Planning conservation corridors in mountain areas based on integrated conservation planning models: A case study for a giant panda in the Qionglai Mountains

With the accelerated urbanization,human activities pose serious threats to species because of fragmentation.Planning conservation corridors between habitats could improve species mobility in order to address the human disturbance.However,there are a limited number of studies that focus on assessing the effect of human activities on species movement in mountain areas as well as how to integrate different conservation models relating to conservation corridors identification.In our study,we modified the resistance model and took land use data as input parameters to quantify the impacts of human activities in mountain areas.Meanwhile,different conservation planning models,including Circuit model and Least Cost Path(LCP)algorithm,were integrated.Moreover,our approach was applied to identify giant panda corridors in Miarro nature reserve,Caopo nature reserve,and Wolong nature reserve.The results suggested that the impacts of human activities were limited in valley regions due to topography by resistance model.Secondly,Circuit model demonstrated that the conservation corridors for giant panda could not be identified between the Miarro and the Caopo nature reserves.Additionally,more detailed corridors between habitats were planned by the LCP algorithm.Furthermore,we also identified bottlenecks for migration in each corridor,indicating that human activities’interference was the primary cause.Our approach not only could connect habitats for conservation in mountain areas but also found out that the corridor could not be identified between habitats.

SPATIAL PATTERN AND FUNCTION OF CORRIDORS IN WETLANDS OF LIAOHE DELTA

Corridors are special patches with narrow and long shape, and often have the functions as transportation,protection, resources and aesthetics. Corridors in the study area can be classilied into 8 types, with a total length of 5167. 2 km, and conidor density of 1. 25 km/km2. The conidore are mainly composed of irrigation and drainag canals,the total length of which is 2794 km,about 54. 1% of all the corridors. The conidors have segmented the landscape, and changed the original situation of the natural landscapes. The types of conidors are clooely related to the landscape types they are distributed in. Canals are maily distributed in the wetland landscapes, while roads are mainly in the built-up area. Dikes are always along rivers or coastlines. The conidors are most densely distributed wherever human activity occurs most bouendy, such as in the artifical wedlands of paddy fields.

Integration control for traffic corridors considering guidance information

The problem of designing integration traffic strategies for traffic corridors with the use of ramp metering, speed limit, and route guidance is considered in this paper. As an improvement to the previous work, the presented approach has the following five features： 1） modeling traffic flow to analyze traffic characteristics under the influence of variable speed limit, on-ramp metering and guidance information; 2） building a hierarchy model to realize the integration design of traffic control and route guidance in traffic corridors; 3） devising a multi-class analytical dynamic traffic assignment （DTA） model for traffic corridors, where not only the route choice process will be different for each user-class, but also the traffic flow operations are user-class specific because the travel time characteristic for each user-class is considered; 4） predicting route choice probabilities adaptively with real-time traffic conditions and route choice behaviors corresponding to variant users, rather than assuming as pre-determined; and 5） suggesting a numerical solution algorithm of the hierarchy model presented in this paper based on the modified algorithm of iterative optimization assignment （IOA）. Preliminary numerical test demonstrates the potential of the developed model and algorithm for integration corridor control.

The Challenges Faced on Transit Transport Corridors by Landlocked Countries in Central Africa: Literature Review

The landlocked countries are the one without access to the sea and can be assimilate as countries around the world with a disadvantage of geography situation location. Chad and the Central African Republic are two of the 40 landlocked countries around the world that transport 80% of their goods by road and rail, and as much as almost more than 50% of their passengers through a transit country with a transit transport system which is crucial for their trade and exchanges. The study aims to introduce the importance to have a good and efficiency transport network infrastructure in Central Africa to facilitate the trade for the landlocked countries of Central Africa (Chad and the Central African Republic), member of CEMAC trade area and proposes some measures that can be adopted to improve their conditions and ameliorate the trade for those countries.

