Ecological security patterns are paramount to the advancement of an ecological civilization in China, aiming to enhance the stability and service functions of ecosystems to achieve sustainable regional development. However, current regional ecological protection efforts have not been effectively integrated into the regional development planning of ecological security pattern. This study systematically assessed the effectiveness of ecological protection projects in Yanchi County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China, through the evaluation of landscape ecological quality. Based on the evaluation results of landscape ecological quality, this study used morphological pattern analysis (MSPA), minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model, and gravity model together to construct the ecological security pattern of Yanchi County. The findings revealed that from 1990 to 2020, with the implementation of ecological protection projects started from 2000, the landscape stability of Yanchi County first decreased and then increased, and the intensity of landscape disturbance first intensified but then decreased, indicating an improvement in the landscape ecological quality and a significant enhancement of the ecological environment in Yanchi County. The ecological security pattern of Yanchi County consisted of 10 ecological sources, 10 ecological source points, 23 ecological corridors, and 27 ecological nodes. The ecological security pattern of Yanchi County exhibited distinct spatial variations, with stronger ecological security observed in the southern part than in northern part of the county. The ecological sources were denser in the southern part than in the northern part of the county, and accordingly, the length of ecological corridors was shorter and denser in the southern than that in the northern part of the county. Based on the spatial distribution of landscape ecological quality and the characteristics of ecological security pattern of Yanchi County in 2020, we suggested Yanchi County to build four zones to optimize the ecological security pattern construction: the Haba Lake ecological conservation zone, the urban ecological planning zone, the ecological environment restoration zone, and the ecological security improvement zone. This study can provide essential guidance for the construction of ecological security pattern in farming-pastoral areas both in China and worldwide.

: The soil in the Loess Plateau, China is deep and contains abundant soil water resources. However, the terrain is complex, and small land patches are used in this area. Therefore, the temporal and spatial changes of soil moisture are extremely complicated. Previous studies have concentrated more on the soil moisture ’ s variation characteristics. This study extracts invariance from its variability and explores soil moisture stability characteristics to provide a scientific basis for ground-sampling design and soil moisture prediction in the Loess Plateau. A typical hill in the Loess Plateau was selected as our experimental site, and continuous soil moisture data were obtained using five monitoring instruments on the hillside. The rainfall was monitored simultaneously to investigate the soil moisture changes at varying depths under the influence of varying rainfall events. The soil moisture of five sample strips (including 31 sampling points) was measured using the ground-drilling sampling method, and the sampling was conducted before and after the rainy season to investigate the spatial variation of soil moisture at varying depths. The results show that soil moisture above a 20 cm depth fluctuated frequently under the influence of rainfall-evaporation and had no obvious regularity, making it challenging to characterize soil moisture differences for various land-use types or spatial locations. Therefore, the surface soil moisture should be used cautiously when studying soil moisture change characteristics. At a depth of 40 - 80 cm, rainfall less than 30 mm will not cause significant soil moisture changes. For different land-use types, the order of soil water content in farmland>grassland>shrubland could remain unchanged for long without heavy rainfall. At a depth of 100 cm, the soil moisture at each sampling point could be maintained at a stable value for several months. Rainfall less than 46 mm will not cause significant soil moisture changes in this layer. After heavy rainfall (>46 mm), the soil moisture will rise stepwise, and maintain long-term stability at the new level. In space, where the soil water content is higher, it remains high after the rainy season, whereas where the soil water content is lower before the rainy season, it remains low after the rainy season. The deeper into the soil, the more stable the spatial stability of soil moisture. Therefore, when comparing soil moisture of different land-use types or spatial locations using the ground-sampling method, deep sampling is critical to obtain stable and reliable results. This study ’ s results have practical value in simplifying soil moisture ground monitoring and rationally arranging sampling time nodes and have a reference value for soil moisture temporal and spatial prediction in the Loess Plateau.

