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Objective Carbonate rocks have a significant carbon sink effect in water cycle. Since karst landforms are widely distributed in China, research on the potential of karst carbon sinks plays an important role in formulating regional strategies for increasing carbon sinks. Methods In this study, groundwater monitoring points in Hubei Province, which is located in the karst area of Southwest China, were selected. Quantitative calculations and method comparisons were performed based on the hydrochemical runoff method and the infiltration-equilibrium chemistry method. The spatial pattern and magnitude of karst carbon sinks in the hilly mountains of Hubei Province from 2019 to 2021 were evaluated via ArcGIS spatial analysis techniques. Additionally, the most suitable method for estimating karst carbon sinks at the regional scale were explored, the comprehensive analysis of the drivers of karst carbon sinks was performed, and the potential for increasing sinks were explored. Results The results showed that: (1) the intensity of carbon sinks estimated by the infiltration-equilibrium chemistry method were 2020>2019>2021. The total amount of karst carbon sinks in wet year (2020) was approximately 6 times of that in dry year (2019). The average annual carbon sink intensity in the three years was 12.84 t/(km2·a) and the annual total amount of carbon reached 163.89×104 t/a; (2) the infiltration-equilibrium chemistry method was more accurate in calculation results and simpler in data acquisition than the hydrochemical runoff method, and had a certain universality at both large and small spatial scales; (3) the change in carbon sinks was highly dynamic. The extent of changes in carbon sinks under climate change was mainly determined by runoff depth, with the intensity of carbon sinks increasing with runoff depth, while land use regulated the intensity of carbon sinks in karst processes; and (4) the karstification is strong in southwestern Hubei Province, so a pilot field of karst carbon sinks could be established within the area to quantitatively evaluate artificial interventions to increase carbon sinks. Conclusion This study not only provides an accurate and easy-to-use method for estimating karst carbon sinks, but also determines the magnitude and spatial pattern of karst carbon sinks in Hubei Province and figures out the coupling effect of the driving factors of carbon sink intensity, which demonstrates the complexity and anthropogenic control lability of karst carbon sinks. The results of this study provides a reliable scientific basis for the formulation of environmental protection policies and artificial sink increase measures.

This study makes a significant contribution to the field of groundwater potential mapping (GWPM) by exploring the application of ensemble learning models (ELMs), specifically boosting ensemble models (BEMs), which have not been fully utilized in GWPM. By employing six ELMs (random forest, AdaBoost, XGBoost, CatBoost, GBDT, and LightGBM), along with Tree-structured Parzen Estimator in Luoning County, China, this study identifies key indicators (topographic position index, distance to rivers, and topographic wetness index) and demonstrates the superior model performance of XGBoost compared to other ELMs. Additionally, correlation analysis confirms the accuracy of XGBoost in predicting relationships between important indicators and groundwater potentials. Finally, the findings provide valuable insights for sustainable groundwater management strategies in Luoning County and emphasize the need for further exploration of ELMs, development of comprehensive performance evaluation and indicator systems, reduction of the inconsistencies between indicators and predication results and practical research to support future sustainable groundwater management.

