Springs are vital freshwater sources for rural communities,yet they are increasingly threatened by nutrient enrichment,microbial contamination,and declining ecological integrity.This study assessed the water quality o...Springs are vital freshwater sources for rural communities,yet they are increasingly threatened by nutrient enrichment,microbial contamination,and declining ecological integrity.This study assessed the water quality of Sumber Suko Spring in East Java,Indonesia,through an integrated ecological approach combining physicochemical,microbiological,biological,and hydrological parameters across wet and dry seasons.Physicochemical results showed stable temperature(24.1–26.7°C),near-neutral pH(6.4–6.9),and adequate dissolved oxygen(6.2–7.4 mg/L).However,nitrate concentrations were elevated(39.37–48.16 mg/L),exceeding natural background levels and indicating agricultural leaching,while phosphate values ranged between 0.12–0.21 mg/L.Microbial analysis revealed high total coliform counts(24 CFU/100mL),far above WHO standards,although E.coli was not detected.Plankton analysis identified 10 genera,with Microcystis aeruginosa dominating,particularly in the dry season,signaling risks of eutrophication.Shannon-Wiener diversity indices(H’)ranged from 1.25 to 1.67,with evenness values between 0.43 and 0.56,reflecting low-to-moderate community stability.Hydrological measurements showed seasonal discharge fluctuations from 14.6 L/s in the wet season to 7.8 L/s in the dry season,strongly correlated with rainfall.Overall,the integration of nutrient enrichment,coliform contamination,and cyanobacterial dominance indicates that Sumber Suko Spring is under ecological stress and does not meet drinking water standards without treatment.The findings highlight the urgent need for source protection,disinfection,and continuous monitoring within a water safety plan framework.This study provides evidence-based insights to support local policy alignment with WHO guidelines and emphasizes the importance of community participation in sustaining spring ecosystems for long-term water security.展开更多
Anaerobic ammonium oxidation(anammox)plays a vital role in the global nitrogen cycle by mitigating reactive nitrogen.In recent years,its ecological importance has drawn increasing attention.Despite its widespread occu...Anaerobic ammonium oxidation(anammox)plays a vital role in the global nitrogen cycle by mitigating reactive nitrogen.In recent years,its ecological importance has drawn increasing attention.Despite its widespread occurrence,the distribution and quantitative contribution of anammox to global nitrogen loss remain unclear.We collected 390 reported anammox activity measurements which were obtained using 15N isotope tracing techniques and analyzed anammox rate and environmental factors including soil/sediment and water property using generalized additive models(GAMs).Moreover,based on the division of the anammox activity region,we estimated anammox-driven nitrogen loss across different ecosystems including wetlands and oxygen minimum zones(OMZs)ecosystems.Our findings revealed that soil moisture content was the most significant predictor of anammox activity in wetlands ecosystems.Paddy fields contributed 51%of anammox-driven nitrogen loss(32.0 Tg N/yr),followed by rivers/lakes(29%)and wetlands(20%).Asia emerged as the dominant region for anammoxdriven nitrogen loss(30.7 Tg N/yr),with paddy fields making a substantial contribution.North America was the second-largest contributor(25.4 Tg N/yr),with rivers/lakes being the main sources of nitrogen loss.In OMZs ecosystems,nitrate and dissolved oxygen were key factors influencing anammox rates.OMZs were hotspots for anammox,with peak activity at 300 m depth and nitrogen loss totaling 68.6 Tg N/yr,mostly between 100 and 500 m depths.This study underscores the critical role of anammox in global nitrogen cycling and offers a basis for environmental nitrogen management through predictive anammox modeling.展开更多
In this study,we perform particle-resolved simulations of settling spheroidal particles,considering oblate and prolate spheroids and spheres,and investigate the shape effect on the particle dynamics in suspensions wit...In this study,we perform particle-resolved simulations of settling spheroidal particles,considering oblate and prolate spheroids and spheres,and investigate the shape effect on the particle dynamics in suspensions with volume fraction 1%and 5%.We first examine the single-point statistics of the translational and rotational motion of the settling particles.The horizontal velocity has a symmetrical distribution with standard deviation dependent on the particle shape.The greater horizontal velocity fluctuations of the non-spherical particles,compared to that of spheres,are attributed to the horizontal drift of settling spheroids with oblique orientations induced by the fluid-particle and particle-particle interactions.The fluctuation of particle vertical velocity,instead,is skewed under the effect of wake-induced hydrodynamic interactions.Further,we explore the particle pair statistics,which demonstrate the formation of column-like particle micro-structures for the lowest volume fraction considered.This clustering is more pronounced for spheroidal particles than spheres,due to the stronger attractions among vertically-aligned settling spheroids.Moreover,the particle pair statistics are directly related to the collision rate among the dispersed particles.The local accumulation of oblate/prolate spheroids serves as the major mechanism to promote the particle-particle collisions in dilute suspensions.展开更多
The Selenge River Basin(SRB)in Mongolia has faced ecosystem degradation because of climate change and overloading.The dynamics of the pastoral system and the extent of overload under future scenarios have not been doc...The Selenge River Basin(SRB)in Mongolia has faced ecosystem degradation because of climate change and overloading.The dynamics of the pastoral system and the extent of overload under future scenarios have not been documented.This study aims to answer the following questions:Will the typical soums in the SRB become more overgrazed in the future?What optimal strategy should be implemented?Multisource data were integrated and utilized to model the pastoral system of typical soums using a system dynamics approach.Future scenarios under three SSP-RCPs were projected using the model.The conclusions are as follows:(1)From upstream to downstream,rational scenarios for pastoral system transferred from SSP1-RCP2.6 to SSP2-RCP4.5,which reflect improved productivity at the expense of ecosystem stability.(2)Compared with that during the historical period of 2000-2020,the projected carrying capacity of the soums decreases by 15.2%-37.3%,whereas the number of livestock continues to increase.Consequently,the stocking rate is expected to increase from 0.32-1.16 during 2000-2020 to 1.26-2.02 during 2021-2050,indicating that rangeland will become more overloaded.(3)A livestock reduction strategy based on future livestock stock and grassland carrying capacity scenarios was proposed to maintain a dynamic forage-livestock equilibrium.It is suggested that reducing livestock is a practical option for harmonizing grassland conservation with livestock husbandry development.展开更多
This study investigates climate-and human-induced hydrological changes in the Zavkhan River-Khyargas Lake Basin,a highly sensitive arid and semi-arid region of Central Asia.Using Mann-Kendall,innovative trend analysis...This study investigates climate-and human-induced hydrological changes in the Zavkhan River-Khyargas Lake Basin,a highly sensitive arid and semi-arid region of Central Asia.Using Mann-Kendall,innovative trend analysis,and Sen's slope estimation methods,historical climate trends(1980-2100)were analyzed,while land cover changes represented human impacts.Future projections were simulated using the MIROC model with Shared Socioeconomic Pathways(SSPs)and the Tank model.Results show that during the past 40 years,air temperature significantly increased(Z=3.93^(***)),while precipitation(Z=-1.54^(*))and river flow(Z=-1.73^(*))both declined.The Khyargas Lake water level dropped markedly(Z=-5.57***).Land cover analysis reveals expanded cropland and impervious areas due to human activity.Under the SSP1.26 scenario,which assumes minimal climate change,air temperature is projected to rise by 2.0℃,precipitation by 21.8 mm,and river discharge by 1.61 m^(3)/s between 2000 and 2100.These findings indicate that both global warming and intensified land use have substantially altered hydrological and climatic processes in the basin,highlighting the vulnerability of western Mongolia's water resources to combined climatic and anthropogenic influence.展开更多
