Disentangling the effects of management and climate change on habitat suitability for saproxylic species in boreal forests

Forest degradation induced by intensive forest management and temperature increase by climate change are resulting in biodiversity decline in boreal forests.Intensive forest management and high-end climate emission scenarios can further reduce the amount and diversity of deadwood,the limiting factor for habitats for saproxylic species in European boreal forests.The magnitude of their combined effects and how changes in forest management can affect deadwood diversity under a range of climate change scenarios are poorly understood.We used forest growth simulations to evaluate how forest management and climate change will individually and jointly affect habitats of red-listed saproxylic species in Finland.We simulated seven forest management regimes and three climate scenarios(reference,RCP4.5 and RCP8.5)over 100 years.Management regimes included set aside,continuous cover forestry,business-as-usual(BAU)and four modifications of BAU.Habitat suitability was assessed using a speciesspecific habitat suitability index,including 21 fungal and invertebrate species groups.“Winner”and“loser”species were identified based on the modelled impacts of forest management and climate change on their habitat suitability.We found that forest management had a major impact on habitat suitability of saproxylic species compared to climate change.Habitat suitability index varied by over 250%among management regimes,while overall change in habitat suitability index caused by climate change was on average only 2%.More species groups were identified as winners than losers from impacts of climate change(52%–95%were winners,depending on the climate change scenario and management regime).The largest increase in habitat suitability index was achieved under set aside(254%)and the climate scenario RCP8.5(>2%),while continuous cover forestry was the most suitable regime to increase habitat suitability of saproxylic species(up to+11%)across all climate change scenarios.Our results show that close-to-nature management regimes(e.g.,continuous cover forestry and set aside)can increase the habitat suitability of many saproxylic boreal species more than the basic business-as-usual regime.This suggests that biodiversity loss of many saproxylic species in boreal forests can be mitigated through improved forest management practices,even as climate change progresses.

Spatial and Temporal Differences of Climate Suitability of Ice and Snow Sports in Major Ski Tourism Destinations in China

Ice and snow tourism in China has grown significantly since the country successfully hosted the Beijing Winter Olympics.Climatic conditions profoundly impact the development of ice and snow tourism;however,most studies have focused on constructing different climate suitability indicators for ice and snow tourism to evaluate individual regions,lacking horizontal comparative studies across multiple regions.This study aims to enrich the connotation of climate suitability for ice and snow sports,establish an evaluation model based on snowfall amount,temperature,and wind speed,and use daily meteorological data from 1991 to 2021 to horizontally compare the climate suitability for ice and snow sports in major ski tourism destinations in China.This study boasts four major findings:1)the average ice and snow sports climate index of each region decreases over time,and the overall suitability of the climate for ice and snow sports is reducing;2)northern Xinjiang exhibits the most evident regional differentiation from‘very suitable’to‘generally suitable’;3)the spatial zoning of climate suitability for ice and snow sports exhibits heterogeneity,as northern Xinjiang is divided into two‘suitable and above’zones with rotating empirical orthogonal function(REOF).Correspondingly,the four provinces of Hebei,Heilongjiang,Jilin,and Liaoning are divided into three‘generally suitable and above’zones;4)snowfall amount is the main factor affecting the climate suitability of ice and snow sports in the major ski tourist destinations in China.

Evaluation of Walking Suitability of Historical and Cultural Blocks: A Case Study of Shichahai in Beijing

This paper focuses on the Shichahai area of Beijing to assess the walking suitability of its coastal and surrounding streets.Shichahai area,covering an area of about 302 hm^(2),is an important historical and cultural protection zone in Beijing,with rich historical and cultural heritage and modern urban activities.This paper uses literature analysis,field research and Baidu Street View map data to construct an evaluation system of three first-level indicators,including space safety,walking comfort and landscape enrichment,and determines the weight of each indicator by expert scoring method.The street is evaluated and analyzed by means of statistical analysis.In order to improve the walking environment of Shichahai area,it is suggested to monitor and manage street hygiene,replant vegetation to improve the green coverage rate and landscape richness,and optimize the walking space design to ensure the safety and comfort of pedestrians.These measures aim to balance historical preservation with modern needs and promote the protection and development of historical and cultural districts.

