Region Of Zone Research Articles

Assessment On Factors Affecting Human Wild Animal Coexistence And Associated Mitigation Measures In The Buffer Zone Community Of Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, Nepal

Solid success in conserving the protected areas would obviously require the participation and cooperation from local people particularly in developing countries where the locals bear most of the expense of Human wildlife co-existence. Considering this, the present research attempts to explore the factor affecting Human-Wildlife Co-existence (HWC) and the related mitigation measures adopted by the buffer zone community of Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, Nepal (SNNP). The research also intends to determine the livelihood status of the locals, policies and compensations offered by buffer zone management. Data for the quantitative approach has been collected from 446 households residing in the buffer zone regions through structured questionnaire. Qualitative data are fetched through nine KII (Key Informant Interviews) who were the stakeholders of the buffer zone community. The overall results of the research find that locals in the buffer zone of SNNP are affected by the wildlife interventions. Due to this, crop damage is regarded as the massive loss experienced, wild boar is found to be the major conflicting wildlife followed by monkey and leopard. Local people are observed to have positive attitude towards the policies and programs of buffer zone management particularly, fuel-wood supply is the most appreciated benefits proffered.

Characteristics of radon transport and optimization of ventilation parameters in large-scale underground cavern

Radon penetrates into the underground caverns through the pores/fissures of the surrounding rock, resulting in high radon concentration area and endangering the health of construction personnel. The on-site monitoring of radon concentration in the underground powerhouse of Tuoba Hydropower Station is conducted in order to study the radon concentration level. The radon transport during the construction period of underground powerhouse under forced ventilation is established by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) numerical simulation method. Furthermore, the distribution characteristics and long-term evolution law of radon concentration in underground powerhouse are revealed, and reasonable ventilation optimization measures are put forward and the results show that: (1) Blasting promotes the increase of radon concentration, while forced ventilation accelerates radon transport. (2) The airflow field along the axis is divided into a vortex distribution zone, a vortex influence zone and stable regions. (3) The radon transport includes both migration and diffusion processes based on forced ventilation. (4) The radon concentration decreases with the increase of height, while exhibits low concentration in the middle and high concentration on both sides at the same height. (5) Compared with forced ventilation, the combined ventilation can improve the ventilation efficiency and shorten the radon transport time. The research results can provide a scientific basis for the safety analysis and evaluation of deep engineering environment.

No Sign of Homogenisation in Reef Fish Communities Across an Ecological Transition Zone Exposed to Warming

ABSTRACTAimMarine organisms are responding to warming by altering their distribution ranges, causing biogeographic range shifts and in some cases, favouring the community homogenisation. Transition zones can act as natural laboratories to explore the consequences of homogenisation. However, these habitats are relatively poorly studied in coastal areas. In this study, we aimed to investigate biotic homogenisation and changes in reef fish community composition from both a taxonomic and trait‐based perspective.LocationSeven islands in the South‐western Atlantic transition zone.MethodsWe used a long‐term survey data set of reef fish species abundances and traits of communities to calculate beta‐diversity indices. By analysing the data, we derived temporal trends of beta‐diversity values by separately comparing the North and South regions of the transition zone and performed pairwise comparisons to explore their dynamics when considered together.ResultsContrary to previous expectations, we found no sign of homogenisation. The colder islands (Southern) experienced a decrease in taxonomic and trait richness metrics, whereas for the warmer islands (Northern), the taxonomic and trait richness fluctuated without any significant temporal trends.Main ConclusionsWhile taxonomic composition may change over time, the trait composition is generally more conserved, highlighting the trait redundancy in South‐western Atlantic communities and supporting the idea that these communities can maintain a range of ecological processes despite changes in taxonomic composition. Finally, the study revealed that despite non‐homogenisation, the species that contribute most to variation, especially in the South, have common trait combinations indicating an increase in the trait redundancy of fish communities over time. We underline that local‐scale conservation efforts may be particularly effective in preserving and protecting species and ecological functions in areas experiencing unique and fast changes in biodiversity.

