Forest use suitability:Towards decision-making-oriented sustainable management of forest ecosystem services

Management of forest lands considering multi-functional approaches is the basis to sustain or enhance the provi-sion of specific benefits,while minimizing negative impacts to the environment.Defining a desired management itinerary to a forest depends on a variety of factors,including the forest type,its ecological characteristics,and the social and economic needs of local communities.A strategic assessment of the forest use suitability(FUS)(namely productive,protective,conservation-oriented,social and multi-functional)at regional level,based on the provision of forest ecosystem services and trade-offs between FUS alternatives,can be used to develop management strategies that are tailored to the specific needs and conditions of the forest.The present study assesses the provision of multiple forest ecosystem services and employs a decision model to identify the FUS that sup-ports the most present and productive ecosystem services in each stand in Catalonia.For this purpose,we apply the latest version of the Ecosystem Management Decision Support(EMDS)system,a spatially oriented decision support system that provides accurate results for multi-criteria management.We evaluate 32 metrics and 12 as-sociated ecosystem services indicators to represent the spatial reality of the region.According to the results,the dominant primary use suitability is social,followed by protective and productive.Nevertheless,final assignment of uses is not straightforward and requires an exhaustive analysis of trade-offs between all alternative options,in many cases identifying flexible outcomes,and increasing the representativeness of multi-functional use.The assignment of forest use suitability aims to significantly improve the definition of the most adequate management strategy to be applied.

Machine learning techniques for prediction of capacitance and remaining useful life of supercapacitors: A comprehensive review

Supercapacitors are appealing energy storage devices for their promising features like high power density,outstanding cycling stability,and a quick charge–discharge cycle.The exceptional life cycle and ultimate power capability of supercapacitors are needed in the transportation and renewable energy generation sectors.Hence,predicting the capacitance and lifecycle of supercapacitors is significant for selecting the suitable material and planning replacement intervals for supercapacitors.In addition,system failures can be better addressed by accurately forecasting the lifecycle of SCs.Recently,the use of machine learning for performance prediction of energy storage materials has drawn increasing attention from researchers globally because of its superiority in prediction accuracy,time efficiency,and costeffectiveness.This article presents a detailed review of the progress and advancement of ML techniques for the prediction of capacitance and remaining useful life(RUL)of supercapacitors.The review starts with an introduction to supercapacitor materials and ML applications in energy storage devices,followed by workflow for ML model building for supercapacitor materials.Then,the summary of machine learning applications for the prediction of capacitance and RUL of different supercapacitor materials including EDLCs(carbon based materials),pesudocapacitive(oxides and composites)and hybrid materials is presented.Finally,the general perspective for future directions is also presented.

Sustainable Intensification of Cultivated Land Use and Its Influencing Factors at the Farming Household Scale: A Case Study of Shandong Province, China

Promoting the sustainable intensification of cultivated land use(SICL) has become crucial for ensuring a sufficient supply of grain and important agricultural products, as well as for the sustainable use of resources. Taking widely used areas of Shandong Province in China as examples, an analytical scale and level framework for SICL is constructed in this study. It measures the level of SICL through material flow analysis, constructs Tobit models to analyze the influencing factors of SICL at the farming household scale,and analyzes the transition mechanisms of SICL. The results show that the overall level of SICL in Shandong Province is low, and the spatial distribution is uneven. There are relatively more farmers participating in unsustainable intensification than in medium or low levels of SICL, with farmers working at a high level of SICL making up the smallest proportion. The factors that determine the level of SICL at which farmers work vary significantly. More male farmers operate at a low SICL level than female farmers, while females outnumber males at a high SICL level. This is mainly related to the regional distribution of age and population. Meanwhile, with larger cultivated land areas, there is a lower degree of land fragmentation, with a higher level of SICL corresponding to a smaller distance to the nearest town closer within 1–5 km from the town center. We can see the level of SICL and its processes themselves are closely related to time and space scales. Based on the above analysis, it is necessary to clarify the standard processes of SICL to adapt them to local conditions. This includes instructing managers on how to improve resource utilization, increase the sustainable development of cultivated land and establish a comprehensively efficient and functional SICL mechanism. The sustainable intensification of cultivated land use and its specific application in the new era are conducive to enriching the frontier theories and methodology of sustainable development, and are of great significance to the advancement of green agriculture and the decision-making of rural high-quality development.

