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Ecological engineering
Elsevier Science B.V.
Ecological engineering

Elsevier Science B.V.

0925-8574

Ecological engineering/Journal Ecological engineeringSCIISTPEI
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    Ensemble modelling enables identification of suitable sites for habitat restoration of threatened biodiversity under climate change: A case study of Himalayan Trillium

    Rather Z.A.Ahmad R.Khuroo A.A.Dar T.-U.-H....
    13页
    查看更多>>摘要：? 2021In an era of climate change, identifying suitable habitats for ecosystem restoration is critical for conservation of globally threatened biodiversity. Here, we integrate the insights gained from ensemble modelling with the community ecology data on threatened Himalayan Trillium (Trillium govanianum) to identify the suitable sites for its habitat restoration. We used ensemble modelling to map the current potential distribution and predict the future suitable habitats for the species under future climate change scenarios. The predictive accuracy of the ensemble model was fairly good; and the most influential variables governing the distribution of Himalayan Trillium were precipitation of the driest month followed by mean diurnal range. The current potential suitable habitats for this species are mostly located in western parts of the Himalaya; however, a range shift from western to eastern Himalaya is predicted under future climate change scenarios. Further, the results of community data revealed that Himalayan Trillium is positively associated with two tree species (Abies pindrow and Taxus wallichiana) forming forest top-story, four understory shrubs (Viburnum grandiflorum, Parrotiopsis jacquemontiana, Skimmia laureola and Rhododendron campanulatum) and one herbaceous species (Podophyllum hexandrum). In particular, the shrubs serve as natural micro-refuges by facilitating the suitable growth and protect the species from unsustainable extraction and livestock grazing. Our findings highlight a two-pronged strategy for habitat restoration of Himalayan Trillium: (i) identification of suitable habitats using ensemble modelling at the pan-Himalayan scale, (ii) and its integration with the community information at local scale. Such an integrated approach offers a nature-based solution in guiding the climate change-integrated restoration programs in the Himalaya, and elsewhere in the world.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    Passive restoration considerably improved the community structure, soil health and carbon stock in the Pine forests of Kashmir Himalaya, India

    Mir A.H.Dad J.M.Singh B.Kamili A.N....
    11页
    查看更多>>摘要：? 2022 Elsevier B.V.Forest restoration significantly enhances soil quality, carbon stock and improves community characteristics, but reports from temperate coniferous ecosystems are limited. The present research aimed to study the changes in vegetation characteristics, biomass, and soil health after eight years of restoration in coniferous forests of Kashmir Himalaya, India. The studied forest stands include the sites before restoration (IN), restored forests (RT) and non-restored (NR) control plots. The results exhibited similar soil texture (clay-loam) in both RT and NR, albeit soils under RT had lower acidity (6.03 ± 0.11) and bulk density (1.21 ± 0.07 Mg m?3) than NR. The average total nitrogen, soil organic carbon, and available phosphorus were 13.2, 32.7 and 19.6%, respectively, greater in RT than NR. For vegetation characteristics, the results exhibited little changes in plant species richness (S = 8 and 7 for RT and NR, respectively), while the stand density and basal area enhancement were recorded for RT. The increase in plant species population and improvement in their regeneration status in RT was observed in comparison to NR in the study area. The density-diameter distribution showed that post-restoration, number of individuals in RT increased substantially in lower (10–25 cm), medium (35–55 cm), and highest (>65 cm) diameter classes with the cumulative percentage increase of 12.2, 44.1 and 12.6, respectively in comparison to the diameter classes 25–35 cm and 55–65 cm which recorded the decrease of 9.8% and 18.3%, respectively. In the case of NR, the results exhibited an alarming trend with a substantial decrease of individuals in lower diameter classes, namely, 15–35 cm (?19.7%), and 55–65 cm (?7.6%), thereby, suggesting the higher vulnerability to degradation than RT. The results of biomass and carbon contents indicated the overall biomass (aboveground and belowground) increase of 97.67 Mg ha?1 in RT and a reduction of 17.46 Mg ha?1 in NR, indicating the restoration added enough biomass to cause measurable changes. The results are evidence of the successful passive restoration efforts via fencing on soil and community characteristics across temperate coniferous forests. Restoring the vulnerable coniferous forests in the Himalayas is recommended to regain their vitality and vigour along with safeguarding the local livelihood options.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    The effects of wave exposure and host cover on coral-associated fauna of a centuries-old artificial reef in the Caribbean

