Geoscientific maps for planning in semi-arid regions: Valencia and Gran Canaria, Spain

Two case studies of the application of geoscientific maps for planning in semi-arid regions are presented, one for the Mediterranean province of Valencia and another for the island of Gran Canaria (Canaries). Both regions are very dynamic from the point of view of population growth and urban-touristic-industrial development, and they suffer from a serious degree of environmental degradation. The provincial/ island governments have undertaken programmes of geoscientific mapping and assessment to serve as a basis for the establishment of guidelines for future planning.

Two map sets have been made (1:200,000 in Valencia and 1:50,000 in Gran Canaria), based on initial maps of homogeneous integrated units. These represent a series of hierarchical land subdivisions, progressively smaller and more detailed (morphodynamic environments, systems, units, elements), defined on the basis of morphostructure, climate, lithology, surficial deposits, landforms, topography, active processes, soils, vegetation and human influence.

Each individual map unit is described by means of a form which includes 114 items, summarising its environmental features.

Morphodynamic units have been evaluated in terms of qualities significant for planning, and a series of derivative maps has been developed (geologic hazards, soil capability, present degree of erosion, potential erodibility, quality for conservation).

A final map shows the most advisable types of uses and the main limitations for human activities, mainly due to engineering geological factors. This is a synthesis document which can be used directly by planners.     

A physiographic approach to land use planning

Physiography has been studied in the United States for more than 75 years, but only recently has it been applied to land use planning. Advantages of a physiographic approach are that it 1) focuses on the problems at the proper scale and conserves energy, effort, and time by selecting the critical parameters, 2) stresses geologic structure and process as factors which should control land use, and 3) presents data in a form which the non-geologically trained planner can easily understand. In 1928 Fenneman delineated and described the provinces and sections of the United States. This paper proposes a classification of smaller physiographic units and presents two examples of how they can be used for planning purposes. Below the section, the units used in this paper are the subsection, the land type, and the topographic element. Subsections delineate areas of distinct geologic structure or process whereas land types delineate ranges in the intensity of those processes. Topographic elements delineate units with distinct ranges of slopes or shapes of slopes, such as concave or convex.     

西藏羌塘盆地东部中生代构造古地理特征及演化

在大量的区域地质调研和野外露头观测资料基础上,详细研究了西藏羌塘盆地东部中生代不同构造单元的沉积充填序列、地层发育特征与接触关系、构造界面性质、沉积体系配置和沉积相分布等,阐述了盆地沉积与周缘构造带演化之间的耦合关系,重建了研究区中生代不同时期的构造古地理面貌。研究表明,羌塘盆地是一个大型叠复式盆地,盆地东部中生代有海相、海陆过渡相和陆相3个沉积体系组、9个沉积体系和多个沉积（亚）相。盆地内部包括南羌塘坳陷、北羌塘坳陷、唐古拉山隆起带,以及不同时期的次级凸起与断凹等构造单元。其中,多玛断凹是以前石炭纪构造片岩为基底的侏罗纪-早白垩世早期被动大陆边缘陆表海盆地,早白垩世晚期转换为前陆盆地,晚白垩世以来与索县-左贡断凹联合为一体,在陆内造山过程中经历了压陷型盆地充填演化阶段。索县-左贡断凹是在晚三叠世班公湖-怒江沟-弧-盆体系基础上发展起来的前陆盆地。北羌塘坳陷是以华力西期开心岭-杂多隆起带为基底,经过晚三叠世昌都前陆盆地沉积、早侏罗世断陷盆地火山-沉积作用之后,于中侏罗世与索县-左贡断凹联合为一体,形成北羌塘-昌都巨型坳陷型盆地。白垩纪北羌塘陆块和昌都陆块处于隆升剥蚀状态。     

坚持规划国土资源信息化顶层设计以信息化带动管理精细化

针对上海市规划和国土资源信息化建设中存在的问题,从信息系统规划建设、设计理念、系统开发等方面进行了深层次分析,提出了规划和国土资源信息化工作的目标与定位,强调要加强规划国土资源信息化的顶层设计,以信息化带动管理精细化,加快政府职能转变,建设服务型政府。在此基础上,从统一数据底板建设、管理业务架构梳理和再造、管理总体框架设计和实施等方面提出了推进上海规划和国土资源信息化建设的具体措施。     

