Ecological Engineering最新文献

{"title":"Nature- and bio-based solutions for ecosystem restoration, landslide hazard mitigation, and ground improvement: Research and application novelties","authors":"Vittoria Capobianco , Alessandro Fraccica , Floriana Anselmucci , Vito Tagarelli","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107710","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107710","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 107710"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144613942","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seasonal variation and influencing factors of gas emission from free water surface flow constructed wetlands","authors":"Changqiang Guo ,&nbsp;Yongwu Wang ,&nbsp;Shurui Lin ,&nbsp;Qijiang Du ,&nbsp;Zizun Wei ,&nbsp;Zhicheng Ye ,&nbsp;Ying Xu ,&nbsp;Beini Yin ,&nbsp;Lili Zhang ,&nbsp;Qing Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107716","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107716","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Orthogonal experiments were conducted to investigate the gas emission patterns of free water surface flow constructed wetlands (FWS CWs). The correlation between the emission fluxes of four wetland gases—ammonia (NH₃), carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O)—and several characteristics, including design parameter, hydraulic performance, purification effect, soil nutrients, and microbial communities were analyzed. The results indicated that gas emission fluxes were significantly higher in the warm seasons than in the cold season. In warm seasons, water depth and inflow total nitrogen (TN) concentration emerged as the most crucial design parameters influencing CO₂ and CH₄ emissions, and NH₃ and N₂O emissions, respectively. Higher water depth effectively reduced gas emission, as well as hydraulic and treatment performance. Furthermore, gas emission fluxes exhibited positive correlations with hydraulic performance and negative correlations with nitrogen removal. The emission fluxes of CO₂ and CH₄ demonstrated significant positive correlations with the soil carbon to nitrogen ratio in cold season. However, there was no consistent significant correlation between gas emissions and soil microbes. The relative abundance of <em>Nitrospirota</em> showed moderate to significant inhibitory effects on CH₄ emissions in warm seasons, while that of <em>Planctomycetota</em> exhibited significant positive correlations with NH₃ and CH₄ emissions in early winter. This study highlighted the seasonal variations in gas emissions influenced by multiple factors, underscored the complexities involved in selecting design parameters for optimal wetland performance, and pointed out the challenges in achieving multi-objective optimization of FWS CWs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 107716"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144470137","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of plant growth and organic matter improvement on substrate properties and microbial community structure in copper tailings","authors":"Jianfen Zuo ,&nbsp;Yichao Lin ,&nbsp;Xin Xie ,&nbsp;Ximing Yan ,&nbsp;Bin Zhu ,&nbsp;Huijie Han ,&nbsp;Senlin Tian ,&nbsp;Ping Ning ,&nbsp;Jianhong Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107649","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107649","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the ecological remediation of copper tailings in high altitude area, there are some problems, such as little nutrient accumulation, lack of cultivated soil, and low temperature and drought climate, which is not conducive to plant growth. So far, little research has been done on soilless plant remediation of copper tailings in this area. In order to solve the difficulty of plant growth in this area and facilitate soilless plant remediation, in this study, fermented yak dung (YD) was utilized as an organic amendment to improve copper tailings to obtain a substrate suitable for plant growth. Subsequently, three indigenous plants were planted on the modified copper tailings substrate to achieve plant remediation. The study examined the effects of YD addition and plant growth on enhancing the physical and chemical properties, mineral structure weathering, and alterations in microbial community within copper tailings. The results showed that the addition of YD and plant growth remarkably lowered the pH and bioavailability of heavy metals in copper tailings, while enhancing nutrient content and promoting the conversion of primary minerals to secondary minerals. Additionally, the treatment improved the water stability of copper tailings, and significantly changed the microbial community and aggregation structure in copper tailings. These findings have revealed the underlying mechanism of organic modification and plant growth on alkaline copper tailings, thus providing important basis for the ecological engineering of copper tailings in high altitude areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 107649"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144335741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optimizing soil water retention for ecological restoration of loess coal mining areas in China: A study of reconstruction formulations based