Review on Land Ecosystem Health Assessment

Land ecosystem is a unified whole formed by the interaction between natural elements and human activities in the earth surface system.With the increasingly serious eco-environmental problems,the health problems of land ecosystem have attracted more and more attention.In order to fully understand the development trends and achievements of land ecosystem health assessment at home and abroad,this paper reviews the literature on land ecological health assessment from four aspects:connotation,evaluation system,evaluation method and evaluation scale of land ecosystem health assessment.

Eco-toxicity and health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments of Burullus Lake in Egypt

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)are ubiquitous environmental contaminants of growing concern due to their potential ecological and human health risks.This study presents a comprehensive assessment of PAHs contamination in the surface sediments of Burullus Lake,a vital and second largest delta lake in Egypt.The aim was to evaluate the eco-toxicity and potential health risks associated with the presence of these compounds.Surface seven sediment samples were collected from various drains in the southern part of Burullus Lake.Soxhlet extraction method was employed to extract PAHs(16PAHs)from the sediment sample.Analytically,target compounds were located using HPLC.The results showed that samples contained PAHs levels ranging from 0.038×10^(-6)to 0.459×10^(-6),which is considered heavily polluted by the European standard for PAHs pollution.Additionally,there was no apparent source of PAHs in the ElKhashah drain or the Brinbal Canal,as HPLC found none of the compounds.The most prevalent compound in sediment samples along the study area was fluoranthene.The diagnostic indices in the present study indicated that the hydrocarbons in the region originated from pyrolytic and man-made sources along the drains of Burullus Lake.The principal component analysis(PCA)and diagnostic ratios revealed that coal combustion and pyrolytic sources were responsible for the PAHs contamination in the surface sediments.The non-carcinogenic risk(HI),which is the product of the HQs for the adult and child populations,respectively,was calculated.HI values under 1,therefore,demonstrated that they had no carcinogenic effects on human health.TEQs and MEQs in the sediments of Burullus Lake do not have a cancer-causing impact on people.For the safety of nearby wildlife,aquatic life,and people,all activities that raise petroleum hydrocarbon levels in Burullus Lake must be adequately regulated and controlled.According to the ecological risk assessment,there is little chance that PAHs will be found in the sediments of Burullus Lake.This study underscores the urgent need for effective pollution control measures and regular monitoring of PAHs levels in Burullus Lake sediments to protect the aquatic ecosystem and public health.It also highlights the importance of considering eco-toxicity and human health risks in integrated risk assessments of PAHs-contaminated environments.

On forest ecosystem health and its Connotations

This paper cursorily introduced some ideas and approaches of ecosystem health researches. The definition and connotations of forest ecosystem health have also been expatiated. Defining forest ecosystem health has been discussed from the management objective approach, ecosystem approach, and integration approach. To impel the relative researches in China, more attention on the properties of a forest ecosystem should be paid.

Ecosystem health: ecological sustainability target of strategic environment assessment

Strategic environment assessment (SEA) and ecosystem health are two new ideas on environmental management. On the basis of reviewing some relevant literature, this paper made discussions on the ecological sustainability target of SEA, the content of ecosystem health as well as the interrelations between SEA and ecosystem health. For a good SEA, its ecological sustainability principles should be provided with distinct content and a general assessment system. A framework for ecosystem health assessment was established according to the content of ecosystem health, and combined into SEA as SEA抯 ecological sustainability target, we can effectively guide decision-makers to make suitable indigenous means and local solutions. , The basic principles and procedure of SEA for ecosystem health are also discussed in the paper.

Study of coastal water zone ecosystem health in Zhejiang Province based on remote sensing data and GIS

The coastal ecosystem health assessment is a field of increasing importance.In this paper,a preliminary assessment of ecosystem health in Zhejiang coastal water zone was made,mainly based on remote sensing data and GIS technique.Its spatial and quantitative evaluation was facilitated by the progress of remote sensing and GIS technique development.Firstly,human activities,hydrology and ecosystem problems in the study area were discussed and analyzed.Secondly,from 4 aspects of human stress,physical,chemical and biological responses to anthropogenic activities and natural stress,several indicators such as water transparency（Secchi Disk Depth,SDD）,suspended substance concentration,dissolved inorganic nitrogen,active phosphate,chlorophyll,harmful algae bloom,as well as distribution of sewage,sea lanes and port were employed.Thirdly,the Analytic Hierarchical Process was used for indicator weight calculation,and the ecosystem health criteria were established according to the integrative analysis of national water quality criteria,similar coastal ecosystem health research in other places or data inherent properties.The results indicated that from 2005 to 2007 the coastal water ecosystem health value in Zhejiang Province was unhealthy and needs ecological restoration by human intervention.

