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Understanding the drivers and ecological effects of river water temperature (Tw) change remains a complex and challenging task in the field of ecohydrology. We developed the extreme‐point symmetric mode decomposition to quantitatively identify the trend, period and mutation of water temperature (Tw). The sparrow search algorithm‐long short‐term memory model was constructed to reconstruct the historical Tw to quantitatively identify the effects of human activities (HA) and climate change (CC) at different time scales. The random forest method was used to analyse the contribution rates of different meteorological factors and to clarify the main factors. Our results demonstrate that the Tw had a cooling trend in the 1980s, and the other decades have a warming trend, and the annual Tw distribution shows an obvious 'unimodal' distribution. The interannual Tw has a short period of 2–3a, 6–12a and a long period of 10–15a. At the interannual scale, as the distance from estuaries decreases, the influence of HA gradually diminishes, and only the great Tw is governed by CC. Contributions from HA and CC to Tw vary at the seasonal and monthly scales due to geographical differences. In Cuntan, the contribution of HA to Tw is greater than that of climatic factors. The contribution rates of climatic and HA in the three regions of Yichang, Hankou and Datong also exhibit their respective characteristics and fluctuation patterns. The maximum temperature is the most important factor affecting the change of Tw. Abnormal Tw changes result in delayed spawning and characteristic reproduction Tw attainment dates for the Four Major Chinese Carps and Acipenser sinensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grass cover in orchards has been proposed as a sustainable management system with greater ecological and economic benefits than open pastures. However, few studies have compared the ecological impact of grass-covered orchards with that of traditional tilled systems. Therefore, this meta-analysis was focused on evaluating the ecological benefits of grass cover in orchards on the soil physicochemical properties under different establishment modes and construction period in China. In total, 492 paired data points were extracted from 29 references, and effect values (ES) were calculated to show the effect of grass cover on soil physicochemical properties. The results showed that grass cover in orchards improved soil physicochemical properties by decreasing the soil bulk density (ES: -0.0659) of three soil layers (0–20 cm, 20–40 cm and 40–60 cm depth) and by decreasing soil pH in the alkaline areas (ES: -0.0219) of 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm soil layers. Grass cover in orchards also significantly improved the nutrient contents of the topsoil layer (0–20 cm depth), having the greatest effect on the total nitrogen content (ES: 0.1416), followed by that on the total phosphorus content (ES: 0.1002), and the weakest effect was observed on the total potassium content (ES: 0.0832). Grass cover in orchards significantly increased the soil available nitrogen content at all three soil depths (ES: 0.1608) and the soil available phosphorus content at the 0–40 cm soil depth (ES: 0.0788). However, no significant effect on the soil available potassium content was detected. Grass cover in orchards significantly increased soil organic matter content at all three soil depths (ES: 0.3734; P < 0.01), with the greatest effect occurring in the 40–60 cm soil layer (ES: 0.7972). Subgroup analysis of available nutrients in the 0–20 cm soil layer showed that 2–3 years after grass covering in orchards greatest promoting on the soil available nitrogen (ES: 0.2967) and phosphorus contents (ES: 0.1815), while the soil available potassium content decreased with construction period. In summary, grass cover in orchards has various effects on soil physicochemical properties, and these effects are closely related to soil layer depth, construction period, plant species and geographical region. Moreover, long-term monitoring is required to confirm the ecological influence of diverse types of grasses on soil properties in orchards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Seaweed aquaculture plays an important role in global food supply, but single-species intensive seaweed aquaculture has problems related to simple industrial structure and risk susceptibility. Therefore, there is an urgent need to establish a series of large-scale seaweed rotational culture models to address the current industrial challenges in algae culture. The culture of macroalgae is mainly affected by environmental factors such as water temperature and light. In this study, we constructed a rotational culture model by carrying out experiments with three species of macroalgae, observing in situ their photosynthetic activity responses to different temperature and light conditions. The results of this study can provide a theoretical basis for the establishment of large-scale rotational aquaculture, which can effectively improve the ecological and economic value of macroalgae aquaculture. Seaweed farming has made outstanding contributions to food supply and the restoration of the ecological environment despite the limitations in production and ecological effects due to the current intensive farming of single algae species. These limitations can be overcome by selecting suitable algal species based on their physiological characteristics and by constructing a large-scale seaweed rotation model. This study carried out a trial culture in aquaculture sea areas, and performed in situ monitoring of the environmental conditions and physiological characteristics of Saccharina japonica, Hizikia fusiformis, and Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis. Additionally, a comparative analysis of the three macroalgae at different times was conducted to determine their response characteristics to environmental factors. The results showed that: (1) The three macroalgae had varying light tolerance. The effective quantum yield of Hizikia fusiformis and Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis remained unchanged during the changes in light environment, while that of Saccharina japonica first decreased and then recovered. (2) The relative electron transport rates of the three macroalgae were significantly different under different temperature conditions. Hizikia fusiformis and Saccharina japonica exhibited the highest relative electron transport rates (70.45 and 106.75, respectively) in May (20.3 °C). Notably, Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis demonstrated good growth and exhibited the highest relative electron transport rate (93.07) in September (27.5 °C). These findings collectively support the feasibility of establishing a macroalgae rotation model. Based on the combined environmental conditions of the seas in Shandong, Zhejiang, and Fujian, a macroalgae rotation model was proposed. The application of this model in the construction of artificial seaweed farms in marine ranches can provide a stable output of large-scale seaweed production and ecological benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangroves, a major ecosystem for