Supply Of Services Research Articles

Coupling management ecosystem service supply-supply trade-offs and supply–demand trade-offs: Framework and practice

Ecosystem services (ESs) are the bridge between ecosystem and social system, and how to effectively manage different types of ES trade-offs is the key barrier to ensure that ecosystems provide sustainable benefits for human beings. The objective of this study is to propose a theoretical and methodological framework for the coupled management of ES supply-supply trade-offs and demand-demand trade-offs and to propose an ES trade-offs management scheme for the study area (Jiangxi Province) according to this framework. In this study, we evaluated the provision of ES and the intensity of two types of ES trade-offs in the study area through InVest model, and explored the driving mechanism of the two types of ES trade-offs through redundancy analysis. Finally, we proposed a land use structure in the study area that alleviates the intensity of both types of ES trade-offs through multi-objective nonlinear programming. The results showed that: (1) the water yield service supply in Jiangxi Province showed a pattern of high in the north and low in the south, and the carbon sequestration service supply showed a pattern of high in the south and low in the north. (2) The supply-supply trade-off intensity of two ES is generally low in the north and high in the south, and the supply–demand trade-off intensity of water yield service and carbon sequestration service is basically high in the densely populated area in the north of Jiangxi. (3) Forestland area, farmland area and water area are the supply–demand trade-off driving forces of water yield service and carbon sequestration service, grassland area is an independent driving force of carbon sequestration service, and farmland area and cultivated land area are the supply-supply trade-off driving forces. The study shows that in order to achieve the lowest supply-supply trade-off intensity and supply–demand trade-off intensity in Jiangxi Province at the same time, the forestland should reach at least 104470 km2, the water area should reach 12,900.7 km2, the farmland area should reach 281333.3 km2, and the grassland area should increase to 15,457.9 km2. The results are expected to provide a new perspective for ecosystem management research.

Analysis of the Economic Value of Environmental Services of Mangrove Ecosystem in Cendi Manik, Sekotong District, West Lombok Regency

The area of mangrove ecosystems in West Nusa Tenggara Province continues to decline each year. One of the threatening factors that substantially contribute to such condition is socioeconomic activities of human beings in fulfilling their needs. An effort that can be made primarily to preserve the mangrove ecosystem is to quantify the economic value of environmental services provided by the mangrove ecosystem as a whole, so that the existence and sustainability of the mangrove ecosystem could be maintained. This research aims to calculate the total economic value of mangrove ecosystem services which indicate the four categories of ecosystem services including supporting services, provisioning services, regulatory services and cultural services. The research was carried out using a survey method by collecting data and information from location of this study to obtain actual data regarding the existence of the mangrove ecosystem. The results of the analysis show that the total economic value of mangrove ecosystem environmental services is 963,888,060/year. This value is divided into provider services (supply services) amounting to Rp. 153,002,250, regulatory services (arrangement services) Rp. 598,339,702, supporting services (support services) Rp. 2,243,250, and cultural services (cultural services) Rp. 210,308,857. The magnitude of the total economic value of mangrove ecosystem environmental services can be a reference for the government in determining compensation for services if there is degradation to mangrove ecosystem resources in the area.

Evolution and Driving Forces of Ecological Service Value in Response to Land Use Change in Tarim Basin, Northwest China

