Integrating value-chain approach with participatory multicriteria analysis for sustainable planning of a niche crop in Indian Himalayas

The value-chain approach(VCA)was used for exploring how a niche crop,namely large cardamom(Amomum subulatum Roxb.),can be developed sustainably to increase incomes and enhance rural livelihoods in the mountains.Large cardamom is a high-value,agro-climatically suitable,and non-perishable spice crop grown in the Himalayan region.Originating in Sikkim,the crop is important to the local economy and is sold in both domestic and international markets;however,its production in India has been declining significantly in recent years.Using VCA and participatory methods of data collection the study helped elicit value chain actors’perspectives on various reasons for the decline as well as potential strategies to improve the cardamom value chain.The results present the multiple environmental and climatic(e.g.water stress),social(e.g.women participation)and institutional(e.g.lack of trust between actors)challenges and corresponding upgrading strategies.Through participatory multi-criteria analysis(MCA),the strategies were prioritized based on the overall preferences of multiple stakeholders.The analysis considered eight criteria and 25 options,or strategies,and found that that marketability and profitability were the most important criteria,and increasing cardamom production,the most important optiontrait.Stakeholder discussions along with sensitivity analysis also showed how these options could be implemented and revealed how criteria preferences can change with expert inputs.This combination of VCA and MCA,because it supports participatory decision-making and balances multiple dimensions of sustainable development,can be effectively deployed in planning for agricultural development in the mountains.

Landscape Characterization of Sariska National Park (India) and Its Surroundings

Landscape characterization gives an overall information on the status of Land Use and Land Cover （LULC）, changes in its composition and the impact of natural and human influences operating at different spatial and temporal scales. This information can be used to monitor changes in natural forest resources and protected areas, delineate potential conservation areas and can serve in effective management of ecologically fragile landscapes. In the present study, geo-spatial tools were used to characterize the landscape of Sariska National Park and its surroundings. Satellite data was used to prepare LULC maps for 1989 and 2000, change detection analysis and computation of landscape metrics. Climatic data, field records and modeling tools were used to map the potential spread of two invasive species, Prosopis juliflora and Adhatoda vasica. The results show that the forest area increased from 1989 to 2000, indicating better management practices. Landscape metrics （PAFRAC, PLADJ and AI） also support this argument. Improvements in the degraded forest can further enhance this effect. The entire reserve however is suitable for the invasion of P. juliflora and A. vasiea but is more pronounced in Boswellia serrata and Anogeissus pendula - Acacia catechu （open） forests. A detailed landscape characterization map can help forest managers to make important policy decisions concerning issues such as invasive species.

一种基于空间位置的地理实体空间身份编码方法

基础地理实体空间身份编码是适用于基础地理实体管理和应用的一种标识代码,具有可实现基础地理实体全球专有标识、唯一标识以及信息关联共享等特性。文章结合某地级市地理实体采集制作提出了由位置码、类别代码、时间码和顺序码四部分构成,为29位字母数字混合编码的地理实体空间身份编码,并在一个实体多图元情况下进行编码部件级扩编,从而在地理实体采集构建中满足“一码多态”和按需组装的要求。

节能降耗技术在建筑工程施工中的应用

在绿色低碳背景下,建筑能耗问题受到了高度重视,为解决这一问题,需要推广应用节能降耗技术,使建筑工程能耗效益达到最大化。文章首先阐述了节能降耗技术的基本内涵与应用原则,然后分析了建筑工程施工中节能降耗技术应用的重要性,最后围绕节能材料、屋顶节能降耗技术、门窗节能降耗技术等,对建筑工程施工中节能降耗技术的应用进行了探讨,以期为相关施工单位提供参考。

Integrated approach for understanding spatio-temporal changes in forest resource distribution in the central Himalaya

Intense anthropogenic exploitation has altered distribution of forest resources. This change was analyzed using visual interpretation of satellite data of 1979, 1999 and 2009. Field and interactive social surveys were conducted to identify spatial trends in forest degradation and data were mapped on forest cover and land use maps. Perceptions of villagers were compiled in a pictorial representation to understand changes in forest resource distribution in central Himalaya from 1970 to 2010. For- ested areas were subject to degradation and isolation due to loss of con- necting forest stands. Species like Lantana camara and Eupatorium adenophorum invaded forest landscapes. Intensity of human pressure differed by forest type and elevation. An integrated approach is needed to monitor forest resource distribution and disturbance.

