Land development suitability analysis for transport planning evaluation and optimization in mountainous ecological region

Transportation planning is a critical component for creating an orderly,intensive,and sustainable pattern of land development.By comprehensively considering the potential and suitability of transport construction,a comprehensive method combining resources and environmental carrying capacity(RECC)and land development suitability(LDS)was developed by using techniques of GIS,analytic hierarchy process(AHP)and threedimensional magic cube.Taking Aba prefecture in Sichuan Province of Southwest China as a case study,LDS for transportation was analyzed from three aspects,including overall planning layout,different transport modes,and transportation projects.The results showed that the transport planning scales of most counties in Aba were suitable,and the order of LDS of different transport modes was railway>highway=superhighway>tourism track,which already included 42 new transportation projects.We found that two counties(Maoxian County and Jiuzhaigou County)should improve the ecological protection level of transportation,in which the railway network construction should be encouraged,and some transportation projects with low LDS should be postponed or constructed harmlessly.We suggest the combination of RECC and LDS for transportation could enhance the territorial space optimization and sustainable transport construction.

Estimation of Relative Ecological Value of Returning Farmland to Forest & Mountain Enclosure for Grazing Prohibition——A case study in Yongxing Township of Jingyuan County,Gansu Province

[Objective]Returning farmland to forest and mountain enclosure for grazing prohibition ecological effect and economy rationality were explored.[Methods]A case study of returning farmland to forest and barren hills grazing prohibition in Yongxing Township of Jingyuan County was used to discuss and estimate the relative ecological function and relative ecological value.[Results]1）The ecological value of the forest of returning farmland was far more than the sum of the ecological value of farm crops and the agricultural output,and also more than the national subsidy standard.So the state policy of returning farmland to forests is not only favorable to local eco-environment restoration,but also reasonable in economic development.2）The ecological value of mountain enclosure for grazing prohibition was less than the opportunity cost of prohibiting grazing,also less than the national subsidy standard.The sum of the relative ecological value of prohibiting grazing and the state subsidies was more than the opportunity cost of prohibiting grazing.However,the ecological value of new vegetation through returning farmland to forest project was greater than the China＇s average ecological value of grassland.[Conclusion]The relative ecological value can be used to solve the problems in the equivalent conversion among various ecological indexes and between ecological indexes and economic indexes.

Impact of Climate Change on Mountaineering Activities in Haba Snow Mountain Reserve and the Development of Surrounding Communities

In the context of global climate change, this study reviews and discusses the three aspects of ecology, economic development of surrounding communities, ecological balance and snow mountain activities in the Haba Snow Mountain Reserve through literature collation and research. 1) The Hengduan Mountain Plate of Haba Snow Mountain is affected by the high altitude temperate monsoon and is sensitive to climate change. There has been continuous glacier melting and snow line fluctuations. Although there is no forest line movement, the vegetation at the junction of the forest line has increased. 2) Human activities in the Haba Snow Mountain Reserve have shown an active trend, and the Biomass in various ecosystems in the region is inversely correlated. 3) Climate change will have a negative impact on landscape attraction and tourism safety in snowy mountain areas. 4) Haba Snow Mountain Reserve needs more perfect biological species statistical research and dynamic vegetation research to support the establishment of a perfect ecological protection strategy and ecological early warning in the region. 5) As the frequency of tourist activities in the Haba Protected Area increases, corresponding environmental protection signage, garbage cleaning methods, and tourist education have not been synchronizedly improved.

Relationship between Physical and Chemical Soil Attributes and Plant Species Diversity in Tropical Mountain Ecosystems from Brazil

Although the high diversity of plant species in the rupestrian fields has been primarily attributed to the existence of a set of distinct habitats, few studies support this assertion. The present study aimed to further investigate the relationship between physical and chemical attributes of soils with the diversity of plant species in this unique ecosystem. The rupestrian field is a unique vegetation formation that covers some of the southeastern Brazilian mountains in the transition of the Atlantic rain forest and the Cerrado(savanna). Different habitats occur according to soil characteristics(e.g., presence of rocks, sand, fertility, hydrology, etc.). These attributes ultimately influence the vegetation that is highly adapted to the harsh edaphic and climatic mountain conditions. Five distinct habitats were studied by us: rocky outcrops, peat bogs, sandy bogs, quartz gravel fields, and "cerrado"(savanna). A floristic survey indicated that four families are found at greater frequency: Poaceae, Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, and Leguminosae. The greatest diversity of plant species was found in the rocky outcrops habitat, followed by cerrado, peat bog, quartz gravel grassland, and sandy bogs, respectively. The main difference in the floristic composition among these habitats was related to the dominant species. Trachypogon spicatus(Poaceae) was the most dominant species in the rocky outcrops, Axonopus siccus(Poaceae) in the peat bogs, Lagenocarpus rigidus(Cyperaceae) in the sandy bogs, Schizachyrium tenerum(Poaceae) in the cerrado, while Vellozia sp. 8(Velloziaceae) dominated the vegetation in the quartz gravel grassland. This study demonstrated that physical and chemical soil properties strongly related the diversity of plant species occurring in the different habitats of rupestrian fields.

RATIONAL UTILIZATION OF MOUNTAIN SOILS IN SOUTHEAST QINGHAI-XIZANG (TIBETAN) PLATEAU

The southeast Qinghaicozang (Tibetan) Plateau is a physcal mpon ofvery complicated eco-envirorunent with optimum hydrothermal conditions. Thisregon conains not ouly vast expanse of alpine soils but also abounds in mosttypes of Chinese forest soils. The distributon and tallization of soils presents avery evident horizontal-vertical zonality. At present, panial soil resources arebeing damaged and the mountain ecology also tends to be instable. So rationalcuttin and forest conservation, barren mountain afferestation, retuming thecultivated land on stop slopes to forest, controlled graking, and soil ameliorationconstitute importan means for rational use of soil resources and improvement andstabilization of mountain ecology in tyis region

Prey availability, prey selection, and trophic niche width in the lizard Psammodromus algirus along an elevational gradient

Mountains imply enormous environmental variation, with alpine habitats entailing harsh environ- ments, especially for ectotherms such as lizards. This environmental variability also may imply variation in prey availability. However, little is known about how lizard trophic ecology varies with elevation. In this study, we analyze diet, prey availability, prey selection, and trophic niche width in the lacertid lizard Psammodromus algirus along a 2,200-m elevational gradient in the Sierra Nevada （SE Spain）. The analysis of fecal samples has shown that Orthoptera, Formicidae, Hemiptera, Coleoptera, and Araneae are the main prey, although, according to their abundance in pitfall traps, Formicidae and Coleoptera are rejected by the lizard whereas Orthoptera, Hemiptera, and Araneae are preferred. Prey abundance and diversity increase with elevation and diet subtly varies along with the elevational gradient. The consumption of Coleoptera increases with elevation probably as a consequence of the lizard foraging more in open areas while basking. The electivity for Araneae increases with elevation. Araneae are rejected in the lowlands--where they are rela- tively abundant--whereas, at high elevation, this lizard positively selects them, despite they being less abundant. The lizard trophic niche width expands with elevation due to concomitant greater prey diversity and hence this lizard feeds on more prey types in highlands. Although no sex difference in diet has been found, the trophic niche is broader in females than males. As a whole, alpine lizards show a trophic niche simitar to that found at lower elevat（ons, suggesting that P. algirus is well adapted to the harsh environment found in alpine areas.