Nationalist heritage,sublime affect and the anomalous Icelandic landscape concept

Olwig, K.R. 2015. Nationalist heritage, sublime affect and the anomalous Icelandic landscape concept. Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift–Norwegian Journal of Geography Vol. 69, 277–287. ISSN 0029-1951.

The idea of landscape has undergone change, as has the physical landscape, under differing historical, technological, ideological and representational contexts. The article is concerned with the way modern imaginaries of landscape have been read back into the past in order to naturalize, essentialize and legitimize a particular imagined political, economic and physical national heritage. The image of Icelandic landnám, understood as the settlement of the naturally bounded, wild, sublime, virginal nature of Iceland encountered by rugged and free Nordic Vikings, speaking a pure Nordic language, played a foundational mythic role in particularly 19th century Nordic and Germanic national romanticism. This was because Iceland provided an apparent means of ground-truthing the nationalism, coupled with economic liberalism, that the national romantics promoted. The article examines the ways that such romantic nativist ideas of national character, as something embedded in a people through the esthetic experience of raw sublime nature, continue to operate on Iceland, and far beyond the boundaries of Norden, in a modern world of freebooting financiers, offshore neoliberal economics and renewed nationalistic fervor. The modern international role of the physical landscape in this ideology is exemplified by a case from Mexico, whereas Iceland exemplifies the continued vitality of this ideational landscape.     

云南石林景观美学价值评价研究

以云南石林为审美对象,探讨了石林的景观结构和形象美学特征,并在此基础上进行石林景观美感度评价。如何评价自然景观的美学价值(美感度)长期受到人们的关注,关键是对于评价要素的提取难以达成一致。文章提出的景观的科学成因、科学价值与形式美原则相结合,“专家评估法”与“系统调查分析法”相结合的评价方法研究,必将推动自然景观美学价值(美感度)评价的深入研究。     

湘西洪江古商城的特点、形成及其开发利用和保护

湘西洪江古商城,凭借其特有的交通区位优势,历史上曾一度成为久负盛名的西南地区商品转口贸易城市,集经济、政治、军事、宗教、文化功能于一体的综合性城市和具有鲜明地域特色的立体式山水型城市,是明清以来祖国大西南特定区域自然地理环境与社会经济环境综合影响的结果,其作为以完整风貌保存下来的中世纪专业性商城,在国内具有唯一性,应该妥善加以保护和合理利用。     

Human and climate impact on catchment development during the Holocene — Geul River, the Netherlands

Interest in the Holocene development of small to medium-sized river catchments in Western and Central Europe in relation to changes in land use and climate has increased over the past years. In this study we reconstruct the Holocene landscape development and fluvial dynamics of the Geul River (The Netherlands) and the main forcing mechanisms of environmental change. Field studies were carried out and we used OSL and ¹⁴C dating methods to reconstruct the Holocene valley development. Our study shows that 2 periods of deforestation (during the Roman Period and the High Middle Ages) led to severe soil erosion and increased floodplain sedimentation in the catchment of the Geul River, possibly combined with periods of increased wetness during the High Middle Ages. Alluvial fans have been active since the Roman deforestation phase. Our results show that the Geul catchment is highly sensitive to changes in land use.     

景观价值与景观保护评价

景观以其兼具经济、生态、文化等多重价值而为人类所重视,又由于人类活动日益强烈的干扰而面临景观破碎化和景观组分间连接性丧失的威胁,从而备受国内外学者的关注。文章从稀有性、多样性、功效性、宜人性、资源性以及美学价值等方面对景观价值的内涵进行了评述,并介绍了景观价值定量化研究的方法;从视觉感知的角度对景观保护的评定方法和不同景观评定的实例进行了综述,并结合中国的实际情况,列举了当前中国急需保护的各类景观,为中国自然保护事业提供参考依据。     

Alluvial and colluvial sediment storage in the Geul River catchment (The Netherlands) — Combining field and modelling data to construct a Late Holocene sediment budget