为了改善北方农牧交错区退化的草原,国家从21世纪初开始实施了禁牧政策,政策实施以后,北方农牧交错区农民的生产生活都受到很大的影响.对该地区农民主观幸福感的影响因素进行研究,尤其是研究收入和禁牧政策的感知对主观幸福感的影响,可以为后续政策实施和改善提供理论支持,并为营造幸福生活、建立幸福乡村提供更多依据.基于此本文以典型北方农牧交错区宁夏自治区盐池县为例,通过调查问卷数据,采用OLS回归模型和分位数回归模型分析了农民生活满意度的影响因素.结果 表明:(1)自评价的相对收入、自评价的收支状况、禁牧政策满意度、禁牧政策对收入的影响、参加社会活动的频率和环境满意度对生活满意度有显著的正向影响.(2)自评价的相对收入、自评价的收支状况和禁牧政策满意度的正向影响随农民生活满意度分位点的提高而降低,而禁牧政策的收入影响只对中分位点农民的生活满意度起到显著的正向影响.参加活动的频率对低生活满意度分位点农民的正向影响不显著,而环境满意度只在高分位点对农民的生活满意度有显著的正向影响.(3)较高的生活满意度可以使农村居民更支持和愿意参与到生态政策中去.所以,有必要继续完善现有生态补偿政策,在继续保护和改善北方农牧交错区生态环境的同时,提高北方农牧交错区农村居民的主观幸福感,促进社会的可持续发展.

Forests cover four billion hectares (31%) of the Earth’s landmass and contain over 75% of all carbon in vegetation. They provide renewable raw materials and natural amenities, protect land and water resources, harbor biological diversity, and mitigate climate change. However, due to less precipitation, the forest coverage rate is only 5.86% in Northwest China. The forests in these arid areas are mainly distributed in alpine areas, which play a key role in runoff regulation and ensure the ecological and economic development of the middle and lower reaches of the inland basins. In the past several decades, China had experienced large-scale deforestation and reforestation. What were the changes of the few forest areas and growing stock in arid Northwest China? Has forest quality been restored? Changes of that had been analyzed in this article. The results showed that the forest area and growing stock decreased greatly from the 1950s to 1970s; the artificial forest area increased clearly; the natural forest area stabilized from the 1980s, growing stock of forest per unit area was still lower than that in the 1950s; and the forest quality had not yet been restored. Results of the analysis of influencing factors showed that the policy-led human activities in different periods were the efficient cause of forest changes in Northwest China. With the development of forestry science, more and more attention has been paid to forest ecological restoration. “Three-North Shelter Forest Program (TNSFP)” in 1978 had made great progress on forest areas by afforestation, and the ecological benefits and economic benefits also increased remarkably owing to the increase in the artificial forest area. In recent years, great progress on forest areas has been made by afforestation, and the forests also contribute significantly to the ecology and economy. However, large-scale afforestation in the Loess Plateau had caused a phenomenon of large investment and little effect on water conservation in some afforestation areas, which showed that afforestation initiated under different polices, which were not always scientifically based, resulted in unintended consequences. Clear ecological principles should be used to ensure best environmental and forest ecology outcomes.

Shrub biomass estimation is valuable in assessing ecological health, soil, and water conservation capacity, and carbon storage in arid areas, where trees are scattered, and shrubs are usually dominant. Most shrub biomass estimation models are derived from trees designed for trees, yet shrubs and trees show significant differences in morphology. However, current biomass estimation methods specifically for shrubs are still lacking. This study aimed to test various predictors’ performance in estimating shrub biomass, particularly providing an improved cone frustum volume model as a new predictor. Seven different variables, including three univariates and four composite variables, were selected as predictors in allometric models. Six dominant shrub species of different sizes and morphology in the semi-arid Hunshandake Sandy Land in Inner Mongolia were selected as samples to test the seven predictors’ performances in above-ground biomass estimation. Results showed that the single measurements performed poorly and were not suitable for shrub biomass estimation. The allometric models, including crown-related volumes as predictors, performed much better and were considered ideal for common shrub biomass estimation. The improved cone frustum volume model had more flexible geometric for shrubs of different shapes and sizes, with high fitting accuracy and stability among all the volume predictors. Therefore, we recommend the volume of an inverted cone frustum with a crown diameter and ground diameter as the long and short diameters as an excellent predictor of shrub biomass estimation, especially when studies involve various shrub species, and a general model would be needed.

