Ecological problems and ecological restoration zoning of the Aral Sea

The Aral Sea was the fourth largest lake in the world but it has shrunk dramatically as a result of irrational human activities, triggering the "Aral Sea ecological crisis". The ecological problems of the Aral Sea have attracted widespread attention, and the alleviation of the Aral Sea ecological crisis has reached a consensus among the five Central Asian countries(Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan). In the past decades, many ecological management measures have been implemented for the ecological restoration of the Aral Sea. However, due to the lack of regional planning and zoning, the results are not ideal. In this study, we mapped the ecological zoning of the Aral Sea from the perspective of ecological restoration based on soil type, soil salinity, surface water, groundwater table, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI), land cover, and aerosol optical depth(AOD) data. Soil salinization and salt dust are the most prominent ecological problems in the Aral Sea. We divided the Aral Sea into 7 first-level ecological restoration subregions(North Aral Sea catchment area in the downstream of the Syr Darya River(Subregion Ⅰ);artificial flood overflow area in the downstream of the Aral Sea(Subregion Ⅱ);physical/chemical remediation area of the salt dust source area in the eastern part of the South Aral Sea(Subregion Ⅲ);physical/chemical remediation area of severe salinization in the central part of the South Aral Sea(Subregion Ⅳ);existing water surface and potential restoration area of the South Aral Sea(Subregion Ⅴ);Aral Sea vegetation natural recovery area(Subregion Ⅵ);and vegetation planting area with slight salinization in the South Aral Sea(Subregion Ⅶ)) and 14 second-level ecological restoration subregions according to the ecological zoning principles. Implementable measures are proposed for each ecological restoration subregion. For Subregion Ⅰ and Subregion Ⅱ with lower elevations, artificial flooding should be carried out to restore the surface of the Aral Sea. Subregion Ⅲ and Subregion Ⅳ have severe salinization, making it difficult for vegetation to grow. In these subregions, it is recommended to cover and pave the areas with green biomatrix coverings and environmentally sustainable bonding materials. In Subregion Ⅴ located in the central and western parts of the South Aral Sea, surface water recharge should be increased to ensure that this subregion can maintain normal water levels. In Subregion Ⅵ and Subregion Ⅶ where natural conditions are suitable for vegetation growth, measures such as afforestation and buffer zones should be implemented to protect vegetation. This study could provide a reference basis for future comprehensive ecological management and restoration of the Aral Sea.

Detailed seismic zoning of the East Kazakhstan region in the Republic of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is currently drafting new construction regulations that comply with the major provisions of the Eurocodes.Such regulations are created on the basis of seismic zoning maps of various degrees of detail,developed by our Institute of Seismology using a new methodological approach for Kazakhstan.The article is about creating the first normative map of the Detailed Seismic Zoning on a probabilistic foundation for the Republic of Kazakhstan’s East Kazakhstan region.We carried out the probabilistic assessment of seismic hazard using a methodology consistent with the main provisions of Eurocode 8and updated compared with that used in developing maps of Kazakhstan’s General Seismic Zoning and seismic microzoning of Almaty.The most thorough and current data accessible for the area under consideration were combined with contemporary analytical techniques.Updates have been done to not only the databases being used but also the way seismic sources were shown,including active faults now.On a scale of 1:1000000,precise seismic zoning maps of the East Kazakhstan region were created for two probabilities of exceedance:10%and 2%in 50 years in terms of peak ground accelerations and macroseismic intensities.The obtained seismic hazard distribution is generally consistent with the General Seismic Zoning of Kazakhstan’s previous findings.However,because active faults were included and a thoroughly revised catalog was used,there are more pronounced zones of increased danger along the fault in the western part of the region.In the west of the territory,acceleration values also increased due to a more accurate consideration of seismotectonic conditions.Zoning maps are the basis for developing new state building regulations of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Selection of Water Transmission Method and Analysis of Pipe Network Zoning in Municipal Water Supply and Drainage Design

With the acceleration of urbanization,the demand for water supply and drainage pipe networks has increased significantly.In the planning of urban construction,it is necessary to optimize the design of the water supply and drainage system pipe network to effectively save energy while providing residents with more accessible water resources.Therefore,the municipal water supply and drainage system and the water transmission methods should be designed according to the geographical conditions of the city.In this paper,we mainly analyze the design of municipal water supply and drainage systems and the selection of water transmission methods.Besides,the optimization of the water supply and drainage network zoning process and pipe network maintenance is also discussed,so as to provide a reference for municipal water supply and drainage work.

