Multi‐process Late Quaternary landscape evolution modelling reveals lags in climate response over small spatial scales

Landscapes evolve in complex, non‐linear ways over Quaternary timespans. Integrated geomorphological field studies usually yield plausible hypotheses about timing and impact of process activity. Landscape Evolution Models (LEMs) have the potential to test and falsify these landscape evolution hypotheses. Despite this potential, LEMs have mainly been used with hypothetical data and rarely to simulate the evolution of an actual landscape. In this paper, we use a LEM (LAPSUS: LandscApe ProcesS modelling at mUlti dimensions and scaleS) to explore if it is possible to test and falsify conclusions of an earlier field study on 50 ka landscape evolution in Okhombe Valley, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. In this LEM, five landscape processes interact without supervision: water driven erosion and deposition, creep, solifluction, biological weathering and frost weathering. Calibration matched model results to three types of qualitative fieldwork observations: individual process activity over time, relative process activity over time and net landscape changes over time. Results demonstrate that landscape evolution of the Okhombe valley can be plausibly simulated. A particularly interesting and persistent feature of model results are erosional and depositional phases that lag climatic drivers both by decades, and by several ka within a few hundred meters. The longer lag has not been reported for this spatial scale before and may be an effect of slow landscape‐soil‐vegetation feedbacks. The combined modelling and fieldwork results allow a more complete understanding of these responses to climate change and can fill in hiatuses in the stratigraphical record. Suggestions are made for methodological adaptations for future LEM studies. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mathematical Analysis of a Model of River Channel Formation

The study of overland flow of water over an erodible sediment leads to a coupled model describing the evolution of the topographic elevation and the depth of the overland water film. The spatially uniform solution of this model is unstable, and this instability corresponds to the formation of rills, which in reality then grow and coalesce to form large-scale river channels. In this paper we consider the deduction and mathematical analysis of a deterministic model describing river channel formation and the evolution of its depth. The model involves a degenerate nonlinear parabolic equation (satisfied on the interior of the support of the solution) with a super-linear source term and a prescribed constant mass. We propose here a global formulation of the problem (formulated in the whole space, beyond the support of the solution) which allows us to show the existence of a solution and leads to a suitable numerical scheme for its approximation. A particular novelty of the model is that the evolving channel self-determines its own width, without the need to pose any extra conditions at the channel margin.     

How do streamflow generation mechanisms affect watershed hypsometry?

Several studies have shown that the dominant streamflow generation mechanism in a river basin can leave distinct geomorphological signatures in basin topography. In particular, it has been suggested previously that basins generated by groundwater discharge tend to have a larger hypsometric integral than surface runoff basins because fluvial erosion is more focused in the valleys where groundwater discharge tends to occur. In this analysis, we aim to clarify this relationship by developing an alternative method to quantify the effects of streamflow generation mechanisms on basin hypsometry and by using a numerical model that can generate streamflow by different processes to evaluate the sensitivity of the results to the hydrological and geomorphological properties of the basin. The model results suggest that the hypsometric characteristics that are usually associated with groundwater discharge basins, such as a larger hypsometric integral, occur primarily when drainage networks are still advancing in the watershed. During later stages of development, an additional factor such as lithological controls or a distinct geomorphological process would be needed to preserve these features. The model results also show that the hypsometric effects are stronger when the parameters of the fluvial erosion process promote the influence of small discharge rates. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Wood as a driver of past landscape change along river corridors

The role of wood as a driver of landform development appears to have been overlooked in the interpretation of palaeo‐landscape change along river corridors. Deforested river corridors and wood‐free rivers characterize ‘modern’, managed landscapes, but along natural river corridors both driftwood dynamics and tree reproductive strategies can have a dramatic impact on the style and rate of channel and floodplain development. Therefore, we believe that interpretations of the post‐glacial history of river valleys across the northern temperate climatic zone could be usefully reassessed, incorporating the roles of riparian trees. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

重庆市岩溶区县土地利用景观破碎化及土壤侵蚀影响评价

根据重庆岩溶区县土地利用景观破碎情况,采用双向指示种分析法和除趋势典范对应分析法对研究区县及各土地利用类型进行分类和排序,揭示其空间分布的景观生态学意义及土壤侵蚀对土地利用景观破碎化的影响。根据分析结果, 可将研究区22种土地利用类型分为未利用地、平原耕地、山地耕地和灌草地4大类;可将研究区25个区县样方可分为低脆弱剧烈破碎区;低脆弱极强破碎区;低脆弱强破碎区;中脆弱中强破碎区;重脆弱中破碎区;重脆弱轻破碎区;中脆弱微破碎区7个样方群,空间上它们分属于渝东部、渝中部和渝西部3个区域,其土壤侵蚀性从东往西逐渐减弱。除趋势典范对应分析结果表明,较强的土壤侵蚀会加剧土地利用景观的破碎化,加剧破碎化的强度同土壤侵蚀等级呈现出相反的趋势。      

