Community perception and participation,prospects in management of forests in marginal lands of Sudan

Fuelwood Development for Energy in Sudan project (GCP/SUD/033/NET) is undertaking research to formulate management plans for Sudan ecologically marginal forests. Rawashda and Wad Kabu forests are taken as examples to initiate sound plans. It is believed that the study of socio-economic parameters of forests users is an essential component to achieve such plan. This study is also fundamental for attaining an integrated land use system, as a prime option of natural resource use. This study is, consequently, aiming at:

1. Providing the base line information of the different communities identified in Tab 3 and using the two forests.
2. Examine people's attitude, perception, participation options in maintenance and management of the two forests. Such parameters are also vital for adoption of an integrated land use strategy in the future.
3. Based on (i) and (ii) to outline broadly the most relevant plan of management land use strategy to be adopted, based on community self-generated options of institutions and objectives of use.

The main findings in this context can be summarized in the following:

1. A complex pattern of economic activities (Tab 3) ranging from pure pastoral nomadism to modern mechanized farming, still characterized by combination of related activities of agricultural/livestock breeding, agriculture/forest resource use, etc. This diversity in activities, which is mostly dependent on the natural resource base, gives a sound base for any option of an integrated land use system.
2. Perception and attitude analysis have revealed a growing awareness of the role of the forest resources in the economy as source of grazing, domestic needs and source of income. This awareness is supported by willingness to participate in any integrated land use plan, yet from a different stand point and objective. Preference of self-generated channels is quite evident, but with a specified role of the government.
3. The major finding is that, and among all communities, the situation is mature for action, although at different levels.

Therefore, each community could be approached along relevant lines of action, as an initial phase before attaining a comprehensive land use plan. On-farm trials (OFTs) or in-herd trials seem to be more relevant compared with expert controlled trials. Any plan of action needs to be preceded by revision of present land tenure systems, establishing grass-root institutions, reorientation of concerned government departments, intensive extension programme and careful formulation of projects, execution and follow-up plans. Such steps need to be geared to narrow the ‘Perception gap’ of development between participants or users and planners.     

Identification of palaeochannels around Cauvery river near Talakad, Karnataka using remote sensing data

Visual interpretation of satellite images could help in the identification of present and past landforms. An attempt has been made to identify the palaeochannels of the Cauvery river in Karnataka state through visual interpretation of IRS-1C, LISS III False Colour Composites (FCC). In order to assess their inter-relationship with other hydrogeomorphic elements, various geomorphic units have been mapped. Major geomorphic units like alluvial plain, pediplain, valley fill. residual hill, ridges, meander scar, channel bars and water bodies have been demarcated. Considering the hydrogeomorphic setup of the palaeochannels. it is inferred that the disposition of palaeochannels of the area are controlled by the geology and structure and the prevailing geomorphic process.     

Changes to the Surface Level Solar Ultraviolet-B Radiation Due to Haze Perturbation

The South-East Asian region experienced a haze episode in 1994 which was widely believed to be due to widespread forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan (Indonesia). Broadband measurements of the surface level solar ultraviolet-B, UV-A and Global radiation at Penang (Malaysia) are used to study the effect of the 1994 haze on effective UV-B irradiance. We find that during the haze episode, there is enhanced absorption of surface level UV-B radiation. The effect of haze on UV-A and Global radiation is much less. The reduction in absolute noon time UV-B irradiance (mostly cloud free) during the 1994 haze period was 23% relative to the UV-B irradiance during thecorresponding haze-free period in 1995. Even though the noon time radiation data minimizes the cloud effect in the results presented some cloud effect is still present.     

