Search Results (2)

Land cover change influences the provision of regional ecosystem services, posing a threat to regional ecological security and sustainable development. The Kuye River Basin, a vital tributary of the Yellow River Basin, has experienced significant land cover changes due to intense human activity. Building on analysing the spatiotemporal evolution of land use cover and ecosystem service values from 1990 to 2022, this study predicted the land cover structure and ecosystem service value with two future scenarios, the NDC and the EPC, to provide insights into guiding sustainable policy interventions. We found the predominant land cover types were greensward and forest land, accounting for 67.22% of the total area. Forest land, greensward, and farmland have increased, while desert, water area, and other land types have decreased from 1990 to 2022. Forest land, greensward, farmland, and water areas are the main contributors to ecosystem service value in the Kuye River Basin. However, water area services have significantly decreased from 1990 to 2022. Under the NDC scenario, land development primarily relies on greensward and farmland, reducing forest and water areas and weakening the ecosystem’s regulatory and supporting functions. In contrast, the EPC scenario enhances ecosystem services by protecting critical ecological regions. Ecological protection measures significantly increase the ecosystem service values of the Kuye River Basin, and well-planned land use can effectively balance economic development with ecological preservation. This study provides scientific evidence to inform policies integrating ecological protection and economic growth, contributing to the sustainable development of the Kuye River Basin. Full article

In aeolian sandy grass shoal catchment areas that rely heavily on groundwater, mining-induced geological deformation and aquifer drainage are likely to cause irreversible damage to natural groundwater systems and affect the original circulation of groundwater, thus threatening the ecological environment. This study aimed to predict the impact of groundwater level decline on vegetation growth in the Hailiutu River Basin (HRB), which is a coal-field area. Based on remote-sensing data, the land use/cover change was interpreted and analyzed, and the central areas of greensward land in the basin were determined. Subsequently, the correlation between groundwater depth and grassland distribution was analyzed. Then, the groundwater system under natural conditions was modeled using MODFLOW, and the groundwater flow field in 2029 was predicted by loading the generalized treatment of coal mine drainage water to the model. The change in groundwater depth caused by coal mining and its influence on the grassland were obtained. The results show that coal mining will decrease the groundwater depth, which would induce degradation risks in 4 of the original 34 aggregation centers of greensward land that originally depended on groundwater for growth in HRB because they exceeded the groundwater threshold. The prediction results show that the maximum settlement of groundwater level can reach 5 m in the northern (Yinpanhao), 6 m in the eastern (Dahaize), and 10 m in the southern (Balasu) region of HRB. Attention should be paid to vegetation degradation in areas where groundwater depth exceeds the minimum threshold for plant growth. Full article