Ecological Barriers Research Articles

The global speciation continuum of the cyanobacterium Microcoleus

Speciation is a continuous process driven by genetic, geographic, and ecological barriers to gene flow. It is widely investigated in multicellular eukaryotes, yet we are only beginning to comprehend the relative importance of mechanisms driving the emergence of barriers to gene flow in microbial populations. Here, we explored the diversification of the nearly ubiquitous soil cyanobacterium Microcoleus. Our dataset consisted of 291 genomes, of which 202 strains and eight herbarium specimens were sequenced for this study. We found that Microcoleus represents a global speciation continuum of at least 12 lineages, which radiated during Eocene/Oligocene aridification and exhibit varying degrees of divergence and gene flow. The lineage divergence has been driven by selection, geographical distance, and the environment. Evidence of genetic divergence and selection was widespread across the genome, but we identified regions of exceptional differentiation containing candidate genes associated with stress response and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites.

Ecological management zoning based on static and dynamic matching characteristics of ecosystem services supply and demand in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area

Clarifying the current status and variation trends of ecosystem services (ESs) supply and demand (ESSD) matching is helpful in providing comprehensive information for ecological management decisions. Most existing studies focus on the static matching between ESSD, ignoring changes in ESSD matching and whether such changes are sustainable for people's demand or not. This study firstly attempts to develop a zoning method based on static and dynamic matching of ESSD. Taking the county/district as the primary research unit, we quantified the supply and demand of six typical ESs in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) from 2000 to 2020, which included grain production (GP), vegetable production (VP), fruit production (FP), water yield (WY), carbon sequestration (CS) and water purification (WP). Further, we identified ESSD's static and dynamic matching characteristics, and formulated four matching types (ESs surplus-sustainable type (S–S), ESs surplus-unsustainable type (S-US), ESs deficit-sustainable type (D-S), and ESs deficit-unsustainable type (D-US)) as ecological management zones. The results showed that ESSD in the GBA are extremely mismatched, with an overall surplus in surrounding ecological barrier areas and a serious deficit in central core areas. For GP, VP, FP and CS, the mismatch is gradually intensified, while for WP and WY, the mismatch is gradually alleviated. The S–S type was largely reflected in GP, VP, FP and WP, the S-US type was concentrated in WY, and they all mainly distributed in the surrounding areas. Meanwhile, the D-S type was mostly reflected in CS and WP, and the D-US type was mainly occurred in the central areas. This study proposed a zoning approach based on static and dynamic matching of ESSD, which can provide more reasonable guidance for regional ecological management.

Considerable genetic diversity and structure despite narrow endemism and limited ecological specialization in the Hayden's ringlet, Coenonympha haydenii.

Understanding the processes that underlie the development of population genetic structure is central to the study of evolution. Patterns of genetic structure, in turn, can reveal signatures of isolation by distance (IBD), barriers to gene flow, or even the genesis of speciation. However, it is unclear how severe range restriction might impact the processes that dominate the development of genetic structure. In narrow endemic species, is population structure likely to be adaptive in nature, or rather the result of genetic drift? In this study, we investigated patterns of genetic diversity and structure in the narrow endemic Hayden's ringlet butterfly. Specifically, we asked to what degree genetic structure in the Hayden's ringlet can be explained by IBD, isolation by resistance (IBR) (in the form of geographic or ecological barriers to migration between populations), and isolation by environment (in the form of differences in host plant availability and preference). We employed a genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approach coupled with host preference assays, Bayesian modelling, and population genomic analyses to answer these questions. Our results suggest that despite their restricted range, levels of genetic diversity in the Hayden's ringlet are comparable to those seen in more widespread butterfly species. Hayden's ringlets showed a strong preference for feeding on grasses relative to sedges, but neither larval preference nor potential host availability at sampling sites correlated with genetic structure. We conclude that geography, in the form of IBR and simple IBD, was the major driver of contemporary patterns of differentiation in this narrow endemic species.

Environmental factors influencing red knot (Calidris canutus islandica) departure times of relocation flights within the non-breeding period.

