Cumulative Impact Assessment Research Articles

Greenhouse gas and energy payback times for a wind turbine installed in the Brazilian Northeast

IntroductionGoing a step further than quantifying environmental impacts, establishing the environmental and energy payback times of a wind turbine can significantly impact the planning of a wind farm. This study applies the Life Cycle Assessment methodology to a wind turbine and verifies its environmental and energy payback times.MethodsThe Life Cycle Assessment was developed with the SimaPro software, using the Ecoinvent database and the IPCC 2013 GWP 100y and Cumulative Energy Demand environmental impact assessment methods. The Life Cycle Assessment considered the extraction of raw material, production of parts and pieces, transportation, assembly, use, and decommissioning. Besides the material composition of the wind turbine, meteorological data was also utilized to calculate wind electricity production in Northeast Brazil. The environmental analysis and data on energy production were used to calculate the time required to recoup the energy and emissions due to wind electricity compared to the emissions of the electricity grid.ResultsThe emission factor of wind electricity was 0.0083 kg CO2-eq/kWh, and the emissions associated with consumption of electricity from the Brazilian Electricity mix was 0.227 kg CO2-eq/kWh. Consideration of the energy consumed for the manufacture of the wind turbine yielded an energy payback of 0.494 years, and greenhouse gas accountancy led to a payback of 0.755 years.DiscussionThe results demonstrate that the payback periods are much lower than the lifetime of the wind turbine, highlighting the important role in addressing climate change and energy savings. The combination of Life Cycle Assessment and energy and environmental paybacks can be used to measure sustainability and deploy wind energy projects in locations with the shorter payback times.

A comprehensive threat analysis to support the red list of marine and coastal ecosystems of Colombia

IntroductionHuman activities represent a growing threat to biodiversity, increasing species extinction and leading ecosystems to collapse. The knowledge of the spatial distribution of threats to ecosystems is fundamental to understanding their risk of collapse as defined by the Red List of Ecosystems, an International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) global standard to guide conservation and management actions. Colombia is a megadiverse country; almost half of its territory is marine, and its ecosystems are subject to anthropogenic and climatic threats.MethodologyThis study provides a quantitative map assessment for a set of relevant anthropic and climatic threats and impacts on the marine and coastal areas of Colombia, intending to perform the threat description component of the Red List assessment protocol. A cumulative impact assessment was applied to analyze the threat levels (TLs) and impact levels of 12 anthropogenic and climatic pressures.ResultsThe observed TL patterns meet spatial expectations, revealing that the assessment units in the Caribbean Sea are more threatened than those in the Pacific Ocean, and continental areas are more threatened than the oceanic ones. Habitat transformation and sea warming were the threats with the most impact on coastal and marine ecosystems, respectively. Climatic threats were widely extended throughout the study area, occurring even in the most pristine zones (e.g., Malpelo Island).DiscussionClimate threats are challenging to national conservation strategies since these pressures are not completely manageable at local scales as they depend mainly on global efforts. Recommendations drawn from this work can guide actions for the conservation of the ecosystems of Colombia.

Status of Sustainability Development of Deep-Sea Mining Activities

With technological improvement such as ore exploration, robotics, and hydrodynamic lifting, deep-sea mining has attracted more attention from governments, companies, and scientific research institutions. Although its research and development has made great progress, there are still many obstacles in its industrial development, such as environmental pollution and sustainability development issues. This article analyses the research status of the sustainable development of deep-sea mining from an overall perspective. Through a literature review, this paper also discusses the application of the full life cycle assessment method to analyze environmental impact during the entire process of deep-sea mining ore application. Overall, this paper summarizes the research gaps that exist in the sustainable development of deep-sea mining, including the lack of sufficient quantitative research, environmental baseline data research, cumulative environmental impact assessment, resource recycling technology, and acceptable environmental impact range analysis. The significance of this article is to point out the most urgent problems to be solved in the research direction of the sustainable development of deep-sea mining in current academic circles. It has far-reaching potential to promote the industrialization process of the entire deep-sea mining industry.

