Modeling the morphology of gully cross sections in the Yuanmou Dry-hot Valley

Abstract

Characterizing gully cross sections (GCs) is essential for calculating the volume and erosion rate of the gully. However, little research has focused on modeling the morphology of GCs. This study investigated 456 GCs with a laser distance meter located at the mouth, middle, and head of 152 gullies in the Yuanmou Dry-hot Valley of China; mapped them with AutoCAD software; fitted them with 2nd–6th degree polynomial functions, and discussed the correlation between the coefficients and the morphology of GCs. The results showed that: (1) using a 2nd-degree polynomial function (y = ax² + bx + c) to describe the morphology of GCs produced a better result than other polynomial functions; (2) the coefficient a of 2nd-degree polynomial function was correlated with depth (r = ?0.226, p < 0.01), gradient (r = 0.545, p < 0.01), and activities; and (3) the symmetry axis (?b/2a) of 2nd-degree polynomial function increased with gully change from left-deflection to right-skewed, and the absolute value showed the asymmetrical degree (r = 0.216, p < 0.01). This study will not only help to understand the morphology and evolution of gullies, but will also provide a scientific basis for prevention of gully erosion.     

Multimodal accessibility modeling from coarse transportation networks in Africa

Accessibility is a key driving factor for economic development, social welfare, resources management, and land use planning. In many studies, modeling accessibility relies on proxy variables such as estimated travel time to selected destinations. In developing countries, estimating the travel time is hindered by scarce information about the transportation network, making it necessary to take into account off-network travel coupled with considerations of multimodal options available within the existing network. This research proposes such a hybrid approach that computes the travel time to selected destinations by optimizing together a fully modeled multimodal network and off-network travel. The model was applied in a region around Kisangani located in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Travel times to Kisangani from the hybrid approach were found to be in close agreement with field-based information (R ² = 0.98). The developed approach also proved to better support real-world transportation constraints (such as transfer points between travel modes or barriers) than cost-distance-based travel-time modeling. Demonstration results from the hybrid approach highlight the potential for impact assessment of road construction or rehabilitation, development of secondary towns or markets, and for land use planning in general.     

Time series forecasting of river flow using an integrated approach of wavelet multi-resolution analysis and evolutionary data-driven models. A case study: Sebaou River (Algeria)

The complexity of hydrological processes and lack of data for modeling require the use of specific tools for non-linear natural phenomenon. In this paper, an effort has been made to develop a conjunction model – wavelet transformation, data-driven models, and genetic algorithm (GA) – for forecasting the daily flow of a river in northern Algeria using the time series of runoff. This catchment has a semi-arid climate and strong variability in runoff. The original time series was decomposed into multi-frequency time series by wavelet transform algorithm and used as inputs to artificial neural networks (ANN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) models. Several factors must be optimized to determine the best model structures. Wavelet-based data-driven models using a GA are designed to optimize model structure. The performances of wavelet-based data-driven models (i.e. WANFIS and WANN) were superior to those of conventional models. WANFIS (RMSE = 12.15 m³/s, EC = 87.32%, R = .934) and WANN (RMSE = 15.73 m³/s, EC = 78.83%, R = .888) models improved the performances of ANFIS (RMSE = 23.13 m³/s, EC = 54.11%, R = .748) and ANN (RMSE = 22.43 m³/s, EC = 56.90%, R = .755) during the test period.     

Geothermal Energy for Northern Canada: Is it Economical?

We examined the potential of geothermal energy development in northern Canadian communities to support local energy demand, along with providing an initial assessment of the economic viability of geothermal energy resources for (a) low enthalpy heating systems and (b) electrical power generation from high temperature resources. We estimate yearly energy production and cost per kWh for geothermal systems using scenarios for thermal and electrical production sustained over 15 years from temperatures reached in the 2–6-km depth range. All the calculations are based on a borehole fluid productivity of 30 kg/s. We assume this to be feasible in sedimentary aquifers and through fractured granites. Under such an assumption and assumptions made on the efficiency of heat exchangers, our modeling shows that thermal energy output for 120°C from 3- to 5-km wells can be as low as 5–8 cents/kWh thermal. For a 6 km depth, the cost of thermal energy can be as low as 1–2 cents/kW thermal for thermal energy production of 100–200 MWh annually.     

