Satellite observations of coastal upwelling in the northern Arafura Sea

Coastal upwelling is significant for marine ecosystems by lifting nutrient-rich deep waters into the euphotic zone,thereby increasing primary and secondary productivity.The satellite observations show that the northern Arafura Sea(NAS),especially in the coastal region,features high chlorophyll-a(chl-a)concentrations,implying a strong coastal upwelling.However,coastal upwelling in the NAS has not received much attention.Based on a semi-automatic image processing technology,the seasonal and interannual variability of coastal upwelling in the NAS are investigated in this study using satellite-observed sea surface temperature(SST)and wind data.The results suggest that there are seasonal coastal upwelling events in the NAS modulated by upwelling-favorable southeast monsoon(SEM).The annual mean days,mean area,and annual mean intensity of coastal upwelling events during the SEM season are 92 days,6514 km^(2),and-5.31×10^(5),respectively,while the corresponding values during the northwest monsoon(NWM)season are 32 days,5569 km^(2),and-1.41×10^(5).It is also found that the SEM coastal upwelling in the NAS displays prominent interannual variability.The strong upwelling events are found in 2010,2013,2016,and 2017 when the southeast monsoon winds were weaker.Further analysis suggests that at the interannual scale,the upwelling index(UI)averaged in the SEM season is negatively correlated with that of three upwelling indicators.This can be attributed to the limitation of onshore geostrophic flow which is evidenced by the negative correlation between the UI and the alongshore difference in sea surface height.This study highlights the important role of the southeast monsoon in the temporal variability of coastal upwelling in the NAS.

Evaluation of Medical Prescribers’ Theoretical Knowledge on Medical Imaging in the Northern Region of Burkina Faso

Introduction: Medical imaging is a medical specialty that involves producing images of the human body and interpreting them for diagnostic, therapeutic purposes, and for monitoring the progress of pathologies. We aimed to assess the theoretical knowledge of doctors and interns in medical imaging in the northern region of Burkina Faso. Methodology: This was a descriptive cross-sectional survey based on a self-administered questionnaire. Prescribers knowledge was estimated based on scores derived from questionnaire responses. Results: We collected 106 questionnaires out of 163, i.e. a participation rate of 65.03%. The average knowledge score was 81.71% for the contribution of medical imaging to patient management. It was 60.02% for the indications/counter-indications of radiological examinations and 72.56% for the risks associated with exposure to radiation during these examinations. The score was 59.83% for the methods used to select the appropriate radiological examination. As regards the completeness of the clinical and biological information on the forms requesting imaging examinations, the score was 96.65%. Specialist doctors had the highest overall level of knowledge (74.68%). Conclusion: Improved technical facilities, good initial and in-service training, and interdisciplinary collaboration will help to ensure that imaging tests are properly prescribed, leading to better patient care.

Effects of Enclosure on Grassland Ecological and Economic Benefits in Northern China

Grasslands in northern China serve the country as both an ecological barrier and a livestock production base.There,installing enclosures has been becoming the major grassland restoration measure adopted by many local governments.However,the effects of restoration on both ecological and production benefits of grassland remain unclear for implemented grassland restoration policies.Therefore,a representative rangeland in northern China,the Maodeng pasture in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region was selected as the study area,and remote sensing monitoring analyses were carried out to quantify the ecological benefits and economic benefits from 2015 to 2021.The results showed that:1) in terms of ecological benefits,the grassland area with a grassland coverage rate of more than 60% accounts for 32.3% of the regional area,and 86.4% of its grassland grew significantly better than the same period in2015,showing a significant improvement in grassland growth.Using the average amount of carbon per unit area as the ecological benefit evaluation index,it increased by 27.1% to 32.48Tg C/yr from 2015 to 2021.2) In terms of economic benefits,both theoretical grass production and livestock carrying capacity increased from 2015 to 2021.Compared to 2015,the theoretical grass production in 2021 increased by 24.8% to 71 900 t.The livestock carrying capacity reached 52 100 sheep units in 2021,nearly 11 000 sheep units more than that in 2015.During the study period,multiple economic indicators(on a per capita basis of permanent residents) for the pastoral area of Xilinhot City to which the Maodeng pasture belongs,have grown steadily.Per capita total income rose from 29 630 yuan(RMB) in2015 to 62 859 yuan(RMB) in 2021.Relying on grassland resources to develop the pastoral ecology also broadens the potential economic development space.Overall,the establishment of the reserve and the experiment of implanting an enclosure policy have had a significant and positive impact on Maodeng pasture’s development from both an ecological and economic perspective.With the support of scientific evidence,enclosure policy can be extended to more than 110 000 km~2 of grasslands in northern China with similar precipitation and temperature conditions,enhancing the productive and ecological potential of grasslands.The above research results will contribute to the scientific formulation of grassland pasture quality improvement plans in northern China.

