Shanghai is a coastal metropolitan city with various types of natural wetlands, which account for 23.5% of its total area. According to the definition of wetland in Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the wetlands of Shang...Shanghai is a coastal metropolitan city with various types of natural wetlands, which account for 23.5% of its total area. According to the definition of wetland in Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the wetlands of Shanghai were classified into 4 types: coastal, riverine, lacustrine, and reservoir and pond wetlands. In order to examine the roles of wetlands in the life-support system of Shanghai, we calculated the area of each type of the wetlands using GIS technique, and then measured the ecological service values of different ecosystems in Shanghai based on the classification of ecosystem services proposed by COSTANZA et al. (1997). The estimated annual value of ecosystem services in the study area was 7.3×109US$/a for the total area of 1 356 700ha, among which about 97% was provided by the wetlands. Effective conservation and management of wetlands are therefore crucial to Shanghai’s sustainable development. The limitations of the evaluation method for ecosystem service value were also discussed in the present paper.展开更多
The article studies tourism eco-environment of 14 cities of Gangsu Province, China, based on GIS with many kinds of multi-subject spatial database, such as remote sensing data, observation data and literature data. Th...The article studies tourism eco-environment of 14 cities of Gangsu Province, China, based on GIS with many kinds of multi-subject spatial database, such as remote sensing data, observation data and literature data. The research results were as follows. First, spatial features of 14 cities' tourism eco-environment are displayed with five levels of vulnerability respectively. The vulnerability in Gansu becomes worse from Gannan City, located in southern Gansu to Hexi Corridor which lies in northwestern Gansu. Second, the areas of above the middle vulnerability level make up 75% of the total areas of Gansu Province. Third, more than 70% of high-level human and natural tourism resources are in the areas with high vulnerability eco-environment. Fourth, it is crucial to develop comprehensive tourism industry in order to improve the harmonious development between tourism industry and eco-environment in Gansu Province.展开更多
Glacier length is a key morphological element that has many glaciological applications; however, it is often difficult to determine, especially for glaciers that cover larger spatial areas or those that exhibit freque...Glacier length is a key morphological element that has many glaciological applications; however, it is often difficult to determine, especially for glaciers that cover larger spatial areas or those that exhibit frequent temporal change. In this paper, we describe a new Arc GIS-based method that can derive glacier flow lines for determining glacier length based on digital elevation model and glacier outlines. This method involves(1) extraction of the highest and lowest points on a glacier,(2) calculation of 10-m contour lines on the glacier from 10 m to 100 m height, and(3) connection of the midpoints of each contour line with the highest and the lowest points in order to create a flow line, which is subsequently smoothed. In order to assess the reliability of this method, we tested the algorithm's results against flow lines calculated using field measurements, analysing data from the Chinese Glacier Inventory, and manual interpretation. These data showed that the new automated method is effective in deriving glacier flow lines when contour lines are relatively large; in particular, when they are between 70 m and 100 m. Nonetheless, a key limitation of the algorithm is the requirement to automatically delete repeated and closed curves in the pre-treatment processes. In addition to calculating glacier flow lines for derivation of glacier length, this method also can be used to effectively determine glacier terminus change.展开更多
The War of the Triple Alliance was an international military conflict in South America, fought from 1864 to 1870 between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. In 1939, according to the pr...The War of the Triple Alliance was an international military conflict in South America, fought from 1864 to 1870 between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. In 1939, according to the provisions of the Arb6-Cantilo Treaty, it was established that the international boundary between Argentina and Paraguay passed through the deepest channel of the Pilcomayo River. The natural complexity of the river, plus the condition of acting as international border, led to perform this analysis. The main goal was to implement geo-processing techniques to map the evolution in the drainage pattern, linked to natural processes or human activities from 1951 to today. Satellite imagery and historical maps were integrated upon a Geographic Information System (GIS); to interpret the changes occurred in the last 60 years along the Pilcomayo River channel which is approximately 20,000 km^2 located in Argentina and Paraguay. The collected information allowed the authors to evaluate and demonstrate the degree of correspondence between the river variation and the topographic position of the international boundary between Argentina and Paraguay, and also to diagnose what could occur in the near future.展开更多
