Stakeholder perspectives on use, trade, and conservation of medicinal plants in the Rasuwa district of central Nepal

People’s livelihood in several Himalayan regions largely depends on collection, use, and trade of medicinal plants. Traditional use is generally not a problem, but commercial gathering of selected species to meet increasing national and international demand can result in over-exploitation. Sustainable management of medicinal plants requires a clear understanding of the respective roles, responsibilities and viewpoints of the various stakeholders involved. Through personal interviews and group discussions, this study aimed at investigating the views of two stakeholder groups on use, trade and conservation of medicinal plants in the Rasuwa district of Nepal. Local people and district and national organizations agreed that medicinal plants are collected for a combination of commercial and personal uses. Perceptions on market availability differed significantly: 100 % of the respondents from district and national organizations saw markets as easily available, against only 36 % for local people. This could explain why medicinal plants were perceived by local people to contribute less to income generation than to livelihood improvement. Different viewpoints were also expressed concerning the status of medicinal plants in the district: 81 % of the respondents from district and national organizations considered that medicinal plants were threatened, compared to only 28 % for local people. Despite this disparity, both stakeholder groups agreed upon potential threats to medicinal plants: over-harvesting; habitat loss due to land-use change and deforestation; and over-grazing by livestock. Several challenges were identified regarding sustainable management of medicinal plants, such as ambiguous policies; lack of resources, information and infrastructures; habitat degradation; and over-exploitation. Despite these challenges, respondents agreed that the medicinal plants sector offers huge opportunities in the Rasuwa district, given resource availability, community awareness and motivation, and the priority given to the sector by governments and other agencies. Proper collaboration, communication and coordination among stakeholders are needed to grab these opportunities.     

Distribution, use pattern and prospects for conservation of medicinal shrubs in Uttaranchal State, India

The present paper gives an insight into the distribution and use pattern of medicinal shrubs in Uttaranchal State. A total of 222 medicinal and aromatic shrub species have been appended based on secondary information. Euphorbiaceae, Rosaceae, Verbenaceae, and Fabaceae have the highest repre- sentatives of medicinal shrubs. Twenty one families had one species each in medicinal use. Verbenaceae and Euphorbiaceae in the sub-tropical region, Rosaceae in the temperate region, and Ericaceae and Rosaceae in the sub-alpine and alpine regions, respectively, had the highest representatives of medicinal shrubs. The distribution of medicinal shrubs was 42 % in sub-tropical, 29 % in warm temperate, 13 % in cool temperate, 9 % in sub-alpine and 7 % in the alpine region. Of the total species, 70 medicinal shrubs were native to the Himalayas and 22 native to Himalayan region including other Hima- layan countries. The most frequently used plant parts for various ailments were leaves (31 %) and roots (23 %). Most shrubs are being used for the diseases, viz. skin diseases, dysentery, cough, fever, wounds, and rheumatism. The present paper will help in the execution of strategies for promotion and cultivation of medicinal shrubs in Uttaranchal State.     

Water quality, nutrient budget, and pollutant loads in Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) farms around East Taihu Lake

To understand the factors causing frequent outbreaks of harmful algae blooms in the Taihu Lake, China, we studied water quality and nutrient budget in Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) farm ponds in the eastern part of the lake from November 2007 to December 2009. We estimated the nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) loads. Materials input and output ponds, water exchange, and applied management practices of 838.5-hm2 crab ponds were surveyed using questionnaires. Water quality of 12 ponds, which were located no more than 2 km from East Taihu Lake, were monitored. The results show that water quality in the crab ponds was better than reference data. Feeds, including corn seed, commercial feed, trash fish, and gastropod, were the major sources of N and P input in the crab ponds, contributing 88.7% and 94.9%, respectively. In total, 60.5% of N and 37.3% of P were sequestered by macrophytes, and only 15.7% and 8.5% of them were discharged as effluent. The net loads of N and P in effluent were 16.43 kg/hm2/cycle and 2.16 kg/hm2/cycle, respectively, while the COD load was -17.88 kg/hm2/cycle. This indicated that crab farming caused minor negative impact on the trophic status of the lake area, which was attenuated by macrophytes. However, wastewater purification is still necessary in crab faming.     

