Characteristics and influencing mechanisms of production-living-ecological space dynamics in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area(TGRA),Chongqing,China

The Three Gorges Reservoir Area(TGRA)is an important ecological barrier in the Yangtze River Basin,China.Therefore,it is of great importance to understand the spatio-temporal variation and the driving factors of production-living-ecological spaces for sustainable and high-quality development in the TGRA.This study investigated the dynamic variation of production-living-ecological spaces in the TGRA by employing land use data in 2000,2005,2010,2015,and 2018,and detected the influencing factors by using the Geographic detector(GeoDetector).Results implied that the structure and dynamic trajectories of production-living-ecological spaces in the TGRA varied in both horizontal and vertical directions,and the study area was dominated by ecological space.A spatial orientation towards the northeast was detected in the evolution of production-living-ecological spaces during 2000-2018.In terms of quantity,the transition from ecological space(grassland and woodland)to agriculture land accounted for the largest proportion from 2000 to 2018.However,the reverse transition from agriculture land to ecological space has increased since 2000 with the efforts of“Grain for Green”.In terms of temporal scale,there was a fluctuating trend in production space with the continuous expansion of living space,while ecological space showed an inverted U-shaped trend during 2000-2018.The dynamic pattern of production-living-ecological spaces in the TGRA was influenced by both physical and socio-economic variables as basic determinants and dominant driving factors,respectively.Finally,the harmonization and protection of production-living-ecological spaces still require policy-makers’efforts.This work may have potential in advancing our understanding about land use conflicts,and provide a reference for rational layout of spatial functions and the realization of sustainable development in the TGRA.

Microplastics in sediment of the Three Gorges Reservoir:abundance and characteristics under different environmental conditions

Freshwater microplastic pollution is an urgent issue of global concern,and research on the distribution in reservoirs is lacking.We investigated the microplastic pollution levels in wet sediments collected from the Three Gorges Reservoir,the largest reservoir of China.Results show that microplastics were ubiquitous in the sediments of the Three Gorges Reservoir,and their abundance ranged from 59 to 276 pp/kg(plastic particles per kg,dry weight).Economic development and total population were important factors affecting the spatial heterogeneity of microplastic abundance,and the contribution of large cities along the reservoir to microplastic pollution should be paid with more attention.Fibrous microplastics were the most abundant type of microplastic particles in reservoir sediments,whereas polystyrene,polypropylene,and polyamide were the main types of polymers.The apparent spatial heterogeneity in morphology and color of microplastics is attributed to different anthropogenic or landbased pollution sources.Moreover,the accumulation of microplastics near the inlet of tributaries reflects the role of potential contributors of tributaries.More importantly,multiple bisphenols(BPs)and heavy metals detected at the microplastic surfaces indicate that microplastics can act as carriers of these pollutants in the environment in the same way as sediments did,which may alter the environmental fate and toxicity of these pollutants.Therefore,we conclude that the Three Gorges Reservoir had been contaminated with microplastics,which posed a stress risk for organisms who ingest them along with their associated pollutants(BPs,heavy metals).

Strategies for Safe Land Use of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (Chongqing Section)——With the Restoration of Degraded Forest Landscapes as a Study Case

As a key for constructing ecologically safe scenery, forest landscape pattern in Chongqing Section of the Three Gorges has shown degradation, fragmentation and revision of varying degrees. To ensure normal and safe operation of the Three Gorges, and meet requirements of integrated development strategies for ecological and economic effects in Chongqing City on the ecological security of land use in Chongqing section of the Three Gorges, the following points should be attached more importance in making future strategies for an ecologically safe land use pattern with the restoration of degraded forest landscape as its starting point:a. Ecological effects and economic functions that can be supplied by forest landscape elements in different restoration patterns should be understood to obtain background effect of the ecological security pattern scenario of land use in the reservoir region; b. Relationship between restoration of degraded forest landscapes and serious ecological interference factors such as degradation background, artificial disturbance and engineering stress, should be simulated to figure out the influence of natural or artificial driving factors on landscape pattern, determine the future restoration mode for the degraded forest landscapes in the reservoir region, so as to facilitate the construction of great ecological-economic security pattern of the Three Gorges. The findings will provide scientific basis for the decision-making in building an ecologically safe land use pattern in the Three Gorges reservoir area (Chongqing), when using the degradation of forest landscape restoration as a carrier at present or in the future. Further, they will help realize the development goals of "Livable Chongqing, Expedite Chongqing, Forestry Chongqing, Safe Chongqing and Healthy Chongqing".

