我国人工养麝研究进展及养麝效益问题

我国人工养麝已历经半个世纪,人工养麝研究取得了重要进展,但从整体上看,疾病控制、产香量及养麝的整体效益仍是有待深入研究的课题.为进一步推进我国人工养麝研究和养麝业的发展,现就一些主要的研究进展进行了综述,提出了麝场的经济效益公式,认为在现有的管理体制下,养麝规模越大,经济效益反而越低.鉴于我国养麝业的特殊性及其存在的具体问题,国家应该将养麝业作为一项公益性的事业予以特殊的政策和资金方面的扶持.同时,鼓励医药企业积极投身于养麝研究与麝场建设,以共同推进养麝业的持续健康发展,从而使人工养麝能够为我国麝资源的保护和传统中药的传承做出应有的贡献.     

我国麝养殖种群现状及其养殖业发展的分析

我国麝养殖是解决麝类野生种群保护和中医药麝香来源的关键环节,是极为重要的野生动物养殖业。通过调查得出,截至2011年全国养殖麝已达8400余头,主要分布于四川、陕西等省份;养殖麝种群雄雌比率为1∶0.97,成幼比率为1∶0.53,表明养殖麝种群处于快速增长状态,种群结构基本合理。结合目前麝养殖业资料的调查,分析了养殖规模、养殖技术、种源管理、产业政策对麝养殖产业发展的作用并提出提升麝养殖业发展的对策。     

Nonhumans and the Ideology of Purpose

ABSTRACT

Nonhuman animals are abused in many ways in farming but this arouses little disquiet in society where most people actively support the industry. A corpus of writing in a popular South African farming magazine was analyzed and found to contain, along with other discourses, one which may be described as a discourse of production. Within this discourse are “use terms” which portray nonhumans as having anthropocentric purposes or uses for their lives. This ideology of purpose or implicit use has significant implications for facilitating moral disengagement both in those working in the industry and those supporting it. These implied purposes may derive in part from an old but persistent ideology that the world is composed of greater and lesser beings with the “lesser beings” existing for the purposes and use of the “greater beings.” A scheme is proposed to show how these use terms may play a part in the facilitation of mass nonhuman abuse. Further investigation reveals that use terms are not confined to farming but are widespread and common in everyday speech. It is suggested that an awareness of such constructions and their ideological implications, combined with challenges in such areas as education and science, may contribute towards a re-examination by some people of their ideology concerning nonhumans, their supposed life purposes, and their condoned exploitation.     

国际上活鳄的贸易与人工饲养

目前能进行国际贸易的鳄有１２ 种, 但它们只能被允许在某些国家和不同控制方式下的出口贸易。鳄类的人工饲养在世界上是一种新型产业, 它有二种饲养方式, 但都必须具备种群、食物、资金和技术四个基本要素。饲养技术的关键是对鳄生活习性的了解, 本文对几种鳄的栖息地和繁殖特点作了介绍。     

Responses of tropical fruit bats to monoculture and polyculture farming in oil palm smallholdings

The oil palm industry is one of the main economic drivers in Southeast Asia. The industry has caused tropical deforestation on a massive scale in producing countries, and this forest conversion to oil palm agriculture has decimated the habitat of numerous native species. Monoculture and polyculture practices are two distinctive oil palm production systems. We hypothesize that polyculture farming hosts a greater diversity of species than monoculture farming. Habitat complexity in smallholdings is influenced by multiple farming practices (i.e. polyculture and monoculture). However, little is known about the effects of such farming practices in smallholdings on mammalian biodiversity, and particularly frugivorous bats. Our study aimed to find the best farming practice to reconcile oil palm production with biodiversity conservation. Mist-nets were used to trap frugivorous bats at 120 smallholdings in Peninsular Malaysia. We compared species richness and the abundance of frugivorous bats between monoculture and polyculture smallholdings. We investigated their relationships with vegetation structure characteristics. Our results revealed that species richness and abundance of frugivorous bats were significantly greater in polyculture smallholdings than monoculture smallholdings. We also found that 28.21% of the variation in species richness was explained by in situ habitat characteristics, including the number of dead standing oil palms and immature oil palms, non-grass cover, height of non-grass cover, and farming practices. The in situ habitat quality was closely associated with oil palm farming management. Commercial growers should implement polyculture rather than monoculture farming because polyculture farming has positive effects on the abundance and species richness of bats in oil palm production landscapes.     