The spatial mapping and prediction of groundwater quality (GWQ) is important for sustainable groundwater management, but several research gaps remain unexplored, including the inaccuracy of spatial interpolation, limited consideration of the geological environment and human activity effects, limitation to specific pollutants, and unsystematic indicator selection. This study utilized the entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI), the LightGBM model, the pressure-state-response (PSR) framework and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis to address the above research gaps. The normalized importance (NI) shows that NO3− (0.208), Mg2+ (0.143), SO42− (0.110), Cr6+ (0.109) and Na+ (0.095) should be prioritized as parameters for remediation, and the skewness EWQI distribution indicates that although most sampled locations have acceptable GWQ, a few areas suffer from severely poor GWQ. The PSR framework identifies 13 indicators from geological environments and human activities for the SMP of GWQ. Despite high AUROCs (0.9074, 0.8981, 0.8885, 0.9043) across four random training and testing sets, it was surprising that significant spatial uncertainty was observed, with Pearson correlation coefficients (PCCs) from 0.5365 to 0.8066. We addressed this issue by using the spatial-grid average probabilities of four maps. Additionally, population and nighttime light are key indicators, while net recharge, land use and cover (LULC), and the degree of urbanization have the lowest importance. SHAP analysis highlights both positive and negative impacts of human activities on GWQ, identifying point-source pollution as the main cause of the poor GWQ in the study area. Due to the limited research on this field, future studies should focus on six key aspects: multi-method GWQ assessment, quantitative relationships between indicators and GWQ, comparisons of various spatial mapping and prediction models, the application of the PSR framework for indicator selection, the development of methods to reduce spatial uncertainty, and the use of explainable machine learning techniques in groundwater management.

Investigations of the geochemical compositions of geothermal water, as well as their movements and geneses, are of great significance for the exploration and exploitation of hydrothermal resources. In Zhongshan City, a southern city in Guangdong Province, large amounts of geothermal heat have been discovered. The results of investigations show that the hydrochemical types of geothermal water in the study area are Cl-Na·Ca and Cl-Na. H-O isotopes are basically near the atmospheric precipitation line, and the calculated recharge elevation of geothermal water ranges from 716 to 822 m, which is close to the altitude of the North Peak Mountain in Taishan City. The deep thermal storage temperature ranges from 95.32 to 149.71 °C, and the depth of the thermal cycle ranges from 2638.57 m to 4581.07 m. The genetic model of the geothermal water in this area is that, at favorable structural positions with satisfied water storage conditions, the mixture of atmospheric precipitation and seawater that circulates deep in Earth is heated by terrestrial heat flow under actions such as deep heat exchange and water–rock reactions to leach the salt, finally forming the highly mineralized geothermal water that uplifts out of the surface along faults and crops. The formation of the genetic model of geothermal water will provide a geological basis and technical support for the efficient development and utilization of geothermal resources in Zhongshan City and the coastal area of Southeast China.

AbstractLandslide inventory incompleteness (LII) may significantly affect the model performance in landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM). However, traditional methods, including heuristic, statistical and deterministic models, cannot address LII issue. In this work, we introduce a novel hybrid LEO-MAHP model, blending landslide frequency, empirical adjustments, optimization functions, and multi-participated analytic hierarchy process to address it by taking Badong County as the study area. This hybrid model mitigates the drawbacks of data-heavy statistical approaches and subjective heuristic models by incorporating LII into weight determination. The findings show that the LEO-MAHP model demonstrates superior performance (AUROC = 0.809 and 0.805) over conventional statistical (AUROC = 0.714 and 0.770) and heuristic models (AUROC = 0.738 and 0.741) across different LII levels. We further discuss alternative LII solutions, proposing an updated landslide management strategy that accounts for climate change and human activities. Our findings underscore the necessity of evaluating LII before applying statistical or machine learning methods in LSM.

Expanding urbanization has led to an increased risk of urban flooding, which poses a hazard to humans. Scientific assessment of urban flooding vulnerability (UFV) is essential to protect human health and reduce losses. In this study, UFV was assessed using the Analytic Hierarchy Process-Press-State-Response (AHP-PSR) model in Jining City, China. The urban flooding index (UFI) was calculated from 13 indicators. Based on the magnitude of UFI, the vulnerability was classified into five classes. Among them, the areas of very high, high, medium, low and very low vulnerability are 897.21 km2 (8.02%), 3192.14 km2 (28.53%), 2063.22 km2 (18.44%), 39773.96 km2 (35.52%) and 1060.47 km2 (9.48%), respectively. Finally, suggestions were proposed for further urban flooding management based on the results. The results of the study can provide an important reference for the government to prevent and mitigate urban flooding. Meanwhile, the modeling framework can be easily transferred to other cities, providing new ideas for UFV assessment.

