Ecological networks and greenways in Europe: reasoning and concepts

The paper gives an overview of approaches towards ecological networks throughout Europe. It does not intend to present a complete picture, but to highlight common developments within countries and regions and show common principles and differences between countries and regions that have to be taken into account when developing a joint European initiative. Countries or regions that have not been included can be active in the same way, but information was not accessible to the authors for different reasons. This overview shows the comparable trends in decline of landscapes and the diversity in approaches to biodiversity conservation and nature conservation planning. Understanding the differences and common issues are of utmost importance to generalise common principles and to understand the way neighbours and other European partners approach problems.

Molecular ecological networks reveal the spatial-temporal variation of microbial communities in drinking water distribution systems

Microbial activity and regrowth in drinking water distribution systems is a major concern for water service companies.However,previous studies have focused on the microbial composition and diversity of the drinkingwater distribution systems(DWDSs),with little discussion on microbial molecular ecological networks(MENs)in different water supply networks.MEN analysis explores the potentialmicrobial interaction and the impact of environmental stress,to explain the characteristics of microbial community structures.In this study,the random matrix theory-based network analysis was employed to investigate the impact of seasonal variation including water source switching on the networks of three DWDSs that used different disinfection methods.The results showed that microbial interaction varied slightly with the seasons but was significantly influenced by different DWDSs.Proteobacteria,identified as key species,play an important role in the network.Combined UV-chlorine disinfection can effectively reduce the size and complexity of the network compared to chlorine disinfection alone,ignoring seasonal variations,which may affect microbial activity or control microbial regrowth in DWDSs.This study provides new insights for analyzing the dynamics of microbial interactions in DWDSs.

Ecological Network Resilience of Shiyang River Basin: An Arid Inland Watershed of Northwest China

Due to the uncertainties posed by climate change,resilience has become an increasingly important variable for evaluating regional ecosystem stability.The assessment of Ecological Network Resilience(ENR)is crucial for establishing mitigation strategies and sustainable socioeconomic development in arid regions.Shiyang River Basin is an arid watershed in Northwest China with complex characteristics,its ENR and spatial differentiation characteristics in 2020 were investigated in this work based on the Complex Adaptive System(CAS)theory.The results indicated that the mean Ecological Network Resilience Index(ENRI)value for the Shiyang River Basin was 0.390 in 2020,and the mean values in the southern mountainous,middle oasis,and northern desert regions of the basin were 0.598,0.461,and 0.237,respectively,demonstrating evident spatial differences.Additionally,the ENR of the basin exhibited distinct distribution characteristics across different dimension,whereas the trend of the integrated ENR of the basin was consistent with that of elemental,structural,and functional resilience,indicating the constructed three-region ENR model based on the logical relationship of element-structure-function was suitable for evaluation of the ENR in arid inland river watersheds.Furthermore,strategies for enhancing regional ENR were proposed from the perspective of adapting to climate change.

Optimization of Urban Ecological Network Based on MSPA-MCR Model: A Case Study of Jingzhou City

As a key carrier supporting urban ecological health and living environment quality,urban ecological network is a key focus of current urban green space research.Jingzhou City of Hubei Province is taken as the research object.Relying on GIS technology platform,MSPA method is used to analyze the landscape pattern of Jingzhou City.On this basis,the landscape connectivity evaluation method is used to accurately identify and extract the source areas with important ecological value in Jingzhou City.Then,the normalization method and weighting method are combined to create a resistance factor evaluation system to construct the resistance surface.Based on the MCR model,the ecological network of Jingzhou City is successfully constructed,and targeted spatial optimization strategies and development suggestions are proposed.

Developing Regional Ecological Networks along the Grand Canal based on an Integrated Analysis Framework

