Southeastern Area Research Articles

A framework for identifying priority areas through integrated eco-environmental risk assessment for a holistic watershed management approach

Identifying priority management areas (PMAs) through assessing integrated eco-environmental risk (IER) of watersheds is vital for efficient integrated watershed management (IWM). However, there is a lack of effective tools to support IWM. A novel framework, which couples the analytical network process with the mean-square deviation decision method to quantify reciprocal feedbacks between ecosystems and socio-economic systems for assessing IER, was developed to identify PMAs for IWM through a case study in the upper Beiyun River watershed, China. The results show that water pollution, water resources, soil loss, hazards (i.e., floods, debris flows, collapses, and landslides), and vegetation degradation are noticeable environmental problems in the watershed. Water pollution, floods, and vegetation degradation risks are high in the southeast plain areas and low in the northwest mountainous areas of the watershed, while the other eco-environmental risks are opposite that of the three risks. The soil loss is mainly dominated by negligible class with a mean of 10.87 (t·km−2·yr−1). The weights of water pollution risk and socio-economic indicator for IER are 0.2906 and 0.1837, respectively. It indicates that water pollution control is crucial for IWM, and socio-economic systems have a significant impact on IER. The PMAs, which are identified as zones with extremely high IER values, account for 6.46 % (72.91 km2) of the watershed. They are centrally distributed in the southeastern areas with high risks of both water pollution and vegetation degradation caused by large population density. The framework provides an effective tool to assess IER and identify PMAs for IWM.

Hail climatology and its possible attributions in Beijing, China: 1980-2021

Hail hazards have caused severe losses and threatened the safety of residents in Beijing, the Chinese capital city. A refined analysis of the spatial and temporal distribution of hailstorms in Beijing can help to evaluate the risk of hail and guide the operations of hail prevention. The distribution of weather stations is relatively sparse to figure out the fine distribution of hail events. Therefore, a quality-controlled dataset of disaster information data reported from information reporters is used to analyze the fine temporal and spatial distributions of hail days and events in Beijing from 1980 to 2021 in this study. Hail events and hail days show an obvious downward trend with years from 1981 to 2010, while hail events show a strong upward trend from 2011 to 2021. The seasonal pattern of hail events shows a unimodal distribution from March to October, and the peak appears in June. Most of the hail events occurred from 14:00 to 21:00, while the highest counts appeared from 15:00 to 17:00. More and larger hails occurred in the northwestern mountains rather than southeastern plains in Beijing, highly correlated with the topography. Both total and severe hails hit the mountain area statistically earlier than the plain area. The most frequent hours of hails in the northwestern area and southeastern area were concentrated in the range of 13:00—17:00 and 16:00—20:00 CST, respectively. This time delay is due to the initiation location and movement direction of the convective storms. The influence of ENSO on warm season hails is positive in Beijing, which has a lag of 3 months or longer. The arctic oscillation has a negative correlation with hail days in each month from May to September.

Ecological and engineering solutions for the reconstruction of anti-mudflow hydraulic structures of the Crimea

The article studies the territorial features of the formation of a dangerous process - mudflows. The factors of mudflow hazard formation are described, the classification and characteristics of mudflows formed in the Crimea are given. The methods of studying mudflows are considered, the parameters of the mudflow are calculated on the example of the Shelen River, on the basis of which options for the reconstruction of existing mudflow protection structures are proposed. The purpose of the article is to substantiate environmental engineering solutions for the reconstruction of anti-mudflow hydraulic structures in mudflow-prone Crimean river basins. The object of research is the basin of the Shelen River typical for the South-Eastern rural area. The purpose of the research is to substantiate technical solutions for the reconstruction of anti-mudflow structures in the Shelen River basin. Research objectives: to study the conditions for the formation of Crimean mudflows, the history of research and classification; consider existing methods for studying mudflow hazard and calculation methods for determining the parameters of mudflows; to characterize the current state of anti-mudflow structures on the example of the Shelen river basin; justify decisions on the reconstruction of anti-mudflow structures and develop recommendations for their restoration. In the article, on the basis of field studies, hydrological flood flow rates, annual runoff volumes, water flow rates and volumes in years of different water content and average monthly water flow rates using the Shelen River basin as an example, the mudflow parameters are calculated. Anti-mudflow structures were identified and their condition was analyzed. Based on the results of the study, proposals and environmental engineering technical solutions for the reconstruction of existing anti-mudflow structures were developed