Coral records of Mid-Holocene sea-level highstands and climate responses in the northern South China Sea

High-resolution sea-level data and high-precision dating of corals in the northern South China Sea(SCS)during the Holocene provide a reference and historical background for current and future sea-level changes and a basis for scientific assessment of the evolutionary trend of coral reefs in the SCS.Although sporadic studies have been performed around Hainan Island in the northern SCS,the reconstructed sea level presents different values or is controversial because the indicative meaning of the sea-level indicators were neither quantified nor uniform criteria.Here,we determined the quantitative relationship between modern living coral and sea level by measuring the top surfaces of 27 live Porites corals from the inner reef flat along the east coast of Hainan Island and assessed the accuracy of results obtained using coral as sea-level indicators.Additionally,three in situ fossil Porites corals were analyzed based on elevation measurements,digital X-ray radiography,and U-Th dating.The survey results showed that the indicative meanings for the modern live Porites corals is(146.09±8.35)cm below the mean tide level(MTL).It suggested that their upward growth limit is constrained by the sea level,and the lowest low water is the highest level of survival for the modern live Porites corals.Based on the newly defined indicative meanings,6 new sea-level index points(SLIPs)were obtained and 19 published SLIPs were recalculated.Those SLIPs indicated a relative sea level fluctuation between(227.7±9.8)cm to(154.88±9.8)cm MTL between(5393±25)cal a BP and(3390±12)cal a BP,providing evidences of the Mid-Holocene sea-level highstand in the northern SCS.Besides that,our analysis demonstrated that different sea-level histories may be produced based on different indicative meanings or criteria.The dataset of 276 coral U-Th ages indicates that coral reef development in the northern SCS comprised the initial development,boom growth,decline,and flourishing development again.A comparison with regional records indicated that synergistic effects of climatic and environmental factors were involved in the development of coral reefs in the northern SCS.Thus,the cessation of coral reef development during the Holocene in the northern SCS was probably associated with the dry and cold climate in South China,as reflected in the synchronous weakening of the ENSO and East Asian summer monsoon induced by the reduction of the 65°N summer insolation,which forced the migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone.

Analysis on characteristics of extreme precipitation indices and atmospheric circulation in Northern Shanxi

This article utilizes daily precipitation data from 28 national meteorological stations in northern Shanxi Province spanning from 1972 to 2020,and the US NCEP/NCAR monthly average reanalysis and ERA5 monthly average reanalysis data.The study employs techniques such as empirical orthogonal function(EOF)decomposition,MannKendall mutation and other methods to investigate the spatiotemporal distribution of extreme precipitation index in northern Shanxi and their correlation with atmospheric circulation.The research results show that:the absolute index,relative index,intensity index and sustained dry period index(CDD)in the continuous index appear from southwest to northeast.The spatial distribution characteristics of the central region decrease,while the continuous wet period(CWD)decreases from the central to the east and west.The three indices Rx1day,Rx5day,and CWD mutated in 1978,1975,and 1983 respectively,and other extreme precipitation indices all appeared in a sudden change from a low-value period to a high-value period occurred around 2010.In the high-value years of the summer extreme precipitation index,there is a significant negative anomaly in the height field in the mid-high latitude regions of Eurasia.Northern Shanxi is controlled by a broad low-pressure trough in the Lake Baikal area.Water vapor transported via the east,west,and south routes converges in the northern Shanxi region and encounters cold air from the north.There is a strong upward motion anomaly at 500 hPa in the troposphere,and the dynamic conditions of upper-level divergence and lower-level convergence lead to more summer extreme precipitation in the northern Shanxi region.Conversely,in the low-value years of the summer extreme precipitation index,northern Shanxi is affected by a strong high-pressure ridge north of Lake Baikal.There is a downward motion anomaly at 500 hPa,and the northern Shanxi region lacks water vapor.The cold and warm air cannot converge,and both the water vapor conditions and dynamic conditions are poor,which is not conducive to the production of extreme precipitation in northern Shanxi.

