Journal of Geographical Sciences >
Evaluation of ecological sensitivity in Karamay, Xinjiang, China
Received date: 2011-11-02
Revised date: 2011-11-25
Online published: 2012-04-15
Supported by
The special fund for Public Welfare Industrial Research of China, No.200903001; Special funds for central government support, No.2110203
Karamay City is a typical mining city, relying on oilfield exploration and development. After 60 years of construction and development, Karamay has become the first large oilfield and an important base of the national petroleum and petrochemical industry in China. Based on spatial analysis, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) grid computing and overlay techniques, whilst considering the effect of oilfield development and aimed at the ecological problems of Karamay City in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, we conducted research on the spatial characteristics of the comprehensive ecological sensitivity of Karamay. The ecological problems of natural environment evolution include soil erosion, land desertification, soil salinization, and biodiversity reduction. The most significant disturbance factor from the activities of humans in this area is oilfield exploitation. This study carries out an analysis of single factor ecological problem sensitivity and integrated ecological sensitivity. The results of the research are as follows: (1) Soil erosion is relatively sensitive, especially in Karamay district, Dushanzi district, north of Urho district and west of Baijiantan district, which is mainly a result of the vertical dropping slopes, serious rainfall erosion and the distribution of scattered woodland. (2) The main types of land desertification are represented by high and moderate grade sensitivities, and high and extremely high sensitive areas are distributed in the intersection of Karamay and Baijiantan districts. This is due to evaporation exceeding rainfall in these areas, and the soil mainly consists of sand and is seldom covered by vegetation. (3) The soil salinizatiion sensitivity grades are mainly moderate, high and extremely high. The highly sensitive areas are mainly distributed in southeast of Baijiantan district, north and east of Karamay district and east of Urho district. The primary causes are evaporation exceeding rainfall and extreme human activities. (4) The main types of biodiversity sensitivity are light and moderate grade. Highly sensitive areas are located in the east and south of Karamay district, north of the Baiyang River basin and parts of the wetland areas. (5) Oil fields development areas are highly ecologically sensitive, which are located in the northern oilfields of Urho district, western oilfields of Baijiantan district, northwestern oilfields of Karamay district and central oilfields of Dushanzi district. (6) The main types of integrated ecological sensitivity are high and moderate. The high and extremely highly sensitive areas are located in the central and northern parts of Karamay district, and southwest of Baijiantan district. The evaluation results will provide guidance for the future planning and development, the protection of the ecological environment and the realization of harmonious social, economic, and ecological development in Karamay City.
PAN Feng, TIAN Changyan, SHAO Feng, ZHOU Wei, CHEN Fei . Evaluation of ecological sensitivity in Karamay, Xinjiang, China[J]. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 2012 , 22(2) : 329 -345 . DOI: 10.1007/s11442-012-0930-5
Barry M, Yevich P P, 1975. The ecological, chemical and histopathological evaluation of an oil spill site (Part III). Histopathological studies. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 6(11): 171-173.
Biek R, Funk W C, Maxell B A, 2002. What is missing in amphibian decline research: Insights from ecological sensitivity analysis. Conservation Biology, 6(3): 728-734.
Cairns J, McCormick P V, Niederlehner B R, 1993. A proposed framework for developing indicators of ecosystem health. Hydrobiologia, 236: 1-44.
Cao J J, Liu Y J, 2010. Ecological sensitivity of Shanghai City based on GIS spatial analysis. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 21(7): 1805-1812. (in Chinese)
Dale V H, Beyeler S C, 2001. Challenges in the development and use of ecological indicators. Ecological Indicators, 1: 3-10.
E&P Forum/UNEP, 1997. Environmental management in oil and gas exploration and production: An overview of issues and management approaches. Joint E&P Forum/UNEP Technical Publication.
Gachechiladze M, Staddon C, 2007. Towards a political ecology of oil in post-communist Georgia: The conflict over the Kulevi Oil Port Development. Journal of Political Ecology, 14: 58-75.
Gao Q Z, Duan M J, Wan Y F et al., 2010. Comprehensive evaluation of eco-environmental sensitivity in Northern Tibet. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 30(15): 4129-4136. (in Chinese)
Han G F, Zhao K, Yuan X Z et al., 2008. Evaluation of ecological sensitivity in mountain area based on spatial analysis: A case study of Wanyuan City in Sichuan Province. Journal of Mountain Science, 26(5): 531-537.
