Ecological Indicators Research Articles

On the Hydrofauna of the First Batabat Water Reservoir

For the first time generalized data on hydrofauna of the First Batabat reservoir are given. In the fauna 6 species of zooplanktonic organisms are revealed, with absolute predominance of large predatory copepod Hemidiaptomus rylovi Charin, 1928. The mean body length of fertilized egg-bearing female crustaceans was 3.6 mm to the furca and 5.1 mm to the tip of the telson. In the ecosystem, Daphnia pulex Leydig, 1860 typically produces its last parthenogenetic generation in September. In the macrozoobenthos of the reservoir, 40 species of macrobenthic organisms were found, with the Heteroptera (9 species) and the Chironomidae family (9 species) predominating in terms of the number of species. According to all its ecological indicators Gammarus lacustris (Sars, 1863) is the dominant bottom organism of the ecosystem. The maximum number of population individuals — 346 spec./m2 and biomass — 2804 g/m2 was calculated in the last decade of June 2017. Being a detritophage with a wide food spectrum, individuals of the higher crayfish have an abundant food base in the reservoir. The first Batabat reservoir located in the high mountainous region of the autonomous republic and having favorable natural and geographical conditions is characterized by high biological productivity.

Balancing economic and ecological functions in smallholder and industrial oil palm plantations

The expansion of the oil palm industry in Indonesia has improved livelihoods in rural communities, but comes at the cost of biodiversity and ecosystem degradation. Here, we investigated ways to balance ecological and economic outcomes of oil palm cultivation. We compared a wide range of production systems, including smallholder plantations, industrialized company estates, estates with improved agronomic management, and estates with native tree enrichment. Across all management types, we assessed multiple indicators of biodiversity, ecosystem functions, management, and landscape structure to identify factors that facilitate economic-ecological win-wins, using palm yields as measure of economic performance. Although, we found that yields in industrialized estates were, on average, twice as high as those in smallholder plantations, ecological indicators displayed substantial variability across systems, regardless of yield variations, highlighting potential for economic-ecological win-wins. Reducing management intensity (e.g., mechanical weeding instead of herbicide application) did not lower yields but improved ecological outcomes at moderate costs, making it a potential measure for balancing economic and ecological demands. Additionally, maintaining forest cover in the landscape generally enhanced local biodiversity and ecosystem functioning within plantations. Enriching plantations with native trees is also a promising strategy to increase ecological value without reducing productivity. Overall, we recommend closing yield gaps in smallholder cultivation through careful intensification, whereas conventional plantations could reduce management intensity without sacrificing yield. Our study highlights various pathways to reconcile the economics and ecology of palm oil production and identifies management practices for a more sustainable future of oil palm cultivation.

Eco-environmental changes due to human activities in the Erhai Lake Basin from 1990 to 2020.

Human activities have increased with urbanisation in the Erhai Lake Basin, considerably impacting its eco-environmental quality (EEQ). This study aims to reveal the evolution and driving forces of the EEQ using water benefit-based ecological index (WBEI) in response to human activities and policy variations in the Erhai Lake Basin from 1990 to 2020. Results show that (1) the EEQ exhibited a pattern of initial degradation, subsequent improvement, further degradation and a rebound from 1990 to 2020, and the areas with poor and fair EEQ levels mainly concentrated around the Erhai Lake Basin with a high level of urbanisation and relatively flat terrain; (2) the EEQ levels were not optimistic in 1990, 1995 and 2015, and areas with poor and fair EEQ levels accounted for 43.41%, 47.01% and 40.05% of the total area, respectively; and (3) an overall improvement in the EEQ was observed in 1995-2000, 2000-2005, 2005-2009 and 2015-2020, and the improvement was most significant in 1995-2000, covering an area of 823.95 km2 and accounting for 31.79% of the total area. Results also confirmed that the EEQ changes in the Erhai Lake Basin were primarily influenced by human activities and policy variations. Moreover, these results can provide a scientific basis for the formulation and planning of sustainable development policy in the Erhai Lake Basin.

