Ecological Sensitivity Research Articles

Evaluation of the Spatiotemporal Change of Ecological Quality under the Context of Urban Expansion—A Case Study of Typical Urban Agglomerations in China

As a significant manifestation of human activities influencing natural environment, rapid urbanization has enhanced economic prosperity while simultaneously posing threats to ecological quality. Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH), the core region of the Yangtze River Delta (CYRD), and the Pearl River Delta (PRD) stand as three major economic centers characterized by the highest level of urbanization in China, encompassing areas of heightened ecological sensitivity. Nevertheless, the ecological quality at the scale of urban agglomerations remains ambiguous, with many studies failing to develop a comprehensive and effective method for comparing diverse urban agglomerations. Consequently, this study integrates multi-source remote sensing data, including information on land cover and other socio-economic parameters, to construct the Ecological Quality Index (EQI) based on the “Function–Interaction–Pressure–Stability” (FIPS) framework. Through a stratified determination of indicator weights grounded in both objective importance and empirical knowledge, we mapped the spatiotemporal changes of EQI and analyzed the impact of urbanization on ecological quality in three urban agglomerations from 2001 to 2020. We determined the following: (1) The calculated EQI can further capture the nuanced details with better performance at both underlining the discrepancy of highs and lows of EQI and describing the spatial detail of urban agglomerations’ characteristics. (2) Substantial disparities in EQI and its changes are evident across different urban agglomerations. Notably, only the average EQI improves in PRD, while ecological degradation is prominent in specific regions, such as the southeastern plains of BTH area, along the Yangtze River, and around Shanghai in CYRD and central PRD. The CYRD exhibits the largest affected area. (3) Urbanization predominantly influences ecological quality through land cover transitions. In expansion areas, ecological deterioration is significantly more pronounced, constituting approximately 90% of the total area. (4) Despite significant urbanization, city-level analysis in CYRD reveals a better coordination between urban expansion and ecological protection, with a lower intensity of ecological degradation compared to urban expansion rates. Conversely, some cities in the BTH, despite modest urban expansion, exhibit substantial declines in ecological quality, highlighting the need for targeted policy interventions. In conclusion, this study elucidates the intricate relationship between urbanization and ecological quality, offering valuable insights for the development of targeted protection strategies and sustainable urban planning.

Cross-sensitivity analysis of land use transition and ecological service values in rare earth mining areas in southern China

Exploring the cross-sensitivity between land use transformation and ecological service values in rare earth mining areas is of great significance for the development of ecological protection and restoration in rare earth mining areas. To study the impact of land use changes on ecosystem service functions in rare earth mining areas, firstly, the land use change trends in the study area from 2009 to 2019 were analyzed using the land transfer matrix; then the distribution of ecosystem service values and the flow direction of ecosystem service values in the study area were measured based on the ecosystem service value equivalents; a spatial autocorrelation analysis was done on the ecosystem service values to explore their spatial distribution patterns; and finally, the cross-sensitivity coefficient was used to quantitatively assess the extent and direction of the impact of land use change on ecosystem service values. The results show that the land use types in the study area are mainly forest land and farmland, with woodland accounting for the highest proportion of the study area. The ESV changes in the study area are consistent with the trend of land use transformation, with the overall increase and decrease being comparable, and the decrease in ESV is mainly concentrated in the areas with a large increase in mining land and construction land; during the study period, the study area was significantly reduced with low—low cluster areas and the ecological environment was improved; from 2009 to 2014, the ecological sensitivity coefficient is more variable, and is more sensitive to the net conversion between water and desert, from 2014 to 2019, the ecological sensitivity coefficient is less variable, and the most sensitive is the net conversion between cultivated land and water. The study area should be reasonably developed for rare earth resources and the ecological environment around the mining area should be reasonably protected to build an ecological security pattern.

