Search

Community resilience increases collective capacity to enact change and restore communities following trauma. Using the Beyond the Bridge Project as a case study following the Morandi Bridge Collapse, we conducted 10 consultations with the Project Lead Group. We employed a stakeholder analysis, and ecological maps performed using the Communities Advancing Resilience Toolkit methodology. The findings highlight the involvement and categorization of stakeholders based on their post‐trauma intervention attitudes. The ecological maps facilitated communication and community competence between different stakeholder groups, which are key aspects of community resilience. We suggest that this methodology is promising for future research in trauma‐affected communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Upper Paraguay Basin (BAP) is one of the largest river basins in South America, covering three countries: Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. In Brazil, one of the main risks to BAP conservation is the loss of native vegetation. In the floodplain region of the BAP, more than 13% of native vegetation was converted, while in the surrounding highlands the loss of native vegetation reached over 61% of the area. These values tend to increase, highlighting the importance of territorial planning for sustainable development in the region. In this sense, we mapped the ecological corridors in the Upper Paraguay Basin, in Brazil, to support conservation strategies focused on maintaining connectivity on a regional scale. To achieve this, we use the Least Cost Path and Circuitscape methods, based on a multispecies approach. As a result, we identified 303 fragments of native vegetation or conservation units that can be considered nodes and 859 ecological corridors. Of all the ecological corridors identified, around 288 were lost in just 3 years, due to the conversion of native vegetation. In general, our results were an extensive network of corridors, which can be applied in UPRB territorial planning, aiming to reduce the impacts of loss of connectivity in the region. Our results highlight the importance of territorial planning and quick and effective decision‐making to mitigate the effects of native vegetation loss for biodiversity conservation in the UPRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial land cover depictions are essential for ecological and environmental management. The thematic resolution of land cover and vegetation maps is also a significant factor affecting the ability to effectively develop policy and land management decisions based on spatial data. Natural resource and conservation planners often seek to develop strategies at broad scales; however, high-quality spatial data depicting current vegetation and ecosystem types over large areas are often unavailable. Since widely available land cover and vegetation datasets are generally lacking in either thematic resolution or spatial coverage, there is a need to integrate modeling approaches and ancillary data with traditional satellite image classifications to produce more detailed ecosystem maps for large areas. In this study, we present a comprehensive approach using satellite imagery, machine learning, and ancillary modeling approaches to develop high-resolution ecological system type maps statewide for Arkansas, USA. A RandomForest land cover classification of Sentinel-2 imagery was generated and further articulated into ecological types using a comprehensive set of secondary modeling approaches. A total of 123 types were mapped in Arkansas, including common cultural and ruderal land cover and vegetation such as pine plantations and developed types. Ozark–Ouachita Dry–Mesic Forest covered the most area, 17.51% of the state. Row Crops covered 17.16%. Twenty-five pine or pine plantation types covered 19.73% of the state, with Ozark–Ouachita pine woodland or mature pine plantation covering 6.15%. Field survey points were used to assess the quality of the mapped ecological systems. The approaches presented here provide a framework for finer resolution mapping of ecological systems at broad scales in other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we extracted above-ground biomass (AGB) information for forests in different ecological zones of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) by integrating freely-available global AGB, forest, and ecological zone map products. Our objective was to assess the suitability of the data and proposed approach for national reporting of forest carbon stocks. We compared the satellite-derived AGB values of forests in ASEAN countries with the corresponding AGB values provided by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) in their Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (which are derived from ground-based measurements of forest AGB). For this, we used a map integration approach that ensures that AGB data is extracted from areas corresponding to the Food and Agricultural Association (FAO) of the UN's definitions of "forest" and "ecological zones", as recommended by the relevant IPCC Guidelines. We found that the average satellite-derived AGB values extracted for each ecological zone were generally lower than the values for natural forests (but higher than the values for plantation forests) provided in the IPCC Guidelines. Further investigation showed that this was partly due to the presence of many erroneously low AGB values for forests in the extracted results, caused by errors in the data masks applied to the original global AGB map, including masks of cropland, urban areas, bare soil, and water bodies. Our findings suggest that further processing is necessary before using satellite-derived data for national reporting of forest carbon stocks in ASEAN countries, and we give a few possible options for this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question of how the digital economy responds to ecological issues has gained salience in recent years. So far, though, social scientists have primarily taken interest in the ecological positionings of tech entrepreneurs. Little attention has been paid to the middle-class fraction of 'tech workers' who are responsible for programming, designing, and managing the digital technologies that reconfigure socio-material relations. Based on 52 interviews with data scientists and user experience designers, the article analyzes the ecological habitus of this new professional segment. Four central ecological schemas are identified: (1) managing limited resources, (2) critical techno-optimism, (3) academic concern, and (4) lifestyle struggles. Simultaneously, the article discusses how these four schemas relate to the different forms of capital held by tech workers. This mapping of the ecological habitus of tech workers shows how social relationships with nature are underpinned by class positions. The article thus pursues dual aims, contributing to research on green capitalism as well as to debates on how the middle class relates to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effective bibliometric analysis based on the Science Citation Index (SCI) published by the Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) was carried out to identify the trend of ecological research between 1992 and 2022. This study put emphases on the high-frequency keywords and their relationships to reveal the hotspots and developing trends of ecological research fields. The results show that the hotpots of ecology has changed a lot during the last 30 years, but some topics occupied an important position in ecological research consistently. Especially, "Biodiversity" and "Climate change" have been obtained more and more attention, so their ranks also have been changed greatly. We also found that the most frequently used keywords are more varied than before and that keywords have become more closely related to each other. Another interesting and amazing result shows that the keywords related to anthropogenic increased sharply. Finally, keywords analysis was an effective approach for mapping ecological research. We guess that anthropogenic keywords may be a potential guide for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background General practitioners (GPs) in Australia have an important role to play in preventing childhood obesity. Activities such as growth monitoring and promotion of healthy behaviours can contribute to obesity prevention efforts; however, the practicalities of how this is done are poorly documented. Objectives Objectives were to understand current attitudes and practices regarding promoting healthy childhood growth and development and preventing childhood obesity in general practice, and identify practical barriers and enablers to routinely incorporating this into general practice based on the observations and personal experiences of general practice staff. Methods A descriptive qualitative study was undertaken with Australian general practice staff. Barriers and enablers underwent thematic analysis and mapped to the ecological model. Results Interviews were conducted with 9 GPs, 4 nurses, and 2 practice managers. Participants agreed that growth monitoring and healthy behaviour promotion should be done for children with a healthy weight. However, the thematic analysis indicated that obesity prevention in clinics is not supported well by the broader general practice system, there are complexities associated with obesity prevention discussions, and the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified challenges in general practice. Two themes for obesity prevention enablers were identified; these related to bridging the implementation gap and the need for changes outside the clinic to support behaviour within the clinic. Ecological model mapping implicated multiple ecological levels for each theme. Conclusion Childhood obesity prevention through growth monitoring and healthy behaviour promotion is relevant to general practice; however, more support is needed to enable implementation and embed these practices day-to-day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines a speculative artistic research project, Orbital Reveries, which develops an alternative representational practice for engaging with satellite sensing. The project appropriates terrestrial satellite imagery and parses it through various algorithmic processes to generate visual-poetic 'textscapes'. The goal of this exercise is to resituate satellite sensing within other modes of representational knowledge-making, exploring the value of creative speculation and experimental emergence in mapping ecological crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When focusing on biodiversity maintenance, ecological security pattern (ESP) planning gradually becomes a multi-objective planning strategy for sustainable development; wildlife conservation and ecosystem health maintenance should be balanced with local economic development and people's livelihood enhancement goals. This study focuses on ESP mapping in the Qinling-Daba Mountain area, which is an ecologically significant and socioeconomically underdeveloped area. The tradeoff between conservation and development is made by varying the area of ecological sources and incorporating ecosystem service tradeoffs into ecological source identification through multi-scenario designation. ESPs under six scenarios were generated based on the minimum resistance model, and the important ecological corridors and strategic points in each scenario were identified and compared. The results show the following: (1) The scenario that sets around 30 percent of the study area as ecological sources maintains the integrity of natural ecosystems and leaves space for food and material supply to residents. (2) In this scenario, the ecological sources are connected by 60 corridors that cross 137 townships with high population densities (>100 people/km2) and intersect with major traffic lines at 71 points. Engineering, management, or education strategies must be taken in these townships or intersections to avoid human–wildlife conflicts. (3) The study area needs to construct both short (north–south) corridors linking proximate ecological sources for species' daily movement and long (west–east) corridors connecting large and distant sources for species' seasonal migration and gene flow. (4) The multi-scenario approach turns out to be an effective strategy for ESP planning with considerations for development–conservation tradeoffs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The groundwater system is a unique ecosystem that serves both resource and ecological functions. Hydrogeologists have conducted extensive theoretical research and practical work on groundwater ecological mapping. This paper, based on the study of groundwater resources and surface ecology in the five Central Asian countries and adjacent areas of China, introduces the concept of ecosystem service functions. It establishes a groundwater ecological zoning index system and conducts research of ecological mapping using the five Central Asian countries and adjacent areas of China as examples. Through this process, the ecosystem service functions of groundwater can be more comprehensively reflected, which can better guide regional geological environment protection and industrial planning. This approach helps coordinate the relationship between socio-economic development and water resource protection, maintain the health of the groundwater ecological environment, enhance the value of groundwater ecological services, and promote the sustainable development of regional economies and societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People can use their sense of hearing for discerning thermal properties, though they are for the most part unaware that they can do so. While people unequivocally claim that they cannot perceive the temperature of pouring water through the auditory properties of hearing it being poured, our research further strengthens the understanding that they can. This multimodal ability is implicitly acquired in humans, likely through perceptual learning over the lifetime of exposure to the differences in the physical attributes of pouring water. In this study, we explore people's perception of this intriguing cross modal correspondence, and investigate the psychophysical foundations of this complex ecological mapping by employing machine learning. Our results show that not only can the auditory properties of pouring water be classified by humans in practice, the physical characteristics underlying this phenomenon can also be classified by a pre-trained deep neural network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing ecological resilience stands as a crucial pillar in ensuring the ecological security of the Yellow River Basin and advancing the modernization of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. Utilizing the emergy ecological footprint model, this study assessed and mapped the ecological resilience levels across the Yellow River Basin from 2007 to 2021, spanning various spatial scales including basin sections, provinces, urban agglomerations, and municipal areas. Through a combination of exploratory spatial data analysis, kernel density estimation, and Markov chain analysis, the study uncovered the spatio-temporal patterns and dynamic evolution characteristics of ecological resilience in the basin. The findings unveiled several key insights: (1) Over the examined period, the overall ecological resilience in the Yellow River Basin exhibited a fluctuating downward trend, with significant disparities observed in temporal changes across different spatial scales. (2) Spatially, the basin's ecological resilience generally followed a ' high in the west, low in the east' distribution pattern, with high-value zones situated in ecologically sound cities with lower demands for ecological resources, and low-value areas concentrated in provincial capitals, economically developed regions, and resource-based cities. The spatial distribution of ecological resilience in the Yellow River Basin was predicted to remain relatively stable in 2028 and 2035, showing a distribution trend of 'high in the west and low in the east.' (3) Spatial correlation analysis showed that the ecological resilience of the Yellow River Basin had a significant positive spatial correlation, forming a trend of high and high agglomeration and low and low convergence. (4) The kernel density estimation showed that the ecological resilience of the Yellow River Basin had the characteristics of unbalanced development, the multi-polarization phenomenon was obvious, and the absolute difference between the upper reaches and the middle and lower reaches was widened. (5) Markov chain analysis showed that the ecological resilience of the Yellow River Basin was stable under different periods, and there was a club convergence characteristic of ' low-level trap' and ' high-level monopoly,' and the mobility gradually increased with the increase of period, but there was no leapfrog development of ecological resilience. When considering the spatial effect, club convergence was neither controlled nor alleviated, and the probability of upward and downward transfer of the neighborhood ecological resilience level to surrounding cities was asymmetrical. This study not only enriches the measurement methods and research paradigms of ecological resilience but also provides a basis and reference for formulating differentiated ecological environmental protection and high-quality development policies in the Yellow River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diamond and oil and gas production carries risks to the aquatic ecosystem. In Eastern Siberia, on the territory of the Central Yakut Plain, mining development of the Yakut diamond-bearing province and Tas-Yuryakh oil and gas condensate field has been underway for several decades. But the problem of studying negative consequences in the region is covered only from the point of view of the impact on terrestrial ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of diamond and oil and gas production on the aquatic ecosystems of the region using the bioindicative properties of diatoms. The work used previously widely tested methods of ecological mapping, JASP, and species–environments relationship analysis. The results of chemical analysis of water showed that in oil and gas production areas, there is no pollution with petroleum products, but the concentration of silicon and zinc is increased. The study identified key pollutants in the Central Yakut Plain and demonstrated the effectiveness of diatoms as bioindicators. Elevated chloride levels were found in diamond mining areas, and increased copper levels were noted in oil production regions. In the diatom flora of the region, 144 species were identified, of which 137 are indicator species. Natural and anthropogenic clusters of environmental factors are identified, characterized by a specific effect on the species