Ecosystem Health Assessment of Honghu Lake Wetland of China Using Artificial Neural Network Approach

Honghu Lake,located in the southeast of Hubei Province,China,has suffered a severe disturbance during the past few decades.To restore the ecosystem,the Honghu Lake Wetland Protection and Restoration Demonstration Project(HLWPRDP) has been implemented since 2004.A back propagation(BP) artificial neural network(ANN) approach was applied to evaluatinig the ecosystem health of the Honghu Lake wetland.And the effectiveness of the HLWPRDP was also assessed by comparing the ecosystem health before and after the project.Particularly,12 ecosystem health indices were used as evaluation parameters to establish a set of three-layer BP ANNs.The output is one layer of ecosystem health index.After training and testing the BP ANNs,an optimal model of BP ANNs was selected to assess the ecosystem health of the Honghu Lake wetland.The result indicates that four stages can be identified based on the change of the ecosystem health from 1990 to 2008 and the ecosystem health index ranges from morbidity before the implementation of HLWPRDP(in 2002) to middle health after the implementation of the HLWPRDP(in 2005).It demonstrates that the HLWPRDP is effective and the BP ANN could be used as a tool for the assessment of ecosystem health.

Ecosystem Health: Assessment Framework, Spatial Evolution, and Regional Optimization in Southwest China

Regional ecological health,the core of comprehensive ecosystem assessments,is an important foundation for regional exploration,environmental conservation,and sustainable development.The mountainous areas in southwest China are backward in economy,but industrialization and urbanization have been rapid in recent years.This study assessed the ecosystem health of the Sichuan and Yunnan provinces in China using a pressure-state-response(PSR)model.Spatiotemporal patterns of regional ecosystem health were analyzed from 2000 to 2016,including overall characteristics as well as local characteristics.Ecosystem health in most regions was improved over time(Y=0.0058 X–11.0132,R2=0.95,P<0.001),and areas with poorer ecosystem health decreased from half to one-third of the total area.Analysis of the primacy ratio and the variation coefficient confirmed that the gap in health scores between regions has gradually expanded since 2007,but there are more high quality regions overall(Z of Moran’s index<1.96,P>0.05).Overall,the regional ecosystems to the east of the Hu line-an imaginary line dividing east and west China into roughly equivalent parts-were healthier than those to the west.The pressure and state scores of ecosystems were determined by physiographic condition,and the response scores by government policies and social concern.The spatiotemporal patterns of ecosystem health were dominated to a greater extent by natural than anthropogenic factors,which explains why the shift in the patterns aligned with the direction of the Hu line.Dividing regions into key management areas based on natural geographical conditions and socioeconomic development could contribute to the formulation of a reasonable ecological and environmental protection policy,guaranteeing ecosystem services in the long run.

Ecosystem Health and Comprehensive Ecological Benefit Assessment of an Artificial Wetland in Western Jilin Province

[Objective] This research aimed to assess the state of ecosystem health and comprehensive ecological benefit of an artificial wetland in western Jilin Province. [Method] To investigate the effects of reclaimed water from Yingtai Oil Production Plant on the wetland ecosystem, a comprehensive ecological assessment index of an artificial wetland in the west of Jilin Province was established to measure the ecological economic and social benefits. The quantitative evaluation on the ecosystem health and comprehensive ecological benefit of the artificial wetland were carried out from 2003 to 2010 and were measured by means of the square difference method. [Result] After eight years of irrigation by reclaimed water, the levels of ecosystem health and benefit of the artificial wetland improved from Grade IV to Grade II, and the ecological environment, economic and social development of the wetland tended to improve. [Conclusion] The results indicated that the use of reclaimed water for irrigation of wetland ecosystems was a suitable way to control drought in arid and semi-arid regions.

