Ecological Issues Research Articles

PEDAGOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE CONTENT AND STRUCTURE OF ECOLOGICAL CULTURES OF ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALISTS

In the face of escalating environmental challenges, the imperative for sustainable development has never been more urgent. Central to this pursuit is the cultivation of an ecological culture, particularly among those who will one day lead, manage, and innovate within the realm of environmental sciences. This paper seeks to delve into the pedagogical underpinnings that foster such a culture, specifically within the educational pathways of environmental specialists. The concept of ecological culture, with roots tracing back to the 1980s, represents not merely an academic discipline but an essential paradigm through which humanity’s survival and the biosphere’s integrity are interconnected. The notion of ecological culture encompasses a broad spectrum of understandings and practices that reflect a harmonious interaction between humans and their natural environment. Historically viewed as a subset of broader cultural dynamics, it has evolved from the peripheral to the central focus of educational agendas in response to global ecological crises. This evolution underscores the shift from viewing ecological issues as isolated challenges to recognizing them as integral to all aspects of societal development. This article examines the structural and content-related aspects of ecological culture in the training and education of environmental specialists. By analyzing theoretical developments and practical applications, it aims to highlight how ecological education not only imparts knowledge but also shapes the ethical and practical frameworks within which future environmental stewards operate. In doing so, it explores how an interdisciplinary approach can enrich this educational process, preparing students not just to understand but also to act upon environmental challenges with insight and responsibility. This holistic approach is crucial for fostering a generation of specialists capable of steering our society towards a sustainable future, emphasizing the critical role of education in shaping ecological consciousness and action.

Organic food production among Chinese urban botanists

Organic food production is recognized by most countries and regions worldwide as a method of ecological and environmental protection because traditional agricultural practices significantly use pesticides and other chemicals, creating severe issues regarding the ecological, environmental, and food safety issues. Most research on organic production focuses on large-scale organic production. This study focuses on growing noncommercial, small-scale urban organic food using the value-belief-norm (VBN) model to explore the pro-environmental behavior regarding organic food production from a psychological perspective. We employed nonprobability sampling because of the absence of a sampling framework for the target population. We obtained a sample of 621 respondents from noncommercial urban botanists in China followed by quantitative methods to examine the relationships among variables using partial least squares structural equation modeling. This study focused on organic food behavior by modifying the VBN theory, which built trust in organic food production methods and developed a structural equation model to explain the underlying motivational factors that influenced the propensity to grow organic food. Finally, the path analysis results demonstrated that all hypothesized associations were statistically significant, except for the ecological worldview on personal norms and trust in organic food production, and personal norms on intention toward organic food production. Overall, the results of this study verify the validity of the VBN theory in the context of organic food consumption as a pro-environmental behavior. Therefore, relevant departments and governments should take measures to promote organic food production in China from a psychological perspective.

An Ecology-Oriented Single–Multi-Objective Optimal Operation Modeling and Decision-Making Method in the Case of the Ganjiang River

Hydro power has provided significant economic benefits to society due to its cleanliness and convenience. As the number of hydropower stations has increased, many serious ecological issues have also emerged. This study uses Wan’an Reservoir as its research object and investigates single–multi-objective optimal operation and decision-making regarding reservoirs for ecology-oriented operation, to meet ecological water demand and seek the optimal operation schemes for energy generation and ecological benefits. The full-process research is conducted based on the “objective-modeling constraint optimization scheme decision-making” framework. The Mann–Kendall test and ordered clustering method were used to diagnose the hydrological variation in the basin. Based on this, a hierarchical and phased ecological flow process was derived. The objectives were defined according to the flow process, and optimal operation models were constructed. The differential evolution algorithm (DE) and improved non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II) were used to solve the models. A non-fitting curve method was used to determine the approximate inflection point of the Pareto front curve, and the curve was fitted linearly according to the approximate inflection point to obtain the conversion formula between the objectives. Based on the coefficient of variation and Mahalanobis distance, a new multi-attribute decision-making method for reservoir operation, CV-ITOPSIS, was constructed by improving the traditional TOPSIS. The results show that: (1) There is a piecewise linear contradiction between energy generation and ecological objectives, and the contradiction intensifies with an increase in incoming water frequency. (2) Before the approximate inflection point, the head significantly influences the conversion rate from the energy generation to ecology, while the discharge flow is the major influencing factor after the inflection point. The inflection point and the formula for the piecewise straight line can reveal the conversion law between the two objectives. (3) CV-ITOPSIS considers the degree of differentiation of index data and fully considers the correlation between indicators while retaining the good evaluation performance of the traditional method. It recommends the optimal benefit scheme for a multi-objective non-inferior solution set. The research results provide a theoretical foundation and decision support for the optimal ecological operation of the Ganjiang River Basin.

