Coupling analysis of social-economic water consumption and its effects on the arid environments in Xinjiang of China based on the water and ecological footprints

In arid areas,ecological degradation aroused by over-exploitation of fresh water,expansion of artificial oasis and shrinkage of natural oasis,has drawn attention of many scholars and officials.The water and ecological footprints can be used to quantitatively evaluate the water consumption of social-economic activities and their influence on the eco-environments.In addition,increase of the water footprint indicates the expansion of artificial oasis,and the influence on the natural oasis could be reflected by the variation of the ecological footprint.This study was conducted to answer a scientific question that what is the quantitative relationship between the expansion of the artificial oasis and the degradation of the natural oasis in the arid environments of Xinjiang,China.Thus,based on the social-economic data,water consumption data and meteorological data during 2001–2015,we calculated the water and ecological footprints to express the human-related pressure exerted on the water resources and arid environments in Xinjiang(including 14 prefectures and cities),and explore the relationship between the water and ecological footprints and its mechanism by using the coupling analysis and Granger causality test.The results show that both the water and ecological footprints of Xinjiang increased significantly during 2001–2015,and the increasing rate of the ecological footprint was much faster than that of the water footprint.The coupling degree between the water and ecological footprints was relatively high at the temporal scale and varied at the spatial scale.Among the 14 prefectures and cities examined in Xinjiang,the greater social-economic development(such as in Karamay and Urumqi)was associated with the lower coupling degree between the two footprints.Increases in the water footprint will cause the ecological footprint to increase,such that a 1-unit increase in the consumption of water resources would lead to 2–3 units of ecological degradation.The quantitative relationship between the increases of the water and ecological footprints,together with the intensities of water consumption both in the natural and artificial oases of Tarim River Basin,have approved the fact that the formation and expansion of 1 unit of the artificial oasis would bring about the degradation of 2 units of the natural oasis.These conclusions not only provide a technical basis for sustainable development in Xinjiang,but also offer a theoretical guide and scientific information that could be used in similar arid areas around the world.

Optimization of Wetland Plant Selection and Configuration in Urban Water Environment Ecological Restoration Projects

In urban water ecological restoration projects,the selection and configuration of wetland plants are crucial for water quality improvement,ecological diversity enhancement,and landscape beautification.Different plants have different characteristics,and a scientific and rational selection and optimization of plant species is needed.This paper proposes an optimized plant selection and configuration scheme for urban water ecological restoration based on the ecological characteristics and pollutant removal performance of wetland plants.It analyzes the diversity,removal mechanisms,and configuration modes of wetland plants,taking into account ecology,aesthetics,and cost-effectiveness,to provide scientific evidence for wetland plant configuration and support water environment management decision-making.

Study on the Definition and Allocation of the Rights to Water Utilization in the Ecological Environment

With the rapid development of population and economy, the conflict between the supply and demand of water resources is becoming outstanding increasingly, In China, many people concern about the problems of ecological environment water expenditure.However, owning to the shortage of water resources and indefinite water rights, “the hustle effect” of per capita water resource is appeared, Moreover. it caused a series of environment problems. This article differentiates and analyzes the relevant concepts about the ecological enviromnent, and puts forward the defined concept of the rights to the ecological environment water utilization. In addition, it points out the characteristic of those rights, and does elementary study on the allocation principle, methods, and steps on the rights.

Assessment of Effects of Qinshan Nuclear Power Station on the Ecological Environment and Water Quality of its Adjacent Waters after its Running

On the basis of the data of biological and nonbiological factors collected respectively from 1989 to 1990 and from 1995 to 1996 in the waters nearby the Qinshan Nuclear Power Station, the ecological environment and water quality of the waters are analyzed and assessed in the paper. The results show: (a) the surveyed area has the typical ecological characteristics of high tidal range estuary, rich nutrients and low biological productivity, (b) tide, runoff and offshore seawater intrusion are the key factors which result in seasonal and annual changes of various biological and non-biological factors, (c) the risking of seawater eutrophication index is resulted from enormous amount of the discharges of industrial and domestic sewage, (d) because the survey area is located in a high tidal-range estuary, thermal effluent from cooling system does not induce significant temperature changes, ( e) the first stage project of Qinshan nuclear power station has no notable impacts on the ecological environment in

