Ecological Restoration Process Research Articles

Fire danger in the supply areas of hydroelectric reservoirs under the restoration process in the south of Minas Gerais, Brazil

The partial or complete loss of vegetation cover triggers an increase in surface runoff, erosion, and sedimentation of water bodies, including reservoirs for hydroelectric power generation, reducing their life expectancy. To control or mitigate this issue, ecological restoration interventions should prioritize the recovery of areas most vulnerable to these processes, such as springs. Conversely, wildfires cause damage to vegetation cover and hinder ecological restoration and/or natural regeneration processes. Therefore, this study aimed to identify - with the aid of Geographic Information Systems - the temporal and spatial likelihood of fire occurrences in spring recharge areas undergoing ecological restoration and contributing to hydroelectric reservoirs in southern Minas Gerais, Brazil. The findings indicated that the months with the highest probability of wildfire occurrences were August and September (accounting for 66% of cases), requiring increased attention to prevention efforts. Furthermore, locations most susceptible to fires (steeper slopes, more flammable vegetation, and higher anthropogenic use) should be treated as priorities for both prevention and ecological restoration actions.

The impact of natural vegetation restoration on surface soil moisture of secondary forests and shrubs in the karst region of southwest China

AbstractSoil moisture is crucial to vegetation restoration in karst areas, and climate factors and vegetation restoration are key factors affecting changes in soil moisture. However, there is still much controversy over the long‐term changes in soil moisture during vegetation restoration. In order to reveal the changes in soil moisture during vegetation restoration, we conducted long‐term positioning monitoring of soil moisture at 0–10 and 10–20 cm on secondary forests sample plot (SF, tree land) and shrubs sample plot (SH, shrub land) in karst areas from 2013 to 2020. The results showed that the aboveground biomass of SF and SH increased by 50% and 240%, respectively, and the soil moisture of the SF and SH showed an increasing trend. When shrubs are restored to trees in karst areas, the soil moisture becomes more stable. However, the correlation coefficients (R2) between the annual rainfall and the annual average soil moisture of SF and SH are 0.84 and 0.55, respectively, indicating that soil moistures in tree land are more affected by rainfall. The soil moisture of shrubs and trees are relatively low during the months of alternating rainy and dry seasons. Rainfall has a very significant impact on the soil moisture of tree land, while air temperature and wind speed have a significant impact on the soil moisture of tree land, but the soil moistures of shrub land are very significantly affected by rainfall and relative humidity. Therefore, during the process of vegetation restoration from shrubs to trees, the main meteorological factors that affect soil moisture changes will change. The results are important for understanding the hydrological processes in the ecological restoration process of different vegetation types in karst areas.

Assessing Ecological Restoration in Arid Mining Regions: A Progressive Evaluation System

The mining activities in arid regions have resulted in significant ecological environmental issues, exacerbating the already challenging ecological conditions and leading to severe ecosystem damage. Merely relying on natural recovery processes proves inadequate, thus necessitating the implementation of artificial restoration measures to facilitate ecosystem recovery in these arid mining regions. However, it is difficult to scientifically answer the questions of how artificial restoration can be effectively combined with natural recovery, and to what extent can artificial assistance can define the beginning of natural recovery in ecosystems. To address this issue, this study proposed a stepwise ecological restoration model for arid mining regions. The model delineated the ecological restoration process in arid mining regions into three phases: “artificial reconstruction”, “auxiliary ecological restoration”, and “natural recovery”, and constructed an evaluation index system of the stepwise ecological restoration process. Taking an example of a mining ecological restoration in Aksu, Xinjiang, this study examined the evaluation effects of the stepwise ecological restoration model on ecological restoration projects in arid mining regions. The research showed that adopting the stepwise ecological restoration model in arid mining regions can achieve scientific and moderate artificial restoration, better clarify ecological restoration goals, and facilitate the implementation of ecological restoration projects.

