A study of climate change and anthropogenic impacts in West Africa

BACKGROUND, AIM AND SCOPE: During the last decades ecological conditions in West Africa have dramatically changed. Very evident is the climate change, which has resulted in a southward shift of the climate zones, e.g. a spread of the desert (Sahara) into the Sahelian zone. After the drought period of the early 1970s and 1980s, livestock density increased resulting in an intensification of grazing pressure. This anthropogenous phenomenon leads to similar landscape changes as those caused by the climate. Only very few investigations exist on vegetation dynamics, climate changes and land use changes for the Sudanian zone. The paper presents data on changes of precipitation, of land use, of the geographical range of species, and of the composition of the flora, which have to be regarded as proofs of the sahelisation of large areas of the Sudanian zone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Area of investigation: Burkina Faso. Precipitation data analysis: precipitation data from 67 stations; time series analysis and geo-statistical spatial interpolation. Analysis of land use change: Landsat satellite MSS and ETM+ data, acquired for two different dates between 1972 and 2001 analyzed by the software ERDAS/IMAGINE version 8.6 and ArcView 3.2 with the Spatial Analyst extension. Intensive ground truthing (160 training areas). Inventory of the flora: based on the data of the Herbarium Senckenbergianum (FR) in Frankfurt, Germany, and of the herbarium of the university of Ouagadougou (OUA), Burkina Faso, as well as on various investigations on the vegetation of Burkina Faso carried out in the years 1990 to 2005 by the team of the senior author. Life form analysis of the flora: based on the inventory of permanent plots. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Precipitation: Remarkable latitudinal shift of isohyets towards the South translates to a general reduction of average rainfall in great parts of the country. The last decade (1990-1999) shows some improvement, however, the more humid conditions of the 1950's and 1960's are not yet established again. Landcover change: In the study region the extent of arable fields and young fallows increased during the last 30 years from 580 km(2) in 1972 to 2870 km(2) in 2001. This means an average land cover conversion rate of 0.9% per year for the 6 departments considered. Change of the distribution of Sahelian and Sudanian species: Several species, mentioned in older literature as strictly Sahelian, today also occur in the Sudanian zone. Parallel to the spread of former strictly Sahelian species into the Sudanian zone, some former Sahelo-Sudanian species have withdrawn from the Sahel. Changes of the life form spectra of the flora: Considering their life form spectra, the flora of heavily grazed and of protected areas in the Sudanian zone show great differences. On areas intensively grazed the percentage of therophytes is evidently higher than on protected areas. Just the opposite is true for the phanerophytes. Their percentage is higher on the protected area than on the grazed zones. At the first glance, it is obvious to link the changes in flora and vegetation with the climate changes that have occurred during the last five decades (decrease of annual precipitation). However, not only climatic conditions have changed, but also population has increased, the percentage of land intensively used for agriculture and pasturing has increased and the time for soil regeneration today is much shorter than it was some decades ago. Thus, the landscape of the Sudanian zone has become a more Sahelian character. A comparison of the flora of an intensively used area of the Sudanian zone with that of a protected area shows a remarkable change in the life form spectra. The spectrum of the intensively used area is almost identical with that of the typical Sahelian flora. This comparison shows that the anthropogenic influence plays a greater role in the sahelisation of the Sudanian zone than the climate change. CONCLUSION: Climate change and anthropogenic influence both, lead to a sahelisation of landscape and flora. Thus in many parts of the Sudanian zone of West Africa sahelisation phenomena will remain and even increase independently from the reestablishment of the more humid climate conditions of the 1950ies. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: In order to maintain some parts of the characteristic Sudanian landscape with its characteristic flora and vegetation, the number and size of protected areas should be augmented. For all protected areas it has to be ensured, that protection is reality, i.e. respected an understood by local people, not only fiction. As long as the enlargement of intensively used areas continues the sahelisation of flora, vegetation and landscape will continue too.     

