Identifying regional landscapes for conservation planning: a case study from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

The application of landscape ecology in conservation biology has rarely occurred in the context of defined landscapes. Conservation planning has focussed on representation of species diversity patterns and assumed that ecosystems, landscapes and their associated processes will be equally protected. The long-term persistence of biodiversity in the face of land transformations and global change requires the representation and retention of all elements of biodiversity. This biodiversity includes landscapes, and the landscape structure and processes that maintain patterns of biodiversity. We developed a method of classifying landscapes for the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The process entailed the use of 1 km² grid data from climate and terrain databases. Principal components analysis coupled with a cluster classification method and spatial overlay techniques were used to identify two hierarchical levels of landscapes. Validation analysis showed that landscapes are identifiable with a classification accuracy of 86.8%. The derived landscapes can be combined separately with data on vegetation and soil to describe landscape ecosystems that potentially differ in species composition, successional dynamics, and potential productivity. The surrogate use of the landscapes in conjunction with other strategic data, for the identification of priority conservation areas, is demonstrated.     

Effectiveness of siphon drainage method for landslide stabilization in a tropical volcanic hillslope: a case study of Cibitung Landslide,West Java,Indonesia

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment - An effort to implement a siphon drainage system requires a comprehensive knowledge of the factor affecting the performance of the drainage...     

大都市边缘农业旅游地区控规探索

城乡统筹发展为非常规城镇空间带来了发展良机,对这类地区的规划研究需要全方位的转变。本文首先梳理了近年来国内农业旅游地区规划的相关研究进展情况,继而以南京江心洲为例探讨了大都市边缘的农业旅游地区在规划方法和控制措施上创新的主要思路。     

Formation and evolution of a successive landslide dam by the erosion of river: a case study of the Gendakan landslide dam on the Lancang River,China

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment - A landslide dam located on the Lancang River in Southwest China was used as a case to study the landslide formation and evolution process...     

Application of sliding seismic isolator to building structures considering cost,performance and inspection: a case study

Seismic isolation system (SIS) of building structures can lead to reduction of the structural response to earthquake ground motion and improvement of structural safety. This paper introduces a sliding seismic isolator with mass energy regulator springs (SSIM) as a SIS type, and presents the application procedure of the SSIM to an existing building structure considering the probability that the SIS application leads to cost–benefit, the seismic performance evaluation of the building structure and the efficient SIS inspection after earthquakes. Based on a decision tree considering the probability of earthquake occurrence during the service of a building structure and functionality of the SIS against earthquakes, cost–benefit from installing a SIS is formulated, and, probability that the SIS application leads to cost–benefit is estimated. In the seismic performance evaluation, the fundamental period and structural response acceleration to the horizontal ground motion of the building with the SSIM are assessed. Furthermore, the efficient SIS inspection plan after earthquakes is investigated based on the acceptance sampling. The existing building structure, information and communications technology center of Syiah Kuala University located in Banda Aceh, Indonesia is applied for the case study.     

A new quality factor for the building stone industry: a case study of stone blocks,slabs, and tiles

In building stones, discontinuities, non-uniformity, and irregular shape are among the problems that reduce the quality of products. Stone blocks, slabs, and tiles are the main products of quarries and stone processing plants. Quantifying the quality is a key factor in valuation of these products. This paper proposes a quality factor formula to determine the quality of stone blocks (three-dimensional) and products from stone processing plants (two-dimensional). This factor, which shows the uniformity and esthetic index of a piece of stone, is determined based on the shape quality (α), number, size, and esthetic quality (β) of the pieces and the discontinuity factor (γ) that separates the pieces. The quality factor is defined in a way that each previously mentioned characteristic of a piece is involved in the quality factor formula calculation. The quality factor ranges between 0 and 1 and can be expressed as a percentage. The proposed quality factor was calculated for a number of different stone blocks, slabs, and tiles to examine the validity of the quality factor formula. The results showed that the shape quality is the most significant parameter in determining the quality of stone blocks in quarries. Moreover, in processing plant products the esthetic quality and the number of stone pieces in a product are the key factors for determination of their quality. The discontinuity factor is a parameter that reduces the quality of stone products significantly. Furthermore, the quality factor formula can be used as a convenient tool for classifying the products of quarries and stone processing plants.

     

GIS-based landslide hazard zonation: a case study from the Parwanoo area,Lesser and Outer Himalaya,H.P., India

GIS-based landslide hazard zonation has been carried out for a tectonically active region of the Himalayas, which is under pressure for rapid economic development. Thematic layers of slope, fault, geology, land use, flow accumulation, drainage and roads were prepared based on topographic maps, satellite imagery, published geological maps and ground truth. Five classes of landslide hazard were identified; 24% of the total area falls into the Very high or High hazard zones where 54% of the observed landslides were recorded.      