Construction of an Ecological Security Pattern in Rapidly Urbanizing Areas Based on Ecosystem Sustainability, Stability, and Integrity

The escalating pace of urbanization and human activities presents formidable challenges to landuse patterns and ecological environments. Achieving a harmonious coexistence between humans and nature of high quality has emerged as a global imperative. Constructing an ecological security pattern has become an essential approach to mitigating the adverse ecological impacts of urban sprawl, safeguarding human well-being, and promoting the healthy development of ecosystems. Focusing on ecosystem sustainability, stability, and integrity, this study constructed the ecological security pattern in rapidly urbanizing areas, emphasizing achieving a well-balanced integration of urban expansion and ecological preservation. Ecological sources were identified by an evaluation system of “ecosystem service function–ecological sensitivity–landscape connectivity”. Resistance surfaces were constructed by integrating natural and human factors. Ecological corridors and nodes were extracted by methods such as the minimum cumulative resistance and gravity models. Taking Nanchang City as an example, the results show that there were 15 ecological sources, primarily woodland, displaying a distinct “island” phenomenon. Additionally, there were 41 ecological corridors with a combined length of 2170.54 km, exhibiting a dense distribution in the southwest and a sparse distribution in the northeast. The city was found to encompass 122 ecological nodes, predominantly situated along the corridors near the ecological sources, indicating a strong spatial aggregation pattern. An optimized ecological security pattern of “one ring, two belts, three zones, and multiple nodes” was proposed for synergizing ecological protection, restoration, and rapid urbanizing.

Construction and optimization of ecological network in inland river basin based on circuit theory, complex network and ecological sensitivity: A case study of Gansu section of Heihe River Basin

The construction and optimization of ecological network is an effective way to ensure regional ecological security and achieve sustainable development. The present study is based on ecosystem services and circuit theory to construct an ecological network within the Gansu section of the Heihe River Basin. Through robustness analysis, the stability of this network is assessed, while combining it with ecological sensitivity to identify problem areas and potential threat areas. Furthermore, reasonable optimization strategies are proposed. The results indicate:(1) The basin identified a total of 61 ecological source, spanning an extensive area of 19,586 km2, which accounted for approximately 35.6% of the overall territory. Notably, the spatial distribution exhibited a higher concentration in the southern regions and a relatively lower presence in the northern parts. Furthermore, an impressive count of 132 ecological corridors was identified alongside 103 ecological pinch points and 31 barriers; all predominantly clustered within the southwestern region. (2) The robustness analysis results in the selection of 10 corridors based on the betweenness increasing edge, and the early stability is significantly improved after optimizing network robustness. (3) The ecological sensitivity was categorized into five levels, which were integrated with the ecological network and newly added corridors to optimize the areas of high sensitivity. The results provide a scientific basis for regulating water resources allocation in inland river basins and optimizing territorial space.

Construction of an ecological security pattern in Jiangnan water network area based on an integrated Approach: A case study of Gaochun, Nanjing

Rapid urbanization in the Jiangnan Water Network region has resulted in the degradation of ecosystems and interruption of ecological functions. The ecological security pattern (ESP) is crucial for balancing economic development and ecological protection within an area. In this study, we focused on a representative region of Gaochun in the Jiangnan water network area and devised a comprehensive ESP methodology. This study combined the importance of ecosystem services (ESI), landscape connectivity (Con), and ecological sensitivity (ESS), starting with an analysis of ecological sources. Furthermore, both natural and human factors are emphasized when constructing a comprehensive ecological resilience surface. Nighttime lighting data (NTL), ecological risk index (ERI), and land intensity factor (CI) were used to calibrate the resistance values. Finally, circuit theory was applied to determine the optimal path, width, and ecological strategy points for the ecological corridors. The results indicate We identified 39 ecological source areas, 74 ecological corridors, 33 ecological pinch points, and 45 ecological barriers. Based on this, an overall spatial optimization plan of “five cores, three patches, three belts, multiple corridors, and multiple points” is obtained. This study aimed to explore and optimize a comprehensive approach to ESP with regional characteristics, providing new pathways and decision support for the future construction of ecological security patterns in the Jiangnan Water Network region.

An evaluation framework for urban ecological compensation priority in China based on meta-analysis and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation

