Landscape ecological risk assessment and its driving factors in the Weihe River basin,China

Weihe River basin is of great significance to analyze the changes of land use pattern and landscape ecological risk and to improve the ecological basis of regional development.Based on land use data of the Weihe River basin in 2000,2010,and 2020,with the support of Aeronautical Reconnaissance Coverage Geographic Information System(ArcGIS),GeoDa,and other technologies,this study analyzed the spatial-temporal characteristics and driving factors of land use pattern and landscape ecological risk.Results showed that land use structure of the Weihe River basin has changed significantly,with the decrease of cropland and the increase of forest land and construction land.In the past 20 a,cropland has decreased by 7347.70 km2,and cropland was mainly converted into forest land,grassland,and construction land.The fragmentation and dispersion of ecological landscape pattern in the Weihe River basin were improved,and land use pattern became more concentrated.Meanwhile,landscape ecological risk of the Weihe River basin has been improved.Severe landscape ecological risk area decreased by 19,177.87 km2,high landscape ecological risk area decreased by 3904.35 km2,and moderate and low landscape ecological risk areas continued to increase.It is worth noting that landscape ecological risks in the upper reaches of the Weihe River basin are still relatively serious,especially in the contiguous areas of high ecological risk,such as Tianshui,Pingliang,Dingxi areas and some areas of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.Landscape ecological risk showed obvious spatial dependence,and high ecological risk area was concentrated.Among the driving factors,population density,precipitation,normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI),and their interactions are the most important factors affecting the landscape ecological risk of the Weihe River basin.The findings significantly contribute to our understanding of the ecological dynamics in the Weihe River basin,providing crucial insights for sustainable management in the region.

A novel framework of ecological risk management for urban development in ecologically fragile regions: A case study of Turpan City, China

Assessing and managing ecological risks in ecologically fragile areas remain challenging at present.To get to know the ecological risk situation in Turpan City,China,this study constructed an ecological risk evaluation system to obtain the ecological risk level(ERL)and ecological risk index(ERI)based on the multi-objective linear programming-patch generation land use simulation(MOP-PLUS)model,analyzed the changes in land use and ecological risk in Turpan City from 2000 to 2020,and predicted the land use and ecological risk in 2030 under four different scenarios(business as usual(BAU),rapid economic development(RED),ecological protection priority(EPP),and eco-economic equilibrium,(EEB)).The results showed that the conversion of land use from 2000 to 2030 was mainly between unused land and the other land use types.The ERL of unused land was the highest among all the land use types.The ecological risk increased sharply from 2000 to 2010 and then decreased from 2010 to 2020.According to the value of ERI,we divided the ecological risk into seven levels by natural breakpoint method;the higher the level,the higher the ecological risk.For the four scenarios in 2030,under the EPP scenario,the area at VII level was zero,while the area at VII level reached the largest under the RED scenario.Comparing with 2020,the areas at I and II levels increased under the BAU,EPP,and EEB scenarios,while decreased under the RED scenario.The spatial distributions of ecological risk of BAU and EEB scenarios were similar,but the areas at I and II levels were larger and the areas at V and VI levels were smaller under the EEB scenario than under the BAU scenario.Therefore,the EEB scenario was the optimal development route for Turpan City.In addition,the results of spatial autocorrelation showed that the large area of unused land was the main reason affecting the spatial pattern of ecological risk under different scenarios.According to Geodetector,the dominant driving factors of ecological risk were gross domestic product rating(GDPR),soil type,population,temperature,and distance from riverbed(DFRD).The interaction between driving factor pairs amplified their influence on ecological risk.This research would help explore the low ecological risk development path for urban construction in the future.

