Ecological Evaluation Index Research Articles

Assessment and forecasting of water ecological security and obstacle factor diagnosis in the Hexi Corridor of Northwest China

The water ecological security pattern is a core factor. A scientific, accurate, and practical evaluation of water ecological security provides a theoretical basis for regional water ecological management. Using water resource data from five cities in the Hexi Corridor of Gansu Province (Jiuquan (JQ), Jiayuguan (JYG), Zhangye (ZY), Jinchang (JC), and Wuwei (WW)) from 2006 to 2021, a water ecological security evaluation index system based on the PSR (pressure-state-response) framework was constructed, covering 27 factors related to water resources, socio-economics, and the ecological environment. The main obstacle factors of water ecological security were identified using the obstacle degree model, and the grey GM(1,1) model was employed to predict water ecological security. Results indicated that the comprehensive assessment index of water ecology in the Hexi Corridor increased from 2006 to 2021, showing a transition from relatively unsafe (0.319) to basic safety and then to relatively safe (0.672). The pressure and response systems were the main limiting factors affecting water ecological security in the Hexi Corridor. After a slight decline in 2008, the overall spatial distribution continued to rise, with WW City and ZY City leading since 2016. ZY had a higher safety grade proportion (25%) compared to other areas in the Hexi region. The pressure system was the most significant obstacle to water ecological security after 2006. Prediction results indicated that the comprehensive evaluation index of water ecological security would continue to rise annually from 2022 to 2031, reaching a very safe level by 2025. The evaluation results provide a scientific basis for ecological security and risk decision-making in the study area.

Evaluation of Land Ecological Status and Diagnosis of Obstacle Factors in Jiangsu, China

By constructing a land ecological evaluation index system at the village scale and using models such as spatial correlation analysis, hotspot analysis, and obstacle factor diagnosis, the basic characteristics, spatial differentiation, and obstacle factors of land ecological status in Jiangsu Province were studied. This study sought to clarify the foundation, structure, function, and benefit characteristics of land ecosystems and optimize land management and policy regulation. The results showed that： ① The spatial distribution of land ecological status in Jiangsu Province was high in the north and low in the south, with multiple high-value areas radiating outward and decreasing, with low value centers radiating outward and increasing. The distribution area of the highest and lower values was relatively small, whereas the area of the middle value area was the largest. The higher values were mainly distributed in the suburbs and edge areas of each county. ② The spatial autocorrelation of land ecological status in Jiangsu Province was significant, with hot spots mainly concentrated in northern Jiangsu and cold spots concentrated in southern Jiangsu, as well as some areas of Taizhou and Nantong. The spatial distribution of cold and hot spots showed a complementary pattern with the level of regional development. The comprehensive index value of land ecology in developed areas was lower, whereas the index value in underdeveloped areas was higher. ③ The natural background conditions of Class Ⅰ land ecological zone in Jiangsu Province were superior, with good ecological construction and benefits and a high level of ecological status. The obstacle factors mainly included the proportion of water bodies and the average annual degradation rate of forest land. The Class Ⅱ land ecological zone was mostly located in the Huainan region and mainly composed of plain landforms. The Class Ⅲ land ecological zone had the largest area, located in the riverside areas of southern Jiangsu. The obstacle factors mainly included the average annual degradation rate of arable land and the proportion of soil pollution area. By controlling land ecological risks, the early warning level of ecological crisis could be improved.

Evaluating urban heat island to achieve sustainable development goals: A case study of Tiruchirappalli city, India

Tiruchirappalli City the fourth largest municipal corporation in Tamilnadu, India is witnessing accelerated urban growth. The city has exacerbated the microclimate indicating a significant increase in land surface temperature. The study aims to establish the differentiation of land surface temperature of city between 2001, 2011, and 2021 of summer months using Landsat images to examine the effects of urban heat island. The results shows that the temperature ranged from 31.23°C to 37.45°C between 2011 and 2021. The assessed land surface temperature (LST) is correlated and the result shows a positive correlation between the LST-normalised difference built-up index (NDBI) and a negative correlation between the LST-normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) and a weak correlation between LST-BSI and LST-MNDWI of summer months examined. Further, the urban thermal field variance index (UTFVI) of the city is analysed. The thermal condition of the city during April has significantly changed from 5.14 % of area in 2001 to 12.19 % of area in 2021 (UTFVI >0.020, Strongest) of worst ecological valuation index. The selected city is experiencing major thermal conditions (UTFVI 0.010–0.015) of ecological evaluation index from bad to worst. This study will help mitigate the urban heat island effect and promote sustainable development for rapid urbanization.

