Eco-environmental Factors Research Articles

Exploring symbiotic pathways: Unveiling the evolution and key drivers of China's human-environment relationship

Rapid urbanization increased human demand for natural resources, disrupting the balance between human and environment. This disruption led to regional environmental degradation, frequent natural disasters, and severe challenges in achieving sustainable development goals. In this context, fostering human and environment harmony is essential. However, research on quantifying their relationship and exploring the driving factors and mechanisms at a national fine spatial scale remains insufficient. This study endeavours to address this gap by constructing China's eco-environmental quality index (EQI) and human activity intensity (HAI) evaluation index systems with a 1 km resolution. Furthermore, the study utilizes the four-quadrant model and trend analysis to reveal the human-environment relationship, and employs the Bayesian network model to explore key drivers and underlying mechanisms influencing their relationship, aiming to foster harmonious human-environment interaction. Our results show that: (1) Both EQI and HAI increased over time, with their high values concentrated on the southeast side of the Hu Line but low on the northwest side. (2) The proportions of coordination and running-in areas increased while those of degradation and conflict areas declined, with 36.77% of the regions showing positive synergy during 2000–2020, indicating that China's human-environment relationship tended toward coordination. (3) Bayesian network analysis identified land use intensity, GDP, fraction vegetation coverage, and population density as critical factors affecting human-environment relationship. From a quadrant-based analysis, natural and eco-environmental factors including precipitation, water yield, and net primary productivity mainly influenced the spatial distribution of coordination and running-in intensity, while socioeconomic factors like population density and GDP primarily drove the spatial distribution of degradation and conflict intensity. This study finally proposed tailored management recommendations which would provide scientific support to facilitate the coordination and harmony of regional human-environment relationship.

Tracks of typhoon movement (left and right sides) control marine dynamics and eco-environment in the coastal bays after typhoons: A case study in Zhanjiang Bay

Coastal oceans are highly responsive to typhoons, making them one of the most affected regions. However, our understanding of the impact of typhoon intensity and movement path on marine dynamic processes and eco-environmental factors remains limited because there are very few on-site investigations, especially continuous field observations in the bay during typhoon events. This study investigated dual water isotopes through a continuous survey (with a 5-day interval) during ten cruises in Zhanjiang Bay, associated with two typhoons of varying intensities and landing tracks (left and right sides). After typhoons, the water mass mixing intensified and lasted for several weeks, depending on the intensity of typhoons. During the typhoon periods, there was a considerable increase in contributions from freshwater to nutrient loads; however, this contribution was higher from the stronger typhoon than the weaker one. The weaker Typhoon Lionrock, which landed on the left side of the bay, enhanced the ocean front due to onshore winds induced by the typhoon, causing intrusion of high-salinity seawater into the bay and retaining pollutants in the bay. However, when stronger Typhoon Chaba landed on the right side, offshore winds induced by counterclockwise wind stress during the typhoon resulted in more seawater flowing toward the lower and outer bay. This prevented the forming of an ocean front and played a dilution role in pollutants through its hydrodynamic process. This was primarily due to the fact that the landing trajectory of typhoons directly influenced the direction of seawater flow in Zhanjiang Bay, while the intensity of typhoons further amplifies these flow patterns. This study suggests that tracks of typhoon movement, rather than their intensity and terrestrial runoff, play a crucial role in governing marine dynamics and nutrient supplies in coastal bays during typhoon events.

