Above and below ground organic carbon stocks in a sub-tropical Pinus roxburghii Sargent forest of the Garhwal Himalayas

Accurate estimates of tree carbon, forest floor carbon and organic carbon in forest soils （SOC） are important in order to determine their contribution to global carbon （C） stocks. However, information about these carbon stocks is lacking. Some studies have investigated regional and continental scale patterns of carbon stocks in forest ecosystems; however, the changes in C storage in dif- ferent components （vegetation, forest floor and soil） as a function of elevation in forest ecosystems remain poorly understood. In this study, we estimate C stocks of vegetation, forest floor and soils of a Pinus roxburghii Sargent forest in the Garhwal Himalayas along a gradient to quantify changes in carbon stock due to differences in elevation at three sites. The biomass of the vegetation changes drastically with increasing elevation among the three sites. The above-ground biomass （AGB） and below-ground biomass （BGB） were highest at site I （184.46 and 46.386 t·ha^-1 respectively） at an elevation of 1300 m followed by site II （173.99 and 44.057 t·ha^-1 AGB and BGB respectively） at 1400 m and the lowest AGB and BGB were estimated at site III （161.72 and 41.301t·ha^-1） at 1500 m. The trend for SOC stock was similar to that of biomass. Our results suggest that carbon storage （in both soil and biomass） is nega- tively correlated with elevation.

Climatological Features of the Global Tropical Subsidence Region Based on Satellite Observations

Consisting of subtropical highs and tropical buffer zone, the global tropical subsidence region is the subsidence branches of Hadley cell. Walker circulation and monsoon circulation which are important components of the global general circulation. This region is closely connected with Asian monsoon. Based on long-term satellite observations of OLR (Outgoing Longwave Radiation) and HIRS-Tbl2 (the bright temperature from High-resolution Infra-red Radiation Sounder Channel 12 (6.7 Μm)), the climatological features over the global tropical subsidence region are studied in this paper and the main findings are as follows: Key words Satellite observation - OLR - HIRS-Tb12 - Tropical subsidence region - Monsoon This project was supported by the State Key Project of the SCSME and the National NSF No. 49875016.

Impact of Spectral Nudging on the Downscaling of Tropical Cyclones in Regional Climate Simulations

This study investigated the simulations of three months of seasonal tropical cyclone （TC） activity over the western North Pacific using the Advanced Research WRF Model. In the control experiment （CTL）, the TC frequency was considerably overestimated. Additionally, the tracks of some TCs tended to have larger radii of curvature and were shifted eastward. The large-scale environments of westerly monsoon flows and subtropical Pacific highs were unreasonably simulated. The overestimated frequency of TC formation was attributed to a strengthened westerly wind field in the southern quadrants of the TC center. In comparison with the experiment with the spectral nudging method, the strengthened wind speed was mainly modulated by large-scale flow that was greater than approximately 1000 km in the model domain. The spurious formation and undesirable tracks of TCs in the CTL were considerably improved by reproducing realistic large-scale atmospheric monsoon circulation with substantial adjustment between large-scale flow in the model domain and large-scale boundary forcing modified by the spectral nudging method. The realistic monsoon circulation took a vital role in simulating realistic TCs. It revealed that, in the downscaling from large-scale fields for regional climate simulations, scale interaction between model-generated regional features and forced large-scale fields should be considered, and spectral nudging is a desirable method in the downscaling method.

Possible Sources of Forecast Errors Generated by the Global/Regional Assimilation and Prediction System for Landfalling Tropical Cyclones.PartⅠ:Initial Uncertainties

