Ecological Costs Research Articles

Can fall armyworm damage decrease depending on the season, the maize hybrid, and the pesticide sprayed?

Maize is the third most important grass produced in the world after wheat and rice. Among the limitations of its production, fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is considered the most relevant pest in which corn is the main host plant. During the dry and rainy seasons of 2021-2022, lots of 1200 m2 were planted including three commercial hybrids, ADV-9139, Trueno NB-7443, and INIAP-551 in which the treatments were evaluated: T1: Sequence of insecticides (CLE) based on chlorantraniliprole, lufenuron, and emamectin benzoate. T2: Biological insecticide based on Bacillus thuringiensis (BT). T3: Methomyl-based treatment (MET). T4: Untreated plot (UP). Plant and cob damage, plant height and cob insertion, and grain yield were evaluated, and an economic analysis was performed. The least damage to plants and cobs was detected in the ADV-9139 hybrid. Regarding pesticides, CLE showed the best damage control in plants and the cobs were less damaged when CLE and BT were applied. Plant height and cob insertion height were lower in the ADV-9139 hybrid in which the highest grain yields were estimated. Plots treated with BT showed the highest increase in grain yield. The results show that the management of this voracious insect can be achieved combining the partial resistance of a maize genotype with pesticide applications with the lowest social, economic and ecological costs.

Plant Essential Oils as Biopesticides: Applications, Mechanisms, Innovations, and Constraints.

The advent of the "Green Revolution" was a great success in significantly increasing crop productivity. However, it involved high ecological costs in terms of excessive use of synthetic agrochemicals, raising concerns about agricultural sustainability. Indiscriminate use of synthetic pesticides resulted in environmental degradation, the development of pest resistance, and possible dangers to a variety of nontarget species (including plants, animals, and humans). Thus, a sustainable approach necessitates the exploration of viable ecofriendly alternatives. Plant-based biopesticides are attracting considerable attention in this context due to their target specificity, ecofriendliness, biodegradability, and safety for humans and other life forms. Among all the relevant biopesticides, plant essential oils (PEOs) or their active components are being widely explored against weeds, pests, and microorganisms. This review aims to collate the information related to the expansion and advancement in research and technology on the applications of PEOs as biopesticides. An insight into the mechanism of action of PEO-based bioherbicides, bioinsecticides, and biofungicides is also provided. With the aid of bibliometric analysis, it was found that ~75% of the documents on PEOs having biopesticidal potential were published in the last five years, with an annual growth rate of 20.51% and a citation per document of 20.91. Research on the biopesticidal properties of PEOs is receiving adequate attention from European (Italy and Spain), Asian (China, India, Iran, and Saudi Arabia), and American (Argentina, Brazil, and the United States of America) nations. Despite the increasing biopesticidal applications of PEOs and their widespread acceptance by governments, they face many challenges due to their inherent nature (lipophilicity and high volatility), production costs, and manufacturing constraints. To overcome these limitations, the incorporation of emerging innovations like the nanoencapsulation of PEOs, bioinformatics, and RNA-Seq in biopesticide development has been proposed. With these novel technological interventions, PEO-based biopesticides have the potential to be used for sustainable pest management in the future.

Collocating pipelines to minimize fragmentation: evaluating ecological costs of a shale gas mitigation practice

