Search Results (56)

The arid-hot valleys of Sichuan Province contain extensive engineered gravel deposits, where ecological restoration has become the predominant remediation strategy. Accelerating vegetation recovery and continuously improving productivity are important prerequisites for the protection of regional biodiversity. We employed fertilization and sowing cultivation to facilitate ecological restoration. We have conducted continuous ecological experiments for two years using the following experimental treatments, covering indigenous soil, adding organic fertilizer, and applying compound fertilizer and organic fertilizer, with six types of sowing established under each soil treatment: monoculture and pairwise mixed cropping utilizing Elymus dahuricus (EDA), Dactylis glomerata (DGL), and Medicago sativa (MSA). Through the analysis of variance and the calculation of effect factors, our results indicated that compound fertilizer and organic fertilizer adding significantly improved vegetation cover and increased aboveground biomass, and the highest productivity was observed in the mixed sowing treatment of EDA and MSA. The effect coefficient model analysis further showed that the combination of EDA and MSA resulted in the highest selection and compensation effects on aboveground productivity. Two potential mechanisms drive enhanced productivity in mixed grasslands: the strengthening of the selection effect via increased legume nitrogen fixation, and the enhancement of the compensation effect through niche differentiation among species. Full article

As a core karst region in Southwest China, Guanling County plays a crucial role in regional ecological governance. This study integrates the InVEST model, landscape pattern index analysis, and the MGWR spatial model to systematically explore the dynamic mechanisms of habitat quality in Guanling’s karst mountains. Key findings include: (1) Landscape pattern alterations exhibit significant impacts on habitat quality, characterized by strong spatial heterogeneity; (2) Expansion of forest and grassland effectively buffers the negative effects of construction land expansion, forming an ecological compensation mechanism through enhanced landscape connectivity; (3) Between 2000 and 2020, the proportion of high-importance habitat quality zones increased from 54.79% to 56.16%, with moderate-importance zones stabilizing at approximately 7.80% and general-importance zones growing to 2.46%. The results provide a multi-scale analytical framework for habitat protection and land use optimization in fragile karst ecosystems. Full article

As a core element of comprehensive land consolidation, cultivated land serves as both a fundamental resource and strategic platform for driving rural revitalization and advancing ecological civilization development. Based on the five periods of remote sensing monitoring data of land use from the 1980 to 2020 in Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County, this study systematically examines cultivated land transfer dynamics and quantitatively assesses fragmentation levels through landscape metrics analysis, with the ultimate objective of informing strategic land consolidation planning at the county scale. The results indicate that (1) the cultivated land transformation in Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County exhibited distinct temporal patterns demarcated by 2010. During the initial phase, limited land transfers predominantly involved woodland transfers, characterized by cross-regional occupation–compensation dynamics and a northwest-oriented spatial shift. The subsequent phase witnessed substantial transfer intensification, incorporating grassland and construction land transfers alongside woodland. This period demonstrated balanced intra-township occupation–compensation mechanisms and a marked southeastward migration of transfer concentration; (2) cultivated land transfer dynamics demonstrated greater intensity in topographically moderate townships, whereas northwestern mountainous townships characterized by elevated altitudes and pronounced gradients maintained comparative spatial stability in transfer patterns; (3) cultivated land fragmentation exhibited topographic modulation, with reduced spatial disaggregation in low-lying plains contrasting elevated indices across northwestern highland terrains; and (4) the cultivated land area showed a predominant reduction in low-elevation and gentle-slope regions, accompanied by a decrease in landscape fragmentation. Conversely, in areas with higher elevations and steeper slopes, expansions in both cultivated land area and fragmentation were observed. Full article

