Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Conservation conservation	-	-	2021	35.6 Days	CHF 1000
Diversity diversity	2.1	3.4	2009	18.3 Days	CHF 2100
Forests forests	2.4	4.4	2010	16.2 Days	CHF 2600
Land land	3.2	4.9	2012	16.9 Days	CHF 2600
Remote Sensing remotesensing	4.2	8.3	2009	23.9 Days	CHF 2700

35 pages, 14601 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Space–Time Dynamics of Mortality and Recruitment of Stems and Trees in a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest: Effect of the 2012–2021 Droughts

by Maria Beatriz Ferreira, Rinaldo Luiz Caraciolo Ferreira, Jose Antonio Aleixo da Silva, Robson Borges de Lima, Alex Nascimento de Sousa and Marcos Vinícius da Silva

Remote Sens. 2025, 17(9), 1491; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17091491 - 23 Apr 2025

Viewed by 211

Abstract

Seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs) represent about 41.5% of the planet’s tropical forests. The objective of this study was to characterize the annual mortality and recruitment patterns of stems and trees between the years 2012–2021 in a Caatinga remnant in the state of [...] Read more.

Seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTFs) represent about 41.5% of the planet’s tropical forests. The objective of this study was to characterize the annual mortality and recruitment patterns of stems and trees between the years 2012–2021 in a Caatinga remnant in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, through geostatistical modeling, and to associate the drought events recorded in the region with vegetation dynamics. Mortality and recruitment of stems and trees were monitored in 80 permanent plots located in an SDTF remnant, counted year by year between 2012 and 2021. The standardized precipitation index (SPI) was calculated to quantify the deficit or excess of rainfall in the evaluated period. The data were then subjected to geostatistical analysis based on the calculation of classical semivariances. As a result, there was a loss of 68.33% of trees and 61.93% of stems in the forest community during 2012–2021, which were associated with the water deficit caused by drought events recorded based on precipitation data and SPI calculation for the region. The Gaussian semivariogram model better represented the spatial variability of mortality and recruitment of stems and trees. An accumulative effect of droughts on increasing mortality rates and reducing recruitment during the study period was observed. The relationship between tree and stem mortality and recruitment rates and drought events highlights the impact of water deficit on vegetation, emphasizing the importance of considering extreme climatic events in the proper management of natural resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands)

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29 pages, 21542 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study of Hydrologic Connectivity and Tidal Influence on Water Flow Within Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Using Rapid-Repeat Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar

by Bhuvan K. Varugu, Cathleen E. Jones, Talib Oliver-Cabrera, Marc Simard and Daniel J. Jensen

Remote Sens. 2025, 17(3), 459; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17030459 - 29 Jan 2025

Viewed by 770

Abstract

The exchange of water, sediment, and nutrients in wetlands occurs through a complex network of channels and overbank flow. Although optical sensors can map channels at high resolution, they fail to identify narrow intermittent channels colonized by vegetation. Here we demonstrate an innovative [...] Read more.

The exchange of water, sediment, and nutrients in wetlands occurs through a complex network of channels and overbank flow. Although optical sensors can map channels at high resolution, they fail to identify narrow intermittent channels colonized by vegetation. Here we demonstrate an innovative application of rapid-repeat interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) to study hydrologic connectivity and tidal influences in Louisiana’s coastal wetlands, which can provide valuable insights into water flow dynamics, particularly in vegetation-covered and narrow channels where traditional optical methods struggle. Data used were from the airborne UAVSAR L-band sensor acquired for the Delta-X mission. We applied interferometric techniques to rapid-repeat (~30 min) SAR imagery of the southern Atchafalaya basin acquired during two flights encompassing rising-to-high tides and ebbing-to-low tides. InSAR coherence is used to identify and differentiate permanent open water channels from intermittent channels in which flow occurs underneath the vegetation canopy. The channel networks at rising and ebbing tides show significant differences in the extent of flow, with vegetation-filled small channels more clearly identified at rising-to-high tide. The InSAR phase change is used to identify locations on channel banks where overbank flow occurs, which is a critical component for modeling wetland hydrodynamics. This is the first study to use rapid-repeat InSAR to monitor tidal impacts on water flow dynamics in wetlands. The results show that the InSAR method outperforms traditional optical remote sensing methods in monitoring water flow in vegetation-covered wetlands, providing high-resolution data to support hydrodynamic models and critical support for wetland protection and management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands)

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24 pages, 26318 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ecological Security Patterns Based on Ecosystem Services and Local Dominant Species in the Kunlun Mountains

by Jianglong Yuan, Ran Wang, Xiaohuang Liu, Jiufen Liu, Liyuan Xing, Xinping Luo, Ping Zhu, Junnan Li, Chao Wang and Honghui Zhao

Diversity 2024, 16(12), 779; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16120779 - 23 Dec 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1154

Abstract

Constructing an ecological security pattern in ecologically fragile areas is crucial for maintaining regional ecological stability. This study focuses on the Kunlun Mountain region, identifying ecological sources based on habitat suitability assessments and ecosystem services. An ecological resistance evaluation index system is constructed, [...] Read more.

