Application of Remote Sensing and GIS in the Management of Mangrove Forests Within and Adjacent to Kiunga Marine Protected Area, Lamu, Kenya

The status of mangroves within and adjacent to Kiunga Marine Protected Area (MPA) were assessed by means of aerial photographs and intensive ground truthing. Vegetation maps (1 : 25,000) were produced on GIS environment making it possible to store, retrieve and analyze various types of information very quickly. The maps together with the digitized information provide important tools to the management of mangroves of Kiunga MPA since various proposed treatments can now be entered and summarized thus providing useful overviews for planning, implementation and monitoring.The present inventory revealed that the existing mangrove forests within and adjacent to Kiunga MPA have a net standing volume of 2,354,004.85 m³ in 16,035.94 ha. There are eight species of mangrove trees, of which Rhizophora mucronata and Ceriops tagal are dominant. The standing volume ranges between 6.85 to 710.0 m³ ha^–1 for stem with diameter above 5.0 cm. The average volume of the entire study area was 145.88 m³ ha^–1, which corresponds to a stocking rate of 1736 stems per ha. Given its high potential productivity and regeneration, mangroves within and adjacent to Kiunga MPA have excellent prospects for sustainable exploitation.     

Remote Sensing and GIS Technologies as Tools to Support Sustainable Management of Areas Devastated by Landslides

IKONOS panchromatic images from a single year were used to characterise the effects of an extreme rainstorm event on six mountain catchment areas in Venezuela. Image registrations were accomplished using topographic base maps at 1 : 5000 scale giving a mapping accuracy between 37 and 40 m. It was used an 8-bit channel for correction, rectification, filteration and tone enhancements.Landsliding was discerned in the affected watersheds using morphometric criteria, including the shape of the slope failure and its position, exposure bedrock in the scar and deposition of debris down-slope. This study is restricted to the impact analysis of the distribution of landslide erosion scars and the depositional processes on the valley floor. Remote sensing data were combined into a geographic information system (GIS) with planimetric data, contour lines, hydrology and vegetation types to evaluate the distribution of the scars and their effects on the highly populated areas located on the alluvial fans. Hillslope mass wasting induced mass movements, logging and increased the mud and silt in floodwaters affecting settlement down-slope.     

Monitoring a Recent Delta Formation in a Tropical Coastal Wetland Using Remote Sensing and GIS. Case Study: Guapo River Delta, Laguna de Tacarigua, Venezuela

The integrated use of remotely sensed data and GIS to monitor a rapid recent delta formation was undertaken in the Tacarigua Lagoon, a mangrove coastal protected wetland in the north-central coast of Venezuela. Recently, the resource value of coastal wetlands such as coastal lagoons and deltas, has brought about a need to protect and conserve these ecosystems. To that end, valuable resources such as these should be continuously monitored so that temporal changes in their environment can be analysed. The importance of determining the cause, extent, and spatial distribution of these changes can then be used in different aspects of environmental studies, land suitability analyses and for wise resource management. Aerospace data interpretation and a field survey were utilised to study the formation of the Guapo River delta within the Tacarigua Lagoon and to map the expansion that this depositional environment has undergone. A historical set of aerial photographs and a radar image, together with a GIS, were used to assess the growth of the delta from the beginning of its formation up to the present time.     

Application of Remote Sensing Detection and GIS in Analysis of Vegetation Pattem Dynamics in the Yellow River Delta

Regional vegetation pattem dynamics has a great im- pact on ecosystem and climate change.Remote sensing data and geographical information system (GIS) analysis were widely used in the detection of vegetation pattern dynamics.In this study,the Yellow River Delta was selected as the study area.By using 1986, 1993,1996,1999 and 2005 remote sensing data as basic informa- tion resource,with the support of GIS,a wetland vegetation spa- tial information dataset was built up.Through selecting the land- scape met...     

