Runoff variation affected by precipitation change and human activity in Hailiutu River basin,China

For recent years, runoff generation and hydrological processes in Hailiutu River basin have been greatly changed by climate change and human activity, especially water and soil conservation construction. In this study, the trends in precipitation, evapotranspiration (ET) and river runoff as well as the effects of precipitation change and human activity on runoff variation have been studied. The results showed that during 1960–2000, annual precipitation and river runoff, monthly precipitation and ET in September and October as well as monthly runoff in all months showed a significant decrease. In addition, peak flow and base flow had a large decrease. Under the joint influence of precipitation change and human activity, the mean annual runoff decreased by 35 million m³ from the baseline period (1960–1985) to the change period (1986–2000), which accounted for 60.9% and 39.1% of the total runoff decrease, respectively. Precipitation change played a primary role in the decrease of annual runoff whereas human activity, particularly water and soil conservation construction, also had remarkable impacts on runoff variation.     

Cross-Platform Framing and Cross-Cultural Adaptation: Examining Elephant Conservation in Thailand

This case study investigates cross-platform framing process and framing alignment strategies of the world famous elephant conservation NGO. It examines how the intercultural adaptation facilitates the frame transformation against entrenched domesticated elephant traditions in Thailand. Besides web observation, this study conducted two field trips to interview the NGO staff and conservation experts, and observed human–elephant interaction. Enhancing the understanding of ecotourism, this study expands the framing theory by incorporating cross-platform and cross-cultural adaptation factors and provides insights of an effective Asian ecotourism model which transcends cultural differences and overcomes resistance by disseminating culturally sensitive and integrated framing strategies through various communication channels.     

Local communities' participation in decision-making processes through planning and budgeting in African countries

Community participation and community based management are topical themes in current policy and discussion revolving around decision-making processes especially those dealing with natural resources management.This review shows that while governments have accepted the need to either cede or devolve control and management of natural resources to the local communities,the communities are not part and parcel of the planning and budgeting which are crucial in decisionmaking.Communities were seen to be more involved in the implementation of natural resource management programs but lacked ownership of the projects.This causes lack of commitment to the programs and at times hostile reaction from the communities.The communities are always at the receiving end when it pertains to losses in the exchange.Community participation was shown to be effective when the local population is involved not as co-operating users but as natural resource managers or owner managers.     

Systematic Contradiction Between Heritage Conservation and Tourism Development: Cleaning the Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu

Abstract

In recent years, with the rapid development of the tourist industry, world heritage sites become more and more popular among tourists from home and abroad. Therefore, heritage tourism has become a new hotspot. However, while world heritage sites are making obvious economic benefit from tourism, they also bring various problems and contradictions, of which the most troublesome one is the contradiction between heritage conservation and tourism development. To discuss and analyze the root and the essence of the above contradiction and find a way to bring about harmony between them is an important program faced by our national heritage management practice and academic research. Based on the case of cleaning the Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu, this paper analyzes the reasons why our national world cultural heritage sites bring about the above contradiction in the process of tourism development and points out that the improper system and stakeholders' benefit imbroglio are respectively the root and the essence of the contraction. Then, it also puts forward corresponding solutions.     

Analysis of Coupling between Soil and Water Conservation and Economic-social Development

Abstract

The coupling relation exists in water and soil conservation and economic-social development. The article analyses the relation of soil and water conservation and economic-social development stages as well as the coupling analytical method. Then calculates the expecting income by dispersing Markov decision and calculates the correlation coefficient and the relationship degree. The article obtains the relationship of soil and water conservation investments and all kinds of incomes. Finally, it analyzes the important meaning in socio-economic development of water and soil conservation.     

保护性耕作对玉米田土壤中除草剂残留的影响

保护性耕作能够显著提高土壤有机质,改善土壤质量,但是关于保护性耕作如何影响农药等污染物在土壤中残留的研究却较为匮乏,而土壤污染又与粮食安全息息相关.因此,选择7个实验地点,针对传统耕作与保护性耕作两种耕作方式下土壤中3种除草剂(乙草胺、阿特拉津和二甲四氯钠)残留特征进行了分析.结果表明,保护性耕作显著影响土壤的总有机碳含量、土壤含水率和土壤团聚体平均粒径等性质[使(2.1±0.1)%、(19.1±1.2)%和(82.2±3.0)μm分别增加至(2.9±0.3)%、(22.3±1.5)%和(97.2±4.2)μm].研究进一步发现,保护性耕作对不同除草剂在土壤中残留的影响存在差异性.例如,保护性耕作通过影响土壤总有机碳含量显著增加东丰试验田土壤中阿特拉津的含量[使(3.8±0.3)ng·g^-1增加至(17.7±3.0)ng·g^-1],通过影响土壤团聚体平均粒径显著降低德惠试验田土壤中乙草胺的含量[使(50.6±10.3)ng·g^-1降低至(9.2±2.5)ng·g^-1].然而,由于不同土壤性质对土壤中...     