This study selected ten condition factors from the perspectives of topography, geological structure, hydrology and human for mining subsidence mapping by two types of models (knowledge-driven model and data-driven model) by taking Jining City, China as an example. The knowledge-driven model is achieved by analytic hierarchy process (AHP), and the data-driven model is achieved by frequency ratio (FR), combined with fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) and entropy evaluation method (EWM). Based on these models, the areas under receiver operating characteristic curve are 0.777, 0.949, and 0.938, which means FR-FCE obtained the highest accuracy. The differences reflected by the three methods are concentrated in Liangshan County and central to northern areas of Weishan County. The best model was proposed for the protection measures and land use management. Finally, the factors system and methods used in this study can be widely applied to the mining subsidence susceptibility evaluation in plain areas.

The agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China is an important ecological security barrier for central and eastern China. Ecological restoration in this zone is very important due to its fragile ecosystem structure, frequent ecological and environmental problems, and severe land desertification. The plant-soil water relationship is essential to ecological and hydrological processes in land desertification areas. Studying the water conversion process between plants and soil is of great importance for understanding the water absorption patterns of plants and determining the preferred plant species for ecological restoration. Taking northern Kangbao County, Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province as the study area, this study analyzed the water uptake layer, ecological niche width, and water competition of typical plants based on the hydrogen and oxygen isotopic characteristics of rainfall, groundwater, soil water, and xylem water during the rainy season, were analyzed. The results showed that Caragana korshinskii mainly absorbed soil water at a depth of 80-100 cm, with a maximum water uptake rate of 87.7%, while Brassica campestris mainly absorbed soil water at a depth of 0-20 cm, with a maximum water uptake rate of 82.3%. The water absorption layer of Stipa baicalensis was related to the soil moisture content, and the depth of water absorption of Neopallasia pectinata was more balanced. The ecological niche of each plant species is relatively wide, but there is intense water competition among some plants. This study provides a scientific basis for identifying plant water sources and ecological restoration in desertification areas of the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China.

In this work, Ce-doped Ti6Cr14V80 BCC hydrogen-storage alloys have been synthesized as catalysts to enhance the hydrogen-storage performance of MgH2 based on its room-temperature activation features and excellent durability. The Ti6Cr14V80Ce1 alloy was pre-ball milled under a hydrogen atmosphere into a Ti6Cr14V80Ce1Hx hydride. Different amounts of the Ti6Cr14V80Ce1Hx hydride were incorporated into MgH2 by ball milling to obtain the MgH2 + y wt%Ti6Cr14V80Ce1Hx (y = 0, 3, 5, 10, 15) nano-composites. With an optimization doping of 10 wt%Ti6Cr14V80Ce1Hx, the initial dehydrogenated temperature was decreased to 160 °C. Moreover, the composite can rapidly release 6.73 wt% H2 within 8 min at 230 °C. Also, it can absorb 2.0 wt% H2 within 1 h even at room temperature and uptake 4.86 wt% H2 within 10 s at 125 °C. In addition, the apparent dehydrogenated activation energy of the MgH2 + 10 wt%Ti6Cr14V80Ce1Hx composite was calculated to be 62.62 kJ mol−1 fitted by the JMAK model. The capacity retention was kept as 84% after 100 cycles at 300 °C. The ball milled Ti6Cr14V80Ce1Hx transformed from the initial FCC phase structure into a BCC phase after complete dehydrogenation and back into an FCC phase when fullly hydrogenated. A catalyst mechanism analysis revealed that the ‘autocatalytic effect’ originating in Ti6Cr14V80Ce1Hx plays a crucial role in boosting the de-/hydrogenation properties of MgH2. This work provides meaningful insights into rational designs of nano-compositing with different hydrogen-storage alloy catalyzed MgH2.

