Ecosystem Assessment Research Articles

A novel chlorophyll-a retrieval model based on suspended particulate matter classification and different machine learning

Chlorophyll-a (Chla) in inland waters is one of the most significant optical parameters of aquatic ecosystem assessment, and long-term and daily Chla concentration monitoring has the potential to facilitate in early warning of algal blooms. MOD09 products have multiple observation advantages (higher temporal, spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio), and play an extremely important role in the remote sensing of water color. For developing a high accuracy machine learning model of remotely estimating Chla concentration in inland waters based on MOD09 products, this study proposed an assumption that the accuracy of Chla concentration retrieval will be improved after classifying water bodies into three groups by suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentration. A total of 10 commonly used machine learning models were compared and evaluated in this study, including random forest regressor (RFR), deep neural networks (DNN), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and convolutional neural network (CNN). Altogether, 41 basic bands and 820 band ratios between the 41 bands were filtered by measuring their correlation with Ln(Chla) and several bands brought into different machine learning models. Results demonstrated that the construction of Chla concentration remote estimation model based on SPM classification could significantly improve the correlation between Ln(Chla) and 41 basic spectral band combinations, the correlation between Ln(Chla) and 820 band ratios, and the model verification R2 from 0.41 to 0.83. Furthermore, B3, B20, and B32 were finally selected based on correlation with SPM to classify SPM and the classification accuracy could reach 0.9. Finally, we concluded that RFR model performed best via comparing the R2, RMSE, and MAPE. By comparing the relative contribution of input bands in different groups, B3 contributed most to three groups. The model constructed in this study has promising prospects for promotion and application in other inland waters, and could provide systematic research reference for subsequent research.

The efficacy of biodiversity and ecosystem assessment approaches for informing a regenerative approach to built development.

The built environment, even at its "greenest," inevitably entails changing ecosystem structure and function. Multiple sustainable development tools and approaches are available to reduce environmental harm from built development. However, the reality that society exists within fully integrated socioecological systems, wholly interdependent on supporting ecosystems, is not yet adequately represented in regulation or supporting tools. Regenerative development seeks to address this interdependence in part by improving the health of supporting socioecological systems through the development process. We demonstrate the relevance of a series of approaches-Local Nature-Related Planning Policy (LNRPP), Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), the Environmental Benefits from Nature Tool (EBN Tool), Nature Assessment Tool for Urban and Rural Environments (NATURE Tool), and Rapid Assessment of Wetland Ecosystem Services+ (RAWES+)-for their ability to meet their stated aims and objectives and how these relate to wider regenerative themes. A comparative analysis of the five approaches is done by applying them to a practical case study site, resulting in policy- and practice-relevant learning and recommendations. The research reveals current gaps in methodology, which can lead to adverse outcomes for sustainability. This is particularly clear for the spatial and temporal scales across which each approach operates. In addition, this research discusses the inherent limitations of taking a reductionist approach to examining complex systems. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:248-262. © 2023 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Microbial ecosystem assessment and hydrogen oxidation potential of newly discovered vent systems from the Central and South-East Indian Ridge.

In order to expand the knowledge of microbial ecosystems from deep-sea hydrothermal vent systems located on the Central and South-East Indian Ridge, we sampled hydrothermal fluids, massive sulfides, ambient water and sediments of six distinct vent fields. Most of these vent sites were only recently discovered in the course of the German exploration program for massive sulfide deposits and no previous studies of the respective microbial communities exist. Apart from typically vent-associated chemosynthetic members of the orders Campylobacterales, Mariprofundales, and Thiomicrospirales, high numbers of uncultured and unspecified Bacteria were identified via 16S rRNA gene analyses in hydrothermal fluid and massive sulfide samples. The sampled sediments however, were characterized by an overall lack of chemosynthetic Bacteria and the presence of high proportions of low abundant bacterial groups. The archaeal communities were generally less diverse and mostly dominated by members of Nitrosopumilales and Woesearchaeales, partly exhibiting high proportions of unassigned Archaea. Correlations with environmental parameters were primarily observed for sediment communities and for microbial species (associated with the nitrogen cycle) in samples from a recently identified vent field, which was geochemically distinct from all other sampled sites. Enrichment cultures of diffuse fluids demonstrated a great potential for hydrogen oxidation coupled to the reduction of various electron-acceptors with high abundances of Hydrogenovibrio and Sulfurimonas species. Overall, given the large number of currently uncultured and unspecified microorganisms identified in the vent communities, their respective metabolic traits, ecosystem functions and mediated biogeochemical processes have still to be resolved for estimating consequences of potential environmental disturbances by future mining activities.