Ethnozoological study of animal based medicines used by traditional healers from south eastern area of Golaghat district, Assam

Animals have played an important role in human life from ancient times. The knowledge on the use of many animals and their by-products in traditional medicines by various ethnic communities is generally passed verbally from one generation to the next. The present study was carried out on ethnozoological survey of animal based medicines used by traditional healers from south eastern area of Golaghat District, Assam. A total six communities viz., Koch, Kalita, Chutia, Ahom, Nath and Mising have been chosen based on semi-structured questionnaire through interactive personal interview and group discussion on the use of traditional animal based medicines by these local people for the treatment of various diseases. During the survey around 200 respondents were interviewed including 30 traditional practitioners. A total 40 distinct species were identified along with the formulations they utilize to cure various ailments. The study showed that the use of traditional medicines are still popular in rural areas which may depict a scenario of their strong belief on their formulations or may be due to inaccessibility of health care facilities in availing modern medicines. It is evident that the ethnozoological information regarding the therapeutic uses of different animals in traditional medicine is fading and there is an urgent need for its documentation before much of it is completely lost..

Plant-parasitic nematodes in soils of agricultural lands in Crimea

During 2017-2023, about 150 soil samples were collected from vineyards and lands planned for planting grapevines located in the Central, South-western and South-eastern areas of Crimea. As a result of this work, 29 species of plant-parasitic nematodes from 9 families were found. The study of the relative abundance of populations of plant-parasitic nematodes in the soils in abandoned fruit and grape agroecosystems and in fields with the cultivation of cereals was also carried out.

Old, Nonagenarians, and Centenarians in Cilento, Italy and the Association of Lifespan with the Level of Some Physicochemical Elements in Tap Drinking Water.

Longevity, as a complex life-history trait, shares an ontogenetic relationship with other quantitative traits, such as epigenetic and environmental factors. Therefore, it is important to identify environmental factors that may modify the epigenome to establish healthy aging. This study explored the association between tap drinking water and longevity in Cilento, Italy, to understand whether trace elements in local drinking water may have an influence on old, nonagenarian, and centenarian people and promote their health and longevity. Data on population and water sources were collected through the National Demographic Statistics, the Cilento Municipal Archives, and the Cilento Integrated Water Service. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and a geographically weight regression (GWR) model were used to study the spatial relationship between the explanatory and outcome variables of longevity. The results of the study showed that the prevalence of longevity is concentrated in the central, northern and southeastern areas of the territory and that some trace elements present in tap water may contribute to local longevity in Cilento. Specifically, all Cilento municipalities had alkaline tap water, and the municipalities with the highest longevity concentrations had higher alkalinity levels than the other municipalities, soft to medium-hard water hardness, an amount of total dissolved solids equivalent to the level of excellent water, lower amounts of sodium, adequate iron concentration, and adequate dietary intake of manganese per day.

