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Abstract\nHIGHLIGHTSUnder the promotion of urban planning and land development policies, the urban spatial structure of China is undergoing a transformation towards polycentricity. The improvement of environmental performance during the process of urban spatial transformation is crucial for urban sustainable development. This paper uses high-resolution population grid data from LandScan for the years 2001–2019 to measure the urban spatial structure of Chinese cities. Then we match the Chinese Industrial Enterprise Database with the Chinese Industrial Enterprise Pollution Emission Database for the years 2001–2014. This paper empirically examines the impact and mechanisms of the polycentric spatial structure of Chinese cities on enterprise pollution reduction at the micro-level. The findings indicate that compared to monocentricity, polycentricity is more conducive to improving enterprise environmental performance. Mechanism tests demonstrate that the improvement in enterprise environmental performance resulting from polycentricity can be achieved through three channels: increasing urban population and density, mitigating urban environmental pollution, and promoting enterprise innovation ability. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that polycentricity is more beneficial for emission reduction among small enterprises, young enterprises and enterprises in regions with higher environmental regulations. This paper provides micro-level evidence and policy implications for further strengthening the aggregation effect of polycentricity and improving enterprise environmental performance in the future.We quantify urban spatial structure using Landscan data in China.Polycentricity is conductive to the enterprise emission reduction of so2.Polycentricity reduces enterprise emission by improving population scale and density.Reliving urban pollution, improving enterprise innovation are also mechanisms.Polycentricity is common in the southeast, southwest and northeast cities of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concepts of ecological thresholds and alternative stable states were proposed to explain nonlinear changes. However, the greatest obstacle to advance these theories and their managerial applications is a lack of data and research experience. There are almost all types of ecosystems in China, and various ecological degradation and catastrophe events occurred at the end of the 20th century. Considerable monitoring data and research cases that focus on the ecological thresholds are published in Chinese, limiting their dissemination around the world. We integrate Chinese cases and data that refer to the framework of Threshold Database and Regime Shifts Database. We introduce the China Ecological Thresholds and Alternative Stable States Database (CETASSD), developed by the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, which mainly collects research cases. The CETASSD uses a unified description framework to integrate key information from past 110 case studies from China. This paper summarizes relevant case studies with intrinsic consistency to ecological thresholds and alternative stable states in social-ecological systems. We collate and analyze 26 potential alternative stable states and 60 potential ecological thresholds in CETASSD, covering 14 types of ecosystems. We found several peculiarities of the Chinese case studies. First, more types of alternative stable states were identified in arid areas and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Second, critical thresholds research related to spatial gradient has received great attention. Third, methods of constructing highly generalized "stress-response" process lines are mainly used for threshold analysis. We suggest re-examining past research cases and methods with the latest theories of ecological thresholds and alternative stable states; strengthening research on the detection of threshold and mechanism establishment of certain ecosystems, such as the ocean in China; and further applying ecological thresholds to ecological assessment and early warning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmentally responsible behaviors of residents and tourists are great significance to the protection of natural resources and sustainable development of ecotourism. This paper takes China's Qilian Mountains National Park as the case place. By constructing a theoretical model of perceived value on environmentally responsible behavior and studying the relationship between residents' and tourists' perceived value, satisfaction and environmentally responsible behavior from both subject and object perspectives, the study shows that. Educational level and occupational distribution have significant effects on residents' and tourists' perceptions of ecotourism environmentally responsible behaviors, but age only has a significant effect on residents' perceptions of ecotourism environmentally responsible behaviors. Gender differences do not affect residents' and tourists' perceptions of ecotourism environmentally responsible behaviors. The theoretical model between residents' perceptions of environmentally responsible behaviors, environmentally responsible behaviors, and satisfaction was basically confirmed. Perceived environmentally responsible behaviors of tourists does not affect satisfaction. Satisfaction has a positive effect on tourists' environmentally responsible behaviors. Perceived environmental responsibility of tourists has a significant positive effect on tourists' environmentally responsible behaviors. The overall level of residents' perception of environmentally responsible behaviors in ecotourism is higher than tourists' perception. Residents and tourists have a poor perception of ecological and environmental protection policies. This paper expects to strengthen residents' and tourists' perceptions of ecologically responsible behaviors. Establishing the sentiment of satisfaction and commitment to environmental protection motivates residents and tourists to implement environmentally responsible behaviors and contribute to the sustainable development of ecotourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental regulation has played an essential function in reducing pollution and it also influences the flow of labor. Although studies on employment and environmental regulation have gained prominence, most researches ignore the heterogeneity of regulatory tools and its discrepant impacts on different skilled labor; moreover, few literatures have explored how environmental regulations affect employment. Therefore, this study creatively incorporates environmental regulation, industrial green transformation and employment skill structure into a unified analytical framework, categorizing environmental regulations into command-and-control type, market-incentive type and voluntary type and analyzing the heterogeneous influences of environmental regulations on employment skill structure. Meanwhile, we explore the indirect impact of environmental regulations on the employment skill structure from the mediating role of industrial green transformation. The following are the research findings: (1) From a national perspective, both command-and-control and market-incentive types present a U-shaped association with employment skill structure, and their intensity has not surpassed the turning point yet; while the voluntary type is positively connected with the employment skill structure. (2) From the regional analysis, the findings in central and western areas are consistent with the national results; while the market-incentive and voluntary types show a reciprocal U-shaped connection with employment skill structure in eastern, and their regulatory intensity is in the rising stage of the curve. (3) Industrial green transformation acts as a partly mediator between market-incentive type and employment skill structure, but presents a suppression effect between command-and-control type, voluntary type, and employment skill structure. This paper takes industrial green transformation as the mediating variable, which emphasizes the importance of industrial green transformation and enhances the understanding on the mechanism of environmental regulation influencing employment skill structure. The research results provide theoretical support and significant reference for China in formulating policies to facilitate industrial green transformation, mitigate pollution, and optimize employment skill structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the full‐sample panel data from 23 provinces and cities in China from 2013 to 2020, this paper studies the influences of environmental regulations on regional carbon emission efficiency in China under the background of opening carbon emission trading after dividing the country into high, medium, and low emission areas with emission quantity as the classification standard and constructing a regression model. The experiment reveals that the environmental regulation strength and carbon dioxide emission efficiency are positively correlated with each other in the first place. Second, there exists a positive correlation between environmental regulation strength and carbon dioxide emission efficiency in different emission regions, while in terms of the impact of environmental regulation on carbon emission efficiency, it influences the medium emission areas most, followed by low emission areas, and the high emission areas to the least. Then, current domestic environmental regulation is effective and plays a positive role in improving carbon emission efficiency and promoting the development of a low‐carbon economy in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to present a comparative scientometric analysis of the research trend of marine engineering in India and China from 2010 to 2019. In this study, 2909 publications of China and 585 publications of India were collected and analyzed. This scientometric study covers year-wise publication, preference of documents type, authorship pattern, author h-index, citation analysis, keyword analysis, and collaboration of both countries. The data has