The Mw 7.8 Gorkha earthquake in Nepal on April 25, 2015, produced thousands of landslides in the Himalayan mountain range. After the earthquake, two field investigations along Araniko Highway were conducted. Then, usi...The Mw 7.8 Gorkha earthquake in Nepal on April 25, 2015, produced thousands of landslides in the Himalayan mountain range. After the earthquake, two field investigations along Araniko Highway were conducted. Then, using remote sensing technology and geographic information system(GIS)technology, 1481 landslides were identified along the Bhote Koshi river. Correlations between the spatial distribution of landslides with slope gradient and lithology were analyzed. The power-law relationship of the size distribution of earthquake-induced landslides was examined in both the Higher Himalaya and Lesser Himalaya. Possible reasons for the variability of the power exponent were explored by examining differences in the geological situations of these areas. Multi-threshold cellular automata were introduced to model the complexity of system components. Most of the landslides occurred at slope gradients of 30°–40°, and the landslide density was positively correlated with slope gradient. Landslides in hard rock areas were more common than in soft rock areas. The cumulative number-area distribution of landslides induced by the Gorkha earthquake exhibited a negative power-law relationship, but the power exponents were different: 1.13 in the Higher Himalaya, 1.36 and Lesser Himalaya. Furthermore,the geological conditions were more complex and varied in the Lesser Himalaya than in the Higher Himalaya, and the cellular automata simulation results indicated that, as the complexity of system components increased, the power exponent increased.Therefore, the variability of the power exponent of landslide size distribution should ascribe to the complexity of geological situations in the Bhote Koshi river watershed.展开更多
The proliferation of urban development with concentration in population and human-environment interaction has intensified around urban environments. This has resulted in the degradation of urban environments, overuse ...The proliferation of urban development with concentration in population and human-environment interaction has intensified around urban environments. This has resulted in the degradation of urban environments, overuse of natural resources and widespread pollution of ecosystems, The patterns of design initiatives continue to follow unsustainable path with impacts on stream ecosystems. Accordingly, the paper adopts geospatial information systems and sustainability principles for the identification and sequential mapping of stressors impeding natural systems in Southern Mississippi. The results not only reveal that the study area experienced some significant changes in its watershed environments, but the stream habitat ecosystem remains under stress. The recommendations for mitigating the problems range from policy considerations to the adoption of ecosystem approach.展开更多
This study proposes a survey of environmental information by applying techniques of modeling, image segmentation and OOA (object-oriented analysis) in the definition of landscape units based on morphoclimatic atribu...This study proposes a survey of environmental information by applying techniques of modeling, image segmentation and OOA (object-oriented analysis) in the definition of landscape units based on morphoclimatic atributes. Landscape attributes such as climate and relief (morphoclimatic) were selected to start the characterization of the Silo Joio--MG river basin, located in southeastern region Brazil. The semiautomated mapping was produced from data extracted, respectively, of the DEM Aster and Topodata, and grid Worldclim. This database was processed and scaled to l:100,000 scale, generating a geomorphological classification, according to criteria of IPT (Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnologicas), two climatic classifications, the one by the methodology of Koppen and the other one by methodology Thornthwaite & Mather and a classification of land use. The thematic maps were associated in GIS with a geological base, soil vector, defining landscape units.展开更多
This paper examines trends in the impacts of disasters at the world scale and proposes explanations for them. It is concluded that statistics on natural hazards are questionable, in that changes in recording methods h...This paper examines trends in the impacts of disasters at the world scale and proposes explanations for them. It is concluded that statistics on natural hazards are questionable, in that changes in recording methods have artificially inflated the number of disasters and the seriousness of their impacts. Next, the paper examines the symbolic interpretation of disasters at various scales of analysis in terms of human cultures. It further applies this approach to the analysis of natural hazards using information technology methods such as GIS (Geographic Information Systems). Returning to the global scale, deficiencies and inequalities in the world disaster relief system are considered. Thereafter, the paper investigates how global economic imbalances are thrown into sharp relief by catastrophes, with examples from the record of past earthquakes, landslides and floods. Finally, it considers the prospects for a major change in the direction of world policy on disasters and concludes that this will only occur if the international financial system is forced to adjust to a "super-disaster" event, which could possibly be seismic, volcanic or nuclear in origin.展开更多
