Hydroelectricity plays an important role in reforming the energy structure and promoting the lowcarbon development in China.The Three Gorges Project is a typical green energy program,for its electricity production,prevention and control of flood and cargo transport abilities bringing about huge emission reduction.In this paper,we calculated the greenhouse gas emission of the Three Gorges Project,according to the CDM method.The results showed that the emission of the project was neglectable.Also,we conducted a series of field measurement to quantify the greenhouse gas emission from the Three Gorges Region from Oct.2009 to Jun.2010.The outcome showed that the Three Gorges Project emitted 243 milligram greenhouse gas,including CO2,CH4 and N2O per kilowatthour,which was far lower than the level of other kinds of energy sources.Although the water source was abundant in China,the hydroelectricity was still poor explored and the energy consumption was mainly relied on nonrenewable sources.Therefore,hydroelectricity still has potential in developing lowcarbon strategy in China

Three Gorges Project has got widespread concern with its huge ecological and other comprehensive benefits,such as,flood control,power generation,navigation,water supply.Three Gorges Project may lead to complex and diverse ecological environment problems.To protect the ecological environment,mitigate the natural disasters,maintain the ecosystem balance,it is very important to identify the potential causes of the problems and driving factors accurately.Based on historical documents and data collection,hydrology and water quality monitoring,remote sensing and other means,the paper summarized the main types of driving forces on ecological environment in Three Gorges Reservoir,and comparatively analyzed the differences of main driving forces before and after the project construction.The results showed that the Three Gorges Project construction,migrant relocation,social and economic development in the reservoir,social and economic development in upper area of the Yangtze River,pollution load,such five human driving forces were the main driving forces leading to the ecological environment evolution in the area.In this study,a comprehensive analysis from various aspects was carried out to make the evolution of the ecological environment of the reservoir area and the driving force mechanism clear in the Three Gorges Project construction period,and to provide basic data for the the ecological environment protection and scientific management of Three Gorges Reservoir Area

The ecological operation management of the Three Gorges Reservoir is a multiobjective dynamic decisionmaking process,and also a worldwide problem.Based on the analysis of ecological operation complexity and management uncertainty,the paper brought forward the basic concept of ecological operation adaptive management and its theoretical framework.The adaptive management needs were discussed in the Three Gorges Reservoir by this theory,and five aspects demand were concerned,including integrated ecological flow in the middle and lower reaches,aquatic resource protection,water environmental protection,drought and water supply,and wetlands protection.By continuous monitoring,environment evaluation and adjustment,the platform for all departments and basinwide stakeholder participating,consulting and communicating was established to achieve the maximum comprehensive benefit of the reservoir.Given the experimental stage characteristics of the Three Gorges Reservoir,the lagged impact of the ecological environment,economic development,social transformation,and the awareness of environmental consciousness,adaptive management objectives need to adjust itself to the demands of ecological operation accordingly

The construction of Three Gorges Project may lead to ecological and environmental problems.Based on ecological environment change in the 17years construction process,this paper assessed the ecoenvironmental protection measures and effect in construction term of Three Gorges Project.The results showed that the ecoenvironmental protection measures on Three Gorges Reservoir were appropriate and effective,environment pressures on migration and enterprise relocation were reduced,water quality kept stable,geological disasters were proper prevented and on control,ecological restoration in the reservoir and upstream area speeded up,drifts in reservoir bottom were cleared completely,vector density decreased,human settlement improved,overall,ecological environment quality of the reservoir area were sound.In view of the location of “limited development” functional areas,the complexity of ecological environment and the lag of relevant factors in the area,the ecological environmental protection work needed to be further strengthened.The paper made suggestions for the ecoenvironmental protection in the next operation and management period from three aspects of management,technical and economic,to make recommendations for the relevant administrative departments

