Environmental Areas Research Articles

Projecting contributions of marine protected areas to rebuild fish stocks under climate change

No-take marine protected areas (No-take MPAs) are considered as a major tool for conserving marine biodiversity and ecosystem services. No-take MPAs can also contribute to climate adaptation for exploited fish stocks. Meanwhile, many fish stocks in the world are overfished and management institutions are developing plans to rebuild them. Understanding the potential effects of no-take MPAs on fish stocks under climate change can help develop strategies for climate-resilient stock rebuilding. Here, using a linked climate-fish-fishing model, we undertake simulation experiments to examine the effects of no-take MPAs on biomass and potential catches of 231 exploited fish and invertebrate species in eight marine ecoregions in the Northeast Atlantic under climate change. The simulations include different levels of fishing, no-take MPAs coverage, atmospheric global warming levels, and account for the expected displacement of fishing to the area around the no-take MPAs. Average individual stock biomass is projected to decrease by 5–15% per degree Celsius atmospheric warming. Having 30% of the distribution of over-exploited fish stocks under no-take MPAs together with conservation-focused fisheries management of these stocks are projected to offset the negative impacts on their biomass under 2.6–2.9 °C global warming. Meanwhile, potential catches increase when a portion of the over-exploited fish stocks is protected from fishing as higher biomass in the no-take MPAs spills-over to the surrounding areas. Our findings highlight that no-take MPAs, combined with reducing fishing intensity, can help rebuild over-exploited fish biomass and benefit their dependent fisheries in the Northeast Atlantic under projected climate change in the 21st century.

Numerical simulation and redesign of Kamar Kajang Levee against Mount Semeru lahar flood based on HEC-RAS 2D non-newtonian flow model

Mount Semeru is one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia where the pyroclastic, debris, and mudflows from its activities have severely damaged its surrounding areas. On December 4, 2021, Mount Semeru erupted, followed by intense rainfall, and damaged the Kamar Kajang Levee after a lahar flood event. The collapsed Levee was located along the Leprak Lumajang River, one of the natural drainage systems for Mount Semeru. The dyke failure had led to severe economic loss. Thus, reconstruction of the training dyke is highly important. In response, this research aims to propose an improvement to the Kamar Kajang Levee. This study was done through field observation, numerical simulation, and levee design calculation. The Non-Newtonian algorithm in HEC-RAS 6.2 was employed to model the flood events. The 2D model has been verified using a Sentinel-2 image and has shown a 90.7% similarity of inundated area after flooded by at least 214 m3/s of flood discharge, equivalent to a 5-year design discharge. The engineering design analysis shows that an additional 3.5 m height is needed to anticipate future floods and mitigate events effectively.

An SVR-Based Radio Propagation Prediction Model for Terrestrial FM Broadcasting Services in Beijing and Its Surrounding Area

An SVR-Based Radio Propagation Prediction Model for Terrestrial FM Broadcasting Services in Beijing and Its Surrounding Area

Detection of pyroclastic material and deformation of the lava dome in Mt. Sinabung with multi-temporal analysis (2010-2020)

The persistent eruptions of Mt. Sinabung resulted in the lava dome’s deformation and blanketed the surrounding area with pyroclastic material. This research focused on determining the changes in Mt. Sinabung during the prolonged eruptions from 2010-2020. A total of 22 volcanic ash samples were collected following a 1x1 km grid interval spread over from the East to South slope of Mt. Sinabung. The studied area is the most affected by the volcanic eruption. Digital elevation models from the shuttle radar topographic mission and sentinel-1 were utilized to monitor deformations of the lava dome and the distribution of pyroclastic material on Mt. Sinabung. Sentinel Application Platform and Google Earth Engine were used as the main tools in multi-temporal digital elevation model (DEM) data processing. The eruption of Mt. Sinabung from 2010 to 2020 changed the height from 2,460 m to 2,404.3 m and created a new crater (5.35 ha). The lava dome volume from 2010 to 2020 is about 2,308,041 m3 and has collapsed to produce pyroclastic material which deposits to the surrounding area of Mt. Sinabung during the eruption. The distribution of pyroclastic material increased from 2010 to 2019, covered up an area of 103.27 ha (2010), 846.48 ha (2013), 1,029.74 ha (2016), 1,235.97 ha (2017) and 1,463.62 ha (2019). The thickness of the pyroclastic material deposits at Mt. Sinabung until 2020 varied from 13,24 cm to 219 cm. The findings from this study can be used as a reference for observing topographic changes due to volcanic activities and drawing a mitigation and contingency plan for a volcanic disaster program in the active volcanic region of Indonesia.

