Conservation Of Ecosystem Services Research Articles

Spatial analysis enables priority selection in conservation practices for landscapes that need ecological security

Global urbanization has not only promoted social and economic development, but also contributed to seriously ecological challenges. As a type of sustainable landscape patterns, ecological security pattern is considered as an effective spatial pathway to simultaneously conserve ecological security and maintain social-economic development. However, the fragmentation issue of ecological sources of ecological security pattern has not been effectively addressed, although many case studies have been conducted to identify ecological security pattern. In this study, we used spatial conservation prioritization to identify the ecological security pattern of the city belt along the Yellow River in Ningxia, China. Ecological sources were selected using Zonation model while ecological corridors and key ecological nodes were identified with circuit model. The results showed that the ecological security pattern was composed of 97 ecological sources, 226 ecological corridors, 267 pinch points and 22 barriers, covering a total area of 7713.1 km2 and accounting for 34% of the study area. Ecological sources were concentrated in the Helan Mountain, Xiang Mountain and along the Yellow River. Besides, ecological corridors were dense in the southern and eastern part of the study area. Both indicated that the Yellow River and Helan Mountain were the conservation hotspots. Landscape connectivity of ecological sources identified through Zonation-based spatial conservation prioritization was better than that with the scoring approach based on ecosystem service importance. Particularly, in the Zonation approach the landscape connectivity increased with 44% while the average patch area increased with 28% when comparing with the scoring approach. The spatial conservation prioritization approach proposed in this study provides a new effective tool to construct ecological security pattern, which is conducive to the synergic enhancement of landscape connectivity and ecosystem services conservation.

Traditional ecological knowledge and practices for ecosystem conservation and management: the case of savanna ecosystem services in Limpopo, South Africa

ABSTRACT Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) aids ecosystem conservation and management. While recognising the importance of Western science and knowledge, we argue that TEK practices are not appreciated resulting in continued and accelerated degradation of ecosystem services. This is prevalent among rural communities who are disadvantaged as their livelihoods depend on these ecosystem services. Taking the Capricorn District of Limpopo Province in South Africa as a case study, we explored the TEK practices employed to conserve and manage savanna ecosystem services. Employing the socio-ecological analysis (SEA) theory, we examined the perception and value of savanna ecosystem services. Data were initially collected from interviews with a professional biodiversity expert, an academic biodiversity expert, and a professional archaeologist and cultural expert (n = 4). In phase two, interviews were conducted with tribal representatives, traditional leaders, and community members (n = 43) in the four villages of Ga-Dikgale, Ga-Matlala, Moletlane and Ga-Malebogo across Capricorn District Municipality. Field observations were also undertaken. The findings highlighted the interrelated forms of sociocultural practices for the conservation and management of savanna ecosystem services, including norms, taboos, myths, rules, and cultural lifestyles. There were age differences in valuing and using TEK where younger people perceived TEK as backward. They relied on Western scientific knowledge, which they lauded as contemporary and not in opposition with their religious values. In conclusion, TEK continued to provide best practices for ecosystem conservation and management. This was identified by the respect and attention from the community who were aware of TEK even if they did not practice the processes. However, TEK is under threat as rural communities become more urbanized.

Identification of priority areas to provide insights for ecological protection planning: A case study in Hechi, China

The prolonged disregard for the Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) has limited the effectiveness of regional ecological conservation. However, identifying and safeguarding areas with high GEP, and optimizing their distribution and spatial structure, are of great immense for preserving ecosystem services (ESs). Our goal is to refine the spatial configuration of ecological network (EN), and subsequently augment and sustain the stability of ESs. We have specifically chosen Hechi City, situated in the Karst region of southwest China, as our case study. Firstly, we devised a GEP evaluation system to pinpoint crucial areas as ecological sources. Subsequently, we utilized the circuit theory and minimum cumulative resistance model to construct the preliminary EN. Through the circuit theory model identified the key nodes in the EN and optimized the EN. Finally, by combining complex network analysis methods, we evaluated the robustness and topological characteristics of the EN. Our results showed that the area of ecological sources increased from 71 to 161 after optimization. The number of corridors increased from 161 to 423, resulting in an overall increment of 8.8% in the source area. The connectivity and stability of the optimized EN can be significantly enhanced. The addition of new nodes increases the overall importance of the network, making the importance of each node more balanced. Additionally, the complex network analysis method provided a detailed understanding about the spatial topology of the overall and local elements of the EN. The study results can provide a valuable reference for optimizing, restoring and evaluating ENs in karst areas.

