Ecosystem services to alleviate iodine, selenium and zinc malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa

撒哈拉以南非洲普遍存在营养不安全问题，包括慢性矿物/微量元素营养不良。即使在作物产量良好的时候，微量元素营养不良也会导致疾病、认知和发育迟缓，特别是在儿童中，并限制区域经济增长。碘(I)、硒(Se)和锌(Zn)缺乏在撒哈拉以南非洲尤为普遍，部分原因是土壤化学和以生存为基础的农业生态系统。通过农作物向人类饮食提供微量元素是一项基本的陆地生态系统服务。糟糕的管理，以及环境或社会经济变化，可能会影响这项服务。最大限度地提高I/Se/Zn有效性的生态系统管理战略包括：(1)表土保护，(2)以“空间选择性”化肥为基础的作物生物强化，以适应土壤类型，同时保持资源意识，(3)绿色施肥，和(4)废物回收。如果生态系统不能提供足够的微量元素，使用补充剂或(生物)强化食品进行干预是可行的。然而，首先防止微量元素营养不良的生态系统管理，或在无法提供可持续作物育种选择的情况下提供信息的干预措施，例如碘和硒等元素，仍未得到探索。为为期六个月的项目寻求伙伴关系和项目发展赠款(PPDG)。这些资金将支持组建一个新的跨国财团。PPDG的主要产出将是研究联盟补助金(RCG)。区域协调小组将寻求(1)提高我们对提供生态系统服务在缓解微量元素营养不良方面的作用的了解，(2)加强马拉维现有的微量元素生物地球化学方面的培训、研发和监测能力，(3)促进和支持非洲撒拉罕以南地区关于微量元素的区域知识交流。该联盟的主要活动是汇编现有的生物地球化学和营养微量元素数据，查明知识差距，并参与跨学科联网。这些活动将在马拉维的一个研讨会上整合(9月1日)。2010)。这次研讨会将确定当地利益攸关方参与区域协调小组。研讨会的主题将包括：1.确定角色和责任；2.证据收集和初步假设检验；3.评估专门知识、设施、后勤和培训要求；4.促进新的利益攸关方伙伴关系；5.确定RCG项目交付的范围、时间表和成本。4.将讨论四个具体目标：1.生物地球化学：在马拉维生态系统的对比中确定导致粮食作物I/Se/Zn状况变化的关键生物地球化学过程。将根据现有数据汇编一个空间协调的土壤/作物数据库，并对其在确定I/Se/Zn生物有效性方面的使用进行评估。有关数据可用性、质量和管理的可能(广泛)问题将告知下游RCG项目要求。2.营养：进行可行性分析(物流、成本)，分析不同马拉维生态系统中碘/硒/锌膳食状况和摄入量的空间差异。3.经济学：量化假想的生态系统管理变化以缓解马拉维缺碘/缺硒/缺锌的成本和效益。将整合现有数据并模拟新的情景。在缺乏数据的地方，将使用服从于下游测试的专家假设。4.影响：制定战略，以便能够测试生态系统管理的“空间信息”变化对I/Se/Zn状况和摄入量的影响。这些战略将向下游区域协调小组提供信息，并可能包括从具体的人类健康终点到国家范围的监测的详细实验。区域协调小组的活动将与全面影响计划并驾齐驱，将培训、研发和监测方面的国家和区域能力建设纳入其中。

Sub-Saharan Africa endures widespread nutritional insecurity including chronic mineral/trace element malnutrition. Even when crop yields are good, trace element malnutrition causes diseases and cognitive and growth retardation, especially in children, and constrains regional economic growth. Iodine (I), selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) deficiencies are especially widespread sub-Saharan Africa, in part due to soil chemistry and subsistence-based agro-ecosystems. The provision of trace elements to human diets via crops is a fundamental terrestrial ecosystem service. Poor management, and environmental or socio-economic change, can compromise this service. Ecosystem management strategies to maximize I/Se/Zn availability include (1) topsoil protection, (2) 'spatially-selective' fertiliser-based crop biofortification to target receptive soil types whilst maintaining resource-consciousness, (3) green manuring, and (4) waste recycling. If ecosystems fail to deliver adequate trace elements, intervention with supplements or (bio)fortified food is feasible. Yet ecosystem management to prevent trace element malnutrition in the first instance, or to inform interventions where sustainable crop breeding options are not possible, e.g. for elements such as I and Se, remain unexplored. A Partnership and Project Development Grant (PPDG) is sought for a six-month project. The funds will support the formation of a new multinational consortium. The primary output of the PPDG will be a Research Consortium Grant (RCG). The RCG will seek (1) to improve our understanding of the role of ecosystems services provision in alleviating trace element malnutrition, (2) to enhance existing Malawian training, R&D and monitoring capabilities in trace element biogeochemistry, and (3) to facilitate and support regional knowledge exchange on trace elements within sub-Sarahan Africa. The main activities for the consortium are to compile existing biogeochemical and nutritional trace element data, identifying knowledge gaps, and to engage in transdisciplinary networking. These activities will be integrated at a workshop in Malawi (Sept. 2010). This workshop will identify local stakeholders to involve in the RCG. Workshop topics will include: 1. defining roles and responsibilities; 2. evidence gathering and preliminary hypothesis testing; 3. assessing expertise, facilities, logistics and training requirements; 4. facilitating new stakeholder partnerships; 5. determining scope, timelines and costs for RCG project delivery Four specific objectives will be addressed: 1. BIOGEOCHEMISTRY: to identify key biogeochemical processes driving variation in I/Se/Zn status of food crops in contrasting Malawian ecosystems. A spatially-co-ordinated soils/crops database will be compiled from existing data and evaluated for its use in determining I/Se/Zn bioavailability. Likely (extensive) issues with data availability, quality and curation will inform downstream RCG project requirements. 2. NUTRITION: to conduct a feasibility analysis (logistics, cost) of analysing spatial variation in I/Se/Zn dietary status and intake in contrasting Malawian ecosystems. 3. ECONOMICS: to quantify the costs and benefits of hypothetical changes in ecosystem management to alleviate I/Se/Zn deficiency in Malawi. Existing data will be integrated and new scenarios simulated. Expert assumptions, amenable to downstream testing will be used where data are lacking. 4. IMPACT: to formulate strategies so that effects of 'spatially-informed' changes to ecosystem management on I/Se/Zn status and intake can be tested. These strategies will inform the downstream RCG and could include detailed experiments with specific human-health end-points through to national scale monitoring. RCG activities will be developed alongside a full Impact Plan to include national and regional capacity building in training, R&D and monitoring.