Gold mining in Ghana's forest reserves: a report on the current debate

This paper examines the debate surrounding a recent decision made by the Ghanaian government to permit gold exploration – and potentially, mining – in 'protected' forest reserves. In 2001, four mining companies were awarded mineral exploration concessions in forested regions of the country, and have since put forward applications to mine for gold. Notwithstanding the sharp divide in opinion on the issue, the continued uncertainty surrounding the implications of the proposed activities makes further research on the ground imperative in the short term. Work aiming to elicit indigenous perspectives on the projects, as well as research that facilitates dialogue between and/or among stakeholder parties, should be prioritized.     

Dynamics and interaction of organic carbon, turbidity and bacteria in a karst aquifer system

The dynamics of organic carbon (OC), turbidity, faecal indicator bacteria and physicochemical parameters was studied in a karst system near Yverdon, Switzerland. Online measurements and sampling were done at a swallow hole draining an agricultural surface (the input), and two groups of springs (the outputs) that often show bacterial contamination. A fluorescent tracer that was injected into the swallow hole during low-flow conditions first arrived at the springs 10–12 days after injection; the total recovery rate was 29%. Previous tracer tests during high-flow conditions gave shorter travel times. After a major rainfall event, a primary turbidity peak was observed at the springs. It coincides with the rising limb of the hydrograph, indicating remobilisation of autochthonous particles from the aquifer. A secondary turbidity peak occurs several days later, suggesting the arrival of allochthonous particles from the swallow hole. Wider peaks of OC and bacteria were observed simultaneously. Applying methods from molecular microbiology (PCR-DGGE) allowed characterisation of the bacterial communities at the swallow hole and the springs. The results demonstrate that the swallow hole is an important source of groundwater contamination, while its contribution to aquifer recharge is insignificant. OC appears to be a better indicator for bacterial contamination than turbidity.     

Chlorophyll modulation of mixed layer thermodynamics in a mixed-layer isopycnal General Circulation Model — An example from Arabian Sea and equatorial Pacific

Western tropical Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, and the equatorial Pacific are known as regions of intense bio-chemical-physical interactions: the Arabian Sea has the largest phytoplankton bloom with seasonal signal, while the equatorial Pacific bloom is perennial with quasi-permanent upwelling. Here, we studied three dimensional ocean thermodynamics comparing recent ocean observation with ocean general circulation model (OPYC) experiment combined with remotely sensed chlorophyll pigment concentrations from the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS). Using solar radiation parameterization representing observations that a higher abundance of chlorophyll increases absorption of solar irradiance and heating rate in the upper ocean, we showed that the mixed layer thickness decreases more than they would be under clear water conditions. These changes in the model mixed layer were consistent with Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) observations during the 1994-1995 Arabian Sea experiment and epi-fluorescence microscopy (EFM) on samples collected during Equatorial Pacific Ocean Climate Study (EPOCS) in November, 1988. In the Arabian Sea, as the chlorophyll concentrations peak in October (3 mg/m³) after the summer plankton bloom induced by coastal upwelling, the chlorophyll induced biological heating enhanced the sea surface temperature (SST) by as much as 0.6‡C and sub-layer temperature decreases and sub-layer thickness increases. In the equatorial Pacific, modest concentrations of chlorophyll less than 0.3 mg/m³ is enough to introduce a meridional differential heating, which results in reducing the equatorial mixed layer thickness to more than 20 m. The anomalous meridional tilting of the mixed layer bottom enhances off equatorial westward geostrophic currents. Consequently, the equatorial undercurrent transports more water from west to east. We proposed that these numerical model experiments with use of satellite andin situ ocean observations are consistent under three dimensional ocean circulation theory combined with solar radiation transfer process.     