Prospective Peri-Urban Areas Around the New Capital City of Nusantara, Indonesia: Sustainable Development and New Urban Agenda Perspectives

In 2022, the Indonesian Parliament passed the historical new capital city bill, commencing the relocation of the country’s capital from Jakarta to Nusantara in Kalimantan Timur. This relocation has been predicted to impact the surrounding areas by, for instance, triggering (peri-)urbanization. This research aimed to analyze the locations and roles of peri-urban areas and discuss the processes that drive their emergence and development in the context of the New Urban Agenda. For this purpose, potential peri-urban areas were determined by examining three spatial elements: the development level, accessibility, and position of a village (administrative unit) relative to the capital. Supporting primary data were acquired through a field survey, and secondary data were obtained from the Village Potential Statistics (PODES) from BPS-Statistics Indonesia. Results show that the identified potential peri-urban areas had the following characteristics: (1) situated within the new capital’s development zone, (2) directly adjacent to the capital, (3) having a high level of development and adequate access to the capital, and (4) currently parts of the peri-urban areas of Samarinda and Balikpapan Cities. According to the New Urban Agenda, peri-urban areas can help provide open green space to support rural-urban linkage and perform the new capital’s ecological functions.

Does large-scale research infrastructure affect regional knowledge innovation, and how? A case study of the National Supercomputing Center in China

Large-scale research infrastructures (LSRIs) are widely acknowledged as a crucial instrument for venturing into the uncharted territories of science and technology, as well as contributing to the well-being of society. However, only a limited number of literature have scrutinized the impact of LSRIs, founded upon a causal inference framework. Moreover, the function of LSRIs in the advancement of innovation at the regional level remains inadequately identified. Drawing on the resource-based view, this study develops a conceptual framework that links the scientific effect of LSRIs to innovation resources in order to assess their impact on knowledge innovation (KI). Taking China’s National Supercomputing Center (NSC) as a case, three major mechanism hypotheses are proposed for the impact of NSC on KI, including basic effect, network effect, and technology effect. Using panel data from 283 cities in China from 2000 to 2020, we employ a spatial difference-in-differences estimation model to examine the impact of NSC on KI. The research finds that: (1) The construction of NSC stimulates KI in local and surrounding areas. (2) The main mechanisms by which NSC promotes KI include the increase in fiscal investment and talents in science, the improvement of digital infrastructure, as well as the enhancement of urban network centrality and innovation efficiency. (3) Geographical proximity, cooperation proximity, and digitization proximity constitute the main channels of policy spillover. (4) NSC has not shown significant promotion of regional innovation convergence, and its radiation influence needs further improvement. (5) The knowledge innovation effects of NSCs manifest heterogeneity based on the distinct knowledge orientation and innovation environment, with this impact being notably pronounced in application innovation-oriented cities such as Shenzhen. The results of this study reveal the positive yet limited impact of NSC on KI and provide a reference for other economies in the areas of LSRIs, digital infrastructure, and the formulation of place-based innovation policy.

