Dynamic Assessment on Regional Eco-environmental Quality Using AHP-Statistics Model—A Case Study of Chaohu Lake Basin

An indicator system closely connected with eco-environment, in which indicator involves in such fields as society, economy, resources, environment and ecology, is first proposed for eco-environmental quality assessment. Then, a hierarchical model with four levels is established by virtue of these indicators and attributes. In the model, weights of indicators and attributes are determined by combining Delphi method with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and a statistic method is used to eliminate the influences arising from the differences in dimension and magnitude of indicators. On these grounds, an AHP-statistics model is provided for regional eco-environmental quality assessment. As a case, such AHP-statistics model is utilized in the dynamic analysis of regional eco-environmental assessment in Chaohu Lake basin. Study results show that natural environmental quality in the watershed was in the declining state while social environmental quality was in a markedly improved situation from 1996, and the synthetic eco-environmental quality was gradually and slowly improved under the common influences of both natural and social environmental factors. Example of application testified the capacities of above methodology to evaluate the real and dynamic state of regional eco-environmental quality.

Comparison of fish communities using environmental DNA metabarcoding and capture methods in a plateau Erhai Lake,China

Environmental DNA(eDNA)has been used as an important tool for fish diversity analysis,which can greatly solve the problems in traditional survey methodology.However,little work has been done on the actual monitoring accuracy of eDNA.In this study,we analyzed the current status of fish resources in Erhai Lake in Yunnan,SW China,by dividing the lake into three sectors according to habitat differences,and compared the results of eDNA and traditional capture methods to investigate the shortcomings of the current analysis of eDNA results.A total of 27 fish species were detected by eDNA and traditional capture methods,including 20 and 19 fish species,respectively,and additional differences in fish composition between the two methods.The alpha diversity showed higher fish abundance and lower fish diversity by eDNA method compared to the traditional capture method,demonstrating that eDNA was not superior for use in fish diversity analysis.Fish community similarity analysis showed that community differences were generally significant for eDNA(P<0.05).RDA analysis indicated that environmental factors did not significantly affect fish communities monitored by the eDNA method.However,water temperature,aquatic plants,and water depth had significant(P<0.05)effects on fish communities in the traditional capture method,suggesting that eDNA results are insensitive to the effects of environmental factors.Our results illustrate the effectiveness of eDNA in fish identification and the issues in quantification compared to traditional capture methods.Therefore,combining eDNA with traditional methods is a more effective method for analyzing eDNA metabarcoding,following which the protocols of both quantitative methods can be designed to explore the regularity of eDNA quantification.

Environmental Impact Assessment of Onshore Wind Farms in the Region of Central Greece Using a Modified RIAM Method

Wind energy is one of the most basic forms of renewable energy,which shows an increasing rate of development worldwide and also at the European level.However,this rapid deployment of wind farms makes the need for an impact assessment of this type of projects on the natural and man-made environment imperative.The present paper aims to identify and assess the environmental impacts of wind farm projects in the Region of Central Greece.A modified Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix(RIAM)method is used for this purpose.The methodology includes the identification of the existing onshore wind farm projects in the study area,the appropriate modifications of the RIAM method to respond to the characteristics of the projects and the study area,the qualitative assessment of their potential impacts during construction and operational phases and the computation of the Environmental Performance Grade(EPG)of projects based on the pro-posed modified RIAM method.The results reveal that although there are some slight negative impacts on the natural environment of the study area,the examined wind farms contribute positively both to the atmosphere and to the socio-economic environment of the study.This study extends the potential for using RIAM as a tool in environmental impact assessment studies of renewable energy projects.

