Seismic damage of mountain tunnels during the 5.12 Wenchuan earthquake

A number of mountain tunnels suffered significant damage to various extent during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China. Damage ranging from small to heavy cracking was observed both at the portal and inside the tunnels, while some sections close to the faults completely collapsed. A summary of qualitative data collected from reports and papers is presented regarding the behavior of the 55 mountain tunnels near the epicenter during the earthquake. Based on the seismic investigation and data collection of mountain tunnels, the tunnel damage is classified into six most common damage models involving cracking, spalling, shear failure, dislocation, pavement uplift and collapse. Detailed study and discussion are then carried out on the damage models. In order to examine the influencing factors of the damage magnitude of the mountain tunnels, the correlations between epicentral distance, earthquake intensity, overburden depth, geological condition and damage levels are analyzed. The relationships between earthquake parameters and different damage models are developed and discussed. Also, suggestions are provided to improve the seismic resistance of mountain tunnels.     

Geographical differences and influencing factors of rural energy consumption in Southwest mountain areas in China: A case study of Zhaotong City

China is a mountainous country,and Southwest mountain areas cover the most mountain areas in China and have the most serious problems.Taking Zhaotong city as the study area,based on 902 rural household questionnaires of 11 villages in 2 counties and Tobit model,this paper analyzes the geographical differences and influencing factors of energy consumption for non-production purposes of rural households living in different terrain conditions.This research finds that:(1) Coal takes up the main part of energy consumption in valley areas and coal consumption is mainly affected by per capita cultivated land area,household income,proportion of rural household energy expenditure in total expenditure,coal price,and family population size.Firewood takes up the main part of energy consumption in high mountain areas and firewood consumption is mainly affected by per capita firewood forest area,distance to purchase coal,household income,electricity price,and coal price.(2) Only when the distance is greater than 20 kilometers,that is the average distance of rural households living in middle mountain areas(1,600m~1,800m) to purchase coal,the transportation condition has a significant impact on coal consumption.(3) In high mountain areas,prices of coal and electricity are the main factors influencing energy consumption choice of rural households.Too high prices of coal and electricity would to some extent lead rural households to choose firewood as the main energy consumption type.Compared to coal,rural households prefer to choose electricity.     

Modeling visitor use on high elevation mountain trails: An example from Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park,USA

Increasing use on mountain summits has both social and ecological implications. High numbers of visitors climbing mountain summits can be a safety issue, particularly in areas where terrain or elevation leads to queueing that may cause time delays.Estimating visitor use levels at site specific locations en route to summits is needed to understand the potential benefits and impacts of visitor use in these locations. However, it can be difficult to obtain reliable and robust data to estimate use and develop statistical relationships because of the remote and harsh climates on mountain summits, as well as the financial and personnel requirements involved to collect the data in remote locations. In 2015, data were collected on the higher stretches of the Keyhole Route on Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park, USA(RMNP) to better understand use levels near the summit and to explore potential statistical relationships to trailhead use data that are relatively easy to collect. Strong statistical relationships from robust regression analyses were found between trailhead use counts and daily and hourly use totals on the "Homestretch" which is a final section of the Keyhole Route. Additionally, a strong statistical relationship was found between total daily use and maximum hourly use on the Homestretch. The results suggest that trailhead counts are an accurate and reliable means from which to estimate use levels on upper portions of the Keyhole route. Moreover, this research demonstrates the usefulness of an approach using proxy variables to estimate visitor use along remote peaks where data collection can be difficult.These types of data can elucidate various options and decisions for park management teams who are charged with deciding if and how to manage high use areas.     

Distance decay of place attachment and perceived authenticity of mountain tourism destinations in China

Place attachment has been a research focus in the fields of park and recreation management.Place attachment plays an important role in promoting sustainable development of parks and mountain tourism destination,however,there are limited studies that identified the spatial patterns of place attachment,especially in the context of mountain tourism destinations in China.Also,the geospatial spectrum of visitors is usually broad,examining the multivariate relationships among spatial proximity,perceived authenticity,and place attachment are essential for mountain tourism destinations to promote destination image and strengthen emotional bonding with targeted visitor groups.In this study,we selected an iconic and highly visited park,Jiuzhai Valley National Park in China,as our study site and conducted an on-site visitor survey to collect 557 samples.Study uses factor analysis and the structure equation model to analyze the relationship among spatial proximity,perceived authenticity,and place attachment.Results validate the two-dimension structure of place attachment and perceived authenticity.Study findings suggest that spatial proximity has significant impacts on existential authenticity and place identity,but has no significant impacts on place dependence.Perceived authenticity has a positive impact on place attachment.Study results advance the theories of place attachment and provide effective strategies to enhance emotional attachment between visitors and mountain tourism destinations.     

