Colorado River Floods, Droughts, and Shrimp Fishing in the Upper Gulf of California, Mexico

Accurate procedures that measure hydrologic variability would have great value for evaluating ecosystem impacts of upstream water use in the Colorado River Basin. Many local extractive income-based stakeholders rely directly or indirectly on ecosystem health and are adversely affected when the river does not flow. This study focuses on the impact of little or no Colorado River flow on the Mexican shrimp industry. Although there have been complaints that U.S. diversions of Colorado River flow have greatly impaired the shrimp fishery, this research demonstrates that freshwater rarely reaches the Gulf even during times of flooding, and that other factors such as overfishing may influence the instability of shrimp populations. Advanced very-high-resolution radiometer (AVHRR) satellite imagery was used to assess water volumes diverted away from the channel of the Colorado River and ultimately the Gulf of California during flooding periods. Analysis of data demonstrated that little freshwater actually reaches the Gulf even during floods because of its diversion into a large dry lake bed basin known as Laguna Salada. Fuller use of the Colorado River throughout its entire course to the sea is possible and could benefit a large cohort of users without catastrophic habitat destruction in delta ecosystems. Reconstruction of a natural earthen berm, as proposed by Ducks Unlimited, would maximize the use of floodwaters for ecosystem benefits. These findings have profound implications for local economic activities dependent on hydrologic resources in the Colorado River Delta and Upper Gulf.     

中国西北地区地表植被覆盖特征的时空变化及影响因子分析

归一化的植被指数(NDVI)自然正交分解结果显示,自上世纪80年代初期至1994年前后,中国西北部区域地表植被覆盖呈增加的过程;1994～2000年,地表植被覆盖状况开始退化,植被退化强度空间分布不匀.TOVS云覆盖数据与地表特征时间变化的一致性,间接证明1994年之后西北部地区植被退化的事实.通过降水和NDVI的相关分析,划分出西北地区地表植被覆盖变化气候影响显著区域、气候与人为影响共同作用显著区域.并从气候和人为影响2个方面分析了造成西北部地区地表植被覆盖状况下降的原因.在降水和NDVI相关显著区域,气候干旱因素是造成1994年后植被覆盖退化的主要原因;而黄河等流域1994年后植被退化的区域,气候干旱和人为活动因素是造成植被覆盖退化的主要因素.     

基于MODIS/NDVI与EVI的皖江流域植被覆盖比较分析

利用多时相的TERRA/MODIS影像资料比较了皖江流域NDVI和EVI的时空分布特征,并分析了空间分辨率和大气校正对NDVI和EVI的影响。结果表明：MODIS/NDVI与MODIS/EVI所反映的植被覆盖状况基本一致,但5月份较8月份NDVI和EVI的空间分布差异明显,且在植被生长旺盛时期,EVI比NDVI更能反映植被覆盖状况。在相同的空间分辨率下（250 m、500 m、1 000 m）,EVI比NDVI能更好的反映植被覆盖的空间差异性,随着空间分辨率的降低,这两种指数反映植被覆盖的差异性在减小。大气校正对NDVI和EVI的影响不同,大气校正前NDVI值小于EVI值,大气校正后NDVI值普遍大于EVI值,但大气校正对NDVI的影响不大,对EVI的影响明显     

Spatial pattern of impervious surfaces and their impacts on land surface temperature in Beijing, China

Land surface temperature （LST）, which is heavily influenced by urban surface structures, is a significant parameter in urban environmental analysis. This study examined the effect impervious surfaces （IS） spatial patterns have on LST in Beijing, China. A classification and regression tree model （CART） was adopted to estimate IS as a continuous variable using Landsat images from two seasons combined with QuickBird. LST was retrieved from the Landsat Thematic Mapper （TM） image to examine the relationships between IS and LST. The results revealed that CART was capable of consistently predicting LST with acceptable accuracy （correlation coefficient of 0.94 and the average error of 8.59%）. Spatial patterns of IS exhibited changing gradients across the various urban-rural transects, with LST values showing a concentric shape that increased as you moved from the outskirts towards the downtown areas. Transect analysis also indicated that the changes in both IS and LST patterns were similar at various resolution levels, which suggests a distinct linear relationship between them. Results of correlation analysis further showed that IS tended to be positively correlated with LST, and that the correlation coefficients increased from 0.807 to 0.925 with increases in IS pixel size. The findings identified in this study provide a theoretical basis for improving urban planning efforts to lessen urban temperatures and thus dampen urban heat island effects.     

基于地理探测器的甘肃省植被覆盖时空变化及驱动力分析

准确量化人类活动和气候变化对生态环境退化的作用,探讨不同驱动因子的主次关系,是当前区域生态环境研究中的热点。本文基于1982—2015年的归一化植被指数（normalized difference vegetation index,NDVI）,结合自然因素和人为因素,选取15个涵盖气候、地形地貌、社会经济等方面的因子,采用趋势分析法和地理探测器模型,对甘肃省植被NDVI的时空变化特征及驱动力进行探测。结果表明：甘肃省NDVI在空间上呈现从东南向西北递减,且低植被覆盖度区域和高植被覆盖度区域呈现“两极化”的分布规律,分别占全省植被面积的39.2%和17.8%。省内大部分地区NDVI呈现增长趋势,植被显著改善区域主要集中在陇东、陇中地区。降水量、植被类型、人均粮食占有量、土壤类型、土地利用类型是甘肃省NDVI空间分布的主要驱动因子,解释力均大于0.5,且双因子的叠加作用大于单因子的作用。本研究有助于揭示不同因子对甘肃省植被变化的驱动机制,为生态环境建设和资源利用管理提供科学参考。     

