Dynamic evolution of nutrient discharge under stormflow and baseflow conditions in a coastal agricultural watershed in Ishigaki Island,Okinawa, Japan

Excessive terrestrial nutrient loadings adversely impact coral reefs by primarily enhancing growth of macroalgae, potentially leading to a phase‐shift phenomenon. Hydrological processes and other spatial and temporal factors affecting nutrient discharge must be examined to be able to formulate effective measures for reducing nutrient export to adjacent reefs. During storm events and baseflow periods, water samples were obtained from the tropical Todoroki River, which drains an intensively agricultural watershed into Shiraho coral reef. In situ nutrient analyzers were deployed for 6 months to hourly measure dissolved nutrient (NO₃⁻‐N and PO₄³⁻‐P) concentrations. Total phosphorus (TP) and suspended solid concentration (TSS) were increased by higher rainfall intensity (r = 0·94, p < 0·01) and river discharge Q (r = 0·88, p < 0·01). In contrast, NO₃⁻‐N concentration tends to decrease drastically (e.g. from 3 to 1 mg l⁻¹) during flood events. When base flow starts to dominate afterwards, NO₃⁻‐N manifested an increasing trend, but decreases when baseflow discharge becomes low. This counter‐clockwise hysteresis for NO₃⁻‐N highlights the significant influence of groundwater discharge. N delivery can therefore be considered a persistent process compared to sediment and P discharge, which are highly episodic in nature. Based on GIS analysis, nutrient concentration along the Todoroki River was largely affected by the percentage of sugarcane/bare areas and bedrock type. The spatial distribution of N concentration in the river reflects the considerable influence of subsurface geology—higher N levels in limestone‐dominated areas. P concentrations were directly related to the total length of artificial drainage, which enhances sediment transport. The use of high‐resolution monitoring data coupled with GIS‐based spatial analysis therefore enabled the clarification of control factors and the difference in the spatio‐temporal discharge characteristics between N and P. Thus, although erosion‐reduction schemes would reduce P discharge, other approaches (e.g. minimize fertilizer) are needed to reduce N discharge. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Agricultural policy reforms and sustainable land management: a New Zealand case study

This paper examines the link between poverty and land management within the context of New Zealand's almost total removal of subsidies to agriculture since 1984. The impact of these policy changes is explored through the findings from a detailed study of sixteen farms in the North Island hill country. Stress is identified as a primary link between social damage and environmental degradation. This link reinforces the impact of other linkages expressed in reduced production, lower stocking rates, and reduced capital inputs. Deregulation is claimed to be good. This paper shows that in certain circumstances this is not so.     

Issues of Spatial and Temporal Variability in Climate Impact Studies

The accuracy of impact estimates relating climate change to regional-scale agricultural production is constrained by the temporal and spatial resolution of climate change projections. Several techniques have been used to compensate for these limitations in order to provide reasonable estimates of the impact of climate change on crop yield. One approach assumes that variability over time can substitute for spatial variability, thereby reducing the need to estimate the impacts at a spatially dense network of stations—an assumption that has not been generally tested. This study evaluates this assumption using methods similar to those employed in the climate impact literature. The findings suggest that current practices are generally defensible if the goal is to provide a range of possible crop responses to climate change. However, the results also show that the assumption is highly sensitive to specific interactions at the soil-plant-atmosphere interface and, consequently, does not hold under certain circumstances.     

湖北大别山区土地资源生产力估算

本文以湖北大别山区为例,提出了自然条件复杂,资料缺乏的山区土地资源第一性生产力的估算方法,并计算了湖北大别山区土地资源的生产力。即在土地资源带及类型(组合)区划分的基础上,以资源类型(组合)区为基本单元,通过典型地区抽样获取资料,运用多种数学模型测算,并经过综合判定,求得各类型(组合)区,资源带主要作物的第一性生产力。     

用现代企业制度改造和重塑多种经营企业加快发展部门产业经济

地勘经济改革的战略思想是建设适应社会主义市场经济的新体制，将现有的地勘队伍组建为＂地质找矿的野战军＂和＂实行企业化的地方军＂．分别按事业机制和企业机制运行。如何实现地勘单位（地方军）的企业化，笔者认为首先必须用现代企业制度改造和重塑现有的多种经营企业，并分析了困难和有利条件，提出了相应的对策和措施，使多种经营企业真正成为符合现代企业制度要求的经济实体。加快发展部门产业经济，才能逐步推进地勘单位的企业化。     

贵州省矿业开发引起的环境问题及其成因探讨

矿业开发给贵州省造成严重的生态环境问题,主要包括环境污染,矿业荒漠化和环境地质灾害。虽然贵州省矿产开发的历史比较悠久,但解放前的生态破坏和矿业污染仅局限在个别地区,解放后出现的三次大规模资源环境破坏,给贵州省矿业可持续发展带来严重影响,特别是改革开放以来矿山资源的无序开发对环境的危害最重。导致贵州省矿业环境问题的主要因素包括：矿产资源价值的严重扭曲,乡镇企业的超常规发展,部分政府官员的权力寻租,以及资源导向型的脱贫模式等。     

Mapping the Globalization of the Temporary Staffing Industry*

Very little is currently known about the globalization of the temporary staffing industry, a strategically significant sector given its role in promulgating wider labor market flexibility. This article starts to rectify this research lacuna in four ways: by conceptualizing the international expansion of temporary staffing and comparing it to other business service sectors, by identifying and mapping the top twenty transnational staffing agencies, by offering a typology of the leading transnational agencies based on their functional and geographic characteristics, and by charting a research agenda for future work on this sector.     

The role and value of local knowledge in Jamaican agriculture: adaptation and change in small-scale farming

Local knowledge has played an active role in the lives of rural communities in virtually every part of the world. In Jamaica, traditional cropping systems based on local informal knowledge have been practiced since the days of slavery and play a vital role in meeting food security. Yet, some negative attitudes remain about the legitimacy and relevance of small-scale farmers' local and traditional knowledge. This paper discusses some conceptual and empirical issues related to the application of local knowledge among small-scale food farmers in central Jamaica. The paper argues that contextually speaking, local and traditional knowledge is valuable, adaptable and necessary in coping with risk and uncertainty in a changing world, while cautioning against a misguided notion of traditional knowledge as a panacea to all the ills of local agriculture.     

节水灌溉与农业面源污染控制研究--以新疆焉耆盆地为例

针对我国北方农业面源污染面积大、分布广、控制难的问题，通过分析新疆焉耆盆地水资源利用现状、潜水位动态、农田排水特征，认为大水漫灌不仅浪费水资源，造成肥料流失，降低产量，而且污染水体，导致土壤次生盐渍化；提出了推广节水灌溉、合理开发利用水资源、控制农业面源污染、综合治理环境的有效途径。     

我国中部地带农业现代化建设途径探讨

中部地带是我国农业的精华地带，目前，我国农业发展中面临的部分农产品结构性剩余严重，市场竞争力弱，农业劳动生产率和土地生产力低而不稳，农民收入增长放慢，农业持续发展的后劲不足等问题在中部地带表现更为典型，探索中部地带农业现代化建设的实施途径对于研究和解决当前我国农业发展面临的诸多问题都具有重要的作用。中部地带农业现代化途径主要是：整体规划，分类推进，极点突破；改革城乡户口隔离机制，加速农村城镇化；创新土地流转机制，培育规模经济的现代农业市场主体；创新科技机制，发挥高科技对农业的带动作用；拓宽农产品加工领域加大农产品市场建设力度。