Development and Conservation of Glacier Tourist Resources —— A Case Study of Bogda Glacier Park

1 Introduction As a special kind of tourism, glacier tourism is popular to tourists all over the world owing to its meeting tourists’ needs for seeking after freshness, difference, surprise and risk. Differing from conventional tourism, glacier tour- ism has its special characters while there is little literature on it. It is of great significance to study its characters and seek after the harmonious development in exploitation and protection of glacier tourism resources. Glacier tourism refe…     

Planning conservation corridors in mountain areas based on integrated conservation planning models: A case study for a giant panda in the Qionglai Mountains

With the accelerated urbanization, human activities pose serious threats to species because of fragmentation. Planning conservation corridors between habitats could improve species mobility in order to address the human disturbance. However,there are a limited number of studies that focus on assessing the effect of human activities on species movement in mountain areas as well as how to integrate different conservation models relating to conservation corridors identification. In our study, we modified the resistance model and took land use data as input parameters to quantify the impacts of human activities in mountain areas. Meanwhile, different conservation planning models, including Circuit model and Least Cost Path(LCP) algorithm, were integrated. Moreover, our approach was applied to identify giant panda corridors in Miarro nature reserve, Caopo nature reserve, and Wolong nature reserve. The results suggested that the impacts of human activities were limited in valley regions due to topography by resistance model. Secondly, Circuit model demonstrated that the conservation corridorsfor giant panda could not be identified between the Miarro and the Caopo nature reserves. Additionally,more detailed corridors between habitats were planned by the LCP algorithm. Furthermore, we also identified bottlenecks for migration in each corridor,indicating that human activities' interference was the primary cause. Our approach not only could connect habitats for conservation in mountain areas but also found out that the corridor could not be identified between habitats.     

The contribution of trace elements from seawater to chimneys： a case study of the native sulfur chimneys in the sea area off Kueishantao, northeast of Taiwan Island

Hydrothermal fluid containing abundant matter erupts from seafloor, meets ambient cold seawater and forms chimneys. So the main matter origins of chimneys are seawater and matter which are taken by hydrothermal fluid from deep reservoir. However, because of seawater’s little contribution to the forming of chimneys, it is usually covered by the abundant matter which is taken by hydrothermal fluid. Therefore, chimneys formed in ordinary deep seawater hydrothermal activity, containing complex elements, cannot ...     

Leaf thickness and elevation explain naturalized alien species richness in a tropical mountain forest: A case study from Mount Gede-Pangrango National Park,Indonesia

Exotic plant invasion is one of the major causes of species extinction. In many contexts, mountainous forests are the last refuge for native species. There are several inventory studies conducted in mountainous and tropical forests in Indonesia. However, there are no studies yet on the factors that explain the abundance and richness of surveyed naturalized alien species. This study investigated whether the number of individuals and abundanceweighted species richness(AWR) of naturalized alien plant species in the hiking-trail of Mount GedePangrango National Park(MGPNP) forest area correlated with leaf traits(specific leaf area(SLA) and leaf thickness) and environmental factors(elevation, slope, and normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)). We showed that leaf thickness and habitat elevation explained the AWR variations of naturalized alien species. We did not detect any important effect of leaf traits and environmental factors on the number of individuals per exotic species per plot. The influence of leaf thickness and habitat elevation indicates the important role of both biotic and abiotic factors on exotic species to develop a high species richness and become an invasive species in the tropical mountain forest ecosystem.     

Residential energy consumption and associated carbon emission in forest rural area in China: A case study in Weichang County