composition and taxonomic structure of diatom communities. The results obtained are suitable for assessing the level of anthropogenic impact on aquatic communities of photosynthetic microorganisms in permafrost conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of ecotourism in protected areas faces the challenge of balancing conservation and ecotourism. Ecotourism suitability assessments are essential tools for managing tourism in these areas. However, current assessments often overlook biological factors, leading to adverse effects on wildlife. This study uses the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park as a case study to establish a comprehensive assessment system that integrates ecotourism suitability with tiger and leopard habitat suitability, thereby linking ecotourism with wildlife conservation. The primary research methods include ecotourism suitability analysis based on the entropy weight method and habitat suitability analysis using the MaxEnt model. Based on the zoning results of ecotourism and habitat suitability, a comprehensive ecotourism suitability zoning map was produced. This map indicates that areas of very high suitability account for 45.62% of the total area, covering approximately 6152.563 km2, and are primarily located on the edges of village clusters. These areas can be prioritized for developing tourism infrastructure. The comprehensive ecotourism assessment system can balance the development of ecotourism with wildlife conservation, contributing significantly to the coordinated development of economic, social, and environmental objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author's watercolor maps capturing the inherently spatial, heterogeneous experiences of ecological islands and edges, and musical map evoking a multifaceted journey through an 'archipelago' of island ecosystems, aim to convey the increasing fragility and 'preciousness' of these slivers of the natural world. But simultaneously, the maps unintentionally begin to muddle this simplistic conception of ecological isolation and stability. The paintings' fractured compositions and external frames appear to freeze and distance islands in space and time, but as the fragments multiply they also immerse the viewer in the geography and suggest ecological dynamism. The musical map has a similarly multifaceted structure, but it is mainly qualities of fluidity and cohesion, along with sound's fundamentally non-descriptive, temporal nature, that objectify the island in some ways and in others produce an immersive, energizing effect. In future cartographic work, the author expects to more consciously engage rather than to resolve this tension between isolation and integration. But as a viewer/listener impression that is ultimately itself the 'object' of the maps, the islands' imagined state of timelessness and preciousness is in fact a manifestation of their inseparability from humanity and the wider world – and therefore an image with reality and value of its own. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing tension between economic development and ecological preservation in the Ili River Valley underscores the need for advanced analytical methods to effectively balance these interests. In this study, we utilized the InVEST model to quantify ecosystem services, combined with an analysis of ecological sensitivity, to comprehensively assess the ecological health of the region. By applying circuit theory, the research identified key ecological components such as sources, corridors, and critical nodes, alongside barriers; thus, mapping an ecological security pattern tailored specifically for the wetland oasis of the Ili River Valley. The analysis identified 15 ecological source sites covering 43,221.17 km2, 31 ecological corridors totaling 782 km in length, and 32 vital ecological nodes each exceeding 1 km2. Notably, 81.8% of these ecological source areas exhibited high ecological resilience, thus emphasizing their crucial role in maintaining the region's ecological balance. The findings provide essential guidance for the ecological stewardship and management of the Ili River Valley and underscore the importance of incorporating ecological considerations within economic planning frameworks in arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change significantly impacts plant distribution, making it essential to model and predict shifts in plant species habitats. Therefore, determining the prediction of the habitat of plant species using modeling methods in this direction can help in the management and using of ecosystems. This study was conducted with the aim of creating a forecast map of Bromus tomentellus habitat based on climate prediction model in Alborz rangeland habitats of Mazandaran province. First, A database of climatic variables was formed using 15 synoptic stations- night temperature, daily temperature, and the average temperature, and 19 climatic variables were calculated. Also, using a digital evaluation model with an accuracy of 30 meters, three physiographic variables (slope, direction, height) were prepared. Then, presence and absence points of B. tomentellus were identified using new ecological maps and field visits. Logistic regression was employed to model the species' growth behavior in the Alborz rangeland habitats, and the corresponding equations were calculated in the current conditions. Using current equations and placement of data extracted from the Worldclime database, the future distribution map of B. tomentellus was created for 2050 under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climate scenarios. The results showed that B. tomentellus species will migrate to higher altitudes by 200 meters under RCP4.5 and 300 meters under RCP8.5 scenarios. Also, Suitable habitat area for B. tomentellus is projected to decrease from 43.9% to 35.3% under RCP4.5 and 18.7% under RCP8.5 by 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We mapped 22 soil ecogroups and 66 ecological mapping systems (EMSs), essentially current vegetation, for eight coastal counties in South Texas, from Refugio and Aransas County south to the Mexican border. We used supervised classification to extract land cover from 10-m resolution Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. We accessed Lidar point cloud information to derive vegetation height and then use it to distinguish among herbaceous, shrubland, and woodland-forest EMS types. We derived elevation and potential ponding information from Lidar. We created image objects (uniform polygons), from Sentinel-2 data, and attributed land cover, soil ecogroup, vegetation height, elevation, and ponding potential to the objects. We used those attributes of image objects to model EMS types. We completed heads-up modification of both land cover and EMS modeling results by using aerial photograph interpretation to improve results. The agreement between EMS-mapped type and 643 field-collected plots was >75%. The most abundant EMS types included Coastal and Sandsheet: Deep Sand Grassland (10.7% of the region); Native Invasive: Mesquite-Mixed Shrubland (5.0%); Gulf Coast: Coastal Prairie (4.6%); and South Texas: Sandy Mesquite Savanna Grassland (4.4%). The EMS results are nine times better resolution than currently available maps, and use of height to identify EMS type by distinguishing among herbaceous, shrubland, and woodland types enhanced mapping beyond what has been previously accomplished. The new EMS dataset will facilitate analysis of the distribution of habitats and modeling of species of conservation concern that are tied to EMS types or vegetation landscape patterns. Finer resolution EMS type maps can be combined with improved soil ecogroup maps to facilitate better identification of appropriate vegetation management and restoration options at resolutions that are useful to land managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes an ecological reservoir operation by linking ecological model and optimization model of reservoir. A remote sensing based ecological model was developed in which water temperature and total dissolved solids were simulated in the surface layer of reservoir. Moreover, ecological suitability maps were generated by a fuzzy inference system in which water temperature and total dissolved solids were inputs and normalized suitability was output. An ecological reservoir operation model was developed consistent with the ecological model to minimize ecological suitability loss of the reservoir as well as water supply loss. Moreover, a non-ecological operation was developed to minimize water supply loss only. Reliability and vulnerability indices and average habitat suitability in the reservoir were applied to measure the performance of the optimization model. Results indicated that reliability of water supply is reduced 6% due to using ecological operation model of the reservoir. Furthermore, vulnerability of water supply is increased more than 14% using the ecological operation. In contrast, the average habitat suitability of the reservoir is increased more than 0.35 by ecological operation which means it is remarkably effective on mitigating ecological impacts. Based on case study results, applying ecological operation of the reservoir is necessary to mitigate the ecological impacts of the reservoir on the ecological sustainability of reservoirs as well as downstream. The proposed method is able to balance the habitat requirements and humans' needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild edible plants, botanically defined as phytoalimurgical species, have historically been a useful source of food to cope with recurrent famines and poor farming conditions. If properly identified, harvested, transformed and promoted, alimurgical plants could further enhance the wellbeing of rural and urban communities and the multifunctional productivity of agriculture. The research aimed to survey alimurgical species in a wetland, map their location, detect their spatial richness, and develop a monitoring plan for ongoing vegetation succession. The study area is the King's Lagoon, a wetland that has recently undergone a radical restoration of its natural layout. A satellite image was used to create a land cover map and interpret the relationship between plant species and land cover. The survey provided a snapshot of the wetland's current ecosystem status and used botanical analysis and ecological indices to investigate biodiversity levels. The alpha, beta and gamma levels of biodiversity were explored and interpreted through the statistical processing of a comprehensive dataset of species occurrence and abundance, together with the calculation of Shannon's, Simpson's and Jaccard's indices. It was observed that biodiversity in the wetland is developing gradually following restoration and is expected to increase over time as successional stages take hold. Biodiversity is more pronounced along the banks of the canals and watercourses connecting the basins and open ponds, while it is less pronounced in areas where the soil has been disturbed by previous excavations. Salicornia spp., Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima and Suaeda vera were identified as the most common and interesting species found in the study area. The potential for cultivation of some of the halophyte species that were monitored was also highlighted, with particular reference to the selection of the most commercially interesting species, the best species associations and intercropping practices in a wetland context, which must always prioritize the conservation of wild biodiversity. The spring surveys should be repeated in the coming years in order to accurately trace the dynamics of the ecological succession of this particular ecosystem, once it has returned to its natural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research aimed to measure the degree of connectivity and create a map of the ecological connectivity that highlights the real or potential presence of green, ecological, or ecotourism circuits integrating the green infrastructure of San Juan de Lurigancho and the Mangomarca hills using graph theory applications implemented in the Graphab 2.8 software. Mangomarca and Huiracocha Park were selected for this study. In terms of the methodology, a simple approach based on landscape metrics, which are easy to interpret, was proposed to measure the connectivity of the mosaic of patches in the designated area. The IndiFrag software was used to obtain landscape metrics for the structural connectivity analysis. The Graphab software was employed for the functional connectivity analysis. Both tools proved effective in identifying vegetation gaps or the intensity of the greenery. Landsat 8 images from 8 July 2021 and 4 October 2021 were selected for this research due to the lower amount of cloud cover. Concerning the structural connectivity, the TMCl (patch size), NobCl (number of patches), and PerimCl (perimeter) metrics were effective in distinguishing the mosaic of urban landscape patches from the hill landscape. These indices confirm that the urban landscape patches have a higher number of fragments but are smaller in size compared to the hill landscape. Regarding the functional connectivity, it is evident that the patches are connected at lower-cost distances, averaging 7 cost units (210 m) during the wet season and 23 cost units (410 m) during the less humid season. However, these distances are too extensive and do not form ecological corridors. A survey of the population's perception of the maximum separation distances between patches of vegetation cover that could still be considered a green corridor was included. The results indicate that a third of the sample (36%) prefer to walk down a hallway with a maximum separation distance of 10 m, while almost two-thirds (68%) would prefer a maximum separation distance of 50 m. Therefore, city planning should consider actions to reduce these distances and enable ecological connectivity in the area. It is recommended to continue researching the functional connectivity and determining the green corridors in the city to establish monitoring guidelines for the ecological connectivity of the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a systematic and critical review of the economics literature on data as an economic good and draws lessons for data governance. We conclude that focusing on data as an economic good in governance efforts is hardwired to only result in more data production and cannot deliver other societal goals contrary to what is often claimed in the literature and policy. Data governance is often a red herring which distracts from other digital problems. The governance of digital society cannot rely exclusively on data-centric economic models. We review the literatures and the underlying empirical and political claims concerning data commons. While commons thinking is useful to frame digital problems in terms of ecologies, it has important limitations. We propose a political-ecological approach to governing the digital society, defined by ecological thinking about governance problems and the awareness of the political nature of framing the problems and mapping their ecological makeup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wolbachia is an endosymbiont bacterium present in many insect species. When Wolbachia-carrying male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes mate with non-carrier females, their embryos are not viable due to cytoplasmic incompatibility. This phenomenon has been exploited successfully for the purpose of controlling mosquito populations and the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses: Wolbachia carriers are bred and released into the environment. Because Wolbachia is not harmful to humans, this method of mosquito control is regarded as a safer alternative to pesticide spraying. In this article, we introduce a mathematical framework for exploring (i) whether a one-time release of Wolbachia carriers can elicit a sustained presence of carriers near the release site, and (ii) the extent to which spatial propagation of carriers may allow them to establish fixation in other territories. While some prior studies have formulated mosquito dispersal models using advection-reaction-diffusion PDEs, the predictive power of such models requires careful ecological mapping: advection and diffusion coefficients exhibit significant spatial dependence due to heterogeneity of resources and topography. Here, we adopt a courser-grained view, regarding the environment as a network of discrete, diffusively-coupled "habitats"—distinct zones of high mosquito density such as stagnant ponds. We extend two previously published single-habitat mosquito models to multiple habitats, and calculate rates of migration between pairs of habitats using dispersal kernels. Our primary results are quantitative estimates regarding how the success of carrier fixation in one or more habitats is determined by: the number of carriers released, sizes of habitats, distances between habitats, and the rate of migration between habitats. Besides yielding sensible and potentially useful predictions regarding the success of Wolbachia-based control, our framework applies to other approaches (e.g., gene drives) and contexts beyond the realm of insect pest control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulated degree-days are among the most significant indicators in ecological and geographical modeling of the distribution of biological objects. The present paper analyzes several existing methods for calculating accumulated degree-days, proposes an improved calculation method, and presents a set of the global maps of accumulated degree-days constructed using the improved method. The produced maps are publicly available and can be used for ecological and geographical analysis and modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An initial and comprehensive map of ecological regions across the conterminous United States was provided by Omernik in 1987. Because that paper was the most-cited published by the Annals of the American Association of Geographers, we sought to assess and quantify its contribution to science. To do so, we conducted a scientometric analysis to address the following main questions: 1) What are the temporal and spatial citation trends? We expected that Omernik's paper would still be employed 36 years after its publication, and mostly in the United States of America. 2) For what types of environments and organisms has it been applied? Based on its generality, we expected that it had been applied to both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. 