Eco-Environmental Vulnerability Evaluation in the Yellow River Basin,China

Using remote sensing(RS)data and geographical information system(GIS),eco-environmental vulnerability and its changes were analyzed for the Yellow River Basin,China.The objective of this study was to improve our understanding of eco-environmental changes so that a strategy of sustainable land use could be established.An environmental numerical model was developed using spatial principal component analysis(SPCA)model.The model contains twelve factors that include variables of land use,soil erosion,topography,climate,and vegetation.Using this model,synthetic eco- environmental vulnerability index(SEVI)was computed for 1990 and 2000 for the Yellow River Basin.The SEVI was classified into six levels,potential,slight,light,medium,heavy,and very heavy,following the natural breaks classification. The eco-environmental vulnerability distribution and its changes over the ten years from 1990 to 2000 were analyzed and the driving factors of eco-environmental changes were investigated.The results show that the eco-environmental vulnerability in the study area was at medium level,and the eco-environmental quality had been gradually improved on the whole.However,the eco-environmental quality had become worse over the ten years in some regions.In the study area,population growth,vegetation degradation,and governmental policies for eco-environmental protection were found to be the major factors that caused the eco-environmental changes over the ten years.

Spatial-temporal changes and driving factors of eco-environmental quality in the Three-North region of China

Eco-environmental quality is a measure of the suitability of the ecological environment for human survival and socioeconomic development.Understanding the spatial-temporal distribution and variation trend of eco-environmental quality is essential for environmental protection and ecological balance.The remote sensing ecological index(RSEI)can quickly and objectively quantify eco-environmental quality and has been extensively utilized in regional ecological environment assessment.In this paper,Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS)images during the growing period(July-September)from 2000 to 2020 were obtained from the Google Earth Engine(GEE)platform to calculate the RSEI in the three northern regions of China(the Three-North region).The Theil-Sen median trend method combined with the Mann-Kendall test was used to analyze the spatial-temporal variation trend of eco-environmental quality,and the Hurst exponent and the Theil-Sen median trend were superimposed to predict the future evolution trend of eco-environmental quality.In addition,ten variables from two categories of natural and anthropogenic factors were analyzed to determine the drivers of the spatial differentiation of eco-environmental quality by the geographical detector.The results showed that from 2000 to 2020,the RSEI in the Three-North region exhibited obvious regional characteristics:the RSEI values in Northwest China were generally between 0.2 and 0.4;the RSEI values in North China gradually increased from north to south,ranging from 0.2 to 0.8;and the RSEI values in Northeast China were mostly above 0.6.The average RSEI value in the Three-North region increased at an average growth rate of 0.0016/a,showing the spatial distribution characteristics of overall improvement and local degradation in eco-environmental quality,of which the areas with improved,basically stable and degraded eco-environmental quality accounted for 65.39%,26.82%and 7.79%of the total study area,respectively.The Hurst exponent of the RSEI ranged from 0.20 to 0.76 and the future trend of eco-environmental quality was generally consistent with the trend over the past 21 years.However,the areas exhibiting an improvement trend in eco-environmental quality mainly had weak persistence,and there was a possibility of degradation in eco-environmental quality without strengthening ecological protection.Average relative humidity,accumulated precipitation and land use type were the dominant factors driving the spatial distribution of eco-environmental quality in the Three-North region,and two-factor interaction also had a greater influence on eco-environmental quality than single factors.The explanatory power of meteorological factors on the spatial distribution of eco-environmental quality was stronger than that of topographic factors.The effect of anthropogenic factors(such as population density and land use type)on eco-environmental quality gradually increased over time.This study can serve as a reference to protect the ecological environment in arid and semi-arid regions.

