Ecosystem Quality Research Articles

A New Advance on the Improvement of Forest Ecosystem Functions in the Karst Desertification Control

In recent years, after the implementation of large-scale ecological restoration projects, karst areas in the South China Karst have become global “greening” hot spots. However, the biodiversity, ecosystem quality, and security patterns in karst areas are still severely affected. The reason for this is that despite the execution of karst desertification control projects, the lag mechanism of forest ecosystem functions and services is still unclear. Therefore, we analyze the progress in the research related to desertification control and the improvement of regional forest ecosystem function through a systematic literature review approach. The results show that the major landmarks achieved so far include the following aspects: based on the karst desertification control area, we have elucidated the driving factors of forest ecosystem change, discovered the ecological security pattern of landscape optimization and reconstruction, revealed the internal mechanism of forest system structure optimization and stability enhancement, overcome the technical constraints of forest water–fertilizer coupling, introduced a strategy for regulating functional traits to improve the growth and development of vegetation, proposed strategies to enhance carbon sequestration in forests and the efficiency of microbial carbon use, and created models and paths to realize the value of forest products. The key scientific issues to be addressed in the future mainly comprise the following: the effects of spatial heterogeneity on forest ecosystems, disturbances in landscape reconfiguration caused by human activities, the work mechanisms of the combination and configuration of the niche in structural optimization, the response of species configuration to the water cycle, the coupled relationship between biodiversity and soil properties, the screening and construction of the plant germplasm resource base, the functional trade-offs/synergistic mechanisms of karst forest ecosystems, the creation of policies for forest product in terms of rights, trading, and compensation, and systematic research on the extended industrial chain of forest ecosystems, its service potential, and so on.

Exploration of Applicability of Diatom Indices to Evaluate Water Ecosystem Quality in Tangwang River in Northeast China

The diatom index has been widely used in the evaluation of water ecological quality, but the applicability of the diatom index often varies in different study areas. The accuracy of the evaluation results depends on the applicability of the diatom index, especially when it is not applied to the place where it is created. In order to screen out the diatom index suitable for the evaluation of the water ecological quality of Tangwang River in northeast China, and to identify the factors affecting the accuracy of the diatom index, the community structure and water environment characteristics of 24 sample sites were investigated in Tangwang River in August 2018, and 18 diatom indices were calculated. The discriminative ability of diatom indices was analyzed using the box plot method, and the factors affecting the accuracy of the diatom index were identified by combining Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses. The results show that the discriminability of the Biological Diatom Index (BDI), Specific Pollution Sensitivity Index (IPS), Idse Leclercq (IDSE), Indice Diatomique Artois Picardie (IDAP), Diatom Eutrophication Pollution Index (EPI-D), Trophic Index (Rott TI), European Economic Community Index (CEE), and Watanabe Index (WAT) was the strongest, which could reasonably distinguish the reference group from the lightly damaged group. In general, the water ecological condition of Tangwang River Basin is good in the wet season, and the water ecological quality of about 80% of the sample sites was “moderate” or better. The main factors affecting the evaluation accuracy of the diatom index in Tangwang River Basin are the correlation strength between the diatom index and habitat quality, organic pollution, and nutrients. The coverage of diatom index species had no significant effect on the accuracy of evaluation. In order to reasonably evaluate the aquatic ecological status, it is recommended to use the diatom index, which has a good correlation with the environmental factors in the study area, or to establish a new diatom index based on the diatom community and environmental factors in the study area.

