Impact of Pastoral Practices on Forest Cover and Regeneration in the Outer Fringes of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary,Western Himalaya

The study reports the impact of migratory livestock in the buffer area of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary. The cumulative impacts of livestock grazing, fuel wood extraction and other anthropogenic pressures on forest cover in and around camping sites have been analyzed using satellite data and field observations. Multi-date satellite data were used to map the forest cover around 16 seasonal livestock camps. An annual loss of about 7.25 ha of forest covers during 1976–1990, 13.57 ha during 1990–1999 and 11.46 ha during 1999–2005 are recorded. A loss of 108.53 ha of forestland has been estimated during 1976–1990, about 122.16 ha during 1990–1999 and 68.78 ha during 1999–2005. It is also observed that many of the isolated camping sites are now connected due to loss of vegetation. Phytosociological analysis indicates that the number of seedlings and saplings in three species of Quercus (Q. leucotrichophora, Q. floribunda and Q. semecarpifolia) as compared to mature tress is very less around cattle camping sites. The ratio of number of sapling with seedling and trees indicates that the status of sapling is nil to very poor, an indication of loss of saplings due to either trampling or grazing.     

中国古代牧业社会骨制品的初步考察:以新疆巴里坤石人子沟遗址为例

考古遗址出土骨制品的研究对于揭示古代社会的动物资源获取和利用、手工业生产、社会组织结构等问题具有重要意义。国内骨制品研究目前多集中在农业区域,这些研究为探讨新石器时代至青铜时代的动物使用及其与社会发展、早期国家形成的关系等问题作出了重要贡献。然而,针对牧业社会骨制品的考察十分缺乏。新疆哈密地区巴里坤草原分布有大量古代牧业文化遗址,石人子沟遗址（43°31'12.8"~43°34'28.9"N,93°13'44.8"~93°16'49.1"E）是其中一处青铜时代晚期至铁器时代早期的大型聚落。本文从动物考古学视角研究该遗址2006年至2011年发掘出土的426件骨制品。结果显示,石人子沟遗址骨制品的原料主要为以羊（Ovis aries/Capra hircus）、马（Equus caballus）为主的家养动物和以鹿（Cervidae）为主的野生动物,其中羊的比例最高（69.7%）,鹿（13.8%）、马（2.3%）次之,这与中原地区青铜时代农业文化遗址的骨制品多以牛为原料的情况明显不同。羊在骨制品原料中占绝对多数且大量使用羊距骨制品的现象是对石人子沟遗址以牧业为主的生业经济方式的直接反映。石人子沟遗址不同类型骨制品的制作各具特点,但整体表现出"省时省力"的特点,即对使用部位细致打磨,对非使用部位仅做简单处理。与中原地区商周时期大型制骨作坊规范化、规模化、产业化的骨器生产不同,石人子沟遗址未见专门的制骨场所,骨制品生产的操作链条也并不完整。遗址的骨制品生产可能是以家庭为单元进行的,产品的专业化、精细化程度也相对较低。该研究填补了我国古代牧业文化遗址出土骨制品动物考古学专门研究的空白,为进一步探究我国古代不同区域、不同生业经济基础下的制骨手工业面貌提供了重要资料。

     

Comparison of two drought indices in studying regional meteorological drought events in China

The composite-drought index (CI), improved weighted average of precipitation index (IWAP), and the objective identification technique for regional extreme events (OITREE) were employed to detect China's regional meteorological drought events (CRMDEs) during 1961–2010. Compared with existing references, CI and IWAP both showed strong ability in identifying CRMDEs. Generally, the results of CI and IWAP were consistent, especially for extreme and severe CRMDEs. During 1961–2010, although the frequencies of extreme and severe CRMDEs based on CI and IWAP both showed weak decreasing trends, the two mean-integrated indices both showed increasing but not significant trends. However, the results of IWAP were more reasonable than CI’s in two aspects. Firstly, the monthly frequency of extreme and severe CRMDEs based on IWAP showed a clear seasonal variation, which coincided with the seasonal variation of the East Asian monsoon over central–eastern China, whereas the frequency based on CI presented a much weaker seasonal variation. Secondly, the two sets of results were sometimes inconsistent with respect to the start and end times of a CRMDE, and CRMDEs based on CI generally showed two unreasonable phenomena: (1) under non-drought conditions, a severe drought stage could suddenly occur in a large area; and (2) during the following period, drought could alleviate gradually in cases of non-precipitation. Comparative analysis suggested that the IWAP drought index possesses obvious advantages in detecting and monitoring regional drought events.     

