Spatial variability of glacial changes and their effects on water resources in the Chinese Tianshan Mountains during the last five decades

Changes in glaciers in the Chinese Tianshan Mountains have been analyzed previously. However, most previous studies focused on individual glaciers and/or decentralized glacial basins. Moreover, a majority of these studies were published only in Chinese, which limited their usefulness at the international level. With this in mind, the authors reviewed the previous studies to create an overview of glacial changes in the Chinese Tianshan Mountains over the last five decades and discussed the effects of glacial changes on water resources. In response to climate change, glaciers in the Tianshan Mountains are shrinking rapidly and are ca. 20% smaller on average in the past five decades. Overall, the area reduction of glacial basins in the central part of the Chinese Tianshan Mountains is larger than that in the eastern and western parts. The spatial differentiation in glacial changes are caused by both differences in regional climate and in glacial factors. The effects of glacial changes on water resources vary in different river basins due to the differences in glacier distribution, characteristics of glacial change and proportion of the glacier meltwater in river runoff.

Effectiveness of Informatization Teaching Design:A Cause Study on Mountain Tourism Resources

With the rapid development of network technology,education informatization has become an inevitable trend in education reform and development.An important aspect of information teaching is the effective integration of information technology and course teaching.On the basis of fully understanding and considering the learning needs of students,we should clarify the teaching goals of mountain tourism resources,integrate relevant teaching content,select appropriate information teaching strategies and methods,and achieve the optimization of teaching effects,so that students can really effectively play the role of the main body in teaching.In the teaching process of mountain tourism resources,the use of information-based teaching methods is not the more the better,but an effective combination of corresponding information teaching methods should be explored instead,such as learning the formation of Mount Tai through 3D animation,learning the lithology of Mount Tai through VR,etc.,so that not only can students learn easily and efficiently,but the workload of teachers can be reduced as well.

Assessing the externalities of a ski resort in Tzoumerka:willingness to pay in order to promote or to prevent its construction

The present study aims to assess the externalities of a ski resort,that is planned to be built at Tzoumerka mountains,in Greece.The research relies on the Contingent Valuation method,which indirectly estimates the economic value of environmental and other nonmarket assets,based on the expressed preferences of members of a social group.The investigation was based on primary data.The core idea of questionnaire’s design,is subject to the use of a double WTP(willingness to pay)question,aiming at the monetary assessment of the attitude of the residents,regarding the upcoming infrastructure project,taking into account both its positive and its negative externalities.Depending on the attitude of the survey respondents,they were asked to decide if they wish to offer an amount of money either to promote or to prevent the construction of the ski resort.Parametric and non-parametric models were then applied in order to calculate in economic terms the expressed opinion of the respondents.The primary question to be answered is whether the willingness to build the ski resort holds a higher economic value than the desire to prevent it.According to the results of the survey,the vast majority of residents(92.4%)supported the idea of building the ski resort,projecting their apparent desire for the tourist and economic development of the area.The reinforcement of the construction idea of the project was estimated on average at €378,200.The very low proportion of the participants who disagreed with the project(5%),did not allow the economic assessment of its prevention,leaving room for further research into the application of Contingent Valuation method and its contribution in cost-benefit analysis and decision making,regarding upcoming projects.

105 Tons of Gold Resource Amounts Have Been Newly Discovered in Tongbai Mountain,Henan Province

In September 2016, the Department of Land and Resources of ttenan Province announced that the First Geological Exploration Institute of Henan Bureau of Geo- Exploration ＆ Mineral Development had recently discovered a new104.96-ton gold resource, with 122.034 tons of associated silver and also abundant natural soda and lead-zinc mineral resources in the deep and peripheral areas of the Laowan gold deposit in Tongbai County.