International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Research

16 pages, 2032 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Limited Stress Response to Transplantation in the Mediterranean Macroalga Ericaria amentacea, a Key Species for Marine Forest Restoration

by Silvia Chemello, Geraldina Signa, Antonio Mazzola, Tania Ribeiro Pereira, Isabel Sousa Pinto and Salvatrice Vizzini

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12253; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912253 - 27 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1208

Abstract

In the Mediterranean Sea, brown macroalgae represent the dominant species in intertidal and subtidal habitats. Despite conservation efforts, these canopy-forming species showed a dramatic decline, highlighting the urge for active intervention to regenerate self-sustaining populations. For this reason, the restoration of macroalgae forests [...] Read more.

In the Mediterranean Sea, brown macroalgae represent the dominant species in intertidal and subtidal habitats. Despite conservation efforts, these canopy-forming species showed a dramatic decline, highlighting the urge for active intervention to regenerate self-sustaining populations. For this reason, the restoration of macroalgae forests through transplantation has been recognized as a promising approach. However, the potential stress caused by the handling of thalli has never been assessed. Here, we used a manipulative approach to assess the transplant-induced stress in the Mediterranean Ericaria amentacea, through the analysis of biochemical proxies, i.e., phenolic compounds, lipids, and fatty acids in both transplanted and natural macroalgae over time. The results showed that seasonal environmental variability had an important effect on the biochemical composition of macroalgae, suggesting the occurrence of acclimation responses to summer increased temperature and light irradiance. Transplant-induced stress appears to have only amplified the biochemical response, probably due to increased sensitivity of the macroalgae already subjected to mechanical and osmotic stress (e.g., handling, wounding, desiccation). The ability of E. amentacea to cope with both environmental and transplant-induced stress highlights the high plasticity of the species studied, as well as the suitability of transplantation of adult thalli to restore E. amentacea beds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Restoration: A Key Strategy to Face Anthropogenic Impact and Climate Change)

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14 pages, 2923 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Changes in Macrozoobenthos Community after Aquatic Plant Restoration in the Northern Venice Lagoon (IT)

by Federica Oselladore, Valentina Bernarello, Federica Cacciatore, Michele Cornello, Rossella Boscolo Brusà, Adriano Sfriso and Andrea Bonometto

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(8), 4838; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19084838 - 15 Apr 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2220

Abstract

Responses of the macrozoobenthic community to an ecological restoration activity in the northern Venice lagoon were studied, within the scope of the project LIFE SEagrass RESTOration aimed at recreating aquatic phanerogam meadows largely reduced in recent decades. Transplants were successful in almost all [...] Read more.

Responses of the macrozoobenthic community to an ecological restoration activity in the northern Venice lagoon were studied, within the scope of the project LIFE SEagrass RESTOration aimed at recreating aquatic phanerogam meadows largely reduced in recent decades. Transplants were successful in almost all project areas. Macrozoobenthos was sampled in eight stations before (2014) and after (2015, 2016, 2017) transplanting activities. An increase in abundance and fluctuations in richness and univariate ecological indices (Shannon’s, Margalef’s, Pielou’s indices) resulted during the years. Comparing non-vegetated and vegetated samples in 2017, every index except Pielou’s increased in the latter. Multivariate analysis (hierarchical cluster analysis, MDS, PERMDISP, SIMPER) grouped samples by localization rather than years, with differences between stations due to the abundance of common species. In 2017, results were also grouped by the presence or absence of aquatic plants, with differences in the abundance of grazer and filter-feeding species. Results of ecological index M-AMBI depicted conditions from moderate to good ecological status (sensu Dir.2000/60/EC) with similar fluctuations, as presented by univariate indices from 2014 to 2017. Responses of the macrozoobenthic community were more evident when comparing vegetated and non-vegetated samples, with the vegetated areas sustaining communities with greater abundance and diversity than non-vegetated samples, thus demonstrating the supporting function of aquatic plants to benthic communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Restoration: A Key Strategy to Face Anthropogenic Impact and Climate Change)

