Spatial interaction and network structure evolvement of cities in terms of China’s rail passenger flows

Cities separated in space are connected together by spatial interaction （SI） between them. But the studies focusing on the SI are relatively few in China mainly because of the scarcity of data. This paper deals with the SI in terms of rail passenger flows, which is an important aspect of the network structure of urban agglomeration. By using a data set consisting of rail O-D （origin-destination） passenger flows among nearly 200 cities, inter-city rail distance O-D matrixes, and some other indices, it is found that the attenuating tendency of rail passenger is obvious. And by the analysis on dominant flows and spatial structure of flows, we find that passenger flows have a trend of polarizing to hubs while the linkages between hubs upgrade. However, the gravity model reveals an overall picture of convergence process over time which is not in our expectation of integration process in the framework of globalization and eco- nomic integration. Some driven factors for the re-organization process of the structure of urban agglomeration, such as technique advance, globalization, etc. are discussed further based on the results we obtained.     

Seasonal evolution of circulation and thermal structure in the Yellow Sea

In this paper, the authors used the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) to simulate the seasonal evolutions of circulation and thermal structure in the Yellow Sea. The simulated circulation showed that the Yellow Sea Warm Current (YSWC) was a compensation current of monsoon-driven current, and that in winter, the YSWC became stronger with depth, and could flow across the Bohai Strait in the north. Sensitivity and controlling tests led to the following conclusions, In winter, the direction of the Yellow Sea Coastal Current in the surface layer was controlled partly by tide instead of wind, In summer, a cyclonic horizontal gyre existed in the middle and eastern parts of the Yellow Sea below 10 m. The downwelling in upper layer and upwelling in lower layer were somehow similar to Hu et al. (1991) conceptual model. The calculated thermal structure showed an obvious northward extending YSWC tongue in winter, its position and coverage of the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass in summer.     

Hydrological character and sea-current structure in the front of Amery Ice Shelf

Hydrological character and Sea-current profiles structure are studied andanalyzed in sea-area of the front of Amery Ice Shelf,Prydz Bay with LADCP,CTDdata.These LADCP,CTD data were acquired during the 19th Chinese Antarctic Sci-entific Expedition.Results of this study agree with that,there exist four differentkinds of water masses in the area of the front of Amery Ice Shelf in the summer of Ant-arctica.Current distribution presents a semi-circumfluence which flows in at the eastand flows out in the west.Moreover,clockwise and anti-clockwise vortices werefound in upper layer and mid-layer in the Prydz Bay.Western areas of these anti-clockwise vortices are positions of inflows from Prydz Bay to Amery Ice Shelf.Thesource of these inflows is the coastal westward current originated in the east of PrydzBay.All these characteristics come down to the pattern of circumfluence,ice meltrate under Ice Shelf,scale of Ice Shelf water production and form of water exchangesbetween area of Ice Shelf and area of Prydz Bay.     

Features and spatial distribution of circumpolar deep water in the southern Indian Ocean and the effects of Antarctic circum polar current

The data from the Southern Ocean observations of World Ocean Circulation Experiment(WOCE) are used for analysis and illustration of the features and spatial distributions of Circumpolar Deep Water(CDW) in the southern Indian Ocean.It is learnt from the comparison among the vertical distributions of temperature/salinity/oxygen along the 30°E,90°E and 145°E sections respectively that some different features of CDW and the fronts can be found at those longitudes,and those differences can be attributed to the zonal transoceanic flow and the merizonal movement in the Circumpolar Deep Water.In fact,the zonal transoceanic flow is the main dynamic factor for the water exchange between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean or between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean,and for the effects on the spatial distributions of the physical properties in CDW.     