A Multi-Strategy-Improved Northern Goshawk Optimization Algorithm for Global Optimization and Engineering Design

Optimization algorithms play a pivotal role in enhancing the performance and efficiency of systems across various scientific and engineering disciplines.To enhance the performance and alleviate the limitations of the Northern Goshawk Optimization(NGO)algorithm,particularly its tendency towards premature convergence and entrapment in local optima during function optimization processes,this study introduces an advanced Improved Northern Goshawk Optimization(INGO)algorithm.This algorithm incorporates a multifaceted enhancement strategy to boost operational efficiency.Initially,a tent chaotic map is employed in the initialization phase to generate a diverse initial population,providing high-quality feasible solutions.Subsequently,after the first phase of the NGO’s iterative process,a whale fall strategy is introduced to prevent premature convergence into local optima.This is followed by the integration of T-distributionmutation strategies and the State Transition Algorithm(STA)after the second phase of the NGO,achieving a balanced synergy between the algorithm’s exploitation and exploration.This research evaluates the performance of INGO using 23 benchmark functions alongside the IEEE CEC 2017 benchmark functions,accompanied by a statistical analysis of the results.The experimental outcomes demonstrate INGO’s superior achievements in function optimization tasks.Furthermore,its applicability in solving engineering design problems was verified through simulations on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV)trajectory planning issues,establishing INGO’s capability in addressing complex optimization challenges.

Depression&Anxiety Among Women in Northern Kenya:Sociodemographic Predictors

This article documents socio-demographic predictors of anxiety and depression among Maasai women in resource poor settings in Northern Kenya.These findings emerged from the findings of a dissertation research that aimed to establish the treatment effectiveness of an eclectic model of psychoeducation(PE)in treating depressive and anxiety symptoms among the women.The study adopted a quasi-experimental research design which had an experimental group(EG)and control group(CG).The population for the study was 686 female members of Conservation Enterprise Groups(CEG)in Laikipia County,from which a sample of 200 were recruited for the study(EG,n=100 and CG,n=100),at 80%power and 30%effective size.The Beck’s Depression Inventory(BDI)and Beck’s Anxiety Inventory(BAI)tools were used to assess the symptoms of depression and anxiety,respectively.The PE was provided as an intervention treatment to the EG at the middle and end of the study,after which the respondents were tested for symptoms of depression.The study established the prevalence of depression as 26.7%and 31.3%for anxiety and disorders,among women in the region.Data was analyzed using SPSS Version 21.0.

Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Maximum and Minimum Temperature Trends in Northern Sudan during (1990-2019)

The study addresses an urgent and globally significant issue of climate change by focusing on the detailed spatial and temporal analysis of temperature trends in Northern Sudan. It fills a critical research gap by providing localized data over a substantial period (1990-2019), which could help in understanding the nuanced impacts of climate change in Sahel regions like Northern Sudan. In addition, the comprehensive coverage of both spatial and temporal dimensions, supported by a substantial dataset from five meteorological stations, provides a thorough understanding of the subject area. The utilization of robust statistical methods (Mann-Kendall test and Sen’s slope analysis) for analyzing temperature trends adds scientific rigor and credibility to the findings. Our results reveal a consistently increasing trend in maximum temperatures across most stations, particularly during the hot season (AMJ). However, the wet season (JAS) shows high maximum temperatures but no significant trend. Moreover, significant increasing trends in minimum temperatures were observed in all stations except Abu Hamed, where the trend, although increasing, did not reach statistical significance during the hot and cold seasons, and the coldest temperatures were observed during the cold season. These findings underscore the complex temperature dynamics in Northern Sudan and highlight the need for continued monitoring and adaptive measures in response to ongoing climate changes in the region.

