Spatial distribution,sources and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in Shenjia River watershed of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area

Surface soil/sediment samples were collected from the Water-Level Fluctuation Zone(WLFZ), cultivated land and forest land at 50 different grid points from Shenjia watershed, the Three Gorges Reservoir area in August 2013. The spatial distribution, sources and ecological risk assessment for Arsenic(As), Cadmium(Cd),Chromium(Cr), Copper(Cu), Nickel(Ni), Lead(Pb)and Zinc(Zn) were analyzed in this study. The results showed all tested metals had similar distribution patterns except Ni and Cr, with areas of high concentrations distributed in the southwest(WLFZ and watershed outlet) of the study area. Ni and Cr,which were highly positively correlated and present in high concentrations, were primarily distributed in the south and middle zones of the study area. Lower concentration areas of all metals were uniformly distributed west of the high-elevation zones and forest land. Factor analysis(FA) and factor analysismultiple linear regression(FA-MLR) showed that the major sources of Cd were fertilizer and traffic sources,which together accounted for 87% of Cd. As, Zn and Cu levels were primarily supplied by industrial and domestic sources, accounting for 76% of As, 75% of Cu and 67% of Zn. Surface soils/sediments of the study watershed contaminated by Cd represent a high ecological risk, whereas other metals represent low ecological risks. The potential ecological risk index(PERI) analysis indicated that it had a low(widerange) ecological risk and a moderate(small-range)ecological risk primarily distributed in the outlet of the study watershed. Fertilizers and traffic are the primary sources of Cd pollution, which should be more closely controlled for the purposes of water quality and ecological conservation.

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.

Effects of seasonal water-level fluctuation on soil pore structure in the Three Gorges Reservoir,China

Inundation of the Three Gorges Reservoir has created a 30-m water-level fluctuation zone with seasonal hydrological alternations of submergence and exposure, which may greatly affect soil properties and bank stability. The aim of this study was to investigate the response of soil pore structure to seasonal water-level fluctuation in the reservoir, and particularly, the hydrological change of wetting and drying cycles. Soil pore structure was visualized with industrial X-ray computed tomography and digital image analysis techniques. The results showed that soil total porosity(? 100 ?m), total pore number, total throat number, and mean throat surface area increased significantly under wetting and drying cycles. Soil porosity, pore number and throat numberwithin each size class increased in the course of wetting and drying cycles. The coordination number, degree of anisotropy and fractal dimension were indicating an increase. In contrast, the mean shape factor, pore-throat ratio, and Euler-Poincaré number decreased due to wetting and drying cycles. These illustrated that the wetting and drying cycles made soil pore structure become more porous, continuous, heterogeneous and complex. It can thus be deduced that the water-level fluctuation would modify soil porosity, pore size distribution, and pore morphology in the Three Gorges Reservoir, which may have profound implications for soil processes, soil functions, and bank stability.

Dynamic Analysis of Deformational Structures of the Xianniishan Fault Zone in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River

Field investigation and laboratory work reveal that inhomogeneity of the deformation of the Xiannushan fault is mainly characterized by lateral zonation, longitudinal segmentation and downward stratification. Based on these results, a 3-D deformational structure model of the fault was established and its geometrical and kinematic characteristics in two main deformational stages i.e. the main Yanshanian and Himalayan were discussed. The directions of principal and the differential stresses in these two stages were determined by using conjugate joints, striations of fault planes and microstructures of the fault zone. The direction of σI is N-S in direction with differential stresses of 150-250 MPa in the Yanshanian, and N70E with a differential stress ranging from 80-120 MPa in the Himalayan.

The Shizikou Gravitational Gliding Structure in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River

A study has been made about the structural attribute of the NNW-trendingShizikou linear image belt in the head area of the reservoir of the Yangtze River Gorges and theevaluation of its crustal stability. On the basis of regional geological surveys and by making astructural analysis and a multidisciplinary study, it has been ascertained that the segment withthe best displayed image characteristics is marked by a gravity gliding structure with a multilay-er gliding fold type architecture. This paper also analyzes the medium conditions, slope struc-ture and dynamic setting for the formation of the structure system.

