Protection Zones Research Articles

Beam-Hopping-Based Resource Allocation in Integrated Satellite-Terrestrial Networks.

The integrated satellite-terrestrial network (ISTN) provides a promising solution to achieve high-data-rate and ubiquitous connectivity in next-generation communication networks. Considering the scarce spectrum resources and unevenly distributed traffic demands, we investigate the resource allocation algorithms for ISTNs, where the beam-hopping (BH)-based satellite system and terrestrial systems share the same frequency band. Taking advantage of the scheduling flexibility of BH technology, the dynamical protection zones are constructed to avoid co-channel interference and improve the spectrum efficiency. Since both spectrum efficiency and user fairness are the key optimization indexes in practical systems, two resource allocation problems are formulated to maximize the weighted sum of capacity (MWSC) and maximize the minimum capacity-to-demand ratio (MMCDR) of ISTNs, respectively. By reformulating the problems as mixed-integer linear programming problems, optimal solutions are obtained. To reduce the computational complexity, two greedy suboptimal algorithms are proposed for the MWSC and MMCDR, respectively. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithms achieve higher spectrum efficiency and guarantee fairness between the satellite and terrestrial systems. It is also shown that both the greedy algorithms perform similarly to the optimal algorithms while having much lower complexity.

Application of Orthophoto Maps Created from UAV Aerial Images for Monitoring Historical and Cultural Heritage Lands

The study investigates the methodology of creating orthophotoplans for immovable historical and cultural heritage sites, beginning from aerial surveys using various UAVs to object vectorization and plan creation. This issue is highly relevant in Ukraine due to rapid reforms in all ministries, including the Ministry of Culture. The reforms are creating a constant need for updated graphical documentation. As immovable historical and cultural heritage sites are in tourist areas with changing infrastructure, traditional surveying methods are impractical due to time constraints. Additionally, the application of UAV aerial imaging for delineating object boundaries and protective zones is more cost-effective. Existing boundaries of heritage lands and those determined from archival materials were overlaid on the created pflans. Orthophotoplans were produced and vectorized at a scale of 1:500 for two research zones: the Holy Trinity Church in Liuboml and the New Jewish Cemetery in Lviv. For the New Jewish Cemetery, boundaries were delineated to assess alignment with the current protective zone. Protective buffer zones around heritage sites were outlined according to both historical and contemporary recommendations in Ukraine. For buffer zones measured from the centroid, development is permitted up to 300 meters for undeveloped areas, with negotiated distances for developed regions, using the 300-meter protective zone as a baseline. The study's uniqueness lies in using a known methodology for creating orthophotoplans based on UAV data to explore options for modeling protective zones based on varying legislative norms over time, incorporating specific nuances. This approach can benefit not only Ukraine but also other countries undergoing reforms in this field.

Adaptive, flexible and community-led: Management support for the largest fully protected marine area in the Atlantic

In 2020, the 250-person community of Tristan da Cunha announced the establishment of the fourth largest fully-protected MPA in the world: the Tristan da Cunha Marine Protection Zone (MPZ). The MPZ protects 91 % of the 750,000 km2 EEZ in the South Atlantic, which is home to numerous endemic and endangered species reliant on the healthy marine environment. After legal gazettement in 2021, the next challenge is to build strong foundations for the MPZ that will support it in perpetuity. The Tristan da Cunha community and its partners are rising to this challenge by developing and implementing a programme of work focused on three core areas for MPZ success: effective management, research and monitoring, and community stewardship. Alongside assistance in MPZ management from the UK Government Blue Belt Programme and the establishment of a conservation endowment fund, the RSPB, Blue Nature Alliance, and Tristan da Cunha Government are providing dedicated support for the community for the first years of the MPZ. The partnership is supporting the establishment of monitoring programmes and citizen science initiatives, providing mentorship opportunities, facilitating global knowledge exchanges, strengthening the community’s cultural connection to its marine environment and enhancing the global identity of the Tristan da Cunha community as ‘Atlantic Guardians’. Providing support for the MPZ that is adaptive, flexible and community led, beyond the moment of designation is essential for the longevity of the Tristan da Cunha Marine Protection Zone.

