Ecosystem Development Research Articles

Digital and technological modernization of the world's largest West Siberian oil and gas production center

The article examines the results of digital and technological modernization of the oil and gas industry within the framework of the state program "Digital Economy 2017-2024" in the implementation of measures proposed by academic institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences on the basis of a comprehensive scientific and technical program of a full innovation cycle, as well as the potential of exploratory and applied research to prepare a new state program "Data Economy" for the period up to 2030 of the year. The activities are a set of interrelated scientific, technical, digital solutions and innovative technologies that ensure the achievement of goals, developed with the leading participation of the Institute of Oil and Gas Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Oil and Gas Geology and Geophysics named after. A. A. Trofimuk SB RAS, program “Digital and technological modernization of the world’s largest West Siberian oil and gas production center.” The main goal of scientific research for the oil and gas economy of big geodata is the creation and implementation of digital modeling technologies, the development of ecosystems, computing platforms and digital twins of oil and gas assets, and the transportation of hydrocarbons to existing and newly created petrochemical clusters in order to develop the domestic market for their complete processing into products with high added value and strengthening the digital leadership of Russian energy companies. The key factor hindering the innovative development of the Russian oil and gas complex is the lack of high-performance computing systems. The main oil and gas tasks that require the involvement of supercomputers with peta- and exascale performance levels (1015 and 1018 floating point operations per second, respectively) include the tasks of managing the “digital ecosystem” of the world’s largest West Siberian oil and gas production center and unique oil and gas fields in the real time. The development of the digital ecosystem is proposed to be formed on the basis of platform solutions and comprehensive scientific and technical programs and projects of a full innovation cycle. The main problems in the sphere of creating a digital energy economy of big data have been identified: an acute shortage of personnel with digital competencies in the field of oil and gas production, specialists in opticalization, multisensorization, supercomputing, cybersecurity and petrorobotics.

Sustainable integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches within the African infectious disease vaccine research and development ecosystem

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) techniques, including reverse vaccinology and predictive models, have already been applied for developing vaccine candidates for COVID-19, HIV, and Hepatitis, streamlining the vaccine development lifecycle from discovery to deployment. The application of AI and ML technologies for improving heath interventions, including drug discovery and clinical development, are expanding across Africa, particularly in South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria. Further initiatives are required however to expand AI/ML capabilities across the continent to ensure the development of a sustainable ecosystem including enhancing the requisite knowledge base, fostering collaboration between stakeholders, ensuring robust regulatory and ethical frameworks and investment in requisite infrastructure.

A Framework for the Multi-Dimensional Assessment of Interoperability for Open Data Ecosystems Development

The generation of social and economic value from the vast quantities of data opened by governments has been much lower than the initial expectations. It requires the development and cooperation of ecosystems composed of various public, private, and non-profit actors. For the development of these ecosystems in order to generate social and economic value from open government data (OGD), necessary conditions are, on the one hand, the availability of a critical mass of OGD and, on the other hand, the existence of some level of homogeneity and interoperability among the numerous portals and websites providing them, which enables their combined exploitation that increases the potential for value generation from them. This paper focuses on the latter and develops the Technical, Semantic, Legal, and Organizational (TSLO) Interoperability Framework, a conceptual tool designed to provide a structured multi-dimensional assessment of the interoperability capabilities of OGD infrastructures, based on the ‘European Interoperability Framework’ (EIF) as well as relevant OGD literature. This TSLO framework has been applied for the assessment of the above main dimensions of the interoperability of the OGD infrastructures of the Greek local government administration institutions of all three layers (decentralized, regional, and municipal). After this application, nine interviews were conducted with nine municipalities that do not provide OGD in order to gain a deeper understanding of the reasons for this. The results of this first application of TSLO revealed not only the low participation of Greek local government institutions, and especially of the municipalities, in the OGD movement (with only 8 out of the 332 municipalities providing open data on their portals or websites), but also the inconsistent implementation of this, especially with respect to the use of semantic technologies as well as the legal frameworks under which the open data are provided, resulting in low levels of interoperability among them. The interviews that were conducted revealed that the opening of some of their data was not a priority for them, as their limited resources had to be used for the development of internal information systems for increasing their efficiency, as well as e-services for the citizens, enabling them to conduct transactions electronically (through the Internet). Our study makes a contribution to the still limited body of research on OGD ecosystems, examining an important precondition for their development that has not been researched in previous literature; also, our framework can contribute to the increase of interoperability of OGD infrastructures and therefore to the increase of social and economic value generations for the OGD they provide.