Utilising MYTILUS for Active Learning to Compare Cumulative Impacts on the Marine Environment in Different Planning Scenarios

Spatial tools to calculate cumulative impact assessments on the environment (CIA) are important contributors to the implementation of an ecosystem-based approach to maritime spatial planning (MSP). Ecosystem dynamics are increasingly important to understand as the activities and pressures in marine areas increase. Results from the application of a new training set for the CIA tool MYTILUS, developed in capacity-building MSP projects for active learning environments, illustrate important points on how the CIA method can be used in systematic scenario design. The feedback from its use in an online PhD course outlines how the training set successfully enables researchers from different disciplines and different parts of the world to meet the CIA approach with such interest and understanding that it enables them to highlight the strengths as well as the shortcomings of the tool interface, tool capabilities, and CIA method, even when none of these researchers are CIA experts. These promising results are presented in this paper and advocate for the increasing use of MYTILUS and similar CIA tools in MSP stakeholder sessions where no preliminary CIA expertise can be expected. The key strengths and challenges of training CIA with MYTILUS are discussed to point out focus points for how to make its approaches increasingly fit for participatory and decision-making processes in MSP to utilise its promising abilities for supporting ecosystem-based management.

Effects of the Ionic Liquid [BMIM]Cl on the Baltic Microphytobenthic Communities

Ionic liquids (IL) are regarded as the solution to the modern world’s need to create and use compounds that exhibit a range of desirable properties while having a low environmental impact. However, recent reports are shattering the image of ionic liquids as environmentally friendly substances, especially in relation to the aquatic environment, revealing their potentially toxic effects. To assess the potential environmental impact of ILs, we conducted an experiment involving 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM]Cl), a substance considered to be the least hazardous among the imidazolium chloride ILs, on Baltic microphytobenthic communities. Microphytobenthos collected from the environment was tested under controlled laboratory conditions, and both the cell counts and the chloroplast condition were used as endpoints. It was shown that [BMIM]Cl at concentrations of 10−3 and 10−2, considered safe based on a cumulative impact assessment, has a negative effect on the condition of the microalgal cells and causes a reduction in population size. Although, under the influence of [BMIM]Cl, only a small proportion of the species was eliminated from the communities, only two species among those important to the communities showed resistance to this compound and eventually began to dominate the communities.

Cumulative impacts of a gravel road and climate change in an ice-wedge-polygon landscape, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska

Environmental impact assessments for new Arctic infrastructure do not adequately consider the likely long-term cumulative effects of climate change and infrastructure to landforms and vegetation in areas with ice-rich permafrost, due in part to lack of long-term environmental studies that monitor changes after the infrastructure is built. This case study examines long-term (1949–2020) climate- and road-related changes in a network of ice-wedge polygons, Prudhoe Bay Oilfield, Alaska. We studied four trajectories of change along a heavily traveled road and a relatively remote site. During 20 years prior to the oilfield development, the climate and landscapes changed very little. During 50 years after development, climate-related changes included increased numbers of thermokarst ponds, changes to ice-wedge-polygon morphology, snow distribution, thaw depths, dominant vegetation types, and shrub abundance. Road dust strongly affected plant-community structure and composition, particularly small forbs, mosses, and lichens. Flooding increased permafrost degradation, polygon center-trough elevation contrasts, and vegetation productivity. It was not possible to isolate infrastructure impacts from climate impacts, but the combined datasets provide unique insights into the rate and extent of ecological disturbances associated with infrastructure-affected landscapes under decades of climate warming. We conclude with recommendations for future cumulative impact assessments in areas with ice-rich permafrost.