Research on water resources conservation of mountain river based on the concept of region partition

Presently concepts and methods related to water resources conservation of mountain rivers are seriously insufficient,and its level is far from being adaptable to the development of a harmonious society.As mountain ecosystems play a key role in water resources conservation of mountain rivers,and the characteristics of mountain ecosystems and hydrologic features of mountain river follow strong temporal and spatial distribution,partition theory can be applied to the water resources conservation of mountain river.This theory observes the following partition principles:regional relativity,spatial continuity,integralcounty,meeting management needs,hierarchical principle,and comparability principle.And it lays equal emphasis on both water resources conservation and environmental protection,on both water quality conservation and water quantity protection,on the combination of water features,water cycle and water pollution.In the partition methods,index method and map superposition method will be applied in region partition.The example of region partition of water resources conservation in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River shows that the partition theory is practicable in water resources conservation of mountain rivers,and it provides a platform for future study in water resources conservation.     

龙门山北段天井山构造特征及成因模拟

根据地震资料、钻井和野外调查等研究,认为天井山构造带广泛发育重力滑动构造、断层转折褶皱、倒转背斜和双重构造等构造样式.天井山构造带变形具有垂向分层特点:上部构造主要为断层转折褶皱,02tjs10测线附近变形强度最大,向两端变形逐步减弱;下部构造为多个逆冲岩片叠置所构成的双重构造.通过构造物理模拟实验,证实天井山构造带在北西—南东向挤压应力作用下变形序列为前展式逆冲叠瓦式构造组合;天井山构造带存在多个滑脱层系,才会形成分层变形、垂向叠置的不协调收缩构造变形.该研究可以为天井山构造带乃至龙门山油气勘探提供指导.     

Approach to Mountain Hazards in Tibet, China

Tibet is located at the southwest boundary of China. It is the main body of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the highest and the youngest plateau in the world. Owing to complicated geology, Neo-tectonic movements, geomorphology, climate and plateau environment, various mountain hazards, such as debris flow, flash flood, landslide, collapse, snow avalanche and snow drifts, are widely distributed along the Jinsha River (the upper reaches of the Yangtze River), the Nu River and the Lancang River in the east, and the Yarlungzangbo River, the Pumqu River and the Poiqu River in the south and southeast of Tibet. The distribution area of mountain hazards in Tibet is about 589,000 km^2, 49.3% of its total territory. In comparison to other mountain regions in China, mountain hazards in Tibet break out unexpectedly with tremendously large scale and endanger the traffic lines, cities and towns, farmland, grassland, mountain environment, and make more dangers to the neighboring countries, such as Nepal, India, Myanmar and Bhutan. To mitigate mountain hazards, some suggestions are proposed in this paper, such as strengthening scientific research, enhancing joint studies, hazards mitigation planning, hazards warning and forecasting, controlling the most disastrous hazards and forbidding unreasonable human exploring activities in mountain areas.     

Coupling mechanism of rural settlements and mountain disasters in the upper reaches of Min River

Human settlements are the place where human beings live,among which the rural settlements can be regarded as a reflection of human-land relationship in mountain areas because their vertical distribution is greatly influenced by the specific geographical environment and ecological conditions of mountains.Based on field investigation,this paper uses physical,geographical,and ecological theories to make a comprehensive study of rural settlements and mountain disasters in the upper Min River,which is an ecologically fragile area with high-frequency disasters（collapse,landslide,debris flow,etc.） and a minority inhabit district.By applying these modern scientific theories,this paper attempts to shed some light on the relationship between rural settlements and mountain disasters.Consequently,an in-depth understanding of this relationship was achieved as follows：（1） Rural settlements and mountain disasters are mainly distributed in the intercepted flows of water and soil; and both quantity and quality of arable lands in mountains are important indicators of these flows.（2） The Small Watershed Management Project is a complex system of rural settlements and mountain disasters that interacts with and constrains the ecological system.By this project,the human survival will be better guaranteed.Being fundamental for the ecological reconstruction,the coupling mechanism of rural settlements and mountain disasters is not only an engine to promote harmonious development between human and nature,but also a bridge to link them.     