carbon sequestration, have been recently identified as a microplastic sink, yet the impact of microplastics on the mangrove microbial community is poorly known. Here, we investigated the metabolic activities of mangrove rhizosphere microbiome in the presence of polyethylene, polystyrene, polyamide, and polyvinylchloride, in microcosms, using Biolog™ Ecoplates. Results show that microbial communities in mangrove sediment hold their functional diversity and comprehensive metabolic activity within 56 days of microplastic exposure. However, polyamide and polyvinylchloride microplastics induced a 59.6–66.7% reduction in the rhizosphere microbes' utilization for their preferred polymer carbon sources. Microbes exposed to polyethylene microplastics showed an activated biotransformation for nitrogen-contained carbon sources. Polyethylene and polyamide microplastics caused a 20.1–22.4% loss available nitrogen. Overall, microplastics are altering the carbon and nitrogen metabolism activities of microbiomes in mangrove wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since industrialization, global temperatures have continued to rise. Human activities have resulted in heavy metals being freed from their original, fixed locations. Because of global warming, glaciers are melting, carbon dioxide concentrations are increasing, weather patterns are shifting, and various environmental forces are at play, resulting in the movement of heavy metals and alteration of their forms. In this general context, the impact of heavy metals on ecosystems and organisms has changed accordingly. For most ecosystems, the levels of heavy metals are on the rise, and this rise can have a negative impact on the ecosystem as a whole. Numerous studies have been conducted to analyze the combined impacts of climate change and heavy metals. However, the summary of the current studies is not perfect. Therefore, this review discusses how heavy metals affect ecosystems during the process of climate change from multiple perspectives, providing some references for addressing the impact of climate warming on environmental heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As emerging persistent pollutants, microplastics cause global environmental problems that cannot be ignored. Research on microplastics pollution in soil is lagging and lacking compared in water environment. This paper reviews the research progress of source, analytical method, environmental behavior, and ecological effects of microplastics in soil environment and urgent problems of microplastics in soil environment. The source and input path of microplastics in soil were introduced in detail. The separation and analysis methods of microplastics in soil and the advantages and disadvantages were summarized. The environmental behavior of microplastics in soil was analyzed, including migration, degradation and interaction with other pollutants in soil. The ecological effects of microplastics in soil were described, including the effects on soil physi cal and chemical properties, soil microorganisms, soil animals and plants. The future research directions and emphases on microplastics in soil environment were prospected. The source control of microplastics in soil, the law and mechanism of interaction with other pollutants, and the risk assessment of combined pollution on human health are the difficulties and focuses in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The amount of fixed nitrogen per decare was studied in the experimental field of Research Institute of Mountain Stockbreeding and Agriculture-Troyan of bird'sfoottrefoil cultivars, such as Targovishte 1, Alvena, Lotanova and Frilo (Italy), Polom (Slovakia), Bonnie (France), Bull (Canada). The Lotanova and Polom varieties have increased nitrogen-fixing capacity and level of tuber formation, as well as fixed nitrogen per decare (17.40 and 17.17 N fix, kg/da), which is a prerequisite for increasing soil fertility and the ecological effect. These two varieties could be recommended as suitable for implementation in production from an economic and ecological point of view. The correlation analysis proved a high positive correlation dependence of gross revenue with yield (r=0.9999), production costs (r=0.9982), and the amount of fixed nitrogen (r=0.9998). Plant nitrogen storage through symbiotic nitrogen fixation of bird'sfoottrefoil, as a suitable meadow legume species for mountain conditions, determines its ecological effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The ecological effect of urban spatial expansion is the key problem of human-environment relationship in the process of urbanization. It is of great significance to explore the complex scientific problem of ecological effect caused by urban spatial expansion from multiple angles to promote the sustainable and high-quality development of urban and ecological space. [Methods] Taking the main urban area of Lanzhou City in China as an example, this study calculated the scale, intensity, and landscape pattern indices of urban spatial expansion in 1995, 2005, 2015, and 2020 to reflect the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of urban spatial expansion in the city from 1995 to 2020, and divided the research area into 12184 grids. Using the spatial principal component analysis method, atmospheric radiation transfer equation method, and revised ecosystem service value estimation model, this study analyzed the ecological risk effect, heat island effect, and ecosystem service effect of urban spatial expansion from various angles, and discussed the impact of natural environment conditions on the ecological effect of urban spatial expansion of cities in river valleys. [Results] The results show that from 1995 to 2020, the scale and intensity of urban expansion in Lanzhou City have increased, the fragmentation of urban landscape has decreased, urban expansion has mainly occurred in the western and northern parts of the city, and the urban expansion mode has changed from group expansion to leaping expansion. The overall ecological risk effect and heat island effect in the city have shown a weakening trend, but a rising trend was observed in the river valley, and the overall pattern of effects has been characterized by high in the valley and low at the peripheries. There is a slight improvement in the ecosystem service effect, which mainly shows that the ecosystem service value in the surrounding areas of the river valley has improved significantly, and some areas in the built-up area have changed from low-value area to medium-value area. Urban expansion negatively affects the natural substrates of the region, while the natural substrates also affects the scale, direction, and mode of urban expansion. Coordinating the relationship between the two is essential for the sustainable and harmonious development of human beings and nature. [Conclusion] The research framework of ecological effects of urban spatial expansion was constructed from multiple perspectives. Urban spatial expansion has a significant impact on ecological risk, heat island, and ecosystem service effects at the grid scale, which provides a new way of quantitative visualization of the dynamic relationships between urban evolution and ecological environment.

