Utilisation and Management Changes in South Kyrgyzstan＇s Mountain Forests

Using political ecology as its conceptual framework, this paper focuses on the changes in forest utilisation and management of South Kyrgyzstan＇s walnut-fruit forests over the last century The aim of this study on human-environment interactions is to investigate the relationship between actors on the one side, their interests and demands, and the forests and forested lands on the other. Forest resource utilisation and management - and even the recognition of different forest products as resources - are connected with political and socioeconomic conditions that change with time. The walnut-fruit forests of South Kyrgyzstan are unique, characterised by high biodiversity and a multiplicity of usable products; and they have been utilised for a long time. Centralised and formal management of the forests started with the Russian occupation and was strengthened under Soviet rule, when the region became a part of the USSR. During this era, a state forest administration that was structured from Moscow all the way down to the local level drew up detailed plans and developed procedures for utilising the different forest products. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the socio-political and economic frame conditions have changed significantly, which has brought not only the sweeping changes in the managing institutions, but also the access rights and interests in the forest resources. At present, the region is suffering from a high unemployment rate, which has resulted in the forests＇ gaining considerable importance in the livelihood strategies of the local population. Political and economic liberalization, increased communication and transregional exchange relations have opened the door for international companies and agents interested in the valuable forest products. Today, walnut wood and burls, walnuts, wild apples and mushrooms are all exported to various countries in the world. Scientists and members of various international organisations stress the ecological value of the forests and are trying to establish nature conservation areas. Nevertheless, it is to fear that a multiplicity of interrelated factors - the present transformation and globalization processes, the appearance of new actors, the local population＇s insecure economic situation and the erosion of managing institutions - are all leading to an intensified and unregulated exploitation of the forests, resulting in their degradation.     

Non-coordination in China＇s Urbanization： Assessment and Affecting Factors

Urbanization is a comprehensive concept, a trinity process that population urbanization, economic urbanization and space urbanization, is based on the interactions and mutual influences among the in which, people are the central and leading players in this process, while economic activities serve as the driving force and space is the carrier-the physical or material setting as well as the product. So the coordination among these processes is crucial for a country or region＇s sustainable development. China is experiencing rapid growth of cities and a surge in urban population, with the basic national condition of many people and little land, which calls for a systematic study of the issue of coordinated urbanization from theoretical, methodological and practical perspectives. Based on the concept of urbanization and non-coordination of urbanization, this article built a quantitative method to identify and evaluate the urbanization and non-coordination of urbanization, and made an empirical analysis in China between 2000 and 2008. The results show that the non-coordination overall level of China＇s urbanization declined during the study period, because population urbanization, economic urbanization, and space urbanization exhibited different trajectories of change. This study also reveals that performance assessment system, household registration system, and urban land expropriation system, etc., are the main affecting factors. At the end, we put forward some suggestions to achieve sustainable development of China＇s urbanization from the aspects of improving the local government＇s obiective function, imolementing the urban plalming svstem, enforcing public particination asnects and so on.     

The Role of Aga Khan Rural Support Programme in Rural Development in the Karakorum, Hindu Kush ＆ Himalayan Region： Examples from the Northern Mountainous Belt of Pakistan

Pakistan is predominantly a mountainous country where rural development activities are characterised by inconsistency, politically motivated short-term projects without proper feedback. Since the inception of the country, the top-down approach has been followed, and the same development plans that were formulated for the plain areas have been extended to the mountains without any modification. In doing so, neither the participation of the local communities was cared for, nor the mountain specificities were considered in the planning process. Moreover, the representation of the local inhabitants was improper and contradictory to the facts. This biased approach has been one of the main causes for the failure of development projects carried out by different agencies of the Government. Contrary to the perception of the state authorities, the mountain communities proved to be more open to accept new approaches and demonstrated the capacity and capability of being a dependable development partner. In this paper, a detailed account of the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme （AKRSP） has been presented to assess and evaluate the approach followed by this non-governmental organisation （NGO）, and the response of the local inhabitants as collaborators in the development process. The achievements of the AKRSP from project planning, implementation and monitoring can be adopted as a model for rural development not only in the plains, but also in the mountainous areas of the developing countries in the world.     

