TEMPORAL TRENDS IN SOIL PRODUCTIVITY EVALUATIONS*

Studies of soil productivity must compensate for the effects of temporal trends in order to examine the pattern of crop yields along spatial gradients. An analysis of the published yield estimates for 30 soils in 233 counties, however, did not find consistent yield increases over the past three decades. On the contrary, the yield estimates for many soils were markedly uniform since 1972. The uniformity appears to have two causes: the acknowledged difficulty of making yield estimates in a time of increasing variability in soil and crop management, both within and between regions, and surveyors' awareness of data stored in a national soils data base. The effect is to cast doubt on soil productivity data reported in county soil surveys published between 1973 and 1988.     

Framing in geographical analysis of environmental conflicts: Theory, methodology and three case studies

When applied to environmental concerns, framing offers a rigorous conceptual and analytic approach with potentially practical significance for dealing with complex issues relevant to geography. The purpose of this article is to introduce framing concepts, typology and modes of analysis to address issues which geographers commonly treat: disputes over land ownership and uses, competition for water resources, cultural clashes over control of territory and resources and the impact of spatial patterns and structures when siting noxious sites. Framing analysis is applied to three cases of environmental conflict in Israel and, more generally, for understanding conflicts revolving around the management of human habitats in relation to the physical environment.     

Sharksucker–shark interaction in two carcharhinid species

It is not known whether sharksuckers have positive or negative effects on their hosts, partly because this association is difficult to study in free‐ranging fish. I observed the behaviour of sharks with and without sharksuckers, to determine whether the hosts actively avoid sharksuckers. Wild blacktip sharks, Carcharhinus limbatus, took evasive actions when sharksuckers, Echeneis naucrates, attached to them, presumably to escape from skin irritation or hydrodynamical drag caused by the sharksuckers. Sharksuckers were most often attached to the belly or back of the shark, and sharks reacted most strongly to sharksuckers on their heads, sides, and dorsal fins. Observations of two captive bull sharks, Carcharhinus leucas, indicated that swimming speed increased when sharksuckers were attached. This paper supports the hypothesis that sharksucker attachment irritates sharks, and that the relationship between the two is best viewed as a subtle host–parasite interaction.     

Deep sea navigation techniques

Accurate navigation forms an essential part of all research at sea and the deep ocean imposes it's own unique problems. This chapter discusses several of the techniques in current use on the research vessels of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), concentrating on those systems which provide global navigation facilities, as opposed to the more localised, coastal aids. Whilst most of the systems rely on surface propagation of radio waves, the use of acoustics and sea-bed mapping instruments constitute accurate alternatives for some sub-sea applications.     

Sensitivity to stress of the estuarine bivalve Macoma balthica from areas between the Netherlands and its southern limits (Gironde)

Variation in the sensitivity to stress of Macoma balthica was measured in several French and Dutch estuaries. For adult and juvenile Macoma balthica exposed to copper under conditions of starvation, differences in mortality rate, condition, glycogen, burrowing rate and copper content were assessed. No significant differences were observed between adults and juveniles; the influence of treatment and origin was always evident. Animals from the most southern estuaries, Loire and Gironde, near to the species's southern limit of distribution, showed, in the field, the strongest deviations for the ecophysiological traits measured, and were in the experiments the most sensitive to stress.     

地球信息科学的研究与发展

信息时代的召唤,地球信息科学应运而生.经过10a左右的发展,地理信息科学已见雏形.总结了10a来地球信息科学的研究结果,并介绍了地球信息科学的研究内容和发展前景.     

陀螺经纬仪的读数方法比较研究

介绍了陀螺定向测量中三种不同的数据采集方法，分析了各种方法的优缺点。作者认为传感器采集数据自动化程度高，精度高，特别是运用位置敏感探测器（PSD）采样数据量大，具有一定的抗干扰能力，但在运用传感器采样时必须注意克服非线性误差。     

渤海区域地质信息管理系统数据库设计方案

数据库是GIS的基础。以渤海区域地质信息管理系统数据库为例，阐述了基于GIS的海洋地学管理信息系统中数据库的组织方法，及所包括空间数据库与属性数据库数据分类、分层方案，命名及编码规则，以及二者之间的联接。