Regolith thickness is considered as a contributing factor for the occurrence of landslides.Although, mostly it is ignored because of complex nature and as it requires more time and resources for investigation. This st...Regolith thickness is considered as a contributing factor for the occurrence of landslides.Although, mostly it is ignored because of complex nature and as it requires more time and resources for investigation. This study aimed to appraise the role of regolith thickness on landslide distribution in the Muzaffarabad and surrounding areas, NW Himalayas.For this purpose regolith thickness samples were evenly collected from all the lithological units at representative sites within different slope and elevation classes in the field. Topographic attributes(slope, aspect, drainage, Topographic Wetness Index,elevation and curvature) were derived from the Digital Elevation Model(DEM)(12.5 m resolution).Arc GIS Model Builder was used to develop the regolith thickness model. Stepwise regression technique was used to explore the spatial variation of regolith thickness using topographic attributes and lithological units. The derived model explains about 88% regolith thickness variation. The model was validated and shows good agreement(70%) between observed and predicted values. Subsequently, the derived regolith model was used to understand the relationship between regolith thickness and landslide distribution. The analysis shows that most of the landslides were located within 1-5 m regolith thickness. However, landslide concentration is highest within 5-10 m regolith thickness, which shows that regolith thickness played a significant role for the occurrence of landslide in the studied area.展开更多
The distribution of borehole temperature at four high-altitude alpine glaciers was investigated. The result shows that the temperature ranges from -13.4℃ to -1.84℃, indicating the glaciers are cold throughout the bo...The distribution of borehole temperature at four high-altitude alpine glaciers was investigated. The result shows that the temperature ranges from -13.4℃ to -1.84℃, indicating the glaciers are cold throughout the boreholes. The negative gradient (i.e., the temperature decreasing with the increasing of depth) due to the advection of ice and climate warming, and the negative gradient moving downwards relates to climate warming, are probably responsible for the observed minimum temperature moving to lower depth in boreholes of the Gyabrag glacier and Miaoergou glacier compared to the previously investigated continental ice core borehole temperature in West China. The borehole temperature at 10m depth ranges from -8.0℃ in the Gyabrag glacier in the central Himalayas to -12.9℃ in the Tsabagarav glacier in the Altai range. The borehole temperature at 10 m depth is 3-4 degrees higher than the calculated mean annual air temperature on the surface of the glaciers and the higher 10 m depth temperature is mainly caused by the production of latent heat due to melt-water percolation and refreezing. The basal temperature is far below the melting point, indicating that the glaciers are frozen to bedrock. The very low temperature gradients near the bedrock suggest that the influence of geothermal flux and ice flow on basal temperature is very weak. The low temperature and small velocity of ice flow of glaciers are beneficial for preservation of the chemical and isotopic information in ice cores.展开更多
Air temperature and snow cover variability are sensitive indicators of climate change. This study was undertaken to forecast and quantify the potential streamflow response to climate change in the Jhelum River basin. ...Air temperature and snow cover variability are sensitive indicators of climate change. This study was undertaken to forecast and quantify the potential streamflow response to climate change in the Jhelum River basin. The implications of air temperature trends (+0.11℃decade) reported for the entire north-west Himalaya for past century and the regional warming (+0.7℃/decade) trends of three observatories analyzed between last two decades were used for future projection of snow cover depletion and stream flow. The streamflow was simulated and validated for the year 2007-2008 using snowmelt runoff model (SRM) based on in-situ temperature and precipitation with remotely sensed snow cover area. The simulation was repeated using higher values of temperature and modified snow cover depletion curves according to the assumed future climate. Early snow cover depletion was observed in the basin in response to warmer climate. The results show that with the increase in air temperature, streamfiow pattern of Jhelum will be severely affected. Significant redistribution of streamflow was observed in both the scenarios. Higher discharge was observed during spring-summer months due to early snowmelt contribution with water deficit during monsoon months. Discharge increased by 5%-40% during the months of March to May in 2030 and 2050. The magnitude of impact of air temperature is higher in the scenario-2 based on regional warming. The inferences pertaining to change in future streamflow pattern can facilitate long term decisions and planning concerning hydro-power potential, waterresource management and flood hazard mapping in the region.展开更多
Athens, a metropolis characterized by agglutination and compactness, but at the same time facing numerous urban and transport issues, saw its population swell during the 20th century which led to extensive urbanizatio...Athens, a metropolis characterized by agglutination and compactness, but at the same time facing numerous urban and transport issues, saw its population swell during the 20th century which led to extensive urbanization phenomena. This continued urbanization increases profoundly all urban activities with transportation being the key driver in energy consumption. Theories for sustainable cities prerequisite are the integration of a number of acts in order to reduce energy consumption, with mobility being the first consideration among others. The aim of this paper is to critically explore implemented policies and plans as well as forthcoming strategic plans in terms of sustainable mobility as imposed in large scale regeneration plans in contemporary Athens. Research focuses on strategic interventions since the 1980s, such as the Athenian Daktylios (ring road for circulation management) and its later adjustments, the upcoming pedestrianization and unification of the commercial triangle and its subsequent tram line extension as well as the notable implementation of the metropolitan cycling network. Moreover, the discussion takes into consideration the implications of the Greek economic crisis in mobility choices, as aimless travels have been reduced to a minimum, several cars have been abandoned and cyclists seem to tentatively claim some space in the urban environment. What will likely be the next day in the Athenian historic centre? Considering the transformations that are expected in the immediate future, this research paper explores their potential to enhance urban environment, reduce climate change impacts and amplify resilience.展开更多