我国自然资源分类体系现状及完善建议

统一各类自然资源的内涵、构建自然资源统一分类体系是实现自然资源统一管理的前提.利用文献综述法,概述了自然资源的基本内涵,列举了已明确的自然资源种类,系统分析了现有自然资源分类体系的不足,并提出了推动面向统一管理的自然资源系统分类方案研究的完善建议.研究发现,现有自然资源系统分类主要存在偏重于学术分类、部分分类体系不健全...     

Nomadism and desertification in Africa and the Middle East

Desertification in areas where traditional pastoral nomadism was common is a phenomenon of this century. Nomads possessed institutions and management practices that avoided excess concentrations of people and animals, rotated grazing pressure seasonally between major pasture zones, protected dry season resources that were critical to their survival, and limited access to pastoral resources. These systems of management and control have broken down and degradation of pastoral lands has been the result. The pressures promoting desertification include agricultural expansion into pastoral zones, the loss of critical dry season pasture, sedentarization of former nomads, the impacts of war and civil conflict, nationalization of pastoral resources, the collapse of traditional common property resource management systems, and social change and economic intensification. These processes have concentrated pastoral pressures into more limited spaces and increased the stress placed on natural resources to the point where land degradation takes place. These adverse changes can be avoided and desertification arrested if principles of proper management are applied. By planning holistically, using the ethnoscientific wisdom of nomadic pastoralists as a basis for development, protecting zones critical to the survival of pastoralists, retaining mobility and flexibility in contemporary pastoral systems, and strengthening common property systems developed by nomadic pastoralists, land degradation in dryland rangelands can be halted.     

Post-flood land use damage estimation using improved Normalized Difference Flood Index (NDFI<Subscript>3</Subscript>) on Landsat 8 datasets: December 2014 floods,Kelantan, Malaysia

Floods in Malaysia have been increasing in frequency and magnitude as reflected in the Kelantan Flood event in 2014 that resulted in a huge loss of lives and properties. Whereas remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) tools have been extensively applied in flood disaster management, there are few reports and studies on the impact of floods on the land use/land cover environment in a post-disaster assessment. In this study, an integrated modelling approach was developed that used Landsat 8 OLI TIRS (Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor) data, flood indexing and classification processes to estimate the impact of flood on the environment. The Normalized Difference Flood Index-3 (NDFI₃) is an improvement on NDFI₂ that takes into account the effects of cloud shadow in the images when extracting flood index areas. The flood model developed showed good agreement when compared with flooded areas shown in SAR (synthetic-aperture radar) image. The results of the flood extent as a proxy for damage estimation showed that the total flooded area was 502.34 km² for the Kelantan Flood event in 2014, with plantation and built-up area accounting for 43 and 34.6% respectively. The least affected land uses/land covers were deforested area and forest, which accounted for 12.2 and 10.2% respectively. The RS and GIS technique developed in this post-disaster damage assessment is effective, relatively inexpensive and simple to implement by local authorities in support of post-flood disaster planning and decision-making.     

GIS for the assessment of the groundwater recharge potential zone

Water resources in Taiwan are unevenly distributed in spatial and temporal domains. Effectively utilizing the water resources is an imperative task due to climate change. At present, groundwater contributes 34% of the total annual water supply and is an important fresh water resource. However, over-exploitation has decreased groundwater availability and has led to land subsidence. Assessing the potential zone of groundwater recharge is extremely important for the protection of water quality and the management of groundwater systems. The Chih-Pen Creek basin in eastern Taiwan is examined in this study to assess its groundwater resources potential. Remote sensing and the geographical information system (GIS) are used to integrate five contributing factors: lithology, land cover/land use, lineaments, drainage, and slope. The weights of factors contributing to the groundwater recharge are derived using aerial photos, geology maps, a land use database, and field verification. The resultant map of the groundwater potential zone demonstrates that the highest recharge potential area is located towards the downstream regions in the basin because of the high infiltration rates caused by gravelly sand and agricultural land use in these regions. In contrast, the least effective recharge potential area is in upstream regions due to the low infiltration of limestone.     

