scholarly journals Identifying Key Sites of Green Infrastructure to Support Ecological Restoration in the Urban Agglomeration

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1196
Author(s):  
Hui Sun ◽  
Chunhui Liu ◽  
Jiaxing Wei
Keyword(s):  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Landscape Connectivity ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Urban Agglomeration ◽  
Land Resources ◽  
Invest Model ◽  
The North ◽  
Ecological Resources ◽  
Ecological Protection ◽  
Key Sites

The loss and fragmentation of natural space has placed tremendous pressure on green infrastructure (GI), especially in urban agglomeration areas. It is of great importance to identify key sites of GI, which are used to economically and efficiently restore urban ecological network. However, in the existing research, few scholars have explored the identification and application of GI key sites. Taking the Southern Jiangsu Urban Agglomeration as an example, based on the ecosystem service assessment and landscape connectivity analysis, we identified the multi-class key sites of GI in the study area by MSPA, InVEST model, MCR model, and Linkage mapper. The results showed that: (1) a total of 60 GI sources and 130 GI corridors were extracted. The ecological resources of the study area were densely distributed in the north and south and sparsely in the middle. (2) Three-hundred eighty GI key sites were identified, including 53 water ecological points, 251 ecological fracture points, and 76 ecological pinch points. The GI key sites we identified were large in number and widely distributed, yet were hardly included in the existing ecological protection policies. These key sites should be prioritized in GI planning and differentiated for management strategies, ensuring that limited land resources and public funds can be directed to where restoration is really needed. The present study provides land managers and urban planners with additional tools to better understand how to effectively restore and develop the ecosystems of urban agglomerations in the context of scarce land resources.

scholarly journals Spatial Structure of a Potential Ecological Network in Nanping, China, Based on Ecosystem Service Functions

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 376
Author(s):  
Ling Xiao ◽  
Li Cui ◽  
Qun’ou Jiang ◽  
Meilin Wang ◽  
Lidan Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Service ◽  
Landscape Connectivity ◽  
Scientific Basis ◽  
Spatial Pattern Analysis ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Land Type ◽  
Ecological Corridors ◽  
Invest Model ◽  
The North ◽  
Ecological Landscape

The increasing scale of urbanization and human activities has resulted in the fragmentation of natural habitats, leading to the reduction of ecological landscape connectivity and biodiversity. Taking Nanping as the study area, the core areas with good connectivity were extracted as ecological sources using a morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) and landscape connectivity index. Then the ecosystem service functions of the ecological sources were evaluated based on the InVEST model. Finally, we extracted the potential ecological corridor based on the land type, elevation and ecosystem service functions. The results showed that the ecological source with higher landscape connectivity is distributed in the north and there are clear landscape connectivity faults in the northern and southern regions. Moreover, the areas with high habitat quality, soil retention and water production are mainly distributed in the northern ecological source areas. The 15 potential ecological corridors extracted were distributed unevenly. Among them, the important ecological corridors formed a triangle network, while the general ecological corridors were concentrated in the northwest. Therefore, it is suggested that the important core patches in the north be protected, and the effective connection between the north and south be improved. These results can provide a scientific basis for ecological construction and hierarchical management of the ecological networks.

Addressing on-farm management to enhance pasture productivity and persistence

2013 ◽  
pp. 241-244
Author(s):  
W.N. Reynolds
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategies ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Operating Profit ◽  
The North ◽  
The Cost ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Attention To Detail

Following the 2007/08 drought, we experienced poor pasture production and persistence on our dairy farm in north Waikato, leading to decreased milksolids production and a greater reliance on bought-in feed. It is estimated that the cost of this to our farming operation was about $1300 per hectare per year in lost operating profit. While climate and black beetle were factors, they did not explain everything, and other factors were also involved. In the last 3 years we have changed our management strategies to better withstand dry summers, the catalyst for which was becoming the DairyNZ Pasture Improvement Focus Farm for the north Waikato. The major changes we made were to reduce stocking rate, actively manage pastures in summer to reduce over-grazing, and pay more attention to detail in our pasture renewal programme. To date the result has been a reduced need for pasture renewal, a lift in whole farm performance and increased profitability. Keywords: Focus farm, over-grazing, pasture management, pasture persistence, profitability

scholarly journals Understanding the Impact of Different Landscape-Level Fuel Management Strategies on Wildfire Hazard in Central Portugal

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 522
Author(s):  
Akli Benali ◽  
Ana C. L. Sá ◽  
João Pinho ◽  
Paulo M. Fernandes ◽  
José M. C. Pereira
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategies ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Fire Season ◽  
Burned Area ◽  
Treatment Area ◽  
Fuel Treatment ◽  
The North ◽  
Wildfire Hazard ◽  
Central Portugal ◽  
The Impact