The gullied Loess Plateau, a region characterized by the overlapping of ecological fragility and energy abundance in China, requires urgent analysis of its territorial spatial conflict mechanisms to harmonize human–environment relationships. This study integrated multi-temporal remote sensing data (1990–2020) to develop a Comprehensive Spatial Conflict Index (CSCI) and applied the Optimal Parameter-based Geographical Detector (OPGD) to unravel the driving mechanisms of territorial spatial evolution in Qingyang City, Gansu Province. The results revealed that: (1) Territorial spaces exhibit a transition pattern of ecological restoration, urban expansion, and agricultural contraction. Forest and grassland ecological spaces increased by 1.42 percentage points (to 13.14%) and 1.26 percentage points (to 49.29%), respectively, while industrial-mining production spaces expanded sevenfold (0.01% to 0.08%), and agricultural production spaces decreased by 3.36 percentage points. (2) Spatial conflicts transitioned through three phases: ① A low-intensity stabilization phase (1990–2000), with 90.55% of areas under weak and moderately weak conflict (CSCI ≤ 0.4); ② A moderate conflict contraction phase (2000–2010), where weak conflict zones surged by 28.18 percentage points (13.06% → 41.24%), with moderate and moderately weak spatial conflict (0.2–0.6) decreasing by 28.27 percentage points (86.06% → 57.79%); ③ A moderately strong to strong expansion phase (2010–2020), with moderate and moderately strong conflict areas rising to 16.82%. Strong conflict zones (CSCI ≥ 0.8) expanded to 0.61%, spatially clustered in the Xifeng urban area and the Malian–Pu River corridor, showing significant positive correlations with gully density (>3.5 km∙km⁻²) and nighttime light index (NL). (3) The interaction between NDVI and land use intensity (LUI) dominated conflict patterns (q = 0.2583). In northern energy development zones (Huanxian County), LUI and precipitation (PRE) synergistically intensified landslide risks, while facility agriculture in central plateau farmlands (Ningxian County) triggered groundwater overexploitation. The coupling of road density (RND) and population (POP) factors (q = 0.1892) formed a transportation–population axial belt compression. Policy interventions exhibited spatial heterogeneity: the Grain-for-Green Program increased weak conflict zones by 28.18 percentage points, whereas wind power development in the Huanxian–Huachi northern belt escalated moderately strong to strong conflict zones by 3.6 percentage points. A three-dimensional governance framework integrating geomorphological adaptation, development phasing, and ecological compensation is proposed to optimize territorial spatial planning in the gullied Loess Plateau. Full article

This study incorporated ecological footprint (EF) consumption into a framework to assess ecological well-being. A model and implementation framework for characterizing regional net ecological well-being were then developed. Using the Guanzhong Plain Urban Agglomeration (GPUA) as a case study, land use data from 2000 to 2020 were utilized to calculate the ecosystem service value (ESV), representing the supply side of regional ecological functions. Simultaneously, the regional EF consumption was assessed as the demand side. Taking into account the level of regional economic development and the characteristics of people’s living, a regional net ecological well-being evaluation model was constructed to arrive at a deficit or surplus ecological situation. The results indicated that: (1) The overall ESV of the GPUA follows a trend of initial growth followed by a decline. Woodland, grassland, and farmland are the main contributors to the total ESV, with regulating and supporting services accounting for more than 80% of the total ecosystem value. (2) EF consumption in the GPUA shows a significant upward trend, increasing by over 70% on average. The level of ecological carrying capacity has slightly increased, with the biologically productive area that can support human activities expanding to 1909.49 million hectares. Additionally, the carrying capacity of the urban agglomeration cities has tended to stabilize since 2015. (3) Since 2010, anthropogenic consumption in the GPUA has continued to exceed the regional ecological capacity, resulting in an ecological well-being deficit. The average ecological well-being compensation per hectare in the urban agglomeration increased from 35.588 CNY to 187.110 CNY. This study offers a theoretical foundation for expanding the definition and research framework of regional ecological well-being by providing a more accurate assessment of regional ecological service supply and consumption at multiple scales. It is expected that this approach will help reduce the opportunity costs associated with ecological protection, while promoting a balanced approach to economic development and ecological preservation. Full article

