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[Display omitted] • A comprehensive assessment method of cropland abandonment risk based on AHP and PCA was proposed. • The verification results show that the risk assessment method proposed in our article is objective. • The high risk area is mainly distributed in the Lancang and Honghe River Basin. • Suggestions for preventing cropland abandonment are based on dominant factors of abandonment. Assessing the risk of cropland abandonment in mountainous area is essential for ensuring food security. However, the current evaluation indicator system is incomplete, and the reliability analysis of the results is lacking. This paper proposes a spatially comprehensive assessment method of cropland abandonment risk based on AHP and PCA using multi-source data of land use, abandoned cropland, administrative area, population density, GDP, cropland soil information, and climate, and applies the method to Yunnan Province in China. Firstly, 14 indicators were selected from four aspects, including social factors, farming conditions, cropland quality, and climate factors, to construct a three-layer indicator system of "target-criteria-indicator". Fuzzy membership was used to calculate the indicator layer, and then the PCA method was applied to calculate the first principal component for the criterion layer. Finally, the AHP method was used to calculate the weighted superposition of the criterion layer. The proposed method showed good reliability in the study areas. In Yunnan Province, 33.03% of cropland is at high risk of abandonment, 37.52% is at medium risk, and 29.45% is at low risk. The high risk area is mainly distributed in the Lancang River Basin and Honghe River Basin. Social factors were found to play the greatest role in the risk of cropland abandonment in Yunnan Province. Factors such as low population density, large shape coefficient of cropland, and low annual average precipitation were identified as the main drivers of cropland abandonment in this region. The research results of this paper can provide decision-making reference for preventing and controlling cropland abandonment in mountainous areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Dam regulation disturbances influence distribution of planktonic organisms. • Ecological environment status of the upstream was better than middle and downstream. • The negative impact of human interference on the ecological health of the Shaying River is greater than the positive. In multi-dam river systems, human disturbances can significantly disrupt river connectivity, fragment habitats, and harm aquatic ecosystems. Aiming at the comprehensive assessment of the spatial distribution of water ecological health, as well as the investigation of the impacts of human activities on river health, Shaying River in China between 2011 and 2015 was taken as a case study. Data on water environment, ecology, and habitat quality were collected by field investigations and then investigated by correlation analysis and principal component analysis. The SMI-P method was adopted to estimate the water ecological health condition. It was found that oxygen-consuming organic pollutants and nutrient salts were predominantly concentrated in the midstream and downstream sections, leading to severe pollution and degraded aquatic biodiversity. All monitored river sections were classified as the sub-healthy state or worse, while the Huaidian section exhibited the poorest conditions, with 100% of ratings falling into medium and sub-morbid categories. It was concluded that dam regulation, tributary water quality, and seasonal drivers like fertilizer use and river flow discharge, were the primary factors affecting the spatial variability of river ecological health. Furthermore, this paper has proposed a well-suited framework for the assessment of the water ecological health of dam-controlled rivers. This framework can be widely applied to similar river systems, providing valuable insights for effective management and conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Source-Resistance-Corridor Basic Framework for Identifying Restoration Areas. • Quantifying wetland ecosystem services to extract wetland ecological sources. • Provides solutions for identifying large-scale wetland restoration areas. • Focus on the relevance of wetlands and water systems. In recent years, wetland resources have been threatened by human activities such as mining, agriculture and construction land expansion, and problems such as shrinkage of wetland area and deterioration of water quality have emerged, impeding the exchange of materials between wetlands and reducing the ecological function of wetlands. Water systems are important channels for material exchange between wetland sources, and evaluating the ecological safety of wetland–water system ecological corridors can aid in efficiently delineating ecological restoration areas and identifying ecological problems. In this paper, the ecological safety of wetland–hydrological ecological corridors in the Han River Basin was evaluated, and ecological restoration areas were delineated by adopting the method of "identification of source areas - construction of resistance surfaces - extraction of wetland–hydrological ecological corridors" with the watershed as the research unit. The study identified wetland–hydrological ecological corridors with a total length of 7,589.77 km and delineated 31 sections of wetland–hydrological ecological corridors with a total length of 1,076 km; these corridors were located in the Hanzhong Canyon area, tributaries of the Danjiang River and Tangbai River, and tributaries of the main streams below Danjiangkou. Among them, 8 sections of the primary corridor account for 27 %, 14 sections of the secondary corridor account for 33 %, and 9 sections of the tertiary corridor account for 39 %. This study breaks administrative boundaries, emphasizes the correlation between wetlands and water bodies, highlights the integrity of ecosystems, and establishes a multidimensional systematic restoration methodology of "points, lines and surfaces", which provides guidelines for the long-term planning of ecological corridors of wetlands and water systems in large-scale regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A watershed ESPs construction method integrating MCR model and circuit theory from the perspectives of ecosystem services and ecological sensitivity was proposed. • The ecological sensitivity weights of different regions were applied for constructing the ESPs of the YRB. • The distributions of ECs and EPPs presented spatial differences in the ecological environment of the YRB. • The proposal of optimizing ESPs can promote the ecological protection and high-quality development of the basin. Safeguarding ecological security is one of China's important development strategies. Identifying ecological security patterns (ESPs) is an effective way to collaboratively develop ecological and environmental security in different regions. Currently, studies on the construction of regional ESPs mainly focus on the innovation of ecosystem service functions, ignoring the differences in ecological sensitivities of different ecological environments on a large scale. In this paper, taking the Yellow River Basin (YRB) as an example, six important ecosystem service functions were selected to identify ecological sources (ESs), ecological sensitivity weights were set according to the ecological environment characteristics of different regions, and the ecological resistance surfaces (ERSs) were determined. And the ESPs of the YRB were further investigated based on the Minimum Cumulative Resistance (MCR) model and circuit theory. The research findings indicate:(1) We had identified 218 ESs on the YRB, covering an area of 387,165 km2, which was 19.36 % of the entire study area and highly concentrated in the upstream areas. There were 532 ecological corridors (ECs) identified with a total length of 39,015.95 km, with less distribution in the lower reaches of the YRB. There were 201 ecological pinch points (EPPs) mainly in forests and grasslands. (2) ERSs constructed with different sensitivities weights had a significant impact on the distribution of ECs and EPPs. There were significant variations in the ESPs of the YRB. The upstream areas were notably more secure than the middle and lower reaches, indicating an overall lower level of ecological security. (3) Different ecological sensitivity weights were adopted in different regions, which was more suitable for the construction of ESPs with regional environmental differences. This study provides a wise direction for coordinating the ecological protection and achieving high-quality development in the YRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Coupling coordination indicators for pollution and carbon reduction is proposed. • The first time to focus on the issue in cities along the Yellow River Basin. • "East-high and west-low" spatial differentiation characteristics of coupled degree. • "Pollution reduction is hindered and carbon reduction is lagging". • There is a phenomenon of "spatial club" clustering in the coordination degree. Collaborative efforts to reduce pollution and carbon emissions are a notable feature of the current era. Achieving the "pollution reduction" and "carbon reduction" dual-driven new development model is the inevitable requirement and significant practical measure for building a new development pattern and realizing a comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. The synergistic effects between pollution reduction and carbon reduction (PRCR) have been demonstrated. However, the measurement and quantitative analysis of the coupling coordination degree (CCD) of PRCR have not received enough attention. Therefore, the evaluation index system was constructed based on the scientific connotation of PRCR, and the CCD of PRCR in cities along the Yellow River Basin (YRB) from 2009 