Coastal cities hold a special position in the fields of production, living, and ecological research because of their unique wetland resource advantages. However, with global urbanization and rapid economic development, conflicts among production, living and ecological land are prevalent in coastal cities in the process of maintaining sustainable wetland resources and further developing the social economy. By establishing an SD-PLUS-CCD coupling model, this paper analysed the evolution characteristics and driving mechanism of the production–living–ecological space (PLES) and the effects of wetland protection (WLP) on promoting or inhibiting the coordinated development of the PLES in Dongying city during 2005–2060. The results show that (1) from 2005 to 2020, the increase in urban population resulted in a significant transfer of arable land and a reduction of 914 km2 in production space (PS); (2) from 2020 to 2060, under the WLP scenario, the conversion of wetland ecological space will reduce the PS and living space (LS) by 193.92 km2 and 107.14 km2, respectively, and increase the ecological space (ES) by 327.52 km2; and (3) wetland protection has an inhibitory effect on the coordinated development of PLES in the study area, and the total proportion of noncoordinated areas of PE and living–ecological space will continue to increase during the simulation period. This paper provides a solid theoretical support for the sustainable management and protection of wetlands in coastal cities and possible PLES conflict patterns and provides a scientific basis for future territorial spatial planning and policy balance analysis.
New-type urbanization (NTU) is proposed by China to solve unsustainable issues and improve green development efficiency (GDE) during the process of rapid urbanization. However, the impact mechanism of NTU on GDE is unclear. Using panel data of 282 prefecture-level cities in China from 2010 to 2019, we measured NTU and GDE to describe their spatiotemporal pattern and relationship evolution. The fixed effects panel model and mediating effect panel model were further utilized to analyze the benchmark impact, mediating mechanism and spatiotemporal heterogeneity of NTU on GDE. The results showed that NTU improved, with the highest levels observed in the eastern region, while GDE increased with fluctuations, performing better in both the eastern and western regions. With the proportion of double-high cities increasing from 13.83 % to 43.62 %, the NTU-GDE relationship was upgraded. Overall, every 1 % improvement in NTU increased GDE by 0.3111 %, and the enterprise effect, resident effect and government effect played a positive mediating role from high to low. During the later stage of NTU, its impact on GDE strengthened significantly, and the mediating role of governments was optimized. The eastern region was the only region with three positive mediating roles of governments, enterprises and residents. These findings will promote GDE through NTU in China and serve as a valuable reference for sustainable global urbanization.
Disaster risk reduction, an essential function of protected areas (PAs), has been generally overlooked in PA design. Using primates as a model, we designed a disaster risk index (DRI) to measure the disaster sensitivity of primate species. High-conservation-need (HCN) areas were identified by both their richness and number of threatened primate species. We also constructed high-disaster-risk (HDR) areas and climate-sensitive (CS) areas based on a disaster risk assessment and temperature change under climate change. We overlaid HCN and HDR areas to obtain HDR-HCN areas. We defined species conservation targets as the percent of each species’ range that should be effectively conserved using “Zonation”. Landslides had the highest DRI (1.43 ± 0.88), but have been overlooked in previous studies. PA coverage in HDR-HCN (30 %) areas was similar to that in HCN areas (28 %), indicating that current PA design fails to account for disaster risk reduction. About 50 % of the HDR-HCN areas overlapped with CS areas. Presently, 43 % of primate species meet their conservation targets. Fifty-seven of primate species would meet their conservation targets and 67 % of primates could benefit from PA expansion if HDR-HCN areas are fully incorporated into PAs. Increasing PA coverage in HDR-HCN areas is essential to achieving both primate conservation and disaster risk reduction. The study calls for integrating disaster risk reduction into PA design guidelines, particularly in regions like the western Amazon, and recommends flexible conservation approaches in other areas.
