Quantifying biomass production for assessing ecosystem services of riverine landscapes

Greening the Browns: A Bio-Based Land Use Framework for Analysing the Potential of Urban Brownfields in an Urban Circular Economy

The Circular Economy (CE) is expected to accelerate the use of resources with bio-based origin. Cities have an important role in such an economy, not only as main consumers but also because vegetation provides numerous ecosystem services essential for the well-being of urban dwellers. Urban lands are, however, heavily burdened with both past and present activities and ongoing urbanization. Retrofitting obsolete and potentially contaminated brownfields provides an opportunity to engage with bio-based land uses within the city. At the same time, plants are an important part of Gentle Remediation Options (GROs), a more sustainable alternative for managing contamination risks and restoring soil health. This paper (1) provides a tentative selection of Urban Greenspaces (UGSs) relevant for brownfields, and a compilation of ecosystem services provided by the selected UGSs, and (2) presents a framework covering the 14 selected bio-based land uses on brownfields, including GRO interventions over time. This framework provides three practical tools: the conceptualization of linkages between GROs and prospective UGS uses, a scatter diagram for the realization of 14 UGS opportunities on brownfields, and a decision matrix to analyze the requirements for UGS realization on brownfields.

Mapping ecological space quality changes for ecological management: A case study in the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration, China

Compiling information concerning changes in ecological space quality (ESQ) is imperative for urban management and restoration, as proper management promotes sustainable development. Most previous studies have lacked a comprehensive model for evaluating ESQ and are thus unable to provide effective support for decision-makers. Based on the purpose of policy and needs of the public, this paper constructs a comprehensive adaptive evaluation model for mapping ESQ using the Pearl River Delta (PRD) urban agglomeration as an example, and the analysis uncovers the driving forces of urbanization indicators of ESQ change. From 2000 to 2017, the overall ESQ was considered as good, but the overall value decreased slightly, from 52.8 to 51.5. ESQ in the central PRD exhibited a notable downward trend, while coastal cities exhibited an upward trend. There was an approximate negative correlation between ESQ and the urbanization indexes, except for education level and the proportion of primary industry. In the PRD, rural population density, the proportion of primary industry, and education level were the important drivers of magnitude and direction in most cities, but their impacts differed across cities. The ecological management lacked control of in areas good and moderate ESQ, and this was the main factor resulting in the decline of regional ESQ. By quantifying ESQ and the spatially explicit urbanization drivers, the potential for ecological management in the urban agglomeration is also discussed.

Evaluation and simulation of the impact of land use change on ecosystem services based on a carbon flow model: A case study of the Manas River Basin of Xinjiang, China

Land use change affects ecosystem services by changing the structure and function of ecosystems. Carbon flows throughout natural and socioeconomic systems can effectively reveal this process. The Manas River Basin has experienced rapid oasis expansion for decades, and land use change in the basin is very typical. Oasis expansion has caused a large amount of cropland to invade natural vegetation, thus affecting ecosystem services. This study used a biomass-based ecosystem service estimation model to assess changes in ecosystem services in the Manas River Basin. The carbon flow model was constructed using energy systems language, and the future development of ecosystem services was simulated based on different land use scenarios. The results show the following: (1) From 1980 to 2015, the river basin provisioning service was continuously optimized, while the regulating, supporting and cultural services were reduced. (2) If the expansion of cropland continues, then carbon will be transferred from the natural ecosystem to the cropland. Regulation, support and cultural services in the basin continue to decrease. Due to the shortage of water resources in the basin, the growth of provisioning services is limited. (3) If the project of returning cropland to grassland is implemented, then the carbon in the natural ecosystem will gradually recover. The regulating, supporting and cultural services of the river basin are rising, but provisioning services are gradually decreasing. In general, the model based on energy systems language can reflect the ecological process within the system and effectively reveal the carbon flow process between ecosystems. The use of carbon to quantify ecosystem services can harmonize dimensions, facilitate comparisons, and mitigate errors in outcomes due to different evaluation criteria or subjective factors. Therefore, this study combines energy systems language with carbon flow, which helps to more rationally explore the impact of land use change on ecosystem services, thereby providing valuable information for river basin management.