to 2018 was measured quantitatively by constructing the coupling coordination model in this paper. In addition, we comprehensively investigated its spatial pattern, distribution characteristics, and evolution trend using ESDA, Kernel density estimation, and Markov chain. The primary findings can be summarized as: (1) PRCR levels and their CCD fluctuated and increased in the YRB, with "east-high and west-low" spatial differentiation characteristics, and the coupling phenomenon of "pollution reduction is hindered and carbon reduction is lagging". (2) There is a phenomenon of "spatial club" clustering in the coordination degree of PRCR in the YRB, with most cities in the downstream areas belonging to the type of high-high clustering, while the middle and upstream areas had the opposite type. (3) The CCD of PRCR in the whole and upper reaches of the YRB have transformed from low-level divergence to high-level convergence. (4) Spatial geographic factors have a significant spillover effect on the evolution of the CCD of PRCR, and there is a phenomenon of the "Matthew effect". This paper provides a comprehensive framework for analyzing the synergistic effects between PRCR, and the research findings can also provide insights for other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper constructed a framework for green water assessment in the Loess Plateau gully region using MIKE SHE model. • A new concept and extraction method for green water components was defined based on existing research. • A new concept of the potential of green water was defined in relation to the dried soil layers' classification indicators. • We assessed the dependence on green water components and potential for environmental changes. Exponentially increasing water demand and increasingly uncertain hydrological conditions due to climate change (CC) and land use/cover change (LUCC) undoubtedly pose significant challenges to the sustainability of water systems in arid and semi-arid regions worldwide, and even more so in the rain-fed agricultural area of the Loess Plateau (LP) in China, where green water supports all ecological landscapes and most agriculture. Therefore, an accurate assessment of green water resources is crucial for regional development. This paper constructed a comprehensive framework for assessing green water resources based on the MIKE SHE model, defined a new concept of green water components (GWCs) that can be extracted based on existing studies, proposes the potential of green water (GW P), and present a research methodology. To validate this research framework, we applied it to a typical basin in the LP gully area of the Nanxiaohegou (NXHG) basin. The model was calibrated using runoff data from basin outlet stations to extract four GWCs: high-efficiency green water (GW H), low-efficiency green water (GW L), unused green water (GW U), ineffective green water (GW I). We then assessed the GW P of the basin and analyzed its trends, consistency, and dependence on changing environments. The assessment framework is simple and easy to use, providing valuable information for regional revegetation and basin water management, and is highly recommended for replication in other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Farmland has mainly been converted into construction land in the Huaihe River Basin. • The supply–demand for agroecosystem services are related to farmland loss rate (FLR). • Urbanization patterns strongly impact supply–demand relationship in different FLR area. China's urbanization has gradually become the dominant factor in farmland loss, but it remains unclear how urbanization impacts the supply–demand relationship of agroecosystem services at different rates of farmland loss, which in turn poses new challenges to the ecological security of farmland. Taking the Huaihe River Basin as a case, this paper analyzes farmland loss from 2000 to 2020, as well as changes in the supply–demand relationship of four types of agroecosystem services: food production, socio-economic security, carbon sequestration, and soil conservation, revealing the driving mechanisms of urbanization on the supply–demand relationship of agroecosystem services in sub-regions with different rates of farmland loss. The results show that: (1) A total of 13588.11 km2 of farmland was converted to construction land from 2000 to 2020, accounting for 75.62 % of the total amount of farmland converted to different land types, and 95.57 % of the total amount of farmland converted to construction land. (2) There was a surplus supply of grain production services and socio-economic security services, while there was a deficit in the supply of carbon sequestration services, and a balance in the supply–demand of soil conservation services. (3) The matching degree of supply–demand for agroecosystem services was lower in the Rapid Loss Area compared to the Medium Loss Area and Slow Loss Area. (4) Urbanization was divided into population, economic, and spatial urbanization. The supply–demand relationships of agroecosystem services were impacted greatly by spatial urbanization in the Rapid Loss Area and by economic urbanization in the Medium Loss Area and Slow Loss Area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Introduce an evaluation approach for the Ecological Service Value of Water (ESV-W). • Improve the assessment of Ecosystem Services Value (ESV) by introducing the Agricultural Price Index (API) into the Equivalence Factor (EF). • Improve the Water Allocation and Simulation Model (WAS) to simulate and quantify the 'natural-artificial' soil water cycle. • Analysis of the ESV and ESV-W in the Yangtze River Basin from 2005 to 2020. This paper introduces an evaluation approach for the Ecological Service Value of Water (ESV-W) by coupling the assessment of Ecosystem Services Value (ESV) with the Water Allocation and Simulation Model (WAS). The proposed method is applied to evaluate ESV and ESV-W in the Yangtze River Basin from 2005 to 2020. Firstly, an improved Equivalence Factor (EF) method is employed to estimate ESV by considering different land use types and service categories. Then, the enhanced WAS model is used to quantify and identify the role of the 'natural-artificial' soil water cycle in supporting the ecological service functions. Finally, by integrating the ESV evaluation system with the WAS model, the evaluation method for ESV-W is established. The results indicated that from 2005 to 2020, the total ESV increased from 4.0 to 5.6 trillion US Dollars, with forests being the primary contributor among land use types (about 52%), and regulating services are dominating among service categories (about 70%). The spatial distribution of the ESV showed a decreasing trend from southeast to northwest in the Yangtze River Basin, while the ESV-W exhibited high values concentrated along the main stream of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and lower in the middle. The ESV-W of the 'natural' soil water cycle still dominates (over 96%), but the ESV-W of the 'artificial' soil water cycle has been rapidly increasing in recent years. In 2020, the ESV-W per unit water of precipitation, irrigation, and ecological water were 4.0 Dollars/ m 3 , 0.7 Dollars/ m 3 , and 32.4 Dollars/ m 3 , respectively. This study aims to provide references for the protection of water ecosystems and the sustainable utilization of water resources. It also serves as a reference for improving the evaluation system of ESV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • We develop a framework to estimate future Flood Regulation Service (FRS) dynamics. • The framework considers the joint impacts of both climate change and urbanization. • Future FRS supply–demand imbalance will continue to intensify. • Future impacts of climate change in Baiyangdian Lake Basin cannot be ignored. • Cities should actively adapt to climate change to reduce flood risks in the future. Estimating the supply–demand relationship's future dynamics and trend of Flood Regulation Service (FRS) is important for preventing flood risks and choose an appropriate future development path. Less attention has been given to assessing the future trends in this relationship under the joint influence of climate change and urbanization. This paper aims to quantify future trends in the FRS supply–demand relationship under the joint impacts of climate change and urbanization. To this end, we took the Baiyangdian Lake Basin as an example and developed a "Climate Change-Urbanization-FRS supply and demand" framework by combining future climate scenarios from the ScenarioMIP (Scenario Model Intercomparison Project) dataset and socioeconomic data from the SSPs (Shared Socioeconomic Pathways) to estimate the FRS supply and demand dynamics during the period from 2020 to 2050. The results show that the framework has a reasonable ability to estimate the FRS supply–demand relationship. The correlation coefficients between estimated supply–demand ratios and the historical values exceeded 0.9. The average FRS supply–demand ratio among the four scenarios shows a significantly downward trend between 2020 and 2050. The FRS is expected to decrease by 0.159 (36.6 %), resulting in the imbalanced area increasing from 38.3 km2 (4.1 % of the whole basin) to 11049.7 km2 (36.2 %). We believe that although urbanization is the dominant factor contributing to the intensified imbalance trend (with a contribution of 71.2 %), influences from climate change also cannot be ignored (with a contribution of 28.8 %). Therefore, adaptation actions to climate change should be actively taken to reduce urban flood risks in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Between 1980 and 2018, greenspaces decreased, yet the river system still developed. • The greenspaces exhibit a trend towards fragmentation and complexity. • Changes in surface runoff and groundwater flow varied greatly in space. • Water yield is affected by both relief ratio and forest land morphology. • The Geographically