Estimation of Future Climate Change in Low Folded Zone, Iraq with the LARS-WG and Five GMS Models under CMIP5 Scenarios

This study investigates the trends of climate change in the Low Folded Zone region of Iraq and provides future projections for daily maximum and minimum temperatures, as well as precipitation. Using the LARS-WG model and five General Circulation Models (GCMs) under three Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) scenarios, the research aims to provide valuable insights into the anticipated changes in climate variables. The calibration and validation of the model demonstrate its capability to simulate future climatic data, with statistical indices indicating a strong correlation between observed and generated data. The projected future temperatures showed a consistent increase across all selected stations, with average annual maximum temperatures expected to rise by 1.06 to 5.48°C by the end of the twenty-first century. The highest increase in temperatures was predicted under the high-emission scenario RCP8.5. The results also indicated spatial and temporal variations in precipitation patterns, with the annual percentage increase in precipitation ranging from 7.07% to 10.75% for RCP 2.6, 0% to 2.2% for RCP4.5, and 3.7% to 6.8% for RCP8.5. The findings reveal a projected increase in annual temperatures and variable precipitation patterns, highlighting the urgency of proactive measures to address the challenges posed by climate change in the region. The results of this study are crucial for informing decision-makers and planners in developing strategies for climate change adaptation and resource management, particularly in water resource management and agricultural planning.

Variation Characteristics of Land Use Change Within the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region During 1985–2022

Land use change generally varies greatly among functional zones in a large area. This study reveals land use change characteristics across seven functional zones in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region during 1985–2022 based on the latest land use planning data, with the land use dynamic degree, transfer matrix, and comprehensive index of land use intensity. Results suggested cropland, forest land, grassland, and built-up land were dominant land use types in most functional zones, generally with significant decreases in cropland and grassland and noticeable increases in built-up land and forest land. Besides, single land use dynamics of built-up land and forest land were generally above 2.00% and 0.40%, while that of grassland and cropland was generally below zero in most functional zones. Comprehensive land use dynamics were very high in the Central Core Functional Zone (Region IV), Bashang Plateau Ecological Protection Zone (Region I), and Eastern Coastal Development Zone (Region III), peaking above 0.70%, and were low in other functional zones. Additionally, the land use degree increased slowly from 267.28 in 1985 to 274.17 in 2022 on average, varying remarkably among various functional zones. These findings provide a firm foundation for formulating more targeted land management policies across various functional zones.

Completeness of the amphibian inventory of Nayarit, Mexico, assessed from biodiversity information system records

ABSTRACT Climate change, diseases, pollution, and land cover changes threaten amphibian species worldwide, making identifying and monitoring these species crucial for the conservation of biodiversity. Nayarit, which is located in northwestern Mexico and within the Mexican Transition Zone and Neotropical biogeographic regions, hosts high amphibian diversity. However, information on the completeness of the amphibian inventory of Nayarit is lacking. Thus, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the inventory completeness of Nayarit using open-access biodiversity information systems. We constructed a database from the information stored in the Mexican National Biodiversity Information System (SNIB) of the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO). Inventory completeness was analysed in 10-km cells and various periods, considering biogeographic and physiographic regions. Areas with high inventory completeness were defined by their proximity to the main communication routes rather than biophysical reasons. Approximately half of the state exhibited information gaps, especially in the mountainous and difficult-to-access areas. Additional studies are needed to fully document amphibian diversity in Nayarit, especially in geographical regions with few records. Our results provide a solid foundation for future research and are essential for adequately conserving and managing the natural resources of Nayarit.

