Urban re-generations: afterword to special issue on the politics of urban greening in Australian cities

ABSTRACT

‘Urban re-generations' is written as an afterword to the special issue of Australian Geographer on ‘The Politics of Urban Greening in Australian Cities'. The collection prompts a deep questioning of reparative and regenerative work associated with greening, green spaces and green infrastructures. The climate-driven 2019-2020 bushfire crisis and COVID-19 have amplified the visibility of the more-than-human connectivity of our cities and the deep underlying structures of social and environmental inequity underpinning a variety of urban green spaces and agendas. Inspired by the articles in this special issue, the afterword explores how we might call back the grammars and practices of regeneration from their service to the neo-liberal, settler-colonial city and instead nurture reparative de-colonial practices that aid in the collaborative work of re-composing, becoming into better relation with, and working in modes of situated historical and cultural difference, with green and just cities.     

New Modes of Environmental Governance in Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation in Oregon

Abstract

Natural resource challenges often span administrative jurisdictions and include actors and processes operating at different spatial and political scales. We applied concepts of new environmental governance to analyze Oregon’s approach to greater sage-grouse conservation. Through one in-depth case study in Lake County, we traced features of new environmental governance (cross-scale interactions, decentralization, and capacities of actors) through different governance levels. Interviews and qualitative analysis revealed that decentralization of administrative functions facilitated cross-scale interactions and relied on intermediaries, gap-filling, and perceptions of legitimacy at lower levels. State and agency guidelines steered the effort and were accompanied by financial and technical resources from multiple arenas, which increased local capacity. This study adds to the understandings of environmental governance for implementing multi-actor, multi-level conservation arrangements in resource-dependent communities. Further exploration of connections between higher levels and local contexts will reveal important, new ways to link policies with on-the-ground outcomes.     

Understanding the relative impacts of natural processes and human activities on the hydrology of the Central Rift Valley lakes,East Africa

Significant changes have been observed in the hydrology of Central Rift Valley (CRV) lakes in Ethiopia, East Africa as a result of both natural processes and human activities during the past three decades. This study applied an integrated approach (remote sensing, hydrologic modelling, and statistical analysis) to understand the relative effects of natural processes and human activities over a sparsely gauged CRV basin. Lake storage estimates were calculated from a hydrologic model constructed without inputs from human impacts such as water abstraction and compared with satellite‐based (observed) lake storage measurements to characterize the magnitude of human‐induced impacts. A non‐parametric Mann–Kendall test was used to detect the presence of climatic trends (e.g. a decreasing or increasing trends in precipitation), while the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) analysis was used to assess the long‐term, inter‐annual climate variability within the basin. Results indicate human activities (e.g. abstraction) significantly contributed to the changes in the hydrology of the lakes, while no statistically significant climatic trend was seen in the basin, however inter‐annual natural climate variability, extreme dryness, and prolonged drought has negatively affected the lakes. The relative contributions of natural and human‐induced impacts on the lakes were quantified and evaluated by comparing hydrographs of the CRV lakes. Lake Abiyata has lost ~6.5 m in total lake height between 1985 and 2006, 70% (~4.5 m) of the loss has been attributed to human‐induced causes, whereas the remaining 30% is related to natural climate variability. The relative impact analysis utilized in this study could potentially be used to better plan and create effective water‐management practices in the basin and demonstrates the utility of this integrated methodology for similar studies assessing the relative natural and human‐induced impacts on lakes in data sparse areas. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Taxonomic analysis of the Quaternary archaeofauna found at The Lapa do Santo site,Lagoa Santa region,Brazil

The Lapa do Santo archaeological site, located in the Lagoa Santa region, Brazil, represents an important hunter-gatherer occupation dated from the Early and Middle Holocene. Prior studies of archaeofauna dating to this period are few and most of them only provide basic faunal identification with limited information on taphonomic processes. The main goal of this study is to identify the archaeofauna, record the taphonomic processes, and make inferences about its natural (interpreted as the death of the animal in the rockshelter area due to natural causes or due to predation) or anthropic origins. No extinct species (including megamastofauna) were identified. Taxonomic analysis indicated that most faunal remains consist of taxa that may be of mixed origin (natural or anthropic), such as microvertebrates and carnivorous mammals. The Cervidae are the main vertebrate family found in the studied material and these are likely the result of hunting. The Cervidae Ozotoceros support the presence of a fauna that is typical of savannah environments, although the assemblage contains mostly generalist fauna that can thrive in a variety of environments. Very few remains showed clear evidence for taphonomic processes related to human interaction, such as burnt bones.     