The ‘cumulative impact’ problem in social welfare: some legal, policy and theoretical solutions

ABSTRACT Notwithstanding its central place in social security policy-making and in the experiences of those on the receiving end of welfare reforms, cumulative impact is an under interrogated and theorised problem in social welfare scholarship. This paper seeks to address this in two ways. First, it draws on the lessons of the comparatively well-developed literature on cumulative impact in environmental studies to: (i) identify different dimensions of cumulative impact and (ii) best practices in undertaking cumulative impact assessments. Second, it argues that having regard to cumulative impact is not just good policy-making, but is also a legal obligation. To discharge the ‘Public Sector Equality Duty’ under s.149 Equality Act 2010, a public authority needs to have due regard to clear cumulative impacts between measures. In the context of social security policy-making, a failure to undertake enquiries to establish cumulative impacts between policies is likely to breach the PSED. Drawing on examples from the UK Government’s Welfare Reform Act 2012 and the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016 throughout, the paper makes the case for both the importance of addressing cumulative impact in policymaking, and the need for greater interrogation by social welfare scholarship.

A risk-based method to prioritize cumulative impacts assessment on marine biodiversity and research policy for offshore wind farms in France

This study developed the “ECUME” risk-based approach to identify and prioritize critical impact pathways to be considered in cumulative impact assessment of offshore windfarms, and for future research. The prioritization framework has been tested on two offshore windfarms projects located in the French part of the English Channel off the coast of Normandy, those of Fécamp and Courseulles-sur-Mer. The approach is based on a complete inventory of impact pathways, prioritizing those for which an impact assessment will be carried out. The aim was to avoid a “quantification bias” and elaborate a systemic vision. The novelty of the study is to apply a combination of expert judgement, consensus building, and a scoring system, to prioritize the pairs of pressures and receptors of the marine environment to work on. The scoring system is based on the ecological importance of receptors, the degree of knowledge on the effect of a pressure on a receptor and the sensitivity of each receptor to pressures. Priorities for research were also determined during the same process. Bringing together a large set of specialized marine environnement scientists, the initial challenge was to build a common vocabulary, and a shared understanding of the risk-based prioritization approach. This required significant time and effort but secured foundations for further work. This study confirms the increasingly shared view that adopting a risk-based approach considering adverse effects on receptors is an efficient way to assess cumulative impacts, to focus on critical impact pathways, and manage the scientific complexity and the significant uncertainties.

Cumulative impact assessments of multiple host species loss from plant diseases show disproportionate reductions in associated biodiversity

Abstract Non‐native plant pests and pathogens are increasing exponentially, causing extirpation of foundation species. The impact of large‐scale declines in a single host on associated biodiversity is widely documented. However, the impact of multiple host loss on biodiversity and whether these impacts are multiplicative has not been assessed. Ecological theory suggests that systems with greater functional redundancy (alternative hosts) will be more resilient to the loss of sympatric hosts. We test this theory and show its importance in relation to pest/pathogen impact assessments. We assessed the potential impact on biodiversity of the loss of two widely occurring sympatric European tree species, Fraxinus excelsior and Quercus petraea/robur, both of which are currently threatened by a range of pests and pathogens. At the UK scale, the total number of associated species at risk of extirpation from plant diseases affecting these two sympatric hosts is greater than the sum of the associated species at risk from declines in either host alone. F. excelsior hosts 45 obligate species (species only found on that host) and Q. petraea/robur hosts 326. However, a decline in both these trees would impact 512 associated species, across multiple taxon groups, a 38% increase. Assessments at a local scale, 24 mixed F. excelsior–Q. petraea/robur woodlands revealed that these impacts may be even greater due to a lack of functional redundancy. Only 21% of sites were able to provide functional redundancy for F. excelsior and Q. petraea/robur associated species which can use other tree species. In most woodlands, the tree species required to provide functional redundancy were not present, although the site conditions were often suitable for them to grow. Synthesis. Understanding of functional redundancy should be applied to assessments of pests/pathogens impact on biodiversity. In risk assessments, higher impact scores should be given to pests/pathogens affecting hosts occurring with other host plant species already impacted by pests/pathogens. Current pest/pathogen risk assessment approaches that ignore the cumulative, cascading effects shown in this study may allow an insidious, mostly overlooked, driver of biodiversity loss to continue.

