Special Issue "Assessment, Management, and Policy-Making for Environmental Pollution Related to Land Use and Land Cover"

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Published Papers

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2012)

Special Issue Editor

Guest Editor
Prof. Dr. Yu-Pin Lin
Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan
Website: http://homepage.ntu.edu.tw/~yplin/Eindex.htm
E-Mail: yplin@ntu.edu.tw
Phone: +886 2 33663467
Fax: +886 2 23686980
Interests: spatial statistics and modeling in environmental and ecological systems; applications of GIS and remote sensing in environmental and ecological systems; freshwater monitoring and modeling; optimal environmental monitoring network design; landscape ecology in Watershed management and planning; ecohydrology; groundwater modeling; land-use planning and modeling; soil heavy metal pollution assessment; multiscale analysis in environmental and ecological systems; system dynamic modeling in environmental systems; ecosystem service of stream ecosystem restoration; system dynamic modeling; optimization techniques

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental pollution in soil, air, and water involves complex interaction among natural and anthropogenic causes. Among the obtainable geographic data, land use and land cover reflect a major part of land-surface activity, and are generally considered to contribute greatly to the variability of environmental pollution. Characterizing the mechanism that links the risk of exposure of pollution to land use and land cover distribution, could significantly facilitate the formulation of environmental action strategies and public health policy.

Relating environmental pollution to land-surface parameters effectively informs researchers by (1) quantifying the variability of pollutant (2) improve estimates/simulation of the risk and exposure of pollutant; and (3) promote epistemic understanding for the environmental and health risks for humans by scientific reasoning between the pollution and land-surface parameters. In recent years, various methods have been widely applied in studies of environmental pollution relating to land-surface parameters, in order to characterize its behavior and risks that lead to public-health problems and socio-economic impact. Accordingly, this special issue focuses on data acquiring/retrieval, application of qualitative/quantitative models, and epistemic/ontological reasoning that relates environmental pollution and risk assessment to the description of land cover and management/policy-making of land use. Research papers on concise and novel techniques that encompass current developments of such studies are particularly welcome.

Prof. Dr. Yu-Pin Lin
Guest Editor

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Keywords

land use policy and management for environmental pollution
models and approaches for environmental pollution and land use management
anthropogenic and urbanization impacts on air, soil and water quality
quantitative characteristics of land use, pollutions and public health
decision support systems for environmental pollution and management

Published Papers (19 papers)

Hongjun Lei, Xunfeng Xia, Changjia Li and Beidou Xi

Article: Decomposition Analysis of Wastewater Pollutant Discharges in Industrial Sectors of China (2001–2009) Using the LMDI I Method

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(6), 2226-2240; doi:10.3390/ijerph9062226

Received: 11 May 2012; in revised form: 5 June 2012 / Accepted: 11 June 2012 / Published: 14 June 2012

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Abstract: China’s industry accounts for 46.8% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and plays an important strategic role in its economic growth. On the other hand, industrial wastewater is also the major source of water pollution. In order to examine the relationship between the underlying driving forces and various environmental indicators, values of two critical industrial wastewater pollutant discharge parameters (Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen (NH₄-N)), between 2001 and 2009, were decomposed into three factors: i.e., production effects (caused by change in the scale of economic activity), structure effects (caused by change in economic structure) and intensity effects (caused by change in technological level of each sector), using additive version of the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI I) decomposition method. Results showed that: (1) the average annual effect of COD discharges in China was −2.99%, whereas the production effect, the structure effect, and the intensity effect were 14.64%, −1.39%, and −16.24%, respectively. Similarly, the average effect of NH₄-N discharges was −4.03%, while the production effect, the structure effect, and the intensity effect were 16.18%, −2.88%, and −17.33%, respectively; (2) the production effect was the major factor responsible for the increase in COD and NH₄-N discharges, accounting for 45% and 44% of the total contribution, respectively; (3) the intensity effect, which accounted for 50% and 48% of the total contribution, respectively, exerted a dominant decremental effect on COD and NH₄-N discharges; intensity effect was further decomposed into cleaner production effect and pollution abatement effect with the cleaner production effect accounting for 60% and 55% of the reduction of COD and NH₄-N, respectively; (4) the major contributors to incremental COD and NH₄-N discharges were divided among industrial sub-sectors and the top contributors were identified. Potential restructuring and regulation measures were proposed for pollutant reduction.

