Environmental and Sustainability Indicators最新文献

{"title":"Evaluating sustainability dynamics of leafy vegetable farming in Iran","authors":"Maryam Sharifzadeh,&nbsp;Khadijeh Kamkar","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100845","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100845","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Achieving sustainability in vegetable cultivation involves understanding various dynamic factors essential for shaping effective agricultural policies and practices. This study assessed the sustainability of leafy vegetable production in Fars Province, Iran through a survey of 140 vegetable farmers using a rigorously validated questionnaire with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.59–0.83. Key factors such as family labor and intergenerational engagement in agriculture, production economics, soil health, input management, market access, weed and crop management techniques, sustainable practices, community interaction, pricing dynamics, and education collectively explained 68.6 % of the variance in sustainability. Integrating the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) framework revealed that individual beliefs play a crucial role in agricultural outcomes, with 51.6 % of farmers categorized as neutral or transitional in sustainability performance, indicating a gap between awareness and effective practices. Importantly, no farmers in the Undesirable performance category endorsed high NEP values, highlighting the complexities of adopting sustainable practices. Insights and strategies from this research offer valuable guidance for policymakers, agricultural extension services, and farmers, contributing to the development of more sustainable agricultural systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100845"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144996116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Economic valuation of virtual groundwater in hyper-arid regions of Iran","authors":"Fatemeh Mohammadzadeh ,&nbsp;Mohammad Reza Ekhtesasi ,&nbsp;Jessen George ,&nbsp;Fei Zhang ,&nbsp;Kevin Harding","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100835","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100835","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Access to high-quality water in Iran's hyper-arid regions faces growing challenges due to increasing demand, climate variability, and scarce freshwater resources. The Bajestan watershed consists of two parts: the plain and the playa. The groundwater consumption in this area is such that the plain, which contains relatively better water and is mainly owned by the people, is used for the agricultural sector. Meanwhile, the government is compelled to utilize the saline groundwater resources from the playa through a desalination process to provide good-quality groundwater for drinking and sanitation purposes and to introduce it into the drinking and sanitation network. To evaluate groundwater allocation efficiency, this study integrates virtual groundwater accounting with economic indicators—Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR). The analysis shows that producing bottled water via desalination reached a cost of 45.07 million RI per cubic meter in 2023, resulting in a negative NPV, undefined IRR, and BCR = 0.46—rendering it economically unviable. In contrast, saffron cultivation yielded a significantly higher return (BCR = 2.21) than pistachio (0.89) and pomegranate (0.76), despite requiring far less water. Yet, over 94 % of groundwater is still allocated to agriculture, while only 4 % serves essential domestic needs—revealing a critical misallocation. The findings advocate for cost-reflective water pricing, revised allocation priorities, and expansion of virtual water accounting frameworks to support equitable and climate-resilient water governance. To ensure long-term sustainability, the study recommends implementing cost-reflective water pricing, revising allocation priorities, and enhancing virtual water accounting frameworks. These measures can support more equitable and climate-resilient water governance in Iran's hyper-arid regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100835"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144996110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatiotemporal characteristics and multi-scenario simulation of territorial space carbon sink conflicts in the Sichuan-Yunnan ecological barrier region, China","authors":"Weijie Li ,&nbsp;Yong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100832","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100832","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Scientific evaluation and simulation of territorial space carbon sinks conflict (TSCSC) is an effective way to identify the regional carbon balance. However, previous research mainly focuses on the measurement, dynamic characteristics and driving factors of the current carbon sink, seldom considers the impacts of the future territorial space conflict on the carbon sink, especially in ecologically fragile areas. Thus, taking the Sichuan-Yunnan ecological barrier area as an example, this paper constructed a TSCSC evaluation model from the three dimensions of spatial carbon emission pressure, spatial carbon storage capacity and spatial instability, then analyzed the spatiotemporal evolution of TSCSC from 2000 to 2020 and its relationship with land use change, finally simulated and identified the degree of TSCSC and its potential risk areas under four scenarios in 2050 by applying the patch-generating land use simulation (PLUS) model. The study found that (1) the level of TSCSC gradually decreased from 2000 to 2020, and showed a spatial pattern of declining from the northeast to the southwest. (2) The rising areas of the TSCSC