Effects of groundwater level on vegetation in the arid area of western China

At present,investigation about the relationship between the change of groundwater level and vegetation mostly focuses on specific watersheds,i.e.limited in river catchment scale.Understanding the change of groundwater level on vegetation in the basin or large scale,be urgently needed.To fill this gap,two typical arid areas in the west of China(Tarim Basin and Qaidam Basin)were chosen the a typical research area.The vegetation status was evaluated via normalization difference vegetation index(NDVI)from 2000 to 2016,sourced from MODN1F dataset.The data used to reflect climate change were download from CMDSC(http://data.cma.cn).Groundwater level data was collected from monitor wells.Then,the relationship of vegetation and climate change was established with univariate linear regression and correlation analysis approach.Results show that:Generally,NDVI value in the study area decreased before 2004 then increased in the research period.Severe degradation was observed in the center of the basin.The area with an NDVI value>0.5 decreased from 12%to 6%between 2000 and 2004.From 2004 to 2014,the vegetation in the study area was gradually restored.The whole coverage of Qaidam Basin was low.And the NDVI around East Taigener salt-lake degraded significantly,from 0.596 to 0.005,2014 and 2016,respectively.The fluctuation of groundwater level is the main reason for the change of surface vegetation coverage during the vegetation degradation in the basin.However,the average annual precipitation in the study area is low,which is not enough to have a significant impact on vegetation growth.The annual average precipitation showed an increase trend during the vegetation restoration in the basin,which alleviates the water shortage of vegetation growth in the region.Meanwhile,the dependence of surface vegetation on groundwater is obviously weakened with the correlation index is−0.248.The research results are of some significance to eco-environment protection in the arid area of western China.

Satisfaction of Village Doctors with the Township and Village Health Services Integration Policy in the Western Minority-inhabited Areas of China

Township and Village Health Services Integration Management（TVHSIM） is an essential form of China＇s two-tiered health service integration plan at the township and village level. Its main purpose, also one of the target goals in China＇s new healthcare reform, is to gradually integrate rural health services and appropriately allocate rural health resources. This study aims to assess the village doctors＇ satisfaction with the TVHSIM and provide scientific base to further improve TVHSIM. A cross-sectional study was carried out in which 162 village doctors from Qinghai, Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang in western China were interviewed. Descriptive analysis, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Spearman rank correlation and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the difference and relevance between village doctors＇ personal characteristics and their satisfaction with TVHSIM and six subscales. Village doctors with different years of practice, social insurance status and essential medical knowledge level showed statistically significant differences in their satisfaction levels（all P〈0.05）. Age（P〈0.05） and years of practice（P〈0.01） were negatively correlated with Drug and Medical Device Management and Financing Management. Essential medical knowledge level（P〈0.05） was negatively correlated with Operations Management as well. However, social insurance status（P〈0.05） was positively correlated with Human Resources Management and Drug and Medical Device management. Gender, age and years of practice respectively had significant influence on village doctors＇ satisfaction with TVHSIM（P〈0.01）. In conclusion, in order to further promote TVHSIM policy in rural China, a well-rounded social insurance model for village doctors is urgently needed. In addition, the development of TVHSIM is regionally imbalanced. Efficient and effective measures aiming at rationalizing gender and age structure and enhancing essential medical training should be carefully considered.

The Source of Groundwater Recharge Based on Entropy Theory in the Arid Areas of North China

Objective Any natural system is constantly exchanging material, energy and information with the environment, and all tkese processes follow the basic law of thermodynamics, with no exception of groundwater recharge and discharge process. On the basis of the principle of the first law of thermodynamics, the reverse geochemical simulation method is widely used in the study of groundwater recharge, runoff and drainage process. However, some studies only consider the material conservation in theprocess, but ignore the probability of the transformation.

