Pattern and Process in Northern Rocky Mountain Headwaters: Ecological Linkages in the Headwaters of the Crown of the Continent1

Abstract: The Crown of the Continent is one of the premiere ecosystems in North America containing Waterton‐Glacier International Peace Park, the Bob Marshall‐Great Bear‐Scapegoat Wilderness Complex in Montana, various Provincial Parks in British Columbia and Alberta, several national and state forest lands in the USA, and Crown Lands in Canada. The region is also the headwater source for three of the continent’s great rivers: Columbia, Missouri and Saskatchewan that flow to the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, respectively. Headwaters originate in high elevation alpine environs characterized by high snow accumulations in winter and rainstorms in summer. Most headwaters of the region contain high quality waters with few ions in solution and extremely low nutrient concentrations. Alpine streams have few species of aquatic organisms; however, they often possess rare species and have hydrogeomorphic features that make them vulnerable to climatic change. Subalpine and valley bottom streams of the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem (CCE) flow through well forested watersheds. Along the elevation gradient, the streams and rivers of the CCE flow through series of confining and nonconfining valleys resulting in distinct canyon and floodplain reaches. The alluvial floodplains are characterized by high species diversity and bioproduction maintained by the hydrologic linkages of habitats. The streams and rivers of the CCE have low nutrient concentrations, but may be significantly affected by wildfire, various resource extraction activities, such as logging or mining and exurban encroachment. Wildfire has been shown to increase nutrient loading in streams, both during a fire and then following the fire for as much as 5 years. Logging practices increase nutrient loading and the algal productivity of stream periphyton. Logging and associated roads are also known to increase sediment transport into Crown of the Continent streams directly affecting spawning success of native trout. The CCE is one of the fastest growing regions in the USA because of the many recreational amenities of the region. And, while the region has many remarkably pristine headwater streams and receiving rivers, there are many pending threats to water quality and quantity. One of the most urgent threats comes from the coal and gas fields in the northern part of the Crown of the Continent, where coal deposits are proposed for mountain‐top removal and open‐pit mining operations. This will have significant effects on the waters of the region, its native plants and animals and quality of life of the people.     

Agricultural area impacts within a natural area: Cades cove,a case history

Agricultural management in Cades Cove, an historic district in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, has affected natural resources both within the district and in the adjoining natural areas. Aquatic impacts of haying and cattle grazing included increases in water temperatures, turbidity, nutrient loading, and bacterial counts and decreases in benthic macroinvertebrate density and fish biomass. Wildlife populations, including groundhogs, wild turkeys, and white-tailed deer, have increased in the open fields and around the periphery of the historic district. Intensive deer foraging has removed deciduous seedlings and saplings from woodlots, lowering species diversity and favoring coniferous reproduction. Cades Cove has limestone habitats unique in the park, and both deer browse and cattle grazing may have disturbed populations of rare plant species. Effects on water quality are detectable at a campground 15 stream km from the agricultural area, and the effects of deer foraging extend about 1 km beyond the open fields.Since historic landscape preservation is presently a goal of the park, managing for open vistas in Cades Cove will require some sort of continuing disturbance. Conversion of cattle pastures to hayfields would reduce aquatic impacts but the deer herd might increase as a result of reduced competition for forage. Retarding old field succession would increase populations of native plant species dependent on sunlight, but would require government-funded mowing. Other options are discussed. Completely eliminating the effects of the historic district on adjoining areas may be impossible, at least under present economic constraints.     

新疆天山北坡经济带生态环境保护思路探讨

随着区域经济的发展和自然资源的开发，区域生态环境状况面临严峻的考验。本文分析了新疆天山北坡经济带的生态环境现状、特点及发展趋势，重点阐述了该区域生态环境保护与治理的思路，并提出一些相应的对策和建议。     

RAINGAGE NETWORK DESIGN USING NEXRAD PRECIPITATION ESTIMATES1

ABSTRACT: A general framework is proposed for using precipitation estimates from NEXRAD weather radars in raingage network design. NEXRAD precipitation products are used to represent space time rainfall fields, which can be sampled by hypothetical raingage networks. A stochastic model is used to simulate gage observations based on the areal average precipitation for radar grid cells. The stochastic model accounts for subgrid variability of precipitation within the cell and gage measurement errors. The approach is ideally suited to raingage network design in regions with strong climatic variations in rainfall where conventional methods are sometimes lacking. A case study example involving the estimation of areal average precipitation for catchments in the Catskill Mountains illustrates the approach. The case study shows how the simulation approach can be used to quantify the effects of gage density, basin size, spatial variation of precipitation, and gage measurement error, on network estimates of areal average precipitation. Although the quality of NEXRAD precipitation products imposes limitations on their use in network design, weather radars can provide valuable information for empirical assessment of rain‐gage network estimation errors. Still, the biggest challenge in quantifying estimation errors is understanding subgrid spatial variability. The results from the case study show that the spatial correlation of precipitation at subgrid scales (4 km and less) is difficult to quantify, especially for short sampling durations. Network estimation errors for hourly precipitation are extremely sensitive to the uncertainty in subgrid spatial variability, although for storm total accumulation, they are much less sensitive.     