Monetized (socio-)environmental handprint and footprint of an offshore windfarm in the Belgian Continental Shelf: An assessment of local, regional and global impacts

Renewable offshore wind electricity is as one of the major renewable energy sources on our path towards carbon neutrality. As for all energy technologies, offshore wind farms (OWFs) will have both local and global negative and positive impacts. Understanding and quantifying these burdens and benefits requires a holistic sustainability assessment. This study tests and applies a novel (socio-) environmental impact assessment framework to quantify the monetized (socio-) environmental footprint and handprint of an offshore wind farm located in the Belgian Continental Shelf. This framework consists of a combination of two ways of integrating Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Ecosystem Services Assessment (ESA) to quantify both the site-specific and site-generic impacts on ecosystem services (ESs) over the lifetime of a human intervention. For the operation and maintenance stage of the OWF, impacts on three local ESs were quantified, i.e. offshore wind energy provisioning, nursery and habitat maintenance and aesthetic value, while for the other life cycle stages site-generic impacts on multiple ESs were calculated. A comprehensive list of data was inventoried to conduct both the LCA and ESA studies. The monetized impact results were then aggregated and monetized at the level of three areas of protection, i.e. human health and well-being, natural resources and ecosystem quality. The results show that the OWF has a net handprint of +€85,196, mainly due to electricity production, while the absolute footprint (−€4039) consists largely of impacts associated to the supply chain of materials to manufacture the offshore windfarm. Furthermore, this study compares the (socio-) environmental performance of an OWF with nuclear energy, which is used as benchmark because of its high importance for electricity supply in Belgium. This study is a first step towards a valuable contribution to understanding the multi-scale burdens and benefits of offshore wind energy, which can support decision- and policy-making.

Simultaneous removal of antibiotics and metal oxoanions from aqueous solution by Ce-doped UiO-66: Removal mechanisms and solid phase extraction

Simultaneous removal of coexistent antibiotics and heavy metals from wastewater is crucial for the safety and quality of aquatic ecosystems. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are promising candidates for wastewater remediation due to their robust and tailorable pore structure, but the removal mechanisms for the synchronous removal of multiple pollutants remain unclear. Herein, Ce-doped UiO-66 (Ce-UiO-66) was prepared and utilized to efficiently remove multiple pollutants from water under single and mixed pollutant systems. After Ce doping, the adsorption amounts of pefloxacin (PEF), tetracycline (TC) and Cr(VI) reached 476.3 mg/g, 368.6 mg/g and 58.3 mg/g, respectively, which were 5–10 times higher than those of pristine UiO-66. In the binary system, the presence of Cr(VI) broadened the optimal adsorption pH range of PEF, and Cr(VI) adsorption was enhanced in the presence of low concentrated PEF. Various interactions contributed together to the excellent adsorption ability of Ce-UiO-66. The contribution degree of some interactions was as follows: (1) for PEF adsorption, at 2.0 < pH < 5.0, complexation bonding (CB) accounted for 40–95% of the total uptake; at 5.0 < pH < 10.0, the contribution of electrostatic attraction (EA) increased to approximately 5–36% while CB decreased to 32–50%; (2) for TC adsorption, at 2.0 < pH < 7.0, CB accounted for 50–81% of the total uptake; at 7.0 < pH < 10.0, the contribution of CB increased to approximately 30% and EA at 2.0 < pH < 10.0 accounted for 5–14% of the total uptake; and (3) for Cr(VI) adsorption, at 2.0 < pH < 10.0, EA and CB dominated the adsorption, together accounting for 50–100% of the total uptake. More importantly, the order of functional groups participating in adsorption was revealed by 2D-FTIR-COS analysis. Ce-UiO-66 showed excellent recycling ability and was efficient in removing multiple pollutants from various actual water samples. Moreover, simple solid phase extraction (SPE) experiments revealed that Ce-UiO-66 obtained excellent adsorption capacities of 474.63 mg/g and 261.8 mg/g for PEF and TC, respectively. This study provides a new paradigm for devolving highly robust adsorbents for wastewater treatment.