Urban patches of dry forest as refuges for ants and carabid beetles in a neotropical overcrowded city

AbstractCali is the third most prominent, and one of the most crowed, Colombian cities. It still harbours some tropical dry forest patches that can mitigate the impacts of the urban transformation; however, there is an almost total absence of information on the biological importance of these sites and their potential for future ecological restoration processes. To assess if they serve as important refuges for insect bioindicator species, we sampled five urban patches of tropical dry forest in the city, plus one nearby rural patch, using specific trapping procedures for ants and carabid beetles. Patch areas were variable, from 1 to 50 ha. We found that the smallest patch presented the highest ant richness, with a tendency towards generalists and a few unique species. Meanwhile, some specialist species were found in the rural patch. A total of 109 ant and 13 carabid species were recorded, including four new records of ants for Colombia. Results suggest that environmental variables favour the presence of generalist and opportunistic ants. Despite this, the high ant richness demonstrates that. Urban forest patches are important refuges for biodiversity. The low richness observed for carabids could be a sign of the challenges that urban forests face considering the ecological importance of beetles. The possible dangers of intensive internal use of these forests is discussed to prevent local extinctions, since the biggest forests are not necessarily conserving a higher richness. This work represents an important contribution to urban ecology in the region, with possibilities of further restoration in urban environments.

Spatial distribution pattern and correlation of dominant populations in the shrub layer of Fengshui forest in Leizhou Peninsula, China.

To elucidate the spatial patterns of understory species in fragmented forests adjacent to human settlements, we examined the spatial distribution and intraspecific correlations of three dominant species Mallotus philippensis, Dasymashalon trichophorum, and Psychotria rubra by employing point pattern analysis, which were the top three in terms of importance value in the shrub layer of Fengshui forest in Leizhou Peninsula, Guangdong. The results showed that all the three species were mainly aggregated at the scale of 0-25 m, especially for young trees. The degree of aggregation gradually diminished with increasing age class. The spatial distribution patterns of three species were predominantly influenced by habitat heterogeneity, negative density dependence, and dispersal limitation. They showed positive association among different age classes, especially between young trees and middle age trees and between young trees and adult trees. Therefore, in the ecological restoration process of Leizhou Peninsula, M. philippensis, D. trichophorum, and P. rubra should be planted in clusters at a small scale within the range of 0-25 m, with the degree of clusters depending on plant morphology. For larger scales, a dispersed cultivation approach was advocated.

Mapping vertical distribution of SOC and TN in reclaimed mine soils using point and imaging spectroscopy

Soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents in different soil horizons are essential for vegetation growth and crucial indicators to evaluate soil quality in reclaimed mining areas. Compared with conventional wet chemistry methods, soil spectroscopy, including imaging spectroscopy, can be used as a cost and time-efficient soil analysis technique. However, there is a great challenge in combining laboratory point spectra and laboratory hyperspectral imagery for mapping vertical distribution of SOC and TN (0–100 cm) in reclaimed soils. This is primarily because mixing of spectral data from different sources and technologies to improve soil models is still in its infancy. The main objective of this study is to provide a generic workflow to efficiently evaluate and map reclaimed mine soils in different horizons using imaging spectroscopy and machine learning approaches. A total of 65 soil samples (0–100 cm) were collected from three reclaimed mining lands and one natural site in northern China. Both point soil spectral information and hyperspectral images (350–2500 nm) were obtained under laboratory condition. In order to enhance the relationship between soil quality indicators and spectral features, the stacked feature selection algorithms and three-bands spectral indices were proposed for further modelling. Three machine learning methods (partial least squares regression; PLSR, random forest; RF, and radial basis function model; RBF) based on the point spectra were applied to calibrate and map continuous vertical distribution of SOC and TN. According to the results, thirty spectral bands were identified as important spectral features for SOC and eighteen bands for TN. With feature spectral bands and optimized three-bands spectral indices, the RF model yielded the best predictions for both SOC (R2 = 0.97, RMSE = 7.5 g kg−1) and TN (R2 = 0.78, RMSE = 0.33 g kg−1). It was concluded that imaging spectroscopy can be used to quantify and map soil quality indicators for better monitoring ecological restoration process in reclaimed soil of mining site.

