Article
Environmental Sciences
Adugna Eneyew Bekele, Dusan Drabik, Liesbeth Dries, Wim Heijman
Summary: Large-scale land investments in agro-pastoral areas of Ethiopia have resulted in displacement of local communities and significant land degradation. The survey findings indicate that 75% of the households experienced moderate to severe land degradation, with factors such as displacement, land loss, and reduced productivity contributing to the deterioration of land quality.
LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Luwei Dai, Haiping Tang, Yunlong Pan, Dalin Liang
Summary: This study identified the spatiotemporal changes in six ecosystem services in the agro-pastoral transitional zone of northern China and explored the impacts of various drivers on these changes. The results showed improvements in the ecosystem services, but also highlighted potential challenges such as water shortage.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yongfan Ji, Lian'an Yang, Qianghua Dong, Sicong Zhou, Lujing Jia, Bin Xun
Summary: The study analyzed the spatio-temporal characteristics of land use and landscape ecological risk in the agro-pastoral interconnected zone of northern Shaanxi and constructed an eco-security model based on ecological corridors, pinchpoints, and barriers. The results show changes in land use and landscape ecological risk, with a distribution of medium-low risk in the region. The optimized model provides a reference for the construction of eco-security models in ecologically vulnerable areas.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Xuejin Wang, Baoqing Zhang, Feng Li, Xiang Li, Xuliang Li, Yibo Wang, Rui Shao, Jie Tian, Chansheng He
Summary: The study on the impact of ecological restoration projects in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China reveals that vegetation restoration not only increases precipitation but also enhances the moisture recycling process, thus positively influencing local water cycle and precipitation.
JOURNAL OF HYDROMETEOROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Jiayu Sun, Na Liu, Guang Bao, Yanchao Wang, Qi Chu
Summary: The study used a process-based model to explore the variation characteristic of the radial growth rate of Pinus tabulaeformis in the agro-pastoral transition zone in northern China. It found that temperature and soil moisture availability affect the radial growth rate at different stages of the growing season, with moisture availability being the key limiting factor.
Article
Agronomy
Hoang Hai Nguyen, Seongkeun Cho, Minha Choi
Summary: This study proposes a synergy method using SAR S1 and optical-TIR MODIS data to improve SSM estimation in agricultural lands. The results show that the synergy method performs better, especially during the crop growth period.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Qiaoqiao Gong, Piling Sun, Qingguo Liu, Junxiong Mo
Summary: This study examines the influence of topographical factors on land-use changes in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China (AENC) using various methods. The findings reveal that land-use changes mainly occur in mountainous areas, with conversions between farmland, forestland, and grassland being the most common. The patterns of land-use changes are categorized into five types, including stable, prophase change, anaphase change, continuous change, and repeated change, which occur at different topographic gradients. The topographic gradient effect of land-use changes in the AENC is comprehensively influenced by natural, geographical, socioeconomic, and policy factors.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yaojie Yue, Limin Geng, Min Li
Summary: This study quantitatively assessed the risk of aeolian desertification in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China (APENC) under different future scenarios. The results showed that aeolian desertification risk in the APENC exhibits a persistent decreasing trend under low emission scenarios and a reversal trend under high emission scenarios. The significant decrease of wind speed was identified as the main factor driving the reversal of aeolian desertification risk.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Boyao Zhi, Shumin Xiang, Yanbo Wang, Zhixiong Dai, Pufang Du, Rui Wang, Xuetao Li, Gaihe Yang, Yongzhong Feng, Guangxin Ren, Xiaojiao Wang
Summary: Returning manure to farmland is crucial for the internal cycle of agricultural systems, but excessive manure poses a threat to the environment and human health. This study analyzed the spatial distribution patterns of manure nutrient supply and farmland nutrient demand, providing insights for a more efficient and harmless approach to utilizing manure as an organic nutrient resource.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Binghua Gong, Zhifeng Liu
Summary: This study evaluates the impacts of major land-use policies on future LUCC and environmental sustainability of oasis landscapes by developing 56 scenarios with different combinations of six policies and simulating LUCC between 2017 and 2050. The results show that while the policies can control built-up area sprawl and improve regional ecosystem services, they also lead to increased water consumption and exacerbate water stress, indicating the need for more integrated management of water and land resources for comprehensive sustainability improvement.
