Assessment of Ecosystem Health and Its Key Determinants in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River Urban Agglomeration, China

Urban agglomerations have gradually formed in different Chinese cities, exerting great pressure on the ecological environment. Ecosystem health is an important index for the evaluation of the sustainable development of cities, but it has rarely been used for urban agglomerations. In this study, the ecosystem health in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River Urban Agglomeration was assessed using the ecosystem vigor, organization, resilience, and services framework at the county scale. A GeoDetector was used to determine the effects of seven factors on ecosystem health. The results show that: (1) The spatial distribution of ecosystem health differs significantly. The ecosystem health in the centers of Wuhan Metropolis, Changsha–Zhuzhou–Xiangtan City Group, and Poyang Lake City Group is significantly lower than in surrounding areas. (2) Temporally, well-level research units improve gradually; research units with relatively weak levels remain relatively stable. (3) The land use degree is the main factor affecting ecosystem health, with interactions between the different factors. The effects of these factors on ecosystem health are enhanced or nonlinear; (4) The effect of the proportion of construction land on ecosystem health increases over time. The layout used in urban land use planning significantly affects ecosystem health.

Exploring Development Trends of Terrestrial Ecosystem Health—A Case Study from China

Terrestrial ecosystem health (TEH) is the basis of regional sustainability development. The state of TEH is an important research direction in the land science field. The purpose of this paper was to explore the development trends and influencing factors of the. By using the radial basis function (RBF), neural network model, geographic information system (GIS), and the comprehensive index method, this paper predicted the land ecological changes of Henan Province from 2007 to 2025 based on a comprehensive evaluation of the system. The results show that the TEH of Henan Province exhibited a general trend of improvement from 2007 to 2025. The predictions exhibited a tendency to fluctuate and increase, from “severe warning” to “moderate warning” and even to “no warning” state. The early warning index of the subsystem showed a fluctuating upward trend except for the press subsystem, which fluctuated between “extraordinary warning” and “heavy warning” states. The overall TEH level is improving but is largely dependent on effective corresponding measures. The health status of the land ecosystem in Henan Province is guaranteed to be stable due to improvements in rural residential incomes, mechanization levels of cultivated land, domestic sewage treatment rates, and the numbers of scientific and technological personnel per unit of land. The TEH is mainly restricted by the population densities, urbanization levels, inputs of fertilizers and pesticides, and average wastewater load factors of the land. To improve the health level of the land ecosystem, it is necessary to reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides and to control the urbanization rate. At the same time, improving the level of forest coverage and the effective irrigation rate play a positive role in improving ecosystem health. The results provide a reference for land-use planning and management decisions.

ECORISK2050: An Innovative Training Network for predicting the effects of global change on the emission, fate, effects, and risks of chemicals in aquatic ecosystems

By 2050, the global population is predicted to reach nine billion, with almost three quarters living in cities. The road to 2050 will be marked by changes in land use, climate, and the management of water and food across the world. These global changes (GCs) will likely affect the emissions, transport, and fate of chemicals, and thus the exposure of the natural environment to chemicals. ECORISK2050 is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network that brings together an interdisciplinary consortium of academic, industry and governmental partners to deliver a new generation of scientists, with the skills required to study and manage the effects of GCs on chemical risks to the aquatic environment. The research and training goals are to: (1) assess how inputs and behaviour of chemicals from agriculture and urban environments are affected by different environmental conditions, and how different GC scenarios will drive changes in chemical risks to human and ecosystem health; (2) identify short-to-medium term adaptation and mitigation strategies, to abate unacceptable increases to risks, and (3) develop tools for use by industry and policymakers for the assessment and management of the impacts of GC-related drivers on chemical risks. This project will deliver the next generation of scientists, consultants, and industry and governmental decision-makers who have the knowledge and skillsets required to address the changing pressures associated with chemicals emitted by agricultural and urban activities, on aquatic systems on the path to 2050 and beyond.

The Unsettled Landscape: The Core to Coastal Fabrics

<p>‘The Unsettled Landscape’ considers an alternative sustainable manner in which communities can settle New Zealand’s coastland. Living at the ocean edge is ingrained in the way many of our urban settlements have formed, and is intricately linked with how we define ourselves. Unfortunately the way these places have manifested in reality has produced ecological barriers to natural cycles paramount to ecosystem health. Sea walls, housing, roads and many other infrastructural typologies resist the natural ‘flux’ of these areas, which results in dysfunctional ecosystems as well as putting residents of these places at risk of numerous threats which occur along these interface sites. Earthquakes, river movement, erosion, sea level rise, flooding and the continual movement of the dunes are just some of the issues coastal settlements face. The conflict forms where the sought after coastal environments are applied to in a permanent manner that is irresponsive of a landscape which functions in a most dynamic way. This thesis looks towards the geomorphological patterns in the coast as an indicator for how a complete shift in infrastructural application might occur responsively. This new fabric distinguishes stable components in this shifting landscape, utilising them as a stable network from which settlement can develop. This network could become the basis of more responsive settlements, stronger communities, and will act as a way to future proof inhabitation of these fragile yet hazardous places. Design research explores the physical as well as intangible aspects of settlement application, and focuses on communities forming the ‘real’ foundation of these temporal environments. Responsive communities arise ‘reactively’ avoiding hazards, and allowing inhabitants to take advantage of what these precious sites offer.</p>

The Unsettled Landscape: The Core to Coastal Fabrics

<p>‘The Unsettled Landscape’ considers an alternative sustainable manner in which communities can settle New Zealand’s coastland. Living at the ocean edge is ingrained in the way many of our urban settlements have formed, and is intricately linked with how we define ourselves. Unfortunately the way these places have manifested in reality has produced ecological barriers to natural cycles paramount to ecosystem health. Sea walls, housing, roads and many other infrastructural typologies resist the natural ‘flux’ of these areas, which results in dysfunctional ecosystems as well as putting residents of these places at risk of numerous threats which occur along these interface sites. Earthquakes, river movement, erosion, sea level rise, flooding and the continual movement of the dunes are just some of the issues coastal settlements face. The conflict forms where the sought after coastal environments are applied to in a permanent manner that is irresponsive of a landscape which functions in a most dynamic way. This thesis looks towards the geomorphological patterns in the coast as an indicator for how a complete shift in infrastructural application might occur responsively. This new fabric distinguishes stable components in this shifting landscape, utilising them as a stable network from which settlement can develop. This network could become the basis of more responsive settlements, stronger communities, and will act as a way to future proof inhabitation of these fragile yet hazardous places. Design research explores the physical as well as intangible aspects of settlement application, and focuses on communities forming the ‘real’ foundation of these temporal environments. Responsive communities arise ‘reactively’ avoiding hazards, and allowing inhabitants to take advantage of what these precious sites offer.</p>