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To study the health attributes of urban green spaces in the Yangtze River Delta. This study analyses the mechanisms at play between ecological preferences, place attachment and place identity in urban green spaces in the Yangtze River Delta based on SEM. AHP and entropy-weighted and TOPSIS were used to analyse the influence relationships and spatial differentiation structure of the health benefits of green spaces in the study area. The study shows that, firstly, environmental preferences have a significant positive impact on place attachment, place identity and health benefit evaluation. Place attachment mediates the positive influence of environmental preferences on health outcomes. Second, the focus should be on improving the activity spaces and services in urban green spaces. Attention should also be paid to increasing the density of interactive spaces and the richness of interactive space types. Third, the health indices in the Yangtze River Delta region are roughly proportional to the urbanization rate and the degree of urban development. Emphasis should be placed on the development of urban green spaces in Anhui, strengthening exchanges between cities in the Yangtze River Delta, and standardizing and improving the construction of green belts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small‐scale artisanal mining is a vital sector of the economy of Burkina Faso. This activity, correctly regulated, remains essential for the population despite security issues since 2015. Exploration of new areas for gold mining in this condition is difficult but essential to continue extractive activities. It is, therefore, important to define viable corridors, with science‐based evidence for the good prospects, to support artisanal miners' activities in a way that minimizes the environmental impact. We describe a remote sensing approach to study the structural control of expanding small‐scale artisanal gold activity at the Bouda site and define future mining corridors. This remote sensing approach can also mitigate and remedy environmental impacts. The Minimum Noise Fraction (MNF) is applied to Landsat images (7‐ETM+, 5‐TM, and 8‐OLI, respectively, for 2000, 2011, and 2022) to detect extraction sites and perform a spatiotemporal analysis of the expansion of areas affected by gold extraction. The near‐infrared and mid‐infrared bands of Landsat images significantly contribute to detecting extraction areas. A morphological study of the site over time and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) on Landsat 8‐OLI enable us to perform a lineament analysis. The expansion of mining activity is structurally controlled, as revealed by the correlation between gold occurrences and high lineament densities, especially in the dominant NE‐SW direction. These analyses suggest five potential prospecting corridors in the Bouda site. Key Points: Bouda is an artisanal and small‐scale mining district in Burkina FasoRemote sensing using Landsat images allowed us to study the structural control of the expansion of the Bouda siteRemote sensing using Landsat images allowed to define future exploitation corridors of the Bouda site [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenbelt and green infrastructure are still very limited in Jakarta. Transjakarta Corridor 8 Harmoni - Lebak Bulus covers Central Jakarta, West Jakarta, and South Jakarta which are government centers and densely populated settlements. The high activity in the area causes an increase in transportation flows and greenhouse gas emissions. The transportation sector is the highest contributor to CO2e emissions in the capital city, thus reducing environmental quality, especially the greenbelt in Transjakarta Corridor 8. The assessment of ecological functions in this study consists of 7 variables, namely noise reduction, pollution reduction, air humidity, view control, glare control, direction and accident prevention. The research location is divided into 5 segments with the analysis method used, namely the assessment of ecological function aspects and the formulation of recommendations based on Hierarchical Process Analysis. The results of the assessment on ecological functions with noise-canceling variables were (Polyalthia longifolia) Glodongan Tiang, (Casuarina sp.) Spruce, (Acacia auriculiformis) Acacia, and (Archontophoenix alexandrae) Alexander Palm. The results of the pollution reduction assessment of each segment are dominated by vegetation types (Mangifera indica) Mango, (Polyalthia longifolia) Glodongan Tiang, (Carbera odollam) Bintaro. Based on the results of the questionnaire, the AHP assessment weight was obtained. The combined AHP results show the highest priority scale for the evaluation recommendations of this research is Pollution Reduction as the most important variable with a weight of 0.348, the second rank is Accident Reducer with a weight of 0.300, the third rank is Glare Control with a weight of 0.150. The combined results of 3 experts produce a consistency ratio value of 0.05, the consistency ratio value of 0.05 is smaller than 0.10 so it can be said to have met the consistent requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, efficiencies of eight indigenous plants of Baishnabghata Patuli Township (BPT), southeast Kolkata, India, were explored as green barrier species and potentials of plant leaves were exploited for biomonitoring of particulate matter (PM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The present work focused on studying PM capturing abilities (539.32−2766.27 μg cm−2) of plants (T. divaricata , N. oleander and B. acuminata being the most efficient species in retaining PM) along with the estimation of foliar contents of PM adhered to leaf surfaces (total sPM (large + coarse): 526.59−2731.76 μg cm−2) and embedded within waxes (total wPM (large + coarse): 8.73−34.51 μg cm−2). SEM imaging used to analyse leaf surfaces affirmed the presence of innate corrugated microstructures as main drivers for particle capture. Accumulation capacities of PAHs of vehicular origin (total index, TI > 4) were compared among the species based on measured concentrations (159.92−393.01 μg g−1) which indicated T. divaricata , P. alba and N. cadamba as highest PAHs accumulators. Specific leaf area (SLA) of plants (71.01−376.79 cm2 g−1), a measure of canopy−atmosphere interface, had great relevance in PAHs diffusion. Relative contribution (>90%) of 4–6 ring PAHs to total carcinogenic equivalent and potential as well as 5−6 ring PAHs to total mutagenic equivalent and potential had also been viewed with respect to benzo[a]pyrene. In−depth analysis of foliar traits and adoption of plant−based ranking strategies (air pollution tolerance index (APTI) and anticipated performance index (API)) provided a rationale for green belting. Each of the naturally selected plant species showed evidences of adaptations during abiotic stress to maximize survival and filtering effects for reductive elimination of ambient PM and PAHs, allowing holistic management of green spaces. [Display omitted] • PM and PAHs vitiate ambient atmosphere to a great extent, risking human life. • Urban green belts aid to the deliverance from the hazards of atmospheric pollution. • PM and PAHs accumulation capacities of plants differed with species composition. • Plant adaptive responses involved upregulation of key foliar traits for tolerance. • Plant species are selected based on performance for landscape ecology enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Forest age and canopy density are key factors influencing carbon accumulation in plantations. • Populus L. forests show a carbon sequestration advantage in the early stages of growth. • Mixed broadleaf forests have greater carbon sequestration potential. • The closure management measures can promote carbon accumulation in planted forests. In the context of carbon neutrality and urbanization, there is a notable research gap regarding the carbon sequestration benefits of urban forests and the identification of suitable tree species for achieving sustainable carbon sequestration. In this study, we examined the dynamics and drivers of urban forest carbon sequestration in Shanghai, one of the most urbanized cities in China. First, we compiled a comprehensive field inventory data set spanning 20 years for the Shanghai Green Belt. Second, we quantified and compared the total carbon accumulation and growth rates of six monoculture forests and two mixed forest types consisting of six common tree species. Third, we conducted drivers analysis of the effects of stand-related and anthropogenic factors on carbon accumulation and growth rates. Overall, our results revealed that each forest type exhibited a unique growth pattern of tree biomass carbon (TBC), with the Chapman–Richards growth function providing an accurate representation of carbon dynamics. During the early stages of development (within 20 years), the carbon accumulation rate of Populus L. reached 4.13 Mg ha−1 yr−1, which was approximately 127 % higher than that of broadleaf mixed forests. In late stages, the potential tree biomass carbon accumulation of broadleaf mixed forests reached 172.8 Mg ha−1, which was 34 % higher than that of Populus L. over the entire growth cycle. Forest types, stand age, canopy density class, ownership, closure management, strongly influence the accumulation rates of TBC. Overall, these findings contribute to the understanding of the advantages of mixed and monoculture plantations for carbon sequestration, and these results can be used to predict future patterns of carbon storage in urban forests in Shanghai. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a critical link between production and carbon transfers, Global value chains (GVCs) increasingly support the green industrial transformation in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries. Based on the theoretical analyses, this study estimates the impact of GVCs participation on carbon intensity using the panel data in 22 BRI countries of 40 industries during 2000–2019, it also distinguishes the effects of national-industrial-ownership heterogeneity and clarifies the influence paths. The main findings are: (1) The average carbon intensity level presents a downward trend, and the GVCs position improved gradually recently after a long term decline before 2014 in fluctuation. Both behave differently when distinguishing participants at the country-industry-ownership dimensions. (2) GVCs position has a robust and negative correlation with carbon intensity. (3) At the national scale, developing countries and Annex I countries in the Kyoto Protocol benefit more from GVCs position upgrading in carbon reduction. At the industrial level, increase in GVCs position has significant carbon mitigation effects on agriculture and manufacture (labor and capital intensive) industries, while not significant in service (technology intensive) industries. Considering firm ownership, domestic firms could realize more carbon reduction through GVCs position revolution, while it's not significant for multinational enterprises. (4) From mechanism analyses, the suppression of carbon intensity by GVC upgrading is mainly exerted through its impact on improving capital and labor efficiencies. Policy implications on carbon intensity reduction are finally suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) is both the largest urban region in Canada and an area that contains most of the Greenbelt, a protected, ecologically significant area. This study uses land use landcover (LULC) change simulation and wetland data to model how increasing urban and suburban expansion may influence wetland loss and fragmentation in the GTHA if Greenbelt restrictions are not upheld. The results of the model simulation show that; (1) built-up area expansion shifts from the perimeters of major cities to the perimeters of smaller urban communities in the coming decades; (2) built-up areas are the LULC classification associated with substantially more wetland loss than the other LULC classifications included in this study (agriculture, forest, or open range land); (3) rural areas in the northern GTHA experience more wetland raster cell transition and urban areas experience fragmentation, but less overall raster cell transition; (4) there is more wetland area in Greenbelt areas compared to non-Greenbelt areas and without the continued enforcement of development restrictions, the percentage of wetland raster cell transition in Greenbelt areas would be equal to non-Greenbelt areas. This study illustrates the ecological significance of the policy frameworks that uphold the Greenbelt development restrictions and highlights how untethered urban and suburban expansion could impact wetlands throughout this environmentally sensitive region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]