Simulating impact of larch caterpillar (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Dendrolimus superans</Emphasis>) on fire regime and forest landscape in Da Hinggan Mountains,Northeast China

Larch caterpillar (Dendrolimus superans) is very common in the Da Hinggan Mountains, Northeast China, affecting fire regime and forest ecosystem change at large spatio-temporal scales. In this study, we used a spatially explicit landscape model, LANDIS, to simulate the changes of fire regime and forest landscape under four larch caterpillar disturbance intensity levels scenarios in Huzhong forest area, northern of Da Hinggan Mountains. The results indicate that larch caterpillar disturbances would decrease ...     

Impact assessment and protection of outstanding landscape integrity in a natural heritage site: Fairy valley, Kanas Nature Reserve, Xinjiang, China

The essential purpose of the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage is to protect the integrity of heritage values. Outstanding landscape is the core embodiment of the aesthetic value of a natural heritage site. This paper proposes a new assessment method from the point of view of the protection of heritage values. It is used to measure the degree of outstanding landscape integrity under the human and natural impact in natural heritage sites. This paper employ three indices, a visual index of outstanding landscape, a harmony index of the artificial landscape and a disturbance index of damaged landscape, to measure the impact of landscape integrity. The impact assessment model is based on a weighted combination of the three indices. The study site is the Fairy Valley, Kanas Nature Reserve, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China. The information employed is derived from field investigation and a Digital Elevation Model (DEM). A comprehensive evaluation of the Fairy valley was undertaken and it was determined that the outstanding landscape values are being compromised. Three protection methods are proposed to reduce the adverse effects and maintain landscape quality, thereby providing site managers with suggestions for the protection of natural heritage values. More broadly, the paper contributes novel methods of landscape assessment applicable to natural protected areas.     

FDTD(2M,2N)的一种实现方法

提出了实现高阶时域有限差分法FDTD（2M，2N）的一种方法，把对时间的高阶差分转化为对空间的差分，相对于FDTD（2，2N），并不增加存储量。数值实验证明了这一方法的有效性。     

Role of debris flow on the change of ~(10)Be concentration in rapidly eroding watersheds: a case study on the Seti River,central Nepal

The concentration of cosmogenic 10 Be in riverine sediments has been widely used as a proxy for catchment-wide denudation rate(CWDR). One of the key assumptions of this approach is that sediments originating from sub-basins with different erosional histories are well mixed. A tragic debris flow occurred in the Seti River watershed, central Nepal,on May 5, 2012. This catastrophic debris flow was triggered by slope failure on the peak of Annapurna IV and resulted in many casualties in the lower Seti Khola. However, it provided an opportunity to test the assumption of equal mixing of sediments in an understudied rapidly eroding watershed. This study documents the CWDR of 10 Be to evaluate the extent of the influence of episodic erosional processes such as debris flow on the spatio-temporal redistribution of10 Be concentrations. Our data show that the debris flow caused little change in CWDR across the debris flow event. In addition to isotopic measurement, we calculated denudation rates by using the modeled concentrations in pre-and post-landslide sediments based on the local 10 Be production rate. The modeled result showed little change across the event,indicating that the debris flow in May 2012 played a minor role in sediment evacuation, despite the rapid erosion in the catchment. Our study concludes that although the 2012 event caused many casualties and severe damage, it was a low-magnitude, high frequency event.     