China has executed large-scale ecological restoration projects (ERPs) to meet the goals of environmental protection and economic development. Yet, the integrated outcomes of these projects on the biodiversity–eco-environment–society dimensions remain unclear, but when available could be insightful for adaptation and adjustments, particularly in this United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030). Based on multi-source data, we identified the categories and quantities of large-scale ERP implementation in the county-level. By comparing the time-series multiple factors of implemented vs unimplemented counties, we quantify the contributions and compare the relative effects of up to six different ERPs. Combining random forest, spatial autocorrelation, and network analysis, we explore the key factors that affect the contributions of ERPs. Here, we show that the triple dimensions in the low ERP group (regions implementing 0–2 projects) produced better outcomes than the high ERP group (regions implementing 3–5 projects) in relatively developed regions, while the high ERP group has more gains than the low ERP group in relatively less-developed regions. Notably, regional characteristics and different social assets mediate the ERP contributions, while human capital and financial capital have important roles. Overall, the ERPs generated positive contributions and could increase the network stability of multi-dimensions in relatively less-developed regions, but it may lead to imbalances in some factors (i.e., mammal species conservation, and human capital). To continue to minimize the negative effects from past, and to improve the returns of ERP policy and investments, more timely and adaptive management of ERPs are needed, especially in relatively less-developed regions.
China’s endeavors to mitigate recurrent crop residue burning (CRB) and improve air quality have yielded positive results owing to recent pollution prevention policies. Nonetheless, persistent challenges remain, particularly in the Northeast China (NEC), where low temperature complicates crop residue management. Here, we examined the effects of cropping pattern adjustment on variations of CRB patterns in NEC during 2001–2021, utilizing the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) burned area dataset, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) active fire dataset, and the high-accuracy crop planting area maps. Our results revealed an overall upward trend of 805.96 km2/yr in NEC CRB from 2001 to 2021. The corn CRB area accounted for more than 50% of the total CRB area in each CRB-intensive year (2013–2021), and the increasing corn CRB generally aligns with the growing corn cultivation fields. A seasonal shift in CRB was found around 2017, with intensive CRB activities transitioning from both autumn and spring to primarily spring, particularly in the Songnen Plain and Sanjiang Plain. The changing trend of PM2.5 concentration aligned spatially with the shift. Moreover, the CRBs in spring of 2020 and 2021 were more severe than the major burning seasons in previous years, likely due to the disruptions during COVID-19 lockdowns. In certain years, the explanatory power of spring CRB on PM2.5 concentration was comparable to that of other natural factors, such as precipitation. This study underscores the critical need for sustained and region-specific strategies to tackle the challenges posed by CRBs.
The relationship between socioeconomic development and the environment is intimately linked with the level of regional sustainable development. Clarifying the evolution pattern of this relationship during the sustainable development progress is crucial for achieving all of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but less research has focused on this problem. Here, we have utilized statistical and remote sensing data from 290 municipal units in China to analyze the evolution of the coupling coordination degree (CCD) between socioeconomic development and the environment along a progression of sustainable development measured by the SDG Index. The results show that the hotspot areas of CCD are concentrated in coastal regions, gradually decreasing as they move inland. Additionally, as sustainable development progresses, both socioeconomic and environment levels exhibit a nonlinear rise. The coupling coordination between the two demonstrates a pattern of initial increasing, then decreasing, and finally increasing again, which may be related to changes in industrial structure. Our study delves deeply into the patterns of evolution in the relationship between socioeconomic and environments, exploring the challenges and opportunities faced by regions at different stages of sustainable development. The findings can deepen our understanding of sustainable development and provide policy suggestions and theoretical support for achieving SDGs.
Mapping human footprint (HF) is crucial for understanding the cumulative anthropogenic pressures on the environment. However, its effectiveness is often hampered by the absence of fine-scale, high-quality spatio-temporal datasets. Addressing this gap, we present the first annual HF maps for the Qingzang Plateau (QP) from 1990 to 2020, at a 100 m × 100 m resolution, boasting an accuracy exceeding 80 %. Our findings reveal that the QP’s human-induced modifications were relatively low, with a median HF of 3.39 in 2020, significantly lower than the global average of 7.56. The northeast and mid-south regions of the QP emerged as hotspots for anthropogenic impact. Notably, over two-thirds (68.2 %) of the QP registered an HF score below 4, classifying them as largely intact. However, the QP’s average HF score has escalated more swiftly than the global mean (0.0348/yr vs. 0.0186/yr), particularly in the last decade, indicating escalating human pressures. In terms of stability, montane grasslands and shrublands comprised 75.1 % of moderately or highly altered biomes in 2020. In contrast, tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests witnessed the most substantial HF increases. Encouragingly, 26.29 % of the QP experienced HF reductions over the past thirty years, highlighting potential conservation opportunities. Conversely, a significant HF increase across 36.59 % of the QP underscores the pressing need to mitigate the adverse effects of intensified human activities. Our HF maps will be conducive to improve understanding the profound impacts wrought by human activities on the QP, and support the conservation planning and resource management needs, as well as decision-making related to restoration objectives.