近50年中国地面气候变化基本特征

采用国家基准气候站和基本气象站的地面资料,系统地分析了中国大陆地区1951年以来近地表主要气候要素演化的时间和空间特征。结果表明,中国近50 a来年平均地表气温变暖幅度约为1.1℃,增温速率接近0.22℃/(10 a),比全球或半球同期平均增温速率明显偏高。地表气温增暖主要发生在最近的20余年,其季节和空间特征与前人分析结论基本一致。降水量变化趋势对所取时间段和区域范围敏感。1951年以来全国平均降水量变化趋势不明显,但1956年以来略有增加。降水变化的空间特征明显而相对稳定,东北北部、包括长江中下游的东南部地区和西部广大地区降水增加,而华北地区以及东北东南部和西北东部地区降水明显减少。分析还发现,近50a来全国平均的日照时数、平均风速、水面蒸发等气候要素均呈显著下降趋势,但积雪地带的最大积雪深度却有所增加。中国日照时间和水面蒸发量变化的空间特征很相似,减少最明显的地区均发生在华北和华东,新疆次之。影响中国年代以上尺度气候变化的因子错综复杂,人类活动引起的大气中温室气体浓度增高可能在一定程度上影响了中国近50 a来的气候,但考虑到尚存的不确定性,目前仍不能给出明确结论。中国东部大部分地区日照时间和水面蒸发量减少可能均起源于人为排放的气溶胶影响,平均风速减弱也有利于水面蒸发量下降,而在西部地区云量和降水量的变化可能更重要。     

中国大陆边缘构造属性与超巨量金属工业堆积

研究了大陆边缘的形成与演化,以中国大陆已存在的3条陆壳对接消减带为界,划分了5个大陆边缘构造带、13个次一级的边缘构造区及其内部的58个时空配置结构,并据区内现有金属矿产地计算了其发现几率。依据大陆边缘的形成、演化及其动力学特征,将中国大陆边缘划分为离散型、汇聚型、对接碰撞型和转换型4类,并总结了其成矿专属。大陆边缘虽然有利成矿,但是超巨量金属工业堆积应取决于其成矿有利因素是否达到最佳耦合。提出了最佳耦合应是异常地质事件激发正常成矿作用发生“引潮共振”①的结果。     

The Natural Hazards Theme of the International Year of Planet Earth

The United Nations has declared 2008 to be the International Year of Planet Earth. It is being organised under the auspices of the International Union of Geological Sciences and UNESCO. Planning for the International Year of Planet Earth has consisted of establishing 10 major science themes including Hazards. The Hazards Theme is centred around the following key questions: (1) How have humans altered the geosphere, the biosphere and the landscape, thereby creating long-term changes detrimental to life and the environment and triggering certain hazards, while increasing societal vulnerability to geophysical (geological and hydrometeorological) hazards? (2) What technologies and methodologies are required to assess the vulnerability of people and places to hazards and how might these be used at a variety of spatial scales? (3) How do geophysical hazards compare relative to each other regarding current capabilities for monitoring, prediction and mitigation and what can be done in the short-term to improve these capabilities (4) What barriers exist to the utilisation of risk and vulnerability information by governments (and other entities) for risk and vulnerability reduction policies and planning (including mitigation) from each of the geophysical hazards? Following the 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and the UN World Conference on Disaster Reduction held in Kobe, Japan in January 2005, the International Council for Science (ICSU) decided to establish a major research programme and initiative on Natural and Human Induced Environmental Hazards and Disasters that will co-operate with the Hazards theme of the International Year and continue through to 2011.     

