An Overview of the Geoenvironmental Status of the Kullu Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India

The north-south trending Kullu valley between Rohtang in the north and Hansu in the south is a wide and open valley filled with Quaternary sediments along the main course of the Beas River. The valley in the middle is drained by the Beas River and numerous tributaries join it laterally. The tributary channels have deposited large alluvial fans at their mouths which form three distinct levels. The Beas River has deposited alluvial terraces, which are very distinct towards the lower reaches and form three to four levels. The upper slopes and high altitudinal areas are covered with periglacial and glacial deposits. The terrace, fan and hill slopes have provided an ideal geoenvironment for human activities including agriculture, horticulture, dense settlements and other civil establishments. The Kullu Valley is prone to various natural hazards, flash floods and cloudbursts that are very common in this valley due to its peculiar geomorphic condition, high relief of peripheral ridges and impact of monsoon winds. The studies carried out so far indicate that the losses caused by these phenomena both in terms of life and property are mainly due to unwise human interaction with the geoenvironment of the area. The paper gives an overview of the geoenvironmental status of the Kullu Valley and suggests the necessity of undertaking further detailed studies including resource mapping for balanced development of the area.     

Assessment of trophic status in Changjiang （Yangtze） River estuary

The integrated methodology for the assessment of estuarine trophic status (ASSETS), which was extended and refined from the United States National Estuarine Eutrophication Assessment (NEEA), is a multi-parameter assessment system and has been widely used in eutrophication assessment in estuarine and coastal waters. The ASSETS was applied to evaluate the trophic status of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary, one of the largest estuaries in the world. The following main results were obtained: (i) The estuarine export potential is "moderate susceptibility" due to the "moderate" dilution potential and "moderate" flushing potential; (ii) The overall human influence (OHI) index classified the impact of nutrients in the system as "high" due to the high level of nutrient discharge by the river which channels anthropogenic impacts in the catchments to the estuarine system; (iii) The overall eutrophic condition (OEC) in the estuary was classified into the "high" category due to frequent occurrence of nuisance and toxic algal blooms in the mixing and seawater zones; (iv) Since the nutrient loadings (e.g., DIN) in the river is expected to continue to increase in the near future following the population increase and rapid economic growth throughout the drainage basin, the nutrient-related symptoms in the estuary are likely to substantially worsen, which leads to the "worsen high" category for the definition of future outlook (DFO). The combinations of the three components (i.e., OHI, OEC, and DFO) lead to an overall grade as "bad" for the trophic status in the Changjiang River estuary.     

Preliminary study on PAH degradation by bacteria from contaminated sediments in Xiamen Western Sea,Fujian, China

In order to estimate the biodegradation of three polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) compounds, bacterial strains were isolated from marine sediments in three heavily contaminated sites (Yuandang Lake, Dongdu Port and Aquacultural zones in Maluan Bay) in Xiamen Western Sea. The results show three bacterial strains, which used pyrene as the sole carbon source, were identified as strains of Aureobacterium sp.,Arthrobacter sp., Rhodococcus sp. The PAH-degrading bacteria isolated had a strong ability to degrade phenanhrene, fluoranthene and pyrene at different degradation rates. The highest degradation rate was observed when three PAH compounds were mixed with an individual strain in the medium. The three PAHs were degraded after one week with a degradation rate of 89.94 % for phenanthrene and 93.4 % for both of fluoranthene and pyrene.In addition, after 25 days of incubation, the degradation rate was 99.98 % for phenanthrene and 99.97 % for both of fluoranthene and pyrene. Optical density was measured to estimate bacterial growth during the degradation of PAHs. Highest levels of bacterial growth were observed with a three PAH mixture in the culture, suggesting that the concentration of PAHs influenced bacterial growth and the highest levels of degradation for most series were detected after one week of incubation.     

