Ordos City Research Articles

Use of the Life Cycle Methodology to Calculate Energy Consumption of Urban Water Cycle: A Case Study of Ordos City

Water resources and energy constitute two broad categories of resources required for social and economic development. The water-energy nexus has become a focus of research in recent years. Although water resources are closely related to energy systems, the processes involved remain incompletely understood due to the diversity and complexity of energy types, processes, and consumption sectors. This study aimed to accurately calculate the energy demand of water resources and to identify an effective method of improving the energy utilization efficiency of water. The life cycle of water resources was divided into five stages based on the life cycle methodology: (1) extraction, (2) purification, (3) transportation, (4) utilization, (5) sewage treatment. The quantity and characteristics of energy consumed in each stage were studied, and an equation to calculate energy consumption for each stage was proposed. Using the city of Ordos in Northwest China as an example, energy consumption of water resources from 2013 to 2017 was analyzed. The results showed that from 2013 to 2017, energy consumption and per unit energy consumption of water resources in Ordos decreased by 33.3% and 30.6% from 1.62 × 108 kWh to 1.08 × 108 kWh and from 10.11 kWh·m−3 to 7.02 kWh·m−3, respectively. The majority of energy consumption over the entire life cycle of water resources occurred during the utilization stage at a proportion of total energy consumed of ~95%. Use of water for thermal power generation was identified as the single largest consumer of energy and, therefore, has the greatest potential for energy saving.

Neoliberal financial governance and its transformation under real estate boom and bust: The case of Ordos City, China

Based on the conceptual framework of neoliberal and post-neoliberal governance, this study explores the changing financial governance under the real estate boom-bust cycle in Ordos City, China. It finds that Ordos City’s neoliberal financial governance, featuring excessive deregulation, active public–private partnerships, market-friendly and growth-chasing institutional restructuring, land financialization, and enthusiastic state investment, has significantly contributed to the city’s real estate boom and overbuilding. In Ordos City’s post-bubble period, although preferential financial policies and deregulation persist, neoliberal financial governance has been largely curbed through reinforced governance and enhanced welfare and redistributive policy efforts such as the Housing Exchange Program. This article reiterates the essence of China’s neoliberal governance and verifies the existence of neoliberal governance in Ordos City. It also showcases the resilience of neoliberal local governing strategies in China. Nevertheless, the post-neoliberal endeavors in Ordos City, characterized by reinforced welfare and redistributive measures, and timely and effective state intervention via rigorous governance and enhanced public ownership of real estate assets for redistribution, add critical insights to the global intellectual and practical quests for post-neoliberal possibilities. Finally, this study calls for combined efforts of sustainable development policy initiatives, effective policy implementation, rigorous governance, and a mindset of sustainability for all to combat neoliberalism.

Neoliberal planning, master plan adjustment and overbuilding in China: The case of Ordos City

This article applies the concept of “neoliberal planning” in China to explore the interactions between planning, especially master plan adjustments, and overbuilding in Ordos City. The results show that Ordos City's master plans have been deregulated and adjusted to facilitate and cater to, rather than to contain and regulate, the frenetic real estate development since the early 2000s, which eventually led to overbuilding and a collapsed real estate market. The findings display a dynamic and mutually reinforcing mechanism between neoliberal planning practices and the real estate boom in Ordos. Moreover, overbuilding has in turn nurtured a more rational and socio-environmentally inclusive mode of planning in Ordos City, as evidenced in the 2015 revision of the Ordos City Master Plan. This article also reveals the legal and institutional instabilities of China's master plans and suggests a transformation toward a more socio-environmentally inclusive approach to planning, with conscientious governance to ensure sustainability. This article adds insights to the underexplored, evolving interactions between neoliberal planning practices and development reality in the existing neoliberal planning literature, and it also contributes to neoliberal planning studies under authoritarian regimes. It argues that strong state capacity can function as a double-edged sword for promoting/tackling neoliberal planning. Finally, we call for more theoretical and empirical inquiries on neoliberal planning in China.