EVOLVEMENT AND CONTROL OF VULNERABLE ECOLOGICAL REGION—A Case Study in Ongniud Banner and Aohan Banner,Inner Mongolia

The evolvement of a vulnerable ecological region is a dynamic process, which is affected by various factors. During the evolvement process, human activities have a decisive effect. The purpose of studying vulnerable ecological region is to control human economic activities and to develop a negative feedback modulation mechanism.This paper established a model of vulnerable ecological region's evolvement by considering four synthetic variables.These synthetic variables are ecological carrying capacity, ecological resilience, economic development intensity, and economic development velocity. Finally, Ongniud Banner and Aohan Banner in North China were taken as study cases to simulate the evolvement processes of vulnerable ecological regions under different conditions of economic development. The results show that human activities have an important influence on the evolvement trend of vulnerable ecological region.

Projections of Precipitation Changes in Two Vulnerable Regions of São Paulo State, Brazil

Weather and climate extremes are part of the natural variability. However, the frequency and intensity of precipitation extremes have increased in the globe following the global warming. Extreme precipitation impacts such as landslides and flooding with implications to vulnerability and adaptation are discussed for two regions of the state of S?o Paulo: the Metropolitan Region of Campinas and the Metropolitan Region of the Baixada Santista, located in southeastern South America. Simulations and projections obtained from four integrations of the Regional Eta model are analyzed to investigate the model behavior during the period of 1961-1990 and the projections within the period of 2011-2100. Uncertainties are discussed based on the standard deviation among the model spread. The projections show precipitation increase in the Metropolitan Region of Campinas during DJF for the near and distant future, while there are more uncertainties in the other seasons. In the Metropolitan Region of Baixada Santista, the precipitation increase is projected to all seasons, except JJA, when there is higher uncertainty. Daily rainfall indices suggest an increase of precipitation during the rainy days, but a reduction in the number of rainy days in both locations. The projections show a reduction of light rains and an increase of heavy rains at both regions. The model identifies the South Atlantic Convergence Zone and frontal systems as precipitation patterns associated with extremes in the two locations. The results can be useful for adaptation actions, since the regions are highly populated and have high vulnerabilities.

Natural Barriers to Eco-environmental Vulnerability in a Complex Ecosystem

Natural features such as mountain ranges, steep slopes and vegetation prevent human movement from one habitat to another. They prevent the ecological harm from natural phenomenon like erosion and landslide. Forests destruction has brought about deterioration of ecological environment such as increasing soil and water losses. RS （Remote Sensing） and GIS （Geographic Information System） technology have enhanced the eco-environment assessment procedure using eco-environment quality index tool. This paper presents results of the research on the investigation of the potentials of different landscapes on the complex ecosystem of Makeng Village in Fuj Jan Province to act as natural barrier to eco-environmental vulnerability. Vulnerability factors analysed were soil erosion, vegetation cover, land use types, slope and elevation. To see how one factor acts as natural barrier eco-environment stressors, factor maps were overlaid in pairs using ArcGIS 9.2 software and the matrix statistics exported for analysis in Microsoft Excel. The results showed steep slopes naturally limit human activities, growth of big trees and increase soil erosion. Flat and gentle slopes are less vulnerable to erosion. Elevation is among natural barriers to human activities. Human activities decrease with increasing elevation, hence making the eco-environment naturally stable/undisturbed. In this study, eco-vulnerability to erosion decreases with increasing vegetation cover.

Evaluationof eco-environmental competitiveness in south China hilly region

South China is located in the subtropical zone,with excellent hydrothermal conditions and abundant species.Compared with other regions in China,the environment and natural resources have obvious innate advantages.The crisscross of hills and small plains are the most typical topographic and geomorphic features in South China.Its evaluation of eco-environmental competitiveness is different from other regions in China in terms of index selection and evaluation process.Based on the literature results,combining with the particularity of the southern hilly region and according to certain principles,we construct an evaluation model of ecological environment in southern hilly region,which includes five first-level indicators of ecological resources,environmental status,enconomic society,management response and environmental potential and fifteen second-level index sperated from the first-level,such as forest coverage rate and ambient air quality composite index and so on.Taking Hunan Province,a tipical region of southern hills,as an empirical example to analyse,the conclusion has been verified by other scholars and the new model is more operable than the existing models and methods,which indicates that the model constructed is practical and feasible.