on coal gangue and fly ash","authors":"Jinxin He ,&nbsp;Zixun Yan ,&nbsp;Rongliulian Luo ,&nbsp;Yingui Cao ,&nbsp;Lanjian Wu ,&nbsp;Yuechuan Hu ,&nbsp;Yuxuan Fan ,&nbsp;Jinman Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107707","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107707","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The key to ecological restoration in mining areas lies in the recovery of healthy and stable soil structures, with soil water retention directly influencing vegetation survival and the sustainability of ecosystems. However, existing research has primarily focused on evaluating the performance of different soil reconstruction schemes, with limited attention paid to the water retention capacity of reconstructed soils and their influencing factors. This study utilized coal gangue, fly ash, and topsoil as primary materials to design various soil reconstruction schemes. Soil column experiments were conducted to measure water retention under different configurations. Redundancy analysis, generalized linear regression, and the least squares method were employed to identify the mechanisms influencing water retention and to predict its variation patterns. The results indicated that water retention varied with different reconstruction layer thicknesses. Increases in sand and organic matter content were found to reduce the water retention capacity of reconstructed soils, while higher silt content significantly enhanced it. Furthermore, both the thickness of the reconstruction layer and the proportion of coal gangue were shown to exert significant effects on soil water retention. Modeling the relationships among the coal gangue-to-topsoil ratio, soil layer thickness, time, and water retention revealed that increasing the layer thickness may decrease water retention. A gangue-to-topsoil ratio of 1:2 with a soil thickness between 40 cm and 60 cm was found to offer optimal water retention performance. This research evaluates soil reconstruction schemes from the perspective of water retention and investigates both internal and external influencing factors. The findings aim to provide targeted technical guidance and a scientific basis for ecological restoration in mining areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 107707"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144335740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Overcoming financial barriers to ecological restoration – The case of the Marker Wadden","authors":"Lieke M. Hüsken ,&nbsp;Jill H. Slinger ,&nbsp;Sacha de Rijk ,&nbsp;Mónica A. Altamirano ,&nbsp;Heleen S.I. Vreugdenhil","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107706","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107706","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this paper, we closely examine the case of the Marker Wadden, a nature restoration project with recreational opportunities in the Dutch lake Markermeer. The Marker Wadden – a mud island concept – has been constructed using locally sourced building materials (sediments from the lake) and is designed to withstand natural dynamics such as storms and waves. Lack of funding and financing has been repeatedly discussed and identified as a key barrier to implementing and upscaling ecological restoration, or Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in general. This highlights the importance of studying a unique case, such as the Marker Wadden, where this well-documented barrier has been overcome. We aim to identify the financial arrangements made and how they came about. We adopt the rounds model (a policy analysis theory), apply evidence triangulation, and employ a theoretical framework that captures an institutional perspective on financial barriers. We find the Marker Wadden project to be an example of public and private co-funding for ecosystem restoration. We further find revenue generation from recreational activities leads to partial cost-recovery, and non-public funding sources are unlocked due to the involvement of an NGO. We also find the pre-investment phase to be instrumental in overcoming financial barriers during later (implementation) phases. We surface the main drivers that led to funding for the Marker Wadden project, reveal opportunities for investment planning for NbS, and expose trade-offs in terms of (democratic) equity, efficiency, and environmental outcomes resulting from the combined public, private, and philanthropic co-funding arrangements used.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 107706"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144321548","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Design and performance characteristics of an in-stream woodchip denitrifying bioreactor for the treatment of agricultural drainage 1. Design, hydraulics and nitrate removal.","authors":"Lee Burbery ,&nbsp;Phil Abraham ,&nbsp;Andrew Pearson ,&nbsp;Murray Close ,&nbsp;Theo Sarris","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107703","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107703","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Woodchip denitrifying bioreactors (WDBs) are an established edge-of-field practice for mitigating nitrogen (N) loads in agricultural drainage waters. Of the published ‘in-stream’ WDB case