From subsistence farming towards a multifunctional agriculture: sustainability in the Chinese rural reality

The rural economic situation in China-with a living standard mostly at subsistence level-lags far behind the prosperous development in the cities and coastal areas. To balance this disequilibrium, comprehensive concepts and endeavors are necessary keeping in view all-not just economic-interests and needs that contribute to lively rural identities. In this context the role of agriculture, where still 50% of the Chinese population are working, will be newly defined, and sustainability concepts can help to find a readjusted position within the Chinese economy focusing on environmental health and food safety as main targets of political and other supporting measures. Within the SUCCESS project, a Concept of Sustainable Agriculture was developed and it drafts one conceivable relation between the exposure to natural resources and economy and tries to find new answers to the broad range of rural challenges in China. It is a qualitative model and, therefore, not always fully applicable, but in the concrete situation of villages, it shows possible directions of sustainability-oriented development by considering the typical local potentials. In the Chinese context that means identifying the different functions of agriculture-the well-known and the hidden-to make them explicit for the Chinese public and therewith to give them new significance. The article is based on a 3-years study within the EU-China Project SUCCESS with field research in four Chinese rural communities. It analyzes the agricultural sustainability potential of these selected villages against the background of massive structural changes within the next 20 years in rural China. Starting from the current agricultural reality, based on a qualitative analysis of the actual situation, local potentials and needs towards sustainable production and marketing are identified, and possible functions of the Chinese agriculture are formulated for the future.     

Context and Systems: Thinking More Broadly About Effectiveness in Strategic Environmental Assessment in China

China is an illustrative—and extreme—case of the difficulties of balancing the pursuit of economic, social, and environmental objectives. In 2003 it adopted a form of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for its plans and programs (referred to here as PEIA) with the aim of moving towards greater environmental sustainability. The literature has explored primarily the issue of methods and legal procedures. This research contributes to the analysis of PEIA through a different set of interpretative lens. Drawing on recent developments in the theory and practice of SEA, I propose a conceptualization of SEA effectiveness that combines direct and incremental impacts, and a need for context-specific systems as a way to focus on the relationship between assessment, planning, and their context, and thus maximize effectiveness. This framework underpins the analysis of China’s experience, which I explore with the help of interview material and the literature. The result is an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of PEIA in terms of its purpose, assessment concept, process, and methods. The detailed analysis of six aspects of the context helps explain the origin of such shortcomings, and identify opportunities for its improvement. I conclude defining elements of a context-specific system for SEA that seeks to maximize the opportunity for incremental, as well as direct, effectiveness in China.     

西北5省(区)区域旅游经济差异变化——基于泰尔指数的测度

旅游经济的空间差异是区域经济发展不平衡的一种现象。利用旅游总收入和及其所占GDP的百分比2个测度指标,采用泰尔指数对1996--2005年西北5省（区）旅游经济差异变化进行了分析。结果发现,1996-2005年GDP权重的泰尔指数整体上处于下降趋势,而旅游总收入权重的泰尔指数处于微弱的上升趋势,不论何种指标权重由组内差距造成的差异在西北5省（区）旅游经济差异中处于主导地位。     

Water‐Yield Reduction After Afforestation and Related Processes in the Semiarid Liupan Mountains,Northwest China1