Implications of Climate Change on Streamflow of a Snow-Fed River System of the Northwest Himalaya

Air temperature and snow cover variability are sensitive indicators of climate change. This study was undertaken to forecast and quantify the potential streamflow response to climate change in the Jhelum River basin. The implications of air temperature trends （＋0.11℃decade） reported for the entire north-west Himalaya for past century and the regional warming （＋0.7℃/decade） trends of three observatories analyzed between last two decades were used for future projection of snow cover depletion and stream flow. The streamflow was simulated and validated for the year 2007-2008 using snowmelt runoff model （SRM） based on in-situ temperature and precipitation with remotely sensed snow cover area. The simulation was repeated using higher values of temperature and modified snow cover depletion curves according to the assumed future climate. Early snow cover depletion was observed in the basin in response to warmer climate. The results show that with the increase in air temperature, streamfiow pattern of Jhelum will be severely affected. Significant redistribution of streamflow was observed in both the scenarios. Higher discharge was observed during spring-summer months due to early snowmelt contribution with water deficit during monsoon months. Discharge increased by 5%-40% during the months of March to May in 2030 and 2050. The magnitude of impact of air temperature is higher in the scenario-2 based on regional warming. The inferences pertaining to change in future streamflow pattern can facilitate long term decisions and planning concerning hydro-power potential, waterresource management and flood hazard mapping in the region.

Forest fire risk assessment in parts of Northeast India using geospatial tools

Forest fire is a major cause of changes in forest structure and function. Among various floristic regions, the northeast region of India suffers maximum from the fires due to age-old practice of shifting cultivation and spread of fires from jhum fields. For proper mitigation and management, an early warning of forest fires through risk modeling is required. The study results demonstrate the potential use of remote sensing and Geographic Information System （GIS） in identifying forest fire prone areas in Manipur, southeastern part of Northeast India. Land use land cover （LULC）, vegetation type, Digital elevation model （DEM）, slope, aspect and proximity to roads and settlements, factors that influence the behavior of fire, were used to model the forest fire risk zones. Each class of the layers was given weight according to their fire inducing capability and their sensitivity to fire. Weighted sum modeling and ISODATA clustering was used to classify the fire zones. TO validate the results, Along Track Scanning Radiometer （ATSR）, the historical fire hotspots data was used to check the occurrence points and modeled forest fire locations. The forest risk zone map has 55-63% of agreement with ATSR dataset.

Snow Cover Variation and Streamflow Simulation in a Snow-fed River Basin of the Northwest Himalaya

Snowmelt is an important component of any snow-fed river system.The Jhelum River is one such transnational mountain river flowing through India and Pakistan.The basin is minimally glacierized and its discharge is largely governed by seasonal snow cover and snowmelt.Therefore,accurate estimation of seasonal snow cover dynamics and snowmeltinduced runoff is important for sustainable water resource management in the region.The present study looks into spatio-temporal variations of snow cover for past decade and stream flow simulation in the Jhelum River basin.Snow cover extent(SCE) was estimated using MODIS(Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer) sensor imageries.Normalized Difference Snow Index(NDSI) algorithm was used to generate multi-temporal time series snow cover maps.The results indicate large variation in snow cover distribution pattern and decreasing trend in different sub-basins of the Jhelum River.The relationship between SCE-temperature,SCE-discharge and discharge-precipitation was analyzed for different seasons and shows strong correlation.For streamflow simulation of the entire Jhelum basin Snow melt Runoff Model(SRM) used.A good correlation was observed between simulated stream flow and in-situ discharge.The monthly discharge contribution from different sub-basins to the total discharge of the Jhelum River was estimated using a modified version of runoff model based on temperature-index approach developed for small watersheds.Stream power - an indicator of the erosive capability of streams was also calculated for different sub-basins.

