The political ecology of Prunus africana in Cameroon

This paper provides an analysis of some current trends in political ecology and then illustrates the intermingling of politics and ecology using a case study of the exploitation and conservation of Prunus africana in Cameroon. It argues that political ecology is still a lively field, but that some recent attempts to chart a way forward for this perspective risk shifting it away from its liminal position in relation to natural and social science by being disinclined to engage with ecological processes. The case study draws attention to the strengths and shortcomings in existing attempts to weave political and economic analysis into environmental debates over the sustainable management of this tree species, which has been incorporated into phytomedical markets in Europe. The fortunes of the tree reflect its botany and ecology as well as the trajectories of the local economy, intercontinental markets for alternative health products, the policies and practices of the Cameroonian state and the politics of international aid.     

干旱、半干旱地区蒙古扁桃种子萌发对土壤水分和播种深度的响应特征

蒙古扁桃种子在4%~16%的各含水量条件下, 出苗率高达96%~98%且差异不显著(P>0.05), 在4%~13%的土壤含水量下, 发芽指数、活力指数、平均出苗日数极显著高于16%含水量下的值(P<0.01), 其种子萌发最适宜的土壤含水量为4%~13%. 随土壤含水量的升高, 苗高增加, 根冠比和壮苗指数降低, 根长、幼苗生长量、干物质积累量先升高后降低, 幼苗生长最适宜的土壤含水量为7%~16%; 较低的土壤水分下可以提高幼苗的抗旱性, 有利于培育壮苗. 随播种深度的增加, 出苗率下降, 平均出苗日数增加, 出苗速率放缓, 保证全苗的最适宜播深为0~1 cm, 保证壮苗的最适宜播深为1~3 cm. 种子萌发形成的幼苗为子叶留土型双子叶植物幼苗.     

新疆西天山野樱桃李植物群落类型(群系)及物种多样性分析

在采用样方法调查的基础上,分析了位于新疆西天山樱桃李植物群落(群系)的组成结构和物种多样性特征。研究结果表明,群落中野樱桃李(Prunus divaricata)、准噶尔山楂(Gratae-gus chlorcarpa)、杏(Arm eniaca vulgaris)、新疆野苹果(Malus siev ersii)等多为建群种或共建种,其植株高大,优势地位突出,样方群落分别归属于4种群落亚群系:(1)野樱桃李为主与野山楂、野杏、野苹果共建的落叶阔叶林亚群系;(2)野杏为主与野樱桃李、野山楂、野苹果共建的落叶阔叶林亚群系;(3)野山楂为主与野樱桃李、野杏、野苹果共建的落叶阔叶林亚群系;(4)野苹果为主与野山楂、野樱桃李共建的落叶阔叶林亚群系。新疆霍城县大、小西沟的野果林群落,是我国野樱桃李植物群系的唯一分布区,野樱桃李的重要值(IV)为138.08~275.64,群落的Simpson多样性指数(HSP)为1.13~8.68,Shannon-W iener多样性指数(HSW)为0.32~11.53,基于Simpson多样性指数的物种均匀度(JSP)为0.23~2.71,基于Shannon-W iener多样性指数的物种均匀度(JSW)为0.32~3.17,由于群落处于顶极阶段,群落的多样性指数较低,均匀度较高,群落具有极高的保护价值和科研价值。     

Remote sensing of spider mite damage in California peach orchards

Remote sensing techniques can decrease pest monitoring costs in orchards. To evaluate the feasibility of detecting spider mite damage in orchards, we measured visible and near infrared reflectance of 1153 leaves and 392 canopies in 11 peach orchards in California. Pairs of significant wavelengths, identified by Partial Least Squares regression, were combined into normalized difference indices. These and 9 previously published indices were evaluated for correlation with mite damage.     

Morphology and distribution of the marine diatom Azpeitia africana(Janisch ex A. Schmidt) G. Fryxell & T. P. Watkins in the South China Sea

The purpose of the present paper is to study the morphological structure and variability of Azpeitia africana and to determine its geographical distribution in the surface sediments of the South China Sea(SCS). Sediment samples were collected with grabs or box corers in one cruise in 2001 and two cruises in 2007. The sampling stations were located between 3°56.61′–20°59.37′N and 108°30.68′–116°46.70′E,where the water depth ranged from 72 m to 4 238 m. The diatom was observed by phase contrast microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Microscopical observation showed that A. africana had circular valves with the areolar lines radiating from the eccentric ring. The central rimoportula had an external tube recessed on the edge of a central ring. The marginal rimoportulae were not evenly spaced, and they were positioned more closely together in one quadrant than in the others. Azpeitia africana is the most abundant diatom species in the southern region of the SCS, and accounted for 0.9%–5.6% of all diatom species in the Xisha Islands area. Average cell density of A. africana was 1.1×10~5 valves/g. The percentage abundance of A.africana was low(0%–2.5%) in the northern regions of the SCS and the Sunda Shelf, and it was not detected in the northwestern continental shelf(shallow water area) and northern Kalimantan Island shelf. Our results suggested that A. africana is a typical warm water species and that it could be used as an indicator of the warm Paci?c Ocean water, including the Kuroshio Current, ?owing into the SCS.     

Responses of canopy transpiration and canopy conductance of peach (Prunus persica) trees to alternate partial root zone drip irrigation

We investigated canopy transpiration and canopy conductance of peach trees under three irrigation patterns: fixed 1/2 partial root zone drip irrigation (FPRDI), alternate 1/2 partial root zone drip irrigation (APRDI) and full root zone drip irrigation (FDI). Canopy transpiration was measured using heat pulse sensors, and canopy conductance was calculated using the Jarvis model and the inversion of the Penman–Monteith equation. Results showed that the transpiration rate and canopy conductance in FPRDI and APRDI were smaller than those in FDI. More significantly, the total irrigation amount was greatly reduced, by 34·7% and 39·6%, respectively for APRDI and FPRDI in the PRDI (partial root zone drip irrigation) treatment period. The daily transpiration was linearly related to the reference evapotranspiration in the three treatments, but daily transpiration of FDI is more than that of APRDI and FPRDI under the same evaporation demand, suggesting a restriction of transpiration water loss in the APRDI and FPRDI trees. FDI needed a higher soil water content to carry the same amount of transpiration as the APRDI and FPRDI trees, suggesting the hydraulic conductance of roots of APRDI and FPRDI trees was enhanced, and the roots had a greater water uptake than in FDI when the average soil water content in the root zone was the same. By a comparison between the transpiration rates predicted by the Penman–Monteith equation and the measured canopy transpiration rates for 60 days during the experimental period, an excellent correlation along the 1:1 line was found for all the treatments (R² > 0·80), proving the reliability of the methodology. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Water availability in almond orchards on marl soils in southeast Spain: The role of evaporation and runoff

Clean sweeping (i.e., frequent and shallow tillage in orchards) is a common practice in semi-arid areas. A potential drawback in dry areas is that the tree roots cannot access the water in the plough layer. Our objective was to quantify the loss of water by evaporation and the loss or gain by overland flow in almond (Prunus dulcis Mill.) orchards on loamy soils in southeast Spain. The evaporation from a 15 cm plough layer equals 70–104% of annual precipitation, taking into account losses or gains by overland flow. The large evaporation explains the low canopy cover observed, which averaged 3.2%. The runoff coefficient of the test sites is 1–6%. There is no drainage below 15 cm during dry years, except for an area that receives a net influx of overland flow. The trunk basal area in this depression is 12% larger compared to the rest of the field. The options for increasing the water intake of the trees are to reduce the tillage depth or to switch from clean sweeping to no-tillage combined with chemical weeding.