Optimising three-band spectral indices to assess aerial N concentration,N uptake and aboveground biomass of winter wheat remotely in China and Germany

Remotely and accurately quantifying the canopy nitrogen status in crops is essential for regional studies of N budgets and N balances. In this study, we optimised three-band spectral algorithms to estimate the N status of winter wheat. This study extends previous work to optimise the band combinations further and identifies the optimised central bands and suitable bandwidths of the three-band nitrogen planar domain index (NPDI) for estimating the aerial N uptake, N concentration and aboveground biomass. Analysis of the influence of bandwidth change on the accuracy of estimating the canopy N status and aboveground biomass indicated that the suitable bandwidths for optimised central bands were 37 nm at 846 nm, 13 nm at 738 nm and 57 nm at 560 nm for assessing the aerial N uptake and were 37 nm at 958 nm, 21 nm at 696 nm and 73 nm at 578 nm for the assessment of the aerial N concentration and were 49 nm at 806 nm, 17 nm at 738 nm and 57 nm at 560 nm for the estimation of aboveground biomass. The optimised three-band NPDI could consistently and stably estimate the aerial N uptake and aboveground biomass of winter wheat in the vegetative stage and the aerial N concentration in the reproductive stage compared to the fixed band combinations. With suitable bandwidths, the broadband NPDI demonstrated excellent performance in estimating the aerial N concentration, N uptake and biomass. We conclude that the band-optimised algorithm represents a promising tool to measure the improved performance of the NPDI in estimating the aerial N uptake and biomass in the vegetative stage and the aerial N concentration in the reproductive stage, which will be useful for designing improved nitrogen diagnosis systems and for enhancing the applications of ground- and satellite-based sensors.     

Combining European Earth Observation products with Dynamic Global Vegetation Models for estimating Essential Biodiversity Variables

ABSTRACT

Global, fast and accessible monitoring of biodiversity is one of the main pillars of the efforts undertaken in order to revert it loss. The Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO-BON) provided an expert-based definition of the biological properties that should be monitored, the Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs). Initiatives to provide indicators for EBVs rely on global, freely available remote sensing (RS) products in combination with empirical models and field data, and are invaluable for decision making. In this study, we provide alternatives for the expansion and improvement of the EBV indicators, by suggesting current and future data from the European Space Agencýs COPERNICUS and explore the potential of RS-integrated Dynamic Global Vegetation Models (DGVMs) for the estimation of EBVs. Our review found that mainly due to the inclusion of the Sentinel constellation, Copernicus products have similar or superior potential for EBV indicator estimation in relation to their NASA counterparts. DGVMs simulate the ecosystem level EBVs (ecosystem function and structure), and when integrated with remote sensing data have great potential to not only offer improved estimation of current states but to provide projection of ecosystem impacts. We suggest that focus on producing EBV relevant outputs should be a priority within the research community, to support biodiversity preservation efforts.     

Modelling the effects of land‐use change on water and salt delivery from a catchment affected by dryland salinity in south‐east Australia

A comprehensive framework for the assessment of water and salt balance for large catchments affected by dryland salinity is applied to the Boorowa River catchment (1550 km²), located in south‐eastern Australia. The framework comprised two models, each focusing on a different aspect and operating on a different scale. A quasi‐physical semi‐distributed model CATSALT was used to estimate runoff and salt fluxes from different source areas within the catchment. The effects of land use, climate, topography, soils and geology are included. A groundwater model FLOWTUBE was used to estimate the long‐term effects of land‐use change on groundwater discharge. Unlike conventional salinity studies that focus on groundwater alone, this study makes use of a new approach to explore surface and groundwater interactions with salt stores and the stream. Land‐use change scenarios based on increased perennial pasture and tree‐cover content of the vegetation, aimed at high leakage and saline discharge areas, are investigated. Likely downstream impacts of the reduction in flow and salt export are estimated. The water balance model was able to simulate both the daily observed stream flow and salt load at the catchment outlet for high and low flow conditions satisfactorily. Mean leakage rate of about 23·2 mm year^?1 under current land use for the Boorowa catchment was estimated. The corresponding mean runoff and salt export from the catchment were 89 382 ML year^?1 and 38 938 t year^?1, respectively. Investigation of various land‐use change scenarios indicates that changing annual pastures and cropping areas to perennial pastures is not likely to result in substantial improvement of water quality in the Boorowa River. A land‐use change of about 20% tree‐cover, specifically targeting high recharge and the saline discharge areas, would be needed to decrease stream salinity by 150 µS cm^?1 from its current level. Stream salinity reductions of about 20 µS cm^?1 in the main Lachlan River downstream of the confluence of the Boorowa River is predicted. The FLOWTUBE modelling within the Boorowa River catchment indicated that discharge areas under increased recharge conditions could re‐equilibrate in around 20 years for the catchment, and around 15 years for individual hillslopes. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