On the study of ecosystem health:state of the art

Ecosystem health is a newly proposed concept that sets new goals for environmental management. Its definition, assessment indicators, and assessment methods are reviewed in this paper. Literature shows that the definitions and the assessment indicators cover a wide range of ecosystem health, and they differ in terms of researchers different scientific background. It is concluded that the concept of ecosystem health cannot be defined or understood simply in biological or ethical or aesthetic or historical terms and the assessment should be based on applying several indicators simultaneously to get overall picture of the health or integrity state of an ecosystem.

Forest ecosystem health assessment and analysis in China

Based on more than 300 forest sample plots surveying data and forestry statistical data, remote sensing information from the NOAA AVHRR database and the daily meteorological data of 300 stations, we selected vigor, organization and resilience as the indicators to assess large-scale forest ecosystem health in China and analyzed the spatial pattern of forest ecosystem health and influencing factors. The results of assessment indicated that the spatial pattern of forest ecosystem health showed a decreasing trend along latitude gradients and longitude gradients. The healthy forests are mainly distributed in natural forests, tropical rainforests and seasonal rainforests; secondarily orderly in northeast national forest zone, subtropical forest zonation and southwest forest zonation; while the unhealthy forests were mainly located in warm temperate zone and Xinjiang-Mongolia forest zone. The coefficient of correction between Forest Ecosystem Health Index (FEHI) and annual average precipitation was 0.58 (p<0.01), while the coefficient of correlation between FEHI and annual mean temperatures was 0.49 (p<0.01), which identified that the precipitation and temperatures affect the pattern of FEHI, and the precipitation’s effect was stronger than the temperature’s. We also measured the correlation coefficient between FEHI and NPP, biodiversity and resistance, which were 0.64, 0.76 and 0.81 (p<0.01) respectively. The order of effect on forest ecosystem health was vigor, organization and resistance.

Restorating marine coastal ecosystem health as a new goad for integrated catchment management in Tolo Harbour,Hong Kong,China

The paper demonstrates why it is necessary to take the restoration of marine coastal ecosystem health as a new goal for integrated catchment management, in coastal area of the Tolo Harbour. The present goal of integrated catchment management (ICM) in the Tolo Harbour is to meet with Water Quality Objectives. The performance of an ICM plan, Tolo Harbour Action Plan (THAP), is evaluated by using marine coastal ecosystem health indicators including stress indicators and responses indicators. Since the implementation of THAP in 1988, some significant reduction in pollution loading has been observed - reduction of 83 % of BOD load and 82 % of TN between 1988 and 1999. There has been an improvement in the health state of Tolo Harbour marine coastal ecosystem as evidenced in the trends of the physical, chemical and biological indicators, although some reverse fluctuations in some periods exist. However, this can only be considered as the first sign of the ecosystem health restoration, since ecosystem health

Assessment and regulation of ocean health based on ecosystem services: Case study in the Laizhou Bay, China

The ecosystem-based management of nearshore waters requires integrated assessment of ocean health and scientific guidance on artificial regulations to promote sustainable development. Quantitative approaches were developed in this paper to assess present and near-term ocean health based on ecosystem services. Results of the case study in the Laizhou Bay of China showed that the index score of ocean health was 0.785 6 out of 1.0 at present and was expected to range from 0.555 1 to 0.804 1 in the near-term future depending on different intensities of artificial regulation of negative pressures. Specifically, the results of ocean health at present mainly indicated that cultural services and provisioning services performed essentially perfectly while supporting services and regulating services functioned less well. It can be concluded that this nearshore ecosystem would partially lose supporting and regulating services in the near-term future if the increasing pressures were not wellregulated but that all of these categories of ecosystem services could be slightly improved if the negative pressures were fully controlled. Additionally, it is recommended that publicity and education on ecosystem services especially on cultural services and regulating services should be further strengthened. The analytical process and resulting quantification provide flexible tools to guide future development of regulations so as to facilitate ecosystem-based management in the coastal zone.

A new perspective of ecosystem health

Ecosystem health has attracted considerable attention from different disciplines in recent years. However, it still remains a disputed issue whether to focus on its general concept or on operational practice. As a result, these disputations have caused confusion and limited further research in the field of ecosystem health. In this paper, we attempt to introduce a new perspective to the concept of ecosystem health. With the aid of modern statistical methodology, such as factor analysis and normal distribution theory, we provide a conceptual approach to the quantitative assessment of ecosystem health and our method could be applied to various categories of ecosystems.