中国西南喀斯特旅游景观区划研究

西南喀斯特集中分布在西南的广西、湖南、贵州、四川、云南、重庆等省、市、自治区,又以贵州高原、滇东高原和四川盆地南部和广西最具有代表性。根据区划理论的自然条件相似性与差异性原则、区域共轭性与景观整体性原则、综合主导性与简洁实用性原则,将西南喀斯特旅游景观划分为由滇东-东南高原山地喀斯特景观区、黔南-桂西北斜坡山地喀斯特景观区、黔中北高原山地喀斯特景观区、桂中盆地喀斯特景观区、渝东中山峡谷喀斯特景观区等5个喀斯特景观区,次一级的多个景观亚区、景观群、景观点构成的景观体系,并对各景观区组合特征进行了具体阐述。     

基于景观结构变化的青海湖流域湿地空间分析

以青海湖流域为研究区域,以遥感影像为主要信息源,以景观指数为空间分析方法,从流域和县域两级水平对青海湖流域1977-2000年湿地景观变化进行空间分析。结果表明:近30年青海湖流域湿地面积净减少101247hm2,斑块数目增加了1099个,破碎程度明显增加,分离度呈上升趋势,分维数逐渐变小趋近于1,人类活动的加剧导致青海湖流域湿地景观空间结构变化。     

厦门市同安区不同扩展轴上的景观格局梯度分析与比较

城市扩展轴上的景观格局梯度变化特征及其变化原因的研究,是了解城市化对城市景观生态影响过程与机制的一个理想途径.本文选取厦门市同安区为研究对象,采用梯度分析结合景观格局分析方法,分别在沿同集路方向与沿往翔安的324国道方向的城市扩展轴上布设样带,通过移动窗口取样,运用景观格局指数进行景观格局梯度分析与比较.结果表明,在斑块类型水平上,沿同集路方向的扩展轴各项指数受城市化影响较明显,沿324国道方向的则不明显;在景观水平上,城市化造成沿同集路方向扩展轴景观形状更为复杂,景观多样性减少,景观格局由原本的多种景观均势并存转变为以城镇景观为主导的格局,景观更为破碎化,而沿324国道方向景观形状没有明显受城市化影响,但城市化促使景观多样性增加,景观格局由原本的以耕地景观为主导的格局转变为多种景观均势并存的格局,景观破碎化程度方面则没有明显受城市化影响.城市化水平的不同造成了城市扩展轴景观格局梯度变化特征的不同,周边地区城市化水平、城市建设布局模式、地域自然景观特征等因素则影响景观格局梯度变化的幅度与峰值的出现.     

Ecologically based landscape pattern optimization in northwest of Beijing

Supported by the technologies of remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS), we chose northwest of Beijing as a study area and gave priority to understanding of the spatial-temporal characteristics of landscape pattern change through visually interpreted Landsat TM images of 1989, 1996 and 2005. It is believed that there were a series of landscape ecological problems caused by city expansion: landscape ecological connectivity was low; landscape structure was simplified; the fragmentation of green land patch was more obvious on the plain areas, moreover, spatial distribution of green land was unbalanced. For this reason, this study adopted accumulative cost distance model, combined with ecosystem services and spatial interactions of landscape types, analyzed the spatial difference of the ecological function and the compactness of landscape structure in the study area, and further discussed the landscape pattern optimization proposal. We find that it is essential to protect and establish ecological sources, to establish urban ecological corridors, and to establish ecological nodes at the landscape ecological strategic positions so as to intensify spatial relationships among landscape elements and maintain continuity of landscape ecological process and pattern in the course of city expansion. The methods and final results from this study are expected to be useful for landscape ecological planning in Beijing region.     

基于3S技术的内蒙古乌审旗景观格局研究

以乌审旗2005年30 m分辨率的TM遥感影像为基本数据源,在ArcView和ArcMap支持下,得到乌审旗景观分布格局图,并对景观单元特征指数、斑块形状指数、斑块数破碎化指数、斑块分维数、景观异质性指数进行统计分析。结果表明,在乌审旗21 495个景观斑块中,斑块数目最多的为沙地景观,共有10 357块;总面积最大的也是沙地,为6.28×109m2;水域景观总面积最小,仅为5.36×107m2;平均面积最大的是工矿用地,为4.26×106m2;景观斑块密度最大的是耕地。各类斑块形状均较复杂,近圆度极小,居民点由于受到人为规划的影响呈现明显的几何形状特点,故景观形状指数最小;随着人类干扰强度的增加,从自然景观、半自然景观到人工景观,多样性指数、破碎化指数均依次减小,景观多样性指数沙地最高、工矿用地最低;居民点的优势度指数最高,其均匀度指数最低;整个研究区各景观分数维值均小于1.4,景观的自相似程度比较高。