内蒙古锡林河流域空间生态学研究

本文从物种和景观两个组织水平上研究了气候、土壤、地形等自然环境因子和人类活动因子对生物空间分布格局的影响。基于锡林河流域地理信息系统各环境因子的专题数据，利用空间异质性分析方法研究了锡林河流域环境因子的空间分布格局;基于锡林河流域野外调查数据，运用空间异质性分析方法研究了重要物种的空间分布格局，并采用典范对应分析(Canomc Correspondence Analvsis，CCA)方法分析了物种分布与环境因子的关系：基于锡林河流域地理信息系统各环境因子的专题数据，研究了锡林河流域植被斑块的空间格局特征及其与环境因子的关系，并采用典范对应分析方法分析了植被类型组成与环境因子的关系：基于内蒙古草原生态系统定位研究站放牧样地的样方调查数据．采用空间异质性分析方法，研究了放牧压力对物种空间分布格局的影响：基于多年的卫星遥感数据，采用建模和对比等方法，研究了定居放牧方式下植被状况空间变化规律及植被状况时空变化与人类活动、社会经济发展的关系。通过上述分析，得到的主要结论如下： 1、锡林河流域各个环境因子都具有自己的空间特征尺度，共同形成多尺度等级体系，按特征尺度的大小可以分为如下3个组： ·小尺度组(15km左右)：有机暖、全N的较小的特征尺度 ·中尺度组(30～50km)：T1，碳酸钙含量．PER、全N和海拔高度的较小的特征尺度 ·大尺度组(100km左右)：ANNR，PER、全N和海拔高度的较大的特征尺度多尺度等级的生态学意义是它反映生态变量异质斑块的镶嵌和包含特征，环境因子多尺度等级体系反映共性，具有普遍性：反映生态关系，具有生态学意义。 2、对物种空间异质性的Mantel检验和半方差分析得到了一致的结果产即羊草、糙隐子草和星毛萎菱菜在锡林河流域的空间分布呈现随机特征，而大针茅和冷蒿则表现为十分显著的格局特征。按分布格局的显著程度从大到小排列为冷蒿>大针茅>星毛萎菱菜>糙隐子草>羊草。理论半方差图显示大针茅和冷蒿的空间自相关域分别为30．447公里和30公里。物种空间分布格局是受自然条件、人类活动以及它们自身的生理生态特征综合决定的，物种自身的生理生态特征决定了它们对外界环境变化的适应性反应机制，而自然与人类活动这两种因素在空间的交错配置决定了物种适应性反应的方向和程度，从而综合导致物种空间分布格局的形成。 3、对锡林河流域物种分布与环境因子关系的CCA分析和交叉半方差方法分析显示：1)气候因子(11个指标)、土壤性状因子(3个指标)和地形因子(3个指标)对物种分布的贡献率分别为11．2％、9．5％和11％，三者总和为31．7％。2)各个环境因子对物种分布空间作用方向具有一致性，物种分布与环境因子几乎都在135。和157．5。两个方向上具有相对明显的相关性，从锡林河流域来看，这两个方向反映了气候、土壤以及地形从东南往西北的变化梯度方向。 4、对锡林河流域14个植被景观指数进行的PCA分析表明，锡林河流域植被斑块空间分布的物理特征主要表现在斑块的数目和大小方面，其次是在斑块的多样性方面，并可将它们分为4个组，分别反映锡林河流域植被斑块的不同特征： ·第一组：NP、PRD、LPI、MPS、PSSD和TE，主要反映景观斑块在数量和大小方面的特征; ·第二组：SHDI、SIDI、SHEI和SIEI，主要反映景观斑块的多样性特征; ·第三组：PSCV和[J]．主要反映景观斑块之间的相互邻接程度; ·第四组：MSI和AWMSI，主要反映景观斑块的形状特征。 MPS和PSSD两个指数与环境因子无论是在相关系数的性质还是显著程度上都保持了很好的一致性，它们与纬度(LAT)及可能蒸散率(PER)呈极显著的正相关关系，而与经度(LNG)、海拔高度(ALT)、年平均降水量(ANNR)及土壤有机质含量(0RG)呈极显著的负相关关系：平均形状指数(MSI)只与LAT呈显著的正相关关系;多样性指数和扩散毗连指数与任何一个环境因子都没有表现出显著的相关性。 5、锡林河流域植被分布与环境因子的关系CCA排序方法分析表明，气候因子(11个指标)、土壤性状因子(3个指标)和地形因子(3个指标)对植被分布的贡献率分别为19.8%、11.1%和14.5%，三者总和为45.4％。环境因子在植被和物种两个水平上的贡献率表现了相似的特点，自然环境因子不能完全解释植被的空间分布，人类活动的影响应该受到重视。 6、放牧压力对物种空间分布格局的研究表明： ·牧压对温带典型草原物种的空间分布格局有明显的影响。随着牧云的增大，属于原生群落物种的羊草与大针茅空间分布的随机性减小，空间自相关尺度逐渐增大;而对于退化过程中的入侵物种冷蒿和星毛萎菱菜，其空间分布的随机性逐渐增大．空间自相关尺度也呈增大趋势。在牧压胁迫超过一定水平时，冷蒿空间分布的自相关尺度开始下降，而星毛萎菱菜的空间分布格局则表现出强烈的随机性。 ·物种空间格局的变化是反映群落演替过程较为稳定的特征，适用于不同放牧条件下 群落之间的比较。 7、利用遥感数据对人类活动对植被影响的研究表明： ·定居放牧方式下，NDVI随定居点距离的变化格局经历了3个阶段。第一阶段，草场处于原生阶段，NDVI不随距离变化;第二阶段，定居点附近开始局部退化，NDVI随距离增加而增大：第三阶段，退化区域扩大，NDVI不随距离变化。 ·在草场局部退化阶段，NDVI随距离的变化呈对数函数规律，定居点的放牧区具有放牧半径、原生NDVI值、NDVI变化率等特征。根据这些特征、NDVI对数规律以及NDVI与地上生物量的关系可以推测定居点的总载畜量。 ·锡林河流域从87年到85年NDVI值降低最大的区域为流域的中部和南部，这与这一区域人类活动强度以及社会经济发展具有密切关系。