The main objective of protecting ecosystems and enhancing the supply of ecosystem services (ESs) is to quantify the value of ecological services. This article calculates the ecological service value (ESV) of the Tarim Basin over the past 40 years using the improved benefits transfer method of satellite remote sensing data, such as Landsat, analyzes the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of ESV, and studies the driving mechanism of ESV changes using GeoDetector. Finally, the FLUS model was selected to predict the ecosystem service value until 2030, setting up three scenarios: the Baseline Scenario (BLS), the Cultivated Land Protection Scenario (CPS), and the Ecological Protection Scenario (EPS). The results indicate that (1) the ESV in the Tarim Basin decreased by USD 1248.21 million (−2.29%) from 1980 to 2020. The top three contributors are water bodies, wetlands, and grassland. (2) Waste treatment and water supply functions had the highest service value, accounting for 44.53% of the total contribution. The rank order of ecosystem functions in terms of their contribution to the total value of ESV was as follows, refining from high to low importance: water supply, waste treatment, biodiversity protection, climate regulation, soil formation, recreation and culture, gas regulation, food production, raw material. (3) The spatial differentiation driving factors of ESV were detected, with the following Q-values in descending order: net primary productivity (NPP) > normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) > precipitation > aspect > temperature > slope > soil erosion > GDP > land use intensity > per capita GDP > population > human activity index. (4) The ESVs simulated under the three scenarios (BLS, CPS, and EPS) for 2030 were USD 51,133.9 million, USD 53,624.99 million, and USD 54,561.26 million, respectively. Compared with 2020, the ESVs of the three scenarios decreased as follows: BLS (USD 4209.33 million), CPS (USD 1718.24 million), and EPS USD (−781.97 million). These findings are significant for maintaining the integrity and sustainability of the large-scale ecosystem, where socioeconomic development and the fragile features of the natural ecosystem interact. Additionally, the study results provide a crucial foundation for governmental decision-makers, local residents, and environmental researchers in northwest China to promote sustainable development.

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.

The way to improve the quality of new smart city public service under the demand heterogeneity

Due to the diversity, difference and dynamics of residents' needs, the improvement of public service quality is faced with many challenges. Therefore, it is of great practical significance to improve the path of public service quality of new smart city under the heterogeneity of needs. This paper first introduces the background and basic concept of the new smart city, as well as the development process of the new smart city in China. This paper discusses the heterogeneity of residents' needs in the new smart city, and explains the impact of these heterogeneous demands on the public service quality of the new smart city. This paper also discusses how to accurately locate the service demand by strengthening demand research, optimize the resource allocation and realize the balanced development; promote service innovation to solve the impact of demand heterogeneity on new smart city, public service supply, public service resource allocation and public service innovation, as the reference direction for the improvement of public service quality of new smart city. Finally, this paper analyzes and systematically looks into the future of the new smart city to meet the direct needs of the public's survival, life, development and other social needs, as well as promoting the modernization of the urban governance system information and governance capacity as the main goal, and commits itself to the path design of improving the quality of public services.

Resources time footprint indicator extension for evaluating human interventions in provisioning ecosystem services supply

The growing emphasis on ecosystem services (ES) has enhanced evaluation of their capacity. However, intensive human intervention in the provisioning ecosystem service (P-ES) supply driven by widening spatial gaps between supply sources and demand locations, compromises the long-term ES supply potential. The Resources Time Footprint (RTF) indicator provides numerical insights into these impacts in the form of occupancy rates by comparing resource utilization to allocated capacities over a person's lifespan. Nonetheless, its applicability to major P-ES is currently restricted due to the lack of water and water pollutant occupancy rates concepts. This study attempts to broaden the scope and robustness of RTF by introducing these missing aspects for enhanced P-ES management. Furthermore, by evaluating changes in RTF value around technological and social dynamics, resources requiring management interventions are identified. The extended RTF's potential is finally demonstrated through case studies involving consumable rice, water flow utilized for generating electricity via hydropower (HP), and sugarcane yielding consumable sugar and molasses with bagasse used to generate electricity. Based on prevailing resource conditions, all cases exhibited resource utilization within the allocated capacity. However, potential strain on specific resources such as land and water use in rice (24.63 and 18.69 years), copper in HP (8.46 years), and land and phosphate-potash minerals use in bagasse (22.66 and 23.56 years) highlights the need for interventions to ensure sustained benefits. The precise influence of water and water pollutants is inherently case and location specific; however, this study emphasized the necessity of integrating water use and availability factors into rice and HP supply-flow assessments. Overall, the enhanced RTF proved to be replicable across P-ESs, quantifying pressures, and guiding management strategies to maintain nature's regenerative capacity while meeting human needs.

