Remotely sensed soil moisture integration in an ecosystem carbon flux model. The spatial implication     

Willem W. Verstraeten  Frank Veroustraete  Wolfgang Wagner  Tom Van Roey  Walter Heyns  Sara Verbeiren  Jan Feyen 《Climatic change》2010,103(1-2):117-136

While remote sensing is able to provide spatially explicit datasets at regional to global scales, extensive application to date has been found only in the reporting and verification of ecosystem carbon fluxes under the Kyoto Protocol. One of the problems is that new remote sensing datasets can be used only with models or data assimilation schemes adapted to include a data input interface dedicated to the type and format of these remote sensing datasets. In this study, soil water index data (SWI), derived from the ERS scatterometer (10-daily time period with a spatial resolution of 50 km), are integrated into the ecosystem carbon balance model C-Fix to assess 10-daily Net Ecosystem Productivity (NEP) patterns of Europe from the remote sensing perspective on an approximate 1-by-1 km² pixel scale using NDVI-AVHRR data. The modeling performance of NEP obtained with and without the assimilation of remotely sensed soil moisture data in the carbon flux model C-Fix is evaluated with EUROFLUX data. Results show a general decrease of the RRMSE of up to 11 with an average of 3.46. C-Fix is applied at the European scale to demonstrate the potential of this ecosystem carbon flux model, based on remote sensing inputs. More specifically, the strong impact of soil moisture on the European carbon balance in the context of the Kyoto Protocol (anthropogenic carbon emissions) is indicated at the country level. Results suggest that several European countries shift from being a carbon sink (i.e., NEP > 1) to being a carbon source (i.e., NEP < 0) whether or not short-term water availability (i.e., soil moisture) is considered in C-Fix NEP estimations.  相似文献   

Comparison of classification and clustering methods in spatial rainfall pattern recognition at Northern Iran   总被引：1，自引：1，他引：0  

Saeed Golian  Bahram Saghafian  Sara Sheshangosht  Hossein Ghalkhani 《Theoretical and Applied Climatology》2010,102(3-4):319-329

Pattern recognition is the science of data structure and its classification. There are many classification and clustering methods prevalent in pattern recognition area. In this research, rainfall data in a region in Northern Iran are classified with natural breaks classification method and with a revised fuzzy c-means (FCM) algorithm as a clustering approach. To compare these two methods, the results of the FCM method are hardened. Comparison proved overall coincidence of natural breaks classification and FCM clustering methods. The differences arise from nature of these two methods. In the FCM, the boundaries between adjacent clusters are not sharp while they are abrupt in natural breaks method. The sensitivity of both methods with respect to rain gauge density was also analyzed. For each rain gauge density, percentage of boundary region and hardening error are at a minimum in the first cluster while the second cluster has the maximum error. Moreover, the number of clusters was sensitive to the number of stations. Since the optimum number of classes is not apparent in the classification methods and the boundary between adjacent classes is abrupt, use of clustering methods such as the FCM method, overcome such deficiencies. The methods were also applied for mapping an aridity index in the study region where the results revealed good coincidence between the FCM clustering and natural breaks classification methods.  相似文献   

Resolution effects on regional climate model simulations of seasonal precipitation over Europe   总被引：5，自引：2，他引：3  

Sara A. Rauscher  Erika Coppola  Claudio Piani  Filippo Giorgi 《Climate Dynamics》2010,35(4):685-711