The paper is focused on computer simulation of natural vegetation propagation across two selected disturbed sites. Two sites located in the different environments, the abandoned sedimentation basin of a former pyrite ...The paper is focused on computer simulation of natural vegetation propagation across two selected disturbed sites. Two sites located in the different environments, the abandoned sedimentation basin of a former pyrite ore mine and the ash deposits of a power station, were selected to illustrate the proposed spatio-temporal model. Aerial images assisted in identifying and monitoring the progress in the propagation of vegetation. Analysis of the aerial images was based on varying vegetation coverage explored by classification algorithms. A new approach is proposed entailing coupling of a local dynamic model and a spatial model for vegetation propagation. The local dynamic model describes vegetation growth using a logistic growth approach based on delayed variables. Vegetation propagation is described by rules related to seed and its dispersal phenomena on a local scale and on the scale of outlying spreading. The disturbed sites are divided into a grid of microsites. Each microsite is represented by a 5 m x 5 m square. A state variable in each microsite indicates the relative vegetation density on a scale from 0 (no vegetation) to 1 (long-term maximum of vegetation density). Growth, local vegetation propagation and the effects of outlying vegetation propagation in each cell are described by an ordinary differential equation with delayed state variables. The grid of cells forms a set of ordinary differential equations. The abandoned sedimentation basin and the ash deposits are represented by grids of 185 x 345 and 212 x 266 cells, respectively. A few case-oriented studies are provided to show various predictions of vegetation propagation across two selected disturbed sites. The first case study simulates vegetation growing without spatial propagations and delayed variables in the spatio-temporal model. The second and the third case studies extend the previous study by including local and outlying vegetation propagation, respectively. The fourth case study explores delayed impacts in the logistic growth term and the delayed outcome by vegetation propagation across the disturbed space. The performed case-oriented studies confirm the applicability of the proposed spatio-temporal model to predict vegetation propagation in short-term successions and to estimate approximate vegetation changes in long-term development. As a result, it can be concluded that remotely sensed data are a valuable source of information for estimates of model parameters and provide an effective method for monitoring the progress of vegetation propagation across the selected sites, spaces disturbed by human activities.展开更多
Wild animals use their habitat according to ecological pressures such as predation, resource availability or tempera- ture, yet little is known about how individuals use their environment in semi free-ranging conditio...Wild animals use their habitat according to ecological pressures such as predation, resource availability or tempera- ture, yet little is known about how individuals use their environment in semi free-ranging conditions. We assessed whether a semi-free ranging group of Tonkean macaques Macaca tonkeana used its wooded parkland in a heterogeneous way. GIS and GPS were used to determine whether individuals adjusted their behaviors according to variation in environmental constraints over time of day and the course of a year. We demonstrated that social and resting activities occurred in high altitude areas and areas with a high density of bushes, whereas the group foraged in areas where the density of bushes and grass was low. In general, the animals used areas exposed to the sun that were not on a slope. Semi-free ranging Tonkean macaques seemed to behave like their wild counterparts in terms of activity budget, land use per activity and thermoregulation展开更多
基金Under the auspices of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No .40471087),thegrantprojectofSci-ence and Technology Commission ofShanghaiMunicipality(No .042012059)and Young Scientis'stGrantProjectofFudan U ni-versity(2004-2005)
文摘Shanghai is a coastal metropolitan city with various types of natural wetlands, which account for 23.5% of its total area. According to the definition of wetland in Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the wetlands of Shanghai were classified into 4 types: coastal, riverine, lacustrine, and reservoir and pond wetlands. In order to examine the roles of wetlands in the life-support system of Shanghai, we calculated the area of each type of the wetlands using GIS technique, and then measured the ecological service values of different ecosystems in Shanghai based on the classification of ecosystem services proposed by COSTANZA et al. (1997). The estimated annual value of ecosystem services in the study area was 7.3×109US$/a for the total area of 1 356 700ha, among which about 97% was provided by the wetlands. Effective conservation and management of wetlands are therefore crucial to Shanghai’s sustainable development. The limitations of the evaluation method for ecosystem service value were also discussed in the present paper.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.40671062) the Third Knowledge Innovation Project of ‘Study on the Regional Eco-economic Development Theory and Patterns',supported by Institute of Geo-graphical Sciences and Natural Resources Research,CAS
文摘The article studies tourism eco-environment of 14 cities of Gangsu Province, China, based on GIS with many kinds of multi-subject spatial database, such as remote sensing data, observation data and literature data. The research results were as follows. First, spatial features of 14 cities' tourism eco-environment are displayed with five levels of vulnerability respectively. The vulnerability in Gansu becomes worse from Gannan City, located in southern Gansu to Hexi Corridor which lies in northwestern Gansu. Second, the areas of above the middle vulnerability level make up 75% of the total areas of Gansu Province. Third, more than 70% of high-level human and natural tourism resources are in the areas with high vulnerability eco-environment. Fourth, it is crucial to develop comprehensive tourism industry in order to improve the harmonious development between tourism industry and eco-environment in Gansu Province.