Grazing management significantly influences greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the global warming potential (GWP) in grasslands. Yet, a limited understanding of the impact of grazing and grazing exclusion on GHG emissions and GWP in grasslands hinders progress towards grassland ecosystem sustainability and GHG mitigation. We conducted a global meta-analysis of 75 published studies to investigate the effects of grazing and grazing exclusion on methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and GWP. Our results revealed that grazing and grazing exclusion significantly increased the CO2 and CH4 emissions, respectively. The responses of GHG emissions and GWP to grazing were regulated by grazing intensity and elevation. We also found that light grazing significantly decreased GWP but heavy grazing increased GWP. Reducing grazing intensity was a simple and effective method through stocking rate adjustment, which promised a large GHG mitigation potential. Our results demonstrated that GHG emissions increased with elevation under grassland grazing, implying that irrational grazing in high-elevation grasslands promoted GHG emissions. In comparison with grazing, only long-term grazing exclusion reduced the GWP, and CH4 emissions enhanced with grazing exclusion duration. However, long-term grazing exclusion may shift economic demand and grazing burden to other areas. Overall, we suggested that regulating the grazing intensity, rather than grazing exclusion, was an effective way to reduce GHG emissions. Our study contributed to the enhancement of sustainable grazing management practices for GHG balance and GWP in global grasslands, and offered a global picture for understanding the changes in GHG emissions and GWP under different grazing management regimes.
China boasts over 10,000 native useful vascular plants (NUVPs), spanning eight families and serving twelve distinct uses. Given the importance of NUVPs, widely-confirmed in-situ conservation policies, such as establishing nature reserves, have been broadly implemented to protect them. However, the effectiveness of in-situ conservation efforts for NUVPs in China remains uncertain. Highlighting the importance of multi-family and multi-use plants, this research identified the spatial distribution pattern and diversity hotspots of NUVPs, evaluated the in-situ conservation effectiveness and provided the future conservation priority scheme. The results revealed that the spatial concentration of NUVPs is predominantly in the southwestern lowlands of China (< 3,000 m), peaking around 109°E and 25°N. Importantly, diversity hotspots exhibited a significant spatial mismatch (over 80 %) with the National Nature Reserve (NNR) network. Only about 17.7 % and 13.3 % of these hotspots are protected by NNR initiatives for endemic and nonendemic species, respectively. Additionally, the proposed Plants Conservation Effectiveness Index (PCEI) proved more representative in addressing the two main crises faced by the studied species—species loss and human pressure, and found a decline in conservation effectiveness as the number of uses increased. Finally, future conservation priorities based on the PCEI highlight the Nanling Mountains, Hengduan Mountains, Jiuwandashan, and Qilian Mountains as highly prioritized regions requiring focused efforts to address the impacts of climate change. Conversely, in sparsely distributed regions experiencing increasing human pressure, it is imperative to mitigate the expanding human footprint.
The interactions between fire, ecosystems, and climate are complex. Tropical ecosystems have dominated global active fires nowadays, yet its causes, mechanisms, and consequences remain relatively poorly understood. To investigate temporal response of remotely-sensed active fires to intra-annual climate change, several 1-km datasets, including the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Collection 6 (MODIS C6) active fires and the Climatologies at High Resolution for the Earth’s Land Surface Areas (CHELSA) climate variables, were gathered to examine the climatic characteristics of active fire incidences, fire-climate correlations, and the average monthly response of active fire occurrences to climate change using the Geographic Information System (GIS) Fishnet tool, Theil-Sen Median slope estimation, Mann-Kendall significance test, and Pearson’s correlation. We concluded that climate variables’ trends of nearly two-decade active fires displayed varied degrees of increment in precipitation (Pre), temperature (Tas), and surface downwelling shortwave radiation (Rsds) and inconsistent decrement in near-surface relative humidity (Hurs) and near-surface wind speed (sfcWind). MODIS multi-year (2003–2018) active fires were moderately to strongly correlated negatively with Pre and Hurs at 10 km grid-resolution but positively with sfcWind and Rsds, showing marked geographical variations in correlation direction and strength. The most significant finding is the newly observed inverse relationship between active fires and precipitation on both sides of the equator. High occurrence areas of active fires regularly appear back and forth along with latitudinal changes (at one-degree intervals) in monthly minimum precipitation between the tropical Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The present study contributes to exploring the underlying mechanism of fire-climate interactions against the backdrop of climate warming.
