Ecological Restoration Potential Research Articles

Bioaccumulation Characteristics of Typical Perfluoroalkyl Compounds in Alfalfa Under Salt Stress.

Medicago sativa, commonly known as alfalfa, is widely distributed worldwide, known for its strong stress resistance and well-developed root system, making it an important plant in ecological restoration research. To investigate the absorption and transport characteristics of alfalfa for typical perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under salt stress, a 30-day indoor greenhouse experiment was conducted. The results showed that alfalfa exhibited varying degrees of absorption and transport for the selected PFAS. The highest BCF (Bioconcentration Factor) for shoot tissue reached 725.4 (for PFBA), and the highest TF (Translocation Factor) reached 53.8 (for PFPeA). Different PFAS compounds exhibited distinct bioaccumulation behaviors, with short-chain PFAS more readily entering the plant's root system and being transported upwards, while long-chain PFAS tended to adsorb to the surface of the root system. Furthermore, salt stress did not significantly affect the uptake of PFAS by alfalfa. This suggests that alfalfa is salt-tolerant and holds great potential for ecological restoration in short-chain PFAS-contaminated sites.

Understanding ecological restoration potential: The role of water resources and slope gradient limits

Ecological restoration is one of the most feasible ways to mitigate climate change and conserve ecosystems. However, the scope, intensity, effectiveness, and future potential of ecological restoration are restricted by unfavorable environmental conditions, especially limited water resources and complex topography. This paper proposes an assessment framework of ecological restoration potential under the coupled limits of water resources and slope gradient to quantitatively assess ecological restoration potential (ERP) under these two limiting factors. Results indicate that the current vegetation plantation in 20%, 0.19% and 32% areas of China's 31 provinces are larger, equal, and lower than the vegetation threshold permitted by local water resources respectively, which represents about 0.299 billion ha potential for additional restoration area. The ecological restoration potential under the integrated water resources and slope gradient constraints is 0.4 Pg C, less than half (47%) of the potential under the single limit of water resources (0.856 Pg C). However, this potential and China's existing carbon sink capacity related to terrestrial ecosystems is estimated to offset up to 8% of its current carbon dioxide emissions. Ecological restoration programs in areas with slope >5° will require additional economic investment to support Soil and Water Conservation programs, estimated to average about 212 trillion yuan. Succinctly, it is critical to integrate field investigations, process-based assessments and landscape design for sustainable ecological restoration. This work can provide techniques support for quantitative measurement of ecological restoration potential considering multiple limiting factors and guidance for sustainable implementation of ecological restoration programs.

Evaluation of the Potential for Territorial Ecological Restoration: A Case Study of Zhaoping County, China

Territorial ecological restoration (TER) is a critical step for promoting the development of an ecological civilization, as well as a significant strategic task relating to national ecological security and the well-being of a population. However, calculating the ecological restoration potential (ERP) is a key challenge in TER. Using Zhaoping County as an example, this study calculated the ecological restoration natural potential (ERNP), including the vegetation coverage potential, water conservation potential, windbreak and sand fixation potential, and biodiversity potential, and proposed an ERP calculation method based on the correction of ERNP with an ecological security pattern (ESP) and social support (SS). The findings revealed several key points. First, using the similarity habitat method to calculate ERNP highlighted significant disparities in the vegetation coverage, water conservation, windbreak and sand fixation, and biodiversity across Zhaoping County. These variations were contrary to regional ecological service functions. Second, overall, the ESP levels in Zhaoping County were high, accounting for about 60.42% of its total area being classified as high or relatively high level, with the towns exhibiting strong SS abilities primarily located in the northern region. Third, the ERP results which are between 0 and 1 indicated that areas with higher potential were mainly found in the west and northeast of Zhaoping, while lower potential areas were concentrated in the northwest and south; of them, the ERP index value in most regions is between 0.2 and 0.3, accounting for about 43.97% of the area. Finally, suggestions for the TER project layout and measures to enhance the ERP were proposed based on these ERP calculations. This study offers new insights into ERP strategies while providing guidance for identifying critical areas requiring restoration.

