Ecologically Sensitive Research Articles

Spatial patterns and its influencing factors on villages around the Ji-shape bend of the Yellow River

Population migration brings about many problems in villages. The Ji (几)-shape bend of the Yellow River is an important ecological sensitivity study area, and some progress exists in the study of villages, still has many problems. This article addresses the inadequacy of the existing research and mainly solves the problems in three areas. It primarily used the research method of Arc GIS10.8, the big data research methods such as imbalance index, Gini coefficient, geographic concentration index, Geodetector, and other methods were used, laying the groundwork for additional analysis of various factors. Hence, the subsequent study findings were attained. 1) The distribution pattern in the village system around the Ji-shape bend of the Yellow River seems to be a positive spatial correlation, with the characteristics of random distribution, uneven spatial distribution, and low concentration, with Hohhot-Baotou serving as a center. 2) Natural factors are the most important factors in the distribution of villages. 3) Among the natural factors, elevation (0.244619), the value of slope (0.319805), and the aspect of slope (0.074089) appear to be the strongest explanatory power. Among the social factors, the rate of urbanization (0.019082), highway density (0.019082), and percentage of tertiary industry (0.018422) show the strongest explanatory power on socioeconomic factors. The natural and social characteristics of villages are important for the siting of villages. This paper put forward some suggestions for the protection and development of villages in ecologically sensitive areas.

Rural Settlement Optimization for Ecologically Sensitive Area Evaluations Based on Geo-Proximity and the Soil‒Water Conservation Capacity

Rural communities in ecologically sensitive areas are confronted with environmental challenges and land waste. The hollowing out of villages because of the steady loss of young people has brought these problems to the fore. Research on the remediation of rural settlements in ecologically sensitive regions is scarce. This paper focuses on Tong Yu County, a region located in the agricultural and pastoral intertwined zones of western Jilin, which is known for its ecological sensitivity. On the basis of the results of the geographical assessment of the area via hierarchical analysis (AHP method)and soil and water conservation capacity evaluation via the revised universal soil loss equation model(RUSLE) and the net primary production quantitative index model(NPP model), we propose a rural development program that divides the study area into three different zones with different development orientations, namely, potential enhancement, agglomeration development, and expansion restrictions. Moreover, we conceived a rural settlement remediation scheme using the kernel density estimation method and provided remediation strategies for rural settlements of various density levels. The rural settlement development program and the rural settlement remediation scheme led to the optimization of rural settlements. Notably, with increasing kernel density, the area of rural settlements tends to increase and then decrease. Our research helps save 5.059 km2 of land resources in the study area and offers guidance for improving the rural settlement layout in Tong Yu County.

Differential Analysis of Island Mountain Plant Community Characteristics: Ecological Sensitivity Perspectives

