Analysis to the Driving Force Model and Driving Factor on the Utilized Changes of Cultivated Land in Gonghe County

Using gradually regression analysis to establish the driving force model of utilized change of cultivated land in Gonghe County, and using path analysis, correlation analysis, partial correlation analysis and system dynamics method to inspect the effect of driving changing on cultivated land change under different change situations. Driving factors, action mechanism and process of utilized change of cultivated land were analyzed from the county territory scale level. At last, some corresponding policies and measures were put forward.

Analysis to the Driving Force Model and Drives Factor on the Utilized Changes of Cultivated Land in Qinghai Lake Area

Using path analysis, correlation analysis, partial correlation analysis and system dynamics method to study the driving force of cultivated land in Qinghai Lake Area, and using gradually regression analysis to establish the driving force model of utilized change of cultivated land. Driving factors, action mechanism and process of utilized change of cultivated land were analyzed, and the differences during all factors were compared. The study provides some decision basis for sustainable utilization and management of land resources in Qinghai Lake Area.

Carrying Capacity of Grassland and Sustainable Development of Animal Husbandry in Qinghai Lake Area

Based on the estimation of carrying capacity of grassland and status analysis of animal husbandry in Qinghai Lake area, the paper explores the strategic measure of sustainable development of animal husbandry in Qinghai Lake area under the actual conditions.

Accurate Quantification of Grassland Cover Density in an Alpine Meadow Soil Based on Remote Sensing and GPS

The principles of remotely estimating grassland cover density in an alpine meadow soil from space lie in the synchronous collection of in situ samples with the satellite pass and statistically linking these cover densities to their image properties according to their geographic coordinates. The principles and procedures for quantifying grassland cover density from satellite image data were presented with an example from Qinghai Lake, China demonstrating how quantification could be made more accurate through the integrated use of remote sensing and global positioning systems (GPS). An empirical model was applied to an entire satellite image to convert pixel values into ground cover density. Satellite data based on 68 field samples was used to produce a map of ten cover densities. After calibration a strong linear regression relationship (r2 = 0.745) between pixel values on the satellite image and in situ measured grassland cover density was established with an 89% accuracy level. However, to minimize positional uncertainty of field samples, integrated use of hyperspatial satellite data and GPS could be utilized. This integration could reduce disparity in ground and space sampling intervals, and improve future quantification accuracy even more.

A 16 ka climate record deduced from δ^(13)C and C/N ratio in Qinghai Lake sediments, northeastern Tibetan Plateau

On the basis of multi-proxy analysis on TOC, TN, C/N, organic δ^13C and grain size, sediment record from Qinghai Lake provides evidences of stepwise-pattemed climatic change since 16 ka BE Results show that Qinghai Lake underwent six environmental stages. From 16.2 to 14.3 ka BP and from 4.0 to 2.1 ka BP, the organic δ^13C value was controlled by the concentration of atmospheric CO2. Relative higher organic δ^13C values occurred between 14.3 to 10.4 ka BP indicative of water hardness decrease resulted from melting ice water, corresponding to two intervals of C/N peak values to the Boling and AIlerod warm periods in Europe respectively. From 10.4 ka BP, Qinghai Lake entered the Holocene and the climate was warm and a little dry. The Megathermal appeared at about 6.7 ka BP when the vegetation around the lake transformed into a forest. Between 6.3 ka BP and 4.0 ka BP, the temperature decreased and δ^13C value was controlled by the expansion of C3 plants and the retreat of C4 plants in river catchment. Since 4.0 ka BP, the climate gradually became cold and dry. From 2.1 ka BP, the cold-dry climate and human activity resulted in an abrupt increase in C/N with deceased δ^13C value; meanwhile, many coarse grains appeared in sediments.

Rangeland Grasshoppers in Relation to Soils in the Qinghai Lake Region, China

The relationship between rangeland grasshopper density and soil type as well as topsoil moisture content was analyzed with in situ soil data collected in the Qinghai Lake region of China. Grasshoppers were confined mainly to the areas with light chestnut soil or chestnut soil, and very few were found in areas with subalpine meadow soil. Grasshoppers were almost absent from other types of soil, such as aeolian soil. In addition, analysis of 14 soil samples collected in the study area revealed that a soil moisture content between 18 and 32 g kg-1 coincided spatially with a higher density of grasshoppers, with the grasshopper density averaging 15 head m-2. In areas with a soil moisture content above 42 g kg-1 or below 10 g kg-1, grasshopper density dropped to less than 5 head m-2. These indicated that for the study area, soils with very high or very low moisture contents were not conducive to the survival of grasshoppers.

