Status of organic carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), available potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) in three different depths (0-5 cm, 5-15 cm and 15?30 cm) on two hill slopes of 35% and 55% in orange orchard c...Status of organic carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), available potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) in three different depths (0-5 cm, 5-15 cm and 15?30 cm) on two hill slopes of 35% and 55% in orange orchard cultivated by the Mro tribe of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) were evaluated and compared with those in degraded bush forests, through digging three profiles in each land use. The content of all the five nutrients was found to be higher in the soil of orange orchard than in the soil of forest. But the variation was not consistent for both the slopes. The content varied depth wise also, having the highest value in surface soil in case of both the land uses on both the slopes. A mean available K content was significantly higher in orange orchard than in forest on 55% slope, while it was lower on 35% slope. Surface soil contained the nutrients of K and Ca with the amount of 0.2905-mg·g^(-1) soil and 3.025-mg·g^(-1)soil respectively in the orchard, while 0.1934-mg·g^(-1) soil and 1.6083-mg·g^(-1) soil were respectively in the forest. Organic carbon and total nitrogen were found more or less similar in surface soil on both the land uses showing a slight difference. Available P was found only in orange orchard, and in forest it was too little in amount to detect by the spectrophotometer. The degraded forests were poor in nutrient content due to high rate of soil erosion, which would be possible to be improved by bringing it under tree cover as proved by the adaptation of orange orchard there.展开更多
A study was conducted at two pair sites of Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh to find out the effects of shifting cultivation on soil fungi and bacterial population. The first pair of sites with shifting culti-vatio...A study was conducted at two pair sites of Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh to find out the effects of shifting cultivation on soil fungi and bacterial population. The first pair of sites with shifting culti-vation and village common forest-managed by indigenous community was at Madhya Para in Rangamati district and the second pair of sites with the shifting cultivated land and village common forest at Ampu Para in Bandarban district of Chittagong Hill Tracts. At both the locations with two different land uses, soil textures in surface （0？10 cm） and sub-surface （10？20 cm） soils varied from sandy loam to sandy clay loam. Soil pH and moisture content were lower in shifting cultivated land com-pared to village common forest. The results also showed that both fungal and bacterial population in surface and subsurface soils was significantly （p ≤ 0.05） lower, in most cases, in shifting cultivated land compared to village common forest at both Madhya Para and Ampu Para. At Ranga-mati and Bandarban in shifting cultivated lands, Colletrotrichum and Fusarium fungi were absent and all the bacterial genus viz. Coccus, Bacillus and Streptococcus common in two different locations with dif-ferent land uses. Common identified fungi at both the land uses and locations were Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Trichoderma and Penicillium. Further study can be done on the other soil biota to understand the extent of environmental deterioration due to shifting cultivation.展开更多
The tradition of serving trees has a long history in the Caucasus and therefore there is quite a long tradition of interest in these problems by different authors, including foreign scientists. The tradition starts wi...The tradition of serving trees has a long history in the Caucasus and therefore there is quite a long tradition of interest in these problems by different authors, including foreign scientists. The tradition starts with Apollonius of Rhodes. Since then it has been the field of permanent interest by scientists. The material presented in the report, that brings forward the specific practical aspects of sacral functions of sacral trees and forests and mainly deals with the mountainous part of Georgia （both East and West Georgia） and represents an attempt to compare Georgian ethnographic data with the materials found in Georgia by German scientists of the same period, which allows of drawing similarities and differences between these two sources of data. C. Hahn--a public figure living on the verge of the 19th-20th century, who had original material from Khevsureti and Svaneti, was chosen from German scientists. The first and important function is the connection of sacral trees with the world of the dead, which has a practical implication rather than a religious-ritual function, which is confirmed by the use of sacral forests as a burying place and for a ritual related to the dead; The second practical aspect of the sacral trees was their healing function. The purpose of the trees is established in the ethnographic material found virtually throughout the entire Caucasus. According to ethnographic data, there appears another function of sacral trees and forests. People used to gather there in order to solve important issues and reconcile conflicting parties. Sacred forests were a nature reserve for animal habitat and a kind of a haven for the people who, for some reason, had to shelter themselves in forests.展开更多
