Environmental Management Plan Research Articles

Impact of coronavirus pandemic litters on microfiber pollution-effect of personal protective equipment and disposable face masks.

Coronavirus Pandemic is the current biggest challenge against humanity. Apart from the personal health issues and higher mortality by the coronavirus, recent research works have also reported the environmental impacts of the pandemic. The review aims to analyze the current status of face masks and personal protective equipment littering and subsequent environmental impact in terms of microplastic and microfiber pollution. Recent researches in this domain are collected from the leading databases with relevant keywords and critically analyzed. The review results report a multi-fold increment in the usage of personal protective equipment, particularly face masks after the pandemic. Mismanagement of these items leads them to reach the marine environment through a variety of transportation. The results show a significant amount of increment in plastic and pandemic-related littering after the pandemic. The systematic review shows that the use of synthetic fibers in disposable personal protective equipment and masks leads to release of fibers that can add-on to microfiber pollution. The results are also true in the case of reusable masks as the repeated laundry and disinfection methods release a significantly higher amount of microfibers. Only very few studies have addressed the release of microfiber from the mask, and no studies have reported the impact of personal protective equipment. The worldwide mass adaptation and improper disposal of these materials increase the seriousness of the problem multiple folds. These findings suggest the immediate requirement of critical analysis of the pandemic-related littering and microfiber release characteristics. The research also urges the need for the implementation of an environmental management plan as a mitigation strategy around the globe.

Detecting target species: with how many samples?

The detection of target species is of paramount importance in ecological studies, with implications for environmental management and natural resource conservation planning. This is usually done by sampling the area: the species is detected if the presence of at least one individual is detected in the samples. Green & Young (Green & Young 1993 Sampling to detectrare species. Ecol. Appl. 3, 351–356. (doi:10.2307/1941837) introduce two models to determine the minimum number of samples n to ensure that the probability of failing to detect the species from them, if the species is actually present in the area, does not exceed a fixed threshold: based on the Poisson and the Negative Binomial distributions. We generalize them to two scenarios, one considering the area size N to be finite, and the other allowing detectability errors, with probability δ. The results in Green & Young are recovered by taking N → ∞ and δ = 0. Not taking into consideration the finite size of the area, if known, leads to an overestimation of n, which is vital to avoid if sampling is expensive or difficult, while assuming that there are no detectability errors, if they really exist, produces an undesirable bias. Our approximation manages to skirt both problems, for the Poisson and the Negative Binomial.

Environmental Impact Assessment: Implications of Bridge Construction Venture in Bangladesh

This study was conducted to assess the environmental impacts of the proposed Kashil Bridge over the river Jhinai at Basail upazila of Tangail district in Bangladesh during January to September 2019. The environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a mandatory process to assess the environmental consequences of an existing or proposed project and to delineate any environmental management measures that must be integrated into the plan to ensure that the project is technically, economically, socially and environmentally acceptable. The EIA preparation led to the identification of potential environmental and social impacts due to proposed bridge pre-construction, construction and operation activities on the Jhinai River and feasible remedial measures as included in the Environmental Management Plan (EMP). A field mobilization was conducted in project area to find out the environmental baseline (surface water, groundwater, soil, sediments, air, noise and ecology) information and identification of possible impacts. The focused group discussions (FGDs), questionnaire survey (QS) and key informants interview (KII) were conducted to collect relevant information. Secondary data were collected from Local Government Engineering Department, Upazila Agriculture Office, Upazila Fisheries Office, Department of Environment (DoE) and published relevant articles. Analyzing overall impacts, EIA study found that these possible negative impacts are considerable if some mitigation measures are applied. This new bridge will not only increase the communication facilities but also increase the economic flow together with other facilities. Finally, the EIA study suggested some defined EMP which will help to minimize the probable adverse impacts of the bridge construction site over the Jhinai River.
 Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 13(1&2): 13-18, 2020

