Description: For high-density urban environments, improving local landscapes can effectively ameliorate the thermal environment. With the aim of assessing the effect of landscape characteristics on thermal performance in open spaces of residential areas, we took field measurements using mobile traverses in 18 residential areas of Beijing, China during the daytime in summer (June–August 2014) and winter (December 2014–February 2015). The net differences (d) of air (dATs) and radiation temperature (dRTs) between residential and nearby corresponding urban open environments, regarded as indicators of the thermoregulation of the 18 residential areas, were calculated. The effects and relative contributions of different landscape characteristics to the indicators were further investigated. Within residential areas, there were overall lower ATs and RTs compared with the control sites in open urban environments. The maximum and minimum dAT and dRT ranged from 0.53 to 6.14 °C and 3.16 to 8.65 °C in summer, and from −0.50 to 1.25 °C and −0.84 to 4.01 °C in winter, respectively. The net dATs and dRTs were significantly different among the 18 residential areas. An increasing percentage of vegetation cover and arbor-shrub planting density and decreasing percentage of pavement area, percentage of building cover and distance to downtown had varying degrees of favorable effects on dAT and dRT. In contrast, average building height had a slight seasonally opposite regulating impact. Compared with dAT, the net dRT is more sensitive to changes in landscape characteristics. The relative contribution of different landscape parameters to explaining the differences in the two types of temperature differed and varied by season. The percentages of pavement area and vegetation cover played the most important roles in summer and winter. If appropriately combined, local landscape characteristics could effectively ameliorate local thermal environments.

Description: Anthropization of forest landscapes is a major threat to ecosystems and biodiversity. To gather comprehensive information on anthropization dynamics in forest landscapes, fine-scale surveys of deforestation are required, coupled with detailed analysis of both spatial transformation processes and forest patch geometry. We conducted such a comprehensive study in a monospecific Uapaca bojeri (Baill.) forest of Madagascar, between 1999 and 2013. A diachronic set of four maps was produced and deforestation rates were calculated. Spatial transformation processes were described using Bogaert et al. (2004) typology. Forest patch geometry was monitored using largest patch index, mean patch size, and squared mean patch size to describe patch size dynamics, mean shape index and area weighted mean shape index to describe patch compactness, and fractal dimension analysis to describe patch outline complexity. For fractal dimension analysis, an innovative segmented regression model (Muggeo 2008 ) was used to separately quantify fractal dimensions for multiple ranges of patch sizes. Our results showed a growing anthropization of the U. bojeri forest landscape in the area, through a strong yet decelerating deforestation (from − 59.5% year −1 between 1999 and 2005 to − 2.84% year −1 between 2009 and 2013), clear forest fragmentation, and a subtle yet growing-in-scale simplification of patch geometry for small forest patches. Deforestation was artisanal in nature and, in 2013, large patches were withdrawing to less accessible topographic features. Our results forecast a medium-term loss of resilience of the U. bojeri forest in the area, if no direct forest conservation measures are taken.

Description: Grassland restoration is a key measure for re-establishing damaged floral communities. As seed banks are often degraded, methods are needed to overcome dispersal limitation of the remnant vegetation. One approach is to vacuum harvest seeds from donor sites. While this is a cost-effective method, individual species’ traits describing reproduction methods and dispersal mechanisms may affect the success with which seeds are collected and subsequently germinate. We collected seeds using low-cost vacuum harvesters in species-rich meadows in Poland. We predicted the relative success with which seedlings emerged from this collected material with respect to their percentage cover in the donor sites on the basis of individual species’ functional traits. Prolific species that rely on seed as opposed to vegetative reproduction, and those that germinate in late summer/autumn, exhibited the highest level of emergence. To a lesser extent, drought-tolerant or shade-intolerant species were well represented in the collected material. There was also weak evidence that wind-dispersed seeds would have a higher likelihood of being collected by this method. Our results suggest that vacuum harvesting is a valuable method to collect seeds for use in grassland restoration; however, it has limitations. In particular, additional methods may be needed to introduce into grassland restoration sites the propagules of species that vegetatively reproduce or seed early. The overrepresentation of species that produce large numbers of seed may potentially introduce priority effects that could also have unintended long-term implications for the structure of the floral community.