Article
Ecology
Huimin Chen, Yu Zhao, Xiao Fu, Mingfang Tang, Mingjie Guo, Shiqi Zhang, Yu Zhu, Laiye Qu, Gang Wu
Summary: A comprehensive understanding of the spatial-temporal evolution and driving forces on ecosystem services is crucial for the ecological security in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China. This study focuses on the land-use pattern agglomeration and spatial differentiation in pastoral and agricultural areas. The results reveal the influence of forest and grassland conversion on land-use transformation in the northern region and the tendency of human-activity-oriented land to occupy environmentally sensitive places in the southern region. The study provides management suggestions for balancing ecological protection and regional development.
ECOSYSTEM HEALTH AND SUSTAINABILITY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yuxin Wu, Xinxiao Yu, Guodong Jia
Summary: Understanding the seasonal change of vegetation canopy and root system and its response to soil erodibility is important for studying the change and difference of erodibility under different land use and time. This study quantified the differences in soil erodibility indicators in all samples during dry and rainy seasons. The results showed that season had significant effects on soil properties, root traits, and soil erodibility indicators. The analysis also identified the main factors affecting soil erodibility and the planting pattern that performed the best in reducing soil erosion.
JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE AND PLANT NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Degen Lin, Peijun Shi, Michael Meadows, Huiming Yang, Jing'ai Wang, Gangfeng Zhang, Zhenhua Hu
Summary: Soil degradation due to erosion is prevalent in semiarid regions worldwide, especially in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China. This study utilized various equations to map the distribution of three types of soil erosion, highlighting the importance of compound soil erosion in these areas.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mengzhu Liu, Yugui Jia, Jingjing Zhao, Yanjun Shen, Hongwei Pei, Hongjuan Zhang, Yali Li
Summary: Revegetation projects in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China have led to significant changes in land use and ecosystem service values, with forestland expansion and grassland shrinkage dominating the landscape changes. Future revegetation projects have the potential to generate more forestland and increase ecosystem service values in the region.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jiaru Wu, Peng Han, Jiawei Yu, Scott Jarvie, Yannan Zhang, Qing Zhang
Summary: This study analyzed the change in grassland landscape patterns in the agro-pastoral ecotone of Inner Mongolia from 2000 to 2020 and found that the grassland area decreased significantly, with increased fragmentation. The edge grassland has higher productivity and stronger thermal buffering, which play an important role in alleviating thermal stress caused by human-induced climate change.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Business, Finance
Tingting Zhang, Desheng Wei, Zhifeng Liu, Xihao Wu
Summary: This paper examines the effects of lottery preference on stock market participation at the macro level and finds that lottery preference increases people's propensity to enter and trade in the stock market, with high lottery preference having a more significant impact on trading behavior. However, lottery preference has no significant effect on stockholding.
CHINA FINANCE REVIEW INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Qingmin Pan, Amy J. Symstad, Yongfei Bai, Jianhui Huang, Jianguo Wu, Shahid Naeem, Dima Chen, Dashuan Tian, Qibing Wang, Xingguo Han
Summary: A plant functional group removal experiment on the Mongolian Plateau demonstrated that the form of the biodiversity-productivity relationship varies among different PFG loss patterns. The abundance of the remaining PFG(s) and compensation effect are major mechanisms affecting this relationship under diversity loss scenarios.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Keer Zhang, Xuhui Lee, Natalie M. Schultz, Lei Zhao, Chunyang He, Qingxu Huang, Zhifeng Liu, Haoran Chu, Jiayu Zhao
Summary: This paper presents a global dataset on subgrid land surface climate variables produced by the Community Earth System Model. It includes data on physical state, surface energy fluxes, runoff, and atmospheric forcing conditions, making it a valuable resource for studying the climatic impacts of land use and land cover change.
