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Topic Review
Utilizing Mediterranean Plants to Remove Contaminants
The use of contaminated soils in food production imposes the need for the reduction in heavy metals concentrations, using various techniques, in order to eliminate the toxic effects of pollution and ensure safety in the consumption of agricultural products. Phytoremediation is a promising, effective, and publicly acceptable method to remove soils’ toxicity. The Mediterranean basin is a region of distinct climatic conditions with temporal variability and great floristic heterogeneity. Due to the high variability in landscapes paired with the warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters, the Mediterranean hosts significant plant diversity, including numerous endemic and rare plant species
  • 574
  • 21 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Electrospun Environment Remediation Nanofibers Using Unspinnable Liquids
Electrospinning is a simple and straightforward method for preparing nanofibers. Most recently, more and more efforts have been spent on the treatments of liquids without electrospinnability using multifluid working processes. These unspinnable liquids, although have no electrospinnability themselves, can be converted into nanofibers when they are electrospun with an electrospinnable fluid. Among all sorts of multifluid electrospinning methods, coaxial electrospinning is the most fundamental one.
  • 573
  • 10 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Forest Ecological Security in China: A Provincial-Level Analysis
Under the background of China’s proposal to achieve “carbon neutralization and carbon peak”, it is an important task for each province to clarify their forest ecological security (FES) status. However, there is little understanding of the temporal and spatial evolution of forest ecological security and its influencing factors.Based on the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model, this paper constructed a comprehensive evaluation index system for forest ecological security and used the CRITIC method and panel data to estimate the dynamic changes in FES for 31 provinces in China (excluding Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) between 2009 and 2018. Furthermore, the obstacle degree model was used to determine the important obstacle factors affecting FES. The results showed that: (1) The comprehensive indices of FES of most provinces in mainland China were increasing, showing a good development trend during the study period; (2) subject to the limitations of resources and economic conditions, the FES at the provincial level showed significant spatial heterogeneity, which generally presents a distribution characteristic of “low in the western region and high in the central and eastern regions”; and (3) the primary obstacles restricting the improvement of FES level in most provinces of China were forest state indicators or input response indicators, followed by pressure indicators. Therefore, it is recommended to take targeted measures to reduce the intensity of forest cutting and the incidence of forest disasters, improve the utilization efficiency of forest resources, the productivity of forestland and the input-output level of forestry industry, and strengthen the training of professional talents and technical input according to the resource endowment condition of each province so as to improve the level of forest ecological security.
  • 572
  • 15 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Closed-Canopy Tropical Forests of Hainan
The successful establishment of many plants in tropical forests often depends on species-specific adaptations related to light availability and forest successional stage. Species that are present in early successional stages generally do not occur in later successional stages. 
  • 563
  • 01 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Poor Air Quality in Urban Settings
Poor air quality (PAQ) is a global concern, especially in urban areas, and is often seen as an important element of social sustainability given its negative impact on health and quality of life. Smoke, odour and dust particles were perceived to be the most important indicators of PAQ, while the main sources of PAQ were waste and bush burning, vehicle use and power generators. The two most preferred control measures were proper waste management and the avoidance of bush burning. 
  • 542
  • 11 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Denitrification in Groundwater Vulnerability Assessment
The assessment of groundwater vulnerability to nitrate is a valuable tool for the implementation of sustainable groundwater management plans. However, the standard intrinsic vulnerability assessment methods can lead to unreliable results, since they often neglect important attenuation processes, such as denitrification, occurring in the unsaturated and saturated zones.
  • 539
  • 19 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Symbiodiniaceae in Antipatharians (Black Corals)
Antipatharians are understudied ecosystem engineers of shallow (<30 m depth), mesophotic (30–150 m) and deep-sea (>200 m) reefs. They provide habitat to numerous organisms, enhancing and supporting coral reef biodiversity globally. Nonetheless, little biological and ecological information exists on antipatharians, including the extent to which global change disturbances are threatening their health. The previous assumption that they were exempted from threats related to the phenomenon known as bleaching was challenged by the recent findings of high densities of dinoflagellates within three antipatharian colonies. 
  • 536
  • 02 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Biogas Potential from Slums in São Paulo
Slums are populated poor areas inside urban centers, mostly deprived of good-quality public services and exposed to inappropriate waste disposal and energy poverty. Using the organic fraction waste from these communities to generate high value-added products, including electricity, heat, and fertilizer, provides a circular bioeconomy with mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, reducing environmental pollution and diseases. 
  • 514
  • 28 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Spatiotemporal Variation in Gross Primary Productivity
Carbon uptake through the photosynthesis process by a terrestrial ecosystem termed gross primary productivity (GPP) is the way CO2 enters into the biosphere from the atmosphere. GPP not only drives the ecosystem functioning but also takes part in terrestrial carbon sequestration through phenological and physiological processes.
  • 507
  • 10 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Sustainable Coastal Design
Mediterranean coastal cities are mostly urban environments with a long history, hence the idea that the different aspects that form the identity and perception of the cities can be interconnected in a framework that can be useful for further understanding and improvement. There is a need to consider multiple scales, national boundaries, the intersection of land and water and different stakeholders, policies and sectors. The coastal zone is an interface between land and sea, composed of a continuum of coastal land, intertidal areas, aquatic systems including the network of rivers and estuaries, islands, transitional and intertidal areas, salt marshes, wetlands and beaches. Natural coastal systems and areas where human activities involve the use of coastal resources may, therefore, extend well beyond the limit of territorial waters, and several kilometers inland.