Spatial planning for urban ventilation corridors by urban climatology

Ventilation corridors in cities can decrease air pollution and alleviate heat island problems but there remains a need to fully assess their effectiveness.Few urban managers have been able to take city-scale approaches to the construction of urban ventilation corridors.This study aimed to introduced the Ventilation Corridor Planning(VCP)model,which is a multi-criteria evaluation method combined with a geographical information system(GIS)to determine where the ventilated environment is most appropriate.Specifically,the VCP model took Bozhou,China as the research object and contained two scales,including mesoscale and local scale.In mesoscale scale,we got three outputs to build urban ventilation corridors,including 1)background wind environment,2)ventilation potential,3)heat island intensity.In local scale,we used traditional computational fluid dynamics(CFD)model to verify the impact of VCP criteria.The results revealed that compared with the traditional CFD model,the proposed VCP model has advantages in establishing a comprehensive evaluation standard.In addition,the application of VCP model in macro and micro also enhances the efficiency of ventilation corridor construction.Overall,this study introduced a effective modeling method to urban ventilation corridors planning,and provide a way to study the urban climate.

Dynamic response of mountain tunnel,bridge,and embankment along the Sichuan-Tibet transportation corridor to active fault based on model tests

The Sichuan-Tibet transportation corridor is prone to numerous active faults and frequent strong earthquakes.While extensive studies have individually explored the effect of active faults and strong earthquakes on different engineering structures,their combined effect remains unclear.This research employed multiple physical model tests to investigate the dynamic response of various engineering structures,including tunnels,bridges,and embankments,under the simultaneous influence of cumulative earthquakes and stick-slip misalignment of an active fault.The prototype selected for this study was the Kanding No.2 tunnel,which crosses the Yunongxi fault zone within the Sichuan-Tibet transportation corridor.The results demonstrated that the tunnel,bridge,and embankment exhibited amplification in response to the input seismic wave,with the amplification effect gradually decreasing as the input peak ground acceleration(PGA)increased.The PGAs of different engineering structures were weakened by the fault rupture zone.Nevertheless,the misalignment of the active fault may decrease the overall stiffness of the engineering structure,leading to more severe damage,with a small contribution from seismic vibration.Additionally,the seismic vibration effect might be enlarged with the height of the engineering structure,and the tunnel is supposed to have a smaller PGA and lower dynamic earth pressure compared to bridges and embankments in strong earthquake zones crossing active faults.The findings contribute valuable insights for evaluating the dynamic response of various engineering structures crossing an active fault and provide an experimental reference for secure engineering design in the challenging conditions of the Sichuan-Tibet transportation corridor.

Spatiotemporal pattern of climate change in the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor from 1901 to 2018

The China-Myanmar Economic Corridor(CMEC) is an important part of China's Belt and Road Initiative and an important area for global ecology and biodiversity. In this study, the annual and seasonal spatiotemporal patterns of temperature and precipitation in the CMEC over the past century were investigated using linear tendency estimation, the Mann-Kendall mutation test, the T-test, and wavelet analysis based on the monthly mean climatic data from 1901 to 2018 released by the Climatic Research Unit(CRU) of the University of East Anglia, UK. The results show that the CMEC demonstrated a trend of warming and drying over the past 100 years, and the rate of change in Myanmar was stronger than that in Yunnan Province of China. The warming rate was 0.039 ℃/10a. Precipitation decreased at a rate of -6.1 mm/10a. From the perspective of spatial distribution, temperature was high in the central and southern, low in the north of the CMEC, and the high-temperature centers were mainly distributed in the southern plain and river valley. Precipitation decreased from west to east and from south to north of the CMEC. From the perspective of the rate of change, warming was stronger in central and northern CMEC than in southern and northeastern CMEC. The rate of precipitation decline was stronger in the central and western regions than in the eastern region. This study provides a scientific reference for the CMEC to address climate change and ensure sustainable social and economic development and ecological security.