Plant-Soil Carbon Storage in Dynamic Succession of Ecological Restoration in National Grassland Natural Park

Ecological restoration has a positive impact on global climate change. How plant-soil stores carbon in degraded grassland ecological restoration requires long-term monitoring and support. To reveal the dynamics of plant-soil carbon storage in the succession process of ecological restoration, compare the effects of artificial interference and natural restoration, and determine the impact of climate change and biodiversity on vegetation soil carbon storage, we conducted a study in National Grassland Natural Park, which is located on the southern foot of the Yinshan Mountains in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China. Based on long restoration chronosequences (2012–2022), using a space-for-time substitution approach and one-way ANOVA tests, Pearson correlation and structural equation modeling were used to investigate the interactions among these various factors. The results indicated that the carbon storage of aboveground vegetation first increased, and then, decreased with time. The underground root carbon storage and soil carbon storage at 0–10 cm and 20–30 cm first increased, then decreased, and finally, stabilized. The highest soil carbon storage (0–30 cm) was 102.11 t/ha in 2013, which accounted for 96.61% of the total organic carbon storage. The Shannon–Wiener index, individual number of species, and surface root carbon storage (0–10 cm) significantly increased the carbon storage of surface soil (0–10 cm) (p < 0.05). Compared to natural restoration, artificial restoration over seven years decreased soil carbon storage at 0–30 cm and underground root carbon storage at 0–10 cm (p < 0.05). Consequently, combining artificial restoration with natural restoration can help in establishing a more stable ecosystem faster and in increasing the carbon storage of the ecosystem. It is an effective management measure to promote grassland restoration in arid areas. Also, climate (MAT, MAP) change was closely correlated with plant-soil carbon storage.

Heavy metal pollution assessment and soil property evolution under a natural ecological restoration process in a manganese wasteland in China

The space‐for‐time method was used to track changes in heavy metals (HMs), selected physicochemical properties and soil enzyme activities at different restoration ages, that is 5, 10, and 25 years (named R5, R10, and R25, respectively) and in a natural forest (NF, age > 100 years, as the control) in the Daxin manganese (Mn) wastelands in China. The results showed that the HM concentrations decreased over time, with Mn exhibiting the highest concentration, followed by zinc, copper, and cadmium; all the studied sites exhibited heavy pollution levels based on the Nemerow multifactor index, with a very high potential ecological risk (RI) level in R5, moderate RI in R10 and R25, and low RI in NF; generally speaking, the soil physicochemical properties improved, with the exceptions of the available phosphorus (AP) and calcium (Ca) levels; the soil enzymes generally exhibited the highest activities in R25, while the activity of catalase showed a significant (p < 0.05) decrease over time; both the HM concentrations and physicochemical properties showed significant correlations with soil enzyme activities; redundancy analysis showed that soil pH and HM species should be given more attention in R5 for vegetation recovery; and the HM concentrations, soil moisture content, and ammonium nitrogen, total nitrogen, potassium, and magnesium levels might be the limiting factors for plant colonization in early restoration periods, while the AP, total phosphorus, and Ca levels might be the limiting factors in later restoration periods. The obtained results will provide guidance for the restoration of abandoned Mn‐polluted areas.