Response of Phyllosphere and Rhizosphere Microbial Communities to Salt Stress of Tamarix chinensis

As carriers of direct contact between plants and the atmospheric environment, the microbiomes of phyllosphere microorganisms are increasingly recognized as an important area of study. Salt secretion triggered by salt-secreting halophytes elicits changes in the community structure and functions of phyllosphere microorganisms, and often provides positive feedback to the individual plant/community environment. In this study, the contents of Na+ and K+ in the rhizosphere, plant and phyllosphere of Tamarix chinensis were increased under 200 mmol/L NaCl stress. The increase in electrical conductivity, Na+ and K+ in the phyllosphere not only decreased the diversity of bacterial and fungal communities, but also decreased the relative abundance of Actinobacteriota and Basidiomycota. Influenced by electrical conductivity and Na+, the bacteria–fungus co-occurrence network under salt stress has higher complexity. Changes in the structure of the phyllosphere microbial community further resulted in a significant increase in the relative abundance of the bacterial energy source and fungal pathotrophic groups. The relative abundance of Actinobacteriota and Acidobacteriota in rhizosphere showed a decreasing trend under salt stress, while the complexity of the rhizosphere co-occurrence network was higher than that of the control. In addition, the relative abundances of functional groups of rhizosphere bacteria in the carbon cycle and phosphorus cycle increased significantly under stress, and were significantly correlated with electrical conductivity and Na+. This study investigated the effects of salinity on the structure and physicochemical properties of phyllosphere and rhizosphere microbial communities of halophytes, and highlights the role of phyllosphere microbes as ecological indicators in plant responses to stressful environments.

Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Coupling Coordination in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Urban Agglomeration: Ecology, Environment and Economy

With the rapid growth and development of urban areas, the economy has often been prioritized at the expense of the environment and ecological systems. However, it is essential to delve deeper into the relationship between the economy and the ecological environment. Therefore, this study introduces a comprehensive evaluation system that encompasses economic, ecological, and environmental factors in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration in China. The Criteria Importance Through Inter-criteria Correlation (CRITIC) method is utilized to determine the weights of various indicators, and coupling as well as coupling coordination models are employed to investigate the spatiotemporal trends and interrelationships of the three factors. The results indicate that the economic development index has displayed a consistent uptrend since 2000, with the economic development index from 2015–2020 increasing by approximately four times compared to 2000–2005. The ecological status index has also increased in the last five years, with a rise of about 0.05 from 2015–2020 compared to 2000–2005. The environmental status index has fluctuated but generally increased, with a rise of approximately 5.6 times from 2015–2020 compared to 2000–2005. The coupling degree of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration is relatively high, with intense coupling from 2005–2020, and moderate coupling from 2000–2005. Furthermore, the coupling coordination has continuously improved from mild maladjustment to barely coordinated from 2000 to 2020, indicating the enhancement of the coupling coordination of the three factors. It is crucial to acknowledge that there exists spatial heterogeneity in both the coupling degree and coupling coordination degree. This heterogeneity stems from the uneven progress in economic development, ecological conditions, and environmental status across various cities. Additional endeavors are required to foster the harmonized advancement of these factors across the entire region.

Analyzing the Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Driving Forces of Ecological Environment Quality in the Qinling Mountains, China

The Qinling Mountains serve as a vital ecological barrier for China, needing regular monitoring for sustainable progress. The present study analyzed the Qinling Mountains (sections in Shaanxi province) via the Google Earth Engine (GEE) and Landsat images, constructing a Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI) for quantitatively analyzing the spatiotemporal evolution of the ecological environment quality from 1990 to 2020. Additionally, this study integrated geodetector and multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) to discern the driving factors influencing ecological quality. The results indicated the following: (1) over the 30 years, the RSEI in the study area initially declined (1990–2005) and then began to improve (2005–2020), demonstrating an overall upward trend; (2) RSEI varied with topography: lower values corresponded to lower elevations (<1200 m) and gentle slopes (<10°), whereas higher values were linked to higher elevations (>1600 m) and steeper slopes (>20°); and (3) NDVI, DEM, land use, and the presence of protected areas emerged as the main driving forces of ecological quality. The interaction between ecological conservation policies and socioeconomic factors enhanced the explanatory strength for the differentiation in ecological environment quality. In conclusion, factors like increased vegetation cover and the establishment of protected areas have significantly promoted the improvement of ecological environment quality in the Qinling region, making this study a scientific reference for providing ecological environment protection and promoting high-quality development.

