Cold-region environments along the China-Russia Crude Oil Pipeline and their management

The cold-region eco-environments along the China-Russia Crude Oil Pipeline (CRCOP) in northern Northeast China are in disequilibrium due to the combined influences of pronounced climate warming and intensive anthropogenic activities.This is evidenced by the sharp areal reduction and northward shifting of the boreal forests,shrinking of wetlands,enhancing of soil erosion,accelerating degradation of permafrost and deteriorating of cold-region eco-environments.The degradation of permafrost plays an important role as an internal drive in the eco-environmental changes.Many components of the cold-region eco-environments,including frozen ground,forests,wetlands and peatlands,forest fires and 'heating island effect' of rapid urbanization,are interdependent,interactive,and integrated in the boreal ecosystems.The construction and long-term operation of the CRCOP system will inevitably disturb the cold-region environments along the pipeline.Therefore,a mandatory and carefully-elaborated environ-mental impact statement is indispensable for the proper mitigation of the ensued adverse impacts.Proper management,effective protection and practical rehabilitation of the damaged cold-region environments are a daunting,costly and long-term commitment.The recommended measures for protection and restoration of permafrost eco-environments along the pipeline route include adequate investigation,assessment and monitoring of permafrost and cold-region environments,compliance of pipeline construction and operation codes for environmental management,proper and timely re-vegetation,returning the cultivated lands to forests and grasslands,and effective mitigation of forest fire hazards.

Thawing and freezing processes of active layer in Wudaoliang region of Tibetan Plateau

The interaction between permafrost and atmosphere is accomplished through transfer of heat and moisture in the overlay active layer. Thus, the research on the thermal and hydrodynamics of active layer during the thawing and freezing processes was considered a key to revealing the heat and moisture exchanges between permafrost and atmosphere. The monitoring and research on active layer were conducted because permafrost occupies about two thirds of the total area of the Tibetan Plateau. Based on the analysis of the ground temperature data and soil moisture data of monitoring near the Wudaoliang region of the Tibetan Plateau, the thawing and freezing processes of active layer were divided into four stages, i.e. summer thawing stage (ST), autumn freezing stage (AF), winter cooling stage (WC) and spring warming stage (SW). Coupled heat and water flow is much more complicated in ST and AF, and more amount of water is migrating in these two stages. Heat is transferred mainly via conductive heat flow in the

Monitoring of frozen soil hydrology in macro-scale in the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau

Monitoring of frozen soil hydrology in macro-scale was performed by Chinese and Japanese scientists from 1997 to 1998. Quality measured data were obtained. Measured data on soil moisture and temperature are preliminarily analyzed. Based on profiles of soil temperature and moisture in individual measured sites, intra-annual freezing and melting process of soil is discussed. Maximum frozen and thawed depths and frozen days in various depths are estimated. The work emphasized the spatial distribution on soil temperature and moisture in macro-scale and the effect of topography on conditions of soil water and heat.

Evolution of permafrost in China during the last 20 ka

The formation and evolution of permafrost in China during the last 20 ka were reconstructed on the basis of large amount of paleo-permafrost remains and paleo-periglacial evidence, as well as paleo-glacial landforms, paleo-flora and paleofauna records. The results indicate that, during the local Last Glacial Maximum(LLGM) or local Last Permafrost Maximum(LLPMax), the extent of permafrost of China reached 5.3×106-5.4×106 km2, or thrice that of today, but permafrost shrank to only0.80×106-0.85×106 km2, or 50% that of present, during the local Holocene Megathermal Period(LHMP), or the local Last Permafrost Minimum(LLPMin). On the basis of the dating of periglacial remains and their distributive features, the extent of permafrost in China was delineated for the two periods of LLGM(LLPMax) and LHMP(LLPMin), and the evolution of permafrost in China was divided into seven periods as follows:(1) LLGM in Late Pleistocene(ca. 20000 to 13000-10800 a BP)with extensive evidence for the presence of intensive ice-wedge expansion for outlining its LLPMax extent;(2) A period of dramatically changing climate during the early Holocene(10800 to 8500-7000 a BP) when permafrost remained relatively stable but with a general trend of shrinking areal extent;(3) The LHMP in the Mid-Holocene(8500-7000 to 4000-3000 a BP)when permafrost degraded intensively and extensively, and shrank to the LLPMin;(4) Neoglaciation during the late Holocene(4000-3000 to 1000 a BP, when permafrost again expanded;(5) Medieval Warming Period(MWP) in the late Holocene(1000-500 a BP) when permafrost was in a relative decline;(6) Little Ice Age(LIA) in the late Holocene(500-100 a BP), when permafrost relatively expanded, and;(7) Recent warming(during the 20 th century), when permafrost continuously degraded and still is degrading. The paleo-climate, geography and paleopermafrost extents and other features were reconstructed for each of these seven periods.

Bacteremia complicated with pneumonia caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae

Due to the use of vaccines,infections caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae are now rare.Here we describe a case of bacteremia complicated with pneumonia caused by C.diphtheriae in a 69-year-old male patient.The patient presented at the emergency department with a 2 days history of fever of unknown origin.Subsequent examinations revealed pneumonia and bacteremia.Non-toxigenic C.diphtheriae strains were isolated from blood and sputum.The patient had antimicrobial therapy with good improvement.We highlight the important role of C.diphtheriae in causing bacteremia and pneumonia,and its accurate and timely diagnosis is needed to avoid poor visual outcomes.