Home R, Hickey J, 1991. Ecological sensitivity of Australian rain-forests to selective logging. Australian Journal of Ecology, 16(1): 119-129.
Jagtap T G, Komarpant D S, Rodrigues R S, 2003. Status of a sea grass ecosystem: An ecologically sensitive wetland habitat from India. Wetlands, 23(1): 161-170.
Ko J Y, Day J W, 2004. A review of ecological impacts of oil and gas development on coastal ecosystems in the Mississippi Delta. Ocean & Coastal Management, 47: 597-623.
Li D M, Gao Z W, Fu X et al., 2010. Characteristic of ecological sensitivity in Yunnan ecological zones. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 30(1): 138-145. (in Chinese)
Liu C M, Zhang D, 2011. Temporal and spatial change analysis of the sensitivity of potential evapotranspiration to meteorological influencing factors in China. Acta Geographica Sinica, 66(5): 579-588. (in Chinese)
Liu C X, Li Y C, Yang H et al., 2011. RS and GIS-based assessment for eco-environmental sensitivity of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of Chongqing. Acta Geographica Sinica, 66(5): 631-642. (in Chinese)
Ministry of Water Resources of the People’s Republic of China (MWR), 1996. Standards for classification and gradation of soil erosion (SL190-96). (in Chinese)
Nwilo P C, Badejo O T, 2006. Impacts and management of oil spill pollution along the Nigerian coastal areas. In: Sutherland M, Nichols S eds. Administering Marine Spaces: International Issues, Fredriksberg, Denmark: International Federation of Surveyors, 119-133. http://www.fig.net/pub/figpub/pub36/chapters/chapter_8.pdf
Opukri C O, Ibaba I S, 2008. Oil induced environmental degradation and internal population displacement in the Nigeria’s Delta. Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, 10(1): 173-193.
Ouyang Z Y, Wang X K, Miao H, 2000. China’s eco-environmental sensitivity and its spatial heterogeneity. Acta Ecologica Sinca, 20(1): 9-12. (in Chinese)
Putri E T, 1996. The development of environmental sensitivity map within the Indonesian State Oil and Gas Company. SPE Health, Safety and Environment in Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Conference, 9-12 June 1996, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Rodriguez E, Vila L, 1992. Ecological sensitivity atlas of the argentine continental shelf. International Hydrographic Review, 69(2): 47-53.
Rossi P, Pecci A, Amadio V et al., 2008. Coupling indicators of ecological value and ecological sensitivity with indicators of demographic pressure in the demarcation of new areas to be protected: The case of the Oltrepò Pavese and the Ligurian-Emilian Apennine area (Italy). Landscape and Urban Planning, 85(1): 12-26.
Schneider R, Dyer S, 2006. Death by a thousand cuts: The impacts of in situ oil sands development on Alberta’s boreal forest. Drayton Valley, Alta.: Pembina Institute and Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Edmonton. http://www.cpaws-sask.org/common/pdfs/Death_by_thousand_cuts.pdf.
State Environmental Protection Administration of the People’s Republic of China (SEPA), 2003. Provisional regulations of ecological function zoning. Available website: http://www.zhb.gov.cn/. (in Chinese)
Sufling R, 1980. An index of ecological sensitivity to disturbance, based on ecosystem age, and mimed to landscape diversity. Journal of Environmental Management, 10(3): 253-263.
Tkachenko G, 2008. Estimation and development of oil-gas resources in the Okhotsk Sea Basin and sustainable development in Northeast Asia. http://src-h.slav.hokudai.ac.jp/coe21/publish/no19_ses/3_tkachenko.pdf.
Wang W Z, Jiao J Y, 1996. Quantitative evaluation on factors influencing soil erosion in China. Bulletin of Soil and Water Conservation, 16(5): 1-20. (in Chinese)
Wang X D, Zhong X H, Fan J R, 2004. Assessment and spatial distribution of sensitivity of soil erosion in Tibet. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 14(1): 41-46.
Wickwire T W, Menzie C, 2003. A new approaches in ecological risk assessment: expanding scales, increasing realism, and enhancing causal analysis. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, 19(6): 1411-1414.
Wiktelius S, Ardo J, Fransson T, 2003. Desert locust control in ecologically sensitive areas: Need for guidelines. Ambio, 32(7): 463-468.
Xinjiang Oilfield Company, 2006. The evaluation and research of the pollution source of the Xinjiang Oilfield Branch Offices.
/
| 〈 |
|
〉 |