The morality behind sustainability

The concepts of sustainable agriculture, organic agriculture, regenerative agriculture, and alternative agriculture are receiving increasing attention in the academic and popular literature on present trends and future directions of agriculture. Whatever the reasons for this interest, there nevertheless remain differences of opinion concerning what counts as a sustainable agriculture. One of the reasons for these differences is that the moral underpinnings of a policy of sustainability are not clear. By understanding the moral obligatoriness of sustainability, we can come to understand precisely what must be sustained, and by implication, how. This article discusses the arguments that can be advanced for sustaining anything and initially concludes that our obligations to future generations entail sustaining more than just sufficient food production or an adequate resource base. Indeed, a tradition of care and community must underlie whatever agricultural and resource strategies we are to develop under the rubric of sustainability. A consideration of the larger social and environmental system in which agriculture operates and the constraints this system places on agriculture forces us to recognize that sustainability has to do with larger institutional issues, including our ability to incorporate our common morality democratically into our institutions, practices, and technologies.     

三峡库区典型退耕还林模式土壤养分流失控制

选择三峡库区典型退耕还林模式,包括园地(茶园)及林地(板栗)与原有坡耕地对照,观测并分析其土壤养分(氮磷)输出途径及数量情况,以评估实施退耕还林工程对流域土壤养分输出的影响.结果表明:1退耕后土壤养分氮磷年流失量(包括随泥沙和地表径流流失的量)减少;总氮(TN)年输出量从大到小依次为坡耕地(2 444.27 g·hm-2)茶园地(998.70g·hm-2)板栗林地(532.61 g·hm-2);总磷(TP)为坡耕地(1 690.48 g·hm-2)茶园地(488.06 g·hm-2)板栗林地(129.00 g·hm-2);与坡耕地比较,退耕还林模式(园地、林地)总氮、总磷年输出载荷分别减少了68.68%和81.75%.2茶园地、板栗林地与坡耕地相比,土壤养分速效态氮流失量明显减少,硝态氮(NO-3-N)输出总量依次为坡耕地(113.79g·hm-2)茶园地(73.75 g·hm-2)板栗林地(56.06 g·hm-2);铵态氮(NH+4-N)养分输出次序为茶园最大(69.34 g·hm-2),坡耕地次之(52.45 g·hm-2),板栗林地最小(47.23 g·hm-2).3硝态氮、铵态氮主要通过地表径流输出,所占总量比例分别为91.4%和92.2%;总氮和总磷主要通过泥沙输出,所占总量比例分别为86.6%和98.4%.通过退耕还林等措施,该地区地表径流以及土壤侵蚀输出明显减少,土壤养分流失得到有效控制.     

电子商务能改善农业生产的环境负效应吗?-来自上海青浦的证据

电子商务在农村农业领域的快速发展带动了农民收入的增加,但是其作用路径和环境效应有待检验.以上海市青浦区为典型案例,利用264份新型农业经营主体的问卷调查数据,采用IV-ordered Probit模型和夏普利值分解法,研究了"电子商务+农业"模式的经济效应和环境效应.结果表明：电子商务的引入具有显著的农民增收效应,但主要以产量扩大型传导机制为主,反而加剧了农业生产的环境负效应.电子商务并非农民增收的关键因素,其贡献率仅为12%;发挥决定性作用的是新技术、新方法的应用带来的效率提升,以及生产规模扩大带来的规模经济效应,相应的夏普利分解贡献了达到31%和25%.这表明当前的"电子商务+农业"模式仍处于初级发展阶段,需要加强相应的规制和引导,实现从产量驱动阶段向质量驱动阶段转型.     

中国农田土壤Cd累积分布特征及概率风险评价

通过检索2000~2022年国内外公开发表的文献资料,获得31个省240个市（县）区域160446个农田土壤样点的镉（Cd）含量数据,利用单因子污染指数、地累积指数和概率风险评价方法从整体上分析了我国农田土壤Cd污染时空分布特征及其健康风险,为农田土壤Cd污染治理和风险管控提供了科学依据.结果表明,我国农田土壤ω（Cd）范围在0.012~23.33 mg ·kg^-1,几何均值为0.473 mg ·kg^-1,是我国农用地土壤Cd风险筛选值（6.5华南>西北>东北>华东>华北;从时间尺度来看,我国农田土壤Cd含量在各时间段并无统计学意义的显著性差异（P>0.05）.我国农田土壤Cd对儿童、青年、成年人和老年人尚无非致癌风险,但其对成年人和老年人存在潜在致癌风险,约5.81%和4.49%的成年人和老年人的致癌风险超过美国环保署规定的限量值（1E-06）.为提高农田土壤Cd健康风险评价的准确性,概率生态风险评价中还需要进一步考虑土壤Cd的生物有效性和农产品的摄食暴露途径.     