非饱和土石坝渗流分析

传统的渗流分析主要考虑饱和区而忽略非饱和区内的渗流,本文基于饱和-非饱和渗流计算原理,采用有限元法考虑了非饱和区渗流的影响,并以各向同性均质坝和心墙土石坝为算例进行计算分析。算例表明,由于基质吸力产生的虹吸作用,使得浸润线上部的非饱和区内也存在着连续的水流,通过分析这种水流的特点,定性地得出其对土石坝渗流稳定性的影响。     

岩体开挖卸荷过程力学特性分析

基于岩体开挖卸荷过程中力学参数变化理论的分析研究,建立卸荷岩体有限元分析模型,运用ADINA有限元分析软件对岩体进行一维卸荷数值仿真研究。根据有限元数值分析计算成果得到岩体力学参数与主卸荷方向累计开挖卸荷量间的变化关系曲线。结果表明:岩体开挖卸荷过程中,岩体力学参数变形模量、泊松比、粘聚力和内摩擦角等呈现出随开挖卸荷量的变化而发生变化的特征,随卸荷量的增大有减小的趋势,但它们不是从初始值一直减小到零,而是随卸荷量的增大减小到一定的量值后,岩体的裂隙张开、结构面的扩展到一定的程度,岩体的力学参数保持一定的量级不再减小。     

干旱区土壤小麦根系界面Cd行为的环境影响研究——以甘肃省白银市区耕作灰钙土为例

通过大田环境-土壤-作物系统Cd行为的环境影响研究,初步发现,共存元素Cd、Cu、Ni、Pb、Zn对Cd元素在土壤-作物根系界面行为的影响表现为正效应,其影响顺序为Cd>Pb>Cu>Zn>Ni;pH值、粘粒、粗粉粒含量与根系Cd含量呈负相关;磷和砂粒含量与根系Cd含量呈正相关;细粉粒、粗粘粒、有机质和CEC     

三峡库区典型消落带冬季多环芳烃大气-植物/土壤交换过程与通量

三峡大坝每年周期性“蓄水-放水”,形成水位落差巨大的消落带,库区内污染物环境地球化学行为随之发生变化.以冬季淹没期消落带多环芳烃为研究对象,采集成对大气(n=16)、植物(n=12)和土壤样品(n=12),采用气相色谱/质谱法(GC/MS),分析USEPA 16PAHs浓度水平,解析来源,估算大气地表、大气-植物等多介质交换通量.结果表明:大气、土壤和植物中PAHs浓度为5.65～13.47ng/m³、70.86～13 5.44ng/g和78.23～1084.72ng/g,平均值分别为(8.58±2.78) ng/m³、(90.10±22.18) ng/g和(360.36±309.54) ng/g.大气中PAHs以2～3环为主(62.3%),植物中PAHs以3～4环为主(73.7%),土壤中PAHs以3环和5环为主(52.1%).特征分子比值法揭示煤、生物质燃烧是植物PAHs的主要来源,以石油为主的化石燃料燃烧是大气和土壤PAHs主要来源.“一室模型”表明,植物吸收PAHs的主要途径为植物-气相之间动态平衡限制下的气沉降.“逸度模型”表明,3...     

三峡库区消落带农用坡地磷素径流流失特征

消落带是三峡库区重要的生态交错带,但自发农用和无序开发可能会造成更多的氮磷流失,进而加剧三峡库区水体富营养化。通过对库区连续3 a的定位监测（2011~2013年）,研究了三峡库区消落带农用坡地的磷素流失特征。结果表明：次降雨事件中常规施肥处理的地表径流、壤中流总磷平均浓度分别为0.848±0.153、0.140±0.006 mg/L,其中地表径流中磷的形态以颗粒态为主,壤中流以溶解态的生物可利用磷为主。常规施肥下,地表径流、壤中流磷素年均流失通量分别为0.236±0.004、0.100±0.003 kg·hm 2,地表径流、壤中流磷素流失通量分别占总流失通量的70.2%、29.8%,地表径流是坡地磷素流失的主要途径,但壤中流也是不可忽视的重要途径。与常规施肥处理相比,减量施肥处理地表径流、壤中流磷素流失量分别降低了45.3%、40.0%。建议采取减量施肥的方式,以降低营养盐负荷,保护水环境。     

场地含水层氯代烃污染物自然衰减机制与纳米铁修复技术的研究进展

综述了国际上典型工业场地有机溶剂污染物在地下水中的自然衰减机制及修复技术的研究现状和发展趋势.场地地下水修复技术从抽出-处理发展到治理污染源区和污染羽的纳米铁技术,涌现出-大批较为成熟的联合化学与微生物修复技术,其中潜力较大的有治理污染羽的渗透反应墙、原位化学氧化、原位化学还原、微生物强化降解及基于监测的自然衰减等.文...     

