The first-stage of an ecological conservation and restoration project in the Three-River Source Region（TRSR）, China, has been in progress for eight years. However, because the ecological effects of this project rema...The first-stage of an ecological conservation and restoration project in the Three-River Source Region（TRSR）, China, has been in progress for eight years. However, because the ecological effects of this project remain unknown, decision making for future project implementation is hindered. Thus, in this study, we developed an index system to evaluate the effects of the ecological restoration project, by integrating field observations, remote sensing, and process-based models. Effects were assessed using trend analyses of ecosystem structures and services. Results showed positive trends in the TRSR since the beginning of the project, but not yet a return to the optima of the 1970 s. Specifically, while continued degradation in grassland has been initially contained, results are still far from the desired objective, ‘grassland coverage increasing by an average of 20%–40%＇. In contrast, wetlands and water bodies have generally been restored, while the water conservation and water supply capacity of watersheds have increased. Indeed, the volume of water conservation achieved in the project meets the objective of a 1.32 billion m^3 increase. The effects of ecological restoration inside project regions was more significant than outside, and, in addition to climate change projects, we concluded that the implementation of ecological conservation and restoration projects has substantially contributed to vegetation restoration. Nevertheless, the degradation of grasslands has not been fundamentally reversed, and to date the project has not prevented increasing soil erosion. In sum, the effects and challenges of this first-stage project highlight the necessity of continuous and long-term ecosystem conservation efforts in this region.展开更多
A healthy ecosystem depends on the coordination of ecosystem structure and function.The coordination among ecosystem components,however,is seldom taken into account in current ecosystem health assessments(EHA).Neglect...A healthy ecosystem depends on the coordination of ecosystem structure and function.The coordination among ecosystem components,however,is seldom taken into account in current ecosystem health assessments(EHA).Neglect of such coordination may lead to large degrees of uncertainty in EHA and fail to support ecosystem management.We propose an approach to quantify the level of dynamic mismatching between ecosystem structure and function and the impact on ecosystem health by incorporating the ecosystem coordination index into EHA.The coordination degree is calculated using variation coefficient of six proxies for ecosystem structure and functions.The ecosystem at Jiaozhou Bay,as a microcosm of China's coast,has been documented to fluctuate from healthy to unhealthy status over the past three decades.The results indicate that there is a 3%-17% lower health level than that calculated by common methods used in the literature,indicating that the health of Jiaozhou Bay has become worse than expected.Habitat change contributes 20%-52% to ecosystem mismatches and is the most uncoordinated factor.Mismatch-related declines account for approximately one-fourth of the total ecological declines.Restoration scenarios that aim to resolve ecosystem mismatches could increase efficiency by about 50% compared to restoration scenarios that do not consider mismatches.This study investigates ecological declines in a coastal bay due to 30 years of rapid economic development.In doing so,this study provides novel insights and enhances our understanding of the reasons for failure in ecological restoration.展开更多
基金National Nature Sciences Foundation of China,No.41571504National Key Technology Research and Development Program,No.2013BAC03B00
文摘The first-stage of an ecological conservation and restoration project in the Three-River Source Region（TRSR）, China, has been in progress for eight years. However, because the ecological effects of this project remain unknown, decision making for future project implementation is hindered. Thus, in this study, we developed an index system to evaluate the effects of the ecological restoration project, by integrating field observations, remote sensing, and process-based models. Effects were assessed using trend analyses of ecosystem structures and services. Results showed positive trends in the TRSR since the beginning of the project, but not yet a return to the optima of the 1970 s. Specifically, while continued degradation in grassland has been initially contained, results are still far from the desired objective, ‘grassland coverage increasing by an average of 20%–40%＇. In contrast, wetlands and water bodies have generally been restored, while the water conservation and water supply capacity of watersheds have increased. Indeed, the volume of water conservation achieved in the project meets the objective of a 1.32 billion m^3 increase. The effects of ecological restoration inside project regions was more significant than outside, and, in addition to climate change projects, we concluded that the implementation of ecological conservation and restoration projects has substantially contributed to vegetation restoration. Nevertheless, the degradation of grasslands has not been fundamentally reversed, and to date the project has not prevented increasing soil erosion. In sum, the effects and challenges of this first-stage project highlight the necessity of continuous and long-term ecosystem conservation efforts in this region.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China–Shandong Joint Fund of Marine Science Research Centers of China(No.U1406403)the NSFC(No.41306100)the Scientific Research Foundation of Guangxi University(No.XGZ 160281)
文摘A healthy ecosystem depends on the coordination of ecosystem structure and function.The coordination among ecosystem components,however,is seldom taken into account in current ecosystem health assessments(EHA).Neglect of such coordination may lead to large degrees of uncertainty in EHA and fail to support ecosystem management.We propose an approach to quantify the level of dynamic mismatching between ecosystem structure and function and the impact on ecosystem health by incorporating the ecosystem coordination index into EHA.The coordination degree is calculated using variation coefficient of six proxies for ecosystem structure and functions.The ecosystem at Jiaozhou Bay,as a microcosm of China's coast,has been documented to fluctuate from healthy to unhealthy status over the past three decades.The results indicate that there is a 3%-17% lower health level than that calculated by common methods used in the literature,indicating that the health of Jiaozhou Bay has become worse than expected.Habitat change contributes 20%-52% to ecosystem mismatches and is the most uncoordinated factor.Mismatch-related declines account for approximately one-fourth of the total ecological declines.Restoration scenarios that aim to resolve ecosystem mismatches could increase efficiency by about 50% compared to restoration scenarios that do not consider mismatches.This study investigates ecological declines in a coastal bay due to 30 years of rapid economic development.In doing so,this study provides novel insights and enhances our understanding of the reasons for failure in ecological restoration.
