Carrying capacity of the eastern ecological gradient of Kenya

Kenya's rate of natural population increase exceeds 4.0%/year. At this rate, Kenya's population of 23.5 million will expand to 35 million by the year 2000. Rural migrants are being forced out of the highlands into marginal arid and semiarid regions to the east and south in the eastern ecological gradient including Meru, Kitui, Machakos, and Kajiado districts. The people have become victims of marginalization by which the productivity of a unit of land declines relative to the demands of its occupants. The concept of carrying capacity means the number of people a given area can sustain over the long term. In Maasailand, 3.5 standard stock units (450 kg each) are required per adult equivalent for full subsistence, about 7 cows/person. For the Maasai pastoralists, carrying capacities were examined at 2 levels of subsistence: 100% from the herds and 80% from the herds; 2 technological levels; and population-growth rates of 2%, 2.5%, and 3%/annum. Using the median, 3.5%/year, population-growth scenario these districts will have almost 5 million inhabitants in the year 2000. Poverty at technology level I for 40% of them, or for 2 million people, is implausible. Technology level II implies that current rural-development programs will succeed with technological innovations for farm households, access to credit, and markets for their produce. Level II is likely to prevail toward the end of the century for the majority of farmers. Level III necessitates best agricultural and livestock technology as well as the best management. At most, 25% of the households of the eastern ecological gradient could enter this realm by the year 2000. Current strategies of voluntary family planning, rural development emerging from an antiquated extension system, inability to address inequity in land distribution, and laissez-faire resource management are inadequate to deal with the pace of change.     

茶卡北山锂辉石花岗伟晶岩锂矿化特征及成矿时限

锂是重要的战略金属矿产,锂辉石花岗伟晶岩是锂矿资源的重要来源。近来柴北缘茶卡北山地区新发现锂辉石花岗伟晶岩脉群,本文对区内锂辉石花岗伟晶岩进行了岩相学、矿物学、矿物化学、年代学研究工作,确定了锂辉石花岗伟晶岩的矿化特征及矿化年限。锂辉石花岗伟晶岩存在两期矿物组合：早期由粗粒锂辉石、粗粒钾长石、粗粒白云母、粗粒更(钠)长石、粗粒石英和铌钽铁矿等组成,属熔体结晶阶段产物;晚期由锂绿泥石、富锂云母、蠕虫状锂辉石和细粒他形石英等组成,为岩浆期后热液交代产物。根据两期矿物组合判断存在两期锂矿化,认为早期锂辉石的局部蚀变与晚期锂矿物的形成指示体系内存在锂的活化和再沉淀过程。测得与锂辉石伴生的铌钽铁矿U-Pb年龄为241.0±1.3 Ma,可代表锂辉石花岗伟晶岩熔体结晶年龄,即为早期锂成矿年代,矿床为印支期产物。     

The phosphoric acid leak from the wreck of the MV Ece in the English Channel in 2006: Assessment with a ship of opportunity, an operational ecosystem model and historical data

This study evaluates the ship of opportunity (Ferrybox) concept for both sustained monitoring of UK shelf sea waters and numerical model validation. Release of phosphate from the wreck of a chemical tanker (MV Ece) in the western English Channel (49.73 degrees N, 3.25 degrees W) in March 2006 is used to demonstrate the importance of sustained observations in decision support systems and policy development. The Ferrybox system continuously collects sea surface (5m) data from a suite of autonomous electronic sensors installed on a passenger ferry operating year-round between Portsmouth (UK) and Bilbao (Spain). The detection of anomalously high concentrations of phosphate (1.54mmolm(-3), four times the usual level) and onset of phytoplankton growth close to the wreck site in March 2006 was placed in the context of multiple years of measurements (phosphate, nitrate, silicate and chlorophyll) collected from the Ferrybox system (2003-2006) and the long-term time series station E1 (50.03 degrees N, 4.65 degrees W, 1930-1987) in the English Channel. With regard to decision support, release of phosphate from the tanker is unlikely to pose a threat as phytoplankton growth at the end of winter is not unusual in this region and dissolved inorganic nitrogen rather than phosphate (DIN:DIP=10-18) is likely to ultimately limit algal growth in spring 2006. With regard to policy development, the Oslo and Paris (OSPAR) commissions recommendation of sampling every three years in "non-problem areas" is likely to provide statistically inadequate data, given the interannual and decadal variability identified in the Ferrybox and E1 data: the Ferrybox data show that oceanic winter nutrient concentrations varied by 35-50% between 2003/2004 and 2005/2006 due to deeper mixing of water off-shelf in early 2005/2006 and comparisons between the Ferrybox and E1 years show that the western English Channel is currently experiencing a low in phosphate concentrations similar to those in the 1960s. The importance of Ferrybox data in evaluating the reliability of predictive operational models needed in decision support is also demonstrated, by highlighting both strengths and weaknesses in a state-of-the-art ecosystem model designed for UK shelf waters.     

