Spatial identification by satellite imagery of the crop–fallow rotation cycle in northern Laos

In the mountainous regions of northern Laos, shifting cultivation, or slash-and-burn agriculture, is widely practiced. However, the crop–fallow rotation cycle is becoming shorter owing to forest conservation policies and population pressure, causing loss of productivity that deleteriously affects farmers’ livelihoods in the region. To investigate regional land use conditions, we have developed a method of identifying the crop–fallow rotation cycle from Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper+ (ETM+) data. We assessed the impact of the identified cycle on plant production measured by Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The study site was an area in Luang Prabang Province. Using eight TM and ETM+ images acquired annually from 1995 to 2003, except for 1998, when cloud-free data were not collected, we classified land use in each year as crop or fallow by the presence of vegetation in the late dry season. Conformity with fallow age determined by field investigation was 69.1%. The cultivation frequency from 1995 to 2002 showed that 77,000 ha (17.3% of the study site) had not been used for cropping during the period, but 41,000 ha (9.2%) had been used every year. Of the study site, 129,000 ha (29.1%) was cultivated one or two times, 83,000 ha (18.7%) was three or four times, and 54,000 ha (12.2%) was five or six times. The NDVI of crops in November did not provide sufficient evidence to prove the assumption that a longer fallow period would result in better crop yields. Instead, the regeneration of fallow vegetation was evidenced by the higher NDVI values after longer fallow. More than 8 years would be needed to reach the same NDVI as forest. From the produced maps indicating fallow age and cultivation frequency, we found that areas with high potential for regeneration decreased as cultivation frequency increased. Areas near rivers were intensively used, and fallow length was accordingly short. Low-potential areas were found in the western basin of the Mekong River. This spatial information can be used to detect areas where biomass productivity is at high risk of deteriorating. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Methanogenic activity of woody debris

The paper is devoted to the phenomenon of methanogenic activity of woody debris, i.e., methane production in the course of wood decomposition by fungi, which are not directly involved in methane synthesis but form an initial link in the trophic chain leading to methanogenic archaea. Expert evaluation of probable amounts of methane emission is made. The results show that woody debris is an important global source of this greenhouse gas.     

镁合金在笔记本电脑外壳材料替代中的环境协调性评价

本文应用生命周期评价,（life cycle assessment,LCA）方法,对镁合金以及塑料这两种笔记本电脑外壳进行了初步评价和比较,结果表明镁舍金能源消耗、温室效应方面为塑料的556．31％、383．30%。但在材料的性能、资源消耗、酸化效应、生态毒理、材料的再生性等方面明显优于塑料。     

对水泥企业生产环境负荷之浅析

基于生命周期理论,采用CNI环境影响评价方法对我国水泥生产的环境负荷进行了定量分析。结果表明：水泥生产的环境影响主要体现在温室效应、不可再生能源消耗和不可再生资源消耗,其环境负荷分别占对应环境影响类型世界总负荷的2.76％,2.34％和1.39％,2006年我国水泥生产的环境负荷约占世界总负荷的1.28％,其中,立窑生产工艺、湿法回转窑生产工艺和新型干法生产工艺的环境负荷分别为0.84％,0.12％和0.32％。通过行业结构调整,用新型干法生产工艺取代其他落后的生产工艺,可使我国水泥生产的环境负荷降至世界总负荷的1％左右。     

Climate dynamics and extreme precipitation and flood events in Central Europe

Past changes and possible future variations in the nature of extreme precipitation and flood events in Central Europe and the Alpine region are examined from a physical standpoint. An overview is given of the following key contributory physical processes: (1) the variability of the large-scale atmospheric flow and the associated changes of the North-Atlantic storm track; (2) the feedback process between climate warming and the water cycle, and in particular the potential for more frequent heavy precipitation events; and (3) the catchment-scale hydrological processes associated with variations in major river flooding events and that are related to land-use changes, river training measures, and shifts in the proportion of rain to snowfall. In this context an account is provided of the possible future forecasting and warning methodologies based upon high-resolution weather prediction and runoff models. Also consideration is given to the detectability of past (future) changes in observed (modeled) extreme events. It is shown that their rarity and natural fluctuation largely impedes a detection of systematic variations. These effects restrict trend analysis of such events to return periods of below a few months. An illustration using daily precipitation from the Swiss Alps does yield evidence for pronounced trends of intense precipitation events (return period 30 days), while trends of stronger event classes are not detectable (but nevertheless can not be excluded). The small detection probability for extreme events limits possible mitigation of future damage costs through an abatement of climate change alone, and points to the desirability of developing improved early forecasting/warning systems as an additional no-regret strategy. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A critical review of building environmental assessment tools

