Genetic techniques for livestock breeding: Restructuring institutional relationships in agriculture

This paper explores some of the key institutional transformations in livestock breeding associated with the increasing significance of genetic techniques, situating this within an assessment of an emerging agricultural bioeconomy. Focusing on beef cattle and sheep breeding in the United Kingdom, the paper examines how a move towards the involvement of international and corporate interests in livestock breeding is restructuring the network of institutional interests affecting the knowledge and decision making of individual breeders. The paper suggests that the structural transformation of beef cattle and sheep breeding is complicated by the need for negotiation between breeders’ ‘traditional’ knowledge-practices and the ‘geneticised’ techniques being made available to them. We are thus seeing the emergence of new and complex interactions between the major actors which are reconfiguring power relationships in the UK livestock breeding sector.     

Contested H2O: Science, policy and politics in water resources management in Chile

This paper critically explores the politics that mediate the use of environmental science assessments as the basis of resource management policy. Drawing on recent literature in the political ecology tradition that has emphasised the politicised nature of the production and use of scientific knowledge in environmental management, the paper analyses a hydrological assessment in a small river basin in Chile, undertaken in response to concerns over the possible overexploitation of groundwater resources. The case study illustrates the limitations of an approach based predominantly on hydrogeological modelling to ascertain the effects of increased groundwater abstraction. In particular, it identifies the subjective ways in which the assessment was interpreted and used by the state water resources agency to underpin water allocation decisions in accordance with its own interests, and the role that a desocialised assessment played in reproducing unequal patterns of resource use and configuring uneven waterscapes. Nevertheless, as Chile’s ‘neoliberal’ political-economic framework privileges the role of science and technocracy, producing other forms of environmental knowledge to complement environmental science is likely to be contentious. In conclusion, the paper considers the potential of mobilising the concept of the hydrosocial cycle to further critically engage with environmental science.     

Timings of early crustal activity in southern highlands of Mars:Periods of crustal stretching and shortening

Extensional and compressional structures are globally abundant on Mars. Distribution of these structures and their ages constrain the crustal stress state and tectonic evolution of the planet. Here in this paper, we report on our investigation over the distribution of the tectonic structures and timings of the associated stress fields from the Noachis-Sabaea region. Thereafter, we hypothesize possible origins in relation to the internal/external processes through detailed morphostructural mapping. In doing so, we have extracted the absolute model ages of these linear tectonic structures using crater size-frequency distribution measurements, buffered crater counting in particular. The estimated ages indicate that the tectonic structures are younger than the mega impacts events(especially Hellas) and instead they reveal two dominant phases of interior dynamics prevailing on the southern highlands, firstly the extensional phase terminating around3.8 Ga forming grabens and then compressional phase around 3.5-3.6 Ga producing wrinkle ridges and lobate scarps. These derived absolute model ages of the grabens exhibit the age ca. 100 Ma younger than the previously documented end of the global extensional phase. The following compressional activity corresponds to the peak of global contraction period in Early Hesperian. Therefore, we conclude that the planet wide heat loss mechanism, involving crustal stretching coupled with gravitationally driven relaxation(i.e.,lithospheric mobility) resulted in the extensional structures around Late Noachian(around 3.8 Ga). Lately cooling related global contraction generated compressional stress ensuing shortening of the upper crust of the southern highlands at the Early Hesperian period(around 3.5-3.6 Ga).     

测绘类专业“地球科学概论”理论教学的若干思考

以"地球科学概论"课程角色及测绘类专业特征为基础,分析并给出了测绘类专业发展能够拓展"地球科学概论"教学内容的3个实例,进而对测绘类专业"地球科学概论"课程的理论教学进行了一些思考,能够为相关专业开展该课程教学提供参考。     

论地球空间信息科学的形成

从分析地球空间信息科学与全球变化监测和社会可持续发展的关系出发,回顾了地球空间信息科学产生的背景,提出地球空间信息科学的定义及内涵,概括了学科当前的发展状况,提出了现阶段学科研究的主要内容,最后,展望了地球空间信息科学的发展。     

The progress of human geography in China under the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China

This paper analyzes the role of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) in advancing human geography in China by focusing on five key research areas: land use, urban systems and urban agglomeration, economic globalization, climate change and social and cultural geographies. All NSFC-funded human geography programs related to these five topics from 1986 to 2017 comprise the sample for analysis, and the research topics, content, teams, and peer-reviewed journal publications supported by these programs are investigated. Specifically, this paper analyzes the NSFC’s promotion of the expansion of research topics in response to national developmental needs and the shifting frontiers of human geography research internationally, its enhancement of interdisciplinary research, and its contributions to the assembly of specialized research teams. The paper also reports important progress in Chinese human geography over the past 30 years through the institutional lens of the NSFC, revealing major characteristics and trends in the discipline. The paper concludes by calling for further collaboration between the research community and the NSFC for the development of a locally suitable and globally influential Chinese human geography.     

国家自然科学基金项目资助的地貌学研究现状与效应

通过对2010-2015年国家自然科学基金资助下地貌学研究项目的总体状况、项目类型、依托单位、研究区域、人才队伍、研究热点、成果产出、获奖及社会效应等方面的分析,归纳概括地貌学的研究现状与态势等。结果表明：近5年来,地貌学获得的资助项目呈上升趋势,相关研究不断深入,各类研究团队显著壮大;研究系统已由高等院校为主逐渐发展成高等院校与科研机构并行的格局;不同地域地貌学研究的发展程度、研究对象及热点问题均表现出一定的区域不均衡性;构造、河流水文、黄土、冰川、风沙等是目前中国地貌学研究的主体方向。从资助项目的研究成果和产生效应来看,地貌学研究得到恢复和较快速发展,发表论文的数量和质量稳步提升,资助项目成果获奖层次高、社会效益显著。     

论江西气象科技创新体系改革与建设

对江西气象科技创新体系改革与建设的内容和方向进行了论述,认为江西气象科技创新体系改革与建设,应坚持“自主创新,重点跨越,支撑发展,引领未来”的科技发展方针,明确科技型、基础性社会公益事业定位,深入实施科技兴气象战略,深化气象科技体制改革,加强原始创新、集成创新和引进消化吸收再创新;促进业务与科研的结合,形成科技创新引领事业发展的研究型业务,提升气象科技创新能力,提高气象科技水平和气象业务的科技含量,提高气象队伍素质,培养造就具有创新能力、既懂科研又懂业务的学科、技术带头人和复合型人才。     

数字地球及其对地震科学的影响

本文综述和探讨了数字地球概念的起源、内涵及其相关的关键技术,以及数字地球对地震科学发展的作用和影响。     

Investigating Bermuda's pollution history through stable isotope analyses of modern and museum-held gorgonian corals

For centuries, Bermuda has been challenged with wastewater management for the protection of human and environmental health. By quantifying the δ¹⁵N of the common sea fan Gorgonia ventalina sampled from 30 sites throughout Bermuda we show that sewage-derived nitrogen is detectable on nearshore coral reefs and declines across the lagoon to the outer rim. We also sampled gorgonians from two museum collections representing a 50y time-series (1958–2008). These samples revealed an increase in δ¹⁵N of > 4.0‰ until the mid-1970s, after which δ¹⁵N values slowly declined by ~ 2.0‰. A δ¹⁵N chronology from a gorgonian skeleton exhibited a similar decline over the last 30–40 years of approximately 0.6‰. We conclude that policies have been effective in reducing sewage impacts to Bermudian reefs. However, significant sources of sewage pollution persist and are likely have a strong impact on harbor and nearshore coral communities and human health.