Within the context of global desertification trends in arid regions, advancing afforestation and sand stabilization efforts are not only vital for human survival but are also key considerations in addressing the challenges of climate change and achieving sustainable development. This study, set against the backdrop of China’s new round of Grain-for-Green compensation policies implemented in 2014, investigates farmers’ behavior in planting economically valuable forests and grasslands driven by compensation incentives. Grounded in the principles of behavioral economics and assuming farmers as rational “economic agents”, this study focuses on farmers residing on the northern and southern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang. Employing the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) approach, it examines the intricate causal mechanisms that shape farmers’ involvement or lack thereof in economic forest and grassland activities. These mechanisms are analyzed through the lenses of resource endowment, psychological perception, and external environmental factors. The results indicate that perceived benefits and neighbor imitation serve as essential conditions for non-participation in planting economic forests and grasslands. Three configurational pathways account for participation: farmers motivated by perceived benefits, those guided by the combined influence of “psychological perception and external environment”, and individuals driven by ecological aspirations alongside neighbor imitation. Additionally, four configurational pathways explain non-participation, with two types of farmers identified: those facing a dual deficiency of psychological perception and external environment, and non-high income traditional farmers dependent on agricultural irrigation water. Full article

This study analyzed the spatiotemporal changes in grassland NDVI from 2000 to 2020 in the eastern route of the China–Mongolia–Russia Economic Corridor, a region with frequent ecological–economic interactions, and explained the main driving factors, influencing patterns, and degrees of grassland NDVI changes in different regions. Based on MODIS NDVI data, the study employs emerging spatiotemporal hotspot analysis, Maximum Relevance Minimum Redundancy (mRMR) feature selection, and Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) to reveal the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of grassland NDVI, while identifying long-term stable trends, and to select the most relevant and non-redundant factors to analyze the main driving factors of grassland NDVI change. Partial dependence plots were used to visualize the response and sensitivity of grassland NDVI to various factors. The results show the following: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the NDVI of grassland in the study area showed an overall upward trend, from 0.61 to 0.65, with significant improvement observed in northeastern China and northeastern Russia. (2) Spatiotemporal hotspot analysis indicates that 51% of the area is classified as persistent hotspots for grassland NDVI, mainly distributed in Russia, whereas 12% of the area is identified as persistent cold spots, predominantly located in Mongolia. (3) The analysis of key drivers reveals that precipitation and land surface temperature are the dominant climatic factors shaping grassland NDVI trends, while the effects of soil conditions and human activity vary regionally. In China, NDVI is primarily driven by land surface temperature (LST), GDP, and population density; in Mongolia, precipitation, LST, and GDP exert the strongest influence; whereas in Russia, livestock density and soil organic carbon play the most significant roles. (4) For the whole study area, in persistent cold spot areas of grassland NDVI, the negative effects of rising land surface temperature were most pronounced, reducing NDVI by 36% in the 25–40 °C range. The positive effects of precipitation on NDVI were most evident under low to moderate precipitation conditions, with the effects diminishing as precipitation increased. Soil moisture and soil pH have stronger effects in persistent hotspot areas. Regarding human activity factors, the livestock factor in Mongolia shows an inverted U-shaped relationship with NDVI, and increasing population density contributed to grassland degradation in persistent cold spots. Proper grazing intensity regulation strategy is crucial in these areas with inappropriate grazing intensity, while social and economic activities promoted vegetation cover improvement in persistent hotspots in China and Russia. These findings provide practical insights to guide grassland ecosystem restoration and ensure sustainable development along the eastern route of the China–Mongolia–Russia Economic Corridor. China should prioritize ecological compensation policies. Mongolia needs to integrate traditional nomadic grazing with modern practices. Russia should focus on strengthening regulatory frameworks to prevent the over-exploitation of grasslands. Especially for persistent cold spot areas of grassland NDVI in Mongolia and Russia that are prone to grassland degradation, attention should be paid to the significant negative impact of livestock on grassland. Full article