Projected Changes in the Climate Zoning of Côte d’Ivoire

This study assesses the projected changes in the climate zoning of Côte d’Ivoire using the hierarchical classification of principal components (HCPC) method applied to the daily precipitation data of an ensemble of 14 CORDEX-AFRICA simulations under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. The results indicate the existence of three climate zones in Côte d’Ivoire (the coastal, the centre and the north) over the historical period (1981-2005). Moreover, CORDEX simulations project an extension of the surface area of drier climatic zones while a reduction of wetter zones, associated with the appearance of an intermediate climate zone with surface area varying from 77,560 km2 to 134,960 km2 depending on the period and the scenario. These results highlight the potential impacts of climate change on the delimitation of the climate zones of Côte d’Ivoire under the greenhouse gas emission scenarios. Thus, there is a reduction in the surface areas suitable for the production of cash crops such as cocoa and coffee. This could hinder the country’s economy and development, mainly based on these cash crops.

Characteristics of Hailstone Disaster and the Risk Zoning in Shijiazhuang

By using the hailstone disaster data,the spatio-temporal distribution characteristics of hailstone in Shijiazhuang,the relationship between the hailstone disaster and the weather system,the hailstone path were analyzed.Moreover,the risk zoning of hailstone disaster in every county(city) of Shijiazhuang was done according to the occurrence frequency of hailstone.The results showed that the spatio-temporal distribution characteristics of hailstone in Shijiazhuang were obvious,and there were 3 main paths.The zones where the paths passed were also the high risk areas of hailstone occurrence.The research provided the scientific guidance for the adjustment of agricultural industrial structure and the defense of hailstone disaster.

Zoning区划控制性详规

Zoning与区划是两个本质上完全不同的范畴。国外对于Zonjng存在着不同的评价,它之所以能在北美取得成功,除去本身技术上的优势外,更重要的是它适应于那种社会制度的需要。我们不应该,也不可能完全照搬国外Zoning的做法,而应该着眼于完善植根于中国国情的控制性详规技术。

Research on the evaluation of marine function zoning and its practice in China

The evaluation of marine function zoning （hereinafter referred to as MFZ） is an important part of MFZ. This paper studies the principles of MFZ evaluation and the evaluation procedures. It is proposed that three main aspects, including the evaluation of MFZ implementation situation, the evaluation of the performance effects and the evaluation of the changes of dependent conditions, are the top priorities in establishing an evaluation indicator system framework. The evaluation of MFZ implementation situation includes assessing the general situation of MFZ and the degree of implementation and public participation. The evaluation of the performance effects involves the assessments of the achievements and the existing problems in the rectification and standardization of utilizing the sea areas, protecting marine resources and environment, and promoting marine economic development. The evaluation of the changes of dependent conditions includes the assessments and measurements of the changes in the social and economic conditions, the use demands of marine industries, marine resource conditions and marine environmental conditions. This paper provides the means of integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches into the scientific and systematic evaluation on MFZ. The evaluation results can determine whether MFZ needs to be altered or not. The results also provide an important reference basis for determining whether a slight or great alteration is justified. To illustrate the utility of the MFZ evaluation indicator system, an evaluation example is given. Further studies are needed to make the evaluation of MFZ more scientific, reasonable, fair and effective.

Study on the Functional Zoning Modes of Urban Wetland Parks

Functional zoning is a critical phase in the planning of parks.Through summarizing and analyzing the functional zoning modes of different urban park types in China,as well as comparing to the functional zoning modes of nature reserves,famous scenic areas and overseas national parks,the functional zoning modes of urban wetland parks in China were elaborated in this study,the assumption of further sectorization were put forward,and theoretical supports were sought for more scientific and operable functional zoning of urban wetland parks.