This paper investigates the possible sources of errors associated with tropical cyclone （TC） tracks forecasted using the Global/Regional Assimilation and Prediction System （GRAPES）. The GRAPES forecasts were made for 16 landfaIling TCs in the western North Pacific basin during the 2008 and 2009 seasons, with a forecast length of 72 hours, and using the default initial conditions （＂initials＂, hereafter）, which are from the NCEP-FNL dataset, as well as ECMWF initials. The forecasts are compared with ECMWF forecasts. The results show that in most TCs, the GRAPES forecasts are improved when using the ECMWF initials compared with the default initials. Compared with the ECMWF initials, the default initials produce lower intensity TCs and a lower intensity subtropical high, but a higher intensity South Asia high and monsoon trough, as well as a higher temperature but lower specific humidity at the TC center. Replacement of the geopotential height and wind fields with the ECMWF initials in and around the TC center at the initial time was found to be the most efficient way to improve the forecasts. In addition, TCs that showed the greatest improvement in forecast accuracy usually had the largest initial uncertainties in TC intensity and were usually in the intensifying phase. The results demonstrate the importance of the initial intensity for TC track forecasts made using GRAPES, and indicate the model is better in describing the intensifying phase than the decaying phase of TCs. Finally, the limit of the improvement indicates that the model error associated with GRAPES forecasts may be the main cause of poor forecasts of landfalling TCs. Thus, further examinations of the model errors are required.

Hazard risk assessment of tropical cyclones based on joint probability theory

The main hazard-causing factors of tropical cyclones are strong wind,heavy rainfall,and storm surge.Evaluation of the hazard-causing degree of a tropical cyclone requires a joint intensity analysis of these hazard-causing factors.According to the maximum hourly mean wind speed,total rainfall,and maximum tide level at various observation stations in Hong Kong during these tropical cyclones,three hazard-causing indices for tropical cyclones are introduced:the strong-wind index(VI),total-rainfall index(RI),and tide-level index(LI).Through a joint probability analysis of VI,RI,and LI for a tropical cyclone affecting Hong Kong,the joint return period is calculated to evaluate its joint hazard-causing intensity.A limit state function of Hong Kong’s resistance to tropical cyclones is developed and used to evaluate the regional risk of tropical cyclones affecting Hong Kong.The results indicate that the joint return period of VI,RI,and LI can reflect the joint hazard-causing intensity of strong wind,heavy rain,and storm surge caused by tropical cyclones;if the overall design return periods of the regional structures decrease,the regional ability to defend against tropical cyclone disasters is degraded.

Post-disaster medical rescue strategy in tropical regions

BACKGROUND:Earthquakes,floods,droughts,storms,mudslides,landslides,and forest wild fires are serious threats to human lives and properties.The present study aimed to study the environmental characteristics and pathogenic traits,recapitulate experiences,and augment applications of medical reliefs in tropical regions.METHODS:Analysis was made on work and projects of emergency medical rescue,based on information and data collected from 3 emergency medical rescue missions of China International Search and Rescue Team to overseas earthquakes and tsunamis aftermaths in tropical disaster regions — Indonesia-Aceh,Indonesia-Yogyakarta,and Haiti-Port au Prince.RESULTS:Shock,infection and heat stroke were frequently encountered in addition to outbreaks of infectious diseases,skin diseases,and diarrhea during post-disaster emergency medical rescue in tropical regions.CONCLUSIONS:High temperature,high humidity,and proliferation of microorganisms and parasites are the characteristics of tropical climate that impose strict requirements on the preparation of rescue work including selective team members suitable for a particular rescue mission and the provisioning of medical equipment and life support materials.The overseas rescue mission itself needs a scientific,efficient,simple workflow for providing efficient emergency medical assistance.Since shock and infection are major tasks in post-disaster treatment of severely injured victims in tropical regions,the prevention and diagnosis of hyperthermia,insect-borne infectious diseases,tropic skin diseases,infectious diarrhea,and pest harms of disaster victims and rescue team staff should be emphasized during the rescue operations.

Plant Landscape Design Language of Small Street Parks in Tropical Coastal Regions:A Case Study of Zhanjiang City

Small urban street parks play an irreplaceable role in protecting ecological environment of cities and beautifying living spaces of citizens, in these parks plant is an essential landscaping element that can not only improve environmental quality, but also provide visual enjoyment for viewers. There are many small street parks in Zhanjiang City, however, plant landscapes in such parks lack in regional characteristics because of blind copy and random planting. By analyzing plant landscapes in typical street parks in Zhanjiang, and borrowing the theoretical research framework of linguistics, this paper concluded the vocabulary, sentence,chapter and grammatical rules of plant landscape design, in order to explore new methods for the plant landscape design of small parks in tropical coastal regions.