Simulation of potential vegetation distribution in arid areas at regional scale

Awareness of potential natural vegetation (PNV) is imperative in ecological restoration. Extensive global and national PNV simulation with coarse spatial resolution is increasingly seen to mitigate land degradation under climate change. However, precise PNV modeling in drylands at a small regional scale with high enough spatial resolution usually receives little attention. This study developed a precise regional multiple PNV framework in drylands based on climatic variables, soil properties, groundwater depth, and topographical variables through a maximum entropy algorithm (MaxEnt). The effects of three different input variable combinations and five background point numbers on PNV prediction were compared. Applying the model to the lower Tarim River Basin, Northwest China, the results showed that the model developed incorporating groundwater depth exhibited better performance in regional PNV simulation, and the AUC of the tree, grass, and shrub was improved by 0.21, 0.18 and 0.09, respectively. Furthermore, the results showed that the probability of growing natural vegetation decreased with the increase of distance from the river within 100 m; and the probability of occurring tree, grass, and shrub was higher when the groundwater depth was close to −3 m, −2 m, and −7 m, respectively. Moreover, the suitable habitat of the tree, grass, and shrub was mainly concentrated in the riparian zone, accounting for 34.5%, 21.9%, and 72.4% of the study area, respectively. Comparisons of reconstructed PNV and existing land use patterns revealed that the lower Tarim River still has enormous land potential for ecological restoration. The model developed here can assist in precise ecosystem restoration in drylands.

Reconstructing the ecological restoration pattern from the perspective of ecosystem health assessment in a typical black soil region of Northeast China

Assessments on the spatial pattern of ecological restoration potential provide insights into the current status of ecosystem health, facilitate the identification of hotspots of ecosystem degradation, and further serves as a link that bridges regional ecological planning with specific restoration efforts. The goal of this study was to reconstruct the ecological restoration pattern, through establishing an ecosystem health assessment model encompassing four elements of vigor, organization, resilience and service of an ecosystem. Siping City, a typical black soil region located in central Jilin Province of Northeast China, was selected as the study area, and ecological protection and restoration units were identified based on temporal changes in ecosystem health levels from 2000 to 2020. Getis-Ord Gi* analysis was adopted to classify the restoration zones and depict the spatial pattern of ecological restoration. From 2000 to 2020, the ecosystem health index of Siping City generally increased from 0.49 to 0.51 due to increases in forestland area and precipitation, but a fraction of suburban areas also experienced decreases. Four different restoration zones were delineated, including the windbreak and sand-fixing zone in the western part, the black soil protection and reclamation zone in the middle part, the Daheishan ecological shelter zone in the central and eastern part, and the water restoration zone in the eastern part, which account for 28.12%, 37.05%, 16.53% and 18.29% of the total area. The protection units covered an area of 1,189.83 km2 and the restoration units covered an area of 2009.83 km2, which could be further classified into 10 types and accounted for 31.24% of the total area. It was suggested that the restoration methods applied to different units should be tailored towards specific restoration objectives. This proposed methodological framework serves as a basis for reconstructing ecological restoration in the black soil region, and a reference for making restoration plans elsewhere.

Physiological Characteristics and Proteome of Dalbergia odorifera in Loam and Gravel Substrates

Dalbergia odorifera, a crucial medicinal and commercial plant, shows great potential for ecological restoration in karst rocky desertification (KRD) areas. However, no studies have examined its adaptation mechanism to barren KRD environments. We focused on the physiological and protein variations of D. odorifera grown under loam substrate (LS), composite substrate (CS, 50% gravel), and gravel substrate (GS, 100% gravel). Results showed that volume, surface area, and dry weight of root in CS were the highest. Proteomic analysis revealed 516 and 443 differentially accumulated proteins (DAPs) in CS compared with LS and GS, respectively. Functional analysis showed that epidermal morphogenesis, organic substrate transport, lipid transport, and detection of abiotic stimulus were enriched in the overlapped DAPs. In addition, compared to LS, specific DAPs in CS were enriched to Gene Ontology (GO) terms such as root hair cell differentiation, ATP, carbohydrate metabolism, and also to pathways including carbohydrate digestion and absorption, starch and sucrose metabolism, HIF-1 signaling, mineral absorption, and lysosome. However, specific DAPs in CS relative to GS were clustered to hydrogen peroxide, fatty acid biosynthesis, and lipid metabolism. Furthermore, a series of transcripts encoding crucial DAPs were confirmed by RT-qPCR. In conclusion, the physiological characteristics and proteomic landscape showed that CS substrate was more favorable to the adaptation of D. odorifera to KRD than LS and GS substrates. The protein evaluation related to substrates in this study provides further evidence for ecological management of D. odorifera in KRD areas.

