Traditional agriculture in transition: examining the impacts of agricultural modernization on smallholder farming in Ghana under the new Green Revolution

Following the renewed effort at achieving a new green revolution for Africa, emphasis has been placed on modernizing smallholder agriculture through the deployment of improved inputs especially mechanized technologies. In Ghana, the government has in the last decade emphasized the provision of subsidized mechanized ploughing services to farmers alongside a rapidly growing private sector tractor service market. While mechanized technology adoption rates have increased rapidly, the deployment of these technologies has been without critical analysis of the impacts on production patterns and local agrarian systems. This paper examines the distributional impacts of agriculture mechanization on cropping patterns and farm sizes of smallholder farmers in northern Ghana using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques, and semi-structured interviews with smallholder farmers (n=60). Specifically, comparative analysis of the field sizes and cropping patterns of participant farmers prior to and after the adoption of mechanized technologies was conducted. In-depth interviews were used to contextualize the experiences of smallholder farmers toward understanding how mechanization may be impacting traditional agriculture. Our findings reveal a mechanization paradox in which farm sizes are expanding, while cropping patterns are shifting away from traditional staple crops (pearl millet and sorghum bicolor) to market-oriented crops (maize, rice and groundnuts). This transition we argue, has adverse implications on the cultural dimension of food security, the organization of social life, and climate change adaptation. We recommend a retooling of the current agricultural policy focus to ensure context sensitivity for a more robust battle against food insecurity.     

发现式学习与新课程改革

布鲁纳在20世纪60年代以结构主义理论为基础领导了美国的课程改革运动.虽然此次课程改革以失败而告终,但是发现式学习方法及其教学方法的提出却受到了广泛的关注.布鲁纳也曾就发现式学习进行了专门的论述.本文从发现式学习法的特点、作用出发来探求我国目前正在进行的第八轮新课程改革,试图为我国新课程改革中学习、教学方法的改革提供一个新的视角.     

离子色谱分析中的几个问题探讨

在掌握离子色谱技术最新发展动态的基础上,对离子色谱的新进展、前处理新技术、常用的改善分离度方法、若干注意事项、常遇到的问题等进行了分析探讨,以期用离子色谱技术更多更好地解决实际问题.     

新疆物理监测能力现状及建议

针对新疆物理监测工作(包括噪声监测、振动监测、辐射监测等)现状及环保监测系统物理监测的人员、仪器、能力等情况，分析了物理监测工作存在的不足，并对今后更好的开展物理监测工作提出建设性意见。     

“十四五”农村环境质量监测体系研究

介绍了国内外农村环境质量监测的发展历程和现状,总结了现行农村环境质量监测体系在体制机制、技术体系、应用支撑和数据共享等方面存在的主要问题,分析了"十四五"期间农村环境质量监测面临的挑战和机遇,指出"十四五"是农村生态环境保护的关键期、攻坚期和窗口期。根据环境管理对农业农村工作的新要求,构建了包括村庄、区域和流域3个层次及涵盖空气、地表水、饮用水、土壤、生态、污染点源和面源等监测内容的"十四五"农村环境质量监测体系,并提出了相应的保障措施,以期为我国农村生态环境保护提供更有力的技术支撑。     

浅析新农村建设中主要环境问题及对策措施

对新农村建设中主要存在的生活污染、农业生产活动污染和农村第三产业带来的污染等一系列环境问题进行了分析。要实现新农村建设和环境保护的“共赢”,新农村建设和农村环境保护建设就要同步规划、同步实施、同步发展,推进新农村走上生产发展、生活富裕、生态良好的文明发展道路。     

我国现阶段应采取的节水措施

文中提及我国现阶段节水工作要从提高新水资源利用率入手，在进行节水宣传教育的同时，建立能动的节水机制，充分利用宝贵的降水资源，发挥可利用新水资源最大的效率，为我国未来经济社会的发展创造有利的条件。     

板材成形新技术及其发展趋势(Ⅱ)

介绍了多点成形技术、激光成形技术、冲压智能化技术、成形过程的计算机仿真技术等几种柔性化程度高的板材成形新技术及其发展趋势     

张道口-1井水位观测精度变化分析研究

本文对张道口-1井模拟水位、数字化水位观测精度进行了对比，进一步分析了影响数字化水位观测精度的几个因素，提出了数字化水位在日常观测中应注意的几个问题。     

Influence of new town development on the urban heat island - The case of the Bundang area

Five new towns have been developed around the Seoul metropolitan area since 1996. However, these new towns generate lots of traffic and related problems in the areas including those new towns and Seoul as a result of increases in population and a lack of ecological-self-sufficiency. Currently, construction of another new town is under deliberation, and what should be a major consider is the notion that the new town be located within a wide, green zone. Many studies have revealed that green space can play an important role in improving urban eco-meteorological capability and air quality. In order to analyze the urban heat island which will be created by the new urban development, and to investigate the local thermal environment and its negative effects caused by a change of land use type and urbanization, Landsat TM images were used for extraction of urban surface temperature according to changes of land use over the last 15 years. These data are analyzed together with digital land use and topographic information. As a study result, it was found the urban heat island of the study area from 198.5 to 1999 rapidly developed which showed a difference of mean temperature above 2.0. Before the Bundang new town construction the temperature of the residential area was the same as a forest, but during the new town construction in 1991 analysis revealed the creation of an urban heat island. The temperature of a forest whose size is over 50% of the investigation area was lowest, and thus the presence of a forest is believed to have a direct cooling effect on the urban environment and its surroundings. The mean temperature of the residential and commercial areas in the study was found to be 4.5 higher than the forest, and therefore this part of land use is believed to be the main factor causing the temperature increase of the urban heat island.