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21 pages, 21110 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quantifying the Ecosystem Services of Soda Saline-Alkali Grasslands in Western Jilin Province, NE China

by Lei Chang, Zhibo Zhao, Lixin Jiang and Yuefen Li

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(8), 4760; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19084760 - 14 Apr 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1809

Abstract

This study aimed to quantitatively describe the ecosystem services of soda saline-alkali grasslands based on literature research, the InVEST model, a transition matrix, and Spearman’s correlation analysis. The chosen methodology could provide insight into the relationships between different services to provide empirical evidence [...] Read more.

This study aimed to quantitatively describe the ecosystem services of soda saline-alkali grasslands based on literature research, the InVEST model, a transition matrix, and Spearman’s correlation analysis. The chosen methodology could provide insight into the relationships between different services to provide empirical evidence for decision-making concerning the protection and restoration of saline-alkali grasslands. The research provided several insights into the ecological situation in western Jilin Province. First, the area of saline-alkali grassland in western Jilin Province had noticeably decreased from 1990 to 2018. Moreover, the threat of grassland degradation in western Jilin Province has increased year by year, and has become the main problem facing the ecological environment of this region. Second, the results demonstrated how the amount of grassland area, and coverage, are intricately linked to the provided ecosystem services, and maintaining the stability of ecosystem services is the basis for future efforts to increase grassland area and coverage. A trade-off relationship exists between water supply services and other ecosystem services, which indirectly confirms a climatic cause for grassland salinization in western Jilin Province. The analyses identified various types of grassland ecosystem service hotspots, but the share of hotspots representing all four assessed ecosystem services was small; this indicates that the grassland ecosystem of western Jilin Province is of generally poor quality. In conclusion, increasing grassland salinization has reduced vegetation coverage, which leads to the degradation of the grassland ecosystem and, in turn, affects the relationships between various ecosystem services. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Restoration: A Key Strategy to Face Anthropogenic Impact and Climate Change)

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18 pages, 2665 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Influencing Factors of Carbon Sink Dynamics at County Scale: A Case Study of Shaanxi Province, China

by Shuohua Liu, Xiao Zhang, Yifan Zhou and Shunbo Yao

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(24), 13081; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413081 - 11 Dec 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2722

Abstract

To explore the spatiotemporal evolution of carbon sinks in Shaanxi Province, and their impact mechanisms, this study used panel data from 107 counties (districts) in Shaanxi Province from 2000 to 2017. First, we conducted spatial distribution directional analysis and exploratory spatial data analysis [...] Read more.

To explore the spatiotemporal evolution of carbon sinks in Shaanxi Province, and their impact mechanisms, this study used panel data from 107 counties (districts) in Shaanxi Province from 2000 to 2017. First, we conducted spatial distribution directional analysis and exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA). Then, we constructed a geographic spatial weight matrix and used the spatial panel Durbin model to analyze the driving factors of carbon sink changes in Shaanxi Province, from the perspective of spatial effects. The results showed that: (1) The temporal evolution of carbon sinks during the study period showed an overall upward trend, but the carbon sinks of counties (districts) differed greatly, and the center of gravity of carbon sinks, as a whole, showed the characteristics of “south to north” migration. (2) The carbon sinks of Shaanxi Province have a significant positive global spatial autocorrelation in geographic space. The local spatial pattern was characterized by low-value agglomeration (low-low cluster) and high-value agglomeration (high-high cluster), supplemented by high-value bulge (high-low outlier) and low-value collapse (low-high outlier). (3) The result of the spatial measurement model proved that the spatial Durbin model, with dual fixed effects of time and space, should be selected. In the model results, factors such as population, per capita gross domestic product (GDP), local government general budget expenditure, and local government general budget revenue all reflect strong spatial spillover effects. Accordingly, in the process of promoting “carbon neutrality”, the government needs to comprehensively consider the existence of spatial spillover effects between neighboring counties (districts), and strengthen the linkage-management and control roles of counties (districts) in increasing carbon sinks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Restoration: A Key Strategy to Face Anthropogenic Impact and Climate Change)

