Article
Engineering, Civil
V Sivelle, H. Jourde, D. Bittner, B. Richieri, D. Labat, A. Hartmann, G. Chiogna
Summary: This study examines the implication of considering a semi-distributed recharge in a lumped parameter model through multiple hydrological model calibrations and focuses on the uncertainty caused by the model structure. The results suggest that considering a semi-distributed recharge can improve the performance of hydrological models in forest-dominated karst areas, but it may not be applicable to all karst environments.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Samantha Broadmeadow, Tom Nisbet, Robert Palmer, Louise Webb, Chris Short, Charlotte-Anne Chivers, John Hammond, Martin Lukac, Anne Miller, Richard Gantlett, Joanna Clark
Summary: Natural flood management (NFM) involves restoring and protecting natural hydrology and geomorphology to minimize flood risk. Government agencies have created national maps to target suitable areas for NFM measures, but the effectiveness can be enhanced by involving local stakeholders in the decision-making process.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gang Zhao, Paul D. D. Bates, Jeff Neal, Dai Yamazaki
Summary: We propose a machine learning-based approach to estimate the flood defense standard (FDS) for unlabeled sites. RFR performed better than MLR in characterizing the relationship between FDS and explanatory factors. RFR revealed river flood factors had higher importance and achieved the highest performance using all factors for prediction.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jingyu Lin, Jinliang Huang, Christina Prell, Brett A. Bryan
Summary: This study highlights the impacts of land-use change on freshwater ecosystem services flows, providing detailed information on water supply to beneficiaries within a watershed. It emphasizes the importance of integrated watershed management and decision-making processes for promoting the sustainability of freshwater ecosystems.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jian Li, Zihang Fang, Jinxi Zhang, Qingxu Huang, Chunyang He
Summary: This study explores the dynamic changes in the supply-demand relationship of Flood Regulation Service (FRS) in rapidly urbanizing basins. By proposing the Supply-Demand Ratio (SDR) method, the authors successfully quantify the supply and demand of FRS and find that the imbalance of FRS supply and demand intensifies and is related to rapid urbanization. Therefore, the authors suggest proactive policies be adopted to defend against flood disaster risks in future urban construction.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mohammad Reza Eini, Christian Massari, Mikolaj Piniewski
Summary: Satellite-based observations of soil moisture, leaf area index, precipitation, and evapotranspiration are used in agrohydrological modeling. This study utilized the Climate Change Initiative Soil Moisture dataset adjusted based on Soil Water Index for agro-hydrological modeling in a transboundary river basin. The results showed that incorporating satellite-based soil moisture in the calibration process improved the accuracy and consistency of agro-hydrological modeling.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Barbara Kalisz, Krystyna Zuk-Golaszewska, Wioleta Radawiec, Janusz Golaszewski
Summary: The land use changes caused by economic activities in agricultural ecosystems have significant impacts on human life. Land use change is considered an important environmental aspect in assessing the sustainability of food and bio-based products. However, research on quantifying the effects of land use change is still ongoing, leading to scientific discussions. This paper aims to address the knowledge gap on responsible and sustainable land use management by providing comprehensive land use change indicators applicable to local, regional, and global agricultural sustainability assessments. The findings highlight the high proportion of artificial land and low land use intensity in certain European countries, and the heterogeneity of land cover and land use intensity in others.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jatan Debnath, Dhrubajyoti Sahariah, Durlov Lahon, Nityaranjan Nath, Kesar Chand, Gowhar Meraj, Majid Farooq, Pankaj Kumar, Shruti Kanga, Suraj Kumar Singh
Summary: Satellite remote sensing and GIS have had a revolutionary impact on mapping, quantifying, and assessing land surface processes, particularly in analyzing past and future land use-land cover changes. This study focuses on the Brahmaputra Valley in India and evaluates its land use-land cover changes using GIS technology. The study also predicts future changes using a simulation model. The results show a decrease in vegetation and water area and an increase in cultivated land, barren land, and built-up area. The study emphasizes the importance of implementing necessary land resource management strategies to avoid disastrous environmental consequences.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Geography
Yu Tao, Zhaobi Li, Xiao Sun, Jiangxiao Qiu, Steven G. Pueppke, Weixin Ou, Jie Guo, Qin Tao, Fei Wang