Temporal and spatial distributions of dominant shrimp stocks and their relationship with the hydrological environment in the East China Sea

To provide a scientific and technological base for fishery administration, holding a moratorium on fishing, and combating habitat degradation, a shrimp stock survey was carried out in May, August, and November 1998 and in February 1999. The study was conducted in the area between 26o00′ N and 33o00′ N and to the west of 127o00′ E in the East China Sea using a multi-sac trawl-net, with 115 stations being sampled. Up to 2001, we had found 121 species, which belong to 63 genera under 22 families, and 41 species are of high economic value and in great abundance. Nine shrimp species were of great economic importance, whose stock accounted for 76.8% of the demersal total. They were Parapenaeus fissuroides, Metapenaeopsis philippi, Palaemon gravieri, Metapenaeopsis barbata, Solenocera koelbeli, Solenocera crassicornis, Trachypenaeus curvirostris, Solenocera melantho and Parapenaeopsis hardwickii (listed in stock order). The nine species belong to the eurythermal and eurysaline community and high thermal and high saline community, had different migration patterns and stocks, and their distribution patterns could be generally classified into three types:(1) dominating in the north or the south;(2) dominating to the north of and in the coast to the south of 30o00′ N;and (3) dominating to the east of 60 m isobath, which were related to six water masses in the ECS near two lines, i.e., the 60 m isobath and 30o00′N latitudinal lines. Densely habited shrimps were found in all four seasons due to temperature and salinity frontiers and upwelling. The general stock density index was relatively higher in spring, summer, and autumn, when it surpassed 10 kg/h, while in winter, it was only 6.8 kg/h which might be caused by overfishing. According to the spawning areas of the nine species and their distribution patterns, to attain sustainable development of the shrimp fishery in the ECS, it is imperative to protect fishing areas and to hold a moratorium on catching to the west of 60 m isobath from April through October, and between 60 m and 100 m isobaths and to the south of 30oN from June through August and to limit fishing in winter.     

How does the stand structure of treeline-forming species shape the treeline ecotone in different regions of the Nepal Himalayas?

Stand structure dynamics are considered as major happenings in any forest as a response to environmental changes. However, this important topic is underrepresented in the treeline studies in the Nepal Himalayas. We aimed to investigate site-as well as species-specific changes in morphometric features(basal diameter, crown cover, density, and height) along the elevational gradient across treeline ecotones in response to recent environmental changes. The stand structure characteristics of Abies spectabilis, Pinus wallichiana, and Betula utilis across the treeline ecotone of three study sites in Eastern(Barun), Central(Manang), and Western(Dhorpatan) Nepal were analyzed to elucidate structural heterogeneities. Altogether, eight transects(20 m ×(60–250 m)) across the treeline ecotone were established. Trees of all life forms, trees( 2 m), saplings(0.5–2 m), and seedlings( 0.5 m), within each transect were enumerated and sampled for the morphometric features and age. Site-specific and species-specific stand structure dynamics were found. The rate of basal area increment was higher in Barun, but the Manang treeline, despite profound regeneration in recent years, had a low annual basal area increment. Moreover, the altitudinal distribution of age and morphometry were not consistent among those ecotones. Furthermore, intra-specific competition was not significant. The site-specific stand structure dynamics explain why treelines do not respond uniformly to increasing temperature. It invokes, in further studies, the incorporation of the tree's morphometric adaptation traits, phenotypic plasticity, and interactions between species genotype and the environment.     

Vertical properties of nutrients and oxygen under tempeuature-salinity structure of the Bering Basin in July 1999

The China R/V Xuelong went on the first Arctic scientific cruise, and we obtained 271 hydro-chemical samples from 22 deep-sea stations in the Bering Basin in late July, 1999. Here we describe vertical properties of silicate [Si] , dissolved inorganic nitrogen [DIN] or [N] (nitrate plus ammonium plus nitrite) , phosphate [P] and oxygen [ O2 ] in seawater under potential temperature-salinity structure. The seasonal stratification in the summer and the water exchanges of the North Pacific Ocean over the Bering Basin resulted in that the four layers of vertical structure with two thermoclines may be found. Vertical [Si] and [N] and [P] profiles show that the nutrients are consumed mainly in ≤50 m and the order of deficient nutrients is [Si] the first, [N] the second and [P] the third. The [N] and [P] increase with depth downward to about 500 m and then both decrease, but the [Si] increases from 150 m to 2000 m or the bottom. In ≥ 150 m the [ O2 ] decreases, which is related with both [P] and [N] increasin     

