Balancing groundwater conservation and rural livelihoods under water and climate uncertainties: An integrated hydro-economic modeling framework

In arid countries worldwide, social conflicts between irrigation-based human development and the conservation of aquatic ecosystems are widespread and attract many public debates. This research focuses on the analysis of water and agricultural policies aimed at conserving groundwater resources and maintaining rural livelihoods in a basin in Spain's central arid region. Intensive groundwater mining for irrigation has caused overexploitation of the basin's large aquifer, the degradation of reputed wetlands and has given rise to notable social conflicts over the years. With the aim of tackling the multifaceted socio-ecological interactions of complex water systems, the methodology used in this study consists in a novel integration into a common platform of an economic optimization model and a hydrology model WEAP (Water Evaluation And Planning system). This robust tool is used to analyze the spatial and temporal effects of different water and agricultural policies under different climate scenarios. It permits the prediction of different climate and policy outcomes across farm types (water stress impacts and adaptation), at basin's level (aquifer recovery), and along the policies’ implementation horizon (short and long run). Results show that the region's current quota-based water policies may contribute to reduce water consumption in the farms but will not be able to recover the aquifer and will inflict income losses to the rural communities. This situation would worsen in case of drought. Economies of scale and technology are evidenced as larger farms with cropping diversification and those equipped with modern irrigation will better adapt to water stress conditions. However, the long-term sustainability of the aquifer and the maintenance of rural livelihoods will be attained only if additional policy measures are put in place such as the control of illegal abstractions and the establishing of a water bank. Within the policy domain, the research contributes to the new sustainable development strategy of the EU by concluding that, in water-scarce regions, effective integration of water and agricultural policies is essential for achieving the water protection objectives of the EU policies. Therefore, the design and enforcement of well-balanced region-specific polices is a major task faced by policy makers for achieving successful water management that will ensure nature protection and human development at tolerable social costs. From a methodological perspective, this research initiative contributes to better address hydrological questions as well as economic and social issues in complex water and human systems. Its integrated vision provides a valuable illustration to inform water policy and management decisions within contexts of water-related conflicts worldwide.     

气候变化适应行动实施框架——宁夏农业案例实践

宁夏是我国生态脆弱区和贫困区之一,以宁夏为例开展农业适应行动实践具有一定的代表性和示范作用。根据气候变化适应行动实施框架,研究结果表明：宁夏未来气候干旱风险将增加,水资源短缺矛盾加剧,极端气候事件频率和强度加大。未来宁夏北部灌区农业应以发展节水灌溉和高效种植为主,中部以设施农业和牧业为主,南部以发展特色农业为主。气象部门和水利部门对适应技术的适应效果持乐观态度,农牧业部门和林业部门则态度谨慎。适应措施能否实施的首要条件是措施符合国家和地方的政策方针,其次是成本效益;在实施条件中,要求相对比较弱化的是公众对气候风险的认知程度以及措施的灵活调整性。在适应措施选择上,气象服务和种植结构调整成为首选的适应技术,而覆盖技术、节水技术由于更倾向于传统的技术范畴,虽然效果较好,但对其适应优先性选择存在影响。     

河北临城水资源现状分析及节水对策

临城县属于缺水地区,随着社会经济的发展,需水量急剧增加,供需矛盾日益加剧.水资源可持续利用问题亟待解决.农业是用水大户,为实现水资源的可持续利用,论述农业节水几种途径及生活、工业节水的途径,合理开发利用水资源.     

中国农业文化遗产研究的进展与展望

中国农业文明历史悠久,勤劳智慧的劳动人民在长期的生产实践过程中一直在探索适应不同自然条件的农业生产方式,创造了灿烂的农业文化遗产。当今农业发展所面临的面临生态系统退化、面源污染严重、遗传资源丧失、食品安全问题严重等问题,促使人们转而学习传统农业的智慧与经验。本文从基于文献的传统农业文化遗产研究和基于实践的动态保护与适应性管理研究两个方面,较为系统地回顾了中国农业文化遗产研究的主要进展。指出,积淀深厚、成果丰富的农业历史和农业考古研究,为农业文化遗产保护实践和发展生态农业奠定了坚实的基础。2002年联合国粮农组织（FAO）发起的全球重要农业文化遗产（GIAHS）项目,则极大地提高了人们对农业文化遗产价值的认识,使农业文化遗产保护研究与实践进入了一个新阶段,在农业文化遗产的概念与内涵、农业生物多样性、多重价值、替代产业发展以及法律与政策保障等方面都有新的探索。未来研究中应进一步丰富研究内容,改进研究方法,深入开展农业文化遗产的保护和利用的探索等。     

山东省东部地区农业生态地球化学调查与评价

介绍了山东省东部地区农业生态地球化学调查与评价工作取得的一些基本成果以及该区存在的生态地球化学问题。调查与评价结果显示,Zn,Pb,Cu,Se,Cd,S,P,Hg,N,OrgC等元素或指标在表生作用或人类活动等因素影响下,使表层土壤含量明显大于深层;总体上该区地球化学环境质量优良,Ⅲ类和劣Ⅲ类土壤仅占全区总面积的0.13%,主要分布在矿集区和城镇周边,主要污染元素为Cd,Cr,Ni,Hg。浅层地下水大部分元素或指标处于自然低背景含量状态,部分水样总硬度超标,溶解性总固体、NO2-和F-等超标,已不适合饮用。该区存在的生态地球化学问题有：①山地丘陵区土壤pH值低,且表层土壤具有向强酸、强碱两极化发展的趋势,易引起重金属元素活化,危害人类健康;②沿海地带土地贫瘠,N,P和有机质等营养水平多属缺乏级;③莱州-烟台和牟平-乳山矿集区以及人口密集的城镇地带表层土壤Hg,Cd,Pb,Zn,Se,S等元素污染严重。地质高背景、酸性的表生环境和工业污染的共同作用,是造成环境中重金属元素含量较高的主要原因。     