Environmentally persistent and bioaccumulative perfluorooctanic acid （PFOA） was difficult to be decomposed under the irradiation of 254 nm UV light. However, in the presence of 80μmol/L Fe（Ⅲ）, 80% of PFOA with i...Environmentally persistent and bioaccumulative perfluorooctanic acid （PFOA） was difficult to be decomposed under the irradiation of 254 nm UV light. However, in the presence of 80μmol/L Fe（Ⅲ）, 80% of PFOA with initial concentration of 48μmol/L （20 mg/L） was effectively degraded and 47.8% of fluorine atoms in PFOA molecule were transformed into inorganic fluoride ion after 4 h reaction. Shorter chain perfluorocarboxylic acids bearing C3-C7 and fluoride ion were detected and identified by LC/MS and IC as the degradation products in the aqueous solution. It was proposed that complexes of PFOA with Fe（Ⅲ） initiated degradation of PFOA irradiated with 254 nm UV light.展开更多
Strategic assessments are a landscape scale assessment and unlike project-by-project assessments which look at individual actions, they can consider a much broader set of issues;for example, a large urban growth area ...Strategic assessments are a landscape scale assessment and unlike project-by-project assessments which look at individual actions, they can consider a much broader set of issues;for example, a large urban growth area that will be developed over many years or a fire management policy across a broad landscape. Wetlands are important and effective ecosystems for biodiversity protection and improving environmental conditions. Bird watching as tourism and ecotourism activity is a complex process which it is compatible with conservation of wetlands and other aquatic zones. In this research, combination of SWOT analysis and FAHP method base on strategic fuzzy assessment are used for bird watch zoning in Bazangan Lake. By making internal and external matrix for SWOT factors, existing condition was in competitive strategies (ST) in the study area. Offered strategies in this condition were environment restoration to increase in environment resilience against hazards (natural and human), avoiding of land use and land cover changes and presence of ecotourism responsibly especially Bird watching. The sensitivity analysis results did not show any difference within the results of the present study and it was suitable and valid to use for similar situations. Base on the presented medium and short term strategies, it needed to have a short time training program to inform and empower local communities to wetlands partnership management by sharing them in the getting benefits in Bazangan Lake. By using the preferred frame in this study, decision makers can plan for each lake, dam and wetland and determine the best areas for tourist activities like bird watching. Conservation, protection and restoration of environment with its wildlife are guaranteed by using fuzzy assessment to provide reasonable strategies.展开更多
An environmental and economic assessment of the development of a plasma-chemical reactor equipped with plasma torches for the environmentally friendly treatment of waste streams by plasma is outlined with a view to th...An environmental and economic assessment of the development of a plasma-chemical reactor equipped with plasma torches for the environmentally friendly treatment of waste streams by plasma is outlined with a view to the chemical and energetic valorization of the sustainability in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia（KSA）. This is especially applicable in the pilgrimage season in the city of Makkah, which is a major challenge since the amount of waste was estimated at about 750 thousand tons through Arabic Year 1435 H（2015）, and is growing at a rate of 3%–5% annually. According to statistics, the value of waste in Saudi Arabia ranges between 8 and 9 billion EUR. The Plasma-Treatment Project（PTP） encompasses the direct plasma treatment of all types of waste（from source and landfill）, as well as an environmental vision and economic evaluation of the use of the gas produced for fuel and electricity production in KSA, especially in the pilgrimage season in the holy city Makkah. The electrical power required for the plasmatreatment process is estimated at 5000 kW（2000 kW used for the operation of the system and 3000 kW sold）, taking into account the fact that：（1） the processing capacity of solid waste is 100 tons per day（2） and the sale of electricity amounts to 23.8 MW at 0.18 EUR per kWh.（3） The profit from the sale of electricity per year is estimated at 3.27 million EUR and the estimated profit of solid-waste treatment amounts to 6 million EUR per year and（4） the gross profit per ton of solid waste totals 8 million EUR per year. The present article introduces the first stage of the PTP, in Makkah in the pilgrimage season, which consists of five stages：（1） study and treatment of waste streams,（2） slaughterhouse waste treatment,（3） treatment of refuse-derived fuel,（4）treatment of car tires and（5） treatment of slag（the fifth stage associated with each stage from the four previous stages）.展开更多
Over recent years, the population of Caspian cobra Naja oxiana has declined in its distribution range in Iran due to habitat destruction and overhunting. Consequently, their small and isolated populations in fragmente...Over recent years, the population of Caspian cobra Naja oxiana has declined in its distribution range in Iran due to habitat destruction and overhunting. Consequently, their small and isolated populations in fragmented landscapes are facing genetic and demographic threats. Evaluating the spatial distribution pattern of Naja oxiana, identifying core habitat patches and improving landscape connectivity among the patches have a significant role in the long-term survival of the species. This study predicts the spatial distribution map of the Caspian cobra considering the factors affecting the predictive power of the distribution models, including sampling bias in presence points, correct selection of background locations, and input model parameters. The sampling bias in presence points was removed using spatial filtering. Several models were run using 19 environmental variables that eventually led to the selection of the effective habitat variables and best MaxEnt distribution model. We also used an ensemble model(EM) of habitat suitability methods to predict the potential habitats of the species. Topographical roughness, shrublands, average annual precipitation, and sparse rangeland with a density of ≤ 20% had the most effect on the spatial distribution of Caspian cobra. The evaluation of models confirmed that the EM has more predictive performance than MaxEnt in predicting the distribution of Naja oxiana.展开更多
The overall goal of this study is investigating the environmental impacts of using wastewater effluent of industrial states in irrigation of green space. For this purpose, industrial state of Shokouhieh in Qom Provinc...The overall goal of this study is investigating the environmental impacts of using wastewater effluent of industrial states in irrigation of green space. For this purpose, industrial state of Shokouhieh in Qom Province in central of Iran was selected as a case study. Firstly, the quality and quantity of inputting wastewater into refinery and outputting wastewater effluent were measured on important parameters of pH, TDS, TSS, COD, BOD and wastewater temperature in refinery laboratory of industrial state of Qom Shokouhieh during 12 months from March 2012 to March 2013. Then analysis of chemical, biological and physical indicators of irrigation wastewater (effluent) and measurement of heavy metals were done in June 2012 and January 2013 according to the standards instruction for the water and wastewater treatment. Also, heavy metals, EC, pH, and Mg2+, Ca2+, Na+, k+ of soil of industrial estate of Qom Shokouhieh were studied. Then, Rapid Impact Assessment Method (RIAM) and Entropy Method were used to analyze the data. In Rapid Impact Assessment Method, socio-cultural, physicochemical, biological and economic environments get the highest negative impacts respectively. In Entropy Method after weighting the environmental factors, public health and other disease parameters with the weight of 0.147, soil chemical properties with the weight of 0.136, soil toxicity with the weight of 0.126 were allocated the first rate up to the third rate respectively. After comparing the results of these two methods with each other, the main limitation of using wastewater effluent of industrial estate of Qom Shokouhie in irrigation of green space is entering chemical pollutants (nitrate) into groundwater, salinity and toxicity of soil of industrial state and endangerment of workers and labors public health who work in industrial state of Qom Shokouhie (specially the labors who exposure directly with the wastewater effluent and labors work in refinery).展开更多