Deciding when to depart on long-distance, sometimes global, movements can be especially important for flying species. Adverse weather conditions can affect energetic flight costs and navigational ability. While departure timings and conditions have been well-studied for migratory flights to and from the breeding range, few studies have focussed on flights within the non-breeding season. Yet in some cases, overwintering ranges can be large enough that ecological barriers, and a lack of resting sites en route, may resist movement, especially in unfavorable environmental conditions. Understanding the conditions that will enable or prohibit flights within an overwintering range is particularly relevant in light of climate change, whereby increases in extreme weather events may reduce the connectivity of sites. We tracked 495 (n = 251 in 2019; n = 244 in 2020) overwintering red knots (Calidris canutus islandica) in the Dutch Wadden Sea and investigated how many departed towards the UK (on westward relocation flights), which requires flying over the North Sea. For those that departed, we used a resource selection model to determine the effect of environmental conditions on the timing of relocation flights. Specifically, we investigated the effects of wind, rain, atmospheric pressure, cloud cover, and migratory timing relative to sunset and tidal cycle, which have all been shown to be crucial to migratory departure conditions. Approximately 37% (2019) and 36% (2020) of tagged red knots departed on westward relocation flights, indicating differences between individuals' space use within the overwintering range. Red knots selected for departures between 1 and 2.5 h after sunset, approximately 4 h before high tide, with tailwinds and little cloud cover. However, rainfall and changes in atmospheric pressure appear unimportant. Our study reveals environmental conditions that are important for relocation flights across an ecological barrier, indicating potential consequences of climate change on connectivity.

Monitoring long‐term vegetation dynamics over the Yangtze River Basin, China, using multi‐temporal remote sensing data

AbstractVegetation plays a crucial role in nature, with intricate interactions between it and the geographical environment. The Yangtze River Basin (YRB) refers to the third largest river basin globally and an essential ecological security barrier in China. Monitoring vegetation dynamics in the basin is of profound significance for addressing climate change, soil erosion, and biodiversity loss in the basin's ecosystems. Here, we investigate the spatiotemporal variations of vegetation at both the basin and land cover scales in the YRB from 2000 to 2020. We elucidate the determinants driving the changes and explore future normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) trends. The results indicate that NDVI in the YRB increased at a rate of 0.0032 year−1 (p < 0.01) over the past 21 years, and it is anticipated to maintain an upward trend in the future. Regions in the upper and middle reaches of the YRB demonstrated higher NDVI, whereas regions in the headwater area and the lower reaches showed lower NDVI. Significant vegetation improvement was primarily concentrated in the central part of the basin, while noticeable vegetation degradation was observed in the eastern region. Temperature and wind speed were identified as the primary controlling factors affecting vegetation greenness. Global‐scale climate oscillations played a significant role in driving periodic variations in NDVI, with La Niña events tending to increase NDVI, while El Niño events hindered its rise. Land cover types were influenced by long‐term interactions between natural factors and human activities, although short‐term vegetation variations might be more affected by the latter. Our findings provide valuable insights into the mechanisms behind vegetation variability driven by multiple variables, and the strong vegetation carbon sink capacity advances the conservation and development of ecosystems.

Alpine blooming of “snow fleas”: the importance of snow for Alpine springtails (Hexapoda: Collembola) ecology and biodiversity

Springtails can occur in large populations on the snow surface. This peculiar habitat hosts specialized winter-active springtails living in colonies and using this seasonal habitat for feeding, effective dispersal and migration. Snow-active species have never been studied in Southern European Alps: the aim of this work is to study snow-active springtails of Adamello-Brenta Nature Park (“PNAB”; Italy), a peripheral mountain range of relevant biogeographic interest using integrative taxonomy. Springtail “bloomings” were sampled for 17 months by an environmental assistant of the park. Nine assemblages of springtails were found when temperatures were higher than 0 °C; eight were monospecific, with a total of five species found. The snow-active springtail fauna found includes both common Central-Northern European nival species like Desoria hiemalis (first record for Italy, although genetically differentiated from Northern Alps populations), Ceratophysella sigillata (known in Italy mainly from caves) and three species likely new to science (Hypogastrura cf. kelmendica sp1, Hypogastrura cf. kelmendica sp2, H. cf. peloponnesica, all belonging to the Hypogastrura socialisgroup). Snow is an important ephemeral habitat for springtails, for the biodiversity hosted and for its importance as an ecological corridor. We could hypothesize that snow, especially in peripheral mountain chains, acts as a fragmentary ephemeral habitat for those cold-adapted springtails. This could constitute a relevant aspect to take into consideration for conservation biology, especially in the context of the ongoing climate change. On the other hand, the Alpine chain probably acts as an ecological barrier for nival species, since isolated species and populations were found in PNAB.Graphical