been extracted from the SCOPUS database for both countries China and India separately with limitations up to ten years. Document type of article is very popular in both countries and authors prefer to get published in journals. It is concluded that India needs more improvements in research output steadily to compete China. China and India can cooperate with each other to exploit the large marine resources for mutual benefits. Marine environment is more popular research area of marine engineering in both countries is a positive indication and may be effective in control of marine pollution. The annual growth of research publications is reported 14.24% for China and 17.69% for India. In terms of the authorship pattern, China published 21% of total papers by four authorship and India published 22.91% of total papers by two authorships. A number of results have cropped in through this study, which has been depicted through diagrams and tables here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies related to oil and gas wells have attracted worldwide interest due to the increasing energy shortfall and the requirement of sustainable development and environmental protection. However, the state of oil and gas wells in terms of research characteristics, technological megatrends, article-produced patterns, leading study items, hot topics, and frontiers is unclear. This work is aimed at filling the research gaps by performing a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of 6197 articles related to oil and gas wells published between 1900 and 2021. VOSviewer and CiteSpace software were used as the main data analysis and visualization tools. The analysis shows that the annual variation of article numbers, interdisciplinary numbers, and cumulative citations followed exponential growth. Oil and gas well research has promoted the expansion of research fields such as engineering, energy and fuels, geology, environmental sciences and ecology, materials science, and chemistry. The top 10 influential studies mainly focused on shale gas extraction and its impact on the environment. More studies were produced by larger author teams and inter-institution collaborations. Elkatatny and Guo have greatly contributed to the application of artificial intelligence in oil and gas wells. The two most contributing institutions were the Southwest Petr Univ and China Univ Petr from China. The People's Republic of China, the US, and Canada were the countries with the most contributions to the development of oil and gas wells. The authoritative journal in engineering technology was J Petrol Sci Eng, in environment technology was Environ Sci Technol, in geology was Aapg Bull, and in materials was Cement Concrete Res. The keyword co-occurrence network cluster analysis indicated that oil well cement, new energy development, machine learning, hydraulic fracturing, and natural gas and oil wells are the predominant research topics. The research frontiers were oil extraction and its harmful components (1992–2016), oil and gas wells (1997–2016), porous media (2007–2016), and hydrogen and shale gas (2012–2021). This paper comprehensively and quantitatively analyzes all aspects of oil and gas well research for the first time and presents valuable information about active and authoritative research entities, cooperation patterns, technology trends, hotspots, and frontiers. Therefore, it can help governments, policymakers, related companies, and the scientific community understand the global progress in oil and gas well research and provide a reference for technology development and application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past two decades, environmental studies in research on prehistoric China have been gaining popularity and importance. For Northwest China in particular, climate change, especially the so-called ~4.2k BP event has been seen as the main reason for an alleged collapse of Late Neolithic societies and a transition to pastoral-heavy economies and mobile lifeways. Yet, these explanatory models tend to rely on limited archaeological and environmental data and non-contemporaneous historical data, resulting in simplistic causal relationships between environmental changes and social response. This paper re-evaluates the Incipient Bronze Age in China's Northwestern region, discussing evidence for climate change and its exact dates, as well as textual and archaeological evidence. We argue that the old narratives perpetuating the image of a dichotomy between Steppe and Sown are inaccurate, while large-scale models of region-wide subsistence change in response to climate cooling tend to disregard local developments and group-specific responses as well as chronological issues. Focusing on the Xindian and Siwa archaeological phenomena, this paper provides a view into sub-regional responses to this climate event, warning against simplistic broad-brush reconstructions and calling for both a return to archaeological fundamentals and large-scale intensive fieldwork and interdisciplinary studies involving archaeologists, paleobotanists, zooarchaeologists, isotope specialists, and climate scientists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It's critical for environmental governance to understand the effectiveness of various policy interventions as well as their working mechanisms. This paper focuses on the campaign-style enforcement, a sort of policy intervention understudied in environmental governance literature. Specifically, we study the central environmental protection inspection (CEPI), an unprecedented environmental campaign recently launched by the central authority of China. Apart from the dominant recoupling perspective that emphasized the role of environmental campaign in addressing decoupling problems, we assert in this paper that CEPI could serve as strong external stimulus that help to overcome various root problems in environmental governance system and therefore engender long-term improvements for environmental performance. Empirically, based on the city-day air pollution data, difference-in-difference (DID) model with multiple treatment periods was applied to estimate both the short- and long-term policy effects of CEPI. We found that CEPI did has positive effects on improving environmental performance. Moreover, this positive policy effect, rather than fading away after CEPI, bumped up and persisted in the aftermath of the inspection. These findings imply that campaign-style enforcement, when properly used, could be an effective tool for policymakers to improve environmental performance. • Central Environmental Protection Inspection is a new type of campaign-style enforcement in China. • DID model with multiple treatment periods is used to estimate the policy effects. • Central Environmental Protection Inspection has a positive role in environmental governance. • The positive effects bumped up and persisted in the post-inspection periods. • Campaign-style enforcement could serve as an effective tool to reform environmental governance when properly applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citizen science (CS) is the practice in which amateurs without formal scientific training collect data to contribute to the scientific observations available to scientists and decision makers (Bonney et al., 2009). Citizen science is increasingly utilized for environmental protection and conservation as well as related purposes such as education, access to nature, access to justice, inclusion, civics and equality or other ‘social goods’ (Mor Barak, 2020; Makuch & Aczel, 2020). Several eco-citizen science projects are developing in China (Chen et al., 2020; Hsu, Yeo, & Weinfurter, 2020), though little research has evaluated their effectiveness in facilitating environmental protection or advancing social goods. This paper aims to identify the role and potential benefits of environmental citizen science in China to promote environmental and social objectives within the context of what has been called “authoritarian environmentalism” (Beeson, 2018). Through semi-structured interviews and a review of the limited available literature, we identify three key areas in which citizen science could potentially benefit environmental protection and promote social good in China: (1) fostering education to inform society and encourage environmental advocacy; (2) facilitating effective environmental governance through monitoring and litigation; and (3) improving data collection for biodiversity and conservation research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the role of low carbon transition in town planning. This study aims to fill a major research gap by exploring the topic of low carbon planning at the township level. This study is conducted through case study research in China. This study addresses two main stages of 'target plan' and 'pre-masterplan', which then feeds into a feasibility study comprised of five steps: (1) indicative analysis of CO2 emissions; (2) computational assessment of pollution dispersion; (3) development of a feasible phasing plan for low-carbon development implementation; (4) proposal for low carbon indicator system at the township level; and (5) detailed low carbon development plan. The findings include a dual carbon management plan and a breakdown of strategies, which are novel at the township level. The results contribute to the development of low-carbon town planning with the consideration of environmental pollutants and sustainable energy planning at the township level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Qinling Mountains include unique geography, geology, climate, ecology, and culture. • Regional economic growth and environmental preservation can coexist. • The "life community" promotes eco-friendly civilization and regional growth. China geography, geology, climate, ecology, and cultural landscape are bounded to the north and south by the Qinling Mountains. It has several challenges, including the need to maintain its biodiversity and the need to accelerate economic development. Therefore, the mining area development and ecological community research has strong theoretical and practical significance. In