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.     

黄河上游西线调水工程对调出区气候影响的初步分析

在分析南水北调西线工程水量调出区气候特征的基础上,采用定性与定量相结合的方法,重点分析了调水工程对库区与坝址下游临近河段局地气候的影响,以及调水对引水坝址下游“干旱河谷”区的可能影响,并对干旱河谷的分布及其成因进行了较深入的分析。结果表明:调水对库区气候影响不大;对坝址下游临近地区的气温、降水等将不会造成明显的影响;对干旱河谷区的局地气候虽有影响,但很微弱。     

中国东、西部工业污染和经济发展的分析比较

从经济发展水平和工业污染排放角度出发,对比分析了东部、中部和西部3个地区的差异。结果表明,90年代以来,中国的经济发展和工业污染在东、西部之间存在着较显著的差异,所表现出的综合效应是形成了明显的工业污染物排放强度梯度。即在空间上,工业污染物排放强度存在从东部、中部到西部逐渐升高的梯度。建议在西部大开发过程中,要充分利用西部环境保护的后发优势,减缓或遏制工业污染的“西迁”,实现环境保护的跨越式发展。     

厦门西港和九龙江口浮游植物生化组成及其环境因子效应

厦门西港和九龙江口浮游植物碳水化合物与光强、盐度和叶绿素ａ均显著正相关，蛋白质与光强有负相关关系，脂类受光强的影响较小，蛋白质与碳水化合物之比与氮磷比显正相关。１０月该海域浮游植物叶绿素ａ与生化组分含量都比４月高，与１０月海水温度和海面辐照度较高有关     

西部旅游资源的困境与保护

充分评价了西部旅游资源的优势特点，详细地分析了目前西部旅游资源受到的各种威胁和存在的困境，并有针对性地提出了一些切实可行的保护措施。     

发展中国西部的生态旅游业

生态旅游作为“保护生态”和“发展经济”双赢理念的新兴旅游类型,被西部各省(区、市)所关注并将其定为本地区发展的主导产业.通过对西部地区的生态旅游资源优缺点、市场定位、产品转化及空间布局的分析,初步勾画了西部生态旅游业的发展前景,并提出相应地发展策略.     

Traditional water bodies and ecosystem services: Empirical evidence from West Bengal,India

Traditional water harvesting systems are multi-functional in nature and provide a variety of ecosystem services that contribute to the overall wellbeing of local people. This study aims to identify and analyze the factors influencing the variations in the level of awareness across households residing around three selected traditional water bodies in the Indian state of West Bengal. Ordinary least square (OLS) regression models have been used to identify and analyze the determinants of household perception on ecosystem services from tank water bodies. Results show that while a majority of households have strong perceptions on the provisioning and cultural ecosystem services of the tanks, the household perceptions on regulating and supporting services of the tank is found to be relatively weak. Households belonging to lower caste and poor are likely to be more dependent on ecosystem services from tanks than upper caste and rich households, and hence they have better perceptions of provisioning ecosystem services. Households’ awareness about provisioning ecosystem services is negatively related to their level of education and wealth. It is observed that household awareness about regulating and supporting ecosystem services is positively associated with the level of education of the households, ownership of tube well and private tanks. While it is essential to consider household perception on all the ecosystem services for sustainable use and management of traditional water harvesting systems, incorporating the local norms, customs and preferences in policy design are critical for achieving effective conservation outcomes.     

北京入境旅游流西向扩散与省域经济联系研究——以西部三大典型区为例

北京是我国经济、政治和文化中心,也是我国最重要的入境口岸之一。入京旅游流西向的扩散转移对省域之间旅游经济联系强度具有极大的直接促进作用,转移态是反映旅游流流向和流量的重要指标。在对我国西部三大典型旅游区界定的基础上,利用转移态指数模型和旅游经济联系强度模型对入京旅游流向西转移态及其与西部三大典型旅游区的经济联系强度进行了相关性分析,得出入京旅游流西向转移态对西部典型区经济的影响程度为:成渝泛西安云贵,在此基础上分析了原因,并对西部三大典型旅游区如何更好地吸引北京入境旅游"二手客源",以促进旅游业更快发展提出了相应对策与建议。     

Redistribution of free tropospheric chemical species over West Africa: radicals (OH and HO₂), peroxide (H₂O₂) and acids (HNO₃ and H₂SO₄)

The purpose of this paper is to study the redistribution of chemical species (OH, HO₂, H₂O₂, HNO₃ and H₂SO₄) over West Africa, where the cloud cover is ubiquitously present, and where deep convection often develops. In this area, because of these cloud systems, chemical species are redistributed by the ascending and descending flow, or leached if they are soluble. So, we carry out a mesoscale study using the Regional Atmospheric Modelling System (RAMS) coupled to a code of gas and aqueous chemistry (RAMS_Chemistry). It takes into account all processes under mesh. We examine several cases following the period (November and July), with inputs emissions (anthropogenic, biogenic and biomass burning). The radicals OH and HO₂ are an indicator of possibilities for chemical activity. They characterize the oxidizing power of the atmosphere and are very strong oxidants. The acids HNO₃ and H₂SO₄ are interesting in their transformation into nitrates and sulfates in precipitation. In November, when photochemistry is active during an event of biomass burning, concentrations of chemical species are higher than those of November in the absence of biomass burning. The concentrations of nitric acid double and sulfuric acid increases 70 times. In addition, the concentrations are even lower in July if there is a deep convection. Compared to measures of the African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analysis (AMMA), the results and observations of radicals OH and HO₂ are the same order of magnitude. Emissions from biomass burning increase the concentrations of acid and peroxide, and a deep convection cloud allows the solubility and the washing out of species, reducing their concentration. Rainfalls play a major role in solubility and washing out acids, peroxides and radicals in this region.     

Determinants for cassava production expansion in the semi-arid zone of West Africa

The study focuses on evaluating factors that farmers consider relevant in adopting cassava production in five semi-arid zone of West African countries. The study is based on primary data randomly collected as part of collaborative study of cassava in semiarid zones of Africa (COSCASSA) village level survey from five West African countries namely: Nigeria, Ghana, Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso. This study models effects of farm, farmer and technology specific factors on the decision of semi arid farmers to adopt cassava into their farming system. By way of threshold decision models—Probit and Logit models, the estimation of each country and the pooled data adoption models reveal different adoption models for the countries considered. For each country, different variables appeared as major adoption shifters. Comparatively, the adoption models for Nigeria and whole region appear to have the highest significance variables, being seven in number. This is followed by Chad (6), Ghana (4), and Burkina Faso and Niger with three each. For the variables considered, distance to nearby urban market appears a major adoption shifter in all the country, except for Niger. This is closely followed by contact with extension, variety, pest/disease resistance and livestock feeds, which appear significant in four of the countries. Membership of cooperative societies appears as the least adoption predictor, which is only significant in Chad republic. The study therefore recognizes the importance of varietial characteristics and farmers’ characteristics in acceptance of cassava as a major root tuber crop in the semi arid region of West Africa. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.