The evaluation of ecosystem health in mining areas on the matter element method

According to the characteristics of ecosystem and concept of the ecosystem in mining area, the index system of the ecosystem health in mining area was set up, and the evaluation standard was established. Aiming at the complexion in which the information lost in index ration, the matter element method was put forward to evaluate the ecosystem health in mining area. Making use of the model set up, the weight was built up by the method of index number heavy, the matter element, clas- sical field, and limit field were set up. The rating hierarchy was calculated by relating function. As a case study in the mining area of Pingyangsi Town, the results show that the ecosystem is good and sustainable from 2003 to 2006, but the healthy degree is not high, and some indexes have depravation.

Evaluation of the forest ecosystem health in Beijing area

The evaluation of ecosystem health has become one of the main research topics of ecosystem science, thus more and more assessment methods and frameworks have been put forward in recent years. However, the attention people pay to ecosystem health is actually more about what the social functions the ecosystem affords, which depend on the integrity and maintenance of the ecosystem structure and function, and the intensity of disturbance from outside. Accordingly, this research commenced from three main aspects, selected the evaluation indices, and then established the Evaluation Index System of Beijing Forest Ecosystem Health （EIS-BFEH）. In the EIS-BFEH, each of the three foundations contained an easily-operated and standard sub-index system, which compounded the specific natural and social conditions of Beijing and was concrete enough to measure and evaluate. Then with the method of the Analytical Hierarchy Process （AHP）, the comprehensive index （CI） could be obtained, which represented the health of the forest ecosystem. As a case study, the forest ecosystems in the Badaling area were sampled, evaluated, compared and ranked by use of the EIS-BFEH. The result show that the health of natural forests is much better than that of plantations in the Badaling forest center： the average comprehensive index of the former is 7.9, while the latter is only 6.6. From the results, it could also be found that there are nine units in the healthy state, two units in the subhealthy state, and only one unit of Robiniapseudoacacia in the morbid state.

Definitions and progress of ecosystem health and ecological security

Along with industrial development, adverse impacts on the natural environment become more serious, and the states of ecosystem health and ecological security have also deteriorated. As the basic needs for human survival, ecosystem health and ecological security possess very important meanings. Therefore, ecosystem health and ecological security have become research hot topics in recent decades. This paper reviewed the developments of definitions and applications of ecosystem health and ecological security, and found that the research on ecosystem health had achieved a lot. However, the research on ecological security was still relatively undeveloped. Moreover, there are also some confusion between the concepts of ecosystem health and ecological security. We consider that ecosystem health indicates the status of the ecosystem in normal conditions, whereas, ecological security indicates the capabilities of an ecosystem to react to external accidents or extremely adverse effects. An ecosystem which is healthy does not mean that it is secure. However, the ecological security requires an ecosystem to possess the capacity for integrity against any risk, and ecosystem health is the precondition to ecological security.

Examining Health of Wetlands with Multiple Ecosystem Services as Targets in China’s Coastal Regions

Coastal zones are key interconnectors of terrestrial and marine ecosystems.Due to the degradation and fragmentation of coastal wetlands,there is an urgent need to develop assessment methodology to compare the health of wetland ecosystems at different spatial scales.This will help efficiently develop and implement protections using easy-to-access ecosystem health data.This study aims to understand the spatial distribution of coastal and inland wetland health for China’s coastal regions.A Wetland Health Index(WHI)was developed to provide a basis for policy and decision making.Four utilization models—Long Term Model,Open Model,Nature Reserve Model,and Protected and Economic Model—were defined in the context of China’s coastal regions to specifically examine wetland health.Results show that the average WHI score was 63.6 with the range of 44.8–84.3 for 35 National Nature Reserves(NNRs),and the southern NNRs generally performed better than the northern NNRs.The wetlands in the southern provinces/municipalities are relatively healthier than their northern counterparts.The competent authority has slight influence on WHI scores but duration of conservation establishment does not show a clear correlation.With increasing economic activity,the differences in health conditions(WHI scores)of China’s coastal regions also increase.Gross Domestic Product(GDP)or economic intensification does not relate to WHI scores.Appropriate trade-offs between wetland management and economic development could contribute to improve health conditions,conservation and utilization of coastal and inland wetlands.