The nexus between urbanization and ecosystem services balance in China: A coupling perspective.

Urbanization inevitably interfered with the supply and demand of ecosystem services (ESs), which has a crucial impact on the ESs balance. Scientific exploration and clarification of the coupling and decoupling relationship between them can effectively reveal the disturbance of urbanization to the ecosystem, which can help to reasonably manage and protect the ecosystem. Previous studies have paid more attention to the coupling relationship but less attention to the decoupling relationship. This study comprehensively reflected urbanization from the three aspects of construction land, population, and economy and used the evaluation matrix to measure ESs. On this basis, coupling and decoupling analyses were taken to fully clarify the complex relationship between urbanization and ESs balance in China, so as to provide a reference for the formulation of relevant policies. Coupling aspect, the coupling degrees between the proportion of construction land (CLP) and ESs balance index (ESBI) were higher only in the central and eastern plains. The coupling degrees between population density (PD) and ESBI, economic density (ED) and ESBI, and land development index (LDI) and ESBI were only lower in the central and eastern plains than in other regions. Decoupling aspect, strong, weak negative, weak, and strong negative decoupling were the main decoupling types between urbanization and ESs balance in China. Among them, the proportion of the strong decoupling type is much higher than other types, which proves the opposite relationship between the two. Weak decoupling can not only promote economic growth and social development but also protect the ecological environment and biodiversity, which is a type of sustainable development and an ideal state that urbanization should pursue. The results can provide scientific guidance for the formulation of differentiated ecosystem management policies.

A cumulative impact assessment on the marine capacity to supply ecosystem services

Ecosystem services link the status of biodiversity and its functioning to societal goods and benefits contributing to human wellbeing. As such, they can play a key role in preserving the environment and managing natural resources and ecosystems to conserve nature's contributions to people. Identification of the main threats acting on the natural environment, and how these may impact its capacity to supply ecosystem services, is fundamental to the maintenance of these services. To that end, we present a novel approach based on a cumulative impacts assessment that 1) covers all relevant human activities and their pressures, 2) links impacts to the biotic groups that make up biodiversity and 3) provides an estimation of the Service Supply Potential based on the functioning of these biotic groups. Key proxy metrics to estimate this Service Supply Potential were identified from a literature review and quantified using a food web model (Ecopath with Ecosim). In addition to this quantitative information, the assessment of the capacity to supply ecosystem services was supplemented with expert judgement-based information to reflect the societal preferences that drive the allocation of human capital and turn these services into societal goods and benefits. As a proof of concept, the method was applied to the North Sea ecosystem. Results showed that, overall, the capacity of the North Sea to supply Cultural ecosystem services was most threatened, with an average potential decline of 50 % compared to an undisturbed situation. This was followed by the Provisioning ecosystem services with 46 % and the Regulation & Maintenance with 38 %. The main anthropogenic threats (excluding climate change) to the North Sea capacity to supply ecosystem services come primarily from fishing contributing to 51 % of the overall threat. Of the remaining 18 sectoral activities another 23 % was contributed by mining, non-renewable energy, tourism, and agriculture.

Proximity to non-crop vegetation increases estimates of predation frequency but not beetle numbers

Removal of non-crop vegetation (e.g., forest and grassland patches) to expand crop fields is detrimental to the natural enemies of crop pests, like the ground beetle family (Coleoptera: Carabidae), that use these areas for foraging and overwintering. An argument for maintaining non-crop vegetation is its potential to support the supply of ecosystem services, like pest control, to the surrounding crop. Pest control services from non-crop areas are usually measured using the activity-density of natural enemy species, a proxy measure for predatory activity. Evidence that predators such as ground beetles are attacking pests in crops has been less frequently studied. We distributed sentinel prey (fake ‘caterpillars’ made to look like potential prey items) along with pitfall traps at 300 stations using a spatially and temporally replicated design across 20 field sites in Alberta, Canada. The potential for pest attacks by carabids was estimated through bite marks on the sentinels. Using generalized additive modelling, we found that non-crop vegetation positively impacts carabid predation, but activity density of carabids does not explain the relationship. Instead, the non-crop vegetation affects predation frequency, likely by promoting predatory behaviours. These findings exemplify the importance of closer indicators of ecosystem services delivery than activity-density and provide evidence of the potential that ground beetles have in supplying pest control ecosystem services within agroecosystems.