Rural energy consumption in China has increased dramatically in the last decades, and has become a significant contributor of carbon emissions. Yet there is limited data on energy consumption patterns and their evolution in forest rural areas of China. In order to bridge this gap, we report the findings of field surveys in forest villages in Weichang County as a case study of rural energy consumption in northern China. We found that the residential energy consumption per household is 3313 kgce yr-1(kilogram standard coal equivalent per year), with energy content of 9.7 × 107 kJ yr-1, including 1783 kgce yr-1 from coal, 1386 kgce yr-1 from fuel wood, 96 kgce yr-1 from electricity, and 49 kgce yr-1 from LPG. Per capita consumption is 909 kgce yr-1 and its energy content is 2.7 × 107 kJ yr-1. Due to a total energy utilization efficiency of 24.6%, all the consumed energy can only supply about 2.4 × 107 kJ yr-1 of efficient energy content. Secondly, household energy consumption is partitioned into 2614 kgce yr-1 for heating, 616 kgce yr-1 for cooking, and 117 kgce yr-1 for home appliances. Thirdly, the associated carbon emissions per household are 2556 kgC yr-1, including1022 kgC yr-1 from unutilized fuel wood(90% of the total fuel wood). The rest of emissions come from the use of electricity(212 kgC yr-1), coal(1301 kgC yr-1) and LPG(21 kgC yr-1). Fourthly, local climate, family size and household income have strong influences on rural residential energy consumption. Changes in storage and utilization practices of fuel can lead to the 10%-30% increase in the efficiency of fuel wood use, leading to reduced energy consumption by 924 kgce yr-1 per household(27.9% reduction) and 901 kgC yr-1 of carbon emissions(35.3% reduction).     

A Participatory GIS Approach to Identify Critical Land Degradation Areas and Prioritize Soil Conservation for Mountainous Olive Groves （Case Study）

Climate change scenarios predict an increase in the frequency of heavy rainfall events in some areas. This will increase runoff and soil erosion, and reduce agricultural productivity, particularly on vulnerable mountainous agricultural lands that is already exhibiting high rates of soil erosion. Haphazard implementation of soil and water conservation （SWC） interventions on scattered fields is inefficient in reducing soil erosion. The objective of this study was to identify areas at high risk of erosion to aid the design and implementation of sustainable SWC using GIS analysis and farmers＇ participation approach. A 25 m digital elevation model （DEM） was used to derive layers of flow accumulation, slope steepness and land curvature, which were used to derive an erosion-risk （priority） map for the whole watershed. Boundaries of farmers＇ fields were mapped and verified by the community and each field was classified into high, moderate or low erosion risk. Fields with low flow accumulation （top of hill） and/or steep slope and/or convex slope were assigned high erosion risk and therefore high implementation priority. The study showed that more than 54% of the fields were classified into high erosion risk areas. Accordingly, a community-watershed plan was established, revised and approved by the community.Incentive loans to implement SWC measures were distributed to 100 farmers based on the priorities of their fields. Judged by local farmers and using 16 randomly selected fields, 90% of the targeted areas were correctly identified using the erosion risk map. After two years, the conservation measures had led to marked improvement of soil conservation. The approach is simple and easy to comprehend by the community and provides scientific basis to prioritize the implementation of SWC and to target the most degraded areas, which amplify the impact of these in reducing the vulnerability to land degradation.     

Landform planation index extracted from DEMs: A case study in ordos platform of China

Planation surface, a surface that is almost flat, is a kind of low-relief landforms. Planation surface is the consequence of the denudation and planation processes under a tectonic stable condition. The quantitative expression of the characteristics of planation surface plays a key role in reconstructing and describing the evolutionary process of landforms. In this study, Landform Planation Index (LPI), a new terrain derivative, was proposed to quantify the characteristics of planation surface. The LPIs were calculated based on the summit surfaces formed according to the clustering results of peaks. Ten typical areas in the Ordos Platform located in the central part of the Loess Plateau of China are chosen as the test areas for investigating their planation characteristics with the LPI. The experimental results indicate that the LPI can be effectively used to quantify the characteristics of planation surfaces. In addition, the LPI can be further used to depict the patterns of spatial differentiation in the Ordos Platform. Although the present Ordos Platform area is full of the high-density gullies, its planation characteristics is found to be well preserved. Furthermore, the characteristics of the planation surfaces can also reflect the original morphology of the Ordos Platform before the loess dusts deposition process evolved in this area. The statistical results of the LPI show that there is a gradually increasing tendency along with the increasing of slope gradient of summit surface. It indicates that the characteristics of planation surfaces vary among test areas with different landforms. These findings help to deepen the understanding of planation characteristics of the loess landform and its underlying paleotopography. Results of this study can be also served as an important theoretical reference value for revealing the evolutionary process of loess landform.     

