Severe soil erosion during a 3‐day exceptional rainfall event: combining modelling and field data for a fallow cereal field

Exceptional rainfall events cause significant losses of soil, although few studies have addressed the validation of model predictions at field scale during severe erosive episodes. In this study, we evaluate the predictive ability of the enhanced Soil Erosion and Redistribution Tool (SERT‐2014) model for mapping and quantifying soil erosion during the exceptional rainfall event (~235 mm) that affected the Central Spanish Pyrenees in October 2012. The capacity of the simulation model is evaluated in a fallow cereal field (1.9 ha) at a high spatial scale (1 × 1 m). Validation was performed with field‐quantified rates of soil loss in the rills and ephemeral gullies and also with a detailed map of soil redistribution. The SERT‐2014 model was run for the six rainfall sub‐events that made up the exceptional event, simulating the different hydrological responses of soils with maximum runoff depths ranging between 40 and 1017 mm. Predicted average and maximum soil erosion was 11 and 117 Mg ha^?1 event^?1, respectively. Total soil loss and sediment yield to the La Reina gully amounted to 16.3 and 9.0 Mg event^?1. These rates are in agreement with field estimations of soil loss of 20.0 Mg event^?1. Most soil loss (86%) occurred during the first sub‐event. Although soil accumulation was overestimated in the first sub‐event because of the large amount of detached soil, the enhanced SERT‐2014 model successfully predicted the different spatial patterns and values of soil redistribution for each sub‐event. Further research should focus on stream transport capacity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

影响我国主要粮食作物产量的气象因子研究

通过收集前人主要粮食作物气象产量预报的研究成果，将所得到的资料按作物进行分类，并进行归一化处理，使用系统聚类分析方法，以预报方程中的影响因子为指标，分区找出各区主要粮食作物产量的主、次要影响因子和影响时期，为大范围作物产量预报提供了科学依据。     

1993—2017年气候变化对西藏谷物单产的定量影响

气候变化对农业的影响是全球关注的热点问题之一,青藏高原对气候变化尤其敏感,但气候变化对青藏高原农业产量的定量影响缺乏系统研究。为定量评估气候变化对西藏谷物单产的影响,本文使用气象数据与年鉴统计数据,选取了固定效应模型、差分模型和线性去趋势模型3类统计模型,分析了1993—2017年间气候变化（最低气温、降水量、生长度日和太阳辐射）对西藏县（区）级、市级和自治区3个尺度的谷物单产的影响。结果表明：西藏整体对于温度（最低气温和生长度日）的敏感性大于降水量和太阳辐射。各项气候因子对西藏谷物单产的整体影响为正影响,但不同区域对气候因子的敏感程度和显著性不同。除了生长度日对于拉萨为负影响以外,最低气温、降水量和太阳辐射对于所有市均为正影响。气候趋势对于西藏整体谷物单产的影响为正影响,不同模型计算结果集中在1.5%~4.8%区间内。3类模型中固定效应模型稳定性最好,线性去趋势模型好于差分模型,差分模型在引入气候因子间的交互项后模型稳定性降低。本文有助于西藏实施更加有空间针对性的农业适应气候变化措施,以应对气候造成的青藏高原农业生态系统变化。     

Systems of agriculture farming in the Uttranchal Himalaya,India

Agricultural practices are the main stay of the people of Uttranchal. Out of the total population,more than 75% people are engaged either with the main occupation of agriculture or its allied practices,dominated by traditional subsistence cereal farming.Among them, the main crops are rice, wheat, millet,barley, all types of pulses, all types of oilseeds and almost all types of fruits. The crops, vegetables and fruits of all varieties are grown in the different climatic zones such as tropical, temperate, and cold because, the region is characterized by the different altitudinal zones elevated from 200 m to more than 8000m. As a result, different climates are found from hot tropical to sub temperate and chilly cold. Pulses varieties are grown extensively. Among vegetables,potato, onion, carrot, all types of green leaf vegetables,brinzal, pumpkin, ladyfinger, pea, gram, radish,ginger, garlic, etc, are grown widely. All fruit varieties are grown in the different altitudinal zones. The mainfruits are orange, malta (a big size of orange),elephant citrus, lemon and all other types of citrus,apple, stone fruits including peach and pears, manykinds of nuts, and the fruits which are grown in the low lying areas. In spite of feasible climatic conditions,agricultural dominant society, and availability of all types of crops, the production and productivity of these crops are very low, even they are unable to meet the grain-need of the people in Uttaranchal. Agricultural crops are grown almost in all the altitudinal zones -- from the low-lying areas, which are called ‘Ga. ngarh‘, to the highly elevated region,where the legendary term is given as ‘Danda‘. The growing seasons vary according to the heights. The present paper aims to discuss the agricultural practices including cropping season, cropping pattern,land use, production of cropsagricultural system in thisand ecological aspect of Himalayan state and suggest some measures for developing farming system,which could lead the sustainability, in terms of meeting the food grain needs of the people on the one hand and restoring the ecological balance on the other.     