Weighted Regression has high accuracy in water yield simulation. The rapid shifts in landuse and the frequency of flooding events brought by urbanization significantly impact the urban basins, which means that optimizing landscape patterns is crucial for improving urban hydrology. Therefore, the Liuxi River Basin (LRB), an important river in the Pearl River Delta region, was utilized as an example in the study to examine how the landscape configuration of greenspaces and water bodies influences the hydrological components. However, there are few studies on landscape hydrology in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) and the spatial linkages between landscape metrics and hydrological components are not clear. Based on this, this paper aims to explore the mathematical and spatial associations between landscape configuration and hydrological variables in the PRD region. The SWAT model was constructed to simulate hydrological components based on landuse changes from 1980 to 2018, and regressions were established for landscape pattern indices, water morphology parameters, and hydrological components using stepwise multiple linear regression and geographically weighted regression (GWR). According to the results, the LRB continued to develop, although the greenspaces spread out and changed shape considerably. The influence of water bodies on the hydrological component is mainly in evapotranspiration, and some three-dimensional parameters such as relief ratio favor surface runoff. In the case of greenspace, the runoff is less in connected and wide farmland areas. Irregular forest land will promote water yield but suppress evapotranspiration, and the effect of forest's shape on hydrological components is more obvious in upstream areas because the regression coefficients in this range are higher, such as 90.27. Methodologically, we found that for water yield, the accuracy of GWR was significantly higher (R2 = 0.814) than that of multiple linear regression (R2 = 0.243). In addition, understanding land use changes before conducting landscape hydrology studies can help make the results more interpretable. We supplemented the relevant research gaps in the PRD region and revealed the spatial correlation between landscape metrics and the hydrological cycle. These findings can aid urban planners in improving their comprehension of hydrological processes and landscape design, leading to more sustainable management of the urban basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Chinese soil loss equation model was used to estimate long-term soil erosion. • Soil erosion rates increased in the basin from 2010 to 2017. • Interactions between main driving factors analyzed using boosted regression trees. • The B factor was the primary driver of soil erosion. Soil erosion reduces soil fertility and land productivity while enhancing desertification, which seriously threatens ecological security, carbon sequestration, and sustainable economic and social development. Therefore, it is fundamental to precisely assess the long-term dynamics of soil erosion and explore its drivers to control the risk of soil erosion. Currently, machine learning-based analyses of the factors driving soil erosion are lacking in the Beiluo River Basin (BRB), China. This paper aimed to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of soil erosion by the Chinese soil loss equation coupled with the gully erosion factor, and then reveal its driving factors using the Boosting Regression Tree method (BRT) and estimate the influence of drivers' interactions on soil erosion in the BRB between 1990 and 2017. The findings demonstrated that the expanded Chinese soil loss equation accurately explained the variations in soil erosion in the BRB. The range of average soil erosion rates was 2,852.83–800.35 t km−2 a−1. Steep gully farmland, particularly areas with relatively rough terrain, was more vulnerable to intense erosion. Soil erosion rates for different geomorphologies decreased as follows: hilly–gully areas > gully–plateau areas > alluvial river plains > Rocky Mountains. The major drivers affecting the soil erosion rate were the biomass control factor (B) and slope, followed by slope length (L) and slope steepness (S). B–soil erodibility (1990), B–LS (2000), LS–rainfall erosivity (2010), and slope–rainfall erosivity (2017) interactions had the greatest influence on soil erosion, with interaction intensities of 32.3%, 17.75%, 46.05%, and 35.69%, respectively. The average soil erosion rates according to land classification types decreased as follows: farmland > grassland > forest. The results indicate that water and soil conservation in the study area benefited greatly from implementation of the Grain for Green Program, with forests reducing erosion more effectively than grassland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The high-quality development index is introduced into STIRPAT model. • The average yield of ecological footprint is updated. • High-quality development can effectively reduce the increase of ecological footprint. • The improvement of population quality helps ease pressure on the environment. • Lower energy consumption intensity helps improve ecological quality. It is urgent to coordinate the development of economy and environment under the "dual carbon" goal. As China's new development stage and mode, high-quality development takes into account both the speed and quality of economic, providing the possibility of achieving a "win-win" situation for the economy and the environment. In order to test the practical impact of high-quality development on ecological, based on the STIRPAT model, this paper introduces high-quality development index instead of per capita GDP, so as to measure the current economic situation in China, and explore the relationship between high-quality development and ecological footprint, and demonstrates the feasibility from theory and practice. At the same time, it pays attention to the complex effects of population and technology on environmental quality. The results show that the contradiction between economy and ecology still exists in China. The ecological footprint index of 30 provinces in the past 21 years has increased as a whole, and the fworst ecological footprint has concentrated in the Yellow River basin. But since 2012, the growth of the footprint has slowed. The slow down time and low value region of ecological footprint were observed, and it was found that they overlapped with the proposed time and the high value area of high-quality development. The level of high-quality development in China has also continued to rise, with regional differences but gradually narrowing. Among them, green development and shared development contribute more to the improvement of high-quality development level. Compared with the traditional economic development mode, high-quality development can reduce the increase of ecological footprint, and the longer the time, the smaller the increase, more conducive to long-term sustainable development. In addition, population and technology factors are also profoundly affecting China's ecological pattern. The increase in population size and population density, as well as the increase in the proportion of coal-based energy consumption structure, will lead to increased environmental pressure. The improvement of population quality and the reduction of energy consumption intensity will help alleviate ecological pressure. The research is helpful to provide policy guidance and path combination reference for China's sustainable development, and also provide new ideas for the global coordination of the relationship between economy and environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • We quantified the impacts of land use changes and dam construction on flood regulation service (FRS). • A transfer matrix of ecosystem FRS was developed associating with land use changes. • Both the amount and direction of land use changes play key roles in influencing the ecosystem FRS. • Land use outweighted dams in forming the annual FRS supplies. • Increases in FRS supply came more from dam construction (84.65%) than land use changes (15.35%). Flood regulation service (FRS) is essential for a sustainable landscape and human society. It is not only subject to land use changes, but also affected by engineered measures (e.g., dam construction). However, the comprehensive impacts of the two major driving factors are still to be elucidated. To fill the research gap, this paper aims to evaluate the response of basin-scale FRS supply and demand to land use changes and dam construction. A case study in the Yangtze River Basin, China, shows that the 2020 FRS supply is mainly from land uses (84.85%) rather than dams (15.15%), with the biggest contributions from water bodies (rivers and lakes, 30.00%) and forests (29.35%). Between 1980 and 2020, the total FRS supply has increased by 10.50%, from 1.48 × 1010 m3 to 1.64 × 1010 m3. The net increase mainly comes from dam construction (84.65%) rather than land use changes (15.35%). Regarding the land use changes, the developed transfer matrix shows the ecosystem FRS flows and indicates that both the land use change amount and direction play a key role, e.g., the declines in farmlands have increased ecosystem FRS supplies when transiting into forest lands (by 3.68 × 108 m3) and water bodies (by 1.37 × 109 m3), while have decreased the ecosystem FRS supplies by −1.96 × 107 m3 with the transition into construction lands. These findings could shed light on the divergent roles between land-based measures and engineered measures in managing flood risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The proposed MSDI can capture the occurrence of drought. • There was a tendency of aridity with a mutation point of 1983. • The drought severity was the heaviest in the DXJB, with an average MSDI of –0.75. • The most severe drought event occurred from September 1988 to October 1990. • ENSO had