More than 400 kilometers southeast from Vientiane, the capital of Laos, Nongping Village is in Laos’ central Khammouane Province. Hundreds of stilt houses are scattered on both sides of its roads, and under many of t...More than 400 kilometers southeast from Vientiane, the capital of Laos, Nongping Village is in Laos’ central Khammouane Province. Hundreds of stilt houses are scattered on both sides of its roads, and under many of them are piles of rice drying in the sun.展开更多
Baoshan is a frontier city in western Yunnan Province that borders Myanmar. In bygone days, it was one of the Southwestern Silk Road trade routes, and a vital link between inland China and the outside world.The altitu...Baoshan is a frontier city in western Yunnan Province that borders Myanmar. In bygone days, it was one of the Southwestern Silk Road trade routes, and a vital link between inland China and the outside world.The altitude of Baoshan ranges from 535 meters to 3,780 meters above sea level. Its climate varies over the terrain as the altitude changes. A local saying describes it as having "four seasons within one day, and. different climates within a five-kilometer radius."I visited Baoshan in the spring of 2003. Nestling in the moun-tains, it is a compact modern city, with six-lane urban roads, large billboards advertising world famous brands, flowers and lawns. The local people are justly proud of the changes that have occurred in the city over the past 20 years. They stem front the city’s rich tourism, resources and the initiative of its populace.展开更多
THE Maasai people are probably among the most well-known ethnic groups in East Africa for their reputations as brave warriors. But they have been plagued with a major problem for several generations： limited access t...THE Maasai people are probably among the most well-known ethnic groups in East Africa for their reputations as brave warriors. But they have been plagued with a major problem for several generations： limited access to water. ＂Once you mention water, clean or unclean, what comes to my mind is long distance＇ said an elder leader in a Maasai village in Kenya. ＂We spend so much time looking for water for our animals and for our own consumption that we have no strength left for anything else.＂ It is true that the women and children in Maasai communities hardly have time for anything else after the trek to fetch water, which usually takes them 8 hours each day.展开更多
EFFORTS to make and distribute modified traditional baskets used for trapping fish are ongoing along the Kenyan coast. The baskets are proving a big help in reducing the impact of fishing on the East African country＇...EFFORTS to make and distribute modified traditional baskets used for trapping fish are ongoing along the Kenyan coast. The baskets are proving a big help in reducing the impact of fishing on the East African country＇s coastal reef system, while simultaneously boosting flshermen＇s profits. By using these modified gated traps, it has been demonstrated for the first time anywhere in Africa that catching targeted fish, without capturing the juveniles or unintended species, is indeed possible. ＂We have been converting a trap fishery in Mombasa to gated traps. This process is moving along but not complete yet,＂ said Dr, Tim McCalanahan, head of the Wildlife Conservation Society （WCS） coral reef research and conservation program.展开更多
In this study, the ecological effects of culling programs are considered in the context of rodent pest management.Despite the escalation of rodent problems globally, over the past quarter of a century there have not b...In this study, the ecological effects of culling programs are considered in the context of rodent pest management.Despite the escalation of rodent problems globally, over the past quarter of a century there have not been many newdevelopments in culling programs directed at managing these populations. There is a strong reliance on broad scaleuse of chemical rodenticides or other lethal methods of control. The ecological consequences of culling programsbased on chemical rodenticides and bounty systems are considered. Although rodents cause tremendous economichardship to people on a continental scale, usually less than 10% of species cause substantial impacts. Indeed, manyspecies of rodent provide important “ecological services” and, given that culling programs rarely distinguishbetween rodent species, often the non-pest rodents are at grave risk. Rodent control is conducted with littleappreciation of what proportion of the population would need to be culled for a significant reduction in economicdamage. In Indonesian rice fields, once rodent densities are high then a reduction in yield loss from 30% to 15%would require more than 75% of the population to be culled;a reduction to less than 5% yield loss would requiremore than a 95% cull. The negative ecological consequences of culling can be better managed if the method isspecifically tailored to the species that need to be managed. A greater emphasis on ecologically-based rodentmanagement would assist markedly in reducing the unwanted and unintended effects of culling.展开更多
文摘More than 400 kilometers southeast from Vientiane, the capital of Laos, Nongping Village is in Laos’ central Khammouane Province. Hundreds of stilt houses are scattered on both sides of its roads, and under many of them are piles of rice drying in the sun.
文摘Baoshan is a frontier city in western Yunnan Province that borders Myanmar. In bygone days, it was one of the Southwestern Silk Road trade routes, and a vital link between inland China and the outside world.The altitude of Baoshan ranges from 535 meters to 3,780 meters above sea level. Its climate varies over the terrain as the altitude changes. A local saying describes it as having "four seasons within one day, and. different climates within a five-kilometer radius."I visited Baoshan in the spring of 2003. Nestling in the moun-tains, it is a compact modern city, with six-lane urban roads, large billboards advertising world famous brands, flowers and lawns. The local people are justly proud of the changes that have occurred in the city over the past 20 years. They stem front the city’s rich tourism, resources and the initiative of its populace.
文摘THE Maasai people are probably among the most well-known ethnic groups in East Africa for their reputations as brave warriors. But they have been plagued with a major problem for several generations： limited access to water. ＂Once you mention water, clean or unclean, what comes to my mind is long distance＇ said an elder leader in a Maasai village in Kenya. ＂We spend so much time looking for water for our animals and for our own consumption that we have no strength left for anything else.＂ It is true that the women and children in Maasai communities hardly have time for anything else after the trek to fetch water, which usually takes them 8 hours each day.
文摘EFFORTS to make and distribute modified traditional baskets used for trapping fish are ongoing along the Kenyan coast. The baskets are proving a big help in reducing the impact of fishing on the East African country＇s coastal reef system, while simultaneously boosting flshermen＇s profits. By using these modified gated traps, it has been demonstrated for the first time anywhere in Africa that catching targeted fish, without capturing the juveniles or unintended species, is indeed possible. ＂We have been converting a trap fishery in Mombasa to gated traps. This process is moving along but not complete yet,＂ said Dr, Tim McCalanahan, head of the Wildlife Conservation Society （WCS） coral reef research and conservation program.
文摘In this study, the ecological effects of culling programs are considered in the context of rodent pest management.Despite the escalation of rodent problems globally, over the past quarter of a century there have not been many newdevelopments in culling programs directed at managing these populations. There is a strong reliance on broad scaleuse of chemical rodenticides or other lethal methods of control. The ecological consequences of culling programsbased on chemical rodenticides and bounty systems are considered. Although rodents cause tremendous economichardship to people on a continental scale, usually less than 10% of species cause substantial impacts. Indeed, manyspecies of rodent provide important “ecological services” and, given that culling programs rarely distinguishbetween rodent species, often the non-pest rodents are at grave risk. Rodent control is conducted with littleappreciation of what proportion of the population would need to be culled for a significant reduction in economicdamage. In Indonesian rice fields, once rodent densities are high then a reduction in yield loss from 30% to 15%would require more than 75% of the population to be culled;a reduction to less than 5% yield loss would requiremore than a 95% cull. The negative ecological consequences of culling can be better managed if the method isspecifically tailored to the species that need to be managed. A greater emphasis on ecologically-based rodentmanagement would assist markedly in reducing the unwanted and unintended effects of culling.