The problem of solid waste landfills on Caspian Sea coastlines is one of the current concerns of the Iranian environmental authorities. Physical and environmental constraints as well as shortcomings in present municip...The problem of solid waste landfills on Caspian Sea coastlines is one of the current concerns of the Iranian environmental authorities. Physical and environmental constraints as well as shortcomings in present municipal solid waste management are the main factors for environmental pollution and natural resources destruction in this geographical region. In order to reduce the above problems, this study has been carried out on the basis of a comparative assessment of the existing condition of landfill sites in natural ecosystems. In this study, 48 cities of the region have been investigated. All of them are located in Gilan and Mazandaran provinces. Total daily waste production in the study area is about 1209 tons that are dumped in open spaces and/or in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Surveying of 53 physical, adaptability and constraint parameters as well as hygiene and environmental parameters in the landfills, based on “Monavari-94 Method” indicate that the main problem in all of them is a high groundwater table. In 42% of landfills, the groundwater level is between from 0.5 to 2 meters. This phenomenon may cause severe risks due to the infiltration of leachate into potable groundwater. Indeed, the results of the study show that 87.5% of the landfills are located in areas with unacceptable conditions. In spite of geographical and environmental problems and constraints and as a final alternative in this respect, the need for sanitary and technical solid waste management is the main need of the study areas.展开更多
The present study was designed to assess lead levels in playground soil and accumulated dust on playground equipment and then correlate those environmental lead measurements with children’s blood lead in the surround...The present study was designed to assess lead levels in playground soil and accumulated dust on playground equipment and then correlate those environmental lead measurements with children’s blood lead in the surrounding neighborhoods. Soil lead and surface dust were collected from 14 playgrounds in Muncie, Indiana, and blood lead levels were calculated for nearby children. Correlation analyses revealed a moderate positive association between dust Pb and soil Pb with a correlation coefficient r = 0.46 (p = 0.099). The relationship between settled dust on playground equipment and composite blood lead level also showed a medium positive correlation, indicated by r = 0.36 (p = 0.202). A positive correlation was also observed between soil Pb and composite blood lead values, as evidenced by r = 0.51 (p = 0.061). Furthermore, the assessment of spatial autocorrelation using Moran’s I index indicated no significant spatial clustering for the variables studied (dust Pb, soil Pb, and blood Pb). Correlation analysis showed a connection between lead levels in soil and dust, but no significant links were found between soil lead and blood lead and between dust lead and blood lead. These results suggest that environmental lead in parks has a limited impact on children’s blood lead levels nearby. Spatial autocorrelation analysis also revealed no significant spatial patterns among variables—dust, soil, and blood lead. Given these findings, it is recommended to seek expertise from qualified professionals and further perform comprehensive testing and analysis to investigate potential lead sources in children’s blood. The outcomes of this study offer valuable insights into assessing playground environmental lead contamination, contributing to future research priorities in this area. Specifically, future studies could focus on collecting larger sample sizes and characterizing blood lead in children who frequently use playgrounds rather than those who live nearby but may or may not use the playgrounds.展开更多
Republic of Guinea’s environmental situation is characterized by the continued degradation of natural resources. Lefa gold mine is one of the Guinean Republic’s gold companies which support the socioeconomic improve...Republic of Guinea’s environmental situation is characterized by the continued degradation of natural resources. Lefa gold mine is one of the Guinean Republic’s gold companies which support the socioeconomic improvement. It operates in the northeastern part of the country and extracts the ore gold by open pit method by using cyanide. The exploitation of the Lefa Gold Mine impacts?the natural resources and the surrounding population. This paper considers the impact of Lefa Gold Mine activities on the environment and its local population including ecological disturbance, destruction of fauna and flora, land and landscape degradation. The study was carried out in April to July 2013 in two villages, Fayalala Carrefour, and Lèro Karta. Questionnaires were illustrated for data collection, and the proposed sampling size number (1204 respondents) consisted of the two villages and the surrounding villages was?founded on the proximity to the mine sites and their degree of suffering?after a direct impact of mining activities. 961 (79.82% of respondents) adhered?to the research to provide information about the situation. The principal objective of this paper was to provide new information on the problems existing in the achievement of mining policies that will help to mitigate the environmental impacts of gold mining activities on the local population. From the respondents, the results showed that the Lefa gold mine’s activities contaminated the farmland (31.21%), allowed the extinction of many animals and plant species (28.19%), which caused the change of the landscape of the study area. However, the most important situation was the life of the surrounding population. Therefore, the study has proposed a serial of recommendation to help Lefa gold mine reduce the impact of their activities on the environment and local population.展开更多
Due to historical and ongoing industrial practices, lead contamination in urban soils presents substantial health risks, primarily due to its capacity to readily migrate from the soil to humans. This research focused ...Due to historical and ongoing industrial practices, lead contamination in urban soils presents substantial health risks, primarily due to its capacity to readily migrate from the soil to humans. This research focused on the influence of soil pH, organic matter, and clay content on extractable lead amounts. Sixty-four soil samples from Muncie, Indiana, were analyzed, revealing that the examined factors accounted for 21.71% of the Pb mg/Kg-dry variable variance (p −0.4, p < 0.001), with XRD and FTIR analyses confirming the binding affinity of clay minerals with lead. In contrast, no significant relationships were found between Pb concentrations and soil pH (r = 0.07;p = 0.59) or organic matter content (r = 0.12;p = 0.34). Elucidating the interactions between lead, clay minerals, and other soil constituents is crucial for addressing lead-contaminated soils and reducing environmental and health impacts.展开更多
Most studies have shown that oxygen vacancies on Ce_(x)Zr_(1-x)O_(2) solid solution are important for enhancing the catalytic oxidation performance.However,a handful of studies investigated the different roles of surf...Most studies have shown that oxygen vacancies on Ce_(x)Zr_(1-x)O_(2) solid solution are important for enhancing the catalytic oxidation performance.However,a handful of studies investigated the different roles of surface and subsurface oxygen vacancies on the performance and mechanisms of catalysts.Herein,a series of zirconium doping on CeO_(2) samples(CeO_(2),Ce_(0.95)Zr_(0.05)O_(2),and Ce_(0.8)5Zr_(0.15)O_(2))with various surface-to-subsurface oxygen vacancies ratios have been synthesized and applied in toluene catalytic oxidation.The obtained Ce_(0.95)Zr_(0.05)O_(2) exhibits an excellent catalytic performance with a 90%toluene conversion at 295℃,which is 68℃lower than that of CeO_(2).Additionally,the obtained Ce_(0.95)Zr_(0.05)O_(2)catalyst also exhibited good catalytic stability and water resistance.The XRD and HRTEM results show that Zr ions are incorporated into CeO_(2) lattice,forming Ce_(x)Zr_(1-x)O_(2) solid solution.Temperature-programmed experiments reveal that Ce_(0.95)Zr_(0.05)O_(2) shows excellent lowtemperature reducibility and abundant surface oxygen species.In-situ DRIFTS tests were used to probe the reaction mechanism,and the function of Zr doping in promoting the activation of oxygen was further determined.Density functional theory(DFT)calculations indicate that the vacancy formation energy and O_(2) adsorption energy are both lower on Ce_(0.95)Zr_(0.05)O_(2),confirming the reason for its superior catalytic performance.展开更多