The rush to the poles and the role of magnetic buoyancy in the solar dynamo

The butterfly diagram of the solar cycle shows a poleward migration of the diffuse magnetic field resulting from the decay of trailing sunspots. It is one component of what is sometimes referred to as the `rush to the poles' and is responsible for the reversal and buildup of the polar cap fields. We investigated under which conditions the rush to the poles can be reproduced in flux-transport Babcock-Leighton dynamo models. We also considered other observational consequences of the different mechanisms that reproduce the rush to the poles. We identified three main ways to achieve the rush to the poles: a flux emergence probability that decreases rapidly with latitude; a threshold for the sub-surface toroidal field strength below which the toroidal flux emerges only slowly and above which the emergence rate is high; and an emergence rate that depends on the mean magnetic field squared, mimicking magnetic buoyancy. We implemented these three mechanisms in a 2D Babcock-Leighton flux transport dynamo model that incorporates toroidal flux loss and deep downward turbulent pumping. Moreover, we directly compared the observational sunspot zone migration law with what our models predict. We find that all three mechanisms lead to solar-like butterfly diagrams, but with notable differences. The shape of the butterfly diagram is very sensitive to model parameters for the threshold prescription, while most models that incorporate magnetic buoyancy converge to very similar butterfly diagrams, with butterfly wing widths of $ in very good agreement with observations. With turbulent diffusivities above $35 km s $ but below about $40 km s $, buoyancy models are strikingly solar-like. The threshold and magnetic buoyancy prescriptions make the models non-linear and as such they can saturate the dynamo through latitudinal quenching; during this process, emergences at higher latitudes are less efficient at transporting fields across the equator and hence less efficient in reversing the polar fields -- although only the magnetic buoyancy prescription can saturate the dynamo when emergence loss is turned off. The period of the models that involve buoyancy is independent of the source term amplitude, but emergence loss increases it by $ 60<!PCT!>$. The models with the right advection amplitude and turbulent diffusivity match the observational equatorward migration law very well. For the rush to the poles to be visible, a mechanism suppressing (enhancing) emergences at high (low) latitudes must operate. It is not sufficient that the toroidal field be stored at low latitudes for emergences to be limited to low latitudes. Magnetic buoyancy appears to be the most promising non-linearity as models that incorporate it produce the most solar-like butterfly diagrams, with the exact width of the butterfly wings being roughly independent of model parameters. Dynamo saturation is achieved by a competition between latitudinal quenching and a quenching due to the tilt of the mean bipolar magnetic region. From these models we infer that the Sun is not in the advection-dominated regime, but nor is it in the diffusion-dominated regime. The cycle period is set through a balance between advection, diffusion, and flux emergence in accordance with the observational sunspot zone migration law. This accordance seems to imply that the toroidal field is indeed stored in the equatorial region of the lower convection zone.

2021 Alaska earthquake: entropy approach to its precursors and aftershock regimes

Abstract. We have conducted an entropy analysis in Alaska, a seismic-rich region in a subduction zone that exhibits a nontrivial behavior: the subduction arc alters the seismic activity from the eastern zone to the western zone, demonstrating a decrease in activity along the subduction. We analyze this zone through the Tsallis entropy and the mutability (or dynamic entropy) for the first time. Considering 13 870 seismic events after appropriate filtering, we analyzed a data set for the selected Alaska zone between 2000 and 2023. We have found agreement between the results for the two entropies. We have followed the value of the q parameter of the Tsallis entropy (Sq) finding values between 1.70 and 1.85, in concordance with values found in other seismic regions of the planet. The values of Sq decrease slightly over time but show a broad increase before the major earthquakes. Just opposite to Tsallis entropy, mutability shows a tendency to decrease prior to the major earthquakes. We used the simpler mutability method to further analyze this zone upon dividing the region into four subzones. The results show how mutability can identify the seismic activity in each zone. This study shows how an entropy approach can shed light on understanding the seismicity in subduction zones.

Foliar application of Verticillium dahliae Aspf2‐like protein improved the heat tolerance of creeping bentgrass by regulating photosynthetic and antioxidant capabilities

