Impacts of multi-scenario land use change on ecosystem services and ecological security pattern: A case study of the Yellow River Delta

The Yellow River Delta(YRD), a critical economic zone along China's eastern coast, also functions as a vital ecological reserve in the lower Yellow River. Amidst rapid industrialization and urbanization, the region has witnessed significant land use/cover changes(LUCC), impacting ecosystem services(ES) and ecological security patterns(ESP). Investigating LUCC's effects on ES and ESP in the YRD is crucial for ecological security and sustainable development. This study utilized the PLUS model to simulate 2030 land use scenarios, including natural development(NDS), economic development(EDS), and ecological protection scenarios(EPS). Subsequently, the InVEST model and circuit theory were applied to assess ES and ESP under varying LUCC scenarios from 2010 to 2030. Findings indicate:(1) Notable LUCC from 2010 to 2030, marked by decreasing cropland and increasing construction land and water bodies.(2) From 2010 to 2020, improvements were observed in carbon storage,water yield, soil retention, and habitat quality, whereas 2020–2030 saw increases in water yield and soil retention but declines in habitat quality and carbon storage. Among the scenarios, EPS showed superior performance in all four ES.(3) Between 2010 and 2030, ecological sources, corridors, and pinchpoints expanded, displaying significant spatial heterogeneity. The EPS scenario yielded the most substantial increases in ecological sources,corridors, and pinchpoints, totaling 582.89 km^(2), 645.03 km^(2),and 64.43 km^(2), respectively. This study highlights the importance of EPS, offering insightful scientific guidance for the YRD's sustainable development.

Factors Influencing the Thermal Conductivity of Silt in the Yellow River Delta

The thermal conductivity of marine sediments is an important thermophysical parameter in the study of seafloor heat flow and marine engineering construction.Understanding the effect of thermal conductivity of marine sediments in the environment has a major engineering value and theoretical significance.In this work,a modified test method was used to measure the thermal conductivity of silt in the Yellow River Delta under different void ratios,moisture contents,temperatures,and salinities.Results showed that the thermal conductivity of silt in the Yellow River Delta decreased with the increase in the void ratio and increased with the water content.Compared with sand and clay,silt in the Yellow River Delta was the least affected by the void ratio and moisture content.Under low temperatures,the heat transfer of soil was controlled by the average velocity of the phonons;therefore,the thermal conductivity of silt in the Yellow River Estuary increased with temperature.The thermal conductivity of pore water decreased with increasing salinity.Moreover,certain salinity levels resulted in a phenomenon known as the‘compressing twin electrical layer’,which led to an increase in the contact area between soil particles.With the increase in salinity,the thermal conductivity of silt in the Yellow River Delta experiences an initial decline and a subsequent increase.The proposed thermal conductivity test method is more accurate than the existing technique,and the findings provide a basis for further study on the thermal characteristics of submarine sediments.

Effect of Hydrological Connectivity on Soil Carbon Storage in the Yellow River Delta Wetlands of China

Hydrological connectivity has significant effects on the functions of estuarine wetland ecosystem.This study aimed to examine the dynamics of hydrological connectivity and its impact on soil carbon pool in the Yellow River Delta,China.We calculated the hydrological connectivity based on the hydraulic resistance and graph theory,and measured soil total carbon and organic carbon under four different hydrological connectivity gradients(Ⅰ0‒0.03,Ⅱ0.03‒0.06,Ⅲ0.06‒0.12,Ⅳ0.12‒0.39).The results showed that hydrological connectivity increased in the north shore of the Yellow River and the south tidal flat from 2007 to 2018,which concentrated in the mainstream of the Yellow River and the tidal creek.High hydrological connectivity was maintained in the wetland restoration area.The soil total carbon storage and organic carbon storage significantly increased with increasing hydrological connectivity fromⅠtoⅢgradient and decreased inⅣgradient.The highest soil total carbon storage of 0‒30 cm depth was 5172.34 g/m^(2),and organic carbon storage 2764.31 g/m^(2)inⅢgradient.The hydrological connectivity changed with temporal and spatial change during 2007‒2018 and had a noticeable impact on soil carbon storage in the Yellow River Delta.The results indicated that appropriate hydrological connectivity,i.e.0.08,could effectively promote soil carbon storage.

