Wildfire risk in the wildland–urban interface: A simulation study in northwestern Wisconsin

The rapid growth of housing in and near the wildland–urban interface (WUI) increases wildfire risk to lives and structures. To reduce fire risk, it is necessary to identify WUI housing areas that are more susceptible to wildfire. This is challenging, because wildfire patterns depend on fire behavior and spread, which in turn depend on ignition locations, weather conditions, the spatial arrangement of fuels, and topography. The goal of our study was to assess wildfire risk to a 60,000 ha WUI area in northwestern Wisconsin while accounting for all of these factors. We conducted 6000 simulations with two dynamic fire models: Fire Area Simulator (FARSITE) and Minimum Travel Time (MTT) in order to map the spatial pattern of burn probabilities. Simulations were run under normal and extreme weather conditions to assess the effect of weather on fire spread, burn probability, and risk to structures. The resulting burn probability maps were intersected with maps of structure locations and land cover types. The simulations revealed clear hotspots of wildfire activity and a large range of wildfire risk to structures in the study area. As expected, the extreme weather conditions yielded higher burn probabilities over the entire landscape, as well as to different land cover classes and individual structures. Moreover, the spatial pattern of risk was significantly different between extreme and normal weather conditions. The results highlight the fact that extreme weather conditions not only produce higher fire risk than normal weather conditions, but also change the fine-scale locations of high risk areas in the landscape, which is of great importance for fire management in WUI areas. In addition, the choice of weather data may limit the potential for comparisons of risk maps for different areas and for extrapolating risk maps to future scenarios where weather conditions are unknown. Our approach to modeling wildfire risk to structures can aid fire risk reduction management activities by identifying areas with elevated wildfire risk and those most vulnerable under extreme weather conditions.     

Patterns of afforestation on abandoned agriculture land in Latvia

Abandonment of agriculture land and subsequent natural afforestation have been common features of the contemporary Latvian rural landscape, particularly in the period since 1990. This process affects the structure, ecology and visual qualities of the landscape. The study examines spatial characteristics of afforestation in relation to various environmental factors. The study was conducted in the central part of Latvia, where there is abundant abandoned agriculture land and a great variety of spatial afforestation patterns. The most typical patterns in this area were linear, mosaic, and continuous afforestation, as well as development of afforestation from the forest edge. The results of the study show that the spatial patterns of natural afforestation of abandoned agriculture fields can be very diverse, and do not follow the classical secondary succession model. Afforestation can be delayed by a dense cover of herbaceous vegetation for a period of up to 20?years. There are many interacting factors that affect succession and development of afforestation patterns, such as soil properties, size and configuration of fields, previous land use and also the random nature of plant colonization by seed. Further studies on afforestation patterns would help to understand better their ecological, economic and social effects as well as to determine optimal solutions for the use of abandoned agriculture land.     

Linking physical, economic and institutional constraints of land use change and forest conservation in the hills of Nepal

This paper analyses the changes in spatial patterns of agricultural land use during the period 1976–2000 along the altitudinal gradients in a watershed in Nepal. Land change patterns during this period were examined using information on land use derived from satellite images from 1976, 1990 and 2000. During the 24-year period from 1976 to 2000 agricultural land use increased by 35% at a cost of loss of forestland. Agricultural expansion was most conspicuous at higher elevations (1150–2000-m). About 36%, 18% and 6% of forestland was converted into agricultural activities from higher, middle and lower elevations respectively in the period from 1990 to 2000. Spatial distribution of living standard parameters, including farm family income and, food availability obtained from family surveys, shows a decreasing trend as the elevation increases whereas percentage of food bought shows an increasing trend. In this way it was found that, lost forest areas were smaller when located around high-income areas with good quality agricultural land and near an administrative centre as compared to areas located around low-income areas with low quality agricultural land and far from an administrative centre. Additionally, a regression model is constructed, to link the socioeconomic variables with the conversion of forestland into agricultural activities, breaking the study area into smaller zones. The spatial trajectories of these zones are then contrasted, paying particular attention to the socioeconomic conditions and institutional arrangements governing access to land resources. The study finds that while overall land change patterns in the region are largely explained by elevation and the socioeconomic conditions of people living adjacent to the forestland, more specifically, in sub-regional areas, trajectories reflect the signatures of institutions governing access to land. As sustainability of the watershed is dependent on forests, continued depletion of forest resources will result in poor economic returns from agriculture for local people together with loss of ecosystem services.     