Ecological indicators and biological resources for hydrocarbon rhizoremediation in a protected area

Spillage from oil refineries, pipelines, and service stations consistently leads to soil, food and groundwater contamination. Bacterial-assisted phytoremediation is a non-invasive and sustainable solution to eliminate or decrease the concentration of xenobiotic contaminants in the environment. In the present study, a protected area interested by a fuel discharge was considered to assess a bioremediation intervention. From the spill point, a plume of contamination flowed South-West into the aquifer, eventually reaching a wetland area. Soils, groundwaters and plants belonging to the species Scirpus sylvaticus (L.) were sampled. In the majority of the soil samples, concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons, both C ≤ 12 and C > 12, exceeded legal limits set forth in Directive 2000/60/EC. The analysis of diatom populations, used as ecological indicators, evidenced morphology alterations and the presence of Ulnaria ulna and Ulnaria biceps species, previously detected in hydrocarbon-polluted waters. Tests for phytotoxicity and phytodegradation, carried out in soil mesocosms, planted with Zea mays and Helianthus annuus, demonstrated that both species significantly contributed to the removal of total petroleum hydrocarbons. Removal of C ≤ 12 and C > 12 petroleum hydrocarbons was in the range of 80%–82% for Z. mays and 71%–72% for H. annuus. Microbial communities inhabiting high organic carbon and vegetated soils were more active in hydrocarbon degradation than those inhabiting subsoils, as evidenced by soil slurry experiments. The abundance of functional genes encoding toluene-benzene monooxygenase (tbmD) and alkane hydroxylase (alkB), quantified in environmental samples, confirmed that the plant rhizosphere recruited a microbial community with higher biodegradation capacity. Bacterial strains isolated from the sampling site were able to grow on model hydrocarbons (hexane, hexadecane and o-, m-, p-xylene) as sole carbon and energy sources, indicating that a natural bio-attenuation process was on-going at the site. The bacterial strains isolated from rhizosphere soil, rhizoplane and endosphere showed plant growth promoting traits according to in vitro and in vivo tests on Z. mays and Oryza sativa, allowing to forecast a possible application of bacterial assisted rhizoremediation to recover the protected area.

Variability of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Relation to Economic and Ecological Indicators from Cattle Farms

Agricultural production, including animal husbandry, is associated with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which have a negative impact on the environment. The purpose of this study was to determine methane and nitrous oxide emissions at the level of individual farms and to identify differences in emissions by type of production. Analyses were conducted using data from the FADN agricultural accounting system, covering the farms in Poland engaged in dairy production and the breeding of other grazing livestock for the period from 2012 to 2021. The relationships and trends of the indicators during the study period were also analyzed. The statistical analysis confirmed the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and economic performance. In the case of dairy farms, the emissions averaged 137.09 kg·ha−1 of methane and 94.05 kg·ha−1 of nitrous oxide, which were found to increase as the net-added value and farm income increased. The results of the presented research highlight the existence of a link between economic goals and GHG emissions, which is an important contribution to the development of mitigation strategies in livestock production.

