Geochemical evidence for the variation of historical seabird population on Dongdao Island of the South China Sea

From a rare freshwater lake characteristic of alkalescence, named “Cattle Pond”, on the Dongdao Island of South China Sea (16°39′–16°41′ N, 112°43′–112°45′ E), we collected two undisturbed sediment cores that contain seabird droppings. In this paper, we determined the concentration-versus-depth profiles of the geochemical elements in the ornithogenic sediment layers of the two cores, analyzed these profiles by various statistical methods, and studied their geochemical characteristics. The concentration profiles of As, Cd, Cu, Se, Zn, P and S are significantly correlated with each other and with loss on ignition (LOI) at 550°C, the measure for the abundance of organic matter. Similar geochemical characteristics, however, were not observed in the upper sediment layer of the Cattle Pond notably affected by cattle excrements, as well as in the bottom sediment layer compositionally dominated by coral sand and gravel. This shows that these “bio-elements” are mainly derived from seabird feces and their geochemical composition is an important geochemical characteristic of the lacustrine ornithogenic sediments. By Q-mode factor analysis (QFA) on the concentration profiles of these bio-elements, we reconstructed the historical seabird population on Dongdao Island between 1350 and 350 year B.P., and observed significant fluctuations in the calculated population. The fluctuations seem to be related to the change of sea surface temperature (SST) in the Southern China Sea. This study provides new paleoenvironmental information of past seabird population changes in low latitude areas using an indirect geochemical method.     

A 1,100-year palaeoenvironmental record inferred from stable isotope and trace element compositions of ostracode and plant caryopses in sediments of Cattle Pond,Dongdao Island,South China Sea

Abundant ostracode valves (Cyprinotus cingalensis) and caryopses of Urochloa paspaloides, a terrestrial grass, were well preserved in the lacustrine sediments of the Cattle Pond on Dongdao Island, South China Sea. Oxygen and carbon isotopes, and elements (Ca, Mg) were analyzed on ostracode valves and plant caryopses in this study. The δ¹⁸O_ostracode and δ¹³C_ostracode exhibited a positive and statistically significant correlation, and showed a decreasing trend toward the top of sediment sequence with some fluctuations, indicating a gradual increase in effective moisture. The Mg/Ca ratios in the ostracode shells, generally used as a proxy for salinity changes in lake water, showed a trend toward lower values in the upper samples, reflecting a gradual decrease of salinity in the lake. The δ¹³C_org values in the plant caryopses of the upper 14 cm of sediment have lower values than those in the bottom sediments, suggesting less water and salinity stress. These results indicate increasing effective moisture and rainfall intensity over the past ∼1,100 years on Dongdao Island.     

Anthropogenic origin of a change in the fire-climate relationship in northern China after ~2000 yr BP: Evidence from a 15,500-year black carbon record from Dali Lake

There are debates regarding whether a wet and warm climate or a dry and cold climate dominated Holocene fire activity in northern China on the millennial timescale, and when human activities overtook climate change as the dominant control on fire occurrence in the region. Here we present a high-resolution fire history for the past ~15,500 years from a sediment core in Dali Lake, located in the foothills of the Greater Hinggan Mountains, one of the areas of highest fire risk in China. The results demonstrate that fire activity was rare during the last deglaciation (~15,500-11,700 yr BP), gradually increased at the beginning of the Holocene, and reached its highest level during ~9000-5000 yr BP, after which there was a decreasing trend. However, after ~2000 yr BP this decreasing trend ended, and the most prominent feature is a peak in fire activity during the Medieval Warm Period (MWP). Overall, fire activity corresponded well to changes in the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) precipitation on the millennial timescale during ~15,500-2000 yr BP, but this relationship changed after ~2000 yr BP. We propose that fire activity in northern China on the millennial timescale during ~15,500-2000 yr BP was dominated by the biofuels reserve under the control of the EASM precipitation. In contrast, with the intensification of human activities after ~2000 yr BP, human activity caused a ~62%-73% increase in fire activity, which altered the fire-climate relationship that had previously prevailed in northern China. Our results indicate that a wet-warm climate (increased EASM intensity), rather than a dry-cold climate, was the dominant control on fire activity in northern China during 15,500-2000 yr BP on the millennial timescale, but that human activities played an important role in fire occurrence after ~2000 yr BP.     

