A multidisciplinary multi-scale framework for assessing vulnerabilities to global change

Terrestrial ecosystems provide a number of vital services for people and society, such as food, fibre, water resources, carbon sequestration, and recreation. The future capability of ecosystems to provide these services is determined by changes in socio-economic factors, land use, atmospheric composition, and climate. Most impact assessments do not quantify the vulnerability of ecosystems and ecosystem services under such environmental change. They cannot answer important policy-relevant questions such as 'Which are the main regions or sectors that are most vulnerable to global change?’ 'How do the vulnerabilities of two regions compare?’ 'Which scenario is the least harmful for a sector?’This paper describes a new approach to vulnerability assessment developed by the Advanced Terrestrial Ecosystem Analysis and Modelling (ATEAM) project. Different ecosystem models, covering biodiversity, agriculture, forestry, hydrology, and carbon sequestration are fed with the same Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios based on the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES). Each model gives insights into specific ecosystems, as in traditional impact assessments. Moreover, by integrating the results in a vulnerability assessment, the policy-relevant questions listed above can also be addressed. A statistically derived European environmental stratification forms a key element in the vulnerability assessment. By linking it to other quantitative environmental stratifications, comparisons can be made using data from different assessments and spatial scales.     

Analysis and classification of hyperspectral data for mapping land degradation: An application in southern Spain

Desertification is a severe stage of land degradation, manifested by “desert-like” conditions in dryland areas. Climatic conditions together with geomorphologic processes help to mould desert-like soil surface features in arid zones. The identification of these soil features serves as a useful input for understanding the desertification process and land degradation as a whole. In the present study, imaging spectrometer data were used to detect and map desert-like surface features. Absorption feature parameters in the spectral region between 0.4 and 2.5 μm wavelengths were analysed and correlated with soil properties, such as soil colour, soil salinity, gypsum content, etc. Soil groupings were made based on their similarities and their spectral reflectance curves were studied. Distinct differences in the reflectance curves throughout the spectrum were exhibited between groups. Although the samples belonging to the same group shared common properties, the curves still showed differences within the same group.Characteristic reflectance curves of soil surface features were derived from spectral measurements both in the field and in the laboratory, and mean reflectance values derived from image pixels representing known features. Linear unmixing and spectral angle matching techniques were applied to assess their suitability in mapping surface features for land degradation studies. The study showed that linear unmixing provided more realistic results for mapping “desert-like” surface features than the spectral angle matching technique.     

甘肃东海金矿地质特征及成因探讨

文章阐述了东海金矿地层，构造，侵入岩，矿体特征，围岩蚀变及矿床硫，铅同位素特征，指出了矿体受控于构造和华力西中晚期酸性侵入岩，总结了矿化富集规律，认为该矿床具有多因复成矿床之“五多”之特点。     

可持续发展评估指标、方法及应用研究

可持续发展评估指标及方法研究是可持续发展定量评估研究的基础,是实施可持续发展管理的依据,是生态经济学与可持续发展研究的前沿领域和热点问题之一. 在概括介绍可持续发展评估的工具--指标/指数的概念和功能、国际上代表性可持续发展研究机构指标选取的原则的基础上,全面分析归纳了可持续发展指标(体系)的类型及其框架模式. 详细介绍了联合国可持续发展委员会(UNCSD)、经济合作与发展组织(OECD)、世界保护同盟(IUCN)、世界银行等国际上代表性机构的可持续发展系统性指标体系的最新研究进展,并分析了这些系统性指标体系的优缺点. 深入分析了国际上典型的社会发展类、经济发展类、生态环境类可持续发展指标(指数)的研究、开发与实际评估应用的情况. 最后,总结了当前可持续发展指标(体系)研究的特点与趋势.     

基于栅格空间信息定量化的湖南西部地区生态环境综合评价

以湖南西部地区为研究区域,采用遥感影像作为主要数据源,针对区域主要生态问题,利用栅格数据结构为主的数字环境模型,建立了生态环境质量综合评价模型. 对区域生态环境质量的空间分异格局进行了研究,通过将评价结果与数字高程模型迭加分析,研究了生态环境质量的垂直地带性分布规律,探索适合以山高坡陡为主要地貌特征的山区生态评价方法,结果显示,湖南西部地区生态环境综合指数呈正态分布,大部分地区环境质量属一般. 总体环境状况东南部好于西北部,河谷盆地优于山地. 研究表明,利用遥感和地理信息系统技术进行区域生态环境评价,具有数据采集快速、客观,评价和制图自动化,评价结果空间定位精度高,直观性与实用性强等优点.     

四平地区生态地质环境的研究

通过对四平地区生态地质环境的调查，对该区水、土壤、大气、区域稳定性、生态资源、地层条件、放射性、矿藏、地方病、旅游地质及垃圾等进行环境现状综合评价。利用ISODATA模糊聚类分析法对该区的生态地质环境质量进行了分区。并利用面积加权法计算出该区的生态地质环境质量评价结果为中上等水平。     

成像雷达干涉测量数据相关性与干旱-半干旱地区地表类型特征的关系

利用欧洲资源卫星1号和2号获取的重轨干涉测量雷达数据，首先进行干涉测量数据相关性估测，并结合干涉测量数据的振幅信息，开展新疆喀什试验区地表土地类型的识别与分类，区分和识别出裸土、盐碱地、灌丛、裸岩/戈壁、沼泽和水体 6类土地类型。最后通过对不同土地类型的后向散射特性和相关性的分析，探讨了干涉测量数据相关性与干旱-半干旱地区地表特征的关系。     

An Agricultural Land Resource Assessment Study Based on GIS—An Example from Guiyang City

This paper assesses the agricultural land resources of Guiyang City by means of GIS,on the basis of the pressure-state-response model in which soil heavy metal contamination is selected as a pressure indicatror.he results suggest that most of the agricultural land resources are of good quality,However,there are 17.11km^2 dry land and paddy field,which belong to the region of serious heavy metal contamination and are not fit for planting crops.At the same time,the high quality plowland,which is suitable for cultivation,has decreased nearly by 1/3 due to soil heavy metal contamination.These findings may improve our understanding that it is very important to prevent and cure heavy metal contamination of Guiyang City.     

Seismic Hazard for Selected Sites in Greece: A Bayesian Estimate of Seismic Peak Ground Acceleration

A procedure for estimating maximum values of seismic peak ground accelerationat the examined site and quantiles of its probabilistic distribution in a future timeinterval of a given length is considered. The input information for the method areseismic catalog and regression relation between peak seismic acceleration at a givenpoint and magnitude and distance from the site to epicenter (seismic attenuation law).The method is based on Bayesian approach, which simply accounts for influenceof uncertainties of seismic acceleration values. The main assumptions for the method are Poissonian character of seismic events flow and distribution law of Gutenberg-Richter's type. The method is applied to seismic hazard estimation in six selected sitesin Greece.     

The Mount Parnitha (Athens) Earthquake of September 7, 1999: A Disaster Management Perspective

Natural Hazards - Strong earthquakes in the proximity of densely inhabited urban areas pose one ofthe most complicated disaster management situations faced by societies today. Herethe experience...