Identification of Heterogeneity of Social and Economic Environment of Land Uses in China

The robust principal component analysis （RPCA） is a technique of multivariate statistics to assess the social and economic environment quality. This paper aims to explore a RPCA algorithm to analyze the spatial heterogeneity of social and economic environment of land uses （SEELU）. RPCA supplies one of the most efficient methods to derive the most important components or factors affecting the regional difference of the social and economic environment. According to the spatial distributions of the levels of SEELU,the total land resources of China were divided into eight zones numbered by Ⅰ to Ⅷ which spatially referred to the eight levels of SEELU.

SUSTAINABLE LAND USE PLANNING BASED ON ECOLOGICAL HEALTH——Case Study of Beiwenquan Town, Chongqing, China

This paper, taking Beiwenquan Town of Beibei, Chongqing as an example, assessed the impacts of land use on ecological health by comprehensive index method, and discussed methodological system of sustainable land use planning based on ecological health. Results indicated that: 1) From 1992 to 2002, land use changes focused on 12 patterns with the total conversion area of 92.11%, which were related to cultivated land, residential and industrial-mining area, and orchard land. Urbanization and economic reconstruction were the leading driving forces. 2) There was obvious difference of the areas of ecotypes driven by land use change in wide valley and mild slope between 1992 and 2002, while there were little or no difference in steep slope and very steep slope. 3) Both of the conditions of ecological health in 1992 and 2002 were sound, and the ecotypes focused on the types of health and sub-health. But, health ecosystem in 1992, with an area of 764.64ha, accounting for 38.51% of the total evaluation area, was better than that in 2002, with an area of 636.10ha, accounting for 34.19% of the total evaluation area. 4) The ecotypes involved into different ranges have already degenerated, due to humankind’s disturbance, while the conditions of ecological health in the same ranges in 1992, regardless of stability and reconstruction, were better than that in 2002. 5) The planning scenario based on ecological health was accorded with the practice condition of Beiwenquan Town: 388.29ha of cultivated land could meet the Beiwenquan demand of food and byproduct; 1045.26ha of forest land area, the Beiwenquan demand of ecological health; and 1004.73ha of the residential and industrial-mining area, the Beiwenquan building demand. 6) Sustainable land use planning based on ecological health had higher useful value, because it not only stood to ecological theory, but also satisfied the developmental demand of society and economy.

A Hybrid Inexact Optimization Model for Land-use Allocation of China

Land scarcity has become the prominent obstacle on the way to sustainable development for China. Under the constraints of land shortage, how to allocate the finite land resources to the multiple land users in China considering various political, environmental, ecological and economic conditions have become research topics with great significance. In this study, an interval fuzzy national-scale land-use model(IFNLM) was developed for optimizing land systems of China. IFNLM is based on an integration of existing interval linear programming(ILP), and fuzzy flexible programming(FFP) techniques. IFNLM allows uncertainties expressed as discrete interval values and fuzzy sets to be incorporated within a general optimization framework. It can also facilitate national-scale land-use planning under various environmental, ecological, social conditions within a multi-period and multi-option context. Then, IFNLM was applied to a real case study of land-use planning in China. The satisfaction degree of environmental constraints is between 0.69 and 0.97, the system benefit will between 198.25 × 1012 USD and 229.67 × 1012 USD. The results indicated that the hybrid model can help generate desired policies for land-use allocation with a maximized economic benefit and minimized environmental violation risk. Optimized land-use allocation patterns can be generated from the proposed IFNLM.

STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT ASSESSMENT ON LAND-USE PLANNING-A Case Study of Changchun Economic and Technological Zone

The study centers on the necessity,t he workflowand the synthetically in tegrated methods(Principal Compo-nentAnalysis(PCA),AndyticalHierarchy Process(AHP)andFuzzy Comprerhensive Evaluatio n(FCE))ofstrategic environ-ment assessment (SEA)on land-use planning.The whole article includes three main parts:firstly,some attribute database,graphic-base and the spatial transform matrix,which reflect the change of regional land-use pattern,can be ob-tained by GIS technique;secondly,a dopting fitting method of trend-sur face analysis will convert environm ent monitoring data from scattered spots to regular control spots,based on which we can p erform regional environment impact assess-ment;finally,Changchun Economic a nd Technological Developmen Zone is chosen as a case study on land-use pla nning.Through those efforts the results ma y be obtained as follows:1)according to transform matrix,the p ossibility of transforma-tion from one land-use to another can be obtained after the planning is carried out;2)environment quality would change as a result of the change of land-use p attern;3)the SEA on land-use plan is an effecti ve tool to make land-use pattern more reasonable.