3) What are the main applications of Omernik's article? We predicted that it would mostly be used for describing and delineating study sites and management areas, as well as for selecting regional reference sites. The number of citations presented a positive temporal increase, indicating its continued applicability. Most papers dealt with aquatic environments, mainly in streams carried out predominantly in the United States of America, as was one of its earliest applications. The usefulness of ecoregions for assessing and managing biotic and abiotic patterns and distributions were the main topics addressed by scientists. Ecoregions have offered a general framework for developing regional expectations and rational regional management policies across large areas, as was their original intent. In addition, ecoregion maps were used for communicating patterns—or the lack of them—to interested scientists, citizens, and decision-makers. That comprehensiveness of Omernik's ecoregion approach has led to its widespread applicability and continued usefulness to a diverse set of scientific and management disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive plant species (IPS) pose a significant threat to natural ecosystems, causing substantial global biodiversity loss. Despite the fact that only a few species invade Israel's coastal dunes, their impact on landscape and ecosystems is notable. The invasive plant Heterotheca subaxillaris, introduced a few decades ago, has aggressively spread across these dunes, becoming a major invasive species along the Israeli coast. To provide essential spatial information for ecologists and land managers, this study developed a methodology to identify and map H. subaxillaris at various scales by integrating unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and satellite imagery. During the flowering period, drone images were employed to create multiresolution ground references using the random forest classification method, achieving 97.4% accuracy for H. subaxillaris identification. These UAV-based references validated mapping results from Vision-1 and PlanetScope satellite images, with accuracies of 96.9% and 83.3%, respectively. Vision-1 image outcomes were used as a reference for extensive probabilistic mapping using Sentinel-2 images. Given the species' small size and dispersed nature, no previous study has utilized the synergy of UAV and satellite images for multiscale mapping of H. subaxillaris. This research significantly advances detection across varying spatial resolutions, serving as a foundation for future monitoring systems with regularly acquired data. In addition, the study offers an annual phenology-based approach for identifying flowering dates through spectral indices, contributing to phenological change investigations. The present method also helps remote sensing track IPS expansion in similar species with sparse canopy cover, providing vital geographic data for conservation and management to prevent future growth.

Seagrass beds constitute one of the world’s most productive marine ecosystems and are a source of food and shelter for a wide variety of species. The largest extension of seagrass meadows in the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve (Seaflower BR) is found around the Caribbean islands of San Andrés, Old Providence, and Santa Catalina, with small patches around the cays Bolívar, Albuquerque, and Serranilla. Previous studies have reported the presence of seagrass beds in the Quitasueño Bank; however, they remain undescribed, without previous information about their extent and distribution within the coral complex. In November 2021, during the Seaflower Plus 2021 scientific expedition, extensive seagrass meadows were detected, and their distribution was determined through the interpretation of satellite images and analyses of information obtained in the field through rapid ecological assessments. It was determined that these meadows cover 619.7 ha, positioning Quitasueño as the second largest area in terms of seagrass coverage in the Seaflower BR after Old Providence and Santa Catalina islands. This new information increases the representativeness of the seagrass ecosystem within the National System of Protected Areas of Colombia and should be considered in future research and management efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maps play a central role in the transfer of knowledge for biodiversity conservation. However, their production and reception contexts have not been sufficiently investigated so far. While critical cartography has demonstrated that maps are not objective representations of nature but are influenced by social conventions, these insights have not been fully reflected in ecological mapping practice. This paper draws on critical map theory and expands it with a critical evaluation of map visualization. By analyzing the design of biodiversity maps, our study demonstrates that the way biodiversity is visualized in maps does not adequately reflect the dynamics and interdependencies of natural systems, nor does it adequately reflect the species-specific needs. It is argued that design-led research provides relevant knowledge about evaluating maps in terms of their functionality as communication tools. This is of central importance if we wish to further develop ecological cartography and make it practicable and effective in its field of application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines unlocking the secrets related to the ichthyology related to the artificial intelligence. The result also describes that taxonomic revolution related to them. What an artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the subject of ichthyology, with a particular emphasis on how AI may completely change the taxonomy of fish. For determine the research study used smart PLS software and generate descriptive statistic, correlation coefficient also that smart PLS Algorithm model between them. The great diversity and subtle changes seen in the aquatic domain have presented obstacles to identifying and classifying fish species using traditional methods. The use of artificial intelligence, namely machine learning algorithms, is a viable approach to accelerate and improve the taxonomic procedure. Artificial intelligence (AI) can detect cryptic species, uncover hidden patterns, and adjust to changing taxonomic classifications by evaluating a variety of datasets that include morphology, genetics, and behavior. Beyond identification, AI helps conservation efforts by facilitating ecological studies and mapping distribution. To balance the interpretability of AI models, ensure data quality, and navigate ethical issues, ichthyologists and data scientists must work together transdisciplinaryly. This study imagines a future in which the combination of artificial intelligence and ichthyology would reveal the mysteries of fish variety and revolutionize our knowledge, conservation tactics, and sustainability initiatives in the aquatic realm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of smart mobility, Artificial Intelligence (AI) approaches are influential and can make a highly beneficial contribution. Our project aims to develop a real-time ecological map of road traffic. This map will allow electric vehicles (EVs) and thermal vehicles (TVs) to display the cost of energy consumption and CO 2 emissions on different road sections. In urban environments, road traffic emissions are a significant contributor to environmental pollution, with vehicle emissions being a major component. Addressing these impacts requires a thorough understanding of the operational behavior of vehicles on different road infrastructures within the region. This paper presents a novel, comprehensive dataset, the Vehicle Activity Dataset (VAD), designed to assess the emissions and fuel consumption characteristics of vehicles about their actual operating environment. Constructed from a large number of real-world driving scenarios, VAD incorporates emission data collected by an industrial Portable Emission Measurement System (PEMS), road scenes captured by an RGB camera, and the detection of different object classes within these images. The primary objective of VAD is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between vehicle emissions and the diverse range of objects present on the road. Experimental results in real road traffic environments through different studies demonstrate the robustness of the developed dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In line with the strategy of Ecological Civilization Construction, maintaining and increasing the value of natural resources is a core issue of China's territorial and spatial planning. Ecological space, eco-space in short, is not only the guarantee of a city's ecological security, but also the main body for realizing the value transformation of ecological resources. Currently, it is generally believed that the definition of eco-space is limited by natural attributes, leading to an either/or situation between eco-space and urban space in planning control. Although this approach may assure rigid bottom lines, it results in the freezing of ecological resources and the separation of eco-space from urban space, as well as the missing of many possibilities for future urban development. In order to optimize the planning control on eco-space of the territorial and spatial planning system, this paper reconsiders the concept of eco-space and proposes the theoretical framework of "resilient system, flexible boundary, and dynamic adaptation," as well as the categorization of eco-space into the three zones of mandatory protection, strategic reservation, and potential development. Taking Haicang District of Xiamen as an example, it puts forward an analysis model on the development potential of eco-space by superimposing