The earth surface has been the traditional object of geography.Characterized by the integration and regionality, geography is a bridge across natural sciences and human sciences.Regional study is an ancient and important tradition, forming the regional school of geography.Prof.HUANG Bingwei has been engaged in integrated research of physical geography and has paid attention to observing and tackling issues from the point of view of regional scope for a long time.In view of integrated or unified geography, regional approach is an important level and effective way to embody the combination of nature and humanity.Physico geographically the natural complex is usually studied from three various angles and levels, i.e., process, type and region, they are closely interrelated.In a regional point of view, to apporoach the formation and evolution, differentiation and combination, demarcation and connection of regional units is a summarization and generalization of the integrated study on geographical processes and types.It promoted further study of various branches of physical geography.The majority of geographers would agree that regions have an important role in the discipline.To carry out the integrated study on natural and human factors at a regional level is a necessary way to approach and coordinate man land relationship.As regards theoretical studies, the zonality and azonality of regional differentiation of geographical environments should be generalized according to the facts and materials in certain areas.The periodicity of natural zonation needs to be improved based on studies of ecogeographical relationship of physical environments.On the basis of a better scheme of ecogeographical regional system of China we may study the natural zonation and physico geographical regionalization of the world.The research level of global environmantal changes depends on further understanding of its regional differentiation.Geographically, to carry out studies on the typical regional unit and further cognition of the regularity of regional differentiation is a bridge connecting the global and entering the international issues.The regionality of geography should be embodied in the concept of sustainable development, the study of sustainable development may correspondently include different scales in space.Regional sustainable development is a key link to carry out China's agenda 21, while the strategic thoughts and new model of sstainable development need to be embodied through the implementation in various regions.In the history of geographical thoughts, the regional study has been a traditional school and has promoted the development of geography.As an important level and fundamental common ground, the regional study incarnates the synthesis of physical geography and human geography.It is convinced that on the basis of further theoretical research and bringing forth new method, regional study remains a core domain of geography and has good prospects for carrying out integrated research of related special subjects.

The study on the stability is a first problem in costruction of harbour on the tidal channel in the mud-silt coast.In this paper, environmental background of Xiyang tidal channel is firstly analysed, then based on the data from the practical investigation, the stability of Xiyang tidal channel is comprehensively studied using manifold analysis methods including: GIS, remote sensing, sediments (grain size, mineral and foraminifera), marine hydrodynamic conditions and so on.Based on the above works, the conclusions drawn are as follows: 1.Xiyang tidal channel, located between Wanggang coast tending gradually to stable and radial submarine sand ridges under a dynamic equilibrium state, has an environmental background beneficial to its stability.After the loss of a great deal of sediments directly from the Huanghe River in 1855, Xiyang channel began extending, widening and deepening southwards.2.The tide in Xiyang channel is strong, with a maximum tidal velocity of more than 2 50 m/s.Ebb current velocity is generally larger than flood current velocity.The net transport of sediment by tidal current is mainly towards the outside of Xiyang channel.The hydrodynamic conditions in Xiyang channel are favorable to maintaining water depth of the channel.3.Overall, Xiyang tidal channel is under the stable condition, but the stability of different parts in Xiyang channel is a little bit different.The south mouth of the east channel is the least stable in Xiyang channel, but the west channel, especially its south deep trough, is more stable.

The research on sustainable development is both a challenge to and an opportunity for geography.While developing the discipline of themselves, geographers should take the responsibility to deepen the research on sustainable development.The concept of sustainable development seems to be commonly accepted.Geographers may either recognize or criticize the concept.However, they must bring forward certain challengable ideas.The theses of sustainable development should be concretized at three levels.At the notion or ethics level, the traditional geographical idea, human-earth harmony development, should be advocated.At the level of socio-economic institution or system, we should contribute to the reformation of existing production manner, consumption pattern, social institution, political system, international interrelationship, administration system and technological system.At the scientific and technological level, the role of geographer seems clear, yet we should pay more attention to the selection of appropriate technology suitable for various localities.The spatial and temporal scales of the topics should be definitely identified.There are different issues at such various scales as global, national, regional, local and site.The sustainable development research at regional and local scales should be paid more attention to in particular for geographers.Regarding temporal scale, sustainable development should be planned in long, middle and short terms respectively.Economical growth and the reversal of impoverishment degradation spiral in short term are the most urgent tasks for some poverty areas.Only if the short-term objects are realized, the sustainability concept can be operationalized.

According to Scheidegger's "Instability Principle", the development of landforms, controlled by exogenic processes which are essentially random, is unstable.But the instabilities cannot grow indefinetely, there is a certain size limitation present.To discover the behaviour of the exogenic processes, a fractional Brownian model of exogenic morphological evolution is proposed.There are two kinds of landform evalution.

