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Empirical Study On “Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets” In Harmonious Development Of Human-Mountain Relationship In Southwest Mountainous Regions, China, Yiping Fang, Xinjun He, Xueyuan Huang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

As the country with the largest mountainous area in the world, China’s research on two mountains (“lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”) concept in mountainous sustainable development holds significant theoretical and practical implications for unleashing green productivity, fostering new quality productive forces, and advancing the modernization of harmonious coexistence between humans and mountains. This study employs emergy analysis and literature review to evaluate the value transformation efficiency of two mountains concept across 37 national two mountains practice bases in mountainous counties of Southwestern China. The results indicate that: (1) the transformation level is higher in urban core areas …

Strategic Insights For Developing Protected Areas System With National Parks As Mainstay In New Era: Marking 20 Years Of “Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets”, Baorong Huang, Xuetian Hu, Huizhi Zhang, Ling Tang, Zhi Wang, Zhi Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

In the new era, the advancement of Chinese path to modernization places new demands on the development of a protected areas system with national parks as the mainstay. At the same time, as reform deepens, the system faces emerging challenges, including outdated conservation concepts, insufficient systemic integration, proliferation of management exclusions, and weak social functions, hindering the effective transformation of lucid waters and lush mountains into invaluable assets. This study recommends that, guided by the two mountains concept and aligned with the strategic goals of national modernization, China must comprehensively advance the construction and reform of the protected areas system …

Prospective And Strategic Value Of Roadmap For Regional Sustainable Development Research—Post-Evaluation Of Regional Development Research In China: A Roadmap To 2050, Rui Guo, Hanchu Liu, Jie Fan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

In 2007, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) pioneered China’s 2050 science and technology development strategy and roadmap research, published the “Innovation 2050” strategic research series in 2009. The Regional Development Research in China: A Roadmap to 2050 (hereafter referred as to Roadmap) was one of these 19 reports. This study evaluates the implementation effectiveness of CAS’s regional sustainable development initiatives since publication through the lens of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Ecological Civilization particularly the “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” (two mountains) concept, while concurrently assessing the Roadmap’s strategic research outcomes. Key findings include the followings. (1) …

Practice Path And Empirical Evidence Of “Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets” Concept In Changshan Archipelago, Northern Yellow Sea, China, Hui Wang, Sirui Chen, Rina Wu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Against the backdrop of the in-depth integration of China’s “maritime power” strategy, the “dual-carbon” goals and the concept that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” (hereinafter referred to as the two mountains concept), the Changshan Archipelago, as the only border island group in China and the largest island group in the northern Yellow Sea, have the dual attributes of an ecological barrier and an economic carrier. It is an ideal sample for exploring the transformation of the two mountains concept on islands. This study elaborates on its strategic positioning in safeguarding national maritime frontier security, maintaining the northern …

Atmospheric Water Resources Utilization: Technology, Applications, And Ecological Economic Benefits, Min Chen, Tiejian Li, Yuefei Huang, Guoxin Chen

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Water resources are important elements for maintaining ecological balance and ensuring biodiversity, which are also the basic resources for the development of agriculture, industry, and services. It is of great significance to alleviate the shortage of water resources and reduce drought losses in western China by using low-frequency and intense sonic rain enhancement technology to actively utilize abundant atmospheric water resources and increase regional precipitation. This study introduces the principle of low-frequency and intense sonic rain enhancement technology using acoustic cloud water resources, and analyzes its rain enhancement effect and ecological and economic benefits by taking the acoustic rain enhancement …

Learning From “Nature-Based Solutions” To Promote Optimal Management Of Integrated Ecological Conservation And Restoration In Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, Jun Wang, Bojie Fu, Xiao Zhang, Yanxu Liu, Wenwu Zhao

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The Qinghai-Xizang Plateau plays an important role as an ecological security barrier for China and the world, where the ecological environment has generally improved in recent years. Nevertheless, the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau still faces management challenges in dealing with the three relationships, namely, key problems and coordinated governance, natural recovery and artificial restoration, and high-quality development and high-level protection. This study proposes the application of “Nature-based Solutions” for adaptive management, including the implementation of ecological protection and restoration planning based on the “three-scale framework”, the ecological protection and restoration projects adaptation management under climate change and human disturbance based on quantitative …