Branch angles are an important plant morphological trait affecting light interception within forest canopies.However,studies on branch angles have been limited due to the time-consuming nature of manual measurements u...Branch angles are an important plant morphological trait affecting light interception within forest canopies.However,studies on branch angles have been limited due to the time-consuming nature of manual measurements using a protractor.Terrestrial laser scanning(TLS),however,provides new opportunities to measure branch angles more efficiently.Despite this potential,studies validating branch angle measurements from TLS have been limited.Here,our aim is to evaluate both manual and automatic branch angle measurements of European beech from TLS data using traditional field-measurements with a protractor as a reference.We evaluated the accuracy of branch angle measurements based on four automated algorithms(aRchiQSM,TreeQSM,Laplacian,SemanticLaplacian)from TLS data.Additionally,we assessed different ways of manual branch angle measurements in the field.Our study was based on a dataset comprising 124 branch angles measured from six European beech in a European deciduous forest.Our results show that manual branch angle measurements from TLS data are in high agreement with the reference(root-mean-squared error,RMSE:[3.57°-4.18°],concordance correlation coefficient,CCC:[0.950.97])across different branch length positions.Automated algorithms also are in high agreement with the reference although RMSE is approximately twice as large compared to manual branch angle measurements from TLS(RMSE:[9.29°-10.55°],CCC:[0.830.86])with manual leaf points removal.When applying the automatic wood-leaf separation algorithm,the performance of the four methods declined significantly,with only approximately 20 branch angles successfully identified.Moreover,it is important to note that there is no influence of the measurement position(branch surface versus center)for branch angle measurements.However,for curved branches,the selection of branch measurement length significantly impacts the branch angle measurement.This study provides a comprehensive understanding of branch angle measurements in forests.We show that automated measurement methods based on TLS data of branch angles are a valuable tool to quantify branch angles at larger scales.展开更多
Treelines are ecologically unique,fragile,and rich in natural resources.They harbour high species diversity and at the same time are under threat due to anthropogenic activities.Recognizing this,the present study has ...Treelines are ecologically unique,fragile,and rich in natural resources.They harbour high species diversity and at the same time are under threat due to anthropogenic activities.Recognizing this,the present study has been framed to document the patterns of species richness and diversity in the state of Himachal Pradesh,western Himalaya.A total of six treeline sites(three disturbed and three undisturbed)were identified for vegetation sampling.Trees,shrubs,and herbs were sampled at each site using nested plots of 10 m^(2),5 m^(2),and 1 m^(2),respectively.The study exhibits the rich diversity of treeline communities,the patterns of which varied between treeline sites.Altogether,221 species of vascular plants belonging to 47 families and 140 genera were recorded from the area.Amongst families,Asteraceae was the dominant family followed by Apiaceae and Ranunculaceae.The study also revealed the presence of threatened species like Aconitum heterophyllum,Angelica glauca,Bergenia stracheyi,Dactylorhiza hatagirea,Picrorhiza kurroa,and Trillium govanianum etc.at treeline.Moreover,species composition revealed high densities of Betula utilis followed by the under canopy of Rhododendron campanulatum and R.anthopogon at treeline sites.Overall,species richness of herbs,shrubs,and trees were higher at undisturbed site as compared to disturbed one.The diversity indices of herbs and shrubs varied significantly between treeline sites while that of trees was non-significant.At the same time,soil properties showed distinct patterns wherein pH and available nitrogen significantly varied between treeline sites.Present study provides detailed insights into the floristic and ecological aspects of treeline communities from the unexplored ecoregion of western Himalaya.The treelines in the area are anthropogenically depressed and continued land-use activities might result in habitat fragmentation and displacement of plant communities in the near future.展开更多
As a key step in waste activated sludge(WAS)treatment and disposal,WAS dewatering can minimize the amount of WAS and decrease the costs of transportation,storage management,treatment,and disposal.Advanced oxidation pr...As a key step in waste activated sludge(WAS)treatment and disposal,WAS dewatering can minimize the amount of WAS and decrease the costs of transportation,storage management,treatment,and disposal.Advanced oxidation processes(AOPs)have been widely explored in WAS dewatering due to the excellent oxidizing properties and efficient decomposition capacity since the 21^(st)century.This review outlined the mechanisms of AOPs to improve WAS dewatering and pointed out the shortcomings of the existing mechanisms.Then,the applications of AOPs-based WAS dewatering processes for enhanced WAS dewatering were reviewed,and the intrinsic limitations of AOPs-based WAS dewatering processes in engineering applications were proposed.In addition,an overall review of AOPs-based WAS dewatering researches was also conducted through bibliometric analysis,and future research hotspots in the field of AOPs-based WAS dewatering were proposed.Finally,the positive effects of the AOPs-based WAS dewatering processes on pollutant removal and resource recovery were investigated,and an integrated plan for the harmless disposal of WAS was constructed to achieve a positive reform of the traditional WAS management plan.This review provided theoretical basis and technical reference for the development of efficient,economical,and environmental AOPs for enhanced WAS dewatering to facilitate the application of AOPs in actual WAS dewatering engineering.展开更多
The digital revolution in agriculture has introduced data-driven decision-making,where artificial intelligence,especially machine learning(ML),helps analyze large and varied data sources to improve soil quality and cr...The digital revolution in agriculture has introduced data-driven decision-making,where artificial intelligence,especially machine learning(ML),helps analyze large and varied data sources to improve soil quality and crop growth indices.Thus,a thorough evaluation of scientific publications from 2007 to 2024 was conducted via the Scopus and Web of Science databases with the PRISMA guidelines to determine the realistic role of ML in soil health and crop improvement under the SDGs.In addition,the present review focused to identify and analyze the trends,challenges,and opportunities associated with the successful implementation of ML in agriculture.The assessment of various databases clearly revealed that ML implementation depends on crop management,while its limited potential in terms of soil health was explored.ML models,such as random forest and XGBoost,have demonstrated high accuracies of up to 99%in crop yield prediction and disease detection.Advanced ML frameworks,including the SHIDS-ADLT and EfficientNetB3,have improved soil health monitoring and plant disease classification.Irrigation management using ML has achieved over 50%water savings and irrigation efficiency by 10%-35%.These findings highlight the potential of ML to improve sustainable agricultural practices and soil health.A significant improvement discussed in this review is AutoML,which simplifies ML model implementation by automating feature selection,model selection,and hyperparameter tuning,reducing dependency on ML expertise.The integration of ML with remote sensing,Internet of Things(IoT),and big data analytics is expected to further transform the precision agriculture and real-time decisionmaking approaches to optimize resource utilization.Conclusively,the present review offers a quantitative perspective on the evolution of ML in agriculture,soil health management,crop yield prediction,and resource optimization.展开更多
