Late Quaternary vegetation changes around Lake Rutundu,Mount Kenya,East Africa: evidence from grass cuticles,pollen and stable carbon isotopes

Woody, subalpine shrubs and grasses currently surround Lake Rutundu, Mount Kenya. Multiple proxies, including carbon isotopes, pollen and grass cuticles, from a 755‐cm‐long core were used to reconstruct the vegetation over the past 38 300 calendar years. Stable carbon‐isotope ratios of total organic carbon and terrestrial biomarkers from the lake sediments imply that the proportion of terrestrial plants using the C₄ photosynthetic pathway was greater during the Late Pleistocene than in the Holocene. Pollen data show that grasses were a major constituent of the vegetation throughout the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. The proportion of grass pollen relative to the pollen from other plants was greatest at the last glacial maximum (LGM). Grass cuticles confirm evidence that C₄ grass taxa were present at the LGM and that the majority followed the cold‐tolerant NADP‐MEC₄ subpathway. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improved Platinum-Group Element Extraction by NiS Fire Assay from Chromitite Ore Samples Using a Flux Containing Sodium Metaphosphate

Many chromite-rich rocks contain relatively high concentrations of the platinum-group elements (PGE). In many cases, the phases carrying PGE occur as either platinum-group minerals (PGM) or as base metal sulfides in solid solution in sulfides. In some cases, such as the UG-2 unit of the Bushveld Complex, the PGM are occluded inside chromite grains. Chromites are notably difficult to dissolve in most fluxes and if the chromite contains some PGM the possibility exists that not all the PGE will be recovered during fusion. In this work, shortcomings in published methods of analysis based on the nickel sulfide fire assay procedure were investigated and a new procedure developed based on the addition of sodium metaphosphate to the fusion mixture. Optimum composition of the fusion mixture was found to be 10 g sodium metaphosphate and 9 g silica to 10 g sample, 15 g sodium carbonate, 30 g lithium tetraborate, 7.5 g nickel and 4.5 g sulfur to achieve complete dissolution of chromite grains. The new flux mixture was evaluated by the analysis of reference material CHR-Pt+ (which is known to contain PGM inside chromite grains) and no undissolved chromite grains were found in the glassy slag. Analysis of the nickel sulfide beads from this fire assay using neutron activation analysis showed similar results for Rh and Ru when compared with published conventional true (or accepted) values, while Au, Ir, Os, Pd and Pt values determined here were 10 to 30% higher than the corresponding published conventional true values. It was concluded that the addition of sodium metaphosphate improved chromite dissolution in the flux and appears to improve PGE recovery.     

面向协同式森林灭火决策的领域本体构建及其解析

森林灭火决策的参与人员可能来自不同的组织、不同领域,他们有不同知识结构、专业背景、学识和各自的经验、偏好,这往往不利于决策过程中的交流、协同进行。本文把本体引入协同式森林灭火决策中,解决决策成员在协作中对他人所述的内容理解一致问题。分析了现有建立领域本体的主要方法,并借鉴软件开发的生命周期理论,提出建立面向森林火灾的领域本体的具体实现方法。以森林灭火决策为应用导向,通过对森林灭火决策的内容分析及与领域专家相互交流,根据领域中概念分类体系和概念的组合结构,从相关领域(林业、气象学、消防工程、地理学)抽象出概念术语集、关系集、函数集、规则集等,建立可共享、理解、重用、互操作的概念模型;利用本体建模工具,建立森林灭火本体库;设计与实现了本体的解析与可视化工具,用户可以交互式的查询术语的概念内涵,利用可视化工具,显示概念之间的关系。研究成果将为学科或领域间的高效协作打下通信与交流的基础,为林业、消防的信息化研究、林火本体服务提供可借鉴的框架和成果,为林火管理和应急指挥决策提供一个语义层级次上的重要途径。     

欧亚北方森林MODIS 14数据的林火变化分析——以俄罗斯欧洲地区为例

人为或自然因素造成的森林火灾常导致森林覆盖和结构的变化,对森林碳循环产生重大影响。MODIS热异常-火灾产品(MOD14)包含地表火灾位置、可信度、火点辐射能量及其他属性信息,可用于火灾频率、等级及其变化的监测。本研究以俄罗斯欧洲地区的北方森林为研究对象,采用2005-2010年每日MODIS14数据和GIS空间分析方法,对研究区过火像元进行判别提取,分析该地区林火时空变化规律,并探讨驱动因素。结果显示,俄罗斯欧洲地区森林火灾主要分布在中南部。近年来,火灾数量呈上升趋势,2010年的火灾覆盖范围是2005年的1.5倍;年内火灾发生情况随时间波动,火险期为每年的4-10月;极端干旱天气造成的的特大型火灾事件在本研究结果中得以反映。     

