Quantitative Assessment of Regional Debris-Flow Risk: A Case Study in Southwest China

This paper uses a comprehensive risk assessment method to investigate the population risk of debris flows in Southwest China. The methodology integrates models from hazard, vulnerability literature and some empirical equations. The main steps include debris-flow disaster-hazard zoning, estimation of the frequency of the disaster, factor identification of population vulnerability, and calculation of the fragility rate. The results demonstrate that the most hazardous regions in Southwest China are primarily observed in the mountains around the Sichuan Basin, the border area between Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces, the eastern and southern regions of Yunnan Province, and the eastern area of Guizhou Province. The extremely high vulnerability zones are characterized by a fragility rate of 3.89 persons per 10,000 people. The comprehensive risk gradually increases from the southeast of the study area to the central region, reaching its highest value (more than 100 persons/year) on the Jiangyou–Zhaotong–Baoshan Line and decreasing thereafter to its lowest in the northwestern region. Extremely large-scale disasters are the major factor of casualties. Appropriate risk management and mitigation solutions should be comprehensively determined based on the combination of debris-hazard levels and fragility rates in the hazardous regions

Coupling coordination spatial pattern between natural attractions and tourism potential with study travel implications: China case

AbstractJiangxi has superior natural environmental conditions, but tourism development is insufficient. This study analysed the distribution characteristics of natural tourism resources in Jiangxi Province, evaluated the potential of ecotourism, spatialized the coupling and coordination relationship between tourism resources and tourism potential and proposed the direction of tourism development and study travel planning. Results: (1) Natural tourist attractions in Jiangxi are relatively dense in the north and northeast, while relatively sparse in the south. (2) Natural tourism potential is generally high in the surrounding and low in the middle and high in the south and low in the north, and are distributed in a strip like manner. (3) Jiangxi is basically in a coordinated state, with the overall coupling index is relatively high, while the spatial differences in coordination index are significant, indicating that natural tourism resources and natural tourism potential have a strong mutual influence but their distribution characteristics do not match. (4) Future optimized development zone of natural tourism will be in the north and northeast, and the expanded development zone will be in the northwest and southeast. Both thematic and comprehensive study travel routes can be launched in regions with relatively concentrated natural tourist attractions. This article provides a research perspective on the interaction between tourism resource endowment and development practices, and the results can provide reference for relevant fields, natural tourism development, and study travel practices

Landscape Changes and Optimization in an Ecological Red Line Area: A Case Study in the Upper Reaches of the Ganjiang River

The key to optimizing ecological management is to study the spatial configuration of the landscape and the dynamic changes and their driving mechanisms at the landscape scale. The ecological red line area in the hilly area of the upper reaches of the Ganjiang River was chosen as the research area in this study. Based on the theory of landscape ecology and the evolution of biological communities, a multiscale coupling model was adopted and combined with remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) technologies to systematically study the evolution of key landscape ecosystems such as forests, patch characteristics, and changes in diversity. The study revealed that: (1) forests represented the largest proportion in the study area, followed by croplands and grasslands; (2) the biological community tended to progress toward climax between 1986 and 1995, but then it moved toward regressive successions between 1995 and 2005 before recovering; (3) the study area was characterized by a high proportion of dominant ecosystems, most of which were at their climax with stable ecological species groups, and which were connected by ecological corridors; and (4) during the period from 1995 to 2010, most landscapes showed a trend of fragmentation. However, during the period from 2010 to 2018, the forest patches were gradually connected. The proportion of dominant landscapes increased, and the landscape uniformity was reduced. Based on the findings, we proposed an ecosystem management strategy that includes strengthening crop management, focusing on the natural restoration of the ecosystems and the cultivation of large patches, exploring disturbances due to mining activities, and applying methods to mitigate damage to and optimize the ecosystem