Comparison of Mangrove Index (MI) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for the detection of degraded mangroves in Alas Purwo Banyuwangi and Segara Anakan Cilacap, Indonesia

Deterioration of the environmental quality of mangrove ecosystem must be identified as early as possible for management and threat mitigation. Degraded mangrove areas have to be distinguished from healthy ones. Low value of Mangrove Index (MI) corresponded to the degraded mangrove area where dominated by two species (Derris trifoliata and Acanthus ilicifolius), which are indicators of mangrove degradation at Segara Anakan mangrove area. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) failed to detect the degaradation due to existing of these species by detecting as high index value. The study was designed to (1) test the performance of MI at Alas Purwo mangrove area which categorized as a non-degraded mangrove forest, (2) compare the spatial pattern of MI images with that of NDVI images, and (3) further investigate the ability of MI to detect areas of degraded mangrove when it occurs in only small areas. We used Landsat-8 OLI imagery because it includes the short-wave infrared (SWIR) bands required to generate MI. Both direct visual comparison and correlation analysis of the resulting maps were conducted to evaluate the ability of these indices to detect degraded and non-degraded areas of mangroves. In general, both indices detected a similar pattern, which is contrary to the results from Segara Anakan images. However, a difference value between MI and NDVI of >0.2 indicated the presence of small areas of vegetation with a spectral reflectance similar to that of species indicating degradation at Segara Anakan. This finding was confirmed by field observation of mangrove species. A difference of >0.2 between MI and NDVI indicates mangrove degradation for small areas. This study provides a new tool to determine the condition of mangrove forest remotely, allowing for rapid and targeted management action to tackle degradation.

Tree-rings analysis to reconstruct atmospheric mercury contamination at a historical mining site.

Mercury (Hg) is a global environmental concern due to its toxicity (especially high in methylated form) and the long-range distribution of its gaseous elemental form (GEM). Hg-contaminated areas, such as abandoned mining sites, pose intrinsic difficulties for their management and heavy monitoring costs. In these environments, plant-based solutions may play a key role in the ecosystem quality assessment and support remediation strategies, combining reliability and cost-effectiveness. In this study, we adopted a biomonitoring approach by using tree rings of four different species collected in the proximity of the mining-metallurgical area of Abbadia San Salvatore, central Italy, a major former Hg mining district whose reclamation is currently in progress. Our dendrochemical analysis was aimed at identifying the historical changes of local atmospheric Hg contamination and at singling out, for the first time in the study area, other potentially toxic elements (PTEs) associated with the past mining activity. Collected cores dated back to early as 1940 and provided the temporal patterns of atmospheric Hg emission vs the produced liquid quantities, so reconstructing the historical impact of the mining site on nearby terrestrial ecosystems and resident human population. Current GEM contamination was found about twenty times lower than that of the fully operational mine periods. From a first survey on other PTEs, thallium (Tl) and lead (Pb) appeared to be potentially associated with the mining activity, thus suggesting new working assumptions for further dendrochemical analyses and for the inclusion of Pb in human biomonitoring surveys of the Mt. Amiata area, actually not present in the control list. The results prompt a more thorough assessment by tracking for a longer time span a critical site that is an ideal open-field lab to study the ecophysiology of different tree species in relation to environmental behavior of PTEs for better-assessing wildlife and human exposures.

Metal-organic frameworks combined with mid-infrared spectroscopy for the trace analysis of phosphates in water

Detecting traces of phosphates in water is critical for monitoring water quality in aquatic ecosystems. Mid-infrared techniques are effective for label-free and quick measurements in at-line or in-line applications, but sensitivity is limited due to high water absorption. To combat this, preconcentration schemes combined with evanescent field spectroscopy can be used to enrich the analyte in the probed volume and thereby increasing sensitivity. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are versatile materials with defined porosity and tuneable chemistry, which make them ideal for selective adsorption of target molecules. In this study, an NH2-MIL-88B(Fe) (= Fe3O(NH2-BDC)3) MOF-based enrichment layer was prepared on a diamond attenuated total reflection (ATR) crystal for in situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic measurements of ortho-phosphates in water. A workflow for single-use enrichment layers was established, and an automated flow system was used to apply aqueous phosphate solutions. Using internal referencing and compensating for variation in MOF film depositions, phosphate analysis reproducibility increased from 74% to 94%. The Langmuir adsorption model was used to derive a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.18 mg L-1 phosphorus in water. Overall, this work demonstrates the effectiveness of NH2-MIL-88B(Fe) MOFs as enrichment layers for aqueous phosphate sensing. Our results provide a promising avenue for the development of sensitive and selective sensors for environmental and biomedical applications.

