Motive-based segmentation of international tourists at Gaurishankar Conservation Area,Nepal

Gaurishankar Conservation Area(GCA)is a recently established natural-based protected area in Nepal,which has witnessed an increase in international visitors.To optimize visitor experience,it is essential to examine motivations to visit along with visitors’characteristics and behavioral dispositions.The purpose of this study was to examine international tourists via a motive-based segmentation approach for GCA.In addition,the study also intended to identify visitor segments’profile characteristics such as socio-demographic,travel behaviors,satisfaction,loyalty intention,and their willingness to pay for higher entrance fees.Data(N=121)were collected among international tourists visiting GCA either as a primary destination or as a transit point.Results identified three distinct segments of visitors–‘local art and culture enthusiast’,‘escapist’,and‘nature adventurer.’Each cluster was different with regards to their sociodemographics,travelbehavior,satisfaction,willingness to revisit and recommend,and willingness to pay to support the environment and cultural resources,and local economy.The insights gained from motive-based segmentation can be beneficial to GCA to develop specific products and promotions and incorporate visitor monitoring&management programs.     

Urbanization of Jilin Province and Its Spatial Pattern

1 Introduction It is indisputable that the urbanization has been consid- ered as an important indicator for evaluating a nation’s or a region’s modernization and industrialization. Therefore, the issue of urbanization will arouse wide and remarkable concern in both domestic and international geography in the 21st century. From a comprehensive survey of the development of urbanization all over the world, some successful modes of urbanization, such as the American mode and the Japanese mode, …     

Estimation on Aesthetic Value of Tourist Landscapes in a Natural Heritage Site： Kanas National Nature Reserve, Xinjiang, China

Most world natural heritage sites are designated partly by reason of their prominent aesthetic values in accordance with Article Ⅶ of World Natural Heritage Convention.In this paper, the aesthetic values of Kanas National Nature Reserve, which has potential for such designation, was analyzed quantitatively using scenic beauty estimation(SBE).The landscapes of 19 representative scenic spots in the Kanas National Nature Reserve in summer and autumn were selected as the objects of evaluation.The contributions of different landscape factors to the aesthetic value of the Kanas National Nature Reserve were revealed using a multivariate quantitative model.The main factors affecting the aesthetic value were waterscapes, vegetation, mountains, folk culture and the tourist environment.The t-test and F-test results are extremely significant.According to the results, some suggestions were given for conserving the landscapes in the Kanas National Nature Reserve.     

Measuring recreational value of world heritage sites based on contingent valuation method: A case study of Jiuzhaigou

World heritage possesses various kinds of use value and non-use value. Measuring the recreational value of world heritage sites is a key issue in the heritage tourism. This paper employs Contingent Valuation Method (CVM), which is an evaluation instrument on the basis of tourists′ attitude and preference, to measure the recreational value of Jiuzhaigou, one of the World Natural Heritage sites in China, and analyzes the biases in the survey. The results show that: 1) In 2009, Jiuzhaigou′s recreational value was 3.46×108 yuan (RMB), and the per capita Willingness to Pay (WTP) was 137.31 yuan by CVM. Compared with the results of other methods, this result is significantly low. 2) Among the factors that influence Jiuzhaigou tourists′ WTP, psychological perception factors have the greatest effect while demographic and socio-economic characteristics have a small effect on WTP. 3) The virtuality in CVM creates biases both from CVM itself and in the procedures that CVM was implemented. The former includes hypothetical bias, information bias, protest response bias, and strategic bias; and the latter includes the questionnaire design, population and sample definition, sampling and data processing. The paper analyses those biases and illustrates their potential in-fluences on the accuracy of CVM measurement. 4) Although there are various defects in CVM measurement, it is still an effective valuation method.     

Spatial effect of mineral resources exploitation on urbanization: A case study of Tarim River Basin, Xinjiang, China

Mineral resources exploitation significantly affects the spatial structure and evolutive trend of urbanization in arid areas.In this study,the spatial autocorrelation method and the spatial computation model were used to investigate the spatial impacts of mineral resources excavation and processing on comprehensive level of urbanization in the Tarim River Basin,Xinjiang,China for the years of 2000,2006 and 2008.The results are as follows:1)There was a spatial correlation of the development of mineral resources industry and the comprehensive level of urbanization in 2006 and 2008,with the spatial concentration trend rising significantly in 2006 and decreasing in 2008.2)The patterns of local spatial concentration of mineral resources industry and of the comprehensive level of urbanization were relatively stable,and the two patterns showed signs of spatial correlationship.The higher was the degree of the concentration of mineral resources industry,the stronger was its impact on the spatial clustering of urbanization.3)In 2000, mineral resources excavation and processing had a significant positive impact on the comprehensive level of urbanization in the region but not in its adjacent regions.However,in 2008,mineral resources excavation and processing significantly raised the comprehensive level of urbanization not only in the region but also in its neighboring regions.This research demonstrates that the development of mineral resources industry can strongly affect the trends and spatial patterns of urbanization.     

