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Construction and demolition waste (CDW) landfills around the city have caused serious damage to the ecological environment and menaced the public health. Restoration of closed CDW landfills is critical to compensate for the degraded ecosystem and ensure safety in further development and utilization. Vegetation restoration is an essential part of the restoration of CDW landfills, in which the use of spontaneous plants is the foundation of the nature-based strategy. In this study, Fenghuangshan CDW landfill in Suzhou, China, was selected as the research site, and the species composition and diversity of the spontaneous plants were analyzed. Moreover, the types of habitats and growth indexes of 8 species with high frequency and 18 species with medium frequency in the CDW landfill were investigated, and a comprehensive evaluation of growth rate and expansion capacity of the 26 species was conducted. The results showed that, herbs were the main type of the spontaneous plants in the CDW landfill. The species and quantities of the spontaneous plants in the CDW landfill were obviously fewer than those in the surrounding areas of the CDW landfill, and the Shannon–Wiener index and Pielou index of the spontaneous plants were lower compared with the surrounding areas of the CDW landfill. Meanwhile, the differences of dominant families and the distribution of origins, life forms and growth types between these two fields were insignificant. The heliophilous and drought tolerance species were widely distributed in the CDW landfill while the shade-tolerant or hygrophilous species were few. The relatively large comprehensive evaluation indexes of Elymus dahuricus, Daucus carota, Sonchus asper, Geranium carolinianum, Rumex acetosa, Metaplexis japonica, Carex breviculmis, Erigeron canadensis, Trigonotis peduncularis, Lamium amplexicaule reflected their high growth rates and strong expansion capacity, demonstrating their great potentiality in the vegetation restoration of CDW landfills as indispensable components of the nature-based solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The China Desertification Ecological Restoration Project has effectively curbed the problem of soil desertification in Northwest China, and improved the ecological environment and landscape pattern of the Dunhuang Desertification Control Area. As the birthplace of Dunhuang culture, the ecological landscape of Yueyaquan Village shows strong sensitivity to disturbances, and in order to improve the ecological landscape resilience, an ecological landscape resilience evaluation system for desertification control villages was constructed from three levels: ecosystem, engineering system, and cultural traditions, and the results show that: (1) villages in the context of desertification control are difficult to resist the damages brought by natural disasters, and therefore the ability to resist determines the key factor of the ecological landscape resilience of villages. resilience level. (2) Through the empirical analysis of the ecological landscape system, engineering system and cultural system of Yueyaquan Village, it is found that the engineering system of the village has high resilience, the ecosystem resilience is average, and the resilience of the cultural system is weak, which reduces ecosystem resilience. The research results can guide subsequent improvement strategies for ecological landscape construction and provide new thoughts and ideas for rural environmental renovation and resilience enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mosses may be useful in ecological restoration activities but are excluded from most native plant materials programs. Recent efforts have attempted to propagate mosses in controlled environments for deployment to boost the recovery of degraded field sites. Field re‐entry and establishment have proven challenging, possibly because the moss materials are not field‐ready. We compared the field establishment rates of mosses of the same species propagated using three methodologies carried out either in greenhouses or outdoors. In an attempt to chemically boost field‐readiness, we amended each with either sucrose, an osmoprotectant, or abscisic acid, a stress response phytohormone, or neither. Mosses grown outdoors with only one initial fall irrigation event lost at least 30% less cover than outdoor‐grown moss that was irrigated in spring and moss tissue grown in a fog chamber inside of a greenhouse. The addition of abscisic acid also induced a subtle difference, leading to about 10% less cover loss compared to controls. Ultimately, all treatments declined to only trace level moss cover at most after 3 years. From these results, we put forward the working hypothesis that growing methodologies more similar to field conditions and exposing mosses to environmental fluctuations are more likely to produce field‐ready moss materials. Abscisic acid addition is promising as a way to delay the mortality of mosses introduced into a desiccating environment. To translate short‐term relative differences to long‐term success, these practices may need to be combined with techniques that reduce the stress experienced in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seeds have morphoanatomical characteristics that determine the survival of plants in different environments, and these are directly related to phenomena such as dormancy. Natural selection filters the plant communities that inhabit the different ecosystems of planet earth and their seed banks. This has direct implications for ecological restoration. However, the seeds of aquatic plants have historically received much less attention than those of terrestrial ecosystems; and there is no history of morphoanatomical studies of seeds of aquatic vegetation for the Andes. In this research we studied the morphoanatomy of representative species of seed banks (SB), and floristic compositions of four Andean wetlands in a region with very high anthropic pressure such as the highland of eastern Antioquia. Results suggested that species with the highest abundances in the SB had seeds with morphophysiological dormancy and some had developed seeds with combined dormancy. The SB were dominated by mostly native aquatic plant species and emergent life forms that play an important role in the natural regeneration of these ecosystems. This study, in addition to being a pioneer in the investigation of the seeds of aquatic plants of the Andes, constitutes a guide for future studies