The use and abuse of scientific studies

In response to Evelyn Pluhar'sWho Can Be Morally Obligated to Be a Vegetarian? in this journal issue, the author has read all of Pluhar's citations for the accuracy of her claims and had these read by an independent nutritionist. Detailed analysis of Pluhar's argument shows that she attempts to make her case by consistent misappropriation of the findings and conclusions of the studies she cites. Pluhar makes sweeping generalizations from scanty data, ignores causal explanations given by scientists, equates hypothesis with fact, draws false cause conclusions from studies, and in one case claims a conclusion opposite of what the scientist published. Such poor reasoning cannot be the basis of an argument for moral vegetarianism. A broader search of the literature and attention to reviews and textbooks in nutrition shows that each of Pluhar's claims is suspect or incorrect. Pluhar has not undermined my central claims: even if animals have certain rights and well-planned vegetarian diets are safe in complex industrialized societies, these diets cannot be so regarded if the presuppositions of high levels of wealth, education, and medical care do not exist; and, women, children, the aged and some ill persons are at greater risk on restrictive vegan diets. Thus, any duty of moral vegetarianism is not categorical but provisional in nature.     

Ethical Considerations of the Human–Animal-Relationship Under Conditions of Asymmetry and Ambivalence

Ethical reflection deals not only with the moral standing and handling of animals, it should also include a critical analysis of the underlying relationship. Anthropological, psychological, and sociological aspects of the human–animal-relationship should be taken into account. Two conditions, asymmetry and ambivalence, are taken as the historical and empirical basis for reflections on the human–animal-relationship in late modern societies. These conditions explain the variety of moral practice, apart from paradoxes, and provide a framework to systematize animal ethical problems in a broader field. This allows the development of ideal relationships as moral orientation across anthropocentric or sentientistic ethical theories. These ideal relationships are called the patronage-model, the friendship-model and the partnership-model. The ethical problem of creating transgenic animals is discussed in the light of these ideal relationships.     

东洞庭湖湿地景观空间结构的完整性分析

选取2005年东洞庭湖湿地的遥感影像,利用GIS技术、MapInfo Professional7.0 SCP软件和景观结构分析软件FRAGSTATS,应用景观生态学的理论和方法,对东洞庭湖湿地景观空间结构的完整性进行了分析。结果表明：（1）区域内斑块分维数相差不大,但沼泽和库塘湿地受人为干扰明显且形状规则,其分维数趋近于1。（2）区域内湿地景观类型体系中各类湿地所占比例差异不大,分配较均匀;多样性较低,优势度不明显;整个区域的破碎化程度较低,但各类景观类型破碎化程度差异明显,相对破坏性较大。（3）由于人类垦殖影响,斑块间隙指数较高。上述分析,为东洞庭湖湿地资源的开发和保护提供参阅资料和依据。     

Bird Species Assemblages as Indicators of Biological Integrity in Great Basin Rangeland

The study evaluates the potential for bird species assemblages to serve as indicators of biological integrity of rangelands in the Great Basin in much the same way that fish and invertebrate assemblages have been used as indicators in aquatic environments. Our approach was to identify metrics of the bird community using relatively simple sampling methods that reflect the degree of rangeland degradation and are consistent over a variety of vegetation types and geographic areas. We conducted the study in three range types (i.e., potential natural plant community types) in each of two widely separated areas of the Great Basin: south-eastern Idaho (sagebrush steppe range types) and west-central Utah (salt-desert shrub range types). Sites were selected in each range type to represent three levels of grazing impact, and in Idaho included sites modified for crested wheatgrass production. Birds were sampled by point counts on 9 100-m radius plots at 250-m spacing on each of 20 sites in each area during the breeding season. In sagebrush-steppe, 964 individuals in 8 species of passerine birds were used in analyses. Five metrics were significantly related to impact class, both when analyzed within range type and when analyzed with all range types combined. Species richness, relative abundance of shrub obligate species, and relative abundance of Brewer's sparrow were generally lower for the higher impact classes, whereas the reverse was true for dominance by a single species and for relative abundance of horned larks. In contrast, total number of individuals did not differ significantly as a function of impact class. In salt-desert shrub, a total of 843 birds in 4 species were included in analyses, 98% of which were horned larks. None of the metrics identified above was significantly related to impact class. Two metrics for breeding birds in sagebrush steppe (species richness and dominance) showed little overlap between values for the extremes of impact class, and thus they have potential as indicators of biological integrity. However, the sensitivity of these metrics appears to be greatest at the high impact end of the spectrum, which suggests they may have limited utility in distinguishing between sites having light and moderate impact.     

亚热带流域氮磷排放与养殖业环境承载力实例研究

畜禽养殖业粪便排放已经成为我国农村地区主要的农业面源污染源之一,也是制约养殖业良性发展的主要瓶颈.本文以湖南省长沙县典型亚热带流域为研究单元,基于流域水环境定位观测、耕地氮(N)磷(P)消纳能力以及养殖业调查和土壤分析资料,初步分析了亚热带丘陵区的面源污染现状及畜禽养殖业的环境承载力.结果表明,研究区金井河流域134.4 km2范围内N、P年负荷分别为N 2.72 t·km-2和P0.11t·km-2,其中养殖粪便对水体总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)负荷的贡献率分别约为42.2％和62.0％.区内平均畜禽养殖密度为3.46 AU·hm-2(相当于流域内年出栏生猪24.39万头),显著高于现有化肥用量条件下流域的实际承载力1.13 AU·hm-2(相当于流域内年出栏生猪6.35万头),因此养殖密度过高是导致研究区水体NP负荷较高的主要原因.区内N、P盈余量分别为N 35.8 kg·hm-2、P 18.61 kg·hm-2.研究区基本不施用化肥条件下畜禽养殖业的最大环境承载力为7.26 AU·hm-2,在有机肥占合理施肥量30％条件下,当地畜禽养殖业的环境承载力为2.74AU·hm-2(相当于流域内年出栏生猪19.50万头).降低养殖密度、调整养殖业空间布局以及提高养殖废弃物的资源化利用率是防治当前面源污染的有效途径.     