Food security is an important foundation of national security. Since China entered a new era in 2012, the supply of agricultural and animal husbandry products in Qinghai has continuously enhanced. However, the implementation of ecological policies such as Grain for Green and Grassland Ecological Compensation restricted the cultivation and grazing areas. At the same time, with the improvement in living standards and food consumption demand of local residents, the contradiction between human beings and land has become increasingly prominent. It is necessary to analyze the balance between food supply and demand to evaluate food security. This study used supply–demand analysis and spatial autocorrelation analysis based on county-level statistical data on production and consumption collected through random sampling surveys to reveal the characteristics of the production and consumption of the main food types in Qinghai during 2012–2022 as well as to analyze the food self-sufficiency changes and their spatial clustering features. The results showed that the regions with higher grain and meat production in Qinghai were concentrated in the northeast in the past decade, while the regions with higher consumption were mainly in the counties with larger populations. At the county level, grain could not achieve self-sufficiency, except in northeastern Qinghai; meat was self-sufficient in most counties. Through regional allocation, Qinghai had achieved grain and meat self-sufficiency at the provincial level. The self-sufficiency of grain and meat showed obvious clustering, with high-value clusters of grain self-sufficiency and low-value clusters of meat both distributed in the provincial capital and surrounding areas, which were related to the adjustment of urban residents’ dietary structure from staple foods to diversified foods. This study provides a scientific basis for decision makers when adjusting the agricultural and animal husbandry structure as well as the dietary structure of residents to ensure food security and the sustainable utilization of land resources. Full article

In recent years, rapid urbanization in the Southern Jiangsu urban area has significantly altered land use patterns, impacting local ecosystem service value (ESV). This study examines land use changes (LUCs) from 2000 to 2020 and assesses ESV changes with the equivalent factor method. The PLUS model is also used to project future LUCs in line with the “Land and Space Planning of Jiangsu Province (2021–2035)”. The simulation considers scenarios for natural development (NDS), ecological protection (EPS), farmland protection (FPS), and comprehensive development (CDS) for the year 2035. The research findings show that over the past two decades, urbanized areas have persistently grown, whereas there has been a steady decline in the extents of farmland, forested areas, and grasslands. The total ESV has shown a decreasing trend, with the spatial distribution of ESV exhibiting higher values in the eastern regions and lower values in the west. The relationship between land use and ESV is negative, as evidenced by both the comprehensive land use (LA) and the Moran’s I index. Scenario predictions reveal that farmland, forest land, and grassland show a decreasing trend under the NDS, while it is the opposite under the EPS. The FPS is predominant in farmland area, and all land types in the CDS comply with national land planning requirements. Overall, the research findings reveal and predict the influence of LUCs on ESV in the study area under four scenarios, which is beneficial optimizing regional resource planning schemes and formulating ecological compensation policies. Full article

Land-use change is an important cause of carbon emissions (CEs). In the context of achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, understanding the coupling mechanisms between land-use change and CEs is of great significance for fostering regional low-carbon sustainable development. In this study, the land-use net carbon emissions (LCN) calculation and evaluation model was built based on the perspective of land-use change. The land-use variation matrix, standard deviation ellipse, and spatial autocorrelation analysis were used to analyze the spatio-temporal evolution of land-use and the LCN in the Chengyu urban agglomeration (CUA) from 2000 to 2020. Meanwhile, the economic contribution coefficient and ecological support coefficient were applied to evaluate the alignment among the CEs, socio-economic development, and the ecological environment. In addition, the modified Kaya and Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) models were used to quantitatively analyze the drivers and underlying influence mechanisms of the LCN. The results showed the following: (1) The area of built-up land and forest land expanded rapidly, mainly transforming grassland and farmland to built-up land and forest land in the CUA during the study period. The built-up land was the main source of the regional CEs. The land-use changes led to the migration of the LCN center and the variations in spatial clustering. (2) The growth rate of the LCN decreased after 2010, and the disparities in carbon productivity and the carbon compensation rate among the cities gradually narrowed from 2000 to 2020. The alignment among the regional CEs, socio-economic development, and ecological environmental governance was effectively improved. (3) The economic development level and energy consumption intensity were the primary facilitator and inhibitor of the LCN, respectively. The results could offer valuable references and insights for formulating regional carbon reduction strategies and policies. Full article