for the design of ecological rehabilitation in wetlands that are under strong anthropic pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topographic reconstruction is the fundamental task of the ecological rehabilitation in abandoned mines, which affects the results of the whole ecological system rehabilitation. The technology of near-natural topographic reconstruction constructs the terrain by using the adjacent, undisturbed natural terrains as a reference, and it has become a hot research issue for land reclamation and ecological rehabilitation in recent years. But in reconstructing the near-natural terrain, one must first determine what kinds of characteristics of the natural terrain should be referred to, what necessary parameters should be used, and what indexes should be used to evaluate the results of the topographical design. All these issues still have not been investigated systematically. In this study, the arid desert region in Northwest China was taken as the target area and the theoretical analysis tool of the "Grounded Theory" was applied to discuss these issues systematically. Based on a large amount of literature research and the records obtained from the semi-structured interviews of 12 experts, a three-level parameter system for the near-natural topographic reconstruction in the abandoned mines was finally constructed by three-level coding using the method of the "Grounded Theory". The parameter system contains a total of three main categories, eight sub-categories, and 26 parameters. The parameters developed in the system can support all aspects of the near-natural terrain design processes, and they can cover the parameter needs in multiple aspects of the topographic reconstruction of the mining sites. This work can provide support for further research on the methods of near-natural topographic reconstruction and improve its technical system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weak aggregate stability and low organic carbon content in bauxite residue restrict ecological rehabilitation. To eliminate these restrictions, a 1‐year column experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of introducing biosolids (BS), biosolids plus microorganisms (BSM) into bauxite residue on the aggregate stability, changes of organic carbon content, and growth of ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) in bauxite residue. Compared with control group (CK), BS and BSM treatments increased dry‐sieve size distributions of bauxite residue aggregates in 2‐1 and 1‐0.25 mm, mean weight diameter (MWD), particle sizes of aggregates, complex Al oxide, and free Fe oxide in bauxite residue. The average particle sizes in bauxite residue following CK, BS, and BSM treatments after the harvest of plants were obtained to be ~121, ~201, and ~272 nm, respectively. In addition, BS and BSM treatments also increased aggregate‐associated humic substances and carbon content in bauxite residue. The carbon contents in bauxite residue following CK, BS, and BSM treatments after the harvest of plants reached ~18.8%, ~42.9%, and ~67.7%, respectively. The plant height, fresh weight, and dry weight of ryegrass following BSM treatment reached the maximum, which were 27.2 cm, 2.83 g, and 0.28 g, respectively. Results demonstrated that aggregate stability and carbon sequestration of bauxite residue were enhanced following amendment application, and the combined application of biosolids and microorganisms is superior than single BS. This implies that BSM treatment has a potential for plant establishment in bauxite residue disposal areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sessile oak stands within the seed reservation that were affected by the extreme weather phenomena (windthrown and windsnapped trees) on the 17th of September 2017, from the forest fund of the U.P. VII Văratec, the Forest District Sudrigiu, County Forest Administration Bihor, presents a relatively low ecosystem stability, considering the impact suffered. After the identification of the sessile oak stands affected (by extreme weather phenomena), the assessment of the affected wood material was carried out and implicitly, its extraction and superior valorization. The necessary works, proposed for the ecological rehabilitation of the sessile oak stands that have been examined and studied, take into account their actual state, the regulations of the forestry management plan for the current decade, the provisions of the technical norms in force at the date of implementation of the study, and last but not least, the necessary logistical and financial possibilities. Surfaces from which the wood material was extracted, will be delimited in separate management units, which will regenerate naturally from the seed coming from the remaining stands, thus preserving their provenance in-situ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant degradation of the Agrakhan Bay on the eastern coast of the Terek River delta has occurred in the course of the 20th century as a result of the combined action of natural and anthropogenic factors. Comprehensive studies conducted by the authors in 2018–2020 have made it possible to describe the main causes of this degradation, characterize the current state of the reservoir, and establish scientific bases under recommendations for its improvement. It has been demonstrated that as a result of partial drying and reduction of water surface area the bay has lost its former importance as a spawning and rearing water body providing the West Caspian region with the younglings of valuable commercial fish species. By 2018, the catches decreased by ten times compared to the early 20th century with sturgeons having almost totally disappeared. The state of the northern part of the bay, which has transformed into a group of shallow water bodies almost entirely separated from each other and from the sea is particularly unfavourable. The study of hydrological and morphological, hydrobiological, fishery-related and hydrochemical parameters has shown that the improvement of the wetlands at the former bay site is possible. Detailed analysis of the water balance using multivariate limnological calculations has shown that there is enough water for watering and partial restoration of the water bodies of the Agrakhan Bay hydrographic system. Clearing of silted and overgrown canals, deepening and berming of the remaining water bodies, and directing the necessary amounts of river water into Northern and Southern Agrakhan Bay (in accordance with the calculated