Spatio-temporal Evolution and Optimization of Landscape Ecological Risk in Karst Mountainous Areas

[Objective]The ecological vulnerability and landscape ecological risk of karst mountainous areas have increased as a result of enhanced disturbance of natural resources by human activities.This paper aimed to explore the characteristics of ecological risk evolution under different landscape patterns in the region,with a view to providing reference for land classification protection,sustainable use of resources and regional ecological risk optimization in karst mountainous areas.[Method]Taking Huangping County,a typical karst mountainous area,as an example,eight evaluation factors of natural and landscape patterns were selected to construct a landscape ecological risk evaluation model,to quantitatively explore the spatio-temporal evolution of landscape ecological risk and the trend of risk level transfer in the study area from^(2)010-2018,and to reveal the complex relationship between ecological risk and topography in karst mountainous areas.[Result]①From 2010 to 2018,land use types changed to different degrees,with the most amount of woodland transferred out(1627.37 hm^(2))and the most amount of construction land transferred in(1303.93 hm^(2));a total of 3552.31 hm^(2) of land was transferred,with a change ratio of 2.13%,and there was a significant conversion between construction land,arable land,and woodland.②From 2010 to 2018,the landscape ecological risk in the study area changed significantly,and the landscape ecological risk index decreased from 0.3441 to 0.1733,showing an upward and then downward trend;the landscape ecological risk of the whole region was dominated by low-risk and lower-risk zones,and the ecological risk level generally shifted from a high level to a low level,and the ecological environment was improved.③There was a negative correlation between ecological risk and topographic position,and high-risk zones were mainly distributed among low topographic zones;with the change of time,the advantage of risk level for the selection of topography was gradually weakened,and the influence of anthropogenic factors on the ecological risk of the landscape was becoming more and more prominent.[Conclusion]This paper can provide theoretical basis for land use optimization and ecological protection in karst mountainous areas.

Ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in sediments of Xiawan Port based on modified potential ecological risk index

Modified potential ecological risk index （MRI） was proposed based on the potential ecological risk index （RI） and risk assessment code （RAC） by modifying an index. The modified index was relevant to the chemical speciation of heavy metals. Xiawan Port, a typical region contaminated by industrial production, was selected as a case study area. The total concentrations and chemical speciation of heavy metals in sediments of Xiawan Port were analyzed. The experimental data indicate that Xiawan Port is seriously polluted by heavy metals, especially by Cd. The risks of heavy metals are evaluated by RI, RAC and MRI, respectively. The resluts of MRI show that the risks of heavy metals are in the decreasing order of Cd〉Pb〉Cu〉Zn. Comparison of results by different methods reveals that MRI integrates the characters of RI and RAC. MRI is recognized to be useful for risk managemnt of heavy metals in sediments.

Environmental availability and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in zinc leaching residue

Four different methods,namely mineralogical analysis,three-stage BCR sequential extraction procedure,dynamic leaching test and Hakanson Potential Ecological Risk Index Method were used to access the environmental activity and potential ecological risks of heavy metals in zinc leaching residue.The results demonstrate that the environmental activity of heavy metals declines in the following order：CdZnCuAsPb.Potential ecological risk indices for single heavy metal are CdZnCuAsPb.Cd has serious potential ecological risk to the ecological environment and contributes most to the potential toxicity response indices for various heavy metals in the residue.

Comprehensive ecological risk assessment for heavy metal pollutions in three phases in rivers

Literature lacked in providing a comprehensive research on heavy metal detection in aquatic, biological and sedimentary states of rivers. The present study was imparted with all these three components of the river. Heavy metal toxicity or pollution index was used as a tool for ecological risk assessment by considering the single state studies conducted by many researchers. An intensive ecological risk assessment model was constructed and heavy metals were indicated as a serious threat to the environment. The model was applied to determining five toxic heavy metals in three states of the Songhua River. According to the ecological risk index, heavy metal pollution in three phases was categorized as aquatic〉biological〉sedimentary, while the overall descending order of heavy metal ecological risk index was as Cd〉Hg〉As〉Pb〉Cr. Cd and Hg were selected as the priority pollutants of Songhua River.

