Tracking 130 years of coastal wetland reclamation in Ria Formosa,Portugal: Opportunities for conservation and aquaculture

Economic activities in coastal wetlands are often perceived as incompatible with nature conservation. This negative perception stems from the visible impacts resulting from a continuous process of coastal wetland reclamation, as human pressure increases significantly in global coastal areas. The largest coastal wetland area in southern Portugal, the Ria Formosa, shares a similar perception, where current nature protection status often conflicts with the needed economic development. Here we explore how the economic activities influenced the wetland reclamation process in Ria Formosa, addressing namely aquaculture identified as an activity with a significant compatibilization potential. Different datasets were merged in a Geographical Information System, tracking land use change in Ria Formosa wetlands over the last 130 years at decadal intervals. Our results show that since the end of the 19^th century nearly 2000 ha of wetlands were converted to anthropic environments, resulting in a 20 % natural area reduction. From 1885 until the mid-20^th century, land use policy was influenced by the significant regional seafood preservation industry, with large swaths of wetlands diked, drained and excavated to give place to traditional salt farms. The following economic downturn gave place for the late industrialization of salt farms, further increasing the reclaimed wetland areas, later stalling with the recognition of the environmental importance of Ria Formosa in 1978. Aquaculture only gained momentum in 1980’s with the support of European funding, resulting in the conversion of many unproductive diked areas. However, late 20^th century and current land use policy shifted to a nature conservation focus, therefore limiting the use of previously reclaimed areas, a challenge that influenced the abandonment of the modified areas. By studying the long-term change of land use in Ria Formosa, we argue that in high conservation value areas new policies should be considered that stimulate the development of an ecosystem approach to economic activities, namely aquaculture, improving simultaneously the regional environmental status and socioeconomic sustainable development.     

绍兴市土地利用时空变化研究

[目的]探讨经济发达地区土地利用变化时空规律,为城市发展提供合理土地利用政策,同时优化土地利用结构以支持经济可持续发展。[方法]通过遥感影像获取长时间序列的土地利用数据,探讨近30多年来绍兴市的土地利用变化,进一步利用土地利用动态变化模型,对绍兴市土地利用变化过程、趋势、变化轨迹进行了深入分析。[结果](1)绍兴市土地利用在1980~2000年相对稳定,在2000年后变化强度逐年增强,2005~2015年土地利用转化量增多和类型多样。绍兴市东北部平原和县区核心区域是经济发达地区土地利用变化的活跃区域,主要是其他类型土地向建设用地转移;(2)1980~2015年绍兴市土地利用变化轨迹主要受到人口增长和GDP增长的影响。[结论]城市化的发展和人口的迅速增长,使城市人口和土地面积迅速增加,造成城市边缘的农业用地转化成了建设用地。经济的发展、科技的进步及政府政策的制定,改变了人们的生活和工作方式,进而影响土地利用类型。     

Urban development versus wetland loss in a coastal Latin American city: Lessons for sustainable land use planning

Urbanization is a primary cause of wetland loss in coastal metropolitan regions. Therefore, it challenges the preservation of biodiversity and the provision of key ecosystem services for urban settlements. These services include leisure and recreation, climate and water regulation, water purification, and especially alleviation of natural hazards. Tsunami flood mitigation is a particularly valuable regulating service provided by these wetlands, as recently evidenced during the 2010 tsunami that hit the central coast of Chile.The Concepción Metropolitan Area (CMA), located on the central coast of Chile, has experienced noticeable wetland loss in recent decades. Our study focused on the Rocuant-Andalién wetland, which has been particularly affected by urbanization. This wetland strongly contributes to flood control, and has provided effective protection against the CMA’s latest tsunamis (1835 and 2010). Based on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), we have quantified urban growth over the wetland, both executed and projected under the Metropolitan Urban Plan of Concepción (MUPC). Recent loss in wetland area by urban growth has been quantified using land use and cover change (LUCC) maps from 2004 to 2014, obtained from the classification of Landsat images. Prospective changes (considering the complete MUPC deployment) have been inferred by combining the MUPC with the 2014 land cover map. In addition, we quantified the observed effect and planned urban growth on the wetland protected area, geoforms and potential flooding based on the area affected by the last Tsunami. Results show that urban areas have increased by 28% between 2004 and 2014, while future increase is expected to reach 238%. In contrast, wetland area has decreased by 10% from 2004 to 2014 and is expected to decrease by up to 32 %. Thus, the MUPC is not contributing to the mitigation of wetland loss nor the preservation of its biodiversity and ecosystem services. Implications for coastal planning are discussed.     

