Changes in ecosystem structure,function and hydrological connectivity control water,soil and carbon losses in semi‐arid grass to woody vegetation transitions

Connectivity has recently emerged as a key concept for understanding hydrological response to vegetation change in semi‐arid environments, providing an explanatory link between abiotic and biotic, structure and function. Reduced vegetation cover following woody encroachment, generally promotes longer, more connected overland flow pathways, which has the potential to result in an accentuated rainfall‐runoff response and fluxes of both soil erosion and carbon. This paper investigates changing hydrological connectivity as an emergent property of changing ecosystem structure over two contrasting semi‐arid grass to woody vegetation transitions in New Mexico, USA. Vegetation structure is quantified to evaluate if it can be used to explain observed variations in water, sediment and carbon fluxes. Hydrological connectivity is quantified using a flow length metric, combining topographic and vegetation cover data. Results demonstrate that the two woody‐dominated sites have significantly longer mean flowpath lengths (4 · 3 m), than the grass‐dominated sites (2 · 4 m). Mean flowpath lengths illustrate a significant positive relationship with the functional response. The woody‐dominated sites lost more water, soil and carbon than their grassland counterparts. Woody sites erode more, with mean event‐based sediment yields of 1203 g, compared to 295 g from grasslands. In addition, the woody sites lost more organic carbon, with mean event yields of 39 g compared to 5 g from grassland sites. Finally, hydrological connectivity (expressed as mean flowpath length) is discussed as a meaningful measure of the interaction between structure and function and how this manifests under the extreme rainfall that occurs in semi‐arid deserts. In combination with rainfall characteristics, connectivity emerges as a useful tool to explain the impact of vegetation change on water, soil and carbon losses across semi‐arid environments. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Strong motion envelope modelling of the source of the Chamoli earthquake of March 28, 1999 in the Garhwal Himalaya, India

Garhwal Himalaya has been rocked by two major earthquakes in the span of just eight years, viz. Uttarkashi earthquake of 20th Oct, 1991 and Chamoli earthquake of 28th March, 1999. Chamoli earthquake of March 28, 1999 was recorded at 11 different stations of a strong motion array installed in the epicentral region. The maximum peak ground acceleration (353 cm/s²) was recorded at an accelerograph located at Gopeshwar. The data from eleven stations has been used for comparison with the simulated acceleration envelopes due to a model of the rupture responsible for this earthquake. For simulation of acceleration envelope the method of Midorikawa (1993) has been modified for its applicability to Himalayan region. This method has earlier been used by Joshi and Patel (1997) and Joshi (1999) for the studyof Uttarkashi earthquake of 20th Oct, 1991. The same method has been used for study of Chamoli earthquake. Layered earth crust has been introduced in place of homogeneous one in this method. The model of rupture is placed at a depth of 12 km below the Munsiari thrust for modelling Chamoli earthquake. Peak ground acceleration was calculated from simulated acceleration envelope using layered as well as homogeneous earth crust. For the rupture placed in a layered crust model peak ground acceleration of order 312 cm/s² was simulated at Gopeshwar which is quite close to actually recorded value. The comparison of peak ground acceleration values in terms of root mean square error at eleven stations suggests that the root mean square error is reduced by inclusion of a layered earth crust in place of homogeneous earth crust.     

The influence of bedrock‐derived acidity in the development of surface and underground karst: evidence from the Precambrian carbonates of semi‐arid northeastern Brazil

Very extensive cave systems are developed in Precambrian Una Group carbonates in the Campo Formoso area, eastern Brazil. In contrast, the area is largely devoid of significant surface karst landforms, as would be expected given its semi‐arid climate. The caves in the area display many morphological features characteristic of deep‐seated hypogenic caves, such as lack of relationship with the surface, ramiform/network pattern, abrupt variations of passage cross‐sections and absence of fluvial sediments, but do not show evidence of vertical passages marking the ascending path of acidic water nor present extensive gypsum or acid clay mineral deposits. Hydrochemical analyses of present‐day ground water indicate that oxidation of bedrock sulphide is an active process, and sulphuric acid may be the main agent driving carbonate dissolution in the area. A shallow mode of speleogenesis is thus proposed, in which sulphuric acid produced through the oxidation of sulphide beds within the carbonates controls cave initiation and development. Moreover, the geological situation of the area in an ancient stable passive margin precludes the possibility of deep‐seated sources of acidity. Under dry climate, due to the absence of recharge, solutional landforms will be largely subdued in the surface. Hypogenic processes, if present, are likely to predominate, producing a landscape characterized by a marked disparity in the comparative degree of development between surface and underground landforms. Rates of karst landform development have traditionally been analysed through a climatic perspective, runoff being the main controlling factor in promoting karst development. This view needs to be reassessed in the light of the growing awareness of the importance of climate‐independent processes related to hypogenic sources of acidity. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于加速度反馈的结构地震反应半主动MR阻尼控制试验

本文针对安装有半主动磁流变阻尼器（MR damper)的一座二层模型结构进行了抗震振动台试验研究，通过采用基于加速度反馈控制策略的两种半主动控制算法进行了在各种地震动作用下模型结构的半主动控制的抗震试验研究，并进行了Passive-on和Passive-off两种被动控制的试验研究。试验结果表明，MR阻尼器作为一种半主动控制装置可以有效地控制结构的峰值位移和均方差反应，且半主动控制对结构顶层的峰值位移和均方差的控制效果均优于两种被动控制方法。因此，本文提出的两种半主动控制算法都是有效的，并宜于实现。     