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27 pages, 9059 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comprehensive Insights into Spatial-Temporal Evolution Patterns, Dominant Factors of NDVI from Pixel Scale, as a Case of Shaanxi Province, China

by Hongliang Gu and Min Chen

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(19), 10053; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910053 - 24 Sep 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1945

Abstract

Based on long term NDVI (1982–2015), climate, topographic factors, and land use type data information in Shaanxi Province, multiple methods (linear regression, partial and multiple correlation analysis, redundancy analysis and boosted regression trees method) were conducted to evaluate the spatial-temporal change footprints and [...] Read more.

Based on long term NDVI (1982–2015), climate, topographic factors, and land use type data information in Shaanxi Province, multiple methods (linear regression, partial and multiple correlation analysis, redundancy analysis and boosted regression trees method) were conducted to evaluate the spatial-temporal change footprints and driving mechanisms in the pixel scale. The results demonstrated that (1) the overall annual average and seasonal NDVI in this region showed a fluctuating upward trend, especially in spring. The difference between the end of season (eos) and start of season (sos) gradually increased, indicating the occurrence of temporal “greening” across most Shaanxi Province. (2) The overall spatial distribution of annual mean NDVI in Shaanxi Province was prominent in the south and low in the north, and 98.83% of the areas had a stable and increasing trend. Pixel scale analysis reflected the spatial continuity and heterogeneity of NDVI evolution. (3) Trend and breakpoint evaluation results showed that evolutionary trends were not homogeneous. There were obvious breakpoints in the latitude direction of NDVI evolution in Shaanxi Province, especially between 32–33 °N and in the north of 37 °N. (4) Compared with precipitation, the annual average temperature was significantly correlated with the vegetation indices (annual NDVI, max NDVI, time integrated NDVI) and phenology metrics (sos, eos). (5) Considering the interaction between environmental variables, the NDVI evolution was dominated by the combined influence of climate and geographic location factors in most areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Restoration: A Key Strategy to Face Anthropogenic Impact and Climate Change)

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11 pages, 1854 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Soil Organic Matter Responses to Mangrove Restoration: A Replanting Experience in Northeast Brazil

by Laís Coutinho Zayas Jimenez, Hermano Melo Queiroz, Xosé Luis Otero, Gabriel Nuto Nóbrega and Tiago Osório Ferreira

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(17), 8981; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18178981 - 26 Aug 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2847

Abstract

Mangroves are among the most relevant ecosystems in providing ecosystem services because of their capacity to act as sinks for atmospheric carbon. Thus, restoring mangroves is a strategic pathway for mitigating global climate change. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the organic matter [...] Read more.

Mangroves are among the most relevant ecosystems in providing ecosystem services because of their capacity to act as sinks for atmospheric carbon. Thus, restoring mangroves is a strategic pathway for mitigating global climate change. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the organic matter dynamics in mangrove soils during restoration processes. Four mangrove soils under different developmental stages along the northeastern Brazilian coast were studied, including a degraded mangrove (DM); recovering mangroves after 3 years (3Y) and 7 years (7Y) of planting; and a mature mangrove (MM). The soil total organic carbon (C_T) and soil carbon stocks (SCSs) were determined for each area. Additionally, a demineralization procedure was conducted to assess the most complex humidified and recalcitrant fractions of soil organic matter and the fraction participating in organomineral interactions. The particle size distribution was also analyzed. Our results revealed significant differences in the SCS and C_T values between the DM, 3Y and 7Y, and the MM, for which there was a tendency to increase in carbon content with increasing vegetative development. However, based on the metrics used to evaluate organic matter interactions with inorganic fractions, such as low rates of carbon enrichment, C recovery, and low C content after hydrofluoric acid (HF) treatment being similar for the DM and the 3Y and 7Y—this indicated that high carbon losses were coinciding with mineral dissolution. These results indicate that the organic carbon dynamics in degraded and newly planted sites depend more on organomineral interactions, both to maintain their previous SCS and increase it, than mature mangroves. Conversely, the MM appeared to have most of the soil organic carbon, as the stabilized organic matter had a complex structure with a high molecular weight and contributed less in the organomineral interactions to the SCS. These results demonstrate the role of initial mangrove vegetation development in trapping fine mineral particles and favoring organomineral interactions. These findings will help elucidate organic accumulation in different replanted mangrove restoration scenarios. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Restoration: A Key Strategy to Face Anthropogenic Impact and Climate Change)