Summary: Integrating supply and demand of ecosystem services in rapidly urbanizing areas is challenging but essential. This study developed a spatially explicit approach to analyze the supply and demand dynamics of water purification and flood mitigation in the Taihu Lake Basin of eastern China. The results revealed a spatial mismatch between high supply and demand, with high supply in mountainous areas and high demand in urban and agricultural areas. The decrease in water purification and increase in flood mitigation demand were mainly attributed to urban expansion. Land use composition and configuration were found to have strong associations with demand and supply at the sub-basin scale. The findings provide valuable insights for sustainable land management in urbanizing watersheds.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Simon Moulds, Wouter Buytaert, Michael R. Templeton, Ishmael Kanu
Summary: In rapidly urbanizing developing countries, there is a distinct disparity between planned and informal urban development, with informal settlements often located in flood-prone areas. Managing flood risk in informal areas poses challenges and may exacerbate social inequality. Research indicates that reducing vulnerability of informal communities to flooding can help alleviate social inequality and promote sustainable economic growth.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gaia Olcese, Paul D. Bates, Jeffrey C. Neal, Christopher C. Sampson, Oliver E. J. Wing, Niall Quinn, Hylke E. Beck
Summary: Typical flood models neglect the spatial structure of flood events, but large-scale stochastic flood models can simulate synthetic flood events with realistic spatial structure. Global hydrological models' discharge hindcasts can be used to build stochastic river flood models globally. The model-based approach shows promising performance in simulating spatial dependency in large-scale flood modeling, providing reliable flood risk assessment for data-scarce regions.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fan Xia, Yixuan Yang, Shiqin Zhang, Yixuan Yang, Dehuan Li, Wei Sun, Yujing Xie
Summary: This study examined the impact of land use and land use change on the supply-demand mismatches of carbon and grain in different provinces of China. The results showed that social factors and natural factors made different contributions to the supply-demand imbalances. The study highlighted the importance of protecting cropland for food security and prioritizing carbon emission reductions for carbon balance.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Nicola Ellis, Karen Anderson, Richard Brazier
Summary: Natural flood management lacks established evidence base, limiting its uptake in flood management. The study suggests a new research framework to address NFM knowledge gaps and overcome limitations.
PROGRESS IN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY-EARTH AND ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuan Zhou, Xuefei Wu
Summary: Under global climate change and rapid urbanization, urban waterlogging has become increasingly severe. Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) is seen as a key measure to address this challenge, but current methods for the layout of GSI do not consider social and economic factors adequately. This study introduces a new framework that considers both flood mitigation benefits and socio-economic benefits in GSI planning, providing a basis for optimized spatial layout and guidance for the construction of sponge cities. A case study of Wuhan validates the effectiveness of the framework.
ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Deepak K. Ray, Lindsey L. Sloat, Andrea S. Garcia, Kyle F. Davis, Tariq Ali, Wei Xie
Summary: Rising competition for crop usage and poor understanding of where crops are harvested pose challenges for policies. High-resolution global maps were created to show the harvesting locations for seven broad categories of crop use. Food crop yields are low and may not be sufficient to eliminate hunger. Sub-Saharan African nations may not meet the demands of their growing population and hunger elimination.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Cecilia Zagaria, Catharina J. E. Schulp, Ziga Malek, Peter H. Verburg
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive spatial assessment of potential farm-based adaptations in the Mediterranean region and evaluates the match between adaptation needs and capacities. The results show worsening climatic conditions in all croplands, especially in Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Spain, Morocco, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Israel. In more than half of these countries, over 60% of highly affected areas have no potential for implementing adaptations. This research highlights the importance of considering transformational options for regions approaching the limits of adaptation, and the need to bridge adaptation capacity and preparedness in regions with unrealized potential.
AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Richard Schuster, Rachel Buxton, Jeffrey O. O. Hanson, Allison D. D. Binley, Jeremy Pittman, Vivitskaia Tulloch, Frank A. A. La Sorte, Patrick R. R. Roehrdanz, Peter H. H. Verburg, Amanda D. D. Rodewald, Scott Wilson, Hugh P. P. Possingham, Joseph R. R. Bennett
Summary: Protected areas face vulnerabilities due to weak governance, land-use intensification, and climate change. By applying a hierarchical optimization approach, this study identifies priority areas for expanding the global protected area system while considering these risks and maximizing conservation of terrestrial vertebrate species. The findings suggest a need for 1.6% expansion of the protected area system to reduce exposure to risks and achieve conservation targets.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sophie P. de Bruin, Jasper van Vliet, Ina Lehmann, Peter Verburg
Summary: The Half Earth (HE) and Sharing the Planet (SP) scenarios have different equity implications for biodiversity restoration and conservation. The HE scenario is perceived to have higher distributive, recognitional, and procedural equity barriers, while the SP scenario is seen as harder to implement due to existing power structures. The equity perceptions are influenced by attitudes towards nature, professional focus, and views on equity in conservation and agriculture discussions.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Johan Rockstroem, Joyeeta Gupta, Dahe Qin, Steven J. Lade, Jesse F. Abrams, Lauren S. Andersen, David I. Armstrong McKay, Xuemei Bai, Govindasamy Bala, Stuart E. Bunn, Daniel Ciobanu, Fabrice DeClerck, Kristie Ebi, Lauren Gifford, Christopher Gordon, Syezlin Hasan, Norichika Kanie, Timothy M. Lenton, Sina Loriani, Diana M. Liverman, Awaz Mohamed, Nebojsa Nakicenovic, David Obura, Daniel Ospina, Klaudia Prodani, Crelis Rammelt, Boris Sakschewski, Joeri Scholtens, Ben Stewart-Koster, Thejna Tharammal, Detlef van Vuuren, Peter H. Verburg, Ricarda Winkelmann, Caroline Zimm, Elena M. Bennett, Stefan Bringezu, Wendy Broadgate, Pamela A. Green, Lei Huang, Lisa Jacobson, Christopher Ndehedehe, Simona Pedde, Juan Rocha, Marten Scheffer, Lena Schulte-Uebbing, Wim de Vries, Cunde Xiao, Chi Xu, Xinwu Xu, Noelia Zafra-Calvo, Xin Zhang
Summary: The stability and resilience of the Earth system and human well-being are closely linked but often treated independently. This study proposes safe and just Earth system boundaries to maintain stability and minimize harm to humans from Earth system change. Findings show that justice considerations have a greater impact on setting boundaries than safety considerations.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Katharina Schulze, Ziga Malek, Dmitry Schepaschenko, Myroslava Lesiv, Steffen Fritz, Peter H. Verburg
Summary: Short-rotation woody plantations (SRWPs) are important for climate change mitigation and adaptation due to their high yields and fast carbon storage. Their distribution and feasibility vary depending on location. We developed a systematic method to estimate the spatial distribution of SRWPs in (sub-)tropical biomes under current and future climate. Our results show that SRWP probabilities vary between regions and may not be feasible in many parts of (sub-)tropical biomes. Climate change also decreases SRWP probabilities, especially under higher emission scenarios, indicating a negative feedback. This has implications for global mitigation plans and wood resource availability.
MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION STRATEGIES FOR GLOBAL CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Joyeeta Gupta, Diana Liverman, Klaudia Prodani, Paulina Aldunce, Xuemei Bai, Wendy Broadgate, Daniel Ciobanu, Lauren Gifford, Chris Gordon, Margot Hurlbert, Cristina Y. A. Inoue, Lisa Jacobson, Norichika Kanie, Steven J. J. Lade, Timothy M. M. Lenton, David Obura, Chukwumerije Okereke, Ilona M. M. Otto, Laura Pereira, Johan Rockstroem, Joeri Scholtens, Juan Rocha, Ben Stewart-Koster, J. David Tabara, Crelis Rammelt, Peter H. Verburg
Summary: Living within planetary limits requires attention to justice as biophysical boundaries are not inherently just. Through collaboration between natural and social scientists, the Earth Commission defines and operationalizes Earth system justice to ensure that boundaries reduce harm, increase well-being, and reflect substantive and procedural justice.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Catherine M. J. Fayet, Peter H. Verburg
Summary: Farmland abandonment is a major driver of landscape change in European rural areas. Three management strategies - natural revegetation, active restoration with rewilding, and extensive re-farming - can be used in response to abandonment. The choice of management strategy depends on the context and can contribute to the goals of the European Green Deal.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Cristiana Alves, Bruno Marcos, Joao Goncalves, Peter Verburg, Loic Pellissier, Angela Lomba