The establishment of a cross-regional differentiated ecological compensation scheme based on the benefit areas and benefit levels of sand-stabilization ecosystem service

A scientific and reasonable ecological compensation scheme (ECS) is an important guarantee for promoting coordinated and equitable development between regions. The existing ECSs usually ignore the premise that the ECS can only be accepted by the stakeholders if there are a clear scope and benefit to the ecosystem services (ES). An ecological compensation scheme should be based on the transmission principle of ES so that a scientific and reasonable scheme can be proposed and accepted by the stakeholders. Based on the theory of ecosystem service flow, this paper analyzed the provision‒benefit mechanism of sand-stabilization ecosystem service (SSS) and selected Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, which is located in Northwest China, as the study area. A revised wind erosion equation (RWEQ) model was used to estimate the sand-stabilization amount of Ordos’s ecosystem in 2015, and a hybrid single-particle Lagrangian integrated trajectory (HYSPLIT) model was used to simulate the path of sand-stabilization ecosystem service flow (SSSF). Then, the benefit areas and levels of SSS were identified, and the spatial distribution of land cover, population, and gross domestic product (GDP) in the ecosystem services beneficiary area (SBA) was evaluated. Based on the identified benefit areas and benefit levels, and combined with the investment and income in the ecological construction of the Ordos, a cross‒regional differentiated ECS was proposed. The results show that the Ordos’s ecosystem played a huge role in sand-stabilization, which have brought huge ecological and economic benefits. In 2015, the sand-stabilization amount of Ordos’s ecosystem was about 7.20×108 tons. The area of SBA is1.66×106Km2, accounting for 17.21% of China’s total area, this mainly involves 16 provinces and cities, including Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, etc. The amount of dust‒fall (ADF) in the beneficiary area was reduced by 28,738.67 ×104 tons, and investment of 4318.51 ×108 RMB (Renminbi) in dust removal would be avoided. For the ECS, based on the principle of “equity, beneficiary compensation, more benefit and more compensation”, Ordos shall take care of the ecological compensation fee (ECF) of about 36.28% of the total. In 16 provinces and cities, Inner Mongolia costs 66,121.03 ×104 RMB, which is the most. The fees are payable by other SBAs decrease with distance. Hubei Province (Suizhou) pays the least in ecological compensation, at 7.5 ×104 RMB. Based on the theory of ecosystem service flow, this paper proposes a research framework of differentiated ECS of SSS, which can provide an accurate scientific basis for determining the SBA and cross-regional ECS of SSS in the future.

The detection and response characteristics of transient electromagnetic signals caused by the deformation and fracture of overlying strata affected by mining of a thick coal seam

The height at which overlying strata fail is an important parameter for the prevention and control of mine water damage. High overlying strata failures during mining of a thick coal seam make testing in mines challenging. Considering the mining conditions for the thick coal seam in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, China, this work applies ground detection using transient electromagnetics. The response characteristics of transient electromagnetic signals during strata failure were investigated using numerical simulation, and the results of that investigation will provide guidance for on-site exploration. In addition, based on the conditions of the ground and mining face, test wires were distributed within the mining work face area to obtain electromagnetic detection data using large wireframes on the ground to further construct an electrical profile of the coal mining and non-mining areas and explain the characteristics of strata failure. This method succeeded in the practical application and is provided as guidance for strata failure detection for thick coal seam mining.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in sheep in Inner Mongolia Province, China.

Toxoplasma gondii is an important zoonotic parasite that can infect almost all warm-blooded animals, including humans, and infection may result in many adverse effects on animal husbandry production. Animal husbandry in Inner Mongolia is well developed, but data on T. gondii infection in sheep are lacking. In this study, we determined the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with the seroprevalence of T. gondii using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. A total of 1853 serum samples were collected from 29 counties of Xilin Gol League (n = 624), Hohhot City (n = 225), Ordos City (n = 158), Wulanchabu City (n = 144), Bayan Nur City (n = 114) and Hulunbeir City (n = 588). The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii was 15.43%. Risk factor analysis showed that seroprevalence was higher in sheep ≥12 months of age (21.85%) than that in sheep <12 months of age (10.20%) (p < 0.01). Seroprevalence was higher in male sheep (18.76%) than females (12.80%) (p < 0.01). Barn-feeding sheep (23.13%) had higher prevalence than grazing sheep (10.94%) (p < 0.01). The seroprevalence was significantly different in different districts (p < 0.01). This study shows that sheep are exposed to T. gondii in Inner Mongolia, and provides a data reference for public health and disease control.