Spillover Effects of Paid Functions on Physicians' Unpaid Knowledge Activities: Quasi-Experimental Approach.

To promote sustained contributions by physicians to online health care communities, these platforms have introduced a content payment model that offers economic incentives for physicians' online knowledge activities. However, the impact of these paid features on unpaid knowledge activities remains unexplored. This study investigated how the introduction of economic incentives in online medical communities affects physicians' unpaid knowledge activities in the community. The data for this study were obtained from the Haodf Online platform in China, which has implemented paid scenarios for its science popularization function, providing economic benefits to physicians. The dataset, which comprises panel data, includes 7453 physicians who participated in both paid and unpaid knowledge contributions on the website. This study examined the impact of paid knowledge activities on physicians' free knowledge contributions, focusing on dimensions including knowledge quantity, quality, and diversity. To address the timing discrepancies in physicians' participation in paid activities, we used a quasi-experimental design that combined the approach of propensity score matching and multi-period difference in differences. In the balance test results of the propensity score matching, the absolute values of the SDs of all matching variables were mostly <5% after matching, ensuring the accuracy of the results obtained from the difference in differences method. This study found that participation in paid knowledge activities had a positive spillover effect on physicians' free knowledge contributions, which manifested in the increase in post quantity (473.1%; P<.001), article length (108%; P=.009), function word frequency (0.6%; P=.001), causal word frequency (0.2%; P<.001), and content information entropy (6.6%; P=.006). The paid function led to a decrease in the consistency between titles and content (-115.5%; P<.001). The findings of this study contribute to the existing literature on the impact of economic incentives in the medical context. For the platform, providing economic incentives to physicians can have positive significance in promoting the development of the platform's knowledge ecosystem and can effectively encourage physicians to contribute to both paid and free knowledge activities. This study provides a valuable reference for the platform to introduce a paid knowledge model, which is beneficial to the sustainable development of the platform.

Analysis of Spatiotemporal Variation Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Grassland Vegetation Coverage in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau from 2000 to 2023 Based on MODIS Data

Changes in grassland fractional vegetation coverage (FVC) are important indicators of global climate change. Due to the unique characteristics of the Tibetan Plateau ecosystem, variations in grassland coverage are crucial to its ecological stability. This study utilizes the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform to retrieve long-term MODIS data and analyzes the spatiotemporal distribution of grassland FVC across the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) over 24 years (2000–2023). The grassland growth index (GI) is used to evaluate the annual grassland growth at the pixel level. GI is an important indicator for measuring grassland growth status, which can effectively measure the changes in grassland growth in each year relative to the base year. FVC trends are monitored using Sen-Mann-Kendall slope estimation, the coefficient of variation, and the Hurst exponent. Geographic detectors and partial correlation analysis are then applied to explore the contribution rates of key driving factors to FVC. The results show: (1) From 2000 to 2023, FVC exhibited an overall upward trend, with an annual growth rate of 0.0881%. The distribution of FVC on the QTP follows a pattern of higher values in the east and lower values in the west; (2) Over the past 24 years, 54.05% of the total grassland area has shown a significant increase, 23.88% has remained stable, and only a small portion has shown a significant decrease. The overall trend is expected to continue with minimal variability, covering 82.36% of the total grassland area. The overall grassland GI suggests a balanced state of growth; (3) precipitation (Pre) and soil moisture (SM) are the main single factors affecting FVC changes in grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau (q = 0.59 and 0.46). In the interaction detection, in addition to the highest interaction between Pre and other factors, the interaction between SM and other factors also showed a significant impact on the changes in FVC of the QTP grassland; partial correlation analysis of hydrothermal factors and FVC of the QTP grassland. It shows that precipitation has a stronger correlation with QTP grassland FVC changes than temperature. This study has enhanced our understanding of grassland vegetation change and its driving factors on the QTP and quantitatively described the relationship between vegetation change and driving factors, which is of great significance for maintaining the sustainable development of grassland ecosystems.

