Geotechnical Investigations at the Dalian Offshore Airport,China

Based on the geotechnical investigation data of artificial island at Dalian Offshore Airport, the spatial distribution of the physical and mechanical properties of deposit soils was statistically analyzed. The field investigation revealed that the deposit soils could be subdivided into three strata, i.e., the top marine deposit stratum, middle marine-continental deposit stratum, and deep continental deposit stratum. Field and laboratory test results demonstrated that the marine deposit soils had high water content (31.2% < w_n < 63.10%), large void ratio (0.88 < e₀ < 1.75), low permeability (k_v < 10^?6 cm/s), flow-plastic state (I_L > 1), under consolidated (OCR < 1), high compressibility (E_s < 4 MPa), low shear strength (11.7 kPa < c_u < 43.7 kPa), and low bearing capacity (0 < f_ak < 120 kPa), they could not be used as natural foundation. The marine-continental and continental deposits were normally consolidated to over-consolidated (OCR ≥ 1), medium compressibility (4 MPa < E_s < 20 MPa), high shear strength (29.7 kPa < c_u < 73.7 kPa), and high bearing capacity (f_ak > 120 kPa). In addition, regression analysis results showed that the compression ratio was positively correlated with the natural water content, the coefficient of vertical consolidation was negatively correlated with the plasticity index, and the coefficient of vertical permeability was positively correlated with the initial void ratio. The results of the field and laboratory tests were synthesized to provide a basis for reclamation design.     

Adaptive environmental governance of changing social-ecological systems: Empirical insights from the Okavango Delta,Botswana

Adaptive management and related fields have theorized new governance strategies that embrace complexity and are able to respond effectively to changing and unpredictable biophysical dynamics. However, this body of work pays inadequate attention to important on-the-ground realities, including feasibility of implementation and the power dynamics embedded in multi-scalar systems of environmental governance. This paper presents findings from a research project on challenges to adaptive management in the variable wetland ecosystem of the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Many residents of this rural region rely on transitional agricultural practices, shifting between dryland and floodplain farming in response to dynamic precipitation and flooding patterns. Higher than average floods in 2009–2011 inundated many floodplain fields past the point of production, causing farmers to shift to the dryland for multiplem seasons. At the same time, the highly centralized Government of Botswana began to implement stricter regulations over floodplain resources, which stemmed in part from a new adaptive management plan developed for the region. As a result, many farmers felt pressured by the government to abandon transitional livelihood practices and to shift permanently to dryland agriculture even though many preferred to continue floodplain farming. This loss of a responsive livelihood strategy will likely result in decreased long-term adaptive capacity for many residents. Drawing on these findings, this paper advances the argument that if adaptive management is to become a viable option for communities in changing environments, more attention must be given to the role of unequal power relations in multi-scalar systems of environmental governance.     

地表覆盖时空分布定量分析与生态荷载评价——以若尔盖湿地国家级自然保护区为例

对若尔盖湿地国家级自然保护区地表覆盖的空间分布格局、变化幅度、主要地类的变化原因以及生态环境状况进行综合分析。研究结果表明:2010、2014年保护区地表覆盖类型主要为草地,占总面积95%以上;过度放牧、鼠虫害、旅游、挖药等多重因素影响,致使保护区地表覆盖类型之间转移较为频繁。目前,保护区人均生态足迹明显小于人均生态承载力,发展处于一种相对可持续的状态。     

Microscopic Pore characteristics and methane sorption capacity of the lower cambrian shales in yangtze platform北大核心CSCD

