Coastal Strip Research Articles

Predicting the ecosystem service values and constructing ecological security patterns in future changing land use patterns

The land use and land cover change (LUCC) associated with climate change and human activities poses a persistent threat to ecosystems, profoundly impacting ecological security. Simulating spatiotemporal changes in ecosystem service values (ESVs) and ecological security patterns (ESPs) under different future land use scenarios is crucial for formulating sustainable development policies. This study introduces a comprehensive framework for multi-scenario analysis, which combines the system dynamics (SD) model, patch-generated land-use simulation (PLUS) model, and minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model to simulate ESV and ESP changes under future LUCC scenarios using the SSP-RCP scenarios provided by CMIP6. The results show that under the three scenarios (SSP245, SSP585, and SSP126), the ESV for the year 2050 is predicted to be 10.285 billion yuan, 10.248 billion yuan, and 10.327 billion yuan, respectively. Additionally, the area of ecological sources is estimated to be 78.56 km2, 65.90 km2, and 141.38 km2, while the lengths of ecological corridors are predicted to be 428.05 km, 332.45 km, and 527.10 km, and the numbers of ecological nodes are 14, 9, and 15, respectively. Notably, the SSP126 scenario demonstrates a significant improvement in ESP compared to the SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios, indicating effective protection of ecological land. This study provides valuable insights and serves as a crucial reference for future decision-making concerning ecosystem conservation and land resource management at the county and municipal scales.

Construction of eco-security model in the agro-pastoral interconnected zone in northern Shaanxi

Driven by both natural and anthropogenic interference, ecological issues are prevalent in China's environmentally vulnerable areas. The creation of an eco-security model can serve as the empirical basis for environmental rehabilitation. In this study, the agro-pastoral interconnected zone in northern Shaanxi, quintessential ecologically frangible area in the Yellow River basin, is utilized as the research area to analyze the spatio-temporal characteristics of land use and landscape ecological risk from 1990 to 2020, and to construct and optimize the eco-security model based on the identification of ecological corridors, ecological pinchpoints and ecological barriers. The results show (1) Grassland and arable land make up the majority of the landscape matrix, with a rise in the size of woodland and built-up and a considerable decrease in unused land being the preponderating features of land use change. (2) From 1990 to 2020, there is a dynamic shift trend in the landscape ecological risk, initially dropping and then increasing. The territory is primarily in a region of medium–low risk, with a northerly high and a southern low distribution pattern. (3) The eco-security model consists of 9 ecological sources, 13 ecological corridors, 31 ecological pinchpoints, and 35 ecological barriers. The optimized eco-security model shows a distribution pattern of “one center, three belts and four districts”. The outcome of the research can supply a reference for the construction of eco-security model in ecologically fragile areas as well as ecological governance and high-quality development within the region.

Spatio‐temporal trend and mitigation of human–elephant conflict in Xishuangbanna, China

AbstractWith strict enforcement of the legal protection for Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in China, the elephant population has steadily increased from 146 elephants in 1976 to over 300 elephants in 2023. More elephants occur in highly fragmented and human‐dominated landscapes, resulting in serious human–elephant conflicts (HEC). We investigated the temporal and spatial aspects of HEC in Xishuangbanna Prefecture, China, from 2011‒2015 and 2016‒2020. We analyzed the characteristics of crop raiding, property damage, and human injury and death by elephants. Then, we employed a multi‐model ensemble forecasting framework to perform a risk assessment, and compared the changes in HEC hotspots to explore the factors influencing conflict. Our data revealed that 91,311 HEC compensations were recorded from 2011‒2020 with a total compensation amount of 127.01 million yuan (17.40 million USD), 89.75% of which was crop compensation. Areas of risk in 2011‒2015 and 2016‒2020 were 2,505 km2 and 3,157 km2, respectively, with an increase in area of 26.01%. The HEC risk areas were mainly distributed in nature reserves and surrounding areas, and >65% of the risk areas were located in land‐use types dominated by artificial planting. Distance to farmland, distance to sparse wood, and slope had the greatest relative importance in the risk model evaluation. The mitigation measures that we recommend include strengthening the monitoring system for Asian elephants in areas with current and potential HEC risks; improving compensation mechanisms, such as determining accurate annual premiums, establishing a shared loss compensation mechanism, and ensuring a fair, transparent, and timely compensation process; and proposing habitat conservation measures, such as restoring suitable habitats for Asian elephants, establishing ecological corridors between nature reserves, and creating a nature reserve system based on the Asian Elephant National Park to enhance the habitat of Asian elephants.

