Evaluating sustainability transitions pathways: Bridging analytical approaches to address governance challenges

The paper sets out a proposal for bridging and linking three approaches to the analysis of transitions to sustainable and low-carbon societies: quantitative systems modelling; socio-technical transition analysis; and initiative-based learning. We argue that each of these approaches presents a partial and incomplete picture, which has implications for the quality and usefulness of the insights they can deliver for policy and practice. A framework for bridging these different approaches promises to enrich each of the approaches, while providing the basis for a more robust and complete analysis of sustainable transitions pathways that serves better to address questions and dilemmas faced by decision-makers and practitioners. We elaborate five key challenges for the analysis and governance of transitions pathways, and compare the three approaches in relation to each of these. We suggest an integration strategy based on alignment, bridging, and iteration, arguing that a structured dialogue between practitioners of different approaches is needed. In practical terms, such a dialogue would be organised around three areas of joint knowledge production: defining common analytical or governance problems to be tackled through integration; establishing shared concepts (boundary objects); and establishing operational bridging devices (data and metrics, pathways evaluation and their delivery). Such processes could include experts and societal partners. We draw conclusions about future research perspectives and the role of analysis in transitions governance.     

长沙市商务办公空间集聚特征及其影响因素

以长沙市为研究对象,基于兴趣点（POI）数据,运用标准差椭圆分析、Getis-Ord G_i^*指数等方法识别长沙市商务办公空间结构,并借助地理加权回归分析方法探究城市空间因子对商务办公空间格局影响的空间异质性特征。结果表明：1）长沙市商务办公空间已形成“多中心”的集聚形态,呈现“一主一副两带多组团”结构,形成以湘江以东的芙蓉广场为主中心,以长沙火车站为副中心的中央商务区,湘江以西暂未形成副商务区。2）商务办公空间集聚的主导影响因素是商业空间中的购物服务、酒店等;交通条件次之,平均影响程度依次为：公交＞主干道＞对外交通＞地铁;休闲、居住职能空间中除公园绿地的正向推动作用仅次于主干道外,其余因素均较弱,其中风景名胜和住宅区的整体抑制作用明显。3）各因素总体表征为“中心―外围”的圈层影响模式,商业空间、主干道、地铁、公园绿地在中心圈层推动作用较大,影响强度与距中心的距离成反比;在外围圈层受住宅区、公交吸引形成商务办公空间集聚组团。     

An influencing mechanism for ecological asset gains and losses and its optimization and promotion pathways in China

Journal of Geographical Sciences - Accounting for the gains and losses of ecological assets holds scientific significance in sustaining human well-being. Based on related research on ecological...     

Emergency surveillance for marine pests after the grounding of the container vessel,MV Rena

ABSTRACT

The grounding of the MV Rena in 2011 necessitated urgent entry of salvage vessels into New Zealand. Two, a cargo barge and tug, had been idle in Australia before mobilisation and had well-developed biofouling assemblages that included non-indigenous species new to New Zealand. Surveillance for the species was initiated in Tauranga harbour, Astrolabe Reef and Mōtītī Island, where the vessels had operated. Response personnel were trained to recognise and report the organisms and active surveys were implemented, including reinspection of the vessels after treatment of the biofouling, dive and shoreline searches, and trapping. Although none of the risk species was detected, the biosecurity risk from the vessels changed during the response, from initially acting as a vector for species new to New Zealand to later transporting non-indigenous species from coastal ports to the arena of operations. The study highlights a need for better integration of biosecurity risk management into forward planning for maritime incidents.     

海流作用下海底管道局部冲刷数值分析

在任意拉格朗日-欧拉参考坐标系下,采用基于雷诺平均的Navier-Stokes方程组(RANS)、流线迎风有限元方法、泥沙输运模型以及底床变形方程,对海流引起的海底管道局部冲刷进行了数值模拟。着重讨论了均匀来流流速和海底管道直径对局部冲刷发展过程及平衡冲刷深度的影响作用。数值结果表明,在冲刷的初始阶段,冲刷深度随时间迅速增加,之后缓慢逼近极限平衡深度;在管径一定的情况下,管道附近的局部平衡冲刷深度与流速大致呈线性关系;当流速超过某一临界区域后,最大平衡冲刷深度出现的位置并不在管道正下方,而是随流速的增加向管道下游方向移动;另外,管道直径也会对平衡冲刷深度产生比较明显的影响,在相同流速下,平衡冲刷深度大致随管径呈线性增大。在本文的计算范围内,海底管道的相对局部平衡冲刷深度基本随雷诺数线性增加,但流速对冲刷深度的影响作用要比管径的影响作用更为明显。     