南海地缘战略逻辑演进与南海命运共同体建构

南海因其所具有的重要地缘政治与经济战略地位而成为大国竞相角逐之地。然而,在一个相互依赖的时代,南海地缘战略并非只是地缘政治冲突的单一逻辑,而是迈向政治与经济、文化交织、竞争与合作并存的复合逻辑状态。南海周边国家经贸互补性大于竞争性,已经形成互赖的地缘经济格局,但是南海地缘经济合作存在的制度重叠、制度竞争与制度过剩仍暴露了地缘经济中的竞争逻辑。“一带一路”作为新型区域合作平台,有助于超越传统地缘经济竞争逻辑。东亚意识的产生、南海地缘政治经济互赖以及南海制度规范的建立使得南海地缘文化在多元文化互动中迈向共同体逻辑。建构融安全、利益以及信任为一体的南海命运共同体,需要通过对话协商自主制定地区规则、加强南海地区功能性合作、通过多轨外交增进地区互信,使南海成为“友好、和平、合作”之海。     

South China Peninsula and Taiping Sea.... A Study in Geographical Nomenclature

The importance of proper geographical names has long been recognized by Chinese writers, for Confucius said as early as three thousand years ago in his classics that improper naming would result in incorrect thinking. Therefore a proper renaming of certain geographical areas is a prerequisite to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding and dangerous implications.     

South China Peninsula and Taiping Sea.... A Study in Geographical Nomenclature

The importance of proper geographical names has long been recognized by Chinese writers, for Confucius said as early as three thousand years ago in his classics that improper naming would result in incorrect thinking. Therefore a proper renaming of certain geographical areas is a prerequisite to avoid unnecessary misunderstanding and dangerous implications.     

1951—2000年中国气候生产潜力时空动态特征

气候生产潜力时空动态一直是国内外全球变化研究的热点,基于1951-2000年全国范围气象栅格数据计算气候生产潜力,在此基础上,利用GIS空间分析技术和小波分析方法探讨全国以及9大土地潜力区气候生产潜力的空间格局特征与多时间尺度特征.结果表明:50年间中国气候生产潜力单产平均值为770 g·m-2·a-1,折算为总量达73.12×108t/a;全国及9大土地潜力区气候生产潜力的多时间尺度特征比较复杂,3～5年周期的年际变化和30年左右周期的年代际变化均较显著,而10～11年周期的变化则仅在部分区域有所表现;总的来说,1951-2000年,华北地区、黄土高原、内蒙古中部及辽河平原等是我国气候生产潜力时空动态特征最突出的区域.     

The relationship between glacial activity and sediment production: evidence from a 4450-year varve record of neoglacial sedimentation in Hector Lake, Alberta, Canada

A 4450-year sequence of varves, spanning the entire Neoglacialinterval, has been recovered from Hector Lake, Alberta. The varve record is compared to records of regional glacial history toevaluate therelationship between alpine glacial activity and sediment production. Glacial controls on sediment production vary with the timescale considered. Long-term variations in sedimentation rate, of centuries to millennial duration, reflect changes in ice extent of the same timescale. Superimposed on these long-term changes is decadal-scale variability that is complexly related to upvalley ice extent. Over the short term, high sedimentation rates may be associated with glacier maximum stands, or with periods of glacier advance or recession. Overthe last millennium at least, highest sedimentation rates appear to have been associated with transitional periods, preceding or post-dating maximum ice stands, rather than with times of maximum ice extent.     

A 17,300-year record of mercury accumulation in a pristine lake in southern Chile