Degradation of High Mountain Ecosystems in Northern Europe

Data material of a long-term high mountain ecosystem research project was used to interpret the grazing impact of reindeers. In central Norway investigations were conducted to both, areas where reindeer grazing is excluded, and areas where intensive pasturing is present for a long period of time.The comparative analysis of grazing impact was based on similar environmental conditions. The results were transposed to northern Norway where dramatic overgrazing had been exceeding the carrying capacity. Using landscape ecological mappings, especially of vegetation and soils, the impact of reindeer grazing in different areas became obvious. Non-grazed lichen-dominated ecosystems of the snow-free locations functioned sensitively near the limit of organism survival. These localities were most influenced by grazing as they offer the winter forage to the reindeers. So, intensive grazing in central Norway led to landscape degradation by destruction of the vegetation and superinduced by soil erosion. Those features were comparable to the situation in northern Norway, where a broad-scale destruction of the environment combined with a depression of the altitudinal belts had occurred due to overgrazing. Functioning principles of intact high mountain systems were explained and used to interpret the environmental background for the understanding of degradation phenomena. Finally, the use of a new model calculating the carrying capacity of high mountain landscape was discussed.     

Floristics and soil characteristics of Ohud mountain,AlMadinah AlMunawarah,Western Saudi Arabia

Ohud mountain is one of the main important historic sites in the Arab Peninsula, and it is distinguishable over the rest of the mountains in the region. No extensive floristic survey has been carried out on Ohud mountain because of the rugged topography of this mountain. The current study investigates the floristic diversity and the correspondence of environmental factors of the phytogeographical distribution of plants, based on the floristic analysis of the present region. The research question is about the relationships between the species diversity and the human impacts of populated area at lowlands around Ohud mountain. A total of 59 species belonging to 56 genera and 28 families were recorded. Asteraceae had the highest contribution, about 12% of the total plant species. The analysis of the life forms demonstrated the prevalence of therophytes(68%) followed by chamaephytes(24%), indicating the adaptation of these life forms to hyperarid conditions. The chorological analysis indicated the predominance of the bi-regional taxa over the other phytochoria. Most of the recorded plant species belong to Saharo-Arabian and Sudano-Zambezian(24%) phytochoria. TWINSPAN analysis was performed to detect the indicator species of different vegetation groups and confirmed by detrended correspondence analysis(DCA or DECORANA). It is concluded that species richness and diversity revealed clear variation along the mountain and among the studied sites. Plant species diversity and richness were more pronounced in the intermediate portion of the elevation gradients across the mountain, with a decrease in the high altitudinal belts. The decrease was also recorded at the lower altitudes, where human impacts clearly affected vegetation; leading to a decrease in alpha diversity. In addition, the beta diversity among moderately highlands and lowlands was considerably high indicating the heterogeneous species composition among the studied sites along mountain elevations. The general pattern of vegetation groups distribution is controlled by a number of environmental factors; such as latitude, longitude, elevation, organic matter and some anions and cations. A Canonical Correspondence Analysis(CCA) ordination revealed that the vegetation structure has a strong association with the latitude of the mountain followed by organic matter and Magnesium. It is recommended that the populated area should be subjected to restoration of mountain ecosystem that might be degraded by human activities.     

Effect of spot burning of logging residues on the properties of mountain forest soils and the occurrence of ground beetles(Coleoptera,Carabidae)

We investigated the relationships between dehydrogenase activity and the physicochemical properties of mountain soils over three and five years from Norway spruce(Picea abies L. Karst) logging residue spot burning and the occurrence of epigeic carabid beetles. Six study sites were utilised, including18 study plots(nine plots in a mixed coniferous mountain forest site and nine plots in a mixed broadleaf mountain forest site), with five replicate pitfall traps at each site located in southern Poland.Soil samples from the organic horizon were taken for p H, organic carbon, nitrogen, base cation content,acidity and dehydrogenase activity determination.Carabid beetles were monitored in weekly intervals during the period of July to August 2016. The burning of logging residues led to modified soil properties,especially the dehydrogenase activity. In all the tested variants, the activity was higher in soil samples after the burning in comparison to the control variants. We show no positive correlation between dehydrogenase activity and the number of carabid specimens. The preferences of dominant predatory hygrophilous carabids to acid habitats with weakly decomposed organic matter were proven. Simultaneously, the soil organic matter content was positively related to the carabid abundance. The significant impact of forest site conditions and the date of logging residue burning on the number of caught specimens were confirmed. In contrast, no relationships between the species richness, species diversity, mean individual biomass and spot burning effect were found. This work supports the recommendation of spruce fine woody debris utilisation by spot burning on mountain regions with rich habitats presenting moderate wet conditions and small land falls.     