The rapid population and land urbanization not only promoted economic development but also affected the ecosystem service value (ESV). In the context of new-type urbanization and green development, it’s essential to investigate the impacts of urbanization on ESV in China. However, a comprehensive and dynamic framework to reveal the relationship between ESV and urbanization processes is lacking. This study adopted multi-source datasets to portray China’s urbanization process by integrating population, land, and economic urbanization, evaluated the ESV changes of 10 categories by gross ecosystem product (GEP) methods, and explored ESV changes within different urbanization scales and speeds. The results showed rapid urbanization in the population, land, and economic dimensions in China, with a faster process of economic urbanization. The ESV also exhibited an increasing trend, with higher levels in the southeastern coastal regions and lower levels in the northwestern regions. Urbanization had positive impacts on ESV across various research units, but the ESV exhibited heterogeneous changes across different urbanization scales, speeds, and their interactive effects. The response of ESV to dynamic urbanization processes was influenced by socio-economic, ecological, and policy factors; it is essential to combine targeted measures with general ecological product value realization methods in each unit to maximize social-economic-ecological benefits.
In the context of current global warming, understanding urban thermal resilience (UTR) dynamics across different climatic zones is crucial. This study aims to examine the complex interactions among urban morphology, green-blue infrastructure, and climate factors affecting UTR. Moving beyond traditional methods that compare urban and rural thermal differences, our research innovatively measures UTR by evaluating urban disturbances caused by extreme thermal events. To improve accuracy and reliability, we utilize an AI-powered Monte Carlo Simulation framework. Our findings emphasize the critical role of blue-green spaces in boosting UTR, whereas urban morphology often has a suppressive impact. Additionally, atmospheric humidity is identified as a critical factor affecting UTR. The study interestingly finds varied climatic responses: dense urban areas enhance resilience in arid and cold regions but reduce it in tropical and temperate zones. These findings highlight the need for a balance between sustainable urban living and infrastructure development.
Economic development, food security, and ecological preservation are important issues encountered by karst regions. Faced with complex natural and social dynamics, we attempted to explore how interdependence within socio-ecological system (SES) shaped sustainability in this region. A SES framework was constructed and three scenarios were predesigned: economic priority scenario, food security scenario, and ecological protection scenario. The System Dynamics model was used to simulate and forecast the evolution across various scenarios within the SES from 2005 to 2035. Through the Production-Possibility Frontiers in combined scenarios, trade-off potential was identified and quantified. The results showed that the decoupling between social and ecological subsystems can be weaken in economic priority scenario, while coupling between them can be strengthen in food security scenario and ecological protection scenario. Within the SES, combined scenario analyses further suggest that the rocky desertification rate and the urban-rural income ratio exhibit the least trade-off potential and intensity in combined economic priority scenario and ecological protection scenario, and the Soil Conservation and Food Supply demonstrate the least trade-off potential and intensity in combined economic priority scenario and food security scenario. We can conclude the ecological engineering plays a significant role in alleviating trade-offs within the SES, but the effectiveness is limited. In light of intertwined socio-ecological challenges, combining ecological engineering with adaptive adjustments is a crucial strategy to enhance SES resilience and promote sustainable development in the South China Karst.
