Spatial patterns of Picea crassifolia driven by environmental heterogeneity and intraspecifi c interactions

Research on the spatial patterns of tree populations is critical for understanding the structure and dynamic processes of forests.However,little is known about how the underlying drivers shape these patterns and species interactions in forest systems.In this study,spatial point pattern analysis investigated the combined eff ects of intraspecifi c interactions and environmental heterogeneity on the spatial structure and internal maintenance mechanisms of Picea crassifolia in the Qilian Mountain National Nature Reserve,China.Data were obtained from a 10.2-ha dynamic monitoring plot(DMP)and sixteen 0.04-ha elevation gradient plots(EGPs).Under complete spatial randomness,both mature trees and saplings in the DMP demonstratedlarge-scale aggregation with negative correlations.In EGPs,saplings were clustered in small mesoscales,mature trees were randomly distributed,and the interactions of saplingstrees at all elevations were not correlated.By eliminating the interference of environmental heterogeneity through the inhomogeneous Poisson process,saplings in the DMP and EGPs were clustered in small scales and trees randomly distributed.Intraspecifi c associations were negatively correlated,in the DMP and at low elevations,and no correlations in high elevations of EGPs.In the vertical scale,saplings showed a small-scale aggregation pattern with increase in elevation,and the aggregation degree fi rst decreased and then increased.The interactions of saplings-trees and saplings–saplings showed inhibitions at small scales,with the degree of inhibition gradually decreasing.Spatial patterns and associations of adults–adults did not change signifi-cantly.The results revealed that intraspecifi c interactions and environmental heterogeneity regulated the spatial patterns of P.crassifolia at small and large scales,respectively.Environmental heterogeneity might be the most decisive factor aff ecting the spatial patterns of saplings,while trees were more aff ected by intraspecifi c interactions.Moreover,competition between trees in this area could be more common than facilitation for the growth and development of individuals.

Detection of Multi-dimensional Driving Forces of Public Environmental Concern in China:Based on Spatial Heterogeneity Perspectives

Public environmental concern(PEC)is an important bottom-up force in building an environmentally sustainable society.Guided by attitude theory,this paper innovatively constructed a PEC evaluation index system,while introducing entropy weighted-TOPSIS(Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution)to realize the assessment of PEC.Exploratory spatial data analysis was used to portray the spatio-temporal evolution patterns of PEC in 362 Chinese cities at prefecture-level and above from 2011 to 2018.Furthermore,the Geodetector model was performed to identify the multi-dimensional determinants of PEC from the perspective of spatial heterogeneity.The results indicated that:1)PEC in China exhibited a fluctuating upward trend,consistent with the spatial distribution law of‘Heihe-Tengchong Line’and‘Bole-Taipei Line’;2)the driving effect of each factor varied dynamically,but in general,economic development level,population size,industrial wastewater,and education level were the dominant driving factors explaining the spatial variation of PEC;3)risk detection revealed that four factors,government environmental regulations,PM_(2.5),vegetation coverage,and natural resource endowment,had nonlinear effects on PEC;4)the interactions between factors all demonstrated an enhancement in explaining the spatial differentiation of PEC.PEC was driven by the comprehensive interaction of four-dimensional factors of economy,society,pollutant emissions,and ecology.Among them,population agglomeration accompanied by a high level of regional economy and information technology can explain the increase in PEC to the greatest extent.

Environmental heterogeneity and productivity drive the assemblage of benthic diatom:a case study of the Three Gorges Reservoir

Dam construction has a critical effect on river ecosystems in the world,resulting in a rapid decline in biodiversity and ecosystem health.However,the effect of dam construction on the assemblage pattern of benthic diatoms remains unclear.The benthic diatoms assemblages in the tributary backwater area of the Three Gorges Reservoir(TGR)were investigated under low water level(LWL)and high water level(HWL)conditions.Results show that Discostella stelligera,Nitzschia palea,and Craticula subminuscula were dominant species in LWL,while Achnanthidium minutissimum and Nitzschia dissipata were dominant in HWL.Furthermore,environmental variables,productivity parameters,diversity indices,and community similarity were found significantly different between LWL and HWL periods.The Mantel test indicated that both environmental and spatial factors had significant effects on diatom communities in backwater area,while productivity was also a key driving force in LWL.The variation partitioning analysis(VPA)further demonstrated that environment factors could explain the largest variance of diatom assemblages in HWL(9%)and LWL(11%),followed by spatial factors.The relative importance of productivity to diatom community was significantly enhanced in LWL,but only a slight effect was found in HWL.These results indicate that the diatom assemblages were shaped by both environmental filtering and spatial factors.The relative importance of spatial factors depended on the degree of productivity.Therefore,the homogenization of diatom communities due to environmental disturbance,e.g.eutrophication and dam building,is the underlying mechanism in assembling the benthic diatoms.