Anthropogenic mercury accumulation in lake sediments has been studied extensively, but natural processes that controlled mercury accumulation in the past are still poorly understood. We present a 17,300-year record of mercury accumulation in the sediments of Lake Hambre, southernmost Patagonia, Chile (53°S, 70°W), in combination with an investigation of environmental changes in the region. Mercury accumulation in the remote pristine lake varied appreciably, as much as 16×, exceeding the anthropogenic forcing of atmospheric mercury fluxes by a factor of 3–5. Principal Component Analysis revealed that short-term variations were not related to changes in atmospheric mercury deposition or to fluxes of mineral soil into the lake. Instead, there was significant covariation between short-term changes in mercury and catchment-derived trace elements, e.g. copper and yttrium, throughout the past 17,000 years. Covariation between mercury and carbon concentration in some parts of the record suggests that fluxes of particulate and dissolved organic matter from the catchment to the lake account for short-term variations in mercury accumulation. Nevertheless, over the long term, there is no common trend for mercury accumulation and organic matter flux. The median mercury accumulation rate was rather constant (29 μg m^?2 a^?1), whereas the flux of terrestrial organic matter into the lake increased through time. We hypothesize that this was a consequence of a progressive decrease in the input of terrestrial organic matter-bound mercury through time. Whereas production of terrestrial organic matter increased over the long term because of development of catchment vegetation and soils, following glacier retreat, amounts of mercury, copper and yttrium provided by atmospheric deposition and bedrock weathering remained relatively constant. As a consequence, despite increased fluxes of terrestrial organic matter to the lake, fluxes of mercury remained constant.     

多目标珊瑚岛礁地貌遥感信息提取方法——以西沙永乐环礁为例

南海珊瑚岛礁资源极为丰富,实时、快速、高效、准确地获取大范围珊瑚岛礁地貌遥感信息具有现实意义.研究提出了一种双尺度转化下的模型与数据混合驱动的岛礁地貌信息提取框架,并设计了珊瑚岛礁地貌分类体系及相应技术流程:首先采用自上而下模型驱动的GVF Snake模型进行宏观地理分带的粗分割,然后采用自下而上数据驱动的云影极值抑制下多阈值OTSU分类算法进行微观地貌类型的精细分类,最终利用区域生长算法提取离散分布的暗沙、暗滩等浅水地貌单元.针对西沙永乐环礁利用CBERS-02B数据进行实验,精度验证表明:珊瑚岛礁地貌遥感信息提取方法总体精度优于经典数据驱动的监督分类算法,且具有抗噪能力强、顾及空间拓扑关系、自动灵活等特点.     

Development characteristics and construction prospects for a multi-integrated economic zone in the South China Sea Region

The Belt and Road Initiative(BRI)instigated by China is catalyzing the evolution of a new global economic landscape.To cope with the great changes in the economic landscape,China needs to view the South China Sea Region(SCSR)as a strategic focus and study carefully the characteristics of regional development and explore the possibility for construc-tion of a strategic multi-integrated economic zone which includes China and ASEAN countries.Based on key indicators,this paper outlines the overall development characteristics of the SCSR and analyzes the regional structural characteristics of industry and global trade based on the indexes of industrial structure similarity and trade commodity structure coincidence;the paper also depicts the spatial characteristics of the nine core growth areas(CGAs)in the region and discusses the construction prospects for a multi-integrated economic zone in the SCSR.The results show that,first,from 2000 to 2017,the main economic indicators of the SCSR grew quite well,and the development trend was much better than the global average for the same period.Second,driven by the global industrial transfer stages and spatial paths,the level of comprehensive development in the SCSR has evolved into four categories.Third,the index values for industrial structure similarity and trade commodity structure coincidence for the 11 countries in the SCSR have remained at a high level,and reveal an integration trend not only from the horizontal and vertical perspective,but also from an upgrading and downgrading standpoint.Fourth,nine CGAs have been established in the SCSR and the advantaged industries and the export commodity types between different countries exhibited the characteristics of convergence and complementarity due to the polarization and diffusion effects of the CGAs.Finally,from a long-term perspective,the SCSR has already acquired the internal and external conditions such as the 5th global industrial transfer initiative,the reconstruction of the global value chain,regional production-consumption networks and spa-tial entities for building a multi-integrated economic zone in the SCSR.     

南海地区海岸湿地的退化和保护

南海地区拥有大面积的浅海和丰富的热带生物多样性,支持着一个世界重要的渔场,同时南海周边的国家也是目前亚洲太平洋地区工业化和经济快速增长的中心,关系着东南亚及相邻地区的政治和经济的稳定.由于受人口增加和经济发展的巨大压力,南海湿地破坏严重,退化趋势明显.虽然南海周边国家过去都实施了相应的海洋环境保护行动计划,然而由于缺乏区域协调措施,大大降低了这些行动的有效性.在对南海地区海岸湿地利用的现状和退化原因进行分析的基础上,提出南海地区海岸湿地资源保护与管理的建议,以期能在双边或区域的层面上共同协作,采取适当的措施去扭转南海的环境退化趋势.     