The Governance Structure and Performance of Agricultural Cooperative Economic Organizations in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area

On the basis of questionnaire survey results of 100 agricultural cooperative economic organizations in Three Gorges Reservoir Area,this article uses the structural equation modeling as analysis tool to conduct empirical analysis of the governance structure and performance of agricultural cooperative economic organizations. The results show that the ownership structure has the most critical impact on the performance of cooperative organizations,and the impact coefficient is as high as 0.92; the importance of oversight mechanism is basically equivalent to that of the council structure for cooperative organizations,and the impact coefficient is 0.87 and 0.86,respectively,second only to the ownership structure; the size of members' quit capacity also has a very important impact on the performance of organizations,with impact coefficient of 0.74. Thus,the problems influencing the performance of organizations,in the current governance structure of agricultural cooperative economic organizations in Three Gorges Reservoir Area,are pointed out. Finally,corresponding countermeasures are put forward.

Spatial prediction of landslide for Badong County in the Three Gorges reservoir district

By using the landslide risk evaluating model and the advantages of GIS technology in image processing and space analysis, the relative landslide hazard and risk evaluating system of the new county site of Badong is built up. The system is mainly consisted of four subsystems： Information management subsystem, hazard as- sessment subsystem, vulnerability evaluation subsystem and risk prediction subsystem. In the system, landslide hazard assessment, vulnerability evaluation, risk predictions are carried out automatically based on irregular units. At last the landslide hazard and risk map of the study area is compiled. During the whole procedure, Matter-Element Model, Artificial Neural Network, ancl Information Model are used as assessment models. This system provides an effective way for the landslide hazard information management and risk prediction of each district in the Reservoir of Three Gorge Project. The result of the assessment can be a gist and ensure for the land planning and the emigration project in Badong.

Plankton community composition in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region revealed by PCR-DGGE and its relationships with environmental factors

To explore the relationships between community composition and the environment in a reservoir ecosystem, plankton communities from the Three Gorges Reservoir Region were studied by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis fingerprinting. Bacterial and eukaryotic operational taxonomic units （OTUs）, generated by DGGE analysis of the PCR-amplified 16S and 18S rRNA genes, were used as surrogates for the dominant ＂biodiversity units＂. OTU composition among the sites was heterogeneous; 46.7% of the total bacterial OTUs （45） and 64.1% of the eukaryotic OTUs （39） were identified in less than half of the sampling sites. Unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averages （UPGMA） clustering of the OTUs suggested that the plankton communities in the Xiangxi Rive sites were not always significantly different from those from the Yangtze River sites, despite clear differences in their environmental characterizations. Canonical correspondence analysis （CCA） was applied to further investigate the relationships between OTU composition and the environmental factors. The first two CCA ordination axes suggested that the bacterial community composition was primarily correlated with the variables of NO3^--N, dissolved oxygen （DO）, and SiO3^2--Si, whereas, the eukaryotic community was mainly correlated with the concentrations of DO, PO4^3--P, and SiO3^2--Si.

Fractal characterization of sediment particle-size distribution in the water-level fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

The combined effect of periodic water impoundment and seasonal natural flood events has created a 30 m high water-level fluctuation zone(WLFZ) around the Three Gorges Reservoir(TGR), China, forming a unique eco-landscape. Siltation, eutrophication, enrichment of heavy metals, and methane emissions in the WLFZ have been widely associated with sediment and soil particles generated from the upstream catchment or upland slopes. However, little attention has been paid to the complexity of sediment particle-size distributions in the WLFZ. In the present study, core samples(from a 345 cm thick sediment core from the base of the WLFZ), slope transect surface samples(across/up a WLFZ slope), and along-river/longitudinal surface samples(from the reservoir reaches) were collected. Laser granulometry and a volume-based fractal model were used to reveal the characteristics of sediment particle-size distributions. Results indicate that the alternation of coarse and fine particles in the sedimentary core profile is represented as a fluctuation of low and high values of fractal dimension(D), ranging from 2.59 to 2.77. On the WLFZ slope transect, surface sediment particles coarsen with increasing elevation, sand content increases from 3.3% to 78.5%, and D decreases from 2.76 to 2.53. Longitudinally, surface sediments demonstrate a downstream-fining trend, and D increases gradually downstream. D is significantly positively correlated with the fine particle content. We conclude that D is a useful measure for evaluating sediment particle-size distribution.