Micro-site conditions of epiphytic orchids in a human impact gradient in Kathmandu valley, Nepal

We studied distribution and site conditions of epiphytic orchids in a gradient of human interference in Kathmandu valley, central Nepal. The aim was to understand the recent distribution pattern of epiphytic orchids, with respect to (i) the micro-site conditions and (ii) the type and intensity of land use. The occurrence of epiphytic orchids was recorded for a grid with 1.5 km cell size. The cells represent different types and intensities of human impact. Site factors such as bark rugosity, bark pH, diameter at breast height (dbh; 1.3 m) of host trees, exposure to wind and sunlight intensity were recorded. With regard to the species richness and abundance of epiphytic orchids, we compared different human impact categories from very strong human impact (settlement area) to very low human impact (national park). Remote sensing was used for a supervised classification of land cover. Ficus religiosa turned out to be the most important host species for orchids in urban areas, while Schima wallichii and Alnus nepalensis significantly host orchids in the other categories. Both species richness and abundance of epiphytic orchids were significantly higher under very low human impact (forest in national park) and also some remaining patches of primary forest than the other regions. Micro-climate is crucial for orchid populations. Host bark pH, bark rugosity, sunlight intensity and host exposure were significantly different for all human impact categories in order to harbour epiphytic orchid species. Habitats with a mixture of mature trees are suitable and essential for the conservation of viable populations of epiphytic orchids in settled areas. The study reveals that to improve the population size of orchids it is essential for future urban forestry to: (i) Protect old trees as carriers of existing epiphytic orchid diversity, (ii) protect medium old trees to ensure that they may become old trees, (iii) plant new host trees for the future, (iv) plant in groups instead of single isolate trees. Trees should especially be planted in areas where orchids still exist to provide more trees for orchid population enlargement (e.g. along riparian system). Native species should be favoured; the pool of such native host species is wide.     

Effect of Climate Variability and Human Activities on Runoff in the Jinghe River Basin,Northwest China

Much attention has recently been focused on the effects of climate variability and human activities on the runoff. In this study, we analyzed 56-yr(1957–2012) runoff change and patterns in the Jinghe River Basin(JRB) in the arid region of northwest China. The nonparametric Mann–Kendall test and the precipitation-runoff double cumulative curve(PRDCC) were used to identify change trend and abrupt change points in the annual runoff. It was found that the runoff in the JRB has periodically fluctuated in the past 56 yr. Abrupt change point in annual runoff was identified in the JRB, which occurred in the years around 1964 and 1996 dividing the long-term hydrologic series into a natural period(1957 – 1964) and a climate and man-induced period(1965 – 1996 and 1997 – 2012). In the 1965 – 1996 period, human activities were the main factor that decreased runoff with contribution of 88.9%, while climate variability only accounted for 11.1%. However,the impact of climate variability has been increased from 11.1% to 47.5% during 1997 – 2012, showing that runoff in JRB is more sensitive to climate variability during global warming. This study distinguishes theeffect of climate variability from human activities on runoff, which can do duty for a reference for regional water resources assessment and management.     

Spatio-temporal variation of landscape heterogeneity under influence of human activities in Xiamen City of China in recent decade

Xiamen is an economically competitive and highly urbanized city along the coastal area of Fujian Province, China. The research on spatio-temporal variation of landscape heterogeneity under the influence of human activities is of great importance to the further study on the relationship of landscape pattern and ecological process. It is also crucial to the discovery of spatial variation and intensity distribution of human activities. The research analyzed the intensity of human impacts and the spatial variation features and dynamics of landscape patterns by introducing statistical theories and approaches. We analyzed spatio-temporal variation of landscape heterogeneity using the geostatistical techniques, such as semivariogram and Kriging interpolation.Results show that there is a higher correlation between landscape heterogeneity indexes and human impact index. Both the indexes show a moderate spatial autocorrelation as well as an obvious characteristic of anisotropy. From 1998 to 2008, the spatial differentiation of the changes in the intensity of human activities and the changes in landscape heterogeneity shows that the landscape patterns in Xiamen are closely related with the urban land utilization methods, the condition of traffic and geographical location and the physical geographical condition such as the terrain and the ecological environment. The process of urbanization has a significant impact on the urban landscape pattern.     