Constructing an ecological security pattern in ecologically fragile areas is crucial for maintaining regional ecological stability. This study focuses on the Kunlun Mountain region, identifying ecological sources based on habitat suitability assessments and ecosystem services. An ecological resistance evaluation index system is constructed, considering topography, land use, and habitat quality. The minimum cumulative resistance model is then applied to identify ecological corridors, with areas exhibiting higher ecological currents designated as ecological nodes. By integrating the spatial characteristics of ecosystem services, an ecological security pattern is established. The results are as follows: (1) The ecological source area covers approximately 11.30% of the study area. (2) The cumulative length of ecological corridors is 21,111 km, mainly distributed along valleys, gentle slopes, and oasis areas. (3) The areas of ecological nodes and ecological barriers are 126.75 km² and 46.75 km², respectively. Ecological nodes are mainly distributed on both sides of the Kunlun Mountains, while ecological barriers are primarily located in the central mountainous area of the Kunlun Mountains. (4) The findings recommend establishing an ecological security pattern consisting of “2 horizontal and 4 vertical corridors and 5 zones” to ensure the ecological security of the Kunlun Mountains. The integration of ecological corridors and ecosystem services in constructing a regional ecological security pattern provides valuable decision-making tools for protecting ecosystems and species in fragile areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands)

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20 pages, 25008 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Optimization of Carbon Sequestration in Shanghai’s Urban Artificial Wetlands: The Cases of Shanghai Fish and Dishui Lake

by Jin Wang, Jingren Yu, Manjuan Shen and Shengquan Che

Land 2024, 13(12), 2148; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13122148 - 10 Dec 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 815

Abstract

The study focused on optimizing carbon sequestration in urban artificial wetlands, using the Shanghai Fish and Dishui Lake as case studies. As cities like Shanghai experienced rapid urbanization, natural wetland areas diminished, making artificial wetlands essential for carbon storage and ecosystem preservation. The [...] Read more.

The study focused on optimizing carbon sequestration in urban artificial wetlands, using the Shanghai Fish and Dishui Lake as case studies. As cities like Shanghai experienced rapid urbanization, natural wetland areas diminished, making artificial wetlands essential for carbon storage and ecosystem preservation. The study investigated how various factors—such as plant species, wetland size, and landscape patterns—influenced carbon sequestration. Through field surveys and remote sensing, carbon density changes from 2018 to 2023 were analyzed using grid-based landscape pattern metrics. Results showed significant spatial variation in carbon sequestration, with larger, more fragmented wetland patches contributing more to carbon storage. Emergent plants, particularly Phragmites australis and Typha angustifolia, demonstrated the highest carbon sequestration potential. The research proposed three optimization models (point, linear, and planar) tailored for different wetland areas, focusing on expanding plant diversity, enhancing landscape complexity, and improving patch distribution. After optimization, carbon storage in the Shanghai Fish wetland was projected to increase by 2.6 times, while Dishui Lake’s carbon storage was expected to grow by 3.5 times. The study concluded that carefully planned wetland management, emphasizing plant species selection and spatial design, could significantly enhance carbon sequestration, contributing to Shanghai’s carbon neutrality goals. The research provided valuable insights for urban ecological planning, highlighting the role of artificial wetlands in climate regulation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands)

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18 pages, 3607 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rainfall and Soil Moisture Jointly Drive Differences in Plant Community Composition in Desert Riparian Forests of Northwest China

by Hengfang Wang, Zhengxian Mo, Wenjing Li, Hao Huang and Guanghui Lv

Forests 2024, 15(12), 2129; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15122129 - 1 Dec 2024

Viewed by 985

Abstract

Extreme rainfall and soil moisture play important roles in the survival, community composition, and ecosystem function of desert plants. This study focused on arid desert riparian forests ecosystems in the Ebinur Lake Basin of Xinjiang, China. We analyzed the effects of rainfall and [...] Read more.

Extreme rainfall and soil moisture play important roles in the survival, community composition, and ecosystem function of desert plants. This study focused on arid desert riparian forests ecosystems in the Ebinur Lake Basin of Xinjiang, China. We analyzed the effects of rainfall and soil moisture on species composition, indicator species, β diversity, species turnover, and nestedness using three consecutive years of community surveys. A zero-model combined with a Bayesian framework was used to explore the response of species turnover and nestedness to soil moisture and rainfall, and variance decomposition was used to quantify the relative importance of spatial distance, rainfall, and soil factors in determining species composition. The results indicated the following: (1) when rainfall was high, the richness and abundance of annual herbaceous plants increased. The proportion of the community based on richness (32%) and abundance (58.1%) of annual herbaceous plants in 2016 was higher than that in 2015 and 2017. The Jaccard, Bray–Curtis, and Chao indexes of the community in years with higher rainfall were significantly higher than in years with lower rainfall; however, a lag effect was also observed. (2) Soil factors explained 5% of the changes in community composition, rainfall explained 12% of the changes in community composition, and spatial distance, soil factors, and rainfall jointly explained 32% of the changes in community composition. (3) We also showed that high soil moisture leads to greater β diversity than low soil moisture. Rainfall had the greatest explanatory power on the measured values of β diversity (19.6%) and species turnover (38%), and the factor with the greatest explanatory power for species nestedness was the interaction between rainfall and soil moisture (26.2%). Our findings indicate that drought and rainfall drive differences in plant community composition, with rainfall playing a dominant role. These results provide a basis for understanding the impact of extreme rainfall events on arid ecosystem functions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands)