Spatial patterns of ecosystem vulnerability changes during 2001–2011 in the three-river source region of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China

The three-river source region (TRSR, including Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers), located in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China, is a typical alpine zone with apparent ecosystem vulnerability and sensitivity. In this paper, we introduced many interdisciplinary factors, such as landscape pattern indices (Shannon diversity index and Shannon evenness index) and extreme climate factors (number of extreme high temperature days, number of extreme low temperature days, and number of extreme precipitation days), to establish a new model for evaluating the spatial patterns of ecosystem vulnerability changes in the TRSR. The change intensity (CI) of ecosystem vulnerability was also analyzed. The results showed that the established evaluation model was effective and the ecosystem vulnerability in the whole study area was intensive. During the study period of 2001–2011, there was a slight degradation in the eco-environmental quality. The Yellow River source region had the best eco-environmental quality, while the Yangtze River source region had the worst one. In addition, the zones dominated by deserts were the most severely deteriorated areas and the eco-environmental quality of the zones occupied by evergreen coniferous forests showed a better change. Furthermore, the larger the change rates of the climate factors (accumulative temperature of ≥10°C and annual average precipitation) are, the more intensive the CI of ecosystem vulnerability is. This study would provide a scientific basis for the eco-environmental protection and restoration in the TRSR.

Spatio-temporal Evolution of Marine Fishery Industry Ecosystem Vulnerability in the Bohai Rim Region

The building of the ocean power strategy and the implementation of the blue agriculture plan urgently need to strengthen the sustainable development of marine fishery.Taking vulnerability as the starting point, this paper constructs the vulnerability index system of marine fishery industry ecosystem from the aspects of sensitivity and response capacity, and combines the entropy method with the Topsis to comprehensively analyze the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics of vulnerability of marine fishery industry ecosystem in the Bohai Rim Region from 2001 to 2015.The results show that: 1) In the time dimension, from 2001 to 2015, the vulnerability of the marine fishery industry ecosystem in the Bohai Rim Region shows a fluctuant and degressive trend;2) In the spatial dimension, the spatial distribution of the marine fishery industry ecosystem vulnerability in the Bohai Rim Region presents the gradient characteristics which shows high vulnerability in the east and low vulnerability in the west.According to the evolution track of the system’s vulnerability level, the vulnerability of the marine fishery industry ecosystem is divided into ‘declining’ and ‘stable’ types of evolutionary structures;3) The development of marine fishery in the Bohai Rim Region needs to be derived from the marine fishery’s ecological environment and the industrial development mode and structure, which can improve the marine environment remediation efforts, optimize the marine fishery industry structure, vigorously focus on pelagic fishery, and enhance the introduction of marine fishery’s science and technology talents, etc.Then, the marine fishery’s development in the Bohai Rim Region will be moving in the green, circular and sustainable direction.

Eco-environment range in the source regions of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers

Based on geographical and hydrological extents delimited, four principles are identified, as the bases for delineating the ranges of the source regions of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers in the paper. According to the comprehensive analysis of topographical characteristics, climate conditions, vegetation distribution and hydrological features, the source region ranges for eco-environmental study are defined. The eastern boundary point is Dari hydrological station in the upper reach of the Yellow River. The watershed above Dari hydrological station is the source region of the Yellow River which drains an area of 4.49×10 4 km 2 . Natural environment is characterized by the major topographical types of plateau lakes and marshland, gentle landforms, alpine cold semi-arid climate, and steppe and meadow vegetation in the source region of the Yellow River. The eastern boundary point is the convergent site of the Nieqiaqu and the Tongtian River in the upstream of the Yangtze River. The watershed above the convergent site is the source region of the Yangtze River, with a watershed area of 12.24×10 4 km 2 . Hills and alpine plain topography, gentle terrain, alpine cold arid and semi-arid climate, and alpine cold grassland and meadow are natural conditions in the source region of the Yangtze River.