AbstractShale gas development occurs in forests of the Appalachian Basin within breeding habitat for forest songbirds. Development requires linear infrastructure (e.g., pipelines, gas access roads) that fragments habitat and reduces core forest. Collocation is a mitigation practice that sites new pipelines adjacent to existing surface disturbance such as forest roads; it reduces core forest loss but may have associated ecological costs, defined as negative effects on native species and ecosystems. We conducted a paired sampling design between forest roads and collocated pipelines (expanded gas access roads collocated with pipelines) to evaluate ecological costs to forest songbirds in 2013 in Pennsylvania, USA. We surveyed 4 focal songbird species: 3 territorial species that varied in habitat requirements and the non‐territorial brown‐headed cowbird (Molothrus ater), an obligate brood parasite. We used spot mapping to survey focal species within linear corridors and the adjacent mature forest. Territory density of forest interior ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapilla) was significantly lower on collocated pipelines (5.1 fewer territories per 10 ha) compared to forest road sites. We found no effect of collocation on territory density for the early successional species, eastern towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) and chestnut‐sided warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica). Territories of all 3 territorial focal species crossed collocated pipeline sites less frequently than forest roads (ovenbird: 16%, eastern towhee: 14%, chestnut‐sided warbler: 31%) and the barrier effect increased with increasing corridor width. In contrast, brown‐headed cowbird abundance was 15 times greater at collocated pipelines compared to forest roads, suggesting that wider gas corridors provide enhanced access routes for cowbirds. Our study indicates the expansion of forest roads to collocated pipelines exacerbates the negative ecological effects already present with the existing road including increased edge avoidance by a forest interior species, greater barrier effects for all 3 territorial forest songbirds, and increased access for brown‐headed cowbirds into core forest. We support collocation as a mitigation strategy but emphasize restricting overall corridor width to reduce the additional ecological costs associated with this practice.

Mapping Ecotourism Potential in Bangladesh: The Integration of an Analytical Hierarchy Algorithm and Geospatial Data

The significance of ecotourism has been increasing due to its potential for biodiversity preservation, economic advancement, and the promotion of sustainability awareness. In this research, geospatial analysis and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed to identify feasible ecotourism sites in Bangladesh. The study applied Geographical Information System–Remote Sensing (GIS-RS) parameters and weighted overlay techniques for selected ecotourism characteristics, such as natural attractiveness, topographic features, accessibility, proximity to facilities, and community characteristics. The study found that a significant proportion (around 44%) of Bangladesh’s land exhibits high potential for ecotourism. Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, and Rangamati are particularly favorable ecotourism locations. However, some difficulties emerge in regions that are not easily reachable, such as mangrove forests, and in densely inhabited localities like Dhaka. The research also identified the ecological costs linked with ecotourism, such as the exhaustion of resources, the fragmentation of habitats, contamination, and the disruption of wildlife. The primary recommendations to address the adverse effects include educating the local populace, enforcing regulatory measures, implementing efficient waste management systems, enforcing a stringent code of conduct, providing economic incentives to the local communities, and addressing the issue of food security. The cartographically delineated potential zones have the potential to function as a navigational instrument for global travelers and facilitate the decision-making process of policymakers in the realm of sustainable land resource management in Bangladesh. This study enhances the understanding of the potential of ecotourism and offers valuable insights for advancing responsible and sustainable tourism practices within the nation.

Changes in the activity budget of the fiddler crab Leptuca uruguayensis throughout the reproductive period in temperate estuaries

Animal reproductive success implies the performance of several behaviours, such as courting, mate searching, copulation, offspring production and care. These behaviours usually have high energetic and ecological costs. Therefore, to maximise their reproductive success, animals should make choices throughout their lives, such as deciding how much energy to invest in different activities, according to their conditions and needs. In temperate estuaries, the fiddler crab L. uruguayensis has a short reproductive period, with two synchronous spawning events. Considering that reproductive behaviours incur high energetic cost to fiddler crabs, we estimated how this species manages its activity budget throughout the reproductive period, to quantify trade-offs between the time spent on reproductive behaviours versus time spent on other activities. By analysing videos of females and males recorded in the field at different moments of the reproductive period, we observed that pre-copulatory behaviours, such as female wandering and male waving were more intense at the beginning of the reproductive period, suggesting that most matings occurred before the first spawning event but not before the second one. The ecological conditions during the breeding season and the individual strategies adopted by males and females mostly determine when and how much time to spend on courtship behaviours, and behavioural plasticity can be expected whenever the conditions change. The strategy used by L. uruguayensis for energy management, females’ ability to store male gametes and environmental temperatures might have been the main factors determining the relative time spent in courtship behaviours during the reproductive period.