This initiative seeks to attain a harmonious equilibrium of regional environmental pressures and improve resource utilization efficiency within the context of habitat and environmental preservation. The escalating urban population exposure underscores the significance of restoring human settlements, emerging as a critical concern in urban planning and development. However, a notable deficiency exists in both theoretical foundations and methodologies for identifying cities requiring greater support for environmental restoration. The evaluation of ecological compensation priority has thus become pivotal in accomplishing this objective. Consequently, this study endeavors to elucidate the research paradigm surrounding urban ecological compensation priority and proffer a framework for assessing and analyzing the spatial characteristics of such priority in China. Employing the meta-analysis method, the study established an evaluation index system for ecological protection importance (EPI) to delineate ecological compensation priority. Leveraging data sourced from literature findings and publicly available data from Google Earth Engine, an evaluation of EPI subsystems (HSEQ and ecological sensitivity) ensued via the application of a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model. Ultimately, the EPI value was computed using a coupling coordination degree model, facilitating the determination of ecological compensation priorities for Chinese cities. The results showed that (1) Most cities displayed both low-grade human settlement environmental quality (HSEQ) and ecological sensitivity, especially about 59.8% cities in lowest grade HSEQ. And they showed aggregated distribution from both the aspects of the HSEQ(Moran’I = 0.16) and the eco-sensitivity(Moran’I = 0.297). (2) 53.5%(n = 53) cities in low compensation priority and 38.4%(n = 36) in medium compensation priority, only 8.1%(n = 8) cities in high compensation priority. (3) 83.75% cities accorded with the feature that cities with obvious population growth could upgrade the compensation priority. It indicates that cities and urban agglomerations with potential for population growth should receive more attention. This study presents an analytical framework for urban ecological compensation, aiming to offer valuable insights for urban HSEQ policy decisions related to urban ecological management.

우호적 접촉 강화와 공동체 역량 함양을 위한 미술교육

This study is concerned that elements that hinder community solidarity, that is, elements of hostile relation-ships such as discrimination, prejudice, and hatred, are threatening the safety of society and are emerging as social problems, and investigates the role of art education in this regard. It started with concern. As if reflecting this social atmosphere, the 2022 Revised Art Curriculum was designed to bring community capabilities to the fore, strengthen community solidarity, and foster community members who cultivate eco-logical sensitivity and pluralistic values. The author focused on friendly contact within the community as a way to strengthen social solidarity, reduce hostile elements, and strengthen community capacity. The direc-tion of art education for this purpose was also explored, categorized into three categories: 'contact with the world', 'contact with media', and 'contact with other cultures'. Friendly contact with various subjects can be a good way to strengthen community capacity through art. Throughout human history, there has never been no conflict, and when conflict and hostile situations arise, we hope to reveal a more humane and friendly moral sense, and that will be an important role of the 2022 Revised Korean national Art Curriculum.

Signifying Haitian Migration and the Politics of Land

The Essay brings you peer-reviewed essays that provoke thinking in and about our field. In this issue, Marco Pflanzen examines the legacy of colonialism at the US-Mexico border, specifically the US Border Patrol’s pursuit and detention of Haitian migrants. Pflanzen argues that the images and rhetoric should be understood against the backdrop of vigilante justice against enslaved Africans and that both historical moments have underexamined ecological ramifications. Pflanzen brings an ecological sensitivity to the significations and affections at play in a manner that broadens scholarly understandings of nature and discourse alike.

Measuring ecosystem services and ecological sensitivity for comprehensive conservation in Giant Panda National Park.

China announced the development of its first 5 national parks in 2021, the primary objective of which is to conserve the natural state and integrity of natural ecosystems. As such, ecosystem services and biodiversity levels are crucial assessment factors for the parks. For Giant Panda National Park (GPNP), we evaluated ecological sensitivity based on water and soil erosion and rocky desertification; ecosystem services based on headwater conservation, soil and water conservation, and biodiversity conservation; and presence of giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and sympatric species (e.g., takin [Budorcas taxicolor], Asiatic black bear [Ursus thibetanus]) habitat suitability derived from niche modeling to identify the ecosystem status and assess ecological problems within the park. From our results, we proposed ecologically critical areas to target to meet the park's goals. The suitable habitat for pandas and sympatric species encompassed 62.98% of the park and occurred mainly in the Minshan Mountains. One quarter of the total area (25.67%) contained areas important for ecosystem services. Ecologically sensitive and extremely sensitive areas covered 88.78% of the park and were distributed mainly in Qionglaishan and Minshan Mountains. This coverage indicated that there was much habitat for pandas and sympatric species but that the ecosystems in GPNP are vulnerable. Therefore, ecologically critical areas encompassed all suitable habitats for all the species examined and areas important and extremely important to ecosystem service provision,ecologically sensitive and extremely sensitive areas, encompassed 15.17% of panda habitat, accounted for 16.37% of the GPNP area, and were distributed mainly in the Minshan Mountains. Our results indicated where conservation efforts should be focused in the park and that by identifying ecologically critical areas managers can provide targeted protection for wildlife habitat and ecosystems and effectively and efficiently protect the composite ecosystem. Additionally, our methods can be used to inform development of new national parks.