this paper, we studies the Environmental Kuznets Curve, the key influencing factors in the model and a comprehensive strategy of green ecological development based on the three contradictions between environmental protection and mining development in Qinling Mountains. The result of the studies suggested that the solution of resource development, pollution control, and climate change concerns can be accomplished by employing four distinct classifications of enhanced and iterative intelligent, green, and low-carbon comprehensive technological systems. These systems are achievable through the implementation of an independence and self-enhancement strategy in advanced science and technology. Furthermore, the proposed model of Environmental Kuznets curve suggested that there are no significant effect on the sustainable development of mining industry and ecological protection. Moreover, the long-term effects of changes in the ecological and socio-economic environments on a given habitat, an assessment of the sustainability of the ecological environment is more comprehensive and systematic. Thus, the "life community" of ecological preservation and mineral resource development in Qinling is the consequence of the ecologically green civilization and provides the most vigor to the growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tibetan Plateau is a region with more concentrated wetland distribution in China, which has al‐ ways been a sensitive region of global change, and its wetland distribution and change are of great value to the study of the change of water resources and environments in China. Based on Landsat 8 OLI (operation land imager), we adopt the method of object ‐oriented classification and manual interpretation to obtain the wetland distribution of the Tibetan Plateau in 2016, and the wetland classification data in 2008, as well as the auxiliary data of elevation and watershed boundary. The present situation of wetland distribution and wetland changes in the Tibetan Plateau from 2008 to 2016 were analyzed. The results show that: ① In 2016, the total area of the Tibetan Plateau wetland was 115 584 km², the area of lake wetland was 48 737 km², marsh wetland area was 34 698 km², river wetland area was 15 927 km², flood wetland area was 15 035 km², constructed wetland area was 1 188 km². ② From 2008 to 2016, the total area of wetland in the Tibetan Plateau increased 3 867 km², mainly from the increase of lake, river and flood wetland and the decrease of the marsh wetland. ③ In different watersheds and altitudes, the distribution and variation of wetland in the Tibetan Plateau showed significant regional differences. ④ Both temperature and precipita‐ tion in the Tibetan Plateau showed upward trends, which was positively correlated with the overall change of the wetlands; the change of glacier area in drainage basins had a certain correlation with the wetland change; human activities mainly played a negative role in the wetland change of the Tibetan Plateau. This paper provides a useful support for the study of environmental change and wetland conservation in the Ti‐ betan Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the large amount of pollutant discharge, the environmental pollution capacity of the coastal waters of the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea in China is seriously overloaded, which has caused unacceptable impact on the marine ecological environment. Based on this, this paper is based on the cloud computing model of marine environmental management scientific decision-making evaluation algorithm, constructing a model of complex network dynamic correlation characteristics, and externally describing water bloom. Through the weight parameters in the cloud model, it is effectively applied to the evaluation of marine environmental management science decision support system. According to the complexity characteristics of cyanobacterial bloom management decision, the cyanobacteria bloom control decision model is inferred, and the intuitionistic fuzzy rough set algorithm is improved. The similarity is calculated, the best matching case is found, and the experts are adjusting to form a governance plan. The research results show that the scientific decision-making evaluation algorithm of marine environment management based on cloud computing model is effective for the verification of marine environmental management science decision support system evaluation system, embedding eutrophication evaluation method and cyanobacteria water bloom governance decision-making method into water quality remote monitoring and cyanobacteria water China's governance decision-making system, to achieve the decision-making of cyanobacteria bloom control in the lake water body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the massive use of antibiotics, antibiotics resistance genes (ARGs) are widely present in organic solid wastes (OSWs) such as livestock manure and sludge. As a common recycling technology, composting is often used to eliminate ARGs from OSWs. However, there is no bibliometric perspective on the fate of ARGs during OSWs composting to reveal the current state and future directions in this field. In this study, CiteSpace and VOSviewer were applied to count the available data from 2000 to 2021 in Web of Science to review the development and characteristics of relevant research. The results showed that the number of relevant papers and citations has increased consistently, with institutions and authors from China being the main contributors. The research belongs to the multidisciplinary with a focus on the environmental sciences ecology, and the results were mainly published in Bioresource Technology. Moreover, crucial literatures were screened to explore the framework within which the subject was constructed. Based on keyword analysis, the bacterial community was highlighted, and the research hotspots were revealed on the occurrence, affect factors including physicochemical properties, microbial community, MGEs, antibiotic, and heavy metal, and reduction strategies including exogenous additive, microbial inoculant, and improved process, as well as the spread of ARGs in soil. This study provides the first review and summary of the hotspots, current challenges, and future directions of the fate of ARGs during OSWs composting based on bibliometric analysis, which could provide significant insights for effective control of the spread of ARGs from OSWs. • First bibliometric analysis of the fate of ARGs during composting. • Relevant research burst in recent years, with China being the main contributor. • Bacterial community is the keywords most closely related to ARGs in composts. • Review the hotspots of research on the fate of ARGs during composting. • Propose the current challenges and future directions in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Permian-Triassic transitional interval exposed well at Kangjiaping section, northwestern Hunan, South China, contains microbialites, oolitic and oncolitic limestones intercalated with vermiculate micritic limestones in the Lower Triassic overlying the uppermost Permian bioclastic limestones, which provides an excellent opportunity to study the environmental changes after the end-Permian mass extinction (EPME) and the origins and environmental significance of these various anomalous sediments. In this paper, we describe in detail the petrographic and geochemical characteristics of these anomalous sediments, together with the reconstruction of the marine environment after the EPME. The continental margin weathering was significantly enhanced after the EPME, indicated by the higher concentrations of terrigenous minerals, Th, Sc, Sr, and rare earth elements in the Lower Triassic carbonates than in the uppermost Permian bioclastic limestones. Indicators such as V/(V + Ni) and Ni/Co ratios suggest that the oxygen content of shallow seawater significantly decreased after the EPME. While, most samples from the Kangjiaping section preserve a negative cerium anomaly, indicating the shallow seawater was still oxygenated both before and after the EPME. In addition, the abnormally rapid carbonate precipitation rate indicates a supersaturation state with respect to calcium carbonate in the shallow seawater after the EPME, but the depth and salinity of seawater and climate indicated by different microfacies are still different. Under the setting of a rapid transgression after the EPME, the microbialites first deposited on the platform with the exclusion of grazers at the beginning of the Early Triassic, followed by the oncolites formed when the climate turned humid with a relative sea-level rise. The oolites were primarily deposited in an arid climate with a relative sea-level fall, and the salinity and hydrodynamics of seawater controlled the ooids' grain sizes. In contrast, the (vermiculate) micritic limestones were mainly formed in a humid climate with a relative sea-level rising and more terrigenous inputs. Therefore, the periodic relative sea-level fluctuation and arid-humid climate alternations play a vital role in the evolution and repeat stacking of various microfacies in the Kangjiaping section. • First integrated study of the PTB interval at Kangjiaping section that focuses on petrography and geochemistry and their implication for environmental change. • Marine environment following the end-Permian mass extinction was assessed. • Depositional environment of various anomalous sediments and the controlling factors for their evolution were clarified. • The sedimentary process and depositional model of the Permian-Triassic boundary interval at the Kangjiaping section were re-established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban heat islands (UHIs) have a significant and negative impact on the urban ecological environment and on human health, and it is imperative to examine factors that lead to UHIs. Although numerous studies have been conducted in this field, little research has considered seasonal variations in UHIs in coastal cities. Moreover, parametric statistical analyses, such as regression and correlation analyses, have been typically applied to examine the influential