LAND DEGRADATION AND ITS MANAGEMENT IN THE ARID AND SEMI ARID AREAS OF CHINA

hina is a large country with varied physical environments. Some of them are quite fragile and susceptible to land degradation, such as the arid and semiarid areas, as well as the slopeland of extensive mountain and hilly areas. Therefore, human actions play a significant role in desertification processes. It was estimated that there are 3,327,000 km 2 of desertified areas in China, in which 1,533,000 km 2 are desert, gobi and sandy desertified areas. Most of them are in arid, semiarid and dry sub humid areas in northern China. Soil salinization is another kind of land desertification. It was estimated that about one fifth of the 66,700 km 2 of farmlands have been affected by soil salinization to certain extent. Grassland degradation is also serious in China. The main problems are the reduction of bio mass, decline of preferred species and soil erosion induced by overgrazing. In Inner Mongolia the area of degraded grasslands occupies 43.8 percent of the total available area of the grasslands. The productivity of grasslands in Tibet has decreased by 20 - 50 percent [21]. Soil and water erosion is more serious in China. Based on remote sensing general survey initiated by Ministry of Water Resources in 1992, the total soil eroded area is 3,670,000 km 2, occupying 38.2 percent of the total territorial area, in which 1,790,000 km 2 is water eroded area and 1,880,000 km 2 is wind eroded area.

Variation of Air-Sea Heat Fluxes over the Western Pacific Warm Pool Area and Its Relationship with the South China Sea Summer Monsoon Onset

Based on oceanic and atmospheric parameters retrieved by satellite remote sensing using a neural network method, air-sea heat fluxes over the western Pacific warm pool area were calculated with the advanced the advanced Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment 3.0 (COARE3.0) bulk algorithm method. Then, the average annual and interannual characteristics of these fluxes were analyzed. The rela- tionship between the fluxes and the South China Sea (SCS) summer monsoon onset is highlighted. The results indicate that these fluxes have clear temporal and spatial characteristics. The sensible heat flux is at its maximum in the Kuroshio area, while the latent heat flux is at its maximum in the North Equatorial Current and Kuroshio area. The distribution of average annual air-sea heat fluxes shows that both sensible and latent heat fluxes are maximized in winter and minimized in summer. The air-sea heat fluxes have obvious interannual variations. Correlation analysis indicates a close lag-correlation between air-sea heat fluxes in the western Pacific warm pool area and at the SCS summer monsoon onset. The lagcorrelation can therefore predict the SCS summer monsoon onset, providing a reference for the study of precipitation related to the monsoon.

BASIC IDEA OF TOURIST'S ITINERARIES IN THE ARID AREA OF CHINA——Discussion of the Methodology for Designing the Itineraries in the Arid Area

The aspect discussed in the present paper should ont be identified strictly with the natu-ral and geogrophical arid areas in the whole China, but only referred to the seven provincesas Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinhai, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. According to the real conditions of the development of tourism which was formedobjectively in the arid areas, it is necessary to consider comprehensively the influence by

Determining Optimal Strategies to Reduce Maternal and Child Mortality in Rural Areas in Western China: an Assessment Using the Lives Saved Tool

China, as a whole, is about to meet the Millennium Development Goals for reducing the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and infant mortality rate (IMR), but the disparities between rural area and urban area still exists. This study estimated the potential effectiveness of expanding coverage with high impact interventions using the Lives Saved Tool (LiST). It was found that gestational hypertension, antepartum and postpartum hemorrhage, preterm birth, neonatal asphyxia, and neonatal childhood pneumonia and diarrhea are still the major killers of mothers and children in rural area in China. It was estimated that 30% of deaths among 0-59 month old children and 25% of maternal deaths in 2008 could be prevented in 2015 if primary health care intervention coverage expanded to a feasible level. The LiST death cause framework, compared to data from the Maternal and Child Mortality Surveillance System, represents 60%-80% of neonatal deaths, 40%-50% of deaths in 1-59 month old children and 40%-60% of maternal deaths in rural areas of western China.

China Steps Up Anti-poverty Effort in Arid Western Areas

China＇s State Council, or the cabinet, has decided to further extend a program that involves special funds for infrastructure and other projects in three particularly add and poor areas in the country＇s remote northwest. While extending the program from 2009 to 2015, the government also decided to raise the annual total funding from 200 million yuan （29.2 million U.S. dollars） to 300 million yuan.