Estimation of Hourly and Daily Global Solar Radiation at Clear Days Using an Approach Based on Modified Version of Gaussian Distribution

The performance of two models,Jam and Baig,based on the modified version of Gaussian distribution function in estimating the daily total of global solar radiation and its distribution through the hours of the day from sunrise to sunset al any clear day is evaluated with our own measured data in the period from June 1992 to May 1993 in Qena Egypt The results show a high relative deviation of calculated values from measured ones,especially for Jain model,in the most hours of the day,except for those near to local noon.This misfit behavior is quite obvious in the early morning and late afternoon A new approach has been proposed in this paper to estimate the daily and hourly global solar radiation This model performs with very high accuracy on the recorded data in our region.The validity of this approach was verified with new measurements in some clear days in June and August 1994.The resultant very low relative deviation of the calculated values of global solar radiation from the measured ones confirms the     

Paleogeography and paleomagnetism of the Nubian Sandstone Eastern Desert of Egypt

The present work gives the results of the paleomagnetic investigations carried out on the Cretaceous Nubian Sandstone and associated volcanics and hematitic oolitic iron ores in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. The paleogeography of the Nubian Sandstone especially for the Eastern Desert is discussed in the light of the various geological data as well as the paleomagnetic results, both of which point to certain conceptions. The position of the paleoequator and paleolatitude 20° S were derived from the paleomagnetic data indicating that the Nubian Sandstone was originally deposited in the paleoequatorial to subequatorial zone. The paleomagnetic results corroborate previous African data that there has been no polar wandering and continental drift for Africa during 210 to 110 million years and extend this period to 85 million years.It is concluded that the Nubian Sandstone is deposited under tropical to subtropical climate and that it is formed under various continental conditions excluding eolian merging intermittently into shallow marine.

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Zusammenfassung Die vorliegende Arbeit ist das Ergebnis paläomagnetischer Untersuchungen, die in kretazischer Nubischer Serie und zugehörigen vulkanischen Gesteinen sowie in hämatitischoolithischen Eisenerzen in der östlichen Wüste in Ägypten durchgeführt wurden. Es wird die Paläogeographie der Nubischen Serie, besonders der östlichen Wüste, diskutiert, einmal anhand verschiedener geologischer Beobachtungen und darüber hinaus anhand der paläomagnetischen Daten; beides weist auf ähnliche Deutungen hin. Die Lage des Paläoäquators und des Paläobreitenkreises 20° S zeigt an, daß die Nubische Serie in der Umgebung des damaligen Äquators abgelagert wurde. Die paläomagnetischen Ergebnisse bestätigen frühere afrikanische Daten, nach denen keine Kontinentaldrift für diesen Raum zwischen 210 und 110 Mill. Jahren stattfand, und erweitern diese Periode bis 85 Mill. Jahre. Es wird angenommen, daß die Nubische Serie in tropischem bis subtropischem Klima abgelagert wurde, und zwar unter den verschiedensten kontinentalen Ablagerungsbedingungen.

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Résumé Le présent travail est le résultat des recherches paléomagnétiques effectuées sur le grès nubien crétacé, les volcanites associées et les minerais de fer hématitiques et oolithiques dans le désert oriental de l'Egypte. La paléogéographie du grès nubien, surtout celui du désert oriental, est discutée à la lumière des différentes observations géologiques variées et, en outre, des données paléomagnétiques; toutes deux concluent a la même signification. La position du paléoéquateur et de la paléolatitude 20° S montre que la série nubienne a été déposée dans le domaine proche de l'équateur relatif à cette époque.Les résultats paléomagnétiques corroborent les données africaines antérieures d'après lesquelles il n'y aurait pas eu, pour ces régions, de dérive continentale entre 210 à 110 millions d'années; ils prorogent cette période jusqu'à 85 millions d'années.On admet que le grès nbien fut déposé sous le climat tropical à sub-tropical et effectivement sous les différentes conditions de dépôt continentales.