Gravity inversion of deep-crust and mantle interfaces in the Three Gorges area

To better understand the heterogeneity of deep-crust and mantle interfaces in the region of the Three Gorges, China, we used the Parker-Oldenburg iterative inversion method to invert existing Bouguer gravity data from the Three Gorges area （ 1 ： 500000） , a new gravity map of the Three Gorges Dam （ 1 ： 200000） , and the results of deep seismic soundings. The inversion results show a Moho depth of 42 km be- tween Badong and Zigui and the depth of the B2 lower-crustal interface beneath the Jianghan Plain and sur- rounding areas at 21 -25 km. The morphology of crustal interfaces and the surface geology present an over- pass structure. The mid-crust beneath the Three Gorges Dam is approximately 9 km thick, which is the thin- nest in the Three Gorges area and may be related to the shallow low-density body near the Huangling anti- cline. The upper crust is seismogenic, and there is a close relationship between seismicity and the deep- crust and mantle interfaces. For example, the MS. 1 Zigui earthquake occurred where the gradients of the Moho and the B2 interface are the steepest, showing that deep structure has a very important effect on re- gional seismicity.

The Study on the Evolution of Urban Spatial Structure in Zhuhai City Based on Spatial Syntax

With the deepening of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area strategy and the accelerated integration and development of the east and west sides of the Pearl River Estuary,Zhuhai’s hub position is becoming more and more prominent.The city of Zhuhai has a dense water network and is divided into two urban areas,the east and the west,under the influence of the Mordor Gate waterway.Based on the theory of spatial syntax,this paper carries out an analytical study on the urban spatial structure of Zhuhai,identifies the distribution characteristics of urban POIs,and provides theoretical support for the urban development of Zhuhai.

A Discussion on the Structure and Spatial Composition of Long Museum West Bund

The Long Museum,with its distinctive T-shaped“umbrella-vault”structure,offers a rich array of spatial experiences.This article delves into space from both structural and compositional perspectives.As the construction mediator,the umbrella vault embodies the consistency of construction and implies the causality of the surface.Presented as an element,the space flows freely,showing diverse fields and order.In terms of the liberation of its meaning,the space offers static perception and dynamic experience,creating a rich exhibition atmosphere.As a distinct entity,the umbrella-vault presents the physical nature,and the dialogue between the Long Museum and the city makes it a museum of art for the people.

Estimation-free spatial-domain image reconstruction of structured illumination microscopy

Structured illumination microscopy(SIM)achieves super-resolution(SR)by modulating the high-frequency information of the sample into the passband of the optical system and subsequent image reconstruction.The traditional Wiener-filtering-based reconstruction algorithm operates in the Fourier domain,it requires prior knowledge of the sinusoidal illumination patterns which makes the time-consuming procedure of parameter estimation to raw datasets necessary,besides,the parameter estimation is sensitive to noise or aberration-induced pattern distortion which leads to reconstruction artifacts.Here,we propose a spatial-domain image reconstruction method that does not require parameter estimation but calculates patterns from raw datasets,and a reconstructed image can be obtained just by calculating the spatial covariance of differential calculated patterns and differential filtered datasets(the notch filtering operation is performed to the raw datasets for attenuating and compensating the optical transfer function(OTF)).Experiments on reconstructing raw datasets including nonbiological,biological,and simulated samples demonstrate that our method has SR capability,high reconstruction speed,and high robustness to aberration and noise.

