G-WADI—the first decade

The G-WADI network by UNESCO promotes the global capacity for management of water resources in arid and semi-arid areas. The primary aim has been to build a comprehensive global network to promote regional and international cooperation so as to increase knowledge and improve management practices through the sharing of information. The G-WADI objectives and achievements of the past 10 years are reviewed. A number of key initiatives have been implemented––the formation of five regional networks, the creation of a central G-WADI web site, promotion of near-real-time rainfall distribution software enhanced by the inclusion of satellite based precipitation estimations, as well as workshop and web-based activities on chemical and isotopic tracers and on rain water harvesting. Two workshops on surface and on groundwater modeling, supported by publications have been held in India and China. The Asian G-WADI network remains very active, but activities in the other three regions are developing (Africa, Arab Region, Latin America and the Caribbean).     

Analysis on areal relationship between regional environment and socioeconomy—taking the Chinese Yellow Sea coastal zone as a case

Since the reform and open-up,the economy in the Yellow Sea coastal zone has rapidly developed and the regional structure of socio-economy has changed a lot,but meanwhile it has also caused increasingly serious environmental problems. The discussion on relationship between economic development and environment[1-12] has become the focus of research. The present research mainly focuses on the following aspects: first, the study on coordinately development of regional PRED system, including de…     

Sensitivity and areal differentiation of vegetation responses to hydrothermal dynamics on the northern and southern slopes of the Qinling Mountains in Shaanxi province

The Qinling Mountains, located at the junction of warm temperate and subtropical zones, serve as the boundary between north and south China. Exploring the sensitivity of the response of vegetation there to hydrothermal dynamics elucidates the dynamics and mechanisms of the main vegetation types in the context of changes in temperature and moisture. Importance should be attached to changes in vegetation in different climate zones. To reveal the sensitivity and areal differentiation of vegetation responses to hydrothermal dynamics, the spatio-temporal variation characteristics of the normalized vegetation index(NDVI) and the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index(SPEI) on the northern and southern slopes of the Qinling Mountains from 2000 to 2018 are explored using the meteorological data of 32 meteorological stations and the MODIS NDVI datasets. The results show that: 1) The overall vegetation coverage of the Qinling Mountains improved significantly from 2000 to 2018. The NDVI rise rate and area ratio on the southern slope were higher than those on the northern slope, and the vegetation on the southern slope improved more than that on the northern slope. The Qinling Mountains showed an insignificant humidification trend. The humidification rate and humidification area of the northern slope were greater than those on the southern slope. 2) Vegetation on the northern slope of the Qinling Mountains was more sensitive to hydrothermal dynamics than that on the southern slope. Vegetation was most sensitive to hydrothermal dynamics from March to June on the northern slope, and from March to May(spring) on the southern slope. The vegetation on the northern and southern slopes was mainly affected by hydrothermal dynamics on a scale of 3–7 months, responding weakly to hydrothermal dynamics on a scale of 11–12 months. 3) Some 90.34% of NDVI and SPEI was positively correlated in the Qinling Mountains. Spring humidification in most parts of the study area promoted the growth of vegetation all the year round. The sensitivity of vegetation responses to hydrothermal dynamics with increasing altitude increased first and then decreased. Elevations of 800 to 1200 m were the most sensitive range for vegetation response to hydrothermal dynamics. The sensitivity of the vegetation response at elevations of 1200–3000 m decreased with increasing altitude. As regards to vegetation type, grass was most sensitive to hydrothermal dynamics on both the northern and southern slopes of the Qinling Mountains; but most other vegetation types on the northern slope were more sensitive to hydrothermal dynamics than those on the southern slope.     

ANNOUNCEMENT NIR-92

The 5th International Conference on NearInfrared Spectroscopy will be held 16-20 June1992 in Hangesund,Norway.The meeting willfocus on ‘Bridging the Gap Between DataAnalysis and NIR Applications’ and includeplenary lectures,oral and poster sessions anddiscussions,workshops and exhibitions of NIR     

第五届青藏高原国际学术研讨会在北京召开

The 5th International Symposium on the Tibetan Plateau/The 24th Himalaya - Karakorum-Tibet Workshop Joint Conference was held on August 11-14 in Beijing, China. The Joint Conference was hosted by Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), The Ministry of Land and Resources of China (MLR) and People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). Organized by Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, CAS (ITPCAS), Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (IGCAGS), The China Society on Tibetan Plateau (CSTP), Department of Science and Technology, TAR, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS (IGSNRR), International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).     