Screening Azadirachta indica tree for enhancing azadirachtin and oil contents in dry areas of Gujarat,India

Azadirachta indica seed samples were collected from four different agro-ecological regions（AERs） viz.,AER-2,AER-4,AER-5A and AER-5B of Gujarat state,India during 2000 to 2002 with an aim to assess variability in azadirachtin,oil and fatty acids content of the seeds and assess correlation of these parameters with morphological characters.Azadirachtin,oil and fatty acids content indicated significant（p0.01） variations between years and AERs in Gujarat.The azadirachtin ranged from 142 to 9 527 μg·g-1 seed kernel with an average of 2 426 μg·g-1 for the state.AER-5B recorded highest azadirachtin and oil content.Fatty acid composition was found to be affected by environmental factors particularly varying degree of annual rainfall and temperature during fruit ripening period.Conclusively trees growing in AER-5B performed better in term of azadirachtin,oil and stearic acid content.Tree girth at breast height showed no significant relation with these biochemicals.

Diversity and regeneration status of Sarkot Van Panchyat in Garhwal Himalaya, India

We investigated the floristic composition, phytosociological and regeneration status of Sarkot Van Panchyat （community forest） in Chamoli district of Garhwal Himalaya. A total of 52 plant species of 46 genera and 26 families were recorded, which included 12 trees, 18 shrubs and 22 herb species. Quercus leucotrichophora was dominant tree species in sapling and seedling layers, followed by Lyonia ovalifolia and Rhododendron arboreum. Out of 12 tree species, 7 species in seedling stage and 8 species in sapling stage were recorded in the study area. The 44.41% species in the study area showed good regeneration status, 16.66% species were fairly regenerating, and 8.33% species showed poor regeneration status, while 33% species were not regenerating. Number of individuals from lower girth classes （0--10 cm and 10-30 cm） showed decreasing trend with the increase in size of girth class. Shannon index （H） for trees, shrubs and herbs was recorded as 1.82, 2.24 and 2.41 respectively. Simpsons index （Co） was recorded as 0.21, 0.12 and 0.12 for trees, shrubs and herbs respectively. The forest should be di- vided into compartments for better management purpose and each compartment should be closed for five years to assist regeneration and enrichment planting may also be carried out for sustainable management.

Carbon stock estimation for tree species of Sem Mukhem sacred forest in Garhwal Himalaya, India

Carbon stock estimation was conducted in tree species of Sem Mukhem sacred forest in district Tehri of Garhwal Himalaya, Uttara- khand, India. This forest is dedicated to Nagraj Devta and is dominated by tree species, including Quercus floribunda, Quercus semecarpifolia and Rhododendron arboreum. The highest values of below ground bio- mass density, total biomass density and total carbon density were （34.81±1.68） Mg·ha^-1, （168.26±9.04） Mg·ha^-1 and （84.13±4.18） Mg·ha^-1 for Pinus wallichiana. Overall values of total biomass density and total carbon density calculated were 1549.704 Mg·ha^-1 and 774.77 Mg·ha^-1 respectively. Total value of growing stock volume density for all species was 732.56 m3·ha^-1 and ranged from （144.97±11.98） m3·ha^-1 for Pinus wallichiana to （7.78±1.78） m3·ha^-1for Benthamidia capitata.

Assessing impact of climate change on forest cover type shifts in Western Himalayan Eco-region

