Land User Participation in Developing a Computerised Decision Support System for Combating Desertification

Combating desertification in natural rangelands has recently become a priority in large parts of southern Africa. Rangeland managers, farmers, scientists, conservationists and land users have been applying a variety of restoration technologies to address this problem. Bush encroachment, as part of the desertification process, involves the natural replacement of the herbaceous plant cover by undesirable problem woody species. The active and passive restoration technologies that are applied, are mainly based on indigenous knowledge and include the chemical, mechanical or manual reclamation of unproductive rangelands, as well as the combating of woody and alien species encroachment. Indigenous practices and knowledge play a major role in the effectiveness and success rate of these technologies. This project faces the challenge of bringing together both local and scientific knowledge in a single user-friendly, computerised Decision Support System (DSS) which is directly accessible by land users to support them in the process of decision making, concerning the combating of desertification. Case studies from central and northern Namibia were used to combine qualitative and quantitative data to develop this Decision Support System. The DSS currently consists of two databases and an expert system, which evaluates the results of land users’ management practices, and provides easily accessible information and advice for participants in the system, based on the incorporated data. The DSS is also linked to national and international web sites and databases to offer a wider range of information on technologies concerning agricultural and conservation practices.     

陡坡地灌桑垄槽栽培研究

陡坡地灌桑垄槽栽培研究结果,免除土壤侵蚀的危害,其５０ｃｍ、１００ｃｍ土壤中,比对照区持水量高１０.２０％～３３.６７％、８.２７％～６５.３７％,含全氮率为对照的９０％,含全磷率高２.９％、２６.２％,含全钾率高３.１８％、８.０１％,而水解氮均为对照的６１.５％,速效磷高较对照３９.０２％、９７.７２％,速效钾为对照的９１.４８％、９２.５４％。公顷产桑叶量和蚕茧量均较对照高５～１０倍,经济效益较对照高１１.８８倍。     

Development of a hydrothermal time seed germination model which uses the Weibull distribution to describe base water potential

Seed germination has been modelled extensively using hydrothermal time (HTT) models, that predict time to germination as a function of the extent to which seedbed temperature, T, and water potential, Ψ, exceed the base temperature, T_b, and base water potential, Ψ_b, of each seed percentile, g. Within a seed population the variation in time to germination arises from variation in Ψ_b(g) modelled by a normal distribution. We tested the assumption of normality in the distribution of Ψ_b(g) by germinating seed of two unrelated species with non-dormant seed (Buddleja davidii (Franch.) and Pinus radiata D. Don) across a range of constant Ψ at sub-optimal T. When incorporated into a HTT model the Weibull distribution more accurately described both the right skewed distribution of Ψ_b(g) and germination time course over sub-optimal T than the HTT based on the normal distribution, for both species. Given the flexibility of the Weibull distribution this model not only provides a useful method for predicting germination but also a means of determining the distribution of Ψ_b(g).     

Bush Tucker, Bush Pets, and Bush Threats: Cooperative Management of Feral Animals in Australia's Kakadu National Park

Abstract:  Although feral animal management is often based on the proposition that introduced species threaten ecological and conservation values, that view is not necessarily shared by all stakeholders, including those indigenous people who own and co-manage Kakadu National Park with Australia's federal government. Drawing on field-based interviews with the Jawoyn people, we found that these indigenous people categorize water buffalo (  Bubalus bubalis ) as an important food source (tucker), view horses (  Equus caballus ) as bush pets, and consider pigs (  Sus scrofa ) a threat to their lands. As a result, Jawoyn people want more water buffalo in the park, have high tolerance of environmental damage caused by horses, and are open to the idea that pig population densities should be reduced. Jawoyn also advocate an adaptive and participatory approach to feral animal control so that the consequences of any management actions can be properly understood before irrevocable change occurs. These findings highlight one example of how indigenous people's ecological knowledge has adapted in response to changing landscapes and community aspirations. Co-management strategies that aim to incorporate the dynamics of indigenous people's views need to start with issues on which there is agreement between different groups and take a cautious approach to joint exploration of more contentious issues. That approach should include ongoing and on-site monitoring so that the consequences of management actions can be properly understood and comprehensively negotiated by all parties.     

公路边坡灌木生态绿化研究

通过对云南、河北、安徽、宁夏等地公路边坡的绿化设计、施工及管护经验的研究，总结了公路边坡灌木生态绿化的方法和优点，并对推广本技术的适用性进行了探讨。     

中国南方石灰岩荒山开发利用新探

我国南方石灰岩荒山分布范围广阔,目前荒山上的植被和自然环境在人类长期掠夺性农业活动的干预下向逆向演替。对这种生产力十分低下的荒山如何合理利用是一个远未解决的问题。本文在对石灰岩山地环境逆向演替的过程、根源与危害和现有的各种利用方式作出系统分析与评价的基础上,提出了一种在石灰岩荒山发展豆科灌木饲料的新的利用方式。这种新的利用方式将有可能为石灰岩荒山的开发利用开创一条新路,也是南方石灰岩山区一项有深远意义的绿色工程。