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Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for Environmental Sustainability

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability, Biodiversity and Conservation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 August 2023) | Viewed by 6708

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Elżbieta Zębek

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Guest Editor

Department of International Public Law and European Union Law, University of Warmia and Mazury, Olsztyn, Poland
Interests: ecology of waters; restoration of lakes; phytoplankton and periphytic algae as indicators of quality of waters; protection of nature (protection of forest areas); waste management system; law of environmental protection; bioeconomy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biodiversity is a very important indicator of the functioning of natural ecosystems, appreciated and analysed by scientists from various scientific fields. The 1992 Rio Declaration and Convention on Biological Diversity emphasized the essence of biodiversity in the use of the environment in accordance with the principle of sustainable development, which should study the relationship between human rights and the environment, maintaining the sustainability of natural ecosystems and economic activity. All of this was to ensure that the environmental resources would not become excessively polluted and degraded; instead, they could be regenerated and used by both present and future generations. The purpose of this Special Issue is to initiate a discourse and exchanging of views, and to present the latest research results on the essence of biodiversity in the use of natural ecosystems to maintain a natural balance. This Special Issue also aims to highlight an assessment of the condition of natural ecosystems, the threats resulting from anthropological activity, and the consequences of climate change on biodiversity, with a proposal of ways to alter the use of environmental resources in line with sustainable development. A dialogue conducted by scientists from various fields, i.e., biologists, ecologists, environmental protection engineers, economists and lawyers, will be very useful and will strengthen the interdisciplinary aspect of this Special Issue, enriching the literature in this field. The results of the presented research on the protection of biodiversity, and thus the pursuit of sustainable development, will allow for the broadening of the worldview on this topic from various perspectives, and the indicated proposed directions for the protection of biodiversity in natural ecosystems may become a useful guide for scientists and politicians in various countries. This will contribute to enhancing the protection of environmental resources in accordance with the principle of sustainable development, resulting in an improvement of environmental quality, and thus people's lives, plus the extension of the possibilities of their economic use.

Prof. Dr. Elżbieta Zębek
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

biodiversity
ecosystems
sustainable development
protection of environment
climate changes

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 6620 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Kinshasa Province (Democratic Republic of Congo): Typology of Peri-Urban Ecosystems Providing Edible Insects

by Célestin Adeito Mavunda, Madjouma Kanda, Fousséni Folega, Demirel Maza-esso Bawa, Bilouktime Badjare, John Katembo Mukirania, Marra Dourma and Koffi Akpagana

Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 11823; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511823 - 01 Aug 2023

Viewed by 916

Abstract

Tropical peri-urban ecosystems are essential for the urban population’s well-being through the goods and services they provide. Unfortunately, these ecosystems are subjected to anthropogenic pressures for various reasons. This study aims to assess the diversity and structure of the peri-urban ecosystems that provide the most edible insects in Kinshasa. A total of 360 people were interviewed to identify the two insect species most frequently consumed. The tree inventory was carried out in 50 plots (2500 m² each), of which 25 were in Acacia plantations, 10 were planted Milletia forests, and 15 were natural Millettia forests. The diameters of each tree, dbh ≥ 10 cm, were measured. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to distinguish the forest communities. Diversity indices were used to assess floristic variability and structural parameters were used to characterize forest stands. Two insects were identified as being the most commonly consumed in Kinshasa: Gonimbrasia jamesoni (28%) and Cirina forda (27%), found the in Acacia plantation, and in the planted Milletia forests and natural Milletti forest, respectively. The results indicate floristic (higher in the Acacia plantation) and structural variability between stands. The structure of the stands indicates good news for all forests, except the planted forest. The high frequency/dominance of A. auriculiformis and M. laurentii in the peri-urban ecosystems of Kinshasa would therefore be optimal conditions (under natural conditions) for good production of these two caterpillar species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for Environmental Sustainability)

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15 pages, 2217 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Defining Important Areas for Ecosystem Conservation in Qinghai Province under the Policy of Ecological Red Line

by Jundong He, Jun Chen, Juan Xiao, Tingting Zhao and Pengxi Cao

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5524; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065524 - 21 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1252

Abstract

Delimiting important ecological conservation areas is critical for ecological integrity, sustainability of the ecological service function, and management of environmental degradation. However, the process of defining important areas for ecological protection purposes is elusive, especially in the Qinghai Province of China, which is home to unique ecosystems. To address this issue, we selected biodiversity (endangered mammals, birds, and plants), soil retention, water storage, and carbon sequestration to define and delimit important areas for the protection of these ecosystem functions. We found that the important endangered birds of Qinghai Province were mainly distributed in the eastern and southern parts, while important endangered plants were relatively centralized, with relatively high distribution in the Golog of Qinghai Province. The total amounts were 2.245 billion tons, 46.513 billion m³, and 60.91 Tg for soil retention, water storage, and carbon sequestration in Qinghai ecosystems, respectively. Soil retention and carbon sequestration presented a similar trend, with high levels in the eastern and low levels in the western parts of Qinghai, while water storage was higher in the south than in the north. Among various ecosystem types, the grassland ecosystem was the main body of soil retention, water retention, and carbon sequestration; soil retention, water retention, and carbon sequestration were quite small in the desert, town, and city ecosystems. By evaluating the spatial distribution of the service functions of ecosystems, we found that extremely important areas of the ecosystem service function in Qinghai Province totaled 247,200 square kilometers, and the important areas summed to 124,500 square kilometers. Combined extremely important and important areas of the ecosystem service function reached 371,700 square kilometers and accounted for 53.36% of the total area of Qinghai. The ecological protection red line has now become an important national strategy for ecological protection. The demarcation of the ecological protection red line has great significance in safeguarding Qinghai’s ecological security. It is the basic guarantee for sustainable economic and social development in China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for Environmental Sustainability)