基于人与自然耦合视角,辨识社会-生态系统脆弱性是区域可持续发展研究的核心议题和前沿领域.依据社会-生态系统和脆弱性经典范式VSD模型(Vulnerability Scoping Diagram),利用显式空间脆弱性指数和致脆因子诊断模型分析了2004—2016年肃南县社会-生态系统脆弱性的变化趋势及其致脆因子.结果表明:该县社会-生态系统的暴露度指数介于0.374～0.725,整体呈先降,再升,后降的趋势.敏感性指数和适应性指数均呈持续波动上涨趋势,脆弱性指数由2006年的0.327持续上升至2014年的1.081后,又下降至0.440.该县社会-生态系统脆弱性的潜在风险和致脆因子主要来源于系统的暴露度,牲畜密度、人均GDP、植被覆盖度是影响系统暴露度涨落的潜在风险因素,退牧还草工程及财政支出支持力度是社会-生态系统脆弱性提升的关键致脆因素.未来肃南县应放缓经济发展增速,提高第三产业GDP比重、加大财政支出力度、推进落实草原生态保护政策及其可持续治理长效机制,以降低社会-生态系统脆弱性的风险.

根据1975-2018年民勤绿洲土地沙漠化分类体系及遥感影像数据,探究了民勤绿洲沙漠化时空变化过程;选取影响绿洲沙漠化的自然与人为驱动因子,运用主成分分析方法定量评价了民勤绿洲沙漠化过程的主要驱动力.结果表明:1975-2018年沙漠化程度以重度沙漠化为主,轻度、中度、重度和严重沙漠化面积均呈减少趋势,以2000年为界表现为先发展后逆转趋势;1975-2000年,轻度、中度、重度沙漠化重心总体向东北方向迁移,严重沙漠化的重心向西迁移,沙漠化有向绿洲东北部和巴丹吉林沙漠发展的趋势;2000-2018年轻度沙漠化的重心向西北方向迁移,中度、重度和严重沙漠化重心相对稳定,绿洲沙漠化发展得到明显控制.在绿洲沙漠化过程中,人为因素贡献率为39.53％,自然与人为综合贡献率为26.58％,自然因素贡献率为10.77％,人为因素是民勤绿洲沙漠化的主要驱动力.水资源极度匮乏是绿洲沙漠化的决定因素,在以后的防沙治沙工作中,合理调控人类的生产经营活动,优化干旱区水资源配置,可从源头上治理民勤绿洲的沙漠化.

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The human and natural factors complicit in the driving forces of oasis change have always received considerable interest from the international research community. In this study, we used principal component analysis of natural and socioeconomic statistical factors to quantitatively analyze the causal relationships and their contributions to the observed periodic expansion or shrinkage of the Minqin Oasis over almost 60 years. Our results show that human factors were the dominant factors governing expansion or shrinkage, with average contributions of 69.38% and 76.16%, respectively. Moreover, policy decisions have been the pivotal human factors. Under the influence of various policies, we have found that water resource utilization, land reclamation, population explosion, ecological protection and economic development have each played leading roles in different periods. This study provides a scientific basis for modelling the dynamics of an oasis for sustainable management.

Forests play an important role in the process of land degradation and restoration. As a national key ecological project for protecting natural forest, the natural forest resource protection project was implemented in 17 provinces for nearly 20 years. As the core stakeholders and main force for protecting forest resources, rangers have a clear, more objective and comprehensive perception of the policy process, problems and forest ecological changes than farmers. This study introduces public value theory, builds a performance evaluation system that combines the “process-outcome” of ecological construction and uses the GRA-TOPSIS and obstacle tracking model to investigate the performance and obstacle factor of natural forest resource protection project from rangers’ perspective. GRA-TOPSIS is an optimal sequence technique for ideal solution optimization that combines the gray correlation method. The empirical results showed the overall performance of the natural forest resource protection project is good, the relative gray closeness that indicated the process dimension value of the natural forest resource protection project (NFRPP) is 0.663 which higher than the outcome dimension. It reflected the characterization and value level of overall and dimensions performance of NFRPP in Qilian Mountain. The rangers’ support evaluation is the highest, followed by the ecological outcome, sustainability and stability. The key obstacle is the support of local farmers, the social and economic outcome of the project. The natural forest resource protection project has shortcomings in its management system, function setting and support mechanism and urgently improved it from the resource system, resource unit, management system and user. These results are important to promote better implementation of such ecological projects, to enhance the project stability and the regional sustainable development.