Sensitivity of the Land–Atmosphere Coupling to Soil Moisture Anomalies during the Warm Season in China and its Surrounding Areas

Significant temporal and spatial variability in soil moisture (SM) is observed during the warm season in China and its surrounding regions. Because of the existence of two different evapotranspiration regimes, i.e., soil moisture-limited and energy-limited, averaging the land–atmosphere (L–A) coupling strength for all soil wetness scenarios may result in the loss of coupling signals. This study examines the daytime-only L–A interactions under different soil moisture conditions, by using two-legged metrics in the warm season from May to September 1981–2020, partitioning the interactions between SM and latent heat flux (SM–LH, the land leg) from the interactions between latent heat flux and the lifting condensation level (LH–LCL, the atmospheric leg). The statistical results reveal large regional differences in warm-season daytime L–A feedback in China and its surrounding areas. As the soil becomes wetter, the positive SM–LH coupling strength increases in arid regions (e.g., northwest China, Hetao, and the Great Indian Desert) and the positive feedback shifts to the negative one in semi-arid/semi-humid regions (northeast and northern China). The negative LH–LCL coupling is most pronounced in wet soil months in arid regions, while the opposite is true for the Tibetan Plateau. In terms of intraseasonal variation, the large variability of SM in north China, the Tibetan Plateau, and India due to the influence of the summer monsoon leads to the sign change in the land segment coupling index, comparing pre- and post-monsoon periods. To further examine the impact of SM anomalies on L–A coupling and to explore evapotranspiration regimes in the North China Plain, four sets of sensitivity experiments with different soil moisture levels over a period of 10 years were conducted. Under relatively dry soil conditions, evapotranspiration is dominated by the soil moisture-limited regime with positive L–A coupling, regardless of external moisture inflow. The critical soil moisture value separating a soil moisture-limited and an energy-limited regime lies between 0.24 m3/m3 and 0.29 m3/m3. Stronger positive feedback under negative soil moisture anomalies may increase the risk of drought in the North China Plain.

Limestone Industry on PM2.5 Air Quality in Padalarang and Surrounding Areas

The processing of limestone through the combustion process will cause air pollution at the combustion site and its surroundings. At the limestone processing site, Padalarang experiences relatively high air pollution. PM2.5 is one of the main pollutants produced by limestone burning, so it is very necessary to study the concentration of PM2.5 in the air in Padalarang and its surroundings. This study was conducted in Padalarang and its surroundings, where data collection was carried out in five locations, namely at the center of limestone burner, 1 km, 2 km, 3 km, and 4 km to the east of the burning center. Data collection was carried out for ten days, where each data collection was carried out for 12 hours, from 07.00 to 19.00. Based on the national standard of PPRI No. 22 of 2021, which is 55 µg/m3, the concentration in the limestone burning center and 1 km from burning center have exceeded the standard, which is 82.5 and 69.3 µg/m3. While PM2.5 concentrations at distances of 2 km, 3 km, and 4 km are below the national standard, namely 52.0, 51.6 and 50.2 µg/m3, respectively. Based on the Air Quality Index (AQI), the AQI at the burning center, distance of 1 km, 2 km, 3 km, and 4 km are Unhealthy, Unhealthy, Moderate, Moderate and Moderate, respectively. This means that areas less than 1 km away are not healthy places to live. The poor air quality in Padalarang is reflected in the much higher number of ARI cases compared to the surrounding sub-districts that do not have a limestone industry.

Geospatial Analysis of the Proportion of Persons Defined as Underrepresented in Medicine for Each Medical School and Their Surrounding Core-Based Statistical Area.

The current approach to increasing diversity in medical education fails to consider local community demographics when determining medical school matriculation. We propose that medical schools better reflect their surrounding community, both because racially/ethnically concordant physicians have been shown to provide better care and to repair the historical and current racist impacts of these institutions that have criminalized, displaced, and excluded local Black and Brown communities. In this study, we used geospatial analysis to determine that medical school enrollments generally fail to reflect their surrounding community, represented as their core-based statistical area, within which the individual medical schools reside.