The Three Gorges Project is a worldrenowned largescale water conservancy and hydropower project,and the economic development of the reservoir area caught much attentions as the ecological and environmental problems.The economic development in Three Gorges Reservoir area is not only beneficial to promote the comprehensive development in the Yangtze River upriver area,but also counts for much to the livelihoods of millions immigrants and social stability in the reservoir.Based on SWOT analysis,the strength,weakness,opportunity and challenge factors of economic development in the reservoir area were evaluated.The results showed that characteristics of ecological agriculture,river tourism,logistics industry will become priority industry direction in the reservoir area,and livelihoodrelated immigration making people rich,urban and rural development policies have become important economic strategy choice in the reservoir area.This study aimed to further resources integration,industrial structure optimization,economic quality improvement and overall economic strength upgrade.And finally,useful reference for setting down the regional economic development strategies in the reservoir area with pertinence was provided

The rocky desertification has been one of the most serious ecoenvironmental problem in Three Gorges Reservoir area of Chongqing.The study area is the ecological barrier of the Yangtze River basin and one of the global seventeen key region of protecting the biodiversity.The ecoenvironment problems in the study area influence not only the security of Three Gorges Reservoir and steady of migrant,but also the ecological security and the socioeconomy sustainable development of the Yangtze River basin.So many scholars attach importance to the rocky desertification problems in the study area.The research results improve our understanding about the karst rocky desertification problem.At the same time,these researches have also some shortcomings.Based on the principles of karst rocky desertification,three natural factors affecting the sensitivity of karst rocky desertification were chosen as the assessment indices,which were rocky property,slope and vegetation coverage.The assessment map of each factor was finished based on GIS and RS.We also drew integrated assessment map of sensitivity of karst rocky desertification by overlapping function with ArcGIS.Furthermore,we analyzed distribution characteristics and spatial difference of sensitivity of karst rocky desertification in the study area.The results showed that:the area of karst rocky desertification was 17 3765 km2.The strong and extreme sensitivities were the main types of karst rocky desertificatioin sensitivities.The northeast and the south of study area were the most sensitive area and the west and middle was not sensitive.The real karst rocky desertification accorded with karst rocky desertification sensitivity.The natural factors such as rocky property,topography and vegetation were dominant for rocky desertification,and human activities were the inducements of karst rocky desertification.The vegetation was most affected by human activities.Thus,the conservation and renewal of vegetation is the key to prevent karst rocky desertification.

With the daily precipitation data derived from 35 weather stations in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area from 1960 to 2008, the extreme precipitation threshold for different stations were defined by centesimal value method,and then the concentration degree and the concentration period were calculated to indicate the temporal distribution features of extreme precipitation. Based on the two new indices,inhomogeneity of extreme precipitation in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area was analyzed.The results showed that there was less extreme precipitation in southwestern and northeastern parts but more in central and southeastern parts.A little discrepancy appeared for the spatial distribution between concentration degree and concentration period of extreme precipitation. The extreme precipitation events happened more frequently in northeastern and western parts than in central part relatively.The period of accruing extreme precipitation in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area was usually from the end of June to July 15th,and it was later in northeastern and western parts while earlier in central regions.The concentration degree and the concentration period of extreme precipitation showed a positive correlation with the amounts of extreme precipitation in flood season.If the amounts of extreme precipitation were less,the concentration degree was higher and the concentration period was earlier especially in the northeast parts,vice versa.After impound of the Three Gorges Reservoir,the concentration degree was uniform in different parts for whole area, but some obvious changes happened for concentration period and the amounts of extreme precipitation.More extreme precipitation appeared and the concentration period was earlier in the northeastern parts,while what happened in the southwestern parts was reversed

Water quality in the Yangtze River within the Three Gorges Reservoir area before and after the impoundment was analyzed.In general,water quality after the impoundment was better than that before the impoundment.Average percentage of water quality(according to monthly evaluation results)met or better than III standard increased from 623% before the impoundment to 783% after the impoundment.The main parameters not meeting the standards were total phosphorus(TP),permanganate index(CODMn)and plumbum(Pb),etc.New characteristics in spatial and temporal distribution of water quality have been found.The concentrations of CODMn,TP,Pb of water column near the dam decreased significantly compared with that of preimpoundment,especially for water area near the dam site.Concentrations of CODMn,TP,Pb were still wet season＞even,dry season.It is also showed that concentrations of the above parameters decreased along the direction from tail to head of the reservoir,especially in the wet season.Above changes of water quality features were mainly due to sedimentation of sands in the reservoir resulting from the increase of water level and the decrease of velocity,which meaned that part of pollutants settled with deposition of suspended solids and entered into sediment