Potentiality of Clay Raw Materials from Northern Morocco in Ceramic Industry: Tetouan and Meknes Areas

This study aims at evaluating the potential suitability of Tetouan and Meknes (central Morocco) clay material as raw materials in various ceramic applications by investigating their textural, chemical, thermal and firing characteristics. Textural properties were identified by specific surface area, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and bulk density (ρs). Chemical and thermal properties were assessed using XRF and TG/DTA techniques, respectively. Firing characteristics at temperatures from 800℃ to 1100℃ were determined by linear firing shrinkage, loss on weight and water absorption capacity. The Meknes clays are characterised by medium cation exchange capacity (CEC) and specific surface area (SSA) values due to their moderate smectite content. The Tetouan clays have medium to low CEC and medium SSA values. The main oxides in the clayey samples are SiO2 (35 - 54.3 wt%), Al2O3 (20.6 - 43.9 wt%), and Fe2O3 (9.7 - 22.4 wt%). The amount of CaO in Meknes clays ranges from 8 to 12 wt%, whereas CaO is only present in some Tetouan clay (TE4, TE7, TN4 and TN5). A significant densification of ceramic behaviour could be noticed for most of Tetouan clays at firing temperatures above 1000℃. Meknes clays show earlier densification from 800℃. The chemical, textural and ceramic properties of Tetouan and Meknes clays indicate their suitability as raw materials for the production of structural ceramics. The high amount of Fe2O3 in all clays makes them inappropriate in fine ceramics.

Preparation and Magnetic Properties of SrFe12O19 Ferrites Suitable for Use in Self-Biased LTCC Circulators

Strontium ferrites with different Bi2O3 content are prepared by the solid phase method, and their magnetic properties are investigated primarily. The Bi2O3 additive and sintering temperature separately exhibit a strong effect on the sintering density, crystal structure, and magnetic properties of the ferrites. As to the ferrites with 3 wt% Bi2O3, the relatively high sintering density ρs, saturation magnetization Ms, and intrinsic coercivity HCi can be obtained at a low sintering temperature of 900℃ even much lower. Furthermore, the effective magnetic anisotropy constant Keff and magnetic anisotropy field Ha of the ferrites are calculated from the magnetization curve by the law of approach to saturation. It is suggested that the low-temperature sintered SrFe12O19 ferrites with Ms of 285.6 kA/m and Ha of 1564.6 kA/m possess a significant potentiality for applying in the self-biased low-temperature co-fired ceramics circulators from 34 to 40GHz.

Studies on Land Resource Inventory for Agricultural Land Use Planning in Northern Transition Zone of India through Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques

Land suitability analysis is a prerequisite to achieving optimum utilization of available land resources. Hence, a study on land resource inventory for agricultural land use planning was conducted in the Northern Transition Zone of India to determine land capability and develop a suitability map for wheat and sorghum-based on physical and climatic factors of production using remote sensing and GIS techniques. Detailed soil survey information was used for this exercise. Four series (Singhanhalli, Mugli, Bogur and Venkatapur series) were identified and mapped into seventeen mapping units. Land capability classification showed that a greater portion of the study area belonged to class III followed by class IV with limitations of erosion, wetness and varying soil properties. Four land capability classes viz., II, III, IV, and VI, and seven subclasses viz., IIsf, IIItsf, IVs, IVt, IVts, IVtsf and VIt were identified. Major limitations of these subclasses were slope, erosion, depth, texture, coarse fragments, pH, organic carbon and base saturation. Soil suitability assessment revealed that the soils are moderately suitable to permanently not suitable. About 234 ha (31.6%) is moderately suitable, 494 ha (65.0%) marginally suitable and 10.2 ha (1.3%) permanently not suitable for wheat;while 78.5 ha (10.3%) is moderately suitable, 633.4 ha (82.3%) marginally suitable and 32.6 ha (4.3%) permanently not suitable for sorghum respectively. The moderate, marginal and permanent non-suitability was due to moderate, severe and very severe limitations respectively. However, it is possible to achieve potential yield of the crops in the study area if these limitations are addressed.

