Trail erosion patterns in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

All the maintained trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park were surveyed for width, depth, and a variety of types of erosion. Trail erosion is related to a number of environmental variables, including vegetation type, elevation, trail slope, and section of the park. Open grass balds and spruce-fir forest are the most erosion-sensitive plant communities, and the xeric oak and pine types are the least sensitive. Trails in virgin or mature forest tend to be in poorer condition than those in successional areas. The most important physical factor is the slope of the trail.Trails in the Tennessee district are in slightly poorer condition, on the average, than those in the North Carolina district, but the Appalachian Trail is more eroded than either. A poor section of the park may have ten times the erosion of a good section. On an allpark basis, water erosion is the most important problem, with 15% of the trail surface affected.A comparison of visitation patterns with trail condition indicates that redistribution of use would help to mitigate some erosion problems. Because trail condition is correlated to physical environmental factors, however, some sites will require intensive maintenance, even if visitation is low.The data from this survey have already been used in environmental analysis of proposed developments within the park and can be applied to long-range planning for the park trail system as a whole.     

Grassy balds of the Great Smoky Mountains: Their history and flora in relation to potential management

The origin of the grassy balds of the Great Smoky Mountains is examined. Some of the areas were cleared by settlers. Grazing by sheep and cattle and the cutting of trees were probably the most important factors in maintaining the grass sward; fire apparently was not used.Vegetation survey plots indicated that little of the original balds' area was still grassy and that most of the invading trees and shrubs could be expected to sprout if cut or burned. Areas presently trampled or mowed had a flora similar to a bald that was still grazed. High-elevation burn scars had many species in common with the grassy balds but had dissimilar community structures; therefore, a policy favoring natural fires would be unlikely to encourage maintanence or formation of grassy balds.The management of open grassy areas on National Forest lands was investigated. Burning was the favored technique, although hand cutting, mowing, and grazing were used. The results of testing various management practices on Gregory Bald are reviewed in terms of cost, impact, and historical authenticity. Implications for park management are discussed.     

天山北麓地区博乐黄土磁化率、粒度特征与古气候意义

受西风控制的天山地区黄土广泛分布,是中亚重要的黄土分布区之一。这些陆相风成沉积物为研究中亚干旱区气候环境变化历史提供了重要的信息载体。本文选取天山北麓博乐地区一个厚为12.7 m的黄土剖面作为研究对象,分析了其磁化率、粒度指标的变化特征,并探讨了其古气候意义。结果表明:(1)博乐黄土粒度组成以粉砂为主,是典型的风成沉积物,成壤作用很弱;(2)博乐黄土磁化率变化主要受控于风力强度;(3)剖面粒度的环境敏感粒级为31.7μm、31.7—282.5μm,分别可能代表风暴过后的浮尘堆积和风暴过程中风力近距离搬运的沉积物组分;(4)博乐黄土MIS(海洋氧同位素)3阶段记录了多次千年尺度气候事件,能与北大西洋Heinrich事件和D-O事件对应,表明中纬度西风环流在传递北大西洋信号到东亚的过程中扮演着重要角色。     

2016~2018年采暖季太行山沿线城市PM2.5污染特征分析

对2016年、2017年采暖季太行山沿线传输通道城市大气中PM_2.5的OC、EC和水溶性离子进行分析,并利用特征组分比值和元素富集因子变化研究该传输通道的污染特征.结果表明,2017年采暖季通道整体较2016年同期空气质量改善良好,PM_2.5浓度由2016年的171.86μg/m³下降为123.90μg/m³.太行山中部城市2017年采暖季较2016年同期PM_2.5浓度下降显著,2a采暖季SNA离子（SO^2-,NO₃^-,NH₄⁺ 3种离子总称）浓度与占比呈现"北低南高",加之SNA/EC比值"北低南高",表明南部城市二次无机生成较为严重.而OC、EC浓度与占比呈现"北高南低",Cl^-/K⁺比值和元素Zn、Ba的富集因子北部均高于南部,表明北部城市可能受燃煤和机动车源等一次排放影响较大;各城市2017年采暖季SO₂、NO₂、CO浓度有所下降,且均呈现"北高南低"趋势,进一步表明北部城市一次排放较为严重.     

