Integrating agricultural and forestry GHG mitigation response into general economy frameworks: Developing a family of response functions

An econometrically estimated family ofresponse functions is developed forcharacterizing potential responses togreenhouse gas mitigation policies by theagriculture and forestry sectors in theU.S. The response functions are estimatedbased on results of anagricultural/forestry sector model. Theyprovide estimates of sequestration andemission reductions in forestry andagriculture along with levels of sectoralproduction, prices, welfare, andenvironmental attributes given a carbonprice, levels of demand for agriculturalgoods, and the energy price. Sixalternative mitigation policiesrepresenting types of greenhouse gasoffsets allowed are considered. Resultsindicate that the largest quantity ofgreenhouse gas offset consistently appearswith the mitigation policy that pays forall opportunities. Restricting carbonpayments (emission tax or sequestrationsubsidy) only to aff/deforestation or onlyto agricultural sequestration substantiallyreduces potential mitigation. Highercarbon prices lead to more sequestration,less emissions, reduced consumer and totalwelfare, improved environmental indicatorsand increased producer welfare.     

缓冲带在农业非点源污染防治中的应用

论述了缓冲带防治非点源污染的机理和效果，分析了影响缓冲带功能的各个因素。缓冲带能有效地控制土壤与土壤养分的流失，其建设与管理在整个生态环境建设中具有重要地位，目前国内外的研究主要集中于缓冲带对径流中营养物质氮和磷的吸收上，对较大区域环境水质影响的研究不曾多见。为达到防治非点源污染的更好效果，应对缓冲带的设计及各种缓冲带合理配置与布局作更深入的研究，并要与水土保持措施相结合。     

福建农业可持续发展的土地资源与环境分析

从农业用地和非农业用地两方面分析了福建省土地资源与环境的状况与潜力，提出了调整用地结构来促进农业可持续发展的思路。     

农业开发项目环境影响综合评价方法研究

对农业开发项目环境影响综合评价的难点进行了分析，提出了定性指标与定量指标模糊评价集的计算方法；并运用多级模糊综合评价方法，对所有指标进行综合评判，解决了定性指标与定量指标综合分析这一难题。     

The effects of agricultural cooperatives on smallholder livelihoods and agricultural performance in Cambodia

Cooperatives are increasingly advocated as a means to improve incomes, livelihoods and the sustainability of smallholder farmers. This study analyzes the impact of commercial vegetable cooperative membership on smallholder agricultural performance in Cambodia. Institutional heterogeneities are considered across cooperatives and various econometric techniques are used to control for potential selection bias. The impacts of horticulture on agricultural outcomes are also analyzed. The results indicate that membership of commercial vegetable cooperatives has so far had no effect on agricultural incomes or the value or amounts of agricultural inputs. However, results indicate that membership has affected technology choice, access to credit services and information transmission through technological training. Additionally, there is evidence that horticulture, as a component of overall agricultural diversification, can augment farm income. The results suggest that much of the benefit of cooperative membership stems from the cooperative's provision of services, which might not be easily inferred from measures of member incomes.     

Dynamics of major air pollutants from crop residue burning in mainland China, 2000–2014

Based on satellite image data and China's Statistical Yearbooks(2000 to 2014), we estimated the total mass of crop residue burned, and the proportion of residue burned in the field vs.indoors as domestic fuel. The total emissions of various pollutants from the burning of crop residue were estimated for 2000-2014 using the emission factor method. The results indicate that the total amount of crop residue and average burned mass were 8690.9 Tg and4914.6 Tg, respectively. The total amount of emitted pollutants including CO_2, CO, NOx,VOCs, PM_(2.5), OC(organic carbon), EC(element carbon) and TC(total carbon) were 4212.4–8440.9 Tg, 192.8–579.4 Tg, 4.8–19.4 Tg, 18.6–61.3 Tg, 18.8–49.7 Tg, 6.7–31.3 Tg, 2.3–4.7 Tg, and8.5–34.1 Tg, respectively. The emissions of pollutants released from crop residue burning were found to be spatially variable, with the burning of crop residue mainly occurring in Northeast, North and South China. In addition, pollutant emissions per unit area(10 km ×10 km) were mostly concentrated in the central and eastern regions of China. Emissions of CO_2, NOx, VOCs, OC and TC were mainly from rice straw burning, while burning of corn and wheat residues contributed most to emissions of CO, PM_(2.5) and EC. The increased ratio of PM_(2.5) emissions from crop residue burning to the total emitted from industry during the study period is attributed to the implementation of strict emissions management policies in Chinese industry. This study also provides baseline data for assessment of the regional atmospheric environment.     