Climate is a critical factor affecting forest ecosystems and their capacity to produce goods and services. Effects of climate change on forests depend on ecosystem-specific factors including dimensions of climate （temperature, precipitation, drought, wind etc.）. Available infor- mation is not sufficient to support a quantitative assessment of the eco- logical, social and economic consequences. The present study assessed shifts in forest cover types of Western Himalayan Eco-region （700-4 500 m）. 100 randomly selected samples （75 for training and 25 for testing the model）, genetic algorithm of rule set parameters and climatic envelopes were used to assess the distribution of five prominent forest cover types （Temperate evergreen, Tropical semi-evergreen, Temperate conifer, Sub- tropical conifer, and Tropical moist deciduous forests）. Modelling was conducted for four different scenarios, current scenario, changed precipi- tation （8% increase）, changed temperature （1.07℃ increase）, and both changed temperature and precipitation. On increasing precipitation a downward shift in the temperate evergreen and tropical semi-evergreen was observed, while sub-tropical conifer and tropical moist-deciduous forests showed a slight upward shift and temperate conifer showed ＇no shift. On increasing temperatm＇e, an upward shift in all forest types was observed except sub-tropical conifer forests without significant changes. When both temperature and precipitation were changed, the actual dis- tribution was maintained and slight upward shift was observed in all the forest types except sub-tropical conifer. It is important to understand the likely impacts of the projected climate change on the forest ecosystems, so that better management and conservation strategies can be adopted for the biodiversity and forest dependent community. Knowledge of impact mechanisms also enables identification and mitigation of some of the conditions that increase vulnerability to climate change in the forest sector.

The changing Himalayan landscape:pine-oak forest dynamics and the supply of ecosystem services

This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on pine and oak forest dynamics in the midmontane central Himalayan forest and the ecosystem services associated with these vegetation types. Forest ecosystems play a crucial role in the livelihood of the central Himalayas as well as the adjacent plains, providing a number of tangible and intangible ecosystem services, at each stage of succession. The successional sequence starts from warm temperate grasslands, followed by early successional pine forests, mid-successional pine-oak mixed forests and eventually culminating in a late successional oak community. This successional sequence is considerably influenced by disturbances like fire, grazing, and lopping, which maintain the vegetation types in their current form and can act as potential drivers of change. Fire and grazing in grasslands and pine forests inhibit the successional process by hindering the establishment of pioneer and late successional species, respectively. Potential land-cover changes with forest succession can lead to changes in ecosystem services supply. We found that the number of ecosystem services associated with these vegetation types increase from early to late successional community. Current management approaches fail to include the dynamic nature of vegetation, which is essential for maintenance of ecosystem service supply. In conclusion, the trade-offs between ES of global （biodiversity and carbon） and local importance （fuel wood and fodder） have to be examined carefully in order to have effective conservation and management plans for the region.

房屋建筑工程施工质量管理的问题与对策

根据我国目前的情况,分析了在房屋建筑施工管理中存在的问题,并介绍了提高房屋建筑施工管理质量的具体措施,指出只有不断加强房屋建筑工程施工的管理,才能够提高房屋建筑施工质量,控制好施工的成本,获取最大的经济效益。

An indicator-based approach to assess village-level social and biophysical vulnerability of agriculture communities in Uttarakhand,India

With the growing recognition to myriad forms of current and future threats in the mountain agriculture systems,there is a pressing need to holistically understand the vulnerability of mountain agriculture communities.The study aims to assess the biophysical and social vulnerability of agriculture communities using an indicator-based approach for the state of Uttarakhand,India.A total of 14 indicators were used to capture biophysical vulnerability and 22 for social vulnerability profiles of15285 villages.Vulnerability analysis was done at village level with weights assigned to each indicator using Analytical Hierarchical Process(AHP).The results of the study highlight the presence of very high biophysical vulnerability(0.82 ± 0.10) and high social vulnerability(0.65 ± 0.15) within the state.Based on the results,it was found that incidences of high biophysical vulnerability coincide with presence of intensified agriculture land and absence of dense forest.Higher social vulnerability scores were found in villages with an absence of local institutions(like Self Helping Groups(SHGs)),negligible infrastructure facilities and higher occupational dependence on agriculture.A contrast was observed in the vulnerability scores of villages present in the three different altitudinal zones in the study area,indicating respective vulnerability generating conditions existing in these three zones.Biophysical vulnerability was recorded to be highest in the villages falling in the lower zone and lowest in the upper zone villages;whereas,social vulnerability was found to be highest in the middle zone villages and lowest in lower zone villages.Our study aids policy makers in identifying areas for intervention to expedite agriculture adaptation planning in the state.Additionally,the adaptation programmes in the region need to be more context-specific to accommodate the differential altitudinal vulnerability profiles.