Cumulative Impact Assessment for Marine Spatial Planning: A Case Study of the Gyeonggi Bay in South Korea

Choi, H.-J.; Cho, S.-J.; Hwang, T.; Nam, J., and Hwang C.S., 2021. Cumulative impact assessment for marine spatial planning: A case study of the Gyeonggi Bay in South Korea. In: Lee, J.L.; Suh, K.-S.; Lee, B.; Shin, S., and Lee, J. (eds.), Crisis and Integrated Management for Coastal and Marine Safety. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 114, pp. 360–364. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Cumulative impact assessment (CIA) techniques for marine spatial planning (MSP) exist in Europe and North America. Effective MSP requires a process for evaluating the effects of human activities on marine ecosystems, that is, a CIA. In Korea, MSP has progressively been developed for waters since the enactment of an MSP law (Act on Marine Spatial Planning and Management) in 2019. This study aims to perform the first CIA for Korea, evaluate its limitations, and assess alternatives for an operational MSP. This study involves an extensive review of the literature, followed by an assessment of the cumulative impact of human activities on the marine ecosystem in Gyeonggi Bay, Korea. Information on the marine ecosystems and influencing activities was collected, and the concept of the activity–pressure–ecosystem relationships adopted. The results reveal high cumulative impact scores along the coast, where human activities are concentrated, with fishing activities accounting for the highest proportion (i.e., 60.3% for gillnet, trap, and stow-net fishing) of the total cumulative impact among the marine activities. The cumulative impact is confirmed to vary by activity depending on whether the weight of the marine ecosystem is applied. This study provides an overview for quantifying the cumulative impacts of marine activities within a spatial context. It also highlights the importance of adequately considering the collection and processing of data before CIA. In addition, the activity–pressure–ecosystem linkage concept must consider the conditions of the study area to improve the accuracy and reliability of CIA. Further, the analysis and mapping techniques for CIA require improvement. This study can be used as a guideline for developing and utilizing the CIA tool in countries and regions planning to adopt MSP.

Reindeer husbandry in peril?—How extractive industries exert multiple pressures on an Arctic pastoral ecosystem

Abstract Environmental changes and their consequences on biodiversity are known to have far‐reaching effects on the resilience of animal populations and associated livelihoods around the world. To counteract negative demographic and economic effects on pastoralism, knowledge about the historical and current status of the environment is essential. In this study, we show how extractive industries, especially large‐scale mining, induced a cascade of land conversions which are affecting animal populations and pastoralists’ adaptive responses in northern Sweden. We examine social–ecological vulnerability in Arctic reindeer husbandry by integrating herders’ knowledge, population statistics for semi‐domesticated reindeer Rangifer t. tarandus, public data on socio‐economic variables and geospatial tools. We determine that approximately 34% of Laevas reindeer herding community's grazing grounds are functionally unavailable to reindeer at present due to the accumulation of multiple competing land use pressures. Reindeer numbers currently only remain stable due to increased management efforts. Moreover, we identified current hotspots of high cumulative impact and mineral exploration as the spatially dominating land use factor in this area. Our approach and results provide new insights for scientifically robust cumulative impact assessments of anthropogenic stressors by creating a baseline of current developments via a combination of reindeer herder's knowledge with historical data of trends and extents of human activity over the last century.

Marine spatial plans focusing on biodiversity conservation: The case of the Aegean Sea

AbstractThe expansion and intensification of marine uses have severe cumulative impacts on marine ecosystems and human well‐being, unless they are properly managed with an ecosystem‐based management approach.A systematic conservation planning approach, usingmarxan with zones, was applied to generate alternative marine spatial plans for the Aegean Sea. Relevant human uses were included and their cumulative impact on a wide set of key biodiversity features was considered in the analysis. Different cost scenarios were developed to gain insight on the effects of the approaches used to assess socio‐economic factors, and their potential impact on spatial plans.The spatial plans generated differed greatly depending on the method used to estimate opportunity costs and evaluate human activities in monetary terms.The vulnerability weights (the relative vulnerability of ecological features to specific human activities and their impacts) that were estimated based on a cumulative impact assessment, allowed the assessment of each zone in contributing to the achievement of conservation targets, through a transparent planning approach.Results indicate that special care should be given to how socio‐economic activities, their impact on the ecosystems, and related costs are incorporated into planning.The proposed approach demonstrates how EU member states may effectively comply with the new Biodiversity Strategy 2030 targets, while planning for the sustainable use of their marine resources.

