Intensive Land Use Research Articles

Integrating ecosystem service supply–demand and ecological risk assessment for urban planning: A case study in Beijing, China

The balance between ecosystem service supply–demand and landscape ecological risk are two crucial aspects influencing the sustainable development of regional ecosystems. Current evaluations ignore these aspects and lead to partial landscape planning in urban areas. As a result, a framework was built for regional planning in urban areas based on multidimensional evaluations of ecosystems for high-efficiency land use planning. First, to determine the ecosystem service balance in regional scale, the supply and demand of five ecosystem services were quantified—biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, water conservation, food production, and landscape recreation. Second, landscape ecological risks were identified using the “natural–social–landscape” research framework combined with spatial principal component analysis. Third, spatial clustering analysis of ecosystem service supply–demand ratios and landscape ecological risks was then performed through spatial autocorrelation, which aimed to identify areas for protection and restoration priority. Finally, GeoDetector was used to determine the main factors influencing ecosystem service balance and landscape ecological risks and develop targeted planning measures. The results revealed an imbalance in total ecosystem service supply–demand in Beijing's plain area, coupled with a high level of landscape ecological risk. The combined ecosystem service supply–demand ratios exhibited a significant negative correlation and aggregation with landscape ecological risk, and the significant area accounted for approximately 31.9% of the total area. Priority areas for protection and restoration accounted for 10.39% and 19.94%, respectively, of the total regional area. Land use, distance to settlements, and vegetation cover were the primary environmental variables influencing the distributions of the combined ecosystem service supply–demand ratios and landscape ecological risk. So, this study emphasizes the need to strengthen intensive land use and prevent the uncontrolled expansion of urban land and settlements. It is crucial to enhance urban green infrastructure construction, promote the development of biodiversity-friendly agriculture, and implement measures such as afforestation restoration to increase regional vegetation cover. Overall, by integrating a framework of ecosystem services and landscape ecological risk, a comprehensive scientific reference can be provided for the efficient land use and sustainable development planning in urban areas.

Evolutionary pattern and influencing factors of the aquaculture development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay area during 1986–2020

The rapid expansion of aquaculture ponds at the end of the last century raised concerns about their environmental and ecological impacts in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). This study aims to comprehensively investigate the spatiotemporal evolutionary characteristics and explore the influencing factors of aquaculture development in the GBA. An automated approach was established to extract the aquaculture pond areas on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform using Landsat images and showed high accuracy. The aquaculture development in the GBA underwent three phases of rapid expansion (1986–1996), constant transformation (1996–2010), and drastic contraction (2010–2020), and was closely related to the important aquaculture policies in China and Guangdong Province. The local aquaculture ponds showed three evolutionary patterns of continuous shrinkage, earlier shrinkage, and later shrinkage, which were mainly influenced by the economic development level and urbanization in each city. Rapid urbanization created great demands for aquaculture products and intense land use competition, which drove the conversion of aquaculture ponds into impervious land and migration from the central GBA towards the surrounding coast and upstream areas. Government policies promoted the initial rapid increase and regulated the aquaculture ponds to develop towards a more environment-friendly and intensive mode, which led to a steady increase of aquaculture products despite the drastic decrease in aquaculture pond areas in the past decade. These evolutionary features are of significance for policymakers and farmers to maintain the sustainable development of aquaculture in the GBA and Guangdong Province.