Changes in Land Use and Agricultural Production Structure Before and After the Implementation of Grain for Green Program in Western China–Taking Two Typical Counties as Examples

Soil erosion becomes a serious environmental problem in the world, especially in western China. An effective management practice called the Grain for Green Program(GGP), which was launched in 1999, aims to reduce soil and water loss and alleviate the ecological environment problem in western China. Two typical counties in western China, the Zhongxian(in Chongqing Municipality) and Ansai(in Shaanxi Province) were chosen to evaluate the dynamic changes of land use and agricultural production structure before and after the implementation of the Program in this paper. The results showed that the cultivated land area was reduced by 7.08% from 1989 to 2003. The cultivated land per person was decreased by 8.42% during 1999-2003. Moreover, the stability index of the secondary sector of the economy was increased from 0.91 in the period 1990-1999 to 0.94 in the following ten years. In addition, the stability index of tertiary economic sector increased from 0.88 to 0.92 in Zhongxian county. Meanwhile, the cultivated land area was reduced by 15.48% from 1990 to 1999. The soil erosion modulus was decreased by 33.33% from 1999 to 2006. Also, the stability index of secondary and tertiary economic sectors was 0.86 in the period 1998-2002. However, it decreased by 77% during 2002 to 2007 in Ansai County. These results imply that the Grain for Green Program had different impact on the two regions. Several effective strategies of soil and water conservation have been carried out to ameliorate the sustainable development of ecological environment and economy in these two counties of western China.

Analysis of Urban Expansion and Driving Forces in Xuzhou City Based on Remote Sensing

Based on satellite remote sensing TM/ETM+ images of Xuzhou city,land use forms of the city in 1987,1994 and 2000 were extracted by using a neural network classification method. The expansion contribution rate and annual expansion intensity index of each administrative district have been calculated and the contribution rate matrices and spatial distribution maps of land use changes were obtained. Based on the above analysis,the characteristics of urban expansion from 1987 to 2000 have been explored. From 1987 to 1994,the expansion contribution rate of Quanshan dis-trict reached 46.80%,the highest in all administrative districts of Xuzhou city; Tongshan town was in a high-speed ex-pansion period; both Quanshan and Yunlong districts were experiencing fast-speed expansion periods while the entire city was expanding at a medium-speed with an annual expansion intensity index of 0.98; the city spread eastwards and southwards. From 1994 to 2000,the expansion contribution rate of Quanshan district reached 43.67%,the highest in Xuzhou; the entire city was in a medium-speed expansion period with an annual expansion intensity index of 1.04; the city has rapidly been extended towards the southeast. According to the contribution rate matrices of land use changes,urban expansion mainly usurps cropland and woodland. A quantitative analysis found that population growth,indus-trialization and economic development are the primary driving forces behind urban expansion.

QUANTITATIVE STUDY OF SOIL EROSION AND ELEMENT RUN-OFF IN THE SONGHUA LAKE VALLEY

Under the condition of different precipitation intensities, different gradients, different land-use types and different vegetation coverage, the soil erosion and transference of element (or pollutant) are studied by simulating and analyzing the surface run-off of experimental plots in the catchment area of Songhua Lake, with an area of about 43 370.8km2. And the influencing factors that produce the spatial difference are analyzed and assessed. It is put forward that the irrational land utilization is the reason of soil erosion and pollutant run-off. The gradient of farmland, the growing season of vegetation and the vegetation coverage are chiefly restricting factors that lead to the soil erosion and pollutant run-off. This study can provide the fundamental data for comprehensive planning and harnessing of the non-point source pollution in the valley.