Using the concept of "image" and borrowing the method of studying settlement space from sensitive forms, this paper makes a preliminary study on polydimensional space of Chinese ancient villages.The characteristic of Chinese ancient villages is "recognizable" and "impressive" because of their perspicuous symbols and sensitive forms, which consist a livid psychological picture of memory space.The ancient villages in the southern watery area can be considered as an excellent illustration: houses built by rivers, stone bridges above the brooks, and busy boats….What a beautiful polydimensional image of an ancient village.This paper discusses four kinds of images in Chinese ancient village: (1) image of mountains and rivers; (2) image of ecology; (3) image of patriarchal clans; (4) image of pursuing auspiciousness.It also compares the images of landscape among different regions: (1) image of the southern watery area is "bridge, river, and houses"; (2) image of mountainous region in southern Anhui province is "Living in picture, unaware of the deep valley"; (3) Image of the Kejia villages at the joint of Fujian, Guangdong and Jiangxi is "Muddy house makes me safe, Fengshui brings me luck"; (4) Image of the Dai villages in Yunnan is "a view of bajao banana, bamboo houses and temples"; (5) Image of cave dwelling villages in northwest is "a combination with Nature"; (6) Image of Do villages in the joint of Hunan, Guizhou and Guangxi is "towering drumhouse and capped Fengyu bridge"; (7) Image of villages along the rivers in Sichuan province is "Diaojiao housing and building downward the slopes"; (8) Image of the Chayang traditional fishing villages in Guangdong province is "short-slope roofs with a lively rhythm"; (9) Image of Xiagxi area is "gorgeous Mato walls and rich Tianji lines".Carl O.Sauer, a famous American geographer claimed the core of human-geography research was to explain cultural landscape.The ancient village images discussed in this paper can be regarded as a new form of cultural landscape research.I wish the paper can offer some new angles of thinking in cultural geography, village landscape planing and tourist cultural village designing.

Linxia Basin(102°45'～103°45'E, 35°15'～35°45'N) is a small basin in the northeastern margin of the Tibet.The Cenozoic Linxia Group, 620 m thick, spanning over 30 Myr, is very suitable for the study of uplift processes and geomorphological evolution of Tibet Plateau.Grain size is a very important indicator of sedimentary environment including climate and tectonics.At the sedimentary center of Linxia basin, 779 grain size samples with 0.25 m～1 m intervals were taken from Linxia Group which was dominanted by lacustrine siltstones and mudstones punctuated by fluvial conglomarates or sandstones to be analysed by SKG-2000 micro-photo sizer, except for the boulder beds and the 60 m thick loess at the top.The results demonstrated that the Linxia Group has seven macro-sedimentary tectonic cycles which occurred respectively at 30 Ma, 21.71 Ma, 14.71 Ma,11.86 Ma, 5.4 Ma, 3.4 Ma and around 2.5 Ma BP.Berore Miocene, much of the stratigraphic bore has a lower value of grain size and mild variations, suggesting the Tibet Plateau was a lower land at that time.But at the beginning of the Pliocene, the coarse particle contents increased dramatically, especially at the 3.4 Ma～2.5 Ma period, implying that the strongest tectonic movement happened for the first time since 30 Ma.This tectonic movement caused the Tibet Plateau to begin to uplift as a whole and Linxia Basin to be disintegrated.The grain size analysis results also show that the Tibet Plateau had undergone two planation processes.One occurred at about 24 Ma BP and the other occurred at about 4.0 Ma BP～3.4 Ma BP.

Since 1949, a great achievement on water conservency has been gotten in China.But emphasis on construction of water project, and neglect of water management have existed for a long time under planning economy in the past in China.Water management is a fundamental way to develop and use water resources.It is a great systematic research related to policy, law, institution, economy and modernization of sciences and techniques.Water price is an outstanding problem in water management since the price is too low to cover investment and management cost of water projects which are become senile and inefficient, causing the waste of water and damaging the environment in China.The lower Reaches Irrigation District of delivering water from the Yellow River is located in Shangdong and Henang Provinces.The irrigated area is about 2 800×10⁴mu (186.6×10⁴ha).The amount of delivering water from the Yellow River is about 10 billon m³.The irrigation district is selected as an example to analyse the problems including composition of water cost, present water price and relationship between water price and regulation and control of water resources in this paper, because the contradiction between water supply and water demand is becaming more serious with the growth of population and economy in the Basin of the Yellow River.

