A Critical Analysis of Forest Policies of Pakistan: Implications for Sustainable Livelihoods

Pakistan has very low forest cover, but these forests are very diverse in nature and of significant importance for the livelihood security of millions of rural people who live in and around these forests. Policies, institutions and processes form the context within which individuals and households construct and adapt livelihood strategies, on the other hand these institutionally shaped livelihood strategies may have an impact on the sustainability of natural resource use. The present paper aims to critically analyse the forest policies of Pakistan. Implications for sustainable forest management and livelihood security of forest dependent people are also given. The first forest policy of Pakistan was announced in 1955 followed by the forest policies of 1962, 1975, 1980, 1988 as part of the National Agricultural Policy, 1991, and the latest in 2001. Most of the forest policies were associated with the change of government. There was much rhetoric in some recent policies regarding the concept of “participation” and “sustainable livelihoods” but in practice these policies are also replica of the previously top-down, autocratic and non-participatory forest policies. Pakistan needs to develop a sustainable, workable, research-based, and people-friendly forest policy enable to catering to the changing needs of stakeholders including government.     

RSI-MO工艺对沼气脱硫的影响及微生物种群分析

为实现剩余污泥厌氧消化沼气原位深度脱硫，采用向反应器中嵌入最佳剂量（20g/L）废铁屑并引入微氧条件，构建废铁屑-微氧（RSI-MO）消化工艺，探索其对原位脱硫的影响.研究分7阶段，P1阶段对照组，P2阶段加入RSI，P3~P7阶段逐步提高O₂剂量.结果表明，MO效应激发硫氧化菌（SOB）生物脱硫，促发RSI化学腐蚀而生成铁硫沉淀物.P1~P7阶段，RSI与MO交互作用可促进水解酸化，但O₂剂量过高会抑制产甲烷微生物活性，造成VFAs积累.为研究RSI与MO交互作用对微生物群落多样性和丰度的影响，取P1、P2和P6阶段污泥样品进行高通量测序发现，RSI投加有益于产氢型微生物（Syntrophobacter fumaroxidans）、产乙酸型微生物（Roseomonas lacus、Sporomusa silvacetica）、产甲烷微生物（Methanoculleus palmolei、Methanolinea tarda、Methanosarcina mazei、Methanosaeta concilii、Methanococcus aeolicus）的生长.MO效应可激活SOB的活性，强化生物脱硫作用.     

枯草芽孢杆菌Bs-15对板栗土壤微生物种群数量及功能多样性的影响

土壤微生物是维持土壤质量的重要组成部分,是土壤中生物活性的具体体现。土壤微生物多样性的变异可反映其对环境的响应与适应,能敏感反映生态系统的功能演变和生态环境的变化。本研究采用固体平板法研究了枯草芽孢杆菌（Bacillus subtilis）Bs-15对板栗（Castanea mollissimaBL）土壤微生物种群数量的影响,并通过BIOLOG ECO微孔板法分析Bs-15对板栗土壤功能多样性的影响。结果表明,接种Bs-15后,土壤中细菌数量比对照略有增加,但差异不显著;接种后放线菌的数量与对照相比有所减少,第7天达到极显著（p〈0.01）差异,之后差异变小,第14 d开始,处理与对照之间放线菌数量基本持平;真菌数量则先增加后减少,第7天开始接种后的真菌数量与对照相比达极显著（p〈0.01）差异。BIOLOG ECO微孔板分析显示,Bs-15使得土壤中微生物的AWCD值变大,72小时以后,AWCD值与对照相比差异达到极显著（p〈0.01）水平;接种Bs-15后增大了土壤微生物多样性指数,其中Shannon多样性指数、Simpson多样性指数和McIntosh多样性指数分别增加了4.09%、6.01%和7.20%,对对照相比差异均达到极显著水平（p〈0.01）,Simpson均匀度和McIntosh均匀度分别增加了2.07%和2.53%,与对照相比差异均达到显著水平（p〈0.05）。本研究结果表明,Bs-15不但提高了板栗土壤微生物的整体活性,丰富了土壤微生物种群,有利于保持和促进土壤肥力和健康状况;还提高了板栗土壤微生物功能多样性,使板栗土壤微生态系统功能更加稳定。     