Low-Impact Development(LID) of the Water Ecological Environment in Rural Areas: A Case Study of the Wei River Wetland in Fengxi New City of Xixian New Area

The problem of rural water ecological environment is becoming growingly prominent, and its ecological management is of great significance. From sponge cities to sponge villages, it is an effective way to use the low-impact development (LID) technology to solve rural water ecological environment problems. Through the investigation and analysis of the hydrology, soil, runoff, vegetation and other factors in the Wei River wetland of Fengxi New City of Xixian New Area, this study attempts to construct a LID route suitable for managing the rural water ecological environment in the northwest, so as to provide a reference for the construction of green infrastructure and sponge cities of rural areas in the northwest.

The Theory of Soil and Water Ecology is the Common Theoretical Basis in the Field of Ecological Environment

From the perspective of system concept and practical needs,the field of ecological environment needs new theories that can grasp the whole and command the overall situation.Soil and water ecology is the holistic view of nature of seeing both macrocosm and microcosm,is the largest common divisor of various types of ecosystems on the earth and will effectively integrate all ecological processes related to human beings,animals and plants.Starting from the principle of soil and water ecology,the paper resolved that:①the essence of landscape,forest,field,lake,grass,sand and ice is soil and water ecology and;②the fundamental reason of the ecological and environmental crises of climate change,global warming and loss of biodiversity lies in the change and destruction of the earth’s soil and water ecology.The theory of soil and water ecology is a major scientific issue related to the fundamental and overall situation of the ecological environment,is the golden key to understand and solve contemporary ecological and environmental issues and is the common theoretical basis in the field of ecological environment.

Coordination of Urbanization and Water Ecological Environment in Shayinghe River Basin,China

During the rapid industrialization and urbanization of China,urban agglomeration in river basin areas raises the problems of over-use of water resources and pollution of the water environment.Related research in China has mainly focused on the conflicts among economic growth,urban expansion and water resource shortages within admin-istrative boundaries.However,water environments are much more dependent on their physical boundaries than their administrative boundaries.Consistent with the nature of water environment,this study aims at analyzing coordination relationships between urban development and water environment changes within physical river basin boundaries.We chose the Shayinghe River Basin,China,as our case study area which is facing serious challenges related to water en-vironment protection.Then we classified 35 county-level administrative units into upstream,midstream and down-stream regions based on their physical characteristics;analyzed the coordination degree of urban agglomeration using the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method;and constructed cooperative models using the Linear Programming (LP function) to simulate four scenarios of the coordination relationship be-tween urban population increase and water environment protection based on existing water resources and water pollu-tion data.The results show that the present coordinative situation in Shayinghe River Basin is not sustainable.In gen-eral,more than 50% administrative units are in the bad coordinative situation.In particular,the downstream region is under worse condition than the upstream and midstream regions.Cooperative models in scenario analyses indicate that the population scale set in existing urban master plannings is not coordinated with the water environment protection.To reach the goal of regional sustainable development,the total population needs to be controlled such that it will re-main at 4.5×10 7 or below by 2020 given the capacity of water environment.

Groundwater characteristics and climate and ecological evolution in the Badain Jaran Desert in the southwest Mongolian Plateau