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15 pages, 3680 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modelling Water Depth, Turbidity and Chlorophyll Using Airborne Hyperspectral Remote Sensing in a Restored Pond Complex of Doñana National Park (Spain)

by Cristina Coccia, Eva Pintado, Álvaro L. Paredes, David Aragonés, Daniela C. O’Ryan, Andy J. Green, Javier Bustamante and Ricardo Díaz-Delgado

Remote Sens. 2024, 16(16), 2996; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16162996 - 15 Aug 2024

Viewed by 1260

Abstract

Restored wetlands should be closely monitored to fully evaluate the effectiveness of restoration efforts. However, regular post-restoration monitoring can be time-consuming and expensive, and is often absent or inadequate. Satellite and airborne remote sensing systems have proven to be cost-effective tools in many [...] Read more.

Restored wetlands should be closely monitored to fully evaluate the effectiveness of restoration efforts. However, regular post-restoration monitoring can be time-consuming and expensive, and is often absent or inadequate. Satellite and airborne remote sensing systems have proven to be cost-effective tools in many fields, but they have not been widely used to monitor ecological restoration. This study assessed the potential of airborne hyperspectral remote sensing to monitor water mass characteristics of experimental temporary ponds in the Mediterranean region. These ponds were created during marsh restoration in Doñana National Park (south-west Spain). We used hyperspectral images acquired by the CASI-1500 hyperspectral airborne sensor to estimate and map water depth, turbidity and chlorophyll a in a subset of the 96 new ponds. The high spatial and spectral resolution of the CASI sensor allowed us to detect differences between ponds in water depth, turbidity and chlorophyll a, providing accurate mapping of these three variables, and a useful method to assess restoration success. High levels of spatial variation were recorded between different ponds, which likely generates high diversity in the animal and plant species that they contain. These results highlight the great potential of hyperspectral sensors for the long-term monitoring of wetland complexes in the Mediterranean region and elsewhere. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands)

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17 pages, 7446 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on Wetland Evolution and Landscape Pattern Changes in the Shaanxi Section of the Loess Plateau in the Past 40 Years

by Zhaona Xue, Yiyong Wang, Rong Huang and Linjia Yao

Land 2024, 13(8), 1268; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13081268 - 12 Aug 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1342

Abstract

The Shaanxi section is the central region of the Loess Plateau. Its unique wetland environment plays an indispensable role in regional ecological environment security. Clarifying the characteristics of wetland changes in the region is an important prerequisite for wetland management and protection. This [...] Read more.

The Shaanxi section is the central region of the Loess Plateau. Its unique wetland environment plays an indispensable role in regional ecological environment security. Clarifying the characteristics of wetland changes in the region is an important prerequisite for wetland management and protection. This study, based on the remote sensing data of the Shaanxi section of the Loess Plateau, analyzed the changes in the wetland area and type transfer in this region in 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020 using the wetland dynamic degree model, the Markov transfer matrix, the landscape pattern index, and centroid analysis. The results showed that, from 1980 to 2020, the total wetland area and natural wetland area in the Shaanxi section of the Loess Plateau continued to shrink, decreasing by 79.35 km² and 80.50 km², respectively, while the artificial wetland area increased by 1.14 km². Among the regions, Xi’an experienced the most significant reduction, with a total decrease of 83.04 km² over 40 years, followed by Xianyang City, where the wetland area decreased by 6.50 km². In contrast, the wetland areas of Yulin City, Weinan City, Yan’an City, Baoji City and Tongchuan City increased slightly. From 1980 to 2020, the change in the wetland types in the Shaanxi section of the Loess Plateau was mainly characterized by transfers between beach lands and river canals. River canals are the primary type of wetland in this region. The degree of fragmentation is the highest in reservoir potholes, while marshes have the largest clumpiness index. Over the same period, the centroid of the wetlands in the Shaanxi section of the Loess Plateau moved from south to north as a whole, although, between 1990 and 2000, the centroid position remained relatively stable. These results provide a theoretical basis and data support for wetland monitoring and protection in the Shaanxi section of the Loess Plateau and also provide a reference for the protection and sustainable development of other inland wetland resources in arid and semi-arid regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands)

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20 pages, 11939 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Mapping Dryland Ecosystems Using Google Earth Engine and Random Forest: A Case Study of an Ecologically Critical Area in Northern China

by Shuai Li, Pu Guo, Fei Sun, Jinlei Zhu, Xiaoming Cao, Xue Dong and Qi Lu

Land 2024, 13(6), 845; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060845 - 13 Jun 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1954

Abstract

Drylands are characterized by unique ecosystem types, sparse vegetation, fragile environments, and vital ecosystem services. The accurate mapping of dryland ecosystems is essential for their protection and restoration, but previous approaches primarily relied on modifying land use data derived from remote sensing, lacking [...] Read more.

