Effects of topography and land use on woody plant species composition and beta diversity in an arid Trans-Himalayan landscape,Nepal

Distribution patterns of plant species are believed to be impacted by small-scale habitat heterogeneity. However, there have been few comparative studies examining how woody vegetation composition and diversity varies with aspects of different orientations in the Trans-Himalayan region at a local scale. Here, we examined the effects of incoming solar radiation on variation in woody species composition and compared the diversity between the northeast- and southwest-facing slopes in a Trans-Himalayan valley of Nepal. We also examined the implicit interactions between slope orientation and land use in determining the compositional variations between the slopes. We selected two pairs of northeast- and southwest-facing slopes where the first pair has a similar land use and differs in exposure only（Pisang site） while the other pair has clear differences in land use in addition to slope exposure（Braka site）. In each site, we sampled 72 plots（36 on each slope） in which the presence and absence of woody species, environmental variables, and disturbance were recorded. Correspondence Analysis（CA） results suggested that the woody species composition significantly varied between northeast- and southwest-facing slopes at both sites, and was significantly correlated with measured environmental variables such as radiation index, altitude, and canopy openness. In the Braka site,mean alpha diversity was significantly higher on southwest-facing slopes. In contrast, beta diversity and gamma diversity were greater on northeast-facing slopes at both sites. Our results suggest that topographic variables（e.g., radiation index） affect species composition between the slopes, likely due to their influence on small scale abiotic environmental variables. However, the effects of land use, such as livestock browsing/grazing may interact with the effects of slope exposure, effectively reducing differences in species composition within slopes but enhancing the differences in beta diversity between contrasting slopes in the Br     

A sun–crown–sensor model and adapted C-correction logic for topographic correction of high resolution forest imagery

Canopy shadowing mediated by topography is an important source of radiometric distortion on remote sensing images of rugged terrain. Topographic correction based on the sun–canopy–sensor (SCS) model significantly improved over those based on the sun–terrain–sensor (STS) model for surfaces with high forest canopy cover, because the SCS model considers and preserves the geotropic nature of trees. The SCS model accounts for sub-pixel canopy shadowing effects and normalizes the sunlit canopy area within a pixel. However, it does not account for mutual shadowing between neighboring pixels. Pixel-to-pixel shadowing is especially apparent for fine resolution satellite images in which individual tree crowns are resolved. This paper proposes a new topographic correction model: the sun–crown–sensor (SCnS) model based on high-resolution satellite imagery (IKONOS) and high-precision LiDAR digital elevation model. An improvement on the C-correction logic with a radiance partitioning method to address the effects of diffuse irradiance is also introduced (SCnS + C). In addition, we incorporate a weighting variable, based on pixel shadow fraction, on the direct and diffuse radiance portions to enhance the retrieval of at-sensor radiance and reflectance of highly shadowed tree pixels and form another variety of SCnS model (SCnS + W). Model evaluation with IKONOS test data showed that the new SCnS model outperformed the STS and SCS models in quantifying the correlation between terrain-regulated illumination factor and at-sensor radiance. Our adapted C-correction logic based on the sun–crown–sensor geometry and radiance partitioning better represented the general additive effects of diffuse radiation than C parameters derived from the STS or SCS models. The weighting factor W_t also significantly enhanced correction results by reducing within-class standard deviation and balancing the mean pixel radiance between sunlit and shaded slopes. We analyzed these improvements with model comparison on the red and near infrared bands. The advantages of SCnS + C and SCnS + W on both bands are expected to facilitate forest classification and change detection applications.     

国家新版1：50000地形图制图技术设计与实践

国家新版1：50 000地形图制图工程是国家1：50 000数据库更新工程主要任务的有效延伸和重要补充,它基于最新的1：50 000地形数据库,采用数据库驱动制图技术,实现了地形图制图数据的快速生产与建库。本文在对现状和需求分析的基础上,重点介绍开展制图工程的技术方法、工艺流程、成果特点等内容。     

祁连山区降水的大气特征分析

利用祁连野外试验站观测资料,引入客观反映高空大气云和降水的表示方法,分析了祁连山区降水的大气特征。结果表明,高层冷云和低层暖云是祁连山区形成降水的主要云系,高层冷云由天气尺度系统决定,而低层暖云则由地形阻挡和加热等作用形成。在不同的天气系统下,地形对降水的作用不同。在西南气流影响下易形成谷风环流,从而增强降水;在西北风...     

甘肃文县上城台地的地震记录分析

选取文县上城台地三个不同高程强震台同时记录到的汶川大地震的9次余震记录,研究场地的地震反应和波的传播效应。通过对比峰值加速度、地震反应谱、加速度时程等地震动参数,全面分析了地震动放大效应与地形的关系以及地震动特征与震源的关系。结果表明:相对于山脚,山顶的峰值加速度明显放大,并且山顶的地震动在场地卓越周期附近放大最显著;多数地震记录显示山顶处垂直白水江河谷分量的峰值加速度比值大于平行河谷分量比值;地震动绝对持时从山脚、山腰到山顶依次增长。总之,地形条件和其上覆松散层共同作用造成了上城台地的地震动放大。     

Characteristic ichthyoplankton taxa in the separation zone of the East Australian Current: Larval assemblages as tracers of coastal mixing