studies, many have suffered hydraulic failure due to siltation and clogging. In this study we present a very large (450 m³) in-stream WDB of a modular design that sought to incorporate clogging management features. The WDB was designed to provide long-term treatment of dairy land drain water flowing at 6 L/s containing 6 mg nitrate-N/L on average. The hydraulic function of the in-stream WDB and nitrate removal efficacy were determined from monthly monitoring conducted over the first two years of its operation. A 69 % reduction in the equivalent hydraulic conductivity <em>K̅</em>_<em>x</em> and 25 % reduction in effective porosity were observed over this time, during which the bioreactor was estimated to have retained at least 2.6 t of sediment. A logarithmic relationship between <em>K̅</em>_<em>x</em> and sediment load best described the clogging. The average nitrate removal rate was 3.3 ± 1.0 g N/m³ woodchip/day. Annualised removal rates were 497 and 485 kg N/year, which are on par with performance calculations made during the design phase. Nitrate removal was sensitive to temperature and could be modelled effectively assuming Arrhenius temperature dependence and zero-order reaction. The resulting zero-order nitrate reaction rate for a 20 °C reference temperature was 7.93 ± 4.64 mg N/L/day and the Arrhenius temperature coefficient was 1.06 ± 0.09. Parameter estimates were within the range of values typically associated with WDBs. The need for long-term monitoring of this in-stream WDB is discussed in the context of testing its modular design functionality for increased operational longevity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 107703"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144613941","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effectiveness of nature-based hybrid solutions for the removal of nitrogen and emergent pollutants from municipal wastewater in cold climate conditions","authors":"Matthew Hopkins ,&nbsp;Lina Büngener ,&nbsp;Anna-Kaisa Ronkanen ,&nbsp;Anna Maria Pirttilä ,&nbsp;Anna Liisa Ruotsalainen ,&nbsp;Kaisa Lehosmaa ,&nbsp;Saija H.K. Ahonen ,&nbsp;Piippa R. Wäli ,&nbsp;Elisangela Heiderscheidt ,&nbsp;Heini Postila","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107711","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107711","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Arctic aquatic environments are especially sensitive to nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorous) and emergent pollutant discharge, which commonly enters water systems through wastewater effluents. To remove nutrients and emergent pollutants from the municipal wastewater in a small village in northern Finland, we evaluated a hybrid nature-based treatment system designed to complement an existing conventional wastewater treatment facility. The system included a moving bed bioreactor installed within the existing facility to improve nitrification; a sedimentation basin, moss unit, fungi-woodchip unit, and two woodchip bioreactors were also placed in the former drainage ditch after the facility to increase nutrient and emergent pollution removal. System performance was monitored for 5 years across all seasons to assess treatment efficiency. The treatment facility went from leaching of total nitrogen prior to implementation of the hybrid system to an average of 31 % removal efficiency after the system was implemented. Of the 129 emergent pollutants analyzed, 58 were below the detection limit, 20 showed no removal through the treatment process, and 51 compounds showed changes in concentration throughout the hybrid treatment system. Of the 51 compounds which showed changes in the system, 20 showed clear removal trends throughout the entire hybrid treatment system (normal wastewater treatment system + moss and fungi units and woodchip bioreactors), and 8 showed clear removal only in the woodchip bioreactor. Temperature did not appear to have a noticeable impact on the removal efficiency of these compounds. In view of the findings of this study, future research should be directed at further system optimization (in this case by better optimizing the MBBR), increasing, if possible, the number of sampling times and points for the emergent pollutants, and investigating in more detail the interaction between microbes and pollutant removal in cold climatic conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 107711"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144321547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the annual seasonal impacts on the ecological restoration of post-mining sites","authors":"Rugana Imbaná ,&nbsp;Fernanda Daniele de Almeida Valente ,&nbsp;Maísa Quintiliano Alves ,&nbsp;Sandro Lucio Silva Moreira ,&nbsp;Fernanda Zeidan Oliveira ,&nbsp;Amanda de Abreu Anunciação ,&nbsp;Rosilene Rodrigues Silva ,&nbsp;Felipe Tadashi Asao Coelho ,&nbsp;Igor Rodrigues de Assis","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107708","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107708","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Seasonal variations significantly influence post-mining restoration outcomes. In dynamic ecosystems like the Pantanal, the wet season fosters plant recruitment but also increases soil erosion risks, while the dry season limits