Contamination characteristics in runoff fractions from a nuclear facility in São Paulo, Brazil.

The stormwater runoff may act as a nonpoint pollutant source and contributes to aquatic ecosystem quality decay in urban environments. The aim of this work was to evaluate the runoff characteristics on the transport of total solids and total metals, as well as pH and conductivity responses during the rainfall evolution. During 2017 and 2018, 12 rain events were monitored in 4 sampling stations at a car parking lot located at Nuclear and Energy Research Institute (IPEN/CNEN) in São Paulo/Brazil. A 4-chamber integrated collector allowed the sequential/temporal runoff evolution assessment. The runoff composition, in decreasing order of quantities, was Ca > K > Mg > Si > Al > Fe > Na > Zn > Mn > Sr > Ti > Mo > V > Cu > B > Pb > Ni > Ce > Sb > Cr > La > U > Th > Cd. The amount of total solids, Al, and Fe exceeded the Brazilian water quality standards. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified the elemental clusters linked to the facility activity, soil, and traffic/atmospheric-related deposition. The results show that the runoff characteristics could be differentiated by pollutant source. Factors such as seasonal variation, rain event intensity, air mass from oceanic or continental origin, spatial distribution inside the monitoring area, and the intensity of the first flush must be considered in order to disentangle the elemental clusters and pollution source contributions. In winter, continental air masses were associated with higher concentrations of heavy metals in the surface runoff. Spatial changes with no seasonal variation were observed for U, Th, La, and Ce.

Fly ash-based zeolitic materials of different surface chemistry and texture: Insight into adsorption performance and mechanisms of aqueous BTEX removal

Water contamination caused by anthropogenic, and unforecasted release of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene) compounds threatens the quality and integrity of aquatic ecosystems. BTEX sorption with novel materials characterized by increased hydrophobicity and stability has been proposed to overcome such contamination. This study aimed to investigate the whole array of hydrothermally synthesized zeolitic materials exhibiting different properties, as well as zeolite/carbon and zeolite/vermiculite composites, to analyse their potential in removing aqueous BTEX. Various parameters and experimental conditions, including the type of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), initial concentration, BTEX coexistence, and increased solution salinity, were studied to verify the applicability of the derived materials. The adsorption capacity of the materials and their governing removal mechanisms were additionally elucidated. The primary removal mechanism involved partitioning on unburned carbon residues, which was observed in zeolite/carbon composites showing the highest BTEX removal efficiency. NaA-zeolite/carbon composite was the most effective in removal of BTEX, with the removal capacity of 15.36 mg/g towards p-xylene. Moreover, the increased salinity of the BTEX solution affects adsorption performance for polar adsorbates, irrespectively of the applied zeolite/carbon composite. Fly-ash (FA) and high-carbon fly-ash (HCFA) were successfully valorised into products with better textural features. These products may effectively tackle organic water pollution caused by VOCs under near-real-life conditions.

Spatiotemporal change and drivers of ecosystem quality in the Loess Plateau based on RSEI: A case study of Shanxi, China

The fragile ecological environment and intensive human activities in the Loess Plateau region of China have led to serious soil erosion and adverse weather disasters. To address these issues, the Chinese government has implemented a series of large-scale ecological restoration projects with significant investments and broad public participation. Throughout this process, the ecosystems have undergone substantial artificial intervention. This study utilizes MODIS data to establish a remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) for evaluating the ecosystem quality of Shanxi Province, located in the eastern Loess Plateau, over the past 20 years (2000–2020). Furthermore, the study analyzed the natural and socio-economic factors that influence the local ecosystem quality using Geodetector analysis. The research findings revealed the following: 1) Over the 20-year period of large-scale ecological restoration projects, the ecosystem quality in Shanxi has significantly improved, as indicated by the average RSEI index increasing from 0.48 to 0.57. 2) The southern part of the province has experienced relatively better ecosystem recovery, while the ecosystem quality in the northern and western regions, particularly along the Yellow River, remains poor. 3) Overall, the major factors influencing ecosystem quality are natural geographical factors such as temperature and slope. However, with rapid urbanization, the negative impacts from socio-economic factors represented by GDP have intensified, particularly in the northern regions. Additionally, this study demonstrated that the geographically weighted regression model can better explain the local variations affecting the RSEI and exhibits a high degree of reliability. The research findings provide scientific and effective references for evaluating the ecosystem quality in the Loess Plateau and implementing ecological restoration projects.

