Land-surface segmentation as a method to create strata for spatial sampling and its potential for digital soil mapping

Sampling efforts are constrained by limited availability of resources. Therefore, methods to reduce the number of samples, while still achieving reasonable accuracy are needed. Land-surface segmentation (LSS) has proven a powerful technique to partition digital elevation models (DEMs) and their derivatives into relatively homogeneous areas, which can be further employed as support in soil sampling. Though topography is one of the main soil forming factors, a robust assessment of the potential of this technique to digital soil mapping (DSM) is still missing. In this study, we aimed at evaluating the potential of LSS in stratifying a landscape into relatively homogeneous areas, which can be used as strata for guiding the selection of sampling points in DSM. The experiments were carried out in two study areas where soil samples were available. Land-surface derivatives were derived from DEMs and segmented with a tool based on the multiresolution segmentation algorithm, into objects considered as homogeneous soil-landscape divisions. Thus, one sample was randomly selected within each segment from the existing sample data, based on which predictions of soil classes/sub-orders and properties, i.e. soil texture and A-horizon thickness, were made. Results were compared with predictions based on simple random sampling (SRS) and conditioned Latin hypercube (cLHS). The segmentation-based sampling (SBS) scheme performed better than SRS and cLHS schemes in predicting the A-horizon thickness, soil texture fractions and soil classes, showing a high potential of LSS in stratifying a landscape for the purposes of DSM. The novelty of this study is in the way strata are constructed, rather than in the sampling design itself. Further research is needed to demonstrate the value of a SBS design for practical use. The analyses presented here further highlight the importance of considering locally adaptive techniques in optimization of sampling schemes and predictions of soil properties.     

Possibilities of land use change analysis in a mountainous rural area: a methodological approach

Decreasing population density is a current trend in the European Union, and causes a lower environmental impact on the landscape. However, besides the desirable effect on the regeneration processes of semi-natural forest ecosystems, the lack of traditional management techniques can also lead to detrimental ecological processes. In this study we investigated the land use pattern changes in a micro-region (in North-Eastern Hungary) between 1952 and 2005, based on vectorised land use data from archive aerial photos. We also evaluated the methodology of comparisons using GIS methods, fuzzy sets and landscape metrics. We found that both GIS methods and statistical analysis of landscape metrics resulted in more or less the same findings. Differences were not as relevant as was expected considering the general tendencies of the past 60 years in Hungary. The change in the annual rate of forest recovery was 0.12%; settlements extended their area by an annual rate of 3.04%, while grasslands and arable lands had a net loss in their area within the studied period (0.60% and 0.89%, respectively). The kappa index showed a smaller similarity (~60%) between these dates but the fuzzy kappa and the aggregation index, taking into account both spatial and thematic errors, gave a more reliable result (~70–80% similarity). Landscape metrics on patch and class level ensured the possibility of a detailed analysis. We arrived at a similar outcome but were able to verify all the calculations through statistical tests. With this approach we were able to reveal significant (p < 0.05) changes; however, effect sizes did not show large magnitudes. Comparing the methods of revealing landscape change, the approach of landscape metrics was the most effective approach, as it was independent of spatial errors and ensuring a multiple way of interpretation.     

基于阈值可调切换系统的多翅膀混沌吸引子设计及电路仿真

本文提出了一种通过调节一类状态依赖切换系统的阈值来生成多翅膀混沌吸引子的设计方案.首先,设计了两个类Lorenz子系统;然后,基于这两个子系统构造了一个状态依赖于阈值的切换策略,从而构造了一类状态依赖于阈值的切换系统;最后,通过调整切换系统的阈值来改变鞍焦平衡点的个数与分布,使得该切换系统能够产生4-6-8翅膀的混沌吸引子.此外,根据切换系统的状态方程设计了该系统的模拟电路,电路仿真结果与数值仿真结果一致.实验结果证实：该设计方案可以在不增加系统维数或无需设计复杂非线性函数的情况下生成多翅膀混沌吸引子.     

Verification of significant wave representation method

The significant wave representation method is the simplest method for computing the transformation of significant wave height across-shore. However, many engineers are reluctant to use this method because many researchers have pointed out that the method possibly contains a large estimation error. Nevertheless, Rattanapitikon et al. [Rattanapitikon, W., Karunchintadit, R., Shibayama, T., 2003. Irregular wave height transformation using representative wave approach. Coastal Engineering Journal, JSCE 45(3), 489–510.] showed that the wave representation method could be used to compute the transformation of root mean square wave heights. It may also be possible to use it for computing the significant wave height transformation. Therefore, this study was carried out to examine the possibility of simulating significant wave height transformation across-shore by using the significant wave representation method. Laboratory data from small- and large-scale wave flumes were used to calibrate and examine the models. Six regular wave models were applied directly to irregular waves by using the significant wave height and spectral peak period. The examination showed that three regular wave models (with new coefficients) could be used to compute the significant wave height transformation with very good accuracy. On the strength of both accuracy and simplicity of the three models, a suitable model is recommended for computing the significant wave height transformation. The suitable model was also modified for better predictions. The modified model (with different coefficients) can be used to compute either regular wave height or significant wave height transformation across-shore.     