Drylands are characterized by unique ecosystem types, sparse vegetation, fragile environments, and vital ecosystem services. The accurate mapping of dryland ecosystems is essential for their protection and restoration, but previous approaches primarily relied on modifying land use data derived from remote sensing, lacking the direct utilization of latest remote sensing technologies and methods to map ecosystems, especially failing to effectively identify key ecosystems with sparse vegetation. This study attempts to integrate Google Earth Engine (GEE), random forest (RF) algorithm, multi-source remote sensing data (spectral, radar, terrain, texture), feature optimization, and image segmentation to develop a fine-scale mapping method for an ecologically critical area in northern China. The results showed the following: (1) Incorporating multi-source remote sensing data significantly improved the overall classification accuracy of dryland ecosystems, with radar features contributing the most, followed by terrain and texture features. (2) Optimizing the features set can enhance the classification accuracy, with overall accuracy reaching 91.34% and kappa coefficient 0.90. (3) User’s accuracies exceeded 90% for forest, cropland, and water, and were slightly lower for steppe and shrub-steppe but were still above 85%, demonstrating the efficacy of the GEE and RF algorithm to map sparse vegetation and other dryland ecosystems. Accurate dryland ecosystems mapping requires accounting for regional heterogeneity and optimizing sample data and feature selection based on field surveys to precisely depict ecosystem patterns in complex regions. This study precisely mapped dryland ecosystems in a typical dryland region, and provides baseline data for ecological protection and restoration policies in this region, as well as a methodological reference for ecosystem mapping in similar regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands)

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24 pages, 9011 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A New Dual-Branch Embedded Multivariate Attention Network for Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Classification

by Yuyi Chen, Xiaopeng Wang, Jiahua Zhang, Xiaodi Shang, Yabin Hu, Shichao Zhang and Jiajie Wang

Remote Sens. 2024, 16(11), 2029; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16112029 - 5 Jun 2024

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1233

Abstract

With the continuous maturity of hyperspectral remote sensing imaging technology, it has been widely adopted by scholars to improve the performance of feature classification. However, due to the challenges in acquiring hyperspectral images and producing training samples, the limited training sample is a [...] Read more.

With the continuous maturity of hyperspectral remote sensing imaging technology, it has been widely adopted by scholars to improve the performance of feature classification. However, due to the challenges in acquiring hyperspectral images and producing training samples, the limited training sample is a common problem that researchers often face. Furthermore, efficient algorithms are necessary to excavate the spatial and spectral information from these images, and then, make full use of this information with limited training samples. To solve this problem, a novel two-branch deep learning network model is proposed for extracting hyperspectral remote sensing features in this paper. In this model, one branch focuses on extracting spectral features using multi-scale convolution and a normalization-based attention module, while the other branch captures spatial features through small-scale dilation convolution and Euclidean Similarity Attention. Subsequently, pooling and layering techniques are employed to further extract abstract features after feature fusion. In the experiments conducted on two public datasets, namely, IP and UP, as well as our own labeled dataset, namely, YRE, the proposed DMAN achieves the best classification results, with overall accuracies of 96.74%, 97.4%, and 98.08%, respectively. Compared to the sub-optimal state-of-the-art methods, the overall accuracies are improved by 1.05, 0.42, and 0.51 percentage points, respectively. The advantage of this network structure is particularly evident in unbalanced sample environments. Additionally, we introduce a new strategy based on the RPNet, which utilizes a small number of principal components for feature classification after dimensionality reduction. The results demonstrate its effectiveness in uncovering compressed feature information, with an overall accuracy improvement of 0.68 percentage points. Consequently, our model helps mitigate the impact of data scarcity on model performance, thereby contributing positively to the advancement of hyperspectral remote sensing technology in practical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands)

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16 pages, 8104 KiB

Open AccessTechnical Note

Diurnal Asymmetry Effects of Photovoltaic Power Plants on Land Surface Temperature in Gobi Deserts

by Xubang Wang, Qianru Zhou, Yong Zhang, Xiang Liu, Jianquan Liu, Shengyun Chen, Xinxin Wang and Jihua Wu

Remote Sens. 2024, 16(10), 1711; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16101711 - 11 May 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1932

Abstract

The global expansion of photovoltaic (PV) power plants, especially in ecologically fragile regions like the Gobi Desert, highlights the suitability of such areas for large-scale PV development. The most direct impact of PV development in the Gobi Desert is temperature change that results [...] Read more.

The global expansion of photovoltaic (PV) power plants, especially in ecologically fragile regions like the Gobi Desert, highlights the suitability of such areas for large-scale PV development. The most direct impact of PV development in the Gobi Desert is temperature change that results from the land-use-induced albedo changes; however, the detailed and systemic understanding of the effects of PV expansion on land surface temperature remains limited. This study focuses on the 16 largest PV plants in the Chinese Gobi Desert, utilizing remote sensing data to assess their effects on land surface temperature. Our result showed a cooling effect during the daytime (−0.69 ± 0.10 °C), but a warming effect during the nighttime (0.23 ± 0.05 °C); the overall effect on the daily mean was a cooling effect (−0.22 ± 0.05 °C). Seasonal variations were observed, with the most significant cooling effect in autumn and the weakest in summer. The PV area was the most significant factor which influenced the temperature variation across PV plants. Our findings enrich our understanding of the environmental effects arising from the construction of PV plants and provide vital information for the design and management of increasingly renewable electricity systems globally. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands)