Farmers’ perceptions of sustainable agriculture in the Red River Delta, Vietnam

While economic growth and food security in Vietnam's Red River Delta are heavily reliant on agriculture, the intensive use of agricultural land has resulted in various negative impacts on the environment, such as soil degradation, water pollution, biodiversity loss, and health effects on humans and animals. The current situation emphasizes an increased need for sustainable agriculture practices in the region. Understanding farmers' decision-making processes and identifying factors that influence their choices is crucial in order to promote their adoption of sustainable agriculture practices. This study examines the impact of attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, age, and gender on farmers' intention to adopt sustainable agriculture practices using the Theory of Planned Behavior and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. The results show that attitude towards sustainable agriculture practices showed a path coefficient of 0.310 (p < 0.001), and perceived behavioral control had a coefficient of 0.305 (p < 0.001), indicating strong positive relationships with intention. However, subjective norms, despite a positive coefficient, did not significantly affect intentions (path coefficient 0.099, p > 0.05). Age was found to have a moderating effect; older farmers are less likely to adopt sustainable agriculture practices compared to their younger counterparts. Gender, however, did not present a significant influence. In light of these findings, policymakers face a challenge in creating incentives to encourage farmers' engagement in sustainable agriculture practices in the Red River Delta and at the same time discourage youth out-migration from the agricultural sector more generally. Overall, this study enriches our theoretical understanding of the factors influencing sustainable agriculture adoption in developing countries and offers practical insights for policymakers and agricultural stakeholders in the Red River Delta to promote more effective and targeted sustainable agriculture practices.

A Preliminary Study on the Sustainable Development of High-Density Cities

In the process of development of high-density cities in China, it has become important to promote the intensive and compact use of urban land, explore the efficiency of land resource use, and create a dynamic environment that is mobile, convenient, and pedestrian-friendly. In order to address a series of challenges of high-density urban development, this paper mainly analyzes the high-density urban development patterns in Japan, and Singapore regions. The study concludes that three-dimensional cities and transit-oriented integrated development are the key strategies to achieve this goal. This paper explores trends and sustainable practices in high-density urban development. This paper sorts out the development framework of high-density cities and discusses the construction characteristics and development trends of contemporary high-density three-dimensional cities from the perspectives of land use, green building assessment, traffic management, and public participation. This paper compares the focus of different measures in different regions, as well as the intensive development of public space and vertical greening measures, which have certain reference values for the sustainable development of high-density cities in China.

Domestic and International Site Remediation Progress

The regulation of urban construction land can effectively solve the problems of inefficient use of urban land, idle land, urban stock land. This paper systematically combs the practice and experience of construction land regulation in several countries at home and abroad, which provides reference for the development of construction land regulation projects in China. Under the new situation, we should adapt to the current situation that the objects, objectives and models of land reclamation are more diversified, implement the strategy of land connotation excavation and reclamation and redevelopment. The urban and rural land use structure and industrial layout must be further optimized to promote the economic and intensive use of land, and promote urban renewal and industrial transformation and upgrading.

One for all and all for one: a review on the commonality of risk to honeybees and wild pollinators and the benefits of beekeepers in conservation

Pollinator declines across the globe are centrally driven by a synergistic interaction between intensive land use, pesticides, and climate change. Competition between managed and wild pollinators has been a growing topic of research, however the ensuing social conflict builds antagonism between beekeepers and conservationists, two parties that have an interest in protecting natural diversity for pollinators. The threats perpetuating this potential for competition are as real for managed bees as wild species and uniting both groups, wherever possible, can create long lasting and meaningful change in current agricultural practices. This review examines the most recent literature on pollinator competition and the common threats that drive it. It also delves into the social elements of beekeeping and examines the potential for beekeepers to contribute to the protection of natural habitats. Beekeepers have a genuine interest to preserve natural space and with their charismatic species, dutiful observations, and innovative techniques, they can be valuable assets in filling knowledge gaps and generating public interest. Pollinator strategies in the future should include beekeepers as key stakeholders if their impacts are to be improved.

Effects of land-use intensity on vegetation dynamics across elevation in Savanna Grassland, Southern Ethiopia

