Tropical deforestation can result in substantial changes in local surface energy and water budgets, and thus in atmospheric stability. These effects may in turn yield changes in precipitation. The Maritime Continent (MC) has undergone severe deforestation during the past few decades but it has received less attention than the deforestation in the Amazon and Congo rain forests. In this study, numerical deforestation experiments are conducted with global (i.e., Community Earth System Model) and regional climate models (i.e., Regional Climate Model version 4.6) to investigate precipitation responses to MC deforestation. The results show that the deforestation in the MC region leads to increases in both surface temperature and local precipitation. Atmospheric moisture budget analysis reveals that the enhanced precipitation is associated more with the dynamic component than with the thermodynamic component of the vertical moisture advection term. Further analyses on the vertical profile of moist static energy indicate that the atmospheric instability over the deforested areas is increased as a result of anomalous moistening at approximately 800–850 hPa and anomalous warming extending from the surface to 750 hPa. This instability favors ascending air motions, which enhance low-level moisture convergence. Moreover, the vertical motion increases associated with the MC deforestation are comparable to those generated by La Niña events. These findings offer not only mechanisms to explain the local climatic responses to MC deforestation but also insights into the possible reasons for disagreements among climate models in simulating the precipitation responses.

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The durability and riding comfort performance of a new type scooter were investigated by bench test. The longterm road load data of Taiwan market were measured with accelerometers and strain gauges by the on-line rainflow cycle counting method. The equivalent test track corresponding to 50,000 km in Taiwan market was established with ARTC's proving ground (Automotive Research and Testing Center in Taiwan) by correlation analysis technique. Then we performed the full vehicle bench durability test with load histories obtained by the road simulation technique. After a series of testing, analysis, and modification, the test vehicle already got a satisfactory result for the durability performance. Riding comfort analysis was performed following the ISO 2631 standard with accelerometers near the seat and foot in the bench testing. In order to get an optimum combination of suspension system for this new type scooter, many sets of front and rear suspensions were evaluated. The evaluation software of riding comfort was developed in accordance with ISO 2631 standard by using LabVIEW programming language. Finally, no cracks were observed when this scooter underwent a durability test on the public road more than 50,000 km. It means that above integrated approach was suitable to evaluate the durability and riding comfort performance of a new type vehicle.