In the Mountain＇s Shadow： Japan＇s Silk Reelers Blazed an Asian Path of Economic Development

Exploring the history of the silk-reeling industry in Chichibu, Japan, this paper challenges the prevalent representation of mountain communities as marginal economic peripheries of the metropolitan center or as reservoirs of poverty and backwardness. Mountain districts were the cradle of an Asian “industrious” revolution that led to Japan‘s modernization. The highland-based silk-reeling producers pioneered an autonomous Asian model of industrial development, which competed successfully against the capital-intensive system introduced from the West into coastal cities. The export strength of silk-producing households in upland villages overturns the claim that Japan‘s economic miracle was based on the introduction of Western technology and administrative systems. To the contrary, the Asian-style management practices and labor standards developed by the silk producers were transferred to a succession of other industries. These indigenous practices account for the rise of Japanese industry in world markets. The clash between the two opposing models of modernization resulted in modern Japan‘s first major civil conflict, the Chichibu Rebellion of 1884, a legacy that has major implications for today‘s recession-mired Japan as well as for developing countries striving for an alternative path to economic development.     

Telecentres in mountain regions — A Peruvian case study of the impact of information and communication technologies on remoteness and exclusion

Communities in developing country mountain areas, in part due to their remoteness, find themselves excluded from social, political and economic systems; and excluded from access to resources. This paper aims to study the impact of information and communication technologies （ICTs） on remoteness and exclusion. It utilises two models - the resource movement framework, and the ＂information chain＂ - to analyse a telecentre in one district of mountainous Huancavelica, Peru＇s poorest region, set in the high Andes. It finds ICTs enabling new and positive resource flows for the two key user groups： teenaged school students and young farmers. These help to maintain social networks. They also support information searches that have improved agricultural practice where other information chain resources have been available. But non-use and ineffective use of the telecentre are found where information chain resources are lacking. ICTs have some impacts on intangible elements of remoteness. In this particular example, they also offer access to some previously-excluded resources. But they have not really addressed the systematic exclusions faced by mountain communities. And they so far appear to be a technology of inequality; favouring those residents who begin with better resource endowments. The paper concludes by offering some recommendations for mountain ICT project practice.     

Carrying Capacity of Marine Region in Liaoning Province

Carrying capacity is one of important studies on coordinating development of population,resources,and environment.At present,the researches on it mainly concentrate on the carrying capacity for population and economy,such as the water resources carrying capacity,the land resources carrying capacity,the environment carrying capacity,etc.Based on the related theories and methods,this paper creatively proposed the concept and meaning of carrying capacity of marine region,and formed the appraisal system.According to the developing situation of marine economy of Liaoning Province in recent years,and by employing the method of the state space,this paper also measured the carrying capacity and carrying state of marine region and discussed the sustainable problems of marine economy of Liaoning.The research results show that the carrying state of marine region of Liaoning is in the state of overloading at present,but taking a favorable turn.     

Local Knowledge on Plants and Domestic Remedies in the Mountain Villages of Peshkopia（Eastern Albania）

Ethnobotanical studies in the Balkans are crucial for fostering sustainable rural development in the region and also for investigating the dynamics of change of Traditional Ecological Knowledge（TEK）,which has broad-sweeping implications for future biodiversity conservation efforts.A survey of local botanical and medical knowledge and practices was conducted in four mountainous villages of the Peshkopia region in northeast Albania,near the Macedonian border.Snowball sampling techniques were employed to recruit 32 informants for participation in semi-structured interviews regarding the use of the local flora for food,medicinal,veterinary and ritual purposes.The uses of 84 botanical taxa were recorded as well as a number of other folk remedies for the treatment of both humans and livestock.Comparison of the collected data with another ethnobotanical field study recently conducted among Albanians living on the Macedonian side of Mount Korab shows a remarkable divergence in medicinal plant uses,thus confirming the crucial role played by the history of the last century in transforming TEK.Most noteworthy,as a legacy of the Communist period,a relevant number of wild medicinal taxa are still gathered only for trade rather than personal/familial use.This may lead to unsustainable exploitation of certain taxa（i.e.Orchis and Gentiana spp.） and presents some important conservation challenges.Appropriate development and environmental educational frameworks should aim to reconnect local people to the perception of limitation and renewability of botanical resources.     