Residual Biomass from Dutch Riverine Areas—From Waste to Ecosystem Service

Dutch riverine areas are managed intensively to ensure the provision of various ecosystem services. Vegetation management, including pruning and mowing, produces a woody and grassy biomass as a by-product. In the past, this residual biomass has been treated as a waste product. Now there is a change of perspective; biomass is valued as a potential additional ecosystem service instead of a waste product. In this study, we explore the transition from waste to ecosystem service of residual biomass in Dutch water management organisations. We found several trends in the organisation of biomass use. There is a development away from the traditional approach of choosing the cheapest or easiest way to get rid of biomass towards exploring various uses of biomass that fulfil additional, societally relevant, functions. This trend alters the organisation of vegetation management and subsequent biomass use. Selection based on sustainable biomass uses is gaining importance, and there is a growing desire within public organisations to be able to steer towards sustainable use of residual biomass. However, there is a lack of applicable, objective ranking instruments.

A novel index for assessment of riparian strip efficiency in agricultural landscapes using high spatial resolution satellite imagery

Riparian strips are used worldwide to protect riverbanks and water quality in agricultural zones because of their numerous environmental benefits. A metric called Riparian Strip Quality Index, which is based on the percentage area of riparian vegetation, is used to evaluate their ecological condition. This index measures the potential capacity of riparian strips to filter sediments, retain pollutants, and provide shelter for terrestrial and aquatic species. This research aims to improve this metric by integrating the ability of riparian strips to intercept surface runoff, which is the major cause of water pollution and erosion in productive areas. In Canada and the Nordic countries, rapid surface drainage from snow melt and spring rains is often practiced to avoid production delays and losses. This reduces the efficiency of riparian buffer strips by promoting soil erosion due to concentrated runoff. A new proposed metric called Riparian Strip Efficiency Index (RSEI), incorporates not only land cover information, but topographic and hydrologic variables to model the intensity and spatial distribution of runoff streamflow, and the capability of riparian strips to retain sediments and pollutants. The research is performed over the La Chevrotière River Basin in the Portneuf municipality in Québec (Canada) using hydrological modeling, land cover and topographic data extracted from very high spatial resolution WorldView-2 imagery as a unique source of inputs. The results show that RSEI provides a better characterization of the ecosystem services of riparian strips in terms of pollutants filtration and prevention of soil erosion in agricultural areas. RSEI will allow a better management of agricultural practices such as drainage and land leveling. Further, it will provide to land managers information to monitor environmental changes and to prioritize intervention areas, which ultimately targets to ensure optimal allocation of private or public funds toward the most inefficient and threatened riparian strips.

Spatiotemporal variation characteristics of green space ecosystem service value at urban fringes: A case study on Ganjingzi District in Dalian, China

In this study, a green space classification system for urban fringes was established based on multisource land use data from Ganjingzi District, China (2000-2015). The purpose of this study was to explore the spatiotemporal variation of green space landscapes and ecosystem service values (ESV). During 2006-2015, as urbanization advanced rapidly, the green space area decreased significantly (359.57 to 213.46 km²), the ESV decreased from 397.42 to 124.93 million yuan, and the dynamic degrees of ESV variation were always <0. The green space large plaque index and class area both declined and the number of plaques and plaque density increased, indicating green space landscape fragmentation. The dynamic degrees of ESV variation in western and northern regions (with relatively intensive green space distributions) were higher than in the east. The ESV for closed forestland and sparse woodland had the highest functional values of ecological regulation and support, whereas dry land and irrigated cropland provided the highest functional values of production supply. The findings of this study are expected to provide support for better construction practices in Dalian and for the improvement of the ecological environment.