Mitigation and adaptation synergy in forest sector

Mitigation and adaptation are the two main strategies to address climate change. Mitigation and adaptation have been considered separately in the global negotiations as well as literature. There is a realization on the need to explore and promote synergy between mitigation and adaptation while addressing climate change. In this paper, an attempt is made to explore the synergy between mitigation and adaptation by considering forest sector, which on the one hand is projected to be adversely impacted under the projected climate change scenarios and on the other provide opportunities to mitigate climate change. Thus, the potential and need for incorporating adaptation strategies and practices in mitigation projects is presented with a few examples. Firstly, there is a need to ensure that mitigation programs or projects do not increase the vulnerability of forest ecosystems and plantations. Secondly, several adaptation practices could be incorporated into mitigation projects to reduce vulnerability. Further, many of the mitigation projects indeed reduce vulnerability and promote adaptation, for example; forest and biodiversity conservation, protected area management and sustainable forestry. Also, many adaptation options such as urban forestry, soil and water conservation and drought resistant varieties also contribute to mitigation of climate change. Thus, there is need for research and field demonstration of synergy between mitigation and adaptation, so that the cost of addressing climate change impacts can be reduced and co-benefits increased.     

Destruction of Forests and Wildlife in the Kashmir Wilderness

Much of the forest wealth on the plains and in the hilly areas of India has been foolishly destroyed, and the rich heritage of wildlife has been slaughtered mostly for only temporary gain. The wanton axing of the larger indigenous trees and the uprooting of other floristic elements in the hills and on the lower slopes of the mountains, gradually impoverishes them, and may be followed by erosion that ultimately leaves the slopes barren. These alarming threats to the chir (Pinus roxburghii) and fir (Abies pindrow) forests of Kashmir will have disastrous consequences. Once densely-forested, the mountain slopes in Kashmir have become largely naked through too-heavy tapping and cutting of the trees; with concomitant landslides, frequent floods, and loss of fertile topsoil. Unfortunately, the people living in the areas of the chir and fir trees, do not play a proper part in their protection, and the last two decades have witnessed, year by year, the rapid march of urbanization and manifold destructive activities which have taken a heavy toll on these precious species. Urgent conservation measures are essential to preserve these endangered trees in Kashmir.     

胡杨林的衰退原因与林地恢复策略

胡杨广布于地中海沿岸并呈带状东延至中国和蒙古人民共和国。目前,胡杨林已普遍呈不同程度退化,以塔里木盆地为例,垦伐等人为因素使林地总面积迅速减少。现场观测发现,一些林区缺乏胸径20cm以下的立木,而该地从1972年以来断绝洪水来源,显示洪水对幼苗补给可能存在相关,该地断绝洪水多年后,2002年重新出现洪泛过程,洪水退后出现大量的幼苗生长,从而证实洪水过程是胡杨幼林发生的必要条件。本文就此现象提出恢复部分林地的对策。     

山地生态系统的脆弱性与荒漠化

荒漠化已成为全球性社会环境问题,它与脆弱的生态环境有密切关系。山地系统在景观上为农林交错带,生态系统的脆弱性表现在具有内生型脆弱性、对植被的依附性、景观过渡性以及落后的生产力等方面,荒漠化较严重。作者通过对坡面级联系统以及系统内部的反馈机制分析,讨论了山地荒漠化的运行机制,并进一步就荒漠化的防治提出几点想法。     

三峡库区腹地规模农地空间分布规律

山区农业转型对于我国山区耕地可持续利用效率、土地整治方向以及生态建设方向具有一定的指导意义,渝东北生态涵养发展区是重庆市农用地整治项目的主要分区,通过定义作为农业转型产物的"规模农地"相关概念及其判读标准,旨在提出一种新的研究路径对重庆市典型山区地貌的耕地利用现状给予指导和改善意见。首先选取三峡库区腹地5个区县为研究区,并结合研究区实际对"规模农地"进行等级划分,利用Arc GIS10.2等软件通过景观格局指数、核密度测算、空间自相关等方法从斑块特征、数量分布、空间格局三方面对研究区内规模农地的空间分布规律进行探讨。研究表明:(1)不同类型规模农地斑块特征呈现一定的规律性,小规模农地斑块密度最大为6.004,大规模农地平均最近指数MNN值最低为643.401,且农地规模越大,面积加权平均斑块分维数AWMPFD值和聚集度AI值越高;(2)中、大规模农地数量多集中在奉节县,微、小规模则多集中在巫山县,且规模农地自身及其相互之间存在固定的邻接性规律,即同类斑块之间的邻接性与其斑块大小成反比,不同类型斑块之间则与之相反;(3)研究区规模农地整体空间分布主要集中在奉节县中部以及巫溪县东部,沿江流域的平坝地区分布相对密集,且不同类型规模农地在空间上存在明显的自相关性。     

The Dynamics of Species Composition and Abundance of Wasps from the Families Pompilidae, Sphecidae, and Vespidae (Hymenoptera: Aculeata) in Successional Pine Biogeocenoses of the Berezinskii Biosphere Reserve

The data on the dynamics of population size and species composition of wasps from the families Pompilidae, Sphecidae, and Vespidae were obtained in the course of long-term studies carried out in successional pine forests of the Berezinskii Biosphere Reserve. The abundance and species diversity of wasps were significantly higher in a polewood forest (40 years) than in a young forest (20 years) and mature moss forest (70 years). In an overgrown ride in the moss pine forest, the composition of dominant wasp species remained relatively stable during the seven-year period of observations, although the number of species and their abundance varied significantly from year to year, depending on the weather.     

