Pauperizing the pastoral periphery: the marginalization of herding communities in the world's dry lands

Environmental degradation and other socio-economic problems are too often discerned in contemporary pastoral systems in the wake of global economic change. This paper identifies cases where pastoral people respond to external pressures and opportunities in positive ways and adapt to changes. We hope that by doing this a framework of pastoral adaptations can be developed. The first part of this paper focuses on impacts of global economic change, which are mostly negative in nature. Through an extensive literature search in geography, anthropology, range management, and development field, the second part introduces cases that we categorize as positive adaptations.     

(Re)surveying the uses of Geographical Information Systems in Health Authorities 1991–2001

This paper provides a comparative analysis of two separate national surveys of the uptake and use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) by Health Authorities (HAs) in England and Wales. The surveys were undertaken at two different time points (1991 and 2001), and the intervening period has been characterized by major (and continuing) health sector restructuring. The substantial number of HA mergers between 1991 and 2001 provide a methodological challenge in attempting to make comparisons. A pragmatic approach is adopted and the presentation of results has to be restricted solely to English and Welsh HA data. Our findings show that there has been a considerable increase in the use of GIS since the early 1990s, and there is some evidence of more sophisticated uses for a wider range of policy-related and application tasks. However, we conclude that there is still considerable scope for the wider uptake and use of GIS within the NHS. In addition, our findings provide a baseline with which to monitor the impacts of future organizational restructuring on the uses of GIS within the NHS. We suggest that this is important given the replacement of 95 English HAs with 28 new Strategic HAs (StHAs) from April 2002, and the repercussions of the anticipated shift in GIS responsibility to Primary Care Trusts.     

Late Pleistocene–Holocene hydrologic changes in the interfluve areas of the central Ganga Plain, India

Abandoned channel belts, ponds and point bar deposits of palaeochannels in the interfluve regions of the central Ganga Plain suggest changes in the morphohydrologic conditions during the Latest Pleistocene–Holocene. Stratigraphy of these ponds comprises channel sand at the base overlain by shell-bearing clayey silt. The contact of the two facies marks the phase when channels converted into standing water bodies. Point bar deposits of some palaeochannels are overlain by oxidised aeolian sand, indicating that the channel abandonment possibly occurred due to the desiccation and aridity in the region.Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) chronometry of the pond sediments suggests that the deposition of the basal channel sand started before 13 ka and continued up to 8 ka. The ponds formed around 8–6 ka when the channel activity ceased. Evidence from the point bar deposits also indicates that the fluvial activity in the region ended sometime during 7–5 ka. This was followed by aeolian aggradation. The present study thus suggests that the hydrologic conditions in the Gangetic plains, i.e. initiation of channels and their abandonment, formation of microgeomorphologic features such as ponds and their eventual siltation, were controlled largely by climatic changes (i.e. monsoon changes) supported by tectonic activity. For the past 2 ka, increasing human and related agricultural activity has substantially accentuated the natural siltation rate of ponds.     

Impact of climate change and variability on water resources in Heihe River Basin

Studies indicate that the climate has experienced a dramatic change in the Heihe River Basin with scope of temperature rise reaching 0.5-1.1oC in the 1990s compared to the mean value of the period 1960-1990, precipitation increased 18.5 mm in the 1990s compared to the 1950s, and 6.5 mm in the 1990s compared to the mean value of the period 1960-1990, water resources decreased 2.6×108 m3 in the 1990s compared to the 1950s, and 0.4×108 m3 in the 1990s compared to the mean value of the period 1960-1990. These changes have exerted a greater effect on the local environment and socio-economy, and also made the condition worsening in water resources utilizations in the Heihe Rver Basin.     