The lower Cambrian develops a set of organic-rich black shales in Yangtze Platform and is regarded as one of the key layers of shale gas exploration. The microscope pore structure characteristics and methane sorption capacity were investigated using scanning electron microscope, nitrogen adsorption and methane sorption experiments, and then their controlling factors combining with organic matter, mineral compositions were discussed for Niutitang shales in Zunyi area, Mufushan shales in Nanjing area and Huangboling shales in Chizhou area. The results show as below; ( I ) The pores in lower Cambrian shales are mainly dominated by organic pores, interlayer pores in clay minerals and micro-fractures, as well as containing some intergranular pores between brittle mineral grains, honeycomb poies formed by pyrite crystals falling out, and dissolution molds in fossils; ( 2) DKT pore size distributions show the pores is mainly concentrated in the range of less than 4 nm in lower Cambrian shales and kerogens, while a certain amount of pores are above 4 nm are also existed in lower Cambrian shales, which may be contributed by smectite; ( 3)The specific surface area, pore volume and Langmuir methane sorption capacity of the lower Cambrian shales are ranging from 5.58 to 31. 96 inVg, 0.026 to 0.088 mL/g and 1.36 to 5. 3 mL/g, respectively, which are mainly controlled by TOC and smectite contents, but the effect of TOC and smectite on physical properties are quite different for the lower Cambrian shales in different regions; ( 4)The specific surface area of two Niutitang kerogens are 7. 08 and 7. 92 times than that of the shales and methane sorp-Tion capacity of kerogens arc 5.81 and 7.09 times than that of the shales, suggesting that kerogen is a main carrier of methane gas occurrence in.     

Agricultural adaptation to drought in the Sri Lankan dry zone

Droughts affect more people than any other natural disaster. Drought severity is not merely a function of precipitation; it emerges from a web of interrelations between human and natural systems. The impacts of drought are equally complex, shifting across temporal scales, economic sectors, and regions. Even in regions with similar hydroclimatic characteristics, there is tremendous variation in the effects of drought. This study combines satellite imagery, geospatial data, and qualitative data to identify the multi-scalar factors that drive variations in agricultural responses to drought. We analyzed eleven years of remotely sensed imagery to identify agricultural areas in which cultivation occurred during an extreme drought in Sri Lanka. We visited a subset of these communities and conducted interviews with officials and farmers to identify the factors that influenced agricultural adaptation. Results suggest that though structural factors such as infrastructural capacity and physical environment significantly affect agricultural adaptation, dynamic factors such as local control of water supply, perceived risk, community cohesion, and farmer experience explain significant variation in the adaptive capacity of agricultural systems.     

Modeling the Invasion of Holly (Ilex aquifolium): Spatial Relationships and Spread Trajectories

In this study, we investigated the environmental factors associated with the establishment of invasive English holly (Ilex aquifolium) and the spatiotemporal trajectories of its potential spread. We collected georeferenced presence and absence and demographic data of holly between 2011 and 2014 in Saint Edward State Park, Washington. We analyzed them through a spatially explicit framework that combines multiple logistic regression, cellular automata, and bivariate quadratic modeling. Results showed that the presence of holly is influenced by the proximity to evergreen coniferous vegetation and forest edge, distance to streams, forest structure, and slope direction. Our study confirmed that local environmental conditions, species characteristics, and vegetative and dispersal mechanisms play a significant role in determining the rate and success of holly establishment across the different phases of invasion. Invasive species management plans should consider both species characteristics and their habitat and the interactions among them when planning long-term strategies for control and eradication.     

太湖平原区河网结构变化对调蓄能力的影响

城镇化快速发展导致河网水系萎缩,连通性受阻,河网调蓄能力降低,加大了区域洪灾风险和洪涝损失.基于1960s,1980s,2010s的1:5万地形图水系及三个控制站的水位数据,选取河网密度(R_d),水面率(W_P),盒维数(D),水位Hurst指数(H),分析了近50年来太湖流域武澄锡虞地区的水系演变与河网调蓄能力变化;并借助代表性单元流域概念,以水位Hurst指数来表征河网调蓄能力,从河网调蓄的物理机理出发,探讨了河网调蓄与河网结构参数的关系.结果表明:① 受快速城镇化影响,1960s-2010s武澄锡虞地区河网密度,水面率及盒维数分别下降了18.87%,24.59%,7.60%,且1980s至2010s各水系指标的衰减率均高于1960s-1980s;② 1960-2010年,研究区年均及汛期的水位Hurst指数呈下降趋势,其所反映的河网调蓄能力与该地区河网水系各指标变化同步,这表明城镇化引起的河流水系衰减导致河网调蓄能力发生明显下降,非汛期水位Hurst指数先增加后降低,表现出一定的不确定性;③ 基于REW概念与水位Hurst指数值,初步构建了河网结构参数与调蓄能力的关系式,并对关系式进行了验证,基本可行,可在一定程度上揭示城镇化下水系变化对河网调蓄能力的影响,从而为评价平原水网区河网调蓄能力提供了一种相对简便的方法.     