Influencing factors for formation of urban and rural spatial structure in metropolis fringe area—Taking Shuangliu County of Chengdu in China as a case

With rapid urbanization process, the pace of urban sprawl has been quickened and most metropolises have experienced expansions in leaps and bounds in suburbanization, which has greatly changed the urban and rural spatial structure of the metropolis fringe area. In this paper, Shuangliu County is taken as a case, since it is a typical fringe area of Chengdu Metropolis. Based on Landsat TM images of Chengdu City and Shuangliu County obtained in 1985, 2000 and 2004, characteristics of urban and rural spatial structure in Shuangliu County were analyzed, such as core-periphery spatial structure and some obvious integration trends. Then the influencing factors for the formation of urban and rural spatial structure were identified, including some natural, social, economic and political factors. According to the discussion of this paper, Shuangliu County is undergoing a key transition and reform period. Its formation of urban and rural spatial structure was affected not only by such common factors as the location, natural background, industrial transition, migration, etc., but also by some unique factors such as city planning and policy guidance, which played an important role in accelerating its uneven spatial structure. The understanding of the role of the influencing factors would be useful for carrying out spatial management and development planning of metropolis fringe area.     

Regional structure and spatial morphology characteristics of oasis urban agglomeration in arid area —A case of urban agglomeration in northern slope of Tianshan Mountains, Northwest China

It is great important to the health development of urban agglomeration to correctly understand the formation and development law of regional structure of urban agglomeration. Employing the analysis methods like fractal theory and quantitative statistics, coupling with the use of remote sensing images and other spatial data, this article discusses the urban agglomeration of oasis on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains in an arid area, and conducts the researches on its city scale, spatial distribution and individual form from 1990 to 2005. The result shows that it has loose hierarchical scale structure and polarization trend of population distribution while its hierarchical scale structure tends to mature. Under the influence of natural conditions, the spatial layout of urban agglomeration of oasis has macro characteristics that suggest cities distributed along oasis edges (dense or sparse), spatially expand along rivers, and cluster around traffic branches. The connectivity among the cities is high and shows an internal organization form of a banding distribution. The whole spatial shape of the internal structure of cities presents a “dumbbell” form, with mononuclear phenomenon receding and multi-nuclear appearing gradually. Individual cities spatially expand along rivers, portraying a long strip appearance. It indicates that the urban agglomeration of oasis shows regular and close structure but with a tendency to be complicated form and the loose structure. In the development of urban agglomeration, the authors recommend that the development of the city with good economic development conditions should be strengthened, and more attention be put into regional planning.     

The starting mechanism and movement process of the coseismic rockslide: A case study of the Laoyingyan rockslide induced by the “5.12” Wenchuan earthquake

The"5.12"Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 triggered a large number of co-seismic landslides.The rear boundary or cracks of co-seismic landslide are generally located at the steep free surface of thin or thick mountains.Dynamic process of this kind of landslides could be divided into two parts:the seismic dynamic response of the slope and the movement process of rock mass.Taking the Laoyingyan rockslide as an example,the amplification effect was studied by single-degree-of-freedom system analysis method.Besides,the dynamic process of landslide under seismic loading was simulated by the finite difference method(FDM)and discrete element method(DEM).The amplification coefficient of the rockslide to seismic wave is 1.25.The results show that the critical sliding surface of the Laoyingyan rockslide was formed at the 23 th seconds under the action of seismic wave.At the same time,tension failure occurred at the rear edge of the sliding mass and shear failure occurred at the front edge.The maximum displacement was 0.81 m and the initial velocity was 2.78 m/s.During the initiation process of the rockslide,the rock mass firstly broke down along the joints which are along the dip of the rock stratum,and then collapsed bodily along the secondary structural planes.In the process of movement,the maximum velocity of rock mass was 38.24 m/s.After that,the rock mass underwent multiple collisions,including contact,deceleration to 0 and speed recovery after rebound.Finally,due to the constant loss of energy,the rocks stopped and accumulated loosely at the foot of the slope.The longest distance of movement was about 494 m.Besides,the smaller the damping ratio,the farther the rock mass moved.Compared with the results without considering the amplification factor,the movement distance of landslide by considering the amplification factor was more accurate.The study of the Laoyingyan rockslide is helpful to strengthen our field identification of potential co-seismic rockslides.At the same time,understanding its movement and accumulation process can help us better predict the hazard scope of the co-seismic rockslides,and provide a reference for the design of treatment projects.     