Ecological restoration process of watershed land space with intelligent IoT technology

Abstract Watershed ecological protection and restoration is the key link to restore the ecological service function of damaged watersheds and promote the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. In practice, it is difficult to balance the interests of different parties in the process of watershed ecological protection and restoration in terms of water resource utilization, water environment protection, and biodiversity conservation, which makes it difficult to achieve the watershed ecological protection goals. Therefore, this study takes the Jianghuai watershed area as the research object and explores the core points of the ecological restoration of land space in the relevant experimental area in the form of algorithmic optimization frequency. The experimental data of the algorithm model show that the land types in the Jianghuai watershed are mainly woodlands and watersheds, with relatively uneven spatial distribution; a total of 85 ecological corridors were identified that showed a pattern of more in the middle and less around; and a total of 267 radiation channels were identified that showed irregular tree distribution. The empirical results show that the model has a fitting accuracy of 89%.

Afforestation Alters the Molecular Composition of Soil Organic Matter in the Central Loess Plateau of China

Many studies have been conducted on organic carbon changes under different land use patterns, but studies and data concerning changes in the molecular composition of soil organic matter (SOM) during land use conversion are scarce. In this work, we studied the chemical composition of SOM on two Robinia pseudoacacia L. plantations and their adjacent croplands in the Loess Plateau using biomarker and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. Experimental data on the molecular composition of SOM showed that the soil microbial biomass carbon content initially decreased and then returned to the original level gradually after afforestation, while the SOM content and stocks increased over time. At the initial stage of afforestation, the content of total solvent extracts did not change significantly but changed slowly over time in the plantations without artificial disturbance. With an increase in restoration time, the concentrations of both the microbial- and plant-derived solvent extracts increased. Moreover, the concentrations of plant-derived solvent extracts were consistently lower than those of microbial-derived solvent extracts. Afforestation also significantly increased the lignin-derived phenol content in the surface soil layer (0–10 cm). However, no obvious change was observed in the lignin-derived phenols of the two adjacent croplands. These results indicate that the accumulation of aboveground litter and underground roots has the strongest effects on the lignin-derived phenol content. In contrast to cropland, the two plantations exhibited a high degree of degradation of lignin-derived phenols in the surface soil, but this remained almost unchanged over time. Moreover, in contrast to 20 years after the establishment of the R. pseudoacacia plantation, the low alkyl/O-alkyl carbon ratio of the 8-year R. pseudoacacia plantation indicated that more easily degradable components accumulated during the initial stage of afforestation. Therefore, the proportion of the unstable carbon pool was relatively high and the SOM content may decline in the early stage of afforestation. These results provide evidence illustrating the detailed changes in the chemical composition of SOM during the ecological restoration process.

A Bibliometric Analysis of the Impact of Ecological Restoration on Carbon Sequestration in Ecosystems

Ecological restoration, as a vital means of effectively enhancing the carbon sink function of ecosystems, is currently the subject of active research by scientists. Researchers are actively exploring how to scientifically assess the response mechanisms of ecosystem carbon reservoirs during the process of ecological restoration. In this study, CiteSpace 6.1.(R3 and R6) literature visualization software was employed to conduct data mining on 1566 research articles published from 1996 to 2022, focusing on the impact of ecological restoration on ecosystem carbon reservoirs, as recorded in the Web of Science core database. The analysis involved visualizing various aspects, including the countries involved, research institutions, publication output, research hotspots, and cutting-edge research areas. The research indicates that China holds significant influence in the study of the impact of ecological restoration on ecosystem carbon reservoirs. The literature covers a wide range of research directions and encompasses rich content on the subject matter. The current research focuses on ecological restoration, and its impact on the carbon sink function of ecosystems mainly revolves around four key themes: “the carbon sequestration potential of ecological restoration”, “technological approaches to enhancing the carbon sink function of ecological restoration”, “the importance of assessing carbon sink in terrestrial ecosystems”, and “characteristics of carbon sources/sinks in terrestrial ecosystems”. Currently, the development of research findings on the impact of ecological restoration on the carbon reservoirs of ecosystems is progressing rapidly. Novel research theories, methodologies, and scientific techniques are emerging, necessitating the continuous monitoring and investigation of scholarship in this field. It is crucial to integrate ongoing global environmental-change factors, ensuring the continuity of research and observations and, thus, furnishing robust data support for the assessment and computation of ecosystem carbon sinks.