Biogeographic characterization of essential fish habitats affected by human activities in the coastal zone of Puerto Rico

The overall purpose of this project was to collect available information on the characteristics of essential fish habitats in protected and non-protected marine areas around the islands of Puerto Rico. Specifically, this project compiled historical information on benthic habitats and the status of marine resources into a Geographic Information System (GIS) by digitizing paper copies of existing marine geologic maps that were developed for the Caribbean Fishery Management Council (CFMC) for areas around the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. In addition, information on benthic habitat types, Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) requirements, and fishing and non-fishing impacts to marine resources were compiled for two priority areas: La Parguera and Vieques. The information obtained will help to characterize and select habitats for future monitoring of impacts of fishing and non-fishing activities and to develop management recommendations for conservation of important marine habitats. The project focused specifically on areas identified as priorities for conservation by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) and the Local Action Strategy Overfishing Group.

Quantifying riparian habitat for wildlife in the Vermilion Basin : an evaluation of the Illinois stream information system and other geographic data for statewide classification of riparian habitat /

"This one-year project was designed to assess the feasibility of using the information contained in the Illinois Stream Information System (ISIS), in conjunction with the Illinois Geographic Information System (IGIS), to evaluate the riparian habitat for wildlife in the Vermilion River Basin." -- pg. 4.