重庆市新型城镇化质量与生态环境承载力耦合分析

本文以重庆市为研究对象,采用耦合分析法,通过分析新型城镇化质量和生态环境承载力主要指标,构建新型城镇化质量与生态环境承载力耦合协调模型,计算2000-2012年重庆市及各区县新型城镇化质量与生态环境承载力的耦合度,评价重庆市新型城镇化质量和生态环境承载力耦合阶段及水平,分析生态环境承载力与新型城镇化发展质量的耦合分类,为探索可持续发展的城镇化道路提供数据参考。结果显示：2000-2012年,① 重庆全市耦合度处于在0.967~1.000之间,显示出重庆市的新型城镇化质量与生态环境承载力的耦合阶段处在高水平耦合时期;② 重庆市区县新型城镇化质量与生态环境承载力耦合度分布基本符合“一圈两翼”的空间分异规律,耦合度范围在0.884~1.000之间,也处于生态环境与城镇化质量高耦合时期;③ 但重庆市各区县新型城镇化质量与生态环境承载力存在明显区域差异,尤其是生态环境承载力指数的空间差异比较明显,根据耦合状况可以大致分为4种区县耦合类型。表明重庆市快速城镇化的后果导致都市区生态压力增大,生态承载力空间差异显著的现实将导致原有城镇化发展方式面临不可维系局面,亟需调整城镇化发展方式;发展新型城镇化应通过优化资源利用方式,调整产业空间布局和升级产业达到疏导人口分布和提升城镇化发展质量的目的,最终缓解生态环境因城镇化快速发展带来的压力。     

基于BDI决策的MAS-CA模型黄海海滨城镇格局模拟研究——以大连金石滩为例

基于BDI决策MAS-CA模型,利用1998年、2003年、2008年和2013年土地利用数据,对大连金石滩2020年和2030年城镇区域面积进行模拟,Kappa系数达到0.635。研究结果表明：① BDI决策补充了MAS-CA模型决策的不足,使得模型整体框架进一步完善,模拟结果具体准确,精度达到89.1%。② 金石滩城镇用地呈现出依附海岸线和交通线的格局,向海岸线靠拢,城镇用地在中部区域比较集中且城镇用地有向周围区域扩张的趋势,葡萄沟村、河咀子村、庙上村、什字街村转变最大。③ 从金石滩城镇格局的模拟结果发现,海岸线因素引导着城镇格局的转变方向。滨海地区的生态环境容易被破坏,政府应该采取措施寻找土地利用与生态环境保护的完美平衡点。     

Integrating cellular automata and Markov techniques to generate urban development potential surface: a study on Kolkata agglomeration

Uncontrolled, yet fragmented peripheral urban expansion has emerged as a menace to urban development. To cope with this rapid urban expansion process, identification of the forces responsible for this rapid urban expansion is a pre-requisite, especially when its threats to habitability are taken into consideration. This study tries to evaluate fragmented uncontrolled urban expansion faced by Kolkata using cellular automata-Markov chain. Urban growth patterns, land use/land cover transformations and spatial allocation correspondence with planning strategy is the main theme of this study. Depending upon the driving forces, the study result indicates a bi-directional urban development potential surface, which might be a result of the biased planning initiative along with middle-class residential demand. This simulation result provides evidence for the planning authority to evaluate the effectiveness of spatial allocation and urban expansion trends and provide flexibility to modify the current allocation scenario.