Application of Remote Sensing Detection and GIS in Analysis of Vegetation Pattern Dynamics in the Yellow River Delta

Regional vegetation pattern dynamics has a great impact on ecosystem and climate change. Remote sensing data and geographical information system （GIS） analysis were widely used in the detection of vegetation pattern dynamics. In this study, the Yellow River Delta was selected as the study area. By using 1986, 1993, 1996, 1999 and 2005 remote sensing data as basic information resource, with the support of GIS, a wetland vegetation spatial information dataset was built up. Through selecting the landscape metrics such as class area （CA）, class percent of landscape （PL）, number of patch （NP）, largest patch index （LPI） and mean patch size （MPS） etc., the dynamics of vcgetation pattern was analyzed. The result showed that the change of vegetation pattern is significant from 1986 to 2005. From 1986-1999, the area of the vegetation, the percent of vegetation, LPI and MPS decreased, the NP increased, the vegetation pattern tends to be fragmental. The decrease in vegetation area may well be explained by the fact of the nature environment evolution （Climate change and decrease in Yellow River runoff） and the increase in the population in the Yellow River Delta. However, from 1999 2005, the area of the vegetation, the percent of vegetation, LPI and MPS increased, while the NP decreased. This trend of restoration may be due to the implementation of water resources regulation for the Yellow River Delta since 1999.     

Comparison of temporal and Spatial Characteristics of Ozone Pollution at Ground Level in the Eastern China

Abstract

Monitoring data from ozone(O₃ automatic stations in three typical cities with different climatic areas in the southern and northern parts of eastern China are used to analyze temporal and spatial characteristics of ozone pollution at ground level. The results show that ozone pollution level has distinct regional differences and the concentration in the suburbs is higher than that in the urban areas. The seasonal variation of ozone concentration in different climatic areas is greatly affected by the variation of precipitation. Ozone concentration in Shenyang and Beijing, in the temperate zone, has one perennial peak concentration, occurring in early summer, May or June. Ozone concentration in Guangzhou, in sub-tropical zone, has two peak values year round. The highest values occur in October and the secondary high value in June. The ozone season in the south is longer than that in the north. The annual average daily peak value of ozone concentrations in different climates usually occur around 3 pm. The diurnal variation range of ozone concentration declines with the increase of latitude. Ozone concentration does not elevate with the increase of traffic flow. Ozone concentration in Guangzhou has a distinct reverse relation to CO and NO_x. This complicated non-linearity indicates that the equilibrium of ozone photochemical reaction has regional differences. Exceeding the rate of Beijing's 1h ozone concentration is higher than that of Guangzhou, whereas the average 8h ozone level is lower than that of Guangzhou, indicating that areas in low latitude are more easily affected by moderate ozone concentrations and longer exposure. Thus, China should work out standards for 8h ozone concentration.     

Comparison of temporal and Spatial Characteristics of Ozone Pollution at Ground Level in the Eastern China

Monitoring data from ozone（O3） automatic stations in three typical cities with different climatic areas in the southern and northern parts of eastern China are used to analyze temporal and spatial characteristics of ozone pollution at ground level. The results show that ozone pollution level has distinct regional differences and the concentration in the suburbs is higher than that in the urban areas. The seasonal variation of ozone concentration in different climatic areas is greatly affected by the variation of precipitation. Ozone concentration in Shenyang and Beijing , in the temperate zone, has one perennial peak concentration, occurring in early summer, May or June. Ozone concentration in Guangzhou, in sub-tropical zone, has two peak values year round. The highest values occur in October and the secondary high value in June. The ozone season in the south is longer than that in the north. The annual average daily peak value of ozone concentrations in different climates usually occur around 3 pm. The diurnal variation range of ozone concentration declines with the increase of latitude. Ozone concentration does not elevate with the increase of traffic flow. Ozone concentration in Guangzhou has a distinct reverse relation to CO and NOx. This complicated non-linearity indicates that the equilibrium of ozone photochemical reaction has regional differences. Exceeding the rate of Beijing＇s lh ozone concentration is higher than that of Guangzhou, whereas the average 8h ozone level is lower than that of Guangzhou, indicating that areas in low latitude are more easily affected by moderate ozone concentrations and longer exposure. Thus, China should work out standards for 8h ozone concentration.     