Island plants form the foundation for maintaining the ecology of an island. With the development of the island’s infrastructure, its ecosystems become damaged to a certain extent. A comprehensive understanding of island habitats and plant community characteristics is crucial for the development of island plant communities. This paper focuses on Pingtan Island in Fujian Province, China, as the research subject. Firstly, considering the significance of the wind environment on the island, this study constructed a wind environment model for the entire island of Pingtan to evaluate the ecological sensitivity from a macro perspective. Subsequently, 33 typical sample plots were selected based on different ecologically sensitive areas to conduct a micro-survey and the characterization of the montane plant communities on Pingtan Island. The findings reveal that (1) Pingtan Island’s ecological sensitivity is dominated by areas with ecological insensitivity (35.72%), moderate ecological sensitivity (33.99%), and high ecological sensitivity (18.02%). The soil texture, wind environment, and land use type are the primary influencing factors in the ecological sensitivity of Pingtan Island. (2) A total of 47 families, 82 genera, and 93 species of plants were investigated in a typical sample site in the mountainous area of Pingtan Island. The plant community structure was dominated by the successional stage of shrubs and herbs. There is some similarity in the plant composition of different ecologically sensitive areas. High ecologically sensitive areas have more species. As sensitivity increases, the dominant species in the three ecologically sensitive areas continue to undergo plant succession from Acacia confusa to Pinus thunbergii to Eurya emarginata. (3) Both community characteristics and species diversity vary between sensitive areas. The canopy density (CD) and the mean height of tree layer (MHTL) are higher in moderate ecologically sensitive areas. The mean tree diameter at breast height (MDBH) and the mean height of shrub layer (MHSL) are higher in high ecologically sensitive areas, while the mean height of herb layer (MHHL) is higher in extreme ecologically sensitive areas. Four diversity indicators increase with increasing sensitivity. In the moderate and high ecologically sensitive areas, Casuarina equisetifolia and A. confusa thrive, with Pinus thunbergii showing the opposite trend. However, species diversity is better characterized by A. confusa and P. thunbergii, with C. equisetifolia being the least diverse. Both the community characteristics and species diversity of P. thunbergii are optimal in extreme ecologically sensitive areas. In this study, the ecological sensitivity of Pingtan Island and the characteristics of montane plant communities were systematically analyzed to explore more stable montane plant communities on the island, aiming to provide a scientific basis and model reference for the ecological restoration and sustainable development of Pingtan Island and other islands.

An Assessment of Ecological Sensitivity and Landscape Pattern in Abandoned Mining Land

In recent years, the development of abandoned mining land has become a focal point in landscape planning. However, during the development of abandoned mining land, there often exists a phenomenon of prioritizing economic considerations over ecological concerns, leading to a failure to achieve genuinely sustainable development. An ecological sensitivity assessment, guided by the principles of protection and development, provides an evaluation framework that directs planning strategies for abandoned mining land from the perspective of balanced development and conservation. To facilitate the development and construction of abandoned mining land, this paper utilizes GIS technology, on-site surveys, analytic hierarchy processes, etc. Taking the abandoned mining land in Haining, Zhejiang, China, as the research subject and considering its unique site conditions, ecological sensitivity is divided into topographic conditions, surface water systems, and plant landscapes. Ecological sensitivity factors are selected, and an ecological sensitivity assessment system is constructed from the perspectives of ecological conservation and sustainable development. Using ArcGIS 10.2 and Fragstats 4.2 software, landscape pattern analysis is conducted, exploring the relationship between landscape patterns and ecological sensitivity assessment results from the perspectives of landscape fragmentation, diversity, and aggregation. By comparing the results of single-factor sensitivity analysis and comprehensive sensitivity analysis, as well as landscape pattern indices before and after classifying ecologically sensitive areas, the practicality of the evaluation system is verified, facilitating planning studies and providing design recommendations for abandoned mining land. Landscape pattern indices serve as supplementary explanations for ecological sensitivity. Based on the results of ecological sensitivity assessment and landscape pattern indices, the ecological conservation levels in the research area are classified into five categories: the Level I Comprehensive Protection Zone, Level II Moderately Developed Zone, Level III Construction Suitable Zone, Level IV Core Construction Zone, and Level V Core Development Zone. These correspond to ecological protection zones, sightseeing experience zones, historical exhibition zones, core commercial zones, and themed amusement zones, respectively. The I-level sensitive area in the research area has the smallest range, while IV-level and VI-level sensitive areas have larger extents, exhibiting a high degree of overall landscape fragmentation but with diverse and dominant landscape types. Integrating ecological sensitivity assessment results and landscape pattern indices aids in delineating ecological conservation levels and regional functional recreation zones, guiding the rational recreation allocation of resources for abandoned mining land and promoting its development into a scenic area integrating ecology and tourism.

