Field-breeding birds on organic and conventional arable farms in the Netherlands

In this study territory densities of field-breeding farmland birds were compared on pairwise-selected organic and conventional arable farms for two years. Differences in territory densities between the two farm types were explained examining the effects of three factors on territory densities: (1) non-crop habitats, (2) crop types and (3) within-crop factors. In both years, densities of most species did not differ between organic and conventional farms. Only skylark and lapwing were more abundant on organic farms, but only skylarks showed a consistent pattern over both years. Differences in crop types grown between the two systems were the only explaining factor for differences in densities of skylark. For lapwing, the difference was only partly due to differences in crop type, but differences in within-crop factors (probably as a result of crop management) were likely to have had an effect as well. There were no significant differences in abundance of non-crop habitats between the two farming systems, so this could not explain differences in territory densities.     

世界自然遗产地面临的威胁及中国的保护对策

中国的自然遗产事业方兴未艾,但自然遗产地的保护状况令人担忧。论文以广泛的基础资料收集为前提,分析论证了自然遗产地保护的完整性原则,并对全球范围内世界自然遗产地的威胁因素进行了定量化统计评价。结合中国世界自然遗产地的保护状况,提出了中国自然遗产地的保护对策。     

Watershed development in India. 1. Biophysical and societal impacts

This paper recommends a revision of watershed development policy in India in relation to the planning of development interventions involving agricultural intensification and rainwater harvesting following biophysical and societal impact studies carried out on two watershed development projects in Karnataka. A need for changes in policy has arisen in response to progressive catchments closure at the basin level and declining volumes of water flowing into village level reservoirs (known locally as tanks). Flow reductions have occurred largely as a result of increased agricultural intensification over the past 10–15 years. Field levelling, field bund construction, soil water conservation measures, farm ponds, the increase in areas under horticulture and forestry and the increased abstraction and use of groundwater for irrigation are all contributing factors to reduced flows. Planning methodologies and approaches, which may have been appropriate 20 years ago for planning water harvesting within watershed development projects, are no longer appropriate today. New planning approaches are required which (1) take account of these changed flow conditions and (2) are also able to take account of externalities, which occur when actions of some affect the livelihoods of others who have no control or influence over such activities and which (3) contribute to the maintenance of agreed minimum downstream flows for environmental and other purposes.

Runoff variation affected by precipitation change and human activity in Hailiutu River basin,China

For recent years, runoff generation and hydrological processes in Hailiutu River basin have been greatly changed by climate change and human activity, especially water and soil conservation construction. In this study, the trends in precipitation, evapotranspiration (ET) and river runoff as well as the effects of precipitation change and human activity on runoff variation have been studied. The results showed that during 1960–2000, annual precipitation and river runoff, monthly precipitation and ET in September and October as well as monthly runoff in all months showed a significant decrease. In addition, peak flow and base flow had a large decrease. Under the joint influence of precipitation change and human activity, the mean annual runoff decreased by 35 million m³ from the baseline period (1960–1985) to the change period (1986–2000), which accounted for 60.9% and 39.1% of the total runoff decrease, respectively. Precipitation change played a primary role in the decrease of annual runoff whereas human activity, particularly water and soil conservation construction, also had remarkable impacts on runoff variation.     

Cross-Platform Framing and Cross-Cultural Adaptation: Examining Elephant Conservation in Thailand

This case study investigates cross-platform framing process and framing alignment strategies of the world famous elephant conservation NGO. It examines how the intercultural adaptation facilitates the frame transformation against entrenched domesticated elephant traditions in Thailand. Besides web observation, this study conducted two field trips to interview the NGO staff and conservation experts, and observed human–elephant interaction. Enhancing the understanding of ecotourism, this study expands the framing theory by incorporating cross-platform and cross-cultural adaptation factors and provides insights of an effective Asian ecotourism model which transcends cultural differences and overcomes resistance by disseminating culturally sensitive and integrated framing strategies through various communication channels.     

Systematic Contradiction Between Heritage Conservation and Tourism Development: Cleaning the Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu

Abstract

In recent years, with the rapid development of the tourist industry, world heritage sites become more and more popular among tourists from home and abroad. Therefore, heritage tourism has become a new hotspot. However, while world heritage sites are making obvious economic benefit from tourism, they also bring various problems and contradictions, of which the most troublesome one is the contradiction between heritage conservation and tourism development. To discuss and analyze the root and the essence of the above contradiction and find a way to bring about harmony between them is an important program faced by our national heritage management practice and academic research. Based on the case of cleaning the Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu, this paper analyzes the reasons why our national world cultural heritage sites bring about the above contradiction in the process of tourism development and points out that the improper system and stakeholders' benefit imbroglio are respectively the root and the essence of the contraction. Then, it also puts forward corresponding solutions.     