Utilization of a multicriteria least cost path model in an aquatic environment

A critical component of maintaining biodiversity in fragmented habitats is maintaining connectivity among the usable fragments. Least cost path (LCP) analysis is a tool that can be used for predicting the ability of an organism to move from one habitat patch to another, based on geographical features of the landscape and life history traits of the organism. While this analysis has been utilized for terrestrial habitats, it is rarely applied to aquatic environments. Aquatic hypoxic conditions occur when dissolved oxygen falls below 2 mg/L. These conditions can create barriers in the water column that can either force fish to leave a habitat, or avoid that habitat altogether. Using the lower St. Johns River (LSJR) estuary in Florida, USA, as a study system, the ability of an adult silver perch, Bairdiella chrysoura, to escape a large-scale hypoxic event was modeled using a multicriteria LCP approach. Criteria-specific cost grids were constructed based upon current speed, risk of predation, and whether oxygen levels in the habitat area were normoxic (>5.5 mg/L), or hypoxic (<2.0–1.5 mg/L) as a function of water depth for the LSJR. The criteria cost grids were combined using relative weighting to produce the multicriteria cost grid used to implement the LCP analysis. Three origin and destination point locations within the LSJR study area were selected for modeling whether or not a silver perch would be able to escape a hypoxic zone. Since the LCP model will always determine a LCP from the specified origin point location, ecologically relevant swimming capacities for silver perch under normoxic and hypoxic conditions were then applied to assess the model, and to determine whether the fish would be able to reach areas unimpacted by hypoxia. The LCP model and the swimming capacity results for this study predict that under normoxic conditions, fish movement was unimpeded. During the rapidly developing hypoxic event that was modeled, the results from the LCP model indicate that the fish could move outside the hypoxic zone, but when swimming capacities were applied to the model, the silver perch could not escape. Ecologically, the results of this study suggest that silver perch would experience high mortality under a rapidly developing hypoxic event. Additionally, the results of this study indicate that a LCP model can be applied to an aquatic habitat, as long as the cost grids incorporate relevant abiotic and biotic factors.     

Field determination for roughness length above the different non-erodible surfaces

Non-erodible elements, for its disturbance to the near-surface airflow, have been widely used in arid and semi-arid regions to protect the surface from wind erosion. Roughness length was usually used to evaluate the protection effect of non-erodible elements from wind erosion. In this study, the wind profiles above five types of non-erodible surfaces including gravel, wheat straw checkerboard barriers, cotton stem checkerboard barriers, shrubs, and herbs were measured and analyzed. The wind velocities above these surfaces increased with height approximately in logarithmic functions. The roughness length of different non-erodible surfaces was calculated by the functions of wind profiles. The results reveal that:(1) Roughness length increased with wind velocity in given wind velocity ranges. (2) On vegetative surfaces, wind did not effectively bend the stems. The threshold wind velocity for bending the stems of Achnatherum splendens was 4 m/s, 10 m/s for Agropyron cristatum, and for Artemisia ordosica, no obvious bending of stems even for wind velocity reaching 12 m/s. (3) Correlation analysis results show that the vegetation''s coverage and frontal area affect the roughness length more significantly than the other parameters. (4) The protective results of these non-erodible elements were evaluated. The checkerboard sand barriers made of cotton stem could provide more effective protection than that made of wheat straw. In the same coverage conditions, vegetation could provide more effective protection from wind erosion than gravel, and the blending of different non-erodible elements especially the combination of blending of vegeation and checkerboard sand barriers could provide more effective protection to the surface.     