Variability of Tropical Cyclone in High Frequent Occurrence Regions over the Western North Pacific

In this study, three high frequent occurrence regions of tropical cyclones(TCs), i.e., the northern South China Sea(the region S), the south Philippine Sea(the region P) and the region east of Taiwan Island(the region E), are defined with frequency of TC's occurrence at each grid for a 45-year period(1965–2009), where the frequency of occurrence(FO) of TCs is triple the mean value of the whole western North Pacific. Over the region S, there are decreasing trends in the FO of TCs, the number of TCs' tracks going though this region and the number of TCs' genesis in this region. Over the region P, the FO and tracks demonstrate decadal variation with periods of 10–12 year, while over the region E, a significant 4–5 years' oscillation appears in both FO and tracks. It is demonstrated that the differences of TCs' variation in these three different regions are mainly caused by the variation of the Western Pacific Subtropical High(WPSH) at different time scales. The westward shift of WPSH is responsible for the northwesterly anomaly over the region S which inhibits westward TC movement into the region S. On the decadal timescale, the WPSH stretches northwestward because of the anomalous anticyclone over the northwestern part of the region P, and steers more TCs reaching the region P in the greater FO years of the region P. The retreating of the WPSH on the interannual time scale is the main reason for the FO's oscillation over the region E.

Effects of Tropical Cyclone Activity on the Boundary Moisture Budget over the Eastern China Monsoon Region

In summer, water vapor over the eastern China monsoon region （ECMR） comes mainly from low latitudes and is modu- lated by tropical cyclone （TC） activity in East Asia （EA）. This study examines the variability of water vapor transport over the ECMR, especially of the moisture inflow via the southern and eastern boundaries. The results of composite and correlation analyses, using data from 1979 to 2010, reveal significant differences in moisture budgets along the boundaries between TC days and non-TC days. Almost 80% of the water vapor transport via the eastern boundary occurs during TC days, while at the southern boundary most inflow occurs on non-TC days. The ratio of the total water vapor transport between TC and non-TC days is about 4：6. In addition, the E1 Nifio-Southem Oscillation （ENSO） exhibits a remarkable influence on moisture trans- port over EA and the contributions of moisture inflow on TC days increase （reduce） in E1 Nifio （La Nifia） years. Moreover, different types of TCs, based on their tracks, have different effects on the moisture budgets along the southern and eastern boundaries. When TCs enter EA （but not the ECMR）, they favor the moisture inflow via the eastern boundary and hinder the moisture inflow via the southern boundary. After TCs enter the ECMR, the inhibition of moisture inflow via the southern boundary will be weakened, and more water vapor can be brought into the ECMR. For some recurring TCs with an increase in TC activity in the midlatitudes, the influence is uncertain in different cases. The results herein suggest that TC activity is an important factor that influences the boundary moisture budgets in the ECMR.

Development Trend of Small Island District in Tropical Monsoon Region (Case Study: Ly Son and Phu Quy Island Districts, Vietnam)

Ly Son (Quang Ngai province) and Phu Quy (Binh Thuan province) are two island districts in Vietnam that have similar natural characteristics;both are facing the issues of sustainable economic development. This research applied Man-Kendall model to estimate the trend of some socio-economic elements in these two island districts that have been collected during the period of 2002-2018. In general, socio-economic factors showed a tendency to increase recently. Ly Son island district has faster growth rate than that of Phu Quy because Phu Quy is farther from the mainland, more difficult to access and this island district does not own distinct local products. However, with the current development speed, Ly Son is facing several consequences such as insufficient water sources to meet the water demand and security instability due to the increasing number of visitors to the island. This research also proposed that, in order to sustainably develop the two island districts, there should be a specific structure for economic development orientation among sectors based on phased schedule. More importantly, tourism development planning should take capacity into consideration. Fishing practices should pay attention to methods and fishing equipment. Infrastructure investment for environmental protection as well as advocacy program to minimize the use of plastic bags should be done on a regular basis.