Desertification has inflicted severe damage on the natural environment and social economy for decades, particularly in the arid and semi-arid regions of northern China. In Yanchi County, a series of projects were implemented to combat desertification after 2000. To assess the effects of these Desertification Control Projects from the farmers’ perspective, we divided Yanchi County into two regions (the northern and southern regions) according to their different environmental conditions. We collected data including basic family information, farmers’ perceptions and attitudes, and farmers’ suggestions, in a questionnaire investigation following the Participatory Rural Appraisal approach. Data analysis using the Mann–Whitney U test and Fisher’s exact test revealed that the Desertification Control Projects were generally successful, as the local environment and farmers’ incomes were both improved. Farmers were all satisfied with the effects of the projects, but the farmers in the southern region had a higher acceptance of the projects than those in the northern region. In addition, three problems with the Desertification Control Projects were noted: the farmers had a low degree of participation in the projects, the farmer’s low incomes affected the sustainability of the projects, and the implementation of the complete grazing ban had several adverse effects. We provided suggestions for solving these problems. Our findings have important implications for assessing the effects of environmental conservation projects, especially from a participant’s perspective.

改革开放40年以来,我国经济快速发展,人民生活水平不断提高,但生态环境持续遭到破坏,已成为阻碍经济社会可持续发展的主要瓶颈.为了解决出现的生态环境问题,我国实施了一系列生态工程.国内外学者关注中国生态工程实施的效果,对工程效益进行了各自的评价研究.通过文献整理法和比较研究法,从评价指标、评价对象、评价理论方法3个方面对评价中国生态工程效益的国内外研究进行了比较分析.结果 表明:1)国内研究存在“过定量化”和不评价效益可持续性的不足;2)国外研究有指标贴近实际、评价效益可持续性、借鉴多学科的优点;3)国内外研究的差异来源于其思维方式和关注重点的不同,即国内偏重理论评价,而国外关注实际效益;4)国内研究可以从以下方向来改进:定性定量相结合、评价效益可持续性、借鉴其他学科.以期有助于美丽中国的建设.

Since the launch of a prohibited grazing policy (PGP) in 2002, the ecological environment in North China has improved markedly. The aims of PGP are to improve the ecological environment without reducing farmers’ well-being in rural areas. Hence, after the implementation of the policy for more than 16 years, the effect of this policy on farmers’ subjective well-being (SWB) has become a question that needs to be studied. In this paper, the survey data in Yanchi County was used to explore the relationship between the perception of the policy and farmers’ SWB using structural equation modelling (SEM). The results showed that there was a full mediation effect in the relationship between the perception of the PGP and farmers’ SWB through economic status, neuroticism, and extraversion. However, the mediation effect through the perception of the ecological environment was not significant. These findings suggest that it is important to continue to implement this policy.

In order to restore degraded grasslands, the Chinese central government initiated the Prohibited Grazing Policy (PGP) in areas of severe grassland degradation and ecologically fragile regions which is an important payment for ecosystem services (PES) program. Since the initiation of this policy in the early 2000s, the PGP has significantly influenced participants' lives. Therefore, in order for the policy to be successful, it is necessary to understand what determines participants' satisfaction in the policy. This paper presents an analysis of survey data from Yanchi County using ordered probit regression models to explore the factors influencing PGP satisfaction and life satisfaction. The empirical results suggest that farmers' policy perception, environmental perception, and livelihood strategies of raising sheep had significant effects on PGP satisfaction. Additionally, PGP satisfaction, marital status, environmental satisfaction, self-reported influence of the PGP on income, self-reported income level, and self-reported income and expenditure had significantly positive effects on overall life satisfaction. These results are important for promoting better implementation of such programs as well as enhancing social stability and sustainable development in these regions.

本文对我国西北地区百年以来绿洲兴衰过程进行研究,分析了绿洲兴衰的成因和后果.结果表明:近百年来自然因素是绿洲发展和衰败的客观条件和宏观背景,人文因素才是影响绿洲兴衰过程的主导因素;人工绿洲的扩大会带来正向和逆向两方面的影响,绿洲的衰败会导致荒漠化、居民生计受到威胁、农户贫困程度加剧、下游与中上游用水矛盾凸显、人口外流等一系列生态和社会经济问题;根据影响绿洲兴衰演变的主要影响因素,制定绿洲发展的规划和政策,有利于促进绿洲的可持续发展.