Slope Failure of Shilu Metal Mine Transition from Open-Pit to Underground Mining under Excavation Disturbance

The instability of slopes and ground subsidence caused by the conversion from open-pit to underground mining are important aspects of mining disaster research. This study focuses on the instability of slopes and ground subsidence during the conversion from open-pit to underground mining in the Beiyi mining area of the Shilu iron ore mine. Using numerical simulation and analysis, this study establishes a mechanical analysis model to assess the rock stability and movement of rockfall. The research findings indicate that there are significant stress concentration phenomena in the surrounding and floor areas of the goaf during the mining process. The collapse zone mainly develops in the western area before and after a certain level of mining and then shifts to the eastern part of Beiyi area. Surface subsidence expands after mining at a certain level, resulting in a large-scale disturbance area. Furthermore, the eastern slope experiences extensive landslides. This study suggests the continued monitoring of landslides and slope stability in specific areas of the mine. The research results can help us to understand the stability of the open-pit to underground rock mass in Hainan, judge the development trend of the surface subsidence range, and provide a reference for the stability evaluation of the rock mass mined by the open-pit-to-underground caving method.

Development of a qPCR Duplex Assay for simultaneous detection of Fascioloides magna and Galba truncatula in eDNA samples: Monitoring beyond boundaries

Parasites constitute a significant economic burden and highly impact environmental, public, and animal health. The emergence of many parasitic diseases is environmentally mediated and they share the same biogeography with humans and both domestic and wild animals. American liver fluke, Fascioloides magna – a trematode parasite of domestic and wild ungulates – is an example of the anthropogenic introduction of an “invasive alien species” in Italy and Europe. Multiple introductions to Europe have led to the biogeographical expansion of the parasite across the Danube region mainly provided by the presence of suitable habitats for all hosts involved in the parasite's life cycle, human-assisted transport, and drastic environmental events such as flooding. In Italy, it was introduced and established in La Mandria Regional Park (LMRP) near Turin in 1865 along with imported wapitis (Cervus elaphus canadensis) from North America (Bassi, 1875), but with no reported expansion to the surrounding areas. LMRP isolated F. magna focus, poses an important threat of possible expansion since the enclosed area is vulnerable to occasional bidirectional passage of roe deer. Additionally, tributary rivers to the Po river system, traversing the enclosed area, could further bolster the possibility of such spread. In this study, we developed a duplex qPCR assay for F. magna and its principal intermediate host Galba truncatula optimized for testing eDNA samples to meet the needs for surveillance of the parasite. Moreover, we validated the developed assay in natura by testing samples derived from filtered water and sediments collected inside and outside LMRP's fenced-off area. Our findings for the first time demonstrate the presence of F. magna's eDNA outside the park's internal fenced-off area.

დისტანციური ზონდირების მეთოდით მიღებული მონაცემების ინდეტიფიკაცია ბექთაკარი-ბნელიხევის მადნიანი კვანძის ფარგლებში

Data obtained by the Remote Sensing method is widely used in many filed of Geology, including in the case of mineral resources research. Our research is dedicated to the study of Beqtakari-Bnelikhevi deposits and their surrounding areas, which is expressed in the determination of lithological characteristics in the study area, the detection of mineral indices and indicators, the study of structural features, the determination of hydrothermally altered areas and the detection of metallic mineralized areas within them. The ratio composites of the FCC and CRC algorithms were used to create the lithological maps. PCA technique of principal component analysis was also used. We obtained the altered zones by the method of the ratio of spectral indices. In the research, we also used the controlled SAM and SID methods of spectral designations, as well as the limited energy minimization CEM technology. The obtained data, the main purpose of processing of which was the detection of hydrothermally altered areas, are integrated with structural units. The research was carried out using Google Earth Engine, QGIS, image visualization environment software packages and Python programming language.

Spatial constraints or spatial dynamics? The spatial spillover effect of networks of flood regulation service flows on land-use degree.

In the face of frequent floods under climate and environmental changes, it is particularly important to measure the supply and demand of flood regulation services. Using the Hainan Island as an illustrative case, this study constructs a spatial spillover model to examine the spatial correlation mode and evolution of regional land-use degree through the network of ecosystem service flow. The research results show that forests, grasslands, and reservoirs function as the primary suppliers of flood regulation services, with forests contributing significantly to the regulation of floods. High flood risk was identified in the eastern, northern, and western regions of the Hainan Island, corresponding to increased demand for flood regulation services in croplands, towns, and rural settlements within these areas. The flow of flood regulation services within the Hainan Island was found to be directed from the center to the surrounding areas, with medium and high service flows predominantly concentrated in the northern and surrounding regions. The degree of land use on the Hainan Island demonstrated an influence on socio-economic development. Additionally, the flow network of ecological services was identified as a crucial factor in spatial spillovers, reflecting the level of interaction between county units.