The systematics of the amphidromous shrimp Macrobrachium tenellum (Smith, 1871) (Decapoda: Caridea: Palaemonidae) from the Mexican Pacific slope

Abstract We had previously revised the systematics of four species of MacrobrachiumSpence Bate, 1868 from the Pacific coast of Mexico, including the Baja California Peninsula (BCP): M. americanumSpence Bate, 1868, M. digueti (Bouvier, 1895), M. hobbsi Nates & Villalobos in Villalobos Hiriart & Nates Rodríguez, 1990, and M. occidentale Holthuis, 1950. Genetic analyses of the mitochondrial markers 16S ribosomal RNA (16S) and cytochrome oxidase I (COI) of individuals of these morphological species from BCP have shown that, even facing the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortés) as an apparent marine ecological barrier, they are conspecific to their respective genetic lineages (species) found from the Pacific slope of mainland Mexico. We discuss the systematics of the fifth species of Macrobrachium from the Mexican Pacific slope, M. tenellum (Smith, 1871) to test the hypothesis that individuals of the putative M. tenellum from BCP belong to the same species from the Pacific slope of mainland Mexico. We revised the morphological characters of taxonomic importance using material obtained in the field and voucher material deposited in Mexican scientific collections, and performed molecular genetic analyses with newly generated fragments of the mitochondrial markers 16S and COI. We conclude, as in our previous studies on Macrobrachium species of the region, that the examined specimens of the putative M. tenellum from BCP belong to the same species found on the Pacific slope of mainland Mexico, and that oceanic dispersal is responsible for the distribution of the species of Macrobrachium in the peninsula rather than by vicariant events.

Prediction of ecological security network in Northeast China based on landscape ecological risk

The expansion of human activities has significantly increased ecological risks, which threaten the security of ecosystems. This paper takes Northeast China, a national typical ecological barrier region, as a case study to explore the evolution of the ecological environment under various future development scenarios. Considering the complexity of ecological assessments, a comprehensive approach integrating various methods is employed. This includes the Patch-based Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model, Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) model, a landscape ecological risk assessment index system, the Space Minimum Cumulative Resistance (MCR) model, among others. These methods are used to dynamically assess changes in land use, landscape ecological risk (LER), and the layout of ecological networks. An integrated framework is proposed for identifying, constructing, and optimizing the ecological security network (ESN). The results show that the LER in Northeast China presents a “high in the middle, low around” distribution characteristic. High risk areas are mainly distributed in water bodies and construction lands with high landscape fragmentation and isolation, while low risk areas are primarily in the Northeast forest belt and Inner Mongolia grassland areas with lower landscape vulnerability and separation. From 2000 to 2020, the LER in the Northeast China has increased, primarily manifested in the Greater and Lesser Khingan Range areas in the northern part of the study region. Forecast results indicate significant differences in the evolution of LERs and the layout of the ESN under different socio-economic development scenarios. Under the ecological protection (EP) scenario, the average LER in Northeast China is 0.2215. The area of ecological source lands is 302,405.56 km2, the length of ecological corridors is 179,024.71 km, with 339 ecological nodes and 410 ecological breakpoints identified. Compared with the natural development (ND) and urban construction (UC) scenarios, the EP scenario in Northeast China shows the lowest LER and the most ideal layout of the ESN. This study provides a reference for future land resource optimization and ecological restoration in Northeast China.