Effect of nitrogen and phosphorus on the water quality in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area during and after its construction

A survey concerning the concentration of the nutrients in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area was carried out. This paper presents the parameters(NO 3 - N, NO 2 - N, Kjeldahl N, non ionic ammonia, P PO 4 and TP) determined at 16 sampling sites from 1997 to 1999 The dominant soluble nitrogen form was NO 3 - N followed by Kjeldahl N, NO 2 - N and non ionic ammonia. Mean values of NO 3 - N, NO 2 - N, Kjeldahl N and non ionic ammonia ranged from 0 50 to 2 37 mg/L, 0 022 to 0 084 mg/L, 0 33 to 0 99 mg/L and 0 007 to 0 092 mg/L respectively. Mean values of P PO 4 at most sampling sites were higher than 0 1 mg/L for subject to eutrophication. The major factors influencing the concentrations of N and P might be agricultural runoff, municipal and industrial effluents. In addition, 6 kinds of soil were sampled at the area where would inundated after the dam completed. Two approaches were adopted to simulate the N and P release from the inundated soils. The results showed that the soils would release nitrogen and phosphorus to the overlying water when the soils were inundated. The characteristics of soil affected the equilibrium concentrations of N and P between the soil and the overlying water.

Projecting Spring Consecutive Rainfall Events in the Three Gorges Reservoir Based on Triple-Nested Dynamical Downscaling

Spring consecutive rainfall events(CREs) are key triggers of geological hazards in the Three Gorges Reservoir area(TGR), China. However, previous projections of CREs based on the direct outputs of global climate models(GCMs) are subject to considerable uncertainties, largely caused by their coarse resolution. This study applies a triple-nested WRF(Weather Research and Forecasting) model dynamical downscaling, driven by a GCM, MIROC6(Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate, version 6), to improve the historical simulation and reduce the uncertainties in the future projection of CREs in the TGR. Results indicate that WRF has better performances in reproducing the observed rainfall in terms of the daily probability distribution, monthly evolution and duration of rainfall events, demonstrating the ability of WRF in simulating CREs. Thus, the triple-nested WRF is applied to project the future changes of CREs under the middle-of-the-road and fossil-fueled development scenarios. It is indicated that light and moderate rainfall and the duration of continuous rainfall spells will decrease in the TGR, leading to a decrease in the frequency of CREs. Meanwhile, the duration, rainfall amount, and intensity of CREs is projected to regional increase in the central-west TGR. These results are inconsistent with the raw projection of MIROC6. Observational diagnosis implies that CREs are mainly contributed by the vertical moisture advection. Such a synoptic contribution is captured well by WRF, which is not the case in MIROC6,indicating larger uncertainties in the CREs projected by MIROC6.

Spatial-temporal Pattern and Differences of Land Use Changes in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of China during 1975-2005