Distribution and mechanism of gently dipping fractures subjected to river incision: A case study from Nujiang River,China

Gently dipping fractures subjected to river incision are widely distributed on rock slopes. In this paper, a rock slope on the Nujiang River (China) is investigated to study the role of gently dipping fractures in the rock slopes evolution. Detailed field surveys indicate that gentle fractures are concentrated in four main zones. Moreover, the kinematics of the fracture system suggest that the genesis of these fractures can be synthesized into a progressive evolution model. This model indicates that the joints begin with the formation of an array of en echelon cracks that are subjected to continued crack elongation and shearing before ultimately approaching one another and interacting to form a complex joint system. Geomechanical analysis is performed to reveal the mechanisms of this genesis, and three main fracture patterns are identified based on the slope stress and are classified with respect to the slope evolution. Based on the detail field investigations and the evolutionary history of the river valley, we propose that intermittent incision by the river was the main factor contributing to the concentrated distribution of gently dipping joints.     

Approach to quantification drawdown of groundwater wells:a case study from Sana'a City,Yemen

Although research on a field investigation about quantification drawdown of ground water wells has hitherto been conducted with emphasis on Sanaa basin which is 3 200 km2 in area characterized by general hazard in quantity and quality of water,there exist uncertainties about the size of the hazardous annual decline in the level of underground water.So the authors are trying to assess reliable hazard data on the depth of ground-water which were obtained by measuring static water level.The data set are twenty six wells from 9 regions which were selected to represent Sanaa basin and collected during the course of the 20 months groundwater monitoring survey from January 2008 to January 2009.The results show that the average drawdown during 20 months to be 3.22 m with an average 0.16 m per month and 2 m per year.     

Influence of human pressure on forest resources and productivity at stand and tree scales: The case study of Yunnan pine in SW China

This paper examines human impact on stands and individual trees of Pinus yunnanensis growing near the small mountain villages of Pianshui and Yangjuan in southwestern Sichuan Province,China.In an effort to assess whether use of these forests was sustainable,we examined the effects of human use in two ways.First,we directly measured the effect of cutting branches,for fuel and fodder,on tree growth.We hypothesized that branch cutting would negatively impact tree growth.We established 12 plots on four hills and compared 14 pairs of trees,one tree in each pair with an apparently full crown and the other with a considerable portion of the crown removed.Second,we assessed stand and tree properties over a 500 m elevation gradient above the villages where we hypothesized that as elevation increases,stand and tree properties should show fewer human impacts.Although extensive branch cutting reduced the live crown,tree height and diameter,compensatory processes likely enabled trees to recover and to add basal area increments(BAIs) similar to those added by trees with full crowns.Trees and stands close to villages showed less growth and lower basal areas,respectively,than stands and trees at intermediate or distant elevations from villages.Areas relatively close to the villages showed considerable effects of human-related disturbances such as branch cutting,grazing,tree and shrub removal,losses of litter,and human and animal trails.Such areas had increased soil erosion and often loss of the ‘A’ horizon.Stands close to villages had younger trees,lower stand basal areas,smaller basal area increments,and more stumps.Our results suggest an increasingly vulnerable interface between occupants of these two villages and their surrounding forests.     

Long-term activity of earthquake-induced landslides: A case study from Qionghai Lake Basin,Southwest of China

Earthquake-triggered landslides are a major geological hazard in the eastern Tibetan Plateau, and have prolonged impact on earth surface processes and fluvial system. To determine how long co-seismic landslides affect basins, a massive number of landslides existing in Qionghai Lake Basin were investigated for landslide distribution characteristics and geomorphological evidences, with further comparison and analysis using historic seismic analog method. The landslides found in Qionghai Lake Basin showed clear features of seismic triggering with strongly controlled by Zemuhe fault. These landslides are still active at present. Some new slides generally occur in ancient slope failure zones causing serious secondary hazards in recent years. In this study we strengthen the idea that the landslides triggered by the 185o Xichang earthquake （Ms7.5） have long term activity and prolonged impact on the mountain disasters with a period of more than 16o years. Our results support growing evidence that coseismic landslides have a prolonged effect on secondary disasters in a basin, and invite more careful consideration of the relationship between current basin condition and landslide history for a longer period.     