RESTORATION OF SHEEP TRANSHUMANCE IN THE EBRO VALLEY,ARAGON, SPAIN*

For centuries, sheep transhumance has connected the Spanish highlands with the lowlands, creating a livestock system with important social, economic, cultural, and landscape effects. About 5 million sheep were involved in transhumant movements in the mid‐1700s, but transhumance started to decay in the nineteenth century and almost disappeared in the 1970s and 1980s. In the 1980s, transhumant sheep did not number more than 25,000 in the study area; at present the number exceeds 134,000, with herders practicing both descending and ascending transhumance. In this article we provide information not only on current numbers of transhumant sheep but also on the origins and destinations of the flocks. We also confirm that the reputation of transhumance, once regarded as quaint and antiquated, has been enhanced by the ecosystem services it provides and by the cultural and heritage continuities it renders.     

农业文化遗产地文化关键种的概念、内涵和意义

包括联合国粮农组织(FAO)认定的全球重要农业文化遗产(GIAHS)和一些国家农业部认定的国家重要农业文化遗产(NIAHS)在内的农业文化遗产是一种新的遗产类型,通常具有丰富的生物多样性、多元的传统知识、独特的资源利用技术、杰出的文化景观,是一个典型的社会-生态系统。文化关键种作为塑造了一个地区的社会文化特征的重要物种,可以作为研究社会-生态系统保护与恢复力提升的一种独特视角和方法。本文通过系统梳理文化关键种概念的起源与内涵,分析了它们与生物文化多样性和社会-生态系统保护之间的关系,并结合农业文化遗产的基本特征和保护需求,尝试对农业文化遗产地文化关键种给出了定义,即"在农业文化遗产系统内,由生物资源和文化实践紧密结合,对当地社会文化的稳定性产生重要影响且能够促进农业文化遗产保护目标实现的生物文化复合体"。在此基础上,进一步分析了识别农业文化遗产文化关键种对农业文化遗产保护的主要意义:一是通过文化关键种的识别与保护有助于遗产地关键要素的识别和保护;二是利用文化关键种社区认同度高的优势可以调动社区参与遗产保护的积极性;三是以文化关键种的识别与保护为切入点,有助于更好地实现全球或国家重要农业文化遗产保护目标,即保障食物与生计安全、保护生物多样性、促进传统知识与技术体系传承以及维持景观特征等。     

湘西大龙洞岩溶流域农业生态环境与治理措施

大龙洞岩溶流域水土流失与石漠化严重、旱涝灾害频繁,造成该流域这种农业生态环境现状的主要原因是岩溶生态环境的脆弱性和长期的人为干扰。在研究湘西大龙洞岩溶流域自然地理与地质构造、岩溶水资源、土地与植被环境等特征的基础上,剖析大龙洞岩溶流域石漠化等农业生态环境存在的问题,并根据大龙洞岩溶流域农业生态环境特点,提出了有效开发利用岩溶水资源,提高地表水、地下水与降水资源的利用率及生态重建与恢复等措施。      

农业干旱综合应变防御技术研究

针对华北地区农业生产水平和农业干旱特点 ,于 1 996～ 1 998年进行了农业干旱监测预测、秸秆覆盖、底墒科学利用、有限水胁迫效应、深松、多功能防旱剂和有限灌溉等单项农业干旱防御技术试验研究 .在它们的防旱机理、功能和操作技术方面取得了较好的效果 .在此基础上 ,在干旱严重的 1 998～ 1 999年冬小麦生育期内 ,在河南郑州郊区、山东泰安郊区和河北固城 ,根据各地条件因地制宜地对上述技术进行组装配套集成示范试验 .结果表明 ,综合应用这些技术具有较显著的抗旱增产效能 ,小麦增产 1 0 .1 %～ 36.0 % ,耗水量减少 1 .0 %～ 1 9.0 % ,水分利用效率提高 1 0 .6%～ 60 .0 % .     

Recultivation of abandoned agricultural lands in Ukraine: Patterns and drivers

The recent rise in agricultural commodity prices and the expectation that high price will persist have triggered a wave of farmland expansion in regions where land resources are still available. One such region is the former Soviet Union, where the collapse of socialism caused massive agricultural abandonment and where some of these lands are now being brought back into production. Yet, the extent and spatial patterns of recultivation, and what determines these patterns, remains unclear. We examined the extent of recultivation of abandoned agricultural land in Ukraine since 2007 using a new, satellite-based recultivation map and assessed the effect of biophysical and socioeconomic determinants on recultivation patterns using boosted regression trees. We found key predictors of recultivation to be related to the suitability of land for agriculture (i.e., soil quality, temperature). Accessibility to major cities was also important, with most recultivation happening closer to settlements, but this influence varied across Ukraine. Variables related to agricultural management (fertilizer input, mechanization) and demography were negligible in explaining recultivation in our analyses. These factors suggest that recultivation patterns were primarily driven by factors related to land productivity, with recultivation focusing on the most promising areas. Given the remaining large amount of unused agricultural land in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, and considering that much abandonment occurred in areas only marginally suited to agriculture, our findings provide important insights into where recultivation can be expected to happen and thus for assessing the potential socioeconomic and environmental impacts of recultivation.