological effect, which is therefore a useful tool for assessing the risk these compounds pose to the aquatic ecosystem. Our review reveals that the most studied areas in China are the most populated and the most developed economically and that the most frequently studied pesticides are DDT and HCH. We show maps of where studies have been conducted and show the ecotoxicological risk the pesticides pose in each of the matrices. Our review pinpoints the need for biota samples to assess the risk. A large fraction of the results from the studies are given an environmental classification of “very bad” based on levels in biota. In general, the risk is higher for DDT than HCH. A few food web studies have also been conducted, and we encourage further study of this important information from this region.The review reveals that many of the most important agricultural provinces (e.g., Henan, Hubei and Hunan) with the largest pesticide use have been the subject of few studies on the environmental levels of pesticides. We consider this to be a major knowledge gap for understanding the status of pesticide contamination and related risk in China. Furthermore, there is also a lack of studies in remote Chinese environments, which is also an important knowledge gap. The compounds analyzed and reported in the studies represent a serious bias because a great deal of attention is given to DDT and HCH, whereas the organophosphate insecticides dominating current use are less frequently investigated. For the future, we point to the need for an organized monitoring plan designed according to the knowledge gaps in terms of geographical distribution, compounds included, and risks.     

Soil management practices for sustainable agro-ecosystems

A doubling of the global food demand projected for the next 50 years poses a huge challenge for the sustainability of both food production and global and local environments. Today’s agricultural technologies may be increasing productivity to meet world food demand, but they may also be threatening agricultural ecosystems. For the global environment, agricultural systems provide both sources and sinks of greenhouse gases (GHGs), which include carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). This paper addresses the importance of soil organic carbon (SOC) for agro-ecosystems and GHG uptake and emission in agriculture, especially SOC changes associated with soil management. Soil management strategies have great potential to contribute to carbon sequestration, since the carbon sink capacity of the world’s agricultural and degraded soil is 50–66% of the historic carbon loss of 42–72 Pg (1 Pg=10¹⁵ g), although the actual carbon storage in cultivated soil may be smaller if climate changes lead to increasing mineralization. The importance of SOC in agricultural soil is, however, not controversial, as SOC helps to sustain soil fertility and conserve soil and water quality, and organic carbon compounds play a variety of roles in the nutrient, water, and biological cycles. No-tillage practices, cover crop management, and manure application are recommended to enhance SOC storage and to contribute to sustainable food production, which also improves soil quality. SOC sequestration could be increased at the expense of increasing the amount of non-CO₂ GHG emissions; however, soil testing, synchronized fertilization techniques, and optimum water control for flooding paddy fields, among other things, can reduce these emissions. Since increasing SOC may also be able to mitigate some local environmental problems, it will be necessary to have integrated soil management practices that are compatible with increasing SOM management and controlling soil residual nutrients. Cover crops would be a critical tool for sustainable soil management because they can scavenge soil residual nitrogen and their ecological functions can be utilized to establish an optimal nitrogen cycle. In addition to developing soil management strategies for sustainable agro-ecosystems, some political and social approaches will be needed, based on a common understanding that soil and agro-ecosystems are essential for a sustainable society.     

Health and environmental costs of pesticide use in vegetable farming in Nepal

There is a growing concern of pesticide risks to human health, natural environment and ecosystems. Many previous economic valuations have accounted health aspects or environmental components, but rarely combined; thus, overall risk assessment is partially distorted. The study, conducted close to the capital of Nepal, addressed the health effects of pesticides on small-scale farmers and evaluated the monetary risks of pesticide use on human health and environmental resources. We also aim to establish the relationships among valuation methods. The paper adopts cost of illness, defensive expenditure and contingent valuation willingness to pay approach. The study concluded that the methods used for valuing pesticide risks to human and environmental health are theoretically consistent. The exposed individuals are likely to bear significant economic costs of exposures depending on geographical location, pesticide use magnitudes and frequency. Individuals are willing to pay between 53 and 79% more than the existing pesticide price to protect their health and environment. The integrated pest management training is less likely to reduce health costs of pesticide exposure, although it leads to higher investment in safety measures.     