factors. Such analyses are flawed because they cannot uncover the complicated relationships between UHIs and their factors. Taking Dalian, a coastal city in China, as an example, this paper reveals the dynamic mechanism of the UHI effect for different seasons using the cubist regression tree algorithm. Analyses suggest that the UHI effect only exists in spring and summer, and no obvious UHIs can be found in autumn and winter. The adjacency to the sea leads to moderate UHI effects in spring and summer and no UHI or urban cooling island (UCI) effects in autumn and winter. The distance to the coastline, however, does not play a role in the UHI effect. Furthermore, as one of the most important factors, the vegetation coverage plays a significant role in the UHI effect in spring and summer and significantly mediates the UHI in autumn and winter. Comparatively, the elevation (e.g., digital elevation models (DEMs)) is consistently negatively associated with the land surface temperature in all seasons, although a stronger relationship was found in spring and summer. In addition, the surface slope is also a significant factor in spring and winter, and the population density impacts the UHI distribution in summer as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hobq Desert (HD) locates at the northern margin of the Ordos Plateau, China and the transition zone to the Hetao Basin. It is one of the main proximal deserts of the Loess Plateau, and its formation was controlled by the evolution of the Yellow River and the Ordos Plateau. It is still worthy of discussing the regional structure to enhance the understanding of the desert formation and paleoenvironment, especially with the additional works in the eastern part. Geophysical methods including gravity, magnetic, EM (electromagnetic) are often used to analyse the regional and near-surface structure. As for drilling records, they could show the lithology sequence directly and be applied for the environmental study (e.g., OSL dating). Therefore, in this paper, we used the satellite gravity data, GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar), TEM (Transient electromagnetic method) and drilling records with borehole resistivity data to analyse the desert structure from different scales and the paleoenvironment. Trough the upward continuation and Park-Oldenburg calculation for the gravity data, the thickness of Quaternary deposits is 0.85–1.55 km. The inferred faults indicated the performance of the Hetao Basin and the Ordos Plateau's uplift in Pleistocene, which also contributed to HD's formation and existing topography. A three-part structure within 350 m was revealed in the profile at eastern HD by EM data. The upper layer within 80–90 m was the aeolian dry sand, the middle one was mainly fluviolacustrine saturated sand with the occurrence of clay and grey calcareous root tubes, and the lower one might be the aeolian sand. This near-surface structure was consistent to the western part, and the forming period for the sand in the upper zone was thereby estimated no earlier than 80 Ka. Moreover, during this period, millennial-scale changes in paleo-effective moisture occurred although it was dominated by the arid climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we assess the effect of ecological construction in China during 2008 to 2014. The effect of ecological construction is divided into green economy, green society, and green environment. A network data envelopment analysis (DEA) is employed to measure the total level of ecological construction in China and each region. According to the results, we find that the total level of ecological construction of China is still low. At the same time, there are also significant differences between regions. The regions with a developed economy have better performance on ecological construction. We also find that environmental protection is still the weak link of ecological construction in various regions. Hence, local governments still need to develop a green economy and increase investment on environmental protection in the future - especially on pollution control facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an energy- and carbon-intensive sector, the textile industry has been the subject of many environmental policies. It has been under rigid regulation to promote energy conservation and emissions reduction in China, and a few scholars have carried out longitudinal and comprehensive studies of environmental policies aimed at the industry. This paper tries to fill in this gap by systematically analyzing the major environmental policies in this industry in China -- the world's largest exporter of textile products. For the purpose of ensuring the accuracy and reliability of this research, 118 textile environmental policies from 1989 to 2016 at the central government level have been studied by employing content analysis, including command and control instruments, market-based instruments, and voluntary instruments. The following conclusions were derived: 1) The textile environmental policy system is stabilizing in China, and water pollution is the key treatment objective. 2) Most policies regulate textile manufacturing, but environmental issues are not effectively regulated at the consumer stage. 3) The imbalanced structure of policy instruments reflects the government serving as the main driver of textile environmental protection, and efficiency and flexibility need to be improved to form an integrated textile environmental policy system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Review of source apportionment literature using high-time resolved VOC since 2015. • 54% published papers lacked details in the quantitative effectiveness evaluation of QC measures. • US EPA PMF v5.0 was the most commonly used approach for VOC source analyses. • Photochemical losses, factor resolution, and identification influenced apportionment. • Vehicle emissions and fuel evaporation are the primary contributors to ambient VOC. Highly time-resolved data for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can now be monitored. Source analyses of such high time-resolved concentrations provides key information for controlling VOC emissions. This work reviewed the literature on VOCs source analyses published from 2015 to 2021, and assesses the state-of-the-art and the existing issues with these studies. Gas chromatography system and direct-inlet mass spectrometry are the main monitoring tools. Quality control (QC) of the monitoring process is critical prior to analysis. QC includes inspection and replacement of instrument consumables, calibration curve corrections, and reviewing the data. Approximately 54% published papers lacked details on the quantitative evaluation of the effectiveness of QC measures. Among the reviewed works, the number of monitored species varied from 5 to 119, and fraction of papers with more than 90 monitored species increased yearly. US EPA PMF v5.0 was the most commonly used (∼86%) for VOC source analyses. However, conventional source apportionment directly uses the measured VOCs and may be problematic given the impacts of dispersion and photochemical losses, uncertainty setting of VOCs data, factor resolution, and factor identification. Excluding species with high-reactivity or estimation of corrected concentrations were often applied to reduce the influence of photochemical reactions on the results. However, most reports did not specify the selection criteria or the specific error fraction values in the uncertainty estimation. Model diagnostic indexes were used in 99% of the reports for PMF analysis to determine the factor resolution. Due to lack of known local source profiles, factor identification was mainly achieved using marker species and characteristic species ratios. However, multiple sources had high-collinearity and the same species were often used to identify different sources. Vehicle emissions and fuel evaporation were the primary contributors to VOCs around the world. Contribution of coal combustion in China was substantially higher than in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ion exchange is an elegant concept whose simplicity has allowed a wide range of applications in separations (e.g., water treatment, chromatography, radiochemistry, food processing), catalysis and synthesis. The objective of this Perspective is to map its origin and present status, then propose a trajectory into the future. This is addressed with data mined from the open literature as reported in the Web of Science Core Collection (Clarivate Analytics) via a search of the keyword "ion exchange" for the period 1900–1960, then narrowed to 1941–1960, followed by subsequent 20-year periods to the present day. Data are sorted into the top ten WoS Categories, Research Areas, Publication Titles and Countries, then further defined with additional keywords. Interest in ion exchange was found to be constant across the vicennial periods as the number of references kept pace with growth in the chemical (open) literature. The period to 1960 had 1213 references with chemistry the dominant area (60.9%) and engineering at only 4.5% of the papers; resins were the dominant material with membranes a distant second. The period 1961–1980 had 5175 references with chemistry retaining its top ranking but engineering significantly increasing; resins and membranes were the primary materials while separations dominated and catalysis barely registered. There were 21,901 references in 1981–2000 with environmental science appearing as a research area for the first time; resins ended the century as they began – the primary material – but by a small margin over membranes. The 21st century (2001−2020) began with 52,187 references, chemistry held steady compared to the preceding period while engineering and materials science increased significantly and environmental science doubled its percentage, joined by water resources; membranes continued their upward trend, surpassing resins. Output from China increased to outperform the USA. In the last three years of that period, environmental science made a stronger showing and energy fuels replaced biotechnology. In