Potential of a linear woodland landscape element as ecological corridor for carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae): a case study from Poland

Fragmentation of landscapes and habitats has been identified as the main driver of biodiversity loss. Ecological corridors may support the conservation of biota in fragmented landscapes due to enhanced habitat connectivity. We conducted a study in order to assess the potential of a linear woodland landscape element along a railway line as ecological corridor using carabid beetles as indicators. The results showed that for some forest species the studied woodland strip has potential as an ecological corridor. Trophy and soil acidity were most often significantly correlated with parameters and species, but width of the woodland strip and distance from the forest site were of highest importance for the formation of the whole carabid assemblages. The results of our study provide with information regarding rules for the construction of woodland strips as ecological corridors. Management strategies should integrate such areas in concepts of sustainable regional development.

Identification of Key Areas and Early-Warning Points for Ecological Protection and Restoration in the Yellow River Source Area Based on Ecological Security Pattern

The Yellow River Source Area is located in the ecological protection and restoration area of the Sanjiangyuan in China, which has been deteriorating as a result of human-caused overgrazing and the grassland destruction caused by plateau rats and rabbits, as well as the influence of other natural factors. The Yellow River Source Area is an important area that implements ecological restoration and protection in the Three Rivers Source Region, where the ecologically vulnerable areas that are of great significance to the implementation of ecological restoration in national land space should be identified and the early warning should be extended. This measure can help us identify potential ecological problems and take timely and targeted protection measures to ensure the health and sustainable development of the ecosystem in the Yellow River Source Area. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the ecological vulnerability of the Yellow River Source Area and the establishment of an early warning mechanism are of vital importance for the protection and restoration of the ecology of the national space in the Yellow River Source Area. Aiming to comprehensively delimit ecological restoration areas in the Yellow River Source Area and provide an early warning, this study applies the MSPA method to identify ecological source areas and uses a patch importance index to identify the importance of ecological source areas, along with extracting potential ecological corridors by using the MCR model, screening important ecological corridors by using the gravity model as a criterion, and simulating land cover changes in 2030 under the limitations of ecological security pattern by using the PLUS model. The results show that: (1) 154 potential ecological corridors were extracted based on the MCR model, with a total length of 7891.90. (2) The total area of the landscape types in the Yellow River Source Area was 12,301 based on MSPA analysis, including the 6899.57 of core area. (3) Based on the PLUS model, the area of farmland and forest in the study area will decrease, while the grassland area will increase. According to the studies, the grassland in the study area expands in a circular pattern towards the surrounding wetland and water area, threatening the ecological sources and corridors. In summary, the study delimits one protection zone in the ecological source land and two core ecological restoration zones and points out the early warning points in the ecological protection space. The delimitation and instruction provide specific spatial guidance for the protection and restoration of ecosystems in order to promote ecological sustainability.

Using TODIM decision method to control saltwater intrusion by numerical simulation approach (study area: Nowshahr-Nur aquifer)

Over-pumping of aquifers and lack of planning for the water resources, and allocation system in coastal aquifers, in addition to minor problems, disturb the ecological balance. This type of exploitation reduces the groundwater level and the hydraulic gradient in the coastal strip and, due to the higher density of saline water, includes the invasion of saline water and salinization of groundwater resources. Due to population growth, migration, drought, and over-pumping in the southern part of the Caspian Sea, this issue has disturbed the balance of groundwater resources, and most of the coastline has been associated with increasing solute concentrations. Accordingly, in this study, using the SEAWAT code, the intrusion of saltwater in the Nowshahr-Nur aquifer has been simulated, and the results analyzed, which showed that in the current situation, saline water intrusion spreads a wide width of 862 m from the aquifer. To control the current situation of saline water invasion in the coastal strip, seven treatment strategies were simulated and the TODIM decision-making method was used to prioritize. For this purpose, four criteria of economic, social, environmental, and groundwater level improvement were selected for decision-making and weighed by hierarchical analysis. The weighting results showed that the criterion for improving the groundwater level with a weight of 0.311 is the most important. Based on the weighting of the criteria, the strategies were prioritized and the results showed that a 20% reduction in aquifer abstraction by combining the construction of an underground barrier was selected as a solution to control the invasion of short water. The results of this solution showed that 317 m of saline water backflow will arise in the Nowshahr-Nur aquifer.