In the new phase of sustainable development, agriculture is seeking sustainable management of the water-land-energy-economy-environment-food nexus. At present, there are few studies on optimizing crop planting structure and analyzing its spatial layout with consideration of natural and socio-economic factors. Herein, we proposed a framework for addressing this issue. In this framework, the NSGA-II algorithm was used to construct the multi-objective optimization model of crop planting structures with consideration of water and energy consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, economic benefits, as well as food, land, and water security constraints, while the model for planting spatial layout optimization was established with consideration of crop suitability using the MaxEnt model and the improved Hungarian algorithm. This framework was further applied in the Black Soil Region of Northeast China (BSRNC) for analyzing optimized crop planting structures and spatial layouts of three main crops (rice, maize, and soybean) under various scenarios. This study showed that the sown area of rice in the BSRNC decreased by up to 40.73 % and 35.30 % in the environmental priority scenario and economic-environmental balance scenario, respectively, whereas that of soybean increased by up to 112.44 % and 63.31 %, respectively. In the economic priority scenario, the sown area of rice increased by up to 93.98 %. Expanding the sown area of soybean was effective in reducing GHG emissions. On the contrary, rice production led to greater environmental costs though it provided higher economic returns. Among the three crops, maize exhibited an advantage in balancing environmental and economic benefits. Hegang-Jixi area in the northeast of the BSRNC was identified as the key area with the most intense crop planting transfer among different scenarios. Overall, this framework provides a new methodology for optimizing crop planting structures and spatial layouts with consideration of the nexus of various factors. Moreover, the case study demonstrates the applicability and expansion potential of the framework in the fields of sustainable agricultural development and food security assurance.
Effective preservation of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) is crucial to address biodiversity loss. Human-induced disturbance in these vital sites can exacerbate species extinction and challenge the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). This study delves into the human disturbance and protection in terrestrial KBAs worldwide, focusing particularly on habitat fragmentation to devise tailored conservation strategies. Our results reveal widespread human disturbance across global KBAs, with an average Human Footprint Index of 12.3 and a disturbance rate of 62 %. Only one-fifth of KBAs are fully safeguarded by protected areas, and a significant portion remains unprotected, with even many highly protected sites under severe disturbance. Globally, human activities have led to substantial implicit habitat fragmentation in KBAs, resulting in a 70 % average decline in habitat size, with less than half of KBAs maintaining well-connected active habitats. These findings inform the classification of KBAs for priority conservation, with 80 % requiring both intensity regulation and spatial planning of human activities. Higher levels of human disturbance do not necessarily lead to more severe fragmentation, underscoring the potential for relocating or planning human activities to mitigate fragmentation. This research serves as a foundational assessment of human impacts on KBAs, providing a basis for KBA management and global conservation efforts to meet GBF goals.
To mitigate the catastrophic impacts of climate change, many measures and strategies have been designed and implemented to encourage people to change their daily behaviors for a low-carbon society transition. However, most people generate carbon emissions through their daily activities in space and time. They are also exposed to multiple environmental factors (e.g., air pollution, noise, and greenspace). Changing people’s behaviors to reduce carbon emissions can also influence their multiple environmental exposures and further influence their health outcomes. Thus, this study seeks to examine the associations between individuals’ daily carbon footprints and their exposures to multiple environmental factors (i.e., air pollution, noise, and greenspace) across different spatial and temporal contexts using individual-level data collected by portable real-time sensors, an activity-travel diary, and a questionnaire from four communities in Hong Kong. The results first indicated that individuals’ carbon footprints of daily activities varied across different spatial and temporal contexts, with home and nighttime having the highest estimated carbon footprints. We also found that activity carbon footprints have a positive association with PM2.5, which is particularly strong at home and from morning to nighttime, and mixed associations with noise (positive at home and nighttime, while negative in other places and during travel, from morning to afternoon). Besides, carbon footprints also have consistent negative associations with shrubland and woodland across different spatial and temporal contexts. The findings can provide essential insights into effective measures for promoting the transition to a low-carbon society.