The Use of Self-cleaning Materials and Study Their Impact on the Quality of the Visual Appearance of Large Industrial Cities

One of the capabilities of the architecture is to respond to growing and,in some cases,varied needs of users.However,architecture and construction industry,in comparison with other sciences,have been very slow and inadequate to implement this technology despite very suitable ground for improvement.At the moment,one of the most essential discussions in this field is how to achieve qualitative understanding of construction materials.Accordingly,one of the key sections of a construction which plays a significant role in optimizing performance is shell of the building.In this article,in addition to the utilization technique of selfcleaning materials in construction industry which will result in embellishment of urban design,an attempt has also been made to present a suitable model on how to utilize these materials in order to improve the visual appearance quality of megalopolises.The technology of self-cleaning surfaces in order to increase durability and reduce costs and required time for equipment maintenance has currently become the focal point in construction industry.Now providing one answer to the question of whether will selfcleaning,purifying facades change the future of urban architecture?The main panorama of this research is to find and establish a dynamic and sustainable balance in embellishment of urban design.The necessity of research in this field as well as finding the best and most practical solution seem.To achieve all this,an analytical and descriptive research has been utilized,data has been collected by various books and national and international websites.

Ecological planning of land use in the central area of Tianjin,China

This paper is attempted to develop a set of suitable principles and methodologies for urban ecological planning of land use,to analyze the ecological suitability of different kinds of land use patterns of Tianjin City, to help local decision makers to work out concrete ecological strategies for promoting a sound development of the city and for improving the life quality of the citizens, and to provide the decision makers with a new approach for solving the environmental problems brought about by the improper mixture of industry and residence.

Land use suitability analysis for town development planning in Nanjing hilly areas: A case study of Tangshan new town, China

Land use suitability analysis plays an important role in sustainable land use and solving environmental problems caused by rapid urban development.A land use suitability mapping approach for town development planning in hilly areas was constructed based on two multi-criteria evaluation methods:Weighted Linear Combination(WLC)and Ordered Weighted Averaging(OWA),to comparatively evaluate and map land use suitability of Tangshan new town in Nanjing,China.Fourteen evaluation factors related to topographic,environmental,socio-economics and historical sites data were used as suitability criteria.The analytic hierarchy process(AHP)method and GIS techniques were integrated into the evaluation models to create the land use suitability map for town development planning.The results of WLC approach showed that 11.4%of the total area is highly suitable while the 48.6%is unsuitable.The results of WLC and OWA approach showed the distribution of degree of land use suitability is almost the same.The areas located at the southern and eastern flat regions are highly suitable for land use,whereas the areas close to the mountain forests,steep slopes,waters,and hot springs,have lower suitability for land use.Sensitivity analysis indicated that the suitability results of the two proposed methods are robust.Indirect validation was achieved by mutual comparison of suitability maps derived from the WLC and OWA methods.It demonstrated that the overall agreement is 90.81%and kappa coefficient is 0.81,indicating that both methods provide very similar spatial suitability distributions.By overlaying the resultant map with the previous master plan map of Tangshan new town,the overlay map once again indicated a satisfactory ecological fit between the two maps.At last,several recommendations are proposed aiming at improving the long-term town development plan for Tangshan new town.

Integrated Application of RS and GIS to Agriculture Land Use Planning

This paper gives some guidelines of land use planning firstly.A framework of agriculture land use planning is designed based on land use suitability evaluation using integrated technologies of RS and GIS.Further work expected is also given.

A Case Study of an Experienced University EFL Teacher’s Use of POA Teaching Materials

Although research on teaching materials use has important implications for materials development,little literature examines how teachers actually use materials in the classroom.The present study,taking the theoretical framework for using and evaluating Production-Oriented Approach(POA)teaching materials(Wen,2017),explores the procedure and the rationale of an experienced Chinese university EFL teacher’s use of POA teaching materials.Multiple methods were employed in data collection,including classroom observations,teacher interviews,the teacher’s lesson plans,and PowerPoints,as well as students’written and oral products.Data analysis showed that the teacher followed a three-phase process of materials use.Before class,teaching objectives were set,materials were selected,adapted,and then transformed into teaching activities.During class,the teaching activities were implemented with the materials.After class,the effectiveness of using the materials was assessed.The study revealed that the teacher played an active role in practicing the essential POA principles of“productive-objectives-determined”and“input-in-service-to-output”in the entire process of material use.