delivery schedule) will allow reduction of the overgrowing and siltation of water bodies, restore the water exchange between them, improve water quality, revive the fishery industry in the region, improve the habitats of many rare and protected animal species, and increase the recreational attractiveness of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial inoculation with appropriate inorganic–organic amendments is a promising strategy for ecological rehabilitation at bauxite residue disposal areas. Nevertheless, research on screening suitable plant growth-promoting bacteria with tolerance to highly sodic-alkalinity is very limited in the literature. In this study, novel plant growth-promoting bacteria isolated from bauxite residue were used to investigate their potential for revegetation. Under high saline-alkalinity stress, inoculation of Z18 and Z28 increased the activity of antioxidative enzymes, whilst improving chlorophyll and carotenoid contents in ryegrass. Inoculation of the selected strains greatly reduced damage to organelles in ryegrass as observed by transmission electron microscopy. Based on 90-day soil incubation, inoculated strains improved physicochemical properties of bauxite residue and improved plant growth. These findings suggest that Z18 and Z28 may be selected as potential strains for vegetation establishment, aiding microbial remediation at bauxite disposal areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, we investigated nine black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) plantations in a reclamation area of an opencast coal mine in Shuozhou, Shanxi, China. One hundred individuals of black locust in each of plantations were randomly selected, and variables related to growth and nutritional status were recorded. In addition, soil physiochemical and biological properties were analyzed. Results showed that there were significant differences (P<0.05) in the growth variables and leaf nutrient concentrations of black locust and soil properties among the nine plantations. According to the principal component analysis (PCA), Field moisture capacity, soil water content, number of fungi, urease activity and bulk density were the main soil influencing factors. During the multidimensional scaling (MDS) analysis, soil water content, bulk density, soil fungi and catalase affected the highest values of diameter at breast height (DBH) and top height (H) of black locust, and soil alkaline phosphatase affected crown diameter (CD). There was no significant relationship between death rate (DR) and soil properties. Among the factors, soil water content, soil bulk density and soil fungi had important effects on performance of black locust. Therefore, attention must be paid to the soil water content of black locust plantations in the reclamation area and ensure that each individual plant can absorb necessary water. At the same time, suitable soil bulk density and fungal inoculation may promote black locust's growth. The results will contribute to the cultivation and management of black locust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of East China Geology / Huadong dizhi is the property of Editorial Department of East China Geology 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.)

Background: China has made great progress in ecological restoration. However, there have been no analyses on ecological restoration for specific terrestrial ecosystems. This study identified the important knowledge gaps and advances related to terrestrial ecological restoration in China. Results: 7973 papers published between 1978 and 2020 were investigated and about 962 articles were used in this analysis after manually screening. Since the first large national ecological restoration project in 1978, the most frequently studied ecosystem has shifted from farmland ecosystems in 1978–2000 to forest ecosystems after 2000. Forests were the most common ecosystem type investigated, while less attention was paid to wetlands and riparian systems. Meanwhile, the most common ecological issue shifted from environmental pollution in 1978–2000 to the declining resource-carrying capacity of ecosystems after 2000. Studies of ecoregions on the Loess Plateau catchment accounted for more than 40% of papers reviewed in this study, with predominant emphasis on soil and water conservation functionality. Besides, revegetation and afforestation characterized most ecological restoration projects in China, but the natural restoration was relatively less adopted. Additionally, the important tool of reference ecosystem was only used in four studies. Conclusions: Ecological restoration has made significant progress in China. We investigated how the ecological restoration can be implemented more effectively. More projects should be implemented for restorative work in wetlands and riparian systems in future. The tradeoff between restorative activities, water resources, and carbon sink needs further research efforts. More emphasis on biodiversity conservation is warranted. Newly developed theory (e.g., stepwise ecological restoration) and the recently issued Chinese National Guidelines for Ecological Restoration Projects should be more effectively implemented in future restorative works. This study provides essential information for future restorative work in China. It also provides insights into the development of policy relevant to restoration and adaptive management during the U.N. restoration decade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the outcomes of an applied research within frameworks of testing of «Manual on the choice of priority actions aimed at the water bodies’ ecological rehabilitation» developed in RosNIIVKh. The research has been carried out on the Volchikha reservoir located in Sverdlovsk Oblast. In accordance with the developed methods, we have studied the water body hydro/chemical regime formation with taking into account all affecting factors and assessed all the factors that affected the reservoir hydro/biological and hydro/chemical regimes’ formation. We have determined the pollutants’ and biogenic substances flows, and assessed the water body trophic status against the hydro/biological indicators and identified the anthropogenic pollution sources. Considerable quantities of heavy metals and biogenic metals have been found in the water body waters, due to the anthropogenic activities’ impact. The authors have identified a method for the Volchikha Reservoir ecological rehabilitation based on the outcomes of the conducted researches.

