A Study Of Ecologic Theory And Plan-Designing Methods For Human Habitat In Gully Region On Loess Plateau

Gully region of the Loess Plateau is a sub-category region and a natural geographical unit of the Loess Plateau.Table-land surfaces,gully slopes,gully valleys and river valleys constitute its topographic,hydrologic and erosion features and its ecologic characteristics determined by these features.Its unique human and economic features have taken shape due to long-term interaction between human beings and earth.Different from other sub-category regions of the Loess Plateau,it is densely populated with many towns due to flat and broad tableland surfaces and fertile land,although it is criss-crossed with gullies and the soil erosion is serious. Therefore,it is one of the important regions for us to promote the sustained development of human habitat and prevent ecologic destruction.If is of realistic significance to step up our study and research in planning methods for ecologization of the human habitat.For a long time,the gully region of the Loess Plateau has been restrained in its development of towns due to the backward economy and fragile ecology.Its development has even shrunk to an abnormal state.Since reform and opening up started,especially since the strategy of the great west development began to be implemented in China,the development has gained unprecedented gigantic motive force with the soil conservation,construction of eco-environment and the constantly growing productive forces.It has entered onto a stage of fast growth.However,it is difficult to work out corresponding measures to address the present planning problems due to lack of commonly accepted goals and theoretic guidance which suits local conditions.The separation of town planning from fragile eco-environment has resulted in the loss of ecological assets,the loss of eco-environmental and biological diversity,the decline of service function of the ecological system,frequent ecological and geological disasters and great loss of people's lives and property.The separation of town construction from geographical space has resulted in the fact that the town construction has modeled on the technical norms and planning standards of the town development on plains.The towns tend to be similar to those on plains and are less capable of catering to fragile eco-environment.Up till now,there is still no systematic study of the sustainable development of human habitat in the gully region of the Loess Plateau.There is a gap in the planning concept and technical methods.Behind these superficial phenomena is the inharmony between man and nature.It is urgent to carry out an overall study of the whole situation covering dwelling,town-countryside,society,economy,environment,etc.and to find out an ecological approach to sustainable development of the habitat which suits local conditions,from the aspects of epistemology,methodology,the theory of counter-measures and technical means.With the human habitat in the gully region of the Loess Plateau as the object of its research,this study is based on the geographical space of the fragile eco-environment.With the sustainable development of the human habitat as its goal and the theory and methods of ecology as its means,it strives to interpret the ecologization of human habitat on the comparatively wholistic natural unit of the gully region from the brand-new angle of ecological world outlook and methodology.It aims to construct a framework of the eco-theory of human habitat,the method system and the optimization model,with local features.The author attempts to make innovations in research ideas and methods.The innovations are embodied in the following:(1)This study first of all focuses on the wholesome natural units in the gully region of the Loess Plateau and combines the fragile eco-conditions with the condition of human dwelling,and the frontier theory of domestic and overseas environmental ecologization with the human habitat in the gully region with relatively backward economy.It probes into methods of planning environmental ecology for the gully region,which has been rarely seen in China or other countries.(2)With the theory of human habitat science and the theory of composite eco-system as its basis,this study sets up a research framework and an eco-evaluation system with the ordinate of region,towns,communities and buildings and the horizontal ordinate of nature,society,economy and human habitation.This idea of comprehensiveness and harmony integrates multi-levelled human dwelling groups,nature,society,economy and human habitat into one unified research system.It differs from the isolated study of the sustainable development of the human habit of a certain level.(3)Based on the analysis of the relationship between the organizational structure,population migration and natural geographic units in the gully region of the Loess Plateau,this study proposes "the loess mesa" as the coordination unit of human habitat and suggests methods for the overall ecological planning.This method,which breaks down the limitation of the research system with administrative boundaries,has found a breakthrough for addressing the ecological problems of the human habitat in the gully region of the Loess Plateau.(4)This study gives a quantative analysis of the vertical eco-system of the eco-system of the human habitat coordinating units by making a comprehensive use of such ecological evaluation methods as soil adaptability,soil erosion sensibility and land loading capacity.It has constructed the classification of ecological functions of coordinating units of different types of human habitats,thus providing a precise basis for the future land use of the coordinating units of human habitat,for nature and the special distribution of artificial eco-system and for special distribution of population.Besides,it carries out an analysis of horizontal ecology process of the eco-system of coordinating units of human habitat by applying the principle "patch-corridor-matrix".It proposes an overall planning model for material and environmental ecology of coordinating units of human habitat.(5)Based on a summary of the practice of water & soil conservation in the gully region of the Loess Plateau,it puts forward the concept of the ecological supportive system for the coordination units of human habitat,i.e.the ecological supportive system for tableland surfaces and the small gully reaches.It clarifies,in terms of functional relationship,the right niches of man-made green and water areas in the human habitat planning,confirms the relation of mutual complement between made-made material environment and natural eco-system,and specifies the content of the general space concept of"humanized nature." All this has built a bridge between architectural science and the science of water and soil conservation for their coordinated progress,providing and operating pivot and a working objective for the establishment of a dynamic liaison between the human habitat of sustainable development and natural eco-environment.