Climatic change will result in great changes in vegetation. In this paper, a biogeographical model, the BIOME1, was used to
predict potential vegetation distribution in China under climate change. Firstly, the BIOME1 was validated according to the
climate–vegetation relationships in China. Kappa statistics showed that the validated BIOME1 was able to capture the geographical
patterns of vegetation more accurately. Then, the validated BIOME1 was used to predict the distribution of vegetation of China
under two climatic scenarios produced by a Regional Circulation Model, RegCM2/CN. The simulation results showed obvious northward
shifts of the boreal, temperate deciduous and evergreen and tropical forests, a large expansion of tropical dry forest/savanna
and reduction of tundra on the Tibetan Plateau. Three vulnerable regions sensitive to climate changes are pointed out, i.e.,
Northern China, the Tibetan Plateau and Southwestern China (mainly Hengduan Mountains in Yunnan Province and west of Sichuan
Province). In recent decades, China has experienced dramatic industrialization and population growth, which exert strong pressure
on the environment of China. The consequences of climate changes warrant more attention for maintaining a sustainable environment
for China. 相似文献
This article investigates the relationship of local air pollution pattern with urban land use and with urban thermal landscape
using a GIS approach. Ambient air quality measurements for sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, total suspended
particles, and dust level were obtained for Guangzhou City in South China between 1981 and 2000. Landsat TM images and aerial
photo derived maps were used to examine city's land use and land cover at different times and changes. Landsat thermal infrared
data were employed to compute land surface temperatures and to assess urban thermal patterns. Relationships among the spatial
patterns of air pollution, land use, and thermal landscape were sought through GIS and correlation analyses. Results show
that the spatial patterns of air pollutants probed were positively correlated with urban built-up density, and with satellite
derived land surface temperature values, particularly with measurements taken during the summer. It is suggested that further
studies investigate the mechanisms of this linkage, and that remote sensing of air pollution delves into how the energy interacts
with the atmosphere and the environment and how sensors see pollutants. Thermal infrared imagery could play a unique role
in monitoring and modeling atmospheric pollution. 相似文献
Studying the modes of selenium occurrence in high-Se soils and its behaviors can improve understanding and evaluating its cycling, flux, and balance in geo-ecosystems and its influence on health. In this paper, using a modified sequential chemical extraction technique, seven operationally defined selenium fractions and Se valence distribution were determined about five soils in which paddy was planted (W1, W2, W3, W4, W5) and five soils in which maize was planted (H1, H2, H3, H4, H5) around the selenium-rich core, Ziyang County, Shaanxi Province, China. The results show that selenium fractions in the soils mainly include sulfide/selenide and base-soluble Se, and ligand-exchangeable Se is also high for five soils in which paddy was planted. For water-soluble Se, Se (IV) is main Se valence and almost no Se (VI) was determined about five soils in which paddy was planted, while almost 1:1 of Se (IV) and Se (VI) coexist about five soils in which maize was planted. For exchangeable Se, similar results were found. For the first time, two typical high-Se soils (W1 soil and H1 soil) were chosen to measure the pH-dependent solid-solution distribution of selenite in the pH range 3–9, and the results were explained using LCD (ligand and charge distribution) adsorption modeling. The desorbed selenite concentrations from the two soils are in general underestimated by the model due to a comparable binding affinity of phosphate and selenite on goethite and much lower amount of total selenite than total reactively adsorbed phosphate. The pH dependency of adsorption of selenite added to the soil can be successfully described with the LCD model for W1 soil. Whereas considering the influence of Al-oxides, by lowering selenite adsorption affinity constant K of Se adsorption on goethite by 16 times, the LCD model can describe the adsorption much better. The results can help to understand selenium cycling, flux, and balance in typical high-Se soils.
Studies of radionuclides in the environment have entered a new era with the renaissance of nuclear energy and associated fuel reprocessing, geological disposal of high-level nuclear wastes, and concerns about national security with respect to nuclear non-proliferation. This work presents an overview on sources of anthropogenic radionuclides in the environment, as well as a brief discussion of salient geochemical behavior of important radionuclides. We first discuss the following major anthropogenic sources and current developments that have lead, or could potentially contribute, to the radionuclide contamination of the environment: (1) nuclear weapons program; (2) nuclear weapons testing; (3) nuclear power plants; (4) uranium mining and milling; (5) commercial fuel reprocessing; (6) geological repository of high-level nuclear wastes that include radionuclides might be released in the future, and (7) nuclear accidents. Then, we briefly summarize the inventory of radionuclides 99Tc and 129I, as well as geochemical behavior for radionuclides 99Tc, 129I, and 237Np, because of their complex geochemical behavior, long half-lives, and presumably high mobility in the environment; biogeochemical cycling and environment risk assessment must take into account speciation of these redox-sensitive radionuclides. 相似文献
Industrialization and urbanization result in significant changes in lifestyle. These lifestyle changes seem to lead to unsustainable
consumption patterns and increase the generation of various kinds of environmental loads, especially the amount of municipal
solid waste (MSW). Taiwan is a small island with scarce natural resources. The economic development in Taiwan has resulted
in the generation of large amounts of MSW. As a result, the Taiwan Environmental Pollution Administration (TEPA) has produced
regulations for waste minimization and has imposed several important policy measures that have successfully reduced the MSW
discard rate in recent years and have established a public recycling network as a part of the MSW collection. Nowadays, the
objective of the MSW policies in Taiwan is to develop a “zero-waste society.” This article aims to review the MSW management
progress in Taiwan and to project future MSW discards up to 2011 based on the national plan and assumed scenarios for socioeconomic
variables. According to the analysis results, a more sustainable consumption pattern can be proposed and the corresponding
MSW management system can be planned so as to develop a low-waste-discard society. 相似文献
Concentrations of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone, propionaldehyde, i-pentanal, and butyraldehyde in residential indoor air in Hangzhou were determined. The mean concentration of the total carbonyl compounds in summer was 222.6 μg/m3, higher than that in winter (68.5 μg/m3). The concentration of a specific carbonyl in indoor air was higher than the outdoor air measurement, indicating the release of carbonyls from the indoor sources. Formaldehyde and acetone were the most abundant carbonyls detected in summer and winter, respectively. Multiple regression analysis indicated that carbonyl concentrations in residential indoor air depended on the age of decoration and furniture, as well as their concentrations in outdoor air. In addition, a primary estimation showed that the health risks of carbonyls in summer were higher than those in winter. 相似文献