Variation of Extreme Precipitation over Large River Basins in China

A new available dataset of daily observational precipitation is used to study the temporal and spatial variability of extreme precipitation events for 1956-2008 in the ten large river basins of China. The maximum daily rainfall and heavy precipitation days （≥50 mm d^-1） are analyzed for the basins of the Songhua River, Liaohe River, Haihe River, Yellow River, Northwest China Rivers, Huaihe River, Yangtze River, Pearl River, Southeast China Rivers, and Southwest China Rivers. The results indicate that the maximum daily rainfall was increasing in southern river basins, while it was decreasing in northern river basins, which leads to no discernible increasing or decreasing trend in the maximum daily rainfall of whole China,especially 2001. The national averaged heavy precipitation days shows an insignificant increase. However, a rise in heavy precipitation days of southern river basins and a decline of northern river basins are observed.

Permeability and Sedimentation Characteristics of Pleistocene Fluvio-glacial Deposits in the Dadu River Valley,Southwest China

There exist many fluvio-glacial deposits in the valley of Dadu River, Southwest China, which dates back to the Pleistocene. As some of the deposits are located within the seasonal water fluctuation zone of reservoirs, the seepage of groundwater acts as one of the key factors influencing their stability. Investigation into the sediment properties and permeability is, therefore, crucial for evaluating the sediment stability. In this study, in-situ permeability and sieving tests have been carried out to determine grain size distribution, correlations of permeability and hydraulic gradients, and relations between permeability and sedimentation properties. Test results indicate that the deposits are composed mostly of sands, gravels, cobbles and boulders, and the percentage of fines is less than 5%. The sediments have high densities, low porosities and natural moisture contents. At low hydraulic gradients, the seepage velocity obeys the Darcy＇s law, while a non- Darcy permeability is observed with hydraulic gradient exceeding a certain value （about 0.5 - 0.7）. The linear permeability coefficient ranges from 0.003 to 0.009 cm/s. Seepage failure occurs above a threshold between 1.1 and 1.5. The test data fit well with the non-linear permeability equations suggested by Forchheimer and Izbash. The non-Darcy permeability proves to be in accordance with the seepage equation suggested by Izbash with the power ＇m＇ of about 0.6 - 0.7. The characteristic grain sizes of the studied deposits are found in a narrow range between 0.024 and o.o31 mm, which is much lowerthan the effective grain size （dlo）.

Livelihood Strategy Change and Land Use Change——Case of Danzam Village in Upper Dadu River Watershed,Tibetan Plateau of China

Land use change in rural China since the 1980s, induced by institution reforms, urbanization, industrialization and population increase, has received more attention. However, case studies on how institution reforms affect farmers＇ livelihood strategies and drive land use change are scarce. By means of cropland plots investigations and interviews with farmers, this study examines livelihood strategy change and land use change in Danzam Village of Jinchuan County in the upper Dadu River watershed, eastern Tibetan Plateau, China. The results show that, during the collective system period, as surplus labor forces could not be transferred to the secondary and tertiary industries, they had to choose agricultural involution as their livelihood strategy, then the farmers had to produce more grains by land reclamation, increasing multiple cropping index, improving input of labor, fertilizer, pesticide and adopting advanced agricultural techniques. During the household responsibility system period, as labors being transferred to the secondary and tertiary industries, farmers chose livelihood diversification strategy. Therefore, labor input to grain planting was greatly reduced, which drove the transformation of grain to horticulture, vegetable or wasteland and decrease of multiple cropping index. This study provides a new insight into understanding linkages among institution reforms, livelihood strategy of smallholders and land use change in rural China.

Temporal and Spatial Distribution Patterns of Grain Crops in the West Liaohe River Basin

Here,we quantitatively determine temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of main grain crops in the West Liaohe River basin,Inner Mongolia,China,from 2000 to 2010 based on MODIS remote sensing data and NDVI time series information for the years 2000,2005 and 2010.Phenological calendars and a decisionmaking tree extraction model were also used to obtain spatial distribution information of spring maize,spring wheat and soybean.We found that in 2010,the sown area of the main grain crops in the West Liaohe River basin was 11 965.08km2,of which,the sown area for spring maize accounted for 92.28%and was concentrated in the lower reaches of the region.Spring wheat accounted for 3.14% and was mainly in the middle reaches.Soybean accounted for 4.58% and was predominantly in the upper reaches.From 2000 to 2005,the sown area of these grain crops in the West Liaohe River basin grew by 29.77%,mainly in the lower reaches： spring maize grew by 38.99%,spring wheat by 39.04% and soybean by 21.27%.From 2005 to 2010,growth in the sown area of these crops was slow（5.18% growth） and mainly in the lower reaches of the basin.The sown area of spring maize increased,but decreased for both spring wheat and soybean.

The 5400 a BP extreme weakening event of the Asian summer monsoon and cultural evolution

We explored a time series of the Asian summer monsoon(ASM) variability during the transition period from the middle to the late Holocene in the marginal Asian monsoon region. We used an absolutely dated ^(230)Th record with only a ~20-year dating error, and oxygen isotope data with an 8-year average temporal resolution from the top 22-mm segment of stalagmite WXB07-4 from Wanxiang Cave, western Loess Plateau. The ASM intensity weakened gradually from 6420 to 4920 a BP, which was mainly characterized by three phases:(1) a strengthening phase with a higher precipitation amount between 6420 and 6170 a BP;(2) a smooth fluctuating interval during 6170–5700 a BP; and(3) a sudden extreme weakening period from 5700 to 4920 a BP. Interestingly, the extreme weakening interval of the ASM occurred during the period between 5700 and 4920 a BP, an abrupt change dated at 5430 a BP, which is known as the 5400 a BP, or 5.4 ka BP, event. The period included 290 years of gradual weakening, and 350 years of slow strengthening. This was synchronous with some cave records from the Asian monsoon region within dating errors. Comparing with Chinese archaeological archives over the past 7000 years, the early decline of the Yangshao Culture in the Yellow River Basin and the Hongshan Culture in the West Liao River Basin occurred during the period of gradual decrease of ASM precipitation. The dramatic decline in precipitation, caused by the extreme weakening of the ASM at 5400 a BP,may have been partly related to the decline of the Miaodigou Culture at the Yangguanzhai site in the Weihe River valley; the middle Yangshao Culture in western Henan in the Yellow River Basin; the early Dawenkou Culture on the lower reaches of the Yellow River; and the middle Hongshan Culture in the west of the Liaohe River valley. During the later period of the 5400 a BP event(5430–4920 a BP), a small amplitude increase and a subsequent sharp decrease of ASM precipitation may have also been linked to the contemporaneous prosperity and disappearance of the late Yangshao and Hongshan cultures; the disappearance of the late Yangshao Culture represented by the Yangguanzhai site in the Guanzhong basin on the Weihe River; the fourth phase of the late Yangshao Culture on the upstream Dadiwan site; the beginning of the middle Dawenkou Culture, the formation of its late stage,and the rise of the Longshan culture; and the rise of the Qujialing and Liangzhu cultures on the lower Yangtze River. Compared with the stalagmite precipitation records on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, the rise and expansion of the Majiayao Culture in the upper Yellow River valley at 5300 a BP may have also been connected to the more dramatic increase of the summer monsoon precipitation at higher, rather than lower, altitudes during the late 5400 a BP event.