Change of Soil Organic Carbon after Cropland Afforestation in ′Beijing-Tianjin Sandstorm Source Control′ Program Area in China

Land use change is one of the major factors that affect soil organic carbon(SOC) variation and global carbon balance. However, the effects of land use change on SOC are always variable. In this study, using a series of paired-field experiments, we estimated the effects of revegetation types and environmental conditions on SOC stock and vertical distribution after replacement of cropland with poplar(Populus tomentosa) and korshinsk peashrub(Caragana korshinskii) in three climate regions(Chifeng City, Fengning City and Datong City of the ′Beijing-Tianjin Sandstorm Source Control′(BTSSC) program area. The results show that SOC sequestration rate ranges from 0.15 Mg/(ha·yr) to 3.76 Mg/(ha·yr) in the soil layer of 0–100 cm in early stage after cropland afforestation in the BTSSC program area. The SOC accumulation rates are the highest in Fengning for both the two vegetation types. Compared to C. korshinskii, P. tomentosa has greater effects on SOC accumulation in the three climate regions, but significantly greater effect only appears in Datong. The SOC density increases by 20%–111% and 15%–59% for P. tomentosa and 9%–63% and 0–73% for C. korshinskii in the 0–20 cm and 20–100 cm soil layers, respectively. Our results indicate that cropland afforestation not only affects SOC stock in the topsoil, but also has some effects on subsoil carbon. However, the effect of cropland afforestation on SOC accumulation varied with climate regions and revegetation types. Considering the large area of revegetation and relatively high SOC accumulation rate, SOC sequestration in the BTSSC program should contribute significantly to decrease the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere.     

Dark touristic perception: Motivation,experience and benefits interpreted from the visit to seismic memorial sites in Sichuan province

This study investigates the motivations of Chinese domestic tourists visiting seismic memorial sites after the great Wenchuan earthquake of 2008, and examines their interpretation of experiences and benefits of the visits. Recent research on dark tourism has raised the possibility that people are attracted to death and memorial sites in ways different from other tourist attractions. The study used an empirical research design employing questionnaires to collect data from 255 Chinese domestic visitors at seismic memorial sites in west Sichuan. Analysis revealed that the obligation of commemoration mixed with curiosity represents a different set of travel motivation in dark tourism settings than in other kinds of tourism. In addition, the empirical evidence also suggests an interrelated pattern between motivations, experiences and benefits. This study implies that Chinese domestic tourists were attracted in ways different from other tourist attractions both because they tended to fulfill their obligation of commemoration and were interested in destruction; and visitor experiences played an important mediating role between travel motivations and benefits gained.     

Effect of wave-induced Stokes drift on the dynamics of ocean mixed layer

The wave-forcing ’Coriolis-Stokes forcing’ and ’Stokes-vortex force’ induced by Stokes drift affect the upper ocean jointly.To study the effect of the wave-induced Stokes drift on the dynamics of the ocean mixed layer,a new three-dimensional(3D) numerical model is derived using the primitive basic equations and Eulerian wave averaging.The Princeton Ocean Model(POM),a 3D primitive equation ocean model is used with the upper wave-averaged basic equations.The global ocean circulation is simulated using the POM model,and the Stokes drift is evaluated based on the wave data generated by WAVEWATCH III.We compared simulations with and without the Stokes drift.The results show that the magnitude of the Stokes drift is comparable with the Eulerian mean current.Including the Stokes drift in the ocean model affects both the Eulerian current and the Lagranian drift and causes the vertical mixing coefficients to increase.     