comparing the vicennial periods, the rise of engineering, materials science and ecology combined with water was impressive. In comparing Research Areas in the initial period with those from the latest, it is seen that chemistry fell from 61% to 41% while engineering increased from 4% to 25%. Applications were more likely to involve membranes. Separations remained steady from the initial to the current period while catalysis moved equal to them, Examining the most cited papers in the latest period shows an emphasis on metal-organic frameworks, tailored materials, membranes for energy and environmental applications, and to an array of applications in environmental remediation. Ion exchange is applied as a preparative technique in, for example, batteries, photocatalysts, electrocatalysts, supercapacitors, and perovskite nanocrystals. Ion exchange is thus poised to continue well into the 21st century. It has flourished by its ability to adapt. As the analysis of the literature shows, it will continue to flourish. [Display omitted] • 1941–1960 had 1213 references with chemistry the dominant area (60.9%). • 1961–1980 had 5172 references; chemistry was first but engineering much increased. • 1981–2000: 20846 references; environmental science first appeared as a research area. • 21st century (2001−2021) began with 52,218 references; environmental science doubled • Ion exchange is now a preparative technique and poised to continue flourishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large-scale energy consumption produced by corporates in China's industrial parks has produced a large number of waste discharges. The toxic substances in these wastes have caused a certain degree of environmental pollution, which poses a threat to the living environment, health, and even life of human beings. The measurement method of corporate environmental responsibility and its application, which gradually become a significant issue, have been put forward for improving and solving the increasingly severe environmental pollution problems in industrial parks. Based on the literature review, current situation analysis, and the latest researches, this paper proposes an input-output model considering energy consumption input and unexpected output, improves the input-output model according to the requirements of corporate environmental responsibility measurement, constructs the environmental responsibility improved input-output measurement model of corporate energy consumption and pollution discharge in industrial parks, and selects Nanjing MV Industrial Park as a case to conduct the application test of measuring the corporate environmental responsibility from energy consumption and pollution discharge. The measurement results show that from 2010 to 2018, the responsibilities of energy consumption and environmental treatment, environmental improvement, and the total environment in Nanjing MV Industrial Park have been declining slowly, which shows that the corporate environmental pollution treatment effect of Nanjing MV Industrial Park has been gradually improved. The research results of this paper provide a quantitative analysis method for strengthening the management of corporate environmental responsibility in industrial parks, promoting corporates to strengthen energy conservation and emission reduction, and realizing the sustainable development of industrial parks; for helping the local governments to formulate corporate energy consumption and environmental responsibility management policies in industrial parks and to strengthen the assessment and evaluation of corporate energy consumption and environmental responsibility. [Display omitted] • Energy Consumption is the Main Cause of China's Environmental Responsibility. • This paper uses green input-output model to measure environmental responsibility. • Taking Nanjing MV Industrial Park as an example, the application research is carried out. • Its research results are the quantitative means of environmental responsibility analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New particle formation (NPF) studies have been conducted in China since 2004. Formation of new atmospheric aerosol particles has been observed to take place in diverse environments, even under the circumstances of high pre-existing particle loading, challenging the traditional and present understanding of the physicochemical nucleation mechanisms, which have been proposed based on the investigations in clean environments and under laboratory experimental conditions. This paper summarizes the present status and gaps in understanding NPF in China and discusses the main directions opening for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the initiation of carbon trading pilots in seven provinces and cities in China, issues of their effectiveness and impact on economy, environment and export are of great significance to policy makers, managers and experts of environmental science. To respond to these issues, we first define the concepts of carbon emission reduction, energy saving and low-carbon economy and discuss policy measures and economic instruments related to carbon emission reduction. Focusing on "quantity control" and "price control", we analyze in detail their implementation process and actual effectiveness in both theoretical and practical points. Also, we present in this paper the mechanism and pathways of carbon emission reduction and their inspiration to China from macro, micro and technical perspectives. We then review the related literature and comment how these academic results can be used to help China to achieve its carbon reduction target at optimal economic costs. Finally, we point out the deficiencies and possible theoretical gaps in the previous studies and present some important issues that need further academic exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The emerging discipline of microbial and/or chemical source tracking (collectively termed fecal source tracking (FST)) is being used to identify origins of fecal contamination in polluted waters in many countries around the world. FST has developed rapidly because standard methods of measuring contamination in water by enumerating fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) such as fecal coliforms and enterococci do not identify the sources of the contamination. FST is an active area of research and development in both the academic and private sectors and includes: [•] Developing and testing new microbial and chemical FST methods. [•] Determining the geographic application and animal host ranges of existing and emerging FST techniques. [•] Conducting experimental comparisons of FST techniques. [•] Combining direct monitoring of human pathogens associated with waterborne outbreaks and zoonotic pathogens responsible for infections among people, wildlife, or domesticated animals with the use of FST techniques. [•] Applying FST to watershed analysis and coastal environments. [•] Designing appropriate statistical and probability analysis of FST data and [•] developing models for mass loadings of host-specific fecal contamination. This paper includes a critical review of FST with emphasis on the extent to which methods have been tested (especially in comparison with other methods and/or with blind samples), which methods are applicable to different situations, their shortcomings, and their usefulness in predicting public health risk or pathogen occurrence. In addition, the paper addresses the broader question of whether FST and fecal indicator monitoring is the best approach to regulate water quality and protect human health. Many FST methods have only been tested against sewage or fecal samples or isolates in laboratory studies (proof of concept testing) and/or applied in field studies where the “real” answer is not known, so their comparative performance and accuracy cannot be assessed. For FST to be quantitative, stability of ratios between host-specific markers in the environment must be established. In addition, research is needed on the correlation between host-specific markers and pathogens, and survival of markers after waste treatments. As a result of the exclusive emphasis on FIB by regulatory agencies, monitoring and FST development has concentrated on FIB rather than the actual pathogens. A more rational approach to regulating water quality might be to use available epidemiological data to identify pathogens of concern in a particular water body, and then use targeted pathogen monitoring coupled with very specific FST approaches to control the pathogens. Baseline monitoring of FIB would be just one tool among many in this example. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Despite its rubber-stamp image, the involvement of China’s unicameral legislature (People’s Congress, PC) in the country’s environmental governance has become more visible in recent years. Using an environmental dispute taking place in the county-city of Sihui, Guangdong Province as a case study, this paper examines how the congress deputies at the provincial level were involved in the domestic environmental controversy, which comprised a landmark congressional inquiry into the provincial environmental authorities. Through dissecting the practice and behaviour of the Guangdong Provincial PC and its deputies in relation to the environmental dispute settlement, the paper recognises the inquiry as an achievement test, and unravels the political and institutional roots of China’s environmental governance from a congressional perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Getting papers published in the (largely English-language) international literature is important for individual researchers, their institutions, and the academic community, and the resulting pressure is being felt increasingly in China as a result of top-down policy initiatives. For many researchers, reaching this goal involves two intersecting aspects: developing very specific skills in English as an additional language, often from an initial intermediate proficiency level; and learning to meet the discipline-specific expectations of English-speaking journal referees and editors. This paper describes and