Since the field of environmental assessment tools for buildings is vast, the aim of this study is to clarify that field by analysing and categorising existing tools. The differences between the tools are discussed and the current situation within the tools is critically analysed. However, the comparison of the tools is difficult, if not impossible. For example, the tools are designed for assessing different types of buildings, and they emphasise different phases of the life cycle. In addition to environmental aspects, sustainable building includes economic and social aspects. The shift from green building to sustainable building and the future requirements are challenging for building environmental assessment tools. Furthermore, the benefits of using the tools should be analysed — how the tools and their results have affected decision making?     

The Need for Scale Sensitive Approaches in Spatially Explicit Land Use Change Modeling

This paper introduces some of the issues that are relevant to the spatially explicit modeling of land use systems. A short overview is given of the ways and means in which a number of different land use change models describe the land use system. Specific attention is given to the empirical modeling approach used in the CLUE (Conversion of Land Use and its Effects) modeling framework. This approach is demonstrated for three case studies in China, Ecuador and the Atlantic Zone of Costa Rica. These case-studies illustrate the methodology for multi-scale analysis of land use driving factors and their application in spatially explicit modeling exercises. Model functioning, performance and limitations are discussed. The presented case-studies indicate that empirical modeling results can contribute to a better theoretic imbedding of land use change research in scale sensitive and integrated theories.     

基于加速度干扰和AHP的车辆行驶安全性评价模型

关于行驶中的车辆在交通系统各因素作用下的行驶安全性评价,在现有交通系统四大要素的基础上加入车辆行驶状态,构成"人-车-环境-路-车辆行驶状态"5要素。并对各要素评价指标的选定做了细致的筛选,建立了车辆行驶安全性评价指标体系。其中"人-车-环境-路"因素采用打分的形式确定其参数的分值,并利用层次分析法(AHP)计算各参数权重来构建模型的;"车辆行驶状态"因素则是引入加速度干扰的定义,建立基于道路结构的加速度干扰模型。最后,运用层级分析法建立了总的车辆行驶安全评价模型。     

Teaching adolescents safe driving and passenger behaviors: effectiveness of the You Hold the Key Teen Driving Countermeasure

PROBLEM: Unsafe driving and passenger behaviors place teens at increased risk for fatal and nonfatal crashes. This study evaluated the short-and long-term efficacy of the You Hold the Key (YHTK) Teen Driving Countermeasure. METHOD: A two-page survey was completed by high school students at pretest, posttest, and long-term (6-month) posttest. RESULTS: YHTK was associated with significant immediate and long-term improvements in teen seatbelt use, safe driving, and perceived confidence in preventing drunk driving. Compared to pretests, students at immediate and long-term posttest more frequently wore seatbelts when driving or riding, required passengers to wear seatbelts, and limited the number of passengers to the number of seatbelts in the vehicle. Students were more likely at both posttests to avoid drinking and driving and to say no to riding with a friend who had been drinking. SUMMARY: YHTK was associated with increases in safe teen driving and passenger behaviors. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Success of YHTK is most notably due to its comprehensive nature. Future programs should consider comprehensive strategies when attempting to modify teen behaviors.     

深圳市纯电动泥头车减污降碳协同效益评价研究

新能源汽车替代传统燃油车是减缓能源与环境压力并如期实现“双碳”目标的重要途径,但在重型车辆、工程车等领域推广较为缓慢.深圳市自2019年开始推广使用纯电动泥头车,并计划到2025年新能源环卫、泥头车数量达到8000辆.为深入探究纯电动泥头车替代柴油泥头车所产生的减污降碳协同效益,本研究基于一手调研数据,采用生命周期评价方法并结合GREET模型,对比分析了两类泥头车在燃料周期、车辆周期和配套设施周期3个周期内的能耗、主要空气污染物及碳排放情况.结果表明,纯电动泥头车全生命周期内能耗较柴油泥头车可减少36.2%,主要污染物如NO_x、SO₂、VOC和PM_2.5降幅分别达81.3%、37.8%、29.0%和25.9%;温室气体(GHGs)排放强度减少14.4%,基准情境下2030年和2050年推广纯电动泥头车GHGs累计减排量分别为71.4万t和258.5万t.尽管节能减排效果显著,但其初始购置和售后维保成本过高是制约其推广的最主要因素,通过降低车辆及电池生产制造成本、提高充换电设施数量及售后维保能力等有望加快泥头车纯电动化.