Predicting the Potential Geographical Distribution of Rhodiola L. in China under Climate Change Scenarios

Rhodiola L. has high nutritional and medicinal value. Little is known about the properties of its habitat distribution and the important eco-environmental factors shaping its suitability. Rhodiola coccinea (Royle) Boriss., Rhodiola gelida Schrenk, Rhodiola kirilowii (Regel) Maxim., and Rhodiola quadrifida (Pall.) Fisch. et Mey., which are National Grade II Protected Plants, were selected for this research. Based on high-resolution environmental data for the past, current, and future climate scenarios, we modeled the suitable habitat for four species by MaxEnt, evaluated the importance of environmental factors in shaping their distribution, and identified distribution shifts under climate change scenarios. The results indicate that the growth distribution of R. coccinea, R. kirilowii, and R. quadrifida is most affected by bio10 (mean temperature of warmest quarter), bio3 (isothermality), and bio12 (annual precipitation), whereas that of R. gelida is most affected by bio8 (mean temperature of wettest quarter), bio13 (precipitation of wettest month), and bio16 (precipitation of wettest quarter). Under the current climate scenario, R. coccinea and R. quadrifida are primarily distributed in Tibet, eastern Qinghai, Sichuan, northern Yunnan, and southern Gansu in China, and according to the 2070 climate scenario, the suitable habitats for both species are expected to expand. On the other hand, the suitable habitats for R. gelida and R. kirilowii, which are primarily concentrated in southwestern Xinjiang, Tibet, eastern Qinghai, Sichuan, northern Yunnan, and southern Gansu in China, are projected to decrease under the 2070 climate scenario. Given these results, the four species included in our study urgently need to be subjected to targeted observation management to ensure the renewal of Rhodiola communities. In particular, R. gelida and R. kirilowii should be given more attention. This study provides a useful reference with valuable insights for developing effective management and conservation strategies for these four nationally protected plant species.

Government support, eco-regulation and eco-innovation adoption in SMEs: The mediating role of eco-environmental

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in economic development and sustainability. In Indonesia, SMEs account for a significant portion of the economy but face challenges in adapting to eco-innovation practices. To address this issue, this study examines the role of eco-regulation and government support in promoting eco-innovation adaptation among SMEs in Indonesia. We also explore the moderating effect of eco-environmental factors, including eco-customers, eco-managerial, eco-competition, and eco-process innovation. We collect data from 859 SMEs in Indonesia and use the Structural Equal Modeling-Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) method to analyze the data. We measure eco-regulation and government support as independent variables and eco-environmental factors as moderating variables. We use eco-innovation adaptation as the dependent variable. Our results show that eco-regulation and government support have a positive effect on eco-environmental factors, except for eco-customers. We also find that eco-environmental factors have a positive impact on eco-innovation adaptation. Furthermore, we find that eco-regulation and government support indirectly influence eco-innovation adaptation through the mediation of eco-environmental factors. In conclusion, our study highlights the importance of eco-regulation and government support in promoting eco-innovation adaptation among SMEs in Indonesia. We find that eco-environmental factors mediate the relationship between eco-regulation and government support and eco-innovation adaptation. Our study provides valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking to enhance SMEs' eco-innovation practices and promote sustainable development.

How cereal yield is influenced by eco-environmental factors? ARDL and spectral causality analysis for Turkey

Food crop production and energy consumption scenarios through environmental factors are a critical concern for humanity. To this end, this study focuses on cereal yield in Turkey influenced by climate change, energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and eco-environmental factors. The objective is finding evidence for an influence level of cereal yield through its determiners, which has not been effectively discussed in literature yet. To fill the gap, a time-series autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) analysis and spectral causality relationships are conducted in the short-run, medium-run, and long-run. Data is collected annually by various institutions, from 1960 to 2019. The ARDL findings reveal that there is a cointegration between the variables and a long-run correlation between cereal yield and eco-environmental variables. While, energy consumption positively affects cereal yield, climate change has varying effects, and CO2 emissions negatively affect it. This study shows that environmental and economic factors in Turkey are critical for cereal yield. The Turkish government should encourage agriculture incentives for productive cereal supply. Increasing renewable energy consumption can be a powerful strategy in Turkey not only for increasing cereal yield but also for the negative influences of climate change. Therefore, the used economic model can serve an example for any countries.