    Lymperaki M.M.Hill C.E.L.Hoeksema B.W.
    13页
    查看更多>>摘要：? 2021 The AuthorsAn increasing number of artificial reefs (ARs) are constructed to compensate for the loss of natural reefs (NRs), but little is known about their benthic community composition. Here, we compared the densities of coral-associated fauna (CAF) between a centuries-old manmade structure and the nearest NR at St. Eustatius, eastern Caribbean. Overall, no significant difference in the density of CAF (coral-dwelling barnacles, crabs, worms) was found between the NR and the AR, nor between the exposed and sheltered sides of each. Significantly different densities of CAF related to host cover were observed among corals on both the AR and the NR. Per host species, the AR did not show such differences in density between exposed and sheltered sides, although these differences were observed on the NR. Thus, turbulence and host cover regulate the density of CAF, while differences also depend on host species composition. Furthermore, from an ecological engineering perspective, the present AR resembles the NR in overall design, but not in relief rugosity and surface structure, which are also considered important contributors to the difference in species assemblages of the host corals and their CAF, even after many decades of community development.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    Prescribed fire and soil mulching with fern in Mediterranean forests: Effects on surface runoff and erosion

    Carra B.G.Bombino G.D'Agostino D.Zema D.A....
    12页
    查看更多>>摘要：? 2022 Elsevier B.V.Prescribed burning is increasingly used to reduce the wildfire risk, and the need to limit runoff and erosion after the fire suggests treating burned soils with mulching. To this aim, fern residues may be more advisable compared to the commonly used straw, since fern is directly available in forests and has lower drawbacks. However, the post-fire hydrological effects of both prescribed fire and soil mulching are contrasting in literature, and fern has not previously experimented as mulching material in Mediterranean forests. To fill these gaps, this study has evaluated the soil hydrological response in small plots installed in three Mediterranean forests (pine, chestnut and oak) after a prescribed fire and mulching treatment with fern. Compared to the unburned soils, runoff and erosion significantly increased immediately after fire (by 150% to 375% for the runoff coefficients, and by 100% to 800% for the soil losses). However, these increases are much lower compared to the highest values reported by some studies. The negative impacts on the hydrological response in burned soils were limited to three-four months after burning. Subsequently, the pre-fire runoff and erosion rates of the burned soils were practically recovered, and the hydrological changes were not significant compared to the unburned soils. In the short term after the prescribed fire application, soil mulching with fern residues was effective to limit the increase in the hydrological response of the burned and not treated soils, since the runoff coefficients and erosion were reduced by 25–30% in oak soils and 70–80% in forests of chestnut and pine. The changes surveyed in soil hydrology were associated to variations in the infiltration rates and water repellency immediately after fire, previously detected in the same experimental site. The recovery of the water infiltration rates and the disappearance of the soil repellency gained importance over time, and the incorporation of mulch residues became beneficial in driving the short-term runoff and erosion response of the burned soils.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    Assessing the effects of nurse shrubs, sink patches and plant water-use strategies for the establishment of late-successional tree seedlings in Mediterranean reclaimed mining hillslopes

    Vicente E.Moreno-de las Heras M.Merino-Martin L.Nicolau J.M....
    12页
    查看更多>>摘要：? 2022 The AuthorsThe use of ecohydrologically suitable microsites, such as sink patches (i.e. zones intercepting and infiltrating runoff) and nurse shrubs, have largely been proposed as tools to improve the establishment of late-successional trees in Mediterranean reclaimed landscapes. Nonetheless, this technique needs to be accurately tested along with the influence of seedling water-use strategy. To that purpose, we monitored the short- and mid-term (i.e. 4 and 8 years, respectively) influence of sink patches and nurse shrubs (Genista scorpius) on seedlings of two species with contrasted water-use strategies, Pinus nigra, a more drought avoider and isohydric species, and Quercus ilex, a more drought tolerant and anisohydric species. In the short term, G. scorpius shrubs enhanced the establishment of seedlings planted in shaded spots under its canopy. This positive interaction was more relevant for Q. ilex in drier years, while P. nigra was more facilitated in wetter years. Sink patches ameliorated the survival of both species, but only promoted greater growth during wetter years. P. nigra seedlings showed a high sensitivity to precipitation reduction. Their survival and growth were strongly constrained in dry years, resulting in a very high cumulative mortality at the end of the 8-year study period regardless of the microsite the seedlings were planted in. Q. ilex showed better seedling performance than P. nigra in the mid-term, keeping also the positive effects of suitable microsites on plant survival in the mid-term, after 8 years of plantation. Our results support the use of suitable microsites that ameliorate ecohydrological conditions as key spots for enhancing ecological succession in reclaimed mining sites, particularly the use of G. scorpius as nurse shrub for improving Q. ilex seedling establishment and growth. Our results also suggest that seedling functional strategy to cope with drought is a critical factor conditioning the overall plantation performance in the mid-term. Thus, seedling water-use strategy should constitute a key species selection criteria in future restoration programs focused on Mediterranean ecosystems, especially under climate change.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    Ecological challenges* for the use of soil and water bioengineering techniques in river and coastal engineering projects