In recent years, the international community has increasingly focused on the “dual carbon” issue, as human-induced land use changes significantly impact ecosystem structure and carbon cycling. This study analyzes land use changes in the economic zone of the northern Gulf of Guangxi from 1980 to 2020, utilizing the InVEST model to simulate spatiotemporal changes in carbon storage and conducting zoning studies through spatial analysis. The findings reveal that ① forest land and arable land dominate the northern Gulf of Guangxi’s land use, with notable changes observed in forest land, unused land, and construction land areas. Forest land and construction land have increased by 1761.5 km² and 1001.19 km², respectively, while unused land has decreased by 1881.18 km² from 2000 to 2020. ② The total carbon storage values in the northern Gulf of Guangxi in 1980, 2000, and 2020 were, respectively, 504.91 × 10⁶/t, 487.29 × 10⁶/t, and 500.31 × 10⁶/t, with the expansion of construction land and conversion of forest land being the main reasons for the decrease in carbon storage. ③ In the northern Gulf of Guangxi, there is a slight upward trend in total carbon storage values over time. Spatially, higher carbon storage values are observed in mountainous and hilly areas at high altitudes, while the central and southern coastal areas exhibit lower carbon storage values. ④ The local spatial autocorrelation results reveal that Pu Bei County exhibits high–high clustering of carbon storage, while He Pu County undergoes a transition from high–low to low–low clustering, and several other administrative areas in Beihai demonstrates low–low clustering. Due to the imperative of economic development, the expansion of urban construction land encroaches upon ecological land, resulting in a decline in carbon storage. Therefore, in the Northern Gulf of Guangxi, it is essential to implement measures such as reforestation and establish ecological protection areas such as forests, grasslands, and wetlands to develop effective carbon sequestration methods and compensate for the carbon loss caused by the expansion of construction land. Full article

After two decades of implementing top-down grassland restoration projects focused on reducing livestock numbers and pastoralist populations, the Chinese government’s well-funded efforts have not significantly reversed grassland degradation. This study reviews the institutional changes in grassland management over the past forty years, highlighting the Livestock and Grassland Double Contract Household Responsibility System of the early 1980s and the Grassland Ecological Reward and Compensation Policy introduced in 2011. It demonstrates how these institutional transformations have shaped pastoralists’ evolving understanding of grassland value and reveals that commodifying grassland’s economic and ecological value has led to the capitalization of nature, disembedding husbandry from grassland production, and undermining the effectiveness of conservation projects. This article also showcases the development of grassland ecology research in China, noting its increasing detachment from a holistic understanding of ecosystems and the interdisciplinary needs of management practices. The disjunction between grassland ecology research and practical management has resulted in a lack of techniques aligned with local ecological and socioeconomic contexts. This article champions active engagement with and protection of pastoralist communities to reintegrate grasslands’ true economic and ecological value into management practices, thereby effectively restoring degraded grasslands and achieving sustainable management. Full article

The original contiguous poverty-stricken areas of China (OCPSAC) are a regional complex with natural and human attributes. Their ecosystem services are highly complex in their contribution to human well-being. The region’s ecosystem is unstable and socio-economic development is unbalanced, making it a key area for research and the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore, it has become the focus of social attention. This study obtained satellite remote sensing images of the Landsat8 based on the Google Earth Engine. The dynamic characteristics of the spatial and temporal distribution of the OCPSAC’s land use changes in 2015 and 2022 were analyzed. The characteristics of the changes in ecosystem service value (ESV) were quantitatively evaluated through the revised ESV equivalent scale, and the ecological compensation (EC) standards and EC priority level suitable for the region were explored. The research results showed that: (1) the OCPSAC land use types were mainly grassland, forests, and deserts, accounting for more than 80% of the research area; (2) the OCPSAC’s ESV reached CNY 115.578 billion, and the Tibet Region (TR) and Tibetan Region of Four Provinces (TRFP) had the highest ESVs, accounting for 32.28% and 19.64%, respectively. Among individual ESVs, hydrological regulation (HR) and climate regulation (CR) had the highest values, accounting for 55.23% of the research area; (3) the ESV of the research area presented the characteristics of being high in the middle and low at both ends. From the terrain perspective, the areas with a higher ESV per unit area were distributed in the second altitude gradient, followed by China’s third altitude gradient, and the first altitude gradient was the lowest; (4) in the period of 2015–2022, the ESV increased by CNY 21.39 billion, of which TR’s ESV increased by CNY 17.44 billion. From the perspective of a single ESV, the value of waste treatment (WT), HR, nutrient cycle (NC), and provide aesthetic landscape (PAL) increased by CNY 24.38 billion; and (5) in 2022, the EC standard of the OCPSAC was CNY 917.14 billion. High-EC-value areas were mainly distributed in TR and TRFP, accounting for 72.79% of the total compensation amount, of which only TR’s EC amount exceeded a GDP of 2022, accounting for 4.77% of the total compensation. The purpose of this study was to provide a reference for ecosystem sustainability and EC. Full article