贵州省建造石头梯田对限制水土流失的效益和风险分析

在贵州全境建造石头梯田来减少水土流失的现象十分普遍。但此项技术本身却有其固有的风险性。石头梯田通常比土质的梯田高,填在石头挡墙中的土壤的量更大,更易导致梯田的垮塌,也会减少梯田上部的土壤,降低土壤的养分和水分含量。石头的挡墙会威胁土地的长期生产力,因为一旦石头挡墙垮塌,所有的碎石就会堆积在下部的梯田中,使耕作十分困难。这种垮塌现象会通过增加地表径流而形成冲沟,使向下的沉积物运输增加。尤其是梯田之间的人工排水道使这种风险加剧。因为这种排水道使降水很难渗人土壤中,使土壤的保水和蓄水能力下降,从而造成作物的受旱。水流通过排水道输送的速度加快,很容易造成水流的汇集,增加洪水泛滥的可能性。由于建造了排水道,即使一般的暴雨,也会因为输送速度的加快而导致洪峰升高而成灾。因此,对水土流失的工程治理方式不应该取代、而应该与好的土地管理策略相结合。尽管土地利用方式有所改变,但通过采用新技术和坚持可持续发展的原则,在此类的土地上仍可获得最高的产量。图7表1参14。     

湘南丘陵幼林林下植被覆盖对土壤侵蚀的影响

为削减缓坡梯土幼林地的水土流失,设立１０００ｍ＾２迳流小区,进行定位观测。探讨了植被覆盖对板栗幼林林地土壤侵蚀的影响。丘陵红壤区域开垦的缓坡梯地是绿化达标后泥沙的主要来源地,在无植被覆盖条件下,年土壤侵蚀蚀量可达６．４７７８ｔ／１０００ｍ＾２。植被覆盖能很好的削减土壤侵蚀量,种植面积为２４．２％－５８．４％时,年土壤侵蚀量可减少３５．４９％－５７．５５％,迳流系数平均减少２４．０９％,输沙率平均减少４０．０２％,覆盖度每增加０．１则输沙率减少０．００１９－０．００２７。加大幼林地地面植物覆盖面积和覆盖速度,是控制水土流失的有效途径,油－花生套种或连种是一保土功能很好的模式。     

Effect of terrain on landscape patterns and ecological effects by a gradient-based RS and GIS analysis

Terrain is an important environment factor that plays a vital role in human development by influencing the spatial layout of land use patterns. The terrain niche index, combined with slope and elevation, can comprehensively present detailed information about spatial differences in terrain and is superior to single terrain factors. We applied remote sensing and geographical information system to terrain gradient, used the non-dimensional distribution index to examine spatial distribution characteristics of various landscape types, and analyzed the ecological effects of landscape were quantitatively on terrain gradients. Eco-environment quality (EEQ) was evaluated using the forestry operation area as the evaluation unit. The spatial distributions in various landscapes were significantly influenced by terrain factors, especially by bodies of water, cropland and residential land. The spatial distribution varied greatly in different terrain gradients for similar landscape types. The areas associated with good, intermediate and poor EEQ were occupied primarily by natural landscape, semi-natural and largely artificial landscapes, respectively.     

遥感数据分析林区的植被和土壤侵蚀特征

以大兴安岭根河林业局潮查林场为试验区,选择合适时间和空间分辨率的卫星遥感TM数据,从中提取植被类型等有关特征及其空间分布等信息,并将有关的信息转化为通用水土流失方程(USLE)中的地面覆盖因子,计算试验区的土壤侵蚀量,进行侵蚀强度区分,生成土壤侵蚀强度图.结果表明:试验区的水土流失主要受坡度的影响.土壤侵蚀强度图与林相图进行空间叠加分析,获得土壤侵蚀严重的小班分布,从而为试验区的水土保持和流域管理提供依据.     