Linking the ecosystem services approach to social preferences and needs in integrated coastal land use management – A planning approach

Coastal zones with their natural and societal sub-systems are exposed to rapid changes and pressures on resources. Scarcity of space and impacts of climate change are prominent drivers of land use and adaptation management today. Necessary modifications to present land use management strategies and schemes influence both the structures of coastal communities and the ecosystems involved. Approaches to identify the impacts and account for (i) the linkages between social preferences and needs and (ii) ecosystem services in coastal zones have been largely absent. The presented method focuses on improving the inclusion of ecosystem services in planning processes and clarifies the linkages with social impacts. In this study, fourteen stakeholders in decision-making on land use planning in the region of Krummhörn (northwestern Germany, southern North Sea coastal region) conducted a regional participative and informal process for local planning capable to adapt to climate driven changes. It is argued that scientific and practical implications of this integrated assessment focus on multi-functional options and contribute to more sustainable practices in future land use planning. The method operationalizes the ecosystem service approach and social impact analysis and demonstrates that social demands and provision of ecosystem services are inherently connected.     

Changes in coastal city ecosystem service values based on land use—A case study of Yingkou,China

The valuation of ecosystem services is intended to facilitate the rational and sustainable utilization of natural resources. However, calculating the values of natural resources is complex, and research is underway in this regard. The change of land use types can reflect the changes in the area of each ecosystem; therefore, in this study, land use changes in Yingkou (located in the south of Liaoning Province and an important port city) over a 10-year period (2004–2014) are assessed using a geographic information systems platform and the 2004, 2009 and 2014 Thematic Mapper remotely sensed images of the area. The Costanza calculation method and classification system are used to estimate changes in the total values of ecosystem services in the Yingkou area from 2004 to 2014 and to investigate the causes of these changes. The “change tendency” of particular ecological communities is calculated using the Variable coefficient, the Gini coefficient, and the Theil index. The results reveal the following: (i) The total value of ecosystem services in the Yingkou area decreased drastically (i.e., from $2567.60 million to $2127.26 million, representing a 17.2% decline) between 2004 and 2014. (ii) Aquatic ecosystem services are valued greater than terrestrial services. In Yingkou, a decline in the value of aquatic ecosystem services accounts for 88.6% of the total decrease in ecosystem service value. (iii) Land reclamation in the Yingkou urban area emerges as the primary factor influencing ecosystem service values for the various ecological communities in the region. The ecosystem service value of each ecological community is different, and the differences between the contributions made by the various communities to the total ecosystem services value are increasing over time. (iv) The decline in ecosystem service values in Yingkou is linked to urban development. Following widespread land reclamation, an increase in land area intended for urban construction is associated with a decrease in water area.     

A quantitative assessment of policy options for no net loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the European Union