Increased salinity and groundwater levels lead to degradation of the Robinia pseudoacacia forest in the Yellow River Delta

Forest degradation is a worldwide problem,although its causes vary due to geographical and climatic differences and man-made causes.In recent years,the Robinia pseudoacacia forest in the Yellow River Delta has suffered severe degradation.The causative mechanisms were investigated in the field over two years,and the results show that increased forest degradation was reflected by increased tree mortality,high leaf and soil sodium salt levels and groundwater depth.Average tree diameters decreased,and leaf chlorophyll and soil microbial contents decreased.Redundancy discriminate analysis(RDA)showed that degradation of the forest was correlated positively with soil salt content,but negatively with groundwater depth.Correlation analysis showed that 0.79%–0.95%soil salt content and above 1.20 m groundwater depth caused the death of R.pseudoacacia trees due to localized anthropogenic economic activities,such as rice farming,that disrupted the original water–salt balance.Measures are recommended to prevent further degradation and restore degraded forests.

Saline-alkali land in the Yellow River Delta: amelioration zonation based on GIS

Soil salinization is one of the major land degradation types and has greatly influenced sustainable agricultural development. Zonation of saline-alkali land is the precondition for effective amelioration. The present situation of saline-alkali land is monitored by remote sensing image processing. Causes for land salinization are analyzed, especially the two key factors, ground water depth and its mineralization degree, are analyzed by using long-term observation data. Previously, zonation of saline-alkali soil was made descriptively and artificially. Based on the present situation of saline-alkali land, ground water depth and ground water mineralization degree, the zonation of saline-alkali land for amelioration in the Yellow River Delta was completed quantitatively. Four different types of saline-alkali land amelioration zones are delineated, namely, easy ameliorated zone, relatively difficult ameliorated zone, difficult ameliorated zone and unfavorable ameliorated zone. Countermeasures for ameliorating saline-alkali soils are put forward according to ecological conditions of different saline-alkali land zones.

Effects of Tidal Channels and Roads on Landscape Dynamic Distribution in the Yellow River Delta, China

Landscape characters in estuarine regions generally controlled by tidal regimes and human activities like road construction.In this work,tidal channels and road construction in the Yellow River Delta(YRD)were extracted by visual interpretation methods so as to decipher impacts of tidal channel development and road construction on landscape patch change during 1989–2016.Spatial distribution history of three wetlands,which covered by Phragmites australis(freshwater marsh,FM),Suaeda salsa(salt marsh,SM),and mudflats(MD)were also established.Results indicated that tidal channel,number,frequency,and fractal dimension were all the maximum in 2003,and the minimum in 1998,respectively.Road length,number,and density showed increasing trend during 1989–2016.MD were the predominant landscape type,followed by FM and SM during 1989-2016.Principal component analysis implied two extracted factors,F1 and F2,which could represent 91.93% of the total variations.F1 mainly proxied tidal channel development,while F2 represented road construction.A multiple linear regression analysis showed positive effects of both F1 and F2 on FM patch numbers and negative impacts on SM patch areaes with R^2 values of 0.416 and 0.599,respectively.Tidal channels were negatively related to MD patch numbers,while roads were positively related to that.In any case,road construction showed larger impacts on landscape type shifting than that of tidal channel development in the YRD.

Study on Land Use Changes in the Yellow River Delta from 1980 to 2010

Taking the Yellow River Delta for example, this paper applied remote sensing and GIS to explore land use changes in the local area from 1980 to 2010. The results showed that arable land, and urban and rural construction land were major land use types in the Yellow River Delta, unused land also took a large ratio; land use changes occurred mainly in coastal regions, in terms of change matrix, 25.46% of the grassland was reclaimed as arable land, unused land also witnessed great changes, specifi cally, 11.14% turned to arable land, 23.25% to construction land. This study provided references for the land use planning and development of the local area.

Total Factor Productivity and Influence Factors of Economic Environment in the Yellow River Delta

The paper analyzed total factor productivity of Binzhou City, and key factors that influence its economic growth and effluent discharge. The results showed that(i) production efficiency of the city during 2005–2013 kept stable, mean of Malmquist-Luenberger index was 1.044,9 without considering effluent discharge, and the average annual increase rate was 4.49%, and that was 1.020,4 considering effluent discharge, the average annual increase rate was 2.04%, and the increase rate reduced by 2.45%.(ii) GDP growth showed significant negative correlation and positive correlation with capital input and energy input, but insignificant negative correlation and positive correlation with labor force input and technological progress.(iii) Effluent discharge showed insignificant negative correlation and positive correlation with capital input and energy input, but significant negative correlation and positive correlation with labor force input and technological progress.

