The human race made great progress in science and technology and created unprecedented civilization in the 20th century. However, at the beginning of the new century, there are a number of challenges such as population, resources, environment and development etc. that have to be dealt with. Underlying all these challenges is the question of correctly understanding the relationship between humans and the environment and well coordinating the relationship between man and nature. The relationship between man and nature is reflected in man's dependence on and conscious activity in nature. Man cannot survive without nature, yet he is a force that can change nature. Man wants to change nature, but he is also restricted by nature. The relationship between man and nature is dependence, adaptation, conflict and harmony. The content of the relationship between man and nature changes as the human society changes. Man began to rethink his development pattern. The cruel reality requires that man should carefully examine the process of societal development, summarize the experience and lessons of traditional development patterns, seek new development patterns that reflect harmony between man and nature and responsibility to future generations. Strong anthropocentrism ignores the survival and development need of the ecological system and the long-term value of the ecological system to the human race. This approach over-emphasizes man's position and disregards natural objects, which runs into conflict with sustainable development and has been losing ground as a major paradigm. Biocen-trism weakens man's position and is too radical to be acceptable. Therefore it is necessary to build a system of environmental ethics fit for our times. The humans are a part of the natural world on the earth. Only when environmental protection starts from enhancing the overall interest of the earth can there be greater safety and tolerance. Human activities should be regulated by respect of natural laws and the intrinsic values of natural laws. And this is the basis of building the development pattern of civilization in the new time. Therefore, it is the duty of the scientific community to make publicity to and educate decision-makers and the general public on how to understand, respect and protect nature. Ecological and environmental impact should be taken into account in studying morality issues and in scientific research activities such as project evaluation and appraisal. Government regulation, market mechanism and moral regulation can work together. As to the conducts of enterprises and local governments, from a humanistic point of view, social price should be taken into consideration and as social interest is more important than corporate interest, we should not abuse non-renewable resources and should resist consumerism; from a naturalist point of view, we should carefully handle fragile environment, respect life, species and nature. Projects that utilize and change nature should be appraised and evaluated before hand. Government decision-makers may be influenced by scientists and attach importance to the opinions of scientists. Environmental ethics covers a wide area, including specific norms of conducts like birth control, resource conservation, ecological restoration, environmental improvement, clean production, reduction in pollution, appropriate development, rational consumption and protection of nature. We must pay attention to publicity and education to improve the citizen's awareness of environmental ethics. From the point of view of regional sustainable development more attention should be paid to environmental effects in regional resources utilization and exploitation as well as coordination and overall planning in development between various regions.
Recent geo-researches display two significant features. First, most research projects are centered on revealing the implications for regional sustainable development and ecological security; and second, these projects try to employ an integrated approach to taking both physical and socio-economic factors into consideration. Indeed, the implementation of sustainable development strategy demands a classification of territorial systems based on such an integrated approach. To be integrated, a key scientific issue is how to synthesize the physical and socio-economic factors in the process of classification. Based on a new indicator system, which involves mainly physical indicators at the macro level and socio-economic indicators at micro level while employing both at the middle level, this paper tries to develop a new integrated approach to the classification of territorial systems to reveal the features of human-nature relationship at various spatial levels. The new system of classification is a hierarchy consisting of five levels: class zero realm; class one ecological zone (and/or) sub-zone; class two land-human region; class three eco-economic division; and class four economic districts. The classification at the first three levels is a "top-down" process; that at the fifth level is a "bottom-up" process; and that at the fourth level is a matching process from both the top and the bottom. The paper further tests the new approach of classification via a case study of the Tibetan Plateau. By the approach, the Plateau is divided into 3 zones, 15 regions, 22 divisions and 29 districts. Such classification results have profound implications for regional sustainable development.