Study on Urban Construction Land Suitability Evaluation in Southwestern Mountainous Areas of Yunnan Province Based on the Strategy of "Protecting Farmland in Flatland Areas and Constructing Mountainous Cities" : A Case in Lianghe County

According to the particularity of towns＇ construction in the southwestern mountainous areas of Yunnan Province, this study has built constructive land suit- ability evaluation index system which is different to flat area. Then this study deter- mined single evaluation factors index and comprehensive suitability index using ＂ex- treme conditions method＂ and ＂suitability index method＂, and analyzed and assessed the constructive land suitability on each evaluation unit polygons and its suitability level by using GIS software. Taking Lianghe County of Dehong Dai-Jingpo Au- tonomous Prefecture as an example to evaluate land suitability in Lianghe County＇s main towns around the gentle slope, the results show, in the evaluation area, the area of land suitable for construction and unsuitable for construction respectively ac- count 73.58% and 26.42%. And first-class, second and third-class of land suitable for construction should be composited at the ratio of about 11：49：40. The suitability evaluation index system and method developed in this paper is applicable for evalu- ating the construction land suitability in mountainous areas of southwest Yunnan Province, and will provide theoretical and technical support for land policy measures which strengthen the protection of farmland and promote the scientific development of urbanization in Yunnan Province and even similar mountainous areas of the whole China.

Estimation of the Stability of a River Island and Its Suitability for Installing Solar Based Power Plant in Bangladesh

Bangladesh, situated in tropical and subtropical regions, receives significant amount of solar energy, making it an ideal location for solar energy production. However, determining suitable sites in the country for solar based power plant establishment turns out to be a difficult task given its dense population. This study aims to the identification of such a potential site by assessing the stability of the Jamuna river Island to be proposed as a site for developing solar based power plant. The research concentrates on Fulchhari union of Gaibandha district, one of the three major islands in the Jamuna river, utilizing two GIS-based multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques. One is Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) for stability analysis, and another is Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) for suitability evaluation. For the stability analysis of the island, Landsat satellite imagery of 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020 covering a long term of 30 years period were investigated. Based on average change rates, the bankline of the island was divided into 2 accretion zones in the south and south-eastern direction, and 8 erosion zones. Along with the bankline changes, climatological, geomorphological, and environmental factors have been adopted to modeling process for suitability analysis. The optimal locations for solar based power plants have been demonstrated by a suitability map, where high and standard potential area is about 60% of the area of Fulchhari union. Production may be enhanced up to 5 times more with the consideration of utilizing the moderate optimum zone.

Identification of habitat suitability for the dominant zoonotic tick species Haemaphysalis flava on Chongming Island,China

Haemaphysalis ticks are pathogenic vectors that threaten human and animal health and were identified in Chongming,the third largest island in China.To understand the distribution of these ticks and determine their potential invasion risk,this study aimed to identify the habitat suitability of the dominant tick H.flava based on natural environmental factors.Geographic information system(GIS)images were combined with sample points from tick investigations to map the spatial distribution of H.flava.Data on 19 bioclimatic variables,environmental variables,and satellite-based landscapes of Chongming Island were retrieved to create a landcover map related to natural environmental determinants of H.flava.These data included 38 sites associated with the vectors to construct species distribution models with MaxEnt,a model based on the maximum entropy principle,and to predict habitat suitability for H.flava on Chongming Island in 2050 and 2070 under different climate scenarios.The model performed well in predicting the H.flava distribution,with a training area under the curve of 0.84 and a test area under the curve of 0.73.A habitat suitability map of the whole study area was created for H.flava.The resulting map and natural environment analysis highlighted the importance of the normalized difference vegetation index and precipitation in the driest month for the bioecology of H.flava,with 141.61 km^(2)(11.77%),282.94 km^(2)(23.35%),and 405.30 km^(2)(33.69%)of highly,moderately,and poorly suitable habitats,respectively.The distribution decreased by 135.55 km^(2) and 138.82 km^(2) in 2050 and 2070,respectively,under the shared socioeconomic pathway(SSP)1.2.6 climate change scenario.However,under SSP 5.8.5,the total area will decrease by 128.5 km^(2) in 2050 and increase by 151.64 km^(2) in 2070.From a One Health perspective,this study provides good knowledge that will guide tick control efforts to prevent the spread of Haemaphysalis ticks or transmission risk of Haemaphysalis-borne infections at the human-animal-environment interface on the island.

