Coastal Strip Research Articles

Marshaling science to advance large landscape conservation

AbstractApplying science to conservation requires deliberate planning and action infrequently taught in academic settings. To illustrate impactful analysis and science communication, we describe scientific activities targeting the needs of land trusts, NGOs, landowners, and government agencies working to conserve the Florida Wildlife Corridor (“Corridor”). This 7.2 million hectare area is prioritized for habitat connectivity conservation in the US state of Florida. Our activities are built on decades of science guiding Florida land conservation. We quantified threats (e.g., average of over 14,000 ha of development/year from 2001 to 2019) and socio‐ecological benefits of Corridor conservation, prioritized yet‐to‐be‐conserved Corridor areas, produced and shared a new statewide connectivity model, and convened groups to identify campaign science needs. The new connectivity model—the Florida Circuit Model—supported the geography of the Corridor, as designated, and facilitates local (10 km radius, or less) conservation planning. Our efforts have contributed to allocation of over $2 billion for land conservation and the permanent protection of over 82,000 ha within the Corridor by state agencies from June 2021 to March 2024. Targeting science to outreach and policy, planning, and management decisions can motivate public, media, researcher, and government support for land conservation, improve conservation interventions, and attract research funding.

Construction and optimisation of watershed scale ecological network: a case study of kuye river basin

IntroductionCreating an ecological space network is essential for safeguarding the core structure of ecological space.MethodsMorphological spatial pattern analysis was used to locate ecological sources in the Kuye River Basin. Using the least cumulative resistance model and gravity model, the resistance surface, ecological corridor, and ecological space management network are determined.Results and discussionThe study revealed that in 2022, the predominant land use types in the Kuye River Basin were wood land and grassland, cultivated land, and construction land. MSPA model software identifies a substantial portion of the landscape pattern as consisting of core and marginal areas, which encompass 30324.05 hm2 and 15088.24 hm2. High ecological resistance surface factors dominate the socioeconomically vibrant zone and northern regions. Resistance values ranging from 0.02 to 0.87, and high and law resistance zones alternate. The minimal cumulative resistance approach found 171 ecological corridors. And gravity model using the interaction matrix of 19 primary ecological sources discovered 8 first-level ecological corridors with the highest interaction force. There are 137 core and 23 subsidiary ecological corridors with significant affects. Overlying the road factors and ecological corridors of national highways, provincial roads, railways, and high-speed roads creates a total of 38 ecological breakpoints, each characterized by specific barrier effects and legal ecological stability.

Analysis of Spatial Divergence in Bird Diversity Driven by Built Environment Characteristics of Ecological Corridors in High-Density Urban Areas

Urban ecological corridors play an important role in facilitating bird migration and maintaining biodiversity in urban landscapes as key connections between habitat patches. However, the effects of built environment characteristics of urban ecological corridors on bird diversity have not been well understood. In this study, we used Minhang District, Shanghai, as an example to describe the built environment of urban ecological corridors through three dimensions (habitat characteristics, degree of surrounding urbanization, and degree of slow-traffic connectivity). We calculated species richness, abundance, Shannon–Wiener index, and Simpson Index to assess bird diversity based on the bird observation dataset from the Citizen Science Data Sharing Platform. The effects of built environment characteristics of urban ecological corridors on bird diversity were quantified by the Generalized Linear Model. The results showed that: (1) There were significant differences in the built environment characteristics of urban ecological corridors, which formed the spatial differentiation pattern of bird diversity. (2) Different built environment features of urban ecological corridors have different impacts on bird diversity. Habitat suitability of urban ecological corridors was positively correlated with bird diversity, with birds preferring to inhabit waters with an area of more than 1 ha. The degree of urbanization was negatively correlated with bird diversity, with distance to the center of the area proving to have the strongest positive effect. The degree of slow-traffic connectivity proved that low-intensity human activities in urban ecological corridors had a lower impact on bird diversity. The above findings can provide scientific reference for the construction of urban and regional ecological networks in the future.