The role of selective breeding and biosecurity in the prevention of disease in penaeid shrimp aquaculture

About 3.5 million metric tons of farmed shrimp were produced globally in 2009 with an estimated value greater than USD$14.6 billion. Despite the economic importance of farmed shrimp, the global shrimp farming industry continues to be plagued by disease. There are a number of strategies a shrimp farmer can employ to mitigate crop loss from disease, including the use of Specific Pathogen Free (SPF), selectively bred shrimp and the adoption of on-farm biosecurity practices. Selective breeding for disease resistance began in the mid 1990s in response to outbreaks of Taura syndrome, caused by Taura syndrome virus (TSV), which devastated populations of farmed shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) throughout the Americas. Breeding programs designed to enhance TSV survival have generated valuable information about the quantitative genetics of disease resistance in shrimp and have produced shrimp families which exhibit high survival after TSV exposure. The commercial availability of these selected shrimp has benefitted the shrimp farming industry and TSV is no longer considered a major threat in many shrimp farming regions. Although selective breeding has been valuable in combating TSV, this approach has not been effective for other viral pathogens and selective breeding may not be the most effective strategy for the long-term viability of the industry. Cost-effective, on-farm biosecurity protocols can be more practical and less expensive than breeding programs designed to enhance disease resistance. Of particular importance is the use of SPF shrimp stocked in biosecure environments where physical barriers are in place to mitigate the introduction and spread of virulent pathogens.     

Plant molecular farming: systems and products

Plant molecular farming is a new and promising industry involving plant biotechnology. In this review, we describe several diverse plant systems that have been developed to produce commercially useful proteins for pharmaceutical and industrial uses. The advantages and disadvantages of each system are discussed. The first plant-derived molecular farming products have reached the marketplace and other products are poised to join them during the next few years. We explain the rationale for using plants as biofactories. We also describe the products currently on the market, and those that appear likely to join them in the near future. Lastly, we discuss the issue of public acceptance of molecular farming products.Communicated by P.P. Kumar     

An overview of aquaculture in eastern Africa

Egypt, Kenya and Malawi, have the earliest recorded history of fish farming in eastern Africa, dating back to the beginning of the century. Between 1940 and 1960 aquaculture started in Rwanda, Uganda Zambia, Zimbabwe and Tanzania in that order. Overall, Egypt is the leader in aquaculture development in the region with an estimated annual production of 24 000t (1982), followed by Zambia, 1680t (1967), then Kenya, 1085t (1985). The main aquaculture systems in practice are: monoculture, polyculture, using tilapia as the main species, mono or polyculture of tilapia with animal husbandry and rice-cum-fish culture. Aquaculture research and training are carried out in Universities, research institutions and Government Fisheries Training colleges. The major common constraints to aquaculture development are biological, infrastructural and economic.     

Sorcery in the Era of 'Henry IV': Kinship, Mobility and Mortality in Buhera District, Zimbabwe

Recent studies of witchcraft and sorcery in Africa have described this domain as an all–powerful and inescapable discourse. This article, on a migrant labour society in Zimbabwe, discloses a situation in which this discourse and its interpretation are contested. It shows how existential insecurity, which gives rise to witchcraft accusations, relates to the high incidence of HIV/AIDS–related illnesses and death – euphemistically called Henry IV (HIV). Witchcraft accusations arise within kin–based networks that span rural and urban geographical areas, as it is these networks that people depend upon for their livelihoods. Thus, this article stresses the important link between witchcraft and kinship in a society that is not geographically bound, revealing how witchcraft discourse is assigned a place relative to other social phenomena.     