Ten quantitative morphological characters were studied in 56 Morus alba L. trees representing three natural populations from the trans-Himalayan Ladakh region. The altitude of collection sites ranged from 2815 to 3177...Ten quantitative morphological characters were studied in 56 Morus alba L. trees representing three natural populations from the trans-Himalayan Ladakh region. The altitude of collection sites ranged from 2815 to 3177 m above the sea level(asl). Coefficient of variation(CV) showed high phenotypic variation in M. alba. Linear regression analysis revealed that leaf and fruit size decreases with an increase in altitude. High CV was observed for leaf length, leaf width, petiole length, leaf area, internodal distance, number of nodes, bud length, fruit length, fruit width and fruit weight. Similarly, a high phenotypic plasticity index was observed for bud length, leaf length, leaf width, petiole length, leaf area, inter-nodal distance, number of nodes, fruit length, fruit width and fruit weight. For every 100 m increase in altitude, leaf length, leaf width and leaf area decreased by 1 cm, 0.8 cm and 16.6 cm2, respectively. Analysis of covariance showed a predominant altitudinal effect on the morphological characters in comparison to the population effect. A small change in the altitude caused significant change in the plant morphological characteristics. The present investigation represents to our knowledge the first study addressing phenotypic variation in mulberryalong an altitudinal gradient.展开更多
The study investigated the streamflow response to the shrinking cryosphere under changing climate in the Lidder valley, Upper Indus Basin(UIB), Kashmir Himalayas. We used a combination of multitemporal satellite data ...The study investigated the streamflow response to the shrinking cryosphere under changing climate in the Lidder valley, Upper Indus Basin(UIB), Kashmir Himalayas. We used a combination of multitemporal satellite data and topographic maps to evaluate the changes in area, length and volume of the glaciers from 1962 to 2013. A total of 37 glaciers from the Lidder valley, with an area of 39.76 km^2 in 1962 were selected for research in this study. It was observed that the glaciers in the valley have lost ~28.89 ±0.1% of the area and ~19.65 ±0.069% of the volume during the last 51 years, with variable interdecadal recession rates. Geomorphic and climatic influences on the shrinking glacier resources were studied. 30-years temperature records(1980-2010) in the study area showed a significant increasing trend in all the seasons. However, the total annual precipitation during the same period showed a nonsignificant decreasing trend except during the late summer months(July, August and September), when the increasing trend is significant. The depletion of glaciers has led to the significant depletion of the streamflows under the changing climate in the valley. Summer streamflows(1971-2012) have increased significantly till mid-nineties but decreased significantly thereafter, suggesting that the tipping point of streamflow peak, due to the enhanced glacier-melt contribution under increasing global temperatures, may have been already reached in the basin. The observed glacier recession and climate change patterns, if continued in future, would further deplete the streamflows with serious implications on water supplies for different uses in the region.展开更多
Abstract: Estimation of evapotranspiration (ET) for mountain ecosystem is of absolute importance since it serves as an important component in balancing the hydrologic cycle. The present study evaluates the performa...Abstract: Estimation of evapotranspiration (ET) for mountain ecosystem is of absolute importance since it serves as an important component in balancing the hydrologic cycle. The present study evaluates the performance of original and location specific calibrated Hargreaves equation (HARG) with the estimates of Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Penman Monteith (PM) method for higher altitudes in East Sikkim, India. The results show that the uncalibrated HARG model underestimates ET0 by 0.35 mm day^-1 whereas the results are significantly improved by regional calibration of the model. In addition, this paper also presents the variability in the trajectory associated with the climatic variables with the changing climate in the study site. Non- parametric Mann-Kendall (MK) test was used to investigate and understand the mean monthly trend of eight climatic parameters including reference evapotranspiration (ET0) for the period of 1985 - 2009. Trend of ET0 was estimated for the calculations done by FAO PM equation. The outcomes of the trend analysis show significant increasing (p ≤ 0.05) trend represented by higher Z-values, through MK test, for net radiation (Rn), maximum temperature (Tmax) and minimum temperature (Train), especially in the first months of the year. Whereas, significant (0.01 ≥ p ≤0.05) decreasing trend in vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and precipitation (P) is observed throughout the year. Declining trend in sunshine duration, VPD and ET0 is found in spring (March - May) and monsoon (June - November) season. The result displays significant (0.01≤ p ≤0.05) decreasing ET0 trend between (June - December) except in July, exhibiting the positive relation with VPD followed by sunshine duration at the station. Overall, the study emphasizes the importance of trend analysis of ET0 and other climatic variables for efficient planning and managing the agricultural practices, in identifying the changes in the meteorological parameters and to accurately assess the hydrologic water balance of the hilly regions.展开更多