An Ecosystem Approach for The Sustainable Use and Management of the Lake Victoria Ecosystem

The key to achieving sustainable development is striking a balance between the exploitation of natural resources for socioeconomic development and the preservation of ecosystem services, which are essential to everyone's well-being and livelihood. This can be achieved by using the ecosystem approach which promotes fair conservation and sustainable use of both land, water and living resources. Over the years, human activities have played an important role in the degradation of natural ecosystems, either due to pollution or unsustainable development. Lake Victoria is the best example of the impact of anthropogenic activity on ecosystems, as it has undergone dramatic biophysical and geochemical changes in a relatively short time. Managing Lake Victoria requires the coordinated efforts of individuals, landowners, research institutions, community groups, and the government. This lake is an important group of natural resources due to its ecosystem services and often unique cultural characteristics hence need for sustainable management. This article focuses on using the ecosystem method to determine optimal management approaches for the Lake Victoria ecosystem's long-term sustainability. The article proposes an integrated stakeholder-based management system and holistic regional development in lake areas that will preserve natural ecosystems without compromising the sustainable use of ecosystem services. As a result, there is a need to remedy the lake ecosystem's degradation in order to retain the shared ecological services that support socioeconomic well-being.

Global hotspots of traded phylogenetic and functional diversity.

Wildlife trade is a multibillion-dollar industry1 targeting a hyperdiversity of species2 and can contribute to major declines in abundance3. A key question is understanding the global hotspots of wildlife trade for phylogenetic (PD) and functional (FD) diversity, which underpin the conservation of evolutionary history4, ecological functions5 and ecosystem services benefiting humankind6. Using a global dataset of traded bird and mammal species, we identify that the highest levels of traded PD and FD are from tropical regions, where high numbers of evolutionary distinct and globally endangered species in trade occur. The standardized effect size (ses) of traded PD and FD also shows strong tropical epicentres, with additional hotspots of mammalian ses.PD in the eastern United States and ses.FD in Europe. Large-bodied, frugivorous and canopy-dwelling birds and large-bodied mammals are more likely to be traded whereas insectivorous birds and diurnally foraging mammals are less likely. Where trade drives localized extinctions3, our results suggest substantial losses of unique evolutionary lineages and functional traits, with possible cascading effects for communities and ecosystems5,7. Avoiding unsustainable exploitation and lost community integrity requires targeted conservation efforts, especially in hotspots of traded phylogenetic and functional diversity.

Chemical Composition of Wet Atmospheric Deposition in a Natural Urban Reserve, Conservation of Green Urban Areas: a Mexico City Case Study

Green areas are essential for life in cities and for the conservation of ecosystem services in the case of megacities such as Mexico City. Green areas mitigate air pollution, reduce the temperature, and promote infiltration to feed the aquifers that, in the case of Mexico City, supply 68% of the water. Additionally, food production and recreational usage are important for the population. In the years 2017 and 2018, the chemical composition of wet deposition in the southern part of Mexico City was analyzed, daily and weekly. The study area is located in the greenest part of Mexico City, an important site for water recharge and carbon sequestration. Mexico City, like other megacities of high- and low-income countries, faces serious problems of air pollution. The purpose of this study was to measure the amount of total nitrogen and sulfur that is available in a natural reserve located inside the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and conductivity, pH, rain volume, and anions and cations were analyzed as well. Eighteen months of data were analyzed in order to understand the atmospheric deposition in and anthropogenic influence on an urban green natural area from the southern part of the city. Although both stations are less than 2 km apart, there are significant differences in their chemical composition; however, no differences were found for precipitation and pH, indicating that each station provides a local contribution, depending on local events and sources. Samples included rain events match for both sampling sites, with 67% of the samples in the same rain event match. Nonetheless, when only volume is compared for each year, both tests showed no significant difference (pv = 0.520). Throughout the year, various rainfall rates occur at the CU-CCA and REPSA stations, and the rainy season presents during the May–October period; the median value registered for both monitoring stations was 780 mL, and maximal rainfall was 4780 mL presenting at the CU-CCA station.