Grassland Degradation and Its Control in Region AroundQinghai Lake

A quite severe degradation was found in all seven types of grasslands in the study area involving 12counties of the northwestern Qinghai Province. The slightly, moderately and severely degraded grasslandsoccupied 49.7%, 32.0% and 18.3% of the area respectively. The major factors resulting in the degradationwere overgrazing, the damages from mice and grasshopper and blown sands, and improper use of grasslands.The measures to deal with these problems should be: 1) to make livestock development in accordancewith grassland carrying capacity for animals; 2) to build more artificial grasslands with a stable and highergraas yield; 3) to put more widely the rotation grazing system into practice; 4) to clear up the poisonousgrass species; and 5) to adopt more effective measures to deal with the damages to grasslands by mice andgrasshoppers.

Analysis of the distribution characteristics of ^(226)Ra and ^(228)Ra and their sources in the western part of Qinghai Lake

The ^226Ra and ^228Ra activities of Qinghai Lake surface water, groundwater, river water, suspended particles, and bottom sediments were measured in a gamma-ray spectrometer. The sources of ^226Ra and ^228Ra were discussed according to their distribution characteristics. ^226Ra and ^228Ra activities （dpm/（100 L）） ranged from 14.13±0.22 to 19.22±0.42 and 17.724-0.66 to 30.96：kl.47 in the surface water of the North Bay, respectively, and from 7.88±0.24 to 33.80±0.47 and 15.73±0.74 to 57.31±1.44, respectively, in the South Bay. The surface water near the estuary had a lower salinity and had a higher concentration of radium isotopes than the samples collected further away. The farther offshore the sample, the higher the salinity was, and the lower the radium isotope activity. The distribution of radium activities in the western part of Qinghai Lake is controlled by several factors, including Buha River runoff, desorption from suspended particles derived from the river, groundwater discharge, and a small amount of diffusion from the sediment.

Effect of lake surface temperature on the summer precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau

There are numerous lakes on the Tibetan Plateau(TP),but the role of lake temperature in precipitation over the TP remains unclear.Here the Weather Research and Forecasting(WRF) model was used to detect the impact of lakes on summer rainfall.Three test cases were used to evaluate the effect of lakes surface temperature(LSTs) on precipitation variability.The three cases used different methods to determine initial LSTs,including using sea surface temperature data(SST),the WRF inland water module(avg_tsfc),and a lake model.Results show that when precipitation was stimulated over the TP,LSTs cannot be initialized using SST,which led to large discrepancies of precipitation.Compared with the simulations,the simulated precipitation were improved obviously with LSTs using avg_tsfc,indicating that LSTs have an considerable influence on determining precipitation over the TP.Due to a lack of observational data,the lake scheme does not improve on rainfall simulation,but does effectively simulate precipitation pattern over lakes,such as rainfall over the lakes was dominated by convection during the nighttime.Though the simulated precipitation using SST to initialize LSTs caused largediscrepancies,it suggested that precipitation increase especially convective precipitation with increase in LSTs,which confirmed that the moisture from lakes cannot be neglected over the TP.Generally,it was necessary to monitor the LSTs for accurate weather and climate prediction over the TP.

青湖

风忽紧忽慢，船走走停停，一个青衫姑娘抱膝坐在船头。墨绿色的裙带懒懒垂到水里，仿佛一湖碧水就是从这里潺潺流出。

湖滩争夺与省界成型——以皖北青冢湖为例

在传统地方史志的记载中,对于一个行政区疆域的记载往往是以"四至八到"的形式来表示的,依照这种粗略的记载,在很多地区根本无法准确的划出政区之间的边界。在各级政区的边界类型中,又属省界的地位比较特殊。对于省界争端的处理往往会面临"属人主义"和"属地主义"两种原则的抉择,而争端的处理过程其实体现了中央政府、省政府、基层政府与普通民众之间的多重复杂、互动的关系。民国时期青冢湖苏皖省界纠纷的处理过程正是体现了上述关系,并且展现了原本模糊的省级政区界限逐渐演变为精确的几何界线的动态过程。

Glacier and Lake Changes across the Tibetan Plateau during the Past 50 Years of Climate Change

In this paper, recent glacier and lake changes research on the Tibetan Plateau was reviewed. Emphasis was placed on a discussion of the relationship between glacier shrinkage and lake change. In the context of global climate change, the glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau have general y retreated, while the lakes have general y expanded. First, the research on glacial terminal retreat, glacial area and volume variations across the Tibetan Plateau over the last few decades are reviewed and analyzed; the temporal-spatial change characteristics of the glaciers are discussed. Secondly, the lake area, volume and water level changes are reviewed and analyzed;the temporal-spatial change characteristics of the glaciers are discussed. The results indicate that the retreat speed in the outer edge of the Tibean Plateau was overal faster than that in the inland area. The areas and water levels of the lakes that are fed by glacial water increased. Final y, the limitations of the present studies and future work are discussed.