The sub model for simulating diural variation of radiation was given first, then the plant physiological submodel was established, which included development stage, photosynthesis, respiration, partitioning of photosynthesis and consenescence of winter wheat, so a winter wheat photosythetic potential numerical model was obtained by connecting these submodels.The development rate of winter wheat considered influence of daylength and temperature, and the photosynthesis had considered the influence of leaf inclination of winter wheat.Using the model to simulate winter wheat photosysthetic potential in the Huanghuaihai Area found that: (1) The potentials are decreased from 15 000 kg/Ha in the north to 12 000 kg/Ha in the south while the decrease rate becomes small.(2) The results of the simulating verified that winter wheat photosynthetic potential is interrelated well with the solar radiation accumulated from 10 days before heading to maturity.(3) Although the density of CO₂ has some influence on winter wheat photosynthetic potential, the main factor which influences winter wheat photosynthetic potential is the volume of radiation.(4) Using the power spectrum to analysize the potential found that the year to year change of the potential in Beijing Area has 3~4 year and 9~10 year cycles.

This paper employed philosophy, behavior sciences, ideology, landscape science, regional planning and Corporation Identity System (CIS), to argue the concept of Regional Identity (RI), Regional Identity System (RIS), and the framework of design.Regional Identity is an overall sense and impression of a region, and attitude to the region which people possessed.It includes regional style and regional developmental scale, level, quality, model.Regional Identity is also an ideological image, taking shape through the "filtering" in the "black-box" of brains, compounding of actual things, individual background.Regional Identity System is a strategy on regional development.Through these strategy approaches that include regional mind identity (MI), behavior identity (BI), and visual identity (VI), a scenario of regional future is formulated.The aim of Regional Identity System is to enhance population quality, to improve environments, to improve economical standards and to make the landscape aesthetics heavier.Thus, the regional structure of people-environment system is to be ameliorated.The province is the administrative division having strong power of macroadministration in China, and the Province Identity is a topic which masses often talk about.The government and people in the province are after fame and position——superior regional identity.For instance, Anhui Province has distinguishing features, which are the short time setting up of the province, the important status in geopolitics, and the area of multiculture mixture.At the turn of centuries, Anhui Identity System have powerful agriculture, large light industry and famous tourism.Anhui is an energy and metallurgical industry base in East China, too.Anhui Identity System comprises three aspects: (1) MI, Anhui Spirit (Huangshan Pine Spirit, Tongcheng Literature School Spirit and Hui Merchants Spirit); (2) BI, the Government, People and Corporation Group Identity; (3) VI, City Identity, Basic Installation Identity, Tourism Identity.After probing into Anhui Identity System, the Author suggests that Regional Identity System is a basic way, by which the local government constructs and manages the local society, economy and culture.Regional Identity System is also an important channel to coordinate the development between economy and culture, and it is the new course of regional planing development.

The broad sense of transgression includes transgress, coast bank erosion and sea water intrusion.The sea water intrusion under ground on the coastal areas of Heibei Province has taken place mainly in the Haigang (harbour) District of Qinhuangdao city and the coastal areas of Funing county since 1979.The sea water intrusion under ground has covered over 55.4 km² and caused enormous local economic losses.The coastal erosion which would decrease the tourist resources has made the famous Beidaihe beaches to be steepened, narrowed and coarsened.The irrational human activities such as excessivly use of the groundwater, as well as the climate changes and hydrogeological factors are firmly believed to be the main factors which lead to the present transgression in the Hebei coastal areas.The forecast that transgression will intensify has been reached based on the synthetical appraisal of the coming climate changes, ground subsidence and the change tendency of water and silt flowing into the sea.

Three parameters were presented in the paper to characterize the hierarchical structure, especially size distribution of cities, of an urban system, including Zipf's dimension, fractal structure factor (FSF), and difference degree.1.Zipf's dimension.Zipf's law is very familiar to urban geographers, it is equivalent to Pareto's distribution and can be expressed mathematically as P_(k)=P₁K^-q, where q is sometimes called Zipf's dimension, which is actually the reciprocal of fractal dimension, namely, q=1/D.2.FSF.The parameter is put forwards by two Chinese geo scientists and has been introduced to the studies of urban geography by the authors of the paper.FSF can be defined as I_(r)=I₀+D_I lnr, where I_(r) is information capacity of size distribution of cities corresponding to a certain scale (r, when r=1, I_(r)=I₀), and D_I is what is called FSF.3.Difference degree.The parameter is given by the authors of the paper, it can be defined as follows: C=1-I/I_max, where I=- P_ilnP_i, I_max=lnN, and P_iP_(k)/ P_(k),P_(k) is the population of the kth city of an urban system (k=1, 2, …, N).Difference degree C can be linked with fractal dimension D by means of Zipf's formula under some conditions.The geographical meanings of the three parameters were illuminated, the methods of using them were illustrated, in particular, the degenerational forms of Zipf's model were discussed so as to connect fractal studies with non-fractal studies of urban systems, and finally, a preliminary comparison was made between them.