A novel ecological evaluation index based on geospatial principles and remote sensing techniques

ABSTRACT The evaluation of regional ecological status has far-reaching significance for understanding regional ecological conditions and promoting sustainable development. Herein, a geospatial ecological index (GEI) was developed on the basis of Landsat data and the principles of soil lines and spatial geometry. Specifically, the GEI integrates four remote sensing indicators: Perpendicular Vegetation Index (PVI) representing greenness, Modified Perpendicular Drought Index (MPDI) representing drought, Normalized Difference Built-up and Soil Index (NDSI) representing the dryness of land surface, and Land Surface Temperature (LST) representing the hotness of land surface. Two typical regions, Fuzhou City and Zijin mining area, in Fujian Province, China, were selected to evaluate regional ecological quality via the proposed GEI. The results show an improvement in the overall ecological quality of Fuzhou City, with an increase in the average GEI value from 0.49 in 2001 to 0.53 in 2020. In the case of the Zijin mining area, regions with poor ecological status are concentrated in the main mining areas. However, the average GEI value rose from 0.51 in 1992 to 0.57 in 2020, illustrating an improvement in its ecological conditions. The study demonstrates the robustness and effectiveness of GEI, objectively revealing the spatial distribution and ecological status.

Establishment of an Evaluation Indicator System and Evaluation Criteria for the Weihe River Ecological Watersheds

Ecological watersheds (eco-watersheds) are of great significance for boosting the construction of ecological civilization and realizing the ecological protection and high-quality development of watersheds. In order to establish a scientific eco-watershed evaluation index system, this paper refers to the river health evaluation index system, the water resources coupling evaluation index system, and the happy river evaluation index system, and reviews the development process of the ecological watershed evaluation index system. According to the eco-watershed theoretical system, combined with the relevant contents of policies and regulations, thousands of evaluation indicators that have been collected are screened using the theoretical analysis method and the frequency analysis method. Finally, a comprehensive evaluation index system of Weihe River eco-watersheds was constructed, including three first-level indicators: watershed water resources, socio-economic, and ecological. These were further subdivided into eight second-level indicators, namely water security, water resources, water economy, water management, water culture, water environment, water ecology, and water landscape. These second-level indicators were then further broken down into 60 third-level indicators. On the basis of determining the evaluation standards of Weihe River eco-watersheds, the evaluation weights were determined using the gray correlation method and the AHP-entropy comprehensive weight method (comprehensive weight), resulting in the establishment of an evaluation model and a coupling model for the eco-watersheds of the Weihe River. The results of the Weihe River eco-watershed evaluation model and the coupled coordination degree evaluation model show that, from 2019 to 2021, both the gray correlation analysis weights and comprehensive weight evaluation show a yearly increasing trend; the evaluation results are in the eligible status and below; and the evaluation grade is in the fourth-level eco-watersheds and below. Based on the evaluation results of each dimension, when comparing the gray correlation analysis weights with the evaluation of the comprehensive weights, the latter align more closely with the actual Weihe River Watershed. When comparing the evaluation results of the Henan Weihe River Watershed with those of the Handan Weihe River Watershed, the latter’s results, influenced by the scheduling of the Yuecheng Reservoir, are relatively better. Furthermore, in the evaluation of coupling coordination, the water resources subsystem is less coupled to other subsystems due to the 2021 flood. Therefore, in order to effectively improve the level of eco-watersheds, scientific and reasonable water resources scheduling programs should be developed.