Introduction: Interaction between environment and fisheries—The role of stakeholder participation

This paper is an introduction to the special issue on a role of participation in dealing with the interactions between environment and fisheries. In this introduction, we explore the recent discussion on the ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management (EBAFM) and extract important points for implementation of EBAFM from the social science literature on participation and participatory processes in environmental management. The introduction finishes by describing the analytical framework for studying participatory processes.     

Gatekeepers,Shareholders, and Evangelists: Expanding Communication Networks of African American Forest Landowners in North Carolina

The Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Program (SFLR) was launched in 2012 to increase adoption of sustainable forestry practices among African American landowners in the southeastern United States to prevent land loss, increase forest health, and build economic assets. One of its main goals was to build communication networks through which African American landowners could obtain and share information about forestry practices and landowner assistance programs independent of public agencies. To measure and examine the growth of these communication networks over a three-year period (2014-2017), we conducted 87 interviews with landowners (24 of whom were interviewed multiple times), SFLR personnel, and Federal and State staff members in North Carolina. We used complementary methods of data gathering and analysis, including social network analysis and qualitative analysis. Our results showed expanding communication networks will be sustained independently of the program over time, although there is still a heavy reliance on program personnel.     

西北贫困地区乡村类型识别与振兴途径研究

乡村振兴战略是新时期我国推进城乡融合发展的重要举措。贫困地区既是脱贫攻坚的主战场,又是乡村振兴的重点区域。如何科学识别村落类型,分类推进典型区域乡村振兴发展,对于破解农村发展不平衡不充分问题具有重要的现实意义。本文解析了乡村地域系统发展理论,阐释了城乡融合发展理论,剖析了村域空间结构格局演变和城乡要素结构功能优化重组;构建了西北干旱贫困地区乡村振兴村落类型识别体系,从乡村主体、产业发展、人居环境、资源禀赋4个子系统进行逐级分类判断,识别乡村主导类型,结合专家征询分析与村落特征,将乡村振兴村落类型识别为集聚提升类、三产融合类、城郊融合类、特色保护类、搬迁撤并类,结合不同乡村振兴模式提出了相应地发展路径,以期为乡村振兴提供理论依据与决策参考。     

高分辨率遥感影像配准与变化检测一体化处理

为了克服高分辨率遥感影像配准与变化检测作为单独环节处理的局限,该文提出了一种基于变分理论的配准与变化检测一体化处理方法。该方法将配准误差作为一种光谱变化决策因子,变化信息以权值的方式迭代反馈给变分配准模型的解算过程。为了更准确地检测建筑物这个特定目标的真实变化,该文采用多尺度最大形态学轮廓建筑物检测指数的差异作为另外一个决策因子。最后将配准误差反映的变化和建筑物检测指数的差异这两个决策因子在D-S证据理论框架下建立概率模型进行融合处理,进而得到建筑物的变化检测结果。该文选取WorldView-2数据进行实验,实验结果表明,一体化处理思路可以有效地解决单独处理的局限,从根本上解决配准误差对变化检测结果的影响以及由于变化而使配准精度降低的问题,进而提高配准和变化检测的质量。     

Building a model-based personalised recommendation approach for tourist attractions from geotagged social media data

When travelling, people are accustomed to taking and uploading photos on social media websites, which has led to the accumulation of huge numbers of geotagged photos. Combined with multisource information (e.g. weather, transportation, or textual information), these geotagged photos could help us in constructing user preference profiles at a high level of detail. Therefore, using these geotagged photos, we built a personalised recommendation system to provide attraction recommendations that match a user's preferences. Specifically, we retrieved a geotagged photo collection from the public API for Flickr (Flickr.com) and fetched a large amount of other contextual information to rebuild a user's travel history. We then created a model-based recommendation method with a two-stage architecture that consists of candidate generation (the matching process) and candidate ranking. In the matching process, we used a support vector machine model that was modified for multiclass classification to generate the candidate list. In addition, we used a gradient boosting regression tree to score each candidate and rerank the list. Finally, we evaluated our recommendation results with respect to accuracy and ranking ability. Compared with widely used memory-based methods, our proposed method performs significantly better in the cold-start situation and when mining ‘long-tail’ data.     

基于卫-卫跟踪观测技术利用能量守恒法恢复地球重力场的数值模拟研究

根据卫－卫跟踪观测技术的测量原理,基于能量守恒法建立了一种新的双星相互跟踪和三星相互跟踪的卫星观测方程. 通过数值模拟,采用预处理共轭梯度法恢复120阶地球重力场. 模拟结果表明：第一,双星相互跟踪恢复地球重力场的精度和美国喷气动力实验室公布的EIGEN GRACE02S的结果相符合;第二,三星相互跟踪恢复地球重力场的精度较双星提高约2倍.