In this paper, taking Tanghe city as an example, the basic theory and method of land grading are approached.Using GIS, Tanghe city urban land information system was established.The date for land grading in tanghe city were analysed; the indices for land grading in Tanghe city were calculated.The land in Tanghe city was graded.The areas of land with different grades in Tanghe city were calculated.Finally, the results of land grading in Tanghe were analysed.

The transport and distribution of dissolved chemicals are influenced by water movement in the soil system.In order to understand the advances in underground water pollution, salt transport in salt-affected soils and salt accumulation in coast soils affected by seawaters, the studies of the past 2 decades on the theoretical development and practical applications of solute transport simulation in soil-water systems are reviewed.The theories and numerical simulations on dispersions, adsorption, uptake and transport of solutes in unsaturated and saturated soils are discussed in the presented paper.

In this paper, some issues related to the study of integrated physical geography have been explored, such as the target and contents of the study of integrated physical geography, meanings of integrated study, regional studies of integrated physical geography, and practical use of the results from the study of integrated physical geography. The following view-points have been particularly pointed out in this paper:(1) The study of intergated physical geography should put its emphasises on the physical geographical characteristics, processes and mechanisms of physical regions at different levels on the earth, their impacts on the mankind and its survival,as well as the feedback of human activities on the physical geographical environment. (2) The integration in the study of integrated physical geography includes not only integration in contents, but also that in approaches. (3) While carrying out a study in a region, both homogeneity and heterogeneity in physical features of the region should be explored. (4) More attentions should be payed to the study of spatial and temporal scales of physical geographical features or phenomena. (5) The study of integrated physical geography must be combined with an economic analysis or assessment on resources and environment.

This paper is concerned with two types of urban corridors, artifitial corridors and natural corridors. The concept of corridor effect is examined in a metropolitan landscape structure. The analysis is undertaken by using a distance decay curve which is based on an idea concerning the concept of "corridor benefit". The line of demarcation between artificial corridor and natural corridor is the synthetic benefit point from the thoery analysis. This study suggests that there are two synthetic benefit points on the curves of distance decay for the existence of a natural corridor between two artifitial corridors. In particular, it is necessary to avoid a high density of artificial corridors and to improve social and economic benefits in natural corridors. The spatial growth of 8 corricors is examined in the central area of Beijing. This inner city study attempts to replicate several findings of green area and water system as a framework aroud and through the center of the city combined with the east, the west, the south, the north and the eight directions of natural corridor effects in traditional chinese city planning. The ideas of human and nature in perfect harmony were used in the metropolitan landscape planning. The landscape structure of Beijing should change from a multiple form to a star shaped from in order to avoid the massive growth of the built up area.

In this paper, the present situation, the cause and the harm of the absence of flow in the Huanghe River were briefly introduced. The changing regularities of the absence of flow, which include the law of double peaks in a year, the multi year relationship between the demand and supply of water, the relationship between the days of the absence of flow in Lijin Station and the monthly discharges in Huayuankou Station, the relationship between the number of the whole day absence of flow and the number of the absence of flow in a day or in several hours, were preliminarily revealed. The development tendencies of the absence of flow, that consist of the longest period or accumulative days, the longth and the beginning day of the absence of flow in Lijin Station, were statistically analyzed. The research results provide the scientific basis for the forecast of the absence of flow in the Huanghe River, which are useful to the departments concerned.

In this paper, depending on the analysis of internal mechanism, motivity, patterns and process of regional development in a system point of view, definition of regional sustainable development, extensive entropy and hypothesis of information dynamics were established. Region is a terrain of earth surface with a relative stability, where human being deals with its social and economic activities. The definition of regional sustainable development can be expressed as follows:For a special region, sustainable development is a process that will not destroy the capacity of satisfying the needs of citizens in this region at both present and in the future. In the system point of view, region is a complex gargantuan system in the opening and dynamic evolution condition. In fact, the process of regional sustainable development is that the regional structure with an evolutional order in time and space is being established continually by fluctuation mechanism. The evolutional order in time and space in a region may be described by the concept of extensive entropy, and the concept is corresponding to extensive information. The regional sustainable development is a process with quantity accumulation and quality elevation of information, and decrease of extensive entropy. In theory, component Logistic curve may be the best pattern for regional sustainable development process.