Realization and Prediction of Ecological Restoration Potential of Vegetation in Karst Areas

Based on the vegetation ecological quality index retrieved by satellite remote sensing in the karst areas of Guangxi in 2000–2019, the status of the ecological restoration of the vegetation and the influencing factors of the ecological restoration potential of the vegetation were analyzed. Then, habitats with a similar ecological restoration potential were categorized and the maximum ecological restoration potential of the vegetation was estimated. Finally, realization and prediction models of the ecological restoration potential of the vegetation were constructed to evaluate the realization degree and provide predictions. The quality of the ecological restoration was good in the study region, and the vegetation ecological quality index showed a fluctuating increasing trend. In the study region, 96.25%, 92.92%, 97.14%, and 99.07% of the total area was shown to have good ecological quality of the vegetation in 2000–2004, 2005–2009, 2010–2014, and 2015–2019, respectively. Terrain, soil, vegetation types, and climatic conditions had significant impacts on the ecological restoration of the vegetation. With the increase in the soil sand content, the changes in the vegetation ecological quality indexes were significant at altitudes of 200 m, 400 m, and 800 m and slopes of 15°, 25°, and 35°. The ecological restoration potential was the highest for forests, peaking at 87.5, followed by shrubs and grasses (87.4), and farmland (85.4). The partial and multiple correlations of the temperature, precipitation, and vegetation ecological quality index were significant, and the climate driving zones were divided into the strong driving zone of temperature and precipitation, temperature-dominated driving zone, precipitation-dominated driving zone, weak driving zone of temperature and precipitation, and non-climate driving zone. There was a high realization of the ecological restoration potential of the vegetation. The vegetation ecological quality in 97.95% of the area was restored, of which regions classified as maintaining growth, having slow growth, and having rapid growth accounted for 79.73%, 18.09%, and 0.13%, respectively, indicating that projects of rocky desertification control and ecological poverty alleviation were well implemented. In the future, the ecological restoration potential of the vegetation is predicted to be mainly low and medium. The areas with low potential are predicted to be mainly distributed in the north and southeast of Hechi, the northwest of Baise, and the west of Chongzuo, where the vegetation ecological quality and ecological restoration of the vegetation are predicted to be good, thus the restoration gap is predicted to be small. The areas with medium potential are predicted to be mainly distributed in the south of Hechi, the south of Baise, and the north of Chongzuo, where the vegetation ecological quality was restored well but further restoration could be beneficial. This research can provide technical support for future evaluations of the ecological restoration of vegetation, as well as construction, in the karst areas in the future.

Integrated modeling framework to evaluate the impacts of multi-source water replenishment on lacustrine phytoplankton communities

An extensive artificial water diversion project aimed at alleviating the shortage of ecological water in lakes can change the original hydrological and physicochemical states and further affect the structure and distribution of phytoplankton communities. Therefore, it is important to fully evaluate the ecological restoration effect of the water diversion project on the water-receiving area before implementing water replenishment. For this purpose, we developed an integrated model framework based on the Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC) and Random Forest (RF). We adopted a probability distribution method to address the uncertainty during model coupling. This framework was implemented to simulate and predict the evolution of phytoplankton diversity in Baiyangdian Lake (BL) in China. To solve the problem that the phytoplankton biodiversity in BL decreased especially in summer due to human activity, the Yellow River into BL, the south-to-north water diversion project, and joint replenishment of upstream reservoirs have been implemented in recent years. Our framework was used to analyze the biodiversity restoration effects of multi-source water replenishment through different routings. The results show that spatiotemporal coverage should be considered to reduce uncertainty during model coupling. Water replenishment has a positive impact on the biodiversity of BL; however, there are effective areas for phytoplankton diversity restoration, which are related to water quality and quantity, water replenishment routing and internal hydrological connectivity. The Xiaobai River has the most significant water ecological restoration potential among the routings, compared with that of the Baigou and Fu Rivers. Appropriate water replenishment in spring will play a vital role in alleviating the decrease in phytoplankton biodiversity in summer owing to flood control.

