Modelling the long-term sustainability of indigenous hunting in Manu National Park, Peru: landscape-scale management implications for Amazonia

P> Widespread hunting throughout Amazonia threatens the persistence of large primates and other vertebrates. Most studies have used models of limited validity and restricted spatial and temporal scales to assess the sustainability. We use human-demographi

hyo-xtm: a set of hyper-graph operations on xml topic map toward knowledge management

Knowledge management is a critical issue for the next-generation web application, because the next-generation web is becoming a semantic web, a knowledge-intensive network. XML Topic Map (XTM), a new standard, is appearing in this field as one of the structures for the semantic web. It organizes information in a way that can be optimized for navigation. In this paper, a new set of hyper-graph operations on XTM (HyO-XTM) is proposed to manage the distributed knowledge resources.HyO-XTM is based on the XTM hyper-graph model. It is well applied upon XTM to simplify the workload of knowledge management.The application of the XTM hyper-graph operations is demonstrated by the knowledge management system of a consulting firm. HyO-XTM shows the potential to lead the knowledge management to the next-generation web.

Sustainable development of coastal and marine areas in small island developing states: A basis for integrated coastal management

Agenda 21, the 40-chapter action plan, agreed to by all nations participating in the 1992 Earth Summit represents an ambitious effort to provide policy guidance across the entire spectrum of environment, development, and social issues confronting mankind. In the area of oceans and coasts (Chapter 17 of Agenda 21), the Earth Summit underscored that the management of oceans and coasts should be ‘integrated in content and anticipatory in ambit.’ To assist those responsible for implementing the Earth Summit guidelines on ocean and coastal management, this article first reviews the fundamental shift in paradigm reflected in the Earth Summit agreements as well as the specific recommendations contained in Chapter 17. Next, the article examines the central concept of ‘integrated management,’ noting both its importance and its limits. A general or ‘synthesis’ model of ‘integrated coastal management’ is then presented, addressing such questions as management goals, what is being managed, where, how, and by whom. In a concluding section, methods are proposed whereby the general or ‘synthesis model’ can be tailored to diverse national contexts, involving varying physical, socio-economic, and political conditions.

Essential elements of integrated coastal zone management

The coastal zone comprises a narrow strip of coastal lowlands and a vast area of coastal waters. While the coastal zone represents approximately 10% of the earth's surface, its coastal lowlands are inhabited by more than 50% of the world population. The coastal zone has become the major site for extensive and diverse economic activities. Many of the coastal developing countries depend heavily on the scarce coastal resources for their economic growth.

On the meaning of integration in coastal zone management

This paper discusses the definition and use of the term ‘integrated management’ in the context of coastal and ocean resources. It identifies several components which appear to be needed to establish an integrated management system for a large area subject to multiple use and jurisdiction. It suggests that the basis of integrated management should be a clear articulation of common purpose which addresses long term needs and vision. Once developed, this common purpose should be securely established to provide the setting against which sectoral and agencies managers and the community conduct and co-ordinate their activities.

A conceptual approach to integrated coastal management

This paper focuses on the concept of Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) putting the theoretical basis of Chapter 17, Agenda 21 (UN Conference on Environment and Development, UNCED), in relation to the theoretical backgrounds on which the development of coastal area programmes have been founded. Reasoning leads us to think that the general system theory is the proper conceptual basis to stimulate ICM and that, in this theoretical context, integration is to be pursued between (i) the claiming of national maritime jurisdictional belts and the protection of the coastal ecosystem, (ii) the coastal system and its external environment, (iii) the decision making systems acting at all levels (international, regional, national and local). Integration, therefore, should be thought of as a political process.

Burrowing rodents as ecosystem engineers: the ecology and management of plateau zokors Myospalax fontanierii in alpine meadow ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau

1. Plateau zokors, Myospalax fontanierii, are the only subterranean herbivores on the Tibetan plateau of China. Although the population biology of plateau zokors has been studied for many years, the interactions between zokors and plants, especially for the maintenance and structure of ecological communities, have been poorly recognized. In the past, plateau zokors have been traditionally viewed as pests, competitors with cattle, and agents of soil erosion, thus eradication programmes have been carried out by local governments and farmers. Zokors are also widely and heavily exploited for their use in traditional Chinese medicine.2. Like other fossorial animals, such as pocket gophers Geomys spp. and prairie dogs Cynomys spp. in similar ecosystems, zokors may act to increase local environmental heterogeneity at the landscape level, aid in the formation, aeration and mixing of soil, and enhance infiltration of water into the soil thus curtailing erosion. The changes that zokors cause in the physical environment, vegetation and soil clearly affect the herbivore food web. Equally, plateau zokors also provide a significant food source for many avian and mammalian predators on the plateau. Zokor control leading to depletion of prey and secondary poisoning may therefore present problems for populations of numerous other animals.3. We highlight the important role plateau zokors play in the Tibetan plateau ecosystem. Plateau zokors should be managed in concert with other comprehensive rangeland treatments to ensure the ecological equilibrium and preservation of native biodiversity, as well as the long-term sustainable use of pastureland by domestic livestock.

Ecological basis of Alpine meadow ecosystem management in Tibet: Haibei Alpine Meadow Ecosystem Research Station

Alpine meadow and shrub are the main pasture types on the Tibetan Plateau, and they cover about 35% of the total land area. In order to understand the structural and functional aspects of the alpine ecosystem and to promote a sustainable animal production system, the Haibei Alpine Meadow Research Station was established in 1976. A series of intensive studies on ecosystem structure and function, including the energy flow and nutrient cycling of the ecosystem, were the main tasks during the first 10 years. Meanwhile, studies with 5 different grazing intensities on both summer and winter pasture have been conducted. In the early years of the 1990s, the research station started to focus its research work on global warming, biodiversity and sustainable animal production systems in pastoral areas. Various methods for improving degraded pasturelands have been developed in the region.

人口统计信息空间可视化系统研究

Population research is a front area concerned by domestic and overseas, especially its researches on its spatial visualization and its geo-visualization system design, which provides a sound base for understanding and analysis of the regional difference in population distribution and its spatial rules. With the development of GIS, the theory of geo-visualization more and more plays an important role in many research fields, especially in population information visualization, and has been made the big achievements recently. Nevertheless, the current research is less attention paid to the system design for statistical-geo visualization for population information. This paper tries to explore the design theories and methodologies for statistical-geo-visualization system for population information. The researches are mainly focused on the framework, the methodologies and techniques for the system design and construction. The purpose of the research is developed a platform for population atlas by the integration of the former owned copy software of the research group in statistical mapping system. As a modern tool, the system will provide a spatial visual environment for user to analyze the characteristics of population distribution and differentiate the interrelations of the population components. Firstly, the paper discusses the essentiality of geo-visualization for population information and brings forward the key issue in statistical-geo visualization system design based on the analysis of inland and international trends. Secondly, the geo-visualization system for population design, including its structure, functionality, module, user interface design, is studied based on the concepts of theory and technology of geo-visualization. The system design is proposed and further divided into three parts: support layer, technical layer, user layer. The support layer is a basic operation module and main part of the system. The technical layer is a core part of the system, supported by database and function modules. The database module mainly include the integrated population database (comprises spatial data, attribute data and geographical features information), the cartographic symbol library, the color library, the statistical analysis model. The function module of the system consists of thematic map maker component, statistical graph maker component, database management component and statistical analysis component. The user layer is an integrated platform, which provides the functions to design and implement a visual interface for user to query, analysis and management the statistic data and the electronic map. Based on the above, China's E-atlas for population was designed and developed by the integration of the national fifth census data with 1:400 million scaled spatial data. The atlas illustrates the actual development level of the population nowadays in China by about 200 thematic maps relating with 10 map categories(environment, population distribution, sex and age, immigration, nation, family and marriage, birth, education, employment, house). As a scientific reference tool, China's E-atlas for population has already received the high evaluation after published in early 2005. Finally, the paper makes the deep analysis of the sex ratio in China, to show how to use the functions of the system to analyze the specific population problem and how to make the data mining. The analysis results showed that: 1. The sex ratio has been increased in many regions after fourth census in 1990 except the cities in the east region, and the high sex ratio is highly located in hilly and low mountain areas where with the high illiteracy rate and the high poor rate; 2. The statistical-geo visualization system is a powerful tool to handle population information, which can be used to reflect the regional differences and the regional variations of population in China and indicate the interrelations of the population with other environment factors. Although the author tries to bring up a integrate design frame of the statistical-geo visualization system, there are still many problems needed to be resolved with the development of geo-visualization studies.