The Biodiversity Strategy of the European Union includes a target to “ensure no-net-loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services by 2020”. Many policy options can be envisioned to achieve such a no-net-loss target, mainly acting on land use and land management. To assess the effectiveness of such policies at a European Union (EU) scale, we simulated land use changes and their impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services indicators. We analysed a Business–as-Usual scenario, and three no-net-loss scenarios. The no-net-loss scenarios included measures that aim to reduce negative impacts of land use change on biodiversity and ecosystem services, by better implementation of existing biodiversity conservation measures (Scenario 1); and enhancement of existing measures (Scenario 2); and offsetting residual impacts on areas of high biodiversity and ecosystem service value (Scenario 3).Results show that none of the scenarios achieved overall no-net-loss. Compared to a Business-as-Usual scenario, the no-net-loss scenarios reduced the overall degree of land cover change at EU level, hence reducing impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services in large parts of the EU. The more comprehensive no-net-loss scenarios resulted in a gain of natural land cover. Moreover, natural areas became better connected, especially in peri-urban areas as a result of impact avoidance and offsetting. Richness of farmland bird species was projected to increase. Measures included in the no-net-loss scenarios had net positive effects on pollination and carbon sequestration, neutral effects on crop production, erosion prevention and flood regulation, and negative effects on nature-based recreation, compared to Business-as-Usual. In particular circumstances policy measures invoked displacement effects in land use allocation, reducing the effectiveness of the measures. This was primarily the case for flood regulation services throughout the EU.This study differentiates the potential effectiveness of a no-net-loss policy framework in three manners: (i) considering biodiversity and ecosystem services simultaneously; (ii) in the light of existing policies and land use pressures; and (iii) in different land use contexts across the EU. Taken together, we conclude that achieving no-net-loss for biodiversity and ecosystem services throughout the EU remains challenging given high land use demands. Nevertheless, in large parts of Europe there appears room for improvement for certain kinds of biodiversity and ecosystem services compared to Business-as-Usual, while still meeting other land use demands.     

Ecosystem services–biodiversity relationships depend on land use type in floodplain agroecosystems

Managing agricultural floodplains to meet present and future human requirements without jeopardizing biodiversity conservation is a challenge for land use planners and ecologists. This paper aims to disentangle the relationships between ecosystem services and biodiversity in multifunctional landscapes, such as floodplain agroecosystems, by disaggregating their values across land use types. We measured eight ecosystem services (gas regulation, soil formation, nutrient regulation, habitat provision, food provision, raw materials production, education, and recreation) and six plant diversity indexes (richness, abundance, and true diversity for both plant species and growth forms) in seven land use types identified in the floodplain of the River Piedra (Spain). We observed that all land use types provided services to some extent, but each one was better at providing certain services. Natural or semi-natural habitats provided more services and hosted greater diversity than cultivated land use types. In addition, five diversity indexes were strongly correlated to at least three ecosystem services each one. Habitat provision and education were the ecosystem services positively correlating to most diversity indexes, whereas food provision was negatively correlated to all diversity indexes. Moreover, analyzing the interactions between ecosystem services and biodiversity across land use types, we observed that land use type was the controlling factor regarding the sign and significance of the interaction. The results of this study suggest that, in floodplains agroecosystems, a mosaic landscape of different land use types helps support ecosystem services and contributes to maintaining biodiversity while using local resources. Such land use policies might manage agricultural floodplains at the landscape scale while still being able to accommodate specific measures for each land use type. Moreover, riparian forests should be preserved and restored across the floodplain as they are hot spots for biodiversity and ecosystem services provision.     

江苏沿海滩涂围垦区生态环境长效管理模式研究

针对江苏沿海滩涂围垦区的自然环境特点与复合型生态系统特征,构建体现围垦区生物多样性、生境特征和环境变化的围垦区生态环境长效管理的指标体系,建立江苏沿海围垦区生态环境长效管理模式,为地方政府决策提供参考。     

Urbanization as a land use change driver of forest ecosystem services

Land use change in the form of urbanization is a direct driver affecting the provision of ecosystem services from forests. To better understand this driver, we modeled the effects of urbanization on three regulating and provisioning ecosystem services in two disparate watersheds in Florida, USA. The study integrated available geospatial and plot-level forest inventory data to assess future changes in carbon storage, timber volume and water yield during a period of 57 years. A 2003–2060 urbanization and land use change scenario was developed using land cover data and a population distribution model. The Integrated Valuation and Ecosystem Services Tradeoffs model was then used to quantify changes in ecosystem services. Carbon storage was reduced by 16% and 26% in the urbanized 2060 scenario in both the rural Lower Suwannee and urban Pensacola Bay watersheds, respectively. Timber volume was reduced by 11% in the Lower Suwannee and 21% in the Pensacola Bay watershed. Water yield, however, increased in both watersheds by 4%. Specific sub-watersheds that were most susceptible to urbanization were identified and mapped and ecosystem service interactions, or trade-offs and synergies, are discussed. Findings reveal how urbanization drives the spatio-temporal dynamics of ecosystem services and their trade-offs. This study provides policy makers and planners an approach to better develop integrated modeling scenarios as well as designing mapping and monitoring protocols for land use change and ecosystem service assessments.     