Environmental impacts and effects on greenhouse gas emissions in shrimp feed production system for aquaculture – A case study in India

Attributional life cycle assessment study examines the environmental impact of raw materials, machinery, and unit operations. In the present work, an attributional life cycle assessment (LCA) was employed to assess the environmental and greenhouse gas impacts of a shrimp feed production system. A commercial shrimp feed mill in Tamil Nadu, India, provided inventory data for one-ton shrimp feed (functional unit) for a Cradle-to-Gate evaluation using environmental impact methodologies, specifically Impact 2002+ in SimaPro® (V9.3.0.3) software. The results showed that human health (0.003357 DALY), ecosystem quality (2720.518 PDF × m2 × yr), climate change (2031.696 kg CO2 eq), and resources (71019.42 MJ primary) were the most significantly impacted. The human health category was found to be the most prominent after normalization and weighting (0.47 pt), and strategies were suggested accordingly. The GWP20 and GWP100 measures for long-term climate change were calculated to be 8.7 and 7.33 kg CO2 eq, respectively. Cast iron used in machinery production (GWP 20–15.40%, GWP100–134.5%) and electricity use (GWP 20–6.13%, GWP 100–6.9%) accounted for sizable portions of the burden. Feed production is estimated to contribute 0.2% of global CO2 emissions within the proposed global context. These findings are significant regarding economically and environmentally sustainable shrimp feed production worldwide.

How are nature-based solutions contributing to the improvement of ecosystem quality in China: A systematic review

Nature-based solutions (NbS), an upgraded version of ecological restoration concept, has developed as an integrated approach to encompass a broad range of actions that protect, restore, or sustainably manage ecosystems to provide benefits to people. However, it is challenging to obtain a thorough understanding of the effectiveness of NbS because of the uncertainty of the assessment in different regions based on ecosystem services. Here, we conduct a synthesis analysis of the effects of ecological interventions on ecosystem quality within China. We systematically analyze 76 studies selected from 275 peer-reviewed papers, which were undertaken at regional scale and published between 2011 and 2022. Average values of ecosystem services before and after the ecological interventions are extracted to quantify the ecosystem changes. Results show that ecological restoration purposefully contributes to the improvements of ecosystem services with an increase in Net Primary Productivity (NPP) of 31% and an increase in soil conservation (SC) of 21%. Effects on water yield (WY), carbon storage (CS) and habitat quality (HQ) are all not significant. Restoration interventions have a mixed effect on ecosystem service trade-offs which may vary by regions. Trade-offs primarily exist between WY and other ecosystem services on the Northeastern Forest Belt and the Southwestern Karst, while synergies mainly exist among NPP, SC and CS on the Loess Plateau and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Moreover, utilizing grey correlation analysis methods, factor analysis reveals that temperature and precipitation are highly correlated with the changes of the five ecosystem services. Natural factors contribute more to the changes of NPP, SC and WY than the human factors. This research is aimed at obtaining an overall perception of the effectiveness of ecological restoration programmes implementation in different regions across China, which will provide references for reducing ecosystem services trade-offs and adjusting the layouts of regional ecological restoration programmes.

