Distribution and seasonal abundance of large cetaceans in the Durban whaling grounds off KwaZulu-Natal,South Africa, 1972–1975

Daily charts of the aerial search effort (432 206 nautical miles) of the Union Whaling Company and 1 099 sightings of 10 497 whales were available from 628 flights off Durban between 1972 and 1975. Densities of whales were analysed by month and water depth distribution over the four-year period. Low observed densities of blue Balaenoptera musculus, right Eubalaena australis, sei B. borealis and humpback Megaptera novaeangliae whales most likely resulted from earlier whaling pressure. Seasonality of blue, sei and humpback whales was bimodal, indicative of winter migrations to the north of the Durban whaling grounds, whereas the unimodal seasonality of fin whales B. physalus and minke whales B. bonaerensis or B. acutorostrata suggest the offshore region as the northern terminus of their migrations. Sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus migrate northwards offshore of the KwaZulu-Natal coast in autumn/early winter and southwards in late winter/spring, with larger males migrating later than the smaller males and females. Killer whale Orcinus orca presence was coincident with that of offshore minke whales and the southward migrations of other baleen whales, whereas densities of animals deemed as bottlenose whale Hyperoodon planifrons suggest strong early and late summer seasonal abundance in the offshore region. Such extensive surveys offshore of the KwaZulu-Natal coast are unlikely to be repeated; hence, data-extraction of whaling records provides a valuable source of seasonal and distributional information for marine management.     

FUTURE CHANGE OF PRECIPITATION EXTREMES OVER THE PEARL RIVER BASIN FROM REGIONAL CLIMATE MODELS

Based on RegCM4, a climate model system, we simulated the distribution of the present climate (1961-1990) and the future climate (2010-2099), under emission scenarios of RCPs over the whole Pearl River Basin. From the climate parameters, a set of mean precipitation, wet day frequency, and mean wet day intensity and several precipitation percentiles are used to assess the expected changes in daily precipitation characteristics for the 21st century. Meanwhile the return values of precipitation intensity with an average return of 5, 10, 20, and 50 years are also used to assess the expected changes in precipitation extremes events in this study. The structure of the change across the precipitation distribution is very coherent between RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. The annual, spring and winter average precipitation decreases while the summer and autumn average precipitation increases. The basic diagnostics of precipitation show that the frequency of precipitation is projected to decrease but the intensity is projected to increase. The wet day percentiles (q90 and q95) also increase, indicating that precipitation extremes intensity will increase in the future. Meanwhile, the 5-year return value tends to increase by 30%-45% in the basins of Liujiang River, Red Water River, Guihe River and Pearl River Delta region, where the 5-year return value of future climate corresponds to the 8- to 10-year return value of the present climate, and the 50-year return value corresponds to the 100-year return value of the present climate over the Pearl River Delta region in the 2080s under RCP8.5, which indicates that the warming environment will give rise to changes in the intensity and frequency of extreme precipitation events.     

基于水位控制的黄河三角洲退化滨海湿地恢复及其短期效应

针对黄河三角洲滨海湿地严重退化盐碱化问题,于2015年5月设计实施了微地形改造营造和水位控制相结合的生态恢复方案,并评估了恢复工程的初步效果。结果表明:生态工程实施3个月后,恢复区植被、水域和裸地面积发生显著变化,植被比例从18.8%上升到30.5%,水域比例从7.4%上升到53.2%,裸地面积从73.8%降低到16.3%,湿地的改善为鸟类提供了多样化的生境。底栖动物从无到有开始拓殖,至2015年9月已发现大型底栖动物14种。自2015年9月至2016年3月,共有35种鸟类,包括13种重点保护鸟类在该区域栖息觅食。相对于简单围封补充淡水的传统恢复方式,本研究设计的生态恢复方案效果更为显著,在该区的生态恢复和重建中具有一定的推广价值。     

城市规模与旅游成长空间关系、演变及驱动因子——长江三角洲城市级别体系新认识

以“揭示规律、验证规律”为研究逻辑起点,提出“城市规模-旅游成长-城市级别”数理空间分布模型及其时空演变模型,以长江三角洲地区城市体系为例,系统搜集1995~2014年系列基础数据,探讨城市规模与旅游成长的空间关系及其演变机理。结果表明：① 20 a来长三角地区城市规模、旅游成长、城市级别的数理空间分布呈三段“金字塔”式结构,城市级别越高,分布数量越少;② 三元空间关系在演变中,1995~2009时期内的三阶段符合演变模型的A线关系趋向,2010~2014阶段呈“核”式分布,旅游对城市规模存在倒逼效应;③ 依据城市4个基本象限类分布,级别高的城市分布在Ⅰ类区,Ⅳ类区与Ⅱ、Ⅲ类区间存在单向转换与演变关系;④ 对驱动因子剖析,政府政策的倾斜、城市规模效应以及旅游的快速发展共同促成三元关系的演变格局。     

中西方地图与地图学史比较研究

地图与地图学史研究有助于了解发展规律,探索学科发展方向。本文以中西方地图、地图学史为研究对象,依时间顺序提出中西方地图、地图学发展中的3次互补,结合历史史例予以说明;通过比较分析法,探索分析3次互补融合程度,结合学科前沿,对地图与地图学发展提出合理预测,推断第4次互补发生的可能。     

