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.
  • 529
  • 15 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Forest Fires on Air Quality in Wolgan Valley
Forests are an important natural resource and are instrumental in sustaining environmental sustainability. Burning biomass in forests results in greenhouse gas emissions, many of which are long-lived. Precise and consistent broad-scale monitoring of fire intensity is a valuable tool for analyzing climate and ecological changes related to fire. Remote sensing and geographic information systems provide an opportunity to improve current practice’s accuracy and performance. 
  • 591
  • 28 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Forest Mapping
Forest mapping and inventories are essential for countries worldwide, and remote sensing makes it possible on temporal and spatial scales, especially for countries with little to no forest inventories. Remote sensing data, irrespective of their type (active or passive sensing), provide valuable information on forest stands, their composition, and their comparison with field-based conventional studies, and land cover mapping using remote sensing methods is used widely worldwide. With time, remote sensing makes it possible to precisely map forest dispersion on landscapes by correlating forest properties with other factors and mapping the species-level distribution of forests using fine spectral resolution imageries. Remote sensing data types, including optical, point-cloud (e.g., LiDAR), RADAR (e.g., Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)), and hyperspectral, can be used effectively to map forest types. Furthermore, researchers have designed algorithms for robust time-series mapping for vegetation change detection and monitoring systems for forest attributes using multiple sources and techniques. Lechner et al. described six key reasons why remote sensing is becoming important in forest studies, including (1) remote sensing imagery allows wall-to-wall mapping by providing a synoptic view of the area observation, (2) temporal data available anywhere and anytime you need, (3) homogeneity in remote sensing data, eradicating the possibility of human-induced errors, (4) remotely sensed data integrity and interoperability, (5) cost-effective data availability, and (6) readily available remote sensing data products, reducing the need of expertise.
  • 919
  • 08 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Forest Vulnerability to Climate Change
Climate change has caused vulnerability not only to the forest ecosystem but also to forest-dependent communities. Therefore, its management is essential to increase forest ecosystem services and reduce vulnerability to climate change using an integrated approach.
  • 982
  • 01 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Forward Osmosis in Wastewater Treatment
Forward osmosis (FO), driven by the osmotic pressure difference between solutions divided by a semi-permeable membrane, has been recognised as a potential energy-efficient filtration process with a low tendency for fouling and a strong ability to filtrate highly polluted wastewater.
  • 967
  • 02 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Fossil Free Future for Track Work Machinery
Fossil free future for track work machinery indicates the possibility of achieving zero direct emissions during maintenance and construction work in railways by switching to alternative drives. Current railway track work machinery is mainly operated with diesel fuel. As a result, track maintenance of Austrian Federal Railways (OeBB) amounts to nearly 9000 t CO2 equivalent per year according to calculations from Graz University of Technology. OeBB’s total length of railway lines only accounts for 0.56% of the world’s length of lines. This indicates huge potential for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions considering the need for track maintenance worldwide. Environmental concerns have led to the introduction of alternative drives in the transport sector.
  • 896
  • 11 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Fossil Fuel Divestment
Fossil fuel divestment or fossil fuel divestment and investment in climate solutions is an attempt to reduce climate change by exerting social, political, and economic pressure for the institutional divestment of assets including stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments connected to companies involved in extracting fossil fuels. Fossil fuel divestment campaigns emerged on campuses in the United States in 2010 with students urging their administrations to turn endowment investments in the fossil fuel industry into investments in clean energy and communities most impacted by climate change. By 2015, fossil fuel divestment was reportedly the fastest growing divestment movement in history. In April 2020, a total of 1,192 institutions and over 58,000 individuals representing $14 trillion in assets worldwide had begun or committed to a divestment from fossil fuels.
  • 770
  • 10 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Fossil Fuel Phase-Out
Fossil fuel phase-out is the gradual reduction of the use of fossil fuels to zero use. Current efforts in fossil fuel phase-out involve replacing fossil fuels with alternative energy sources in sectors such as transport, heating and industry.
  • 858
  • 16 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Fossil Fuels Lobby
"Fossil fuels lobby" is a term used to label the paid representatives of large fossil fuel (oil, gas, coal) and electric utilities corporations who attempt to influence governmental policy. So-called Big Oil companies such as ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, BP, Total S.A., Chevron Corporation, and ConocoPhillips are amongst the largest corporations associated with the fossil fuels lobby. General Electric, Southern Company, First Energy, and the Edison Electric Institute are also among the most influential electric utilities corporations. By sector, "Energy/Nat Resource" comes fifth, behind "Misc Business", "Finance/Insur/RealEst", Health and "Communic/Electronics".
  • 2.0K
  • 27 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Fouling Prevention in Membranes by Radiation-Induced Graft Copolymerization
The application of membrane processes in various fields has now undergone accelerated developments, despite the presence of some hurdles impacting the process efficiency. Fouling is arguably the main hindrance for a wider implementation of polymeric membranes, particularly in pressure-driven membrane processes, causing higher costs of energy, operation, and maintenance. Radiation induced graft copolymerization (RIGC) is a powerful versatile technique for covalently imparting selected chemical functionalities to membranes’ surfaces, providing a potential solution to fouling problems. 
  • 915
  • 17 Jan 2022
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