Spatial patterns of subsistence extraction of forest products – An indirect approach for estimation of forest degradation in dry forest

Successful implementation of a forest based climate change mitigation mechanism such as REDD + depends on robust and available methods for measurement and estimation of forest degradation. Currently available methods are for application in single-hit degradation incidents in high density humid forests. However, it has been suggested that gradual degradation, especially in dry forests, is more widespread and that methods are needed for measuring and estimating associated emissions. We assess the applicability of an indirect remote sensing approach for monitoring forest degradation: infrastructure and other indicators of human activities are mapped and used for spatial prediction of degradation activities. For proxy variables we tested distance to forest edge, distance to roads, and population pressure calculated as the sum of inhabitants per pixel in the Landscan 2010 population raster dataset multiplied by an inverse power distance decay function. Wood extraction incidents were counted in 160 plots in two dry forests in Tanzania with infrastructural entry from one side only. We analyzed the spatial pattern of forest degradation as a function of the chosen proxy variables using zero inflated count models which allows for an excess of zero counts. A jack-knife bootstrap using 10,000 runs was applied to optimize the population distance decay function. We found that the impact of forest degradation is highest near high population concentration, above 1000 individuals. Furthermore, distance to nearest forest edge or road was a significant proxy for estimation of the number of wood extraction incidents (p < 0.001), where degradation incidents decreased with increasing distance to forest edge or road. At 3000 m from the forest edge towards the forest core the probability of wood extraction is 20% and dropping. The population distance decay function was found to have a steep decline indicating a relative small impact on forest degradation. Further, and perhaps larger, studies are needed to be able to recommend a distance decay function for general application in Tanzania. However, the results are useful for understanding spatial patterns of wood harvesting as a function of distance to nearest forest edge or road in dry Miombo woodland areas with average population pressure at 1685 ± 101 persons within a radius of 4000 m from the wood extraction sites.     

长江三角洲地区污染密集型产业转移及驱动机理

污染密集型产业转移及影响机理研究已成为区域可持续发展的研究热点之一。利用长江三角洲地区2000-2010年面板数据,运用Arc GIS空间分析工具,探讨污染密集型产业的时空格局演变特征及转移规律,构建计量学模型,定量地揭示其转移的驱动机理。结果表明:1近十年来,长江三角洲地区的污染密集型产业具有空间转移特征,转移方向基本符合沪宁—沪杭甬交通线,呈现由中心城市到外围城市、由集中到分散转移态势;2污染密集型产业转移主要受到外向度和劳动力成本拉动,而与经济发展水平呈负相关,环境规制、产业结构、创新能力均产生重要推动作用。3长江三角洲地区经济发展目前已逐渐摆脱依赖污染密集型产业的迹象,但污染密集型产业区位仍未发生根本性改变。     

Rural household demographics, livelihoods and the environment

This paper reviews and synthesizes findings from scholarly work on linkages among rural household demographics, livelihoods and the environment. Using the livelihood approach as an organizing framework, we examine evidence on the multiple pathways linking environmental variables and the following demographic variables: fertility, migration, morbidity and mortality, and lifecycles. Although the review draws on studies from the entire developing world, we find the majority of microlevel studies have been conducted in either marginal (mountainous or arid) or frontier environments, especially Amazonia. Though the linkages are mediated by many complex and often context-specific factors, there is strong evidence that dependence on natural resources intensifies when households lose human and social capital through adult morbidity and mortality, and qualified evidence for the influence of environmental factors on household decision-making regarding fertility and migration. Two decades of research on lifecycles and land cover change at the farm level have yielded a number of insights about how households make use of different land-use and natural resource management strategies at different stages. A thread running throughout the review is the importance of managing risk through livelihood diversification, ensuring future income security, and culture-specific norms regarding appropriate and desirable activities and demographic responses. Recommendations for future research are provided.     

The climate-population nexus in the East African Horn: Emerging degradation trends in rangeland and pastoral livelihood zones

Increasing climate variability and extreme weather conditions along with declining trends in both rainfall and temperature represent major risk factors affecting agricultural production and food security in many regions of the world. The rangelands of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia in the East African Horn remain one of the world's most food insecure regions, yet have substantially increasing human populations predominantly dependent on pastoralist and agro-pastoralist livelihoods. We identify regions where substantial rainfall decrease between two periods interrupted by the 1998 El Nino event (1981–2012) in the East African Horn is coupled with human population density increases. Vegetation in this region is characterized by a variable mosaic of land covers, generally dominated by grasslands necessary for agro-pastoralism, interspersed by woody vegetation. Recent assessments indicate that vegetation degradation is occurring, adversely impacting fragile ecosystems and human livelihoods. Using AVHRR and MODIS vegetation products from 1981 to 2012, we observe changes in vegetation patterns and productivity over the last decade across the East African Horn. We observe vegetation browning trends in areas experiencing reduced main-growing season precipitation; these areas are also concurrently experiencing increasing population pressures. We also found that the drying precipitation patterns only partially statistically explain the vegetation browning trends, indicating that other factors such as population pressures and land use changes might be responsible for the observed declining vegetation condition. Furthermore, we show that the general vegetation browning trends persist even during years with normal rainfall conditions such as 2012, pointing to potential long-term degradation of rangelands on which approximately 10 million people depend. These findings may have implications for current and future regional food security monitoring and forecasting as well as for mitigation and adaptation strategies in a region where population is expected to continue increasing against a backdrop of drying climate trends and increased climatic variability.     

