Effects of grazing and climate change on sandy grassland ecosystems in Inner Mongolia

To understand the effects of grazing activities and climate change on sandy grassland ecosystems in northern China, a livestock field grazing and enclosure experiment was conducted from 1992 to 2006 in Horqin Sand Land, Inner Mongolia. The results showed that sustained heavy grazing resulted in serious degradation of the vegetation; moderate grazing can maintain vegetation stabilization; and light grazing can promote rapid restoration of degraded vegetation. The livestock productivity was the highest in the moderate grazing grassland, and sustained heavy grazing resulted in rapid decrease of the livestock productivity. Heavy grazing can cause a retrogressive succession of grassland vegetation, whereas moderate and light grazing may promote progressive succession of plant species. The effects of changing climate on succession processes were not significant in the short term; a warm-humid climate is favorable to restoration of degraded vegetation, whereas a sustained warm-drought climate may result in degradation of grassland vegetation. Heavy livestock grazing should be stopped for the sustainable use of grassland; the proper grazing intensity for sandy grassland is two to three sheep or sheep equivalents per hectare in Inner Mongolia.     

Degradation of High Mountain Ecosystems in Northern Europe

Data material of a long-term high mountain ecosystem research project was used to interpret the grazing impact of reindeers. In central Norway investigations were conducted to both, areas where reindeer grazing is excluded, and areas where intensive pasturing is present for a long period of time.The comparative analysis of grazing impact was based on similar environmental conditions. The results were transposed to northern Norway where dramatic overgrazing had been exceeding the carrying capacity. Using landscape ecological mappings, especially of vegetation and soils, the impact of reindeer grazing in different areas became obvious. Non-grazed lichen-dominated ecosystems of the snow-free locations functioned sensitively near the limit of organism survival. These localities were most influenced by grazing as they offer the winter forage to the reindeers. So, intensive grazing in central Norway led to landscape degradation by destruction of the vegetation and superinduced by soil erosion. Those features were comparable to the situation in northern Norway, where a broad-scale destruction of the environment combined with a depression of the altitudinal belts had occurred due to overgrazing. Functioning principles of intact high mountain systems were explained and used to interpret the environmental background for the understanding of degradation phenomena. Finally, the use of a new model calculating the carrying capacity of high mountain landscape was discussed.     

池养条件下军曹鱼仔鱼的消化道内容物

采用光镜解剖观察的方法对池塘培育的1-20日龄军曹鱼仔鱼消化道内容物的种类、数量和大小进行研究。结果显示：军曹鱼仔鱼于2日龄开口，主要摄食桡足类无节幼体和桡足幼体及枝角类；在2～20日龄阶段，桡足类在军曹鱼仔鱼食谱中占据主要成分；从13日龄开始摄食虾、蟹类幼体等大型浮游动物，两个阶段的食物选择性指数存在显著差异。     

POTENTIOMETRIC TITRATION OF CALCIUM IN SEAWATER

Atpasent,thestandardmethodfordetendningcalciuminseawateriscomPlexometrictitrationusingEGTA[ethyleneglycol-bis(2-adrinoethylether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraaceticacid]andGHAtelyoxal-bis(2-hydroxyanil)].ThisInethodwasfirStdeveopedbyTSunogaietal.(l968),sumrnarindbyKremling,andeditalinMethodsofSeawaterAnalySisbyGrasshoff(l983).AlthoughtheendpointreadingsinthismethodarenotquitCsharp,andrnaybeaffCCtedbyoveanstweather,withtheuseofcalctumISEasindicatingeledrode,SCEasreferenceeledrodeanddigitalvoltme…     

HYDROLOGY AND TRANSPORT OF MATERIAL IN THE SERMILIK AREA 1972

Hasholt, B., 1976; Hydrology and transport of material in the Sermilik area 1972. Geografisk Tidsskrift 75: 30–39 København june 1976.

Investigations of water discharge and transport of material have been carried out in the area around the Mitdluagkat glacier in East Greenland. Precipitation and snow-melt were measured and compared with the discharge. The relationship between stage, discharge and concentration of suspended sediments were found, and the results were used to calculate hourly values of suspended sediment transport. In a few cases bed-load and dissolved load were measured at the same time as suspended load. The ratio between the transport components has been used to estimate the total load into the sea.     

调剖技术在埕岛油田的应用及效果分析

基于埕岛油田的油藏特征及海上条件限制,依据PI决策理论,选用酚醛树脂交联体系冻胶,高黏的聚合物乳液为过顶替液,通过分轮次注入对4口井进行了深部堵水调剖。堵水调剖后,油藏水驱效果明显改善。通过对堵水调剖效果的分析研究,对深度调剖技术实施过程中堵剂的用量、冻胶凝固时间及施工轮次进行了总结和探索,对其他海上油田开展堵水调剖具有指导意义。     

Social and ecological constraints on decision making by transhumant pastoralists: a case study from the Moroccan Atlas Mountains

Transhumant pastoralism is an important activity in southern Morocco. Migration pattern of transhumant pastoralists can be affected by physical factors (e.g. droughts and diseases) or socioeconomic factors (e.g. schooling options for children and migration costs). We studied the spatio-temporal rangeland usage of the three tribes Ait Mgoun, Ait Zekri, and Ait Toumert in the south-central Atlas region with a two-fold approach. First, we tracked the migration movements of one representative transhumant herd using the Advanced Research and Global Observation Satellite (ARGOS) collars, which record coordinates from satellite signals. Second, we interviewed herders to obtain information about general grazing practices of the respective tribe and to gain more direct information on motivations underlying decisions. For each tribe we observed small-, medium- and large-scale movements. We found that the most important drivers of migration decisions were seasonal fodder availability and weather conditions in combination with herd-specific risk and cost assessment, as well as personal factors. In conclusion, general migration patterns vary in time, both between and within the tribes, but according to a regulatory framework. Moreover, it appears that both the customary rules and its flexible adaptation to physical constraints are generally beneficial in terms of conservation of the arid and semiarid rangeland resources.