Evolutionary social and biogeophysical changes in the Amazon,Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna and Mekong deltas

Policy-making in social-ecological systems increasingly looks to iterative, evolutionary approaches that can address the inherent complexity of interactions between human wellbeing, provision of goods, and the maintenance of ecosystem services. Here, we show how the analysis of available time-series in tropical delta regions over past decades can provide important insight into the social-ecological system dynamics in deltaic regions. The paper provides an exploratory analysis of the recent changes that have occurred in the major elements of three tropical deltaic social-ecological systems, such as demography, economy, health, climate, food, and water. Time-series data from official statistics, monitoring programmes, and Earth observation data are analysed to explore possible trends, slow and fast variables, and observed drivers of change in the Amazon, Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna and Mekong deltas. In the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna delta zone, increasing gross domestic product and per capita income levels since the 1980s mirror rising levels of food and inland fish production. In contrast, non-food ecosystem services, such as water availability, water quality, and land stability appear to be deteriorating. In the Amazon delta, natural and anthropogenic perturbations are continuously degrading key ecosystem services, such as carbon storage in biomass and soils, the regulation of water balance, and the modulation of regional climate patterns. In the Mekong delta, rapid economic development, changing land-use practices, and salinity intrusion are progressively putting more pressure on the delivery of important provisioning services, such as rice and inland aquaculture production, which are key sources of staple food, farm incomes, and export revenue. Observed changes in many key indicators of ecosystem services point to a changing dynamic state and increased probability of systemic threshold transformations in the near future.     

Farmer typology, future scenarios and the implications for ecosystem service provision: a case study from south-eastern Spain

Farming communities are increasingly expected to manage their agricultural activities in ways that ensure sustainable flows of a wide range of ecosystem services for society. The land use and management choices that farmers make are dependent upon their socio-economic characteristics and background, and in turn have important implications for the landscape and associated ecosystem services. Thus, a better understanding about the linkages between the characteristics of farmers, farm management and land use is important for managing multifunctional agro-ecosystems. In this paper, we first develop a typology of farmers for Torrealvilla catchment in Murcia, Spain, according to the characteristics of their households and farm management (e.g. the farmer’s age, household income, water access, land tenure and farm labour). This analysis distinguishes six types of farmers. Secondly, we analyse the link between farmer typology and the farmers’ responses to a number of scenarios. The scenarios describe different likely changes to agriculture in the catchment in terms of environmental constraints (irrigation water availability and rainfall pattern) and environmental policy regulation (water taxation and subsidies). This exercise enables us to explore the range of future land use changes that are likely to occur in the study area. The results indicate that: rain-fed agriculture is expected to experience gradual but extensive abandonment; vegetable/fruit farming and pig/animal rearing are likely to stagnate or even decline; and growing of grapes is likely to expand. Thirdly, we qualitatively evaluate how future land use changes are likely to affect key ecosystem services in the study area including future agricultural production and associated local income generation, erosion control, maintenance of the groundwater table and various cultural services associated with a heterogeneous agro-ecosystem. Particular changes such as expansion of grape production will increase food production and local income at the cost of further depletion of the aquifer and increased risk of salinisation. The outcomes of the study highlight that, to be effective, the design of agri-environmental schemes and other government interventions (e.g. specific compulsory regulations on farming practices and associated water use) should carefully take into account the characteristics of the farmers within the area of interest, their land uses and the possible diversity of responses to policy and environmental drivers. Opportunities exist for future studies quantifying the extent of the impacts of ecosystem service provision through formal models combining farmers’ land use decision-making and spatially explicit modelling of landscape processes.     

Impact of economic drivers on mangroves of Indian Sundarbans: an exploration of missing links

Export of shrimps and prawns using intensive cultivation in the Sundarban area of Indian Bengal had a negative impact on mangrove forests in 1980s. Land conversions from agricultural use and mangrove forest to shrimp ponds are significant. The impact of changing economic factors such as trade on mangrove forests is evident but as yet this link is not clearly understood by decision-makers. In this context, this study analyses the impact of economic driver on land use changes by combining socio-economic data (economic variables) and satellite data (land use change). Using the panel data method for 1986–2004 in eight administrative units of the Sundarbans area, the study identifies relative return and productivity of labour for various types of land use together with population density as the major drivers of land use change. Identification of these drivers would help to design an effective response policy for management of this UNESCO Heritage site.     

