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Groundings are frequently occurring accidents that pose a serious risk in inland waterways. This paper proposes a flexible decision-support solution for grounded ships in the Yangtze River. The basis of the proposed method is to develop an influence diagram based on a three-layer decision-making framework, to consider the effectiveness of the intervention measures by adding two nodes and establishing the associated conditional probability tables, and to merge the influence diagram and the intervention measures as a flexible decision-support solution. The merits of the proposed method include the intuitive representation of how the influencing factors affect the alternatives using a graphical structure, the flexibility to implement and to consider the intervention measures for grounded ships, and the ability to deal with uncertainty in both numerical data and qualitative information. The results of the case study showed that it is unanimous with the real situations and the intervention measures should be considered to make effective and accurate decision-making for grounding ships. Consequently, the method presented in this paper provides a practical and flexible decision-support solution for grounded ships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: China plays an increasingly important role on the international economic scene and in global supply chains. Initially only coastal regions participated in global supply chains, but in recent years comparative cost advantages have led to an increased participation of inland destinations in China’s economic development. The growth of some inland regions has urged logistics players to revise and reconfigure their extensive logistics networks. This has been particularly the case in the Yangtze region. Upstream cities such as Chongqing are emerging as potential important production centres for the international markets. This paper discusses the challenges for container barge services on the Yangtze River to Chongqing. It is argued that a further strengthening of the global market position of Chongqing and other upstream locations demands further improvements in transport-related and logistical cost control and reliability. The performance of container river services on the Yangtze River is crucial for upstream economic regions to take part in world trade. The paper analyzes the costs aspects linked to transporting goods to the world markets and makes a comparison to gateway region Shanghai. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper sheds an empirical light on port development patterns by discussing the structure and the development of the Yangtze River ports system. We argue that the Yangtze River system is going through a regionalization phase, mainly in relation to the port of Shanghai. This process started on the lower Yangtze but is now also moving upstream. The transition towards the port regionalization phase is typically a gradual and market-driven process that mirrors the increased focus of market players on logistics integration. This paper builds on the existing literature on port systems and adapts port development models to river ports. Furthermore, we employ some statistical techniques that are common to the analysis of port systems, and introduce some techniques that have not been used much by transport geographers in ports. This paper will address the dynamics in the Yangtze River ports system by analyzing the level of cargo concentration and the degree of inequality in operations of the container ports. The paper also assesses observed differences in development of ports in different areas along the river (upstream/downstream) and reflects on the role of ownership structures in shaping regional load centre networks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract This paper develops a new paradigm to analyze the eco-efficiency of Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) in China and makes a first empirical attempt at examining whether the eco-efficiency in urban agglomerations (UA-s) outperform Non-urban agglomerations (Non-UA-s), or driving the Non-UA-s in promoting eco-efficiency using a dataset of 108 prefectural-level cities during 2003–2014. The main findings are as follows. First, the eco-efficiency of YREB gradually increases during the study period. Cities in UA-s with higher eco-efficiency experience an increasing spatial agglomeration while those in Non-UA-s show a slight downward shift. Second, in terms of eco-efficiency, both statistical test and econometrical test confirm that cities in UA-s outperform those in Non-UA-s. Third, the global and club convergence of eco-efficiency in YREB is ascertained. Forth, the eco-efficiency of UA-s exerts backwash effects on those in Non-UA-s, along with decreasing the convergence speed of eco-efficiency. Special issues are briefly discussed, lastly. Highlights • A new analysis paradigm is developed to explore the YREB's eco-efficiency. • Temporal-spatial evolution and empirical tests are conducted, indicating a proof that eco-efficiency in urban agglomerations outperform that in Non-urban agglomerations. • Urban agglomerations have backwash effects and slight constraints to Non-urban agglomerations in terms of eco-efficiency. • Some special issues are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Eutrophication is a world-wide environmental issue. Lake Taihu is a typical large, shallow, eutrophic lake located in delta of River Changjiang (Yangtze River). A large-scale ecological engineering experiment targeted at water quality improvement was implemented in Meiliang Bay, Lake Taihu. In this special issue, there are six papers related to water purification and algal bloom control techniques applied in this experiment. Four papers address the validity and efficiency of water quality improvement of this ecological engineering and one paper presents a similar but small-size ecological engineering. The others focus on macrophyte restoration, aquatic plant management and recycling exploitation. The editorial paper highlights the main results and conclusions from these papers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As the fourth phase of the Three Gorges reservoir project commenced in 2008, the rate of water flow in the Yangtze River has obviously decelerated further downstream and water clarity within the storage facility has decreased. Meanwhile, the rate of urbanization in the region is adding to the amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) being generated by every day life. The composition of the waste is becoming more diversified and complicated, thereby presenting an increasing threat to the ecological environment and water resources of the Three Gorges region. This paper is a probe into MSW in terms of its characteristics as well as methods of storage, collection, transportation, recycling, treatment and disposal, the protection of environmental ecosystems. Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) is one of the major environmental problems in the Three Gorges region, and indeed the whole of China. Based on the analysis of the present situation of MSWM and its treatment/disposal, some methods of sorting, recycling, decomposing, incineration and reuse are described, sanitary landfill as the main disposal method in Chongqing city, incineration being the second. Sanitary landfill or dump was also used for MSW treatment in the Three Gorges region, and this paper also provides some suggestions for improving MSWM in the Three Gorges region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Inter-city cooperation in the Yangtze River Delta region is a new phenomenon and has received much governmental and scholarly attention in recent years. This paper examines inter-city cooperation from partnership perspective. In this study, three typical cases of inter-city cooperation, Suzhou–Wuxi–Changzhou City-region Planning, the Forum for the Coordination of Urban Economy of Yangtze River Delta Region and Jiangyin Economic Development Zone in Jingjiang are selected to examine three types of partnership arrangements, namely, hierarchical partnership, spontaneous partnership and hybrid partnership. This research applies the partnership approach to regional scale based on Chinese experiences. The research focus of this paper is the effectiveness of three types of inter-city cooperation. Through tracing the process of partnership formation and investigating stakeholder interactions, this paper argues that the effectiveness of inter-city cooperation depends on cooperation mechanism, the nature and scope of the cooperation, and partner selection and the roles of actors in partnership formation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) is the prior region for achieving China’s strategic development with both economic and ecological goals. Since YREB covers more than 500 million people within a large area, the unbalanced urban sustainable development cannot be neglected. Different from the previous studies, this