the largest influence on the drought variation in the XJB. The reasonable and appropriate drought indicator is a crucial instrument for drought investigation and assessment, which can objectively compare the severity, duration, and frequency of drought events, so as to achieve the purpose of accurately monitoring and evaluating drought. However, a univariate drought index is often difficult to precisely describe the complex drought situation, and it is urgent to establish a multivariate comprehensive drought index to identify and reveal the drought characteristics. Based on Copula models, combined with meteorological factors precipitation and hydrological factors runoff, this paper constructed a Multivariate Standardized Drought Index (MSDI), which can characterize meteorological drought and hydrological drought simultaneously and evaluate the spatial–temporal evolution characteristics of drought over the Xijiang River Basin (XJB) in South China. The results indicated that: (1) the proposed MSDI can capture the occurrence of drought as sensitively as the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), and can represent the termination of drought as effectively as the Standardized Runoff Index (SRI), which can comprehensively depict the drought situation in the XJB, China; (2) since the 1980 s, there was a tendency of aridity with a mutation point of 1983 in the downstream of Xijiang River (DXJB), and the worst comprehensive drought occurred in 1989; (3) among the tributaries, the comprehensive drought severity was the heaviest in the DXJB, with an average MSDI value of –0.75; (4) based on the run theory and Copula model, the most serious drought event occurred from September 1988 to October 1990, with a drought severity of 33.36, a drought duration of 27 months, and a drought return period exceeding 50 years; and (5) the drought evolution was significantly influenced by abnormal atmospheric circulation factors, while ENSO had the largest influence on the drought variation in the XJB, followed by sunspot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ecological resiliency framework; multi-factors superposition; dynamic analysis. As a result of years of monitoring the ecological resiliency of natural areas and cities, it has become clear that it is both important and often feasible to implement ecological and environmental restoration in conjunction with ongoing processes of landscape change development and urbanization. Ecological resiliency and spatiotemporal evolution studies can objectively reveal the resiliency of ecosystems to external disturbances. Ecological monitoring and assessment can also help planners understand regional ecological spatial differentiation patterns and provided data support for planning. In this paper we have analyzes quantitatively the interrelationships of ecological factors in Dianchi Lake Basin (DLB) over the past 30 years and explored the spatial and temporal dynamics of ecological resiliency. Based on remote sensing images and primary data in 1995, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2018, and 2022, we used the center of gravity migration and kernel density analysis to explore the spatial and temporal changes of ecological resiliency. We built the overall resiliency evaluation system using entropy weight in the TOPSIS model, and finally simulate the future changes based on CA-Markov (CA-MC) model. The results show that from 1995 to 2022, the ecological resiliency of land use and vegetation cover in DLB decreased substantially. An important finding was that the ecological resiliency of riparian buffer zone and landscape pattern were generally increasing. The distribution of barycenter movement and kernel density of different levels of ecological resiliency differed significantly and showed fluctuating changes. The extreme low resiliency and extremely resilient areas shift to the northeast, the mildly resilient areas shift to the northwest, and the highly resilient areas shift to the southeast. The overall resiliency level of DLB is predicted to slowly increase from 2022 to 2030 by deduction of the CA-MC model. Our analysis suggests that the study of the evolution of regional ecological resiliency can provide a timely understanding of regional ecological evolution patterns and propose ecological protection strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Carbon storage are predicted with land use simulated by Markov-PLUS and carbon density. • Carbon storage caused by land use/cover change are significantly different in three scenarios. • Ecological policies are important in increasing carbon storage and mitigating carbon loss. Land use/cover change (LUCC) is the primary source of carbon storage changes in the ecosystem. Up to now, there are few studies about the impacts and driving mechanisms of LUCC for carbon storage in the ecosystem at spatial–temporal scales. Characterizing LUCC of the Yellow River Basin (YRB) and its role in carbon storage are very important and necessary to elucidate the results of human activities on ecosystems. The policies to address potential future risks should be formulated in advance to achieve effective development. In the paper, we regarded the YRB as the study area, analyzed its LUCC during 2000 to 2020, predicted land use patterns in 2040 under the scenarios of natural trend (NT), ecological degradation (ED), and ecological restoration (ER) using Markov model with Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model, and quantified carbon storage in the ecosystems over the last 20 years and under future scenarios according to Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model. The outcome was as follows: (1) During 2000 to 2040, LUCC in the YRB changed markedly, with cropland being transformed into woodland, grassland and built-up land; (2) During 2000 to 2040, carbon storage in the YRB was on an upward trend with a mean annual increase of 1.93×106Mg C, and woodland was the answer to increasing carbon storage, while unused land could induce carbon storage to decrease; (3) Carbon storage in the YRB varied to different degrees under three scenarios, but under the premise of not causing large-scale damage, the conversion of built-up land was an important means of improving carbon storage, greatly enhancing the carbon sequestration efficiency and capacity of the YRB. In conclusion, the future environmental management of the YRB should be continuously oriented to ecological protection and low-carbon development, so that carbon storage in the basin will be able to develop in a benign direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Trying to break out of the stereotypical thinking of inherent study areas. • Use of a three-stage DEA model to make efficiency results more scientific. • Multidimensional identification of differences between strategic areas. • Valuable regionally targeted policy recommendations are made. The Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Yellow River Basin are important economic regions and ecological barriers in China. Promoting the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and promoting ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin are major regional strategies implemented by the Chinese government, and the green growth of the two regions is important for the high-quality sustainable development of the whole China. To investigate the regional differences in green growth efficiency of the same type of geographical units, this paper measures the green growth efficiency and decomposition indicators of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Yellow River Basin from 2010 to 2020 using a three-stage DEA model and the Malmquist index method and establishes a panel Tobit model to identify the influencing factors of green growth efficiency. The results show that: ①After using the three-stage DEA model to remove the influence of external environment and stochastic factors, the mean values of green growth efficiency of Yangtze River Economic Zone and Yellow River Basin from 2010 to 2020 are 0.996 and 1.089, respectively. The change of green growth efficiency of Yangtze River Economic Zone is slightly higher than that of Yellow River Basin. ②The Malmquist indexes of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Yellow River Basin have generally increased, with the Technological Progress Index, which characterizes technological innovation, being the main endogenous driver of green growth efficiency in the Yellow River Basin, while the technical efficiency index, which characterizes factor mix and management level, is more significant in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. ③The Tobit model regression results show that the factors influencing green growth efficiency are also different in the two regions. Among them, the urbanization rate has a significantly positive effect on the two regions, while the effects of environmental regulation and research intensity are not significant. External openness has a suppressive effect on green growth efficiency in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, while the level of financial development and human capital negatively affect green growth efficiency in the Yellow River Basin. Therefore, green development in the new era should pay attention to the differences between different regions, and make appropriate development policies according to the local conditions of the development status of different regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A set of dynamic ecosystem service value coefficients for ARB was proposed. • Potential factors were considered in the spatiotemporal simulation of ESV. • A high-precision spatiotemporal simulation ESV was found by comparing multi-models. • Some suggestions on ecosystem protection of ARB from landscape scale were proposed. The ecosystem of inland river basin is of great significance to the socio-economic stability in arid area. Therefore, to evaluate the ecosystem service