A new extractive boom looms over Bolivia, home to roughly a third of the world＇s lithium reserves. Since previous mining booms have not put the country on a sustainable development path, this paper briefly outlines t...A new extractive boom looms over Bolivia, home to roughly a third of the world＇s lithium reserves. Since previous mining booms have not put the country on a sustainable development path, this paper briefly outlines the initial results of a research on policy options to break away with the past. The paper first assesses the relationship between resource dependence and sustainable development by looking at the evolution of genuine savings in Bolivia and neighbouring, resource-rich countries. It then discusses Bolivia＇s potential position on the world＇s lithium market and examines the institutional variables that shape perceptions, expectations and policy options at national and local levels. Notwithstanding major technological challenges, the paper concludes that further research should shed light on how inclusive processes can be nurtured in rentier states, and how far specific institutional reforms can contribute to turning the looming lithium boom into sustainable outcomes in the Bolivian case.展开更多
Aims Long-term heavy grazing reduces plant diversity and ecosystem function by intensifying nitrogen(N)and water limitation.In contrast,the absence of biomass removal can cause species loss by elevating light competit...Aims Long-term heavy grazing reduces plant diversity and ecosystem function by intensifying nitrogen(N)and water limitation.In contrast,the absence of biomass removal can cause species loss by elevating light competition and weakening community stability,which is exacerbated by N and water enrichment.Hence,how to maintain species diversity and community stability is still a huge challenge for sustainable management of worldwide grasslands.Methods We conducted a 4-year manipulated experiment in six long-term grazing blocks to explore combination of resource additions and biomass removal(increased water,N and light availability)on species richness and community stability in semiarid grasslands of Inner Mongolia,China.Important Findings In all blocks treated with the combination of resource additions and biomass removal,primary productivity increased and species richness and community stability were maintained over 4 years of experiment.At both species and plant functional group(PFG)levels,the aboveground biomass of treated plants remained temporally stable in treatments with the combination of N and/or water addition and biomass removal.The maintenance of species richness was primarily caused by the biomass removal,which could increase the amount of light exposure for grasses under resource enrichment.Both species asynchrony and stability of PFGs contributed to the high temporal stability observed in these communities.Our results indicate that management practices of combined resource enrichment with biomass removal,such as grazing or mowing,could not only enhance primary productivity but also maintain plant species diversity,species asynchrony and community stability.Furthermore,as overgrazing-induced degradation and resource enrichment-induced biodiversity loss continue to be major problems worldwide,our findings have important implications for adaptive management in semiarid grasslands and beyond.展开更多
文摘A new extractive boom looms over Bolivia, home to roughly a third of the world＇s lithium reserves. Since previous mining booms have not put the country on a sustainable development path, this paper briefly outlines the initial results of a research on policy options to break away with the past. The paper first assesses the relationship between resource dependence and sustainable development by looking at the evolution of genuine savings in Bolivia and neighbouring, resource-rich countries. It then discusses Bolivia＇s potential position on the world＇s lithium market and examines the institutional variables that shape perceptions, expectations and policy options at national and local levels. Notwithstanding major technological challenges, the paper concludes that further research should shed light on how inclusive processes can be nurtured in rentier states, and how far specific institutional reforms can contribute to turning the looming lithium boom into sustainable outcomes in the Bolivian case.
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31630010 and 31320103916).
文摘Aims Long-term heavy grazing reduces plant diversity and ecosystem function by intensifying nitrogen(N)and water limitation.In contrast,the absence of biomass removal can cause species loss by elevating light competition and weakening community stability,which is exacerbated by N and water enrichment.Hence,how to maintain species diversity and community stability is still a huge challenge for sustainable management of worldwide grasslands.Methods We conducted a 4-year manipulated experiment in six long-term grazing blocks to explore combination of resource additions and biomass removal(increased water,N and light availability)on species richness and community stability in semiarid grasslands of Inner Mongolia,China.Important Findings In all blocks treated with the combination of resource additions and biomass removal,primary productivity increased and species richness and community stability were maintained over 4 years of experiment.At both species and plant functional group(PFG)levels,the aboveground biomass of treated plants remained temporally stable in treatments with the combination of N and/or water addition and biomass removal.The maintenance of species richness was primarily caused by the biomass removal,which could increase the amount of light exposure for grasses under resource enrichment.Both species asynchrony and stability of PFGs contributed to the high temporal stability observed in these communities.Our results indicate that management practices of combined resource enrichment with biomass removal,such as grazing or mowing,could not only enhance primary productivity but also maintain plant species diversity,species asynchrony and community stability.Furthermore,as overgrazing-induced degradation and resource enrichment-induced biodiversity loss continue to be major problems worldwide,our findings have important implications for adaptive management in semiarid grasslands and beyond.