Assessing benthic ecological status in coastal area near Changjiang River estuary using AMBI and M-AMBI

The Changjiang （Yangtze） River estuary has been subject to a variety of anthropogenic pressures in recent decades. To assess the ecological health of the coastal benthic ecosystem adjacent to the estuary, three surveys were conducted in 2005, 2009, and 2010. The AZTI＇s Marine Biotic Index （AMBI） and multivariate-AMBI （M-AMBI） were used to analyse the benthic ecological status of this coast. The AMBI indicate that the ecological status of the coast adjacent to the Changjiang River estuary was only slightly degraded in all 3 years. In contrast, the M-AMBI indicated that the ecological status was seriously degraded, a result that is most likely due to pollution and eutrophication induced by human activities. The assessment of the coast＇s ecological status by the AMBI was not in agreement with that of the M-AMBI at some stations because of lower biodiversity values at those sites. The analysis of the two indices integrated with abiotic parameters showed that the M-AMBI could be used as a suitable bio-indicator index to assess the benthic ecological status of the coast adjacent to the Changjiang River estuary. The reference conditions proposed for the coast of the Changjiang River estuary should be further evaluated in future studies. Designation of local species could also provide an important reference for Chinese waters. To improve the reliability of AMBI and M-AMBI, further research into the ecology of local species is required to understand their arrangement in ecological groups.     

Litter decay in rangeland sites with varying history of human disturbance: a study with Hazargangi Chiltan mountain

Hazarganji Chiltan National Park in Balochistan, Pakistan was established in 1980 and the protected area was further extended in 1998. Large area of this mountain is still open for unmanaged human disturbances such as collection of wood for fuel purpose and livestock grazing. Removal of vegetation of rangelands has a significant negative impact on soil organic matter(SOM). This research evaluates litter decomposition in three sites of Hazarganji Chiltan mountain with varying history of human disturbances(unprotected site, young protected site and old protected site). Twigs of Pistacia khinjuk with approximately equal weight and length were placed in litter bags of mesh size 2 mm and were buried in 0-5 cm depth in three sites in January. Half of the twigs of each site received rain simulation in April, August, October, November and January while the other half of the twigs were subjected under natural conditions for 15 months. Twigs from each plot of each treatment of each site were collected from soil after every rain simulation in the previous month of experiment and were processed for weight loss assessment. Results showed that weight loss of twigs by decomposition was significantly higher in the soil of unprotected site as compared to other two sites and there was no difference between rain simulation and control treatments except that loss of weight of twigs of unprotected site was higher under control than rain simulation condition. To confirm that SOM was the major controlling factor for the decomposition of litter decay, soils of each site were collected and burned to remove SOM;thereafter, burned soil samples were mixed with homogenous powder of oven-dried native plants, incubated for 6 months and were provided with dissolved organic matter of the soils of each site. Results showed that there was no difference in the decomposition of litter between soils under controlled laboratory condition, which confirmed that SOM was a major controlling factor for the litter decay in soil under field conditions. The pyrosequencing analysis of the DNA of soils collected from three sites revealed the presence of bacterial species Thermovum composti.     