Population genetic diversity in Nezara viridula by analysis of mitochondrial control region sequences

Abstract Here, we examine genetic diversity and dispersal patterns in populations of the agricultural pest Nezara viridula from Argentina using mitochondrial control region sequences. The DNA sequence comparisons of 1837 base pairs of the control region revealed 60 haplotypes determined by a total of 108 variable sites. The observed total haplotype diversity (Hd) value was 0.99, and the nucleotide diversity was 0.00423 and 0.00571 according to π and θW, respectively. The high haplotype diversity and low nucleotide diversity, as well as both neutrality tests and unimodal mismatch distributions, suggested a recent expansion in the populations of N. viridula from Argentina. The expansion of the populations of this insect is probably due to the recent agricultural expansion and intensification of soybean cultivation in this country. No significant levels of genetic differentiation were detected, suggesting that gene flow predominates over genetic drift. In addition, the Bayesian individual assignment analysis revealed that all populations share ancestry. It is probable that the growth in the area cultivated with soybean has generated stable and continuous habitats that allow gene flow among populations of N. viridula. The results of demographic history analysis suggest that the direction of migration of N. viridula would be associated with the growth pattern of soybean crops in Argentina.

Genetic diversity and gene flow of the soil arthropod (Scolopendra mutilans) in urban landscapes: The roles of rivers, mountains and fragmentation

Abstract Soil invertebrates are a major element of soil biodiversity, which play critical roles in soil ecosystems. However, the impacts of urban landscapes on the genetic diversity and gene flows of soil arthropods remain unclear. Here, we studied the genetic diversity and gene flow of Scolopendra mutilans in an urban area using mitochondrial Cytb genes and eight novel microsatellite loci. A total of 22 haplotypes and 24 variation sites were identified based on 556 bp Cytb sequences from 84 individuals of five populations in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China. There were 5.63–8.00 alleles in the average of eight microsatellites found in the S. mutilans arthropod populations, which showed high genetic diversity in urban landscapes. There was no correlation between the natural habitat size and genetic diversity of S. mutilans. The global Fst value based on microsatellites was 0.115, which suggested a medium genetic differentiation and population isolation. The genetic structure of S. mutilans might be affected by urbanisation, as urban patches might hinder gene flow between populations. Ecological corridors preserved in cities might serve as pathways for population migration, which increases gene flow. The gene flows of S. mutilans might not be hindered by natural barriers within cities, as there were strong relationships between populations separated by rivers. These results may contribute to the conservation of S. mutilans diversity and elucidate its adaptation to urbanisation.

Construction of an Ecological Security Pattern in Yangtze River Delta Based on Circuit Theory

Ecological corridors can improve the connectivity between different habitat regions, ultimately halting the loss of biodiversity and habitat fragmentation. Building ecological corridors is a crucial step in protecting biodiversity. Ecological corridors had previously been built primarily on nature reserves, ignoring ecosystem services. In this study, a novel approach to building ecological corridors is put forth that takes into account a variety of ecosystem services, morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), and connectivity methodologies to identify significant ecological sources. Ecological corridors and significant strategic nodes are created based on the minimum cumulative resistance model (MCR) and circuit theory in order to construct the Yangtze River Delta’s ecological security pattern. The research found that: (1) the identified ecological sources are 90,821.84 km2, and the total length of ecological corridors is 4704.03 km. (2) In total, 141 ecological restoration areas are identified, with a total area of 2302.77 km2; 151 ecological protection areas are identified, with a total area of 5303.43 km2. This study can provide valuable insights into the establishment of ecological patterns and the construction of priority restoration and protection areas in the ecological restoration of the Yangtze River Delta.

OPTIMIZED ECOLOGICAL NETWORK APPROACH OF HIGHLY URBANIZED CITIES: THE CASE OF ADANA CITY

Abstract. One of the most significant challenges in urban areas, where the process of rapid urban expansion takes place, is the loss of agricultural lands and natural habitats. The conversion of these areas into residential and commercial zones leads to a decline in urban biodiversity and the progressive loss of vital habitat areas. Analyzing habitat connectivity and conducting landscape measurements provide valuable insights for the development of land use and management strategies, enhancing our understanding of the spatial structure of the landscape, and directing conservation efforts. Incorporating measures such as green corridors and landscape connection networks into urban planning management becomes crucial in order to mitigate the adverse effects of habitat fragmentation and enhance ecosystem resilience within cities. Remote sensing techniques offer opportunities to create habitat connectivity models that enable the quantitative and qualitative identification of fragmented habitat patches. These models serve as tools to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation measures and monitor the potential impacts of future land use changes on habitat networks. Within this context, an optimized approach to habitat connectivity is presented, aiming to contribute to landscape planning and ecological-based studies in a city with undergoing rapid urbanization like Adana. By identifying degraded areas and introducing new habitat patches, a significant improvement in the connectivity of the habitat network has been observed. The findings indicated that the addition of new habitat patches to degraded areas can substantially enhance the city's overall habitat connectivity.

