Suggestions for Revegetation over the Next 30 Years Based on Precipitation in the Three North Region of China

Afforestation in the Three North Region (TNR) of China has received wide concern due to the low survival rate and threats to water security associated with the lack of available precipitation for vegetation. It is crucial to provide a spatial layout for revegetation according to the available precipitation to achieve the vegetation cover target. This study investigated the spatial pattern of precipitation, determined the suitable vegetation distribution based on the ecological water requirements and precipitation, and proposed an optimized revegetation scheme by comparing the actual and suitable vegetation patterns. The results indicated that the actual vegetation that matched the pixel-level precipitation accounted for 67.24% of the total vegetation area in the TNR. However, 18.50% of the actual forest, 21.82% of the actual shrublands, and 19.95% of the actual grasslands were overloaded with respect to precipitation. The total suitable vegetation area was reduced slightly compared to the actual vegetation area. There is still some potential for the revegetation of forest and shrublands, mainly those in the eastern and south-eastern parts of the TNR. The optimized revegetation area in the TNR was 3.04 × 106 km2, including a maintenance management type of 2.19 × 106 km2, an upgrade type of 0.49 × 106 km2, and a degradation type of 0.37 × 106 km2. Maintenance management (natural restoration) and transformation to vegetation types with lower ecological water requirements were recognized as important revegetation practices in the TNR. This study provides guidelines to adjust the Three North Shelterbelt Project policies based on precipitation data to reduce the negative impact of revegetation on the hydrological cycle.

ECOLOGICAL BASIS FOR THE CREATION OF BIOSPHERE RESERVES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

The ecological foundations of the creation of some biosphere reserves of the Russian Federation are analyzed. The article focuses on the influence of abiotic environmental factors on the species of organisms and ecosystems in general. The patterns of vegetation distribution, the time of creation and the functional role of the reserve, and the status of the biosphere reserve are revealed.

THE EFFECT OF VEGETATION EXISTENCE AS CLIMATE ADAPTATION IN THE OLD CITY OF SEMARANG

The increase in air temperature, which is quite extreme due to climate change, causes the comfort level of outdoor activities to be increasingly disturbed. Various efforts have been made to overcome the increase in air temperature by creating a greener environment and providing vegetation. This study aims to produce a pattern of vegetation distribution and its effect on the climate for decreasing outdoor air temperature in the Old City of Semarang, Indonesia. The data used in this study are primary in the form of air temperature data at 09.30 WIB and data on regional vegetation conditions at four stations. Secondary data is also used, mainly in real-time monitoring of regional activities on CCTV Online media owned by the Semarang City government. The data analysis method uses GIS and Ecotec-based spatial simulations and descriptive statistical data analysis methods to obtain vegetation distribution patterns and characteristics. The result is that the presence of vegetation as much as 5% of the total land area is still less influential in reducing air temperature due to climate change. The difference between this research and previous research is that it is located in a cultural heritage area. It requires special attention in providing vegetation so as not to damage the physical structure of the building. This study also found that the density of human activities around the vegetation site can inhibit microclimate modification. The vegetation coverage factor greatly affects the microclimate produced in the surrounding area.