Impacts of road on plant invasions in the Middle Mountain region of central Nepal

Biological invasion is triggered by human development activities such as the construction and expansion of road networks.Road verges serve as important habitats and corridors for the distribution of invasive alien plant species(IAPS)between geographically distant habitats.However,the trajectory of plant invasion and the data regarding the impact of roads on IAPS distribution are relatively poor in Nepal.Here,we surveyed two road types(main roads and feeder road)in the Middle Mountain region of central Nepal in order to investigate how different road types are driving the dispersal of IAPS along road verges and the adjacent natural habitats.Systematic sampling was conducted at ca 2.5 km intervals along the roads.At each sampling site,paired plots(25 m×4 m)were sampled:one adjacent to and along the road,and another 20 m away and parallel to it in the interior habitat.Our results revealed that the main road verges had a higher cover(33%)and a larger number of IAPS(14 species)than the feeder road(25%;10 species).The IAPS cover and richness were significantly higher along verges than in the adjacent interior habitats for both road types,indicating that roads are contributing as corridors for the dispersal of IAPS in the Middle Mountain areas of central Nepal.Further,elevation,tree canopy,and disturbances(grazing/mowing/trampling)were found to be the key factors that determine spatial distribution of IAPS along road verges.We emphasize that regular monitoring of vegetation along the road verges can help with the early detection and control of potential IAPS in the region before they become problematic.

Experimental and numerical interpretation on composite foundation consisting of soil-cement column within warm and ice-rich frozen soil

Affected by climate warming and anthropogenic disturbances, the thermo-mechanical stability of warm and ice-rich frozen ground along the Qinghai-Tibet engineering corridor(QTEC) is continuously decreased, which may delay the construction of major projects in the future. In this study, based on chemical stabilization of warm and icerich frozen ground, the soil-cement column(SCC) for ground improvement was recommended to reinforce the foundations in warm and ice-rich permafrost regions. To explore the validity of countermeasures mentioned above, both the original foundation and the composite foundation consisting of SCC with soil temperature of -1.0℃ were prepared in the laboratory, and then the plate loading tests were carried out. The laboratory investigations indicated that the bearing capacity of composite foundation consisting of SCC was higher than that of original foundation, and the total deformation of original foundation was greater than that of composite foundation, meaning that overall stability of foundation with warm and ice-rich frozen soil can be improved by SCC installation. Meanwhile, a numerical model considering the interface interaction between frozen soil and SCC was established for interpretating the bearing mechanism of composite foundation. The numerical investigations revealed that the SCC within composite foundation was responsible for the more applied load, and the applied load can be delivered to deeper zone in depth due to the SCC installation, which was favorable for improving the bearing characteristic of composite foundation. The investigations provide the valuable guideline for the choice of engineering supporting techniques to major projects within the QTEC.

Genomic analysis provides insights into the westward expansion of domesticated peaches in China

Peach, an economically important model plant of the Rosaceae family, has been domesticated and cultivated in China for approximately5 000 years. The Hexi Corridor, an important corridor connecting east-central China and the Tarim Basin, is the starting point of the Silk Road that links China and the Eurasian region. As a globally distributed fruit tree, the spread of peach was accomplished through historical trade routes in the Hexi Corridor and the Tarim Basin. However, knowledge of peach genetic diversity in these regions remains limited. In this study,we examined the relationships and the spread history of domesticated peaches through sequencing and genomic analysis of 161 peach accessions collected from Northwest China, including 43 from the Hexi Corridor and 104 from the Tarim Basin. The results indicate that peach landraces in the Hexi Corridor and the Tarim Basin are derivatives of peaches from the east and south of China (ESC). Notably, the genetic diversity of accessions from both the Hexi Corridor and the Tarim Basin was lower than that of ESC accessions. Reduction of diversity (ROD) and linkage disequilibrium (LD) analyses detected a genetic bottleneck in peaches from these regions. Additionally, these peaches have undergone varying degrees of selection from natural environment. Moreover, genes responsive to biotic and abiotic stresses were under selection, which could be the result of the climate change of Northwest China after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Our findings provide a better understanding of the genetic basis of peach migration in Northwest China. Furthermore, this study expands the available genomic data for peaches and provides critical information for future peach breeding programs.