Yaolin Liu, Hua Wang, Yingli Ji, Zhongqiu Liu and Xiang Zhao

Article: Land Use Zoning at the County Level Based on a Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm: A Case Study from Yicheng, China

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(8), 2801-2826; doi:10.3390/ijerph9082801

Received: 25 June 2012; in revised form: 21 July 2012 / Accepted: 25 July 2012 / Published: 6 August 2012

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Abstract: Comprehensive land-use planning (CLUP) at the county level in China must include land-use zoning. This is specifically stipulated by the China Land Management Law and aims to achieve strict control on the usages of land. The land-use zoning problem is treated as a multi-objective optimization problem (MOOP) in this article, which is different from the traditional treatment. A particle swarm optimization (PSO) based model is applied to the problem and is developed to maximize the attribute differences between land-use zones, the spatial compactness, the degree of spatial harmony and the ecological benefits of the land-use zones. This is subject to some constraints such as: the quantity limitations for varying land-use zones, regulations assigning land units to a certain land-use zone, and the stipulation of a minimum parcel area in a land-use zoning map. In addition, a crossover and mutation operator from a genetic algorithm is adopted to avoid the prematurity of PSO. The results obtained for Yicheng, a county in central China, using different objective weighting schemes, are compared and suggest that: (1) the fundamental demand for attribute difference between land-use zones leads to a mass of fragmentary land-use zones; (2) the spatial pattern of land-use zones is remarkably optimized when a weight is given to the sub-objectives of spatial compactness and the degree of spatial harmony, simultaneously, with a reduction of attribute difference between land-use zones; (3) when a weight is given to the sub-objective of ecological benefits of the land-use zones, the ecological benefits get a slight increase also at the expense of a reduction in attribute difference between land-use zones; (4) the pursuit of spatial harmony or spatial compactness may have a negative effect on each other; (5) an increase in the ecological benefits may improve the spatial compactness and spatial harmony of the land-use zones; (6) adjusting the weights assigned to each sub-objective can generate a corresponding optimal solution, with a different quantity structure and spatial pattern to satisfy the preference of the different decision makers; (7) the model proposed in this paper is capable of handling the land-use zoning problem, and the crossover and mutation operator can improve the performance of the model, but, nevertheless, leads to increased time consumption.

Weizhong Su, Guishan Yang, Shuang Chen and Yinbao Yang

Article: Measuring the Pattern of High Temperature Areas in Urban Greenery of Nanjing City, China

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(8), 2922-2935; doi:10.3390/ijerph9082922

Received: 19 July 2012; in revised form: 6 August 2012 / Accepted: 9 August 2012 / Published: 16 August 2012

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Hualin Xie, Chih-Chun Kung, Yanting Zhang and Xiubin Li

Article: Simulation of Regionally Ecological Land Based on a Cellular Automation Model: A Case Study of Beijing, China

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(8), 2986-3001; doi:10.3390/ijerph9082986

Received: 12 July 2012; in revised form: 21 July 2012 / Accepted: 8 August 2012 / Published: 17 August 2012

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Yen-Chang Chen, Hui-Chung Yeh and Chiang Wei

Article: Estimation of River Pollution Index in a Tidal Stream Using Kriging Analysis

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(9), 3085-3100; doi:10.3390/ijerph9093085

Received: 20 June 2012; in revised form: 16 August 2012 / Accepted: 21 August 2012 / Published: 29 August 2012

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Guey-Shin Shyu, Bai-You Cheng and Wei-Ta Fang

Article: The Effect of Developing a Tunnel across a Highway on the Water Quality in an Upstream Reservoir Watershed Area—A Case Study of the Hsuehshan Tunnel in Taiwan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(9), 3344-3353; doi:10.3390/ijerph9093344

Received: 10 July 2012; in revised form: 14 September 2012 / Accepted: 17 September 2012 / Published: 19 September 2012

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Ying Zhao, Qiang Xue and Lei Liu

Article: A Coupling Kinetics Model for Pollutant Release and Transport in the Process of Landfill Settlement

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(10), 3437-3453; doi:10.3390/ijerph9103437

Received: 31 May 2012; in revised form: 12 September 2012 / Accepted: 24 September 2012 / Published: 27 September 2012

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Yung-Chul Jun, Doo-Hee Won, Soo-Hyung Lee, Dong-Soo Kong and Soon-Jin Hwang

Article: A Multimetric Benthic Macroinvertebrate Index for the Assessment of Stream Biotic Integrity in Korea

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(10), 3599-3628; doi:10.3390/ijerph9103599

Received: 27 August 2012; in revised form: 17 September 2012 / Accepted: 25 September 2012 / Published: 15 October 2012

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Li-Chi Chiang, Indrajeet Chaubey, Nien-Ming Hong, Yu-Pin Lin and Tao Huang

Article: Implementation of BMP Strategies for Adaptation to Climate Change and Land Use Change in a Pasture-Dominated Watershed

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(10), 3654-3684; doi:10.3390/ijerph9103654

Received: 3 September 2012; in revised form: 26 September 2012 / Accepted: 5 October 2012 / Published: 15 October 2012