Fundamental Theory And Technological Innovation In Soil Carbon And Nitrogen Cycling: Promoting Sustainable Development Of Agriculture, Xu Zhao, Longlong Xia, Yongqiu Xia, Xiaoyuan Yan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station (hereinafter referred to as Changshu Station) was officially established in 1987. Changshu Station is the only multidisciplinary comprehensive observation, research, and demonstration station within Chinese Academy of Sciences in the Yangtze River Delta region, focusing on researches about agricultural production, resources utilization, and environmental protection. Since its establishment, Changshu Station is the pioneer in conducting systematic observational research on soil nitrogen cycling, soil carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation, and agricultural non-point source pollution. Over the past five years, Changshu Station has focused on three major scientific issues facing green and sustainable …

Implementing Interdisciplinary Sustainability Education With The Food-Energy-Water (Few) Nexus, Chelsie Romulo, Bhawani Venkataraman, Susan Caplow, Shamili Ajgaonkar, Craig R. Allen, Aavudai Anandhi, Steven W. Anderson, Caterina Belle Azzarello, Katja Brundiers, Eunice Blavascunas, Jenny M. Dauer, Daniel L. Druckenbrod, Ennea Fairchild, Lydia R. Horne, Kyungsun Lee, Marizvkuru Mwale, John Mischler, Emily Pappo, Nirav S. Patel, Nicole D. Sintov, Carla S. Ramsdell, Shirley G. Vincent

GGS Faculty Publications

Growth in the green jobs sector has increased demand for college graduates who are prepared to enter the workforce with interdisciplinary sustainability skills. Simultaneously, scholarly calls for interdisciplinary collaboration in the service of addressing the societal challenges of enhancing resilience and sustainability have also increased in recent years. However, developing, executing, and assessing interdisciplinary content and skills at the post-secondary level has been challenging. The objective of this paper is to offer the Food-Energy-Water (FEW) Nexus as a powerful way to achieve sustainability competencies and matriculate graduates who will be equipped to facilitate the transformation of the global society by …

When Overextended Surface Allocation Turns To Groundwater: A Q Methodology Of Well Users In Oregon’S High Desert, Melissa Haeffner, Janet Cowal, Brandy Walker, Clare Mcclellan

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

As legal battles over surface water allocation in Klamath County, Oregon, USA have gained national attention, earning the name “Water Wars,” authorities have been increasingly turning to groundwater to compensate for water shortfalls. This case study aims to identify the nuanced perspectives of household groundwater well users who are affected by groundwater extraction. Using Q methodology, we uncover groundwater well users’ perceptions and to what extent they think water problems are dealt with fairly. We identify four water perspectives that differ in the degree to which respondents prioritize clean water accessibility, industry accountability, individual responsibility for water management, and trust …

Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of Pm 2.5 Concentrations In Chicago Along The Lakefront Trail Using Wearable Air Quality Sensors, Jacob A. Johnson

DePaul Discoveries

Mass urbanization and transportation practices have resulted in high amounts of air pollution. Air pollution can have detrimental effects on human health causing respiratory issues as well as other health complications. Certain areas of cities experience more exposure to air pollution which can also cause them to have more health issues and lower life expectancy. These areas are often associated with disinvestment and minoritized communities of color. This research explores patterns of air quality related to environmental justice areas using low-cost wearable air quality monitoring sensors attached to a bicycle. Data was collected along the Lakefront Trail stretching from Irving …

A Comparative Analysis Of Openet For Evaluating Evapotranspiration In California Almond Orchards, Kyle Knipper, Martha Anderson, Nicholas Bambach, Forrest Melton, Zac Ellis, Yun Yang, John Volk, Andrew J. Mcelrone, William Kustas, Matthew Roby, Will Carrara, Sebastian Castro, Ayse Kilic, Joshua B. Fisher, Anderson Ruhoff, Gabriel B. Senay, Charles Morton, Sebastian Saa, Richard G. Allen

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The almond industry in California faces water management challenges that are being exacerbated by droughts, climate change, and groundwater sustainability legislation. The Tree-crop Remote sensing of Evapotranspiration eXperiment (T-REX) aims to explore opportunities to improve precision irrigation management for woody perennial cropping systems. Almond orchards in the California Central Valley were equipped with eddy covariance flux measurements to evaluate satellite remote sensing-based evapotranspiration (RSET) models. OpenET provides high-resolution (30-m spatial and daily temporal) RSET data, synthesizing decades of research for practical water management. This study provides an evaluation of OpenET performance at six almond sites covering a large range in …

Energy And Environmental Analyses Of A Solar–Gas Turbine Combined Cycle With Inlet Air Cooling, Ahmad M. Abubaker, Adnan Darwish Ahmad, Binit B. Singh, Yaman M. Manaserh, Loiy Al-Ghussain

