Estimation on Aesthetic Value of Tourist Landscapes in a Natural Heritage Site:Kanas National Nature Reserve,Xinjiang,China

Most world natural heritage sites are designated partly by reason of their prominent aesthetic values in accordance with Article Ⅶ of World Natural Heritage Convention.In this paper, the aesthetic values of Kanas National Nature Reserve, which has potential for such designation, was analyzed quantitatively using scenic beauty estimation(SBE).The landscapes of 19 representative scenic spots in the Kanas National Nature Reserve in summer and autumn were selected as the objects of evaluation.The contributions of different landscape factors to the aesthetic value of the Kanas National Nature Reserve were revealed using a multivariate quantitative model.The main factors affecting the aesthetic value were waterscapes, vegetation, mountains, folk culture and the tourist environment.The t-test and F-test results are extremely significant.According to the results, some suggestions were given for conserving the landscapes in the Kanas National Nature Reserve.

Evaluation of Wildlife Resource Value in Jinggangshan Nature Reserve by CVM

By using Contingent Value Method(CVM),WTP(Willingness to Pay) of wildlife in Jinggangshan Nature Reserve was studied,the overall existence value of wildlife resource(namely the sum of economic,social,ecological value added on its existence value) in this area was calculated,and the statistics of primary social and economic factors affecting payment value were analyzed.600 questionnaires had been issued altogether and the recovery rate was 100%,583 of which were valid and the effective rate was 94.2 % which demonstrated that feedback sample quantity had reached the analysis requirement.The study result showed that interviewees with different social characteristics widely dispersed,which complied with the survey principle of random sampling;that the distribution curve of WTP was neither smooth nor normal and as 50 Yuan was frequently-used amount in their daily consumption,people tended to choose this option subconsciously;that WTP had notable correlation with education degree,monthly income and cognition degree,and had relation with age but no obvious relation with gender;that annual payment value per capita was within the research scope of wildlife payment value,that is 40-575 Yuan/(person·year).The final conclusion was that wildlife resource value in this area was 17 845 000 Yuan/year,which was of great significance to the protection of biological diversity and the formulation of corresponding protective measures in Jinggangshan Nature Reserve and even in the whole society.

Economic Value Evaluation of Wetland Service in Yeyahu Wetland Nature Reserve,Beijing

Based on multi-source data,this paper evaluated the economic value of ecological services in the Yeyahu Wetland Nature Reserve,Beijing,China.The ecological services of wetland included gas regulation,water quality im-provement,biodiversity maintenance,erosion control,water supply,recreational opportunity,raw material supply and existence value.Multiple conventional evaluation methods were used to calculate the value of eight wetland services.The results showed that significant values came from biodiversity maintenance and recreational opportunity.The main reasons were as follows.Firstly,Yeyahu Wetland Nature Reserve was the habitat for migrant birds,and government had payed more efforts to protect precious birds.Secondly,the population is large in Beijing.People enjoyed going outside and enjoyed the natural and artificial wetland scenes.At the same time,most people were prepared to pay for wetland conservation.The decline of vegetation cover made the economic value of erosion control the lowest.While the shrink of water resource and the deteriorative water quality caused the economic value of water supply lower.The evaluation results could help decision-makers understand the present status of the Yeyahu Wetland Nature Reserve and provide a scientific basis for strategic decision.

The Function and Value of Water Conservation of Forest Ecosystem in Gongbo Nature Reserve of Tibet

Gongbo Nature Reserve, located in Nyingchi of Tibet, is by far the largest construction project of forest reserves that China approves and invests in. This article adopts the shadow project method, and estimates the water conservation function of forest ecosystem of Gongbo Nature Reserve based on the Specifications for Assessment of Forest Ecosystem Services in China promulgated by State Forestry Administration of China. The results show that the total value of water conservation of forest ecosystem in Gongbo Nature Reserve is 8.485 billion yuan, while the function of water conservation is a small fraction of ecological service function, indicating that there is great ecological value in service function of forest ecosystem in Gongbo Nature Reserve, that is, Gongbo Nature Reserve has vital ecological value.