Cumulative impact assessments highlight the benefits of integrating land-based management with marine spatial planning

Cumulative impact assessments can inform ecosystem-based management by mapping human pressures and assessing their intensity on ecosystem components. However, its use to inform local management is scarce, largely due to the need for fine-grained spatial data representing ecosystem threats that can assess impacts at a local scale. Here, we applied the cumulative impact assessment framework to Moorea's coral reef, French Polynesia to inform the ongoing revision of the island-wide marine spatial management plan. We combined high spatial resolution data on 11 local anthropogenic pressures and four ecological components with expert vulnerability assessments. Results revealed that the entire reef is impacted by at least four pressures: coral reef fisheries, agriculture, land use change and urbanization. These activities together contribute to 87% of the overall cumulative impact. Most importantly, land-based activities contribute to more than half (52%) of the overall impact. Other high-impact activities, such as reef-based tourism, remain very localized and contribute little to the overall human impact. These findings show that by focusing solely on reef-based activities, the current management plan misses critical sources of impact. Not considering land-based activities in the management may lead to decisions that could fail to significantly lower cumulative human impact on the reef. This study demonstrates how operationalizing the cumulative human impact framework at a local scale can help managers identify key leverage points likely to yield improved ecological outcomes.

A roadmap towards quantitative cumulative impact assessments: Every step of the way

Currently most Cumulative Impacts Assessments (CIAs) are risk-based approaches that assess the potential impact of human activities and their pressures on the ecosystem thereby compromising the achievement of policy objectives. While some of these CIAs apply actual data (usually spatial distributions) they often have to rely on categorical scores based on expert judgement if they actually assess impact which is often expressed as a relative measure that is difficult to interpret in absolute terms. Here we present a first step-wise approach to conduct a fully quantitative CIA based on the selection and subsequent application of the best information available. This approach systematically disentangles risk into its exposure and effect components that can be quantified using known ecological information, e.g. spatial distribution of pressures or species, pressure-state relationships and population dynamics models with appropriate parametrisation, resulting in well-defined assessment endpoints that are meaningful and can be easily communicated to the recipients of advice. This approach requires that underlying assumptions and methodological considerations are made explicit and translated into a measure of confidence. This transparency helps to identify the possible data-handling or methodological decisions and shows the resulting improvement through its confidence assessment of the applied information and hence the resulting accuracy of the CIA.To illustrate this approach, we applied it in a North Sea CIA focussing on two sectors, i.e. fisheries and offshore windfarms, and how they impact the ecosystem and its components, i.e. seabirds, seabed habitats and marine mammals through various pressures. The results provide a “proof of concept” for this generic approach as well as rigorous definitions of several of the concepts often used as part of risk-based approaches, e.g. exposure, sensitivity, vulnerability, and how these can be estimated using actual data. As such this widens the scope for increasingly more quantitative CIAs using the best information available.

Random forest-based understanding and predicting of the impacts of anthropogenic nutrient inputs on the water quality of a tropical lagoon

Seawater quality degradation is caused by diverse, non-linearly interacting factors, knowledge of which is essential for understanding and predicting water quality trends. Currently, most water-quality research has been based on certain assumptions to employ linear approaches for solving simplified problems, such as numerical simulations or cumulative impact assessments. To improve the accuracy and ease of prediction, the random forest method has been increasingly employed as a good alternative to traditional prediction methods. In the present study, the random forest method was adopted to construct a model of the water quality response of Xincun Lagoon to anthropogenic nutrient inputs based on a limited amount of sample data, aiming to (a) identify the critical sources of nutrient inputs that affect the meeting of water quality objectives so as to minimize the socioeconomic impact on secondary stakeholders; and (b) predict the impact of a reduction of anthropogenic nutrient inputs on water quality improvement. It can be seen from the results that the intensity of stressors generated by different human activities presents an obvious non-linear superposition pattern, and the random forest method is one of the feasible solutions to this phenomenon; in addition, the impact on the lagoon ecosystem is not directly related to the intensity of the pressure source, for example, coastal aquaculture is more important than shallow sea cage aquaculture. Therefore, the method established in this paper can be used to identify the key pressure sources during the restoration of the lagoon environment, so as to achieve the unity of economy and effectiveness.