Maintaining key ecosystem services under multiple development scenarios: A case study in Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao greater bay Area, China

Effective land use management can better maintain ecosystem services, especially in urban agglomerations. However, rational urban scale systems and landscape patterns to maintain key ecosystem services (ESs) in highly urbanized areas remain poorly understood. Taking the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) as a study area, we quantified the spatio-temporal change of key ESs from 2000 to 2020 by the Integrated Valuation of Environmental Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model, and simulated land use change prior considering ES conservation priority areas under different multiple development scenarios in 2050 by adopting the future land use simulation (FLUS) model. The main findings were as follows: (1) From 2000 to 2020, natural habitat, water retention and carbon sequestration decreased by 5.5%, 7.9%, and 3.9%, respectively, while the soil conservation increased by 63.7%. (2) The proportion of different conservation priority areas ranged from 10.6% to 22.6%, which were mainly located in the mountainous region. (3) The urban land area would increase from 4286.00 km2 to 4802.25 km2 between 2020 and 2050 in the GBA, with a growth rate of 12.05%. Under the simulation scenarios, the new urban land was mainly distributed in megacities and supercities. (4) Under the integrative conservation scenario, the habitat quality index, water conservation, soil conservation and carbon sequestration would increase by 0.036, 7 × 104 t, 5.11 × 106 t and 0.93 × 106 t, respectively. To maintain the key ESs, we recommend optimizing the urban scale system, making it compact at the city scale and scattered at the regional scale, and strictly restricting the conversion of forestland and farmland adjacent to megacities into urban land. These findings were beneficial to achieve regional high-quality development and sustainable development via rational urban system and landscape management.

Freshwater Mussels, Ecosystem Services, and Clean Water Regulation in Minnesota: Formulating an Effective Conservation Strategy

Freshwater mussels are threatened with extirpation in North America. They are a sentinel species for ecosystem function and contribute towards many ecosystem services. As mussels require clean water to survive, and since conserving ecosystem services is implicit in the federal Clean Water Act, incorporating mussel conservation into state water policies could serve multiple conservation goals. In this paper we conduct a comprehensive critical review of three topics related to freshwater mussels: their contribution to ecosystem services, their links with water quality, and threats to their survival from water pollutants and extent of protection available from regulation. In so doing, we identify gaps between the water quality requirements of mussels and the protection provided by current water regulation to help inform clean water and conservation goals in Minnesota. We find freshwater mussels to be generally sensitive to a wide variety of pollutants, and particularly to nutrients such as total nitrogen and total phosphorus and to major ions such as chloride. In addition, we find that current state water quality standards may not be sufficiently protective of mussels. We formulate a framework for determining an effective conservation strategy for mussels in Minnesota based on ecological and economic criteria to ensure adequate conservation at a reasonable cost.

Sustainability of High-Density Olive Orchards: Hints for Irrigation Management and Agroecological Approaches

The production of olive oil in Portugal and other countries of the Mediterranean region has greatly increased in recent years. Intensification efforts have focused on the growth of the planted area, but also on the increase of the orchards density and the implementation of irrigation systems. Concerns about possible negative impacts of modern olive orchard production have arisen in the last years, questioning the trade-offs between the production benefits and the environmental costs. Therefore, it is of great importance to review the research progress made regarding agronomic options that preserve ecosystem services in high-density irrigated olive orchards. In this literature review, a keywords-based search of academic databases was performed using, as primary keywords, irrigated olive orchards, high density/intensive/hedgerow olive orchards/groves, irrigation strategies, and soil management. Aside from 42 general databases, disseminated research, and concept-framing publications, 112 specific studies were retrieved. The olive orchards were classified as either traditional (TD) (50–200 trees ha−1), medium-density (MD) (201–400 trees ha−1), high-density (HD) (401–1500 trees ha−1), or super-high-density (SHD) orchards (1501–2500 trees ha−1). For olive crops, the ETc ranged from 0.65 to 0.70, and could fall as low as 0.45 in the summer without a significant decrease in oil productivity. Several studies have reported that intermediate irrigation levels linked with the adoption of deficit irrigation strategies, like regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) or partial rootzone drying (PRD), can be effective options. With irrigation, it is possible to implement agroecosystems with cover crops, non-tillage, and recycling of pruning residues. These practices reduce the soil erosion and nutrient leaching and improve the soil organic carbon by 2 to 3 t C ha−1 year−1. In this situation, in general, the biodiversity of plants and animals also increases. We expect that this work will provide a reference for research works and resource planning focused on the improvement of the productive and environmental performance of dense irrigated olive orchards, thereby contributing to the overall enhancement of the sustainability of these expanding agroecosystems.