The rangeland ecosystem is currently one of the area’s most sensitive to biodiversity because of both natural and human effects. There is still much to learn about the sustainable management of dry and semi-arid rangelands in order to protect their rich biodiversity resources. This is due to the uncertain indirect effects of environmental factors, such as dryness, on vegetation species, which are mediated by shifting both living and non-living components. The purpose of this project was to ascertain the effects of land use intensity (LUI) on the various species of rangeland flora along the elevation gradient in the Borana Rangeland. We gathered a total of 37 plant species, comprising 22 grasses, 7 graminoids, and 8 forbs, from the nine sampling locations, which were exposed to LUI and included three locations within each elevation range of 500–900, 1000–1400, and 1500–1900 m.a.s.l. At every sampling site, we evaluated the dynamics of the plant species, taking into account their diversity, richness, percentage of undesirable species, and properties of the soil. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the effects of LUI on the different vegetation species along the elevation gradient. We found that the density and diversity of vegetative species decreased and the fraction of undesired species increased as elevation climbed (from lower to higher). Because of the heavy livestock grazing, these impacts were substantially linked with high LUI at lower elevations. According to our research, the complex relationships between elevation gradient and LUI have a big influence on the diversity and density of the flora. This demonstrates that we need to account for environmental gradients in order to generalize LUI's effects on rangeland biodiversity. This study sheds important light on the complex interactions between vegetation dynamics and LUI in savanna grasslands. To create practical strategies for maintaining ecosystem health and biodiversity in the Southern Ethiopian Savanna Grasslands, policymakers, environmentalists, and land managers should take these findings into account.

The Economic Potential of Agrivoltaic Systems in Apple Cultivation—A Hungarian Case Study

Agrivoltaic systems (AVS) allow the simultaneous use of land—as a limited resource—for crop production and electricity generation. This paper introduces the development prospects of AVS in Hungary with insights into international trends. The most important part is a complex economic analysis and a unit cost analysis of a 38 MWp capacity AVS, considering the most typical basic data in electricity and apple production. The applied risk analysis is based on a Monte Carlo simulation, the distribution function, and probabilities. To introduce the economic facet of the competitiveness of AVS, a comparative analysis was carried out between AVS, ground-mounted photovoltaic (GM-PV) systems, and conventional apple production systems (ConAPS). In the most probable scenario, the AVS was financially attractive (NPV = 70 million EUR under 30 years). Our correlation analysis shows that feed-in tariff (FIT) price and the role of financing are considered the dominant economic factors. A favorable FIT price enhances the profitability of AVS; however, it makes GM-PV systems more profitable compared to AVS, so it negatively affects the competitiveness of AVS systems. AVS operations result in a more balanced unit cost of apples and of electricity compared to the independent operation of GM-PV systems and of ConAPS; in addition, it allows for land saving and more intensive land use.

Restoration of soil fertility and improvement of phytosanitary condition of soil in short rotation of crops in Polissia of Ukraine

With the intensification of agricultural land use and changes in natural conditions, soil quality in Ukraine is deteriorating, with a decrease in humus content, the average annual loss of which is about 0.6 t/ha. Therefore, its reproduction is now becoming increasingly important through the use of organic raw materials and the introduction of legumes into the crop rotation, which leads to a partial replacement of nitrogen from mineral fertilisers with biological nitrogen. The purpose of this study was to find ways to provide the topsoil with organic residues, develop soil microflora, and improve the activity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in a short grain legume crop rotation. The study was conducted in 2019-2023 using the following methods: visual – to determine the stages of organogenesis; field – to determine the interaction of abiotic factors; physiological – to determine the symbiotic fixation of atmospheric nitrogen. It was found that due to mineralisation of organic residues of legume crop rotation, the amount of macro- and microelements in the soil layers 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, and 20-30 cm increased by 45.1-46.9-43.1 mg/kg, respectively. It was found that saturation of short crop rotation by 50% with legumes, straw residues, and green manure contributed to the reduction of pathogenic microorganisms and the growth of suppressive ones. It was found that in a short rotation of crops, 10.3 t/ha of organic matter in the form of stubble and root residues, straw and green manure enters the soil, which contributed to the cultivation of environmentally friendly agricultural products with the restoration of soil fertility. The biological activity of the soil during the growing season in the layer of 10-20 cm reached 47.4%, and the content of alkaline hydrolysed nitrogen in the rhizosphere of the root system increased by 43.9 mg/kg. The value of the study lies in the fact that the introduction of short organic crop rotations in farms of various forms of ownership is an innovative approach to providing light grey soils with organic raw materials, restoring and maintaining their fertility, improving their phytosanitary condition, promoting biodiversity, achieving environmental sustainability and high yields