石漠化山地复合生态系统评价——以广西平果县龙何屯生态重建示范区为例

以广西平果县龙何生态重建示范区的石漠化山地复合生态系统为例,依据试验研究及专家咨询的结果,构建了一个基于自然子系统、社会子系统、经济子系统的评价指标体系,采用层次分析法对指标体系中各指标的权重值进行了分析,应用指数评价模型对石漠化山地复合生态系统进行综合评估。层次分析结果表明,植被覆盖率、人类活动强度、物种多样性、物质生活指数、石漠化程度、水土流失程度等指标的权重值较大,是石漠化山地复合生态系统的重要影响因子;指数评价模型的评价结果表明,石漠化山地复合生态系统的总体质量较差,但通过生态示范区建设,改善复合生态系统中的植被状况,改善农业生产条件和推广先进农业技术,提高系统中人类的生活水平,可以使复合生态系统中社会、经济、环境3个子系统的转运功能逐渐趋于协调,总体质量逐渐好转。     

Mortality and recruitment of mountain birch (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Betula pubescens</Emphasis> ssp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">czerepanovii</Emphasis>) in the impact zone of a copper-nickel smelter in the period of significant reduction of emissions: The results of 15-year monitoring

Long-term monitoring of mountain birch populations (1992–2006) was performed in 14 test plots located at distances of 1 to 63 km from the copper-nickel smelter in Monchegorsk (Murmansk oblast) and differing in the degree of disturbance. In the period from 1999 to 2006, atmospheric emissions of sulfur dioxide and heavy metals amounted to only one-third of those between 1992 and 1998, but birch mortality in heavily polluted areas (with nickel concentrations in leaves exceeding 160 mg/kg) remained at the same level, being absent (as previously) in less polluted areas. Throughout the observation period, birch recruitment was observed only in areas where nickel concentrations in the leaves were below 160 mg/kg; i.e., this concentration proved to be the threshold with respect to both mortality and recruitment of mountain birch. The course of demographic processes in its populations has remained unchanged after the reduction of emissions, confirming the hypothesis of the “inertial“ effect of industrial emissions on ecosystems. In some areas of industrial barrens, mountain birch may perish completely within the next decade.     

Use and knowledge of fuelwood in three rural caatinga (dryland) communities in NE Brazil

The woody species known, used, and preferred as fuelwood were examined in three rural communities within the county of Soledade, Paraíba State, NE Brazil. Ethnobotanical information was collected using semi-structured interviews with more than 90% of the local households (55 adult residents; 31 women, and 24 males). The interviewees cited 36 plant species as fuelwoods, distributed among 30 genera and 15 families, in addition to two unidentified plants. The plant families represented by the largest numbers of species were Euphorbiaceae, Anacardiaceae, Mimosaceae, Caesalpiniaceae, Sapotaceae, and Fabaceae. The species Caesalpinia pyramidalis Tul. (“catingueira”) was cited with the greatest frequency in all three communities. Within the communities we found significant differences on the number of plants cited and actually used (p < 0.05), indicating that the residents knew more fuelwood species than they effectively harvest. The different distances from the communities to the urban centers were not related to differences on the use or the size of the stocks of fuelwood. Additionally, the study revealed that the communities examined still maintain a significant knowledge of the use of energy-providing plants in spite of the widespread use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

The Spatiotemporal Pattern of Fires in Northern Taiga Larch Forests of Central Siberia

The periodicity of fires in larch forests of Evenkia and their relationship with landscape elements have been studied. Cross-sections with “burns” in them caused by past fires have been analyzed in 72 test plots; the fire chronology encompassed the period from the 15th to the 20th century. The between-fire intervals (BFIs) have been calculated by two methods: (I) on the basis of burns alone and (II) on the basis of burns and the start of growth of the new generation of larch after the earliest fire. The BFI depends on local orographic features; it is 86 ± 11 (105 ± 12), 61 ± 8 (73 ± 8), 139 ± 17 (138 ± 18), and 68 ± 14 (70 ± 13) years for northeastern slopes, southwestern slopes, bogs, and flatlands, respectively. The mean BFIs calculated by methods I and II are 82 ± 7 and 95 ± 7 years, respectively. The permafrost horizon rises at a mean rate of 0.3 cm per year after a forest fire. It has been shown that the number of fires regularly peaks at periods of 36 and 82 years. There is also a temporal trend in fire frequency: the mean BFI was approximately 100 years in the 19th century and 65 years in the 20th century.