Effect of Loan Disbursement, Non-Performing Loan (NPL) and Current Account-Saving Account (CASA) Ratio on The Profitability of Digital Bank Listed on Indonesia Stock Exchange

Technological advances have brought updates to business processes and banking services in Indonesia, namely the birth of banks that provide digital-based services to customers or called Digital Banks. The development of this digital banking ecosystem is supported by the economic conditions that have recovered after COVID pandemic ended. Digital transformation has certainly encouraged the emergence of several Digital Banks that have become Game Changers in the financial services business by offering convenience in digital products and services. A number of Digital Banks have succeeded in becoming public companies, recording credit growth, managing the non-performing loan ratio, increasing the growth of third-party funds, especially for online savings products through the digital banking products offered, and increasing the profitability ratio. Objective of this research is to determine the effect of Loan disbursement, NPL and CASA (Current Account-Saving Account) Ratio on the Profitability of Digital Bank that listed on Indonesia Stock Exchange for the 2018-2024 research year. The population data used is go-public Digital Bank and the sample is Digital Banks that are included in the Bank Group category based on Core Capital 1 and 2. Secondary data that used in this research are quarterly and annual bank report which are available on websites of Indonesian Stock Exchange and Financial Services Authority.

A Review of Studies on the Effects of Anthropogenic Disturbances on Plant–Soil–Microorganism Interactions in Grassland Ecosystems: Based on Grazing and Tourism Perspectives

As the most widely distributed and largest terrestrial ecosystem in the world, grasslands play an important role in supporting global livestock production and maintaining ecosystem services. In light of the accelerated global socio-economic development and sustained population growth, grassland ecosystems are increasingly subjected to anthropogenic disturbances. However, there is a paucity of research examining the impact of such disturbances on plant–soil–microorganism interactions in grassland systems, particularly from the perspectives of grazing and tourism. Accordingly, this study presents a comprehensive analysis of the impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on grassland ecosystems over the past two decades, employing a dual perspective of grazing and tourism and utilizing econometric analysis of the existing literature through software such as CiteSpace. The results of this study demonstrate the following: (1) The current research focus is primarily concentrated in the fields of ecology and environmental sciences, particularly on the topics of plant diversity, abundance, and diversity, as well as the intensity of grazing. These areas may represent key development direction of future research. (2) The impact of anthropogenic disturbances on grassland ecosystems is primarily associated with grazing activities. Moderate grazing disturbances can facilitate the healthy development of grassland ecosystems. However, the intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) may not fully account for the effects of grazing intensity on grassland ecology. At present, there is still a paucity of systematic research to determine the ecological indicators of grassland under a dual-disturbance scenario. It is recommended that future research be carried out to investigate the compound effects of trampling by tourism activities on plant–soil–microorganism interactions in grassland ecosystems. (3) The mutual feedback mechanism may represent a potential mechanism by which anthropogenic disturbances affect the coupled relationship between the plant, soil, and microbial systems in grassland ecosystems. Furthermore, the interaction among these three systems has the potential to exert direct or indirect impacts on the structure and function of grassland ecosystems in the context of disturbances. The present study aims to provide an overview of the structure and function of grassland ecosystems under anthropogenic disturbances. The objective is to identify a balance between the rational use of grassland and ecological protection under anthropogenic disturbance and to provide scientific reference for the sustainable use of grassland worldwide.