Lithostructural Control of the Gold Mineralization of the Douta Permit of African Star Resources (Kédougou-Kéniéba Inlier, Southeastern Senegal)

The Douta permit of African Star Resources/Thor Explorations, located in the southeast of Senegal, in the Kédougou-Kéniéba Inlier (western part of the West African Craton), is dominated to the East by metasedimentary formations such as greywackes, shales, graphitic shales, quartzites, cherts, claystones and breccias characteristic of the Dialé-Daléma basin. To the West, the mafic formations of the Mako volcanic belt are the most common. Metasedimentary rocks are associated with metavolcanosedimentary terms found at the contact zones between the two (2) Birimian groups. These different geological formations are cut by mafic dolerite and gabbro sills and/or dykes, as well as quartz and microgranite veins. The Douta gold project is crossed from North to South by the MTZ (Main Transcurrent Zone), generally oriented NE-SW and becoming N-S towards the North. The permit is characterized by several shear corridors. The rocks are affected by brittle, brittle-ductile to ductile deformations. The gold mineralization is hosted by a NE-trending shear corridor called the Makosa corridor (Makosa shear zone), therefore sub-parallel to the MTZ. It has a subvertical dip (75˚ to 85˚ to the NW). It is associated with a hydrothermal phase characterized by quartz-sericite-epidote-fine, disseminated pyrite and arsenopyrite ± albite ± chlorite paragenesis. These minerals testify to the existence of a low degree of metamorphism (greenschist facies, epizonal domain) in the area. However, metamorphism reaches amphibolite facies in some places, particularly in the vicinity of intrusive bodies, with the presence of hornblende (amphiboles) and plagioclase. The gold mineralization is mainly hosted by two (2) metasedimentary lithological units: meta-greywackes and shales.

Assessment of the socioeconomic development levels of six economic corridors in the Belt and Road region

Recent years have witnessed rapid and widespread economic growth in regions involved in China’s Belt and Road Initiative(BRI),mainly due to the construction of six economic corridors.This paper aims to quantify the levels of six economic corridors according to the socioeconomic development levels in the BRI regions.Here,a gridded socioeconomic development index was first created,and a dividing line was drawn to reveal the distribution characteristics of socioeconomic development in the BRI regions.A classification method was then applied to identify local development levels.Finally,we created an economic corridor development index(ECDI)to evaluate the progress of six economic corridors.The results reveal spatial heterogeneity within the socioeconomic groups of BRI regions,which can be roughly divided into offshore(or Part A,50.54%)and inland(or Part B,49.46%)areas.Although both parts comprise roughly the same area,over 95%of the population is located in offshore regions.The China–Mongolia–Russia Economic Corridor has the highest development index due to a stable political environment and long-running cooperation.The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor suffers from the lowest ECDI but with strong development potential.Our methods can provide critical reference and practice for the future evaluation of the level of regional development.The results of this study can offer policymakers some insight into reducing socioeconomic inequality in the BRI regions.

Identifying ecological corridors for Amur tigers(Panthera tigris altaica)and Amur leopards(Panthera pardus orientalis)

The rapid explosion of human populations and the associated development of human-dominated landscapes have drastically reduced and fragmented habitat for tigers(Panthera tigris)and leopards(Panthera pardus)across Asia,resulting in multiple small populations.However,Amur tiger(Panthera tigris altaica)habitat in Russia has remained largely interconnected,except for a break between tigers in southwest Primorye and the southern Sikhote-Alin Mountains.This habitat patch in southwest Primorye also retains the last population of Amur leopards(Panthera pardus orientalis).Genetic differentiation of tigers in southwest Primorye and the Sikhote-Alin Mountains along with survey data suggest that habitat fragmentation is limiting movement of tigers and leopards across the Razdolnaya River basin.We looked at historical and recent survey data on tigers and leopards and mapped existing cover types to examine land-use patterns of both large felids and humans in the development strip along the Razdolnaya River.We then used least-cost distance analyses to identify the most effective potential corridor to retain connectivity for large felids between Land of the Leopard National Park and Ussuriskii Zapovednik(Reserve).We identified a single potential corridor that still exists with a total distance of 62.5 km from Land of the Leopard National Park to Ussuriskii Zapovednik,mostly(93%)through forested habitat.We recommend formal recognition of a Razdolnaya ecological corridor and provide specific recommendations for each of 3 proposed management sections.