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26 pages, 3377 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Coupling Coordination Relationship and Driving Mechanism between Urbanization and Ecosystem Service Value in Large Regions: A Case Study of Urban Agglomeration in Yellow River Basin, China

by Kaili Zhang, Tan Liu, Rongrong Feng, Zhicheng Zhang and Kang Liu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(15), 7836; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18157836 - 23 Jul 2021

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 3354

Abstract

Mastering the coupling and coordination relationship and driving mechanism of urbanization and ecosystem service value (ESV) is of great significance to ecological protection and regional sustainable development. In this paper, the coupling coordination model, geographic detector and GWR model are used to analyze [...] Read more.

Mastering the coupling and coordination relationship and driving mechanism of urbanization and ecosystem service value (ESV) is of great significance to ecological protection and regional sustainable development. In this paper, the coupling coordination model, geographic detector and GWR model are used to analyze the spatio-temporal coupling interaction between urbanization and ESV and the spatial differentiation characteristics of influencing factors from 1995 to 2018. The results of the study are as follows: (1) During the study period, cities in the Yellow River Basin experienced accelerated urban expansion, and the ESV of forests, water and wetlands increased, which offset the reduction in ESV due to the expansion of construction land and farmland and grassland. (2) The degree of coupling and coordination between the two gradually improved, but the overall situation showed a low-level coupling and coordination process. Mild coupling coordination gradually increased, reaching an increase of 38.10%; severe imbalance types tended to disappear, decreasing by 52.38%, and coupling subtypes developed from lagging urbanization to ESV backward types. The high-value areas of the coupling coordination degree are distributed in the high-value areas of ESV in the north of the upper reaches, and the low-value areas are distributed in the cities of Henan and Shandong with high urbanization levels in the downstream and most resource-based cities in the middle reaches. (3) In addition, the spatial intensity of the effect of each dominant factor on the degree of coupling coordination is different. Economic growth, technological development, environmental regulations and the proportion of forest land have positive and belt-shaped alienation characteristics for the coupling and coordination of the two, and infrastructure and temperature show negative driving characteristics. Therefore, the coupling and coordination relationship between ESV and urbanization should be clarified to help future urban planning. On the basis of determining the regional environmental carrying capacity and the adjustment direction of the rational planning of land resources, the impact of urban barriers formed by administrative boundaries and natural geographical conditions on the development of urban agglomerations should be broken to achieve the overall high-quality and coordinated development of the basin. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Restoration: A Key Strategy to Face Anthropogenic Impact and Climate Change)

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18 pages, 3244 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Micro-Fragmentation as an Effective and Applied Tool to Restore Remote Reefs in the Eastern Tropical Pacific

by J. J. Adolfo Tortolero-Langarica, Alma P. Rodríguez-Troncoso, Amílcar L. Cupul-Magaña and Baruch Rinkevich

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(18), 6574; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17186574 - 9 Sep 2020

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 5210

Abstract

Coral reef ecosystems are continuously degraded by anthropogenic and climate change drivers, causing a widespread decline in reef biodiversity and associated goods and services. In response, active restoration methodologies and practices have been developed globally to compensate for losses due to reef degradation. [...] Read more.

