Understanding the relative impacts of natural processes and human activities on the hydrology of the Central Rift Valley lakes,East Africa

Significant changes have been observed in the hydrology of Central Rift Valley (CRV) lakes in Ethiopia, East Africa as a result of both natural processes and human activities during the past three decades. This study applied an integrated approach (remote sensing, hydrologic modelling, and statistical analysis) to understand the relative effects of natural processes and human activities over a sparsely gauged CRV basin. Lake storage estimates were calculated from a hydrologic model constructed without inputs from human impacts such as water abstraction and compared with satellite‐based (observed) lake storage measurements to characterize the magnitude of human‐induced impacts. A non‐parametric Mann–Kendall test was used to detect the presence of climatic trends (e.g. a decreasing or increasing trends in precipitation), while the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) analysis was used to assess the long‐term, inter‐annual climate variability within the basin. Results indicate human activities (e.g. abstraction) significantly contributed to the changes in the hydrology of the lakes, while no statistically significant climatic trend was seen in the basin, however inter‐annual natural climate variability, extreme dryness, and prolonged drought has negatively affected the lakes. The relative contributions of natural and human‐induced impacts on the lakes were quantified and evaluated by comparing hydrographs of the CRV lakes. Lake Abiyata has lost ~6.5 m in total lake height between 1985 and 2006, 70% (~4.5 m) of the loss has been attributed to human‐induced causes, whereas the remaining 30% is related to natural climate variability. The relative impact analysis utilized in this study could potentially be used to better plan and create effective water‐management practices in the basin and demonstrates the utility of this integrated methodology for similar studies assessing the relative natural and human‐induced impacts on lakes in data sparse areas. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The impact of rural land management changes on soil hydraulic properties and runoff processes: results from experimental plots in upland UK

To develop an evidence base to help predict the impacts of land management change on flood generation, four experimental sites were established on improved grassland used for sheep grazing at the Pontbren catchment in upland Wales, UK. At each site, three plots were established where surface runoff was measured, supplemented by measurements of soil infiltration rates and soil and vegetation physical properties. Following baseline monitoring, treatments were applied to two of the plots: exclusion of sheep (ungrazed) and exclusion of sheep and planting with native broadleaf tree species (tree planted), with the third plot acting as a control (grazed pasture). Due to a particularly dry summer that occurred pre‐treatment, the soil hydrological responses were initially impacted by the effects of the climate on soil structure. Nevertheless, treatments did have a clear influence on soil hydrological response. On average, post‐treatment runoff volumes were reduced by 48% and 78% in ungrazed and tree‐planted plots relative to the control, although all results varied greatly over the sites. Five years following treatment application, near‐surface soil bulk density was reduced and median soil infiltration rates were 67 times greater in plots planted with trees compared to grazed pasture. The results illustrate the potential use of upland land management for ameliorating local‐scale flood generation but emphasise the need for long‐term monitoring to more clearly separate the effects of land management from those of climatic variability. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Potential food deserts and food oases in a post-communist city: Access,quality, variability and price of food in Bratislava-Petržalka

Delimitation tools and definitions of food deserts have not been internationally unified so far. Such comprehension ambiguity may lead to variability in research methods as well as to terminology mismatch in the research. In general, assessment of accessibility of selected (large-scale) food stores network in a region is considered as a suitable tool to identify the food deserts, but this is certainly not the only approach. In our paper some other approaches (such as measuring quality, variability and food price) are assessed together with supermarkets and hypermarkets accessibility examination. Results gained by analyses based on various methodological approaches are then compared and confronted, which simultaneously allows us to compare the individual approaches. For our case study purposes, the largest housing estate in Slovakia's capital city was selected.     

新疆哈密地区近54a日照时数的均一性分析及其影响因素

以新疆哈密地区1961-2014年6个气象观测站地面气象观测资料为依据,利用线性趋势分析、相关性分析、M-K突变检验分析等方法,对哈密地区近54a四季及年平均日照时数的变化趋势、异常年份、突变检验及影响因子进行分析,得出以下结论：近54a哈密地区春季与年平均日照时数均呈上升趋势,而夏、秋、冬季变化比较平稳;年日照时数异常偏少出现在1998年,但从未出现过异常偏多年;年日照时数在1973年和2008年发生两次突变,减少、增加趋势不显著;年、春季日照时数增加与低云量的减少关系密切。     

适应气候变化的国际行动和农业措施研究进展

针对气候变暖采取稳健的适应措施已成为国际社会共识。该文综合了当前适应气候变化的国际谈判进展及已有的农业适应气候变化措施,指出适应资金严重不足,技术研发、应用与转让难以实施,以及适应气候变化行动实施能力的不足严重制约着适应气候变化行动的有效实施;关于农业适应气候变化的技术措施仍缺乏系统的理论研究与应用示范。在此基础上,提出了未来中国农业适应气候变化需要重点开展的研究任务,即农业气象灾变过程的新特点及其风险管理, 农业适应气候变化的大数据决策管理系统研发及适应气候变化的农业气候区划与减灾保产技术研究,以切实推进农业适应气候变化,为确保国家粮食安全与农业可持续发展提供支撑。     