The negative impacts of human activities on the ecological corridor in the karst highly urbanized area are gradually diminishing: A case study from the karst mountain cities in Southwest China

Karst mountain cities are important population agglomerations in southwestern China, as well as integral components of the significant regional economic belt - the Central Guizhou Economic Belt. Ecological corridors serve as crucial pathways for species migration and play a vital role in integrating regional habitats, particularly in the highly fragmented and ecologically vulnerable karst areas. However, it is not yet clear how human activities and natural factors drive the distribution of ecological corridors in the rapidly expanding urban areas of karst region. In light of this, based on multi-source data from 2005 to 2020, this study identified ecological source areas using ecological sensitivity analysis and a resistance surface model was adjusted using the rocky desertification factor. The Minimum Cumulative Resistance (MCR) model was employed to extract ecological corridors for each of the four time periods. Furthermore, space syntax analysis was conducted to evaluate the selection, integration, and depth of the corridors under different levels of urbanization. Finally, correlation analysis in R language was performed to determine the degree of influence of various driving factors on the distribution of ecological corridors. Our findings indicate that during the urbanization process, the negative impact of human disturbance factors on corridor distribution in highly urbanized areas has decreased. And the overall development of ecological corridors in the research region has shown improvement over the past 20 years. However, extreme climatic conditions have negatively affected the distribution of ecological corridors. Additionally, policy-driven measures will have an impact on the distribution of ecological corridors. By exploring the spatiotemporal differentiation and driving mechanisms of corridors in Karst mountain cities over the past two decades, our research will provide scientific evidence for biodiversity conservation and the construction of ecologically secure environments in karst areas.

Optimization strategies of ecological security patterns through importance of ecosystem services and ecological sensitivity—A case study in the Yellow River Basin

AbstractWith the aggravation of environmental conflicts, exploring the green development path is an inevitable choice to alleviate land tension, guarantee the harmony of human–land relations, and promote coordinated regional development. The Yellow River Basin (YRB) is an important national ecological barrier area, but the impact of its environmental problems can no longer be ignored. Ecological security patterns (ESPs) provide remarkable means for the identification, configuration, and optimization of ecological spaces, which can help people identify the most central zone that needs to be protected. In this paper, we proposed environmental optimization strategies applicable to YRB as a case area. Firstly, the basic framework of ESPs was constructed based on the “three‐step” method, where ecological sources were delineated by importance/sensitivity, resistance surfaces were created by entropy weight method, and the distribution ranges of ecological corridors, nodes, and barriers were confirmed by circuit theory. Meanwhile, stepping stones were introduced to optimize the ESPs, which were obtained through hotspot analysis and buffer analysis. The results displayed that (1) ecological sources covered an area of 166,699.32 km2, occupying 21% of the basin area. They were widely distributed in the upper and middle junctions, southeast and east of the basin, and of the land types that make up them, cropland, woodland, and grassland account for 97.6%. (2) The spatial distribution of resistance values varied considerably with low values predominantly found along water systems and high values predominantly found in densely populated urban areas. (3) Through the Linkage Mapper tool, 344 ecological corridors were acquired, with dense and short corridors in the southeast and sparse and long corridors in the northwest; 146 ecological nodes were acquired, which were the priority areas for ecological protection; and 154 barriers were acquired, the improvement or removal of which can enhance the connectivity between sources. In addition, the application of stepping stones further enhanced the connectivity between landscapes. The ESPs assessment framework constructed in this paper can provide strong support for relevant departments to carry out ecological monitoring and formulate environmental protection strategies.