Coral reef ecosystems are continuously degraded by anthropogenic and climate change drivers, causing a widespread decline in reef biodiversity and associated goods and services. In response, active restoration methodologies and practices have been developed globally to compensate for losses due to reef degradation. Yet, most activities employ the gardening concept that uses coral nurseries, and are centered in easily-accessible reefs, with existing infrastructure, and impractical for coral reefs in remote locations. Here we evaluate the effectiveness of direct outplanting of coral micro-fragments (Pavona clavus and Pocillopora spp.) as a novel approach to restore remote reefs in the Islas Marías archipelago in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Coral growth (height-width-tissue cover), survival percentage, extension rates (cm year⁻¹), skeletal density (g cm⁻³) and calcification rates (g cm⁻² year⁻¹) were assessed over 13 months of restoration. In spite of detrimental effects of Hurricane Willa, transplants showed a greater-than-twofold increase in all growth metrics, with ~58–61% survival rate and fast self-attachment (within ~3.9 months) for studied species, with Pocilloporids exhibiting higher extension, skeletal density, and calcification rates than Pavona. While comprehensive long-term studies are required, direct transplantation methodologies of coral micro-fragments are emerging as time-effective and affordable restoration tools to mitigate anthropogenic and climate change impacts in remote and marginal reefs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Restoration: A Key Strategy to Face Anthropogenic Impact and Climate Change)

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19 pages, 3016 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quantifying the Impact of the Grain-for-Green Program on Ecosystem Health in the Typical Agro-Pastoral Ecotone: A Case Study in the Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia

by Zhaoyi Wang, Qianru Yu and Luo Guo

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(16), 5631; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17165631 - 5 Aug 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2968

Abstract

The Green-for-Grain program (GGP) is the largest environmental restoration program in China. It is effective in controlling land desertification but at the same time is highly affected by regional differences. Ecosystem health, as an important indicator of ecosystem sustainability, can effectively assess the [...] Read more.

The Green-for-Grain program (GGP) is the largest environmental restoration program in China. It is effective in controlling land desertification but at the same time is highly affected by regional differences. Ecosystem health, as an important indicator of ecosystem sustainability, can effectively assess the ecological impact of the GGP and provide a basis for follow-up actions. As a typical agro-pastoral ecotone along the Great Wall, the Xilin Gol League has seen increasing land-use intensity, thus, it is crucial to understand the ecological conditions of the region in order to deploy a policy of the GGP in accordance with local conditions. In this study, using remote sensing images and social statistics data from 1990–2015, land-use transformation and the turning point of vegetation coverage was determined. Based on the pressure-state-response (PSR) model, an ecological health evaluation system was constructed to quantify the temporal and spatial variation of ecosystem health. Then, the spatial correlation between the changes in forest and grass coverage, as well as the changes in the ecosystem health index (EHI), was evaluated using GeoDa software. The results showed that (1) grassland was the primary land-use/land-cover (LULC) in the Xilin Gol League. Since 2000, land-use transfer types changed significantly and grassland degradation weakened; landscape connectivity increased, and vegetation coverage increased. (2) Over the past 25 years, the ecosystem in the study area was at a subhealthy level and showed a trend toward a healthy level. (3) The spatial correlation between △Area% (change in forest and grass coverage) and △EHI (change in ecosystem health index) was positive between 2000 and 2015 and the correlation gradually increased, indicating that the GGP did enhance the health of the ecosystem of Xilin Gol. This study provided a specific reference for the evaluation of ecosystem health in the agro-pastoral ecotone of China and a theoretical basis for the implementation of sustainable management policies in the study area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Restoration: A Key Strategy to Face Anthropogenic Impact and Climate Change)

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