We used a combined approach of a two-dimensional erosion and hillslope sediment delivery model (WATEM/SEDEM) and detailed geomorphological reconstructions to quantify the different components in a sediment budget for the Geul River catchment (southern Netherlands) since the High Middle Ages. Hillslope erosion and colluvium deposition were calculated using the model, while floodplain storage was estimated using field data. Our results show that more than 80% of the total sediment production in the catchment has been stored as colluvium (mostly generated by hillslope erosion), while almost 13% is stored in the floodplain since the High Middle Ages (this situation resembles a capacity-limited system). Model results for the period prior to the High Middle Ages (with a nearly completely forested catchment) show that far less sediment was generated and that most of the sediments were directly transported to the main river valleys or out of the catchment (a supply-limited system). Geomorphological analysis of a large alluvial fan shows the sensitivity of the study area to changes in the percentage of arable land.Our combined field data-modeling study presents an elegant method to calculate a catchment sediment budget for a longer period and is able to identify and quantify the most important sediment storage elements. Furthermore, it provides a valuable tool to calculate a sediment budget while only limited dated fluvial sediment sequences are available.     

EXPLORING SPATIAL FAMILIARITY*

Spatial familiarity is a natural language concept that has no well-defined technical interpretation. We explore here some possible dimensions of the concept, provide subjective measurements of the dimensions, and evaluate their independence. The four dimensions examined are locational knowledge, visual recognition, name identification, and interaction frequency. We suggest that both cognitive and behavioral dimensions are embedded in the concept of spatial familiarity and must be part of the meaning of the concept and of any attempt to make it operational.     

Environmental controls on modern chironomid faunas from NW Iceland and implications for reconstructing climate change

Reconstructing climate change quantitatively over millennial timescales is crucial for understanding the processes that affect the climate system. One of the best methods for producing high resolution, low error, quantitative summer air temperature reconstructions is through chironomid analyses. We analysed over 50 lakes from NW and W Iceland covering a range of environmental gradients in order to test whether the distribution of the Icelandic chironomid fauna was driven by summer temperature, or whether other environmental factors were more dominant. A range of analyses showed the main environmental controls on chironomid communities to be substrate (identified through loss-on-ignition and carbon content) and mean July air temperature, although other factors such as lake depth and lake area were also important. The nature of the Icelandic landscape, with numerous volcanic centres (many of which are covered by ice caps) that produce large quantities of ash, means that relative lake carbon content and summer air temperature do not co-vary, as they often do in other chironomid datasets within the Arctic as well as more temperate environments. As the chironomid–environment relationships are thus different in Iceland compared to other chironomid training sets, we suggest that using an Icelandic model is most appropriate for reconstructing past environmental change from fossil Icelandic datasets. Analogue matching of Icelandic fossil chironomid datasets with the Icelandic training set and another European chironomid training set support this assertion. Analyses of a range of chironomid-inferred temperature transfer functions suggest the best to be a two component WA-PLS model with r ² _jack = 0.66 and RMSEP = 1.095°C. Using this model, chironomid-inferred temperature reconstructions of early Holocene Icelandic sequences show the magnitude of temperature change compared to contemporary temperatures to be similar to other NW European chironomid sequences, suggesting that the predictive power of the model is good.     

论云南古镇美学价值在旅游开发中的运用

通过回顾文献资料、实地走访调研等方法,对云南古镇的自然景观美和人文景观美进行分析研究.并以云南腾冲和顺古镇为代表,从水文地貌、生物气候、历史文化、民居建筑、民俗风情等方面对和顺古镇的自然景观和人文景观美进行深入剖析.在此基础上阐述云南古镇自然景观和人文景观的美学价值与旅游的关系,及其在旅游开发中的运用.     

Monument in a landscape: the question of ‘meaning‘

Public monuments are of special interest as focal points of meaning in the landscape. Cultural geographers, in attempting to come to terms with questions of meaning, have begun in recent years to think in categories more typical of literary studies than of social science. In this paper the concept of ‘allegory’ is used as a device for illuminating the possible meanings of a monument. The affinities between monumental and allegorical works are discussed. A thirty‐year‐old memorial column in Armidale, NSW, is taken as a case study. The meaning of this structure to present‐day observers is particularly debatable. Several possible readings are proposed, formulated in allegorical terms. It is suggested that such an approach can produce insights that might not otherwise come to the surface.     