the weight of five influence factors for a scientific result of zoning. It concludes that the mapping of overall ecological pattern, the spatial interaction crossing flexible boundaries, the management allowing dynamic conversion, and the refined control incorporating both rigid and elastic principles may provide guidelines for increasing the value of eco-space, so as to maximize the ecological benefits of the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To the untrained eye, soft‐sediment habitats are often viewed as vast expanses of featureless sand and mud. With new technology, it is finally possible to begin to map the ecological heterogeneity of these ecosystems to reveal their importance for ecosystem service provision and open up new opportunities to manage their use and protect them.When compared with terrestrial or marine vegetated habitats, the characterization of unvegetated soft sediments still lacks rapid and cost‐effective practices that allow the direct collection of ecological data at multiple spatial and temporal scales facilitating direct relevance to conservation and management. New technologies that allow for the building of maps that incorporate multiple scales of heterogeneity also provide new ways of upscaling necessarily detailed and small‐scale process studies.The study of the relationship between benthic structure, biodiversity and ecosystem functioning can benefit from a range of established and novel techniques and creates new opportunities to empirically test generalities and predictions based on theory or small‐scale experimental studies. The capacity to map ecological changes rapidly and at scale and to link small‐scale experiments to landscapes uncovers new insights for seafloor conservation including rapid response to disturbance events, broad‐scale ecologically meaningful mapping and assessments of biodiversity–ecosystem function and biodiversity–ecosystem services relationships.As technology advances and becomes more accessible to all, it offers promising new avenues of research to expand our current capabilities, and the adoption of nested approaches, with a synergy of different samplings simultaneously covering several scales and resolutions, is likely to have the most benefit, supporting decision‐making with ecologically insightful data, as well as the timely assessment of the outcomes of conservation actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reciprocal relationships between ecological process and landscape pattern are fundamental to landscape ecology. Landscape ecologists traditionally use raster maps portraying classified features such as land use or land cover categories, and metrics suggested by the patch-corridor-matrix conceptual model of pattern. Less attention has been given to the landscape gradient conceptual model and raster maps portraying numeric features such as greenness or percent vegetation cover. We introduce the open-source tool GraySpatCon to calculate and map a variety of landscape pattern metrics from both conceptual models using either categorical or numeric maps. The 51 metrics, drawn mostly from the landscape ecology and image processing literatures, are calculated from the frequencies of input pixel values and/or the pixel value adjacencies in an analysis region. GraySpatCon conducts either a moving window analysis which produces a continuous map of a pattern metric, or a global analysis which produces a single metric value. We describe an implementation in the GuidosToolbox desktop application which allows novice users to interactively explore GraySpatCon functionality. In the R desktop environment, we demonstrate several metrics using an example map of percent tree cover and illustrate a multi-scale moving window analysis to identify scale domains. Comparisons of computational efficiency indicate a substantial GraySpatCon advantage over related software in the R environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facing the decline of biodiversity worldwide, the conservation of the remaining natural and semi-natural areas is fundamental. To do so, the concept of green infrastructure has gained attention recently. This case study presents the method developed to identify the green infrastructure in a cross-border, urbanized territory between Switzerland and France in the area of influence of the city of Geneva. The first part of the methodology consists of calculating and mapping the inputs aggregated in four pillars: (i) the distribution of habitats as well as the predicted distribution of hundreds of plant and animal species, (ii) the supply of five ecosystem services, (iii) the functional connectivity for three animal species and the light pollution and (iv) five indices of landscape's structure. These inputs are then used to run a prioritization model to identify the areas with the highest ecological interest according to these weighted inputs. The cross-border situation of this case study had impacts on the way the input data were gathered and weighted and on the way the output was created to consider the expectations of the three main local authorities involved, without creating any legal obligations on the implementation of the green infrastructure. As a positive sign of the usefulness of these results, the resulting maps were immediately transferred to the land use planners in charge of developing ambitious visions of the "Grand Genève" territory for 2050 in alignment with 10 objectives of ecological transition as recently agreed and signed by local authorities. The method presented in this article is flexible and includes a broad description of biodiversity, supporting a reliable network of areas with high ecological values for conservation purposes and human well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Indigenuity: Native Craftwork & the Art of American Literatures" by Caroline Wigginton explores the significance of Anishinaabe craftwork in early American history and literary studies. The book analyzes the connections between Anishinaabe motifs in different forms of art, highlighting their influence on American cultural production. Through a transdisciplinary approach, Wigginton emphasizes the importance of Indigenous craftwork in understanding American literature and textual cultures, making significant contributions to various fields. The text is supplemented with illustrations and archival documents, providing a comprehensive exploration of Indigenous aesthetics and traditions. [Extracted from the article]

This work is the first in a series, and its purpose is the comprehensive assessment of the ecological state of the Aras River using biological indicators of water quality by diatoms based on species' ecological preferences, pollution indices, statistics, and ecological mapping. Samples of diatoms and soft algae and measurements of water quality were analyzed at sixteen sampling sites (between 2020 and 2022) along the Aras River. The impact of anthropological activity on the river was monitored concerning water quality, river health, and ecosystem function. The physical and chemical characteristics of the water were measured. The biological properties of the algal periphyton communities, including species composition, were also measured. Based on the studies conducted in this research, 280 species were identified. The most prosperous species were Diatoma vulgaris, Amphora ovalis, Cocconeis placentula, Rhoicosphenia abbre-viatae, Cymbella helvetica, Brevisira arentii, Navicula tripunctata, Nitzschia linearis, Microcystis botrys, Microcystis aeruginosa, Pseudanabaena limnetica, Scenedesmus obliquus, and Pleurosira laevis (a pollution-resistant and salinity-resistant species first found in aquatic habitats in the Aras River). As a result, the empirical data and algal indices showed the river's lower reaches to be in poor condition. Exploration of the algal assemblage and water chemistry data using computationally unconstrained ordination techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicated two strong gradients in the data sets. The results support that water body classification is a function of water chemistry and biological and hydrological characteristics, as it is necessary to include pollutant effects on biota since the nature of the receiving waters influences the river's water quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of drone-borne imagery for tree recognition holds high potential in forestry and ecological studies. Accurate species identification and crown delineation are essential for tasks such as species mapping and ecological assessments. In this study, we compared the results of tree crown recognition across three neural networks using high-resolution optical imagery captured by an affordable drone with an RGB camera. The tasks included the detection of two evergreen coniferous tree species using the YOLOv8 neural network, the semantic segmentation of tree crowns using the U-Net neural network, and the instance segmentation of individual tree crowns using the Mask R-CNN neural network. The evaluation highlighted the strengths and limitations of each method. YOLOv8 demonstrated effective multiple-object detection (F1-score—0.990, overall accuracy (OA)—0.981), enabling detailed analysis of species distribution. U-Net achieved less accurate pixel-level segmentation for both species (F1-score—0.981, OA—0.963). Mask R-CNN provided precise instance-level segmentation, but with lower accuracy (F1-score—0.902, OA—0.822). The choice of a tree crown recognition