[目的]研究库布齐沙漠东缘防沙治沙生态效益,为沙漠化治理效益评价提供科学参考.[方法]通过建立了库布齐沙漠东缘防沙治沙生态效益评价指标体系,采取层次分析法和模糊综合评价法进行生态效益评价.[结果]在生态效益评价指标的权重中,排在前3位的分别是植被盖度、地上生物量、草层高度评价指标,植被因子在沙漠化治理中较其他因子更为重要,植被恢复状况对库布齐沙漠化治理的影响显著;基于模糊综合评价结果可知,研究区防沙治沙生态效益值为53,属于一般状况.当地农户普遍认为防沙治沙明显改善了当地生态环境,大多数农户对沙漠化治理工作认同度较高.[结论]随着生态政策和治理措施的推进,治理效益将呈现良好态势;农户生态环保意识较差,还需加强农户生态环保意识,并提高农民文化水平.

西北地区森林覆盖率低,且主要分布于少数高山区.有限的森林面积是河川径流的天然调节器,对于稳定中下游地区的水源和生态起着关键作用.本文通过对西北地区森林近60年来的变化分析,发现20世纪50～70年代末的30年间,森林面积锐减;自1980年以来的近30年,人工林面积增加显著,天然林变化不明显,森林单位面积蓄积量仍较低.不同时段政策措施引导下的人类活动是西北地区森林变化的直接原因,近期人工造林的综合效益显著,但部分地区应慎重考虑大面积造林的科学性.

As national policy implementers and regional development planners, local government managers have a clearer, more objective and comprehensive understanding of ecological changes than herdsmen. Thus, they have a significant impact on the sustainable development of grassland resources and agricultural and pastoral areas. In this paper, grassland ecological change and related factors in different stages were investigated by means of questionnaires and structured interviews, and the adjustment strategies of grazing prohibition policy were studied. The perception of local government managers was that there was an improvement in grassland ecology, coverage, quality, yield, and in species richness in the early grazing prohibition period. There was, furthermore, an obvious improvement in the intermediate stage and a significant improvement with some degradation in its current stage. The grazing prohibition policy urgently needs to be adjusted according to the management pattern and to the limited time and space. It is necessary to improve the standard of ecological compensation and bolster herdsmen livelihoods, diversification, and non-agriculturalization. Based on the non-equilibrium theory and polycentric governance, the multi-central grassland governance and control system should be created in future.

Adopting the relative carrying capacity of resources theory and research methods, this paper analyzed quantitatively the variation in space and time of the resources'' relative carrying capacity in 8 township of Yanchi as well as differences among them, and gave a spatial expression of the matching characteristics of the carrying capacity.The results showed that: the carrying capacities of towns in Yanchi have three different states as being heavily overload, overload and surplus, compared with their comprehend carrying capacities of population;the spatial and temporal variation of the economical carrying capacity of relative natural resources is steady and the economic potential of natural resources is constantly rising;grassland''s relative carrying capacity of livestock is constantly rising over time and the differences in space is obvious;and divided different carrying capacity matching patterns based on the combinations of the above three carrying capacity states and further put forward different types of sustainable development strategies for those different states.This study can provide suggestions for towns in Yanchi, which are forbidden to graze for ten years, and provide theoretical support for the policy of "Return Grazing land to Grassland".

Alpine precipitation is an important component of the mountain hydrological cycle and may also be a determinant of water resources in inland river basins. In this study, based on field observation data of the upper Shule River and daily precipitation records of the Tuole weather station during 2009–2015, temporal distribution characteristics of alpine precipitation and their vertical differentiation were evaluated mainly using percentages of precipitation anomalies (Pa), coefficient of variation (Cv), precipitation concentration degree (PCD) and concentration period (PCP). The results indicated that the inter-annual variability of annual precipitation was generally small, with a Pa that was only somewhat larger in low altitude zones for individual years; the inter-annual fluctuation of monthly precipitation increased noticeably, but the Cv and precipitation can be described as a power function. Annual distribution was basically consistent; more than 85.6% of precipitation was concentrated during the period from May to September; PCD ranged between 0.71 and 0.83 while the PCP was located within the 37th–41st pentads. Diurnal variation of precipitation was defined, mainly occurring from 1500 to 0100 Local Standard Time, and displayed a vertical change that was dominated by precipitation intensity or precipitation frequency. The temporal distribution of alpine precipitation has a noticeable vertical differentiation, and this is likely to originate from the diversity of precipitation mechanisms in mountainous terrain areas.