The development and utilization of land in the main urban area have significantly impacted the stability of the regional geological environment through various means, such as increased load and subway construction, primarily manifested as rock and soil mass deformation leading to geological hazards. Therefore, it is worth exploring how to reduce the occurrence of karst ground subsidence (KGS) through reasonable land development and control measures in the main urban areas with large-scale developments of buried karst formations. This study focuses on the main urban area of Wuhan City. An evaluation model for KGS was constructed using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and comprehensive index evaluation method by analyzing the geological conditions that affect KGS. The susceptibility zoning of KGS was obtained with GIS spatial analysis technology. The results show that the susceptible areas can be divided into extreme, high, medium, and weak susceptibility, accounting for 4.93%, 15.30%, 33.21%, and 46.56%, respectively, which are consistent with the distribution density of past KSGs. Furthermore, by selecting the subway construction as a human activity type, it indirectly discusses the influence of land development intensity on KGS. The results show that past KSGs are mainly concentrated in areas with high engineering construction density and significant land development intensity. Based on the above, strategies for regional land development and prevention and control of KGSs are proposed.

Geohazards pose significant risks to communities and infrastructure, emphasizing the need for accurate susceptibility assessments to guide land-use planning and hazard management. This study presents a comprehensive method that combines Variable Weight Theory (VWT) with Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to assess geo-environment vulnerability based on susceptibility to various geohazards. The method was applied to the Pearl River Delta in China, resulting in the classification of areas into high vulnerability (5961.85 km2), medium vulnerability (19,227.93 km2), low vulnerability (14,892.02 km2), and stable areas (1616.19 km2). The findings demonstrate improved accuracy and reliability compared to using AHP alone. ROC curve analysis confirms the enhanced performance of the integrated method, highlighting its effectiveness in discerning susceptibility levels and making informed decisions in hazard preparedness and risk reduction. Additionally, this study assessed the risks posed by geohazards to critical infrastructures, roads, and artificial surfaces, while discussing prevention strategies. However, this study acknowledges certain limitations, including the subjective determination of its judgment matrix and data constraints. Future research could explore the integration of alternative methods to enhance the objectivity of factor weighting. In practical applications, this study contributes to the understanding of geo-environment vulnerability assessments, providing insight into the intricate interplay among geological processes, human activities, and disaster resilience.

Coastal areas have made substantial contributions to global economic development but are plagued by challenges such as groundwater salinization. Groundwater serves as the primary source for drinking, industrial, and domestic purposes in these coastal areas. Therefore, understanding the causes and processes of groundwater salinization holds paramount significance for effective groundwater management. The coastal area of Laizhou Bay in northern China serves as a quintessential example of such a scenario. With substantial groundwater extraction and severe groundwater salinization issues, it exacerbates the disparity between water-resource supply and demand. Currently, our understanding of the processes and influencing factors related to groundwater salinization in this region remains limited. In this study, employing hydrochemical and stable chlorine isotope analyses on 35 groundwater and seawater samples, an in-depth investigation into the complex mechanisms underlying groundwater salinization in the Quaternary aquifers of the eastern coastal plain of Laizhou Bay was conducted. The test results of the samples indicate that brine and saline groundwater are primarily of the Na-Cl type, exhibiting a hydrochemical composition similar to that of seawater. Brackish groundwater exhibits a diverse hydrochemical composition. The hydrogen and oxygen isotope characteristics of brackish and fresh groundwater resemble atmospheric precipitation, while brine, seawater, and saline groundwater show hydrogen and oxygen isotope depletion. Compared to seawater, brine exhibits significant δ37Cl depletion. The analysis of the test results reveals that the formation of brine aquifers results from a complex interplay of climate change, tectonic movements, and sea–land evolution, involving lagoon development during seawater regression, salt concentration through evaporation, and subsequent water–rock interactions. The genesis of saline groundwater involves a complex interplay of brine–seawater mixing, significant evaporation, and potential input of fresh groundwater from atmospheric precipitation and river sources. The formation of brackish groundwater is predominantly influenced by atmospheric precipitation, and agricultural activities, with significant variations in NO3− concentrations attributed to varying intensities of fertilizer application in the northern plain area. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of the origins of groundwater and can inform the development of policies for groundwater protection in this area.

