Some Aspects of Resource Uncertainty and Their Economic Consequences in Assessment of the 1002 Area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Natural Resources Research - Exploration ventures in frontier areas have high risks. Before committing to them, firms prepare regional resource assessments to evaluate the potential payoffs. With...     

Competitive Adjustment and Advancement in Global Commodity Chains II: The Case of the Singapore Garment Industry

This is the second part of a contribution to the debate on the possibilities of leveraging economic globalisation — through incorporation in international production networks and global commodity chains (GCCs) — as a strategy for developing countries to industrialise and advance their position in the world economy. In the first part, we analysed the experience of the East Asian apparel industry and addressed the issues of sustaining positions, upgrading to more rewarding roles, and advancing to less dependent positions within production networks and GCCs. We developed an analytical framework at both the firm and industry levels, and subsequently identified alternative firm- and industry-level strategies and trajectories. The present paper deals with these issues in the context of the Singapore apparel industry. Based on extensive empirical research, we demonstrate that although the East Asian experience of upgrading and repositioning within the GCC is to some extent emulated in the case of the Singapore apparel industry, the outcomes have been less favourable in terms of the depth, extent and strength of these trajectories. The differing outcomes can be explained in terms of different (systemic) conditions in the Singapore business environment, including the agency of local players, the geography of sourcing networks, and the role of the state and prevailing business attitudes. Our conclusions merit continued attention in both research and policy circles on the development of capabilities at the firm level, and the role of local business and institutional environments in local industry development processes under globalisation.     

Modeling the relationship of land use change and some geophysical indicators for the interlock area of farming and pasturing in China

This paper discusses land-use changes in the interlock area of farming and pasturing (IAFP)in northern China. It presents detailed analyses of land-use features in the IAFP, which are controlled by the macro geomorphic units and geophysical conditions-constraints or advantages. Additionally, it selects some indicators, according to the availability in acquiring and processing their quantitative data, to analyze the canonical correlations between the typical conversion of grassland and geophysical conditions. The preliminary study indicates that the physical conditions are of great advantages to the development of grassland. There exists significant correlation between land use change and some geophysical conditions.     

Promoting social justice and conserving montane forest environments: a case study of Nepal's community forestry programme

This paper analyses participatory forest policy and the ways it has influenced the relationships between people as it relates to the forest resource management. This case study was conducted in the middle hills of Nepal, and information was collected through direct observation, individual interviews, group discussion and secondary information analysis. It substantiates a few examples of how the community forestry programme can be used as a means to promote the participation of the women, the poor and dalit (untouchables) in forest resource management, as well as enhancing social justice and improving the forest resources in their locality. However, it also demonstrates that though the community forestry programme has a positive impact, it faces several constraints and challenges. The local Forest User Group is controlled by a few élites making the poor and disadvantaged vulnerable to further marginalization. The results of the case study strongly indicate that community forestry processes must address the political, economic and social needs of the forest users, and also provide a neutral platform on which the poor can present their cases.     

Alpine medicinal plant trade and Himalayan mountain livelihood strategies

Commercial alpine medicinal plants are collected from the wild by local rural households throughout the Himalaya and sold in order to increase household incomes. Recent studies indicate that this annual trade amounts to thousands of tonnes of roots, rhizomes, tubers, leaves, etc., worth millions of US dollars. The main market is in India. Based on a national survey, including the most commonly traded species, and a village study this paper investigates the importance of the alpine medicinal plant trade at national and local levels in Nepal. The national survey included standardized open-ended interviews with 232 harvesters, 64 local traders, 66 central wholesalers, 47 regional wholesalers, and 16 production companies. The village survey is based on the daily records of household activities in 15 households in a one-year period. The annual Nepalese alpine and sub-alpine medicinal plant trade is conservatively estimated to vary from 480 to 2500 t with a total harvester value of US$0.8–3.3 million; the average harvester value is estimated at US$66.0 ± 99.0. The trade in 1997/98 amounted to 1600 t with a harvester value of US$2.3 million and an export value equivalent to 2.5% of total export from Nepal. Medicinal plant harvesting was found to constitute an integrated part of local livelihood strategies, contributing from 3 to 44% (average of 12%) of the annual household income. Importance at household level depended on land and animal holdings, and the availability of adult male labour. The validity and reliability of methods and analyses is evaluated, and issues of conservation and management of alpine medicinal plant species under the community forestry scheme are discussed.     

近、现代黄河三角洲地貌形态反演

1855年黄河改夺大清河河道后于山东利津县东北入海。至今黄河尾癌河道历经10次大的改道变迁，塑造了近、现代黄河三角洲，形成了7个主要的亚三洲堆积体。该文利用黄河尾癌河道改道资料，近、现代河口流路变迁图，近、现代黄河三角洲体系图以及1985－1986年的水文工程地质钻孔资料，在研究黄河三角洲沉积模式的基础上，对工程地质钻孔数据进行沉积层序分析，将今论古，反推近、现代黄河三角洲沉积地貌，研究结果近似展示了近、现代黄河三角洲二维平面的发育演变和其时其地的地貌形态。     

城市基准地价评估的容积率内涵及其修正系数的确定--以石家庄市为例

基淮地价评估是当前城市地价评估的主要形式。容积率既反映了土地的利用状况，同时也是影响地价的主要因素之一。该文阐述了容积率内涵，分析容积率与地价、环境的关系，探讨合理容积率的确定，以石家庄市为例，探索容积率修正系数确定的正确途径，避免在容积率概念、修正系数等问题上产生混淆。     

基于树结构的数字遥感图像存储方法与应用

数字遥感图像一般是采用栅格结构来存储。图像中地物的结构特征是隐含其中的。该文从图像识别角度，重点研究了基于树结构的数字遥感图像存储方法。这种方法与遥感中常用的四又树等存储方法不同，它注重图像中地物本身的结构特征。通过树结构使像元按地物目标形成一个个的组合体。该文以机场跑道识别为例，介绍了基于树结构的数字遥感图像存储方法的应用以及将图像变为树的算法。     

三种地统计学图像纹理用于遥感图像分类的比较

该文运用LANDSAT TM数据对三种地统计学纹理量测方法用于图像分类的性能进行了比较和分析。研究发现，基于绝对值变差函数的纹理具有更好的性能。经典的变差函数和基于方根的变差函数的性能依赖于提取纹理时所用的窗口大小。