Strong differentiation between amphibian communities on two adjacent mountains in the Upper Rio Pastaza watershed of Ecuador, with descriptions of two new species of terrestrial frogs

We present the results of herpetological surveys in two adjacent mountains where the EcoMinga Foundation protects the cloud forest in the Upper Rio Pastaza watershed, in the Llanganates Sangay Ecological Corridor in Ecuador. A rapid assessment of the amphibian communities of the study sites reveals a diverse and heterogeneous composition, dominated by terrestrial frogs from the genus Pristimantis. We also identify a cryptic diversity with a significant number of candidate new species. We describe two new species of terrestrial frogs of the genus Pristimantis. Pristimantis maryanneaesp. nov. is characterised by not having tympanum externally visible and having 2–3 subconical tubercles in the upper eyelid; and Pristimantis burtoniorumsp. nov. is characterised by the presence of red colouration in hidden surfaces of the hind-limbs, tubercles on the upper eyelid, interorbital tubercle and a row of rounded tubercles along the snout to the tip and a pale red venter with dark brown mottled pattern. Our samples from the two Reserves do not share species between them, so the proportion of shared species seems to be relatively low. In addition, we highlight the importance of updating the knowledge of amphibians that are restricted to this important conservation region and comment about the threats and composition of the amphibian communities on the eastern slopes of the Upper Rio Pastaza watershed.

CORREDORES ECOLÓGICOS URBANOS: UM ESTUDO PARA CONECTAR PLANTAS, ANIMAIS E PESSOAS NA CIDADE DE VITÓRIA – ES

Ecological corridors are territorial strips that aim to reduce the impacts of fragmentation of ecosystems, restoring the interconnection between them, in order to facilitate the movement of species, enabling seed dispersal and gene exchange between isolated populations. The relevance of the theme lies in the contribution to sustainable urbanism, aligning with biophilia, with benefits for living beings, including humans, with better walking conditions, thermal and psychological comfort. The general objective of the work was to delineate an urban ecological corridor in the continental portion of the city of Vitória/ES, in order to connect three isolated Environmental Protection Zones and benefit their essential occupants: the human species, the flora and the fauna. Exploratory studies and field visits were conducted, supported by Urbanism and Ecology literature, based on the definition of the connection axes and the recomposition of road profiles. The result achieved is an ecological corridor adapted to the existing roads, from the intensification of forestation and the implementation of gantries and elevated walkways for animal crossings. The insertion of aerial crossings and biodiversity corridors will bring a differential to the quality of life and ecological diversity for the local population.

A Validation Procedure for Ecological Corridor Locations

Connectivity conservation analysis is based on a wide range of approaches designed to pinpoint key ecological corridors in order to maintain multispecies flows. However, the lack of validation procedures with accessible data prevents one from evaluating the accuracy of ecological corridor locations. We propose a new validation procedure to evaluate the accuracy of ecological corridor locations in landscape connectivity approaches. The ability of the procedure to properly rank the accuracy of different landscape connectivity approaches was illustrated in a study case. Maxent model and circuit theory were used to locate ecological corridors for forest bird species, following three approaches based on land cover, umbrella species and multispecies presence data. The validation procedure was used to compare the three approaches. Our validation procedure ranked the three approaches as expected, considering that accuracy in locating ecological corridors is related to the biological realism of calibration data. The corridors modelled were more accurate with species presence data (umbrella and multispecies approaches) compared to land cover proxy (habitat-based approach). These results confirm the quality of the validation procedure. Our validation procedure can be used to: (1) evaluate the accuracy of the location of ecological corridors; (2) select the best approach to locate ecological corridors, and (3) validate the underlying assumptions of landscape connectivity approaches (e.g., dispersal and matrix resistance values).

Research on Ecological Corridor Planning of Lanzhou Yuzhong Ecological Innovation City from the Perspective of Ecological Civilization

The practice and research of ecological civilization is a focus of current planning and design, as well as a scientific strategy under the current situation of resource constraint, environmental degradation and ecosystem degradation. Urban elements such as buildings, green land, farmland,water systems and mountains can be connected by ecological corridors into a green ecological system design.At present, many ecological and environmental problems, such as urban heat island effect, fog and haze, automobile exhaust have a negative effect on the construction of social ecological environment. In order to build a new modern city with prosperous economy, beautiful environment and social civilization, scientific and efficient ecological corridors should be designed to improve the environmental quality of the eco-city, and promote the construction and development of ecological civilization and green cities. Based on the relevant research and specific practices of ecological corridors at home and abroad,combine the needs of the planning and construction of the Yuzhong Ecological Innovation City, and discuss on the connotation and characteristics of ecological corridors, and discuss the key elements of ecological corridor planning.This article will take the ecological corridor planning of Yuzhong Eco Innovation City as an example. We design ecological corridor based on field investigation, literature and geographic information system..The planning and design of the ecological corridor in the planning area proposed in this paper can provide positive suggestion on the planning and design of the ecological corridor in other ecological innovation cities.

Research on the Cultural Landscape of Xinjiang Section of the Silk Road

Overlooking the section of the Silk Road in Xinjiang, as the largest span of linear, multi-dimensional cultural landscape, historical heritage and ecological corridor in Xinjiang, it is a huge heritage complex of human culture influencing on the natural landscape. This paper introduces the concept of cultural landscape corridor, taking into account the organic connection between landscape ecology and heritage protection, strengthens the understanding of local social structure and regional culture in Xinjiang, spatially integrates cultural landscape and linear historical relics.

