Scaling in river corridor widths depicts organization in valley morphology

Landscapes have been shown to exhibit numerous scaling laws from Horton's laws to more sophisticated scaling in topography heights, river network topology and power laws in several geomorphic attributes. In this paper, we propose a different way of examining landscape organization by introducing the “river corridor width” (lateral distance from the centerline of the river to the left and right valley walls at a fixed height above the water surface) as one moves downstream. We establish that the river corridor width series, extracted from 1 m LIDAR topography of a mountainous river, exhibit a rich multiscale statistical structure (anomalous scaling) which varies distinctly across physical boundaries, e.g., bedrock versus alluvial valleys. We postulate that such an analysis, in conjunction with field observations and physical modeling, has the potential to quantitatively relate mechanistic laws of valley formation to the statistical signature that underlying processes leave on the landscape. Such relations can be useful in guiding field work (by identifying physically distinct regimes from statistically distinct regimes) and advancing process understanding and hypothesis testing.     

基于手持GPS洞庭湖区植被景观格局外业调绘研究

本文以1∶50 000的地形图为工作底图,采用手持GPS技术、利用实地调查与分解森林资源分布图相结合的方法,对洞庭湖区植被分布状况进行了外业调绘的研究。建立了外业调绘过程中植被群落斑块最小面积和边界的确定原则及其斑块类型与编码。探讨了手持GPS实现WGS-84坐标系向1954北京坐标系的转化方法,并进行了精度估算,其点位误差≤5.8 m,完全可以满足洞庭湖区植被分布外业调绘的精度要求。运用该方法进行植被分布的外业调绘,可以解决运用传统的定位测量方法在湖区定位难的问题,提高了外业作业效率。     

A method for the selection of relevant pattern indices for monitoring of spatial forest cover pattern at a regional scale

When signing Agenda 21, several countries agreed to monitor the status of forests to ensure their sustainable use. For reporting on the change in spatial forest cover pattern on a regional scale, pattern metrics are widely used. These indices are not often thoroughly evaluated as to their sensitivity to remote sensing data characteristics. Hence, one would not know whether the change in the metric values was due to actual landscape pattern changes or to characteristic variation of multitemporal remote sensing data.     

Late quaternary alluvial stratigraphy of a low-order tributary in central Texas, USA and its response to climate and sediment supply

A paleomegafauna site from central Amazonia with exceptional preservation of mastodons and ground sloths allows for the first time a precise age control based on ¹⁴C analysis, which, together with sedimentological and δ¹³C isotope data, provided the basis to discuss habitat evolution within the context of climate change during the past 15,000 yr. The fossil-bearing deposits, trapped within a depression in the Paleozoic basement, record three episodes of sedimentation formed on floodplains, with an intermediate unit recording a catastrophic deposition through debris flows, probably favored during fast floodings. The integrated approach presented herein supports a change in humidity in central Amazonia through the past 15,000 yr, with a shift from drier to arboreal savanna at 11,340 (±50) ¹⁴C yr B.P. and then to a dense forest like we see today at 4620 (±60) ¹⁴C yr B.P.     

Aesthetics and relevance in geomorphological outreach

Aesthetics and relevance are essential for making geomorphology a discipline that appeals to the general public and to potential students. A concentration on process studies has led to a relative neglect of landforms, yet, it is landforms that have often stimulated geomorphologists themselves to become geomorphologists. The study and explanation of visually attractive landscapes, the demonstration of the relevance of the discipline to society's needs and, following on from that, a concern with global change, are three areas that need to be developed by geomorphologists.     

云南哀牢山的梯田景观

云南哀牢山区哈尼族人创造的独具特色的热带山区梯田景观，在与自然环境的协调过程中，巧妙地解决了农耕中的关键要素水分与肥料，创造了较高的粮生产水平，并以聚落分布的适中高度，均衡建构中介，最终内化为一种独特的文化形态，自然与人文在此所形成的高度协调关系，无疑具有重要的理直学研究意义。     

The fractal geometry of the soil—covered landscape

The soil-covered landscape surface can be idealized from two viewpoints. The intuitive view is of a smooth, absolutely continuous surface with continuous contour lines and measurable in integral dimensions. The alternative view emphasizes the roughness, a surface of little regularity and at the limit of no contours, the appropriate measure being that of fractional Hausdorff dimension. Regularity is a local property and both idealizations need to stop far short of the limit to avoid awkward consequences. The dichotomy of viewpoint can be matched in the theory of Gaussian random fields. These, if they are smooth, are very smooth but if they are irregular they are highly irregular (erratic); there is no middle ground. This Belayev dichotomy is defined and both modes applied to the soil-covered landscape. On the one hand, if the landscape is subject to a general diffusive type degradation or more generally a Davisian downwasting regime then the curvature of the landscape surface is progressively straightened and the distribution of gradient (increments) along a typical traverse will eventually adopt a Gaussian form. Then from the irregular viewpoint the surface is ultimately well represented by a fractional Brownian surface of low Hausdorff dimension (2·0 < dim < 2·3). The Hausdorff dimension is directly related to the entropy of the landscape and as degradation proceeds both quantities decrease in value. On the other hand, if the surface is regarded as smooth and well represented by an absolutely continuous Gaussian field then the mean value of the number of upcrossings of a level or the extent of an excursion set will also be Gaussian. This analysis is restricted to one dimension; the number of times a profile curve crosses or the amount of time it spends above any given level. Predictions from both viewpoints are substantially corroborated in a map analysis of 15 sites on varied terrains in Southern England and the map analysis checked against one based upon digital tape data for one of the sites.     

Numerical Simulation of the Influence of Tectonics and Precipitation on the Evolution of Alluvial Fans at the Northern Foot of Qilian Mountains

As achieves of regional environmental changes in the past, alluvial fans have received extensive attention from geoscience community. Tectonic activity and climate change are two of the main factors affecting the development of alluvial fans. The Qilian Mountains, which is located on the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, experienced severe uplift since the Cenozoic. With the huge relief from surrounding areas, a series of alluvial fans developed at the northern foot of the Qilian Mountains. That makes it become an ideal area to study the relationships between tectonic uplift, climate change, and alluvial fan development. In order to explore how climate and tectonic changes have effect on the formation and development of alluvial fans, based on stream power model and diffusion equations, a numerical model of the drainage basin-fan system was built. Xigou River and Dayekou River with their fans in Qilian Mountains were simulated by using the above-mentioned numerical model. The results show that both the change in precipitation and the uplift rate affect the fan slope. Either the increase in the uplift rate or the decrease in precipitation causes the increment of fan slope, and vice versa. Fan slope changes linearly with the uplift rate variation, while the effect of precipitation on fan slope is relatively small. The response of catchment to tectonic activity and precipitation disturbances, as the change of sedimentary flux, is also in different patterns. The research will provide a new perspective for understanding the influence of regional tectonic activities and climate change on the geomorphological process.     

从1995年国际景观生态学大会看当前国内外景观生态学发展的现状

对１９９５年世界景观生态学大会和景观生态学发展的国内外现状进行了思考。当今景观生态学与国际生态学的研究热点（全球变化、生物多样性和持续发展）基本一致，但又有自己的特色，其重点领域包括：①生态空间理论与景观异质性研究；②景观变化模型与未来景观规划；③景观系统分析与ＧＩＳ应用等。由于经济发展和社会生态意识的不同，使得该学科在各地区间的发展很不平衡。着重就我国的本领域研究状况与国际水平作了比较