Analysis of the Spatial Features of the Traditional Folk Houses in Three Gorges Region

The spatial composition of natural environment and settlement in the Three Gorges region along the Yangtze River was analyzed from a macro perspective,which emphasized its characteristics of the interdependence among its buildings,landform and waterscape,between buildings and landscape,and integration of nature and human culture.Then the spatial features of folk houses were analyzed,while special attention was paid to its "upward","grey",and dynamic characteristics.The courtyard-type residence and stilted building in South China were taken as examples in order to explain their exterior spatial characteristics,and the interior spatial features were analyzed from the pursuit of courtyard layout,the preference of courtyard space and the emphasis of central room space.The paper exposed the builders' rational thinking about natural environment and living place conveyed through the traditional folk houses,as well as the practical value of this architectural style in the special natural environment of the Three Gorges region,and explained the artistic achievements from the integration of architecture and environment,aiming to provide references for the urban and living environment construction in this region during the "Post Three-Gorges Project Era".

Drivers of spatial structure in thinned forests

Background:As is widely known,an increasing number of forest areas were managed to preserve and enhance the health of forest ecosystems.However,previous research on forest management has often overlooked the importance of structure-based.Aims:Our objectives were to define the direction of structure-based forest management.Subsequently,we investigated the relationships between forest structure and the regeneration,growth,and mortality of trees under different thinning treatments.Ultimately,the drivers of forest structural change were explored.Methods:On the basis of 92 sites selected from northeastern China,with different recovery time (from 1 to 15years) and different thinning intensities (0–59.9%) since the last thinning.Principal component analysis (PCA)identified relationships among factors determining forest spatial structure.The structural equation model (SEM)was used to analyze the driving factors behind the changes in forest spatial structure after thinning.Results:Light thinning (0–20%trees removed) promoted forest regeneration,and heavy thinning (over 35% of trees removed) facilitated forest growth.However,only moderate thinning (20%–35%trees removed) created a reasonable spatial structure.While dead trees were clustered,and they were hardly affected by thinning intensity.Additionally,thinning intensity,recovery time,and altitude indirectly improve the spatial structure of the forest by influencing diameter at breast height (DBH) and canopy area.Conclusion:Creating larger DBH and canopy area through thinning will promote the formation of complex forest structures,which cultivates healthy and stable forests.

Spatial structural characteristics of the Deda ancient landslide in the eastern Tibetan Plateau:Insights from Audio-frequency Magnetotellurics and the Microtremor Survey Method

It is of crucial importance to investigate the spatial structures of ancient landslides in the eastern Tibetan Plateau’s alpine canyons as they could provide valuable insights into the evolutionary history of the landslides and indicate the potential for future reactivation.This study examines the Deda ancient landslide,situated in the Chalong-ranbu fault zone,where creep deformation suggests a complex underground structure.By integrating remote sensing,field surveys,Audio-frequency Magnetotellurics(AMT),and Microtremor Survey Method(MSM)techniques,along with engineering geological drilling for validation,to uncover the landslide’s spatial feature s.The research indicates that a fault is developed in the upper part of the Deda ancient landslide,and the gully divides it into Deda landslide accumulation zoneⅠand Deda landslide accumulation zoneⅡin space.The distinctive geological characteristics detectable by MSM in the shallow subsurface and by AMT in deeper layers.The findings include the identification of two sliding zones in the Deda I landslide,the shallow sliding zone(DD-I-S1)depth is approximately 20 m,and the deep sliding zone(DD-I-S2)depth is 36.2-49.9 m.The sliding zone(DD-Ⅱ-S1)depth of the DedaⅡlandslide is 37.6-43.1 m.A novel MSM-based method for sliding zone identification is proposed,achieving less than 5%discrepancy in depth determination when compared with drilling data.These results provide a valuable reference for the spatial structural analysis of large-deepseated landslides in geologically complex regions like the eastern Tibetan Plateau.

Ultrafast dynamics of femtosecond laser-induced high spatial frequency periodic structures on silicon surfaces