Ecological restoration through natural regeneration in Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary – a protected area of South-East Bangladesh

PurposeIn this paper, the authors show that ecological restoration potential through natural regeneration of degraded tropical rainforest is possible. This is significant because at present most of the tropical forest of the world, including of Bangladesh, are degraded.Design/methodology/approachRegeneration status of Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) was assessed through stratified random sampling method using sample plots of 5 × 5 m in size covering 269 sample plots.FindingsA total of 3,256 regenerating seedlings/saplings of 105 species belonging to 35 families were recorded from CWS. From regenerating tree species, maximum (37.83) family importance value (FIV) index was found for Euphorbiaceae followed by Myrtaceae (18.03). Maximum importance value index (IVI) was found for Aporosa wallichii (21.62) followed by Grewia nervosa (16.41). Distribution of seedlings into different height classes of regenerating tree species was also calculated.Practical implicationsForest scientists are working to find out the best nature-based solution for ecological restoration of tropical rainforests to attain climate resilient ecosystem in a sustainable way. Tropical rain forest has huge plant diversity, and we find that ecological restoration is possible through natural regeneration from its rich soil seed bank. Natural regeneration is the best nature-based solution for sustainable management of the forest.Social implicationsThe authors believe that the findings presented in our paper will appeal to the forest and environmental scientists. The findings will allow readers to understand degraded tropical hill forest ecosystem and its management strategy.Originality/value The authors believe that this manuscript will give a clear picture about degraded tropical hill forest ecosystem and its genetic composition, diversity and soil seed bank status to apply appropriate management strategy.

Investigation of Dominant Plants and Analysis of Ecological Restoration Potential in Lailishan Tin Tailings

To investigate the dominant plants in ecological restoration of tin mining areas, field investigations were conducted in a tin tailings area in Lailishan, Yunnan Provence, and 15 dominant plants and corresponding rhizosphere soils were collected. The plant root mycorrhizal infection rate; the copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and tin (Sn) contents; and the chemical properties of the rhizosphere tailings were determined. The transfer and enrichment coefficients of six heavy metals were calculated for each of the 15 plants to comprehensively evaluate the application potential of native plants. The rhizophere tailings had an average pH value of 3.13, which was acidic. The organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium, alkaline hydrolyzed nitrogen, and available phosphorus content of the soils was 6.07 g ·kg-1, 5.74 g ·kg-1, 0.62 g ·kg-1, 8.66 g ·kg-1, 30.84 mg ·kg-1, and 2.08 mg ·kg-1 respectively, indicating relatively nutrient-poor soil. The average Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb, As, and Sn contents of the soils were 347.40, 1.02, 1.34, 168.47, 25.81, and 2299.02 mg ·kg-1, respectively. Among the heavy metals, the Cd content reached a third-level pollution warning value. The soil also contained a large amount of Cu and Pb which exhibited a different spatial distribution. This area appears to have a high risk of Cu, Pb, and Cd pollution. In addition, the roots of Olea europaea L. and Eurya japonica Thunb. had a high rate of mycorrhizal infection. Alnus cremastogyne Burk., Bambusa multiplex (Lour.) Raeusch. ex Schult. 'Alphonse-Kar' R. A. Young, Juncus effusus L., and Cyperus rotundus L. var. had a strong ability to absorb and transport heavy metals. The other plants were also adapted to the growth environment of the tin tailings, with the potential to restore the mining area.