The authors have recommended the sequence of actions to realize the Federal project «Preservation of unique water bodies» as a component of the National project «Ecology». We have presented practical recommendations concerning measures aimed at the federal project realization, a standard list of actions and a toolbox for assessment of the water bodies’ ecological safety. We have demonstrated a possibility of the unificated approach to studying the dynamics of the basic indicator of anthropogenic load in order to assess the watercourses quality (dynamics along the river flow) and water bodies (dynamics in time) taking into account local and diffuse negative impacts. The standardization areas that are to compensate deficiencies in nature/protective legislation.

In this study, we assumed that river rehabilitation refers to a set of ecological and managing actions aimed to recuperate the natural conditions of a river system to sustain biodiversity, permit recreational uses, manage floods, and conciliate the landscape progress. Through this study, we intended to understand the hydrological- and water quality–related variables of three urbanized catchment areas, as well as evaluate the achievement of in-stream biophilic structures previously designed and installed to possibly mitigate the degradation status of such river stretches. In three urbanized rivers located in Sorocaba, SP, Brazil, we conducted, biweekly and during 2 years, the analysis of a set of water quality parameters. In the first year of samplings, we did not implement any kind of intervention in the stretches. After this period, we analyzed the data and the hydro-ecological features of each stretch. Hence, we designed and installed structures aiming to test the efficacy in terms of water quality improvement. We analyzed the effectiveness of each kind of intervention using a multiparametric index called the “Difference Index of Water Quality”—DIWQ. As the main results, we state that two of the three interventions presented a satisfactory performance in terms of improvement of water quality. However, we conclude that it is very difficult to rehabilitate rivers without the removal or reduction of the actual impacts uphill. Hence, we emphasize that a set of complementary actions, divided into two subgroups, should be implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the fauna of dung beetles associated with sustainable livestock systems in different biogeographic regions of Colombia, with the purpose of determining the local dung fauna associated with the livestock landscape. In this article the data set includes records of dung beetles of the subfamily Scarabaeinae from 18 cattle ranches located in eight departments of Colombia: Atlántico (1), Boyacá (2), Caldas (2), Caquetá (1), Cesar (3), Meta (2), Tolima (3) and Valle del Cauca (4). The database comprises 1618 records taken from 11 255 specimens belonging to 19 genera, 42 species, and 32 morphospecies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has over 1320 freshwater fish species, 877 of which are endemic. In recent decades, over-exploitation and landscape pressures have threatened them and led to a severe aquatic biodiversity crisis. In response, large-scale fishing bans have been promulgated to protect freshwater biodiversity in major Chinese rivers since the early 1980s. Here, we present the historical background and current challenges to the fishing bans. Implementing large-scale fishing bans may help improve China's current freshwater biological resources and biodiversity to some extent. But implementing fishing bans alone is not sufficient to solve the crisis because of shortcomings of the current bans and expanding human pressures in most river basins. Thus, we recommend regulating other anthropogenic pressures, expanding duration and extent of current fishing regulations, establishing a comprehensive monitoring program, and initiating basin-scale ecological rehabilitation. These programs are also needed in other developing countries facing similar biodiversity crises and human pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbially-driven alkaline neutralization in bauxite residue by functional microorganisms is a promising approach for the ecological rehabilitation on alkaline disposal areas. However, the alkali resistance and acid secretion mechanism of functional microorganisms are still unknown, which limits their application. Here, saline-alkaline resistance, acid production performance, and differentially expressed genes of Penicillium oxalicum (P. oxalicum, a functional fungus screened from a typical disposal area) were investigated and its bio-neutralization efficiency was evaluated. This fungus exhibited high tolerance to alkalinity (pH 12), and salinity (NaCl 2.0 M), and produced a large amount of oxalic acid to reduce the medium pH to 2.0. Transcriptome showed that alkali stress induced the overexpression of genes related to antioxidant and stress-resistant enzymes (GST, KatE) and glycolytic pathway rate-limiting enzymes (HK). The rate of glycolysis and other organic acid metabolism processes was increased with higher stress resistance of P. oxalicum. The integrated application of P. oxalicum and maize straw accelerated the dissolved organic carbon content and stabilized the leachate pH of bauxite residue at about 7.4. 