Integrated Predictive Modeling and Policy Factor Analysis for the Land Use Dynamics of the Western Jilin

The external environment in the transitional zone of the ecological barrier is fragile, and economic growth has resulted in a series of land degradation issues, significantly impacting regional economic development and the ecological environment. Therefore, monitoring, assessing, and predicting land use changes are crucial for ecological security and sustainable development. This study developed an integrated model comprising convolutional neural network, cellular automata, and Markov chain to forecast the land use status of western Jilin, located in the transitional zone of the ecological barrier, by the year 2030. Additionally, the study evaluated the role of land use policies in the context of land use changes in western Jilin. The findings demonstrate that the coupled modeling approach exhibits excellent predictive performance for land use prediction in western Jilin, yielding a Kappa coefficient of 93.26%. Policy drivers play a significant role in shaping land use patterns in western Jilin, as evidenced by the declining farmland accompanied by improved land utilization, the sustained high levels of forest aligning with sustainable development strategies, the ongoing restoration of waters and grassland, which are expected to show positive growth by 2030, and the steady growth in built-up areas. This study contributes to understanding the dynamics of land use in the transitional zone of the ecological barrier, thereby promoting sustainable development and ecological resilience in the region.

Vegetation Greening and Its Response to a Warmer and Wetter Climate in the Yellow River Basin from 2000 to 2020

Vegetation greening is time-dependent and region-specific. The uncertainty of vegetation greening under global warming has been highlighted. Thus, it is crucial to investigate vegetation greening and its response to climate change at the regional scale. The Yellow River Basin (YRB) is a vital ecological barrier in China with high ecological vulnerability and climatic sensitivity. The relationship between vegetation greening and climate change in the YRB and the relative contribution of climate change remain to be explored. Using the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) and meteorological observation data, the spatiotemporal patterns of vegetation greening across the YRB in response to climate change at the basin and vegetation sub-regional scales from 2000 to 2020 were analyzed. The impact of human activities on regional greening was further quantified. Results showed that approximately 92% of the basin had experienced greening, at average annual and growing season rates of 0.0024 and 0.0034 year–1, respectively. Greening was particularly prominent in the central and eastern YRB. Browning was more prevalent in urban areas with a high intensity of human activities, occupying less than 6.3% of the total basin, but this proportion increased significantly at seasonal scales, especially in spring. Regional greening was positively correlated with the overall warmer and wetter climate, and the partial correlation coefficients between EVI and precipitation were higher than those between EVI and temperature. However, this response varied among different seasonal scales and vegetation sub-regions. The combined effects of climate change and human activities were conducive to vegetation greening in 84.5% of the YRB during the growing season, while human activities had a stronger impact than climate change. The relative contributions of human activities to greening and browning were 65.15% and 70.30%, respectively, mainly due to the promotion of ecological rehabilitation programs and the inhibition of urbanization and construction projects.

Ecological barriers: An approach to ecological conservation and restoration in China.

The Chinese government has pursued comprehensive ecological conservation and restoration by establishing an ecological barrier system. However, the majority of international research tends to focus on the connectivity between habitats, overlooking the functions that ecological barriers play in ecological conservation and restoration. The existing literature lacks a systematic exploration of the theory and practice of ecological barriers. This study employed the literature analysis tool CiteSpace to present the theoretical and developmental trends in ecological barriers from various perspectives, including research fields, historical evolution, research hotspots, and major research nations. By analyzing the differences in the understanding of ecological barriers between China and other countries, examining the ecological barriers construction history in China, and exploring the types and functions of ecological barriers, this study summarizes the framework of China's ecological barriers construction system as "features-functions-problems." Constructing an ecological barrier system can help achieve ecological conservation and restoration goals in China.

Analysis of temporal variation characteristics in water resources in typical ecosystems of the Genhe River Basin

The Genhe River Basin is an ecological barrier and water conservation area in northern China, but its hydrological process has undergone significant changes due to climate change and human activities, endangering ecosystem functions and water resource security. Systematic research on the influencing mechanisms and laws of hydrological processes in different ecosystems in this region remains lacking. Therefore, this study analyzed the effects of different anthropogenic factors on the hydrological processes of typical ecosystems in the Genhe River Basin. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool distributed hydrological model was used to simulate the surface runoff, evapotranspiration, and soil water content of the three ecosystems of forest, grassland, and farmland in four different periods of 1980, 1990, 2000, and 2010. The spatial and temporal changes in water resources in typical ecosystems under the influence of historical climate change were demonstrated. Results showed that under different land use scenarios, the surface runoff of the farmland ecosystem increased, the evapotranspiration remained unchanged, and the soil water content decreased. The surface runoff of forest and grassland ecosystems did not change significantly, the evapotranspiration increased, and the soil water content decreased. This study reveals the influence of different human factors on the hydrological processes of typical ecosystems in the Genhe River Basin and provides a scientific basis for water resources management and ecological protection in the region.