Evaluation of Coordinated Development of Urbanization and Ecological Environment in the Efficient Ecological Economic Zone of the Yellow River Delta

Based on the statistical data of urbanization development level and ecological environment in the Yellow River Delta during 2009-2014,a comprehensive index system for the coordinated development of urbanization and ecological environment was established to evaluate the coordinated development level. The results showed that the coordinated development level of urbanization and ecological environment in the Yellow River Delta was generally high during 2009-2014. The development level of urbanization was higher than that of ecological environment on the whole,that is,the development of ecological environment lagged behind. The development of urbanization in the region was relatively slow during 2009-2011 but rapid during 2012-2014. The development level of ecological environment was relatively stable and always increased.

The Rise of the yellow River Delta

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Influences of chronic contamination of oil field exploitation on soil nematode communities at the Yellow River Delta of China

Oil production related activities have led to many environmental problems.Around 80%of the total output of crude oil is generated from terrestrial oilfields in the world.However,the impact of oil exploitation procedures on soil animal communities has not been fully understood.This study investigated the responses of soil nematode communities to the oil exploitation activities in the Yellow River Delta of China.By setting 10 oilfield sites and 5 relatively uncontaminated sites(controls),we found that the content of soil total petroleum hydrocarbons(TPH)was significantly higher at oilfield sites than at controls.With a longer oil exploitation history,the content of soil TPH increased.Soil nematode community structure at oilfield sites was largely different from that at controls.Soil nematodes were significantly less abundant but more diverse at oilfield sites than at controls.The proportions of fungal feeders were significantly lower at oilfield sites than at controls,attaining only half of those at controls.The nematode trophic diversity and genus number negatively correlated with the duration of petroleum exploitation history.This study elucidated the difference in soil nematode communities caused by oilfield exploitation and indicated that the nematode diversity was most obviously influenced by the soil TPH content and the oil exploitation history.

Response of reed community to the environment gradientwater depth in the Yellow River Delta, China

We investigated and monitored a reed community in the fields.Data on the bio-ecological characteristics and β-diversity of reed communities in different environmental gradients(mainly based on water depth)of the Yellow River Delta were collected through multianalysis,extremum analysis and β-diversity index analysis.In accordance with the square sum of deviations(Ward)cluster analysis,10 sampling plots were divided into six types with the dominant plants in different plots varying according to the change in environmental gradients.The dominant plants in these plots varied from aquatic plants to xerophytes and salt tolerant plants as water depth decreased.The average height and diameter of the reeds at breast level were significantly correlated with the average water depth.The fitness curves of average density and coverage with average water depth were nonlinear.When the average water depth was 0.3 m,the average density and coverage of reeds reached the apex value,while the height and diameter of the reeds at breast level increased with the water depth.There were obvious changes to the environmental gradient in the Yellow River Delta.The transitional communities were also found to exist in the Yellow River Delta by β-diversity analysis.Vicarious species appeared with the change in water depth.The occurrence of substitute species is determined by the function of common species between adjacent belts.The different functions of common species led to differences in community structure and function and differences in dominant plants.The result reflects the variations of species present in different habitats and directly reflects environmental heterogeneity.The values of β-diversity indices of adjacent plots were higher than those of nonadjacent plots.There are transition zones between the xerophytes and aquatic plants in the Yellow River Delta.In an aquatic environment,the similarity of reed community is higher than that of xeromorphic plants.The β-diversity index can reflect plant succession trends caused by the change in environmental gradients in the Yellow River Delta.The β-diversity index reveals plant responses to changes in environmental gradient and is helpful in observing changes in patterns of species diversity in relation to environmental gradient change and evolving trends in the future,which in turn plays a prominent role when environmental water requirements of wetland are discussed.

Dynamics of Bottom Boundary Layers in the Yellow River Subaqueous Delta Based on Long-Term In-Situ Observations

Objective In geo-marine science,the generalized bottom boundary layer（BBL）represents a layer between sediments and seawater.The BBL plays an important role in geological,geobiochemical,geophysical and geotechnical research because it is the connection region of hydrosphere,

The Distribution of Vegetation and Its Relationship with Environmental Factors in the Yellow River Estuarine Wetland