Assessing micro-macroparasite selective pressures and anthropogenic disturbance as drivers of immune gene diversity in a Neotropical wild cat

Anthropogenic environmental change is reducing available habitat for wild species, providing novel selection pressures such as infectious diseases and causing species to interact in new ways. The potential for emerging infectious diseases and zoonoses at the interface between humans, domestic animals, and wild species is a key global concern. In vertebrates, diversity at the major histocompatibility complex MHC is critical to disease resilience, and its study in wild populations provides insights into eco-evolutionary dynamics that human activities alter. In natural populations, variation at MHC loci is partly maintained by balancing selection, driven by pathogenic selective pressures. We hypothesize that MHC genetic diversity differs between guigna populations inhabiting human-dominated landscapes (higher pathogen pressures) versus more natural habitats (lower pathogen pressures). We predict that MHC diversity in guignas would be highest in human-dominated landscapes compared with continuous forest habitats. We also expected to find higher MHC diversity in guignas infected with micro and macro parasites (higher parasite load) versus non infected guignas. We characterized for the first time the genetic diversity at three MHC class I and II exons in 128 wild guignas (Leopardus guigna) across their distribution range in Chile (32–46° S) and Argentina, representing landscapes with varying levels of human disturbance. We integrated MHC sequence diversity with multiple measures of anthropogenic disturbance and both micro and macro parasite infection data. We also assessed signatures of positive selection acting on MHC genes. We found significantly higher MHC class I diversity in guignas inhabiting landscapes where houses were present, and with lower percentage of vegetation cover, and also in animals with more severe cardiorespiratory helminth infection (richness and intensity) and micro-macroparasite co-infection. This comprehensive, landscape-level assessment further enhances our knowledge on the evolutionary dynamics and adaptive potential of vertebrates in the face of emerging infectious disease threats and increasing anthropogenic impacts.

Identifying Migration Routes of Wild Asian Elephants in China Based on Ecological Networks Constructed by Circuit Theory Model.

Humans overlap with Asian elephants, resulting in frequent costly human-elephant conflicts, which disturb and even threaten local residents. In this study, we treat provincial and national nature reserves where Asian elephants still exist and other alternative habitats suitable for Asian elephants in southern Yunnan, China, as ecological patches. By using this approach, we can treat the terrain and surface state factors that hinder the migration of Asian elephants as a form of ecological resistance surface. We can then use a circuit theory model and remote sensing data to construct an ecological network, which allows us to identify ecological corridors and ecological pinch points. Herein, the possible migration routes of wild Asian elephants were identified. The main results are as follows: (1) In the study area, dense forests with steep slopes and high altitudes, cultivated land, and building land have greater migration resistance, while the gently undulating shrubs, bamboo forests, and grasslands far away from the city have less migration resistance. (2) There are three ecological corridor groups in the study area, mainly composed of shrub and grassland. The ecological corridors identified in this paper are the most likely migration routes of wild Asian elephants in China, and areas with higher simulated current densities reflect a higher probability of Asian elephants passing through. (3) According to the analysis, the ecological pinch points in the study area are 602 km2 in total, and woodland and grassland account for 89.2% of the total ecological pinch area. The areas where the pinch points are located have a high probability of Asian elephants passing through and a narrow space. Our findings can provide suggestions and solutions for the current conservation of wild Asian elephant species, alleviate human-elephant conflicts, promote the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, and provide reference for biological protection and biological reserve planning.