Abstract: The increase of coverage of forest/vegetation is imperative to improve the environment in dry‐land areas of China, especially for protecting soil against serious erosion and sandstorms. However, inherent severe water shortages, drought stresses, and increasing water use competition greatly restrict the reforestation. Notably, the water‐yield reduction after afforestation generates intense debate about the correct approach to afforestation and forest management in dry‐land areas. However, most studies on water‐yield reduction of forests have been at catchment scales, and there are few studies of the response of total evapotranspiration (ET) and its partitioning to vegetation structure change. This motivates us to learn the linkage between hydrological processes and vegetation structure in slope ecosystems. Therefore, an ecohydrological study was carried out by measuring the individual items of water balance on sloping plots covered by different vegetation types in the semiarid Liupan Mountains of northwest China. The ratio of precipitation consumed as ET was about 60% for grassland, 93% for shrubs, and >95% for forestland. Thus, the water yield was very low, site‐specific, and sensitive to vegetation change. Conversion of grassland to forest decreased the annual water yield from slope by 50‐100 mm. In certain periods, the plantations at lower slopes even consumed the runon from upper slopes. Reducing the density of forests and shrubs by thinning was not an efficient approach to minimize water use. Leaf area index was a better indicator than plant density to relate ET to vegetation structure and to evaluate the soil water carrying capacity for vegetation (i.e., the maximum amount of vegetation that can be supported by the available soil water for an extended time). Selecting proper vegetation types and plant species, based on site soil water condition, may be more effective than the forest density regulation to minimize water‐yield reduction by vegetation coverage increase and notably by reforestation. Finally, the focuses in future research to improve the forest‐water relations in dry‐land areas are recommended as follows: vegetation growth dynamics driven by environment especially water conditions, coupling of ecological and hydrological processes, further development of distributed ecohydrological models, quantitative relation of eco‐water quota of ecosystems with vegetation structures, multi‐scaled evaluation of soil water carrying capacity for vegetation, and the development of widely applicable decision support tools.     

中国东部地区的地震灾害及对策初探

地震是一种自然现象,有其明显的自然属性,而地震灾害则具有明显的社会属性。地震灾害是相对于人类活动而言的。本文借用胡焕庸线,将中国大陆分成东区和西区两个区,并初步探讨了人口稠密和经济发达的中国东部地区的防震减灾对策。     

西部开发中的泥石流问题

西部地区的青、甘、陕、川、滇、黔、新、藏、宇、桂、内蒙和重庆等12个省区市内都有泥石流分布,已查明的泥石流沟计15500余条,受泥石流危害或威胁的县级以上政府驻地城镇逾百座,一场泥石流致死百人以上的灾害点达23个,泥石流及其灾害是西部大开发中必须面临的生态环境问题之一,城市建设、公路和铁路等交通建设、水利建设,西气和西电东送工程建设等西部大开发的重点领域,,在开发建设中都将要遇到泥石流问题,吸取以往这类建设中抗御泥石流灾害的经验与教训,对于减轻泥石流灾害和保障西部大开发顺利进行具有现实意义。     

华东地区地震活动性参数的中短期异常动态变化特征

系统地研究了华东地区中强震前地震活动参数的演化特征 ,尤其是追踪研究了中短期阶段各参数的动态变化特征。结果表明 ,华东地区中强震孕育中短期阶段 ,有不少地震活动性参数图像出现明显的变化 ,如C值、D值、Mf 值和b值在中期阶段存在的大面积异常区开始出现明显的收缩甚至消失 ,这种变化是地震孕育过程进入中短期阶段的重要标志。未来主震往往发生在收缩区边缘或异常消失区 ,若当消失区再次出现小片异常 ,则该异常区是未来最为值得注意的危险区 ,而且时间上很可能进入短临。再如地震算法复杂性AC值由超出 1倍均方差的峰值下降、广义分维Dt由正常值下降并出现超过 1倍均方差的低值异常 ,也是地震孕育过程进入中短期阶段的判据。由于地震孕育是一个十分复杂的过程 ,在实际工作中需应用多种参数扫描结果进行综合判定 ,以便于缩小异常区 ,提高中短期预报的准确率。     

Simulated Effects of Acidic Solutions on Element Dynamics in Monsoon Evergreen Broad-leaved Forest at Dinghushan,China - Part 1: Dynamics of K,Na, Ca,Mg and P (7 pp)