The extreme 2017 fire season in Portugal led to widespread recognition of the need for a paradigm shift in forest and wildfire management. We focused our study on Alvares, a parish in central Portugal located in a fire-prone area, which had 60% of its area burned in 2017. We evaluated how different fuel treatment strategies may reduce wildfire hazard in Alvares through (i) a fuel break network with different extents corresponding to different levels of priority and (ii) random fuel treatments resulting from a potential increase in stand-level management intensity. To assess this, we developed a stochastic wildfire simulation system (FUNC-SIM) that integrates uncertainties in fuel distribution over the landscape. If the landscape remains unchanged, Alvares will have large burn probabilities in the north, northeast and center-east areas of the parish that are very often associated with high fireline intensities. The different fuel treatment scenarios decreased burned area between 12.1–31.2%, resulting from 1–4.6% increases in the annual treatment area and reduced the likelihood of wildfires larger than 5000 ha by 10–40%. On average, simulated burned area decreased 0.22% per each ha treated, and cost-effectiveness decreased with increasing area treated. Overall, both fuel treatment strategies effectively reduced wildfire hazard and should be part of a larger, holistic and integrated plan to reduce the vulnerability of the Alvares parish to wildfires.

scholarly journals Spatial Distribution and Geographical Mechanism of Natural Resources in China under the Orientation of the New Economic Demands

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7956
Author(s):  
Xiangmin Zhang ◽  
Bin Yu ◽  
Hailong Yu ◽  
Zhuofan Li ◽  
Shen Luo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
New Economy ◽  
The South ◽  
The North ◽  
Ecological Resources ◽  
Demand Structure ◽  
Administrative Units ◽  
Location Map ◽  
Resource Elements

The demand structure of resources for new economy is different from the traditional one in that its development may significantly change China’s economic location map and spatial pattern. Based on 343 administrative units of prefecture-level cities in China, this research constructs the measurement index system of terrestrial surface natural resources under the orientation of the new economic demands; this research mainly analyses the spatial distribution characteristics and geographical mechanism of natural resources by means of the spatial autocorrelation and spatial similarity calculation methods. The results show that: (1) The structure and endowment of natural resources under the orientation of the new economic demands need to be reexamined. The significance of a good environment and ecological resources has been highlighted. The coupling of resource elements better reveals the availability of natural resources. (2) The natural resources decrease from southeast to northwest, showing a pattern of “abundant in the south and east and scarce in the north and west”. Natural resources have a significant positive correlation in spatial distribution with two types of agglomeration: high-high agglomeration and low-low agglomeration, showing the local agglomeration feature of “high in the south and low in the north”. (3) Natural factors such as temperature, precipitation and altitude affect the spatial distribution of natural resources, with the temperature being the most significant. This indicates that the original natural environment and its role are the geographical mechanism for the formation and distribution of natural resources. The results could provide a reference for the development and the optimization of China’s new economy.

scholarly journals Farmers’ and Herders’ Perceptions on Rangeland Management in Two Agroecological Zones of Benin

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 425
Author(s):  
Rodrigue Vivien Cao Diogo ◽  
Luc Hippolyte Dossa ◽  
Sèyi Fridaïus Ulrich Vanvanhossou ◽  
Badirou Dine Abdoulaye ◽  
Kossi Hélliot Dosseh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Rangeland Management ◽  
Mineral Fertilization ◽  
The North ◽  
Unused Land ◽  
Agroecological Zones ◽  
Sound Management

The sustainable use of rangelands in pastoral areas requires the inclusion of all stakeholders to develop sound management strategies. However, the role of these actors in the sustainable management of natural resources is still poorly understood. The present study aims to (i) assess the perception of farmers and herders of the risks and opportunities of transhumance on rangeland resource use and management, and to (ii) generate useful knowledge for the design and implementation of policies that favor the coexistence of these actors and reduce competition over rangeland resources use in Benin. To this end, interviews were conducted with 240 crop farmers and herders using a semi-structured questionnaire in two contrasting agroecological zones in the northern (Kandi) and the southern (Kétou) part of the country. Among the respondents, 64% of farmers in the North were agro-pastoralists (owning 10.6 ha of land and 10.7 cattle) and 36% were herders (keeping 45.8 cattle and cultivating about 3.7 ha of land). They perceived that communal rangelands were entirely degraded. In the South, 36% of respondents were agro-pastoralists (with 0.3 cattle and farming 4 ha of land) and 64% cattle herders (raising 45.3 cattle and farming 0.9 ha of land only). Of the herders, 50% kept cattle for more than 20 years, while agro-pastoralists had no previous experience in cattle herding. Cultivation practices among crop farmers, such as high use of mineral fertilization (23.8%) and bush fires for land clearing (22.5%), were reported in Kandi (North) and Kétou (South) as factors that might contribute to land degradation. However, these farmers perceived transhumance as a threat to the sustainable use of natural resources. In contrast, herders perceived transhumance as an opportunity to valorize unused land and increase the availability of manure to cropland. The prevalent negative attitude of crop farmers regarding transhumant herders increases the vulnerability of cattle herding in both regions. There is an urgent need of raising awareness concerning the mutual benefits provided by the coexistence of crop farmers with herders to promote participative rangeland management strategies. This may contribute towards coping with the current challenges of food insecurity and increasing climate variability as well as to reducing recurrent conflicts in the region.