Seasonal and interannual variability of phytoplankton pigment in the Laccadive (Lakshadweep) Sea as observed by the Coastal Zone Color scanner

Based on Coastal Zone Color Scanner data from November 1978 through December 1981, the seasonal cycle of phytoplankton pigment in the upper part of the euphotic zone is established for the offshore Laccadive Sea. Year-round, the pigment content is low and the seasonal range is small, following the pattern of the nutrient-poor Arabian Sea to the west. Apparently, indigenous phytoplankton blooms are absent. July and August, however, were poorly studied because of cloud cover. Interannual differences during the northeast monsoon and the spring intermonsoon periods are minor. The abundant phytoplankton caused by the upwelling off India during the southwest monsoon remains essentially restricted to the shelf, but there are occasional large, zonal outbreaks into the Laccadive Sea, as well as others advected to the south of India. Visual inspection of the raw CZCS scenes for June through November 1982–1985, with almost no data until August or even September, shows such outbreaks of pigment-rich water to be common. Inspection of monthly SeaWiFS images for 1997 through part of 2001 confirms the absence of indigenous phytoplankton blooms.     

东北地区生态环境保育与绿色社区建设

20世纪以来，东北地区资源环境发生了巨大的变化，为全球范围内具有有短时限人地关系高强度作用特征的典型地区之一。区域资源过量消耗、生态环境趋于恶化，可持续发展面临威胁，保育生态环境成为一项十分迫切的任务。建设“绿色社区”，是生态保育的有效措施和重要内容，也是生态建设的一项基础工程，建立绿色社区的目标的营造绿色文化、保育绿色生态和发展绿色经济，建立绿色社区的基本任务是发展生态经济，保育生态环境，解决农村生态环境退化，促进城市可持续发展。提出了绿色社区建设的实施方案。     

新疆塔里木河下游植物群落逆向演替分析

通过对塔里木河中下游沿河植物群落的调查分析及地下水位下降对地表植被生态过程影响的研究，探讨塔里木河下游近几十年来植被的逆向演替过程，并划分出不同的演替阶段。根据草、灌、乔植被对地下水位具有不同的适应能力，塔里木河下游植物群落退化顺序也不相同，首先是草本退化，其次是灌木退化，再者是乔木退化。经调查分析表明，塔里木河下游植物群落的逆向演替顺序为：矫灌草群落阶段→乔灌群落阶段→乔木或灌木少阶段，在逆向演替过程中，各阶段有规律地进行，群落结构特征、种类组成也都发生了明显的变化。     

Religion and technology: refiguring place, space, identity and community

This paper reviews the literature on the religion–technology nexus, drawing up a research agenda and offering preliminary empirical insights. First, I stress the need to explore the new politics of space as a consequence of technological development, emphasizing questions about the role of religion in effecting a form of religious (neo)imperialism, and uneven access to techno-religious spaces. Second, I highlight the need to examine the politics of identity and community, since cyberspace is not an isotropic surface. Third, I underscore the need to engage with questions about the poetics of religious community as social relations become mediated by technology. Finally, I focus on questions about the poetics of place, particularly the technological mediation of rituals.     

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.     

胶茶人工群落在改善山地土壤生态环境上的作用

经过多年的实践和研究结果表明，橡胶(Hevea brasiliensis)—茶树(Camellia sinensis)两层人工群落结构，比单一橡胶种植模式有着明显的改善山地土壤生态环境的特点。胶—茶人工群落对减少水土流失，改善土壤微生物状况，增强土壤地表呼吸强度，促进团聚体形成和提高土壤肥力以及增加单产等方面，均有显著的效果。因此，胶—茶人工群落为合理利用我国西部热带山地资源，开辟了一条新的经营种植模式。     

盐碱化湿地稻-鱼复合生态系统微生物特征

为揭示盐碱化湿地稻-鱼复合生态系统微生物群落结构特征,1994-1995年,对松嫩平原苏打盐碱化湿地稻-鱼复合生态系统水体与土壤中的微生物数量及种群组成进行了初步研究。结果表明,稻-鱼湿地水体中异养细菌数量显著高于稻田湿地(P<0.05),季节变化特点为秋季>夏季>春季。异养细菌的数量分布与鱼产量有显著相关关系(r=0.879)。稻-鱼湿地系统的土壤微生物数量明显高于稻田湿地(P<0.01)。稻-鱼湿地和稻田湿地分别检测出10个和11个属的异养细菌。稻-鱼湿地系统1个生长期细菌的平均生物量为0.973g/m3,生产量为307.5 kg/hm2,所提供的鱼产力为7.0 kg/hm2。