Copyright of Food Science & Technology & Economy is the property of Grain Science & Technology & Economy 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.)

Wetland vegetation plays a crucial role in wetland conservation policy formulation and global climate change research. This study analyzed remotely sensed images of West Dongting Lake (DTL) Wetland from 1994 to 2020. This wetland is one of the most important wetlands in the world. At the pixel scale, we applied the histogram comparison approach, the range variability analysis (RVA) method, and the structural equation model (SEM) to quantify spatial changes in the hydrological conditions of wetland lakes and the ecological effects of environmental factors (precipitation, temperature, nutrients, water coverage) on vegetation. We propose a climate (C) — hydrological status (S) — vegetation response (R) (CSR) framework to elucidate the propagation relationships between climate, hydrology, and wetland vegetation conditions. The study found that the hydrological degradation promotes the succession of vegetation into the lake, and the distribution is concentrated in the northern Yangtze River inflow area. And the extent of hydrological changes in the West DTL region reached 34.5% during the flood period. In addition, the post-dam period showed a high degree of hydro-ecological failure, accounting for 65% of the total. Within the wetland area, there was a significant negative correlation between water coverage nutrient levels and bare vegetation within the lake area. Nutrient levels were also significantly negatively correlated with wetland vegetation conditions. Rainfall and temperature influence wetland vegetation by affecting the condition of the water body. This research provides valuable insights into managing wetland water resources and ecological restoration under the influence of climate change and human activities and provides a basis for decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the intensification of global environmental changes, the changes of water environment and ecosystem have brought profound impacts on human society and natural ecology. In order to monitor and evaluate these changes more accurately and in real time, this study explored the application of remote sensing technology in the analysis of water environment changes and ecological effects and compared it with traditional ground observation technology. The results showed that remote sensing technology had obvious advantages in spatial and temporal resolution, large-scale continuous monitoring, and so on, and could provide more comprehensive and timely information for decision makers and researchers. Especially in the monitoring of water area, water quality, ecosystem structure and ecological service function, remote sensing data and ground observation data were highly consistent. On the whole, remote sensing technology would play an increasingly important role in the study of water environment and ecological effects in the future and was expected to provide strong support for global environmental protection and ecological restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate waste from open‐cage fish farms in marine systems can cause organic enrichment of seabed habitats and enter the food web through consumption by wild organisms, with potential for broader ecosystem changes. Effects on biogeochemistry and benthic ecology are reasonably well understood in inshore, sheltered and soft sediment systems. However, food web effects and interactions with epifauna and larger consumers is less well understood, as is the fate of these discharges in more dynamic coastal areas with complex hydrodynamic regimes. Expected expansion of the aquaculture industry globally includes farming new areas that are more environmentally dynamic and biodiverse, with potentially sensitive habitats. Therefore, the aim of this review was to examine how biochemical tools can assist in identifying and managing impacts. Biochemical tools such as bulk stable isotopes and fatty acids can reliably trace the fate of fish waste in the environment and the food web, and have advanced our understanding of waste dispersal, as well as providing greater insights into biological interactions with fish wastes. This includes elucidating trophic subsidies to wild organisms, candidate species for co‐culture and waste assimilation mechanisms in native communities. Ultimately, biochemical tools can support improved environmental management, by helping to identify the zone of influence for spatial planning, providing additional 'forensic' evidence for farm‐related change, and by identifying potential risks to high‐value species and habitats. In this way, they can inform targeted research to link fish waste inputs meaningfully to potential ecosystem changes to better understand the consequences to support sustainable industry expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arid Zone Research / Ganhanqu Yanjiu is the property of Arid Zone Research 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.)

Based on the test data of top soil, Chinese medicinal materials and root soil samples, the paper studies the contents, spatial distribution characteristics and pollution degrees of five heavy metal elements including As, Cd, Cu, Hg and Pb in the topsoil of Chinese medicinal materials planting area of Niujiayingzi Town in Xibo River Basin, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, as well as the accumulation characteristics of soil heavy metals by different Chinese medicinal materials and heavy metal pollution degree of herbs. The results show that the five elements in the topsoil of Chinese medicinal materials planting area share the same origin, mainly from the parent material, and in association, with the mean contents of 8.729x10-6, 0.142x10-6, 21.146x10-6, 0.036x10-6 and 23.651 x 10-6, respectively. The variation coefficients of Hg and Cd are 0.639 and 0.472 respectively, reaching the intensity variation, for their low soil background contents and more susceptible to various factors. Both the single and comprehensive pollution indexes of the soil heavy metals are less than 0.7, which shows a clean level of soil quality and meets the soil environmental requirements for the GAP base construction of Chinese medicinal materials. The concentration coefficients or pollution indexes of heavy metals in the medicinal parts of platycodon grandiflorum, glehnia littoralis and achyranthes bidentata are all less than 0.50, with their contents much lower than the limit value of heavy metals in Chinese medicinal materials. The Chinese medicinal materials produced in the planting area of Niujiyingzi Town all meet the requirements of green standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Great