Is there Really Spare Land? A Critique of Estimates of Available Cultivable Land in Developing Countries

Five assessments covering less-developed countries have identified a land balance, available for future cultivation, using the approach of inventory and difference: assessment of the area cultivable, and subtraction of the area presently cultivated. All arrive at a balance of 1600–1900Mha, about twice the present cultivated area. The supposed existence of this spare land is widely quoted in forecasts of capacity to meet the food requirements for future population increase. It is argued here that these estimates greatly exaggerate the land available, by over-estimating cultivable land, under-estimating present cultivation, and failing to take sufficient account of other essential uses for land. Personal observation suggests that the true remaining balance of cultivable land is very much smaller, in some regions virtually zero. An order-of-magnitude estimate reaches the conclusion that in a representative area with an estimated land balance of 50%, the realistic area is some 3–25% of the cultivable land. This speculation could be tested by directly attempting to find such land in areas where it is supposed to exist. The impression given by current estimates, that a reserve of spare land exists, is misleading to world leaders and policy-makers.     

Agroecological Implications of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in Madagascar

A system of plant, soil, water and nutrient management for irrigated rice developed in Madagascar has been yielding 5, 10, even 15tha^–1 on farmers' fields where previous yields averaged around 2tha^–1. This is achieved using whatever variety of rice the farmer is already using and without having to utilize chemical fertilizer or other purchased inputs. This system, known as SRI, shows that alternative management practices, creating optimal growing conditions for plants, can bring out previously untapped genetic potential. It also shows that the practices farmers have used for centuries may not always be the best in agronomic terms.     

Re-emphasizing sustainable development — The concept of ‘Evolutionability’ On living chances, equity, and good heritage

The principle of sustainable development is now 15-year-old. There are a lot of definitions and models for its explanation — ranging from triangles and prisms to eggs — but still its sense is diffuse. Moreover, important aspects like equity are not sufficiently taken into account.The following article takes a critical look on sustainable development. It shows logical, systemic, philosophic and ethic reasons for the re-development of substantial parts of the principle of sustainability. Based on the proposed Principle of Good Heritage it provides a rough outline of a future Concept of Evolutionability, comprising a first tentative for a definition of evolutionable development, aiming at achieving a more appropriate and more workable mainstream view of sustainability.Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Parameters of Ecological Space and Floristic Diversity of Forest Formations in the Northeast of European Russia

The results of studies on transformations of the floristic diversity of forest ecosystems under the effect of human activity in the southern and middle taiga subzones of the Komi Republic are reviewed. It is shown that the change of dominants in the tree layer leads to the formation of specific biotopes and, as a consequence, to changes in floristic complexes and the cenotic roles of species in the lower layers of forest communities. In the study region, the -diversity of forest communities is determined mainly by two environmental factors: soil fertility and acidity. The factor of illumination has only a slight effect on the -diversity of taiga forests, which is especially clear in the group of deciduous forest formations.__________Translated from Ekologiya, No. 3, 2005, pp. 180–185.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Degteva.     

On the Formal and Informal Estimates of Floristic Diversity: An Example of Pine Forests of the Southern Urals

Advantages of the informal assessment of biodiversity based on the phytosociological spectrum (the ratio of species associated with different higher units of ecological-floristic classification in the cenoflora) are demonstrated in a study of pine forests of the Southern Urals (classes Vaccinio-Piceetea, Brachypodio-Betuletea, and Querco-Fagetea). The phytosociological spectrum reflects environmental conditions better than formal estimations of , , and -diversity.     

Estimation of the maximal population frequency of “alien” biotypes taking into account a priori data

A method is described for calculating the probability that the percentage of alien biotypes is higher than a specified threshold (e.g., 5%) in a population in which a certain number of alien biotypes has been found preliminarily. The method is based on the Bayesian approach; it assumes that the researcher has preliminary (a priori) information on the frequency of these biotypes. This a priori information makes it possible to estimate the aforementioned probability more accurately than is possible with the use of the standard binomial estimation. The method is illustrated by the results of the estimation of cultivar purity in batches of stock and foundation seeds of spring barley with the use of protein markers.Translated from Ekologiya, No. 2, 2005, pp. 106–109.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Zhivotovsky, Pomortsev, Lyalina, Kalabushkin, Pukhalskii.     