Evaluating environmental sustainability of an urban industrial plan under the three-line environmental governance policy in China

Rapid and large-scale industrial growth has imposed tremendous challenges to the sustainable development of cities in China. The evaluation of the environmental sustainability of industrial planning has become a top priority for improving urban sustainability. In this regard, a goal-oriented framework, called three-line environmental governance, was proposed in the latest Chinese environmental management policy. Three lines, consisting of an ecological conservation red line, an environmental quality bottom line and a resource utilization upper limit line are to be taken into account when evaluating the potential effects of an urban industrial development plan. In this paper, the fuzzy axiomatic design system was applied in the development of an evaluation process and an indicator system that can be used to evaluate industrial alternatives that are established based on the three lines requirement. In an application of this methodology, the Industrial Green Development Plan of the city of Ordos was taken as a case study to recommend an optimal alternative. The target accessibilities of five alternatives were evaluated by conducting a comprehensive comparison among the alternatives meeting the environmental sustainability objectives of all of the indicators. This research shows that the evaluation of environmental sustainability on the basis of the three-line environmental governance policy is an effective way of promoting industrial green development and integrating environmental management requirements into urban industrial planning. It proposes not only a universal process for evaluating the environmental sustainability of urban industrial alternatives, but also a feasible method of tracking and evaluating the performance of industrial green development.

Spatio-Temporal Distributions of the Land Use Efficiency Coupling Coordination Degree in Mining Cities of Western China

A high coupling coordination degree of urban land use efficiency promotes sustainable regional economic development. In this study, land use efficiency coupling coordination degrees were calculated for 36 mining cities of western China, with a focus on economic, social, and ecological benefits for land use efficiency. Four years (2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015) of data were selected. A land use efficiency index system was generated and the improved entropy method was used to calculate the index weights of land use efficiency for each year. The spatial distributions of the coupling coordination degree were assessed by the ArcGIS spatial analysis tool. Spatial correlation analysis was conducted for the coupling coordination degree. The following conclusions could be drawn: (1) According to the composite index results, urban land use efficiency could be divided into three stages and showed several different time patterns in mining cities of western China; (2) analysis of the spatial and temporal distributions of the land use efficiency coupling coordination degree identified a low level of coupling coordination and reluctant coupling coordination. An obvious core-periphery and gradual trickle-down trend was observed; (3) the land use efficiency of western mining cities presents negative and positive spatial autocorrelation characteristics. Shizuishan city, Ordos city, Jinchang city, and Wuhai city have significant aggregation types. Therefore, the western mining cities were subjected to different complex time and space characteristics.

Study on the rainfall change in Pisha stone area

Rainfall and raindrop characteristics have an important impact on the erosion of sandstone soil. The LPM laser raindrop spectrometer is used to analyze the rainfall characteristics of the Ordos City in the Yellow River Basin, including the distribution characteristics of the velocity and size of a natural rainfall raindrop. Statistical analysis shows that with the gradual strengthening of rainfall intensity, the number of raindrops per unit time, the size and speed of raindrops will increase parabolically. However, the natural rainfall process finds that the diameter and velocity of the raindrop are relatively scattered. During this measurement, the velocity of raindrops is mainly distributed between 1-3.4m / s, and most raindrops are distributed at 1-1.8m / s. The diameter of the raindrops is mainly distributed in the range of 0.125-0.5 mm. The raindrops with a diameter of 0.125mm are mainly distributed between 0.8-3.4m / s, the raindrops with a diameter of 0.25mm are mainly distributed between 1-2.6m / s, and the raindrops with a diameter of 0.375mm are mainly distributed between 1.0-2.2 m/s, and the diameter of 0.5 mm is mainly distributed in the range of 2.2-2.6 m / s.

The extent of permafrost during the Last Permafrost Maximum (LPM) on the Ordos Plateau, north China

This paper presents new field observations that assist in further defining the extent of Last Permafrost Maximum (LPM) permafrost and frozen ground in north China. In that respect, this region is specific by its arid environment and continental position. Bedrock exposures and sand and gravel pits were examined along a south-north transect from southern Ordos as far as the vicinity of Dongsheng District, Ordos City on the Ordos Plateau (North China). Attention focussed upon the recognition of sand-wedge remains and possible cryoturbations. Two types of wedge structures were recognized: type A wedges extend to depths in excess of 3.0 m and are thought to have formed under conditions of continuous permafrost. Type B wedges are restricted to the upper 1.5 m and are thought to reflect discontinuous permafrost and/or deep seasonal frost. OSL dating of wedge infills indicates that type A wedges formed between 23–19 ka and younger type B wedges formed until the early Holocene. It is now possible to delineate a more exact position of the boundary between continuous permafrost and discontinuous permafrost and/or deep seasonal frost on the Ordos Plateau during the LPM. This boundaries occur between Dongsheng and Jinbian at 37°-39°N.

