Spatiotemporal features of soil and water loss in Three Gorges Reservoir Area of Chongqing

Soil and water loss has been the most serious eco-environmental problem in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of Chongqing.In this paper the authors studied the spatiotemporal features of soil and water loss from 1999 to 2004 based on RS and GIS techniques.The results showed that:(1) The soil and water loss area decreased from 1999 to 2004.(2) Soil and water loss mainly exists in purple soil,yellow soil,limestone soil,paddy soil and yellow brown soil distributed areas.(3) The dry slope land and sparse woodland that are intensively influenced by human activities experienced most serious soil and water loss.(4) Soil and water loss in the study area indicated an obvious vertical differentiation characteristic.(5) There is a significant correlation between soil and water loss and slope.(6) There is no obvious correlation between soil and water loss and aspect.(7) Soil and water loss mainly exists in the values of R between 300 and 340 distribution area.The very-high soil and water loss has obvious correlation with R.

Characteristics and influencing mechanisms of production-living-ecological space dynamics in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area(TGRA),Chongqing,China

The Three Gorges Reservoir Area(TGRA)is an important ecological barrier in the Yangtze River Basin,China.Therefore,it is of great importance to understand the spatio-temporal variation and the driving factors of production-living-ecological spaces for sustainable and high-quality development in the TGRA.This study investigated the dynamic variation of production-living-ecological spaces in the TGRA by employing land use data in 2000,2005,2010,2015,and 2018,and detected the influencing factors by using the Geographic detector(GeoDetector).Results implied that the structure and dynamic trajectories of production-living-ecological spaces in the TGRA varied in both horizontal and vertical directions,and the study area was dominated by ecological space.A spatial orientation towards the northeast was detected in the evolution of production-living-ecological spaces during 2000-2018.In terms of quantity,the transition from ecological space(grassland and woodland)to agriculture land accounted for the largest proportion from 2000 to 2018.However,the reverse transition from agriculture land to ecological space has increased since 2000 with the efforts of“Grain for Green”.In terms of temporal scale,there was a fluctuating trend in production space with the continuous expansion of living space,while ecological space showed an inverted U-shaped trend during 2000-2018.The dynamic pattern of production-living-ecological spaces in the TGRA was influenced by both physical and socio-economic variables as basic determinants and dominant driving factors,respectively.Finally,the harmonization and protection of production-living-ecological spaces still require policy-makers’efforts.This work may have potential in advancing our understanding about land use conflicts,and provide a reference for rational layout of spatial functions and the realization of sustainable development in the TGRA.

Evaluation on the human settlements environment suitability in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of Chongqing based on RS and GIS

To explore geographical differences in quantitative characteristics and spatial pattern of human settlements environmental suitability （HSES） in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area （TGRA）, terrain, climate, hydrology, vegetation and other natural factors were selected to build the livable environmental evaluation, and the quantitative analysis was conducted through Remote Sensing（RS） and Geographic Informational System （GIS） to reveal geo- graphical characteristics and spatial patterns of HSES. The results are obtained as follows： （1） inhabitants of the TGRA of Chongqing are concentrated in the area with moderate h.igh HSES, which is 78% of the total population distributed in 48% of the study area; （2） the HSES is closely related to the terrain, and it forms an arc-banded spatial succession pattern： relatively low in the northeast and the southeast while comparatively high in the west and the south; （3） large numbers of people are distributed in the area with low suitability （with higher population density than the average of the western China）, but economic development level in these areas is quite low. Moreover, these areas are ecological sensitive and fragile, many kinds of eco-environmental problems have been caused by human activities. Therefore, population migration and layout are reasonable options for the development of these areas.

Projecting Spring Consecutive Rainfall Events in the Three Gorges Reservoir Based on Triple-Nested Dynamical Downscaling