Since the first impoundment of Three Gorges Reservoir,trophic state,algae biomass and the structure of community has changed significantly.Series of investigating results during different impoundment stages showed that eutrophication of tributary river deteriorated and differed on time and space.The eutrophication in spring and summer were more serious than that in autumn and winter,making the general trophic state of ecosystem shift from oligotrophicmesoerophic status to mesoerophiceutrophic status.Nutrient was not limited factor for algae growth because of high and relatively stable nutrient level during different impoundment stages in tributary river.Therefore,the reason for eutrophication was the reduced velocity of flow,making transparency rise，light transmission increase and growing condition improve.Then it brought algae biomass increased largely and water bloom occured frequently as well as the dominant algae diversified. llariophyta,Pyrrophyta,Crytophyta,Cayanophyta and Chlorophya could be dominant in algae population.Generally speaking,the percentage taken by Bacillariophyta and Pyrrophyta decreased,as well as Crytophyta,Cayanophyta and Chlorophya increased.Dominant algae succession trend was from rivertyped to laketyped.However,with the evaluation of the water level,the general occuring rate of bloom decreased

This paper used satellite remote sensing data,analyzed the spatiotemporal pattern, process of urban development in Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) before and after Three Gorge Project construction,revealed the driving forces of urban change,explored population urbanization process with the urban expansion,and performed studies of urban environmental change characteristics.The development cities and towns was not balanced on scale in TGRA.The west developed a large municipality,while small countylevel cities occurred in the east;and towns accounted for only 24% among all cities and towns.In the past 15 years,the cities expanded 172%,that is 72% more than the national urban average.Urban expansion narrowed the gap of scale between the west and the east in TGRA,and Three Gorge Project played an important role in promoting this process.Urban development was based on the cost of highquality cultivated land loss.Cropland occupation accounted for 83% of urban change.Urban expansion and population urbanization were unevenly developed.The cities expansion was quicker than the urbanization process,and the cities and towns attracted less rural population than national urban average.The TGRA urbanization in 2007 was below the national level 13%,and the gap trended to enlarge.Topography and land resources were the limit factor to urban spatial pattern of development.Urban average fractal dimension and the slope gradient in TGRA increased by 12% and 104 degrees,respectively.The spatial integrity of the cities becames worse as urban expansion or relocation closed to the mountain

Most rural residential areas in plain are centralized in China.Different with those rural residential areas,the rural residential areas in Three Gorges reservoir area are smallscale,highdensity and very scattered,which form the unique landscape just like stars in sky.The emigration areas of Yubei,Wanzhou and Zigui were chosen as the typical regions of Three Gorges.The method that combines Objectoriented classification and supervised classification was used in the paper to extract the information of rural residential areas from highresolution remote sensing data.On the basis of the classification result,the paper made use of geographic information system (GIS) technique to analyze rural residential areas distribution characteristics and the factors that can affect rural residential areas distribution such as elevation,slope,aspect,road,water source,etc.Moreover,the paper learned from rural land evaluation method,and made use of multiindex integral evaluation method combing with analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to get the human settlement environment suitability evaluation map.The result shows that it exists evident spatial distribution law between rural residential areas and the impact factors such as elevation, slope and aspect,etc.The research on landscape of rural residential areas and human settlement environment suitability evaluation can give support to the government for taking measures on rural residential areas planning. 