Towards decadal soil salinity mapping using Landsat time series data

Salinization is one of the major soil problems around the world. However, decadal variation in soil salinization has not yet been extensively reported. This study exploited thirty years (1985–2015) of Landsat sensor data, including Landsat-4/5 TM (Thematic Mapper), Landsat-7 ETM+ (Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus) and Landsat-8 OLI (Operational Land Imager), for monitoring soil salinity of the Yellow River Delta, China. The data were initially corrected for atmospheric effects, and then matched the spectral bands of EO-1 (Earth Observing One) ALI (Advanced Land Imager). Subsequently, soil salinity maps were derived with a previously developed PLSR (Partial Least Square Regression) model. On intra-annual scale, the retrievals showed that soil salinity increased in February, stabilized in March, and decreased in April. On inter-annual scale, soil salinity decreased within 1985–2000 (−0.74 g kg⁻¹/10a, p < 0.001), and increased within 2000–2015 (0.79 g kg⁻¹/10a, p < 0.001). Our study presents a new perspective for use of multiple Landsat data in soil salinity retrieval, and further the understanding of soil salinization development over the Yellow River Delta.     

珠三角地区长时间序列气溶胶时空变化特征分析

本文通过对2000年—2013年长时间序列的MODIS气溶胶产品进行统计,分析了珠三角地区气溶胶光学厚度(AOD)和细粒子光学厚度(FAOD)的空间分布特征以及年度和季节变化特点,有助于深入研究珠三角地区颗粒物污染水平变化及颗粒物的排放与输送等。研究结果显示珠三角地区中部为AOD高值区,东西两翼地区为AOD低值区。AOD和FAOD的最高值通常分别出现在春季和秋季,最低值则通常都出现在冬季。2006年之后,珠三角地区大气气溶胶总消光虽在部分年份仍有反弹上升的现象出现,但已有明显降低。然而,该地区细粒子消光在2000年—2012年期间则呈逐年增加的趋势,且其空间差异性也越加显著,细颗粒物污染仍需进一步控制。     

Species richness of the genus Molgolaimus (Nematoda) from local to ocean scale along continental slopes

This study investigated the distribution of Molgolaimus species (Nematoda) at different hierarchical spatial scales and observed the turnover of species along bathymetrical transects and among transects in two separate geographical regions. Samples from six transects (200–2000 m) from the Southern Oceans (SO) and four bathymetric transects (50–2000 m) from the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) were compared. Of the 30 species recorded, only one was common to both regions. WIO had higher local species richness than the SO. In both regions, the local scale was the greatest contributor to the total species richness. In the SO, there was no difference between species turnover at the different spatial scales, however, in the WIO, the turnover along bathymetrical transects was higher than among separated transects. For the particular genus studied, the evidence suggests that the study area in WIO has more widespread species and was better sampled, while the SO has many restricted species and it is most probably characterized by different biogeographical provinces. At the ocean scale (i.e. WIO versus SO), evolutionary histories may have strongly influenced nematodes species composition, while at local and regional scales, ecological processes are probably promoting species co‐existence and speciation. The high co‐existence of certain species at local scale is partially explained by species preference for different sediment layers.     

Satellite-Based Assessment of the Extent and Changes in the Mangrove Ecosystem of the Niger Delta

This study was carried out with the primary aim of understanding how the mangrove ecosystem in the Niger Delta has been altered recently. Specifically, we determined the spatial extent of the mangrove forest in the Niger Delta using remotely sensed satellite data and estimated changes in the spatial extent of the forest from the mid-1980s through 2003. Overall, about 21,340 hectares of Mangrove forest was lost over the study period. Fieldwork confirmed that these losses were primarily due to urbanization, dredging activities, activities of the oil and gas industries, and the spread of Nypa Palm (Nypa frutican) plant species.     

Interannual variability and predictability of summertime significant wave heights in the western north pacific

We propose and validate a linear regression model which enables us to predict the summer (June–August) mean of the monthly 90th percentile of significant wave heights (H₉₀) in the western North Pacific (WNP). The most prevailing interannual variability of H⁹⁰ is identified by applying an Empirical Orthogonal Function analysis to H⁹⁰ obtained from the ERA-40 wave reanalysis as well as from the optimally interpolated TOPEX/Poseidon (OITP) wave data. It is found that the increase of H⁹⁰ is correlated with cyclonic circulation in the WNP which links with warm SST anomalies in the Niño-3.4 region. We adopt zonal wind anomaly averaged over the region 5°N–15°N, 130°E–160°E (U^10N) as a predictor of the first principal component (PC1) of H⁹⁰, since U^10N is closely correlated with the PC1 of H⁹⁰. It is revealed that regression models obtained from two different wave datasets are nearly identical. The predictability of the regression model is assessed in terms of the reduction of the root-mean-square (rms) errors between H⁹⁰ and the reconstructed data. The predictor is found to be successful in reducing the rms errors by up to 40% for the ERA-40 wave reanalysis and by up to 70% for the OITP wave data within the latitudinal band 10°N–25°N, though rms errors exceeding 0.3 m still remain, particularly in the East China Sea.