values (ESVs) is necessary for monitor ecosystem changes. In this paper, the response of land use/land cover (LULC) during 1990 to 2020 in Aksu River Basin (ARB) to ESV was explored. The advanced equivalent factor which modified by biomass factor and socio-economic was used to evaluate the ESVs of the ARB. A patch-generating land use simulation (PLUS) was used to simulate the ESV spatial distribution considering the influences of temperature (TEM), precipitation (PRE), NDVI, DEM, Soil organic matter content (SOMC) and Human Activity Intensity of Land Surface (HAILS) of the ARB in 2030. The results show that the total ESV in the study area showed an increasing trend (1.63 × 1010 yuan to 5.64 × 1010 yuan) from 1990 to 2020. The grassland had the highest ESV, accounting for nearly 50% of the total ESV for the ARB. The factor detection results showed that q value had the following explanatory power to ESV: HAILS (0.332) > NDVI (0.126) > TEM (0.125) > PRE (0.108) > DEM(0.096) > SOMC(0.089)and the interaction between HAILS and PRE had an effect of 0.493 on ESV. The shape index (SI) was negatively correlated with the ESV, and the correlation coefficient was −0.794. The aggregation index (AI) and Shannon's Diversity Index (SHDI) were positively correlated with the ESV, and the correlation coefficients were 0.872 and 0.878, respectively. The simulation results showed a rapid increase in ESVs in 2030, the ESV of grassland would still be the largest, and the per unit ESV of plowland, forestland, unused land and water area would be 20131.07 yuan/km2, 64743.29 yuan/km2, 3054.21 yuan/km2, 41398.54 yuan/km2, respectively. This paper can help decision-makers achieve sustainable ecosystem service management and develop land-use strategies in inland river basins in arid oases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water Footprint (WF) assessment provides a basis for quantitative description and evaluation of water consumption and degradation related to human activities. Several different WF methods have been developed, which can be broadly divided into volumetric and impact-oriented approaches. The former, coming from the discipline of water resources management, has mainly focused on water resource consumption. The latter, coming from the discipline of life cycle assessment, has generally considered a wider range of environmental impacts associated with water use, including water degradation. The purpose of this paper was to investigate water use in agricultural production in the environmentally sensitive Lake Dianchi Basin. It was found that WF results had different tendencies depending on the WF assessment method chosen. From 2001–2012, volumetric WF results (20570 ∼ 75838 L kg −1 ) showed an upward tendency, whereas impact-oriented WF results (1069 ∼ 1453 L H 2 O-eq kg −1 ) declined modestly over this period. In the Lake Dianchi Basin, the agricultural water degradation footprint (1047.2 ∼ 1410.9 L H 2 O-eq kg −1 ) far outweighed the water scarcity footprint (21.8 ∼ 45.6 L H 2 O-eq kg −1 ). There has been a history of agricultural production placing a heavy burden on the quality of catchment water resources. In particular, fertilizers applied to wheat crops contribute to aquatic eutrophication. Wheat cultivation contributed most to the agricultural WF in the Lake Dianchi Basin, followed by tobacco, pulses, and then other cereals. Reductions, over time, in the impact-oriented agricultural WF were explained by reductions in total fertilizer application in the basin, despite increased use of irrigation in some years. These results highlight the importance of considering both water consumption and degradation in a complete WF assessment. Further improvements in fertilizer use efficiency and waste water treatment are identified as priorities in the Lake Dianchi Basin to safeguard water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Adding ' management (M) ' factor to DPSIR model to construct DPSIRM model. • TOPSIS model was constructed to evaluate water cycle health. • The obstacle factors of nine provinces were analyzed. • Put forward relevant suggestions according to the evaluation results. The regional water cycle reflects both natural and social processes. The health of the regional water cycle is of great significance to the sustainable development of human beings. Focusing on the nine provinces and regions in the Yellow River Basin, this study utilized the DPSIRM model, including 21 basic indicators. In this paper, according to the principle of minimum information entropy, the three-scale AHP and EFAST algorithms were combined and weighted, and water cycle health status in the nine provinces and regions was evaluated based on the hook trapezoidal fuzzy TOPSIS model. Moreover, the traditional TOPSIS model was compared with the FCE method so as to evaluate the objectivity of the results. The obstacle degree model was introduced to obtain the main obstacle factors affecting the improvement of water circulation health in the nine provinces and regions. The results show that the water circulation health status in the nine provinces and regions is tending towards health, coordination, and balance. Water consumption in the ecological environment, water consumption per CNY 10,000 of GDP and forest coverage rate are the key factors that influence the improvement of water circulation health in the nine provinces and regions. The research results herein provide a scientific reference for the nine provinces and regions to achieve a healthy urban water cycle and regional sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The vegetation cover status of 9 provinces in the Yellow River basin was analyzed. • The water poverty status of 9 provinces in the Yellow River basin is analyzed. • There is a U-shaped relationship between vegetation cover and water poverty. • There were differences in the effects of vegetation cover on WPI components. Vegetation plays an important role in improving the water resource environment. Faced with the serious water poverty problem in various regions of China, whether vegetation restoration can further alleviate water poverty needs to be studied urgently. Taking 9 provinces in the Yellow River basin in China as an example, this paper first uses the framework of the existing water poverty index (WPI) to calculate the WPI of each province over the years from 1999 to 2019 and evaluate the water poverty status of each province. Later, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was used to analyze the vegetation restoration status of each area. Finally, using provincial panel data for the study area from 1999 to 2019, a comprehensive feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) model was used to analyze the impact of vegetation cover on water poverty. It was found that there was no pure linear relationship between vegetation cover and water poverty; instead, there was a significant U-shaped relationship. Moreover, the influence of vegetation cover on each component of the WPI has certain differences. This research advances knowledge on the relationship between vegetation cover and water poverty and provides ideas for effectively alleviating regional water poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • "Small-world" network characteristics of human-influenced river networks are found. • A dynamic connectivity index based on flow and probability density is proposed. • The hydrological connectivity response under the change of river networks is analyzed. • "Small-world" features of river networks lead to reduced hydrological connectivity. • Spatiotemporal heterogeneity of connectivity is related to the systemic function. River network connectivity is a key factor affecting watershed ecosystems and an important criterion for evaluating the health of river. The river network structure of the basin has changed dramatically in recent years due to human activity, but the response of connectivity to changes in physical structure is still poorly understood. In this paper, a dynamic index (connectivity index) based on daily-scale flow and probability density function is proposed to characterize the connectivity capacity of river networks. The Haihe River basin in China is selected as the study area, and a graphic model is constructed to assess the evolutionary structure of the river network. The 54 sections were classified into Low human impact (LHI) and High human impact (HHI), and the trends and causes of connectivity changes of the sections with the evolution of the network were analyzed. The results reveal that the river network degree and clustering coefficient keep increasing, the path length decreases and becomes more dense downstream, and the river network gradually evolves into a "small-world" network. The "small-world" characteristics improve the potential efficiency and specific functionality of the river network, but make the physical structure mismatch with the hydraulic gradient, and the network flow disperses severely, leading to a significant decrease in connectivity (HHI connectivity index is lower than LHI 52.1%). Moreover, the structural changes enhance the spatial and temporal differences in hydrological connectivity, which further restricts the function of the river system. "Small-world" and connectivity indicators (duration, start time, and intermittency) show strong correlations. Therefore, physical structure is an important factor influencing connectivity capacity of river networks. The planning and management of the watershed should consider the changes in hydrological connectivity caused by the structural modifications of the river network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Basin ecosystem services value was constructed using the modified equivalent factor method. • The progress and ecological effect of the first basin ecological compensation pilot in China was evaluated. • The ecological compensation measures have significantly increased the value of hydrological regulation