Tidal Dynamics And Physicochemical Parameters In A Tropical Estuary: Qua-Iboe River Estuary, Southeast Coast Of Nigeria

Estuaries are important ecosystems that support biodiversity and influence the economy of the regions they occupy. Major physicochemical variables of Qua-Iboe River estuary in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria were assessed for ecosystem quality. The influence of tidal current on the spatial distribution of physicochemical parameters in the estuary was examined. Physicochemical parameters, including transparency, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, density and pH were measured in-situ during the dry season. Tidal current velocities were monitored over spring and neap tidal cycles using the Langragian method and results indicated ebb dominance. The relationships between physicochemical parameters were statistically analyzed using Pearson’s correlation matrix. Based on Pearson’s correlation, density showed significant correlations (p &lt; 0.05) with temperature, pH and salinity. Surface and bottom water temperatures significantly correlated (p &lt; 0.05) with density, salinity, dissolved oxygen and pH. Spatial distribution maps of physicochemical parameters were plotted using ArcGIS Pro. Similarities and dissimilarities of surface and bottom water parameters were interpreted using cluster analysis. Results revealed two groups reflecting distinct physicochemical characteristics in the study area. Group one, representing upper and central portions of the estuary is defined by waters which are limnetic to oligohaline, slightly acidic to neutral with low dissolved oxygen (&lt;4mg/l) conditions. The estuary showed limnetic conditions at the upper reaches due to the strong fluvial input by the Qua-Iboe River. Group two, representing the lower estuary, is characterized by mesohaline to normal marine waters; neutral to slightly alkaline pH, and low dissolved oxygen (&lt; 4mg/l) conditions. This study is relevant for future monitoring and assessment of the estuary and similar tidal ecosystems.&#x0D; &#x0D;

Evaluation and driving factors of ecological integrity in the Alxa League from 1990 to 2020

Ecological integrity can satisfactorily reflect the comprehensive quality of ecosystems and has become a useful tool for evaluating the ecological environment. Ecological integrity evaluation has been widely applied in various ecosystems. Conducted in the Alxa League, the study established an ecological integrity index based on ecosystem structure, function and resilience and evaluated the ecological integrity of the study area in 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020. Using hotspots spatial analyses, we analyzed the temporal and spatial variation of ecological integrity index during the study period. The main contributing factors affecting ecological integrity were identified with the help of the geographical detector model. Our results showed that: (1) Ecosystem structure, function and resilience in the Alxa League had obvious spatial heterogeneity and barely changed from 1990 to 2020. (2) Half of the area had a poor ecological integrity index, and the decrease in ecological integrity mainly occurred in the Alxa Left Banner. (3) Among the factors affecting the ecological integrity index, land use intensity was the major driving factor, and desertification was a key reason leading to the decrease. Ecological integrity evaluation can increase public awareness of desert conditions and guide policy makers to make reasonable and sustainable policies or strategies to protect and restore desert ecosystems.

Life cycle assessment of bioenergy production from wood sawdust

Bioenergy derived from wood waste plays a crucial role in mitigating climate change and contributing to the circular economy. This study performs a life cycle assessment of pellet production from wood sawdust and subsequent electricity generation through different pathways. Firstly, the environmental impact of producing pellets from untreated mixed sawdust, steam exploded (SE) shavings (at 180 °C for 9 min), and torrefied (TF) sawdust (at 230 °C for 45 min) was compared using the Functional unit (FU) of 1 Kg. Secondly, the environmental impact of generating 1 MJ electricity from untreated sawdust, SE pellets, and TF pellets was compared in terms of impact categories and damage assessment. The scope of the study was defined from the gate (received feedstock) to the gate (produced output ex-factory). The results revealed that TF pellets were more environmentally friendly relative to other forms except for two impact categories: ozone layer depletion and aquatic eutrophication. SE treatment was the most damaging alternative for producing pellets, especially with respect to global warming; it produced 0.56 kg CO2 equivalent (eq.) per FU around 4 times higher than untreated pellets (0.16 kg CO2 eq./FU). After environmental impact analysis, it was found that electricity generation from SE pellets caused more damage to the environment compared to the other feedstock paths for electricity production. Utilizing TF pellets for electricity generation is more beneficial in terms of ecosystem quality, climate change, and resource depletion.