Migration mortality in birds

Bird migration is one of the greatest wildlife spectacles, producing massive global changes in the distributions of birds twice each year. To understand the evolution of this phenomenon, it is important to know the costs of these journeys in terms of the mortality they impose. The use of mark/re‐sighting and tracking studies has now made it possible, for some bird species, to separate mortality during migration from mortality during stationary periods. This paper aims to assess this information, based mainly on 31 published studies, most of which concern long‐distance migrations of passerines, large waterfowl and raptors. Most of these studies revealed that mortality rates were greater during migration than at other times – in some species more than 20 times greater. Overall, on the basis of median values, mortality per unit time during autumn journeys was about 3.0 times greater than mortality during stationary periods, during spring journeys about 6.3 times greater, and during autumn and spring journeys combined 4.4 times greater. The greater overall mortality on spring journeys was largely associated with more adverse wind conditions in spring than in autumn. High mortality rates were especially evident in birds crossing large ecological barriers, such as the Sahara Desert or the Gulf of Mexico, and were higher in that part of their journey than when crossing more benign terrain. There was no increase in mortality during migration in the adults of some long‐lived species with high annual survival and predominantly overland journeys; for these birds, much larger samples of year‐round tracked individuals will be needed to reveal any seasonal variations in mortality. Within certain species, birds that travelled long distances experienced greater mortality over the journey than those that travelled short distances, but in other species no such relationship was found. In species in which adults and juveniles were followed over the same journey, juveniles showed greater mortality. To judge from other studies, this difference could be attributed to the inexperience of juveniles, their lower feeding rates and flight efficiency, greater vulnerability to hazards such as weather and predation, or more frequent navigational errors. Broadly speaking, the risks of migration vary with features of the birds themselves, with the terrain to be crossed and with weather at the time. It may be assumed that migration persists in the long term because the costs (in terms of associated mortality) are more than offset by the benefits of breeding and wintering in different areas (in terms of improved overall survival and breeding success). To provide further understanding of migration mortality, suggestions are made on the types of studies required and on how they could best be conducted.

Inversion of Tidal Flat Topography Based on the Optimised Inundation Frequency Method—A Case Study of Intertidal Zone in Haizhou Bay, China

Coastal tidal flat wetlands are valuable natural resources that provide diverse habitats and important ecological barriers. The physical environment of the intertidal zone poses many challenges to the monitoring of tidal flat topography, making it difficult to implement traditional measurement methods, and satellite remote sensing combined with tide level information makes it possible to invert coastal tidal flat topography more conveniently over large areas. Current methods based on inundation frequency fail to consider the effect of water level distribution of remote sensing images, and usually use all available remote sensing images. However, the uneven distribution of image tide levels will increase the error of the tidal flat construction. Therefore, in this study, according to the distribution characteristics of the water level in remote sensing images, we adaptively exclude the images with a concentrated water level distribution, so as to make the water level distribution more uniform, and thus reduce the topographic inversion error. The validation results of the inversion accuracy show that the root mean squared error of the tidal flat topographic inversion improved by about 5 cm compared with the previous inundation frequency method, which is suitable for reconstructing the tidal flat topography on a large scale and a long-time scale, and it can be used as a basis for coastal tidal flat protection and restoration decision making.