Spatial differences of Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)among counties(cities)on the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains

The county(city)located on the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains is the primary area to solidify and extend the success of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,China in poverty alleviation.Its Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)are intertwined with the concerted economic and social development of Xinjiang and the objective of achieving shared prosperity within the region.This study established a sustainable development evaluation framework by selecting 15 SDGs and 20 secondary indicators from the United Nations’SDGs.The aim of this study is to quantitatively assess the progress of SDGs at the county(city)level on the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains.The results indicate that there are substantial variations in the scores of SDGs among the nine counties and one city located on the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains.Notable high scores of SDGs are observed in the central and eastern regions,whereas lower scores are prevalent in the western areas.The scores of SDGs,in descending order,are as follows:62.22 for Minfeng County,54.22 for Hotan City,50.21 for Qiemo County,42.54 for Moyu County,41.56 for Ruoqiang County,41.39 for Qira County,39.86 for Lop County,38.25 for Yutian County,38.10 for Pishan County,and 36.87 for Hotan County.The performances of SDGs reveal that Hotan City,Lop County,Minfeng County,and Ruoqiang County have significant sustainable development capacity because they have three or more SDGs ranked as green color.However,Hotan County,Moyu County,Qira County,and Yutian County show the poorest performance,as they lack SDGs with green color.It is important to establish and enhance mechanisms that can ensure sustained income growth among poverty alleviation beneficiaries,sustained improvement in the capacity of rural governance,and the gradual improvement of social security system.These measures will facilitate the effective implementation of SDGs.Finally,this study offers a valuable support for governmental authorities and relevant departments in their decision-making processes.In addition,these results hold significant reference value for assessing SDGs at the county(city)level,particularly in areas characterized by low levels of economic development.

Enrichment model and major controlling factors of below-source tight oil in Lower Cretaceous Fuyu reservoirs in northern Songliao Basin,NE China

Based on the geochemical,seismic,logging and drilling data,the Fuyu reservoirs of the Lower Cretaceous Quantou Formation in northern Songliao Basin are systematically studied in terms of the geological characteristics,the tight oil enrichment model and its major controlling factors.First,the Quantou Formation is overlaid by high-quality source rocks of the Upper Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation,with the development of nose structure around sag and the broad and continuous distribution of sand bodies.The reservoirs are tight on the whole.Second,the configuration of multiple elements,such as high-quality source rocks,reservoir rocks,fault,overpressure and structure,controls the tight oil enrichment in the Fuyu reservoirs.The source-reservoir combination controls the tight oil distribution pattern.The pressure difference between source and reservoir drives the charging of tight oil.The fault-sandbody transport system determines the migration and accumulation of oil and gas.The positive structure is the favorable place for tight oil enrichment,and the fault-horst zone is the key part of syncline area for tight oil exploration.Third,based on the source-reservoir relationship,transport mode,accumulation dynamics and other elements,three tight oil enrichment models are recognized in the Fuyu reservoirs:(1)vertical or lateral migration of hydrocarbon from source rocks to adjacent reservoir rocks,that is,driven by overpressure,hydrocarbon generated is migrated vertically or laterally to and accumulates in the adjacent reservoir rocks;(2)transport of hydrocarbon through faults between separated source and reservoirs,that is,driven by overpressure,hydrocarbon migrates downward through faults to the sandbodies that are separated from the source rocks;and(3)migration of hydrocarbon through faults and sandbodies between separated source and reservoirs,that is,driven by overpressure,hydrocarbon migrates downwards through faults to the reservoir rocks that are separated from the source rocks,and then migrates laterally through sandbodies.Fourth,the differences in oil source conditions,charging drive,fault distribution,sandbody and reservoir physical properties cause the differential enrichment of tight oil in the Fuyu reservoirs.Comprehensive analysis suggests that the Fuyu reservoir in the Qijia-Gulong Sag has good conditions for tight oil enrichment and has been less explored,and it is an important new zone for tight oil exploration in the future.

