Appendix

The Research Center for Remote Sensing and GIS, Beijing Normal University, was established on May 4, 1999. The center concentrates on the basic research of Remote Sensing, including analysis of scale effect in remote sensing images and applicability of classical physical theorems and laws at pixel scale, and develops the remote sensing physical models. The center also develops the applications of remote sensing and GIS in various fields. The purpose of our center is also to grow up as one of the best educational institutions of remote sensing science in China. It currently has three full professors, one associate professor, two scholars as guest professors, five oversea guest professors, four post-doctors, seven PhD students and twelve master students.

The chief scientist of the "973" Project is Prof. Xiaowen LI, and the team members are from BNU, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking Univ. etc.

This project focuses on transformations between ground-based point sampling measurements and areal information from remote sensing images of heterogeneous land surface. The scaling effects of these quantities and their relations at different scales are complicated problems involving math, physics, informatics, ecology, etc., and geoscience descriptions. Therefore, this project is by nature an inter-discipline one. It is to develop effective methods extracting the required areal information from remote sensing for different applications, and to establish quantitative remote sensing theory including models for major heterogeneous spatio-temporal elements and knowledge-based inversion algorithms. In short, this project is also trying to meet the national needs for quantitative remote sensing, especially for its applications in agriculture.

Huangshan, the Yellow Peak Range, is known as the "No. 1 Mountain Under Heaven", celebrated for having all the wonders of mountain scenery, characterized by spectacular odd-shaped pines, rocky peaks, crystal-clear mountain springs and seas of clouds, inspiring master art pieces for centuries. It has been selected as one of the world culture heritage to preserve.