scholarly journals The Construction and Optimization of Ecological Security Pattern in the Harbin-Changchun Urban Agglomeration, China

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 1190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rong Guo ◽  
Tong Wu ◽  
Mengran Liu ◽  
Mengshi Huang ◽  
Luigi Stendardo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Agglomeration ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Ecological Security ◽  
Least Cost Path ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Songhua River ◽  
Urban Agglomerations ◽  
Ecological Corridors ◽  
Ecological Protection ◽  
Security Pattern

Urban agglomerations have become a new geographical unit in China, breaking the administrative fortresses between cities, which means that the population and economic activities between cities will become more intensive in the future. Constructing and optimizing the ecological security pattern of urban agglomerations is important for promoting harmonious social-economic development and ecological protection. Using the Harbin-Changchun urban agglomeration as a case study, we have identified ecological sources based on the evaluation of ecosystem functions. Based on the resistance surface modified by nighttime light (NTL) data, the potential ecological corridors were identified using the least-cost path method, and key ecological corridors were extracted using the gravity model. By combining 15 ecological sources, 119 corridors, 3 buffer zones, and 77 ecological nodes, the ecological security pattern (ESP) was constructed. The main land-use types composed of ecological sources and corridors are forest land, cultivated land, grassland, and water areas. Some ecological sources are occupied by construction, while unused land has the potential for ecological development. The ecological corridors in the central region are distributed circularly and extend to southeast side in the form of tree branches with the Songhua River as the central axis. Finally, this study proposes an optimizing pattern with "four belts, four zones, one axis, nine corridors, ten clusters and multi-centers" to provide decision makers with spatial strategies with respect to the conflicts between urban development and ecological protection during rapid urbanization.

Survival and cause-specific mortality of the female eastern wild turkey at its northern range edge

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (7) ◽  
pp. 545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Britney Niedzielski ◽  
Jeff Bowman
Keyword(s):  
Management Strategies ◽  
Meleagris Gallopavo ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Wild Turkey ◽  
High Productivity ◽  
Supplemental Food ◽  
Range Edge ◽  
The North ◽  
Wild Turkeys ◽  
Peripheral Areas

Context In an era of rapid environmental change, many species are shifting their distributions. As temperate-zone species’ expand their ranges north, different and potentially severe limiting factors may begin to affect their ability to survive and reproduce. The wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is one example of a species undergoing rapid northern expansion. Aims An improved understanding of wild turkey demography at the species’ northern range periphery would facilitate effective management of this important game species. Therefore, we undertook a study to evaluate survival, causes of mortality, and behavioural strategies that may govern survival of female wild turkeys. Methods We captured 53 female wild turkeys, and used backpack transmitters to monitor their individual fates during 2012–13. Key results The annual survival estimate was 0.37 (95% CI: 0.25–0.55), with the lowest seasonal survival in the winter. The most frequent cause of mortality was mammalian predation, predominately by coyotes (Canis latrans). Age, proximity to supplemental food, and habitat use did not affect risk of mortality. Conclusions Northern wild turkeys in our study exhibited lower survival and suffered higher predation than did populations in the species’ historic range. Despite our findings, the wild turkey has expanded its range northwards and continues to exist in these peripheral areas. This may be due to high productivity or a source–sink dynamic, whereby high mortality is offset by immigration from the south. Implications The low survival and high predation of wild turkeys in the north must be considered when developing management strategies, particularly if interest exists in translocating turkeys farther north. Further research is needed to better understand whether northern turkey populations persist as sinks.

scholarly journals Reproductive phenology of the American Bullfrog in subtropical Brazil: photoperiod as a main determinant of seasonal activity