Environmental impact and cost study of vehicles

In the traditional automobile industry, which was dominant from the mid-20th century to the early 21st century, the nitrogen oxides produced by auto mobile exhaust would pollute the air. After entering the 21st century, with lithium batteries as the representative, the energy density of energy storage units has rapidly increased, solving the endurance problem that has plagued the electric vehicle industry for nearly a century. The development path of electric vehicles has become wider and gradually become mainstream products in the market. This paper explores the environmental impact of transitioning from partial to complete tram usage in an urban area with a population of at least 500,000. Initially, this paper calculates the Ecological Evaluation Index to compare the environmental effects of the two types of vehicles. Subsequently, introducing four variables to set the entire model in motion, aiming to predict the environmental conditions of the urban area when entirely reliant on tram services. Furthermore, this paper considers the realistic financial issues that need to be faced and build a model for the financial impact that the transition to pure electric buses will soon bring. The excessive costs and potential external funds caused by the transition, which will affect the final ten-year transformation plan for the city. Finally, this transit company has successfully achieved an operational income of up to 13.3 billion over the past decade even in the absence of government subsidies. This underscores the robust foundation of its financial operations and economic sustainability, providing reliable financial support for future electric bus procurement and maintenance.

Does Out-Migration Really Affect Forestry Ecological Security? An Empirical Case Study Based on Heilongjiang Province, China

In the new era, coordinating the relationship between population flow and forestry ecological security has become an important challenge. In this study, we take Heilongjiang Province in China as an example, and through the combination of macro data and micro in-depth interviews, we explore whether population mobility really affects the intrinsic mechanism of forestry ecological security from the perspective of population exodus from forest areas. Based on the DPSIR model, we constructed a forestry ecological security evaluation index system, used the TOPSIS multi-objective decision analysis method to quantify the forestry ecological security status from 2000 to 2022, and utilized the impulse response function of the VAR model to explore the dynamic response relationship between population outflow and forestry ecological security. The results of this study show that, firstly, the comprehensive index of forestry ecological security level in Heilongjiang Province exhibits a fluctuating upward trend from 2000 to 2022. Second, forestry ecological security has a lagged effect on population outflow, and population outflow has almost no effect on forestry ecological security at present. Third, while the population outflow of Luobei County reduces the interference of human activities on the natural environment, it also brings about the pressures of insufficient forestry ecological resource management and forestry personnel. The Dongfanghong Forestry Bureau has effectively improved the efficiency of ecological construction and ecological security through the introduction of digitalized and intelligent equipment, which has effectively compensated for the negative impact of population outflow on the reduction in ecological management personnel. These findings will help realize the coordinated development of population, economy and society, and ecology.

Fuzzy evaluation and obstacle factors of urban ecological health changes in the Wei River Basin, northwest China

BackgroundUrban ecological health is crucial for the long-term sustainable development of watershed. Accurately evaluating the health level of the ecological environment helps to develop reasonable strategies for ecological environment restoration and resource management. This paper constructed a comprehensive evaluation index system based on the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) framework and evaluated the ecological health of eleven administrative regions in the Wei River Basin (WRB), northwest China in 1980, 2000, and 2020 using an evaluation model established by fuzzy mathematics. Further, obstacle degrees were used to quantify the contribution of pressure, state, and response modules, as well as individual indicators to ecological health.ResultsThe comprehensive evaluation system constructed based on the PSR framework could effectively reflect the ecological health conditions of different regions in the WRB. During the study period, the ecological health went through a process of first deterioration and then improvement. By 2020, the ecological health of seven administrative regions reached healthy levels. The state module was the main obstacle module of the PSR framework to the ecological health of the most regions. The population density (P1), patch density of construction land (S5), comprehensive elasticity index (S8), soil erosion index (R1), and per capital GDP (R3) were the most crucial individual indicators affecting the ecological health. For different cities, the main obstacle factors varied. In economically developed cities, the limiting effect of P1 was more significant, while in economically underdeveloped cities, the limiting effect of R3 was stronger.ConclusionsIn response to the special natural environment and socio-economic conditions of arid and semi-arid areas in the WRB, an ecological health evaluation index system suitable for the characteristics of the basin was constructed. The results indicated that, to improve the levels of urban ecological health, it is necessary to restore the natural ecological environment and control population size while accelerating economic construction. Our results can provide scientific support for the ecological health evaluation and protection of the WRB and even the arid and semi-arid areas in northwest China.