Assessing forest fragmentation in north-western Himalaya:a case study from Ranikhet forest range,Uttarakhand,India

The northwestern Himalaya harbors high levels of biodiversity due to its unique topography, climatic conditions and heterogeneity. Forest fragmentation is one of the major threats causing a decline in biodiversity in the Himalayan region. We assesses forest fragmentation and changes in land use land cover（LULC） patterns using multi-temporal satellite data over a time span of four decades（1976–2013）. Fragmentation analysis using the Landscape Fragmentation Tool（LFT） reveals a decrease in core and edge areas by 14 and 2.3 %, respectively; while an increase in non-forest, patch area and perforation area by 2.1, 0.4, and 14 %, respectively. The LULC dynamics show that the areas under dense forest and scrub forest have decreased by 2.8 % and 1.9 %, respectively; and there is an increase in open forest, crop land and fallow land area by 2.6, 1.7 and 2.1 %, respectively. The quantification of landscape heterogeneity is undertaken with the help of landscape metrics computed using FRAGSTATS at class and landscape level, showing signs of increased fragmentation. Our study provides baseline database that can support the future biodiversity conservation and sustainable forest management initiatives.

“凡益开题”第六期：地球公民高空栖居

开题人：张贤铭，P8创始人，Teri大学博士候选人。城市不再平凡，在不可预见的未来找不到安全感。我们需要试图展示一种新的造城法，它将化危险为机遇，化脆弱为柔韧，化稀有为富余，以在城市中建立一种具有应变性的有机可持续发展能力。不但能自我修复，更能自我保护，并且在局部社区文化下与整体技术体系上达到供需平衡。她不仅是城市，她是满足人类所有需求的栖息地，我们称之为“高空栖居”（Hi’bitat），因为“高”代表人类挣脱地心引力不断向上的追求：更高的道德力量，更高尚的人品。

带有触摸式按键的家电产品在安全试验中的常见问题分析

对于常见的采用弹簧式或薄膜式触摸按键的家电产品,由于这种按键本身工作电压不高,所以在产品的结构设计和安全试验中容易被忽视,在电气强度、材料以及爬电距离和电气间隙等试验中易产生不合格。通过对于实际案例的总结,分析不合格情况的原因及可以采用的改进措施建议,为产品设计人员和安全测试工程师提供切实有效的参考。

Uncertainty of soil erosion modelling using open source high resolution and aggregated DEMs

Digital Elevation Model （DEM） is one of the important parameters for soil erosion assessment. Notable uncertainties are observed in this study while using three high resolution open source DEMs. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation （RUSLE） model has been applied to analysis the assessment of soil erosion uncertainty using open source DEMs （SRTM, ASTER and CARTOSAT） and their increasing grid space （pixel size） from the actual. The study area is a part of the Narmada river basin in Madhya Pradesh state, which is located in the central part of India and the area covered 20,558 km2. The actual resolution of DEMs is 30 m and their increasing grid spaces are taken as 90, 150, 210, 270 and 330 m for this study. Vertical accuracy of DEMs has been assessed using actual heights of the sample points that have been taken considering planimetric survey based map （toposheet）. Elevations of DEMs are converted to the same vertical datum from WGS 84 to MSL （Mean Sea Level）, before the accuracy assessment and modelling. Results indicate that the accuracy of the SRTM DEM with the RMSE of 13.31, 14.51, and 18.19 m in 30, 150 and 330 m resolution respectively, is better than the ASTER and the CARTOSAT DEMs. When the grid space of the DEMs increases, the accuracy of the elevation and calculated soil erosion decreases. This study presents a potential uncertainty introduced by open source high resolution DEMs in the accuracy of the soil erosion assessment models. The research provides an analysis of errors in selecting DEMs using the original and increased grid space for soil erosion modelling.

Solutions of the Schrdinger Equation for PT-Symmetric Coupled Quintic Potentials in Two Dimensions

This paper deals with the solutions of time independent Schrodinger wave equation for a two-dimensional PT-symmetric coupled quintic potential in its most general form. Employing wavefunction ansatz method, general analytic expressions for eigenvalues and eigenfunctions for first four states are obtained. Solutions of a particular case are also presented.