Analysis of landslide stability under seismic action and subsequent rainfall: a case study on the Ganjiazhai giant landslide along the Zhaotong-Qiaojia road during the 2014 Ludian earthquake,Yunnan, China

In a strong earthquake, not only a large number of coseismic landslides are triggered, but relaxation and cracks in the rocks and soils are induced, which make these rocks and soils vulnerable to instability during subsequent rainfall; thus, strong earthquakes always have long-term effects on landslides. The geo-hazards along the Zhaotong-Qiaojia road in the 2014 Ludian earthquake (Ms 6.5) of Yunnan Province, China, were investigated, and the Ganjiazhai giant landslide was chosen as a case study. First, using the limit equilibrium analysis and Newmark method, the critical seismic intensity of the landslide before the earthquake was evaluated. Secondly, the dynamic failure process of the landslide under the measured ground motion was simulated with the discontinuous deformation analysis method. Lastly, based on stress–seepage coupling analysis and precipitation data from Ludian meteorological station, the stability of the landslide during subsequent rainfall after the earthquake was predicted. The results show that the critical seismic intensity was within degrees VIII–IX, which is consistent with the results of the earthquake damage investigation. The dynamic failure process can be divided into four stages, and four scarps formed; the potential sliding zones during the subsequent rainfall were at the first scarp and the fourth scarp, and their critical rainfall amounts were 35–40 mm and 55–60 mm, respectively. In this paper, failure process simulation and stability prediction of the landslide before, during, and after the strong earthquake are presented, which provide analysis methods for the dynamic stability of landslides in the meizoseismal area.

     

Use of multisensor and multitemporal geospatial datasets to extract the foundation characteristics of a large building: a case study

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment - The assessment of the ground conditions for large buildings is important because the results are sensitive to the ground conditions, especially...     

Rapid assessment procedure to demarcate areas susceptible to earthquake-induced ground failures for environment management – a case study from parts of northeast India

Ground failures, such as landslide and the liquefaction of soil induced by earthquake and/or rainfall, not only pose a threat to human settlements but also degrade the environment. In order to be as prepared as possible, prior knowledge of the spatial distribution of areas vulnerable to these natural hazards and the critical locations for different degrees of risk is required. Information on the land cover, surface drainage, morphology, surface material, rock type, geological structure, lineament, rainfall and earthquake was used in developing a procedure to evaluate regions of potential ground failure. A case study from northeast India is presented to illustrate its value. Electronic Publication     

Site response analysis for the seismic improvement of a historical and monumental building: the case study of Augusta Hangar

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment - Eastern Sicily is very rich of historical buildings, but at the same time is one of the most seismically active areas of Italy. In particular,...     

Communicative Approaches to Restoration Ecology: a case study from Dovre Mountain and Svalbard, Norway

Extensive damage to the vegetation cover in arctic and alpine landscapes has raised the question of restoration as a possible management strategy. Restoration is a goal-oriented activity, a technological undertaking wider than its parent science of ecology. Social science and planning concepts and methods are necessary to handle the value judgements implicit in restoration. It is argued that the notion of 'desired state' is a better reference point in defining restoration goals than the notion of 'original state'. Using qualitative methods, two areas with vulnerable arctic/alpine vegetation are investigated. Based on participants' statements, four possible scenarios or desired states for future management are constructed. The main focus in the scenarios is on participants' attitudes to restoration activity, and it is shown how these are influenced by participants' attachment to the area and their view of nature.     

基于景观视野的城市设计方法初探——广州大学城中心区城市设计研究

1项目背景 2003年1月．广州大学城酝酿启动．广州规划局选择共享设施最为集中的中心区作为启动区．组织“广州大学城中心区城市设计国际咨询”。邀请参加的单位包括英国罗杰斯事务所．华南理工大学建筑学院＋美国SASAKI公司．美国SBA公司＋ASG公司。     

Water safety plans for piped urban supplies in developing countries: a case study from Kampala,Uganda

Full cost recovery is a major and complex issue that has gained high recognition in recent years. The Water Framework Directive promotes the idea that water charging should act as an incentive for the sustainable use of water resources. Thus, all Member States should take into consideration the principle of recovery of the total cost of water services, which includes environmental and resource costs as well. In order to evaluate various aspects of current water policy, to investigate the perspectives of water saving, to explore new approaches toward sustainable water management in the water supply sector and to evaluate water price elasticity, a survey has been performed recently in the city of Volos, concerning the residential sector. The influence of some selected variables is examined, residential water demand curve and water price elasticity are calculated. Estimations of future water demand under different pricing policies are also performed. Finally, the full water cost for the city of Volos is estimated and essential conclusions concerning water pricing and public participation are drawn.     

Prediction of earthquake damage to urban water distribution systems: a case study for Denizli,Turkey

Prediction of damage to water supply lines during an earthquake is a critical part of seismic planning. This study evaluates the performance of the water supply system in Denizli, Turkey, in the event of an M6, M6.3, M6.5 and M7 earthquake associated with the Pamukkale and Karakova-Akhan Faults. The relative effects of transient ground deformations and permanent ground deformations based on maps of liquefiable soil and zones of predicted lateral ground displacements are compared. The relative effects of the different magnitude earthquakes and pipeline damage relationships on the pipeline performance following a seismic event are assessed.     