Ecological environment value assessment and ecological civilization in the Changjiang River basin

AbstractWith the rapid growth of urbanization and industrialization, the strain on resources and the environment has intensified, resulting in challenges such as soil erosion and biodiversity loss. To address these issues, the development of a circular economy and eco‐cities has become crucial. This article proposes an ecosystem assessment model based on the backpropagation neural network (BPNN) that incorporates environmental carrying capacity and energy regeneration capacity. The model aims to evaluate the ecological service value of wetlands in the Changjiang River basin. The results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms other comparison methods, exhibiting a high level of accuracy. Furthermore, the simulation outcomes indicate that enhancing eco‐efficiency can enhance the environmental carrying capacity and energy regeneration capacity of the ecosystem, ultimately leading to an overall improvement in ecosystem value.

FunBies, a model for integrated assessment of functional biodiversity of weed communities in agro-ecosystem

Agrobiodiversity, by producing beneficial ecosystem services (ESs), could improve the sustainability of cropping systems. There is a number of studies reporting the use of indicators for quantifying ESs. However, there are no indicators which might be applied at local scale and allowing an integrated assessment of a wide range of ESs in agro-ecosystems. The objectives of the present research were: (i) to describe a model for integrated assessment of functional biodiversity in agro-ecosystems, denominated FunBies, (ii) to show how it was validated, and (iii) to present results of its application. FunBies is featured by an empiric model component, a conceptual component that takes into account the whole range of ESs identified by the Millennium Ecosystems Assessment and by a multi-criteria linear additive model including the whole set of functional traits potentially supplied by herbaceous plant communities. The model was validated by a panel of experts. Results at cropping system level indicated that organic systems have the potential to supply considerably higher ESs than conventional systems. ES provision increases in time together with the evolution of the phytocoenosis. FunBies potential applications include: (i) design of biodiversity components within agro-ecosystems, and (ii) justification and sizing of organic payments.

Health Assessment of the Stream Ecosystem in Beijing, China

With economic development, the health of river ecosystems is becoming severely threatened because of the increasing effects of human activities on river ecosystems. Here, 101 sites along regional river systems in Beijing rivers were investigated from autumn 2020 to summer 2021. A total of 34 metrics, including aquatic organisms, hydrology, water quality, and habitat, were calculated to be the candidate indicators. Principal component and correlation analyses were used to select the core metrics from the candidate indicators, and the weight of each core metric was estimated using the entropy method. The integrated index of stream ecological health was constructed to assess the health condition of the Beijing rivers. The results of the PCA and correlation analyses revealed that eleven metrics were selected as the core metrics to construct the integrated index of stream ecological health, including water temperature, flow velocity, BOD5, NH4+-N, Cu, the density of phytoplankton and zooplankton, the Shannon-Wiener diversity index of macroinvertebrates and fish, the BMWP index, and the qualitative habitat evaluation index. According to the health assessment results, 4.95% of the sampling sites were healthy, 23.76% were subhealthy, and 71.29% were in a fair or below healthy state. The river health status showed strong spatial heterogeneity, and the river health statuses in the northern and western regions were relatively good, whereas the river health status in the central and southeastern regions were relatively poor. The results of four aspects stream ecosystem assessment showed that the overall water quality of the rivers was "subhealthy" and the aquatic organisms and habitat were "general poor," but the hydrology was "poor." The evaluation results of five water systems demonstrated that the Chaobai River had the best health status, followed by that of the Yongding River, Daqing River, and Jiyun River, and the Beiyun River had the worst health status. Maintaining river ecological baseflow, ensuring river system connectivity, and improving and restoring the river habitat environment are the key aspects of river ecological restoration and protection in Beijing in the future.

Feeding Behavior Responses of the Small Copepod, Paracalanus parvus, to Toxic Algae at Different Concentrations.