南海制图的中美对比分析——基于批判制图学视角

运用文本分析,从中美关于南海制图的特点及差异着手,探讨了中美制图所表达的南海领域化过程以及地图对于领域化实践的作用。研究发现：1）中美制图中南海海域范围、岛礁地名及海疆边界表达的演变,是国家权力影响制图的表现。2）中美南海制图差异源于维护国家核心利益的需求：中国通过制图（再）领域化,对内加强南海海域管控,强化国民海权意识,对外宣示南海主权;美国通过制图（去）再领域化,强调南海的公海和多国属性。3）地图作为领域化工具,能够在国际舞台上讲述中国人的南海故事,也能清晰表达中国对南海诸岛和附近水域拥有主权的一贯和明确立场。应从地图维权、地图创新、地图宣传等方面加强对南海的领域化表达,使地图在南海海洋国土治理中发挥更重要的作用。     

A 40,000-year record of environmental change from ancient Lake Ohrid (Albania and Macedonia)

Lake Ohrid is considered to be of Pliocene origin and is the oldest extant lake in Europe. A 1,075-cm-long sediment core was recovered from the southeastern part of the lake, from a water depth of 105 m. The core was investigated using geophysical, granulometric, biogeochemical, diatom, ostracod, and pollen analyses. Tephrochronology and AMS radiocarbon dating of plant macrofossils reveals that the sediment sequence spans the past ca. 39,500 years and features a hiatus between ca. 14,600 and 9,400 cal. year BP. The Pleistocene sequence indicates relatively stable and cold conditions, with steppe vegetation in the catchment, at least partial winter ice-cover of the lake, and oxygenated bottom waters at the coring site. The Holocene sequence indicates that the catchment vegetation had changed to forest dominated by pine and summer-green oak. Several of the proxies suggest the impact of abrupt climate oscillations such as the 8.2 or 4.0 ka event. The observed changes, however, cannot be related clearly to a change in temperature or humidity. Human impact started about 5,000 cal. year BP and increased significantly during the past 2,400 years. Water column mixing conditions, inflow from subaquatic springs, and human impact are the most important parameters influencing internal lake processes, notably affecting the composition and characteristics of the sediments.     

Spatial and temporal variations and controlling factors of potential evapotranspiration in China: 1956-2000

Based on the climatic data of 580 stations in China during 1956 and 2000, potential evapotranspiration are calculated using the Penman-Monteith Method recommended by FAO. The spatial and temporal distributions of the potential evapotranspiration over China and the temporal trends of the regional means for 10 major river basins and whole China are analyzed. Through a partial correlation analysis, the major climate factors which affect the temporal change of the potential evapotranspiration are analyzed. Major results are drawn as follows: 1) The seasonal and annual potential evapotranspiration for China as a whole and for most basins show decline tendencies during the past 45 years; for the Songhua River Basin there appears a slightly increasing trend. 2) Consequently, the annual potential evapotranspirations averaged over 1980-2000 are lower than those for the first water resources assessment (1956-1979) in most parts of China. Exceptions are found in some areas of Shandong Peninsula, western and middle basins of the rivers in Southwest China, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region as well as the source regions of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers, which may have brought about disadvantages to the exploration and utilization of water resources. 3) Generally, sunshine duration, wind speed and relative humidity have greater impact on the potential evapotranspiration than temperature. Decline tendencies of sunshine duration and/or wind speed in the same period appear to be the major causes for the negative trend of the potential evapotranspiration in most areas.     