Land use changes such as deforestation,increase in cropping or grazing areas and built-up land, likely modify the water balance and land surface behavior in the Himalayan watersheds.An integrated approach of hydrologi...Land use changes such as deforestation,increase in cropping or grazing areas and built-up land, likely modify the water balance and land surface behavior in the Himalayan watersheds.An integrated approach of hydrological and hydraulic modeling was adopted for comparative analysis of hydrological pattern in three Himalayan watersheds i.e.Khanpur,Rawal and Simly situated in the Northern territory of Pakistan.The rainfall-runoff model SWAT- Soil and water assessment tool and Hydro CAD were calibrated for the selected watersheds.The correlation analysis of the precipitation data of two climate stations i.e.Murree and Islamabad, with the discharge data of three rivers was utilized to select best suitable input precipitation data for Hydro CAD rainfall-runoff modeling.The peak flood hydrograph were generated using Hydro CAD runoff to optimize the basin parameters like CN, runoff volume, peak flows of the three watersheds.The hydrological response of the Rawal watershed was studied as a case study to different scenarios of land use change using SWAT model.The scenario of high deforestation indicated a decline of about 6.3% in the groundwater recharge tostream while increase of 7.1% in the surface runoff has been observed under the scenario of growth in urbanization in the recent decades.The integrated modeling approach proved helpful in investigating the hydrological behavior under changing environment at watershed level in the Himalayan region.展开更多
Because of the large number and remoteness, satellite data, including microwave data and optical imagery, have commonly been used in alpine glaciers surveys. Using remote sensing and Geographical Information System (...Because of the large number and remoteness, satellite data, including microwave data and optical imagery, have commonly been used in alpine glaciers surveys. Using remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques, the paper presents the results of a multitemporal satellite glacier extent mapping and glacier changes by glacier sizes in the Mt. Qomolangma region at the northern slopes of the middle Himalayas over the Tibetan Plateau. Glaciers in this region have both retreated and advanced in the past 35 years, with retreat dominating. The glacier retreat area was 3.23 km2 (or o.75 km^2 yr^-1 during 1974 and 1976, 8.68 km^2 (or 0.36 km^2 yr^-1 during 1976 and 1992, 1.44 km^2 (or 0.12 km^2 yr^-1) during 1992-2ooo. 1.14 km^2 (or 0.22 km^2 yr^-1 during 2000-2003, and 0.52 km^2 (or 0.07 km^2 yr^-1 during 2003-2008, respectively. While supra-glacier lakes on the debris-terminus of the Rongbuk Glacier were enlarged dramatically at the same time, from 0.05 km^2 in 1974 increased to 0.71 km^2 in 2008, which was more than 13 times larger in the last 35 years. In addition, glacier changes also showed spatial differences, for example, glacier retreat rate was the fastest at glacier termini between 5400 and 5700 m a.s.l than at other elevations. The result also shows that glaciers in the middle Himalayas retreat almost at a same pace with those in the western Himalayas.展开更多
Recent changes occurred in terminus of the debris-covered Bilafond Glacier in the Karakoram Range in the Himalayas, Northern Pakistan was investigated in this research. Landsat MSS, TM and ETM+ images were used for th...Recent changes occurred in terminus of the debris-covered Bilafond Glacier in the Karakoram Range in the Himalayas, Northern Pakistan was investigated in this research. Landsat MSS, TM and ETM+ images were used for this study. Digital elevation models derived from ASTER GDEM and SRTM were also utilized. Visible, infrared and thermal infrared channels were utilized in order to get accurate glacier change maps. Three methods were tried to map this debris-covered glacier in this research. The glacier has been mapped successfully and the changes in the glacier terminus from 1978 to 2011 have been calculated. Manual, semi-automatic and thermal methods were found to give similar results. It was found that the glacier has undergone serious ablation during this period despite of the fact that many of the larger glaciers in the Hindu Kush and Karakoram mountain regions in the Upper Indus Basin were reported to be expanding. The terminus has been moved back about 600 meters during this period and there was an abrupt change in the glacier terminus during 1990-2002. We propose that debris thickness is not the only factor that influences the glacier ablation but the altitude of the debris-covered glacier as well. Many glaciers in the Karakoram region reported to be expanding were having higher altitudes compared to the study area.展开更多
The Himalaya represents a vast mountain system and globally valued for its significant role in regulation of global as well as regional climate that has direct impact on biodiversity and ecosystem services crucial for...The Himalaya represents a vast mountain system and globally valued for its significant role in regulation of global as well as regional climate that has direct impact on biodiversity and ecosystem services crucial for sustenance of millions of people in Himalaya and adjoining areas. However, mountain regions worldwide are impacted by climate change and at the same time represent distinctive area for the assessment of climate related impacts. Climate change impacts in Himalayan region have its implications on food production, natural ecosystems,retreat of glacier, water supply, human and animal health and overall human well being. The livelihood and food security of the people inhabited in region largely depend on climate sensitive sectors i.e.agriculture, livestock, forestry and their interlinkages with each other, and has the potential to break down food and nutritional security as well as livelihood support systems. People's perception and understanding of climate can be an important asset when it comes to adaptation to climate change impact;however it is not taken into consideration for the development of policy design and implementation of modern mitigation and adaptation strategies by governments and other civil society organizations.The knowledge of local people and farming communities for rural landscape management and sustainable use of bioresources is gaining credence as a key strategy to cope up with the climate change.Therefore, the present study analyzes the indigenous knowledge of local people and their perceptions on climate change, and also documented adaptation approaches at local level in mountain ecosystem of western Himalaya. The study could be useful to policy makers to design appropriate adaptation strategies to cope up with the impacts of climate change.展开更多