Description: The total radioactive Cs concentration in final-instar Stenopsyche marmorata larvae from the Mano River, Fukushima Prefecture, in 2013 was found to be 〉1000 Bq kg −1 in dry weight. The concentration of radioactive Cs in the river water itself was on the order of 0.01 Bq kg −1 , while its concentration in drifting fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) was on the order of 10,000 Bq kg −1 in dry weight. When excretion experiments were performed in the summer and winter, significant decreases in the Cs concentrations in the whole body of S. marmorata were observed in both seasons. The biological half-life of Cs-137 was 5.3 and 8.8 h for the nonwintering generation and the wintering generation, respectively. Another elimination test using a stable Cs solution was performed, and the Cs concentration was observed to decrease rapidly to 7.5% of its original level in the digestive tract of S. marmorata after 72 h, but stable Cs remained in muscle and extra-alimentary tissue of S. marmorata . As the total radioactive Cs in the water was quite low, its concentration in S. marmorata from the Mano River reflects the fact that it feeds on FPOM. The radioactive Cs concentration in the FPOM significantly declined in 2015, but a corresponding decline was not observed for S. marmorata . We therefore infer that ultrafine particulate matter such as suspended vermiculite clay is strongly contaminated with radioactive Cs, and that this radioactive Cs passes continuously through the digestive tract of S. marmorata .

Description: The “Caddisfly Watch” program proposes the use of larvae of the caddisfly genus Stenopsyche (Trichoptera: Stenopsychidae) to monitor the radioactive cesium ( 137 Cs) pollution, including that of suspended solids, in river environments, as a simple method was essential for this following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011. A variety of aquatic organisms were collected from rivers in Japan in 2012 and their levels of radioactive Cs measured. Amongst all the organisms collected, the highest concentrations of 137 Cs were observed in caddisfly larvae. These larvae occur at a high density and can be collected at regular intervals in most rivers throughout Japan. It is proposed that caddisfly larvae can be used as bioindicators of radioactive Cs contamination in rivers, as their temporal and spatial changes are easily assessed.

Description: In mountainous areas, the landscape spatial pattern is affected by topography and human activities. To better understand topographic influences on the vegetation structure in the landscape mosaic and interpret the ecological implications of spatial patterns, the relationships between topographic features and landscape pattern indices (LPIs) should be addressed. The objective of this study is to address the effects of topography on LPIs (both planimetric and surface LPIs) by integrating spatial analysis and gradient analysis. To fulfill these objectives, two different mountain research sites located in the Lancang River watershed were chosen, both planimetric and surface landscape metrics were used to quantify natural category (NC) and anthropogenic category (AC) patterns, and the redundancy ordination gradient method was used to address the relationship between LPIs (planimetric and surface metrics) of NC and AC patterns and topographic attributes. The results suggest that topographic attributes play a prominent role in structuring the landscape mosaic. Elevation is a key factor for NC and AC patch patterns in the study area. The results indicate that the fragmentation and isolation of NC patterns increase as elevation decreases. In contrast, the fragmentation and isolation of AC patterns decrease as elevation decreases.

Description: The Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred on 11 March 2011 generated a series of massive tsunami waves that caused severe damage to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, following which large amounts of radioactive materials were discharged from the power plant into the environment. Given the recently developed technologies for unmanned helicopters and their potential application in airborne radiation monitoring, we developed a radiation monitoring system for aerial use. We then used unmanned helicopters to measure the radiation level in areas with soil contaminated by radiocesium emitted from the nuclear power plant to evaluate the ambient dose rate distribution around the site. We found that in dry riverbeds downstream of the highly contaminated watershed, especially in the upstream parts, that the ambient dose rate was higher than that in protected inland areas. In addition, we carried out soil sampling in dry riverbeds. The soil sample data agreed with the results obtained from the unmanned helicopter. A possible scenario is that river sediment and adjacent soil containing radioactive materials were carried downstream due to an event such as a rise in water level caused by, e.g., a typhoon, and that these remained in the riverbed after the water drained away. The vertical profile of radiocesium in the soil and the measurements of river sediment at river mouth areas corroborated this scenario.