Exploring the Spatial Relationship between the Ecological Topological Network and Carbon Sequestration Capacity of Coastal Urban Ecosystems: A Case Study of Yancheng City, China

Improving the carbon sequestration capacity (CSC) of an ecosystem by optimizing urban ecological networks is one of the effective ways to achieve the goal of “carbon neutrality” in the world. The contradiction between the irreplaceable ecological function and economic development of Yancheng City is prominent. Therefore, taking Yancheng City as an example, this paper adopted the morphological spatial pattern analysis–minimum cumulative resistance (MSPA-MCR) model to establish the ecological network of Yancheng City in 2020 and combined it with complex network theory to evaluate its ecological base, network quality, and CSC. The results show that the ecological network of Yancheng City has obvious characteristics of coastal cities. There is a significant positive correlation between CSC and the clustering efficiency of ecological sources, and improving the clustering efficiency of vegetation and water ecological nodes is conducive to enhancing the CSC of ecological networks. In terms of functional restoration of ecological networks, four types of 13 ecological stepping stones and 12 ecological corridors have been designed to strengthen the connectivity and balance of the network, and the improvement of network robustness before and after optimization verifies that the optimization scheme is reasonable and effective. This study improved the optimization method of ecological networks in Yancheng City based on enhancing the CSC of ecological nodes, which provided a theoretical framework and practical reference for the realization of global strategic goals of carbon neutrality.

Construction of ecological security pattern in coastal urban areas: A case study in Qingdao, China

The accelerated urbanization process has led to the deterioration of the originally fragile coastal ecosystem, whose slight changes in ecological environment may destroy the original coastal urban ecosystem. The construction of the ecological security pattern can effectively balance the development of coastal urban areas and the protection of ecological environment. This study proposes a new framework for constructing ESP in coastal urban areas: surfaces (ecological sources) - lines (ecological networks) - points (pinch points, barrier points). The ecological sources were identified by morphospatial pattern analysis and landscape connectivity. Then, the ecological network and ESP were constructed by the circuit theory. Take Qingdao, a typical coastal urban area with a very fragile ecological environment, as the subject of the study. The results indicate that: (1) the landscape connectivity of ecological source sites identified in 2017 and 2021 has decreased significantly; (2) the total length of extracted ecological corridors has decreased dramatically; (3) the ESP of Qingdao was constructed from the perspective of surfaces - lines - points. The results of this paper can provide scientific planning guidance for the conservation and protection of ecological security in Qingdao. The research framework proposed in this paper provides some reference for the conservation of the ecological environment in coastal urban areas.

Demographic collapse threatens the long-term persistence of Andean condors in the northern Andes

Determining the conservation status of long-lived and highly mobile species is particularly challenging due to their long generational time and the spatio-temporal scale at which they interact with their landscape. Vultures are not only extremely vagile and long-lived but are also some of the most threatened species globally. However, the genetic status and connectivity patterns of most vulture species of the southern hemisphere remain poorly understood. Herein, we studied the patterns of neutral genetic variability in both the captive and remnant wild populations of Andean condors (Vultur gryphus) from the equatorial Andes and assessed their movement dynamic to infer current connectivity, as well as identify conservation corridors in one of the most critical areas for the conservation of the species. We found that the demographic collapse of condors in the region has severely affected their effective population size, which might lead to an extinction vortex in the near future. However, our results indicated that the captive population still harbors substantial genetic variation that could be harnessed to strengthen wild populations. Although our landscape resistance models revealed that the northern Andean corridor provides a continuum of suitable habitat for condors, our connectivity assessment identified important spatial disruptions, likely driven by anthropogenic processes. We discuss the implications of our findings to the conservation plan of Andean condors, while highlighting the importance of integrating multiple data sources to identify extinction risks in other species exhibiting high dispersal capabilities and long generational times.

The Diversity of Small Mammals along a Large River Valley Revealed from Pellets of Tawny Owl Strix aluco.

The Vistula River is one of the largest European semi-natural rivers of high ecological value that functions as an ecological corridor. To assess the structure of small mammal communities along the Vistula River, an analysis of the diet of an opportunistic predator, the tawny owl Strix aluco, was used. A total of 6355 individuals of 19 species were found, including 5 soricomorph species, 12 rodents, 1 carnivore, and 1 bat species. Tawny owls most frequently caught Apodemus agrarius, Clethrionomys glareolus, Apodemus flavicollis, and Microtus arvalis. Rodents dominated small mammal communities (90%), followed by soricomorphs (8%), and the share of Chiroptera was significant (2%). Using Ward's method in cluster analysis, three clusters of sites with similar mammal communities were identified. The cluster that included 17 study sites with the dominance of agriculture habitats was inhabited by diverse mammal communities with a high number of species. In the cluster composed of three suburban forest sites, mammal communities had the lowest diversity, although the high species richness and the highest shares of the forest species (A. flavicollis, C. glareolus, and Nyctalus noctula). Mammal communities in the cluster were composed of three urban sites were dominated by A. agrarius and M. arvalis. The study indicates the high species richness of small mammals in floodplains of the Vistula River and the adjacent areas in central Poland. The floodplain offers suitable habitats for species associated with forests, water bodies, agricultural land, and developed areas. The data collected confirms earlier model predictions about the presence of well-connected local populations of forest mammals along the Vistula River.