Analysis of Ecological Environment Quality and Its Driving Factors in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region of China

This study aims to explore the evolution of the pattern of ecological environment quality and its driving factors in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region, providing a basis for developing regional ecological protection policies. Based on remote sensing image data, the study developed a remote-sensing eco-environmental index (REI) from two dimensions, namely ecological quality and environmental quality, and evaluated the spatiotemporal changes of the eco-environment quality in the BTH region from 2000 to 2020. The main factors affecting the eco-environment quality and the changing trend of the eco-environment quality were subsequently analyzed using the geographic detector model and the GM1.1 model. The results show that the eco-environmental quality of the BTH region shows a fluctuating downward trend and distinct regional differences during the study period. The Yanshan Mountain in the north and the Taihang Mountain in the west have high ecological quality, while the Zhangjiakou area in the northwestern part of Hebei Province and the urban center in the southeastern part of Hebei Province suffer low ecological quality. Natural factors played a dominant role in influencing eco-environmental factors, but the proportion of economic and social factors increased over time. It is predicted that the number of counties in the region with poor eco-environmental factors will increase significantly. Therefore, the comprehensive assessment of regional ecological quality can be effectively achieved based on REI, thus providing a reference for the green and high-quality development of the regional social economy.

Temperate urban wetland plankton community stability driven by environmental variables, biodiversity, and resource use efficiency: A case of Hulanhe Wetland

In this study, we explored the driving factors behind plankton community structure. Due to the rapid development of cities, the occupation and development of wetland resources have increased lately, making the urban wetland ecosystems unstable and degrading the ecological functions gradually. Understanding the driving factors behind plankton community structure has certain theoretical and guiding significance for the protection, sustainable development, and ecological restoration of aquatic biodiversity in urban wetland ecosystems. We set up 12 sampling points in the Hulanhe Wetland, with the continuous monitoring of plankton from April to August and October 2021. The eco-environmental factors, plankton community structure, biodiversity index, resource use efficiency (RUE), and Bray–Curtis community turnover value were analyzed. A total of 209 species of 91 genera, 42 families, 11 classes, 22 orders of phytoplankton, and 90 species of four classes of zooplankton were identified. The community structure was mainly composed of Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, Cyanophyta, Protozoa, and Rotifera. To explore the correlation between phytoplankton and zooplankton, a correlation study was performed. We found a stable feeding preference between phytoplankton and zooplankton. The key influencing factors were identified by ordinary least squares regression, and the main driving factors of plankton community structure were discussed. The results showed that the stability of the Increased biodiversity and resource utilization efficiency have led to more stable plankton communities. This stability pattern is also strongly affected by water temperature, pH and total nitrogen in the external environment. This study will be helpful in the restoration of damaged wetlands, which would be beneficial for the protection of urban wetland ecosystems.

Effects of biological soil crusts on soil labile organic carbon of patchy alpine meadows in the Source Zone of the Yellow River, West China

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) play an important ecological role in the biogeochemical cycles, but there is limited knowledge about their effects on the composition of soil labile organic carbon (LOC) in the soil of patchy alpine meadow. In patchy alpine meadow with different altitudes, the different LOC compartments, vegetation, soil properties and C-hydrolase activity of active patches (with plateau pika), inactive patches (without plateau pika), restored patches, BSCs patches, and healthy alpine meadow were analyzed to assess the effects of BSCs on LOC. The key influence pathway of eco-environmental factors of LOC was determined by the structural equation model (SEM). The results showed that the BSCs at the altitude of 3570 m increased dissolved organic carbon (DOC), easily oxidized organic carbon (EOC) and microbial carbon (MBC) by 293%, 73% and 36%, respectively, compared with active patches in the 0–2 cm layer, which was significantly higher than those of inactive patches and recovered patches. There was no significant difference among DOC, EOC and MBC in different patches at the altitude of 4224 m. The MBC content of active patches decreased, but other patches and healthy alpine meadow showed a Λ- shaped change with altitude. The contents of soil total nitrogen and organic matter of BSCs patches were generally higher than those of active and inactive patches at three different altitudes. Structural equation model results showed that at the altitude of 3570 m, total nitrogen had a strong positive correlation with DOC, with a path coefficient of 0.677. There was a direct negative relationship between soil organic matter and DOC (path coefficient = −0.278) at the altitude of 4013 m. At the altitude of 4224 m, there was no direct correlation among soil nutrient, C-hydrolase activity, and soil LOC. Therefore, BSCs mainly promote the accumulation and recovery of LOC by increasing the soil total nitrogen content in different patches at different altitudes, which are beneficial to the restorations of LOC, total nitrogen and soil organic matter. Hence, they should be considered as key factors in the processes of restoring patchy alpine meadows.

