Forestry as a streamflow reduction activity in South Africa: Discussion and evaluation of the proposed procedure for the assessment of afforestation permit applications in terms of water sustainability

Commercial afforestation in South Africa dates back to the 1870s and started as an alternative to the fast disappearing indigenous timber resource. It involves the planting of exotic timber species and has impacts on water resources, soil biodiversity, landscapes, etc. Commercial afforestation of land has been subjected to regulation through the Afforestation Permit System (APS) since 1972, primarily to protect the national water resource. Since the APS no longer adequately dealt with afforestation regulation, it was replaced in 1999 with a procedure that was supposed to integrate the requirements of relevant legislation and general environmental management principles. This paper is a theoretical review of the background and development of the new South African Streamflow Reduction Activities licensing procedure, as well as whether it complies with the requirements of an environmental management system such as ISO 14001. The main conclusion is that the new procedure, although an improvement on the previous procedure, still has shortcomings especially with regard to the operational and decommissioning phases of forestry in South Africa. It is recommended that these aspects be addressed in order to mitigate the impact of forestry on water sustainability in South Africa. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Role of reliability calculations in geotechnical design

ABSTRACT

This paper adds to the ongoing discussion on the role of reliability calculations in geotechnical design. It situates design calculations, be it verified by a global factor of safety, partial factors, or reliability-based design (RBD), in a larger context of quality management over the life cycle of the structure. It clarifies that uncertainties amenable to probabilistic treatment typically fall under the category of “known unknowns” where some measured data and/or past experience exist for limited site-specific data to be supplemented by both objective regional data and subjective judgement derived from comparable sites elsewhere. Within this category, reliability is very useful in handling complex real-world information (multivariate correlated data) and information imperfections (scarcity of information or incomplete information). It is also very useful in handling real-world design aspects such as spatial variability that cannot be easily treated using deterministic means. Examples are presented to illustrate how reliability calculations could relieve engineering judgement from the unsuitable task of performance verification in the presence of uncertainties so that the engineer can focus on setting up the right lines of scientific investigation, selecting the appropriate models and parameters for calculations, and verifying the reasonableness of the results.     

通过质量认证与国际标准接轨——海洋技术研究所的质量认证

本文阐述了国家海洋局海洋技术研究所在ＩＳＯ９００１质量体系认证工作中的做法和经验。     

SWS-Detector Glitch Effect Correction

We describe how the ISO-SWS (Infrared Space Observatory – Short Wavelength Spectrometer) software packages detect various glitch events i.e. high energy particle hits effecting the SWS detectors. A rough classification of glitch types is given. The events cause an instantaneous change in the slope of the SWS detector read outs followed by a distortion of the further samples, so called glitch tails. As a consequence the S/N ratio and photometric accuracy are reduced.Different strategies, how to remove the resulting distortion of the detectorread-out-ramp after a hit, are presented. The methods of the basic SWS software packages, the Pipeline and Interactive Analysis, will be discussed. The Pipeline has to treat glitch effects automatically. The Interactive Analysis system provides the user with a comfortable Graphical User Interface (GUI) for Trend Analysis, detailed analysis of certain glitches and the testing of new algorithms.     

渔用高强度聚乙烯和普通聚乙烯绞捻网片的拉伸力学性能比较研究

为给深水网箱设计与渔用材料的合理选配提供依据,应用ISO1806等对渔用高强度聚乙烯绞捻网片(以下简称HSPE绞捻网片)和普通聚乙烯绞捻网片(以下简称PE绞捻网片)的拉伸力学性能进行了比较研究。结果表明,(1)在同等条件下,36股HSPE绞捻网片的网目连接点断裂强力和网片单线断裂强力分别比52股PE绞捻网片增加了3.1%,3.7%;而前者的目脚直径和网片阻力可较后者减少19.6%。(2)对网片强力进行了再现性研究,36股HSPE和52股PE绞捻网片网目连接点断裂强力的标准偏差分别为35.93N,25.61N,再现性标准偏差分别为31.07N,36.93N;网片单线断裂强力的标准偏差分别为19.91N,13.49N,再现性标准偏差分别为20.48N,15.49N;网片强力测试数据的变异系数均小于4%;表示测试结果的分散性较小。(3)36股HSPE绞捻网片成本可较52股PE绞捻网片减少38.9%,其在渔业生产中进行推广应用具有可行性。(4)GB/T4925作为一个标准,对绞捻网片来说,存在不足,建议对GB/T4925进行修订。     

上海市规划和国土资源信息化运维管理

上海市规划和国土资源信息化运维团队从专注技术向运维管理转变。以优质服务,面向业务、面向客户来开展IT运维工作。     

面向发生的地学数据分类方案及其元数据扩展研究

在分析地学数据特点和共享需求的基础上,阐述数据分类对于人们认识地球以及地学研究的重要性,并综述和评价了目前地学领域已有的各种分类研究。这些分类研究大致可归纳为探索型、应用型和综合型3种。由于地学数据应用的多学科交叉、多源异构等特性,分类系统很难满足系统性、一致性、易扩展性等原则。本文从数据发生的角度,探索新的数据分类方案,将地学数据分为器测数据、调查数据和过程数据三大类。从数据本质特征对其进行描述,学科应用仅作为数据的元数据对其标志,从而很好地消除了上述问题。此外,本文基于ISO19115地理信息核心元数据扩展模型,将地理信息元数据标准拓展到整个地学领域的数据描述,构建适应该地学数据分类方案的元数据体系。     

大气季节内振荡的活动与江淮流域夏季旱涝

观测资料的分析极为清楚地表明,江淮流域的夏季降水有着极为明显的低频变化,周期为30-60d和近20d的振荡是其最基本的特征,尤其是在多雨的年份.对应江淮夏季多雨(涝)年和少雨(旱)年,大气环流的分析表明其大气季节内振荡(IS0)的形势有着显著的差异.例如在多雨(少雨)年,在长江以南的850hPa上为一个低频(IS0)反气旋(气旋)性环流控制,而中国北部和日本一带为气旋(反气旋)性环流,从而在江淮流域形成较强的低频辐合(辐散)气流;在200hPa的青藏高原上却为一个低频气旋(反气旋)性环流所控制.分析还表明,对应多雨年,在江淮流域有明显的由中高讳度向南传播和由低玮度向北传播的大气低频振荡的汇合情况;而对应于少雨年,由中高纬度向南传播的低频系统较不明显,在江淮流域低频系统的汇合也较为不清楚.     

谈测绘单位的贯标认证

ＩＳＯ９０００系列标准是国际公认的质量管理和质量保证统一标准,具有科学性、有效性、通用性的特点。贯彻ＩＳＯ９０００系列标准,是深化和发展单位管理规范、建立和完善质量体系的需要。通过贯标取得认证,可以提高测绘单位的知名度,取得用户的信任,在市场竞争中立于不败之地。     

国际背景下的海洋调查技术标准化发展路径研究

通过对比分析我国与美国、欧盟的标准战略、标准化组织机构、标准体系和海洋调查技术标准具体的制订现状,综合比较了我国与发达国家之间的差异,建议借鉴以民间自由竞争为特点的美国标准模式和以高度国际化的标准体系为特点的欧洲标准模式,同时充分发挥国际标准化组织海洋技术分委会(ISO/TC8/SC13)主席和秘书处落户中国这一平台优势的桥梁作用,探索我国海洋调查技术标准国际化的有效路径。