Using nonparametric modeling approaches and remote sensing imagery to estimate ecological welfare forest biomass

The spatial distribution of forest biomass is closely related with carbon cycle, climate change, forest productivity, and biodiversity. Efficient quantification of biomass provides important information about forest quality and health. With the rising awareness of sustainable development, the ecological benefits of forest biomass attract more attention compared to traditional wood supply function. In this study, two nonparametric modeling approaches, random forest（RF） and support vector machine were adopted to estimate above ground biomass（AGB） using widely used Landsat imagery in the region,especially within the ecological forest of Fuyang District in Zhejiang Province, China. Correlation analysis was accomplished and model parameters were optimized during the modeling process. As a result, the best performance modeling method RF was implemented to produce an AGB estimation map. The predicted map of AGB in the study area showed obvious spatial variability and demonstrated that within the current ecological forest zone, as well as the protected areas, the average of AGB were higher than the ordinary forest. The quantification of AGB was proven to have a close relationship with the local forest policy and management pattern, which indicated that combining remote-sensing imagery and forest biophysical property would provide considerable guidance for making beneficial decisions.

Eco-environmental vulnerability assessment for large drinking water resource： a case study of Qiandao Lake Area, China

The Qiandao Lake Area （QLA） is of great significance in terms of drinking water supply in East Coast China as well as a nationally renowned tourist attraction. A series of laws and regulations regarding the QLA environment have been enacted and implemented throughout the past decade with the aim of negating the harmful effects associated with expanding urbanization and industrialization. In this research, an assessment framework was developed to analyze the eco-environ- mental vulnerability of the QLA from 1990-2010 by integrating fuzzy analytic hierarchy process （FAHP） and geographical information systems （GIS） in an attempt to gain insights into the status quo of the QLA so as to review and evaluate the effectiveness of the related policies. After processing and analyzing the temporal and spatial variation of eco-environmental vulnerability and major environ- mental issues in the QLA, we found that the state of eco- environmental vulnerability of the QLA was acceptable, though a moderate deterioration was detected during the study period. Furthermore, analysis of the combination of vulnerability and water quality indicated that the water quality showed signs of declination, though the overall status remained satisfactory. It was hence concluded that the collective protection and treatment actions were effective over the study period, whereas immediately stricter measures would be required for protecting the drinking water quality from domestic sewage and industrial wastewater. Finally, the spatial variation of the eco-environmental vulnerability assessment also implied that specifically more targeted measures should be adoptedin respective regions for long-term sustainable develop- ment of the QLA.

Ecosystem services dynamics response to tremendous reclamation in a coastal island city

Introduction:Ecosystem services are the benefits delivering from the natural environment to human society.Ecosystem services are regarded as important tools for decision-makers to understand the impacts of land use and land cover(LULC)change.Outcomes:The dynamic of four primary ecosystem service indicators were assessed over 1984–2014 based on InVEST model and their responses to LULC changes have been analyzed by the ecosystem service change index(ESCI)and ecosystem service state index(ESSI).Our results confirmed the significant increment in land reclamation in Zhoushan City and over half of the reclamation area was used for human-induced urbanization and over a quarter for the fishery.For the whole territory,the most significant LULC conversions were observed between agricultural land and urban.The study period witnessed the degradation of habitat quality and soil sediment,an increment of the water yield and no significant change of carbon storage.Discussion and Conclusion:Most changes in LULC are significantly related to the dynamics of ecosystem services,which were more impacted in the reclamation area than the rest of the city.Our study highlights the importance of ecosystem service assessments for sustainable land planning and securing economic development.