Understanding of the habitat range of threatened Himalayan medicinal plants which are declining in their abundance due to high anthropogenic disturbances is essential for developing conservation strategies and agrotec...Understanding of the habitat range of threatened Himalayan medicinal plants which are declining in their abundance due to high anthropogenic disturbances is essential for developing conservation strategies and agrotechnologies for cultivation. In this communication, we have discussed the habitat range of two alpine medicinal plants, Aconitum naviculare （Bruehl） Stapf and Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora （Pennel） Hong in a trans-Himalayan dry valley of central Nepal, Manang district. They are the most prioritized medicinal plants of the study area in terms of ethnomedicinal uses. A. naviculare occurs on warm and dry south facing slopes between 4090-4650 m asl along with sclerophyllous and thorny alpine scrubs, while N. scrophulariiflora is exclusively found on cool and moist north facing slope between 4000 and 4400 m asl where adequate water is available from snow melt to create a suitable habitat for this wetland dependent species. The soil in rooting zone of the two plants differs significantly in organic carbon （OC）, organic matter （OM）, total nitrogen （N） and carbon to nitrogen （C/N） ratio. Due to cool and moist condition of N. scrophulariiflora habitat, accumulation of soil OC is higher, but soil N content is lower probably due to slow release from litter, higher leaching loss and greater retention in perennial live biomass of the plant. The C/N ratio of soil is more suitable in A. navuculare habitat than that of N scrophulariiflora for N supply. Warm and sunny site with N rich soil can be suitable for cultivation ofA. naviculare, while moist and cool site with organic soil for N. scrophulariiflora. The populations of both the plants are fragmented and small. Due to collection by human and trampling damage by livestock, the population of A. naviculare was found absent in open areas in five of the six sampling sites and it was confined only within the bushes of alpine scrubs. For N. serophulariiflora, high probability of complete receding of small glaeiers may be a new threat in future to its habitat. The information about habitat conditions, together with the information from other areas, ean be useful to identify potential habitats and plan for cultivation or domestication of the two medieinal plants.展开更多
The urban developments have been carried out by only professionals for a long time because of efficiency and safety. However, most residents are ordinary people. Therefore, it is necessary to change the awareness of s...The urban developments have been carried out by only professionals for a long time because of efficiency and safety. However, most residents are ordinary people. Therefore, it is necessary to change the awareness of sustainable living environments, not only on the construction side but also the residents. In recent years, the number of cases of residents＇ participation in planning, maintaining, and repairing increased. However, sometimes youths and children, who might spend a lifetime longer than adults in a city after the developments have been done, are not included in this ＂Residents＂. Conceming youth and children＇s participation, CFC （child friendly city） is one of the good practices for sustainable development. It was launched by UNICEF （United Nations Intemational Children＇s Emergency Fund） and UN-Habitat in the Habitat II in 1996. City governments, especially in European countries, started to view CFC as their key concept for preservation and/or sustainable development. CFC means not only being ＂Children＂ friendly but also ＂All people＂ friendly. Various effects have been reported since the Historic Cities/districts included CFC in their city planning as a common concept, especially in education, community re-development, and operation and maintenance by the community. It is expected that better city planning in preservation and sustainable development can be achieved by adding CFC concept. In this research, an ideal way of city planning involving resident participation and the possibility in the future are analyzed based on case studies. Then a strategy of sustainable development and community planning involving youth and children＇s participation is proposed.展开更多
The aim of this paper is to investigate the mediating factors of fertility levels and trends in Sub-Saharan African CSSA） countries. The major sources of data of the study are the 2001 and 2002 UNDP （United Nations ...The aim of this paper is to investigate the mediating factors of fertility levels and trends in Sub-Saharan African CSSA） countries. The major sources of data of the study are the 2001 and 2002 UNDP （United Nations Development Program）, covering 42 SSA countries. The selected antecedent variables of fertility levels and trends include： GDP per capita; female adult literacy rate; infant mortality rate; contraceptive prevalence rate; breastfeeding; access to health services; undernutrition; and level of urbanization. The main analytical techniques of the study include simple central tendency descriptive statistics and advanced multiple regression models. The outputs of the correlation matrix and regression models are shown to influence the levels and trends of fertility positively or negatively, increasing or decreasing fertility levels among the countries. But, contraceptive prevalence level appears to be relatively powerful at 5% significance level, relatively more decline with the level of urbanization and positively related with poverty level, which cumulatively gives rise to 5.9 total fertility rate per woman. Accordingly, with declining mortality and high fertility level, the era of rapid population growth in SSA countries has not yet been over with all its implications on sustainable development.展开更多