Agro-climatic Resource Zoning in Jiangsu Province

The climatic resource model in Jiangsu Province is established by using multivariate regression from meteorological data set during 1970 to 2008 provided by 70 meteorological stations.By dint of GIS and spatial model of climate resources,the climate resource diagram of Jiangsu Province is designed.Considering the zoning index,the climate resources diagram is superposed and analyzed and thus,the climate resources zoning map generates.Besides,advices are proposed for the direction of agricultural development.

Zoning of land reclamation in coal mining area and new progresses for the past 10 years

Coal mining disturbed land is the main sources of land reclamation in China.With the rapid increase of economy and coal production,more and more land has been disturbed by construction and coal mining;thus,land reclamation has become highlights in the past 10 years,and China is boosting land reclamation in mining areas.Disturbance characteristics vary from region to region,according to natural and geological conditions,coal mining area land reclamation was divided into 3 zones,which are eastern,western and southern.Reclamation strategies are focused on prime farmland protection in eastern and ecological restoration in western and southern zones,respectively.Several innovative reclamation technologies and theories for the past 10 years were introduced in this paper,including concurrent mining and reclamation,Yellow river sediments backfilling,self-reclamation,and topsoil alternatives in opencast mines.Besides,in the government regulation and legal system building respect,several important laws and regulations were issued and implemented in the past 5 years,promoting land reclamation management and supervision greatly.Land reclamation is and will still be one of the most important parts of coal industry in the future,and more efforts and funds are expected to get involved.

Quantitative Zoning Assessment of Crustal Stability Along the Yunnan-Tibet Railway Line,Western China

The planned Yunnan-Tibet railway goes through the northwest of Yunnan Province and the southeast of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Because of its location near the collision belt of the Eurasian and Indian plates, complex engineering geological conditions and difficult engineering geological problems are encountered. The study is aimed at making the zoning assessment of crustal stability along the railway line so as to provide a better base for its construction, especially its line selection. For this purpose, the following seven influencing factors of crustal stability were selected and quantified by grading and scoring： active fault, seismic activity, geo-stress field, geo-strain field, geothermal field, geo-hazard, and lithologic character. Of these factors, the active fault, seismic activity and geo-hazard are the three most prominent factors influencing the railway construction. Along the railway line there are 1731703 calculation units to be divided. The zoning assessment calculation was completed by ArcGIS-based information fusion method. The assessment results aid railway line selection and show that there are 10 stable sectors, 28 relatively stable sectors, 23 relatively unstable sectors, and 20 unstable sectors along the Yunnan-Tibet railway line.

Dry/wet climate zoning and delimitation of arid areas of Northwest China based on a data-driven fashion

The division of arid areas is important in water and land resources management, planning and for a long-term agricultural, economic and social planning. Northwest China （NW） dominates the main arid areas in China. There is thus a need to adopt adequate concepts relative to the scope of arid areas of NW China and identify its climate types and characteristics. In this study, we analyzed climatic data over the last 30 years （1981-2010） from 191 stations in three provinces and three autonomous regions of NW China. The factor-cluster analysis technique （FC）, an objective and automated method was employed to classify the dry/wet climate zones. The traditional methods with predefined thresholds were adopted for providing a comparison with FC. The results showed that the wet/dry climate zones by FC were mainly distributed along mountains, rivers and desert borders. Climate-division boundaries relied heavily on the major terrain features surrounding the grouped stations. It also showed that the climate was dry in the plain sandy areas but relatively wet in the high mountain areas. FC method can reflect the climate characteristics more fully in NW China with varied and complicated topography, and outperform the tradi- tional climate classifications. Arid areas of NW China were defined as four climate types, including five resultant classes in FC classifications. The Qinling and Da Hinggan Mountains were two important boundaries, besides main administrative boundaries. The results also indicated that there are some differences between two traditional clas- sifications. The precipitation moved and fluctuated to an extent, which confirmed that climate change played an important role in the dry/wet climate zoning, and the boundaries of dry/wet climate zones might change and migrate with time. This paper is expected to provide a more in-depth understanding on the climate characteristics in arid areas of NW China, and then contribute to formulate reasonable water and land management planning and agri- cultural production programs.