Quantitatively determine the dominant driving factors of the spatial–temporal changes of vegetation NPP in the Hengduan Mountain area during 2000-2015

The Hengduan mountain area,located in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River of China,is an important ecological barrier that significantly impacts the climate and ecological environment of the surrounding region and western China as a whole.This paper introduces the gravity center model used to analyze the spatial-temporal variation patterns of vegetation Net Primary Productivity(NPP)from 2000 to 2015,which were determined by the use of MOD17 A3 NPP products.Additionally,the dominant driving factors of the spatial–temporal changes of vegetation NPP of the Hengduan Mountain area were quantitatively determined with a geographical detector over 2000-2015.The results revealed that:(1)From 2000 to 2015,there was an increasing trend of vegetation NPP in the Hengduan mountain area.Throughout the whole study region,the vegetation NPP with a mean value of 611.37 gC·m^-2·a^-1 indicated a decreasing trend from southeast to northwest in terms of spatial distribution.(2)The gravity centers of vegetation NPP in 2000-2015 were mainly concentrated in Zhongdian County.During the study period,the gravity center of vegetation NPP moved northward,which indicated that the increment and increasing rate of vegetation NPP in the northern parts were greater than that of the southern areas.(3)The vegetation NPP showed a moderately positive correlation with temperature,accumulated temperature(>10℃),and sunshine,while there was an overall negative relationship between NPP and precipitation.(4)The dominant factors and interactive dominant factors changed in different subregions over different segments of the study period.The dominant factors of most sub-regions in Hengduan mountain were natural factors,and the climate change factors played an increasingly greater role over the 16 years of the study period.     

Integrated Futures for Europe＇s Mountain Regions： Reconciling Biodiversity Conservation and Human Livelihoods

Europe＇s mountains cover nearly half of the continent＇s area and are home to one fifth of the European population. Mountain areas are hotspots of biodiversity and agriculture has played a multifunctional role in defining and sustaining mountain biodiversity. Ongoing trends of agricultural decline are having negative impacts on mountain biodiversity. This paper presents results from an interdisciplinary European research project, BioScene, which investigated the relationship between agriculture and biodiversity in six mountain study areas across Europe to provide recommendations for reconciling biodiversity conservation with social and economic activities through an integrated rural development strategy. BioScene used scenario analysis and stakeholder participation as tools for structuring the analysis of alternative mountain futures. Three main BioScene scenarios were evaluated： Business as Usual （BAIT）, Agricultural Liberalisation （Lib）, Managed Change for Biodiversity （MCB）. BioScene brought together ecologists, economists, sociologists and rural geogra- phers, to carry out interdisciplinary analysis of the scenarios： identifying key drivers of change, assessing the biodiversity consequences and evaluating costeffectiveness. BioScene used a sustainability assessment to integrate the research outputs across natural and social science disciplines to assess the broader sustainability of the scenarios in terms of biodiversity, natural resources, rural development, social development, economic development and institutional capacity. The sustainability assessment showed that the MCB scenario was potentially the most sustainable of the three BioScene scenarios. Through the reconciliation of potentially conflicting objectives, such as conservation, economic development and human livelihoods, and with a strong participatory planning approach, the MCB scenario could represent an alternative approach to BaU for sustainable rural development in Europe＇s mountains. BioScene confirms the necessity for natural and social scientists to work together to seek solutions to environmental problems. Interdisciplinary research can assist with the definition of integrated strategies with the potential to reconcile the ecological, social and economic parameters that determine a sustainable future for European mountain areas.     

Spatial distribution modeling of temperature increase for the uplifted mountain terrains and its characteristics in Southwest China

Local temperature changes in mountain areas are significantly affected by the uplifted mountain terrains. Understanding how temperature increase with mountain terrains is an important component in accurately modeling the spatial distribution of temperature. The study, after minimizing the effect of elevation and latitude, quantitatively simulated the temperature increase in the uplifted mountain terrains, described the characteristics in the spatial distribution of warming areas with different magnitudes, and identified the correlated indices of mountain bodies for warming. Selecting Yunnan Province in southwest China as the study area, we simulated the warming field on a baseline surface at the average elevation of 2000 m and average latitude of 24.96°. The results indicated that the warming magnitudes in different local areas varied with the change in the spatial locations, and the warming process concentrated in the mountainous regions. Throughout the entire study area, the warming field presented a general pattern of three terraces from the regions of high mountains to middle mountains and then low mountains. The areasof high warming magnitude mainly surrounded large mountain bodies and were distributed on the upper part. The areas of low warming magnitude clustered in the valleys and basins of the middle mountain region, mostly on the lower part of the large mountain bodies and its branches. The areas with zero warming magnitude occurred in the low mountains and broad valleys, which were distributed largely on the lower parts of the middle mountains and in most of the valleys. Quantified sampling analysis demonstrated good positive correlation between the warming magnitudes in uplifted mountain terrains and the volume index of the mountain body, as well as elevation difference, with the coefficients corresponding to 0.82 and 0.91, respectively.     