MINERALOGICAL AND GEOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF SNOW COVER WITHIN THE ANTHROPOGENICALLY DISTURBED SITES OF THE NADYM-PUR INTERFLUVE (NORTHERN PART OF WESTERN SIBERIA)

The article analyzes the content of metals in solid aerosols and snow water sampled in the anthropogeni-cally disturbed and background sites of the Nadym-Pur interfluve. The results of microscopic studies of solid aerosols showed the presence of secondary minerals, technogenic formations, as well as a large amount of pyrite in samples from the eastern part of the study area. The maximum concentrations of metals in solid aero-sols were found in snow of the sanitary protection zones of waste disposal facilities, with the exception of Ca, which prevails in snow cover of Novy Urengoy (up to 10% of dry matter). The urbanized area is characterized by the highest values of dust load (up to 111 mg/m2 a day). The local contamination with Ba within the waste landfills in Novy Urengoy is associated with the sites of barite and drilling waste processing. We applied the factor analysis to identify the main metal associations characteristic of solid aerosols from different functional zones: Ca-Co-V-Mn (city), Ba-Sr-K-Na and Cd-Cu-Pb (waste disposal sites), Cu-Ni-Cd (the entire studied area). Based on the study of the content of dissolved forms in snow water, a high mobility of metals in the northern landscapes and its decrease in urban environment were revealed. The mineralogical and geochemical analysis of snow suggests the influence of the Norilsk industrial region on the eastern part of the Nadym-Pur interfluve, Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb and the mineral pyrite being the indicators. The risks of environmental pollution under the aerotechnogenic transport are associated with high content of Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb and Ba in solid aero-sols. The calculation of the Toxicity Probability Index (MERMQ) showed that some aerosol samples from the landfill sites have a high probability of biological effects. Using data on the chemical composition of soils and soil water, no visible effect of snow pollution on the growth of metal concentrations in soil and soil water was revealed, with the exception of local contamination with Ba, which led to a twofold increase in the content of the metal in the upper soil horizon.

Assessment of the potential area for the establishment of the Colorado potato beetle in Finland and Sweden

Summary The Colorado potato beetle (CPB, Leptinotarsa decemlineata) is a protected zone quarantine pest in the southern parts of Finland and Sweden. The units responsible for pest risk assessments in Finland and Sweden were requested to identify the geographical areas likely to be suitable for establishment of the CPB given a climate change scenario that covers the years 2023–2040. Based on previous studies, the northern limit of the potential range of the CPB appears to depend, above all, on where the summer temperatures enable the development of one complete generation. To identify such areas in Finland and Sweden, we first estimated the annual growing degree day (GDD) requirement (above 10 °C) of the CPB based on the two‐decade mean annual GDD in the northernmost locations where the CPB is present in Russia. The lowest mean annual GDD among these locations was 587 which was used as the GDD requirement of the CPB in this assessment. Next, we delineated the areas in Finland and Sweden where this GDD requirement was met in a recent time period (2003–2022) and in a future time period (2031–2050) assuming an intermediate greenhouse gas emission scenario, i.e., Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5. The results show that the GDD requirement of 587 is met in large areas in southern Finland and Sweden, and by 2040, also in central Finland and the Baltic Sea coastline. We further assessed that there are enough hosts for the CPB to enable establishment in these areas. These areas were therefore assessed as likely to be suitable for the establishment of the CPB. Importantly, they include areas much further north than the current protected zones. This result was assessed to be rather robust since even a 20% higher GDD requirement (704) was met in a much larger area than the protected zones both in Sweden (in the recent and future climate) and in Finland (in the future climate). The greatest sources of uncertainty in the assessment are the uncertainty of the annual GDD that the CPB needs to complete its life cycle, the future climate projections, and the abundance of hosts necessary in a landscape to enable the CPB to establish.

