Greenhouse Gases as Clues to Permanence of Farmlands

Abstract:  Farmlands are expansive, diverse, and intensively managed ecosystems. These lands, so critical to human welfare, are threatened by growing stresses as demand for food escalates, fresh water wanes, cheap fuels deplete, and other uses jostle for space. With these coming pressures, how can we foster permanence on the lands that sustain us? In this essay I contemplate the hypothesis that the greenhouse gases, because they emanate from the interwoven flows of C, N, and energy in ecosystems, can help steer us toward permanence (sustainability). Alongside other indicators these emissions may detect the ecosystem's pulse, alerting us to inefficiencies and guiding us to better practices. To be effective signals, however, the greenhouse gases will need to be considered in their local settings, monitored longer and in more "listening places," and measured across boundaries of disciplines and biomes. This approach may help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our farmlands. But we may find that, in the long run, the main beneficiaries of our inquiry have been, not just the atmosphere, but our fragile lands, perhaps in ways we cannot yet foresee.     

Time Series Analysis of Nebraska Daily Rainfall Data to Simulate Atrazine Runoff1

Abstract: Measured atrazine concentrations in Nebraska surface water have been shown to exceed water‐quality standards, posing risks to humans and to the ecosystem. To assess this risk, atrazine runoff was simulated at the field‐scale in Nebraska based on the pesticide component of the AGNPS model. This project’s objective was to determine the frequency that the atrazine concentration at the field outlet exceeded three different atrazine water‐quality criteria. The simulation was conducted for different farm management practices, soil moisture conditions, and five Nebraska topographic regions. If the criteria were exceeded, a risk to the drinking water consumer or freshwater aquatic life was hypothesized to exist. Three pesticide fate and transport processes were simulated with the model. Degradation was simulated using first‐order kinetics. Adsorption/desorption was modeled assuming a linear soil‐water partitioning coefficient. Advection (runoff) was based primarily on the USDA‐NRCS curve number method. Daily rainfall from the National Weather Service was used to compute the soil moisture conditions for the 1985‐2000 growing seasons. After each runoff event, the pesticide runoff concentration was compared with each of the three atrazine water‐quality criteria. The results show that environmental receptors (i.e., freshwater aquatic species) are exposed to unacceptable atrazine runoff concentrations in 20‐50% of the runoff events.     

黑土区城郊耕地重金属污染空间扩散机制

城郊复杂环境条件下的耕地土壤重金属污染空间扩散机制是落实土壤污染源头防控和保障黑土地质量安全的基础.针对以往溯源研究中污染源头难定位和扩散趋势不明确等问题,以长春市城郊地区为例,以耕地土壤As、Pb、Hg和Cd元素为研究对象,采用近邻传播（AP）算法和空间自回归的扩散格局-驱动因素组合分析法尝试揭示黑土区城郊耕地重金属污染空间扩散机制.结果表明,ω（As）和ω（Cd）均值分别为39.35mg ·kg^-1和0.183 mg ·kg^-1,累积水平较高.内梅罗指数显示研究区有52.38%的耕地已出现轻度污染.AP算法识别出As存在3个影响幅度相似的潜在污染源地,均位于远离城市的典型农耕区;Pb元素的2个潜在污染源地集中分布于范家屯镇附近的工业区;Hg和Cd元素的扩散格局复杂,尤其是Cd元素,呈现多地并发的污染扩散特征.空间滞后模型表明,As元素的空间扩散格局和农药施用强度有关;Cd元素主要受土壤类型和设施农业布局的制约;Pb元素受区域城镇化和工业化发展的影响;Hg元素和区域污染迁移条件相关.污染调蓄功能未对4种元素的空间扩散格局产生显著影响.研究丰富了耕地重金属污染的空间分析理论和方法,对落实城郊黑土地的污染源头防控具有科学意义.     

环境因素对文物的影响及文物考古环境保护问题探讨

文章在分析大气、水、辐射、地下水等环境因素对文物的影响和文物考古对环境影响的基础上,从田野考古的环境保护措施、文物及遗址的保护与生态环境的改善、加强污染防治,保证环境质量、环保部门与文物部门合作等方面提出文物考古及保护的环境保护措施建议。     