Comparison Between Reconstructions of Global Anthropogenic Land Cover Change over Past Two Millennia

Three global datasets, the History Database of the Global Environment （HYDE）, Kaplan and Krurnhardt （KK） and Pongratz of reconstructed anthropogenic land cover change （ALCC） were introduced and compared in this paper. The HYDE dataset was recon- structed by Goldewijk and his colleagues at the National institute of Public ttealth and the Environment in Netherland, covering the past 12 000 years. The KK dataset was reconstructed by Kaplan and his colleagues, the Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere Research Group at the Institute of Environmental Engineering in Switzerland, covering the past 8000 years. The Pongratz dataset was reconstructed by Pon- gratz and her colleagues at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Germany, coveting AD 800-1992. The results show that the reconstructed datasets are quite different from each other due to the different methods used. The three datasets all allocated the historical ALCC according to human population density. The main reason causing the differences among the three datasets lies on the different relationships between population density and land use used in each reconstructed dataset. The KK dataset is better than the other two datasets for two important reasons. First, it used the nonlinear relationship between population density and land use, while the other two used the linear relationship. Second, Kaplan and his colleagues adopted the technological development and intensification parameters and considered the wood harvesting and the long-term fallow area resulted from shifting cultivation, which were neglected in the recon- structions of the other two datasets. Therefore, the KK dataset is more suitable as one of the anthropogenic forcing fields for climate simulation over the past two millennia that is recently concerned by two projects, the National Basic Research Program and the Strategic and Special Frontier Project of Science and Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Soil Erosion Control Degree of the Project of Converting Farmland to Forest in Mountainous Areas at China's Southwest Border:A Case Study in Mangshi,Yunnan Province

There have been few in-depth quantitative studies on soil erosion control and the ecological effects of land use changes. Soil erosion is the first eco-environmental problem particularly in mountainous areas. A major problem in the conversion of farmland to forest is to control soil erosion and improve ecological environment and thus to improve land use sustainability. We report results of calculation and analysis on soil erosion from converted farmland parcels in city of Mangshi （near the SW frontier of China） and the surrounding areas before and after the nine-year （2000-2009） project of converting farmland to forest. There was increased water conservation effect, as a result of decreased soil erosion. The average erosion modulus of the farmland returning to eco-friendly uses decreased by 5,535.59 t/km2·a and the control degree of soil erosion modulus reached 71.00%. The increased soil erosion after the returning in the typical sample area ＂did not drop, but increased＂ as the terraced fields decreased but sloping farmland inereased and yet woodland decreased.

LUCC （Land Use and Cover Change） and the Environmental-Economic Accounts System in Brazil

The objective of this work is to produce statistics that are going to show changes occurred in Brazil＇s ecosystems and these statistics are going to join the SEEA （Environmental-Economic Accounts System）. It is based by a SEEA＇s methodology, diffused by UN （United Nations）, which aims an approach between economic and environmental statistics, producing international comparability and conceptual uniformity to evaluate change process in land cover and land use that occurs in several countries. It is necessary to verifying the suitability of methodological procedures to Brazilian reality and the access to all information and files needed. The first step was analysing MODIS （Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer） as orbital instrument on the purposed classification method. The choice of this sensor was made because of the product＇s quality and its capacity to generate images of a large area, though the challenge is to identify accurate Land usage＇s categories in images with a spatial resolution of approximately 250 m. After the final classification, the next step is to make a quantification and comparison of data from these different years using a 1 km2 grids, as proposed in an already used methodology by the European Environment Agency. This procedure will allow evaluate and identify the process of changing in each grid of the land cover and land use, and provide historical series of the chosen years.

Geomorphological mapping for the valorization of the alpine environment. A methodological proposal tested in the Loana Valley(Sesia Val Grande Geopark, Western Italian Alps)

