Global Population Database Research Articles

Remote assessments of human pressure on biodiversity may miss important human threats

AbstractMonitoring human pressure on biodiversity within protected areas (PAs) remains a challenging task due to the vast number of PAs worldwide (>250,000) and the fact that we lack basic information for most of them. Consequently, researchers are increasingly relying on remote sensing techniques to overcome this challenge. However, remote assessments of human pressure on biodiversity may miss crucial threats, such as hunting and invasive species, which are often best documented through in situ field surveys. Here, we use a unique European Union dataset documenting human threats within 8210 PAs through field surveys to assess the relationship between those threats and three commonly used indices of human pressure that are largely derived using remote‐sensing methods—the Human Footprint and Human Modification indices and the LandScan Global Population Database. We find that the indices are not always related to the threats recorded within PAs through field surveys. The indices seem to best capture threats associated with urbanization, agriculture, and pollution but not necessarily others. Although remote assessments of human pressure on biodiversity are crucial for conservation, researchers and practitioners must be aware of their limitations and must complement such assessments with information collected in the field whenever possible.

Global evidence on productivity effects of road infrastructure incorporating spatial spillover effects

This paper empirically analyzes the productivity effects of road infrastructure incorporating spatial spillover effects using a global database, which was originally developed in 2010 at a grid-cell scale of 0.1-degree covering all land areas in the world by integrating national-level statistical socio-economic data with available global data sources of nighttime lights imagery, global population database, and global road network. A macroscopic Hicks-neutral Cobb-Douglas production function, containing input factors of capital stock, labor force, and road infrastructure is estimated with the global dataset of 14,565 aggregated grids at 1.0-degree grid-cell scale, using ordinary least squares, spatial error model, spatial lag model, and spatial Durbin model (SDM). The statistical tests suggest that there is significant spatial dependence particularly in the error term and the overall results of the model estimations indicate that the SDM outperforms other models. The estimates of SDM further show that the direct impact of road infrastructure is significantly negative, spatial spillover effect is significantly positive, and overall effect is positive but insignificant.

Spatial and temporal trends in the mortality burden of ozone pollution in China: 2005-2017

Introduction: While recent assessments have quantified the burden of ozone pollution at the national scale in China, air quality managers would benefit from assessments that disaggregate health impacts over regions and over time. Taking advantage of a new daily maximum 8-hour averaged (MDA8) ozone concentration dataset, we analyze spatial and temporal trends of ozone-related mortality burden in China from 2005 to 2017. Methods: Population weighted exposure (PWE) was calculated by overlapping ozone concentrations and population maps. MDA8 ozone concentrations at 10 km resolution from 2005-2017 were from a nationwide prediction model that was based on the XGBoost algorithm and trained by MDA8 ozone observations from 2013 to 2017 combining with concurrent meteorological parameters and land use data. Population data are from Landscan Global Population Database. Using non-accidental total (NAT) deaths as target outcomes, we further calculated the excess deaths by applying exposure response functions from 272 Chinese cities. Results and Discussion: During 2005-2017, MDA8 ozone PWE fluctuated from 87.2 μg/m3 to 92.2 μg/m3, with no obvious upward or downward trends. National PWE are higher than the national average ozone concentration, indicating that the overlap of dense population areas and heavy polluted areas aggravated the mortality burdens. National ozone related NAT deaths increased from approximately 145,000 (95% confidence interval (CI): 70,000-213,000) cases in 2005 to 167,000 (95% CI: 80,000-245,000) cases in 2017. The mortality burden exhibited strong spatial variations, with high excess deaths concentrated in Beijing-Tianjin Metropolitan Region, North China Plain, Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, Sichuan Basin, Wuhan Metropolitan Region, and Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan. Hotspots of mortality burden have not expanded significantly over time, that is to say, the regions with heavy mortality burdens appear to be the ones with rapid growth. This undoubtedly makes the health risk of ozone in these areas more severe.

Spatiotemporal characteristics and driving forces of urban sprawl in China during 2003–2017

Abstract As for the academics and policymakers, more attention has been given to the issue on urban sprawl in China, while in-depth study at the national scale was relatively limited. Based on the 285 prefecture-level and above cities in China from 2003 to 2017, this paper has adopted the remote sensing derived data from the LandScan Global Population Database to examine the spatiotemporal characteristics of urban sprawl, and to investigate its driving forces among different sizes of cities at national and regional levels. The results revealed that small and medium-sized cities sprawled most significantly, followed by large cities, while mega cities sprawled the least. In addition, some new findings have been unearthed compared to the existing literature. For example, the siphon effect was greater than the spillover effect among different sizes of cities at the national scale, indicating that the competition of development resources has to some extent hindered the deterioration of urban sprawl in China; when the spatial heterogeneity was considered, the driving forces of urban sprawl exhibited differentiation among different regions and urban sizes. Furthermore, the spatial spillover effect of urban sprawl has exacerbated its intensity, which highlighted the importance and necessity of joint governance in space. The research concludes with future policy implications necessary for a more sustainable, compact, and coordinated urban development.