Chains of supplies in insurance services

Insurance activity involves the work of several entities, aimed at creating an insurance product, which is then offered to clients. In traditional terms, the management of chains of insurance services supplies focused on ensuring that actions taken by external entities in respect of insurance undertakings were not detrimental to the stability and security of insurance sector. The number of challenges faced nowadays concerning social and environmental issues results in a pressure from the public on major enterprises, including those from the insurance sector, that their and their subcontractors’ activities give rise to the least negative effects possible. The result of such pressure is also that the insurance and reinsurance undertakings are starting to implement the system of supplies chains management.The aim of this article is to present the legal provisions in force concerning chains of supplies in insurance services, as well as to analyse non-normative sources that may be a basis for the management of chains of insurance services supplies in accordance with the ESC principles. The article also discusses EU legislation proposals concerning sustainable development that have a direct impact on the chains of supplies in insurance sector

Time series analysis of PM2.5 pollution risk based on the supply and demand of PM2.5 removal service: a case study of the urban areas of Beijing.

Demonstrating the temporal changes in PM2.5 pollution risk in regions facing serious PM2.5 pollution problems can provide scientific evidence for the air pollution control of the region. However, research on the variation of PM2.5 pollution risk on a fine temporal scale is very limited. Therefore, we developed a method for quantitative characterizing PM2.5 pollution risk based on the supply and demand of PM2.5 removal services, analyzed the time series characteristics of PM2.5 pollution risk, and explored the reasons for the temporal changes using the urban areas of Beijing as the case study area. The results show that the PM2.5 pollution risk in the urban areas of Beijing was close between 2008 and 2012, decreased by approximately 16.3% in 2016 compared to 2012, and further decreased by approximately 13.2% in 2021 compared to 2016. The temporal variation pattern of the PM2.5 pollution risk in 2016 and 2021 showed significant differences, including an increase in the number of risk-free days, a decrease in the number of heavily polluted days, and an increase in the stability of the risk day sequence. The significant reduction in risk level was mainly attributed to Beijing's air pollution control measures, supplemented by the impact of COVID-19 control measures in 2021. The results of PM2.5 pollution risk decomposition indicate that compared to the previous 2years, the stability and predictability of the risk variation in 2016 increased, but the overall characteristics of high risk from November to February and low risk from April to September did not change. The high risk from November to February was mainly due to the demand for coal heating during this period, a decrease in PM2.5 removal service supply caused by plant leaf fall, and the common occurrence of temperature inversions in winter, which hinders the diffusion of air pollutants. This study provides a method for the analysis of PM2.5 pollution risk on fine temporal scales and may provide a reference for the PM2.5 pollution control in the urban areas of Beijing.

Optimal decision-making and coordination of the shipping logistics service supply chain cooperation mode under the carbon quota and trading mechanism

Carbon cap-and-trade policy based on market mechanism becomes an important means to restrain shipping logistics enterprises' carbon emission reduction. This paper studies the new requirements of shipping enterprises under the pressure of carbon emission reduction. Considering the logistics service supply chain composed of two competing providers and one integrator under the constraint of carbon cap-and-trade policy, this paper explores the optimal pricing and revenue decision of shipping logistics service supply chain through vertical cooperation, horizontal cooperation between providers and revenue sharing cooperation among integrators. This paper obtains feedback strategies under different cooperation modes by constructing a game model. In the vertical game, the shipping logistics supplier is the Stackelberg leader, and the shipping logistics integrator is the follower; there is a Nash equilibrium in the emission reduction decisions among suppliers in the horizontal game. On this basis, the results of different cooperation modes are compared, and the influence of competitive strategies on the optimal results is discussed. We found that the vertical cooperation of the shipping logistics service supply chain has a higher carbon emission reduction rate and a lower sales price, and the horizontal cooperation of shipping logistics suppliers can improve their own profits but reduce the income of the shipping logistics integrators and consumer welfare. When the revenue sharing contract provides the shipping logistics integrator with a share proportion in a certain range, the revenue sharing contract can generate higher supply chain profits than the integration of two chains, which can urge shipping logistics suppliers to forfeit the horizontal cooperation and help the shipping logistics service supply chain achieve win-win results.