土地利用变化对洞庭湖区生态系统服务价值的影响

土地利用变化对区域生态系统服务价值动态变化研究具有重要意义,为区域土地利用规划、生态环境保护和生态恢复提供了科学依据。近年来洞庭湖区土地利用状况波动频繁,研究其生态系统服务价值的变化情况,可以为该区正在进行的生态重建提供依据。参照中国陆地生态系统单位面积服务价值表, 在土地利用类型划分的基础上将洞庭湖区生态资产划分为7类,利用洞庭湖区两期土地利用数据,估算了土地利用变化引起的生态系统服务价值的变化,结果表明：①20世纪80年代末为中点,前10年湖区生态系统服务价值亏损,后10年生态价值回升并有所提高,表明湖区生态建设出现一定成效;②虽然水域生态系统服务价值是湖区生态系统价值的主要构成部分,但湿地生态系统价值变化决定湖区生态系统总价值的变化趋势。     

无锡市区耕地最低保有量测算及空间配置研究

耕地资源是社会经济稳定发展的物质基础。无锡市区近年来经济发展迅速，人均耕地面积仅7.3×10-3 hm2，粮食安全问题十分突出，人地矛盾十分尖锐。从粮食最低保有量的内涵出发，测算出无锡市区粮食最低保有量应为1.65×108 kg，进而通过选择粮食最低保有量、粮食复种指数等4个参数测算无锡市区2009～2020年耕地最低保有量为26 116 hm2。借助ArcGIS空间分析技术，选取耕地发展引导性和耕地发展约束性两类评价指标，对无锡市区现有耕地进行适宜性评价，将无锡市区耕地分为高度适宜区、中度适宜区、勉强适宜区、不适宜区4种类型。进而，结合耕地最低保有量，对耕地资源进行空间配置，发现锡山区的东北部、惠山区的西北部、新区的东南部等地区为无锡市区耕地最佳空间配置区，占最低耕地保有量的90％以上。〖     

土地利用变化对生态系统服务的影响研究综述

土地利用/覆被变化是全球环境变化的重要组成部分和主要原因之一,不仅带来了地表结构的巨大变化,而且对生态系统服务也造成重要影响。土地利用变化和生态系统服务研究已成为国际上生态学和地理学等跨学科研究的热点之一。从土地利用变化和生态系统服务的概念及其影响因素分析入手,综述了土地利用面积变化、土地利用方式变化和土地利用空间格局变化等对生态系统服务的影响,归纳了土地利用变化对生态系统服务的影响研究的主要方法和模型,分析了相关研究的不足,并提出了加强生态系统服务动态评估方法和时空动态评估模型的研究、强化土地利用变化对生态系统服务影响的生态学机制研究和注重土地利用变化下生态系统服务评估结果的集成应用研究等建议,以期对我国的土地利用变化与生态系统服务评估研究提供科学参考。     

洞庭湖区生态服务价值变化区域差异研究

为了定量分析和比较区域生态服务功能及其价值变化,运用中国生态系统服务价值当量因子表和洞庭湖流域单位面积农田生态系统提供的食物生产服务的经济价值,以及分析20世纪70年代末、80年代末和90年代末的TM遥感影像所得到的土地利用情况,对洞庭湖区17个县市不同年代的生态服务价值及其20年间的变化进行了估算和比较。采用变异系数来测度区域之间的差异,并初步分析了各县市生态服务价值变化差异的原因。结果表明：洞庭湖区土地利用变化明显,生态服务价值总量达到了934亿元,但区域变异系数较大,各县市之间差异明显;湖区各县市20年生态服务价值变化差异较大,变异系数为108.27%。其中变化最大的是华容县,超过了2.0亿元,最小的是津市,仅为0.12亿元。     