Natural hazard prevention and the mountain land risk reduction in the Western Carpathians

The Western Carpathians are located out of world main natural hazardous zones. Human casualties are related more to snow avalanches in connection with mountain hiking, some individuals yearly by flooding and rarely by forest fires. Economic lost about 0.1 to 0.2 %, exceptionally up to 0.8 % of the gross domestic product （GDP） proportionally to the Carpathian regions of particular countries. Natural disasters are linked, except of the above mentioned events, to infrequent small and medium scale earthquakes, landslides, and erosion. Records of the most harmful natural events are found in archives since the 16^th century. Their systematic study and factor analysis started from the end of the 19^th century, and protective measures and organization of impact mitigation developed during the 20^th century to minimize the risk.     

Spatial patterns of interprovincial mountain geographical names in China and implications for regional governance

Suffering from fragile environment, poor accessibility and infrastructure, as well as social, political and economic marginality, the interprovincial mountain geographical entities are difficult areas for the regional governance in China. By analyzing the spatial patterns and the influencing factors of the interprovincial mountain geographical names (IMGNs), the goal of this research is to clarify the geographical features of IMGNs and offer alternatives for the management of interprovincial mountain regions in China. The spatial visualization, the analysis of spatial agglomeration and the influencing factors of IMGNs were all implemented under a geographical information system. Results showed that there were 6869 IMGNs in China according to the database of “China’s Second National Survey of Geographical Names (2014–2018)”, including 4209 mountain geographical names, 1684 mountain peak geographical names and 976 the other mountain geographical names. Hunan Province had the largest number of names while Shanghai had the smallest number of names. In addition, the spatial variance of the mountain peak names and the mountain names were larger than that of the other mountain geographical names, and the IMGNs showed a significant clustering phenomenon in the southern part of China. The relative elevation and the population had an impact on the distribution of the IMGNs. The largest number of the names occurred where the relative elevation was between 1000–2000 m and where the population was between 40–50 million. Density of unnamed interprovincial mountain geographical entities declined from west to east in China. The analysis of generic names of different types of IMGNs implied that the naming of IMGNs is inconsistent. Based on these analyses, it is suggested that the government should take the IMGNs as management units, strengthen the naming of unnamed interprovincial mountain geographical entities, standardize the generic names of IMGNs and identify areas of poverty based on the survey of IMGNs.     

Assessment of secondary mountain hazards along a section of the Dujiangyan-Wenchuan highway

Conducting a hazard assessment for secondary mountain hazards is the technical basis for reconstructing destroyed highways and for disaster prevention.It is necessary to consider the role and influence of structural engineering measures as an important assessment factor.In this study,based on six substantial field investigations conducted between July 2008 and July 2012,a 2 km wide zone along both sides of the Dujiangyan Wenchuan(Du Wen) Highway was selected as the study area.Microgeomorphic units and small watersheds in the study area were extracted with GIS software and used as basic assessment units.Through field investigations,remote sensing surveys and experimental analysis,a structural engineering effectiveness assessment was conducted using the technique of principal component analysis.The results showed the following:1) A total of 491 collapses,12 landslides,32 slope debris flows and 17 gully debris flows were scatted across the study area.The total overall areal density of all mountain hazards was 25.7%.The distribution of secondary hazards was influenced mainly by seismic intensity,active fault zones,lithology,slope and altitude.More than 70% of secondary hazards occurred in zones with a seismic intensity of XI,a distance to the fault zone of between 0 and 25 km,a slope between 25° and 50°,and an altitude of between 1,000 m and 1,800 m.2) Different structural engineering measures play different roles and effects in controlling different types and scales of secondary mountain hazards.3) With a secondary mountain hazard area of 128.1 km2and an areal density of 34.9%,medium,high and very high hazard zones accounted for 74% of the study area and were located on the high,steep slopes along both sides of the highway.The low hazard zone was located mainly in the valley floor,on gentle slope platforms and at locations 1.5 km away from the highway the hazard area was 45 km2and the areal density was 3.3%.4) The methodology for hazard assessment of secondary mountain hazards,which is based on five factors,solves such key technical problems as the selection of assessment units,multi-source data fusion,and the weight calculation for each assessment index.This study provides a new and more effective method for assessing secondary mountain hazards along highways,and the proposed models fit well with validation data and field observations.The findings were applied to reconstruction and disaster mitigation in the case of the Du Wen Highway and proved to be feasible.     