黄土高原土壤保持服务供需平衡及其驱动因素

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 黄土高原土壤保持服务供需平衡及其驱动因素 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202108082180 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家重点研发计划（2016YFC0501603）；国家重点研发计划（2018YFC0507300）；长安大学中央高校基本科研业务费专项基金（chd300102352201） Analysis on supply and demand balance of soil conservation service and its driving factors on the Loess Plateau Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 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:土壤保持服务是黄土高原重要的生态系统调节服务，明确土壤保持服务供需空间格局及驱动因素，对于实现黄土高原生态系统管理和资源有效配置具有重要意义。采用修正通用土壤流失方程（RUSLE）量化了2000-2018年黄土高原土壤保持服务供给量和需求量，并分析其时空演变及供需匹配特征，基于地理加权回归（GWR）模型探究不同因子对土壤保持供需平衡影响的空间异质性。结果表明：（1）2000-2018年，黄土高原土壤保持服务供给量、需求量以及供需比均呈现波动增加的趋势，增幅分别为57.13%、11.9%、150%。供给量和需求量均呈现"东南高、西北低"的空间分布格局，供需比高值位于黄土高原东北部和西南部，低值位于西北部。（2）黄土高原土壤保持服务供需以低低型空间匹配为主，主要分布在黄土高原的西北部和东南部地区。（3）黄土高原土壤保持供需主要受到坡度、NDVI、降水、DEM以及人口密度的影响。其中，坡度、NDVI、降水和DEM表现出明显的正向促进作用；人口密度既有正向促进作用又有负面抑制作用，但促进作用强于抑制作用。该研究对优化调控黄土高原生态建设以及促进区域可持续发展具有一定的借鉴意义。 Abstract:Soil conservation service is an important ecosystem regulation service on the Loess Plateau. It is of great significance to clarify the spatial pattern and driving factors of soil conservation service supply and demand for the realization of ecosystem management and the effective allocation of resources on the Loess Plateau. This paper quantified the supply and demand of soil conservation service on the Loess Plateau from 2000 to 2018 using the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE), and analyzed their spatial and temporal evolution and supply-demand matching characteristics, and then explored the spatial heterogeneity of the impacts of different factors on the supply-demand balance of soil conservation service based on the geographically weighted regression (GWR) model. The results showed that (1) from 2000 to 2018, the supply, demand and the supply-demand ratio of soil conservation service on the Loess Plateau showed a fluctuating trend of increase with the growth rate of 57.13%, 11.9% and 150%, respectively. The supply and demand of soil conservation service both showed a distribution pattern of "high in the southeast and low in the northwest". The high values of supply-demand ratio were located in the northwest and southeast of the Loess Plateau, while the low values were located in the northwest. (2) The supply and demand of soil conservation service was mainly low-low spatial matching and was distributed in the northwestern and southeastern areas of the Loess Plateau. (3) The balance of soil conservation service supply and demand was mainly affected by slope, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), precipitation, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and population density. Among them, slope, NDVI, precipitation and DEM showed obviously positive promotion effects. Population density had both positive and negative effects, but the positive effects were stronger than the negative effects. This study has implications for optimizing the regulation of ecological construction on the Loess Plateau and promoting regional sustainable development. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Effects of the Tsunami Generated by the 1662 Hyuga-Nada Earthquake off Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan

The Hyuga-nada region is located in the southwestern part of the Nankai Trough in the Pacific Ocean, where M7 class interplate earthquakes have been repeatedly occurring because of the subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate. The largest earthquake recorded in history for the Hyuga-nada region was the Hyuga-nada earthquake of 1662, which occurred off Miyazaki Prefecture in the southeastern area of Kyushu region, Japan, generating a tsunami. The region is also an area where slow earthquakes are active at the shallow part of the plate boundary. It is confirmed by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake that the active area of shallow slow earthquakes also became a tsunami source area. We hypothesize that the unusually large tsunami of 1662 was caused by the coseismic slipping of the active source area of shallow slow earthquakes. We constructed the fault model of the 1662 Hyuga-nada earthquake based on recent geophysical observations. A numerical simulation of the tsunami was carried out using the fault model constructed based on hypotheses. The total seismic moment was 9.8 × 1020 Nm (Mw 7.9) estimated from the fault model. The estimated fault model can explain the distribution of the likely tsunami event deposits which were recognized in this study and also have been reported by other studies and tsunami heights in historical records. Hypotheses based on geophysical findings have been found to be correct.

Cryptic population structure at the northern range margin of the service tree Sorbus domestica.

Climate change has aroused interest in planting warm- and drought-adapted trees in managed forests and urban areas. An option is to focus on tree species that occur naturally, but have centers of distribution in warmer and drier areas. However, in order to protect the species pool of genetic diversity, efforts of planting and promotion should be informed by knowledge on the local genetic diversity. Here, we studied the macro- and micro-scale population genetic structure of the rare European fruit tree Sorbus domestica at its northern range margin, in western Switzerland. New microsatellite data were combined with published data from across the European distribution of the species. Analyses revealed the presence of mainly one of two species-wide ancestral clusters, i.e., the western European cluster, with evidence that it consists of two cryptic sub-clusters. Average pairwise F ST of 0.118 was low across the range, and only allelic richness was reduced in the northern margin compared to more southern and southeastern areas of Europe. Based on our finding of considerable genetic diversity of the species in western and northern Switzerland, we suggest that a national propagation program should focus on collecting seeds from natural, high-density tree stands and propagate locally. More generally, our study shows that rare tree species in marginal areas of their distributions do not necessarily have low genetic diversity or heightened levels of inbreeding, and in those cases probably need no assisted migration in efforts to propagate them.