As a complex social ecosystem network,the area along the Grand Canal has a prominent contradiction between the demand for economic development and the protection of natural resources,which means that there is an urgent need for ecological restoration and environmental protection.Using ArcGIS,Conefor,Linkage Mapper and other software platforms,this paper developed an integrated analysis framework,through loose coupling of the attribute-function-structure index system and a series of methods such as the least cost path,circuit theory and moving window search.Based on the framework,we resolve a series of scientific issues in developing regional ecological networks,such as the selection of ecological sources,the simulation of potential ecological corridors,the assessment of the importance of ecological sources and corridors,and the identification of key ecological nodes.Moreover,an overall conservation pattern of the regional ecological network is constructed.The results show that:1)A total of 88 important ecological sources are identified in the study area.The patches with high centrality values are mainly concentrated in the southern mountainous area and the areas with abundant rivers and lakes.2)A total of 138 important ecological corridors are identified,and they are not evenly distributed.Extremely important corridors mostly appear between important patches,and very important corridors are mainly distributed in the central area.3)Fifteen ecological pinch points are extracted,and they are mainly concentrated in the northern part of the study area and eastern Zhejiang Province.The barriers are mostly concentrated in the southern and northern parts of the study area.4)Combining the demands of ecological protection and socioeconomic development,we propose an overall ecological conservation pattern of"one axis,five sections,multiple cores and multiple nodes"to effectively guide future ecological restoration work.These results can provide a useful reference and spatial guidance for decision makers in terms of ecological restoration and cooperation on cross-regional ecological protection along the Grand Canal.

Temporal variations of food web in a marine bay ecosystem based on LIM-MCMC model

Climate change has led to significant fluctuations in marine ecosystems,including alterations in the structure and function of food webs and ecosystem status.Coastal ecosystems are critical to the functioning of the earth’s lifesupporting systems.However,temporal variations in most of these ecosystems have remained unclear so far.In this study,we employed a linear inverse model with Markov Chain Monte Carlo(LIM-MCMC)combined with ecological network analysis to reveal the temporal variations of the food web in Haizhou Bay of China.Food webs were constructed based on diet composition data in this ecosystem during the year of 2011 and 2018.Results indicated that there were obvious temporal variations in the composition of food webs in autumn of 2011 and 2018.The number of prey and predators for most species in food web decreased in 2018 compared with 2011,especially for Trichiurus lepturus,zooplankton,Amblychaeturichthys hexanema,and Loligo sp.Ecological network analysis showed that the complexity of food web structure could be reflected by comprehensive analysis of compartmentalized indicators.Haizhou Bay ecosystem was more mature and stable in 2011,while the ecosystem’s self-sustainability and recovery from disturbances were accelerated from 2011 to 2018.These findings contribute to our understanding of the dynamics of marine ecosystems and highlight the importance of comprehensive analysis of marine food webs.This work provides a framework for assessing and comparing temporal variations in marine ecosystems,which provides essential information and scientific guidance for the Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management.

Construction of Ecological Network for Urban Green Space System from the Perspective of Landscape Ecology:A Case Study of Wanzhou District, Chongqing Municipality

Green spaces in Wanzhou District, Chongqing Municipality were not closely linked and failed to form an integrated ecological network, this paper analyzed and assessed current situation of green spaces in the local area from the perspective of landscape ecology, and then established the landscape ecology-oriented ecological network construction, restructured green paces in Wanzhou District using the landscape composition of "patch–corridor–matrix", and connected the scattered green patches using green corridors, so as to form a reasonable ecological network of green spaces.

Ecological Resilience Restoration in the Watershed of the Hancang River

Hancang River is a river on the eastern border of Jinan City. In recent years, with the development of cities, river flow has dropped sharply, river water has been polluted, and the ecological environment of the basin has declined. Improving the water ecological environment and enhancing the resilience of the water ecology of the river basin were set as the research goals, especially coupling of hydrological and ecological processes and the recycling of sewage resources. The “patch-corridor-matrix” theory of landscape ecology, the Least-cost distance model and the Arc Hydro Tools module of the ArcGIS platform were used to describe the river system and basin boundaries, optimize the current water network and the path network of the ecosystem. A novel ecological network and water network were proposed to form the final aquatic ecosystem, which combines the hydrological process with the ecosystem, and three decentralized wastewater treatment systems were designed to reduce the wastewater directly flowing into the river. The ecosystem resilience of the basin will be enhanced.

Impact of Low-Impact Development Technologies from an Ecological Perspective in Different Residential Zones of the City of Atlanta, Georgia

Low-impact development （LID） technologies have a great potential to reduce water usage and stormwa- ter runoff and are therefore seen as sustainable improvements that can be made to traditional water infrastructure, These technologies include bioretention areas, rainwater capturing, and xeriscaping, all of which can be used in residential zones, Within the City of Atlanta, residential water usage accounts for 53% of the total water consumption; therefore, residential zones offer significant impact potential for the implementation of LID, This study analyzes the use of LID strategies within the different residen- tial zones of the City of Atlanta from an ecological perspective by drawing analogies to natural ecosys- tems, The analysis shows that these technologies, especially with the addition of a graywater system, work to improve the conventional residential water network based upon these ecological metrics, The higher metric values suggest greater parity with healthy, natural ecosystems.