Whirl (GW) and the Socotra Gyre (SoG), two prominent anticyclonic eddies in the western Arabian Sea, exhibit strong dynamic interactions. This study reports a case of the merging of the GW and the SoG recorded by Argo floats in September 2019. Combined with satellite observations and a state‐of‐the‐art ocean reanalysis, we show that the merging process was first detected at the subsurface layer (∼150 m depth) rather than the surface. As the original water inside the GW is cooler than the SoG, the merging created a baroclinic structure between the eddies. The density gradients associated with the baroclinic structure drive strong subsurface geostrophic currents following the thermal wind relationship, leading to the fast merging at 100–200 m depth. Energy analysis shows that the predominant energy source for the merged eddy was the barotropic and baroclinic instability. The dissipative processes caused the rapid decay of the merged eddy. The merging process induced submesoscale activities and promoted ocean vertical exchanges south of Socotra Island. Plain Language Summary: The Great Whirl (GW) and the Socotra Gyre (SoG) are two large clockwise eddies in the western Arabian Sea. Ocean observations caught the merging process of these two eddies in September 2019. The Argo floats detected the process first at the subsurface layer. Ocean reanalysis reveals that the water inside the GW was cooler than the SoG, which led to the density difference that enhanced the subsurface flow. The subsurface flow transported the warm and salty water from the SoG faster than the surface in the interior of the eddy. During the merging process, the smaller‐scale motions led to increased surface chlorophyll concentrations in the region, with replenished nutrients and dissolved oxygen. Key Points: The merging process of the Great Whirl (GW) and the Socotra Gyre (SoG) was faster at the subsurface, resulting from density gradientsThe barotropic and baroclinic instability provided the predominant energy for the mergingThe merging process stimulated submesoscale activities and promoted ocean vertical exchanges [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seaweed farming has made outstanding contributions to food supply and the restoration of the ecological environment despite the limitations in production and ecological effects due to the current intensive farming of single algae species. These limitations can be overcome by selecting suitable algal species based on their physiological characteristics and by constructing a large-scale seaweed rotation model. This study carried out a trial culture in aquaculture sea areas, and performed in situ monitoring of the environmental conditions and physiological characteristics of Saccharina japonica, Hizikia fusiformis, and Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis. Additionally, a comparative analysis of the three macroalgae at different times was conducted to determine their response characteristics to environmental factors. The results showed that: (1) The three macroalgae had varying light tolerance. The effective quantum yield of Hizikia fusiformis and Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis remained unchanged during the changes in light environment, while that of Saccharina japonica first decreased and then recovered. (2) The relative electron transport rates of the three macroalgae were significantly different under different temperature conditions. Hizikia fusiformis and Saccharina japonica exhibited the highest relative electron transport rates (70.45 and 106.75, respectively) in May (20.3 °C). Notably, Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis demonstrated good growth and exhibited the highest relative electron transport rate (93.07) in September (27.5 °C). These findings collectively support the feasibility of establishing a macroalgae rotation model. Based on the combined environmental conditions of the seas in Shandong, Zhejiang, and Fujian, a macroalgae rotation model was proposed. The application of this model in the construction of artificial seaweed farms in marine ranches can provide a stable output of large-scale seaweed production and ecological benefits.

Objectives: The requisition‐compensation balance is one of the important measures for farmland protection in China. During the development of cultivated land protection policies from traditional quantity protection to quantity‐quality‐ecology integration protection, few studies have examined future potential impacts of different requisition ‐compensation balance policies. Methods: We take Zhaoyuan City, Shandong Province as an example to construct a multi scenario simulation model of land use change incorporating requisition‐compensation balance of arable land, design five simulation scenarios, namely, baseline scenario, quantity protection of cultivated land, quantity‐quality protection, quantity‐ecological protection and quantity‐quality‐ecological protection. Then we analyze the changes in quantity, productivity and habitat quality of arable land in 2030 under different protection strategies. Results: The results show that the requisition‐compensation balance policies will increase the quantity, grain yield and habitat quality of cultivated land by 7.2%, 0.63% and 0.70% on average compared with the baseline scenario. In the quantity quality ecological protection scenario, grain yield and habitat quality are likely to be higher than those in other scenarios, and their trade‐off relationships will be better reconciled. Conclusions: This work will provide solid support for evaluation of various requisition compensation balance strategies and adjustment of farmland protection policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since industrialization, global temperatures have continued to rise. Human activities have resulted in heavy metals being freed from their original, fixed locations. Because of global warming, glaciers are melting, carbon dioxide concentrations are increasing, weather patterns are shifting, and various environmental forces are at play, resulting in the movement of heavy metals and alteration of their forms. In this general context, the impact of heavy metals on ecosystems and organisms has changed accordingly. For most ecosystems, the levels of heavy metals are on the rise, and this rise can have a negative impact on the ecosystem as a whole. Numerous studies have been conducted to analyze the combined impacts of climate change and heavy metals. However, the summary of the current studies is not perfect. Therefore, this review discusses how heavy metals affect ecosystems during the process of climate change from multiple perspectives, providing some references for addressing the impact of climate warming on environmental heavy metals.