Evaluation of soil erosion from chestnut forests: A case study in the Yanshan Mountains,China

Soil erosion from chestnut forests has many types and intensities. However, less attention has been paid to the increasing soil erosion in the chestnut forests of Yanshan Mountains region, North China. The objective of this study was to discuss forest ages(5, 5~10, 10~20, and 20~ yr), slopes(5°~15°, 15°~25°, 25°~35°, and 35°~), slope positions(upslope, midslope, downslope, and whole slope), and slope aspects(sunny, half-sunny, shade, and half-shade) effects on soil erosion types and intensities in chestnut forests. A field survey was applied to investigate in detail the contiguous chestnut forests near Changfu village of Hebei Province, China on October 9-30, 2016. Results showed that chestnut forests are dominated by moderate erosion in this region, and the soil erosionfrom chestnut forests tended to deteriorate gradually. The average land degradation index was 0.31. The erosion intensity from chestnut forests will gradually increase with the year of planting. Most of the slopes are greater than 15°, accounting for 86.7% of the total chestnut forests. Most of the chestnut forests occupy the whole slope, accounting for 47.5% of the total area. Moderate erosion occurs most commonly for different slope aspects. In conclusion, improving the preparation efficiency of chestnut forests and enhancing the construction standards of soil and water conservation measures would be useful measures to avoid soil erosion from chestnut forests reaching a more severe level.     

断陷盆地碳酸盐岩热储勘查及研究:以鱼台凹陷为例

鱼台凹陷是一个中生代同沉积断陷盆地,其内部构造纵横,深部普遍发育奥陶系碳酸盐岩,具备地热开发前景。为研究断陷盆地内碳酸盐岩热储特征,评价其资源潜力,在鱼台凹陷施工一眼2 309.31 m深钻孔,通过综合测井、产能测试、水化学分析、气体成分分析、地热水¹⁴C年龄测定等手段,分析了盆地内地热流体的来源及补给、热源储集、离子运移等条件。结果显示,地热井温曲线的增温异常与裂隙发育断位置一致,指示了地热水来源方向;地热水Cl^-、Na⁺含量较高,其离子组分形成原因与岩盐溶解有关;鱼台凹陷东南部断裂交会处附近地热水表观年龄43.5 ka BP,校正年龄10.752 ka BP,时间在第四纪更新世晚期至全新世早期。研究认为,鱼台凹陷存在较为活跃或年轻的地质构造,是热储的热源之一,区内奥陶系热储可采地热资源量约为2.12×10⁹ GJ,合标准煤7.27×10⁷ t,资源潜力较大,开发利用前景良好。     

Seasonal export fluxes of size-fractionated particulate derived from polonium-210: A case study in Xiamen Bay

Size-fractionated ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb, in the size fractions >0.4 μm, >2 μm and >10 μm, were examined to determine the seasonal variability of particulate fluxes in Xiamen Bay. Good correlations between ²¹⁰Po and particulate organic carbon (POC) or non-Particulate Organic Matter (nPOM) suggested that ²¹⁰Po can be used to trace the export fluxes of POC and nPOM. Both steady-state (SS) model and nSS model were used to evaluate fluxes of size-fractionated ²¹⁰Po, results showed that nSS model was better than the SS model in coastal areas. Based on the nSS model, size-fractionated POC fluxes decreased with increasing particle size. For the particle size studied, maximum POC fluxes occurred in autumn, followed by spring, winter, and summer. Fluxes of nPOM were an order of magnitude higher than the corresponding size-fractionated POC fluxes. Differences between size-fractionated nPOM fluxes indicated that hydrodynamic conditions were the main factor regulating transportation of particulate out of the inner Bay. In winter most particulates, including >10 μm particles, were transported under the strongest hydrodynamic conditions. In contrast, only a fraction of the <2 μm particulates were transported from the inner Bay in spring. This study suggested that ²¹⁰Po is a powerful tracer of seasonal particulate export in coastal seas.     