Susceptibility spatial analysis of debris flows is to evaluate triggering factors for debris flow occurrence and divide the land surface into zones of varying degrees of susceptibility, based on spatial analysis technology. For the purposes of assessing debris flow susceptibility, a GIS spatial analysis combined with condition probability model of susceptibility analysis can estimate the probability of possible occurrence of debris flows. This paper discusses the potential of combining GIS technology with susceptibility modeling in debris flow analysis and also outlines the special advantage of GIS application for susceptibility mapping. The study area is located in the Nujiang River Basin of Yunnan, where is seriously suffering from debris flow hazards. Seven factors impacting debris flow susceptibility are analyzed: slope angle, rock and soil type, rainstorm distribution, trainage density, land use, seismic acceleration and human activities. According to the susceptibility spatial analysis of these factors,the susceptibility evaluation map was generated using GIS to conduct factor integration analysis. Then we classified each factor into three grades based on results of susceptibility calculation. With regard to debris flow susceptibility index, the study area is divided in to three susceptibility zones. The debris flow susceptibility zona-tion map shows that the high susceptibility zone covers an area of 4147 km2 or 12. 8% of the total study area; the middle susceptibility zone covers an area of 13931 km2 or 42. 9% and the low has an area of 13931 km2or 44. 3%. The susceptibility zonation map can help planners or engineers to choose the optimum construction locations for implemen-ting land development schemes in order to reduce the impact of debris flow on the study area.
Stone forest is a kind of rarely-seen karst landscape, which has its own unique e-volution process. Based on the analysis of stone pillar-the individual component of stone forest, this paper, by discussing different combinations of the rates of edaphic corrosion, soil erosion and aerial erosion, puts forward the model of "triplex erosion" to explain the development of stone forest and studies the current development stage and evolutional prospect of the Lunan Stone Forest. The research reveals that the scope of edaphic corrosion, which is the basic driving force for the heightening of stone pillars, is limited within about 10 m below ground surface, and the depth best for the development of stone forest is observed to be usually less than 1.5m under the current natural conditions in the area. Since the top of stone pillars is lowering at a rate of 10. 4 mm/ka, and the bottom deepening 26. 17 mm/ka, therefore, the actual height increase of stone pillars is 15. 77 mm/ka; considering that the soil erosion rate in the area of Lunan Stone Forest is 650 mm/ka, the visible height of stone forest is increasing at a rate of 639. 6 mm/ka, and soil, an extremely significant factor for the heightening of stone pillars, is rapidly becoming thinner and thinner at a rate of 623. 83 mm/ka. All this shows that the best time for the development of Lunan Stone Forest has gone, though the visible height of stone forest is still increasing at present. The study result of the paper attaches great importance to the reduction of soil erosion in Shilin area. Therefore, it is necessary for the local people to take effective measures to prevent soil from being rapid eroded, especially, considering the stone forest in Lunan area a precious natural heritage owned by all human beings as well as local people.
By applying the isotopic technique on the water circulation study arisen in the middle of the 20th century, which is a new technology through the study on macroscopic changes of water molecules in the water circulation to achieve the combining study of macroscopic and microscopic water circulation mechanism. It is of very interest theoretically and practically for the study on the water resources characteristics in the basin to investigate the temporal and spatial variable rules of isotopes in the precipitation and the correla-tivity of the precipitation elements. Because stable isotopic technologies are being used all over the world to provide better links between the water cycle elements and the water resources characteristics. Much work has been done world-wide on δ18O and δD in rainfall, the best famous work is the precipitation sampling and stable isotope analyzing contribution of IAEA, which offers valid theory basis and practicing experiences to isotopic hydrology study. This paper takes Dongtaigou experimental basin at Tanghekou town Huairou district Beijing city in North China as study object, analyses the spatial and temporal change of the oxygen isotope in the precipitation from July to August in 2003, and then illustrates the correlativity between oxygen isotope ratio δ18O and rainfall, and the correla-tivity between oxygen isotope ratio δ18O and altitude. At last, this study evaluates the influence and effect of rainfall and altitude factors on the precipitation processes, illuminates the spatial and temporal distribution of δ18O in the precipitation during the sampling period, and offer basis for the later on study of water cycle in basin in the study area. This study draw some conclusions as follows: the δ18O spatial gradient in the basin is 0. 58‰/ 100m, the direction of the water vapor moving in the study period of time is from the south-east to the north-west.