function. • Driven by the policy of ecological compensation, the value of ecosystem services in the Xin'an River basin presents an obvious spatial distribution pattern. • The marginal diminishing effect of ecological compensation on promoting the growth of regional ecosystem service value is proposed. Ecological compensation is an effective way to harmonize the conflict between exploitation and protection of ecosystem. Xin 'an River Basin, as the first pilot project in China to carry out horizontal ecological compensation for upstream and downstream river basins, has been continuously exploring the compensation path and mode in the past ten years. The significance of this study is to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of ecological compensation from the perspective of ecosystem service value. It is helpful to explore more effective refined implementation methods. It provides reference for further adjustment and development of ecological compensation. In this paper, we used the equivalence factor method to construct the ecosystem service equivalent factors applicable to the Xin'an River basin against the background of land use change from 2010 to 2020, evaluated the ecosystem service value(ESV) of the Xin'an River basin in 10 years, and analyzed the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics. It was found that (1) ESV showed an overall growth trend over the decade, increasing by 1.25 billion, with an increase of 2.84 %. The increase in the value of the hydrological regulation function was the most significant driver. The diminishing marginal effects are also shown on the time scale. This suggests that existing ecological conservation actions are becoming less effective in increasing ESV over time, and that there is a need for appropriate expansion of existing environmental actions, as well as more fine-grained policy implementation. (2) The trend of ESV showed obvious differences in spatial distribution. Four districts and counties in the west-central part of the study area showed increasing trends in ESV, while four districts and counties in the east-central part showed negative trends. The most significant increase was in the Huangshan District (+160,370.32 million yuan), mainly due to the significant increase in the watershed area in this region, which led to an increase in the value of the hydrological regulating function. The increase in the value of hydrological regulation function in the study area mainly came from Huangshan District. This is closely related to the water pollution control, water conservation and protection, and water ecology restoration in the Xin'an River Basin promoted by ecological compensation. (3) Ecological compensation in the Xin'an River Basin has effectively promoted the growth of ESVs in the region, especially watershed-related ecosystem services. It has played an obvious positive role in promoting the construction of ecological civilization and the coordinated ecological-social-economic development.. However, the growth of ESV is not comprehensive, and the ESV of some regions and ecosystem service types are in a declining trend, without achieving a synergistic and balanced development. We give relevant suggestions for this situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A method was proposed by coupling the ERI and the CLUE-S model. • Three different scenarios designed to explore ERI of LUCC in 2027. • Spatiotemporal characteristics of ERI were predicted under different scenarios. The Jinghe County of the Ebinur Lake Basin was chosen as the study area. Based on Landsat TM / OLI images obtained in 2007 and 2017, this paper attempts to use CLUE-S model to predict LUCC under three different scenarios (Natural Development scenario, Farmland Protection scenario, Water Resources Protection scenarios) in 2027. Landscape indices and ecological risk index were calculated and spatially interpolated for the whole region, and the results of ecological risk could be divided into five different zones: extremely low, low, moderate, high and extremely high. They were carried out for assessing the spatial–temporal changes in ecological risk for each landscape pattern. The results show that: (1) Among the three scenarios designed in this paper, the spatial distribution of LUCC in the Water Resource Protection scenario has the most obvious changes, followed by the Farmland Protection scenario and the Natural Development scenario becomes the third. In the water resources protection scenario, the scale of the desert decreases, but the forest and grass part increases, which is conducive to ecological improvement. (2) the distribution area of high ecological risk areas was the largest of three different scenarios, especially the farmland protection scenario. The area of low-risk level is the largest under the water conservation scenario. The ecological risk of LUCC under the water resources protection scenario is lower, which is better for ecological environment. (3) Water bodies mainly concentrate upon low ecological risk degree, accounting for approximately 62.8%, 82.2%, and 73.1% of low ecological risk; Farmland mainly lies in the low-risk areas, accounting for 59.1%, 63.5% and 68.8% of the lower ecological risk levels; In 2027, the unused land and other land types are the main land types of the higher ecological risk areas under three different scenarios, whose proportions are 67.40%, 68.24% and 65.90%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The measurement errors in long-time series remote sensing images are corrected by statistical and spatio-temporal prediction model. • The ecological degradation of the Miyun Reservoir basin from 1985 to 2021 is mainly caused by anthropogenic factors. • Through statistical theory, the ecological development trend in the experimental area is analyzed, and the conclusion is verified by land use evolution. Miyun Reservoir, located in the Miyun District, Beijing, China, is the largest comprehensive water conservancy project and is an important ecological protection area in the North China region. Changes within the basin are the driving factors affecting the ecosystem in the watershed; therefore, it is important to analyze the changes in the ecological environment of Miyun Reservoir. For the analysis of a long time series of image data remotely sensed by satellite, the outliers caused by atmospheric, lighting, and sensor measurement errors are significant, and it is difficult for traditional algorithms to effectively recover the true image value. To address this, this paper proposes a theoretical model for predicting spatio-temporal variation based on deep learning to identify and correct invalid and anomalous values in extended time series data. This study corrected and analyzed the results of Remote Sensing based Ecological Index inversion of Landsat data of the Miyun Reservoir watershed from 1985 to 2021. The findings and conclusions of this study are important for the analysis of long time series image data from satellite remote sensing and for improving regional ecological evaluation and sustainable development planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The rainy season was the key period when land use landscape pattern affected the river water chemistry. • The sub-watershed scale was the core scale that affects river water chemistry as a whole. • The "source-sink" functions of the same land use type changes with the change of scale. • Forestland and grassland have obvious interception effect on soil erosion at riparian scale. The impact of the land use landscape pattern on river hydrochemistry has significant scale effects. It is the premise and foundation of landscape optimization and the conservation of water resources to accurately identify the core scale of the landscape pattern impacting on river hydrochemistry. Taking Binggou River Basin in the source region of Shiyang River Basin as the study area, this paper selected the three spatial scales of catchment area, buffer zone, and riparian zone, and the relationships between land use types and landscape indices and river hydrochemical characteristics were analyzed at different spatio-temporal scales using redundancy analysis. The results showed that the hydrochemistry characteristics of Binggou River Basin had strong temporal variability, and the rainy season was the key period when the land use landscape pattern affected the river hydrochemistry. The sub-watershed and riparian scales were the core scales of influence of the landscape pattern on river hydrochemistry in Binggou River Basin. In particular, the landscape pattern index contributed the most to the river hydrochemistry at the sub-watershed scale on the whole, which was the core scale affecting river hydrochemistry. The "source" or "sink" functions of the same land use type also changed as the scale changed. Forest land showed weak "source" effect at the sub-watered scale, but a strong interception effect on the soil erosion process at the riparian scale, which is a typical "sink" landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Quantify restoring vegetation and ESs in Jinghe Watershed. • Exploring temporal and spatial changes in vegetation restoration and ESs at the sub-watershed scale. • Quantitatively analyze the impact of vegetation restoration on ESs in Jinghe Watershed at the sub-watershed scale. Assessing ecosystem services (ESs) is vital for the environment development. This study explored the variation characteristics of ESs under the restoring vegetation since the Grain for Green Project (GFGP) in Jinghe Watershed, which is a typical watershed experiencing severe soil erosion in the Loess Plateau of China. Herein, the fractional vegetation cover (FVC) is selected as an indicator of the changes in vegetation restoration from 2000 to 2020. Simulations of ESs are based on the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), Carnegie Ames-Stanford Approach (CASA) model, Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST). This