Effects of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi isolated from white clovers (Trifolium repens L) on soil bacteria and fungi

White clover potted experiments were performed to investigate the effects of seven indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) communities isolated from different test plots subjected to long-term fertilisation on soil enzyme activities, number of soil bacteria and fungi. The results showed that the inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi communities increased the mycorrhizal infection rate of the plants and promoted the growth of plants. The Mnp treatment was most effective. The shoot biomass, root biomass, potassium and nitrogen uptake of the white clover in Mnp treatment group were increased by 61.54%, 84.00%, 62.50% and 46.71% respectively, compared with those in non-inoculation treatment. The inoculation of AMF communities had little effect on the number of bacteria in the soil, but significantly increased the number of soil fungi. Mnk treatment group had the highest number of fungi in the soil, which was 9.91 times that of the non-inoculation treatment group. The catalase and dehydrogenase activities were both significantly improved in Mnp treatment by 28.12% and 205.38% respectively, compared with those of the control treatment (-M). The urease, invertase and cellulase activities reached the highest levels in the Mck treatment; they were increased by 142.79%, 41.17% and 77.62% respectively, compared with those of the control treatment. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the soil enzyme activity was not correlated with the mycorrhizal infection rate, but correlated with the spore number of the AMF community. The impact of AMF community on soil quality is important for us to understand the function of the ecosystems. Relevant study provides important guidance for maintaining the balance of the soil-plant system and the development of sustainable agriculture.     

太湖东部水域浮游硅藻群落特征及其与环境因子关系

对太湖东部水域9个点位浮游硅藻的群落结构进行了分析。结果表明,9个点位的生物多样性处于一般到较丰富状态,其水质为中污染到轻污染;硅藻群落的物种丰富度、生物量和密度因水域地形特点、换水周期等因素出现差异,在半封闭水体中的物种丰富度较差,生物量和藻密度较高,优势种所指示的水质处于中等偏下水平。硅藻相对多度和各项环境因子冗余分析显示,总磷(TP)对群落的组成和分布影响显著。东北部水域浮游硅藻群落主要受到TP和浊度(NTU)的影响,东南部水域浮游硅藻群落受到TP和NTU的影响则很小。     

Development of an integrated chemical,biological and ecological approach for impact assessment of Mediterranean offshore gas platforms

The pressure for more energy demand is a strong driver for the construction of offshore oil and gas platforms. This also applies to the Adriatic Sea where, since 1960, several gas fields have been commissioned. The continuous expansion of the gas industry may potentially have detrimental effects on marine communities. This may become particularly clear in such a peculiar semi-enclosed basin as the Adriatic Sea, which contains ecosystems that are subject to intensive anthropic pressures, such as unsustainable fishing and inputs of environmental pollutants. To date, still scant information is available on the environmental effects of gas platforms. Thus, to comply with the national Italian legislation and to support the development of protocols for the monitoring of offshore activities, multidisciplinary studies have been conducted and performed by CNR-ISMAR in cooperation with some private and public research institutes. A multidisciplinary approach based on chemical, biological and ecological investigations was performed to evaluate both the water column and the sediment quality near a gas platform. The overall results indicate moderate effects of platform-related environmental stress.     