Based on remote sensing imageries of 1967,1987 and 2000, and a digital elevation model with a scale of 1:250000, the key forces driving land use change and controlling land use pattern in the upper reaches of the Dadu river are found out from such biophysical and socioeconomic factors as terrain, elevation, roads, water system, urban and rural residential areas, and then the probability maps for each land use type are created by using Logistic stepwise regression, of which the goodness of fit is evaluated for all equations with the ROC (Relative Operating Characteristics) method. In this study, CLUE-S model which has the capability of modeling changes in quantity and location simultaneously, is applied to simulate temporal and spatial changes in land use from 1967 to 1987 and from 1987 to 2000 for an area of 18665 km2 which covers the counties of Rangtang, Jinchuan and Barkam. Comparisons for validation between simulated land use maps and actual land use maps of 1987 and 2000 find that Kappa index reaches to 0. 86 and 0. 89 respectively, indicating a successful simulation. For a better understanding of the future land use changes in the region, the same model is further put into application to predict spatial distribution of land use changes in 2010 for three scenarios associating with current governmental policy of "grain to green". The results of scenario analysis demonstrate that CLUE-S model can play key roles in land use planning and ecological construction, and is also a key part of decision-support system. In the scenario analysis, the changes in quantity are specified on purpose, and thus the simulation is focused on land use changes in location. This is because land use and cover changes in the upper reaches of the Dadu river are mainly driven by policies, especially for forest land and cultivated land, and changes in area are usually determined by government. Therefore, such an application of CLUE-S model is more suitable to regions characterized by policy-driven land use change, in which once the changes in quantity, such as areas of forest cutting, afforestation, grazing-forbidden, or planned reserves, are specified, then their changes in locations can be predicted with the same model. Furthermore, the spatial resolution of modeling can reach to a level of single grid cell.
Land use changes can not only change land cover, but also influence a variety of natural phenomena and ecological processes, including soil conditions, water runoff, soil erosion and biodiversity. The rational land use can improve soil structure, strengthen resistance to the environmental change, and the irrational land use can lead to land degradation, such as water and soil loss, land desertification. Daxing District located to the south of Beijing, was taken as a case study for illustrating the effects of land use change on soil fertility. The 1:50,000 soil map produced in the Second National Soil Survey (SNSS) in 1982 was digitized with GIS supporting. Top soil samples were collected from the same soil sampling sites of the 1:50,000 soil map with GPS reference locations, from May to June 2000. Three samples collected around each sampling point were mixed and a quarter of each sample was kept for laboratory analysis. At the same time, farmers were interviewed for fertilizer input, irrigation, yield, land management, etc. The soil samples were air-dried and ground to pass 0. 15 to 1 mm sieves in the laboratory. Chemical properties of soils were analyzed using standard methods. The content of organic matter, total N, available N and available P increased by 31. 02%,50%, 37.89% and 177% respectively, but that of available K decreased at the same time. The order of content changes of organic matter, total N and, available P is different between different land use types in 1982 and 2000, which is horticulture land> water land>irrigable land>vegetable land>dryland>forest land. Due to the transition of water land into irrigable land, vegetable land and horticulture land, the order of changes of organic matter, total N and available N is dryland> horticulture land> irrigable land> vegetable land, the order of the available P is horticulture land>irrigable land> vegetable land >dryland, the available P increased in horticulture land and dryland, but decreased in vegetable land and irrigable land to some extent. The order of organic matter and the available P is horticulture land> irrigable land> dryland, that of total N is dryland> horticulture land>irrigable land, and the available N is irrigable land > horticulture land > dryland, with the dryland transiting into irrigable land and horticulture land. The extent of the available K decreased, but the other nutrients of soil increased at the same time when sandy wasteland were transited into such land types as irrigable land, horticulture land, dryland, forest land and vegetable land.