hthalate esters ( PAEs) are widely used as main plasticizers in plastic products, agricultural regulators, toys, and other fields. This paper reviewed the research progress on the distribution, sources, and ecological effects of PAEs. The effects of PAEs on soil microorganisms, animals, plants and soil properties were explored in sequence, providing effective theoretical basis for future research on PAEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human interventions mobilize massive nitrogen (N) emissions to freshwater and result in serious eutrophication impacts. Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) provides a reliable quantitative tool to address the challenges of potential ecological impact induced by increasing nutrient inputs. However, characterization procedures that relate N emissions to ecological damage in freshwater ecosystems in LCIA methodology are still lacking. This study aims to propose a spatially explicit characterization model (1 km × 1 km) for N-induced freshwater eutrophication. A complete cause-effect chains linking the N emission with species loss endpoint impact was constructed, in which the site-specific fate factor modelling contained transfer and removal processes in terrestrial and freshwater compartments, and the mechanistic modelling of ecosystem exposure and damage effect were quantified with species loss. The eutrophication characterization was conducted with a case study in Guangzhou, China, and 1 km × 1 km spatial differentiation of eutrophication susceptibility was intuitively demonstrated, with higher values in the Pearl River Estuary area. Method comparisons and further improvements were discussed in support of model generalization and further application.

The Yangtze River Basin is an important part of China's ecology and social economy, and the land use/cover status is experiencing rapid changes. As the development of remote sensing technology, the Internet of things and social media, we can obtain huge, multi-dimensional relevant data of land use/cover, the process of land use/cover, driving factors and ecological response of research, the development of the Yangtze river basin planning and ecological protection provides a decision-making basis. First, this paper reviews the current research on land use/cover change in the Yangtze river basin, and then expounds the re⁃ search methods and conclusions in terms of the driving mechanism and ecological effects of land use/cover change. Finally, this paper discusses the difficulties and challenges faced by existing researches from the differences of land use/cover products, regional driving factors, complexity of ecological environmental change process and comprehensive evaluation of ecological service value and the possible directions of future researches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban morphology significantly affects the ecological effects of urban heat islands, ventilation, and atmospheric pollution. Here, we reveal the mechanisms linking the ecological effects of urban morphology to develop a planning approach for the collaborative optimization of multiple ecological effects. Considering Shenyang, a cold city in northern China, as the study area, a multiple regression model of morphological parameters and ecological effects was established, and the impact of morphological parameters on ecological effects was explored. The results show that the aspect ratio of the streets, building density, and vegetation coverage are sensitive to multiple ecological effects. The inflection point of the ecological effect function curve occurs when the aspect ratio of the building and building density are 0.2 and 0.3, respectively. In addition, for optimal design applications in typical areas of the city, to obtain a Pareto-optimal urban morphology, Grasshopper is used to establish a parametric platform, wherein a genetic algorithm solves the multiple regression equation set. Ultimately, five ecological effect indicators are optimized and show 8.4%, 5.0%, 31.6%, 33.1%, and 12.5% improvement. The study effectively constructs a collaborative optimization planning and design method for multiple ecological effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1999, China has implemented the Grain for Green Project(GFGP), which has significantly changed the vegetation coverage status and land use structure of the Loess Plateau. As a result, vegetation coverage and ecological quality have been greatly improved. However, the spatio-temporal trend of the vegetation coverage is very uncertain, while the comprehensive assessment of its ecological effects has been relatively weak. To this end, two vegetation indices, including normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)and fractional vegetation cover(FVC), were analyzed, and the changes in vegetation coverage and distribution on the Loess Plateau before and after the implementation of GFGP in the past forty years were reviewed. The results show that ① comparing five common data sets that record the dynamic changes of vegetation coverage, it is found that the data sources affect the authenticity of the eco-environmental benefits' evaluation results to a certain extent; ② the overall vegetation coverage of the Loess Plateau has been increasing in a fluctuating manner over the years, whose growth rate has surged due to the implementation of the project; its spatial distribution decreases from southeast to northwest, and is influenced by the ecosystem pattern, land use type, climate change, etc.; ③ with a rise of vegetation coverage, the water and soil conservation, and carbon sequestration capacity of the Loess Plateau ecosystem also gradually make a build-up, both of which are highly coupled with vegetation changes. According to the current situation of eco-environment management and food production level, it is recommended to strengthen the construction of high-standard farmland to alleviate the problem of arable land shortage caused by GFGP. Meanwhile, it is necessary to accelerate the promotion of ecological value transformation and eco-compensation, so that the lucid water and lush mountains can truly become invaluable assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Venoms produced by arthropods act as chemical weapons to paralyze prey or deter competitors. The utilization of venom is an essential feature in the biology and ecology of venomous arthropods. Solenopsis fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are medically important venomous ants. They have acquired different patterns of venom use to maximize their competitive advantages rendered by the venom when facing different challenges. The major components of fire ant venom are piperidine alkaloids, which have strong insecticidal and antibiotic activities. The alkaloids protect fire ants from pathogens over the course of their lives and can be used to defend them from predators and competitors. They are also utilized by some of the fire ants' natural enemies, such as phorid flies to locate host ants. Collectively, these ants' diverse alkaloid compositions and functions have ecological significance for their survival, successful invasion, and rapid range expansion. The venom alkaloids with powerful biological activities may have played an important role in shaping the assembly of communities in both native and introduced ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Coal Geology & Exploration is the property of Xian Research Institute of China Coal Research Institute 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.)

