Vegetation and fire history since the last glacial maximum in an inland area of the western Mediterranean Basin (Northern Iberian Plateau,NW Spain)

We reconstructed vegetation responses to climate oscillations, fire and human activities since the last glacial maximum in inland NW Iberia, where previous paleoecological research is scarce. Extremely sparse and open vegetation composed of steppic grasslands and heathlands with scattered pioneer trees suggests very cold and dry conditions during the Oldest Dryas, unsuitable for tree survival in the surroundings of the study site. Slight woodland expansion during the Bølling/Allerød was interrupted by the Younger Dryas cooling. Pinewoods dominated for most of the early Holocene, when a marked increase in fire activity occurred. Deciduous trees expanded later reaching their maximum representation during the mid-Holocene. Enhanced fire activity and the presence of coprophilous fungi around 6400–6000 cal yr BP suggest an early human occupation around the site. However, extensive deforestation only started at 4500 cal yr BP, when fire was used to clear the tree canopy. Final replacement of woodlands with heathlands, grasslands and cereal crops occurred from 2700 cal yr BP onwards due to land-use intensification. Our paleoecological record can help efforts aimed at restoring the natural vegetation by indicating which communities were dominant at the onset of heavy human impact, thus promoting the recovery of currently rare oak and alder stands.     

2011年深圳人体舒适度空间分布特征及影响因子分析

利用深圳多个区域自动气象站资料,采用考虑了气温、风速、相对湿度等要素的人体舒适度计算方案,计算了深圳地区的人体舒适度指数以及不同舒适等级天数,分析了城市地形地貌、路网密度和人口密度等因素对人体舒适度的影响。结果表明：深圳地区沿海比内陆舒适,全市全年舒适天数为7-9个月,夏季感觉热的天数约为2-3个月,冬季感觉冷的天数大部分地区为30 d左右。从不同地区人体舒适度指数的日变化特征来看,夏季比冬季更易受地理位置和下垫面等因素影响。地形地貌、海陆分布、城市规划等地理因素对人体舒适度均有一定影响,相关分析表明海拔高度、道路占地面积和人口密度与热-炎热日数呈对数关系。但在深圳的东部人口稀疏和道路占地较小地区也并非舒适宜人,也会出现较多炎热天气,这与该地区年平均风速相对微弱有直接关系。     

1998-2016年中国PM_(2.5)浓度变化对气温的影响研究

为探讨“人类活动—大气污染—气温变化”的关系反应链,从宏观尺度阐明PM_(2.5)浓度变化对气温的影响,利用1951—2017年中国822个气象站点日最高气温、日最低气温和日平均气温资料,1998—2016年中国年均PM_(2.5)浓度遥感图像数据、地表太阳辐射数据,1998—2016年中国各省(区)逐年能源消耗总量、地区生产总值及夜间灯光指数数据,运用Slope趋势变化分析方法与相关性分析法,分析了中国PM_(2.5)浓度的变化趋势及其影响因素。结果表明:1998—2016年中国黄淮海区、东北区PM_(2.5)浓度上升速度最快,分别为1.42μg·m^(-3)·a^(-1)、1.44μg·m^(-3)·a^(-1),而其他地区相对变化不明显;黄淮海区PM_(2.5)浓度平均值高,地表太阳辐射降低,对该区年最高气温有明显的抑制作用,但对年平均气温和年最低气温的影响不明显。东北区PM_(2.5)浓度增长速率较高,但年平均浓度值低,该地区有着较高的水热配合度,PM_(2.5)对年最高气温的抑制作用不明显;能源消耗总量与PM_(2.5)浓度呈显著的正相关。     

Scale dependent effects in resource selection by crop-raiding Japanese macaques in Niigata Prefecture,Japan

A resource selection function is one that yields values proportional to the probability of use of a resource unit. This quantity is influenced by the heterogeneity of landscape structures, which occurs over multiple spatial scales. To provide input into wildlife management strategies, we investigated the scale dependency and functional responses of Japanese macaques using multiple scale analysis. The multiple buffers with radii of 100, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, and 2500 m were defined as the spatial scale. Crop damage was predicted at the within-home range scale, using the Random Forests algorithm with environmental variables linked to resource selection of Japanese macaques. Sixteen environmental variables were defined, covering aspects of landscape configuration, human disturbance, topography, and adopted countermeasures. Crop damage was most accurately predicted within a buffer zone of 1000 m, although radii exceeding 1000 m were also highly accurate. Although the importance of variables differed among spatial extents, the functional responses for each environmental variable were independent of spatial extent. These results suggest that the limiting factors of crop damage depend on spatial extent, while functional responses in resource selection remain constant across spatial extents. We also compared a multi-scale gradient map with a typical binary map to demonstrate the uncertainty in damage predictions at different spatial scales. Our results may aid wildlife management planning, for which differences in resource selection across different spatial scales are critically important.     

Exploring potential human activities in physical and virtual spaces: a spatio‐temporal GIS approach

Today, the opportunity for potential human activity has gone beyond physical space to virtual space. Based on a proposed conceptual framework that models the relationships between physical and virtual spaces, this paper presents an attempt to adjust the space–time prism concept of Hägerstrand's time geography to identify potential activity opportunities in virtual space, focusing on the virtual space access channels available in physical space. A three‐dimensional (3D) spatio‐temporal Geographic Information System (GIS) design has been developed in this research to accommodate the adjusted space–time prism concept to support the representation, visualization, and analysis of potential human activities and interactions in physical and virtual spaces using the prism representation. Following the design, a prototype system has been successfully implemented in a 3D GIS environment. Such a system can provide powerful analytical tools for studies related to potential human activities and applications such as location‐based services (LBS) and accessibility analysis in the information age.     