Spring consecutive rainfall events(CREs) are key triggers of geological hazards in the Three Gorges Reservoir area(TGR), China. However, previous projections of CREs based on the direct outputs of global climate models(GCMs) are subject to considerable uncertainties, largely caused by their coarse resolution. This study applies a triple-nested WRF(Weather Research and Forecasting) model dynamical downscaling, driven by a GCM, MIROC6(Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate, version 6), to improve the historical simulation and reduce the uncertainties in the future projection of CREs in the TGR. Results indicate that WRF has better performances in reproducing the observed rainfall in terms of the daily probability distribution, monthly evolution and duration of rainfall events, demonstrating the ability of WRF in simulating CREs. Thus, the triple-nested WRF is applied to project the future changes of CREs under the middle-of-the-road and fossil-fueled development scenarios. It is indicated that light and moderate rainfall and the duration of continuous rainfall spells will decrease in the TGR, leading to a decrease in the frequency of CREs. Meanwhile, the duration, rainfall amount, and intensity of CREs is projected to regional increase in the central-west TGR. These results are inconsistent with the raw projection of MIROC6. Observational diagnosis implies that CREs are mainly contributed by the vertical moisture advection. Such a synoptic contribution is captured well by WRF, which is not the case in MIROC6,indicating larger uncertainties in the CREs projected by MIROC6.

Impact of the Small Town Construction on Original Inhabitants in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area——A Case Study in Lishu Village, Changling Town, Chongqing Municipality, China

Based on the five-year long dynamic tracking and investigation of the peasant households of the Lishu village, the influences by small town construction on the economy and employment of the original peasant households are discussed. On the one hand, small town construction plays a positive role in adjustment of the industrial structure of the original peasant households and in the transfer of their employment towards non-agricultural industries. On the other hand the economic growth of the original peasant households is not so well sustainable, and is so fluctuating. Moreover, the unbalance of income distribution of the said households has been furthered, and small town construction has made the existing labor surplus of the original peasant households more serious, particularly the women labor surplus.

Mercury pollution in the Chongqing part of the Three Gorges Reservoir area and its remediation and prevention

Mercury pollution in the Three Gorges Reservoir area of P.R.China merits special attention.We investigated into the current situation in the Chongqing part of the Reservoir area,identified the pollution sources and proposed some suggestions for the remediation and prevention of mercury pollution in this area.Atmospheric mercury in Chongqing was mainly from coal burning and releases of mercury-containing products such as various types of lights and fever thermometers.Urban drainage in Chongqing and Changshou,and runoffs from the high mercury background area in the lower reaches of the Wujiang River contributed most of the mercury in the water of the Yangtze River.A majority of the blame should be laid on mercury and gold mining in the Wujiang valley.We suggested foresting sloping lands to relieve soil erosion and prevent mercury-bearing soil from running into rivers,educational activities to discourage use of mercury-containing products and improved infrastructure to collect mercury-containing wastes for reducing mercury releases,more facilities for treating wastewater and solid waste to accommodate increased requirements of discharge,and growing selected perennial plants in mercury-contaminated land to absorb the mercury in soil.We also suggested concerted operation of a dedicated water-quality monitoring system,reinforced legislation and an effective administrative mechanism to ensure lasting efforts are invested in curbing mercury releases and restoring mercury contaminated land and water in the Reservoir area.

Effect of nitrogen and phosphorus on the water quality in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area during and after its construction

A survey concerning the concentration of the nutrients in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area was carried out. This paper presents the parameters(NO 3 - N, NO 2 - N, Kjeldahl N, non ionic ammonia, P PO 4 and TP) determined at 16 sampling sites from 1997 to 1999 The dominant soluble nitrogen form was NO 3 - N followed by Kjeldahl N, NO 2 - N and non ionic ammonia. Mean values of NO 3 - N, NO 2 - N, Kjeldahl N and non ionic ammonia ranged from 0 50 to 2 37 mg/L, 0 022 to 0 084 mg/L, 0 33 to 0 99 mg/L and 0 007 to 0 092 mg/L respectively. Mean values of P PO 4 at most sampling sites were higher than 0 1 mg/L for subject to eutrophication. The major factors influencing the concentrations of N and P might be agricultural runoff, municipal and industrial effluents. In addition, 6 kinds of soil were sampled at the area where would inundated after the dam completed. Two approaches were adopted to simulate the N and P release from the inundated soils. The results showed that the soils would release nitrogen and phosphorus to the overlying water when the soils were inundated. The characteristics of soil affected the equilibrium concentrations of N and P between the soil and the overlying water.