Moving towards co-benefits of hydropower: Ecological efficiency evaluation based on LCA and DEA

China is ambitious to develop renewable energy for the commitment of carbon neutralization in 2060. Hydropower has been regarded as one important solution to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by replacing fossil fuels, while the related ecological impacts hinder its sustainable development. This study proposes a framework to integrate life cycle analysis and ecosystem service assessment by evaluating 43 case hydropower plants (HPs) in China. Combining with the super slacks-based measurement model, the ecological efficiency of HPs is evaluated to provide optimizing pathways. The results show most environmental impacts of the whole HP life cycle are from the preparation and construction stages of HPs. The ecosystem service losses (ESLs) are mainly from the losses of biodiversity and water supply. The first cascade HP generally has a smaller ecological efficiency than downstream HPs. Furthermore, the current pricing structure of the studied HPs does not adequately account for the associated ESLs. It suggests that consumers in transmission destinations should bear a higher cost to address the ecological impacts of HP operations. Consequently, there is a need to revise the pricing mechanisms to reflect and internalize the ecological costs more accurately. Finally, based on the results, policy implications for achieving “co-benefit” of hydropower development and ecosystem protection were raised: (a) conducting the comprehensive and systematic evaluation of HPs including LCA and ESL assessment before HP planning; (b) ensuring the connectivity of natural flow and the preservation of fish areas; (c) revising the pricing mechanisms of hydropower based on the fair price.

Telecoupling indirect ecological impacts of urban expansion in China from the perspective of the food trade

AbstractA comprehensive evaluation of the ecological cost of urban expansion is crucial for preventing ecosystem degradation and improving ecosystem governance. However, the indirect impacts of urban expansion through cropland displacement are grossly underestimated, particularly the spillover effects on distant regions. This study proposed a telecoupling framework for the total indirect ecological losses (TIEL) of urban expansion. It was divided into the near losses (NIEL) and distant losses (DIEL), depending on whether cropland displacement occurs inside or outside the region. An inter‐provincial network of DIEL can also be constructed by ecological impact embodied in food trade with other regions. We found that approximately 80% of urban expansion occurred on croplands, which caused indirect loss of 86,586 km2 of ecological land through cropland displacement in China during 2000–2019. The total indirect ecological losses were 8.4 times greater than direct losses at the average of all provinces. Food trade induced more serious indirect ecological losses owing to the higher yield difference between encroached cropland import regions and new cropland in export regions. The proportion of DIEL in TIEL was more than 50% in developed regions such as Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Jiangsu. The distant impacts of urban expansion in the eastern coastal provinces were mainly transferred to north‐eastern China and the rest of the world. This study identified the teleconnection between local urban development and distant environments and infromed inter‐regional ecological compensation policies to mitigate regional inequalities.

Mechanical treatments and prescribed burning can reintroduce low-severity fire in southern Australian temperate sclerophyll forests

The establishment of sustainable, low-intensity fire regimes is a pressing global challenge given escalating risk of wildfire driven by climate change. Globally, colonialism and industrialisation have disrupted traditional fire management, such as Indigenous patch burning and silvo-pastoral practices, leading to substantial build-up of fuel and increased fire risk. The disruption of fire regimes in southeastern Tasmania has led to dense even-aged regrowth in wet forests that are prone to crown fires, and dense Allocasuarina-dominated understoreys in dry forests that burn at high intensities.Here, we investigated the effectiveness of several fire management interventions at reducing fire risk. These interventions involved prescribed burning or mechanical understorey removal techniques. We focused on wet and dry Eucalyptus-dominated sclerophyll forests on the slopes of kunanyi/Mt. Wellington in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. We modelled potential fire behaviour in these treated wet and dry forests using fire behaviour equations based on measurements of fuel load, vegetation structure, understorey microclimate and regional meteorological data.We found that (a) fuel treatments were effective in wet and dry forests in reducing fuel load, though each targeted different layers, (b) both mechanical treatments and prescribed burning resulted in slightly drier, and hence more fire prone understorey microclimate, and (c) all treatments reduced predicted subsequent fire severity by roughly 2–4 fold. Our results highlight the importance of reducing fuel loads, even though fuel treatments make forest microclimates drier, and hence fuel more flammable.Our finding of the effectiveness of mechanical treatments in lowering fire risk enables managers to reduce fuels without the risk of uncontrolled fires and smoke pollution that is associated with prescribed burning. Understanding the economic and ecological costs and benefits of mechanic treatment compared to prescribed burning requires further research.