Tree mycorrhizal associations determine how biodiversity,large trees,and environmental factors drive aboveground carbon stock in temperate forests

Biodiversity,large trees,and environmental conditions such as climate and soil have important effects on forest carbon stocks.However,recent studies in temperate forests suggest that the relative importance of these factors depends on tree mycorrhizal associations,whereby large-tree effects may be driven by ectomycorrhizal(EM)trees,diversity effects may be driven by arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM)trees,and environment effects may depend on differential climate and soil preferences of AM and EM trees.To test this hypothesis,we used forest-inventory data consisting of over 80,000 trees from 631 temperate-forest plots(30 m×30 m)across Northeast China to examine how biodiversity(species diversity and ecological uniqueness),large trees(top 1%of tree diameters),and environmental factors(climate and soil nutrients)differently regulate aboveground carbon stocks of AM trees,EM trees,and AM and EM trees combined(i.e.total aboveground carbon stock).We found that large trees had a positive effect on both AM and EM tree carbon stocks.However,biodiversity and environmental factors had opposite effects on AM vs.EM tree carbon stocks.Specifically,the two components of biodiversity had positive effects on AM tree carbon stocks,but negative effects on EM tree carbon stocks.Environmental heterogeneity(mean annual temperature and soil nutrients)also exhibited contrasting effects on AM and EM tree carbon stocks.Consequently,for the total carbon stock,the positive large-tree effect far surpasses the diversity and environment effect.This is mainly because when integrating AM and EM tree carbon stock into total carbon stock,the opposite diversity-effect(also environment-effect)on AM vs.EM tree carbon stock counteracts each other while the consistent positive large-tree effect on AM and EM tree carbon stock is amplified.In summary,this study emphasized a mycorrhizal viewpoint to better understand the determinants of overarching aboveground carbon profile across regional forests.

Is economic fitness helpful in achieving environmental sustainability in BRICS economies?A risk exposure perspective

A country’s ability to create complex goods and diversify its lines of products is essential for addressing all types of vulnerabilities.Quantifying a country’s vulnerability to extreme climatic events,such as droughts,superstorms,and other natural disasters,and its capacity for successful adaption,is an essential global need that has been ignored.This study examines the role of economic fitness(EF)in addressing climate change risk ex‐posure in BRICS countries in the context of the environmental Kuznets curve using panel data from 1995 to 2015.Panel threshold methodology is employed to ascertain the nonlinear relationship between EF and climate change risk exposure(i.e.,Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative Country Index(ND-GAIN)).In addition,empirical associations were estimated using panel-corrected standard errors,Driscoll-Kraay standard errors,and feasible generalized least squares estimation techniques.These findings demonstrated an inverted N shaped link between EF and ND-GAIN.Moreover,even after controlling for significant ND-GAIN influencing variables such as gross domestic product per capita,financial development,and urbanization,our robustness checks revealed significant and consistent findings.

The Impact on Environmental Kuznets Curve by Trade and Foreign Direct Investment in China

Based on data of trade, foreign directinvestment (FDI), economic development andenvironmental conditions in China’s 30 provincesbetween 1990-2002, this paper deals with the impacton Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) of tradeand FDI in China. The results show no direct impacton EKC of trade, on the one hand. However, tradecontributes significantly to economic growth, andhas played a positive role in introducing advancedpollution prevention technology and environmentalmanagement methodology to China. Therefore, aproactive trade policy will help solve the environmentalpollution problem brought by economic growth. Onthe other hand, there is a positive correlation betweenFDI and pollutant emission, which proves that FDIdoes have some negative influence on environmentin China due to hasty introduction of foreign capitaland inadequate environmental management systemin China.