可持续发展视角下的南海岛礁评估分类

南海岛礁是南海海上合作和海洋治理的重要支点。南海岛礁的可持续发展是实现南海域内协同发展、合作治理的基石。为了多维度诊断南海岛礁可持续发展的现状,辅助岛礁科学规划,提升海洋治理能力,文章基于模糊层次分析法、熵权法与组合求权方法形成主-客观耦合求权的南海岛礁可持续发展评价方法,以永兴岛、赵述岛、南薰礁、美济礁、渚碧礁、永暑礁等南海岛礁为例,探究其可持续发展的潜力。结果表明,6个岛礁的可持续发展价值量排序为：永兴岛＞永暑礁＞美济礁＞渚碧礁＞赵述岛＞南薰礁。6个岛礁均具备可持续发展的潜力,但各个岛礁的发展状态差异很大,各维度的发展程度各不相同。综合评价结果和岛礁实地状况,分析南海岛礁发展的优势领域与薄弱环节,为南海岛礁规划了区域性中心、综合保障、特色产业、国防维权的发展方向。建议永兴岛和永暑礁发展为区域性现代化与智能化的绿色示范岛礁;美济礁发展海洋产业与后勤保障,完善海上交通设施建设,提供国际公共产品与服务;赵述岛与渚碧礁以渔业发展为中心,注重产业结构与布局规划,形成特色产业模式;南薰礁提升安全维护能力,完善岛礁建设,提升国防维权功能。     

A 1600-year record of human impacts on a floodplain lake in the Mississippi River Valley

In North America, land use practices of the last two centuries have strongly influenced aquatic communities and freshwater quality, but the impacts of prehistoric land use on freshwater resources remain poorly documented. Here we investigate the influence of prehistoric and historical land use on Horseshoe Lake, Illinois, USA, an oxbow lake in a floodplain of the Mississippi River that is adjacent to Cahokia, the largest prehistoric indigenous population center north of Mexico. Diatom assemblages from Horseshoe Lake’s sedimentary record track shifts in aquatic environmental conditions over the last ca. 1600 years. During the period of prehistoric population growth and agricultural intensification associated with Cahokia’s emergence (ca. 600–1200 CE), the relative abundance of Aulacoseira granulata—a planktonic diatom associated with shallow eutrophic lakes—increased. Following the abandonment of Cahokia in the 14th century CE, the diatom flora of the lake shifted from planktonic Aulacoseira taxa to the epiphytic taxa Cocconeis and Gomphonema. This shift in diatom assemblages is consistent with a reduction of nutrient inputs to the lake and/or reduced fishing pressure as prehistoric populations abandoned the area. Following the intensification of historic settlement after 1800 CE, diatom assemblages shift to epipelic species of small Staurosira and Fragilaria, indicating a reduction in aquatic macrophytes and increased turbidity. Our results document prehistoric indigenous impacts on a freshwater system beginning nearly 1000 years before European colonization of the Americas and demonstrate the antiquity of human impacts on freshwater resources in North America.     

南海海上搜救困难性评价

为保障船舶海上航行安全,结合GIS与模糊层次分析法,从海上搜救的自然环境和人文搜救力量2个方面选取9个因子建立海上搜救困难性评价模型,对南海海上搜救困难性进行评价。结果表明：1）自然环境影响下,南海海域搜救困难性具有“V”字形分布的特点,由东北向西南难度等级逐渐降低。2）在人文搜救力量影响下,南海海域的搜救困难性整体呈“东北－西南条带式”,难度最大的区域主要位于南海东北―西南的连线上,呈不规则环状向连线两侧递减。3）综合两方面因素,南海部分岛屿周围搜救难度偏高,主要受台风等恶劣天气及远离搜救基地的影响,而远海海域搜救难度在整体上为“东北－西南递减式”空间分布格局,最高和较高的区域由研究区东北延伸至西南,然后向西北、东南两侧递减。总体而言,南海研究区中近21.1%的海域搜救难度≥7级,仍需加强对搜救力量的部署与建设。     

Magnetic susceptibility anisotropy measurements of coal from the South Wales coal field: a coalification process indicator

Summary. Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility measurements have been performed on 154 specimens taken from 25 different seams in the South Wales Coal Field, up to 24 samples per seam. The magnetic fabric determined is represented, in general, by oblate spheroids with minimum ( K _c) AMS axes usually clustered at a near-vertical, or occasionally, near-horizontal pole which is normal to the magnetic foliation plane defined by great circle distributions of maximum ( K _a) and intermediate ( K _b) axes. The results suggest that the coalification process and variations in rank within the coal field are due to the combined effects of vertical compression and compaction resulting from variations in overburden pressure, and to horizontal compression, due to variations in tectonic thrusting during the Variscan Orogeny. Analysis of the AMS of closely spaced samples across a single anthracite seam shows no systematic variability in magnetic properties within the seam.