Land Use Change and Ecological Security Evaluation in Haikou City

With the continuous development of society and the acceleration of urbanization, profound changes have occurred in the utilization of land resources. Unreasonable land use and development pose serious threats to land ecological security, leading to a series of ecological security issues that constrain regional sustainable development. This study takes Haikou City as the research object and utilizes remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) technologies to analyze the changes in land use in Haikou City from 2002 to 2022. Simultaneously, a land ecological security evaluation system is constructed based on the "Pressure-State-Response" (PSR) model. The weights of the indicators are determined by combining the Entropy weight method and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The TOPSIS (technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution) method is then applied to evaluate the land ecological security index. The results indicate that during the period from 2002 to 2022, the cropland and impervious areas in Haikou City exhibited significant growth trends, while the areas of grassland, water, barren land, and forest decreased. Despite this, the comprehensive ecological security index of Haikou City showed an overall fluctuating upward trend, reaching its optimal state in 2022, with the land ecological security level improving from "Minor Warning" to "Relatively Safe". These research findings provide scientific evidence for adjusting land use policies and formulating relevant measures, and also serve as an important reference for promoting the sustainable utilization and ecological security protection of land resources in Haikou City.

Temporal-spatial characteristics and sources of heavy metals in bulk deposition across China

With the rapid development of industries, agriculture, and urbanization (including transportation and population growth), there has been a significant alteration in the emission and atmospheric deposition of heavy metal pollutants. This has consequently given rise to a range of ecological and environmental health issues. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive two-year investigation on the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of heavy metals in atmospheric deposition across China based on the Nationwide Nitrogen Deposition Monitoring Network (NNDMN). The atmospheric bulk deposition of Lead (Pb), Arsenic (As), Nickel (Ni), Selenium (Se), Chromium (Cr) and Cadmium (Cd) were 6.32 ± 1.59, 4.49 ± 0.57, 1.31 ± 0.21, 1.05 ± 0.16, 0.60 ± 0.06 and 0.21 ± 0.03 mg m−2 yr−1, respectively, with a large variation among the different regions of China. The order for atmospheric deposition flux was Southwest China > Southeast China > North China > Northeast China > Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and rural area > urban area > background area. The concentrations of heavy metals in bulk deposition exhibit seasonal variation with higher levels observed during winter compared to summer and spring, which are closely associated with anthropogenic activities. The Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) results indicated that combustion, industrial emissions and traffic are the primary contributors to atmospheric deposition of heavy metals. The single factor pollution index (Pi) of heavy metals is consistently below 1, and the composite pollution index (Ni) is 0.16 across China, indicating that atmospheric heavy metal deposition is at a pollution-free level. The comprehensive potential ecological risk index of heavy metals is 11.8, with Cd exhibiting the highest single factor potential ecological risk index at 7.09, suggesting that more attention should be paid to Cd deposition in China. The present study reveals the spatial-temporal distribution pattern of atmospheric heavy metals deposition in China, identifying regional source characteristics and providing a theoretical foundation and strategies for reducing emissions of atmospheric pollutants.

