Subsurface multi-physical characterization of mountain excavation and city construction in loess plateau with a fiber-optic sensing system

Mountain excavation and city construction(MECC)projects being launched in the Loess Plateau in China involve the creation of large-scale artificial land.Understanding the subsurface evolution characteristics of the artificial land is essential,yet challenging.Here,we use an improved fiber-optic monitoring system for its subsurface multi-physical characterization.The system enables us to gather spatiotemporal distribution of various parameters,including strata deformation,temperature,and moisture.Yan’an New District was selected as a case study to conduct refined in-situ monitoring through a 77 m-deep borehole and a 30 m-long trench.Findings reveal that the ground settlement involves both the deformation of the filling loess and the underlying intact loess.Notably,the filling loess exhibits a stronger creep capability compared to underlying intact loess.The deformation along the profile is unevenly distributed,with a positive correlation with soil moisture.Water accumulation has been observed at the interface between the filling loess and the underlying intact loess,leading to a significant deformation.Moreover,the temperature and moisture in the filling loess have reached a new equilibrium state,with their depths influenced by atmospheric conditions measuring at 31 m and 26 m,respectively.The refined investigation allows us to identify critical layers that matter the sustainable development of newly created urban areas,and provide improved insights into the evolution mechanisms of land creation.

Spatial Development Explorations of Middle- and Small-sized Mountainous Cities: A Case Study of Shangluo City, China

Spatial structural features of middle- and small-sized mountainous cities in China were analyzed. Taking Shangluo City for example, problems in the spatial planning of middle- and small-sized mountainous cities were explored, it was stressed that local characteristics should be respected to make plans reasonably, and handle the spatial transition between urban and rural areas properly, so as not to lose the originality of rural areas during the urbanization. The study aimed at providing useful experience for the urbanization.

SWOT Analysis and Development Countermeasures of Taohua Mountain Ecotourism Agricultural Park in Ya’an City

By using SWOT Analysis, the internal strengths and weakness, and the external opportunities and challenges of Taohua Mountain Ecotourism Agricultural Park were discussed. The result showed that Taohua Mountain was unique in scenery, rich in rural tourism resources and broad in market prospect. However, the tourism products were monotonous, lack of characteristics and depth; the ecological environment was weak; the tourism staff was with low quality; some parts of the area were in poor sanitary condition, restrained by season and periodicity. Meanwhile, there existed some opportunities and challenges in this park. The opportunities mainly contained policy opportunity and transference of tourists’ preference. The challenges primarily included challenges from urban tourism spots of Ya’an City and surrounding cities, and threats of sustainable use of tourism resources resulting from blind exploitation of fruit production area. And the corresponding development countermeasures were put forward, that is, to develop diversified tourism programs, to allocate mountainous resources according to local conditions, to train the local tourism staff, to dredge the area with poor sanitation, to diversify business with other industries supporting the development of tourism agriculture.

Analysis on the Green Space System Planning of Small Cities in Mountainous Areas

With the urban green space system planning of small cities in mountainous areas as the study object,the planning practices are analyzed and studied to summarize the common characteristics of urban green space system planning in those small cities.Being combined with relevant national standards and regulations,the problems that those small cities are faced with in their urban green space system planning are analyzed,then corresponding countermeasures and suggestions are put forward to resolve problems in the practical planning.

The Scale of Constructing Mountainous Cities in Yunnan Province based on “Benchmark” Farmlands

In 2011, Yunnan provincial committee and government proposed the strat- egy of constructing mountainous cities in order to protect farmlands and guarantee crop safety, which makes full use of hills and gentle-slopes and transforms land use pattern. However, social and economic development performs unevenly in Yun- nan, supplemented by varied geographical conditions, so that constructing mountain- ous cities should proceed as per local conditions. The research proposed the con- trol of constructing mountainous cities provided crop safety under the principle of farmland protection and measured the quantities of demanded construction lands ac- cording to science of population prediction and ekistics, based on which the control scales of constructing mountainous cities were determined by multiplying basic farm- land coefficient and the area of newly increased construction lands. The research is of significance for guiding the construction of mountainous cities and avoiding the occupation of construction lands on farmlands.

