China’s ecosystem services planning: will Shanghai lead the way? A case study from the Baoshan district (Shanghai)

Ecosystem services (ES) are a fundamental component of well-being and sustainable urban development with tremendous potential to enhance urban planning. Recently, several studies have evaluated the environmental performance of urban plans using the ES approach. To strengthen this science-policy integration, it is still necessary to perform ES assessments within the urban planning practice as well as to collect empirical evidence on the impacts of envisioned planning measures on the supply of ES in urban environments across the world. In this research, we analyzed the state-of-the-art of China’s new environmental governance, which aims to change China’s land use policy and particularly the role of Green Infrastructure (GI) regarding urban planning and ES. We focused on the Shanghai Baoshan district Master Plan as a case study, and analyzed it under the lenses of the supply of ES using the matrix approach. We ascertained the supply of ES as delineated in the ecological network plan for 2035, and developed an evaluation framework based on CICES v5.1 and two expert workshops. Our approach used an integrated preliminary ES-assessment, and evaluated the consequences for the supply of ES in Baoshan district, which is adaptable to varying urban geographies. The results of our assessment show that, if realized as planned, the district will increase the overall supply of ES, especially regulating and cultural services, that play an important role within GI on the urban level. In general, the land use plans should include fine-grained information within building blocks to allow for even better assessing of the spatial structure of the supply of ES

Global biomes and ecozones – Conceptual and spatial communalities and discrepancies

Various facets of global changes and related problems and challenges are asking for sound impact assessments and corresponding coping strategies. The human impact on nature is a major driver of biodiversity loss and restricted ecosystem functioning and services. Assessing such global changes is often done by using biomes as benchmarks. However, even if the wording and terminology seem common sense (‘tropical rain forest’, ‘steppe’, ‘boreal forest’) global biome units and maps deviate in many ways. This is well justified by their individual intention, expert opinions, disciplinary background, and methodology of creation. A closer look reveals linkages between spatial accordance and common origin in climate classifications and maps. Their original influence, however, is rarely evident. In consequence, it is difficult if not impossible for users to realize and understand differences in these global maps. Furthermore, it is difficult to accept the fact that there is no common standard for global biomes. Even more surprising is the fact that some approaches are uncritically taken for common sense and are perpetuated over decades. This study aims to review established global biome concepts. Regions that are consistently assigned to comparable types of biomes shall be detected and also regions where ambiguity exists. For this purpose, we shortly review the history of existing concepts and the generic relations between them. Biomes, ecozones and climate classifications are considered. We digitized the most prominent biome classifications. Spatial match and mismatch between concepts were analyzed globally. We detect areas of spatial agreement and regions with ambiguous classifications. A clustering approach including 287 individual biomes originating from 12 established global biome concepts and their classifications/units revealed 12 terrestrial biome clusters among which 8 can be assigned to terrestrial ecological units. One cluster on ice caps adds to this. And finally, 3 clusters represent rather transition zones (ecotones), high mountain plateaus or are of minor areal extent. The spatial arrangement of these emerging clusters is displayed on a global map. Additionally, regions of uncertainty related to class assignment were identified. Those primarily occur in the vicinity of mountainous regions. The findings of this study should be seen as a work in progress and as a basis for further optimization of global biome concepts.

Rethinking a sustainable truffle sector under global crises

Global climate change is the main threat for the emerging truffle sector, which already extends across seven key regions in the Americas, Europe, South Africa and Australasia. At the same time, the potential effects of financial crises and global pandemics have not yet been considered in most risk assessments. Here we describe the direct and indirect impacts of the actual coronavirus pandemic on the rising truffle sector. We discuss how COVID-19 affects small family businesses and international enterprises, and if the current harvest decline will have ecological long-term benefits. Furthermore, we question extant cultivation practices, irrigation techniques and trade systems to prepare for a more equitable and sustainable future of the global truffle industry. Despite various foci on one of the most expensive gourmet foods and its associated agroforestry, we expect our reflections to be valuable for many other high-value crops, and a green agriculture in general.

Spatio-temporal variation of net primary productivity in a rapidly expanding artificial woodland area based on remote-sensing data

The expansion of artificial woodlands in China has contributed significantly to regional land-cover changes and changes in the regional net primary productivity (NPP). This study used Ximeng County in the Yunnan Province as a case study to investigate the overall changes, associated amplitude, and spatio-temporal distribution of NPP from 2000–2015.The Carnegie-Ames-Stanford approach was used in the rapidly expanding artificial woodland area based on MODIS-NDVI data, meteorological data, and Landsat 5 TM data to calculate the NPP. The results show that (1) artificial woodlands experience a 10fold increase and account for 93 % of the land cover transfer, which was mainly from woodland areas. (2) The NPP was 906.2×109 gC·yr-1 in 2000 and 972.0×109 gC·yr-1 in 2015, presenting a total increase of 65.8×109 gC·yr-1 and a mean increase of 52.4 gC·m-2·yr-1 in Ximeng County. (3) The most notable NPP changes take place in the central and the western border regions, with the increasing NPP of artificial woodlands and arable land offsetting the negative effects of the decrease in woodland NPP. (4) The total NPP in the study area kept increasing, primarily due to the growing area of artificial woodlands as well as the stand age of the woods, whereas the mean value change of the NPP is mostly related to the increasing stand age. (5) The artificial woodlands increase the NPP value more than natural woodlands. While protecting and promoting ecologically valuable natural forests at the same time, it seems quite advantageous to establish regional plantations and coordinate their development on a scientific basis with a view to increasing NPP, economic development, but also the ecological stability of this mountain region. Our study reveals the changes in NPP and its distribution in a rapidly expanding area of artificial woodland in southwest China based on remote-sensing data and the CASA model, providing a decision-making basis for rational land-use management, the optimal utilization of land resources, and a county-scale assessment approach.