Justice in access to urban ecosystem services: A critical review of the literature

Ecosystem services are crucial for urban resilience, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and sustainable development. Incorporating these services in urban environments involves various principles, partnerships, organizational strategies, and methodologies. A vast body of research exists on ecosystem services. However, there is a lack of studies that address equity concerns in access to urban ecosystem services. This paper critically reviews the literature to investigate the state of access to ecosystem services in urban areas. We use deductive content analysis for this purpose. We explore traditional concepts of justice and update them by examining the sources and types of ecosystem services in urban environments. We examine justice typology considering various social, environmental, infrastructural, ecological, and mobility issues. We also explore different justice dimensions, including distributional, procedural, recognitional, and restorative issues. Results showed a notable prioritization of green infrastructures (73%) over blue infrastructures (5%). Furthermore, there has been an apparent emphasis on cultural services (42%) and regulating services (25%) in offering recreational activities, fostering social integration, improving place-making capabilities, showcasing adaptability, and demonstrating resilience. An important finding is that most of the publications (87%) highlight that there is no justice in access to ecosystem services. Regarding typologies, we found that there has been more attention to environmental justice, and infrastructural, ecological, and mobility justice are underexplored. As for dimensions, more attention has been paid to distributional and recognitional justice at the cost of restorative justice. A key shortcoming is that cities in the Global South are not adequately represented in the literature, despite their significance for achieving sustainable urban development in the coming decades.

დროებითი სარწყავი ქსელის არხების გარეცხვა

Reduction of soil erosion is one of the main issues of modern engineering ecology. It should be noted that this problem is caused not only by natural factors, but also by peculiarities of some irrigation methods. The article considers the issue of erosion of earthen channels of temporary irrigation network under gravity irrigation. On the temporary irrigation network of three villages in Shida Kartli region of Georgia the amount of erosion was experimentally determined and its dependence on network parameters and soil conditions was established. As a result of this work, to reduce soil erosion (scouring), it is recommended to install canals with compacted crosssection.

Artificial intelligence and green product innovation: Moderating effect of organizational capital

Green product innovation (GPDI) is crucial for addressing ecological issues and essential for enterprises' green operations and long-term growth. Digitization offers new possibilities for enhancing corporate green practices. Nevertheless, previous studies have predominantly addressed the association between overall digitalization and corporate green innovation, and research on the outcome of specific digital technology categories on green innovation is lacking. Within this framework, this study broadens the investigation into the connection between distinct categories of digital technologies and corporate green innovation. The period 2013–2022 was selected as the sample observation period, with companies listed on China's A-share market as the study objects. The fixed-effects model was applied to investigate the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on firms' GPDI while exploring the interaction effect of firms' organizational capital. The findings indicate that AI is beneficial to GPDI in businesses. This effect is enhanced by employee and board human capital but diminished by board social capital. These results remained valid after two-stage least squares regression. This study broadens the utilization of the resource-based view and dynamic capacity theory in business implementation. Furthermore, it extends the resulting study of AI and provides a digital enhancement pathway for corporate GPDI. This study has significant theoretical and practical implications.

Robust minimum divergence estimation in a spatial Poisson point process

Species distribution modeling (SDM) plays a crucial role in investigating habitat suitability and addressing various ecological issues. While likelihood analysis is commonly used to draw ecological conclusions, its statistical performance is not robust when confronted with slight deviations due to model misspecification in SDM. We proposed a new robust estimation method based on a novel divergence for the Poisson point process model. The method is characterized by weighting the log-likelihood equation to mitigate the impact of heterogeneous observations in the presence-only data, which can result from model misspecification. We demonstrated that our proposed method improved the predictive performance of maximum likelihood estimation in both simulation studies and the analysis of vascular plant data in Japan.