GEOSCIENCE DATA JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Songhao Luo, Zhifeng Liu, Yang Liu, Eydhah Almatrafi, Binbin Shao, Biao Song, Chengyun Zhou, Yukui Fu, Miao He, Zhuotong Zeng, Guangming Zeng
Summary: In this study, catalytic hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol in wastewater was achieved using functionalized conjugated microporous polymers anchored Ag nanocatalysts. The research provides an effective strategy for wastewater treatment and has the potential for modular application in remote areas.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Automation & Control Systems
CaiXia Zhang, Xiang Li, JinLin He, YanHong Cheng, ZhiFeng Liu, Ying Li
Summary: This study proposed a static friction coefficient model of joint surfaces based on the modified three-dimensional fractal model. The accuracy of the model was verified through an experimental investigation on the measurement of the static friction coefficient of joint surfaces. The results showed that material, pressure, and surface topography have influential mechanisms on the friction characteristics of joints.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADVANCED MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Binbin Shao, Leyuan Shen, Zhifeng Liu, Lin Tang, Xiaofei Tan, Dongbo Wang, Weimin Zeng, Ting Wu, Yuan Pan, Xiansheng Zhang, Lin Ge, Miao He
Summary: This review discusses the formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) from emerging organic micropollutants (EOMPs) during chlorine-based disinfection processes (Cl-DPs). The typical Cl-DPs and their mechanisms are introduced, and the formation pathways, mechanisms, and influencing factors of DBPs in the presence of different EOMPs are discussed. The review also summarizes and discusses the detection and control methods of DBPs, and proposes future research directions and challenges in controlling their formation during disinfection processes.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Binbin Shao, Yuantao Xu, Zhifeng Liu, Ting Wu, Yuan Pan, Xiansheng Zhang, Miao He, Lin Ge, Yue Lu, Yang Liu, Weimin Zeng, Lin Tang
Summary: Recently, the sulfate radical-based advanced oxidation processes (SR-AOPs) have gained significant attention for water treatment. Among various activation methods for persulfate (PS), carbon aerogel-based materials (CABMs) with unique properties have shown promising performance. In this review, the synthesis methods, activation processes, and properties of CABMs were comprehensively summarized. The opportunities and challenges of using CABMs in PS activation for water treatment were also discussed.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ting Wu, Qinghua Liang, Lin Tang, Jialin Tang, Jiajia Wang, Binbin Shao, Shanxi Gong, Qingyun He, Yuan Pan, Zhifeng Liu
Summary: A high-performance piezoelectric photocatalyst was developed to improve the removal efficiency of tetracycline hydrochloride. The photocatalyst introduced a piezoelectric effect and constructed a heterojunction structure. The removal efficiency was further enhanced by ultrasound. The immobilized photocatalyst floated on the water surface, enabling easy recovery.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Da Zhang, Ying Nan, Weihong Zhu, Chunyang He, Zhifeng Liu, Yanmin Yang
Summary: Assessing the indirect impacts of urban expansion on ecosystem services is crucial for understanding the environmental effects of urbanization. This study focuses on the transnational area of Changbai Mountain and evaluates the indirect impacts of urban expansion on ecosystem services during 2015-2050. The findings reveal that cropland displacement caused a decrease in carbon storage, water retention, and air purification services. Additionally, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea experiences greater indirect losses of ecosystem services compared to China and Russia. To promote sustainable development, effective land-use policies and ecosystem services-based land-use planning are recommended.
LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qingyun He, Chenhui Zhao, Lin Tang, Zhifeng Liu, Binbin Shao, Qinghua Liang, Ting Wu, Yuan Pan, Jiajia Wang, Yang Liu, Shehua Tong, Tianjue Hu
Summary: Social development is often accompanied by pollution caused by technological progress. Antibiotics, as an essential resource of modern medical treatment, have become a hot topic in terms of environmental pollution. In this study, fish scales were used to synthesize a biochar catalyst (FS-BC) for degrading tetracycline hydrochloride. FS-BC demonstrated the best catalytic performance due to its excellent defect structure and the synergy of N, P heteroatoms. This research not only provides a reference for biochar selection, but also suggests a superior strategy for TC degradation in the environment.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yu Nie, Xiaoyan Zhang, Yanmin Yang, Zhifeng Liu, Chunyang He, Xin Chen, Tao Lu
Summary: This study assessed the impacts of land-use/cover change (LUCC) on natural habitat quality (NHQ) in the Lhasa River Basin (LRB), taking into account both historical and future scenarios. The research found that ecological restoration improved NHQ more than urban expansion deteriorated it, resulting in an overall increasing trend in NHQ during 2000-2020. However, under the cropland protection scenario, NHQ is projected to deteriorate due to the occupation of natural habitats by urban expansion.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Binghua Gong, Zhifeng Liu, Yupeng Liu, Shunli Zhou
Summary: The sustainability of China's cities is threatened by water scarcity caused by both quantity and quality issues. The water footprint can be measured from consumption or production perspectives. While the water footprint from the consumption perspective has been widely studied, the changes in water footprint from the production perspective in China's cities remain unclear. A large-scale decrease in urban water footprint from the production perspective has been observed, with significant reductions in drylands. The implementation of water pollution prevention policies has played a crucial role in these savings. However, the rapid growth of domestic and ecological blue water footprint caused by urbanization and urban greening poses a challenge to alleviating urban water scarcity in the future.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhifeng Liu, Miao He, Lin Tang, Binbin Shao, Qinghua Liang, Ting Wu, Yuan Pan, Xiansheng Zhang, Songhao Luo, Qingyun He, Lin Ge
Summary: This study prepared Mn and N co-doped biochar (Mn-N-TS) as an effective catalyst to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation. Mn-N-TS exhibited excellent PMS activation ability, with a CIP removal efficiency of 91.9% in 120 minutes in the Mn-N-TS/PMS system.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Qingyun He, Shanxi Gong, Qinghua Liang, Zhifeng Liu, Binbin Shao, Ting Wu, Yuan Pan, Xiansheng Zhang, Miao He, Lin Ge, Jingwen Sun
Summary: A novel Schottky heterojunction of V-BiOIO3/g-C3N4/WC was synthesized for photocatalytic degradation of TCH. The photocatalytic activity was studied under different conditions and analyzed by various characterizations. The results showed that the heterojunction exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance with a TCH degradation rate of 89.0%. The mechanism analysis revealed that the V-BiO3/FTCN compound acted as an S-scheme heterojunction, effectively suppressing recombination of carriers, while the introduction of WC as a cocatalyst formed a Schottky junction, facilitating carrier separation and enhancing the oxidation ability of h+. This research provides a new approach for the development of efficient carbon nitride-based photocatalysts and their practical applications in environmental remediation.
JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY A-CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yihua Dai, Zhifeng Liu
Summary: Water scarcity is a growing problem globally, particularly in urban areas. The proportion of water-scarce population is high and varies across months in certain countries. Expansion of water-scarce areas is mainly caused by irrigation, domestic, and industrial water withdrawals. Effective water resources management is needed to address this issue.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Xuezheng Zong, Xiaorui Tian, Xianli Wang
Summary: Climate change has caused longer fire seasons and more intense wildfires worldwide, leading to significant economic and environmental impacts. A study conducted in Southwest China evaluated the effectiveness of different fuel treatment designs in mitigating wildfire risk under varying fire severity conditions. The results showed that fuel treatments were effective in reducing risk under low and normal fire severity scenarios, but their effectiveness was limited under high fire severity conditions.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Jian Peng, Xiaoyu Wang, Huining Zheng, Zihan Xu
Summary: This study developed an index system to evaluate the trade-off between grain production service and water purification service in the Dongting Lake Basin. The results showed that converting cropland with high nitrogen output into forest land can minimize this trade-off.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Francois Chiron, Romain Lorrilliere, Carmen Bessa-Gomes, Piotr Tryjanowski, Joan Casanelles-Abella, Lauri Laanisto, Ana Leal, Anskje Van Mensel, Marco Moretti, Babette Muyshondt, Ulo Niinemets, Marta Alos Orti, Pedro Pinho, Roeland Samson, Nicolas Deguines
Summary: In cities, green areas play a crucial role in biodiversity conservation, and the heterogeneity of land cover is an important factor. The relationship between area and heterogeneity affects the richness of bird species in urban green areas, with urban avoider species benefiting from large and heterogeneous patches.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Aleksandra Lis, Karolina Zalewska, Pawel Iwankowski, Katarzyna Betkier, Paulina Bilska, Viktoriia Dudar, Aleksandra L. Lagiewka
