Temporal abiotic variability structures invertebrate communities in agricultural drainage ditches

Abiotic variability is known to structure lotic invertebrate communities, yet its influence on lentic invertebrates is not clear. This study tests the hypothesis that variability of nutrients and macro-ions are structuring invertebrate communities in agricultural drainage ditches. This was determined by investigating invertebrate adaptations to disturbance using insect life-history strategies. Many low-lying agricultural areas contain drainage ditches which potentially provide suitable habitat for aquatic invertebrates. In the province of North Holland (The Netherlands) the extensive network of eutrophic ditches are hydrologically managed, creating seasonal variability of water quality arising from agricultural run-off and the inlet of mineral rich, river derived water. This temporal variability was analysed from monitoring data, collected over a 7 month period (February till August) and covering 84 ditches in three soil regions; sand, clay and peat. Invertebrate diversity was determined as local (α diversity), regional (γ diversity) and species-turnover (β diversity). We ran canonical correspondence analysis and linear mixed models to determine correlations between invertebrate diversity, functional community composition and specific abiotic parameters, including variability (expressed as the Median Absolute Deviation). Invertebrate α diversity was positively correlated to variability in water transparency and negatively correlated to average pH, with the two parameters reflecting a water quality gradient in the environment. Insect life-history strategies expressed adaptations to abiotic variability and harsh (eutrophic) conditions. These adaptations were mainly achieved through good dispersal abilities and developmental trade-offs. The results support measures to reduce influxes of excess nutrients to this network of ditches.     

Influences of agricultural practices on water quality of Tumbling Creek cave stream in Taney County,Missouri

Influences of agricultural practices on water quality of the Tumbling Creek cave stream are of particular interest because of the karst nature of the area and the recent implementation of a Better Management Practice (BMP). Water quality parameters, measured bi-weekly during one year, consisted of pH, turbidity, water temperature, specific conductivity, total dissolved solids, alkalinity, and chloride. Heavy metals, nutrient and bacteria levels were also monitored during the study. Effects of land use were most obvious in turbidity, nitrate, chloride, and bacteria levels. Sites within the recharge area that pose a major threat to its water quality were identified. Results provide a baseline for these water quality parameters and their seasonal variability that can be used in future studies to address the effects of water quality and stream sediment contamination on the caves ecosystem and to determine the effectiveness of the BMP implemented in this karst area.     

福建地貌基本特征与农业生产的关系

本文首先从发展农业生产角度出发,分析了福建地貌的基本特征及其对农业生产的直接和间接影响。继而论述了地貌与农业自然灾害的关系,指出了坡度陡、降水强度大和黑云母花岗岩分布三者相结合的部位是农业生态脆弱的地段。最后,根据福建山河分布格局,提出改善福建农业生态的根本性措施——建立防护林体系。     

黄淮海平原农业综合开发的效益和粮食增产潜力

黄淮海平原经过1988-1993年农业综合开发,取得了明显的经济、生态和社会效益。改造中低产田409万ha,开发区粮食年平均增长率达4.0%,其增产量占全区增产总量的42.5%,农业开发的贡献几乎与传统农业的贡献相等。预测1995-2000年,即使是农业综合开发的规模与前六年相同,但是,由于水利工程效益更充分地发挥和农业的科技含量持续增长,开发区粮食完全可能增产达90亿kg.     

The Significance of Traditional Culture for Agricultural Biodiversity—Experiences from GIAHS

Agricultural biodiversity has a high importance in social-cultural, economic, and environmental aspects, and can help in adapting to and withstanding climate change. Conserving the GIAHS sites and the important components within them can help conserve the agricultural biodiversity and traditional agricultural culture of the whole country. This study considered Ifugao Rice Terraces, Dong’s Rice-Fish-Duck System, and Hani Rice Terraces System as three examples which show that traditional culture can be used to protect agricultural biodiversity, while as a carrier of traditional culture, agricultural biodiversity also conveys and protects the traditional culture of the nation. According to the analyses, through several years of efforts, the status of agricultural biodiversity and traditional culture in them has improved. Then, to further promote agricultural biodiversity conservation and traditional culture protection, several suggestions are made, such as establishing community seed banks; documenting and preserving traditional farming methods, techniques, and tools and developing participatory activities which encourage more farmers to participate in the protection work.     

