Sources of hydrocarbons in sediments of the Mandovi estuary and the Marmugoa harbour, west coast of India

Surface sediments were collected from various locations of the Mandovi estuary and the Marmugoa harbour. Sediments were analysed for organic carbon (OC), total lipids, n-alkanes concentration and composition. Concentrations of OC, total lipids and n-alkanes varied spatially and ranged from 1 to 2.5%, 176 to 1413 microg/g dry weight (dw) sediments, and 0.8 to 3.2 microg/g dw sediments of the Mandovi estuary, respectively; and from 0.6 to 2.9%, 233 to 1448 microg/g dw sediments, and 1.6 to 10.7 microg/g dw sediments in the Marmugoa harbour, respectively. Long chain, odd carbon n-alkanes (C(23)-C(33)) in the Mandovi estuary, whereas short chain, even carbon n-alkanes (C(11)-C(21)) in the Marmugoa harbour sediments were more abundant. The total HC concentrations, n-alkane composition, CPI, UCM and other evaluation indices suggest the dominance of terrestrial hydrocarbons in the estuarine while petroleum derived hydrocarbons in the harbour sediments. This conclusion was further supported by the abundance of hopanes with C(29) to C(34) alpha, beta compounds and steranes with C(27), C(28) and C(29) compounds in the harbour sediments.     

Mercury concentrations in the surface sediments of the intertidal area along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia

Total mercury (Hg) levels in the intertidal surface sediments along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia were analysed by using heat vaporization method. Total Hg levels in these sediments ranged from 3.00 to 201?µg?kg^?1 dry weight with a mean concentration of 60.0?µg?kg^?1 dry weight. More than 90% of the samples studied have the total Hg concentrations less than 150?µg?kg^?1 dry weight. Compare with the regional data and sediment quality guidelines, the Hg contamination in the intertidal area along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia was not serious, except for a few sites that might have received anthropogenic Hg in the samples collected between 1999 and 2000. It is suggested that a similar study of heavy metals in the sediments of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia be conducted regularly.     

Psychological stress and marginalization as indicators of human carrying capacity in deforesting areas

SUMMARY

A scheme in which psychological factors are considered in effective forest management planning is proposed. A central role is played by human carrying capacity, the resilience of people to deal with the consequences of environmental degradation. Stress and marginalization are taken as indicators of human carrying capacity. A study in Côte d'Ivoire is described in which psychological stress and marginalization were studied in individuals from environments which show different degrees of degradation. Three related hypotheses are proposed: first that individuals living in or near a degrading forest are more stressed and marginalized than individuals in a reference group living in Abidjan; second that people living near the forest with the most sustained and severe degradation would be more stressed and marginalized; finally, that members of autochthonous cultural groups show higher stress and marginalization levels than members of migrant groups. The results of our study showed that people living near the degraded forest were more stressed but not marginalized unless the degradation was severe and sustained. Females were more stressed than males and members of both sexes from autochthonous cultural groups were more prone to stress and marginalization than members of migrant groups.     

南疆西部不同植被类型NDVI对风沙灾害的响应

不同植被类型对风沙灾害的响应研究有助于风沙灾害的遥感监测评估和防灾减灾工作。采用传统统计学和空间自相关方法,利用MODIS的每日反射率和土地类型产品,分析了风沙灾害后南疆西部不同植被类型NDVI的变化规律及其空间分布特征。结果表明：风沙灾害后,研究区不同植被类型NDVI的差异在增大,NDVI变化值在一0．3865~0．4148之间,NDVI减小的面积占整个研究区面积的54．98％,变异系数增大值在2．44％～36．75％之间;受到风沙灾害的影响,研究区植被NDVI全局Moran’SI系数从0．7982减小到0．6786,但在空间上仍存在显著的正相关性,具有显著的空间集聚特征;由NDVI差值的局部空间自相关指标集聚图以及不同植被类型NDVI差值的空间关联区域面积百分比,可以发现落叶针叶林和裸地或低植被覆盖地受风沙灾害的影响较小,郁闭灌丛和作物受风沙灾害的影响较大。上述关于风沙灾害后南疆西部不同植被类型的变化及其空间格局的研究结果,不仅证明了防护林的风沙阻挡作用,也可以为风沙灾害的防治工作提供参考依据。     