Unintentional non-traffic injury and fatal events: Threats to children in and around vehicles

Objective: There have been substantial reductions in motor vehicle crash–related child fatalities due to advances in legislation, public safety campaigns, and engineering. Less is known about non-traffic injuries and fatalities to children in and around motor vehicles. The objective of this study was to describe the frequency of various non-traffic incidents, injuries, and fatalities to children using a unique surveillance system and database.

Methods: Instances of non-traffic injuries and fatalities in the United States to children 0–14 years were tracked from January 1990 to December 2014 using a compilation of sources including media reports, individual accounts from families of affected children, medical examiner reports, police reports, child death review teams, coroner reports, medical professionals, legal professionals, and other various modes of publication.

Results: Over the 25-year period, there were at least 11,759 events resulting in 3,396 deaths. The median age of the affected child was 3.7 years. The incident types included 3,115 children unattended in hot vehicles resulting in 729 deaths, 2,251 backovers resulting in 1,232 deaths, 1,439 frontovers resulting in 692 deaths, 777 vehicles knocked into motion resulting in 227 deaths, 415 underage drivers resulting in 203 deaths, 172 power window incidents resulting in 61 deaths, 134 falls resulting in 54 deaths, 79 fires resulting in 41 deaths, and 3,377 other incidents resulting in 157 deaths.

Conclusions: Non-traffic injuries and fatalities present an important threat to the safety and lives of very young children. Future efforts should consider complementary surveillance mechanisms to systematically and comprehensively capture all non-traffic incidents. Continued education, engineering modifications, advocacy, and legislation can help continue to prevent these incidents and must be incorporated in overall child vehicle safety initiatives.     

晋牛矿1303综放面采空区注氮方案研究及数值模拟

为了合理设计采空区注氮防灭火方案,以晋牛煤矿1303综放工作面为研究对象,通过在采空区进、回风侧布置束管监测系统,连续测定采空区气体浓度变化,划分采空区自燃“三带”分布区域,并基于采空区自燃“三带”划分标准和数值模拟的方法,利用流体力学COMSOL计算软件,研究不同注氮量、注氮位置下采空区氧化自燃带的分布规律。研究结果表明:注氮量和注氮位置参数的变化,对氧化自燃带上界限的影响并不显著,而对氧化自燃带的下界限影响比较显著;最合适的注氮位置应该在距离切顶线30 m左右,运用Origin软件得出注氮量与氧化自燃带宽度呈指数关系,由拟合式计算出最优注氮量为386 m3/h,此时氧化自燃带的宽度为31.5 m。     

Understanding local community attitudes toward industrial development in the Great Barrier Reef region World Heritage Area: are environmental impacts perceived to overshadow economic benefits?

Conflicts between industrial development and environmental conservation can be particularly acute when such development occurs in the vicinity of World Heritage sites. A key example is the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA) in northeastern Australia, where a 2012 review by the World Heritage Council found that rapid port development inshore of the coral reef posed significant risks to local marine ecosystems. Such instances pose pressing challenges for decision‐makers seeking to manage World Heritage sites for multiple values and needs, including those of key stakeholder groups, such as local communities. There is increasingly a societal expectation that public decision‐making takes into account local views and priorities, and that companies seek a ‘social license to operate’. This research explored local community attitudes toward port development associated with the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal through the GBRWHA. Using data drawn from a survey and interviews, the research examined how a range of geographical factors, including proximity to gas infrastructure and the perceived impacts and risks of development to the local community, economy and environment shape community perceptions of the industry. Findings suggest that local attitudes toward gas and coal terminal development inshore of the GBRWHA are shaped predominantly by community perceptions of environmental impacts and risks associated with such infrastructure, in contrast to a broader public narrative that focuses largely on economic benefits. A complex combination of other factors, including social impacts, personal environmental values, community trust in industry, and equity in decision‐making and distribution of the risks and benefits of industrial development also contribute. Placed in a broader, global context, the findings have important implications for public decision‐making processes in Australia and elsewhere as they suggest that, for local communities, the perceived impacts of gas development on the environment may overshadow the benefits of industry.