The status of Scandosorbus and Hedlundia species as hosts for Erwinia amylovora

Summary Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of fire blight disease, is regulated as a protected zone quarantine pest in Finland. To prevent the introduction of E. amylovora, all its host plants traded to Finland from other EU countries must have an official plant passport. Currently, plants from the genus Sorbus are considered hosts of E. amylovora under the existing regulation. However, recent reclassification of Sorbus has resulted in the establishment of new genera, including Scandosorbus and Hedlundia. This has led to uncertainty about whether these newly established genera should be regulated as hosts of E. amylovora. Consequently, the Risk Assessment Unit of the Finnish Food Authority was asked to assess the host status of Scandosorbus and Hedlundia species for E. amylovora. We based our assessent on a comprehensive literature review of species‐specific information on naturally occurring infections of E. amylovora in the genus Sorbus s.l., as well as experimental studies that have tested susceptibility under field or greenhouse conditions. The literature review revealed no evidence of natural infections by E. amylovora in any species belonging to the genera Hedlundia and Scandosorbus. While some experimental studies have demonstrated mild disease development in certain species belonging to these genera, the lack of further supporting evidence suggests that these species should not be considered as hosts of E. amylovora. However, our assessment was based on very limited available information, making the conclusions uncertain. For most species belonging to Hedlundia, there is no information available on their susceptibility. Given that resistance to fire blight can vary even among closely related taxa, it is possible that some species or cultivars belonging to Hedlundia, for which data is currently lacking, may be susceptible to E. amylovora. Further studies are needed to verify the host status of these species. Interestingly, we found evidence of natural infections of E. amylovora in Sorbus s.l. species that are now classified under the newly established genera Aria, Alniaria, Cormus, and Torminalis. The host status of these genera may need revision, as they potentially should be considered hosts in the Commission regulation regarding the trade of E. amylovora host plants.

Commodity risk assessment of Prunus avium plants from United Kingdom.

The European Commission requested the EFSA Panel on Plant Health to prepare and deliver risk assessments for commodities listed in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2019 as 'High risk plants, plant products and other objects'. This Scientific Opinion covers plant health risks posed by plants of Prunus avium possibly grafted on rootstocks of either P. avium, P. canescens, P. cerasus, P. pseudocerasus or their hybrids imported from the UK, taking into account the available scientific information, including the technical information provided by the UK. All pests associated with the commodities were evaluated against specific criteria for their relevance for this opinion. Three quarantine pests Scirtothrips dorsalis, tobacco ringspot virus and tomato ringspot virus), one protected zone EU quarantine pest (Bemisia tabaci (European population), and three non- regulated pests (Colletotrichum aenigma, Eulecanium excrescens and Takahashia japonica) that fulfilled all relevant criteria were selected for further evaluation. The risk mitigation measures proposed in the technical Dossier from the UK were evaluated, taking into account the possible limiting factors. For these pests, expert judgement is given on the likelihood of pest freedom, taking into consideration the risk mitigation measures acting on the pest, including uncertainties associated with the assessment. The degree of pest freedom varies among the pests evaluated, with Colletotrichum aenigma being the pest most frequently expected on the imported potted plants. The Expert Knowledge Elicitation indicated with 95% certainty that between 9971 and 10,000 plants per 10,000 would be free from the above-mentioned fungus.

Commodity risk assessment of Prunus spinosa plants from United Kingdom.

The European Commission requested the EFSA Panel on Plant Health to prepare and deliver risk assessments for commodities listed in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/2019 as 'High risk plants, plant products and other objects'. This Scientific Opinion covers plant health risks posed by potted plants and bundles of bare-root plants or cell grown young plants or graftwood/budwood of Prunus spinosa imported from the United Kingdom, taking into account the available scientific information, including the technical information provided by the UK. All pests associated with the commodities were evaluated against specific criteria for their relevance for this opinion. One quarantine pest, Scirtothrips dorsalis, one protected zone quarantine pest Bemisia tabaci (European population) and one non-regulated pest, the scale Eulecanium excrescens, that fulfilled all relevant criteria were selected for further evaluation. The risk mitigation measures proposed in the technical Dossier from the UK were evaluated, taking into account the possible limiting factors. For these pests, expert judgement is given on the likelihood of pest freedom, taking into consideration the risk mitigation measures acting on the pest, including uncertainties associated with the assessment. The degree of pest freedom varies among the pests evaluated, with E. excrescens being the pest most frequently expected on the imported potted plants. The Expert Knowledge Elicitation indicated with 95% certainty that between 9981 and 10,000 plants per 10,000 would be free from the above-mentioned scale.

