The Restoration Potential of the Grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau

While the alpine grassland ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) have generally improved in recent years, some grasslands still suffer from varying degrees of degradation. Studying the restoration potential (R) of the grasslands on the TP is crucial to the conservation and restoration of its alpine grassland ecosystems. Few studies have assessed the restoration value of the alpine grasslands on the TP. We attempt to estimate the actual (ANPP) and potential net primary productivity (PNPP) of the grasslands on the TP. On this basis, we defined R as the “gap” between the current and highest achievable levels of restoration of a grassland. Then, R estimates were yielded for the alpine grasslands on the TP, which we used to analyze the restoration value of these grasslands. Specifically, based on the meteorological data for the period 2001–2019, in conjunction with remote-sensing imagery acquired by a moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer for the same period, the Carnegie–Ames–Stanford approach model was selected to produce ANPP estimates for the grasslands on the TP. Then, the Thornthwaite memorial model, the principle of similar habitats, and the Chikugo model, were employed to generate PNPP estimates for these grasslands. In addition, the R of these grasslands was then assessed based on the difference between their PNPP and ANPP. The main results are summarized as follows. (1) A multiyear mean R of 332.33 g C·m–2 (81.59% of the ANPP) was determined for the grasslands on the TP over the period 2001–2019. A notable spatial distribution pattern of high Rs in the southwestern, eastern and middle parts of the TP, and low Rs in the northwestern part of the TP were also identified. Most of the grasslands in areas such as the southern part of Nagqu, the southwestern part of Ngari, Xigaze, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture were found to have high restoration value. (2) Grasslands with a stable R account were the highest proportion (76.13%) of all the grasslands on the TP, followed by those with a decreasing R (19.62%) and those with an increasing R (4.24%). Grasslands with an increasing R were mainly concentrated in the southern part of Xigaze, and parts of Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. (3) Analysis based on the local conditions of the TP revealed a high restoration value for three types of grassland (i.e., alpine meadows, mountain meadows, and temperate meadow steppes), the grasslands distributed at altitudes of 3000–4000 m, and the grasslands located in the warm temperate zone. The results of this study are expected to provide scientific and theoretical support for the formulation of policies and measures aimed at conserving grasslands, as well as restoring ecosystems and degraded grasslands on the TP.

The Differential Impact of Mystery in Nature on Attention: An Oculometric Study

Nature exposure can provide benefits on stress, health and cognitive performance. According to Attention Restoration Theory (ART), the positive impact of nature on cognition is mainly driven by fascination. Fascinating properties of nature such as water or a winding hiking trail may capture involuntary attention, allowing the directed form of attention to rest and to recover. This claim has been supported by studies relying on eye-tracking measures of attention deployment, comparing exposure to urban and nature settings. Yet, recent studies have shown that promoting higher engagement with a nature setting can improve restorative benefits, hence challenging ART’s view that voluntary attention is resting. Besides, recent evidence published by Szolosi et al. (2014) suggests that voluntary attention may be involved during exposure to high-mystery nature images which they showed as having greater potential for attention restoration. The current study explored how exposure to nature images of different scenic qualities in mystery (and restoration potential) could impact the engagement of attention. To do so, participants were shown nature images characterized by either low or high mystery properties (with allegedly low or high restoration potential, respectively) and were asked to evaluate their fascination and aesthetic levels. Concurrently, an eye tracker collected measures of pupil size, fixations and spontaneous blinks as indices of attentional engagement. Results showed that high-mystery nature images had higher engagement than low-mystery images as supported by the larger pupil dilations, the higher number of fixations and the reduced number of blinks and durations of fixations. Taken together, these results challenge ART’s view that directed attention is merely resting during exposure to restorative nature and offer new hypotheses on potential mechanisms underlying attention restoration.

Effects of Spatial Elements of Urban Landscape Forests on the Restoration Potential and Preference of Adolescents

City green space can promote people’s health and aesthetic satisfaction; however, most extant research focuses on suburban forests and urban parks. Urban landscape forests have important ecological and aesthetic value for urban environments. This study conducted a visual stimulation to examine the impact of four common spatial element combinations in urban landscape forests on teenagers’ recovery potential and preference. The results indicate that urban landscape forests had positive physiological and psychological effects on adolescents, including decreased blood pressure, improved heart rate, reduced anxiety, and improved recovery ability. Diastolic blood pressure relief performance was better among males than females. In addition, a stepwise linear regression analysis was performed to explore the quantitative relationship between spatial elements and recovery and preference values. The results demonstrate that water elements were a significant predictor in the quantitative relationship between spatial elements in landscape forests and restoration and preference values. Terrain, flower, and shrub elements did not have a significant effect on overall restoration and preference values. This study highlights the intervention value of urban landscape forests in promoting the health and well-being of adolescents, with implications for future planning and design of urban landscape forests.