Based on the Landsat5TM and disaster monitoring satellite CCD(HJ1A/1B)data during 2007~2009,the Vegetation Fractional Cover(Fc)in the drawdown area of the Three Gorges reservoir below 156 meter level was calculated by the dimidiate pixel model.This paper analyzed not only the spatial and temporal variation of the Fc in the drawdown area，but also the environmental impact factors.The Fc in 2007,2008,and 2009 was 512%、515%、492% respectively,and the Fc in stem stream area was higher than that in tributary.This was related with the geological conditions,and the slope determined the spatial difference of the Fc.The Fc of 2008 in the drawdown area was basically same with that in 2007,while the Fc in 2009 was lower than that in 2007 and 2008.This was related with the dynamic scheduling scheme of Three Gorge.When the water back later,the drawdown area exposed later,and the Fc was lower.The results show that the vegetation in the drawdown area of the Three Gorges basin has a certain ability to recover naturally.

The ecology and environment monitoring system of the Three Gorges Project(TGP)is a transregional,transdepartmental,multidisciplinary,and comprehensive investigative monitoring network,established for monitoring the potential ecological and environmental problems caused by the TGP.Since it was established in 1996,in line with basic regulations,unified monitoring variables and standard operation protocols,the system had traced the whole ecology and environment conditions of the Three Gorges,accumulated abundant data for the environmental evaluation of the TGP.A series of achievements have been made by monitoring system.At the same time,it has made a positive and useful attempt and explore for integrated monitoring of the ecological environment of rivers and lakes in China.As the TGP step into its full operation period,the focus of the monitoring system synchronously shifted from the construction services for the engineering to the project operation phase.In this paper,we summarized the characteristics,achievements and exemplars of the monitoring system,and then pointed out the direction for the development of the monitoring system in the next stage

The ecological environment in the rural area of the Three Goeges Reservoir is not so good.The environmental awareness and improvement of environmental literacy of the rural resettlers are the basis and the driving force of the ecological and environmental protection in the Three Gorges Reservoir rural area.Based on rural resettlers social,economical and environmental survey data,the paper analyzed the status of rural public environmental facilities and rural resettlers environmental awareness in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area.The results showed that,although great progress had been made in rural environmental infrastructure,it was still inadequate in the rural reservoir area.Such as,drinking water was not safe,fertilizers and agricultural chemicals had been abused,biological and proenvironmental insectproof technology was seldom used,rural resettlers were poor in the basic environmental protection knowledge,their concerns on ecological environment in the Three Gorges Reservoir rural area were not enough,they only had superficial selfish routine environmental awareness,and their capacity and motive to participate environment protection practice were insufficient.Therefore,it is necessary for government to increase rural environmental facilities,improve drinkwater safe level,promote efficient ecological and safe agricultural production technology,enhance environmental education for rural resettlers,help rural resettlers being rich,and change their environmentunfriendly lifestyle and producingstyle

Based on rural households income sources theory and survey data on rural resettled households in the Three Gorges Reservoir Areas in 2007,the income structures were compared among resettled households,nonresettled households and the households of different resettlement modes by ANOVA to find out the different effects of resettlement modes on the rural households income.The results showed that the resettlement influenced the income structures of resettled household and their family business income.At the same time,postsupport subsidies for resettleds significantly compensated the adverse impact of resettlement.The different resettlement modes could also influence the income sources of resettled households.Completely agricultural resettlement and multiple industries resettlement brought fewer adverse impacts compared with nonagricultural resettlement,and nonagricultural resettled households would share in fewer postsupport subsidies and other agricultural subsidies.Agricultural resettlement and multiple industries resettlement might have fewer income risks against nonagricultural resettlement by views of income sources theory.Thus,they were more favorable for rural resettled households

The retrospective survey data was used to research the status of urban resettlement families and analyze their adaptability after resettlement.In the evaluation methods,we compared the living conditions and social security changes of urban resettlement families before and after the relocation at the first;and then analyzed the various subentry satisfactions.Furthermore,taking the extracting factor scores as independent variables,the “life resettlement satisfaction” as dependent variables, we analyzed the data by Logistic regression.Finally,we analyzed what aspects of satisfaction in the resettlement process will affect the judgments to urban migration satisfaction.The result showed that living conditions of urban resettlement families were good.After the relocation,the living conditions of urban migration improved much in the housing area and the housing safety factor.Urban migrant’s families had a high rate of health insurance but with low endowment insurance.The endowment insurance of urban resettlement families needs to be improved.The life satisfaction of urban resettlement varied with the community and the living satisfaction. 