Land-use intensification dominates China's land provisioning services: From the perspective of land system science

A pressing challenge to global sustainability is meeting the escalating needs of a growing population while safeguarding land resources from degradation. In recent decades, China's rapid growth, expanding population, urban sprawl, and diminishing high-quality farmland have presented a compelling case suitable for exploring solutions and challenges related to this critical issue. Therefore, there is an urgent need for comprehensive and detailed information regarding land systems. Here, we developed the first fine-scale dataset of the China Land System at a spatial resolution of 1 km, covering the period from 2000 to 2015. By leveraging this comprehensive land information, we identified five primary types of land systems and their respective subsystems, thereby delineating distinct patterns of human–environmental interaction. Land system dynamics followed diverse developmental trajectories characterized by incremental shifts toward more functionally centralized systems. Land use intensification played a significant role in increasing the population capacity and food production in China, contributing nearly 93.94% and 84.99%, respectively. In contrast, land cover changes accounted for only 4.69% and 11.43%, respectively. These findings underscore the tendency of previous studies to overestimate the impact of land cover change and underestimate the influence of land use intensification in meeting the growing demands of land-based production. This study emphasizes the importance of transcending traditional land cover-based approaches and integrating land systems into land representation and global land change scenario simulations to promote sustainability.

Correlations between Urban Morphological Indicators and PM2.5 Pollution at Street-Level: Implications on Urban Spatial Optimization

During rapid urbanization, microclimate environment deterioration through events such as haze pollution and heat waves has continuously occurred in cities, which greatly affects the living environment, production activities, and health of urban residents. Therefore, it is particularly necessary to explore methods for controlling and optimizing the urban microclimate environment. In this paper, based on the mechanism of the effect of urban spatial structure at street-level on the distribution of atmospheric particulate matter, an indicator system that can be employed to comprehensively describe and quantify urban morphological structure at street-level was constructed from eight aspects: the spatial morphology of street-valleys, intensity of land use and development, geometric structure of buildings, inhomogeneity of buildings, roughness of the underlying surface, distribution of ecological landscapes, 3D architectural landscape morphology, and ventilation potential. Furthermore, using satellite remote sensing images and vector thematic maps of Shanghai, indicator factors were quantified by applying GIS technique. The intrinsic mechanism of the influence of the urban morphology on the diffusion and transport of atmospheric particulate matter was comprehensively analyzed by combining statistical methods and data mining algorithm, and eight key dominant factors were identified that can be considered to improve the urban ventilation conditions and help control urban air pollution, namely, the land use intensity, urban canopy resistance, vegetation cover, spatial congestion rate, comprehensive porosity, height-to-gross floor area ratio, building density, and average building volume ratio. As such, according to the quantitative analysis results for various combinations of the dominant factors, a spatial optimization strategy at street-level that can help improve the urban air quality was proposed in terms of identifying the pathways through which urban spatial elements affect the distribution of particulate matter, i.e., controlling the source–flow diversion–flow convergence process.

Assessing Carbon Emissions from Animal Husbandry in China: Trends, Regional Variations and Mitigation Strategies

The intensification of land use and the accelerated integration of three industries (agricultural production, agricultural product processing industry, and agricultural product market service industry) in China have resulted in the continuous expansion of animal husbandry and its industrial chain. This phenomenon has led to a rise in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from livestock farming, intensifying climate change and placing strain on worldwide environmental conservation efforts. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was utilized to evaluate carbon emissions from China’s animal husbandry sector from 2012 to 2021. Additionally, the logarithmic mean divisia index (LMDI) decomposition method was employed to examine and elucidate the influential impacts of five factors on carbon emissions. These factors included the efficiency of animal husbandry production, the structure of the agricultural industry, per capita agricultural production income, urbanization, and the total population. The results reveal the following: (1) From 2012 to 2021, China’s animal husbandry sector witnessed a marginal increase in cumulative carbon emissions from 287.74 million tons to 294.73 million tons, with an annual growth rate of 0.42%. (2) Emission contributions were categorized as follows: the production stage (149.61 million tons), the transportation stage (145.07 million tons), and the processing stage (0.05 million tons). (3) The primary factor contributing to the rise in carbon emissions from animal husbandry from 2012 to 2021 was the per capita agricultural production income factor (A3), alongside a notable impact from the total population factor (A5).