新疆天山公路泥石流风险评价研究

结合泥石流危险度和公路受泥石流损毁度两个指标,构建了天山公路泥石流风险评价模型,实现了对天山公路全线主要泥石流沟的风险值量化:风险值大于0.80的为极度危险,应以防为主,治为辅;风险值在0.50～0.80之间的为高度危险,应防、治并重;风险值在0.25～0.60之间的为中度危险,应以治为主,防为辅;风险值小于0.25的为轻度危险,应以防为主,治为辅。     

红松阔叶混交林林隙极端地面温度的地统计学分析

以小兴安岭原始红松阔叶混交林林隙为研究对象,采用网格法布点,通过对生长季内林隙各样点极端地面温度的连续观测,利用经典统计学和地统计学的方法分析并揭示了林隙极端地面温度的时空分布格局。研究结果表明:林隙极端地面温度不同空间样点之间存在异质性,而且异质性的强度、 尺度和空间结构组成随时间而改变,各月平均极端地面温度斑块形状复杂,最高地面温度大小顺序均为6月>7月>8月>9月,最低地面温度大小顺序为7月>8月>6月>9月,月平均地温的最大值和最小值分布位置不固定,同一月份地面最高温度的大小顺序是空旷地>林隙>郁闭林分,地面最低温度大小顺序是郁闭林分>林隙>空旷地。研究旨在为红松阔叶混交林的可持续经营提供基础数据和理论参考。     

梵净山不同森林植被生物量、净生产量、碳储量及空间分布特征

为做好梵净山国家级自然保护区森林植被保护,摸清自然保护区森林植被资源家底,采用2016年第四次森林资源规划设计调查数据及变更至2019年的森林资源数据,计算和分析保护区内森林植被生物量、净生产量、碳储量.梵净山8种森林类型的总生物量为443.72×104 t,总碳储量为219.80×104 t,总生长量为29.75×1...     

秦岭保护区群生物多样性及其保护与发展研究

根据秦岭保护区群的生物多样性和保护管理现状 ,提出了加强保护区群生物多样性保护和促进保护区发展的对策 ,其主要措施为 :一、合理划分和调整功能区 ;二、强化内部管理 ,加强对自然资源的巡护、监测 ;三、协调周边社区关系 ,积极开展社区共管工作 ;四、加强对外合作 ,积极开展科学研究 ;五、开展环境教育 ,提高全民保护意识 ;六、开展资源适度开发利用 ,增强自养能力。     

Sustainability Assessment for Agriculture Scenarios in Europe’s Mountain Areas: Lessons from Six Study Areas

Sustainability assessment (SA) is a holistic and long-range strategic instrument capable of assisting policy-making in electing, and deciding upon, future development priorities. The outcomes of an SA process become more relevant and strengthened when conducted with multi-stakeholder engagement, which provides for multiple dialogues and perspectives. This was the object of research of the SA team in the context of BioScene (Scenarios for Reconciling Biodiversity Conservation with Declining Agriculture Use in Mountain Areas in Europe), a three-year project (2002–2005) funded by the European Union 5th Framework Program, which aimed to investigate the implications of agricultural restructuring and decline for biodiversity conservation in the mountain areas of Europe, using three distinct methodological streams: the ecological, the socio-economic, and the SA approaches. The SA approach drew on the previous two to assess the importance for biodiversity management of different scenarios of agri-environmental change and rural policy in six countries (France, Greece, Norway, Slovakia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom), develop causal chains, include stakeholder views, and identify potential contributions for, or conflicts with, sustainability. This article tells how SA was used, what sustainability meant in each study area through different objectives of sustainability considered, discusses the methods used in SA, and the benefits arising. The SA was conducted by a team independent of any study area, who developed and oversaw the application of the SA methodology, assisting national teams, and developing a cross-country understanding of the sustainability of proposed scenarios in the different geographical and social contexts, and their implications for policy-making. Finally, it reflects on the persistent challenges of interdisciplinary research, compounded by multi-cultural teams, and concludes on the BioScene’s lessons for the further development and application of SA.