Femtosecond laser-induced periodic surface structures(LIPSS)have been extensively studied over the past few decades.In particular,the period and groove width of high-spatial-frequency LIPSS(HSFL)is much smaller than the diffraction limit,making it a useful method for efficient nanomanufacturing.However,compared with the low-spatial-frequency LIPSS(LSFL),the structure size of the HSFL is smaller,and it is more easily submerged.Therefore,the formation mechanism of HSFL is complex and has always been a research hotspot in this field.In this study,regular LSFL with a period of 760 nm was fabricated in advance on a silicon surface with two-beam interference using an 800 nm,50 fs femtosecond laser.The ultrafast dynamics of HSFL formation on the silicon surface of prefabricated LSFL under single femtosecond laser pulse irradiation were observed and analyzed for the first time using collinear pump-probe imaging method.In general,the evolution of the surface structure undergoes five sequential stages:the LSFL begins to split,becomes uniform HSFL,degenerates into an irregular LSFL,undergoes secondary splitting into a weakly uniform HSFL,and evolves into an irregular LSFL or is submerged.The results indicate that the local enhancement of the submerged nanocavity,or the nanoplasma,in the prefabricated LSFL ridge led to the splitting of the LSFL,and the thermodynamic effect drove the homogenization of the splitting LSFL,which evolved into HSFL.

Evolution of the Spatial Distribution of Basic Infrastructures and Services in the Niakhar Area (Fatick), Senegal

Basic infrastructures and services present an important socio-economic and territorial equity issue, because the availability of these makes it possible to improve the living conditions of populations, makes territories attractive and stimulates their development. The objective of our study has been achieved, so our results provided information on the rate of propagation of basic infrastructures and services, as well as the evolution of the forms of spatial distribution of the latter. The data used comes from the census and geolocation of basic infrastructures and services in the Niakhar area, carried out by the IRD in 2018. Centrographic measurements were used to describe the overall spatial distribution and the use of chi-square statistics confirmed the existence of a preferential direction of distribution. To verify the existence of a spatial structure of infrastructure and service seeding, the Ripley statistic is used. Our results can be useful for land use planning and spatial resource allocation policies. Indeed, the identification of different types of spatial aggregates and the highlighting of the preferred directions of the distribution of basic infrastructures and services, make it possible to correct disparities in the spatial distribution of basic resources.

Identifying the Spatial Structure of Black Hole and Tropical Cyclone Based on a Theoretical Analysis of Orthogonal Interaction

Black holes are recognized by Newton’s gravitational theory and Einstein’s general relativity, but there is still a lack of understanding the spatial structure of events, especially the nature of event horizon. In this paper, a theoretical analysis is used to compare the structures of tropical cyclone in the atmosphere and black hole in the astronomy so that five results are: 1) Both of them share the similar spatial structure, with tropical cyclone and black hole having the outflow cloud shield and the horizon sphere in the central part, respectively, while four spiral material bands exist in the rotating plane around them;2) In theoretically, the energy density formed by the orthogonal interaction of the four spiral material bands is as times as the total kinetic energy of the head-on interaction;3) This region of high energy density can lead to the conversion from mass to energy and the creation of new physical states of matter, which is a black hole event;4) The outer horizon of a black hole is the outermost interface of events, or the orthogonal interaction interface of particles;5) High-speed plasma jets extended at the poles of the black hole are directly associated with the shear stress of orthogonal interaction.

P wave velocity structure of upper and middle crust beneath the Three Gorges reservoir dam and adjacent regions

The three-dimensional P wave velocity structures of upper and middle crust beneath the Three Gorges reservoir dam and adjacent regions were reconstructed by means of the seismic tomography, using the absolute P-arrivals from the events observed by the Three Gorges seismic network. Our preliminary study of the deep structure shows: (1) the lithology of the Huangling anticline, integral and highly so-lidified, exhibits a uniformity. Down to a depth of 20 km, the Huangling anticline still shows high- velocity anomalies. Note that the characteristics of the velocity images with the different depths are not the same; (2) the depth of the sedimentary rocks beneath the entire Zigui basin is not constant, which is less than 6 km; (3) the top boundary of the crystalline basement varies from 0 to 7 km, whereas the bottom one between 14 and 16 km; (4) the partially molten substances of the upper mantle are located in the Badong-Zigui and its adjacent regions as well as nearby Peishi area. The development and evo-lution of the current tectonics are associated with the cooling and solidifying process of the molten substances within the upper mantle; (5) the different velocity structures of the deep crust in both east and west side of the Jiuwanxi fault are to be investigated in order to understand the origin of gravita-tional gradient zone in the Three Gorge areas; and (6) the velocities within the upper crust would be affected by reservoir water permeability.