Background levels of soil beryllium in several countries

Beryllium and aluminium contents in uncontaminated soils from six countries are reported. The means and ranges of beryllium in the surface soils were as follows: 1.43(0.20–5.50)g g^–1 in Thailand (n=28), 0.7 (0.31–1.03) g g^–1 in Indonesia (n=12), 0.99(0.82–1.32) g g^–1 in New Zealand (n=3), 0.58(0.08-1.68)g g^–1 in Brazil (n=16), 3.52(2.49–4.97)g g^–1 in the former Yugoslavia (n=10), and 1.56(1.01–2.73) g g^–1 in the former USSR (n=8). The mean and range of beryllium contents of the surface soils in Japan (1.17(0.27–1.95)g g^–1 n=27) are situated within the values of the soils from these countries except for the Yugoslav soils derived from limestones. The mean of the mean beryllium contents of the surface soils in all these countries is 1.42 g g^–1 which will be used as a tentative average content of beryllium in uncontaminated surface soils, except for the soils derived from parent materials high in beryllium content. The beryllium contents of the subsoils were higher than those of the surface soils in New Zealand and Yugoslavia as is the case with Japan. The correlation coefficient between the contents of beryllium and aluminium in all the soil samples (n=113) including surface soils and subsoils was 0.505 (p < 0.001).     

Dividing disasters in Aceh, Indonesia: separatist conflict and tsunami, human rights and humanitarianism

This paper examines the interface between human rights and humanitarian action in the context of the conflict and tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia, between 1998 and 2007. It looks at the challenges international humanitarian non-governmental organisations (NGOs) faced as they engaged in human rights work in the conflict period and in conflict-related activities in the post-tsunami period. The paper argues that many large NGOs may have compromised what some would hold to be essential principles for humanitarian action because of domestic political concerns, donor restrictions and resistance among certain NGO chiefs. In contrast with the pre-tsunami period, in which NGOs worked for years amid military operations, in the post-tsunami period NGOs were decidedly apolitical, neglecting the conflict in their tsunami response--despite significant developments that permitted greater political engagement in Aceh's post-conflict transformation. The evidence suggests that NGOs are challenged in contextualising humanitarian responses and that there is a need to underscore donor flexibility and independence in humanitarian action.     

Closing the Incentive Gap: The Role of Public and Private Actors in Governing Indonesia's Tuna Fisheries

Indonesia is one of the world's largest tuna producing countries, yet regulatory oversight remains weak and management is poor. Incentive-based approaches are a way to improve state-based resource management, but they often require strong government regulation. In this paper, we use principal–agent theory and the notion of the ‘incentive gap’ to explore how incentives could be brought to bear in Indonesia through a combination of private and public actors. With a shared fish stock like tuna, we argue that a double principal–agent problem emerges, where information, asymmetries between various players complicate management. We focus on the problems of adverse selection and moral hazard in three different tuna fisheries in Indonesia to identify the nature of the incentive gap, and comment on the mix of public and private actors currently engaged in tuna fishery governance towards reducing the gap. The double principal–agent problem is a useful yet underutilized framework to understand the dynamics of shared stocks management. In this first application to a developing country fishery, we conclude that information asymmetries cannot be overcome without the involvement of private actors, who are increasingly becoming important in aligning regional and global objectives with those of fishers themselves.     

2004年12月26日苏门答腊-安达曼M9.0级地震前后的b值变化

通过对印度尼西亚地区2004年12月26日苏门答腊-安达曼M9.0地震前后地震b值的计算.我们得出这一地区苏门答腊-安达曼地震前后的地震b值的变化曲线.计算得到在地震b值变化的各阶段中各级地震的数目占各段地震总数的比例.得出在苏门答腊-安达曼地震前后,这一地区中、强地震增加了.     

Application of agroforestry business models to tropical peatland restoration

Indonesia is home to around 45% of the world’s tropical peatlands which continue to be degraded on a large scale by deforestation, drainage and fire, contributing massively to global GHG emissions. Approaches to restoring the peat–water balance and reducing emissions in peat hydrological units, through managing them based either on full protection or large-scale commercial production, have generally failed to address environmental and local community needs. We present published and unpublished findings pointing to the need for an integrated peatland protection and restoration strategy based first on raising water levels in degraded (drained) peatlands and maintaining them in forested peatlands, thus, reducing GHG emissions. Second, the strategy incorporates ecologically sound agroforestry business models that strengthen livelihoods of smallholders and so sustain their interest in sustainably managing the peatlands. In this paper, we focus on the second element of this strategy in Indonesia. Eight agroforestry business models are proposed based on their merits to attract both smallholders and commercial investors as well as their compatibility with hydrological rehabilitation of the peatlands. While financial returns on investment will vary across sites and countries, our analysis indicates that some models can be profitable over both short and longer time periods with relatively low levels of investment risk.     