Influence of buffer distance on environmental geological hazard susceptibility assessment.

Previous researches seldom studied the selection of buffer distance between geological hazards (positive samples) and non-geological hazards (negative samples), and its reasonable selection plays a very important role in improving the accuracy of susceptibility zoning, protecting the environment and reducing the cost of hazard management. Based on GIS technology and random forest (RF) and frequency-ratio random forest (FR-RF) models, this study innovatively explored the influence of randomly selected non-geological hazard samples outside different buffer distances on the susceptibility evaluation results, with buffer distances of 100 m, 500 m, 1000 m and 2000 m in sequence. The results show that through the confusion matrix and ROC curve test, the accuracy of the model increases first and then decreases with the increase of buffer distance. Both RF and FR-RF models have the highest accuracy when the buffer distance is 1000 m, and the accuracy of the RF model is generally higher than that of the FR-RF model under the same buffer distance. Similar attribute values of positive samples and randomly selected negative samples or "extreme" attribute values of negative samples are the main reasons for the differences in evaluation results of different buffer distances. According to the weight analysis of causative factors, the distance from road, the distance from river and the normalized vegetation index (NDVI) are the main factors affecting the occurrence of hazards. The high and very high susceptibility areas in the study area are mainly distributed on both sides of roads and water systems, which are the key areas for hazard prevention and reduction. The HMC of RF-1000m decreased by 3.55% on average compared with other models. The results of this study improve the accuracy of geological hazard susceptibility assessment, maintain the safety of ecological environment, and provide a scientific basis for the selection of buffer distance index in local and surrounding areas in the future.

The influx of youth as an effect of the new town development policy through relocation of public institutions: focusing on differences between large and medium/small-city location types

ABSTRACT The study focus was the influx of youth as an effect of the new town development policy through relocation of public institutions. We also examined differences according to location type (large and medium/small cities). In addition, we classified the effects of the influx of youth into the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA), non-Seoul Metropolitan Area (non-SMA), the surrounding area (SA), and non-surrounding area (non-SA). We conducted the analysis using the propensity score matching and difference-in-differences (PSM-DID) model. Study findings indicated that the new town development policy through relocation of public institutions had a positive effect, fostering an influx of youth. However, the effects of the influx of youth differed by location type (i.e. large and medium/small cities). Specifically, the effects of the influx of youth from the SMA were positive for both location types, but the effects from the non-SMA were statistically significant only for medium/small cities. In addition, we found positive effects on the youth influx from both the SA and non-SA regions in medium/small cities. This study can help policymakers and planners consider location types when developing strategies to activate a youth influx through the relocation of public institutions.

Hydrogeology Conceptual Model of Meninting Dam and Its Surrounding Area, West Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

The Meninting Dam is one of the dams recently built in West Lombok, Indonesia. Hydrogeologically, this dam was built on the Mataram-Selong Groundwater Basin, which is known to be a highly productive aquifer. However, in this area, no extensive research in terms of hydrogeological conditions has been conducted. Therefore, the objective of this research is to present a conceptual model of the hydrogeology of the Meninting Dam and its surrounding area. This study was carried out by collecting primary and secondary data on the geological, hydrological, and hydrogeological conditions in the research area. Results show that there are two layers of unconfined aquifer, one layer of aquitard, and one layer of confined aquifer in this area. The unconfined aquifer is built by layers made up of pebbles, sand, clay, gravel, and boulders, but also a layer of pumiceous tuff with a thickness up to 40 m and a hydraulic conductivity value between 10-1 mm/s and 5x10-2mm/s. The confined aquifer is composed of pumiceous tuff and has a thickness range of up to 100 m and a K value of about 5 x 10-3 mm/s. Between unconfined and confined aquifers, there is a thick layer of aquitard made up of laharic breccia.