A climatic environmental performance assessment method for ecological city construction:Application to Beijing Yanqi Lake

In contrast to the input perspective for evaluating planning metrics, this research takes the climatic environmental output effects as the starting point for assessing ecological city construction. Based on approaches such as observation data analysis, meteorological model simulation, and remote sensing, a set of climatic environmental performance assessment methods is developed and established. These methods mainly focus on surface ventilation assessment and urban thermal environment assessment. With the Yanqi Lake ecological development demonstration area located in Huairou district, Beijing as an example, the assessment of the local climatic environment before and after the construction are conducted, and relevant policy suggestions for urban planning and construction are presented. The results show that after development, the ventilation capacity will decrease overall and the ventilation potential index will decrease from 0.53 to 0.44. While this is not a large reduction, and is still at a favorable level, the ventilation potential in some local areas will markedly decrease. Furthermore, the thermal environment will become poorer to some extent; the urban heat island(UHI) area and intensity will increase compared with the current situation;continuous heat islands may occur in local areas; the UHI potential index of the core area will rise from 0.0878 to 0.1217(still a favorable level).Therefore, urban surfaces should be carefully developed and arranged during planning. It is suggested that the negative impacts of large areas of urban construction on the local climatic environment in the Yanqi Lake could be mitigated by 1) strengthening the airflow by introducing fresh,cold, northwesterly air via constructed ventilation corridors, 2) increasing the number of ecological cold sources, particularly for water bodies and green belts to prevent the UHI in the southern region of Yanqi Lake from becoming linked with each other, and 3) considering a pre-program before sub-domain and building planning to obtain optimum building locations. Different construction standards should be developed for different ventilation potential and UHI intensity levels. For strong heat island areas, land areas should be reserved to serve as cold sources.

Opportunities to Improve the Quality of Environmental Reports and the Effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment: A Case of Electric Power Transmission Systems in Brazil

A good quality Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is key for the effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes and consequently to the acceptability of projects subject to EIA. The international literature has contributed to the understanding of the essential aspects to be verified regarding the quality of EIS, offering a wide spectrum of good practice examples related to the content of the studies. Even so, there is a need for empirical studies that allow the identification of specific aspects related to the context of application of the EIS, which could lead to the identification of opportunities to improve both the quality of the reports and also the effectiveness of EIA. Therefore, the present paper is focused on the quality review of a number of EIS submitted to the Brazilian Federal Environmental Agency (Ibama) to instruct the assessment of electric power transmission systems. Based on the application of the EIS quality review package as proposed by Lee and Colley (1992), the outcomes reveal opportunities for improving the scope of EIA, analysis of alternatives, prediction of magnitude and the assessment of impact significance. Finally, the development and/or adaptation of a similar tool for the systematic review of the quality of EIA reports is recommended.

Environmental Impact Assessment Follow-Up of Seismic Survey Offshore Activities in Brazil

Follow-up of environmental impacts is an integral part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, closely related to the effectiveness of the instrument. EIA follow-up has been receiving a lot of interest from scientists and practitioners, though it is recognized as one of the weakest points of EIA systems globally. Also, EIA follow-up is influenced by the context, mainly in terms of the types of projects or activities and their related impacts on the environment. Therefore, the present paper is focused on the investigation of the follow-up stage applied to the activity of seismic survey coupled with offshore oil & gas exploitation in Brazil. Research was based on a qualitative approach that included document analysis and semi-structured interviews with analysts involved in EIA processes, and sought to generate evidence of effectiveness of the EIA follow-up as conducted by the Federal Environment Agency (Ibama) in order to situate the practice of follow-up in the broader context of international best practice principles. Based on the findings, it was concluded that, due to the peculiarities of offshore seismic survey, it is necessary to promote adaptations in the procedures for monitoring impacts in order to ensure proper alignment with the principles and conceptual foundations that guide EIA practice. Specifically, the timing of the execution of the activity imposes challenges for its integration into the “conventional” cycle that has guided the monitoring of the impacts in the EIA of projects.

Assessment of Water Quality in High-Pressure Peruvian Anthropic Sectors of Lake Titicaca Using a Calibrated Index