The comparison between allozyme and RAPD makers for the population genetic structure analysis of scallop Chlamys farreri

1INTRODUCTION Since the first use in human genetic research in1966,allozyme has become the most popular genetic marker for population genetics studies for almost all groups of animals and plants(Lewontin and Hubby,1966;Murphy et al.,1996).In the past seve…     

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.     

Silicon limitation on primary production and its destiny in Jiaozhou Bay, China——Ⅶ： The complementary mechanism of the earth ecosystem

1 INTRODUCTION In marine waters, water temperature and nutrient Si control the temporal and spatial variation of the phytoplankton growth (Yang et al., 2006). The effect of nutrient Si and water temperature on the mecha- nism of phytoplankton growth has p…     

The absorption of water color components and spectral modes in the Pearl River estuary

In-situ data from cruises in the Pearl River estuary and adjacent marine areas were collected during March to May 2001. The absorption coefficients of the water color components were studied in detail containing total suspended matter (TSM), chlorophyll-a (chl-a), colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), and de-pigment particles. For absorption coefficient of TSM, ap, and that of de-pigment particles, ad, correlations of ap(440)-TSM, ad(440)-TSM, ap(440)-chl-a and ad-chl-a were done (the italicized term means the concentration). There was a good correlation between ap(440) and chl-a concentration. An empirical relationship model between aph(675) and chl-a was developed showing a strong correlation of 0.93. Based on the two models the chl-a and aph(λ) were correlated. The values of calculated empirical spectral slope for CDOM absorption coefficients and that of de-pigment particles, 0.017 0 and 0.011 6 respectively, both are within a relative standard error of 10.0%.     

How do altitude and soil properties influence the taxonomic and phylogenetic structure and diversity of Brazilian páramo vegetation?

Altitude and environmental variables such as edaphic properties are considered determinants of species distribution and community composition in mountain ecosystems.Here,we aimed to outline the effects of distinct mountain peaks,altitude and soil properties on community composition,species density,phylogenetic structure and diversity of angiosperm páramo communities from the Serra do Brigadeiro State Park,Minas Gerais,southeastern Brazil.For that,we identified all angiosperm species found in 300 plots(1 m×1 m)from three mountain peaks,measured soil depth and analyzed soil fertility and texture in each plot.To reduce the number of soil variables and species composition,we computed principal coordinates based on soil properties and principal coordinates based on species-plot matrix for each plot.Furthermore,we computed the standard effect sizes of the mean phylogenetic pairwise distance and the mean nearest phylogenetic taxon distance for each plot to investigate differences in the degree of relatedness among coexisting species.We compared differences in response variables between peaks and modelled them in function of altitude and principle components of soil properties using mixed effect models.Species density and phylogenetic diversity differed between peaks,but,contrary to the previous findings,no relationships between species richness or phylogenetic diversity and altitude or soil properties were found,indicating that further investigations are necessary to understand the altitude-biodiversity relationship in Brazilian páramo vegetation.Community composition differed between peaks and depended on altitude,soil properties and interactions between them,indicating that upward shifting of bioclimatic conditions due to climate changes may alter communities of this ecosystem.Phylogenetic structure differed between peaks and was influenced by altitude and soil properties.As phylogenetic clustering increased with altitude,eventual upward movements of species in Brazilian páramo vegetation due to climate change may alter community composition and the degree of relatedness among coexisting species,increasing the risk of species from higher altitudes to disappear.Therefore,conservation priorities arise for higher landscape portions,where these high altitude species may find refuges.     