西大别山百战坪黄山松径向生长对气候因子的响应

研究基于标准的树轮年代学研究方法（样芯经固定、晾干、打磨、交叉定年、测量和标准化等处理）,首次建立了大别山西部的黄柏山百战坪的黄山松树轮宽度标准年表。研究发现,黄山松宽度年表有较高的信噪比SNR和样本解释总量EPS,表明树轮宽度年表中含有较多的气候信息,适合做树轮气候学研究。树轮宽度年表与气象因子关系的研究结果显示,黄山松树轮宽度与上一年10月、12月及当年的5月至9月的气温（包括月均最高气温、月均温和月均最低气温）呈较高的负相关,且在上一年的12月和当年7月月均最高气温和月均温的限制作用较强,而上一年10月月均温限制作用最大,这表明上一年生长季末和当年生长季中的高温通过对水分的影响限制黄山松的生长。树轮指数与当年2月、4月至7月的月降水及月相对湿度（6月份除外）均呈较高正相关,说明在进入生长期前后充足水分对黄山松生长有促进作用,但当降水或相对湿度过大时（如上年8月与当年6月）对黄山松生长就起到一定的限制作用。本研究结果填补了大别山西段树木年轮研究的空白,为该区域树木年轮气候重建研究提供参考和基础数据,也为黄柏山自然保护区今后的森林培育和森林管理提供了一定的理论依据。     

Effects of climate and exurban development on nest predation and predator presence in the southern Appalachian Mountains (USA)

In the eastern United States, land-use and climate change have likely contributed to declines in the abundance of Neotropical migrant birds that occupy forest interiors, but the mechanisms are not well understood. We conducted a nest-predation experiment in southern Appalachian Mountain forests (North Carolina, U.S.A.) during the 2009 and 2010 breeding seasons to determine the effects of exurban development and temperature on predator presence and the average number of days until eggs in an artificial nest were disturbed by predators. We baited artificial nests with quail (Excalfactoria chinensi) eggs and monitored them for 18 days. We used clay eggs, track plates, and motion-triggered cameras to detect and identify nest predators. The average number of days a nest was undisturbed decreased as mean temperature increased and, to a lesser extent, as the density of buildings increased. Nests on the ground were more often depredated than those in trees, likely due to increased predation by opossum (Didelphis virginiana) and other carnivores. Raccoons (Procyon lotor), opossums, corvids (Corvus brachyrhynchos and Cyanocitta cristata), chipmunks (Tamias striatus), black bears (Ursus americanus), and domestic cats (Felis catus) were the most commonly detected predators. Presence of these predators did not vary as a function of mean temperature. Domestic cats and corvids were detected more frequently in plots with high rather than low densities of buildings. Forest-interior specialists and Neotropical migrants often nest in cool, high-elevation areas with low housing density. These bird species, especially those that nest on the ground, may be most vulnerable to increased nest predation if temperature and exurban development increase at higher elevations as anticipated.     

松嫩平原西部湿地自然保护区保护有效性遥感分析

以松嫩平原西部国家级湿地自然保护区为研究对象,以Landsat MSS/TM/OLI遥感影像为基础信息源,综合运用最小均方差、变异系数、景观指数、信息熵模型、地理信息系统空间分析和景观发展强度指数,研究保护区保护有效性变化及其影响因素.结果表明:松嫩平原西部国家级湿地自然保护区保护有效性大致呈递减趋势;1987~2013年人类活动对保护区的干扰强度不断增加,且与保护区保护有效性呈显著负相关;耕地和草地为湿地转出的主要类型,分别占总转出面积的63.71%和21.69%;湿地自然保护区保护有效性的降低是自然环境变化和人类活动影响共同作用的结果,自然环境变化是内因,而人为活动干扰,尤其是开垦造田和水利修建加速了湿地退化.最后,论文就研究中存在的不足以及保护区管理建设中应关注的问题进行了阐述.     

