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Ecology, Environment, and Watershed Management
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Ecology, Environment, and Watershed Management

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 3729

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Lixin Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
Interests: environmental and ecological engineering; wetland science; natural protection areas and ecosystem assessment
Prof. Dr. Lu Wen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
Interests: environmental ecology; ecological restoration and planning management; global change ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Zhiyong Pei

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Energy and Transportation Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
Interests: development and utilization of forest resources and environmental engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The intricate relationship between ecological environments and watershed management is pivotal in sustaining terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. This issue delves into the latest research advancements at the intersection of natural resource development, environmental engineering, environmental ecology, wetland science, and ecosystem restoration and planning management. We explore how sustainable watershed management practices can influence water cycles, the role of environmental engineering in mitigating pollution, and the critical feedback mechanisms within wetland ecosystems. The discussion underscores the importance of integrated approaches to water resource management that consider ecological health, emphasizing the need for innovative strategies in ecosystem restoration. These insights are essential for policymakers and practitioners aiming to balance human water needs with the preservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Prof. Dr. Lixin Wang
Prof. Dr. Lu Wen
Prof. Dr. Zhiyong Pei
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • watershed management
  • water cycle
  • environmental sustainability
  • forest ecosystem
  • wetland ecosystem
  • ecosystem management strategy
  • pollution reduction
  • ecosystem services
  • ecological balance