Islands in the stream: Wood‐induced deposition and erosion in the river corridor

AbstractLarge wood causes and responds to deposition and erosion within a river corridor. We focus on the anastomosing, gravel‐bed Swan River and two meandering, gravel‐bed tributaries in northwestern Montana, USA to explore the temporal dimensions of deposition and erosion associated with channel avulsions and island formation and to introduce the concept of wood levees. Channel avulsion represents isolation of part of the existing floodplain and formation of an anastomosing channel planform, with wood‐induced deposition at the point of channel bifurcation. Islands form at a wood jam that migrates upstream with time as sediment accumulates in the lee of the jam. The island creates only a local interruption of the single‐channel planform. We use tree‐ring and 14C dating to constrain wood‐induced island ages. We interpret the three wood‐induced forms of deposition and erosion that we describe here as reflecting a temporal continuum. Wood levees have primarily non‐woody vegetation and may be transient relative to the other features. Tributary islands appear to persist from a decade to over a century. Tree ages of 100–200 years at the floodplain avulsion site and the characteristics of the secondary channels suggest that these wood‐induced avulsion features can persist for more than a century. Understanding the temporal dynamics of wood‐induced features and spatial variation in erosion and deposition provides insight into the dynamics and spatial heterogeneity of natural river corridors, with implications for river restoration.

The tonsillouvular fissure approach to exophytic cavernous malformation in the lateral recess of the fourth ventricle: 2-dimensional operative video

Cavernous malformations surrounding the fourth ventricle are challenging lesions to access and treat surgically owing to the complexity and eloquence of adjacent neural tissue [1] Long-standing practice included tissue transgression through the overlying cerebellar cortical surface of the hemisphere or vermis [1–3]. Using natural corridors such as tonsillobiventral fissure, cerebellomedullary fissure, and tonsillouvular fissure (TUF) offers elegant access to the fourth ventricle, avoiding traversing of neural tissue [4–7].A 32-year-old male presented with headache, nausea, vomiting, double vision, and vertigo. Neuroimaging demonstrated a 17-mm diameter cavernous malformation protruding into the left lateral recess of the fourth ventricle. The patient consented for the procedure and underwent a middline suboccipital craniotomy in a prone position. TUF approach was performed by dissecting the arachnoid to the depth of the fissure, and after identifying the tonsillomedullary segment of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery, minimal white matter transgression was used to reach cavernous malformation. Complete removal of the lesion was achieved and confirmed on postoperative imaging. The postoperative course was uneventful.TUF approach with manipulation by ipsilateral and contralateral retraction of tonsills allows the widening of the surgical corridor and better exposure of lesions of the lateral recess of the fourth ventricle [1]. TUF approach is a valuable alternative to transvermian and transcerebellar approaches that minimize the division of neural tissue [6]. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case describing the TUF approach to exophytic cavernoma presenting in the lateral recess of the fourth ventricle.Under our institutional ethical review board regulations, approval was not necessary.

Enhancing ecological connectivity in the Qilian Mountains: Integrating GCA and optimized MST models for ecological corridor construction