A New Design Concept of an Ecological Corridor for Frogs to Improve Ecological Conservation

Ecological corridors are an essential element in conserving the biodiversity and proper functioning of ecosystems. Without their connectivity, a very large number of species would not have access to all of the habitats needed for their life cycles. Although the concept of an ecological corridor has been discussed for many years, few studies on ecological corridors for frogs have been conducted. Frogs are often considered to be a keystone species. They are a good indicator of habitat health, and they are often the first to be harmed by pollution or ecosystem deterioration. However, there have been reports of frogs crossing ecological corridors and being attacked or consumed by natural enemies. It is vital to create ecological corridors for frogs that allow them to migrate quickly and safely. The purpose of this study was to propose a new ecological corridor design concept for frogs to address the limitations mentioned above. In this paper, grey system theory was employed to offer the necessary information for the frog ladder’s design. In addition, the frog’s high jump capacity and its defense mechanisms against natural enemies were used to determine the rest space and shelter.

Linking Ecosystem Service and MSPA to Construct Landscape Ecological Network of the Huaiyang Section of the Grand Canal

Rapid urbanization and drastic land-use change have led to landscape fragmentation and ecological environment deterioration in the regions along the Grand Canal. Building an ecological network is an important means to improve the connectivity of habitat patches and carry out ecological protection and restoration of territorial space, which is of great significance to ensure regional biodiversity and ecological security. In this article, we took the Huaiyang Section of the Grand Canal (Huaiyang Canal) as the study area, used the ecosystem service assessment model, morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), and the landscape connectivity evaluation method to identify ecological sources, then used the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model and the gravity model to extract and grade ecological corridors. Based on these, the ecological network was constructed by combining the identification method of ecological nodes and ecological breakpoints. The aim of this was to provide a reference for the ecological space optimization of Huaiyang Canal and even the entire Grand Canal, the formulation of an ecological protection plan, and the implementation of territorial space ecological restoration. The results showed that the spatial distribution of the water conservation service, soil conservation service, carbon sequestration service, and biodiversity conservation service were significantly different, and the level of ecosystem services showed a trend of continuous degradation from 1990 to 2018. There were 12 ecological source patches comprehensively identified by multiple methods, with a total area of 2007.06 km2. In terms of spatial distribution, large ecological source patches were mainly distributed in the central and western areas adjacent to the Grand Canal, while small ecological source patches were scattered in the eastern and southern border regions of the study area. The total length of ecological corridors was 373.84 km, of which the number of the primary ecological corridor, secondary ecological corridor, and tertiary ecological corridor were 9, 7, and 7, respectively, and the suitable width of the ecological corridor was 200–400 m. After optimization, the proposed ecological network was composed of 3 key ecological source patches, 9 important ecological source patches, 23 terrestrial corridors, 10 aquatic corridors, and 18 ecological nodes. Twenty-nine ecological breakpoints were key areas requiring ecological restoration. The overlap rate of the integrated ecosystem service change area and land-use change area was 99%, indicating that land-use change has a significant impact on regional ecosystem services. This study is of great significance for carrying out the ecological protection and restoration of the Huaiyang Canal and adjusting local land-use policies. It also provides a typical case demonstration for identifying an ecological network and formulating ecological restoration planning for other sections of the Grand Canal and cities along the canal.

Numerical Simulation Study on Environment-Friendly Floating Reef in Offshore Ecological Belt under Wave Action

An artificial floating reef is an important part of the coastal ecological corridor. The large-scale construction of floating reefs by optimizing mooring methods can effectively improve the ecological effects of coastal projects. The artificial floating reef belongs to coastal engineering, and wave resistance is fundamental to its structural design. In this paper, the method for processing coupling forces and motion, the method for judging the floating reef out of water surface, and the method for correcting velocity and acceleration of water mass points are elaborated in detail by using the finite element method and lumped-mass mooring model. By comparing and analyzing the results of physical experiment and numerical simulation, the correctness of the numerical model is verified. Finally, the diachronic variation of pitching angle of floating reef, the tension of the mooring rope, and the total tension of the fixed points of the fishing net were analyzed by the dynamic response numerical mode with a new type of mooring. The purpose of the current study was to provide a basis for the optimization of structure shape, the matching of floating body, and the counterweight of artificial floating reef.

STATE OF NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENTS WITHIN THE ECOLOGICAL CORRIDOR OF THE ORDER II (THE MYSHKA RIVER VALLEY, MINSK)

This article presents an assessment of the state of natural environment components (water, bottom sediments, soil and vegetation) within the valley complex of the Myshka River (Minsk). It is shown that in modern conditions, despite significant anthropogenic transformation, the valley complex retains a high potential for performing the necessary functions as an ecological corridor of the order II. The vegetation of the Myshka floodplain steadily retains its specificity due to the stable hydrological regime. Natural complexes here have a high ecological and recreational value. The section of the river in the middle course is in a more favorable condition, where the flow is better and the floodplain is represented by reserve green areas. A less favorable state is inherent in residual water bodies with disturbed flow in the upper course of the river, where the valley is mostly represented by areas of residential and public buildings. The river experiences the greatest load at the mouth – in the area above and below the outlet of surface wastewater treatment facilities. Here the river cannot cope with the anthropogenic load, the assimilation potential is 11–12 points, polyelement anomalies of oil products, cadmium, lead, copper and zinc are formed in the bottom sediments. The area of the Myshka River valley, located in a low riverbed floodplain, has a most polluted soils. Here, a pedogeochemical anomaly from an association of elements, including petroleum products, cadmium, nickel, zinc, lead, copper, and manganese.