山东省耕地资源态势分析及可持续利用研究

利用山东省建国以来的耕地序列数据以及近10多年来的相关社会经济资料，宏观分析了山东省耕地资源的时空动态变化规律。用相关分析和主成分分析相结合，定量地研究耕地变化的驱动因子，揭示耕地变化的驱动机制；研究表明，社会经济发展、农业科技进步和人口压力是造成山东省耕地资源持续藏少的三类主要动因。在此基础上，运用多元线性回归分析构建耕地变化回归模型，同时通过人均粮食需求量预测法，分别预测出2020年的山东省的耕地数量和耕地最低需求量．结果表明山东省未来的耕地资源态势不容乐观，人地矛盾十分尖锐。最后提出了实现耕地资源可持续利用的几点建议。     

Sustainable Health Risk Management and the Role of Cross-Disciplinary Professionals in Developing Countries: Mexican Experience

The paper argues health risk management in Developing Countries cannot be sustainable unless it is conceived, planned, implemented and maintained by community-led multi-stakeholder groups using an integrated capacity building process with five components: (1) education and awareness raising; (2) strengthening information resources and decision making; (3) strengthening regulations and compliance; (4) improving basic sanitation infrastructure; and (5) stimulating the market for support products and services for health and environment sectors. Occupational and environmental health professionals with cross-disciplinary understanding are uniquely qualified to build much-needed bridges between stakeholders, risk science and policy. They should adopt a cost-effective mentality, adapting models/methods used in developed countries to developing country contexts, negotiating political obstacles and understanding cultural differences in risk sources, exposures and perceptions. Stakeholders – health professionals, community representatives, officials, NGOs/advocacy groups, industries, and providers of products/services – collaborate to detect needs, mobilize resources, design, develop, implement, consolidate and maintain interventions to priority problems. Field experience in Mexico supports the argument. This sustainability process is adaptable to other keystone development sectors like soil and water resources stewardship, biodiversity conservation, agriculture and energy.     

The Economic Consequences of Alien Plant Invasions: Examples of Impacts and Approaches to Sustainable Management in South Africa

The invasion of natural ecosystems by alien plants is a serious environmental problem that threatens the sustainable use of benefits derived from such ecosytems. Most past studies in this field have focussed on the history, ecology and management of invasive alien species, and little work has been done on the economic aspects and consequences of invasions. This paper reviews what is known of the economic consequences of alien plant invasions in South Africa. These economic arguments have been used to successfully launch the largest environmental management programme in Africa.Ten million hectares of South Africa has been invaded by 180 alien species, but their impacts are not fully understood, although they are undoubtedly significant. The indications are that the total costs of these impacts are substantial. Selected studies show that invasions have reduced the value of fynbos ecosystems by over US$ 11.75 billion; that the total cost of invasion would be about US$ 3.2 billion on the Agulhas Plain alone; that the net present cost of invasion by black wattles amounts to US$ 1.4 billion; that invasions by red water fern have cost US$ 58 million; and that the cost to clear the alien plant invasions in South Africa is around US$ 1.2 billion. These few examples indicate that the economic consequences of invasions are huge.One of the unique aspects of invasive plant control programmes in South Africa has been the ability to leverage further benefits (mainly through employment) for the expensive control programmes from the government's poverty relief budget. This has made it possible to allocate substantial funding to a programme that would otherwise have struggled to obtain significant support. Biological control of invasive species also offers considerable benefits, but is often the subject of debate. We believe that, at least in the case of many invasive alien plant species in South Africa, biological control offers one of the best, and most cost-effective, interventions for addressing the problem.     

Ecological features and trends in the formation of the flora of liverworts under the impact of current volcanic and glacial activities: The example of Ushkovskii Volcano, Kamchatka

The flora of liverworts has been studied in the vicinity of the Bil’chenok glacier (the Ushkovskii volcano, Kamchatka), which is in a zone of volcanic ash fallout. Specific complexes of liverworts growing on young moraine and ash deposits have been identified. These complexes are dominated by thallose marchantioid species. Under the effect of periodic ash fallout (in the absence of glacial activity), communities are formed that contain increased proportions of xerophytes and species preferring sites with a disturbed ground vegetation cover.     