Amidst global climate change and increased anthropogenic activities, the Qilian Mountains face critical ecological and environmental challenges, including vegetation degradation and declining carbon stocks. Therefore, effective mitigation strategies are critical to building China’s ecological security and enhancing carbon storage. This study constructed and optimized an ecological corridor in the Qilian Mountains using models, such as minimum spanning tree and carbon stock calculation. It combined geographic meta cellular automata and other methods to model ecological recovery in the Qilian Mountains following corridor construction and investigated the areas of particular concern. The results show that: (1) the distribution of the 118 extracted ecological source sites (2020) exhibited a pattern of “dense in the east and sparse in the west.” Compared with the results of the 2010 extraction, the source site area had shrunk by 0.87 % and number of sites had increased by 45.68 %. This implies that the shrinkage and fragmentation of source sites are still increasing, underscoring the urgent need for ecological corridors. (2) Compared to the pre-optimization period, the network node connectivity of the corridor network formed by the optimized 114 primary corridors and 131 secondary corridors has increased by 110 % and the network connectivity has increased by 112 %, which enhances the connectivity of the corridors. (3) From 2000 to 2020, the carbon stock in the Qilian Mountains decreased and then increased; with the construction of a corridor mountain range, the carbon stock can be further increased by 1.4748 million tons. Additionally, the Geographic Cellular Automata (GCA) model simulated that in 2030, the area of forest land in the Qilian Mountains, area of grassland, and carbon stock will increase by 71.75 km2, 313.87 km2, and 6.663 million tons, respectively. These results confirm that ecological protection and corridor construction promote ecological restoration and enhance carbon stocks in the Qilian Mountains, providing a scientific basis for future ecological projects and carbon stock analysis in the region.

Optimization of composite ecological network patterns in Anhui Province based on multi-functional coupling of ecology-climate-economy

Amidst global climate warming and rapid urbanization, ecological and environmental issues are becoming increasingly prominent. Constructing a multi-functional coupled ecological network pattern is essential for promoting the synergy among ecological protection, climate regulation, and economic development. This study focuses on Anhui Province, characterized by diverse topographical features. Utilizing “source and sink” theory, the study employs a combination of Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA), landscape connectivity indices, local spatial autocorrelation, and circuit theory to construct single-factor networks for biodiversity conservation, thermal environment mitigation, and economic development. The analysis of spatial elements such as “source” areas, corridors, ecological strategic points, and ecological nodes led to the formation of an optimized multi-level, multi-functional composite ecological network pattern based on ecology, climate, and economy. The results indicate that: (1) Anhui Province has 14 ecological “source” landscapes and 31 ecological “sink” landscapes. There are 29 climate “source” landscapes and 21 climate “sink” landscapes. Additionally, there are 30 economic “source” landscapes and 22 economic “sink” landscapes. The biological migration corridors are primarily concentrated in Northern and Central Anhui Province, while climate corridors are distributed throughout the province. Economic corridors are relatively dense and dispersed across various cities in Anhui Province, showing a trend of expansion in all directions; (2) In the multi-level “source and sink” landscape network, the total length of economic corridors surpasses climate corridors, which in turn surpass biological migration corridors. In terms of total area, climate corridors exceed biological migration corridors, which surpass economic corridors. The optimal widths for first class and secondary corridors are outlined as follows: biological migration corridors at 1000 m and 6000 m, climate corridors at 2000 m and 6000 m, and economic corridors at 1000 m and 2000 m; (3) Overlaying the multi-objective corridors identified 228 ecological key points and 501 disturbance points. Approximately 7.52 % of the area in economic “source” locations should be allocated to ecological and climate corridors. (4) The proposed multi-functional composite ecological network optimization scheme identifies critical areas for the restoration of the multi-functional composite network. The lengths of the main corridors for biological migration, climate, and economy are 2130.20 km, 2606.14 km, and 1134.63 km respectively. The total area for core and critical restoration zones is 1166.42 km2 for ecology, 2999.95 km2 for climate, and 2902.11 km2 for economy. Constructing a multi-functional composite ecological network can effectively enhance regional ecosystem services, alleviate urban heat island effects, and promote sustainable regional economic development. This study addresses existing gaps in ecological network research and provides scientific basis and technical support for the coordinated optimization of ecological protection, climate regulation, and economic development in Anhui Province and globally.

PHYTOSOCIOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF AN URBAN FRAGMENT OF INTERIOR ATLANTIC FOREST - PARANÁ, BRAZIL

The Parque Natural Municipal Paulo Gorski, located in western Paraná, comprises an urban remnant of Mixed Ombrophilous Forest. This study aimed to identify tree species and conduct the phytosociological characterization of this fragment of the Atlantic Forest. Monthly visits were made in ten plots (20 x 5 m) to collect fertile samples. A rarefaction curve was generated, and phytosociological parameters, diversity, and the distribution of individuals in diameter classes were calculated. A total of 158 tree individuals were sampled, distributed across 23 families and 47 species (including six exotic ones). Among the species found, 74.4% exhibited zoochoric dispersion syndrome, 19.1% anemochoric, and 6.5% autocoric. Concerning successional category, 63.8% were early successional species. Alchornea triplinervia (Spreng.) Müll.Arg. and Prunus myrtifolia (L.) Urb. had the highest importance values due to their high number of individuals, greater frequency, and basal area. Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntz, an endangered species, also had a high importance value. The Shannon diversity index was 3.43, and evenness was 0.89. Approximately 70% of the individuals were distributed in smaller diameter classes (< 15 cm), forming an inverted J-shape, an expected pattern indicating a regenerative capacity and structure of preserved forest remnants, despite being in an urban area and facing significant human pressures. This urban forest fragment should be preserved, as it contains native and endangered tree species from the region, serving as an ecological corridor, and maintains important ecological and social functions for the region.

Spatial–Temporal Analysis of Impacts of Climate Variability on Maize Yield in Kenya

This study examined the spatial temporal impacts of climate variability on maize yield in Kenya. The maize yield data were obtained from the Kenya Maize Yield Database while climatic variable data were obtained from the Climatic Research Unit gridded Time Series (CRU TS) with a spatial resolution of 0.5° × 0.5°. The non-parametric Mann–Kendall and Sen’s slope tests showed no trend in the data for maximum temperature, minimum temperature and precipitation. The spatial maps patterns highlight the rampancy of wetter areas in the Lake Victoria basin and Highlands East of Rift Valley compared to other regions. Additionally, there is a decreasing trend in the spatial distribution of precipitation in wetter areas and an increasing trend in maximum temperature in dry areas, albeit not statistically significant. Spearman’s rank correlation test showed a strong positive correlation between maize yield and the climatic parameters for the Lake Victoria basin, Highlands East of Rift Valley, Coastal Strip and North Western Regions. The findings suggest that climate variability has a significant impact on maize yield for four out of six climatological zones. We recommend adoption of policies and frameworks that will augment adaptive capacity and build resilience to climatic changes.

Studying the spatiotemporal variations of the ecological network and carbon utilization efficiency in Southeast Tibet based on complex network theory

Currently, with the gradual advancement of urbanization and industrialization, ecological patches are severely fragmented and corridors are cut off, leading to the construction of regional ecological networks that can connect fragmented patches and corridors with regional characteristics. However, there is limited research on the relationship between ecological networks and Carbon Utilization Efficiency (CUE) based on complex network theory. This paper takes the ecologically fragile Southeast Tibet as the research area and investigates the variation patterns of CUE through the establishment of ecological spatial networks. The Graphab Model is employed to extract the ecological space network of Southeast Tibet. The Graphab Model integrates the complex network with the ecological space network to compute the topological index of ecological nodes and the overall ecological network. Later, MOD17A2HGF GPP and MOD17A2HGF PSNnet data from 2013 to 2021 are used as the primary data for calculating the CUE of ecological nodes. The connection between topological index and ecological nodes is analysed. The results indicate that, with interannual variations, ecological nodes dropped by 15, and the number of ecological galleries decreased by 7. However, the average values of various topological indices showed an increasing trend, suggesting that the ecological remediation items in Southeast Tibet have made some achievements. Nevertheless, the analysis of CUE in Southeast Tibet reveals a downward trend in the carbon fixation rate of vegetation in recent years. Through correlation analysis, it was found that the correlation between various topological indices and CUE was the lowest and insignificant in 2013, while from 2015 to 2021, all topological indices were significantly positively correlated with CUE. Through Principal Component Analysis (PCA), It is recommended to reduce and shorten redundant ecological corridors by aggregating small ecological patches and increasing stepping stone patches, and increase ecological galleries to enhance the carbon fixation ability of plants. This research lays a scientific foundation for addressing ecological issues, landscape patterns, and developing ecological networks in Southeast Tibet.