Factor input structure,environmental policies,and the export quality upgrade:a perspective of heterogeneity

In the analysis of how environmental regulation affects the comparative advantage of trade,existing literature ignores industry's inherent heterogeneity, which draws remarkably different conclusions. In view of this, the paper analyzed the mechanism of environmental regulation on the export quality of different industries from the perspective of factor input structure heterogeneity. Based on the panel data of China's manufacturing industry, the paper used the system generalized method of moments method to examine the heterogeneity influence of environmental regulation on manufacturing export quality. The study found that, first, environmental regulation affected the export quality upgrade of the manufacturing sector through offset effect and compensation effect, and the direction of the impact would mainly depend on the industry's factor input structure. Second, for industries with larger fixed-asset investment(FAI) ratio in the factor input structure, the current environmental regulation policy was not conducive to the export quality upgrading of the industries. However, there was a significant U-shaped dynamic relationship between them. As environmental regulations became stricter, when regulatory stringency went beyond the inflection point, the policy would promote the upgrading of export quality. But for industries with smaller proportion of FAI, environmental regulation exerted a favorable impact on the export quality upgrade, following a J-shaped marginal growth curve.Third, for industries with different factor input structure, their export quality had been effectively upgraded as expected by factors like human capital investment, independent R&D, technology introduction, and foreign direct investment; but raising per capita capital stock and expanding enterprise size did not produce significant direct impact on export quality upgrade. These conclusions remained robust after using different measurement methods and replacing with other variables. Therefore, this paper suggests that governments should take industry heterogeneity into consideration and formulate differentiated hierarchical environmental policies.Besides, they should strengthen the enforcement of the current environmental regulation policies. By doing so, enterprises are forced to improve their technology and product quality so that they can better cope with rising compliance costs, eliminate backward industries, and resolve excess capacity. In this way, the economic structure would be transformed and upgraded from the supply side.

An Empirical Study on the Environmental Kuznets Curve for China's Carbon Emissions:Based on Provincial Panel Data

Based on the Environmental Kuznets Curve theory, the authors choose provincial panel data of China in 1990-2007 and adopt panel trait root and co-integration testing method to study whether there is Environmental Kuznets Curve for China＇s carbon emissions. The research results show that： carbon emissions per capita of the eastern region and the central region of China fit into Environmental Kuznets Curve, but that of the western region does not. On this basis, the authors carry out scenario analysis on the occurrence time of the inflection point of carbon emissions per capita of different regions, and describe a specific time path.

Environmental Pollution and Economic Growth in China: A Test of the Environmental Kuznets Curve

We apply a two pronged approach to analyze the presence of Environmental Kuznets Curve, EKC, in three types of emissions in the People’s Republic of China from 1994 to 2014: a structural breakpoint analysis and a model based test. We apply it to PM2.5, industrial waste and domestic water pollution time series, and find evidence of EKC in all three types of emissions that require appropriate policy.

Green technical innovation, environmental expenditure, and the environmental Kuznets curve:a dynamics model

The relationship between the emission of pollutant and economic growth has attracted a lot of attention in the environmental debate of the recent decades. Based on some theoretical and empirical research on environmental Kuznets curve （EKC）, this paper introduces the environmental technical innovation and environmental investment into Salow growth model to discuss the relationship between GDP per capital and the emission of pollutant By the dynamic simulation and parameters analysis, the results of the model indicate： （1） when ＂green＂ technical progress and environmental investment are fixed, the relationship between GDP per capital and the emission shows the linear relationship; （2） ＂green＂ technical progress can lead to the positive growth rates with a decreasing level of emission, which is compatible with an EKC; （3） the proportion of the environmental investment can lead the different growth rates and level of emission. These results can explain that developing countries are ＂too poor to be green＂.

Probe into Environmental Kuznets Characteristics and Causes of Wastewater, Waste Gas, and Solid Wastes in Wuhan City

Environmental Kuznets characteristics and causes of waste water, waste gas, and solid wastes in Wuhan city was researched; By comparing the variation of “three wastes”, i.e. waste water, waste gas, and solid wastes, the model between standardized per capita GDP and values of “three wastes” discharge was established and the causes were analyzed based on the theory of environmental economics. The results show that 1) the total amount is fluctuantly increasing, but the discharges of the three kinds are temporarily different, 2) the curve conforms to the three-power function, in which the curve descends from 1985 to 1994, and the curve preliminary shows the environmental Kuznets characteristics from 1995 to 2001, 3) the simulated calculation illustrates that the turning point of this environmental Kuznets curve would be over 25007.25 Yuan per caprta, and 4) the economic development, changing of industry structure, energy resource structure, and environmental policies are the main factors leading to the Environmental Kuznets Curve in Wuhan city.