Aquaponics as an integrated agri-aquaculture system (IAAS): Emerging trends and future prospects

Aquaponics, an integrated agri-aquaculture system, is an interdisciplinary approach that addresses the water-food-energy nexus of United Nations' sustainable development goal and increasing demands of global population at minimal ecological cost. Embracing the ‘circular bio-based economy’ concept, aquaponics has exhibited immense potential for reduced resource utilization, discharge mitigation, nutrient, energy, wastewater recycling, and production of highly nutritious food within the system. Aquaponics has attained increased public interest in recent years in urban areas, in line with the trend towards greater productivity with limited resources, diving it from small-scale operation to brink of commercialization. The holistic analysis of scientific articles on aquaponics has perceived the transition of research trends from optimization of system performance (component ratio, hydraulic loading rate, etc.) to adoption of marine, inland saline, decoupled aquaponics and nutrient management to address challenges like freshwater scarcity, depleting marine resources, salinization, nutrient deficiency for plants, etc.; yet a constructive scientific concept is still limited. Marine, inland saline, and decoupled aquaponics has increasingly gained popularity in last decades, yet further expansion is demanded as a way forward to tackle the global challenges. This article provides insight into the prevailing state-of-art with recommendations for future orientation of research for developing this sustainable production technology.

Enhancing Bioavailability of Fertilizer through Amyloid-Like Protein Coating.

Foliar fertilization acts as a ubiquitous component of conventional crop production because the nutrients can be absorbed more quickly than soil fertilizers, which brings considerable economic and ecological costs. Due to droplets rebounding and splashing during spraying and rain erosion, low bioavailability of fertilizer results in soil salinity, heavy metal accumulation, water eutrophication and the greenhouse effect. Contrary to conventional fertilizer formulations with polymers, surfactants, and organic reagents, we herein present a method of improving fertilizer bioavailability based on a biocompatible protein coating. In this system, whey protein concentrate (WPC) can undergo amyloid-like aggregation after the reduction of its disulfide bond by the reducing agent tris(2-carboxyethyl) phosphine (TCEP). Such aggregation affords a fast formation of the optically transparent and colorless phase-transitioned WPC (PTW) coating at solid/water interface, with robust interfacial adhesion stability. Upon packaging with fertilizers through electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions, such reliable interfacial adhesion thereby facilitates the effective deposition of fertilizers on superhydrophobic and hydrophobic leaf surfaces, with excellent adhesion stability under sufficient exposure to simulated weather conditions. In this regard, the PTW coating shows the highest fertilizer retention capability in all known outcome, even under rainfall conditions that are 100 times more intense than those described in literature. High optical transmittance of the PTW also does not affect normal photosynthetic capacity of plant. Based on further practical farmland test, this work experimentally demonstrates that the application of an amyloid-like protein aggregation could significantly boost the bioavailability of fertilizers and decrease at least 30% fertilizer use in large-scale crop planting. This innovative strategy has the great potential to offer a transformative step forward in managing fertilizer contamination and overuse in future agriculture. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The brown locust refocussed - Knowns, unknowns and the relevance of Locustana pardalina (Walker) to Karoo ecosystems and rangeland management