Proximate and ultimate factors that promote aggregated breeding in the Western Sandpiper

We report that Western Sandpipers （Calidris mauri） on Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim River Delta exhibited aggregated breeding behavior at a relatively small spatial scale. Prior to clutch initiation, males performing song flight displays on a 36 ha plot were aggregated as were subsequent initial nesting attempts on the plot. We tested three hypotheses commonly invoked to explain aggregated breeding in territorial species （social mate choice, predation, and material resources hypotheses）, and found support for the material resources hypothesis, as dispersed individuals were more often associated with tundra habitat patches, and aggregated individuals nested more often in undulating-tundra habitat patches compared to patch availability. The pattern of habitat occupancy conformed to an ideal despotic distribution with aggregated nesting birds in undulating-tundra patches experiencing lower reproductive success. On our study plot, older, more aggressive males solicited females more often, and defended larger, more dispersed sites in tundra habitat patches, compared to younger, less aggressive males that were aggregated in undulating-tundra habitat patches. Breeding aggregations are often concentrated on or near a critical resource. In contrast, Western Sandpiper breeding aggregations occur when dominant and/or older individuals exclude younger, subordinate individuals from preferred habitat. Although many taxa of non-colonial birds have been reported to aggregate breeding territories, this is the first quantitative report of aggregated breeding behavior in a non-colonial monogamous shorebird species prior to hatch.

Land Suitability Evaluation to Determine the Appropriate Areas of Development: A Case Study of Hormuz Island

One of the basic prerequisites for the development of spatial programs and policies is evaluating the land suitability for future land uses based on the principals of ecological sustainability. This analysis is critical in islands due to special characteristics such as limited natural resources, interdependent and more complex ecosystems, high vulnerability to natural hazards, climate change and economic vulnerability. Accordingly, this paper based on the ecological approach and using Geographic Information System software package and Analytic Hierarchy Process and developing appropriate criteria has analyzed the land suitability of Hormuz Island. The findings clearly show the land suitability to develop industrial, agriculture, tourism land uses and can be the basis for planning the future development of the island based on the ecological sustainability.

Evaluation of shallow geothermal energy resources in the Beijing-Tianjin- Hebei Plain based on land use

To discover the characteristics,distribution and potential of shallow geothermal energy in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Plain area.This paper,based on a large amount of data collection and field investigations,evaluateed the shallow-layer geothermal energy in the study area through the analytic hierarchy process and comprehensive index method.Based on suitability zoning results superimposed with 1:100000 land use data,the study area is divided into encouraged,controlled,restricted and prospective mining areas regarding the development of shallow geothermal energy,and the economic availability of shallow geothermal energy in the encouraged and controlled areas are evaluated.The results show that the shallow geothermal energy in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Plain can meet the heating and cooling demand of 6×10^(8) m2 of buildings,equivalent to 1.15×10^(7) t of standard coal,thus reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 2.73×10^(7) t and reducing sulfur dioxide emissions by 1.95×10^(5) t.According to the development and utilization mode,the energy demand level and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development plan,the development and utilization of geothermal resources in the plain area has two types:Urban concentrated mining areas and rural scattered mining areas.The scale and level of intensive utilization of regional geothermal resources are of great significance.

The“Fassadenladen”(Facade Shutter)—A New Interpretation of the Window Shutter,with Biogenic Materials

As part of a collaborative project,we took the window shutter—a widely used traditional facade element—and reinterpreted it for“adaptive”solutions using new,sustainable technologies.The aim was to design a modular construction kit that varies radiant energy,light and air flow to weather conditions and occupant requirements in new and existing residential and office buildings.