Expansion of Small Terrestrial Mammals and Their Parasites into the Barun Valley (Makalu Mt. Region,Nepal Himalaya) Linked with Changes in Glaciation and Human Activities

The article is based on collection of small terrestrial mammals(Soriculus nigrescens,Episoriculus caudatus, Neodon sikimensis,Alticola stoliczkanus, Niviventer eha and Ochotona roylei) collected in the Barun Valley, east Nepal in the pre-monsoon period of 1973.Zoogeographic and ecological characteristics and altitudinal stratification of these species are analysed, depending both on abiotic(geomorphological and climatic) and biotic(vegetation, and human presence and activities)factors. All the captured mammals were examined for ecto- and endoparasities. Infestations of Trombiculid mites and Ixodid ticks were tightly linked to the local habitat where these ectoparasites must survive during their nonparasitic phase. Analysis of their occurrence completes the reconstruction of migration routes during the expansion of small mammals into the Barun Valley and the exacerbating influence of human activities(summer pasturing,mountaineering expeditions and trekking parties).An indicator of anthropogenic influence was the occurrence of synantropic flies. The potential medical importance of these findings is discussed.It is assumed a possible occurrence of arboviruses transmitted by ticks and also rickettsioses(transmitted by ticks and chigger mites). As far bacteriological infections, plague cannot be excluded.     

海南岛北部种植园土壤中多环芳烃的质量分数、来源及生态风险

海南岛是我国主要的热带农作物种植基地,对海南岛种植园土壤污染物评估具有重要意义。对海南岛北部种植园土壤中的16种多环芳烃（PAHs）质量分数、来源及生态风险进行评估。使用气相色谱-质谱联用技术对咖啡、香蕉、山药、甘蔗、橙子、百香果和石榴种植园中100件表层土壤样品进行PAHs质量分数测定。结果表明,研究区种植园土壤平均∑₁₆PAHs为37.6 ng/g,低于我国土壤背景值和荷兰无污染土壤限值（< 200 ng/g）。三环、四环和五环PAHs为主要组成成分,分别占据∑₁₆PAHs质量分数的25.8%,26.8%和23.5%。源识别显示,种植园内PAHs主要来自机动车尾气排放,部分来自石油产品的泄露及煤和生物质的低温燃烧。生态风险评价结果显示,等效毒性当量∑₁₆BaP_eq低于国家标准,表明土壤中PAHs污染物水平处于可接受范围。      

河南夏馆-二郎坪一带叠加改造型金矿床地质特征及成矿模式

河南内乡夏馆-西峡二郎坪一带金矿床(点)广泛分布,成矿类型多样,产出条件复杂,岩体与围岩接触带以及中元古代和早古生代地层中都有金矿形成.根据成矿物质、成矿流体来源和成矿机制,将产于接触带和地层中的金矿体分为5种类型,它们是在火山、火山沉积和正常沉积等不同背景下,由岩浆热液、变质热液或地下水热液叠加改造(再造)形成的,每类矿床都经历了多期多阶段成矿过程,以后期热液交代、充填成矿为主.构造对金矿形成有明显控制作用,区域性深大断裂控制金成矿带,二级韧脆性剪切带控制金矿床分布,三级层间破碎带、断裂裂隙带和接触带构造控制矿体就位.构造热液的叠加改造或再造主导了成矿作用.     

DNA barcode assessment of Ceramiales (Rhodophyta) in the intertidal zone of the northwestern Yellow Sea

A total of 142 specimens of Ceramiales(Rhodophyta) were collected each month from October 2011 to November 2012 in the intertidal zone of the northwestern Yellow Sea. These specimens covered 21 species,14 genera,and four families. Cluster analyses show that the specimens had a high diversity for the three DNA markers,namely,partial large subunit r RNA gene(LSU),universal plastid amplicon(UPA),and partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene(COI). No intraspecific divergence was found in our collection for these markers,except for a 1–3 bp divergence in the COI of Ceramium kondoi,Symphyocladia latiuscula,and Neosiphonia japonica. Because short DNA markers were used,the phylogenetic relationships of higher taxonomic levels were hard to evaluate with poor branch support. More than half species of our collection failed to find their matched sequences owing to shortage information of DNA barcodes for macroalgae in Gen Bank or BOLD(Barcode of Life Data) Systems. Three specimens were presumed as H eterosiphonia crispella by cluster analyses on DNA barcodes assisted by morphological identification,which was the first record in the investigated area,implying that it might be a cryptic or invasive species in the coastal area of northwestern Yellow Sea. In the neighbor-joining trees of all three DNA markers,H eterosiphonia japonica converged with D asya spp. and was distant from the other Heterosiphonia spp.,implying that H. japonica had affinities to the genus Dasya. The LSU and UPA markers amplified and sequenced easier than the COI marker across the Ceramiales species,but the COI had a higher ability to discriminate between species.     

