Food aid and food crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa: Statistical trends and implications*

This paper documents the rapid expansion and changes in food aid flows to Sub-Saharan Africa up to mid-1985. Trends for Sub-Saharan Africa as a whole and for the more seriously affected countries are examined, as are the comparative experiences of food aid of individual countries in the region. Table 11 lists the Sub-Saharan African countries and indicates the most seriously affected food-short countries, as defined by the WFP/FAO task force. It should be borne in mind that some practical problems exist in compiling data on food aid. These include lack of availability of reliable data, especially of most recent data; lack of common terminology and definitions; and different accounting systems. These data problems are sometimes a source of confusion. However, the basic facts are clear: food aid gradually emerged during the early 1980s as a resource too often of considerable significance to many countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. These trends were only accelerated with the crisis of 1984-1985. These facts provide a point of reference for further analysis of the sources of the crisis, its actual dimensions and consequences.     

Hunger, poverty and food aid in Sub-Saharan Africa: Retrospect and potential

Frustrations and failures will continue to mount if we do not immediately summon the courage to revise the ways we think and take action-as well as maintaining essential services to support life and health … Saving hundreds of thousands … who are at risk of dying from malnutrition or infection is an immediate imperative. But it must be only one stage in the progress toward other activities, and one element in the truly comprehensive approach… The main intent of this paper is to explore aspects of the nature and evolution of poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa with special reference to food and hunger and their interaction with macro-economic policy. An attempt is made to outline the overall context within which food aid needs to be used in order to have a greater developmental impact. Following an Introductory Section I, Section II provides a sketch map of how recession and lagging food production - with cyclical weather crises superimposed - affect the human condition of poor people. Section III reviews die interaction between "standard" IMF stabilization and World Bank structural adjustment strategies and poverty/hunger. Improvements in the design of stabilization and adjustment programmes, and of the inter-relationship with them of emergency programmes, can be identified. A number turn on the broadened and more innovative or catalytic use of food aid. Section IV reviews aspects of facing a continuing series of emergencies and of designing life support programmes to facilitate rehabilitation of the households directly affected as well as of the national economies. From this base it explores a series of elements in achieving renewed development. The concluding Section seeks to explore the strengths, limitations and potentials of food aid in the context set by the previous sections. The standard criticisms of food aid appear to be overstated and/or to relate to particular modalities or approaches rather than to anything intrinsic. A number of criteria for improving the effectiveness of food aid - especially in respect to rehabilitation, recovery and renewed development - are set out.     

南海浮游植物对沙尘和灰霾添加的响应

通过2016年5月~6月在南海3个站位开展的船基围隔培养实验,研究了沙尘和灰霾添加对南海浮游植物生长和群落结构变化的影响.结果发现,沙尘和灰霾添加由于提供了N、P等营养盐,整体上促进了浮游植物的生长,且促进程度与添加量密切相关.通过定量计算营养盐指数和叶绿素a累积浓度,发现培养期间叶绿素a累积浓度与沙尘添加浓度呈显著正相关关系（R²=0.87,P<0.01）;低浓度灰霾添加的作用与沙尘添加类似（R²=0.91,P<0.01）,但当灰霾浓度增大时,叶绿素a累积浓度的增加受到一定程度的抑制,这可能与灰霾中含有较高含量的毒性物质有关.各粒级浮游植物叶绿素a浓度的变化表明,沙尘和低浓度灰霾添加使浮游植物优势种群由超微型向小型和微型转变;在高浓度灰霾添加组,由于营养盐与毒性物质的综合作用,浮游植物粒级结构变化不明显.超微型浮游植物细胞丰度测定结果表明,沙尘对聚球藻、原绿球藻和超微型真核浮游植物均表现出促进作用,高浓度灰霾添加能够抑制聚球藻和超微型真核浮游植物的生长.     

赣南早元古代中深变质岩地层时代及构造意义

发育在赣南地区的寻乌岩群，为一套中深变质岩系，前人归属寒武纪。在1：5万小江图组区调工作中，通过岩石地层、变质变形构造特征及侵位于其中的片麻状花岗岩同位素年代地质学研究，将其时代重新厘定为古元古代。这一认识为探讨华夏古陆结晶基底及华南大地构造演化提供了新的资料。     

华南玄武岩红土化过程中微量元素地球化学

广东、海南的玄武岩．在强烈的红土化过程中．元素在红土剖面中发生迁移和残留、贫化和富集。根据红土化过程中元素的地球化学性状，将元素划分为活泼元素和不活泼元素两大类。并首次采用了元素它集因子这个概念来探讨红土化过程中微量元素的地球化学行为。最后讨论了红土化过程小金的表生富集作用。     

滇南湖群环境综合治理总体规划研究

本规划采用决策支持系统 (DSS)对湖泊的水量平衡和水质现状以及采用不同措施对水质的影响进行评估 ,并通过多标准分析 (MAC)对每项措施进行优先排序 ,使规划更具科学性和可操作性。     

赣南数字地震台网近震分析与震情速报

震相识别与分析是地震预报与速报的基础.为识别赣南地区的震相,用震例统计和实例说明了不同距离,不同方位,不同类型的地震震相特征、地震震相与爆破波形的区别,并阐述了如何快速、准确地对有感地震进行速报.     