Spatial-temporal Pattern and Differences of Land Use Changes in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of China during 1975-2005

Regional land use changes are an important part of global changes.The research on land use changes in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of China attracts a lot of attention owing to the Three Gorges Dam building.The Three Gorges Reservoir Area becomes one of the important research areas.This study analyzed the transforming processes and traits of each land use type and the regional differences of land use changes during the past 30 years,summarized the distribution of different land use types in different buffer zones and regresses the equation areas and different buffer distances based on buffer analyses and regression analyses,and then analyzed the transforming rules in different buffer distances,got the optimal influence distances.The research results indicate that,(1) cultivated land lies at the northwest of the reservoir and was decreasing,however,the construction land was increasing,especially the urban construction land,a large number of land was flooded because of the reservoir water level rise;(2) urban area was sprawling quickly in developed and neighboring areas,and a great deal of cultivated land and a considerable amount of grassland were occupied;in the earlier time,rural settlements occupied lots of cultivated land and a sum of forestry land in the later time;(3) the optimum influenced distances for cultivated land and forestry land were 10-35 km,and for urban and rural settlements were in 5-20 km.Overall,this research can reflect the spatial-temporal characteristics of land use changes during the 30 years,and it is helpful for urban planning and land use planning in the reservoir area.

Land Use of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area and the Effect on Its Landscape Pattern in the Recent 50 Years

The paper makes detailed analysis on the changing processes of the main types of land use in Three Gorges Reservoir Area through the techniques of RS （Remote Sense） and GIS （Geography Information System）. Based on the theory of landscape ecology, many types of landscape pattern indexes are calculated and made correlation analysis. The results indicate that： in 1995 the ecological environment of Three Gorges Reservoir Area was the most vulnerable in the recent 50 years, but resumed in 2002; the landscape pattern diversity index, fractal dimension index and fragmentation index has close correlation with the area of land use/cover change （LUCC）. The research also releases that the increase of the cultivated land, grassland and construction land deteriorates the landscape ecological pattern, while the increase of forest land area will help restore the landscape ecological pattern to its original state. The rapid change of grassland is an important index of the change of landscape pattern, because it has the most effect on change of landscape pattern index.

Conflict between wild boars(Sus scrofa) and farmers:distribution, impacts,and suggestions for management of wild boars in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area

Economic losses caused by wild boars(Sus scrofa)continue to increase in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area.We selected 206 farmers in Wuqiaohe Basin as survey respondents using random stratified sampling.The distribution and impacts of wild boars were examined using a questionnaire survey and spatial analysis.The results showed that:(1)The density of farmer settlements is low and most peasants’households are located on the forest edge.Due to large-scale labor migration,a high proportion of farmland(25.85%)has been abandoned and an even higher proportion of farmland(40.48%)has been returned to forest.(2)The probability of wild boar damage to peasant households was 67.96%.Yields of corn and sweet potato decreased by 24.87%and 28.24%,respectively,with a total economic loss of approximately 2,590,100 RMB/yr in the Wuqiaohe basin.Sixty-five percent of the affected cultivatedlands were located within approximately 150 m of the forest edges.(3)The wild boar damage coefficient was significantly and negatively correlated with the distance between the peasants’household and the forest edge,the density of the settlements,and the area of cultivated land.The wild boar damage coefficient shows a significant positive correlation with the area of farmland returned to forest.(4)The damage activity caused by wild boars began to occur7-8 years ago,and the destruction has been more frequently and seriously observed in the last 4-5 years.(5)We make suggestions for wild boar control and management measures including developing a compensation policy.The compensation standard is related to the land area returning from farmland to forests and the actual cultivated land area.

Assessment of the Ecological Security in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area by Using the Ecological Footprint Method

The ecological footprint concept and its calculation models are useful for the measurement of the sustainable level of social and economic development.The ecological security situation of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area(TGRA) was evaluated using this concept in this study.The construction of the Three Gorges Reservoir has led to the change in the ecology and immigration status of TGRA.The ecological footprint method is an important means to study the regional ecological security.Our results suggested that,by excluding the areas for biodiversity conservation(12% of the total land),the ecological footprint per capita was 0.57895 ha,which exceeded the ecological carrying capacity in TGRA.The total ecological deficit was found to be 11,522,193.34 ha,accounting for 95.02% of the ecological carrying capacity.These findings suggested that the ecological security of TGRA was not good.In order to compensate for the ecological deficit,it was essential to introduce natural resources from other regions.

