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A large amount of kitchen waste is produced all over the world. Biochemical disposal is an effective method for the reduction and safe utilization of kitchen waste. However, high salinity, low maturity and poor biocompatibility were encountered when utilizing the biochemical residue of kitchen waste (BRKW) as a kind of soil amendment. To reduce the high salinity, accelerate the maturity and improve the biocompatibility in the BRKW, this study used the BRKW as the main feedstock for earthworms after hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride (HPMA) was added and focused on revealing the effect of HPMA addition combined with the vermicomposting process on the growth of earthworms and on the basic physicochemical properties and the microbial diversity of the derived vermicompost. The results showed that HPMA addition can promote earthworm growth and reproduction. The pH, electric conductivity, organic matter content, C/N and NH

The rate of warming of the Arctic surface temperature has exceeded that of the global surface temperature in recent decades. However, the underlying process and causes of the long-term warming remain uncertain. In this paper, we explored the factors underlying variation in Arctic mean surface temperature anomalies (AMTA) using a piecewise linear model for 1920–2018. This analysis indicated that the change in AMTA during the study period could be divided into three segments, with AMTA increasing from 1920 to 1938, declining from 1939 to 1976, and finally increasing rapidly after 1977. By a newly developed rigorous formalism of information flow, we found a one-way causality from the driving forces to AMTA. Moreover, the AMTA evolution could mainly be attributed to a combined effect of anthropogenic and natural factors (e.g., CO2, aerosol, and PDO). During the first warming stage (1920–1938), the PDO and aerosols are the main factors determining the change in AMTA. During the second warming stage (1977–2018), greenhouse gases, dominated by CO2, are the major factors accounting for the Arctic warming. In 1939–1976, the observed cooling may be associated with aerosols, clouds, and land use. A better understanding of the driving mechanism underlying AMTA evolution provides insight into the historical Arctic climate change, and can improve the prediction of future changes in AMTA.

The 2015 Gorkha earthquake (Mw = 7.8) caused significant earthquake triggered landslides (ETL) in a landscape that is heavily intervened by rainfall triggered landslides (RTL). China’s Belt and Road Initiative plan to boost South-Asian regional trade and mobility through two key highway corridors, i.e. 1) Longmu–Rasuwa–Kathmandu (LRK) and 2) Nyalam–Tatopani–Kathmandu (NTK) route, that dissect the Himalayas through this geologically unstable region. To understand the spatial characteristics and susceptibility of these ETL and RTL, we delineate the landslides by means of time variant satellite imageries, assess their spatial distribution and model their susceptibilities along the highway slopes. We use a coupled frequency ratio (FR) – analytical hierarchy process (AHP) model by considering nine landslide determinants, e.g. geomorphic type (slope, aspect, curvature, elevation), hydrologic type (erosive potential of gullies, i.e. stream power index and distance to streams), normalized difference vegetation index, lithology and civil structure type (i.e. distance to roads). The results demonstrate that elevation and slope predominantly control both these landslide occurrences. The model predicts locations of ETL with higher accuracy than RTL. On comparison, NTK was safer with 133.5 km2 of high RTL or ETL (or both) landslide susceptible areas, whereas LRK has 216.04 km2. For mapping the extent of these landslides, we constricted it to the slope units of highways to reduce the computational effort, but this technique successfully achieved an acceptable threefold average model prediction rate of 82.75% in ETL and 77.9% in RTL. These landslide susceptibility maps and route comparisons would provide guidance towards further planning, monitoring, and implementing landslide risk mitigation measures for the governments.

In recent years, flash floods and urban waterlogging have become a widespread phenomenon in Fuzhou, which pose a serious threat to people’s lives and property. The primary disaster-causing factors include the intensity and duration of rainfall. Therefore, this article analyzes the characteristics, causes of rainfall, and the existing problems of the two disasters in Fuzhou. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The rainfall in Fuzhou is concentrated in March to September, with high rainfall intensity and rainfall amounts, and frequent extreme rainfall events combined with high rainfall intensity in flash flood-prone areas are higher than that in the plains area. (2) Precipitation, geographical conditions, and urban construction mainly caused the two major disasters and are weak in technology and management. Therefore, it is necessary to adhere to both the structural measures and non-structural measures to coordinate the relationship between people and floods, to strengthen the research on the mechanisms of precipitation, and to forecast and provide early warning of flash floods and urban waterlogging, all of which can provide reference for the defensive disasters in mountainous coastal cities.