Populations of brown locusts Locustana pardalina (Walk.) (Orthoptera, Acididae, Oedipodinae) alternate between resident solitaria grasshoppers in the Karoo via a transiens phase to nomadic gregaria locusts that periodically swarm across and beyond the Karoo. Concerns about crop damage led to this species being declared a pest in 1911 to be controlled with insecticides. Despite over 225 years of records of brown locust outbreak events and a considerable body of research during the early to mid-20th century, research impetus waned while outbreak events, as well as efforts at, and financial and ecological costs of chemical control, have steadily escalated. This review highlights particularly insightful field observations made by scientists between the 1920s and 1960s, which have yet to be followed up with further research. We revivify knowledge of brown locust solitaria ecology, including their diet, mainly consisting of the short grass, Enneapogon desvauxii, the cumulative build-up of egg banks with quiescent embryos, and how five to seven successive generations build up densities until crowding of nymphs brings about incipient outbreaks of gregaria locusts, which can aggregate into large swarms that depart to remote locations. Surprisingly, no quantitative records exist of the potential negative impacts at large scales of brown locusts on rangeland grazing or crop yields, nor have their potentially important roles for Karoo ecosystem functioning been well-documented. Although the quality of rangeland management affects the dynamics of outbreak centres, this recognition has not been followed up with experiments and detailed observations to make definite recommendations on farming practices. We suggest several avenues of research that build on the existing knowledge with modern techniques and fill the most important knowledge gaps to improve managing brown locust populations sustainably.

Integrating ecosystem service value into the evaluation of sustainable land use in fast-growing cities: A case study of Qingdao, China

Integrating ecosystem service value (ESV) into the evaluation system for sustainable land use (SLU) in fast-growing cities is an effective way to implement Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 15 and 11 of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Taking ESV as the intermediate parameter, six sustainability indicators were developed to evaluate SLU from two dimensions: sustainable land ecosystem services and economic development. These indicators are the total supply and demand index (RT) of ecosystem services, the potential supply and demand index (RP) of ecosystem services, the ecological cost index per unit of GDP (RC), the eco-economic coordination index (RD), the eco-economic equilibrium index (RE), and the ESV-based sustainable land use index (RS). Empirical research was conducted in Qingdao, a fast-growing city in eastern China, to verify the validity of the indicators. Five sets of Landsat TM/ETM/OLI remote sensing images from 1996, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2017 were used to analyze the land use and ESV changes in Qingdao. The results indicate that land use changes in fast-growing cities significantly affect the ESV. The decrease in the area of ecological land and the expansion of construction land caused by rapid urbanization reduced ESV. The RC and RD of Qingdao were sustainable, while the RT and RP were unsustainable, and the RE showed volatility, which reduced the evaluation level of SLU in Qingdao from extremely strongly sustainable (L1) to moderately sustainable (L3). Thus, it is necessary to improve the ESV of Qingdao. Optimization strategies for promoting SLU in Qingdao are proposed based on the results, confirming that the evaluation provides guidance for land use management.

Structured decision making to navigate trade‐offs between multiple conservation values in threatened grasslands

AbstractManaging biodiversity often requires making difficult trade‐offs, especially when threatened species and ecosystems overlap in their distributions, and management actions to promote their persistence varies between them. Trade‐offs reflect preferences and how much decision makers are willing to give up in benefits for one objective in exchange for gains in other objectives. Despite the increase of tools for exploring trade‐offs, decisions are often made without clear specification of preferences among objectives, reducing transparency and limiting clear communication of the rationale behind decisions. We used structured decision making to navigate trade‐offs between ecological objectives and management costs across three conservation reserves of protected grasslands in Victoria, Australia. The objectives included four nationally listed threatened species, two nationally listed threatened ecosystems, a group of locally threatened and rare non‐listed species and management costs. Alternative management strategies included various combinations of fire management and weed control. The consequences of alternatives were estimated using stochastic models, empirical data and expert judgment. Context dependent preferences were elicited using swing weighting from nine decision makers and stakeholders. While all species and ecosystems are valued, how they are weighted, and the resulting preferred management strategy is context dependent. Weights were variable across participants for all objectives. There was stronger alignment of weights for one of the ecosystems, Natural Temperate Grasslands, than other objectives. One of the threatened species, striped legless lizard, tended to be weighted higher than other ecological objectives, while management costs had the lowest weights. Stakeholder's weightings for objectives varied, however the influence on the rank order of management strategies was minimal. The structured approach to navigate trade‐offs identified management strategies that best address stakeholder preferences across multiple objectives. This approach offers improvements in evidence‐based decision making and provides a transparent and defensible rationale for selecting management interventions that considers all relevant objectives.