[ Objective] The aim was to study the distribution of vegetation and its relationship with environmental factors in Yellow River estuarine wetland. [ Method] According to the data of the plant sample investigation and the related environmental factors in Yellow River Delta National Na- ture Reserve in 2009 -2010, the plant community changes and its relationship with environmental factors in temperate estuary wetland were ana- lyzed. [Result] There was little vegetation in the Yellow River delta and the distribution of plant was influenced by environment. Judging from the vegetation structure, the vertical structure of vegetation in the supralittoral zone zone vegetation cover included arbor layer, shrub layer and grass layer. The importance of grass was larger than shrub and arbor. In the intertidal zone, the vertical structure of plants was divided into shrub and herb layers. Judging from the variety, the species in the supralittoral zone was higher than that in the intertidal. The first principal component elected by Principal Component Analysis better reflects the salt of the study area, and the second principal component better reflects nutrient information. Regression analysis showed a positive correlation between importance value and the total salt content and electrical conductivity. In other words, if the total salt content and electrical conductivity increases, the importance value rose. However, the diversity index decreased as the total salt con- tent and electrical conductivity increased. [ Conclusion] The study provided theoretical basis for the ecological protection of vegetations and formula- tion of regional policies.

Accumulation Laws of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Wetland Plants

To study the accumulation regularity of nitrogen and phosphorus in typical constructive plants in coastal wetland,samples of Suaeda glauca(Bunge) Bunge,Phragmites austrahs and Tamarix chinensis Lour,were taken from the Yellow River Delta National Coast Wetland Nature Reserve,nitrogen and phosphorus content in plants was measured and analyzed.The results showed that ① nitrogen and phosphorus content in different wetland plants is correlated;② different species in the same place and the same species in different spaces show different accumulation regularity of nitrogen and phosphorus;③ nitrogen and phosphorus content in plants is closely related to nitrogen and phosphorus content in the habitat;④ nitrogen content in T.chinensis Lour,is the highest,the mean is 11.63 g/kg,and phosphorus content in S glauca(Bunge) Bunge is the highest,the mean is 1.38 g/kg;⑤ nitrogen content in the 3 species:T.chinensis Lour.> S.glauca(Bunge) Bunge > P.australis;⑥ nitrogen content in aboveground parts of all plants is significantly higher than that in underground parts,and phosphorus content in aboveground parts of all plants except S.glauca(Bunge) Bunge is significantly higher than that in underground parts;⑦ nitrogen content in the 3 species in the study area is significantly higher than phosphorus content in these species.

Spatial Distribution Characteristics of Heavy Metals Cu and Zn in Coastal Wetland Sediments

The content of Cu,Zn in the sediments from coastal wetlands of the Yellow River Delta was determined.The results showed that:(i)The content of Cu,Zn range was 16.70-50.40 mg/kg,18.15-48.80 mg/kg,respectively.The mean content of Cu,Zn was 31.12mg/kg,36.74 mg/kg,respectively.Compared with the soil environmental background values of Shandong Province,the content of Cu was excessive,while the content of Zn was below the background.(ii)The concentrations of Cu,Zn in sediment in the coast of the Yellow River Delta were higher than in the other two areas.(iii)Vertical distribution characteristics of the concentrations of Cu,Zn were increasing with depth.The maximum content of Cu,Zn was 80-100 cm,in general,the content of Cu,Zn in the bottom sediments was higher than that in the surface sediments.The growth and decline trends of Zn in Tamarix and Suaeda areas were much the same and all higher than in the Phragmites communis area.(iv)The distribution characteristics of Cu concentration in different vegetation cover in sediment is Suaeda>Phragmites communis>Tamarix,which reflected different effects on retention of Cu in the sediments because of the different vegetation types.The highest content of Zn in the 0-20 cm sediments in Tamarix area was 44.07 mg/kg.

Health assessment of plantations based on LiDAR canopy spatial structure parameters

The Yellow River Delta(YRD)has China's largest artificial Robinia pseudoacacia forest,which was planted in the late 1970s and suffered extensive dieback in the 1990s.The health grade of the R.pseudoacacia forest(named canopy vigor grade,CVG)could be achieved by using high-resolution images and canopy vigor indicators(CVIs).However,a previous study showed that there was no significant correlation between CVG and the field-estimated aboveground biomass(AGB)of R.pseudoacacia forest.Therefore,this study aims to construct forest health indicators(FHIs)based on canopy spatial structure parameters extracted from LiDAR.The FHIs included Weibull_α(the scale parameter of the Weibull density function that reflects the shape of the tree canopy),VCI(vertical complexity index),sdCC(the standard deviation of canopy cover),H99(the 99th percentile height)and cvLAD(the coefficient of variation of leaf area density),and could significantly distinguish three forest health grades(FHG)(p<0.05).The FHG was positively correlated with forest AGB(rs=0.51,p=0.004),and the similarity value with CVG was 63.33%.The results of this study confirmed that the FHIs can reflect both canopy vigor and tree productivity,and distinguish forest health status without prior classification information.