The digital ‘connected’ earth: open technology for providing location-based services on degraded communication environments

In the current world, it is easy to listen that everybody and everything is connected. Over this connected world, the concept of location-based services has grown in order to provide digital services in everyplace and at every time. Nevertheless, this is not 100% true because the connection is not guaranteed for many people and in many places. These are the Degraded Communications Environments (DCE), environments where the availability of high-speed communications is not guaranteed in at least the 75% of the time. This paper works over the experience of a previous work in developing light protocols that do not need broadband for communication. This work provides an extension of these protocols for the inclusion of mobile devices as elements of the communication process and a set of libraries to allow the development of applications in DCE. The work done has involved the development of two frameworks: an Android framework that makes the incorporation of Android devices easier and a server-based framework that provides the server side for the development of the referred applications. A use case that uses these two frameworks has been developed. Finally, all technology developed is available throw a public Git repository.     

Effects of Enclosure on Plant and Soil Nutrients in Different Types of Alpine Grassland

Enclosure is one of the most widely used management tools for degraded alpine grassland on the northern Tibetan Plateau, but the responses of different types of grassland to enclosure may vary, and research on these responses can provide a scientific basis for improving ecological conservation. This study took one site for each of three grassland types (alpine meadow, alpine steppe and alpine desert) on the northern Tibetan Plateau as examples, and explored the effects of enclosure on plant and soil nutrients by comparing differences in plant community biomass, leaf-soil nutrient content and their stoichiometry between samples from inside and outside the fence. The results showed that enclosure can significantly increase all aboveground biomass in these three grassland types, but it only increased the 10-20 cm underground biomass in the alpine desert. Enclosure also significantly increased the leaf nutrient content of the dominant plants and contents of total nitrogen (N), total potassium (K), and organic carbon (C) in 10-20 cm soil in alpine desert, thus changing the stoichiometry between C, N and P (phosphorus). However, enclosure significantly increased only the N content of dominant plant leaves in alpine steppe, while other nutrients and stoichiometries of both plant leaves and soil did not show significant differences in alpine meadow and alpine steppe. These results suggested that enclosure has differential effects on these three types of alpine grasslands on the northern Tibetan Plateau, and the alpine desert showed the most active ecological conservation in the responses of its soil and plant nutrients.     

The Characteristics and Controlling Factors of Water and Heat Exchanges over the Alpine Wetland in the East of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Alpine wetland is one of the typical underlying surfaces on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. It plays a crucial role in runoff regulation. Investigations on the mechanisms of water and heat exchanges are necessary to understand the land surface processes over the alpine wetland. This study explores the characteristics of hydro-meteorological factors with in situ observations and uses the Community Land Model 5 to identify the main factors controlling water and heat exchanges.Latent heat flux and therm...     

ON THE LAYER-ZONE OF ALPINE MEADOW ON THEQINGHAI-TIBETAN PLATEAU

RuleofzonalityisoneofthedassicaltheonesinGeOgraphy.Thedifferentiationofzonalityfromaz0nalityindicatesthedevel0pmentofpeople'Scoguhveabilitiestonaturallaw.Longitudinal,latitudinalandaltitudinalzonalitiesbelongt0idealconcePts,however,theywerefavorablet0theformationoftheconcePtofthIeedimensi0nalzonality.UPt0n0wtherehavebeenmanydifferentideasonzonality.ForexamPle,inanarr0wsense,zonality0ulyreferst0thelatitudinalzonality,namely,thequatityofheatorairtemPeraturegraduallyChangs,whichresultsinthezo…     

Experimental study on soil CO2 emission in the alpine grassland ecosystem on Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau, the Roof of the World, is the highest plateau with a mean elevation of 4000 m. It is characterized by high levels of solar radiation, low air temperature and low air pressure compared to other regions around the world. The alpine grassland, a typical ecosystem in the Tibetan Plateau, is distributed across regions over the elevation of 4500 m. Few studies for carbon flux in alpine grassland on the Tibetan Plateau were conducted due to rigorous natural conditions. A study of soil respiration under alpine grassland ecosystem on the Tibetan Plateau from October 1999 to October 2001 was conducted at Pangkog County, Tibetan Plateau (31.23°N, 90.01°E, elevation 4800 m). The measurements were taken using a static closed chamber technique, usually every two weeks during the summer and at other times at monthly intervals. The obvious diurnal variation of CO2 emissions from soil with higher emission during daytime and lower emission during nighttime was discovered. Diurnal CO2 flux fluctuated from minimum at 05:00 to maximum at 14:00 in local time. Seasonal CO2 fluxes increased in summer and decreased in winter, representing a great variation of seasonal soil respiration. The mean soil CO2 fluxes in the alpine grassland ecosystem were 21.39 mgCO2 · m-2 · h-1, with an average annual amount of soil respiration of 187.46 gCO2 · m-2 · a-1. Net ecosystem productivity is also estimated, which indicated that the alpine grassland ecosystem is a carbon sink.     