We analyze a set of nine regional climate model simulations for the period 1961–2000 performed at 25 and 50 km horizontal grid spacing over a European domain in order to determine the effects of horizontal resolution on the simulation of precipitation. All of the models represent the seasonal mean spatial patterns and amount of precipitation fairly well. Most models exhibit a tendency to over-predict precipitation, resulting in a domain-average total bias for the ensemble mean of about 20% in winter (DJF) and less than 10% in summer (JJA) at both resolutions, although this bias could be artificially enhanced by the lack of a gauge correction in the observations. A majority of the models show increased precipitation at 25 km relative to 50 km over the oceans and inland seas in DJF, JJA, and ANN (annual average), although the response is strongest during JJA. The ratio of convective precipitation to total precipitation decreases over land for most models at 25 km. In addition, there is an increase in interannual variability in many of the models at 25 km grid spacing. Comparison with gridded observations indicates that a majority of models show improved skill in simulating both the spatial pattern and temporal evolution of precipitation at 25 km compared to 50 km during the summer months, but not in winter or on an annual mean basis. Model skill at higher resolution in simulating the spatial and temporal character of seasonal precipitation is found especially for Great Britain. This geographic dependence of the increased skill suggests that observed data of sufficient density are necessary to capture fine-scale climate signals. As climate models increase their horizontal resolution, it is thus a key priority to produce high quality fine scale observations for model evaluation.  相似文献   

The host galaxies of strong Ca ii quasar absorption systems at z < 0.5     

Berkeley J. Zych  Michael T. Murphy  Max Pettini  Paul C. Hewett  Emma V. Ryan-Weber  Sara L. Ellison 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2007,379(4):1409-1422

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Data conflicts in fishery models: incorporating hydroacoustic data into the Prince William Sound Pacific herring assessment model   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  

Hulson  Peter-John F.; Miller  Sara E.; Quinn  Terrance J.  II; Marty  Gary D.; Moffitt  Steven D.; Funk  Frederick 《ICES Journal of Marine Science》2008,65(1):25-43

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Agricultural performance on marginal land in Eastern Inner Mongolia,China – Development in the pre- and post-1978 reform periods     

Sara Brogaard  Xiubin Li 《GeoJournal》2005,64(3):163-175

Rapid economic development in the aftermath of the Chinese post-1978 reforms has resulted in a shrinking of grain grown area in the southern and eastern regions of the country which in turn is believed to have put the marginal northern regions under increased pressure. This paper examines key indicators of agricultural performance as well as cultivated land area development of the pre- and post-1978 reform periods focusing on the agro-pastoral Tongliao City Prefecture, eastern Inner Mongolia. The results are related to the village level development through a case study as well as to the provincial level. Average annual grain per capita production increased from about 400 kg in the late 1970s to more then 1000 kg in the late 1990s. This was achieved through a combination of intensification and reclamation of cropland, with the latter restricted to pastoral classified counties. Production variability, in particular for the low producing counties, has also increased possibly as an effect of the substitution of traditional mixed pattern of crops with HYV monocultures. Average living standards have improved but have been accompanied by widening income gaps. Poor farmers’ livelihoods continue to be insecure, particularly during dry years. Concern is raised regarding the sustainability of the rapid agricultural development; an increased use of costly fertilisers constrains poorer farmer’s economy and may lead to deteriorating water quality while increasing irrigation depletes water resources.  相似文献   

Short-term changes in C and N distribution in soil particle size fractions induced by agricultural practices in a cultivated volcanic soil from Mexico   总被引：6，自引：0，他引：6  

Sara Covaleda  Silvia Pajares  Juan F. Gallardo  Jorge D. Etchevers   《Organic Geochemistry》2006,37(12):1943

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of agricultural practices on the characteristics of soil organic carbon (SOC). The study area is located in the Central Volcanic Belt (Michoacán) in Mexico. The soil is an Acrisol, acidic and rich in clays and sesquioxides. Experimental plots were treated with four different agronomic management systems between 2002 and 2003: traditional, improved traditional, organic and fallow. Each treatment was replicated twice. Samples were taken at depths of 0–10 and 10–20 cm and were subjected to a physical fractionation process by way of particle size. SOC was fractionated into fulvic acids, humic acids and humin. After two years of cultivation, the SOC content increased significantly with the organic management (2.2 mg g⁻¹ at 0–10 cm and 5.8 mg g⁻¹ at 10–20 cm). The C content of the soil fine particle fraction increased with the traditional and organic managements. The organic C and N contents of the silt + clay particle-size fraction were mainly concentrated as humin, indicating that this SOM should be stable and have a low risk of mineralization. The humin C content only decreased significantly under the traditional and fallow treatments. The N content of the humin fraction decreased significantly under the traditional management system (from 69% to 54%), indicating the low sustainability of this soil management. The C/N ratio of the soil increased significantly under all treatments, but mainly under the traditional and organic treatments (from 12.1 and 12.8 to 13.7 and 14.0, respectively). This indicates a decrease in humus quality. In addition, the C/N of the humin increased significantly (from 13.3 and 12.7 to 19.2 and 16.0, respectively).  相似文献   

