Evolving patterns of agricultural frontier expansion in Mexico’s Chihuahuan Desert: a political ecology approach

ABSTRACT

This study sought to understand why and how the area of irrigated agriculture in Janos County, in northwestern Chihuahua, Mexico, has tripled since 1987. Expansion of agricultural frontiers has often been attributed to state policies and programs or von Thünian land-rent dynamics. Here, a political ecology approach relying on qualitative interviews with landowners was used to understand the drivers and patterns of conversion from native rangeland to crops. Results show that socioeconomic patterns of agricultural frontier expansion evolved over time, with different drivers at different phases. State policies, especially the land reform, were initially important for settling the agriculture frontier in small farms. Subsequently, economic differentiation, intensification, and growth of existing farms drove expansion. Since 2010, expansion has been driven by investment-oriented land purchases by absentee owners and larger-than-family farms. The Janos case details what may be common but underappreciated temporal dynamics at agricultural frontiers.     

耕地保护中的政府责任

认为各级政府是耕地保护的主体，负有建设、管理和保护耕地的责任。十几年来，由于政府耕地保护责任的缺失，全国出现了相关法律法规缺乏协调、政策不连贯、执法力度不够、违法用地现象普遍等问题。今后应进一步落实政府责任制，为耕地保护创造良好的工作机制和条件，管理部门要提高耕地管理水平，公开政务信息，疏通司法审判渠道，切实保障农民的合法权益。     

Potential allelopathic effect of Pinus halepensis in the secondary succession: an experimental approach

Summary. Recent economic and social changes in north Mediterranean regions have led to an important rural depopulation. Consequently, meadows developed on abandoned agricultural lands (characterized by high species richness) undergo reforestation. These former fields are mainly colonized by Pinus halepensis Miller, which is known to synthetize a wide range of secondary metabolites, among these, some could influence plant succession through allelopathy. The allelopathic potential of P. halepensis, was tested against two target species (Lactuca sativa L. and Linum strictum L.) with aqueous extracts obtained from different organs (root and needle) taking into account the individual age (±10, ±30 and > 60 years old). Root and needle extracts affected differently germination and growth of the two target species, the responses varying with concentration of extracts, age and organs tested. The strongest inhibitory effect was observed on the germination and growth of L. strictum, exposed to needle extracts of young P. halepensis (±10 years old), and root extracts of older P. halepensis (> 30 years old). These extracts contained several phenolic acids (e.g. 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and p-coumaric acid), which are known as allelochemicals and their concentrations vary with age and organ tested. Hence, P. halepensis could influence secondary succession through the release of potential allelochemicals in the environment by leaf leachates or root exudates.     

森林土地利用变化及其对碳循环的影响

由于人口剧增，人类活动的影响不断加大，在过去100年全球土地利用／土地覆被发生了巨大的变化。最常见的土地利用变化是由森林转变为农业用地。森林砍伐使森林生态系统地上部生物量大大减少，砍伐后作农业用地，降低了植被生产力，减少了土壤有机质的输入，增强了腐殖质的矿化作用，有机质分解速率增加，有机碳贮量随之降低，从而影响到森林生态系统的碳循环，使大量碳元素释放到大气中，引起温室效应，导致全球变暖。另一个常见的土地利用变化是植树造林和森林恢复，这一过程可以增加森林生态系统的碳储量，从而减缓大气CO2体积分数的上升。     

Farmland size,chemical fertilizers,and irrigation management effects on maize and wheat yield in Mexico

ABSTRACT

Farmland size is a key factor in debates over agricultural land use, food security, agrochemical pollution, and the future of smallholder systems. This paper examines relationships between farmland size, chemical fertilizers and irrigation management, and maize and wheat yield in Mexico. We used agricultural census data to estimate the mean farmland areas and crop yields of 5.5 million farms and nine million agricultural plots in 2,455 Mexican municipalities. We also derived indices of socio-environmental and management factors to examine relationships with yield. Using multiple regression models, we found that although mean farmland area positively relates to maize and wheat yield, the relationships depend critically on the management contexts of chemical fertilizers and irrigation, which vary widely across farm size gradients. Smallholder yield gaps were associated with deficits in irrigation, rather than chemical inputs. Findings highlight the growing need for expanded irrigation access and/or water management assistance for smaller farms.     

Changes of Soil Microbiological Properties Caused by Land Use Changing From Rice–Wheat Rotation to Vegetable Cultivation

A survey was done recently in Jiaxing city of Zhejiang Province in the Yangtze River Delta to compare the differences of soil microbiological properties among paddy soils with different land use including continuous open-field vegetable cultivation (OFVC), plastic-greenhouse vegetable cultivation (PGVC) and traditional rice–wheat rotation (RWR). The soil types included are percolating, permeable and waterlogged paddy soils. The results indicate that the microbial flora was markedly changed as the land use changed for all the three soil types. In continuous vegetable cultivation soils, especially in PGVC soils, the bacteria amounts decreased dramatically, but the fungal and actinomyce amounts increased as compared with RWR soils. The dehydrogenase activities decreased significantly in vegetable soils, especially in PGVC soils as compared with RWR soils. The microbial biomass C and the total phospholipid contents (TPL) in vegetable cultivation soil greatly decreased as compared with RWR soils. Biolog analysis indicated that the kinds of carbon sources that could be metabolized by native microbes in PGVC soils greatly decreased as compared with OFVC soils and RWR soils, revealing that microbial diversity had decreased since land use change. The activities of some soil enzymes including urease, invertase and phosphase were all lower in OFVC soils than those in RWR soils, and those in PGVC soils were the lowest. The degradation of microbiological activities in continuous vegetable cultivation soils, especially in PGVC soils, as compared with RWR soils might have been caused by soil acidification and accumulation of salts due to overuse of both organic and inorganic fertilizers in vegetable cultivation.     

区域土地利用变化对土壤磷含量的影响评价研究

研究土壤磷含量的时空演变规律对改善土地管理水平和提高土壤质量具有重要的指导作用。文章选取江苏省原锡山市作为研究区域,以1982年和2005年土壤全磷和速效磷含量作为研究对象,研究探讨土地利用变化对土壤磷含量的影响,进而表明人类活动对生态系统和环境的影响。通过统计分析表明,20年来原锡山市土壤全磷含量降低0.48g·kg-1,土壤速效磷含量升高26.16mg·kg-1。通过变异函数分析,20年来原锡山市全磷和速效磷的变异函数理论模型都是指数型,但块金方差与基台值的比值、自相关阀值发生了较大变化;Kriging插值分析结果表明,1982年全磷和速效磷的分布比较简单;2005年全磷分布较为简单,土壤速效磷分布较为复杂。Kriging插值分析还表明,20年来原锡山市土壤全磷含量降低,空间变异显著;土壤速效磷含量升高,空间变异显著。     

巢湖流域不同土地利用类型地表径流污染特征研究

巢湖是我国五大淡水湖之一,目前正面临着严重的环境污染与水体富营养化问题。通过对巢湖流域塘西地区大豆地,水稻田,菜地,山芋地,小麦地,集镇街道,山坡地,饲养场地,农村道路,湖滩芦苇地,荒地等１１种土地利用类型地表径流污染现状的详细调查与分析,建立了巢湖流域不同土地利用类型地表径流污染研究的一般程序与方法。     

完善土地利用总体规划有利于政府宏观管理

在社会主义市场经济体制的建立与发展的条件下,土地使用制度改革的日益深化,以及土地可持续利用日益被高度重视的新形势下,土地利用总体规划作为政府对土地利用实行宏观调控的有效手段,在规划修编时必须重点对规划目标、科学测算、用地平衡和规划协调等几个方面作进一步深入研究。同时,要通过切实可行的法律、行政的政策和措施,予以必要保障。     

韶山灌溉工程对区域社会经济的影响研究

韶山灌溉工程是湖南省最大的水利灌溉工程,到目前已安全运行了３０多年,该工程的兴建,使该地区摆脱了旱魔的长期威胁,促进了区内农业经济持续,稳定,快速发展,从而带动了区域经济的全面提高。从纵向与横向和定性与定量的计算,对比分析研究中,总结了该工程对区域社会经济的深远影响。