evaluates workshops, designed to improve the publication skills of researchers in the agricultural and environmental sciences, which seek explicitly to address both aspects. Key features include a collaborative presentation team consisting of an EAP practitioner and practising scientists who are experienced referees, and methodology based on research findings from genre analysis and EAP. The paper analyses evaluative data from four workshops in China during 2001–2003. Findings include high satisfaction levels of participants, strong endorsement of the value of the collaborating-colleague presentation team, and significantly increased confidence to write a paper in English for international submission. The only participant characteristic associated with best benefit was a completed higher degree. Implications are presented for future practice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In recent years, China has launched ambitious measures to tackle water pollution. As political commitment and public investment soared, Chinese environmental scientists and practitioners have engaged in a substantial debate on the reorganization of the country's water management system. Domestic discussion has largely revolved around best practices adopted abroad, particularly in the European Union (EU), where the Water Framework Directive (WFD) has introduced an integrated management model based on the core concept of unity of the water cycle. This paper seeks to contribute to this debate, by appraising the regulatory, administrative, monitoring, and public participation dimensions of China's water environmental management. Related progress and constraints are discussed in the evolving context of Chinese environmental policies, against the background of the relevant EU experience. Regulatory and administrative coordination and integration, and the adoption of a watershed-based management model, appear at present as essential prerequisites to overcome the fragmentation of China's water environmental management. Despite recent efforts in this direction, institutional rationalization is still hampered by the persistence of conflicting interests and attributions among government bodies concurring to law making and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A more efficient use of China's coal resources is key to rapidly promoting the growth of the country's industrializing economy. As such, it is essential that an effective approach for measuring and evaluating the current efficiency of coal resources is developed. This paper measures the efficiency of coal resources in 30 provinces in China from 2000 to 2015 using an improved DEA model of Bootstrap, and it uses Tobit regression to analyze the influencing factors on the efficiency of coal resources. The results illustrate that: 1) The proposed approach could significantly improve upon the accuracy of the measurement of the traditional DEA model. 2) The efficiency of coal resources shows an uptrend of fluctuation for the research period. With respect to the influential factors, total coal consumption has the least influence on the efficiency of coal resources. In contrast, local financial science and technology expenditures have greatest influence on the efficiency of coal resources. Among all the influential factors, local financial science and technology expenditures have the greatest negative impact on energy efficiency of coal resources and it is very critical that the government increases investment in scientific and technological investment in the mining industry. • This paper uses Bootstrap-DEA to calculate the ECR of 30 provinces in China. • The finding that FST has negative impact on ECR is the most serious, particularly for 14 provinces in China. • GDP, IPC and SEC have negative impacts on ECR in 8 provinces. • COC has negative impact on ECR in 6 provinces. • TER and RPY have negative impacts on ECR including in 11 provinces and 9 provinces respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of expressway construction projects (ECPs) poses overwhelming challenges to the physical environment around the world. The challenges are supposed to be addressed with the enforcement of environmental policies (EPs). In this regard, developed countries have gained rich experience in EP formulation while developing countries are making efforts to improve policy decision-making on environmental sustainability. This study compares ECP-related EPs (EREPs) between China and the US by conducting a historical analysis with materials from 1960 to 2018 and text mining-based evaluation with materials from 2009 to 2019. The comparison results indicate that (1) an EREP framework is composed of two systems, namely outer factors and inner EPs; (2) the upper-level EPs exhibit a periodic and plan-dominating trend in China and an explanatory tendency in the US; (3) Chinese EPs are focused on pollution mitigation, whereas US EPs highlight the impacts on human health; (4) Both attach less importance to environmental protection measures at the project-level EPs. This paper provides a longitudinal comparison and analysis of EREPs in two huge countries, implying that EREPs are a snapshot of national rules and backgrounds. The findings lay a foundation for future research to examine the innovation of environmental policies, especially for those countries with massive expressway construction projects and the related environmental issues. • Comparing environmental policies (EPs) for expressway projects in China and the US. • EPs exhibit a periodic trend and are committed to controlling pollution in China. • US EPs shows an explanatory tendency and highlight the impacts on human health. • There is a lack of diversity of environmental protection measures in both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Li, Y. and Zhang, S., 2019. Relationship between environmental information disclosure and cost of equity of listed companies in China's marine industry. In: Li, L.; Wan, X., and Huang, X. (eds.), Recent Developments in Practices and Research on Coastal Regions: Transportation, Environment and Economy. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 98, pp. 42–45. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. At present, the marine industry has become an important growth driver for China's economic development. This paper empirically studies the impact of environmental information disclosure on the enterprise's cost of equity (COE) by taking China's listed companies of marine industry in 2016–18 as the research objects. The research results show that (1) the quality of environmental information disclosure of listed companies in China's marine industry is significantly negatively correlated with the COE, indicating that improvement in the quality of environmental information disclosure may reduce the COE; (2) compared with nonstate-owned listed companies in the marine industry, the environmental information disclosure of state-owned listed companies plays a more significant role in reducing their COE. On the basis of this, this paper puts forward some suggestions for improving and enhancing the environmental information disclosure of listed companies in China's marine industry. This shall continuously improve the quality of China's marine ecological environment while developing China's marine economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A 150-year environmental change of a populated wetland was reconstructed. • Agriculture and hydrological process variations altered the wetland landscape. • Nutrient and pollution inputs caused negative effects on aquatic plant succession. • Effective protection was helpful to maintain the resilience of wetland ecosystem. Lakes and wetlands in populated areas have become very vulnerable to pollution and habitat degradation, seriously threatening regional ecological security and socio-economic development. Exploring long-term environmental changes in these systems is essential to reveal the interactions of human activities and catchments, and further to provide valuable reference for current restoration. In this paper, we present paleolimnological data from a short sedimentary core from Liangzi Lake, a typical wetland nature reserve in the middle and lower Yangtze River Basin, China. Multiple sedimentary proxies (principally pollen but also geochemistry and grain size data) combined with historical records were used to establish environmental changes of Liangzi Lake, in both terrestrial and lacustrine aspects, over the last 150 years. Despite the influence of hydrological processes to some extent, our results indicate that the anthropogenic effects (negative and positive) are well recorded by the sedimentary records. The landscape changes of the wider Liangzi Lake wetland can be placed into four stages: less disturbed background (before the 1950s), hydrological regulation (1950s–1960s), intensive reclamation (1970s–1990s), and wetland restoration (starting in the late 1990s). Agriculture and hydrological control were the most important factors in transforming the wetland landscapes, as well as the aquatic ecosystem. The changes in the lake itself could be divided into three main stages: low nutrient levels and unstable hydrologic condition with dominant emergent plants (before the 1960s), rising nutrient levels and a stable water environment with increasing submerged plants (1960s–1990s), and high nutrient and pollution levels with the subsequent adjustment and restoration (after the late 1990s). Our study provides a comprehensive history of environmental changes of a typical inland lake and its surrounding wetland, and may contribute to future wetland conservation in similar regions, as well as pollen-based environmental reconstruction studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological and livable cities need an objective method to be jugged. This paper is in search of a method to determine the level of livability and ecology of the cities. Examples chosen for this methodology are: 1.DongTang (Shangai, China); 2.Masdar (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirate); 3.Arcosanti (Arizona, USA); 4.Chang Chun (China); 5.GlobeTown (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia) The results show that livable city should be in the pursuit of the overall development and ecological progress. Ecological city needs to properly make up for the weakness of city construction under fine ecological environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Fluctuations in atmospheric CO2 density can arise from static pressure fluctuations but their effect on the long-term eddy covariance (EC) CO2 flux measurement is poorly known. In this paper, we report the results of a 1-year direct measurement of the static pressure fluctuations and the velocity–pressure covariance over a mixed forest in Northeast China. The results show that the pressure–vertical velocity covariance was primarily controlled by friction velocity and air stability. Without the pressure correction, the open-path EC measurement of the nighttime ecosystem respiration was biased low and that of the daytime photosynthetic CO2 uptake was biased high. Over the 1-year measurement period, the cumulative pressure correction was 40gCm−2, which was about 20% of the annual net ecosystem production of this forest. Using the friction velocity data found in the literature, we estimated the magnitudes of the pressure correction for the major ecosystem types in the long-term global EC network (FluxNet). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The understanding that mankind should reasonably exploit and utilize earth resources and effectively protect the planet on which we live, is now widely accepted. However, effective actions can only be conducted if we better understand and visualize the earth. To meet this need, digital earth science and technology have been put forward and developed. This paper introduces the evolution and development process of digital earth, and presents an overview by reviewing and analyzing the 1999 and 2009 Beijing Declaration on Digital Earth, the scientific and commercial digital earth systems, global and regional digital earth research, and some existing platforms of digital earth science. It also presents some thoughts about digital earth's future development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the wide variation in the structural characteristics in natural forests, tree size distribution show fundamental similarities that suggest general underlying principles. The metabolic ecology theory predicts the number of individual scales as the −2 power of tree diameter. The demographic equilibrium theory predicts tree size distribution starting from the relationship of size distributions with growth and mortality at demographic equilibrium. Several analytic predictions for tree size distributions are derived from the demographic equilibrium theory, based on different growth and mortality functions. In addition, some purely phenomenological functions, such as polynomial function, have been used to describe the tree size distributions. In this paper, we use the metabolic ecology theory, the demographic equilibrium theory and the polynomial function to predict the tree size distribution for both the whole community and each species in an old-growth temperate forest in northeastern China. The results show that metabolic ecology theory predictions for the scaling of tree abundance with diameter were unequivocally rejected in the studied forest. Although these predictions of demographic theory are the best models for most of the species in the temperate forest, the best models for some species ( Tilia amurensis, Quercus mongolica and Fraxinus mandshurica) are compound curves (i.e. rotated sigmoid curves), best predicted by the polynomial function. Hence, the size distributions of natural forests were unlikely to be invariant and the predictive ability of general models was limited. As a result, developing a more sophisticated theory to predict tree size distributions remains a complex, yet tantalizing, challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytoplankton blooms have caused many serious public safety incidents and eco-environmental problems worldwide and became a focus issue for research. Accurate and rapid monitoring of phytoplankton blooms is critical for forecasting, treating, and management. With the advantages of large spatial coverage and high temporal resolution, remote sensing has been widely used to monitor phytoplankton blooms. Numerous advances have been made in the remote sensing of phytoplankton blooms, biomass, and phenology over the past several decades. To fully understand the development history, research hotspots, and future trends of remote-sensing technology in the study of phytoplankton blooms, we conducted a comprehensive review to systematically analyze the research trends in the remote sensing of phytoplankton blooms through bibliometrics. Our findings showed that research on the use of remote-sensing technology in this field increased substantially in the past 30 years. "Oceanography," "Environmental Sciences," and "Remote Sensing" are the most popular subject categories. Remote Sensing of Environment, Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, and International Journal of Remote Sensing were the journals with the most published articles. The results of the analysis of international influence and cooperation showed that the United States had the greatest influence in this field and that the cooperation between China and the United States was the closest. The Chinese Academy of Sciences published the largest number of papers, reaching 542 articles. Keyword and topic analysis results showed that "phytoplankton," "chlorophyll," and "ocean" were the most frequently occurring keywords, while "eutrophication management and monitoring," "climate change," "lakes," and "remote-sensing algorithms" were the most popular research topics in recent years. Researchers are now paying increasing attention to the phenological response of phytoplankton under the conditions of climate change and the application of new remote-sensing methods. With the development of new remote-sensing technology and the expansion of phytoplankton research, future research should focus on (1) accurate observation of phytoplankton blooms; (2) the traits of phytoplankton blooms; and (3) the drivers, early warning, and management of phytoplankton blooms. In addition, we discuss the future challenges and opportunities in the use of remote sensing in phytoplankton blooms. Our review will promote a deeper and wider understanding of the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To direct financial resources to cleaner production enterprises and achieve the goal of environmental governance, the Chinese government has devoted increasing efforts to facilitating green finance. As one of the major policies of green finance, the Green Credit Policy (GCP) was issued in 2012. Evaluating whether the GCP can promote green development has important significance, but few studies have explored its policy effects for the investment and financing behavior of "two high" (high energy consumption and high pollution) enterprises and environmental quality from both micro and macro perspectives. Taking the promulgation of the GCP as a quasi-natural experiment, based on a panel dataset involving 945 A-share listed companies and 30 provinces for the period of 2004–2017, this paper adopts the difference-in-difference model to explore the investment and financing behavior changes of enterprises and environmental impacts of the GCP. The following conclusions are derived. (1) The GCP provides incentives for the short-term financing behavior of "two high" enterprises, but it has a punitive effect in the long term and significantly inhibits the investment behavior of such enterprises. (2) The GCP contributes to the mitigation of sulfur dioxide and wastewater emissions. (3) The GCP has a greater effect on investment and financing behavior among state-owned and large-scale "two high" enterprises than among medium-sized and micro enterprises. (4) There exists regional heterogeneity in the effects of the GCP on the investment and financing of "two high" enterprises and environmental quality. The GCP has positive impacts in the eastern and western regions, and the policy effect is not obvious in the central region. • The environmental effects of green credit policy are quantitatively investigated. • A dataset involving 945 A-share listed companies and 30 Chinese provinces is utilized. • The green credit policy has incentive and constraint effects on corporate financing and investment of different maturities. • The green credit policy improves environmental quality by affecting corporate financing and investment. • The effects of the green credit policy have regional heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Hydrocarbon migration pathways are the linkage between hydrocarbon source areas and accumulation sites. Modeling accurately the pathways of hydrocarbon migration is of important significance in determining the location of favorable petroleum exploration targets. In this paper, GIS-based modeling algorithms are presented for searching the pathways of secondary hydrocarbon migration by considering the geologic mechanisms. These algorithms are constructed on a raster digital elevation model (DEM) of the top boundary of a carrier bed, in which secondary migration occurred. On the DEM, a 3×3 pixel sized window is used for searching. The center of the search window is initially assumed at a point on the boundary of a hydrocarbon source area, from which the secondary hydrocarbon migration starts. The altitude values in the eight adjoining pixels enclosing the central pixel of the search window are compared, and the pixel with an altitude value not only larger than the central pixel but also the largest of the eight surrounding pixels is the next target pixel where the search window will move to. Each searched path will terminate at either a convex point, which indicates the existence of a trap for hydrocarbon accumulation, or a point on the boundary of the DEM, which suggests that the pathway of hydrocarbon migration extends outside the DEM. In addition, a concourse point of two paths is also considered as a termination point