Seed mass maturity in the terrestrial bromeliad Hechtia perotensis (Bromeliaceae), endemic to Mexico

Introduction: H. perotensis is a plant with a high potential for ecological restoration because it yields thousands of seeds and grows under low levels of rain, poor soils and contrasting temperatures. However, little is known of the seed mass maturity (high seed germination, low seed fresh weight and low seed moisture content) in this species. Objective: Assess seed germination in the laboratory of H. perotensis during seed development and along the floral stalk (infructescence) in two sites one in rocky location and another near a lake. The hypothesis was that there is a time after flowering in which seeds have highest germination and fresh weight and that the apical, centre and base of the infructescence are different in seed germination and fresh weight in both sites. Methods: Capsules were collected in two sites one in rocky land (Frijol Colorado, Perote, Veracruz) and another near one lake (Alchichica, Puebla), in the months of August, September and November 2016 and January 2017. A repeated measure design (RMD) was used to analyze the effects of infructescence section on seed weight, moisture content and seed germination (41, 87, 152 and 215 days after flowering). Each evaluation time comprised five replicates, each one with 15 seeds. Results: Difference in seed germination, seed weight and moisture content between sections of the infructescence was not significant. However, significant differences were found not only between first and last sample dates, buy mainly between first and second dates. Eighty-seven days after flower pollination seed moisture content was lower than 20 % and up to 80 % of seed germinated in both sites of sampling. Conclusions: In this study it was found that the moisture content of H. perotensis seed can be used as an indicator of the physiological maturity of the seed and it is also related to germination of the seed.

How participation in ecological restoration can foster a connection to nature

There have been strong claims made for ecological restoration's potential as a practice which is conductive to rethinking relationships with nature. The involvement of lay people in “hands‐on restoration” is thought to hold potential for enabling re‐examinations of human connection to nature. Restoration scholars suggest causal mechanisms present in restoration practice which may explain why it is so conductive to enabling connection to nature. This research used participatory observation and in‐depth interviewing to examine these largely untested ideas and gives insight into the casual mechanisms they present. Focusing on one case of ecological restoration in the Highlands of Scotland, the study found that exertion and achievement gained through restoration work created positive affect which people associated with their experience of nature, that laboring in nature created belonging and ownership, and that physical immersion enabled intimacy with nature. It found that learning about the legacies of human agency on landscape reduced reification and that the wider narrative of restoration gave people both a sense of being part of the unfolding history of the landscape and part of a redemptive future. It also found that focused attention created vivid memories and elevated the significance of the experience of being in nature and ritual created remarkable, memorable events. This study adds to previous work, finding that the emotional labor of leaders, the use of educational techniques, and the kinds of tasks in which participants engage are important in creating particular ideas of the relationship between humans and nature.

Transcriptome characterization of candidate genes related to chromium uptake, transport and accumulation in Miscanthus sinensis

Miscanthus sinensis is a C4 perennial grass species that is widely used as forage, ornamental grass and bioenergy crop due to its broad adaption and great biological traits. Recent studies indicated that M. sinensis could also grow in marginal lands which were contaminated with heavy metals, and exhibited important ecological restoration potential. In this study, transcriptome characterization of candidate genes related to chromium (Cr) uptake, transport and accumulation in M. sinensis were employed to investigate the molecular mechanism of plant tolerance to heavy metal stress. The result showed that following treatment of 200 mg/L of Cr, plant roots could accumulate most Cr and localize mainly in cell walls and soluble fractions, whereas Cr in stems and leaves was primarily in soluble fractions. A total of 83,645 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained after the treatment. Many genes involved in heavy metal transport, metal ion chelation and photosynthesis were found to be Cr-induced DEGs. Co-expression and weighted correlation network analysis revealed that Glutathion metabolism and ABC transporters pathways play an important role in Cr tolerance of M. sinensis. A hypothesis schematic diagram for the Cr uptake, transport and accumulation of M. sinensis cells were suggested, which could provide a molecular and genetic basis for future candidate genes validation and breeding of such crops.