Unveiling Sustainable Co-Creation Patterns in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems of Shanghai’s High-Density Urban Communities

Communities in China’s high-density cities, like Shanghai, are evolving from traditional residential roles into vibrant centers of entrepreneurial innovation. This research delves into the development of community-supported entrepreneurial ecosystems (CSEEs) in the city, with a specific focus on the sustainable co-creation mechanisms facilitated by stakeholders, explored through a comparative study framework. By utilizing Kelly’s Repertory Grid Technique, 14 essential elements of co-creation are identified, which form the framework for classifying the cases into three distinct types. This study employs in-depth interviews and content analysis to analyze and contrast how these co-creation patterns are applied across cases representing each type. The results show that key factors, such as resource origins, the interaction between CSEEs and embedded communities, and participant selection strategies, significantly shape the variations in value co-creation mechanisms, processes, and outcomes. Recognizing the variety of co-creation models is crucial for enhancing both the vitality and efficiency of Shanghai’s CSEEs. Furthermore, this study offers valuable insights into managing co-creation efforts and predicting risks in similar contexts, contributing to the sustainable regeneration of urban areas through community-driven entrepreneurship and innovation.

A STEAM Learning Ecosystem on Gamification System to Promote Innovators

This study aimed to synthesize and evaluate a STEAM Learning Ecosystem on Gamification System to Promote Innovators. The research was conducted in three phases: (1) synthesis, (2) development of the learning ecosystem, and (3) expert evaluation. The resulting ecosystem comprises three main elements: (1) STEAM Learning Ecosystem (Instructor, Learner, Investigate, Discover, Create, and Reflect), (2) Gamification Process (Goals, Rules, Reinforcement, Time Feedback, Competition/Cooperation, and Feedback), and (3) Innovation Skills (Creativity, Imagination, Inventiveness, Idea Generation, Novel Approaches and Problem-Solving). Nine experts evaluated the ecosystem&amp;#39;s suitability using a questionnaire. The results showed the highest level of suitability (mean&amp;plusmn;SD=4.60&amp;plusmn;0.49) across five aspects: objectives, design principles, elements, learning process, and ease of understanding. This research contributes to STEAM education by providing a comprehensive framework integrating gamification strategies to foster innovation skills. The proposed ecosystem offers a structured approach for educators to design engaging and effective STEAM learning experiences that promote innovative thinking. Further research could explore this ecosystem&amp;#39;s practical implementation and impact in various educational settings.

Mapping the evolution of campus startup ecosystem: a 25-year bibliometric review (1998–2023)

Mapping the evolution of campus startup ecosystem: a 25-year bibliometric review (1998–2023)

Improving the quality of urban ecosystem through ecological soundscape management

Abstract In urban ecosystems, the interaction between humans and the environment is often dominated by noise from human activities, with the importance of natural sounds or the ecological soundscape being ignored. The ecological soundscape plays a crucial role in ecological interactions and the development of urban ecosystems by supporting biodiversity. Therefore, the impact of ecological soundscapes on enhancing sustainable ecosystems is aimed to be analyzed in this study. The influence of the ecological soundscape on the sustainability of living organisms in urban open spaces is evaluated, serving as an indicator for ecosystem improvement. Sound recordings were conducted at four strategic points. The dominant sound types are identified, and the role of the ecological soundscape in shaping soundscape patterns in urban open spaces is evaluated. Babakan Siliwangi Urban Forest was selected as the case study due to its significant benefits in improving the urban ecosystem. The results indicate that BSUF has not been fully taken over by the ecological soundscape. Natural sounds are masked by the constant human-made noise from traffic, indicating a decrease in biodiversity. Recommendations for enhancing the ecosystem through the ecological soundscape approach are provided, including noise reduction measures such as creating buffer zones with vegetation, expanding green spaces as habitats for wildlife contributing to natural sounds, and creating conditions supporting diverse flora and fauna. It is expected that these recommendations will lead to an enhancement of the ecological soundscape in urban areas and foster more sustainable and diverse ecosystems.

Coupling Relationship Between Soil Properties and Plant Diversity Under Different Ecological Restoration Patterns in the Abandoned Coal Mine Area of Southern China.