The feeding relationship between copepods and phytoplankton has immense ecological significance. This study investigated the feeding behavior of copepods by studying the feeding selectivity of Paracalanus parvus, a key small copepod species, using a high-speed camera. The feeding behavior of P. parvus separately fed on three algae, Prorocentrum minimum, Alexandrium minutum, and Thalassiosira weissflogii, was studied at five different concentrations. The factors characterizing feeding behavior, including the beating frequency (BF), beating time (BT), and rejection behavior, were analyzed. The average BT and BF of P. parvus fed on toxic algae were significantly lower than those of copepods fed on nontoxic algae, indicating that the toxic algae negatively affected their feeding behavior. There were no significant differences in feed rejection among the three algae during the short period of experimentation, indicating that the rejection behavior was insignificant in the early period (within 20 min) of feeding on toxic algae. The feeding behavior was inhibited when the concentration reached 250 cells/mL. The BT was initially affected at increasing concentrations followed by the BF, and P. minimum and A. minutum reduced the BF at concentrations of 250 and 1000 cells/mL, respectively. Analysis of the average BFs revealed that P. parvus was more significantly affected by P. minimum containing diarrheal shellfish poison than by A. minutum containing paralytic shellfish poison. The BF of copepods fed on P. minimum was significantly lower than that of copepods fed on A. minutum at 250-500 cells/mL but was not significantly different from that at 1000 cells/mL. This indicated that the inhibitory effect of P. minimum on the feeding behavior was more significant at concentrations observed at the onset of red tide blooms (0.25-0.5 × 102 cells/mL), but insignificant at concentrations reaching those in advanced red tides (>103 cells/mL). This study demonstrates that toxic dinoflagellates alter the feeding behavior of copepods and describes the variations in their feeding response to different algal species and concentrations. The findings provide crucial insights for further studies on the feeding relationship between copepods and phytoplankton and on functional assessment of plankton ecosystems.

Mineral magnetic properties of urban forest soils tailored to soil quality indicator

Ecosystem surveys reveal the benefits to society, provided by the natural environment, which in turn is chiefly regulated by the geodiversity. Thus, physico-chemical processes regulating the solid rock/sediment response to environmental changes comprise an important part in the assessment of natural ecosystems. Environmental magnetism provides a wide set of field and laboratory data able to discover natural and anthropogenic processes affecting different environmental compartments. Despite this, geosciences and environmental magnetism in particular, are under-represented in ecosystem assessment tools due to the lack of unified and clearly articulated application template. In this study, we propose a new mineral magnetic indicator of soil’s quality, based on detailed appraisal of field- and laboratory mineral magnetic characteristics of a collection of 453 urban topsoil samples. Field magnetic susceptibility (Kfield) and laboratory measurements of magnetic parameters revealed that soil magnetism reflects sensitively soils affected by vehicle traffic and park’s alleys foot load from semi-natural soil. Geochemical analyses of the content of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) on a sub-set of samples was used for magnetic data validation. Correlation analysis showed strong positive link between magnetic parameters and the main PTEs, the strongest being obtained between magnetic susceptibility and the complex pollution load index (PLI). Factor analysis suggested that three factors account for the 74% of data variability. They were assigned to: 1) traffic emissions, 2) pedogenic contribution and 3) lithogenic input plus anthropogenic organic waste additions. Novel mineral magnetic Indicator (MAG) was defined, combining information on composition, concentration and grain size of ferrimagnetic iron oxides, using scored contributions from five magnetic parameters and grain size sensitive ratios. Evaluation of the spatial MAG map showed its suitability as a complex indicator of soils’ contamination with PTEs. Kfield reflected sensitively overall anthropogenic load not necessarily related to PTEs contamination but also to foot trampling and application of fertilizers.

A novel method for identification of disturbance from surface coal mining using all available Landsat data in the GEE platform

Coal mining has contributed to a solid and stable global economy. Surface mining and underground mining are the principal methods for extraction of coal worldwide and given the developments in mining technology and equipment, these methods are increasingly generating more and more coal. Surface mining is also a subject that cannot be overlooked in the context of sustainable development because amongst human activities it causes comparatively strong land disturbance. Much of the damage and assessment of land and ecosystems from surface mining occurs at the site, and at the regional scale; hence access to the mining data is limited. Moreover, it is difficult for remote sensing to extract information on larger-scale areas with high precision. As a consequence, a frequency index of open coal mining can be created by merging the vast high-resolution images acquired by Landsat sensors with the spectral properties of open coal scraped from the overburden layer. Such indices and morphological principles can be used to develop strategies for quickly identifying the open coal boundaries in a vast area without mine-related information. In addition, LandTrendr may be used to reconstruct the spatial and temporal processes of surface disturbance and remediation caused by regional surface coal mining to identify surface mining disturbance and reclamation. Seven typical mining locations worldwide were selected to test and confirm the proposed method's practicality and robustness, including delivering accurate findings based on randomly testing sample points and comparing the mature data outputs. The results showed that: (1) the overall accuracy of the open coal areas identified by the OCFI (Open Coal Frequency Index) was over 85 % (range 0.85–0.96). In all study areas, the accuracy of recognizing disturbance and reclamation events was greater than 76 %. (2) The surface mining disturbed 3046.42 km2 of land and 1487.39 km2 was reclaimed in the seven mining areas investigated between 1986 and 2018, resulting in a reclamation rate of 48.82 %. The proposed method is more accurate and faster in identifying open coal locations than the current commonly used land cover datasets based on comparisons with other data products. The approach can extract surface coal mining in the absence of mining data and offer precise boundary data for mining research, which can be extremely useful for extending mining operations.