Variable complexity of the US Continental Divide trace

Abstract

Map-view complexity of 65 contiguous segments of the conterminous US Continental Divide trace was evaluated by the divider method, with each segment’s geometry approximated by a fractal dimension (D) value, or two D values applying to fine and coarse scales of inspection. Results support a generalization that D values in the range 1.05–1.12 are typical for drainage divides viewed at regional to national scales. However about 20% of cases reviewed in this study are smoother (D = 1.01–1.04) or more complex (D = 1.13–1.18) traces. Complexities of these watershed boundary segments show no significant correlation with physiographic province or local relief. The primary influence of bedrock lithology and surface process is seen in zones of Quaternary volcanism, where uncommonly smooth and highly complex divide trace segments are more the rule than exception. Uncommonly smooth divide traces are also found descending mountain pediments in areas of parallel drainage, and some of the most tortuous traces are associated with drainage patterns disrupted by non-fluvial processes. Divide trace segments crossing terrain with uniform lithology show decreased complexity, but traces with the broadest range of complexity, including highest D values, occur in areas with moderate, not extreme, degrees of bedrock diversity.     

The development of an interactive multi-scale GIS

Abstract

This paper presents the development of the first geographical information system (GIS) that may be used to manipulate a single dataset at a very large range of scales (different detail levels). The design of this multi-scale GIS is fully integrated in the open DBMS Postgres and the open GIS GEO + + . Besides the system design, this paper will also give details of the implementation in the Postgres DBMS environment of three generalization tools: 1. the BLG-tree for line and area simplification, 2. the Reactive-tree for selection based on importance and location, and 3. the GAP-tree for solving problems when using the other two structures for an area partitioning. Together with the geographical frontend, the DBMS forms the flexible basis for the realization of powerful GIS applications. The implementation has been successfully benchmarked with two large datasets: World Databank II and DLMS DFAD. The response times improve by one to two orders of magnitude.     

Spatial structure analysis of a reptile community with airborne LiDAR data

The analysis of the spatial structure of animal communities requires spatial data to determine the distribution of individuals and their limiting factors. New technologies like very precise GPS as well as satellite imagery and aerial photographs of very high spatial resolution are now available. Data from airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors can provide digital models of ground and vegetation surfaces with pixel sizes of less than 1 m. We present the first study in terrestrial herpetology using LiDAR data. We aim to identify the spatial patterns of a community of four species of lizards (Lacerta schreiberi, Timon lepidus, Podarcis bocagei, and P. hispanica), and to determine how the habitat is influencing the distribution of the species spatially. The study area is located in Northern Portugal. The position of each lizard was recorded during 16 surveys of 1 h with a very precise GPS (error < 1 m). LiDAR data provided digital models of surface, terrain, and normalised height. From these data, we derived slope, ruggedness, orientation, and hill-shading variables. We applied spatial statistics to determine the spatial structure of the community. We computed Maxent ecological niche models to determine the importance of environmental variables. The community and its species presented a clustered distribution. We identified 14 clusters, composed of 1–3 species. Species records showed two distribution patterns, with clusters associated with steep and flat areas. Cluster outliers had the same patterns. Juveniles and subadults were associated with areas of low quality, while sexes used space in similar ways. Maxent models identified suitable habitats across the study area for two species and in the flat areas for the other two species. LiDAR allowed us to understand the local distributions of a lizard community. Remotely sensed data and LiDAR are giving new insights into the study of species ecology. Images of higher spatial resolutions are necessary to map important factors such as refuges.     

Post-Soviet urban renewal and its discontents: gentrification by demolition in Baku

ABSTRACT

Gentrification is being increasingly discussed as a driver of urban change globally, including in the former Soviet Union. However, the translation of the gentrification phenomenon into post-Soviet cities like Baku remains poorly understood. This article explores how a particular form of state-led “gentrification by demolition” is unfolding in Baku. We assert the ongoing relevance of using the framework of gentrification to analyze the processes. We go on to use the case of the recently demolished Sovetsky district to carefully expand the geography of the gentrification discourse. We argue that Baku’s own “landscape of gentrification” is shaped by anumber of preconditions. It bears the marks of the legacy of post-socialist cities. However, it more resembles muscular state-led “gentrification by demolition” that is characteristic of Chinese cities. It also echoes Soviet city-building legacies in its use of spectacle and “grand gesture” to legitimize and buy support for gentrification policies.     