AbstractContinuous high ambient temperature in hot summer months leads to a sharp decline in turf quality of cool‐season turfgrass. Verticillium dahliae Aspf2‐like protein (VDAL) is a secretory protein of V. dahliae that can improve crop yield and resistance to disease, but its role in improving heat tolerance of cool‐season turfgrass has not been reported so far. The objectives of this study were to explore the effect and mechanism of foliar application of VDAL on improving heat tolerance in cool‐season creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) and to further examine the advantage of foliar spraying with VDAL in mitigating summer bentgrass decline (SBD) in the US transition zone or other regions with similar climate. The results demonstrated that the optimal dose of VDAL for improving thermotolerance of two creeping bentgrass cultivars (heat‐tolerant 13 M and heat‐sensitive Seaside II) was screened as 0.2 g L−1 based on analyses of chlorophyll content, photochemical efficiency of PSII, and cell membrane stability under controlled heat stress conditions. Foliar application of the optimal dose of VDAL significantly restricted chlorophyll loss under heat stress and also alleviated heat‐induced declines in net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and water use efficiency. In addition, overaccumulations of superoxide anion radical and hydrogen peroxide could be significantly alleviated by the exogenous application of VDAL through improving the activity of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase in two cultivars. A further 2‐year field trial showed that foliar application of VDAL improved turf quality, chlorophyll content, photochemical efficiency, and cell membrane stability of the two cultivars during hot summer months of 2022 and 2023. The results indicate that the appropriate dose of VDAL plays a positive role in photosynthetic performance and antioxidant capacity for thermotolerance of creeping bentgrass, and foliar application of VDAL could be considered an effective approach for alleviating SBD.

Magnetotelluric image of the Patagonian slab window: Constraints on upper mantle physical properties and sources of intraplate magmatism

The Patagonian slab window (PSW) is a region of the Southamerican subduction zone where the absence of subducted slabs is interpreted, due to the subduction of the Chile Mid-Ocean Ridge at the Chile Triple Junction. Here we report the results of a long-period magnetotelluric (MT) study conducted in two 300 km-long trench-parallel transects crossing the northern boundary of the PSW in the proximal backarc. We modeled the MT data using 3-D inversion, obtaining an electrical resistivity model of the continental crust and upper mantle up to a depth of ∼150 km. Our model shows a heterogeneous resistivity structure in the uppermost mantle, dominated by resistivities >300 Ωm below the array of sites even within the PSW, and some low-resistivity zones (LRZs, <10 Ωm) mainly at the edge of the array. Using petrophysical models, we estimated the mantle temperature, water content, melt fraction, and viscosity based on obtained resistivity values and a preexistent model of P-wave velocity (Vp) at 50 km and 100 km depth. These estimates suggest that the uppermost mantle within the PSW region is heterogeneous and dominated by high-viscosity blocks, compatible with the continental mantle lithosphere or even subducted slabs. Based on relatively hot and low-viscosity zones estimated in the periphery of LRZs, we interpret the presence of asthenospheric mantle in areas where LRZs coincide with relatively low Vp. According to this interpretation, asthenospheric upwelling in the study area at depths ≤150 km would be localized rather than ubiquitous over the interpreted extent for the PSW. Such localized asthenosphere upwelling processes in the past could explain the scattered distribution of Neogene basaltic lavas in the southern Patagonia backarc. The continental crust exhibits LRZs in the upper and lower crust. Remarkably, ensembles of LRZs at different crustal depths within the presumable area of the PSW were found below the General Carrera Lake, and towards the North Patagonian Icefield, likely indicating the presence of hidden intraplate magmatic and/or hydrothermal systems.

Characterisation of AZ31/TiC composites fabricated via ultrasonic vibration assisted friction stir processing

In this study, the effect of ultrasonic vibration during Friction Stir Vibration Processing (FSVP) on the microstructure and mechanical behaviour of AZ31/TiC surface composites was investigated. Specifically, Titanium Carbide (TiC) particles were introduced as a reinforcement (15 vol%) into the magnesium alloy AZ31 using both Friction Stir Processing (FSP) and FSVP. Comprehensive examinations were carried out to analyse the microstructure, hardness, and tensile behaviour of the resulting composites. The study revealed significant improvements in mechanical properties due to the application of ultrasonic vibration during FSP. Firstly, the stir zone region was found to be free from voids, enhancing material flow and promoting even dispersion of TiC powders within the matrix. Secondly, refinement of grains was observed due to dynamic recrystallization and the pinning effect imposed by TiC particles, leading to the formation of more dislocations in the composite and indicating a considerable alteration in the material’s structure. Importantly, the vibration during FSP introduced an auxiliary energy source, resulting in a remarkable enhancement in both hardness and tensile strength. Compared to the AZ31/15 vol% TiC FSP composite, the composites produced via FSVP exhibited a grain size reduction of about 64% and improvements in hardness and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of about 55% and 21%, respectively. Notably, these improvements were achieved without compromising the ductility of the composite, which remained at appreciable levels.