New field and petrographic data about igneous rocks from Barnard Point, Livingston Island, Antarctica

The Southeastern area of Livingston Island is built up by igneous rocks of the Eocene Barnard Point Pluton and related or younger dykes. Our new field and petrographic studies in the area show that the pluton consists of several main rock varieties namely gabbro, gabbrodiorite, granodiorite and granites, whose relationships evidences magma mixing processes. The internal parts of the former chamber contain levels enriched in mafic microgranular enclaves forming pronounced magmatic foliation, which towards western contact of the pluton transits to a subvertical N-S trending solid-state foliation and both parallelize the main foliation of the metamorphic host rocks. The latter evidences for a room creation and magma emplacement in tectonically active setting.

Predictors of Cyberbystander Intervention Among Adolescents.

The purpose of the current study was to examine the association between personal characteristics and the steps of the bystander intervention model (i.e., notice, interpret as emergency, accept responsibility, know how to intervene, and act) applied to cyberbullying. Examining bystander intervention as discrete steps instead of the single act has advantages for training individuals to intervene when they observe these acts of interpersonal violence. The five-step bystander intervention model has been applied to examine bystander intervention in traditional bullying, sexual assault, and drinking behavior, but not cyberbullying. In this study, we examine how specific personal characteristics (social support, social-emotional wellness, cognitive empathy, and affective empathy) are related to each step of the model. Data on students' perceptions of these characteristics and their engagement in the five-step model were collected from 872 sixth-grade through twelfth-grade students ages 11 to 18 in the southeastern area of the United States. Using multi-group path analysis, associations between the characteristics and steps were examined for boys and girls separately. Results indicated that social support was significantly associated with step 2 (interpreting as an emergency), step 4 (know how to intervene), and step 5 (acting). Affective empathy was significantly associated with the first four steps of the model. Social-emotional wellness was only significantly associated with step 1 and cognitive empathy was not significantly associated with any of the steps. These results suggest that it may be important to emphasize positive relationships, affective empathy, and social support for interventions primarily directed at reducing cyberbullying. Training adolescents to intervene in cyberbullying and also to increase these characteristics is important to consider.

Changes in Tropical Cyclone–Induced Extreme Hourly Precipitation over China during 1975–2018

Abstract This study analyzes the spatiotemporal distributions and climate trends of tropical cyclone (TC)-induced extreme hourly precipitation (EXHP) in the warm season (May–September) during 1975–2018 over China and the involved mechanisms. Each TC is classified as a high-, mid-, and low-EXHP TC according to the total amount of EXHP it produces over China during its lifetime. Results show that low-EXHP TCs have a greater contribution to the total TC-induced EXHP over southern and southwestern China, whereas high-EXHP TCs make greater contributions over eastern and northeastern China as they tend to move northwestward after making landfall. It is shown that, although the total frequency of EXHP-producing TCs displays a decreasing trend, the total frequency of TC-induced EXHP over China shows a significant increasing trend, which is largely contributed by the high-EXHP TCs. To explore the possible mechanisms responsible for the different characteristics in EXHP-producing TC groups, we further analyze the large-scale environmental conditions with respect to three groups by composite analysis. The cooperation of large-scale environmental fields between high and low levels provides favorable conditions for the intensification of TCs and the enhancement of the TC-induced precipitation for the high-EXHP group, such as stronger divergence at high levels, weaker vertical wind shear, more sufficient water vapor, and more conducive steering airflow over the southeastern and eastern area of mainland China. The westward and northward movement of western North Pacific subtropical high is conducive to the northward shift of TC tracks, thus contributing to the high frequency of TC-induced EXHP over the eastern area of mainland China.

Intermittent preventive treatment and malaria amongst pregnant women who give birth at the Centre Hospitalier Régional Paul Moukambi de Koula-Moutou in southeastern Gabon