Geomorphological mapping plays a key role in landscape representation: it is the starting point for many applications and for the realization of thematic maps, such as hazard and risk maps, geoheritage and geotourism maps. Traditional geomorphological maps are useful for scientific purposes but they need to be simplified for different aims as management and education. In tourism valorization, mapping of geomorphological resources(i.e., geosites, and geomorphosites), and of geomorphic evidences of past hazardous geomorphological events, is important for increasing knowledge about landscape evolution and active processes, potentially involving geomorphosites and hiking trails. Active geomorphosites, as those widespread in mountain regions, testify the high dynamicity of geomorphic processes and their link with climatic conditions. In the present paper, we propose a method to produce and to update cartographic supports(Geomorphological Boxes)realized starting from a traditional geomorphological survey and mapping. The Geomorphological Boxes are geomorphological representation of single, composed or complex landforms drawn on satellite images, using the official Italian geomorphological legend(ISPRA symbols). Such cartographic representation is also addressed to the analysis(identification, evaluation and selection) of Potential Geomorphosites and Geotrails. The method has been tested in the upper portion of the Loana Valley(Western Italian Alps), located within the borders of the Sesia Val Grande Geopark, recognized by UNESCO in 2013. The area has a good potential for geotourism and for educational purposes. We identified 15 Potential Geomorphosites located along 2 Geotrails; they were ranked according to specific attributes also in relation with a Reference Geomorphosite located in the Loana hydrographic basin and inserted in official national and regional databases of geosites(ISPRA; Regione Piemonte). Finally, the ranking of Potential Geomorphosites allowed to select the most valuable ones for valorization or geoconservation purposes. In thisframework, examples of Geomorphological Boxes are proposed as supports to geo-risk education practices.

Neighborhood and Adaptation to Climate Change： A Case Study of Adelaide

Extreme weather is expected to be widespread by the year 2100 due to changes in precipitation and temperature, and rising sea levels. It is expected that there will be more heat waves, floods, bush fires, coastal erosion and drought. Unfortunately, Australia is vulnerable to climate change due its hot and dry climate and as the driest state; changes are already being felt in South Australia. There is an urgent need to start adapting to climate change to cope with present and predicted climate change in the future by changing or adjusting building regulations, land use plans, and land subdivision regulations. This paper aims to provide design guidelines for adaptation to climate change at the neighborhood level. A case study method was adopted to achieve the aim of this paper. The study was conducted in two stages. The first stage presents the current design of neighborhood and its adopted design parameters for climate change. The second part provides the design guidelines for adaptation to climate change at the neighborhood level. The case study has a well oriented grid iron layout that serves as the basis of orienting and sitting future buildings that can adapt to climate change. However, the orientation of roads is good, it will be necessary to reconfigure elements of landscaping and built environment in order to address climate change in built environment by modifying design elements.

Concerning about the threat of the excessive hydropower exploitation on the Western Sichuan eco-environment

The concept that the economic development and supremacy hydropower energy are superior to any others leads to the excessive hydropower exploitation of the west Sichuan, deeply threatening the fragile eco-environment in this area and that of the whole Yangtze River and even of the whole country simultaneously. The present paper put forward that hydropower should be developed with ecological, social, and economical concern. The primary, extensive, circling-developing development model should be altered immediately, and that based on caring about eco-environment, being harmonious to the regional eco-environment should be highlighted, and sustainability of hydropower should be paid attention to.

Ensuring Rural Mobility through Demand Responsive Transport, Experiences from Austria

Embedded in an INTERREG IVc project called Flexible Transport Services （FTS） and Information and Communication Technology （ICT） platform for Eco-Mobility in urban and rural European areas （acronym： FLIPPER）, the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences in Vienna, Austria, analysed impacts of Flexible Transport Services focusing on Demand Responsive Public Transport （DRT）. This includes the analysis of site characteristics, the existing mobility demand, accessibility, area needs, current environmental impact, operational, financial and organisational constraints; designing of the service and definition of the supporting organisational measures required. Examples of realised services in Alpine areas in Austria confirm the effects on people＇s daily mobility and all its consequences towards society and environment. Main effects are the decrease of public funding needs and ensuring a basic transport supply even in rural areas. Additionally, there is a strong component of social inclusion in this service, increasing the quality of life capable to contribute to the deceleration of the out migration. As secondary effects, economic effects and environmental effects can be observed. The potential of these services are not fully utilised today and can be achieved through further extensions of service area as well as technical developments.

Philosophical Consideration about the Sustainable Development of the Economy in West China

To realize the sustainable development of the economy of West China is not merely a great economic problem, butalso a great national problem and political issue. The economic activity is a practical activity for the economic subject. Theeconomic development view, values, and the natural view of the economic subject determine the choice of the behavior of themain body in the economic activity. Only the behavior of the economic subject according with its demands could make theeconomy of west China have a sustainable development. Therefore, establishing the development view, the values and naturalview of the economic subject for sustainable development becomes a realistic problem that is worth of thinking.