Understanding the effects of ecological restoration in abandoned coal mines on soil and plant is important to improve the knowledge of ecosystems evolution and facilitate taking appropriate ecological restoration management practices. This study aims to evaluate the coupling relationship between plant diversity and soil properties after ecological restoration in abandoned coal mine area. The plant diversity such as Margalef index (M), Simpson index (H), Shannon-Wiener index (D), and Pielou index (J), and soil properties such as soil pH, soil water content (SWC), soil bulk density (SBD), soil organic matter (SOM), available nitrogen (AN), and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) were investigated in four sites of different ecological restoration patterns, Tand study the coupling relationship between them. The results indicated that: (1) the Pinus massoniana and Schima superba gardner and champ restoration (PSR) site had higher Shannon-Wiener index and Simpson index values than Pinus massoniana restoration (PR) site, and in herb layer, the plant diversity was significantly higher than in other layers; (2) in the PSR site, the soil properties were improved more notably than that of PR and nature restoration (NR) sites, and the plant diversity were also higher than PR site; (3) Clay, SOM, and MBC made a great contribution to the plant diversity. It was concluded that ecological restoration patterns had significant effects on soil nutrient content and plant diversity, and there exists evident coupling relationship between plant diversity and soil properties. This study has important effects of ecological restoration and management in abandoned coal mine area.

Entrepreneurial ecosystems and start-up success in the tech industry in Silicon Valley

This study aims to identify the determinants of start-up success in Silicon Valley, with the objective of offering practical recommendations and informing policy decisions that can facilitate the development of prosperous technology ecosystems in other regions. The study provides significant and informative perspectives for entrepreneurs, policymakers, and other relevant stakeholders in different locations who are seeking to emulate certain elements of Silicon Valley's achievements. This research employs a mixed-method study strategy that integrates both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. This architecture is well-suited for extensively investigating the complex nature of entrepreneurial ecosystems, the interplay of many elements, and the impact on start-up success. The sustained achievement of Silicon Valley can be ascribed to a confluence of elements, encompassing the availability of venture capital, mentorship networks, esteemed academic institutions, a risk-embracing and innovative culture, and a tightly-knit social network that fosters collaborative endeavors. These research findings highlight the crucial significance that these elements hold in establishing Silicon Valley as a prominent global technology cluster. The demonstration of alignment with theoretical models serves to illustrate the practicality of pre-existing frameworks, yet the unique characteristics of the region emphasize the significance of acknowledging the specific context and culture in the analysis of ecosystems.

Plant litter crust enhances nitrogen accumulation by regulating microbial diversity and urease activity in semi-arid sandy soils

Plant litter plays a crucial role in regulating soil nitrogen (N) cycling in dryland ecosystems. However, the mechanisms by which plant litter crust drives microbial community composition to influence N levels in sandy soils remain unclear. In this study, we examined the effects of litter crust on sandy soil microhabitat characteristics (temperature, moisture, and porosity), microbial diversity and composition, urease activity, and soil N variables (total-N, nitrate-N, and ammonium-N) across different stages of litter crust development (including early-, mid-, and post-term) in a field setting. We found that litter crust promotes bacterial and fungal alpha diversity in sandy soils, leading to a shift in bacterial community composition from oligotrophs (i.e., Actinobacteria) to copiotrophs (i.e., Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes), and a shift in fungal community composition dominance from Ascomycota to Basidiomycota. Litter crust enhances the complexity and stability of bacterial and fungal co-occurrence networks in sandy soils, especially in early- and mid-term stages of crust development. Additionally, litter crust increases nitrification (aerobic ammonia oxidation) and decreases denitrification (nitrate reduction) in these soils. Notably, the increase in soil moisture and urease activity, along with the decrease in soil temperature due to litter crust, effectively promotes N accumulation in sandy soils. Our results demonstrate that N levels during the litter crust period are mainly influenced by a combination of bacterial beta diversity and fungal alpha diversity at the 0–5 cm depth, and bacterial alpha diversity along with soil properties (i.e., soil variables and urease activity) at the 5–10 cm depth. Overall, our results reveal that litter crust contributes to N accumulation in sandy soils by regulating bacterial and fungal community composition and diversity, as well as by buffering soil temperature and soil moisture, and enhancing urease activity. These findings provide new insights into the critical role of soil microbes in maintaining N functions during litter crust development in semi-arid sandy ecosystems.