Diversity, Distribution and Vegetation Assessment of Woody Plant Species in the Cold Desert Environment, North-Western Himalaya, India

The species richness, distribution and community structure in cold desert regions across the world are poorly understood because of their inaccessibility and remoteness. Similarly, the structure and composition of forest resources, including other management units (i.e., agroforestry and forestry systems), have hardly been studied in the cold desert of the Lahaul valley. However, such information is a prerequisite to understanding the trends and changes in the vegetation distribution under global climate change scenarios, especially considering the sensitivity of plant species in high-altitude areas of the Himalayan region. High anthropogenic activity has exerted tremendous pressure on available forest resources, including other management units in the cold desert of the Lahaul valley. Standard ecological methods were used to obtain an ecological (i.e., status, structure, composition and vegetation patterns) understanding of the region for biodiversity conservation and environmental sustainability. The present study was aimed at understanding the trend, structure and composition of plant species in the cold desert region of the western Himalaya. A total of 64 species (27 trees and 37 shrubs) of vascular plants were recorded in the present study. Tree diversity demonstrated greater variation along the gradients and slope aspects. Salix fragilis trees, with a 102 tree ha−1 density and a few trees of Populus nigra, were found to be sparsely distributed under the agroforestry system on the south-facing slopes in Khoksar. In Jahlma, Salix fragilis grew in an agroforestry system with a density of 365 tree ha−1. However, in Hinsa, Juniperus polycarpos was a dominant tree species in the agroforestry system, with a density of 378 tree ha−1. On the north-facing slopes in Kuthar, a higher number of trees and bushes were present due to natural regeneration maintained by farmers along the edges of terraced agricultural fields. The south-facing slopes showed a relatively lower species richness and diversity as compared to north-facing slopes at similar locations due to relatively less favourable growth conditions under sun-exposed, extremely xeric soil conditions. The highest level of species turnover was found between the altitudes of 2400 m and 3000 m. Betula utilis showed the highest adaptability at higher altitudes (>3500 m). The vegetation analysis results and information generated in the present study are useful for gaining an ecological understanding of the cold desert ecosystem in the Lahaul valley. Sustainable forest resource management, including other management units (e.g., agroforestry and forestry systems), is crucial for improving the vegetation pattern, structure and function of the cold desert ecosystem, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, biodiversity and ecosystem service conservation.

Promoting Beneficial Arthropods in Urban Agroecosystems: Focus on Flowers, Maybe Not Native Plants.

(1) Urbanization threatens biodiversity, yet urban native plants support native biodiversity, contributing to conservation and ecosystem services. Within urban agroecosystems, where non-native plants are abundant, native plants may boost the abundance and richness of beneficial arthropods. Nevertheless, current information focuses on pollinators, with little attention being paid to other beneficials, like natural enemies. (2) We examined how the species richness of native plants, garden management, and landscape composition influence the abundance and species richness of all, native, and non-native bees, ladybeetles, ants, and ground-foraging spiders in urban agroecosystems (i.e., urban community gardens) in California. (3) We found that native plants (~10% of species, but only ~2.5% of plant cover) had little influence on arthropods, with negative effects only on non-native spider richness, likely due to the low plant cover provided by native plants. Garden size boosted native and non-native bee abundance and richness and non-native spider richness; floral abundance boosted non-native spider abundance and native and non-native spider richness; and mulch cover and tree and shrub abundance boosted non-native spider richness. Natural habitat cover promoted non-native bee and native ant abundance, but fewer native ladybeetle species were observed. (4) While native plant richness may not strongly influence the abundance and richness of beneficial arthropods, other garden management features could be manipulated to promote the conservation of native organisms or ecosystem services provided by native and non-native organisms within urban agroecosystems.

“The cost of doing business”: Private rights, public resources, and the resulting diversity of state-level forestry policies in the U.S.