鄱阳湖夏候鸟小白鹭对环境样品中重金属的富集研究

通过采集鄱阳湖区北、中、南段小白鹭栖息区域（都昌县多宝乡洞子李村、鄱阳县珠湖乡瓢里山、进贤县前坊镇西湖李家）的环境样品（水样、土壤以及小白鹭食物）与小白鹭羽毛和蛋壳样本,分析其中Pb、Cu、Zn、Cd、V、Cr、Ni和As 8种重金属元素含量,判定鄱阳湖湿地环境中重金属污染状况及生物富集特征。研究表明,环境样品中土壤样品中的重金属含量符合国家Ⅱ类土壤标准,鄱阳湖水样重金属含量在Ⅰ类地表水标准范围之内,仅小白鹭食物（小鱼虾：小河虾、小鲫鱼、小八须鱼等）中的重金属含量高于国家食品标准。小白鹭对环境中重金属污染物的富集表现为：除3个采样点小白鹭羽毛中Cr元素,瓢里山与青岚湖采样点小白鹭蛋壳中Cu元素对其食物的富集系数>1,构成富集外,其他重金属元素均不构成富集,但小白鹭羽毛和蛋壳中的各重金属元素对水样的富集系数为14628～8 00610,富集程度较高。而水体样品中的各重金属在小白鹭食物样品中均存在富集,系数高达51716～14 21937     

Sustainable Agriculture in the UK

Most agricultural assessments of global environmental change made to date have not focused explicitly on sustainability issues, and have neglected the considerable impacts of shifting agricultural zones, alterations in commercial fertiliser and pesticide use, and changes in the demand for water resources. The current crisis in agriculture, with its economic, political, social and ecological dimensions, has arisen because of the pursuit of a productivity technology/policy model. This broad policy of agricultural ‘modernisation’ and development through the application of agricultural science and technology has shaped the direction of technological change in agriculture and the evolution of a complex agro-industrial food system.¹ This paper focuses on England’s Rural Development Programme² as it contributes to sustainable agriculture alongside the control of pollution.Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Rainfall trends,land use change and adaptation in the Chaco salteño region of Argentina

Regional change under agricultural expansion in the Chaco of Argentina is determined by interactions of rainfall change, infrastructure development, socio-economic actions and values, and the social perceptions of change. Our study focused on adaptation in the socio-environmental system which is the key to understanding opportunities, uncertainties and risk in the context of historical change. Change in land use from extensive grazing through mixed farming and on to industrial-scale soybean production was made possible by a trend of increasing rainfall that reduced the risk of crop failure from drought since the 1970s. Rainfall change coincided with a period in which the Chaco forest was suffering extensive degradation from long-term extractive use. The degradation aided agricultural expansion since the degraded state of the ecosystem justified public policies of deforestation. In parallel to these resource-based processes, public policy changed in the late 70s and 80s toward favoring privatization of state land and exclusion of small producers. This permitted the land concentration needed for industrial-scale production. Technological innovation in both water and land resource management reinforced the process of concentration because small producers rarely have the financial or educational capital to develop or implement emerging technologies. One of the results of the intensification and expansion of agriculture is that soil surface sealing, waterlogging and flood risk are now effective at a landscape scale. To address these risks, private enterprise and government efforts must now come together toward innovative policies in integrated landscape management.     

干旱灾害对江西省农业生产的影响及其对策

江西是农业大省,是国家重要的粮食主产区。近10 a来江西省干旱发生频繁,导致农业生产损失严重,威胁到农业的可持续发展。基于历史文献与资料,结合江西省农业厅的农业灾情调查数据和干旱指数最高的星子县、都昌县调研数据,着力分析近10 a来江西省的干旱状况及其对农作物生产的影响,探讨农业干旱灾害的成因。研究结果表明:江西干旱灾害以秋旱为主,近10 a年对江西的粮食和棉花生产造成重大损失,尤其是鄱阳湖区地区;江西农业干旱灾害的主要成因包括降水分布不均匀、红壤持水能力低、水利设施年久失修、植被结构破坏和易改变水文过程的大型水利设施建设。最后针对农业干旱灾害的主要成因,提出了减轻干旱灾害对农业生产不利影响的对策     

上海城市周边地区主要环境问题及其对策

上海是我国社会经济发展中心，近20年来，随着产业结构的调整，上海城市周边地区经济蒸蒸日下，但是随之而来的环境问题也日益严重，并呈现其鲜的特点。分析上海城市周边地区的主要环境问题，结果表明该区大气污染有从市区向郊县转移的迹象。东部河口区及滨岸带水污染加剧，主要表现在重金属污染和营养盐所引发的赤潮问题相比过去都有增加的趋势，一些难降解的有机物，如多环芳烃的富积也愈发严重，研究区内的苊，蒽，已经超出了ER－L和ISQV－low值，已具有潜在的不利的生物影响效应；另外，上海周边地区非点源污染问题也日益突出，其中畜禽尿粪污染，生活污染以及农药和化肥污染在非点源污染中更为。针对这些特征提出了一系列建议及对策。     

