Ranching and the new global range: Amazônia in the 21st century

This paper seeks to understand how the Brazilian Amazon, which many thought unsuitable for agricultural development, has yielded to a dynamic cattle economy in only a few decades. It does so by embedding the Thunian model of location rents within the regime of capital accumulation that has driven the Brazilian economy since the mid-20th century. The paper addresses policies that have created location rents in Amazônia, the effect of these rents on land managers, and the spatial implications of their behavior on forests. Thus, the paper connects macro-processes and structures to agents on the ground, in providing a political ecological explanation relevant to land change science. The policy discussion focuses on reductions in transportation costs, improvements in animal health, and monetary and trade reforms. To illustrate the impact of policy, the paper presents data on the geography of Amazonian herd expansion, on the growth of Amazonian exports, and on the profitability of the region’s cattle economy. It follows the empirical presentation with more abstract consideration of the spatial relations between cattle ranching and soy farming, and implications for deforestation. The paper concludes on a speculative note by considering the likelihood of forest transition in the region, given the transformation of Amazônia into a global resource frontier.     

有关辽东五行山群“水母化石”的讨论

辽东五行山群的“水母化石”(以下简称“化石”)是刘桂芝1974年冬首先发现的。后经邢裕盛、刘桂芝(1979)以及段吉业、林蔚兴(1980)的研究、描述并发表。 澳大利亚M. F. Glaessner到化石产地进行考察后认为,五行山群的“水母化石”乃是气体逃逸或水渗漏形成的构造而非水母化石¹⁾。这引起国内地质界的广泛注意。 1981年9月,笔者实地考察了五行山群“水母化石”产地,采集了标本,进行了观察研究。并观察了沈阳地矿所和辽宁省地质局科研队的丰富标本和薄片,得到了较深刻的认识。     

Tea forest in the making: Tea production and the ambiguity of modernity on China’s southwest frontier

The simultaneous but incompatible desires for both “tradition” and “advancement” have produced the “ambiguity of modernity” in the areas of minority nationalities (shaoshu minzu diqu) on China’s southwest frontier. This paper, in accordance, directly addresses the ambiguity of modernity through the investigation of the tea landscape in Yunnan. This essay builds on Aihwa Ong and Stephen Collier’s “global assemblage” framework to analyze the relationship between the “global form” of modernity and the situated assemblages of “ambiguity of modernity” in southwest China. Data are based on ethnographic research in the village of Mangjing, located in Jingmai Mountain, a renowned tea mountain in Yunnan. Most of the villagers in Mangjing are one of the minority nationalities of China, Bulang. I discuss the state-led project in transforming the modern tea plantation for “restoring” a landscape deemed as “ancient tea forest” (guchalin) in Mangjing. In addition, I address Bulang villagers’ and government officials’ multiple responses to the transformation of tea landscapes. I argue that the transformation of tea landscapes has been the practice to turn the “global form” of modernity into the shifting “assemblages” amongst tradition, modernity, science, and nature. The ambiguity of modernity has emerged from the shifting assemblages, providing both the state and Bulang villagers more leeway to symbolically and physically (re)produce meanings for the tea landscapes to meet the contingent market demand for tea. The transformation of tea landscapes, however, has become another process to perpetuate Bulang villagers’ social status of being “low quality” as China’s minority nationalities.     

Assessment of pressures and impacts on surface water bodies of the Mediterranean. Case study: Pamvotis Lake, Greece