Land use and cover change in Japan and Tokyo’s appetite for meat

Urban consumption of ecosystems services such as food generates environmental impacts at different geographical scales. In the last few decades Tokyoites have shown an increasing appetite for meat. This study examines the environmental implications of Tokyo’s increasing meat consumption by analyzing how this trend has affected land use and cover change in areas near and far away. Historical databases (1970–2005) are employed in order to explore meat consumption patterns in Tokyo and to relate it with beef and pork production in areas within the country and abroad. It also integrates the historical analysis of production and consumption patterns with a discussion of the drivers (e.g., wealth, price, policies and seafood availability) behind these trends. We identified that meat production in Japan followed three distinct phases between 1877 and 2005. In the first period it took 50 years for production to increase by 50%, while during the next phase production showed the same growth in just half the time. Major changes in land use/cover change because of domestic meat production occurred mainly during the second phase and, thereafter, when domestic production declined and was substituted to a great extent by imports. Despite the increasing consumption of imported meat, Tokyo relies greatly on domestic meat produced in its neighboring prefectures. The paper concludes that regional planning can be used as an effective instrument to protect the environment and secure protein for the population of mega-urban areas such as Tokyo.     

Direct and indirect effects of climate and fishing on changes in coastal ecosystem services: a historical perspective from the North Sea

Humanity depends on the marine environment for a range of vital ecosystem services, at global (e.g. climate regulation), regional (e.g. commercial fisheries) and local scales (e.g. coastal defence and recreation). At the same time, marine ecosystems have been exploited for centuries, and many systems today are under stress from multiple sources. Recent studies have shown how both climate change and fishing have caused long-term changes in the marine environment. However, there is still poor understanding of how these changes influence change in coastal ecosystem services. In this paper, an integrated modelling approach is used to assess how the final delivery of marine ecosystem services to coastal communities is influenced by the direct and indirect effects of changes in ecosystem processes brought about by climate and human impacts, using fisheries of the North Sea region as a case study. Partial least squares path analysis is used to explore the relationships between drivers of change, marine ecosystem processes and services (landings). A simple conceptual model with four variables—climate, fishing effort, ecosystem process and ecosystem services—is applied to the English North Sea using historic ecological, climatic and fisheries time series spanning 1924–2010 to identify the multiple pathways that might exist. As expected, direct and indirect links between fishing effort, ecosystem processes and service provision were significant. However, links between climate and ecosystem processes were weak. This paper highlights how path analysis can be used for analysing long-term temporal links between ecosystem processes and services following a simplified pathway.     

长三角快速城市化地区土地利用变化对生态系统服务价值的影响——以嘉兴市为例

基于浙江省嘉兴市1979~2012年的土地利用数据,评估了各种土地利用类型的生态系统服务价值,分析了30多年来嘉兴市土地生态系统服务价值的动态变化及其对土地利用变化和景观格局变化的响应。结果表明:(1)1979~2012年,嘉兴市建设用地面积变化最大,增加了136.6%,相应的耕地面积减少了15.5%。(2)1979~2012年,嘉兴市景观破碎度指数从0.6531上升到0.8762,随着城市化进程的加剧,耕地景观破碎度指数不断增加、聚集度指数减小。(3)1979~2012年,嘉兴市的总生态系统服务价值减少了14.7%,2000~2012年嘉兴市总的生态系统服务价值减少尤为显著,生态系统各单项服务价值整体也呈现下降趋势,耕地为嘉兴市提供的生态系统服务占嘉兴市总生态系统服务的70%以上。(4)运用相关分析方法对嘉兴市土地利用类型和景观格局对土地生态系统服务价值的影响分析表明,耕地和水域与生态服务价值呈正相关,而建设用地和未利用地与生态服务价值呈负相关;景观多样性指数(SHDI)和耕地破碎度指数与生态系统服务总价值呈显著负相关关系。     