Anthropogenic disturbances influence plant regeneration and species diversity, which impact the conservation status of protected areas. A study was conducted in the Sitakund Botanical Garden and Eco-park （SBGE）, Chi...Anthropogenic disturbances influence plant regeneration and species diversity, which impact the conservation status of protected areas. A study was conducted in the Sitakund Botanical Garden and Eco-park （SBGE）, Chittagong, Bangladesh to analyze the natural regeneration and tree species diversity in disturbed and less disturbed zones. Stratified and systematic random sampling was used to select 50 sample plots from each of the two zones. A total number of 109 plant species from 43 families were recorded in the study; of which 93 species were of natural origin while the rest were planted. From the species with natural origin 66 were tree species, 9 were shrub species and 28 were climbers. Species richness, density of regeneration and disturbance index in the height classes （0- 0.5 m） and {dbh 〉 6 cm） indicated significant differences between the zones. The study analyzed how disturbances affect species diversity in the area. It was found that species richness and basal area are negatively related with disturbances. Moreover, density （N/ha） of trees was more likely to decrease with increasing tree height that reflects the huge demand of local people to harvest large trees as part of their income generating activities. The study findings have implications for future managementdecisions of the SGBE. To restore these ecosystems, management should focus on both biodiversity eonservation and providing benefits to local people without hampering forest ecosystems.展开更多
Biochar is charcoal produced at comparatively high temperature and used as an agricultural amendment, which also sequesters carbon. Most of the research on biochar manufacture in the United States has either focused o...Biochar is charcoal produced at comparatively high temperature and used as an agricultural amendment, which also sequesters carbon. Most of the research on biochar manufacture in the United States has either focused on large-scale continuous systems with multiple products or small batch systems with biochar as the only product. At James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, we have worked on a batch system to make high quality biochar while capturing the heat for use either as a backup system for hot water heating, or to heat a greenhouse in winter. The system is now in its third iteration. In the first, we used a small intramural grant to experiment with low cost material using a minimalist design. While the unit captured some heat, operation of the design was smoky and hazardous to handle. The second design, funded by a larger intramural research grant, captured considerable heat, made 8-10 kg of biochar per burn and captured up to 250 MJ per batch of biochar made, but remained smoky. The third generation pyrolysis unit was constructed on Avalon Acres Farm in Broadway, Virginia, funded by a 25 × 25 grant through James Madison University （JMU）. This unit makes the same amount of biochar, with less smoke, and sends the captured heat to a storage tank to help heat a greenhouse and home on the site. Our average efficiency of heat transfer is 12.5% of the total heat value of the starting woody biomass, a number we believe can at least double.展开更多
文摘Status of organic carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), available potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) in three different depths (0-5 cm, 5-15 cm and 15?30 cm) on two hill slopes of 35% and 55% in orange orchard cultivated by the Mro tribe of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) were evaluated and compared with those in degraded bush forests, through digging three profiles in each land use. The content of all the five nutrients was found to be higher in the soil of orange orchard than in the soil of forest. But the variation was not consistent for both the slopes. The content varied depth wise also, having the highest value in surface soil in case of both the land uses on both the slopes. A mean available K content was significantly higher in orange orchard than in forest on 55% slope, while it was lower on 35% slope. Surface soil contained the nutrients of K and Ca with the amount of 0.2905-mg·g^(-1) soil and 3.025-mg·g^(-1)soil respectively in the orchard, while 0.1934-mg·g^(-1) soil and 1.6083-mg·g^(-1) soil were respectively in the forest. Organic carbon and total nitrogen were found more or less similar in surface soil on both the land uses showing a slight difference. Available P was found only in orange orchard, and in forest it was too little in amount to detect by the spectrophotometer. The degraded forests were poor in nutrient content due to high rate of soil erosion, which would be possible to be improved by bringing it under tree cover as proved by the adaptation of orange orchard there.