Modelling fields of hydrological cycle characteristics in the Nizhnekamskoye Reservoir watershed of the Volga River basin under climate change

ABSTRACT The assessment of trends in hydroclimatic characteristics averaged over the watershed area and changes in the fields of the hydrological cycle components in the 21st century in a large river basin of the Nizhnekamskoye Reservoir was carried out on the basis of a model approach combining regional space distributed hydrological model and global climate models. It is shown that a slight decrease by 8% is expected in the area-averaged specific runoff by the end of the century according to the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 scenario. However, in various parts of the watershed both a slight increase by 3–6% and a significant decrease in the mean annual runoff by 22% can occur, depending on physiographic conditions. Moreover, climatic changes can increase contrasts in the ecological status of the territory: warm regions in the steppe zone become even hotter and more arid, and the moisture availability of wetter territories in the centre and east of the basin increases even more.

Investigation of mechanisms for heat transfer and reaction in indirectly heated CaCO3 thermochemical energy storage based on CFD-DEM

Thermochemical energy storage (TCES) based on calcium looping is currently one of the most promising heat storage technologies. In this work, the heat transfer and reaction mechanisms of CaCO3 in TCES are revealed using a developed CFD-DEM coupled with thermochemical reaction model. The results show that an incomplete consideration of radiation modeling significantly affects heat transfer and calcination reaction. Wall conduction and radiation are the dominant heat transfer mechanisms, while chemical reaction also plays a significant role. The performances and pathways of heat transfer and reaction in the splash zone, the wall region and the intermediate region of the dense phase zone are given detailed insights. The intensive radiation in the splash zone results in excellent heat transfer performance. Heat transfer is predominant in the wall region, driven by wall conduction and radiation. The intermediate region is dominated by chemical reaction with poor heat transfer performance. The state parameters along the trajectory of particle are analyzed, showing that heating effectiveness and flow behavior of particle significantly influence the TCES process. The movement of particle clusters demonstrates that heat transfer rates in bubble phase exhibit sharp fluctuations compared to the emulsion phase, highlighting the significant impact of bubble dynamics on heat transfer and calcination reaction.

OPTIMIZING CHARCOAL PRODUCTION: A COMPARISON OF THREE WOOD SPECIES AND METHODS

For sustainable forestry management and environmental protection, it is crucial to compare three wood types and processes in order to optimise charcoal production. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the viability of using diverse waste materials and carbonization techniques to produce wood charcoal. The upcountry wet zone and low-country dry zone regions of Sri Lanka provided the samples, which were each repeated ten times and came in three different sample sizes. To make charcoal, these samples were put through the barrel and pit processes. The results showed that the barrel method produced 28% charcoal instead of the 21% produced by the pit method, demonstrating its higher efficiency and cost-effectiveness. This improvement was ascribed to the barrel's enhanced ability to regulate airflow and temperature during pyrolysis. The study emphasizes the use of wood off-cuts and the barrel method to increase efficiency, save costs, and improve charcoal quality. It provides helpful advice for small charcoal producers.

Mechanical performance of dissimilar Al6082 aluminum and AZ91 magnesium alloy joints produced by friction stir welding