The Vandaclim Simulation Model: A Training Tool for Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment

This paper describes a training course on climate change vulnerability and adaptation assessment. The course, developed in partnership with the CC:TRAIN Programme of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), aims to enhance the capacity of developing countries to make their national communications to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The paper focuses on a simulation model called VANDACLIM, which was developed as a pedagogical tool to facilitate the training. Four sectors are modelled within VANDACLIM (agriculture, public health, water resources, and coastal zone) and are used as a basis for helping to conduct an integrated, multi-sectoral assessment for the imaginary, sub-tropical country of Vanda. The learning-by-doing approach, encapsulated in the application of VANDACLIM to complete a mini-assessment for Vanda, proved to be very successful when trialled at a training workshop in Zimbabwe. Both the training course and VANDACLIM have been adapted subsequently for application in small island states and plans are underway for extension to other environments and regions of the world.     

Ontogenetic States,Effective Density,and Classification of Plant Populations

Uranov (1975) formulated a theory of the age structure of plant populations and, in particular, defined the index of ageness . On the basis of this theory, the concepts of the energy efficiency of plants in a certain ontogenetic state and the average efficiency of a population () are introduced. A new classification of populations with respect to the types of age structure is proposed which is based on both the and values and, accordingly, is named the delta–omega classification. The notion of effective population density is defined. This parameter takes into account different loads of plants in different ontogenetic states on the environment and is quantitatively equal to the product of the population density and . The proposed approaches and methods are illustrated by data on the distribution of age states in different plant species.     

Microecosystem Analysis of the Structure and Functions of Forest Biogeocenoses

The microecosystem approach and an adequate system of quantitative methods have been used to study the relationship between the chorologic changes in the structure and functions of edificator tree stand and other components of the pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) forest cenoecosystems of the Transural and Northern Turgai regions. Significant correlations of the density of pine undergrowth with the litter thickness; of its growth with root competition, stand closeness, and, to a lower degree, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR); and of the numbers of small mammals and groups of soil mesofauna with herbaceous phytomass have been found. The possibility of the synthesis of population-ecological, synecological, and biogeocenological methods has been demonstrated.     

Simulation of Live and Dead Phytomass Formation and Transformation in Optimized Agrocenoses

The formation and transformation of live and dead phytomass in agrocenoses with a complex horizontal structure are described. These processes are demonstrated to be specific and to be determined by differences in the horizontal structure. Only agrocenoses of a mosaic structure (with square parcels) have optimal conditions for these processes.     

Comparative Sensitivity to the Insecticides Deltamethrin and Esfenvalerate of Some Aquatic Insect Larvae (Ephemeroptera and Odonata) and Daphnia magna

Sensitivity to the pyrethroids deltamethrin and esfenvalerate (aqueous solution) and LC₅₀ have been determined in acute (96-h) toxicological tests on mayfly larvae (Cloeon dipterum and Caenis miliaria), damselfly larvae (Lestes sponsa and Cordulia aenea), and juveniles from a laboratory culture of Daphnia magna. Sensitivity to deltamethrin increases in the series C. aenea (Odonata) < D. magna (Cladocera) < L. sponsa (Odonata) < C. miliaria(Ephemeroptera) < C. dipterum (Ephemeroptera), and that to esfenvalerate, in the series C. aenea < D. magna < L. sponsa C. miliaria C. dipterum. The values of LC₅₀ about 0.01 g/l determined for mayfly larvae are below those known for various hydrobionts from the literature, indicating a very high sensitivity of these insects to pyrethroids.     

Distribution of White Whales (Delphinapterus leucas) in the White Sea and the Southeastern Region of the Barents Sea during the Ice Season

The habitats, relative occurrence, and distribution of the white whale in the White Sea and the southeastern Barents sea in every month of the ice season have been studied using the results of an aerial ice survey along standard routes from 1970–1991. In these seas, white whales have been found in each month of the ice season, with single animals, groups, schools or gams, herds, and large congregations of several hundred animals accounting for 10, 22.8, 47.2, 12.9, and 7% of all aggregations of white whales observed, respectively. The relative occurrence of white whales in the White Sea is higher in March and May (32.5 and 30%, respectively) and lower in February, January, and November (15, 10, and 7.5%, respectively); in December and April, the whales are observed very seldom (2.5% in both months). In the southeastern Barents Sea, the relative occurrence of white whales is highest in May (53.3%) and considerably lower in December and February (16.7 and 10%); only a few animals are found during the remaining ice season. Regarding different habitats, the relative occurrences of white whales in open water, in water openings in the ice, near the edge of pack ice, and in ice packs with different degrees of closeness are 21.5, 11.4, 45.7, and 21.4%, respectively.     

