Monitoring disasters with a constellation of satellites – type examples from the International Charter ‘Space and Major Disasters’

In the case of a major disaster, information derived from satellite observation is not only highly useful, it may at times be indispensable because of the damage caused by the disaster to ground infrastructure. The International Charter ‘Space and Major Disasters’ (‘the Charter’) has been one of the primary sources of satellite data for the past 11 years to cover events like floods, fires, tsunamis, ocean storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and oil spills. With the growing membership of the Charter, an increasingly large number of sensors are now available, which can be planned with the required temporal frequency and spectral range to cover a disaster event. Some of the type Charter activation cases are reported in this article to demonstrate the innovative use of multi-satellite imagery for disaster response.     

Dynamic response of partially sealed circular tunnel in viscoelastic saturated soil

Based on Biot's wave equation, dynamic response of a circular tunnel with partially sealed liner in viscoelastic saturated soil is investigated. By introducing two scalar potential functions, the analytical solutions of stresses, displacements and pore pressure induced by axisymmetric gradually applied step load are derived in Laplace transform domain. Numerical results are obtained by inverting Laplace transform presented by Durbin and used to analyze the influences of partial permeable property of boundary and viscoelastic damping coefficient of soil on dynamic response of the tunnel. It is shown that the attenuation of radial displacement appeared with the increase of viscoelastic damping coefficient of soil, and relative rigidity of liner and soil, and the influence of partial sealing property of boundary on stresses, displacements and pore pressure is remarkable. The available solutions of permeable and impermeable boundary conditions are only two extreme cases of this paper.     

步云山自然保护区生态功能价值研究

以可持续发展为目标,以生态学原理为标准,通过对保护区涵养水量、森林价值以及生态足迹三方面的研究和计算,系统分析了步云山自然保护区的生态功能,指出保护区在规划过程中存在的问题,提出相应解决办法的依据。     

用于旱地牧区灌溉的一种风力提水滴灌系统

我国西北地区降雨量低,气候干旱,但地下水埋藏浅,风力资源充足,以风能为动力,提取地下水灌溉,修复退化的自然生态具有社会意义和环境效益。本文简述了我国风力提水发展历史,分析所选用的风力提水机存在的问题并做出了几点改进。以内蒙古乌拉特中旗的海流图牧场为实验场地,通过钻孔数据,估计地下水储量,确定场地地质条件。根据场地年降水量、日照、日均风速、地下水运移与蒸发情况,计算可利用的风能能量并根据该地每年所需水量确定提水机数量。根据实验场地位置,制定了合理布置方案,设计了一套灌溉系统,并对其可行性进行了分析。通过现场单套设备的试验,表明该方案是可行的。该系统采用自然能源,一次投入,永久收益,具有良好的推广应用前景。     

基于IBIS模型的耕地生态价值估算——以成都崇州市为例

基于成都崇州市耕地实地采样数据和修正的IBIS模型测算数据,对耕地生产有机质、调节大气、涵养水源、土壤保持和净化环境等五种自然生态服务价值进行测算,并与已有相关研究成果进行对比分析。结果表明：① 研究区耕地不同类型的生态服务价值量存在较大差异,由高到低依次为：土壤保持、调节大气、涵养水源、生产有机质、净化环境;② 研究区单位面积耕地生态价值量为29959.5元/hm²,其中土壤保持价值的贡献率最大,占36.35%;③ 与已有研究结果对比分析,由于耕地生态价值内涵界定和测算方法的差异,单位面积耕地生态价值测算结果存在一定差异。研究结果对于科学合理地确定耕地保护的补偿标准和补偿机制构建具有一定的参考指导作用。     

Response of a Resilient Community to Natural Disasters: The Gorkha Earthquake in Nepal, 2015

The ability of a community to withstand and recover from adversities including natural and man-made disasters has emerged as a major policy issue in recent years. This research aims to assess the role of institutional initiatives in building resilient communities and their response to natural disasters like the Gorkha earthquake in Nepal in 2015. The work is based on data collected from primary and secondary sources along with field observations. It is evident that resilient communities are equipped with greater coping capacities in the face of natural disasters and have reduced vulnerability to future hazards. Institutional capacity building and resilient construction including the School Earthquake Safety Program ensured better disaster preparedness. The traditional open spaces and building designs added to the structural resilience. There is, however, a need to build back better and to communicate earthquake-resistant designs to the affected communities.     

西北地区土壤资源特征及其开发利用与保护

在分析西北地区土壤分布规律的基础上,研究了不同类型区土壤的资源特征及其在开发利用中存在的问题,认为黄土地区土壤土质疏松、粉砂含量高、富含碳酸钙是水土流失的物质基础;干旱区广为分布的荒漠土壤资源的性能低劣、绿洲区水土资源的利用比例失调是造成土地荒漠化、土壤盐渍化的根本原因;而高原土壤的粗骨性、土层浅薄、有效肥力低则加速了草场的退化和沙漠化.提出了西北地区土壤资源的合理利用与生态环境保护相协调的途经,即搞好农田基本建设,采用旱作技术节水和合理用水,扩大林草植被,保护天然草场和林木.并认为西北土壤资源的开发利用要在充分发挥其生产潜力的同时,首先应遵循生态规律,开发与保护并重,防止土壤资源衰竭和破坏.     

The Scientific Conceptual Framework for Ecological Quality of the Dryland Ecosystem: Concepts,Indicators, Monitoring and Assessment

The dryland ecosystem is the dominant component of the global terrestrial ecosystem since arid regions occupy 45% of the earth’s land area and feed 38% of the world's population. The stability and sustainable development of the dryland ecosystem are critical for achieving the millennium development goal (MDG) in the arid and semiarid areas. However, there is still no scientific guideline for measuring and conserving the health and productivity of dryland ecosystems. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop the scientific conceptual framework of defining, monitoring and evaluating the ecological quality of dryland ecosystems. The ecological quality of dryland ecosystems is represented by a system of comprehensive indicators that are each extracted from the ecological elements, and structural and functional indices of the ecosystem. These indicators can be monitored by integrating satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles with ground-based sensor networks at the scale of either observational sites or regional scales. Finally, the ecological quality can be evaluated by evaluation models based on the normalized index values and their thresholds. This paper presents a conceptual framework for monitoring and evaluating the ecological quality of drylands, which provides a way of advancing the monitoring, diagnosis, and evaluation of the ecological quality of the dryland ecosystems.     

基于生态位理论的深莞惠旅游一体化策略研究

运用生态位理论对推进深莞惠三市旅游一体化进行分析,发现三地存在旅游资源生态位同质化和旅游产业发展生态位同向化的问题,因此要求三地厘清生态位,错位发展,开发特色旅游产品和旅游商品;扩充生态位,挖掘潜力,提供旅游发展的持续动力;分离生态位,在政府协调基础上进行旅游地分工;集中优势,共同打造跨区域特色旅游线路;建立深莞惠无障碍旅游区,巩固区域内旅游市场。     

城市化背景下滇池流域生态系统健康重建思考

在分析城市化背景下滇池流域生态系统健康内涵与生态重建途径基础上,从城市布局与流域自然生态格局的关系,城市用水与流域生态用水的关系,以及城市污染控制与流域环境承载力的关系,分析城市化对于滇池流域生态系统健康的影响,提出城市化背景下滇池流域生态系统健康重建主要策略:(1)优化城市布局形态,恢复流域生态功能;(2)遵循区域地带规律,保障流域生态用水;(3)加强控制措施整合,促进流域水质达标。