were clustered in the hilly areas of the northwest and the urban-rural interface of Chengdu, which is derived from cultivated land reclamation and urban land expansion. (3) In 2050, the carbon emission reduction scenario had the lowest the TSCSC value, which is regarded as the optimal model for alleviating the coercive effect of spatial conflicts on carbon balance. The study can offer a practical guidance for the mitigation of carbon sink conflict in ecologically fragile areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100832"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144996189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modeling the potential distribution of woody species and identifying restoration-priority areas in ecologically vulnerable regions of the Loess Plateau under climate change: supporting SDG 15.1","authors":"Haihong Qiu ,&nbsp;Hairong Han ,&nbsp;Xiaoqin Cheng ,&nbsp;Fengfeng Kang","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100840","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100840","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The accurate identification of priority areas for woody species restoration and conservation is critical for achieving sustainable management in heterogeneous forest ecosystems. Currently, the strategic placement of suitable woody species in optimal locations remains inadequately addressed, hindering progress toward sustainable development goals. In this study, we used the Loess Plateau as the study area. Conceptual model Sensitivity-Resilience-Pressure (SRP) and subjective-objective assignment (SOA) method were applied to perform ecological vulnerability assessment. Meanwhile, the particle swarm algorithm (PSO) was used to optimize the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model to simulate the potential habitat areas of 10 woody species. Based on these findings, we developed a rule-based prioritization framework for woody species restoration and conservation, identified priority management zones, and proposed optimized management strategies. The results showed that regional ecological vulnerability decreases from north-west to south-east. Between 106° and 108°E and 36°-38°N, ecosystem vulnerability was higher. Suitable areas for woody species are primarily located in the south and east, while the west and north predominantly feature unsuitable areas. <em>Salix babylonica</em> and <em>Juglans regia</em> account for up to 53 % of the total natural development area. Priority I management areas for <em>Robinia pseudoacacia</em> and <em>Caragana korshinskii</em> were 73000 km² and 53000 km² respectively. Priority management areas for the other eight woody species are mainly distributed in the southeast. The total carbon stock of existing forests is projected to increase by 2 % or 3.75 Tg C after implementing priority management of woody species. The study constructed systematic measures from four dimensions: multi-objective synergy, multi-measure combination, multi-programme adaptation and multi-means. The results of the study are expected to support the management of woody species for sustainable development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100840"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144996191","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quantitative evaluation of urban heat island effect based on the rotational scanning semivariogram model (RSSM) — A case study of Wuhan","authors":"Caiyue Meng,&nbsp;Jiejun Huang,&nbsp;Han Zhou,&nbsp;Ximing Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100886","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100886","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect significantly impacts urban thermal environments, making accurate quantification of its spatial footprint (SUHI FP) and intensity (SUHII) essential for ecological management. Existing methods, however, suffer from uncertainties due to arbitrary administrative boundaries and predefined models. To address this, we propose a Rotational-Scan Semi-variogram Model (RSSM) that incorporates spatial autocorrelation and anisotropy. Using 1 km × 1 km daily land surface temperature (LST) data, we construct a polar coordinate system centered on Wuhan's urban core and apply a rotational scanning window to derive directional autocorrelation ranges via semi-variogram analysis. These ranges are integrated to delineate SUHI FP, which then identifies the optimal background reference area (BRA) for SUHII calculation. Applying RSSM to Wuhan (2000–2022, summer), we reveal strong spatial anisotropy in SUHI effects, with FP exhibiting a “high-west/low-east, high-south/low-north” pattern and SUHII radiating outward in a peak-valley alternation. Temporally, SUHI intensified markedly in western/southwestern regions during 2005–2015 but showed mitigation post-2020. The RSSM framework provides a robust, data-driven approach to quantify UHI dynamics, offering actionable insights for urban ecological planning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"28 ","pages":"Article 100886"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145010922","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Creative tourism as a driver for sustainable development: A model for advancing SDGs through community-based tourism and environmental stewardship","authors":"Suparak Suriyankietkaew,&nbsp;Krittawit Krittayaruangroj,&nbsp;Sukanda Thinthan,&nbsp;Syamol Lumlongrut","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100828","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100828","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines how community-based tourism (CBT) enterprises can strategically leverage creative tourism to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through sustainable tourism, cultural revitalization, and