The paper is based on author's observations during long geological field investigations in the Nepal Himalayas and various other international researches pertaining to natural hazards, global warming and climate chan...The paper is based on author's observations during long geological field investigations in the Nepal Himalayas and various other international researches pertaining to natural hazards, global warming and climate change. High mountains all over the world including Nepal Himalaya are threatened by global warming. In addition, Nepal lies at heart of Himalayan orogenic belt and is prone to both geological and hydro-meteorological hazard. Tremendous geographic diversity from high mountains to fiat plains presents specific hazards like earthquakes, avalanche, glacial lake outburst flood, debris flow, floods, landslides, thunderstorm, fire, cold and hot waves, etc. These natural hazards combined with anthropogenic hazards aggravate and degrade the fragile eco-systems, put human lives at risk, and cause immense economic losses. In last 25 years, it has attributed to an average annual loss of about 850 lives, damage of infrastructures and properties equivalent to about 6% of the annual development expenditure. GHGs (Green House Gases) are the chief sources of global warming and climate change. In Nepal, these are marked by an average of 0.06℃ per year rise in temperature, fast snow melting, retreating glaciers, vertical shift in snowline, decrease in amount of snowfall, appearance of new glacial lakes and increase in their size and volume. There is a need of strong commitment of international community to work together to reduce GHGs, CFC (Chlorofluorocarbon), and international and regional cooperation to face the present challenges of global warming and climate change. Government of Nepal already prepared the National Strategy for Disaster Risk Management for building a resilient nation emphasizing on assessment, identification, and monitoring of disaster risk and enhancing early warning system.展开更多
In this paper,dependent and independent variable transformations are introduced to solve the negativemKdV equation systematically by using the knowledge of elliptic equation and Jacobian elliptic functions.It is shown...In this paper,dependent and independent variable transformations are introduced to solve the negativemKdV equation systematically by using the knowledge of elliptic equation and Jacobian elliptic functions.It is shownthat different kinds of solutions can be obtained to the negative mKdV equation,including breather lattice solution andperiodic wave solution.展开更多
By means of the standard truncated Painlevé expansion and a variable separation approach, a general variable separation solution of the generalized Burgers system is derived. In addition to the usual localized co...By means of the standard truncated Painlevé expansion and a variable separation approach, a general variable separation solution of the generalized Burgers system is derived. In addition to the usual localized coherent soliton excitations like dromions, lumps, rings, breathers, instantons, oscillating soliton excitations, peakons, foldons, and previously revealed chaotic and fractal localized solutions, some new types of excitations — compacton and Jacobi periodic wave solutions are obtained by introducing appropriate lower dimensional piecewise smooth functions and Jacobi elliptic functions.展开更多
People's livelihood in several Himalayan regions largely depends on collection,use,and trade of medicinal plants.Traditional use is generally not a problem,but commercial gathering of selected species to meet incr...People's livelihood in several Himalayan regions largely depends on collection,use,and trade of medicinal plants.Traditional use is generally not a problem,but commercial gathering of selected species to meet increasing national and international demand can result in over-exploitation.Sustainable management of medicinal plants requires a clear understanding of the respective roles,responsibilities and viewpoints of the various stakeholders involved.Through personal interviews and group discussions,this study aimed at investigating the views of two stakeholder groups on use,trade and conservation of medicinal plants in the Rasuwa district of Nepal.Local people and district and national organizations agreed that medicinal plants are collected for a combination of commercial and personal uses.Perceptions on market availability differed significantly:100 % of the respondents from district and national organizations saw markets as easily available,against only 36 % for local people.This could explain why medicinal plants were perceived by local people to contribute less to income generation than to livelihood improvement.Different viewpoints were also expressed concerning the status of medicinal plants in the district:81 % of the respondents from district and national organizationsconsidered that medicinal plants were threatened,compared to only 28 % for local people.Despite this disparity,both stakeholder groups agreed upon potential threats to medicinal plants:over-harvesting;habitat loss due to land-use change and deforestation;and over-grazing by livestock.Several challenges were identified regarding sustainable management of medicinal plants,such as ambiguous policies;lack of resources,information and infrastructures;habitat degradation;and over-exploitation.Despite these challenges,respondents agreed that the medicinal plants sector offers huge opportunities in the Rasuwa district,given resource availability,community awareness and motivation,and the priority given to the sector by governments and other agencies.Proper collaboration,communication and coordination among stakeholders are needed to grab these opportunities.展开更多
There are large scale chert formations of different ages exposed widely in southern Tibet, along Yarlung-Zangbo suture zone. The typical chert specimens were sampled from Pengcuolin, Xialu and Zongzhuo profiles. Multi...There are large scale chert formations of different ages exposed widely in southern Tibet, along Yarlung-Zangbo suture zone. The typical chert specimens were sampled from Pengcuolin, Xialu and Zongzhuo profiles. Multivariate statistical analysis is applied for effectively extracting the geochemical information of the chert, and the raw data are processed by R-factor analysis. The first, second and third factors representing terrigenous, authigenic and hydrothermal constituents are extracted from the analysis results. From Pengcuolin, Xialu to Zongzhuo chert profiles, the variance ratios of continental and authigenetic factors become higher ( 51. 1% →62.9 % →91.6 % ), while hydrothermal factor rapidly decrease ( 40. 9 % →32.2 % →0 ). This tend- eney also present in the analysis for traee elements, indicating that Pengeuolin chert is hydrothermal origin, The Zongzhuo chert belong to normal sedimentation and the Xialu chert exhibit normal deposition interacted with hydrothermal sedimentation. The facts provide significant implications for understanding the diagenetic and palaeomineralization information of southern Tibet.展开更多