Aquatic molluscs in high mountain lakes of the Eastern Alps (Austria): Species-environment relationships and specific colonization behaviour

Mountain lakes represent essential stages for aquatic species on their way colonizing habitats of more elevated regions. Despite extensive biological and chemical study, only little has been reported about the species number and density of freshwater molluscs in these waters. The article presented here elucidates the dispersal of aquatic gastropods and bivalves in 12 mountain lakes that are commonly situated in the Eastern Alps, Austria. Molluscs were recorded at 120 sample points, where a total of 13 species （8 gastropods and 5 bivalves） could be determined. Species distribution data as well as results from contemporarily conducted physico-chemical factor recording were subject to weighted average analysis. In addition, a global marginality coefficient indicating the particularity of a habitat inhabited by a focal species as well as a global tolerance coefficient expressing the width of a niche occupied by this species were computed. Species-environment relationships exhibited that species number and specific density decrease with increasing geographic altitude, declining water temperature, and decreasing amount of submerged vegetation. Whilst waters of the montane altitude level are partly charcterized by high number of mollusc species （〉 10）, lakes of the subalpine altitude level commonly bear 1 or 2 species with 〈〈1 ind./mz. As proposed by the results of statistics, 9 of the 13 mollusc species are characterized by a pronounced behaviour as specialists with respect to most environmental factors. The four remaining species, Pisidium casertanum, Galba truncatula, Radix labiata, and Radix balthica, act as generalists which increases their pioneering role in the long-term occupation of the Central-alpine region.

Japan＇s Promotion Policy toward ASEAN Interconnections

In Japan's support for ASEAN countries' connection building can be seen its policy visions in functional positioning, geographical layout and connotation constitution. As part of a systematic policy framework, Japan supports ASEAN transregional and outside-regional connections with the Mekong subregion as focal point, pushes forward metropolitan interconnection of ASEAN countries with Jakarta a priority,promotes building infrastructure, develops rules, and constructs better external environments for connectivity, all while advancing its Partnership for Quality Infrastructure to attract ASEAN countries' cooperation.Because of Japan's economic interests and geopolitical strategy toward ASEAN countries, Japan's policy influences China's Belt and Road Initiative and China should properly respond to Japan's actions.

Geomorphosites in Granitic Environments： An Example from Northern Sardinia （Italy）

A rare geomorphosite and a pillow-like structure appearing as mingling structures due to that mafic and acidic magma interactions are described. Despite the occurrence of spectacular forms in the granitic basement of Sardinia, the morphosites of geological interest linked to the complex evolution of pluton emplacement are still poorly understood. The Fizza Ona outcrop, located near the northeastern coast, is a good example of a geomorphosite in the inner zone developed at the edge of different plutonic units. This outcrop is a well-exposed, pillow-like horizon of less than 5 m in thickness, observable in the field for at least 200 m and underlined by the occurrence of a large tafoni form. In detail, the pillow-like horizon consists of sub-roundly to sub-rounded elements of granitic to micropegmatitic rocks of up to 100 cm in diameter, which is dispersed in the fine-grained granitic host-rock matrix. The outcrop represents a particular example of the emplacement mechanism of granitic magmas in the Sardinian batholith. One aim of this work is the construction of a document for the competent authorities to protection and preservation of this outcrop as a cultural heritage for the history of the geological evolution.

Urbanization and Flood Risk： Implication for Coping in Coastal Zones of Nigeria

This study looked at rapid urbanization and the flood risk it portends with a view to identifying mechanisms for coping in coastal zones of Nigeria. Flooding is one of the various ecological problems that has taken its toll on the quality of the environment, human health, and economic growth in parts of Africa and the coastal zones of Nigeria in particular. Rapid urbanization has been seen to result in changes in land use patterns which can adversely affect the hydrological processes in a catchment leading to a deteriorating water environment. warning systems are identified and discussed in the paper Structural and non-structural approach as well as flood early as flood risks coping mechanisms, It also discusses the policy implications that government through its relevant agencies must be up to its game by monitoring precursors, forecasting of probable floods and notification of alerts, It concludes and recommends that an active involvement of communities at risks is required and public education and awareness of risks should be facilitated through effective dissemination, as well as ensuring that there is a constant preparedness,