Evolving patterns of agricultural frontier expansion in Mexico’s Chihuahuan Desert: a political ecology approach

ABSTRACT

This study sought to understand why and how the area of irrigated agriculture in Janos County, in northwestern Chihuahua, Mexico, has tripled since 1987. Expansion of agricultural frontiers has often been attributed to state policies and programs or von Thünian land-rent dynamics. Here, a political ecology approach relying on qualitative interviews with landowners was used to understand the drivers and patterns of conversion from native rangeland to crops. Results show that socioeconomic patterns of agricultural frontier expansion evolved over time, with different drivers at different phases. State policies, especially the land reform, were initially important for settling the agriculture frontier in small farms. Subsequently, economic differentiation, intensification, and growth of existing farms drove expansion. Since 2010, expansion has been driven by investment-oriented land purchases by absentee owners and larger-than-family farms. The Janos case details what may be common but underappreciated temporal dynamics at agricultural frontiers.     

Population Ageing and Sustainable Development Research in China

According to the United Nations population projections, the population of the elderly is expected to roughly triple in China from 2000 to 2050, particularly when the generations who were born between the 1950s and 1970s move through the age structure, and also because people are living longer and fertility rates have fallen, population aging is expected to put pressure on government's fiscal balance through higher old-age security benefits and health-care expenditures. This work draws together the broad range of elements involved within a consistent framework, based on a computable dynamic general equilibrium model with an overlapping generation structure. Further analysis using model simulation illustrates that the alternative schemes for the benefit rate, retirement age and technological progress are likely to be beneficial, and that an obvious slow-down in the growth of living standards is likely to be avoided.     

Orientation of juvenile barn swallows (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Hirundo rustica</Emphasis>) tested in Emlen funnels during autumn migration

Although hirundines have been used extensively in homing experiments, to date no investigation of their migratory orientation has been carried out, despite the well-known migratory habits of many species of this family. This paper reports on a study of the orientation of the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica), a typical diurnal trans-Saharan migrant. Modified Emlen funnels were used to verify the suitability of this species for cage experiments and investigate the role of visual and magnetic cues during the birds first migratory journey. Juvenile swallows were mist-netted at a roost site in central Italy and then tested in a site 19 km apart. Orientation experiments were performed under four experimental conditions: natural clear sky and simulated overcast, in both local and shifted magnetic fields (magnetic North=geographical West). Under clear sky, the swallows tended to orient phototactically toward the best-lit part of the funnel and failed to respond to the magnetic field shift. Under overcast conditions, they oriented northward and modified their directional choices as expected in response to the shifted magnetic North. On the whole, our data indicate that swallows can use magnetic information for compass orientation. Possible explanations for the northward orientation of birds tested under overcast conditions are discussed.Communicated by W. Wiltschko     

秦皇岛城市旅游广告的形象定位设计与发展趋势研究

以搜集、整合和分析国内外有关城市旅游广告理论研究资料为基础,从视觉形象设计入手,分析秦皇岛城市旅游广告形象设计问题现状和特点,提出秦皇岛在实施"旅游立市"发展战略中城市旅游广告的形象定位设计的传播策略。     

高职院校计算机应用专业《JSP动态网站设计》课程改革探析

通过分析当前社会需求,结合高职高专院校目前的教学模式,提出计算机应用专业的《JSP动态网站设计》课程的教学改革方案。在基于工作任务的lAPP（导入-分析-实践-项目）教学情境中,开展“课堂实训＋虚拟公司＋校外实训基地”三位一体的实践模式教学,同时,将对工作过程的考核纳入课程的整个考核体系之中,使学生在课程中能够获得真实的职业体验和完善的实践能力。     

文化旅游产业的融合发展及政府规制改革研究

在文化旅游领域,文化与旅游产业的融合与互动发展已成为新的趋势,产生了良好的经济效益和社会效益。以文化旅游产业融合发展为题,联系产业分工理论、产业组织理论、战略管理理论等,结合文化及旅游产业自身的特征,对文化旅游产业融合的动因、融合机制和融合背景下如何进行政府规制改革等问题进行了分析。     

The win-win pathway of economic growth and CO2 emission reduction: a case study for China

ABSTRACT

Continuously reducing the CO₂ intensity of GDP is the core strategy for developing countries to realize the dual targets of economic growth and CO₂ emissions reduction. The measures are twofold: one is to strengthen energy saving and decrease energy intensity of GDP and the other is to promote energy structural decarbonization and reduce CO₂ intensity of energy consumption. In order to control global temperature rise no more than 2°C, the decrease in CO₂ intensity of GDP needs surpass 4% before 2030, but it could be merely about 2% based on the current trend. Therefore, all countries ought to speed up the low-carbon transition in energy and economy. As for China, keeping a continuous decline in CO₂ intensity of GDP of 4%–5% will ensure the realization of the NDC objectives, and also promotes the early peaking of CO₂ emissions before 2030. China will play a positive leading role in realizing a win-win low-carbon development coordinating sustainable development and climate change mitigation.     

CFD分析在烟气脱硫中的实际运用与研究

为降低某公司烧结机干法脱硫装置烟道阻力,减少引风机出力,实现节能优化,运用计算流体力学软件,对引风机出口烟道内流场进行三维数值模拟,并根据分析结果进行烟道的优化改造。改造后,吸收塔入口负压由-200Pa提升至-560Pa,风机电流由328A降为301.4A,节能降耗显著。     

对环境税的一般均衡分析与应用模式探讨

中国的环境污染问题伴随着经济的发展而日趋严重．因此环境问题也成为了我国CGE模型开发者关注的一个焦点。本文利用一个可计算的一般均衡模型模拟了税收改革政策对生产、消费和政府收入所产生的一系列影响。仿真结果说明了对不周行业根据污染的强度不同的税率按产值征税．可以在控制污染行业产量．保护环境的同时．促进整体税制改革，减轻企业的所得税负担和居民的纳税负担。增加政府收入．从数字上说明环境税的“双盈”效应假说是可行的。     

美国减灾的应急及社会联动机制研究——以卡特里娜飓风为例

卡特里娜飓风是美国历史上最严重的一次自然灾害.本文从法律依据和国家灾难恢复和反应框架入手分析美国政府、社会各方对卡特里娜飓风灾害的应急反应和灾难恢复体系,从社会参与角度探讨美国的灾难联动参与反应机制,从新奥尔良市Broadmoor社区的恢复重建过程剖析美国的自下而上的社区主导型恢复重建体制,美国特色的防灾减灾社会联动机制能对加强和完善我国应急反应体系,对建设符合我国国情的减灾救灾社会参与机制提供启示与借鉴.