Assessing Tourists' Preferences for Recreational and Environmental Management Programs Central to the Sustainable Development of a Tourism Area in the Dominican Republic

The main goals of this paper are to (1) highlight the need for sustainable development as a means to conserve natural resources and the environment, which often represent the basis for tourism development, (2) illustrate the importance of assessing tourists' preferences when designing programs and policies central to the sustainable development of a tourism area, and (3) study tourists' interests in sustainable development. With these goals in mind, 180 tourists from Europe, Latin America, and North America were interviewed as they were leaving the resort region of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. The main factors that they considered when deciding where to go on a beach vacation were evaluated, as well as their preferences regarding four programs designed to improve recreational and environmental management of the area. Preferences by tourists were elicited both in monetary and non-monetary terms. This paper reports the non-monetary analysis of the data. The results indicate that clean ocean water and beaches, quality of services, and price are the most important factors considered by the respondents before deciding to come to Punta Cana. It was not possible to obtain reliable responses on how tourists perceived the four programs contributing to the sustainable development of Punta Cana. Nevertheless, they expressed high interest and willingness to pay for two of these programs: the outdoor aquarium and the Water Management Program. The results reported in this paper show how important it is to elicit tourists' preferences of programs central to the sustainable development of tourism areas since these preferences can drive managers' development decisions in more sustainable directions.     

浙江省人口分布的空间格局及其时空演变

改革开放以来,随着经济社会的快速发展,浙江省各地区人口分布发生了明显的变化。文章运用空间自相关、不均衡系数、人口重心和偏移增长法,对浙江省69个县级行政单元人口分布的空间格局及其在1985-2007年间的时空演变特征进行了深入分析,并得出以下几点结论:①浙江省人口密度分布具有"点—带—区"结构特征,即以经济发展水平高的地区为高值点,通过杭甬高速和甬台温高速将各高值点连接成带,其他地区则形成人口密度低值区;②浙江省人口分布存在一定的空间关联性,在浙东北环杭州湾地区和浙东南沿海地区呈现高高集聚,在浙中和西南内陆地区呈现低低集聚;③浙江省人口呈不均衡分布状态,并且人口不均衡系数不断增大;④浙江省人口偏移增长在三大区域之间具有明显差异,浙东南沿海地区人口总偏移量为正,浙东北环杭州湾地区基本稳定、浙中和西南内陆地区为负,人口重心逐渐向东南沿海偏移。     

The necessary amount of sampling for census and assessing the taxonomic diversity of large soil invertebrates in different geographic zones

An analysis of the spatial distribution of large soil invertebrates at the “study point” level in three forest soils of the European part of the Russian Federation has demonstrated that the number of 76-cm² soil cores necessary for obtaining representative data varies from 25 to 35. To estimate taxonomic diversity in peaty, soddy podzolic, and brown forest soils, 100–110, 70–80, and 90–100 soil cores, respectively, are required. Differences in the necessary number of cores of different forest soils are accounted for by differences in the distribution pattern of soil animals.     

江苏沿海滩涂地区农户经济行为研究

江苏海岸带是中国最重要的海岸带湿地之一。滩涂资源的可持续利用成为当前研究的焦点。农户是滩涂开发的微观经济活动的主体和相对独立的生产单位。农户的经济行为对滩涂开发和利用产生直接和重要的影响。以江苏省盐城市的射阳县、大丰市为例，选择3个典型村庄进行入户访谈式调查．在对220个农户进行了入户随机抽样调查的基础上，利用区域经济动力学原理Logisti模型和Cobb-Douglas生产函数。建立了农户经济行为对环境影响的数量经济模型。研究表明，滩涂区农户经济行为对滩涂环境压力的大小及类型具有直接影响。土地经营规模、土地利用类型、生产投入、投资意向、农户受教育水平等是产生影响的主要因素。找出滩涂资源利用中存在的问题和主要的环境压力在于：农户经济生产方式单一，产业结构不合理；农户教育水平较低，环境意识差；滩涂利用经济效率低．环境压力大；农户抗市场风险能力差。并提出了相应的对策和建议。     