paper adopts an index of urban state carrying capacity (USCC) to assess the sustainable development in YREB. USCC can reflect the positive effects clearly, and evaluate the carrying capacity without the distortion from the opposite side. The assessment method combines the framework of Indicator-Benchmark Comparison (IBC) and the method of Analytical hieratical process (AHP), and sets up the indicator system for USCC from four perspectives. Based on the panel data for the years 2006–2014 in three scale levels, the analyses of temporal and spatial differentiation are conducted to discuss the unbalanced development in YREB. The results present that the eastern sub-UAs have much higher USCC values than the western ones significantly. The provincial cities and municipalities with higher USCC have strong impacts on their neighborhood cities around them. Further policies are suggested to support for other unbalanced sustainable development urban agglomerations like YREB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the first attempt to investigate the emission source control of the Middle Reaches of Yangtze River Urban Agglomerations (MRYRUA), one of the national urban agglomerations in China. An emission inventory of the MRYRUA was developed as inputs to the CAMx model based on county-level activity data obtained by full-coverage investigation and source-based spatial surrogates. A classification technology method for priority control of atmospheric emission sources was introduced and applied in the MRYRUA for the evaluation of the emission sources control on the region-scale and city-scale, respectively. The results demonstrated that the emission sources in the Hefei-centered urban agglomerations contributed the biggest on the mean PM 2.5 concentrations of the MRYRUA and should be taken the priority to control. The emission sources in the Ma'anshan city, Xiangtan city, Hefei city and Wuhan city were the bigger contributors on the mean PM 2.5 concentrations of the MRYRUA among the cities and should be taken the priority to control. In generally, emission sources in cities along the Yangtze River and the tributary should be given the special attention for the regional air quality target attainments. This study can give an understanding of Chinese emissions and provide a valuable preference to policy makers for finding effective mitigation measures and control strategies for reducing national and regional air pollution in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yangtze River is one of the largest and most important rivers in the world. Over the past several decades, the natural sediment regime of the Yangtze River has been altered by the construction of dams. This paper uses multi-scale entropy analysis to ascertain the impacts of large dams on the complexity of high-frequency suspended sediment dynamics in the Yangtze River system, especially after impoundment of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD). In this study, the complexity of sediment dynamics is quantified by framing it within the context of entropy analysis of time series. Data on daily sediment loads for four stations located in the mainstem are analyzed for the past 60 years. The results indicate that dam construction has reduced the complexity of short-term (1–30 days) variation in sediment dynamics near the structures, but that complexity has actually increased farther downstream. This spatial pattern seems to reflect a filtering effect of the dams on the on the temporal pattern of sediment loads as well as decreased longitudinal connectivity of sediment transfer through the river system, resulting in downstream enhancement of the influence of local sediment inputs by tributaries on sediment dynamics. The TGD has had a substantial impact on the complexity of sediment series in the mainstem of the Yangtze River, especially after it became fully operational. This enhanced impact is attributed to the high trapping efficiency of this dam and its associated large reservoir. The sediment dynamics “signal” becomes more spatially variable after dam construction. This study demonstrates the spatial influence of dams on the high-frequency temporal complexity of sediment regimes and provides valuable information that can be used to guide environmental conservation of the Yangtze River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of global warming, occurrence of heat waves has increased in most part of Europe, Asia and Australia along with enhanced ozone level. In this paper, observational air temperature and surface ozone in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region of China during summer of 2013, and the regional chemistry-climate model (RegCM-CHEM4) were applied to explore the relationship between heat wave and elevated ground-level ozone. Observations indicated that YRD experienced severe heat waves with maximum temperature up to 41.1 °C, 6.1 °C higher than the definition of heat wave in China, and can last for as long as 27 days. Maximum ozone reached 160.5 ppb, exceeding the national air quality standard (secondary level) as 74.7 ppb. Moreover, ozone was found to increase at a rate of 4–5 ppb K − 1 within the temperature range of 28–38 °C, but decrease by a rate of − 1.3 ~ − 1.7 ppb K − 1 under extremely high temperature. A typical heat wave case (HW: 24/7–31/7) and non-heat wave case (NHW: 5/6–12/6) were selected to investigate the mechanism between heavy ozone and heat waves. It was found that chemical reactions play the most important role in ozone formation during HW days, which result in 12 ppb ozone enhancement compared to NHW days. Chemical formation of ozone can be influenced by several factors. During heat waves, a more stagnant condition, controlled by anti-cyclone with sink airflow, led to less water vapor in YRD from south and contributed to less cloud cover, which favored a strong solar radiation environment and ozone significantly increasing. High temperature also slightly promote the effect of vertical turbulence and horizontal advection, which beneficial to ozone remove, but the magnitude is much smaller than chemical effect. Our study suggests that the chemical reaction will potentially lead to substantial elevated ozone in a warmer climate, which should be taken into account in future ozone related issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying a parameterized directional distance function approach, this paper estimates the regional eco-efficiency and pollutants' marginal abatement costs in China based on provincial panel data covering the years 2003–2012. We find that China could potentially save capital, labor, land, energy and water by 18.07%, 11.47%, 11.20%, 12.28% and 11.19%, and reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), household refuse and waste water by 11.75%, 11.02% and 11.46%, respectively, on condition that all provinces produced fully efficiently, The south and east coastal areas were the most eco-efficient, while the middle Yangtze River and southwest areas performed relatively poor. For the whole country, the average shadow prices of CO 2 , household refuse and waste water were 717.27 Yuan/tonne, 42,936.98 Yuan/tonne and 306.65 Yuan/tonne, respectively. The shadow price of CO 2 revealed significant regional disparities and that of household refuse showed a rapid increase throughout the study period. Our estimates suggest that policymakers should take measures to avoid ineffective capital investment and improve economic output efficiency in inland provinces, especially in the middle Yangtze River, northwest and southwest areas, and facilitate technological cooperation between developed and undeveloped areas. The regional heterogeneity and flexible price mechanism of various pollutants should be taken into consideration when making the reduction allocations among different areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The earliest pottery in East Asia, as is found in several cave sites in southern China, emerges in Upper Paleolithic contexts dating from the Last Glacial Maximum, ∼20 Ka cal BP. The making of simple pottery vessels in Late Pleistocene East Asia also has been noted in eastern Siberia and Japan but not yet in the Central Plains of China. This paper summarizes the better-reported evidence for early pottery sites across the vast region of China south of the Yangtze River, providing details on two dating projects conducted in the cave sites of Xianrendong (Jiangxi Province) and Yuchanyan (Hunan Province). The excavated contexts in these two caves and a few others clearly indicate that this early pottery was the creation of hunter-gatherers who hunted available game and foraged a variety of plant foods. The nature of the cave occupations is ephemeral, and where the published animal and plant remains allow, we suggest that there were repeated, seasonal occupations. In sum, there is no basis yet to suggest that the making of early pottery in South China marked sedentary or plant-cultivating communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the