Spatial heterogeneity of fine root biomass of Pinus massoniana forests in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China

Environmental heterogeneity is a constant presence in the natural world that significantly affects plant behavior at a variety of levels of complexity. In order to estimate the spatial pattern of fine root biomass in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, the spatial heterogeneity of fine root biomass in the upper layer of soils （0-10 cm） in three Mas- son pine （Pinus massoniana） stands in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China, was studied in 30 m x 30 m plots with geostatistical analysis. The results indicate that 1） both the live and dead fine root biomass of stand 2 were less than those of other stands, 2） the spatial variation of fine roots in the three stands was caused together by structural and ran- dom factors with moderate spatial dependence and 3） the magnitude of spatial heterogeneity of live fine roots ranked as： stand 3 〉 stand 1 〉 stand 2, while that of dead fine roots was similar in the three stands. These findings suggested that the range of spatial autocorrelation for fine root biomass varied considerably in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, while soil properties, such as soil bulk density, organic matter and total nitrogen, may exhibit great effect on the spatial distribution of fine roots. Finally, we express our hope to be able to carry out further research on the quantitative relation- ship between the spatial heterogeneous patterns of plant and soil properties.

Spatial patterns of farmland abandonment and its impact factors in the central Three Gorges Reservoir Area

The severe farmland abandonment phenomena in China have tremendously decreased the farmland usage efficiency and caused a series of profound ecological and social outcomes. The complexity of farmland abandonment necessitates a systematic research on its patterns and impact factors to underpin the dynamics of problem as well as potential solutions. This paper took Wanzhou district in the central part of Three Gorges Reservoir Area as an example to study the spatial distribution patterns of abandoned farmland at three scales, i.e., town, village, and plot, and analyzed the influence from labor transfer and farmland circulation. We conducted a survey on the distribution patterns of abandoned farmland via questionnaires at town and village scales, together with the modeling and interpretation of high-resolution aerial images taken by unmanned aerial vehicles at plot scale. Our research discloses a strong relationship between the distribution of abandoned farmland and the distance from population center at different scales. At eithertown or village scale, the abandonment proportion was recognized the highest in mid-distance areas and lowest in close-distance areas, and the per capita area of abandoned farmland increased with the distance to downtown or township. At plot scale, abandonment proportion presented exponential growth with the distance to village center, whereas the abandoned farmland was mainly distributed in the areas with distance above 500 m from the village center. Moreover, we noticed that labor transfer and farmland circulation are two important factors that influence farmland abandonment. Labor's outbound transfer distance has a positive linkage with the possibility of farmland abandonment. Finally, it is recommended that development and adoption of corresponding policies on local urbanization and farmland circulation will facilitate to alleviate farmland abandonment.

The Typical Watershed of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area Soil Erosion Diversity Change on Different Slope Gradients Taking the Meixi River Watershed as an Example

[Objective] The diversity of soil erosion in the Meixi River watershed of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region was analyzed, in order to provide references for governance and protection of ecological environment of the study area. [Method] The soil erosion diversity index and evenness index of the Meixi River watershed in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region were studied based on the TM images in the year of 1988, 1999 and 2010, supported by GIS technology to extract various types of soil erosion in the area with different slope gradients and calculate soil erosion di- versity index and evenness index. [Result~ As slope gradients grew, the diversity in- dex and evenness index of soil erosion decrease after increasing with a turning point from 25~ to 35~. [Conchlsion] The proportion of light-erosion in the study area is 15.57%. Hence, the increase of diversity index and evenness index with gradients of 5^-35~ shows that the higher erosion intensity, the more uniform erosion types and the indexes decreased in gradients higher than 35°, suggesting that the lower erosion intensity, the better environment. Distribution and variation of different land types have close relation with soil erosion diversity and evenness indexes. Though soil erosion problems have been alleviated, by comparing soil erosion diversity index and evenness index, it can be concluded that changes of indexes are lower than 0.02, and soil erosion should be continued to be well controlled.