大洋多金属结核中1nm锰矿相的相变及其主要控制因素研究

多金属结核样品在室温中放置或加热干燥后 ,其中的 1nm锰矿相会部分或全部地相变为 0 7nm锰矿相 ,这说明 0 7nm锰矿相可能不是多金属结核的原生锰矿相 ,而仅仅是 1nm锰矿相的相变产物。研究结果表明 :1nm锰矿相结构中的Cu2 + 、Co2 + 、Ni2 + 等金属阳离子的含量与其结构稳定性有正相关关系 ,即金属离子含量越高 ,其结构越稳定 ,1nm锰矿相越不易相变为 0 7nm锰矿相 ,反之亦然 ;另外 ,不同金属阳离子稳定 1nm锰矿相结构的能力也不同 ,结核中几种主要金属阳离子对 1nm锰矿相结构的稳定能力从大到小为 :Ni2 + >Cu2 + >Co2 + >Zn2 + >Ca2 + =Mg2 + 。     

全球气候变化及其影响

全球气候变化及其对社会与自然系统产生的影响已日益受到全世界各国政府与广大民众的关注。与天气和气候有关的灾害给人类生命财产造成的损失日益增大,社会与生态系统似乎变得日趋脆弱。人们关心刚刚过去的20世纪的天气与气候发生了什么变化,更希望了解未来的21世纪,人类居住的地球会出现什么样的气候情景。根据一些国家和地区的观测记录、研究成果以及科学家们对气候变化的评估与预测展望,对全球气候变化问题进行概括。首先阐明20世纪地区性气候变化的事实;并根据政府间气候变化委员会(IPCC)科学技术报告中关于20世纪全球气候变化进行的总结性评估以及对21世纪全球气候变化的预测,作为阐述过去与未来全球气候变化的主要依据。同时,还介绍了一些科学家对IPCC关于全球气候变化的结论所持的不同观点或质疑。还就气候变化对社会与自然系统可能产生的影响略作论述。     

宁南汤家坪地壳形变异常的调查研究

根据宁南汤家坪流动水准、基线测量出现的重大异常，进行了野外实地考察。发现点位是稳定的；A点与B、C点之间是跨断层的；但原始选点报告所提供的断层产状与作者实测的断层产状有一定的偏差。通过对相关资料分析，认为该场地的地壳形变异常是可靠的。并对其形成机理作了初步探讨。     

中国西北叠合盆地的主要构造特征

探讨了中国西北地区大型叠合含油气盆地的主要特征 ,研究表明 ,在中国西北叠合盆地发展演化过程中 ,构造变革和构造耦合起着主导作用。构造变革包括大地构造格局的转变、沉积区和剥蚀区的转换、盆地类型的转换、大型区域性不整合的出现以及发生盆地构造反转等 ,这种构造变革具有多期性。叠合盆地构造耦合的方式主要涉及深部和浅部构造的耦合和盆山耦合等。盆山转换、盆山过渡带深部浅部构造的耦合、盆地沉降与造山带隆升耦合以及不同方向构造的耦合 ,反映了盆山耦合的多样性和复杂性。中国西北叠合盆地构造特征主要表现为构造的分层性、分带性、分段性、交叉性以及区域构造应力场的多变性 ,喜马拉雅运动对于中国西北叠合盆地最后的构造改造以及构造定型起着重要的制约作用。     

天然气水合物体系动态演化研究（I）：地质历史演变

1995年Dickens对55．5Ma前古新世末增温事件进行了研究，提出天然气水合物作为全球环境变化重要因子的假说．认为古新世末增温事件溶解无机碳-2～-3‰的^13δC位移可以用水合物所含甲烷的释放与随后氧化成二氧化碳来解释．此后，地质历史演变中的天然气水合物演化研究蓬勃发展，本文总结古新世末增温事件、新元古代末期雪球事件、第四纪千年尺度事件等最新进展，为天然气水合物动态演化研究提供基础．开展天然气水合物-天然气体系动态演化过程数值模拟与特征分析，可望促进天然气水合物在全球变化与碳循环中作用的深入认识．