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The construction industry's rapid growth significantly impacts energy consumption and environmental health. It is crucial to develop optimization strategies to enhance green building energy efficiency and encompass comprehensive analysis methods. This study aims to introduce and validate a novel framework for optimizing energy efficiency design in green buildings by integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology, Life Cycle Cost (LCC) analysis, and orthogonal testing methods, focusing on enhancing energy efficiency and reducing life cycle costs. The optimization parameters for the building envelope are identified by analyzing energy consumption components and key green building factors. The orthogonal testing method was applied to streamline design options. Building Energy Consumption Simulation (BECS) software and LCC analysis tools were employed to calculate each optimized option's total annual energy consumption and the current life cycle costs. Using the efficiency coefficient method, each optimization scheme's energy consumption and economic indicators were thoroughly analyzed. The framework's validity and applicability were confirmed through an empirical analysis of a campus green building case in Fujian Province, demonstrating that the optimized framework could reduce energy consumption by 4.85 kWh/m2 per year and lower costs by 38.89 Yuan/m2 compared to the reference building. The case study highlights the framework's significant benefits in enhancing environmental performance and economic gains. The results provide critical parameter selection and offer scientific and technological support for the design of building energy efficiency, promoting optimization techniques and sustainable development within the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Despite their relatively small numbers, large old trees play disproportionately important roles in global biodiversity and ecosystem functions. There is a lack of systematic reviews and quantitative analyses of the accumulated literature. Understanding the research context and evolution could pump prime research and conservation endeavors. Using the comprehensive Web of Science, we applied VOSviewer (1.6.19) and CiteSpace (6.1R2) bibliometric software to examine the large old tree research field in 2000–2022. The queries of the bibliographic database generated quantitative–visual depictions in the form of knowledge maps. The nodes denote research intensity, and inter-node linkages denote the pathways and frequencies of collaborative activities. The research outputs differed significantly in terms of regions, countries, institutions, high-citation articles, productive researchers, hot topics, and research frontiers. Conspicuous spatial disparities were displayed, with the U.S.A., China, and Australia leading in publication counts and a cluster of European countries making considerable collective contributions. The research collaboration demonstrated a dichotomy: European countries networked more by geographical propinquity, and the top three countries connected by long-distance leap-frog jumps. The entrenched discrepancies between the endowed developed domains vis-à-vis the deprived developing domains were clearly expressed. The research productivity progressed through three stages: initial, growth, and flourishing. The leading institutions, researchers, and highly cited papers were recognized. The keyword analysis pinpointed diverse research hotspots: growth dynamics, conservation and management, ecological functions, and environmental response. This study informs recommendations for future research directions and cooperation on longevity mechanisms, evolutionary adaptation, dynamic monitoring, and temporal–spatial patterns. The integrated application of GIS, machine learning, and big data technologies could strengthen research capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban green roofs have emerged as an innovative nature-based solution for enhancing urban sustainability and resilience. Based on the Web of Science Core Collection database, the scholarly papers on green roofs published in the past two decades were analyzed quantitatively and visualized using bibliometric techniques. The study scope covered research countries, institutions, main journals, crucial authors, highly cited documents, hot topics, and research frontiers. The 3210 publications mined from the bibliographic database on green roofs have increased progressively in the study period, with a significantly faster pace in recent years. The research subjects changed gradually over time, extending into more disciplines and becoming decidedly multidisciplinary. The notable bibliometric features registered a pronounced spatial concentration of research outputs in a small number of countries, regions, research institutions, journals, and researchers, mainly associated with developed metropolises. The number of publications and citation impacts identified the world's top ten researchers and journals. Well-defined clusters depicted by knowledge graphs indicated a diverse range in the number and strength of inter-node connections for countries, institutions, researchers, and research topics defined by keywords. The research scope focuses on quantifying benefits and costs and optimizing designs to maximize biodiversity, hydrologic, thermal, and energy benefits as urban sustainability and climate-adaptation solutions. Emerging research should enhance biodiversity through optimal plant selection, integrate green roofs with renewable energy systems for sustainability, apply computational tools to enhance designs, evaluate low-cost and locally relevant design options for developing cities, and quantify co-benefits like stormwater reduction and energy savings. Multidisciplinary efforts leveraging simulations, ecosystem services valuation, and participatory community partnerships can advance context-appropriate green roof innovation and evidence-based policymaking to expand adoption in cities worldwide. Quantifying and communicating co-benefits are critical measures to drive wider implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Old trees on the South China Sea islands represent a unique and irreplaceable element of the region's ecological heritage. Their resilience and critical role in maintaining local biodiversity highlight the need for immediate conservation efforts to protect these natural treasures from environmental and human threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the objectives of environmental planning to rejuvenate old city districts in Hong Kong in relation to their limitations and potential. The prospects of environmental improvement through new institutional framework and legislative measures are discussed. (LZ/Author)

Venerable trees are important natural resources and cultural heritage, offering historical, ecological, social and economic value. However, global warming and anthropogenic activities have threatened their welfare and survival. A comprehensive understanding of their current and future spatial patterns, vis-á-vis environmental conditions, can inform the co-management of sustainable resource use and conservation. We employed the existing spatial occurrence data and environmental variables (bioclimate and elevation) to simulate the optimal habitats for venerable trees in China's Sichuan Province. We evaluated the current and future climate scenarios of 2100 with double CO2 concentration. The BIOCLIM and QGIS spatial analyses assessed the primary factors of geographical distribution. The results identified 10,720 venerable trees from 123 species, 81 genera and 42 families. Cupressus funebris dominated, with the maximum importance value, followed by Ginkgo biloba, Ficus virens var. sublanceolata, and Phoebe zhennan. The elevation distribution of tree abundance and species richness demonstrated a unimodal pattern, skewing to the low-elevation end, with a concentration in the 600–1500 m low-medium altitude. The majority of trees and excellent habitats were found in eastern Sichuan with a less harsh terrain and climate. The bio3 (isothermality) and bio7 (temperature annual range) factors significantly influenced tree occurrence. Temperature imposed a greater effect on distribution than moisture under the current climate scenario. For the future climate-change scenario, the suitable habitats were predicted to maintain an overall stable pattern, with largely contiguous expansions of better habitats. However, climate warming would shrink the excellent habitats on the plains. The findings can inform strategies and guidelines for venerable-tree conservation in Sichuan. Furthermore, vulnerable areas could be identified. The future range expansion sites could be enlisted to cultivate new trees to replenish the venerable-tree pool. Habitat patches that remain sustainable could provide refugia with the potential for protected-area designation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]