Multi‐scale spatiotemporal analyses of moose–vehicle collisions: a case study in northern Vermont

Moose–vehicle collisions (MVCs) pose a serious safety and environmental concern in many regions of Europe and North America. For example, in the state of Vermont, one‐third of all reported MVCs resulted in motorist injury or fatality while collisions have increased from two in 1982 to 164 in 2002. Our work used a MVC dataset from 1983 to 1999 in the Northeastern Highlands of Vermont (four major roads) to perform space, time and spatiotemporal analyses and guide future mitigation strategies. An adapted kernel density estimator was implemented for exploratory analyses to detect high density collision hotspots on roads. The kernel in space showed seven major density peaks which varied in magnitude and spread between roads. The kernel estimator in time for all roads showed an exponentially increasing trend with annual periodicity and a seasonal cyclic component, where the majority of collisions occurred from May to October. Spatiotemporal kernel estimation exhibited discontinuous density hotspots in time and space suggesting changing animal movement patterns across roads. We used an adapted Ripley's K‐function to test the hypothesis that MVCs clustering occurred at multiple scales in space, in time and in space–time combined. Statistically significant spatial clustering was evident on all roads at spatial scales from 2 to 10 km. A more consistent clustering in time occurred on all roads at a scale distance of 5 years. Similar to the kernel estimation, annual periodicity was also evident. Positive space–time clustering was present at small spatial (5 km) and temporal scales (2 years) indicating that where MVCs occur is also influenced by when they occur. In retrospect, using multiple road lengths, and the combined kernel estimation and Ripley's K‐function in time and space, provided a powerful methodology to study varying spatiotemporal patterns of wildlife collisions along roads. This can greatly assist transportation planners in identifying optimal mitigation strategies along specific roads, such as deciding on location and spatial length for permanent and expensive measures (e.g. crossing structures and associated fencing) versus less permanent and inexpensive structures (e.g. wildlife signage and reduced speed limits).     

Identifying primary public transit corridors using multi-source big transit data

ABSTRACT

Effective public transit planning needs to address realistic travel demands, which can be illustrated by corridors across major residential areas and activity centers. It is vital to identify public transit corridors that contain the most significant transit travel demand patterns. We propose a two-stage approach to discover primary public transit corridors at high spatio-temporal resolutions using massive real-world smart card and bus trajectory data, which manifest rich transit demand patterns over space and time. The first stage was to reconstruct chained trips for individual passengers using multi-source massive public transit data. In the second stage, a shared-flow clustering algorithm was developed to identify public transit corridors based on reconstructed individual transit trips. The proposed approach was evaluated using transit data collected in Shenzhen, China. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed approach is a practical tool for extracting time-varying corridors for many potential applications, such as transit planning and management.     

北京西北地区景观格局优化

Supported by the technologies of remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS), we chose northwest of Beijing as a study area and gave priority to understanding of the spatial-temporal characteristics of landscape pattern change through visually interpreted Landsat TM images of 1989, 1996 and 2005. It is believed that there were a series of landscape ecological problems caused by city expansion: landscape ecological connectivity was low; landscape structure was simplified; the fragmentation of green land patch was more obvious on the plain areas, moreover, spatial distribution of green land was unbalanced. For this reason, this study adopted accumulative cost distance model, combined with ecosystem services and spatial interactions of landscape types, analyzed the spatial difference of the ecological function and the compactness of landscape structure in the study area, and further discussed the landscape pattern optimization proposal. We find that it is essential to protect and establish ecological sources, to establish urban ecological corridors, and to establish ecological nodes at the landscape ecological strategic positions so as to intensify spatial relationships among landscape elements and maintain continuity of landscape ecological process and pattern in the course of city expansion. The methods and final results from this study are expected to be useful for landscape ecological planning in Beijing region. Foundation: Program for New Century Excellent Talent in the University, No.NCET-06-0122; The National Water Special Project, No.2008ZX07526-002-02; Specific Financial Funds Project of Beijing Academy of Science and Technology (BJAST), Platform Construction for Typical Contaminated Soil Remediation Technology of Beijing (2008A-1); Plan Support for Innovative Team (2008A-6) of BJAST; NSFC, No.30871964; BJNSFC, No.4073036 Author: Yue Depeng (1963–), Ph.D and Associate Professor, specialized in desertification control, landscape ecology and land evaluation.     