Analyzing the stability of a failing rock slope for suggesting suitable mitigation measure: a case study from the Theng rockslide,Sikkim Himalayas,India

At km 87.20 near Theng on the North Sikkim Highway, India, severe rock falls and slides in recent years rendered 180 m stretch of this important road corridor in the Sikkim Himalayas risky and vulnerable to the commuters. The rockslide at Theng has, thus, been studied in detail at 24 discrete locations using the ground-based topographic, lithologic and structural data with an objective to evaluate the mechanisms of rock sliding for suggesting the most effective mitigation measure. In this study, large scale geological mapping and site-specific kinematic analyses in different spatial domains corroborated that within this 180 m stretch, despite having a competent lithology (quartzo feldspathic gneiss and quartzites), the possibility of both plane and wedge failures are high because of gentler and unfavourably oriented planar discontinuities with respect to the available steep topography. The rock slope failure analysis both at discrete locations and in a distributed manner in a Geographic Information System further revealed that unfavourable geometric disposition of discontinuities at Theng rendered multiple modes of failure at critical locations, which is also corroborated by a very low Slope Mass Rating value (4.0) determined in this area, thus, making it difficult to suggest any cost-effective surface protection measure. However, analysis suggests slope dressing or re-excavation to contain future rock sliding in such cases, but the same appears to be difficult to implement on the ground because of unfavourable kinematic conditions of the vulnerable rock discontinuities. Accordingly, after evaluating the site conditions in detail, a short road tunnel with its probable tunnel rockmass conditions is proposed to bypass this active rock sliding stretch.     

Squeezing rock conditions at an igneous contact zone in the Taloun tunnels, Tehran-Shomal freeway, Iran: a case study

Squeezing rock conditions at the contact zone of an andesitic-basaltic body and tuff country rocks in the Taloun tunnels were investigated and analyzed. Evaluation of the rock mass properties illustrates the fact that they were significantly reduced at the contact zone, especially when wet. Detailed monitoring and measurements of tunnel-wall convergence at the contact zone in the Taloun service tunnel, during the 10 months following excavation and installation of initial support, prior to installation of heavy support, showed greater than 3% of the normalized tunnel closure. This confirms moderate squeezing conditions at the contact zone. The measured displacement was even higher than that of the fault zone in which deformation was decreased during the first month and eventually stabilized. Similarly, numerical modeling of the deformation at the contact zone not only confirmed a higher value of the tunnel convergence but also demonstrated the reduction of in situ stress and development of plastic zones across the contact zone. These data are also believed to account for the squeezing condition at the contact zone. It is expected that this condition will be significantly increased in the main road tunnels due to the fact that these tunnels are twice as wide as the service tunnel. Therefore, proper and timely support must be applied. Numerical analysis of the support at the contact zone showed that the stress due to bending moment is greater than that of the axial forces on the lining. This calls for certain support measures in the form of permanent lining and two layers of steel bars to compensate for the tensile stress exertion on the lining.     

Application of the arctangent function model in the prediction of ground mining subsidence deformation: a case study from Fushun City,Liaoning Province,China

Ground subsidence disasters are characterized by wide distribution, long duration, and high-intensity damage, which can cause serious damages to surface buildings, underground pipelines, aquifers, and so on. Therefore, research on the stability evaluation of ground subsidence and subsidence deformation prediction is of great significance. This paper takes ground subsidence in Fushun City, Liaoning Province, China, as a case study. Combined with data from 60 monitoring points in the subsidence areas, the final settlement deformation values of all monitoring points were obtained through an arctangent function model using non-linear curve fitting with monitoring data. The proposed model could enable the prediction of settlement deformation trends of the monitoring points. Correlation coefficients are all above 0.937, indicating the strong reliability of the prediction model. By processing the final settlement deformation predictive values of the 60 monitoring points, a final settlement contour map was drawn with the help of the Kriging interpolation method. This map could forecast the whole distribution characteristics of ground settlement deformation in the research area. Then, risk zoning can be obtained by combining the settlement rate and residual settlement deformation in the study area. The research results could provide a basis for future city construction and regional planning in Fushun City.     

Factor prices,factor proportions,and factor endowments in the pacific northwest: a regional test of the Heckscher-Ohlin theorem for then-factor case

A generalized version of the Heckscher-Ohlin model of trade has been developed by A. V. Deardorff for thel-factor,m-commodity, andn-country case. To test the validity of the Deardorff's model, first the factor content and commodity composition of trade between the Pacific Northwest (PNW) and the rest of the United States (ROUS) are estimated. These estimated values are then employed in a model to examine the degree of importance of relatively cheap energy and capital prices and relatively expensive wage rates in determining the level and composition of the PNW's trade with the rest of the United States. This study finds that the Pacific Northwest has a comparative advantage in the production of those goods which intensively use energy and capital and sparingly use labor in their production processes. This finding is, of course, in accord with the prediction of Deardorff's model.The author would like to thank Alan Deardorff and anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on earlier versions of this paper.