Study on Efficient Utilization Technology of Coal Pillar Based on Gob-Side Entry Driving in a Coal Mine with Great Depth and High Production

Improving the utilization of non-renewable resources takes a crucial position in circular economy. Gob-side entry driving technology has been widely applied in coal mines in China, such as in the Shilawusu mine (Ordos City, Inner Mongolia), here considered as a case study due to its high safety and resource-recovery rate. However, at present the complexity of coal pillar utilization makes it hard to fully master the key technology for coal pillar size design, which leads to huge waste of coal resources. Based on theoretical calculation and numerical simulation, this study analyzed the basic mechanical structure of coal pillar and the characteristics of its weakening failure, providing theoretical reference for efficient recovery of coal resources. In general, results of this study can be helpful in pursuing the efficient, hence sustainable, development of mines with Gob-side entry driving technology.

鄂尔多斯市生态资产和生态系统生产总值评估

鄂尔多斯市生态资产和生态系统生产总值评估

鄂尔多斯市生态系统格局和质量变化及驱动力

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 鄂尔多斯市生态系统格局和质量变化及驱动力 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201804080788 作者: 作者单位: 中国科学院生态环境研究中心 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金重点项目（71533005） Analysis of driving factors that influence the pattern and quality of the ecosystem in Ordos Author: Affiliation: Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences Fund Project: Human-nature Coupling Mechanism and Regulation Method in Urban Complex Ecosystem 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:生态系统变化是生态问题产生的主要驱动力之一，研究生态系统格局与质量变化对于认识人类活动与生态系统关系具有重要意义。鄂尔多斯市能源资源丰富，但生态环境脆弱，2000年以来，鄂尔多斯市在大规模开发能源的同时，也在不断加强生态环境的保护，而研究鄂尔多斯市生态系统格局与质量演变过程，对认识生态脆弱区发展与保护的关系有重要价值。应用遥感数据和GIS技术，评估了鄂尔多斯市生态系统类型与格局、生态系统质量的特征，以及2000年以来的时空变化趋势，分析了导致鄂尔多斯市生态系统格局与质量变化的驱动力因素。结果表明：（1）鄂尔多斯市的草地、荒漠裸地和农田为主要生态系统类型，分别占2010年市域面积的64.46%、21.34%与5.93%。（2）鄂尔多斯市城镇、灌丛、森林面积有所增加，草地、湿地、农田、荒漠裸地面积有所下降。城镇面积增幅最大，相对变化率增加33.37%，草地面积降幅最大，相对变化率减少0.78%，变化主要集中在中部、东北部。（3）鄂尔多斯市生态系统质量整体偏低，低等级与差等级的生态系统面积比例高达98.91%。全市的生态系统质量没有明显改善，其中生态系统质量有不同程度改善的面积为15.84%，质量降低的面积比例为15.29%。（4）生态系统格局与质量变化的主要驱动力有城市扩张、农田开垦、退耕还林（草湿）、生态保护、矿山开采等，鄂尔多斯市生态系统质量与降水、退耕还草工程、道路密度、温度、GDP1、放牧因子相关性显著。 Abstract:Ecosystem change is one of the main driving forces of ecological problems. Studies on ecosystem pattern and quality change have great significance in understanding the relationship between human activities and the ecosystem. Ordos has plenty of energy resources, but its ecological environment is fragile. Since 2000, simultaneously with extensive energy exploration, protection of the ecological environment in Ordos has also been strengthened. Therefore, it is important to study the relationship between the pattern and evolutionary quality of Ordos's ecosystem to understand the relationship between the development and protection of ecologically fragile areas. In this study, remote sensing data and GIS technology were used to evaluate the characteristics and pattern of the ecosystem in Ordos, and to analyze the characteristics of ecosystem quality, trend of spatio-temporal changes from 2000 to 2010 in the ecosystem, and factors determining the pattern and quality of the ecosystem.We obtained the following results:(1) The ecosystem in Ordos can be divided into seven types:forest, shrub, grassland, wetland, farmland, urban and deserted and bare lands. Grasslands, deserted and bare lands, and farmlands accounted for 64.46%, 21.34%, and 5.93%, respectively, of the city area in Ordos in 2010. (2) The areas of urban, shrub and forest lands increased during the study period, while those of grassland, wetland, farmland, and deserted and bare lands decreased. The increase in the area of the urban lands was the highest (33.37%). Simultaneously, the decrease in the area of the grasslands was the highest (0.78%). In the middle of Ordos city, the landscape pattern at the northeastern part changed to the greatest extent. It mainly concentrated in the central and northeastern of Ordos, which changed the most. (3) The quality of the Ordos ecosystem was low; 98.91% of its ecosystems were of low grade or poor grade. Furthermore, the overall ecosystem quality showed no significant improvement during the study period; quality improved in 15.84% of the area and declined in 15.29% of the area. (4) The main driving forces of the ecosystem structure and quality change in Ordos are urban expansion, farmland reclamation, converting farmland to forest (or to grass-or wetland), ecological protection, and mining. The correlations between the quality of the ecosystem and precipitation, converting farmland to grassland, road density, temperature, GDP1, and grazing factors were significant. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Urban expansion mapping and driving factor analysis of Ordos City during the period of 2000—2013 based on DMSP/OLS nighttime light data