Mapping Terrestrial Conservation: Showcasing Model Assessment for Map Performance Evaluation

Habitat preservation, conservation, and protection of threatened species require careful site selection procedures. The presence of several site-selection models encourages model assessments to determine their usefulness and functionality for conservation purposes. Map model assessments are not conventionally conducted between site selection models to understand the nature of their decision-making strategies and prioritization. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the relationship between a recently published site selection model, the Safe Zone with MaxEnt, representing the Species Distribution Model, and the Forest Landscape Integrity Index, representing an intact forest habitat. As expected, there was considerable variation among the three models due to their different algorithms and themes of concern; nevertheless, these had some level of agreement in selecting potential areas for conservation. In addition, this study presented a convenient method for map data collection and the analysis required for a comprehensive understanding of the model agreements and relationships with other models. The nature of the decision making of the Safe Zone model and its potential utility for selecting Strict Protection Zones was presented. This study highlighted the intersection of geospatial analysis, conservation, and model evaluation. Finally, study emphasized the importance of informed decision-making in environmental planning and management through rigorous map assessment. The limitations of this study include the varied pixel resolutions of global and local maps, temporal predictions, and the fact that the models to which the SZ was compared are limited to models and maps available in the area of interest.

HYDROLOGICAL AND HYDROCHEMICAL ASSESSMENT OF WATER STATUS OF THE SOUTHERN BUG RIVER WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF VINNICHCHINA

It is highlighted that in modern conditions, the surface waters of land are subject to significant anthropogenic influence, as a result of which their natural state is significantly changed and the possibility of using certain water bodies for economic and drinking needs is significantly limited. Since the drinking water supply of Ukraine is carried out mainly at the expense of surface water, objective information about the condition of water bodies, established on the basis of hygienic and ecological criteria, becomes extremely important and relevant. It was established that the influence of the economic and household activities of the village of Kolyukhiv, Vinnytsia region, on the pollution of the South Bug River within its borders is determined by the influx of nitrogenous substances, which lead to an increase in the concentration of ammonium nitrogen, nitrites and nitrates. The source of nitrogen input to the river water is surface runoff washing and the development of soil erosion processes from the adjacent shorelines, which are used for homestead farming and gardening. As a result of the research, it was found that in a sample of water taken from the South Bug River within the village of Kolyukhiv, Vinnytsia region, 1 km upstream in the forest plantation zone, the hydrogen pH is 7.8, the ammonium nitrogen content is 0.3 mg/l nitrite concentration – 2.7 mg/l, nitrate content – 39.6 mg/l, calcium content – 86.0 mg/l, chloride – 147.4 mg/l, and in the selected water sample 1 km downstream in the zone of intensive farming (homesteads), the hydrogen pH was 8.4, the content of ammonium nitrogen was 0.8 mg/l, the concentration of nitrites was 3.7 mg/l, the concentration of nitrates was 69.3 mg/l, the content calcium – 96.6 mg/l, chlorides – 164.2 mg/l. The main way to limit the flow of nitrogenous substances into the river is to observe sanitary protection zones along the river's perimeter. The sanitary and protective zone of the South Bug River should be 100 m, and in fact it is 10 m within the village. Therefore, the main measure is the expansion of the sanitary and protective zone to 100 m and its observance, which will allow reducing the content of ammonium nitrogen in the river water by 62% , nitrates – by 27%, nitrites – by 48%.

Urban Transformation of the Dubrovnik Summer Villa Setting—From an Idyllic Landscape to an Overbuilt City

The landscape surrounding a summer villa is, in a morphological and experiential sense, an inseparable part of the villa and its garden. This research examines the level of preservation of the historic landscapes of eight summer villas in Dubrovnik and the level of their integration into the urban fabric of the contemporary city. The research methods used include the analysis of the relevant scientific literature as well as the analysis and interpretation of graphic materials, i.e., cadastral maps from the second half of the 19th century, orthophoto maps, and spatial planning documentation. In this paper, the immediate landscape in close vicinity to the summer villas is defined as the protective zone of a summer villa (PZSV). Although the original use and extent of the summer villa landscapes have rarely been preserved, it is possible to establish PZSVs in order to preserve, i.e., reinterpret, the setting of the summer villas, which is necessary to experience them in their totality. This research establishes the general principles that enable the identification of three general models of transformation of the summer villa landscape. Furthermore, this research develops possible scenarios for the enhancement of the summer villa landscape based on the identified models. These models and scenarios are generally applicable in the context of the protection and enhancement of the summer villa landscapes in of the south of Croatia.