Territorial suitability assessment and function zoning in the Jiuzhaigou earthquake-stricken area

An earthquake in the Jiuzhaigou area caused numerous secondary disasters, such as rolling stones, land collapse, landslides and debris flow, which badly affected the safety of human settlements and influenced the spatial layout of the post-disaster reconstruction. Therefore, carrying out assessments of land and identifying a suitable zone for human habitats were very important. This research creates the territorial suitability assessment and function zoning conceptual model in the earthquake-stricken area, and the new methods of the territorial suitability evaluation system were used to divide the spatial functional zones of the earthquake stricken area, which provide a theoretical guidance and decisionmaking basis for the reconstruction of the disaster area. The results showed that:(1) The Jiuzhaigou earthquake-stricken area comprises of an ecological area that has a high level of importance to the ecosystem. In the earthquake-stricken area, 65% of national land is at an altitude of 3000-4000 m, and therefore not suitable for a high level of intensive reconstruction, but reconstructed in an eco-friendly manner.(2) The zone suitable for reconstruction comprises mainly of the river valley and the flat terrain of western parts. The land with low suitability is mainly located on steep terrain, such as highmountains and low gullies. The geographic and geomorphic conditions limit the spread of a suitable reconstruction zone.(3) The earthquake-stricken area mainly comprises of a tourism industry gathering area, population gathering area, agriculture and animal husbandry development area, and ecological preservation area with areas of 76 km^2, 44 km^2, 1591 km^2 and 7512 km^2, respectively. Scientifically zoning the reconstruction areas using scientific evaluation may provide guidance for the location of reconstruction sites.

GIS-based Earthquake-Triggered Landslide Hazard Zoning Using Contributing Weight Model

Earthquake-triggered landslides have aroused widespread attention because of their tremendous ability to harm people's lives and properties.The best way to avoid and mitigate their damage is to develop landslide hazard maps and make them available to the public in advance of an earthquake.Future construction can then be built according to the level of hazard and existing structures can be retrofit as necessary.During recent years various approaches have been made to develop landslide hazard maps using statistical analysis or physical models.However,these methods have limitations.This study introduces a new GIS-based approach,using the contributing weight model,to evaluate the hazard of seismically-induced landslides.In this study,the city and surrounding area of Dujiangyan was selected as the research area because of its moderate-high seismic activity.The parameters incorporated into the model that related to the probability of landslide occurrence were:slope gradient,slope aspect,geomorphology,lithology,base level,surface roughness,earthquake intensity,fault proximity,drainage proximity,and road proximity.The parameters were converted into raster data format with a resolution of 25×25m2 pixels.Analysis of the GIS correlations shows that the highest earthquake-induced landslide hazard areas are mainly in the hills and in some of the moderately steep mountainous areas of central Dujiangyan.The highest hazard zone covers an area of 11.1% of the study area,and the density distribution of seismically-induced landslides was 3.025/km2 from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake.The moderately hazardous areas are mainly distributed within the moderately steep mountainous regions of the northern and southeastern parts of the study area and the hills of the northeastern part;covering 32.0% of the study area and with a density distribution of 2.123/km2 resulting from the Wenchuan earthquake.The lowest hazard areas are mainly distributed in the topographically flat plain in the northeastern part and some of the relatively gently slopes in the moderately steep mountainous areas of the northern part of Dujiangyan and the surrounding area.The lowest hazard areas cover 56.9% of the study area and exhibited landslide densities of 0.941/km2 and less from the Wenchuan earthquake.The quality of the hazard map was validated using a comparison with the distribution of landslides that were cataloged as occurring from the Wenchuan earthquake.43.1% of the study area consists of high and moderate hazardous zones,and these regions include 83.5% of landslides caused by the Wenchuan earthquake.The successful analysis shows that the contributing weight model can be effective for earthquake-triggered landslide hazard appraisal.The model's results can provide the basis for risk management and regional planning is.