Abstract The current research work aims to produce a defect free joint of Al6082 aluminum and AZ91 magnesium alloy sheets by friction stir welding (FSW) at various tool rotational and travel speeds with an objective to obtain the best combination of welding parameters to produce quality joint. The weld joint that was produced at the combination of 1400 rpm tool rotational speed and 30 mm min−1 feed exhibited defect free stir zone. Microstructural studies carried out in the weld joint demonstrated mechanical mixing of base materials from both the alloys in the stir zone. The mixing of Al6082 and AZ91 alloys was clearly appeared in the weld zone. It can be observed that the x-ray diffraction studies clearly demonstrated the development of intermetallics in the weld region. Higher hardness was observed for the joints that can be ascertained to the presence of more mixed regions in the stir zone that contains hard and brittle intermetallics. From the tensile test data, lower strength (175.71 ± 4.24 MPa) was observed for the weld joint compared with Al6082 (242. 6 ± 11.4 MPa) and AZ91 (205.27 ± 6.39 MPa) base materials. Furthermore, the ductility of the weld joint was measured as marginally higher than the AZ91 Mg alloy and lower than the Al6082 alloy. It can be concluded that the defect free weld joints of Al6082-AZ91 alloys can be successfully produced by FSW for structural applications targeted for dry environment.

Effects of corneal epithelial remodeling on corneal asphericity after FS-LASIK and Trans-PRK: A prospective study.

To observe the changes in corneal epithelial thickness after FS-LASIK and Trans-PRK surgery and to investigate the impact of corneal epithelial remodeling on Q-value and HOA. In this prospective cohort study, 50 patients (100 eyes) underwent FS-LASIK and 45 patients (90 eyes) underwent Trans-PRK. Anterior segment OCT was used to measure the corneal epithelial thickness in different corneal zones (central zone: 0-2 mm; paracentral zone: 2-5 mm; and mid-peripheral zone: 5-6 mm) preoperatively and postoperatively at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months. The correlation between ΔCET in the superior, nasal, inferior, and temporal region at 6 months postoperatively and ΔQ and ΔHOA was analyzed. At 6 months postoperatively, the epithelial thickness increased in the central, paracentral, and mid-peripheral zones in FS-LASIK and Trans-PRK. Central epithelial thickness and different regions of the paracentral zone and mid-peripheral exhibited significant thickening (P < 0.001). In the para-central zone and mid-peripheral zone, the ΔCET in different regions after LASIK and Trans-PRK was positively correlated with ΔQ (P < 0.05) and ΔHOA (P < 0.05). After FS-LASIK and Trans-PRK, significant epithelial thickening was observed. Epithelial changes in different regions lead to different Q-values in different regions and have different effects on HOA. This has a certain guiding significance for the design of refractive surgery, and minimizing the increase of Q-value may improve the postoperative visual quality.

Individual Tree Crown Delineation Using Airborne LiDAR Data and Aerial Imagery in the Taiga–Tundra Ecotone

The circumpolar Taiga–Tundra Ecotone significantly influences the feedback mechanism of global climate change. Achieving large-scale individual tree crown (ITC) extraction in the transition zone is crucial for estimating vegetation biomass in the transition zone and studying plants’ response to climate change. This study employed aerial images and airborne LiDAR data covering several typical transitional zone regions in northern Finland to explore the ITC delineation method based on deep learning. First, this study developed an improved multi-scale ITC delineation method to enable the semi-automatic assembly of the ITC sample collection. This approach led to the creation of an individual tree dataset containing over 20,000 trees in the transitional zone. Then, this study explored the ITC delineation method using the Mask R-CNN model. The accuracies of the Mask R-CNN model were compared with two traditional ITC delineation methods: the improved multi-scale ITC delineation method and the local maxima clustering method based on point cloud distribution. For trees with a height greater than 1.3 m, the Mask R-CNN model achieved an overall recall rate (Ar) of 96.60%. Compared to the two conventional ITC delineation methods, the Ar of Mask R-CNN showed an increase of 1.99 and 5.52 points in percentage, respectively, indicating that the Mask R-CNN model can significantly improve the accuracy of ITC delineation. These results highlight the potential of Mask R-CNN in extracting low trees with relatively small crowns in transitional zones using high-resolution aerial imagery and low-density airborne point cloud data for the first time.