Green Tourism in Mountain Regions - Reducing Vulnerability and Promoting People and Place Centric Development in the Himalayas

In recent years, mountain regions are attracting great attention to Indian tourists in general and foreign tourists in particular. The potential mountain resources for promoting green tourism are enormous in the form of natural and cultural heritage such as biosphere reserves, flora and fauna, lakes and rivers and traditional rural resources. In order to utilise tourism industry market, uncontrolled numbers of tourists and related haphazard infrastructural facilities in the vulnerable mountain regions pose serious environmental implications. The ecological pressures are threatening land, water and wild life resources through direct and indirect environmental impacts together with generation of solid and liquid wastes, so green tourism is emerging as an important task in order to develop new relationship between communities, government agencies and private sectors. The strategy focuses on ecological understanding, environmental protection and ecodevelopment. The major attributes of the green tourism include environmental conservation and education and distribution of income to local people based on strong partnership. Various knowledge systems go a long way for achieving the goals of the green tourism, which creates awareness about the value of environmental resources. Mountains have ecological, recreational, educational and scientific values, which need to be utilised in sustainable way. Various tourist activities andfacilities need to be diversified in order to achieve multiple benefits including scientific field excursion, recreation in natural and cultural areas, community festivals and sport tourisms. Green tourism considers tourism development as an integral part of a national and regional development. The paper discusses the social, economic and environmental dimensions of the green tourism with particular reference to village tourism development programme taking empirical evidences from the Himalaya. Such programme also minimises biophysical and human vulnerability and risks in mountain regions. The environmental consciousness campaign and introduction of code through multi- purpose Tourist Resource Centres are gaining currency in above context.     

Biomass and carbon storage of Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis （Rhodophyta） in Zhanshan Bay,Qingdao, China

Marine macroalgae can absorb carbon and play an important role in carbon sequestration. As an important economic macroalga, Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis has the potential to significantly affect carbon absorption and storage in wave-sheltered intertidal reef systems. However, detailed knowledge on seasonal biomass changes and carbon storage of G. lemaneiformis is lacking, especially in many small and scattered ecosystems. Considering the influence of human activities on wild distribution of G. lemaneiformis, the understanding of seasonal dynamics of an economically important species in nature is necessary. In this study, we first investigated seasonal variations in biomass, coverage area, and carbon storage during low tide from August 2011 to July 2012 in Zhanshan Bay, Qingdao, China. Furthermore, we estimated the carbon storage potential of wild G. lemaneiformis using light use efficiency(LUE). The results show that the standing biomass and coverage area changed significantly with season. However, seasonal variations in carbon content and water content were not obvious, with an average content of 35.1% and 83.64%, respectively. Moreover, carbon storage in individual months varied between 0.67 and 47.03 g C/m 2, and the value of carbon storage was the highest in August and June and the lowest in February. In Zhanshan Bay, LUE of G. lemaneiformis was only 0.23%. If it is increased to the theoretical maximum(5%–6%), the carbon storage will have an increase of at least 21 times compared with the current, which suggested that carbon storage of wild G. lemaneiformis had a high enhancement potential. The study will help to assess a potential role of G. lemaneiformis in reducing atmospheric CO2.     

The Effect of Bioturbation Activity of the Ark Clam Scapharca subcrenata on the Fluxes of Nutrient Exchange at the Sediment–Water Interface

Filter-feeding shellfish are common benthos and significantly affect the biogeochemical cycle in the shallow coastal ecosystems.Ark clam Scapharca subcrenata is one of the widely cultured bivalve species in many coastal areas owing to its tremendous economic value.However,there is little information regarding the effects of the bioturbation of S.subcrenata on the fluxes of nutrient exchange in the sediment-water interface(SWI).In this regard,S.subcrenata was sampled during October 2016 to determine the effects of its bioturbation activity on the nutrient exchange flux of the SWI.The results showed that the biological activity of S.subcrenata could increase the diffusion depth and the rate of the nutrients exchange in the sediments.The bioturbation of S.subcrenata could allow the nutrients to permeate into the surface sediments at 6-10cm and increase the release rate of nutrients at the SWI.The releasing fluxes of DIN and PO43−-P in the culture area were found to be around three times higher than that in the non-cultured region.The culture of S.subcrenata has been proved to be an important contributor to nutrient exchange across the SWI in the farming area of Haizhou Bay.Nutrients exchange in the SWI contributes a part of 86%DIN,71%PO43−-P and 18%SiO32−-Si for the aquaculture farm.     