Market‐based control of linear structural systems

To limit the response of structures during external disturbances such as strong winds or large seismic events, structural control systems can be used. In the structural engineering field, attention has been shifted from active control to semi‐active control systems. Unlike active control system devices, semi‐active devices are compact, have efficient power consumption characteristics and are less expensive. As a result, an environment of a large number of actuators and sensors will result, rendering a complex large‐scale dynamic system. Such a system is best controlled by a decentralized approach such as market‐based control (MBC). In MBC, the system is modelled as a market place of buyers and sellers that leads to an efficient allocation of control power. The resulting MBC solution is shown to be locally Pareto optimal. This novel control approach is applied to three linear structural systems ranging from a one‐storey structure to a 20‐storey structure, all controlled by semi‐active hydraulic dampers. It is shown that MBC is competitive in the reduction of structural responses during large seismic loadings as compared to the centralized control approach of the linear quadratic regulation controller. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The lost city of north‐west Queensland: a test of the model of giant Grikeland development in semi‐arid Karst

Jennings and Sweeting's (1963) model of landscape evolution in the Limestone Ranges of Western Australia has been proposed as a general scheme of semi‐arid karstification by Williams (1978) and Ford and Williams (1989). The model involves an initial plateau surface which undergoes progressive karstic dissection. The resultant landscape is characterised first by giant grikelands, then by box valleys and finally by karst towers. The depth of dissection is governed by the altitude of successive levels of pediplanation adjacent to the karst, with each karst level representing the location of a former erosion surface. The Lost City, a giant grikeland in the Barkly karst of north‐west Queensland, has evolved by the karstic dissection and stripping of a gently dipping sequence of carbonates and cherts. By contrast with the type example, the depth of dissection, the altitude of successive surfaces, the form and even the location of the grikeland are all controlled by rock structure. Not only does this cast doubt on the general applicability of Jennings and Sweeting's model, it suggests that such landscapes may also be the result of structural control and that the role played by semi‐arid climates may be less important than has previously been proposed. Given our present poverty of knowledge of semi‐arid karstification, any attempt to identify type examples of semi‐arid karst may be premature.     

内蒙古半干旱草原土壤植被大气相互作用(IMGRASS)综合研究

为深化对中纬半干旱草原气候生态相互作用过程、机制及其对全球变化的响应与贡献的认识 ,一项名为“内蒙古半干旱草原土壤植被大气相互作用 (IMGRASS)”的基金重大项目于 1997—2 0 0 1年在内蒙古锡林郭勒草原执行。IMGRASS计划在 1998年草原生长季节、在所选定的以典型草原为主 ,包括草甸草原、稀疏沙地草原等在内的中尺度试验区开展了多点、多要素的综合观测。观测内容包括土壤、植被、大气的相关要素和发生于地气界面的潜热、感热通量 ,还包括N2 O ,CH4 ,CO2 等微量气体交换量、辐射与降水分布。除 1998年中尺度观测试验外 ,在 1999— 2 0 0 1年在代表性地点进行了微量气体收支、遥感和沙尘天气相关的专项观测 ,结合草原站已进行的长期监测资料 ,分析气候生态长期相互作用 ,特别是人类活动干预的影响。在分析观测结果的基础上 ,对该地区的气候生态相互作用进行了数值模拟研究。文章作为介绍IMGRASS计划的第一部分 ,对该项研究计划作一全面简要介绍 ,包括科学目标、计划实施实验区背景、中尺度综合观测 ,并对实验所得大气边界层结构、辐射通量、沙地土壤水份状况、地表反射率谱与遥感测量等提供了个例分析 ,并简单介绍IMGRASS数据库。有关与全球变化有关的几个方面的初步研究结果将在本期刊中另文进行     

流体——重力式锥状单腿平台结构——土相互作用体系的地震动力响应

本文用配点法对流体——重力式锥状单腿平台结构——土相互作用体系在地震作用下的动力响应问题进行了研究。采用频域分析法，将锥柱体Ｎ等分，利用运动方程和边界条件联立解方程组，继而求出平台结构顶端弹性位移和腿柱所受的动水压力、基础平移和基础转角的频响函数。分析不同锥角下体系的动力响应的影响，并分析研究了刚性地基和考虑土——结构相互作用时结构体系的动力响应情况，得到一些很有益的结果。     

Semi‐active fuzzy control for seismic response reduction using magnetorheological dampers

A semi‐active fuzzy control strategy for seismic response reduction using a magnetorheological (MR) damper is presented. When a control method based on fuzzy set theory for a structure with a MR damper is used for vibration reduction of a structure, it has an inherent robustness, and easiness to treat the uncertainties of input data from the ground motion and structural vibration sensors, and the ability to handle the non‐linear behavior of the structure because there is no longer the need for an exact mathematical model of the structure. For a clipped‐optimal control algorithm, the command voltage of a MR damper is set at either zero or the maximum level. However, a semi‐active fuzzy control system has benefit to produce the required voltage to be input to the damper so that a desirable damper force can be produced and thus decrease the control force to reduce the structural response. Moreover, the proposed control strategy is fail‐safe in that the bounded‐input, bounded‐output stability of the controlled structure is guaranteed. The results of the numerical simulations show that the proposed semi‐active control system consisting of a fuzzy controller and a MR damper can be beneficial in reducing seismic responses of structures. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

抗旱肥料对绿色作物的影响

在半干旱半湿润的地区 ,由于降水量不定 ,常使作物在产量上受到一定的影响 ,为了提高大面积作物的产量 ,对大气中的水分与降水的利用、储存并与光合作用相结合应作进一步的讨论。另一方面还要提高光合作用的利用效率 ,使吸收的光尽可能的多起化学反应 ,已达到的能量转换还应与充足的肥料相结合。