Index of development of transport infrastructure as a factor of sustainable development of the coastal zone of the Sea of Azov, Russia

As a zone of interaction between land and sea, coastal zones are becoming a strategic area for achieving a sustainable expansion of economic space. The object of study is the coastal zone of the Sea of Azov (Rostov Region and Krasnodar Territory). The subject of the study is an assessment of the dynamics of transport infrastructure development index as a factor in the sustainable development of the coastal zone of the Sea of Azov.Methodological approaches to assessing the sustainable development of the territory were based on a methodology based on methods of system analysis, mathematical modeling, and GIS technologies. An indicator has been formulated that considers the area of the territory, the population, the length of public roads of local importance, the shipment of goods of local production, the work and services performed on their own, in order to measure the ‘economic’ load on the transport infrastructure.The analysis of the state of the transport infrastructure of the regions of the coastal zone for the period from 2015 to 2021 was carried out. Based on an analysis of the transport infrastructure index, it was concluded that the attraction of municipalities to the Rostov agglomeration, together with the strengthening of social, trade and infrastructure contacts with megacities will lead to a further increase in the anthropogenic load on the territory. The areas studied of the Krasnodar Territory belong to the Northern Economic Zone – a territory with a diversified economy, characterised by cross‐border links with neighboring regions.Highways are the most important link in the transport and logistics system. The level of development and the technical condition of the road network have a significant and diverse impact on the economic and social development of both the state as a whole and it individual regions.

Study on the Value of Ecosystem Services and Land Use Change in the Area North of the Tianshan Mountains from 2000 to 2020

The northern Tianshans region in the arid zone of northwestern China plays a key role in promoting high-quality development of the ecological environment. In recent years, ecological environmental protection in this region has encountered major challenges due to the dual impacts of human activities and natural changes. In order to accurately assess the current status of the ecological environment in the northern Tianshans, this study analyzed the spatial and temporal changes in land use and ecological and environmental effects using land use data from 2000 to 2020 and explored the current status of land use, land use dynamic process, and ecosystem service value (ESV) in the region. Two-factor spatial autocorrelation analysis revealed the spatio-temporal characteristics of the value changes over the 20-year period as well as their spatial heterogeneity. The results show that: (1) land use changes are dominated by increases in cultivated land, forest land, watershed, and wetland, and decreases in grassland, glacier snow, and bare land. Of these changes, the expansion of cultivated land area is the most significant, showing a total increase of 1136.13 × 103 hm2. (2) The ESV increased and then decreased, reaching the highest value in 2005 and the lowest in 2020. The value of individual ecosystem services is dominated by regulating services, accounting for about 67% of the total value. (3) The overall regional balance of ecological environment quality and the contribution rate of the conversion from bare land to other land types is as high as 82.7986%, constituting the main factor in regional ecological environment improvement. The spatial distribution pattern exhibits the characteristic of “high in the northeast and low in the southwest”. (4) There is a positive correlation between the ESV, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and the Anthropogenic Impact Composite Index, with the NDVI being the main cause of spatial heterogeneity in the ESV. The research results provide a scientific basis for ecological protection, land management, and policy formulation in the northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains and are of great significance for promoting regional sustainable development.

CFD Investigation on Air-Staged Combustion Characteristics of Deep Peak Shaving Wall-Fired Burner Boilers

ABSTRACT In alignment with China’s ambitious goals of reaching peak carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality, stringent load peak regulations are being enforced for coal-fired power generation. This underlines the significance of deploying deep load peaking strategies in coal-fired units. The current research focus is on wall-fired boilers operating under ultra-low loads of 600 MWe. It delves into the flow dynamics, combustion characteristics, component concentration field, and NOx emission characteristics under varying air coefficients in the primary combustion zones (α). The findings suggest the formation of a consistently high-temperature region in the primary combustion zone, where temperatures surpass 1500 K. The middle burner exhibits superior combustion stability compared to the bottom burner. As α diminishes, several changes occur. The flow field intensity in the primary combustion zone lessens, the ignition distance contracts, and the O2 concentration in this area drops. This engenders a reducing atmosphere characterized by low O2 and high CO levels, which hampers the formation of NOx. At α = 0.95, the NO concentration peaks, with the primary generation mechanism being temperature-driven. At this juncture, the NO concentration at the furnace flue gas outlet is 287.36 mg/m3.