Construction and optimization of ecological security pattern based on landscape ecological risk assessment in the affected area of the Lower Yellow River

In the context of urban expansion and climate change, the world is under pressure from multiple ecological risks. Key ecological protection areas play a pivotal role in preserving ecological stability and promoting development. Due to its unique geographical conditions, the Yellow River basin has been facing huge ecological risk pressure. In the affected area of the Lower Yellow River (AALYR) as an agricultural hub, ecological protection has gradually become a key factor restricting the development of cities and agriculture. Taking AALYR as an example, the landscape ecological risk assessment (LERA) system is established based on three aspects “natural environment—human society—landscape pattern”. We construct a comprehensive cumulative resistance surface based on the risk assessment results as the basis for the future study. Ecological corridors are identified by minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) models to establish and optimize Ecological security pattern (ESP) in the AALYR. We found that the landscape ecological risks (LER) in the study area show a uniform spatial distribution, with a slightly higher distribution in the northeast than the southwest. The ecological risk levels are generally high in AALYR, indicating a more severe risk problem in this area. A total of 56 ecological sources were identified, with a total area of 21176 km2. The ecological sensitivity of AALYR was high, and 99 ecological corridors and 59 ecological nodes were extracted. Ecological corridors and nodes were consistently and densely distributed throughout the study area. The network analysis method improves the stability of the network structure after optimization. Based on the key components of the ESP, with the combination of geographical characteristics and local policy planning guidance, we constructed the “One Belt and One Axis, Two Cores and Two Corridors, Four zones” ESP. The study results may offer guidance and suggestions for the construction of ESP and ecological environment protection system in the world’s major river basins, and may also provide information for ecological planning of other similar river basins in the world.

Forests as Social Mirrors: What do Approaches to Forest Management Tell us About Human Social Relations?

AbstractThere is evidence to suggest that the nature of human impact upon forests, measured both quantitatively and qualitatively, tells a story about dominant social paradigms throughout recent history. In this sense, forests are social mirrors. Collectively, we are consuming ecological resources at 1.5 times the rate they can be replenished, while often simplifying or adversely impacting forest ecosystems. At the same time, ecocentric and enlightened self‐interest movements are emerging, manifest in woodland management approaches that embrace multiple values, ecological sensitivity, and traditional ecological knowledge. The evidence therefore shows that contradictory paradigms exist alongside each other, exerting influence over landscapes at shared temporal and spatial scales simultaneously. Consequently, forest management reflects the sociocultural dynamics of a species experiencing cognitive dissonance; responding to human ideals around the need to tread lightly and the contradictory reality of an ever‐increasing economic output.

Dynamic Spatiotemporal Land Use Evolution in China’s Plateau Lake Basins in Response to Landscape Ecological Sensitivity

Ecological sensitivity measures an ecosystem’s reaction and restoration difficulty to exogenous disturbances. Regional ecological and environmental challenges can be identified using ecological sensitivity evaluation. The regional characteristics and environmental challenges of plateau lakes were quantified to create four assessment indexes: landform, natural conditions, human activities, and ecological security. Eleven ecologically sensitive characteristics were chosen. We evaluated the landscape ecological sensitivity of the Erhai Lake Basin, China, using ArcGIS and the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). The results showed that the Erhai Lake Basin was mostly forest from 1990 to 2020 and that the dynamic land-use attitude increased and then reduced. The cultivated land became mostly woods and grassland. The largest building area was tied to reverting farms to woods and urban construction. The highest weight was from single-factor ecologically sensitive vegetation covering, followed by river systems and roadways, and lowest was from landslides and collapses. The ecologically sensitive areas with more vegetation and a greater distance from roads and woodland are harder to recover from harm. According to the thorough sensitivity analysis, the study region’s high sensitivity area is 1102.36 km2 (26.16%) and the higher sensitivity area is 1177.10 km2 (27.93%). The ecological sensitivity increases from neighborhoods to nature reserves. High-sensitivity areas were in hilly woods and grasslands with few people. The low-sensitivity area was around water and homes. The dynamic stability of the area ecological environment influenced ecological sensitivity. This study aims to provide sustainable land use solutions for the Erhai Lake Basin and a scientific basis for managing and protecting ecologically vulnerable areas.