Analysis of Coupling between Soil and Water Conservation and Economic-social Development

Abstract

The coupling relation exists in water and soil conservation and economic-social development. The article analyses the relation of soil and water conservation and economic-social development stages as well as the coupling analytical method. Then calculates the expecting income by dispersing Markov decision and calculates the correlation coefficient and the relationship degree. The article obtains the relationship of soil and water conservation investments and all kinds of incomes. Finally, it analyzes the important meaning in socio-economic development of water and soil conservation.     

保护性耕作对玉米田土壤中除草剂残留的影响

保护性耕作能够显著提高土壤有机质,改善土壤质量,但是关于保护性耕作如何影响农药等污染物在土壤中残留的研究却较为匮乏,而土壤污染又与粮食安全息息相关.因此,选择7个实验地点,针对传统耕作与保护性耕作两种耕作方式下土壤中3种除草剂(乙草胺、阿特拉津和二甲四氯钠)残留特征进行了分析.结果表明,保护性耕作显著影响土壤的总有机碳含量、土壤含水率和土壤团聚体平均粒径等性质[使(2.1±0.1)%、(19.1±1.2)%和(82.2±3.0)μm分别增加至(2.9±0.3)%、(22.3±1.5)%和(97.2±4.2)μm].研究进一步发现,保护性耕作对不同除草剂在土壤中残留的影响存在差异性.例如,保护性耕作通过影响土壤总有机碳含量显著增加东丰试验田土壤中阿特拉津的含量[使(3.8±0.3)ng·g^-1增加至(17.7±3.0)ng·g^-1],通过影响土壤团聚体平均粒径显著降低德惠试验田土壤中乙草胺的含量[使(50.6±10.3)ng·g^-1降低至(9.2±2.5)ng·g^-1].然而,由于不同土壤性质对土壤中...     

Assessing conservation opportunity on private land: socio-economic, behavioral, and spatial dimensions

This study presents a method for assessing conservation opportunity on private land based on landholders' socio-economic, behavioral, and farm characteristics. These characteristics include age, gender, education, level of off-farm income, farm size, proportion of remnant native vegetation on-farm, and ecological value of native vegetation on-farm. A sample of landholders who own greater than 2 ha of land in the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin region were sent a mail-based survey about their values and preferences for environmental management (N = 659, 52% response). Cross-tabulations and ANOVA statistical analysis techniques were used to compare the socio-economic attributes across three landholder classes: disengaged, moderately engaged, and highly engaged in native vegetation planting. Results indicate that highly engaged landholders were more likely to be female, formally educated, hobby farmers who managed small parcels of land and have high off-farm incomes, whereas disengaged landholders held significantly stronger farming connections (more farming experience, family have lived on the farm for more generations). Spatial analysis revealed area-specific differences in conservation opportunity and conservation priority. In some areas, properties of high ecological value were managed by highly engaged landholders, but nearby properties of high value were managed by moderately engaged or disengaged landholders. Environmental managers therefore cannot assume areas of high conservation priority will be areas of high conservation opportunity. At the regional scale, the potential for revegetation seems most promising within the moderately engaged landholder group considering the vast amount of land managed by this group in areas of high ecological value, particularly within the less represented Mallee and Coorong and Rangelands sub-regions. We suggest that incentive schemes which purchase conservation need to be targeted at disengaged landholders; mentoring schemes led by commercial farmers highly engaged in native vegetation planting should be directed at moderately engaged landholders, and; awards programs which acknowledge conservation successes should be targeted at highly engaged landholders.     

Identifying priority areas for ecosystem service management in South African grasslands

Grasslands provide many ecosystem services required to support human well-being and are home to a diverse fauna and flora. Degradation of grasslands due to agriculture and other forms of land use threaten biodiversity and ecosystem services. Various efforts are underway around the world to stem these declines. The Grassland Programme in South Africa is one such initiative and is aimed at safeguarding both biodiversity and ecosystem services. As part of this developing programme, we identified spatial priority areas for ecosystem services, tested the effect of different target levels of ecosystem services used to identify priority areas, and evaluated whether biodiversity priority areas can be aligned with those for ecosystem services. We mapped five ecosystem services (below ground carbon storage, surface water supply, water flow regulation, soil accumulation and soil retention) and identified priority areas for individual ecosystem services and for all five services at the scale of quaternary catchments. Planning for individual ecosystem services showed that, depending on the ecosystem service of interest, between 4% and 13% of the grassland biome was required to conserve at least 40% of the soil and water services. Thirty-four percent of the biome was needed to conserve 40% of the carbon service in the grassland. Priority areas identified for five ecosystem services under three target levels (20%, 40%, 60% of the total amount) showed that between 17% and 56% of the grassland biome was needed to conserve these ecosystem services. There was moderate to high overlap between priority areas selected for ecosystem services and already-identified terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity priority areas. This level of overlap coupled with low irreplaceability values obtained when planning for individual ecosystem services makes it possible to combine biodiversity and ecosystem services in one plan using systematic conservation planning.