Regional land use changes are an important part of global changes.The research on land use changes in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of China attracts a lot of attention owing to the Three Gorges Dam building.The Three Gorges Reservoir Area becomes one of the important research areas.This study analyzed the transforming processes and traits of each land use type and the regional differences of land use changes during the past 30 years,summarized the distribution of different land use types in different buffer zones and regresses the equation areas and different buffer distances based on buffer analyses and regression analyses,and then analyzed the transforming rules in different buffer distances,got the optimal influence distances.The research results indicate that,(1) cultivated land lies at the northwest of the reservoir and was decreasing,however,the construction land was increasing,especially the urban construction land,a large number of land was flooded because of the reservoir water level rise;(2) urban area was sprawling quickly in developed and neighboring areas,and a great deal of cultivated land and a considerable amount of grassland were occupied;in the earlier time,rural settlements occupied lots of cultivated land and a sum of forestry land in the later time;(3) the optimum influenced distances for cultivated land and forestry land were 10-35 km,and for urban and rural settlements were in 5-20 km.Overall,this research can reflect the spatial-temporal characteristics of land use changes during the 30 years,and it is helpful for urban planning and land use planning in the reservoir area.

Land Use of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area and the Effect on Its Landscape Pattern in the Recent 50 Years

The paper makes detailed analysis on the changing processes of the main types of land use in Three Gorges Reservoir Area through the techniques of RS （Remote Sense） and GIS （Geography Information System）. Based on the theory of landscape ecology, many types of landscape pattern indexes are calculated and made correlation analysis. The results indicate that： in 1995 the ecological environment of Three Gorges Reservoir Area was the most vulnerable in the recent 50 years, but resumed in 2002; the landscape pattern diversity index, fractal dimension index and fragmentation index has close correlation with the area of land use/cover change （LUCC）. The research also releases that the increase of the cultivated land, grassland and construction land deteriorates the landscape ecological pattern, while the increase of forest land area will help restore the landscape ecological pattern to its original state. The rapid change of grassland is an important index of the change of landscape pattern, because it has the most effect on change of landscape pattern index.

Conflict between wild boars(Sus scrofa) and farmers:distribution, impacts,and suggestions for management of wild boars in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area

Economic losses caused by wild boars(Sus scrofa)continue to increase in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area.We selected 206 farmers in Wuqiaohe Basin as survey respondents using random stratified sampling.The distribution and impacts of wild boars were examined using a questionnaire survey and spatial analysis.The results showed that:(1)The density of farmer settlements is low and most peasants’households are located on the forest edge.Due to large-scale labor migration,a high proportion of farmland(25.85%)has been abandoned and an even higher proportion of farmland(40.48%)has been returned to forest.(2)The probability of wild boar damage to peasant households was 67.96%.Yields of corn and sweet potato decreased by 24.87%and 28.24%,respectively,with a total economic loss of approximately 2,590,100 RMB/yr in the Wuqiaohe basin.Sixty-five percent of the affected cultivatedlands were located within approximately 150 m of the forest edges.(3)The wild boar damage coefficient was significantly and negatively correlated with the distance between the peasants’household and the forest edge,the density of the settlements,and the area of cultivated land.The wild boar damage coefficient shows a significant positive correlation with the area of farmland returned to forest.(4)The damage activity caused by wild boars began to occur7-8 years ago,and the destruction has been more frequently and seriously observed in the last 4-5 years.(5)We make suggestions for wild boar control and management measures including developing a compensation policy.The compensation standard is related to the land area returning from farmland to forests and the actual cultivated land area.

Assessment of the Ecological Security in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area by Using the Ecological Footprint Method

The ecological footprint concept and its calculation models are useful for the measurement of the sustainable level of social and economic development.The ecological security situation of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area(TGRA) was evaluated using this concept in this study.The construction of the Three Gorges Reservoir has led to the change in the ecology and immigration status of TGRA.The ecological footprint method is an important means to study the regional ecological security.Our results suggested that,by excluding the areas for biodiversity conservation(12% of the total land),the ecological footprint per capita was 0.57895 ha,which exceeded the ecological carrying capacity in TGRA.The total ecological deficit was found to be 11,522,193.34 ha,accounting for 95.02% of the ecological carrying capacity.These findings suggested that the ecological security of TGRA was not good.In order to compensate for the ecological deficit,it was essential to introduce natural resources from other regions.