Absence of population substructuring in Zimbabwe chicken ecotypes inferred using microsatellite analysis

The objective of this study was to investigate the population structure of village chickens found in the five agro-ecological zones of Zimbabwe. Twenty-nine microsatellites were genotyped for chickens randomly selected from 13 populations, including the five eco-zones of Zimbabwe (n = 238), Malawi (n = 60), Sudan (n = 48) and six purebred lines (n = 180). A total of 280 alleles were observed in the 13 populations. Forty-eight of these alleles were unique to the Zimbabwe chicken ecotypes. The average number (+/-SD) of alleles/locus was 9.7 +/- 5.10. The overall heterozygote deficiency in the Zimbabwe chickens (F(IT) +/- SE) was 0.08 +/- 0.01, over 90% of which was due to within-ecotype deficit (F(IS)). Small Nei's standard genetic distances ranging from 0.02 to 0.05 were observed between Zimbabwe ecotypes compared with an average of 0.6 between purebred lines. The structure software program was used to cluster individuals to 2 相似文献   

The place of fish farming in the highlands and islands of Scotland

The population of the Scottish Highlands and Islands had been in a steady decline because of a lack in employment opportunities. Under strong encouragement by the Highlands and Islands Development Board, salmon farming has been a significant factor in reversing this decline. In 1988, aquaculture development in Scotland exceeded 20,000 tonnes of salmon, and provided about 1,600 jobs in fish farming, 120 jobs in feed production, and another 1,800 jobs in processing; it is estimated that over 5,000 people are employed in activities serving aquaculture. The spin-off effects of this development are analyzed in detail. Aquaculture production is compared to the “hands on” value of other industries in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland; worth over £ 80,000,000 at the farm gate, salmon farming ranks alongside beef production and white fish in economic value. A salmon production of 60,000 tonnes is predicted for 1990. Taking the expansion of the salmon industry and other aquaculture activities into account, the calculated impact zone covers about 480 ha only and will occupy only about 0.01 % of national scenic areas. Future prospects in the industry as well as user-conflicts are discussed.     

Farmer knowledge,attitude and practice on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) pest resistance management strategies in Zimbabwe

Cotton is an important cash crop and a means of survival for Zimbabwe’s smallholder farmers who are located in the semi-arid areas. However, it is plagued by a wide variety of pests. The cotton industry in Zimbabwe came up with sustainable pest management strategies which include within the season rotation of bollworm pesticides, a closed season and acaricide rotation scheme. The land reform programme brought new players in the cotton industry and it was critical to determine their knowledge on the pest management strategies. A survey was conducted to determine farmer knowledge, practice and perception on the resistance management strategy. Responses indicated that both communal and new farmers based their spray on egg counts. Communal farmers knew when to use pyrethroids compared to new farmers. Farmers observed the acaricide rotation scheme although they use some non acaricide pesticides. More than half of the new farmers could not say which acaricides were in the acaricide scheme. The majority of the farmers reported that they adhered to the closed season although field observation revealed otherwise. A significantly higher number of new farmers knew when to slash cotton compared to communal farmers. Knowledge of acaricides was not common among farmers. Use of pyrethroids was not limited to 1 February onwards as stipulated in the cotton pest resistance management strategy. The results suggest the need for training among the cotton farmers especially the new farmers or refresher courses among the communal farmers.     

植物生物反应器表达药用蛋白研究新进展

植物生物反应器被称为"分子农田",它具有无限生产重组蛋白的巨大潜力。利用转基因植物表达的重组蛋白具备原有的理化性质和生物活性,从而为人类提供了一种大量生产药用蛋白的安全可靠、经济、方便的新生产体系。目前已广泛运用于工业、农业尤其是生命科学以及医学制造领域。用植物生物反应器产重组疫苗、重组抗体和其他药用蛋白已成为国内外基因工程研究热点之一。然而,转基因植物产物的表达量、下游加工等问题却也成为利用植物生物反应器应用的限制因素。本文就其优势、近三年内国内外转基因植物生产药用蛋白的研究进展、存在问题及对策作一综述。     

