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.

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 Assessment in Wuli Lake

Using the method of trophic state-composite index (TSI-CI ) and the 12 months of monitoring data in 2010,we carry out initial exploration of the status of ecosystem health in Wuli Lake. First,we select four indicators,Chla,SD,TP and TN,to conduct trophic state assessment using weighted index method; then after selecting physical,chemical and biological indicators to conduct nondimensionalization processing,we calculate the composite index and conduct comprehensive assessment. The results show that in 2010,the status of ecosystem health in Wuli Lake was the best in July,worst in August; when the composite trophic state indicators with Chla as the representative increase or decrease significantly and cross different nutritional grades,TSI will significantly deviate from CI,and the relationship between the two in the other time is not prominent.

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.

Research Progress in Occupational Health Risk Assessment Methods in China

Traditional occupational disease control and prevention has remained prevalent in China over recent decades. There are appropriately 30,000 new case reports of occupational diseases annually. Although China has already established a series of occupational disease prevention programs, occupational health risk assessment （OHRA） strategies continue to be a limitation.

Ecosystem health assessment of urban rivers and lakes-Case study of “the six lakes”in Beijing,China

The assessment of the ecosystem health of urban rivers and lakes is the scientific basis for their management and ecological restoration.This study developed a three-level indicator system for its assessment.The results indicated that:Zhonghai and Nanhai are in the state of transition from unhealthy to critical state and all the other lakes are in unhealthy states.Water environmental quality,structure and function of the aquatic ecosystem,and the structure of waterfront areas were the constraints.Nanhai was ranked as poor and the others were all ranked as very poor.However,the ecological environment of Zhonghai and Nanhai were better than the others,the sums of the degree of membership to the healthy state and critical state were all close to 0.6.and the restorations of these lakes were moderate.The sums of the degree of membership to the healthy state and critical state of the other lakes were under 0.3,as it was difficult to restore these lakes.Some suggestions on scientific management and ecological restoration of the six lakes were proposed:①To control non-point pollution and to improve the water quality of six lakes and the water entering into these lakes;②To improve the hydrological conditions of six lakes;③To rehabilitate the aquatic ecosystem and waterfront areas.

Regional ecosystem health assessment using the GA-BPANN model:a case study of Yunnan Province,China

Background:Regional ecosystem health assessments are the basis for the sustainable development of society.However,an ecosystem is a complex integration of ecosystem mosaics and subsystems that influence each other,making it difficult to evaluate them using traditional assessment methods of linear and explicit functions.We introduce a back-propagation neural network model optimized by a genetic algorithm to evaluate ecosystem health in 16 districts in Yunnan Province.Result:(1)The model required fewer inputs to evaluate complex and nonlinear systems,avoided the need for subjective weights,and performed well in this practical application to regional ecosystem health assessment.(2)The ecosystem health in Yunnan Province was increasing,and there was a significant positive spatial autocorrelation during 2000-2020,showing that districts with high Ecosystem Health cluster together and the ecological protection policy of the region has produced a diffusion effect,leading to continuous improvement of the ecological health of the surrounding areas.High-low outlier areas of ecosystem health should be paid more attention,because of the increasing instability of local health levels.Conclusion:This study provides a methodological exploration for assessing spatial mosaics of different ecosystems at a regional scale.

Occupational Health Risk Assessment of Benzene,Toluene,and Xylene in Shanghai

Objective This study was designed to conduct a retrospective and systematic occupational health risk assessment(OHRA)of enterprises that used benzene,toluene,and xylene(BTX)in Shanghai,China.Methods All data for the study were obtained from 1,705 occupational health examination and evaluation reports from 2013 to 2017,and a semiquantitative model following Chinese OHRA guidelines(GBZ/T 298-2017)was applied for the assessment.Results The selected enterprises using BTX were mainly involved in manufacturing of products.Using the exposure level method,health risk levels associated with exposure to BTX were classified as medium,negligible,or low.However,the risk levels associated with benzene and toluene were significantly different according to job types,with gluers and inkers exhibiting greater health risks.For the same job type,the health risk levels assessed using the comprehensive index method were higher than those using the exposure level method.Conclusion Our OHRA reveals that workers who are exposed to BTX still face excessive health risk.Additionally,the risk level varied depending on job categories and exposure to specific chemicals.Therefore,additional control measures recommended by OHRA guidelines are essential to reduce worker exposure levels.