人工园林大面积种植区土地利用/覆被变化对生态系统服务价值影响

近10a来由于经济利益的驱动,橡胶、茶园、咖啡和桉树等人工园林在云南省西南部西盟县大规模种植,使土地利用结构和布局发生了较大变化,影响了种植区的生态系统服务价值。以西盟县为研究对象,基于2000年、2005年和2010年的遥感影像解译的土地利用/覆被数据,参照"中国生态系统单位面积生态服务价值当量",修订了西盟县生态系统单位面积服务价值,结合敏感度分析,探讨了土地利用/覆被变化及其对生态系统服务价值的影响。结果表明:(1)2000~2010年西盟县的耕地、园地、水域和乡镇用地面积增加,林地和草地面积减少,西南部的土地利用/覆盖类型相互转化主要表现在林地和耕地转化为园地,而东北部表现在林地转化为耕地;(2)从时间上看,生态系统服务价值呈减少趋势,10 a间净减少106.29×106元,林地的生态系统服务价值始终最高;(3)研究期内,只有食物生产服务有价值量的增加,其余生态系统服务的价值量均为不同程度的减少;(4)从空间上看,西盟县生态系统服务价值东北部和东南部高,西部、中部和东部低。力所乡生态系统服务价值有小幅度增加,其余乡镇均呈减少趋势。西盟县以经济利益为目的的发展模式给生态系统服务和可持续发展带来巨大压力,在一定程度上使区域整体生态效应下降。因此,西盟县的发展应该在保证生态系统稳定的前提下,适当发展园地,同时优化土地利用结构,在生态效益和经济利益之间,找到双赢的平衡点。     

Land cover transitions and effects of transhumance on available forage biomass of rangelands in Benin

This study examined the effects of transhumance pressure on total abavoe-ground biomass and forage availability on rangelands in Benin. We also investigated the implications of land cover transitions on rangelands over a 31-year period. Our work was carried out in three regions of Benin representing distinct phytogeographic regimes: Ketou, Tchaourou, and Sinende. Ground-truthing and biomass sampling of the herbaceous and phanaerophyte strata were carried out between the 2016 peak vegetation period and the onset of the 2017 rainy season. Herbaceous biomass was determined by destructive sampling, and biomass of shrub and trees was estimated using non-destructive sampling and allometric equations. Historical and present-day Landsat data allowed an analysis of land cover change for the 1986–2002 and 2002–2017 periods. Land cover analyses yielded evidence of significant expansion of agricultural areas, especially in the latter period. The data also revealed progressive landscape fragmentation and transformations to a land cover of reduced total phytomass. There were no long-term effects of transhumance on trees, but likely on herbaceous biomass. Land cover changes in the study regions seem primarily the result of population pressure, infrastructural changes, persisting norms, and traditions regarding environmental management and the increasing popularity of livestock keeping as an insurance strategy. Rangeland transformations had negative impacts on transhumant herds’ mobility and forage availability. As rangeland stability and consent between agricultural and pastoral land users are at a tipping point, informed policies, and land use planning that foster compromises among all stakeholders are needed.

     

基于ESEF的水生态承载力评估——以太湖流域湖州市为例

以基于生态系统服务的生态足迹(ESEF)为基础的水生态承载力评估方法,综合考虑了水量支撑、水质限定和水生态稳定三方面特征,从而实现了足迹方法对水生态系统承载能力的有效表征。然而,如何界定水产品、水资源和水污染足迹以及承载力之间的关系,是目前研究的重点和难点。以太湖流域上游湖州市为例,探讨了在考虑或不考虑水质标准与环境功能分类的情况下,如何利用求并集法或求平均值法进行基于ESEF的水生态承载力评估。研究表明,两种方法均反映出湖州市人们对水生态系统服务的消费需求超出了当地水生态系统的供给能力,需求与供给之间的差距对当地水生态系统的可持续性造成影响。综合考虑水产品供给、水量支撑和水质保障三方面因素,湖州市水生态系统可承载的人口与经济规模为现状水平的95%;如果增加对水质标准和环境功能分类的考虑,则湖州市水生态系统的承载能力仅为现状水平的79%。虽然求并集法的计算结果更有说服力,但是求平均值法则提供了在更小尺度上研究的可能。     

长江三角洲城市群土地利用及其生态系统服务价值时空演变研究

采用1990、2000、2010和2015年四期长江三角洲城市群土地利用数据，利用土地利用转移概率矩阵等方法，描述了长江三角洲城市群的土地利用方式和转移方向，采用谢高地等修正Costanza价值量评价法定量计算了区域内的生态系统服务价值，并借助地理探测器对其空间分布格局进行了归因解释。研究表明：长江三角洲城市群土地利用类型以耕地为主，呈现逐年减少的趋势，林地变化相对稳定，水域变化先增后减，建设用地持续增长且保留率最高，耕地为其主要转化来源，草地主要转化为耕地和林地，水域主要转出为建设用地。1990、2000、2010和2015年长江三角洲城市群的生态系统服务价值分别为 2 644.26、2 639.53、2 615.49 和 2 569.88 亿元，总体呈逐渐下降趋势，其中农田生态系统价值下降最多，森林生态系统对整个区域的贡献率最大，Ⅲ、Ⅳ等级的城市的生态系统服务价值高于Ⅰ、Ⅱ等级，且城市规模越大，经济价值越占主导地位。空间分布格局形成以太湖和巢湖为中心的高值集聚区、东南地区高于西北地区的特征，其受到坡度、高程、土壤类型、人口等因子的影响。     