method should align with the specific research goals. Although YOLOv8 and U-Net are suitable for mapping and species distribution assessments, Mask R-CNN offers more detailed information regarding individual tree crowns. Researchers should carefully consider their objectives and the required level of accuracy when selecting a recognition method. Solving practical problems related to tree recognition requires a multi-step process involving collaboration among experts with diverse skills and experiences, adopting a biology- and landscape-oriented approach when applying remote sensing methods to enhance recognition results. We recommend capturing images in cloudy weather to increase species recognition accuracy. Additionally, it is advisable to consider phenological features when selecting optimal seasons, such as early spring or late autumn, for distinguishing evergreen conifers in boreal or temperate zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In modern conditions of climate change and increased anthropogenic pressure on aquatic ecosystems, the study of the diversity of organisms in the Arctic has become a top priority. Our study continues a series of studies on the biodiversity of Arctic rivers. Using innovative methods, such as ecological mapping, statistics, and bioindication, we identify environmental factors that influence phytoplankton diversity in the river basin under study. For the Anabar Arctic River, an increase in the diversity of phytoplankton was found to the north towards the mouth of the river, which is associated with an increase in turbidity from industrial discharges. A weak effect of organic pollution and toxic effects associated with existing settlements have been identified, but it has been established that natural processes of self-purification take place in the studied Arctic River. Among 210 species of phytoplankton, an increase in the diversity of chrysophytes in the northern direction was revealed, consistent with the intensification of severe Arctic climatic conditions. Since the study region is characterized by increased diamond mining, we recommend continuing to monitor phytoplankton, track changes in the Anabar River ecosystem, and expand such observations to other Arctic rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of long-duration, high-frequency grassland classification products limits further understanding of the grasslands' long-term succession. This study first explored the annual mapping of grassland with fourteen categories at 30 m in Qinghai, China, from 1986 to 2020 based on Google Earth Engine (GEE) and the Integrated Orderly Classification System (IOCSG). Specifically, we proposed an image composite strategy to obtain annual source images for classification, by quarterly compositing multi-sensor and multi-temporal Landsat surface reflectance images. Subsequently, the 35-year area time series of each category was analyzed in terms of trend, degree of change, and succession of each category. The results indicate that the different grasslands of the IOCSG can be effectively differentiated by utilizing the designed feature bands of remote sensing data. Additionally, the proposed annual image composition strategy can not only decrease the invalid pixels but also promote classification accuracy. The grasslands transition analysis from 1986 to 2020 implies the progressive urbanization, warming, and wetting trend in Qinghai. The generated 35-year annual grassland thematic data in Qinghai can serve as an elementary dataset for further regional ecological and climate change studies. The proposed methodology of large-scale grassland classification can also be referenced to other applications like land use/cover mapping and ecological resource monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, with the rapid advancement of China's urbanization, the contradiction between urban development and the ecological environment has become increasingly prominent, and the urban ecological system now faces severe challenges. In this study, we proposed an ecological index-based approach to monitor and evaluate the ecological environment using a Google Earth Engine cloud-based platform and Landsat time series. Firstly, a long-term series of Landsat images was obtained to construct and calculate the remote sensing-based ecological index (RSEI). Then, the Theil–Sen median estimation and the Mann–Kendall test were used to evaluate the trend and significance of the RSEI time series and combined with the Hurst index to predict the future development trend of the ecological environment in the study area. Finally, the coefficient of variation method was used to determine the temporal stability of the ecological environment. Taking Zhoushan Archipelago, China, as the study area, we mapped the distribution of the ecological environment using a spatial resolution of 30 m and evaluated the ecological environment from 1985 to 2020. The results show that (1) from 1985 to 2020, the average RSEI in the Zhoushan Archipelago decreased from 0.7719 to 0.5817, increasing at a rate of −24.64%. (2) The changes in the areas of each level of ecological environmental quality show that the ecological environment in the Zhoushan Archipelago generally exhibited a decreasing trend. During the study period, the proportion of the areas with excellent ecological environmental quality decreased by 38.83%, while the proportion of areas with poor and relatively poor ecological environmental quality increased by 20.03%. (3) Based on the overall change trend, the degradation in the ecological environment in the Zhoushan Archipelago was greater than the improvement, with the degradation area accounting for 84.35% of the total area, the improvement area accounting for 12.61% of the total area, and the stable area accounting for 3.05% of the total area. (4) From the perspective of the sustainability of the changes, in 86.61% of the study area, the RSEI exhibited positive sustainability, indicating that the sustainability of the RSEI was relatively strong. (5) The coefficient of variation in the RSEI was concentrated in the range of 0–0.40, having an average value of 0.1627 and a standard deviation of 0.1467, indicating that the RSEI values in the Zhoushan Archipelago during the study period were concentrated, the interannual fluctuations of the data were small, and the time series was relatively stable. The results of this study provide theoretical methods and a decision-making basis for the dynamic monitoring and regional governance of the ecological environment in island areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The family Syngnathidae (seahorses, sea dragons and pipefishes) is a fascinating group. Species are mostly distributed in marine coastal waters, but about 30 species inhabit Indo-Pacific tropical island rivers. There are currently six freshwater genera of Nerophinae (trunk-brooders): Belonichthys , Coelonotus , Doryichthys , Lophocampus , Microphis and Oostethus. Unlike other Syngnathidae, freshwater pipefish have been little studied; the taxonomy of Nerophinae is unclear and only based on morphomeristic data. The purpose of our study is to undertake a revision of this group based on an integrative taxonomy approach. By combining molecular data from four mitochondrial markers (5415 bp), morphomeristic data with a character mapping study and ecological data, we now recognize a single genus as valid, Microphis , as opposed to the six previously accepted. Our results also reveal one new candidate species, Microphis nicoleae sp. nov. , and the resurrection of two others: Microphis torrentius and Microphis vaillantii. This study shows the relevance of integrative taxonomy for higher taxa delineation, using data integration by congruence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of assessing the impact of pollution in protected areas prompted us to apply a combined method of bioindication and spatial mapping of phytoplankton data from six lakes in the Burabay National Nature Park in Northern Kazakhstan. The issue of monitoring planning was quite acute for this landscape-homogeneous area among the Kulunda steppes. Phytoplankton in each of the six lakes was collected in the summer season of 2019 at a total of 54 sampling stations. In total, 139 species of algae and cyanobacteria from seven taxonomic phyla were found in the phytoplankton of the Burabay Park during the study period. Three phyla were the richest in species: diatoms, green algae, and cyanobacteria. Based on species richness, abundance, and biomass, as well as bioindicators and calculated indices of organic pollution and toxic effects, the current ecological state of the lake was assessed as being under the influence of pollution, of the mesotrophic type and with a high capacity for self-purification. Statistical mapping, calculated by the correlation of the species composition and categories of indicators, revealed the zones of anthropogenic impact located on the shores of the lake, and the water of the lakes as weakly alkaline, quality classes 2–3. An increase in the number of cyanobacteria in coastal communities was revealed, which may be associated with an increase in the biogenic load on the lake ecosystems. The results of the analysis and mapping of indicators revealed that two major factors regulated phytoplankton: salinity and organic pollution. The sources of organic pollution are mostly associated with the intake of substances from the coastal zone, where resorts, roads, and settlements are located.