Urban Spatial Form Optimization Strategies Based on the Principle of Climate Adaptability of Regional Architecture: A Case Study of Traditional Cave Dwelling Villages in Northern Shaanxi Province

A multitude of climate-adaptive design approaches are embedded in regional architecture,which have a positive impact on addressing the deformed development of urban spatial patterns and the dual challenges of climate and resources.This paper examines the principles of climate adaptability embedded in the site layout and spatial organization characteristics of traditional cave dwelling villages in northern Shaanxi Province.The extracted climate adaptability principles are summarized,and the resulting design strategies that are well-suited to the contemporary urban space form are presented.Through analysis,it can be observed that traditional cave dwelling villages in northern Shaanxi are predominantly situated on south-facing slopes in proximity to water at low altitudes.These villages are characterized by compact building groups and east-west development,which is constrained by the elements of mountains and rivers.A two-level street system is generated,comprising streets parallel to the contour line and roadways perpendicular to the contour line.This results in the formation of a courtyard form enclosed by mountains.Such site layout and spatial organization exhibit excellent climate adaptability with regard to heat,ventilation,and wind storage.In light of the aforementioned considerations,the following urban spatial form design strategies are put forth:①the topographic height difference can be exploited to obtain sufficient sunshine;②the group shape can be optimized in order to reduce building energy consumption;③the best orientation of the building can be chosen to take account of both winter and summer conditions;④the height and length can be combined in order to form natural masking;⑤the D/H ratio of streets and roadways should be controlled to achieve a balance between heat gain and cooling of groups;⑥vents should be set appropriately to optimize group ventilation;⑦climate buffers should be established to increase the level of climate response.

Trend in seasonal amplitude of northern net ecosystem production:Simulated results from IAP DGVM in CAS-ESM2

北方陆地净生态系统生产力(NEP)具有明显的季节变化特征,这是大气CO_(2)季节变化的关键驱动.研究这些碳循环过程并理解潜在的驱动因素是气候研究的一个关键问题.本文利用第二代中国科学院地球系统模式(CAS-ESM2)中的全球植被动态模型(IAPDGVM),研究了1990-2014年北方NEP(40°-90°N)的季节振幅及其变化趋势.在初始化试验的基础上,本文开展了一个控制试验来评估模拟的北方NEP季节幅度的变化趋势,同时开展了三个敏感性试验来研究气候和大气CO_(2)的贡献.结果表明:1990-2014年,模拟的北方NEP季节振幅显著增加,趋势为9.69万吨碳/月/年,这主要是由于最大NEP增加所致.当分别排除CO_(2)施肥效应和气候效应时,上述增加趋势大大减弱.这些显著的减少表明大气CO_(2)和气候变化对北方NEP的季节性振幅有重要影响.尽管模式存在不确定性,但这些结果有利于进一步提升IAPDGVM对陆地碳循环的精确模拟,也为CAS-ESM研究碳-气候相互作用的应用提供了重要参考.