The aim of the study presented in this article is to assess the ecological status of a surface water body in the Mediterranean using the methodological approach of Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response. Based on this approach for the case study analyzed (Pamvotis Lake, Greece), it is concluded that the main drivers, which lead to pressures in the study area are: intensive agricultural activities, alteration of hydrological regime, contamination from point sources and changes in the land-use and fish stocking. The ecological status is assessed by analysing data series of physical, chemical and biological elements that are available from early ’80s. Findings suggest elevated nutrient concentrations sufficient for maintaining eutrophic conditions while their seasonal variability is mostly driven by factors as water level fluctuation, catchment runoff and in-lake biological processes. Subsequently, concerning biotic factors, the poor biodiversity mainly represented by the dominance of the most tolerant species, confirm the previous profile. Since, reference conditions have only recently been established in Greece, the ECOFRAME scheme and the guidelines proposed by the “Intercalibration Group for Mediterranean Lakes” were applied. In terms of the above elements; the water quality status could be characterized as “High”, “High to Good” and “High to Bad”, respectively, whereas the overall ecological status tends to shift in poor conditions. Finally, the major response actions needed should be in the direction of reduced application of fertilizers and chemicals in the cultivated land of the catchment, removal of the point-contamination sources from the catchment, appropriate land-use management and biomanipulation.     

Roads, petroleum and accessibility: the case of eastern Ecuador

Oil exploration and production (E&P) activities in remote regions are often considered a catalyst for landscape change through the direct alterations created by infrastructure features, as well as through the accessibility provided by roads. The construction, expansion and improvement of transportation routes in isolated areas can attract newcomers and resource users who engage in illegal logging, poaching, commercial agriculture, as well as planned and spontaneous colonization. These actions can lead to larger-scale surface disturbances that may also affect indigenous territories and natural preserves. However, do these parallel activities and outcomes always accompany E&P development, or can controlled access minimize changes? To answer this question we utilized an “accounting from above” approach that uses remote sensing and GIS techniques to analyze surface disturbance patterns linked to infrastructure features for both E&P and parallel activities. Our study area included four neighboring oil blocks in eastern Ecuador’s tropical forest, displaying three types of E&P development: public-access, controlled-access and roadless. The first objective was to determine the spatial relationship between infrastructure pattern, disturbance regimes and the type of road access for the year 2000 using land-use land-cover maps, soils data, protected areas and colonization zones. The second objective was to examine the statistical relationships between agricultural conversion and the above factors. Spatial analysis findings suggest that areas of overlap where colonization zones, public-access roads and fertile soils meet are most prone to deforestation. Statistical findings from a linear regression model suggest that the presence of public-access non-oil roads are significant at explaining the conversion of natural vegetation (forest) to agriculture, while the presence of protected areas helps explain the conservation of forested land.     

The competitive (dis)advantages of ecotourism in Northern Thailand

Ecotourism within protected areas is paradigmatically considered a neoliberal conservation strategy along with other market-based interventions that devolve authority to non-state actors, rely on market corrections to socio-environmental problems, and effectively try to “do more with less” (Dressler and Roth, 2011) or “sell nature to save it” (McAfee, 1999). However, the neoliberalisation of conservation is a path-based process that is shaped by local histories and on-the-ground engagements with different market forms, and a growing body of scholarship has demonstrated that there are significant gaps between “vision” and “execution” in neoliberal conservation. Through a case study of ecotourism in Ban Mae Klang Luang in Northern Thailand, this research approaches the question of why such programs often fail to reconcile environmental and economic concerns through an exploration of the internal contradictions in the governmentalizing processes embedded within market-led conservation projects. Specifically, I argue that the contradiction in encouraging both disciplinary environmentality and neoliberal environmentality ironically forces conservation and development interests into opposition. Furthermore, ecotourism’s deployment of neoliberal environmentality contributes to the exaggeration of inequality and individualism in the village, creating tensions among community members. Despite the win–win expectations of neoliberal philosophy in conservation policies, the contradictory logics involved call the long-term viability of such strategies into question.     

Water Resources Issues and Control Policy Recommendations in the Process of “Industrialization,Urbanization and Agricultural Modernization” in Henan Province

In the process of “industrialization, urbanization, and agricultural modernization”（he-rein--after referred to shortly as “IUAM”）in Henan province, water resources issues have caused deterioration of water environments and water attenuation. These are the region''s most common and prominent issues, caused by improper activities, water environmental conflict and ignoring the results of local water environment carrying capacity. This environmental problem is getting worse and worse, seriously restricting the region’s “IUAM” healthy development. According to coor-dinated development between “IUAM” and water resources bearing capacity, we carry out the environmental management of water resources policy research and design and put forward some corresponding policies and proposals.     