Modeling land use/land cover changes using quad hybrid machine learning model in Bangweulu wetland and surrounding areas, Zambia

Wetlands are among the most productive natural ecosystems globally, providing crucial ecosystem services to people. Regrettably, a substantial 64 % –71 % of wetlands have been lost worldwide since 1900, mainly due to changes in land use and land cover (LULC). This issue is not unique to Zambia's Bangweulu Wetland System (BWS), which faces similar challenges. However, there is limited information about the LULC changes in BWS. Furthermore, finding accurate and cost-effective methods to understand LULC dynamics is complicated by the multitude of available techniques for LULC classification. Non-parametric methods like Machine Learning (ML) offer greater accuracy, but different ML models come with distinct strengths and weaknesses. Combining multiple models has the potential to create a more precise LULC classification model. Open-source software like QGIS and spatial data like Landsat also play a significant role in this endeavour. The primary objective of this study was to enhance the accuracy of modeling LULC changes in wetland areas. Six ML models: Support Vector Machine (SVM), Naive Bayes (NB), Decision Tree (DT), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Random Forest (RF), and K-Nearest Neighbour (KNN) were used for LULC image classification of Landsat 8 (2020 image) and Landsat 5 (1990, 2000, and 2010 images) in QGIS. Four models: SVM, NB, DT, and KNN, performed better than the other models. Consequently, The Quad (4) hybrid model was created by fusing the maps from these four models with the highest performance. Results revealed that the fusion of the four classified maps of the SVM, NB, DT, and KNN (Quad hybrid model) showcased superior performance compared to the individual models with Kappa Index scores of 0.87, 0.72, 0.84 and 0.87 for the years 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020, respectively. The analysis of the LULC changes from 1990 to 2020 showed a yearly decline of -1.17 %, -1.01 %, and -0.12 % in forest, grassland, and water body coverage, respectively. In contrast, built-up areas and cropland increased at rates of 1.70 % and 2.70 %, respectively. This study underscores the consistent growth of cropland and built-up areas from 1990 to 2020, alongside the reduction of forest cover and grassland. Although the water body experienced a gradual decrease over this period, the decline was minimal. Long-term monitoring will be essential for evaluating the success of interventions, guiding conservation efforts, mitigating negative impacts on the wetland ecosystem, and determining whether the reduction in water bodies is a sustained trend or a short-term phenomenon.

Solar PV Generation Prediction Based on Multisource Data Using ROI and Surrounding Area

Solar PV Generation Prediction Based on Multisource Data Using ROI and Surrounding Area

“Analysis of School Infrastructure Potential as Temporary Evacuation Centers During Emergency Disaster Conditions in Palu and Surrounding Areas”

The earthquake that occurred in Central Sulawesi province on September 28, 2018, devastated parts of Palu City, Sigi Regency, and Donggala Regency. The earthquake and tsunami caused damage to various facilities and infrastructure, resulting in a significant number of casualties. To minimize the risk of casualties during disasters, a rescue strategy is needed, one of which is providing evacuation centers in disaster-prone areas. Therefore, it is necessary to identify which areas can be proposed as temporary evacuation sites during disasters. This research aims to assess the benefits of school infrastructure by examining the suitability of school infrastructure when utilized as temporary evacuation centers. The recommended locations consider the availability of toilets, classrooms, schoolyard area, and service radius. The weighting criteria use Spatial Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (SMCDA) with the Weighted Overlay method. The analysis is carried out using ArcGIS Pro software, and the weighting of each criterion/layer uses the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method, considering the criteria of classroom availability, schoolyard area, and service radius. The results of this study indicate that of the 72 schools reviewed, there are 24 schools with a high level of conformity, 19 schools with a moderate level of conformity and 29 schools with a low level of conformity.

Estimation of Groundwater Recharge Using Water Table Fluctuation Method in Bamako and Surrounding Areas, Mali

Estimation of Groundwater Recharge Using Water Table Fluctuation Method in Bamako and Surrounding Areas, Mali