Suitability Evaluation for Urban Green Space Areas in Sèmè-Podji District(Southern Benin),Using GIS and AHP Methods

Urban green areas play a vital role in enhancing the social balance,resilience,and environmental sustainability of urban settings.In Benin,while the landscaping sector is expanding,finding appropriate locations for creating green spaces remains a challenge.The purpose of this studywas to identify areas conducive to the incorporation of green landscapes into urban planning within the Sèmè-PodjiDistrict.The approach used involved amulti-criteria analysis leveraging a combinedGIS andAnalyticHierarchy Process(AHP)framework.Six key factorswere considered:land use,elevation,slope,distance tomajor roads,proximity to urban hubs,and separation from flood-prone zones and water bodies.These were analyzed using the“Spatial Analysis”feature of ArcGIS to create a map highlighting areas suitable for the development of green spaces.The findings reveal that a substantial portion of land,approximately 44.77%,is highly favorable,and 20.88%suitable for landscaping in this district.The weighting of factors combined in this analysis reveals a 21%importance for land use and elevation,while distance from separation from floodprone zones is given a weight of 18%.Distance to major roads and proximity to urban hubs are weighted at 15%,against 12%for the slope factor.This information provides guidance to decision-makers in selecting suitable sites for green spaces and their integration into the land management of Sèmè-Podji District.The results of this study also provide a scientific basis for addressing similar concerns in other cities.

Group Decision-Making Based on GIS and MultiCriteria Analysis for Assessing Land Suitability for Agriculture

Themain purpose of this work is to propose amethodology that considers themulticriteria andmulti-actor aspects for assessing land suitability for agriculture.This involves offering a group spatial decision-making approach.The members of a multidisciplinary team can decide on the relative importance of the criteria and the ranking of alternatives.Each member provides his judgment and contributes in a distinct and identifiable manner to find a compromise solution.Twelve criteria(easily available water reserve,cation exchange capacity,electric conductivity,potential of hydrogen(pH),drainage,permeability,active limestone,soil texture,soil useful depth,slopes,labor availability,and proximity to roads)grouped into four factors(agronomy,planning and socio-economy,land enhancement and improvement,conservation of soils and environmental protection)were selected in this study.The methodology consists of calculating the initial criteria weights using the AHP method.The final weights are obtained using the Consensual Convergence Model(CCM),and the decision-maker’s performance is aggregated using the ELECTRE Tri method.All the required processing methods were integrated into a GIS environment.The methodological developments were motivated by an application to the suitability of land for durum wheat cultivation in a study area in Mleta,Algeria,which is comprised of 74 land units.Every criterion was classified from the best to the poor based on its values and used for assessing land suitability for agriculture.The land units were assigned to different predefined classes.The final results are presented as a map produced according to the optimistic procedure of ELECTRE Tri.The greatest contribution of this research lies in integrating group decisionmaking in multicriteria spatial decisions,particularly the land suitability for agriculture,which has never been previously addressed.The consistency of the obtained map confirms the methods’effectiveness.

An evaluation system for suitability of urban public rental housing construction in Chongqing

A social problem that low-income people are unable to purchase houses in urban areas has been focused in recent years and the housing security system has also become an important part of the social security system. In recent years, public rental houses appeared as a new type of affordable houses. The national government took the construction of public rental houses to the national strategic level. Currently, there are many problems in the public rental house construction. For example, policy mechanisms are inadequate, the use of funding is not in an efficient way, the location of public rental houses is far away from the downtown, the plot ratio is too high, and facilities are incomplete. There are no appropriate indicators to comprehensively evaluate the public rental house construction. Based on the livable evaluation system in Chongqing, we selected four aspects of relevant indicators as the economic suitability, environmental suitability, social suitability, and life suitability to establish the public rental house construction suitability evaluation system.

A GIS-based Study on Suitability Estimation of Tea Cultivation in Qimen County

On the basis of data from Soil Test and Formula Fertilization project in Qimen county,we employed Geographic Information System Software ArcGIS 9.2 and CLRMIS（Cultivated Land Resource Management Information System at County Scale） to establish region-specific estimation index system for tea cultivation in Qimen County by determining the estimation units,and carried out quantitative estimation analysis on tea cultivation there via comprehensive evaluation indices for natural elements of cultivated land.The results showed that the highly suitable,suitable,reluctantly suitable and unsuitable acreages are 5 665.8,8 327.1,8 415.9 and 11 979.9 hm2 respectively,accounting for 24.0%,35.3%,35.7% and 5.1% of the total acreage of cultivated land.These results would facilitate the production of high yield and quality tea in Qimen County.

Suitability Assessment of Mononychellus tanajoa(Acari:Tetranychidae) in Yunnan Based on Maxent Model

[Objective] This study aimed to analyze the potential geography distribution of M.tanajoa in Yunnan.[Method] The suitability of M.tanajoa in Yunnan was studied in this paper using Maxent and ArcGIS,based on the biological data and known distribution of M.tanajoa,and meteorological data from years of 1950-2000 in WorldClim.[Result] The results showed that there were four levels of suitability assessment of M.tanajoa in Yunnan,in which western and eastern areas are in the most suitability,including part areas of Simao,Lincang,Baoshan,Nujiang,Diqing,Qujing and Wenshan areas.[Conclusion] The potential geographic distribution of M.tanajoa in Yunnan defined in this paper constructed the theory basis and technical support for scientifically forming of quarantine policy and measure for M.tanajoa in China.

