Landscape regularities of human colonization of the Tuva territory in the Scythian time (8<Superscript>th</Superscript>–3<Superscript>rd</Superscript> centuries B. C.)

We discuss the issues related to the human colonization of the Tuva landscapes in the Scythian time. An analysis is made of the spatial and landscape confinedness of archaeological sites having regard to the Late-Holocene rhythms of climate change in the mountains. For the historical-landscape analysis the MapInfo 12.0 GIS technologies were used in compiling the landscape map of the Tyva Republic, the scheme of physical-geographical regionalization and the schematic map of spatial distribution of archaeological sites from the Scythian time. The then most developed landscapes include the steppe mountain-valley and forest-steppe low- and mid-mountain landscapes, which was associated with the main economic sector, namely nomadic stockbreeding. The culture of the Scythian time existed under a colder and more humid climate than at present. An increase in humidity in originally dry areas led to an increase in steppe vegetation productivity growing in depressions and on slopes of mountain ranges. These factors created favorable conditions for the development of nomadic stockbreeding. A spatial analysis of the distribution of archaeological sites in the physical-geographical provinces of Tuva intimates that depression landscapes were colonized mostly in the Scythian time. The Tuvinian depression province (the archaeologically richest area of Tuva) and the Ubsunur depression account for 52 and 21% of the sites, respectively. The mountain landscapes were colonized to a considerably lesser extent; the largest number of sites are located in the Western-Tuva mountain province. In the Scythian time, the cores of development of the Tuva territory were represented by the intermontane depressions (Tuvinian and Ubsunur), the connections between which were provided by a small number of large valleys and mountain passes.     

Historical Experience of Organic Agriculture Management in Transbaikalia

The historical factors of the development of organic agriculture in the Baikal region are considered on the basis of ethnoecological experience of traditional agriculture management in the 18^th–19^th centuries. It is pointed out that the historical method of developing the territory of Transbaikalia is based on nomadic ethnic culture, self-consciousness of the Buryat ethnos, and on the stereotype of behavior in the natural environment and constitutes a unique historical experience of adaptation of the Buryats in the steppe and forest-steppe landscapes of Transbaikalia. And the preservation of nomadic traditions and the Buryat culture of economic managing deserve the attention of researchers. The historical-geographical approach makes it possible to demonstrate the adaptive character of nomad livestock breeding and the use of the territory of Transbaikalia region by the Buryat ethnos in the past, using a conditionally allocated cattle-breeding model as an example. It is shown that the livestock husbandry (nomadic) model of agrarian nature management under consideration reflected a specific “strategy of adaptation” of traditional (nomadic) nature management to the natural environment of the region, which was at a certain socio-economic level of development and represented a natural model for the existence of the Buryat ethnos formed under the influence of the unique landscapes of Transbaikalia and historical traditions. The livestock husbandry model of the economy in the past was the main system of using the territory of Transbaikalia by the Buryat population and reflected the dynamic stereotype of behavior in a given natural environment. The main features of nomadic livestock husbandry are identified, which confirms that the livestock husbandry model was an ecologically correct form of farming, and traditional agriculture is an alternative to intensive forms of agriculture, a kind of management with a focus on the manufacture of ecologically clean products of livestock husbandry as well as being the prototype of organic agriculture in the Baikal region.     

Nenets reindeer heders on the lower Yenisei River: traditional economy under current conditions are responses to economic change

The article is dedicated to the problems of survival and development among the aboriginal peoples of northern Russia in the context of current conditions. Data collected in the western art of the Taimyr Autonomous District allowed us to divide the non-sedentary population of this territory into three groups differentiated by overall way of life, land use and economic "calendar." These groups are: the nomadic reindeer herders of the tundra (about 250–300 people), the semi-nomadic fishermenherders of Yenisei delta (about 500), and the nomadic herders of the forest-tundra (300–350). The economy and ways of life of the three non-sedentary groups are are described. Communities whose traditional subsistence base is reindeers have entered a crucial period. In response to the pressure of the dominant society, these peoples have three ossible strategies: isolation, passive adaptation and active adaptation. Only the last strategy can preserve their culture, and create a "neoculture". Now, however, passive adaptation predominates. The mutual, bi-directional process of cultural integration needs to reinforce positive aspects of acculturation and promote active, rather than passive, adaptation. A necessary condition for this is the appearance among the Nenets of an intermediate social stratum which maintains close links to nomadic reindeer-husbandry and is simultaneously integrated into the dominant society.     