The removal of arsenic from water is essential for the protection of public health. To investigate the adsorption capabilities of laterite, sandstone, and shale for the removal of arsenic from aqueous solutions, colum...The removal of arsenic from water is essential for the protection of public health. To investigate the adsorption capabilities of laterite, sandstone, and shale for the removal of arsenic from aqueous solutions, column experiments were conducted. In this study, raw materials and heat-treated (calcined) materials were examined. The experiments assessed the influence of various parameters, including initial concentration, bed depth, and the effects of heat treatment. The findings revealed that the breakthrough curves were influenced by the initial concentration of arsenic, the depth of the bed, and the type of material used. For an initial arsenic concentration of 5 mg/L, columns containing 85 cm of calcined laterite, sandstone, and shale produced volumes of 7460 ml (1492 min), 3510 ml (702 min), and 4400 ml (880 min) of water with arsenic levels below 0.01 mg/L, respectively. These calcined materials demonstrate significant potential for the effective removal of arsenic from water.展开更多
文摘Springs are vital freshwater sources for rural communities,yet they are increasingly threatened by nutrient enrichment,microbial contamination,and declining ecological integrity.This study assessed the water quality of Sumber Suko Spring in East Java,Indonesia,through an integrated ecological approach combining physicochemical,microbiological,biological,and hydrological parameters across wet and dry seasons.Physicochemical results showed stable temperature(24.1–26.7°C),near-neutral pH(6.4–6.9),and adequate dissolved oxygen(6.2–7.4 mg/L).However,nitrate concentrations were elevated(39.37–48.16 mg/L),exceeding natural background levels and indicating agricultural leaching,while phosphate values ranged between 0.12–0.21 mg/L.Microbial analysis revealed high total coliform counts(24 CFU/100mL),far above WHO standards,although E.coli was not detected.Plankton analysis identified 10 genera,with Microcystis aeruginosa dominating,particularly in the dry season,signaling risks of eutrophication.Shannon-Wiener diversity indices(H’)ranged from 1.25 to 1.67,with evenness values between 0.43 and 0.56,reflecting low-to-moderate community stability.Hydrological measurements showed seasonal discharge fluctuations from 14.6 L/s in the wet season to 7.8 L/s in the dry season,strongly correlated with rainfall.Overall,the integration of nutrient enrichment,coliform contamination,and cyanobacterial dominance indicates that Sumber Suko Spring is under ecological stress and does not meet drinking water standards without treatment.The findings highlight the urgent need for source protection,disinfection,and continuous monitoring within a water safety plan framework.This study provides evidence-based insights to support local policy alignment with WHO guidelines and emphasizes the importance of community participation in sustaining spring ecosystems for long-term water security.
基金supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.XDB0750400)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.91851204,42177063,and 52370185)+1 种基金the Special project of eco-environmental technology for peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality(No.RCEES-TDZ-2021-20)the State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control(Research Center for Eco-environmental Sciences,Chinese Academy of Sciences)(No.24Z01ESPCR).
文摘Anaerobic ammonium oxidation(anammox)plays a vital role in the global nitrogen cycle by mitigating reactive nitrogen.In recent years,its ecological importance has drawn increasing attention.Despite its widespread occurrence,the distribution and quantitative contribution of anammox to global nitrogen loss remain unclear.We collected 390 reported anammox activity measurements which were obtained using 15N isotope tracing techniques and analyzed anammox rate and environmental factors including soil/sediment and water property using generalized additive models(GAMs).Moreover,based on the division of the anammox activity region,we estimated anammox-driven nitrogen loss across different ecosystems including wetlands and oxygen minimum zones(OMZs)ecosystems.Our findings revealed that soil moisture content was the most significant predictor of anammox activity in wetlands ecosystems.Paddy fields contributed 51%of anammox-driven nitrogen loss(32.0 Tg N/yr),followed by rivers/lakes(29%)and wetlands(20%).Asia emerged as the dominant region for anammoxdriven nitrogen loss(30.7 Tg N/yr),with paddy fields making a substantial contribution.North America was the second-largest contributor(25.4 Tg N/yr),with rivers/lakes being the main sources of nitrogen loss.In OMZs ecosystems,nitrate and dissolved oxygen were key factors influencing anammox rates.OMZs were hotspots for anammox,with peak activity at 300 m depth and nitrogen loss totaling 68.6 Tg N/yr,mostly between 100 and 500 m depths.This study underscores the critical role of anammox in global nitrogen cycling and offers a basis for environmental nitrogen management through predictive anammox modeling.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.92252104,12388101,and 12472224).
文摘In this study,we perform particle-resolved simulations of settling spheroidal particles,considering oblate and prolate spheroids and spheres,and investigate the shape effect on the particle dynamics in suspensions with volume fraction 1%and 5%.We first examine the single-point statistics of the translational and rotational motion of the settling particles.The horizontal velocity has a symmetrical distribution with standard deviation dependent on the particle shape.The greater horizontal velocity fluctuations of the non-spherical particles,compared to that of spheres,are attributed to the horizontal drift of settling spheroids with oblique orientations induced by the fluid-particle and particle-particle interactions.The fluctuation of particle vertical velocity,instead,is skewed under the effect of wake-induced hydrodynamic interactions.Further,we explore the particle pair statistics,which demonstrate the formation of column-like particle micro-structures for the lowest volume fraction considered.This clustering is more pronounced for spheroidal particles than spheres,due to the stronger attractions among vertically-aligned settling spheroids.Moreover,the particle pair statistics are directly related to the collision rate among the dispersed particles.The local accumulation of oblate/prolate spheroids serves as the major mechanism to promote the particle-particle collisions in dilute suspensions.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.32161143025,No.42371283,No.W2412155National Key R&D Program of China,No.2022YFE0119200。
文摘The Selenge River Basin(SRB)in Mongolia has faced ecosystem degradation because of climate change and overloading.The dynamics of the pastoral system and the extent of overload under future scenarios have not been documented.This study aims to answer the following questions:Will the typical soums in the SRB become more overgrazed in the future?What optimal strategy should be implemented?Multisource data were integrated and utilized to model the pastoral system of typical soums using a system dynamics approach.Future scenarios under three SSP-RCPs were projected using the model.The conclusions are as follows:(1)From upstream to downstream,rational scenarios for pastoral system transferred from SSP1-RCP2.6 to SSP2-RCP4.5,which reflect improved productivity at the expense of ecosystem stability.(2)Compared with that during the historical period of 2000-2020,the projected carrying capacity of the soums decreases by 15.2%-37.3%,whereas the number of livestock continues to increase.Consequently,the stocking rate is expected to increase from 0.32-1.16 during 2000-2020 to 1.26-2.02 during 2021-2050,indicating that rangeland will become more overloaded.(3)A livestock reduction strategy based on future livestock stock and grassland carrying capacity scenarios was proposed to maintain a dynamic forage-livestock equilibrium.It is suggested that reducing livestock is a practical option for harmonizing grassland conservation with livestock husbandry development.