Scientific debate on human migration: ethics, challenges, and solutions

Introduction: In recent years, we witnessed increasing numbers of migrants worldwide owing to famine, poverty, regional conflicts, etc. Efforts by the United Nations and various organizations to help these migrants are hampered by rising anti-migrant sentiments and xenophobic rhetoric in many parts of the world. To arrive at win-win solutions that benefit both natives and migrants, we must discuss the migration problem objectively and scientifically. To do this, we must first resolve the paradox in our understanding of human migration (widely touted as good) vis-a-vis biological invasion (generally regarded as bad).Method: Suspecting that the two similar phenomena are more complex than we think, we reviewed and synthesized the disjoint literatures on human migration and biological invasion in recent times, and that on the human diaspora and human-aided dispersal of plants and animals in our pre-historic past. We then developed models of niche-niche interactions to simulate isolated ecosystems and communities, as well as those experiencing invasions from non-native populations.Results: In this paper, we simulated four invasion mechanisms on a star network: the direct introduction of a non-native population into existing periphery or core niches, or the non-native population first creating its own niche, which is thereafter attached to the periphery or core of the community. We found that periphery invasions can fail, i.e., the non-native population eventually disappears. When periphery invasion is successful, we found that there is little or no harm to the ecosystem or community. On the other hand, core invasion is always catastrophic, where the non-native population establishes itself at the expense of most or all of the native populations. For niche attachments, whether to the periphery or to the core, we found native and non-native populations coexisting in the end, sometimes with increased diversities.Discussion: Our results provide promising new insights and theoretical grounds for policymakers to discuss the ethics of immigration issues scientifically, and to ultimately discover win-win solutions for natives and migrants. The theoretical framework outlined in this paper can also be applied to the problem of introducing non-native biological species for economic gains, at acceptable ecological costs.

Low-carbon diets can reduce global ecological and health costs

Potential external cost savings associated with the reduction of animal-sourced foods remain poorly understood. Here we combine life cycle assessment principles and monetarization factors to estimate the monetary worth of damage to human health and ecosystems caused by the environmental impacts of food production. We find that, globally, approximately US$2 of production-related external costs were embedded in every dollar of food expenditure in 2018—corresponding to US$14.0 trillion of externalities. A dietary shift away from animal-sourced foods could greatly reduce these ‘hidden’ costs, saving up to US$7.3 trillion worth of production-related health burden and ecosystem degradation while curbing carbon emissions. By comparing the health effects of dietary change from the consumption versus the production of food, we also show that omitting the latter means underestimating the benefits of more plant-based diets. Our analysis reveals the substantial potential of dietary change, particularly in high and upper-middle-income countries, to deliver socio-economic benefits while mitigating climate change.

Optimal chemical defence allocation in roots: where, why and how?

AbstractPlants produce a range of volatile and non-volatile plant secondary metabolites (PSMs) to increase their resistance to biotic threats. The optimal defence allocation theory (ODT) states that the most valuable and vulnerable plant organs should be best defended against herbivory and therefore contain high concentrations of PSMs. However, the production of PSMs can come with metabolic and ecological costs and should be adjusted to the predictability and nature of biotic interactions to minimise interference with the ecological functions of the tissue. The ODT has recently been extended to explain PSM allocation patterns over root organs. Recent research has revealed that valuable but vulnerable root classes, such as taproots or adventitious roots, indeed have higher levels of anti-herbivory PSMs than lateral or fine roots. In this perspective, we analyse how interactions with soil organisms, including insect herbivores and microorganisms, may shape PSM allocation patterns in roots. We thereby focus on the Brassicaceae family and the glucosinolate-myrosinase defence system, but also highlight relevant studies in other species. We summarise the state-of-the-art knowledge of GSL distribution patterns over the plant body, discuss potential drivers of PSM allocation and discuss which mechanisms might regulate constitutive and induced PSM allocation patterns. Finally, we argue that implementing microbial interactions into ODT will improve our understanding of the eco-evolutionary drivers of plant–insect interactions.