Rubber tapper identities: Political-economic dynamics,livelihood shifts,and environmental implications in a changing Amazon

Rubber tappers promoted extractive reserves as a sustainable alternative to forest destruction in the Brazilian Amazon. However, the significance of rubber tapping itself has declined since the creation of extractive reserves, which raises questions about the contemporary cultural content of the rubber tapper identity. This paper therefore evaluates rubber tapper identity, using the case of the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve (CMER) in Acre, Brazil. We first draw on household survey data from the CMER to construct a statistical model of who self-identifies as a rubber tapper. The model shows that socio-economic background, household assets, institutional context, and knowledge of the CMER’s management plan are relevant to understanding rubber tapper self-identification, but not resource management practices, including rubber tapping itself. We therefore pursue qualitative analysis of key informant interviews to better apprehend contemporary understandings of the “rubber tapper” identity, particularly in light of recent shifts in livelihoods from rubber tapping toward cattle ranching. The qualitative analysis shows that there are now several different foundations for self-identifying as a “rubber tapper,” and that there are disagreements concerning the acceptability of cattle ranching among “rubber tappers.” These findings bear implications for research on the relationship of livelihood-based identities with resource management practices and environmental change, as well as public policies that seek to reconcile regional development with forest conservation.     

Nutrient Loss from Various Land－Use Areas in Shixia Small Watershed of Miyun County,Beijing China

In the Shixia small watershed,twenty experimental plots and two monitoring channels,the residential area and livestock areas were used to monitor the flow,runoff and erosion,Nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations associated with various land uses were analyzed at the same time.The results are presented as follows:(1)TP ,TN and COD concentrations of runoff samples in the residential area and livestock arease are nearly 10 times those in other land-use areas.High nutrient loads are associated with village land use,which is due to unsuitable livestock rising.These areas should be treated as the critical areas of non-point source pollution.(2)Different land use influences intensity the loss nutrients,especially slope tillings in agricultural land.The amount of nutrient loss from agricultural land per unit is highest,that from forestry is intermediated and that frompastures is lowest,However,in consideration of the variability of land-use areas,agricultural land contributes the greatest to TP and forestry land to TN.(3)The concentrations of TN and TP in sediments from gangues are highest ,those in forestry land are intermediate,and those in agricultural land are lowest.Nutrient loss from hilly areas in much greater than from mountainous areas.     

Assessment of agricultural groundwater users in Iran: a cultural environmental bias

Many environmental problems are rooted in human behavior. This study aimed to explore the causal effect of cultural environmental bias on ‘sustainable behavior’ among agricultural groundwater users in Fars province, Iran, according to Klockner’s comprehensive model. A survey-based research project was conducted to gathering data on the paradigm of environmental psychology. The sample included agricultural groundwater users (n = 296) who were selected at random within a structured sampling regime involving study areas that represent three (higher, medium and lower) bounds of the agricultural-groundwater-vulnerability spectrum. Results showed that the “environment as ductile (EnAD)” variable was a strong determinant of sustainable behavior as it related to groundwater use, and that EnAE had the highest causal effect on the behavior of agricultural groundwater users. The adjusted model explained 41% variance of “groundwater sustainable behavior”. Based on the results, the groundwater sustainable behaviors of agricultural groundwater users were found to be affected by personal and subjective norm variables and that they are influenced by casual effects of the “environment as ductile (EnAD)” variable. The conclusions reflect the Fars agricultural groundwater users’ attitude or worldview on groundwater as an unrecoverable resource; thus, it is necessary that scientific disciplines like hydrogeology and psycho-sociology be considered together in a comprehensive approach for every groundwater study.     