Recent patterns of production for the main cereal grains: implications for food security in China

China’s large population and deteriorating environment have created great concern related to the sustainability of food production, especially since details related to this topic remain poorly studied. Thus, an integrated analysis of both crop yield and cultivated area is essential for gaining a better understanding of cereal grain production in China and for making corresponding policies designed to achieve food security. In this study, we adopt trend analysis of both provincial yield and cultivated area to assess the subsequent provincial-level cereal production sustainability between 1980 and 2011 with the goal of providing a better understanding of regional agricultural development. The results indicate that while maize shows the most promise for yield improvement, rice and wheat production is experiencing substantial yield stagnation among most provinces across mainland China. In addition, the trends in spatial patterns are prominently different from those of yields. The sizes of the main rice- and wheat-growing areas in China have declined greatly, suggesting that the related production of these cereals should attract more attention from land management planners and farmers. Specifically, the south-eastern coastal provinces have largely failed to sustain both crop yield and area, while the north-eastern provinces have witnessed thriving agricultural production during the last three decades. Moreover, we find that cereal production in China is significantly affected by governmental policies related to the agricultural sector. Thus, this analysis of food production in China will help policymakers to better understand how the potential implications of food security in China may be applicable to countries worldwide.     

长江干流滨江水体As空间梯度变化与健康风险评价

重金属污染是世界各国河流面临的重要问题。长江是中国第一大河流,其在提供水资源、调蓄洪水及维持生态平衡等方面发挥重要作用。因此,有必要对其重金属污染状况进行研究。As是重要的致癌重金属,也是长江水体重要污染物之一。沿长江从上游至下游取水样,对长江滨江水体As空间梯度变化进行研究,并评价其健康风险。结果显示:As浓度整体呈从上游至下游增加的趋势。与已有研究比较显示,长江As浓度呈减小趋势。但As在一些点位(如芜湖市、池州市、东至县、常州、无锡、崇明岛等地区点位)存在较大致癌风险,需要引起特别关注。水体温度、离子浓度可能是影响水体As毒性的重要因子。研究结果可为长江水环境污染治理与保护提供基本依据。     

两种土地利用方式下土壤重金属污染特征与评价

为研究安徽铜陵某矿区耕地和人工林地两种土地利用方式下土壤重金属污染特征，应用Tomlinson污染负荷指数法和生物富集系数评价研究区土壤重金属Cd、Cu污染水平和植物重金属富集水平。结果表明：研究区耕地土壤Cd、Cu全量2.34和161.25 mg/kg，均高于林地Cd、Cu全量1.26和80.15 mg/kg，二者均超农用地土壤污染风险筛选值（GB 15618-2018，pH≤5.5）和铜陵市重金属背景值，耕地和林地污染水平分别为中度污染和轻微污染。耕地糙米Cd（0.95 mg/kg）超标严重，黄山栾树地上部Cd、Cu富集系数均低于水稻地上部。综上，黄山栾树人工林地Cd、Cu污染轻于耕地，退耕还林是研究区更佳的土地利用选择。     

Environmental health impacts of feeding crops to farmed fish

Half of the seafood consumed globally now comes from aquaculture, or farmed seafood. Aquaculture therefore plays an increasingly important role in the global food system, the environment, and human health. Traditionally, aquaculture feed has contained high levels of wild fish, which is unsustainable for ocean ecosystems as demand grows. The aquaculture industry is shifting to crop-based feed ingredients, such as soy, to replace wild fish as a feed source and allow for continued industry growth. This shift fundamentally links seafood production to terrestrial agriculture, and multidisciplinary research is needed to understand the ecological and environmental health implications. We provide basic estimates of the agricultural resource use associated with producing the top five crops used in commercial aquaculture feed. Aquaculture's environmental footprint may now include nutrient and pesticide runoff from industrial crop production, and depending on where and how feed crops are produced, could be indirectly linked to associated negative health outcomes. We summarize key environmental health research on health effects associated with exposure to air, water, and soil contaminated by industrial crop production. Our review also finds that changes in the nutritional content of farmed seafood products due to altered feed composition could impact human nutrition. Based on our literature reviews and estimates of resource use, we present a conceptual framework describing the potential links between increasing use of crop-based ingredients in aquaculture and human health. Additional data and geographic sourcing information for crop-based ingredients are needed to fully assess the environmental health implications of this trend. This is especially critical in the context of a food system that is using both aquatic and terrestrial resources at unsustainable rates.