Source analysis and ecological risk assessment for heavy metals in the sediments of the Yangshan Deepwater Harbor in autumn and winter

Temporal and spatial variations of concentrations of heavy metals including mercury （Hg）, zinc （Zn）, lead （Pb）, arsenic （As）, copper （Cu）, and cadmium （Cd） in the sediments of the Yangshan Deepwater Harbor were determined based on 6 cruises in autumn and winter, respectively, from 2010 to 2013. The results demonstrated that the overall concentrations of heavy metals were low and distributed in uniform patterns. The concentrations of Hg, Zn, Pb, and Cd in autumn were significantly higher than those in winter with small fluctuations for As and Cu in terms of seasonal variations. Results of factor analysis showed that Pb, Cd, and Zn were derived from inland industrial and shipping discharges as well as the degradation of organic pollutants in marine environment. While agricultural pollutions, cargo shifting and construction debris from reclamation projects contributed to the sources of Cu, As, and Hg. Ecological risk assessment by Mean Sediment Quality Guideline Quotient （SQG-Q） revealed that the degree for eco-risk of the sediments was low-and-moderate in autumn, higher than that in winter. Hg and Cu were the dominant eco-risk factors. The results of Index of geoaccumulation （Igeo） showed that the whole sites of the sea area were barely influenced by Hg, As, Zn, and Pb, and the extents of Cd and Cu contaminations were in low grade. Contamination degree of all the six heavy metals could be ranked as the following： Cd〉Pb〉Zn〉Hg〉As. According to the results of integrated score of factor analysis, the contamination degree for heavy metals in sediments of the Yangshan Deepwater Harbor was low, despite sites No.5, No.4 and No.3, which were heavily contaminated compared with others.

Distribution Characteristic and Potential Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Latosol in the Western Area of Hainan Island

[Objective] The paper was to carry out ecological geochemical survey and ecological risk assessment on the heavy metals in latosol in western area of Hainan Island.[Method] The contents of six heavy metals including Cr,Cu,Zn,As,Cd and Pb in latosol in western area of Hainan Island were analyzed.Single-factor index method and Hakanson ecological risk index method were used to evaluate the integrated pollution effect of heavy metals in latosol.[Result] The average contents of Cr,Cu,Zn,As,Cd and Pb in latosol in western area of Hainan Island were 65.57,35.16,93.56,8.50,0.24 and 79.29 mg/kg,respectively.The major pollution factor of heavy metal was Pb.The sequence of influence factors of various heavy metals was PbCu = ZnCrAsCd.The potential ecological risk coefficient of various heavy metals was PbCdCuAsCrZn.The average value of potential ecological risk index（RI）was 45.14,belonging to low ecological risk range.[Conclusion] The heavy metal pollution in latosol in western area of Hainan Island belongs to slight pollution.

Ecological Risk Assessment of World Heritage Sites Using RS and GIS:A Case Study of Huangshan Mountain, China

Ecological risk assessment(ERA) is an indispensable method for systematic monitoring of World Heritage Sites(WHSs) exposed to various anthropogenic factors and natural disasters. Remote sensing(RS) and geographical information systems(GIS) can eliminate many limitations in traditional ERA methods. In this study, changes in ecological risk at Huangshan Mountain, the first mixed WHS in China, over the period of 1984–2019 were explored using remote sensing images and products by considering both natural disasters and human disturbance. Results show that of the four land cover types in Huangshan Mountain, namely water, forest, building and farmland, the main land cover type is forest. During the 35 yr, lands categorised at low or relatively low ecological risk levels are dominant in Huangshan Mountain, with the lowest and highest ERIs(ecological risk index) in 1990 and 2010, respectively. The areas at the five ecological risk levels have declined as follows: relatively low > low > medium > relatively high > high. Changes in ecological risks are closely related to changes in land cover and natural disasters. Even though major natural disasters may affect the ecological risk level in the whole region, changes in land cover caused by human activities will shift the ecological risk level in some areas. Our attempts can be modified and applied to other sites, and offer policy implications for protection and preservation of WHSs.