The world’s lakes are in the process of degradation, with loss of water quality as a result of anthropic influences. This research aimed to evaluate water quality in high-pressure Peruvian anthropic sectors of Lake Titicaca using a calibrated index. The study considered ten important bays with influence from urban sectors. In each bay, surface waters were monitored for six years, considering physical, chemical and microbiological parameters. Water quality was assessed using the NSF Water Quality Index (NSF-WQI) and the one calibrated for Lake Titicaca (WQIT). Comparing the efficiency of these two indices, the WQIT showed a variation from moderately polluted bays to bad quality bays, such as Desaguadero and Yunguyo. These two bays were classified as hypereutrophic, therefore, the uses attributable to this condition are only irrigation and energy production. Applying the NSF-WQI, the results were not able to identify this significative difference, as all bays were classified as moderate quality waters. This result indicates that the WQIT calibration was adequate, as it allows inferring and estimating the water quality of Lake Titicaca with greater precision. According to Peru’s water quality standard for category 4, established for the conservation of the country’s lakes, the parameters that exceeded the standard values were PO4-P (0.035 mg∙L−1) and BOD5 (5 mg∙L−1) in all bays, and TC (1000 MPN mL−1) in Yunguyo bay. These high values indicate eutrophication processes, one of the main problems in the study area. The WQIT calibrated for Lake Titicaca can be used as an efficient tool to assess water quality in high Andean lentic waterbodies in South America.

Analysis of the Factors That Cause Environmental Degradation of Lake Santa Maria Tasi Tolu Dili Timor-Leste

This research aims to understand more closely the damage to the lake environment and the factors that cause pollution in Lake Santa Maria are the first factor of increasing urbanization, the use of the land around the lake as a place to live, the absence of maximum control from the local government this case, the Dili municipal authority. Types of solid waste consist of iron from car accidents, motorcycles, used building materials, plastic, used drink bottles and clothes, mosquito nets, food scraps from household waste, as well as old fishing nets from residents. In addition, household waste such as bath and bath, dishwashing, detergents, and waste from tempeh and tofu factories, including burnt oil from cars and motorcycles, are thrown into the lake. Municipal waste management is based on environmental standards to determine the quality of waste management in Dili Municipality. It is possible to identify the composition of waste and waste, as well as predict its environmental impact. Human (Anthropic) factors Domestic Liquid Waste, Domestic Solid Waste: Composed of organic and inorganic waste. Synthetic Waste, Disposal of Used Oil, Disposal of Domestic Animal Waste, Shallow Drains and Septic Tanks, Mountain Garbage, Garbage Thrown by Visitors, Natural Factors, Climate change, Prolonged drought, Low rainfall, El Niño and La Niña factors, Wind speed, Heat (high daily temperature pressure), Greater water evaporation, Dry wind. The occurrence of contamination necessarily implies an ecological imbalance. The impact introduced by residual compounds and waste that may be associated with the toxicity.

Environmental Impact Assessment of Constructed Wetland in the Jiaohe River Estuary of the Songhua Lake

Wetland plays an extremely important role in economy and ecological environment,and the construction of constructed wetland also has a certain impact on the environment.Via the evaluation on environmental status of constructed wetland,the main environmental problems are found out,and the impact of construction of constructed wetland project on local water environment and ecological environment is analyzed,and evaluation conclusion is obtained.

Environmental Changes Analysis of Hongjiannao Lake During Recent Fifty Years——Based on the Data of Lake Sediments

Particle size, the contents of carbonate and TOC were analyzed on lake sediments from a short core in Hongjiannao Lake to discuss the environmental changes during the past decades. On the basis of the records in lake sediments and comparison with the meteorological data of Yulin region, the environmental changes in Hongjiannao Lake were approximately divided into two stages. In stage A （1957 -1996）, the lake evolution and the environmental change were mainly influenced by natural factors. It contains three sub-stages： A1 （1957-1969）, a period of lake expansion, A2 （1969-1990）, a stable period with high lake levels, and A3 （1990 -1996）, a period of gradual extraction of the lake. In stage B （1996 -2005）, the lake area still keeps diminishing. During this period, organic matter increased rapidly due to the input of nutrient elements in the catchment. The carbonate content, however, decreased. As the precipitation was decreasing and the temperature was increasing, the decrease of carbonate content could not be explained by either temperature or precipitation change.