Symbiosis of Marshes and Permafrost in Da and Xiao Hinggan Mountains in Northeastern China

Recently, the degradation of permafrost and marsh environments in the Da and Xiao Hinggan Mountains has become a great concern as more human activities and pronounced climate warming were observed during the past 30 years and projected for the near future. The distr/bution patterns and development mechanisms of the permafrost and marshes have been examined both in theories and in field observations, in order to better understand the symbiosis of permafrost and marshes. The permafrost and marshes in the Da and Xiao Hinggan Mountains display discernible zonations in latitude and elevation. The marsh vegetation canopy, litter and peat soil have good thermal insulation properties for the underlying permafrost, resulting in a thermal offset of 3 ℃ to 4℃ and subsequently suppressing soil temperature. In addition, the much higher thermal conductivity of frozen and ice-rich peat in the active layer is conducive to the development or in favor of the protection of permafrost due to the semi-conductor properties of the soils overlying the permafrost. On the other hand, because permafrost is almost impervious, the osmosis of water in marsh soils can be effectively reduced, timely providing water supplies for helophytes growth or germination in spring. In the Da and Xiao Hinggan Mountains, the permafrost degradation has been accelerating due to the marked climate warming, ever increasing human activities, and the resultant eco-environmental changes. Since the permafrost and marsh environments are symbiotic and interdependent, they need to be managed or protected in a well-coordinated and integrated way.     

TEXTUAL RESEARCH ON THE MAIN SOURCE OF THE CHANGJIANG RIVER

The Chinese people began to research the main source of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River 2,400 years ago. Limited by the scientific level, they did not discover it.The Tuotuo River was determined as the main source of the Changjiang River in the 1970s. However, this was not correct, because when comparing the length of the Tuotuo River with the Dam River, the glacier length at the headwaters was added to the Tuotuo River, resulting in that the Tuotuo River is 1 km longer than the Dam River, keeping in mind that the glacier can not be regarded as part of the river.In the summer of 1986, we investigated the source of the Changjiang River, we accurately measured the length of both the Tuotuo and Dam rivers, we discovered that the Dam River was 353.1 km long, and the Tuotuo River was 346.3 km long, the Dam River thus being 6.8 km longer than the Tuotuo River. The discharge of the Dam River is 196.18 m3/ sec., 2.6 times as large as that of the Tuotuo River, that of the Tuotuo River is 75.10 m3/sec. The drainag     

Textural research on the main source of the Changjiang River

The Chinese people began to research the main source of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River 2,400 years ago. Limited by the scientific level, they did not discover it. The Tuotuo River was determined as the main source of the Changjiang River in the 1970s. However, this was not correct, because when comparing the length of the Tuotuo River with the Dam River, the glacier length at the headwaters was added to the Tuotuo River, resulting in that the Tuotuo River is 1 km longer than the Dam River, keeping in mind that the glacier can not be regarded as part of the river. In the summer of 1986, we investigated the source of the Changjiang River, we accurately measured the length of both the Tuotuo and Dam rivers, we discovered that the Dam River was 353.1 km long, and the Tuotuo River was 346.3 km long, the Dam River thus being 6.8 km longer than the Tuotuo River. The discharge of the Dam River is 196.18 m³/sec., 2.6 times as large as that of the Tuotuo River, that of the Tuotuo River is 75.10 m³/ sec. The drainage area of the Dam River is 1.8 times as larger as that of the Tuotuo River; the drainage area of the Dam River is 30,715.7 km², the Tuotuo River is 16,691.0 km². Through synthetic analysis of the factors mentioned above, we came to the conclusion that the main source of the Changjiang River is the Dam River instead of the Tuotuo River.     

东营市东营区土地管理现状及可持续开发对策

随着黄河三角洲高效生态经济区上升为国家战略,对土地管理特别是与黄河三角洲开发建设形势相适应的土地开发提出了新的更高要求,东营区作为东营市"四区一城"建设的重要组成部分,按照高效生态的发展方向推进土地资源可持续开发,该文论述了东营区土地管理的现状及主要做法,立足黄河三角洲高效生态经济区建设,提出了推动东营区土地资源可持续开发的对策与措施。     

近30年来青海省三江源区草地的土壤侵蚀时空分析

分析了青海省三江源区草地生态系统土壤侵蚀的空间差异,以及草地退化与土壤侵蚀的关系,并对该区近30年来土壤侵蚀的动念变化进行描述.结果表明,该区域微度以上土壤侵蚀面积占源区总面积的46.47%,而草地生态系统发生微度以上土壤侵蚀的面积比例达56.04%.源区土壤侵蚀类型是以冻融侵蚀伴随着水力侵蚀或风力侵蚀的复合侵蚀为主,...     