Natural bamboo coil springs with high cyclic-compression durability fabricated via a hydrothermal-molding-fixing method

Lightweight composite coil springs are still limited in their practical applications by costs of raw materials, resin impregnation and eco-environmental factors. Here, we fabricated a natural bamboo coil springs (BCS) via a facile hydrothermal-molding-fixing (HMF) treatment using moso (Phyllostachys edulis) bamboo slivers (BS). The BCS was superior to plant fiber-reinforced composite springs in terms of mechanical properties, dimensional designability and costs. The BCS basically inherited the cell structure and mechanical properties from natural BS, showing massive shrinkages of parenchymal cells and the occasional inter-fiber cells cracks, as well as the partial removal of lignin and hemicellulose after HMF treatment. Moreover, the BCS showed a stiffness retention rate of 86.3% after undergoing 8000 large-deformation compression cycles, demonstrating its high structural stability. The structure-function-compositions relationships of bamboo cells will help the design and manufacturing of curved bamboo furniture and structural bamboo coil springs for cushions application.

Mapping the risk distribution of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in China from 1986 to 2020: a geospatial modelling analysis

ABSTRACT Lyme borreliosis, recognized as one of the most important tick-borne diseases worldwide, has been increasing in incidence and spatial extent. Currently, there are few geographic studies about the distribution of Lyme borreliosis risk across China. Here we established a nationwide database that involved Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (B. burgdorferi) detected in humans, vectors, and animals in China. The eco-environmental factors that shaped the spatial pattern of B. burgdorferi were identified by using a two-stage boosted regression tree model and the model-predicted risks were mapped. During 1986−2020, a total of 2,584 human confirmed cases were reported in 25 provinces. Borrelia burgdorferi was detected from 35 tick species with the highest positive rates in Ixodes granulatus, Hyalomma asiaticum, Ixodes persulcatus, and Haemaphysalis concinna ranging 20.1%−24.0%. Thirteen factors including woodland, NDVI, rainfed cropland, and livestock density were determined as important drivers for the probability of B. burgdorferi occurrence based on the stage 1 model. The stage 2 model identified ten factors including temperature seasonality, NDVI, and grasslands that were the main determinants used to distinguish areas at high or low-medium risk of B. burgdorferi, interpreted as potential occurrence areas within the area projected by the stage 1 model. The projected high-risk areas were not only concentrated in high latitude areas, but also were distributed in middle and low latitude areas. These high-resolution evidence-based risk maps of B. burgdorferi was first created in China and can help as a guide to future surveillance and control and help inform disease burden and infection risk estimates.

Comprehensive simulation of resources and environment carrying capacity for urban agglomeration: A system dynamics approach

Resources and environment carrying capacity (RECC) is an important concept for regional and urban sustainable development. This study constructs a comprehensive RECC indicator and a system dynamics (SD) model to simulate its historical conditions and future scenarios, stressing the nexus between the socio-economic and eco-environmental factors. This methodology is applied to Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration (BTH) for the period of 2000–2030. The results show that, in the business-as-usual scenario, BTH’s RECC will present an “S” curve and increase from 100.26 million in 2000 to 129.65 million in 2030. Although it is greatly improved, the risk of population overload will increase, especially in Beijing, Baoding and Langfang city. Moreover, water resources carrying capacity will be the key constraining factor of RECC for BTH and its most cities. Compared with the economic-oriented and ecological-oriented development mode, to maintain the “business-as-usual” development mode is recommended for the whole BTH. However, the south-central cities should take the ecological-oriented development mode to overcome population overload. This research presents a framework to assess RECC under different scenarios for urban agglomeration. The results might provide an important guidance for sustainable urban planning and coupled human-environment system analysis.