of either path. The algorithms were successfully applied in the modeling of the secondary migration pathways in the northern Songliao Basin, northeast China. The modeled results matched well with drilling data, suggesting the robustness of the algorithms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The paper explores the use of Resilience Theory to provide an improved theoretical framework for the analysis of socio-ecological interactions over decadal—millennial timescales. It identifies landscape system behaviour through analysis of proxy records for land use, erosion and monsoon intensity over the past 3000 years in the Erhai lake-catchment system, Yunnan, SW China. Analysis of the records shows the possibility of alternative steady states in the landscape, as expressed by the relationship between land use and erosion. In particular, a period of agricultural expansion ~1400 cal. yr BP triggered rapid gully erosion that led to the formation of an eroded landscape state that has existed since ~800 cal. yr BP to the present day. Comparison of detrended time-series data suggests that over 3000 years erosion and land use should be considered 'slow' processes relative to the 'faster' monsoon intensity and flooding. In the past, the effects of high monsoon variance on flooding have been suppressed by paddy farming and the maintenance of terraced field systems. Mapping the Adaptive Cycle on to the millennial record of land use and erosion suggests that the modern landscape may be approaching a 'conservation' phase characterized by minimum resilience. Such 'historical profiling' of modern landscapes offers a new dimension for hypothesis testing, for the development and testing of simulation models and for the creation of appropriate management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contains detailed ecological baseline data collected from the proposed gold mining area in Lannigou, Zhenfeng County, Guizhou Province, China. The study includes characteristics and types of vegetation, such as common plants, rare or endangered plants, large ancient trees, and rare and endangered animals. An analysis of the data provides an assessment of the eco-environmental baseline in this mining area. Suggestions for protecting the sensitive ecology of this gold mining area are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater plays a critical role in arid West China where water is the limiting factor for development. This paper first describes groundwater characteristics in a region of four arid inland river watersheds and the problems associated with groundwater consumption. This region exhibits a unique alternating pattern of high mountains and depressions, which results in extensive interactions of surface water and groundwater. Then the authors propose six strategies to support adequate exploitation and use of groundwater in the region. These strategies are: 1) setting up a groundwater monitoring system; 2) forming a unified watershed authority, 3) protecting mountain ecology; 4) increasing the efficiency of groundwater usage; 5) protecting groundwater; and 6) supporting advanced research. The implementation of these strategies should be built upon the promotion of sustainable economic development and broad public support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The great progress made in the control of schistosomiasis japonica in China is to some extent explained by successful intermediate host snail control, in particular with environmental management commencing some 50 years ago. By 1995, interruption of Schistosoma japonicum transmission had been achieved in five of the 12 schistosome-endemic provinces while endemic areas in the remaining provinces had been reduced significantly, and snail habitats had decreased by 74%. In this paper, we review the role and approaches towards control and give an account of compounds toxic to snails. Mid- and long-term national plans for schistosomiasis control are discussed, including integrated snail control approaches as an important measure. It is anticipated that implementation of these plans will accelerate snail control, which in turn will consolidate and mutually reinforce other control measures, most notably praziquantel-based chemotherapy. The ultimate aim is to eliminate schistosomiasis as a public health problem in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As economic and ecological support systems become more interdependent, new disciplines are needed to “bridge the gap” between human and nature. “Emergy” created by H.T. Odum is a new method for evaluating natural capital and ecosystem services. The “ecological footprint” created by Wackernagel and Rees has been promoted as a policy and planning tool for sustainability. The aim of this paper is to show a modified form of ecological footprint calculation by combining emergy analysis with conventional ecological footprint form of calculations. Our new method starts from the energy flows of a system in calculating ecological footprint and carrying capacity. Through a study of the energy flows, and using the method of emergy analysis, the energy flows of a system are translated into corresponding biological productive units. To demonstrate the mechanics of this new method, we compared our calculations with that of an original calculation of ecological footprint of a regional case. We select Gansu province in western China, as an example for application of our study. In this case the same conclusions were drawn using both methods: that Gansu province runs an ecological deficit. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The concepts of nano-science and technology are penetrating into the aspects of environmental science and technology. Environmental nano-pollutants (ENP) is suggested. as a specific category of pollutants that presents many common critical characters impacting the natural and social ecosystems. The outstanding properties are the various reactions in the macro-interfacial processes. Several examples as the adsorption of rare-earth metals on Chinese loess, the adsorption of PAHs on aquatic sediments with humic substances and the speciation of nano-flocculants in the water and wastewater treatment are discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's most serious ecological crisis seems to be in its western region where the ecological environment is the weakest. This paper analyzes the population growth, underdevelopment and ecological degradation in western China hosed on a conceptual framework of population, development and ecological system. The existing problems of underdevelopment and ecological degradation are examined. The on-going ecological construction projects in western China are used to illustrate how the state has attempted to mediate the conflict between survival and ecological conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a review of the motivation, policy priorities and prospects of China's Western Development Strategy. Focusing on construction of infrastructure projects, restoration of the ecological environment, restructuring of existing economic sectors and promotion of science and technology in the western region, the Western Development .Strategy symbolizes a reorientation of China's development strategy from an emphasis on fast growth of the coastal area to a more balanced development. However, the launching of a new policy does not guarantee its success. Government financial constraints, weakness of the non-state sector, lack of enthusiasm by foreign investors, poor human resources and a dire ecological situation can all pose formidable challenges to the success of this strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid economic development in The Pearl River delta region (PRDR) has exerted serious potential pollution threats to areas in the vicinity, which have complicated the task of environmental protection in Hong Kong and Macau. In this paper, a three-dimensional numerical pollutant transport model coupled with a synchronised numerical hydrodynamic model, is developed and employed to simulate the unsteady transport of a representative water quality variable chemical oxygen demand in The Pearl River Estuary. It is demonstrated that there exists a transboundary pollutant transport action between Guangdong Province and Hong Kong for the pollutants in the wastewater discharged from PRDR. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The impacts of economic forest on global environmental change(GEC) are one of the hot issues in environmental study. Based on the 3-year observation data and 40-year climate data, GEC and analysis of the hydrological dynamic characteristics of rubber plantations and estimate of the water balance in the rubber plantations in Hainana Island were made. The results showed that the rainfall intercepted by the canopy of the plantations accounted for 11.45% of the annual rainfall, the total runoff for 23.71%, the total evaporation and transpiration for 63.24% , the soil moisture storage for 1.6% . Analysis of the 40-year rainfall data in the 19 counties of Hainan Island during 1951--1990 showed that the large-scale substitution of the the natural vegetation with the rubber plantations had no significant effect on the local rainfall in Hainan Island. The main reasons are (1) 80% of the rainfall in Hainnan in brought by typhoons: (2) the proportion of 11.6% rubber plantations in total forest coverage in Hainan is not enough to influence the local ranfall in Hainan Island; and (3) although the rubber plantation is artificial vegetation, it has the similar function to the tropical rain forest. Analysis of the total water resource and total GDP of Hainan in 1997 showed that the economic benefit resulted from the water resource was 1.0 RMB Yuan/m[sup3]. The value of hydrological of the rubber plantation in Hainan was 113.9 million RMB yuan/a when compared with tropical rain forest. The paper reaches conclusion that the hydrological eco-service function of rubber plantation has been enhanced after transformed from natural vegetation, which includes the natural service and powerful social service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]