Assessment of opium-based farming systems: a case study in the Nahom area,Oudomxay Province in Northern Laos

SUMMARY

An interdisciplinary team of 10 completed an exploratory one-month survey of villages in Nahom, Oudomxay Province, Laos, an area representative of upland farming systems based on opium and shifting cultivation. The study included investigation of the physical and socioeconomic environments and assessment of the farming systems. Due to the relatively low population density, there is enough land for villagers to practice shifting cultivation with a one year cultivation cycle, followed by 10–12 years of fallow. The soil degradation commonly caused by shifting cultivation was not significant in this area and the soil fertility is still relatively high. However, most of the original forests had been cut down and used for shifting cultivation and some degradation of the vegetation has occurred, showing that the ecological sustainability has been threatened by prevailing practices. Thirty-six percent of the households had food supply problems for more than three months of each year. The extremely low return for labour from upland rice cultivation, only 5.64 kg per labour-day, was the critical factor that caused the food shortage. Because of poor technique, rice yield from paddy fields was also low, thus shifting cultivators have no enthusiasm to expand their paddy fields. Income from opium provided 80.5% of household income. Opium was extremely tempting to local people due to the very high return for labour, 5700 kip (US$6) per labour-day, low investment, and good labour availability (mostly during the off-season of rice cultivation). However, opium was also a ‘two-edged sword’. It did not bring real wealth, health and happiness but instead brings poverty, poor health and disappointment.     

河南黄河改道区浅层地下水化学特征与主控污染源解析

黄河下游的河南北部平原是黄河频繁发生改道的地区.该地区浅层地下水水质较差且超标组分类型多,但是多种因素影响下各环境因子对水质的贡献作用仍需进一步得到量化.为了明确研究区浅层地下水的水质成因,采集330组浅层地下水样品进行区域性水质调查,通过主成分-绝对主成分得分-多元线性回归（PCA-APCS-MLR）模型揭示豫北黄河改道区的浅层地下水水质演化来源.结果表明,研究区浅层地下水超标率从高到低依次为：锰>铁>总硬度>溶解性总固体>钠>氟>砷>氯离子>硫酸根>铵根,特别是锰的超标率达到76％.水-岩溶滤富集作用、土壤来源、氧化还原条件和农业活动这4种因素是导致地下水水质较差的主要原因,四者方差累积解释率达到71.24％,同时地表水的补给也会影响地下水质.新乡等北部的黄河故道区地下水中,铁、砷、铵根、总硬度和TDS等组分主要受到水-岩溶滤作用和氧化还原条件影响造成浓度增加;黄河沿岸的水-岩溶滤作用、土壤来源与黄河侧向补给造成水中氟的富集;高锰地下水受到土壤组分影响广泛存在于研究区,而个别地区农业活动和地表水补给造成硝酸盐的点状污染.     

我国北方农牧交错带生态建设成本体系研究——以吉林省西部为例

北方农牧交错带是我国生态建设的重点地区,对于生态建设成本的研究是生态补偿的科学基础。从科学发展观的视角出发,针对这类地区收入水平低、就业结构单一的特点,认为其成本体系应本着以农民需求为核心、统筹区域内生态建设和发展的关系,并为统筹生态建设区与受益地区发展提供依据的原则进行构建,依此将成本分为营建成本、机会成本和发展成本,并通过在吉林省西部的应用,得出吉林省西部退耕还林、还草、草原抚育的总成本分别为24150、8090、967元h/m₂,远高于国家所提供的补偿标准。因此,除了国家补助外,应本着“受益者支付”的原则,长春、吉林等地应通过就业培训、技术支持等方式支付发展成本。因此,我国在生态建设中应细化补偿标准和实行支付主体多元化,国家和当地政府就营建成本和机会成本方面作出补偿,而受益地区则着重于发展成本的补偿。     

陕北长城沿线沙质荒漠化遥感研究

采用1975年MSS卫星图像、2000年ETM卫星图像为遥感信息源,通过建立科学的沙质荒漠化土地分类体系,并结合地理信息系统方法,对位于农牧交错带生态环境脆弱的陕北长城沿线沙质荒漠化进行了现状及动态变化分析,结果表明,经过20多年来沙质荒漠化防治,现代沙质荒漠化过程得到了明显的逆转,25年间,沙质荒漠化土地面积减少了195.18km²,逆转区的面积比发展区的面积大1280.48km²,为该区能源化工基地的建设提供了良好的生态环境,但是目前该区的沙质荒漠化土地强度依然较大,危害较大的极重度和重度沙质荒漠化土地占到总沙质荒漠化土地面积的35.64%,同时煤炭、油气资源的开发对沙质荒漠化的负面影响具有潜在性和长期性,因此,建立合理的资源开发和环境保护体系具有重要的生态和社会意义。     

N和P对东海中北部浮游植物的影响研究

调查海域浮游植物种类丰富,海水富营养化趋势明显.采用通径方法分析2001～2003年春夏季数据,在众多环境因子中,N、P含量及其组成与浮游植物关系最为密切,是影响浮游植物的数量和种类组成变化的首要因子.硅藻和甲藻对各种N的利用能力不同,是硅藻在调查海域占据绝对优势的重要原因;在同一季节中,硅藻和甲藻利用不同层次的氮盐,减少了两者间的竞争压力.高NO3-N/TIP对某些种类具有抑制作用,对甲藻而言,这种抑制作用更为明显.NO3-N/TIP在10～20、NH4-N/TIP或NO2-N/TIP小于1时,浮游植物的多样性最为丰富.NO2-N/TIP对硅藻的种类数变化几乎没有影响,而与甲藻的种类数成正相关.     