Environmental and Biophysical Effects of the Bowen Ratio over Typical Farmland Ecosystems in the Loess Plateau

The Bowen ratio (β) comprehensively reflects physical characteristics of the land-surface climate. In this study, eddy covariance systems installed at Dingxi and Qingyang were used to conduct energy distribution measurements and observations characteristic of semi-arid and semi-humid farmland ecosystems on the China Loess Plateau. We studied mechanisms by which eco-environmental factors influence β. Additionally, we investigated responses of physiological and ecological factors to water and heat exchange under seasonally dry and wet conditions within each farmland ecosystem. Our results showed that sensible heat flux in the semi-arid farmland was the main consumer of available energy. In the semi-humid area, latent heat flux in summer had the dominant role in energy distribution (mean β 0.71). The β in the semi-arid region was 1.5 times higher than that in the semi-humid region during the growing season. β increased with an increase in the vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and ground–air temperature difference (Ts − Ta), and decreased significantly with an increase in effective precipitation and soil moisture. The change in β with environmental factors was more clear-cut in semi-arid areas than in semi-humid areas. The Priestley–Taylor coefficient (α) and β satisfied a power function law in the growing season. There was a strong correlation between them, with the coefficients of determination for semi-humid and semi-arid areas being 0.62 and 0.72, respectively. β decreased with an increase in the normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI), with this phenomenon being more obvious in the semi-humid zone (R2 = 0.40). β responded more rapidly to NDVI in the semi-arid area than in the semi-humid area. There was a negative exponential relationship between canopy stomatal conductance (Gs) and β, which displayed a stronger declining trend with the increase in Gs in the semi-arid area than in the semi-humid area. This study provides an important reference for the determination of land-surface characteristics of semi-arid and semi-humid farmland ecosystems on the Loess Plateau and for improving parameterization of land-surface processes.

Adaptability evaluation of human settlements in Chengdu based on 3S technology.

This study aims to showcase the adaptability evaluation of human settlements in Chengdu with the use of 3S technology. Chengdu was selected as the research object; natural eco-environmental factors such as terrain fluctuations, temperature and humidity, vegetation type, land use, and vegetation cover were analyzed, together with human disturbance factors such as traffic and gross domestic product (GDP); and the index weights were calculated by analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The evaluation model of Chengdu's residential environment adaptability was constructed based on the analysis carried out by the 3S technology: projection transformation, remote sensing interpretation, information extraction, and analysis. The results of the analysis reflected the zoning and spatial distribution characteristics of Chengdu's residential environment adaptability, and show that (1) the adaptability index of Chengdu's human settlement environment is between 15.98 and 76.75, and the suitability of human settlement environment is seen gradually decreasing from the middle, where it is the highest, when moving to the west and to the east of Chengdu; (2) according to the present situation, the suitability index can be divided into high-grade suitable areas, relatively high-grade suitable areas, moderately suitable areas, and low suitable areas; (3) the correlation between the spatial distribution of Chengdu population and each index factor is as follows: per capita GDP > topographic relief > temperature and humidity > vegetation coverage > traffic network density > land use > hydrological factors; (4) there is a good correlation between Chengdu's human settlements suitability index and the present population density grid layer, and its correlation coefficient is 0.7326; and (5) the leading impact indicators of human settlements are different in different regions. The results show that the natural environmental conditions in Chengdu are superior and that the ecological environmental quality is relatively stable, but the human settlement suitability index is relatively low in the southeast and Longmenshan areas of Chengdu.