Summary: Appleton's prospect-refuge theory suggests that the presence of dense vegetation, topography, and people in a park can influence the safety and privacy felt by visitors in different ways. This study aimed to understand the relationship between observation point height, vegetation location, presence of other people, and perceived privacy and safety. The results showed that flat or lower ground without the presence of others was considered the safest, while landscapes higher up with dense vegetation and no other people were rated highest in terms of privacy. The findings have practical implications in terms of providing privacy without compromising safety.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Jianting Zhao, Guibo Sun, Chris Webster
Summary: This study developed a geospatial database to document the locations and urban environments of pandemic-induced street experiments on a global scale, and conducted quantitative analysis based on spatial and temporal visualizations. The study aims to enhance comparability of built environment indicators between cities and provide a robust foundation for future research on tactical urbanism.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Huaqing Wang, Louis G. Tassinary
Summary: This study investigated the influence of urban greenspace spatial morphology on non-communicable diseases and found that neighborhoods with more connected, aggregated, coherent, and complex-shaped greenspace had a lower prevalence of these diseases. Such associations were mediated by air pollution and physical inactivity. The results suggest that the spatial morphology of designed urban greenspace plays a significant role in neighborhood health.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Chiwei Xiao, Yi Wang, Mingyan Yan, Jeffrey Chiwuikem Chiaka
Summary: Regional integration initiatives, such as cross-border transportation corridors, have significant impacts on land use changes and landscape patterns. This study examines the China-Laos Railway as a case study to evaluate the extent and significance of these impacts. Using land-use data and geospatial analysis, the study quantifies and compares the effects of the railway on land use changes within a buffer zone along the corridor.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2024)
Review
Ecology
Astrid Zabel, Mara-Magdalena Hausler
Summary: Developing a green infrastructure is an important environmental policy goal in many countries around the world. Different countries have different requirements on the spatial allocation of conservation sites for green infrastructure. Price-type and procedural instruments are commonly used, but the utilization of incentive mechanisms that internalize the benefit of clustering is relatively low. There is a need for more studies on incentive mechanisms and green infrastructure policies in the global South.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Timothy Fraser, Olivia Feeley, Andres Ridge, Ava Cervini, Vincent Rago, Kelly Gilmore, Gianna Worthington, Ilana Berliavsky
Summary: This study examines the inequality of social infrastructure in Boston, finding significant racial and income disparities in access. These disparities have implications for the health and resilience of neighborhoods.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Yutian Lu, Running Chen, Bin Chen, Jiayu Wu
Summary: The inequitable distribution of urban green spaces has become a significant concern, with variations found between cities in different development stages, and socioeconomic factors playing a crucial role in the spatial equity of urban green spaces.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Di Chen, Jie Yin, Chia-Pin Yu, Shengjing Sun, Charlotte Gabel, John D. Spengler
Summary: Observational and experimental studies have shown that exposure to greenness is beneficial for long-term health and well-being. However, more evidence is needed regarding the short-term health impacts of nearby nature in urban areas. This study used immersive virtual reality technology to investigate how transitions between built and natural environments affect urban residents. Results showed that transitioning from built to natural environments led to reductions in negative mood and transient anxiety, while transitions from natural to built environments had the opposite effect. Additionally, participants showed more emotional responses to nature through physiological measures. The study also highlighted the influence of contextual factors, such as physical health conditions, stress levels, experience with nature, and growth environments, on stress recovery. Overall, this study provides empirical evidence supporting the promotion of nearby nature in urban built environments.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Daniele Codato, Francesca Peroni, Massimo De Marchi
Summary: This study examines climate justice in the Ecuadorian Amazon Region (EAR), highlighting the multiple injustices caused by oil extraction activities. Using spatial analysis, the study shows that the EAR has been a major producer of oil since 1972, leading to environmental impacts such as oil spills and pollution. The results emphasize the need to include these territories in climate justice discussions and promote the rights to a non-toxic environment.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Jingli Yan, Wendy Y. Chen, Zixiao Zhang, Wenxing Zhao, Min Liu, Shan Yin
Summary: Vegetation barriers are an effective strategy in urban planning to mitigate traffic-induced air pollution and reduce exposure. This study uses field measurements and numerical modeling to show that constructing vegetation barriers with short bushes can effectively reduce PM2.5 pollution in open-road environments, while higher coverage of tall bushes may worsen the pollution.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2024)