中国北方地区采暖期颗粒物污染现状

分析了2013—2016年冬季采暖期与非采暖期中国北方地区颗粒物污染现状及时空变化特征。结果表明:中国北方地区空气污染比较严重,采暖期尤为突出。2016年,中国北方地区重度及以上污染天数比例超过10%,采暖期优良天数比例较非采暖期下降22.8%,重度及以上污染天数比例升高10.1个百分点。颗粒物浓度呈现明显的冬季高、夏季低的特点,最高值一般出现在12月至次年1月,最低值一般出现在7—9月。2013—2016年,北方地区空气质量呈较为明显的改善趋势,PM_(10)和PM_(2.5)浓度总体呈下降趋势,但2014年以来采暖期同期比较显示,PM2.5浓度呈缓慢升高趋势,采暖期空气污染形势十分严峻。颗粒物浓度呈现明显的空间分布规律,采暖期石家庄、保定、衡水、邢台、邯郸、安阳等城市为京津冀区域污染最严重的城市。     

A Review of Water Level Fluctuations on Aquatic Biota With an Emphasis on Fishes in Ice‐Covered Lakes1

Abstract: The effects of water level fluctuations on fish and other aquatic biota, with an emphasis on winter water withdrawal in northern regions is reviewed. Water demands for population growth and development are adding pressure on water reserves, particularly when coupled with changing climatic conditions. Water level fluctuations can have adverse effects on the environment, most notably to hydrologic and biotic processes ranging in magnitude from the micro‐scale to landscape level. Water level management of lakes and reservoirs can affect all forms of aquatic biota. The severity of effect is dependant on the magnitude, duration and timing of the fluctuation, and the species exposed. In northwestern Canada and northern Alaska, water is withdrawn from water bodies to construct ice‐roads and other winter based developments. Biota in small, isolated water bodies are particularly sensitive to reductions in winter water levels. Water withdrawals can reduce the oxygen available to overwintering fish, while reduced water levels can reduce habitat for fish and furbearers, and freeze littoral areas killing plants, invertebrates, and fish eggs. Regulatory winter water withdrawal thresholds have been developed in the Northwest Territories and Alaska and continue to be refined as new data becomes available. The use of thresholds can help minimize or avoid negative impacts to the environment, particularly fish, from winter water withdrawal activities. Many different factors may influence the effect that winter water withdrawal has on a water body, such as basin shape, substrate and location. More research is warranted to better understand the linkages between anthropogenic and natural water level fluctuations and their combined effect on aquatic ecosystems. A general decision support system is proposed for minimizing risk to aquatic life from winter water withdrawal activities.     

Targeted gene flow and rapid adaptation in an endangered marsupial

Targeted gene flow is an emerging conservation strategy. It involves translocating individuals with favorable genes to areas where they will have a conservation benefit. The applications for targeted gene flow are wide-ranging but include preadapting native species to the arrival of invasive species. The endangered carnivorous marsupial, the northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus), has declined rapidly since the introduction of the cane toad (Rhinella marina), which fatally poisons quolls that attack them. There are, however, a few remaining toad-invaded quoll populations in which the quolls survive because they know not to eat cane toads. It is this toad-smart behavior we hope to promote through targeted gene flow. For targeted gene flow to be feasible, however, toad-smart behavior must have a genetic basis. To assess this, we used a common garden experiment, comparing offspring from toad-exposed and toad-naïve parents raised in identical environments, to determine whether toad-smart behavior is heritable. Offspring from toad-exposed populations were substantially less likely to eat toads than those with toad-naïve parents. Hybrid offspring showed similar responses to quolls with 2 toad-exposed parents, indicating the trait may be dominant. Together, these results suggest a heritable trait and rapid adaptive response in a small number of toad-exposed populations. Although questions remain about outbreeding depression, our results are encouraging for targeted gene flow. It should be possible to introduce toad-smart behavior into soon to be affected quoll populations.     

南京北郊冬季大气PM_(10)水溶性无机离子粒径谱分布特征研究

于2009年11月26日至12月20日在南京北郊昼夜分粒径采集大气PM10样品,运用离子色谱法分析其水溶性无机离子的浓度及谱分布特征,讨论无机离子与大气污染物之间的关系,研究其来源特征。结果表明:PM2.1日均值为0.3921 mg/m3,超过EPA大气质量标准(0.065 mg/m3)5倍,PM10日均值为1.0103 mg/m3,为国家大气PM10三级标准(0.25 mg/m3)3.04倍,PM2.1占PM10约40%,说明冬季南京北郊颗粒物污染较严重,且以细粒子为主;PM10和PM2.1中的主要无机离子均为SO42-、Ca2+、Cl-,浓度大小为SO42->Ca2+>Cl-,且均表现为白天浓度高于夜晚;粒径谱分布为Ca2+、Cl-、SO42-均呈双峰,Ca2+主要存在于粗粒子中,SO42-、Cl-主要分布在积聚模;相关性分析表明,SO42-与NO3和Cl-显著性相关,系数分别为0.7910、0.9123,其可能存在同源性;由NO3-/SO42-的特征比值,白天和夜晚分别为0.0582和0.0484,均远小于1,说明南京北郊大气污染以固定源为主。     

大连北三市土地利用景观格局及其生态环境效应

以大连市北部的县级市瓦房店市、普兰店市和庄河市为研究区,引用2005年土地利用矢量数据,选用生态意义较明确的景观特征指数,对大连北三市土地利用景观格局及其生态环境效应进行比较分析。揭示土地利用景观格局对生态环境的影响。