Identification, definition and quantification of goods and services provided by marine biodiversity: implications for the ecosystem approach

This paper identifies and defines ecosystem goods and services provided by marine biodiversity. Case studies have been used to provide an insight into the practical issues associated with the assessment of marine ecosystem goods and services at specific locations. The aim of this research was to validate the definitions of goods and services, and to identify knowledge gaps and likely difficulties of quantifying the goods and services. A validated theoretical framework for the assessment of goods and services is detailed, and examples of the goods and services at a variety of case study areas are documented. These results will enable future assessments of marine ecosystem goods and services. It is concluded that the utilisation of this goods and services approach has the capacity to play a fundamental role in the Ecosystem Approach, by enabling the pressures and demands of society, the economy and the environment to be integrated into environmental management.     

西藏冈底斯带中西部措麦地区林子宗火山岩地球化学特征及意义

广泛发育在西藏冈底斯带南部的林子宗火山岩被认为是印度与亚洲大陆碰撞的火山作用响应,对于揭示大陆碰撞的时限和过程具有重要的意义。但迄今对林子宗火山岩的系统研究主要局限于拉萨东北部的林周盆地林子宗火山岩的典型剖面,缺乏对冈底斯带中西部地区林子宗火山岩的系统研究。本文在已有区域地质填图研究的基础上,对冈底斯带中西部的措麦地区林子宗年波组火山岩(65～70Ma)进行了岩石学、元素与Sr-Nd-Pb同位素地球化学研究。措麦年波组主要为酸性火山岩、钙碱性和高钾钙碱性系列岩石,比林周盆地年波组更偏酸性,更富碱,显示出更明显的碰撞后加厚背景的火山岩特征。岩石富集大离子亲石元素Rb、Ba、Th、U,富集Pb,亏损高场强元素Nb、Ta、Ti、P,与林周盆地年波组相似,都具有典型的岛弧火山岩特征。措麦年波组火山岩具有更为富集的Sr-Nd-Pb同位素特征(87Sr/86Sr为0.709～0.727;εNd(0)为-9.7～-6.9),相对于东部林子宗火山岩,措麦的岩浆源区中更加富集地壳基底组分,表明冈底斯带南部地壳基底组成的不均一性。若冈底斯带南部的林子宗火山岩底部年龄可以代表印度与亚洲的碰撞起始时间,则措麦地区发生更早,可能预示着印度与亚洲大陆沿着雅鲁藏布缝合带发生的碰撞具有穿时性,中西部地区碰撞时间略早于东部。     

西藏冈底斯仁布-拉萨一带花岗岩基的地球化学及其意义

冈底斯岩基记录了特提斯洋壳俯冲消减过渡到印度与亚洲大陆碰撞的深部过程,可以反演壳幔相互作用和高原地壳加厚的历史。本文对冈底斯岩基中段的仁布岩体和拉萨岩体进行了系统的元素、Sr-Nd-Pb同位素和锆石SHRIMP U-Pb定年与Hf同位素研究。本文测年结果为82～45Ma,仁布岩体和拉萨岩体年龄为晚白垩纪到早第三纪。岩石为含有辉长质和闪长质包体的中酸性花岗岩类,岩石类型复杂。岩石富集轻稀土元素和大离子亲石元素,稀土元素总量较低,具有高场强元素的负异常;Sr-Nd-Pb同位素成分表明新特提斯洋地幔端元的较大贡献,岩石具有亏损的Nd同位素和年轻的地幔模式年龄(εNd=-1.5～3.3,tDM=0.5～1.2)和较大变化范围的正的锆石Hf同位素成分(6个ε单位),表明岩石源区中亏损地幔占有较大贡献,冈底斯岩基显示初生地壳特征。本文进一步揭示出,冈底斯岩基中段存在岩浆底侵与岩浆混合作用,大规模的幔源基性岩浆底侵,不仅导致之后经过岩浆混合形成的花岗岩岩基具有初生陆壳成分,同时也是导致冈底斯南部地壳垂向加厚与增生的重要因素。     

Eradication success down under: heat treatment of a sunken trawler to kill the invasive seaweed Undaria pinnatifida

Eradication of invasive species is difficult in the marine environment, and there have only been a few successes. We report the successful eradication of the invasive seaweed Undaria pinnatifida from a sunken trawler in the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. New heat-treatment methods were developed as the most cost effective and environmentally acceptable option to kill Undaria. Monitoring of the trawler for three years after it sank found no Undaria after the vessel was treated. Key factors in the success of the eradication programme included: early detection, a rapid response, pre-existing knowledge of Undaria, an adaptive management approach, targeting of multiple life history stages, and the cooperation of the vessel's insurer.