Spatial heterogeneity of fine root biomass of Pinus massoniana forests in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China

Environmental heterogeneity is a constant presence in the natural world that significantly affects plant behavior at a variety of levels of complexity. In order to estimate the spatial pattern of fine root biomass in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, the spatial heterogeneity of fine root biomass in the upper layer of soils （0-10 cm） in three Mas- son pine （Pinus massoniana） stands in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China, was studied in 30 m x 30 m plots with geostatistical analysis. The results indicate that 1） both the live and dead fine root biomass of stand 2 were less than those of other stands, 2） the spatial variation of fine roots in the three stands was caused together by structural and ran- dom factors with moderate spatial dependence and 3） the magnitude of spatial heterogeneity of live fine roots ranked as： stand 3 〉 stand 1 〉 stand 2, while that of dead fine roots was similar in the three stands. These findings suggested that the range of spatial autocorrelation for fine root biomass varied considerably in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, while soil properties, such as soil bulk density, organic matter and total nitrogen, may exhibit great effect on the spatial distribution of fine roots. Finally, we express our hope to be able to carry out further research on the quantitative relation- ship between the spatial heterogeneous patterns of plant and soil properties.

Spatial patterns of farmland abandonment and its impact factors in the central Three Gorges Reservoir Area

The severe farmland abandonment phenomena in China have tremendously decreased the farmland usage efficiency and caused a series of profound ecological and social outcomes. The complexity of farmland abandonment necessitates a systematic research on its patterns and impact factors to underpin the dynamics of problem as well as potential solutions. This paper took Wanzhou district in the central part of Three Gorges Reservoir Area as an example to study the spatial distribution patterns of abandoned farmland at three scales, i.e., town, village, and plot, and analyzed the influence from labor transfer and farmland circulation. We conducted a survey on the distribution patterns of abandoned farmland via questionnaires at town and village scales, together with the modeling and interpretation of high-resolution aerial images taken by unmanned aerial vehicles at plot scale. Our research discloses a strong relationship between the distribution of abandoned farmland and the distance from population center at different scales. At eithertown or village scale, the abandonment proportion was recognized the highest in mid-distance areas and lowest in close-distance areas, and the per capita area of abandoned farmland increased with the distance to downtown or township. At plot scale, abandonment proportion presented exponential growth with the distance to village center, whereas the abandoned farmland was mainly distributed in the areas with distance above 500 m from the village center. Moreover, we noticed that labor transfer and farmland circulation are two important factors that influence farmland abandonment. Labor's outbound transfer distance has a positive linkage with the possibility of farmland abandonment. Finally, it is recommended that development and adoption of corresponding policies on local urbanization and farmland circulation will facilitate to alleviate farmland abandonment.

Spatial distribution,sources and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in Shenjia River watershed of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area

Surface soil/sediment samples were collected from the Water-Level Fluctuation Zone(WLFZ), cultivated land and forest land at 50 different grid points from Shenjia watershed, the Three Gorges Reservoir area in August 2013. The spatial distribution, sources and ecological risk assessment for Arsenic(As), Cadmium(Cd),Chromium(Cr), Copper(Cu), Nickel(Ni), Lead(Pb)and Zinc(Zn) were analyzed in this study. The results showed all tested metals had similar distribution patterns except Ni and Cr, with areas of high concentrations distributed in the southwest(WLFZ and watershed outlet) of the study area. Ni and Cr,which were highly positively correlated and present in high concentrations, were primarily distributed in the south and middle zones of the study area. Lower concentration areas of all metals were uniformly distributed west of the high-elevation zones and forest land. Factor analysis(FA) and factor analysismultiple linear regression(FA-MLR) showed that the major sources of Cd were fertilizer and traffic sources,which together accounted for 87% of Cd. As, Zn and Cu levels were primarily supplied by industrial and domestic sources, accounting for 76% of As, 75% of Cu and 67% of Zn. Surface soils/sediments of the study watershed contaminated by Cd represent a high ecological risk, whereas other metals represent low ecological risks. The potential ecological risk index(PERI) analysis indicated that it had a low(widerange) ecological risk and a moderate(small-range)ecological risk primarily distributed in the outlet of the study watershed. Fertilizers and traffic are the primary sources of Cd pollution, which should be more closely controlled for the purposes of water quality and ecological conservation.