Developing a Geoportal for Services Providing about Coastal Ecosystems Mapping, Monitoring and Assessment of the North Africa Coastal Zone

Developing a Geoportal for Services Providing about Coastal Ecosystems Mapping, Monitoring and Assessment of the North Africa Coastal Zone

An automated approach for detection and classification of toothed whales in Hawai'i marine protected areas

Passive acoustic monitoring is an effective technique for studying cetacean presence within marine protected areas (MPAs). The Hawaiian archipelago is home to 18 species of resident toothed whales, but little is known regarding the spatio-temporal variability of false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens—FKW) and short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) across Hawai‘i MPAs. Bottom-moored recorders were deployed inside and outside the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument through SanctSound and Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center. High Frequency Acoustic Recording Packages (HARPs) and SoundTraps (200 kHz/48 kHz SR, respectively) deployed between 2018 and 2022, allowed leveraging of long-term datasets. Data used in this study include 27 deployments across 11 sites, encompassing >187 months of data. Here, we describe an automated approach for species classification which is challenging given the high spectral overlap in whistle features and acoustic masking during humpback whale season. PAMGuard detectors were used to detect whistles, clicks, and burst pulses. Features were extracted using PAMpal and species classified using BANTER models and confirmed from a Hawaiian Islands Ecosystem Assessment Survey annotated dataset. Acoustic monitoring provides vital information about the value of MPAs and a better understanding of endangered insular FKW habitat use.

The Quality Control Method in the Laboratory Analysis of Aquatic Ecosystem Health Monitoring and Assessment: Permanent Mounting Slides Tool Development Using Benthic Attached Diatoms

The Quality Control Method in the Laboratory Analysis of Aquatic Ecosystem Health Monitoring and Assessment: Permanent Mounting Slides Tool Development Using Benthic Attached Diatoms

A dataset of carbon and water fluxes in the Changling alkali-saline paddy rice fields in the Songnen Plain, China (2018 –2020)

Compared with other terrestrial natural ecosystems, the land-atmosphere interaction in managed farmland ecosystem is more complex and changeable, due to the effect of crop types, cropping pattern, management practices, etc. As one of the most effective measures against the process of land alkalization and salinization in the Songnen Plain of Northeast China, paddy rice planting after desalination highly representative model for studying climate mitigation, water use and carbon balance. To support this approach effectively, it requires comprehensive field monitoring data. The eddy covariance method, grounded in micrometeorological theory, is widely recognized as the primary and direct approach for measuring CO2 and H2O exchanges in farmland ecosystems. This dataset comprises field measurements of Changling alkali-saline paddy rice during 2018–2020 subjected to rigorous quality control and gap filling in accordance with the ChinaFLUX data processing criteria. The dataset specifically includes half-hourly, daily, monthly and yearly scales of air temperature (Ta), air relative humidity (RH), water vapor pressure (e), saturated water vapor pressure (es), soil temperature (Ts), soil water content (SWC), net radiation (Rn) with four components, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), rainfall (P), wind speed (Ws), wind direction (Wd), sensible heat flux (Hs), latent heat flux (LE), evapotranspiration (ET), net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE), ecosystem respiration (Re), gross ecosystem exchange (GEE), etc. The establishment and sharing of this dataset can offer valuable data support and a solid theoretical foundation for regional farmland ecosystem assessment and management.

Forest Inventory Data Provide Useful Information for Mapping Ecosystem Services Potential

The ecosystem services framework is a convenient approach for identifying and mapping nature’s contributions to people, and an accurate assessment of ecosystem services potential is the first step in the decision support process of well-informed land management planning. The approach we use for forest ecosystem services potential assessment in Latvia is based on the principles of the matrix model and biophysical data of the forest inventory database, and it is comparable to other assessments previously carried out in the Baltic Sea Region. The proposed approach supports spatial planning and may be integrated with assessments of other ecosystems based on the same methodological principles. The evaluation results reflect the high spatial heterogeneity of forest types in Latvia. Future work should include integrating ecosystem services flows and demand into the assessment, developing additional indicators for culturally important ecosystem services, and introducing socio-cultural valuation to account for a broader set of stakeholders and values.

