First Batch of Topics of “Key Technical Standard Promotion Project” tarted,270 Important National Standards or Professional Standards Will Be Prepared

At the first working meeting of the 'Key Technical Standard PromotionProject', an important project of the national scientific and technical support plan during the'11th Five Year' held recently in Beijing, the first group of 11 research topics for the 'KeyTechnical Standard Promotion Project' was formally introduced. According to Ms. Yu Xinli, who is incharge of the project as Deputy Director of the China National Institute of Standardization, theproject comprises four aspects: the international standards key breakthrough project, the technicalstandards promotion project of adapting technical trade measures, the technical standards innovationproject of basic public welfare, and the technical standard enhancement project of public security.

KEY S&T PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE THREE GORGES PROJECT

This article gives a highly capsulized introduction to the research on key S&T problems involving geology, silting-up, hydropower facilities, navigation locks and shiplift, construction technology, and eco-environ-mental con-sequences in the Three Gorges Project on the Yangtze River.

Forest Carbon Storage and Tree Carbon Pool Dynamics under Natural Forest Protection Program in Northeastern China

The Natural Forest Protection(NFP) program is one of the Six Key Forestry Projects which were adopted by the Chinese Government since the 1980s to address important natural issues in China. It advanced to protecting and restoring the structures and functions of the natural forests through sustainable forest management. However, the role of forest carbon storage and tree carbon pool dynamics since the adoption of the NFP remains unknown. To address this knowledge gap, this study calculated forest carbon storage(tree, understory, forest floor and soil) in the forest region of northeastern(NE) China based on National Forest Inventory databases and field investigated databases. For tree biomass, this study utilized an improved method for biomass estimation that converts timber volume to total forest biomass; while for understory, forest floor and soil carbon storage, this study utilized forest type-specific mean carbon densities multiplied by their areas in the region. Results showed that the tree carbon pool under the NFP in NE China functioned as a carbon sink from 1998 to 2008, with an increase of 6.3 Tg C/yr, which was mainly sequestrated by natural forests(5.1 Tg C/yr). At the same time, plantations also acted as a carbon sink, reflecting an increase of 1.2 Tg C/yr. In 2008, total carbon storage in forests covered by the NFP in NE China was 4603.8 Tg C, of which 4393.3 Tg C was stored in natural forests and 210.5 Tg C in planted forests. Soil was the largest carbon storage component, contributing 69.5%–77.8% of total carbon storage; followed by tree and forest floor, accounting for 16.3%–23.0% and 5.0%–6.5% of total carbon storage, respectively. Understory carbon pool ranged from 1.9 to 42.7 Tg C, accounting for only 0.9% of total carbon storage.

Enhancing the nursing discipline and developing nursing science in China

To improve our health care services,promote balanced development of inter-regional and inter-disciplinary medical care skills,and effectively implement public hospital reform,the former Ministry of Health,State Chinese Medicine Administration Bureau and the Ministry of Finance allocated state funds in 2010 to support a National Clinical Key Specialty Construction Project.The project supports the acquisition of key equipment,personnel training and development of clinical diagnosis technology in order to develop high-quality medical resources and improve clinical services.Because of the important role nursing plays,clinical nursing and specialty care were also included in the project.The Chinese Nursing Association was commissioned to oversee this project,which awarded 211 million RMB to nursing disciplines in 86 hospitals representing all regions of China.This funding has supported the rapid development of nursing disciplines,the results of which are outlined and described in this review.