The Typical Watershed of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area Soil Erosion Diversity Change on Different Slope Gradients Taking the Meixi River Watershed as an Example

[Objective] The diversity of soil erosion in the Meixi River watershed of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region was analyzed, in order to provide references for governance and protection of ecological environment of the study area. [Method] The soil erosion diversity index and evenness index of the Meixi River watershed in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region were studied based on the TM images in the year of 1988, 1999 and 2010, supported by GIS technology to extract various types of soil erosion in the area with different slope gradients and calculate soil erosion di- versity index and evenness index. [Result~ As slope gradients grew, the diversity in- dex and evenness index of soil erosion decrease after increasing with a turning point from 25~ to 35~. [Conchlsion] The proportion of light-erosion in the study area is 15.57%. Hence, the increase of diversity index and evenness index with gradients of 5^-35~ shows that the higher erosion intensity, the more uniform erosion types and the indexes decreased in gradients higher than 35°, suggesting that the lower erosion intensity, the better environment. Distribution and variation of different land types have close relation with soil erosion diversity and evenness indexes. Though soil erosion problems have been alleviated, by comparing soil erosion diversity index and evenness index, it can be concluded that changes of indexes are lower than 0.02, and soil erosion should be continued to be well controlled.

Remote Sense and GIS-Based Division of Landslide Hazard Degree in Wanzhou District of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area

An evaluation model divided landslide hazard degrees in Wanzhou District of Three Gorges Reservoir Area. The model was established by GIS techniques and took land use/cover, stratum characters, slope aspect, slope gradient, elevation difference and slope shape as evaluation factors. The data of land use/cover were obtained by remote sensing, and the weights of the factors mentioned above were established by the analytic hierarchy process （AHP）. The results indicate, low danger areas in the studied area account for 66.51%, and high danger areas and very high danger areas occupy 1/3 of the total area. The regions of high and very high danger are mainly located around the urban area of Wanzhou District and on the banks of the Yangtze River with a relatively large area, where collapse and landslide directly threats densely populated areas and Three Gorges Reservoir. Slope destabilization, if occurs, will bring huge loss to social economy. All research results are consistent with the actual conditions; therefore, they can be regarded as a useful basis for planning and constructing of the reservoir area.

Impact on Mountainous Agricultural Development in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area forced by Migrants of the Three Gorges Project

The Three Gorges Project attracts worldwide attention because of the Three Gorges migrants, and the agriculture of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area is a foundation for the development of the Three Gorges migrants. The Three Gorges Reservoir Area is situated at the mountainous area with bad agricultural development conditions and relatively low levels of development. As a result, the large-scale migration fias special influence on its agricultural development, which has attracted much attention. The paper analyzes influence that the migrants have forced on its agricultural development based on the scientific data, and makes some explorations on the models that are suitable for the development of mountainous agriculture in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area.

The Main Ecological Issues of Water-Level -Fluctuating Zone and The strategies in Three Gorges Reservoir Area

After the completion of the Three Gorges dam, a 30 m high water-level-fluctuating zone （WLFZ） will appear along the banks, and will form a seasonal wetland ecosystem. According to the program of storing water in the Three Gorges reservoir, the main ecological and environmental problems probably incurred in WLFZ are discussed, such as formation of contaminated belt along banks, appearance of epidemic diseases in the reservoir region （including urban districts）, aggravation of geologic disasters, degradation of biodiversity and exacerbation of the ecosystem vulnerability. Six items of strategies are put forward according to the causes, distributed features and trends of these problems in this paper.