Non-use value assessment for wetland ecosystem service of Hongxing National Nature Reserve in northeast China

By the contingent value method, we studied the non-use value of wetland ecosystem service of Hongxing National Nature Reserve （HNNR） in Heilongjiang Pro- vince, northeast China. The proportion of respondents willing to pay （WTP） for protection of HNNR was 63 %. The WTP ratio was affected by geographical area, contact nature, personal preferences, and familiar degree of the respondents. The WTP value was affected by age, education level and career of the respondents. The mainly reasons for people rejecting to pay for protecting HNNR were ＂I am not familiar to HNNR＂ and ＂I had no capacity for additional spending because of low income＂. Weighted average individual WTP value was CNY 59.26 Yuan ind.^-1 year^-1 for all the respondents with WTP. The total non-use ecosystem service value of HNNR was CNY 1430 million Yuan in 2013. The heritage value was highest followed by existence value and option value. From the high ecosystem service value in HNNR, it is very important to construct nature reserve for protecting natural ecosystems and human sustainable use of natural resources.

Change of Forest Ecosystem Service Function and Its Value in Kanas Nature Reserve

In order to clarify the service function and value of forest ecosystem in Kanas Nature Reserve, the ecological service function and its value of forest ecosystem in Kanas Nature Reserve in 2009 and 2014 were evaluated by using the method of Specifications for Assessment of Forest Ecosystem Services in China(LY/T 1721-2008). The results showed that in 2014, the total value of forest ecosystem service function in Kanas Nature Reserve increased by 7.34% compared with that in 2009, and the value of water conservation and biodiversity accounted for the largest proportion. The increasing rate of functional value of shrub forest land was obviously higher than that of coniferous forest land and broad-leaf forest land. The service function and value of different forest types were obviously different.

ASSESSMENT OF INDIRECT USE VALUES OF FOREST BIODIVERSITY IN YAOLUOPING NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE, ANHUI PROVINCE

Direct use values of forest ecosystem have been recognized apparently due toits easy and convenient assessment, while indirect use values are usually neglected because they arenot easy to be recognized by the public. For a nature reserve with forest ecosystem, the mostimportant economic values are the indirect use values, which provide human beings and other livingthings with beneficial services through ecological processes and functions. In this case study, aquantifying framework to estimate the annual indirect use values of forest ecosystem has beenestablished in Yaoluoping National Nature Reserve based on alternative cost method and opportunitycost method. The ecological functions assessed in the study relate to six aspects: soil protection,water conservation, CO_2 fixation, nutrient cycling, pollutant decomposition and disease and pestcontrol. These ecological functions provide an economic value of 86.1xl0~6 yuan (RMB) per year(US$10.37xl0~6), which is 25 times higher than the opportunity cost for regular timber production.This study can contribute to the monetary assessment of indirect use values of forest biodiversityand to the conservation and sustainable use of nature reserves.

On the Ancient Educational Thought under the Opposite View of Human Nature of the Pre-Qin Scholars--On its Value to Contemporary Higher Education

The pre-qin Scholars’views on human nature could be divided into two types:malleable human nature and immalleable human nature.Based on the theory of the malleability of human nature,Confucianism formed an educational concept aiming at shaping the ideal personality of Confucianism.The theory of immutability of human nature has become the root of the two distinct educational concepts of Taoism,which advocates letting nature take its course,and Taoism,which aims at reforming human behavior.Either idea has its reasonableness.All of these have a very important impact on our higher education today.