基金supported by the National Science Foundation of China (grant Nos. 41271024, 41444430204, and J1210065)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Nos. lzujbky-2016-266 and lzujbky2016-270)
文摘Glacier length is a key morphological element that has many glaciological applications; however, it is often difficult to determine, especially for glaciers that cover larger spatial areas or those that exhibit frequent temporal change. In this paper, we describe a new Arc GIS-based method that can derive glacier flow lines for determining glacier length based on digital elevation model and glacier outlines. This method involves(1) extraction of the highest and lowest points on a glacier,(2) calculation of 10-m contour lines on the glacier from 10 m to 100 m height, and(3) connection of the midpoints of each contour line with the highest and the lowest points in order to create a flow line, which is subsequently smoothed. In order to assess the reliability of this method, we tested the algorithm's results against flow lines calculated using field measurements, analysing data from the Chinese Glacier Inventory, and manual interpretation. These data showed that the new automated method is effective in deriving glacier flow lines when contour lines are relatively large; in particular, when they are between 70 m and 100 m. Nonetheless, a key limitation of the algorithm is the requirement to automatically delete repeated and closed curves in the pre-treatment processes. In addition to calculating glacier flow lines for derivation of glacier length, this method also can be used to effectively determine glacier terminus change.
文摘The War of the Triple Alliance was an international military conflict in South America, fought from 1864 to 1870 between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. In 1939, according to the provisions of the Arb6-Cantilo Treaty, it was established that the international boundary between Argentina and Paraguay passed through the deepest channel of the Pilcomayo River. The natural complexity of the river, plus the condition of acting as international border, led to perform this analysis. The main goal was to implement geo-processing techniques to map the evolution in the drainage pattern, linked to natural processes or human activities from 1951 to today. Satellite imagery and historical maps were integrated upon a Geographic Information System (GIS); to interpret the changes occurred in the last 60 years along the Pilcomayo River channel which is approximately 20,000 km^2 located in Argentina and Paraguay. The collected information allowed the authors to evaluate and demonstrate the degree of correspondence between the river variation and the topographic position of the international boundary between Argentina and Paraguay, and also to diagnose what could occur in the near future.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41571004)National Program on Key Research Project of China (Grant No. 2016YFC0802206)+1 种基金Key Laboratory Foundation of Mountain Hazards and Earth Surface Processes, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. KLMHESP-17-03)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China (Grant No. 2682016CX003)
文摘The Mw 7.8 Gorkha earthquake in Nepal on April 25, 2015, produced thousands of landslides in the Himalayan mountain range. After the earthquake, two field investigations along Araniko Highway were conducted. Then, using remote sensing technology and geographic information system(GIS)technology, 1481 landslides were identified along the Bhote Koshi river. Correlations between the spatial distribution of landslides with slope gradient and lithology were analyzed. The power-law relationship of the size distribution of earthquake-induced landslides was examined in both the Higher Himalaya and Lesser Himalaya. Possible reasons for the variability of the power exponent were explored by examining differences in the geological situations of these areas. Multi-threshold cellular automata were introduced to model the complexity of system components. Most of the landslides occurred at slope gradients of 30°–40°, and the landslide density was positively correlated with slope gradient. Landslides in hard rock areas were more common than in soft rock areas. The cumulative number-area distribution of landslides induced by the Gorkha earthquake exhibited a negative power-law relationship, but the power exponents were different: 1.13 in the Higher Himalaya, 1.36 and Lesser Himalaya. Furthermore,the geological conditions were more complex and varied in the Lesser Himalaya than in the Higher Himalaya, and the cellular automata simulation results indicated that, as the complexity of system components increased, the power exponent increased.Therefore, the variability of the power exponent of landslide size distribution should ascribe to the complexity of geological situations in the Bhote Koshi river watershed.
文摘The proliferation of urban development with concentration in population and human-environment interaction has intensified around urban environments. This has resulted in the degradation of urban environments, overuse of natural resources and widespread pollution of ecosystems, The patterns of design initiatives continue to follow unsustainable path with impacts on stream ecosystems. Accordingly, the paper adopts geospatial information systems and sustainability principles for the identification and sequential mapping of stressors impeding natural systems in Southern Mississippi. The results not only reveal that the study area experienced some significant changes in its watershed environments, but the stream habitat ecosystem remains under stress. The recommendations for mitigating the problems range from policy considerations to the adoption of ecosystem approach.