paper analyzed the spatiotemporal heterogeneity in vegetation coverage and the response of vegetation coverage to ESs in the Jinghe Watershed with Mann-Kendall test, Pearson correlation coeffificient R and the gray relational analysis (GRA). The results showed that: (1) Since the implementation of the GFGP, the area of forests and grassland has increased significantly. The proportion of vegetation restoration area was 95.15 %; (2) At the whole watershed scale, vegetation restoration and soil conservation (SC), water yied (WY), net primary production (NPP) and habitat quality (HQ) were synergistic relationships, while focusing on the sub-watershed scale, vegetation restoration and SC and HQ were transformed into trade-off relationships in some sub-watershed. (3) Vegetation restoration in the Jinghe Watershed had positive effects on SC, WY, NPP, and HQ. The order of relevance with vegetation restoration was: SC > HQ > NPP > WY, indicating that vegetation restoration in the Jinghe Watershed has the highest closeness to SC. This study showed that since the implementation of the GFGP, vegetation coverage in the Jinghe Watershed has significantly restored, which has promoted the improvement of ESs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We developed an integrated model to quantify biodiversity by habitat quality. • Cultivated land mainly transfers into woodland, with some of construction land. • Biodiversity habitat quality under ecological protection scenarios is best. • The biodiversity of the upper and lower reaches in 2030 shows trend of improvement. The temporal and spatial dynamics of biodiversity and its future trends are of great significance for maintaining biodiversity pattern and ensuring regional ecological security in the Nanliu River Basin of Beibu Gulf. At present, most studies are concerned with the assessment of biodiversity in historical period, but few studies focused on the prediction of biodiversity under several scenarios in future years, and the history and future spatial simulation of habitat quality has not been carried out. Therefore, the establishment of biodiversity simulation studies under different scenarios in the future plays a crucial role in the sustainable development of regional social economy. This study takes Nanliu River Basin, which only flows into the sea in the Beibu Gulf, as the research object. Based on land use data and social and economic data interpreted from remote sensing data in 2000, 2010 and 2020, Conversion of Land Use and its Effects at Small Region Extent (CLUE-S) model was used to simulate and predict land use patterns for ecological protection scenarios, natural growth scenarios and food security scenarios in 2030. The Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Service and Tradeoff (InVEST) model was used to evaluate the biodiversity of different scenarios in the past and future and discuss the habitat quality and degradation degree of biodiversity in the watershed. Results were presented as follows. In 2000–2020, an increasing trend of construction land, shrub land and water area was found in the Nanliu River basin of Beibu Gulf. The largest increase was observed in construction land, and the largest decrease was noted in cultivated land and woodland. The best habitat quality will be under the ecological protection scenario in 2030. The biodiversity in the upstream and downstream of the three scenarios showed varying degrees of improvement, and the midstream exhibited a degradation trend. The research results of this paper can make up for the vacancy of biodiversity habitat evaluation system in Nanliu River Basin at home and abroad, and have important theoretical and practical significance for promoting ecological protection and ecological planning of watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of ecological science, the demand to integrate ecosystem services into ecological management is increasing. Stakeholders are interested in comparing stocks and ability to supply ecosystem services in different regions. However, different areas may have different primary ecosystem services and knowledge of the aggregated value of ecosystem services may be lacking, making comparisons difficult. Relevant indicators that can integrate a group of ecosystem services for comparison are therefore needed. This paper formulated two indicators, ecosystem service supply rate and supply–demand ratio, and applied them in a case study to compare and map the spatial–temporal status of ecosystem services and the ability to supply these in different regions. Using nine regions in the Taihu River Basin in China as an example, data obtained from high-resolution spatial land use, land cover maps and stakeholder interviews were used to identify the spatial–temporal potential supply and flow of ecosystem services and human demand patterns. The results showed that ecosystem service supply rate had declined from 2000 to 2010, indicating that the overall proportion of potential ecosystem services turned into flow in the Taihu River Basin declined. Determination of supply–demand ratio revealed that the status of ecosystem service provision in the basin is in deficit, with the deficit increasing between 2000 and 2010. These findings indicate that ecosystem service supply rate and supply–demand ratio are useful indicators of ecosystem service status and can permit comparisons between regions on both a spatial and temporal scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • WQI integrates biotic (R , BI , HDI) and abiotic (WQG) factors. • WQI shows that the water environment of QYJ River is generally cleanest-clean. • The results of the study reflect the success of China's water ecological civilization. • When water becomes clean, specialists species can also become generalists species. In order to understand the community characteristics of macroinvertebrates in Qingyijiang River, a survey was conducted in September 2020 and July 2021. In this paper, the change of water quality was analyzed by using water environment quality and comprehensive index, and the niche of macroinvertebrates was further analyzed by using the substitution method based on the occurrence frequency of species, simulated null distribution of niche breadth and Mantel test. The results are revealed as follows: (1) There were significant changes in the number of macroinvertebrates between 2020 and 2021, but no significant changes in community composition (percentage of taxa); (2) The comprehensive evaluation results of water quality showed that the water environment of Qingyijiang River Basin in 2020 and 2021 was generally cleanest-clean. This also reflects that a series of water environmental governance measures in China have achieved remarkable results; (3) The constraints of natural and social status should also be taken into account when selecting the biological indices; (4) The results of ecological niche partitioning of macroinvertebrates show that the survival strategies of the generalists species are characterized by strong tolerance to water pollution, strong aggressive nature and mobility while the specialists species are Gastropoda with poor mobility, species that are relatively intolerant to water pollution, clingers and rare species. Mantel tests showed that only the ammonium nitrogen in 2020 had a significant effect on the specialists species; (5) When the water environment tends to be stable, clean and healthy, the specialists species can also become the generalists species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Industry is still the major source of China's ambient water pollution. • Impact of pollution sources on water quality vary from basin to basin significantly. • Cultivation's impact on water quality is seasonal. • Cultivation and livestock farming have a cumulative effect on water quality. The identification of the main sources and the impact of the current comprehensive water quality is important in improving the precision and pertinence of water quality management, which will have a significant bearing on the quality of the water environment and the ecological system. This paper focuses on the Yangtze River and Yellow River Basins, employs panel data from 2004–2019 from prefecture-level cities and water quality monitoring sections along the Yangtze and Yellow River main streams, and conducts an empirical study on the effects of pollution sources from cultivation, livestock farming, aquaculture, industry, and domestic activities on the overall water quality. It is found that: (1) Increased pollution from agriculture (cultivation, livestock farming and aquaculture), industry and domestic pollution all contribute to the deterioration of water quality. Industry is still the major source of China's ambient water pollution. It is then followed by domestic source of pollution and agricultural source of pollution, with the latter having the least impact on water quality. (2) Impact of pollution sources on water quality vary from basin to basin significantly.The main sources of water pollution in the Yangtze and Yellow River Basins are industry and domestic life respectively. Cultivation and aquaculture are the main agricultural sources of water pollution in the two basins respectively. (3) Impact of cultivation pollution sources on water quality is subject to seasonal variations. It means that pollutants from cultivation enter the rivers through the carrying effect of precipitation, and this effect is more often reflected in the busy season. (4) In the long term, the negative impact of cultivation and livestock farming on water quality pollution form a cumulative effect. It grows as the number of lag periods increases. Therefore, in the subsequent environmental pollution control processes, priority should be given to industrial and urban pollution control with more targeted regional pollution management. It is also important to strengthen inter-basin and inter-regional synergistic control, taking