Differential N uptake by maize cultivars and soil nitrate dynamics under N fertilization in West Africa

Nitrate is prone to leaching in the sandy soils of the West African moist savannas. Better management of nitrogen (N) resources and maize cultivars with enhanced genetic capacity to capture and utilize soil and fertilizer N are strategies that could improve N-use efficiency. In two field experiments conducted at Zaria, northern Nigeria, five maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars planted early in the season were assessed under various N levels for differences in N uptake, soil N dynamics, and related N losses. Cultivar TZB-SR accumulated more N in the aboveground plant parts in both years than the other cultivars. All, except the semi-prolific late (SPL) variety, met about 50–60% of their N demand by the time of silking (64–69 DAP). In both years, SPL had the greatest capacity to take up N during the grain filling period, and it had the highest grain-N concentration and the least apparent N loss through leaching in the second year. There were no significant differences in soil N dynamics among cultivars in both years. At harvest, the residual N in the upper 90 cm of the profile under all the cultivars ranged from 56 to 72 kg ha⁻¹ in the first year and from 73 to 83 kg ha⁻¹ in the second year. Apparent N loss from 0 to 90 cm soil profile through leaching ranged from 35 to 122 kg ha⁻¹ in both years. N application significantly increased N uptake by more than 30% at all sampling dates in the second year of the experiment, but had no effect on apparent N loss. Results indicate that the use of maize cultivars with high N uptake capacity during the grain filling period when maximum leaching losses occur could enhance N recovery and may be effective in reducing leaching losses of mineral N in the moist savanna soils.     

南太平洋社会群岛塔希提岛(TAHITI)火山岩——一种典型的大洋岛屿玄武岩

塔希提岛火山岩属典型的大洋岛屿玄武岩(OIB)。该岛是法属波利尼西亚群岛中社会群岛链之一部分,火山活动可分三期:早期(1.7—1.3Ma),中期(1.3—0.6Ma)和晚期(0.6—0.3Ma)。早期火山岩兼有碱性和拉斑系列岩石,包括苦橄玄武岩、碱性玄武岩、拉斑玄武岩及少量玄武安山岩;中期火山岩主要有粗面玄武岩—粗面岩、碱性玄武岩和少量碧玄岩;晚期则以碧玄岩为主,并有部分碱玄岩出现。火山岩的这种岩性变化表明其岩浆由早到晚从富镁、硅弱不饱和向富碱和硅强烈不饱和演化。 社会群岛火山链的火山活动以平均11cm/a的速率从西北向东南迁移,与MORB相比,所有塔希提的岩石皆富大离子亲石元素并有较高的~(87)Sr/~(66)Sr比值,这一特征可能与其特殊的源区成分有关,即富集的地幔热柱或大洋岩石圈。早期岩石是地幔热柱和少量洋壳的部分熔融产物的混合体,故既有拉斑系列又有碱性系列。随着火山活动远离存在热柱的热点区域,洋壳部分熔融的程度逐渐降低,因而其产生的熔融体也越来越富碱,~(87)Sr/~(66)Sr比值也相应有所降低。     

南海ODP1144孔微玻璃陨石物理化学性质及母源物质的复杂性

ODP 184航次 114 4孔位于南海北部陆缘 (2 0°3.18′N ,117°2 5 .14′E ,水深 2 0 37m) ,在岩心样品中发现的微玻璃陨石主要赋存于 386 .17～ 386 .2 7mcd处 ,这些玻璃陨石主要以球形和椭球形为主 ,可见泪滴状、马鞍形、扁豆形、圆盘形、哑铃形、翼形、异形等形态和不规则状碎片。通过微玻璃陨石主量元素电子探针分析 ,并用Harker图解讨论了主量元素氧化物之间的相关性 ,同时结合Niggli参数进一步深入探讨微玻璃陨石的母源物质特征。研究结果表明 ,ODP114 4孔微玻璃陨石属于澳亚散落区内的普通型微玻璃陨石 ,其母源物质成分复杂 ,可能有两种或两种以上的物质组成 ,一种可能是化学成分没有太大变化的碎屑沉积岩 ,另一种可能是粘土及杂砂岩等。