In the U.S., the combination of federal, state, and local forest rules and programs create the policy environment in which private forest landowners manage their land, which in turn impacts the quality and conservation of ecosystem services produced. While previous studies provide overviews of forest policies impacting private landowners at moments in time, they lack the depth and perspective needed to describe the political context of forest policies, including the mechanisms underlying this diversity: the how and why of particular policies. This study fills that gap by utilizing interviews with policy experts from 12 case-study states to investigate the range of forest policies present in the U.S. We also explored the perceived trade-offs between protection of public trust resources and private property rights on private forest lands in their states, and the key actors (groups) influencing policy changes over time. Overall, the strong role of private property rights in the United States was consistent across case-study states, although most experts indicated a balance between protecting public trust resources and private property rights. The variability of policy tools employed among states suggests many avenues to achieve this balance, including policies that are created through market-based mechanisms rather than the state (i.e., certification). We also found that local-level regulations contributed to diversity and, at times, conflict and confusion within states. Finally, although landowner stewardship is not a policy tool, we found that states implicitly and explicitly relied on landowner knowledge and values to protect public trust resources, a strategy that some participants agreed fostered trust between the state and its private forest landowners.

Natural resource enterprises – income diversification and land conservation on privately owned lands in the United States (U.S.)

ABSTRACT Wildlife-related recreation is popular throughout the world with Americans spending over $150 billion dollars (U.S.) annually. I have conducted educational workshops (>200 events) to train U.S. landowners in natural resource enterprise management and operations offering recreational hunting, angling, and nature tourism excursions along with conservation management practices to enhance wildlife habitats on their lands. To measure impacts from these workshops, I conducted a comprehensive mail survey study with participants since 2010. Study findings revealed that private landowners who initiated wildlife-related recreational enterprises earned annual incomes and implemented conservation practices on their lands. More targeted training for landowners is recommended to enhance income diversification on privately owned lands and to increase conservation of wildlife habitats, land stewardship, and ecosystem services (i.e., clean water, biodiversity, and conservation zones) beneficial to society.

Comparing Insect Predation by Birds and Insects in an Apple Orchard and Neighboring Unmanaged Habitat: Implications for Ecosystem Services.

Preserving ecosystem services, such as natural enemies that can provide pest control, can positively impact crops without compromising agricultural yield. Even though controlling pests by natural enemies has been suggested to reduce pests in agriculture, growers continue using conventional pesticides that kill beneficial predators. Here we studied whether the predation of avian and insect-beneficial predators varies in an apple orchard with conventional insecticide use compared to a bordering tree stand without insecticides. We studied the predation rates of mealworm pupae as a proxy to coddling moth pupae at 42 stations in both an apple orchard and a Eucalyptus stand at three distances (0 m, 50 m, and 100 m) from the border. Half of the stations were netted to prevent bird predation but were accessible to insects. The other half were non-netted and accessible to birds. We conducted six trials, each lasting two weeks, during which we recorded the predation of 504 stations with 5040 pupae. To validate which species predated the pupae, we added video cameras that took RGB videos during the day and IR videos at night in 45 stations and found that in net-free stations, birds preyed in 94.1% of stations in the orchard and 81.8% in the Eucalyptus stand. However, ants predated 70% of the pupae in stations with nets in the orchards and 100% in stations in the Eucalyptus strands. In addition, we found a significant rise in predation by birds as the distance into the orchard increased. Conversely, insect predation declined within the orchard but escalated in the adjacent unmanaged area. These findings suggest that the orchard's environment negatively affects beneficial insect activity, specifically predatory ants. This study demonstrates that birds can play an essential role in predating insect pests inside the orchard. In addition, we believe that the decreased predation of ants within the orchard was due to intense insecticide use.

Attribution of upstream-downstream transitive natural and human imprint on watershed ecosystem services variations

