Promoting social justice and conserving montane forest environments: a case study of Nepal's community forestry programme

This paper analyses participatory forest policy and the ways it has influenced the relationships between people as it relates to the forest resource management. This case study was conducted in the middle hills of Nepal, and information was collected through direct observation, individual interviews, group discussion and secondary information analysis. It substantiates a few examples of how the community forestry programme can be used as a means to promote the participation of the women, the poor and dalit (untouchables) in forest resource management, as well as enhancing social justice and improving the forest resources in their locality. However, it also demonstrates that though the community forestry programme has a positive impact, it faces several constraints and challenges. The local Forest User Group is controlled by a few élites making the poor and disadvantaged vulnerable to further marginalization. The results of the case study strongly indicate that community forestry processes must address the political, economic and social needs of the forest users, and also provide a neutral platform on which the poor can present their cases.     

Alpine medicinal plant trade and Himalayan mountain livelihood strategies

Commercial alpine medicinal plants are collected from the wild by local rural households throughout the Himalaya and sold in order to increase household incomes. Recent studies indicate that this annual trade amounts to thousands of tonnes of roots, rhizomes, tubers, leaves, etc., worth millions of US dollars. The main market is in India. Based on a national survey, including the most commonly traded species, and a village study this paper investigates the importance of the alpine medicinal plant trade at national and local levels in Nepal. The national survey included standardized open-ended interviews with 232 harvesters, 64 local traders, 66 central wholesalers, 47 regional wholesalers, and 16 production companies. The village survey is based on the daily records of household activities in 15 households in a one-year period. The annual Nepalese alpine and sub-alpine medicinal plant trade is conservatively estimated to vary from 480 to 2500 t with a total harvester value of US$0.8–3.3 million; the average harvester value is estimated at US$66.0 ± 99.0. The trade in 1997/98 amounted to 1600 t with a harvester value of US$2.3 million and an export value equivalent to 2.5% of total export from Nepal. Medicinal plant harvesting was found to constitute an integrated part of local livelihood strategies, contributing from 3 to 44% (average of 12%) of the annual household income. Importance at household level depended on land and animal holdings, and the availability of adult male labour. The validity and reliability of methods and analyses is evaluated, and issues of conservation and management of alpine medicinal plant species under the community forestry scheme are discussed.     

叠溪地震的今昔--为建立叠溪地质公园进言

1933年8月25日的叠溪大地震，产生了众多的地震效应现象，如陷落槽、地震湖等。地震湖的震后效应尤为深远，在其后60多年溃堤了4次，给湖下游人民的生命财产造成严重损失。而各种地震遗迹独具特色，尤其是大小海子湖妩媚的湖光山色及众多的陷落槽等现象，具有很高的科考和旅游价值。笔者对建立叠溪地质公园提出了建议。     

现代抗震设计理论的发展过程

介绍了现代抗震设计理论的发展过程，基于性态的抗震设计理论的提出背景、发展情况及研究内容；详细介绍了基于性态的抗震设计理论的抗震设防方法；指出了基于性态的抗震设计理论与传统抗震设计理论的主要区别及特点。     

关于加强地震预报基础研究的思考

回顾了国内外地震预报研究40年的经历和现状，指出几十年来所取得的科学进展与突破地震预报的科学目标之间还有相当的距离。文章分析了地震预测中的科学难点，提出了加强地震预测基础研究的重要性和必要性，并指出了加强地震预报基础研究的若干科学问题。     

2003年新疆石河子5.4级地震前地震活动异常分析

分析了2003年2月14日石河子5．4级地震前北天山地震活动图像和地震学参数异常过程。5．4级地震发生在2002年北天山4级地震集中活动区空段，震前12项地震学参数时间进程存在中、短期异常，3项地震波参数出现短期异常。震前3个月乌鲁木齐震情窗出现超警戒线异常。震前10天震中附近地区地震和震群活动显著。     

乌鲁木齐10号泉流量变化的多尺度小波分析与异常识别

结合10号泉开始观测以来的震例，利用基于小波分析的多尺度分析原理对乌鲁木齐10泉流量的日均值观测序列进行了分析，总结了10号泉流量多尺度分析结果的映震特征。10号泉流量的地震前兆异常绝大多数是高值异常且具有较好的重复性，即一般都是在高值异常结束后几个月之内发生地震，个别情况下地震会发生在高值异常持续时段内。初步可以认定，利用基于小波变换的多尺度分析原理将流量数据分解成若干频段后，能够较好地识别和提取流量原始测值中不易分辨的震前异常。     

b值在地震预测中的三类应用及其物理基础与须注意的问题

将b值在地震预测中的直接应用归为三类：1）根据b值的动态变化预测地震。2）根据G－R律求出各级地震平均复发周期或年均发生率，推测未来一定时段如50年或100年内发生各级地震的危险性。3）根据G－R直线在横轴的截距，预测强余震的震级。讨论了这三种用法的物理基础及现有工作中容易出现的问题。