Geographic Information System (GIS) for ecology: a bibliometric network analysis

Introduced in 1960s to store, analyse, and manipulate data collected for the Canada Land Inventory by mapping information about soils, agriculture, recreation, wildlife, waterfowl, forestry and land use, since their origins Geographic Information Systems (GISs) have had a fundamental role in the study of the environment. As computers systems for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth's surface, GISs have quickly become an effective and powerful tool for addressing ecological issues, analysing the relationship between living things and their habitats, assessing the environmental impact of man-made transformations of a territory. This article aims to show and discuss the results of a study concerning quantitative distribution of GIS for ecology in literature from Scopus database using bibliometric analysis. Bibliometric analysis is a scientific computer assisted review methodology to explore the major research interests in scientific literature, so to identify core research authors, as well as their relationship, by covering articles, conference papers, book chapters and reviews related to a given topic or field. The high number of scientific manuscripts published on the subject (5,204) in the analysed period (1979-2021), remarked the soundness of this topic. While China shows the greatest number of published documents, USA is the country with the most cited documents. Specifically, “remote sensing”, “spatial analysis” and “land use” are the keywords most frequently linked to GIS and ecology, so to underline respectively three aspects: the relevance of environment monitoring by satellite, airplane or drone, the utility of relating ecological questions to the geo-localization, the necessity of produce thematic maps for describing the economic and cultural activities (e.g., agricultural, residential, industrial, and recreational uses) that are practiced at a given place. Since the study shows that trend of publications focusing on the application of GIS for ecology is increasing, further growing is expected in the next future, also considering the ductility that these computer systems provide in different fields.

From X to Z: Examining Generational Differences in Sustainable Food Consumption in Portugal

The main objective of this research was to analyze the attitudes and sustainable purchasing behaviors of food products among Portuguese consumers from different generations. The study sought to identify statistically significant differences regarding ecological awareness, understanding of ecological issues, adoption of ecologically conscious purchasing habits and conscious planning of these purchases. Consequently, the research aimed to reveal sustainable attitudes and behaviors during the food purchasing process considering the generational factor. In order to achieve these objectives, a quantitative and cross-sectional study was developed based on a questionnaire adapted from Kuźniar, Surmacz and Wierzbiński (2021). Between September 2022 and the first half of January 2023, the questionnaire was applied to a non-probabilistic sample of 686 Portuguese consumers. Statistical tools such as the Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to discern statistically significant differences between two and three independent groups, respectively. The results confirm that generation is a differentiating factor of sustainable attitudes and behaviors. Obviously, the discernible existence of statistically significant differences between Generations Z, Y and X with regard to ecological awareness, ecologically oriented purchasing patterns, and the manifestation of sustainable attitudes and behaviors during food purchases serves as a robust validation of this assertion. Furthermore, it was observed that Generations X and Y exhibited congruent attitudes and behaviors, demarcating them from Generation Z. With regard to depth of understanding around ecological issues and conscious purchase planning, similar attitudes were consistently observed across the three generational spectra under analysis.

Assessment of Ecological Flow in Hulan River Basin Utilizing SWAT Model and Diverse Hydrological Approaches

Human activities have significantly altered the hydrological processes of rivers. In recent years, the increased focus on global water resource exploitation and land use changes has heightened the significance of related ecological and environmental issues. To investigate the land use changes in Hulan River Basin between 1980 and 2020, and the corresponding flow under various ecological standards, a quantitative assessment of land use changes in Hulan River Basin was conducted by analyzing the Land Use Dynamic Degree (LUD) index and the land use change matrix. Two types of models, namely natural runoff models and status quo runoff models, were developed to evaluate alterations in basin runoff. Various hydrological techniques were utilized to calculate the ecological water deficit in Hulan River Basin. The results suggest the following: (1) human consumption comprises approximately 40% of surface water resources, with Hulan River Basin exhibiting a moderate consumption level; (2) when determining the minimum ecological flow, the Distribution Flow Method (DFM) method yielded slightly higher outcomes compared to alternative methodologies; both the variable Q90 method and DFM (Q2) method satisfy 10% of the natural river flow, however, in terms of capturing the hydrological pattern, DFM exhibits a slightly lower fitting degree compared to the variable Q90 (monthly average flow with 90% guarantee rate) method; (3) DFM is identified as scientifically reasonable for determining the most suitable ecological flow in comparison to other hydrological methods; (4) despite the widespread water scarcity in Hulan River Basin, the variance between most periods and the ideal ecological flow remains minimal, indicating that severe water shortages are uncommon.