1961—2010年中国气候生产潜力时空格局变化及其潜在可承载人口分析

以气温、降水格点数据为基础,采用Thornthwaite Memorial模型计算了中国气候生产潜力(CPP),并从气候的角度估算了耕地上气候资源潜在可承载的人口数,以便增强了解气候变化的影响及气候资源最大人口支撑能力。结果表明:1961—2010年中国CPP总体呈突变性增加趋势,1987年为突变点,年最低、最高及平均值分别为689. 18、814. 56和744. 05 g·m^-2·a^-1。空间上呈现出从西北向东南逐渐递增的带状分布,其中高值区主要分布在华南大部,最高值达2103. 56 g·m^-2·a^-1;低值区主要分布在西、北部地区,最低值为39. 28 g·m^-2·a^-1。2001—2010年中国大部分地区CPP年平均值相对于1961—2010年多年平均值变化幅度不大,变化比例高的地区基本上分布于中国西、北部,其中增加的区域达82%,主要分布在华东地区、新疆西部、西藏北部及青海大部,远大于缩减的区域(17%)。1995—2010年,基于公里网格的耕地气候潜在可承载人口为46—2180人·km^-2,全国平均值最低的年份为1130人·km^-2,对应的实际人口为0—49729人·km^-2,全国平均值均不高于137人·km^-2;全国实际总人口为11. 43—13. 04亿,耕地气候潜在可承载总人口为19. 72—20. 22亿,前后比值为58%—65%。这表明,中国耕地生产力未达到气候生产潜力,尚有一定的开发潜力;实际人口在中国大部分地区均没有超出气候资源潜在可承载的最大人口,然而在少数省市(如生态环境脆弱的青海省以及经济发达的大城市及沿海地区)已超出。     

Managed relocation: an assessment of its feasibility as a coastal management option

Managed relocation is explained and examined as an option to add to the usual categories considered in relation to managing coastal erosion. The paper considers the relocation of buildings in one unit, as opposed to demolition and re-construction. The standard coastal erosion management options are briefly noted and how managed relocation can fit into these options is explained. This paper focuses on four case studies. Two examples are from the USA and two from the UK; of these, two (one in each of the UK and USA) took place during the nineteenth century. Managed relocation is proposed as being feasible in particular cases, particularly where there are isolated historic or high value buildings.     

Stellar models for very low-mass main-sequence stars: the role of model atmospheres

We present very low-mass stellar models as computed using non-grey model atmospheres for selected assumptions about the stellar metallicities. The role of atmospheres is discussed and the models are compared with models based on the Eddington approximation, and with similar models that have appeared in the recent literature. Theoretical predictions concerning both the HR diagram location and the mass–luminosity relation are presented and discussed in terms of expectations in selected photometric bands. Comparison with available observational data concerning both galactic globular clusters and dwarfs in the solar neighbourhood reveals a satisfactory agreement together with the existence of some residual mismatches.     

和田地区人口与经济发展时空演变与分布差异研究

以和田地区七县一市作为研究基本单元,根据1995-2014 年人口、GDP和人均GDP面板数据分析了其人口与经济发展演变特征,通过人口经济一致性指数、偏离度指数和Pearson 相关系数探讨了和田地区人口经济分布的差异性,研究发现：近20 a 来和田地区人口和经济快速增长,各县市人口数量和经济发展差异很大;人口集聚与经济集聚水平差异较大并呈现扩大趋势,总体上东部地区人口集聚低于经济集聚,中部地区人口经济集聚基本一致,西部地区人口集聚高于经济集聚;人口分布与经济发展空间一致性总体呈变弱的趋势,人口经济分布差异的变大与地区经济差距的变大有非常高的相关性;地区的自然环境条件和社会经济发展条件是造成和田人口和经济分布差异性的主要原因。     

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2016.04.002

Population synthesis studies into planet formation have suggested that distributions consistent with observations can only be reproduced if the actual Type Ⅰ migration timescale is at least an order of magnitude longer than that deduced from linear theories.Although past studies considered the effect of the Type I migration of protoplanetary embryos,in most cases they used a conventional formula based on static torques in isothermal disks,and employed a reduction factor to account for uncertainty in the mechanism details.However,in addition to static torques,a migrating planet experiences dynamic torques that are proportional to the migration rate.These dynamic torques can impact on planet migration and predicted planetary populations.In this study,we derived a new torque formula for Type Ⅰ migration by taking into account dynamic corrections.This formula was used to perform population synthesis simulations with and without the effect of dynamic torques.In many cases,inward migration was slowed significantly by the dynamic effects.For the static torque case,gas giant formation was effectively suppressed by Type I migration;however,when dynamic effects were considered,a substantial fraction of cores survived and grew into gas giants.