Performance Evaluation of Three Parameterizations on Internal Tidal Mixing in the Northern Pacific

The accurate assessment of the energy dissipation of internal tides(ITs)is of great importance because ITs contribute significantly to abyssal mixing.Thus,in this study,the IT-driven dissipation and diapycnal diffusion in the northern Pacific are esti-mated using parameterizations proposed by St.Laurent et al.(2002),Koch-Larrouy et al.(2007),and de Lavergne et al.(2020)(hereaf-ter referred to as LSJ02,KL07,and dL20,respectively).The performances of the three parameterizations are evaluated by comparing the calculated results with fine structure observations.In particular,the dissipation estimated by LSJ02 parameterization shows a bottom-intensified characteristic,with the patterns showing good agreement with the observations near seamounts.Moreover,43%of the results calculated using the LSJ02 parameterization have errors lower than one order of magnitude in the generation sites of ITs.Meanwhile,the strongest dissipation estimated by the KL07 parameterization shifts to the thermocline,with the results showing the highest level of consistency with observations in the generation sites.The proportion of results with errors lower than one order of magnitude is 80.7%.Furthermore,the results calculated by dL20 parameterization agree well with the observations in the upper and middle layers,with the parameterization showing an accurate estimation of the remote dissipation.The percentages of the errors lower than one order of magnitude between the dL20 parameterization and observations account for 77.1%and 88.7%in the genera-tion sites and far-field regions,respectively.

Eight decades of compositional change in a managed northern hardwood landscape

We analyzed over 8 decades of change in forest composition(represented by species proportion of basal area)and size class from more than 400 permanent plots located on the Bartlett Experimental Forest in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.These data represent one of the longest-term landscape-scale records of forest change based on permanent plots in North America.We analyzed the plots based on elevation class,land type indicating assumed successional direction(grouped into coniferous and deciduous),and inventory period within managed and unmanaged portions of the forest.An ongoing shift from small-to large-diameter stems is clear across all species,in response to the overall aging of the forest following exploitative harvesting in the 19th century.Major compositional changes include a continuing decline in shade-intolerant species(paper birch and aspen),along with the mid-tolerant yellow birch.An increase in red maple abundance through the early 1990s has leveled off or reversed.Among shade-tolerant species,increases in beech and red spruce were largely consistent with assumed land type on unmanaged plots,but heavy marking against diseased beech on managed plots restricted increase of that species.Sugar maple declined in abundance except where silvicultural intervention helped maintain it.By contrast,eastern hemlock showed a continuing expansion at all elevations below 600 m.The data continue to show little or no evidence of upward migration of species,despite evidence of recent regional change in climate.However,the BEF is poised for substantial changes when emerald ash borer and hemlock woolly adelgid,both of which are known to infest nearby areas,do arrive.

Kuroshio Intrusion Combined with Coastal Currents Affects Phytoplankton in the Northern South China Sea Revealed by Lipid Biomarkers

The northern South China Sea(NSCS)is significantly influenced by the Kuroshio intrusion and the coastal currents.Our knowledge on the roles of both currents on phytoplankton spatial variations is still inadequate.Here,we investigated the concentrations of phytoplankton biomarkers and their proportions in surface suspended particles from 47 sites of the NSCS during summer of 2017 and 2019.Brassicasterol/epi-brassicasterol,dinosterol,and C37 alkenones were used as proxies of biomass for diatoms,dinoflagellates,and haptophytes,respectively,and their sum indicating total phytoplankton biomass.A three end-member mixing model was applied to quantitatively assess the influence extent of the Kuroshio intrusion and the coastal currents.Our results showed that the Kuroshio intrusion and the coastal currents contributed equally to the overall surface water masses in the study area;however,the two currents had distinct effects on the spatial distribution of phytoplankton.For phytoplankton biomass,the eutrophic coastal currents were likely to be the main controlling factors,while the impact of the Kuroshio intrusion was weak and stimulated significant increases in phytoplankton biomass only at certain boundary sites.For phytoplankton community structures,the Kuroshio and its intrusion were the main factors,resulting in an increase in the proportions of dinoflagellates and haptophytes.The proportion of diatoms slightly increased due to the influence of the coastal currents.Our study quantifies the effects of the Kuroshio and the coastal currents on phytoplankton in the NSCS in terms of hydrological parameters,providing an important basis for the understanding of ecological functions and biogeochemical cycles in marginal sea-open ocean boundary regions.