Coastal ecological security assessment in Laizhou Bay, China: from the perspective of demographic-social-economic-natural complex ecosystem.

Assessment of ecological security is essential for understanding the status of bay ecosystem and developing appropriate management strategy. Based on the driving force-pressure-state-impact-response (DPSIR) model, the demographic, economic, social, and ecological data of Laizhou Bay and its three neighboring counties were selected for the period from 2015 to 2021. An ecological security evaluation index system of Laizhou Bay containing 26 indicators was established, and the weights of each indicator were determined by the methods of AHP and EWM, and a comprehensive evaluation of the ecological security of Laizhou Bay was carried out by ESI. Correlations between indicators were analyzed by the Spearman's rank coefficient of correlation. The results showed that there were significant correlations between marine conditions and indicators such as population size in the surrounding area, mariculture area, industrial and domestic wastewater discharge, and treatment rate. Overall, from 2015 to 2021, the ecological security of Laizhou Bay showed a favorable trend, from a relatively unsafe level to a generally safe level, and then to a relatively safe level. Through the comprehensive evaluation of the ecological security of Laizhou Bay, we can recognize the utilization of marine resources and ecological carrying capacity, guide the rational development and utilization of marine resources, and promote the sustainable development of the marine economy.

Evaluation of the Evolution of the Ecological Security of Oases in Arid Regions and Its Driving Forces: A Case Study of Ejina Oasis in China

Ecological security is an important guarantee of human security and survival, closely related to sustainable development. However, the ecological security evaluation and driving force analysis of oases in arid areas is still insufficient. Ejina Oasis’s ecological security has experienced significant shifts following the centralized management of the Heihe River’s water allocation. Understanding the shifts in ecological security in the Ejina region is paramount for the oasis’s long-term sustainability. This paper employed the Pressure–State–Response (P–S–R) model to select socioeconomic and ecological indicators, establish a comprehensive ecological security evaluation index system, and then analyze the evolving ecological security in the region. Additionally, this paper explored the relationship between changes in the water area, oasis area, and ecological security by using the gray correlation degree to quantify the influence of Land Use Changes (LUCCs) on the overall ecological security. From 2000 to 2012, the ecological security index of Ejina Oasis remained relatively stable at around 0.4. However, a noticeable upward trend in the ecological security index emerged from 2012 to 2020, indicating a shift toward improved ecological security in the region. Critical determinants of this change included the habitat degradation degree, total population, habitat quality, carbon stock, fractional vegetation cover (FVC), the proportion of tertiary industry, and the volume of water discharged from Wolf Heart Mountain. The degree of habitat degradation, fractional vegetation cover (FVC), and the proportion of tertiary industry had the greatest impact on the change in ecological security. The pressure index was dominant in influencing ecological security before 2012 but gradually transitioned to the state index. This study offers a valuable framework for assessing the intricate relationship between LUCCs and ecological security in water-scarce, arid-region oases.

Urban Heat Island effect and Urban Thermal Field Variance Index phenomenon at the heart of ‘Chicken's Neck Corridor’ of India

Siliguri corridor, the ‘Chicken Neck Corridor of India’, is one of the largest Municipal areas in West Bengal and is of great geo-strategic importance as it lies at the crossroads between India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh connecting the north-eastern part of India with mainland India. This study uses the LANDSAT 7 ETM+ and LANDSAT 9 TIR OLI imageries from USGS Earth Explorer to determine Land Surface Temperature (LST) changes, Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI) changes; Normalized Differential Built-up Index (NDBI) changes; Land use and Land cover (LULC) changes; Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect; Urban Hot Spots (UHS) and Urban Thermal Field Variance Index (UTFVI) phenomenon. With booming trade and increasing urbanisation, Siliguri city (Municipal Corporation) has seen rise in the mean LST by 2.92 °C resulting in increased UHI intensity and UTFVI phenomena between 2000 and 2022. The average LST in UHI and UHS has risen by approx. 3 °C causing more areas to come under bad, worse and worst thermal comfort level categories of the ecological evaluation index. An attempt is made to determine the reason for such changes in this micro climate through multi-dimensional perspectives and to exhibit the land use transformations that took place between the aforesaid time periods.