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.

Ecosystem health assessment on the hill and gully area of Loess Plateau in Inner Mongolia,China

Maintenance of ecosystem health is the primary focus of a sound ecological restoration.Yet methods in-volved in quantifying and assessing the health level remain a challenge to the ecological community.In this study,we selected the hill and gully area of Loess Plateau,Inner Mongolia,China,as our study area.The soil and water ero-sions in this area continue to be responsible for many environmental problems in northern China because of its fragility and long disturbance history.In this study,we de-veloped an assessment method of indicator system(AMIS)based on analytical hierarchy process(AHP),fuzzy mathe-matics,and the theory of net-hierarchy.At ecosystem or catchment scale,three sample areas,that is(1)intact vege-tation(i.e.,Aguimiao Natural Reserve,110°45′E,39°28′N),(2)reconstructed vegetation(Wufendigou Soil and Water Conservation Experimental Area,111°07′E,39°45′N),and(3)severely degraded vegetation(Yangquangou Catchment,111°06′E,39°45′N)in the hill and gully area of Loess Pla-teau in Inner Mongolia,China,were selected to examine ecosystem vigor,organizational structure,service function,and soil health.We applied the AMIS for all three land-scapes by categorizing each ecosystem into five health levels.We found that the health index for reconstructed vegetation were at levels of IV,II,IV,and III,while those of degraded vegetation were ranked at V,IV,V,and IV.Overall,the comprehensive ecosystem health index of re-constructed vegetation was lower than that of intact vegetation but higher than that of degraded vegetation.The health index for reconstructed vegetation was at level III,and that of degraded vegetation was still at level IV.The contributing values were:organization structure>soil health>vigor>service function.Based on our results and assessments,we proposed several management recommen-dations and methods for restoring the regional ecosystems.

Biodiversity Sustainability Assessment of Principal Ecosystems in Hebei,China

Aiming at providing theoretical basis for effective protection of biodiversity, the study presents a cascade method which combines both qualitative and quantitative methods, incorporates basic data with RS（remote sense） technology, and ranks the ecosystems according to its ability of biodiversity sustainability in Hebei Province. The results indicate that the most important areas for protection in Hebei Province are forest and meadow ecosystems in some highlands around Xiaowutai Mountain, Wuling Mountain, North Hebei, Taihang Mountain and East Hebei; grass ecosystems in part of plateau area and North Hebei; and some scattered wetlands in the plain and inshore areas. This method is suitable for undertaking large-scale investigations especially when the data are not adequate or unevenly distributed spatially.

Heavy Metal Pollution Status and Health Risk Assessment in the Longjiang River

[Objectives] The purpose of this research was to investigate the water quality of the Longjiang River in Guangxi. Concentrations of heavy metals( As,Cd,Zn,Pb and Cu) in the surface water of Longjiang River were analyzed to figure out the distribution characteristics of heavy metal pollutants in this area. [Methods]The Nemerow comprehensive index method and the health risk assessment model were adopted to evaluate the grade of Longjiang River water quality and the health risk level imposed by heavy metals in the water. [Results] The concentrations of heavy metals in each sampling point conformed to Grade-II water quality standard. The water samples collected on 13 sampling points of the Longjiang River were clean and not polluted by heavy metals. The health risk values of heavy metals As and Zn were greater than Cd,Pb and Cu in the Longjiang River,but still lower than the maximum acceptable risk level 5. 0 × 10^(-5)a^(-1). [Conclusions]Water quality condition reflected by the comprehensive pollution index and the health risk value of heavy metal was consistent in the Longjiang River,showing as that the value in middle and lower reaches was slightly higher than in the upper reaches. As is the major pollutant of water environment health risk in the Longjiang River,and it should be regarded as the key object of water environment risk management in Longjiang River.