黔桂岩溶山区土地利用变化的社会经济因素分析

基于黔桂岩溶山区1990、2015年的土地利用数据和社会经济统计资料,利用典范对应分析方法对1990-2015年25年间的土地利用变化及社会经济驱动因素进行了实证分析。结论如下:（1）黔桂岩溶山区土地利用变化存在明显的时空分异现象;（2）贵州高原区以草地大幅减少和林地增加为主要特征;黔桂峰丛洼地区以水域面积增加和草地减少为主要特征;广西丘陵区的主要特征是耕地减少和建设用地增加。（3）贵州高原区土地利用类型变化以经济和人口因素为主要驱动力;广西丘陵区土地利用类型变化以经济因素和农业结构水平为主要驱动力;农业因素对黔桂峰丛洼地区的土地利用变化驱动作用明显。未来应提高贵州高原和黔桂峰丛洼地区岩溶山区草地生态功能重要性的认识,在加强森林植被恢复的同时加强草地资源保护;城镇化发展背景下黔桂岩溶山区应减少优质耕地占用,开发低丘缓坡土地,建设山地特色城市。      

“Differentiated citizenship” and the persistence of informal rural credit systems in Amazonia

In the Brazilian Amazon, the long-distance river trading system known as aviamento has linked commodity producers in remote areas to markets in urban centers since the colonial period. Based on a case study from the rural municipality of Lábrea, this article explores continuities and changes in river trading from the point view of riverine residents and river traders. Geographic isolation and seasonal productive needs continued people’s dependence on river traders in 2008–2009, but they had greater choices due to increased access to information, mobility, and alternate markets. Expanded citizenship rights provided access to the vote and to education and other government services, but in a “differentiated” manner that still excluded many rural Amazonians. Given that agroindustry is currently the economic focus for Amazonian development, instead of forest product extraction, these rural producers continued to be forced to rely on informal river traders to meet their needs.     

Agricultural land-use policies i Prairie Manitoba and the farm-size phenomenon

The issues of rural development and agricultural land use planning are topics of growing provincial attention in the Canadian prairies. The focus of this research is an analysis of land-use policies impacting on rural development and an empirical analysis of mechanisms producing instability in the rural areas of Manitoba, Canada.     

Ore-Forming Processes and Dissipative Structures

The theory of dissipative structures is applied in this paper to probing into the dynamics, temporal struc-tures and spatial structures of ore-forming processes and the inherent relationships among them. Areas of oreformation are large dynamic systems in development and evolution. The core of ore formation is the "onset ofore-forming processes". and the crux of it is the "transition from mineralization to ore formation". The theoryof bifurcation and theory of fluctuation make possible the access to the solution of this problem. The multiord-er or successive bifurcation of dissipative structures introduces dynamic geochemical processes into geosciencesand inverses the dynamic evolution and temporal rhythms of ore-forming processes. The localization ofdissipative structures introduces dynamic geochemical fields into geosciences and brings to light the causes andmechanisms of the formation and development of geochemical areas of ore formation (regions and zones of oreformation) and their spatial dynamic patterns.     

Geomorphology and ancient settlements of the Southern Flank of MT. Cairo,lower Liri valley,Italy

The southern flank of Mt. Cairo in southern Lazio edges a valley which forms one of the major passageways from central to southern Italy. The mountainous landscape has affected the settlement pattern, as have historical events such as the Roman conquests and recent socio-economic evolution, which has led to industrialization of a traditional pastoral- agricultural setting. The slopes of calcareous Mt. Cairo are characterized by a cascade of normal faults which delimit landscape units such as the “uplands,” “steep slopes,” and the “mountain rise,” which contains well developed alluvial and colluvial fans. Along the lower mountain slopes, Bronze and Iron Age sites are consistently located higher than Roman ones. Archaeological remains and historical documents indicate that only after the Roman conquest was the agricultural potential of the flatter lower areas fully exploited. Roman villas were characteristically placed on the upper parts of the fans, where both access to different types of land and elevation above the mists of the valley were enjoyed. The Medieval period brought a trend back to higher sites and fortified villages. The uplands remained in use through the ages.     