Penilaian Uji Konsistensi Dokumen AMDAL yang disahkan oleh Komisi Penilai AMDAL Provinsi Sumatera Selatan

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is one of the instruments to prevent environmental pollution and/or damage (Undang-Undang 32, 2009). Success in preventing environmental pollution is closely related to the quality of the EIA document, especially the quality of the consistency aspects, such as the consistency between the hypothetical significant impact and the initial environmental baseline, the estimated magnitude of the impact, the environmental management and monitoring plan. Therefore, it is very necessary to assess the consistency of the EIA Document in the Province of South Sumatra. This research aims to assess the consistency test of the EIA Document approved by the EIA Assessment Commission of South Sumatra Province. This study used descriptive qualitative method. The research sample was taken using a total sampling technique, all EIA Documents that have been assessed by the EIA Assessment Commission of South Sumatra Province between 2018-2020 and already have an Environmental Feasibility Decree totaling 12 (twelve) documents are used as research samples. The results showed that 5 (five) documents (42%) had very good consistency, 6 (six) documents (50%) had good consistency and 1 (one) document (8%) ) had a bad consistency.

Assessment of Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Management Plan by Risk Assessment of Activities in Construction Project Work

The building construction industry is growing all over the world. The construction industry is an important part of the economy in many countries and is often seen as a driver of economic growth especially in developing countries. Owing to its relatively labour-intensive nature, construction works provide opportunities for employment for a wide range of people skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled. This study, therefore, aims to find out the current practice of health and safety risk assessment, risk communication and risk control and improving the Environment Health and Safety management plan for the Construction project site. In pursuing this objective, the case study strategy was adopted whereby a construction site is selected through convenience sampling. This research contributes significantly to construction safety management SHAPOORJI PALLONJI AND COMPLANY PVT. LTD. and can be utilized to analyse and manipulate the safety risk level of every possible hazardous event that is identified during the construction period. The proposed model could also be applied in other construction projects to obtain results with greater accuracy and reliability from the evaluation and ranking of safety risks, which would yield data that would be useful in helping the management team to mitigate and control the risks in other construction projects.

Towards an Ecosystem Approach to Management in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction: REMPs for Deep Seabed Mining and the Proposed BBNJ Instrument

The ocean plays a key role in sustaining life on our planet and is inextricably linked to biodiversity, climate, human well-being, and health. However, the governance of the ocean is primarily pursued through sectoral-based legal and institutional frameworks that falls short in ensuring the long-term protection of the marine environment and the sustainability of marine resources. This is especially concerning in areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction (ABNJ) where human activities continue to expand. The existence of two distinct regimes in ABNJ, namely the High Seas (applicable to the water column, which is a global common) and the Area (applicable to the international seabed and its mineral resources, which are the common heritage of mankind), that have been largely regulated separately, impede the development and implementation of integrated marine environmental governance and biodiversity conservation in ABNJ. On the one hand, the International Seabed Authority (ISA), which is mandated to administer the mineral resources of the Area, is currently discussing a set of regulations to enable future exploitation activities. On the other hand, multilateral negotiations are taking place for the development of an internationally legally binding instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (referred to as the proposed ‘BBNJ’ Instrument). Both processes offer a unique opportunity to foster an ecosystem approach to management (EAM) in ABNJ. In this article, we elaborate on options for stronger governance integration and the development of a coherent and collaborative interplay between these two processes. To this end, we explore the potential of Regional Environmental Management Plans (REMPs) established by the ISA as a case study to contribute to global biodiversity conservation, and the opportunity for the proposed BBNJ Instrument to promote overarching coherence to biodiversity conservation in ABNJ, premised on EAM. We conclude that the proposed BBNJ Instrument could have a pivotal role to streamline multilateral action for the conservation of biodiversity in ABNJ by adopting an ambitious, overarching environmental vision and strategic goals, accompanied by strong implementation and enforcement mechanisms.

