Effect of riparian land use on environmental conditions and riparian vegetation in the east African highland streams

Agricultural land use is expanding and at an accelerated rate. In Ethiopia, most of this expansion has occurred in highland areas and involve deforestation of natural riparian vegetation. However, the impacts on the water quality of streams are poorly understood, especially with regard to the influence of land use patterns on highland streams. In this study, we investigated the effects of land use modifications on the water quality and riparian condition of highland streams and examined whether the preservation of riparian vegetation would help mitigate the negative impacts of intensive agriculture practices. Our results show significant differences in the water quality of streams with different land use. Several parameters commonly used to indicate water quality, such as the concentrations of orthophosphate, turbidity, and suspended solids were significantly higher in the agricultural streams than in the forest stream. The preservation of riparian vegetation in the surrounding highland streams was associated with overall better riparian condition, floristic quality, and water quality such as lower turbidity, total suspended solids, orthophosphate, and higher dissolved oxygen. We conclude, that increases in vegetation cover improved riparian condition and water quality relative to other non-vegetated areas. Therefore, we strongly recommend the preservation of riparian vegetation in tropical highland streams surrounded by intensive agriculture. More studies on the effects of best management practices in areas dominated by agriculture can greatly improve our capacity to prevent the degradation of water quality in tropical highland streams of Africa.     

1963、1976年两次不同ELNino事件的差异以及我国旱涝和台风的对比分析

本文通过对1963、1976年两次ELNino事件的分析指出:两次ELNino事件在很多方面较为一致,其主要差别是ELNino开始的地理位置(主要是经度位置)和海温分布不同。同时,又分析了两类不同型式的ELNino年对我国干旱、雨涝和登陆台风的影响。     

Dealing with drought: The challenge of using water system technologies to break dryland poverty traps

We explore strategies among farmers in semi-arid Tanzania to cope with drought, and investigate if access to a local supplemental irrigation system (the Ndiva system) can improve coping capacity. Results show high dependency on local ecosystem services when harvests fail, and indicate that farmers commonly exhaust asset holdings during droughts. Ndiva access did not have any direct effects on coping capacity, but seemed to have some indirect effects. Drawing on our findings we discuss the complexity of escaping persistent dryland poverty, and outline the circumstances under which small-scale water system technologies, such as Ndiva irrigation, may help.     

Improving marine environmental health through marine citizenship: A call for debate

This paper presents an evaluation of the role of marine citizenship in improving marine environmental health and marine governance. Marine citizenship describes the rights and responsibilities of an individual towards the marine environment, which support the achievement of marine policy objectives at the national level. It is argued that marine citizenship requires an enhanced awareness of marine environmental issues, an understanding of the role of personal behaviour in creating and resolving marine environmental issues, and a shift in values to promote marine pro-environmental behavioural choices. It is concluded that the value shift is likely to be produced by the development of an altered relationship between the state and the individual, in which the expectations placed on citizens by the state are extended to include marine pro-environmental behaviour. The paper is intended to stimulate debate and the authors invite and encourage replies to the ideas contained within the paper.     

Simulation of coupled pelagic-benthic ecosystem of the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass

A one-dimensional coupled pelagic-benthic box model for the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass （YSCWM） is developed. The model is divided into three boxes vertically according to the depths of thermocline and euphotic layer. It simulates well the oligotrophic shelf ecosystem of the YSCWM considering effects of nutrients deposition and microbial loop. Main features of vertical structure of various variables in ecosystem of the YSCWM were captured and seasonal variability of the ecosystem was well reconstructed. Calculation shows that the contribution of microbial loop to the zooplankton can reach up to 60%. Besides, input of inorganic nutrients from atmospheric deposition is an important mechanism of production in upper layer of the YSCWM when stratified.     

勐兴铅锌矿区水文地质条件及水质有害性分析

矿区有独立的水文地质单元,地下水水质属较差一极差类,指出影响水质的有害因素,提出治理建议。     

不同食物与放养水层对九孔鲍生长的影响

采用室内池子多层笼养殖方式 ,以加工海带、鲜江艹离 与 A,B2种片状饲料为饵料 ,试验了不同食物与不同放养水层对九孔鲍生长影响 ,结果表明 :( 1)从壳长增长上 ,海带与饲料 B近似 ,各为 11.3与 11.2 mm;其次为饲料 A,10 .2 mm;而江 艹离 最差 ,仅 7.7mm;( 2 )在体重增长上 ,以饲料 B最高 ,平均每只为 3.3g,其次为饲料 A与海带 ,平均每只 2 .9g,而江艹离 仅 1.8g;( 3)从试验期间所获体重增长比壳长增长看 ,两种饲料 ( B为 2 95,A为 2 84 mg/mm)均比两种海藻高 (海带为 2 57,江艹离 为 2 34mg/mm) ;( 4 )从垂直 11层笼子九孔鲍生长的比较 ,下层的好于上层 ,越是下层越好 ,投喂两种饲料在体重上差别更明显。     

Combining CLUE-S and SWAT models to forecast land use change and non-point source pollution impact at a watershed scale in Liaoning Province,China

Non-point source （NPS） pollution has become a major source of water pollution. A combination of models would provide the necessary direction and approaches designed to control NPS pollution through land use planning. In this study, NPS pollution load was simulated in urban planning, historic trends and ecological protection land use scenarios based on the Conversion of Land Use and its Effect at Small regional extent （CLUE-S） and Soil and Water Assessment Tool （SWAT） models applied to Hunhe-Taizi River Watershed, Liaoning Province, China. Total nitrogen （TN） and total phosphorus （TP） were chosen as NPS pollution indices. The results of models validation showed that CLUE-S and SWAT models were suitable in the study area. NPS pollution mainly came from dry farmland, paddy, rural and urban areas. The spatial distribution of TN and TP exhibited the same trend in 57 sub-catchments. The TN and TP had the highest NPS pollution load in the western and central plains, which concentrated the urban area and farm land. The NPS pollution load would increase in the urban planning and historic trends scenarios, and would be even higher in the urban planning scenario. How- ever, the NPS pollution load decreased in the ecological protection scenario. The differences observed in the three scenarios indicated that land use had a degree of impact on NPS pollution, which showed that scientific and ecologically sound construction could effec- tively reduce the NPS pollution load in a watershed. This study provides a scientific method for conducting NPS pollution research at the watershed scale, a scientific basis for non-point source pollution control, and a reference for related policy making.