Assessment of urban ecosystem condition and ecosystem services in Shenzhen based on the MAES analysis framework

Rapid urbanization has led to a reduction in the capacity of urban ecosystems to provide essential services. Understanding the interplay between urban ecosystem condition (EC), ecosystem service (ES) capacity and environmental stress is important for achieving sustainable economic and social development. Taking Shenzhen, a representative region of rapid urbanization in China, as an example, this study analyzed the evolution of urban EC and spatial and temporal patterns of key ESs from 2000 to 2020. With reference to the Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) framework and its indicators, the analysis process used the InVEST model and empirical statistical methods. The spatial and temporal geographically weighted regression (GTWR) model was used to determine how the ESs responded to EC. The results demonstrated a tendency of increased environmental stress and degraded EC in the urban ecosystem during the study period. The supply of ESs was on the decline, with runoff retention and microclimate regulation showing significant declines, while noise reduction showed an upward tendency. ESs had an overall “east-high-west-low” spatial pattern. In terms of response relationships, the regulating and cultural services were mainly negatively correlated with PM10 concentration, temperature, and the percentage of construction land and positively correlated with vegetation cover. There was spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the mechanism of EC influence on specific services. The percentage of construction land was the key negative influencing factor, indicating that urban expansion exacerbates the decrease in the supply of ESs. The results of the study also provided evidence that the MAES analysis framework can accurately analyze environmental problems in urban ecosystems and offer a practical solution for urban ecosystem assessments. For the sustainable development of urban ecosystems, it is advised that the ES concept be included as a key decision factor in the development of urban planning policies.

Detecting sediment recovery below an offshore longline mussel farm: A macrobenthic Biological Trait Analysis (BTA)

Expansion of bivalve aquaculture offshore reports lower environmental impacts compared to inshore farms. Taking a Before-After Control-Impact approach, this study presents the first functional diversity analysis and long-term Biological Trait Analysis (BTA) of infauna functional traits following the development of the United Kingdom's first large-scale, offshore longline mussel farm. Located in an area historically impacted by mobile fishing gear, farm sites had the greatest number of taxa and abundance compared to control sites. Functional diversity varied significantly across treatments (farm, near control, far control); while Functional Diversity, Richness, Divergence and Dispersion increased over time within the farm, Functional Evenness and Redundancy decreased. Bioturbation, body size, diet, feeding mode, life span, motility, sediment position, sensitivity and substrate type were chosen for Community-level Weighted Mean analysis, depicting the most frequently affected biological traits by shellfish farming. Farm sites developed a wider range of traits enhancing ecosystem function and habitat recovery after years of seabed damage. Outcomes support the use of functional diversity and BTA analysis to perform ecosystem assessment, supporting decision-makers implement policy and management.

Biodiversity and functional roles of soil organisms: An analysis of millipede populations in Southern Albania

Soil organisms are an important component of the biodiversity of terrestrial biogeocenoses. Their considerable taxonomic and ecological variability determines a significant functional role in soil formation processes, mechanisms of sustainable development and productivity of natural ecosystems. The aim of the study is to develop a practical approach to the ecological assessment of soil organisms populations using the example of Diplopoda in the southern region of Albania. The study was carried out using general scientific methods of cognition: system and cluster analysis, synthesis, specification, abstraction, formalization, deduction, generalization, and the statistical method. The article systematizes and analyses statistical data on the assessment of populations of millipede species found in the study area. It considers the influence of environmental factors on the distribution of representatives of the class Diplopoda. It calculated the frequency of species according to the collection areas, constant values for the species of the three represented orders. Based on the data variety, composition of each zone is carried out with cluster analysis using Average Linkage. The similarity between zones is studied. The dendrogram obtained indicates the proximity of zones according to their diversity composition. Based on the results of the study, a system of tools was proposed as part of the ecological assessment of soil organisms populations, and the main approaches to its implementation were developed. The practical significance of the obtained results lies in the possibility of using them to study the dynamics of soil organism populations, including in the period of global climate change, to develop a dynamic approach to the ecological assessment of soil ecosystems and to implement an appropriate adaptation and regeneration strategy

The Dynamic Impacts of Economic Growth, Financial Globalization, Fossil Fuel, Renewable Energy, and Urbanization on Load Capacity Factor in Mexico