Do trends in Bangladeshi rice yields support Conway’s hypotheses about the consequences of modern agroecosystems?

Gordon Conway postulated that in comparison to traditional agroecosystems, crop yields from modern agroecosystems are: (1) higher; (2) less sustainable; and (3) more variable, particularly in the early adoption stages. The existing literature predates more recent developments and does not employ long-term time series data to identify time phases using any econometric tests for structural breaks. This paper fills this gap by investigating the applicability of Conway’s hypotheses to Bangladeshi rice yields over sixty years examining trends, their sustainability, and their variability. We find mixed support for Conway’s hypotheses. Rice yields rose substantially following the Green Revolution. Overall, higher yields have been sustained. However, they have now virtually plateaued, and various factors (including environmental and ecological) have increased the risk of these yields becoming unsustainable. Until recently, absolute variations in Bangladesh’s rice yields were found to be higher than before the Green Revolution. This supports Conway’s third hypothesis. However, the relative variability of Bangladesh’s rice yields has consistently fallen since the Green Revolution. We highlight the trio of general factors determining rice yields and underscored the need for holistic analysis. Non-economists often overlook economic factors while economists often do not pay adequate attention to eco-environmental factors.

Application of Landsat Time-Series Data in Island Ecological Environment Monitoring: A Case Study of Zhoushan Islands, China

Chen, C.; He, X.; Lu, Y., and Chu, Y., 2020. Application of Landsat time-series data in island ecological environment monitoring: A case study of Zhoushan Islands, China. In: Yang, D.F. and Wang, H. (eds.), Recent Advances in Marine Geology and Environmental Oceanography. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 108, pp. 193–199. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.An ecological environment is a complex system fundamental to the sustainable development of societies and economies. Landsat series satellites are widely used for monitoring the changes in Earth's surface morphology. With long time-series data, Landsat can provide new methods and technical support for eco-environmental monitoring. This study developed remote-sensing monitoring methods based on Landsat data to observe the changes in the ecological environment in the Zhoushan region, China. The regional environmental changes in vegetation, water, and other key ecological factors were analyzed using multitemporal remote-sensing data. This study shows the effectiveness of this method for the extraction of key eco-environmental factors such as vegetation and water body area and the evaluation of regional eco-environmental quality. This study also reveals ecological patterns in the Zhoushan region and provides data support for regional eco-environmental assessment and management.

Research and Application on the Key Technology of Ecological Route Selection in the Mountain Area of Northern Guangdong Province

Based on the express way from Huizhou to Qingyuan section in Guangdong province, this study used the “3S” technology to collect the eco-environmental factors in the mountain area of northern Guangdong province. By quantified analysis, various eco-environmental indexes were assigned and standardized. In addition, the analytic hierarchy process was used to set up the weight of respective index factor, as well as to establish the regional ecological evaluation criteria system of the mountain area in northern Guangdong province. It consisted of two primary criteria and ten secondary criteria. As a result, this method was proved to be an available method on route planning for highways in different areas, which was worthy of promotion and utilization.

Correlation of the basic reproduction number (R0) and eco-environmental variables in Colombian municipalities with chikungunya outbreaks during 2014-2016.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) emerged in Colombia in 2014 into a population presumed fully susceptible. This resulted in a quick and intense spread across Colombia, resulting in an epidemic that affected an estimated 450,000 people. The reported Colombian cases accounted for over 49% of all the cases reported to the PAHO. Eco-environmental factors are known to be associated with the spread of arboviruses such as CHIKV, and likely contribute to the differences in transmission profiles that were observed across several municipalities. To determine the association of eco-environmental factors and CHIKV, the basic reproduction number (R0) in 85 municipalities, which accounted for 65.6% of reported CHIKV cases in Colombia, was estimated. Estimates of R0 ranged from 1 to 9, where over 76% of municipalities had R0 values between 1 and 2. When we looked at the distribution of R0, the cumulative proportions were 20% with R0>2, 14% with R0>3, and 9% with R0>4. Next, we determined that there were different patterns of correlation between environmental and/or ecological variables and R0 when we considered different R0 lower-thresholds. Broadly, we found that temperature-related variables are significantly and positively correlated to R0 regardless of the lower threshold, while other variables like duration of outbreak and size of the urban area are inversely related to R0. Specifically, we conclude that high values of temperature-related variables where R0 > 1 will result in a fast growth of cases in a shorter time period (with faster cessation of outbreak transmission) but will result overall in a fewer total cases compared to outbreak areas (R0 > 1, but classified as lower). Thus, in the absence of vector control, a less explosive outbreak may be more advantageous for the virus in terms of transmission.

