Chinese Journal of Nature

Permafrost and Glacier Change and Its Impacts on the Ecosystem and Environment in Tibetan Plateau and the Countermeasures

2010, 32(1): 1-3.

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The unique natural environment and ecological systems in Tibetan Plateau are extremely sensitive to climate change. With the development of globle warming, glacier retreat and permafrost degradation have had direct effects on the regional ecological and environmental security and sustainable development directly, and have affected the ecological security barrier function of the Tibetan Plateau in a negative way. Based on the continuous observations, field investigations and experimental researches, the suggestions of establishing the monitoring and early warning system for glacial lakes, landslides, debris flows and permafrost degradations, and carrying out the researches of disaster prevention measures and demonstrations were provided.

Impacts of Glacial Reretreat on Runoff on Tibetan Plateau

YAO Tan-Dong;YAO Zhi-Jun

2010, 32(1): 4-8.

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On the Tibetan Plateau, there are more than 36 793 glaciers with an area of 49 873.44 km2 and volume of 4 561 km3. They account for 79.5% of the total glacial number, 84% of the total glacial area and 81.6% of the total glacial volume in China. With the climate warming since the 20th century, particularly the rapid warming since the 1980 s, most glaciers are retreating. The first half of the century was characterized with a transition period from glacial advance to glacial retreat. The intensive retreat started from the 1950s to the 1960 s.There was stable or even advancing phenomena between the 1960s and the 1970 s. After the 1980 s, glacial retreat started again and became more intensive in the 1990s.There are more than 10 rivers originate from the Tibetan Plateau with the Asia’s seven most important rivers including the Yongtze River, Yellow River, Ganges River, Indus River, Yarlung Zangbo River, Nujiang River. The runoffs of the seven rivers have shown an unstable changing with the retreat of the glaciers. They tend to increase, particularly in the winter half year because of more glacial meltwater supply. As glaciers continuously retreat, the amount of glacial meltwater would decrease at some stage; this would be especially true in the middle and small reaches.

Permafrost Injury and Its Control Countermeasures Along the Key Section of QinghaiXizang Highway

ZHAO Lin;CHENG Guo-Dong;YU Qi-Hao;LI Yuan-Shou

2010, 32(1): 9-12.

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The QinghaiXizang Highway crosses a length of 720 km permafrost regions, in which there are four types of permafrost: quasisteady permafrost, basically stable permafrost, thermal unstable permafrost and extreme thermal unstable permafrost. Subgrade disease has perplexed the normal use of QinghaiXizang Highway with permafrost degradation since the completion of asphalt pavement in 1985, and different sections of the road have experienced 35 regulation projects. Climate predictions and simulated calculations indicated that the annual mean temperature of QinghaiXizang Plateau may rises 2.2—2.6 ℃ in the next 50 years, and the permafrost degradation will be more serious. The great decrease of stable road sections and remarkable increase of unstable sections will bring new damage to the normal operation of QinghaiXizang Highway. Based on the research achievements in last decades, the preliminary subgrade treatment measures in different road sectors were proposed by considering the background of future permafrost degradation, providing reference for freeze injury management of QinghaiXizang Highway.

Scientific Survey and Monitoring of Atmospheric Pollution Over the Tibetan Plateau

KANG Shi-Chang;ZHANG Qiang-Gong

2010, 32(1): 13-18.

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The Tibetan Plateau, known as the highest plateau on the earth, has an average elevation of over 4 000 m. For its unique geographic location and particular impact on climate and environment, combined with sparse agricultural and industrial activities, it has been receiving increasing attentions on its atmospheric environment. Comprehensive survey on atmospheric pollution over the Tibetan Plateau has been mainly concentrated in critical regions such as Mt. Qomolangma (Everest). Field monitoring stations have been established in Waliguan, Nam Co, and Mt. Qomolangma, etc. in succession since early 1990s. To date, achievements have been made in various aspects such as greenhouse gas monitoring, atmospheric dust transport, ozone valley, aerosol physics and chemistry, urban atmospheric environment, and indoor air pollution. The continuous updating of the atmospheric pollution research over the Tibetan Plateau will not only represent efforts in further understanding and protecting our living environment, but also contribute to sustainable development of local socioeconomy, as well as researches in atmospheric environment.