Geography's Second Twilight

Jerome E. Dobson, professor emeritus, University of Kansas; president of the American Geographical Society; and recipient of the 2014 James R. Anderson Medal of Honor in Applied Geography, discusses his career in the context of America's academic purge of geography. Highlights include his time as a Jefferson Science Fellow with the National Academies and U. S. Department of State. Dobson has been recognized with two lifetime achievement awards for his pioneering work in geographic information systems (GIS) and as Alumnus of 2013 at Reinhardt University. His contributions include the paradigm of automated geography, his instrumental role in originating the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis, and his leadership of the LandScan Global Population Database, the de facto world standard for estimating populations at risk. His recent research includes testing a new system for mapping minefields; designing and promulgating the current world standard for cartographic representation of landmines, minefields, and mine actions; and leading six AGS Bowman Expeditions.

An Atlas of ShakeMaps and population exposure catalog for earthquake loss modeling

We present an Atlas of ShakeMaps and a catalog of human population expo- sures to moderate-to-strong ground shaking (EXPO-CAT) for recent historical earthquakes (1973-2007). The common purpose of the Atlas and exposure catalog is to calibrate earth- quake loss models to be used in the US Geological Survey's Prompt Assessment of Global EarthquakesforResponse(PAGER).ThefullShakeMapAtlascurrentlycomprisesover5,600 earthquakes from January 1973 through December 2007, with almost 500 of these maps con- strained—tovaryingdegrees—byinstrumentalgroundmotions,macroseismicintensitydata, community internet intensity observations, and published earthquake rupture models. The catalog of human exposures is derived using current PAGER methodologies. Exposure to discrete levels of shaking intensity is obtained by correlating Atlas ShakeMaps with a global population database. Combining this population exposure dataset with historical earthquake lossdata,suchasPAGER-CAT,providesausefulresourceforcalibratinglossmethodologies against a systematically-derived set of ShakeMap hazard outputs. We illustrate two example uses for EXPO-CAT; (1) simple objective ranking of country vulnerability to earthquakes, and; (2) the influence of time-of-day on earthquake mortality. In general, we observe that countriesinsimilargeographicregionswithsimilarconstructionpracticestendtoclusterspa- tiallyintermsofrelativevulnerability.Wealsofindlittlequantitativeevidencetosuggestthat time-of-day is a significant factor in earthquake mortality. Moreover, earthquake mortality appears to be more systematically linked to the population exposed to severe ground shaking (Modified Mercalli Intensity VIII+). Finally, equipped with the full Atlas of ShakeMaps, we merge each of these maps and find the maximum estimated peak ground acceleration at any grid point in the world for the past 35years. We subsequently compare this "composite

Ambient populations and the calculation of crime rates and risk

In the past, crime rate calculations have favored one denominator for spatially referenced crime rates, the residential population. Dominantly, this practice is the result of cost and time constraints on research. This paper uses freely available spatially referenced population data, the LandScan Global Population Database, which provides an alternative measure of the population at risk in crime rate calculations, the ambient population. Calculated crime rates using the residential and ambient populations exhibit a weak statistical relationship. This provides a strong positive implication for the use of these data such that their utilization may give a more precise depiction of victimization, particularly when considering violent crime. Consequently, it is argued that ambient-based (violent) crime rates should be used to supplement the conventional residential-based (violent) crime rates.

Crime Measures and the Spatial Analysis of Criminal Activity

This paper investigates the spatial aspect of criminal activity in Vancouver, Canada, employing social disorganization theory, routine activity theory and multiple measures of crime. Crime counts and crime rates with residential and ambient populations as denominators are calculated using the calls for service made to the Vancouver Police Department. The ambient population--a 24-hour average estimate of a population in a spatial unit to capture the population at risk--is obtained from the LandScan Global Population Database and calculated at a spatial resolution relevant to criminological research. Utilizing a spatial regression technique, strong support is found for routine activity theory across space and the use of ambient populations when calculating crime rates and measuring the population at risk.