Spatial distribution and morphologic characteristics of gullies in the Black Soil Region of Northeast China: Hebei watershed

Gully erosion in the Black Soil Region of China has posed a threat to food security. This study aimed to determine the spatial distribution and morphologic characteristics of gullies in the region and their topographic thresholds. A 28 km² watershed was surveyed and 117 gullies measured. The results showed that: (1) Gullies were distributed equally on both hillslope and valley floor positions, with a total gully density of .66 km/km². (2) The mean depth, width, and cross-sectional area of gullies were .74 m, 2.39 m, and 2.43 m², respectively. These characteristics varied among gullies according to their topographic positions and slope gradients. Individual gully volume (V) was well predicted from gully length (L) by V = 2.08L^0.96 (r² = .66). Total gully volume (V) of each sub-watershed was predicted from mean slope gradient (S) and drainage area (A) as V = 275800S ? 8600A (r² = .73). (3) Gully erosion was more serious in steeper sub-watersheds and steeper hillslope positions. Gullies were wider in regions with relatively larger drainage areas, except for those developed in the main valley. The topographic threshold for gully initiation was S = .10A^?0.34, which indicated gully erosion was dominated by surface runoff. (4) Human activities, such as road construction, played a significant role in gully erosion.     

Morphology and controlling factors of step-pools in rills based on field investigation in the Yuanmou Dry-hot Valley,China

Rill erosion is well developed in Yuanmou Dry-hot Valley. The appearance of step-pools in rills (SPRs) is an early stage of erosion and necessary condition for rill development. We measured length, width, depth of plunge pools, and length, height, and slope of step walls. We observed the developmental environment of every SPR in the field. Through research on relationships among SPR parameters, morphological characteristics, and control factors, we conclude that (1) correlations of step slope with pool length and width, and of step length with pool width are not evident (p > 0.1); correlations of pool length with step height and length are evident (p < 0.1); correlations of step slope with pool depth, and of step height with pool width are significant (p < 0.05); and correlations of pool depth with step length and height are highly significant (p < 0.01). Plunge-pool length is affected by soil properties and step height, but not by step gradient. (2) SPR formation shows a coupling effect of a single factor or many factors, such as terrain conditions, vegetation, confluence area, soil properties, and boundary conditions, and the shapes and scales of SPRs notably change with differences of the main control factors.     

Computational reproducibility in geoscientific papers: Insights from a series of studies with geoscientists and a reproduction study

Reproducibility is a cornerstone of science and thus for geographic research as well. However, studies in other disciplines such as biology have shown that published work is rarely reproducible. To assess the state of reproducibility, specifically computational reproducibility (i.e. rerunning the analysis of a paper using the original code), in geographic research, we asked geoscientists about this topic using three methods: a survey (n = 146), interviews (n = 9), and a focus group (n = 5). We asked participants about their understanding of open reproducible research (ORR), how much it is practiced, and what obstacles hinder ORR. We found that participants had different understandings of ORR and that there are several obstacles for authors and readers (e.g. effort, lack of openness). Then, in order to complement the subjective feedback from the participants, we tried to reproduce the results of papers that use spatial statistics to address problems in the geosciences. We selected 41 open access papers from Copernicus and Journal of Statistical Software and executed the R code. In doing so, we identified several technical issues and specific issues with the reproduced figures depicting the results. Based on these findings, we propose guidelines for authors to overcome the issues around reproducibility in the computational geosciences.     

Efficient methods for Isoline extraction from a TIN

Abstract

A data structure is presented to store a triangulated irregular network digital elevation model, from which isolines (contour lines) can be extracted very efficiently. If the network is based on n points, then for any elevation, the isolines can be obtained in O (logn + k) query time, where k is the number of line segments that form the isolines. This compares favourably with O(n) time by straightforward computation. When a structured representation of the isolines is needed, the same query time applies. For a fully topological representation (with adjacency), the query requires additional O(c log c) or O(c log logo) time, where c is the number of connected components of isolines. In all three cases, the required data structure has only linear size.     