inclusive community empowerment. Despite increasing global interest in creative tourism, empirical insights on its transformative potential within CBT frameworks remain limited—particularly in ecologically sensitive rural contexts. Addressing this gap, this research presents a case study of Ban Laem in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand, an award-winning CBT initiative that has successfully embedded creative tourism to drive economic diversification, environmental stewardship, and social cohesion. Drawing on extensive fieldwork and stakeholder interviews, the study introduces the MOST model—Managing Local Identity, Operation, Sustainable Tourism, and Travel Experience —as an empirically grounded framework for integrating creative tourism into CBT. Anchored in the Community Capitals Framework (CCF), the model demonstrates how investments in social, cultural, and natural capital can produce a ‘spiraling-up’ effect toward community resilience and sustainability. The findings highlight key success factors, including collaborative governance, adaptive innovation, capacity building, and participatory management. The study offers theoretical contributions to the intersection of creative tourism and sustainable development, while providing actionable insights for policymakers, tourism practitioners, and community leaders seeking to implement measurable and community-driven tourism models aligned with SDG indicators.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100828"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144996203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Indicators of sustained agriculture, impacts of LULC and weather parameters on ET: Case study in Chota Nagpur Plateau","authors":"Josna Murmu ,&nbsp;Latha Radhadevi ,&nbsp;Chaitanya Pande ,&nbsp;Murthy Bandaru ,&nbsp;Manoj Kumar","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100836","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100836","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Land use land cover (LULC) modification due to anthropogenic and climate change affects evapotranspiration (ET) and consequent crop yield. Ranchi region in the Chota-Nagpur Plateau is vulnerable to deforestation and land degradation caused by urbanization, though agriculture is a sustainable livelihood. The study deals with the long-term assessment of LULC changes and other relevant parameters and their impact on ET during the major cropping season in the station where ET influences crop yield. Landsat 8 OLI high-resolution images during the cropping season (November–March) are processed to determine LULC classes of <em>'Agricultural area', 'Fallow/wasteland', 'Built-up area' and 'Water body'</em> and their modification in terms of fractional percentage areas over the period 2007–2020. The agricultural area has reduced from 196 sq. km in 2007 to 136 sq.km in 2020, whereas built-up and fallow/wastelands have increased from 13 to 25 sq. km and 95 to 116 sq. km, respectively, during the same period. The impact of LULC change over the years on ET (MODIS16A2) over agriculture crops is assessed by subjecting the yearly time series of ET and other potential influencing parameters like NDVI (MODIS), relative humidity (RH), soil moisture (SM) (NASA Power) and extent of Agriculture area to regression analysis, '<em>R-squared decomposition</em>'. It is found that the agriculture area contributes about 10 % to the ET variance, whereas NDVI explains 72 %, while SM and RH account for 7 % and 9 % respectively. The study also shows that the area under agriculture has changed minimally. Hence, it becomes crucial to have an ET-based irrigation method to sustain agriculture, which is yet a primary livelihood in the region despite the pressures of urbanization, which is mineral-rich.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100836"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144996106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modeling sustainable development pathways","authors":"Leonardo Schultz ,&nbsp;Chris Cosner ,&nbsp;José Maria Cardoso da Silva","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100833","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100833","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sustainable development demands balancing ecological protection with socioeconomic prosperity; however, quantitative tools for assessing integrated policy strategies that achieve this balance are still limited. We developed the first modeling framework using the Sustainable Development Pathway Index (SDPI) as outcome to assess the impact of policy interventions on the sustainability of development pathways over time. Our framework models development as movement through two-dimensional space, where ecological infrastructure (measured by the proportion of land with high ecological integrity) and socioeconomic infrastructure (measured by the Human Development Index) interact dynamically. Applied to Costa Rica, we tested seven scenarios that combined conservation policies with varying levels of education investment from 2022 to 2050. Our results reveal that current policies produce negative SDPI values (−56.82 to −56.69), indicating unsustainable development trajectories, despite Costa Rica's environmental reputation. However, strategic policy combinations can shift this trajectory toward sustainability. Zero-loss policies for lands with high ecological integrity improve SDPI scores by 12.76 %, while combining zero-loss with active restoration achieves improvements of 15.43–15.58 %. Critically, increasing education investment to 8 % of GDP eliminates the economic costs associated with conservation policies. This study demonstrates that apparent trade-offs between environmental protection and socioeconomic development can be resolved through