Rates of palaeoecological change can inform ecosystem restoration

Abstract. Accelerations of ecosystem transformation raise concerns, to the extent that high rates of ecological change may be regarded amongst the most important ongoing imbalances in the Earth system. Here, we used high-resolution pollen and diatom assemblages and associated ecological indicators (the sum of tree and shrub pollen and diatom-inferred total phosphorus concentrations as proxies for tree cover and lake-water eutrophication, respectively) spanning the past 150 years to emphasize that rate-of-change records based on compositional data may document transformations having substantially different causes and outcomes. To characterize rates of change also in terms of other key ecosystem features, we quantified for both ecological indicators: (i) the percentage of change per unit time, (ii) the percentage of change relative to a reference level, and (iii) the rate of percentage change per unit time relative to a reference period, taking into account the irregular spacing of palaeoecological data. These measures document how quickly specific facets of nature changed, their trajectory, as well as their status in terms of palaeoecological indicators. Ultimately, some past accelerations of community transformation may document the potential of ecosystems to rapidly recover important ecological attributes and functions. In this context, insights from palaeoecological records may be useful to accelerate ecosystem restoration.

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.

Assessment Of Remote Sensing Approach For Urban Ecological Quality Evaluation In Pekanbaru City, Riau Province Indonesia

There are obstacles in estimating environmental dynamics behind its convenience, beginning with the development of effective policies for sustainable urban development. The objectives of this research were to comprehend the ability and performance of ecological indices integration and to identify the spatial distribution of changes from 2018 to 2021 in Pekanbaru City, Riau province, Indonesia. This study employed remote sensing data to create ecological parameters including the build-up index, vegetation index, soil index, and moisture index, as well as principal component analysis to generate ecological index integration. The findings indicate a correlation of over 90% among these parameters from 2018 to 2021. Overall, there has been a significant decrease in the ecological quality index’s high-quality categories, such as good and excellent, covering a total of 19.6% over 127 km². Conversely, the poor ecological quality category increased to 2.2%, encompassing an area of 15 km², up from the initial 21.2% covering 122 km². Additionally, the fair and moderate categories also experienced increases of 4% and 13.4%, respectively, reaching 28 km² and 84 km². The study area’s ecological quality is largely affected by increased anthropogenic activities, leading to a drastic decrease in the presence of ecological quality in the good and excellent categories. The importance of spatial planning is emphasized to incorporate aspects of ecological assessment rather than solely focusing on increasing economic activity. This outcome can be used to respond to the concept of sustainable development by caring for the ecological environment, particularly in urban areas, and mitigating ecological damage.

Spatial–temporal patterns of ecological changes in the Dongting Lake region and their responses to climate factors and human activities

ABSTRACT The Dongting Lake region is an important ecological and environmental protection zone in the Yangtze River Economic Belt of China. Long-term monitoring and evaluation of its ecological environment is of great significance. In this study, the spatio-temporal pattern of ecological condition change and its response to climate factors and human activities in the Dongting Lake region was quantitatively analyzed using RSEI (Remote Sensing Ecological Index) model. The primary conclusions are as follows: (1) The temporal pattern of ecological changes has a small fluctuation period (1990–2007) and a continuous improvement period (2007–2020) with an ecological improvement rate of 1.17% per year. (2) The spatial pattern of ecological changes is directly tied to the land use types in this area. 17.36% of the regions with an excellent ecological level are primarily woodland, whereas 4.45% of the areas with a low ecological level are mostly urban. (3) The deterioration in ecological conditions in urban areas is primarily attributable to human activities, whereas the decline in ecological conditions in surrounding mountainous regions and central agricultural regions is primarily attributable to climate factors. Our research provides valuable support for ecological environment monitoring and management strategy formulation in the Dongting Lake region.