The Upper Ocean Thermal Structure and the Genesis Locations of Tropical Cyclones in the South China Sea

The relationship between the upper ocean thermal structure and the genesis locations of tropical cyclones （TCs） in the South China Sea （SCS） is investigated by using the Joint Typhoon Warning Center （JTWC） best-track archives and high resolution （1/4 degree） temperature analyses of the world＇s oceans in this paper In the monthly mean genesis positions of TCs from 1945 to 2005 in the SCS, the mean sea surface temperature （SST） was 28.8℃ and the mean depth of 26℃ water was 53.1 m. From the monthly distribution maps of genesis positions of TCs, SST and the depth of 26℃ water in the SCS, we discovered that there existed regions with SST exceeding 26℃ and 26℃ water depth exceeding 50m where no tropical cyclones formed from 1945 to 2005 in the SCS, which suggests that there were other factors unfavorable for TC formation in these regions.     

The effects of co-cultivation of pearl mussels and fishes on water pollution control in middle or small sized water

Our field experiments showed that the cultivation of pearl mussels formed a new biocoene composed of filamentous algae, protozoa, porifera and coelenterate. It effectively reduced nitrogen, phosphorus,chemical oxygen demand and biochemical oxygen demand in the water by 67.3%, 73.2%, 38.1% and 15.5%,respectively, during May to September 1998 when the water eutrophication was developing. This could control water eutrophication and produce pearls, shellfish meat and shells. This is an economical and effective way to control water eutrophication by using the ultra strong filtering capability of freshwater pearl mussels.     

The Pleistocene Glaciation in the KarakoramMountains： Reconstruction of Past Glacier Extensions and Ice Thicknesses

Geomorphological and Quaternarygeological field- and laboratory data (Fig.1) are introduced and interpreted with regard to the maximum Ice Age (LGM) glaciation of the Central and South Karakoram in the Braldu-, Basna-, Shigar and Indus valley system as well as on the Deosai plateau between the Skardu Basin and the Astor valley (Fig.2). These data result from two research expeditions in the years 1997 and 2000. They show that between c. 6o and 2o Ka the Central Karakorum and its south slope were covered by a continuous c. 125000 km^2 sized ice stream network. This ice stream network flowed together to a joint parent glacier, the Indus glacier. The tongue end of the Indus glacier reached down to 850 ～ 800m a.s.l. In its centre the surface of this Indus ice stream network reached a height of a good 6ooo m. Its most important ice thicknesses amounted to c. 2400 ～ 2900 m.     

The UV-absorbing compounds in gametophytic blades of Porphyra haitanensis and the effect on formation of sporangial branchlets of conchocelis

Endogenous levels of UVAC in different parts of matured gametophytic blades of Porphyra haitanensis and the effect of exogenous UVAC on sporangial branchlet formation are studied. The UVAC value in vegetative (36. 78 mg/g) and reproductive (29.25 mg/g) parts of female thallus is higher than their counterparts in male thallus (34.68 mg/g and 20.46 mg/g). The UVAC value of reproductive parts is higher than vegetative parts of same sexual thallus. The optimal UVAC concentration for sporangial branchlet formation is 0.1 mg/g.     

The Origin and Preservation of Suspended Barites near the 90°E Ridge in the Northeastern Indian Ocean

Suspended particulate barite crystals were detected in the water columns at four different stations near the 90°E ridge in the Indian Ocean. Four distinct morphological types of marine barites were distinguished: euhedral-subhedral crystals, oval or round crystals, rhombic crystals, and irregular crystals. The barite crystals in the study area are typically fine, with a dominant size of 1 – 3μm. The vertical distribution of barites is significantly affected by the formation and sedimentation pro...