Deforestation and fragmentation of Chaco dry forest in NW Argentina (1972–2007)

The sustained increase in the global food demand has favoured the recent expansion of industrial agriculture into neotropical dry forest ecosystems, with resulting changes in their extent and spatial configuration. Based on Landsat satellite images, we analyzed changes in forest cover and landscape configuration over an area of 600 by 100 km located in NW Argentina (Tucumán and Salta provinces) in four periods between 1972 and 2007. The study area, one of the most active deforestation frontiers of South American dry forest, was divided into six relatively homogeneous sectors in terms of land property structure and biophysical characteristics. During the study period 1.4 millions hectares of dry forest were cleared. Deforestation started in the 1970s as a result of technological changes and increasing rainfall; continued (with spatial and temporal fluctuations) during the 1980s and 1990s in association to the sustained global demand of soybean, and was accelerated (to ca. 100,000 ha year⁻¹) between 2001 and 2007 following the global increase in commodity prices, and the national peso devaluation. We described the landscape structure using eight landscape indices, summarized as one synthesis value: the Euclidian distance across the seven dimensions from a theoretical non-fragmented situation. In areas with soil limitations deforestation resulted in relatively stable, highly fragmented landscapes. In contrast, the sites with regional coarser-scale limitations (rainfall), deforestation produced a less fragmented landscape where agriculture concentrates in sites with high rainfall. Sites with no limitations for agriculture tend to a largely deforested landscape with few small and poorly connected forest patches. The land properties size seems to influence some indices of fragmentation, but the synthetic index of fragmentation suggests an overall convergence of fragmentation patterns towards a similar configuration across different biophysical and land tenure conditions.     

Forest Re-growth Since 1945 in the Dadia Forest Nature Reserve in Northern Greece

The Dadia forest complex, in the Evros prefecture, in north eastern Greece was designated as a nature reserve in 1980 in order to protect the black vulture (Aegypius monachus) and other raptors. In this paper, the impacts of the protection on the forest growth were assessed using geographic information system (GIS) technologies. The major requirement for almost all research needed for sustainable forest management is extensive and intensive monitoring. GIS is a convenient tool for integrating remotely sensed data and various other kinds geo-referenced data. Detailed spatial and temporal change patterns of the land uses in the area were quantified by interpreting aerial photographs of the years 1945 and 1973 and a satellite image of 2001. The results showed that the rate of forest growth is significantly larger during the second period (1973–2001) than during the earlier one (1945–1973). This is mostly due to the introduction, in 1980, of a protection regime, including two high-protection core areas, and a buffer zone. From 1945 to 2001 the openings which are important as hunting biotopes for raptors were significantly decreased. Apart from the protection of the area that was played an important role in the forest changes the effects of various landscape parameters (elevation, slope, distance from the roads and urban areas, aspect, soil depth, geology, erosion and forest density) on these changes were examined.     

如何协调森林资源保护与矿产资源开发的关系

自然生态破坏是中国当前环境质量恶化的重要原因之一,已成为中国经济和社会可持续发展的严重障碍。因矿山开采造成生态环境严重破坏,不但影响自然景观、造成环境污染,而且诱发山体滑坡、水土流失和地下水位下降等生态灾难,部分地区土地石漠化严重。因此,如何在保护森林资源和生态环境的基础之上合理开发利用矿产资源,是今后很长一段时间必须研究和解决的重要课题之一。文章以清镇市为例,通过多年的调查和探索,分析研究如何在矿产资源开发中合理保护森林资源和治理生态环境,为各级政府和主管部门提供解决这一难题的办法和措施。     

黄土高原三种类型复合农林业边界地区土壤水分的时空变化(英文)