Characteristics of Heavy Minerals and Quantitative Provenance Identification of Sediments from the Muddy Area Outside the Oujiang Estuary Since 5.8 kyr

The heavy mineral compositions of the sediments in core D04 with a length of 20.2 m from the muddy area outside the Oujiang Estuary along the coast of Zhejiang-Fujian Provinces have been analyzed. Core D04 can be divided into three units: DU1(0–7.4 m), DU2(7.4–11.4 m) and DU3(11.4–20.2 m). The results showed that the heavy minerals are authigenic pyrite(65.6%)– hornblende(16.0%) – epidote(4.6%) assemblages. The core sediments are mainly composed of clayey silt, which belongs to the clinoform deposit formed since 5.8 kyr, indicating a weak hydrodynamic environment. The deposition rates changed in the trend of high-low-high upward. Quantitative analysis shows that the core sediments were mainly from the suspended sediments of the Changjiang(Yangtze) River, accounting for 79.2%, with only 10.0% from Oujiang, and 10.8% from other provenance. The Oujiang-derived sediments were gradually increased from the bottom unit DU3(3.1%) to the top unit DU1(17.8%), but the Changjiang-derived sediments were gradually decreased. The source changes are closely related to the development of Yangtze River Delta and Wenzhou Bay, climate changes and human activities. During the period of 2.1–3.7 kyr, the sediment supply was greatly reduced due to the poor reclamation capacity of the river basins, resulting in a low deposition rate. Since 2 kyr, the enhancement of human activities in the Yangtze River Basin and the Oujiang River Basin led to more soils to be eroded and transported to the study area. Due to the short distance of the site of core D04 from the Oujiang River mouth, the study area received more Oujiang-derived sediments when upper unit(DU1) deposited than the lower units(DU2 and DU3).     

Impact of the Three Gorges Dam on the spawning stock and natural reproduction of Chinese sturgeon in Changjiang River,China

Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis) is the flagship species of the Changjiang River. The migration route of this species is blocked by the first dam, the Gezhou Dam, and its reproduction is affected by the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), one of the largest dams in the world. We studied the impact of the impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) since 2003 on the spawning stock and the natural reproduction of the Chinese sturgeon by using our monitoring data from 1997 to 2013. Results indicate that TGR impoundment has delayed the first spawning dates of the fish from middle-late October to late November, decreased the amount of spawning activities from twice to only once each year, and significantly reduced egg production. In particular, the fish did not demonstrate any spawning activities in 2013. Therefore, TGR impoundment significantly affects the natural reproduction of the fish downstream of the TGD. The spawning stock size of the fish is also predicted to further decrease in the future, which will lead to a risk of population extinction. Ecological regulations must be imposed on decreasing the water temperature to 20°C before mid-October and increasing water discharge downstream of the TGD in October to induce spawning of the Chinese sturgeon.     

资江河口区农田土壤重金属污染评价及来源分析

资江是洞庭湖的第二大支流，其中上游锑(Sb)矿采矿冶炼工业发达，给资江下游及洞庭湖区带来了严重的重金属污染风险。以资江河口区为研究区，采集了132个农田土壤样品及7个资江水样，综合采用多种污染评价方法、空间分析、多元统计分析方法对研究区重金属进行了污染评价及来源分析。结果表明，研究区农田土壤重金属平均质量分数表现为Zn>Cr>Ni>Pb>Cu>As>Sb>Cd，旱田土壤重金属平均质量分数除Pb外均高于水田。Sb、As、Cd为主要污染元素，Sb达到了中等污染和中等生态风险的程度，总体处于轻微-中等生态风险程度。资江水体Sb质量浓度较高，平均为10.51 μg/L。Sb主要来源于中上游的锑矿工业，受高锑质量浓度地表水灌溉、垃圾填埋场以及燃煤等人为活动的控制；Cd主要来源于农药化肥、生活垃圾和城镇废水等人为活动；Cr主要来源于成土母质，而Cu、Zn、As、Ni、Pb受成土母质和人为活动的双重控制。      