Centurial deposition records of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in sediment cores from a plateau deep-water lake of China: Significance of anthropogenic impacts, transformation signals and ecological risks revealed by full congener analysis

Lake Fuxian, the largest deep freshwater lake in China, has been suffering from increasing ecological and environmental issues along with the rapid urbanization and industrialization in the past 40 years. To better understand the historical pollution of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Lake Fuxian, comprehensive analyses of 209 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners and 20 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were conducted in two intact sediment cores (Core V1 and Core V2). The total mass concentrations of PCBs ranged from 7.60 to 31.47 ng/g (dry weight basis) and 5.55 to 28.90 ng/g during the period of 1908–2019 in Core V1 and 1924–2019 in Core V2, respectively. PCBs exhibited a consecutive increasing trend from 1940s to 2019 in Core V1. The temporal trend of PCBs in Core V2 basically matched to the history of PCB usage and prohibition in China (increasing from 1940s to mid-1960s, a remarkable drop in mid-1970s, and then increasing until 2019). Moreover, low-chlorinated PCBs were dominant among PCB homologues. Mono-CBs, di-CBs, tri-CBs and tetra-CBs accounted for 86.71 %–98.57 % in sediment segments. The PCB sources included unintentional emission and atmospheric deposition, as well as biological transformation. The total mass concentrations of OCPs ranged from 0.74 to 3.82 ng/g in Core V1 and 0.35 to 2.23 ng/g in Core V2, respectively. Similar trend was observed in the two sediment cores with peaks in the early 1990s. The predominant OCPs were γ-hexachlorohexane (γ-HCHs), dieldrin and p,p′-DDD. The ecological risks posed by PCBs and p-p′-DDD in Lake Fuxian were relatively low. In contrast, dieldrin might pose a potential threat to exposed organisms and apparently adverse ecological effects were caused by γ-HCH. This study will provide important baseline information on historical POPs contamination of Lake Fuxian.

Simultaneous removal of manganese and ammonium nitrogen from mine water using sodium hexametaphosphate modified natural zeolite loaded by 3D MnOx

Manganese and ammonia nitrogen pollution are widespread in the water of northern Chinese mines, exacerbating regional water scarcity and potential ecological issues. This study aimed to remova dissolved manganese(II) and ammonia nitrogen from mine water using a natural zeolite (NZ) modified with sodium hexametaphosphate impregnation (SHMP-NZ) and loaded with 3D manganese(III)/(IV) oxide nanosheets (SHMP-NZ/MnOx). The influence of factors such as pH value, dissolved oxygen, and coexisting ions on adsorption was investigated. The capacity of NZ to removing ammonium was determined by SHMP impregnation, while the capability to remove manganese was determined by 3D manganese(III)/(IV) oxide nanosheets. Compared to NZ, SHMP-NZ/MnOx exhibited an increased efficiency of 39.93% and 41.54% in the simultaneously removing low-concentration manganese(II) and ammonia nitrogen, respectively. Adsorption processes of manganese and ammonia nitrogen onto NZ and SHMP-NZ/MnOx followed the Elovich and pseudo second order kinetic models, respectively. Both materials exhibited stages of external diffusion, internal diffusion, and reaction equilibrium during adsorption. The maximum adsorption capacities of SHMP-NZ/MnOx for manganese(II) and ammonia nitrogen were 10.12 mg/g and 26.24 mg/g, representing improvements of 72.7% and 113.2%, respectively, compared to NZ. The primary mechanism for ammonia nitrogen removal by SHMP-NZ/MnOx was based on ion exchange, while manganese(II) removal was mediated by Mn3+/Mn4+ species. A regeneration study over five cycles indicated that SHMP-NZ/MnOx possessed promising reusability potential.

