西部旅游资源应作精品开发

西部大开发给西部旅游业发展带来了机遇,同时也对西部旅游资源的保护提出了更高的要求.通过分析西部旅游资源的特点及旅游业发展中存在的问题,提出了加强区域间的规划、协调发展西部大旅游、挖掘文化内涵、提高旅游从业人员素质等打造西部旅游精品的措施.     

发展西部旅游业的冷思考

旅游开发作为西部大开发的一项重要战略措施已经得到了学术界和各级政府的高度重视。根据西部旅游业的特点，从旅游系统、旅游产业产生和发展的条件、西部旅游限制因素和可持续发展几个方面对西部旅游进行了探讨，指出西部各地区要全面地权衡自身现有的经济基础、资源优势和市场优势，切不可盲目地将旅游产业定为支柱产业，也不要将经济发展的大任仅仅寄托在旅游业上。     

嘉陵江流域旅游经济发展的限制性因素分析

嘉陵江是长江最大的支流，嘉陵江流域是长江上游重要的生态屏障。流域旅游资源丰富，但丰富的旅游资源不为世人所了解，资源本身没能发挥其应有的价值，丰富的旅游资源和流域落后的旅游经济形成强烈反差。嘉陵江流域是中国西部旅游资源极具开发潜力的一个区域，后发优势明显。分析流域旅游业发展的限制性因素，有利于流域旅游资源的开发。从流域区位条件、资源条件、经济基础、旅游市场营销、旅游基础设施和旅游服务等方面分析了制约该流域旅游经济发展的主要因素。     

中国西部地区旅游开发对策研究

我国西部旅游资源具有巨大的开发潜力,但旅游发展受到多方面的限制.旅游整合开发战略是在科学分析西部地区旅游发展优势和局限因素的基础上提出的科学决策,对西部旅游开发具有切实的指导意义.西部应着重以下工作:吸引资金,重视人才,实行政府主导型开发;改善基础设施落后面貌,做好旅游营销和宣传工作;增加资源开发的深度与广度,合理规划旅游路线,开发旅游商品;科学规划,加强监测,实行生态保护.     

香格里拉旅游地生成机制与发展模式研究

香格里拉是我国西部旅游的一支“生力军”，其发展是基于高品位的旅游资源和优越的政策环境，并顺应了市场需求。香格里拉旅游地的生成经历了较长的探索期，并没有明显的参与期，几乎直接进入了发展期。市场需求导向是香格里拉旅游地生成机制的内在逻辑，环境因素是背景，政策因素则起到了直接推动作用。香格里拉的旅游发展形成了以生态旅游为主导、以民族生态旅游接待村为发展载体、以开展藏民家访为具体形式的模式。分析认为，生态与旅游的和谐、基础设施建设、规范化管理、提高居民的参与能力是优化这种模式的路径选择。     

21世纪西部发展旅游业的资源观

丰富独特的自然景观和浓郁多彩的人文风情是西部地区发展旅游业的强大基础，但它们不能直接决定旅游业的发展水平。只有把旅游资源开发成旅游者需要的旅游产品，才能实现旅游资源的价值，发展西部旅游业。旅游产品的开发能力构成旅游地的核心竞争能力，西部只有提高旅游产品的开发能力，才能适应旅游市场的变化，不断开拓新的市场，促进旅游业水平的提高。在对西部旅游资源进行综合利用和深度开发的同时，还要注重资源的保护，进行“绿色开发”和“绿色经营”，实现资源的可持续利用。     

西部国内旅游远程市场旅游产品开发

旅游产品的开发水平是西部旅游业发展的制约因素.在西部国内旅游营销中,要把东部客源市场作为远程旅游目标市场,远程旅游产品的开发要以市场为导向.在分析东部客源市场特点的基础上,提出了西部国内旅游远程市场旅游产品的开发策略:①体现西部特色,与东部旅游产品形成互补;②以资源保护为前提,开发生态型旅游产品;③整合西部旅游资源,开发跨区域旅游精品;④协调好各旅游要素的功能,形成不同等级的旅游服务系统;⑤针对东部地区客源市场特点设计旅游产品;⑥重视老年旅游和青少年学生旅游产品的开发.     