Soil Quality Evaluation and Driving Factor Analysis of Hippophae rhamnoides Plantations in Coal Mine Reclamation Areas Based on Different Restoration Durations

The driving factors affecting soil quality were identified to evaluate the effect of vegetation on soil quality in coal mine reclamation areas with various restoration durations. This study used Hippophae rhamnoides subsp.sinensis Rousi with different reclamation durations (3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 years) in the abandoned land area of the Juxinlong coal mine in Ordos as the research subject. Artificial and abandoned grasslands were selected as the study’s controls. A soil quality evaluation model was constructed to assess the soil quality in the reclamation area. A structural equation model was used to thoroughly analyze the driving factors affecting soil quality in the study area. The findings show that: (1) Reclamation duration significantly affected the physicochemical characteristics of the soil. As the reclamation duration increased, soil nutrients such as organic carbon accumulated while the bulk density index (BD) decreased. (2) The soil quality index of Hippophae rhamnoides forest land in China was the highest after 6 years of reclamation. The Hippophae rhamnoides forest land with the lowest soil quality index after 4 years of reclamation differed significantly from that after 6 years (p < 0.05). The soil quality index (SQI) of 6a (years) significantly increased by 67.44% compared to 4a. (3) By constructing a structural equation model, it was found that physical indicators (saturated water content and silt) and reclamation durations were the main drivers of soil quality. SQI had a strong interaction with organic matter (OM) and different restoration durations. The findings of this study will serve as important guidelines for future quantitative evaluation of soil quality following land reclamation and management during the ecological restoration process.

Effects of soil conservation on the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation carbon sequestration in the Yellow River Basin, China

AbstractAn improved understanding of the potential controls on vegetation carbon sequestration (VCS) is essential for the prediction of VCS in response to global change. Ecosystem restoration can provide remarkable contributions to VCS. However, attention to the impact of soil conservation (SC) on VCS is lacking. Therefore, the Yellow River Basin, a typical area of soil erosion in the world, was chosen as the study area. The VCS and SC trends from 2000 to 2020 were analyzed and the potential response of VCS to SC was explored by adopting correlation analysis, elastic coefficient method, geographically weighted regression model, and geographical detector model. The influence of SC drivers on the spatial heterogeneity of VCS was also revealed. Results showed the following: (1) VCS and SC had a significant upward trend, especially in the eastern monsoonal ecoregion. (2) The area with a significant positive correlation between VCS and SC accounted for 31.74% of the total, mainly concentrated in the key areas of SC, wherein a 100% increase in SC would lead to a 25%–100% increase in VCS. (3) Among the SC drivers, vegetation cover and management (C) factor and rainfall erosion force (R) factor mainly influenced spatial heterogeneity in VCS, and their interaction considerably enhances this effect. Therefore, the interaction between precipitation and vegetation should be considered when evaluating the impact of water erosion management on VCS. The results of the study have important implications for the enhancement of VCS capacity of degraded land in the ecological restoration process.

Characteristics of Soil Microbial Community in Different Habitats in the Process of Ecological Restoration of Haifeng Wetland in Guangdong