Study on vulnerability assessment of Xiaoxiang water source in Qujing

Most of the urban water sources in Yunnan Plateau Basin, which are mainly reservoir type, are located in Karst mountainous area, with low eco-environmental capacity, high sensitivity and strong vulnerability. However, the vulnerability assessment of water source area is the basis of scientific protection and ecological restoration measures of urban water source area in plateau basin. Based on the study of vulnerability, started from the point of view of the vulnerability of urban water sources in Yunnan plateau basin, and combined with the concept and connotation of urban water source vulnerability in plateau basin, this paper constructs an evaluation index system that reflects the vulnerability of urban water sources in the plateau basin. In this paper, the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model of urban water source vulnerability in plateau basin is constructed by using the method of fuzzy mathematics, and an example is given to evaluate the vulnerability of Xiaoxiang urban water source in Qujing. The evaluation results show, then combined with the principle of maximum membership degree, it is concluded that the vulnerability comprehensive evaluation vector of Xiaoxiang water source area is (0.125, 0.087, 0.414, 0.359, 0.019), the Xiaoxiang water source area in Qujing is moderately fragile. Among them, hydrometeorological factors and eco-environmental factors are in a state of moderate vulnerability, water pollution factors are in a high vulnerability state, and surface disturbance factors are in a state of non-vulnerability.

Spatio-temporal evolution and influencing factors of inter-provincial green inclusive efficiency in China.

This study used Super-SBM model considering the undesirable outputs to measure inter-provincial green inclusive efficiency in China, analyzed the spatial and temporal changes and the influencing factors by panel Tobit model during 2000 to 2016. The results showed that green inclusive efficiency considering both social and eco-environmental factors was significantly lower than that only considering social factors. Green inclusive factors had significant impacts on the measurements. From 2000 to 2016, the inter-provincial green inclusive efficiency in China showed a trend of U-shaped evolution with obvious staged characteristics. The absolute and relative differences of green inclusive efficiency between provinces were expanding. China's inter-provincial green inclusive efficiency showed an unbalanced spatial pattern. There were three high-efficient agglomeration areas in the whole country: Beijing-Tianjin, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Pearl River Delta. The low-efficient types were scattered in the southwestern, northwestern, northern China, as well as in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. To comprehensively improve green inclusive efficiency, it should take more measures by promoting the optimization and upgrading of industrial structure, upgrading the level of macro-control of local governments, optimizing the import and export structure, fully considering the role of the market, and improving the level of scientific and technological innovation.

Remote sensing monitoring of ecological environment based on Landsat data

An ecological environment is a complex system fundamental to the sustainable development of society and economy. Landsat series satellites are widely used for monitoring the changes in the earth’s surface morphology. With long time series data, Landsat can provide new methods and technical support for eco-environmental monitoring. This study developed remote sensing monitoring methods based on Landsat data to observe the changes in the ecological environment in the Zhoushan region, China. The regional environmental changes in vegetation, water and other key ecological factors were analyzed using multi-temporal remote sensing data. This study shows the effectiveness of this method for the extraction of key eco-environmental factors such as vegetation and water body and the evaluation of regional eco-environmental quality. This study also reveals ecological patterns in Zhoushan region and provides data support for regional eco-environmental assessment.