top-level design of environmental policies and other conditions of the basin areas into full account to reduce the undesired environmental consequences caused by production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Freshwater is the essential resource element to support and ensure human life and regional sustainable development. On the basis of the concept of ecosystem service footprint proposed by Burkhard, in this paper, we introduce a new methodological approach that addresses the sustainability and capability of regional freshwater provision and consumption, which we have coined freshwater ecosystem service footprint model (FESF model). The FESF model enhances the accuracy of water provision and consumption calculations and reveals a spatial-pattern of freshwater ecosystem service footprint at the watershed scale, overcoming the shortcomings of the traditional water footprint model, which was first introduced by Rees and Wackernagel in 1992. The proposed model is tested in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) freshwater supply area in China, where water use restrictions are regularly imposed on the population and economic activities. The results of the physical process and theoretical analysis reveal that FESF model is a reliable and helpful model for researchers to understand the regional freshwater situation. The average FESF is 0.94hectare per capita in BTH, with a maximum of 2.52hectare per capita and a minimum of 0.36hectare per capita. Approximately 16.8% of the considered region, primarily parts of the mid-northern region and the surrounding eastern and southern low-lying regions, is under high freshwater resource pressure. In conclusion, this model can be used by researchers and policymakers for promoting sustainable human–ecology interactions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Proposed the coordinated development of urbanization and ecological safety. • 16 indicators are used to evaluate urbanization and ecological security. • Grey correlation model is used to analyze the relevance between the two systems. • Results provides a reference for high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin. In-depth analysis and discussion of the interactive relationship between urbanization and ecological security are basis and prerequisite for ensuring the coordinated development of urbanization and ecological protection. This paper constructed the evaluation index system of urbanization level from four dimensions (i.e., population, economy, society, space) and ecological safety from three aspects (i.e., pressure, governance, environment). Then, the Urbanization Development Index (UDI) and Ecological Security Index (ESI) of the nine provinces along the Yellow River were calculated, and grey relationship and decoupling model were employed to study the interaction between urbanization and ecological security from 2008 to 2018. The main conclusions are as follows: a) The urbanization level and ecological security level of the nine provinces along the Yellow River show an overall upward trend while the increase rate gradually slows down, in which UDI and ESI increases from 0.24 to 0.58 and 0.30 to 0.41 respectively. b) The correlation degree between the urbanization level and the ecological security system is higher than 0.6, which is between the medium correlation and the extremely strong correlation. Population urbanization has the greatest impact on ecological security, with a correlation value of 0.74. Ecological governance has the strongest restraint on urbanization development and the correlation value is 0.72. c) There is a strong decoupling effect between urbanization and ecological security in the nine provinces along the Yellow River, and the future ecological security will gradually become more restrictive on the development of urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• China's drought risk, the severity and frequency have increased due to climate warming. • Droughts occurred year-round in China, but differed among years and regions. • Clarify the regional differences of drought disaster risk over the mainland of China. Drought is complex geographical elements, which endangers China's food security, with coexistence of spatial and temporal heterogeneity and similarity. Thus, the recent abnormal characteristics of Chinese droughts warrant further study. This paper proposes a three-step framework to identify the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of drought events in China Mainland, using the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) at different time scales (1, 6 and 12 months). And then the drought characteristics are separated using the run theory. Finally, the spatiotemporal evolution patterns of meteorological, agricultural and hydrological drought risk in distance are investigated based on the geographic statistics analysis method (i.e., global and local Moran's index). Results show that the drought trend is gradually increasing in some basins, especially the Yellow River Basin, the Hai River Basin and the Southwest River Basins. The multi-variate attributes of drought characteristics in spatiotemporal evolution patterns at different time scales have the characteristics of regularity and mutation, for example, the drought frequency in northwestern China shows a low values in a low value neighbourhood, but the drought duration and intensity shows a high values in a high value neighbourhood. This indicates that the hydrological drought disaster in the region is extremely prominent. In addition, the risk of drought in inland River basins is the highest, followed by the Hai River basin and the Yellow River basin; the Pearl River basin has the lowest. Our results offer insights into the development of drought in China and provide support for disaster risk assessment and response planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Accurate assessment of China's ecological environment changes in the past 20 years is important. • We used time-series NDVI data (1998–2018) to evaluate China's ecological environment change. • In one-third of China the ecological environment has improved, and in 10%, the ecological environment has deteriorated. • The Yellow River Basin is an area where the ecological environment has significantly improved. • The main reason for the deterioration in the ecological environment of the eastern coastal areas is urban expansion. The ecological environment is the foundation of human survival and development. China's ecological environment has undergone a historic transition from partial improvement to overall improvement. In this paper, long time series NDVI data (1998–2018) are used to evaluate the ecological environment change and spatiotemporal change that has taken place in China over the last 20 years, at different scales (regional, provincial, county, and grid scales). Combined with typical areas, the causes of ecological environment change are revealed. The results show that in about one-third of China, the ecological environment improved, and in 10%, the ecological environment deteriorated. Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Guizhou, and Guangxi are the provinces in which the improvement of the ecological environment is most pronounced. However, the ecological environments with vegetation as the core in Shanghai and Jiangsu Province have deteriorated significantly. The areas with the fastest improvement in their ecological environment are those with precipitation of 200–600 mm. The Yellow River Basin is an area where the ecological environment has significantly improved. Forestry projects and the development of oasis agriculture effectively promote the improvement of the ecological environment. In the past 20 years, the main reason for the degradation of the ecological environment in eastern coastal areas is urban expansion. China should continue to strengthen its overall layout of forestry projects and improve its ecological environment. When planning its ecological construction, China should fully consider the associated physical and geographical conditions, and adjust measures to local conditions accordingly. China should coordinate the relationship between development and protection and avoid the "pie spread" expansion witnessed in eastern coastal areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The rainfall-runoff relationship has changed under climate change and human activities in the TRH region. • The impacts climate indicators of rainfall-runoff ratio in the sub-basins of TRH region were different. • The contribution rates of human activity in the YRB were a little higher than that in the YARB. Identifying the impact of climate change and human activities on rainfall-runoff relationship in the Three-River Headwaters (TRH) region is essential for water source conservation, ecological security, and biodiversity maintenance of China and East Asia. In this paper, the runoff-rainfall ratio was used as the index of rainfall-runoff relationship. Different methods were employed to identify the impact indicators and quantitative assessment of rainfall-runoff relationship from 1957 to 2016. The results are the following: (1) the rainfall-runoff relationship has changed in the source regions of Yangtze River basin (YARB) and Yellow River (YRB), and runoff-rainfall ratio has increased by 2.9% and decreased by 3.2%, respectively; (2) the main climate indicators of runoff-rainfall ratio were rainfall, potential evaporation and sunshine hours in the YARB, and rainfall, potential evaporation and temperature in the YRB; (3) the contribution rates of human activity in the YRB were a little higher than that in the YARB, and the contribution rates of climate change and human activity were 90.9% and 9.1% in the YARB and 42.9% and 57.1% in the YRB. The results can provide invaluable information for managing water resources and taking ecological protection measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]