A study of habitat fragmentation in Southeastern Brazil using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS)

The purpose of this work was to study fragmentation of forest formations (mesophytic forest, riparian woodland and savannah vegetation (cerrado)) in a 15,774-ha study area located in the Municipal District of Botucatu in Southeastern Brazil (São Paulo State). A land use and land cover map was made from a color composition of a Landsat-5 thematic mapper (TM) image. The edge effect caused by habitat fragmentation was assessed by overlaying, on a geographic information system (GIS), the land use and land cover data with the spectral ratio. The degree of habitat fragmentation was analyzed by deriving: 1. mean patch area and perimeter; 2. patch number and density; 3. perimeter-area ratio, fractal dimension (D), and shape diversity index (SI); and 4. distance between patches and dispersion index (R). In addition, the following relationships were modeled: 1. distribution of natural vegetation patch sizes; 2. perimeter-area relationship and the number and area of natural vegetation patches; 3. edge effect caused by habitat fragmentation, the values of R indicated that savannah patches (R = 0.86) were aggregated while patches of natural vegetation as a whole (R = 1.02) were randomly dispersed in the landscape. There was a high frequency of small patches in the landscape whereas large patches were rare. In the perimeter-area relationship, there was no sign of scale distinction in the patch shapes, In the patch number-landscape area relationship, D, though apparently scale-dependent, tends to be constant as area increases. This phenomenon was correlated with the tendency to reach a constant density as the working scale was increased, on the edge effect analysis, the edge-center distance was properly estimated by a model in which the edge-center distance was considered a function of the to;al patch area and the SI. (C) 1997 Elsevier B.V. B.V.

Land use/cover change using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems : Pic Macaya National Park, Haiti

A post classification change detection technique based on a hybrid classification approach (unsupervised and supervised) was applied to Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat Enhanced Thematic Plus (ETM+), and ASTER images acquired in 1987, 2000 and 2004 respectively to map land use/cover changes in the Pic Macaya National Park in the southern region of Haiti. Each image was classified individually into six land use/cover classes: built-up, agriculture, herbaceous, open pine forest, mixed forest, and barren land using unsupervised ISODATA and maximum likelihood supervised classifiers with the aid of field collected ground truth data collected in the field. Ground truth information, collected in the field in December 2007, and including equalized stratified random points which were visual interpreted were used to assess the accuracy of the classification results. The overall accuracy of the land classification for each image was respectively: 1987 (82%), 2000 (82%), 2004 (87%). A post classification change detection technique was used to produce change images for 1987 to 2000, 1987 to 2004, and 2000 to 2004. It was found that significant changes in the land use/cover occurred over the 17- year period. The results showed increases in built up (from 10% to 17%) and herbaceous (from 5% to 14%) areas between 1987 and 2004. The increase of herbaceous was mostly caused by the abandonment of exhausted agriculture lands. At the same time, open pine forest and mixed forest areas lost (75%) and (83%) of their area to other land use/cover types. Open pine forest (from 20% to 14%) and mixed forest (from18 to 12%) were transformed into agriculture area or barren land. This study illustrated the continuing deforestation, land degradation and soil erosion in the region, which in turn is leading to decrease in vegetative cover. The study also showed the importance of Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies to estimate timely changes in the land use/cover, and to evaluate their causes in order to design an ecological based management plan for the park.

The Application of Geographic Information Systems to climate change & land evaluation : a study of the effects of climate change upon crop productivity in a sub-tropical environment

