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.     

不同粒径零价铁（ZVI）对污水污泥H_2S和CH_4释放速率的影响

考察了不同粒径零价铁（ZVI）,包括200目普通铁粉（200m-ZVI）、800目超细铁粉（800m-ZVI）和纳米铁粉（nZVI,粒径=20 nm）,对污水污泥的硫化氢和甲烷释放速率的影响。研究发现：（1）在22 d内,添加0.1%的200m-ZVI使污泥的硫化氢释放速率提高48.0%,而添加0.1%的800-ZVI和nZVI,则使污泥的硫化氢释放速率分别降低33.1%和77.1%;（2）不同粒径ZVI均可以提高污泥沼气中的甲烷浓度,且依次为nZVI〉800m-ZVI〉200m-ZVI;（3）在23 d内,添加0.1%的200m-ZVI和nZVI使污泥的甲烷累计产生量分别提高了15.5%和40.6%,而添加0.1%800m-ZVI则使甲烷产生量降低了12.5%。nZVI可以有效控制污泥的硫化氢释放,并显著提升污泥在厌氧发酵过程的产甲烷速率。     

劳动防护服号型设置的研究

本文对劳动防护服的号型设置进行了分析与研究。《劳动防护服号型》是各类劳动防护服制作中广泛使用的基础性国家标准,依据当前劳动者人体尺寸的统计分析和企业劳动防护服生产供应实际情况,科学合理设置服装号型,以符合国家标准的科学性、实用性以及增强劳动防护服的舒适性功能。     

Kinetic and thermodynamic studies on partitioning of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) between aqueous solution and modeled individual soil particle grain sizes

The significance of soil mineral properties and secondary environmental conditions such as pH, temperature, ionic strength and time in the partitioning of eight selected polychlorinated biphenyl(PCB) congeners between aqueous solution and soil particles with different grain sizes was studied. The mineral properties of a model soil sample were determined, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller(BET) adsorption–desorption isotherms were employed to observe the surface characteristics of the individual modeled soil particles.Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to determine the sorption of PCBs onto soil particles of different sizes. The results revealed that the sorption of PCB congeners onto the soil was dependent on the amount of soil organic matter, surface area, and pore size distribution of the various individual soil particles. Low pH favored the sorption of PCBs,with maximum sorption occurring between pH 6.5 and 7.5 with an equilibration period of 8 hr.Changes in the ionic strength were found to be less significant. Low temperature favored the sorption of PCBs onto the soil compared to high temperatures. Thermodynamic studies showed that the partition coefficient(K_d) decreased with increasing temperature, and negative and low values of ΔH° indicated an exothermic physisorption process. The data generated is critical and will help in further understanding remediation and cleanup strategies for polluted water.     

额济纳绿洲沙尘暴沉积的物质特征

考察了额济纳绿洲内广泛分布的沙丘,并采集了称之“额济纳剖面”的典型沙丘不同粒级的样本263个,进行了25个化学元素的分析以及11个¹⁴测定.结果表明,该沙丘是距今2500年以来多次沙尘暴堆积的沉积记录.褐黄色风成沙层类似我国内陆沙漠沙,该地沙漠风沙流的产物;黄土状亚沙土与黄河中游的沙黄土、现代沙尘堆积极其相似,且结合历史时期“雨土”资料,说明其是沙尘暴的叠加产物;含红柳枯枝落叶的沙层则是兼有前两者成分的混合堆积.     