Based on field observation and measurement of periglacial phenomena, radio-carbon dates and sporo-pollen analysis of the samples from the Diaojiaohaizi section, this paper has inquired into the low temperature fluctuations in the Holocene in Daqingshan Mountains. The researches in the paper come into the conclusions as follows: (1) There are six times low temperature fluctuations in the Holocene including those in 9100 aBP～8800 aBP, 8000 aBP～7800 aBP, 7000 aBP～6900 aBP, 6000 aBP～5800 aBP, 5300 aBP～4700 aBP, and 3100 aBP～2400 aBP. They have extensive regional significance except the 2nd and the 4th fluctuations which are relatively weak and confined to Daqingshan Mountains. (2) Comparing the sand wedge developing conditions of three stages in the Holocenc in Diaojiaohaizi section with the sand (ice) wedge developing conditions in Qinghai-Xizhang Plateau and the environmental conditions in the southern boundary of modern perennial frozen earth area in northeastern China, this paper hold that the annual temperature of the cold stages if the Holocene was only 1℃～3℃ lower than that of today, which is different from the conclusions of other researchers. (3) The characteristics of the sand wedge in Diaojiaohaizi section indicated that the extreme low temperature interval in the cold stages if the Holocene was short, which was only 50～60 years. However, the low temperature intervel indicated by vegetation, paleosoil and archaeological materials was relatively long, which was generally 100～700 years. This is clearly due to the sensitive difference of those proxy data.

This paper comprehensively investigates the concepts of tourism community and community tourism. Having analyzed the formation mechanism of tourist resources, the author studies the classification, stability, and evolution of tourist communities. The four types of tourist communities:natural resources based tourist community, policy oriented tourist community, economy based tourist community, and history sedimental tourist community have different stabilities. This paper also investigates the differences among traditional tourism, ecotourism and community tourism.

Tree ring chronologies are a major source of paleoclimatic information in China, especially in Northwest China. For some reasons, there are seldom studies about the tree ring in eastern China.In this paper the major tree ring chronology (1750~1992) in Yishan, Shandong Province, was analyzed by running program ARSTAN. The response surfaces of tree ring and climate indicate that growth of tree ring in Yishan mountain is nonlinear correlated with precipitation and temperature.It is unreasonable to reconstruct climatic variables separately using traditional methods. The reconstructed moisture index (P/T) during May to August, in which both temperature and precipitation influence the tree ring growth, was estimated from response function and regression model. The relationship between tree ring and moisture index (May to August) is obvious. The predictive equation (Y=14.81X+5.65) was obtained from a linear regression model, where Y is predicted value of moisture index, X is tree ring width index. As a result, the local moisture index in 1750 AD at Yishan, Shandong Province, was reconstructed based on tree ring chronologies.For verification of the reliability of the reconstructed moisture index in Yishan area, the dry years were selected from document data, which were used to compare with the years with the small reconstructed moisture index.From 1750 to 1960, there are 32 dry years in document data, which were coincided with the 24 small moisture index years (1758,1768,1774,1778,1786,1805,1814,1825,1837,1838,1856,1860,1876,1877,1878,1899,1907,1917,1920,1925,1927,1948,1952,1959). There are 75 percent correct predictions, which indicates that the reconstructed results were reliable.

The paper discusses the application of background parameters in image's recognition, classification and mapping. In the thesis, it focuses on the discussion about geo Science's theory, eco geography feature and cartographical object and scale, the researches of phenology for optimal time for image classification of the ground objects, the analysis of optimal waveband Composition and the application of background data Base to spatial information recognition. The research based on the knowledge of background parameters is indispensable for improving the accuracy of image classification and mapping quality.

In the process-based models, rill erosion prediction is an important component, and the prediction sensitivity of soil loss from a given hillslope depends greatly on the calculation of rill erosion. Rill erosion occurs on slopeland only when an increase in flow shear from the increased rill spacing causes flow shear to exceed the critical threshold of soil erosion. So, in the process based models of rill erosion, critical hydraulic conditions of rill initiation have to be determined before the model can be used to predict soil loss for a given type of soil. This paper reports the results of a series of laboratory experiments, aiming at a better understanding of overland flow and sediment production mechanisms on hillslopes. The results are presented about threshold hydraulic condition needed for rill formation, characteristics of sediment delivery and velocity of flows in rill, as well as a relation of gradient to rill erosion. The process of rill erosion on the tested slope was examined and described. On the basis of statistical analysis, the formula to calculate critical flow volume of rill formation under the this test conditions was suggested as follows:Q_c=1.36S₀^-1.37 where, Q_c is the critical flow volume for rill initiation,S₀is slope gradient, and flow detachment rate in rill was empirically approximated by:E=0.035Q^1.065S₀^1.811 where, E is detachment rate of rill flow, Q is flow volume in rill, and S₀ is slope gradient.