我国西部省域旅游供给丰度效率二维组合位势与创新开发模式探析

采用2002—2013年间的样本数据,运用Malmquist生产率变化指数模型、组合赋值和超效率CCR-DEA模型对西部旅游供给的整体效率特征、各省域间旅游供给的丰度——效率二维组合位势差异进行了实证研究,提出了三种差异化区域旅游产业创新合作开发模式及策略。     

西部旅游区域市场的弱根基性

按照西部大开发的部署,西部地区包括重庆、四川、贵州、云南、西藏、陕西、甘肃、宁夏、青海、新疆、广西、内蒙古等.西部资源丰富,品种齐全,其资源恢弘博大,丰富深邃;原始奇特,垄断性强;古老珍稀,国内无双;品位佳绝,质量高超.据国家资源部统计,西部地区有国家级风景名胜区40个,国家级自然保护区44个,国家历史文化名城31个,国家级森林公园58个.然而,西部旅游业的发展落后于东部地区.那么,为什么会出现这种不对称性问题呢?笔者认为,在宏观上,国家经济不断高速发展,西部政府也大力发展旅游,在西部大开发的大好机遇下出现这一问题,主要是微观上西部旅游区域市场的弱根基性造成的,这里弱根基性是指在区域市场构成了西部较之于东部的劣势.     

旅游与交通问题的现状分析及对策研究

随着社会生活不断进步,旅游作为一种新的精神生活方式,使人们之间的交往不再局限于两点之间。人员的相互流动加强了彼此的了解,但也衍生出很多实际问题,环境保护也因此逐渐受到人们的重视,生态旅游的提出正是基于这样的现状。本文从生态旅游的角度来分析西部旅游与交通的关系,试图找出解决对策,真正实现落后地区的可持续发展。     

Conversion of temperate forests into heaths: Role of ecosystem disturbance and ericaceous plants

Fire and logging in nutrient-poor temperate forests with certain ericaceous understory plants may convert the forests into heaths. The process of disturbance-induced heath formation is documented by using examples ofCalluna in western Europe,Kalmia in Newfoundland, andGaultheria (salal) in coastal British Columbia. In a cool, temperate climate, rapid vegetative growth ofCalluna, Kalmia, and salal following disturbance results in increasing organic accumulation (paludification), nutrient sequestration, soil acidification, and allelochemicals. These are thought to be the main reasons to conifer regeneration failure in disturbed habitats. If continuation in forest is a land-use objective, then temperate forests with an ericaceous understory should not be logged unless effective silvicultural methods are devised to control the ericaceous plants and restore forest regeneration. Preharvest vegetation control may be considered as an option. Failure to control the understory plants may lead to a long-term vegetation shift, from forest to heathland, particularly in nutrient-poor sites. Successful methods of controllingKalmia andGaultheria, however, have yet to be developed. While theKalmia- andGaultheria- dominated heathlands are undesirable in Canada and the Pacific Northwest, a wide range ofCalluna heathlands of western Europe are being conserved as natural and seminatural vegetation.     

Urban ecological systems: scientific foundations and a decade of progress

Urban ecological studies, including focus on cities, suburbs, and exurbs, while having deep roots in the early to mid 20th century, have burgeoned in the last several decades. We use the state factor approach to highlight the role of important aspects of climate, substrate, organisms, relief, and time in differentiating urban from non-urban areas, and for determining heterogeneity within spatially extensive metropolitan areas. In addition to reviewing key findings relevant to each state factor, we note the emergence of tentative "urban syndromes" concerning soils, streams, wildlife and plants, and homogenization of certain ecosystem functions, such as soil organic carbon dynamics. We note the utility of the ecosystem approach, the human ecosystem framework, and watersheds as integrative tools to tie information about multiple state factors together. The organismal component of urban complexes includes the social organization of the human population, and we review key modes by which human populations within urban areas are differentiated, and how such differentiation affects environmentally relevant actions. Emerging syntheses in land change science and ecological urban design are also summarized. The multifaceted frameworks and the growing urban knowledge base do however identify some pressing research needs.     