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22 pages, 9502 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mapping Foliar C, N, and P Concentrations in An Ecological Restoration Area with Mixed Plant Communities Based on LiDAR and Hyperspectral Data

by Yongjun Yang, Jing Dong, Jiajia Tang, Jiao Zhao, Shaogang Lei, Shaoliang Zhang and Fu Chen

Remote Sens. 2024, 16(9), 1624; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16091624 - 2 May 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1738

Abstract

Interactions between carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), the vital indicators of ecological restoration, play an important role in signaling the health of ecosystems. Rapidly and accurately mapping foliar C, N, and P is essential for interpreting community structure, nutrient limitation, and [...] Read more.

Interactions between carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), the vital indicators of ecological restoration, play an important role in signaling the health of ecosystems. Rapidly and accurately mapping foliar C, N, and P is essential for interpreting community structure, nutrient limitation, and primary production during ecosystem recovery. However, research on how to rapidly map C, N, and P in restored areas with mixed plant communities is limited. This study employed laser imaging, detection, and ranging (LiDAR) and hyperspectral data to extract spectral, textural, and height features of vegetation as well as vegetation indices and structural parameters. Causal band, multiple linear regression, and random forest models were developed and tested in a restored area in northern China. Important parameters were identified including (1), for C, red-edge bands, canopy height, and vegetation structure; for N, textural features, height percentile of 40–95%, and vegetation structure; for P, spectral features, height percentile of 80%, and 1 m foliage height diversity. (2) R² was used to compare the accuracy of the three models as follows: R² values for C were 0.07, 0.42, and 0.56, for N they were 0.20, 0.48, and 0.53, and for P they were 0.32, 0.39, and 0.44; the random forest model demonstrated the highest accuracy. (3) The accuracy of the concentration estimates could be ranked as C > N > P. (4) The inclusion of LiDAR features significantly improved the accuracy of the C concentration estimation, with increases of 22.20% and 47.30% in the multiple linear regression and random forest models, respectively, although the inclusion of LiDAR features did not notably enhance the accuracy of the N and P concentration estimates. Therefore, LiDAR and hyperspectral data can be used to effectively map C, N, and P concentrations in a mixed plant community in a restored area, revealing their heterogeneity in terms of species and spatial distribution. Future efforts should involve the use of hyperspectral data with additional bands and a more detailed classification of plant communities. The application of this information will be useful for analyzing C, N, and P limitations, and for planning for the maintenance of restored plant communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands)

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11 pages, 2010 KiB

Open AccessArticle

What Is in the Bank? Assessing Persistent Soil Seed Bank Density of Sclerocactus wrightiae (Cactaceae)

by David Lariviere, Val Anderson, Robert Johnson and Randy Larsen

Diversity 2024, 16(3), 133; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16030133 - 21 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1860

Abstract

Wright fishhook cactus is a small globose cactus endemic to an area of 280,000 ha in south-central Utah and was listed as endangered in October of 1979 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). There is a general paucity of information about [...] Read more.

Wright fishhook cactus is a small globose cactus endemic to an area of 280,000 ha in south-central Utah and was listed as endangered in October of 1979 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). There is a general paucity of information about this species, and no published data on the seed bank for any species in the genus. Our objective with this study was to provide insight into the established seed bank density for this species. We processed 500 soil samples from various locations near individual cacti and potential neighboring nurse plants. We found that the species had a detectable seed bank of a size similar to other members of the Cactaceae family. Seed bank densities were the highest immediately adjacent to, and downslope from, parent plants. Our data indicate that areas within 20 cm of seed-producing cacti contain by far the greatest density of seeds. These areas should be given special consideration in future management plans for this species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands)

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16 pages, 2738 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Patterns of Diversity and Community Assembly and Their Environmental Explanation across Different Types of Shrublands in the Western Loess Plateau

by Jinshi Xu, Han Dang, Dechang Hu, Ping Zhang and Xiao Liu

Forests 2024, 15(2), 222; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15020222 - 23 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1288

Abstract

Shrubland is an important type of vegetation in the semi-arid region of the western Loess Plateau, and it is of great value to the maintenance of biodiversity and soil and water conservation. Equally, there may be significant differences in the level of diversity [...] Read more.

Shrubland is an important type of vegetation in the semi-arid region of the western Loess Plateau, and it is of great value to the maintenance of biodiversity and soil and water conservation. Equally, there may be significant differences in the level of diversity and the community assembly patterns across different types of shrublands (desert, alpine, and secondary shrublands). This study aimed to reveal the diversity and the community assembly patterns of different types of shrublands and the environmental explanations for these by using a taxonomic and phylogenetic analysis approach, as well as by considering soil and climate factors. The diversity level of the desert shrublands was low, and the habitats of the three types of shrubland were significantly different. Precipitation may be the main environmental factor driving the variation in and diversity of these types of shrubland. All three types of shrubland were strongly affected by environmental filtering and competitive exclusion, and their community assembly patterns were similar. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands)

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14 pages, 1379 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Agricultural Production Efficiency and Ecological Transformation Efficiency in the Yangtze River Economic Belt

by Gui Jin, Han Yu, Dawei He and Baishu Guo

Land 2024, 13(1), 103; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010103 - 17 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1660

Abstract

Measuring the agricultural production efficiency (APE) and the ecological transformation efficiency (ETE) is key to agricultural modernization and regional ecological civilization construction. Based on the agricultural input–output dataset of the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) from 2000 to 2015, we use the panel [...] Read more.

