Human Socio-economic Activities Research Articles

Limnology wetland change trends and perspectives in arid Yinchuan plain, China

In this paper, the distribution area of limnology wetland in Yinchuan plain at different times was obtained through literature analysis and remote sensing techniques. This study analyzed the evolution process of limnology wetland in Yinchuan plain under environmental change and human socio-economic activities interference. In its long geological period, limnology wetland in Yinchuan plain has experienced the process of area reduction from lake to lake. In the history of mankind and as a result of poor irrigation and drainage water with formation of low-lying land, limnology wetland area has increased in a period of time. In the last 60 years, limnology wetland shrunk rapidly because of excessive exploration of agriculture and extraction of groundwater for industrial development. The results show that the temperature and precipitation changes in environmental factors play a decisive impact on the evolution of limnology wetland in Yinchuan plain. Human activities have accelerated the trend of limnology wetland area reduction. Currently, wetland ecosystems and wetland landscape pattern still develop in a deteriorate way, but the pace of deterioration is obviously slowing down. Key words: Yinchuan plain, limnology wetland, change trends, impact analysis, arid environment.

Connecting the ecological-economic dots in human-dominated watersheds: Models to link socio-economic activities on the landscape to stream ecosystem health

We present an interdisciplinary modeling framework to investigate how human socio-economic activities influence the spatial pattern of urbanization, and how consequent changes in land use affect water quality and stream ecosystem condition. The framework is composed of three submodels considering (1) the social and economic structures based upon a social accounting matrix, (2) land use change and urban sprawl based upon a binary logit regression, and (3) stream ecosystem condition in the catchment area based upon the NAWQA (National Water Quality Assessment) dataset. We applied our integrated model to Dutchess County, New York, USA, as a case study. Our study, in spite of its limitations and uncertainties, demonstrates the importance of a quantitative holistic approach in linking human and natural systems and estimating tradeoffs between economic benefits and environmental quality.

Hydrogeological And Geotechnical Investigations Of Gully Erosion Sites In Calabar Area, Southeastern Nigeria

For many years, gully erosion and landslides are posing a serious threat to human existence, agricultural land, infrastructure and socio-economic activities in Calabar and its environs. Consequently, hydrogeological and geotechnical studies of gully erosion sites were carried out in order to provide information on the genesis and continual expansion of gullies in the area. The results indicate that gullies are located in the upper aquifer of the Benin Formation (Coastal Plain Sands). The estimated hydraulic parameters of the sand obtained from granulometric analysis give hydraulic conductivity K ranging from 3.6 X 10-5 to 2,25 X 10-2 cms-1, with a mean of 2.4 X 10-3 cms-1. specific discharge Vd varies from 1.8 X 10-7 to 1.13 X 10-4 cms-1 and average linear groundwater velocity Va ranging from 6.0 X 10-7 to 3.75 X 10-4 cms-1. The geotechnical results further indicate that the liquid limit LL ranges from 24.0 to 54.0%. The plasticity index PI varies from 10.1 to 29.0% with a mean of 16.9%. The optimum moisture content OMC ranges from 8,3 to 14.3% while the silt- clay fraction ranges from 4.0 t0 34.0 with mean of 26.2%. The maximum dry density MDD of the soil ranges from 1810kgm-3 to 2050kgm-3 while the shear strength test show values of cohesion C in the range 13kgm-2 to 32kgm-2 in an angle of internal friction, Φ ranging from 120 to 170. The implication of these data is that gully erosion is partly enhanced by the low shear strength and plasticity index of the soils. In addition, the values of hydraulic parameters suggest high seepage forces and pore pressure. These will tend to reduce the shear strength of the soil and enhance its erodibility. Recommendations were also made on how to control erosion in the area. Keywords : Gully erosion, upper aquifer, hydraulic parameters, geotechnical, Calabar. Global Journal or Pure and Applied Sciences Vol. 14 (4) 2008: pp. 423-432

The impact of land use change on quality evolution of soil genetic layers on the coastal plain of south Hangzhou Bay

Land use change plays an important part in the studies of global environmental change and regional sustainable development. The change of soil quality can particularly reflect the impacts of human socio-economic activities on environment. Taking the coastal plain of south Hangzhou Bay as a study case, we analyzed the effects of land use changes on organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), available phosphorus (AP), available potassium (AK), total salinity (TS), pH value in soil genetic layers, and assessed soil quality change related to different land use types from 1982 to 2003. The results show that: (1) The general change tendency of soil quality in the coastal plain of south Hangzhou Bay declined obviously in A layer and slightly rise in B (or P) layer and C (or W) layer. The contents of TP decreased generally in all soil genetic layers, but the variety difference of other soil quality indices was relatively great. (2) The change of soil quality in the areas where land use changed is far more remarkable than that with land use unchanged. The value of quality variety is A layer >B (or P) layer >C (or W) layer. (3) The changes of soil tillage, cultivation, fertilization, irrigation and drainage activities related to land use may make some soil-forming processes disappeared and bring in other new processes which will affect the soil quality and soil genetic layers directly.

Towards a New Paradigm: from Resource Economics to Bioeconomics

There are some problems such as global warming, ozone depletion and acid rain that are due to non-linear interactions arising from the impact of the human socioeconomic activity system upon nature’s biological system. These interface problems are complex and accumulative but more importantly they suffer from the element of uncertainty. Attempts have been made to resolve these problems through several economy-environment disciplines starting with Natural Resource Economics and evolving to Environmental Economics and Ecological Economics. Although each has contributed a little nevertheless none has been encompassing enough to provide satisfactory solutions for the multitude of economic, environmental and ethical requirements. Bioeconomics, Biological Economics (Mohammadian, 1980) is thus proposed which is an innovative paradigm arising from the synthesis of biology with economics. Bioeconomics draws on the superior scientific rationale of Biology to provide Economics with a scientific foundation to resolve the interactive problems. This synthesis is very necessary because while the socioeconomic system is dominated by competition, waste and mismanagement the domain of biology is ruled by synergism, cooperation and recycling. Bioeconomics is moreover an interdisciplinary and biocentric discipline and as such can act as a post-modern science bellwethering the promotion of the culture of synthesis. Also due to its diverse and powerful scientific foundation it can act as a template for a theoretical and an operational model for sustainability.

Coastal land use and environmental problems in the Mediterranean

The coastal zone in the Mediterranean is the focus of concentration of human socioeconomic activities in the basin. Uncontrolled development over several decades has resulted in severe pollution of the coastal marine environment and in damage both to economic amenities and to natural marine life. This article examines the causes leading to the present situation, practically all of which relate to human activities on land, and describes the measures being taken to restore the environmental balance in the region, particularly through the Mediterranean Action Plan. Experience is showing that effective control can be best achieved through comprehensive intersectoral planning and management of the coastal zone.