Climate Change and Pastoral Economy in Kenya:A Blinking Future

Abstract: The present paper examines the changing climatic scenarios and associated effects on livestock farming (pastoralism) in the arid and semi arid lands (ASAL) of Kenya, which cover over 80% of the country. The study was carried out in the semi arid Mukogodo Division of Laikipia District in Kenya. This division received a mean annual rainfall of approximately 507.8?mm and the main source of livelihood was pastoralism. Questionnaire, structured interview, observation and literature review were the main methods of data collection. Rainfall was used in delineating changes in climate. Standardized precipitation index (SPI) and Markov process were used in analyzing drought severity and persistence, respectively. Approximately 38% of all droughts between 1975 and 2005 were prolonged and extremely severe, with cumulative severity indices ranging between ?2.54 and ?6.49. The probability that normal climatic conditions persisted for two or more consecutive years in Mukogodo Division remained constant at approximately 52%. However, the probability of wet years persisting for two or more years showed a declining trend, while persistence of dry years increased with duration. A drying climatic trend was established. This drying trend in the area led to increased land degradation and encroachment of invasive nonpalatable bushes. The net effect on pastoralism was large-scale livestock loss through starvation, disease and cattle rustling. Proper drought monitoring and accurate forecasts, community participation in all government interventions, infrastructural development in the ASAL and allocation of adequate resources for livestock development are some of the measures necessary for mitigating the dwindling pastoral economy in Kenya and other parts of the world.     

国外政府加强矿产勘查的主要措施

在市场经济条件下,政府对商业性矿产勘查工作起着关键性的作用。但由于各国国情不同,在矿业发展周期的不同阶段,政府加强矿产勘查所采取的措施也不尽相同。国家矿业发展的兴盛期,政府加强基础性、战略性、前瞻性的地质调查工作,实施一系列大型公益性地质调查计划或矿产勘查促进计划,获得大量新的基础地质信息和勘查信息,有效地促进矿产勘查工作,提高提供信息服务的能力。而国家矿业不景气时,则采取国家投资（基金）、补贴或减税等过渡措施,促进筹资和引资,保持稳定的矿产勘查投入,创造良好的矿产勘查发展环境,从而推动国家经济社会的发展。详尽分析了国外政府在加强矿产勘查中所采取的有力措施,从中总结经验,为中国矿产勘查工作提供参考与借鉴。     

金融危机对矿业的影响及分析预测

席卷全球的金融危机正在疯狂肆虐,矿业也难以独善其身。金融危机导致矿产品价格全线跳水、矿业公司股价大幅下跌、矿产品需求下降。矿产品价格大幅下跌是矿产品价格在挤出泡沫之后的一种理性回归。矿业发展自身的规律与百年不遇的金融危机的相互叠加、相互影响,加速了此轮矿业繁荣周期的终结并开始了走向下行期的步伐。金融危机给矿业带来了挑战与机遇,但机遇远大于挑战。对此提出如下建议：改善中国矿业投资环境,调整矿产品进出口政策;培育大型跨国矿业公司,提高竞争力;建立国外资源储备基地,吸引海外地质勘查人才;重新审视和再认识地勘基金的定位;抓住有利时机整合资源,促进矿业结构调整。     

几种金属矿地下物探方法评述

物探方法与技术作为开展深部找矿工作的一种主要手段,越来越受到矿产勘查界的广泛重视与应用。地下物探方法利用现有的钻孔或坑道,对钻孔底部或外围进行进一步的勘查很有优势,更适用于深部找矿。论述了井中磁测、井中激发极化法、井中（坑道）充电法、坑道（井中）自然电位法、井中电磁法等几种常用的金属矿地下物探方法。从应用实例着手,分析和总结了各种方法在深部找矿中所发挥的优势与作用,提出应重视并重新认识地下物探技术的地位和作用,增强相关技术的研发与应用等建议,为矿产勘查、开发、开采与施工提供重要的信息指导。     

Discussion on “Hydraulic parameters in channels with wall vegetation and gravel bed” by Hossein Afzalimehr, Jueyi Sui and Razieh Moghbel [Int. J. Sed. Res., 25 (2010) 81–90]

We discussants appreciate the authors’ investigation on the impacts of the vegetated channel walls and aspect ratio on flow velocity profiles,shear stress distribution and roughness coefficient of channel.The primary aim of this comment is to emphasize some of the points which were not considered by the authors during their study.The discussers would like to mention the following points regarding the paper. The expression of "wall vegetation" is a new term for the current literature.However the researchers have not given enough explanation about wall-vegetation.What is "wall vegetation"?Where can we observe wall-vegetation in nature?What are the characteristic species as "wall-vegetation"?We think that the clarification of this point will significantly improve the benefit of this study.     

资源三号测绘卫星传感器校正产品几何模型

资源三号测绘卫星为了获取较大的幅宽和较高的空间分辨率,其三线阵相机和多光谱相机采用了多片CCD拼接成像的方式获取地面影像。如直接提供分片的CCD影像产品,用户难以使用。传感器校正产品解决了CCD影像拼接的问题,拼接后的影像不仅视觉无缝,同时几何无缝。该产品同时解决了多光谱波段间配准的问题,且生产过程中引入的投影差误差和交会误差可以忽略不计。该产品消除了大部分畸变,故拥有极高的RFM替代严密成像几何模型精度。本文利用安平和登封地区的三线阵数据进行验证,试验区三线阵传感器校正产品RFM替代精度优于1%像元,无地面控制点立体定位精度优于15 m,带控制点平面误差在3 m以内,高程误差在2 m之内,且三线阵平差平面定位精度要优于两线阵。     

New Species of Enantiornithes (Aves: Ornithothoraces) from the Qiaotou Formation in Northern Hebei,China

<正>We report on a new species of enantiornithine bird from the Lower Cretaceous Qiaotou Formation of northern Hebei,China.The new taxon,Shenqiornis mengi gen.et sp.nov.,possesses several enantiornithine synapomorphies but is unique from other known species.The specimen has a well-preserved skull that reveals new information about enantiornithine cranial morphology.The new taxon possesses a large postorbital with a long tapering jugal process indicating that some enantiornithines may have had a fully diapsid skull,as in Confuciusornis.The tooth morphology of the specimen is unique and likely represents a previously unknown trophic specialization within Enantiornithes.     

一种基于关键帧动画的时空数据动态可视化方法研究

以时空数据可视化表达为研究对象,提出一种以地理现象真实时间为串联,以关键帧及线性插值动画为手段的动态符号逻辑模型。将地理实体不同时态的特征以图形符号表达并作为关键帧;在关键帧之间根据需要使用插补算法生成多个中间时刻的图形符号,并模拟表达该时刻地理实体特征,这个过程称为中间帧生成;采用地图动画时间串联各个关键帧和中间帧,并按时间顺序和一定约束规则连续播放,形成动画符号,实现时空数据的几何特征和属性特征随时间变化的动态可视化。     

多时相统计数据空间动态可视化模型研究

阐述了统计数据的时空特性,扩展了动态空间可视化的动态视觉参量,设计了3种用于多时相统计信息动态空间可视化的"动态统计图表"。采用时间地图动画技术及关键帧插值动画技术来设计与构建动态统计图表,并将此方法应用于相应系统,实现了统计数据随时间变化动态特性的可视化表达。     

Triassic Epithermal Au and Porphyry Related Cu-Mo Mineralization of the Chatree Deposit, Central Thailand

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