Landscape Aesthetic Characteristics of Wulingyuan World Natural Heritage Property and Realization Path of Aesthetic Education Value

Wulingyuan is a world natural heritage property mainly dominated by rare quartz sandstone peak forest landscape at home and abroad and supplemented by karst landscapes,with a large number of geological and historical sites,biological and ecological landscape and unique cultural landscapes.Preserving the secluded and beautiful scenery environment,biological environment and ecosystem of subtropical zone,Wulingyuan presents a splendid and magnificent landscape,with high aesthetic value,and becomes an important practice base of aesthetic education.The aesthetic education value of Wulingyuan World Natural Heritage Property can be realized by systematically studying and presenting the aesthetic education value of Wulingyuan World Natural Heritage Property,developing a series of aesthetic education courses to lead tourists into the world of Wulingyuan aesthetic education,carrying out a series of popular science activities of“Wulingyuan World Natural Heritage Property Entering Campus”,and incorporating into the aesthetic education curriculum system of schools,etc.This paper analyzes the landscape aesthetic characteristics of Wulingyuan World Natural Heritage Property thoroughly,which indicates the direction for realizing the aesthetic education value of the property,and also provides a reference for realizing the aesthetic education value of similar world natural heritage property.

Stability of Land-use/Land-cover in National Nature Reserves of Jilin Province, China

National nature reserves are an important part of classification management on ecological protection in China. Taking the national nature reserves of Jilin Province as examples, this paper introduced the stability index by referring to the intensity model of landuse and land-cover change(LUCC), and analyzed the overall stability of land-use and land-cover(LULC) in the study area from the time interval level and land category level. The stability of LULC in different types of nature reserves was tracked and identified by extracting land-use change trajectory, and the land-use change trajectory was divided into three types: stable type, sub-stable type and unstable type. The impact of LUCC on regional ecosystem services was studied by using hotspot analysis and gravity center analysis. The results showed that: 1) The LULC in the study area was stable on the whole, and the proportion of stable land area reached 86.08%. The intensity of LUCC showed an increasing trend in recent 20 years, and the conversion of cultivated land and construction land was active in continuous time interval. 2) The stability of LULC in forest ecological reserves and wildlife reserves in the eastern part of Jilin Province was the highest, while that in inland wetland reserves and geological relic reserves in the central and western part of Jilin Province was lower.3) The LUCC in national nature reserves not only changed the value of its own ecosystem service function, but also affected the ecosystem service function of the whole region. The combination of intensity analysis and land-use change trajectory was used to identify the characteristics of stability of LULC in nature reserves, which was conducive to deeply understand the process of LUCC in national nature reserves and provided reasonable suggestions for regional ecological protection.

Nature-Resource Potential of the Carpathian Region of Ukraine and Specificities of Its Use by Farming Enterprises

Method of nature-resource potential cost revaluation is suggested. The method proceeds from natural crop yield of Ukrainian lands provided that crops rotation is observed and lands are operated only mechanically with the use of no fertilizer. Nature-resource potential of Ukraine and its Carpathian Region are assessed in the aspect of administrative oblasts. Specificities of nature-resource potential’s use by farming enterprises are characterized. Peculiarities that effected upon formation of farming in Ukraine are reviewed. Indices of land availability are presented.

Theory and practice of value management and its innovation for natural resources from the perspective of sustainable development

The supreme obstacle for sustainable development of natural resources is the scarecity, bottleneck. So how to promote the sustainable utilizing and increase the using efficiency of natural resources is worth studying. This paper suggests that we should improve the model and means of evaluating method and value management based on th~ theory of natural resource compensation. This paper discusses the User Cost Method based on the microeeonomicaspect which can change the evaluating method for natural resources. From the perspective of value managemen model, we should use the User Cost Method to realize the linkage and integration of micro and macro eompensation for natural resources. Based on the evaluating and aecounting idea User Cost Method, this paper presents a theo. retical framework to harmonize and link micro and macro compensation for natural resources. At present, we should seek the new approach and method to manage natural resources, so can we realize the capitalization managemen focusing on the vahte management for natural resources.