The remaining islands with primary rain forest: A global resource

Islands with large tracts of primary rain forest constitute a distinct complex of terrestrial and marine ecosystems with global significance because of high levels of biological richness or, in the case of oceanic islands, the evolutionary distinctiveness of the organisms that they support. The myriad of small habitat units makes these settings particularly prone to fragmentation and thus problematic for the conservation of biological diversity. Most of the remaining examples of islands with primary rain forest are in the Pacific Rim, particularly in Indonesia, and there are threats from intensive timber harvesting, mining, tourism, and dismemberment of traditional convervation systems. Prospects for inventorying, monitoring, and protecting the remaining islands with relatively pristine successional mosaics of humid forest and shallow marine habitats within a framework global monitoring are explored. Recommendations are made for a program of expanded use of the biosphere reserve designation for rain forest islands and adjacent marine areas.     

Hydrocarbon and elemental carbon signatures in a tropical wetland: biogeochemical evidence of forest fire and vegetation changes

Evidence of changing vegetation in the tropical wetland (Rawa Danau, west Java, Indonesia) over the past 7428 years is illustrated by elemental (soot) carbon (EC) and n-alkane composition of sedimentary geolipids. In this study, vegetation changes and relevant controlling factors (e.g. forest fire and climate change) were documented on a decadal to centennial scale. The n-alkane composition that changes with depth might record changes in sources of organic matter (OM) in the wetland. The presence of EC (0.01–0.24% of organic carbon: OC) during late (0–1700 cal. year BP) and mid (3500–4500 cal. year BP) Holocene (at depths 0–50 cm, and 160–210 cm) indicated that large-scale forest fires severely affected the tropical vegetation. The hydrocarbon indices (CPI: carbon preference index, MCN: mean carbon number, and HVI: hydrocarbon vegetation index) significantly correlated with one another while a comparison of EC profile with the profiles of hydrocarbon indices indicated that n-alkane composition of the geolipid in lake sediment could record signatures of changes in catchment vegetation. Forest fire and vegetation changes might be related to regional climatic shifts relating to ENSO activity as well as being influenced by human influences.     

Effects of Land Use on Bird Species Richness in Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract:  There is still much debate over the potential value of land-use systems for the maintenance of tropical biodiversity. An increasing number of studies indicate that much forest biodiversity can also be found in the agricultural landscape matrix. Because there is little information on the potential value of land-use systems for tropical forest bird species, we conducted repeated point counts in near-primary forest, adjacent young secondary forest, modernized cacao agroforestry systems, and annual cultures at submontane elevations in central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Species richness decreased from natural forest and young secondary forest to agroforestry systems and annual cultures. Although species richness was similar between natural and young secondary forest, the number of endemic bird species was significantly lower in second-growth forest. Species composition gradually changed as the habitat changed from natural to secondary forest, agroforestry systems, and annual cultures. Despite close proximity to near-primary forest, the agroforestry systems studied supported only a few small frugivorous-nectarivorous species. Our results suggest that secondary forest could play an important role in the conservation of many Sulawesi bird species, but, although suitable for colonization, its potential to sustain populations over the long term is unknown. Improvement of the landscape matrix for biodiversity conservation through secondary habitats therefore seems desirable to enlarge the ranges of forest species, but the fight against land conversion within protected areas of the region should be of much higher importance, at least at present.     

Distribution and speciation of Zn and Pb in coastal sediments of Dumai Sumatera,Indonesia

Concentrations of Zn and Pb in surface sediments collected from 23 sampling stations of Dumai coastal waters have been geochemically [easily, freely or leachable and exchangeable (EFLE), acid reducible, oxidizable organic and resistant] analyzed in addition to their total concentrations [expressed in µg g^?1 dry weight (d.w.)]. Results showed that mean concentrations of total Zn and Pb were highest in Ferry Port (88.2 and 61.2 µg g^?1 d.w., respectively), while the lowest was in Batu Panjang (32.6 and 15.7 µg g^?1 d.w., respectively). Metal concentrations in 87% and 74% of the sampling stations for Zn and Pb were dominated by the resistant fraction. However, nonresistant fractions were found to be higher than resistant fractions at Cargo Port, Sungai Dumai, and Penyembal for Zn; and in Pelintung, Guntung, Mundam, Ferry Port, Fishing Port, and Purnama for Pb, indicating that anthropogenic inputs of Pb occurred in more stations when compared to Zn. Site I (eastern Dumai) was dominated by the nonresistant fraction for Pb (61%) suggesting dominant anthropogenic inputs of this metal. This might be attributed to the combination of large population, discharges of untreated domestic and industrial wastes, shipping activities and city run-off.