光生物反应器中活性污泥和藻类的共培养及微生物群落分析

利用污水处理厂好氧池活性污泥和来自二沉池壁的藻类构成菌藻生物反应器用以处理实际生活废水,探讨了不同泥藻接种比对废水处理效果的影响,并分析了稳定运行后的微生物群落组成。结果表明：泥/藻质量比为1∶0.75的混合系统对污染物质(COD、TN和TP)的去除效率最高;当HRT为2 d时,按泥/藻质量比为1∶0.75接种的光生物反应器(初始TSS为1.12 g·L−1)在搅拌和太阳光照射的条件下,对${{\rm{NH}}_4^ + }$-N的去除率可达99.7%,对${{\rm{PO}}_4^{3 - }}$的去除率约为70%。利用高通量测序技术对运行42 d后反应器内(SRT为15 d)的细菌群落进行分析发现,优势细菌为厚壁菌门的微小杆菌属(Exiguobacterium),蓝菌门的光合产氧蓝细菌属(Cyanobium)和变形菌门α-变形菌纲的不产氧光合好氧异养固氮红杆菌属(Rhodobacter),其相对丰度分别为23.32%、15.23%和5.77%。同时,反应器内还存在氧化亚硝酸盐的硝化螺旋菌(Nitrospira),以及除磷的不动杆菌(Acinetobacter)和能进行好氧反硝化的副球菌(Paracoccus),其相对丰度分别为1.19%、0.58%和0.35%。     

水污染治理工程的环境绩效审计

环境绩效审计的作用之一就是检查投入到环境治理上的资金到底发挥了多大的效益。本研究以五里湖综合整治工程效益审计案例为基础,提出环境效益评估的程序,将条件评估法应用于水污染治理工程项目审计案例中,分析了无锡市居民为改善水环境质量和对周边房产的支付意愿,并计算出五里湖水环境改善的效益和周边房产的增值效益。结果表明,综合整治工程实施后会带来可观的经济效益。最后,对条件评估法在政府环境绩效审计中应用存在的问题进行了讨论,以期为政府环境审计提供技术支持。     

Virtual Garden Computer Program for use in Exploring the Elements of Biodiversity People Want in Cities

Urban ecology is emerging as an integrative science that explores the interactions of people and biodiversity in cities. Interdisciplinary research requires the creation of new tools that allow the investigation of relations between people and biodiversity. It has been established that access to green spaces or nature benefits city dwellers, but the role of species diversity in providing psychological benefits remains poorly studied. We developed a user‐friendly 3‐dimensional computer program (Virtual Garden [ www.tinyurl.com/3DVirtualGarden ]) that allows people to design their own public or private green spaces with 95 biotic and abiotic features. Virtual Garden allows researchers to explore what elements of biodiversity people would like to have in their nearby green spaces while accounting for other functions that people value in urban green spaces. In 2011, 732 participants used our Virtual Garden program to design their ideal small public garden. On average gardens contained 5 different animals, 8 flowers, and 5 woody plant species. Although the mathematical distribution of flower and woody plant richness (i.e., number of species per garden) appeared to be similar to what would be expected by random selection of features, 30% of participants did not place any animal species in their gardens. Among those who placed animals in their gardens, 94% selected colorful species (e.g., ladybug [Coccinella septempunctata], Great Tit [Parus major], and goldfish), 53% selected herptiles or large mammals, and 67% selected non‐native species. Older participants with a higher level of education and participants with a greater concern for nature designed gardens with relatively higher species richness and more native species. If cities are to be planned for the mutual benefit of people and biodiversity and to provide people meaningful experiences with urban nature, it is important to investigate people's relations with biodiversity further. Virtual Garden offers a standardized tool with which to explore these relations in different environments, cultures, and countries. It can also be used by stakeholders (e.g., city planners) to consider people's opinions of local design. Programa de Computadora de Jardín Virtual para Uso en la Exploración de los Elementos de Biodiversidad que la Gente Desea en las Ciudades     