Seasonal patterns of microplastics in surface sediments of a Mediterranean lagoon heavily impacted by human activities (Bizerte lagoon, Northern Tunisia)

In this paper, we investigated seasonal variations in concentrations of microplastics (MPs) in surface sediments of a lagoon heavily impacted by human activities, located in northern Tunisia (the Bizerte lagoon, southern Mediterranean Sea). Analyses of 112 sediment samples collected from 28 stations between May 2019 and February 2020 revealed significant seasonal variation in concentrations of total MPs, with the highest levels recorded in August 2019 (109.6 ± 59.8 items kg-1 DS (dry sediment)) and the lowest in February 2020 (33.2 ± 22.0 items kg-1 DS). In terms of polymer types, polyethylene particles were the most abundant throughout the year, followed by polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polyethylene terephthalate. Spatial variations in total MP concentrations were found to depend on several environmental factors, including proximity to the coastline, level of anthropogenic pressure, location inside the lagoon, and presence/absence of vegetation. The upper 5-cm surface sediment layer of the lagoon was found to contain ~ 9.96 × 1010 MP particles, equal to ~ 248.97 t of plastic. Similar patterns of microplastic composition and structure were found throughout the year, revealing the same plastic pollution hotspots during all seasons. This indicates that sources of plastic pollution are land-based and originate from coastal urban, industrial, and agricultural areas, as well as from major freshwater streams. The findings of the present work can help to develop an efficient environmental management plan aiming to reduce and/or stop the spread of plastic pollution and its impacts on the socially and economically important ecosystem of the Bizerte lagoon.

Concurrent 19. Presentation for: Developing an in-depth understanding of PFAS to deliver an effective remediation strategy

Presented on Wednesday 18 May: Session 19 Esso Australia Resources Pty Ltd and BHP Petroleum (Bass Strait) Pty Ltd own a range of offshore and onshore hydrocarbon production facilities, which have been operated by Esso Australia Pty Ltd (Esso) for over 50 years. The Longford Fire Training Ground (FTG) is located adjacent to the Longford Plants and has been utilised by Esso for many years to train personnel in practical hydrocarbon firefighting skills, including applying firefighting foams to extinguish liquid hydrocarbon pool fires. In line with historical standard oil-field practices, per and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) containing firefighting foams were used at the Longford FTG. In response to the reported use of these foams and the potential for contamination associated with historical site operations, the Longford premises were the subject of recent environmental audit and clean-up plans with oversight by an EPA Victoria auditor. Esso engaged a broad range of experts to complete the environmental investigation and develop a remediation action plan that complied with the PFAS National Environmental Management Plan. Key aspects of this project included: understanding the location and setting, with respect to geological conditions and groundwater impacts; development of remediation objectives and strategy; identification of practical remediation methods including short-term and longer-term measures to mitigate priority PFAS sources within the FTG; and a planning framework for future management of the premises. This paper shares how a responsible operator applies a disciplined and scientifically based environmental approach to further the state of knowledge on practical PFAS remediation methods and achieve a sustainable environmental outcome in the communities that they operate in. To access the presentation click the link on the right. To read the full paper click here

A framework for evaluating enhancement quality as part of the EIA process

This paper presents a framework for evaluating the quality of enhancement of positive impacts in Environmental Impact Assessment reports (EIARs). The ‘Enhancement Quality Testing Framework’ created for this study is structured around four performance indicators to evaluate enhancement measures detailed in EIARs that focus on: Inclusion; Timing; Thoroughness; and Responsibility & Monitoring. In this way a holistic view of enhancement has been taken to create a framework to evaluate enhancement quality. The framework was tested in documentary research of 24 Scottish EIARs published between 2015 and 2020 (including relevant documents submitted as part of the planning application, such as Environmental Management Plans). The results highlighted a wide recognition of enhancement (70%) among the EIAR evaluated. However, the majority of grades assigned across the performance indicators for the reports examined fell within ‘Deficient’ or ‘Not Present’. The framework could be used and adapted by developers, consultants, decision makers and academics to provide insight, and to introduce accountability, regarding the quality of enhancement integration in EIA practice.