Urban built-up area footprint (UBAF): A novel method of urban bio-capacity and ecological sensitivity assessment

In the city level, urban ecological footprint (UEF) assessment is used for a variety of measures, from biological resources through people as well as human population as a whole. But, the context of this study is sightly specific, here we focus built-up land consumption coming out the general concept of UEF. This study used to figure out the urban built-up area footprint (UBAF) as well as bio-productive status in a city scale, and its impact on urban ecological sensitivity (UES). For this assessment, one of the fastest growing-up cities in Eastern Himalayan region of India, namely Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) is selected as a study area. To assess the UEF and bio-capacity (BC), the yield and equivalent factors have been introduced. Further, variable weights combination (VWC) method is used to assess the UES of SMC. The result shows that increasing UBAF directly impacted on bio-capacity of SMC area. Most of the lands have been converted into built-up land, and highly ecological deficit is seen in the built-up land areas. Thus, the SMC is already crossed the standard limit of the UBAF limit (>3 ha per capita). Consequently, entire SMC has been ecologically sensitive and facing ecological deficit condition rigidly. Therefore, a UBAF based environmental impact assessment framework has been proposed for city level that can be helpful for the further urban land use planning.

Tourism on the roof of the world: Socio-ecological impacts of tourism on the Indian Trans-Himalaya

Tourism is a rapidly developing industry in ecologically sensitive remote areas, especially in developing countries. Although a lucrative livelihood alternative, it is often responsible for degrading the environment and stratifying the socio-economic setup, if not managed prudently. We assessed the impact of tourism on ecological integrity and local livelihood in wetlands of Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary (CWLS), Indian Trans-Himalaya. Change in behaviour of wetland birds was studied using flight initiation distance (FID) approach to understand the ecological sensitivity of CWLS. We evaluated livelihood contribution of tourism and attitude of local people towards tourism as a futuristic livelihood opportunity using questionnaire-based interviews and focus group discussions. Although traditional communities of CWLS see tourism as a livelihood opportunity; they are still sceptical about its effectiveness and indicated leakage of tourism benefits. People were also dubious about its impact on their socio-cultural and environmental structure. FID estimates have shown level of sensitivity among wetland birds towards presence of tourists. We recommend, site-specific FID based ‘minimum approach distances’ of most sensitive species for delineating buffers around wetlands to ensure no disturbance to waterbirds. Community managed nature-based tourism is suggested to maximise the tourism benefits to local people. Prototypical sustainable tourism activities should be endorsed in the region that can elicit advancement of local economy and efficacy of conservation efforts.

Integrating tourism supply-demand and environmental sensitivity into the tourism network identification of ecological functional zone

One of the challenges facing ecological functional zones (EFZs) is achieving a balance between economic growth and environmental protection (management). Tourism presents an important avenue to tackle this challenge. However, research inadequately addresses the identification of tourism networks. Combining geo-referenced social media data analysis, the three-step floating catchment area method, and the minimum cumulative resistance model, this paper developed a multi-tiered mechanism for identifying tourism networks using scenic spots as nodes. This approach involved indicators like tourism potential (supply), tourists’ emotional appeal (demand), and ecological sensitivity. We employed the Taihang Mountains (THM), a representative EFZ, as an application case. Results indicate spatial heterogeneity in THM’s tourism potential, with higher tourism potential and relatively greater ecological sensitivity in the South and East THM. Furthermore, a substantial spatial mismatch in tourism demand and supply is evident, with South THM leading with a match of 0.29, while East THM recording the lowest match at 0.16. Based on this, this study identified a multi-level tourism development network having 34 tourism sources (9 primary sources, 13 secondary sources and 12 tertiary sources) and 51 corridors (11 primary corridors, 21 secondary corridors, and 19 tertiary corridors) consisted of a total length of 5,263 km, with an average length of 67 km. Our tourism networks have been tested to not only protect ecologically sensitive areas but also connect areas with economic advantages in tourism (i.e., South and East THM), which is conducive to achieving mutual benefits between tourism development and environmental protection. Our findings are conducive to improving the efficiency of tourism planning and management and provide a new path for coordinating EFZs’ conservation and development.

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.

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.