This paper investigates the relationship between digital finance and carbon emissions and explores the ecological effects of digital finance. Based on a panel data of 256 cities in China from 2011 to 2018, this paper investigates the impact of digital finance on carbon emissions and its intrinsic mechanisms. First, digital finance significantly suppresses the intensity of regional carbon emission, and the breadth of coverage, depth of use, and degree of digital support of digital finance together curb regional carbon emissions, with the strongest suppressive effect being the breadth of coverage. In addition, the regression results remain significant after a series of robustness tests. Second, it reveals the potential mechanism of digital finance to curb urban carbon emissions. These mechanisms include the three channels: promoting industrial advancement, green technology innovation, and optimizing labor resource allocation. Third, the heterogeneity test finds that the energy saving and emission reduction effects of digital finance are significantly stronger in non-low-carbon pilot cities with low urbanization rates, confirming the emission reduction utility of digital finance development. Therefore, we should take advantage of digital finance to improve the green development of financial services and adopt diverse policy measures according to local conditions to maximize the ecological effects of digital finance on energy saving and emission reduction. In the context of the development strategy of "carbon peaking and carbon neutral," this study has some implications for management in developing a regional green development system supported by digital finance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar is a kind of solid material with large specific surface area, porosity and high carbon content. In recent years, as a new type of environmental material, biochar draws the attention of the public. However, due to the influence of various factors such as raw material types and preparation technology, the effects of biochar application on soil ecosystem are complex and diverse. In this paper, the physical and chemical characteristics of biochar prepared from different raw materials were summarized, and the effects of biochar on plants, animals and microorganisms in soil ecosystem were discussed. Finally, the prospect of the research on the soil ecological effect of biochar was put forward, so as to provide the reference for the positive regulation of soil ecosystem by biochar and the rational application of biochar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs) are receiving increasing attention because of their potential harm to the environment and human health. This research aims to summarize the abundance, toxicological effects, and analysis methods of MPs, as well as present their current status and trends in scientific research. Bibliometric analysis confirmed a substantial rise in annual research papers on MPs, predominantly over the previous nine years. The central research areas relating to MPs include distribution, sources, toxic effects, analytical approaches, and adsorption of MPs with other pollutants. Airborne MPs are a primary source of microplastic pollution in remote areas. Humans may inhale and ingest MPs, leading to the accumulation of these particles in their bodies. Additionally, microplastics can have biological toxicity that poses a potential threat to human health. Standard procedures for sampling and both qualitative and quantitative analysis of microplastics in various environmental media must be established urgently to enable effective comparison of experimental conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Agro-Environment Science is the property of Journal of Agro-Environment Science Editorial Board 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.)

Copyright of Journal of Ecology & Rural Environment is the property of Journal of Ecology & Rural Environment 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.)

During the period 2013-2015, boron, molybdenum and phosphorohumate and their impact on the economic analysis and ecological efficiency of the obtained fodder production were tested on natural grassland of Chrysopogon gryllus type. Based on a comparative evaluation of the main economic indicators of different types of fertilizers and dry matter yield per decare, it was found that foliar treatment of natural grassland of Chrysopogon gryllus type with boron and molybdenum humate had a positive effect on dry matter productivity. The imported molybdenum humate realized the highest revenues and gross profit and determined these two bioproducts as the most economically efficient for obtaining high yield and quality of fodder. The ecological effect of foliar treatment with biofertilizers significantly affects the floristic composition of the grassland, reducing the share of the main species Chrysopogon gryllus and motley grasses in the formed aboveground mass and increased the share of Agrostis capillaris and legume meadow grasses, such as Trifolium campestre and Lotus corniculatus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typhoons are known to substantially influence the coastal circulation and the associated biogeochemical processes. The transport of Changjiang diluted water (CDW), an important source to the coastal current in the East China Sea (ECS), varies markedly under the influence of typhoons. This study quantitively details the downcoast transport of CDW driven by Typhoon Chan‐Hom in the summer of 2015. Salinity measurements 3 days after the typhoon's passage showed the presence of a large volume of low‐salinity water, up to 70‐km wide and 20‐m thick along the Zhejiang‐Fujian coastal area with an estimated freshwater volume of 3.7 × 1010 m3. A three‐endmember mixing model shows that the CDW's contribution to the study area's surface waters (<10 m) immediately after the typhoon was as high as 40% (average 32%), much greater than the contribution under normal summer conditions of 8% (average 3%). The vast spreading of CDW along the Zhejiang‐Fujian coast created a strong stratification in the upper water column that limited the diffusion of CDW in the study area. The calculated and observed results suggest that these abnormal low‐salinity water could stay in the study area for 13–21 days. Additional nutrients in the CDW elevated the Chlorophyll‐a concentration in the upper water column (mean 3.74 mg m−3) and produced large amount of particulate organic carbon. Plain Language Summary: In normal summer conditions, the Changjiang diluted water (CDW) mainly expands offshore to the northeast toward the Tsushima Strait. When typhoons strike the area, however, the downcoast transport of CDW was enhanced so much that its contribution to the water along Zhejiang‐Fujian coastal area grows 10‐fold from 3% to as much as 30%. These typhoon‐induced low‐salinity water float above the high‐salinity continental shelf water and can stay in the Zhejiang‐Fujian coastal area for 13–21 days. Nutrients brought by the CDW increase the primary productivity in the surface water with much higher concentration of Chlorophyll‐a and particulate organic carbon. Key Points: Typhoon Chan‐Hom caused an alongshore strip of low‐salinity water strip, up to 70‐km wide and 20‐m thick, along the Zhejiang‐Fujian coastUp to 40% (32% average) of this low‐salinity water strip was sourced from Changjiang diluted water (CDW)The long residence time (13–21 days) of this low‐salinity and eutrophic water elevated the Chlorophyll‐a concentration in the upper water column [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing emphasis on the ecology and environment of rivers, the construction of ecological waterway projects has become a development trend in China. In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the ecological effects of ecological waterway construction. Based on pressure-state-response (PSR) and driver-pressure-state-impact-response (DPSIR) logical frameworks, this paper established a state-pressure-impact-response (SPIR) conceptual model. The model took the river ecology and environment state as the main line, and described the disturbance pressure of the engineering construction on the river state, the impacts of the project on the river comprehensive function, and the positive responses taken in the full lifetime cycle of the project. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy evaluation model were used to study the changes of the river ecosystem status after suffering from the construction pressure and taking positive responses. Taking the 12.5 m deep water waterway project in the Taicang-Nantong section of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River as an example, the disturbance on the ecology and environment at different stages of the project construction and the effort of relieving the negative impacts of the project on the ecology and environment were evaluated by the health level of the ecosystem. The paper can provide a scientific method for the evaluation of ecological projects in river ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, transportation-induced carbon footprint values before and after the consolidation projects in two areas with similar agricultural characteristics were calculated. The IPCC Tier 1 method recommended by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) was used to calculate the carbon footprint. Furthermore, the effects of changes in road lengths and routes in these areas after Land Consolidation (LC) on the fuel consumption of tractors and, accordingly, the carbon dioxide (CO2) emission values were also determined. As a result of the study, the carbon footprint value (GgCO2) decreased by 10% in the Fatih neighborhood and 33% in the Selimiye neighborhood after the land consolidation project. Carbon equivalent (CE) is used to measure the effects on greenhouse gas emissions and global warming and corresponds to the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. In total, 490.21 kg CO2·ha−1 of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were mitigated. In light of these results, it can be concluded that LC can be considered a useful process in greenhouse gas mitigation strategy. Based on the values obtained from the study results, it was concluded that land consolidation contributed to reducing carbon footprint and increasing agricultural production and productivity in rural areas. The reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions in rural areas will contribute to reducing the adverse effects of air pollution and climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reported biological effects of cerium dioxide nanoparticles (nCeO2) in soils range from toxic to protective. However, divergences of nCeO2 toxicity in soils of different textures are not known. In this study, the availability of nCeO2 on earthworms (Eisenia fetida) in sandy loam soils and clay soils was discussed, and the biological effects of nCeO2 (0–1000 mg/kg) on earthworms in two soils were investigated. The results showed the bioaccumulation and biological effects of Ce on earthworms in the two soils were inconsistent. The European Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) sequential extraction revealed that the major portions of Ce in both soils were in the residual form (98–99%), and the acid-soluble Ce fraction was greater in clay soils. However, nCeO2 was more toxic to earthworms in sandy loam soils than that in clay soils as assessed by earthworm biomass, morphology, and antioxidative damage. Thus, the high ecological risk of nCeO2 in sandy loam soils with higher pH and lower clay contents needs to be avoided, being used in agriculture to improve both crop yield and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparative approaches are frequently used in communication research, especially journalism studies. The purpose of this article is to argue that Bayesian multilevel regression is the most justifiable option for analyzing comparative data. We argue that it is the only approach that can simultaneously account for the non-atomicity (nested nature) and non-stochasticity (nonrandom sampling) of comparative data. Using the openly available Worlds of Journalism Study and useNews data sets, we demonstrate how to apply the Bayesian approach for the analysis of comparative data. We address the common challenges when using the Bayesian approach and highlight the advantages of posterior predictive checks for modeling checking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changes that have occurred in the production of herbaceous fodder require rethinking it from an economic and ecological point of view. In the conditions of a market economy, competition requires the application of new technological solutions that lead to an increase in the productivity and quality of fodder. The present paper includes an overview of the main measures that increase the ecological effect of their implementation. Preservation of species biodiversity in grass stands, biofertilizing as an effective measure to obtain ecologically clean fodder, the use of legume fodder crops to reduce the cost of nitrogen fertilizers are indicated. The inclusion of well-adapted cultivars suitable for specific soil and climate conditions, the rational and correct use of rangelands are key factors for increasing the ecological effect of artificial and natural grass stands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals are often present in mining waters. In this research, comparative studies of Ni2+ adsorption were made on natural red and white kaolins from the Murzyntski quarry in Ukraine. Red kaolin showed a higher adsorption capacity of Ni2+ and was more effective than white kaolin at pH 3.5 and pH 7.5, total dissolved solids (TDS) 0.01, 1.5, and 2.5 g/L. This was since red and white kaolins had different percentages of minerals in their composition, that is, kaolinite, quartz, and hematite, as well as different pHpzc values. The adsorption capacity of saline water was tested for potential environmental applications of such materials in the purification of mining waters. To ensure the ecological and economic effect of applying the kaolins studied, it was proposed to introduce them into the Svistunova accumulation lake located about 150-200 km from the kaolin quarry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A courtyard is a traditional and popular construction feature found in China's urban buildings. This case study evaluates the performance of the traditional courtyard design of the Jiangnan Museum, located in Jiangsu Province. In the evaluation, the spatial layout of courtyards is adjusted, the aspect ratio is changed, and an ecological buffer space is created. To model and evaluate the performance of the courtyard design, this study applied the Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software, Parabolic Hyperbolic Or Elliptic Numerical Integration Code Series (PHOENICS), for wind environment simulation, and the EnergyPlus-based software, DesignBuilder, for energy simulation. Results show that a good combination of courtyard layout and aspect ratio can improve the use of natural ventilation by increasing free cooling during hot summers and reducing cold wind in winters. The results also show that ecological buffer areas of a courtyard can reduce cooling loads in summer by approximately 19.6% and heating loads in winter by approximately 22.3%. The study provides insights into the optimal design of a courtyard to maximize its benefit in regulating the microclimate during both winter and summer.