Corporation’s Liability on Illegal Dumping’s Impact on Climate Change according to the UNFCCC and its Implementation in Indonesia

Corporation illegal dumping’s impact on climate change illustrates that corporate economic crime in the environmental field (waste disposal) has a broad effect yet no significant correlation. If this correlation is adequately studied, it can contribute to enforcing legal accountability and optimizing efforts to reduce climate change. To see this correlation, it is necessary to ask whether a corporation has an economic interest that is fought for in disposing of waste irresponsibly and whether parties whose economic interests are harmed. As one of The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC's) members, Indonesia is a country that predominantly relies on its natural resources, while climate change is very detrimental to nature. This research is normative-juridical research which uses secondary type data. Research shows that The UNFCCC does not explicitly prohibit illegal dumping, but it does specify waste management guidelines that are not hazardous to the environment or public safety. Indonesia has ratified the UNFCCC instrument by through Law No. 6 of 1999. From this ratification, Indonesia's effort to reduce illegal dumping is seen through Environmental Protection and Management Plan, Strategic Environmental Studies, and Government Regulation no. 47 of 2012 concerning Social and Environmental Responsibility of Limited Liability. The economic interest of a corporation that illegally dumps is to avoid spending money because the procedure of adequate waste management is high cost.

Challenges for Implementing Environmental Management Plans in Construction Projects: The Case of Malaysia

An environmental management plan (EMP) can reduce the impact of construction projects on the environment. While there is an increasing trend to promote sustainability, effective EMP implementation in Malaysia is limited. In this study, we aim to investigate the challenges for implementing EMP at construction sites in Malaysia, identify the main issues among those challenges, and determine the interrelationships between the main challenges. We identified 30 potential challenges for implementing EMP through a systematic literature review of 41 papers and semi-structured interviews with 20 construction industry professionals. Subsequently, a survey was used to solicit opinions on the challenges. The collected data were analyzed using mean score, standard deviation, normalization, factor analysis, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results illustrate that 21 main challenges exist for implementing EMP in Malaysia. From these, eight main challenges can be grouped into two major components: people- and project-related challenges. ANOVA test results suggest different perceptions of the challenges between project owners, contractors, and consultants. The theoretical implications of this study include a profound understanding of the challenges in implementing EMP at construction sites in Malaysia and their underlying relations.

Carbon Dioxide Emission Accounting of Grid-powered Streetlights

This study aimed to determine the total carbon dioxide emission of the grid-powered streetlights in a barangay. This study uses both Qualitative and Quantitative Research, following the case study and computational techniques. Based on the collated responses from the semi-structured interview guide sheet and face to face interview, the barangay council have put these grid-powered streetlights for the safety of everyone. Moreover, they knew about the Carbon dioxide emission but not much about it but still they would pursue setting up solar-powered streetlights as their action to mitigate the situation. Results of the computation presents that there were 7.44 Kwh and 223.2 Kwh of electricity consumed for a day and month respectively. From this, the breakdown on the composition of each power source was also identified. Moreover, a total of 297.7 lbs of CO2 was emitted from the total consumed electricity of the grid-powered streetlights for a month. Furthermore, it is recommended that the barangay officials would have to follow the environmental management plan for a sounder community and environment for it prevents from extra wastes and pollution. Most importantly, this study would help the community and environmental sector to track their emissions of carbon dioxide from the different grid-powered inputs.