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。     

Past flood events reflected in Holocene floodplain records of East-Germany

The sediment archives in lakes and mires formed by salt solution within the floodplain of the Middle Werra river were used to detect effects of climate and landuse changes on the sedimentation regime of the river by means of high-resolution sedimentological and palynological methods. All archives of the Middle Werra valley show similar sedimentation sequences which are mainly influenced by climate until the Middle Ages and mostly affected by human activity between the Middle Ages and Modern Times. The likelihood of climatic influences in terms of wetter conditions is especially given by a clear increase of indicators for floodplain forest, reed communities and aquatics in combination with decreasing human landuse indicators in the investigation area.In addition, the palynological results show that the sediment input in these depressions is higher both during periods with wetter conditions and with increased human impact in the catchment. According to the fact, that during flood events the river is hydrological connected with these depressions, the minerogenic layers are suspected to be delivered during floods.     

The geosystems of the Southern and Middle Kuril Islands

The spatial structure of the landscapes on the Southern and Middle Kuril Islands is considered. The main regularities of their landscape structure are described. The study revealed a landscape asymmetry that has a different genesis as well as the character of influence of the landscape-forming factors for the Southern and Middle Kurils, with the volcanic factor holds a special position.     

Symbolic ecclesiastical representations in the High Middle Ages landscape: A single-case study in northern Scandinavia

A regional examination of representations of geographical ecclesiastical features (boundaries, churches, and land use) in northern Scandinavia during the High Middle Ages was performed, using a peripheral parish as a single case. The analysis was based on historical maps, processed using microhistory and retrogressive approaches, and guided by theories of territoriality and landscape. The results showed that some churches were built on outfields, that landownership and prehistoric burials were clustered in two different areas, and that parish boundaries were often located in uninhabited forests between settlements and were sometimes moved. These results are discussed within the context of symbols, relations, and identity, which are complementary to explanations of centrality such as minimum travel distance. The author concludes that this indicates that, based on kinship networks, farmers from the settlement areas built the churches on jointly owned or managed land, which symbolises their collective effort – their sense of ours. Furthermore, settlement desertion during the agrarian crisis is probably the reason behind later changes in parish boundaries.     

距离欲对旅游者目的地选择影响的解释框架

距离是影响人类各种空间行为的重要因素,也是探索旅游者行为规律的重要变量。然而,现有的旅游者目的地决策模型多将其作为约束条件处理,充分讨论了距离的阻力机制,却忽视了对其引力机制的探索,也因此导致了理论与营销实践层面的不足。本文提出“距离欲”来表述距离的引力作用,基于其审美情感基本属性,将其细分为认知维度、情感维度和旅游动机维度3个维度;根据旅游者旅游审美需求特点,从现代性审美视角切入,将其细分为游戏的距离欲、时尚的距离欲、冒险的距离欲3个层次,并进行了理论阐述。研究进一步指出,距离欲是旅游者对距离意义的解读,距离欲概念的提出为旅游者外出旅游的动机提供了新的解释,旅游者对诗意“远方”的追求,是旅游者基本的审美需求,也是人类超越自我的本质追求,还是高速发展的流动性社会中个体抵御异化的审美救赎。距离欲同时为我们进一步认识旅游的本质提供了新的解读视角,旅游活动带来的距离的审美体验能够参与建构和重塑旅游者的心理结构,在帮助旅游者更好的重返现实世界的同时,还积极的促进旅游者以和谐、宽容、独立的美学境界来重塑现实世界。本文从距离视角切入,进一步证实了旅游活动在旅游者个体、群体乃至全人类生存品质提升过程中所发挥的积极作用。通过对距离欲与其他行为变量的关系的进一步梳理,最终形成了距离与旅游者目的地选择的基本解释框架。对距离欲的深入探索能够为全球化的流动时代下旅游者外出旅游动机分析提供新解释,为旅游本质的解读提供新线索,具有一定的理论意义;同时为进一步提升旅游者目的地选择模型的解释力与预测力提供了可能性,为目的地营销机构针对感知距离的精准营销战略的制定提供新思路,具有一定的实践意义。     

欧美景观地理学的新进展及其启示

文章从文化景观、景观概念、景观解释、景观与文化、景观政治学等方面阐述了欧美景观地理学的新进展。目前,欧美文化地理学正在重新整合,文化景观研究是其核心。针对景观的不同用法(艺术上的,社会科学上的),提出了4种专业化的景观解释模型。景观政治学是新文化地理学的关键建设领域,甚至有人把它当作景观解释的中心。地理学者对文学的兴趣日益增加,并将不同的文学形式看作是研究景观意义的途径。     