Urban expansion mapping and driving factor analysis of Ordos City during the period of 2000—2013 based on DMSP/OLS nighttime light data

Administrative urbanization and city-making in post-reform China: a case study of Ordos City, Inner Mongolia

In post-reform China, local governments, instead of the central state, have become major promoters of urbanization. Differing from the existing literature based on Western theories, this article argues that a localized perspective, ‘administrative urbanization’, can provide a contextual explanation for the mechanism of urbanization in the reform era. The case study of Ordos indicates that new town construction, especially in the inland area, has become the main strategy for investment attraction and economic development. The local government has played a dominant role in this construction through a series of administrative measures, including avoidance of central state regulations, land leasing, high standard infrastructure construction, relocation policies and industrial attraction. This article also explores the issue of unsustainability in the new town, and identifies that underdeveloped industrialization, slow population agglomeration and real estate bubbles are primary threats to the sustainability of administrative urbanization.

Detecting surface coal mining areas from remote sensing imagery: an approach based on object-oriented decision trees

Detecting surface coal mining areas (SCMAs) using remote sensing data in a timely and an accurate manner is necessary for coal industry management and environmental assessment. We developed an approach to effectively extract SCMAs from remote sensing imagery based on object-oriented decision trees (OODT). This OODT approach involves three main steps: object-oriented segmentation, calculation of spectral characteristics, and extraction of SCMAs. The advantage of this approach lies in its effective integration of the spectral and spatial characteristics of SCMAs so as to distinguish the mining areas (i.e., the extracting areas, stripped areas, and dumping areas) from other areas that exhibit similar spectral features (e.g., bare soils and built-up areas). We implemented this method to extract SCMAs in the eastern part of Ordos City in Inner Mongolia, China. Our results had an overall accuracy of 97.07% and a kappa coefficient of 0.80. As compared with three other spectral information-based methods, our OODT approach is more accurate in quantifying the amount and spatial pattern of SCMAs in dryland regions.

Mapping coalmine goaf using transient electromagnetic method and high density resistivity method in Ordos City, China

The research about subsurface characteristics by using transient electromagnetic method (TEM) and high density resistivity method (HDRM) were already conducted in Ordos. The objective of this research is to detect coalmine goaf areas based on rock resistivity. The data processing using wavelet transform, three point smoothing, RES2DINV and Maxwell processing software to obtain 2D resistivity structure. The results showed that the layers with maximum resistivity values (30–33 Ω m on Line 1, 30–31 Ω m on Line 2, 32–40 Ω m on Line 3) are founded at station 1–7, and 14–20 on Line 1,13–18 on Line 2, and 8–13 and 16–20 on Line 3 which is predicted as goaf layer, and the minimum resistivity values (20–26 Ω m of TEM, 45–75 Ω m of HDRM) at the other layers. This resistivity difference was caused by the geology and characteristics of the study area which is located close by the cleugh with rich coal, so the goaf area distinguishable with aquifer layer and coal seam. The results were also significant accidents and serious destruction of ecological environment.

