Development of fire risk visualization tool based on heat map

At present, relatively few tools are able to visualize regional fire risks both dynamically and efficiently. As a general method of density clustering and visualization, heat maps can be used to analyze the spatial distribution characteristics of fire risks. In this study, based on combining a transformed sigmoid function with a heat map method, a transformed sigmoid risk model (TSRM) was proposed. A numerical mapping method between fire risk values and colors was established based on an RGB color model. By using HTML 5 and JavaScript, a fire risk visualization tool (FRVT) was developed based on the TSRM. Baidu Map was used as the geographic information system engine for the FRVT by calling its JavaScript application program interface. To validate the TSRM and FRVT with case studies, 16,448 historical fires from 2013 to 2017 in Changsha, China, were gathered and visualized. The visualization results indicated that the high-risk areas were mainly distributed in urban areas, and that the medium-risk and low-risk areas were primarily distributed in rural areas. The FRVT can also be applied to visualize and analyze process-related fire risks from a regional perspective. In further research, it will be important to update the FRVT, e.g., to visualize the fire risks posed by the transportation of hazardous materials.     

Clarifying values,risk perceptions,and attitudes to resolve or avoid social conflicts in invasive species management

Decision makers and researchers recognize the need to effectively confront the social dimensions and conflicts inherent to invasive species research and management. Yet, despite numerous contentious situations that have arisen, no systematic evaluation of the literature has examined the commonalities in the patterns and types of these emergent social issues. Using social and ecological keywords, we reviewed trends in the social dimensions of invasive species research and management and the sources and potential solutions to problems and conflicts that arise around invasive species. We integrated components of cognitive hierarchy theory and risk perceptions theory to provide a conceptual framework to identify, distinguish, and provide understanding of the driving factors underlying disputes associated with invasive species. In the ISI Web of Science database, we found 15,915 peer‐reviewed publications on biological invasions, 124 of which included social dimensions of this phenomenon. Of these 124, 28 studies described specific contentious situations. Social approaches to biological invasions have emerged largely in the last decade and have focused on both environmental social sciences and resource management. Despite being distributed in a range of journals, these 124 articles were concentrated mostly in ecology and conservation‐oriented outlets. We found that conflicts surrounding invasive species arose based largely on differences in value systems and to a lesser extent stakeholder and decision maker's risk perceptions. To confront or avoid such situations, we suggest integrating the plurality of environmental values into invasive species research and management via structured decision making techniques, which enhance effective risk communication that promotes trust and confidence between stakeholders and decision makers. Clarificar los Valores, Percepciones de Riesgo y Actitudes para Resolver o Evitar Conflictos Sociales en el Manejo de Especies Invasoras     

Sea otters,social justice,and ecosystem‐service perceptions in Clayoquot Sound,Canada

We sought to take a first step toward better integration of social concerns into empirical ecosystem service (ES) work. We did this by adapting cognitive anthropological techniques to study the Clayoquot Sound social‐ecological system on the Pacific coast of Canada's Vancouver Island. We used freelisting and ranking exercises to elicit how locals perceive ESs and to determine locals’ preferred food species. We analyzed these data with the freelist‐analysis software package ANTHROPAC. We considered the results in light of an ongoing trophic cascade caused by the government reintroduction of sea otters (Enhydra lutris) and their spread along the island's Pacific coast. We interviewed 67 local residents (n = 29 females, n = 38 males; n = 26 self‐identified First Nation individuals, and n = 41 non‐First Nation individuals) and 4 government managers responsible for conservation policy in the region. We found that the mental categories participants—including trained ecologists—used to think about ESs, did not match the standard academic ES typology. With reference to the latest ecological model projections for the region, we found that First Nations individuals and women were most likely to perceive the most immediate ES losses from the trophic cascade, with the most certainty. The inverse was found for men and non‐First Nations individuals, generally. This suggests that 2 historically disadvantaged groups (i.e., First Nations and women) are poised to experience the immediate impacts of the government‐initiated trophic cascade as yet another social injustice in a long line of perceived inequities. Left unaddressed, this could complicate efforts at multistakeholder ecosystem management in the region.     

Experiencing Biodiversity as a Bridge over the Science–Society Communication Gap

Drawing on the idea that biodiversity is simply the diversity of living things, and that everyone knows what diversity and living things mean, most conservation professionals eschew the need to explain the many complex ways in which biodiversity is understood in science. On many biodiversity‐related issues, this lack of clarity leads to a communication gap between science and the general public, including decision makers who must design and implement biodiversity policies. Closing this communication gap is pivotal to the ability of science to inform sound environmental decision making. To address this communication gap, we propose a surrogate of biodiversity for communication purposes that captures the scientific definition of biodiversity yet can be understood by nonscientists; that is, biodiversity as a learning experience. The prerequisites of this or any other biodiversity communication surrogate are that it should have transdisciplinary relevance; not be measurable; be accessible to a wide audience; be usable to translate biodiversity issues; and understandably encompass biodiversity concepts. Biodiversity as a learning experience satisfies these prerequisites and is philosophically robust. More importantly, it can effectively contribute to closing the communication gap between biodiversity science and society at large. Experimentando la Biodiversidad como un Puente sobre el Vacío entre la Comunicación Ciencia‐Sociedad     

