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Ecological engineering
Elsevier Science B.V.
Ecological engineering

Elsevier Science B.V.

0925-8574

Ecological engineering/Journal Ecological engineeringSCIISTPEI
正式出版
收录年代

    Rationality and effectiveness of protected areas decrease with the declining development levels of the Belt and Road Initiative Countries

    Boyu WangHuimin YanJinwei Dong
    8页
    查看更多>>摘要：Protected areas (PAs) have been considered as an effective measure of ecological conservation. Existing studies have shown that developing countries are faced with more ecological pressure than developed countries, and suggested the priority for strengthening ecological conservation in developing countries, but the rationality of designation and conservation effectiveness of PAs still remain unclear. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), covering Asia, Europe and Africa, mainly consisting of developing countries, is highly overlapped with ecological conservation priorities with high biodiversity values or facing the risk of ecological degradation. Here we assessed the rationality of PA designation by comparing them with the internationally recognized Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), and then analyzed the conservation effectiveness from the perspective of human pressure using the data of land cover and population density. The results showed that both the rationality of designation and conservation effectiveness of PAs have a decrease with the declining Human Development Index (HDI) of countries, reflecting that the PA construction level largely depends on the national comprehensive strength. This study calls for more conservation efforts in PA construction in developing countries of the BRI, including improving the coverage rate with KB As and reducing human pressure within the PAs, so as to make full use of PAs to avoid ecological degradation and enlarging ecological gap with developed countries.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL

    Comparison of continuous and pulse mode of operation of pilot biosand reactors treating winery effluent

    G.A. HoltmanR. HaldenwangP.J. Welz
    9页
    查看更多>>摘要：In 2020 there was approximately 260 million hectolitres of wine produced across the world. Many winemaking and cellar cleaning activities generate winery wastewater. In vine growing areas which are water stressed, this wastewater is often used for irrigation and if it is inadequately treated it can be detrimental to land and aquatic environments. It has been shown at pilot scale that horizontal flow biosand filters are suitable for treating winery effluent to comply with irrigation standards. In this two-year study, vertical flow biosand reactors with novel design features were operated in both continuous and pulse modes of operation. It was envisaged that (1) the loading rates (organic and hydraulic) could be increased by changing the flow from horizontal to vertical flow, and that (ii) higher organic biodegradation rates could be achieved consequent to the increased redox potential from draw-down of atmospheric oxygen during system drainage in pulse mode in comparison to continuous mode. It was found that system performance was higher in continuous mode, attaining a hydraulic loading rate of 113 L.m~(-3) of sand a day~(-1), organic loading rate of 279 gCOD.m~(-3) of sand.day~(-1) and COD removal efficiency of 70% compared to pulse mode with 90 L.m~(-3) of sand a day~(-1), 192 gCOD.m~(-3) of sand.day~(-1) and 70%, respectively. In comparison to other passive winery wastewater treatment systems (constructed/treatment wetlands), these biosand filters are able to treat winery wastewater at higher loading rates with smaller spatial footprints.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL

    Effects of native vegetation on winter thermal performance on extensive green roofs in two different areas (Tokyo and Ishikawa) in Japan

    Ayako NagaseToshihiko MomoseJeremy Lundholm
    7页
    查看更多>>摘要：Vegetation plays a key role in many of the ecosystem services provided by green roofs. Green roofs reduce die amount of heat flux through the building envelope but most existing research has focused on hot season cooling functions and not on cold season benefits which can also result in building energy savings. This study examined the effect of different types of native vegetation on heat flux during winter conditions in two locations with different climates in Japan. We established replicated trays (modular green roof system; n = 5 per treatment) with five monoculture treatments and one plant species mixture treatment and an unplanted control treatment on rooftops in Ishikawa and Tokyo. Each tray was fitted with a heat flux sensor at its base and heat flux values were logged every 30 min from December 2015 to March 2016. There were no significant differences in heat flux between the sites for the unplanted controls, indicating that the tray and soil behaved similarly at both sites, however, the relative impact of the different vegetation types was not consistent across the sites. The Tokyo location had more sun and less snow and plants that had relatively low heat flux in Ishikawa showed the opposite pattern in Tokyo. This is consistent with other studies that suggest that in winter conditions with frequent sunny conditions, plants can result in lower energy savings than unplanted controls. Thus, this result addressed the importance of selecting plants in consideration of climate to optimize energy saving with green roofs.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL

    Ecological restoration of degraded ecosystems in India: Science and practices

    Kripal SinghChaeho ByunFaizal Bux
    5页
    查看更多>>摘要：India with 2.4% of total global land area is home for about 8% of global biological diversity. In providing goods and services to 18% of world's human population this megadiverse country is losing its biological wealth at an alarming rate. The degradation of terrestrial (forests, grasslands, agriculture, etc.) and aquatic (small to large fresh and marine water bodies) ecosystems has been the key factor in accelerating this irreversible and unrepairable loss. Although ecosystem restoration targets are well reflected in various programs and policies of India, the scientific insights and preparedness on this topic and critical analysis of this knowledge to guide policy initiatives for ecosystem restoration was lacking. Therefore, this editorial paper reviewed 22 papers, published in special issue on 'Ecological Restoration of Degraded Ecosystems in India: Science and Practices' in Ecological Engineering journal, to analyse the scientific knowledge to inform policy and practices towards achieving ecosystem restoration goals in India (https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/ecological-engineering/special-issue/109W0 PCNQBM). Most studies in this special issue focus on providing solutions for restoration of different degraded ecosystems. A few of them are solving the dilemma of native and non-native species selection for reforestation and afforestation activities. One study provides insights on management of an invasive species in grassland ecosystems. Three studies suggest adopting conservation agriculture practices to enhance agricultural biodiversity, carbon sequestration and socio-economic benefits for marginal farmers. Two out of five papers dealing with aquatic ecosystems provide a framework to quantify the magnitude of degradation, other two propose restoration technologies for coastal zones on India and one assessing the effectiveness of relocating collar reef from degraded urban coasts to reference coastal sites.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL

    Stability assessment of the restored Benggang units in a weathered granite crust region of South China

    Peiji ChenXun LiuShen Yu
    10页
    查看更多>>摘要：Benggang, a unique and severe form of gully erosion, is widely distributed in weatherd granite crust regions of South China and causes great harms to ecosystem and human. In the recent decades, large investments had been to restore the collapsing Benggang units. In the comprehensive benefit assessment protocol for soil and water conservation effectiveness of the Benggang restoration, stability assessment of the restored Benggang units lacks. This study developed a protocol to assess the stability of the restored Benggang units in a weathered granite crust region via diagnosing sedimentary layers in a soil profile (a meter away from its debris dam). Characteristic sedimentary layers formed by collapse, or strong or weak surface erosion were defined by biplotting ratios of coarse particles (> 1 mm) (PR) and quartz proportion (QR) in each sedimentary layer to those in the collapsing wall (original soil). Among thirty restored Benggang units investigated after 2-10 years of restoration in Anxi and Changting counties in Fujian province, 27 units were still collapsing or collapsed, consisting of 12 very active ones, while only 3 units were fully stabilized. Rainfall intensity threshold causing collapse (RITC) of the units was identified via matching local rainfall events with the characteristic sedimentary layers of collapsion in the dam-front soil profile, significantly higher RITCs in the stable or collapsing-to-stable units than the continuously or late collapsing units (p < 0.05). Based on the estimated RITCs, no significant differences in stability of die restored units were observed between Changting strategy (ecological restoration only with vegetation) and Anxi strategy (restoration with cashcrop plantation). The findings of this study suggested that the characteristic sedimentary layers in the dam-front soil profile determined by the PR-QR biplotwas feasible for stability assessment of the restored Benggang units and provided a quantitative RITC estimation.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL

    Spatioternporal dynamics and evolution relationships between land-use/ land cover change and landscape pattern in response to rapid urban sprawl process: A case study in Wuhan, China