The Three Gorges resettlements have attracted great attention for its large scale and the covering of nonvoluntary resettlements groups.This paper discussed the adaptability of the Three Gorges rural migrants to family life by a large number of spot check data in 2009.The results showed that the Three Gorges rural resettlements families adapted to the living condition,and the living condition of resettlements families and the health care in general had been improved.The Three Gorges resettlements families living in rural areas were also accompanied with the hidden trouble of the increasing cost of living and building house,which would lead to the risk of liabilities.It might cause some negative effects on overall satisfaction of migrants with the choice of life.The adaptability of the Three Gorges rural migrants to family life was significantly affected by the relocation time.Therefore,we suggest that concerning the resettlements social adaptation should be closely linked to the cost of living;the resettlement of migrants living should continue to improve;the relevant systems and indicators should be established to the adaptability and sustainable development of resettlements for the further discussion and research

To protect land resources and promote harmonious development of nature and society in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area during latter period of the Three Gorges(TG)Dam management,it was important to analyze the effects of topographic factors on land use changes.With highresolution(10 m)DEM and 1∶50 000 land use classifying results in 1992 and 2007,the paper studied the relationships between land use changes and topographic factors including altitude,slope and aspect in detail by GIS grid calculation techniques during 1992~2007.Results showed that dry land and garden had the biggest changing areas,garden and manmade area had the highest growth rate against their original areas in 1992 respectively.There was a complementary relationship between variations of dry land and garden on their distributions of different topographic factors.Dry land were major land use types converted to garden,and these happened areas mostly located in altitude zones below 800 m,slope zones below 25° and aspect zones of 0~1575° and 2475~3375°.Increasing areas of shrub mostly located in altitude zones greater than 1 100 m,slope zones from 15° to 45° and aspect zones of 1125~2925°.Areas of forest converted to shrub mostly happened in altitude zones above 1 100 m,slope zones of 25~35° and aspect zones of 1125~2925°.Decreases of forest mostly happened in slope zones of 35~45°,aspect zones of 1575~2475°.Decreases of grass mostly located in zones with lower altitude,slope zones of 15~35° and aspect zones of 225~675° and 3375~360°.Major causes of these land use changes were various kinds of policies.In order to deal with possible imbalance of relation between human and environment,we should strengthen the ability of land use planning and make intensive management of land resources in future

To better know variations of vegetation structure and soil erosion conditions during the Three Gorges Dam construction period in Zigui,this study acquired 1〖DK〗∶50 000 land use classifying maps,vegetation cover fractions,soil erosion risk in 1992 and 2007 based on TM and SPOT images respectively,and derived SPOT VEGETATION MVC NDVI during 1999~2007.Changes of vegetation types were first analyzed in detail.Landscape pattern metrics were used to characterize changes of vegetation structure in spatial.Trends about vegetation cover fractions,relationship between vegetation structure and soil erosion risk were also analyzed and discussed. Results indicated that vegetation patches were more fragmentized and equally distributed,and their diversity and dispersion extent were both enlarged in 2007.Forest and shrub were still the dominant landscape types in Zigui.Changing characteristics of various types of vegetation were different due to the different impact intensities by human activities.Vegetation cover fractions were improved as a whole in Zigui in 2007,which produced a positive effect on decrease of soil erosion intensity.Vegetation cover fractions in the middlesouthern part of Zigui were greatly improved.Areas adjacent to reservoir still faced difficulties to prevent and cure soil erosion because of concentrated impacts from human activities and limitations of topographic conditions.With RS and GIS techniques,research on changes of local landscape structures and their influences on ecoenvironment, and the impact intensities by human activities were both significant.The paper provided such a case study in the areas of head part of the Three Gorges Reservoir