Ecological Footprint dynamics of Yunnan, China

A fundamental element of sustainable development is that humans live within nature＇s biological capacity. Quantifying this, however, remains a significant challenge for which there are many emerging tools. The concept of the Ecological Footprint is one such accounting tool for comprehensive assessment of the status of sustainable development, based on integration of resource consumption and land capacity, reflecting the human impact on the environment. A region＇s development is defined as unsustainable when the Ecological Footprint surpasses the biological capacity. In this paper, the Ecological Footprint concept Was applied in assessing the development of Yunnan Province, China in a period between 1988 and 2006. The results showed that the Ecological Footprint per capita in Yunnan rose from 0.854 gha in 1988 to 2.11 gha in 2006. Ecological deficit, defined as when the human demand on the land surpasses the regions biological productive capacity, emerged in 1991 and quickly increased from 0.02 gha in 1991 to 1.05 gha in 2006. The increase in the ecological deficit is primarily a result of the rapid increase in population and consumption level. To achieve sustainable development in Yunnan, production and consumption rates need to be modified.     

A Regional-Scale Method of Forecasting Debris Flow Events Based on Water-Soil Coupling Mechanism

A debris flow forecast model based on a water-soil coupling mechanism that takes the debrisflow watershed as a basic forecast unit was established here for the prediction of disasters at the watershed scale.This was achieved through advances in our understanding of the formation mechanism of debris flow.To expand the applicable spatial scale of this forecasting model,a method of identifying potential debris flow watersheds was used to locate areas vulnerable to debris flow within a forecast region.Using these watersheds as forecasting units and a prediction method based on the water-soil coupling mechanism,a new forecasting method of debris flow at the regional scale was established.In order to test the prediction ability of this new forecasting method,the Sichuan province,China was selected as a study zone and the large-scale debris flow disasters attributable to heavy rainfall in this region on July 9,2013 were taken as the study case.According to debris flow disaster data on July 9,2013 which were provided by the geo-environmental monitoring station of Sichuan province,there were 252 watersheds in which debris flow events actually occurred.The current model predicted that 265 watersheds were likely to experience a debris flow event.Among these,43 towns including 204 debrisflow watersheds were successfully forecasted and 24 towns including 48 watersheds failed.The false prediction rate and failure prediction rate of thisforecast model were 23% and 19%,respectively.The results show that this method is more accurate and more applicable than traditional methods.     

The role of chilean mountain areas in time of drought and energy crisis: New pressures and challenges for vulnerable ecosystems

In the summer of 2010/2011 Chile suffered the third most severe energy and water supply crisis in only one decade.This may be surprising as the Andes which accompany the country along 4,200 km are a water tower and could provide more electricity and water than needed.On top of that,it has to be mentioned that Chile also counts with sunny and windy climates and with excellent geothermal energy resources and thus has a huge potential as far as renewable energies are concerned.After analyzing the existing natural conditions,the infrastructure and the present challenges of climate change,it has to be asked in which way Chile can make use of this potential in the near future,considering the legal and political situation and the technological opportunities.It seems that the resources are still hidden in the Andes,and only the key is missing to realize the country’s natural potential.This research has been based on the analysis of existing literature,media,quantitative data from government institutions and other antecedents obtained by the authors in field work done in the South of Chile in 2010.The added value of this compilation lies in the comprehensive perspective,linking the knowledge of climatologists,hydrologists,mountain researchers and energy experts in order to support a sustainable energy and water supply for the future in Chile.From this present research,it can be concluded that Chile necessarilyhas to adopt new energy-related strategies,particularly those aimed at diminishing the strong dependence on traditional sources of energy and establishing new techniques and technologies for generating electricity and utilizing the vast potential that the country is ready to offer,such as that provided by the Andes along 4,200 kilometers.     