Differential seed removal,germination and seedling growth as determinants of species suitability for forest restoration by direct seeding–A case study from northern Thailand

Background Direct seeding is potentially a more cost-effective alternative to conventional tree planting for restoring tropical forest ecosystems.However,seed loss,due to removal and damage by animals,can substantially reduce seedling establishment.Therefore,this study examined the impact of seed predation on seedling establishment of five tree species,native to upland evergreen forests of northern Thailand:Hovenia dulcis,Alangium kurzii,Prunus cerasoides,Choerospondias axillaris and Horsfieldia amygdalina.We tested the hypothesis that excluding animals would significantly reduce seed removal,and increase both germination and seedling survival.The objective was to calculate a composite index of the relative suitability of the species studied for direct seeding.Methods Seeds were placed on the ground in a deforested site and subjected to five predator-exclusion treatments:wire cage,insecticide,cage+insecticide,open cage and no exclusion(control).Results Seed loss was highest for H.amygdalina(the largest seed tested).Across species,wire cages significantly reduced seed loss by 12.4%compared with controls(P<0.001)suggesting that vertebrates were the major seed predators.Seed germination ranged from 0 to 77%among the species tested.Based on relative species-performance scores(combining measures of survival and seedling growth),P.cerasoides was the most suitable species for direct seeding,followed by A.kurzii and C.axillaris,whilst H.dulcis and H.amygdalina were unsuitable.H.dulcis had small seeds with low seed germination,whereas H.amygdalina was subjected to high seed removal.Conclusion Exclusion of seed predators and the selection of suitable species may substantially increase the success of direct seeding,as a technique for restoring upland evergreen forest ecosystems.Testing more species for their suitability is needed,to provide more diverse options for forest restoration.

Integrating predictive modeling techniques with geospatial data for landslide susceptibility assessment in northern Pakistan

The eastern road section of the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor(CPEC)traverses the challenging terrain of northern Pakistan,where frequent landslides pose a significant threat to socioeconomic development and infrastructure.However,the insufficient data on landslide hazards presents a substantial challenge to practical mitigation efforts.Therefore,we conducted an extensive study to gain insight into landslide assessment along the Mansehra-Muzaffarabad-Mirpur and Mangla(MMMM)Expressway.This study involved preparing a landslide inventory,analyzing landslide causative factors,and developing landslide susceptibility models(LSMs)using published data,remote sensing interpretations,field excursions and integrated predictive techniques.We first used Pearson's correlation coefficient(PCC),variable importance factors(VIF),and information gain ratio(IGR)to evaluate multicollinearity among the selected landslide causative factors(LCFs).Then,the topographic roughness index(TRI)with VIF>5 and PCC>0.7 was considered a redundant factor and thus removed before the data modeling.Finally,we adopted multiple machine-learning methods to analyze landslide susceptibility.The results indicate that the landslide inventory contains 1,776 events,of which 674 were classified based on geometrical and lithological configurations.The IGR results show that the rainfall,lithology,PGA,drainage density,slope,and distance to fault are the most effective LCFs.The AUC values for random forest(RF)(0.901),extreme gradient boosting(XGBoost)(0.884),and K-nearest neighbor(KNN)(0.872)remained higher than evidential belief function(EBF)(0.833),weight of evidence(WoE)(0.820),and certainty factor(CF)(0.810),respectively.The RF model outperformed all other models in terms of prediction.However,these models are accurate but newer in the area;thus,susceptible zones were verified with comprehensive field investigations.The northern and central regions accounted for the high and very high susceptibility classes in the final landslide susceptibility mapping(LSM)compared to the southern areas.