3DEEM and BIOSEM analysis indicated that P. oxalicum maintained high activity in the residue leachate and continuously decomposed the maize straw for their metabolism. P. oxalicum showed strong alkaline resistance, biomass degradation capacity, and alkaline regulation potential, which should be beneficial for microbial-driven alkaline regulation in bauxite residue. [Display omitted] • Penicillium oxalicum showed a certain alkalophilic ability and good alkali-regulating potential. • Alkaline stress induced the overexpression of genes involved in stress defense system and carbohydrate metabolism. • P. oxalicum and maize straw stabilized the pH of bauxite residue leachate at 7.4 within one month. • P. oxalicum and maize straw accelerated the accumulation of dissolved organic carbon in bauxite residue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The methods used to distribute seeds influence the success of a restoration project. We surveyed 183 restoration practitioners from across the globe with the aim of identifying common limitations to the effective use of mechanical direct seeding in large‐scale restoration practice to highlight avenues for design improvement to mechanized seeding equipment. Results from this survey show that direct seeding methods are commonly used for ecological restoration and agree with other studies that suggest the method can achieve results much quicker and cheaper than the alternative of distributing nursery‐grown tube stock. However, this study indicates that current mechanical direct seeding methods lack adequate control of seed sowing depth and spatial distribution and highlight that the inability to sow seeds of varying morphology over complex topography are common limitations to direct seeding. To improve restoration success, engineering improvements to mechanical direct seeders used in large‐scale restoration should focus in particular on addressing issues of precision of delivery for diverse seed types and landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pu tracer is successfully applied to evaluate soil erosion in the Loess Plateau. • Both of natural grassland and artificial forest rehabilitation were effective. • Artificial forest is superior for reducing soil erosion in the short-term. • Natural grass rehabilitation is better for inhibiting soil erosion in the long-term. Soil erosion is a critical threat to the agriculture and ecosystem in the Chinese Loess Plateau area. Ecological rehabilitation has been applied in large area for reduction of the soil erosion. Six soil depth profiles were collected from Nanxiaohegou watershed in the Loess Plateau in northwest China and analyzed for the activity concentrations of plutonium isotopes. The measured 240Pu/239Pu atomic ratios in all these samples (0.186±0.017) showed that the global fallout was the dominant source of plutonium in this region. An exponential decline of 239,240Pu activity concentrations with depth was observed in most of soil profiles. The total inventory of 239,240Pu in the reference site was calculated to be 110 Bq/m2, agreeing well with the reported total fallout value in this latitude. The soil erosion rates were estimated by comparison with the reference site to be 538–941 t/km2/yr in the most of sites. While an excessive inventory of 239,240Pu (186 Bq/m2) compared to the reference site was observed in one site in the base area, indicating a significant accumulation of soil occurred in this area. The soil erosion depths were estimated to be 2.4–4.6 cm in most of sites during 1963–2016, which can be classified as minor erosion. Compared with the erosion rates in the Nanxiaohegou watershed in 1963–2012 which was estimated by other methods, it is suggested that the natural grass is better for long-term ecological restoration, especially in slope area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-nine species samples of higher plants which belong to twenty families and seven soil samples were collected from a vanadium smelter. The contents of heavy metals in the native plants and soil were analyzed by ICP-MS and ICP-OES. The results show that the soil of the smelting plant area has general Cr,Cd and V pollution phenomena; moreover,V and Cr pollution is conspicuous. V,Cr,Cd and Pb are detected from all these collected polluted higher plants,and the content of V is the highest. Pteris vittata L,the native plant,has the highest V content; the accumulation amounts of the aboveground part and the underground part are 86.51 mg·kg-1 and 814.25 mg·kg-1,respectively. The enrichment and transport capacity of Daucus carota L is obviously higher than that of other plants; the accumulation amounts of the aboveground part and the underground part are 18.56 mg·kg-1 and 5.66 mg·kg-1,respectively. These two kinds of plants show high tolerance to heavy metal pollution in the vanadium smelting plant area,and they can be used as pioneer species of pollution remediation.