Remote Sense and GIS-Based Division of Landslide Hazard Degree in Wanzhou District of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area

An evaluation model divided landslide hazard degrees in Wanzhou District of Three Gorges Reservoir Area. The model was established by GIS techniques and took land use/cover, stratum characters, slope aspect, slope gradient, elevation difference and slope shape as evaluation factors. The data of land use/cover were obtained by remote sensing, and the weights of the factors mentioned above were established by the analytic hierarchy process （AHP）. The results indicate, low danger areas in the studied area account for 66.51%, and high danger areas and very high danger areas occupy 1/3 of the total area. The regions of high and very high danger are mainly located around the urban area of Wanzhou District and on the banks of the Yangtze River with a relatively large area, where collapse and landslide directly threats densely populated areas and Three Gorges Reservoir. Slope destabilization, if occurs, will bring huge loss to social economy. All research results are consistent with the actual conditions; therefore, they can be regarded as a useful basis for planning and constructing of the reservoir area.

Impact on Mountainous Agricultural Development in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area forced by Migrants of the Three Gorges Project

The Three Gorges Project attracts worldwide attention because of the Three Gorges migrants, and the agriculture of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area is a foundation for the development of the Three Gorges migrants. The Three Gorges Reservoir Area is situated at the mountainous area with bad agricultural development conditions and relatively low levels of development. As a result, the large-scale migration fias special influence on its agricultural development, which has attracted much attention. The paper analyzes influence that the migrants have forced on its agricultural development based on the scientific data, and makes some explorations on the models that are suitable for the development of mountainous agriculture in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area.

Optimized two-level placement of test points for multi-objective air monitoring of the Three Gorges Reservoir area

To fit the complicated geographic conditions of the Three Gorges Reservoir area, a two-level multi-objective monitoring system was developed to monitor the atmosphere of the area. Statistical analysis of environmental monitoring data and the macro control principle were employed to configure the upper layer. The lower layer was designed by the application of the thumb rule to a local terrain and specific point sources of pollution therein. The optimized two-level system comprises an upper layer of 16 monitoring stations distributed at places of diverse geographical, ecological, economical and social characteristics, and a lower layer of ]6 sub-machines at each monitoring station of the upper layer. This optimal outcome fits the complicated conditions of the Three Gorges Reservoir area, substantially cuts down the installation cost and the operation cost, and provides accurate monitoring data of atmosphere over the entire area with a high resolution.

Impact of soil texture and sweetpotato cropping system on soil erosion and nutrient loss in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of the Changjiang River

This study investigated the impact of soil texture and sweetpotato cropping system on soil erosion and nutrient loss in the drought infield of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of Changjiang River under field conditions. A factorial experiment was conducted in the study using five soil textures and two cropping systems. The lost soil during the crop season was recovered by a soil-blocking device and the dry weights for the total lost soil and its nutrient components, such as ammonium nitrogen, effective phosphorus, K^＋ and organic matter were analyzed. We found that soil texture significantly affected the dry weights of the total lost soil, effective phosphorus, K^＋, and organic matter, while sweetpotato cropping systems and interaction between soil texture and sweetpotato cropping system affected the dry weights of the total lost soil, the effective phosphorus and organic matter. Among the five soil textures tested, Da and Huang caused significantly less soil erosion and nutrient loss compared with the other three soil textures; intercropping sweetpotato with corn significantly reduced soil erosion and nutrient loss.

Tectonic environment and cause of earthquakes in the Three Gorges reservoir area

Seismotectonics in the Three Gorges reservoir area is investigated by using the P-wave tomography with earthquakes that occurred before the impoundment of the reservoir. The result indicates that most of these events occurred in or around the velocity-gradient belts between high-velocity and low-velocity anomalies. These belts have similar characteristics to buried-fauh zones. Stresses generated by movement of partially molten upper-mantle materials and thermal stress may have jointly contributed to the seismic activities along the faults and such buried faults, and possibly activated new earthquake ruptures.

Analysis of the tidal gravity observations in Three Gorges reservoir area

The comparative observations of the tidal gravity in Three Gorges reservoir area, recorded with the LCR-ET20 gravimeter from Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the DZW-9 gravimeter from Institute of Seismology, China Earthquake Administration, are introduced. High-accuracy tidal gravity parameters in this area are obtained, and the scale factor of the DZW-9 gravimeter is also estimated at a value of -（756.06±0.05）×10^-8 m-s^-2V^-1. The observed residuals of the corresponding instruments are investigated. Numerical results indicate that the long-term drift of the DZW-9 gravimeter appears a linear characteristic, and the observed accuracy is of the same order comparing with that of the LCR-ET20 gravimeter. The results given in the paper can provide with an effective reference model of the tidal gravity correction to the ground based and space geodesy.