An ethnobotanical study of forage plants in Zhuxi County in the Qinba mountainous area of central China

In the Qinba mountainous area of Central China,pig farming has a significant impact on the growth of the rural economy and has substantially increased farmer incomes.Traditional knowledge plays an important role in the selection of forage plant species for pig farming by local people.This study aimed to identify the forage plants used for pig feeding and to catalog indigenous knowledge regarding their use.During 2016 and 2017,ethnobotanical surveys and inventories were conducted in Zhuxi County,Hubei Province,China.Data were collected using semi-structured interviews,key informant reports,free listings,guided field walks,and participatory observations with 77 households in 16 villages in 13 towns/townships.The obtained data were analyzed using a relative frequency citation(RFC)index.Overall,145 wild forage plants from 91 genera and 31 families were recorded.The most cited families were Asteraceae,Polygonaceae,Urticaceae,Amaranthaceae,Fabaceae,Cruciferae,Caryophyllaceae,and Lamiaceae.Whole plants(75.9%)and tender leaves(12.4%)were the most frequently used parts of the plants.Most of the forage plants were herbaceous(88.9%).Almost all forage plants could be collected throughout the year(62.7%).Raw and cooked were the two main preparation methods.The most frequently cited species were Taraxacum mongolicum,Bidens pilosa,Sonchus oleraceus,Pilea verrucosa,and Pilea pumila var.obtusifolia.A total of 14 species were identified as the top forage plants in Zhuxi County based on their RFC values(RFC value greater than 0.5).Local people possess rich traditional knowledge about the utilization and management of forage plants for pig feeding.However,the maintenance of this traditional knowledge may be seriously threatened by changes in pig feeding modes and the lack of successors.Appropriate strategies and action plans have been suggested for the conservation of traditional knowledge associated with biodiversity and the sustainable use of forage species resources.These include 1)taking targeted measures to protect forage resources and associated traditional knowledge;2)strengthening research on the forage plants with the highest RFC values for nutritional value,digestibility,other functions,and ecological status;and 3)enhancing the identification of poisonous forage plants.

Defective TiO_(2)-graphene heterostructures enabling in-situ electrocatalyst evolution for lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are considered as one of the promising next-generation energy storage systems because of their high energy density. While the low utilization of sulfur and sluggish reaction kinetics would lead to degradation of electrochemical performance and thus hinder the practical application of Li-S batteries. Herein, a double-shelled TiO_(2)-graphene heterostructure (H-TiO_(2)/rGO) with abundant oxygen vacancies (OVs) and highly exposed active plane as advanced host material in Li-S batteries is designed. This rational structure not only provides sufficient active sites and lower bandgap for lithium polysulfides (LiPSs), but also builds smooth adsorption-diffusion-conversion of LiPSs on catalyst, which greatly reduces interfacial energy barrier and promotes the utilization of sulfur through suppressing the devastating shuttling effect. Combining the synergetic merits of strong anchoring ability and catalyzing the of LiPSs, the electrode (S-TiO_(2)/rGO-1) exhibits superior rate performance and long lifespan (1000 cycles at 1C, 0.023% capacity loss per cycle) with high columbic efficiency. This work paves an alternative way to establish smooth adsorption-diffusion-conversion of polysulfides on catalyst in Li-S batteries and provides a new sight to understand catalyst design in energy storage devices.

从《生物多样性公约》资金机制战略目标变迁解析生物多样性热点问题

全球环境基金是《生物多样性公约》的唯一资金机制,它按照《生物多样性公约》要求和基金自身的政策导向为发展中国家和经济转型国家提供资金支持。从其试点期到当前的第7增资期,全球环境基金在生物多样性领域的战略目标发生了多次变迁,研究这些资金机制战略目标所涉及的生物多样性热点问题的变迁情况对未来相关工作开展具有一定参考意义。本文梳理了各增资期生物多样性领域战略目标所涉及的生物多样性热点问题,对每个热点问题在全球环境基金各增资期中资金量和内容的变迁情况进行了分析,并就中国当前情况与之进行比较,进而提出了加强对保护地中生态系统代表性的考虑、增强保护地资金可持续性、全面推动生物多样性主流化、加强生物安全相关领域研究、推进遗传资源获取和惠益分享立法并注重知识管理、加强新问题新挑战的应对、深化资金机制研究等建议,以期为开展《生物多样性公约》履约、生物多样性管理和研究工作提供参考。

新时期我国生物多样性法制建设思考

中国是生物多样性最丰富的国家之一,近年在生物多样性保护上取得了重要进展,在国际上引领达成《昆明-蒙特利尔全球生物多样性框架》,但国内生物多样性法制建设却略显滞后。国家从生物多样性的资源属性和经济价值出发,以保护为主要目的,兼顾资源合理利用,发布实施《森林法》《野生动物保护法》《种子法》等基本涵盖生态系统、物种和遗传多样性的法律法规,初步建立生物多样性法制体系。但现行生物多样性相关法律法规的立法理念滞后,立法系统性不强,关键制度组成不健全,与人与自然和谐共生的现代化建设需求极不相称。当前,国家已经启动生态环境法典立法工作,应当以此为契机,采用人与自然和谐共生的地球生命共同体理念,制订全面、完整覆盖生态系统、物种和遗传多样性三个层次并且能够保障实现生物多样性保护、持续利用和惠益分享三个目标的新时期生物多样性制度体系,建立健全立法结构科学合理、制度组成完整、系统的生物多样性法制体系,保障我国持续引领生物多样性国际治理。