Socio-cultural valuation of ecosystem services in a transhumance social-ecological network

The ecosystem services framework is receiving increasing attention in the fields of policy and research. The assessment of human attitudes and perceptions regarding ecosystem services has been proposed as a promising tool for addressing complex problems associated with environmental change, particularly in the context of cultural landscapes. Transhumance is not only a farming practice responsible for shaping cultural landscapes but also an adaptive strategy based on mobility that may represent a useful approach to overcoming the growing challenges posed by accelerated environmental change. A socio-cultural valuation of ecosystem services associated with the Conquense Drove Road, one of the major transhumant networks still in use in Mediterranean Spain, was conducted via the distribution of questionnaires to 416 local residents and visitors to capture their perceptions regarding the importance of 34 ecosystem services (10 provisioning, 12 regulating, and 12 cultural) for both social and personal well-being. Overall, the ecosystem services considered to be the most important for social well-being were fire prevention, air purification and livestock. Most of the ecosystem services in question were perceived as declining, with the exception of those associated with recreation, scientific knowledge and environmental education. This study revealed that perceptions regarding the value of ecosystem services differed among respondents, depending on their age, place of origin and gender. Several methodological issues, as well as the implications of socio-cultural valuation for policy making, are also discussed here.     

Research of the Response of Ecosystem to LUCC in Miyun County,Beijing: Based on Ecosystem Services Valuation

Abstract

Miyun County, located in the northeast of Chinese capital Beijing, was underwent remarkable variations in land use in recent years. This paper aimed to detect changes in land use of Miyun from 1997 to 2005, and to qualify the response of ecosystem to LUCC based on ecosystem services valuation. With two-periods TM images, we got land use change data, and then ecosystem services values were calculated using ecosystem services valuation coefficients proposed by Chinese scholar Xie Gaodi. Results showed that water area, farm land and unused land decreased while residential land, forest land, grassland and orchard land increased during the study period. The loss of ESV was RMB 206 million and the main reason was the decrease of water area and farm land area. As for spatial variation, there were most dramatically land use change and ESV decline in reservoir ecological protection region. The coefficient sensitivity analysis indicates that valuation coefficients used in the study are suitable and results are reasonable. The driving forces of ESV loss were rapid population growth and economic development. More work should be done to make eco-environment stay healthy.     

湖北省关键生态系统服务供需状况的时空变化研究

生态系统服务是改善自然生态和维持土地可持续利用的关键。该文基于生态系统服务的供需视角，从时空两个维度量化了城市化过程中生态系统服务的赤字和盈余，据此提出土地优化利用建议。以湖北省为例，选取水源涵养、PM10去除、固碳和休闲娱乐4种生态系统服务，评估了2010~2015年湖北省生态系统服务供需的盈缺情况及演变过程，并测算其平衡阈值。结果表明：（1）除了水源涵养服务供给充足外，PM10去除、固碳和休闲娱乐服务均处于赤字状态；（2）水源涵养服务的供需趋向平衡，而PM10去除、固碳和休闲娱乐服务的供需差异逐步扩大；（3）各类生态系统服务的供需空间异质性较大；（4）生态系统服务供需达到平衡所要求的绿地比阈值普遍上升，建设用地比阈值普遍下降。上述研究对生态系统服务供需的直观量化，为优化土地管理提供了科学依据；建议湖北省应重点关注城市化过程中PM10去除和碳排放控制的问题，适度增加城市绿地，合理控制建设用地扩张。     