Snowmelt runoff is an important component of water resources in the Northwest China (NWC). With global climate warming and the increasing frequency of extreme events, snowmelt floods have caused significant damage. However, current studies lack comprehensive research and systematic risk assessments of snowmelt floods across the NWC. Based on the snowmelt runoff simulated by GLDAS-NOAH model (1948–2022), the multiple indicators of snowmelt floods were retrieved by Peaks Over Threshold (POT) model in the NWC, and comprehensive risk assessment was conducted by integrating socio-economic data. The results indicated that the snowmelt runoff in the NWC shows a significant increasing trend and exhibits a spatial pattern of being more abundant in the northwest and southwest edges while less in the central and eastern regions. In Northern Xinjiang, snowmelt floods occurred relatively infrequently but with large magnitudes, while around the Qilian Mountains, snowmelt floods were more frequent but of smaller magnitudes. The longest duration of snowmelt floods was observed in the Kashgar and Yarkant River. Basins near mountainous areas are prone to snowmelt floods, especially the Tongtian and Lancang River basins, as well as the Ebinur Lake, Ili River basin, and the rivers south of the Altai Mountains, which face the highest risk of snowmelt floods. Based on comprehensive assessment of hazard, exposure, vulnerability and adaptability, high and very high-risk areas account for 15.5 % of the NWC. It is urgent to enhance monitoring, early warning systems, and implement corresponding disaster prevention and mitigation measures in large mountainous basins.
The Qinghai-Xizang Plateau serves as an extensive gene pool for plateau species and a crucial focal point for global biodiversity conservation. Being a climate-sensitive region, the impacts of climate change have led to habitat loss, population extinction, and ecological imbalances, posing formidable challenges to the sustained effectiveness of existing protected areas. Despite substantial advancements in understanding species distribution, assessing habitat changes, and evaluating the efficiency of protected areas in recent decades, comprehensive evaluations encompassing all protected species are lacking, impeding conservation strategies. In this study, we gathered 137,856 observations, encompassing 2,605 species, and utilized the MaxEnt model to simulate changes in the current distribution patterns of endangered species and suitable habitats under future scenarios. We further proposed a climate smart approach to optimize the boundaries of protected areas in response to climate change. Key findings indicate that (1) the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau harbors 2,605 endangered species, constituting 34.04 % of the total endangered species catalog in China; (2) current high-adaptation habitats of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau cover a mere 7 % of the plateau, showing minimal alteration in protected efficiency under climate change scenarios (0.50 % increase); (3) incorporating the effects of climate change in adjusting protected area boundaries enhances their efficiency by an average of 20.52 %. Our proposed methodology holds promise for safeguarding endangered species on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and offers significant implications for analogous regions worldwide.
Urbanization radically alters the climatic environment and landscape patterns of urban areas, but its impact on the carbon sequestration capacity of vegetation remains uncertain. Given the limitations of current small-scale ground-based in situ experiments, the response of vegetation carbon sequestration capacity to urbanization and the factors influencing it remain unclear at the global scale. Using multisource remote sensing data, we quantified and differentiated the direct and indirect impacts of urbanization on the carbon sequestration capacity of vegetation in 508 large urban areas globally from 2000 to 2020. The results revealed that the direct impacts of urbanization were generally negative. However, 446 cities experienced an indirect enhancement in vegetation carbon sequestration capacity during urbanization, averaging 19.6 % globally and offsetting 14.7 % of the direct loss due to urbanization. These positive indirect effects were most pronounced in environments with limited hydrothermal conditions and increased most in densely populated temperate and cold regions. Furthermore, indirect impacts were closely related to urbanization intensity, human footprint, and level of urban development. Our study enhances the understanding of how the carbon sequestration capacity of vegetation dynamically responds to changes in the urban environment, which is crucial for improving future urban vegetation management and building sustainable cities.
Climate change is increasingly affecting all aspects of protected areas management from changes of species ranges to visitor experiences. Due to these impacts, there is a need for managers to take more robust approaches to considering the implications of climate change on the overall application and efficacy of protected areas management direction, including the achievement of the goals and objectives contained within management plans. Through a systematic and comprehensive content analysis approach, this study assesses the current extent to which climate change is considered in Canadian protected area management plans. Specifically, we evaluated 63 terrestrial protected area management plans against a set of climate robustness principles. Our content analysis revealed that climate change is currently not effectively factored into Canadian protected area management plans with an average climate robustness score of 18 %. Climate robustness score was not found to be correlated with protected area size, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) management classification, or jurisdictional authority. Certain climate robustness principles received higher scores across the management plans than others. For example, the principles of ‘diverse knowledge sources’ and ‘addresses climate change’ scored relatively highly whereas ‘climate change vulnerability’ and ‘ecosystem integrity’ received the lowest scores. The lack of integration of ecological integrity considerations in management plans was a particularly noteworthy deficiency considering that this guiding principle is the primary legislative objective of many national and sub-national protected areas in Canada. From this assessment, climate change needs to be more effectively and consistently integrated into protected area management plan development and coordinated across associated planning processes. We discuss the ways in which this can be achieved, for example, by integrating scenario planning into organizational management plan development processes.