Follow-up study on ThinPrep cytology test-positive patients in tropical regions

BACKGROUND As shown in the statistics from the World Health Organization,it is estimated that approximately 75000 new cases of cervical cancer occur every year in China.In 2008,33000 people died of cervical cancer in China.It is proven that most women are at risk of cervical cancer.The progression from human papillomavirus(HPV)infection to cervical cancer can be several years or decades,which offers a unique opportunity to prevent cancer.AIM To observe the changes in ThinPrep cytology tests(TCT)and HPV infection in patients who were detected to be positive via TCT screening of cervical cancer and further explore the biopsy results.METHODS This paper performed a follow-up study on 206 cervical cancer screening-positive patients of 12231 total cases from our previous research.We conducted an observational study on the TCT results based on the interpretation of The Bethesda System.RESULTS Over a 5-year period,10 cases received consistent follow-up.The proportions of cases in which glandular epithelial lesions were detected increased over the follow-up period.The differences between the years were statistically significant(P<0.01).Over the 5 years,the proportion of patients whose squamous epithelial lesions transformed into glandular epithelial lesions increased yearly.Annual positive rates of HPV infection were:year 1,73%(24/33);year 2,43%(6/14);year 3,36%(9/25);year 4,50%(9/18);and year 5,25%(6/24).The positive detection rate after biopsy over a 9-year period was 29%.CONCLUSION The follow-up study for 5 years to 9 years revealed a tendency to change from squamous epithelial lesions to glandular epithelial lesions and an improvement of the disease(which had not been reported previously).The HPV test indicated a high negative conversion ratio of the viral infection.However,the follow-up cases were not found to have persistent infection of high-risk HPV.Therefore,early intervention of cervical cancer screening is necessary.Low re-examination compliance,patient education,and preventive measures should be enhanced.

Weather Yield Model for the Semi Tropical Region (Pakistan)

Weather models are essential tools for checking of the effect of the weather elements in terms of their effect on the production of the crop. This research is an attempt to see the effect of only two variables i.e., temperature and rainfall for the division Faisalabad (semitropical region of Pakistan).The model fitted is of the linear form:the values of a,b, c have been found. The expected yield has been calculated by using the aridity indices (X1 and X2 ) and the result in the form of coefficient of determination R2 has been found equal to 0.166. The significance of the regression coefficient has been tested, which shows that the contribution to the yield from aridity index at germination and that at ripening is significant.The wheat yields are the results of a wide variety of variables, most of which show varying degree of relationship with one another, some positive and some negative in terms of output. These variables may be technology, fertilizers, pesticides, epidemics, kinds of seeds used, market price of crop and the area under cultivation etc, which can be the source of variation in the wheat yield. Since rainfall during germination and temperature at the ripening periods are the necessary factors for the yield of wheat, for this purpose these parameters have been studied in order to their contribution.

Investigation of the Effects of Glazed Balconies uponThermal Comfort in Hot Tropical Region

The balcony is responsible to a series of effects on the environmental behavior of a building,mainly in relation of thermal comfort and air distribution to their indoor spaces.Currently a very common practice in several metropolitan areas is the closing with retractable glass panels in balcony openings.This work analyzed the effects of glazed balconies upon thermal comfort in a hot tropical region.Environmental parameters were carried out in a flat alternating the conditions of retractable glass panels to balconies.Thermal simulations were performed considering closing or not the glass door that divides the balcony room;the building material used on the balcony sill;and the use of curtains or shading devices.The results show the maximum mean hourly temperatures recorded on the balcony during the period when the retractable glass panels were closed,reaching peaks between 31.7 and 39.2°C,above the comfort range recommended by ASHRAE 55.All situations simulated show the thermal discomfort prevails in the use of the closed glass panels reaching DhTD of 94.55°C/day.Thus,this practice of using most of the closed retractable glass panels in the balconies presents disadvantages and inefficiencies especially in hot and humid tropical climate regions.