Indigenous agroforestry systems have been practiced for centuries in the Himalaya Mountains and adjoining regions.With the increase of climate change associated risks,enhanced understanding of the impact of climate ch...Indigenous agroforestry systems have been practiced for centuries in the Himalaya Mountains and adjoining regions.With the increase of climate change associated risks,enhanced understanding of the impact of climate change and related phenomena on the potential distribution of agroforestry is increasingly useful and necessary,for both maintaining and improving yield and ecosystem function.In particular,展开更多
文摘Regolith thickness is considered as a contributing factor for the occurrence of landslides.Although, mostly it is ignored because of complex nature and as it requires more time and resources for investigation. This study aimed to appraise the role of regolith thickness on landslide distribution in the Muzaffarabad and surrounding areas, NW Himalayas.For this purpose regolith thickness samples were evenly collected from all the lithological units at representative sites within different slope and elevation classes in the field. Topographic attributes(slope, aspect, drainage, Topographic Wetness Index,elevation and curvature) were derived from the Digital Elevation Model(DEM)(12.5 m resolution).Arc GIS Model Builder was used to develop the regolith thickness model. Stepwise regression technique was used to explore the spatial variation of regolith thickness using topographic attributes and lithological units. The derived model explains about 88% regolith thickness variation. The model was validated and shows good agreement(70%) between observed and predicted values. Subsequently, the derived regolith model was used to understand the relationship between regolith thickness and landslide distribution. The analysis shows that most of the landslides were located within 1-5 m regolith thickness. However, landslide concentration is highest within 5-10 m regolith thickness, which shows that regolith thickness played a significant role for the occurrence of landslide in the studied area.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40825017)the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No. KZCX3-SW-344 and 100 Talents Project)
文摘The distribution of borehole temperature at four high-altitude alpine glaciers was investigated. The result shows that the temperature ranges from -13.4℃ to -1.84℃, indicating the glaciers are cold throughout the boreholes. The negative gradient (i.e., the temperature decreasing with the increasing of depth) due to the advection of ice and climate warming, and the negative gradient moving downwards relates to climate warming, are probably responsible for the observed minimum temperature moving to lower depth in boreholes of the Gyabrag glacier and Miaoergou glacier compared to the previously investigated continental ice core borehole temperature in West China. The borehole temperature at 10m depth ranges from -8.0℃ in the Gyabrag glacier in the central Himalayas to -12.9℃ in the Tsabagarav glacier in the Altai range. The borehole temperature at 10 m depth is 3-4 degrees higher than the calculated mean annual air temperature on the surface of the glaciers and the higher 10 m depth temperature is mainly caused by the production of latent heat due to melt-water percolation and refreezing. The basal temperature is far below the melting point, indicating that the glaciers are frozen to bedrock. The very low temperature gradients near the bedrock suggest that the influence of geothermal flux and ice flow on basal temperature is very weak. The low temperature and small velocity of ice flow of glaciers are beneficial for preservation of the chemical and isotopic information in ice cores.
文摘Air temperature and snow cover variability are sensitive indicators of climate change. This study was undertaken to forecast and quantify the potential streamflow response to climate change in the Jhelum River basin. The implications of air temperature trends (+0.11℃decade) reported for the entire north-west Himalaya for past century and the regional warming (+0.7℃/decade) trends of three observatories analyzed between last two decades were used for future projection of snow cover depletion and stream flow. The streamflow was simulated and validated for the year 2007-2008 using snowmelt runoff model (SRM) based on in-situ temperature and precipitation with remotely sensed snow cover area. The simulation was repeated using higher values of temperature and modified snow cover depletion curves according to the assumed future climate. Early snow cover depletion was observed in the basin in response to warmer climate. The results show that with the increase in air temperature, streamfiow pattern of Jhelum will be severely affected. Significant redistribution of streamflow was observed in both the scenarios. Higher discharge was observed during spring-summer months due to early snowmelt contribution with water deficit during monsoon months. Discharge increased by 5%-40% during the months of March to May in 2030 and 2050. The magnitude of impact of air temperature is higher in the scenario-2 based on regional warming. The inferences pertaining to change in future streamflow pattern can facilitate long term decisions and planning concerning hydro-power potential, waterresource management and flood hazard mapping in the region.
文摘Athens, a metropolis characterized by agglutination and compactness, but at the same time facing numerous urban and transport issues, saw its population swell during the 20th century which led to extensive urbanization phenomena. This continued urbanization increases profoundly all urban activities with transportation being the key driver in energy consumption. Theories for sustainable cities prerequisite are the integration of a number of acts in order to reduce energy consumption, with mobility being the first consideration among others. The aim of this paper is to critically explore implemented policies and plans as well as forthcoming strategic plans in terms of sustainable mobility as imposed in large scale regeneration plans in contemporary Athens. Research focuses on strategic interventions since the 1980s, such as the Athenian Daktylios (ring road for circulation management) and its later adjustments, the upcoming pedestrianization and unification of the commercial triangle and its subsequent tram line extension as well as the notable implementation of the metropolitan cycling network. Moreover, the discussion takes into consideration the implications of the Greek economic crisis in mobility choices, as aimless travels have been reduced to a minimum, several cars have been abandoned and cyclists seem to tentatively claim some space in the urban environment. What will likely be the next day in the Athenian historic centre? Considering the transformations that are expected in the immediate future, this research paper explores their potential to enhance urban environment, reduce climate change impacts and amplify resilience.