Optimized two-level placement of test points for multi-objective air monitoring of the Three Gorges Reservoir area

To fit the complicated geographic conditions of the Three Gorges Reservoir area, a two-level multi-objective monitoring system was developed to monitor the atmosphere of the area. Statistical analysis of environmental monitoring data and the macro control principle were employed to configure the upper layer. The lower layer was designed by the application of the thumb rule to a local terrain and specific point sources of pollution therein. The optimized two-level system comprises an upper layer of 16 monitoring stations distributed at places of diverse geographical, ecological, economical and social characteristics, and a lower layer of ]6 sub-machines at each monitoring station of the upper layer. This optimal outcome fits the complicated conditions of the Three Gorges Reservoir area, substantially cuts down the installation cost and the operation cost, and provides accurate monitoring data of atmosphere over the entire area with a high resolution.

Deformation characteristics and thresholds of the Tanjiawan landslide in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area,China

Since the first impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir(TGR)in China in 2003,more than 5000 landslides including potential landslides were identified.In this paper,a deep-seated active landslide in TGR area was analyzed.Fourteen years’monitoring data and field investigations from 2006 to 2020 were used to analyze the deformation characteristics,influencing factors,and meteohydrological thresholds.The landslide showed a none-overall periodic movement pattern featuring acceleration during long-duration rainfall and rapid transition to constant creep after rainfall events.Two secondary sliding masses,No.1 and No.2,were defined via field investigation.The reservoir has no impact on the deformation whereas long-duration-low-intensity rainfall is the main factor.At present,the cumulative displacements of the main sliding mass range from 0.9 to 3.2 m,and the deformation during the rainy season is gradually increasing.The boundary of this landslide was formed,and the boundary of No.2 sliding mass became obvious.The probability of the failure of sliding mass No.2 is very high under the conditions of continuous rainfall.The 15-day antecedent rainfall combined with 4-day cumulative rainfall could be the rainfall threshold which could be associated with the groundwater level S1 of 294 m above sea level for forecasting large deformation of Tanjiawan landslide.

Impact of soil texture and sweetpotato cropping system on soil erosion and nutrient loss in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of the Changjiang River

This study investigated the impact of soil texture and sweetpotato cropping system on soil erosion and nutrient loss in the drought infield of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of Changjiang River under field conditions. A factorial experiment was conducted in the study using five soil textures and two cropping systems. The lost soil during the crop season was recovered by a soil-blocking device and the dry weights for the total lost soil and its nutrient components, such as ammonium nitrogen, effective phosphorus, K^＋ and organic matter were analyzed. We found that soil texture significantly affected the dry weights of the total lost soil, effective phosphorus, K^＋, and organic matter, while sweetpotato cropping systems and interaction between soil texture and sweetpotato cropping system affected the dry weights of the total lost soil, the effective phosphorus and organic matter. Among the five soil textures tested, Da and Huang caused significantly less soil erosion and nutrient loss compared with the other three soil textures; intercropping sweetpotato with corn significantly reduced soil erosion and nutrient loss.

Comparison of the rise of water level in the typical catchments,Three Gorges Reservoir area

Water level is an important index for studying hydrologic processes. Water level rise processes were studied in three catchments(catchment I, II, III in Chen Jiagou watershed in the Three Gorge Reservoir Area) with different areas to provide useful information to inform data extension from a gauged-catchment to an ungauged catchment. The results showed that there are seasonal changes in the dominant driving mode of the rise of the water level. The rise of the water level in March is likely mainly driven by the mode of stored-full runoff, and in September or October, it is mainly driven by Horton-flow. The correlation coefficients of all indexes were significant among the three catchments, suggesting that these catchments have similarities and that water level data extension is likely to be completed successfully between the large catchment(III-Catchment) and the small catchment(ICatchment). It was confirmed that there is good similarity between the 0.6 km^2 and 6 km^2 catchments, and the data correlation is good between the catchments with the area differences in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area. In addition, the rise processes of the water level in the catchments were not only different under the same rain conditions, but this difference could also change with the rain condition.