Study on Three-layered Grid Conceptual Prototype Using Ecological Network Computing Environment

Next generation grid systems where the emphasis shifts to distributed global collaboration, a service-oriented approach and information layer issues exhibit a strong sense of automation. Requirements for these systems resemble the self-organizing and the healing properties of natural ecosystems. Some key ecological concepts and mechanisms are introduced into the design for the third generation grid computing architectures by inspiration of this resemblance. Also, an Ecological Network-based Computing Environment (ENCE) platform is designed in this paper. Based on the ENCE platform, a grid-computing model of three-layered grid conceptual prototype that embeds the ENCE layers is presented from the viewpoint of implementation. The implementation model should be useful to the design of the third generation grid systems.

Strategic Ecological Network Competition in Emerging Markets:Theory and Case Analysis of A GPS Vehicle Navigation Firm

Using the case study methodology, firm＇s competition behavior in strategic network and strategic ecosystems are analyzed. With the ecology view, there is consistency between strategic network and strategic ecosystem. Enterprise should pursue for suitable ecological niche to hold a strategic competitive power.

Industrial Ecosystems and Food Webs＂ An Ecological-Based Mass Flow Analysis to Model the Progress of Steel Manufacturing in China

Materials and energy are transferred between natural and industrial systems, providing a standard that can be used to deduce the interactions between these systems, An examination of these flows is an essen- tial part of the conversation on how industry impacts the environment, We propose that biological sys- tems, which embody sustainability, provide methods and principles that can lead to more useful ways to organize industrial activity, Transposing these biological methods to steel manufacturing is manifested through an efficient use of available materials, waste reduction, and decreased energy demand with cur- rently available technology, In this paper, we use ecological metrics to examine the change in structure and flows of materials in the Chinese steel industry over time by means of a systems-based mass flow analysis, Utilizing available data, the results of our analysis indicate that the Chinese steel manufacturing industry has increased its efficiency and sustainable use of resources over time at the unit process level, However, the appropriate organization of the steel production ecosystem remains a work in progress, Our results suggest that through the intelligent placement of cooperative industries, which can utilize the waste generated from steel manufacturing, the future of the Chinese steel industry can better reflect ecosystem maturity and health while minimizing waste.

Microeukaryotic plankton community dynamics under ecological water replenishment:Insights from eDNA metabarcoding

Ecological water replenishment(EWR)is an important strategy for river restoration globally,but timely evaluation of its ecological effects at a large spatiotemporal scale to further adjust the EWR schemes is of great challenge.Here,we examine the impact of EWR on microeukaryotic plankton communities in three distinct river ecosystems through environmental DNA(eDNA)metabarcoding.The three ecosystems include a long-term cut-off river,a short-term connected river after EWR,and long-term connected rivers.We analyzed community stability by investigating species composition,stochastic and deterministic dynamics interplay,and ecological network robustness.We found that EWR markedly reduced the diversity and complexity of microeukaryotic plankton,altered their community dynamics,and lessened the variation within the community.Moreover,EWR disrupted the deterministic patterns of community organization,favoring dispersal constraints,and aligning with trends observed in naturally connected rivers.The shift from an isolated to a temporarily connected river appeared to transition community structuring mechanisms from deterministic to stochastic dominance,whereas,in permanently connected rivers,both forces concurrently influenced community assembly.The ecological network in temporarily connected rivers post-EWR demonstrated significantly greater stability and intricacy compared to other river systems.This shift markedly bolstered the resilience of the ecological network.The eDNA metabarcoding insights offer a novel understanding of ecosystem resilience under EWR interventions,which could be critical in assessing the effects of river restoration projects throughout their life cycle.

