Integrating landscape connectivity into the evaluation of ecosystem services for biodiversity conservation and its implications for landscape planning

This paper examines the integration of landscape connectivity and ecosystem services. It is based on the assumption that if a habitat within a landscape has a more significant role in connecting with other habitats, it would have a higher ecosystem services value for biodiversity conservation. The Shenzhen River watershed, a cross-border region shared by the city of Shenzhen and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in China, was used as a case study. An area-based functional connectivity index, known as the possibility of connectivity (PC), was implemented to examine the temporal and spatial dynamics of the value of ecosystem services for biodiversity conservation over the period from 1988 to 2008. To evaluate the effectiveness of the PC index, a comparison was made between the conventional assessment method for ecosystem services and the proposed method. Results suggest that our proposed method can identify significant reduction of ecosystem services that was not only due to the decrease of habitat size, but also caused by the damage of connectivity among habitat patches. Also, it can identify sites which should have a high priority in restoring the ecosystem services for biodiversity conservation. In conclusion, this study provides a way to consider landscape connectivity in the evaluation of ecosystem services which is essential for landscape planning and nature conservation.     

Ecosystem health assessment based on analysis of a land use database

Data resources and assessment frameworks are two keys to ecosystem health assessment (EHA). Application of the land use database together with the Pressure–State–Response (PSR) model in EHA provides better precision relative to traditional data resources and assessment frameworks for EHA at the county scale. The raw data are taken from The Anlu County Annals, The Soil Records of Anlu County, and The Statistical Yearbook of National Economy in Anlu County. The spatial and attribute data are partly extracted from the database of current land use in Anlu City using the MAPGIS platform. Based on the results from principal component analysis (PCA), a total of eleven indicators were selected to build an indicator system designed to assess the ecosystem health at the county scale. According to the PSR model, the scores from three indices (press index, state index, and response index) and a comprehensive assessment index (CAI) were calculated, and an assessment map was constructed. The results from the index scores and spatial analysis display a large range for the state of ecosystem health due to the evolution of natural ecosystems and human activities at the county scale. The precision of the current land use database (scale of 1:10,000) makes it a better candidate for evaluating ecosystem health than the traditional data resources. This study also demonstrates the numerous benefits of combining land use databases with GIS functions to assess ecosystem health at the county scale.     

Impact of elevated levels of CO2 on animal mediated ecosystem function: The modification of sediment nutrient fluxes by burrowing urchins

A mesocosm experiment was conducted to quantify the relationships between the presence and body size of two burrowing heart urchins (Brissopsis lyrifera and Echinocardium cordatum) and rates of sediment nutrient flux. Furthermore, the impact of seawater acidification on these relationships was determined during this 40-day exposure experiment. Using carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas, seawater was acidified to pH_NBS 7.6, 7.2 or 6.8. Control treatments were maintained in natural seawater (pH ≈ 8.0). Under normocapnic conditions, burrowing urchins were seen to reduce the sediment uptake of nitrite or nitrate whilst enhancing the release of silicate and phosphate. In acidified (hypercapnic) treatments, the biological control of biogeochemical cycles by urchins was significantly affected, probably through the combined impacts of high CO₂ on nitrifying bacteria, benthic algae and urchin behaviour. This study highlights the importance of considering biological interactions when predicting the consequences of seawater acidification on ecosystem function.     

Caractérisation hydrogéochimique de la nappe du Continental Intercalaire (sud tunisien) / Hydrogeochemical characterization of the Continental Intercalaire aquifer (southern Tunisia)

Abstract

The study of the Continental Intercalaire aquifer system of southern Tunisia, based on the interpretation of geochemical (major elements) and isotopic (¹⁸O, ²H, ¹³C and ¹⁴C) data, has aided the understanding of the hydrodynamics of this multi-layer aquifer system, which is greatly influenced by tectonics. The determination of the origin of groundwater salinization and the understanding of the hydrogeological and geochemical behaviour of this aquifer were achieved by studying the correlation between the major elements and total mineralization (TDS). By using isotopic tools, it was shown that the water of this aquifer has been recharged under cooler, palaeoclimatic conditions. The technique also made it possible to better understand the hydrodynamic functioning of the aquifer system: it showed that the relatively recent recharge of the aquifer has been by direct infiltration from carbonate and sandy outcrops of the Cretaceous and Miocene, respectively, located in the eastern and northeastern parts of the aquifer. The ¹⁸O content was used to calculate the altitude of recharge basins. The isotopic gradient defined in this study is ?0.5 δ¹⁸O ‰/100 m.     