基金The National University of Mongolia,No.P2024-4814The Mongolian Science and Technology Foundation,No.CHN-2022/274The‘Chey Institute for Advanced Studies’International Scholar Exchange Fellowship for the Academic Year of 2025-2026。
文摘This study investigates climate-and human-induced hydrological changes in the Zavkhan River-Khyargas Lake Basin,a highly sensitive arid and semi-arid region of Central Asia.Using Mann-Kendall,innovative trend analysis,and Sen's slope estimation methods,historical climate trends(1980-2100)were analyzed,while land cover changes represented human impacts.Future projections were simulated using the MIROC model with Shared Socioeconomic Pathways(SSPs)and the Tank model.Results show that during the past 40 years,air temperature significantly increased(Z=3.93^(***)),while precipitation(Z=-1.54^(*))and river flow(Z=-1.73^(*))both declined.The Khyargas Lake water level dropped markedly(Z=-5.57***).Land cover analysis reveals expanded cropland and impervious areas due to human activity.Under the SSP1.26 scenario,which assumes minimal climate change,air temperature is projected to rise by 2.0℃,precipitation by 21.8 mm,and river discharge by 1.61 m^(3)/s between 2000 and 2100.These findings indicate that both global warming and intensified land use have substantially altered hydrological and climatic processes in the basin,highlighting the vulnerability of western Mongolia's water resources to combined climatic and anthropogenic influence.
文摘Environmentally persistent and bioaccumulative perfluorooctanic acid （PFOA） was difficult to be decomposed under the irradiation of 254 nm UV light. However, in the presence of 80μmol/L Fe（Ⅲ）, 80% of PFOA with initial concentration of 48μmol/L （20 mg/L） was effectively degraded and 47.8% of fluorine atoms in PFOA molecule were transformed into inorganic fluoride ion after 4 h reaction. Shorter chain perfluorocarboxylic acids bearing C3-C7 and fluoride ion were detected and identified by LC/MS and IC as the degradation products in the aqueous solution. It was proposed that complexes of PFOA with Fe（Ⅲ） initiated degradation of PFOA irradiated with 254 nm UV light.
文摘Strategic assessments are a landscape scale assessment and unlike project-by-project assessments which look at individual actions, they can consider a much broader set of issues;for example, a large urban growth area that will be developed over many years or a fire management policy across a broad landscape. Wetlands are important and effective ecosystems for biodiversity protection and improving environmental conditions. Bird watching as tourism and ecotourism activity is a complex process which it is compatible with conservation of wetlands and other aquatic zones. In this research, combination of SWOT analysis and FAHP method base on strategic fuzzy assessment are used for bird watch zoning in Bazangan Lake. By making internal and external matrix for SWOT factors, existing condition was in competitive strategies (ST) in the study area. Offered strategies in this condition were environment restoration to increase in environment resilience against hazards (natural and human), avoiding of land use and land cover changes and presence of ecotourism responsibly especially Bird watching. The sensitivity analysis results did not show any difference within the results of the present study and it was suitable and valid to use for similar situations. Base on the presented medium and short term strategies, it needed to have a short time training program to inform and empower local communities to wetlands partnership management by sharing them in the getting benefits in Bazangan Lake. By using the preferred frame in this study, decision makers can plan for each lake, dam and wetland and determine the best areas for tourist activities like bird watching. Conservation, protection and restoration of environment with its wildlife are guaranteed by using fuzzy assessment to provide reasonable strategies.
文摘An environmental and economic assessment of the development of a plasma-chemical reactor equipped with plasma torches for the environmentally friendly treatment of waste streams by plasma is outlined with a view to the chemical and energetic valorization of the sustainability in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia（KSA）. This is especially applicable in the pilgrimage season in the city of Makkah, which is a major challenge since the amount of waste was estimated at about 750 thousand tons through Arabic Year 1435 H（2015）, and is growing at a rate of 3%–5% annually. According to statistics, the value of waste in Saudi Arabia ranges between 8 and 9 billion EUR. The Plasma-Treatment Project（PTP） encompasses the direct plasma treatment of all types of waste（from source and landfill）, as well as an environmental vision and economic evaluation of the use of the gas produced for fuel and electricity production in KSA, especially in the pilgrimage season in the holy city Makkah. The electrical power required for the plasmatreatment process is estimated at 5000 kW（2000 kW used for the operation of the system and 3000 kW sold）, taking into account the fact that：（1） the processing capacity of solid waste is 100 tons per day（2） and the sale of electricity amounts to 23.8 MW at 0.18 EUR per kWh.（3） The profit from the sale of electricity per year is estimated at 3.27 million EUR and the estimated profit of solid-waste treatment amounts to 6 million EUR per year and（4） the gross profit per ton of solid waste totals 8 million EUR per year. The present article introduces the first stage of the PTP, in Makkah in the pilgrimage season, which consists of five stages：（1） study and treatment of waste streams,（2） slaughterhouse waste treatment,（3） treatment of refuse-derived fuel,（4）treatment of car tires and（5） treatment of slag（the fifth stage associated with each stage from the four previous stages）.
文摘Over recent years, the population of Caspian cobra Naja oxiana has declined in its distribution range in Iran due to habitat destruction and overhunting. Consequently, their small and isolated populations in fragmented landscapes are facing genetic and demographic threats. Evaluating the spatial distribution pattern of Naja oxiana, identifying core habitat patches and improving landscape connectivity among the patches have a significant role in the long-term survival of the species. This study predicts the spatial distribution map of the Caspian cobra considering the factors affecting the predictive power of the distribution models, including sampling bias in presence points, correct selection of background locations, and input model parameters. The sampling bias in presence points was removed using spatial filtering. Several models were run using 19 environmental variables that eventually led to the selection of the effective habitat variables and best MaxEnt distribution model. We also used an ensemble model(EM) of habitat suitability methods to predict the potential habitats of the species. Topographical roughness, shrublands, average annual precipitation, and sparse rangeland with a density of ≤ 20% had the most effect on the spatial distribution of Caspian cobra. The evaluation of models confirmed that the EM has more predictive performance than MaxEnt in predicting the distribution of Naja oxiana.
文摘The overall goal of this study is investigating the environmental impacts of using wastewater effluent of industrial states in irrigation of green space. For this purpose, industrial state of Shokouhieh in Qom Province in central of Iran was selected as a case study. Firstly, the quality and quantity of inputting wastewater into refinery and outputting wastewater effluent were measured on important parameters of pH, TDS, TSS, COD, BOD and wastewater temperature in refinery laboratory of industrial state of Qom Shokouhieh during 12 months from March 2012 to March 2013. Then analysis of chemical, biological and physical indicators of irrigation wastewater (effluent) and measurement of heavy metals were done in June 2012 and January 2013 according to the standards instruction for the water and wastewater treatment. Also, heavy metals, EC, pH, and Mg2+, Ca2+, Na+, k+ of soil of industrial estate of Qom Shokouhieh were studied. Then, Rapid Impact Assessment Method (RIAM) and Entropy Method were used to analyze the data. In Rapid Impact Assessment Method, socio-cultural, physicochemical, biological and economic environments get the highest negative impacts respectively. In Entropy Method after weighting the environmental factors, public health and other disease parameters with the weight of 0.147, soil chemical properties with the weight of 0.136, soil toxicity with the weight of 0.126 were allocated the first rate up to the third rate respectively. After comparing the results of these two methods with each other, the main limitation of using wastewater effluent of industrial estate of Qom Shokouhie in irrigation of green space is entering chemical pollutants (nitrate) into groundwater, salinity and toxicity of soil of industrial state and endangerment of workers and labors public health who work in industrial state of Qom Shokouhie (specially the labors who exposure directly with the wastewater effluent and labors work in refinery).