To the 55th аnniversary of the Department of Virus Ecology with the Scientific and Practical Center for the Ecology and Epidemiology of Influenza (D.I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology of the N.F. Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Ministry of Health of Russian Federation)

The article presents historical aspects and key achievements of the Department of Virus Ecology (DVE) with the Scientific and Practical Center for Influenza Ecology and Epidemiology, which was established in 1969 at the D.I. Ivanovsky Institute of Virology of Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR. For over 50 years, the DVE has been devoted to addressing fundamental issues in virus ecology, including the formation of viral populations in nature, and conducting comprehensive large-scale studies in the interest of the state’s biosecurity. The department’s primary focus is on particularly dangerous (arboviral) and socially significant (influenza and other acute respiratory viral infections, parenteral hepatitis) viral infections. As a result of this extensive work in the Northern Eurasia region, over 2,000 strains of zoonotic viruses (17 genera, 8 families), ecologically linked to various arthropod vectors and vertebrate hosts, have been isolated. Many of them have been registered in international catalogs as new species. The role of these isolated viruses in human pathology has been studied, new viral infections have been described, and diagnostic preparations have been developed. The scientific results obtained by the department are of high priority and internationally recognized.

The Integration of Sustainable Development Goals in the Secondary Science Curriculum of Cordillera Administrative Region

Schools play a crucial role in education for sustainable development. The aims of this study are to determine the extent of the incorporation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the secondary science curriculum and the extent of knowledge and attitude of science teachers regarding SDGs. The research design was concurrent triangulation mixed method. Purposive sampling was used in the selection of the science curriculum while convenience sampling was used in determining the participants for the survey and focus group discussion. The locale of the study is at Cordillera Administrative Region, Philippines. Findings show that the clusters of the SDGs related competencies of the Junior High School science curriculum are 51.61% knowledge, 21.29% values, and 21.19% skills. The dimensions reveal 14 learning competencies for social, 25 environmental, and 23 economic. This means that students are taught the interconnection of social, ecological and economic issues as evident in the curriculum. Furthermore, the extent of knowledge of science teachers regarding SDGs is high (M = 3.10, SD = 0.15) while the attitude is very positive (M = 3.46, SD = 0.09). Pearson correlation indicates weak positive correlation between the two variables, r=.37 while regression test showed significant correlation between knowledge and attitude, r=.37, p=0.03. Therefore, due to the inclusive nature of the SDGs, they are a great tool for expanding the science curriculum by giving real-world scenarios and life skills. SDGs are also helpful teaching resources that offer depth and perspective to scientific lessons.

Modelling bee movements to improve pollination

Modelling bee movements to improve pollination The ERC Consolidator Grant “Pollination ecology: how do bees move across the landscape and fashion plant reproduction (Bee-Move)” aims to link the study of bee spatial foraging patterns in the field with pollen dispersal and plant reproduction success. It will identify key mechanisms of pollination on which we could act for ecological, economic or public health issues.