GIS-Based Landscape Planning of Urban Parks in Mountainous Areas——Using Aoshan Park of Jianyang City as a Case Study

The concept,characteristics and features of park in mountainous areas as well as the significance of its planning were introduced in this study.Taking Aoshan Park in Jianyang City for an example,this study started from general situation of the project site and the base,carried out the single-factor analysis with the help of GIS,built a DEM (Digital Elevation Model) by using AutoCAD,and then formed a spatial database for analyzing the elevation,slope and aspect of landforms in Aoshan Park,finally obtained the overall planning strategy for such complicated landforms,that is,a modern urban park in mountainous areas with excellent ecological and social benefits.By elaborating detailed landscape planning of Aoshan Park,including planning concept,spatial sequence of landscapes,organization of roads and scenic routes,the expectation of taking such urban parks into the urban green space system was proposed.

Risk-based evaluation on geological environment carrying capacity of mountain city - A case study in Suide County, Shaanxi Province, China

With the rapid development and expansion of the cities in China, the carrying capacity of resource and environment has become a huge concern for local governments. From the perspective of geological environment, geological disasters are the main restraining factor of the development in mountain cities. This study was conducted in Suide County of Shaanxi Province with a risk-based approach as followed: a hazard analysis on geological disasters based on a slope geological survey at a scale of 1:10,000; a consequence analysis based on unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV) aerial survey data; integrating the results of hazard analysis and consequence analysis, a risk zonation and analysis of geological disasters in urban areas were completed considering urban planning, land use planning and the safety of infrastructure and major engineering. Subsequently, taking the acceptable levels of human life and property risks incurred by landslides as the criteria of the evaluation of geological environment carrying capacity, a comprehensive assessment of current and future urban carrying capacity was conducted based on the results of the risk analyses. Accordingly, the prior development zone, the restricted development zone and the prohibited zone were delineated, with corresponding suggestions for future urban development. The technological and methodological system used in the study can be applied to geological environment carrying capacity evaluation of other important mountain cities, which can provide scientific basis for the optimization of land and space.

Research on Flora in Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area in Nanning City

Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area is a famous tourism destination in Nanning City.Based on site survey,identification and data sorting for many years,the features of plant flora in Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area were analyzed as below:① There are totally 1 431 species of vascular plant species,belonging to 752 genera and 174 families(including varieties,cultivated variations and variants,the same as below),among which there are 48 species of fern,belonging to 36 genera and 21 families,42 species of gymnosperm,belonging to 14 genera and 8 families,1 341 species of angiosperm,belonging to 702 genera and 145 families;② There are diversified species dominated by introduced and cultivated species;③ Relatively simple geographical components,mostly are tropical and subtropical regions;④ Being located in the transitional zone of tropical and subtropical regions with obvious tropical marginality;⑤ Most of the introduced species are rare and endangered ones,rarely are unique or ancient species.

Research on Vegetation Recovery of Mountainous Parks in City-and-town Concentration Areas in China

Based on the analysis of features and problems of green lands in mountainous parks in towns concentration areas,the paper has illustrated the significance for vegetations'recovery.By taking Tashan Park in Neijiang City for example,it has investigated the eco-environment and vegetations of this park.The results show that its terrain is precipitous,eco-environment is weak,slope vegetation is less,rocks'exposing rate is high and community structure is simple.In view of the survey results,it has proposed two methods for vegetation recovery that are natural recovery and artificial recovery.In particular,it has explored how to conduct vegetation recovery on green lands of different gradients of slopes by using plants'selection and community disposition.

A new method for comprehensive division of mountainous area: taking Huaihua City as an example

This paper summarizes principles and measures of comprehensive division of mountainous areas, as well as clarifies meaning, structure, function and path established for the map and file information visibility system (MFIVS). And then, taking Huaihua City of Hunan Province as an example, and based on the MFIVS means, concrete attempts on regionalization are carried out. The result is relatively objective and accurate, which illuminates that the method is a comprehensive one with the characteristics of concision, applicability and effectiveness.