Mapping Mangrove Opportunities with Open Access Data: A Case Study for Bangladesh

Mangroves protect coastal areas against hazards like storms or cyclones by attenuating waves and currents, and by trapping floating debris during extreme events. Bangladesh is a very vulnerable country to floods and cyclones, and part of its coastal system is thus being upgraded to a higher safety standard. These upgrades include embankment reinforcement and mangrove afforestation schemes seawards of the embankments. To further strengthen the implementation of combined green–grey infrastructure in future programs, identifying potential mangrove development sites near the polder systems is a necessary first step. We thus developed a tool to systematically identify mangrove sites throughout the coastal area based on open access data. This method identifies potential sites for mangrove development based on their distance from existing mangrove patches and suggests the required technique to implement the vegetation depending on the rate of coastline change. Our method showed that approximately 600 km of the coastal stretches placed seawards of embankments are within 10 km of existing mangroves, and could thus be potential sites for mangrove establishment. Out of those 600 km, we identified 140 km of coastline where the landwards polders are particularly vulnerable to flooding. The sites with highest restoration potential and priority are located in Galachipa, Hatiya, Bhola, Manpura, Khangona, and Boro Moheshkhali. More detailed data collection and local assessments are recommended prior to executing mangrove afforestation schemes. Nevertheless, this method could serve as a useful systematic tool for feasibility studies that identify mangrove opportunities in data-scarce areas and help to prioritize data collection at the sites of highest interest.

Saving the Last Unicorns: The Genetic Rescue of Florida’s Pillar Corals

As stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) swept through the Florida Reef Tract, one of the most severely impacted species was the iconic pillar coral, Dendrogyra cylindrus. As the species’ population experienced a precipitous decline, a collaborative rescue project collected colony fragments for safekeeping at onshore and offshore nursery facilities. Between 2015 and 2019, a total of 574 fragments representing 128 genotypes were collected. These are currently dispersed among five facilities where they continue to provide opportunities to (1) refine best husbandry practices for D. cylindrus, (2) develop treatment options for SCTLD that have been adapted for use on other species, (3) maximize growth and fragmentation to provide the live tissue needed for eventual restoration, and (4) provide a source of parent colonies for assisted sexual reproduction and new genetic diversity. With the wild pillar coral population in Florida at the end of 2020 at less than 6% of its known 2014 population and continuing to decline, the rescued ex situ colonies represent the entirety of the restoration potential for this species in Florida.

Double-Crested Cormorant Disturbance: Restoration Potential for a Forested Urban Park

This paper examines the relationship between double-crested cormorant nesting activity and urban deforestation in Toronto’s Tommy Thompson Park (TTP). TTP is located on a human constructed spit, providing habitat for colonial waterbirds to nest along Lake Ontario’s shoreline. In recent decades, double-crested cormorant colonization has resulted in the deforestation of the western edge of the park. This deforestation is causing a steady retreat of tree cover, where newly exposed soils are vulnerable to colonization by invasive plants and erosive wind and wave action. Following a 30x30 m systematic sampling approach, geospatial interpolation of point data describing current soil physical and chemical properties is used to create continuous soil prediction surfaces. Interpolated surfaces are then combined to create site suitability maps using multicriteria evaluation (MCE) to weight the soil variables, and to provide a ranked output of desirable site locations for species-specific re-vegetation potential. Keywords: double-crested cormorant, urban forestry, restoration, kriging, multi-criteria evaluation

Double-Crested Cormorant Disturbance: Restoration Potential for a Forested Urban Park

This paper examines the relationship between double-crested cormorant nesting activity and urban deforestation in Toronto’s Tommy Thompson Park (TTP). TTP is located on a human constructed spit, providing habitat for colonial waterbirds to nest along Lake Ontario’s shoreline. In recent decades, double-crested cormorant colonization has resulted in the deforestation of the western edge of the park. This deforestation is causing a steady retreat of tree cover, where newly exposed soils are vulnerable to colonization by invasive plants and erosive wind and wave action. Following a 30x30 m systematic sampling approach, geospatial interpolation of point data describing current soil physical and chemical properties is used to create continuous soil prediction surfaces. Interpolated surfaces are then combined to create site suitability maps using multicriteria evaluation (MCE) to weight the soil variables, and to provide a ranked output of desirable site locations for species-specific re-vegetation potential. Keywords: double-crested cormorant, urban forestry, restoration, kriging, multi-criteria evaluation