Impact of Tourist Environmental Awareness on Environmental Friendly Behaviors: A Case Study from Qinghai Lake, China

This paper examines the influence environmental awareness and recreation experience has on the environmentally-friendly behavior of tourists, and identifies the function of perceived quality as an intermediary variable. By providing a conceptual framework based on the combination of environmental awareness theory and tourist perception theory, and a SEM-based methodology, an in-depth analysis of the influence mechanism was carried out in the Qinghai Lake area of Qinghai province. Results show that there exist differences in the ways environmental awareness influences perceived gains and perceived losses, and the influence coefficient of the former is higher than that of the latter. The perceived gains may promote environmentally friendly behaviors, while the perceived losses have an adverse impact on such behaviors. Moreover, the strength of the adverse impact of the latter is less than the strength of the positive impact of the former. The mediating effect of perceived quality was confirmed in the EA（environmental awareness）-EB（environmental behavior） nexus, within which the influence of tourist environmental awareness on environmentally friendly behavior could be transformed. The mediating effect of perceived quality in the perceived-gains model was more obvious than that in the perceived-losses model. This study highlights the importance of understanding the foundations of environmental behavior related to environmental awareness and tourist perceptions.

Analysis of Multiple Tourist Agents' Symbiotic Relationship on the View of Tourist Enterprises Based on a Grey Correlation Model:A Case Study of Qinghai Lake, China

Tourism symbiosis is a social phenomenon consisting of many complex factors, and the reciprocal cooperation among multiple tourist agents at tourist destinations is the crux of the sustainable development of tourism. This study is from the perspective of tourist enterprises, and introduces the Symbiosis Theory of genecology. A quantitative evaluation is used to analyze both the equilibrium state of the combined symbiotic behavior routes and the behavior patterns of tourist enterprises with local governments, community residents, tourists and tourist enterprises around Qinghai Lake. The findings reveal:(1) the symbiotic behavior routes of the multiple tourist agents "E→G-R-T-E" in the Qinghai Lake area are constituted of intense symbiotic indications, while the maximum dimensionality of symbiotic interest of "E→G-R-T-E" is still in the state of disequilibrium and dissymmetry;(2) the symbiotic model of multiple tourist agents "E→G-R-T-E" in the Qinghai Lake area is an asymmetrically positive symbiotic model. It is proposed that, by establishing symbiotic mechanisms for guidance, decisions, supervisory control and profit distribution, the participation mechanism for multiple agents "E-G-R-T" can be further standardized. Moreover, tourist enterprises should be regarded as the primary agents to optimize the symbiotic model for "E→G-R-T-E" through the reinforcement of integrative supply and the construction of integrative effect, and finally promote the integrative symbiotic model of symmetrical reciprocity of the E-R-G-T model "driven by scenic areas, responsive to community residents, affected by local governments and enjoyed by tourists."

Mineralogy of the otoliths of naked carp Gymnocypris przewalskii (Kessler) from Lake Qinghai and its Sr/Ca potential implications for migratory pattern

Otoliths are biogenic carbonate minerals whose microstructure and microchemistry have been used for age determination, stock identification, life history and environmental tracing. Using X-ray diffraction （XRD） and Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spectroscopy, we have determined the mineral types and crystalline characteristics of three pairs of otoliths from naked carp Gymnocypris przewalskii, the predominant fish in Lake Qinghai. The results indicate that the mineral of both lapillus and sagitta of the naked carp is aragonite, and that of asteriscus is vaterite. The aragonite of lapillus has prefect crystallization. Given the shape of lapillus and the sensitivity of its aragonite to water chemistry, lapillus was used to analyze temporal Sr/Ca ratios along the maximal growth axis by an electron probe microanalyzer （EPMA）. Consistent variations of Sr/Ca ratios with a range of 1.0x10-3-5.0~10-3 on the long and short radii indicate that Sr/Ca ratios of lapillus potentially respond to the chemical compositions of the host waters during the period of the naked carp＇s growth and migration. Discontinuous （dark） zones of lapillus were formed during fall and winter when the naked carp grows slowly in Lake Qinghai, resulting in similar low Sr/Ca ratios to lake water, whereas incremental zones with higher St/Ca ratios respond to its migratory river waters during spring and summer. Various Sr/Ca ratios of incremental zones suggest that the migratory pattern of the naked carp may be much more flexible, rather than in a single river. Therefore, high-resolution otolith microchemistry of the naked carp can be used to trace its migratory behavior, which is of significance for determining its migratory pattern and life history of this precious species inhabiting the Tibetan Plateau.

Stratigraphy and otolith microchemistry of the naked carp Gymnocypris przewalskii(Kessler) and their indication for water level of Lake Qinghai during the Ming Dynasty of China

Otoliths are biogenic carbonate minerals in the inner ear of teleost fish, whose compositions can record the physical and chem- ical conditions of the ambient water environment inhabited by individual fish. In this research, the fishbones and otoliths of naked carp sampled near the Bird Island, offshore Lake Qinghai, were dated and analyzed for mineralogy and microchemical compositions. Comparing the microchemical compositions of ancient otoliths with those of modem otoliths, we conclude that the ancient naked carps inhabited a relict lake formed when the lake shrank from a high lake level, by combining with the AMS-lnC ages of fishbones and otoliths, the stratigraphy and surrounding topography of the sample site. AMS-14C dating resuits of ancient fishbones and otoliths show that these naked carps lived from 680 to 300 years ago, i.e. during the Ming Dynasty of China. The X-ray diffraction （XRD） patterns demonstrate that the ancient lapillus is composed of pure aragonite, iden- tical to modem one, indicating that the mineral of lapillus didn＇t change after a long time burial and that the ancient lapillus is suitable for comparative analysis thereafter. Microchemical results show that both ratios of Mg/Ca （（70.12±18.50）× 10-2） and δ18O （（1.76±1.03）‰） of ancient lapilli are significantly higher than those of modem lapilli （average Mg/Ca=（3.1 1±0.41）× 10-5 and δ18O =（-4.82±0.96）‰）. This reflects that the relict water body in which the ancient naked carp lived during the Ming Dynasty was characterized by higher Mg/Ca and δ18O ratios than modem Lake Qinghai, resulting from strong evaporation after being isolated from the main lake, similar to today＇s Lake Gahai. Based upon the stratigraphy and altitude of naked carp re- mains, it can be inferred that the altitude of lake level of Lake Qinghai reached at least 3202 m with a lake area of 4480 km2 during the Ming Dynasty, approximately ~5% larger than it is today.

Clay mineral records of the Erlangjian drill core sediments from the Lake Qinghai Basin, China

Located at the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP) in the Asian interior, the Lake Qinghai is sensitive to environmental change and thus an outstanding site for studying paleoenvironmental changes. Thick deposits in the Lake Qinghai provide important geological archives for obtaining high-resolution records of continental environmental history. The longest drilling core obtained from the Lake Qinghai, named Erlangjian(ELJ), reached about 1109 m and was investigated to determine its clay mineral assemblage and grain size distributions. Clay mineralogical proxies, including type, composition, and their ratios, as well as the illite crystallinity(KI) and chemical index(CI), in combination with grain size data, were used for reconstructing the history of paleoenvironmental evolution since the late Miocene in the Lake Qinghai Basin. The clay mineral records indicate that the clay mainly comprise detritus originating from peripheral material and has experienced little or no diagenesis. The proportion of authigenic origin was minor. Illite was the most abundant clay mineral, followed by chlorite, kaolinite, and smectite. Variations of clay mineral indexes reflect the cooling and drying trends in the Lake Qinghai region, and the grain size distribution is coincided with the clay minerals indexes. The paleoclimatic evolution of the Lake Qinghai Basin since the late Miocene can be divided into five intervals. The climate was relatively warm and wet in the early of late Miocene, then long-term trends in climate change character display cooling and drying; later in the late Miocene until early Pliocene the climate was in a short relatively warm and humid period; since then the climate was relatively colder and drier. These results also suggest multiple tectonic uplift events in the northeastern QTP.