The Literature Aftermath Of The Brundtland Report ‘Our Common Future’. A Scientometric Study Based On Citations In Science And Social Science Journals

Two major multidisciplinary bibliographic databases, the Science Citation Index and the Social Science Citation Index were searched to collect science and social science journal articles published in the 1987–2001 period with the report Our Common Future among their references. A statistical overview is given about the trends and patterns revealed by the bibliometric/scientometric analysis of the retrieved literature. National and regional distributions as well as publication channels and thematic features are considered. During the period under study, the word sustainability became the dominating term of the field, and operative questions like those of management, technology and urbanization came into the forefront of interest.Readers should send their comments on this paper to:BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Stakeholder responses to future flood management ideas in the Rhine River Basin: nature or neighbour in Hell’s Angle

Summary This article identifies responses of stakeholders to future management of the Rhine River Basin, notably to the plan Rhine In The Future. This plan foresees the construction of a bypass between the rivers Rhine and IJssel, the Green River. The Green River would be a nature reserve area that can be flooded during high water discharges. The inhabitants of the area would be permanently relocated. Their defence of stakes will be coloured by patterns of acting and thinking that belong to respectively postmodernity, modernity and pre-modernity. These different colourings show in negotiation skills, levels of organisations, alertness, power positions, and access to local and outside resources. Most local stakeholders appreciate the postmodern environmentalism that leads to the greening of river management, but regret the loss of their strong, pre-modern, social cohesion. Whereas they consider national interests in a rather balanced way, they doubt the necessity of the bypass for safety reasons. They have confidence in financial compensations for relocation, but will negotiate about these compensations with skill and determination. Their tactics will be reinforced by collective efforts that stem from their social cohesion.One professor says it will be dryer, the other one says it will be wetter.We all have mobile telephones so we know it when the water comes.The social cohesion of this community will be lost forever.When youre not bought out youll be the real victim.We like to have a nature reserve area around here.     

Biotopic Variation and Phenogeography of Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas)

The phenetic structure of Dreissena polymorpha populations in different water bodies is considered. The phenotypes of shell pattern and sculpture are identified and described using a scheme based on elementary characters, or pattern elements. It is shown that the frequencies of phenes in mollusks from different biotopes of the cooling system of two thermal power plants differ significantly. The data on species phenogeography are reviewed.     

The Rate of Soil Cover Recovery in Anthropogenically Disturbed Areas: An Example of Western Siberian Archaeological Landmarks

The soils formed on fortifications around the sites of ancient settlements 1500 and 2700 years old were studied in the Endyr archaeological landmarks (West Siberia, central taiga). It was shown that podzolic soils with morphological characteristics identical to those of the background soils were formed during these time periods. An attempt was made to estimate the characteristic times for some chemical characters. The greatest values of this parameter were about 8000 years.     

Seasonal Dynamics of the Structure of Intestinal Helminth Community in Ide (Leuciscus idus L.) from the Rybinsk Reservoir

The communities of intestinal helminths found in the winter sample of ide (December–May, 45 fish) and in the summer sample (August–September, 42 fish) were compared. They consisted of 10 and 11 species, respectively, with Sphaerostomum globiporum being dominant in both communities. The species Parasymphylodora markewitschi and Capillaria tomentosa were found only in the summer community. Dominance and diversity (the Simpson and Brillouin indices) in the winter community were higher. All helminth species in the intestinal community of ide were of broad specificity. Therefore, host specialization does not play an important role in the forming of intestinal helminth community in this fish species.     

Reintroduction of the european bison into the forest ecosystem of the Orlovskoe Poles’e National Park

The forest ecosystem of the Orlovskoe Polese National Park has been studied in reference to the reintroduction of a rare species: the European bison (Bison bonasus L.). Preliminary data characterizing the state of forest resources and the populations of ungulates living in the forests, as well as the genetic problems associated with maintaining a viable population of the European bison, are considered.Translated from Ekologiya, No. 2, 2005, pp. 132–137.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Belousova, Smirnov, Kazmin, Kudrjavtsev.     

Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development

The prominent place of the chapter on poverty in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation (JPI) is totally in keeping with the priority given to poverty reduction in the development thinking of the international community of today. The Johannesburg process did not lead to any new insights or new commitments in the fight against poverty. Section one sets out a factual comparison of the poverty chapters in Rio's Agenda 21 (AG21) and in the JPI. Section two reviews the conceptual links between poverty reduction and sustainable development, since poverty is used both as a dependent and as an independent variable. This analysis shows a shift in the function of growth as related to environmental protection. Section three explores the naturalization of development thinking in its economic and social dimensions and shows how this affects the policy options for social protection. I also explain how social and environmental sustainability have become elements of risk management and how are both aimed at conflict prevention and enhanced growth. Finally, in section four three lines of action are suggested to enhance the emergence of a socially meaningful sustainable development agenda that, ideally, would make poverty reduction strategies redundant.