A preliminary study on designing ecological corridors in Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve with 3S techniques

This paper is based on the fieldwork in Xishuang-banna Natioanl Nature Reserve in Yunnan Province of China.GPS data of Asian elephants were collected and analyzed with the remote sensing satellite photos of the region to estimate the landform physiognomy of different colors.We also analyzed a series of ecological factors includ-ing altitude,landform,relief,villages and roads which affected the distribution and movement of Asian elephants.The results suggested the possibility of designing and estab-lishing corridors in Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve to protect the population of wild elephants in the region.

Identifying visual sensitive areas:an evaluation of view corridors to support nature-culture heritage conservation in Chiang Mai historic city

The visual integrity of mountains contributing to cultural landscapes as nature-culture attributes is often obscured by the vertical intrusive built environment,especially in bufer areas of protected heritage zones.Therefore,this study argued that even low/medium-rise buildings that inappropriately appear in the horizontal visual plane could be a factor increasing sensitivity to this panoramic view.An integrative tool–visual sensitivity assessment–consists of Viewshed and Skyline analysis considering the pedestrian’s visual limitation in identifying the sensitive areas of the mountain view corridor in the historic city of Chiang Mai.The visible mountain areas(VMAs)were determined as a baseline,and their relationship with the visible building areas(VBAs)was then examined using statistical correlation to defne a strong negative relationship as the visual sensitive areas in fve zones.The results showed that the bufer zone was found to have more areas with visual sensitivity values,but this varies depending on the characteristics of buildings and the assessment from the view corridor.Meanwhile,in height-restricted areas,such as historic area zone 5,there are some concerns about the visual intrusion,which necessitates continuous monitoring using the assessment result as a guideline.Incorporating the results into implementation could support cultural landscape conservation in Chiang Mai city.The method is applicable in historic cities with similar settings to produce the baseline for the built environment that is harmonious with the cultural and historical characteristics of the city and with respect to its broader setting.

Delivering Tram-Based Boulevards: Learning from Opportunities and Challenges in Three European City Case Studies

Increasing calls for zero-carbon cities invite transformative solutions for people and places within our cities around the world. Key to the transformation is cities and regions shifting in mobility away from fossil-fuel based car-oriented solutions. The paper investigates a range of case studies where “tram-based boulevards” have been planned or implemented to provide such opportunities. The case studies share a common broader policy objective: to transform the car-oriented or car-saturated areas to an intensified urban template based on a critical presence of dedicated mid-tier transit infrastructure and active transport. “Trams”, or mid-tier, mid-capacity transit when combined with Transit oriented development (TOD) along whole corridors can provide transformative pathways towards zero-carbon outcomes as well as multiple, strong urban benefits. However, many successful or instructive examples of this practice from non-English speaking countries, particularly in Europe, are underdocumented in the international literature. The paper addresses this gap by investigating opportunities and challenges evident in a range of European case studies. These are explored for insight towards policy learning particularly in New World cities seeking to transform into a zero-carbon and more transit-oriented template: How can decision-makers avoid repeating the identified pitfalls, and instead focus on emulating the successful approaches and outcomes? We conclude the need for recognition of the inherent synergies between transport and land use settings in any endeavour, and their translation into policy priorities in both fields of planning. We also conclude the importance of decision makers proactively identifying and critically appraising specific opportunities for change, concerning funding, technology, public opinion, stakeholder alliances or market dynamics, and capitalising on them at suitable moments in time.

Potential seismic landslide hazard and engineering effect in the Ya’an-Linzhi section of the Sichuan-Tibet transportation corridor, China

The Sichuan-Tibet transportation corridor is located at the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,where the complex topography and geological conditions,developed geo-hazards have severely restricted the planning and construction of major projects.For the long-term prevention and early control of regional seismic landslides,based on analyzing seismic landslide characteristics,the Newmark model was used to carry out the potential seismic landslide hazard assessment with a 50-year beyond probability 10%.The results show that the high seismic landslide hazard is mainly distributed along large active tectonic belts and deep-cut river canyons,and are significantly affected by the active tectonics.The low seismic landslide hazard is mainly distributed in the flat terrain such as the Quaternary basins,broad river valleys,and plateau planation planes.The major east-west linear projects mainly pass through five areas with high seismic landslide hazard:Luding-Kangding section,Yajiang-Xinlong(Yalong river)section,Batang-Baiyu(Jinsha river)section,Basu(Nujiang river)section,and Bomi-Linzhi(eastern Himalaya syntaxis)section.The seismic action of the Bomi-Linzhi section can also induce high-risk geo-hazard chains such as the high-level glacial lake breaks and glacial debris flows.The early prevention of seismic landslides should be strengthened in the areas with high seismic landslide hazard.