Calibration of the U37K index of long-chain alkenones with the in-situ water temperature in Lake Qinghai in the Tibetan Plateau

Long-chain alkenones (LCAs) can potentially be used as indicators to understand past variations in lacustrine environments.Previous research has suggested that the relationship between the temperature and the unsaturation index of LCAs should be calibrated individually,because of the possible variations in the alkenone-producing algal species in the lacustrine environment.In this work,we have calibrated U37K' of water filter samples against the in-situ water temperature in Lake Qinghai,Tibetan Plateau.There are significant relationships between U37K' and the water temperature,a non-linear relationship was derived.Because the U37K' values did not respond sensitively at lower temperatures,we suggested that a quadratic regression (U37K' =0.0011×T2-0.0201×T+0.1959,n=15,r2=0.74) was appropriate than linear regression to represent the relationship between the in-situ temperatures and U37K'.Meanwhile,the U37K correlation relationship was not more significant than U37K' index in our study.Because of the C37:4 effects by salinity change,we suggest U37K is not as robust as the U37K' index as a temperature proxy,at least for the salt lake in the Tibetan Plateau.The calibration of the U37K' index in this work has provided a new understanding of historic climatic changes in the Tibetan Plateau.

Influence of aquatic plants on the hydrogen isotope composition of sedimentary long-chain n-alkanes in the Lake Qinghai region, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The hydrogen isotopic composition(δD) of leaf wax long-chain n-alkanes(C27, C29, and C31) from lacustrine sediments has been widely applied to reconstruct terrestrial paleoclimatic and paleohydrological changes. However, few studies have addressed whether the aquatic-derived n-alkanes can affect the δD values of lake sedimentary long-chain n-alkanes, which are usually regarded as a recorder of the terrestrial hydrological signals. Here we systematically investigated δD values of long-chain n-alkanes from modern aquatic plants, both near-shore and off-shore surface sediments, surrounding terrestrial plant litters, as well as river water and lake water in Lake Qinghai and its satellite lakes on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Our data showed that(i) δD values of long-chain n-alkanes from aquatic plants varied from-184‰ to-132‰ for n-C27, from-183‰ to-138‰ for n-C29, and from-189‰ to-130‰ for n-C31, respectively, with no significant differences among the three n-alkanes homologues;(ii) δD values of long-chain n-alkanes from aquatic plants were generally more positive than those from surrounding terrestrial plants, possibly because that they recorded the D-enrichment of lake water in this semi-arid region;(iii) δD values of long-chain n-alkanes from surface sediments showed significant differences among the three n-alkanes homologues, due to the larger aquatic input of n-C27 to the sedimentary lipid pool than that of n-C31, and(iv) n-C27 δD values of near-shore aquatic plants and near-shore sediments are more negative than those from off-shore as a result of lower δD values of near-shore lake water. Our findings indicate that in this region(i) the offset between sedimentary n-C27 and n-C31 δD values(ΔδDC27-C31) could potentially be used to evaluate if sedimentary long-chain n-alkanes are derived from a single source;(ii) while δD values of n-C27 may be influenced by lake water hydrological changes, sedimentary n-C31 is derived predominantly from terrestrial plants and thus its δD can serve as a relatively reliable indicator for terrestrial paleoclimatic and paleohydrological reconstructions.

Distribution of branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers in soils on the Northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and possible production by nitrite-reducing bacteria

Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers （bGDGTs） are ubiquitous and abundant in soils, but their sources remain elusive. Recent studies demonstrate that the distributions of bGDGTs are sensitive to various environmental factors. In an effort to understand how and to what extent soil moisture （expressed as soil water content （SWC） or mean annual precipita- tion （MAP）, pH and temperature may impact the distribution of bGDGTs, and to shed more light on the biological sources of bGDGTs in cold and arid regions, we investigated the distribution of bGDGTs as well as bacterial 16S rRNA gene and func- tional genes involved in the N cycle （including amoA, nirS and nirK） in 41 surface soil samples from around Lake Qinghai and east of Qaidam Basin on the Northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. We found that lower soil moisture reduced the fractional concentrations of cyclic bGDGTs and thus the cyclisation ratio of branched tetraethers （CBT） index correlated negatively with SWC and MAP, suggesting that soil moisture is an important factor controlling bGDGT distributions in soils in this add and semi-add region. Two subgroups of bGDGTs were assigned on the basis of cluster analysis, and bGDGT indices behaved dif- ferently in the two groups, hinting at different biosynthetic mechanisms for bGDGTs under different environmental conditions. Real time PCR results showed that nirS and nirK genes correlated significantly with the concentration of bGDGTs, suggesting that the nirS- or nirK-encoding bacteria involved in denitrification might potentially be an additional biological source for soil bGDGTs （besides Acidobacteria）. Moreover, our results also support the application of new indices based on 5-methyl bGDGTs and 6-methyl bGDGTs in reconstructing past temperature and pH variations in this region.