Description: This study examined 137 Cs detachment from needle litter of Japanese cedar ( Cryptomeria japonica ) through leaching and decomposition in a headwater stream located 45 km from Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. We placed litter bags in pools and riffles and removed them after 4, 15, 75, 150, and 240 days. The 137 Cs activity concentration in litter collected after 4 and 15 days was 48–72 % of the initial 137 Cs activity concentration in litter. The 137 Cs activity concentration in litter after 240 days in the pools decreased by 26 %, while that in litter of riffles decreased by 9 % compared with the initial 137 Cs activity concentration. The dry weight of litter became 71 and 86 % of initial weight after 75 days, and from 32 to 51 % after 150 days. The decay coefficient of litter ( k  = 0.0060) in the riffles was 1.6-fold higher than that in the pools ( k  = 0.0037). The greater decrease in litter weight with longer submergence time was possibly associated with a combination of leaching and decomposition, in particular in litter that was submerged for 100 days in the water column. The difference in the rate of decomposition and 137 Cs detachment from litter between the riffles and pools was due to the substrate and flow conditions at the litter bag sites. Examining the different patterns of 137 Cs detachment from litter among channel morphologies is necessary for comprehending the mechanisms of 137 Cs accumulation in aquatic biota. The findings of this study suggest that elucidating leaching and decomposition processes in litter of stream channels is important for understanding 137 Cs dynamics in forested headwater ecosystems.

Description: Since the 1950s, secondary (substitution) forests known as Satoyama woods have been abandoned due to changes in human lifestyle. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationships between human activity and substitution forests to better understand the traditional management required to prevent succession to evergreen forest. One objective is to identify the tree species, their number of trunks (NT), and the basal area (BA) (collectively, the stand density) in the woods today, half a century after people abandoned the substitution forests. Another goal is to compare, over a 6-year period, the figures for total NT, BA, and the number of living, dead or fallen trunks between an abandoned substitution forest (a control plot) and a mown plot. NT decreased from 700 to 600 trunks/ha on the control, and from 600 to 400 trunks/ha on the mown plot, at ground level over 6 years. The total BA increased annually on the control plot but decreased from 48 to 38 m 2 /ha on the mown plot over 6 years. Many hydrophytes ( Alnus japonica , etc.), Quercus serrata , and other trees species were found dead on the mown plots. All Quercus myrsinaefolia (evergreen trees) were still alive by the sixth year. These results demonstrate that the vegetation in these forests succeeded to Quercetum myrsinaefoliae , Tyoische Subass., which is therefore shown to be the potential vegetation of succession over this timescale. If it is desired to maintain the traditional vegetation type, the results of this study suggest that it is necessary to manage the substitution forest to prevent succession to evergreen forest, which could be achieved by cutting Pleioblastus chino , climbing plants, and shade plants (evergreen trees).

Description: Recently, the green infrastructure (GI) concept has been adopted by many cities for stormwater management even though doubt still remains as to whether it can be fully embedded into planning and design. As many researchers have stated, GI planning has been discussed as offering a number of broad benefits in ecological, economic, and social spheres. The aim of this study is to examine the benefits of GI which can be used at various ranges of scale to support the principles of low impact development (LID). Case studies of two different scales, site scale and neighborhood scale, have shown ecological, social, and economic benefits of GI. The projects include GI elements and LID strategies such as green roof, rain barrels, porous pavement, rain garden, gravel grass, vegetated swales, and retention basins. The result indicates that GI elements are effective in detaining stormwater and reducing the amount of runoff. Native prairie grasses, sedges, and plantings also improved habitat value and led to a noticeable increase in birds, bees, and butterflies. The GI project provided outdoor activities, promoted social interaction, and showed a positive effect on economic spheres as well. Quantification of these benefits is important for landscape architects, planners, and policy makers because it can provide better strategies for GI planning.