Research on port ecological suitability evaluation index system and evaluation model

Abstract

Along with the rapid development of port building, the negative impacts of port’s construction and operation on the coastline ecosystem are also increasingly strong. Therefore, it’s urgent to establish a scientific and complete system of port ecological suitability evaluation. This paper pointed out the characteristics of port ecological effects and the principles of selecting evaluation index, and used the “pressure-state-response (PSR)” model to analysis the various pressures on the environment caused by port construction and operation, and the system’s response. On this basis, we constructed the port ecological suitability evaluation index. This model used the combination of qualitative and quantitative analytic hierarchy process, to meet the multi-level, multi-objective characteristics of evaluation index system. The evaluation index system and evaluation model can be used to analysis the ecological suitability of port projects comprehensively and have some guiding significance to the port ecological suitability evaluation.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

port / ecological suitability / press-state-response (PSR) model / evaluation index system

1 Introduction

With the rapid development of national economy, the role of the port is getting more and more important. At present, the negative impact on ecosystems of port construction has become increasingly strong. Therefore, ecological suitability assessment of port construction is the foundation of exploit port resources and important measures of layouts of port reasonable. Port is the environmental sensitive area interacted by hydrosphere ecosystem and terrestrial ecosystem, natural ecosystem and human ecosystem. But now, the environmental impact prediction is imitated at qualitative analysis or preliminary analysis and it is difficult to evaluate quantitatively. There are two reasons, the subjective reason is the insufficient understanding of the role of the evaluation of the ecological environment in the whole ecological environment; the objective reason is the difficulty of impression on the law and principles of ecology [1,2].

As a systems engineering, it is important to consider a number of factors. This paper mainly analyzes the affect on ecological factor caused by port construction, including natural conditions, regional traffic conditions, infrastructure conditions, social and economic benefits and ecological environment impact. Ecological suitability is analyzed by selecting appropriate evaluation factors.

2 Port ecological suitability evaluation index system

2.1 The main characteristics of port ecological effects

Port ecological effects are the various influences of shoreline ecosystem caused by project construction. The main characteristics of ecological effects are [2,3]:

1) The dynamics of time. The ecological effects after the construction of the port project is dynamically, some occurred immediately, and some appeared as time goes.

2) The specificity of space. The socioeconomic development, the geographic features and the influence of different port engineering are different.

3) The systematic ness of ecological effects. The port engineering and society, nature and ecology form a complex ecosystem, and it is a unity of mutually influential and mutual suppression.

4) The two-sidedness of ecological effects. The port engineering meet the needs of social and economic development, and in the other side, the negative effects must not be ignored.

2.2 The principle of selecting index system

The indicators must reflect the proximity of the researched environment and express the sensitive degree. Therefore, some principles of selecting index system must be obeyed, such as scientific, utilitarian and independence. In addition, the principles followed must also be obeyed [4]:

1) Normative principle; the choice of indicators should be consistent with national and international standards.

2) Oriented principle; the selected indicators must accurately reflect the nature characteristics of port engineering ecological adaptation.

3) Integrity principle; the port ecological suitability assessment is a comprehensive evaluation system; the selected indicators must reflect the system characteristics.

4) Sustainability principle; the indexes should not only reflect the existing ecological status and also have forward looking.

5) Representative principle; indicators must reflect the environmental behavior as accurate as possible.

6) Availability principle; the selected indicators should be easy to get for the being evaluated phenomenon.

2.3 PRS model

Pressure-state-response model is called PSR model for short [5,6]. PSR model is raised by Canadian statisticians Anthony Friend in the 1970s. In 1990, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, starts a special research program for environmental indicators on the basis of requirement of 1989’s G-7 Summit. This method is used in environment index research and gets broad support. Since then, many international organizations and academic institutions use this method in similar work [7]. Environmental problems and solutions are simplified into a set of variables when the PSR model is used, and reflect the pressure produced by human activity. PSR model is based on the causal relationship. The human activities exert pressure on the environment, and because of the pressure, the environment changed the original nature and the quantity of natural resources. Human respond to all the changes through environmental, economic and management strategies, and thus recover the environment quality or prevent environmental degradation [8].

Pressure indexes include the indirect pressure playing a driving role on environmental issues (such as human disinclination to action moveable trend), and the direct pressure (such as resource usage and pollutant emission). This kind of index mainly describes natural processes or human activities impacted on the environment and stress. State indexes mainly include ecosystems and natural environment status, quality of human life and physical condition. The environmental or ecological systems biology, physical and chemical specification and ecological function are taken into consideration when selecting the index. Response indexes reflect the measures taken by social or personal in order to stop, reduce, prevent or resume the environmental changes which are not conducive to human survival and development.

