Hydrological alterations from water infrastructure development in the Mekong floodplains

The Mekong floodplains, which encompasses the region from Kratie Township in Central Cambodia to the Vietnamese East Sea, is a region of globally renown agricultural productivity and biodiversity. The construction of 135 dams across the Mekong basin and the development of delta‐based flood prevention systems have caused public concern given possible threats on the stability of agricultural and ecological systems in the floodplains. Mekong dams store water upstream and regulate flow seasonality, while in situ flood prevention systems re‐distribute water retention capacity in the floodplains. The main aim of this paper is to evaluate possible impacts of the recent development of both hydropower dams and flood prevention systems on hydrological regimes in the Mekong floodplains. An analysis of measured daily and hourly water level data for key stations in the Mekong floodplains from Kratie to the river mouth in Vietnam was conducted. Hydropower dam information was obtained from the hydropower database managed by the Mekong River Commission, and the MODIS satellite imagery was used to detect changes in flooding extent related to the operation of flood prevention systems in the Vietnam Mekong Delta. Results indicate that the upper part of the floodplains, the Cambodian floodplains, may buffer upstream dam impacts to the Vietnam Mekong Delta. Flood prevention up to date has had the greatest effect on the natural hydrological regime of the Mekong floodplains, evidenced by a significant increase of water level rise and fall rates in the upper delta and causing water levels in the middle delta to increase. The development of flood prevention systems has also effected spatial distribution of flooding as indicated via a time series analysis of satellite imagery. While this development leads to increase localized agricultural productivity, our historical data analysis indicates that development of one region detrimentally affects other regions within the delta, which could increase the risk of future conflicts among regions, economic sectors and the ecological value of these important floodplains. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A Conceptual Framework for Enhancing the Utility of Rainfall Hazard Forecasts for Agriculture in Marginal Environments

Semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas (especially in the tropics) are characterized by high inter-annual and intra-seasonal rainfall variability. Agriculture, which employs the bulk of the rapidly increasing populations, is largely rain-fed, low-input based and highly resource dependent. Recent spates of drought have, therefore, exacerbated the now-too-familiar specter of famine and starvation in these areas with glaring examples being the recurring episodes in sub-Saharan Africa since the great Sahel drought of 1969–1973. A great need for accurate and timely hazard forecast products in aid of agriculture thus exists.Several schemes are currently employed by various agencies around the globe in this direction. There does remain, however, a gap between product provision and user expectations. This paper examines this gap suggesting a five-point framework within which it can be addressed as an action agenda for the climate science community. The paper posits that changes are possible to existing methodologies (related to three of these points), which, within the context of current science, can greatly enhance the utility of forecast products for agriculture in marginal areas. The remaining two points have, however, been identified as requiring additional applied research and necessary pointers for addressing these issues are provided. First is the need for appropriate impact-related indicators for intra-seasonal and interannual rainfall variability that are easy to compute, amenable to forecasting and follow closely the experiences of farmers in marginal areas. The second is a consideration of appropriate forecast information formatting and communication medium that guarantee effective feedback between forecast producers and users. Specific examples of the status quo and of work currently underway are cited from southern Africa – a region currently attracting international attention as a result of recent droughts and the threat of famine.     

澜沧江—湄公河流域跨界含水层研究

跨界含水层由位于不同国家的含水层组成,是地下水资源系统的重要组成部分。妥善管理并公平合理地利用跨界含水层,对促进可持续发展及国家之间的睦邻友好关系有着重要意义。通过分析澜沧江—湄公河流域水文地质条件,划定流域的跨界含水层系统,并对地下水资源与环境问题进行探索,提出跨界含水层综合评价指标体系,结合澜沧江—湄公河流域4个跨界含水层相关的指标进行了综合评价。本次研究,对管理澜沧江—湄公河流域跨界含水层,建设和谐的东南亚国际环境有着重要意义。     

Post‐orogenic thermal history and exhumation of the northern Appalachian Basin: Low‐temperature thermochronologic constraints

Apatite fission‐track (AFT) thermochronology and (U‐Th)/He (AHe) dating, combined with paleothermometers and independent geologic constraints, are used to model the thermal history of Devonian Catskill delta wedge strata. The timing and rates of cooling determines the likely post‐orogenic exhumation history of the northern Appalachian Foreland Basin (NAB) in New York and Pennsylvania. AFT ages generally young from west to east, decreasing from ~185 to 120 Ma. AHe single‐grain ages range from ~188 to 116 Ma. Models show that this part of the Appalachian foreland basin experienced a non‐uniform, multi‐stage cooling history. Cooling rates vary over time, ~1–2 °C/Myr in the Early Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, ~0.15–0.25 °C/Myr from the Early Cretaceous to Late Cenozoic, and ~1–2 °C/Myr beginning in the Miocene. Our results from the Mesozoic are broadly consistent with earlier studies, but with the integration of multiple thermochronometers and multi‐kinetic annealing algorithms in newer inverse thermal modeling programs, we constrain a Late Cenozoic increase in cooling which had been previously enigmatic in eastern U.S. low‐temperature thermochronology datasets. Multi‐stage cooling and exhumation of the NAB is driven by post‐orogenic basin inversion and catchment drainage reorganization, in response to changes in base level due to rifting, plus isostatic and dynamic topographic processes modified by flexure over the long (~200 Myr) post‐orogenic period. This study compliments other regional exhumation data‐sets, while constraining the timing of post‐orogenic cooling and exhumation in the NAB and contributing important insights on the post‐orogenic development and inversion of foreland basins along passive margins.     