重庆近48年来高温天气气候特征及其环流形势

利用重庆23个气象观测站1960~2007年逐日最高气温观测资料,NCEP/NCAR再分析数据集中的高度场格点资料,运用EOF、REOF等方法,探讨重庆高温日数的空间分布特征,并对多高温天气的2006年和少高温天气年7~8月的环流特征进行了分析。结果表明：重庆高温天气主要出现在7~8月份,高温日数具有显著的年代际和区域性差异,20世纪70年代最多,80年代最少,沿长江、乌江为高温多发带。一致性异常分布是重庆高温日数的最主要空间模态;高温日数的异常空间分布可分为以下3个关键区：重庆中西部、重庆东南部、重庆东北部。乌拉尔山至鄂霍次克海地区阻塞高压偏弱,东亚大槽偏浅;100 hPa 高空南亚高压偏东,500 hPa 高空副高偏北偏西,形成一种上高下高的叠加形势是重庆7~8月出现多高温天气的主要原因。     

澳洲冷空气活动与长江中下游降水的联系分析

利用澳洲范围700 hPa温度场的再分析资料和长江中下游降水资料,通过谱分析方法,试析了澳洲冷空气活动对我国长江中下游主汛期降水的影响,并进一步分析了西太平洋副热带高压在此中起的作用。研究结果表明：在我国夏季,澳洲变温与涝年长江中下游主汛期的降水都具有77 d的周期,两者存在着77 d周期的遥相关,同时在77 d的周期两者呈现同位相振荡。也就表明在77 d的周期澳洲冷高压变动时经73 d后影响长江中下游降水。同时也得出澳洲冷高压强时,西太平洋副热带高压北移,长江中下游受西太平洋副热带高压控制,晴天少雨;澳洲冷高压弱时,西太平洋副热带高压南落,长江中下游处西太平洋副热带高压边缘,多降水天气。以上结论对长江中下游降水预报有一定的指示意义。     

Agricultural policies and the emergence of cotton as the dominant crop in northern Côte d'Ivoire: Historical overview and current outlook

In most of sub‐Saharan Africa, where the agricultural sector experiences dismal performance and is characterized by a gloomy picture, the cotton sub‐sector in Côte d’Ivoire is often mentioned as a “success story” given the spectacular rise in the quantity of cotton production and the profile of the crop within the farming system. What are the historical and political antecedents of the development of cotton and the factors responsible for the feat accomplished in the midst of general failures in the same continent? To what extent can cotton be regarded as a “success story” and, what lessons can be drawn for agricultural development strategies based on the Ivorian case study? This paper traces the historical and socio‐political background of cotton development in Côte d’Ivoire and identifies key policy and institutional interventions that have influenced the rise of cotton production and its emergence as the dominant crop in the farming systems of the country. Four stages in Ivorian cotton development are identified: planning, take off, crisis and the renaissance phases. The study demonstrates how a combination of good planning, technological advancement and appropriate policy and institutional conditions have contributed significantly to the rise of cotton production and its influence on the agricultural economy of northern Côte d’Ivoire. The study also highlights how the sustainability of agricultural development has been impacted by domestic and international policies and political events over which smallholder farm families have little control, and can at best only respond to. Important questions about cotton development in Côte d'Ivoire are raised that need to be answered before the program can be categorized conclusively as a success story. The study shows that there are no quick fixes to agricultural development in the sub‐region. Rather, good planning and putting the necessary building blocks in place are important prerequisites. It is recommended that agricultural development efforts in the continent take cognizance of the complexity of the sector and address the inter‐relationships that exist among the technical, policy, market and institutional factors that combine individually and collectively to influence African agriculture.