Developing an in-depth understanding of PFAS to deliver an effective remediation strategy

Esso Australia Resources Pty Ltd and BHP Petroleum (Bass Strait) Pty Ltd own a range of offshore and onshore hydrocarbon production facilities, which have been operated by Esso Australia Pty Ltd (Esso) for over 50 years. The Longford Fire Training Ground (FTG) is located adjacent to the Longford Plants and has been utilised by Esso for many years to train personnel in practical hydrocarbon firefighting skills, including applying firefighting foams to extinguish liquid hydrocarbon pool fires. In line with historical standard oil-field practices, per and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) containing firefighting foams were used at the Longford FTG. In response to the reported use of these foams and the potential for contamination associated with historical site operations, the Longford premises were the subject of recent environmental audit and clean-up plans with oversight by an EPA Victoria auditor. Esso engaged a broad range of experts to complete the environmental investigation and develop a remediation action plan that complied with the PFAS National Environmental Management Plan. Key aspects of this project included: understanding the location and setting, with respect to geological conditions and groundwater impacts; development of remediation objectives and strategy; identification of practical remediation methods including short-term and longer-term measures to mitigate priority PFAS sources within the FTG; and a planning framework for future management of the premises. This paper shares how a responsible operator applies a disciplined and scientifically based environmental approach to further the state of knowledge on practical PFAS remediation methods and achieve a sustainable environmental outcome in the communities that they operate in.

Impacts of quarrying activities on the environment and livelihood of people in Border II sub‐location, Nyando sub‐county, Kisumu County, Kenya

AbstractThe aim of the study was to assess the impacts of quarrying activities on the environment and livelihood of people in the Border II sub‐location. Primary data was collected through questionnaires, Key Informant Interviews, Focus Group Discussion, laboratory analysis and observations. Whereas, secondary data was obtained from Landsat satellite images, journals, articles, books and reports. The acquired data were analyzed using excel and Arc GIS; and presented into tables and figures. The Land use/cover change analysis from the satellite images of the area showed that quarry lands have increased by 5.2 Ha (0.26%). Quarrying activities in the area were perceived to have both positive and negative impacts on the livelihood of people and the environment. Some of the most serious environmental problems were; dust pollution (82%), noise (76%), land degradation (74%), vegetation loss (60%) and vibration (52%). Whereas, negative socioeconomic impacts were; building cracks (54%), injuries (36%), school dropouts (35%), roads damages (33%), child labor (31%) and crop effects (30%). Moreover, 45% of the area residents and 44% of the quarry workers have experienced health problems related to quarrying activities. Nevertheless, there was a significant relationship between quarrying activities and the environmental as well as human health problems in the area (p<0.05). The positive impacts identified are; employment, roads improvement, security, CSR, building materials, business opportunities, among others. To mitigate the negative impacts, the quarry operators should develop and implement an Environmental and Social management Plan, including fair compensation of the project which affect a person, relocation of near homes, environmental pollution control, public participation, scaling down blasting activities, and strict policies compliance and enforcement.

Environmental Management Strategies in Kichwa Communities of the Amazon of Ecuador

The unemployment of people in the Amazonian communities of Ecuador has increased during the pandemic caused by the Covid-19 disease, mainly from March to August 2020; so, the population has turned its attention to the agricultural sector. This economic sector is specifically directed towards the overexploitation of timber resources and the hunting of animals. This study proposes an Environmental Management Plan for three agricultural farms located in the San Pablo de Ushpayaco parish, Napo, Ecuador, which sell mostly organic products in local markets. The fieldwork included a historical analysis of the sector, the diagnosis of survival strategies, relevant environmental aspects, identification of actors and interests regarding access to resources. As a result of the research, problems of inefficient use of water resources, poor management of land use due to its overexploitation through monoculture practices, absence of practices for sustainable agriculture and livestock, poor crop rotation, low application of organic fertilizers, lack of inputs and resources. Poor agricultural practices have led to low production yields and limited economic profit for farmers. This Environmental Management Plan focuses on the prevention, mitigation, and compensation of the environmental impacts caused by agriculture and thus improving the communities' quality of life in the study case. Poor agricultural practices have led to low production yields and limited economic profit for farmers. Poor agricultural practices have led to low production yields and limited economic profit for farmers. This Environmental Management Plan is focused on the prevention, mitigation and compensation of the environmental impacts caused by agriculture and thus improve the quality of life of the communities in the study case.