Unmet needs and harm reduction preferences of syringe services program participants: differences by co-use of illicit opioids and methamphetamine

BackgroundThe current fourth wave of the United States opioid overdose epidemic is characterized by the co-use of opioids and stimulants, including illicit opioids and methamphetamine. The co-use of these two drugs, known as “goofballing,” is associated with higher risk for several adverse outcomes, including more frequent injections, greater health risks, and higher morbidity. Considering these differences, this unique subpopulation of people who inject drugs (PWID) may also have unique unmet needs and harm reduction preferences.MethodsWe collected self-reported data from participants (N = 50) of a syringe services program (SSP), including basic needs and harm reduction preferences. Using bivariate analyses, we examined differences between SSP participants who do and do not co-use illicit opioids and methamphetamine. Co-use was defined as reporting the use of both drugs, which may or may not have been used simultaneously.ResultsIn the overall sample, the mean level of need was highest for bus passes or other transportation, a person who can help you get the services you need, medication for opioid use disorder, and a job or job training. Additionally, all participants reported being either interested or very interested in fentanyl test strips, safe consumption sites, delivery of syringe service supplies, and delivery of naloxone. Those who endorsed co-use had a greater need for food, healthcare, substance use disorder treatment, a support person to help them access needed services, and bus passes or transportation.ConclusionsUnmet needs were prevalent, and the desire for more harm reduction services was high among these PWID. Results also suggest people who co-use illicit opioids and methamphetamine may have the greatest unmet needs and desire for additional harm reduction services.

Modelling pollination maps in agroecosystems of a Chilean biodiversity hotspot

ABSTRACT Wild pollinators play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems and sustaining agricultural productivity. However, their survival is at risk due to habitat loss and land use changes, exacerbating the ongoing biodiversity crisis, and jeopardising global food security. We assessed the contribution of native vegetation cover to pollination and avocado crop yield by modelling the abundance of native bees and the pollination services they provide in agroecosystems of the Aconcagua River basin in Central Chile. This region stands as a critical biodiversity hotspot, currently confronted with the challenge of land use change, especially due to the expansion of avocado (Persea americana Mill.) monocultures. Our findings revealed a clear relationship between native bee abundance, pollination services, and avocado yield as a function of natural vegetation cover surrounding the crops. Areas with a higher proportion of native vegetation exhibited the most abundant supply of pollination services, while within avocado crops show lower levels of pollination support. A spatial mismatch between supply and demand for pollination revealed by our results indicates that agricultural expansion threatens native pollinators and agricultural yield production in this region. The development of pollination maps has been proposed as a strategic tool to guide land-use planning decisions within agricultural landscapes. Prioritizing the conservation of native vegetation or adopting biodiversity-friendly practices can help mitigate the effects of agricultural expansion on wild pollinators. These strategies are vital for safeguarding biodiversity, ensuring food security, and mitigating the far-reaching impacts of the current biodiversity crisis.