足迹家族的改进及其在新疆生态文明建设评价中的应用

为了更好地评价和推进生态文明建设,改进足迹家族并构建生态文明建设评价指标体系,以新疆为例进行试评估。结果表明：1990-2013年新疆的生态文明建设属中等水平。其中,生态压力一直处于低水平;温室气体由低排放升为高排放;水资源从中等压力升至高压力;社会发展由低水平上升至中等。空间上,2013年克孜勒苏州、阿勒泰地区、巴音郭楞州和伊犁直属县市的生态文明建设水平高,博尔塔拉州、塔城、喀什、和田及阿克苏等地区为中等水平,乌鲁木齐市、克拉玛依市、吐鲁番地区、哈密地区和昌吉州的水平低。研究表明,制约新疆生态 文明建设的主要因子是温室气体排放高和水资源压力大,节能减排和节水是今后需要努力的方向。     

全球变化与人类活动的相互作用--我国下阶段全球变化研究工作的重点

全球环境变化与可持续发展是当今人类社会面临的两大重要挑战。IGBPⅡ在探索地球系统变化规律的同时,力图将全球变化与可持续发展更紧密地结合,为人类社会的可持续发展提供科学背景和依据。根据国际全球变化研究发展的动向与我国的具体情况,今后我国全球变化与人类活动相互作用研究的重点应放在那些兼备显著区域特色和国际影响力的重大科学问题上。其中值得着重解决的10个科学问题包括：水循环与水问题、人类活动与区域碳循环过程、季风亚洲的人类活动与气候集成、土地利用/土地覆盖变化与陆地生态系统变化、人类活动与大气气溶胶、边缘海及海陆过渡带与人类活动、全球变化的影响与适应性、过去环境变化与中华文明、建设全面小康社会与温室气体减排国际谈判的科学支持、全球变化与人类活动相互作用研究基础信息平台建设。     

Sediment source changes over the last 250 years in a dry-tropical catchment, central Queensland, Australia

Rivers draining to the Great Barrier Reef are receiving increased attention with the realisation that European land use changes over the last  150 years may have increased river sediment yields, and that these may have adversely affected the reef environment. Mitigation of the effects associated with such changes is only possible if information on the spatial provenance and dominant types of erosion is known. To date, very few field-based studies have attempted to provide this information. This study uses fallout radionuclide (¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb_ex) and geochemical tracing of river bed and floodplain sediments to examine sources over the last  250 years for Theresa Creek, a subcatchment of the Fitzroy River basin, central Queensland, Australia. A Monte Carlo style mixing model is used to predict the relative contribution of both the spatial (geological) sources and erosion types. The results indicate that sheetwash and rill erosion from cultivated basaltic land and channel erosion from non-basaltic parts of the catchment are currently contributing most sediment to the river system. Evidence indicates that the dominant form of channel erosion is gully headcut and sidewall erosion. Sheetwash and rill erosion from uncultivated land (i.e., grazed pasture/woodland) is a comparatively minor contributor of sediment to the river network. Analysis of the spatial provenance of floodplain core sediments, in conjunction with optical dating and ¹³⁷Cs depth profile data, suggests that a phase of channel erosion was initiated in the late nineteenth century. With the development of land underlain by basalt in the mid-twentieth century the dominant source of erosion shifted to cultivated land, although improvements in land management practices have probably resulted in a decrease in sediment yield from cultivated areas in the later half of the twentieth century. On a basin-wide scale, because of the limited spatial extent of cultivation, channel sources are likely to be the largest contributor of sediment to the Fitzroy River. Accordingly, catchment management measures focused on reducing sediment delivery to the Great Barrier Reef should focus primarily on decreasing erosion from channel sources.     

Organotin contamination in seafood and its implication for human health risk in Hong Kong

Organotins (OTs) have caused widespread adverse effects on marine organisms, while they can also induce health problems to humans via consumption of contaminated seafood. This study aimed to quantify the tissue concentrations of OTs in 11 seafood species in Hong Kong, and assess the human health risk for consuming these species. The tongue sole Paraplagusia blochii had the highest concentration of total OTs. Triphenyltin (TPT) accounted for 56–97% of total OTs. The highest hazard quotient (HQ) for TPT was 1.41 in P. blochii, while the HQs for butyltins were much less than 1. The results indicated that it is likely to have certain health risks for consuming P. blochii due to its high TPT contamination. Therefore, TPT should be a priority pollutant of concern. Appropriate management actions should be taken to control its use and release in the region in order to safeguard the marine ecosystem and human health.     

亚洲中部干旱区气候变化与丝路文明变迁研究:进展与问题

亚洲中部干旱区是对全球气候变化响应最为敏感的地区之一,也是水文变化剧烈和生态环境脆弱的地区。该地区包括了古丝绸之路的主体,在东西方交流和丝路文明兴衰历史中发挥了关键的作用。科学评估全球增温背景下亚洲中部干旱区人类社会可持续发展面临的风险,是广受关注的重大科学问题。东西方交流和丝路文明发展历史及其与气候环境变化关系的研究,可为认识该地区不同时间尺度人地关系演变的规律提供科学依据。通过总结东西方交流与丝路文明兴衰历史、亚洲中部干旱区全新世气候变化过程、多时间尺度气候一水文变化机制以及人与环境相互作用的过程与规律等领域的研究进展,提出目前亚洲中部干旱区全新世气候环境变化时空格局和丝路文明演化的过程,以及人与环境相互作用机制的研究存在明显不足。破解亚洲中部干旱区气候变化和文化演化研究区域不均衡问题,加强地学与考古学等多学科交叉研究,是推进气候变化与丝路文明变迁研究的有效途径。这对理解该地区人地关系演化规律、应对气候变化带来的挑战、服务国家“一带一路”倡议具有重要的科学价值和现实意义。