EVALUACIÓN DE LA DIVERSIDAD ARBÓREA EN ÁREAS DEGRADADAS DE LA COMUNIDAD QUIMISEN JIPIJAPA, MANABÍ, ECUADOR

La presente investigación se ejecutó dentro del marco del proyecto "Conservación y manejo sostenible del bosque seco tropical en el marco de la implementación de medidas de adaptación al cambio climático basado en ecosistemas”, fomentado por el Fondo Ítalo-Ecuatoriano para el Desarrollo Sostenible (FIDES), en conjunto con la carrera de Ingeniería Forestal de la UNESUM; con el enfoque de enriquecer o recuperar los bosques, el objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar la diversidad arbórea en las áreas degradadas de la comunidad Quimis; para el registro de datos se identificaron zonas boscosas degradadas en las cuales fueron establecidas 23 parcelas donde se identificó y recolectó muestras botánicas de cada una de las especies presentes dentro de las parcelas, con la información obtenida se identificó la composición arbórea y realizó un análisis de diversidad utilizando el índice de Shannon-Weaver, encontrándose 769 individuos, 14 familias arbóreas, 21 géneros y 21 especies; según el Índice de Valor de Importancia Ecológica las especies forestales de menor potencial prioritario para la restauración ecológica fueron: Capparicordis crotonoides, Machaerium millei y Gallesia integrifolia y las 18 especies restantes son consideradas de prioridad media.

Appealing the death sentences of the Doce, São Francisco and Amazonas rivers: stopping the Mining Lobby and creating ecosystem services reserves

The Brazilian Mining Lobby uses Congress to weaken the Mining Code. In November 2015, the Fundão Dam, which was retaining a reservoir of mining waste, collapsed in Minas Gerais State, causing the largest socio-environmental disaster in Brazilian history. We propose actions for the restoration of the ecosystems of the Doce River Basin based on maps of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of plants as potential providers of vital ecosystem services. To achieve these goals, a databank will be established by compiling existing databases on the vegetation of the Doce River Basin. We propose mapping biodiversity potential for ecological restoration and the conservation of ecosystem functions and services. Such mapping will facilitate the identification and establishment of ecosystem services reserves. Only with this effort will actions to restore and maintain the ecosystem services of the basin be achievable. The same effort can be applied to other impacted river basins such as those of the São Francisco and Amazonas rivers.