中国粮食种植业碳效应时空演化及碳排放公平性

农业低碳转型背景下,准确把握粮食种植业碳效应时空演化及碳排放公平性特征对实现地区生态正义具有重要意义。基于2000-2021年省域面板数据,采用碳排放因子法测算中国30个省区的粮食种植业碳效应,利用核密度估计方法探析时空演化,运用Dagum基尼系数法刻画并解构全国粮食种植业碳排放公平性。研究表明:(1) 从时空特征看,粮食种植业碳效应呈现波动上升的净碳汇特征,具体表现为"东强西弱,北高南低"的空间格局,且伴随明显的"马太效应"。在碳效应结构上,秸秆燃烧与玉米种植分别是粮食种植业最主要的碳源与碳汇。(2) 从演化趋势来看,全国粮食种植业碳效应的非均衡性呈扩大趋势;在三大主粮中,水稻碳效应非均衡性有所减弱,小麦与玉米碳效应非均衡性均持续上升。(3) 从碳排放公平性来看,区域间碳排放差异已成为影响公平性的最主要因素,基尼系数呈"快速上升-波动震荡-缓慢回落"特征,全国粮食种植业碳排放始终处于较公平区间,整体公平性呈改善态势;在三大主粮中,水稻碳排放公平性最低,玉米碳排放公平性最高。最后,提出了采取差异化固碳减排策略、构建低碳发展跨区协作机制、完善碳排放责任分摊机制、探索粮食碳汇交易试点等建议,以期推动我国粮食种植业实现低碳转型发展。     

Strategies for regulation of aquaculture site selection in coastal areas

Marine fish farming is a relatively new component in the complex mixture of coastal resource uses in north temperate zone countries. In Western Canada, the Province of British Columbia issues site and operational licences for marine fish farms. Before granting licenses, staff evaluate fish farm applications for their technical feasibility as part of a conflict resolution process. This ensures that aquaculture develops in an environmental responsible manner, and is part of a public accountability process that recognises the interests of conflicting marine resource users. A referral system which solicits input from national and local organisations is part of this licensing process. The Norwegian YS for ordering salmon farming industry development involves partitioning the coast at a national level and developing organic loading maxima for each section of the coast. Within the constraints of this national plan Leaf authorities license aquaculture. This paper describes these different approaches and compares their strengths and weaknesses.     

Naturalness and the genetic modification of animals

In the past few years it has been recognised that so-called intrinsic concerns about genetic modification (GM) of plants and animals, for food in particular, have an important role in the public perception of GM. One of these concerns is the view that GM is 'unnatural'. This article gives an overview of the often conflicting views on the argument of unnaturalness in books and reports. The author gives a new direction to this discussion, by contrasting the common sense view of nature and animals, with the scientific concept of nature and what is natural. The view of nature and what is natural is always normative. This is illustrated by making explicit the concept of nature in organic farming, which explains why GM is rejected.     

The missing link between awareness and the implementation of wetland policy and legislation in communal areas of Zimbabwe

This paper explores stakeholders’ perceptions of the efficacy of the current policies and legislation meant to conserve wetlands in the communal areas of Zimbabwe. A questionnaire was administered to one hundred and twenty three households adjacent to six wetlands studied including key informants who were interviewed. The existing laws were analysed to determine their appropriateness in light of peoples’ livelihood aspirations and principles of wetland protection. Zimbabwe has no national wetland policy per se but only wetland legislation, however inimitable policies shaped by indigenous tradition and practice were present at each wetland site. The majority of the people were not aware of the existence and rationale of laws governing the conservation of wetlands due to limited awareness education and enforcement by responsible institutions. Therefore, there was a disjuncture between legal provisions and the practical implementation resulting in less impact. Poor implementation of legislation was due to inadequate resources for regulatory agencies, political interference, social conflicts and high incidences of poverty among other factors. The results of the study highlighted that even if awareness was improved, enforcement was likely to remain a challenge unless adequate resources for regulatory institutions and alternative livelihood strategies for communities were availed. The paper thus recommends that development planners should therefore initiate other rural survival options such as restoration of dryland agricultural productivity by introducing water harvesting and conservation farming techniques. This would help to reduce community dependency on already vulnerable wetland ecosystems. Overall, a national wetland policy should be developed through a participatory process, if the legislation is to be used as an effective tool in wetland management.     