Integrating species distribution and piecewise linear regression model to identify functional connectivity thresholds to delimit urban ecological corridors

Urban ecological corridors are essential for sustainable urban development, but determining their width remains challenging. This paper addresses this issue by focusing on the unique habitat requirements of urban undercanopy bird species. We employ Species Distribution Model to simulate their potential living spaces in Shanghai and quantify their functional connectivity in urban mobility. We then use segmented linear regression models to identify turning points in functional connectivity within different buffer zones, which represent the physical width of the corridor. Our findings show that urban undercanopy birds are less sensitive to human activity and building distribution compared to surface temperature, land cover types, and vegetation canopy height. We also find that conventional linear weighting methods tend to overestimate the impact of environmental factors on undercanopy birds, leading to subtle deviations in corridor path recognition. Finally, we demonstrate that employing segmented linear regression helps to quantify the turning points of functional connectivity for each urban ecological corridor, allowing us to determine their physical width range. This study is the first attempt to quantitatively assess the functional connectivity of urban ecological corridors from the perspective of undercanopy birds and demarcate their extent.

Estimating the scale-dependent influence of natural terrestrial corridors on the positioning of settlements: A multi-scale study of Roman forts in Wales

Natural terrestrial corridors have been shown to have influenced the positioning of past settlements. The scale at which this pattern-process relationship operates is often un-estimated and thus remains unclear. This paper proposes the comparison of multiple point process models as an approach for estimating the optimal scale at which this relationship is strongest. With this approach, it is revealed that the positioning of Roman forts used during the conquest of Wales was most influenced by natural terrestrial corridors at a scale of 1,100m. At this scale, the Roman army stationed at these forts could control natural corridors – both via on-the-ground response as well as through overseeing movements by the native communities of Wales. Comparing multiple scenarios, it is also shown that the control of river-systems did not influence the positioning of Roman forts at the expense of controlling these natural terrestrial corridors used by those on foot. With archaeological interpretations susceptible to change as a result of the scale at which this pattern-process relationship is measured, the estimation of the optimal scale is pivotal for non-biased inferences on the processes thought to have influenced the positioning of settlements in the past.

Rare component of biota in the Data Centre "Biodiversity of Ukraine" and its possible use to identify hotspot areas and evaluation of biodiversity

The problem of assessing the diversity of biotic complexes is extremely important and relevant and has been covered in numerous publications, mostly for certain taxonomic groups. The use of information retrieval systems with large databases opens up new opportunities and approaches to automated biodiversity assessment. All the data used in this article are taken from the web resource of the Data Centre “Biodiversity of Ukraine” and include data from museum collections, literature and human observation. To evaluate species diversity included in the Red Data Book of Ukraine, we developed a scoring scale for each protected category based on a ranking system according to its protected category. For the assessment, we used Disappearing species, Vulnerable species, and Rare species only. To highlight hotspot areas we used the aggregation maps with 20 × 20 km squares. Species diversity of the species included in the Red Data Book of Ukraine of the western region of Ukraine in the CDBU is represented by 498 species (fungi 41, plants 191, animals 266). By oblasts of the western region of Ukraine: Volyn oblast 139 species (fungi 3, plants 51, animals 85), Rivne oblast 85 (fungi 5, plants 32, animals 48), Lviv oblast 260 (fungi 17, plants 90, animals 153), Ternopil oblast 182 (fungi 9, plants 48, animals 125), Ivano-Frankivsk oblast 219 (fungi 28, plants 59, animals 132), Chernivtsi oblast 105 (fungi 6, plants 49, animals 50), Zakarpattia oblast 190 (fungi 26, plants 70, animals 94). Most of the defined hotspots coincide with the territories of the nature reserve fund of Ukraine, and some hotspots are located in large cities (scientific centers) with vicinities. We have also identified hotspots outside of existing nature reserves, including the territories of large water reservoirs, river valleys, and historical biodiversity hotspots. Thus, Data сentre “Biodiversity of Ukraine” tools can be used to assess rare biodiversity and its restoration in the post-war period, as well as to identify hotspots and locations for creating new protected territories, identifying ecological corridors and developing ecological networks and monitor changes in biodiversity caused by climate change.