Model and Method of Debris Flow Risk Zoning Based on Momentum Analysis

A model of debris flow risk zoning is carried out with momentum analysis of debris flow. This model zones the debris flow inundation fan with density and velocity calculated by numerical simulation. The risk classification standard is determined according to the ultimate bearing capacities of different structures under impacting. And the ultimate bearing capacities are tested by impact failure experiment of destruction. Two structures typical in Chinese mountain towns, reinforced concrete frame construction and brickwork with concrete, are chosen in the experiment. The model makes debris flow risk zoning quantitative and the results comparable widely. The results differ much from that of other methods especially in the identification of medium and low risk zones.

Three Types of Spatial Function Zoning in Key Ecological Function Areas Based on Ecological and Economic Coordinated Development: A Case Study of Tacheng Basin, China

Three types of spatial function zoning is an effective measure for regional environmental protection and orderly development.For ecological and economic coordinated development, spatial function zones should be divided scientifically to clear its direction of development and protection. Therefore, based on ecological constraints, a beneficial discussion would be about the key ecological function areas adopting the concept of ecological protection restriction and supporting socioeconomic development for spatial function zoning. In this paper, the researchers, taking Tacheng Basin, Xinjiang of China as an example, choose township as basic research unit and set up an evaluation index system from three aspects, namely, ecological protection suitability, agricultural production suitability, and urban development suitability, which are analyzed by using spatial analysis functions and exclusive matrix method. The results showed that: 1) This paper formed a set of multilevel evaluation index systems for three types of spatial function zoning of the key ecological function areas based on a novel perspective by scientifically dividing Tacheng Basin into ecological space, agricultural space, and urban space,which realized the integration and scientific orientation for spatial function at the township scale. 2) Under the guidance of three types of spatial pattern, the functional orientation and suggestions of development and protection was clearly defined for ecological protection zones,ecological economic zones, agricultural production zones, and urban development zones. 3) A new idea of space governance is provided to promote the coordinated and sustainable development between ecology and economy, which can break the traditional mode of thinking about regional economic development, and offers a scientific basis and reference for macro decision-making.

Selecting between Sequential Zoning and Simultaneous Zoning for Picker-to-parts Order Picking System Based on Order Cluster and Genetic Algorithm

The existing research of sequential zoning system and simultaneous zoning system mainly focuses on some optimization problems such as workload balance,product assignment and simulation for each system separately.But there is little research on comparative study between sequential zoning and simultaneous zoning.In order to help the designers to choose the suitable zoning policy for picker-to-parts system reasonably and quickly,a systemic selection method is presented.Essentially,both zoning and batching are order clustering,so the customer order sheet can be divided into many unit grids.After the time formulation in one-dimensional unit was defined,the time models for each zoning policy in two-dimensional space were established using filling curves and sequence models to link the one-dimensional unit grids.In consideration of ＂U＂ shaped dual tour into consideration,the subtraction value of order picking time between sequential zoning and simultaneous zoning was defined as the objective function to select the suitable zoning policy based on time models.As it is convergent enough,genetic algorithm is adopted to find the optimal value of order picking time.In the experimental study,5 different kinds of order/stock keeping unit（SKU） matrices with different densities d and quantities q following uniform distribution were created in order to test the suitability of sequential zoning and simultaneous zoning to different kinds of orders.After parameters setting,experimental orders inputting and iterative computations,the optimal order picking time for each zoning policy was gotten.By observing whether the delta time between them is greater than 0 or not,the suitability of zoning policies for picker-to-parts system were obtained.The significant effect of batch size b,zone number z and density d on suitability was also found by experimental study.The proposed research provides a new method for selection between sequential zoning and simultaneous zoning for picker-to-parts system,and improves the rationality and efficiency of selection process in practical design.