济南市破损山体治理方法优化探讨

破损山体治理在全国范围内缺少成熟可借鉴的经验,该文通过对济南已完成的58座破损山体治理方案的研究,总结出如何选取破损山体最合理的治理方法,为类似地区破损山体治理方法的选取提供了理论依据。     

Assessing the economic value of vernacular architecture of mountain regions using contingent valuation

Human pressure on mountain resources poses certain threats to their natural and man-made environment. Although there are many parameters involved, one of the driving forces behind this situation is the emphasis given so far only to the market value of mountain goods and services, ignoring the true social and environmental costs of using mountain resources. Towards this direction, the use of non-market valuation techniques could prove to be beneficial. Bearing in mind the above remarks, the paper presents an application of the Contingent Valuation Method, which aims at estimating the monetary value of a mountain settlement’s vernacular architecture, namely Metsovo. For this purpose, the survey focuses on Metsovo visitors’ willingness to pay a single annual voluntary contribution to an institution that would be founded in order to undertake all necessary actions required to preserve the town’s traditional character. The results are very promising and indicate that vernacular architecture holds a significant economic value that could justify the implementation of appropriate policies towards the protection of vernacular settlements in mountain areas.     

Adaptation management of mountain tourism service: the case of the source regions of the Yangtze and Yellow River

Mountain areas are often rich in ecological diversity and recreational opportunities. Mountain tourism is thought to be an effective and important means for maintaining and expanding rural economies and, thus, improving the living conditions of rural societies. As mountain tourism service research is a professional field with several disciplines involved, a multi-disciplinary management pIatform is needed and it facilitates participation in sustainable mountain development by diverse stakeholders. With the source regions of the Yangtze and the Yellow River as a case study, this paper presents a conceptual framework for an adaptation management of mountain tourism services according to technical, policy, social and economic dimensions. The framework is based on a vulnerability assessment of mountain ecosystems, and can serve as a reference for the development of tourism service in other mountain areas.     

Spatial distribution modeling of temperature increase for the uplifted mountain terrains and its characteristics in Southwest China

Local temperature changes in mountain areas are significantly affected by the uplifted mountain terrains. Understanding how temperature increase with mountain terrains is an important component in accurately modeling the spatial distribution of temperature. The study, after minimizing the effect of elevation and latitude, quantitatively simulated the temperature increase in the uplifted mountain terrains, described the characteristics in the spatial distribution of warming areas with different magnitudes, and identified the correlated indices of mountain bodies for warming. Selecting Yunnan Province in southwest China as the study area, we simulated the warming field on a baseline surface at the average elevation of 2000 m and average latitude of 24.96°. The results indicated that the warming magnitudes in different local areas varied with the change in the spatial locations, and the warming process concentrated in the mountainous regions. Throughout the entire study area, the warming field presented a general pattern of three terraces from the regions of high mountains to middle mountains and then low mountains. The areasof high warming magnitude mainly surrounded large mountain bodies and were distributed on the upper part. The areas of low warming magnitude clustered in the valleys and basins of the middle mountain region, mostly on the lower part of the large mountain bodies and its branches. The areas with zero warming magnitude occurred in the low mountains and broad valleys, which were distributed largely on the lower parts of the middle mountains and in most of the valleys. Quantified sampling analysis demonstrated good positive correlation between the warming magnitudes in uplifted mountain terrains and the volume index of the mountain body, as well as elevation difference, with the coefficients corresponding to 0.82 and 0.91, respectively.     

Preventing and limiting exposure to geo-hazards: Some lessons from two mountain villages destroyed by the Wenchuan earthquake

This paper examines the experiences of two mountain communities- Yinchanggou and Donghekou in the Wenchuan earthquake of May 12, 2008, where Yinchanggou’s tourism economy and natural park system was destroyed and Donghekou was buried by a landslide. We conducted research surveys on both the communities, interviewing survivors and local officials, and observed the destruction/reconstruction, geological, and living conditions. We suggest that protracted educational processes be put into place so that mountain communities possess a knowledge base to consider long-term disaster prevention when building the economy in the fragile and geo-hazardous conditions of the Longmenshan. The Donghekou Earthquake Ruins Park is an exemplar of turning disaster into sustainable, safe development for small mountain villages.