Monitoring decadal ecological degradation in Kolkata metropolitan area using comprehensive ecological evaluation index: A vision towards sustainable urban planning

This study investigated spatial temporal variations in the ecological condition of the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) from 1990 to 2020 using the Comprehensive Ecological Evaluation Index (CEEI). The analysis focused on parameters such as vegetation cover (VC), land surface moisture (LSM), normalised difference built-up and bare soil index (NDBSI), and land surface temperature (LST). The study evaluates the spatio-temporal changes in the ecological condition of KMA (location) from 1990 to 2020 using the Comprehensive Ecological and Environmental Index (CEEI). The methodology involves analysing correlations among CEEI parameters, generating CEEI maps, assessing ecological change from 1990 to 2020, applying spatial autocorrelation for pattern analysis, and predicting the ecological condition for 2030 using linear regression. The findings revealed a decreasing trend in vegetation cover over the studied period, indicating a potential decline in the extent of greenery in the KMA. In 1990, around 3% of the KMA area experienced poor ecological conditions. By 2020, this figure had risen to approximately 13%, and projections indicate that by 2030, around 30% of the area will be characterized by poor ecological conditions. The correlation matrix analysis highlighted varying relationships between the parameters, with significant changes observed in their associations. The CEEI maps demonstrated a notable deterioration in the ecological condition of the KMA over time, characterised by reductions in the excellent and good categories and expansions in the moderate, fair, and poor categories. The analysis of spatial autocorrelation indicated a strengthening of spatial clustering or dispersion of the CEEI values, emphasizing the need for effective management practices. The study concludes that urgent measures should be implemented to address the underlying factors contributing to the ecological degradation and promote restoration efforts for a sustainable future of the KMA.

Research on Ecological Restoration Evaluation Index System for Construction Projects in Qinghai Tibet Plateau

In the “Ecological Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Qinghai Tibet Plateau” released in April 2023, it is stipulated that “the state strengthens the ecological protection and restoration of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau, adheres to the integrated protection and restoration of mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, grasses, sands, and ice, and implements a systematic governance that focuses on natural restoration and combines natural restoration with artificial restoration.” Currently, there is relatively little research on the ecological restoration evaluation index system in high-altitude areas represented by the Qinghai Tibet Plateau in China. This article studies the climate and soil characteristics of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau region and selects ecological restoration evaluation index systems suitable for high-altitude areas, including biological and community evaluation, soil and water conservation function evaluation, soil and water physical and chemical property evaluation, and landscape pattern evaluation.

Spatial differentiation and formation mechanism of ecological sensitivity in large river basins: A case study of the Yellow River Basin, China

Conducting ecological sensitivity assessment is a crucial approach for pinpointing regional ecological environmental issues, which can offer a scientific basis to aid in the prevention of regional ecological degradation and ensuring regional ecological security. With the protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin (YRB) at the level of a national strategy in China, there is a critical need for a comprehensive assessment of the YRB’s ecological sensitivity. To this end, this study aimed to construct a new ecological sensitivity evaluation index system from three perspectives: natural ecosystem, natural-social ecosystem, and social ecosystem. The ecological sensitivity index was quantified using the entire-array-polygon indicator method, and the spatiotemporal changes of ecological sensitivity in the YRB and its sub-basins were analyzed from 2000 to 2020. The optimal parameters-based geographical detector model was employed to delve into the mechanisms driving the spatial variation in ecological sensitivity. We found that (1) from 2000 to 2020, ecological sensitivity in the YRB exhibited a bimodal trend. Spatially, it tended to be low in the western and eastern parts while it was relatively high in the southern and central regions. (2) The YRB displayed notable clustering effects in terms of ecological sensitivity. The source area showed both “high-high” and “low-low” groupings, the upstream area showed a predominance of “low-low” clusters, while the midstream area and downstream area were demonstrated by concentrated “high-high” clusters. However, the clustering effect in downstream gradually weakened over time. (3) The ecological sensitivity of the YRB was primarily driven by factors like shifts in climate change and soil erosion. There were also marked differences in spatial heterogeneity of ecological sensitivity across different sub-basins. Moreover, the influence of interactive factors on the YRB's ecological sensitivity and its sub-basins was enhanced. The research findings enhance our understanding of ecological issues faced by the YRB and establish a foundation for developing strategies to protect and manage its environmental ecosystem effectively.