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Present recharge of an aquifer in a semi-arid region: an example from the Turonian limestones of the Errachidia basin, Morocco

 The Errachidia basin is composed of three superposed aquifers (Senonian, Turonian limestones and Infracenomanian). The Liassic limestone of the upper Atlas borders the northern part of the basin. The piezometric map of the Turonian aquifer displays a north-south flow, with an inflow area from the Atlas. This recharge hypothesis is demontrated by a discriminant analysis performed on chemical data: the majority of the spots are of sodium choride and hydrogenocarbonate types, while several boreholes are assigned to a calcium hydrogenocarbonate type Jurassic component. ¹⁸O measurements, using the Atlasic gradient δ¹⁸O=–4.18–0.0027 x elevation to estimate the recharge areas, confirm that the recharge area is the basin itself (<1100 m) on the Turonian outcrops, while in the confined part, the Turonian is recharged higher than 1400 m (corresponding to the Atlas). This contribution ranges from 56 to 85%, according to the situation versus the piezometric inflow area. The remainder represents infiltration and vertical leakage from the Senonian layers.     

Eight new magnetic stars with large continuum depressions

Observations with the 6-m telescope revealed eight new magnetic, chemically peculiar stars: HD 29925, HD 40711, HD 115606, HD 168796, HD 178892, HD 196691, HD 209051, and BD+32°2827. Zeeman observations of all these objects have been carried out for the first time. We selected candidates by analyzing the depression profile at a wavelength of λ5200 Å. This technique for selecting candidate magnetic stars was shown to be efficient: we found magnetic fields in 14 of the 15 objects that we selected for our observations with a Zeeman analyzer. A maximum longitudinal field strength B _e exceeding 8 kG was found in HD 178892; in HD 209051 and HD196691, B _e reaches 3.3 and 2.2 kG, respectively. For the remaining stars, we obtained lower limits of the longitudinal field (more than several hundred G).     

Effect of seabed instability on fixed offshore platforms

Storms, hurricanes, and earthquakes may cause seabed instability, especially if the seabed is weak. The seabed instability, manifested in movement of soil layers, exerts lateral forces that may cause large stresses in offshore foundations. The induced stresses may compromise the stability of the foundation and supported structure. The effect of seabed instability on a fixed offshore structure is examined in this study. The method used accounts for soil nonlinearity, dynamic soil resistance, and pile–soil–pile interaction within the stable soil layer. Dynamic p–y curves, dynamic t–z curves and q–z curves have been used to simulate the soil resistance in the lateral and axial directions. The effect of different parameters that influence the response of offshore structures to seabed instability is evaluated. The parameters considered include the value of soil movement, the sliding layer depth, the wave loading, the pile flexibility, the soil movement profile, and the axial loading at the pile head. The response predicted using the proposed analysis compared well with that calculated using a boundary element solution for a case history of a failed offshore platform.     

阿尔泰额尔齐斯带东段酸性岩墙群地球化学特征及其地质意义

野外地质调查发现在阿尔泰南缘额尔齐斯构造带东段、额尔齐斯活动断裂与富蕴-锡泊渡断裂之间发育了一套未变形的酸性岩墙群。岩墙群侵位于海西期片麻岩化花岗岩和上石炭统深变质的额尔齐斯组岩层中,薄片鉴定和岩石地球化学分析确定为具有细晶结构的流纹斑岩。岩石的SiO_2含量为70.9%～75.38%,K_2O Na_2O含量为7.55%～8.99%;大部分样品Na_2O>K_2O,里特曼指数值为1.8～2.5之间,Al_2O_3=12.80%～14.53%,A/CNK=0.9～1.1,NK/A=0.7～0.9,具有准铝质—弱过铝质、低镁、高钾钠、低钙和锶、高(Fe)_(mol)/(Mg)_(mol)特点,具A型花岗岩类特点,属于亚碱性脉岩。岩石轻稀土富集,大离子亲石元素相对富集,具有明显的中等负铕异常,壳源特征明显。锆石U-Pb二次粒子微探针测年显示岩墙群形成于277～286Ma。推断岩墙是阿尔泰海西期造山运动结束后,在拉张构造环境下的地壳局部熔融产物。