Ecological Sensitivity Assessment and Spatial Pattern Analysis of Land Resources in Tumen River Basin, China

Ecological sensitivity is one of the important indicators of regional ecological fragility, which can represent the sensitivity of ecosystems to natural environmental conditions and human activity disturbances in the region. In this study, the ecological sensitivity of land resources in the Tumen River Basin of China was quantitatively evaluated by taking 3 ecologically sensitive impact types, including the natural environment, human disturbance, and soil erosion, as evaluation criteria, and 11 ecologically sensitive factors were selected to build an evaluation system using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method, to determine the weights of the evaluation factors, combined with geographic information system (GIS) technology. The results show that: (1) Among the three types of ecological sensitivity factors, the influence of human disturbance is the most obvious, and the two factors of land use type and distance from construction land have the highest weights in the comprehensive ecological sensitivity evaluation. (2) There are no extremely sensitive areas or insensitive areas in the Tumen River Basin in China. Highly sensitive areas account for only 0.59% of the total area and are mainly concentrated in the lakes, rivers, and reservoirs in the study area. Moderately sensitive areas account for 54.12%, which are concentrated in the central part of the Tumen River Basin Slightly sensitive areas are mainly located in the mountainous areas in the north and south of the study area. (3) Among the various land resource types, the proportion of slightly sensitive areas and moderately sensitive areas of woodland is close (about 50%), while cultivated land, grassland, construction land, and bare land are mainly moderately sensitive areas (73.95%, 82.07%, 96.59%, and 78.78%), and water bodies are mostly distributed within highly sensitive areas (60.97%), and all wetlands with the smallest area are moderately sensitive. The results of the study can provide data support and a scientific basis for regional ecological protection and development planning.

Ecologically sensitive regions in Belgaum district, Karnataka, Central Western Ghats

Aim: Deforestation due to unplanned developmental activities leading to the loss of carbon sequestration capability and the release of stored carbon to the atmosphere has been a prime mover of global warming, with changes in the climate evident from the spatio-temporal changes in the rainfall, increase in temperature, and higher instances of vector-borne diseases. Unregulated land cover changes have necessitated prioritizing ecologically sensitive regions to develop location-specific management strategies. This entails estimating spatio temporal LULC changes using multi-resolution spatial data to understand landscape dynamics, which helps in the prudent management of natural resources. Methodology: The current communication accounts for land use transitions in the Belgaum district, part of central Western Ghats, through classifying spatial data over a temporal scale using a supervised classifier. Ecologically sensitive regions are prioritized by integrating bo-geo-climatic, ecological, hydrologic, and social parameters. Results: Temporal land use analyses reveal a loss of forest cover by 2.99% (90.29 sq km) with an increase in the built-up area during two decades (1989 to 2019 and a decline of contiguous interior forests from 16.26% to 6.77%. Geo-visualisation of likely land uses through a hybrid Fuzzy MCE AHP MCA modeling indicates a further decrease of forest cover of 5.6% by 2029. Hence, it necessitates the conservation of ecologically sensitive regions (ESR) at disaggregated levels. Interpretation: Regions with exceptionally high sensitivity (ESR1) cover 15% of the spatial extent of the district, 27% (52 grids) cover higher sensitivity (ESR2), 52% (99 grids) are high to moderate sensitive (ESR3), and the rest 6% (12 grids) are minimal sensitive (ESR4). Prioritization of the region based on its ecological sensitiveness would facilitate decision-makers in the implementation of effective conservation policies focusing on maintaining the ecological integrity through prudent management of natural resources to support livelihood with the sustenance of natural resources. Key words: Forest fragmentation, Hybrid modeling, Livelihood of people, Land use Land cover, Natural Resource Management

Ecological Sensitivity Evaluation and Explanatory Power Analysis of the Giant Panda National Park in China