鄂尔多斯西南缘前陆盆地沉降和沉积过程模拟

本文将东祁东逆冲带与鄂尔多斯西南缘晚三叠世前陆盆地相结合，研究了逆冲带内部变形特征，前陆盆地中层序地层格架特征及其反映的盆缘构造性质和幕式逆作作用。     

A case study of the internal structures of gossans and weathering processes in the Iberian Pyrite Belt using magnetic fabrics and paleomagnetic dating

In the Rio Tinto district of the Iberian Pryrite Belt of South Spain, the weathering of massive sulfide bodies form iron caps, i.e., true gossans and their subsequent alteration and re-sedimentation has resulted in iron terraces, i.e., displaced gossans. To study the stucture and evolution of both types of gossans, magnetic investigations have been carried out with two foci: (1) the characterisation and spatial distribution of magnetic fabrics in different mineralised settings, including massive sulfides, gossans, and terraces, and (2) paleomagnetic dating. Hematite has been identified as the suceptibility carrier in all sites and magnetic fabric investigation of four gossans reveals a vertical variation from top to bottom, with: (1) a horizontal foliation refered to as “mature” fabric in the uppermost part of the primary gossans, (2) highly inclined or vertical foliation interpreted as “immature” fabric between the uppermost and lowermost parts, and (3) a vertical foliation interpreted to be inherited from Hercynian deformation in the lowermost part of the profiles. In terraces, a horizontal foliation dominates and is interpreted to be a “sedimentary” fabric. Rock magnetic studies of gossan samples have identified goethite as the magnetic remanence carrier for the low-temperature component, showing either a single direction close to the present Earth field (PEF) direction or random directions. Maghemite, hematite, and occasionally magnetite are the remanence carriers for the stable high-temperature component that is characterized by non PEF directions with both normal and reversed magnetic polarities. No reliable conclusion can be yet be drawn on the timing of terrace magnetization due to the small number of samples. In gossans, the polarity is reversed in the upper part and normal in the lower part. This vertical distribution with a negative reversal test suggests remanence formation during two distinct periods. Remanence in the upper parts of the gossans is older than in the lower parts, indicating that the alteration proceeded from top to bottom of the profiles. In the upper part, the older age and the horizontal “mature” fabric is interpreted to be a high maturation stage of massive sulfides’ alteration. In the lower part, the age is younger and the inherited “imature” vertical Hercynian fabric indicates a weak maturation stage. These two distinct periods may reflect changes of paleoclimate, erosion, and/or tectonic motion.     

青藏高原净生态系统碳交换量的遥感评估模型研究

青藏高原作为世界海拔最高的区域,是全球气候变化的敏感区之一。定量估算这一区域的净生态系统碳交换量（NEE）有利于理解陆地生态系统碳平衡对未来气候变化的响应。本文构建了一个模拟该地区NEE动态变化的净碳收支模型（NCBM）。该模型由来源于MODIS影像的增强型植被指数（EVI）、陆地表面水分指数（LSWI）以及来源于地面观测的空气温度和短波辐射共同驱动,并利用青藏高原地区的3种植被类型（包括高寒灌丛、高寒湿地和高寒草甸）的碳通量长期观测数据对模型进行了校准和验证。结果表明,在模型校准站点年,NCBM模型可以模拟NEE观测值81%的变化,均方根误差（RMSE）为0.03molC/m2/d,模型效率（EF）为0.81。在模型验证站点年,NCBM模型可以预测NEE观测值84%的变化,RMSE为0.03molC/m2/d,EF为0.81。在大多数情况下,NCBM模型可以清晰地模拟各植被类型的NEE季节和年际变化。此外,NCBM模型因为结构简单,模型驱动变量易于获取等优势,具有在区域尺度上模拟NEE时空变化的潜力。但是该模型还需要进一步的改进和发展,特别需要提高对植被非常稀疏地区NEE变化的模拟能力。