Study on the Internal Relationship between Porter Hypothesis and Environmental Kuznets Curve

Based on theoretical derivation,this paper aims to analyse the internal relationship between Porter Hypothesis and Environmental Kuznets Curve.Conclusions were made:(1)In terms of theoretical analysis and empirical researches,the existence of inverted U-shaped EKC and U-shaped Porter Curve has its rationality,most of the controversy come from the misuse and diversity of empirical methods;(2)The progress of Porter Hypothesis also relys on economic growth,which is compatible with EKC;(3)Similar to EKC,a threshold effect exist in the process of technological progress.Environmental regulation is a driving force to promote the widespread use of green technology and reach the threshold.(4)In the process of speeding up economic development,government should gradually increase the intensity of environmental regulation.

A review on heterogeneous photocatalysis for environmental remediation:From semiconductors to modification strategies

Heterogeneous photocatalysis,an advanced oxidation process,has garnered extensive attention in the field of environmental remediation because it involves the direct utilization of solar energy for the removal of numerous pollutants.However,the application of heterogeneous photocatalysis in environmental remediation has not achieved the expected consequences due to enormous challenges such as low photocatalytic efficiencies and high costs of heterogeneous photocatalysts in large-scale practical applications.Furthermore,pollutants in the natural environment,including water,air,and solid phases,are diverse and complex.Therefore,extensive efforts should be made to better understand and apply heterogeneous photocatalysis for environmental remediation.Herein,the fundamentals of heterogeneous photocatalysis for environmental remediation are introduced.Then,potential semiconductors and their modification strategies for environmental photocatalysis are systematically presented.Finally,conclusions and prospects are briefly summarized,and the direction for the future development of environmental photocatalysis is explored.This review may provide reference directions toward understanding,researching,and designing photocatalytic remediation systems for various environmental pollutants.

Impact of the Built Environment on the Spatial Heterogeneity of Regional Innovation Productivity:Evidence from the Pearl River Delta,China

With the global economy increasingly dependent on innovation,urban discourse has shifted to consider what kinds of spatial designs may best nurture innovation.We examined the relationship between the built environment and the spatial heterogeneity of regional innovation productivity(RIP)using the example of China's Pearl River Delta(PRD).Based on a spatial database of 522546 patent data from 2017,this study proposed an innovation-based built environment framework with the following five aspects:healthy en-vironment,daily interaction,mixed land use,commuting convenience,and technology atmosphere.Combining negative binomial regression and Geodetector to examine the impact of the built environment on RIP,the results show that the spatial distribution of innovation productivity in the PRD region is extremely uneven.The negative binomial regression results show that the built environment has a significant impact on the spatial differentiation of RIP,and,specifically,that healthy environment,mixed land use,commuting convenience,and technology atmosphere all demonstrate significant positive impacts.Meanwhile,the Geodetector results show that the built environment factor impacts the spatial heterogeneity of RIP to varying degrees,with technology atmosphere demonstrating the greatest impact intensity.We conclude that as regional development discourse shifts focus to the knowledge and innovation economy,the innovation-oriented design and updating of built environments will become extremely important to policymakers.

The heterogeneous influence of economic growth on environmental pollution: evidence from municipal data of China

This study aims to investigate the influence of rapid economic development on pollution at the municipal level in China.It constructs a Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population,Affluence and Technology model(STIRPAT model) and uses comprehensive municipal data on industrial pollution and economic performance.The dataset contains 290 cities from2003 to 2016 as a sample for the panel data analysis.The study further separates the cities into two groups by their levels of economic development for heterogeneity analysis.It reveals that a low level of economic development would aggravate environmental pollution,and when the economy reaches a high level,this economic development will improve environmental quality.We also find that the relationships between foreign direct investment and industrial dust and sulfur dioxide(SO_2) discharge are significant,while the relationship between economic growth and effluent emission is not.The more developed subsample cities present an inverted U-shaped curve between industrial pollutant emission,GDP per capita,and foreign direct investment,while the less developed subsamples show no such relationship.Since the shape of these curves differs among regions,their turning points vary accordingly.Based on this finding,this study suggests that the governments of more developed cities should balance environmental pollution and economic development by enhancing environmental regulations and adjusting industrial structure.