Silicification,silicosis, polymerization,and aluminosis in geocrystallochemistry of silicates and aluminosilicates

Quantum-chemical interpretations of differentiation of the “normal” magmatic melt (the “Bowen's fork”) show certain defects in the traditionally crystallochemical interpretations of mineral structures and of the sequence of crystallization of minerals. The “dynamic unit,” in transitions from phase to phase and from lattice to lattice, proves to be the uncharged SiO₂ molecule and not the SiO₄ tetrahedron, which is but a static architectural detail of crystal structures. Different mechanisms and types of silicification (figs. 3-8), condensation and structures of the chains (figs. 9-14), structures of zeolites and other aluminosilicates (figs. 14, 17, 18), and the quantumchemical representation of corundum, as “molecular” Al₂O₃, illustrate further reevaluations of traditionalism in mineralogy.     

The key role of supply chain actors in groundwater irrigation development in North Africa

The role played by supply chain actors in the rapid development of groundwater-based irrigated agriculture is analyzed. Agricultural groundwater use has increased tremendously in the past 50 years, leading to the decline of water tables. Groundwater use has enabled intensification of existing farming systems and ensured economic growth. This “groundwater economy” has been growing rapidly due to the initiative of farmers and the involvement of a wide range of supply chain actors, including suppliers of equipment, inputs retailers, and distributors of irrigated agricultural products. In North Africa, the actors in irrigated production chains often operate at the margin of public policies and are usually described as “informal”, “unstructured”, and as participating in “groundwater anarchy”. This paper underlines the crucial role of supply chain actors in the development of groundwater irrigation, a role largely ignored by public policies and rarely studied. The analysis is based on three case studies in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, and focuses on the horticultural sub-sector, in particular on onions and tomatoes, which are irrigated high value crops. The study demonstrates that although supply chain actors are catalyzers of the expansion of groundwater irrigation, they could also become actors in adaptation to the declining water tables. Through their informal activities, they help reduce market risks, facilitate credit and access to subsidies, and disseminate innovation. The interest associated with making these actors visible to agricultural institutions is discussed, along with methods of getting them involved in the management of the resource on which they depend.     

Wallrock alteration at the western system of the CSA mine,cobar, New South Wales,Australia

Petrological and geochemical characteristics of the sequence from chloritic siltstone through “siliceous siltstone” to “elvan”, which occurs approaching ore on the hanging wall of the Western System in the CSA Mine, Cobar, indicate its formation by extensive dilational silicification together with minor addition of S and K very close to the ore. The manner whereby more chloritic members of this sequence developed from ‘background’ muscovite-rich siltstones remote from mineralization is less clear. “Elvan” is not an exhalative chert. The distribution of wallrock alteration products and characteristics of the ores do not support suggestions that Cobar orebodies are remobilized stratiform deposits. Alteration preceded epigenetic ore emplacement in the early stages of a regional metamorphic episode which took place soon after Early Devonian turbidite sedimentation without associated igneous activity. Mineralization is attributed to diagenetic dewatering or metamorphic dehydration of the sediment pile.     

“Blind passes” and the production of green security through violence on the Guatemalan border

Guatemalan protected areas have been sites for genocidal massacres, drug trafficking landing strips, and remilitarized “states of emergency,” but these activities are rarely considered in relation to conservation practices. This paper employs a political ecology approach to analyze interpellations of transboundary spaces as security threats, arguing that threat narratives produce insecurity in conservation spaces. Instead of assuming the primacy of neoliberalism in producing protected areas as sites of violence in the service of capitalism, the analysis traces the changing meanings of security in relation to Guatemala’s borderlands, from Cold War National Security Doctrine to discourses of citizen security in the twenty-first century Drug War. It is in the unmanned “blind passes” (pasos ciegos) of the Guatemalan–Mexican border, rendered as insecure spaces through the state’s putative absence, that policing paradoxically seeks to ensure “citizen security” through violence.