Institute of Research for Technology Development Faculty Publications

Sensitivity to ambient air temperatures, consuming a large amount of fuel, and wasting a significant amount of heat dumped into the ambient atmosphere are three major challenges facing gas turbine power plants. This study was conducted to simultaneously solve all three aforementioned GT problems using solar energy and introducing a new configuration that consists of solar preheating and inlet-air-cooling systems. In this study, air was preheated at a combustion chamber inlet using parabolic trough collectors. Then, inlet air to the compressor was cooled by these collectors by operating an absorption cooling cycle. At the design point conditions, this novel proposed …

Spatial Microsimulation Of Carbon Tax Incidence: An Application To Washington State, Nathan W. Chan, Susan Stratton Sayre

Economics: Faculty Publications

Understanding carbon tax incidence is critical. However, standard approaches for calculating the incidence of subnational policies are prone to inaccuracy due to coarse aggregation. We evaluate an alternative approach: a spatial microsimulation (SMS) method that generates granular household-level incidence estimates. SMS provides unique and more nuanced insights into the distributional consequences of carbon taxes, including across geographies. We demonstrate this method for a recent carbon tax initiative in Washington State and counterfactual variations on its revenue recycling provisions. Comparing across counterfactuals, we pinpoint how different targeting provisions in revenue recycling designs will have disparate consequences for the progressivity/regressivity of the …

Spatial Ecology Of Mountain Lions Throughout Their Distribution In California, Kyle D. Dougherty

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Mountain lions (Puma concolor) have been studied extensively throughout their wide geographic distribution in the Western Hemisphere, but most research has been conducted at relatively small spatial scales. We used GPS telemetry data contributed by researchers in 16 study areas throughout California to advance understanding of mountain lion spatial ecology. First, we investigated multi-scale resource selection of mountain lions relative to spatially varying risk of intentional human-caused mortality associated with livestock depredation management. We show that individuals that proactively avoided mortality risk when selecting home ranges were able to relax their avoidance of risk when making resource selection …

Hybridization Between The Rare Gray-Headed Chickadee And The Abundant Boreal Chickadee In The Midst Of Shifting Climate, Matthew R. Armstrong

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

As species respond to changing climate, distributions and abundances may shift and alter species interactions. Hybridization, a relatively widespread phenomenon becoming more common with climate change, can have beneficial and detrimental effects on population growth rates and genetic integrity. Beneficial effects due to the introduction of advantageous alleles and increased genetic diversity may result from hybridization. Species may also accrue fitness costs associated with changing climates if mismatches occur between environmental variables and phenotypes. The gray-headed chickadee, Poecile cinctus lathami, is an extremely rare songbird that has experienced marked declines in recent decades within its restricted distribution in Alaska …

The Colorado Wolf Reintroduction Portrayal In News Media, Megan K. Mcarthur, Monica V. Ogra

Student Publications

The Colorado gray wolf (Canis lupus) reintroduction began in December 2023 in the hope of restoring this once native population to the area, and it has received mixed responses from the media. By answering the research question of 'How has the wolf reintroduction in Colorado been framed in news media?', this research poster looks at the portrayal of the reintroduction in news articles from six months before and after the first wolves were released. Media is an influential factor in people's opinions and it is important to be aware of the information being shared and any bias within them.

Formalizing The Santa Fe Water Bank, Walker Williamson

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

Water users depend on institutional flexibility to efficiently allocate water in legally constrained and overallocated basins. Adaptive market-based mechanisms such as water banking proffer flexibility and fairness, but often face practical challenges fueled by empirical and institutional uncertainties. The Santa Fe Water Bank is a case in point. The City of Santa Fe transfers agricultural water rights from the Middle Rio Grande to its municipal Water Bank for sustainable development. Combined uncertainties in this process can obscure latent changes in water balance and foster misunderstanding, potentially provoking transfer protests. This study develops a formal model clarifying the interrelated institutional and …

Ecological Effects On Greenhouse Gas Emissions In Vegetated Estuarine Soils Of The Lower Laguna Madre, David R. De La Garza

Theses and Dissertations

Coastal wetlands are important ecosystems that provide numerous ecosystem services including erosion control, habitat for fauna, and carbon sequestration. Notably, coastal wetlands are producers of greenhouse gases (GHGs) but are able to store significant amounts of carbon relative to their surface area. Mangrove forests are amongst the most effective ecosystems for carbon sequestration. Soil emits (GHGs) containing carbon (such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4)), which are produced by organic matter decomposition and soil organic carbon mineralization, and both are an important component of the global carbon cycle. Soil emissions may be affected by a variety of factors including …