Geographical Space Development Zone Classification:An Essential Guide for Transformation of Mountain Resource Cities

Sustainable development of mountain areas and resource cities has been a significant issue worldwide. Transformation of mountain resource cities is facing tremendous difficulties. In the context of National Major Function-oriented Zone Planning raised to a national strategic level in China, it is important to effectively implement the planning by studying geographical space development zone classification of prefecture- and county-level cities based on their major function orientation. This research is even more critical for the transformation of mountain resource cities. In this study, we evaluated geographical space development suitability, and classified geographical space development zones for Dongchuan Distric in Kunming City of Yunan Province, China, a typical mountain resource city. A quantitative grid-based evaluation was conducted using key-factor identification and restrictive-supportive comprehensive index determinati based on a geographic information system framework with different source data. The results included a classification of geographical space of Dongchuan into five types: the prohibited development zone, the inappropriate development zone, the controlled development zone, the moderate development zone and the preferential development zone. The distribution characteristics of geographical space development zones showed that the proportion of the prohibited development zone is the highest, while that of the other four development zones is comparatively lower and significantly fragmented. The geographical space development suitability is greatly controlled by the geomorphic pattern. Although Dongchuan is extremely restrained in terms of suitable geographical space for industrialization and urbanization, it still has the certain preferential and moderate development zones with an area of 207.81 km2 with large parts being concentrated and contiguous, which makes these areas the most favorable for development. Only by adapting to this reality and implementing centralized development strategy in the regions with higher suitability may Dongchuan achieve smooth transformation from expansion mode to compact mode and its sustainable development capacity may be improved. Suggestions with an angle of industrial and spatial development pattern were put forward for the transformation of the city in future.

Distribution of primary school based on spatial network comprehensive model in low-income mountainous cities： a case study in Wanyuan, China

Focusing on the peculiarities of urban construction resulting from specific mountain terrains, the purpose of this study is to find out a suitable method based on a Spatial Network Comprehensive Model(SNCM) to reasonably plan and distribute primary schools in low-income mountain cities. The construction principles and advantages of the SNCM method are proposed and the method tested in Wanyuan city of Qinba Mountain area(Southwest China) to verify its feasibility and optimization. Taking account of the mountain terrain and its influence on user behavior, we used the SNCM method to build a comprehensive model which integrates the road slope and the walking speed of pupils into the basic spatial model. The model is used to calculate a reasonable layout of the primary schools and to validate the rationale. The results show that the SNCM method can be effectively applied in low-income mountainous cities. It can not only improve the accessibility and service efficiency of primary schools using as little capital-investment as possible, but also help the city grow in an intensive and efficient way.

Viability of high-density resistivity method for evaluating mountain slope stability in Erdaojiang District,Tonghua City,China

The authors employ the high-density resistivity method to image the subsurface structure of a mountain in Erdaojiang District,Tonghua City,Jilin Province,China,to evaluate the potential risk of slope failure on surrounding residential areas and infrastructure,and identify a shallow fault that extends across the center of the mountain and is perpendicular to the mountain slope and accurately locate the spatial position and depth of another fault on the southern side of the mountain.The results provide an important basis for evaluating mountain slope stability.This study also demonstrates that the high-density resistivity method is effective for detecting mountain faults.

Square Design of Mountain Cities: A Case Study of Shiyan Broadcasting Media Center Square

City squares are an important part of urban public spaces and play an important role in improving the quality of urban landscapes. For mountain cities, city squares with mountainous characteristics formed by its special geographical environment, which have more identifiability and uniqueness than that in plain cities, have greater influence on the promotion of city image. Their unique regional cultural characteristics and local customs and practices have shaped the totally different temperament of mountain cities. Based on the dialectical relationship between the square, the landscape and the culture, this paper took Shiyan Broadcasting Media Center Square for example to explore the ideas of landscape design in mountain cities.

Renovation of Road Landscaping in Old Downtown Areas of Mountainous Cities:A Case Study of Pengshui County,Chongqing Municipality

Current situation of road landscaping in old districts of mountainous cities was analyzed,renovation design principles and basis were proposed. Pengshui County in Chongqing was taken for example to explore renovation design methods,overall concepts and relevant contents of the road landscaping in old districts of mountainous cities,so as to provide references for the renovation design of road landscaping in old districts of modern mountainous cities.

Ecological Restoration Technology and Benefit Assessment of Karst Rocky Desertification Mountains in Xixiu District of Anshun City

Ecological restoration refers to the containment of soil erosion,restoration of water conservation,climate regulation,maintenance of ecological functions of biodiversity,and improvement of ecological environment and landscape pattern based on self-repairing capacity of the nature and combined with appropriate artificial measures. Since the natural restoration process of karst desertification mountain is very long,it needs to be supplemented by artificial vegetation restoration. This paper introduced the ecological restoration technologies implemented in karst rocky desertification mountains in Xixiu District,Anshun City of Guizhou Province,and also introduced the afforestation tending management measures. It assessed the ecological benefits of the ecological restoration project from five aspects: mountain community characteristics,vegetation coverage,species diversity,afforestation survival rate and landscape effect.

