Annual Report of the East African Agricultural and Fisheries Research Council 1956-57

The annual report present activities carried out by the different organizations that make up the East African Agricultural & Fisheries Research Council which covers reports from the following Organisations: I. Report of the East African Agriculture and Forestry Research Organization 2. Report of the East African Fishery Research Organization 3. Report of the East African Marine Fisheries Research Organization 4. Report of the East African Trypanosomiasis Research Organization and 5. Report of the East African Veterinary Research Organization The activities reported are for the period 1956-57

Ex situ conservation status of an endangered Yangtze finless porpoise population (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis) as measured from microsatellites and mtDNA diversity

The Yangtze finless porpoise, Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis, is all endangered small cetacean that occurs only in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River of China. The establishment of a breeding population of the porpoise in Tian-e-Zhou Baiji National Natural Reserve represents the first attempt at ex situ conservation efforts for a cetacean species. With the goal of effective protection, management, and monitoring of this preserved population, we examined its genetic diversity using 930 bp of mtDNA control region sequences and 13 polymorphic microsatellite loci. A very low level of genetic variation (h = 0.6010 +/- 0.0029 s.d.; pi = 0.0007 +/- 0.0000002 s.d.) in the mtDNA control region sequences and a moderate genetic diversity (Ho = 0.5740 +/- 0.2575 s.d.) in the microsatellites were detected in the population. It is necessary to introduce more individuals with representative genetic variations into the reserve ill order to foml a larger and healthier group structure for long-term survival of the population. Successful establishment of the Yangtze finless porpoise population in the Reserve also provides a useful model for an ex situ conservation programme for other rare and endangered species. (c) 2005 International Council for the Exploration ofthe Sea. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

STUDIES ON THE PURIFICATION AND RECLAMATION OF WASTE-WATER FROM A MEDIUM-SIZED CITY BY AN INTEGRATED BIOLOGICAL POND SYSTEM

The feasibility of an inexpensive wastewater treatment system is evaluated in this study. An integrated biological pond system was operated for more than 3 years to purify the wastewater from a medium-sized city, Central China. The experiment was conducted in 3 phases with different treatment combinations for testing their purification efficiencies. The pond system was divided into 3 functional regions: influent purification, effluent upgrading and multi-utilization. These regions were further divided into several zones and subzones. Various kinds of aquatic organisms, including macrophytes, algae, microorganisms and zooplankton, were effectively cooperating in the wastewater treatment in this system. The system attained high reductions of BOD5, COD, TSS, TN, TP and other pollutants. The purification efficiencies of this system were higher than those of most traditional oxidation ponds or ordinary macrophyte ponds. The mutagenic effect and numbers of bacteria and viruses declined significantly during the process of purification. After the wastewater flowed through the upgrading zone, the concentrations of pollutants and algae evidently decreased. Plant harvesting did not yield dramatic effects on reductions of the main pollutants, though it did significantly affect the biomass productivity of the macrophytes. The effluent from this system could be utilized in irrigation and aquaculture. Some aquatic products were harvested from this system and some biomass was utilized for food, fertilizer, fodder and some other uses. The wastewater was reclaimed for various purposes.

黄土丘陵区典型群落特征及其与环境因子的关系

研究了安塞县黄土丘陵区4种典型群落分布、物种多样性、生物量变化与环境因子的关系。结果表明,所选群落的盖度和地上、地下生物量随退耕年限增加而明显增加,土壤水分、粘粒含量也有增加趋势;典范对应、多元回归和通径分析表明,群落的分布及变化受环境因子综合影响,土壤有机质、恢复年限、粘粒含量、坡向、海拔、硝态氮含量等是影响退耕地典型群落特征及分布的主要因子;土壤全磷含量对生态优势度,有机质、全氮含量分别对地上、地下生物量有最大正效应。本研究为黄土丘陵半干旱区退耕地植被恢复重建提供了理论依据。

陕北丘陵沟壑区撂荒地自然恢复植被的组成结构与数量分类

采用样带调查与TWINSPAN分类等方法,对陕北丘陵沟壑区延安、安塞和吴旗174个撂荒地样方的物种组成、出现频率与盖度、及群落类型进行了统计与分类。植被组成结构的统计结果表明:该区自然恢复的植被几乎一半是由禾本科、菊科、豆科和蔷薇科的物种组成,北温带、旧世界温带、世界与泛热带分布成分占到总物种数近75%,且以中旱生、中生和旱生的草本类植物为主,具有典型的温带地面芽植物气候特征。植被的数量分类表明:调查样方基本包括了该区自然恢复的主要植被类型,延安、安塞和吴旗的植被在1年生草本群落到多年生蒿禾类草本群落阶段,依次均以猪毛蒿(Artemisia scoparia)、赖草(Leymussecalinus)、长芒草(Stipa bungeana)、达乌里胡枝子(Lespedeza davurica)、铁杆蒿(Artemisia gmelinii)、茭蒿(Artemisia giraldii)、白羊草(Bothriochloa ischaemun)等为主要优势物种构成的不同组合的植物群落,且这些物种具有较高的盖度和频度;但在植被演替后期,不同植被带及阴阳坡的演替方向却发生了明显的变化。以延安为代表的森林带,阴坡可形成黄...