Transforming Place-Based Management Within Watersheds In Fiji: The Watershed Interventions For Systems Health Project, Stacy D. Jupiter, Aaron P. Jenkins, Joel Negin, Shylett Anthony, Ponipate Baleinamau, Rachel Devi, Sikeli Gavidi, Alice Latinne, Kini Koto Mailautoka, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Kelera Naivalu, Timoci Naivalulevu, Vilisi Naivalulevu, Nabeela Nasim, Sikeli Naucunivanua, Sarah Nelson, Ingrid Qauqau, Anaseini Ratu, Mereia Ravoka, Jacqueline Thomas, Andrew Tukana, Paul Van Nimwegen, Ama Wakwella, Amelia Wenger, Donald Wilson, Pierre Horwitz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Watersheds offer opportunities for place-based interventions to transform systems health via preventative versus reactive approaches to management that achieve multiple co-benefits for public and environmental health. The Watershed Interventions for Systems Health in Fiji (WISH Fiji) project embraced participatory knowledge co-production and action-oriented research to identify risks to public and ecosystem health, prioritize interventions to address risks, and monitor responses of the system to interventions. We used screening filters and local knowledge to collaboratively identify five watersheds for action with high prior incidence of water-related diseases (Fiji’s “three plagues” of leptospirosis, typhoid and dengue) and high risk to downstream environmental …

[Discussions] Vol. 20 Iss. 1

Discussions

This issue of Discussions was published for the Spring 2024 cycle.

Climate, Food, And Humans Predict Communities Of Mammals In The United States, Roland Kays, Matthew H. Snider, Andrew M. Wilson

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

The assembly of species into communities and ecoregions is the result of interacting factors that affect plant and animal distribution and abundance at biogeographic scales. Here, we empirically derive ecoregions for mammals to test whether human disturbance has become more important than climate and habitat resources in structuring communities.

Assessment And Prediction Of Meteorological Drought Using Machine Learning Algorithms And Climate Data, Khalid En-Nagre, Mourad Aqnouy, Ayoub Ouarka, Syed Ali Asad Naqvi, Ismail Bouizrou, Jamal Eddine Stitou El Messari, Aqil Tariq, Walid Soufan, Wenzhao Li, Hesham El-Askary

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Monitoring drought in semi-arid regions due to climate change is of paramount importance. This study, conducted in Morocco’s Upper Drâa Basin (UDB), analyzed data spanning from 1980 to 2019, focusing on the calculation of drought indices, specifically the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) at multiple timescales (1, 3, 9, 12 months). Trends were assessed using statistical methods such as the Mann-Kendall test and the Sen’s Slope estimator. Four significant machine learning (ML) algorithms, including Random Forest, Voting Regressor, AdaBoost Regressor, and K-Nearest Neighbors Regressor, were evaluated to predict the SPEI values for both three …

Investigation And Comprehensive Utilization Of Resources In Closed Coal Mines In Anhui Province, China, Liu Feiyue, Chen Wanyun, Yang Ke, Duan Minke, Liu Qinjie, Yang Lingyue

Coal Geology & Exploration

[Objevtive] With the continuously intensive exploitation of coal resources and the structural reform of energy supply, many coal mines in Anhui Province have been closed due to resource depletion or backward production capacity. However, the closed coal mines still host resources such as underground spaces, residual coals, gas, mine water, land, and infrastructure equipment. Hence, reutilizing resources in closed coal mines holds significant engineering value and economic benefits. [Methods] Based on the general information and reutilization status of 59 coal mines in Anhui Province that have been closed since 2013, this study analyzed the distribution characteristics, residual resources, and reutilization …

Technological Challenges And Development Directions Of Ecological Security Barrier Construction In Yun-Gui-Chuan-Yu Region, Peng Cui, Yongping Yang, Genxu Wang, Bo Zhu, Xuyang Lu, Geng Sun, Xiaoyong Bai, Sirui Zhang, Yonggang Ge, Jiao Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The Yun-Gui-Chuan-Yu Ecological Security Barrier is situated in Southwest China, encompassing the provinces of Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, and Yunnan. It serves as a vital water source conservation area and a core zone for biodiversity protection for the Yangtze, Yellow, and Pearl River basins, playing a crucial role in China’s national ecological security. Since the 18th National Congress of Communist Party of China, under the guidance of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Ecological Civilization, the region has made significant strides in water resource protection, soil erosion and mountain disaster control, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem restoration, resulting in noticeable improvements in environmental quality …