Seasonal export fluxes of size-fractionated particulate derived from polonium-210: A case study in Xiamen Bay

Size-fractionated 210Po and 210Pb, in the size fractions 0.4 μm, 2 μm and 10 μm, were examined to determine the seasonal variability of particulate fluxes in Xiamen Bay. Good correlations between 210Po and particulate organic carbon (POC) or non-Particulate Organic Matter (nPOM) suggested that 210Po can be used to trace the export fluxes of POC and nPOM. Both steady-state (SS) model and nSS model were used to evaluate fluxes of size-fractionated 210Po, results showed that nSS model was better than the SS model in coastal areas. Based on the nSS model, size-fractionated POC fluxes decreased with increasing particle size. For the particle size studied, maximum POC fluxes occurred in autumn, followed by spring, winter, and summer. Fluxes of nPOM were an order of magnitude higher than the corresponding size-fractionated POC fluxes. Differences between size-fractionated nPOM fluxes indicated that hydrodynamic conditions were the main factor regulating transportation of particulate out of the inner Bay. In winter most particulates, including 10 μm particles, were transported under the strongest hydrodynamic conditions. In contrast, only a fraction of the 2 μm particulates were transported from the inner Bay in spring. This study suggested that 210Po is a powerful tracer of seasonal particulate export in coastal seas.     

Influence of permeation effect on themicrofabric of the slip zone soils: A case study from the Huangtupolandslide

This study aims to investigate the correlation between the permeation effect and microfabric of the slip zone soils with Huangtupo landslide in the Three Gorges Reservoir as the study case. Based on the permeability test and scanning electron microscope(SEM) images analysis, the fractal theory and probability entropy are used to quantify the characteristics of the remodeling specimens. First, the relationships between initial moisture content(IMC) and microstructure of the soil(percentage of particle area(PPA), pore roundness(Rp)) before and after permeability test are summarized. Then, the fractal dimension of the soil(pore distribution(Dpd), pore size(Dps)) are analyzed under the permeation effect. Based on the probability entropy, the entropy of pore(Ep) is used to characterize the porosity orientation, and the rose diagrams are used to show the particle orientation under the permeation effect. Finally, the relationship between the microstructure of the soil and its mechanical property is discussed. Results show that under the permeation effect, the microstructure of the soil has undergone tremendous changes. A flat long pore channel is formed. The order of the pore arrangement is enhanced, and soil particles switch the long axis to parallel infiltration direction to reach a new steady state. It can be inferred that the strength of soil would be weakened if the fractal dimension of soil pore decreases under any external environment.     

Assessment and analysis of rockfall-caused tree injuries in a Turkish fir stand: A case study from Kastamonu-Turkey

Rockfalls can cause serious damage to people,property,facilities and transportation corridors.Furthermore,rockfalls are major hazards in mountain areas with negative impacts on individual trees and forested ecosystems.We conducted a study of rockfall events on 117 mapped(91% of total trees in the stand with1.3 m in height and5 cm diameter at breast height)Turkish fir trees(Abies bornmuelleriana Mattf.)in a stand within the Kayaarkasi-Topular Village,Inebolu district, Kastamonu province of Turkey.The study site of 0.35 Ha is located on the transition zone of frequently passing rockfall fragments(～40 cm in diameter) generally causing healable injuries.Parameters of trees and injuries were recorded and analysed as to injury number,height and size.Bivariate correlation analysis were used to investigate the relationships between:a)diameter at breast height and number of injuries per tree,b)diameter at breast height and total injury size,c)the number of injuries and total injury size and d)the number of injuries per tree and distance from the source of the rockfall area.Results indicate that the average height of injury,average number of injuries and average injury area to be 81.3 cm(STDEV:49.8),7.46(STDEV:4.4)and 628.6 cm2 (STDEV:678.2),respectively.In total 84% of all injuries were recorded within 160°sector at the upslope side of trees and callus tissue that had closed wounds was observed in 79.1% of all injuries. Furthermore 14.5% of injured trees had callus tissue in the process of closing wounds while 6.4% of injuries had not formed any callus tissue.The most common injury types were bark and wood injuries. Bivariate correlation analysis indicated strong relationships between diameter at breast height and the number of injuries(rs=0.524),injury number and total injury area(rs=0.653)and distance from rockfall area and injury numbers relations(rs=-0.518).A weaker relationship was found between diameter at breast height and total injury area(rs=0.363).These results indicate that bigger trees are more prone to rockfall injuries.As expected,trees further from the rockfall area seem to be less prone to rockfall injuries.From our results,it can be inferred that the protection of people and property can be increased through the maintanance of forest in areas immediately below areas prone to rockfall.This stand is still managed in selective forest management system.In order to protect the settlement at the deposition zone it has to manage for protective goals with uneven-aged and multilayered stand structure.     