Cross spectral energy method for damage assessment of the cable-stayed bridge under operational conditions

The new cross spectral energy method(CSEM)is proposed for maintaining cable-stayed bridge safe-ty by the measurable output-only vibration response.Damage assessment of real structures is limited by aseries of problems such as unknown ambient excitation forces,errors introduced by system identification,incomplete dynamic measurements,etc.Thus the methodology based on cross spectral energy of eachsubstructure member is derived to meet these challenges.The novel damage index does not require anymodal or parameter identification technology.It can be calculated directly from vibration test data.In or-der to evaluate the efficiency of the presented methodology,a three dimensional(3D)actual cable-stayedbridge model with one or more damaged positions under operational conditions was studied.In order totestify the reliability of damage detection method,the response data was polluted by the random noise.Itis proved that the proposed method can successfully localize all damage cases even in noisy data.Withthe help of examples,the CSEM can potentially be applied as a nondestructive evaluation technique(NDT)for on-line health monitoring of cable-stayed bridges with minimum disruption of its operations.

Comprehensive health condition assessment on partial sewers in a southern Chinese city based on fuzzy mathematic methods

A self-developed sewer health assessment system using the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation and analytical hierarchy process was applied to give a comprehensive health condition evaluation on part of the local sewers in a southern Chinese city based on the sewer video data collected by a sewer inspection closed circuit television （CCTV） robot. Aside from the overall condition evaluation, the structure, function, and stability status of the sewer were also analyzed using the method. A comprehensive index H was proposed to give the overall health condition of pipes with different defects, and Ht, Hs, and If were used to quantify the defects affecting the tightness, stability, and function of the pipe, respectively. Results show that 48% of the inspected pipes were in good condition （0〈H〈0.25）, and about 33% of the sewer pipes analyzed were categorized to be at severe or urgent condition levels （H 〉 0.5）, although most of the pipes were installed only within five years. Frequent sedimentation affects the function of the sewer, and deformation and joint damage affect the structure of the sewer.

Assessments and diagnoses of aquatic ecosystem integrity based on integrity requirements of ecosystem service targets

This paper critically reviews the progress in ecosystem integrity(health)assessment of inland waters and provides future directions for assessment.Current biotic integrity assessments mainly use multimetric indices and predictive models to evaluate overall health status;the criteria largely rely on pristine reference sites,but such an approach is not applicable to unique natural waters and irreversibly modified waters.Biotic diagnostic assessments are still in the exploratory stage and can only diagnose possible stressor types and wide-ranges of their intensities through empirical models linking stressors and species-trait-indices.Current chemical integrity assessments mainly use criteria determined by small-scale ecotoxicity tests,rather than quantitative relationships developed between chemical factors and biotic effects in real ecosystems,thus potentially under or overestimating pollutant toxicity.Current physical integrity assessments focus on overall habitat quality,rather than quantitative habitat requirements,and thus cannot provide quantitative support for ecological restoration and conservation.Current hydrological integrity(environment flow)assessments largely depend on quantitative relationships between hydrological regimes with a few species and single groups,rather than with whole communities,and fail to comprehensively diagnose hydrological causes of biotic resource decline.In the future,integrity assessments need to be based on ecosystem integrity requirements of ecosystem service targets:first,there is a need to build quantitative relationships between biotic integrity and ecosystem services,assess requirements of community structure and function for service goals,and establish biotic integrity assessment methods;second,we must build quantitative relationships between biotic integrity and abiotic integrity in real ecosystems,assess chemical,physical,and hydrological integrity requirements of biotic needs,and establish diagnostic assessment methods.