Ichthyoplankton assemblages were compared between regions dominated by the oligotrophic East Australian Current (EAC) and the inner-shelf waters off southeastern Australia, to determine if the early life history of fish was related to the separation of the EAC from the coast, producing different water masses as well as characteristic taxa. Samples were collected at the surface and in sub-surface waters, at 50 and 100 m isobath stations, during two summer research voyages in November 1998 and January 1999. On both voyages the study region was characterized by coastal and EAC waters in the north (∼31°S), and in the south by topographically induced upwelling (∼31°S), associated with narrowing of the continental shelf and separation of the EAC from the coast. Among the 111 families of larval fish, we observed distinctive assemblages of ichthyoplankton associated with the two different water masses. A greater abundance of the Carangidae, Labridae, Lutjanidae, Microcanthidae, Myctophidae and Scombridae was associated with the nutrient poor EAC water mass, while the Callionymidae, Clupeidae, Platycephalidae and Sillaginidae were mostly found in the cooler and/or fresher inner-shelf water mass. We assessed these patterns with opportunistic samples from an unusual, wind-driven upwelling event in the north (∼31°S) earlier in the November voyage. The relative abundance of these 10 characteristic families distinguished this wind-driven upwelling event from the subsequent relaxation and predominance of the EAC assemblage at this location just 6 d later. Distinctive and abundant families such as larval clupeids, relative to larval carangids, could be a useful marker of inner-shelf, EAC and mixed water masses in the absence of robust hydrographic data. This and related studies indicate contrast in early life histories of Sardinops sagax and Trachurus spp., which appear to spawn respectively in the inner-shelf and outer-shelf waters. The post-flexion stages of S. sagax predominate in the outer-shelf and Tasman Front, while post-flexion Trachurus spp. predominate in inner-shelf water masses.     

球面圆弧数字地形剖面提取方法研究

带状地形剖面是以高程为纵向参考,以距剖面起始端点的距离为横向参考进行制图表达。由于其可真实地反映地表形态,是新构造和活动构造地貌研究中的基本参考和研究对象。随着数字化基础地理信息成果的普及,很多GIS软件可实现地形剖面的自动化提取。但以往方法的位置信息均是建立在剖面投影平面的基础上,当研究区域范围过大,会引入非构造变形,为消除该影响,提出基于球面坐标系统的带状地形剖面图制作方法。该方法不仅适用于小型地质构造,也适用于喜马拉雅弧形造山带等大型地质构造,可提取出更接近真实地形的地形剖面。     

区域数值预报系统在北京地区的降水日变化预报偏差特征及成因分析

为了研究北京快速更新循环同化预报系统(BJ-RUCv2.0)在北京地区降水日变化的预报偏差特征及其成因,利用2012—2015年夏季BJ-RUCv2.0系统第2重区域(3 km分辨率)预报结果和北京地区122个自动气象站逐时观测数据以及观象台探空观测资料,分析模式对北京地区降水日变化预报偏差的区域性特征和传播特征,研究模式局地环流预报偏差特征及其对降水预报偏差的可能反馈机制。研究结果表明,BJ-RUCv2.0系统多个更新循环的预报在北京平原地区均存在夜间降水漏报问题,降水预报偏差表现为模式预报降水在西部山区降水偏多,预报降水雨带难以在平原地区增强发展,造成了模式降水在傍晚山区偏多而夜间平原地区降水明显偏少。通过分析模式局地环流预报偏差及其响应机制发现,由于白天平原地区近地层偏暖偏干,山区底层偏冷中层偏湿,造成了山区-平原地区间的温度梯度强度偏强且强温差出现时间提前,西部山区午后降水偏多;由于平原地区地面气温预报持续偏高,入夜后偏北风难以到达平原地区,造成了山区-平原间的地形辐合线位置偏北,影响山区降水雨带向平原地区移动,同时平原地区近地层内水汽持续偏低,抑制降水雨带在东移过程中的发展,造成模式在平原地区夜间降水预报容易出现漏报。模式冷启动所用的GFS资料土壤湿度在北京平原地区明显小于实际观测,是模式预报偏暖偏干的可能原因之一。     

Improved topographic mapping through high-resolution SAR interferometry with atmospheric effect removal

The application of SAR interferometry (InSAR) in topographic mapping is usually limited by geometric/temporal decorrelations and atmospheric effect, particularly in repeat-pass mode. In this paper, to improve the accuracy of topographic mapping with high-resolution InSAR, a new approach to estimate and remove atmospheric effect has been developed. Under the assumptions that there was no ground deformation within a short temporal period and insignificant ionosphere interference on high-frequency radar signals, e.g. X-bands, the approach was focused on the removal of two types of atmospheric effects, namely tropospheric stratification and turbulence. Using an available digital elevation model (DEM) of moderate spatial resolution, e.g. Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) DEM, a differential interferogram was firstly produced from the high-resolution InSAR data pair. A linear regression model between phase signal and auxiliary elevation was established to estimate the stratified atmospheric effect from the differential interferogram. Afterwards, a combination of a low-pass and an adaptive filter was employed to separate the turbulent atmospheric effect. After the removal of both types of atmospheric effects in the high-resolution interferogram, the interferometric phase information incorporating local topographic details was obtained and further processed to produce a high-resolution DEM. The feasibility and effectiveness of this approach was validated by an experiment with a tandem-mode X-band COSMO-SkyMed InSAR data pair covering a mountainous area in Northwestern China. By using a standard Chinese national DEM of scale 1:50,000 as the reference, we evaluated the vertical accuracy of InSAR DEM with and without atmospheric effects correction, which shows that after atmospheric signal correction the root-mean-squared error (RMSE) has decreased from 13.6 m to 5.7 m. Overall, from this study a significant improvement to derive topographic maps with high accuracy has been achieved by using the proposed approach.