Assessment of Spatio-Temporal changes of Forest Cover using Remote Sensing techniques in Pavagadh Region, Gujarat State

For effective forest management, it is essential to consider forest patterns and periodic changes in forest cover. Several spectral vegetation indices derived from multi-temporal Remote Sensing data are useful to track the changes over time. The major objective of this study was to monitor the changes in forest cover during the past three decades in the Pavagadh area of Panchmahal district, Gujarat State, India. Various indices like Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Land Surface Temperature, and Urban Thermal Field Variance Index (UTFVI) with the Ecological Evaluation Index were analyzed for assessment of Spatio-temporal changes in the forest cover. Multi-temporal Landsat-TM and OLI sensor data for the years 1991, 2001, 2011, and 2021 were utilized covering the study area. The results indicated that the total forest cover area has gradually increased from 1991 to 2021 and the total forest area has doubled during this period of 30 years. The comparative study of NDVI and Land Surface Temperature map brings out a significant fact that in the areas where moderate and dense forest cover is present, the Land Surface Temperature was lower as compared to areas with poor vegetation cover. This indicates that there is an inverse relationship between forest cover distribution and Land Surface Temperature. However, the Ecological evaluation index shows that the forest vegetation quality is gradually improving to normal conditions with the excellent category and UTFVI value (< 0) in reference to the year 1991.

The Spatial Protection and Governance of Territories Based on the Ecological Product Supply: A Case Study in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei, China

Territory space is an ecological resource carrier and place for human development. Human activities and ecological systems are the basis of ecological product supply. Promoting territories’ spatial protection and governance by improving the supply of ecological products is very important. In this study, we established an ecological product supply capacity evaluation index system involving three types of ecological products, i.e., ecological environmental products, ecological material products, and ecological cultural products. For the case of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, we comprehensively used principal component analysis, the equivalent factor method, and the entropy method to evaluate the supply capacity of ecological products from 2011 to 2021. Then, we analyzed the spatio-temporal pattern, combining the natural breakpoint and quantile classification methods, and analyzed the obstacle factors using the obstacle degree model of ecological supply. The results show that the supply capacity of different ecological products in each city are closely related to their ecological resource endowment. The supply capacity of ecological products exhibited an upward trend, with the highest ecological environmental product supply being relatively smaller than the ecological material product supply, while the largest growth rate was for ecological cultural product supply. The supply capacity of different ecological products varied across cities over time and displayed noticeable spatial differentiation. The main obstacle factors included eco-land, eco-tourism, eco-leisure, park green space, and fishery products, although there were variations among cities. Finally, based on the level, spatial-temporal pattern, and obstacle factors of ecological product supply, we proposed strategies for territory spatial protection and governance from the perspectives of the integrated protection of elements, structural regulation, and systematic governance. The results reflected the ecological functional heterogeneity of the territory space, which can provide spatial planning guidance for sustainable development.

Dynamic Evolution Characteristics and Drivers of Tourism-Related Ecological Security in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region