Ecosystem health towards sustainability

Ecosystems are becoming damaged or degraded as a result of stresses especially associated with human activities.A healthy ecosystem is essential to provide the services that humans and the natural environment require and has tremendous social and economic value.Exploration of the definition of ecosystem health includes what constitutes health and what it means to be healthy.To evaluate ecosystem health,it is necessary to quantify ecosystem conditions using a variety of indicators.In this paper,the main principles and criteria for indicator selection,classification of indicators for different kinds of ecosystems,the most appropriate indicators for measuring ecosystem sustainability,and various methods and models for the assessment of ecosystem health are presented.Drivers,sustainability,and resilience are considered to be critical factors for ecosystem health and its assessment.Effective integration of ecological understanding with socioeconomic,biophysical,biogeochemical,and public-policy dimensions is still the primary challenge in this field,and devising workable strategies to achieve and maintain ecosystem health is a key future challenge.

滑坡在役防治工程缺陷分类和健康评价方法

为快速评估常见在役滑坡防治工程的运行状态并采取科学有效的维护手段,笔者在三峡库区、汶川震区和川东地区实地调查了160余处抗滑挡墙、抗滑桩和格构锚固工程,获取了上述三类滑坡防治工程表征损伤的第一手资料,总结分析了其变形破坏模式及特征,定义了滑坡防治工程缺陷的概念,定性地提出了缺陷程度分级标准。在统计分析滑坡防治工程损伤特征基础上,选取了墙身滑移距离、墙身沉陷位移、墙身倾斜程度、墙身裂缝密度、桩体倾斜程度、桩体剪切程度、桩体裂缝密度、格梁最大裂缝宽度、单根格构梁裂缝率和受损格构变形区比例等10个控制指标作为其缺陷分类指标,结合多元线性回归法,对单体工程结构进行综合量化评分评定,进而建立了半定量的滑坡防治工程健康评价方法。

水生态评价方法研究进展及展望

水生态系统是人类赖以生存的基础,近年来气候变化和水资源开发、水体污染、过度捕捞等人类活动导致水生态系统严重受损,水生态系统的保护和修复已成为全球面临的重大挑战。科学合理的水生态评价方法是实现水生态系统稳定、健康和可持续管理的基本保障,也是目前我国各相关管理部门高度重视的关键问题,多个部门围绕水生态评价展开了积极探索与实践。本文系统回顾了水生态评价方法的发展历程并阐释了水生态评价的内涵,梳理了常用的水生态评价方法,明晰了各方法的基本理念和应用场景,分析了各方法的优点和不足,提出了基于生态完整性的水生态健康评价方法,最后对目前我国水生态评价需进一步完善的工作进行了展望。本文以期与相关领域研究者和管理者在水生态评价理论和方法方面进行探讨,为我国水生态考核工作提供理论支持。

城市规划健康影响评估理论框架构建

健康影响评估为预测城市发展、城市规划方案和项目的健康效益提供框架,但在融入我国城市规划中仍面临内容体系不清、技术流程不明、模型体系未建立和工作方法缺失等问题。本文构建了城市规划健康影响评估理论框架,系统性地明确了面向城市规划的健康影响评估内容体系、技术流程、模型体系和工作方法。面向城市规划的健康影响评估可从“健康风险控制影响评估”“健康资源支撑保障评估”和“健康行为促进效益评估”3个方面开展;主要技术流程包括参照对象确定、评估范围界定、评估框架构建、评估方法选取和评估开展5个步骤;模型体系由核心模型、相关模型和外围模型构成;最后,规划编制团队与健康影响评估团队可协作推进健康影响评估“全过程”融入规划。本文可为面向城市规划开展健康影响评估提供基本的理论、方法和机制指导。

退耕还林地生态环境损害评估案例分析及应用

近年来,随着我国经济的高速发展,林地生态环境损害事件日益增加。不同类型的生态系统或同一生态系统在不同区域所提供的生态服务功能侧重均不同,鉴定评估林地生态系统的环境损害价值时应选用不同的测算方法。通过阐述理论公式法和实际监测法的原理和适用范围及其在生态环境损害评估中的应用,并对量化过程中参数的选取原则与方法进行说明。结合案例分析非法占用退耕还林地导致的生态环境损害范围和程度,计算出2012年~2019年的生态环境损害价值量为205万元。研究退耕还林地生态环境损害典型案例,并将其推广应用于小规模普通林地,对林地生态环境损害案件的鉴定评估环节具有重要引领作用。