基金supported by Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO),Ministry of Defence, Government of India
文摘Ten quantitative morphological characters were studied in 56 Morus alba L. trees representing three natural populations from the trans-Himalayan Ladakh region. The altitude of collection sites ranged from 2815 to 3177 m above the sea level(asl). Coefficient of variation(CV) showed high phenotypic variation in M. alba. Linear regression analysis revealed that leaf and fruit size decreases with an increase in altitude. High CV was observed for leaf length, leaf width, petiole length, leaf area, internodal distance, number of nodes, bud length, fruit length, fruit width and fruit weight. Similarly, a high phenotypic plasticity index was observed for bud length, leaf length, leaf width, petiole length, leaf area, inter-nodal distance, number of nodes, fruit length, fruit width and fruit weight. For every 100 m increase in altitude, leaf length, leaf width and leaf area decreased by 1 cm, 0.8 cm and 16.6 cm2, respectively. Analysis of covariance showed a predominant altitudinal effect on the morphological characters in comparison to the population effect. A small change in the altitude caused significant change in the plant morphological characteristics. The present investigation represents to our knowledge the first study addressing phenotypic variation in mulberryalong an altitudinal gradient.
基金part of the Department of Science and Technology(DST),Government of India sponsored national research project titled“Himalayan Cryosphere:Science and Society”
文摘The study investigated the streamflow response to the shrinking cryosphere under changing climate in the Lidder valley, Upper Indus Basin(UIB), Kashmir Himalayas. We used a combination of multitemporal satellite data and topographic maps to evaluate the changes in area, length and volume of the glaciers from 1962 to 2013. A total of 37 glaciers from the Lidder valley, with an area of 39.76 km^2 in 1962 were selected for research in this study. It was observed that the glaciers in the valley have lost ~28.89 ±0.1% of the area and ~19.65 ±0.069% of the volume during the last 51 years, with variable interdecadal recession rates. Geomorphic and climatic influences on the shrinking glacier resources were studied. 30-years temperature records(1980-2010) in the study area showed a significant increasing trend in all the seasons. However, the total annual precipitation during the same period showed a nonsignificant decreasing trend except during the late summer months(July, August and September), when the increasing trend is significant. The depletion of glaciers has led to the significant depletion of the streamflows under the changing climate in the valley. Summer streamflows(1971-2012) have increased significantly till mid-nineties but decreased significantly thereafter, suggesting that the tipping point of streamflow peak, due to the enhanced glacier-melt contribution under increasing global temperatures, may have been already reached in the basin. The observed glacier recession and climate change patterns, if continued in future, would further deplete the streamflows with serious implications on water supplies for different uses in the region.
文摘Abstract: Estimation of evapotranspiration (ET) for mountain ecosystem is of absolute importance since it serves as an important component in balancing the hydrologic cycle. The present study evaluates the performance of original and location specific calibrated Hargreaves equation (HARG) with the estimates of Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Penman Monteith (PM) method for higher altitudes in East Sikkim, India. The results show that the uncalibrated HARG model underestimates ET0 by 0.35 mm day^-1 whereas the results are significantly improved by regional calibration of the model. In addition, this paper also presents the variability in the trajectory associated with the climatic variables with the changing climate in the study site. Non- parametric Mann-Kendall (MK) test was used to investigate and understand the mean monthly trend of eight climatic parameters including reference evapotranspiration (ET0) for the period of 1985 - 2009. Trend of ET0 was estimated for the calculations done by FAO PM equation. The outcomes of the trend analysis show significant increasing (p ≤ 0.05) trend represented by higher Z-values, through MK test, for net radiation (Rn), maximum temperature (Tmax) and minimum temperature (Train), especially in the first months of the year. Whereas, significant (0.01 ≥ p ≤0.05) decreasing trend in vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and precipitation (P) is observed throughout the year. Declining trend in sunshine duration, VPD and ET0 is found in spring (March - May) and monsoon (June - November) season. The result displays significant (0.01≤ p ≤0.05) decreasing ET0 trend between (June - December) except in July, exhibiting the positive relation with VPD followed by sunshine duration at the station. Overall, the study emphasizes the importance of trend analysis of ET0 and other climatic variables for efficient planning and managing the agricultural practices, in identifying the changes in the meteorological parameters and to accurately assess the hydrologic water balance of the hilly regions.