Measuring the agricultural production efficiency (APE) and the ecological transformation efficiency (ETE) is key to agricultural modernization and regional ecological civilization construction. Based on the agricultural input–output dataset of the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) from 2000 to 2015, we use the panel stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) to measure the APE and ETE to explore the spatiotemporal patterns of regional APE and ETE from the geographical perspective. We rely on the quantitative association characteristics to explore the key threshold of ecological economic development in agriculture. The results show that: (1) In the study period, the APE increased from 0.2993 to 0.5495, indicating that the cumulative growth of the whole period was 83.60%, and the high-value units gradually changed from point distribution to spatial distribution; (2) Although the ETE of the YREB increased from 2000 to 2015, the proportion of the first-class species was still only 7.26% in 2015, and the inverted U-shaped polarization distribution characteristics of the high-efficiency cities and the band-like structure of global decision-making units were formed at the same time; (3) The improvement of ETE has obvious segment distribution and threshold crossing characteristics, and the APE is equal to 0.661, which is the threshold for high-speed growth and low-speed growth of ETE. The research framework, spatiotemporal rules and key thresholds have reference value for agricultural modernization and ecological civilization construction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands)

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18 pages, 12720 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A “Status-Habitat-Potential” Model for the Evaluation of Plant Communities in Underwater Mining Areas via Time Series Remote Sensing Images and GEE

by Jiaxin Mi, Deli Yang, Huping Hou and Shaoliang Zhang

Land 2023, 12(12), 2097; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12122097 - 22 Nov 2023

Viewed by 1921

Abstract

Mining activities are the primary human-induced disturbances on plant communities in various ecosystems, and they also are important for implementing strategies of ecological protection and restoration based on them. The effects of underwater mining on plant communities in wetland ecosystems, however, are seldom [...] Read more.

Mining activities are the primary human-induced disturbances on plant communities in various ecosystems, and they also are important for implementing strategies of ecological protection and restoration based on them. The effects of underwater mining on plant communities in wetland ecosystems, however, are seldom demonstrated, and it is also difficult to accurately evaluate the state of plant communities’ condition, considering the dynamic and randomness of plant communities under multiple factors, including climate, mining, and other human activities. To address these issues, a “Status-Habitat-Potential” (SHP) model has been developed, with nine indicators from the status, habitat, and potential of plant communities, and the plant communities in the Nansi Lake mining area are evaluated to illustrate the effects of underwater mining. Time series remote sensing images from Sentinel-2 and Google Earth Engine are applied. Comparison analysis, Global Moran’s index, and hot and cold analysis are also used to demonstrate the spatial characteristics of the SHP index. Results show that the SHP index varies between 0 and 0.57 and shows a high aggregation pattern according to the Global Moran’s index (0.41), with high and low values aggregating in the center of the lake and living areas, respectively. The SHP index between subsidence and contrast areas shows no significant difference (at p < 0.05), indicating little effect of mining subsidence on plant communities directly. Overall, underwater mining would not cause as obvious effects on plant communities as underground mining, but human activities accompanied by mining activities will result in the loss of plant communities around lake shores and river channels. This study put forward a new model to evaluate plant communities in terms of their status, habitat, and potential, which could also be used to illustrate other long-term effects of disturbances on plant communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands)

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20 pages, 4533 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing the Recent Trends of Land Degradation and Desertification in Romania Using Remote Sensing Indicators

by Irina Ontel, Sorin Cheval, Anisoara Irimescu, George Boldeanu, Vlad-Alexandru Amihaesei, Denis Mihailescu, Argentina Nertan, Claudiu-Valeriu Angearu and Vasile Craciunescu

Remote Sens. 2023, 15(19), 4842; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15194842 - 6 Oct 2023

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3751

Abstract

Land degradation (LD) and desertification (DS) are a sensitive global issue including southern and south-eastern Europe, which is severely affected by climate change. In this study, a state-of-the-art approach for assessing the intensity of LD and DS processes using remote-sensing-derived indicators within a [...] Read more.