How do natural and socio-economic factors influence the sustainable development of the ecological environment in the World Natural Heritage Sites? Evidence from the Jiuzhaigou, China

With the rapid development of tourism in the World Natural Heritage Sites (WNHSs), it made ecological environment issues increasingly become prominent while boosting regional economic development. Exploring the influence and evolution of natural and socio-economic factors will help to maintain the authenticity and integrity of the WNHSs, and promote sustainable development. Here, to better understand the sustainable development situation of the WNHSs, we construct a nature-society-based comprehensive evaluation framework, and combining the remote sensing-based ecological index (RSEI) with the spatial autocorrelation model, and employed the obstacle factor diagnostic model, to reveal the spatial–temporal characteristics and the key driving factor of ecological environment in the Jiuzhaigou. Meanwhile, we assess the integrated ecological sensitivity of the Jiuzhaigou and determine the key conservation area. Through the analysis of results, we find that RSEI from 2013 to 2020 exhibits a fluctuation trend resembling an ”N-shape”, high RSEI points tend to cluster in the southern part of the study area, while low RSEI points cluster in the northern part, it has a significant spatial heterogeneity. We shed further light on that when the number of tourists exceeds the population carrying capacity of the heritage site, the negative impacts of tourism development on the natural environment will outweigh the positive impacts of tourism revenue growth on regional economic development and constrain the sustainable development of the site as a whole. Specifically, dissolved oxygen concentration in water, nitrogen dioxide concentration, and noise are the main drivers of nature. The proportion of tertiary industry, fixed asset investment, and total tourism consumption are the main drivers of society. Furthermore, the ecological sensitivity of Jiuzhaigou is moderately low. Therefore, we suggest that the government should improve and refine the existing disaster early warning mechanism, dynamically adjust and control the number of tourists received per day, harmonize the relationship between economic development and environmental protection, and strengthen the protection of authenticity and integrity in areas of high ecological sensitivity.

Cigarette Butts; A Little Leaven That Leaveneth the Whole Lump

Tobacco The tobacco industry has introduced the most abundant forms of plastic (microplastic) into human waste streams with no intended managerial strategies over the centuries. They have maintained monetary gain but shifted blames to the end users, making butts “it’s small, “it does not matter” the most abundant untamed litters globally. The butts are said to release over 400 carcinogenic chemicals when discarded inhumanly into the environment (air, water and land); with attended effects on the environmental resources and human beings. The basis of this study is to draw public attention and cultural waste management practices towards Cigarette butts in Bayelsa State considering the vast and high ecological sensitivity of the state and the region at large. About 240 pieces of carefully designed schedules covering demographic features, smoking frequencies, awareness, smoking environment and butts management culture were utilized to elucidate the objectives of the study. The chains of smokers were more between the ages of 36-45years and lesser between the ages of 20-25years; 92% of smokers were male making them the most likely gender to litter the environment with cigarette butts; of the totals smokers 67% respondent don’t know that cigarette butts is non-biodegradable and very toxic to the environment. 34% respondent smokes in conspicuous environment; 19% inconspicuous milieu (hideout and ghettos), 23% in controlled designated areas and 24% agreed to smoke in an undesignated environment (Streets). Dumping in trash accounted for 24%, 30% selectively discarded in shops, clubs, malls etc. while 46% admitted to have discarded butts randomly, exposing the environment to arrays of toxins. Therefore, creating awareness is necessary but holding the tobacco companies accountable for butts’ management is very optimal.

Identification of ecological functional zoning and its influencing factors in the Sihu Lake Basin, China

Rational delineation of ecological functional areas and clarification of their driving factors are of significance for maintaining regional ecosystem stability. We assessed six ecosystem services of Sihu Lake Basin located in Jianghan Plain using InVEST and RUSLE models and recreational scoring methods. By using K-means clustering, we identified the ecosystem service bundles, and delineated the ecological functional areas in combination with ecological sensitivity and ecosystem service bundles. The dominant driving factors of different ecological functional areas were analyzed by Geodetector. The results showed that the spatial distributions of habitat quality and carbon sequestration services were similar, with high values being mainly concentrated in Changhu Lake Basin and Honghu Lake Basin. However, the spatial distributions of crop production and soil conservation services were different, with high-value areas concentrated in the northwest area with mountains. The high values of water production service were mainly concentrated in the eastern part of Honghu Lake Basin, while the high-value areas of ecological recreation service were mainly concentrated in the northwest area and the southern part of Honghu Lake Basin. The Sihu Lake Basin could be classified into crop production bundle, habitat quality bundle, and urban living bundle according to cluster analysis. The low ecological sensitivity areas accounted for 59.0% of the Sihu Lake Basin. We classified the study area into ecological restoration areas, ecological conservation areas, ecological transition areas, ecological development areas, and comprehensive use areas by combination of ecological sensitivity and ecosystem service bundles. The geodetector results indicated that the driving factors of each ecological function zone were significantly different. The natural factors significantly influenced the ecological restoration zone, while the normalized vegetation index and population density were the main influencing factors in the ecological conservation zone and the ecological development zone, respectively. Land use type was the main influencing factor in the ecological transition zone and the comprehensive use zone. The results could provide important support for coordinated regional social development and environmental protection.