Groundwater function zoning is an important means to ensure that groundwater plays its various functions, which can provide a scientific basis for the protection and development of groundwater resources. Water resources are scarce in the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration (CPUA), so it is of great significance to evaluate groundwater vulnerability and to zone groundwater function in this area. In this study, the resource supply function (RSF), eco-environment function (EEF), and geo-environment function (GEF) of groundwater were analyzed using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), maximum method, and dominant mark method, so as to divide the shallow groundwater function in the plain of the CPUA. The results show that the reservation areas (32.0%) are distributed in the areas from Luoning County to Yanjin County, Changyuan County to Xinzheng County, and the areas near mountainous in the south of the CPUA. The geological-disaster-prone areas (29.5%) are distributed in the areas from Ruyang County to Luohe City, Weihui County to Jiyuan City, Xingyang County to Changge County, Changyuan County to Yuanyang County, and Kaifeng City. The development and utilization areas (6.4%) are distributed near mountainous areas in the CPUA. The ecologically vulnerable areas (7.5%) are distributed in the east of Kaifeng City and the northeast of Xinxiang City. The conservation areas (24.6%) are distributed in the areas from Ruyang County to Wuyang County, Xinzheng County to Xingyang County, the north of Xuchang City, the east of Luohe City, Kaifeng City, and Xinxiang City. In order to better manage the groundwater, this study evaluates the vulnerability of the groundwater using the DRASTIC model and makes a single indicator sensitivity analysis. The results show that the accuracies of indicators D, A, and I are particularly important for this vulnerability evaluation. According to the groundwater vulnerability and the land use types, some suggestions were put forward. The research results can provide a reference for groundwater management and development in the CPUA and other areas.

Affected by natural factors and human activities, seawater intrusion has become a geo-environmental problem, significantly impacting human production and life. Seawater intrusion weakens coastal areas’ geo-environmental carrying capacity, limiting industry and commerce development potential. On the other hand, it may provide convenient deep seawater resources for coastal aquaculture development. Therefore, how to quantitatively analyze seawater intrusion’s process, scope, and influencing factors has become a hotspot for hydrogeological researchers. This study uses chemical sampling analysis, environmental isotope, fixed-point, and geophysical methods to monitor long-term seawater intrusion in the southern coastal plain of Laizhou Bay. According to the monitoring data, the chemical type of fresh groundwater changes from Ca·Mg-HCO3 to Na-HCO3·Cl, Na·Ca-HCO3·Cl from south to north, and the changing trend of brackish groundwater is from Mg·Na·Ca-HCO3, Mg·Ca-HCO3 to Na-Cl·HCO3, Na·Mg-Cl. Saline groundwater is mainly of the Na-Cl and Na·Mg-Cl type. Brine is of the Cl-Na type. The relationship between 18O, 2H, and Cl− shows that groundwater was affected by evaporation, dissolution, and mixing in the runoff process. The relationship between water level and TDS in monitoring wells at different locations and depths confirms the existence of seasonal variations and layered intrusion phenomena in groundwater recharge sources. From July 2018 to December 2019, the south intrusion and north retreat rates were approximately 213.3 m/a and 105.9 m/a, respectively. From August 2016 to December 2019, the seawater intrusion front on the Dawangdong profile generally retreated northward at approximately 27 m/a. The results of this study can provide a scientific basis for the utilization of groundwater in local production and life. Comparative analysis and mutual verification of multiple monitoring methods can provide basic ideas for constructing a multi-source monitoring system for seawater intrusion.