The Giant Panda National Park (GPNP) is one of the first national parks established in China, and the consideration of its ecological sensitivity is an important part of the construction of ecological civilization. Taking GPNP as a case, the ecological sensitivity evaluation model of the national park was constructed on the basis of the sensitivity evaluation results of regional terrain, climate, vegetation, animal trace, landscape resource, water resource and human activity. The CRiteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC) method was introduced to obtain the comprehensive spatial distribution characteristics of ecological sensitivity, and the spatial autocorrelation analysis and explanatory factor analysis were carried out in order to provide specific suggestions for the ecological development and protection of the national park. The results showed that the ecological sensitivity gradually increases from the regional edge to the center, and the area is 12.36%, 28.24%, 31.94%, 21.56%, and 4.76%, respectively. The Moran's I of ecological sensitivity is 0.914, showing a high spatial autocorrelation in the region. The sensitive cold spots are distributed in the north, and the hot spots are distributed in the middle and south. In the case of ecological governance, priority can be given to these high value cluster areas. Human activities are the main explanatory factors for ecological sensitivity, and the sensitivity of a certain region can be influenced by positive human behavior. The interaction of most factors in pairs will enhance the explanatory power of a single factor on ecological sensitivity, which means that multiple methods of ecological protection will achieve better results. The research results of this paper provide a scientific basis for guiding the management and protection of ecologically sensitive zones in the study area.

Eco-environmental constraints, economic incentives, and spatiotemporal variations of construction land use efficiency in regional China

Construction land expansion and use efficiency are tied to the promotion of sustainable cities and communities. This article explores how and why the spatiotemporal variation of construction land use efficiency (CLUE) evolved in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China between 2000 and 2020. Our descriptive results show that county-level regions with higher CLUE are concentrated in major cities in the core YRD, as well as ecologically sensitive regions in the peripheral YRD. Although CLUE improvement in peripheral regions has been more remarkable since the early 2010s, the efficiency gap in construction land use between the core YRD (central cities) and the peripheral YRD (suburban counties) has doubled. The modeling results indicate the temporally and spatially heterogeneous impacts of various factors related to economic incentives and eco-environmental constraints on the uneven CLUE. Economic level and ecological sensitivity are positively associated with regional CLUE. The continuing growth of service industries and the spatial agglomeration of knowledge-intensive and foreign-invested firms are increasingly vital for CLUE improvement in the core YRD, while the prosperity of manufacturing industries is more important for the peripheral YRD. The “crowding out effect” of environmental pollution on CLUE could be proved in the peripheral rather than the core YRD. Our findings suggest that proper policies should be tailored to specific places to coordinate construction land use, economic growth, and eco-environmental sustainability.

Construction of an ecological security pattern based on ecosystem sensitivity and the importance of ecological services: A case study of the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration, China

Ecological security patterns are employed to characterize the health and integrity of an ecosystem. It is essential to achieve sustainable and high-quality development of cities and urban agglomerations and to enhance human well-being. Considering the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration as an example, this paper proposes a technical framework for the delineation of ecological security patterns at the urban agglomeration scale with the objective of protecting and restoring mountains-rivers-forests-farmlands-lakes-grasslands. The ecological sources were indicated by the importance-sensitivity ecological assessment method. Ecological corridors were identified by a minimum resistance model, and the ecological security pattern was derived. Twenty-three important ecological source sites were identified within the urban agglomeration, mainly located in the southern part of the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration, with an area of 9122.36 km2, accounting for 8.52% of the study area. The ecological sensitivity of the mountainous areas was relatively high, with ecological corridors showing a denser distribution in the south. The results of the study suggest that green infrastructure in the northern region should be strengthened, that the ecological functions of ecologically sensitive areas should be protected and enhanced, and that the connectivity of ecological corridors should be strengthened. The results provide guidance for the optimization of regional ecological security patterns for and the joint prevention and control of environmental pollution in the Guanzhong Plain.