Comprehensive comparison of two models evaluating eco-environmental quality in Fangshan

It is crucial to employ scientifically sound models for assessing the quality of the ecological environment and revealing the strengths and weaknesses of ecosystems. This process is vital for identifying regional ecological and environmental issues and devising relevant protective measures. Among the widely acknowledged models for evaluating ecological quality, the ecological index (EI) and remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) stand out; however, there is a notable gap in the literature discussing their differences, characteristics, and reasons for selecting either model. In this study, we focused on Fangshan District, Beijing, China, to examine the differences between the two models from 2017 to 2021. We summarized the variations in evaluation indices, importance, quantitative methods, and data acquisition times, proposing application scenarios for both models. The results indicate that the ecological environment quality in Fangshan District, Beijing, remained favorable from 2017 to 2021. There was a discernible trend of initially declining quality followed by subsequent improvement. The variation in the calculation results is evident in the overall correlation between the RSEI and EI. Particularly noteworthy is the significantly smaller correlation between EI and the RSEI in 2021 than in the other two years. This discrepancy is attributed to shifts in the contribution of the evaluation indices within the RSEI model. The use of diverse quantitative methods for evaluating indicators has resulted in several variations. Notably, the evaluation outcomes of the EI model exhibit a stronger correlation with land cover types. This correlation contributes to a more pronounced fluctuation in RSEI levels from 2017 to 2021, with the EI model's evaluation results in 2019 notably surpassing those of the RSEI model. Ultimately, the most prominent disparities lie in the calculation results for water areas and construction land. The substantial difference in water areas is attributed to the distinct importance assigned to evaluation indicators between the two models. Moreover, the notable difference in construction land arises from the use of different quantification methods for evaluation indicators. In general, the EI model has suggested to be more comprehensive and effectively captures the annual comprehensive status of the ecological environment and the multiyear change characteristics of the administrative region. On the other hand, RSEI models exhibit greater flexibility and ease of implementation, independent of spatial and temporal scales. These findings contribute to a clearer understanding of the models' advantages and limitations, offering guidance for decision makers and valuable insights for the improvement and development of ecological environmental quality evaluation models.

Characteristics of propagation from meteorological drought to ecological drought in China: Lag and cumulative effects

The increasing frequency and severity of droughts will seriously impact agricultural production and the ecological environment. Studying the drought lag (DL) and drought cumulative (DC) effects of propagation between meteorological drought to ecological drought can help to enhance the capacity of ecological drought monitoring. Therefore, in this study, the meteorological drought index (non-stationary standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index, NSPEI) and ecological drought index (vegetation condition index, VCI) were obtained using ERA5 reanalysis data and MODIS vegetation index data, respectively. The purpose of this study was to reveal the DL and DC effects of the propagation of meteorological drought to ecological drought and investigate the spatial heterogeneity of drought propagation in different underlying surfaces and climate zones. The results indicated that: 1) Northern China is more vulnerable to severe and extreme droughts, and 68% of the region has significantly slower ecological droughts. 2) The western temperate zone, highland climate zone, and subtropical zone have shorter DL times for subtropical drought and longer DL times for eastern temperate zones. 3) DC and DL effects have similar spatial distributions. However, the DC duration of grassland and bare ground is shorter in the northwest and south, and longer in grassland and farmland in northern China. 4) China overall is more affected by the DC effect, while the DL effect is more significant in southern temperate zone.

Spatial-temporal characteristics analysis and ecological environment quality evaluation of forest health care bases in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces

As the forest health care in China is still in the early stage of development, the construction standards of forest health care base are not unified yet, resulting in large differences in the evaluation criterion for the ecological environment of forest health care bases. So, it is urgent to develop a new forest health care ecological environment quality assessment method. Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces of China were selected as the study area, the previous 6 batches of 165 national forest health care pilot construction bases were selected as the main data source. This study explored the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of forest health care bases in the study area using standard deviation ellipses, kernel density estimation method and cold and hot spot analysis. Furthermore, this study evaluated the ecological environment quality of the forest health care bases with a new ecological environment quality evaluation index model, which assembled Fraction Vegetation Coverage(FVC), Wetness(WET), Evapotranspiration(ET), Land Surface Temperature(LST) and Normalized Difference Bare Soil Index(NDBSI). The results are as follows: (1) the forest health bases in the study area are mainly located by the east of the Hu Line with a northeast-southwest distribution direction characteristics, and gradually expanded into a shape of "high in the east and low in the west, multi-point development". (2) the area with ecological environment quality in excellent, good and medium grade accounts for about 87.73% in the study area, indicating that most of the study area is suitable for the construction of forest health care base. These results can provide a practical guidance for the further rational layout and balanced development of forest health care bases in the study area.