Analysis on Landscape Ecological Risk of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateaus:A Case Study on Niyang River Basin

Taking Niyang River Basin as an example, applying with the indices of landscape pattern, the indices of ecological risk of ecosystems are calculated in this paper, which takes the value of ecological loss of main ecosystem as the evaluation standard and takes into account the impacts of probability or the velocity of main hazards and event of the ecosystem. And the grades of ecological risk are assessed. According to the results of assessment, the ecological risk grades of the basin are divided into five classes. From the first grade risk to the fifth grade risk, the values of regional risk indices gradually reduce. The first grade risk areas mainly distribute in Niyang river and its branches downstream and the surrounding areas of main towns. And the basin area of non-valley region and the headstream regions of the branches are the fifth grades risk areas. This evaluation results provide the basis to the regional sustainable development.

Analysis on Ecological Risk in Northwest China

Based on scenario analysis method, assuming different economic develop- ment policies, and AHP method, the ecological indicators and risk prediction models were established. The trends of ecological risk in the northwest region were ana- lyzed. The results showed that： in the northwest, the potential ecological risks of the population economy, water resources, and land resources and natural disasters still existed. However, the environment and respond to ecological risks were decreasing. Therefore, a regional balanced development measures had been taken to curb the western trend of ecological deterioration. So that socio-economic development, re- sources, environment, and economy were expected to a virtuous cycle, and the eco- logical risks would be reduced. This study provides the basis for land and water use planning and environmental protection of government decision-making and management.

Soil Contamination by Heavy Metals and Evaluations on Potential Ecological Risks in an Antimony Mine

To study the status of soil quality in an antimony mine, soil samples were collected from different regions and the elements＇ contents of Sb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb, Hg, Ni and As were analyzed using single factor pollution index, Nemerow index and potential ecological risk index. The heavy metal contamination of soils were evaluated. The results showed that Nemerow index for each sampled point was less than 0.7, meaning a clean state. When potential ecological risk assessment was conducted, the sampled point was less than 150, belonging to light pollution.

Evaluation of ecological risk and primary empirical research on heavy metals in polluted soil over Xiaoqinling gold mining region,Shaanxi,China

Soil,crop and residents'hair over Xiaoqinling gold mining region,China,which was selected as a case study,were sampled and analyzed for Hg,Cd,Pb,Cu,Cr,As and Zn concentrations.The concentrations of heavy metals in soil or crop and hair samples were used to assess their potential ecological risks,or to find the responses to these metals as evidences to prove the potential risk was coming down to observed harm,respectively.The results showed that,these metals in soil were ranked by severity of ecological risk as Hg>Cd>Pb>Cu>Cr>As>Zn,based on their single-element indexes.In the view of the potential ecological risk indexes,of all soil samples,about half had significantly high or high potential ecological risk,which covered more than 74%of the studied region.Most of the risks were 97.41%from Hg,Pb and Cd,especially,84.37%from Hg.Both the single-element and potential ecological risk indexes indicated that,the ecological risk grades had a special spatial characteristic,and increased from northwest to southeast generally.This was agreed with the spatial distribution of the strength in gold mining activities over the studied region.The concentrations of Hg and Pb were higher than their relative backgrounds in the corps,and were even 9.48 and 25.09 times higher than their relative backgrounds in residents'hair,respectively.All these showed that the heavy metals in the soil had a high potential ecological risk,especially,had been affecting these crops'growing and yield,and even the residents'health through food strains.Obviously,these metals'potential ecological harm had been coming down to observed harm to the ecology.

Speciation, distribution, and potential ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in Xiamen Bay surface sediment

Based on the survey of surface sediment in Xiamen Bay in October 2011, the speciation, distribution, and potential ecological risk assessment of heavy metals （Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, and Cr） in this area were studied us-ing the sequential extraction method and ecological risk assessment method. The results indicated：（1） the total concentrations of these heavy metals were influenced by runoff, industrial wastewater, and sewage, and were all higher in the coastal area than the offshore area while the highest area of Pb was a little far-ther away from the coastal water due to atmosphere deposition;（2） sequential extractions suggested that Cu was mainly composed with residual and Fe/Mn-oxide bound fractions, Pb was bound to Fe/Mn-oxide, Zn and Cr were dominated by residual, and Cd bound to exchangeable and carbonate fractions; （3） the order of migration and transformation sequence was Cd＆gt;Pb＆gt;Cu＆gt;Zn＆gt;Cr and the degree of pollution was Cd＆gt;Pb＆gt;Cu＆gt;Zn＆gt;Cr;and （4） the ratios of the secondary and primary phases showed that Zn and Cr were both clean, Cu may be polluted, Pb was moderately polluted, while Cd was heavily polluted.