The political ecology playbook for ecosystem restoration: Principles for effective,equitable, and transformative landscapes

The urgency of restoring ecosystems to improve human wellbeing and mitigate climate and biodiversity crises is attracting global attention. The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030) is a global call to action to support the restoration of degraded ecosystems. And yet, many forest restoration efforts, for instance, have failed to meet restoration goals; indeed, they worsened social precarities and ecological conditions. By merely focusing on symptoms of forest loss and degradation, these interventions have neglected the underlying issues of equity and justice driving forest decline. To address these root causes, thus creating socially just and sustainable solutions, we develop the Political Ecology Playbook for Ecosystem Restoration. We outline a set of ten principles for achieving long-lasting, resilient, and equitable ecosystem restoration. These principles are guided by political ecology, a framework that addresses environmental concerns from a broadly political economic perspective, attending to power, politics, and equity within specific geographic and historical contexts. Drawing on the chain of explanation, this multi-scale, cross-landscapes Playbook aims to produce healthy relationships between people and nature that are ecologically, socially, and economically just – and thus sustainable and resilient – while recognizing the political nature of such relationships. We argue that the Political Ecology Playbook should guide ecosystem restoration worldwide.     

基于多源遥感数据的生态系统保育土壤价值评估——以河北省北部四地市为例

为了给合理地利用土地资源和科学地进行环境保护提供依据,利用多源遥感影像数据,结合气象数据、土壤属性数据与DEM,对河北北部地区生态系统的土壤保持量进行了评估,并参考《森林生态系统服务功能评估规范》,对生态系统保护土壤肥力的价值与固土价值进行了评估.结果表明,研究区2008年度生态系统的土壤保持总量达到7.55亿t,对应...     

Spatial and temporal distribution of heavy metal concentrations in mussels (Mytilus edulis) from the Baie des Chaleurs, New Brunswick, Canada

Previous studies on heavy metal contamination of the Baie des Chaleurs focus only on industrial centers and overlooked the ecosystem as a whole. To fill this gap, the objective of this study is to establish a baseline of the spatio-temporal distribution of heavy metals in mussels from the Baie des Chaleurs based on the ecosystem approach. Our results show, for the first time, a cadmium contamination in mussels across the south coast of the Baie des Chaleurs and not only in industrial centers. Our results also confirm previous studies showing heavy metal contamination of the Belledune area. This study demonstrates that the use of the ecosystemic approach is essential to obtain a comprehensive picture of environmental contamination in marine ecosystems.     

生态系统健康：理论/概念与评价方法

生态系统健康研究是目前生态与环境领域兴起的研究热点之一。在阅读和分析大量国内外文献的基础上,系统总结了健康和生态系统健康的概念,指出引入生态系统健康概念的目的是要得到一个重要生态指标清单,以此开展生态系统健康评价。然后,总结出生态系统健康评价的3种主要方法：指示物种法、指标体系法和指示区域法,并以代表实例阐述了此3种方...     

土地利用变化对延安市生态服务价值的影响

利用延安市2001-2007年土地利用基础数据,计算土地利用动态度,并在Costanza生态系统服务价值理论基础上,结合谢高地等的中国生态系统生态服务价值当量因子表,计算出延安不同生态系统单位面积生态服务价值。并依此尝试计算延安市2001年至2007年延安市生态系统服务价值量。研究发现,2007延安市的生态系统服务价值将达到424.28亿元,比2001年增加28.79亿元,增长率为7.28%;各种土地利用方式的生态系统服务价值的敏感性指数(CS)均小于1,表明其对生态系统的价值变化是缺乏弹性的。     

湿地生态系统服务功能价值评估问题探讨

湿地生态系统服务功能价值评估能够将湿地各项服务功能价值货币化,提供直观的经济数字,是应用较为广泛的一种评估方式。其技术仍处在探索阶段,尚不完善,在应用中反映出许多问题。分析了湿地净化污染、调节大气、调蓄洪水、物质生产等几项代表性的服务功能,总结了评估应用中存在的一些问题,并提出相应的改进建议,为今后的工作提供参考。