文摘Land use changes such as deforestation,increase in cropping or grazing areas and built-up land, likely modify the water balance and land surface behavior in the Himalayan watersheds.An integrated approach of hydrological and hydraulic modeling was adopted for comparative analysis of hydrological pattern in three Himalayan watersheds i.e.Khanpur,Rawal and Simly situated in the Northern territory of Pakistan.The rainfall-runoff model SWAT- Soil and water assessment tool and Hydro CAD were calibrated for the selected watersheds.The correlation analysis of the precipitation data of two climate stations i.e.Murree and Islamabad, with the discharge data of three rivers was utilized to select best suitable input precipitation data for Hydro CAD rainfall-runoff modeling.The peak flood hydrograph were generated using Hydro CAD runoff to optimize the basin parameters like CN, runoff volume, peak flows of the three watersheds.The hydrological response of the Rawal watershed was studied as a case study to different scenarios of land use change using SWAT model.The scenario of high deforestation indicated a decline of about 6.3% in the groundwater recharge tostream while increase of 7.1% in the surface runoff has been observed under the scenario of growth in urbanization in the recent decades.The integrated modeling approach proved helpful in investigating the hydrological behavior under changing environment at watershed level in the Himalayan region.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (40601056, 40121101)the Special Funds for Major State Basic Research Project (2009CB723901)+4 种基金the Special Science Foundation on Meteorological Project Research for Public Benefit (GYHY(QX)2007-6-18)the Survey Project on Glacier resources and their changes in China (No.2006FY110200)the Opening Fund projects of State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science in the Institute of Remote Sensing Applicationsthe innovative project of Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research (ITPR),CASthrough a cooperation project between the Climate Change Institute, University of Maine supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NA04OAR4600179) and the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research (ITPR), CAS
文摘Because of the large number and remoteness, satellite data, including microwave data and optical imagery, have commonly been used in alpine glaciers surveys. Using remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques, the paper presents the results of a multitemporal satellite glacier extent mapping and glacier changes by glacier sizes in the Mt. Qomolangma region at the northern slopes of the middle Himalayas over the Tibetan Plateau. Glaciers in this region have both retreated and advanced in the past 35 years, with retreat dominating. The glacier retreat area was 3.23 km2 (or o.75 km^2 yr^-1 during 1974 and 1976, 8.68 km^2 (or 0.36 km^2 yr^-1 during 1976 and 1992, 1.44 km^2 (or 0.12 km^2 yr^-1) during 1992-2ooo. 1.14 km^2 (or 0.22 km^2 yr^-1 during 2000-2003, and 0.52 km^2 (or 0.07 km^2 yr^-1 during 2003-2008, respectively. While supra-glacier lakes on the debris-terminus of the Rongbuk Glacier were enlarged dramatically at the same time, from 0.05 km^2 in 1974 increased to 0.71 km^2 in 2008, which was more than 13 times larger in the last 35 years. In addition, glacier changes also showed spatial differences, for example, glacier retreat rate was the fastest at glacier termini between 5400 and 5700 m a.s.l than at other elevations. The result also shows that glaciers in the middle Himalayas retreat almost at a same pace with those in the western Himalayas.
基金Rio Grande do Sul State Foundation for Research (FAPERGS), Brazil for financial support
文摘Recent changes occurred in terminus of the debris-covered Bilafond Glacier in the Karakoram Range in the Himalayas, Northern Pakistan was investigated in this research. Landsat MSS, TM and ETM+ images were used for this study. Digital elevation models derived from ASTER GDEM and SRTM were also utilized. Visible, infrared and thermal infrared channels were utilized in order to get accurate glacier change maps. Three methods were tried to map this debris-covered glacier in this research. The glacier has been mapped successfully and the changes in the glacier terminus from 1978 to 2011 have been calculated. Manual, semi-automatic and thermal methods were found to give similar results. It was found that the glacier has undergone serious ablation during this period despite of the fact that many of the larger glaciers in the Hindu Kush and Karakoram mountain regions in the Upper Indus Basin were reported to be expanding. The terminus has been moved back about 600 meters during this period and there was an abrupt change in the glacier terminus during 1990-2002. We propose that debris thickness is not the only factor that influences the glacier ablation but the altitude of the debris-covered glacier as well. Many glaciers in the Karakoram region reported to be expanding were having higher altitudes compared to the study area.
基金Task Force 3‘Forest Resources and Plant Biodiversity’under National Mission for Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem(NMSHE)funded by Department of Science and Technology(DST),Govt.of India for financial support(DST/SPLICE/CCP/NMSHE/TF/GBPIHED/2014[G]dated 2/09/14)to conduct the study
文摘The Himalaya represents a vast mountain system and globally valued for its significant role in regulation of global as well as regional climate that has direct impact on biodiversity and ecosystem services crucial for sustenance of millions of people in Himalaya and adjoining areas. However, mountain regions worldwide are impacted by climate change and at the same time represent distinctive area for the assessment of climate related impacts. Climate change impacts in Himalayan region have its implications on food production, natural ecosystems,retreat of glacier, water supply, human and animal health and overall human well being. The livelihood and food security of the people inhabited in region largely depend on climate sensitive sectors i.e.agriculture, livestock, forestry and their interlinkages with each other, and has the potential to break down food and nutritional security as well as livelihood support systems. People's perception and understanding of climate can be an important asset when it comes to adaptation to climate change impact;however it is not taken into consideration for the development of policy design and implementation of modern mitigation and adaptation strategies by governments and other civil society organizations.The knowledge of local people and farming communities for rural landscape management and sustainable use of bioresources is gaining credence as a key strategy to cope up with the climate change.Therefore, the present study analyzes the indigenous knowledge of local people and their perceptions on climate change, and also documented adaptation approaches at local level in mountain ecosystem of western Himalaya. The study could be useful to policy makers to design appropriate adaptation strategies to cope up with the impacts of climate change.
