Environmental Geography Seminar Announcement Dec.12

Dear all,

Hello!

This is an announcement of the upcoming Environmental Geography Seminar.

Please see all the details carefully below.

【Date】 12th. December. Wed. （Time: 15:00~）

【Place】 D101

【Content】

1. Presenters

i. Sun yujie
Title: Tourism and Remote Mountain Settlements: Spatial and Temporal Development of Tourist Infrastructure in the Mt Everest Region, Nepal
Journal: Tourism Geographies Vol. 7, No. 2, 205–227, May 2005
Author: SANJAY K. NEPAL
Abstract:
More than three decades of tourism in the remote mountain communities of the Everest region in the Nepalese Himalaya have transformed the shape, size and functions of traditional human settlements. Tourism-induced demands for accommodation have not only resulted in significant housing constructions, but traditional family dwellings have been converted into modern tourist accommodations as well. The growth of settlements and housing styles follow a pattern dictated by the mobility of tourists and their needs rather than the traditional functions of a rural settlement. Five major types of settlement, defined by their development stages, size and function, can be identified. These settlements have gone through several transitions, for example, from a herding village to seasonal tourist centres and into permanent settlements. This paper discusses the spatial and temporal effects of tourism on settlement development patterns and processes in the Everest region of Nepal. It contributes to the understanding of settlement development stages, progression through various transitions, factors that contribute to such transitions and corresponding changes in functional characteristics of individual settlements. It concludes that in-depth examination of rural settlements’ development processes is crucial in understanding their dynamic nature, and in developing strategies for their planned development.

ii. John Mawenda
Title: ” Drivers of urban growth in the Kathmandu valley, Nepal: Examining the efficacy of the analytic hierarchy process”.
Authors: Rajesh Bahadur Thapa and Yuji Murayama.
Abstract: This article explores the driving factors of urban growth in Kathmandu Valley using analytic hierarchy process. The dynamic pattern of urban growth in the valley has been greatly influenced by seven driving factors: physical conditions, public service accessibility, economic opportunities, land market, population growth, political situation, and plans and policies. These factors have played important yet different roles in the city core, fringe, and rural areas. Among these factors, economic opportunities in the core, population growth in the fringe, and the political situation in the rural areas are identified as the highest impact factors of urban growth. Due to the lesser land availability in the city core, the land market factor had a smaller role in the core compared to the fringe and rural areas. The plans and policies factor is evaluated as minimally effective in all thematic areas. The physical condition factor had a low impact in the city core and fringe areas, but played a larger role than the economic opportunities, public service accessibility, and plans and policies in the rural areas. Due to spatial disparities in the public service establishments in the valley, the public services accessibility factor had a low impact in the rural area. A representative model of driving factors is presented to explain the overall relationship between the factors in the urban growth process of the metropolitan region. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Full paper is accessible on https://ac.els-cdn.com/S014362280900068X/1-s2.0-S014362280900068X-main.pdf?_tid=c1dbad37-b1d6-4ccd-b795-70e05c0a6258&acdnat=1544412455_0bde5757e265545c89d9a674a280c64d

iii. Zhang Yimeng
Title: Alpine grassland degradation in the Qilian Mountains, China — A case study in Damaying Grassland
Author: Zhengyi Yao, Cunyu Zhao, Keshuo Yang, Weicheng Liu, Yuan Li, Jiandong You, Jianhua Xiao
Journal: Catena 137 (2016) 494–500
Abstract: Degradation of semiarid grassland and efforts to control that degradation have become pressing issues. However, the inherent characteristics of the grassland and the intertemporal nature of the problem complicate the analysis of degradation issues, and consequently, the search for more appropriate rangeland policies. Using the Damaying slopes of the QilianMountains by means of in situ samples using vegetative cover, biological diversity, forage productivity, soil bulk density, and soil nutrients as the main evaluation indices. The forage yields on high, moderate, and low coverage rangeland exhibited decreases of 20.2%, 20.8% and 56.4%, respectively, from1982 to 2012. Due to the lower basal cover of rangeland in poor condition, soil nutrient and organic matter content decreased with rangeland degradation. Increased soil compaction appears to lead to lower basal cover of rangeland The soil bulk density in high, moderate, and low coverage rangelands was found to be 0.8 g·cm−3, 1.1 g·cm−3, and 1.2 g·cm−3, respectively. The soil nutrient levels and organic matter contents indicate that the rangelands experienced degradation over the 30-year period. Organic matter and available nitrogen decreased significantly over time, while available phosphorus and available potassium increased significantly. Overall, our results show that the Damaying Grassland is in a period of rapid degradation, and that mitigation and remediation measures are needed to protect the rangelands.

iv. Xiao Juan
Title: Impact of Impoldering and Lake Restoration on Land-cover Changes in Dongting Lake Area, Central Yangtze
Author: Shuqing Zhao, Jingyun Fang
Journal: AMBIO. Volumes 33, August 2004, Pages 311-315
URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8328075_Impact_of_Impoldering_and_Lake_Restoration_on_Land-cover_Changes_in_Dongting_Lake_Area_Central_Yangtze
Abstract:
Human activities can have a remarkable effect on land-cover patterns over time. This study characterized long-term (1930s-1998) land-cover changes in Dongting Lake area in the Central Yangtze River, China, by digitalizing historical topographical maps for the 1930s and 1950s and interpreting satellite remote sensing data for 1978, 1989, and 1998. The study indicates that land-cover patterns in Dongting Lake area have been greatly altered by impoldering and subsequent lake restoration activities in the past 70 years. There are two distinct periods of change characterized by impoldering (1930s-1978) and lake restoration (1978-1998). In the former period, cropland increased sharply at the cost of a drop in other land-cover types, which had resulted in significant negative consequences, while the pattern of land-cover changes reversed in the later period.

v.

2. Note this:

Please send me the detailed information about your presentation at least 5 days before your turn.

For a paper review: title and author of the paper, journal name, which volume, pages, also the link (if possible) should be provided.

If a paper written in Japanese is going to be presented, please kindly send me the information both in Japanese and English.

【Notice】

※ In case you are absent from the seminar or late for the seminar, please contact Professors or me in advance. Any absence without permission is not allowed;

※ Please be punctual (very important);

※ Please do your full preparation for the seminar;

※ Your active participation is always appreciated;

※ Please feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions or comments.

Best Regards,

Chang Liang