基金This study was supported by United States Depart-ment of Agriculture (USDA), Grant No.: BG-ARS-123
文摘A study was conducted at two pair sites of Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh to find out the effects of shifting cultivation on soil fungi and bacterial population. The first pair of sites with shifting culti-vation and village common forest-managed by indigenous community was at Madhya Para in Rangamati district and the second pair of sites with the shifting cultivated land and village common forest at Ampu Para in Bandarban district of Chittagong Hill Tracts. At both the locations with two different land uses, soil textures in surface （0？10 cm） and sub-surface （10？20 cm） soils varied from sandy loam to sandy clay loam. Soil pH and moisture content were lower in shifting cultivated land com-pared to village common forest. The results also showed that both fungal and bacterial population in surface and subsurface soils was significantly （p ≤ 0.05） lower, in most cases, in shifting cultivated land compared to village common forest at both Madhya Para and Ampu Para. At Ranga-mati and Bandarban in shifting cultivated lands, Colletrotrichum and Fusarium fungi were absent and all the bacterial genus viz. Coccus, Bacillus and Streptococcus common in two different locations with dif-ferent land uses. Common identified fungi at both the land uses and locations were Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Trichoderma and Penicillium. Further study can be done on the other soil biota to understand the extent of environmental deterioration due to shifting cultivation.
文摘The tradition of serving trees has a long history in the Caucasus and therefore there is quite a long tradition of interest in these problems by different authors, including foreign scientists. The tradition starts with Apollonius of Rhodes. Since then it has been the field of permanent interest by scientists. The material presented in the report, that brings forward the specific practical aspects of sacral functions of sacral trees and forests and mainly deals with the mountainous part of Georgia （both East and West Georgia） and represents an attempt to compare Georgian ethnographic data with the materials found in Georgia by German scientists of the same period, which allows of drawing similarities and differences between these two sources of data. C. Hahn--a public figure living on the verge of the 19th-20th century, who had original material from Khevsureti and Svaneti, was chosen from German scientists. The first and important function is the connection of sacral trees with the world of the dead, which has a practical implication rather than a religious-ritual function, which is confirmed by the use of sacral forests as a burying place and for a ritual related to the dead; The second practical aspect of the sacral trees was their healing function. The purpose of the trees is established in the ethnographic material found virtually throughout the entire Caucasus. According to ethnographic data, there appears another function of sacral trees and forests. People used to gather there in order to solve important issues and reconcile conflicting parties. Sacred forests were a nature reserve for animal habitat and a kind of a haven for the people who, for some reason, had to shelter themselves in forests.
基金supported by the OG (sterreichische Orient-Gesellschaft Hammer Purgstall) Vienna, Austria
文摘Anthropogenic disturbances influence plant regeneration and species diversity, which impact the conservation status of protected areas. A study was conducted in the Sitakund Botanical Garden and Eco-park （SBGE）, Chittagong, Bangladesh to analyze the natural regeneration and tree species diversity in disturbed and less disturbed zones. Stratified and systematic random sampling was used to select 50 sample plots from each of the two zones. A total number of 109 plant species from 43 families were recorded in the study; of which 93 species were of natural origin while the rest were planted. From the species with natural origin 66 were tree species, 9 were shrub species and 28 were climbers. Species richness, density of regeneration and disturbance index in the height classes （0- 0.5 m） and {dbh 〉 6 cm） indicated significant differences between the zones. The study analyzed how disturbances affect species diversity in the area. It was found that species richness and basal area are negatively related with disturbances. Moreover, density （N/ha） of trees was more likely to decrease with increasing tree height that reflects the huge demand of local people to harvest large trees as part of their income generating activities. The study findings have implications for future managementdecisions of the SGBE. To restore these ecosystems, management should focus on both biodiversity eonservation and providing benefits to local people without hampering forest ecosystems.
文摘Biochar is charcoal produced at comparatively high temperature and used as an agricultural amendment, which also sequesters carbon. Most of the research on biochar manufacture in the United States has either focused on large-scale continuous systems with multiple products or small batch systems with biochar as the only product. At James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, we have worked on a batch system to make high quality biochar while capturing the heat for use either as a backup system for hot water heating, or to heat a greenhouse in winter. The system is now in its third iteration. In the first, we used a small intramural grant to experiment with low cost material using a minimalist design. While the unit captured some heat, operation of the design was smoky and hazardous to handle. The second design, funded by a larger intramural research grant, captured considerable heat, made 8-10 kg of biochar per burn and captured up to 250 MJ per batch of biochar made, but remained smoky. The third generation pyrolysis unit was constructed on Avalon Acres Farm in Broadway, Virginia, funded by a 25 × 25 grant through James Madison University （JMU）. This unit makes the same amount of biochar, with less smoke, and sends the captured heat to a storage tank to help heat a greenhouse and home on the site. Our average efficiency of heat transfer is 12.5% of the total heat value of the starting woody biomass, a number we believe can at least double.