文摘The paper is based on author's observations during long geological field investigations in the Nepal Himalayas and various other international researches pertaining to natural hazards, global warming and climate change. High mountains all over the world including Nepal Himalaya are threatened by global warming. In addition, Nepal lies at heart of Himalayan orogenic belt and is prone to both geological and hydro-meteorological hazard. Tremendous geographic diversity from high mountains to fiat plains presents specific hazards like earthquakes, avalanche, glacial lake outburst flood, debris flow, floods, landslides, thunderstorm, fire, cold and hot waves, etc. These natural hazards combined with anthropogenic hazards aggravate and degrade the fragile eco-systems, put human lives at risk, and cause immense economic losses. In last 25 years, it has attributed to an average annual loss of about 850 lives, damage of infrastructures and properties equivalent to about 6% of the annual development expenditure. GHGs (Green House Gases) are the chief sources of global warming and climate change. In Nepal, these are marked by an average of 0.06℃ per year rise in temperature, fast snow melting, retreating glaciers, vertical shift in snowline, decrease in amount of snowfall, appearance of new glacial lakes and increase in their size and volume. There is a need of strong commitment of international community to work together to reduce GHGs, CFC (Chlorofluorocarbon), and international and regional cooperation to face the present challenges of global warming and climate change. Government of Nepal already prepared the National Strategy for Disaster Risk Management for building a resilient nation emphasizing on assessment, identification, and monitoring of disaster risk and enhancing early warning system.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.90511009National Basic Research Program of China under Grant Nos.2006CB403600 and 2005CB42204
文摘In this paper,dependent and independent variable transformations are introduced to solve the negativemKdV equation systematically by using the knowledge of elliptic equation and Jacobian elliptic functions.It is shownthat different kinds of solutions can be obtained to the negative mKdV equation,including breather lattice solution andperiodic wave solution.
基金The project supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.10172056+2 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Zhengjiang Provincethe Foundation of Zhengjiang Lishui College under Grant Nos.KZ03009 and KZ03005
文摘By means of the standard truncated Painlevé expansion and a variable separation approach, a general variable separation solution of the generalized Burgers system is derived. In addition to the usual localized coherent soliton excitations like dromions, lumps, rings, breathers, instantons, oscillating soliton excitations, peakons, foldons, and previously revealed chaotic and fractal localized solutions, some new types of excitations — compacton and Jacobi periodic wave solutions are obtained by introducing appropriate lower dimensional piecewise smooth functions and Jacobi elliptic functions.
文摘People's livelihood in several Himalayan regions largely depends on collection,use,and trade of medicinal plants.Traditional use is generally not a problem,but commercial gathering of selected species to meet increasing national and international demand can result in over-exploitation.Sustainable management of medicinal plants requires a clear understanding of the respective roles,responsibilities and viewpoints of the various stakeholders involved.Through personal interviews and group discussions,this study aimed at investigating the views of two stakeholder groups on use,trade and conservation of medicinal plants in the Rasuwa district of Nepal.Local people and district and national organizations agreed that medicinal plants are collected for a combination of commercial and personal uses.Perceptions on market availability differed significantly:100 % of the respondents from district and national organizations saw markets as easily available,against only 36 % for local people.This could explain why medicinal plants were perceived by local people to contribute less to income generation than to livelihood improvement.Different viewpoints were also expressed concerning the status of medicinal plants in the district:81 % of the respondents from district and national organizationsconsidered that medicinal plants were threatened,compared to only 28 % for local people.Despite this disparity,both stakeholder groups agreed upon potential threats to medicinal plants:over-harvesting;habitat loss due to land-use change and deforestation;and over-grazing by livestock.Several challenges were identified regarding sustainable management of medicinal plants,such as ambiguous policies;lack of resources,information and infrastructures;habitat degradation;and over-exploitation.Despite these challenges,respondents agreed that the medicinal plants sector offers huge opportunities in the Rasuwa district,given resource availability,community awareness and motivation,and the priority given to the sector by governments and other agencies.Proper collaboration,communication and coordination among stakeholders are needed to grab these opportunities.
基金Supported by the National Key Basic Research Program ( No.2006CB4035008)the National Natural Science Foundation of China ( No.40573019)
文摘There are large scale chert formations of different ages exposed widely in southern Tibet, along Yarlung-Zangbo suture zone. The typical chert specimens were sampled from Pengcuolin, Xialu and Zongzhuo profiles. Multivariate statistical analysis is applied for effectively extracting the geochemical information of the chert, and the raw data are processed by R-factor analysis. The first, second and third factors representing terrigenous, authigenic and hydrothermal constituents are extracted from the analysis results. From Pengcuolin, Xialu to Zongzhuo chert profiles, the variance ratios of continental and authigenetic factors become higher ( 51. 1% →62.9 % →91.6 % ), while hydrothermal factor rapidly decrease ( 40. 9 % →32.2 % →0 ). This tend- eney also present in the analysis for traee elements, indicating that Pengeuolin chert is hydrothermal origin, The Zongzhuo chert belong to normal sedimentation and the Xialu chert exhibit normal deposition interacted with hydrothermal sedimentation. The facts provide significant implications for understanding the diagenetic and palaeomineralization information of southern Tibet.
文摘Indigenous agroforestry systems have been practiced for centuries in the Himalaya Mountains and adjoining regions.With the increase of climate change associated risks,enhanced understanding of the impact of climate change and related phenomena on the potential distribution of agroforestry is increasingly useful and necessary,for both maintaining and improving yield and ecosystem function.In particular,