    Rauch H.P.von der Thannen M.Raymond P.Evette A....
    9页
    查看更多>>摘要：? 2022 Elsevier B.V.A major challenge for the modern river and coastal management is a holistic design approach in order to integrate flood and erosion protection combined with ecological restoration. Nowadays, a lot of EU regulations request nature-based engineering solutions such as soil and water bioengineering techniques (SWBE). In contrast to conventional ‘hard’ civil engineering structures, the idea of SWBE structures is the use of biological components in the engineering structure to not just consider a technical function, but also ecological and aesthetic values. While SWBE techniques are applied worldwide and well established as an engineering discipline, there is a high demand on the further development specifically in terms of ecology. The use of plants in river engineering projects requires the right choice of species depending on the techniques used and the environmental conditions. Furthermore, a right harvest, storage and implementation of the plants is significant. Their use also requires the quantification of the hydraulic and sedimentological impact of riparian vegetation on the one hand and on the other hand to know the impact of SWBE structures on the aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Different ecological, vegetational and phytosociological criterias are available and discussed in terms of assessment of SWBE structures. All these criteria can be helpful to develop a framework supporting stakeholders to define objectives, design, implementation work and to assess the post-construction lifetime phase, which is most relevant for SWBE structures. From a wider point of view, when looking at the multitaxonomic diversity in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats, it has been shown that SWBE techniques could enhance global riparian habitat quality by allowing a greater richness and density of pioneer tree species. The use of phytosociology has become more important for the application of SWBE structures as nature-based vegetation composition. Specific challenges arise for river managers and practitioners with invasive alien species and climate change forcing us to redefine what is meant by ‘non-native’ species. Therefore, using a local and historical phytosociological typology to define the reference to be achieved could become increasingly misleading. By analyzing the ecological value of SWBE structures, another aspect must be considered from an ecological point of view. The possible negative impacts on ecosystems caused by SWBE measures, during the period of construction (e.g., emissions, energy consumption, intervention in nature) should be taken into consideration. A popular methodology to provide the possibility of achieving a better understanding of environmental burdens and to assess the potential environmental impact of products or services is environmental life cycle assessment (LCA). We are faced with the problems of climate change which means that we have to optimize our civil engineering (including SWBE) construction activities in terms of positive effects, for example urban heat islands or carbon storage and also any potential negative effects, for example emission of greenhouse gases or energy demand. We must critically examine our model of the SWBE approach, the application of SWBE techniques does not automatically mean an ecological improvement. SWBE systems are dynamic and always different, depending on their field of application. A harmonization of strategies and goals needs to be developed in order to support coherent measures aimed at improving the ecological status of river bodies, coastal areas and at the same time, guaranteeing hydraulic safety and adequate protection of human activities from hydromorphological hazards (flooding, floodplain erosion, failure of river and coastal-related infrastructures).
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    Long-term impact of zero-till residue management in post-rainy seasons after puddled rice and cropping intensification on weed seedbank, above-ground weed flora and crop productivity