Valuation on Forest Ecosystem Services of Nanling National Nature Reserve

The forest ecological system fulfills many important ecological functions. Researches on the analysis and valuation on forest ecosystem services are at the cutting edge of current ecology and ecological economics. Based on the calculation method of service value of forest ecosystem, 7 forest ecosystem services of Nanling National Nature Reserve were valued, totaling 703.48 million yuan/year. In terms of the contribution size of the service value of forest ecosystem, carbon fixation and oxygen release came as the greatest one, followed by conservation of soil, purification of the air, biodiversity conservation, conservation of water, accumulation of nutrients, and forest recreation. With its value of 208.46 million yuan, carbon fixation and oxygen release ranked first, accounting for 29.63% of the total value; conservation of soil of 24.67% service value took the second place; purification of the air came in third in the value rankings, representing 22.55% of the total value; the fourth one was biodiversity conservation, whose service value came up to 14.51%. Those 4 services made up 91.36% of the total value while other 3 services ranging from conservation of water, accumulation of nutrients to forest recreation were merely a small proportion. This is because the Nanling National Nature Reserve is essentially a large oxygen bar. The above-mentioned ecosystem valuation method contributes to the understanding of the overall value of the forest ecosystem as well as the implementation and advancement in the regional sustainable development strategy.

Natural heritage values and comparative analyses of Kanas,China

Kanas is a National Nature Reserve and National 5A Scenic Area,and it is also high on China’s National Natural Heritage List. In this paper,with an integrated analysis and comparative geo-graphical approach,the genesis and current features of the Kanas landscape are analyzed systematically according to the criteria for outstanding universal values that must be met for designation by the United Nations as World Natural Heritage. It is concluded that Kanas has outstanding universal values in geosciences,biology and aesthetics. Through comparison with other World Natural Heritage sites of the same geological types,in the same biogeographic zone and in the same latitude,it is concluded that Kanas meets criteria vii,viii,ix and x for designation as World Natural Heritage. Thus,this work establishes a scientific foundation for nomination of Kanas for such a status.

Natural Heritage Value of Xinjiang Tianshan and Global Comparative Analysis

Xinjiang Tianshan is a serial natural property that has been nominated for World Heritage status.This paper presents a systematically comprehensive and comparative analysis of the heritage resources of Xinjiang Tianshan according to the World Heritage criteria.Its biological,ecological and aesthetic values,which are of global importance, are documented.It is concluded that Xinjiang Tianshan meets the world heritage criteria(vii)and (ix).Xinjiang Tianshan is compared with other mountain world heritage sites,mountains in Central Asia,the Tianshan Mountains outside China,and with the protected areas of the Tianshan Mountains on the Tentative List for World Heritage Sites,so as to provide objective data for the world heritage application.

A two-parameter multiple shooting method and its application to the natural vibrations of non-prismatic multi-segment beams

This paper presents an enhanced version of the standard shooting method that enables problems with two unknown parameters to be solved.A novel approach is applied to the analysis of the natural vibrations of Euler-Bernoulli beams.The proposed algorithm,named as two-parameter multiple shooting method,is a new powerful numerical tool for calculating the natural frequencies and modes of multi-segment prismatic and non-prismatic beams with different boundary conditions.The impact of the axial force and additional point masses is also taken into account.Due to the fact that the method is based directly on the fourth-order ordinary differential equation,the structures do not have to be divided into many small elements to obtain an accurate enough solution,even though the geometry is very complex.To verify the proposed method,three different examples are considered,i.e.,a three-segment non-prismatic beam,a prismatic column subject to non-uniformly distributed compressive loads,and a two-segment beam with an additional point mass.Numerical analyses are carried out with the software MATHEMATICA.The results are compared with the solutions computed by the commercial finite element program SOFiSTiK.Good agreement is achieved,which confirms the correctness and high effectiveness of the formulated algorithm.