The association of farmers’ cognition, intention and behaviour towards sustainable intensification of cultivated land use in Shandong Province, China

ABSTRACT Cultivated land system confronts with a series of problems hindering its socioeconomic and ecological sustainability. Sustainable intensification of cultivated land use (SICLU) is considered as an efficient method to achieve three aspects of sustainable goals in society, economy and ecology simultaneously. Farmers, the main executor of all agricultural strategies, are the core of SICLU research. However, there is a small quantity of researches on SICLU from the perspective of farmers’ social psychology. Therefore, this article measured the level of SICLU at the farmer scale using super-efficiency SBM model, and relying on structural equation modeling and an innovative research framework, explored the association mechanism among farmers’ cognition, intention and behavior of SICLU. Finally, the results showed that (1) most of samples are at a medium or higher level of SICLU. (2) all samples’ cognition are significantly positively related to their behavior and their behavior significantly negatively affect their intention. (3) correlation characteristics among them are slightly different under each level. The proposed research outline not only expand the scope of SI research to the perspective of social psychology in breadth, but in depth take targeted actions to protect agricultural environment, make cultivated land system sustainable and alleviate food crisis.

Spatiotemporal differentiation of the ecosystem service value and its coupling relationship with urbanization: A case study of the Lanzhou-Xining urban agglomeration

Urbanization is a key factor that threatens the stability of ecosystem services (ESs), which are crucial for maintaining ecological security and enhancing human quality of life. Gaining insight into the spatiotemporal differentiation of the ecosystem service value (ESV) and its coupling relationship with urbanization is a key issue in promoting sustainable regional development. We employed various algorithms, including the improved equivalence factor method, random forest model, mixed geographically and temporally weighted regression model, and coupling coordination degree (CCD) model, to reveal the spatiotemporal evolution of the ESV and its driving mechanisms in the Lanzhou-Xining urban agglomeration (LXUA) from 1980 to 2020. In addition, we explored the coupling relationship between ESV and the combined urbanization index (CUI). The results showed the following: (1) From 1980 to 2020, the interannual variation in ESV first decreased and then increased, with an increase of 230 million yuan/annum in 2020 compared to that of 1980. Spatially, the ESV exhibits a distribution pattern of high in the south and low in the north, and high in the west and low in the east. (2) Land use intensity (LUI) and elevation contributed degree values exceeding 20% to the ESV and were the most important drivers of the ESV. (3) From 1980 to 2020, the average CCD values of the ESV and CUI transitioned from being severely unbalanced (0.19) to being slightly balanced (0.42). There was a negative spatial correlation between the ESV and CUI, with each cluster type was distributed discretely in space. Our study emphasizes that in areas characterized by robust ecosystem integrity and a high ESV, the increase in LUI was constitutes the main reason for the decline in the ESV. The findings of this study can provide a scientific basis for the coordinated development of ESVs and urbanization in the LXUA and other cities.

Land-use affects pollinator-specific resource availability and pollinator foraging behaviour.

Land-use management is a key factor causing pollinator declines in agricultural grasslands. This decline can not only be directly driven by land-use (e.g., habitat loss) but also be indirectly mediated through a reduction in floral resource abundance and diversity, which might in turn affect pollinator health and foraging. We conducted surveys of the abundance of flowering plant species and behavioural observations of two common generalist pollinator species, namely the bumblebee Bombus lapidarius and the syrphid fly Episyrphus balteatus, in managed grasslands of variable land-use intensity (LUI) to investigate whether land-use affects (1) resource availability of the pollinators, (2) their host plant selection and (3) pollinator foraging behaviour. We have found that the floral composition of plant species that were used as resource by the investigated pollinator species depends on land-use intensity and practices such as mowing or grazing. We have also found that bumblebees, but not syrphid flies, visit different plants depending on LUI or management type. Furthermore, LUI indirectly changed pollinator behaviour via a reduction in plot-level flower diversity and abundance. For example, bumblebees show longer flight durations with decreasing flower cover indicating higher energy expenditure when foraging on land-use intensive plots. Syrphid flies were generally less affected by local land use, showing how different pollinator groups can differently react to land-use change. Overall, we show that land-use can change resource composition, abundance and diversity for pollinators, which can in turn affect pollinator foraging behaviour and potentially contribute to pollinator decline in agricultural grasslands.