基于土地利用变化的大庆市生态系统服务价值研究

本文以大庆市为研究区,依据2001年和2009年的土地利用数据,从生态系统服务功能角度,运用Costanza的方法,结合谢高地修正的我国生态服务价值当量因子表,定量研究了土地利用变化引起的生态系统服务价值变化量。结果表明:2001～2009年间,研究区林地和城乡居民点及工矿用地面积增加,其余土地利用类型面积均有减少,其中林地的面积变化量最大。土地利用变化引起了研究区生态环境的变化,对生态系统服务价值也产生了一定的影响,大庆市9年间生态系统服务价值增加了41170.55万元,各单项服务功能价值中,其生态系统所提供的水源涵养、废物处理和食物生产等3项生态服务功能下降,其余6项生态系统服务功能均有不同程度的升高;从不同土地利用类型的生态服务功能看,湿地和水域的生态服务功能较强,只有林地的生态系统服务价值是增加的。     

晋江市土地利用变化对生态系统服务价值的影响

以晋江市为研究区,依据2005年,2010年和2015年3期土地利用数据,从生态系统服务功能角度,运用Costanza的方法,结合谢高地修正的我国生态服务价值当量因子表,分析了晋江市土地利用变化与生态服务价值的响应关系。结果表明:2005-2015年,晋江市的城镇用地显著扩张,而耕地和林地却急剧减少,土地利用的生态系统服务价值总体呈逐年下降趋势。通过分析晋江市土地利用变化对生态服务价值的影响可以为科学合理利用土地,保障人口、资源、环境的可持续发展提供决策支持。敏感性分析表明,生态服务价值对生态服务价值系数的变化是缺乏弹性的,因此结果是可信的。在编制土地利用规划时应将生态服务价值考虑其中,尤其是应注重保护湿地、水域、林地等生态服务价值系数高的土地利用类型,以期实现晋江市的可持续发展。     

青海湖流域主要生态系统服务价值驱动分析

通过定量分析生态系统服务价值的变化和气候、GDP、个人储蓄和城市化水平等社会经济驱动因子之间的相关性和敏感性,以识别影响青海湖生态环境的主要影响因素,调控和管理青海湖区域生态保护。研究方法:生态系统服务估值,MATLAB.7.0多元线性回归分析,敏感性分析。研究结果:(1)2000～2008年青海湖流域的湿地和草地生态系统服务价值分别下降11.16%、13.23%,主要是受到GDP和气候暖干化的影响,但对GDP变化并不敏感,对城市化和气温变化极为敏感;(2)2000～2008年青海湖流域农地的生态系统服务下降了57.93%,主要受气候暖干化和城市化的驱动所致,同时对城市化和气温变化极为敏感。研究结论:青海湖流域生态环境恶化是气候变化和经济社会发展的长期综合作用结果,青海湖流域尤其是天峻县的经济发展应该以实施生态保护战略为主导。     

Modeling of ecosystem services informs spatial planning in lands adjacent to the Sarvelat and Javaherdasht protected area in northern Iran

Dynamic models of ecosystem services supply and scenario analysis of changes in multiple services are being increasingly used to support land use planning and decision making. This approach reduces potential and real conflicts among various stakeholders potentially creating win–win solutions for all. It is particularly applicable in areas where insufficient land for agriculture and settlements is resulting in high rates of conversion of natural forest and grasslands. We quantified and mapped multiple ecosystem services, including habitat provision as a proxy for biodiversity, carbon storage and sequestration, and water balance and supply in the Sarvelat and Javaherdasht region of the globally-significant Hyrcanian (Caspian) forests in northern Iran using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs tool. This region is experiencing a rapidly increasing rate of forest conversion and as a result, the protected area located within the study landscape is threatened by human encroachment. Plausible future landscapes were modeled under three scenarios: (i) business as usual; (ii) protection-based zoning which reflects an expansion of the protected area boundary to prevent land use changes; and (iii) collaborative zoning through redefining the protection boundary simultaneously with an adjustment to meet local stakeholders’ objective of expansion of anthropogenic cover. The results showed that the collaborative zoning scenario would best contribute to effective policy because it presents a more rational spatial configuration of the landscape maintaining the provision of ecosystem services. This scenario may lead to reduced environmental impacts while achieving less conflict between the government and local communities. These results will help to inform and shape natural resource management policies in Iran and is applicable elsewhere in the world.     