文摘This study proposes a survey of environmental information by applying techniques of modeling, image segmentation and OOA (object-oriented analysis) in the definition of landscape units based on morphoclimatic atributes. Landscape attributes such as climate and relief (morphoclimatic) were selected to start the characterization of the Silo Joio--MG river basin, located in southeastern region Brazil. The semiautomated mapping was produced from data extracted, respectively, of the DEM Aster and Topodata, and grid Worldclim. This database was processed and scaled to l:100,000 scale, generating a geomorphological classification, according to criteria of IPT (Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnologicas), two climatic classifications, the one by the methodology of Koppen and the other one by methodology Thornthwaite & Mather and a classification of land use. The thematic maps were associated in GIS with a geological base, soil vector, defining landscape units.
文摘This paper examines trends in the impacts of disasters at the world scale and proposes explanations for them. It is concluded that statistics on natural hazards are questionable, in that changes in recording methods have artificially inflated the number of disasters and the seriousness of their impacts. Next, the paper examines the symbolic interpretation of disasters at various scales of analysis in terms of human cultures. It further applies this approach to the analysis of natural hazards using information technology methods such as GIS (Geographic Information Systems). Returning to the global scale, deficiencies and inequalities in the world disaster relief system are considered. Thereafter, the paper investigates how global economic imbalances are thrown into sharp relief by catastrophes, with examples from the record of past earthquakes, landslides and floods. Finally, it considers the prospects for a major change in the direction of world policy on disasters and concludes that this will only occur if the international financial system is forced to adjust to a "super-disaster" event, which could possibly be seismic, volcanic or nuclear in origin.
文摘The paper is focused on computer simulation of natural vegetation propagation across two selected disturbed sites. Two sites located in the different environments, the abandoned sedimentation basin of a former pyrite ore mine and the ash deposits of a power station, were selected to illustrate the proposed spatio-temporal model. Aerial images assisted in identifying and monitoring the progress in the propagation of vegetation. Analysis of the aerial images was based on varying vegetation coverage explored by classification algorithms. A new approach is proposed entailing coupling of a local dynamic model and a spatial model for vegetation propagation. The local dynamic model describes vegetation growth using a logistic growth approach based on delayed variables. Vegetation propagation is described by rules related to seed and its dispersal phenomena on a local scale and on the scale of outlying spreading. The disturbed sites are divided into a grid of microsites. Each microsite is represented by a 5 m x 5 m square. A state variable in each microsite indicates the relative vegetation density on a scale from 0 (no vegetation) to 1 (long-term maximum of vegetation density). Growth, local vegetation propagation and the effects of outlying vegetation propagation in each cell are described by an ordinary differential equation with delayed state variables. The grid of cells forms a set of ordinary differential equations. The abandoned sedimentation basin and the ash deposits are represented by grids of 185 x 345 and 212 x 266 cells, respectively. A few case-oriented studies are provided to show various predictions of vegetation propagation across two selected disturbed sites. The first case study simulates vegetation growing without spatial propagations and delayed variables in the spatio-temporal model. The second and the third case studies extend the previous study by including local and outlying vegetation propagation, respectively. The fourth case study explores delayed impacts in the logistic growth term and the delayed outcome by vegetation propagation across the disturbed space. The performed case-oriented studies confirm the applicability of the proposed spatio-temporal model to predict vegetation propagation in short-term successions and to estimate approximate vegetation changes in long-term development. As a result, it can be concluded that remotely sensed data are a valuable source of information for estimates of model parameters and provide an effective method for monitoring the progress of vegetation propagation across the selected sites, spaces disturbed by human activities.
文摘Wild animals use their habitat according to ecological pressures such as predation, resource availability or tempera- ture, yet little is known about how individuals use their environment in semi free-ranging conditions. We assessed whether a semi-free ranging group of Tonkean macaques Macaca tonkeana used its wooded parkland in a heterogeneous way. GIS and GPS were used to determine whether individuals adjusted their behaviors according to variation in environmental constraints over time of day and the course of a year. We demonstrated that social and resting activities occurred in high altitude areas and areas with a high density of bushes, whereas the group foraged in areas where the density of bushes and grass was low. In general, the animals used areas exposed to the sun that were not on a slope. Semi-free ranging Tonkean macaques seemed to behave like their wild counterparts in terms of activity budget, land use per activity and thermoregulation