Monitoring Hotspots Using Thermal Sensors on MODIS Aqua/Terra Satellite System: A Case Study of National Park Areas in Northern Thailand

This research presents the remote sensing data on hotspots in four national parks located in Chiang Mai province, Thailand: Sri Lanna National Park, Huai Nam Dang National Park, Doi Pahom Pok National Park, and Doi Inthanon National Park. To mitigate the devastating impacts of these wildfires, effective monitoring and management strategies are necessary. Remote sensing technology provides a promising approach for mapping burnt areas and understanding fire regimes at a regional scale. The primary focus of this research is to employ the MODIS Aqua/Terra satellite system for obtaining historical remote sensing data on hotspots. The advantages of remote sensing include accurate identification and mapping of burnt areas, regular monitoring, rapid data acquisition, and historical data analysis. The MODIS sensor, specifically designed for fire monitoring, offers enhanced fire detection and diagnosis, multiple channels for qualitative and quantitative analysis, and precision positioning capabilities. The research results presented in the analysis contribute to the understanding of fire incidents and hotspot occurrences within the four national parks studied. This paper suggests the optimization of early detection of forest and land fires through the utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI), presenting it as a recommendation for future endeavors. The research emphasizes the significance of implementing efficient policies and management strategies to effectively tackle the challenges associated with fires in these ecologically significant areas.

Triggering economic growth to ensure financial stability:case study of Northern Cyprus

This study questions the importance of public debt in stable growth between 1980 and 2018,specifically,the Ricardian equivalence hypothesis and Keynesian view are questioned.This study used data obtained from the Northern Cyprus State Planning Office.A restricted vector autoregressive model is used to test the causal relationships between this model and public debt,government expenditure,total capital,consumption,investment,employment,net exports,exchange rate,and gross domestic product growth rate.To ensure financial stability,the variables that trigger economic growth through increased interactions were evaluated.Accordingly,unlike other studies,the Wald test results reveal that public debt does not have a direct effect on the gross national product but indirectly affects total capital,consumption,investment,and public expenditure,all of which influence real gross domestic product(RGDP).It has been observed that employment affects RGDP,consumption,government spending,and investment.There is also bidirectional causality between consumption,government spending,and RGDP.The estimates of the Ricardian equivalent hypothesis are important.However,today’s changing economic policies,declining real incomes,and consumer behavior in the face of ever-increasing inflation require that the theory be redesigned.Therefore,contrary to theoretical predictions,consumers are concerned about maintaining their standard of living rather than directing tax deductions to savings.Contrary to the claims of Keynesian researchers,no causal relationship is observed between public debt and growth in this study.However,public debt directly affects total capital,consumption,government spending,and investment,which are important for sustainable economic policy.

Influencing mechanism and hydrogeological implications of water level fluctuation of lakes in the northern Qaidam Basin,Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The Qaidam Basin(QB)is a concentrated distribution area and chemical industrial bases of salt lakes in China.Lakes in the QB have been expanding during the past 20 years.Rapid lake expansion resulted in some considerable scientific issues on the protection of salt lake resources and infrastructure,and monitoring of hydrological processes at the lake-basin scale.Although the spatial-temporal trends of lake changes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP)have been well documented,the underlying influencing mechanism and hydrogeological implications of rapid lake changes in the QB are not well understood.Three lakes in the northern QB were selected to investigate lake water level fluctuations on different time scales based on extensive in-situ monitoring and satellite observations.The influencing mechanism and hydrogeological implications of rapid changes of terminal lakes were discussed in combination with the reported increasing precipitation rate and mass balance of glaciers in the northern QTP.Results reveal the following:(1)the fluctuation pattern of Sugan Lake was asynchronous and out of phase with that of Xiao Qaidam and Toson lakes during the monitoring period;(2)Sugan Lake water rose gradually,and the rise interval was from late April to early July.In contrast,Xiao Qaidam and Toson lakes took on a rapid and steep rise,and the rise intervalwas from late July to September;(3)the influencing mechanisms for rapid lake fluctuations are controlled by different factors:glacier and snow melting with increasing temperature for Sugan Lake and increasing precipitation for Xiao Qaidam and Toson lakes;(4)in accordance with different intervals and influencing mechanisms of rapid lake expansions in the QB,hydrological risk precaution of lakes and corresponding river catchments was conducted in different parts of the basin.This study provided an important scientific basis for assessing the hydrological process and hydrological risk precaution,and protection of salt lake resources along with rapid lake expansions in the arid area.