Land degradation (LD) and desertification (DS) are a sensitive global issue including southern and south-eastern Europe, which is severely affected by climate change. In this study, a state-of-the-art approach for assessing the intensity of LD and DS processes using remote-sensing-derived indicators within a GIS environment was proposed. The analysis was carried out using the Principal Component Analysis based on integrating the significant trends of relevant biophysical parameters in Romania. The methodology was tested and validated at the national level in Romania. In total, 7.76% of the area was identified as LD and 60.8% of the total area tended to improve, and 31.44% was stable. Most of the regions with LD overlapped with the dryland areas, while improvement areas were identified outside of the drylands. In forested areas from high altitudes, a tendency to improve the condition of vegetation was observed, and most of the surfaces being protected were natural areas that have benefited from proper management. All these results can be used to adapt management practices to avoid, reduce, or restore the LD. The proposed model was based on globally available remote sensing datasets, with a high frequency of data acquisition and collection history that allows for the statistical analyses of changes on a global scale. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands)

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17 pages, 6329 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Land Use Change and the Structural Diversity of Affem Boussou Community Forest in the Tchamba 1 Commune (Tchamba Prefecture, Togo)

by Folega Fousseni, Badjare Bilouktime, Tchabi Mustapha, Mouctar Kamara, Atakpama Wouyo, Issifou Aboudoumisamilou, Djiwa Oyetunde, Wala Kperkouma, Batawila Komlan and Akpagana Koffi

Conservation 2023, 3(3), 346-362; https://doi.org/10.3390/conservation3030024 - 27 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2376

Abstract

Affem Boussou community forest (AFC) abounds in important biological resources. This study, which contributes to its better management, examines the spatiotemporal dynamics of the vegetation and its ecological and structural characteristics to propose a zoning plan for said forest. The analysis of the [...] Read more.

Affem Boussou community forest (AFC) abounds in important biological resources. This study, which contributes to its better management, examines the spatiotemporal dynamics of the vegetation and its ecological and structural characteristics to propose a zoning plan for said forest. The analysis of the spatiotemporal dynamics of land use in the AFC from Google Earth images of 2015, 2018, and 2021 revealed a regressive trend of formations: crops and fallows (−33.98%), dense dry forests (−7.92%), gallery forests (−3.46%), plantations (−100%), grassy savannahs, and meadows (−18.84%), except for tree/shrub savannahs (484.23%). The floristic inventory identified 163 species divided into 129 genera and 55 families. Fabaceae (14.02%), and Combretaceae (10.55%) are the most represented families. Anogeissus leiocarpa (5.19%) and Vitellaria paradoxa (4.72%) are the most frequent species. We note the dominance of individuals of small diameters. The regeneration potential of the AFC is 64 feet/ha due to 21 feet/ha of suckers, 29 feet/ha of seedlings, and 14 feet/ha of shoots. As a zoning plan, the AFC was subdivided into four zones: the agroforestry zone (18.80%), the sustainable production forest zone (42.22%), the buffer zone (11%), and the biological conservation zone (28%). These results constitute a scientific basis for testing ecological indicators of the sustainable management of community forests in Togo. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands)

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20 pages, 22869 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Plant Diversity and Distribution Patterns of Populus pruinosa Schrenk (Salicaceae) Floodplain Forests in Kazakhstan

by Liliya Dimeyeva, Anastassiya Islamgulova, Valeriya Permitina, Kapar Ussen, Aleksandr Kerdyashkin, Natalya Tsychuyeva, Zhuldyz Salmukhanbetova, Alfiya Kurmantayeva, Rashid Iskakov, Azhar Imanalinova and Bedel Kaliyev

Diversity 2023, 15(7), 797; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15070797 - 21 Jun 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1977

Abstract

Populus pruinosa is listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and the Red Data Book of Kazakhstan. The habitats of the species are associated with the floodplains of desert rivers, including the Syr Darya and [...] Read more.

Populus pruinosa is listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and the Red Data Book of Kazakhstan. The habitats of the species are associated with the floodplains of desert rivers, including the Syr Darya and the Ili. The reduction in tugai forests is associated with changes in the hydrological regimes of rivers, the reduction in groundwater, fires, and grazing. The aim of this research is to advance our knowledge of the woodlands and forests of P. pruinosa in Kazakhstan by analyzing the cenoflora and forestry characteristics, conducting ecological niche modeling to select suitable habitats for ecological restoration, and identifying rehabilitation strategies. The vegetation was studied using traditional methods of geobotanic field research in 2021 and 2022. Ecological niche modeling includes the calculation of all the environmental variables that are significant for the species, taken in their optimal ranges, and identifying the intersection of all the favorable conditions. To identify these variables, geographically linked meeting points of the studied species, climatic and soil conditions, relief characteristics identified by the SRTM and raster sets of the environmental variables (WorldClim), and distances to watercourses and settlements were accepted for consideration. A total of 102 environmental variables were used. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands)

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29 pages, 4430 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Phylogeography, Historical Demography, and Population Genetics of Three Common Coastal Fauna in Spartina Marshes of the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico

by Gloria Janelle Espinoza and Jaime R. Alvarado Bremer

Diversity 2023, 15(6), 792; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15060792 - 19 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1778

Abstract

Coastal wetlands worldwide are experiencing high rates of loss and degradation that may lead to a reduction in diversity in faunal populations. Since salt marsh habitats are subject to a multitude of stressors, evaluations of the genetic diversity, connectivity, and potential resilience of [...] Read more.