Delineation of boundary between tropical/subtropical in the middle section for eco-geographic system of South China

This paper discusses division on tropical/subtropical boundary of middle section in South China. This discussion results in new understanding on eco-geographic regions and their boundaries, especially on gradual changes of natural conditions between eco-geographic regions. It analyzes results of the same area by other researchers, clarifies differences and causes of the differences for the results. Boundaries of eco-geographic regions cannot be drawn as a line as changes from tropical to subtropical are gradual. Therefore, for an eco-geographic region like tropical zone, definite boundaries must be mapped while gradual changes are considered. Temperature, vegetation and soil are the indexes to divide tropical and subtropical. After indexes of tropical zone are confirmed, data of annual average index reflect general state of the tropical zone. Line from such data is called “tropical boundary”. On the other hand, affected by the monsoon climate, some years are hotter and some are cooler. In hotter years, temperature of north area of tropical boundary reaches tropical state whereas in cooler years, such area moves southward. Boundary of the hottest year is called annual tropical line and that of the coolest year true tropical line. Temperatures in areas south to annual tropical line can probably reach tropical in some years. Temperatures in areas south to real tropical line reach tropical every year. The area from true tropical to annual tropical is called tropical fluctuating zone. Therefore, new concepts of tropical, annual tropical, true tropical and tropical fluctuating zone are formed to understand tropical area from a new point of view in the paper. Based on the indexes of climate, vegetation and soil, boundaries of tropical, annual tropical, true tropical and tropical fluctuating zone of the study area are established. The tropical fluctuating zone explains different locating of different researchers. The paper also puts forward a new method to display boundary for eco-geographic regions.

Projection of the Future Changes in Tropical Cyclone Activity Affecting East Asia over the Western North Pacific Based on Multi-RegCM4 Simulations

Future changes in tropical cyclone(TC)activity over the western North Pacific(WNP)under the representative concentration pathway RCP4.5 are investigated based on a set of 21 st century climate change simulations over East Asia with the regional climate model RegCM4 driven by five global models.The RegCM4 reproduces the major features of the observed TC activity over the region in the present-day period of 1986-2005,although with the underestimation of the number of TC genesis and intensity.A low number of TCs making landfall over China is also simulated.By the end of the 21st century(2079-98),the annual mean frequency of TC genesis and occurrence is projected to increase over the WNP by16%and 10%,respectively.The increase in frequency of TC occurrence is in good agreement among the simulations,with the largest increase over the ocean surrounding Taiwan Island and to the south of Japan.The TCs tend to be stronger in the future compared to the present-day period of 1986-2005,with a large increase in the frequency of strong TCs.In addition,more TCs landings are projected over most of the China coast,with an increase of~18%over the whole Chinese territory.

COORDINATING DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT OF THE TROPIC REGION IN YUNNAN PROVINCE

（姚建衢）（杨焕宗）ＣＯＯＲＤＩＮＡＴＩＮＧＤＥＶＥＬＯＰＭＥＮＴＯＦＡＧＲＩＣＵＬＴＵＲＡＬＲＥＳＯＵＲＣＥＳＡＮＤＥＮＶＩＲＯＮＭＥＮＴＯＦＴＨＥＴＲＯＰＩＣＲＥＧＩＯＮＩＮＹＵＮＮＡＮＰＲＯＶＩＮＣＥ￥ＹａｏＪｉａｎｑｕ（Ｉｎｓｔｉｔｕｔｅｏｆ...

Construction Features of Small Roadside Parks in Tropical Area——A Case Study of Zhanjiang City

Accessibility and flexibility of small roadside parks make them significant transitional spaces in urban landscape environment. Three representative small parks in Zhanjiang City, a typical tropical city in south China, were selected to analyze their location features, spatial processing, demonstration of regional landscapes and recreational characteristics. It was proposed that construction of small roadside parks in tropical area should put human needs on the priority, present regional features of tropical garden landscapes, and focus on inheritance and innovation of regional cultures.