Economic framework for green shipping corridors: Evaluating cost-effective transition from fossil fuels towards hydrogen

Global warming's major cause is the emission of greenhouse-effect gases (GHG), especially carbon dioxide (CO2) whose main source is the combustion of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels serve as the primary energy source in many industries, including shipping, which is the focus of this study. One of the measures proposed to tackle GHG emissions is the development of green shipping corridors - carbon-free shipping routes that require the transition to alternative fuels, which are gaining competitiveness. One of the reasons for that is carbon pricing, which taxes CO2 emissions. However, the lack of consensus on the most cost-advantageous alternative fuel in the long run results in the delay of the implementation of green shipping corridors.To make it more accessible for stakeholders to conduct an economic analysis of the various options, a framework to determine and minimize the costs of transitioning from fossil fuels to any alternative fuel is proposed, over the period of one voyage, considering the lost opportunity cost, the deployment cost of bunkering vessels at the necessary call ports, the cost of converting the vessel, the car-bon emissions tax cost, and the fuel cost. This will allow stakeholders to choose the most economical alternative fuel, accelerating the development of green shipping corridor initiatives. To validate the effectiveness of the framework, it was applied in a case study involving a shipowner seeking to transition from heavy fuel oil (HFO) to Ammonia, Hydrogen, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), or Methanol. This study faced limitations due to the unknown costs of installing bunkering vessels for Ammonia and Hydrogen. However, it evaluates the cost-effectiveness of alternative fuels, providing insights into their short-term economic viability. The results showed that Hydrogen is the most cost-advantageous fuel until a deployment cost per bunkering vessel of 1,990,285$ for a sailing speed of 22 knots and 2,190,171$ for a sailing speed of 18 knots is reached, after which LNG becomes the most economical option regardless of variations in the carbon tax. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine the effects of variations in parameters, such as carbon tax, fuel prices and vessel conversion costs in the total cost of each fuel option. Results highlighted that even though HFO remains the most economical fuel option, even when considering a high increase in carbon tax, the cost gap between HFO and alternative fuels narrows significantly with the increase in carbon tax. Furthermore, the sailing speed impacts the fuels’ competitiveness, as the cost difference between HFO and alternative fuels decreases at higher speeds.

From conflict to collaboration through inclusive landscape governance: Evidence from a contested landscape in Ghana

The Western Wildlife Corridor (WWC) in Ghana’s Northern Savannah ecological zone is a contested landscape where efforts to reverse widespread environmental degradation often conflict with local livelihood concerns and broader development objectives. Despite policy measures to devolve natural resource decision-making authority, poor environmental management, persistent socioeconomic challenges, and increasingly limited livelihood opportunities for people living within the corridor prevail. This study investigates environmental degradation in the WWC and natural resource governance using information on stakeholder perceptions from stakeholder workshops, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. We also explore how natural resource management might be strengthened to better deliver social, economic, and environmental goals. We found that despite a history of contestation, stakeholders were able to agree upon specific issues of common concern and generate a collaborative vision for the WWC landscape. Transitioning toward such a vision requires significant investment in strengthening current governance structures and building natural resource management capacity within the corridor and beyond. Furthermore, persistent challenges of conflicting stakeholder objectives and issues related to coordination, corruption, and non-inclusion in decision-making about natural resources must be addressed to advance progress. Stakeholders were able to formulate specific recommendations and a participatory theory of change to inform the development of a sustainable landscape management plan and future evidence-based policy that could steer the WWC toward a more resilient and multifunctional system that equitably supports livelihoods, biodiversity, and wider economic development. The methods for inclusive engagement in environmental decision-making are extrapolatable to other contexts facing similar social-environmental challenges.