Looking back to move forward: Restoring vegetated canals to meet missing Water Framework Directive goals in agricultural basins

Nitrate pollution and eutrophication remain pressing issues in Europe regarding the quality of aquatic ecosystems and the safety of drinking water. Achieving water quality goals under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) has proven to be particularly challenging in agricultural catchments, where high nitrate concentrations are the main reason for the failure of many water bodies to meet a good ecological status. Canals and ditches are common man-made features of irrigated and drained landscapes and, when vegetated, have recently been identified as denitrification hotspots.By combining experimental data and GIS-based upscaling estimation, the potential capacity of the canal network to reduce nitrate loads was quantified in several scenarios differing in the level of nitrate pollution and in the extent of the canal network length where conservative management practices are implemented. The analysis was carried out in the irrigated lowlands of the Po River basin, which is the largest hydrographic system in Italy and a global hotspot for nitrogen inputs and eutrophication.Scenario simulations showed that maintaining aquatic vegetation in at least 25 % of the canal network length, selecting sites with high nitrate availability (>2.4 mg N L−1), would promote a greater potential for permanent N removal. The increased denitrification capacity would meet the load reduction target required to achieve a WFD good ecological status in waters draining into the Adriatic Sea during the spring-summer months, when the eutrophication risk is higher. Promoting denitrification in the canal network by postponing the mowing of in-stream vegetation to the end of the growing season could be an effective mitigation strategy to improve water quality in agricultural basins and contribute to achieving the WFD goals.

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Ecosystem Status in China’s National Key Ecological Function Zones

The National Key Ecological Function Zones (NKEFZ) serve as crucial ecological security barriers in China, playing a vital role in enhancing ecosystem services. This study employed the theoretical framework of ecological benefits assessment in major ecological engineering projects. The primary focus was on the ecosystem macrostructure, ecosystem quality, and key ecosystem services, enabling quantitative analysis of the spatiotemporal changes in the ecosystem status of the NKEFZ from 2000 to 2019. To achieve this, remote sensing data, meteorological data, and model simulations were employed to investigate five indicators, including land use types, vegetation coverage, net primary productivity of vegetation, soil conservation services, water conservation services, and windbreak and sand fixation services. The analysis incorporated the Theil–Sen Median method to construct an evaluation system for assessing the restoration status of ecosystems, effectively integrating ecosystem quality and ecosystem services indicators. The research findings indicated that land use changes in NKEFZ were primarily characterized by the expansion of unused land and the in of grassland. The overall ecosystem quality of these zones improved, showing a stable and increasing trend. However, there were disparities in the changes related to ecosystem services. Water conservation services exhibited a decreasing trend, while soil conservation and windbreak and sand fixation services showed a steady improvement. The ecosystem of the NKEFZ, in general, displayed a stable and recovering trend. However, significant spatial heterogeneity existed, particularly in the southern region of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and at the border areas between western Sichuan and northern Yunnan, where some areas still experienced deteriorating ecosystem conditions. Compared to other functional zones, the trend in the ecosystem of the NKEFZ might not have been the most favorable. Nonetheless, this could be attributed to the fact that most of these areas were situated in environmentally fragile regions, and conservation measures may not have been as effective as in other functional zones. These findings highlighted the considerable challenges ahead in the construction and preservation of the NKEFZ. In future development, the NKEFZ should leverage their unique natural resources to explore distinctive ecological advantages and promote the development of eco-friendly economic industries, such as ecological industry, ecological agriculture, and eco-tourism, transitioning from being reliant on external support to self-sustainability.

How jaguars are actually stolen: Big cat conservation and the green extractivism nexus in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico

This article explores the seemingly unlikely intersection of jaguar conservation and green extractivism in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. The 'green' or environmental aspect of jaguar conservation, we argue, is largely manufactured, employing the qualities of ecosystems to market and advance forms of 'place-based' extraction. Analyzing jaguar conservation programs through green extractivism not only shows problems related to market-based conservation schemes, but how these conservation projects advance spatial legibility of resources and political control over territories for public and private actors, aiding capitalist and extractive trajectories. Drawing on fieldwork in Laguna Om, an ejido––rural community––in the south of the Peninsula, the article reveals how an entanglement of market-based instruments (MBIs), voluntary carbon markets, NGOs, corporate financing, environmental policy, and technological developments continue to consume ecosystems into circuits of capitalist control and accumulation. Finally, the article demonstrates, jaguar conservation serves to greenwash traditional extractive and infrastructural development projects, such as Tren Maya. Digitalized and market-based forms of conservation, moreover, reduce ecosystems to units of accounting that are fit for trade in international markets, advancing the capture and accumulation of value through conservation, enacting a process of green extractivism.