Spatial Heterogeneity of Marine Environment Changes:A Case Study in Laizhou Bay and Its Adjacent Waters,China

Temporal and spatial heterogeneity identifications of marine environment and its changes have great significances in marine spatial planning and offshore pollution control.In this study,considering the integration of marine ecological environment and sea-land interaction,we built a spatialized evaluation model named Marine Environment Change Spatial Assessment(MECSA)to quantify the marine environment status and changes.In MECSA,we applied the geospatial model and the pressure-state-response(PSR)model for processing and integrating evaluation indicators.A case study in the Laizhou Bay showed that the marine environment quality was generally in a declining state from 2009 to 2015.In 2015,the Marine Environment Index(MEI)had decreased by 0.1 compared with 2009,although the two years all reached a‘Good'level.The spatial MEI layers of the two years showed a same distribution:the southwestern part was in poorer status,with a fan ring shape gradually getting better to the northeast.The Marine Organisms Response Index(MORI)contributed the most to the MEI.Therefore,future marine environmental assessment and spatial planning should focus on the identification the marine environment with its changes from the perspective of spatial heterogeneity and systemicity.Based on single indicators and comprehensive evaluation results,we can propose spatially targeted policies and recommendations scientifically.

The influence of heterogeneous environmental regulation on the green development of the mining industry: empirical analysis based on the system GMM and dynamic panel data model

The intensity of environmental regulation (ERI) affects the short-term effect of the level of green mining (GML),and which structure determines the long-term mechanism.Based on the panel data from 2001 to 2015,with the dynamic panel model and system GMM estimation method were employed to test the influence of heterogeneous environmental regulation on green mining and its transmission mechanism.The results show that,there is a 'U' type nonlinear relationship between the ERI and GML.The direct effect of command-control-based (CAC) and the market incentive-based (MBI) environmental regulation on green development of mining shows the characteristics of inhibition and promotion.There is a 'U' type of indirectly moderating effect between technological innovation and the energy consumption structure on the GML.The technological innovation promotes the green development of the mining industry only after pass the inflection point of MBI,while the CAC plays a significant guiding role in upgrading of the energy consumption structure.There is an inhibition and promotion effect of MBI on the GML in the southeast coastal area,and the CAC is not significantly.Meanwhile,both of the ERI shows no positive effects in the central and western inland region.

能源Kuznets曲线:发达国家的实证分析

关于经验环境库兹涅茨曲线(Environmental Kuznets Curve,EKC)文献已经很多了,但就环境质量与经济增长之间是否存在EKC一直没有得出结论。本文采用非线性回归和拟合的方法,对世界货币基金组织(International Money Fund,IMF)发布的28个发达国家从1970到2004年间的人均能源消费、能源消费总量和人均GDP数据进行回归分析,验证能源消费与收入之间是否存在倒U型曲线关系。结果表明,28个发达国家中有17个国家出现人均能源消费与人均GDP之间的倒U型曲线关系,能源消费总量与人均GDP之间也同样出现倒U型曲线关系,其中有10个国家人均能源消费出现拐点,在这10个国家中,除法国、荷兰和瑞士外的其它国家能源消费总量也都出现拐点。

民族地区经济增长与环境污染的Kuznets曲线实证分析——基于1999—2008民族地区面板数据

改革开放以来民族地区经济取得了快速增长,但随之而来的环境问题却日益突出。截取1999—2008年西部大开发以来民族地区经济环境10年面板数据,对民族地区经济增长与环境污染库兹涅茨曲线进行实证检验,可得出三点结论:一是民族地区各省区的环境库兹涅茨曲线大多数呈现倒N形,且多数地区的经济水平处于倒N库兹涅茨曲线两个拐点的中间,说明各地区在越过其相应曲线的第二个拐点前,按照现在的发展趋势,经济发展将继续加重环境污染。二是民族地区总体上处于经济增长同环境质量相互竞争的阶段。必须加快经济发展来缩小与全国的差距,早日跨越拐点。三是民族地区在加快经济发展的同时必须加大环境保护力度,要通过各种途径降低拐点的高度,争取早日越过拐点,以促进经济和环境的可持续发展。

基于Panel Data和SEA的环境Kuznets曲线分析——与马树才、李国柱两位先生探讨

针对当前学者研究中国环境Kuznets曲线存在的问题,本文使用了面板数据模型和空间计量模型,以克服使用时间序列模型时样本数量偏少和使用截面数据时易引起空间自相关性等问题。结果表明中国有部分环境指标满足环境Kuznets曲线的倒U型特征。