Ecological risk assessment and early warning of heavy metal cumulation in the soils near the Luanchuan molybdenum polymetallic mine concentration area,Henan Province,central China

The Luanchuan molybdenum polymetallic mine concentration area is rich in mineral resources and has a long history of mining.The environmental impact of long-term mining activities cannot be ignored.It is of great significance to study the ecological risk and the accumulation trends of heavy metals in the soil of mining areas for scientific prevention and control of heavy metal pollution.Taking the Taowanbeigou River Basin in the mine concentration area as the research object,the ecological pollution risk and cumulative effect of heavy metals in the soil of the basin were studied by using the comprehensive pollution index method,potential ecological risk assessment method and geoaccumulation index method.On this basis,the cumulative exceeding years of specific heavy metals were predicted by using the early warning model.The comprehensive potential ecological risk of heavy metals in the soil near the Luanchuan mine concentration area is moderate,and the single element Cd is the main ecological risk factor,with a contribution rate of 53.6%.The overall cumulative degrees of Cu and Pb in the soil are“none-moderate”,Zn and Cd are moderate,Mo has reached an extremely strong cumulative level,Hg,As and Cr risks are not obvious,and the overall cumulative risks order is Mo>Cd>Zn>Cu>Pb>Hg.According to the current accumulation rate and taking the risk screening values for soil contamination of agricultural land as the reference standard,the locations over standard rates of Cu,Zn and Cd will exceed 78%in 90years,and the over standard rate of Pb will reach approximately 57%in 200 years.The cumulative exceeding standard periods of As,Cr and Hg are generally long,which basically indicates that these elements do not pose a significant potential threat to the ecological environment.Mining activities will accelerate the accumulation of heavy metals in soil.With the continuous development of mining activities,the potential pollution risk of heavy metals in the soil of mining areas will also increase.

Distribution and Ecological Risk Assessment of HCHs and DDTs in Surface Seawater and Sediment of the Mariculture Area of Jincheng Bay,China

The distribution of hexachloroeyclohexanes （HCHs） and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes （DDTs） in the surface sea- water and sediment of Jincheng Bay mariculture area were investigated in the present study. The concentration of total HCHs and DDTs ranged from 2.98 to 14.87ngL-l and were〈0.032ngL-1, respectively, in surface seawater, and ranged from 5.52 to 9.43 and from 4.11 to 6.72 ng g-l, respectively, in surface sediment. It was deduced from the composition profile of HCH isomers and DDT congeners that HCH residues derived from a mixture of technical-grade HCH and lindane whereas the DDT residues derived from technical-grade DDT and dicofol. Moreover, both HCH and DDT residues may mainly originate from historical inputs. The hazard quotient of α-HCH, β-HCH, γ-HCH and δ-HCH to marine species was 0.030, 0.157, 3.008 and 0.008, respectively. It was estimated that the overall probability of adverse biological effect from HCHs was less than 5%, indicating that its risk to seawater column spe- cies was low. The threshold effect concentration exceeding frequency of γ-HCH, p,p＇-DDD, p,p＇-DDE and p,p＇-DDT in sediment ranged from 8.3% to 100%, and the relative concentration of the HCH and DDT mixture exceeded their probable effect level in sediment. These findings indicated that the risk to marine benthos was high and potentially detrimental to the safety of aquatic prod- ucts, e.g., sea cucumber and benthic shellfish.