秦淮河流域近30年不透水面景观格局时空演变研究

不透水面作为表征城市化的重要指标,具有极其重要的生态学意义。本文选取多时相Landsat影像,以秦淮河流域为研究区,通过旋转森林算法得到9年土地利用覆盖图,并综合不透水率动态变化分析、土地利用变化轨迹分析、景观格局指数分析探究大流域尺度在近30年间不透水面景观格局的演变过程,旨在揭示其在城市化背景下的时空演变规律。研究结果表明：近30年来,秦淮河流域城市化进程推动下的景观格局变化显著,不透水面积增长近4倍,景观优势度大幅提升;城市化格局演变在2001-2003年前后具有明显差异,前期城市扩张以南京城区与江宁区为主,后期南京城区不透水面扩张大大减缓,而溧水区与句容市扩张速度大幅提升;城市化建设后期,流域内不透水面斑块形状复杂度降低、散布与并列情况减少、斑块的连通性、聚集度逐步增加,其中连通性水平较高的地区主要集中在南京城区和江宁区。     

Sedimentary facies of the subaqueous Changjiang River delta since the late Pleistocene

The sedimentary facies of the subaqueous Changjiang(Yangtze) River delta since the late Pleistocene was studied based on lithology and foraminifera analysis for two boreholes,CJK07 and CJK11,along with14C dating.Four sedimentary facies were identified,namely fluvial,tidal flat,offshore,and prodelta facies.The fluvial sedimentary facies is comprised of fluvial channel lag deposits,fluvial point bar deposits,and floodplain deposits,showing a fining-upward sequence in general with no benthic foraminifera.A layer of stiff clay overlies the fluvial deposits in core CJK07,indicating a long-term exposure environment during the Last Glacial Maximum(LGM).During the postglacial sea-level rise around 13-7.5 cal ka BP,the tidal flat facies was deposited in core CJK11,characterized by abundant silt-clay couplets.Euryhaline species dominate the subtidal flat foraminiferal assemblages,while almost no foraminifera was found in the intertidal flat.The offshore environment was the major sedimentary environment when the sea level reached its highest level around 7.5 cal ka BP,with a maximum accumulation rate of 10 mm/a found in core CJK11.Prodelta sediments have been deposited in core CJK11 since ~3 cal ka BP,after the formation of the Changjiang River delta.The difference in sedimentary facies between core CJK07 and CJK11 is due to their location: core CJK07 was in an interfluve while core CJK11 was in an incised valley during the LGM.Furthermore,AMS14C dating of core CJK07 shows poor chronological order,indicating that the sediments were reworked by strong tidal currents and that sediment deposited since ~7.7 cal ka BP in core CJK07 was eroded away by modern hydrodynamic forces caused by the southward shift of the Changjiang River delta depocenter.     

耀州区地质灾害分区特征及防治对策

依据地质灾害特征和分布现状，采用定性评价与模糊综合评判相结合的方法，将全区分为地质灾害高易发区(4个亚区)、地质灾害中易发区(5个亚区)、地质灾害低易发区(5个亚区)和地质灾害不易发区(3个亚区)。高易发区和中易发区．地质环境复杂．人类工程活动强烈，低易发区和不易发区地形条件简单．多为黄土塬面和林区，人类工程活动相对较弱。针对不同分区灾害特点．分别提出了监测、工程治理、搬迁避让、生物工程等防治措施。