Changes and spatial patterns of eco-environment in the farming-pastoral region of northern China

This paper firstly selects 10 kinds of indexes to reflect eco-environment background condition and builds the multi-subject spatial database by using ground meteorological data, remote sensing data and DEM. It then discusses in detail the methods about evaluating eco-environment background condition and analyzing eco-environment change. The eco-environment background conditions of 1989 and 1999 are synthetically appraised. Finally, the paper analyzes the spatial distribution, quantitative change, the trend of change, the areas of change and the dynamic spatial pattern of eco-environment. The results are as follows： （1） The eco-environment background condition becomes worse from southeast to northwest in the fanning-pastoral region of northern China. （2） The eco-environment background condition deteriorates from 1989 to 1999. （3） In the adjacent areas of Shanxi-Shaanxi-Inner Mongolia-Gansu-Ningxia, Horqin Sandy Land and its peripheries, and eastern Qinghai orovince, eco-environmental deterioration is very serious.

Assessing the vulnerability of a forest ecosystem to climate change and variability in the western Mediterranean sub-region of Turkey：future evaluation

This study evaluates the multifactorial spatial modelling used to assess vulnerability of the Du¨ zlerc？am？（Antalya） forest ecosystem to climate change.This was done to produce data,to develop tools to support decisionmaking and the management of vulnerable Mediterranean forest ecosystems affected by climate change,and to increase the ability of these forest ecosystems to adapt to global change.Based on regionally averaged future climate assessments and projected climate indicators,both the study site and the western Mediterranean sub-region of Turkey will probably become associated with a drier,hotter,more continental and more water-deficient climate.This analysis holds true for all future scenarios,with the exception of RCP4.5 for the period from 2015 to 2030.However,the present dry-sub humid climate dominating this sub-region and the study area shows a potential for change towards more dry climatology and for it to become semiarid between 2031 and 2050 according to the RCP8.5 high emission scenario.All the observed and estimated results and assessments summarized in this study show clearly that the densest forest ecosystem in the southern part of the study site,characterized by mainly Mediterranean coniferous and some mixed forest and maquis vegetation,will very likely be influenced by medium and high degrees of vulnerability to future environmental degradation,climate change and variability.

Evaluation model of the grey fuzzy on eco-environment vulnerability

The basic theory and evaluation index system of eco-environment vulnerability were reviewed. Based on the grey theory and fuzzy mathematics, a new comprehensive evaluation method from qualitative to quantitative, called grey-fuzzy evaluation, was proposed for evaluating eco-environment vulnerability. It was integrated of Association for Healthcare Philanthropy （AHP）, grey correlation analysis, grey statistics and fuzzy judgment. The constitutional principle and method of the new evaluation method were given and its feasibility and effectiveness were proved by the practical example.

Vulnerability of Regional Aviation Networks Based on DBSCAN and Complex Networks

To enhance the accuracy of performance analysis of regional airline network,this study applies complex network theory and Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise(DBSCAN)algorithm to investigate the topology of regional airline network,constructs node importance index system,and clusters 161 airport nodes of regional airline network.Besides,entropy power method and approximating ideal solution method(TOPSIS)is applied to comprehensively evaluate the importance of airport nodes and complete the classification of nodes and identification of key points;adopt network efficiency,maximum connectivity subgraph and network connectivity as vulnerability measurement indexes,and observe the changes of vulnerability indexes of key nodes under deliberate attacks and 137 nodes under random attacks.The results demonstrate that the decreasing trend of the maximum connectivity subgraph indicator is slower and the decreasing trend of the network efficiency and connectivity indicators is faster when the critical nodes of the regional airline network are deliberately attacked.Besides,the decreasing trend of the network efficiency indicator is faster and the decreasing trend of the maximum connectivity subgraph indicator is slower when the nodes of four different categories are randomly attacked.Finally,it is proposed to identify and focus on protecting critical nodes in order to better improve the security level of regional airline system.