From thermoeconomics to environomics and beyond

Modern energy systems are more and more based on integrated technologies in a world evolving towards increasing concerns not only for economics but also for environmental issues with a growing focus on resources and emissions. In parallel, information technologies including advanced simulation and optimisation algorithms develop at a rapid pace. Thermoeconomics based on either the First Law or exergy, together with cost factors distributed through its equipment, also evolved during the last 30 years. However modern muti-objective evolutionary optimisation techniques, extending the capacity to tackle optimisation considering a growing number of parameters including the internalization of the costs of emissions of whole systems has also emerged. The latter is called environomics. So far, the supply of energy services was essentially dominated by fossil-based resources with a high focus on operational costs. The new trends towards renewable energies requires a growing need to consider the embedded exergies since renewable energy, like solar energy, is economically free and operational costs are inherently low. While economic factors can vary over a broad spectrum throughout the years of operation, the embedded exergies are more stable values, particularly because the systems are built in a known economic and energetic environment. A new class of methods is only emerging to deal with more complete exergy approaches to formulate more holistic exergy life cycle analyses. Those should provide a lower bound of the expected exergy payback over the lifetime of the systems to be compared with thermoeconomic or environomic optima. It is still a huge challenge ahead to provide practical tools to do it.

New Orleans school meal programs during the COVID-19 pandemic: challenges and innovations identified through qualitative interviews

BackgroundSchool meal programs are critical to reducing childhood food insecurity. This study identified challenges and innovations in school meal service in a disaggregated charter school system during COVID-19 in New Orleans, Louisiana.MethodsSemi-structured qualitative key informant interviews were conducted with school officials and school food providers. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded. Using an immersion-crystallization approach, patterns were identified.ResultsNine participants described challenges and solutions/innovations in food service focused around five themes: food service, procurement and costs, staffing, communication and outreach, and collaborations and partnerships. Participants faced challenges in meal service logistics, procuring food and supplies, staffing shortages, timely communication, lack of city-wide coordination, and the need to rapidly shift operations due to an evolving pandemic. While the disaggregated system created challenges in a city-wide response, the decentralized system along with policy changes offered opportunities for flexibility and innovation in meal programs through new partnership and coordination between schools and community, development of new processes for food service and procurement, and diverse modes of communication.ConclusionThese findings add to the understanding of challenges faced and innovations implemented to continue school meal programs in a disaggregated school system. Collaboration with community organizations, leveraging resources, coordinated communication, and policies allowing for flexibility were key to response and should be encouraged to build capacity and resiliency in emergencies. In future city-wide emergency preparedness planning efforts, school leaders and food providers should be included in the planning to ensure continued equitable food access for students.

Windbreak and sand fixation service flow simulation in the terminal lake basin of inland rivers in arid regions: A case study of the Aral Sea basin

Research on windbreak and sand fixation (WSF) services aids in soil conservation, and ecological protection. Over the past 50 years, the Aral Sea's shrinkage has intensified wind erosion, leading to significant sand and dust emissions in Central Asia (CA). This study uses the Revised wind erosion equation (RWEQ) model and the hybrid single particle Lagrangian integrated trajectory model (HYSPLIT) model to simulate the spatiotemporal variation pattern of WSF services in the Aral Sea basin (ASB). From the perspective of sand and dust transmission paths, the flow trajectory and benefit areas of WSF services are identified, the spatiotemporal correlation between the WSF service supply areas and benefit areas is established, and the potential impact of WSF services on beneficiary areas is quantitatively assessed. The results show the amount of wind erosion and the amount of WSF in the ASB from 2000 to 2019 showed a fluctuating trend of “first increasing and then decreasing”. In terms of spatial distribution, areas with large amounts of WSF are mainly distributed in the lower reaches of the Syr Darya River and the sand dunes in the northwest of the Kizilkum Desert. WSF services mainly flow through the Kizilkum Desert, Karakum Desert, Moyinkum Desert, Kazakh Hills, and the Junggar Basin and Tarim Basin in China. Generally, it flows to the northeast and southwest. In the past 20 years, the largest areas benefiting from the flow of WSF services are mainly distributed in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The trajectory distribution frequency shows a decreasing trend from the center to the periphery. The grassland areas constituted the largest beneficiary areas in the ASB of CA, with both the beneficiary population and real GDP exhibiting an upward trend. This study holds significant importance for enhancing the management of ecosystem services in sandy regions and for establishing ecological compensation mechanisms.