文摘The problem of solid waste landfills on Caspian Sea coastlines is one of the current concerns of the Iranian environmental authorities. Physical and environmental constraints as well as shortcomings in present municipal solid waste management are the main factors for environmental pollution and natural resources destruction in this geographical region. In order to reduce the above problems, this study has been carried out on the basis of a comparative assessment of the existing condition of landfill sites in natural ecosystems. In this study, 48 cities of the region have been investigated. All of them are located in Gilan and Mazandaran provinces. Total daily waste production in the study area is about 1209 tons that are dumped in open spaces and/or in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Surveying of 53 physical, adaptability and constraint parameters as well as hygiene and environmental parameters in the landfills, based on “Monavari-94 Method” indicate that the main problem in all of them is a high groundwater table. In 42% of landfills, the groundwater level is between from 0.5 to 2 meters. This phenomenon may cause severe risks due to the infiltration of leachate into potable groundwater. Indeed, the results of the study show that 87.5% of the landfills are located in areas with unacceptable conditions. In spite of geographical and environmental problems and constraints and as a final alternative in this respect, the need for sanitary and technical solid waste management is the main need of the study areas.
文摘The present study was designed to assess lead levels in playground soil and accumulated dust on playground equipment and then correlate those environmental lead measurements with children’s blood lead in the surrounding neighborhoods. Soil lead and surface dust were collected from 14 playgrounds in Muncie, Indiana, and blood lead levels were calculated for nearby children. Correlation analyses revealed a moderate positive association between dust Pb and soil Pb with a correlation coefficient r = 0.46 (p = 0.099). The relationship between settled dust on playground equipment and composite blood lead level also showed a medium positive correlation, indicated by r = 0.36 (p = 0.202). A positive correlation was also observed between soil Pb and composite blood lead values, as evidenced by r = 0.51 (p = 0.061). Furthermore, the assessment of spatial autocorrelation using Moran’s I index indicated no significant spatial clustering for the variables studied (dust Pb, soil Pb, and blood Pb). Correlation analysis showed a connection between lead levels in soil and dust, but no significant links were found between soil lead and blood lead and between dust lead and blood lead. These results suggest that environmental lead in parks has a limited impact on children’s blood lead levels nearby. Spatial autocorrelation analysis also revealed no significant spatial patterns among variables—dust, soil, and blood lead. Given these findings, it is recommended to seek expertise from qualified professionals and further perform comprehensive testing and analysis to investigate potential lead sources in children’s blood. The outcomes of this study offer valuable insights into assessing playground environmental lead contamination, contributing to future research priorities in this area. Specifically, future studies could focus on collecting larger sample sizes and characterizing blood lead in children who frequently use playgrounds rather than those who live nearby but may or may not use the playgrounds.
文摘Republic of Guinea’s environmental situation is characterized by the continued degradation of natural resources. Lefa gold mine is one of the Guinean Republic’s gold companies which support the socioeconomic improvement. It operates in the northeastern part of the country and extracts the ore gold by open pit method by using cyanide. The exploitation of the Lefa Gold Mine impacts?the natural resources and the surrounding population. This paper considers the impact of Lefa Gold Mine activities on the environment and its local population including ecological disturbance, destruction of fauna and flora, land and landscape degradation. The study was carried out in April to July 2013 in two villages, Fayalala Carrefour, and Lèro Karta. Questionnaires were illustrated for data collection, and the proposed sampling size number (1204 respondents) consisted of the two villages and the surrounding villages was?founded on the proximity to the mine sites and their degree of suffering?after a direct impact of mining activities. 961 (79.82% of respondents) adhered?to the research to provide information about the situation. The principal objective of this paper was to provide new information on the problems existing in the achievement of mining policies that will help to mitigate the environmental impacts of gold mining activities on the local population. From the respondents, the results showed that the Lefa gold mine’s activities contaminated the farmland (31.21%), allowed the extinction of many animals and plant species (28.19%), which caused the change of the landscape of the study area. However, the most important situation was the life of the surrounding population. Therefore, the study has proposed a serial of recommendation to help Lefa gold mine reduce the impact of their activities on the environment and local population.
文摘Due to historical and ongoing industrial practices, lead contamination in urban soils presents substantial health risks, primarily due to its capacity to readily migrate from the soil to humans. This research focused on the influence of soil pH, organic matter, and clay content on extractable lead amounts. Sixty-four soil samples from Muncie, Indiana, were analyzed, revealing that the examined factors accounted for 21.71% of the Pb mg/Kg-dry variable variance (p −0.4, p < 0.001), with XRD and FTIR analyses confirming the binding affinity of clay minerals with lead. In contrast, no significant relationships were found between Pb concentrations and soil pH (r = 0.07;p = 0.59) or organic matter content (r = 0.12;p = 0.34). Elucidating the interactions between lead, clay minerals, and other soil constituents is crucial for addressing lead-contaminated soils and reducing environmental and health impacts.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation(No.51678291)the Basic Science(Natural Science)Research in Higher Education in Jiangsu Province(No.23KJA610003)the High-level Scientific Research Foundation for the introduction of talent in Nanjing Institute of Technology(No.YKJ201999)。
文摘Most studies have shown that oxygen vacancies on Ce_(x)Zr_(1-x)O_(2) solid solution are important for enhancing the catalytic oxidation performance.However,a handful of studies investigated the different roles of surface and subsurface oxygen vacancies on the performance and mechanisms of catalysts.Herein,a series of zirconium doping on CeO_(2) samples(CeO_(2),Ce_(0.95)Zr_(0.05)O_(2),and Ce_(0.8)5Zr_(0.15)O_(2))with various surface-to-subsurface oxygen vacancies ratios have been synthesized and applied in toluene catalytic oxidation.The obtained Ce_(0.95)Zr_(0.05)O_(2) exhibits an excellent catalytic performance with a 90%toluene conversion at 295℃,which is 68℃lower than that of CeO_(2).Additionally,the obtained Ce_(0.95)Zr_(0.05)O_(2)catalyst also exhibited good catalytic stability and water resistance.The XRD and HRTEM results show that Zr ions are incorporated into CeO_(2) lattice,forming Ce_(x)Zr_(1-x)O_(2) solid solution.Temperature-programmed experiments reveal that Ce_(0.95)Zr_(0.05)O_(2) shows excellent lowtemperature reducibility and abundant surface oxygen species.In-situ DRIFTS tests were used to probe the reaction mechanism,and the function of Zr doping in promoting the activation of oxygen was further determined.Density functional theory(DFT)calculations indicate that the vacancy formation energy and O_(2) adsorption energy are both lower on Ce_(0.95)Zr_(0.05)O_(2),confirming the reason for its superior catalytic performance.
基金supported by the Chinese Scholarship Council under Grant 202106910006.