Development characteristics and failure modes of reactivated ancient landslides in the Sichuan–Tibet transportation corridor,China

The risk of reactivated ancient landslides in the Sichuan–Tibet transportation corridor in China is significantly increasing,primarily driven by the intensification of engineering activities and the increased frequency of extreme weather events.This escalation has resulted in a considerable number of fatalities and extensive damage to critical engineering infrastructure.However,the factors contributing to the reactivation and modes of destruction of ancient landslides remain unknown.Therefore,it is imperative to systematically analyze the developmental characteristics and failure modes of reactivated ancient landslides to effectively mitigate disaster risks.Based on a combination of data collection,remote sensing interpretation,and field investigations,we delineated the developmental attributes of typical ancient landslides within the study area.These attributes encompass morphological and topographic aspects,material composition,and spatial structure of ancient landslides.Subsequently,we identified the key triggers for the reactivation of ancient landslides,including water infiltration,reservoir hydrodynamics,slope erosion,and excavation,by analyzing representative cases in the study area.Reactivation of ancient landslides is sometimes the result of the cumulative effects of multiple predisposing factors.Furthermore,our investigations revealed that the reactivation of these ancient landslides primarily led to local failures.However,over extended periods of dynamic action,the entire zone may experience gradual creep.We categorized the reactivation modes of ancient landslides into three distinct types based on the reactivation sequences:progressive retreat,backward thrusting,and forward pulling–backward thrusting.This study is of great significance for us to identify ancient landslides,deepen our understanding of the failure modes and risks of reactivated ancient landslides on the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau,and formulate effective disaster prevention and mitigation measures.

The New “Waterways and Sea Canals” Strategy in the “Continent of Asia” and Its Implications on the Global Map

This paper reviews a strategic scientific proposal to dig and construct three navigable sea lanes linking isolated inland seas and blocked side bays and linking it with the open seas, to facilitate the movement of free trade and international navigation, and to break the captivity of geographically isolated environments, and to give a strategic advantage to some areas and sectors that are neglected politically, socially, economically and environmentally, and to adopt the strategy of establishing a marine channel between the “Caspian Sea” and the “Black Sea” through the “lands belonging to Russia”. On digging a navigational canal at the lowest cost in a plain area within the territory of Russia, with a length of approximately 600 kilometers (616 km), starting from the nearest bay in the Caspian Sea, passing near the city of “Pyatigorsk” to the city of “Sochi” on the Black Sea, while it comes: -The strategy of the waterway and the sea channel between the “Caspian Sea” and the “Arabian Gulf” through the “lands belonging to Iran” by digging and cutting a path in the rocks with a width of 100 meters and a length of about 700 kilometers, and at a time rate of less than 10 years, and this project will liberate all countries in the Caspian Sea, and the study concludes with the strategy of the navigational channel between the “Arabian Gulf” and the “Mediterranean Sea” through the two countries of “Iraq-Syria”, with a length of about 1350 km, and the world will benefit in the security, commercial and political fields.

A Study on German Translation Strategies of Culture-Loaded Words in Documentary Hexi Corridor(Expert)by Adaptation Theory

This paper deals with the translation strategies of Chinese Culture-Loaded Words from the perspective of adaptation theory.It is based on the translation text of the sixth episode“Silk Road”and the seventh episode“Dunhuang”of the documentary Hexi Corridor.Many words with Chinese cultural connotations appear in the subtitles of this documentary.This paper will be divided into four parts.The first part and the second part deal with the basic theories,i.e.,definition of Chinese Culture-Loaded Words and of adaptation theory.The original text is analysed in the third part.This part deals with the background and specifics of the language of the documentary film Hexi Corridor.The fourth part deals with the difficulties encountered by the author in translation practice and the corresponding solutions adopted by the author.The translation difficulties are solved by five translation methods,namely transliteration,loan translation,substitution,interpretation,and adaptation.