Multiscale assessment of the spatiotemporal coupling relationship between urbanization and ecosystem service value along an urban–rural gradient:A case study of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, China

Evolutions in land use in urban areas exert a growing influence on ecosystem service value (ESV). As a manifestation of spatial arrangement in mature urban growth, the ecological challenges within urban agglomerations and their surroundings deserve attention. Therefore, clarifying the interrelation within the ESV and urbanization is crucial to constructing sustainable progress-oriented cities. Previous researches on the coordination relationship between ESV and urbanization have been limited to the provincial and county levels, and insufficient consideration has been given to the differences across urban and rural areas at different scales. Utilizing the coupling coordination degree (CCD) model, the present investigation assesses the interplay between urbanization and ESV across various scales within the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration (YRDUA) region from 2000 to 2020, and explores the differences in their distributions throughout the urban–rural gradient, aiming to help the regional coordinated development. The findings indicate that from 2000 to 2010, with increasing intensity of land use, the ESV in YRDUA area decreased. But between 2010 and 2020, ESV increased. Moreover, the CCD in the YRDUA has a positive relationship across ESV and urbanization, and is in a status of primary coordination from 2000 to 2020, with a slow upward trajectory. Meanwhile, along the rural–urban gradient, ESV and CCD both are declining, and there is a significant plunge from suburban to urban. And the interactions between ESV and urbanization have obvious spatial heterogeneity, which tends to show the coordination at broader scales, such as provincial and county levels, while manifesting conflicts at finer scales, such as the grid scale. Our findings can help city planners and policy makers to minimize the adverse effects of urbanization sprawl on ecosystem services.

The effects of pastoral hill country natural landscape features and land management practices on nitrate losses and its potential attenuation for improved water quality

AbstractPastoral farming on hill country landscapes influences nitrogen (N) dynamics and its losses to freshwater. This study reviewed the current literature identifying key effects of pastoral hill country landscape features and land management practices on nitrate losses to receiving waters. The review also highlighted the potential effects of inherent landscape features on nitrate attenuation pathways for better water quality outcomes. Intensive land use activities involving high rates of fertiliser application, higher stocking rates and cattle grazing, relative to sheep grazing, are more likely to increase nitrate loss, especially on lower slopes. However, soils with a high carbon (C) storage capacity such as allophanic soils potentially limit nitrate loss via denitrification in subsoil layers. Hill country seepage wetlands also offer an opportunity to attenuate nitrate loss, though their efficacy is largely impacted by hydrological variations in their inflows and outflows. By enhancing the natural nitrate attenuation capacity of seepage wetlands, mapping and strategic use of high subsoil denitrification potential, effective riparian management, efficient fertiliser and grazing practices and the incorporation of these farm management strategies into Freshwater Farm Plans (FWFPs), wider environmental and farm productivity/profitability goals, including improved water quality, would be achieved on pastoral hill country landscapes.

Effects of mining activities on fish communities and food web dynamics in a lowland river.