Pairing paleolimnological inference models with mechanistic water column models enhances assessment of lake water quality

Reconciliation of paleolimnology inference models with hindcasts from mechanistic water column models aided the reconstruction of past relationships for total phosphorus/dissolved oxygen and acid neutralizing capacity/pH in highly polluted lake ecosystems in New York State. Pre-disturbance Onondaga Lake, Syracuse, NY, was shown to have experienced seasonal hypolimnetic anoxia even under oligotrophic (<10 ug l^?1) phosphorus levels. In the Adirondack Mountains of New York State the paired modeling confirmed that, while many lakes have the potential to eventually recover from acidification by atmospheric deposition, approximately 30% likely experienced naturally acidic conditions (pH < 6) prior to increases in industrial emissions. Comparison between the model results illuminated areas of individual model inadequacy, improved understanding of lake ecology, and increased confidence in the ability of predictive water column models to accurately develop restoration scenarios representing improved conditions. The work presented here is the first such comparison modeling for total phosphorus, dissolved oxygen, and acid neutralizing capacity. The technique remains to be more widely applied geographically and extended to less heavily stressed lake systems. Because a fossil inference and mechanistic hindcast should independently lead to similar results, comparison modeling is a potentially powerful tool for examining past interactions between ecosystem structure and ecosystem functioning.     

The Implementation and Sustainability of Village Conservation Agreements Around Kerinci Seblat National Park,Indonesia

We investigated the implementation and sustainability of village conservation agreements and village conservation grants facilitated by an integrated conservation and development project (ICDP) around the Kerinci Seblat National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia, 5 years after the project closed. Forty-three percent of agreement actions (n = 180) and 30% of grant activities (n = 74) were sustained. Informants identified numerous factors influencing success, but statistical tests failed to detect simple explanations. Conservation-livelihood agreements have a greater chance of success when preexisting factors are understood and the purpose of the agreement itself is clearly defined.     

Persistence of Artemisia steppe in the Tangra Yumco Basin,west-central Tibet,China: despite or in consequence of Holocene lake-level changes?

The closed Tangra Yumco Basin underwent the strongest Quaternary lake-level changes so far recorded on the Tibetan Plateau. It was hitherto unknown what effect this had on local Holocene vegetation development. A 3.6-m sediment core from a recessional lake terrace at 4,700 m a.s.l., 160 m above the present lake level of Tangra Yumco, was studied to reconstruct Holocene flooding phases (sedimentology and ostracod analyses), vegetation dynamics and human influence (palynology, charcoal and coprophilous fungi analyses). Peat at the base of the profile proves lake level was below 4,700 m a.s.l. during the Pleistocene/Holocene transition. A deep-lake phase started after 11 cal ka BP, but the ostracod record indicates the level was not higher than ~4,720 m a.s.l. (180 m above present) and decreased gradually after the early Holocene maximum. Additional sediment ages from the basin suggest recession of Tangra Yumco from the coring site after 2.6 cal ka BP, with a shallow local lake persisting at the site until ~1 cal ka BP. The final peat formation indicates drier conditions thereafter. Persistence of Artemisia steppe during the Holocene lake high-stand resembles palynological records from west Tibet that indicate early Holocene aridity, in spite of high lake levels that may have resulted from meltwater input. Yet pollen assemblages indicate humidity closer to that of present potential forest areas near Lhasa, with 500–600 mm annual precipitation. Thus, the early mid-Holocene humidity was sufficient to sustain at least juniper forest, but Artemisia dominance persisted as a consequence of a combination of environmental disturbances such as (1) strong early Holocene climate fluctuations, (2) inundation of habitats suitable for forest, (3) extensive water surfaces that served as barriers to terrestrial diaspore transport from refuge areas, (4) strong erosion that denuded the non-flooded upper slopes and (5) increasing human influence since the late glacial.