Characterizing coastal aquifer heterogeneity from a single piezometer head chronicle

We propose a new method for identifying the hydraulic properties of coastal aquifers based on their response to continental and marine influences observed from isolated piezometers displaying both tidal and seasonal fluctuations. From a single piezometer, a first approximation of hydraulic conductivity and porosity can be derived analytically from the mean hydraulic head and its tidal fluctuations. If this approximation also allows a correct simulation of seasonal head variations, the aquifer can be modelled as homogeneous. Otherwise, the seasonal head variations provide constraints on the heterogeneity of hydraulic properties. This new method is applied to a coastal aquifer in Normandy, formed by a relatively flat, kilometer-wide coastal strip of Quaternary sands followed by a foothill of higher Brioverian shales. Hydraulic head variations monitored daily for 8 years in a piezometer located in the Quaternary sand formation enable us to constrain their hydraulic conductivity (5–20 m.d−1) and porosity (7–10 %) within restricted ranges. They also suggest the existence of a significantly more porous formation (15–30 %) upstream of the observation piezometer, which could consist of more porous sands or fractured shales. In the case of limited surface–subsurface interactions, the identification method relies on a step-by-step combination of analytical solutions and simplified 1D numerical models. When more important surface–subsurface interactions are involved, a spatialized 2D model is used, that allows the analysis of seepage areas. Based on this case study, we gradually introduce 1D and 2D approaches, and discuss their applicability. We finally illustrate one major application of this approach by analyzing the interest of aquifer properties investigation on groundwater-induced flooding vulnerability.

Meteorological effects of ventilation corridor in central urban areas: A case study of Wuhan

How ventilation corridors affect urban climate is attracting researchers' attention. Taking the inland Chinese city of Wuhan as an example, this paper first uses remote sensing image technology to evaluate the urban thermal environment. Additionally, based on the GIS/RS spatial analysis method, the ventilation corridors in the central urban area are identified and constructed. Finally, the mesoscale meteorological model WRF-UCM is used to simulate four cases with different corridor forms to explore the impact of different corridors on the climate environment in Wuhan during the summer. The results indicate that: (1) The WRF-UCM model, when coupled with LCZ classification, can significantly improve the accuracy of mesoscale urban canopy meteorological field simulations. (2) The water corridors located in the central urban area can effectively regulate the temperature and wind environment during summer. In the high-temperature period of the day, the average temperature in the central city decreases by 0.3–0.4 °C, the heat island proportion index decreases by 1.61 %, and the strong heat island proportion index decreases by 1.89 % in the afternoon. During the period of low temperature, the average wind speed in the central urban area increased by 0.05 m/s increase, and even increased by 0.1 m/s. (3) The specific humidity value of the green corridor is reduced by 0.0000136 kg/kg in comparison to the construction land in the corridor, while the water corridor can increase by 0.000133 kg/kg. If the two kinds of surface, water and green land, are organically combined in the corridor, it will be able to improve the hot and humid conditions in Wuhan in summer. (4)Low-rise and low-density construction land as the corridors in the central urban area can not improve the urban thermal and wind environment. Through an attempt to conduct a complete workflow of urban heat island analysis, ventilation corridor identification and setting, urban climate simulation, analysis and summary, the authors believe that it is an effective set of working methods in sustainable urban planning, design, and policy-making. The implementation of pertinent research findings in the domain of urban planning and design demonstrates its universal applicability and has the potential to extend to analogous research and practice.