文摘Understanding of the habitat range of threatened Himalayan medicinal plants which are declining in their abundance due to high anthropogenic disturbances is essential for developing conservation strategies and agrotechnologies for cultivation. In this communication, we have discussed the habitat range of two alpine medicinal plants, Aconitum naviculare （Bruehl） Stapf and Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora （Pennel） Hong in a trans-Himalayan dry valley of central Nepal, Manang district. They are the most prioritized medicinal plants of the study area in terms of ethnomedicinal uses. A. naviculare occurs on warm and dry south facing slopes between 4090-4650 m asl along with sclerophyllous and thorny alpine scrubs, while N. scrophulariiflora is exclusively found on cool and moist north facing slope between 4000 and 4400 m asl where adequate water is available from snow melt to create a suitable habitat for this wetland dependent species. The soil in rooting zone of the two plants differs significantly in organic carbon （OC）, organic matter （OM）, total nitrogen （N） and carbon to nitrogen （C/N） ratio. Due to cool and moist condition of N. scrophulariiflora habitat, accumulation of soil OC is higher, but soil N content is lower probably due to slow release from litter, higher leaching loss and greater retention in perennial live biomass of the plant. The C/N ratio of soil is more suitable in A. navuculare habitat than that of N scrophulariiflora for N supply. Warm and sunny site with N rich soil can be suitable for cultivation ofA. naviculare, while moist and cool site with organic soil for N. scrophulariiflora. The populations of both the plants are fragmented and small. Due to collection by human and trampling damage by livestock, the population of A. naviculare was found absent in open areas in five of the six sampling sites and it was confined only within the bushes of alpine scrubs. For N. serophulariiflora, high probability of complete receding of small glaeiers may be a new threat in future to its habitat. The information about habitat conditions, together with the information from other areas, ean be useful to identify potential habitats and plan for cultivation or domestication of the two medieinal plants.
文摘The urban developments have been carried out by only professionals for a long time because of efficiency and safety. However, most residents are ordinary people. Therefore, it is necessary to change the awareness of sustainable living environments, not only on the construction side but also the residents. In recent years, the number of cases of residents＇ participation in planning, maintaining, and repairing increased. However, sometimes youths and children, who might spend a lifetime longer than adults in a city after the developments have been done, are not included in this ＂Residents＂. Conceming youth and children＇s participation, CFC （child friendly city） is one of the good practices for sustainable development. It was launched by UNICEF （United Nations Intemational Children＇s Emergency Fund） and UN-Habitat in the Habitat II in 1996. City governments, especially in European countries, started to view CFC as their key concept for preservation and/or sustainable development. CFC means not only being ＂Children＂ friendly but also ＂All people＂ friendly. Various effects have been reported since the Historic Cities/districts included CFC in their city planning as a common concept, especially in education, community re-development, and operation and maintenance by the community. It is expected that better city planning in preservation and sustainable development can be achieved by adding CFC concept. In this research, an ideal way of city planning involving resident participation and the possibility in the future are analyzed based on case studies. Then a strategy of sustainable development and community planning involving youth and children＇s participation is proposed.
文摘The aim of this paper is to investigate the mediating factors of fertility levels and trends in Sub-Saharan African CSSA） countries. The major sources of data of the study are the 2001 and 2002 UNDP （United Nations Development Program）, covering 42 SSA countries. The selected antecedent variables of fertility levels and trends include： GDP per capita; female adult literacy rate; infant mortality rate; contraceptive prevalence rate; breastfeeding; access to health services; undernutrition; and level of urbanization. The main analytical techniques of the study include simple central tendency descriptive statistics and advanced multiple regression models. The outputs of the correlation matrix and regression models are shown to influence the levels and trends of fertility positively or negatively, increasing or decreasing fertility levels among the countries. But, contraceptive prevalence level appears to be relatively powerful at 5% significance level, relatively more decline with the level of urbanization and positively related with poverty level, which cumulatively gives rise to 5.9 total fertility rate per woman. Accordingly, with declining mortality and high fertility level, the era of rapid population growth in SSA countries has not yet been over with all its implications on sustainable development.