Effects of Environmental Factors on NH_4^+ Release in Sediment from Chaohu Lake

[Objective] The aim of the research was to reveal the influence mechanism of sediment-water exchange of nutrients in Chaohu Lake. [Method] The effects of environmental factors (overlying water, temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen concentration) on NH_4^+ release in sediment from Chaohu Lake were studied under controlled laboratory conditions. [Results] With the rising of temperature and the decrease of NH_4^+ concentration in overlying water, NH_4^+ released from sediment increased significantly. pH had a great effect on NH_4^+ release with a complicated mechanism. The largest release amount of NH_4^+ under anaerobic condition was about 6 times as much as that under aerobic condition. [Conclusion] This research would provide theoretical support for environmental management of Chaohu Lake in the project of leading water from the Yangtze River to Chaohu Lake.

Grey Relational Analysis between Chlorophyll a and Environmental Factors in ShaHu Lake

[Objective] The aim was to explore effects of environmental factors on the content of Chlorophyll a in ShaHu Lake.[Method] Based on the data in Shahu Lake from November in 2007 to September in 2008,the relationship between chlorophyll a and environmental factors like water temperature,pH,secchi-depth （SD）,total nitrogen,total phosphorus and potassium permanganate index was studied by grey relational analysis method.[Result] The main environmental factors affecting the content of Chlorophyll a in ShaHu Lake were in order of water temperature potassium permanganate index 〉total nitrogen 〉pH〉 total phosphorus 〉SD.[Conclusion] The research provides reference for the control of eutrophication and the reasonable development and utilization of Shahu Lake.

Adsorption and Desorption Characteristics of Cadmium and Lead in Typical Paddy Soils of Jiangxi Province and Its Environmental Risk Assessment

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the adsorption and desorption characteristics of cadmium and lead in typical paddy soils of Jiangxi Province. [Method] Gleyed paddy soil and waterloggogenic paddy soil were collected from Jiangxi Province and used as experimental materials to investigate single and com- petitive adsorption and desorption behaviors of cadmium and lead by batch equilib- rium method. The environmental risk of the presence of cadmium and lead in paddy soils was assessed using distribution coefficients. [Result] Under equal ratio condi- tions, the adsorption capacity of lead by two types of paddy soils was higher than that of cadmium, and the adsorption rate in waterloggogenic paddy soil was higher than that in gleyed paddy soil. The desorption capacity of cadmium by two types of paddy soils was higher than that of lead, and the desorption rate in gleyed paddy soil was higher than that in waterloggogenic paddy soil. Under competitive condi- tions, the adsorption capacity of cadmium and lead by paddy soils was significantly reduced compared with single ion system, while the desorption rate was remarkably improved. The potential environmental risk of cadmium contamination was greater than that of lead in paddy soils. Moreover, environmental risks of cadmium and lead were reduced with the increase of pH, which increased significantly under the coex- istence state. [Conclusion] In the coexistence of cadmium and lead, cadmium con- tamination should be controlled and avoided compared with lead contamination in paddy soils.

Study on Environmental Capacity and Sustainable Development Strategy of Scenic Areas ——Taking the Scenic Area of Slender West Lake in Yangzhou for an Example

Taking the scenic area of Slender West Lake in Yangzhou for an example, the quantitative evaluation model of environmental capacity and impact factors limiting sustainable development of scenic area were put forward, and targeted control measures were correspondingly proposed.

Assessment of Direct Eco-value of Liangzi Lake

[Obective] This study amied to evaluate the direct usage value of Liangzi Lake, like plants and animal resources and water storage value. [Method] It was measured through the market value method. The physical environment was introduced and the productivity of the lake was investigated both through the literature materials and the investigations. The market value method was clarified in this paper as well as its operation process and the application fields. [Result] Based on the introduction of the current situation in Liangzi Lake, the direct usage value was estimated as 1.32 billion Yuan/year. Plant resources value was 318 million Yuan/year; animal resources value was 675 million Yuan/year; and water storage value was 325 million Yuan/year for the three parts. [Conclusion] This paper will attract more attention to the emphasis of the reasonable development of nature sources.