Ecological Security Pattern Construction and Multi-Scenario Risk Early Warning (2020–2035) in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area, China

The effectiveness of ecological security patterns (ESPs) in maintaining regional ecological stability and promoting sustainable development is widely recognized. However, limited research has focused on the early warning of risks inherent in ESPs. In this study, the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GHKMGBA) is taken as the study area, and ecological security risk zones are delineated by combining the landscape ecological risk index and habitat quality, and a multi-level ESP is constructed based on the circuit theory. The PLUS model was employed to simulate future built-up land expansion under different scenarios, which were then extracted and overlaid with the multi-level ESP to enable the multi-scenario early warning of ESP risks. The results showed the following: The ESP in the central plains and coastal areas of the GHKMGBA exhibits a high level of ecological security risk, whereas the peripheral forested areas face less threat, which is crucial for regional ecological stability. The ESP, comprising ecological sources, corridors, and pinch points, is crucial for maintaining regional ecological flow stability, with tertiary corridors under significant stress and risk in all scenarios, requiring focused restoration and enhancement efforts. There are significant differences in risk early warning severity within the ESP across various development scenarios. Under the ecological protection scenario, the ESP will have the best early warning situation, effectively protecting ecological land and reducing ecological damage, providing a valuable reference for regional development policies. However, it must not overlook economic development and still needs to further seek a balance between economic growth and ecological protection.

Assessing population status and influencing factors of alpine musk deer in patchy habitats: Implications for conservation strategies

Musk deer (Moschus spp.) are widely known for its musk and are globally endangered as a result of poaching, habitat loss, and fragmentation. To facilitate restoration of the alpine musk deer (M. chrysogaster) in existing areas, reliable estimates of population size and influencing factors are essential to assess effectiveness of conservation interventions, particularly for isolated musk deer populations in patches. In this paper, we used line transect and camera trap data collected from 2020 to 2022 in the Helan mountains to assess the population status and characterized the influencing factors of alpine musk deer. Our findings indicate that musk deer are patchily distributed in three areas of high elevation, with the population limited to less than 200 individuals, remaining below historic levels (compared to 1995). There was a significant positive correlation between the role of sympatric species on musk deer, with red fox (Vulpes vulpes), badger (Meles meles) and blue eared-pheasant (Crossoptilon auritum) having a significant effect on the out-modeled pathway. Variable but insignificant effects of anthropogenic activities were observed across all species categories, which could be due to mutual adaptation over time. Our results imply that the recovery of sensitive population in island-like habitats remains challenging and may be exacerbated by limited environment and resources. Our study underscores the necessity of establishing ecological corridors to enhance habitat connectivity for alpine musk deer, undertaking conservation genetics research on isolated populations, controlling stray dogs to maintain interspecific balance, and implementing electronic fencing to mitigate human disturbance and resource competition. This study provides basic information for understanding the population status of alpine musk deer and offers insights for conservation efforts.

Ship deployment problem with green technology adoption for an inland river carrier under non-identical streamflow and speed limits

The maritime industry is currently experiencing a shift towards green corridors. The inland waterway is the main transportation corridor with a relatively low adoption of green technologies, which produces heavy air pollution in inland cities. This paper investigates the ship deployment problem for an inland river carrier considering the adoption of green fuel and green technologies for a given ship fleet. A non-linear programming (NLP) model is proposed to jointly optimize green technology adoption, sailing speed, and routing problems while considering two unique characteristics of inland river shipping, including the non-identical streamflow and the speed limits on each shipping leg. The analytical propositions reveal the optimal operation strategy of the inland river ship fleet, and a column generation-based algorithm is further designed to solve the proposed model. By jointly investigating the ship operation strategy and sulphur emissions, we find the following management insights: Firstly, the ship would have a lower willingness to invest in shore power (scrubber) if it installed scrubber (shore power). The higher streamflow and looser speed limits would reduce the spillover effect of green technology adoption. Secondly, emissions will spillover from ports to river legs if only shore power is provided. Our findings provide valuable insights for policymakers to promote complete green technology adoption to achieve comprehensive abatement of the entire inland river.