Ecological Environment Quality Assessment of Arid Areas Based on Improved Remote Sensing Ecological Index—A Case Study of the Loess Plateau

Ecosystems in arid and semi-arid areas are delicate and prone to different erosive effects. Monitoring and evaluating the environmental ecological condition in such areas contribute to the governance and restoration of the ecosystem. Remote sensing ecological indices (RSEIs) are widely used as a method for environmental monitoring and have been extensively applied in various regions. This study selects the arid and semi-arid Loess Plateau as the research area, in response to existing research on ecological monitoring that predominantly uses vegetation indices as monitoring indicators for greenness factors. A fluorescence remote sensing ecological index (SRSEI) is constructed by using monthly synthesized sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence data during the vegetation growth period as a new component for greenness and combining it with MODIS product data. The study generates the RSEI and SRSEI for the research area spanning from 2001 to 2021. The study compares and analyzes the differences between the two indices and explores the evolution patterns of the ecosystem quality in the Loess Plateau over a 21-year period. The results indicate consistent and positively correlated linear fitting trend changes in the RSEI and SRSEI for the research area between 2001 and 2021. The newly constructed ecological index exhibits a higher correlation with rainfall data, and it shows a more significant decrease in magnitude during drought occurrences, indicating a faster and stronger response of the new index to drought in the research area. The largest proportions are found in the research area’s regions with both substantial and minor improvements, pointing to an upward tendency in the Loess Plateau’s ecosystem development. The newly constructed environmental index can effectively evaluate the quality of the ecosystem in the research area.

Involvement of High School Students of General Secondary Education Institutions in Environmental Projects: Theoretical and Methodological Approaches and Practical Implementation

The article considers certain stages of formation of educational and research skills of high school students of secondary education institutions in the implementation of environmental projects. The purpose is to analyse the specifics of attracting high school students of general secondary education institutions to the implementation of environmental projects. The main methods of research were methods of systematization, statistical processing, analysis, observation, induction, deduction, and synthesis used to solve scientific and methodological problems. Results. It is established that the goal of an environmental project makes it possible to choose a range of tasks that should be implemented by a high school student, namely: the object of research and the method of achieving the final result. In accordance with the set goal, the project objectives are determined. The solution of each task is a stage of research. Tasks determine the content of the study, methods, and results obtained. They can include the formulation of a problem, the identification of new facts, the establishment of new connections, a new formulation of a known problem, original conclusions and recommendations for the implementation of the obtained experimental data. The proposed scheme is a model for conducting research on determining water quality in aquatic ecosystems. The diagram shows three stages of step-by-step research. The first one is aimed at selecting the object of research (the main selection of criteria and objects of research is revealed). The second stage is the selection of methods for conducting the experiment. The criteria for selecting experimental sites are disclosed and, accordingly, identifiers for conducting an experiment and implementing an environmental project are given. The third stage is aimed at analysing the results of the study, formulating appropriate conclusions and planning the next stages of the study. The main stages in the formation of scientific research are considered from the formation of the topic, research tasks to the discussion and formation of conclusions of an environmental project. Conclusions. In the process of implementing environmental projects, which is aimed at search activities, high school students improve their ability to perform mental actions, operate in practice with all the acquired skills and abilities. The implementation of eco-projects develops logical and ecological thinking, forms a scientific and practical style of thinking, intuition, and develops interest in natural science. Scientific literature can’t provide deep and thorough knowledge, practical skills and abilities if the acquired theoretical knowledge is not combined with research activities. During their own observations, high school students are convinced that there are close connections between living organisms and the surrounding component, i.e. the environment.