Most studies on the effects of plants on reducing pollutants in surface runoff focus on the elimination of a single pollutant by a single plant species. We take into account the fact that natural riparian herbaceous vegetation buffer strips remove multiple pollutants at the same time, and vegetation species need to be selected according to actual conditions. In an indoor simulation, processed soil samples were taken, and collected rainwater was used to prepare standard solutions for simulating surface runoff, which includes five primary water pollutants: total suspended solids (TSS), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), and chemical oxygen demand (COD). Pollutant concentrations were measured after the experiments. We found that the reduction capacity of vegetation buffer strips differs due to the differentiation of biological structure and growth characteristics. Dichondra repens Forst and Cynodon dactylon (Linn.) Pers had high biomass, and their vegetation was creeping on the ground with well-developed roots, showing a strong comprehensive ability to reduce pollutants. The comprehensive reduction capability of five vegetation buffer strips for pollutants is ranked as follows: Dichondra repens Forst > Cynodon dactylon (Linn.) Pers > Zoysia matrella > Festuca elata Keng ex E. Alexeev > Lolium perenne.

In the past, a great deal of research has been conducted to determine the fractal properties of river networks, and there are many kinds of methods calculating their fractal dimensions. In this paper, we compare two most common methods: one is geomorphic fractal dimension obtained from the bifurcation ratio and the stream length ratio, and the other is box-counting method. Firstly, synthetic fractal trees are used to explain the role of the junction angle on the relation between two kinds of fractal dimensions. The obtained relationship curves indicate that box-counting dimension is decreasing with the increase of the junction angle when geomorphic fractal dimension keeps constant. This relationship presents continuous and smooth convex curves with junction angle from 60° to 120° and concave curves from 30° to 45°. Then 70 river networks in China are investigated in terms of their two kinds of fractal dimensions. The results confirm the fractal structure of river networks. Geomorphic fractal dimensions of river networks are larger than box-counting dimensions and there is no obvious relationship between these two kinds of fractal dimensions. Relatively good non-linear relationships between geomorphic fractal dimensions and box-counting dimensions are obtained by considering the role of the junction angle. HIGHLIGHTS The role of the junction angle on the relation between two kinds of fractal dimensions is explained by synthetic fractal trees.; Two kinds of fractal dimensions of 70 actual river networks in China are compared.; Junction angle has a significant influence on fractal dimensions of river networks.;

The urban geological environment risk assessment is based on the research and analysis of the main geological environmental problems of the city, comprehensively assessing the risk of urban geological environment problems and the possible losses, and studying the degree of matching between the natural and social attributes of the geological environment. According to the urban planning of Zhengzhou City, the different types of functional areas of the city were used as evaluation objects, and the analytic hierarchy-composite index model was used to evaluate the geological environment risk and social economic vulnerability. The risk assessment model was used to evaluate the geological environment risk of Zhengzhou City. The evaluation results show that the area of high-risk area in Zhengzhou accounts for 4.05%; the area of medium-high risk area accounts for 12.89%; the area of medium-low and low-risk area accounts for 83.06%. According to the assessment results, suggestions are put forward to provide service for the urban planning, development and risk management.Highlights An urban geo-environment risk assessment technique system combining with the AHP - composite index assessment model is proposed. Different types of functional zones in Zhengzhou City are taken as assessment units. Geo-environment risk in Zhengzhou City is qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated.