Impacts of formal credit on rural household income:Evidence from deprived areas in western China

Financial support is a crucial part of China's poverty alleviation effort.Thus,it is vital to understand how formal credit impacts income growth in rural households.In 2012,2015,and 2018,a survey was conducted to obtain a panel dataset of 592 rural households from 6 poverty-stricken counties in western China,including counties in Guizhou,Yunnan,and Shaanxi provinces.We use the data to examine the effect of formal credit on rural household income and the mechanism that underlies this effect.We find that formal credit can significantly increase rural households'income in deprived areas in western China.Furthermore,formal credit promotes the reallocation of household labor from the agricultural sector to the non-agricultural sector and changes rural households'decisions about investment-consumption behavior.These are the drivers of changes in the amount and structure of household income.Further analyses show that formal credit may widen income inequality among rural households in western China's deprived areas.The individual characteristics of rural households,such as different levels of material capital,human capital,and social capital,bring about differences in the effects of formal credit on income growth.This study emphasizes that the implementation of formal credit is an essential strategy for poverty alleviation in underdeveloped areas,but policymakers should not excessively interfere with the financial market.

Revisit of event-based rainfall characteristics at Shapotou area in northern China

Distribution of rainfall event sizes and interval lengths between events are important characteristics of arid and semi-arid climates. Understanding their importance will contribute to our ability to understand ecosystem dynamics in these regions. Rainfall event timing and magnitude are important drivers of ecosystem processes and are instrumental in creating land-scape heterogeneity in arid and semi-arid regions. Rainfall event characteristics were analyzed using an automatic tip-ping-bucket rain-gauge record across the entire summer monsoon season from 2008 to 2015 at the arid desert area of Shapotou in the Tengger Desert, China. Changing the minimum inter-event time （MIT） from 30 min to 24 h alters the number of rainfall events from 64 to 25 for the event depth larger than 0.1 mm. The mean rainfall intensity declined from 0.95 mm/h to 0.53 mm/h, and the geometric mean event duration rose from 0.55 h to 4.4 h. The number of rainfall events, mean rainfall intensity, and geometric mean event duration differed under different criteria of individual rainfall depths, except that for an individual rainfall depth of 0.5, 1.0, and 5.0 mm. The aforementioned features differed only at the lowest range of the mean rainfall intensity and depth for MIT=3 and 6 h. These findings suggest that identification of event-based rainfall in this specific arid region can be better achieved by setting the MIT at six hours. The wide variation in rainfall event properties indicate the need for paying more attention to the proper selection and reporting of event criteria in studies that adopt event-based data analysis. This is especially true in quantifying effective rainfall for soil water replenishment in terms of rainfall depth and intensity with infrequent rainfall events.

Analysis on the Changes of Temperature and Heat Resources in Rural Area of Chaoyang in Western Liaoning

[Objective] The aim was to study the change characteristics of temperature and heat resources in rural area of Chaoyang in western Liaoning. [Method] Based on the data from rural meteorological station in Chaoyang in western Liaoning from 1966 to 2010, the change characteristics of temperature and heat resources in rural area in Chaoyang were analyzed by means of serial correlation and climate tendency method, so as to master its climate situation. [Result] The annual average value of daily average temperature, daily maximum temperature and daily minimum temperature in rural area of Chaoyang in western Liaoning from 1966 to 2010 showed fluctuation variation, and the annual average value of daily maximum temperature increased most obviously with the climatic tendency of 0.328 ℃/10 a and highest significant level, so it played an important role in temperature increase, next came daily average temperature (0.151 ℃/10 a), while there was no obvious decrease in daily minimum temperature. The average of daily maximum temperature in winter half year increased more obviously than that in summer half year, with the climatic tendency of 0.417 and 0.250 ℃/10 a, respectively; the trend of daily average temperature reached low significant level, and there was no obvious variation in daily minimum temperature. In addition, ≥10 ℃ accumulated temperature in rural area of Chaoyang in western Liaoning went up obviously, with the climatic tendency of 42.59 ℃·d/10 a, namely it increased by 192 ℃·d in recent 45 years. [Conclusion] The study could provide climatic reference for the adjustment of agriculture structure and varieties distribution.