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 3690 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Green Development Dynamics and Influencing Factors in Daihai Basin
by Bin Bin, Weijia Cao, Qingkang Yang, Jinlei Li, Shizhong Jiang and Xiaoye Cao
Sustainability 2025, 17(9), 3820; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17093820 - 23 Apr 2025
Viewed by 272
Abstract
Green development accounting provides the theoretical basis and data support for national or regional ecological civilization constructions. The Daihai Basin, located in Ulanqab City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is not only an important ecological barrier in the region but also one of the [...] Read more.
Green development accounting provides the theoretical basis and data support for national or regional ecological civilization constructions. The Daihai Basin, located in Ulanqab City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is not only an important ecological barrier in the region but also one of the 179 nationally important wetlands under the “China Wetland Conservation Action Plan”. It plays a crucial role in maintaining regional ecological balance, providing ecological services such as water conservation, climate regulation, and biodiversity protection. Taking Daihai Basin as the study area, an accounting system of Green Gross Domestic Product (GGDP), Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP), and Gross Economic–Ecological Product (GEEP) was constructed to explore the temporal variation characteristics of GGDP, GEP, and GEEP in the study area from 1989 to 2022. The results were as follows: (1) During the study period, the overall GGDP in Daihai Basin showed an increasing trend, with an increase of CNY 3.812 billion in the past 30 years, of which GGDP increased from 1989 to 2011 and decreased from 2011 to 2022. In addition to GDP, the ecological damage cost was the most important factor influencing GGDP in the Daihai Basin, and the most significant one is the ecological damage to the wetland. (2) The GEP in the study area decreased, with a decrease of CNY 1.066 billion in the past 30 years. However, the conversion value of “Two Mountains” increased year by year. During the study period, the ecological regulation service value, which was dominated by climate regulation and water conservation, decreased year by year. (3) The GEEP in the study area showed a fluctuating change, with an overall upward trend, reaching a maximum of CNY 9.011 billion in 2011. (4) Except for 2011, during the study period, GEEP > GEP > GGDP in Daihai Basin, but the main driving factors of the three indicators were different, and the variation trends with time were different. The results of this research can provide a decision-making basis for the high-quality development of the Daihai Basin and provide reference cases for the green development accounting of other basins. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology, Environment, and Watershed Management)
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21 pages, 6501 KiB  
Article
Long-Term Response of Soil Moisture to Vegetation Changes in the Drylands of Northern China
by Yan Wang, Yingjie Wu, Shuixia Zhao and Guoqing Wang
Sustainability 2025, 17(6), 2483; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17062483 - 12 Mar 2025
Viewed by 538
Abstract
Soil moisture plays a critical role in the water and energy cycle within the soil–vegetation–atmosphere system and is a primary limiting factor in dryland ecosystems. Given the ongoing vegetation restoration in drylands, understanding the impact of vegetation changes on soil moisture is crucial [...] Read more.
Soil moisture plays a critical role in the water and energy cycle within the soil–vegetation–atmosphere system and is a primary limiting factor in dryland ecosystems. Given the ongoing vegetation restoration in drylands, understanding the impact of vegetation changes on soil moisture is crucial for maintaining ecosystem stability and ensuring the sustainability of restoration efforts. This study combined long-term satellite data with eco-hydrological modeling to investigate the interannual and seasonal responses of soil moisture to vegetation changes in the Yinshanbeilu region during 1982–2018. The results indicated that vegetation in the region predominantly exhibited a greening trend, with 60.43% of the area experiencing significant increases in LAI. In areas with vegetation greening, soil moisture declined, with the effect being more pronounced at deeper soil profiles. Furthermore, the soil moisture trends shifted from wetting to drying, or, in more cases, from drying to intensified drying. The influence of vegetation greening on soil moisture exhibited seasonal variations, with more significant effects found in summer and autumn. This study highlights the complex responses of soil moisture to vegetation changes in grassland ecosystems in northern China’s drylands and provides a scientific guidance for ecological restoration and water management in these regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology, Environment, and Watershed Management)
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26 pages, 3471 KiB  
Article
Research on the Impact of Market-Based Environmental Regulation Policies on Ecological Pressure: Evidence from China’s Carbon Emissions Trading Pilot
by Yu Wang, Dejing Meng, Linna Li and Ying Wang
Sustainability 2025, 17(5), 1872; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17051872 - 22 Feb 2025
Viewed by 569
Abstract
In the process of China’s path to modernization, the concept of harmonious coexistence between man and nature has become increasingly prominent. In the dual context of the development of human society and the improvement of ecological wellbeing, how to reasonably exert environmental regulation [...] Read more.
In the process of China’s path to modernization, the concept of harmonious coexistence between man and nature has become increasingly prominent. In the dual context of the development of human society and the improvement of ecological wellbeing, how to reasonably exert environmental regulation policies to actively address the problem of ecological overload has become an important challenge that we need to face urgently. Therefore, based on the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2005 to 2021, this paper uses the three-dimensional ecological footprint model to evaluate the degree of interference of human activities on the ecological level and selects the difference-in-differences model to examine the impact of external policy shocks, namely, a carbon emissions trading pilot (CETP) policy, on ecological pressure and its transmission mechanism. The results show that moderate government intervention, unified market regulation, and positive industrial response jointly enhance the mitigation effect of CETP on ecological pressure. In areas with strong environmental regulation and a high level of green credit, the incentive effect of the carbon trading mechanism is more significant. In the context of the transformation from industrial civilization to ecological civilization, the findings provide practical guidance and paths for how regions and enterprises can effectively respond to CETP and how governments, markets, and industries can jointly reduce the ecological pressure on the environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology, Environment, and Watershed Management)
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17 pages, 9559 KiB  
Article
Vegetation Carbon Source/Sink Dynamics and Extreme Climate Response in the Yangtze River Delta Coastal Zone
by Yuhang Han and Zhen Han
Sustainability 2025, 17(4), 1456; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17041456 - 11 Feb 2025
Viewed by 681
Abstract
Coastal zones, as transition areas for sea/land interaction, have substantial carbon sequestration potential while also being particularly vulnerable to extreme climate. Consequently, it has become essential to evaluate the vegetation carbon sinks in coastal zone areas under extreme climate conditions. In this study, [...] Read more.
Coastal zones, as transition areas for sea/land interaction, have substantial carbon sequestration potential while also being particularly vulnerable to extreme climate. Consequently, it has become essential to evaluate the vegetation carbon sinks in coastal zone areas under extreme climate conditions. In this study, we evaluated the vegetation net ecosystem productivity (NEP) in typical regions within the Yangtze River Delta coastal zone from 2000 to 2020. We studied the regional and chronological properties of NEP and its response to extreme climate. The results revealed the following: (1) Vegetation NEP demonstrated a fluctuating rising trend over the past 21 years, with an interannual change rate of 1.96 gC·m−2·a−1, and the 21-year average was 249.22 gC·m−2·a−1. Spatially, the southern part of the region had a higher NEP than the northern part, and the northern part had a higher NEP than the central part. (2) The overall area showed characteristics of a vegetation carbon sink, with carbon sink areas accounting for 82.41%. Among the ecosystems, forest ecosystems exhibited the strongest carbon sink capacity, followed by cropland ecosystems, while wetland ecosystems, urban ecosystems, and grassland ecosystems had relatively weaker carbon sink capacities. (3) The overall spatial change trend showed an upward trend, consistent with the temporal trend. There is also a high risk of vegetation NEP degradation in the future. (4) The NEP’s response to extreme temperature was more pronounced. The largest explanatory power was observed with SU25 and TMAX during single-factor analysis. The strongest explanatory power in the interaction analysis was found in the following three factor groups: R99p∩TMAX, SU25∩TNx, and TXx∩LST. The results highlight a complex synergistic interplay among these influences on NEP. The findings offer a scientific basis for ecological protection and the attainment of dual-carbon goals in the coastal zone of the Yangtze River Delta. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology, Environment, and Watershed Management)
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21 pages, 667 KiB  
Article
The Impact of the Digital Economy on Urban Ecosystem Resilience in the Yellow River Basin
by Yu Wang and Yupu Li
Sustainability 2025, 17(2), 790; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17020790 - 20 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1029
Abstract
The digital economy is key to ecological security in the Yellow River Basin and to harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. This study uses data from 80 cities in the Yellow River Basin from 2010 to 2022 to examine how the digital economy [...] Read more.
The digital economy is key to ecological security in the Yellow River Basin and to harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. This study uses data from 80 cities in the Yellow River Basin from 2010 to 2022 to examine how the digital economy affects urban ecological resilience. It uses three models to do this. The conclusion that the development of digital economy in the Yellow River Basin can significantly promote the enhancement of urban ecological environment resilience still holds after the robustness tests of phased regression, variable substitution and the introduction of instrumental variables. There is regional heterogeneity in the impact of digital economy on urban ecosystem resilience, showing the unbalanced spatial characteristics that the middle reaches are the highest, the upper reaches are the second highest, and the lower reaches are the lowest. The digital economy was shown to influence ecological resilience through a “double fixed-effects model” and a mediation effect model, via two intermediary pathways: “digital economy development → industrial structure upgrading → ecological resilience enhancement” and “digital economy development → resource allocation improvement → ecological resilience enhancement”. The digital economy was shown to transform and upgrade industrial structures and optimize capital and labor allocation, strengthening the ecological resilience of cities in the Yellow River Basin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology, Environment, and Watershed Management)
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