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17 pages, 3704 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dynamics of Organic Nitrogen Compound Mineralization in Organic Soils under Grassland, and the Mineral N Concentration in Groundwater (A Case Study of the Mazurian Lake District, Poland)

by Jan Pawluczuk and Arkadiusz Stępień

Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2639; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032639 - 01 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1134

Abstract

Peatlands serve numerous functions, with one of the main ones being the retention of nutrients, including mineral nitrogen. A field study in organic soils was carried out in the Mazurian Lake District situated in north-eastern Poland (53°37′50′ N, 20°28′51′ E). In the test peat soils, the rate of organic nitrogen compound mineralization varied significantly depending on the season. The dynamics of the organic matter mineralization process were most strongly influenced by the soil use and the season. The mineral N release was higher in organic soil under intensively used grassland. In this soil, much more mineral nitrogen was released during the summer and spring periods. The dominant form in the organic nitrogen compound mineralization processes was N-NO₃. The highest dynamics of the organic nitrogen compound mineralization were noted at a soil moisture content ranging from 57% to 59%. The interdependence of the soil moisture content and the rate of organic nitrogen compound mineralization fluctuated over the study period, with an increase in spring and a decrease in summer. A correlation was demonstrated between the nitrate form content in the peat soils under intensive cultivation and the nitrate-nitrogen concentration in groundwater, while no correlation was demonstrated between the N-NO₃ content in the soils under a forest and the N-NO₃ concentration in the groundwater of these soils. The results provide the basis for the conclusion that the land use type (forest, grassland), which determines the morphological structure of organic soils, affects the intensity of the infiltration of different mineral nitrogen forms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for Environmental Sustainability)

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13 pages, 960 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biodiversity and Economy but Not Social Factors Predict Human Population Dynamics in South Africa

by Bopaki Phogole and Kowiyou Yessoufou

Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8668; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148668 - 15 Jul 2022

Viewed by 1859

Abstract

The ongoing exponential growth of human population poses a risk to sustainable development goals (SDGs). Unless we understand the drivers of this growth and inform policy development accordingly, SDGs would remain a dream. One of the old theories of population growth known as the Malthusian theory predicts that resource availability drives population growth until a certain time when population growth outrun resource availability, leading to all sort of crises summarized as Malthusian crisis. Although the link between economic growth and population has been widely investigated while testing the theory, little is known about environmental and social factors potentially driving population growth. Here, because of various crises of our time recalling the Malthusian crisis, we revisited the theory by fitting structural equation models to environmental, social and economic data collected over 30-year period in South Africa. None of the social variables tested predicts population growth. Instead, we found that biodiversity (species protection index) correlates positively with population growth. Biodiversity provides various resources through ecosystem goods and services to human, thus supporting population growth as predicted in the Malthusian theory. However, we also found that this population growth may lead to conservation conflict as we found that biodiversity habitat (wetland area) correlates negatively with population growth, thus raising the compromising effect of population growth on life on earth. What’s more, we found a significant link between economic growth measured as GDP and population growth, further supporting the Malthusian prediction. Overall, our study re-affirms the value of biodiversity to human and suggests that the Malthusian theory should continuously be tested with predictors other than economic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for Environmental Sustainability)

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Other

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19 pages, 2343 KiB

Open AccessPerspective

Perspectives on Drivers of Biodiversity and Environmental Changes in the Keta Lagoon Ramsar Site of Ghana

by Precious Agbeko Dzorgbe Mattah, Margaret Fafa Awushie Akwetey, Sika Abrokwah, Prince Prah, Domarine Kwaboah Tuffour, Denis Worlanyo Aheto and Suneetha Subramanian

Sustainability 2024, 16(2), 666; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020666 - 12 Jan 2024

Viewed by 839

Abstract

There is a general decline in biodiversity and the environment of coastal wetlands worldwide. Reasons for the decline obviously include overexploitation of wetland resources, climate change and industrialization, to mention but a few. This study used a purely qualitative approach using mainly focus group discussions (FDGs) in the framework of Driver–Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) to examine the changes occurring in the largest coastal wetland in Ghana—the Keta Lagoon Complex Ramsar Site (KLCRS). The results indicate that the state of the environment is bedevilled with species loss, increases in salinity, decreases in the physical size of fish species and many others. Pressures and related drivers were noted by the respondents. The results point to the fact that communities are not oblivious to the adaptation measures to implement in order to overcome the degradation of KLCRS. Overall, this study points to the fact that local communities have a good knowledge and understanding of their environment and are always in a position to offer ideas related to managing the environment if given the chance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for Environmental Sustainability)

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