Lethal Effects of Water Quality on Threatened California Salamanders but Not on Co‐Occurring Hybrid Salamanders

Biological invasions and habitat alteration are often detrimental to native species, but their interactions are difficult to predict. Interbreeding between native and introduced species generates novel genotypes and phenotypes, and human land use alters habitat structure and chemistry. Both invasions and habitat alteration create new biological challenges and opportunities. In the intensively farmed Salinas Valley, California (U.S.A.), threatened California tiger salamanders (Ambystoma californiense) have been replaced by hybrids between California tiger salamander and introduced barred tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum mavortium). We conducted an enclosure experiment to examine the effects habitat modification and relative frequency of hybrid and native California tiger salamanders have on recruitment of salamanders and their prey, Pacific chorus frogs (Pseudacris regilla). We tested whether recruitment differed among genetic classes of tiger salamanders (hybrid or native) and pond hydroperiod (seasonal or perennial). Roughly 6 weeks into the experiment, 70% (of 378 total) of salamander larvae died in 4 out of 6 ponds. Native salamanders survived (n = 12) in these ponds only if they had metamorphosed prior to the die‐offs. During die‐offs, all larvae of native salamanders died, whereas 56% of hybrid larvae died. We necropsied native and hybrid salamanders, tested water quality, and queried the California Department of Pesticide Regulation database to investigate possible causes of the die‐offs. Salamander die‐offs, changes in the abundance of other community members (invertebrates, algae, and cyanobacteria), shifts in salamander sex ratio, and patterns of pesticide application in adjacent fields suggest that pesticide use may have contributed to die‐offs. That all survivors were hybrids suggests that environmental stress may promote rapid displacement of native genotypes. Efectos Letales de la Calidad del Agua sobre Salamandras de California Amenazadas pero no sobre Salamandras Híbridas Concurrentes     

Enhancing the productivity and multifunctionality of traditional farming in Latin America

SUMMARY

An assessment is made of various grassroots development initiatives in Latin America which show that agroecological technologies can bring significant environmental and economic benefits to small farmers and rural communities in the region. Examined initiatives offer new ways of enhancing the multifunctional attributes of traditional agriculture through greater per unit area productivity and environmental services obtained in complex, integrated agroecological systems that feature many crop varieties, together with animals and trees. If such experiences were to be scaled up, multiplied, extrapolated, and supported in alternative policy scenarios, the gains in food security and environmental conservation would be substantial. The challenge now is to mobilize science, institutions and the right policies to increase the productivity of smallholder farming systems, while preserving the resource base and at the same time empowering local communities.     

A field experiment characterizing variable detection rates during plant surveys

Surveys aimed at finding threatened and invasive species can be challenging due to individual rarity and low and variable individual detection rates. Detection rate in plant surveys typically varies due to differences among observers, among the individual plants being surveyed (targets), and across background environments. Interactions among these 3 components may occur but are rarely estimated due to limited replication and control during data collection. We conducted an experiment to investigate sources of variation in detection of 2 Pilosella species that are invasive and sparsely distributed in the Alpine National Park, Australia. These species are superficially similar in appearance to other yellow-flowered plants occurring in this landscape. We controlled the presence and color of flowers on target Pilosella plants and controlled their placement in plots, which were selected for their variation in cover of non-target yellow flowers and dominant vegetation type. Observers mimicked Pilosella surveys in the plots and reported 1 categorical and 4 quantitative indicators of their survey experience level. We applied survival analysis to detection data to model the influence of both controlled and uncontrolled variables on detection rate. Orange- and yellow-flowering Pilosella in grass- and heath-dominated vegetation were detected at a higher rate than nonflowering Pilosella. However, this detection gain diminished as the cover of other co-occurring yellow-flowering species increased. Recent experience with Pilosella surveys improved detection rate. Detection experiments are a direct and accessible means of understanding detection processes and interpreting survey data for threatened and invasive species. Our detection findings have been used for survey planning and can inform progress toward eradication. Interaction of target and background characteristics determined detection rate, which enhanced predictions in the Pilosella eradication program and demonstrated the difficulty of transferring detection findings into untested environments.