    Quart WangHaijun Wang
    20页
    查看更多>>摘要：Urban sprawl is now a worldwide phenomenon, especially in the rapidly developing areas in China. However, the process of land-use/land-cover (LULC) dynamics can lead to dramatic changes in the regional landscape patterns. In this study, we explored the LULC changes and urban sprawl, and their impact on the landscape pattern evolution during 2005-2030. Based on the land-use data of 2005-2015, an LULC map of 2030 was simulated by using the logistic regression, multi-criteria evaluation (MCE), and a cellular automata (CA)-Markov hybrid model. The simulation accuracies of the kappa coefficient and figure of merit (FoM) reached 82.69% and 29.86%, respectively. The results showed that, during 2005-2030, the area of water, urban land, and other construction land will increase by 72.56,162.63, and 1152.67 km~2 respectively, while the area of forest land and unused land will decrease by 107.05 and 13.38 km~2, respectively, as well as the land use degree will reach 293.18 in 2030. The landscape spatial pattern will change significantly during 2005-2030, and there is a strong correlation between the landscape pattern dynamics and land use degrees. The patch types in the urban area will tend to be regular and distributed in a balanced trend. There is a good connection between patch types, the degree of landscape aggregation will be gradually improved, the spatial distribution will tend to be concentrated, and the spatial heterogeneity will be enhanced. Changes in land use and landscape patterns during rapid urban sprawl are actively influenced by a combination of natural, socioeconomic, and transportation accessibility, fa the future urban construction, the protection of forest land and water areas should be increased, the land use structure should be optimized, the construction land and ecological land should be rationally planned, and natural landscapes should be added in a timely manner to steadily improve the regional environment. Finally, the research results will provide a theoretical basis for supporting regional sustainable development and the formulation of landscape planning policies.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL

    Spatial heterogeneity of urbanization impacts on ecosystem services in the urban agglomerations along the Yellow River, China

    Chao WangLanyuan WangJinyan Zhan
    13页
    查看更多>>摘要：To maintain the coordinated development between human and natural ecosystem, it is essential to understand the spatial heterogeneity of urbanization impacts on ecosystem services (ESs). The Yellow River Basin (YRB) in China, with a fragile ecological environment, is experiencing large-scale and rapid urbanization. To fill the research gap and meet current needs, we estimated the comprehensive urbanization level (CUL) from four aspects in the YRB and the five key ESs using material value methods. Then, we examined the correlations between ESs and CUL by Pearson correlation analysis, and explored the spatial heterogeneity of urbanization impacts on ESs by geographically weighted regression. The results indicated that: (1) CUL increased remarkably from 0.2283 in 2000 to 0.3722 in 2015, with the subindexes ranking of DUL (demographic) > SUL (social) > EUL (economic) > LUL (landscape); (2) grain production (GP), carbon sequestration and oxygen production (CSOP), and water yield (WY) increased, whereas soil retention (SR) and habitat quality (HQ) decreased. The five ESs exhibited an overall pattern of low values in the northwest and high values in the southeast; (3) on the whole, CUL had positive and significant relationships with GP (0.4150), CSOP (0.1635), and WY (0.2475). The impacts of ULs on ESs had significant spatial heterogeneity. CUL has strong positive impacts on GP, CSOP, and WY in the central regions but negative ones on the northwestern and eastern regions. Specific recommendations are proposed for optimizing human activities and protecting the ecological environment.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL

    Characteristics and applications of hybrid constructed wetlands low-polluted water: Cased in Bagong River of the Yellow River Watershed, China

    Yanling FengYifeng WuBo Wei
    12页
    查看更多>>摘要：Low-polluted waters treated by traditional constructed wetlands were usually difficult especially because of restricted available land use. A hybrid constructed wetlands (CWs) could be applied to remediate low-polluted rivers, which can realize steps complementary to each other that exploit the specific advantages of the individual systems and achieve higher treatment effects. The hybrid CWs covering a total area of 99647m~2, was developed to treat the polluted Bagong River, one of tributary to the Yellow River, have been in operation since the end of 2020. This paper introduced the specific construction method of the hybrid CWs, and the water quality of the river could be improved 1-2 grades after flowing through the CWs (according to the Chinese standard GB3838-2002). The treatment capacity was designed to be 65,000 m~3·d~(-1), and the obtained results showed a satisfactory pollutant removal capacity of the hybrid system, with mean removal rates of 57.00%, 20.00%, 48.00%, and 29.00% for ammonia nitrogen, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and chemical oxygen demand (COD), respectively. Meanwhile, >12 species of aquatic birds were attracted to inhabited in the hybrid CWs. The results of correlation analysis concluded that temperature and plant growth were the dominant factors affecting the removal of pollutants in the hybrid CWs system, and the porous concrete as substrate also has obvious phosphorus removal effect. The results showed that the system had relatively stable impact resistance and good ecological benefits under different influent loads, and can better improve water quality and biodiversity. Thus, the hybrid CWs would be a promising and feasible treatment method for low-polluted waters, as adapted to the local context.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL

    Changes in soil microecology of gangue reclamation areas after 10 years of in situ restoration with herbaceous plants (Artemisia sacrorum and Imperata cylindrica) and trees (Populus spp.)

    Xu YangSheng ZhengDong-Sheng Bai
    13页
    查看更多>>摘要：Changes in the soil ecological microenvironment of coal gangue contaminated areas were evaluated after 10 years of in situ restoration with Artemisia sacrorum, Imperata cylmdrica, and Populus spp. The changes in soil enzyme activity, ion spectrum, bacterial community structure and function, and metabolic spectrum were analyzed in an unrestored coal gangue pollution area (Control), an Artemisia sacrorum + Imperata cylindrica remediation area (Tl), and a Populus remediation area (T2). Phytoremediation significantly increased the soil acid phosphatase activity by 4.62-7.36 times, and decreased the electrical conductivity by 6.2-85.5%. The overall reduction trend for heavy metals in the soil was shallow layer > middle layer > deep layer, with significant reductions seen for Cs, As, Co, Pb, Ni, U, and Cr. The number and diversity of shallow soil microbial communities increased significantly, with Actinobacteria, which participate in the carbon and nitrogen cycles, and Proteobacteria, which can tolerate/metabolize multiple heavy metals, becoming the dominant species in the restoration area. Microbial genes for glycosyltransferase, transcriptional regulators, and toluene degradation changed significantly. Phytoremediation by both remediation strategies significantly changed the metabolic level of lipids and lipid-like molecules in the soil, while significantly enriching the pathways of ABC transporters and galactose metabolism, which are essential for soil detoxification, ion transport, and carbon cycling. Bacteria such as ThiobacUlus and Pseudarthrobacter were important drivers of soil metabolism. In general, the in situ phytoremediation of soil contaminated by coal gangue improved the overall soil ecological microenvironment.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL

    Effects of post-fire mulching with straw and wood chips on soil hydrology in pine forests under Mediterranean conditions

    Javier Gonzalez-RomeroManuel Garcia DiazManuel Esteban Lucas-Borja
    9页
    查看更多>>摘要：Mulching is one of the most common post-fire management techniques, which has been widely studied at the global scale. However, more research is needed on the hydrological effects of mulching in forest ecosystems under Mediterranean semi-arid conditions. This study has evaluated water infiltration, surface runoff and soil loss using a portable rainfall simulator in Central-Eastern Spain after post-fire treatments. In this area, a large wildfire recently affected a pine forest, and the burned soil was mulched using wheat straw (dose of 0.3 kg/m~2) or wood chips (2 kg/m~2) on plots with two different slopes (about 30%, lower slope, and 50%, higher slope). The study has shown that the soil condition (burned control vs. soils mulched with straw or wood chips) and slope (lower vs. higher) did not significantly influence the water infiltration. However, the mean infiltration of the soils mulched with straw were higher (+40% and 4- 17%, respectively) compared to both the control and the plots mulched with wood chips. Moreover, lower surface runoff (-23%) was measured in the mulched soils compared to the control plots. The soil mulching with straw was more effective at decreasing the runoff coefficient (-31%) compared to plots treated with wood chips (-18%) and the control areas. Soil loss was significantly lower in plots treated using straw (-87% compared to the burned and not treated soils) compared to wood chips (-54%). Peaks of 90-95% of reduction in the soil loss were even recorded in the steeper soils. Finally, we suggest the application of wheat straw rather than wood chips, since the wheat straw mulch material provides a higher soil cover (on average 73% against 48% of wood chips) and therefore is more indicated to reduce the hydrological response in burned soils, as confirmed by the lower runoff (in the average - 16%) and erosion (-73%) measured in this experiment on both gentler and steeper soils.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL