Compassionate versus consequentialist conservation

Ethical treatment of wildlife and consideration of animal welfare have become important themes in conservation, but ethical perspectives on how best to protect wild animals and promote their welfare are diverse. There are advantages to the consequentialist harms ethical framework applied in managing wild herbivores for conservation purposes. To minimize harms while achieving conservation goals, we argue that overabundant wild herbivores should in many cases be managed through consumptive in situ killing. Advantages of this policy are that the negative welfare states imposed on animals last only a short time; remaining animals are not deprived of positive welfare states (e.g., linked to rearing offspring); poor welfare states of animals in overabundant populations are avoided (e.g., starvation); negative welfare impacts on heterospecifics through resource depletion (i.e., competition) are prevented; harvesting meat reduces the number of (agricultural) animals raised to supply meat; and minimal costs maximize funding for other wildlife management and conservation priorities. Alternative ethical approaches to our consequentialist framework include deontology (containing animal rights) and virtue ethics, some of which underpin compassionate conservation. These alternative ethical approaches emphasize the importance of avoiding intentional killing of animals but, if no population reduction occurs, are likely to impose considerable unintentional harms on overabundant wildlife and indirectly harm heterospecifics through ineffective population reduction. If nonlethal control is used, it is likely that overabundant animals would be deprived of positive welfare states and economic costs would be prohibitive. We encourage conservation stakeholders to consider animal-welfare consequentialism as an ethical approach to minimize harms to the animals under their care as well as other animals that policies may affect while at the same time pursuing conservation goals.     

We should not allow dissection of animals

This essay argues against routine dissection exercises on animals under three headings. First, attaining goals of general scientific education does not require dissection. The training of specialists, in whose vocations dissection skills are essential, could then be accomplished without killing animals specifically for the purpose of acquiring those skills. Second, killing and dissecting animals for unnecessary exercises teaches students bad attitudes toward animal life. Third, moral principles cannot justify killing and dissecting animals but not humans; consequently, such treatment of animals is prejudiced exploitation of the weak by the strong.     

生态意识变迁的考察与草地畜牧业可持续发展--以内蒙古锡林郭勒退化草地为例

目前，内蒙古草地生态环境破坏严重。且总体上呈不断恶化的态势。这种状况的持续不仅严重影响和翻约着本地区经济和社会的总体发展。同时也威胁着包括北京在内的整个华北地区的生态安全。其内在的深层次的根源就在于包括生态意识在内的人们的文化价值观发生了“扭曲”。本文针对锡林郭勒退化草地现状与历史的分析．揭示了其中的文化特征与哲学内涵．并且指出生态意识的确立和生态文化的形成对于保护草地、建设草地的现实意义。     

青海省草地畜牧业可持续发展战略与对策

青海省有可利用草地3161×104hm₂,是我国五大牧区之一。在长期传统游牧畜牧业经营方式下 ,对草地缺乏有效的保护和科学的管理 ,片面追求牲畜存栏数 ,超载过牧现象普遍存在 ,导致草地退化问题严重 ,生态环境破坏 ,自然灾害频繁 ,畜牧业经济效益低下。在这样的基础上实施草地畜牧业可持续发展战略 ,需要执行科技兴牧 ,教育先行 ;强化畜牧业生产基础 ,经济效益和生态效益并重 ;大力促进畜牧业产业化 ,走商品化生产发展道路的方针。推行高效集约化经营的畜牧业生产模式 ,发展具有高原特色 ,具有市场竞争力的特色畜产品生产 ,在实现畜牧业向高效益产业转变的基础上顺利地实施生态环境治理和草地资源保护 ,从而达到畜牧业可持续发展的目的。     

畜牧业生产对生态环境的污染及其防治

畜禽粪尿、畜牧场的污水和臭气以及由排泄物残留而来的矿物元素和其它废充物给生态环境带来直接污染；由农畜产品残留而来的农药、重金属元素、抗生素、激素和霉菌素等给生态环境带来间接污染。这些污染物通过污染土壤、水源和大气而危害农作物生产和人畜健康，甚至诱发严重的畜产品污染事件。为防止畜牧业污染，必须制订一个正确的畜牧业发展战略。采取有效的防治对策，并开发应用防治技术，建立综合式生态农业生产体系，从而达到畜牧业的持续发展。     

观山村畜牧业生态经济亚系统的畜种结构和生态效率

本文对位于亚热带丘岗区畜牧业生态经济亚系统的畜种结构和生态效率进行研究。因地制宜地调整和优化畜种结构,充分合理地利用当地饲料资源,改善饲料营养结构,增强亚系统的总体功能。     

Anaerobic digestion of livestock and poultry manures spiked with tetracycline antibiotics

Abstract

We investigated the anaerobic degradation of tetracycline antibiotics (tetracycline [TC], oxytetracycline [OTC] and chlortetracycline [CTC]) in swine, cattle, and poultry manures. The manures were anaerobically digested inside polyvinyl chloride batch reactors for 64?days at room temperature. The degradation rate constants and half-lives of the parent tetracyclines were determined following first-order kinetics. For CTC the fastest degradation rate was observed in swine manure (k?=?0.016?±?0.001 d^?1; half-life = 42.8?days), while the slowest degradation rate was observed in poultry litter (k?=?0.0043?±?0.001 d^?1; half-life = 161?days). The half-lives of OTC ranged between 88.9 (cattle manure) and 99.0?days (poultry litter), while TC persisted the longest of the tetracycline antibiotics studied with half-lives ranging from 92.4?days (cattle manure) to 330?days (swine manure). In general, the tetracyclines were found to degrade faster in cattle manure, which had the lowest concentrations of organic matter and metals as compared to swine and poultry manures. Our results demonstrate that tetracycline antibiotics persist in the animal manure after anaerobic digestion, which can potentially lead to emergence and persistence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in the environment when anaerobic digestion byproducts are land applied for crop production.     