Snow survey within the copper ore deposits in the mining regions of the Urals

The paper presents the results of studies of dust residues of snow cover within various climatic zones and copper deposits of the Ural region. Snow cover research is one of the methods for environmental assessment of territories. This concerns the study of dust residues from snow cover samples, as shown by the example of the territories of the Northern and Southern Urals at different stages of work on copper deposits. The initial stage of study and development is considered using the example of porphyry copper deposits in the Chelyabinsk region, where snow samples reveal organic matter in dust residues, typical birch seeds, a small amount of minerals at a low dust load (P ˂ 100 kg/day per km2). For the deposits of the Ivdel region (Northern Urals), the dust residues largely contain organic dust, fragments of ore minerals (pyrite, chalcopyrite) and minerals of volcanic rocks and metasomatic rocks. The maximum value of the dust load is set for the Novo-Shemurskoye deposit currently being developed. A study of dust residues in the zone of influence of the Karabash copper smelter (before its reconstruction) has shown that in some parts of the sanitary protection zone the level of snow cover pollution is very high with dust load values up to 12,633 kg/day per km2, which is determined primarily by the widespread use of crushed copper smelting slag. In general, the study of dust residues of snow cover provides information about both the ecological state of the territories and the mineral composition of the residues, which must be used for practical purposes.

А. N. Aristov's Concept «Kyiv as an Architectural & Artistic City» and the Evolution of Approaches to the Historical City in Ukrainian Architectural Science

The article examines the evolution of views of domestic planners and researchers of urban development on the so-called «historical city» during the 20th century. The design of the opposition «old»/ «new city» at the beginning of the 20th century is traced. Special attention is paid to the first conceptual work on the mentioned topic by the Kyiv municipal official A. N. Aristov, «Kyiv as an architectural and artistic city» (1918). Expanding his, so to speak, landscape considerations, Aristov singled out factors that must be taken into account in urban planning. Comparing the views of centuries ago with the current state of affairs, our investigation outlines the methodological prerequisites for the study of the urban development of the historical city, as well as a significant change in the views of domestic researchers and designers regarding the urban heritage of the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries, which is the most actively took place in the 1970s and 1980s. An important summary of the research of the last quarter of the 20th century. was the formation of historical and architectural protection zones of Kyiv, the allocation of the confluence of the Dnieper and Lybіd rivers as a natural border of the conscious development of the city at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, where the most valuable and integral urban development that took place before the beginning of the 20th century is located. and covers the plateau between the Dnieper and the Lybіd valley. The urban planning analysis of this planning structure, which stretched across the plateau along the Dnieper from north to south, determines the main distinguishing feature of Kyiv is its expedient urban planning linear system. Highlighting the natural-organic and four-dimensional spatio-temporal character of this system, this position is illustrated by a peculiar parade of hills: high-altitude dominants are located at certain spatio-temporal intervals from each other (half an hour or an hour's walk) in such a way that they do not "overlap" one another with visual perception, without suppressing or obscuring anything, and flowing like different themes in a melody, they create a single architectural and artistic composition. At the same time, already in ancient times, Kyiv was a constellation of settlements – a prototype of future satellite cities. Let's emphasize that the develop­ment of urban planning opportunities embedded in this system remains an urgent modern task. The author's personal contribution is the classification of artistic, methodological and organizational proposals of A. N. Aristov's concept. Town plan­ning centers that should be taken into account in urban planning: architectural and artistic, scenic and poetic points. The article characterizes and defines the principle urban planning locations in the process of building the architectural and artistic structure of Kyiv; clarified the organizational provisions of Aristov's architectural and artistic concept with the proposal of new management structures up to the creation of modern structures such as the City Architectural and Planning Office.