Nutrient value of wild fodder species and the implications for improving the diet of mithun (Bos frontalis) in Dulongjiang area, Yunnan Province, China

Wild fodder plants are valuable because they provide an important livestock feed resource globally,especially for smallholder farmers,and have important roles in natural resource management.In-depth knowledge of wild forage plants can motivate local people for feed resource and habitat conservation of threatened herbivores such as Mithun(Bos frontalis).Mithun occur in small patches in the mountains of Dulongjiang,nearby villagers domesticated this animal but left animal to freely graze in the mountains.Many fodder plants occur in these mountains,however,little is known about their nutritional value.We conducted an ethnobotanical survey to document important wild fodder plants consumed by mithun in the Dulongjiang Township.The nutritional content of 21 highly mentioned wild fodder plants in an ethnobotanical survey was examined.Laboratory analysis showed that Fagopyrum dibotrys were the fodder species with the highest crude protein(CP)content(26.89%),followed by Polygonum molle(21.88%)and Hydrangea longipes(21.12%).Synthesis of relative feed value index and grey relational grade,P.molle,H.longipes and Tetrastigma obtectum were ranked the top three nutritional fodders.There was a significant difference between 21 species on their in vitro digestibility and the most highly digestible fodder species was Elatostema hookerianum.Linear model analysis on relationship between frequency of citation of 21 wild forage plants by local farmers and their nutrient composition showed that the frequency was significantly positively correlated with the nutritional value of the feed(R2?0.28,P<0.05).We concluded that these species have high nutritional values to improve mithun production in integrated crop-livestock systems.Fodder species or mixtures of species with useful nutritional characters could be cultivated to improve livestock productivity,habitat conservation including that of mithun and wild forage resource management.

THEORY AND PRACTICE FOR COMPILING THE ATLAS OF NATURAL DISASTERS IN CHINA

This article inquires into theoretical and practical problems on compilation of an atlas of regional natural disasters. (1) The basic theory of compiling an atlas of regional disasters has been founded on the combination of the sciences of disasters, cartography and regional geogrphy. The content structure of a regional disaster atlas should be composed of at least the following five parts:hazard-formative environments and hazard-affected bodies,hazards, disaster effects, monitoring and warning system for natural disasters, and countermeasures for natural disaster reduction. (2) Contents of cartographic design of a regional disaster atlas should be composed of at least the following five parts: base map system, cartographic representation, Symbol System, color system, map edition and map layout system. (3) Based on theory and cartographic design of compiling an atlas of regional disaster, the Atlas of Natural Disater in China, which reveals objectively the temporal and spaial pattern of regional natural disasters of China,has been compiled and published.

Simulation Study on Heat Value Control System of Natural Gas Used for Color TV Tubes Production

In order to know the character of the heat value control system, determine the influence of natural gas quality and flow on the heat value, and learn how to adjust the parameters of control system, the model of the whole system is established, and simulation of the system is adopted in Matlab/Simulink. The simulation result shows that the feedback system with feed-forward block controls the heat value very well, and the simulation result can effectively guide the engineering design of the heat value control system, and the efficiency of engineering is improved.

Modelling the Financial Value of the Maroochy River to Property Values: An Application of Neural Networks

The Maroochy River, which is located on east coast of Australia, provides a variety of uses and values to the community. Changes in structure, function and management of the river will influence the value that the community derives from it. Therefore, critical to the river’s continued management is the development of policy relevant tools based on the community’s value of the river. This paper focuses on estimating the fi-nancial value the local residents derive from living close to the river through investigation of changes in residential property values due to attributes of the Maroochy River. It is a complex analysis since there are several confounding geographical and property variables. Given a large and complete dataset of 28,000 properties for the Maroochy region, Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) was applied to estimate the economic value of the properties. This ANN was then able to simulate scenarios for property values with respect to changes in environmental features. It showed the Maroochy River contributed AU$900,000,000 to the unim-proved capital value of the whole region, a value that could not be estimated previously, and much higher than anticipated. Calculating potential annual payments to the Shire Council through land tax analysis from these property values, provides the council with means to justify expenditure to maintain a standard of water quality and ecosystem health.