从2010年1月的1个反气旋涡探讨南海中尺度涡的输运能力

应用漂流浮标,结合卫星高度计资料和示踪粒子法,研究了中国南海中尺度涡的输运能力。从浮标漂流轨迹和对应的流场分布可知在真实海洋中存在涡对物质的输运,陷入反气旋涡的漂流浮标跟随涡旋顺时针打转4圈,以圆弧形轨迹运动至海南岛以东。进一步通过示踪粒子法进行长期模拟得出涡内物质会以和涡相同的旋转方向旋转前进,在忽略水平方向上的混合对示踪粒子轨迹影响的情况下,在第55天,93%的质点(153个)将跟随涡旋运动,7%的质点(11个)会在中途与涡旋分离,运动中涡会不断把内部物质甩向涡的外缘,质点会从涡最边缘速度由大转小处脱离涡旋,但是大多数质点会跟随涡旋在其边缘以圆弧形轨迹向前运动,并最终稳定在涡旋的最边缘。     

中国黄土的物质来源及其粉尘的产生机制与搬运过程

长期以来,黄土高原的物质来源被笼统认为来自包括西北三大内陆盆地(准噶尔、塔里木、柴达木)在内的广阔的沙漠、戈壁地区,而且中国黄土被看作“沙漠”黄土的典型代表。但我们最新的研究揭示出,源自准噶尔和柴达木盆地的粉尘主要由低空气流搬运,受下风方向的山脉阻挡,就近堆积成山麓黄土。源自塔里木盆地的粉尘如果被近地面风搬运,则不可能移出盆地,而是堆积在昆仑山北麓,但如果被飙升到高空,则被西风急流携带,移出盆地而降落在北太平洋地区,无论哪种情况,该盆地的粉尘都不可能对黄土高原有重要贡献。因此,西北三大内陆盆地并非黄土高原的重要物源,而蒙古国南部及与之相邻的包括巴旦吉林、腾格里、乌兰布和、库布其、毛乌素等在内的戈壁、沙漠地区才是黄土高原的主要物质来源区,且主要由近地面风(基本在3000m以下)从上述戈壁、沙漠地区搬运而来。中国黄土并不能简单看作“沙漠”黄土,包括冰川研磨作用、山体剥蚀作用、山前冲洪积作用等在内的“高山过程”,才是产生大量粉土级物质的原因,戈壁、沙漠、黄土的带状分布,只不过是近地面风对山前冲、洪积物质的风力分异而已。     

A GIS data model for landmark-based pedestrian navigation

Landmarks provide the most predominant navigation cue for pedestrian navigation. Very few navigation data models in the geographical information science and transportation communities support modeling of landmarks and use of landmark-based route instructions for pedestrian navigation services. This article proposes a landmark-based pedestrian navigation data model to fill this gap. This data model can model landmarks in several pedestrian navigation scenarios (buildings, open spaces, multimodal transportation systems, and urban streets). This article implements the proposed model in the ArcGIS software environment and demonstrates two typical pedestrian navigation scenarios: (1) a multimodal pedestrian navigation environment involving bus lines, parks, and indoor spaces and (2) a subway system in a metropolitan environment. These two scenarios illustrate the feasibility of the proposed data model in real-world environments. Further improvements of this model could lead to more intuitive and user-friendly landmark-based pedestrian navigation services than the functions supported by current map-based navigation systems.     

发展地理学视角下中国区域均衡发展

区域差异大、发展不平衡是中国的基本国情,研究区域均衡发展问题是发展地理学领域的重大课题.本文首先回顾了中国的区域均衡发展历程,总结了各时期区域均衡发展的特征,研究指出,中国区域间发展呈现出均衡发展与非均衡发展演替的状态,每次演进使得社会的发展质量迈进新的台阶,逐渐走向高质量发展与区域均衡发展的状态.其次,本文探讨了当前...     

Principle of Cross Coupling Between Vertical Heat Turbulent Transport and Vertical Velocity and Determination of Cross Coupling Coefficient

It has been proved that there exists a cross coupling between vertical heat turbulent transport and vertical velocity by using linear thermodynamics. This result asserts that the vertical component of heat turbulent transport flux is composed of both the transport of the vertical potential temperature gradient and the coupling transport of the vertical velocity. In this paper, the coupling effect of vertical velocity on vertical heat turbulent transportation is validated by using observed data from the atmospheric boundary layer to determine cross coupling coefficients, and a series of significant properties of turbulent transportation are opened out. These properties indicate that the cross coupling coefficient is a logarithm function of the dimensionless vertical velocity and dimensionless height, and is not only related to the friction velocity u*, but also to the coupling roughness height zW0 and the coupling temperature TW0 of the vertical velocity. In addition, the function relations suggest that only when the vertical velocity magnitude conforms to the limitation |W/u*|≠1, and is above the level zW0, then the vertical velocity leads to the cross coupling effect on the vertical heat turbulent transport flux. The cross coupling theory and experimental results provide a challenge to the traditional turbulent K closure theory and the Monin-Obukhov similarity theory.