Assessing conservation opportunity on private land: socio-economic, behavioral, and spatial dimensions

This study presents a method for assessing conservation opportunity on private land based on landholders' socio-economic, behavioral, and farm characteristics. These characteristics include age, gender, education, level of off-farm income, farm size, proportion of remnant native vegetation on-farm, and ecological value of native vegetation on-farm. A sample of landholders who own greater than 2 ha of land in the South Australian Murray-Darling Basin region were sent a mail-based survey about their values and preferences for environmental management (N = 659, 52% response). Cross-tabulations and ANOVA statistical analysis techniques were used to compare the socio-economic attributes across three landholder classes: disengaged, moderately engaged, and highly engaged in native vegetation planting. Results indicate that highly engaged landholders were more likely to be female, formally educated, hobby farmers who managed small parcels of land and have high off-farm incomes, whereas disengaged landholders held significantly stronger farming connections (more farming experience, family have lived on the farm for more generations). Spatial analysis revealed area-specific differences in conservation opportunity and conservation priority. In some areas, properties of high ecological value were managed by highly engaged landholders, but nearby properties of high value were managed by moderately engaged or disengaged landholders. Environmental managers therefore cannot assume areas of high conservation priority will be areas of high conservation opportunity. At the regional scale, the potential for revegetation seems most promising within the moderately engaged landholder group considering the vast amount of land managed by this group in areas of high ecological value, particularly within the less represented Mallee and Coorong and Rangelands sub-regions. We suggest that incentive schemes which purchase conservation need to be targeted at disengaged landholders; mentoring schemes led by commercial farmers highly engaged in native vegetation planting should be directed at moderately engaged landholders, and; awards programs which acknowledge conservation successes should be targeted at highly engaged landholders.     

Identifying priority areas for ecosystem service management in South African grasslands

Grasslands provide many ecosystem services required to support human well-being and are home to a diverse fauna and flora. Degradation of grasslands due to agriculture and other forms of land use threaten biodiversity and ecosystem services. Various efforts are underway around the world to stem these declines. The Grassland Programme in South Africa is one such initiative and is aimed at safeguarding both biodiversity and ecosystem services. As part of this developing programme, we identified spatial priority areas for ecosystem services, tested the effect of different target levels of ecosystem services used to identify priority areas, and evaluated whether biodiversity priority areas can be aligned with those for ecosystem services. We mapped five ecosystem services (below ground carbon storage, surface water supply, water flow regulation, soil accumulation and soil retention) and identified priority areas for individual ecosystem services and for all five services at the scale of quaternary catchments. Planning for individual ecosystem services showed that, depending on the ecosystem service of interest, between 4% and 13% of the grassland biome was required to conserve at least 40% of the soil and water services. Thirty-four percent of the biome was needed to conserve 40% of the carbon service in the grassland. Priority areas identified for five ecosystem services under three target levels (20%, 40%, 60% of the total amount) showed that between 17% and 56% of the grassland biome was needed to conserve these ecosystem services. There was moderate to high overlap between priority areas selected for ecosystem services and already-identified terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity priority areas. This level of overlap coupled with low irreplaceability values obtained when planning for individual ecosystem services makes it possible to combine biodiversity and ecosystem services in one plan using systematic conservation planning.     

基于对抗交叉评价模型的中国自然灾害区域脆弱性评价

首次提出使用对抗交叉评价（Aggressive-Cross-Evaluation）模型对自然灾害的区域脆弱性程度进行研究。从区域自然灾害的危险性,区域承灾体暴露性和区域自然灾害造成的损失程度构建了区域自然灾害系统的脆弱性评价模型,并通过算例对中国自然灾害的区域脆弱性进行了评价。传统的DEA方法为了保证算法的有效性,一般选取的输入和输出指标的个数较少。对抗交叉评价模型回避了传统的DEA方法的缺陷,继承了DEA方法不需要预先估计权重参数和函数模型的优点,可以全面、客观地评价自然灾害的区域脆弱性。