黄土高原表土花粉与植被覆盖度定量模型的建立及应用

黄土高原是一个气候变化敏感区,亦是一个生态环境脆弱区,更是我国人口-资源-环境矛盾最为集中的区域之一。因此,构建适合于黄土高原表土花粉与植被覆盖度定量模型对了解过去植被覆盖度的演变以及人与环境之间的关系具有重要意义。本工作基于黄土高原443个表土花粉数据和2000~2015年的归一化植被指数（NDVI）,采用逐步回归法（Stepwise）、增长回归树法（BRT）、局部加权加权平均法（LWWA）、加权平均偏最小二乘法（WA-PLS）和最佳类比法（MAT）,结合植被覆盖度（FVC）和年均降水量（MAP）、年均气温（Tann）、1月月均温（T1）、7月月均温（T7）、有效湿度（MAP/ET0）这5个气象要素数据,构建表土花粉与植被覆盖度定量模型;通过普通检验、留一交叉检验（LOO）、自助法检验（Bootstrap）和检验空间自相关性的h-block检验方法对定量模型进行检验,进而筛选出最优模型;最后,利用31个全新世地层花粉数据重建黄土高原过去植被覆盖度,探讨其变化特征。结果表明：1）FVC、MAP、T1、T7和MAP/ET0是黄土高原环境变化的5个重要因子,其中,FVC的第一排序轴特征值/第二排序轴特征值（λ1/λ2）最大（0.47）,单一解释变量最高（8.75）,其与花粉组合的相关性最强（0.66）,可用于构建表土花粉与植被覆盖度定量模型;2）采用Stepwise、BRT、LWWA、WA-PLS和MAT这5种方法分别建立表土花粉-植被覆盖度定量模型,根据观测值与预测值的决定系数（R²）、最大偏差（Max.bias）和预测均方根误差（REMSP）评估构建的模型,结果显示BRT模型表现更优,可用于黄土高原过去植被覆盖度的定量重建;3）全新世FVC重建结果显示,早、中全新世黄土高原FVC较高,其中7.0 cal.ka B.P.时达到峰值（平均值为0.68）;但自4.0 cal.ka B.P.开始,植被覆盖度下降,特别是3.0~2.0 cal.ka B.P.下降明显,平均值低于0.30。通过与研究区内其他气候指标和人类活动强度指标的对比,认为早、中全新世黄土高原植被覆盖度的变化主要受自然气候变化的影响,而晚全新世以来FVC的减少可能更多地与人类活动强度增加有关。

     

半干旱区植被覆盖度对边界层气候热力影响的数值模拟

在陆－气相互作用的中小尺度系统研究中，水平非均匀下垫面的强迫作用是主要的物理过程。本文利用能量闭合二维陆面过程与大气边界层耦合模式，研究了我国西北半干旱地区（３８°Ｎ，１０５°Ｅ）夏季下垫面物理特征的变化对区域边界层气候的影响。结果表明：土壤湿度、植被覆盖度对局地环流和区域边界层气候的形成起着决定性的作用。模拟结果揭示了在半干旱地区大面积植树造林、提高植被覆盖度，可涵养土壤水分，改善局地生态环境，是人工持续改造干旱、半干旱荒漠地区局地气候的重要途径。     

Raindrop impact and water flow on the vegetative surfaces of trees and the effects on stemflow and throughfall generation

The physical processes of raindrop impact and water flow on the leaves and branches of selected tropical tree species were examined under laboratory conditions using simulated rainfall. Inclined branches were found to be particularly efficient in detaining impacting water droplets. This efficiency in raindrop detention increases linearly as a function of branch inclination on branches that are initially dry. On branches that have been thoroughly wetted, this increase in raindrop detention with branch inclination is best expressed as a logarithmic function. At branch inclinations of 60° above the horizontal, the quantity of branchflow was found to be > 80 per cent of the total quantity of impacting rainfall, indicating that < 20 per cent was lost to rainsplash. The strong positive relationship between branchflow and branch inclination explains why trees with large projected areas of steeply inclined upthrust branches have significant quantities of intercepted water draining from their branches and trunks under heavy rainfall conditions. This drainage from the woody frame of trees influences surficial processes by generating both stemflow and large throughfall droplets.     

Damage response of multistorey r/c buildings with different structural systems subjected to seismic motion of arbitrary orientation

In the present study the combined influence of seismic orientation and a number of parameters characterizing the structural system of Reinforced Concrete (R/C) buildings on the level of expected damages are examined. For the purposes of the above investigation eight medium‐rise buildings are designed on the basis of the current seismic codes. The structural characteristics examined are the ratio of the base shear received by the structural walls, the ratio of horizontal stiffness in two orthogonal directions and the structural eccentricity. Then, the buildings are analyzed by nonlinear time response analysis using 100 bidirectional earthquake ground motions. The two horizontal accelerograms of each ground motion are applied along horizontal orthogonal axes, forming 72 different angles with the structural axes. The structural damage is expressed in terms of the Park and Ang damage index. The results of the analyses revealed that the damage level of the buildings is strongly affected by the incident angle of the ground motion. The extent at which the orientation of the seismic records influences the damage response depends on the structural system and the distance of the record to the fault rupture. As a consequence, the common practice of applying the earthquake records along the structural axes can lead to significant underestimation of structural damage. Also, it was shown that the structural eccentricity can significantly differentiate the seismic damage level, as well as the impact of the earthquake orientation on the structural damage. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

FR－Ⅰ和FR－Ⅱ型射电源的关系—谱特征

本文比较了两类射电源ＦＲ－Ⅰ和ＦＲ－Ⅱ型的射电－光学—Ｘ－ｒａｙ的谱特征。ＦＲ－Ⅰ射电源的射电－光学谱比ＦＲ－Ⅱ射电源平得多（△αｒｏ≈０．１９）；但对于光学－Ｘ－ｒａｙ和射电－Ｘ－ｒａｙ谱，ＦＲ－Ⅰ却比ＦＲ－Ⅱ陡得多（△αｏｘ≈０．４０；△αｒｘ≈０．１０）。初步结果表明，ＦＲ－Ⅱ（Ｇ）可能是ＦＲ－Ⅱ（Ｑ）向ＦＲ－Ⅰ过渡的中间状态。     

太阳活动预报中的模糊识别综合指数

在太阳活动预报中,预报因子的选取和处理对预报效果影响甚大。本文在云台原有的平均综合指数基础上,运用模糊识别方法,给出了一种模糊识别综合指数,它能更好地表征太阳日面活动区的活动特征。这种方法简单、方便,较充分地利用了预报因子中所含有的有用信息,从而使识别预报率有所提高。