Fish communities of streams and rivers might be substantially subsidized by terrestrial insects that fall into the water. Although such animal-mediated fluxes are increasingly recognized, little is known about how anthropogenic perturbations may influence the strength of such exchanges. Intense land use, such as lignite mining, may impact a river ecosystem due to the flocculation of iron (III) oxides, thus altering food web dynamics. We compared sections of the Spree River in North-East Germany that were greatly influenced by iron oxides with sections located downstream of a dam where passive remediation technologies are applied. Compared to locations downstream of the dam, the abundance of benthic macroinvertebrates at locations of high iron concentrations upstream of the dam was significantly reduced. Similarly, catch per unit effort of all fish was significantly higher in locations downstream of the dam compared to locations upstream of the dam, and the condition of juvenile and adult piscivorous pike Esox lucius was significantly lower in sections of high iron concentrations. Using an estimate of short-term (i.e., metabarcoding of the gut content) as well as longer-term (i.e., hydrogen stable isotopes) resource use, we could demonstrate that the three most abundant fish species, perch Perca fluviatilis, roach Rutilus rutilus, and bleak Alburnus alburnus, received higher contributions of terrestrial insects to their diet at locations of high iron concentration. In summary, lotic food webs upstream and downstream of the dam greatly differed in the overall structure with respect to the energy available for the highest tropic levels and the contribution of terrestrial insects to the diet of omnivorous fish. Therefore, human-induced environmental perturbations, such as river damming and mining activities, represent strong pressures that can alter the flow of energy between aquatic and terrestrial systems, indicating a broad impact on the landscape level.

Effect of land use type on macrobenthos assemblages, distribution, and functional guild in Upstream Citarum River

Aquatic community biodiversity is gradually impacted by the expansion and intensification of agricultural and urbanization land use. However, data on macrobenthos responses to land use in tropical streams are relatively limited. This study aims to investigate the responses of macrobenthos diversity, functional guild, and physicochemical parameters in Upstream Citarum River land use type, agricultural and urbanization area. A total of 317 species from 21 families, 11 orders and three phyla were identified, with agricultural land use having the highest abundance of macroinvertebrates (222 individuals), followed by urbanization land use (95 individuals). Ecological indices, including diversity, evenness, dominance, and margalef displayed similar patterns across different land use types. Contribution of macrobenthos species in the upstream Citarum River based on Similarity Percentage (SIMPER) analysis are Hydropychidae and Palaemonidae. Filter collectors (FC) had the highest density (78.829%) in agricultural land use, while scrapers (SC) had the highest density (87.37%) in urbanization land use. Nepidae and Palaemonidae showed positive correlations with temperature, total organic carbon (TOC) and total organic matter (TOM). The study concludes that the river of macrobenthos communities and functional guilds were influenced by the land use type and water quality. This study of the effect of land use type on macrobenthos will provide river management for further help the sustainability of tropical stream and implication of land use policy for future studies.

Extreme snowfalls and atmospheric circulation patterns in the Cantabrian Mountains (NW Spain)

This research examines the atmospheric patterns associated with damages caused by extreme snowfalls during a 115-year period, using newspapers as the source to document the events and performing then a synthetic damage index. Between 1900 and 2015 there was 180 days with personal and material damages due to snowfalls (without considering associated hazards as snow avalanches or landslides): Apart from the numerous material damages recorded, 60 people were killed and 254 injured. Advections from the north represented a 30% of damaging days (followed by cyclonic and northeastern) accumulating the greatest number of days in the highest deciles of damage, although cyclonic days were the most damaging ones on average. The analysis of data from five weather stations in the area, allowed to relate weather types with temperature and precipitation extremes, showing that northern and cyclonic types led to the lowest temperature and the highest precipitation. Both the number of events and the damage index decreased throughout the study period, with the most serious events (those that caused deaths and injuries) highly concentrated in the first half of the 20th century. This decrease trend is parallel to that observed in the frequency of two of the most damaging advections, northern and northeastern (responsible for a 46.7% of damage), which have gone from representing 7.3% of days before 1930 to 5.8% after 1990. Futhermore, the relationship between the NAO phases and the days of damage has been examined, noting that damages are less frequent and les intense during the NAO's positive phase. Finally, non-atmospheric drivers such as land-use intensity decline in rural areas and Spanish regulations on roof snow loads standards (initiated in the 1960s and refined subsequently, thus mitigating roof collapses and associated casualties), could have partially contributed to the decline in snowfall damage in the area.