桑及菌根桑在库区消落带的生态重建功能及应用潜力

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 桑及菌根桑在库区消落带的生态重建功能及应用潜力 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201408211660 作者: 作者单位: 南方山地园艺学教育部重点实验室,南方山地园艺学教育部重点实验室,南方山地园艺学教育部重点实验室,南方山地园艺学教育部重点实验室,西南大学蚕学与系统生物学研究所,西南大学蚕学与系统生物学研究所 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 现代农业产业技术体系专项(CARS-22-ZJ0503);重庆市研究生教育教学改革研究项目(yjg143028) Ecological reconstruction function and potential application of mulberry and mycorrhizal mulberry in the Three Gorges Reservoir area Author: Affiliation: Key Laboratory of Horticulture Science for Southern Mountainous Regions,Ministry of Education,College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture,Department of Agriculture,Southwest University,Key Laboratory of Horticulture Science for Southern Mountainous Regions,Ministry of Education,College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture,Department of Agriculture,Southwest University,Key Laboratory of Horticulture Science for Southern Mountainous Regions,Ministry of Education,College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture,Department of Agriculture,Southwest University,Key Laboratory of Horticulture Science for Southern Mountainous Regions,Ministry of Education,College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture,Department of Agriculture,Southwest University,Institute of Sericulture and Systems Biology,Southwest University,Institute of Sericulture and Systems Biology,Southwest University Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:三峡工程在提供丰富水电资源造福人类的同时,也引发了一些生态环境问题,对库区环境、生物、气候以及人们的生活都产生了不同程度的影响。桑树休眠和生长发育节律与库区水体涨落规律的反向偶联,桑的菌根结构在改善根际土质量,促进桑树水分和养分吸收,增强桑树对盐碱、干旱、重金属的耐受性,提高幼苗的存活率,促进桑苗生长,促进植物群落正向演替等生态过程中发挥着重要的作用。分析了三峡库区消落带周期性水淹的生态特征和岸生植物生态恢复障碍,综述了桑及菌根桑在消落带的生态特性和应用潜力,最后提出了菌根桑生物技术的应用所面临的新课题和挑战。 Abstract:The construction of the Three Gorges Dams in the Yangtze River in the 1990s has induced profound impacts on the environment and biodiversity in the reservoir region, although these hydroelectric dams have supplied an enormous amount of hydropower resources and electricity to all of China. One main example of such environmental effects is the gradual degeneration or death of plants under waterlogging or flooding along the reservoir areas after implementation of the dams. The river banks, which serve as hydro-fluctuation belts, have been annually fluctuated for three to six months at a time, leading to low soil fertility and high erodibility. Meanwhile, some adaptive vegetation with low water-holding capacity has persisted in the drought soil. However, these distinctive characteristics are major restoration obstacles in the hydro-fluctuation belt area, even for plants with strong vitality. Mulberry (Morus alba L.), a plant native to China, has not only economic importance to the Chinese silk industry but also ecological benefits to its plantation regions in China. Studies have shown that mulberry trees have strong ecological adaptation ability and ecological restoration potential, as they are able to hold water and prevent soil erosion with their extensive root systems. These traits facilitate mulberry survival in harsh environments, particularly when they have established symbiotic associations with beneficial soil microorganisms such as arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. On the other hand, the application of AM fungi to ecological restoration has been recently proposed. In general, AM fungi and their massive underground hyphal networks could enhance the uptake of plant nutrients and water, formation of soil aggregates, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Studies have further shown that AM fungi have significant impacts on the soil microflora community and on plant community compositions. As a result, mulberry trees colonized by AM fungi could have the capacity to improve the soil rhizosphere quality, promote the uptake and transportation of minerals and water, and enhance the tolerance to drought and waterlogging. Therefore, mycorrhizal mulberry could promote leaf development and tree performance for the food resource of silk worms as well as function in ecological restoration on the river bank areas of the Three Gorges Reservoir. As the growth rate of mulberry is inversely related to fluctuations of water level in the reservoir, the planting of AM fungi-colonized mulberry trees is considered to be a potential ecological restoration strategy to deal with both the waterlogging in winter or early spring and the drought in summer at the fluctuation belts or in other fragile ecosystems of the Three Gorges Reservoir. In this paper, we review the ecological characteristics and plant growth obstacles faced during the water fluctuation period on the river banks along the Three Gorges Reservoir areas of the Yangtze River, and then propose the potential application of the mycorrhizal mulberry for ecological reconstruction of the hydro-fluctuation belts of these areas. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

DETERMINACIÓN DEL POTENCIAL DE RESTAURACIÓN ECOLÓGICA EN EL PARQUE NACIONAL ENRIQUE OLAYA HERRERA, II ETAPA

The Enrique Olaya Herrera National Park (c.a. 237 ha) is a protected area located in the eastern hills of Bogota in a strategic ecological location. It forms part of the city’s Main Ecological Structure that maintains valuable landscapes in the region. However, the area is subject to a variety of ecological pressures and constraints that have contributed to its degradation. Based on landscape ecology theories, this study zoned the park according to its restoration potential with the objective of setting base-lines for the planning of restoration projects. Firstly, we characterized the physical, biotic and socio-dynamic components of the territory. Secondly, we selected the variables necessary for the evaluation and spacing of the restoration potential of each of these components. Finally, following the evaluation and weighting of the obtained potentials, and using GIS analysis, we determined which areas have high, medium or low ecological restoration potential, generating a 1:5000-scale cartography for the whole study area. The spacing of these landscape units is one of the main concepts of landscape ecology that allows the identification of priorities in projects that need rigorous planning and investment of technical and human resources. By doing this, it will likely contribute to the success of ecosystem restoration projects.