Coastal wetlands worldwide are experiencing high rates of loss and degradation that may lead to a reduction in diversity in faunal populations. Since salt marsh habitats are subject to a multitude of stressors, evaluations of the genetic diversity, connectivity, and potential resilience of faunal communities within salt marsh habitats are relevant. This study characterizes mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) diversity for three common faunal residents of salt marshes along the northern Gulf of Mexico. Gulf Killifish (Fundulus grandis) samples were characterized for 1077 bp of the concatenated nucleotide sequence corresponding to the Control Region and Nitrogen Dehydrogenase, Subunits 2 and 5. Daggerblade grass shrimp (Palaemon pugio) samples were characterized using 466 bp of 16sRNA sequence, and phloem-feeding planthoppers (Prokelisia marginata) were characterized using 372 bp of Cytochrome c Oxidase Subunit I (COI) sequence. For F. grandis, our data revealed high levels of haplotypic diversity, evidence of isolation by distance (IBD), and regional population structuring associated with the distribution of two distinct phylogroups and distinct historical demography signatures. P. pugio and P. marginata displayed low levels of haplotypic diversity and evidence of population structure, but both appear to contain only snapshots of the total potential diversity for these species in the Gulf of Mexico. Greater resolution of the patterns of historical demography of Gulf Killifish may be obtained in future studies by including localities from Florida and Mexico. For both P. pugio and planthoppers, future studies would benefit from the characterization of genetic markers with a higher degree of polymorphism. We conclude that despite these three species inhabiting the same habitats along the same stretch of coast, each is subject to a different combination of evolutionary forces, and this study was able to reconstruct differences in how the genetic variation in each of these species emerged, and how it is maintained. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands)

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19 pages, 3890 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mapping Phenology of Complicated Wetland Landscapes through Harmonizing Landsat and Sentinel-2 Imagery

by Chang Fan, Jilin Yang, Guosong Zhao, Junhu Dai, Mengyao Zhu, Jinwei Dong, Ruoqi Liu and Geli Zhang

Remote Sens. 2023, 15(9), 2413; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15092413 - 5 May 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2724

Abstract

Wetlands are important CO₂ sinks and methane sources, and their seasonality and phenological cycle play an essential role in understanding the carbon budget. However, given the spatial heterogeneity of wetland landscapes and the coarser spatial resolution of satellites, the phenological retrievals of [...] Read more.

Wetlands are important CO₂ sinks and methane sources, and their seasonality and phenological cycle play an essential role in understanding the carbon budget. However, given the spatial heterogeneity of wetland landscapes and the coarser spatial resolution of satellites, the phenological retrievals of wetlands are challenging. Here we examined the phenology of wetlands from 30 m harmonized Landsat/Sentinel-2 (LandSent30) and 500 m MODIS satellite observations using the ground phenology network PhenoCam as a benchmark. This study used all 11 available wetland PhenoCam sites (about 30 site years), covering diverse wetland types from different climate zones. We found that the LandSent30-based phenology results were in overall higher consistency with the PhenoCam results compared to MODIS, which could be related to the better explanation capacity of LandSent30 data in the heterogeneous landscapes of wetlands. This also means that the LandSent30 has an advantage over the 500 m MODIS regarding wetland vegetation phenological retrievals. It should be noted that the LandSent30 did not show a greatly improved performance, which could be related to the specificity and complexity of the wetlands landscape. We also illustrated the potential effects of the location and observation direction of PhenoCam cameras, the selection of Region of Interest (ROI), as well as the landscape composition of the site. Overall, this study highlights the complexity of wetland phenology from both ground and remote sensing observations at different scales, which paves the road for understanding the role of wetlands in global climate change and provides a basis for understanding the real phenological changes of wetland surfaces. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands)

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22 pages, 7610 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Constructed Wetlands Using Treated Membrane Concentrate for Coastal Wetland Restoration and the Renewal of Multiple Ecosystem Services

by Rajat K. Chakraborti and James S. Bays

Land 2023, 12(4), 847; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040847 - 7 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 6215

Abstract

The management of reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC) poses a challenge to utilities as it requires expensive disposal methods and advanced treatment in order to comply with regulations. This paper presents studies of natural treatment approaches, such as constructed wetlands (CWs), that have been [...] Read more.

The management of reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC) poses a challenge to utilities as it requires expensive disposal methods and advanced treatment in order to comply with regulations. This paper presents studies of natural treatment approaches, such as constructed wetlands (CWs), that have been tailored to treat ROC. Conceptually, with testing and planning, these wetlands could meet regulatory criteria before discharging to the surface water and achieving multiple benefits. Lessons learned from pilot studies of wetland treatment of ROC point to the potential benefits of designing full-scale wetlands for concentrate management. Studies have illustrated the ability of CWs to reduce the concentrations of metals and simultaneously remove nutrients to meet state standards for aquatic and wildlife designated uses. Nutrient removal processes include denitrification for nitrogen removal (possibly supplemented with Annamox reduction of NO₃-N), labile carbon assimilation supporting oxidized nitrogen reduction, and phosphate-P uptake and precipitation. Because of the evaporative water loss, mass removal efficiencies were greater than concentration reductions. Studies illustrate how engineered wetlands help with the management of ROC produced from reclaimed water through reductions in concentration and volume for disposal through evapotranspiration. The associated creation of wildlife habitats and coastal wetland restoration could result in the renewal of multiple ecosystem services. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Restoration for the Arid Lands and Wetlands)

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