2016 ◽  
Vol 88 (3 suppl) ◽  
pp. 1909-1921 ◽  
Author(s):  
CAMILA I. MEDEIROS ◽  
CAMILA BOTH ◽  
IGOR L. KAEFER ◽  
SONIA Z. CECHIN
Keyword(s):  
Life Histories ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Reproductive Activity ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Reproductive Phenology ◽  
High Fertility ◽  
Seasonal Activity ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
American Bullfrog ◽  
The North

ABSTRACT The North American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus continues to invade ecosystems worldwide, potentially causing population declines and even extinctions. Within its native distribution, bullfrogs show prolonged reproductive seasons and high fertility. However, data on breeding biology of bullfrogs ex-situ in invaded localities mainly comes from anecdotal reports. Understanding how invasive species are adjusting their life histories to new colonized environments is important for conservation purposes. Here we describe temporal and spatial abundance, calling activity, spawning and tadpole distribution of bullfrogs in southern Brazil. Eighteen samplings occurred during one year. The abundance of individuals was positively related to longer photoperiods and higher temperatures. Reproductive activity was also positively associated with longer photoperiods. Calling sites, spawning and tadpoles were associated with microhabitats presenting hydrophytes, which may provide shelter and thermal stability to bullfrogs. The reproductive seasonal activity of bullfrogs can be highly variable across its growing geographical range, but in subtropical Brazil it is associated with photoperiod, a highly predictable abiotic determinant. In our study area, bullfrogs presented a breeding season twice as long as that observed in some native localities. We suggest that management strategies directed to bullfrog populations must consider the habitat structures and seasonal regimes determined by each invaded environment.

scholarly journals Casual spectators and die-hard fans’ reactions to their team defeat: A look at the role of territorial identification in elite French rugby

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 122-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iouri Bermache-Assollant ◽  
Raphael Laurin
Keyword(s):  
North American ◽  
Identity Management ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Rugby Union ◽  
Team Identification ◽  
Specific Context ◽  
Team Loyalty ◽  
The North ◽  
Offensive Strategies

This research investigated the role of two foci of identification (team and territory) on identity management strategies used by sport followers in the particular context of elite French rugby union. In study 1 which dealt with casual spectators (N = 153), the results corroborated numerous studies conducted in the North-American context and showed that team identification constitutes a strong driver for offensive and loyalty reactions. In study 2 which dealt with die-hard fans (N = 64), it appeared that team identification seems to be the best predictor of team loyalty strategy whereas territorial identification seems to be the first predictor of offensive strategies. Taken together, the studies showed the importance of considering the specific context in which sport fanship takes place.

Geographic Patterns of Interspecific Hybridization between Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea stoebe) and Diffuse Knapweed (C. diffusa)

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy C. Blair ◽  
Ruth A. Hufbauer
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
North American ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Spotted Knapweed ◽  
The North ◽  
Hybrid Swarms ◽  
Hybrid Plants ◽  
Introduced Range ◽  
Diffuse Knapweed ◽  
A Site

AbstractHybridization between species has the potential to change invasion dynamics. Field observations suggest that spotted knapweed and diffuse knapweed, two ecologically and economically destructive invasive plants, hybridize in their introduced range. As a first step towards understanding whether hybridization has affected the dynamics of the invasion of these species, we conducted field surveys in the introduced (North American) and native (European) ranges to discern patterns of hybridization and measured fitness-related traits among field hybrids and parental species. In North America we detected plants with hybrid morphology in 97% of the diffuse knapweed sites (n= 40); such hybrid plants were taller and more often exhibited polycarpy than plants with typical diffuse knapweed morphology. Hybrids were not detected in North American spotted knapweed sites (n= 22). In most regions surveyed in Europe, diffuse knapweed and spotted knapweed were isolated from each other and existed as distinct, nonhybridizing species. However, in Ukraine, the two species frequently coexisted within a site, resulting in hybrid swarms. On average, the plants from the North American diffuse knapweed sites (including plants with both diffuse and hybrid morphology), were larger than the apparently pure diffuse knapweed in the native range. The cross-continental patterns of hybridization likely are explained by differences in cytology. It recently has been confirmed that the spotted knapweed in North America is tetraploid whereas the diffuse knapweed is diploid. Genetic incompatibilities associated with these two cytotypes likely prevent ongoing hybridization. We hypothesize that hybrid individuals were introduced to North America along with diffuse knapweed. Because plants with hybrid morphology are found in nearly all North American diffuse knapweed sites, the introduction of hybrids likely occurred early in the invasion of diffuse knapweed. Thus, although the presence of hybrids might facilitate the ongoing invasion of diffuse knapweed into North America, elevated concern regarding their presence might not be warranted. Because such individuals are not likely to represent a new hybridization event, currently effective management strategies used in diffuse knapweed sites should not need alteration.

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