Wetlands are one of the major contributors of methane (CH4) emissions to the atmosphere and the intensity of emissions is driven by local environmental variables and spatial heterogeneity. Peatlands are a major wetland class and there are numerous studies that provide estimates of methane emissions at chamber or eddy covariance scales, but these are not often aggregated to the site/ecosystem scale. This study provides a robust approach to map dominant vegetation communities and to use these areas to upscale methane fluxes from chamber to site scale using a simple weighted-area approach. The proposed methodology was tested at three peatlands in Ireland over a duration of 2 years. The annual vegetation maps showed an accuracy ranging from 83 to 99% for near-natural to degraded sites respectively. The upscaled fluxes were highest (2.25 and 3.80 gC m−2 y−1) at the near-natural site and the rehabilitation (0.17 and 0.31 gC m−2 y−1), degraded (0.15 and 0.27 gC m−2 y−1) site emissions were close to net-zero throughout the study duration. Overall, the easy to implement methodology proposed in this study can be applied across various landuse types to assess the impact of peatland rehabilitation on methane emissions by mapping ecological change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Industrial Minerals & Processing / Huagong Kuangwu yu Jiagong is the property of Industrial Minerals & Processing Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Xinjiang is an important arid region in the northwest of China and plays an important role in the field of ecological security protection in China. Because of its aridity, the identification of critical areas for ecological protection and the optimization of ecological space structure in Xinjiang are of great significance for promoting the harmonious development of the oasis economy, enhancing the ecological environment, and improving human well-being. This study applied an ecological security evaluation from the three dimensions of habitat quality, ecosystem service value, and soil-water conservation to identify the basic situation of the ecological security pattern. The core "source" area of ecological protection was extracted using the morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) method, while the ecological corridor and important ecological nodes were identified using the minimum cumulative resistance model (MCR). The "point-line-plane" three-dimensional ecological network structure was then constructed, providing a case for the development of the ecological security and construction in the oasis. The results showed that in the arid regions of Xinjiang, the ecological land is extremely fragmented and is mainly distributed in the mountains and waters distant from human activities. Overall, there is a substantial geographical disparity with a low level of ecological security, particularly in the ecological marginal areas. The ecological network framework of Xinjiang is characterized by an uneven distribution of "sources", broken corridor structure, and a low degree of networking. Therefore, this study proposed an ecological space layout system consisting of "7 ecological subsystems, 51 source areas, 87 ecological corridors, and 33 ecological nodes" by combining the regional physical and geographical characteristics with the overall development plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS) is an empowering tool for the enhancement of local communities' participation in the planning and management of natural resources. The inadequate involvement of local stakeholders in rangeland planning and management has been of great concern. Discussions on the role of PGIS and collaborative management approaches in promoting local involvement in rangeland management has not been clearly understood due to the scarcity of literature. This paper assessed how local participation in rangeland management can be enhanced using a combined collaborative management framework and PGIS approach. The objective was achieved through a focus group discussion, local ecological knowledge mapping and key informant interviews. The combined PGIS and collaborative management approach enabled the empowerment of local actors through knowledge enhancement, encouraged the practice of rangeland governance and the transfer of responsibility to local actors. This study provides a conceptual contribution toward the improvement of local actors' participation in rangeland management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of assessing the impact of pollution in protected areas prompted us to apply a combined method of bioindication and spatial mapping of phytoplankton data from six lakes in the Burabay National Nature Park in Northern Kazakhstan. The issue of monitoring planning was quite acute for this landscape-homogeneous area among the Kulunda steppes. Phytoplankton in each of the six lakes was collected in the summer season of 2019 at a total of 54 sampling stations. In total, 139 species of algae and cyanobacteria from seven taxonomic phyla were found in the phytoplankton of the Burabay Park during the study period. Three phyla were the richest in species: diatoms, green algae, and cyanobacteria. Based on species richness, abundance, and biomass, as well as bioindicators and calculated indices of organic pollution and toxic effects, the current ecological state of the lake was assessed as being under the influence of pollution, of the mesotrophic type and with a high capacity for self-purification. Statistical mapping, calculated by the correlation of the species composition and categories of indicators, revealed the zones of anthropogenic impact located on the shores of the lake, and the water of the lakes as weakly alkaline, quality classes 2–3. An increase in the number of cyanobacteria in coastal communities was revealed, which may be associated with an increase in the biogenic load on the lake ecosystems. The results of the analysis and mapping of indicators revealed that two major factors regulated phytoplankton: salinity and organic pollution. The sources of organic pollution are mostly associated with the intake of substances from the coastal zone, where resorts, roads, and settlements are located. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 385 species of diatoms were identified in the phytoplankton of 14 small Arctic tundra water bodies in the vicinity of Tiksi Bay. We found that the species composition of phytoplankton in each lake is strictly individual. The ecological preferences of diatom species in the studied water bodies were determined for more than 90% of the list. Indicator characteristics show a certain response of the species composition of phytoplankton to changes in salinity and organic pollution. Several regularities were revealed in the spatial distribution of diatom communities in the study area in connection with the physicochemical parameters of their habitat, the height of the lake, its remoteness from the seacoast, and belonging to a specific watershed. Statistical mapping of the data on the diversity of communities and the chemical properties of water revealed a strong reaction of the communities of water bodies to point one-time anthropogenic pollution, and also made it possible to assume the influence of summer, northeast winds on the species composition as a climatic factor. The results of the study are important for developing the foundations for monitoring the non-impact (background), ecologically sensitive territory of the Arctic. They are highly relevant for assessing the consequences of local anthropogenic impacts and climate change in the future. Spatial ecological mapping in conjunction with bioindication can be used as a new method for identifying natural and non-natural stress factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]