Applying a salinity response function and zoning saline land for three fi eld crops: a case study in the Hetao Irrigation District, Inner Mongolia, China

Salinity is one of the major abiotic factors affecting the growth and productivity of crops in Hetao Irrigation District, China. In this study, the salinity tolerances of three local crops, wheat （Triticum aestinum L.）, maize （Zea mays L.） and sunflower （Helianthus annuus L.）, growing in 76 farm fields are evaluated with modified discount function. Salinity ecological zones appropriate for these local crops are characterized and a case study is presented for crop salinity ecological zoning. The results show that the yield reductions of wheat, maize and sunflower when grown in saline soils are attributed primarily to a reduction in spikelet number, 1 000-grain weight and seed number per head, respectively. Sunflower is the most tolerant crop among the three which had a salinity tolerance index （ST-index） of 12.24, followed by spring maize and spring wheat with ST-Indices of 9.00 and 7.43, respectively. According to the crop salinity tolerance results, the arable land in the Heping Village of this district was subdivided into four salinity ecological zones： the most suitable, suitable, sub-suitable and unsuitable zones. The area proportion of the most suitable zone for wheat, maize and sunflower within the Heping Village was 27.5, 46.5 and 77.5%, respectively. Most of the most suitable zone occurred in the western part of the village. The results of this study provide the scientific basis for optimizing the local major crop distribution and improving cultural practices management in Hetao Irrigation District.

An ecosystem services zoning framework for the permafrost regions of China

The degradation of the permafrost regions, resulting from intensive anthropogenic activities and global warming, has led to the loss of ecosystem services and is threating human well-being. Nevertheless, the real ecosystem service values and their complete zoning system in the permafrost regions have received insufficient attention. Research gaps between the identification of permafrost-based ecosystem services and ecosystem management are seriously constraining the development of cryospheric science. Thus, an ecosystem service zoning framework that links ecosystem services with human welfares is proposed to solve the abovementioned challenges in the permafrost regions of China. The three tiered zoning framework for ecosystem services, consisting of zoning goals, principles, hierarchy, methodology, and nomenclature, is proposed for the permafrost regions of China. A combined method, i.e., GIS spatial tools, the location entropy analysis model, and ecosystem services assessment, was employed to distinguish ecosystem conditions, ecosystem service supply, and beneficiaries into these three-grade ecosystem service zones. Hierarchical and dynamic zoning could clarify protection priorities of ecosystems and ecosystem services in terms of regions, grades, and types. The framework could contribute to sustainable management of ecosystem services in the cryosphere.

Study on the Functional Zoning of Town-level Spatial Development——With Batang Township in Gangnan District,Guigang City,Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region,China as a Case Study

By taking Batang Township in Gangnan District,Guigang City,Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region for an example,Principal Component Analysis(PCA),GIS technique and SPSS13.0 were applied to comprehensively evaluate 3 principal factors:value of ecological environment,foundation of economic development,value of natural resources;three-dimensional coordinates of economy-ecology-resource combinations were obtained;and finally,functional zoning for the spatial development was realized,22 administrative villages in this town were classified into 6 categories.Among these 6 types of functional zoning,regions of key development and moderate development are Batang Village,Xinlu Village,Suwan Village,Xinmeng Village,Bancun Village,Daxin Village and Gaoxin Village,which are endowed with excellent traffic conditions,solid economic foundation and low sensitivity of ecological environment,thus are suitable to be developed as major spatial carriers of town and industrial development;regions of controlled development are mainly Gaobei Village,Gaoling Village,Sugang Village,Mulong Village and Zhenxin Village,which have moderate economic foundation,dominant crop farming and moderate sensitivity of ecological environment,and also are close to the key developed areas,thus they should be developed with proper control;grey elastic regions mainly include Hengling Village,Sanban Village,Xueshan Village,Shanquan Village and Xinhua Village,which have poor economic foundation and low sensitivity of ecological environment,but excellent natural resources and traffic conditions,thus can be developed as backup land for towns and industrial development;regions of moderate and key protection include Gaolang Village,Cenxi Village,Xin'an Village and Xin'he Village,which have fragile ecological environment and poor economic foundation,thus should be developed according to the principle of "protection first,intensive exploration".