A Model for the Development of Entrepreneurship Ecosystem and Technology Integration

In this writing, a model for the development of entrepreneurship ecosystems in school communities, which is based on four pillars, is proposed. These four pillars are Empowerment, Action, Visibility and Sustainability. The model proposes to begin with an understanding of the school community’s environment and its context to be able to personalize its approach and make way for effective entrepreneurial initiatives. Then, the mentioned four pillars are developed. The empowerment aspect recognizes the importance of instructing educators and students with the necessary knowledge and tools for the development of an entrepreneurial mentality and innovation skills. This gives way for action, guiding the participants to develop entrepreneurial initiatives. Visibility highlights the importance of divulging project accomplishments through different channels to obtain support, attract resources, and improve the community’s esteem. Finally, sustainability reinforces the framework of the model, which goes further than economic sustainability.

MOSQUE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND HALAL ECONOMY ECOSYSTEM: AN ANALYSIS OF MUHAMMADIYAH MOSQUES IN SOUTH SULAWESI, INDONESIA

This research aims to analyze the financial management of Masjid Muhammadiyah in South Sulawesi Province, with a focus on the effective and efficient utilization of financial resources for Halal economic ecosystem development. The mosque plays a crucial role in the Muslim community, and sound financial management is essential for maintaining its operational sustainability and facilitating various beneficial programs and activities for the faithful. Qualitative research methodology with a case study approach was employed. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 80 mosques Muhammadiyah in South Sulawesi and FGD with mosque administrators, financial managers, and congregants involved in the financial management of the mosque. Additionally, relevant documents such as financial reports, budgets, and financial policies were analyzed. The findings reveal that Muhammadiyah mosques in South Sulawesi province possess several strengths in their financial management. These include a commitment from mosque administrators to financial transparency and accountability, as well as the implementation of a robust accounting system. However, several challenges were identified, such as a lack of trained personnel in financial management and the need for income diversification. To address these challenges, strategic steps are recommended. First, enhancing the understanding and capacity of mosque administrators in financial management through training and education programs is crucial. Second, diversifying income sources through the development of creative and sustainable fundraising initiatives is essential. Third, leveraging information technology in financial management to achieve better efficiency and effectiveness is recommended.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on e-learning adoption in an emerging market: a longitudinal study using the UTAUT model

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic provided unprecedented impetus to the evolution of the e-learning learning ecosystem by compelling students to adopt e-learning systems. This paper aims to use the UTAUT model to provide insight into the differences in factors influencing the adoption of e-learning systems before and after the pandemic. Design/methodology/approach This longitudinal study uses two surveys conducted among graduate students in the city of Bengaluru in India. One prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and a second in its aftermath. PLS-SEM is used to analyze both data sets to draw insights into the constructs that influence Behavioral intention to adopt e-learning systems. The moderating effect of gender is also analyzed. Findings Pre COVID-19, Facilitating Conditions, Performance Expectancy and Effort Expectancy (quadratic behavior) were dominant factors influencing the adoption of e-learning technologies. Post pandemic, Performance Expectancy and Social Influence are drivers of e-learning adoption. Effort Expectancy and Facilitating Conditions grouped as Ease of Use is a significant driver of e-learning adoption post pandemic. Gender is found to not have a moderating influence. Originality/value The unique longitudinal study of the differences in factors influencing students’ intention to adopt e-learning pre- and post-COVID-19 can prove useful to policy makers in the higher education sector. Academics can use the post-pandemic e-learning model’s findings in multiple contexts such as generational cohorts, educational contexts and social contexts.