Influence of heterogeneity on unsaturated hydraulic properties: (1) local heterogeneity and scale effect

Spatial heterogeneity is ubiquitous in nature, which may significantly affect the soil hydraulic property curves. The models of a closed‐form functional relationship of soil hydraulic property curves (e.g. VG model or exponential model) are valid at point or local scale based on a point‐scale hydrological process, but how do scale effects of heterogeneity have an influence on the parameters of these models when the models are used in a larger scale process? This paper uses a two‐dimensional variably saturated flow and solute transport finite element model (VSAFT2) to simulate variations of pressure and moisture content in the soil flume under a constant head boundary condition. By changing different numerical simulation block sizes, a quantitative evaluation of parameter variations in the VG model, resulting from the scale effects, is presented. Results show that the parameters of soil hydraulic properties are independent of scale in homogeneous media. Parameters of α and n in homogeneous media, which are estimated by using the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curve (UHC) or the soil water retention curve (WRC), are identical. Variations of local heterogeneities strongly affect the soil hydraulic properties, and the scale affects the results of the parameter estimations when numerical experiments are conducted. Furthermore, the discrepancy of each curve becomes considerable when moisture content becomes closer to a dry situation. Parameters estimated by UHC are totally different from the ones estimated by WRC. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

测绘事业单位人力资源管理信息化系统建设应用研究

面对竞争相当激烈的测绘市场,从传统的人事管理向人力资源管理转变,是顺应社会发展的必然趋势。利用先进成熟的计算机、网络、数据库及通信等技术建立一个"准确、及时、标准、高效、安全"的人力资源管理系统,是实现测绘事业单位人力资源优化和管理信息化的重要途径,有效地提高了人力资源管理人员的工作效率。     

高分一号遥感影像地质灾害信息提取方法研究

山区地质灾害发生频繁,受灾范围大,危害严重。提取地质灾害信息、估算受灾情况,对救灾工作极为重要。传统的遥感人工解译方法速度慢、效率低;计算机自动解译速度快但解译精度受影像质量影响大,大范围地区很难建立起普适性的解译模型。本文利用洮南市西部高分一号遥感数据,结合DEM生成三维影像,建立解译标志,解译基础地质信息,分析地质灾害成因;根据研究区泥石流地质灾害的主要影像特征,提取影像的分类属性,基于面向对象的分类方法,建立信息提取模型,快速提取出地质灾害敏感区域;再进行人机交互,精确提取出地质灾害的类型和范围,通过野外验证,该方法十分可靠,为大范围地质灾害信息快速提取和灾后救援提供科学依据。     

地理国情普查外业调查与核查探讨

地理国情普查主要是查清我国地形地貌、地表覆盖等自然和人文地理要素的现状和空间分布情况,建立普查成果数据库,为开展常态化的国情监测奠定基础。正确理解吉林省地理国情普查技术设计和作业指导书,以及国情普查的内容与指标,进行外业核查与遥感影像解译样本采集工作,为最终形成地理国情要素数据、地表覆盖分类数据和遥感影像解译样本数据库奠定基础。     

泥河湾侯家窑遗址古河流及环境考古意义

侯家窑遗址位于泥河湾盆地西北部,自发现至今,历经40余年,但遗址年代和古人类生存环境问题仍悬而未决。本文基于地质地貌观测、电阻率测深、高程测量等工作,试图通过遗址区地层结构和古河流发育情况研究,阐释上述问题。结果如下:①伴随着泥河湾古湖的快速萎缩,在侯家窑遗址区发育了一条源自北部熊耳山、宽逾1 km的古河流。它形成于240 ka B.P.前,消亡于晚更新世初,发育历史贯穿了侯家窑古人类生存阶段的始终。②遗址古文化遗存不是埋藏在湖相泥河湾层中,而是埋藏于距今约224~161 ka的牛轭湖沉积层和壤化黏土层内,表明古人类在此倚河而居长达6万年。③遗址区面向东南的宽阔圈椅状地形,为古人类生存造就了相对温和舒适的地理环境;古河流既为古人类提供了水源,良好的流域生态环境也给古人类提供了富足的食物;熊耳山既是古河流源地,也是优质石料产地,古河流将石料搬运至遗址附近,石器制作便利。因此,在寒冷气候条件下生活的古人类,选择生境较好的侯家窑遗址区倚河而居势成必然。④遗址区古河流发育在易遭侵蚀的泥河湾湖相沉积层之上,河水泥沙含量高、浑浊,唯有遗址附近的牛轭湖区水流缓滞、清澈,而且植物繁茂,是各类动物优先猎食和饮水的地方。但牛轭湖独特的地貌特点,使动物们在急迫情况下难以逃脱,古人类此地围猎,远较他地成功率高。     

变化环境下渭河流域水文干旱演变特征剖析

环境变化影响区域水资源的可持续开发利用,导致水文过程出现非平稳特征,需发展非平稳水文干旱评估方法。选取渭河流域为研究区,依据流域内2个水文站、62个雨量站和24个气象站1961-2013年数据,基于可变下渗容量模型定量分离气候变化和人类活动对径流衰减的贡献;采用标准化径流指数（Standardized Runoff Index, SRI）剖析水文干旱时空演变特征;提出多种SRI参数化方案,对比评定各方案表征非平稳干旱的合理性以及环境变化对干旱演变的影响作用。结果表明:自1991年以来渭河流域年径流量呈显著衰减趋势,人类活动是径流演变的主要因素,对咸阳和华县站径流量变化的贡献率分别为-66.7%和-71.0%;时变参数方案计算的干旱指数能合理重建历史水文干旱序列;人类活动是渭河流域1991年以来短历时水文干旱发生的主导因素,气候变化主要影响长历时旱涝的演变趋势。