The Badain Jaran Desert is the third largest desert in China,covering an area of 50000 km2.It lies in Northwest China,where the arid and rainless natural environment has a great impact on the climate,environment,and human living conditions.Based on the results of 1∶250000 regional hydrogeological surveys and previous researches,this study systematically investigates the circulation characteristics and resource properties of the groundwater as well as the evolution of the climate and ecological environment since the Quaternary in the Badain Jaran Desert by means of geophysical exploration,hydrogeological drilling,hydrogeochemistry,and isotopic tracing.The results are as follows.(1)The groundwater in the Badain Jaran Desert is mainly recharged through the infiltration of local precipitation and has poor renewability.The groundwater recharge in the desert was calculated to be 1.8684×10^(8)m^(3)/a using the water balance method.(2)The Badain Jaran Desert has experienced four humid stages since the Quaternary,namely MIS 13-15,MIS 5,MIS 3,and the Early‒Middle Holocene,but the climate in the desert has shown a trend towards aridity overall.The average annual temperature in the Badain Jaran Desert has significantly increased in the past 50 years.In detail,it has increased by about 2.5℃,with a higher rate in the south than in the north.Meanwhile,the precipitation amount has shown high spatial variability and the climate has shown a warming-drying trend in the past 50 years.(3)The lakes in the hinterland of the Badain Jaran Desert continuously shrank during 1973‒2015.However,the vegetation communities maintained a highly natural distribution during 2000‒2016,with the vegetation cover has increased overall.Accordingly,the Badain Jaran Desert did not show any notable expansion in that period.This study deepens the understanding of groundwater circulation and the climate and ecological evolution in the Badain Jaran Desert.It will provide a scientific basis for the rational exploitation of the groundwater resources and the ecological protection and restoration in the Badain Jaran Desert.

Study on Fishery Ecological Environment and Fish Species Diversity in Yantan Water Area

Through analysis on water quality,planktonic organism,fish resources,and fish species diversity in Yantan water area,this paper evaluated current situation of quality of fishery ecological environment in Yantan water area. The survey recorded all 52365 fishes and 1410. 2kg catches obtained by fishermen in half a year,and more than 98% catches are small fishes. The Shannon-Weiner diversity index of Yantan water area is 0. 162,Wilhm improvement index is 1. 814,DG- Findex is 0. 083,and the index of fish species diversity is far lower than other water areas. The average quantity per unit of phytoplankton is 1. 0134 million ind. / L,and the average quantity per unit of organisms is 1. 1151 mg / L. The average quantity per unit of zooplankton is 459. 6 ind. / L,and the average quantity per unit of organisms is 0. 6422 mg / L. Evaluation results indicate that water quality and planktonic organism in Yantan water area are basically normal,but fish resources are increasingly exhausted,fish resource composition is not reasonable,and fish species diversity is extremely low. From the perspective of biomanipulation,it is required to restore fishery ecological environment of reservoir area through restoring normal composition of aquatic organisms.

Safety Evaluation of Water Environment Carrying Capacity of Five Cities in Ningxia Based on Ecological Footprint of Water Resources

[Objectives]To make safety evaluation of water environment carrying capacity of five cities in Ningxia based on ecological footprint of water resources.[Methods]With the help of the grey relational model,15 indicators were selected from the natural,economic,and social aspects,and the most influential factors in the three fields were selected.Based on the concept of ecological priority,the water resources carrying capacity of the five cities in Ningxia from 2010 to 2019 was calculated with the help of the water resources ecological footprint model.Then,the indicators of the water resources ecological footprint model were coupled with the existing indicators to establish a comprehensive evaluation indicator system.Finally,the changes of the water environment carrying capacity of the five cities in Ningxia were analyzed with the help of the principal component analysis(PCA).[Results]The ecological pressure of water resources and the ecological deficit of water resources in the five cities were relatively large.Specifically,Yinchuan City had the most obvious deficit of water resources but good carrying capacity;Zhongwei City had a large ecological deficit of water resources,poor carrying capacity,and the largest ecological pressure index of water resources;Guyuan City had low water resources ecological deficit,water resources ecological carrying capacity and water resources ecological pressure index.[Conclusions]Through the analysis of the coupling indicator system,it can be seen that the water environment carrying capacity of the five cities is in an upward trend,indicating that the water environment in each region tends to become better.

Position and Role of the Soil and Water Conservation in Building Ecological Province of Anhui

According to the strategic position of ecological environment in building ecological province of Anhui, we discussed the position and role of soil and water conservation in ecological environment construction and ecological province, and put forward development suggestion of soil and water conservation under new situation.