Estimation of carbon stock and economic value of Sanjiangyuan National Park, China

Sanjiangyuan National Park (SNP) is one of China’s national parks with high ecological significance and ecological vulnerability. In order to promote the healthy development of national park ecosystems, it is extremely important to investigate the carbon sequestration potential and the economic value of carbon sequestration in the SNP. Here, we comprehensively analyzed the characteristics of land use change from 1985 to 2022 based on the land use transfer matrix and land use dynamic degree, calculated the ecosystem carbon storage based on the InVEST model, and estimated the economic value of carbon storage in each period combined with compound interest present value method. The results show that: (1) From 1985 to 2022, carbon stocks generally went through three phases: increasing, stabilizing, and decreasing. (2) Low carbon density areas were concentrated in the Kekexili Natural Reserve in the Yangtze River Source Park and a small part of the Yellow River Source Park and Lancang River Source Park; The high carbon density area was concentrated in the water area and the forest land in the southeast of the Lancang River Source Park. (3) Land use change in SNP had a decisive impact on carbon storage change, and the economic value of carbon storage in SNP continued to increase from 1985 to 2022. In order to provide a scientific basis for the sustainable management of carbon sinks and the reduction of carbon emissions in the SNP area, it is necessary to further study the carbon cycle process, carbon storage and carbon emissions in the region in the future.

Exploring the factors influencing the carbon sink function of coastal wetlands in the Yellow River Delta

Understanding the mechanisms of the coastal wetland ecosystem carbon sink function is crucial for adapting to, mitigating, and predicting global climate change. Landscape metrics and Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach (CASA) model were used to quantify the spatiotemporal patterns of soil organic carbon (SOC) and vegetation carbon sequestration (VCS) in the Yellow River Delta (YRD). GeoDetector model was used to explore the effects of various factors influencing VCS. The results showed that: (1) From 1999 to 2020, the area of natural wetlands and non-wetlands decreased, while the area of artificial wetlands increased. (2) The SOC stock in the 0 ~ 100 cm depth in 1999 and 2020 were about 7.8871 Tg C and 7.0521 Tg C, respectively. The amount of VCS increased from 0.2309 Tg C in 2000 to 0.3681 Tg C in 2020, with a significant annual increase of 6532 Mg C. In the past 21 years, the total carbon sink in the YRD was 6.0952 Tg C. The amount of VCS was equivalent to 2.93% of SOC stock in 1999, rising to 5.22% by 2020. (3) Vegetation cover has the greatest influence on the carbon sink function in the YRD, followed by precipitation and biodiversity. From 2000 to 2020, the effect of biodiversity on the carbon sinks of natural wetlands and artificial wetlands increased. The synergistic effect of wetland type and vegetation cover on carbon sink effect was replaced by the synergistic effect of biodiversity and vegetation cover. The identification of the primary factors that influence VCS in the YRD is significant to the understanding of the spatiotemporal evolution of carbon sink effect in coastal wetland ecosystems, and to the guidance of the rational development and protection of coastal wetlands and promote sustainable ecosystem development.

The effects of surface heterogeneity on erosion and sedimentation and their implications for of soil properties at postmining sites

Erosion is often mentioned as a serious problem namely in vegetation free areas such as post mining soils. Much less attention has been paid to the role of erosion and deposition on habitat formation. Study describes the effect of erosion and deposition on soil chemical and physical properties in sites with various topography using an array of artificial postmining catchments located near Sokolov (Czech Republic). All the study sites are formed by the deposition of postmining overburden consisting of clays impregnated with carbonates. Falcon was established in 2019 and allows a detailed assessment of the first stages of ecosystem development. It consists of four parallel catchments (0.25 ha each); two are rehabilitated, and two are not. The reclaimed areas are leveled and planted with alders, whereas the unreclaimed sites created longitudinal terrain waves to mimic the situation after heaping. Detailed surface change studies by means of erosion pins and 3D terrain models created with the help of drones revealed that the surface elevation rises in the flat catchments and decreased in the wave-like catchments. In contrast, sediment loss through surface runoff shows no difference between the flat and wave-like areas. Considerable heterogeneity in the erosion process is observed in wave-like areas; the upper part of the terrain waves is heavily eroded, while eroded material accumulates in the depression. The depressions contain more silt and clay material and have higher water retention rates and lower infiltration rates, whereas the opposite is true for elevated wave tops. Study show that erosion and deposition play key role in microhabitat formation, which can be crucial in future ecosystem development.