Natural conditions of hydrology in Tarim River have been changed under water utilization by human being. The main changes are:(1) yearly runoff of Tarim River decreased by about 20% by average in recent 40 years. (2) water consumption along the river has changed since 1956, its runoff increased from 26.4% to 43.5% in the upper reaches, from 45.9% to 48.7% in the middle reaches, and decreased from 27.7% to 7.8% in the lower reaches. (3) the percentage of yearly runoff in flood season has increased in the upper reaches, and decreased in the lower reaches. (4) water quality became inferior, mineralization of water is higher in the upper reaches than in the lower reaches. The way to continually using water resources in Tarim River Basin after these changes should be:(1) the yearly runoff from the source rivers to Tarim River is above 43×10⁸m³, so that the basic water requirement of Tiram River can be satisfied. (2) reducing water consumption in the upper reaches and middle reaches through dredging the river to increase runoff in lower reaches. (3) changing traditional way of using water resources and developing the agriculture system and ecological system of saving water.

Two transect of samples were obtained from the ridges of the network dune in the southeastern fringe of Tengger Desert. The result shows that the grain size and sorting parameters vary with position on the both ridges of the dune due to the interaction between forms and flows. On the main ridge, mean grain size decreases and sorting improves from the bottom to the top, which can be explained in terms of that avalanching sands down slipsurface give rise to accumalation of coarser grains on the base of slipsurface and this grading mechanism reappears on windward slope where deflation takes place. On the secondary ridge, mean grain size becomes coarser from the mid slop to both the base and the crest while sorting becomes better from the base to the crest. The reason is that, two directional winds operating alternatively on this rigde result in erosion to take place on both windward slope and the lower part of leeward slope and deposition on the upper part of leeward slope near crest. According to the analysis of dune morphology and wind regime and supplemental observation of surface processes, the network dune in Tengger Desert is a complex form of longitudinal element (seconday ridge) and transverse dune (main ridge), in which the main ridge was formed in the dominent northwest wind while the secondary ridge was developed and maintained in an alternative bi directional wind regime.

WebGIS is a key direction of GIS development in recent years, yet there is no explicit definition of WebGIS. After some reviews of the development process of Geographical Information sharing through Internet and the development process of traditional GIS, this paper presents a view that geographical data (especially vector format data) visualization and spatial analysis function are the vital character of WebGIS. Common Internet browser is suit for information retrieve by text keywords and Image data display, yet it is not suit for geographical information organization, retrieve and analysis. Based on the Internet's Browser/Server architecture, this article puts forward an idea of WebGIS agent server based on the GIS metadata and its management system. WebGIS agent server provides temporal spatial attribute data analysis and fusion function, and it is more powerful and convenient for geographical Information application purpose. WebGIS includes WebGIS data server, WebGIS agent server and WebGIS Browser. We use java programming language and relational database as the platform to realize this architecture. First we convert all the spatial and non spatial information into relational database, using ODBC to manage those data. JAVA and ODBC are connected through ODBC/JDBC bridge. WebGIS browser builds topological relationship and geographical object in real time by spatial index when they visit WebGIS data server. Finally, we establish a prototype model of Jing Jiu Railway Corrida Region Investment Environment Information System based on the analysis of the connotation, function, architecture and technical solution of WebGIS discussed above. It's a concrete example of WebGIS. Though it is simple and incomplete, it provides the base for further discussion.

Shui-Jing-Zhu, an ancient book written by Li Daoyuan more than 1400 years ago, is a famous masterpiece. There are about 15 thousands place-names in this book. It not only cited some important opinions of toponomy, but also summed up a series of brilliant principles about place naming and place-name's change. Some principles were very close to modern toponymical theory. It explained the derivation of 1052 place-names, and this achievement surpassed one thousand for the first time in Chinese history. These explanations can be classified into:physiographical place-name and human geographical one. Physiographical place-name included 10 types, such as Yin Shui Wei Ming (naming according to river's name), Yin Shan Wei Ming (naming according to mountain's name), etc. Human geographical place-name included 14 types, such as Ren Wu Di Ming (naming after people), Shi Ji Di Ming (naming in the light of historical relics), etc. This book corrected some current wrong ideas about place-name. It had special and professional views about pictophonetic characters of place-name, too. Furthermore, this book quoted plentiful toponymical document, showed the feature of China's traditional toponomasiology and made this subject developed greatly. In a word, it is one of the most important works in the history of China's toponomasiology.