Soil microorganisms can respond to changes in wetland ecosystem quality and functional evolution sensitively. To explore the changes and response mechanisms of soil microorganisms under ecological restoration measures, the characteristics of the soil microbial community and their influencing factors were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing technology in four different habitats (revegetation area, native vegetation area, tidal creek, and tidal flat) during the ecological restoration process in Haifeng wetland in Guangdong. The results showed that:soil physicochemical properties of the four different habitats were significantly different; the contents of TC, TN, TOC, and TK in the tidal creek were significantly higher than those in the other habitats; and the contents of TC, TN, and TP in the revegetation restoration area were significantly higher than those in the tidal flat. The EC values in the tidal creeks and tidal flat were significantly higher than those in the revegetation area and the native vegetation area. The diversity index and abundance of soil bacteria in the tidal creek were the highest, and those in the vegetation restoration area were significantly higher than those in the bare flat. The archaea in the tidal creek were significantly more complex than those in the other three habitats, and the fungal community diversity index and abundance in the native vegetation area were significantly higher than those in the other areas, which had the most complex community structure. TN and TC were the main factors affecting the bacterial community, whereas TN and EC were the main factors affecting the archaea community, and pH, TN, and TP were the key factors affecting the fungal community. In conclusion, the planting of vegetation on the tidal flat increased the diversity and richness of the soil microbial community during the process of ecological restoration, indicating that it has resulted in positive feedback on ecological restoration so far. The results of this study can provide a theoretical basis for the selection of ecological restoration strategies for the tidal flat.

Facilitation between plants and the use of facilitating species as an ecological restoration strategy

Ecosystems subject to extreme abiotic factors are privileged places for studies of positive interactions between plants, such as facilitation mechanisms, which, from biotic or abiotic modifications, generate benefits to the environment. Due to the increase in the number of articles on facilitation in recent decades and the indication of the use of facilitating species in recovery and ecological restoration projects, the present study presents a literature review on facilitation between plant-plant and its applicability between the years 2011 and 2020. A total of 64 studies were considered that encompass the facilitation theme, and the text was composed of an introduction and two sections: i) studies on the facilitation mechanism – advances in the last decade and ii) facilitation as a strategy for ecological restoration. This review indicates that the best understanding of facilitation mechanisms occurs from the combination of knowledge at different levels, such as knowledge of species, ecological organization, phylogenetics and environmental conditions. Thus, this approach enables a better understanding of the community dynamics and demonstrates how the use of facilitating species in restoration areas, especially in regions with severe environmental conditions and/or more vulnerable to climate change, has been considered an effective strategy in the ecological restoration process.

Estimation of soil losses due to water erosion in the Dagua River Basin, Colombia

The Dagua river basin, in Colombia, is the most important source of water for the Valle del Cauca ecosystem, however, due to poor agricultural practices, it has been affected by water erosion. This study aimed at estimating soil erosion in the Dagua river basin, using the universal soil loss equation (USLE). The results show that most of the area presents erosivities that are between 1000-5000 MJ.mm.ha-1, corresponding to low and very low categories. On the other hand, erodibility ranged from 0.143 to 0.842 t. ha.h. MJ-1 mm-1 ha-1, which is framed in the categories from weak to extremely erodable, where the low to medium category predominates. Regarding soil losses due to erosion, it was found that more than 20% of each of the municipalities of Dagua, Restrepo, La Cumbre, and Vijes, showed high and very high erosion, particularly in the areas with bare soils and crops such as pineapple, contribute strongly, sometimes reaching over 1000 t ha-1 yr-1. Therefore, it is important to promote practices such as contour or contour planting, integrated crop cover management, land uses that integrate trees, and in more critical cases to consider ecological restoration processes.

Landsenses Ecology: A New Idea for Watershed Ecology Restoration

Watershed ecology restoration is the key to solving the ecological and environmental problems of watersheds and achieving sustainable development. As one direction of the frontiers of ecology, landsenses ecology is supported by science and technology and cares for humans. It has a great significance for enhancing the human habitat and achieving sustainable development. Combining landsenses ecology and the technical process of watershed ecology restoration allows the integration of people's visions into the system of strategies and applied technologies for watershed ecology restoration while ensuring the restoration of the ecological functions of watersheds. It is a complement to the traditional ecosystem restoration model. This study establishes the connection between landsenses ecology and watershed ecology restoration in terms of goals, models and focus of attention. It aims to construct an indicator system of restoration with the application of landsenses ecology, form a complete process of ecological restoration with the integration of landsenses ecology and apply it to the ecological restoration of watershed elements with relatively intensive human activity such as urban green areas, buildings and wetlands (rivers and lakes). Rather than just always emphasizing natural ecology, landsenses ecology treats human beings as part of nature. It tries to establish a more comprehensive, humanized ideal restoration model by taking "human perceptions" into consideration. Through a restoration process based on long-term and continuous coordination, feedback and improvement, it can improve the ecological benefits of the watershed and improve residents' well-being, so as to ultimately realize the establishment of a "community of life between man and nature".