Assembly of NiFe-PBA nanoparticles on nanoflower-like NiFe-PBA@IF as enhanced oxygen evolution electrocatalyst at room temperature

Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) catalysts that overcome low energy barriers to improve the reaction efficiency of the OER are important for the development of future green energy sources. Herein, NiFe-PBA@IF layered nanoflowers were successfully prepared by etching iron foam (IF) using Prussian blue-like (PBA) material as a precursor. Notably, the fractured PBA nanosheets prepared by etching at room temperature had a suitable growth gradient and growth environment with the homogeneous nucleation environment, compared to the conventional method. In this environment, a layered NiFe-PBA structure can be formed on the surface of IF, enabling efficient green synthesis, reducing ecological and economic costs, and providing a clear source of catalytic activity. More importantly, NiFe-PBA@IF has a nanoparticle structure anchored on NiFe-PBA stacked nanoflowers, which can expand the surface roughness and electrochemical active area of the sample, so the OER performance in 1 M KOH is 253 mV@10 mA·cm−2. The green and direct synthesis of PBA electrocatalysts can provide new ideas for the efficient synthesis of other OER electrocatalysts at room temperature and will further provide an effective template for the industrial application of OER electrocatalysts.

Identifying ecological risk and cost–benefit value for supporting habitat restoration: a case study from Sansha Bay, southeast China

BackgroundCoastal wetlands with high biodiversity and productivity provide essential ecosystem services that have a significant positive socio-economic impact. However, coastal reclamation, pollution, and climate change are threatening coastal wetlands. Thus, it is critical to identify priority areas for restoration and improve habitat resilience to adapt to environmental changes. Here, we propose a general analysis framework integrating nature-based solutions (NbS) into habitat restoration to increase coastal resilience to multiple stressors in Sansha Bay, southeast China.ResultsThe total loss of value in ecosystem services due to reclamation in Sansha Bay was US$162.18 million from 2000 to 2015. The coastal habitats were at medium risk of degradation, with some high-risk areas concentrated in the northwest and along the west coasts, which were prioritized for restoration.ConclusionsOur proposed framework, which integrates hard and soft engineering such as mudflat renovation, mangrove afforestation, and an ecological seawall, can aid in the improvement of coastal resilience. The project cost was US$12.71 million and was estimated to generate US$36.75 million in environmental services. We recommend evaluating and monitoring shoreline changes, environmental factors, and marine biological resources using long-term sampling surveys and remote sensing methods. Our findings can serve as a guide for government decision-making in coastal restoration planning and management.

Application of stochastic ranking based evolutionary strategy in environmental management of microgrids

The microgrid environmental governance problem is a single objective function, and the biogeography algorithm traditionally used for the calculation has significant shortcomings. The algorithm has a limited search range at the beginning of the iteration and tends to fall into a local optimum at the end. In addition, it is slow to converge and poor in finding the best solution when solving microgrid scheduling optimization problems. In this paper, we adopt a typical microgrid environmental management framework model and use a stochastic ranking evolutionary strategy algorithm with high performance. The objective function is to minimize the ecological management cost and optimize the rational dispatch of electricity to gas and energy storage devices. The case study proves that the stochastic ranking evolutionary strategy algorithm is more efficient and converges faster. This algorithm can effectively solve the energy dispatching optimization problem in microgrids.

Understanding Private Preferences in Urban Development—Analysing Spatial Patterns of Food Discount Stores Locations in Switzerland

This paper examines the spatial pattern of food discount stores in Switzerland, where private actors made location decisions without interference from planning regulations until 2016. Using aerial images and a classification scheme with functional and morphological attributes, the study shows that the majority of discount stores were built in peripheral commercial areas or greenfield sites as solitary buildings, indicating a preference for minimal land acquisition costs and car orientation. Some integrated central locations were also chosen. The average density measured by floor area ratio was low. The results suggest that without planning intervention, private actors’ decisions would lead to sprawled settlement patterns with high ecological and societal costs. Further research is needed to explore the potential role of planning in mitigating this effect.