第十届中日韩地理学术研讨会暨第一届亚洲地理学大会在上海召开（英文）

正The 10th China-Japan-Korea Joint Conference on Geographythe 1st Asian Conference on Geography was held in East China Normal University in Shanghai,China from October9–12,2015.The theme of the conference was"Urbanizing Asia:Diversity versus Globalization".It attracted 318 geographic professionals from 8 Asian countries,including     

印度喀拉拉邦雨影区流域系统形态分析及其水文意义(英文)

The rain shadow regions requisite a comprehensive watershed development and management plan for sustainable water resources management. The Pambar River Basin (PRB) lies on the rain shadow region of the southern Western Ghats, India, where climate showed marked intra-basin variation. A morphometric analysis was done to evaluate the drainage characteristics of PRB using topographical maps and digital elevation data. PRB was divided into eighteen 4th order basins (SB1-SB18), distributed along various climatic gradients. Lower order streams mostly dominate PRB and drainage pattern is a function of relief and structure. The terrain is highly dissected and prone to soil erosion during heavy storms and the elongated shape of PRB enables easier flood management. The influence of climate on drainage characteristics was evidently emphasized in basin morphometry. Four distinctively different classes were identified based on the morphometric similarities. The significance of morphometric analysis on the hydrological characterization is discussed and the relevance of the present study in water harvesting has been explicated.     

Human settlements in the Ordos Plateau since the Neolithic Age

Settlements are excellent spatiotemporal indicators for studying historical human activities and environmental change. This paper discusses the spatial and temporal changes of sites on the Ordos Plateau in China since the Neolithic Age, based on an analysis of spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of the human settlements. The frequency of human settlements on the Ordos Plateau presented a phased fluctuation process, and the sizes were mainly small and medium. The spatial distribution of h...     

信息技术时代的企业区位研究(英文)

The wide application of information and communication technologies(ICTs) has been argued to be critical to spatial transformation of firms.Recent advances in the studies along this line have challenged traditional location theory.The existing literature,however,focuses mainly on the impacts of ICTs on locational conditions and industrial spatial distribution.The dynamics behind such changes have not yet been given sufficient attention by geographers.Given this background,this paper investigates the impact of new ICTs on traditional location theory and the dynamics of industrial re-location that are enabled by new ICTs,based on data collected from an investigation of 178 firms.The paper argues that the application of new ICTs has been a key location factor in the information age,and that the time-cost is becoming critical to the spatial organization of firms,particularly as a result of a shorter product life and mass customization,among other dynamics.     

Advances in studies on concrete durability and countermeasures against freezing-thawing effects

This paper is a meta-analysis of recent domestic and foreign research on freezing-thawing effects on concrete durability. The main theories on the mechanisms of freeze-thaw damage to concrete are introduced： the hydrostatic pressure theory, the osmotic pressure theory, the critical water saturation degree theory, the dual mechanism theory, and the micro-ice-crystal lens model theory. The influence laws of freezing-thawing on the mechanical properties of concrete are summarized, and countermeasures to improve concrete durability in freezing-thawing circumstances are presented. This work provides valuable references for future engineering constructions in cold regions.     

CSTP Celebrated Its 20th Anniversary

<正>The China Society on Tibetan Plateau (CSTP) has celebrated its 20th anniversary and held an academic forum in Beijing on 22 November,2010.     

长江大通-河口段枯季的径流量变化

Based on hydrometric data and extensive investigations on water-extracting projects, this paper presents a preliminary study on water discharge changes between Datong and Xuliujing during dry season. The natural hydrological processes and human factors that influence the water discharge are analyzed with the help of GIS method. The investigations indicate that the water-extracting projects downstream from Datong to Xuliujing had amounted to 64 in number by the end of 2000,with a water-extracting capacity up to 4,626 m3/s averaged in a tidal cycle. The water extraction from the Changjiang River has become the most important factor influencing the water discharge downstream Datong during dry season. The potential magnitude in water discharge changes are estimated based on historical records of water extraction and a water balance model. The computational results were calibrated with the actual data. The future trend in changes of water discharge into the sea during dry season was discussed by taking into consideration of newly built hydro-engineering projects. The water extraction downstream Datong in dry season before 2000 had a great influence on discharges into the sea in the extremely dry year like 1978-1979. It produced a net decrease of more than 490 m^3/s in monthly mean discharges from the Changjiang into the sea. It is expected that the water extraction will continually increase in the coming decades, especially in dry years, when the net decrease in monthly mean water discharge will increase to more than 1000 m^3/s and will give a far-reaching effect on the changes of water discharge from the Changjiang into the sea.     