velocity characteristics of compound rivers in mountain areas, featured with substantially different roughness between the main channel and floodplain. A series of flume experiments have been conducted to investigate the velocity distribution affected by different roughness in the main channel and its floodplain. The experimental data are analysed to obtain a new empirical formula to determine the velocity ratio between the main channel and the floodplain. In addition to the roughness, the ratio between the water depth in the main channel and the floodplain also affects the flow velocity. Therefore the velocity characteristics vary with the roughness and depth in the subsections of the compound channel. The new empirical formula is applied to estimate velocity in the upper reach of Yangtze River, in Chongqing, China. The calculated results are found to be consistent with the field measurements, demonstrating the potential of the formula for estimating velocity distribution in mountain rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As China experienced rapid economic growth, non-agricultural land, particularly industrial land, expanded significantly within its peri-urban areas. This paper takes two typical peri-urban areas: Jiangyin in the Yangtze River Delta and Shunde in the Pearl River Delta, as cases, and applies landscape ecology indices to analyze land use dynamics through overlay of their land use maps from 2001 to 2010. This research reveals that local cadres such as township governments and village collectives utilize land finance as a strategy to contest the reshuffling of central-local power brought about by the 1994 tax-sharing scheme. Meanwhile, under the stringent land quota system, local cadres allocated most quotas to the industrial sector in order to encourage economic growth. However, the fragmented governance regime, including county/city, township to administrative village and natural village, led to land fragmentation, which had adverse impacts on sustainable development. In general, the research on land use of peri-urban areas requires a comprehensive perspective of social, economic and institutional aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper aims to develop a novel hybrid model for assessing landslide susceptibility at the regional scale using multisource data to produce a landslide susceptibility map of the Zigui–Badong area near the Three Gorges Reservoir, China. This area is subject to anthropogenic influences because the reservoir's water level fluctuates cyclically between 145 and 175m; in addition, the area suffers from extreme rainfall events due to the local climate. The area has experienced significant and widespread landslide events in recent years. In our study, a novel hybrid model is proposed to produce landslide susceptibility maps using geographical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing. The hybrid model is based on rough set (RS) theory and a support vector machine (SVM). RS theory is employed as an attribute reduction tool to identify the significant environmental parameters of a landslide, and an SVM is used to predict landslide susceptibility. Four data domains were considered in this research: geological, geomorphological, hydrology, and land cover. The original group of 20 environmental parameters and 202 landslides were used as the inputs to produce a landslide susceptibility map. According to the map, 19.7% of the study area was identified as medium- and high-susceptibility zones encompassing 89.5% of the historical landslides. The results indicate high levels of landslide hazard in and around the main inhabited areas, such as Badong County and other towns, as well as in rural residential areas and transportation areas along the Yangtze River and its tributaries. The predicted map indicates a good correlation between the classified high hazard areas and slope failures confirmed in the field. Furthermore, the quality of the proposed model was comprehensively evaluated, including the degree of model fit, the robustness of the model, the uncertainty associated with the probabilistic estimate, and the model prediction skill. The proposed model was also compared with the general SVM, which demonstrated that the hybrid model has superior prediction skill and higher reliability and confirmed the usefulness of the proposed model for landslide susceptibility mapping at a regional scale. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Formal safety assessment (FSA), as a structured and systematic risk evaluation methodology, has been increasingly and broadly used in the shipping industry around the world. Concerns have been raised as to navigational safety of the Yangtze River, China's largest and the world's busiest inland waterway. Over the last few decades, the throughput of ships in the Yangtze River has increased rapidly due to the national development of the Middle and Western parts of China. Accidents such as collisions, groundings, contacts, oil-spills and fires occur repeatedly, often causing serious consequences. In order to improve the navigational safety in the Yangtze River, this paper estimates the navigational risk of the Yangtze River using the FSA concept and a Bayesian network (BN) technique. The navigational risk model is established by considering both probability and consequences of accidents with respect to a risk matrix method, followed by a scenario analysis to demonstrate the application of the proposed model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Considerable attention has been paid to the extreme floods affecting Taihu Lake and the lower reaches of the Yangtze River (China) since they have caused serious socio-economic problems past and present. To fully understand these low probability events, it is necessary to build longtime-series of flood occurrence using flood-level proxies from archaeology and sedimentology that extends the period of observation beyond that of instrumental data. Using historical stele flood markers relicts and lacustrine sediment records from Taihu Lake, this paper attempts to reconstruct the historical flood events, to compare the stele-measured flood levels with those recorded by the modern gauges, and to identify the extreme flood signals among the flood events over the past 400years. Results indicate that the lowest lake level of the 15 extreme floods by stele-records in the period 1600–1954AD was 4.07m a.s.l., equivalent to the 80th percentile of hydrological-gauged lake levels during 1921–2004AD; this comparison provides a quantitative analogue for the floods reconstructed from lake sediments. Flood signals from coarse silt–sand sediments and low-frequency magnetic susceptibility profiles captured 85% of flood years in the historical period, and five extreme flood years that were missed in the stele flood records were found. There were three flood years that were identified from the historical documents in 1766, 1875 and 1882AD, respectively, when lake-flood levels were estimated at 4.0–4.1m, 4.1–4.2m and 4.13–4.23m, respectively. Spectral analysis was used to identify return periods from the three time series of the stele flood records, grain flood index and magnetic flood index, respectively; these analyses indicated some synchronous patterns and showed common return periods of 90–102years, 60–62years and 42–44years. To test if the historical extreme floods have statistical relationships with climate variability, a two-variables-conditional test following Poisson’s distribution was applied: the estimated probabilities of 0.17–0.20 between a proxy of the Pacific Decadal Osculation (PDO) and the flood events were obtained. These estimates indicate that the hypothesis that the two variables have significant correlations can be accepted, suggesting that the Taihu historical extreme floods were significantly linked with the changes in the Pacific monsoon and summer precipitation. This study demonstrate the possibility of reconstructing past extreme floods where gauge data are not available and has relevance to the prediction of future extreme floods which will have possible disastrous socio-economic impacts on the Taihu catchment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Conclusions from a published longitudinal beam action calculation of the tunnel lining at the Shanghai Yangtze River Tunnel (SYRT) are evaluated against experience gained in Dutch research on longitudinal beam action. The former aimed at quantifying the shear force in the tunnel lining during the construction phase of the tunnel in relation to the grouting process. For evaluation of calculated shear forces, a recently developed one-dimensional beam action model is applied. The paper compares the principles of the two calculation methods and the outcomes. Massive shear forces were predicted in the original calculations for the SYRT, whereas these are much smaller according to this recent model. This is attributed to differences in the treatment of boundary conditions, particularly regarding the longitudinal bending moment in the tunnel lining. It is advised to devise a method to measure the shear force that is transmitted by the set of hydraulic jacks between the TBM and the tunnel lining. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Effective flood management measures incorporate the flood mitigation functions of natural ecosystems, but the exact functions and effects of forests, grasslands and other ecosystems in mitigating floods are not clearly understood. In this paper, a flood mitigation assessment model was established based on the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) method, and the function and potential capacity of ecosystems for mitigating flooding in the Upper Yangtze River Basin (UYRB) were assessed. The monetary value of flood mitigation service was calculated by formulating an exponential function with respect to the amount of storm and flood damage. The results showed that ecosystems in the UYRB reduced flooding by a total of 42.8 billion cubic meters. Statistical equations developed for the amount of storm and flood damage gave an average of 6.479 billion RMB Yuan as the value of ecosystem flood mitigation in the UYRB. Despite their small cost, ecosystems have the potential to reduce flood damage by more than half, an indication of the important role of ecological systems in flood management. This approach can be used to identify high-value areas for ecological protection, and also to provide the governments at various levels with important information for decision-making related to integrated flood management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study aims to investigate whether, to what extent and how a transition toward integrated flood management has taken place in the Dongting Lake area at the middle Yangtze. Accordingly, we conducted a longitudinal research of its flood management (1949–2009). We developed an analytical framework linking regime components to two societal learning types (double and triple-loop learning) that are key to a regime transition. Our study shows that the transition toward integrated flood management has already started, but the whole regime transformation will still take time to complete, due to, for example, the not-yet-ready decision-making processes that shape the structure changes as well as the incompatibilities between what is on paper and real implementation. To understand how the regime transition took place, we investigated where and how triple-loop learning was initiated as well as how so-called “informal learning processes” has contributed to the transition of Dongting flood management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The amalgamation process of the Yangtze with Cathaysia Blocks has been one of the disputed issues that have attracted considerable attention due to its significance in understanding the assembly and breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia. However, it has been a matter of debate as to the tectonic nature (plume vs. subduction/collision vs. plate-rift) and timing of the amalgamation (1000Ma vs. 880Ma vs. 800Ma) along the Jiangnan domain. To evaluate the previously proposed models and to constrain the final amalgamation timing of the Yangtze with Cathaysia Blocks, this paper presents a set of integrated geochemical and geochronological data for the high-mg volcanic sequence that is bounded between the Lengjiaxi and Banxi Groups. Two andesitic samples from the volcanic sequence (Cangshuipu) were dated at 824±7Ma (CSP-35) and 822±28Ma (CSP-8) using the SIMS and SHRIMP techniques, respectively. These samples have mg-numbers ranging from 71 to 25 with SiO2 of 57.51–73.80wt%, classified as high-mg andesite and dacite. They show significant enrichment in LILEs and depletion in HFSEs with marked negative Nb–Ta, P and Ti anomalies. Their ɛ Nd(t) values range from −1.7 to −4.7 and initial 87Sr/86Sr values from 0.7051 to 0.7123. The generation of the Cangshuipu high-mg rocks might have been attributed to an interaction of the subducted sediment-derived fluid with the overlying refractory mantle. The contemporaneous dacitic rocks should be the product of the highly fractional crystallization from the high-mg andesitic magma. Integrated with the regional geology and available geochronological data, we propose that the Cangshuipu volcanic sequence might have formed in a collisional setting related to the Neoproterozoic orogenic process along the Jiangnan domain. The final amalgamation of the Yangtze with Cathaysia Blocks along the Jiangnan domain probably occurred between 815Ma and 822Ma (probably 820Ma) rather than 1000Ma, ca. 880Ma or 800Ma as previously proposed. Taking into account the subsequent development of the Nanhua rifting (probably after 815Ma), it is inferred that a plate-rift model might be a more reasonable mechanism for the Neoproterozoic tectonic evolution along the Jiangnan domain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, the variability of daily temperature in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) for the period 1958–2007 was investigated by selecting three typical temperature variables (daily minimum, mean and maximum temperatures) and the diurnal temperature range (DTR). Three variability patterns of daily mean temperature and two variability patterns of daily minimum and maximum temperatures were first classed, and then statistical properties of three temperature variables in 1958–1985 and 1986–2007 were analyzed. After that, temporal trends of three temperature variables and DTR were detected. Finally, the impacts of urbanization on the variability of daily temperature were investigated. Results indicate that: (1) daily mean temperature shows more complex variability than daily minimum and maximum temperatures; (2) in 1986–2007 three temperature variables have bigger mean values but smaller C v (coefficient of variance) values, and are more close to normal probability distribution; (3) three temperature variables show positive trends in 1986–2007, and the increase of daily mean temperature is more due to the increase of daily minimum temperature in the northern YRD but due to daily maximum temperature in the mid and southern YRD; (4) in the mid and southern YRD, daily maximum temperature has bigger increasing magnitude than daily minimum temperature in 1986–2007, causing positive trend of DTR; and (5) rapid urbanization causes normal distribution of three temperature variables, and notably increasing magnitude of daily temperature and DTR in 1986–2007 at the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Hangzhou Bay. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: After the Yangtze River was closed by the Three Gorges Project (TGP) in 2003, erosion occurred from the dam site to the river mouth, especially in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. However, in some local areas of Chenglingji reach which holds the key position for flood management, there is actually deposition in contrast to the expected erosion. In this paper, a one dimensional mathematical model of the river network with sediment transport is used as the tool to simulate flow and fluvial processes. The calculation domain is from Yichang, which is downstream of the dam, to Hankou, the controlling node of flood management, 694km long in total. The model is calibrated based on the field data of hydrology and sediment transport during the period from October 2003 to October 2008. Then the model is utilized to simulate the erosion and deposition of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in the next two decades, and produce the results of a new river channel after river bed deformation occurs. The typical flood processes of 1954 and 1998 in the Yangtze River basin are used to check the flood management scheme for the research area, and results show that water storage of Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) and a flood diversion program downstream of the Yangtze River should be taken into consideration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper reports the initial result of the flux of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) into the Changjiang effluent plume (CEP). A radium mass balance model and a 224Ra/223Ra activity ratio (AR) apparent age model were applied to estimate the residence time of water above the pycnocline in the CEP. These two approaches gave similar results, yielding residence times of 5.4d and 7.0d, respectively, in the inner and outer plume zones. The nonconservative inventory of 226Ra was established in the CEP, and converted to a 226Ra flux by dividing by the water residence time and assuming steady state conditions. After subtracting the desorption of 226Ra from suspended sediment and the diffusion from the bottom sediment, the 226Ra flux from SGD was converted to a total SGD flux by dividing by the measured activity of 226Ra in local groundwater. The SGD flux in the CEP is estimated to be 0.2–1.0×109 m3 d−1, which is equivalent to 6–30% of the Changjiang water discharge during flood season. This large flux indicates that SGD may be another important nutrient source to the East China Sea. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: the river of Yangtze River in Chongqing area is continuous curved. Hydrology and channel situation is complex, and the transportation is busy. With the increasing of shipments of hazardous chemicals year by year, oil spill accident risk is rising. So establishment of three-dimensional virtual simulation of oil spill and its application in decision-making has become an urgent task. This paper detailed the process of three-dimensional virtual simulation of oil spill and established a system of three-dimensional virtual Simulation of oil spill of Yangtze River in Chongqing area by establishing an oil spill model of the Chongqing area based on oil particles model, and the system has been used in emergency decision to provide assistance for the oil spill response. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In recent years a large number of floods occurred in the Dongting Lake region, China, and flood prevention and control have become a focus in the middle Yangtze River. How to use the dispersed sub-fast-flood storage area in Dongting basin rationally and control water level and flow process will improve flood prevention ability. In this paper an improved systematic flood simulation method coupling one and two-dimensional hydraulic model is established aiming at special area. The flood evolution process, different flood discharge scale, flood storage and embanking effect are simulated according to the changing spatial gate position and extra flood magnanimity for the typical hydrologic years. An optimized scheduling scheme by using the parallel algorithm and numerical computing method is preferred in different flood periods. The research results indicate the optimized flood diversion gate and operation scheme in three shunts river system will directly control the water level in the whole lake region. The research results provide practical basis for systematic floods control and is helpful to assess flood disaster in Yangtze River basin. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Suzhou is located at the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in southeastern Jiangsu, China. It is part of the Su-Xi-Chang area including Suzhou, Wuxi and Changzhou. As one of the most developed areas in China, this region has suffered from severe land subsidence caused by extensive groundwater exploitation since 1980s. The land subsidence was controlled by prohibition of groundwater exploration in the past several years. However, the surface water pollution prompted a new task of how to sustainably utilize the groundwater resource, especially to satisfy the emergency demands of water supply. In this paper, we took Suzhou as a representative case to discuss how to develop groundwater resources while controlling the land subsidence. The relationship between the deformation and the groundwater level was analyzed, with focus on the deformation features after the period of groundwater exploitation ban. The results confirmed the conclusion by Shi et al. (2007, 2008a): even in the period of rising groundwater level, same units may manifest different deformation characteristics, such as elasticity, elasto-plasticity, and visco-elasto-plasticity, at different locations of the cone of depression. A land subsidence model that couples a 3-D groundwater model and a 1-D deformation model was developed to simulate the groundwater level and deformation. A high-resolution local grid (child model) for Suzhou was built based on the regional land subsidence model of Su-Xi-Chang area by Wu et al. (2009). The model was used for a number of predictive scenarios up to the year of 2012 to examine how to develop sustainable use of groundwater resources under the conditions of land subsidence control. Our results indicated that about 3.08×107 m3/a groundwater could be provided as emergency and standby water source while meeting the land subsidence control target of 10mm/a. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Ecological protection of the Three Gorge Reservoir wetland would influence the development of the Yangtze River area and even the whole of northern China. This paper studies the current situation of the Three Gorge Reservoir wetland, and analysising the main threats which the reservoir area facing. And then we proposed ecological wetland protection measures from planning, design, management system innovation, and the public awareness, in hope to improve the protection and management level of the Three Gorge Reservoir wetland, and leading to deep thinking. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Changes on water resources volume of 1960–2007 in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River are discussed in this paper. A time series (1960–2007) and its spatial patterns of actual evapotranspiration (ETa) estimation are analyzed based on Advection-Aridity model (A–A model) with selected parameters for 72 meteorological stations in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River Basin. The result indicates that average ETa of the basin changed in stages: slight increases in the first decade; a drop followed by fluctuations and lower increases in the next ten years; and then a dramatic decline in the latest decade, with three abrupt change years detected in the early 1970s, 1990s, and 2000s. ETa increases from mountainous northwest areas to plains in eastern areas, with significant decreases in plain regions and increases in the mountain region. ETa in the Sichuan Basin is found to decrease at the most rapid rate, and ETa in the sub-area to the south of the upland mountain region is increasing significantly. Such patterns of spatial trend in ETa result in reductions in regional variation, both annually and in all seasons. The change in ETa of this area is believed to be related to local water resource changes, and is impacted by the changes in climate factors. Temperature of this area has increased, and sunshine duration hours have shortened, leading to a reduction in net radiation. Relative humidity also has decreased. Comprehensively, reduction in both energy and moisture supply for evapotranspiration result in an increasing ETa. Moreover, a sharp drop of ETa occurred in the early 2000s, and meteorological factors including wind speed also show abrupt change to different extents. The impact of ETa on regional water balance at both inter-annual and intra-annual scales is also discussed in this study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: For centuries, Human beings developed a lot of water conservancy projects, these projects have played a significant role in civilizing process and brought serious negative impacts to environment as well. This paper research the impact of human activities to river ecosystem among the Yangtze River. Through data analysis of manual activities to river bend, straighten and water flows, we try to discuss the interference effect to ecological system on the lower Jingjiang of Yangtze River. Meanwhile, the study attempts put some forward countermeasures to river restoration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Late Mesozoic intrusive and volcanic rocks are widespread in the southeast Hubei Province, Middle–Lower Yangtze River Belt (YRB), East China. Detailed in situ zircon U–Pb and Hf isotope, elemental and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic data are presented in this paper for Late Mesozoic volcanic rocks from the Jinniu Basin, YRB, aiming to constrain their age, petrogenesis, and tectonic implications. The Jinniu volcanic rocks show a bimodal distribution in composition, with dominant rhyolite and dacite, and subordinate basalt and basaltic andesite. New SHRIMP and LA-ICPMS zircon U–Pb ages indicate that the volcanic rocks of three Formations in the Jinniu basin were erupted at quite a short age range of about 5Ma during the Early Cretaceous (130–125Ma). The mafic rocks are moderately enriched in large-ion-lithophile-elements (LILE) (e.g., Ba, Th, U, and Pb) and light rare-earth-elements (LREE), and are characterized by negative Nb, Ta, and Ti anomalies, and relatively high TiO2 (0.72–2.06%) and Nb (9.20–26.5ppm) contents. These analyses indicate that the geochemical characteristics of the mafic rocks in the Jinniu basin are similar to worldwide Phanerozoic Nb-enriched basalt and andesites (NEBA). New in situ zircon U–Pb ages and field geological relationships demonstrate that NEBA in the southeast Hubei Province are not spatially or temporally associated with high-silica adakitic rocks, but were most likely derived from an enriched lithospheric mantle with assimilation of minor crustal materials, and then fractional crystallization during the evolution of the magma. Overall, the felsic rocks in the Jinniu basin have geochemical characteristics, and Sr–Nd–Pb signatures, and in situ zircon Hf isotopic compositions similar to those of the mafic rocks. Compared with the mafic rocks, the felsic rocks are characterized by enriched and variable concentrations of LILE and REE (e.g., Ba=33.3–1372ppm, Y=11.4–33.6ppm, YbC =5.07–18.7), and negative Eu anomalies (δEu=0.22–0.98), as well as a wide range of radiogenic Nd–Pb isotopic values with εNd (t)=−10.2 to −2.4, (206Pb/204Pb)i=17.659–18.705, (207Pb/204Pb)i=15.478–15.663, and (208Pb/204Pb)i=37.654–38.935, and in situ zircon Hf compositions of εHf (t)=−12.7 to −1.8. These features indicate that the genesis of felsic magma in the Jinniu basin is consistent with extensive fractional crystallization and large amounts of crustal contamination from an evolved mafic magma (SiO2 =~55%). The bimodal volcanic rocks in this study provide convincing evidence that Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks in the YRB developed in a back-arc extensional tectonic regime. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper discusses the spatial and temporal change of different frozen soil types from 1980s to 2000s, and the impacts of frozen soil change on rangeland productivity and sustainable livelihood in the source regions of Yangtze and Yellow Rivers employed numerical model and GIS technology. Authors use the analytical framework of adaptation of animal husbandry according to national, regional, community and household scales, and release three key instruments of cryospheric change adaptation, including adaptive capacity of the policies, adaptive capacity of the people, and adaptive capacity of the grassland ecosystem. Analysis result shows that there is clearly a need, to develop institutional processes that support policy analysis to draw on existing information, that facilitate multidisciplinary research on topics of policy relevance, and that link the accumulation of credible cryosphere scientific evidence with policy making. Finally, Authors suggest that further support to mainstream climatic and cryospheric change concerns in adaptation policies and strategies of animal husbandry must include a focus on: (1) Formulating ecological compensation policy and mechanism for grassland ecosystem maintenance; (2) Strengthening vocational training, long-term essential-qualities-oriented education to improve indigenous people''s professional skills and abilities; (3) Strengthening development of livestock replacement industries to broaden employment channels of indigenous people; (4) Strengthening the consciousness of ecosystem maintenance, improvement the social civilization level for indigenous people; (5) Continuous implementation the Ecological Protection and Restoration Program in the Three-River Source Region in national scale. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper examines the spatial variation of sediment yield in the Yangtze basin in China, a large basin with complex geology, climate, land-use history, and extensive sediment monitoring. 287 stations with drainage area less than 10,000km2 were used to study the scale effects of sediment yield. In order to develop scale relations for regional sediment yield, the whole study area was divided into eight sub-basins. Relation between specific sediment yield and drainage basin area was built for each sub-basin. Regional scaling relation was analyzed based on landforms, geology, lithology and land-use of each sub-basin. Three regional trends were identified in relation to the drainage area: (1) a declining trend, due to soil erosion on heavily cultivated steep land and the storage of sediment in floodplains; (2) a flat trend, due to mass movement on the upper reach and heavy agricultural disturbance on the middle and lower reaches; and (3) an increasing trend, due to downstream recruitment of sediment from land downstream where slope farming and deforestation occurred. Using these developed relations, areally adjusted sediment yield maps were created over the entire Yangtze basin. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Heavy metal contamination of bottom sediments of the Changjiang River is widely reported, however, the potential source and methods of transportation of these heavy metals in the contaminated sediments is poorly defined. This paper examines the correlation between heavy metals and geochemical indices, including Fe2O3, Al2O3, total organic carbon (TOC) and black carbon (BC), as well as magnetic susceptibility (MS). Using these indices we investigate the contamination characteristics of heavy metals in the sediments by with Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Results from 83 sediment samples collected in the lower reach of Changjiang River (from Nanjing to Shanghai) show that the first principal component accounts for 52.23% of the total variance, corresponding to the heavy metals, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn, and conservative components of Fe2O3, Al2O3 and TOC. This result indicates that heavy metal distributions are controlled by the transportation and sedimentation of fine particles which is also confirmed by particle size analysis. The second principal component explains 24.81% of the variance and is dominated by Cd, Pb and MS, which, collectively, result chiefly from industrial and transportation activities and, for MS, fly ash production. The third principal component accounts for 7.91% of the variance and corresponds solely to Hg. Principal component analysis/multiple linear regression (PCA/MLR) was used to estimate the contribution of the three principal components to each heavy metal. PCA/MLR results suggest that more than 50% of Co, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn were influenced by the particle size effect. Particle size effect and fly ash account for 37.1% and 27.7% of As. Cd and Pb were mainly explained by fly ash. 98.9% of Hg was related to PC3, which represented black carbon (BC). Our study indicates that the combination of geochemical and multivariable statistical methods clearly characterizes the geochemistry of heavy metals in sediment of the lower reaches of the Changjiang River and suggests that power plants are the main source of heavy metal pollution. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Unlike the high-abundance, low-diversity macrofaunas that characterize many Early Triassic benthic palaeocommunities, ichnofossils were relatively common in the aftermath of the end-Permian mass extinction worldwide. Ichnofossils therefore are a good proxy for ecosystem recovery after the end-Permian biotic crisis. This paper documents 14 ichnogenera and one problematic form from Lower Triassic successions exposed in the Lower Yangtze region, South China. Post-extinction ichnodiversity remained rather low throughout the Griesbachian–early Smithian period and abruptly increased in the late Smithian. However, several lines of evidence, including extent of bioturbation, burrow size, trace-fossil complexity, and tiering levels, indicate that diversification of ichnotaxa in the late Smithian did not signal full marine ecosystem recovery from the Permian/Triassic (P/Tr) mass extinction. Marine ichnocoenoses did not recover until the late Spathian in South China. The marginal sea provided hospitable habitats for tracemakers to proliferate in the aftermath of the end-Permian mass extinction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Frequent bank collapse in nature highlights the need to study the mechanism of bank stability. This paper presents a theoretical analysis and a flume experimental study on the interaction of hydrodynamic conditions and non-cohesive banks of meandering and straight rivers. No bank collapse occurs if the bank angle is smaller than a critical value. The critical angle is a function of a dimensionless parameter KUD , which is directly proportional to the square of flow velocity near river bed and inversely proportional to the median diameter of bank material. Furthermore, the critical angle reduces with flow velocity and is higher in meandering rivers than in straight rivers. Formulas for estimating the threshold of bank stability are obtained by curve fitting method with experimental data. The results agree with the data measured in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: With the increasing accumulation of data on early rice farming in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, this region has become one of the most important places to trace the origin and development of agriculture. This paper gives a general evaluation of some early rice sites, including the Hemudu, Majiabang, Kuahuqiao, and Shangshan cultures in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River; the Pengtoushan and Chengbeixi cultures, and the Xianrendong, Diaotonghuan and Yuchanyan sites in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River; and the Jiahu site in North China, and recognizes three main development stages of the prehistoric rice forming in China, i.e. initial stage (before 8000 BC, approximately equal to Mesolithic Age), developing stage (between 8000 BC and 5000 BC) and maturating stage (since 5000 BC). The initiation of agriculture is suggested to come with the establishment of