Abstract: The Yellow River is globally renowned for its high sediment concentration, primarily because it flows over the Loess Plateau, which suffers from severe land degradation mainly in the soil erosion. Vast sediment flows from the Yellow River into the sea through the Yellow River Delta (YRD), largely shaping the YRD. On the basis of remote sensing images and historical hydrological measurements, we investigated the streamflow‐sediment flux from the Yellow River and the land area changes of YRD region from 1976 to 2016. The relationship between the streamflow‐sediment flux from the Yellow River and the land change rate at the YRD was examined. The changes in shape of different parts of the YRD and their influencing factors were also discussed. The results showed that there is a significant correlation between the land change rate at the Estuary region and streamflow‐sediment flux from the Yellow River. Because of ecological environment constructions on the Loess Plateau, the streamflow‐sediment flux, particularly the sediment flux, underwent a decreasing trend. Along with the collapse of sediment flux, the land area of the YRD and the Estuary region increased before 1998 and decreased afterwards. The solidification projects are of great significance to the protection of the Northern River Beach region, but the decreasing trend of the land degradation rate at the Estuary region is unlikely to change. Our results provided a useful reference for the protection of the YRD and prevention of land degradation in the Yellow River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are soil-surface communities in drylands, dominated by cyanobacteria, mosses, and lichens. They provide key ecosystem functions by increasing soil stability and influencing soil hydrologic, nutrient, and carbon cycles. Because of this, methods to reestablish biocrusts in damaged drylands are needed. Here we test the reintroduction of field-collected vs. greenhouse-cultured biocrusts for rehabilitation.Methods: We collected biocrusts for 1) direct reapplication, and 2) artificial cultivation under varying hydration regimes. We added field-collected and cultivated biocrusts (with and without hardening treatments) to bare field plots and monitored establishment.Results: Both field-collected and cultivated cyanobacteria increased cover dramatically during the experimental period. Cultivated biocrusts established more rapidly than field-collected biocrusts, attaining ~82% cover in only one year, but addition of field-collected biocrusts led to higher species richness, biomass (as assessed by chlorophyll a) and level of development. Mosses and lichens did not establish well in either case, but late successional cover was affected by hardening and culture conditions.Conclusions: This study provides further evidence that it is possible to culture biocrust components from later successional materials and reestablish cultured organisms in the field. However, more research is needed into effective reclamation techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative assessment of ecosystem services in the Grazing Withdrawal Program (GWP) of China is required to understand the effectiveness of environmental protection programs and the sustainability of grassland ecosystems. This study focused on quantitative assessment of changes of key ecosystem services and their driving factors in the GWP from 2000 to 2013. Based on widely used biophysical models, including the GLOPEM-CEVSA model, the precipitation storage method, Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-Offs (InVEST), Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ) and Underground Productivity Model (UPM), this study integrated multi-source data to analyze dynamic changes of regulating services, including carbon sequestration, water regulation, sand fixation and soil retention, and the provisioning service of grassland yield. For the GWP area during 2000–2013, the ecosystem pattern remained relatively stable and multiple ecosystem services showed overall improvement but there were local deteriorations. For the 14 years net primary productivity (NPP) and grassland yield (GY) increased substantially. Water regulation in forest, grassland and wetland/water body ecosystems improved slightly. The soil conservation function of the entire ecosystem was slightly enhanced with soil retention showing an increasing spatial homogenization and wind erosion having a decreasing tendency. Ecological restoration and reconstruction efforts and climate change helped to improve ecosystem services. Increases in both temperature and precipitation and ecological rehabilitation had a positive effect on vegetation restoration related to a marked increase of vegetation coverage. Increase in annual precipitation increased rainfall related erosion but also assisted water regulation. Reduction in wind speed effectively lowered the occurrence of wind erosion. Vegetation restoration directly increased NPP and GY, and was conducive to water regulation and soil conservation. However, grassland degradation still continued in local areas. Ecological programs applied to the grasslands of China should be continued. Adopting adaptive management approaches that facilitate the synergy of multiple ecosystem services are required to maximize their benefit to the people of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Beijing–Tianjin Sandstorm Source Region (BTSSR) is the main sandstorm source area in northern China, which plays a crucial role in ecological safety and sustainable development of Beijing and the neighbouring areas. As a result of climate change, ecological restoration and anthropogenic activities, the ecosystem in the BTSSR has experienced substantial changes over the recent decades. The main objective of this study is to quantify the dominant ecosystem services from 2000 to 2010, based upon observations and biophysical models. Furthermore, we investigated the role of climatic variability and ecological restoration program in vegetation activity and ecosystem services. Although the slight increase, both in precipitation and temperature during 2000–2010 and despite the implemented ecological rehabilitation, several drought events offset the ecological rehabilitation program. During 2000–2010, both the overall soil conservation and hydrological regulation functions were slightly enhanced. The carbon sequestration remained stable and food production has sharply increased. The increasing rainfall erosivity has intensified water erosion, whereas the reduction in wind speed weakened wind erosion and thereby reduced the sandstorm events. Vegetation restoration induced by the climatic variability and ecological program has also played a positive role in soil conservation and hydrological regulation enhancement. The spatial correlation analysis indicated the synergies between multiple regulating ecosystem services. Moreover, a synergy between food yield and vegetation carbon sequestration (biomass production) has been identified as well. The experience of ecological rehabilitation and ecosystem change in the BTSSR has exemplified the ecological conservation should take climatic variability into account, and facilitate the synergies on multiple ecosystem services in order to maximize the ecosystem's benefits to human well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Coal Science & Technology (0253-2336) is the property of Coal 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.)