Study on Eco-environmental Stress Trend of Inner Mongolia Based on Ecological Stress Index

[Objective] The study aimed to analyze the eco-environrnental stress trend of Inner Mongolia using ecological stress index method. [Methed] On the basis of the improved ecological stress index （ESI） analysis method, the eco-environmental stress trend of Inner Mongolia from 1996 to 2009 was analyzed, as well as the changes of eco-environmental stress in major industrial cities of Inner Mongolia in 2008. [ Result] With the economic development of Inner Mongolia from 1996 to 2009, the U-shape change could be found in the eco-environmental stress, showing an upward trend on the whole, especially since 2003, and there was a sharp raise in the environmental pollution index. In addition, the eco-enviren- mental stress lessened in most major cities of Inner Mongolian in 2008, but it was in a polarization state, that is, Baotou, Wuhai and Hohhot biased resource and energy consumption, while Ordos and Chifeng biased environmental pollution. [ Conclusion] The research could provide scientific ref- erences for the protection of ecological environment and the adjustment of industrial structure in Inner Mongolia.

Measuring Social Vulnerability to Natural Hazards in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region,China

Social vulnerability in this study represents the differences between the capacity to cope with natural hazards and disaster losses suffered within and between places.The assessment of social vulnerability has been recognized as a critical step in understanding natural hazard risks and enhancing effective response capabilities.This article presents an initial study of the social vulnerability of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei(B-T-H) Region in China.The goal is to replicate and test the applicability of the United States Social Vulnerability Index(So VI) method in a Chinese cultural context.Thirty-nine variables adapted from the So VI were collected in relation to two aspects:socioeconomic vulnerability and built environment vulnerability.Using factor analysis,seven factors were extracted from the variable set:the structure of social development,the level of economic and government financial strength,social justice and poverty,family structure,the intensity of space development,the status of residential housing and transportation,and building structure.Factor scores were summed to get the final So VI scores and the most and least vulnerable units were identified and mapped.The highest social vulnerability is concentrated in the northwest of the study area.The least socially vulnerable areas are mainly distributed in the Beijing,Tianjin and Shijiazhuang core urban peripheral and central city areas of the prefecture-level cities.The results show that this method is a useful tool for revealing places that have a high level of vulnerability,in other words,areas which are more likely to face significant challenges in coping with a large-scale event.These findings could provide a scientific basis for policy making and the implementation of disaster prevention and mitigation in China.

Assessment on the Vulnerability of Agricultural Eco-environment of Hilly Basin Area in the Middle of Hunan Province——A Case Study of Hengyang Basin

[Objective] The study aimed to assess the vulnerability of agricultural eco-environment of hilly basin area in the middle of Hunan Prov- ince. [ Method] Taking Hengyang basin as an example, we firstly chose 13 indicators from natural, social and economic subsystem to assess the vulnerability of agricultural eco-environment in hilly basin area in the middle of Hunan Province. Afterwards, by using principal component analysis, we calculated the weight of each indicator and the vulnerability of agricultural eco-environment of seven regions, finally analyzed the spatial distribu- tion of agricultural eco-envimnment vulnerability. [ Result] The weight of farmers＇ net income per capita was up to 0.140, followed by forest coverage （0.137）. Among the seven counties, the vulnerability of agricultural eco-environment was primarily moderate, while Hengnan County had the highest vulnerability, followed by Hengyang County, and their vulnerability was extremely serious. In addition, Leiyang City was the minimum fragile region, namely slightly fragile region. In general, the vulnerability of peripheral counties was lower than that of central counties. [ Conclusion] The research could provide scientific references for the restoration and reconstruction of agro-ecological environment as well as the establishment of agri- cultural Dreduction decisions.

Regional Endeavours Rrequired to Deal With Water Vulnerability in East and Southeast Asia

