From agriculture to nature – a study of drivers of land use change in a peri-urban landscape

In this article, we investigate drivers behind land use changes in a peri-urban landscape. The research focuses on the motives and factors behind landowners’ decision-making in relation to land use changes, with the objective of improving our knowledge of the dynamics of land use change processes on farmland. An actor-centred conceptual framework is developed on the basis of the concept of lenses of decision-making. Data on farm and farmer characteristics were collected through a survey conducted in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark, a peri-urban landscape with a high level of landscape dynamics. A logistic regression analysis was used to analyse the relationship between nine purposively selected farm and farmer characteristics and the landscape activities of 93 landowners in the municipality. The results indicate that small farms, farms without livestock and landowners with a basic level of education are less likely to engage in landscape activities. A cluster analysis was used to analyse patterns of motives associated with land use changes. The results correspond with the intrinsic interests and family considerations suggested in the lenses of the decision-making framework, and in addition shows that the desire to improve the qualities of the property was the dominant motive.     

STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FORSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN URBANIZATION PROCESS IN CHINA

This paper reviewed the development of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in China, expounded its functions and regional characteristics, and discussed the targets of SEA in the process of urbanization,and the main assessment indicators, procedures, techniques and methodologies of SEA. It concluded that SEA could be improved by the following recommendations: incorporating SEA in decision-making process, selecting experimental units for SEA trial run, and developing strategic evaluation tools and techniques. SEA can provide appropriate and up-to-date information on the impact of human activity on environment in the process of urbanization, and develop a plan of action targeting implementation of intervention for the rehabilitation and preservation of the ecological stability of a city. Therefore, SEA can be a supporting tool for decision-making toward achieving sustainable development.     

对研制云南山地水土流失动态监测系统的初步尝试

采用基于3S技术的定量遥感方法，对1998年和1999年金沙江一级支流龙川江上游小流域进行了水土流失动态监测和防治决策分析。结果表明，1999年为涝年，侵蚀总量高达869008.97t，强度及其以上侵蚀级别的侵蚀量占总量的86．39％，侵蚀模数平均为7703.87t/km^2。1998年为旱年，流失情况较1999年的轻微。1999年中度及其以上侵蚀级别的侵蚀面积占流失总面积的32．41％，而1998年只占26．09％。1999年需要治理和急需治理的面积占侵蚀总面积的15．45％和0．82％，而998年的治理面积较低。本研究采用的技术在国内具有先进性和快速，准确，经济等优点，在云南山地有广阔的运用推广前景。     

Exploring differences of visual attention in pedestrian navigation when using 2D maps and 3D geo-browsers

ABSTRACT

Despite the now-ubiquitous two-dimensional (2D) electronic maps, three-dimensional (3D) globe viewers, or 3D geo-browsers such as Google Earth and NASA World Wind have gained much attention. However, the effect of such interactive 3D geo-browsers on spatial knowledge acquisition and decision-making is not well known. This study aims to explore the potential benefits of using interactive 3D geo-browsers in three processes of pedestrian navigation (self-localization, spatial knowledge acquisition, and decision-making) in digital environments. We employed eye tracking to show differences of visual attention in pedestrian navigation between a 2D map (Google Map) and a 3D geo-browser (Google Earth). The results indicated that benefits and drawbacks of 3D representations are task dependent. Participants using the 3D geo-browser had an extensively visual search resulting in significantly longer response time than the 2D participants for spatial knowledge acquisition, whereas 3D users performed a more efficient visual search and resulted in a better navigation performance at complex decision points. We speculate that the inefficient knowledge acquisition when using the 3D geo-browser was most probably due to information overload and obstructed views. Landmarks in photorealistic 3D models assisted recall of spatial knowledge from mental maps, which contributed to efficient decision-making at a complex turning point. These empirical results can be helpful to improve the usability of pedestrian navigation systems.     

空间数据挖掘技术及其在数字矿山中的应用

随着数字矿山的不断深入与开展,矿区的历史与现实数据量会越积累越多,数据处理会越困难。如何及时有效地分析处理这些海量数据,从这些数据背后挖掘出隐藏着的重要信息,为矿区的安全生产起到决策与支持作用,数据挖掘也就应运而生。本文就是在分析空间数据挖掘的基本方法的基础上,针对矿区错综复杂的大量数据及需要解决的问题,对空间数据挖掘技术应用于矿山作了探讨。     

对广东省地震工作若干问题的思考

广东省的地震工作如何适应经济发展和对外开放的新形势?本文认为:经济愈发展愈开放,就愈要加强防灾意识强化防灾措施;调整工作重心,从抓单一的地震监测预报调整到以监测预报为基础的地震综合预防;调整管理体制,强化政府管理职能,实行政、事分开;改善地震事业经费来源,国家提供“干活”经费,地方政府负责解决“吃饭”经费;诱发内部改革,扩大对外开发、增加事业发展活力和后劲;扩大与南中国海周边国家及港、澳、台地区的地震科技交流和合作、努力拓展工程地震市场、促进地震事业发展。     

Group Decision Making-Based Fuzzy Pattern Recognition Model for Lectotype Optimization of Offshore Platforms

This paper develops a fuzzy pattern recognition model for group decision making to solve the problem of lectotype optimization of offshore platforms. The lack of data and the inexact or incomplete information for criteria are the main cause of uncertainty in the evaluation process, therefore it is necessary to integrate the judgments from different decision makers with different experience, knowledge and preference. This paper first uses a complementary principle-based pairwise comparison method to obtain the subjective weight of the criteria from each decision maker. A fuzzy pattern recognition model is then developed to integrate the judgments from all the decision makers and the information from the criteria, under the supervision of the subjective weights. Finally a case study is given to show the efficiency and robustness of the proposed model.     

Fuzzy evaluation of powered support suitability to coal seams

Summary The selection of powered supports involves many geological factors where adequate data is lacking and in which subjective judgement is inevitable. This paper proposes one approach, a fuzzy multicriteria decision-making model, to transfer non-quantitative judgements into quantitative ones that computers can process. A detailed example is included to demonstrate how the model applied to evaluating the suitability of powered supports to coal seams.     

Visualisation and evaluation of flood uncertainties based on ensemble modelling

This study evaluates how users incorporate visualisation of flood uncertainty information in decision-making. An experiment was conducted where participants were given the task to decide building locations, taking into account homeowners’ preferences as well as dilemmas imposed by flood risks at the site. Two general types of visualisations for presenting uncertainties from ensemble modelling were evaluated: (1) uncertainty maps, which used aggregated ensemble results; and (2) performance bars showing all individual simulation outputs from the ensemble. Both were supplemented with either two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) contextual information, to give an overview of the area.

The results showed that the type of uncertainty visualisation was highly influential on users’ decisions, whereas the representation of the contextual information (2D or 3D) was not. Visualisation with performance bars was more intuitive and effective for the task performed than the uncertainty map. It clearly affected users’ decisions in avoiding certain-to-be-flooded areas. Patterns to which the distances were decided from the homeowners’ preferred positions and the uncertainties were similar, when the 2D and 3D map models were used side by side with the uncertainty map. On the other hand, contextual information affected the time to solve the task. With the 3D map, it took the participants longer time to decide the locations, compared with the other combinations using the 2D model.

Designing the visualisation so as to provide more detailed information made respondents avoid dangerous decisions. This has also led to less variation in their overall responses.