Environmental legislation and the one ruling the mining industry require the ecological rehabilitation of areas affected by mining activities, which are currently under way, with the cessation of productive activities. From this point of view, one of the most active areas of exploitation, especially of construction and ornamental rocks, is located in Tulcea County (more precisely, there are 50 quarries occupying a total area of approximately 792 ha). We also have to bear in mind that the largest one, Turcoaia (130.58 ha), is located near areas with special protection regime (Danube Delta Biosphere Reservation and Măcin Mountains National Park). In this context, it goes without saying that beyond the limitation of negative environmental impacts for the period during which the exploitation activity will continue according to the license, it is imperative to have a project whereby, at the end of productive activity, the quarry will be ecologically rehabilitated and functionally reintegrated into the general context of the area. For these reasons, we propose, that starting from a brief presentation of the current activities and continuing with the short description of the environmental impact and the necessity of developing an ecological rehabilitation project, to finally set a concept in the general approach, for the ecological rehabilitation of Turcoaia quarry (without, entering into design details or evaluating the costs of its implementation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quarrying represents one of the oldest and most important human activities; the impacts of which have largely influenced vegetation and landscape. Despite its character as a vital and non-renewable resource, the soil has been poorly studied with regard to either the impact resulting from the exploitation of quarries or its restoration after exploitation. In the plain of La Crau (south-eastern France), numerous dry alluvial quarries were exploited in the 1970s. Their exploitation lasted about ten years and they were then rapidly abandoned. At that time, there was no legal obligation to restore sites after their abandonment. In this context, following various modes of exploitation (e.g. exploitation depth), various rehabilitation options were implemented: no rehabilitation, topsoil transfer, deposits of anthropogenic materials. The absence of legislation consequently resulted in heterogeneous areas after their abandonment. Today, we have the benefit of 35 years of hindsight on the dynamics of these ecosystems resulting from these exploitation modes and rehabilitation options and thus various questions arise: (1) Did the diversity of the modes of exploitation result in heterogeneous soils 30 years after abandonment? (2) At what stage of pedogenesis are the soils created in the abandoned quarries? (3) Did the various rehabilitation options have an impact on the traces of biological activity in the soils of the quarries? (4) Is it possible to identify methods of rehabilitation of quarries that would favour the rehabilitation of the soils and the recolonisation of the plant cover in order to improve the techniques in use or to propose alternative methods? The study of soil profiles (with a special focus on biological activity of animals and plants) and soil physico-chemical analyses (pH, CaCO 3 , C, N, C:N ratio, CEC, exchangeable K + , plant available P and fine soil particle contents) made it possible to study these questions. Our results confirm that all the soils resulting from the former exploitation modes and rehabilitation options of the quarries present their own specific characteristics (upper soil layer fertility, soil profile vertical organization) which remain very different, even after 30 years, from the characteristics of the destroyed reference soil ecosystem. Pedogenetic processes are very slow or even blocked by the recurrent action of certain environmental parameters. In terms of ecological rehabilitation, only topsoil transfers undertaken under good conditions (same soil thickness as the reference steppe and no contact with the phreatic zone) have allowed to restore most of the physical and chemical properties recorded close to the reference ecosystem soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban-rural boundaries are often abrupt and unmitigated, a trait that significantly enhances their ecological vulnerability. Nonetheless, such fringe systems enclose a high potential in furnishing buffering and resilience functions and services towards the city. Our study intends to give a contribution on the understanding of the ecological behaviour of peri-urban landscape features (PLFs) systems, showing how floristic-vegetational and landscape ecology studies can inform their multi-functional phytocoenoses ecological reconfiguring. Analyses were led among a fringe context of Milan city. An agri-environmental extra-local scale analysis framed the forthcoming finer scale results. Landscape mosaic structural and functional main traits were interpreted, outlining a current impairment of the landscape system capacity to support ecological functions across the area. In parallel, floristic traits were studied through chorological, life forms and Ellenberg's ecogram analysis (total flora and single sub-areas values). The main phytocoenoses types were qualitatively described and related to the dynamic patterns of reference vegetation series. Results highlighted a significant deterioration of floristic-vegetational traits, if compared to the local potential. Recurrent anthropic disturbances, open space conditions were identified as the major impact factor on phytoconoeses evolution towards higher diversity, complexity and stability traits. Spontaneous recolonization processes were acknowledged as currently unable to change these trends, while past reforestation interventions showed positive effects. These results informed the building of a functional-dynamic interpretative approach, focused on the ecological roles and physical habitat conditions currently influencing phytocoenoses dynamics, and on which to intervene. Accordingly, the current and potential ecological functions of 9 key PLFs categories were inspected. Consequently, design criterions for corrective interventions were outlined. This brought to the identification of the optimal structural and functional patterns of PLFs to be integrated throughout the urban-rural boundary, as well as their floristic-vegetational design specificities, by pursuing a rebalancing effect on the peri-urban agroecosystem inner complexity and environmental stability parameters. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 5.12 Earthquake in 2008 and 8.14 Debris Flow in 2010 resulted in large-scale landslides that disturbed vast areas of vegetation in the Hongchun Gully, Wenchuan County, China. To define the specific characteristics of vegetation restoration during natural recovery after catastrophic events, vegetation species composition and interspecific associations were investigated on this typical landslide. Field survey data selected from a total of 51 sample plots belonged to seven belt transects and were analysed by Schluter's variance ratio, pearson's chi-squared test, Spearman's correlation coefficients and ecological species groups. Plant communities on the landslide consisted of 78 species, 65 genera and 52 families. Of the total of 78 species, 25 are identified as dominant species, among which Camptotheca acuminate, Toxicodendron vernicifluum, Coriaria nepalensis, Robinia pseudoacacia, Buddleja alternifolia, Anemone vitifolia and Nephrolepis auriculata play a constructive role during the natural afforestation. Moreover, according to environmental and ecological factors, these 25 dominant species could be divided into four ecological species groups. This study found that even though the landslide had frequently suffered from interference due to heavy rain, the vegetation succession processes are ongoing, and it is now at a shrub-herb community succession stage, which indicates that vegetation can naturally recover in the denuded sites. This study provides a useful insight into the ecological interactions and interdependence between plant species during the natural recovery of vegetation and provides valuable information on vegetation recovery modelling in the landslide area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A practical issue is present in sustaining and rehabilitating the ecologically vulnerable post-mining area in which the environmental condition varies spatially and therefore influenced by multiple factors. This paper attempts to integrate the ecological vulnerability assessment and rehabilitation treatment to assist land managers in revealing vulnerable features along with developing treatments of vulnerability mitigation. Using a post-mining site in a mountainous area in western China as study area, an indicator system and framework for assessing and reducing vulnerability were developed based on a vulnerability analysis. Geo-informatics, such as satellite image processing and spatial analysis, were employed to perform the assessment and planning. It was found that higher exposure and sensitivity are the main causes of increased vulnerability in a seriously disturbed post-mining area. Rehabilitation treatments were arranged spatially and structurally based on the framework of vulnerability mitigation. A pre-evaluation of the effectiveness shows this type of rehabilitation has a convergence effect that clusters and lowers the ecological vulnerability index (EVI). The average value of EVI will be reduced by 15.02% if the minimum standards of rehabilitation can be completed. Altogether, an integration of rehabilitation treatments and the quantification of vulnerability in a spatially explicit manner are critical for planners to gain more insight into ecological vulnerability in post-mining area, which provides guidance to simplify rehabilitation planning with respect to vulnerability mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a commonly applied solution to coral reef degradation, yet coral reefs continue to decline worldwide. We argue that expanding the range of MPAs to include degraded reefs (DR-MPA) could help reverse this trend. This approach requires new ecological criteria for MPA design, siting, and management. Rather than focusing solely on preserving healthy reefs, our approach focuses on the potential for biodiversity recovery and renewal of ecosystem services. The new criteria would help identify sites with the highest potential for recovery and the greatest resistance to future threats (e.g., increased temperature and acidification) and sites that contribute to MPA connectivity. The DR-MPA approach is a compliment rather than a substitute for traditional MPA design approaches. We believe that the DR-MPA approach can enhance the natural, or restoration-assisted, recovery of DRs and their ecosystem services; increase total reef area available for protection; promote more resilient and better-connected MPA networks; and improve conditions for human communities dependent on MPA ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special feature provides an overview on how the ecosystem service concept has been and can be incorporated into the science, practice, and policies of ecological restoration (ER) and evidence-based land-use. It includes an edited selection of eleven invited and peer-reviewed papers based on presentations given during the 9th European Conference on Ecological Restoration in 2014. The focus is on Europe, but many contributors also make appraisals and recommendations at the global scale. Based on the contributors' papers, and our own overview of the promise of ecological restoration in the existing international treaties, coalitions, and conventions, we propose that the following actions could contribute to the positive impacts of ER on biodiversity maintenance, ecosystem functioning, progressive mainstreaming the concepts of both ER and ecosystem services, significant mitigation and offsetting of anthropogenic climate change, and lasting enhancement of both ecosystem and human health: ! ER should be incorporated into land use planning, wherever needed, and the synergies and trade-offs of different land use scenarios should be assessed in terms of their impacts on ecosystem services. ! The discourse of ER should be enlarged, wherever it is needed, to include multifunctional land use that simultaneously supports sustainable production systems, built environments, and the quality and quantity of diverse ecosystem services. This approach will generate ecological, social, and economic benefits in the long run. ! Monitoring and evaluation of ER projects should be a continuous process involving careful selection of indicators chosen with the full range of stakeholders in mind, and a sufficiently long-term perspective to catch the progress of long-term or highly dynamic ecosystem processes. ! Scientists should actively participate in policy and land management discussions in order to give their views on the potential outcomes of decisions. ! Greater cooperation and exchanges are needed within the EU and globally in order to accelerate the upscaling, improvement, and mainstreaming of both large-scale ER and the science and application of the ecosystem services concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]