BackgroundEvaluating malaria control strategies for pregnant women is essential. The objective of this study was to determine the factors influencing antenatal care (ANC) visit attendance, complete intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) and its impact on the health of pregnant women and their newborn babies living in semi-urban and rural areas of southeastern Gabon.MethodsThis transversal study was performed at the Centre Hospitalier Régional Paul Moukambi de Koula-Moutou (CHRPMK). Information regarding age, frequency of prenatal consultations, obstetric history, use of malaria control measures, use of IPTp-SP, malaria diagnostic of women and their newborns, were collected: (i): from birth registers from 1 January, 2018 to 31 December, 2019 and, (ii): a questionnaire from January to April 2020.ResultsIn total, 1,851 and 323 pregnant women were included during the first and the second sub-set of study, respectively. In the first sub-set of data, the mean age was 26.18 ± 7.02 years and 96.54% (1,787/1,851) of pregnant women had attended ANC service but 54.45% had complete ANC visit attendance (at least 4 ANC). The complete ANC visit was linked with age (p < 0.001) and profession (p < 0.001). The complete IPTp-SP (at least 3 doses) was 58.87%. Complete IPTp-SP was linked to profession (aOR = 1.49, 95% CI [1.04–2.18], p < 0.001), ANC visit (aOR = 0.176, 95% CI [0.14–0.22], p < 0.034) and age (p = 0.03). Birth weight was higher for babies whose mothers had received complete IPTp-SP (p < 0,001) but the Apgar score was not influenced by the use of IPTp-SP (p = 0.71). In the second sub-set of data, the prevalence of plasmodial infection was 3.10% (95% IC [1.21–5]) and Plasmodium falciparum was responsible for 100% of infections. The prevalence of plasmodial infection was the same for all age groups (p = 0.69), gravidity (p = 0.13) and domestic control measures (p > 0.05). A low birth weight was statistically linked to the mother’s plasmodial infection (p < 0.01). Furthermore, plasmodial infection was statistically linked to premature birth (p < 0.001).ConclusionsIt was observed that attendance of women to ANC service and a complete IPTp-SP course is insufficient.

Use of double skin façade with building integrated solar systems for an energy renovation of an existing building in Limassol, Cyprus: Energy performance analysis

The high percentage of energy consumption by fossil fuels in the building sector in combination with climate change across the globe increased the need to move into more sustainable building practices. Thus, the integration of sustainable strategies and active solar energy systems into the design process is becoming a tool for the reduction of the energy demand and improvement of the energy performance of existing and new buildings.This study investigates the energy performance of an existing residential apartment building in Limassol, Cyprus before and after its energy renovation, using a double skin façade combined with building integration of active solar energy systems. The proposed research starts with the analysis of the existing building energy performance, focusing on the energy loads for cooling, heating, and artificial lighting. Subsequently, the results of the existing situation are evaluated using digital energy simulations, and the process moves on to the renovation and energy upgrade of the building by integrating the aforementioned systems. Energy-Plus simulations are performed where the proposed systems’ contribution to the energy reduction is investigated including their energy reduction potential. The before and after simulations are compared, with the focus to prove whether the systems can be viable in terms of decreasing the energy demands of the building. Finally, a life cycle cost (LCC) analysis is performed, to determine the viability of the enterprise. The performed research proves that the application of the double façade, consisting of three main features — a building integrated photovoltaic system (BIPV), glazing system and rambling planting, can combine the positive effects of each individual system, if there is a combined systematic approach on the architectural design of the building envelope. The combination of the above led to a reduction of 83.5% in the energy consumption of the building, from 94,321 kWh of the existing situation to the 15,563 kWh of the proposed one. This reduction includes the contribution from BIPV system, which amounts to 26,706 kWh/ year of primary energy — thus covering the 63% of the proposed consumption of the building. On the other hand, the LCC analysis sums that a careful combination of bioclimatic design and active solar systems, can have a viable payback period, which in this case is 13 years.The overall aim of this research is to determine whether the use of a double skin façade combined with integrated active solar systems constitute an energy and cost-efficient solution for the viable refurbishment of an existing building in the south-eastern Mediterranean area.

Active Fault Trace Identification Using a LiDAR High-Resolution DEM: A Case Study of the Central Yangsan Fault, Korea