慢特征分析法在气象上的应用进展

气候系统具有非平稳特征,根本原因在于其外强迫随时间发生改变,因此外部驱动力的分析对于理解气候系统的动力学特征至关重要,而如何有效提取系统外部驱动信息是一个亟待解决的前沿科学问题。最近几年,在生物神经学领域中应用的一种提取非平稳信号中外强迫信息的方法——慢特征分析法(Slow Feature Analysis,SFA),在气象领域中也得到了初步成功的尝试,结果显示出此方法对气候系统的外强迫信息分析及有关动力学机制的探究有较好的应用前景。本文主要介绍SFA方法的理论思想及实施步骤,并通过一个理想的非平稳时间序列检验其提取外强迫信息的能力,结果证明在衰减的Logistic模型中,可利用SFA算法提取出模型中的外强迫,且与真实外强迫的相关系数可达0.99;此外,还介绍将该方法应用于Arosa臭氧时间序列,分析其提取的外强迫信息的动力学特征;并介绍了在气候时间序列建模中引入外强迫因子的预测效果。     

中国大陆降水时空变异规律——Ⅲ. 趋势变化原因

中国大陆现代降水表现出若干长期变化特征,对现代降水趋势性变化的原因,目前还没有很好了解。结合多种资料分析以及前人研究成果,对中国大陆近几十年降水变化趋势的原因进行了探讨,得到以下初步认识:① 现代降水量变化趋势具有明显的地域性差异,全国平均没有表现出显著增加或减少的长期变化,但强降水事件频率和降水量出现明显增多,而小雨事件特别是痕量降水事件显著减少。② 再分析资料表明,最近几十年全国水汽净收支量在一定程度上增加了,实际观测资料显示近地面和对流层中下层空气比湿或大气可降水量出现较明显上升趋势。③ 代用资料序列分析显示,全国大部地区近几十年降水变化仍处于晚近历史时期正常自然波动范围内;近百年观测的降水量序列也表明,黄淮海地区降水具有多重时间尺度相互叠加作用特点,低频自然气候变异的影响信号有清晰表现。④ 人类活动引起的大气中温室气体浓度增加对全国或东部季风区现代降水变化影响的信号,目前仍难以识别;区域性近地面风速减弱导致的雨量观测系统偏差以及大范围气溶胶浓度增加,可能是东部季风区大多数台站观测到的强降水事件频率增加和小雨频率显著减少的两个重要原因。⑤ 主要与城市化影响相关的地面观测资料系统偏差,可以部分解释现有分析表明的短历时强降水事件频率和累计降水量增加现象,同时也很可能是城市台站小雨和痕量降水事件频率明显下降的另一重要原因。     

Differentiation in reproductive traits of geminate mangrove crabs of the genus Aratus (Decapoda: Brachyura) across the Central American Isthmus

The mangrove crab Aratus pisonii was considered to have an amphi‐American distribution; however, a recent study revealed that the Eastern Tropical Pacific populations were genetically distinct, thus representing a new species: Aratus pacificus. These species separated by the Isthmus of Panama have diverged under different environmental conditions that may have influenced their reproductive biology. As the available information about this genus concerns almost exclusively the Caribbean species, the aim of the present study was to analyse and compare reproductive aspects of A. pacificus and A. pisonii obtained from both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of Costa Rica. Females were collected from April 2011 to April 2012, and reproductive features such as breeding season, size distribution of ovigerous females, fecundity, reproductive output, embryo volume and embryo water content were assessed. Both species produced embryos during the entire sampled period. Most females of A. pacificus carrying embryos close to hatching were found during the rainy season. Ovigerous females of A. pisonii were substantially larger and reached sexual maturity at a larger size than females of A. pacificus. Embryo production started in A. pacificus at a smaller female size than in A. pisonii. As fecundity increased with female size, the average fecundity was lower in A. pacificus. Females of A. pisonii produced larger embryos, which might be related to lower food availability: higher energy content in the embryo enhances the chances of larval survival. These data regarding reproductive features of the Pacific and Caribbean species support the conclusion to separate A. pacificus from A. pisonii.     

中国近海以及邻近海域海洋再分析产品(CORA)中季节内变化的评估

A regional reanalysis product—China Ocean Reanalysis(CORA)—has been developed for the China's seas and the adjacent areas. In this study, the intraseasonal variabilities(ISVs) in CORA are assessed by comparing with observations and two other reanalysis products(ECCO2 and SODA). CORA shows a better performance in capturing the intraseasonal sea surface temperatures(SSTs) and the intraseasonal sea surface heights(SSHs) than ECCO2 and SODA do, probably due to its high resolution, stronger response to the intraseasonal forcing in the atmosphere(especially the Madden-Julian Oscillation), and more available regional data for assimilation. But at the subsurface, the ISVs in CORA are likely to be weaker than reality, which is probably attributed to rare observational data for assimilation and weak diapycnal eddy diffusivity in the CORA model. According to the comparison results, CORA is a good choice for the study related to variabilities at the surface, but cares have to be taken for the study focusing on the subsurface processes.