strategic policy integration. The modeling framework provides policymakers with a quantitative tool for developing evidence-based sustainable development strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100833"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144996115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The sustainability status of cut rose farming in Batu City: Uncovering data and facts from Indonesia's largest cut rose producing city","authors":"Riska Tiasmalomo ,&nbsp;Muslim Salam ,&nbsp;Hari Iswoyo ,&nbsp;Muhammad Hatta Jamil ,&nbsp;A. Nixia Tenriawaru ,&nbsp;Rahmansyah Dermawan ,&nbsp;Nitty Hirawaty Kamarulzaman ,&nbsp;Akhsan ,&nbsp;Heliawaty ,&nbsp;Letty Fudjaja ,&nbsp;Rahmadanih ,&nbsp;Muhammad Ridwan ,&nbsp;Hamed Noralla Bakheet Ali ,&nbsp;Siti Hardiyanti Syam ,&nbsp;Ridha Anugerah Putra","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100899","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100899","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Batu City, East Java, produces the most cut roses in Indonesia. The city's cut rose cultivation has long been the primary source of income for local farmers. However, cut rose producers face many issues that imperil their farms. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the sustainability status of cut rose flower farming and sensitive indicators that affect its sustainability. This research was conducted in October 2024. Structured interviews with 155 rose-cut farmer respondents provided this study's primary data. The data analysis method used was multidimensional scaling (MDS). The results of the study show that the sustainability of cut rose farming in Batu City is categorized as “quite sustainable” with an average score of 62.57. This empirical fact suggests that the farm has a sufficiently long period to continue cultivation. Then, the sensitive indicators significantly affecting ecological sustainability were the land elevation, chemical fertilizer use, and crop waste management. Regarding economic sustainability, the most sensitive indicators were the farm profit, market scale, and market chain. Next, the most sensitive indicators affecting social sustainability were the intensity of extension, farming experience, and family participation in farming. Finally, the sensitive indicators that most influence the sustainability of technological innovation are transportation technology, the adoption of environmentally friendly cultivation innovations, and marketing technology. The results suggest that cut rose farming could be more sustainably run if specific key indicators were addressed; these include steep land slopes, a lack of marketing and promotion, frequent disputes among farmers, and inadequate cultivation technology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"28 ","pages":"Article 100899"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145010923","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ecosystem integrity assessment of Gwangneung deciduous old-growth forest, a UNESCO biosphere reserve: A thermodynamic perspective","authors":"Hyunyoung Yang ,&nbsp;Joon Kim ,&nbsp;Minseok Kang ,&nbsp;Jung-Hwa Chun","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100839","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100839","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The challenge of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (BR) is balancing the sustainable use of ecosystem services with biodiversity conservation without compromising ecosystem integrity. To assess whether this balance is achieved, a quantitative assessment of ecosystem integrity is essential. However, ambiguity in its definition and the lack of a theoretical framework are obstacles. We redefined the ecosystem integrity as “a state in which the structure, function, composition, and self-organizing capacity of an ecosystem are not significantly different from that of the reference state”. Within a thermodynamic framework, this self-organizing capacity can be expressed as the ratio of entropy exported (<span><math><mrow><mi>J</mi></mrow></math></span>) to entropy produced internally (<span><math><mrow><mi>σ</mi></mrow></math></span>), i.e., <span><math><mrow><mo>|</mo><mrow><mi>J</mi><mo>/</mo><mi>σ</mi></mrow><mo>|</mo></mrow></math></span>. This metric was applied to 15 years of data from the Gwangneung Deciduous old-growth forest in Korea (GDK), a BR. The five-years before BR designation were assumed as a reference state, against which the subsequent 10 years were compared. During the reference state, <span><math><mrow><mo>|</mo><mrow><mi>J</mi><mo>/</mo><mi>σ</mi></mrow><mo>|</mo></mrow></math></span> was 0.76 <span><math><mrow><mo>±</mo></mrow></math></span> 0.01, showing consistent self-organization. However, in the next ten-years, <span><math><mrow><mi>J</mi></mrow></math></span> was relatively constant whereas <span><math><mrow><mi>σ</mi></mrow></math></span> increased, leading to a decline in <span><math><mrow><mo>|</mo><mrow><mi>J</mi><mo>/</mo><mi>σ</mi></mrow><mo>|</mo></mrow></math></span>. This decline may result from the response of the old-growth forest to increased incoming radiation due to decreased precipitation. Notably, the decline in self-organizing capacity coincided with reduced tree species diversity (composition), increased deadwood (structure), and a shift to a carbon source (function) – all indicating degradation of ecosystem integrity consistently. These findings suggest that this holistic metric can serve as a complementary indicator of ecosystem integrity, alongside structural, functional, and compositional metrics for more integrative evaluation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 100839"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144996114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}