Carbon stocks in a highly fragmented landscape with seasonally dry tropical forest in the Neotropics

Background:Global modeling of carbon storage and sequestration often mischaracterizes unique ecosystems such as the seasonally dry tropical forest of the central region of the Gulf of Mexico,because species diversity is usually underestimated,as is their carbon content.In this study,aboveground and soil carbon stocks were estimated to determine the climate mitigation potential of this highly degraded landscape(<25%of forest cover).Results:Tree species in the study area had carbon content values that were 30%–40%higher than the standard value proposed by the IPCC(i.e.,50%).Tropical oak forest in the region,despite its restricted distribution and low species richness,accounted for the highest mean carbon stocks per unit area.The main factors driving spatial variability in carbon stocks were:maximum precipitation,soil organic matter,clay and silt content.No strong relationship was found between aboveground carbon stocks and soil organic carbon in the study area.Quanti-fication of carbon stocks is an important consideration in the assessment of the conservation value of remnants of native vegetation in human-modified landscapes.Conclusions:This study demonstrates the importance of the highly fragmented tropical dry regions of the Neo-tropics in maintaining landscape functionality and providing key ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration.Our results also highlight how crucial field-based studies are for strengthening the accuracy of global models.Furthermore,this approach reveals the real contribution of ecosystems that are not commonly taken into account in the mitigation of climate change effects.

Prospects for Improving the Operational Seasonal Prediction of Tropical Cyclone Activity in the Southern Hemisphere

Tropical cyclones (TCs) are the most destructive weather phenomena to impact on tropical regions, and reliable predicttion of TC seasonal activity is important for preparedness of coastal communities in the tropics. In investigating prospects for improving the skill of TC seasonal prediction in the South Indian and South Pacific Oceans, including the Australian Region, we used linear regression to model the relationship between the annual number of cyclones and three indices (SOI, NI?O3.4 and 5VAR) describing the strength of the El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The correlation between the number of Australian Region (90?E - 160?E) TCs and the indices was strong (3-month 5VAR ?0.65, NI?O3.4 ?0.62 and SOI +0.64), and a cross-validation assessment demonstrated that the models which used July-August-September indices and the temporal trend as the predictors performed well. The predicted number of TCs in the Australian Region for 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 seasons was 14 (11 recorded) and 12, respectively. We also found that the correlation between the numbers of TCs in the western South Indian region (30?E to 90?E) and the eastern South Pacific region (east of 170?E) and the indices was weak, and it is therefore not sensible to build linear regression forecast models for these regions. We conclude that for the Australian Region, the new statistical model provides prospects for improvement in forecasting skill compared to the statistical model currently employed at the National Climate Centre, Australian Bureau of Meteorology. The next step towards improving the skill of TC seasonal prediction in the various regions of the Southern Hemisphere will be undertaken through analysis of outputs from the dynamical climate model POAMA (Predictive Ocean-Atmosphere Model for Australia).

On the Improvement of the DSAEF_LTP Model to Heavy Precipitation Simulation of Landfalling Tropical Cyclones over China in 2018

In this study,the Dynamical-Statistical-Analog Ensemble Forecast model(DSAEF_LTP model)for landfalling tropical cyclone(LTC)precipitation was employed to simulate the precipitation of 10 LTCs that occurred over China in 2018.With similarity region scheme(SRS)parameter values added and TC intensity introduced to the generalized initial value(GIV),four groups of precipitation simulation experiments were designed to verify the forecasting ability of the improved model for more TC samples.Results show that the simulation ability of the DSAEF_LTP model can be optimized regardless of whether adding SRS values only,or introducing TC intensity into GIV,while the experiment with both the two improvements shows a more prominent advantage in simulating the heavier precipitation of LTCs.Compared with four NWP models(i.e.,ECMWF,GFS,GRAPES and SMS-WARMS),the overall forecasting performance of the DSAEF_LTP model achieves a better result in simulating precipitation at the thresholds over 250 mm and performs slightly better than NWP models at the thresholds over 100 mm.