Food Security of Shifting Cultivation Systems： Case Studies from Luang Prabang and Oudomxay Provinces, Lao PDR

Introduction The shifting cultivation system is one of the most important agricultural systems in Luang Prabang and Oudomxay provinces, where many production systems are found in the uplands. The factors, determining the systems, include ethnicity,Journal…     

A study on wetland classification model of remote sensing in the Sangjiang plain

1　ＩＮＴＯＤＵＣＴＩＯＮＷｅｔｌａｎｄｃａｎｐｅｒｆｏｒｍｅｎｏｒｍｏｕｓｆｕｎｃｔｉｏｎｓｉｎｒｅ ｓｏｕｒｃｅａｎｄｅｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔａｄｊｕｓｔｍｅｎｔ ,ａｎｄｉｔｉｓｏｎｅｏｆｔｈｅｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｔｅｃｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌｅｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔｓｔｈａｔｈｕｍａｎｂｅ ｉｎｇｓｒｅｌｙｏｎ .Ｉｎｔｅｒｎａｔｉｏｎａｌｃｏｍｍｕｎｉｔｉｅｓｈａｖｅａｌｒｅａｄｙｐａｉｄ ｇｒｅａｔａｔｔｅｎｔｉｏｎｔｏｔｈｅｗｅｔｌａｎｄｒｅｓｅａｒｃｈ ,ａｎｄｓｏｍｅｆｏｒｅｉｇｎｅｒｓｈａｖｅｄｏｎｅ…     

砷污染生态效应及水土体系中砷的治理对策研究

针对土壤砷污染严重的环境问题，通过分析砷的环境分布及砷化合物的主要环境性质，探讨了砷的土壤环境容量、土壤中的行为及砷对作物生态效应等问题，进一步研究了土壤砷的来源和存在形态、土壤中砷污染对农作物生长发育的影响及在作物体内的累积规律，提出了严禁随意排放、控制含砷农药使用量以及施加石灰固定土壤中砷的防治措施。     

Studies on the effects of polyaspartate protease fertilizer enhancer in the absorptions of soil nutrition and the enzymatic activities of crops

1　Introduction　Chinaisboththelargestproducerandthelargestconsumerofchemicalfertilizersintheworld .Since1984 ,Chineseconsumptionofchemicalfertilizerhasincreasedmorethanonetimes ,fromabout 17millionmetrictonsto 35millionmetrictons .However ,dur ingthesameperiod ,theyieldoffoodproductionhasincreasedonlyabout 10 % .Thediscrepancybetweenfertilizerconsumptionandyieldincreasehasindicatedthedrasticdecreaseofthebenefitsofchemicalfertiliz ers .Infact ,theutilizationefficiencyofnitrogenfer tilizerinC…     

A STUDY ON BUFFERING CAPACITY OF THE FOREST SOIL AGAINST ACIDIC PRECIPITATION IN SEVERAL AREAS OF CHINA

Soil samples from several forest areas in China were analyzed by X-ray powder diffractometry after mineral separation and enrichment. The density gradient separation method with sequential extraction by acetone-methylene iodide mixtures was applied for the separation of fine sand fraction of soil samples. The clay fraction (< 2μm) was separated from silt fraction of soil samples prior to examination. Mineral components in some fine sand and clay samples were compared, and their weathering potentiality and buffering capacity against acidic precipitation were discussed.     

Effects of terracing and agroforestry on soil and water loss in hilly areas of the Sichuan Basin,China

Soil erosion in hilly areas of the Sichuan Basin is a serious concern over sustainable crop production and sound ecosystem. A 3-year experiment was conducted using the method of runoff plots to examine the effects of terracing and agroforestry in farmland systems on soil and water conservation of slope fields in the hilly areas in Jianyang County, Sichuan Province, Southwestern China. A power function （Y = aX^b） can statistically describe the relationship between water runoff （Y） and rainfall （X）. The regression equation for the treatment of sloping terraces with crops （Plot 2） is remarkably different from that for the treatment of sloping terraces with grasses and trees （Plot 1） and the conventional up- and down-slope crop system （Plot 3） regarding equation coefficients, while regression equations are similar between Plot 1 and Plot 3. Water runoff amount and runoff coefficient of slope fields increased by 21.5-41.0 % and 27.5 - 69.7 % respectively, compared to those of sloping terraces, suggesting that terracing notably reduced the water runoff in the field. In the case of sloping terraces, lower amount of water runoff was observed on sloping terraces with crops than on sloping terraces with grasses and trees. Sediment yields on the slope fields in the normal year of rainfall distribution were notably higher （34.41 - 331.67 % and 37.06-403.44 % for Plot 1 and Plot 2, respectively） than those on sloping terraces, implying that terracing also plays a significant role in the reduction in soil erosion. It is suggested that terracing with crops is significantly effective for soil and water conservation in cultivated farmland, while the conventional practice of up- and down- slope cultivation creates high rates of water runoff and soil sediment transport. Terracing with grasses and fruit trees shows a less reduction in water runoff than terracing with crops, which was observed in the 3-year experiments.     

Influence of livestock soil eutrophication on floral composition in the Pyrenees mountains

Livestock behaviour in the Pyrenees includes free grazing and a long resting period that provokes the accumulation of dung and urine in some places,so-called camping areas. The aims of this study were （i） to analyze any change in floral composition,and in nutritional and chemical contents of plants in a livestock camping area; and （ii） to relate the floral composition with soil chemical properties. In a linear transect,five sampling zones were established,from the centre of the camping area to the surrounding Nardus stricta-dominant pasture. The above ground plant biomass and the topsoil were sampled in each zone with 6 replicates per zone. Plant species were classified and weighed to calculate above ground biomass,nutritional and chemical contents,and Shannon diversity and evenness indices. Additionally,soils were sampled in two periods,at the beginning and at the end of grazing period. Soil available nutrients （nitrate,ammonium,phosphorus,potassium,calcium and magnesium）,total nitrogen,organic carbon and pH were measured.
Plant chemical contents （protein,lignin and others） were significantly related to the proportions of grasses,legumes and other plants; so,the protein content is positively correlated with legumes plant biomass while lignin content is negatively correlated with grasses. Both plant and soil nutrients increased linearly towards the centre of the camping area. However,the relationship among plant species richness,diversity and evenness relative to its position along the studied transect was bell-shaped. From the outskirts to the centre of the camping area,plants with low nutrient demand were progressively replaced by those with medium and high nutrients demand and by pioneers.
Nardus stricta-dominant pasture has low plant diversity and plant nutrient content as well as a poor soil nutrient availability. The presence of the camping area introduced patches with more soil nutrients and new species in the large spatial scale. However at a small spatial scale,the strong soil nutrien