    Kumar N.Nath C.P.Hazra K.K.Praharaj C.S....
    12页
    查看更多>>摘要：? 2022 Elsevier B.V.Regulation in weed seed recruitment to soil and its emergence is an ecological approach of weed management for sustainable cropping intensification and land restoration. Intensive tillage operations in rice (Oryza sativa L.) - wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) system is a predominant practice in the South East Asian countries. This practice has emerged as an unsustainable crop management options. Consequently, zero tillage (ZT) in post–rainy seasons after conventional tilled (CT) puddled transplanted rice is being adopted to minimize tillage intensity in system in these regions. However, long–term impact of continuous CT in all seasons versus seasonal ZT (in post–rainy seasons) after puddled transplanted rice with crop residues in cropping system mode on above– and below– ground weed density and diversity is not adequately studied. Hence, we examined four tillage based residue management: (i) conventional tillage in each crop of rotation without residue (CT–CT), (ii) conventional tillage in each crop with incorporated residue (CT–CT + R), (iii) conventional tilled puddled transplanted rice – zero tillage in post–rainy season crops without residue (CT–ZT), (iv) conventional tilled puddled transplanted rice – zero tillage in post–rainy season crops with surface residue mulch (CT–ZT + R) each with three levels of crop rotation: (i) rice – wheat (R–W), (ii) rice – chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) (R–C), (iii) rice – chickpea – mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) (R–C–Mb) in split–plot design in Kanpur, India. Zero tillage in post–rainy seasons after conventional tilled rice resulted in 11%, 23%, and 13% lower (P < 0.05) weed seed density than CT–CT at 0–7.5, 7.5–15, and 0–15 cm depth, respectively. However, zero-tilled residue management had 15–19% and 10–14% (P < 0.05) higher above–ground weed density compared with CT–CT. Rice-chickpea-mungbean rotation reduced weed seed density by 6–11%, 4–11%, and 6–8% (P < 0.05) than those of rice-wheat and rice-chickpea across depth. In contrast, rice-chickpea-mungbean had 30–38% higher total above–ground weed density than rest of the crop rotations. Post–rainy seasons zero tillage with and without residues attributed higher weed diversity indices (Shannon and Simpson) compared with conventional tillage in seedbank. Importantly, CT–ZT + R with R–C–Mb (interaction) reduced 24% total viable seed density at 0–15 cm depth than CT–CT with R–W. Further, this system brought about 15% and 62% higher rice seed yield and system productivity over CT–CT with R–W, respectively. Conventional tilled puddled transplanted rice – zero tillage with added residues increased 16% and 33% seed yield of wheat and chickpea compared with CT–CT (P < 0.05), respectively. Thus, it can be concluded that zero tillage in post-rainy seasons after puddled transplanted rice and intensive pulse based cropping (rice-chickpea-mungbean) can minimize viable weed seeds in soil vis–a–vis above–ground weed density over time than conventional tillage and rice-wheat system. The reduced weed density could reduce soil fertility degradation, enhance crop/system productivity, restore soil health and provides opportunity for sustainable cropping intensification in rice ecologies of the Indo-Gangetic plains.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    Carbon sequestration potential and CO2 fluxes in a tropical forest ecosystem

    Yadav V.S.Gupta S.R.Sheoran N.S.Yadav S.S....
    12页
    查看更多>>摘要：? 2022 Elsevier B.V.Carbon (C) is a key product of forests, but not widely studied for available C stock, and biomass of tree species in typical forest ecosystems of India. Therefore, it is useful to estimate C stock at national and regional levels for establishing forest-based policies and developing roadmap for long-term plans and strategies to reduce the rate of increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Hence, present investigation was conducted to assess C storage and CO2 fluxes in tropical dry deciduous forest ecosystems of Jhumpa and Kairu in the southern Haryana, India. The C stock of trees in above ground biomass (AGB) was calculated by assuming the C content at 50% of the total biomass. Concentration of C in composite samples of shoots and roots of shrubs and herbs was estimated by the ash method. Soil C storage was determined on the basis of C concentration and soil bulk density up to 60 cm depth. The AGB of trees ranged from 33.1 to 75.8 Mg ha?1; the belowground biomass from 9.0 to 18.5 Mg ha?1 and total plant C storage from 24.3 to 53.9 Mg C ha?1. The total biomass of shrubs was 16.2 Mg ha?1 for the Salvadora oleoides forest at Jhumpa compared with 8.4 Mg ha?1 for the Acacia senegal-Acacia tortilis forest at Kairu. Net primary productivity of various components of trees in these forest ecosystems ranged from 8.1 to 9.6 Mg ha?1 y?1 and net flux of C from 4.6 to 5.8 Mg C ha?1 y?1. The annual litter fall in two forest ecosystems ranged from 3356 to 4498 Kg ha?1. S. oleoides contributed 50.0% and 47.3% towards the above ground and below ground C pools corresponding to the 17.9 Mg C ha?1and 4.1 Mg C ha?1, respectively. S. oleoides played a dominant role in biomass production and C assimilation in S. oleoides-A. tortilis forest at Jhumpa, while Prosopis juliflora and A. senegal were the highest contributors in A. senegal-A. tortilis forest at Kairu because of a high girth class and high density of trees, respectively. The cumulative soil organic carbon (SOC) stock up to 60 cm depth was more in A. senegal-A. tortilis forest at Kairu (16.3 Mg C ha?1) than that in the SO-AT forest at Jhumpa (12.9 Mg C ha?1). The results of this study revealed that S. oleoides and P. juliflora are key species as they sequester more C under a range of disturbances. Carbon sequestration potential of the studied forest ecosystems was 3.55 to 4.35 Mg C ha?1 y?1 which indicates a high C sequestration potential of these ecosystems.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    Impact of nutrient removal on microbial community in bioretention facilities with different underlying types/built times at field scale