A full chain CCS demonstration project in northeast Ordos Basin, China: Operational experience and challenges

Shenhua Ordos CCS project is the first Chinese pilot-scale demonstration for CO2 deep saline aquifer storage in combination with direct coal liquefaction (DCL) production. The injection site is geographically situated in the Chenjiacun village of Wulam Len town, about 40km southeast of the Ordos city. The project was designed to inject 300,000t CO2 captured from direct coal liquefaction plants into very low permeability (<50mD) saline aquifers at depths of 1600+m for 3 years. The injection operation started in January 2011 and the full operation began in May 2011. The project was extended for an additional one year and the injection ceased in April 2015. In this paper, a comprehensive and detailed introduction of the project is made in terms of CO2 capture, transportation, injection, simulation and monitoring, as well as key observations from the operation. Observations from both injection tests and site operation indicate a decreasing tendency in the initiation pressure and an increasing injectivity over the years, particularly for the uppermost Liujiagou sandstone. The injection initiation pressure decreased by 27.5%, from 6.19MPa in 2011 to 4.49MPa in 2014. Meanwhile, the corresponding injection index (i.e. injectivity) increased by 7.35 times, from 4.06m3h−1(MPa)−1 to 33.92m3h−1(MPa)−1. Site-specific numerical simulations have been overviewed based on the recent publications on this site. Challenges remain in terms of developing a three-dimensional site injection model to completely explain the key observations, due to various reasons such as geological uncertainties from the interpretation of seismic results, high heterogeneity of rock permeability and porosity, and coupled fluid flow between the long wellbore and reservoir. The CO2 injection operation at the site is thought to be safe in a storage point of view since the pore pressure of the reservoir is lower than 70% of the fracture pressure. Operation of this project demonstrates the feasibility of large-scale commercialization of Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) in the Ordos Basin.

Analyzing nonlinear variations in terrestrial vegetation in China during 1982-2012.

Quantifying the long-term trends of changes in terrestrial vegetation on a large scale is an effective method for detecting the effects of global environmental change. In view of the trend towards overall restoration and local degradation of terrestrial vegetation in China, it is necessary to pay attention to the spatial processes of vegetative restoration or degradation, as well as to clarify the temporal and spatial characteristics of vegetative growth in greater geographical detail. However, traditional linear regression analysis has some drawbacks when describing ecological processes. Combining nonparametric linear regression analysis with high-order nonlinear fitting, the temporal and spatial characteristics of terrestrial vegetative growth in China during 1982-2012 were detected using the third generation of Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies (GIMMS3g) dataset. The results showed that high-order curves could be effective. The region joining Ordos City and Shaanxi Gansu Ningxia on the Loess Plateau may have experienced restoration-degradation-restoration processes of vegetative growth. In the Daloushan Mountains, degradation-restoration processes of vegetative growth may have occurred, and the occurrence of several hidden vegetative growth processes was located in different regions of eastern China. Changes in cultivated vegetation were inconsistent with changes in other vegetation types. In southern China and some high-altitude areas, temperature was the primary driver of vegetative growth on an interannual scale, while in the north, the effect of rainfall was more significant. Nevertheless, the influence of climate on vegetation activity in large urban areas was weak. The trend types of degradation-restoration processes in several regions were inconsistent with the implements of regional land development and protection strategy. Thus, the role of human activity cannot be ignored. In future studies, it will be still necessary to quantify the effects of human management on spatial patterns, develop trend-fitting methods, and explore more refined methods of analyzing the driving forces affecting large-scale changes in vegetative growth.

Gaussian-Process-Based Real-Time Ground Segmentation for Autonomous Land Vehicles

Ground segmentation is a key component for Autonomous Land Vehicle (ALV) navigation in an outdoor environment. This paper presents a novel algorithm for real-time segmenting three-dimensional scans of various terrains. An individual terrain scan is represented as a circular polar grid map that is divided into a number of segments. A one-dimensional Gaussian Process (GP) regression with a non-stationary covariance function is used to distinguish the ground points or obstacles in each segment. The proposed approach splits a large-scale ground segmentation problem into many simple GP regression problems with lower complexity, and can then get a real-time performance while yielding acceptable ground segmentation results. In order to verify the effectiveness of our approach, experiments have been carried out both on a public dataset and the data collected by our own ALV in different outdoor scenes. Our approach has been compared with two previous ground segmentation techniques. The results show that our approach can get a better trade-off between computational time and accuracy. Thus, it can lead to successive object classification and local path planning in real time. Our approach has been successfully applied to our ALV, which won the championship in the 2011 Chinese Future Challenge in the city of Ordos.