Rural vulnerability,migration,and relocation in mountain areas of Western China:An overview of key issues and policy interventions

Western China features a vast area of mountains and high plateaus where millions of people,including diverse ethnic minority groups,have inhabited for generations.Geographically located in the mountainous,remote,and isolated regions,rural communities are prone to natural hazards and thus become vulnerable to impoverishment.To reduce rural vulnerability,many people residing in mountainous villages opted to out-migrate from their original villages and hometowns while some took in-situ adaptation measures.A host of government-sponsored resettlement programs have been carried out to help rural villagers seek alternative livelihoods elsewhere over the past four decades.To achieve a sustainable future for rural communities in mountainous areas of western China,more effective policies and measures need to be developed and enforced.

Structural Styles of Fronts of Thrust-Detachment Faults in Petroleum-bearing Areas of Western China

The front of a thrust-detachment fault may have various styles such as decoupling, fold, forethrust and backthrust ones because of differences in magnitude, direction and time of the forces exerted on the fault and the inhomogeneity of rock mechanical properties. They have different characteristics and are usually associated with gravity structure, inverse structure and diapir structure. These structures exist together in the same thrust-detachment fault and can influence, compensate for and convert into each other. They provide important grounds not only for the study of the dynamic state, propagation mode, evolutionary process and formation mechanism but also for the analysis of the petroleum generation, migration, accumulation and preservation and arrangement of drill holes in foreland basins.

Implement PPET Strategy and Develop Ecotourism of Minority Areas in Western China——Take Xinlong County of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province as An Example

To help the poor and to develop tourism are two mportant problems in poverty-stricken areas. However, they were isolated for years.The PPET strategy was put forward in this paper based on PPT.The feasibility and the realistic meaning of the strategy in developing the ecotourism, overcoming poverty, and achieving prosperity of minority areas inwestern China are analyzed bytaking Xinlong county of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province as an example.

Analysis on Variations of the Temperature and Precipitation in North Slope Area of the Western Tianshan in Recent 50 Years

[Objective] The research aimed to analyze variation characteristics of the temperature and precipitation in north slope area of the Western Tianshan in recent 50 years.[Method] According to temperature and rainfall data from 1961 to 2010 at three meteorological stations in north slope area of the Western Tianshan,climate change in the zone in recent 50 years was analyzed by using linear trend analysis method and 5-year sliding average method.[Result] The temperature in north slope area of the Western Tianshan showed significant warming trend.The annual average temperature significantly increased at 0.3 ℃/10 a in recent 50 years.But rise rates of the temperature in different seasons were different:autumn> winter> spring> summer.The annual rainfall in north slope area of the Western Tianshan in recent 50 years overall presented relative increase trend.Seen from annual rainfall,it significantly increased at 16.9 mm/10 a.Seen from seasonal rainfall,except in autumn,rainfalls in other three seasons in the past 50 years all showed significant increase trends,with amplitude of 3.2-11.2 mm/10 a.The largest increase amplitude was in summer.After a small precipitation peak in the 1980s,autumn rainfall slightly declined in the past 20 years.[Conclusion] The climate in north slope area of the Western Tianshan become warm and wet.

Industrial Policy Analysis of Restricted Development Zones in Western China——A Study of State-level Main Producing Areas of Agricultural Products and Key Ecological Functional Areas

As one of the important policies of promoting the formation of main functional areas, the industrial policy directly determines the sustainable growth of space control ability of main functional areas. A restricted development zone is a type of main functional area which provides agricultural products and ecological products, assures the supply of national agricultural products and the stability of ecosystems, as well as safeguards the ecological functions and agricultural functions of wider regions by restricting its own development. Therefore scientific, complete and operable industrial policy support is needed. Restricted development zones are distributed widely in western China. With the restriction of their main functions, differential industrial policies should be implemented in the development of the restricted development zones: Dealing well with the relationship between industrial development and ecological protection, developing special industries which are friendly to resources and environment and appropriate for local conditions, guiding and encouraging industries to learn from regions with favorable development conditions, orderly withdrawing industries and enterprises adverse to main functions, facilitating industrial structure upgrading, optimizing industrial organization, improving industrial technological level and rationalizing industrial layout.