How Unique is ′China Model′: A Review of Theoretical Perspectives on China′s Urbanization in Anglophone Literature

As a major aspect of the ′China Model′, urbanization in China is being heatedly discussed in the Anglophone literature in the last two decades. By considering China′s urbanization as a ′testing ground′ of ′western′ theories, these studies are important for the understanding of China′s ongoing urban restructuring and exchanging knowledge with ′western′ insights. Based on a survey of existing studies, this paper identifies various endogenous and exogenous concepts and explanations of China′s urbanization. It is suggested that China′s urbanization is mainly driven by a combination of political decentralization and neoliberalization with various forms of social stratification and mobility. However, it is argued that the distinctness of the ′China Model′, which is usually used to support the legitimacy of studies of China′s urbanization, has led to many controversial arguments and diminished the due contributions of Chinese scholars in the knowledge production of China′s urbanization. To consolidate the legitimacy of studies on China′s urbanization and enhance the roles of Chinese scholars, we suggest future studies to pay more attentions to the fundamental theories with looser constraints and ′true questions′ on China′s urbanization.     

Assessing the economic value of vernacular architecture of mountain regions using contingent valuation

Human pressure on mountain resources poses certain threats to their natural and man-made environment. Although there are many parameters involved, one of the driving forces behind this situation is the emphasis given so far only to the market value of mountain goods and services, ignoring the true social and environmental costs of using mountain resources. Towards this direction, the use of non-market valuation techniques could prove to be beneficial. Bearing in mind the above remarks, the paper presents an application of the Contingent Valuation Method, which aims at estimating the monetary value of a mountain settlement’s vernacular architecture, namely Metsovo. For this purpose, the survey focuses on Metsovo visitors’ willingness to pay a single annual voluntary contribution to an institution that would be founded in order to undertake all necessary actions required to preserve the town’s traditional character. The results are very promising and indicate that vernacular architecture holds a significant economic value that could justify the implementation of appropriate policies towards the protection of vernacular settlements in mountain areas.     

LAND COVER CHANGES AND LANDSCAPE DYNAMICS ASSESSMENT IN LOWER REACHES OF TARIM RIVER IN CHINA

The Tarim River Basin, located in the typical arid region, is one of the key regions of LUCC research in China and plays an important role in maintaining the sustainable development of the westem China. In recent years, the ecological environment of the Tarim River Basin has degraded greatly. In the lower reaches, in particular,the riverbed has been dried up for more than 20 years, which accelerated the desertification and has been a great threat to people‘s lives. Taking the section of the Tarim River between Qiala Lake and Taitema Lake as a typical region, an investigation on land cover changes was carried out with the support of remote sensing information of 1988 and 2000 respectively. The changes of land cover in this region were obtained: 1) Cropland tended to increase. 2)Urban or Built-up Area in 2000 was 324.4ha more than that in 1988.3) Waters expanded by 3476.51ha. 4) Woodland and Grassland decreased, while Barren Land increased by 3824.9ha. The total amount of land use/land cover change between 1988 and 2000 is small, which is only 0.355% of the total area. It shows that the developmental pace of the lower reaches of the Tarim River is relative slow. Based on these results, the authors assessed the landscape dynamics of this region and pointed out that the degree of desertification was strengthened and the landscape dominated by sand land was further characterized by salt desert.     

Changing Concepts of City and Urban Planning Practices in Guangzhou （1949-2010）： An Approach to Sustainable Urban Development

By focusing on Guangzhou, this paper examines how different concepts of city in terms of urban-rural relationships are shaped in transforming China since 1949, and explores how they influence the way in which urban planning are practiced. In the pre-reform era, the city was defined as a productive space under the system of urban-rural segregation established for securing rapid industrialization. Urban planning was thus only concerned with the development of urban areas. In the 1980s and 1990s after the reform, institutional change and economic transformation mobilized the urban-rural linkages. The development of suburban areas was then con- sidered by urban planning, but this consideration was a passive response to urban problems such as population explosion and water re- sources protection. Since the new millennium, the agenda for sustainable development and problems of uneven urban-rural development have called for the development of urban-rural integration. In this context, the city is conceptualized as a complex of mountain, city, river, farmland and sea, reconstructing the ideology of urban-rural division in defining urban development. Urban planning has therefore sought in an active way to develop a sustainable city embracing rural and natural elements, and to balance economic growth and envi- ronmental protection. It is argued that developing the concept of city as a complex of urban and rural elements contributes to the urban planning for sustainable urban development, while this conceptualization relies on the recognition of the integrated urban-rural relationship.     