The development of animal husbandry in China is facing enormous pressure from increasing demand of meat consumption, climate change, degrading grassland, and changing national policies. This paper presents the latest findings from an anthropological field investigation interviewing local herders, traders, and local officials from farming–pastoral ecotone in Inner Mongolia and shed lights on how locals have adapted their lives to climate change and the new national husbandry policies of the twenty-first century. Based on the anthropological interviews, we discussed the future opportunities and challenges of animal husbandry development in farming–pastoral ecotone. Results suggested that national ecological conservation policies and meat price have much larger impacts on animal husbandry than climate change, as perceived by locals. Family Fencing Policy, a relatively new policy aiming to avoid overgrazing and restore vegetation, was neither well accepted nor well implemented by the local herders. This is partially explained by the poor fencing technology, insufficient support facilities, as well as the high costs and low-profit margins in the animal husbandry. We conclude by suggesting that pastoralism in Northern China may greatly benefit from the development of rural cooperatives and active participation of locals in policy designing and implementation.

International research has focused more attention on arid and semiarid regions in recent years, as climate change has already had adverse impacts on grasslands and local households in the Mongolian plateau. Based on meteorological data, GIMMS AVHRR NDVI3g data, and livestock records, through statistical analysis, a significantly strong warming trend and a slightly decreasing trend in precipitation were ascertained in this region. Precipitation patterns are shifting, and intensifying, extreme events, such as droughts and dzud (extremely harsh winters characterized by heavy snow and low temperature), are a major threat to vegetation growth and animal husbandry development. Following a comparative analysis approach, we explored how the vegetation and animal husbandry response to climate change and extreme weather differ between Inner Mongolia and Mongolia. We found that vegetation growth generally decreased after the mid-1990s, but began to recover from 2001 over the entire region. The agricultural intensification level is higher in Inner Mongolia than in Mongolia, and residents in Inner Mongolia have a greater awareness of unexpected disasters than those in Mongolia. To deal with these challenges, this region warrants further study on how climate extremes will impact on regional animal husbandry and local social economics on the arid and semiarid regions. This could have implications for the international community, local government, local residents, and future scientific activities in this space.

Since the late 1970s, the Chinese government has implemented massive afforestation projects to address grievous environmental disasters, protect human health and provide long-term environmental security. Having a better understanding of the total carbon sink from the afforestation projects is fundamental to assess its global carbon benefit. Here, the sequestered carbon stock based on Chinese national forest inventory data is calculated by using three comparable volume-derived biomass models. Results show that the carbon sink contribution from these Chinese afforestation projects was 1.02 Pg C by the end of 2008 and 0.79 Pg C on average from 1981 to 2008 with a cumulative rate of 0.028 Pg C/a, which corresponds to 2 % of the total industrial carbon emissions from China during the same period. The financial value of carbon sequestration from these projects can be estimated by its value in carbon taxes of Finland and is potentially 190 billion RMB from 1981 to 2008, which is 43.4 % of the original investment. Hence although China’s afforestation projects make only modest contributions to offsetting industrial growth in carbon, the carbon sequestered, if valued according to some markets, is a significant fraction of the total project costs.

Arid and semi-arid regions are highly sensitive to environmental extremes, directly affecting the economic structures and development of human societies. Climate change and human activities are the major factors of vegetation changes in these regions. This study analyzes the roles of these factors of vegetation changes within forest, grassland and desert biomes across Inner Mongolia autonomous region (IM) in China and forecasts the future vegetation dynamics in this region. Based on data from 49 meteorological stations from 1961 to 2012 and the SPOT VEG Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) satellite data from 1998 to 2012, we analyze the vegetation coverage patterns, variations and its associating dynamic responses to climate change using the methods of Maximum Value Composition, correlation analysis, fluctuation analysis and the Hurst index. The results show that NDVI patterns in IM were determined by geographical longitude and latitude. The central and eastern portion of IM encompasses a wide area with high vegetation coverage, particularly in Hulun Buir and Xilin Gol. Over the past 15 years, the NDVI has declined in the central portion of Xilin Gol, while vegetation recovery from past degradation was evident in the desert and forest regions. Our results also demonstrate that precipitation was the major driver of vegetation growth other than temperature. However, most of the vegetation in this region is likely to show strong, sustainable growth in the future.