Suppressive Effects of Traditional Mulching Using Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica) on Solanaceae Crop Diseases

Poaceae plant species, such as silver grass, are commonly used in mulching activities Japan. In contrast, local farmers have traditionally used Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) mulch in the cultivation of solanaceous crops in the Nishi-Awa area of Japan, which is a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems site. We have previously evaluated the positive effects of Japanese knotweed mulching on solanaceous crops, such as eggplants, tomato, and potato. In the present study, we observed that the naturally occurring diseases in the solanaceous crops tended to decrease when the knotweed mulching system was adopted, in comparison to when Poaceae mulch was adopted. In eggplants, leaf mold and powdery mildew decreased under Japanese knotweed mulching. We further evaluated the effects of Japanese knotweed mulching by inoculating test plants with Pseudomonas cichorii. We observed suppression of bacterial disease and tomato mosaic virus under Japanese knotweed mulching and following spraying with Japanese knotweed extracts. In addition, disease-resistance genes were expressed at high levels in Arabidopsis thaliana, a model plant, following treatment with Japanese knotweed extracts. The results suggest that Japanese knotweed has potential applications in future sustainable agriculture activities.     

广东农业水灾的年际分布规律及重灾年份预测

水灾是广东省最严重的农业自然灾害之一,几乎年年都有发生。广东农业水灾的受灾率异常指数和成灾率异常指数的变化规律揭示:过去55年间,农业水灾具有明显的波动性与阶段性,大致以5年为尺度,轻重灾期交替出现;受灾率与成灾率具有同步性,在重灾期尤为明显;1980年以来灾情更为严重,成灾率、受灾率、重灾几率都较大。根据异常指数的变化,建立起农业水灾灰色灾变预测模型,进行重灾预测。结果表明,今后20年将出现4个重灾年份,分别在2007-2009年、2012-2014年、2017-2019年和2023-2025年。     

农业生态系统模式研究的几个基本问题探讨

对农业生态系统模式的内涵及其基本特征、模式的类型划分方法及其描述方法,以及农业生态系统模式的研究内容与方法进行了系统探讨。认为农业生态系统模式具有地域性与适应怀、整体性、时空特性、阶段性、应变性与弹性、相对优劣性等基本特征。文中提出了农业生态系统模式的综合分类即包括区域自然环境特征地貌形态特征产业链结构、时空结构和经营属性在内的五级分类指标。农业生态系统模式的主要研究内容与方法包括模式调查、模式评     

Sustainable or Not? Tourism Development in Agricultural Heritage Sites

Tourism is often considered as one of the dynamic conservation and adaptive management approaches in Agricultural Heritage Sites. It has been over 15 years since the GIAHS programme was initiated in China, and tourism developed quickly in the Agricultural Heritage Sites, to some extent because many researchers consider tourism as a significant engine of the local economy. However, this is contrary to the original intention of agricultural heritage tourism as it was proposed in the first place. Apparently, there are some overt problems during the tourism development process, which are mainly as follows: Some threats to Agricultural Heritage Systems are ubiquitous; The tourism development mode in Agricultural Heritage Sites is questionable; Community involvement is difficult to implement; And the negative environmental impacts are easy to overlook. Under the context of global development, the UNWTO sustainable tourism criteria provide some guidance for agricultural heritage tourism. Based on the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria, combined with previous survey experiences and related researches, this paper analyzes the tourism sustainability of all the 15 GIAHS sites in China, and explores the current sustainable tourism development level. On this basis, an agricultural heritage sustainable tourism development framework was built in an attempt to find the road to sustainability for agricultural heritage tourism. The framework in the global and local contexts is trying to connect all the important elements related to agricultural heritage tourism according to the UNWTO sustainable tourism criteria.     

Controlling factors and environmental implications of mercury contamination in urban and agricultural soils under a long-term influence of a chlor-alkali plant in the North–West Portugal

This study aims at assessing the extent of total mercury (Hg) contamination in urban and agricultural soils under long-term influence of a chlor-alkali plant, located at about 1 km away from a town centre. Moreover, it aims at identifying the main factors controlling Hg contents’ distribution and associated potential hazards to environment and human health. The median value of total Hg for soil surface layer (0–10 cm) was 0.20 mg/kg (data ranging from 0.050 to 4.5 mg/kg) and for subsurface layer (10–20 cm) 0.18 mg/kg (data ranging from 0.046 to 3.0 mg/kg). The agricultural area showed higher Hg concentrations (ranging from 0.86 to 4.5 mg/kg) than urban area (ranging from 0.05 to 0.61 mg/kg), with some results exceeding target values set by the Dutch guidelines. Mercury concentrations observed in the studied area are more likely to be associated with the influence of the chlor-alkali plant and with the use of historically contaminated sludges and water from a nearby lagoon in agriculture, than to the impacts of urban development. The statistical correlations between Hg concentrations and soil properties suggest that anthropogenic metal sources should influence the spatial distribution more than the geological properties. Although the Hg emissions were drastically reduced 10 years ago, the area under influence of the chlor-alkali plant is still facing potential health and environmental threats arising from soil contamination.