Adopting the simplified water balance model, the average infiltration coefficient of precipitation and specific yield in the Hebei Plain between 1985-1995 are simulated, and the annual average groundwater level dropping down by water use sectors and crops is calculated on the basis of the above simulations. The results show that the water use in agriculture is the main factor resulting in the decline of groundwater level in the Hebei Plain, and the industrial and domestic factors are the secondary. In the piedmont plain, agriculture has led to a decrease of 0. 63 m per year, industry of 0. 08 m and domestic of 0. 03 m, with the individual ratios being 85. 1% , 10. 8% and 4. 1% respectively. While in the low plain, the order of the decrease is 0. 23 m, 0. 005 m and 0. 015 m per year with the ratios being 92. 1%, 2. 0%, and 5. 9% accordingly. In both areas, as to the major role causing the decline of groundwater level among the crops, wheat is the first, being 0. 33 m and 0. 127 m per year, while millet is the least, being 0.01m and 0. 004 m annually. As for water consumed in producing unit output value, wheat also occupies the first place, being 1. 35m3/yuan and 0. 91m3/yuan, or resulting in the largest decline of 0. 02 m and 0. 008 m in producing 100 million yuan of wheat each. While vegetable is the least, being 0. 25 m3/ yuan and 0. 19 m3/yuan, or 0. 004 m and 0. 002 m decline per 100 million yuan. With the decline of groundwater level, a series ecological and environmental disasters have been caused which have become the key factors restricting the socio-economic sustainable development of the Hebei Plain. Therefore, it is high time to adjust planting structure in order to achieve sustainable use of the groundwater in the Hebei Plain.
Differences in land use and land cover comprise a complicated process, which involves conversion of the natural soil ecosystem to an artificial ecosystem. This process may affect the accumulation of heavy metals in soils. The knowledge of the heavy metal concentrations for different land use types, which has been infrequently investigated, is of critical importance to assess human impact on heavy metal concentration in soils. Arsenic is a toxic heavy metal with an ADI (acceptable daily intake) of 2. 14 jug/kg body b. w. / day, according to the WHO. In this study, 500 samples were collected from 6 land-use types, including vegetable plot, paddy field, orchard, greenbelt, wheatfield, and natural soil, to compare differences between As concentrations of these soil-use types in Beijing. In comparison with background, the concentrations of As in the different land-use types increased to different extents. The accumulation of As in soils was widespread. Through ANOVA analysis, it was found that land-use type obviously influenced soil As concentrations. The natural soil type had the lowest concentration of As. The vegetable and paddy fields had the greatest concentrations of As. The intensity of anthropogenic activities, such as the use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and fuel combustion, was identified as an important factor affecting the concentration of As in soils. Using a baseline concentration as a reference, the ratio of all soil samples above this limit was 1. 8%, among which the ratios of soil samples from vegetable plot, orchard, and wheatfield were 2. 6%, 2. 7%, and 0. 7%, respectively. According to the mean concentrations of As, the order of the 6 land-use types, from the highest to the lowest As concentration, was paddy field > greenbelt > vegetable plot > orchard > wheatfield > natural soil. The environmental quality of paddy field and vegetable plot soils needs to be closely considered because of the high accumulation of As in these soil-use types.
Dissolved inorganic nitrogen of soil is liable to be transferred into surface or subsurface waters with surface or subsurface runoff. So it is important to measure ammo-niac(NH4+) and nitrate(NO3-) in soils for estimating non-point pollution nitrogen load in a drainage area. Commonly, saturated CaSO4 solution and 2M KCl solution are respectively used as soil extractant for NO3-and NH4+ Their efficiencies are high and experimental results are stable. But it is uncertain whether the two methods are fit for non-point pollution research because the output characteristic of soil-soluble inorganic nitrogen is not only related with soil content but also is influenced by soil solution environment. Characteristic of natural rainfall and irrigation water is respectively similar to deioned water and 0. 01M CaCl2 solution. So deioned water and 0. 01M CaCl2 solution can be used as soil extractants to simulate actual soil solution environment when rainfall and irrigation take place. In this paper, measured results extracted by deioned water and 0. 01M CaCl2 solution are compared with results extracted by saturated CaSO4 and 2M KC1 solutions in order to clarify the relations among them. Four soil samples, which were gathered in the suburb of Beijing, were blended and shaken for 30 minutes with four extractants (6 extracting forms) (According to traditional methods of soil extraction, the ratio of water to soil is 5 : 1 when saturated CaSO4 solution and 2M KC1 solution were used. The ratios are 20 : 1 and 100 : 1 when deioned water and 0. 01M CaCl2 solution are used. ). Then the extracted solutions were filtrated by 0. 45μm filter paper. The concentrations of NH4+ and NO3- in the filtrate are analyzed with Salicin-hypochlorite Method and Griess-Ilosvay Method by Autoanalyzer Ⅲ Colorimeter (BRAN LUEBBE). According to the measured results, such conclusions are drawn: (1) the measured values of NO3- by different extracting methods are coincident with each other; (2) the measured values of NH4+ are obviously different. The values of NH4+ extracted by deioned water (ratio of water to soil is 100 : 1) surpass the others by far; and (3) the measured values of NH4+ extracted by deioned water and 0. 01M CaCl2 solution are not as stable as the ones by saturated CaSO4 and 2M KC1 solutions. On the basis of these, four kinds of extractants are fit when a research is centred only on NO3-. Or else, fit extractant and ratio of water to soil must be selected according to the goal of the research and characteristics of the researched system.