青藏高原东北缘武山盆地中中新世炭屑记录及其古气候意义

火是生态系统中的重要因子,是反映古气候和环境变化的重要标志。因此,重建火活动历史可以帮助我们理解过去的气候变化和火活动的机制,但是目前在全球范围内十分缺少对中新世时期高分辨率的火活动记录的研究。炭屑已被证明是重建火活动历史的有效替代性指标,基于青藏高原东北缘武山盆地中中新世时期高分辨率的炭屑记录,重建了研究区天然火活动历史,结合现有资料,探讨了火-植被-气候之间的关系以及研究区火活动对全球变化的响应。结果表明：（1） 15.30~13.60 Ma时期,炭屑总浓度变化范围为59~4324粒·g^-1,平均浓度为835粒·g^-1。炭屑形状以次圆形为主,且几乎所有的炭屑粒径都小于50 μm,反映出研究区天然火活动是以乔木植物燃烧的森林火活动为主,主要是区域性火活动。根据炭屑总浓度的变化趋势,将研究区天然火活动历史分为2个主要阶段。阶段Ⅰ（15.30~14.00 Ma）：炭屑总浓度逐步增加,平均浓度为866粒·g^-1。其中,阶段Ⅰ又可以细分为3个次要阶段,Ⅰa（15.30~14.38 Ma）：炭屑总浓度最低,平均浓度为693粒·g^-1;Ⅰb（14.38~14.20 Ma）：炭屑总浓度快速减少,平均浓度为1140粒·g^-1;Ⅰc（14.20~14.00 Ma）：炭屑总浓度急剧增加,平均浓度为988粒·g^-1。阶段Ⅱ（14.00~13.60 Ma）：炭屑总浓度急剧减少,平均浓度为777粒·g^-1。（2） 孢粉数据重建的研究区的植被和气候变化结果表明,15.30~14.38 Ma时期为开阔的森林植被,湿度较低;14.38~14.00 Ma时期乔木增加,湿度增加;14.00~13.60 Ma时期乔木属种显著减少,湿度降低。（3） 经过对比分析,炭屑总浓度变化趋势与乔木类花粉百分比趋势相近,次圆形炭屑浓度趋势与阔叶类植物花粉的百分比趋势显著正相关,认为武山盆地中中新世的天然火活动与森林植被的盖度（尤其是阔叶林的盖度）有较强联系,在气候温暖湿润的时期,炭屑浓度高。此外,通过对比炭屑总浓度趋势和深海底栖有孔虫氧同位素的变化,可以推测,全球温度变化可能通过影响研究区植被变化来对天然火活动产生重要影响。     

井冈山森林火灾与气象条件的相关分析

根据江西井冈山森林火灾资料,利用一元回归和逐步回归分析方法,对井冈山1991—2000年森林火灾发生期间的连旱日数、降水量、相对湿度、气温、风速5个主要气象指标进行分析,将各指标分别与火灾发生次数、森林受害面积进行回归计算,建立了利用连旱日数和降水量预测森林火灾受灾面积及发生次数的数学模型。模式运算结果表明,当火灾发生前15 d连旱日数增加时,火灾次数增加;当火灾发生前15 d连旱日数增加、降水量减少时,火灾面积增加。     

Disintegration of Fan Sediments in Death Valley,California, by Salt Weathering

In Death Valley, California, an area of high aridity and great salinity, alluvial fans de scend into the zone of salt accumulation. When the rounded fan gravels come into contact with salt, some of which is sodium sulfate, they are rapidly shattered and reduced in size. Silt and clay are formed by this salt weathering process and this fine material may be subject to deflation processes.     

Tracing variability of run‐off generation in mountainous permafrost of semi‐arid north‐eastern Mongolia

The headwaters of mountainous, discontinuous permafrost regions in north‐eastern Mongolia are important water resources for the semi‐arid country, but little is known about hydrological processes there. Run‐off generation on south‐facing slopes, which are devoid of permafrost, has so far been neglected and is totally unknown for areas that have been affected by recent forest fires. To fill this knowledge gap, the present study applied artificial tracers on a steppe‐vegetated south‐facing and on two north‐facing slopes, burned and unburned. Combined sprinkling and dye tracer experiments were used to visualize processes of infiltration and water fluxes in the unsaturated zone. On the unburned north‐facing slope, rapid and widespread infiltration through a wet organic layer was observed down to the permafrost. On the burned profile, rapid infiltration occurred through a combusted organic and underlying mineral layer. Stained water seeped out at the bottom of both profiles suggesting a general tendency to subsurface stormflow (SSF). Ongoing SSF could directly be studied 24 h after a high‐intensity rainfall event on a 55‐m hillslope section in the burned forest. Measurements of water temperature proved the role of the permafrost layer as a base horizon for SSF. Repeated tracer injections allowed direct insights into SSF dynamics: A first injection suggested rather slow dispersive subsurface flow paths; whereas 18 h later, a second injection traced a more preferential flow system with 20 times quicker flow velocities. We speculate that these pronounced SSF dynamics are limited to burned slopes where a thermally insulating organic layer is absent. On three south‐facing soil profiles, the applied tracer remained in the uppermost 5 cm of a silt‐rich mineral soil horizon. No signs of preferential infiltration could be found, which suggested reduced biological activity under a harsh, dry and cold climate. Instead, direct observations, distributed tracers and charcoal samples provided evidence for the occurrence of overland flow. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimating spatial efficiency using cyber search,GIS, and spatial optimization: a case study of fire service deployment in Los Angeles County

ABSTRACT

The efficiency of public investments and services has been of interest to geographic researchers for several decades. While in the private sector inefficiency often leads to higher prices, loss of competitiveness, and loss of business, in the public sector inefficiency in service provision does not necessarily lead to immediate changes. In many cases, it is not an entirely easy task to analyze a particular service as appropriate data may be difficult to obtain and hidden in detailed budgets. In this paper, we develop an integrative approach that uses cyber search, Geographic Information System (GIS), and spatial optimization to estimate the spatial efficiency of fire protection services in Los Angeles (LA) County. We develop a cyber-search process to identify current deployment patterns of fire stations across the major urban region of LA County. We compare the results of our search to existing databases. Using spatial optimization, we estimate the level of deployment that is needed to meet desired coverage levels based upon the location of an ideal fire station pattern, and then compare this ideal level of deployment to the existing system as a means of estimating spatial efficiency. GIS is adopted throughout the paper to simulate the demand locations, to conduct location-based spatial analysis, to visualize fire station data, and to map model simulation results. Finally, we show that the existing system in LA County has considerable room for improvement. The methodology presented in this paper is both novel and groundbreaking, and the automated assessments are readily transferable to other counties and jurisdictions.