Selection of Bioindicators of Pollution for Marine Monitoring Programmes

The ultimate management concerns related to toxic chemicals in the marine environment are for the magnitude and extent of biological effects, including those on human health, that may result. Over the past several years, the National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has supported the development and application of a number of bioeffects measurements, including biochemical indicators of contaminant exposure and of reproductive status in fish, prevalence of histopathological lesions, toxicity bioassays of sediments and water, and benthic community structural features. Some of these measurements have been applied as part of regular sampling at the nationwide network of NS&T sites, while others have been assessed in more intensive, regional studies. Our experience with different indicators is summarized and discussed in relation to a set of monitoring objectives and evaluation criteria. Current conclusions are: (a) iterative application of controlled laboratory experiments and field validation tests are required to verify causality and mechanisms of biological responses to contaminants; (b) contaminant concentrations, indicator species, and local conditions vary considerably in different areas and at different times, requiring the use of different effects measurements oriented toward specific objectives and hypotheses; and (c) tiered, sequential application of a mix of indicators, including direct measurements on indigenous organisms and indirect bioassay approaches, is useful and effective for estimating the magnitude and spatial extent of contaminant bioeffects.     

双酚A对稻田土壤细菌群落特征及土壤酶活的影响

采用FQ-PCR(实时荧光定量PCR)、PCR-DGGE(PCR扩增和变性梯度凝胶电泳)技术和土壤酶学研究法对不同浓度双酚A污染的稻田土壤细菌群落特征及土壤酶活性进行了研究.结果表明:经双酚A高浓度处理〔即w(双酚A)分别为200和1 000 mg/kg〕的稻田土壤细菌数量显著低于未受污染的对照(CK)和低浓度处理〔w(双酚A)为50 mg/kg〕,并且高浓度处理分别较CK处理(3.64×109 g-1)下降90.44%和99.83%.细菌16S rDNA V3可变区DGGE图谱表明,受双酚A污染的土壤明显产生了数条特征性条带.UPGMA(非加权组平均法)聚类分析进一步表明,双酚A污染明显改变了稻田土壤的细菌群落组成.2次采样土壤总体酶活性参数均为CK>w(双酚A)为50 mg/kg处理>w(双酚A)为200 mg/kg处理>w(双酚A)为1 000 mg/kg处理.可见,高浓度的双酚A污染明显影响稻田土壤细菌数量以及细菌优势菌群,使农田土壤细菌群落多样性发生变化.      

Spatial and mass balanced trophic models of La Rinconada Marine Reserve (SE Pacific coast), a protected benthic ecosystem: Management strategy assessment

Steady-state, dynamic, and spatial models were constructed for the benthic system of La Rinconada Marine Reserve off northern Chile (SE Pacific coast). We examined data on biomass, P/B ratios, catches, food spectrum, consumption, and the dynamics of commercial and non-commercial populations using three theoretical frameworks: Ecopath, Ecosim, and Ecospace. The biomass of the scallop Argopecten purpuratus and the clam Tagelus dombeii were the most relevant compartments of the studied ecosystem. Among the carnivores, the functional crab group Cancer spp. was the most relevant. The Rhodophyta was the dominant macroalga compartment of the system. The results obtained using mixed trophic impacts (MTI) showed that the predatory snail Thais chocolata propagated higher magnitudes of direct and indirect effects on the other species or functional groups. The sea star Luidia magallanica and Rhodophyta had the least effects on the remaining compartments. According to the Ecosim estimates (increasing mortality by fishing), the scallop A. purpuratus had the highest impact on the other compartments. The Ecospace model showed similar qualitative and quantitative effects for changes in biomass under three different exploitation scenarios (by subsystems and globally). Nevertheless, the greatest changes were provoked by using the top-down control and the vulnerabilities estimated by Ecosim. System recovery times were highest with increased mortality of the asteroid L. magallanica and the carnivorous snail T. chocolata, suggesting that the sea star could be considered to be a top predator with a top-down control. The F_MSY estimated for the scallop A. purpuratus was close to the F_i originally entered in Ecopath, limiting the design and execution of an exploitation plan within ecologically sustainable boundaries. The situation was different (F_MSY ? F_i) for the other commercial species, making possible multi-species exploitation programs. The Ecospace trophic-spatially explicit model shows a similar pattern of direct and indirect effects generated when exerting exploitation separately by subsystems. Therefore, habitat rotation of fisheries is not justified.