To quantify the pressure, state and response qualitatively, an index system must be established. PSR model is one of the most widely used index system [9]. It is widely used in ecology, environment, sustainable development, water resources, economy, aviation, and transportation areas, and many breakthrough results had been get [10–12]. The building of the indicator framework model structure is approved by authoritative organizations at home and abroad and experts. The entire phenomenon indicates the effectiveness of this index system.

2.4 The construction of port ecological suitability evaluation system

PSR model is one of the most commonly used international indicators system model. On this basis, sustainable development indicators can be constituted by indexes of pressure, state and response [10]. This model can be constituted by logic of pressure, state and response, and the main intent is to answer this following three questions: “what happened” , “why it happened” and “what shall we do”. When the PSR model is used in the port ecological suitability evaluation system construction, pressure is the impact caused by port construction and operating; state is the ecosystem status; response is the strategy caused by environmental problems of the coastline.

Pressure index is to answer the question “why it happened”, and it is the pressure of shoreline caused by port construction, such as the pressure caused by the use of port shoreline and the pollutant emission. State index is to answer the question “what happened”, and these indexes should measure the environment state surrounding the port. Response index is to answer the question “what shall we do,” and these indexes should weight the measures of implementation status.

This model (Fig. 1) has the characteristics as follows:

1) Comprehensiveness. This model should face both human activities and system environment.

2) Flexibility. This model should be applicable to describe the phenomena occurred in a wide range of systems.

3) Causation. This model emphasizes the relationship between the human activity and the attribute of appraisal system. This model has a distinct causation. The human activity exerts force and the system state changes because of this. The changes have two sides, benign changes and malignant changes. The system responses to the malignant changes and recovers the port environment. The system response to the benign changes and maintain a good port ecological status.

2.5 Ecological suitability evaluation system

2.5.1 Design principles of assessment index system

The construction of port ecological suitability evaluation system is the basis and precondition of organizing port ecological construction assessment effectively and achieving the scientific management target [13]. When we define the port ecological suitability evaluation system, the requirements followed should be achieved.

1) Scientific principles

Port evaluation index system must be guided by the mature theoretical, the characteristics of port ecological construction must be embodied, and the reality of the Eco-development must be responded.

2) Feasibility principle

According to the research status, using the existing statistical data and statistical system, with the port development, the index system must select the daily collected data of ports and improve the reliability and representativeness.

3) Integrated principle

The index system must reflect the connection of all the fields, embody the coordination and Interactions, and represent the main features of port.

2.5.2 The main elements of index system construction

1) Theoretical studies

The construction of port ecological suitability evaluation system is an application of port research. Pressure- state-response mode theory and index system is the computing theory of port ecological suitability evaluation system

2) Research on port environmental issues

The port operation and construction influence the environment significantly. Therefore, the port environment problems, such as state of water environment, air quality, soil quality, biotic population and Status of natural habitats, should be researched as one of the inks when construct the port ecological suitability evaluation system.

3) The definite method of index system

According to the existing index system and the port actual situation, the port ecological suitability evaluation system should be modified, the related information should be selected, and the whole system should be determined by evaluating the index weight.

2.5.3 The construction of port ecological suitability evaluation system based on PSR model

According to the selecting principles of PSR model [14], the evaluation system contains 3 stages. The first stage is project level, containing pressure, state and response. The second stage is element level, containing the concrete elements that decided all the items. The third stage is the sub-element level, describing all the elements. In port projects, pressure represents as the Resources and energy consumption intensity, Waste emission intensity, and the destruction of environment and organism; state represents as the present situation caused by the pressure; response represents as the strategies adopted to accelerate sustainable development, such as the strategies taken to improve resource utilization, reduce environmental pollution and improve port emergency response capabilities.

2.6 The port ecological suitability evaluation system based on PSR model

The shoreline, land, water and other resources are the port and coastal areas production and living material basis, and they are non-renewable resources. The negative impact of port construction mainly manifested as the pollution of water and air and the occupation of land. The port ecological suitability evaluation system based on PSR model is summarized in Table 1.

3 The assessment of port ecological suitability evaluation index system

The analytic hierarchy process is used to assess the system. The AHP method is a good method to solve the evaluation of ecological suitability of port engineering. The basic steps as follows:

1) Establish hierarchical structure. Based on the meta-analysis, the indexes can be divided into three levels. The first level is the port ecological adaptation index; the next level contains pressure, state and respond; the third level is the sub-element level.