Booming economic development during the past decades has made the East and Southeast Asian region one of the most dynamic economies in the world and brought about rapid urbanization. It is expected that Asia will account for 12 of the world’s 25 cities with population exceeding 10 million by 2000. Tokyo will have more than 27 million people and Shanghai and Jakarta will each have more than 20 million people. Demand for water supply, as a result, will drastically increase. Data show that most of the East and Southeast Asian countries are faced with serious water shortage and contamination, in particular in the urbanized areas. The vulnerability of water supply constituents one of the greatest threats to the sustainable socio economic development of the region. Great efforts have been made to conserve both surface and subsurface water resources, to protect water from contamination and to use water in an efficient way. In addition to the establishment of administrative agencies under the governments in individual countries, a number of regional and country wide projects have been launched for a solution to ease the water vulnerability. The Coordinating Committee for Coastal and Offshore Geoscience Programmes in East and Southeast Asia (CCOP), an intergovernmental organization of the region, has devoted itself to coordinating regional endeavours to solve applied geoscientific problems through technology transfer, human resources development and regional data compilation. The regional map series and related databases produced by CCOP have provided useful information on regional geological background, which is also essential for the solution of water problems. However, it is obvious that regional efforts are not enough to meet the challenges we are faced with. In addition to raising public awareness and governmental concerns, advanced technologies, in particular those used in the petroleum industry to deal with oil and gas, a sort of fluid resources similar to water, must be adopted to the water supply industry. Since 1996, CCOP has, in cooperation with the developed countries, been working on a project called Petrowater. The Project aims at using the technology and infrastructures related to the oil industry to the water supply industry.

粤港澳大湾区机场群运营脆弱性研究

明确机场群运营中的不确定性及薄弱环节是机场制定自身战略的重要环节。研究基于经营规模、营运能力、差异化经营能力及建设规模,构建包含12项指标的评价体系,利用熵值法确定权重,并基于突变理论评估粤港澳机场群运营脆弱性。结果显示:粤港澳大湾区各机场脆弱性差异显著,香港国际机场运营脆弱性最低(0.882),广州白云国际机场次之,澳门、深圳宝安及珠海金湾国际机场运营脆弱性处于中等水平,惠州平潭与佛山沙堤机场运营脆弱性最高。针对高脆弱性机场,建议加强基建、提升运营管理水平,以增强抗风险与恢复能力。

Research on Ecological Regionalization of Inland Lake Wetland of Bashang in Hebei Province

An ecological regionalization index system was established for Bashang inland lake wetland based on ecological and environmental factors,with landform,geomorphy,vegetation types and climate as primary indices,micro-landform,vegetation type,soil type,climate,ecosystem types,wetland features and human activities as secondary indices. Based on these index systems,the area was divided into three eco-environment regions and nine sub eco-environment regions. An eco-regional map of Bashang inland lake wetland was drawn by using GIS. The ecological characteristics,existing problems and control measures of each region were described. This study will supply guidance for the construction of local ecological environment and regulation of industrial structure,promoting sustainable development of Bashang inland lake wetland.

Synergetic pathways of water-energy-carbon in ecologically vulnerable regions aiming for carbon neutrality:a case study of Shaanxi,China

Synergetic energy-water-carbon pathways are key issues to be tackled under carbon-neutral target and high-quality development worldwide,especially in ecologically vulnerable regions(EVRs).In this study,to explore the synergistic pathways in an EVR,a water-energy-carbon assessment(WECA)model was built,and the synergistic effects of water-energy-carbon were comprehensively and quantitatively analyzed under various scenarios of regional transition.Shaanxi Province was chosen as the representative EVR,and Lower challenge(LEC)and Greater challenge(GER)scenarios of zerocarbon transition were set considering the technological maturity and regional energy characteristics.The results showed that there were limited effects under the zero-carbon transition of the entire region on reducing water withdrawals and improving the water quality.In the LEC scenario,the energy demand and CO_(2) emissions of Shaanxi in 2060 will decrease by 70.9%and 99.4%,respectively,whereas the water withdrawal and freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity potential(FAETP)will only decrease by 8.9%and 1.6%,respectively.This could be attributed to the stronger demand for electricity in the energy demand sector caused by industrial transition measures.The GER scenario showed significant growth in water withdrawals(16.0%)and FAETP(36.0%)because of additional biomass demand.To promote the synergetic development of regional transition,EVRs should urgently promote zero-carbon technologies(especially solar and wind power technologies)between 2020 and 2060 and dry cooling technology for power generation before 2030.In particular,a cautious attitude toward the biomass energy with carbon capture and storage technology in EVRs is strongly recommended.