Trouble with Sense of Place in Working Landscapes

The sense of place (SOP) conceptual framework offers theoretical and empirical evidence that links peoples’ multifaceted connections to place(s) to their engagement in pro-environmental and conservation behaviors. The bulk of this research has focused on peoples’ connection to high-amenity places and landscapes. Recent research applies SOP in working landscapes—however, these studies encounter “troubles” that include measurement challenges and mixed results in predicting statistical relationships with conservation outcome variables. As authors of some of these studies, we propose three opportunities and corresponding survey items for developing meaningful SOP measures in future working landscapes research: (1) modify existing SOP dimensions and items to better capture the working landscape dynamics; (2) address how scale may affect behavior and SOP dimensions; and (3) incorporate a conservation ethic dimension into the SOP framework in working lands.     

Soils in the Northern Hovsgol Region and their transformation in the process of land use

The formation features of soil cover in conditions of the Northern Hovsgol Region are considered. A standardization of pasture loads on the region’s steppe landscapes has been carried out on the basis of the soil transformation indices identified for land use.     

全新世中期以来西辽河流域动物地理与环境变迁

自全新世中期以来 ,西辽河流域动物群的种类成分有很大变化。全新世中期 ,野猪和鹿科动物是这里最主要的大型食草动物。公元初期 ,野马等草原动物占有一定地位。中世纪的辽代时期 ,鹿科动物成为这里最主要大型食草动物 ,同时 ,有适应沼泽环境的麋鹿。直到清代初期 ,野马在动物群中还占有一定地位。清代中期 ,大型食肉动物虎、豹、熊分布较广泛 ,清代晚期 ,其分布迅速减少直至消失。动物地理的变化在一定程度上反映了环境的变化。     

Degradation of the vegetation cover as exemplified by the arid foothill areas of the greater caucasus within Azerbaijan

Field observations were used in compiling the map for contemporary vegetation of the Acinour-Ceyrançöl foothill areas having regard to the altered floristic composition of steppe and semidesert plant communities. The study revealed a decrease in the area occupied by juniper sparse forests and riparian forests. It is found that a severe anthropogenic influence in this area leads to desertification and degradation of landscapes.     

从生态学角度复原元代滦河上游的景观与物候

运用自然地理学和生态学的方法,根据元代古籍中的景观与物候信息复原了13~14世纪滦河上游及其邻近地区的自然景观：(1) 坝下的落叶阔叶林景观;(2) 坝缘和坝上东部的草甸草原景观;(3) 坝上西部的典型草原景观;(4) 北部的沙地疏林草原景观;(5) 河湖湿地景观。事实表明：从宏观上看,元代的景观结构与现代基本一致。另外,通过物候现象的古今对比,发现14世纪30年代夏季芍药的始花期比现代约提早10天,而14世纪中叶初雪较现代约提早10天。     

试论云南民族地理

本文试图探讨云南特殊地理位置和自然条件所导致的民族源流的多元性、民族分布的复杂性、民族经济文化的多样性以及民族社会发展的差异性这些在民族地理学中至为重要的课题。     

Livestock responses to droughts and severe winter weather in the Gobi Three Beauty National Park, Mongolia

We investigated how both droughts and dzuds (severe winter weather) control livestock mortality in a non-equilibrium steppe ecosystem of Mongolia, Gobi Three Beauty National Park. These steppe ecosystems have developed under high interannual variability of rainfall and nomadic grazing systems. Interannual precipitation variation was 39%, with 128 mm mean annual precipitation. The effect of climate variability and extreme events on livestock mortality is a critical aspect for the Mongolian economy. Analysis of drought and precipitation variability on livestock mortality rate was not significantly influenced by the index of mean annual precipitation and annual winter temperature. Overall, unlike hot dry regions, pastoral livestock mortality in the cold dry regions was affected more by dzuds and annual growing seasonal rain than by droughts. Dzuds can be frequent events, occurring as often as once every 2 and 3 years within a decade. The average annual livestock mortality for the combined drought and dzuds years (18%) was 4.8% greater than the years with dzuds alone, and 7% greater than in years with only drought. Thus livestock mortality appears to be more sensitive to dzuds than to droughts, and that dzuds contributes more to livestock mortality even years where combined drought and winter storms occur.     

