三种碎屑颗粒形态定量分析方法的比较及应用

沉积物颗粒的形态是沉积成因分析的主要标志之一。目估对比法是沉积物颗粒圆度分析中常用的方法。目估法直观、简捷,但主观因素影响较大。本文利用计算机图像分析软件Image Pro Plus 6.0获取鲍尔斯目估标准颗粒的轮廓,并用3种定量方法测量这些标准颗粒的IPP圆度、轮廓分维数和傅里叶不圆度,然后对比这些圆度的划分标准与目估标准之间的差别,最后用3种圆度测定方法同时测量广东马头山风化坑和河流壶穴中碎屑颗粒的圆度,通过测量结果的对比来评价这3种定量方法的应用效果,检验这些方法能否在实际应用中代替目估方法以区分不同成因的碎屑颗粒。分析表明：目估法的磨圆度标准不是简单地表达颗粒的圆形与否,其中包括了颗粒表面结构的差异;3种定量方法的圆度划分标准很难与目估划分标准完全一致;3种方法所表征的圆度均能区分风化作用和流水侵蚀作用形成的颗粒,因此3种定量方法均可以代替目估方法测量颗粒的圆度;在不强调颗粒表面特征的前提下,IPP圆度的测量方法比其他两种方法更加有效;颗粒形态的分析结果证明河谷壶穴中的颗粒由流水侵蚀作用而成,山顶风化坑中的颗粒由风化作用而成     

中国西南山区公路沿线乡村聚落景观格局演变

山区乡村聚落演化机制是聚落地理学研究的热点,为探究山区公路对乡村聚落变化的驱动机理,以贵州省麻江县为研究对象,基于1992,2012年乡村聚落数据,运用GIS技术和景观分析软件,对山区不同地貌的公路沿线乡村聚落景观格局变化进行研究。结果表明:(1)与整个研究区(行政单元)相比,公路影响范围内乡村聚落景观快速增加,景观趋于破碎化和形状复杂化。乡村聚落景观演变速度呈现岩溶槽谷区低山丘陵区中山峡谷区的特点。(2)距公路越近的缓冲区,景观格局变化更加剧烈。在3个公路距离缓冲区,乡村聚落景观演变速度都呈岩溶槽谷区低山丘陵区中山峡谷区的特点。(3)在0~1 500 m距离缓冲区,低坡度的乡村聚落景观格局变化速度明显快于中坡度与高坡度地区。低坡度的景观格局演变速度呈现出岩溶槽谷区低山丘陵区中山峡谷区的特点,而中坡度与高坡度的景观格局演变速度呈现出中山峡谷区低山丘陵区岩溶槽谷区的特点。这说明距公路远近和坡度的变化是影响山区公路影响范围内乡村聚落景观格局演变差异的重要因素。     

Response of artificial grassland carbon stock to management in mountain region of Southern Ningxia,China

Grassland is a major carbon sink in the terrestrial ecosystem. The dynamics of grassland carbon stock profoundly influence the global carbon cycle. In the published literatures so far, however, there are limited studies on the long-term dynamics and influential factors of grassland carbon stock, including soil organic carbon. In this study, spatial-temporal substitution method was applied to explore the characteristics of Medicago sativa L.(alfalfa) grassland biomass carbon and soil organic carbon density(SOCD) in a loess hilly region with different growing years and management patterns. The results demonstrated that alfalfa was the mono-dominant community during the cutting period(viz. 0–10 year). Community succession began after the abandonment of alfalfa grassland and then the important value of alfalfa in the community declined. The artificial alfalfa community abandoned for 30 years was replaced by the S. bungeana community. Accordingly, the biomass carbon density of the clipped alfalfa showed a significant increase over the time during 0–10 year. During 0–30 year, the SOCD from 0–100 cm of the soil layer of all 5 management patterns increased over time with a range between 5.300 ± 0.981 kg/m2 and 12.578 ± 0.863 kg/m2. The sloping croplands had the lowest SOCD at 5.300 ± 0.981 kg/m2 which was quite different from the abandoned grasslands growing for 30 years which exhibited the highest SOCD with 12.578 ± 0.863 kg/m2. The ecosystem carbon density of the grassland clipped for 2 years increased 0.1 kg/m2 compared with the sloping cropland, while that of the grassland clipped for 10 years substantially increased to 10.30 ± 1.26 kg/m2. Moreover, the ecosystem carbon density for abandoned grassland became 12.62 ± 0.50 kg/m2 at 30 years. The carbon density of the grassland undisturbed for 10 years was similar to that of the sloping cropland and the grassland clipped for 2 years. Different management patterns imposed great different effects on the accumulation of biomass carbon on artificial grasslands, whereas the ecosystem carbon density of the grassland showed a slight increase from the clipping to abandonment of grassland in general.     

Snow and glacier melt in the Satluj River at Bhakra Dam in the western Himalayan region

Abstract

Streamflow in the Himalayan rivers is generated from rainfall, snow and ice. The distribution of runoff produced from these sources is such that the streamflow may be observed in these rivers throughout the year, i.e. they are perennial in nature. Snow and glacier melt runoff contributes substantially to the annual flows of these rivers and its estimation is required for the planning, development and management of the water resources of this region. The average contribution of snow and glacier melt runoff in the annual flows of the Satluj River at Bhakra Dam has been determined. Keeping in view the availability of data for the study basin, a water balance approach was used and a water budget period of 10 years (October 1986-September 1996) was considered for the analysis. The rainfall input to the study basin over the water budget period was computed from isohyets using rainfall data of 10 stations located at different elevations in the basin. The total volume of flow for the same period was computed using observed flow data of the Satluj River at Bhakra Dam. A relationship between temperature and evaporation was developed and used to estimate the evapotranspiration losses. The snow-covered area, and its depletion with time, was determined using satellite data. It was found that the average contribution of snow and glacier runoff in the annual flow of the Satluj River at Bhakra Dam is about 59%, the remaining 41% being from rain.     