Global virtual-land flow and saving through international cereal trade

With intense urbanization and sustained population growth, securing food production with limited land sources has increasingly become a pressing issue. Based on an analysis of international cereal (i.e., barley, buckwheat, maize, oats, rice, rye, sorghum, soybean, and wheat) trade and differences in yields of the cereal between export and import countries over the period of 2007 to 2011, we explore the great potential of land saving through the international cereal trade. By ‘land saving’, we refer to the reduced global total of lands required to produce a necessary amount of cereal when cereal is exported from a country with relatively large yield of the cereal to a country with relatively small yield of the cereal. Our scenario analysis suggests that international cereal trade would help mitigate the shortage of domestic arable land for many island countries (e.g., Japan) and countries in the arid Middle East and North Africa (e.g., Syria and Morocco). Furthermore, international cereal trade has the potential to generate ‘land saving’ of 50,092,284 ha of land per year, which is roughly the size of Spain. Drawing upon the definition of a similar concept — virtual water (Hoekstra and Hung 2002), we define virtual land as the area of land resources used for the production of goods. Through introducing the concept of virtual land, we believe land resources that are traditionally considered as stationary resources can flow with anthropogenic socioeconomic activities. The largest virtual-land flows (> 3,000,000 ha/year) exist between the United States (US) to China, Brazil to China, the US to Japan, the US to Mexico, and Argentina to China. However, not all virtual-land flows necessarily result in land saving. Thus, more endeavors are needed to plan the virtual-land flows for a larger land saving at the global scale.     

Seasonal soil aggregate stability variation in relation to rainfall and temperature under Mediterranean conditions

Aggregate stability, one of the main factors controlling soil erodibility, varies over time. Knowledge of its variation would help to identify better soil management practices. In 10 soils from central Greece devoted to cereal cropping, seasonal wet aggregate stability (WAS) fluctuations were investigated over a period of two successive years. The wet‐sieving technique of air‐dried aggregates was used for WAS determinations, according to a test resulting in an instability index calculation. Over the first year, when typical Mediterranean climatic conditions dominated, WAS varied according to a nearly cyclic pattern, from a low in winter or early‐spring months to a high in summer months. The instability index varied from a high between 123–152% of annual average to a low between 58–83% of annual average. Total monthly rainfall (TR) and mean monthly air temperature (MAT) strongly correlated with seasonal WAS. Their ratio (TR/MAT, ombrothermic ratio) has been proved to be a good predictor of structural stability throughout the year, for most of the soils studied. Possible mechanisms deteriorating aggregation seemed to be raindrop impact, repeated soil drying and wetting and repeated soil freezing and thawing, while possible mechanisms promoting aggregation seemed to be soil drying and warming and biological activity. Over the second year, severe climatic inconsistencies complicated the seasonal pattern of WAS response. From January to March, WAS unexpectedly increased, obtaining its maximum value for most of the soils in March, then it varied inconsistently until October and thereafter decreased, obtaining its minimum value in December for all soils. The instability index varied from a high between 130–196% of annual average to a low between 61–83% of annual average. Uneven seasonal distribution of climatic characteristics and extreme events decisively modified the typical for Mediterranean conditions seasonal WAS variation pattern. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