西辽河不同粒级沉积物的氨氮吸附-解吸特征

为估算辽河吸附态氨氮入海通量,采用平衡吸附-解吸法研究了西辽河不同粒级沉积物对氨氮的吸附-解吸特征. 结果表明:不同粒级沉积物对氨氮的吸附-解吸特征均符合Langmuir和Freundlich吸附-解吸等温式;黏粒级和粉粒级沉积物的氨氮饱和吸附量较大,分别为3 643.82和2 693.71 mg/kg,相当于粗砂的8.04和5.94倍;西辽河冲泻质泥沙黏粒和粉粒所携载的吸附态氨氮的入海通量分别为170.10和164.52 mg/kg. 占沉积物氨氮吸附总量的14.99%;黏粒级和粉粒级沉积物的氨氮解吸比例较小,分别为30.66%和42.04%,入海后可分别为上覆水提供氨氮52.15和69.16 mg/kg;黏粒级和粉粒级沉积物所吸附的氨氮是氮素循环的重要组成部分;黏粒和粉粒级沉积物的腐殖质含量远远高于粗沙,在其所形成的团聚体结构中存在的孔隙填充方式——氨氮吸附是导致黏粒和粉粒级沉积物饱和吸附量较大、解吸比例较低的根本原因.      

北京市不同尺度大气颗粒物元素组成的特征分析

在2000年2个典型季节分别采集不同尺度的颗粒物样品,分析其中22种无机元素的含量.利用这些数据较详细地研究了北京市颗粒物的元素组成特征.数据分析结果表明,北京市大气颗粒物中的元素主要分为地壳元素、污染元素和双重元素三大类.利用不同污染元素在各种尺度颗粒物中的富集因子,确定了北京市大气颗粒物具有复合型污染的特征.      

降雨过程中红壤团聚体粒径变化对溅蚀的影响

为揭示团聚体粒径动态变化对溅蚀的影响,通过室内人工模拟降雨试验,以第四纪粘土、泥质页岩发育红壤为研究对象,研究了酒精预湿润后的2~5 mm团聚体在降雨过程中粒径动态变化及溅蚀率的变化。试验结果表明：在60 mm/h雨强下,团聚体受雨滴机械打击破碎主要发生在降雨的最初阶段,团聚体＞0.25 mm百分含量（P＞0.25）及平均重量直径（M）均随降雨时间（T）增加呈幂函数减小,溅蚀率（Dr）随降雨时间（T）增加呈幂函数增加,而溅蚀率（Dr）随团聚体平均重量直径（M）减小呈幂函数增大。为揭示不同土样在降雨溅蚀过程中溅蚀率的变化规律,利用团聚体稳定性特征参数-机械破碎指数（R）及降雨时间（T）,建立了不同团聚体稳定性土样溅蚀率随降雨时间变化的经验方程,且方程可决系数较高（R2=0.82）,揭示出团聚体稳定性越好,其破碎过程越缓慢,溅蚀率越小。研究结果为红壤区土壤侵蚀的防治及侵蚀机理研究提供了新思路     

Channel and Perennial Flow Initiation in Headwater Streams: Management Implications of Variability in Source-Area Size

Despite increasing attention to management of headwater streams as sources of water, sediment, and wood to downstream rivers, the extent of headwater channels and perennial flow remain poorly known and inaccurately depicted on topographic maps and in digital hydrographic data. This study reports field mapping of channel head and perennial flow initiation locations in forested landscapes underlain by sandstone and basalt lithologies in Washington State, USA. Contributing source areas were delineated for each feature using a digital elevation model (DEM) as well as a Global Positioning System device in the field. Systematic source area–slope relationships described in other landscapes were not evident for channel heads in either lithology. In addition, substantial variability in DEM-derived source area sizes relative to field-delineated source areas indicates that in this area, identification of an area–slope relationship, should one even exist, would be difficult. However, channel heads and stream heads, here defined as the start of perennial flow, appear to be co-located within both of the lithologies, which together with lateral expansion and contraction of surface water around channel heads on a seasonal cycle in the basalt lithology, suggest a controlling influence of bedrock springs for that location. While management strategies for determining locations of channel heads and perennial flow initiation in comparable areas could assign standard source area sizes based on limited field data collection within that landscape, field-mapped source areas that support perennial flow are much smaller than recognized by current Washington State regulations.