Construction and Optimization Strategy of Ecological Security Pattern in County-Level Cities under Spatial and Temporal Variation of Ecosystem Services: Case Study of Mianzhu, China

Climate change and human activities are seriously affecting the ecological level and economic development of county-level cities. Mianzhu City is a typical county-level city located within the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle and the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The study selected primary ecological sources by analyzing high-level ecosystem service functions over time, using Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA). Ecological resistance surfaces were constructed using natural factors to address ecological risks associated with future urbanization. The construction of the ecological security pattern (ESP) followed the source–corridor–node paradigm, incorporating changes in ecosystem service risks. From 2010 to 2020, ecosystem service functions and values in Mianzhu City declined overall, with significant spatial variations. Human activities increased in ecologically fragile areas, aggravating exposure to ecological risks from climate change and urban expansion. Ecological protection and restoration zones were identified, with nature reserves in the north and the southern center as the core. In 2020, 19 ecological sources and 46 ecological corridors were identified, with a spatial distribution pattern of “more length and short resistance in the north, less length and long resistance in the south”. Additionally, 41 ecological pinch points and 16 ecological barrier points were determined. Considering the spatial distribution of the core areas of ecosystem services and lands with human-intensive activities, setting up the general idea of the ecological restoration pattern centered on forests, river corridors, and natural and artificial landscapes. The study provides new insights into constructing and optimizing the ESP, offering crucial references for the rapid urbanization of ecological restoration and development planning in urban regions.

Methods for Designating Protective Zones of Historical and Cultural Purpose Using Non-Invasive Methods—Two Case Studies for Ukraine and Poland

Technologies and scientific progress are of major importance in monitoring cultural heritage (CH). Studies of CH preservation play a crucial role in understanding human history, inheriting splendid nations’ cultures, and safeguarding cultural diversity. The scientific community and the countries must lead a battle to maintain and preserve CH. The possibilities in the search for underground objects (using non-invasive methods) that have been forgotten are presented. This article presents the results of research conducted in the area of the Citadel in Lviv (Ukraine) and an execution site of the Second World War (Kazimierz Biskupi, Poland). This research makes it possible to highlight the problem of researching to find and adequately commemorate objects and events that are essential elements of the CH of Ukraine and Poland. The proposed non-invasive methods allow the designation of protection zones of historical and cultural significance.

Clarification of the Boundaries of Lands of Historical and Cultural Heritage and Determination of Their Protection Zones by Remote Sensing Methods

Clarification of the Boundaries of Lands of Historical and Cultural Heritage and Determination of Their Protection Zones by Remote Sensing Methods

Optimizing zoning for ecological management in alpine region by combining ecosystem service supply and demand with ecosystem resilience

In order to enhance ecosystem stability and promote sustainable regional ecological, social, and economic development, it is crucial to explore the coupling relationship between ecosystem service supply and demand and the resilience of ecosystem, so as to propose scientific ecological management zones and strategies. Taking the vulnerable alpine ecosystem in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Gannan Prefecture) as the study area, this paper comprehensively utilized multi-source data, grid analysis, ecosystem service supply and demand estimation model, and coupled coordination model to analyze the spatio-temporal differentiation and coordination pattern of ecosystem service supply and demand in the study area from 2000 to 2020. With the assistance of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the ecosystem resilience index system was constructed to evaluate the regional ecological resilience. The results reveal the following: (1) In the past 20 years, the ecosystem service supply and resilience in Gannan Prefecture showed a fluctuating upward trend, and the demand continued to grow steadily. Their spatial differentiation were obvious, but the pattern remained stable. (2) There was a moderate incoordination indicated by the average coordination degree of the supply and demand coupling of ecosystem services, which rangeed between 0.3 and 0.4. (3) Gannan Prefecture was split into three ecological management zones, considering the spatial distribution of ecosystem service supply and demand, as well as resilience. Through system function monitoring and other measures, the ecological conservation zone will rely on its high resilience to support the restoration and self-sufficiency of the system, ensuring the stability and well-being of the ecosystem. The primary objectives of general protected zone includes environmental preservation, strict regulations, and the prevention of human intervention. To enhance their ecological background, key restoration zone must intensify the implementation of ecological restoration initiatives. To address the needs of the locals, strategies such as ecological compensation, optimizing the land use structure, and fostering the growth of environmentally friendly companies can be implemented simultaneously.