Local and associated regional factors commonly drive changes in ecosystem services (ES). Yet, some current studies focus on considering local drivers based on statistical methods, which may ignore the impacts of drivers in associated regions such as upstream-downstream, and consequently lead to deviation in attribution analysis and management of variations in local ES. To overcome this challenge, this study proposes an attribution analysis method of changes in ecosystem services based on emergy and partial differentiation equation (PDE), and applies it at River Basin scale to quantitively measure cross-regional causation. Taking the Yellow River Basin (YRB), China, as a case, this study identifies and assesses the specific contribution of drivers to the variations in ES from 2000 to 2020. The results show that the ES in the entire YRB increased 30%, and the ES in the upper, middle and lower reaches increased 30%, 36% and 3% respectively. All the assessed ecosystem services increased in the past two decades, among which three services including air purification (182%), climate regulation (145%) and water purification (79%) have the largest increase ratio. Natural drivers R (such as evapotranspiration, precipitation, etc.), human drivers S (land use change), significance driver τ (the significance degree of human attention to ES improvement) commonly and disproportionately drive the ES dynamics. The contribution ratios of the three above drivers to the increase in ES are 0.7:8:1, 1:9:0.8, 0.2:7:1.6 and (−7):11:4 for the entire basin, the upper, middle and lower reaches respectively. The decrease in upstream water use results in midstream lake and wetland ES increase 1.44E+18 and 7.49E+17sej during 2000–2020, accounting for 55% and 97% of lake and wetland ES in 2020 respectively, which decrease the decline ratio of midstream lake and wetland ES caused by midstream local land use transfer from water bodies to built-up land or agricultural land. This is a significant method development of the proposed attribution method to quantitatively solving causation in upstream-midstream-downstream of a River Basin. Meanwhile, this study can provide guidance for collaborative and integrated management and conservation of ecosystem services in the upper, middle and lower reaches of watersheds or other related regions.

Integrating decision-making preferences into ecosystem service conservation area identification: A case study of water-related ecosystem services in the Dawen River watershed, China

The degradation of ecosystems and their services is threatening human wellbeing, making ecosystem service (ES) conservation an urgent necessity. In ES conservation planning, conservation area identification is crucial for the success of conservation initiatives. However, different decision-making preferences have not been fully considered and integrated in ES conservation area identification. This study takes the Dawen River watershed as the study area and considers three water-related ESs to be conserved. We aim to integrate the decision-making preferences of cost-effectiveness, ES sustainable supply, and ES social benefit into identifying ES conservation areas by using conservation cost, ecosystem health, and ES social importance as spatial constraints, respectively. We identified ES conservation area alternatives under the scenarios set according to different decision-making preferences. Specifically, ES conservation targets, i.e., the expected proportion of each ES in conservation areas, are designed to be met where there is low conservation cost (cost-oriented scenario), high ecosystem health (ES sustainable supply scenario), or high ES social importance (ES social benefit scenario). A balanced scenario considering all three decision-making preferences together is further established. The results show that under each scenario, the identified conservation areas can concurrently meet the conservation targets and decision-making preferences. The consideration of different decision-making preferences can greatly influence the spatial distributions of ES conservation areas. Moreover, a severe trade-off between conservation cost and ES social importance is observed under the ES social benefit scenario, and the balanced scenario can achieve a synergy of decision-making preferences. Our study provides a method to integrate the decision-making preference into ES conservation area identification, which can improve the rationality and practicality of ES conservation planning.

Ecological Risk Evaluation and Ecological Restoration Model of Mining in the Source Area of the Yellow River Basin

Finding out about the ecosystem damaged by mining development and carrying out ecological risk diagnoses are important prerequisites for formulating mine ecological restoration strategies. This study established an integrated approach to quantitatively analyze mining ecological risks by combining water conservation and biodiversity conservation ecosystem service functions with natural ecological conditions, and based on these, proposes appropriate mine ecological restoration strategies. Results show that: (1) A total of 14,874.80 hm2 of ecosystems were damaged in the Qinghai section of the Yellow River Basin, caused by mining excavation, crushing and hollow collapse, and of which 52.10% were located in national important ecological function areas and National Nature Reserves, which caused a decrease of the important ecosystem service functions of water conservation and biodiversity conservation in the area, and aggravated the ecological risks of the river source area; (2) The areas of high ecological risk and comparatively high ecological risk in the research area are 1,093,800 hm2 and 902,100 hm2, which accounted for 7.27% and 6.00% of the land area, respectively. Ecological risk hotspot areas are mainly distributed in the Qilian Mountains, Hehuang Valley, Sanjiangyuan and other key water systems and water sources; (3) According to the principle of “one mine, one policy”, we propose five mine ecological restoration models: ecological reconstruction, artificial assistance and protection and conservation, artificial assistance, protection and conservation and natural restoration. This study provides a reliable basis for exploring the status of mining ecological risk at the source of the Yellow River and scientifically carrying out ecological restoration and risk management.