Importance of ecosystem services and ecological security patterns on Hainan Island, China

The identification and restoration of damaged ecosystems are key to achieving ecological conservation and sustainable. Hainan Island is experiencing a serious crisis of biodiversity and habitat degradation. Therefore, its ecological conservation has become a priority and challenge for China. This study aimed to construct a multi-level ecological security pattern (ESP) based on the synergy of multiple ecosystem service functions and identify important ecological elements and ecological restoration areas. Based on the InVEST model, the circuit theory model, and a series of GIS spatial analysis methods, the importance of ecosystem functions (biodiversity maintenance, water conservation, carbon sequestration, and soil conservation) was evaluated, and ecological sources, ecological corridors, ecological pinch points, and ecological barrier points were identified. The results are as follows: 1) The best habitats in Hainan Island were distributed in the central mountainous area with diverse ecosystems, with an area of 10982.5 km2, accounting for 34.25% of the total suitable habitats. Low-level habitats are mainly distributed on tableland and coastal zones. Human disturbance is the direct cause of landscape patch fragmentation in low-level habitat areas. 2) A total of 65 large ecological sources with a total area of 8238.23 km2 were identified, which were concentrated in the biodiversity and water conservation areas in the central part of the island. 3) Crucial areas in Hainan Island mainly comprised forests and water bodies. Ecological corridors radiated across the entire area in the form of a spider web and connected all important ecological patches, including 138 ecological corridors (73 primary ecological corridors and 65 secondary ecological corridors), 222 ecological pinch points, and 198 ecological barrier points. In addition, the identified areas for restoration are primary areas in urgent need of protection and restoration. In general, the ecological pinch points are natural conservation areas supplemented by anthropogenic restoration, and the ecological barrier points demand equal attention for anthropogenic restoration and nature conservation. The ecosystem protection plan developed in this study will enrich the theoretical achievements of territorial spatial ecological planning in Hainan Island, and provides clear guidance for alleviating the contradiction between land use and economic development in Hainan Island.

Ecological Zoning Based on Value–Risk in the Wuling Mountains Area of Hunan Province

Based on land use data from the Wuling Mountains area of Hunan Province for 2000, 2010, and 2020, we used tools such as frastats4.8 and ArcGIS10.8 to construct a model for assessing ecosystem service value and the ecological risk index. We divided the area into four regions based on ecosystem service value and ecological risk indicators, which served as the foundation for ecological zoning and a proposed strategy for an ecological security pattern that suits the ecology of the region. The results showed a general increase in both ecosystem service value and ecological risk in the study area from 2000 to 2020. The annual ecosystem service value exceeded CNY 300 × 109, with forests providing more than 77% of this value, and the regulating services value accounted for 68% of the total value. The mean ecological risk indexes for the periods of 2000, 2010, and 2020 were 0.0384, 0.0383, and 0.0395, respectively. The sizes of the four zones within the study area remained relatively stable: the ecological barrier zone accounted for more than 53% over three years; the ecological improvement zone, approximately 32%; the ecological control zone comprised 8.62% of the total area in 2000, and this proportion rose to 9.56% in 2020. The ecological conservation zone had the smallest proportion of the total area among the four zones. Our research provides a comprehensive analytical framework for constructing ecological security patterns in other developing countries and offers a new perspective for regional ecological zoning management and conservation planning.

Spatial Heterogeneity and the Increasing Trend of Vegetation and Their Driving Mechanisms in the Mountainous Area of Haihe River Basin

In addition to serving as North China’s water supply and ecological barrier, the mountainous area of the Haihe River basin (MHRB) is a crucial location for the application of ecological engineering. Vegetation is an important component in the ecological conservation and eco-hydrological progress of the MHRB. A better understanding of regional vegetation growth can be achieved by a thorough investigation of vegetation indicators. In this research, the leaf area index (LAI) and gross primary productivity (GPP) were chosen as vegetation indicators. The characteristics and driving forces of the spatiotemporal variations of LAI and GPP in the MHRB were explored through Sen’s slope, the Mann–Kendall test, the optimal parameter-based geographical detector model, and correlation analysis. From 2001 to 2018, the annual LAI and GPP increased significantly on the regional scale. The areas with significantly increased vegetation accounted for more than 81% of the MHRB. Land use was the most influential element for the spatial heterogeneity of LAI and GPP, and the humidity index was the most crucial one among climate indicators. Non-linear enhancement or bivariate enhancement was discovered between any two factors, and the strongest interaction was from land use and humidity index. The lowest vegetation cover was found in dry regions with annual precipitation below 407 mm and the humidity index under 0.41; while in both forests and large undulating mountains, higher LAI and GPP were observed. About 87% of the significantly increased vegetation was found in areas with unaltered land use. The increase in vegetation in the MHRB from 2001 to 2018 was promoted by the increased precipitation and humidity index and the reduced vapor pressure deficit. The sensitivity of GPP to climate change was stronger than that of LAI. These findings can serve as a theoretical guide for the application of ecological engineering and ecological preservation in the MHRB.