Spatial distribution,sources and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in Shenjia River watershed of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area

Surface soil/sediment samples were collected from the Water-Level Fluctuation Zone(WLFZ), cultivated land and forest land at 50 different grid points from Shenjia watershed, the Three Gorges Reservoir area in August 2013. The spatial distribution, sources and ecological risk assessment for Arsenic(As), Cadmium(Cd),Chromium(Cr), Copper(Cu), Nickel(Ni), Lead(Pb)and Zinc(Zn) were analyzed in this study. The results showed all tested metals had similar distribution patterns except Ni and Cr, with areas of high concentrations distributed in the southwest(WLFZ and watershed outlet) of the study area. Ni and Cr,which were highly positively correlated and present in high concentrations, were primarily distributed in the south and middle zones of the study area. Lower concentration areas of all metals were uniformly distributed west of the high-elevation zones and forest land. Factor analysis(FA) and factor analysismultiple linear regression(FA-MLR) showed that the major sources of Cd were fertilizer and traffic sources,which together accounted for 87% of Cd. As, Zn and Cu levels were primarily supplied by industrial and domestic sources, accounting for 76% of As, 75% of Cu and 67% of Zn. Surface soils/sediments of the study watershed contaminated by Cd represent a high ecological risk, whereas other metals represent low ecological risks. The potential ecological risk index(PERI) analysis indicated that it had a low(widerange) ecological risk and a moderate(small-range)ecological risk primarily distributed in the outlet of the study watershed. Fertilizers and traffic are the primary sources of Cd pollution, which should be more closely controlled for the purposes of water quality and ecological conservation.

Heavy metal pollution and potential ecological risk in reclaimed soils in Huainan mining area

In order to determine the environmental quality condition of reclaimed soils inHuainan mining area, soil samples were collected from three representative mines, suchas Panyi Mine, Xinzhuangzi Mine and Datong Mine.The total concentration of Cd, Hg, Cu,Pb and As in the samples were analyzed.The potential ecological risk was used to evaluatethe heavy metals pollution.The investigation reveals that the reclaimed soils are contaminatedto a certain degree and the trace elements in coal gangue transferred to thesurface soil.The order of potential ecological risk is Cd>Hg>Cu>Pb>As; the pollution degreeof each sampling site is arranged in the following order: Xinzhuangzi Mine>DatongMine>Panyi Mine, and the multiform of heavy metals of potential ecological risk index is at357.35～484.62.

Flocculation performance of a novel synthesized flocculant with low ecological risk

Combined flocculants with low ecological risk are urgently required in water supply and wastewater treatment in China. A novel flocculant was thus developed under the condition of low ecological risk(noted as CAS). The experiments to examine wastewater treatment performance of the new product showed that there was favourable performance in the flocculation process in contrast to commercial flocculants in treating kaolin suspensions, municipal effluent and domestic wastewater. Flocculation performance included the turbidity removal rate, sediment character and a decrease in COD(chemical oxygen demand). The sediment time of flocculation is short and the removal rate of turbidity treated by CAS is high compared with PAC(polyaluminum chloride), PAM(polyacrylamide) and the combined addition of PAC and PAM. The optimal concentration required to affect flocculation processes is dependent on kaolin concentration and the character of the wastewater within the range examined. It also showed that CAS is effective to treat wastewater with high turbidity.

Source apportionment and ecological risk assessment of PAHs in surface sediments from the Liaodong Bay,northern China

The sources and ecological risk from sixteen polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediment in the Liaodong Bay were investigated from 2014 to 2015.The total concentrations of PAHs ranged from 88.5 to 347.1 ng/g,and the high value occurred in the central region of the Liaodong Bay.Cluster analysis identified two site clusters representing the coastal region affected by land-based pollution and the central region of the Liaodong Bay.Principal component analysis-multiple linear regression and diagnostic ratios suggested that PAHs contaminants originated from a mixture of combustion and petroleum sources,and the major was combustion sources.Based on sediment quality guideline,naphthalene,acenaphthylene,acenaphthene,phenanthrene and dibenz[a,h]anthracene may occasionally cause adverse biological effects in some stations.The toxic equivalent concentrations of carcinogenic PAHs indicated low carcinogenic risk for the Liaodong Bay.The ecological risk and toxic pollution levels of PAHs were higher in the central region than in the coastal region along the Liaodong Bay.