Current and future use of indicators for ecosystem based fisheries management

Implementing ecosystem based fisheries management (EBFM) will require a suite of ecological indices to track the state of an ecosystem, in addition to monitoring species-abundance for both economically important species, as well as species that are not targeted for harvest. However, EBFM implementation requires an examination of current methods and applications of ecological indices that are being used. This paper identifies four key uses for ecosystem indices in the context of EBFM and discusses the implications of each: (1) motivation for socio-political action, (2) information for individual users to modify their behavior, (3) implementation of decision rules for management evaluation, and (4) discovery of ecosystem functions to advance scientific knowledge. In a fisheries management context, ecological indicators will be linked to decision rules based on the definitions of both “ecosystem overfishing” and the current single-species definitions of overfishing. Two components of common ecological indicators are species weightings (i.e. catch or abundance data by species) and the species-specific ecological attributes (e.g. mortality rates, body size, trophic level). We discuss statistical issues that arise from estimating the parameters in ecological index calculations from both fishery-dependent and independent data and the potential biases introduced by using catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) data, catch data, and abundance estimates. Given the range of biases that arise, often the best estimates of species weightings (abundances) are those derived from fish stock assessments. This implies that progress in EBFM may be best served by increasing the number of species for which single-species assessments are done and to expand the list of species to include species which may not be economically important. The policy framework exists to carry out EBFM; however, future works needs to focus on empirical management strategy simulations, as well as theoretical works to identify management criteria based on those indicators.     

陕西彬县地区湿陷性黄土纵向分布特征及湿陷性计算

通过对陕西彬县地区黄土进行物性指标及湿陷性试验,探讨了该地区物理性质指标及湿陷性的纵向分布规律,根据分布特征结合数理统计的方法对湿陷性的关键因素进行研究,拟合其相应经验公式,进一步总结出该地区黄土的一些特征,对该地区黄土的研究及工程勘察设计提供参考依据。     

浙江青田县万山萤石矿矿床地质特征及成因

浙江青田县万山萤石矿成矿作用主要由地热水浅循环伴含氟成矿流体,在特定的物理化学条件下,沿有利的构造空间富集成矿,属低温热液充填型脉状矿床.矿体矿石、矿物组分比较简单,矿石矿物为萤石,脉石矿物以石英为主,次为蛋白石、高岭石、黄铁矿、方解石、绿泥石等.矿石主要化学成分为CaF2和SiO2,矿石中SiO2、CaF2二者总量约占97％～99％.随着CaF2含量的增加,SiO2含量减少.     

地理国情分类区划及分级评价模型

统计分析是地理国情普查与监测数据向地理国情信息转化的必要手段,其中,分类、分级是统计分析最为典型和常用的方法。在综合分析现有地理国情综合统计指标、地理国情指数、地理国情统计分析方法的基础上,对其中冗余、不合理之处进行了调整和改进,设计了地理国情统计分析的总体框架,提出了地理国情分类区划的概念,并从分类和分级两方面对地理国情数据进行处理和分析,构建了地理国情分类区划和分级评价模型。     

湖南晚稻洪涝过程等级指标构建与演变特征

以湖南晚稻为研究对象,基于1961—2010年双季晚稻种植区68个气象站的降水资料、17个农业气象观测站的生育期观测资料,采用历史灾情反演方法,构建晚稻大田生长期3个生育时段、3个洪涝等级的洪涝灾害样本125个,应用Q-Q图拟合、W检验和t分布区间估计方法,计算晚稻分生育期（移栽-分蘖期、拔节-孕穗期、抽穗-成熟期）不同洪涝致灾等级（轻、中、重）的过程降水量临界值,构建晚稻洪涝过程等级指标,并进行独立样本验证检验;应用M-K检验等方法分析1961—2010年湖南晚稻洪涝的时空演变特征。结果表明:指标验证与历史记录有较高一致性;同一洪涝等级的指标阈值从大到小依次为抽穗-成熟期、拔节-孕穗期、移栽-分蘖期;20世纪60年代和90年代是湖南晚稻洪涝发生最严重的年代,总洪涝次数在1994年发生突变;晚稻轻涝在抽穗-成熟期发生率最高,中涝和重涝在拔节-孕穗期发生率最高;总洪涝的高发地区位于郴州、岳阳地区;随年代推移,晚稻各等级洪涝和总洪涝高发区均呈现由北向南的变化。     

Effects of different organic residues on rice yield and soil quality

Calcaric regosols are a valuable land resource, distributed widely across western China. Soil quality has deteriorated considerably in recent years owing to the blind pursuit of economic benefits. A 2-year field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of using spent mushroom compost, leguminous plant (Vicia sepium L.) compost, and a combination of the two (at a 1:1 and 2:1 ratio), on rice yield and soil quality in a suburb of China. Vicia sepium L. composted with spent mushroom compost at a 1:1 ratio produced the highest grain and stover yield, grain and stover phosphorus concentration, and phosphorus uptake of rice; they were 56.5%, 93.2%, 89.3%, 198.6% and 22.2% greater than control soil, respectively. The 2:1 ratio (Vicia sepium L.: spent mushroom compost) produced the highest grain N concentration, stover N concentration, and N uptake; they were 31.6%, 31.4%, and 40.7% higher than control, respectively. Soil physical, chemical, and environmental properties were improved with the application of Vicia sepium L. composted with spent mushroom compost at a 2:1 ratio. In particular, soil water-stable aggregates, organic carbon, particulate organic carbon, total nitrogen, available potassium, and cation exchange capacity increased, whereas bulk density, pH, and phytoavailable heavy metals decreased. This organic treatment is beneficial to improve soil quality indicators, and contribute to soil restoration.