Ecological Suitability Evaluation on Agricultural Land in Western Jilin Province Based on Fuzzy Mathematics

[Objective] This study was to evaluate the ecological suitability of agricultural land in western Jilin Province, with the aim to provide basis for the effective application of agricultural resources and the structural adjustment of land use. [Method] The evaluation index system was constructed based on fuzzy mathematic method according to the principles of systematic, dominant, effectiveness and feasibility; based on law of tolerance, reasonable evaluation criteria were determined according to the ecological amplitude of crops; based on GIS processing, the initial data completed the mathematical operation by using the VBA program in Excel. [Result] The area of agricultural land grade I was 5 512 km2, grade II of 25 985 km2, grade Ill of 7 907 km2, and area of land not suitable for agriculture was 6 312 km2. According to the evaluation results, the key areas for land use adjustment were Zhenlai County, Da＇an County, Tongyu County and western Changling County. The directions of land use adjustment included improving irrigation and drainage conditions, governing land salinization and conversion of cropland to forest and grassland. [Conclusion] This study provided basis for the effective application of agricultural resources and ecological environment construction in western Jilin Province.

Assessment of Climate for Agricultural Suitability and Optimal Allocation of Agricultural Production in the Guanzhong Region, Shaanxi Province

Based on spatial climatic data of agriculture and the experiment data, the models of agro-ecological assessment of climate for agricultural suitability in this study were developed using the fuzzy mathematical method. Three coefficients, in- cluding the resource coefficient （Cr）, the efficiency coefficient （Ce）, and the utility co- efficient （K）, were used in the models, which were calculated based on temperature, moisture, and sunshine duration data of Guanzhong region, Shaanxi Province. The results indicated that resource coefficient was higher in west of the region than that in east, and higher in south （especially in the Central Shaanxi Plain） than that in the Weibei plateau. The value of Cr changed from 6.5 to 9.2 from north to plain area. Spatial change of efficiency coefficient was obvious, lower in the northeast than in the central plain, and the value of Ce changed from 2.3 to 6.5 from the northeast to the central plain. As for utility coefficient, it was lower in northeastern part of the Weibei plateau and in southern mountain areas than that in the central plain, showing significant latitudinal zonality. Furthermore, the value of K increased from 0.35 to 0.78 from northeast to the central plain, and decreased from 0.78 to 0.53 from the central plain to southern mountain areas. These indicated that climate resource in the central plain region was more abundant and potential, compared with other regions. GuanZhong region was classified into three larger agricultural zones and three small independent zones, according to agro-ecological assessment. Light, heat and water resources should be made use of in an efficient way in spatial allo- cation of agricultural production. For example, water facilities should also be im- proved in Weibei plateau region where highly-qualified fruit should be enhanced and fruit processing industrial chain should be shaped. Large-scale production area of wheat should be increased in central irrigation region and more vegetable bases should be developed around large and medium-scale cities. Thanks for outstanding water conservation function, the three-dimensional agriculture including medicine and other sideline production should be developed in Qinling Mountains and the special- ized commercial agriculture should be accelerated in independent small zones, ac- cording to local conditions. In the research, different crop varieties were developed in corresponding regions as per current eco-climatic conditions.

Research Progress and Thoughts of Habitat Suitability Evaluation of Citrus Based on Niche Theory

[Objective] This study was to overview the research progress and thoughts of habitat suitability evaluation of citrus based on ecological niche theory. [Method] The research progress on habitat suitability evaluation and ecological niche theory to the niche selection of crops were comprehensively analyzed. [Result] The research thoughts of using niche theory to evaluate the habitat suitability of citrus with quality constraint were put forward, including collection and expression of citrus ecological environment and quality factors, interactive response study of the citrus ecological environment and quality, and habitat suitability evaluation and adaptation mechanism study of citrus based on quality constraint. [Conclusion] This study provided references for the development of citrus industrialization.

Study on Land Suitability Evaluation in the northern China Crop-pasture Band

Basing on the limiting factor method and Composite Index method,for the northern China crop-pasture band,the authors established the system of evaluation index,and abstracted the dominant factor,then through applying expert grade and weighing way the suitability of grids are evaluated,the results showed that：without the input of a large number of cash,most of the area was not suitable for farming,and more appropriate area for farming was only 8.45% of total area,mainly located in the southeast and southwest of the study area,followed by the study area in the northeast,areas that was not suitable for farming mainly in the middle of the east,large areas of central and western regions.