Spatiotemporal Variation in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration from 1980 to 2020 and Future Trends in Ecosystem Services

Over the past 40 years of reform and opening up, human activities in the Yangtze River Delta region have caused major changes in land use patterns and ecosystem functions. Clarifying the spatiotemporal change characteristics and future development trends of ecosystem service functions is the basis for rational land development and utilization. In this study, the InVEST model and the CASA model were used to calculate habitat quality, water conservation, carbon sequestration and oxygen release, and soil conservation ecosystem services in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration from 1980 to 2020. The spatial pattern, change law, and future trend of these services were analyzed using the Theil–Sen median trend analysis, Mann–Kendall test, and Hurst index analysis. The results show that the four types of ecosystems in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration (habitat quality, water conservation, carbon sequestration and oxygen release, and soil conservation) exhibited an overall spatial pattern of being high in the southwest mountainous area and low in the northeast plain, and the conversion from constructed to agriculture was the most frequent type of land conversion over the past 40 years. From 1980 to 2020, the average level of habitat quality showed a downward trend and is expected to continue to deteriorate in the future. Water conservation, carbon sequestration and oxygen release, and soil conservation showed a fluctuating upward trend, with the latter two primarily predicted to have a future trend of improvement. The changes in ecosystem services exhibit gradient effects and horizontal spatial differentiation. The decline in ecosystem service functions is more pronounced in the vicinity of large cities. It is thus necessary to accelerate the transformation of the economic development model, and abandon the extensive urbanization development model, and promote high-quality urbanization development on the basis of improving resource and environmental carrying capacities.

Carbon stock and uptake in the high-elevation tropical montane forests of the threatened Atlantic Forest hotspot: Ecosystem function and effects of elevation variation

Tropical montane forests (TMF) of the threatened Atlantic Forest hotspot play an important role in providing essential ecosystem services associated with hydrological regime and biodiversity conservation. However, important ecological patterns such as those related to the woody carbon biogeochemical cycle are not yet known for these forests, especially those located at high elevations (> 1500 m. a.s.l.). Herein, we used a dataset of 60 plots (2.4 ha) of old-growth TMF sampled along a high-elevation gradient (1500–2100 m a.s.l.) and monitored in two inventories (2011 and 2016) to better understand the patterns of carbon stock and uptake of these high-elevation forests and the related environmental (soil) and elevation controls. We found differences in the carbon stock along different elevation levels (120.36–170.4C.ton.ha−1) and a carbon accumulation trend over the period along the entire gradient. Thus, forest carbon gain (3.82–5.14 ton.ha.year−1) was greater than the carbon loss (2.1–3.4 ton.ha.year−1) and resulted in a positive productivity net. In other words, the TMF acted as a carbon sink, removing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in woody tissues. Soil variables also exert significant influences on carbon stock and uptake (significative effects of phosphorus on carbon stock and of cation exchange capacity on carbon loss), driving such patterns in isolation or in interaction with elevation. Considering the high conservation degree of the TMF monitored, our results may be indicative of a similar trend in other similar forests, but which have gone through disturbances in the more recent past. These TMF fragments have a wide occurrence in the Atlantic Forest hotspot and may also be acting or will soon act as carbon sinks in improved conservation scenarios. Thus, these forests can play an essential role in conserving ecosystem services in the region and in mitigating climate changes.

Investigating groundwater and surface water interactions using remote sensing, hydrochemistry, and stable isotopes in the Barotse Floodplain, Zambia

ABSTRACT Groundwater and surface water are inseparably linked, thus the understanding of their interactions is indispensable toward developing effective conjunctive water resource management strategies, particularly for ecosystems, such as wetlands, which provide numerous ecosystem services. This study aimed to identify potential areas of Groundwater-surface water (GW-SW) interactions and mechanisms that facilitate them using remote sensing, hydrochemistry, and stable isotopes. The results of remote sensing analysis using Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) show that the vegetation is sensitive to the dynamics of groundwater level, with shallower levels (<10 m) in the lower reaches compared to deeper levels (>10 m) in the upper catchment. The study postulates that the near surface groundwater level, maybe due to the near proximity river system (Zambezi River) losing water to recharge the aquifer system, compared to upstream which may be discharging to floodplains (gaining system). Using Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) of the hydrochemical data, surface, and groundwater showed three similarity clusters of hydrochemistry consisting of Ca-Mg-HCO3, Na-HCO3, and Na-Cl. These zones are further investigated and likely represent geological variability, aquifer confinement, and the degree of GW–SW interactions. The outcomes of this research provide critical input for integrated protection and conservation of ecosystem services in floodplain and aquifer systems.