A methodological framework to create an urban greenway network promoting avian connectivity: A case study of Curitiba City

Integrating landscape models into urban planning can promote the use of green infrastructure tools in cities, which are essential for meeting future sustainability requirements. The city of Curitiba, the capital of Paraná State, Brazil, provides an opportunity to research methodologies related to habitat connectivity in urban areas. Our study aims to propose a network of greenways that connect the most ecologically relevant green areas. Our methodology integrates avian movement and environmental indicators to enhance urban ecology by leveraging the spatial characteristics of the landscape. In designing the path network, we adapted the parameters to fit the minimum cumulative resistance model, which was based on studies of birds in the urban environment and their dispersion behavior. Our findings indicated that impervious surfaces were the predominant land cover class in the city landscape, while larger forest fragments were primarily situated in the south and northwestern regions. By utilizing least-cost paths, we identified twenty-six priority areas that could be connected to form an ecological network spanning the landscape. Our analysis revealed that the path network was more densely distributed in peripheral areas, where the largest habitats were located, primarily within the city's green belt. Regarding land cover classes along the paths, we found that 39% consisted of forest, 25% of impervious surface, 19% of grass, 16% of bare soil, and 1% of water. Despite being highly urbanized, Curitiba possesses significant potential for restoring avian-related functional connectivity through the urban forest. To aid in the recovery and conservation of ecological corridors along the greenways, we developed a set of guidelines. The information gathered from this study may prove useful for future interventions in the city, and the proposed methodology could serve as a model for greenway planning in other urban areas.

Ecological restoration process of watershed land space with intelligent IoT technology

Abstract Watershed ecological protection and restoration is the key link to restore the ecological service function of damaged watersheds and promote the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. In practice, it is difficult to balance the interests of different parties in the process of watershed ecological protection and restoration in terms of water resource utilization, water environment protection, and biodiversity conservation, which makes it difficult to achieve the watershed ecological protection goals. Therefore, this study takes the Jianghuai watershed area as the research object and explores the core points of the ecological restoration of land space in the relevant experimental area in the form of algorithmic optimization frequency. The experimental data of the algorithm model show that the land types in the Jianghuai watershed are mainly woodlands and watersheds, with relatively uneven spatial distribution; a total of 85 ecological corridors were identified that showed a pattern of more in the middle and less around; and a total of 267 radiation channels were identified that showed irregular tree distribution. The empirical results show that the model has a fitting accuracy of 89%.

Extreme rainstorms change organic matter compositions and regulate greenhouse gas production in mangrove sediments

Extreme rainstorms can flush intertidal sediments and drive the transport of large amounts of organic matter from land to sea. Mangrove wetlands, one of the most important “blue carbon” habitats, are located in the intertidal zone and serve as an ecological corridor connecting land and sea. In this study, we investigated the effects of extreme rainstorms on organic carbon compositions, source-sink processes based on the MixSIAR model, and the production of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), using mangrove sediments. The results showed that in the intertidal zone, the total contents of sediment organic carbon, mineral-bound, and fine-particle organic carbon, humic acid, and humin were improved by the influence of an extreme rainstorm. The contents of coarse sediment organic carbon (SOCcoarse) and fulvic acid were decreased and were exported from intertidal zone to the sea. In tidal creek zones, extreme rainstorms enhanced the mean production rates of CH4 and CO2 by 817.4% and 34.3%, respectively, owing to the increased terrestrial organic matter, including SOCcoarse and humic acid. The N2O production rate was decreased by 72.2% in the creek zone because of the loss of total nitrogen after an extreme rainstorm. These findings provide new insights into SOC components, mechanisms of greenhouse gas production, and their response to extreme rainstorms, which will be helpful for the management of coastal wetlands and our understanding of how frequent extreme weather controls wetland biogeochemical processes.

"A Decision Support System for Modelling Wildlife Corridors in India"

"A Decision Support System for Modelling Wildlife Corridors in India"