Evaluation of a popular spatial cumulative impact assessment method for marine systems: A seagrass case study.

Human activities put stress on our oceans and with a growing global population, the impact is increasing. Stressors rarely act in isolation, with the majority of marine areas being impacted by multiple, concurrent stressors. Marine spatial cumulative impact assessments attempt to estimate the collective impact of multiple stressors on marine environments. However, this is difficult given how stressors interact with one another, and the variable response of ecosystems. As a result, assumptions and generalisations are required when attempting to model cumulative impacts. One fundamental assumption of the most commonly applied, semi-quantitative cumulative impact assessment method is that a change in modelled cumulative impact is correlated with a change in ecosystem condition. However, this assumption has rarely been validated with empirical data. We tested this assumption using a case study of seagrass in a large, inverse estuary in South Australia (Spencer Gulf). We compared three different seagrass condition indices, based on survey data collected in the field, to scores from a spatial cumulative impact model for the study area. One condition index showed no relationship with cumulative impact, whilst the other two indices had very small, negative relationships with cumulative impact. These results suggest that one of the most commonly used methods for assessing cumulative impacts on marine systems is not robust enough to accurately reflect the effect of multiple stressors on seagrasses; possibly due to the number and generality of assumptions involved in the approach. Future methods should acknowledge the complex relationships between stressors, and the impact these relationships can have on ecosystems. This outcome highlights the need for greater evaluation of cumulative impact assessment outputs and the need for data-driven approaches. Our results are a caution for marine scientists and resource managers who may rely on spatial cumulative impact assessment outputs for informing policy and decision-making.

Using Aerial Photogrammetry to Assess Stock-Wide Marine Turtle Nesting Distribution, Abundance and Cumulative Exposure to Industrial Activity

The lack of accurate distribution maps and reliable abundance estimates for marine species can limit the ability of managers to design scale-appropriate management measures for a stock or population. Here, we tested the utility of aerial photogrammetry for conducting large-scale surveys of nesting marine turtles at remote locations, with a focus on the flatback turtle (Natator depressus) in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Aerial surveys were conducted between 29 November and 6 December 2016 to overlap with the peak nesting season for flatback turtles and collected imagery was used to examine marine turtle distribution, abundance, and cumulative exposure to industrial activity relative to overlap with protected areas. Two observers independently reviewed aerial georeferenced photographs of 644 beaches and recorded turtle tracks and other evidence of turtle nesting activity. A total of 375 beaches showed signs of nesting activity by either flatback, green (Chelonia mydas) or hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) turtles. Most of these beaches (85.3%) were located on islands, and the rest (14.7%) on the mainland. Half (n = 174) of the active beaches showed evidence of fresh (0–36 h. old) flatback nesting activity, with track abundance varying from 1.0 to 222.0 tracks·night−1. Six rookeries accounted for 62% of the Pilbara flatback stock. Remarkably, 77% of identified flatback rookeries occurred within protected areas. However, one-third (34%) of those were also located within 5 km of a major industrial site, including eight of the highest abundance beaches (50–250 tracks·night−1). Several key rookeries were also identified as being relatively unexposed to industry-related pressures but currently unprotected, highlighting the need for a cumulative impact assessment to be completed for this flatback stock. Finally, our aerial tallies and multiple ground-survey flatback track tallies were highly correlated and together with low intra- and inter-observer errors suggested that reliable data can be collected via aerial photogrammetry for nesting marine turtles. Such large-scale digitized surveys can therefore be used to assess the cumulative exposure of marine turtles to pressures, and to reveal new conservation opportunities.