黄土高原山坡上的复合农林业是一种普遍存在的景色,在这里土壤的水分是植物生长和发展的限制因素。文中研究了三种类型复合农林业边界(林-牧地、林-耕地和防护林-耕地)下水分的时空特性。研究结果表明,从土地表面到110cm处土壤的水分含量随着土壤深度的增加而减少。在雨季(7-9月)、干旱季(5-6月)和春季(3-4月),土壤的水分含量在三种边界下变化非常显著。在三种边界类型的不同土壤层下,土壤水分的水平分布呈现出线性、波形、勺形或是"W"形不同的形式。通过方差分析和多重比较估计除了不同边界类型下土壤水分影响域(DEI)。在干旱季节,在0-10cm的土壤层的DEI为0.4H(H为平均树高),该数据从牧地或耕地下的0.2H到林-牧地、林-耕地下的0.2H和防护林-耕地下0.7H(从耕地的0.2H到防护林的0.5H)。在雨季,在0-110cm土壤深度三种边界下的DEI为0.7H。研究结果表明,特别在黄土高原的恢复退化土地区域为了保持土壤的水分在土地管理上复合农林业类型应该谨慎选取。     

吕梁市域生物多样性保护的生态安全格局

城市生物多样性保护是食物生产、人类健康和城市安全的必要保障,生态安全格局的构建能够维护自然生态平衡、保持生境稳定性和提高景观连通度,是生物多样性保护的重要空间途径。以吕梁市为例,采用形态学空间格局分析法和景观连通性指数法定量评估生态斑块重要性,辨别生态源地,利用最小累积阻力模型提取生态廊道和战略点,构建市域生物多样性保护的生态安全格局。结果表明:景观格局中核心区、桥接区、孤岛为林地和水域要素主要构成;沿吕梁山脉带状分布的生态源地景观连通性较大,西部生态源地面积较小且斑块重要性相对较低;"两纵,多横"的生态廊道布局和战略点布设,有效提高了市域生态结构的完整性。研究结果可以为市域尺度生物多样性保护规划提供思路和方法。     

三峡库区林业综合治理研究初报

以三峡库区典型小流域为单元 ,针对不同立地类型及土地利用现状 ,建立相应的林业综合治理模式 ,通过对库区高效水土保持林、沿江库岸生态景观林带和坡耕地退耕还林生态经济型林农复合经营模式营建技术的研究与示范 ,取得了阶段性成果 ,为三峡库区水土流失治理、库区农民增收和社会经济可持续发展提供技术支撑。     

Variation in infiltration with landscape position: Implications for forest productivity and surface water quality

Variation of infiltration rates with landscape position influences the amount, distribution, and routing of overland flow. Knowledge of runoff patterns gives land managers the opportunity to affect changes that optimize water use efficiency and reduce the risk of water quality impacts. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of landscape position and associated soil properties on infiltration in a small (147 ha) forest/pasture watershed in the Ozark Highlands. Three previously reported studies measured infiltration rates using double ring, sprinkling, single ring, and tension infiltrometers on soils at varying landscape positions. Although large variation in infiltration rates was observed among measurement techniques, upland and side slope soils (Nixa and Clarksville) had consistently lower infiltration rates compared to the soil in the valley bottom (Razort). A conceptual understanding of watershed runoff is developed from these data that includes infiltration excess runoff from the Nixa and Clarksville soils and saturation excess runoff on the Razort soil. Management of the soil water regime based on this understanding would focus on increasing infiltration in upland soils and maintaining the Razort soil areas in forest. Forest productivity would be enhanced by increasing plant-available water in upland soils and decreasing flooding on the Razort soil. Surface water quality would be improved by reducing the transport of potential water contaminants from animal manure applied to upland pastures.     

Forest Fire Risk Zone Modeling Using Logistic Regression and GIS: An Iranian Case Study

Forest fires are an important environmental concern worldwide, affecting the soil, forests and human lives. During the process of burning, soil nutrients are depleted and the soil is subsequently more vulnerable to erosion. Nowadays it is necessary to identify the factors influencing the occurrence of fire and fire hazard areas, in order to minimize the frequency of fire and avert damage. Logistic regression was used to study the forest fire risk and identify the most influential factors in the occurrence of forest fires. Climatic variables (temperature and annual precipitation), human factors (distance from streams and farmland) and physiography (land slope and elevation) were considered and their correlation with the occurrence of fires investigated. Results of model validation and sensitivity of various areas to fire were examined with the ROC coefficient and Hosmer–Lemeshow test. The estimated coefficients for the independent variables indicated that the probability of occurrence of fire is negatively related to land slope, site elevation and distance from farmlands, but is positively related to amount of annual precipitation.     