The Combined Effect of Plastic Particles Size and Concentration on Rotifers’ (Brachionus plicatilis) Performance

The presence of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems is of increasing global concern.Nano-sized plastics,in particular,can penetrate the cell membrane and cause biological death.Our study evaluated the combined impacts of several polystyrene mi-crospheres’sizes and nominal concentrations on the overall performance changes of Brachionus plicatilis.Experimental animals were exposed to three microplastic sizes(0.08,0.5 and 6μm)and five nominal concentrations(0,0.5,2,8,32μg mL?1)for 20 d.Our results showed that the toxicological effect of particle size on rotifers did not significantly depend on the nominal concentration.The interaction between the nominal concentration and size occurred only for body length and lorica width.Specifically,high nominal concentrations of microplastics that were close to nanometer size significantly impaired the overall vitality of rotifers,embodied in shortage of body type,delay in the arrival of maturity,reduction in the cumulative number of neonates,and the advance of the death process.In comparison,fair-sized size(0.5 and 6μm)displayed non-significant damage except for individual groups.Most notably,the net reproductive yield was only a third of what it was in the original environment,implying that there was not much fertility left.Besides,with the development of rotifers,the adverse effects of polystyrene microsphere drive had become more and more serious.     

Effects of crude oil contamination on soil physical and chemical properties in Momoge wetland of China

Large oilfields are often coincidentally located in major river deltas and wetlands, and potentially damage the structure, function and ecosystem service values of wetlands during oil exploration. In the present study, the effects of crude oil contamination during oil exploration on soil physical and chemical properties were investigated in marshes of the Momoge National Nature Reserve in Jilin Province, China. The concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons in the marsh soil near the oil wells are significantly higher than those in the adjacent control marsh. Soil water contents in oil-contaminated marshes are negatively correlated with soil temperature and are significantly lower than those in the control area, especially in fall. Crude oil contamination significantly increases the soil pH up to 8.0, and reduces available phosphorus concentrations in the soil. The concentrations of total organic carbon are significantly different among sampling sites. Therefore, crude oil contamination could potentially alkalinize marsh soils, adversely affect soil fertility and physical properties, and cause deterioration of the marshes in the Momoge National Nature Reserve. Phyto-remediation by planting Calamagrostis angustifolia has the potential to simultaneously restore and remediate the petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated wetlands. Crude oil contamination affects the soil physical and chemical properties, so developing an effective restoration program in the Momoge wetland is neccesary.     

Approach to delimiting metropolitan regions’ boundary and grading urban hierarchy within a metropolitan region—A case study of Shanghai metropolitan region

In metropolitan regions, the change in the strength of＂flows＂ between a core city and surrounding cities reflects the range of the core city＇s influence, while the gravity between core city and other cities reflects the strength of potential relation between them. This article firstly attempts to delimit the boundary of metropolitan regions with the two dimensions measure combining ＂flows＂ and gravitation. The former is measured through the flow of people between the core city and surrounding cities, and the latter is measured through both population and gross domestic products （GDP） of the core city and surrounding cities. The hierarchy of the cities within a metropolitan region is classified in order to emphasize the roles of the cities belonging to the metropolitan regions, different from the general way through population scale and administrative level, and is typical in China. This paper uses the Shanghai metropolitan region as a research case, determining boundary of this metropolitan region clearly and classifying hierarchy of the cities within the region. The final results are significantly different to previous work, even overthrowing the traditional system of urban hierarchy partly. It is helpful to highlight the function of cities in organizing the regional economy, the level structure of metropolitan regions, and each city＇s relative importance in a metropolitan region, which can be taken as scientific basis for planning integrated regions or urban systems.     

Delineation of an Urban Community Life Circle Based on a Machine-Learning Estimation of Spatiotemporal Behavioral Demand

Delineating life circles is an essential prerequisite for urban community life circle planning. Recent studies combined the environmental contexts with residents’ global positioning system(GPS) data to delineate the life circles. This method, however, is constrained by GPS data, and it can only be applied in the GPS surveyed communities. To address this limitation, this study developed a generalizable delineation method without the constraint of behavioral data. According to previous research, the community life circle consists of the walking-accessible range and internal structure. The core task to develop the generalizable method was to estimate the spatiotemporal behavioral demand for each plot of land to acquire the internal structure of the life circle, as the range can be delineated primarily based on environmental data. Therefore, behavioral demand estimation models were established through logistic regression and machine learning techniques, including decision trees and ensemble learning. The model with the lowest error rate was chosen as the final estimation model for each type of land. Finally, we used a community without GPS data as an example to demonstrate the effectiveness of the estimation models and delineation method. This article extends the existing literature by introducing spatiotemporal behavioral demand estimation models, which learn the relationships between environmental contexts, population composition and the existing delineated results based on GPS data to delineate the internal structure of the community life circle without employing behavioral data. Furthermore, the proposed method and delineation results also contributes to facilities adjustments and location selections in life circle planning, people-oriented transformation in urban planning, and activity space estimation of the population in evaluating and improving the urban policies.     