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Abstract: Implementing a suite of best management practices (BMPs) can reduce non-point source (NPS) pollutants from various land use activities. Watershed models are generally used to evaluate the effectiveness of BMP performance in improving water quality as the basis for watershed management recommendations. This study evaluates 171 management practice combinations that incorporate nutrient management, vegetated filter strips (VFS) and grazing management for their performances in improving water quality in a pasture-dominated watershed with dynamic land use changes during 1992–2007 by using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). These selected BMPs were further examined with future climate conditions (2010–2069) downscaled from three general circulation models (GCMs) for understanding how climate change may impact BMP performance. Simulation results indicate that total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) losses increase with increasing litter application rates. Alum-treated litter applications resulted in greater TN losses, and fewer TP losses than the losses from untreated poultry litter applications. For the same litter application rates, sediment and TP losses are greater for summer applications than fall and spring applications, while TN losses are greater for fall applications. Overgrazing management resulted in the greatest sediment and phosphorus losses, and VFS is the most influential management practice in reducing pollutant losses. Simulations also indicate that climate change impacts TSS losses the most, resulting in a larger magnitude of TSS losses. However, the performance of selected BMPs in reducing TN and TP losses was more stable in future climate change conditions than in the BMP performance in the historical climate condition. We recommend that selection of BMPs to reduce TSS losses should be a priority concern when multiple uses of BMPs that benefit nutrient reductions are considered in a watershed. Therefore, the BMP combination of spring litter application, optimum grazing management and filter strip with a VFS ratio of 42 could be a promising alternative for use in mitigating future climate change.

Pei-Te Chiueh, Wei-Ting Shang and Shang-Lien Lo

Article: An Integrated Risk Management Model for Source Water Protection Areas

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(10), 3724-3739; doi:10.3390/ijerph9103724

Received: 31 August 2012; in revised form: 26 September 2012 / Accepted: 27 September 2012 / Published: 17 October 2012

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Yaolong Zhao, Ke Zhang, Yingchun Fu and Hong Zhang

Article: Examining Land-Use/Land-Cover Change in the Lake Dianchi Watershed of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau of Southwest China with Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques: 1974–2008

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(11), 3843-3865; doi:10.3390/ijerph9113843

Received: 28 August 2012 / Accepted: 15 October 2012 / Published: 24 October 2012

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Yu-Pin Lin, Nien-Ming Hong, Li-Chi Chiang, Yen-Lan Liu and Hone-Jay Chu

Article: Adaptation of Land-Use Demands to the Impact of Climate Change on the Hydrological Processes of an Urbanized Watershed

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(11), 4083-4102; doi:10.3390/ijerph9114083

Received: 3 September 2012; in revised form: 7 October 2012 / Accepted: 1 November 2012 / Published: 12 November 2012

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Weiwei Zhang, Hong Li, Danfeng Sun and Liandi Zhou

Article: A Statistical Assessment of the Impact of Agricultural Land Use Intensity on Regional Surface Water Quality at Multiple Scales

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(11), 4170-4186; doi:10.3390/ijerph9114170

Received: 27 August 2012; in revised form: 29 October 2012 / Accepted: 9 November 2012 / Published: 15 November 2012

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Hui Zhu, Yingying Xu, Baixing Yan and Jiunian Guan

Review: Snowmelt Runoff: A New Focus of Urban Nonpoint Source Pollution

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(12), 4333-4345; doi:10.3390/ijerph9124333

Received: 31 August 2012; in revised form: 12 November 2012 / Accepted: 27 November 2012 / Published: 30 November 2012

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Yu Chen, Guobao Song, Fenglin Yang, Shushen Zhang, Yun Zhang and Zhenyu Liu

Article: Risk Assessment and Hierarchical Risk Management of Enterprises in Chemical Industrial Parks Based on Catastrophe Theory

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(12), 4386-4402; doi:10.3390/ijerph9124386

Received: 19 October 2012; in revised form: 13 November 2012 / Accepted: 27 November 2012 / Published: 3 December 2012

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Stéphanie Piel, Estelle Baurès and Olivier Thomas

Article: Contribution to Surface Water Contamination Understanding by Pesticides and Pharmaceuticals, at a Watershed Scale

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2012, 9(12), 4433-4451; doi:10.3390/ijerph9124433

Received: 10 September 2012; in revised form: 12 November 2012 / Accepted: 19 November 2012 / Published: 4 December 2012

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Jinliang Huang, Pei Zhou, Zengrong Zhou and Yaling Huang

Article: Assessing the Influence of Land Use and Land Cover Datasets with Different Points in Time and Levels of Detail on Watershed Modeling in the North River Watershed, China

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2013, 10(1), 144-157; doi:10.3390/ijerph10010144

Received: 25 October 2012; in revised form: 22 November 2012 / Accepted: 4 December 2012 / Published: 27 December 2012

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Hualin Xie, Peng Wang and Hongsheng Huang

Article: Ecological Risk Assessment of Land Use Change in the Poyang Lake Eco-economic Zone, China

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2013, 10(1), 328-346; doi:10.3390/ijerph10010328

Received: 23 August 2012; in revised form: 17 December 2012 / Accepted: 5 January 2013 / Published: 14 January 2013

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Hone-Jay Chu, Chun-Yu Liu and Chi-Kuei Wang

Article: Identifying the Relationships between Water Quality and Land Cover Changes in the Tseng-Wen Reservoir Watershed of Taiwan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2013, 10(2), 478-489; doi:10.3390/ijerph10020478

Received: 22 September 2012; in revised form: 31 December 2012 / Accepted: 21 January 2013 / Published: 28 January 2013

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Last update: 18 May 2012

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