Assessment of vegetation net primary productivity variation and influencing factors in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region

Exploring the spatiotemporal variations of vegetation net primary productivity (NPP) and analyzing the relationships between NPP and its influencing factors are vital for ecological protection in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region. In this study, we employed the CASA model in conjunction with spatiotemporal analysis techniques to estimate and analyze the spatiotemporal variations of NPP in BTH and different ecological function sub-regions over the past two decades. Subsequently, we established three scenarios (actual, climate-driven and land cover-driven) to assess the influencing factors and quantify their relative contributions. The results indicated that the overall NPP in BTH exhibited a discernible upward trend from 2000 to 2020, with a growth rate of 3.83 gC·m−2a−1. Furthermore, all six sub-regions exhibited an increase. The Bashang Plateau Ecological Protection Zone (BP) exhibited the highest growth rate (5.03 gC·m−2a−1), while the Low Plains Ecological Restoration Zone (LP) exhibited the lowest (2.07 gC·m−2a−1). Geographically, the stability of NPP exhibited a spatial pattern of gradual increase from west to east. Climate and land cover changes collectively increased NPP by 0.04 TgC·a−1 and 0.07 TgC·a−1, respectively, in the BTH region. Climate factors were found to have the greatest influence on NPP variations, contributing 40.49% across the BTH region. This influence exhibited a decreasing trend from northwest to southeast, with precipitation identified as the most influential climatic factor compared to temperature and solar radiation. Land cover change has profound effects on ecosystems, which is an important factor on NPP. From 2000 to 2020, 15.45% area of the BTH region underwent land cover type change, resulting in a total increase in NPP of 1.33 TgC. The conversion of grass into forest brought about the 0.89 TgC increase in NPP, which is the largest of all change types. In the area where land cover had undergone change, the land cover factor has been found to be the dominant factor influencing variations in NPP, with an average contribution of 49.37%. In contrast, in the south-central area where there has been no change in land cover, the residual factor has been identified as the most influential factor influencing variations in NPP. Our study highlights the important role of land cover change in influencing NPP variations in BTH. It also offers a novel approach to elucidating the influences of diverse factors on NPP, which is crucial for the scientific assessment of vegetation productivity and carbon sequestration capacity.

THE GROWTH OF ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION IN THE COASTAL PROTECTIVE STRIPS OF THE STRYI RIVER BASIN

Currently, there is of today, there is practically no information about the current state and land use of coastal protection strips (CPS) and water protection zones in the Stryi river basin. This creates many misunderstandings and abuses during their use and leads to intensive degradation of the ecosystem of both this and other rivers of the Dniester basin into which it flows. Using the Google Earth Pro program, an assessment of the CPS structure in the Stryi River basin was carried out by comparing space images for the past 14 years. The analysis showed that illegal construction within the CPS of the river began after 2009, which creates the danger of possible inundation during floods and the development of erosion processes. This is also a threat to the hydroecosystem of the Stryi River, due to the settlement load on the floodplain, as well as non-compliance with sanitary standards and clogging with household waste.

Impact of Root Cutting on Acer platanoides and Tilia cordata Tree Stability in Urban Parks: A Case Study in Quebec City, Canada

Trees growing in urban environments are often impacted by maintenance or construction work involving the cutting of roots. Tree protection zones have been proposed to avoid critical damage to the tree. However, despite incorporating quantitative information, they heavily rely on expert judgement that remains to be validated. In a study conducted across six parks in Quebec City, Canada, two commonly found tree species, Acer platanoides L. and Tilia cordata Mill., presumed to be different in terms of vulnerability to root damage, were subjected to a range of trenching treatments. The trees were between 23 and 40 cm diameter at breast height (DBH). A safety factor was calculated relating the turning moment the tree can withstand to the turning moment imposed by high winds likely to occur. The safety factor against uprooting was assessed for each tree before and after root trenching using a non-destructive pulling approach. The effects of tree species, distance to the trench, and their combined interaction were tested on tree stability. The relationship between tree stability and soil texture, tree characteristics, and the number of damaged roots were also tested. Safety factors were initially variable, ranging from 0.5 to 4.5. T. cordata safety factors were lower than those of A. platanoides and influenced by soil texture. Trenching treatments had no effect on the safety factor, even when two perpendicular trenches were dug at 1 m from the stem. No index of the amount of root damaged was significantly related to the safety factor. Root trenching treatments that encroached closer to the tree trunk than the recommended tree protection zones did not affect the stability of both species. Nevertheless, it is essential to recognize that other ecophysiological processes might still be influenced, and long-term monitoring is crucial. Both should be taken into account when determining these zones.