Using miniaturized GPS archival tags to assess home range features of a small plunge-diving bird:the European Kingfisher(Alcedo atthis)

Background:The European Kingfisher(Alcedo atthis)is a small plunge-diving bird,today considered a species of conservation concern in Europe given its rapid population decline observed across the continent.We implemented a pilot study aimed at providing first data allowing to:(1)assess home range features of the European Kingfisher for populations with unevenly distributed feeding habitats;(2)define conservation implications for habitats exploited by such populations;and(3)evaluate possibilities for developing GPS tracking schemes dedicated to home range stud-ies for this species that could be possibly applied to other small plunge-diving birds.Methods:In 2018 and 2019,we equipped 16 breeding European Kingfishers sampled within the marshes of the Gironde Estuary(France),with miniaturized and waterproof GPS archival tags deployed with leg-loop harnesses(total equipment mass=1.4 g;average bird mass=40.18±1.12 g).Results:On average,we collected 35.31±6.66 locations usable for analyses,without a significant effect on bird body condition(n=13 tags retrieved).Data analyses highlighted rather limited home ranges exploited by birds(aver-age=2.50±0.55 ha),composed on average by 2.78±0.40 location nuclei.Our results also underscore:(1)a rather important home range fragmentation index(0.36±0.08);and(2)the use by birds of different types of small wetlands(wet ditches,small ponds or small waterholes),often exploited in addition to habitats encompassing nest locations.Conclusions:Our study reveals interesting GPS tracking possibilities for small plunge-diving birds such as the European Kingfisher.For this species,today classified as vulnerable in Europe,our results underline the importance of developing conservation and ecological restoration policies for wetland networks that would integrate small wet-lands particularly sensitive to global change.

Sediment bacterial communities are more complex in coastal shallow straits than in oceanic deep straits

Straits are ideal models to investigate the bacterial community assembly in complex hydrological environments. However, few studies have focused on bacterial communities in them. Here, comparable bacterial communities in costal shallow Bohai Strait(BS) and oceanic deep Fram Strait(FS) were studied. The Shannon and Chao1 indices were both higher in BS than in FS. The relative abundances of the classes Deltaproteobacteria and Bacilli and the family Halieaceae were higher in BS than in FS, in contrast to the families OM1_clade and JTB255_marine_benthic_group, revealing typical characteristics of bacterial communities in coastal and oceanic regions. Cluster analysis based on the Bray-Curtis index showed that samples were clustered by depth layer in FS and BS, indicating that structures of bacterial communities would diff er with increasing water depth in straits. Additionally, the cluster relationships among samples in abundant and rare communities were both similar to those in entire communities. However, the dissimilarities among samples showed a descending order as rare communities, entire communities and abundant communities. Network analysis indicated that the BS network was obviously more complex than the FS network. Filamentous bacteria Desulfobulbaceae exhibited high degree values in BS but not in FS, indicating key roles of Desulfobulbaceae in the BS. Our study provides different and common evidences for understanding microbial ecology in coastal shallow and oceanic deep straits.

The Synergism between Methanogens and Methanotrophs and the Nature of their Contributions to the Seasonal Variation of Methane Fluxes in a Wetland:The Case of Dajiuhu Subalpine Peatland

Wetland ecosystems are the most important natural methane(CH_(4))sources,whose fluxes periodically fluctuate.Methanogens(methane producers)and methanotrophs(methane consumers)are considered key factors affecting CH_(4)fluxes in wetlands.However,the symbiotic relationship between methanogens and methanotrophs remains unclear.To help close this research gap,we collected and analyzed samples from four soil depths in the Dajiuhu subalpine peatland in January,April,July,and October 2019 and acquired seasonal methane flux data from an eddy covariance(EC)system,and investigated relationships.A phylogenetic molecular ecological networks(pMENs)analysis was used to identify keystone species and the seasonal variations of the co-occurrence patterns of methanogenic and methanotrophic communities.The results indicate that the seasonal variations of the interactions between methanogenic and methanotrophic communities contributed to CH_(4)emissions in wetlands.The keystone species discerned by the network analysis also showed their importance in mediating CH_(4)fluxes.Methane(CH_(4))emissions in wetlands were lowest in spring;during this period,the most complex interactions between microbes were observed,with intense competition among methanogens while methanotrophs demonstrated better cooperation.Reverse patterns manifested themselves in summer when the highest CH_(4)flux was observed.Methanoregula formicica was negatively correlated with CH_(4)fluxes and occupied the largest ecological niches in the spring network.In contrast,both Methanocella arvoryzae and Methylocystaceae demonstrated positive correlations with CH_(4)fluxes and were better adapted to the microbial community in the summer.In addition,soil temperature and nitrogen were regarded as significant environmental factors to CH_(4)fluxes.This study was successful in explaining the seasonal patterns and microbial driving mechanisms of CH_(4)emissions in wetlands.