Regional Evaluation of Wind Erosion of the Loess Plateau in Pengyang County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China

The loess plateau in China is well-known for its severe water erosion. A nationwide soil erosion survey discovered that wind erosion of the loess land is also greatly concerned. The severity of wind erosion for each land use in Pengyang County of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China, was evaluated according to the national standard of soil erosion classification. The evaluation system includes a GIS database, an evaluation indicator system and a classification system for land and land use. The erodible nature of soil and annual soil loss of the most erodible land were obtained as follows: (1) Croplands plowed and harrowed in late autumn were the most erodible land,with an erosion intensity of medium grade and an erodible proportion of 46%; (2) The erodible proportion of natural grasslands was between 19.3% and 21.5%, whose erosion intensity was of mostly tolerable grade; (3)When it came to the whole county, there was 21.3% of the total area in tolerable grade in terms of wind erosion intensity, 42.1% slight and 34.8% medium.     

李子口径流小区不同植被条件下降雨对土壤侵蚀的影响研究

采用径流小区实验的方法,在李子口小流域设立了6个不同植被类型的径流小区,研究径流小区不同植被条件下降雨对土壤侵蚀的影响,结果如下:(1)不同植被条件下,降雨对土壤侵蚀的影响可表现为撂荒地小区>农耕地小区>林地小区,降雨对林地的土壤侵蚀弱,林地对当地水土的保持能力强,最适合作为当地水土保持的植物措施。(2)总体上,6个径流小区的降雨量、降雨侵蚀力与地表径流量、径流深、土壤流失量之间的相关性均表现为显著正相关的关系,表明降雨对当地土壤侵蚀作用强,需重点防护。研究揭示了研究区降雨与土壤侵蚀的相关性,比较了不同植被条件下降雨对土壤侵蚀的影响,为水土保持的相关研究提供参考与借鉴。     

Autologistic regression and multicriteria evaluation models for the prediction of forest expansion

Land use changes are complex ecological processes driven by the interaction of biophysical and human related factors. The prediction of forest land use changes is important for sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation. This study investigates the modelling process of the spatial dynamics of a forest ecosystem in north eastern Greece. For the prediction of forest expansion, based on land use data of the study area, a deterministic approach using logistic regression and heuristic methods of multi-criteria evaluation is adopted. The set of factors driving forest expansion are: the slope, the distance to roads, the distance to urban areas, the distance to forest, the soil depth, the soil erosion and the influence from the land uses of the neighbourhood. The spatial autocorrelation of driving factors is addressed using an autologistic regression model. The multicriteria evaluation approach is developed using weighted linear combination (WLC) and ordered weighted averaging (OWA) methods. In WLC method the relative importance of each factor was estimated using the analytical hierarchy process. In the OWA method, decision strategies are generated using a selection of relative linguistic quantifiers, which allow different Risk in decisions. The accuracy of the models produced was tested with real data for the year 2001 using the ROC validation method. All the methods produced satisfactory results. Autologistic regression showed slightly better performance than multicriteria evaluation methods due to higher degree of objectivity in defining the importance of driving factors for forest expansion.     

黄土丘陵沟壑区不同植被减蚀、减流效应研究

对半干旱黄土丘陵沟壑区不同植被类型径流、侵蚀效应进行长期观测.研究结果表明:不同植被产流和侵蚀次数效应为:坡耕地＞牧草地＞乔木林地＞天然草地＞灌木林地;不同植被类型之间径流量和侵蚀量差异较大,其大小次序为:坡耕地＞牧草地＞乔木林地＞天然草地＞灌木林地;灌木林地的减流率和减沙率均在较高的水平,具有良好的水土保持效应;天然草地由于其独特的功能,水土保持效应较好;乔木林地和人工草地除了乔木林地减蚀效应较好外,减流效应较差;坡耕地的累积径流量及侵蚀量最大,而累积减沙率和减流率最低,水土保持效应最差.