Revealing the characteristics of the spatial and temporal evolution of regional tourism-related ecological security and exploring its driving factors are of great theoretical and practical value to promoting the coordinated and sustainable development of the tourism economy and the ecological environment. Taking the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region as a case study, this study constructed a tourism-related ecological security evaluation index system based on the DPSIR theoretical framework. The tourism-related ecological security index was measured from 2011 to 2022 and its spatiotemporal characteristics and dynamic evolutionary process were analyzed. Finally, the panel quantile regression model was used to analyze its driving factors. The results show that: (1) in time, the average value of tourism-related ecological security fluctuates and rises, and the differences between the units show a convergent trend, which is mainly manifested in the catching-up effect from low-value cities to higher-value cities; (2) in space, Beijing and its southeastern cities have a high level of tourism-related ecological security, and although the study area is mainly at the less secure level, it is developing continuously and progressively; (3) in terms of the dynamic evolution characteristics, the type transfer of tourism-related ecological security has certain “path dependence” and “self-locking” effects, often occurring between neighboring levels, and the type transfer under the influence of different neighborhoods has significant differences; (4) in terms of driving factors, environmental pollution has a significant inhibitory effect on the level of tourism-related ecological security, and the level of economic development has the largest positive marginal effect on tourism-related ecological security, while other influencing factors such as the level of tourism development have certain differences in terms of their positive role in the promotion of the level of tourism-related ecological security. This study can provide a reference for decisionmakers to promote ecological protection and high-quality tourism development in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region.

Spatiotemporal changes of poverty based on the perspective of ecological poverty reduction: evidence from guangdong province, China

To explore the evolving trends of ecological poverty reduction in impoverished counties within Guangdong Province, this study adopts the Driver-State-Response (DSR) model. We establish an ecological poverty evaluation index system, predict the poverty reduction index using a neural network, analyze the developmental relationship between the ecological environment and socio-economy within Guangdong’s impoverished counties utilizing an improved decoupling index, and finally employ a heatmap to dissect the spatiotemporal distribution features of poverty alleviation pressure. The main findings are as follows: (1) Fewer poor counties in Guangdong Province decouple natural ecology and social economy between 2013 and 2021, but overall poverty pressure is declining; (2) The pressure to reduce poverty and its changes vary greatly across different regions, with the pressure being concentrated in the north and less in the center and east. The essay makes appropriate policy recommendations for reducing poverty in various Guangdong Province regions based on the aforementioned findings.

The development of ecological civilization in China based on the economic-social-natural complex system.

China is making great efforts to build an ecological civilization. To reveal the effectiveness and spatial characteristics of the ecological civilization development in China, we constructed an Ecological Civilization Evaluation Index (ECI) based on the economic-social-natural complex system. We evaluated the development level of the ecological civilization in China from 2004 to 2020 and discussed the coupling and coordination relationship between subsystems. We found that the ecological civilization of China has achieved remarkable results. The relationship among the three subsystems has been improved to some extent, but the high-quality development of the economic system still requires effort. The development level of the ecological civilization in China presents spatial heterogeneity. From east to west, 30 provinces can be classified into four different types of development. On the whole, the development of China's ecological civilization has provided experiences for the world.

Satellite image analysis of thermal comfort for a sustainable urban ecology of Winneba, Ghana

To mitigate thermal heat effects for a sustainable urban living environment through planning and interventions, studies on land surface temperature (LST) in urban settings are crucial. Thus, the relationship between LST and surface landscape must be established to accurately assess the impacts of surface temperature changes for planning purposes. This will help gain knowledge about the spatial concentration of the heat effects and to design practical needs of urban planning. The study aimed to analyse and reveal the spatial dynamics of LST and its statistical relationship with two normalised satellite indices using Landsat satellite data. The Landsat-derived LST is validated using the MODIS surface temperature data. It also mapped the heat spots (HS) and evaluated the ecological evaluation index and thermal comfort using the thermal field variance index (TFVI). The results showed spatial variation in LST even within the built-up areas due to heterogeneity in the surface characteristics. Thus, localised heat islands (HIs) exist within short distances. The analysis established an inverse correlation for LST-NDVI and a direct correlation for LST-NDBI. The vegetation and water surfaces served as important heat reduction sinks while heavily built-up areas and the hardened-clayey bare surfaces served as heat-enhancing sources. More than half (52.80%) of the study area enjoys an excellent (48.57%) and good (4.23%) ecological evaluation index, indicating excellent to good thermal comfort. Much of these areas are in the urban periphery. Also, more than one-third (38.96%) enjoy the worst (34.85%) and worse (4.11%) ecological evaluation index and thus high thermal discomfort. Identifying these HS areas and evaluating the thermal comfort will help the planners and decision-makers to fully evaluate the thermal consequences of different landuse or land development scenarios and therefore improve the scientific basis of future planning and regulations.