Has Green Finance Enhanced the Ecological Resilience Level in the Yangtze River Economic Belt?

Ecological environment restoration has become an important strategy for the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and green finance is indispensable to supporting industrial transformation and green innovation. It is of great importance to clarify the internal relationship between green finance and ecological resilience construction. This paper introduces the concept of resilience into the field of ecological construction and constructs an ecological resilience index system from three dimensions of “resistance-adaptability-resilience”. On this basis, it focuses on the different aspects of green finance, such as green credit, green securities, green investment, green insurance, etc., and examines the role of green financial development on the ecological resilience of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The results of the study showed that (1) during the study period, the overall ecological resilience level of the Yangtze River Economic Belt improved significantly and there were significant differences in the ecological resilience of the economic belts but such spatial differences are converging; (2) green insurance has a significant positive influence on ecological resilience, while green credit, green securities, and green investment have a significant negative influence on ecological resilience; (3) green credit and green securities have a significant positive effect on the resistance to ecological resilience, green credit and green investment inhibit the adaptability of ecological resilience, and green insurance significantly improves the resilience of ecological resilience. Green financial policies should be further optimized, and innovative all-round and multi-level products and services should be provided. It is necessary to leverage social capital to promote green transformation and technological innovation in high-pollution industries. By combining resource endowment and location advantages, we can explore the benign interaction between green finance and ecological civilization construction.

Quantitative evaluation of crowd intelligence innovation system health: An ecosystem perspective

Crowd intelligence innovation (CII) is an open problem-solving model, typically performs on a crowdsourcing-based online innovation platform, which is highly dependent on the engagement and high-quality work of participants. On an online platform, many demanders publish tasks, and innovators submit schemes, which forms a complex CII system. To ensure such a CII system operates sustainably, it is critical for the platform operators to know the current system’s health statuses before taking proper management actions. However, the large influx of participators with varied behaviors makes it extremely difficult to evaluate the health statuses of the system and capture its characteristics. Practicable method for quantitatively evaluating the health status of a CII system is still missing. Therefore, this study proposed a new quantitative health status evaluation method from an ecosystem perspective. First, the crowd intelligence innovation ecosystem (CIIE) was established by mapping the CII system onto the natural ecosystem based on ecological theory. Second, the health status of CIIE was described by its internal health status and external health status using a mixed method. The internal health status of the CIIE was defined and evaluated based on its health characteristics in terms of stability, ascendency, development capacity, and redundancy measurements using ecological network analysis. The external health status was evaluated using the ecological entropy index system. As the primary verification of the feasibility of our proposed approach, a case study of Zhubajie was conducted. These results confirmed the feasibility of our evaluation method. With this method, the health status of CIIEs could be accurately measured, which supported the management and organization the CII systems. Future work will focus on adapting suitable measures to improve the operation of CII.

أهمية التأثير البشري في تقييم الحالة البيئية للمدن في أوزبكستان (منطقة نافوي كحالة للدراسة)