Impacts of anthropogenic and biophysical factors on ecological land using logistic regression and random forest:A case study in Mentougou District,Beijing,China

Ecological land is an important guarantee to maintain urban ecological security and sustainable development.Although increasing studies have been brought to eco...     

Directional seismic response to the complex topography: A case study of 2013 Lushan Ms 7.0 earthquake

Azimuthal variations in site response can provide a good insight into the site amplification and seismic conditions of geohazard occurrences. In this study, multiple directional site response methods,including D-Arias(Directional-Arias), D-SER(Directional-Shaking energy ratio), D-HVSR(Directional-Horizontal to vertical spectral ratio) and D-SSR(Directional – Standard spectral ratio), are adopted to analyse seismic data of the 2013 Lushan Ms 7.0 earthquake captured by the self-established Lengzhuguan(LZG) station which consists of the complex topography of isolated ridge, large mountain and some typical micro-reliefs. The results show that the isolated ridge could cause stronger site responses than the large mountain, and whose pronounced response direction is roughly perpendicular to its ridgeline. With the growth of elevation, the siteresonant frequency decreases. The different microreliefs on the mountain cause different site responses,which present as protruding slope linear slope. The site response mainly exists on the surficial layer of the mountain and shows that with the increase of the distance to mountain surface, the site response gets weaker, the site resonant frequency gets higher, and the pronounced response direction is perpendicular to its ridgeline.     

Traditional agrodiversity management: A case study of central himalayan village ecosystem

Environmental, biological, socio-cultural and economic status variation existing in the Central Himalaya have led to the evolution of diverse and unique traditional agroecosystems, crop species and livestock, which facilitate the traditional mountain farming societies to sustain themselves. Indigenous agroecosystems are highly site specific and differ from place to place, as they have evolved along divergent lines. For maintenance of traditional agrodiversity management the farmers of the Central Himalaya have evolved various types of crop rotations in consonance with the varied environmental conditions and agronomic requirements. In irrigated flat lands two crops are harvested in a year with negligible fallow period but in rainfed conditions if a cropping sequence is presumed to be starting after winter fallow phase then four major cropping seasons can be identified namely first kharif season (first crop season), first rabi season (second crop season), second kharif season (third crop season) and second rabi season (fourth crop season). Highest crop diversity is present in kharif season in comparison to rabi season. Traditionally the fields are left fallow after harvest of the second kharif season crop. Important characteristics of agrodiversity management are the use of bullocks for draught power, human energy as labour, crop residues as animal feed and animal waste mixed with forest litter as organic input to restore soil fertility levels. Women provide most of the human labour except for ploughing and threshing grain. The present study deals with assessment of traditional agrodiversity management such as (i) crop diversity, (ii) realized yield under the traditional practices and (iii) assess the differences of realized yields under sole and mixed cropping systems. It indicated that crop rotation is an important feature of the Central Himalayan village ecosystem which helps to continue the diversity of species grown, as are the distribution of crops in the growing period and the management of soil fertility. The cropping diversity existing and the sequences practiced by the traditional farmers seems to have achieved high degree of specialization and thus even when the yield/biomass variations are about 60%, the farmers continue to practice these sequences as they need to maintain diversity and synergistic relationships of crops in addition to manage the food and labour requirements for crop husbandry. Crop yields are generally higher in irrigated systems than rainfed systems and in sole cropping as compared with mixed cropping. However, gross biological and economic yields are higher in mixed cropping than sole cropping systems.