Neighbourhood characteristics and urban gardens in the Toledo metropolitan area: staffing and voluntarism,food production,infrastructure, and sustainability practices

Urban gardens are important sources of sustenance for communities with limited access to food. Hence, this study focuses on food production in gardens in the Toledo metropolitan area in Northwest Ohio. We administered surveys to 150 garden managers from November 2014 to February 2015 in our attempt to better understand how neighbourhood racial composition and poverty levels are related to staffing and voluntarism, food production and distribution, the development of infrastructure, and the adoption of sustainability practices in urban gardens. The results from 30 gardens are presented in this paper. We used Geographic Information Systems to map the gardens and overlay the map with 2010 census data so that we could conduct demographic analyses of the neighbourhoods in which the gardens were located. Though the gardens were small – two acres or less – up to 46 varieties of food were grown in a single garden. Gardens also operated on small budgets. Food from the gardens was gifted or shared with friends, family, and neighbourhood residents. Gardens in predominantly minority neighbourhoods tended to have fewer institutional partners, less garden infrastructure, and had adopted fewer sustainable practices than gardens in predominantly White neighbourhoods. Nonetheless, residents of predominantly minority and high-poverty neighbourhoods participated in garden activities and influenced garden operations. Volunteering and staffing were racialised and gendered.     

Predicting deer-vehicle collisions in an urban area

Collisions with deer and other large animals are increasing, and the resulting economic costs and risks to public safety have made mitigation measures a priority for both city and wildlife managers. We created landscape models to describe and predict deer-vehicle collision (DVCs) within the City of Edmonton, Alberta. Models based on roadside characteristics revealed that DVCs occurred frequently where roadside vegetation was both denser and more diverse, and that DVCs were more likely to occur when the groomed width of roadside right-of-ways was smaller. No DVCs occurred where the width of the vegetation-free or manicured roadside buffer was greater than 40 m. Landscape-based models showed that DVCs were more likely in more heterogeneous landscapes where road densities were lower and speed limits were higher, and where non-forested vegetation such as farmland was in closer proximity to larger tracts of forest. These models can help wildlife and transportation managers to identify locations of high collision frequency for mitigation. Modifying certain landscape and roadside habitats can be an effective way to reduce deer-vehicle collisions.     

Surface applied water treatment residuals affect bioavailable phosphorus losses in Florida sands

Water treatment residuals (WTR) can reduce runoff P loss and surface co-application of P-sources and WTR is a practical way of land applying the residuals. In a rainfall simulation study, we evaluated the effects of surface co-applied P-sources and an Al-WTR on runoff and leacheate bioavailable P (BAP) losses from a Florida sand. Four P-sources, namely poultry manure, Boca Raton biosolids (high water-soluble P), Pompano biosolids (moderate water-soluble P), and triple super phosphate (TSP) were surface applied at 56 and 224kgPha(-1) (by weight) to represent low and high soil P loads typical of P- and N-based amendments rates. The treatments further received surface applied WTR at 0 or 10gWTRkg(-1) soil. BAP loss masses were greater in leachate (16.4-536mg) than in runoff (0.91-46mg), but were reduced in runoff and leachate by surface applied WTR. Masses of total BAP lost in the presence of surface applied WTR were less than approximately 75% of BAP losses in the absence of WTR. Total BAP losses from each of the organic sources applied at N-based rates were not greater than P loss from TSP applied at a P-based rate. The BAP loss at the N-based rate of moderate water-soluble P-source (Pompano biosolids) was not greater than BAP losses at the P-based rates of other organic sources tested. The hazards of excess P from applying organic P-sources at N-based rates are not greater than observed at P-based rates of mineral fertilizer. Results suggest that management of the environmental P hazards associated with N-based rates of organic materials in Florida sands is possible by either applying P-sources with WTR or using a moderate water-soluble P-source.     