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING EFFORTS (UKL-UPL) FOR OIL AND GAS SECTOR

Environmental monitoring is an integrated activity of the environmental management in general. Normally, any activity or industry has a written environmental management program called Environmental Management Plan or Rencana Pengelolaan Lingkungan (RKL). This document that has to be legalized or approved by the government describes an environmental management program that shall be implemented by the industry following the establishment of a project. Eventually, success of the RKL implementation can be monitored through environmental monitoring program that has been described in a document defined as Environmental Monitoring Plan or Rencana Pemantauan Lingkungan (RPL). Both RKL and RPL are the environmental management system planning documents that are established following the environmental impact assessment (EIA) AMDAL (Analisis Mengenai Dampak Lingkungan) study for a new project. Regulation regarding with the compulsory for conducting AMDAL is defined in the Government Regulation (Peraturan Pemerintah, PP) No. 29/1986, which is then revised by PP No. 51/1993, and finally by PP. No. 27/1999. Many questions are launched by the oil and gas industries in Indonesia, since these industries have been started their activity long before the AMDAL regulation being put into effect. Moreover, the recent ministerial decree" (Ministerial Decree of Environment No. 17/ 2001) describing the scale limit of the project that has to be preceded by AMDAL study has added confusion to the oil and gas industries. This is not surprising since many of the contracting parties for oil and gas industries in Indonesia have handed over their concession area of oil and gas fields to other parties. The new contracting parties have some difficulties in interpreting the regulations, especially when they intend to develop their contracting area. Shall they conduct EIA/AMDAL study or just Environmental Management and Monitoring Ef forts (Upaya Pengelolaan Lingkungan dan Upaya Pemantauan Lingkungan, UKL-UPL) before implementing the activities? In order to give information especially to the new contracting companies of oil and gas exploration and production those who have bought the concession from the previous companies, the author eager to write this paper describing environmental study that shall be conducted prior the implementation of a new project. Mechanism for requesting a government permit is also included in this paper focusing on upstream activity.

COMPUTATIONAL POLLUTANT OF SO2/NO2 IN THE ENVIRONMENT USING AERMOD IN SEMI-URBAN AREA, STUDI CASE IN TUBAN, EAST JAVA

Air pollution is a problem that often occurs in Indonesia, especially in cities where the industry is growing rapidly, such as Tuban City. This is due to the low level of environmental management planning, including air quality management. Many models can be used to predict pollutant concentrations in ambient air. Currently, the model often used is Meteorological Forecast Models, one of which is AERMOD. The effort made here is to evaluate the performance of the AERMOD (AERMOD + Background concentration) model. The AERMOD model was used to predict ambient air quality in Tuban, East Java, and evaluated using ratio-to-observer, MAPE, and relative mean bias values. Air quality modeling was carried out in the rainy and dry seasons in 2018 and 2019. The modeling results using the AERMOD model resulted in an acceptable model. The results of the NO2 parameter modeling result in an overpredicted model trend, and changes in grid size affect the MAPE value and the resulting relative means bias. Meanwhile, the SO2 parameter modeling results produce a model that tends to be underpredicted, and the change in grid size does not have a significant effect. The performance evaluation of the model is expected to be useful for air quality management and further development of this model.