Identification of priority areas for territorial space ecological restoration in arid area of Northwest China: A case study of Zhangye City in Heihe River basin.

Determining priority areas for territorial ecological restoration in the arid region of Northwest China based on the holistic protection and systematic governance is an important measure to build solid national ecological security barrier and promote the construction of territorial ecological civilization. Taking Zhangye City, a typical arid area city in Northwest China, as an example, we constructed the research framework of "ecological network-ecological sensitivities-ecological degradation" from two aspects of internal defects and external threats of ecological networks by using circuit theory and assessment methods of ecological service function importance, ecological sensitivity, and ecological degradation. We then identified the priority areas of territorial ecological restoration in northwest arid region and put forward the restoration strategies. The results showed that the priority areas of ecological restoration in Zhangye City were concentrated in the artificial shelterbelt along rivers and the plain-desert-oasis transition zone with fragile ecology and strong human interference. The ecological network of the study area included 39 ecological sources and 99 ecological corridors, and the highly sensitive and degraded areas were 1595.40 and 6.65 km2. Based on the internal defects and external threats of the ecological network, we identified 31 ecological pinch points, 7 obstacle points, and 753.56 km2 ecological source areas in the territorial spatial ecological restoration priority area. These areas were related to the connectivity of the ecological network internally and the stability maintenance of the ecosystem outwards, and were the areas to restoration in the future. Following the concept of overall protection and system restoration of territorial space, we put forward the idea of territorial space restoration by integrating internal defects and external threats of ecological network, which could provide scientific decision-making basis for comprehensive ecosystem management and territorial optimization of Zhangye City.

Unveiling spatial heterogeneity of ecosystem services and their drivers in varied landform types: Insights from the Sichuan-Yunnan ecological barrier area

Comprehending and capturing the dynamics of change within regional ecosystem services (ESs) and elucidating the responses of ES drivers across diverse natural geographic environments stand as the foundational requisites for crafting efficacious ecosystem management strategies. Landform classifications serve as the intrinsic environmental underpinning for distinct ES operations, yet our comprehension of ES responses to drivers in different landform types remains limited. This study focuses on the Sichuan-Yunnan ecological barrier area, characterized by complex topography and a range of landform types. By systematically analyzing changes in six ESs, we employed an optimal parameters-based geographical detector model to examine driving factors from holistic and landform-specific perspectives. Findings reveal a consistent increase in the aggregate level of six ESs—food production (FP), carbon storage (CS), soil retention (SR), water yield (WY), nitrogen export (NE), and habitat quality (HQ)—during 2000–2020. ES supply varied significantly across landform types. From a holistic perspective, natural factor-dominated ESs (CS, SR, WY) were influenced by topographic and climatic conditions, while natural-socio-economic factor-dominated ESs (FP, NE, HQ) were more affected by socio-economic factors, especially population density and nighttime lighting. From a landform type perspective, driving factors had significant differences in the spatial differentiation of ESs across landform types. Although different ESs were more susceptible to the combined effects of temperature factors and GDP, the accessibility factors became increasingly influential as topographic relief index increased from plains to highest relief mountains, and water were the most critical core factor for ES provisioning in ecologically fragile and sensitive highest relief mountains. Our targeted analysis enhances understanding of ES spatial heterogeneity in complex mountain regions and provides insights for tailored restoration and management strategies across diverse landforms. These findings establish a basis for spatial zoning management and control to improve ESs under different landform types.

From the perspective of the united front, Chinese medicine colleges help the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin in Shandong Province

As the birthplace of Chinese civilization, the Yellow River Basin is one of the most important ecological security barriers in China in the new era. From the perspective of ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin, comprehensively explore the opportunities and challenges faced by ecological protection in the Yellow River Basin, identify effective measures for TCM colleges to help ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin in Shandong, rationally use modern technological means, and make use of emerging strategic industries and innovative scientific and technological achievements to achieve optimal management. It can further accelerate the pace of TCM and personnel training and development.