Satellite-based investigation on the surface cooling effects of urban parks and their range – a case study for North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Green infrastructure (GI) has a cooling effect owing to shading and evapotranspiration and therefore has a climate regulating function within metropolitan areas. Urban parks are a type of GI that act as park cool islands (PCIs) and play a major role in mitigating the surface urban heat island. This study aims to (1) investigate the status quo of the surface cooling effect intensity of selected urban parks in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), including their cooling range, and to (2) propose a methodological approach for investigating the PCI intensity using remote sensing data considering the occurrence of mixed pixels. To achieve these tasks, land surface temperature values based on Landsat 8 images from three different days in 2018 and 2019 were observed. In addition, a method for the reduction of mixed pixels was developed. The results confirm a surface cooling effect of 1–5 K and thus the existence of a PCI. The impact of the surface cooling effect was found within a minimum range of 150 m. However, the process of identifying the cooling area was complicated by the high proportion of GI in cities in NRW, compared to other study areas. Further research on the influencing parameters of the surface cooling effect is needed.

Analysing cultural networks in cross-border metropolitan regions. The case of the Upper Rhine region (Germany–Switzerland–France)

In the last few decades, cross-border metropolitan regions (CBMRs) have been examined through the lens of binary prevailing network analysis, with substantial focus being placed on economy, innovations, and governance. However, the analysis of cultural networks is underrepresented in these contexts, although several voices have enquired about new concepts and practices for measuring spatial cultural networks and social proximities. This study was concerned with measuring cultural networks, as one step towards obtaining a deeper understanding of CBMRs. When focusing on cultural networks in border studies, it is necessary to understand: 1) how spatio-cultural networks can be conceptualised and measured from an interdisciplinary perspective; and 2) how cultural networks influence cross-border relations. Some of the literature has identified culture as the complex interrelation of values, artefacts, and behaviours, which presents multiple difficulties for analysing culture, per se. To analyse the influence of cultural networks in cross-border areas, this work took the Upper Rhine (UR), between the nation states of Germany, France, and Switzerland, as a case study. In the literature, this region is mainly referred to as being one coherent, integrated CBMR that shares similar dominant values. However, with regard to border cultural networks and national identities, this is empirically questionable. The UR region was analysed using two datasets, one quantitative and one qualitative. The analytical framework was based on the interlocking network model (INM) developed by Taylor (2001), which measures network and city centralities. Some adaptations were made to the INM to specifically analyse cultural networks in cross-border regions, giving rise to an ‘extended’ INM (EINM). Firstly, it was found that, although well-established cultural interrelations were identifiable in the UR cross-border region, a negative national border effect exists, leading to an uneven integration of German, Swiss and French cities into the cultural networks. Secondly, there was a significant difference between the INM and EINM, in terms of the number of relations and network centralities that could be captured, which led to different conclusions.

Nature-based solutions must be realized - not just proclaimed - in face of climatic extremes

Natural hazards resulting from climate change are increasing in frequency and intensity. As this is not a linear trend but rather by singularities and anomalies including a broad spectrum of climatic and weather extremes with high temporal and spatial uncertainty, focused avoidance strategies are difficult to prepare. However, the effects of climate change are mostly addressed with outdated ‘business as usual’ approaches by governments and most stakeholders, which are unfit to tackle the complexity of current challenges. Coping action for natural hazards is mostly undertaken during and after such events compensating damage through payments and restoration. In the future, pro-active nature-based solutions are needed for risk mitigation and avoiding severe damage through enhancing all facets of biodiversity from species richness, structural roughness, to spatial heterogeneity of ecosystems. This will not avoid extreme weather events, but it will reduce the damage of increasingly appearing natural hazards. However, this strategy cannot be implemented all of a sudden. Long-term and spatial concepts are needed. For this purpose, currently missing governance structures based on geographical, geoscientific, ecological, meteorological, and societal expertise should be installed. In recent years, a good scientific and knowledge basis for the required solutions has been developed, which now must translate into action. Here, a series of suggestions is compiled for a broad spectrum of extreme events and societal fields, which is far from being complete but should stimulate critically needed creativity and commitment. Nature-based solutions will not deliver a complete protection and cannot be the only kind of action, but we can no longer rely on post-disaster compensation or on the safety illusion of mere engineering and construction works. The efficiency of biodiversity as an insurance for maintaining ecosystem services is well understood. The implementation of nature-based adaptation, coping, and protection measures is less expensive than traditional end-of-the-pipe constructions. It requires an in-depth understanding of interacting processes and trans-disciplinary cooperation based on a broad acceptance in the public. Investments into these solutions would pay off, not tomorrow, but in the future. It is the best sustainable and feasible approach for disaster prevention.

Potential impacts of p2p accommodation on rural-mountain areas. A case study from the Catalan Pyrenees (Spain)

This paper seeks to contribute to existing literature by exploring the potential impacts of Peer-to-Peer (p2p) accommodation on a rural mountain area in the Pyrenees in Catalonia (Spain). The results indicate how widely p2p accommodation can penetrate areas of this kind. The findings suggest that this phenomenon has brought few benefits for local development and has created severe competition for conventional tourism accommodation, despite having a smaller economic impact in terms of job creation and tourist spending. In addition, the relative ease with which it avoids administrative and fiscal controls has negative repercussions for the tax revenues of local authorities. The growth in tourist rental properties is also having harmful effects on the study area in terms of its tourist load capacity, and the high pressure it puts on housing stock is causing shortages in residential housing and sharp price increases.