يعتبر إنشاء سلسلة من الخرائط ، وتجميع المؤشرات البيئية ، وتقييم الحالة البيئية للمدن من المهام البحثية وثيقة الصلة بالموضوع. إن تزايد عدد السكان في المدن ، وإنشاء العديد من المؤسسات الصناعية والإنتاجية ، واستخدام المركبات ، كلها عوامل تساهم في تدهور البيئة. منطقة نافوي هي وحدة إدارية شابة تقع في وسط أوزبكستان. أما فيما يتعلق  بالتنمية الصناعية فمنطقة نافوي هي الأولى بين الوحدات الإدارية في الجمهورية. يشكل الإنتاج في مدنها ، وخاصة الإنتاجية العالية للمؤسسات الصناعية الثقيلة ، والمشاكل البيئية بأشكال مختلفة بسبب الضغط البشري على البيئة الطبيعية ، وصحة السكان - الأمهات والأطفال وكبار السن - تهديدًا خطيرًا. نتيجة للضغط البشري المرتفع ، تتناقص المساحات الخضراء النظيفة بيئيًا. تحتل حصة صغيرة جدًا مقارنة بالمساحة الإجمالية. وهذا بدوره يمكن أن يسبب ضغوطًا بيئية في المدن الإقليمية الواقعة في المناطق القاحلة ، ويسبب فقدان المساحات الخضراء. إن توقع مثل هذه العواقب ومكافحتها أمر مهم بشكل خاص اليوم. تحلل هذه المقالة الظروف البيئية في منطقة نافوي ومدنها ، بالإضافة إلى العامل الأكثر أهمية الذي يؤثر عليها ، التأثيرات البشرية. تم تصنيف الأراضي لمنطقة المدينة بالإضافة إلى الاقتراحات والتوصيات. لهذا ، قمنا بتحليل وتجميع التصنيف الهيكلي لمنطقة المدن الإقليمية. نتيجة لأبحاثنا ، يمكننا أن نرى أن المخاطر البيئية عالية. في هذه المقالة ، تتم تغطية المعلمات الرئيسية للدراسة بحسابات دقيقة.

Ecological restoration trajectory of the Taitema Lake wetland in arid northwest China: A 36-year wetland health assessment using Landsat time series data

The Taitema Lake wetland in the lower reaches of the Tarim River (northwest China) is sensitive to hydrological changes and provides necessary ecosystem functions for biodiversity conservation. Monitoring and evaluating the long-term dynamics of the Taitema Lake wetland is essential for conserving and restoring regional wetland ecosystems. This paper used a dense time series of Landsat images from 1986 to 2021 to map the Taitema Lake wetlands. It analyzed the annual and seasonal variations of the wetlands by ten ecological indicators, which include area extent, vegetation, hydrology, and landscape features. A systematic assessment of the ecological quality of the wetlands over the past 36 years, along with their influencing factors, was conducted from the perspective of wetland health. The results showed that (1) the recovered water areas and the wetlands showed a clear trend of ecological restoration since 2000, accompanied by an increased fragmentation. The total wetland area increased from 69.95 km2 in 1986 to 1164.47 km2 in 2021, with a 15.6-fold increase, and the vegetation area increased twentyfold to 639.84 km2. (2) The wetness in the core zone increased consistently across seasons, coupled with a simultaneous vegetation expansion surrounding the core zone. The areas with increasing wetness levels account for 48 % during winter and spring, and the areas with vegetation expansion account for 81 % and 72 % in summer and autumn, respectively. (3) The wetland ecological health status recovered to a “Good” level in 2021 and has not reached the “Excellent” status. The expansion of the water body is the primary driver behind the promotion of wetland ecological recovery. Small water bodies within the area range of 0.05 to 0.1 km2 notably exhibited the most stimulating effects on the wetlands. Thus, increasing the count of smaller water bodies helps rehabilitate vegetation growth and mitigating the water supply’s stress to sustain large lacustrine bodies.

A new approach for the assessment of urban eco-environmental quality based on remote sensing: a case study of Herat City, Afghanistan

ABSTRACT This research assesses Herat City’s urban ecological degradation in 2000, 2013, and 2021 using Landsat and MODIS data. A Mean Remote Sensing Ecological Index (MRESI) is developed by integrating Known Granulation Entropy (KGE) and COmprehensive Distance-Based RAnking (COBRA) algorithms. Five ecological elements are considered: humidity, greenness, heat, dryness, and AOD. MRESI declined from 0.4544 to 0.4100, indicating deteriorating urban ecological quality. Spatial degradation increased from six to nine districts. MRSEI identified as the most representative indicator, effectively reflecting the urban ecological quality of Herat city. This approach offers an effective and economical method for managing urban development and spatial control.