vegetative growth yet reduces erosion. To assess these dynamics, we developed a Rehabilitation Quality Index (RQI) alongside permutation tests (resemblance), integrating field surveys and laboratory analyses to select, weigh, and score key environmental attributes. Our findings indicate that post-mining sites exhibit soil and vegetation characteristics similar to some reference areas during the rainy season, suggesting improved ecological function. However, this trend does not persist in the dry season, likely due to inadequate vegetation cover and the shallow nature of technogenic soils, which restrict water retention. Despite seasonal fluctuations, most selected attributes remained stable, reinforcing the crucial role of water and nutrient availability in driving ecosystem recovery. The RQI effectively captured these seasonal shifts, highlighting the need for tailored reclamation strategies. Reclamation efforts should prioritize site resilience, particularly during challenging dry periods, by improving soil water retention and vegetation stability to enhance long-term ecological restoration in seasonally dynamic regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 107708"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144312911","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How does land use transfer affect ecosystem services in Northwest China?","authors":"Pingping Zhou ,&nbsp;Yuansheng Tian ,&nbsp;Jun Zhai ,&nbsp;Xiaoyan Song ,&nbsp;Yi Li ,&nbsp;Wenyi Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107712","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107712","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The land use in Northwest China (NW) has changed significantly due to the fast pace of urbanization, which has a significant effect on the ecosystem service functions (ES). Therefore, quantifying the impact of land use transfer on ecosystem service functions is of great significance for the improvement and restoration of ecological environment in NW. In this paper, we analyzed four ecosystem service functions to reveal the effects of land use change on ES in NW during 2001–2020, including water yield (WY), carbon storage (CS), soil conservation (SC) and habitat quality (HQ). The results of the established InVEST model indicate that WY, CS, SC and HQ showed an upward trend, with growth rates of 1.94 × 10⁶ m³/a, 8 × 10⁶ t/a, 1.48 × 10⁸ t/a and 0.00004 respectively, and the spatial distribution pattern of these ecosystem service functions in NW is similar, showing the characteristics of high in the southeast, followed by the northwest, and the lowest in the middle. Furthermore, the impact of land use transfer on ES were analyzed based on the land use extreme scenarios. The conversion of grassland to barren (G2B) will reduce CS, SC, and HQ, and greatly increase WY. In NW, the transition from cropland to grassland (C2G) and from grassland to cropland (G2C) has little impact on the ES. The method of rapid estimation of CS and HQ based on unit land use transfer area and ES change can provide theoretical scientific basis for future ecological environment restoration and management in NW.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 107712"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144321546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of biodiversity and landscape changes during the Pinglu Canal construction and the benefits of ecological restoration based on Rao's Q index","authors":"Songwen Deng ,&nbsp;Mengyuan Luo ,&nbsp;Wenhuan Wang ,&nbsp;Sixiang Lan ,&nbsp;Weifeng Xu ,&nbsp;Xuzhi Mai ,&nbsp;Wei Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107709","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107709","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Assessing biodiversity change is crucial for evaluating the ecological impacts of infrastructure development. Taking the Pinglu Canal as an example, this study integrates Rao's Q index, remote sensing data, and landscape metrics to analyze the ecological pattern changes and restoration benefits before and after canal construction from 2015 to 2024. Results indicated that canal construction significantly intensified fragmentation of forests, wetlands, and farmlands, resulting in about a 25 % decrease in Rao's Q index during the initial construction phase (2022), reflecting notable biodiversity loss. Following ecological restoration measures (such as afforestation compensation and wetland restoration) implemented in 2023–2024, Rao's Q showed differentiated recoveries across ecosystems, with forest ecosystems recovering by approximately 20 %, respectively. This research confirms that the Rao's Q index is suitable for evaluating biodiversity changes in heterogeneous landscapes but may overestimate biodiversity in homogeneous ecosystems like mangroves, thus necessitating correction through complementary metrics. The findings provide important theoretical support and practical references for ecological restoration planning in infrastructure projects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11490,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Engineering","volume":"219 ","pages":"Article 107709"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144312901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}