Summary: Understanding the role of species within communities is crucial for their conservation and management in the face of biodiversity loss. This study presents an approach to rank the importance of plant species within a community based on their abundance and co-occurrence patterns. The newly proposed Co-occurrence Community Importance Index (CoCII) was used to assess the degree of influence that each dominant species had on subordinate species.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Elizaveta Khazieva, Ziga Malek, Peter H. Verburg
Summary: Central Asia is home to a large continuous grassland area, which is crucial for food security, biodiversity, and carbon storage. However, this region is experiencing intense land degradation due to land use change and climate change. The concept of land degradation neutrality (LDN) has been proposed to combat land degradation and promote sustainable land management. However, the impact of different datasets on the assessment of land degradation extent remains unclear.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Antonia E. Matthies, Catherine M. J. Fayet, Louise M. J. O'Connor, Peter H. Verburg
Summary: Agriculture plays a dual role in European biodiversity conservation, providing habitats for many species but also threatening these habitats. The focus is now on preserving agrobiodiversity, which lacks a consistent definition, measurement framework, or spatial indicator. This study compares four agrobiodiversity indicators in Europe and evaluates their sensitivity to land-use change scenarios.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Claudia Parra-Paitan, Erasmus K. H. J. Zu Ermgassen, Patrick Meyfroidt, Peter H. Verburg
Summary: The production and trade of agricultural commodities, such as cocoa, have significant impacts on farmers and the environment. However, there is a lack of cross-country data on the identity and market share of trading companies involved in these commodities. This study addresses this gap by compiling detailed shipping data from eight cocoa-exporting countries and assessing the adoption of sustainability commitments by traders. The findings reveal a highly concentrated market, with a low overall adoption of sustainability commitments and barriers such as limited traceability and transparency.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Onil Banerjee, Martin Cicowiez, ZIga Malek, Peter H. Verburg, Renato Vargas, Sean Goodwin, Kenneth J. Bagstad, Josue Avila Murillo
Summary: In post-conflict Colombia, the government puts emphasis on resettlement of displaced people by developing rural livelihoods and sustainable use of natural capital. This paper evaluates government proposals for expanding payment for ecosystem services (PES) and private-sector investment in habitat banking using an integrated model that considers economic, environmental, and social aspects. The results show that these programs have significant investment potential when considering non-market ecosystem services, and a portfolio investment approach combined with sustainable silvopastoral systems can lead to even higher returns. The study provides empirical evidence to inform policy decisions and maximize economic, environmental, and social outcomes.
ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
David O. Obura, Fabrice DeClerck, Peter H. Verburg, Joyeeta Gupta, Jesse F. Abrams, Xuemei Bai, Stuart Bunn, Kristie L. Ebi, Lauren Gifford, Chris Gordon, Lisa Jacobson, Timothy M. Lenton, Diana Liverman, Awaz Mohamed, Klaudia Prodani, Juan Carlos Rocha, Johan Rockstroem, Boris Sakschewski, Ben Stewart-Koster, Detlef van Vuuren, Ricarda Winkelmann, Caroline Zimm
Summary: Despite increasing investment in conservation, biodiversity decline has not been reversed, and there is a risk of repeating this outcome in the next three decades due to neglect of drivers of decline, unrealistic expectations of biodiversity recovery, and insufficient attention to justice. To address these failings, our Earth system justice approach suggests six sets of actions, including reducing drivers of decline, halting biodiversity loss, restoring biodiversity, improving wellbeing, eliminating over-consumption, and respecting the rights and responsibilities of all communities. Urgent upscaling of these actions is needed to deliver the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.
Article
Environmental Studies
Lisa-Marie Hemerijckx, Gloria Nsangi Nakyagaba, Hakimu Sseviiri, Katarzyna Janusz, Michelle Eichinger, Shuaib Lwasa, Julian May, Peter H. Verburg, Anton Van Rompaey
Summary: Due to rapid urbanization, the food system in sub-Saharan African cities is facing increasing pressure. In this paper, we use the concept of foodshed to analyze the spatial extent of food provision for consumers of different socio-economic status in Kampala, Uganda. Based on surveys with households and food vendors, we map the foodshed by identifying where consumers obtain their food and its origin. The results show that 50% of the food consumed in the city comes from within a 120 km radius of Kampala, including 10% from within the city itself. At present, urban agriculture is twice as important as international imports for urban food supply. Higher-income urban dwellers have a more localized foodshed due to their involvement in urban agriculture, while lower-income newcomers heavily rely on retailers sourcing food from rural Uganda.