耕地地块细碎程度及其对山区农业生产成本的影响

在务农成本持续上涨和省工性技术普及的背景下,山区地块细碎化逐渐成为抑制农民增收的重要因素。厘清山区耕地细碎程度及其对农业生产的影响,对于降低农业生产成本具有指导价值。基于重庆市武隆区、巫山县和酉阳县的1015份农户调研数据,分别从地块权属和空间分布两个角度测算耕地细碎程度,并采用半对数经济计量模型评估耕地细碎差异对农业生产成本的影响。结果表明：研究区耕地细碎程度严重,辛普森指数和地块距离指数分别为0.71和0.19,户均耕地面积6.19亩、地块数8.89块,地块与家庭平均相距430 m,即呈现出“块数多、规模小和距离短”的特征;耕地细碎程度加剧提高了农业生产成本,当辛普森指数和地块距离指数每增加一个标准差时,单位产量总成本依次上升33.8%和16.6%;具体到各单项成本,耕地细碎程度加剧显著提高了劳动力、化肥和种子成本,而限制机械及其他要素的使用。分作物的实证显示,耕地细碎化效应存在明显的作物异质性。此外,优质耕地能缓解地块细碎带来的成本上升,同时扩大地块面积有助于降低生产成本。政策启示：降低农业经营成本是缓解山区耕地撂荒的重要举措,政府应建立低成本的农地流转网络,并鼓励农户或村庄之间的土地互换,提高地块规模和减少耕作距离,同时政府还应推广和普及适合山区农业的微耕机械。     

顺德城市化的历史分析与可持续发展的现实选择

本文对顺德市城市化的历史进程、现状、城市化机制等进行了客观评价和理论分析。认为 :顺德的“滞后城市化”是因为走“农村推动型”的城市化道路所致。指出新时期走可持续发展的城市化道路是推进顺德城市化进程的唯一途径 ,并提出其主要的思路     

生态理念在社会主义新农村建设规划的应用——以乌川湖村清洁田园工程为例

在结合湖南省长沙县乌川湖村社会主义新农村环保“四洁”示范村建设背景下,对鸟川湖村田园污染现状及存在的问题进行了全面地调查和系统地剖析的基础上,利用生态学原理和方法探究了治理田园污染的有效措施,进一步对乌川湖村清洁田园工程建设规划进行了研究,其中主要有：化肥、农药减控工程;白色污染防治工程;废弃物回收利用工程;土壤污染治理工程以及绿色、有机食品工程,探讨社会主义新农村建设的生态化之路。     

中国环境问题的历史变化

中国的环境问题历经古代、近代和现代三个发展阶段,现已成为制约中国现代化进程的障碍。古代,由于生产力低下,对自然环境的破坏相对较小,尚未从根本上威胁到国家的环境基础。近代,由于种种原因,自然环境和生态环境遭到了人为的破坏,引发了一系列生态环境危机。新中国成立后,计划经济时代,由于不合理的经济发展战略,使环境基础受到一定程度的破坏。改革开放后,粗放型的经济增长方式使环境的退化日益加剧,严重威胁到人民的生命和健康。跨入21世纪以来,由于中国政府对环境问题的高度重视,环境状况局部改善的范围日趋扩大。追溯历史,探究环境问题的产生和发展,对寻求实现经济发展与环境保护双赢的战略具有十分重要的意义。     

基于GIS的农田土壤重金属空间分布研究

以浙江省慈溪市快速城镇化的小城镇为研究区,研究其农田土壤中重金属的含量与分布状况.采用ArcGIS中的地统计分析模块研究土壤中重金属分布的空间变异性,最后应用Kriging方法进行空间插值作图.结果表明,研究区土壤中的重金属含量均已超出当地的背景值,含量变异系数较大的重金属是Hg和Cu,中等变异的是Zn,其他几种重金属变异系数相对较小.空间分布上,Cu、Cd、As的空间相关性较强,Zn、Ni、Hg居中,而Cr和Pb较弱.插值结果显示,土壤中Cu、Zn和Pb的高含量区主要位于东南部,Cd、Hg和Ni的含量由南向北逐渐减少,As和Cr的分布为西部高而中部较低,不同的分布特征是人类活动与土壤母质双重影响的结果.     

Capturing LiDAR‐Derived Hydrologic Spatial Parameters to Evaluate Playa Wetlands

The digital elevation model data from traditional stereo photogrammetric methods are inadequate in providing accurate vertical parameters to feed hydrologic models for low‐lying, extremely flat areas. High‐resolution light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data provide the robust capability of capturing small variations in low‐relief playa wetlands. The Rainwater Basin in south‐central Nebraska includes a complex of seasonally shallow playa wetlands that attract millions of migratory waterfowl every spring and fall. This research focuses on the development of a procedure with applicable protocols to produce LiDAR‐derived three‐dimensional wetland maps and to extract the critical surface parameters (i.e., watershed boundaries, flow direction, flow accumulation, and drainage lines) for playa wetlands. The topo‐hydrologic conditions of playa wetlands were evaluated at the watershed level. The results show that in the Rainwater Basin, 70.7% of the historic hydric soil footprints identified in the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) database were not functioning as topographically depressional wetlands. This finding was confirmed by a recent five‐year Annual Habit Survey showing that 69.8% of the historic hydric soil footprints did not function during the spring migratory bird seasons between 2004 and 2009. The majority of playa wetlands' topographic conditions have been substantially changed and the SSURGO data cannot fully reflect current topographic reality in the Rainwater Basin.