文摘Branch angles are an important plant morphological trait affecting light interception within forest canopies.However,studies on branch angles have been limited due to the time-consuming nature of manual measurements using a protractor.Terrestrial laser scanning(TLS),however,provides new opportunities to measure branch angles more efficiently.Despite this potential,studies validating branch angle measurements from TLS have been limited.Here,our aim is to evaluate both manual and automatic branch angle measurements of European beech from TLS data using traditional field-measurements with a protractor as a reference.We evaluated the accuracy of branch angle measurements based on four automated algorithms(aRchiQSM,TreeQSM,Laplacian,SemanticLaplacian)from TLS data.Additionally,we assessed different ways of manual branch angle measurements in the field.Our study was based on a dataset comprising 124 branch angles measured from six European beech in a European deciduous forest.Our results show that manual branch angle measurements from TLS data are in high agreement with the reference(root-mean-squared error,RMSE:[3.57°-4.18°],concordance correlation coefficient,CCC:[0.950.97])across different branch length positions.Automated algorithms also are in high agreement with the reference although RMSE is approximately twice as large compared to manual branch angle measurements from TLS(RMSE:[9.29°-10.55°],CCC:[0.830.86])with manual leaf points removal.When applying the automatic wood-leaf separation algorithm,the performance of the four methods declined significantly,with only approximately 20 branch angles successfully identified.Moreover,it is important to note that there is no influence of the measurement position(branch surface versus center)for branch angle measurements.However,for curved branches,the selection of branch measurement length significantly impacts the branch angle measurement.This study provides a comprehensive understanding of branch angle measurements in forests.We show that automated measurement methods based on TLS data of branch angles are a valuable tool to quantify branch angles at larger scales.
基金the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change and GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment for providing financial assistance through the National Mission on Himalayan Studies (GAP-0199)
文摘Treelines are ecologically unique,fragile,and rich in natural resources.They harbour high species diversity and at the same time are under threat due to anthropogenic activities.Recognizing this,the present study has been framed to document the patterns of species richness and diversity in the state of Himachal Pradesh,western Himalaya.A total of six treeline sites(three disturbed and three undisturbed)were identified for vegetation sampling.Trees,shrubs,and herbs were sampled at each site using nested plots of 10 m^(2),5 m^(2),and 1 m^(2),respectively.The study exhibits the rich diversity of treeline communities,the patterns of which varied between treeline sites.Altogether,221 species of vascular plants belonging to 47 families and 140 genera were recorded from the area.Amongst families,Asteraceae was the dominant family followed by Apiaceae and Ranunculaceae.The study also revealed the presence of threatened species like Aconitum heterophyllum,Angelica glauca,Bergenia stracheyi,Dactylorhiza hatagirea,Picrorhiza kurroa,and Trillium govanianum etc.at treeline.Moreover,species composition revealed high densities of Betula utilis followed by the under canopy of Rhododendron campanulatum and R.anthopogon at treeline sites.Overall,species richness of herbs,shrubs,and trees were higher at undisturbed site as compared to disturbed one.The diversity indices of herbs and shrubs varied significantly between treeline sites while that of trees was non-significant.At the same time,soil properties showed distinct patterns wherein pH and available nitrogen significantly varied between treeline sites.Present study provides detailed insights into the floristic and ecological aspects of treeline communities from the unexplored ecoregion of western Himalaya.The treelines in the area are anthropogenically depressed and continued land-use activities might result in habitat fragmentation and displacement of plant communities in the near future.
基金funded under the auspices of the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2023YFC3207404-01)the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program of CPSF(No.GZC20233450)the Heilongjiang Province Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.LBHZ23154)。
文摘As a key step in waste activated sludge(WAS)treatment and disposal,WAS dewatering can minimize the amount of WAS and decrease the costs of transportation,storage management,treatment,and disposal.Advanced oxidation processes(AOPs)have been widely explored in WAS dewatering due to the excellent oxidizing properties and efficient decomposition capacity since the 21^(st)century.This review outlined the mechanisms of AOPs to improve WAS dewatering and pointed out the shortcomings of the existing mechanisms.Then,the applications of AOPs-based WAS dewatering processes for enhanced WAS dewatering were reviewed,and the intrinsic limitations of AOPs-based WAS dewatering processes in engineering applications were proposed.In addition,an overall review of AOPs-based WAS dewatering researches was also conducted through bibliometric analysis,and future research hotspots in the field of AOPs-based WAS dewatering were proposed.Finally,the positive effects of the AOPs-based WAS dewatering processes on pollutant removal and resource recovery were investigated,and an integrated plan for the harmless disposal of WAS was constructed to achieve a positive reform of the traditional WAS management plan.This review provided theoretical basis and technical reference for the development of efficient,economical,and environmental AOPs for enhanced WAS dewatering to facilitate the application of AOPs in actual WAS dewatering engineering.
基金supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation(no.FENW-2023-0008)the Strategic Academic Leadership Program of Southern Federal University,known as“Priority 2030”.
文摘The digital revolution in agriculture has introduced data-driven decision-making,where artificial intelligence,especially machine learning(ML),helps analyze large and varied data sources to improve soil quality and crop growth indices.Thus,a thorough evaluation of scientific publications from 2007 to 2024 was conducted via the Scopus and Web of Science databases with the PRISMA guidelines to determine the realistic role of ML in soil health and crop improvement under the SDGs.In addition,the present review focused to identify and analyze the trends,challenges,and opportunities associated with the successful implementation of ML in agriculture.The assessment of various databases clearly revealed that ML implementation depends on crop management,while its limited potential in terms of soil health was explored.ML models,such as random forest and XGBoost,have demonstrated high accuracies of up to 99%in crop yield prediction and disease detection.Advanced ML frameworks,including the SHIDS-ADLT and EfficientNetB3,have improved soil health monitoring and plant disease classification.Irrigation management using ML has achieved over 50%water savings and irrigation efficiency by 10%-35%.These findings highlight the potential of ML to improve sustainable agricultural practices and soil health.A significant improvement discussed in this review is AutoML,which simplifies ML model implementation by automating feature selection,model selection,and hyperparameter tuning,reducing dependency on ML expertise.The integration of ML with remote sensing,Internet of Things(IoT),and big data analytics is expected to further transform the precision agriculture and real-time decisionmaking approaches to optimize resource utilization.Conclusively,the present review offers a quantitative perspective on the evolution of ML in agriculture,soil health management,crop yield prediction,and resource optimization.
文摘The removal of arsenic from water is essential for the protection of public health. To investigate the adsorption capabilities of laterite, sandstone, and shale for the removal of arsenic from aqueous solutions, column experiments were conducted. In this study, raw materials and heat-treated (calcined) materials were examined. The experiments assessed the influence of various parameters, including initial concentration, bed depth, and the effects of heat treatment. The findings revealed that the breakthrough curves were influenced by the initial concentration of arsenic, the depth of the bed, and the type of material used. For an initial arsenic concentration of 5 mg/L, columns containing 85 cm of calcined laterite, sandstone, and shale produced volumes of 7460 ml (1492 min), 3510 ml (702 min), and 4400 ml (880 min) of water with arsenic levels below 0.01 mg/L, respectively. These calcined materials demonstrate significant potential for the effective removal of arsenic from water.