Evaluation Method and Application of Ecological Sensitivity of Intercity Railway Network Planning

In the planning stage of the intercity railway network, the ecological sensitivity evaluation of the planning scheme is not only the key content to explore the ecological environmental rationality of the planning scheme but also a scientific means to promote the sustainable development of intercity railway networks. The purpose of this study is to establish an evaluation method that can quantitatively evaluate the ecological sensitivity of intercity railway network planning to put forwards targeted optimization and adjustment suggestions for the planning scheme. Taking the intercity railway network planning of Guizhou Province as an example, its ecological sensitivity is predicted and evaluated. Six types of ecologically sensitive areas were selected as ecological sensitivity evaluation factors, including protected areas, drinking water sources, geological disaster-prone areas, soil erosion areas, cultivated land resource distribution areas and coal resource distribution areas. Based on the GIS overlay method, the quantitative measurement methods of each evaluation factor are established in turn, and the single factor sensitivity evaluation index is obtained. In addition, the weighted superposition model is used to quantitatively calculate the ecological sensitivity of the planned lines of the intercity railway network in Guizhou Province. Finally, the short board factor of each planned line is obtained, and targeted optimization and adjustment suggestions are put forwards. The research content of this paper can provide a theoretical reference for the practical evaluation of the ecological sensitivity of intercity railway network planning.

Ecological impact assessment and classification management methods for high-intensity development island: a case of Haitan Island

This paper proposes the design of an ecological classification management method based on ecological sensitivity and disturbance of road network construction that reflects the characteristics of an island ecosystem using geographical information system and remote sensing technologies. This method evaluates the ecological impacts during the high-intensity development of the island, classifies different ecological management types, and shows the key areas and management strategies for improving the ecological and environmental quality of the island and implementing ecological restoration. The proposed method is applied to Haitan Island, which has been in a period of high-intensity development since 2012. The results show that (1) the ecological sensitivity evaluation method of the island established in this study fully considers the key ecological issues of an island ecosystem. The evaluation results of highly and moderately sensitive areas cover surface water and its conservation area, woodland, and beach, objectively reflecting the relative spatial heterogeneity of ecological sensitivity within Haitan Island. (2) The distribution of high disturbance areas of road network construction is in line with the overall planning pattern of Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone, which matched with the objectivity reality. The high and moderate disturbance areas of the Haitan Island increased by 6.80 and 27.60 km2, respectively, in the last 10 years, and the no disturbance area decreased by 73.70 km2. The impact on highly ecologically sensitive areas is little, and the key ecological areas are strictly protected in the high-intensity development activities. (3) The areas of ecological protection priority area, ecological restoration priority area, general control zone, and ecological reconstruction area on Haitan Island are 92.74, 9.27, 113.57, and 34.42 km2, respectively. The ecological classification management should be implemented for different areas, and targeted ecological protection and restoration strategies should be adopted, which is conducive to improving the overall ecological environment quality of Haitan Island.

Nation branding, soft Hindutva, and ecotraditionalism in anti-plastics discourses in India

ABSTRACT A recent dimension of India’s nation-branding project, by which it aims to attract investment, trade, human resources, and tourists to the country, has been a focus on a ‘green’ India as a global leader in sustainable development. As part of this strategy, messages aimed at a national and external audience are aligned, and a line is drawn between the country’s putative ecologically sensitive past and a green future. Such messages highlight selective, sanitised, and idealised Hindu texts and praxis related to the environment as evidence of India’s innate ecological sensitivity. The environment thus becomes a domain for the permeation of a seemingly apolitical strand of Hindutva rhetoric, which emphasises the civilisational wisdom of Indian (coded as Hindu) thought and presents it for consumption by national and global audiences. In this article, using anti-plastics discourses as a lens, I investigate the cultural politics of this emerging stream of Hindutva-linked ‘ecotraditionalism’.