中国北方两种现代草地动物牙齿珐琅质δ~(13)C值与植被类型的关系初探

在简单了解研究区的植被、气候状况的基础上 ,分析了内蒙古锡林郭勒和青海海北两种典型草地食草动物牙齿的δ1 3C值 ,测定了采样点表土有机质的δ1 3C值。锡林郭勒的表土有机质碳同位素组成略分散 ,且与植被和微环境密切相关。海北的表层土壤有机质碳同位素组成比较集中。两地的碳同位素组成都偏轻 ,是植被中C4植物含量少的反映。两地放牧动物的珐琅质δ1 3C值分别比当地植物偏重 12 .9‰和 13.5‰ ,或 14 .1‰和 14 .7‰。火灾等高温过程对动物牙齿的碳同位素组成可能没有显著影响     

The morphology and hydrology of small spring-dominated channels

Small, low order channels located in wet meadows along the Mogollon Rim of northern Arizona that receive the bulk of their flow from spring discharge exhibit a morphology that differs markedly from channels that receive the bulk of their flow from runoff. These small, spring-dominated channels generally have dense vegetation cover, vertical (or near vertical) banks with flat channel beds that are armored with clasts up to 60 mm. Clasts armoring the spring-dominated channels become mobile at 45 to 85% of the bankfull depth. The lack of fine-grained material in the bed of the spring-dominated channels reflects the small drainage size, lack of fine grain input from the spring, and winnowing affect of the consistent discharge. Minor amounts of large woody debris were present in some of the spring-dominated channels, however, unlike previous studies it does not appear to play a role in the spring-dominated channel morphology. Sinuosity values for spring-dominated channels averaged 1.19, while the average sinuosity values for the runoff-dominated channels, 1.08, were significantly lower. Measured width-to-depth ratios averaged 2.4 in the spring-dominated channels, much lower than the average ratio of 11.6 found for the runoff-dominated channels. The standard deviation of width-to-depth ratios was higher for runoff-dominated channels, reflecting a more variable channel profile. A third channel type, here referred to as hybrid channels, receive significant flow from both springs and runoff. These channels have characteristics that fall between spring-dominated and runoff-dominated channels.Elevation, gradient, organic matter content, and sediment grain size distribution of the wet meadows in which the channels are formed do not exhibit significant differences between channel types, suggesting that these factors are not responsible for the observed differences in channel morphologies. The major differences in controls on the channel morphology found between the spring-dominated and runoff-dominated channels are the discharge regime and the sediment input. The hydrology unique to the spring-dominated channels and the lack of fine-grained sediment input combine to create the observed differences.     

冻融循环对青藏高原腹地不同生态系统土壤细菌群落结构的影响

通过构建16S rRNA基因克隆文库,研究了冻融循环对青藏高原腹地北麓河的高寒沼泽草甸和高寒沙化草原两种不同生态系统土壤细菌群落结构的影响. 结果表明: α-、 β-、 γ- 和δ-变形菌门(α-、 β-、 γ- 和δ-Proteobacteria)、 酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria)、 放线菌门(Actinobacteria)、 拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)和浮霉菌门(Planctomycetes)为两个生态系统土壤共有的细菌类群, 其中, 变形菌门、 酸杆菌门及浮霉菌门细菌为研究区域优势菌, 而厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)为高寒沼泽草甸土壤所特有, 疣微菌门(Verrucomicrobia)和绿弯菌门(Chloroflexi)细菌是高寒沙化草原土壤特有的细菌类群, 表明青藏高原腹地两种生态系统土壤具有丰富的细菌多样性. 冻融循环会降低区域土壤的细菌多样性, 随冻融循环, 高寒沼泽草甸和高寒沙化草原生态系统土壤放线菌门丰度均呈现下降趋势, 但大部分细菌随冻融循环的变化在两种生态类型中呈现不同的变化规律, 结果说明冻融循环对于不同生态系统土壤细菌群落结构的影响既存在相似性, 也存在着较大的差异.     

高寒退化草地中垫状点地梅的生态系统工程师作用

垫状植物是高寒地区广泛分布的一类具有特殊形态的植物,被称为高寒生态系统工程师,其在高寒退化草地中的作用如何?本研究以位于西藏当雄念青唐古拉山脉南坡4500m的一处高寒退化草地为例,调查了垫状点地梅覆盖区域内外的物种多样性、土壤养分以及水分的差异。结果表明:垫状点地梅可以显著改善土壤养分,提高幅度大约为16%-48%,其中有机质和总氮(N)分别增加了16.2%和18.9%;局部土壤含水量提高约12%;样方内的物种丰富度(S)、Shannon-Wiener指数(H)和Simpson指数(D)都随着垫状点地梅盖度的增加而呈增加的趋势。垫状点地梅在退化草地中具有显著的改善土壤微环境和提高群落物种多样性的作用,应加强保育以促进高寒退化草地的恢复。     

青藏高原和阿尔卑斯山山体效应的对比研究

山体效应不仅对气候产生重大影响,也对区域地理生态格局有深远影响,尤其是它对山地垂直带分布和结构类型等的影响已经为地理学家和地植物学家所认识。目前相关研究主要集中在山体效应定量化方面,缺少不同山地山体效应的对比研究,因此对山体效应的区域差异性了解不足。本文选择欧亚大陆上具有明显山体效应的两个山地青藏高原和阿尔卑斯山为研究对象,利用收集到的气象台站观测数据、林线和DEM数据以及基于MODIS地表温度估算的青藏高原和阿尔卑斯山气温数据等,通过对比分析青藏高原与阿尔卑斯山相同海拔高度上的气温以及林线分布高度等来探讨两个山地的山体效应差异性。分析结果表明青藏高原的山体效应比阿尔卑斯山更为强烈,表现为：① 由于山体效应影响,在相同海拔高度上（4500 m）,青藏高原内部气温远高于阿尔卑斯山的气温,尤其是在最热月高原内部气温比阿尔卑斯山内部气温高10~15℃,在最冷月高原内部气温比阿尔卑斯山内部气温高5~10℃。② 由于山体效应影响,青藏高原内部林线也远高于阿尔卑斯山内部林线,约高2000~3000 m。本研究将为山体效应的影响因素分析奠定基础,同时对于揭示欧亚大陆山地生态系统格局具有一定的科学意义。