An approach to quantify heavy metals and their source apportionment in coal mine soil: a study through PMF model.

Mining activities in the opencast coal mines contaminate the surrounding soil by releasing coal dust containing heavy metals (HMs). The objective of the present study was to quantify the concentration of HMs like Fe, Cu, Mn, Ni, Cr, Zn, and Co in soil on profile and distance basis in the vicinity of the coal mines. This research also proposed the synthesis application of positive matrix factorization (PMF) model for the quantitative assessment of pollution sources. The results showed that the soil was more affected due to the presence of Cr in mining areas., and the contamination factor (Cf)of Cr was high at the edge of coal mine. It was observed from the study thatCfof the HMs was decreased with the increase indistance from the mine edge. The application ofPMF model demonstratedthat the contributions of Zn (4.2%), Ni (16.8%), and Mn (100%) were maximum in the pollution. The study concluded that soil contamination is inexorable due to opencast coal mining activities, and it can be mitigated by developing a green belt or through the process of ecological restoration and phytoremediation.

Ecological Health Assessment with the Combination Weight Method for the River Reach after the Retirement and Renovation of Small Hydropower Stations

This study aimed to effectively evaluate the ecological restoration of the river reach where a small hydropower station was retired or renovated. An ecological health index system was constructed based on the environmental characteristics of the upstream and downstream of the small hydropower station after its retirement and renovation. Based on the combination weighting concept of game theory, the combination weights were obtained by the comprehensive analytic hierarchy process (subjective weight) and entropy method (objective weight). This ecological health assessment with fuzzy comprehensive evaluation was applied to assess the health status of Shimen (dam removal) and Changqiao (renovation in ecological flow) reaches of the Tufang River in Changting County, China. The results showed that the ecological health assessment index system proposed in this study was comprehensive and reasonable, and the revision degree of the hydropower station obviously influenced the process of ecological river restoration. The findings from this study would benefit for the rational utilization of water resources and the river ecological health maintenance in mountainous areas.

Differential Analysis of Biochar Effects on Soil Physicochemical Properties

For a long time, because of China’s large population and small per capita resource occupancy, the use of natural resources is unreasonable. Soil degradation problem due to the long-term irrational utilization of land resources is becoming more and more serious, which seriously damaging the ecological environment and hindering China’s modernization process. Facing the problem of soil remediation, biochar technology has become a research hotspot because of its advantages of green environmental protection, low cost, high efficiency, and wide application. And black soil in northeast China and southern region of red soil as important soil types of agroforestry in China, over the years have experienced serious soil degradation crisis. In this paper, black soil and red soil are selected as research objects to explore the impact of biochar on the physical and chemical properties of the two soils. This paper intends to use the methods of investigation and analysis, and comparison in many aspects. Through the study, it was found that the application of biochar had the same trend of influence on the organic carbon content and C/N ratio of the two soils, but the index of black soil increased more significantly. The change trend of soil bulk density and pH was also consistent with the application of biochar, and the difference was not significant. The effects of biochar applied to the two soils on greenhouse gas emissions were quite different. The soil health of black soil and red soil is of great significance in China’s agricultural production and life. This paper expects to bring reference value to the improvement of the overall soil function and the promotion of ecological restoration process of China’s biochar modification work for different soil types in the north and south, by comparing the impact of biochar on the physical and chemical properties of the two soils. A better soil improvement program can be obtained after comparative analysis, so as to provide suggestions on sustainable development and comprehensively promote ecological construction.