Environmental fragility framework for water supply systems: a case study in the Paulista Macro Metropolis area (SE Brazil)

Water resources availability is increasingly constrained, considering the quality and quantity available for use. There is an urgent need of recovering this availability, focusing on the planning and management process of water supply systems. One of the main threats to water resources is related to erosion effects, namely widespread pollution load and the silting of watercourses and reservoirs useful life reduction. The objective of this study was to evaluate water supply systems environmental fragility within the Paulista Macro Metropolis area and to use the results to develop environmental zone classes to orient territorial planning. The study was conducted in seven superficial water supply systems of the aforementioned region. Environmental fragility evaluation was focused on four environmental variables that represent natural vulnerability to erosion, and 2015 land cover map to delineate human influence on erosive processes. Results indicate that Tietê River water supply systems, namely Piracicaba, Capivari and Jundiaí (PCJ) and Itupararanga systems, can be considered the most fragile water supply systems in the study area. The environmental fragility map was used to derive the environmental zoning map, including conservation and priority areas, suitable regions for agriculture expansion, and areas with high needs for restoration efforts. In addition, environmental fragility framework herein can be viewed as a model with high replication potential for regional planning and management in that land cover can be manipulated to minimize environment natural vulnerability, guiding territorial occupation toward a more sustainable landscape design, which subsidizes water resources multiple uses.     

土地定级估价的分析研究与实践——以新疆拜城县为例

近几年来,经济发展迅速,土地级别划分及地价水平已有较大的变化,原有的基准地价体系已不能适应现时经济发展的要求,地价体系也亟需修正更新。该文结合拜城县的具体情况,并遵循所选因子与土地的相关性,确定拜城县城区土地定级因素,在分析各定级因素权重的基础上,计算各因素的分值,划分土地等级。通过对拜城县城区的土地进行定级估价作出修正和更新,将对土地的监督管理工作起到良好的促进作用。     

企业土地管理与办公自动一体化系统建设探析——以齐鲁石化公司为例

为了更好的规范企业土地管理行为,降低管理成本,提高土地使用效率,以大型国企直属分公司为例,结合目前国内土地信息系统发展现状,以软件技术可行性为基础,从项目管理的角度,分析了企业现有的土地信息系统的优点与不足,对企业土地管理和办公自动一体化系统的建设进行了初步探讨和分析。一体化系统能够简化土地业务处理步骤,方便其他业务部门参与管理,真正实现数据共享,提高土地管理部门的工作质量和效率,最大限度实现企业土地资产保值增值,是企业土地管理发展的方向。     

国土空间规划编制视角下的国土空间用途管制体系研究

为明确国土空间用途管制体系,解决国土空间用途管制对象错位、行政部门间管控范围越位、规划落地实施缺位等问题,本研究构建了由指标、分区、地类和控制线等管控方式组成的国土空间用途管制体系。结合浙江省国土空间规划编制经验,系统梳理了适合当下国土空间规划编制的土地用途管控理论体系,深化了浙江省国土空间用途管制传导细则,并图示化各管制措施之间的编制逻辑关系,演绎了管控体系的实践操作逻辑,以期为国土空间规划编制提供技术依据。     

Phyto-geomorphic classification of the landscape

The subdivision of landscape into phyto-geomorphic units forms a useful basis for land resource surveys and for providing a holistic approach to potential biological productivity. This paper explains the natural basis for such units, justifies their subdivision into a hierarchy and gives definitive criteria for each categoric level. The main levels are the land zone, land division, land province, land region, land system, land catena and land facet, of which the province, system and facet are the more important. Most bear some analogy with categories recognized in pedology and plant ecology. Vegetation varies in importance in relation to landforms in land unit definition both regionally and categorically, being most important in forested areas and for certain other land categories. Sample areas in the United Kingdom, Australia and Jordan illustrate complete hierarchies of land units for different climatic zones. A simple procedure based on critical path analysis and using remotely sensed imagery, maps and other data can give a landscape analysis suitable for planning at a variety of scales.     