more or less sedentary residences, which coexists with the occurrence of pottery making. Warming climate after the last glaciations is considered as a major factor that allowed the distribution of the wild rice northward. Food requirement and storage are another factor in initiating early rice farming, while the increasing population and the Holocene Maximum warm climate condition might greatly promote its development. Evidence from the middle and lower Yangtze River area exhibits the transitional process from a hunting and gathering society to an agriculture-oriented society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Habitat fragment owning to obstruct of dams and barriers badly affect the aquatic faunas. Many spawning sites of migration fishes are lost, and their growth and reproduction are affected. The Yangtze River with connected lakes is the most important fresh water fishery area in China. The Yangtze''s four major carp species (YFMCS) are the most typical migration fish lived in this area. They reproduce in river and grow in lake. Distributaries lies between the Yangtze River and Dongting Lake are the passages for these migration fishes. Due to the construction of dams and barriers, some original passages were out of use. Up to now, only four channels exist between the river and lake, there are Songcikou, Taipingkou and Ouchikou normally called “three outlets”, and Chenglingji inlet. Diverted Water Volume (DWV) and the Percentage of Diverted Water (PDW) through the three outlets reflect the relationship between the Yangtze River and the Dongting Lake.The variation of river-lake relation caused by dam construction, and the effect on migration fishes are discussed in this paper. The relationship of DWV and fry output in middle reach of the Yangtze river and the Dongting Lake, PDW and the percentage of the YFMCS in a total catch of fish, DWV and flux of carp fry at the Jianli station, DWV and yield of the YFMCS were analyzed. The results show that dams and barriers constructed on the Yangtze River threaten some fish species in this area, especially the migration fishes. The connectivity degree of river and lake decide the growth and reproduction of emigration fishes, the yield of the YFMCS increase by the DWV increase, and hydraulic project have important influence on reproduction of fishes. In order to reduce the ecological influence of hydropower projects, reservoir management especially in spawning season should integrate ecological demand. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper we discuss the links between saltwater intrusion and subtidal circulation in the Changjiang Estuary based on a 3D numerical model. We restricted our study mainly to the three major outlets of the estuary: the South Passage, the North Passage, and the North Channel. Subtidal transport is landward in the South Passage and NNW- or NW-ward on the shoals, whereas it is mainly seaward in the North Passage and North Channel. Such a residual characteristic is caused by the interaction between tide and shallow water depth. Decomposing analysis indicated that Stokes transport is the major mechanism causing this particular residual transport pattern. Under its influence, the South Passage is the most saline outlet and the North Channel is the major route discharging the Changjiang runoff. Results of a tracer experiment indicated that active water mass exchange occurs from the South Passage to the North Passage and finally to the North Channel. Thus, the salinity in each outlet is determined not only by the tidal-averaged diversion ratio around the bifurcation of the South and North Channels but also by the subtidal circulation in the waterways and on the shoals. The northerly wind produces a horizontal circulation around the river mouth, which flows into the estuary in the North Channel and out of the estuary in the South Channel and South Passage. This circulation increases the salinity in the North Channel and decreases it in the South Passage. Recent engineering projects have intensified the landward residual in the South Passage, thereby increasing the salinity in the South Passage and decreasing the salinity in the North Channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Floods often are accompanied by intensified soil erosion and thus high sediment supply from the catchment into the main channel of the river. This paper examined the sediment processes, especially deposition and erosion, during the two extreme flood years in 1954 and 1998, in the middle and low reaches of the Yangtze River. The total amount of sediment supplied to the middle and lower reaches from Yichang–Hankou and Hankou–Datong, was 1095 Mt in 1954 and 855.9 Mt in 1998, or 176% and 137% of the averaged 622 Mt/a from 1950 to 2006. A high deposition occurred in the floodplains, lakes and channels along the section Yichang–Hankou, both in 1954 and 1998. The total deposition reached 635 Mt and 499 Mt in 1954 and 1998 or 138% and 124% of the sediment load measured at the Datong station, respectively. However, different processes in the downstream section Hankou–Datong during the two flood events were found. Severe erosion (−140 Mt) happened in 1954, but only a slight erosion occurred (−22 Mt) in 1998. Thus, the floodplains and channels in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River play an important role in regulating sediment discharge during extreme flood events. The heavy deposition in the middle reaches effectively reduced the amount of sediment discharged into the river mouth and thus acted as a major depocenter in the extreme flood year. The results also suggested that the Yichang–Hankou tended to shift from a depositional section to an erosional section, whereas the Hankou–Datong changed from an erosion-dominated section to a deposition-dominated section even before the Three Gorges Reservoir infilling in 2003. It is anticipated that this tendency would be accelerated and the historical role of sediment regulation by the two reaches could eventually be changed due to the reduced sediment supply from the Upper Yangtze. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper summarizes process-oriented field and numerical studies undertaken on the river plume in the partially-mixed Changjiang River estuary. Both estuarine circulation and tidal asymmetry are of great importance to the fine sediment processes. Mean suspended sediment concentration (C̄) and bottom shear stress are the dominant physical parameters controlling the flocculation and settling velocities (w s ) of mud flocs in suspension. Two important physical processes are revealed by acoustic imaging, i.e. (i) the near-bed impulsive resuspension and (ii) the transport processes driven by fine sediment-induced plumes during a spring tide. A turbidity maximum, associated with a suspended sediment front, is observed. Its formation is caused mainly by tidal asymmetry, near-bed periodic tidal resuspension and turbulence suppression by suspension/salinity stratifications. A conceptual sketch of the turbidity maximum is cautiously proposed for the Changjiang River estuary. Four different settling velocity equations, taking flocculation into account, have different effects on the modeled concentration profiles of fine sediment: apparently, Cao and Wang (1994, pp. 252–253) would be the best for spring tide and Thorn (1982, Fig. 3/page 66) for neap tide. Both tidal acceleration and tidal deceleration have strong effects on the concentration profiles of fine sediment within the Changjiang River estuary. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper characterizes the distribution of phosphorus fractions and matrix-bound phosphine (MBP) in coastal surface sediments of the Southwest Yellow Sea from 2006 to 2007. Total phosphorus (TP), inorganic phosphorus (IP) and organic phosphorus (OP) concentrations (mgkg−1) range from 278±3 to 768±15, 160±1 to 653±27, and 3.42±0.05 to 267±22, respectively. MBP is a small portion of TP with values of 0.69±0.06 to 179±29ngkg−1. Phosphorus fractions and MBP are influenced strongly by riverine input and hydrodynamic conditions. High TP and MBP are found in the old Yellow River mouth and the Yangtze River mouth. OP and MBP are strongly negatively correlated to mean particle size. Significant positive correlations are found between MBP and IP and OM, suggesting that MBP production may be the microbially intermediated transformation of IP. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Eastern China’s Anatidae are globally important, occurring in large numbers and exhibiting very high diversity; however populations have declined greatly since the 1950s due to habitat loss and degradation, and poaching. To meet the urgent need for up-to-date conservation information, we conducted extensive surveys of the region’s inland and coastal wetlands to collect data on current Anatidae numbers, distributions and key sites. This paper provides information on the non-breeding distributions of 27 species and how these have changed during the last 30years, and discusses the protection status afforded to Anatidae and their habitats. About 80% of eastern China’s Anatidae occur at inland wetlands, predominantly within the Yangtze River floodplain. Current distributions of most species are different to those of the late-1970s; range contraction, range shift and northward expansion have occurred. Approximately 45% of the total Anatidae population, and high proportions of five globally threatened species populations, were located within National Nature Reserves; coverage could be increased to ca. 65% by inclusion of additional important Anatidae sites within the National Reserve system. However, a number of important issues, such as management skilling and control of land use within reserves, need to be addressed if National Nature Reserves are to provide satisfactory protection for Anatidae. It is also highly desirable that the China National List of Protected Animals include all the relevant Anatidae species on the IUCN Red List to provide a high level of protection for globally threatened species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a three-dimensional (3-D) numerical model to simulate morphological changes in alluvial channels due to bank erosion. A method for the simulation of bank erosion is established. This is incorporated into a 3-D mathematical model for turbulent flow and non-uniform, non-equilibrium sediment transport. This model is applied to simulate morphological changes in the Shishou bend of the middle Yangtze River in China, where serious bank erosions occurred during the last two decades. The double-layer sediment structure of the riverbank on the middle Yangtze River is taken into account in the bank erosion module. Both cohesive and non-cohesive bank material in the different layers are considered. The bank erosion module also includes other factors affecting the rate of bank erosion, such as the longitudinal length of failed bank, the thickness of each layer in the double-layer structure, and the erosion-resisting effect of cohesive material from the top layer of failed bank. A locally-adaptive grid system is proposed to efficiently simulate the lateral migration of alluvial channel due to bank erosion. The predictive capability of the 3-D model is examined by laboratory data. Simulated processes of bank erosion agree with field observations in the Shishou bend during the period of October 1996–October 1998, and the bank erosion module plays a significant role in simulating morphological changes of the study reach. In addition, the equivalent channel-forming discharge, which is defined as a constant discharge that can create the same amount of bank erosion in an alluvial channel as that created by natural runoff processes during the same period of time, is proposed to improve calculation efficiency for feasibility studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Traditional measurements of suspended sediment concentrations (SSC) through in-situ sampling in rivers are expensive and time-consuming to perform. Thus, these methods cannot provide continuous SSC records. Although remote sensing has been used for SSC estimation, little research has been undertaken on inland rivers, especially for highly turbid rivers like the Yangtze. Previous studies have proposed Landsat TM/ETM+ Band 4 as a spectral SSC indicator for the Yangtze, but its limitation on temporal resolution is insufficient for the study of dynamic changes of sediment. This paper presents a method of estimating SSC of the Yangtze at Jiujiang using time-series satellite data of high temporal resolution Terra MODIS. It was found that differences in water reflectance between Band 2 and Band 5 could provide relatively accurate SSC estimation even when in-situ atmospheric conditions were unknown. After cross-validation, mean absolute relative error (ARE) and relative root mean square error (RRMSE) were relatively low (i.e., 25.5% and 36.5%, respectively). This empirical relationship was successfully applied to the estimation of SSC at Datong in the Lower Yangtze River, although the SSC values were generally underestimated. This study suggests that Terra MODIS could be used to estimate SSC in large turbid rivers, although some influencing factors require further study to improve the accuracy of SSC estimation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Frequently unknown climate change increases the risk of agriculture, more attention have been paid to agricultural system itself in the research field, but few has been attached to the perspective of social dimension. Based on the research on Yangtze River Basin of China, the paper has adopted vulnerability theory including the exposure of agricultural ecosystem, farmers’ sensitivity to exposure and adaptive capacity to climate risk, to explain farmer''s adaptation to climate risk. It concludes that climate change has increased climate risk in agriculture and the uncertainty of agricultural production. Confronting climate risk in agriculture, different farming bodies have shown different farm and off-farm/non-farm adaptations in pre-risk, during risk and post-risk, which has reduced their short-term vulnerability. Household life cycle, pressure, institution, available resources and technologies are the key influential factors. From the adaptation in long term, it still requires external support and more investment including agricultural insurance system, village-level information and technology dissemination mechanism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Grey relational method (GRM) has emerged in recent years as a new tool to deal with problems of small samples and insufficient information. Inexact data, short sample and incomplete hydrological data in water research are very commonly encountered. Statistical, fuzzy set and rough set theories have been applied to deal with uncertainty problems in hydrology. In this paper, we propose a new algorithm for grey relational degree and apply it to water environment quality evaluation of the Han Jiang River, one of the major branches of the Yangtze River in China. Our proposed method possesses some essential and desirable properties which ensure that translational properties of relational degree do not exist and it will give a more precise and finer grading of the overall water quality. Our empirical applications of GRM have demonstrated that GRM is a useful tool for analysis of inexact data, short sample and incomplete hydrological data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper examines the characteristics of historical floods and associated monsoon precipitation in the Yangtze Catchment, with specific attention given to the middle and lower Yangtze basin. Based on in situ field observations and historical discharge, flood duration, and land-use information, etc, we propose a number of flood characteristics of the basin: 1) floods have occurred more frequently after 1950s, however, changes in discharge can only partially explain the occurrence of the floods; 2) spectral analysis on the annual mean water discharge during 1860–1985 in Hankou hydrological gauging station of the middle Yangtze River reveals 16.4-year and 2.5-year flood recurrences, which become shortened from what has been recorded in the Chinese historical literature on millennial time scale; 3) floods after 1950s tend to have higher water levels (both mean and peak) and longer duration than before, but with remarkably limited inundation area; and 4) a series of flood waves generated by monsoon precipitation in 1998, initiated from the middle Yangtze, highlights the basin-wide climate hazards with a recurrence of around 60 years. Intensifying anthropogenic activity in the last century, including deforestation, dyking, and lake–coast reclamation etc. that results directly in riverbeds aggradation and shrinkage of lake water area in the middle Yangtze basin, are the key causes for recently human-induced floods in the basin. Threatened land property in the basin reminds us to harmonize with the river and provide more space for flooding. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), a freshwater species native to China, have been introduced in more than 100 countries. In this paper, inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were used to evaluate genetic variation within and among grass carp populations sampled from its native (China) and colonized habitats (USA, Hungary, and Japan). Twenty-two ISSR primers were used to generate 207 bands, of which 82 (39.61 %) were polymorphic. The highest genetic diversity was observed in the Yangtze River population, whereas the lowest diversity was found in the Tone River population (Japan). Compared with colonized populations, the native populations possess approximately twice as much genetic diversity. The AMOVA analysis showed a relatively high level of genetic variation within populations. Significant genetic differences were revealed both among the native populations and between pooled native and colonized populations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]