快速城市化地区森林生态网络识别与评价

以武汉市为例,利用情景分析法,结合基于最小加权费用路径模型的Ecological Network模型识别生态网络,并利用网络连接度指数和斑块关联度指数对整体网络结构和生态源地斑块关联度进行了定量分析与评价。研究发现,武汉市森林生态网络空间分布不均,城市交通网络对生态网络的整体结构影响较大,网络结构、数量与生态源地斑块关联度指数均呈由城市中心向城市远郊区逐渐复杂与增加的趋势。在此基础上,提出了网络保护策略,为武汉市森林生态系统保护与城市空间发展提供了科学依据与参考。

Eukaryotic microbial distribution pattern and its potential effects on fisheries in the fish reserves of Qiantang River in breeding season

To examine the eukaryotic biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems in the Qiantang River,China,eukaryotic microbes in the river were investigated using 18S rRNA gene sequencing during the breeding season(July to August 2018).Four distinct distribution patterns(1.Jiande;2.Tonglu and Fuyang;3.Jiubao;4.Yanguan)of the microbial community and their potential effects on fishery activities were observed.Results show lower abundances of Dinophyta and Fungi and higher abundances of Cryptophyta and Chlorophyta in Tonglu and Fuyang than those in the other three sections.In addition,the reserves(Tonglu and Fuyang)destabilized the original eukaryotic microbial co-occurrence network.Among all the environmental factors measured,nitrogen(nitrite,nitrate,ammonium),water temperature and total chlorophyll a acted as major driving factors that controlled the eukaryotic microbial distribution.Furthermore,the existence of some algae(e.g.,Chrysophyceae,Cryptophytes,and Chlorophyceae)and fungi(e.g.,Rhizophydium)in Tonglu and Fuyang was beneficial to juvenile fish growth and water quality,although some detrimental species(e.g.,Aphanomyces)needed attention.This study provides further insights into the sustainable protection and utilization of rivers.

Building African Ecosystem Research Network for Sustaining Local Ecosystem Goods and Services

A new form of producing and sharing knowledge has emerged as an international(United States of America,Asia,and Europe) research collaboration,known as the Long-Term Ecological Research(LTER) Network.Although Africa boasts rich biodiversity,including endemic species,it lacks the long-term initiatives to underpin sustainable biodiversity managements.At present,climate change may exacerbate hunger and poverty concerns in addition to resulting in ecosystem degradation,land use change,and other threats in Africa.Therefore,ecosystem monitoring was suggested to understanding the effects of climate change and setting strategies to mitigate these changes.This paper aimed to investigate ecosystem monitoring ground sites and address their coverage gaps in Africa to provide a foundation for optimizing the African Ecosystem Research Network(AERN) ground sites.The geographic coordinates and characteristics of ground sites-based ecosystem monitoring were collected from various networks aligned with the LTER implementation in Africa.Additionally,climatic data and biodiversity distribution maps were retrieved from various sources.These data were used to assess the size of existing ground sites and the gaps in description,ecosystems and biomes.The results reveal that there were 1089 sites established by various networks.Among these sites,30.5%,27.5%,and 28.8% had no information of area,year of establishment,current status,respectively.However,68.0% of them had an area equal to or greater than 1 km2.Sites were created progressively over the course of the years,with 68.9% being created from 2000 to 2005.To date,only 41.5% of the sites were operational.The sites were scattered across Africa,but they were concentrated in Eastern and Southern Africa.The unbalanced distribution pattern of the sites left Central and Northern Africa hardly covered,and many unique ecosystems in Central Africa were not included.To sustain these sites,the AERN should be based on operational sites,seeking secure funding by establishing multiple partnerships.

An Approach to the Construction of Green Infrastructure and Green Spatial Governance for a City

There is a substantial significance to construct city green spaces for improvement of the city environment and ecological function. The conservation of city green space includes a sound plan of green space and the non-statutory parks and green open space, which are open spaces of both public and private land to be greened, they both become the basis for constructing an ecological green network of great city environment. To manipulate cross-sectoral integration, the city greening practice performs effective implementation. The main objective of an approach is to perform the governance indices of green spaces by expert questionnaire and then draft the greening strategies for Taipei city to improve the green landscape and the quality of city environment. The research draws on the green infrastructure and green ecological network system, analyzes the green ecological resources and the characteristic and structure of city spaces in Taipei city, in the meanwhile, learns the domestic and international experiences of greening development. By means of city green space of activation transformation and program of action under greening performance, Taipei city promotes the green image and the quality of city environment and green city landscape.