Research on Digital Empowerment of Public Sports Service System Construction

Building a higher-level public service system for national fitness is an important cornerstone for accelerating the construction of a sports powerhouse, and it is an inherent requirement that meets the people's expectations for a high-quality life. Digital empowerment will become an effective engine and sustained driving force for achieving high-quality supply of public services for national fitness. Through research, an analysis was conducted on the current situation and challenges of a higher-level public service system for national fitness. The study suggests that a wider range of participants are required by a higher-level public service system for national fitness, which requires a renewed understanding of human needs. A stronger element support requires overall system governance, and a more balanced resource layout requires full utilization of data platforms. This study proposes suggestions: to strengthen the construction of digital infrastructure for public sports services; Accelerate the construction of digital talent teams for public sports services; Establish a mechanism for sharing information and data on public sports services, and strengthen the construction of digital technology governance mechanisms for public sports services. Research aimed at promoting the construction of a digital empowerment public sports service system.

Construction and Optimization of Ecological Security Pattern Network Based on the Supply–Demand Ratio of Ecosystem Services: A Study from Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle, China

The exploration of ecological security patterns (ESPs) can help people find those areas that are in urgent need of restoration, which is an effective way to realize ecological protection. It is of utmost significance for promoting regional sustainable development to construct ESP and put forward sub-regional optimization suggestions based on the supply and demand ratio of ecosystem services (ESs). In this paper, we assessed the level of supply and demand for five ESs based on multi-source data in 2020 with the help of InVEST, ArcGIS, and IUEMS. Based on the results of supply and demand, we calculated the supply and demand ratio of ESs and extracted the ecological source areas (ESAs) on this basis. Then, we used the Linkage Mapper tool to construct the ESP based on the principle of the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model and circuit theory in the Chengdu–Chongqing economic circle (CCEC). Our results indicated that there were apparent spatial differences in the supply and demand of five ESs. There were 35 ESAs in the ESP network, covering an area of about 7914 km2, and most of their land use types were woodland. The CCEC was interconnected by a network of 91 ecological corridors (ECs), spanning a total length of approximately 10,701 km. From the ECs, we extracted 29 ecological pinch points (EPPs) and 16 ecological barrier points (EBPs), which each accounted for about 0.3% of the planned area of the CCEC. Finally, we divided the ecological spaces into four types and put forward the corresponding optimization suggestions. Among them, the proportion of ecological restoration area was 7.7%, which was located in Chengdu City, northwest of the study area. The findings of this paper can give some theoretical guidance and serve as a reference for making decisions in the pursuit of ecological civilization in this region.

Tree‐based model for achieving environmental impact neutrality: A case study application in the agri‐food sector

AbstractConsensus does not currently exists on how to offset the residual environmental footprint generated by agricultural and forestry practices. This paper develops an environmental sustainability management framework to support the achievement of environmental impact neutrality in the primary sector of agriculture and forestry. The proposed framework, named TREEIN, “a TREe model for Environmental Impact Neutrality”, can guide companies toward effective use of existing environmental management and certification schemes that account for both the negative impact of the production system's life cycle and the positive impact offered by adequate ecosystem service supply. First, we did an overview of international standard certifications, protocols, and sustainability programs based on life cycle assessment (LCA) and ecosystem services assessment (ESA) methodologies. Subsequently, we analyzed the sustainability programs in the European‐specific economic sectors of wine and extra‐virgin olive oil, focusing on the combined approach of LCA and ESA methodologies. As a result, TREEIN, a tree model framework, was developed and applied to the case study of a typical farming system in Tuscany (Italy) in order to achievie impact neutrality. Quantitative outcomes, qualitative assertions, and the methodological challenges associated with such a pilot application are investigated and discussed. The TREEIN's benefits and drawbacks are explored in light of the findings of this case study, and a roadmap for its further advancement and adoption in the market is presented.