Korea has been recognized as an earthquake-safe zone, but over recent decades, several earthquakes, at a medium scale or higher, have occurred in succession in and around the major fault zones, hence there is a need for studying active faults to mitigate earthquake risks. In Korea, research on active faults has been challenging owing to urbanization, high precipitation, and erosion rates, and relatively low earthquake activity compared to the countries on plate boundaries. To overcome these difficulties, the use of aerial light detection and ranging (LiDAR) techniques providing high-resolution images and digital elevation models (DEM) that filter vegetation cover has been introduced. Multiple active fault outcrops have been reported along the Yangsan Fault, which is in the southeastern area of the Korean Peninsula. This study aimed to detect active faults by performing a detailed topographic analysis of aerial LiDAR images in the central segment of the Yangsan Fault. The aerial LiDAR image covered an area of 4.5 km by 15 km and had an average ground point density of 3.5 points per m2, which produced high-resolution images and DEMs at greater than 20 cm. Using LiDAR images and DEMs, we identified a 2–4 m high fault scarp and 50–150 m deflected streams with dextral offset. Based on the image analysis, we further conducted a trench field investigation and successfully located the active fault that cut the Quaternary deposits. The N–S to NNE-striking fault surfaces cut unconsolidated deposits comprising nine units, and the observed slickenlines indicated dextral reverse strike-slip. The optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) age dating results of the unconsolidated deposits indicate that the last earthquake occurred 3200 years ago, which is one of the most recent along the Yangsan Fault.

Seasonal variations of forest leaf area index and its thermal effect on water-eroded areas in 2000–2014 using remote sensing imageries

Aim: To analyze the spatiotemporal distribution of forest vegetation and its relationship with ground temperature in severe water erosion areas in Southern China. Methodology: The spatiotemporal variations of leaf area index (LAI) at a seasonal scale of the study area, Changting County in Fujian Province, China, were derived and compared with ground temperature (T) in 2000-2014 through remote sensing imageries. Results: Average seasonal LAI of central towns (&lt; 2.3) were less than those of other towns, and negative correlations were found between LAI and T in 2000 and 2014. The R squares of the LAI–T relationship models were &gt; 0.4 in 2000 and &lt; 0.4 in 2014. Interpretation: This study demonstrated that more factors were involved in the thermal effect with the increase of LAI and the multi-year conservation management. Conservation measures should be prioritized in the central and south-eastern areas of the county with intense erosion. Key words: County, Leaf area index, Remote sensing, Seasonal variations, Soil erosion grade

Patterns of spatial distribution, diel activity and human-bear conflict of Ursus thibetanus in the Hindu Kush mountains, Pakistan

The Asiatic black bear ( Ursus thibetanus ) is an elusive mammal and its conservation is currently a challenge in Pakistan due to the negative interaction with human communities and habitat fragmentation. We investigated the distribution, activity pattern and human-bear conflict of the Asiatic black bear in the Hindu Kush, a major mountains system in Pakistan. Our study was conducted from October 2020 to December 2020 in the Bahrain Valley, placed in the southeastern area of the Hindu Kush. We firstly carried out a preliminary sign survey for the bear's presence and, then, we installed an infrared sensor camera traps in the potential suitable habitat for the bear, 23 locations for 152 trap nights, to monitor its activity. Furthermore, to understand human-bear conflict, a questionnaire survey was submitted to 107 local people living in the bear’s habitat. The Asiatic black bear was photographed in 12 camera stations with 60 different capture events. We obtained a trap success percent of 64.8% between 2,100 m - 2,400 m above the sea level while the total trap success calculated for the whole camera trapping survey of the bears was 39.5%. The bears showed a bimodal activity pattern with peaks just after sunset and during the night (88% of observations from 00:00 to 06:00 and 18:00 to 24:00). We observed that the female and male bears and their puppies were not hibernating in subzero temperatures until December. Local communities had concerns over livestock and crops losses in the area. Our findings showed once again that the Asiatic black bear urgently needs effective management plans to guarantee its conservation in Pakistan.

Frost Conditions Due to Climate Change in South-Eastern Europe via a High-Spatiotemporal-Resolution Dataset

Frost incidents comprise significant extreme weather events owing to climate change, possibly endangering the agricultural sector of the already impacted south-eastern European area. Thus, the comprehensive evaluation of the frost conditions under the climate regime for eleven countries was conducted by calculating relevant frost agroclimatic indicators under three time horizons (1985 to 2015, 2005 to 2035 and 2015 to 2045). The Frost Days (FD), Free of Frost Days (FFD), Last Spring Frost (LSF) and First Autumn Frost (FAF) were estimated daily over a grid of 25 × 25 km. We demonstrated that the FD will be reduced according to the balanced A1B emissions scenario over the entire examined area with the mountainous and continental regions being most affected. From 2005 to 2035, a higher LSF reduction is expected over Greece and Albania and the earlier FAF in high altitude areas. All examined regions are projected to face delayed FAF, from 2015 to 2045. In general, all countries will face an increase in the growing season duration owing to the increase of the FFD.