On Computing the Suitability of Non-Human Resources for Business Process Analysis

Business process improvement is a systematic approach used by several organizations to continuously improve their quality of service.Integral to that is analyzing the current performance of each task of the process and assigning the most appropriate resources to each task.In continuation of our previous work,we categorize resources into human and non-human resources.For instance,in the healthcare domain,human resources include doctors,nurses,and other associated staff responsible for the execution of healthcare activities;whereas the non-human resources include surgical and other equipment needed for execution.In this study,we contend that the two types of resources(human and non-human)have a different impact on the process performance,so their suitability should be measured differently.However,no work has been done to evaluate the suitability of non-human resources for the tasks of a process.Consequently,it becomes difficult to identify and subsequently overcome the inefficiencies caused by the non-human resources to the task.To address this problem,we present a three-step method to compute a suitability score of non-human resources for the task.As an evaluation of the proposed method,a healthcare case study is used to illustrate the applicability of the proposed method.Furthermore,we performed a controlled experiment to evaluate the usability of the proposed method.The encouraging response shows the usefulness of the proposed method.

Research of Comprehensive Evaluation of Agricultural Land Suitability in Typical Area of Huanghuaihai Plain based on GIS

The paper aims to study agricultural land suitability in typical agricultural area in Huanghuaihai plain by the comprehensive evaluation of natural factors and environmental conditions of agricultural land with Liaocheng area in Shangdong Province in the center of Huanghuaihai plain as a case.The results suggested that the land quality in Liaocheng was above the average and accorded with the local practical situation.The authors validated the scientificity of agricultural land suitability study by using GIS technology and proposed some suggestions on analysis results.

Evaluation Study on the Reclamation Suitability of Occupied Land in the Coal Mine Area——Taking Gouchang Coal Mine in Nayong County of Guizhou as An Example

The suitability evaluation of reclamation land was the premise and foundation for drawing up the land reclamation program.Taking Gouchang coal mine in Nayong County of Guizhou as an example,combining with the actual situation which included the topography,the soil in the mine area and so on,the reclamation land in the mine area was divided into the living area,the production area,the coal yard,the temporary coal gangue yard and other subsidiary facilities district.It determined that the main destruction type in every unit was the occupation,and the destruction degree was severe.Meanwhile referring the suitability evaluation standards of cultivated field and woodland,it finally determined that the reclamation direction of evaluation land which was damaged seriously by the occupation in the mine area was all suitable to the cultivated field and woodland.

GIS-based Ecological Suitability Assessment for Land Use——A Case Study of an Economic Development Zone in Shenyang

Analysis indices of ecological suitability were selected through literature reviewing and expert consultation. Visualization of assessment course was achieved based on different land use functions with the help of ArcGIS9.0 and GIS layers with different properties were overlapped and computed with GIS grids. Hence, the areas were colored and reclassified（colors representing different ecological suitability degrees）. Finally, land use functions can be readjusted by the evaluation results,providing references for rational planning of economic development zones.

Land Suitability Assessment and Landuse Planning： A Prerequisite for Food Security and Climate Change Adaptation

Though Ghana＇s crop yield growth rate was at 17%, 5% of every 1.2 million Ghanaians have insufficient and limited access to nutritious food. Climate change and climate variability have enormously affected the state of agricultural productivity and hence could result in food insecurity. As many ongoing projects use Boolean suitability analysis, land use planning, management recommendations sores, it still remains inadequate to support rural resource poor farmers. This then, is affecting livelihood and agricultural productivity. In this paper, a geostatistical quantitative method to support a geographic information system （GIS） based on multi-criteria decision support system （GMCDSS） for an enhanced land suitability assessment （LSA） and landuse planning （LP） was devised. Project findings indicated that, recommended farm inputs could be estimated and applied accordingly at farm plot levels Soil amendment indicators （e.g., 1.0 t/ha lime ＋ 1.0 t/ha gypsum was estimated for liming） was quantified and currently, farmers can save money in soil fertility management. It has shown that, instead of applying 5.0 t/ha poultry manure （PM） or five bags of N-P-K fertilizer （rate of 15： 15： 15 N-P2O5-K2O/ha） ＋ two bags of sulphate of ammonia （SA）, a farmer may apply 2.0 t/ha PM ＋ two bags 15：15：15 N-P2O5-K2O/ha ＋ one bag of SA. GMCDSS assessment has proved to be fundamental in： （1） urban planning; （2） ensuring food security; （3） poverty reduction and interventions to the effects of climate change and climate variability.