基于TVX方法的南京市城区时空格局与地表温度的研究

随着全球气候变化和人类活动的不断加剧,导致生态、资源与环境问题日趋严重,区域空间格局变化与地表温度的研究已成为全球环境变化的热门和重点研究课题。采用2000年、2006年和2010年的TM遥感影像，结合GIS和RS技术研究南京市不同时期的时空分布特征、演变特征以及地表温度的变化。结果表明: 2000～2010年南京市城区建设用地面积增长幅度较大，而耕地面积却呈显著递减趋向，水体和草地面积基本保持稳定，林地面积略有增长。NDVI和MNDWI均与地表温度呈负相关，通过构建TVX空间观察南京城市化进程，发现植被覆盖度持续降低，地表温度急速上升，到2010年，所有土地利用类型的聚类点的转化轨迹趋于一点，变化向量幅度是：林地>草地>水体>耕地，研究结果表明林地和水域对城市地表热环境具有强大的缓解作用，在城市化进程中，要注重城市水域和林地的保护，同时要改善城市绿化、减少能耗和节制热源     

长江经济带城市扩张的时空特征与生态响应

量化识别城市扩张在不同发展阶段的时空特征，有助于从宏观上认知城市扩张态势，理解城市化的生态响应。以Landsat TM/OLI影像为数据源，分析了近30a（1986~2016年)长江经济带3个省级城市和4个地级市的城市扩张，包括建设用地的时空变化和扩张模式，以及扩张的生态效应。结果表明：(1)建设用地扩张量在过去30a呈线性递增过程，平均扩张速率在2006~2016年降低，表明建设用地由增量扩张向存量开发转型，但地级市的转型滞后于省级城市;(2)蔓延式扩张比例下降而填充式扩张和飞地式扩张不断增加，说明城市扩张模式由粗放蔓延型向紧凑集约型转换;(3)建设用地从快速扩张到稳定扩张的过程与植被覆盖从退化到管控的过程一致，印证了建设用地扩张与植被覆盖度的时空关联性。同时，建设用地扩张导致的生态系服务价值负值不断增加，较大幅度的降低了生态系统服务总价值。面临城市扩张进程中出现的植被覆盖退化和建设用地生态系统服务负值过大的问题，合理而有力的规划政策实施在未来城市发展中尤为重要。     

重庆市主城区城市扩张对生态系统服务影响的时空评估

城市建设用地扩张存在无序蔓延的现象,这种现象导致了生态系统服务功能的衰退,进而影响社会、经济和生态的协调发展。以重庆市主城区为研究对象,基于DMSP/OLS数据和Landsat数据分析了2005～2015年城市扩张的时空特征,基于MODIS NDVI数据、农作物产量数据、植被覆盖类型数据、气象数据和土壤类型数据等,利用食物供给模型、CASA模型和SCS_CN模型模拟了2005、2015年单位面积粮食供给、NPP和径流深度的空间分布与变化,最后,通过相关性分析阐述了不同发展区域生态系统服务的时空变化和权衡协同关系变化,探讨了城市扩张过程中面临的问题与挑战,并对未来城市发展提出几点建议。主要结论如下:(1)将重庆市主城区按照发展水平的高低划分为发达区、发展区和远城区;时间方面,2005～2015年建设用地共增加了373.9 km~2,发达区由于建设用地分布处于较饱和状态,建设用地的扩张量最小,发展区的扩张量最大。空间方面:建设用地沿着东北西南方向延伸扩张,东北偏东方向的渝北区和江北区受"两江新区"建设的影响,建设用地增量最大;(2)2005和2015年食物供给、固碳和土壤蓄水服务功能在发达区最低,发展区次之,远城区最高,且三种生态系统服务功能均存在显著衰退现象,衰退幅度最大的区域是发展区,与城市扩张最剧烈的区域在空间上吻合;(3)生态系统服务之间的权衡与协同关系受城市发展程度的影响;(4)发展区是生态系统服务功能下降最大的区域,食物供给是衰退最显著的生态系统服务功能。通过研究发现,重庆市建设用地扩张存在"冒进"蔓延的现象,这种现象破坏了生态系统功能,降低了环境容量,影响市民居住的舒适性,为此针对城市扩张过程中出现的问题提出了几点发展建议。研究结果引为解析重庆市主城区城市化过程中的问题成因,寻求城镇化的协调发展之路,合理规划城市发展提供了科学依据。