陆地表层地质环境质量综合评价与地质灾害系统分析——以广东沿海地带为例

将广东沿海陆地表层地质环境划分为构造稳定性、坡面稳定性和地基稳定性三个评价层面 ,其中包括由 9个指标构成的评价指标体系 ;确定了各指标的权重和五级分级标准和环境质量的五级标准 ;使用模糊数学综合评价模型将广东沿海 190个评价单元划分为 2 2个地质环境质量区。在灾害基本数据库和灾害时空分布分析的基础上 ,划分了 9个地质灾害一级分区及 32个二级分区 ,确定了地质环境、气候气象和人为活动因素三大类致灾主控因子 ;构造了三种地质灾害系统的概念模型和灾害预测指标体系框架 ,建立了地质灾害地理信息系统。     

Application of Fuzzy Set Theory to Rock Engineering Classification Systems: An Illustration of the Rock Mass Excavability Index

The characterization of rock masses is one of the integral aspects of rock engineering. Over the years, many classification systems have been developed for characterization and design purposes in mining and civil engineering practices. However, the strength and weak points of such rating-based classifications have always been questionable. Such classification systems assign quantifiable values to predefined classified geotechnical parameters of rock mass. This results in subjective uncertainties, leading to the misuse of such classifications in practical applications. Fuzzy set theory is an effective tool to overcome such uncertainties by using membership functions and an inference system. This study illustrates the potential application of fuzzy set theory in assisting engineers in the rock engineering decision processes for which subjectivity plays an important role. So, the basic principles of fuzzy set theory are described and then it was applied to rock mass excavability (RME) classification to verify the applicability of fuzzy rock engineering classifications. It was concluded that fuzzy set theory has an acceptable reliability to be employed for all rock engineering classification systems.     

Engineering-geological conditions of the formations in the Western Thessaly basin, Greece

An engineering-geological map of the Western Thessaly basin has been compiled, providing a valuable guide to both urban planning and industrial development of the wider area. This map contributes significantly to the optimization of land use and improved planning of technical work. Additionally, the engineering-geological conditions of the formations encountered in the Western Thessaly basin are examined. The formations are grouped into thirteen (13) engineering-geological entities, with regard to their geotechnical behaviour. This entire study was based on both in situ investigations and geotechnical information extracted from 1,039 boreholes. Furthermore, a landslide inventory map of the Western Thessaly basin has been compiled. In addition, the surface subsidence ruptures, due to ground-water overexploitation, have been examined in the eastern part of the study area.     

Engineering geological data in support of municipal land use planning—a case study in Analandia, southeast Brazil

This paper presents a method for transforming the information of an engineering geological map into useful information for non-specialists involved in land-use planning. The method consists of classifying the engineering geological units in terms of land use capability and identifying the legal and the geologic restrictions that apply in the study area. Both informations are then superimposed over the land use and a conflict areas map is created. The analysis of these data leads to the identification of existing and forthcoming land use conflicts and enables the proposal of planning measures on a regional and local scale. The map for the regional planning was compiled at a 1:50,000 scale and encompasses the whole municipal land area where uses are mainly rural. The map for the local planning was compiled at a 1:10,000 scale and encompasses the urban area. Most of the classification and operations on maps used spatial analyst tools available in the Geographical Information System. The regional studies showed that the greater part of Analandia’s territory presents appropriate land uses. The local-scale studies indicate that the majority of the densely occupied urban areas are in suitable land. Although the situation is in general positive, municipal policies should address the identified and expected land use conflicts, so that it can be further improved.     

Landscape planning methodology based on geoecological land evaluation

This paper discusses new idea and technique of landscape-planning based on a concept of geoecological land evaluation to be measured by the degree of conservation of the natual environment and landscape. It will conclude by proposing a procedure for conservation-oriented landscape planning by way of: 1. the classification and mapping of biophysical land units and ecological landuse units, which are combined with one another through the intermediate factor of actual vegetation, and 2. the evaluation of land potential quality and landuse suitability shown by a matrix of both units. Results of land evaluation by this method will offer the best orientation for decisions on landuse for each land unit in the area or for the optimal location of each category of landuse unit, both of which would solidify as an important base for determining the landscape plan.