Eurasia Continental Bridge——An Important Link of the Coordinated Development between China's Eastern,Central and Western Regions

The new Eurasia Continental Bridgeruns from East China to Central andWest China, crossing 11 provincesand regions, namely Jiangsu, Shandong,Hubei, Anhui, Shaanxi, Gansu, Shanxi,Sichuan, Qinghai, Xinjiang and Ningxia.The total area is 3.6 million sq km and thepopulation is about 300 million, accountingfor a third and a quarter of the whole countryrespectively. The area is very rich in naturalresources, so it is called an "Economic goldbelt" and "Gold corridor". Aerial remote-control survey indicates that along thecontinental bridge from Lianyungang to theAla Mountains within China’s boundary,

Countermeasures on Elevating Self-development Ability of Western Rural Areas on the Basis of Visual Threshold of Human Capital

The thesis underscores the significant role of human capital in elevating rural self-development ability.The investment of human capital is making great contribution to western rural economic growth,and it plays an irreplaceable role in promoting the socio-economic development prominently.The characteristics of human resources development in western rural areas for the moment are analyzed as follows:the employment structure is simple;the structure of human resources is irrational;the shortage of human resources aggregate is accompanied by the critical phenomenon of idling;the human resources drain badly;there is low input and low output of talents.The thesis also propounds the fundamental approaches in order to elevating self-development ability of western rural areas:we should practise and implement National Medium and Long-term Planning of Talents Development and lay down as soon as possible the detailed matching policies and measures based on the reality of western rural areas;we should develop the education in western rural areas vigorously,and formulate the developmental strategies of bridging "knowledge gap";we should establish sound rural human resources development system,and reinforce the degree of training returning-home migrant workers;we should adjust the structure of human investment timely as needed,and strengthen the degree of human capital investment conspicuously.

Spatio-temporal pattern and changes of evapotranspiration in arid Central Asia and Xinjiang of China

Accurate inversion of land surface evapotranspiration （ET） in arid areas is of great significance for understanding global eco-hydrological process and exploring the spatio-temporal variation and ecological response of water resources. It is also important in the functional evaluation of regional water cycle and water balance, as well as the rational allocation and management of water resources. This study, based on model validation analysis at varied scales in fiwe Central Asian countries and China＇s Xinjiang, developed an appropriate approach for ET inversion in arid lands. The actual ET during growing seasons of the study area was defined, and the changes in water participating in evaporation in regional water cycle were then educed. The results show the simulation error of SEBS （Surface Energy Balance System） model under cloud amount consideration was 1.34% at 30-m spatial scale, 2.75% at 1-km spatial scale and 6,37% at 4-kin spatial scale. ET inversion for 1980-2007 applying SEBS model in the study area indicates： （1） the evaporation depth （May-September） by land types descends in the order of waters （660.24 ram） 〉 cultivated land （464.66 mm） 〉 woodland （388.44 mm） 〉 urbanized land （168.16 mm） 〉 grassland （160.48 mm） 〉 unused land （83.08 mm）; and （2） ET during the 2005 growing season in Xinjiang and Central Asia was 2,168.68x108 m3 （with an evaporation/precipitation ratio of 1.05） and 9,741.03x108 m3 （with an evaporation/precipitation ratio of 1.4）, respectively. The results unveiled the spatio-temporal variation rules of ET process in arid areas, providing a reference for further research on the water cycle and water balance in similar arid regions.

IRRIGATING WARPED SOILS——ANTHROPOGENIC SOIL IN ARID AND SEMI-ARID REGIONS OF CHINA

The irrigating warped soils occur in the old irrigation areas of arid and semi-arid re-gions of China, and distributed from Zhangjiakou of Hebei province, through InnerMongolia Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Gansu province,Qinhai Province, down to Xinjiang Autonomous Region, including the arid subalpine rivervalleys in the western part of Tibet.