Instructions for Authors

Instructions for Authors

Instructions for Authors     

A Classification Procedure for Mapping Topo-climatic Conditions for Strategic Vegetation Planning

Environmental classification addresses issues involving the representation and analysis of continuous and variable ecological data. This study creates a methodology to define topo-climatic landscapes (TCL) in the north-west of Catalonia, which is situated in the north-east of the Iberian Peninsula. TCL provide data regarding the ecological behavior of a landscape in terms of its topography, physiognomy, and climate, which are the main drivers of an ecosystem. The variables selected are derived from a variety of different sources, such as remote sensing and climatic atlases. The methodology employed combines unsupervised iterative cluster classification with supervised fuzzy classification. Twenty eight TCL, which can be differentiated in terms of their vegetation physiognomy and vegetation altitudinal range type, were selected for the study area. Furthermore, a hierarchy among the TCL is established which permits the merging of clusters and allows for changes in thematic resolution. By using the topo-climatic landscape map, managers can identify patches with similar environmental conditions and at the same time assess the uncertainty involved in classification.     

Novel operations research methods for efficiently determining irreplaceable sites for conservation

We examine the irreplaceability of sites in the context of the species set covering problem and the maximal covering species problem. We show that a succession of 0-1 programming problems can be solved to quickly determine the set of irreplaceable sites. For the widely available Oregon data set, we find a general lack of trend in the number of irreplaceable sites with the number of sites available for selection used. Moreover, we observe that irreplaceability at one level of resource may not be a predictor of irreplaceability at a higher or a lower level of resource. Finally, we investigate the economic value of irreplaceable sites by trial removals of those sites. This paper is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Charles S. ReVelle.     

A method for assessing generalised nitrogen leaching estimates for agricultural land

The purpose of this study was to develop a method for assessing generalised N leaching estimates from large areas of agricultural land. The system developed was based on calculating a number of N leaching estimates for different typical cropping situations. The estimates were normalised with respect to varying weather conditions and crop production. The different cropping situations were described by setting up a matrix consisting of crucial factors influencing leaching such as soils, crops and climate. Nitrogen leaching was then estimated for a number of combinations of these factors. Calculations were made for three different regions where all the major crops were cultivated on soils with seven different textures and four different organic-N classes and two fertilisation regimes. The three regions are representative of climates and agricultural practices in some of the major agricultural areas in Sweden. The model used was the SOILN model. Leaching of nitrogen from the root zone showed large variations. The range was from 1 to 50 kg ha⁻¹ for different soils and crops when only fertiliser N was applied. Leaching varied both due to different climates and differences in cultivation practices between the regions. Leaching decreased in a south-north gradient. Leaching increased as a result of greater mineralisation when the organic matter content in the soils was increased, leaching was less from soils with a high clay content and was very small for the heavy clay soil. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A process for selecting indicators for monitoring conditions of rangeland health

This paper reports on a process for selecting a suite of indicators that, in combination, can be useful in assessing the ecological conditions of rangelands. Conceptual models that depict the structural and functional properties of ecological processes were used to show the linkages between ecological components and their importance in assessing the status and trends of ecological resources on a regional scale. Selection criteria were developed so that relationships could be assessed at different spatial scales using ground and aerial measurements. Parameters including responsiveness and sensitivity to change, quality assurance and control, temporal and spatial variability, cost-effectiveness and statistical design played an important role in determining how indicators were selected. A total of ten indicator categories were selected by a committee of scientists for evaluation in the program. A subset that included soil properties, vegetation composition and abundance, and spectral properties was selected for evaluation in a pilot test conducted in 1992 in the Colorado Plateau region of the southwestern United States. This work is part of a major effort being undertaken by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its collaborators to assess the condition of rangelands (primarily comprised of arid, semi-arid and dry subhumid ecosystems) along with seven other ecosystem groups (forests, agricultural lands, wetlands, surface waters, landscapes, estuaries and Great Lakes) as part of a national Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP). The indicator selection process reported upon was developed to support EMAP's goal of providing long-term, policy-relevant research focusing on evaluating the ecological condition (or health) of regional and national resources.     

环境监测质量管理现状及发展对策初探

分析了我国环境监测质量管理现状,探讨了发展方向及对策。     

The need for local adaptation of smart infrastructure for sustainable economic management

At present, there are several growing problems for sustainable urban growth, and the typical policy strategies to tackle them are inadequate. In recent years, several governments have initiated numerous smart city and smart infrastructure programs aimed at enhancing the quality life of the people and helping town managers improve the public infrastructure activity and management. The usage of the Internet of Things (IoT) for infrastructure system enables the gathering, storing, incorporation, and analysis of large quantities and varieties of information relating to the status and output of infrastructure systems together with public activity through Cloud-based asset management systems, mobile apps, and Big Data analytics. In this paper, a master data management (MDM) approach has been proposed to unlock the importance of comprehensive network data for efficient, safe, and robust community development. In the market field, MDM is implemented for the organization of big data organizational and research applications. The proposed method includes an effective MDM solution for safe, efficient, and functional community design, commercial and open source MDM platforms, city development principles, smart city concept models, adaptive shared network backgrounds, semantic cloud technology, and specialists responsible for designing development, scalable platform technology for evaluating the input.     

Monitoring lakes for restoration

Lake restoration projects require substantial monitoring. Primary purposes are to assess a lake problem, determine its causes and design or develop a corrective program. Hundreds of these lake monitoring projects have been initiated in the United States over the past decade. A number of field limnological activities can be improved to make the monitoring results more applicable to the objectives of a project. This paper discusses twenty of the most common limnology procedures that may go awry in applied limnology and makes suggestions, alternatives or improved field and project procedures. Expenditures may be reduced, but more important can be an increased use capability of the information for the scientific and engineering needs of a lake restoration effort.