科尔沁沙地沙漠化的几个问题：以南部地区为例

根据野外调查和室内分析，认为本区土地沙漠化形成时代至少始于早中更新世，其发展模式为非沙漠化环境与沙漠环境之间的正逆交替过程。其生物气候带分别经历过干冷多风的干草原、荒漠草原和温暖湿润或温凉稍湿的森林草原、疏林草原的多次变更。土地沙漠化和生物气候带的这种变化与全球气候波动引起的我国北方生物气候带水平摆动相吻合。因此，该区土地沙漠化的发展趋势将主要取决于当今全球气候波动的发展趋势。     

中国国家公园与世界遗产地保护——挑战与战略

About 70% of its land area as mountains and plateaus,China is the largest mountain countryin the world.Thanks to its vast territory (9.6 million km2),outstanding relief and varied climates,China boasts extremely plenty of ecosystems and landscapes.From south to north,it traverses almostall the temporal zones from tropical rainforest in the southernmost to frigid-temperate needle-leavedforest in the northernmost; from east to west,it sees a gradual transition fro humid forest landscape toextremely arid desert landscape; vertical change of landscapes is most striking owing to the existenceof many high mountains (above 6000-7000 m,e.g.,the Himalayas,the Kunlun,the Tianshan,theHengduan,etc.) and plateaus,especially the immense Tibetan Plateau (averagely 4500 m above sealevel).All of this give rise to the richness and diversity of ecosystems and landscape in China.Some ofthe ecosystems are endemic to China,e.g.,alpine desert and alpine steppe in the Tibetan Plateau.As aresult,China bears a great responsibility in the protection of global ecosystems and landscape.     

The politics of toponyms in the Pamir mountains

This paper is an original study of the relationship between landscape and ideology through an examination of Pamir mountain toponyms. The research analyses traditional, Tsarist, Soviet and post-Soviet Pamiri toponyms. It is the first study to compare mountain toponyms with existing research on the naming processes of urban Soviet and post-Soviet places. It also compares the Soviet political use of landscape with that by other political systems and ideologies, in particular Nazism. The paper finds that over time there are commonalities in the types of names selected for urban places and mountains and the rationale behind these choices. However, it also notes significant differences. These differences suggest that the concept of 'the mountain' did not carry the same political significance as the urban or other landscapes (the steppe and forest) in Russian, Soviet and post-Soviet ideological and nation-building constructions.     

Protecting the national parks and the world heritage sites in China: challenge and strategy

To protect the richness, diversity and uniqueness of China's ecosystems and landscapes, more than 150 national parks (named "National scenic and historic interest areas" in China), 85 national geoparks and 230 national nature reserves have been delimited nationwide. In addition, a total of 30 world heritage sites (4 mixed, 4 natural, 22 cultural), 24 biosphere reserves and 8 world geoparks have been ratified for China in a short time by the UNESCO. Unfortunately, most of these national and…     

滴哨沟湾地层沉积特征记录的毛乌素沙漠变迁

毛乌素沙漠的盛衰变化明显地受到全球变化特别是东亚夏季风变化的影响。根据毛乌素沙漠东南缘萨拉乌苏河流域滴哨沟湾地层沉积物的物质组成、粒度参数等,结合孢粉研究结果,将沙漠演化过程划分为若干阶段：中更新世晚期沙漠萎缩期,气候温暖半干旱-半湿润,沙漠缩小,为森林草原或灌丛草原;中更新世晚期沙漠稳定期,气候在寒冷干旱-半干旱间波动频繁,自然景观在荒漠、荒漠草原与干草原间变化,并有河流和小湖存在;晚更新世早期沙漠固定期,气候温暖半湿润至半干旱,期间自然景观经历了森林草原、灌丛草原、草原、荒漠草原多种变化;晚更新世晚期沙漠扩张期,气候干旱寒冷,自然景观以荒漠和荒漠草原为主,同时也有草原乃至灌丛草原出现;全新世沙漠频繁变化期,气候变化频繁,沙漠出现多次盛衰变化,自然景观在荒漠、荒漠草原、草原、疏林草原间变化。     

中国东北主要生态系统气温变化趋势比较

全球变暖是当前人类社会面临的主要环境问题,对同一区域不同生态系统气温变化差异的认知,是服务于当地生态环境评价和经济建设规划的基础。以1961-2012年的气温数据为基础,用Mann-Kendall(M-K)秩次相关法对中国东北地区纬度相差极小的农业(海伦站)、森林(博克图站)、草甸草原(海拉尔站)、干草原(满洲里站)4类生态系统的气温变化进行了比较分析。结果表明:(1)1961-2012年东北地区主要生态系统年最高气温变化趋势最显著,其次是年平均气温,年最低气温变化趋势不显著。(2)不同生态系统年平均气温、年最高气温、年最低气温的变化趋势具有一致性,同一生态系统年平均气温、年最高气温和年最低气温的变化趋势存在差异。(3)从年平均气温来看,草甸草原生态系统变化趋势最显著,气温变化率最大(0.44℃/10a),发生气温突变的时间最早;从年最高气温来看,农业生态系统一直呈上升趋势,20世纪90年代后期上升趋势显著,气温突变点出现的时间最早。     