Space Structuring of the Northern Foot of the Qinling Mountains(Xi'an Section) based on Landscape City

Northern foot of the Qinling Mountains(Xi'an Section) is a transitional section between the Qinling Mountains and Xi'an City, so it has great ecological signifi cance. On the basis of sorting out landscape city, space structuring of the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains was studied within the theoretical framework of landscape city, it was disclosed that northern foot of the Qinling Mountains was a signifi cant ecological screen for the landscape city spatial pattern of Xi'an, and an important carrier for its "mountain, water and city" cultures. Then, fi ve infl uence factors for the space structuring of the study area were given, and basic contents of the space structuring analyzed from fi ve perspectives of spatial structure, spatial form, ecological environment, integration of regional spaces, historical and cultural context, so as to explore ecological conservation and moderate utilization of the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains from the perspective of space structuring.

Outdoor thermal environmental research of the mountainous city by GIS

The study of urban outdoor thermal environment was carried out in one of the mountainous cities by using geography information system(GIS) technique which is connected with predicting and evaluating models for the outdoor thermal environment, monitoring data and simulating data. A prediction and evaluation system were set up. A typical mountainous city, i.e., Yunyang city in Chongqing in China, was taken as an example, its urbanization trend and population growth was predicted and evaluated. The heat island intensity and its trend were simulated, the temperature field, velocity field and the humidity field were analyzed. The results show that GIS is an effective tool to deal with the outdoor thermal environment, especially for the mountainous cities with special geographical particularities. GIS can be used in the environmental management and the city planning especially for the mountainous cities.

Land Characterization Analysis of Surface Temperature of Semi-Arid Mountainous City Abha, Saudi Arabia Using Remote Sensing and GIS

This knowledge of land surface temperature and its spatial variations within a city environment is of prime importance to the study of urban climate and human-environment interactions. Few studies have examined the influence of land use and terrain on the surface temperature effects of semi-arid mountainous urban areas. This study investigates the urban environment characterization and its effects on surface temperature using remote sensing. The methodologies adapted for this study are geometric and radiometric corrections of satellite data, extraction of land use/land cover and digital elevation model, estimation of vegetation density using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and estimation of surface temperature and emissivity using temperature emissivity separation (TES) algorithm. Finally geospatial model and statistical techniques are used for assessing the overall impact of urban environmental characterization on urban climate of semi-arid region of Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Herein, results reveal that the spatial distribution of surface temperature was affected by land use/land cover (LULC) and topography. The high dense built-up and commercial/industrial areas display higher surface temperature in comparison with surrounding lands. There is gradual decrease of LULC classes’ surface temperature with the increase in altitude. The cooling effect towards the surrounding urban built-up area is found increasing at the hill located vegetated area, the downward slope and valley terrain inside the recreational park. Therefore the spatial variation in surface temperature also reflected the effects of topography on LULC classes. Suitable mountainous land use utilization would help to expand the cooling effect. In the future, the outcomes of this study could be used to build environmentally sustainable urban planning suitable to semi-arid regions and to create practices that consider the local weather environment in urban planning.

Planning strategy of gully areas in mountainous cities adapting to ecological process

With the expansion of mountainous cities,many gully areas have been included in the scope of urban construction land.These gully areas will restrict urban construction because of sensitivity and instability caused by the unique ecological processes.This paper attempts to explore a planning and design strategy that combines ecological processes to reduce the risk of urban construction in gully areas.According to the ecological characteristics of gully areas,especially its suitability for urban construction,gully areas can be divided into three categories in the mountainous city:prevention and controlling gully—focusing on gully drainage;conservation gully—focusing on the construction of green space;utilization type gully—focusing on the development of gully towns.The utilization type gully can be used as urban construction land.For utilization type gullies,horizontal and vertical segmented planning strategies can adopt their respective ecological processes by land utilization,landscape construction,spatial layout and traffic organization matching the time-space natural process to form harmony human settlements.