Nowadays, in an open economic system, due to the increasing integration process in capital, financial and product markets, economic interaction across regions is becoming more and more important. The economic growth of one region is not just decided by its endogenous factors as before, but increasingly affected by its surrounding regions. Economists call this influence as "spillover". It is the mutual spillover of regions that brings the economic development of whole China. So, to know the spillover will obviously do great help to understand the economic developing question of China and to make effective regional economic policy. In fact, many scholars have conducted researches on this topic. For example, Mckibbin established Mundell-Fleming model between two countries; Douver set up GDP-spillovers models on multi-countries; and Conley advanced a complete framework to analyse spillovers based on all these ideas. In this paper, according to the new growth theory and the spatial interactions, we calculate the cross-province spillovers in China with the ameliorated statistical analysis model of the regional spillovers presented by Conley and Ligon(2003). The results indicate that: Most of the cross-province spillovers in China are positive, and those in the western part of China are negative except Yunnan and Xinjiang. Shanghai has the highest level of spillovers, so we call Shanghai as the economic center of China. Hubei province is key in regional spillover, hence developing Hubei economy can promote economic development in central and western China. As a result, we suggest that it is an important stratagem to promote the integrated development of Western and Eastern economy. Further we also think that an effective measure to revitalize Northeast China's economy is to offer some preferential policies which were given to Xinjiang now to Northeast China.
This article aims to explore the formation of the new industrial space in the Suzhou area in China driven by recent trans-border investment of Taiwanese IT companies in the last eight years and investigate the governance mechanisms of the local supply chains as well as its implication to regional development. We observed that the foreign brand-name companies had played important roles in propelling this wave of Taiwanese IT companies' trans-border investment in the Suzhou area. Although the strategic cooperation between Taiwanese OEM/ODM companies and foreign brand-name companies was consolidated, but the pressure from the foreign brand-name companies has changed the governance mechanisms of Taiwanese companies' supply chains and forged the dynamics of spatial agglomeration. We argue that the production networks' trans-border extension interweave with the exercise of power between enterprise organizations; and as to the new industrial space in the developing countries that were formed by the global production networks' transplantation, besides the essence of interdependence that characterized the industrial district's inter-firm relationship, economic geographers shouldn't ignore the asymmetric power relations that were embodied in the global commodity chains.