2) Construct judgment matrix A. The elements of the previous level C_{\mathrm{k}} is assume as standard, and it dominates the elements of the next level A_{\mathrm{1}}, A_{\mathrm{2}}, …, A_n. Use the paired comparisons method to endow the weight of A_{\mathrm{1}}, A_{\mathrm{2}}, …, A_n. If elements i compared with j is a_{ij}, the Construct judgment matrix A:

(1)A={\left(a_{ij}\right)}_{n\times n}.

3) Calculate the relative weights of level factors. Calculate the characteristic root and eigenvector of construct judgment matrix A. Maximum eigen value is {\lambda }_{\max }, and consistency test is needed .Calculate consistency index first.

(2)C.I.={\displaystyle \frac{{\lambda }_{\max }-n}{n-\mathrm{1}}}.

And then calculate inconsistency ratio:

(3)C.R.={\displaystyle \frac{C.I.}{R.I.}}.

R.I. is the average random consistency index. When , the consistency of judgment matrix is acceptable.

4) Calculate the relative weights of every level factors. Calculate the relative weights of all the factors of each level. Presume a^{k-\mathrm{1}}={\left(a_{\mathrm{1}}^{k-\mathrm{1}},a_{\mathrm{2}}^{k-\mathrm{1}},\mathrm{...},a_m^{k-\mathrm{1}}\right)}^{\mathrm{T}} is the relative weight of k-\mathrm{1} level, b_j^k={\left(b_{\mathrm{1}j}^k,b_{\mathrm{2}j}^k,...,b_{nj}^k\right)}^{\mathrm{T}} is relative weight of the element j of level k under the standard of level k. The comb sort weight vector is

(4)a^k=B^k{a}^{k-\mathrm{1}}.

5) Assess the weight evaluation of the index system. The expert evaluating method can be used to evaluate the index system.

6) Data normalization. The statistical indexes are different, and the units of measures aredifferent. Therefore, data normalization is necessary. There are n samples and m data. Each variable can be signed as X_{ij}, and variable after standardization can be singed as Y_{ij}

(5)Y_{i,j}={\displaystyle \frac{X_{i,j}-{\overline{X}}_j}{S_j}}.

In the formula: i=\mathrm{1},\mathrm{2},...,n\mathrm{;}\mathrm{}j=\mathrm{1},\mathrm{2},...,m; {\overline{X}}_j––the average of variable j; S_j––the standard devia tion of variable

j\prime S_j={\left[{{\displaystyle \sum _{i=\mathrm{1}}^n\left(X_i-\overline{X}\right)}}^{\mathrm{2}}/\left(n-\mathrm{1}\right)\right]}^{\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}}.

7) Evaluate the exponentially-weighted model

Total exponential equation is

(6)\mathrm{ES}={\displaystyle \sum _{i=\mathrm{1}}^m{\omega }_i{f}_i,\left(i=\mathrm{1},\mathrm{2},...,m\right)}.

4 Ecological suitability analysis of Zhanjiang port

Zhanjiang port is located in north-east of Leizhou Peninsula, Guangdong Province, east to the South China Sea, west to the Beibu Gulf, south to the Hainan Island and north to the Atlantic. Zhanjiang port is one of main hub ports in the coast region of China, and this port has a very important strategyposition in Asia-Pacific economic circle. To construct the green port, achieve the aim of the development of economy rapidly and ecology protection, it is necessary to research the ecological suitability of Zhanjiang port. The ecological suitability of Zhanjiang port is analyzed by using PSR model and the index system established in Table 1.

On the basis of the characteristics and port ecological suitability evaluation index system, assess the port ecological suitability evaluation index system. the results are summarized in Table 2 (baseline value is 100).

On the basis of Table 2 and Eqs. (1)–(6), calculate data ES=\mathrm{107.9}. It illustrates that the ecological suitability of Zhanjiang port is fine.

5 Conclusion and suggestion

The construction and operation of port project change the nature features and ecological environment of the abandoned shoreline, and disturb the existing ecological balance. Therefore, it is meaningful to analyze the port ecological suitability. This paper analyzed the port ecological suitability and port planning theory, borrowed the knowledge of ecology and management, and constructed the port ecological suitability evaluation index system on the basis of the pressure- state-response model. This paper uses the AHP method to calculate the index weight to improve the scientific, operability, and objectivity of the index system. At last, this paper took the Zhanjiang port as example, analyzed the ecological suitability of Zhanjiang port and draws the present situation of Zhanjiang ecological suitability. On the basis of the research, the evaluation index system and evaluation model are proved to be valuable in practice, and the method and thread are provided in the studies of port ecological suitability.

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