The valuation of ecosystem services (ESs) is crucial for preserving ecosystems, assessing natural resources, and making decisions regarding compensation. In this study, we employed the InVEST model’s habitat quality (HQ) module to calculate the HQ and degradation levels in the study area using land use/land cover (LULC) data from 2000 to 2020. Our analysis utilized quantitative methods, including spatial correlation, hotspot analysis, and geo-probing, to determine the value of ESs and identify trends. Furthermore, we examined the spatial and temporal variation in the significance of ESs and their driving factors. The results show the following. (1) The primary LULC types in the Zhundong coalfield from 2000 to 2020 are grassland and barren areas. (2) The average value of the HQ index in the study area exhibited a generally decreasing trend. Between 2000 and 2010, HQ significantly declined, particularly in the region’s large barren industrial and mining zones. However, over time, the proportion of sites with minimal degradation improved steadily, resulting in better overall HQ in the study area by 2020. This pertains to the measures put in place by the local government to safeguard and rehabilitate the ecosystem. (3) The spatial distribution of the ecosystem service value (ESV) aligns with changes in HQ and LULC, with significant hotspots primarily observed in forest and grassland areas, nature reserves, and areas around water sources. (4) LULC, temperature, annual precipitation, and elevation are the main drivers of spatial variation in the ESV in the Zhundong area; the spatial variation in the ESV in the Zhundong coalfield is primarily influenced by the interaction between human factors and natural factors, in which LULC plays a dominant role. This study’s findings can guide the development of rational ecological planning, integrating resource conservation mining with effective zoning management. Full article

The grassland ecological compensation mechanism is a basic guarantee for promoting the sustainable utilization of grassland resources, and the reasonable determination of the compensation subject is the basic premise for the effective operation of the grassland ecological compensation mechanism. At present, grassland ecological compensation is mainly based on government compensation, and the compensation method generally adopted is financial transfer payment with a single source of compensation funds. Therefore, establishing diversified compensation entities is of great significance in expanding the sources of compensation funds. As important users of grassland resources, herders should become the main representatives of grassland ecological compensation according to the principle of “whoever uses, pays”. In this study, based on survey data with respect to pastoral areas in Inner Mongolia, we used a multivariate ordered logistic regression model to empirically analyze the factors influencing the establishment of a voluntary compensation entity for herders. The results of this study showed that (1) the resource endowment factors of the respondents, including livestock inventory, grazing area, and cutting grassland area, have a significant positive impact on the willingness of herdsmen to voluntarily serve as the main representatives of grassland ecological compensation. When each influencing factor increased by one unit, the probability of voluntarily becoming a compensation subject increased by 3.5%, 1.91%, and 1.41%, respectively. (2) The factor of prohibited pasture area in the endowment of herders had a significant negative effect on their willingness to become compensation subjects, which indicates that the larger the prohibited pasture area owned by herders, the lower their grassland utilization rate and the lower their willingness to voluntarily become compensation subjects. (3) Among the cognitive factors of the respondents, “whether they will continue to support the implementation of the grassland compensation policy” had a positive promoting effect on herdsmen voluntarily becoming compensation subjects, showing that the higher the support of herdsmen for the ecological compensation system, the more willing they were to become compensation subjects. This article is based on the perspective of the sustainable utilization of grassland resources and empirically analyzes the influencing factors of herders’ willingness to reduce their number of livestock. Through the voluntary reduction of livestock by herders, a voluntary compensation entity for herders is constructed. Based on the research conclusions, relevant countermeasures and suggestions are proposed, providing a reference for improving grassland ecological compensation policies and promoting the sustainable utilization of grassland resources. Full article