Aesthetic evaluation of yardang landforms landscape: the Dunhuang Yardang National Geo-park example

Dunhuang Yardang National Geo-park,situated in the Gansu Province of northwestern China(40o25'36 "N–40o33'10" N,93o00'00 "E–93o13'30" E),was chosen as a research locality of aesthetics evaluation of yardang landforms landscape.The yardang landforms landscape is a composite structural system of patch-corridor-matrix,with four landscape unit elements as dense group,sparse group,single body and remnant.The study of the landscape aesthetics spatial pattern of Dunhuang Yardang National Geo-park shows that yardang dense group,sparse group and single body provide the greatest contribution to the aesthetic value of yardang landforms landscape.Yardang bodies are scarce,unique,irreplaceable,and priceless resources in yardang landforms areas.However,they are easily destroyed under the influence of the natural and artificial factors.Therefore,when the tourism potential of yardang landforms landscape is exploited,the protection should be fully improved.     

城市传统文化旅游地景观格局与景观审美耦合研究——以南京夫子庙秦淮风光带为例

以景观美和生态美的关系研究为基点,选取南京夫子庙秦淮风光带作为城市传统文化旅游地的典型个案,采用景观格局指数和平衡不完全区组比较评判法,实证分析景观格局与景观审美的耦合特征及规律。结果表明：1）案例地整体景观破碎度较高,但不同景观组分受到人为干扰的程度不同,景观斑块的多样性和异质性较为适中,但斑块面积、空间分布及空间集聚度存在结构性差异;2）本地居民对夫子庙秦淮风光带的景观审美感知较好,但更偏好“十里秦淮”优美的自然风光及蕴含丰厚城市记忆要素的历史建筑和文化景观;3）总体上,景观格局与景观审美存在耦合互补与和谐共生的关系。夫子庙秦淮风光带历史文化积淀深厚,但在城市化快速发展的时代背景下,文化特色不断缺失,“去地方化”进程不断加快,作为城市传统文化旅游地的典型代表,其担负的城市记忆和文化传承功能,应该引起学界和社会各界的广泛关注。     

后城市景观中的乡愁与地方批判：基于“珠江夜游”艺术展的图像分析

景观研究是地理分析的关键单元。以往景观研究往往囿于物质景观的一面,忽视了观念景观的存在。本文以“珠江夜游——后珠三角景观”艺术展为案例,采用德国符号学家弗里克的“拟态理论”和焦点小组访谈法对其展开图像和内容分析,重新审视后城市化时代中观念景观所折射出来的乡愁与地方批判。研究发现,景观是研究人地关系议题的文化图像工具;观念景观是对物质景观的拟态,是基于真实世界之上的景观;“珠江夜游”艺术展通过大量的符号和观念景观的呈现,展现了后城市化时代珠三角地区民众独特的地方感知和地方记忆,也从直观和批判的视角展现了快速变化的社会现实下城市居民和城市之间的人地关系——城市本土居民表现出一种“不离地的乡愁”,并对人地关系失调的环境进行反思。研究对城市观念景观的图像和叙事分析是对传统文化地理学物质景观分析的有效补充,有利于从人的主体视角更深入地理解城市发展及其影响。     

The making and unmaking of gendered crops in northern Ghana

In rural West Africa, the gendered division of labour extends to labelling certain crops as 'male' or 'female'. With the introduction of new varieties of crops and technologies, these constructions of gendered plants undergo a process of renegotiation at social intrafaces. This process of attaching meaning to new features in cultivation results in the remaking of gendered crops. These negotiations, in turn, have an effect on the construction of gender in specific ethnic and environmental settings, unlinking labour from its gendered connotations and, thus, unmaking the social meaning and creating room for manoeuvre. Based on fieldwork among the Dagomba and Kusasi people in northern Ghana, this study examines how gendered responsibilities and access to the cultivation of crops are linked and expressed in obligations related to the cultural ideal of a proper meal, in this case consisting of the food categories (male) staple and (female) soup, which serve as the blueprint for assigning crops to a specific gender.