植物微体化石分析揭示阿敦乔鲁遗址古人生存策略

新疆地区是史前游牧文化与农业文化交融的重要区域,而地处新疆西天山地区的阿敦乔鲁青铜时代遗址,是古代人类活动、文化发展与演化过程的重要时空节点。但是目前对该遗址古人生存策略,尤其是对于当时人们的饮食结构和遗址的季节性使用的认识,存在不同观点。本研究通过对阿敦乔鲁遗址中房址内堆积物、羊粪化石以及遗址周边现代羊粪、自然地层进行植硅体、孢粉分析,发现了农作物植硅体以黍(Panicum miliaceum)和麦类作物的稃片为主,遗址使用后期出现少量的粟(Setaria italica),揭示了该遗址农作物组成以黍、大/小麦(Hordeum spp./Triticum spp.)为主,兼有粟的混合结构。在秋季(9月份)采集的现代羊粪中,孢粉种类(24个科/属)和浓度(平均65533粒/g)显著高于羊粪化石的孢粉种类(9个科/属)和浓度(平均27189粒/g),且现代羊粪以蒿属(Artemisia)植物(7~10月开花结籽)花粉为主(平均54.95%),羊粪化石中蒿属植物花粉仅有19.20%。来自早熟禾亚科(Pooideae)种子稃片的植硅体,在现代羊粪中的含量(平均3.62%)显著低于在羊粪化石中的含量(平均13.84%),羊粪孢粉和植硅体分析结果,揭示了阿敦乔鲁遗址羊类放牧时间应该处于花期结束后,植物已结籽的秋-冬季节,为阿敦乔鲁遗址冬季牧场的性质提供了植物学证据。同时房址内火塘、活动面和储藏间的堆积中植硅体组合与羊粪化石植硅体组合接近,暗示了羊粪可能被大量收集储藏,作为主要的铺垫物和冬季燃料使用。研究结果对于深化青铜时代以来新疆西天山地区古人生存策略、食物结构等的认识具有重要的推动作用。     

Resource Utilization Pattern and Development in Hills——A Case for the Pindar Basin of Garhwal Himalaya, India

Agrarian system is well adapted in Himalayan eco-system. Hence, the people have adopted the traditional subsistence cereal farming and it becomes the main stay of Himalayan people. About 80 percent of the workable force is attached with agriculture and its allied practices, according to the census of 1991. Although, horticultural farming runs parallel with agriculture, its proportion in terms of land is quite less, resulted in a negligible place in the economy of the region. Human resources, mainly men are attached with national security after recruitment in Army. While, women play a vital and integrated role in maintaining the workable potential in the field of agriculture and are known as backbone of economy. An animal resource implies foremost and wider part in agricultural system and economy as well Water resources are unutilized yet, while almost all the major rivers of our country are originated from and flowing through this region. Increasing population causes forest resources depletion. The economy of the region is rested either on ‘traditional cereal farming‘ or ‘money order based‘ development, which could not take place due to its remoteness from the main streams of the country. The impactof modern technology with innovation in agricultural system remains impracticable due to unwillingness of people in one hand and on the other hand, adversege ographical conditions like topography, climate etc. which could not permit the uses of modern innovation in the field of agriculture. As for infra-structurally, this region is lacked behind, due to its inaccessibility. While, this region is bestowed with numerous rivers, many places for tourists and pilgrims, and huge forest resources. They might be used evenly in thedevelopment processes. The practice of tourism will help for the further development, particularly, in the wake of the newly born state, Uttaranchal. The present paper aims to evaluate the present potentiality of resources and their balanced utilization in the Pindar Basin. A precise study has been done on resource utilization, ecology and environment with keeping view in mind that more or less exploitation of resources could not influence the environment and the economy of the region.     

Modelling the impacts of cropland displacement on potential cereal production with four levels of China’s administrative boundaries