Improved sustainable maintenance for mid-water coral nursery by the application of an anti-fouling agent

The ‘gardening concept’ for reef restoration focuses on coral colonies farming in mid-water nurseries before their transplantation onto denuded reef areas. Nurseries situated in a nutrient-enriched environment significantly curtail nursery time, but extend labor, as nursery construction and farmed corals must be frequently cleaned from competing fouling organisms. Mass farming of corals calls, therefore, for efficient and cheap maintenance methodologies, which we here tested by employing Aqua-guard M250, an anti-fouling agent used in the fish farming industry. We found that this anti-fouling paint, while reducing fouling organisms on nursery components during the crucial phase of coral ramets' development from nubbins and small fragments sizes to colony sizes suitable for transplantation, is not toxic to maricultured coral fragments that staged more than 2 cm away from the paint. Applying small quantities of such antifouling paint to coral nurseries, while restricting its use to nursery components that are not in direct contact with farmed coral material, reduces fouling coverage and cleaning procedures by 90%.     

Functional diversity of macroinvertebrates on abandoned cattle enclosures in a semi‐arid African savannah

Zimbabwe is experiencing a shift in land‐use, away from livestock farming and towards wildlife conservation. The abandonment of livestock farming may have unforeseen consequences on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, as cattle kraals create valuable nutrient‐rich patches across the semi‐arid savannah. It is unclear how macroinvertebrates functionally respond to such nutrient‐rich patches in semi‐arid savannahs. We analysed functional diversity of both aboveground and belowground taxa on abandoned cattle kraals and savannah control plots in Save valley Conservancy (SVC). We used distance‐based multivariate techniques to estimate indices of functional diversity. Our results indicated that after two decades of abandonment, kraals had higher functional richness (FRic), functional divergence (FDiv) and functional dispersion (FDis) of macroinvertebrates when both aboveground and belowground species are combined. When aboveground macroinvertebrates were considered alone, no difference was observed for all the considered functional indices. However, only FRic was higher on kraals when belowground macroinvertebrates were separately considered. Our results suggest that two‐decade‐old abandoned kraals may have recovered enough for aboveground species to match the surrounding savannah plot and even surpassed the savannah control for belowground species functional diversity.     

An Optimal Cost Effectiveness Study on Zimbabwe Cholera Seasonal Data from 2008–2011

Incidence of cholera outbreak is a serious issue in underdeveloped and developing countries. In Zimbabwe, after the massive outbreak in 2008–09, cholera cases and deaths are reported every year from some provinces. Substantial number of reported cholera cases in some provinces during and after the epidemic in 2008–09 indicates a plausible presence of seasonality in cholera incidence in those regions. We formulate a compartmental mathematical model with periodic slow-fast transmission rate to study such recurrent occurrences and fitted the model to cumulative cholera cases and deaths for different provinces of Zimbabwe from the beginning of cholera outbreak in 2008–09 to June 2011. Daily and weekly reported cholera incidence data were collected from Zimbabwe epidemiological bulletin, Zimbabwe Daily cholera updates and Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Zimbabwe (OCHA, Zimbabwe). For each province, the basic reproduction number () in periodic environment is estimated. To the best of our knowledge, this is probably a pioneering attempt to estimate in periodic environment using real-life data set of cholera epidemic for Zimbabwe. Our estimates of agree with the previous estimate for some provinces but differ significantly for Bulawayo, Mashonaland West, Manicaland, Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North. Seasonal trend in cholera incidence is observed in Harare, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East, Manicaland and Matabeleland South. Our result suggests that, slow transmission is a dominating factor for cholera transmission in most of these provinces. Our model projects cholera cases and cholera deaths during the end of the epidemic in 2008–09 to January 1, 2012. We also determine an optimal cost-effective control strategy among the four government undertaken interventions namely promoting hand-hygiene & clean water distribution, vaccination, treatment and sanitation for each province.