Changes in vegetation persistence across global savanna landscapes, 1982–2010

We present a global analysis of the changing face of vegetation persistence in savanna ecosystems by boreal seasons. We utilized nearly 30 years of monthly normalized difference vegetation index data in an innovative time-series approach and developed associated statistical significance tests, making the application of continuous vegetation metrics both more rigorous and more useful to research. We found that 8,000,000–11,000,000 km² of savanna have experienced significant vegetation decline during each season, while 20,000,000–23,000,000 km² have experienced an increase in vegetation persistence during each season, relative to the baseline period (1982–1985). In addition, with the exception of the March–April–May season, which is mixed, the pattern of significant vegetation persistence in the Northern Hemisphere is almost exclusively positive, while it is negative in the Southern Hemisphere. This finding highlights the increasing vulnerability of the Southern Hemisphere savanna landscapes; either resulting from changing precipitation regimes (e.g., southern Africa) or agricultural pressures and conversions (e.g., South America).     

基于TM影像的弥勒县植被覆盖变化率研究

归一化植被指数（NDVI）是目前用以表征植被覆盖、生长状况的一个简单、有效的度量参数。本文以弥勒县1992年4月及2006年6月的两景不同时期的TM影像数据为基础,提取NDVI植被指数并进行优化处理,做出植被覆盖的基本分类,并将所得数字图像在Arcgis平台上进行面积统计,最后通过统计变化数据得到弥勒县的植被覆盖变化情况。     

Sensitivity of modelled gross primary productivity to topographic effects on surface radiation: A case study in the Cotter River Catchment, Australia

Gross primary productivity (GPP) is a critical response variable for many environmental problems, including terrestrial carbon accounting and the calculation of catchment water balances. Various approaches for modelling GPP have been developed and applied at continental and landscapes scales, but little attention has been given to the sensitivity of GPP to the spatial scale of its driving variables. A key driving variable is surface radiation (R_s) which is influenced by both meso-scale factors (latitude, time of year, cloudiness) and the topographic variables of slope, aspect and horizon shading. We compared the sensitivity of modelled GPP to two different sources of surface radiation (R_s): (1) the ANUCLIM method which only captures the meso-scaled factors; and (2) the SRAD method which incorporates the topographic effects GPP was calculated using the radiation use efficiency (RUE) model (Roderick et al., 2001) to discern general patterns of vegetation productivity at a sub-catchment (i.e. sub-water shed) scale. The radiation use efficiency approach uses the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) derived from satellite data (MODIS TERRA), along with estimates of solar radiation at the top of the atmosphere (R_o) and canopy (R_s). In this approach, R_o and R_s capture the influence of diffuse irradiance in canopy photosynthesis and vegetation productivity respectively. This research showed that R_s calculated using the SRAD program provides important discrimination of GPP regimes at a sub-catchment scale, as the result of minimum and maximum daily radiation varying between shaded and exposed surfaces. However, mean daily radiation at a whole-of-catchment scale did not differ between the two sources as the differences in the minimum and maximum daily values tend to cancel each other out. Applications of GPP models therefore need to consider whether topographic factors are important and select the appropriate source of R_s values. GPP models should also reflect understanding of radiation use efficiency. However, further research is required especially with respect to the influence of water stress on plant response.     

甘肃省植被与对流层甲醛关系及影响因素分析

植被可以截获和吸收大气中的颗粒物、SO₂和NO_x等,对大气污染物具有一定净化作用,但也释放大量挥发性有机物,对光化学烟雾污染的形成具有促进作用.以甘肃省为例,利用卫星资料反演手段,解译了2008-2016年NDVI（植被覆盖指数）和对流层HCHO（甲醛）柱浓度,并探讨了二者之间的关系及影响因素.结果表明:①甘肃省2008-2016年NDVI空间分布梯度呈东南向西北递减的趋势,其年际动态不显著,季节性动态显著,与对流层HCHO柱浓度时空分布及动态有一定的相似性.②甘肃省对流层HCHO柱浓度和NDVI的年变化范围分别为7×1015~11×1015 molec/cm2和0.22~0.25,并且二者之间呈显著正相关,相关系数为0.63.③甘肃省NDVI和对流层HCHO柱浓度的分布与气象因素（如辐射、气温和降水量）有关,并且甘肃省中部对流层HCHO柱浓度分布还与甘肃省人类足迹分布特征相似.研究显示:甘肃省中部人类足迹指数高,HCHO主要来源于人类活动;而甘肃省西部和南部人类足迹指数低,HCHO主要来源于自然排放.      

长三角地区植被退化的空间格局及影响因素分析

植被退化是陆地生态系统功能下降的重要表征。利用2000~2010年SPOT-VEGETATION NDVI遥感数据、土地利用数据,采用趋势分析、叠加分析和格网计算方法,对长三角植被退化的空间格局及其影响因素进行分析。结果表明:10a间长三角地区最大化NDVI均值空间分布南北高、中间低,区域14%的植被覆盖面积显著退化。植被退化呈现一定的空间分异,而人类活动是导致植被退化的主要原因。在长江以南、太湖的北部与东部,环杭州湾地区及南京、南通和台州等城市快速无序的城镇化,造成了建设用地面积增加和耕地的破碎化,使植被退化区域集中连片分布。经济利益驱动农民将水田转化为向水产养殖,引起植被退化。部分区域植被面积未减少而呈退化态势的原因有待研究。