The future of food security in the Three Areas of Sudan

Currently, the pace of recovery in the 'Three Areas' is moving faster than the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). This gap is leading to greater imbalances in income, unsustainable urbanization, overexploitation of the environment and resource based conflict. Unless regulated, the likely result will be chronic poverty and an undermining of the success of the CPA. Agencies must be mindful of how they provide assistance so that they support the CPA. The analysis of food security should take place in the context of a larger political, social and economic analysis of the emerging situation. The least developed areas should be prioritised and interventions should provide benefits to the full range of socioeconomic groups. WFP must identify its role in the wider and integrated response. It should support the emerging peace process and the key reforms. If WFP chooses to consolidate its activities, it will require capable strategic partners. If it chooses to invest more in building the capacity of government and community structures, it must improve its skill base and field presence     

2014~2016年京津冀沿山城市空气质量首要污染物特征分析

对北京、保定、石家庄、邢台和邯郸这5个京津冀太行山沿山城市2014~2016年空气质量首要污染物进行分析,探讨其空间分布特征和时间变化趋势.结果表明,北京首要污染物由主到次为PM_2.5、O₃-8h、NO₂和PM₁₀,其他4个城市首要污染物排序为PM_2.5、PM₁₀、O₃-8h、NO₂、SO₂和CO.在空间分布上,各城市PM_2.5首要污染物天数比例3 a均值相当（53.3%~58.1%）,但从北向南,5个城市PM₁₀天数比例基本呈上升趋势,而O₃-8h反之.除邯郸PM_2.5首要污染物天数比例逐年明显下降外,其他4个城市的天数比例年际变化幅度较小;2016年石家庄、邢台和邯郸O₃-8h天数比例均显著上升.各城市PM_2.5和O₃-8h首要污染物天数月变化曲线分别呈"W"型和"倒U"型,PM₁₀首要污染物天数在3~5月出现明显高值区.从良至严重污染,各城市PM_2.5和PM₁₀首要污染物天数比例之和随空气质量级别逐级递增,其中PM₁₀天数比例逐级下降,而PM_2.5表现相反;O₃-8h首要污染物天基本出现在良至中度污染级别,且总体上逐级下降;NO₂仅在良级天有较高的天数比例贡献.     

A Comparison of Sampling Designs for Monitoring Recreational Trail Impacts in Rocky Mountain National Park

The dual goals of the Organic Act of 1916 and Wilderness Act of 1964 are to protect natural resources and provide quality visitor experiences. Park managers need metrics of trail conditions to protect park resources and quality of visitor experiences. A few methods of sampling design for trails have been developed. Here, we describe a relatively new method, spatially balanced sampling, and compare it to systematic sampling. We evaluated the efficiency of sampling designs to measure recreation-related impacts in Rocky Mountain National Park. This study addressed two objectives: first, it compared estimates of trail conditions from data collected from systematic versus spatially balanced sampling data; second, it examined the relationship between sampling precision and sampling efficiency. No statistically significant differences in trail condition were found between the 100-m interval and the spatially balanced datasets. The spatially balanced probability-based dataset was found to be a good estimate of trail conditions when analyses were conducted with fewer sample points. Moreover, spatially balanced probability-based sampling is flexible and allows additional sample points to be added to a sample.     

阿尔泰山西伯利亚云杉多种树轮宽度年表研制及其气候响应研究

利用树轮图像分析法,获取了阿尔泰山较低海拔西伯利亚云杉（Picea obovata）的全轮、早材和晚材树轮宽度数据,并建立三种树轮宽度年表。通过对树轮宽度年表统计特征及年表与气候因子的相关分析发现：早材生长对气候变化的敏感性更强,而晚材宽度中含有的气候信息相对较少。三种年表对气候因子的响应结果较为一致,但也存在一定的差异性。水分是研究区树木径向生长的主要限制因子。其中,全轮和早材年表与上年7月至当年6月的总降水量正相关性最高（p<0.01）,晚材年表与当年4月至7月总降水量正相关性最高（p<0.01）。上年降水量的滞后效应对早材生长的影响比晚材更大。滑动相关分析结果显示,降水量对树木径向生长的影响呈减弱趋势。     

西昆仑山黄土1 Ma 以来的粒度变化特征及其古气候意义

塔里木盆地南缘保存有中国西北地区厚度最大的黄土,是详细研究亚洲内陆极端干旱 区以及塔克拉玛干沙漠形成演化的理想材料。但是,目前对该地区黄土堆积粒度特征系统的研 究还相对较少,对粒度指标的古环境意义仍存有不同的认识。通过对207 m 黄土岩芯的粒度分 析发现,西昆仑山黄土的粒度组成比较均一,分选较好,主要以粗颗粒物质为主,细颗粒含量 极少,并具有典型的风成成因特征。此外,西昆仑山黄土粒度1 Ma 以来呈现出持续变粗的趋势。 通过与其他气候指标的对比,这种变粗的趋势可能主要反映了中更新世以来亚洲内陆逐步增强 的干旱化过程。     

秦巴山地西部地区2015—2018年大气污染物变化特征及潜在来源分析

为了研究我国南北过渡带西部地区大气污染物变化特征，选取了秦巴山地西部陇南市2015-2018年大气主要污染物监测资料和气象数据，分析了各污染物的浓度水平、变化特征及与气象条件的关系，并利用HYSPLIT后向轨迹模式分析了该地区污染物潜在来源（WPSCF和WCWT）.结果表明：4年来，秦巴山地西部地区空气环境质量较好，空气质量优良率达94.24%，6项大气污染物SO₂、NO₂、CO、O₃、PM_2.5、PM₁₀平均浓度分别为19.02、23.35、701.41、83.11、30.57、56.50 μg·m^-3，均未超过国家二级标准.PM₁₀是该地区首要污染物中天数最多的，达94 d.污染物SO₂、NO₂、CO、PM_2.5和PM₁₀的季节变化和日变化特征具有较好一致性，呈"U"型变化，O₃呈单峰型，在夏季和午后浓度到达高值.颗粒污染物PM₁₀、PM_2.5与气态污染物SO₂、NO₂、CO均呈现较好正相关，气温、降水量和风速风向对污染物浓度有较大的影响.该地区冬季空气质量明显差于其他季节，颗粒物浓度主要受供暖期化石燃料燃烧和外来气流的影响.