Monitoring and Prevention of Debrisflows and Landslides in Tibet

CUI Peng;CHEN Xiao-Qing;CHENG Zun-Lan;CHEN Ning-Sheng;DANG Chao

2010, 32(1): 19-25.

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Tibet, the main part of the QinghaiTibet Plateau, is a hypersensitive terrain for the generation of debris flows and landslides, and is noteworthy for active tectonism, sharp changes in topography, and for cold, dry conditions at high elevations contrasting with intense rainfall in valleys. Widespread in Tibet, debris flows are triggered by glacial meltwater, glacial lake outburst floods, rainstorms and freezethaw activity. Thick deposits of large landslides, both modern and ancient, are common. In general, debris flows and landslides are associated with faults, seismic zones, deeply incised valleys, and road construction. The different types and scales of flows and slope failures occur in valley and highland areas. Construction activities in areas that are susceptible to debrisflow and landslide formation frequently result in major disasters in Tibet. The mountainous sections of the SichuanTibet Highway along the Polongzangbu valley and of the ChinaNepal Highway from Nielamu to the Friendship Bridge are selected as cases proposed for a hazard monitoring and warning system for highway safety. A total of 26 towns at risk of debrisflows and landslides have been identified, and a specific plan of risk reduction for the typical Tibetan town of Nielamu, site of a previous debrisflow disaster, has been prepared. The plan consists of a monitoring and warning system, engineering structures, and specific emergency countermeasures.

The Dynamical Features on the Variation of the Energizing Nutrients and Energy Flow of the Five Zangs in Chinese Medicine

ZHANG Qi-Meng;WANG Yong-Yan

2010, 32(1): 26-32.

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A new human body’s structure was introduced, which can not only show the harmony between the human body and the natural world, but also discover the mechanism of life, health and disease quantitatively. Based on the nurturing and restricting relationships between the Five Zangs in Chinese medicine, a mathematical model was founded. According to the statistical data of the human body’s metabolism, numerical simulation on the seasonal variation of the energizing nutrients and energy flow of the Five Zangs that was stated by Chinese medicine traditionally had been done in this paper. The simulated results were compared with the seasonal climatic variation in China. The wave crests of the energizing nutrients of Pi, Fei, Shen, Gan and Xin are in July, October, January, April and July in this given order. The wave crests of their energy flow are delayed by 1/4 years to that of the energizing nutrients. On the phase plane that consisted of the energizing nutrients and energy flow of the Five Zangs, the locus repeats again and again but not in the same manner. The human body’s structure stated by Chinese medicine is the nurturing and restricting relationship structure through the media of energizing nutrients and energy flow. The relationship structure let the variation of the energizing nutrients and energy flow of the Five Zangs has the same dynamical features with the seasonal climatic variation in China. The quantitative measurement on the energizing nutrients and energy flow may be a complete new approach to discover the mechanism of life, health and disease.

Functions and Underlying Mechanisms of Chemical Communication in Animals

LIU Ding-Zhen;TIAN Hong

2010, 32(1): 33-39.

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Chemical communication plays an important role in regulating animal social life. It is helpful for them to maintain social hierarchy, indicate their reproductive states, recognize /discriminate conspecifics from one to another, kin vs. nonkin conspecifics. It has been 50 years since the first pheromone was found in 1959 by Karlson and Lüscher. Scientists have made a major progress in exploring new pheromones and the underlying mechanisms of chemical communication. In this paper, we introduced both the general theories in chemical communication and some new findings in the study of pheromones identification, and also introduced chemical component analyses and identification, sensory path and perception of different pheromones, the functions and the related physiological and genetic factors affecting chemical communication. The future trends in the study of pheromone detection and behavioral bioassay were also discussed.

The Construction of Antiair Prealarm Network System with AllFiber Passive Acoustic Detecting Technology

TANG Huang;ZHAO Dong;ZHANG Hua;JIA Bo

2010, 32(1): 40-45.

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The Discovery of the Alpha Helix of the Protein Molecule

XIANG　Yi-He

2010, 32(1): 46-53.

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Innovation of Scientific Research is Power of Humen Progress