Health risk assessment of heavy metals in soils and crops in a mining area(Au-Ag-Cutrona-oil et al.) of the Nanyang Basin, Henan Province, China

Heavy metal distribution in mining areas has always been a hot research topic due to the special environment of these areas. This study aims to explore the impact of heavy metal pollution on soils and crops in the study area, ensure the safety of local crops and the health of local residents, and provide a basis for the subsequent environmental restoration and the prevention and control of environmental pollution. Based on the analysis of the heavy metal concentrations in local soils and crops, the study investigated the spatial distribution, pollution degrees, and potential ecological risks of heavy metals in the farmland of a mining area in the southeastern Nanyang Basin, Henan province, China explored the sources of heavy metals and assessed the health risks caused by crop intake. The results of this study are as follows. The root soils of crops in the study area suffered heavy metal pollution to varying degrees. The degree of heavy metal pollution in maize fields is higher than that in wheat fields, and both types of fields suffer the most severe Cd pollution. Moreover, the root soils of different crops suffer compound pollution.The root soils in the maize fields suffer severe compound pollution at some sampling positions, whose distribution is similar to that of the mining area. Cd poses the highest potential ecological risks among all heavy metals, and the study area mainly suffers low and moderate comprehensive potential ecological risks. The principal component analysis(PCA) shows that the distribution of Zn, Cd, Pb, and As in soils of the study area is mainly affected by anthropogenic factors such as local mining activities;the distribution of Cr and Ni is primarily controlled by the local geological background;the distribution of Hg is mainly affected by local vehicle exhaust emissions, and the distribution of Cu is influenced by both human activities and the geological background. Different cereal crops in the study area are polluted with heavy metals dominated by Cd and Ni to varying degrees, especially wheat. As indicated by the health risk assessment results, the intake of maize in the study area does not pose significant human health risks;however, Cu has high risks to human health, and the compound heavy metal pollution caused by the intake of wheat in the study area poses risks to the health of both adults and children. Overall, the soils and crops in the study area suffer a high degree of heavy metal pollution, for which mining activities may be the main reason.

Ecosystem Health Assessment of the Egong Bay Fisheries Area in Shenzhen Based on Index of Biological Integrity of Fish

[Objective] The ecosystem health of the Egong Bay fisheries area in Shenzhen was assessed,based on the index of biological integrity of fish( F-IBI),for the reference of ecological restoration in typical fisheries area in the coast of South China Sea. [Method]Based on four seasons survey from August( summer) and November( autumn) in 2012 to February( winter) and May( spring) in 2013,six indicators including total species number of fish,percentage of Sciaenidae species,percentage of Sparidae species,percentage of planktivorous species,percentage of benthic-feeding species and percentage of benthic-feeding and piscivorous species,were used in computing F-IBI of Egong Bay. The suitability of F-IBI was tested by principal component analysis( PCA) and Pearson correlation analysis. [Result]Total species number of fish,percentage of Sciaenidae species,percentage of Sparidae species,percentage of planktivorous species and percentage of benthic-feeding species were major assessment indicators for Egong Bay fisheries area. F-IBI of Egong Bay fisheries area was correlated with water temperature,salinity,chemical oxygen demand( COD) and petroleum,and was negative correlation to p H,dissolved oxygen( DO),dissolved inorganic nitrogen( DIN),reactive phosphate( PO_4^(3-)-P),and suspended matters. There were significant correction between the F-IBI with the salinity,COD,and suspended matters.[Conclusion]F-IBI system,based on total species number of fish,percentage of Sciaenidae species,percentage of Sparidae species,percentage of planktivorous species,percentage of benthic-feeding species and percentage of benthic-feeding and piscivorous species was feasible in Egong Bay fisheries area.

Ecosystem Health and Its Evaluation

Firstly, the connotations and influencing factors of ecosystem health are discussed, and then the assessment principle, evaluation stand- ard and evaluation method of ecosystem health and the establishment and measurement of ecosystem health indicators are studied. Through the study of its connotation and evaluation, feasible measures to effectively promote the development of ecosystem health are put forward finally.