The present paper deals mainly with the study of land use planning and rural management in China compared with that of the foreign countries such as the practice of territorial management in the Wallonne Region of Belgium. By studing the task and practice of territorial planning and rural management in the Wallonne Region, the important role of land use planning in territorial management and its relevant experience are fully discussed. Also, combined with the actural situation of China, the focus of the territorial management, the urgency of land control and rural management, and the relationship between land use planning and territorial planning have been analysed comparatively from an angle of "to make foreign experience serre China". Some scientific opinions are proposed in the view of Chinese situation.

Because of its uniqueness, Chinese Urbanization has always been a fascinating research topic in overseas academic circle since 1970s. Through a comparative study on existing theories and hypotheses developed by overseas scholars, the authors sum up five most representative schools which have great influence on this research field. They are:(1) Anti Urbanism or De Urbanization School;(2) Industry/Strategy Oriented Urbanization School;(3) The School of Dual System of Urban Centers and Rural Urban Balance Development;(4) Industrialization and Urban biased School;and (5) Comprehensive School. It is extremely urgent that Chinese scholars borrow these methodologies and findings to develop their own theories, especially in this historical period of overall socio economic transition in China.

National Information Infrastructure (NII), also called Information Super Highway (ISH) is a computerized network system which provides world wide users with huge amount of information and other information services. Its prototype Internet, has linked more than 150 countries and regions together, and provides a series of services such as News, Email, electronic library. China NII has been constructing with the start of Golden Bridge project. National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) has been listed as the important component of NII, the key to the success of NSDI is to develop WebGIS and draft of the standard and normal for geo spatial data and their exchange. The development of ISH will give a new opportunity for GIS. It will promote the development of WebGIS, change the mode of integration of GIS, remote sensing and other related technologies, widen the GIS application field, and therefore promote the information revolution of geographical science.

The study of the national innovation systems by OECD and other individuals and organizations stresses that the flows of technology and information among people, enterprises and institutions are key to the innovation process. Knowledge flow as a spatial process, however, has not been given enough attention. The notable trend towards the creation of specialised knowledge centres near leading universities and the phenomenon that high-technology companies tend to gather in these locales are typical examples of such a process. The author argues that geography will contribute the study of innovation systems. Topics include the spatial process of knowledge flow, the formation and evolution of the specialised knowledge centress and high-tech clusters, and the assessment of national and regional innovation capacity.

The knowledge-based economy will gradually dominate world economy in the coming knowledge economy age. The advantages and characteristics of geographical comprehensive study will contributed to opening up new research fields due to the common ground with the characteristics of knowledge economy such as sustainability of economic development, innovation of knowledge and globalization of world economy. To adapt itself to the new conditions, however, it is necessary for geographical comprehensive study to innovate the research contents, including paying more attention to mutual substitution among the resources and elements of production owing to scientific and technological development, fully considering the signficance of virtual geographical space to geographical comprehensive study, changing the traditional notion of elements-balanced in geographical comprehensive study, and giving up dualistic system fram (i.e. regards natural factors and socioeconomic factors as different systems).

Evaluation index systems for both current development situation and development condition of high/new technology development zones in China are established in this paper. Using factor analysis method, the developments and locations of 52 high/new technology development nones in China were evaluated based on these evlauation index systems, and main factor scores were obtained. According to the factor scores, the development situations and development conditions of new/high technology development zones can be divided into 3 levels. The study shows that 7 high/new technology development zones, including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Tianjin, Wuhan, Xian and Shijiazhuang, have better locations and are well developed; on the other hand, 15 high/new technology zones, such as Baotou, Zhuhai, Baoding, Anshan, Wuxi, Nanchang, Zhuzhou, Foshan, Guilin, Nanning, Xiamen, Hainan, Mianyang, Baoji and Wulumuqi, should be degraded to the province level.

The temporal variation of China's grain production development is studied comprehensively and systematically in this paper. First, the research method about temporal variation of China's grain production development is discussed. After analyzing the common method such as "stage method" and "step method", the author proposed a new opinion and a method named as "gradual variation method", and worked out a new formula to calculate "comprehensive variation ratio". Second, taking the statistic data of historical national annual total grain production (from 1949 to 1995) as source data, the author analyzed the temporal variation characteristics of China's total grain production development by using the author's research method. Three temporal variation characteristics of China's total grain production are as follows: (1) The increase tendency of China's total grain production is very obvious; (2) The average increase ratio of China's total grain production is nearly 3%; (3) The trend of China's total grain production increase ratio is reducing. Third, the temporal variation mechanism of China's total grain production is researched by using relative analyses method and gray interrelation analyses method. The analyses result is that the first direct driving force of China's total grain production development is grain crop yield, and the second is grain crop sown area. Finally, the tendency of China's grain production development is studied and predicted by comprehensive dynamic prediction method and equal dimensional GM(1,1) dynamic prediction method. Three prediction schemes are obtained by each prediction method, and the final prediction result is that China's total grain production will be more than 500 million ton by the year 2000.