Spatial soil loss risk and reservoir siltation in semi-arid Tunisia

Abstract

Soil erosion vulnerability and extreme rainfall characteristics over the Mediterranean semi-arid region of Tunisia are crucial input for estimation of siltation rate in artificial reservoirs. A comprehensive high-resolution database on erosive rainfall, together with siltation records for 28 small reservoirs, were analysed for this region, the Tunisian Dorsal (the easternmost part of the Atlas Mountains). The general life-span of these reservoirs is only about 14 years. Depending on the soil degradation in the different catchments, the corresponding reservoirs display a wide range of soil erosion rates. The average soil loss was 14.5 t ha^?1 year^?1 but some catchments display values of up to 36.4 t ha^?1 year^?1. The maximum 15-min duration rainfall intensity was used to determine the spatial distribution of rainfall erosivity. The northwestern parts of the Tunisian Dorsal display the most extreme rainfall erosivity. Spatial erosion patterns are to some extent similar; however, they vary greatly according to their location in the “soil degradation cycle”. This cycle determines the soil particle delivery potential of the catchment. In general, the northwestern parts of the Dorsal display modest soil erosion patterns due to the already severely degraded soil structure. Here, the soil surface is often the original bedrock. However, the greatest soil erosion occurs in the mid-eastern parts of the Dorsal, which represents the “degradation front”. The latter corresponds to the area with highest erosion, which is continuously progressing westward in the Dorsal. The large variation between the erosive rainfall events and the annual soil loss rates was explained by two important factors. The first relates to the soil degradation cycle. The second factor corresponds to the degradation front with the highest soil loss rates. At present this front is located at 300 m altitude and appears to be moving along an 80-km westward path starting from the east coast. A better understanding of the above can be used to better manage soils and soil covers in the Tunisian Dorsal area and, eventually, to decrease the soil erosion and reservoir siltation risk.

Citation Jebari, S., Berndtsson, R., Bahri, A. & Boufaroua, M. (2010) Spatial soil loss risk and reservoir siltation in semi-arid Tunisia. Hydrol. Sci. J. 55(1), 121–137.     

Spatiotemporal index for analyzing controls on snow climatology: application in the Colorado Front Range

Mountain snowpacks are important water supplies that are susceptible to climate change, yet snow measurements are sparse relative to snowpack heterogeneity. We used remote sensing to derive a spatiotemporal index of snow climatology that reveals patterns in snow accumulation, persistence, and ablation. Then we examined how this index relates to climate, terrain, and vegetation. Analyses were based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer eight-day snow cover from 2000 to 2010 for a mountain watershed in the Colorado Front Range, USA. The Snow Cover Index (SCI) was calculated as the fraction of years that were snow covered for each pixel. The proportion of SCI variability explained by independent variables was evaluated using regression analysis. Independent variables included elevation, northing, easting, slope, aspect, northness, solar radiation, precipitation, temperature, and vegetation cover. Elevation was the dominant control on SCI patterns, due to its influence on both temperature and precipitation. Grouping SCI values by elevation, we identified three distinct snow zones in the basin: persistent, transitional, and intermittent. The transitional snow zone represents an area that is sensitive to losing winter snowpack. The SCI can be applied to other basins or regions to identify dominant controls on snow cover patterns and areas sensitive to snow loss.     

山体效应对台湾常绿阔叶林分布上限的影响

山体效应使山体内部的垂直植被带相对升高,影响山地的立体生态格局.台湾岛中央山脉在3500m以上,山地植被的分布高度不仅受到纬度和季风的影响,也必然受到山体效应的影响.采用台湾生物多样性信息中心发布的数据,利用多元线性回归模型分析纬度、山体效应(以山体基面高度为简单量化指标)以及季风(以冬雨量占全年降水量百分比为简明代表)对台湾常绿阔叶林分布上限的影响.结果表明,纬度、山体效应和季风为自变量的线性回归模型R2为0.562,回归方程显著,具有统计学意义,三个变量的贡献率分别为26.32％、64.12％与9.56％.这表明山体效应对台湾山地垂直带的影响非常显著,远远超过了纬度与季风的作用.同时还发现,冬雨量与垂直带分布高度的相关性以24.13°N为界,南北完全相反.该纬度以南,冬雨量与垂直带分布高度呈现较强的正相关性;而在以北,正相关性显著下降甚至出现了一定的负相关.后者应该与冬雨量过多有密切关系.     

Ethics of large-scale change

Geografisk Tidsskrift, Danish Journal of Geography 106(2): 131–144, 2006

The subject of this paper is long-term large-scale changes in human society. Some very significant examples of large-scale change are presented: human population growth, human appropriation of land and primary production, the human use of fossil fuels, and climate change. The question is posed, which kind of attitude is appropriate when dealing with large-scale changes like these from an ethical point of view. Three kinds of approaches are discussed: Aldo Leopold's mountain thinking, the neoclassical economists' approach, and finally the so-called Concentric Circle Theories approach. It is argued that the last of these three approaches must be preferred, even though further interpretation will be needed in relation to specific decision-making.