寿昌江流域及邻近山区溶岩洞穴大型水生底栖动物

灵栖洞、灵山洞、瑶琳洞为浙江西部山区已开发的著名观光溶岩洞穴群，灵栖洞位于寿昌江流域支流小江溪的源头附近，由灵泉、清风、霭云三洞组成，灵山洞由清虚洞、仙桥洞组成．三洞穴群内大型水生动物隶属2门3纲5目11科．灵栖洞大型水生动物群落主要由放逸短沟蜷和掌指米虾组成，灵山洞主要由硬环棱螺、放逸短沟蜷、格氏短沟蜷及水生昆虫幼体组成，瑶琳洞内主要由锯齿新米虾和扁卷螺组成．灵泉洞洞穴有光带主要分布有掌指米虾和放逸短沟蜷，弱光带主要分布有锯齿新米虾、掌指米虾和硬环棱螺，黑暗带主要分布有锯齿新米虾、掌指米虾和扁卷螺，灵泉洞有光带动物种类的多样性、均匀度指数最高，分别为0．9832和0．6109，黑暗带最低，分别为0．0983和0．1418；优势度在黑暗带最高，其值为0．6250．表3参18     

Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycling in Shrimp Ponds and the Measures for Sustainable Management

Six ponds of age 3 were selected 45 km north from Suzhou in the Tailake region, and research conducted on nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in P. vannanmei(Penaeus vannanme) ponds and M. nipponense(Macrobrachium nipponense) hatchery ponds under normal management. Two treatments each had three replications. The results confirmed that feed was the major path of nitrogen and phosphorus input, each accounted for 61.24%(193.81 kg ha^–1) and 81.08%(45.20 kg ha^–1) of the total nitrogen and phosphorus input for P. vannanme ponds; the values for M. nipponense ponds were 43.93%(86.31 kg ha^–1) and 57.67%(14.61 kg ha^–1), respectively. Water pumped into ponds contributed on average 83.57 kg ha^–1 nitrogen and 8.48 kg ha^–1 phosphorus for P. vannanmei ponds, and 87.48 kg ha^–1 nitrogen and 7.00 kg ha^–1 phosphorus for M. nipponense hatchery ponds. Shrimp harvest recovered 102.81 kg ha^–1 nitrogen (32.94% of the total nitrogen input) and 7.94 kg ha^–1phosphorus (14.23% of the total phosphorus input) for P. vannanme ponds; and 43.94 kg ha^–1 nitrogen and 4.46 kg ha^–1phosphorus for M. nipponense hatchery ponds. The sum of nitrogen losses through volatilization, denitrification and sedimentation was 173.62 and 122.39 kg ha^–1, 54.86% and 62.29% of the total nitrogen input for P. vannanme ponds and M. nipponense hatchery ponds, respectively. Sediment accumulated 41.46 and 14.63 kg ha^–1 phosphorus, 74.37% and 64.85% of the total phosphorus input for P. vannanm ponds and M. nipponense hatchery ponds. Draining and seeping caused 40.06 kg ha^–1 nitrogen (12.66% of total nitrogen input) and 6.36 kg ha^–1 phosphorus (11.40% of total phosphorus input) loss to the surrounding water from P. vannanme ponds in 114 days; 30.14 kg ha^–1nitrogen (15.34% of the total input) and 4.45 kg ha^–1 phosphorus (17.57% of the total input) to channel water from M. nipponense hatchery ponds in 87 days, respectively. Countermeasures for sustainable pond management include improving feeds and feeding, sediment treatments, machine aerating, chemicals with no pollution, and integrated fish-shrimp cultivation. Management of water resources for pond and methods to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus loading into surrounding water from drainage are elucidated.     

外来入侵植物紫茎泽兰对昆明地区土壤动物群落的影响

2005年雨季前后的6月至9月,共布设144个样方,采样分析了外来入侵植物紫茎泽兰(Eupatorium adeno-phorum)对云南昆明地区针叶林、阔叶林和草地3种主要生态系统类型地表腐叶层土壤动物群落的影响。研究结果表明,紫茎泽兰入侵后土壤动物类群总数显著减少,其中针叶林减少41.3%,阔叶林减少29.0%,草地减少36.7%;土壤动物群落个体总数下降,其中针叶林减少63.5%,阔叶林减少20.4%,草地减少43.2%。紫茎泽兰入侵影响土壤动物群落多样性和均匀度。6月至8月,在没有紫茎泽兰入侵情况下,针叶林和草地生态系统土壤动物群落多样性、均匀度逐步升高;紫茎泽兰入侵后,由于土壤动物类群数量及部分类群个体数量减少,针叶林和草地土壤动物群落多样性、均匀度有所降低。