Drought characteristics of Henan province in 1961-2013 based on Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index

Drought is one of the most complex natural hazards affecting agriculture, water resources, natural ecosystems, and society. The negative societal consequences of drought include severe economic losses, famine, epidemics, and land degradation. However, few studies have analyzed the complexity of drought characteristics, both at multiple time scales and with variations in evapotranspiration. In this study, drought occurrences were quantified using a new drought index, the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), based on observed data of monthly mean temperature and precipitation from 1961 to 2013 in Henan province, central China. Based on the SPEI values of each weather station in the study, the frequency and severity of meteorological droughts were computed, and the monthly, seasonal, and annual drought frequency and intensity over a 53-year period were analyzed. The spatial and temporal evolution, intensity, and the primary causes of drought occurrence in Henan were revealed. The results showed that the SPEI values effectively reflected the spatial and temporal pattern of drought occurrence. As the time scale decreased, the amplitude of the SPEI increased and droughts became more frequent. Since 1961, drought has occurred at the annual, seasonal, and monthly scales, and the occurrence of drought has increased. However, regional distribution has been uneven. The highest drought frequency, 35%, was observed in the Zhoukou region, while the lowest value, ~26%, was measured in central and western Henan. The most severe droughts occurred in the spring and summer, followed by autumn. Annually, wide-ranging droughts occurred in 1966–1968, 1998–2000, and 2011–2013. The drought intensity showed higher values in north and west Henan, and lower values in its east and south. The maximum drought intensity value was recorded in Anyang, and the minimum occurred in Zhumadian, at 22.18% and 16.60%, respectively. The factors with the greatest influence on drought occurrence are increasing temperatures, the Eurasian atmospheric circulation patterns, and the El Niño effect.     

Reponses and sensitivities of maize phenology to climate change from 1981 to 2009 in Henan Province,China

With the global warming, crop phenological shifts in responses to climate change have become a hot research topic. Based on the long-term observed agro-meteorological phenological data (1981–2009) and meteorological data, we quantitatively analyzed temporal and spatial shifts in maize phenology and their sensitivities to key climate factors change using climate tendency rate and sensitivity analysis methods. Results indicated that the sowing date was significantly delayed and the delay tendency rate was 9.0 d·10a^-1. But the stages from emergence to maturity occurred earlier (0.1 d·10a^-1<θ<1.7 d·10a^-1, θ is the change slope of maize phenology). The length of vegetative period (VPL) (from emergence to tasseling) was shortened by 0.9 d·10a^-1, while the length of generative period (GPL) (from tasseling to maturity) was lengthened by 1.7 d·10a^-1. The growing season length (GSL) (from emergence to maturity) was lengthened by 0.4 d·10a^-1. Correlation analysis indicated that maize phenology was significantly correlated with average temperature, precipitation, sunshine duration and growing degree days (GDD) (p<0.01). Average temperature had significant negative correlation relationship, while precipitation, sunshine duration and growing degree days had significant positive correlations with maize phenology. Sensitivity analysis indicated that maize phenology showed different responses to variations in key climate factors, especially at different sites. The conclusions of this research could provide scientific supports for agricultural adaptation to climate change to address the global food security issue.     

The ethnocultural component of tourism development in the Altai Republic

A characterization is provided for the recreation resources of the Altai Republic. The diversity of the national-ethnical composition of the population of the Altai Republic is determined as well as analyzing the spatial distribution of the ethnoses on its territory. The coefficients of ethnical diversity are calculated for all administrative districts. The territories with a different level of ethnical diversity and a different combination of ethnical groups are determined. The study revealed a connection of ethnical diversity and natural conditions of the territory and the concentration of separate ethnoses in definite landscapes. A characterization is provided for the ethnocultural tourism and recreation resources of the Altai Republic within the context of administrative districts. Information is provided concerning the territorial distribution of separate ethnical groups, traditional kinds of their nature management, religion, main national dishes, elements of national costume, national festivities and rites, etc. An analysis of the spatial distribution of the ethnocultural recreation resources identified promising clusters (nodes) or destinations for the arrangement of special ethnocultural tourist routes. Schematic maps are provided, which display the ethnical diversity in the districts of the region, and promising districts for the organization of ethnocultural tourist routes.     