Growth and Distribution of Coal-Measure Source Rocks in Mixed Platform: A Case Study of Carboniferous in Bamai Area, Southwest Tarim Basin, China

Coal-measure source rocks are generally developed in marsh facies under a humid climate and are rarely reported in a carbonate platform or a mixed platform. Carboniferous seawater intruded from west to east in the Tarim Basin, and mixed platform deposits of interbedded mudstone and carbonate developed in the southwest of the basin. In recent years, with the deepening of the exploration, nearly 20 m coal seams and carbonaceous mudstone source rocks have been found in the Carboniferous lagoon’s tidal-flat background. The hydrocarbon generation potential, development, and distribution of these coal-measure source rocks have become an important issue for oil and gas exploration. Coal seams and carbonaceous mudstones were found in the Carboniferous formation of wells BT5, BT10, and Lx2. The hydrocarbon prospect, development, and distribution characteristics of these coal formations have become an important research topic. The authors conducted organic geochemical tests and analyses of core and samples drill cuttings from multiple wells in the study area, combined with research focused on the identification and distribution of coal seams, dark mudstones, and depositional facies via logging cross plots of different lithology and 3D seismic inversion. The results show that coal-measure source rocks in the BT5 well are related to the set of delta-lagoon sedimentary systems widely developed in the Carboniferous Karashayi Formation. The maximum cumulative thickness of coal-measure source rocks is about 20 m, with total organic carbon (TOC) contents of 0.15–60%, kerogen types II2-III, and vitrinite reflectance (Ro) values of 0.78–1.65%. The rocks have generally low maturity in the northwestern area and high maturity in the southeastern area, and the maturity changes as the burial depth changes. The effective hydrocarbon source rocks such as coal, carbonaceous mudstone, and dark mudstone all show acoustic time (AC) greater than 300 µs/m, and density (DEN) less than 2.3 g/cm3, but possess different gamma ray (GR) values. The GR value is less than 75 API for coal, between 75–100 API for carbonaceous mudstone, and greater than 100 API for dark mudstones. The distribution of source rocks can be identified in the area between the wells according to a 3D seismic inversion impedance (IMP) of less than 7333 m/s·g/cm3. The development and controlled factors of coal-measure source rocks of delta facies in the mixed platform have a significant role for oil and gas exploration of Upper Paleozoic in this area. The coal measure and sandstones of delta in the Carboniferous are expected to form self-generation and self-storage pools in this area.

Study on spatial evolution and mechanism of county economic differences in Hubei province from 2005 to 2020

The spatial distribution pattern of the economic development among counties is an important external representation of a balanced and sustainable regional development in China. With the rapid development of globalization and localization, spatial pattern of economic growth is increasingly obvious. The mechanisms of regional economic growth in China are also gradually gaining attention. However, there is still a lack of research at the province and county levels. As a result, based on the per capita GDP of each county in Hubei province from 2005 to 2020 as the research index, the spatial autocorrelation and the spatial variation function are used to analyze the spatial pattern evolution and the county economy mechanism in Hubei province. The results show that 1) there is a remarkable phenomenon of county-level economic spatial agglomeration in Hubei province. The urban area of Wuhan and its surrounding counties are high–high (HH-type) county agglomeration areas. The low–low (LL-type) counties are mainly distributed in the western parts of Hubei province and scattered in the northeastern and southern parts of Hubei province; 2) the county economy of Hubei province presents a spatial distribution pattern of “high in the east and low in the west.” The hot areas of the county economy are primarily located in the urban area of Wuhan and its surrounding areas. In the process of development, the hot spot areas tend to shift to Yichang, Jingmen, and Xiangyang. The cold spot areas are located on the edges of the western, northeastern, and southeastern areas of Hubei province; 3) the spatial continuity and self-organization of the county economic development are strengthened. The structural differentiation trend caused by spatial autocorrelation is also strengthened. The county economy is relatively balanced from the southeast to the northwest, and the spatial difference in economic development in other directions is increasing; and 4) the spatial evolution of county economic development in Hubei province is the result of the comprehensive effects of historical and cultural background, economic development, traffic location, and policy system, and the A-shaped point-axis structure is a reliable spatial structure for regional development in Hubei province.