This study explores the interplay among economic growth, financial globalization, urbanization, fossil fuel consumption, and renewable energy usage and their combined impact on the load capacity factor in Mexico. This research employs the load capacity factor as a unique measure of ecological health, facilitating a comprehensive ecosystem assessment by sequentially evaluating biocapacity and ecological effects. Using time series data spanning from 1971 to 2018, this study employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) method to analyze both long-term and short-term dynamics and cointegration. The findings reveal that economic growth, fossil fuel usage, and urbanization reduce Mexico’s load capacity factor, thereby diminishing environmental quality. In contrast, the adoption of renewable energy sources and the influence of financial globalization exhibit positive effects on the load capacity factor over the long and short term. These outcomes remain consistent even when compared with alternative estimation techniques, including dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS), fully modified least squares (FMOLS), and canonical cointegrating regression (CCR). As a priority, Mexican policymakers should accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources, encourage sustainable urban development, and foster a more ecologically conscious economic agenda. Furthermore, promoting greener technologies can enhance the load capacity and mitigate environmental degradation. Ultimately, Mexico can establish an environment conducive to expanding sustainable investments by encouraging cross-border investments, enabling global trade in financial services, and cultivating greater integration of capital and financial markets.

Spatiotemporal response of water quality in fragmented mangroves to anthropogenic activities and recommendations for restoration

Mangroves have received substantial attention for their pivotal role as ecological barriers between land and sea, owing to their capacity to effectively capture considerable quantities of terrestrial pollutants. Mangrove fragmentation has been a widespread global trend. There is limited information on the water quality status of these small scattered mangrove patches in coastal sub-developed areas, coupled with a paucity of efficient and intuitive assessment methodologies. To address this gap, the Water Quality Index (WQI) was introduced to evaluate the spatiotemporal characteristics of mangrove water quality. The major sources of pollution and anthropogenic activities that affect mangrove water quality were identified. The results revealed an average WQI value of 44.1 ± 13.3 for mangrove patches, consistently indicating a "low" water quality classification throughout all seasons. Both the size and natural conditions impact the water quality of mangroves. The large artificial patch (WQI: 56.4 ± 7.61) and the natural patch (WQI: 46.6 ± 13.6) exhibited relatively superior water quality, while the WQI value of a size-equivalent artificial patch compared with the natural patch is 38.6 ± 11.8. Aquaculture was the primary human activity that adversely affected the water quality of mangroves, and the potential sources of pollution were rainfall runoff and river discharge. These findings elucidate the unfavorable water quality characteristics and dominant pollution of fragmented mangroves, and validate the applicability of the WQI method for long-term evaluation of the water quality in mangrove patches. This study provides a basis for decision-making in water quality assessment and management of coastal wetlands and marine ecosystems. Scientific guidance to the management for mangrove protection and restoration was offered, such as regulating aquaculture activities, controlling non-point source pollution, implementing mangrove reforestation by using native species in historical mangrove sites.

Ecohydrological Footprint and Climate Trends in Lotic Ecosystems of Central Western Ghats

An ecohydrological assessment of lotic ecosystems would provide insights into understanding the symbiotic interactions of hydrological and ecological processes for sustainable catchment management to ensure water security and achieve sustainable development goals (SDG). Global monitoring reveals changing climate patterns due to the unabated anthropogenic activities altering the ecohydrological behavior of waterscapes and thus affecting the sustenance of natural resources. The current research investigates the ecohydrological footprint using a modified water balance method by accounting for climatic and land-use trends across three river catchments in the northern portion of the Central Western Ghats. Assessment of landscape dynamics using temporal remote sensing data indicates the reduction in forest cover in Mahadayi, Ghataprabha, and Malaprabha river basins with increased anthropogenic activities. Evaluation of climate trends shows rising temperatures over 0.4 °C in the last century with increasing rainfall. The consequence of enhanced rainfall is increased overland flows to the extent of 35–80% in all river basins. Water availability in streams during all seasons is evident in the catchment dominated by native forest cover, while streams are intermittent and seasonal at the transition zone and plains. Analyses of temperature and rainfall in the last century indicate higher spatial variations directly influencing surface and subsurface hydrology. The reduced native forest cover has directly affected the variations in the local temperatures and precipitation patterns. This highlights the need for maintaining the ecological integrity of watersheds with native vegetation cover for sustaining the natural resources (water, etc.) that support the livelihood of farmers with socio-economic benefits.