Sea surface height variations in the Mindanao Dome region in response to the northern tropical Pacific winds

Sea surface height (SSH) variability in the Mindanao Dome (MD) region is found to be one of the strong variations in the northern Pacific. It is only weaker than that in the Kuroshio Extension area, and is comparable to that in the North Pacific Subtropical Countercurrent region. Based on a 1.5-layer reduced gravity model, we analyzed SSH variations in this region and their responses to northern tropical Pacific winds. The average SSH anomaly in the region varies mainly on a seasonal scale, with significant periods of 0.5 and 1 year, ENSO time scale2-7years, and time scale in excess of 8 years. Annual and long-term variabilities are comparably stronger. These variations are essentially a response to the northern tropical Pacific winds. On seasonal and ENSO time scales, they are mainly caused by wind anomalies east of the region, which generate westward-propagating, long Rossby waves. On time scales longer than 8 years, they are mostly induced by local Ekman pumping. Long-term SSH variations in the MD region and their responses to local winds are examined and discussed for the first time .     

Relief degree of land surface and population distribution of mountainous areas in China

Evaluation on the population pressure in the mountainous areas is a necessary condition for the protection and good governance. The evaluation depends on accurate population density assessment. Traditional methods used to calculate population density often adopt the administrative region as a scale for statistical analysis. These methods did not consider the effects of the relief degree of land surface(RDLS) on the population distribution. Therefore they cannot accurately reflect the degree of population aggregation, especially in mountainous areas. To explore this issue further, we took the mountainous areas of China as the research area. China has A total area of 666 km2 can be classified as mountainous area,accounting for 69.4% of the country’s total landmass. The data used in this research included the digital elevation model(DEM) of China at a scale of 1:1,000,000, National population density raster data, the DEM and the national population density raster data. First, we determined the relief degree of land surface(RDLS). Next, we conducted a correlation analysis between the population distribution and the RDLS using the Statistical Package for Social Science(SPSS). Based on the correlation analysis results and population distribution, this new method was used to revise the provincial population density of themountainous areas. The revised results were used to determine the population pressure of different mountainous areas. Overall, the following results were obtained:(1) The RDLS was low in most mountainous areas(with a value between 0 and 3.5) and exhibited a spatial pattern that followed the physiognomy of China;(2) The relationship between the RDLS and population density were logarithmic, with an R2 value up to 0.798(p<0.05), and the correlation decreased from east to west;(3) The difference between the revised population density(RPD) and the traditional population density(PD) was larger in the southeastern region of China than in the northwestern region;(4) In addition, compared with traditional results, the revised result indicated that the population pressure was larger. Based on these results, the following conclusions were made:(1) the revised method for estimating population density that incorporates the RDLS is reasonable and practical,(2) the potential population pressure in the southeastern mountainous areas is substantial,(3) the characteristics of the terrain in the high mountainous areas are important for the scattered distribution of the population, and(4) the population distribution of mountainous areas in China should be guided by local conditions, such as social, economic, and topographic conditions.     

Coupling mechanism of rural settlements and mountain disasters in the upper reaches of Min River

Human settlements are the place where human beings live,among which the rural settlements can be regarded as a reflection of human-land relationship in mountain areas because their vertical distribution is greatly influenced by the specific geographical environment and ecological conditions of mountains.Based on field investigation,this paper uses physical,geographical,and ecological theories to make a comprehensive study of rural settlements and mountain disasters in the upper Min River,which is an ecologically fragile area with high-frequency disasters（collapse,landslide,debris flow,etc.） and a minority inhabit district.By applying these modern scientific theories,this paper attempts to shed some light on the relationship between rural settlements and mountain disasters.Consequently,an in-depth understanding of this relationship was achieved as follows：（1） Rural settlements and mountain disasters are mainly distributed in the intercepted flows of water and soil; and both quantity and quality of arable lands in mountains are important indicators of these flows.（2） The Small Watershed Management Project is a complex system of rural settlements and mountain disasters that interacts with and constrains the ecological system.By this project,the human survival will be better guaranteed.Being fundamental for the ecological reconstruction,the coupling mechanism of rural settlements and mountain disasters is not only an engine to promote harmonious development between human and nature,but also a bridge to link them.