The impact of cropland conversion on environmental effect in the Loess Plateau：a pilot study based on the national experimental bases

1 Introduction The soilerosion in Loess Plateau is mostserious on the globe mainly due to the destroying of naturalvegetation and cultivation on slope land overextensive areas(Yang and Yu,1992;Jiang, 1997).To convertsloping cropland (cropped land on slope…     

干旱、半干旱区环境演变与可持续发展国际学术讨论会在阿拉善左旗举行

The International Workshop on Environmental Changes and Sustainable Development in Arid and Semi-arid Regions was held on September 10-14, 2007 in Alashan Left Banner, Inner Mongolia, China. A total of 81 delegates from 17 countries attended this workshop, including Australia, Egypt, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Kuwait, The Netherlands, Oman,[第一段]     

Spatio-temporal differentiation of climate warming(1959-2016)in the middle Qinling Mountains of China

Based on air temperature observation data from 32 meteorological stations, temperature changes in the middle Qinling Mountains from 1959 to 2016 were analysed with respect to the north-south, seasonal and altitude differences. Our research mainly showed the following results. The annual temperature(TA) rose approximately 0.26℃/10 a within the past 58 years. This warming trend was stronger on the northern slope than on the southern slope, and a warming trend reversal occurred in 1994 on the northern slope, which was three years earlier than on the southern slope. The temperature changes for the four seasons were not synchronized, and the trend in spring contributed the most to the TA trend, followed by winter, autumn, and summer. The temperature difference between summer and winter(TDSW) decreased significantly over the past 58 years. The temperature change in the middle Qinling Mountains was clearly dependent on altitude. With increases in altitude, the TA increased gradually and became stronger while the TDSW decreased gradually and became weaker. Differences in temperature change between the north and south were mainly observed in low-altitude areas. With increase in altitude, the differences gradually tended to disappear.     

青藏高原太阳辐射对高山草甸净生态系统二氧化碳的影响(英文)

On the Tibetan Plateau, the alpine meadow is the most widespread vegetation type. The alpine meadow has a low biological productivity and low vegetation coverage in the growing season. The daytime NEE between the atmosphere and the alpine meadow ecosystem was influenced by solar radiation. To analyze the characteristics of change in NEE and to calculate the parameters related to photosynthesis and respiration in different solar radiation environments, the NEE measurements were taken in Damxung from July to August in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 using the eddy covariance technique. Solar radiation was grouped into three levels according to the net radiation, which was more than 155 W m-2 d-1 on clear days, 144±5 W m-2 d-1 on partly cloudy days and less than 134 W m-2 d-1 on cloudy days. The diurnal relationships between NEE and PAR varied with differences in solar radiation, which was a rectangular hyperbola form on clear days, two different concave curves on partly cloudy days and an irregular triangle form on cloudy days. The mean CO2 absorption rate showed a decreasing trend with increasing solar radiation. The daytime absorption maximum occurred around 10:00 on clear days with an average of slightly less –0.2 mg m-2 d-1, around 11:00 on partly cloudy days with an average of about –0.2 mg m-2 d-1, and around 12:00 on cloudy days with an average of about –0.25 mg m-2 d-1. As solar radiation increased, the Amax and the Q10 decreased. However, the R10 increased and the maximum of the α occurred on partly cloudy days. The optimum net solar radiation was about 134–155 W m-2 d-1, which induced a PAR of about 1800-2000 μmol m-2 s-1 and soil temperature at a depth of 5 cm of about 14℃. Therefore, on the Tibetan Plateau, the alpine meadow ecosystem will have a higher carbon absorption potential while solar radiation decreases in the future.     

Barchans of Minqin: quantifying migration rate of a barchan

The migration speed of a typical barchan on the border of Minqin oasis,Gansu Province,northwestern China,was estimated by means of two methods.One is on the basis of a simple physical model and short-term field measurements.The other comes from the combination of the barchan internal structure detected by ground-penetrating radar and optical/radiocarbon dating techniques.The upper limit of migration speed given by conventional C-14 dating is 3.42 m/yr.The optically stimulated luminescence dating indicates that the time-average migration speed of the studied barchan was 1.78 m/yr in 28 years prior to 2007.The physical estimation further suggests that the annual migration speed has increased in recent years.     

1993-2017年气候变化对西藏谷物单产的定量影响

Climate change is a global environmental crisis, but there have been few studies of the effects of climate change on cereal yields on the Tibetan Plateau. We used data from meteorological stations and statistical yearbooks to assess the impacts of climate change on cereal yields in Tibet. Three types of statistical models were selected: fixed-effects model, first-difference models, and linear detrending models. We analyzed the impacts of climate change(including the minimum temperature, precipitation, growing degree days and solar radiation) on cereal yields in Tibet from 1993 to 2017 at the county, prefecture-level city, and autonomous region scales. The results showed that the sensitivity of cereal yields in Tibet to temperature(minimum temperature and growing degree days) was greater than their sensitivity to precipitation and solar radiation. The joint impacts of climate variables were positive, but the sensitivity and significance varied in different regions. The impacts of minimum temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation were positive in all cities, apart from the negative impacts of growing degree days on cereal yields in Lhasa. The impacts of climate trends on cereal yields in Tibet were positive and the results were in the range of 1.5%–4.8%. Among the three types of model, the fixed-effects model was the most robust and the linear detrending model performed better than the first-difference model. The robustness of the first-difference model decreased after adding the interaction terms between different climate variables. Our findings will help in implementing more spatially targeted agricultural adaptations to cope with the impacts of climate change on the agro-ecosystem of the Tibetan Plateau.