Thoughts on the Construction of Urban Water Ecological Civilization in Northeast China

Based on the ongoing construction of water ecological civilization in China,the connotation and specific requirements of ecological civilization and ecological civilized city are analyzed in detail. Combining with present situation and characteristics of water resources,water environment and water culture in Northeast China,the main contents to be considered in the construction of water ecological civilization in Northeast China are discussed,which could provide the reference for construction of water ecological civilization city.

Conservation Grading of Water Ecological Spaces in the Muling River Basin

Along with the urban construction and industrial development, the original continuous riverway of the Muling River has been dammed into river sections of different lengths, which has seriously destroyed ecological environment of the basin. In view of this, it is urgent to protect water ecological environment of the basin. This paper took the national ecological environment conservation instructions as the guidance, combined with the administrative division, planning and actual conditions of the basin, proposed principles and schemes for the grading of water spaces in the basin, as well as the hierarchic control requirements, to provide instructions for the conservation of the river basin.

Space-Time Evolution and Problems of Ecological Environment of Junggar Basin

Geological conditions of Junggar Basin are analyzed in this study,it is located in the northwest arid areas of China with a vulnerable supergene eco-environment.Based on the relationship between underground water and ecological environment,natural geological conditions are combined to classify ecosystem types in the study area,space-time evolution of its eco-environment in three periods is discussed:1990,2000 and 2009;development and utilization of water resources in Junggar Basin as well as its eco-environment evolution laws are taken to analyze problems brought by eco-environment changes,focusing on the following points:A.decreasing area of permanent glacier in mountainous ecosystem,increasing volume of river runoff,reducing capacity of mountainous ecosystem in conserving water resources;B.decreasing underground water,overflowing belt shifting northwards;C.shrinking lake area;D.degrading natural vegetation;E.expanding area of cultivated land and construction land;F.more cultivated land influenced by salinization,showing an increasing trend between 1990 and 2000,maintaining stable between 2000 and 2009,which implies that traditional agricultural irrigation method has brought significant influence on the utilization of water resources,and resulted in the shifting area of salinization.

Impacts of water resource planning on regional water consumption pattern: A case study in Dunhuang Oasis, China

Water resources are critical for the existence and development of oases in endorheic basins.Thus,to enable sustainable development,it is fundamentally important to understand how to allocate and use these resources in a reasonable way.We therefore simulated and analyzed changes in water consumption pattern within the Dunhuang Oasis of China under three scenarios using a system dynamic model that corresponds to different water consumption pattern.This was done to assess the impacts of regional water resource planning(comprehensive planning of the rational use of water resource and protection of ecosystem services in the Dunhuang Basin)on water consumption pattern within the Dunhuang Oasis.The first of these,Scenario 1,is a baseline in which the status quo is maintained,while Scenario 2 incorporates the comprehensive effects of agricultural water-saving irrigation measures with an inter-basin water diversion project,and Scenario 3 focuses on ecological rehabilitation.In the baseline Scenario 1,the total water consumption within the Dunhuang Oasis increased progressively while agricultural water consumption remained extremely high and threatened overall ecological security.In contrast,Scenario 2 would decrease agricultural water consumption by almost 5.30×10^7 m^3 following the implementation of water-saving practices.The additional water allocated from an inter-basin water diversion project would play an important role in alleviating ecological strain on the oasis.Finally,in Scenario 3,the total irrigated land must be decreased to 20.6×10^3 hm^2 by 2025 assuming that water supply for ecosystem restoration would be at least 50%of the total consumption.Although water resource planning plays a very important role in alleviating the ecological water crisis within the oasis,it is necessary to consider the suitable scale of oasis with regard to current water consumption pattern.

Existing Problems in Energy Exploitation and Eco-environment Sustainable Development and Their Countermeasures in Northern Shaanxi

The exploitation of coal, petroleum and natural gas in northern Shaanxi not only promoted the rapid development of economy, but also brought about enormous pressure to fragile ecology and resulted to severe water pollution, water and soil loss, vegetation destruction and other ecological environmental problems, so many countermeasures were put forward according to these problems, such as greatly developing circular economy, conducting cleaner production in petroleum enterprises, continuously renewing mining technology and so on.