Environmental abundance and microcystin-LR production ability of toxic Microcystis in Nanquan region of Lake Taihu

The variations of environmental abundance and microcystin-LR （MC-LR） production ability of toxic Microcystis in the Nanquan region of Lake Taihu are investigated by real-time quantitative PCR （RTQ-PCR） and high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） from May to December in 2009. Simultaneously, degrees of water pollution and eutrophication are monitored. The results indicate that the water quality in the Nanquan region of Lake Taihu is in a moderate degree of pollution and eutrophication. Algal density exceeds the threshold of bloom from May to November. The environmental abundance of toxic Microcystis is more than 40% from May to October and then significantly declines to 5.66% due to the obvious reduction in the water temperature in December. From May to December, the MC-LR production ability of toxic Microcystis ranges from 1.661 to 9.293 μg/108cells. With the significant drops in water temperature and algal density, the MC-LR production ability of toxic Microcystis is obviously increased from November to December. It is concluded that the lake presents Microcystis bloom and the toxic Microcystis becomes dominant during most of the year. The environmental abundance and the MC-LR production ability of toxic Microcystis have a close relationship with water temperature. The effective control of toxic Microcystis should be considered in both the bloom period and the non-bloom period of winter since the MC-LR production ability of toxic Microcystis obviously increases in winter.

Assessment of water pollution control strategies: a case study for the Dianchi Lake

Lake eutrophication has increasingly become a major environmental issue in China. Although significant efforts have been made towards its resolution in the last decade, most of the implemented control strategies are fragmented, and the formation of policy lacks of sound scientific basis and long\|term objectives. Taking the well\|known Dianchi Lake as a case study, this paper presented a comprehensive assessment for the effectiveness of various eutrophication control strategies. It is expected that the concluding lessons would have a major implication to future eutrophication control.

AAssessment of the spatial-temporal eutrophic character in the Lake Dianchi

Water-quality deterioration and eutrophication of the Lake Dianchi have acquired more and more attention in the last few decades. In this paper, the spatial and temporal eutrophication status of the Lake Dianchi was assessed. The comprehensive trophic state index was chosen to assess the trophic status of the Lake Dianchi in the past 13 years. The result reveals that the trophic condition of Caohai is more serious than that of Waihai. Most of time Caohai was in extremely hypereutrophic state from 1988 to 2000. The trophic condition of Waihai had a worsening tendency from 1988 to 2000. Waihai was in eutrophic state before 1995, but it got in a hypereutrophic state after 1995. It was pointed out that TN and TP were the two biggest contributors of CTSIM in both Caohai and Waihai.

Landscape ecological assessment and eco-tourism development in the South Dongting Lake Wetland, China

As an important resource and the living environment of mankind, wetland has become gradually a highlight, strongly concerned and intensively studied by scientists and sociologists. The governments in the world and the whole society have been paying more and more attention on it. The Dongting Lake of China is regarded as an internationally important wetland. For a rational development and protection of the wetland, an investigation and studied on its resources and its value to tourism in the South Dongting Lake was conducted, to create an assessment system of the ecological landscapes, and to evaluate qualitatively and quantitatively the value of wetland landscape to the eco-tourism. The results showed that the scenic value of the South Dongting Lake Wetland satisfied the criterion of AAAA grade of China national scenic attraction. The eco-tourism value of the landscape cultures in the South Dongting Lake Wetland was discussed with emphasis. It were formulated that a principle and frame of sustainable exploitation of the wetland landscapes and it was proposed as well that establishing a Wetland Park and developing eco-tourism in the South Dongting Lake. Wetland is a fragile ecosystem with low resistance to the impact of the exploitation. Thus, we must pay intensively attention to the influence of exploitation on the landscape, take the ecological risk in account to employ a right countermeasure and avoid the negative affection.

Multi-indicator assessment of water environment in government environmental auditing

This study focused on a multi-indicator assessment methodology for governmental environmental auditing of water protection programs. The environmental status of Wuli Lake in China was assessed using the global indicators （driver-status-response） developed by the Commission on Sustainable Development, and four additional indicators proposed by the author： water quality, pollution load, aquatic ecosystem status, and lake sediment deposition. Various hydrological, chemical, biological and environmental parameters were used to estimate the values of the indicators for assessment of environmental status of the lake based on time series data sets for twenty years. The indicators proposed can be customized to meeting the needs for particular assessment of water protection programs. This method can be used to evaluate the performance of national environmental protection programs and provide technical support for environmental auditors.