Physical modeling into outflow hydrographs and breach characteristics of homogeneous earthfill dams failure due to overtopping

The main objective of the present study is to introduce new empirical equations for the determination of breach geometrical dimensions and peak outflow discharge(Q_p).Therefore,a historic failure database of 109 embankments was collected and examined.The most important factors that affect the breach evolution,including grading size,hydraulic,and outflow characteristics are also studied.Some of the parameters used for the determination of Q_p and average breach width(Bave)have a significant effect on the erosion process,but they are less reflected in the technical literature.To study the behavior of noncohesive soils during overtopping,15 physical tests were performed at the laboratory,and the effects of interfering parameters were investigated.The experimental output hydrograph was used to simulate the hydrographs resulting from the failure of real dams,and recent artificial intelligence techniques along with linear and nonlinear regression models were employed.The area-time analysis of the laboratory hydrographs shows that the soil particle size and the characteristics of reservoir-basin significantly affect the rate of breach formation and outflow discharge.New relationships are introduced,based on the breach characteristics,by a combination of historical and experimental data,as well as case studies conducted on the hypothetical failure of 10 operational dams.The mathematical model is also used to simulate the process of breach evaluation.Based on statistical indices,comparison of the results,and sensitivity analysis,the developed equations can better express the susceptibility of materials to erosion and their application can minimize downstream vulnerabilities.     

Impacts of Migration on Urban Environmental Pollutant Emissions in China: A Comparative Perspective

In recent years,researchers have devoted considerable attention to identifying the causes of urban environmental pollution.To determine whether migrant populations significantly affect urban environments,we examined the relationship between urban environmental pollutant emissions and migrant populations at the prefectural level using data obtained for 90 Chinese cities evidencing net in-migration.By dividing the permanent populations of these cities into natives and migrants in relation to the population structure,we constructed an improved Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population,Affluence and Technology model(STIRPAT)that included not only environmental pollutant emission variables but also variables on the cities’attributes.We subsequently conducted detailed analyses of the results of the models to assess the impacts of natives and migrants on environmental pollutant emissions.The main findings of our study were as follows:1)Migrant populations have significant impacts on environmental emissions both in terms of their size and concentration.Specifically,migrant populations have negative impacts on Air Quality Index(AQI)as well as PM2.5 emissions and positive impacts on emissions of NO2 and CO2.2)The impacts of migrant populations on urban environmental pollutant emissions were 8 to 30 times weaker than that of local populations.3)Urban environmental pollutant emissions in different cities differ significantly according to variations in the industrial structures,public transportation facilities,and population densities.     

Changes in the Contents of ATP and Its Related Breakdown Compounds in Various Tissues of Oyster During Frozen Storage

The changes in the contents of adenosine 5’-triphosphate (ATP) and its related breakdown compounds were investigated in the adductor muscle, mantle, gill and body trunk of oyster (Crassostrea gigas) during frozen storage at -20℃ and -30℃ and compared with that of the fresh oyster. The investigation was performed using an HPLC system. Different extents of ATP decomposi- tion were found in various tissues frozen at the two temperatures. The K, K’ and A.E.C values were calculated as the chemical fresh- ness indices. Considering the results of sensory evaluation, the A.E.C. value in body trunk at -20℃ and -30℃ could be used as the best freshness index for frozen oyster.     

RESIDENTS＇ ATTITUDES TO TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN ANCIENT VILLAGE RESORTS——Case Study of World Cultural Heritage of Xidi and Hong Villages

Tourism development surely has social, economic and environmental impacts on tourist destinations.The study on resorts residents‘ attitudes can help understand the nature of tourism development and the extent to which it may influence on tourist destinations. By now, researches on residents‘ perception and attitudes are plenteous in the international circle and achievements are great, yet few are found in developing countries. As a most representative cultural tourist destination, World Cultural Heritage-Xidi and Hong villages in Yi County of Anhui Province, are drawing the attention of both tourists and academic circles. This article, taking Xidi and Hong villages as examples, seeks to analyze ancient village residents‘ attitudes towards tourism impacts and then tries further to explore the connection between tourism development and residents‘ attitudes. Both qualitative and quantitative surveys are applied in the exploratory investigation into local residents‘ attitudes of tourism impacts. Based on abundant face-to-face interviews with the local households, tourism enterprises concerned, local government and tourists from July to August of 2002, we are able to have a better understanding of local residents‘ attitudes to community life, and perception of tourism impacts on society, economy and environment. By this we can promote domestic study on resorts residents‘ attitudes, and provide some theoretical grounds for establishing tourism development planning and perfect community participation system at tourist destinations.     

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.