Multi-criteria analysis for mapping of environmentally sensitive areas in a karst ecosystem

Karst ecosystems are one of the ecologically sensitive areas most affected by the dramatic harmful effects of the desertification process due to their structural, geomorphologic, and ecologic characteristics. The objective of this study was to assess and mapping ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs) for monitoring desertification and improving degraded forest areas in karst ecosystems. Sensitive ecological areas were evaluated using the Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use Methodology (MEDALUS) by considering soil quality, vegetation quality, climate quality, and management quality. Three new parameters (exposed rocky surface index, soil organic carbon index, and depression area index) were added specifically to karst ecosystem were evaluated using the Analytic Hierarchic Process (AHP) to determine ecological sensitivity. The study area is Sarimsak Karstic Mountain located in Andirin, Kahramanmaras. Soil organic carbon exposed rocky surface and depression area indices were evaluated over 110 soil samples. Values of each indices were determined according to the AHP methodology. The new SQImodified map, which was generated using new indices unique to karstic ecosystems provided a more precise spatial distribution. The results indicated that 44.49% of the study area is Critical, 51.94% is Fragile, and 3.58% is Potential in terms of desertification levels. In areas identified as Critical; agricultural fields, rangelands, and rocky surfaces cover 71.54%. Urban areas were evaluated as 100% Fragile class. Forested areas were evaluated in the Fragile and Potential class. The forest cover class affects Fragile and Potential status very closely. With the increase in forest cover rate, it has reduced fragility. The most critical ESAi classification area (C3) was detected in rangelands. Specific indices should be created to provide a realistic perspective in the combat to desertification in karst ecosystems.

Identification and Assessment of Ecological Sensitivity in Chishui River Basin Based on GIS

In this paper, GIS and RS spatial analysis techniques were used to establish a system for identifying sensitive targets of terrestrial ecosystems in Chishui River Basin, and to identify protection targets of terrestrial ecosystems in different regions. The result shows that the assessment of habitat sensitivity in Chishui River Basin was dominated by non-sensitive areas and highly sensitive areas, which highly sensitive areas account for 60.43% of the basin area, mostly concentrated in the mountainous areas at the junction of Chishui City, Xishui County and Gulin County; non-sensitive areas account for 39.13% and are mosaically distributed with highly sensitive areas; mildly sensitive areas, moderately sensitive areas and extremely sensitive areas account for a total of about 0.5% of the basin area and are more scattered throughout the basin. The distribution is scattered. The moderately sensitive areas in the Chishui River Basin are more than 60.7% of the basin area, indicating that the habitats in the Chishui River Basin are generally sensitive and the ecologically sensitive targets are mainly wooded areas, which need to be protected.

Determination of ecologically sensitive areas in Denizli province using geographic information systems (GIS) and analytical hierarchy process (AHP).

Ecological sensitivity is defined as the ecosystem's reaction to environmental change caused by internal and external factors. The degree of ecological sensitivity varies in spatial dimension depending on the natural and cultural features. Ecological sensitivity analysis is based on basis of mapping these differences. As a result of the analysis, an important data that can be a base for spatial plans at different scales is provided. In accordance with this aim, Denizli province was selected for the study area in this research. The factors affecting sensitivity were determined by the literature survey, which was conducted by considering the characteristics of the study area. In this context, elevation, slope, aspect, the proximity to water surface, land cover, and vegetation coverage were evaluated as natural factors, and the proximity to primary traffic roads and residential areas as cultural factors. Each factor was spatially grouped by means of geographic information systems (GIS) according to the degree of impact on ecological sensitivity. Scale 1 (lowest ecological sensitivity) to 5 (highest ecological sensitivity) was used for the spatial grouping. A analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to weight the factors. The overlay method was used in line with the weighted scores in order to determine the composite ecological sensitivity. As a result of the study, the area of 286.26sqkm (2.37%) as highly and more sensitive, 5267.47sqkm (43.50%) as moderately sensitive, and 6554.56sqkm (54.13%) as mildly and less sensitive was determined. In line with the results, suggestions for protection-utilization balance were developed.