The Clam Cyclina sinensis (Gmelin) Phylogeography Study with 28S rRNA Gene and Potential of Nuclear rRNA Genes in Genetic Assessments of Molluscs

Intraspecific diversity of molluscan species is usually studied based on maternally inherited mitochondrial DNA,from which only part of the evolutionary history can be reflected.Some nuclear ribosomal RNA genes such as 28S rRNA represent poten-tial candidates that can be easily applied in phylogeography because of lacking intraindividual variation.However,considering their low polymorphism,genetic appraisals on whether and how they can be used in population studies are necessary.Here,we applied a short 28S rRNA to assess genetic patterns of the clam Cyclina sinensis along the coast of China and compared the results with a for-mer study based on COI and ITS-1 analyses.The results revealed the 28S rRNA data set was characterized by an extremely low level of variation,with only seven haplotypes defined for 93 individuals.Haplotype and nucleotide diversity for each population was al-most the lowest when compared with the other two markers.However,the distribution of two dominant haplotypes showed clear geo-graphic patterns,and significant population differentiation was revealed between the East China Sea and the South China Sea.These patterns were highly concordant with findings of the former study that populations of C.sinensis were historically separated by land bridges among sea basins.Our study suggested that although the nuclear rRNAs have shortcomings such as low variation,they have advantages including lack of intraindividual variation and high amplification rates.Applying rRNA genes can enrich the toolbox of nuclear markers in molluscan phylogeographic studies.     

Life cycle and production of chironomidae (diptera) in Biandantang, a typical macrophytic lake (Hubei, China)

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Diurnal variation in relative photosynthetic performance of marestail (Hippuris vulgaris Linn.) Across a water temperature gradient using PAM fluorometry in Jiuzhaigou National Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province, China

This paper reports the first photosynthetic study of marestail in Jiuzhaigou. In this work, we used PAM fluorometry to examine photosynthetic rates of submerged and emerged marestail in three lakes. Three lakes were studied across a gradient of water temperature, with low water temperature conditions in Grass Lake and Arrow Bamboo Lake, and higher water temperature in Five Colored Lake. In the field, electron transport rates (ETR_max) were measured as rapid light curves (RLCs) by in situ yield measurements. Submerged and emerged marestail showed higher photosynthetic activity in Five Colored Lake compared to the other lakes, a response consistent with the adaptation of marestail in Five Colored Lake to high water temperature. The optimal temperature for photosynthesis of submerged marestail in Jiuzhaigou was about 12 °C. Nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) of submerged and emerged marestail increased with increasing water temperature. Maximum quantum yield (F _v/F _m) of submerged marestail in Five Colored Lake showed full recovery at 1700 h due to higher NPQ. Further, the chlorophyll a for submerged marestail was the highest in Grass Lake and the lowest in Five Colored Lake. These results indicate that in different lakes the function of these aquatic plants is associated with a diversity of place-dependent environmental conditions, especially water temperature that leads to pronounced differences in the plant’s ecophysiological reactions.     

Three new species of Batrachospermum Roth (Batrachosper-maceae,Rhodophyta) in China

1 INTRODUCTION The first published records of genus Batra-chospermum Roth in China are from Jao (1941), when eleven taxa were reported. Since then, Shi, Hu and Kumano (1993), Shi (1994a, 1994b), Hua and Shi (1996), Xie et al. (1999, 2003), Xie and Shi (2003) have described in more detail the species from China. To date, 23 taxa of Batrachospermum Roth in China have been reported, of which, B. yunnanense, B. nothocladoideum and B. transito-rium are new species of this genus, and are…