Ecosystem services (ES) mapping and models have advanced in recent years. Improvements were made, and the assessments have transitioned from qualitative to quantitative. Although this is an important advancement, the ES mapping and modelling validation step has been overlooked, and this raises an important question in the credibility of the outcomes. This has been an important and unsolved issue in the ES research community that needs to be tackled. This highlight paper discusses the importance of validating single ES mapping and models. Conducting this using field or proximal/remote sensing raw data and not data from other models or stakeholder evaluation is important. A validation step should be mandatory in ES frameworks since it can assess the models’ veracity, contribute to identifying the model’s weaknesses/strengths and ultimately represent a scientific advance in the field. This is easier to apply to the biophysical mapping and models of regulating and provisioning ES than to cultural ES, as the latter rely more on perception and cultural contexts. Also, ES supply models are easier to validate than demand and flow models. Robust and well-grounded models are essential for ensuring the reliability of individual ES maps and models and should be integrated into decision-making processes. Although several challenges arise related to the costs of data collection, in several cases prohibitive, and the time and the expertise needed to conduct this sampling and analysis, this is likely an imperative step that needs to be considered in the future. This will be beneficial in establishing ES research and improving decision-making and wellbeing.
Countries worldwide are leveraging the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for building a more resilient and sustainable future. One solution in this endeavour is transitioning towards a bioeconomy (BE), utilizing renewable resources and low-carbon value chains to meet food, energy, and materials demands. However, BE is neither inherently circular nor sustainable, compromising SDGs’ progress. Therefore, we conducted a detailed ex-post analysis using correlation, transfer entropy, and network analysis to understand the complex causal interactions between BE and SDGs. Moving beyond correlation, we explored the directional influence of interactions within the BE-SDG nexus. Our findings reveal a robust bidirectional influence between 19 BE criteria and 109 SDG targets across all goals among 48 European countries. While BE can drive progress toward SDGs, a balanced distribution of synergies and trade-offs constrains its impact. Collaborative efforts among European countries would effectively drive towards achieving both BE and SDGs. SDG 13 has positive influences from lowered fossil fuel emissions and negative ones due to land use changes and intensified agriculture, which releases stored carbon. Similarly, SDG 15 emerges as a positive influence, as healthy ecosystem services foster a resilient BE. Despite efforts towards SDG 12, Europe’s unsustainable consumption impedes BE supply chains. While BE practices are intended to accelerate sustainability, they fall short of playing a transformational role in achieving the SDGs. A shift towards a cohesive, collaborative strategy that leverages synergies and mitigates trade-offs can enhance the BE’s impact, advancing Europe closer to achieving the 2030 Agenda.
Amid ongoing global environmental change and the critical pursuit of sustainable development, human–environment systems are exhibiting increasingly complex dynamic evolutions and spatial relationships, underscoring an urgent need for innovative research frameworks. Integrated geography synthesizes physical geography, human geography, and geographic information science, providing key frameworks for understanding complex human–environment systems. This editorial proposes an emerging research framework for integrated geography—“Composite driving–System evolution–Coupling mechanism–Synergistic regulation (CSCS)”—based on key issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, resource scarcity, and social–ecological interactions, which have been highlighted in both recent critical literature on human–environment systems and UN assessment reports. The framework starts with diverse composite driving forces, extends to the evolution of human–environment system structures, processes, and functions that these drivers induce, explores couplings within human–environment systems, and calls for regulation aimed at sustainable development in synergies. Major research frontiers include understanding the cascading “evolution–coupling” effects of shocks; measuring system resilience, thresholds, and safe and just operating space boundaries; clarifying linkage mechanisms across scales; and achieving synergistic outcomes for multi-objective sustainability. This framework will help promote the interdisciplinary integration and development of integrated geography, and provide geographical solutions for the global sustainable development agenda.