In recent years, the interaction between commercial development and population growth is a new active research area in human geography. This paper basically reviews the theories in the study on the spatial structure of urban commercial activities and discusses the several quantitative methods in commercial spatial analysis. However, the GIS and many other important spatial models have not been used very well in such a research. Based on the retrospection of domestic research concerned, the paper gives a detailed discussion on the analytical framework of the application of spatial interactive models in geographic distribution patterns between population and commerce in Haidian District of Beijing. As a matter of fact, the spatial interactive models including potential model and Lashmanan-Hansen model are successful analytical tools in transportation planning as well as urban and regional research, but these traditional models are seldom used in commercial spatial allocation and planning. In this paper, the calculation of population potential and the retailing probability (Lashmanan-Hansen model) in different areas in Haidian District generates two different spectrums. This kind of spatial spectrums are a significantly important way for better observing the spatial consistency between population distribution and commercial distribution. Therefore, the commercial spatial planning decision can be made according to the consistency and population growth forecast. This paper indicates that, since the 1980s, both population and commercial growth in Haidian District has been dramatically rapid than before. However, the quantitative analysis shows that there is little consistency between the development of population distribution and commercial distribution in Haidian District, which is the biggest administrative area in Beijing. The fact is that the commercial growth always lags behind population growth. In 2001, we can divide the commercial centers into four grades. Based on the results of population growth forecast and the spatial consistency, the commercial allocation for different areas in Haidian District has been calculated for spatial planning in the future.
The number of overseas tourists has been on the increase since the reform in China. During this period, there has been a distinct change in the status of urban Chinese destinations: new urban destinations have obviously attracted more overseas tourists; while the number of overseas tourists attracted to traditional ones have been decreasing. In the meantime, some cities tend to have either fewer overseas tourists or no obvious increase of overseas tourists. This paper explains the two reasons for the above change: one being the change in demand, the other being the transfer of the driving mechanism in urban tourism. The current research aims to analyze the latter reason. This paper uses Dalian, Shenzhen and Zhuhai as case studies to discuss the process and principles of the transfer of the driving force of urban tourism, and to testify the assumption this paper makes: that is, each urban destination has its own driving force mechanism, while the mechanisms can be different during different periods of development for the same destination. It is the transfer process of the driving force of the destination that changes the relative advantage of the urban destinations, which in turn causes the change in the relative status of the destinations. Accordingly, the paper concludes that the sustainable development of urban tourism depends on the change of its main driving force in response to it outside surrounding (mainly the change in the demand structure), so as to construct its new advantage before its earlier advantage is gone. Since the paper uses the number of incoming overseas tourists as the indicator, limitation of the study is unavoidable. Moreover, the three cities in the studies are all coastal ones, leaving room for further studies for its applicability.
The tourism in Beijing is the core and representative of the tourism development in China. But now the imbalance in the spacial and temporal distribution of the visitor flow in Beijing is getting worse. Therefore, it is very important to analyze the spacial and temporal distribution of the visitor flow in Beijing quantitatively, and take some action to alleviate this complexion. An on-site survey of Beijing's 12 typical scenic spots of different types, including Badaling Great Wall and the Imperial Palace etc, was carried out from May 2001 to May 2002. The real visitor flow condition was ascertained on the basis of the statistics of the on-site survey of these scenic spots to investigate the distribution of visitor flow in these scenic spots. Then an overall investigation of 183 important scenic spots was made, including monthly vistor reception, annual vistor reception and other static space configuration data. This paper analyzes the overall trend as well as the distributing character of visitor flow in scenic spots of city centre, suburbs and outskirts. We concluded that the spacial and temporal distribution of the visitor flow in Beijing is obviously imbalance; and to a certain extent, the supply of the tourism products can't meet the demand of the tourist market. Four maojor conclusions are: Firstly, the visitor flow mainly concentrates in the city proper and the mountainous area of northern Beijing, and the number of the visitors in the suburbs increases faster than that in the city proper. Secondely, the centralization of tourism time is intensified with the appearance of "the tourism golden week", which added the burthen to the senic spots during the midseason, especially caused the problem of the serious hotspot overcapacity. Thirdly, both amount of the senic spots and the competition are increasing, which is responsible for the decreasing of the vistor reception amount of some theme senic spots and traditional senic spots in the suburbs. At the same time, museums and a large amout of resembled new spots are facing a problem of the visitor shortage. Finally, the overall adjusting and controlling countermeasure for development direction, the spatial pattern of Beijing's tourist products, including improving the creativity of tourism product, attaching importance to the dragon-head effect and the centralization effect of the new product, leading the leisure tourism demand of the citizen to the suburbs, is presented. Besides, the adjusting and controlling countermeasures of visitor flow in scenic spots of the city proper, suburbs and outskirts is also proposed.