Alkyl nitrate formation from the reaction of a series of branched RO2 radicals with NO as a function of temperature and pressure     

Roger Atkinson  Sara M. Aschmann  Arthur M. Winer 《Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry》1987,5(1):91-102

Alkyl nitrate yields from the NO _x photooxidations of neopentane, 2-methylbutane and 3-methylpentane have been determined over the temperature and pressure ranges 281–323 K and 54–740 torr, respectively. The formation of the alkyl nitrates is attributed to the reaction pathway (1b) $${\text{RO}}_{\text{2}} + {\text{NO}}^{{\text{ }}\underrightarrow {\text{M}}} {\text{ RONO}}_{\text{2}}$$ and rate constant ratios k _1b/(k _1a+k _1b) are estimated, where (1a) is the reaction pathway (1a) $${\text{RO}}_{\text{2}} + {\text{NO}} \to {\text{RONO}}_{\text{2}} .$$ A method for estimating this rate constant ratio for primary, secondary and tertiary alkyl peroxy radicals is presented.  相似文献   

A 16,000 C yr B.P. packrat midden series from the USA–Mexico Borderlands     

Camille A. Holmgren  M. Cristina Pealba  Kate Aasen Rylander  Julio L. Betancourt 《Quaternary Research》2003,60(3):319-329

A new packrat midden chronology from Playas Valley, southwestern New Mexico, is the first installment of an ongoing effort to reconstruct paleovegetation and paleoclimate in the U.S.A.–Mexico Borderlands. Playas Valley and neighboring basins supported pluvial lakes during full and/or late glacial times. Plant macrofossil and pollen assemblages from nine middens in the Playas Valley allow comparisons of two time intervals: 16,000–10,000 and 4000–0 ¹⁴C yr B.P. Vegetation along pluvial lake margins consisted of open pinyon–juniper communities dominated by Pinus edulis, Juniperus scopulorum, Juniperus cf. coahuilensis, and a rich understory of C₄ annuals and grasses. This summer-flowering understory is also characteristic of modern desert grassland in the Borderlands and indicates at least moderate summer precipitation. P. edulis and J. scopulorum disappeared or were rare in the midden record by 10,670 ¹⁴C yr B.P. The late Holocene is marked by the arrival of Chihuahuan desert scrub elements and few departures as the vegetation gradually became modern in character. Larrea tridentata appears as late as 2190 ¹⁴C yr B.P. based on macrofossils, but may have been present as early as 4095 ¹⁴C yr B.P. based on pollen. Fouquieria splendens, one of the dominant desert species present at the site today, makes its first appearance only in the last millennium. The midden pollen assemblages are difficult to interpret; they lack modern analogs in surface pollen assemblages from stock tanks at different elevations in the Borderlands.  相似文献   

Far from Being "Home Alone": The Dynamics of Accompanied Fieldwork     

Julie Cupples  Sara Kindon 《Singapore journal of tropical geography》2003,24(2):211-228

Despite persistent images to the contrary, most fieldworkers are accompanied. Yet, there has been limited discussion on the nature of accompanied fieldwork, particularly by geographers. Drawing on our experiences in three countries in the tropics, we discuss the dynamics of being accompanied in “the field” by our children and female co‐researchers. Specifically, we focus on issues of access and rapport; the impacts of their presence on our positionality; and the implications these have for power relations and research outcomes. We demonstrate how being accompanied entangles our personal and professional selves and can result in more egalitarian power relations as we become “observers observed”. We argue that by paying attention to the dynamics of accompanied fieldwork, there is the potential to enhance the conceptual focus of our methodological concerns and to provide a more theoretically sophisticated mode of exploring the ways in which our multiple identities intersect while in “the field”.  相似文献