Rugao city is a typical longevity area taking shallow groundwater as the primary drinking water source. To determine the relationship between longevity and groundwater conditions, the hydrogeochemical characteristics and related causes of potable groundwater were investigated. On this basis, the water quality index (WQI) and hazard index (HI) of groundwater were evaluated. Meanwhile, the nutrient indicators beneficial to human health, like Ca and Mg concentrations, were also considered to explore the relationship. The results were as following: (1) 91.3% of water samples fell under the Ca/Mg–HCO3 water type, which resulted from the dissolution of silicate rock. Na, Cl-, Br, B in groundwater emanated from seawater intrusion. The abnormal concentrations of NO3− and As also indicated that anthropogenic activities had exerted significant influences on groundwater quality. (2) The average WQI value was 30.19, which meant that the overall groundwater quality in Rugao city was pretty good. However, 8 water samples were found to have HI values above 1, which might be attributed to the high concentration of As (maximum value 0.0407 mg/L; mean value 0.0076 mg/L). In general, low WQI and HI values corresponded to towns with a high longevity population; what’s more, WQI and HI values of Rugao city were lower than those of non-longevity areas. (3) Comparing with adjacent non-longevity areas, the potable groundwater in Rugao city had the characteristics of high Ca (mean value 123.57 mg/L), high Mg (mean value 50.33 mg/L) and high SO42- (mean value 525.19 mg/L). The daily intake of Ca and Mg from drinking water could meet 12.4% and 22.4% of daily Ca and Mg requirements, respectively. Also, the areas where the Sr and B concentrations were higher usually had higher life expectancy. The high concentrations of Ca, Mg, SO42-, Sr and B in drinking water, as well as low WQI and HI values, probably contribute to physical health and longevity. This research helps provide an insight into the relationship between groundwater quality and health and can serve as a reference for drinking water quality management.

With the continuous development of society, the contradiction between human and nature becomes increasingly prominent, and ecological vulnerability assessment is an effective tool to alleviate the contradiction. In this study, AHP-PSR (Analytic Hierarchy Process - Press-State-Response) model was used to assess the ecological vulnerability of Weifang City. PSR model was used to select parameters, AHP was used to determine the weights of parameters, and GIS was used to assess ecological vulnerability. Based on the results of ecological vulnerability assessment, the inherent ecological vulnerability assessment, single parameter sensitivity analysis and spatial autocorrelation analysis were carried out in order to provide specific suggestions for ecological development and protection in this area and provide new ideas for ecological vulnerability research. The results showed that the ecological vulnerability is from low to high, with an area of 44.1%, 44.3%, 9.7%, 0.8% and 1.1% respectively. The areas of inherent ecological vulnerability ranged from low to high are 27.2%, 38.2%, 18.0%, 6.8% and 9.8% respectively. The difference between the assessment results of ecological vulnerability and that of intrinsic ecological vulnerability, indicates the role of human society in changing the inherent natural ecological vulnerability. Human beings can improve the original highly vulnerable ecological environment through their positive activities. The single parameter sensitivity analysis supports this view. Higher and high ecological vulnerability areas should prohibit all acts that damage the ecological environment and improve the vulnerable ecological environment through positive human activities. The areas with high spatial autocorrelation mainly include the north and southeast of Shouguang County, the northeast and south of Anqiu County, Fangzi District, Hanting District, Weicheng District, Kuiwen District, Linqu County, Qingzhou County, Zhucheng County, and Gaomi County. In the case of ecological governance, priority can be given to these areas. This study can provide scientific basis for ecological construction and protection of Weifang City. Single parameter sensitivity analysis and spatial autocorrelation analysis can guide the management of ecological vulnerable areas.

It is of great significance to conduct an assessment of the susceptibility of certain area to geo-environmental hazards that are intended land-use planning, for hazard prevention. This study first evaluated the four geo-environmental hazards susceptibility in Luoning County using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Then, Barrel Principle was used to render a comprehensive hazard susceptibility map, reflecting the stability level of the regional geo-environment. Results showed that the geo-environmental hazards susceptibility area can be graded into four levels, including high-susceptibility, moderate-susceptibility, low-susceptibility, and stable, accounting for 25.3%, 44.8%, 26.5%, and 3.4% of the study area, respectively. Success rate curve was applied to validate the accuracy of the single-hazard susceptibility map produced using the AHP. The results showed that the landslide, rockfall, and goaf collapse susceptibility maps had a success rate of 83.28%, 77.07%, and 85.19%, respectively. Therefore, the single susceptibility map can be helpful for hazard assessment and land-use planning. Finally, a comprehensive susceptibility map was used to select areas of priority for urban development and prevent and mitigate natural hazards that occur.