农用地土壤环境分类管理研究

通过分析国内外农用地土壤环境分类管理经验,结合我国土壤环境质量状况,以土壤环境风险管控为主线,将农用地土壤分为优先保护类、安全利用类和严格管控类3个类别,并提出相应的分类管理措施,保障农产品质量安全和人体健康。     

The national biological impact assessment program∗

The need to safely field test genetically modified organisms is a critical step in the sequence of research leading to the commercialization of biotechnology in agriculture. To address this need the United States Department of Agriculture has established the National Biological Impact Assessment Program (NBIAP) to facilitate the safe field testing of genetically modified organisms. NBIAP fosters safe field testing of genetically modified organisms through a computerized network for information exchange, facilitation of biological monitoring techniques and by providing support for research in biosafety to develop new field testing methods and better predictive models.     

A Small‐Scale Land‐Sparing Approach to Conserving Biological Diversity in Tropical Agricultural Landscapes

Two contrasting strategies have been proposed for conserving biological diversity while meeting the increasing demand for agricultural products: land sparing and land sharing production systems. Land sparing involves increasing yield to reduce the amount of land needed for agriculture, whereas land‐sharing agricultural practices incorporate elements of native ecosystems into the production system itself. Although the conservation value of these systems has been extensively debated, empirical studies are lacking. We compared bird communities in shade coffee, a widely practiced land‐sharing system in which shade trees are maintained within the coffee plantation, with bird communities in a novel, small‐scale, land‐sparing coffee‐production system (integrated open canopy or IOC coffee) in which farmers obtain higher yields under little or no shade while conserving an area of forest equal to the area under cultivation. Species richness and diversity of forest‐dependent birds were higher in the IOC coffee farms than in the shade coffee farms, and community composition was more similar between IOC coffee and primary forest than between shade coffee and primary forest. Our study represents the first empirical comparison of well‐defined land sparing and land sharing production systems. Because IOC coffee farms can be established by allowing forest to regenerate on degraded land, widespread adoption of this system could lead to substantial increases in forest cover and carbon sequestration without compromising agricultural yield or threatening the livelihoods of traditional small farmers. However, we studied small farms (<5 ha); thus, our results may not generalize to large‐scale land‐sharing systems. Furthermore, rather than concluding that land sparing is generally superior to land sharing, we suggest that the optimal approach depends on the crop, local climate, and existing land‐use patterns. Un Método para Reservar Tierras a Pequeña Escala para Conservar la Biodiversidad en Paisajes Agrícolas Tropicales     

Understanding the impact of waste disposal sites on soil quality for agricultural production: A case study of the Kiteezi landfill,Uganda

Leachate from waste disposal sites (WDS) can significantly affect the soil physical, chemical and biological qualities, reducing soil health and agricultural productivity. However, there is a paucity of data on soil quality for understanding soil health impact due to WDS in Uganda. This study's aim was to understand, using the Kiteezi landfill site, how WDS impact soil properties. Soil samples were collected over 4 months in and around the landfill from three locations, and the soil quality data of the nearby area were used as baseline data for assessing the impact on soil due to WDS in the area. There were significant increases in the concentration of all studied parameters at the landfill except total N. The concentrations of ammonium (14.84 ± 1.76 mg/kg), nitrate (127.96 ± 18.36 mg/kg), and pH (7.8) were above the optimum levels. The levels of available P (181.4 ± 28.9 mg/kg) and exchangeable bases; K (2.23 ± 0.24 mg/kg), Na (1.17 ± 0.14 mg/kg), Mg (3.35 ± 0.3 mg/kg) and Ca (14 ± 1.1 mg/kg) cmol (+)/kg were optimal for plant growth. The calculated CEC of 20.75 cmol (+)/kg) showed that soils have a good potential to supply plant nutrients. Heavy metal levels were still below the permissible limit. Hence, the study shows that although WDS may contribute to the increase of soil fertility, they can potentially reduce the overall productivity of soil by increasing nutrient levels beyond optimum levels.