Comparing the spatial and temporal dynamics of urban expansion in Guangzhou and Shenzhen from 1975 to 2015: A case study of pioneer cities in China’s rapid urbanization

The distinct urbanization process of China has attracted worldwide attention because of its impressive speed, massive scale, and policy intervention. However, the interrelationship between urban expansion and government policies is still not well understood. The Pearl River Delta Urban Agglomeration of China is the first national pioneering urbanization area since the implementation of the policy “Reform and Opening-up” in the late 1970s. Here we compared the spatial and temporal patterns of urbanization in two leading cities of the Pearl River Delta (i.e., Guangzhou and Shenzhen, the provincial capital and the first Special Economic Zone of China, respectively) from 1975 to 2015, using Landsat data integrated with urban growth and landscape metrics analysis, and examined possible footprints of major economic and urbanization policies. Our results illustrated that urban land areas in both Guangzhou and Shenzhen have experienced magnificent annual growth rates at 8.1% and 11%, respectively between 1975 and 2015. On average, Shenzhen witnessed substantially higher urban growth rate than Guangzhou during the past four decades, particularly in the initial period (1978–1990) when the Reform and Opening-up policy was launched and Shenzhen was designated as the first Special Economic Zone in China in the late 1970s. However, the speed of urban expansion in Shenzhen became considerably lower than Guangzhou from 2005 to 2015, subject to physical conditions and a series of urban land use policies. Both cities showed a generally similar dynamics of urban growth forms with leapfrogging as the predominant type of urban growth at first and then edge-expansion while the contribution of infilling in Shenzhen was higher than that in Guangzhou, especially since 2005. The urbanization processes characterized by landscape and urban growth metrics revealed that a diffusion-coalescence-diffusion-coalescence process was identified for Guangzhou, while Shenzhen was generally consistent with the diffusion-coalescence urban growth hypothesis.     

沿海围垦区蓄淡工程优化布局

淡水资源紧缺是江苏沿海大规模围垦与开发以及生态环境保护的重要制约因素,如何建立更加高效、高保障度的水资源保障体系,有效增加水资源供给,合理利用水资源,将是江苏沿海开发中面临的一个巨大挑战。结合围垦区(包括人工岛)淡水资源的分布与关联,根据《江苏沿海滩涂围垦开发利用规划纲要》需要,研究蓄淡工程的类型、规模和布局(河口水库、河网节制闸、天然湿地、平原水库),确定蓄淡工程规模和优化组合方案,评估蓄淡工程综合效用和影响(包括经济、社会、环境效益评价和利弊分析),提出兼顾供水、防洪、环保、海洋等行业需求的沿海围垦区蓄淡工程布局模式。研究改变现有基于陆地的水资源开发利用的模式,建立海陆结合的新型水资源开发模式。研究成果不仅仅可解决未来江苏沿海大开发淡水资源缺乏的问题,也为解决今后东部沿海城市尤其是北方沿海城市水资源的匮乏提供新思路。     

Strengthening the effectiveness of nature reserves in representing ecosystem services: The Yangtze River Economic Belt in China

Nature reserves (NRs) are the main protected areas in China and effective measures for biodiversity conservation. Three key types of ecosystem services, including soil retention (potential soil retention-SR), carbon sequestration (net primary productivity-NPP), and biodiversity conservation (habitat quality-HQ), were applied to evaluate the effectiveness of national NRs in China’s Yangtze River Economic Belt. Ecosystem services were examined from two different scales (grid, individual NR), and different NRs types in 2000–2015, by using the RUSLE, CASA, and InVEST models. The results showed that the NRs had higher ES supply capacity than the non-NRs. SR and NPP showed significant increasing trends in four types of NRs. The HQ of forest ecosystem and wild animal reserves showed an increasing trend, while the HQ of inland wetlands and wild plants reserves showed a decreasing trend. Changes in NPP, SR, and HQ presented significant spatial heterogeneity for different NR types. Comprehensive effects of NRs, dynamic monitoring and evaluation of the conservation effectiveness of NRs, optimizing the institutional system of the NRs and perfecting the property of the NRs are suggested to be strengthened. These findings can provide decision support and methodological information for the effectiveness evaluation of NRs and land use policy in other regions of China and the world.     