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Mechanisms of Habitat Quality in Nature Reserve Land: A Case Study of 18 Nature Reserves in Hubei Province

The contribution of biodiversity to the global economy, human survival, and welfare has been significantly increasing. However, nature reserves have long been subject to a sequence of ecological environmental issues caused by human activities. Therefore, quantitatively assessing the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of habitat quality due to land use changes and exploring the mechanisms of potential influencing factors can provide a scientific basis for the stable and sustainable development of natural ecosystems. This study aims to analyze 18 nature reserves in Hubei Province to identify the spatiotemporal evolution of habitat quality within these reserves and to explore the influence of multifactorial dynamics from nature, humanity, and policy on this evolution. Initially, the study utilizes land use transition matrices and land use dynamic degree methods to understand the spatiotemporal characteristics of land conversion within the study area. Subsequently, it analyzes the spatiotemporal changes in habitat quality from 2000–2020 based on the InVEST model and tools like spatial autocorrelation (Moran’s I) in ArcGIS. Finally, 14 potential influencing factors are selected from natural environment, socio-human, and policy regulation aspects and analyzed in the Geodetector software to understand the factors affecting the spatiotemporal evolution of habitat quality. The results show that, during the study period, the land area of 18 nature reserves in Hubei Province increased from 2000 to 2020, while the water area decreased. There were slight increases in farmland, construction land, and forest land, with significant decreases in grassland and water areas. This reveals the erosion of water bodies due to artificial lake filling during rapid urbanization, leading to a decline in overall habitat quality within the reserves and a gradual increase in spatial heterogeneity. Among the influencing factors, single-factor influences such as land use intensity and distance to county roads and slopes have a strong negative linear relationship with habitat quality, with land use intensity being the most significant human activity factor. The interaction strength among different types of influencing factors in the bivariate interaction detection results is ranked as follows: the interaction between natural geographical and socio-human factors > the interaction within socio-human factors > the interaction within natural geographical factors. This study has diverged from the past focus on the selection of a single continuous natural reserve as the empirical subject. Consequently, it allows for an integrated analysis of physical geographical dimensions such as locational topography with socio-cultural and policy elements including land use and transportation facilities, thereby facilitating a multifactorial assessment of the interactive impacts on habitat quality.

Assessing Ecological Restoration in Arid Mining Regions: A Progressive Evaluation System

The mining activities in arid regions have resulted in significant ecological environmental issues, exacerbating the already challenging ecological conditions and leading to severe ecosystem damage. Merely relying on natural recovery processes proves inadequate, thus necessitating the implementation of artificial restoration measures to facilitate ecosystem recovery in these arid mining regions. However, it is difficult to scientifically answer the questions of how artificial restoration can be effectively combined with natural recovery, and to what extent can artificial assistance can define the beginning of natural recovery in ecosystems. To address this issue, this study proposed a stepwise ecological restoration model for arid mining regions. The model delineated the ecological restoration process in arid mining regions into three phases: “artificial reconstruction”, “auxiliary ecological restoration”, and “natural recovery”, and constructed an evaluation index system of the stepwise ecological restoration process. Taking an example of a mining ecological restoration in Aksu, Xinjiang, this study examined the evaluation effects of the stepwise ecological restoration model on ecological restoration projects in arid mining regions. The research showed that adopting the stepwise ecological restoration model in arid mining regions can achieve scientific and moderate artificial restoration, better clarify ecological restoration goals, and facilitate the implementation of ecological restoration projects.

Plastic Pollution in Agriculture as a Threat to Food Security, the Ecosystem, and the Environment: An Overview

Plastic products in plant production and protection help farmers increase crop production, enhance food quality, and reduce global water use and their environmental footprint. Simultaneously, plastic has emerged as a critical ecological issue in recent years, and its pollution has significantly impacted soil, water, and plants. Thus, this review examines the multifaceted problems of plastic pollution in agriculture as a risk to food security, the ecosystem, and the environment. The study’s objective was to review and present the most recent information on using different plastic products in agriculture, the sources of plastic pollution, the advantages and drawbacks of using plastic products, and the strategies for mitigating plastic pollution in agriculture. Furthermore, after examining current plastic applications, benefits, adverse effects, and risks to soil, plants, and the environment, we addressed the requirements for technological advancements, regulations, and social processes that could contribute to mitigating plastic pollution in our ecosystems. We identified different pathways toward more sustainable use of plastics in agriculture and discussed future research directions.