Scientific And Technological Measures To Support Sustainability Of Water Resources In Western China, Jun Xia, Xi Chen, Qiuhong Tang, Hongwei Lu, Shaofeng Jia, Genxu Wang, Jingjie Yu, Jinzhu Ma, Xingcai Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Under the combined impacts of climate change and human activities, the ecological barrier regions of western China exhibit significant reductions in solid water storage, increases in liquid water, declining water resource stability and non-steady-state characteristics in hydrological systems. Water allocation risks have increased, making it exponentially more difficult to ensure water security. Transboundary water resource development can lead to spillover risks, requiring urgent research on sustainable water resource use and adaptation strategies. The water cycle in western China is driven by both natural and anthropogenic factors, yet fundamental research on water cycle dynamics and resource management under changing environments remains …

Exploration On Path Of Ecological Protection And Economic Development In Qilian Mountain National Park Region, Xinmiao Tian, Qi Feng

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

National parks are a kind of special protected areas established under the leadership of the government with the core objective of protecting the integrity of natural ecosystems and biodiversity, which emphasizes the balance between human activities and nature protection in order to achieve sustainable coexistence of human being and nature. The construction of a system of nature reserves with national parks as the core is a major breakthrough progress in the institutional framework of China’s ecological civilization, and a key area for promoting the construction of Beautiful China and realizing the modernization of harmonious coexistence of human being and nature. …

Assessing The Climate Resilience Of Quercus Garryana In The Portland Metro Region, Jess Rose Nettle Shamek

Dissertations and Theses

In the context of rapid global climate change, understanding the resilience of local tree species is essential for fostering effective environmental stewardship and community hopefulness. Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana), an emblematic species in the Pacific Northwest, has faced significant habitat loss and degradation since settler colonization. However, it also exhibits a predicted resilience to climate change, potentially leading to a range shift and expansion. Species resilience refers to the capacity of a species to persist and adapt in the face of rapid global climate change. Beyond vulnerability assessments and niche models, we know little about this species' …

A Country-Level Primary-Final-Useful (Cl-Pfu) Energy And Exergy Database: Overview Of Its Construction And 1971–2020 World-Level Efficiency Results, Paul E. Brockway, Matthew Kuperus Heun, Zeke Marshall, Emmanuel Aramendia, Paul Steenwyk, Thomas Relph, Michelle Widjanarko, Jeonghoo (James) Kim, Anjana Sainju, Julian Irtube

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Societal exergy analysis examines the flows of energy and exergy through societies, from primary (e.g. oil) to final (e.g. gasoline) to useful (e.g. propulsion) energy stages. By extending the study of energy to the useful stage, new insights into the under-represented role of energy in economic growth have been made. However, currently (a) country coverage is patchy and incomplete, (b) available data are based on varying methods and assumptions including efficiencies based on economic rather than engineering data, and (c) datasets are constructed using piecemeal computational approaches. To address these gaps, we construct a country-level primary-final-useful (CL-PFU) energy and exergy …

Establishment Of A Research Site At The Kennedy Mountain Campus For The Observation Of Airborne Particulate Matter, Alyssa Knaus

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

This thesis explored particulate matter (PM) concentrations at two sites within the Colorado Front Range. The study utilized two models of PurpleAir PM sensors, Flex and SD-II, to provide real-time, accessible data on PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 mass concentrations with the goal of establishing the first research site at the Kennedy Mountain Campus (KMC). The first of the two sites used during this study was at a suburban location outside of Denver, CO. This period was used as an instrument intercomparison period in order to conduct instrument analysis. The initial findings from this period found significant correlations between PM concentration …

A Geospatial And Machine Learning Framework For Forecasting Ground Level Ozone Pollution, William J. Keenan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The major detrimental health effects of ground-level ozone (GLO) pollution make it imperative that both policy makers and ordinary citizens have access to high accuracy, high-resolution forecasts of their local area. Recently, advancements in computing power have made it possible to apply artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to a variety of big data modelling problems, including GLO forecasting and estimation. Of these AI methods, deep neural networks (DNN) have demonstrated the highest accuracy due to their ability extract non-linear relationships from high dimensional, noisy data inputs.

This research effort uses novel data sources, namely NOAA’s High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) meteorology …