The prosocial and pro-environmental aspects of authenticity and the mediating role of self-transcendence

ABSTRACT A considerable body of relevant literature has grown up around the theme of authenticity, showing the critical role it has in relation to a variety of indicators of individual well-being. The personal benefits of authenticity are now well documented. However, in this paper we hypothesize that authenticity is not only beneficial to the person themselves, but that it also promotes prosociality and ecological sensitivity. This study used cross-sectional data from one hundred and twenty-nine Turkish participants, who completed Turkish version of the Authenticity Scale, The Environmental Behavior Scale, The Helping Attitudes Scale and The Self-Transcendence Scale. The findings reported here show that greater authenticity was associated with more favorable attitudes to helping others and engagement in pro-environmental behaviors. Furthermore, the present research explored, for the first time, the effects of self-transcendence. The results showed that the associations between authenticity and helping attitudes of altruism as well as receiving and giving were mediated by self-transcendence. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed in terms of humanistic perspectives on authenticity.

Hybridity and Multiscale Compatibility in Landscape Infrastructure for Mountain River Restoration: A Pathway Toward Environmental and Socio-Ecological Sustainability

River rehabilitation has traditionally focused on hard-engineering projects, which often fail to address environmental protection concerns and social-ecological services in a larger territorial context. In particular, mountain rivers pose unique challenges due to their diverse hydrological and morphological conditions, which are often overlooked by traditional restoration methods. Consequently, water quality deteriorates and social-ecological imbalances arise. To address these challenges, we propose a holistic solution that integrates landscape infrastructure (LI), a soft-engineered biophysical structure and process. Our approach combines hydrological analysis, ecological sensitivity assessment, and ecological design solutions to develop an LI framework for the Xiaojiahe basin in the Chongqing Mountain range in southwest China. This framework emphasizes integration across the spatial scale of landscape networks and corridors. Our study reveals the existence of fragmented river systems and limited connectivity among green spaces in the research area. The adoption of a comprehensive Landscape Infrastructure (LI) framework facilitates the execution of culturally sensitive and practical design solutions for Mountain Urban River Restoration (MURR) at different levels. This approach reinstates the multifaceted environmental and socio-ecological benefits of the basin. We believe that our approach can be applied to other cases with similar contexts and challenges.

Spatio-Temporal Evolution of Key Areas of Territorial Ecological Restoration in Resource-Exhausted Cities: A Case Study of Jiawang District, China

Resource-exhausted cities usually face problems of environmental degradation, landscape fragmentation, and impeded ecological mobility. By clarifying the spatial heterogeneity of ecological restoration needs, efficient and coordinated ecological protection and restoration can be carried out. This study selected Jiawang District, a typical resource-exhausted city, and constructed an ecological security evaluation framework to determine the ecological source area from the three aspects of ecosystem service importance, ecological sensitivity, and landscape stability. The resistance surface was corrected with ecological sensitivity evaluation data, and ecological corridors and ecological nodes were identified using circuit theory. Finally, it explored the spatial and temporal evolution of the key areas of territorial ecological restoration in Jiawang District. This study indicates that: (1) In 2000, 2010, and 2020, the ecological source areas were 123.59 km2, 116.18 km2, and 125.25 km2, and the corresponding numbers of ecological corridors were 53, 51, and 49. The total lengths of the ecological corridors were 129.25 km, 118.57 km, and 112.25 km, mainly distributed in the northern and central areas of the study area. (2) The study area contained 17, 13, and 19 ecological pinch points in 2000, 2010, and 2020, respectively, 16, 20, and 15 ecological obstacle points, and 8, 24, and 33 ecological fracture points, respectively. Targeted rehabilitation of these key areas can significantly improve ecological connectivity. (3) The key area of territorial ecological restoration in 2020 was composed of 125.25 km2 ecological source area, 8.77 km2 of ecological pinch point, 12.70 km2 of ecological obstacle point, and 33 ecological fracture points. According to the present situation of land use, protection strategies are put forward.