Cropland displacement, as an important characteristic of cropland change, places more emphasis on changes in spatial location than on quantity. The effects of cropland displacement on global and regional food production are of general concern in the context of urban expansion. Few studies have explored scale-effects, however, where cropland is displaced not only within, but also outside, the administrative boundary of a certain region. This study used a spatially explicit model (LANDSCAPE) to simulate the potential cropland displacement caused by urban land expansion from 2020 to 2040 at four scales of the Chinese administration system (national, provincial, municipal, and county levels). The corresponding changes in potential cereal production were then assessed by combining cereal productivity data. The results show that 4700 km² of cropland will be occupied by urban expansion by 2040, and the same amount of cropland will be supplemented by forest, grassland, wetland, and unused land. The potential loss of cropland will result in the loss of 3.838×10⁶ tons of cereal production, and the additional cropland will bring 3.546×10⁶ tons, 3.831×10⁶ tons, 3.836×10⁶ tons, and 3.528×10⁶ tons of potential cereal production in SN (national scale), SP (provincial scale), SM (municipal scale), and SC (county scale), respectively. Both SN and SC are observed to make a huge difference in cereal productivity between the lost and the supplemented cropland. We suggest that China should focus on the spatial allocation of cropland during large-scale displacement, especially at the national level.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Book Reviewed in this article: The Rice Economy of Asia . Randolph Barker and Robert W. Herdt with Beth Rose. Using Microcomputers: A Guidebook for Writers, Teachers, and Researchers in the Social Sciences . Blaine A. Erie—the Lake that Survived . Noel M. Burns. Geology and Society . Donald R. Coates. Caves and Karst of Kentucky . Percy H. Dougherty, ed. Altered Harvest: Agriculture, Genetics, and the Fate of the World's Food Supply . Jack Doyle. The Middle East and North Africa, A Political Geography . Alasdair Drysdale and Gerald H. Blake. Clamor at the Gates. The New American Immigration . Nathan Glazer, ed. Development and the Landowner: An analysis of the British experience . Robin Goodchild and Richard Munton. Discovering Landscape in England and Wales . Andrew Goudie and Rita Gardner. The Modern Plantation in the Third World . Edgar Graham and Ingrid Floering. Social Relations and Spatial Structures . Derek Gregory and John Urry, eds. The World Food Problem 1950–1980 . David Grigg. Costa Rica: A Geographical Interpretation in Historical Perspective . Carolyn Hall. The Urbanization of Capital: Studies in the History and Theory of Capitalist Urbanization . David Harvey Consciousness and the Urban Experience: Studies in the History and Theory of Capitalist Urbanization . David Harvey. Reviving Main Street . Deryck Holdsworth, ed. Rural Roads and Poverty Alleviation . John Howe and Peter Richards, eds. Uneven Development in Southern Europe: Studies of Accumulation, Class, Migration and the State . Ray Hudson and Jim Lewis, eds. Karst Geomorphology . J. N. Jennings. The Geomorphology of North-west England . R. H. Johnson, ed. Climate Impact Assessment: Studies of the Interaction of Climate and Society . Robert Kates, Jesse Ausubel, Mimi Berberian, eds. Public Service Provision and Urban Development . Andrew Kirby, Paul Knox, and Steven Pinch, ed. State and Market: The Politics of the Public and the Private . Jan-Erik Lane, ed. Living Cities . Twentieth Century Fund Task Force on Urban Preservation Policies. World Climatic Systems . John G. Lockwood. Urban Ethnicity in the United States. New Immigrants and Old Minorities . Lionel Maldonaldo and Joan Moore, eds. Culture and Conservation: The Human Dimension in Environmental Planning . Jeffrey A. McNeely and David Pitt, eds. The Andean Past. Land, Societies, and Conflicts . Magnus Mörner. Gaia: An Atlas of Planet Management . Norman Myers, ed. Progress in Industrial Geography . Michael Pacione, ed. Progress in Political Geography . Michael Pacione, ed. Rivers and Landscape . Geoff Petts and Ian Foster. Urbanization and Planning in the 3rd World: Spatial Perceptions and Public Participation . Robert B. Potter. One Island, Two Nations? A Political Geographical Analysis of the National Conflict in Ireland . D. G. Pringle. Circulation in Third World Countries . R. Mansell Prothero and Murray Chapman. The Ozarks Outdoors: A Guide for Fishermen, Hunters, and Tourists . Milton D. Rafferty. Suburban Burglary: A Time and a Place for Everything . George Rengert and John Wasilchick. Geomorphology and Soils . K.S. Richards, R.R. Arnett, and S. Ellis, eds. The Homes and Homeless of Post-War Britain . Frederick Shaw. Indochinese Refugees in America . Paul J. Strand and Woodrow Jones, Jr. Wild Horses and Sacred Cows . Richard Symanski. Forever Wild: Environmental Aesthetics and the Adirondack Forest Preserve . Philip G. Terrie. The Regional Economic Impact of Technological Change . A.T. Thwaites and R.P. Oakey, eds. The Good Life . Yi-Fu Tuan.