NPJ URBAN SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tim G. Williams, Sibylle Bui, Costanza Conti, Niels Debonne, Christian Levers, Rebecca Swart, Peter H. Verburg
Summary: This study examines the roles of actors other than farmers in shaping agricultural behavior in European agri-food systems. The findings highlight the diversity of actors and network configurations, emphasizing the importance of considering the context-specific agency of farmers in agricultural governance. Additionally, the study identifies three types of networks associated with varying levels of farmer autonomy and underscores the potential complementary roles of different value chains and top-down and bottom-up support. Agri-food networks provide leverage points for sustainability transformation.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yongcui Lan, Jinliang Wang, Qianwei Liu, Fang Liu, Lanfang Liu, Jie Li, Mengjia Luo
Summary: This study focuses on the five major plateau lake basins in central Yunnan, China, and constructs an ecological security pattern using the source-resistance surface-corridor-pinch point framework. The study simulates land use/cover change in the region and identifies early warning regions where future urban expansion poses a threat to current ecological source areas and corridors.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Pingping Huang, Feng Zhao, Bailing Zhou, Kuidong Xu
Summary: This study investigates the distribution of benthic microeukaryotes in the China Seas and finds that they can stride over the ecological barrier of 32 degrees N. The study also highlights the significant influence of depth, temperature, and latitude on communities in the China Seas.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Federico Morelli, Yanina Benedetti, Jesse Stanford, Leszek Jerzak, Piotr Tryjanowski, Paolo Perna, Riccardo Santolini
Summary: Species distribution models (SDMs) are numerical tools used for predicting species' spatial distribution. This study found that ecological characteristics, such as habitat specialization, play a role in improving the accuracy of SDMs.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Xiaoxuan Wu, Hang Liu, Wei Liu
Summary: Global climate change, urbanization, and economic development have increased the need for sustainable human development, urban ecological governance, and low-carbon energy transformation. This study analyzes the green ecological transition in Chengdu based on panel data from 2010 to 2020, exploring its spatiotemporal evolution and key factors. The results show an overall upward trend in Chengdu's green ecological development and positive spatial autocorrelation in certain districts.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Castaldi Simona, Formicola Nicola, Mastrocicco Micol, Morales Rodriguez Carmen, Morelli Raffaella, Prodorutti Daniele, Vannini Andrea, Zanzotti Roberto
Summary: Sustainable agricultural practices are increasingly important for global and national environmental policies and economy. This study compared the sustainability of grape production under integrated and organic management using multiple indicators. The results showed that organic management was more beneficial for most environmental aspects of the agroecosystem compared to integrated management, without affecting grape yield.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Gaia Vaglio Laurin, Alexander Cotrina-Sanchez, Luca Belelli-Marchesini, Enrico Tomelleri, Giovanna Battipaglia, Claudia Cocozza, Francesco Niccoli, Jerzy Piotr Kabala, Damiano Gianelle, Loris Vescovo, Luca Da Ros, Riccardo Valentini
Summary: Phenology monitoring is important for understanding forest functioning and climate impacts. This research compares the phenological behavior of European beech forests using Tree-Talker (TT+) and Sentinel 2 satellite data. The study finds differences in the information derived by the two sensor types, particularly in terms of season length, phenology changepoints, and leaf period variability. TT+ with its higher temporal resolution demonstrates precision in capturing the phenological changepoints, especially when satellite image availability is limited.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Huanhuan Pan, Ziqiang Du, Zhitao Wu, Hong Zhang, Keming Ma
Summary: The land use and cover changes resulting from coal mining activities and ecological restoration have had a significant impact on ecosystem services in mining areas. This study investigates the relationship between ecosystem services and land use intensity in coal mining areas, emphasizing the importance of understanding this interdependence for balanced human-land system development. The research examines the evolving relationship across different reclamation stages in Shanxi, China, using a coupling coordination degree model. The findings suggest the need for timely and judicious reclamation of coalfields, considering the land's bearing capacity.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jingjuan He, Yijun Shi, Lihua Xu, Zhangwei Lu, Mao Feng
Summary: This study examines the spatial interplay between changes in the blue-green spatial distribution and modifications in land surface temperature grades in Shanghai. The findings reveal that the transformation of the blue-green spatial pattern differs between different sectors of the city, and the impact on the thermal environment varies spatially.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yi Xu, Di Zhang, Junqiang Lin, Qidong Peng, Xiaohui Lei, Tiantian Jin, Jia Wang, Ruifang Yuan
Summary: This study analyzed the response relationship between phytoplankton growth and water environmental parameters in the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in China using long-term monitoring data and machine learning models. The results revealed the differences between monitoring sites and identified the key parameters that affect phytoplankton growth.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2024)