Cumulative impact assessment of hazardous ionic liquids towards aquatic species using risk assessment methods

In the present research work, a comprehensive tool for cumulative ecotoxicological impact assessment of ionic liquids (ILs) to aquatic life has been constructed. Using the probabilistic tool, impact of individual ILs to a group of aquatic species is assessed by chemical toxicity distributions (CTDs). The impact of group of ILs to individual aquatic species is assessed by species sensitivity distributions (SSDs). Acute toxicity data of imidazolium ILs with chloride (Cl−), bromide (Br−), tetrafluoroborate (BF4−), and hexafluorophosphate (PF6−) anions are used in CTD and SSD. Allowable concentrations for a group of Imidazolium ILs with the same mode of action (SMOA) to five aquatic species; Daphnia magna, Vibrio fischeri, Algae, Zebrafish, and Escherichia coli are estimated by CTDs. It has been concluded that 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIMCl) possess the lowest risk at an acceptable risk value of 750 × 10−5 mmol/L which is 12% less than that of OMIMCl. Furthermore, the sensitivities towards the aquatic species reveal that from the studied ILs, BMIMBF4 with an acceptable risk value of 3200 × 10−5 mmol/L is the most suitable IL towards the selected aquatic species. Hence, current work provides cumulative allowable concentrations and acceptable risk values for ILs which release to aquatic compartment of ecosystem.

Australian advances in vegetation classification and the need for a national, science-based approach

This editorial introduces the Australian Journal of Botany special issue ‘Vegetation science for decision-making’. Vegetation science and classification are crucial to understanding Australian landscapes. From the mulga shrublands of the arid interior to the monsoon rain forests of northern Australia, we have culturally and scientifically built upon the delineation of vegetation into recognisable and repeatable patterns. As remote sensing and database capacities increase, this improved capability to measure vegetation and share data also prompts collaboration and synthesis of complex, specialised datasets. Although the task faces significant challenges, the growing body of literature demonstrates a strong discipline. In Australia, purpose-driven products describe vegetation at broad scales (e.g. the National Vegetation Information System, the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network). At fine scales however (i.e. that of the vegetation community), no uniform framework or agreed protocols exist. Climate and landform dictate vegetation patterns at broad scales, but microtopography, microclimate and biotic processes act as filters at finer scales. This is the scale where climate-change impacts are most likely to be detected and effected; this is the scale at which a deeper understanding of evolutionary ecology will be achieved, and it is the scale at which species need to be protected. A common language and system for understanding Australian communities and impetus for collecting data at this scale is needed. In the face of ongoing climate and development pressures and an increasingly complex set of tools to manage these threats (e.g. offset policies, cumulative impact assessments), a nationally collaborative approach is needed. It is our hope that this special issue will help to achieve this.

Reliability Analysis and Cumulative Impact Assessment of Forest Ecosystem Services: A Case Study of Jilin Province, China

Forests are an important source of ecosystem services, and they are a common link between economic value and environmental protection. Thus, it is of great significance to study forest ecosystem services. In previous studies, scholars have focused on the evaluation results of a single service component, but they did not consider the credibility of the data, which consisted of the cumulative effects of multiple components on forest ecosystem services. The current study examined the forest management plan for Jilin Province and used forest resource inventory data from China. Reliability analysis and cumulative impact assessment were used to overcome the problem of cumulative changes and interactions between services in order to make the evaluation results more objective and reasonable. The results showed that the resulting two values from the evaluation of forest ecosystem services had no obvious cumulative effect, and the evaluation value for overall reliability was 0.774, which confirms that the results have a certain credibility. The results of this study considered the cumulative effect of forest ecosystem services on the value evaluation. The total value of the service was equal to the sum of each service value, which might be primarily related to the data format and sample size used in this study. The innovation of this research lies in the consideration of data reliability and the cumulative influence of the services on the value evaluation process, which makes up for the shortcomings of previous service value evaluation methods. However, the limitation of this study is that multiple reference groups and control groups were not set up to verify that the inconsistency in the evaluation results was indeed due to the data format and sample size. Future research will focus on comparative studies of data types and sample sizes. Furthermore, future research will identify important service mechanisms and discuss the establishment of a forest ecological benefit compensation system to fundamentally solve the problems of power and mechanism associated with forest management, especially with respect to public welfare forests, in order to achieve a positive impact on the development of sustainable forestry in China.