A Survey of Trace Metals in Vegetation, Soil and Lower Animal Along Some Selected Major Roads in Metropolitan City of Lagos

The concentration of trace metals (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) in a total of 144 samples of grass, soil and lower animal (earthworm, Lybrodrilus violaceous) were collected and analysed for their metallic content. Levels of cadmium ranged from 0.01–0.07 g g^–1; 0.01–0.12 g g^–1 and from trace–0.05 g g^–1 dry weight for plant, soil and animal samples respectively. Mean concentration of copper ranged 0.10–1.48 g g^–1; 0.10–2.90 g g^–1 and 0.01–0.08 g g^–1 for samples in similar order as above. The levels of Pb varied from 0.01–0.14 g g^–1; 0.02–0.23 g g^–1 and from trace–0.07 g g^–1 while that of Zn ranged from 0.19–1.80 g g^–1; 0.51–3.35 g g^–1and 0.01–0.08 g g^–1 also in the same order of samples as mentioned above. Levels of metals in soil samples were higher than the background levels with the exception of Zn but lower than European Union (EU) limits. The results generally revealed the presence of metals in plant and animal samples and metal dynamics up the food chain is highly possible. Acceptable recoveries of the spiking experiment validate the experimental protocol.     

The Ethical Contract as a Tool in Organic Animal Husbandry

This article explores what an ethicfor organic animal husbandry might look like,departing from the assumption that organicfarming is substantially based in ecocentricethics. We argue that farm animals arenecessary functional partners in sustainableagroecosystems. This opens up additional waysto argue for their moral standing. We suggestan ethical contract to be used as acomplementary to the ecocentric framework. Weexpound the content of the contract and end bysuggesting how to apply this contract inpractice. The contract enjoins us to share thewealth created in the agroecosystem (by ourjoint contributions) by enjoining us to carefor the welfare and needs of the individualanimal, and to protect them from exploitation(just as human co-workers should not beexploited). The contract makes promoting goodanimal welfare a necessary condition forbenefiting farm animals. Animals for their partare guaranteed coverage under the contract solong as they continue to contribute to thesystem with products and services.     

Fundamental Moral Attitudes to Animals and Their Role in Judgment: An Empirical Model to Describe Fundamental Moral Attitudes to Animals and Their Role in Judgment on the Culling of Healthy Animals During an Animal Disease Epidemic

In this paper, we present and defend the theoretical framework of an empirical model to describe people’s fundamental moral attitudes (FMAs) to animals, the stratification of FMAs in society and the role of FMAs in judgment on the culling of healthy animals in an animal disease epidemic. We used philosophical animal ethics theories to understand the moral basis of FMA convictions. Moreover, these theories provide us with a moral language for communication between animal ethics, FMAs, and public debates. We defend that FMA is a two-layered concept. The first layer consists of deeply felt convictions about animals. The second layer consists of convictions derived from the first layer to serve as arguments in a debate on animal issues. In a debate, the latter convictions are variable, depending on the animal issue in a specific context, time, and place. This variability facilitates finding common ground in an animal issue between actors with opposing convictions.     

Mechanisms of changes in population numbers of Caucasian red deer (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cervus elaphus maral</Emphasis>) in the northwestern Caucasus

Mechanisms of changes in the numbers of red deer in the Caucasian State Biosphere Reserve (the northwestern Caucasus) were studied from 1958 to 2004 using simulation models developed on the basis of concepts concerning the combined effect of density-dependent and density-independent factors. The results show that changes in population numbers are accounted for by larger (more numerous) local subunits, with small groups remaining relatively stable. In the periods of depression, such a mechanism provides for the maintenance of the spatial population structure.     

兰州市农牧业源氨排放清单及其时空分布特征

通过实地调研等方式获取农牧业源的活动水平,采用NARSES模型确定氮肥施用排放因子,其它排放因子通过文献调研确定,建立了2016年兰州市农牧业源氨排放清单,并进一步分析了农牧业源氨排放的时空分布特征. 2016年兰州市农牧业源大气氨排放量为9 356. 90 t;其中畜禽养殖源氨排放量7 584. 03 t,分担率81. 05%;永登县是氨排放量最大的区县,氨排放量为2 820. 59 t,分担率为30. 14%.在兰州市各区县氨排放量分担率中,畜牧业源氨排放的分担率在65. 83%～97. 38%之间;氮肥施用源的分担率在2. 27%～28. 66%之间.从空间分布来看,兰州市农牧业源氨排放主要集中在皋兰县西北部与中部、红古区东南部、七里河区东西两部与榆中县东部.从时间分布来看,畜牧业源氨排放主要集中在4～9月,氮肥施用源的氨排放主要集中在3～7月和9月,其它月份排放量相对较小.