The Impact of Policy and Institutional Environment on Costs and Benefits of Sustainable Agricultural Land Uses: The Case of the Chittagong Hill Tracts,Bangladesh

As in other mountain regions of Asia, agricultural lands in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh are undergoing degradation due primarily to environmentally incompatible land-use systems such as shifting cultivation (jhum) and annual cash crops. The suitable land-use systems such as agroforestry and timber tree plantation provide benefit to the society at large, but they might not provide attractive economic benefits to farmers, eventually constraining a wide-scale adoption of such land-use systems. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate agricultural land-use systems from both societal and private perspectives in the pursuit of promoting particularly environmentally sustainable systems. This article evaluated five major land-use systems being practiced in CHT, namely jhum, annual cash crops, horticulture, agroforestry, and timber plantation. The results of the financial analysis revealed the annual cash crops as the most attractive land use and jhum as the least attractive of the five land-use systems considered under the study. Horticulture, timber plantation, and agroforestry, considered to be suitable land-use systems particularly for mountainous areas, held the middle ground between these two systems. Annual cash crops provided the highest financial return at the cost of a very high rate of soil erosion. When the societal cost of soil erosion is considered, annual cash crops appear to be the most costly land-use system, followed by jhum and horticulture. Although financially less attractive compared to annual cash crops and horticulture, agroforestry and timber plantation are the socially most beneficial land-use systems. Findings of the alternative policy analyses indicate that there is a good prospect for making environmentally sustainable land-use systems, such as agroforestry and timber plantation, attractive for the farmers by eliminating existing legal and institutional barriers, combined with the provision of necessary support services and facilities.

People’s dependency on forest resources and contributions of forests to the livelihoods: a case study in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of Bangladesh

The study was conducted to investigate people’s forest dependency and contributions of forests to the livelihoods in the three hill districts of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), Bangladesh. The study revealed that forest resources contribute significantly to rural community’s livelihoods and economic well-being. Using generalized logistic regressions, this study has also investigated the socioeconomic factors that affect people’s dependency on forest resources of CHT. The study revealed that people’s income from forest and forest-related occupation was positively aligned with their forest dependency. However, their education level significantly reduced their dependency on forest resources. Thus, educating the forest-dependent people and supporting alternative income generation activities should be appreciated for effective forest management in CHT. This study will be helpful to forest and environmental policy makers for CHT.     

贵州威宁麻窝山地区近五万年来土壤侵蚀速率研究

摘要定量研究喀斯特地区土壤侵蚀速率对了解石漠化过程具有重要意义.本文以重度石漠化贵州威宁麻窝山地区岩溶洼地堆积土壤为研究对象,采用了钻探取样、土壤有机质14C测年方法、137Cs含量测定并结合历史文献,定量研究了麻窝山地区近5万年来的土壤侵蚀速率变化.结果表明,距今4.69～3.08万年(Bp)间的侵蚀模数与距今3.0...     

镉胁迫对续断菊Sonchus asper L.Hill.根系分泌物的影响

通过盆栽试验,研究了不同Cd质量分数（0、50、100、200 mg.kg-1）对续断菊Sonchus asper L.Hill.根系分泌总有机酸、游离氨基酸、可溶性糖的影响,旨在探明根系分泌物对续断菊超积累Cd的影响。结果表明：Cd胁迫下续断菊根系分泌总有机酸、游离氨基酸和可溶性糖的质量浓度显著增加,同时,总有机酸、可溶性糖和游离氨基酸又促进了植株对Cd的吸收。随着Cd处理质量分数的增加,续断菊地上部和根部镉质量分数显著增加,90 d时续断菊地上部镉质量分数与可溶性糖、游离氨基酸的质量浓度呈极显著正相关,相关系数分别为0.999（P〈0.01）和0.995（P〈0.01）,根部镉质量分数与可溶性糖、游离氨基酸的质量浓度也呈显著正相关,相关系数分别为0.998（P〈0.01）和0.987（P〈0.05）;Cd对续断菊根系可溶性糖的分泌、游离氨基酸的合成有刺激作用,根系分泌的可溶性糖和游离氨基酸可能在续断菊累积镉的过程中有重要作用。     

CO2和O3体积分数升高对银杏希尔反应活力和叶绿体ATP酶活性的影响

近年来,随着温室气体体积分数不断上升,研究CO2和O3体积分数升高对植物的影响已取得一定进展,但二者对植物的复合作用及生理研究不够深入。文章利用开顶式气室研究了大气CO2和O3体积分数升高对银杏(Ginkgo biloba L.)光合特性的影响。结果表明,在整个生长季内,与对照相比,在大气CO2体积分数为700×10-6条件下,银杏叶片净光合速率显著增加(P<0.05),希尔反应活力增大,Ca2 /Mg2 -ATPase活性增强,光合产物可溶性糖和淀粉含量增多;而在O3体积分数为80×10-9的情况下,银杏叶片净光合速率下降,希尔反应活力减小,Ca2 /Mg2 -ATPase活性减弱,光合产物可溶性糖和淀粉含量减少;在CO2和O3复合作用(700×10-6 80×10-9)条件下,银杏叶片净光合速率、希尔反应活力、可溶性糖和淀粉均有所增加,且淀粉含量增加极显著(P<0.01),而Ca2 -ATPase活性先增强后减弱,Mg2 -ATPase活性先减弱后增强。说明CO2可缓解O3对银杏的负效应,而O3亦对CO2的正效应有削弱作用。     

镉胁迫对续断菊Sonchus asper L.Hill.根系分泌物的影响

通过盆栽试验,研究了不同Cd质量分数(0、50、100、200 mg.kg-1)对续断菊Sonchus asper L.Hill.根系分泌总有机酸、游离氨基酸、可溶性糖的影响,旨在探明根系分泌物对续断菊超积累Cd的影响。结果表明:Cd胁迫下续断菊根系分泌总有机酸、游离氨基酸和可溶性糖的质量浓度显著增加,同时,总有机酸、可溶性糖和游离氨基酸又促进了植株对Cd的吸收。随着Cd处理质量分数的增加,续断菊地上部和根部镉质量分数显著增加,90 d时续断菊地上部镉质量分数与可溶性糖、游离氨基酸的质量浓度呈极显著正相关,相关系数分别为0.999(P<0.01)和0.995(P<0.01),根部镉质量分数与可溶性糖、游离氨基酸的质量浓度也呈显著正相关,相关系数分别为0.998(P<0.01)和0.987(P<0.05);Cd对续断菊根系可溶性糖的分泌、游离氨基酸的合成有刺激作用,根系分泌的可溶性糖和游离氨基酸可能在续断菊累积镉的过程中有重要作用。