Animal Consciousness and Ethics in Asia and the Pacific

The interactions between humans, animals and the environment have shaped human values and ethics, not only the genes that we are made of. The animal rights movement challenges human beings to reconsider interactions between humans and other animals, and maybe connected to the environmental movement that begs us to recognize the fact that there are symbiotic relationships between humans and all other organisms. The first part of this paper looks at types of bioethics, the implications of autonomy and the value of being alive. Then the level of consciousness of these relationships are explored in survey results from Asia and the Pacific, especially in the 1993 International Bioethics Survey conducted in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, The Philippines, Russia, Singapore and Thailand. Very few mentioned animal consciousness in the survey, but there were more biocentric comments in Australia and Japan; and more comments with the idea of harmony including humans in Thailand. Comparisons between questions and surveys will also be made, in an attempt to describe what people imagine animal consciousness to be, and whether this relates to human ethics of the relationships. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Rehabilitation and Flood Management Planning in a Steep,Boulder-Bedded Stream

This study demonstrates the integration of rehabilitation and flood management planning in a steep, boulder-bedded stream in a coastal urban catchment on the South Island of New Zealand. The Water of Leith, the primary stream flowing through the city of Dunedin, is used as a case study. The catchment is steep, with a short time of concentration and rapid hydrologic response, and the lower stream reaches are highly channelized with floodplain encroachment, a high potential for debris flows, significant flood risks, and severely degraded aquatic habitat. Because the objectives for rehabilitation and flood management in urban catchments are often conflicting, a number of types of analyses at both the catchment and the reach scales and careful planning with stakeholder consultation were needed for successful rehabilitation efforts. This included modeling and analysis of catchment hydrology, fluvial geomorphologic assessment, analysis of water quality and aquatic ecology, hydraulic modeling and flood risk evaluation, detailed feasibility studies, and preliminary design to optimize multiple rehabilitation and flood management objectives. The study showed that all of these analyses were needed for integrated rehabilitation and flood management and that some incremental improvements in stream ecological health, aesthetics, and public recreational opportunities could be achieved in this challenging environment. These methods should be considered in a range of types of stream rehabilitation projects.     

AN INDEX FOR MEASURING THE PERFORMANCE OF IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS WITH AN APPLICATION1

ABSTRACT: This paper presents a statistically valid index for measuring the performance of irrigation systems. The index is applied to a sample of 39 farms on a watercourse under the warabandi system of irrigation management in India. It is found that while the farmers in fact irrigated almost exactly the total amount of irrigated area as designed, inter-farm variations were considerable. The index shows that the degree of error of managerial effectiveness of irrigation on this watercourse is 20 percent. Therefore it is concluded that the system is performing at 80 percent effectiveness.     

WATER LOSS EQUATIONS AND COEFFICIENTS TO ESTIMATE RUNOFF FROM RAINFALL1

Infiltration models are based on physical characteristics of the soil and initial soil moisture. For a given soil it is based on the initial soil moisture distribution. A computer simulation model for flood runoff systems (FH-Model) was used to analyze 39 sets of rainfall-runoff data on four small watersheds ranging in size from 17 to 342 square kilometers located in the Yamaska River basin in Quebec. From these analyses, parameters and coefficients have been determined for a water loss (infiltration) equation. A method for determining the loss parameters, using a nonlinear least square curve fitting technique, is presented. Expressions were made to relate the loss parameters to antecedent precipitation. The equations were tested on 11 storm rainfall and runoff events on a watershed located in the same region and close agreements were found.     

Vegetation dynamics in impounded marshes along the Indian River Lagoon,Florida, USA

Data are presented on the vegetation dynamics of two impounded marshes along the Indian River Lagoon, in east-central Florida, USA. Vegetation in one of the marshes (IRC 12) was totally eliminated by overflooding and by hypersaline conditions (salinities over 100 ppt) that developed there in 1979 after the culvert connecting the marsh with the lagoon was closed. Over 20% recovery of the herbaceous halophytesSalicornia virginica, S. bigelovii, andBatis maritima was observed at that site after the culvert was reopened in 1982, but total cover in the marsh remains well below the original 75%. No recovery of mangroves was observed at this site. The second site (SLC 24), while remaining isolated from the lagoon during much of the study, did not suffer the complete elimination of vegetation experienced at the first site. At this location, mangroves increased in cover and frequency with a concomitant decrease in herbaceous halophytes. Considerable damage to the vegetation was evident at IRC 12 when the impoundment was closed and flooded for mosquito control in 1986. Although the damage was temporary, its occurrence emphasizes the need of planning and constant monitoring and adjustment of management details as conditions within particular marshes change. Storms and hurricanes may be important in promoting a replacement of black mangroves by red mangroves in closed impoundments because the former cannot tolerate pneumatophore submergence for long periods of time. University of Florida-IFAS Journal Series R-00521.