人文发展的基本需要分析及其在国际气候制度设计中的应用——以中国能源与碳排放需要为例

人文发展的基本需要途径从满足基本需要和限制奢侈浪费性排放出发，充分利用技术在实现低碳发展方面的潜力，保障气候目标的实现和代内与代际公平。本文在讨论发展所面临的消除贫困、城市化和工业化挑战的基础上，区分了生存水平和体面生活水平的基本需要，依据国际数据和科学研究成果，对基本需要进行了量化界定。并在此基础上，对满足13亿中国人体面生活水平的基本需要的能源和排放含义，进行了案例研究。最后探讨了基本需要途径在国际气候制度设计中的应用和前景。     

Towards Rio + 10 – Trend of Environmentalism and Implications for Sustainable Livelihoods in the 21st Century, The Context of Southern African Region

Since the Rio conference, many countries and organisations, including the environmental movement, bilateral and multilateral institutions have endeavoured to carry out activities related to the implementation of Agenda 21. These have mostly been done with or without other outcomes of the conference. Several environmental management and sustainable development agenda have been pursued to halt the continually degrading environment. Other programmes have concentrated on outburst of economic development at the expense of the environment and the worsening poverty especially in the South. This paper therefore seeks to examine a paradigmatic shift in environmentalism, emphasising the link between agenda 21 and sustainable livelihoods. It seems though the history of the environmental movement has been forgotten after the Rio conference by the whole world. This might probably be due to complacency with the results of the UNCED conference. However, it is now obvious that clear objectives to implement the results of UNCED are almost lacking with little or no proper supervision, and further threatening the existence of mankind. The environmental movement and associated milestones have had significant impacts on the current status of the global commons. Regionally in most of southern Africa, livelihood issues are in the forefront of efforts to sustain environmental resources, and minimising proximate causes of global environmental change.     

黄河上游玛曲生态系统服务价值的估算和生态环境管理的政策设计

黄河上游玛曲草地生态系统的保护对整个黄河流域的生态安全意义重大。本文参考Costanza等人提出的方法和谢高地等人的研究成果估算了玛曲的生态系统服务价值，结果为96.25亿元／年，远高于经济产品1.93亿元／年的现价。基于草地资源可持续利用和牧民生活水平不断改善的要求，提出了以改变超载过牧为目标、以生态补偿为核心内容的草地生态系统管理的政策设计，生态补偿的标准应不少于0.93亿元／年。生态环境管理的政策内容主要包括：产业开发和产业转型、生态移民和牧民定居、草场管理、技术推广以及控制人口过快增长和促进社会进步等。     

The Role and Effectiveness of Local Institutions in the Management of Forest Biodiversity in New Dabaga-Ulongambi Forest Reserve,Iringa Region-Tanzania

This paper examines the role and effectiveness of local institutions in the management of forest biodiversity in New Dabaga-Ulongambi Forest Reserve,Tanzania.Data were obtained through questionnaires,interviews,focus group discussions,participatory rural appraisal and field observations.The study revealed that the most remarkable local institutions connected to forest biodiversity management include:Village Natural Resources Management Committee(92%),tree nursery group(79.4%),beekeeping groups(61.1%),fish farming(43.3%),livestock rearing group(33.9%).Main activities carried out by local institutions which directly contribute to the sustainability of forest reserve include:forest patrols,fire extinguish,preparation of fire breaks,planting of trees along the forest boundaries,creation of awareness,arresting of forest defaulters,participation in income generation activities.For the purpose of realization that local communities are capable of managing forest biodiversity through their traditional institutions,the policy should provide tangible opportunity for local communities to meet their needs as they manage the forests.