宁夏中东部沙漠化草原的植被演替

宁夏中东部地处黄土高原风沙区暖温性典型草原与荒漠草原的过渡地带。干旱多风的气候条件, 含沙丰富的地表物质组成和超负荷的人为活动影响, 使其成为宁夏土地沙漠化最严重的地区之一。草原沙漠化的植被演替阶段往往不易判别, 我们有用数量分类中的聚类分析法成功地将其划分为两大类群, 四个阶段。老瓜头(Cynanchumkomarovii), 骆驼蒿(Peganumnigellastrum)等植物在草原沙漠化演替的起始和发展阶段具指示意义。草原沙漠化的植被演替不同于撂荒地和沙地植被的演替, 而且在积沙地其演替过程一般是不可逆的。     

Protecting the national parks and the world heritage sites in China: challenge and strategy

About 70% of its land area as mountains and plateaus, China is the largest mountain country in the world. Thanks to its vast territory (9.6 million km²), outstanding relief and varied climates, China boasts extremely plenty of ecosystems and landscapes. From south to north, it traverses almost all the temporal zones from tropical rainforest in the southernmost to frigid-temperate needle-leaved forest in the northernmost; from east to west, it sees a gradual transition fro humid forest landscape to extremely arid desert landscape; vertical change of landscapes is most striking owing to the existence of many high mountains (above 6000–7000 m, e.g., the Himalayas, the Kunlun, the Tianshan, the Hengduan, etc.) and plateaus, especially the immense Tibetan Plateau (averagely 4500 m above sea level). All of this give rise to the richness and diversity of ecosystems and landscape in China. Some of the ecosystems are endemic to China, e.g., alpine desert and alpine steppe in the Tibetan Plateau. As a result, China bears a great responsibility in the protection of global ecosystems and landscape.     

内蒙古典型草原与荒漠草原NDVI对气象因子的响应

分析了内蒙古典型草原与荒漠草原NDVI的变化,探讨了干旱对NDVI的影响,建立了NDVI与气象因子的回归模型。结果表明:2000-2016年内蒙古典型草原与荒漠草原NDVI呈现波动变化,变异较小。干旱对典型草原区的羊草(Leymus chinensis)群落与大针茅(Stipa grandis)群落NDVI影响显著(P<0.05);与正常年份相比,干旱导致羊草群落与大针茅群落NDVI降低约23%。5-8月降水量和干燥度指数影响内蒙古典型草原羊草群落与大针茅群落NDVI;荒漠草原区羊草+短花针茅(Stipa breviflora)群落与沙生针茅(Stipa plareosa)群落NDVI的主要影响因子分别为年均气温与5-8月平均气温;5-8月降水量和年均气温是影响典型草原和荒漠草原NDVI的重要因子。基于气象因子的NDVI回归模型能够较好地对区域NDVI进行估测。生长季降水是影响典型草原NDVI的关键因素,而气温显著影响荒漠草原NDVI。在未来气候变化的背景下,内蒙古典型草原NDVI对干旱的响应会更加敏感。     

Management Challenges for Aboriginal Cultural Heritage in Peri-urban Queensland

It is often assumed that places of cultural significance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are protected under cultural heritage legislation such as the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 in Queensland. Such Acts are improvements on previous policies, which all but neglected Aboriginal cultural heritage. Nevertheless, the aims of policies developed at wider geographic scales, such as States within the Australian system, continue to be disconnected from the experiences of some local Traditional Owners. In this paper, we examine conflicts between non-local policy and on-ground management decisions for Aboriginal cultural heritage in peri-urban Queensland. We focus on the challenges of local Traditional Owners in peri-urban landscapes, basing our discussion on recent experiences conducting research on Indigenous land management in southeast Queensland. We examine three case studies: one in which colonial heritage values were prioritised over existing Aboriginal cultural heritage values, a second where local government failed to support a private landholder’s attempt to identify and protect a cultural heritage site, and a third where a cultural heritage site was protected but in a way that restricts the continuation of cultural practices. Developing more productive and equitable relationships between Traditional Owners and non-Indigenous decision makers, with regards to Aboriginal cultural heritage, requires new locally developed processes for engagement and we suggest how this could be achieved.