Background, Aim and Scope Acid deposition has become a concern in south China in recent years. This phenomenon has increased to a dramatic extent with the large use of cars and coal- fueled power plants. As a consequence, soils are becoming acidified and their element dynamics will change. A decrease in the nutrient availability will lead to slower plant growth and maybe to a change in the forest type with current species being replaced by new ones with less nutrient requirements. Because of these reasons, it is important to understand how the dynamics of elements will change and what mechanism is part of the process. This knowledge is important for modeling the acidification process and either finding ways to counter it or to predict its consequences. The primary purpose of this study was to provide information about how the dynamics of K, Na, Ca, Mg and P are affected by acid deposition in a typical forest in southern China. Materials and Methods: Experimental soils and saplings were collected directly from the monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest in Dinghushan. All saplings were transplanted individually into ceramic pots in August 2000 and placed in an open area near their origin site. Pot soils were treated weekly from October, 2000 to July, 2002 with an acidic solution at pH 3.05, pH 3.52, pH 4.00 or pH 4.40, or with tap water as a control. The concentrations of SO42-, NO3-, K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and available P and the pH were measured in soil and leachate samples taken at different times. The sapling leaves were collected and their element concentrations were measured at the end of the experiment. Results: Concentrations of soil exchangeable Ca and Mg decreased quickly over time, although only Ca showed changes with the acidic solution treatment and soil exchangeable K was stable because of soil weathering. Leaching of K, Mg and Ca was dependent upon the treatment acidity. Soil available P decreased slowly without any correlation with the acidity of the treatment. All the NO3- added by the treatment was taken up by the plants, but the SO42- added accumulated in the soil. Discussion: Amongst the plant species, Schima superba was little affected by the treatment, the leaf P content was affected in Acmena acuminatissima plants and Cryptocarya concinna was the most susceptible species to soil acidification, with a marked decrease of the leaf K, Ca and Mg concentrations when the treatment acidity increased. Conclusions: Simulated acid deposition affected the dynamics of K, Ca and Mg in the monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest. The dynamics of Ca in the soil and of K, Mg and Ca in the soil leachates were affected by the acidic solution treatment. If such a soil acidification occurs, Cryptocarya concinna will be amongst the first affected species, but Schima superba will be able to sustain a good growth and mineral nutrition. Recommendations and Perspectives: Acid deposition will lead to imbalance the nutrient elements in the evergreen broad-leaved forest because of accelerated leaching losses of soil exchangeable Ca and Mg. Measures should be developed to slow down soil acidification or nutrient decrease.     

Evaluating Controlling Factors to Ali/(Ca + Mg) Molar Ratio in Acidic Soil Water, Southern and Southwestern China: Multivariate Approach

Al_i/(Ca + Mg) molar ratio in soil water has been used as an indicator to the effects of acid deposition on terrestrial ecosystems. However, the main factors controlling this ratio have not been well documented in southern and southwestern China. In this study, we presented the variation in inorganic aluminum (Al_i) and Al_i/(Ca + Mg) molar ratio in different sites and soil horizons based on two to three years monitoring data, and evaluated the main factors controlling Al_i/(Ca + Mg) molar ratio using principle component analysis (PCA) and partial least square (PLS) regression. Monitoring data showed although Al_i/(Ca + Mg) molar ratios in most soil water were lower than assumed critical 1.0, higher molar ratios were found in some soil water at TSP and LXH site. Besides acid loading, both soil properties and soil water chemistry affected the value of Al_i/(Ca + Mg) molar ratio in soil water. Partial least square (PLS) indicated that they had different relative importance in different soil horizons. In A-horizon, soil aluminum saturation (AlS) had higher influence on Al_i/(Ca + Mg) molar ratio than soil water chemistry did; higher soil aluminum saturation (AlS) led to higher Al_i/(Ca + Mg) molar ratio in soil water. In the deeper horizons (i.e., B₁-, B₂- and BC-horizon), inorganic aluminum (Al_i) in soil water had more and more important role in regulating Al_i/(Ca + Mg) molar ratio. On regional scale, soil aluminum saturation (AlS) as well as cation exchange capacity (CEC) was the dominant factor controlling Al_i/(Ca + Mg) molar ratio. This should be paid enough attention on when making regional acid rain control policy in China.     

UNCCD与《中华人民共和国防沙治沙法》比较研究

文章选取了《联合国防治荒漠化公约》和《中华人民共和国防沙治沙法》作为比较对象,从立法背景、性质、基本结构、基本内容等角度对二者进行了比较,并指出了二者的特有之处。从而分析国内法律和国际法律的不同,并提供了我国防治沙漠化中如何借鉴好的做法,并结合自身的实际情况加以吸收的途径。