基于地学信息图谱的合肥市城市扩展时空特征及驱动力分析

利用多时相遥感影像,借助ArcGIS平台,采用空间形态分析、等扇分析、等距分析及分形分析等方法,以城市扩展强度、紧凑度、分形维数、重心坐标、扩展弹性系数等为指标,基于地学信息图谱分析了1987~2011年合肥市城市扩展时空特征及其驱动力。结果表明：合肥市在经历了轴向放射状扩展、双核组团扩展及轴间填充后,城市形态由不规则团块状向星楔形、连体双星形转变;24 a间,城市用地面积增长了22415 km2,城市规模扩大了455倍;2000年以前基本保持中、低速扩展,进入21世纪后,开始高速扩展;城市空间主要沿交通线向西南、东南、东、东北等方向非均衡延展,城市扩展最强烈的区域约在距城区中心8 km处,城市重心不断向南偏西方向转移;扩展过程中,城市紧凑度呈“W”型波动,分形维数呈“M”型波动,扩展弹性系数呈“∧”型波动,城市形态最终向着稳定、合理化方向发展;自然环境、经济发展、人口增长、交通建设、政府行为等是合肥市城市扩展的主要驱动力量     

空气污染对中老年人认知能力的影响

利用中国健康与养老追踪调查(CHARLS)数据,采用两阶段最小二乘法评估了空气污染对我国中老年人认知能力的影响及其传导路径,并进一步分析了不同类型污染物的影响差异性.研究发现:空气污染与中老年人的认知能力显著负相关,且通过一系列稳健性检验表明研究结果具有稳健性;机制分析与异质性分析显示,空气污染通过影响个人的情绪和状态、运动、社交活动、健康和记忆力来间接影响其认知能力,且空气污染对年长者、女性、有不良健康行为以及社会经济地位较低人群的认知能力负面影响更大;进一步研究发现,PM_2.5、PM₁₀、SO₂、CO具有显著的认知功能折旧效应.本文聚焦于我国空气污染和人口老龄化问题,识别了空气污染对我国居民认知能力的潜在健康影响,这在一定程度上为国家健康环境治理和实现健康老龄化提供了现实依据和政策借鉴.     

基于自组织映射与哈斯图方法的地表水水质评价研究

地表水水质评价是水资源管理与保护中的非常重要的问题.本研究主要目的是应用自组织映射(Self-Organizing Map,SOM)与哈斯图方法(Hasse Diagram Technique,HDT)对地表水水质监测数据集进行分类、建模、解释与评估.以西苕溪流域为例,对其50个断面于2010年6月-2011年5月进行月频率的水质监测.应用SOM分析发现,水质参数可分成10个聚类组,反映了西苕溪流域水质丰、平与枯水期特征,pH、高锰酸盐指数(CODMn)在各个水期变化不大;溶解氧(DO)在枯水期与平水期相对较高,水质具有一定的自净能力;丰水期的氨氮(NH4+-N)、总氮(TN)与总磷(TP)值相对较小;西苕溪流域TN:TP(氮磷质量比)平均为46,监测期间变幅较大为2～482,监测期内有66.7％的水质样本处于磷限制状态,仅有3.2％处于氮限制状态,存在氮限制与磷限制交替出现的状态,表明流域总体处于磷限制状态.选取CODMn、NH4+-N、TN 与TP指标进行HDT综合分析,反映流域上游水质较好,中、下游水质相对较差;敏感性分析结果表明,CODMn敏感性数值最大为235,其次是TN为156,、NH4+-N与TP分别是61与34,表明西苕溪流域的CODMn、TN存在较大的环境风险.建议在西苕溪流域即将开展的环境整治与规划时应考虑开发相关的削减技术与制定相关措施政策以减少CODMn、TN污染.     

基于CBERS-2B卫星数据的《桂林城区环境监测影像地图》研制与应用

基于中巴CBERS-2B卫星影像,分析环境监测对影像地图的需求,探讨制作《桂林城区环境监测影像地图》的方法。在影像地图制作中,以GPS的SBAS信号定位,采用WGS84坐标系统,对道路河流等矢量层和监测专题要素层作了专门处理,还讨论了卫星影像在城区环境监测中的应用,探索环境监测遥感影像专题地图的特点、方法、技术难点和需注意的一些问题。     

Learning to Drive: Learners’ Self-Reported Cognitive Failure Level Predicts Driving Instructor’s Observation Rating of Driving Performance

Objectives. Evidence increases that cognitive failure may be used to screen for drivers at risk. Until now, most studies have relied on driving learners. This exploratory pilot study examines self-report of cognitive failure in driving beginners and error during real driving as observed by driving instructors. Methods. Forty-two driving learners of 14 driving instructors filled out a work-related cognitive failure questionnaire. Driving instructors observed driving errors during the next driving lesson. In multiple linear regression analysis, driving errors were regressed on cognitive failure with the number of driving lessons as an estimator of driving experience controlled. Results. Higher cognitive failure predicted more driving errors(p < .01) when age, gender and driving experience were controlled in analysis. Conclusions. Cognitive failure was significantly associated with observed driving errors. Systematic research on cognitive failure in driving beginners is recommended.     

Adding virtual measuring stations to a network for urban air pollution mapping

Maps of pollutants concentration are usually generated by means of interpolation and extrapolation methods. The quality of the results depends mainly of the number of permanent or temporary measuring stations. This paper deals with a method for the virtual densification of the network of stations. The method creates "virtual measuring stations". It aims at improving the quality of interpolation by increasing the number of data on pollutant concentration. The virtual stations are determined by the means of a classification method applied to each pixel of the area under concern. Discriminating elements are pollutants emission classes, land cover types, urban morphological indicators created to this purpose and distance to major roads. A first implementation was made for particulate matter (PM) for the city of Strasbourg (France) using thin-plates spline interpolation method in Arcview 9 GIS. The relative Root Mean Square Error decreases from 49% for five input stations down to 15% for the virtual stations.