Accommodation of ecological and economic interests in placer gold mining

An attempt is made to find the answer to the question as to why the measures of the environmental institutions of Russia are ineffective for the avoidance and prevention of the degradation of aquatic ecosystems in placer gold mining. It is established that the size of payments to be made by companies engaged in placer gold mining are such that they almost cannot stimulate any nature conservation initiatives. Moreover, they even cannot be the argument for observance of environmental legislation. It is shown that the high transaction costs borne by the State, with minor expenditures of nature resource users connected with the protection of environmental natural systems fail to achieve the objectives imposed upon the supervising institutions. It is established that local authorities are directly interested in increasing placer gold mining as well as in gaining the loyalty of artels implying registration of the enterprise in this region, because these tax proceeds are exceptionally important for municipal formations facing a chronic financial deficit, a budgetary uncertainty and a dependence on regional and federal subsidies and transfers. Finance flows were calculated and analyzed to show that a very important problem for Russia’s eastern regions that involves reconciling the economic and ecological interests in placer gold mining is not resolved through “cosmetic changes” in organs of state supervision. It is concluded that there is a need for new institutional solutions in order to create and increase incentives for users of mineral resources and local authorities for observance of environmental regulations, the preservation and restoration of disturbed ecosystems, and for the ecologization of production processes.     

A spatial analysis of factors relating to family planning in Thailand

This paper focuses on whether there is an organized structural pattern in the spatial distribution of oral contraceptive usage in rural Thailand and, if so, how this spatial pattern is linked to other related socioeconomic variables. The data concern the year 1975. The results suggest that the location of the health services infrastructure seems to have the most significant effect on the differences in level of oral contraceptive use observed.     

A note on the chemical composition of lake water in the Laguna Amarga,a saline lake in Patagonia,Chile

The chemical composition of lake water in Laguna Amarga, a small, shallow, saline lake near the Torres del Paine National Park (at 51°S), Chilean Patagonia, was studied in January, 1993. The water was strongly alkaline (pH 9.4) conductivity was 71.4 mS cm^–1, and salinity was 77 g L^–1. The major ions were sodium and sulphate.     

Listric extensional fault systems - results of analogue model experiments

Abstract Analogue models are a powerful tool for investigating progressive deformation in extensional fault systems. This paper presents exciting new insights into the progressive evolution of hanging wall structures in listric extensional terranes. Analogue models, scaled to simulate deformation in a sedimentary sequence, were constructed for simple listric and ramp/flat listric extensional detachments. For each detachment geometry homogeneous sand, sand/mica and sand/clay models were used to simulate respectively, deformation of isotropic sediments, of anisotropic sediments and of sedimentary sequences with competency contrasts. Roll-over anticlines with geometrically necessary crestal collapse graben structures are characteristic of the steepening-upwards segments of listric extensional fault systems in all of our models. With progressive deformation, crestal collapse grabens show hanging wall nucleation of new faults. Variations in graben size, amount of fault rotation and throw, are dependent on detachment curvature and amount of extension. Individual faults and associated fault blocks may significantly change shape during extension. Complex and apparently conjugate fault arrays are the result of superposition of successive crestal collapse grabens. Ramp/flat listric extensional fault systems are characterized by a roll-over anticline and a crestal collapse graben system associated with each steepening-upwards segment of the detachment and a ramp zone consisting of a hanging wall syncline and a complex deformation zone with local reverse faults. The roll-over anticlines and crestal collapse graben are similar in geometry to those formed in simple listric extensional systems. The models demonstrate that the geometry of the detachments exerts a fundamental control on the evolution of hanging wall structures. Analysis of particle displacement paths for these experiments provides new insights into the mechanical development of roll-over anticlines. Two general models for deformation above simple listric and ramp/flat listric extensional detachments have been erected.     

Tracking embodied carbon flows in the Belt and Road regions

In the past few decades, economic globalization has driven rapid growth of cross-border trade and a new international division of labor, leading to increasing inter- country embodied carbon flows. Multi-region input-output (MRIO) analysis is used to identify embodied carbon flows between major world regions, including seven regions along the Belt and Road (BR), and the spatial distribution of production- and consumption-based carbon intensities. The results show that current embodied carbon flows are virtually all from BR regions to developed countries, with more than 95% of world net embodied carbon exports coming from BR regions. Consumption in the United States and European Union countries induce about 30% of the carbon emissions in most BR regions, indicating that the former bear a high proportion of consumers’ responsibility for the carbon emitted in the latter. For this reason, measuring environmental responsibilities from consumption rather than a production- based perspective is more equitable, while developing countries should be given a louder voice in the construction through dialogue and cooperation, in part in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative, of an inclusive global climate governance system.