基于湿地二级分类的淮河流域中游湿地景观格局演变研究

本文采用景观格局转移概率矩阵模型,对基于湿地二级分类的淮河流域中游湿地景观演变进行分析。本文主要分析从上世纪五十年代到1980年这期间,旱地、人居地、林地等景观类型与各湿地类型之间以及各湿地类型相互之间的转换过程。分析结果表明:解放后几十年来,淮河流域中游地区湿地萎缩,虽然总体湿地面积减少不多,但内部结构变化明显,主要表现为大量的湿地转变成水田和非湿地,大量的天然湿地演变成人工湿地和非湿地,其中又以作为天然湿地主体的河湖湿地损失最多,并存在河湖湿地—滩地—非湿地的演变过程。     

京津冀城市群地区土地生态状况评估

研究目的:开展区域尺度土地生态状况的科学评估,服务于国家生态文明建设、城市群协同发展和土地资源规划与管理。研究方法:以第二次全国土地调查年度数据、遥感数据和气象、土壤等数据为基础,从生态系统结构、生态质量和生态系统服务3个方面构建评估框架,并采用AHP和CRITIC法确定因子权重,定量评估2015年京津冀城市群地区土地生态状况。研究结果:2015年,研究区的土地生态状况具有西部、北部较优,东部、南部较低的地理梯度分异,产水服务与干扰度指数、碳贮存服务间存在一定的权衡关系,而碳贮存服务、净初级生产力和源生境连通性是研究区土地生态状况的主要障碍因子。研究结论:当前或未来的土地利用管理中应综合权衡城市扩张、粮食安全和生态维护,针对土地生态状况的区域差异、生态因子间的冲突关系及主要的限制类型确定相应的土地持续利用与生态维持、恢复方式。     

Land-use change and socio-ecological drivers of wetland conversion in Ha Tien Plain,Mekong Delta,Vietnam

The loss and degradation of wetlands in the Mekong Delta has been caused by a combination of human activities (social systems) and natural events (ecological systems). However, the complexity and interaction of these socio-ecological factors are poorly understood. This study provides a better understanding of the complex social-ecological factors affecting land-cover change in the Phu My Lepironia grassland conservation area, part of Kien Giang Biosphere Reserve, Vietnam. A systems thinking approach was used to determine the interaction between the social system and land-use and land-cover changes. Results indicate that ensuring food supply and improving income are the key endogenous drivers of wetland degradation in the study area. Over-exploitation of wetland resources and inappropriate agricultural practices are accelerating wetland conversion and degradation. The conflict and unclear land tenure, coupled with a desire for higher income, has driven the community to convert and reclaim large parts of the wetland. This process is also driven exogenously by wetland access and the fluctuation of commodity prices, which in-turn results in transition from traditional to extensive cropping systems and expansion of cultivated land into the protected wetland. The relationship between people and wetlands must be central to the development of wetland policies and wetland management approaches. This will improve how land use policy supports sustainable sources of food and income for the local community and concurrently reduce pressures on wetland degradation. Any efforts made to protect the remnant wetland grassland and its diverse ecosystem by regulation should be supplemented by developing and sustaining the relationship between social systems and ecological systems.     

New ecological redline policy (ERP) to secure ecosystem services in China

China is facing huge environmental problems, with its current rapid rate of urbanization and industrialization causing biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, and land resources degradation on a major scale. To overcome management conflicts and secure ecosystem services, China has proposed a new ‘ecological redline policy’ (ERP) using ecosystem services as a way to meet its targets. By giving environmental policy redline status, China is demonstrating strong commitment in its efforts to tackle environmental degradation and secure ecosystem services for the future. This is already having impact, as the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection and the National Development and Reform Commission are prepared to work together to implement the new environmental policy.