This research investigates the contribution that Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can make to the land suitability process used to determine the effects of a climate change scenario. The research is intended to redress the severe under representation of Developing countries within the literature examining the impacts of climatic change upon crop productivity. The methodology adopts some of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates for regional climate variations, based upon General Circulation Model predictions (GCMs) and applies them to a baseline climate for Bangladesh. Utilising the United Nations Food & Agricultural Organisation's Agro-ecological Zones land suitability methodology and crop yield model, the effects of the scenario upon agricultural productivity on 14 crops are determined. A Geographic Information System (IDRISI) is adopted in order to facilitate the methodology, in conjunction with a specially designed spreadsheet, used to determine the yield and suitability rating for each crop. A simple optimisation routine using the GIS is incorporated to provide an indication of the 'maximum theoretical' yield available to the country, should the most calorifically significant crops be cultivated on each land unit both before and after the climate change scenario. This routine will provide an estimate of the theoretical population supporting capacity of the country, both now and in the future, to assist with planning strategies and research. The research evaluates the utility of this alternative GIS based methodology for the land evaluation process and determines the relative changes in crop yields that may result from changes in temperature, photosynthesis and flooding hazard frequency. In summary, the combination of a GIS and a spreadsheet was successful, the yield prediction model indicates that the application of the climate change scenario will have a deleterious effect upon the yields of the study crops. Any yield reductions will have severe implications for agricultural practices. The optimisation routine suggests that the 'theoretical maximum' population supporting capacity is well in excess of current and future population figures. If this agricultural potential could be realised however, it may provide some amelioration from the effects of climate change.

AstroWeb – A Graphical Representation of an Astronomical WFPDB Database Using a Web-Based Open Source Geographical Information System

ACM Computing Classification System (1998): H.5.2, H.2.8, J.2, H.5.3.

Analysis of fractured terrain using remote sensing and geographic information systems : establishing a correlation between fracture network properties and vegetation

This research analyzed the spatial relationship between a mega-scale fracture network and the occurrence of vegetation in an arid region. High-resolution aerial photographs of Arches National Park, Utah were used for digital image processing. Four sets of large-scale joints were digitized from the rectified color photograph in order to characterize the geospatial properties of the fracture network with the aid of a Geographic Information System. An unsupervised landcover classification was carried out to identify the spatial distribution of vegetation on the fractured outcrop. Results of this study confirm that the WNW-ESE alignment of vegetation is dominantly controlled by the spatial distribution of the systematic joint set, which in turn parallels the regional fold axis. This research provides insight into the spatial heterogeneity inherent to fracture networks, as well as the effects of jointing on the distribution of surface vegetation in desert environments.

The implementation of an Enterprise Geographical Information System to support Cadastre and Expropriation activities.

The processes of mobilization of land for infrastructures of public and private domain are developed according to proper legal frameworks and systematically confronted with the impoverished national situation as regards the cadastral identification and regularization, which leads to big inefficiencies, sometimes with very negative impact to the overall effectiveness. This project report describes Ferbritas Cadastre Information System (FBSIC) project and tools, which in conjunction with other applications, allow managing the entire life-cycle of Land Acquisition and Cadastre, including support to field activities with the integration of information collected in the field, the development of multi-criteria analysis information, monitoring all information in the exploration stage, and the automated generation of outputs. The benefits are evident at the level of operational efficiency, including tools that enable process integration and standardization of procedures, facilitate analysis and quality control and maximize performance in the acquisition, maintenance and management of registration information and expropriation (expropriation projects). Therefore, the implemented system achieves levels of robustness, comprehensiveness, openness, scalability and reliability suitable for a structural platform. The resultant solution, FBSIC, is a fit-for-purpose cadastre information system rooted in the field of railway infrastructures. FBSIC integrating nature of allows: to accomplish present needs and scale to meet future services; to collect, maintain, manage and share all information in one common platform, and transform it into knowledge; to relate with other platforms; to increase accuracy and productivity of business processes related with land property management.

Study of baleen whales’ ecology and interaction with maritime traffic activities to support management of a complex socio-ecological system

Thesis written in co-mentorship with Robert Michaud.

Impact of the Caribbean Information System on the activities of the Caribbean Community Secretariat: with special reference to CARISPLAN abstracts

Includes bibliography

Informe de la Reunión de Expertos sobre Diseño de un Sistema Regional de Información sobre Actividades de Información = Report of the Meeting of Experts on Design of a Regional Information System on Information Activities

Incluye Bibliografía