Approaches for Evaluating the Groundwater Suitability for Domestic and Agricultural Uses in Guenniche Plain, Northern Tunisia

In add and semi-add regions groundwater is often the only natural resource for water supply. Suitability of groundwater for domestic and irrigation purposes as well as its hydrochemical characteristics was estimated in the aquifer of Guenniche plain in Northern Tunisia. Samples, collected in March and July 2007, were analysed for a range of chemical parameters （pH, conductivity, TDS, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulphate, chloride, carbonate and bicarbonate）. The mean concentration of cations （mg.L-~） indicated that Na＋ 〉 Ca2＋ 〉 Mg2＋ 〉 K＋. Similarly, the mean concentration of anions （mg.L-1） displayed the following decreasing trend： Cl-〉 SO42〉 HCO3〉 CO32-. A comparison of groundwater quality parameters in relation to specified limits for drinking water showed that the concentrations of EC, TDS, Ca2＋, Na＋, Cl-, SO42 and total hardness exceeded the desirable limits in many water samples. Majority of the samples were not suitable for drinking purposes. Furthermore, suitability of groundwater for irrigation was evaluated based on sodium absorption ratio, sodium percent, permeability index, residual sodium carbonate, magnesium hazard and Kelly＇s ratio. All these quality parameters revealed that the groundwater is of good to suitable category for irrigation.

Proposed Relief Map of the Suitability of the Maranhão River Basin, Brazil, for Anthropogenic Use

In this paper, we proposed a method for mapping the suitability of land for intensive anthropogenic use in the Maranhao River Basin, in the state of Goiás, Brazil. We analyzed existing 1:250,000 maps of the local geology, drainage system topography and geomorphological features. We generated new information based on our analysis, including a compilation of basic morphometric data and a map of the slopes in the basin, which we used to construct the geomorphological suitability map of the watershed. Our results indicate that 40% of the study area can support intensive anthropogenic use;the remaining 60% of the basin area is categorized as “fragile” regarding the expansion of intensive land use.

First tower line using composite material commissioned in Jiangsu

On December 3, 2009, the upgraded 220-kV Mao-Qiang line of Jiangsu Lianyungang Power Supply Co. was put into operation. It is the first high voltage

Ecological Suitability Evaluation on Agricultural Land in Western Jilin Province Based on Fuzzy Mathematics

[Objective] This study was to evaluate the ecological suitability of agricultural land in western Jilin Province, with the aim to provide basis for the effective application of agricultural resources and the structural adjustment of land use. [Method] The evaluation index system was constructed based on fuzzy mathematic method according to the principles of systematic, dominant, effectiveness and feasibility; based on law of tolerance, reasonable evaluation criteria were determined according to the ecological amplitude of crops; based on GIS processing, the initial data completed the mathematical operation by using the VBA program in Excel. [Result] The area of agricultural land grade I was 5 512 km2, grade II of 25 985 km2, grade Ill of 7 907 km2, and area of land not suitable for agriculture was 6 312 km2. According to the evaluation results, the key areas for land use adjustment were Zhenlai County, Da＇an County, Tongyu County and western Changling County. The directions of land use adjustment included improving irrigation and drainage conditions, governing land salinization and conversion of cropland to forest and grassland. [Conclusion] This study provided basis for the effective application of agricultural resources and ecological environment construction in western Jilin Province.

不同花生品种水煮加工适宜性评价方法与指标

目前,市场上水煮花生品种杂乱、评价标准模糊,且不同品种的水煮花生品质差异大,亟需进行不同花生品种水煮加工适宜性评价,建立相应评价方法和指标,为水煮花生加工适宜性评价提供参考依据,助力水煮花生产业高质量发展。本研究充分评价23个鲜食花生基本营养物质组成和水煮花生品质指标,利用层次聚类分析、相关性分析和逻辑回归模型建立了水煮花生加工适宜性评价方法与指标,筛选出适宜水煮的加工专用品种。确定水煮花生品质一级标准:水煮花生荚果长29.13~36.37 mm、荚果宽15.38~15.87 mm、硬度3137.35~3363.29 g、蛋白质含量23.01~24.14 g/100 g、蔗糖含量3.55~5.19 g/100 g。筛选确定了5个显著相关变量:脂肪、蛋白质、蔗糖、粗纤维、精氨酸含量,P<0.05。利用逻辑回归建立水煮花生适宜性评价模型,内部验证准确率为91.30%;建立水煮花生加工适宜性评价方法与指标,筛选出适宜加工水煮花生的专用品种6个(1,7,8,9,10,19)。