  • 506
  • 29 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Progress and Prospects of Forest Ecological Asset Research
There are several key scientific issues, these seven issues are hot research topics worthy of in-depth exploration in the future: the harmonizing of the definition of the concept of forest ecological assets; what should be the main focus of future research on forest ecological assets; the construction of an evaluation indicators system according to local conditions; the data assimilation methods of integrating ground-based positioning observations and space-based remote-sensing observations that complement each other; the study of the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of forest ecological assets; the study the net value of forest ecological assets; how to retain and increase the value of forest ecological assets; and how enhance the ecological carrying capacity of forests. These issues require further research.
  • 502
  • 07 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Microelement Composition of Reindeer Meat and Adaptation
The unique nutrition of the Arctic Indigenous Peoples is associated with their increased endurance, health, and adaptability to the harsh climate. Reindeer meat, blood, and liver are the most critical elements of this traditional nutrition enriched with minerals. Reindeer consumption is a crucial factor of successful adaptation to the cold stress, as well as a component of national culture, food, and economic security and sovereignty, affecting the well-being and health of the Indigenous population in the Arctic.
  • 496
  • 28 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Invasive Alien Plants
Alien species are among the five drivers of environmental change with the largest relative global impacts. In particular, horticulture is a major introduction pathway of alien plants, but, together with intentional introductions, plants can also be introduced and spread via human-mediated involuntary pathways as contaminants and stowaways.
  • 496
  • 22 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Systems of Multicriteria Analysis for Housing Environment
The quality of the housing environment (HE) is an important issue that has a direct impact on the life of inhabitants. Aiming for quality in residential architecture begins with a well-designed HE, with the designing process being a value that is difficult to evaluate. Nowadays, a well-designed HE takes into account the energy efficiency of a building. An appropriate degree of thermal comfort, which is required by inhabitants, needs to be considered at the design stage. Designers can use building certification programs and multi-criteria analysis to motivate investors to construct buildings in accordance with energy efficiency requirements. These systems respond to the needs of energy efficiency, thermal comfort, sustainable heating, and ventilation. Defining ways and methods to evaluate quality in architectural projects will allow the value of the HE to be improved.
  • 472
  • 31 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Smart City Governance Evaluation in Jiangsu
Based on literature review, expert consensus, and the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process, researchers developed an innovative smart city evaluation framework. In the framework, an index comprising three dimensions, i.e., smart economy, smart society, and smart environmental protection, as well as several attributes for these dimensions for smart city evaluation were established.
  • 458
  • 25 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Agricultural Eco-Efficiency：Challenges and Progress
The research on agricultural eco-efficiency has become an important point to deeply understand the interaction between ecological and environmental conditions and socio-economic factors as well as realize the coordinated development of agricultural economic development and environmental protection. (1) Background: This paper attempts to provide scientific support for the healthy and stable development of the agricultural economy and the sustainable development of ecological agriculture. (2) Methods: From a comprehensive perspective, this paper systematically analyze the overall situation, development trend, key fields, and hot fields of agricultural eco-efficiency in the past two decades. It consists of two complementary parts, including systematic quantitative literature review (based on CiteSpace) and traditional literature review. (3) Results: Agricultural eco-efficiency has evolved significantly with the popularization of agricultural machinery and the wide application of science and technology in the field of agricultural ecology. Its future development relies on the advances in our knowledge on theories and hypothesis, evaluation methods, impact on “socio-economic ecological” system, and drivers and regulation of agricultural eco-efficiency. For each of these fields, we find that challenges still exist. At present, the quantitative methods and index selection are not unified. We should deeply analyze the internal and external driving force of the development and change of ecological efficiency by constructing a complete theoretical framework for the research of agricultural ecological efficiency. At the same time, new technologies and methods are needed to evaluate agricultural eco-efficiency, and a balanced consensus between the improvement of agricultural eco-efficiency and the improvement of the ecological environment should be formed through empirical research.
  • 447
  • 27 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Global and Regional (Baltics) Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the major greenhouse gasses (GHGs), which, if released into the atmosphere, is reflecting infrared radiation back to the Earth’s surface and traps the radiant heat. Therefore, excessive CO2 emissions are of global concern as they are amongst the main contributors to climate change.
  • 446
  • 13 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Spatial-Temporal Distribution Patterns of Major Mine Debris Flows in China
From 1954 to 2019, the number of major mine debris flow disasters first increased and then decreased. The proportion of mine debris flow disasters to the total number of debris flow disasters also showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, with the southwestern region being the area of high occurrence of mine debris flow, and the geoenvironmental areas of middle and low hills and middle and high mountains being the topographic areas of high occurrence of mine debris flow. More than 90% of the major mine debris flow disasters occurred from May to September, with the largest number of disasters occurring in July.
  • 433
  • 27 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Ākitio
Ākitio is a coastal community in the Tararua District of the lower east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The Ākitio River runs for approximately 35 kilometres in a southeast by northwest direction, leading to the town of Weber, on Route 52, formerly State Highway 52. Ākitio is in meshblocks 2224200 (NW), 2224300 (N) and 2225100 (SW), which had a combined population of 111 people in 48 households in the 2013 New Zealand census.
  • 414
  • 04 Nov 2022
Topic Review
The Utility of Joint SECAP Plans
The “Joint Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans” (Joint SECAPs) introduced by the Covenant of Mayors (CoM) are voluntary tools that favour a joint approach to energy planning and climate change mitigation/adaptation among municipalities in the same territorial area.
  • 386
  • 12 Jun 2023
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