An integrated multi-criteria scenario evaluation web tool for participatory land-use planning in urbanized areas: The Ecosystem Portfolio Model

Land-use land-cover change is one of the most important and direct drivers of changes in ecosystem functions and services. Given the complexity of the decision-making, there is a need for Internet-based decision support systems with scenario evaluation capabilities to help planners, resource managers and communities visualize, compare and consider trade-offs among the many values at stake in land use planning. This article presents details on an Ecosystem Portfolio Model (EPM) prototype that integrates ecological, socio-economic information and associated values of relevance to decision-makers and stakeholders. The EPM uses a multi-criteria scenario evaluation framework, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis and spatially-explicit land-use/land-cover change-sensitive models to characterize changes in important land-cover related ecosystem values related to ecosystem services and functions, land parcel prices, and community quality-of-life (QoL) metrics. Parameters in the underlying models can be modified through the interface, allowing users in a facilitated group setting to explore simultaneously issues of scientific uncertainty and divergence in the preferences of stakeholders. One application of the South Florida EPM prototype reported in this article shows the modeled changes (which are significant) in aggregate ecological value, landscape patterns and fragmentation, biodiversity potential and ecological restoration potential for current land uses compared to the 2050 land-use scenario. Ongoing refinements to EPM, and future work especially in regard to modifiable sea level rise scenarios are also discussed.

Estimating the Cumulative Ecological Effect of Local Scale Landscape Changes in South Florida

Ecosystem restoration in south Florida is a state and national priority centered on the Everglades wetlands. However, urban development pressures affect the restoration potential and remaining habitat functions of the natural undeveloped areas. Land use (LU) planning often focuses at the local level, but a better understanding of the cumulative effects of small projects at the landscape level is needed to support ecosystem restoration and preservation. The South Florida Ecosystem Portfolio Model (SFL EPM) is a regional LU planning tool developed to help stakeholders visualize LU scenario evaluation and improve communication about regional effects of LU decisions. One component of the SFL EPM is ecological value (EV), which is evaluated through modeled ecological criteria related to ecosystem services using metrics for (1) biodiversity potential, (2) threatened and endangered species, (3) rare and unique habitats, (4) landscape pattern and fragmentation, (5) water quality buffer potential, and (6) ecological restoration potential. In this article, we demonstrate the calculation of EV using two case studies: (1) assessing altered EV in the Biscayne Gateway area by comparing 2004 LU to potential LU in 2025 and 2050, and (2) the cumulative impact of adding limestone mines south of Miami. Our analyses spatially convey changing regional EV resulting from conversion of local natural and agricultural areas to urban, industrial, or extractive use. Different simulated local LU scenarios may result in different alterations in calculated regional EV. These case studies demonstrate methods that may facilitate evaluation of potential future LU patterns and incorporate EV into decision making.

Simulating the potential for ecological restoration of dryland forests in Mexico under different disturbance regimes

Examining the potential for ecological restoration is important in areas where anthropogenic disturbance has degraded forest landscapes. However, the conditions under which restoration of degraded tropical dry forests (TDF) might be achieved in practice have not been determined in detail. In this study, we used LANDIS-II, a spatially explicit model of forest dynamics, to assess the potential for passive restoration of TDF through natural regeneration. The model was applied to two Mexican landscapes under six different disturbance regimes, focusing on the impact of fire and cattle grazing on forest cover, structure and composition. Model results identified two main findings. First, tropical dry forests are more resilient to anthropogenic disturbance than expected. Results suggested that under both a scenario of small, infrequent fires and a scenario of large, frequent fires, forest area can increase relatively rapidly. However, forest structure and composition differed markedly between these scenarios. After 400 years, the landscape becomes increasingly occupied by relatively shade-tolerant species under small, infrequent fires, but only species with both relatively high shade tolerance and high fire tolerance can thrive under conditions with large, frequent fires. Second, we demonstrated that different forms of disturbance can interact in unexpected ways. Our projections revealed that when grazing acts in combination with fire, forest cover, structure and composition vary dramatically depending on the frequency and extent of the fires. Results indicated that grazing and fire have a synergistic effect causing a reduction in forest cover greater than the sum of their individual effects. This suggests that passive landscape-scale restoration of TDF is achievable in both Mexican study areas only if grazing is reduced, and fires are carefully managed to reduce their frequency and intensity.