The research on the rise and fall of the ancient civilization and it's geographical environmental transition has captured the interests of the author. Some issues of the environmental situation, the research work at present, forces driving environmental change and societal responses have been summrized in this paper. At the same time, social and economic factors should be fully considered in the research on the rise and fall of ancient civilization and it's geographical environmental transition which needs analyzing together with regional sustainable development and global change.It is confirmed by historians that the Indus Valley civilization which originated from 3000 B.C, declined suddenly after thonsands years flourishing.This paper inquires into the environmental transition concerned with the rise and fall of the Indus Valley civilization. The preliminary conclusion are: first, the tropical forest in the India river basin not only is the breeding of the ancient agriculture,but also is the natural base for the birth and development of the class society; second, the destruction of the original forest by fire and cutting destroyed the well ecological balance,and resulted in desertification which led the ancient civilization to the edge of decline; third, the invasion of Aryan, and later the wind and sand buried completely the ancient civilization in India River valley.

The Cenozoic sediment in Linxia Basin, which locates at the northeastern fringe of Tibet plateau bears abundant informations on the plateau's uplift and paleoclimate. The paleoclimatic sequence revealed by geochemical elements (oxides) since about 30MaB.P. basically coincides with that revealed by spore-pollen combinations, i.e., during most of the Teritary, although climate alternated by warm-moist and cold-dry, it generally represented a relative stable regiem. After stepping into the Pliocene, climatic unstablity increased clearly, alternated drastically and frequently by the periodes of cold-dry and warm-moist. Untill in the early Quaternary, a cold-wet regiem appeared. This process perhaps reflects to a certain degree a dynamic process which the Asia monsoon displayed unobviously before the pliocene, began to establish in Pliocene, and established in the early Quaternary. Fluctuatins of geochemical contents are of profound tectonic-climatic background, the periods in which geochemical contents fluctuated violently correspond to the active tectonic periods, and the climate turned to be cold. Spectrum analyses of the high resolution CaCO₃ curve show that during 30 Ma～1-67 Ma, climate was mainly controlled by 21ka and 41ka cycles; but during 1-67 Ma～0-73 Ma, the quasi～100 ka cycle appeared, and got more and more obvious; till after 0.73MaB.P., the 100 ka cycle became predominant. The loess record in our country has also revealed the similar result, and showed that the climate was modified greatly since the Tertiary, which maybe closely related to the pulsating uplifts of the Tibet plateau.

According to the study on nine types of soils, including brown soils, for subtypes of cinnamon soils and other non-zonal soils, this paper discusses the existence state and the differentiation characters of heavy medal Cd, Pb and Cu. It also discusses the relationship between soil properties, such as pH and organic matter, and regional differentiation of heavy medal state. Therefore, this paper shows the law of regional differentiation of heavy medals in the soils in the south and north direction and east and west direction.

According to the geographical cycle theory, drainage landform evolution process is divied into three periods—young, mature and old period. In defferent evolution periods, the relation between gully density and cutting depth is various. However, it is sure that landforms are the most tattered and gully density reaches the maximum in the later young—early mature period. By presuming that the drainage landform is evoluted into hills in the period, the maths equation of the theoretical maximum of gully density was established, which is D=ctgθ^h∫_h0^maxdh/(hctga+c)² (1) where:D: gully density;θ: slope;h: cutting depth;c: gully bed average width;h₀: cutting depth minimum;h_max: cutting depth maximum On the above presuming base, the maths function on relation between gully density and cutting depth were established for the defferent development periods. The maths function shows that:①in the early young period, the gully density and cutting depth increase at the same time; ②in the later young—early mature preiod, gully density reaches the maximum and it decreases as cutting depth imcreases; ③ in the later mature—old preiod, gully density decreases as cutting depth decreases. Two example calculations demonstrate that the maths equation of the theoretical maximum of gully density may be used in practice. It can infer drainage landform evolution period and predict soil erosion developing tendency. It supplements quantitative anslysis on landforms shape elements with drainage landform evolution in defferent periods.

The ancient Yellow River once took over the course of the Huaih River in the historic period. It forms a closed dune by the sediment from the ancient Yellow River.The region of the ancient Yellow River is a developing area with temperate climate, sandy soil, sufficient sunshine, dense population and limited water resource.As a potential agricultural area, the ancient course of Yellow River has satisfactory conditions for green foods production. Sufficent use of land resources and labour force is the fundament need for the economical development in this region.