Spatiotemporal dependency of resource use efficiency on phytoplankton diversity in Lake Taihu

AbstractThe dependency of resource use efficiency (RUE) on phytoplankton diversity is key for understanding aquatic ecosystem responses to eutrophication and climate change. Here, we studied RUE of nitrogen (RUEN), phosphorous (RUEP), or silicate (RUESi) and the associated abiotic and biotic explanatory variables in 3,016 samples collected from 30 sites in Lake Taihu during 2005‐2017, covering cyanobacteria‐ and macrophyte‐dominated regions. We further examined spatiotemporal dependencies of RUE on phytoplankton taxonomic and functional diversity and their underlying drivers. The annual mean RUEsi of each site exhibited an overall increasing temporal trend, while that of RUEN and RUEP displayed U‐shaped patterns over the study period. RUE was affected by nutrients and water temperature, and also was related to phytoplankton diversity in terms of Shannon diversity and functional dispersion diversity. Interestingly, RUE showed negative spatial dependencies on phytoplankton diversity. These negative spatial dependencies had decreasing temporal trends for RUEN and RUESi, while a hump‐shaped pattern for RUEP. The dependencies were generally related to spatial environmental mean of nutrients, such as nitrate and total phosphorus. Furthermore, RUE showed negative temporal dependencies on phytoplankton diversity mainly in the cyanobacteria‐dominated region, while it was occasionally positive in the macrophyte‐dominated region. These temporal dependencies were driven primarily by temporal environmental stability of nutrients, such as dissolved total nitrogen. Collectively, the direction and strength of spatiotemporal dependencies of RUE on phytoplankton diversity were influenced by nutrient status and stability. These findings can be considered in future environmental management plans for long‐term sustainability of ecosystem functioning under global climate change.

Forest fire susceptibility assessment using google earth engine in Gangwon-do, Republic of Korea

Forest fires are one of the most frequently occurring natural hazards, causing substantial economic loss and destruction of forest cover. As the Gangwon-do region in Korea has abundant forest resources and ecological diversity as Korea's largest forest area, spatial data on forest fire susceptibility of the region are urgently required. In this study, a forest fire susceptibility map (FFSM) of Gangwon-do was constructed using Google Earth Engine (GEE) and three machine learning algorithms: Classification and Regression Trees (CART), Random Forest (RF), and Boosted Regression Trees (BRT). The factors related to climate, topography, hydrology, and human activity were constructed. To verify the accuracy, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used. The AUC values were 0.846 (BRT), 0.835 (RF), 0.751 (CART). Factor importance analysis was performed to identify the important factors of the occurrence of forest fires in Gangwon-do. The results show that the most important factor in the Gangwon-do region is slope. A slope of approximately 17° (moderately steep) has a considerable impact on the occurrence of forest fires. Human activity and interference are the other important factors that affect forest fires. The established FFSM can support future efforts on forest resource protection and environmental management planning in Gangwon-do.

Assessing ecosystem services of abandoned agricultural lands: a case study in the forested zone of European Russia

The massive abandonment of arable land in Russia in the 1990s had a heavy impact on the country’s land-use structure. The cessation of cultivation leads to a decrease of provisioning ecosystem services within the landscape, while creating an opportunity to enhance the supply of diverse regulation services. Consideration of this opportunity is increasingly important for environmental management and landscape planning. In this article, we present an approach for assessing the environmental benefits of ecosystems developing on abandoned arable lands in the forested zone of European Russia. The proposed methodology is established on a land-cover based framework – ecosystem services assessment matrix. For assessment purposes, abandoned arable lands at different stages of vegetation recovery succession (ruderal, grassland and small-leaved forest) are considered as different land-cover types. Four classes of regulating ecosystem services are subject to qualitative analysis: regulation of the chemical composition of the atmosphere, control of erosion rates, regulation of soil quality and pollination. An exemplary application of the proposed methodology for the case study area located in the Moscow Region of Russia is presented in the article. The results of the qualitative assessment revealed an association between the stage of vegetation recovery succession which corresponds with the time since land abandonment and the supply of regulating ecosystem services. The recovery of natural vegetation leads to higher levels of carbon sequestration, more effective erosion mitigation, soil recovery and increased pollinator abundance. Cropland was proven to be a recipient of the services provided by natural ecosystems. Thus, the return of all uncultivated fields to agricultural use will cause a substantial decrease in the ecological value of the study area.