Based on the data of tourism sampling check from 1999 to 2003 in China, and in the context of spatial field effect,this psper uses factor analysis to show the basic character of domestic tourist flows origin, distribution, centralization, decentralization and their relativity of tourist flows spatial network. The results are as follows: (1) Economy is the main driving force of the tourist flows origin, the effect of cultural driving force is intensifying and tourist resource is the main driving force of the tourist distribution. Now, China has formed four tourist flows original fields and five tourist destinations. (2) Influenced by market principle, the hierarchical structure of tourist centralization fields and decentralization fields represents the spatial sequence model of K = 3. (3) The regional structure of tourist centralization fields show the character of "U" form, and the regional structure of tourist decentralization fields represent the pattern of "third class ladder". (4) The spatial network indexes of β and γ indicate that the relativity of tourist flows spatial network is feebleness. Finally, the paper regards that China should expedite the tourism development of the "two zones & three regions", namely the two zones of the Yangtze and Yellow river drainage areas and the three regions of the south coastal provinces, the north coastal provinces and northeast provinces in China. They are the key directions to push energetically the cooperation among tourist regions, endeavor to construct the tourist spatial network system, adjust and optimize the directions and quantity of tourist flows, as well as the key factors to enhance the network level of tourist flows.
This paper introduces the design and realization process of electronic sand table system for regional planning of Chongqing under the platform of ArcGIS by ESRI through secondary development by Visual Basic for Application (VBA). That it is called electronic sand table, sometimes digital sand table or virtual sand table, is contrast with traditional material sand table model. Unlike material sand tables, electric sand table is new high-tech product with integration of computer application, visual reality, Geographical Information System, virtual reality and multimedia. It can give users a real-time and interactive operation circumstance. Electronic sand tables break the limits of traditional sand tables such as large area, inconvenient for carrying, single content, and difficult to update. It has practical functions towards regional planning apart from the functions of traditional material sand table, such as assisting design planning scheme, managing spatio-temporal attribute of planning objects, analysing spatial affects and evaluating the planning blueprint, etc. In this paper, also, we analyse great significance of applying electronic sand table to regional planning and the profound effects that electronic sand table brings to regional planning. In the recent years, electronic sand table has been applied in many fields to a certain extent, such as military affairs, irrigation works, real estate, fire protection, but little in regional planning. From this article, we provide a new mode in which we carry on regional planning and we successfully test it through taking the Chongqing city as a case. This mode breaks the traditional idea, its vividness and third dimension can help geographers and regional policy decision-makers to gain a better understanding of the regions, and electronic sand table will become their right hand some time later.
This paper studies the principles and method of fast remote-sensing information extraction for urban built-up land, taking Fuzhou city as an example. With the detailed analysis and clarity of several existing normalized difference indices, the study selects three indices, Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI), Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI) and Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI) to represent three major urban land use/cover classes, i. e. , built-up land, water body and vegetation, respectively. The three index images are generated from a Landsat ETM + subscene of Fuzhou city and then used as three bands to compose a new image. This dramatically compresses the original eight-band ETM+ image into a three-band image, reduces band correlations and data redundancy, thus significantly simplifiying the band spectral analysisprocedures. The spectral signature analysis only needs to be performed on this three-index composite image and the signature differences among the three major urban land use/cover classes are revealed much easier than being done with multi-bands. Based on the revealed signature differences, the built-up land is finally extracted through a simple logic calculation. The result achieves a 91.3% overall accuracy. Therefore, the method is a fast and accurate one for the remote-sensing information extraction of urban land use without human interference. In addition to the above built-up land information extraction study, the paper proposes a Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI) based on the NDWI of Mcfeeters (1996) , which uses MIR wavelength (ETM + band 5) instead of NIR wavelength to construct the index. The replacement largely enhances the contrast of the water bodies with the other land use/cover classes and reduces the spectral confusion with the other classes. Therefore, the MNDWI is more suitable for delineating features of polluted urban rivers/lakes. The advantages of using SAVI instead of NDVI in the urban study are also discussed in this paper.