Copyright of Environmental Science & Technology (10036504) is the property of Editorial Board of Environmental Science & Technology 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.)

Copyright of Therya is the property of Asociacion Mexicana de Mastozoologia, A. C. 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.)

Farmers' livelihoods and their impacts on the ecosystem are important indicators of human-land relationships. Appropriate livelihood strategies for farmers can meet the needs of human well-being and promote the sustainable use of natural resources, thereby maintaining the health and stability of natural ecosystems. Scholars have carried out a great deal of research on the changes in farmers' livelihoods, as well as the driving mechanisms and ecological effects, but there are still many controversial issues about the ecological effects of farmers' livelihood transformation. On the basis of collecting and sorting out the relevant literature, this paper analyzes the previous research results on the transformation mechanism and ecological effects of farmers' livelihoods, and further explores the coupling relationship. Through the analysis and summary, we find that the choice of farmers' livelihoods is affected by natural factors, subjective willingness and social policies. The transformation of farmers' livelihood changes the ways of production, consumption and resource utilization, which in turn profoundly affects the evolutionary process of the natural ecosystems. This paper establishes a research framework for the livelihood transformation mechanism of farmers and its ecological effect, and finally summarizes two directions that need to be studied further in the future: (1) Exploring the interactions between the driving factors of farmers' livelihood transformation; and (2) Exploring a win-win sustainable mechanism for farmers' livelihood needs and natural resource utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Asian Journals of Ecotoxicology is the property of Gai Kan Bian Wei Hui 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.)

Soil enzyme activities and microbial communities have a good response to the remediation effect of heavy metal-contaminated soils. To evaluate the effect of three commonly used washing agents, ferric chloride (FC), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and ethylenediamine-tetra-methylenephosphonic acid (EDTMP) on soil enzyme activities and microbial community in cadmium (Cd)-contaminated agricultural soil were collected from farmland near a non-ferrous metal smelter. The soil enzyme activities, microbial community, chemical forms of Cd and some physicochemical properties of the soil washed with different washing solutions were determined. The results showed that the three washing solutions had moderate removal efficiencies for Cd in the tested soil and the breakdown product of EDTMP has a certain stabilizing effect on Cd. The geometric mean and the integrated total enzyme activity index showed that soil washing with FC and EDTA was more beneficial to the restoration of biochemical functions than that with EDTMP. After soil washing, the Chao1 index of bacteria increased, and the microbial community structure changed. Pearson correlation analysis and redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that the three washing solutions affected soil enzyme activities and microbial community by altering soil nutrient, total Cd concentration and Cd fractions in soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are some issues in urban areas, especially in mega-cities, such as low efficiency of intensive utilization, imbalance of ecological space, production space and living space. Taking Zhengzhou City, the capital of Henan Province as an example, this paper discussed the ecological-production-living spaces land use transformation and the temporal and spatial variation generation of environmental effects, based on the four phases of land use data from 1990 to 2019 and on the basis of building the classification system of ecological-production-living spaces. The results show that the area of production and ecological land use has been decreased by 353.33 km² and 186.43 km² respectively, and the area of domestic land use has been increased by 539.76 km². Among the land use types, the largest amount of conversion is agricultural production land use, which is mainly converted to urban and rural living land use. During the study period, the center production land use mainly shifted to southeast. The center of ecological land use is moved not much, and the center of living land use is moved to the east of 3,106 m. The ecological environment quality of Zhengzhou City shows a pattern of “high in the west and low in the east” and is gradually deteriorated from 1990 to 2000. After 2000, it continues to spread in the periphery of the main urban area. The wetlands along the Yellow River and Shuanghe Lake to Yuanboyuan Park are the most improved areas in each period, showing a point distribution. There are two trends of ecological environment in Zhengzhou City: Improvement and deterioration, and the latter is much stronger than that of the former. The transfer of agricultural production land use to urban and rural living land use, water and forest land use to agricultural production land use are the two main factors of deterioration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microorganisms play a key role in aquatic ecosystems. Recent studies show that keystone taxa in microbial community could change the community structure and function. However, most previous studies focus on abundant taxa but neglected low abundant ones. To clarify the seasonal variation of bacterial and microalgal communities and understand their synergistic adaptation to different environmental factors, we studied the bacterial and eukaryotic phytoplankton communities in Fenhe River that runs through Taiyuan City, central China, and their seasonal co-occurrence patterns using 16S and 18S rDNA sequencing. Results indicate that positive interaction of eukaryotic phytoplankton network was more active than negative one except winter, indicating that the cooperation (symbiotic phenomenon in which phytoplankton are interdependent and mutually beneficial) among them could improve the adaption of microbial community to the local environmental changes and maintain the stability of microbial network. The main genera that identified as keystone taxa in bacterial network were Salinivibrio and Sphingopyxis of Proteobacteria and they could respond to the variation of nitrite and make use of it, while those that identified as keystone taxa in eukaryotic phytoplankton network were Pseudoschroederia and Nannochloris, and they were more susceptible to nitrate and phosphate. Mychonastes and Cryptomonas were closely related to water temperature. However, the loss of the co-occurrence by environmental factor changes affected the stability of network structure. This study provided a reference for analyzing relationship between bacteria and eukaryotic phytoplankton and revealing potential importance of keystone taxa in similar ecological domains in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]