    Zhang Z.Li J.Jiang C.Li Y....
    10页
    查看更多>>摘要：? 2022 Elsevier B.V.As the bioretention facilities have been extensively built in the construction of “Sponge City” in China, urban non-point source pollutants could be effectively controlled. The influences on microbial community in three bioretention facilities with different underlying types/built times at field scale were studied. The results showed that nutrient loads in road runoff were 1.1–3 times higher than of roof. Compared with the other two rain gardens, the bioretention tank (BT) was relatively stable and showed >90% nutrient load reduction rates. The nutrients brought by the stormwater runoff changed the original habitat in the soil. Nutrient removal led to the deterioration of the living environment of microorganisms, and then the number of microorganisms and diversity changed. Ten dominant bacteria species were found in the facilities, and Proteobacteria were the most dominant bacteria phyla, with the relative abundances all >30%. Suspended solids were found to be the most important factor and had a high correlation to the most dominant microorganisms. With the increased operation period, the microorganism species tended to be concentrated on Proteobacteria, resulting in decreases of other functional microorganisms. The bioretention facility with the road underlying had the lowest microbial diversity, and the built time was the factor that had the greatest impact on microbial diversity. Based on these results, the future design and construction of bioretention facilities should consider the risk after nutrients entered the bioretention facility and the changes in microbial diversity.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    Spatial-temporal evolution and driving forces of provincial carbon footprints in China: An integrated EE-MRIO and WA-SDA approach

    Yang Z.-F.Ji L.Cai Y.-P.Xu W.-H....
    13页
    查看更多>>摘要：? 2022 Elsevier B.V.The reduction of carbon footprint (CF) induced by cross-province trade is equally important for China with unbalanced economic development under the background of “double carbon” and “dual circulation” strategy. Based on the environmentally-extended multi-regional input-output (EE-MRIO) and weighted average structural decomposition analysis (WA-SDA) model, this study explored the distribution characteristics and spatial-temporal evolution process of three-perspective CFs (By province, Per capita, and Per ￥GDP) at the provincial level, and accurately revealed the socio-economic driving factors of provincial CFs from 2007 to 2017. Here we show that China's CF increased from 6151.4 Mt. in 2007 to 8778.6 Mt. in 2017, with an average annual growth rate of 3.6%. With the socioeconomic development, the gravity centers of CFs and per capita CFs were gradually shifting from eastern affluent provinces and populous municipalities to underdeveloped western China, while the provinces with relatively low carbon footprint intensities (CFIs) were still concentrated in affluent eastern coastal areas. It will be conductive to the overall improvement of national emission mitigation effective through introducing the advanced production technologies and scientific consumption awareness of developed provinces to eastern China in the future. Meanwhile, the corresponding control measures on CF reduction should pay attention to the changes of per capita consumption and population especially for economically-developed populous regions such as Shandong, Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Zhejiang. For Inner Mongolia, the bidirectional adjustment of emission intensity and production structure will be necessary for its CF reduction. Moreover, the continuous optimization of consumption structure will be expected to contribute more impacts on CF reduction under the demand-side reform. The obtained results and policy implications are expected to provide corresponding and holistic reference for decision-makers to develop more efficient carbon mitigation and management policies.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier