scholarly journals Ecosystem Services Monitoring in the Muthurajawela Marsh and Negombo Lagoon, Sri Lanka, for Sustainable Landscape Planning

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 11463
Author(s):  
Darshana Athukorala ◽  
Ronald C. Estoque ◽  
Yuji Murayama ◽  
Bunkei Matsushita
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Landscape Planning ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Metropolitan Region ◽  
Wetland Ecosystems ◽  
Ecological Protection ◽  
Urban Wetland ◽  
Business As Usual ◽  
Sustainable Landscape

In this study, we examined the impacts of urbanization on the natural landscape and ecosystem services of the Muthurajawela Marsh and Negombo Lagoon (MMNL) located in the Colombo Metropolitan Region, Sri Lanka, with the goal to help inform sustainable landscape and urban planning. The MMNL is an important urban wetland ecosystem in the country but has been under the immense pressure of urbanization where the natural cover (e.g., marshland and mangrove areas) is continuously being converted to urban use (e.g., residential and commercial). Here, we estimated and assessed the changes in the ecosystem service value (ESV) of the MMNL based on land use/cover (LUC) changes over the past two decades (1997–2017). Considering two plausible scenarios, namely a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario and ecological protection (EP) scenario, and using a spatially explicit land change model, we simulated the future (2030) LUC changes in the area and estimated the potential consequent future changes in the ESV of the MMNL. The results revealed that from 1997 to 2017, the ESV of the MMNL decreased by USD 8.96 million/year (LKR 1642 million/year), or about 33%, primarily due to the loss of mangrove and marshland from urban expansion. Under a BAU scenario, by 2030, it would continue to decrease by USD 6.01 million/year (LKR 1101 million/year), or about 34%. Under an EP scenario, the projected decrease would be lower at USD 4.79 million/year (LKR 878 million/year), or about 27%. Among the ecosystem services of the MMNL that have been, and would be, affected the most are flood attenuation, industrial wastewater treatment, agriculture production, and support to downstream fisheries (fish breeding and nursery). Overall, between the two scenarios, the EP scenario is the more desirable for the sustainability of the MMNL. It can help flatten its curve of continuous ecological degradation; hence, it should be considered by local government planners and decision-makers. In general, the approach employed is adaptable and applicable to other urban wetland ecosystems in the country and the rest of the world.

scholarly journals Impacts of Urbanization on the Muthurajawela Marsh and Negombo Lagoon, Sri Lanka: Implications for Landscape Planning towards a Sustainable Urban Wetland Ecosystem

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 316
Author(s):  
Darshana Athukorala ◽  
Ronald C. Estoque ◽  
Yuji Murayama ◽  
Bunkei Matsushita
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Landscape Planning ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Remote Sensing Data ◽  
Landscape Fragmentation ◽  
Landscape Composition ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Wetland Ecosystems ◽  
Urban Wetland

Urban wetland ecosystems (UWEs) play important social and ecological roles but are often adversely affected by urban landscape transformations. Spatio-temporal analyses to gain insights into the trajectories of landscape changes in these ecosystems are needed for better landscape planning towards sustainable UWEs. In this study, we examined the impacts of urbanization on the Muthurajawela Marsh and Negombo Lagoon (MMNL), an important UWE in Sri Lanka that provides valuable ecosystem services. We used remote sensing data to detect changes in the land use/cover (LUC) of the MMNL over a two-decade period (1997–2017) and spatial metrics to characterize changes in landscape composition and configuration. The results revealed that the spatial and socio-economic elements of rapid urbanization of the MMNL had been the main driver of transformation of its natural environment over the past 20 years. This is indicated by a substantial expansion of settlements (+68%) and a considerable decrease of marshland and mangrove cover (−41% and −21%, respectively). A statistical analysis revealed a significant relationship between the change in population density and the loss of wetland due to settlement expansion at the Grama Niladhari division level (n = 99) (where wetland includes marshland, mangrove, and water) (1997–2007: R2 = 0.435, p = 0.000; 2007–2017: R2 = 0.343, p = 0.000). The findings also revealed that most of the observed LUC changes occurred in areas close to roads and growth nodes (viz. Negombo, Ja-Ela, Wattala, and Katana), which resulted in both landscape fragmentation and infill urban expansion. We conclude that, in order to ensure the sustainability of the MMNL, there is an urgent need for forward-looking landscape and urban planning to promote environmentally conscious urban development in the area which is a highly valuable UWE.

scholarly journals Exploring Spatially Non-Stationary and Scale-Dependent Responses of Ecosystem Services to Urbanization in Wuhan, China

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 2989
Author(s):  
Yan Zhang ◽  
Yanfang Liu ◽  
Jiawei Pan ◽  
Yang Zhang ◽  
Dianfeng Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Landscape Planning ◽  
Scale Effects ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Parameter Estimates ◽  
Ordinary Least Square ◽  
Ecological Protection ◽  
Grain Productivity ◽  
Spatially Varying

Ecosystem services (ESs) are facing challenges from urbanization processes globally. Exploring how ESs respond to urbanization provides valuable information for ecological protection and urban landscape planning. Previous studies mainly focused on the global and single-scaled responses of ESs but ignored the spatially heterogenous and scale-dependent characteristics of these responses. This study chose Wuhan City in China as the study area to explore the spatially varying and scale-dependent responses of ESs, i.e., grain productivity, carbon sequestration, biodiversity potential and erosion prevention, to urbanization using geographically weighted regression (GWR). The results showed that the responses of ESs were spatially nonstationary evidenced by a set of local parameter estimates in GWR models, and scale-dependent indicated by two kinds of scale effects: effect of different bandwidths and effect of grid scales. The stationary index of GWR declined rapidly as the bandwidth increased until reaching to a distance threshold. Moreover, GWR outperformed ordinary least square at both grid scales (i.e., 5 km and 10 km scales) and behaved better at finer scale. The spatially non-stationary and scale-dependent responses of ESs to urbanization are expected to provide beneficial guidance for ecologically friendly urban planning.

scholarly journals Assessing the Impacts of Urban Expansion on Bundles of Ecosystem Services by Dmsp-Ols Nighttime Light Data

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 5888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yangyang Gu ◽  
Xuning Qiao ◽  
Mengjia Xu ◽  
Changxin Zou ◽  
Dong Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Primary Productivity ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Net Primary Productivity ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Forest Recreation ◽  
Ecological Protection ◽  
Expansion Level ◽  
Flood Regulation ◽  
The Impact

Urban expansion poses severe threats to ecosystems. It is therefore important we better understand the impact of different urban expansion level on ecosystems for developing regionally differentiated ecological protection policies. Here, we proposed a conceptual framework to describe the impacts of urbanization on bundles of ecosystem services. Referred to as the concept of land use degree by nighttime light data, we put forward and verified an urban expansion level model. According to this model, study area was divided into a slow increase zone, increase zone, and rapid increase zone. Then, taking Taihu Lake Basin in China as a case, we used Zonal-statistics and Pearson correlation coefficients to reveal the impact in different zones of urban expansion level on multiple ecosystem services: crop production, freshwater supply, aquatic production, net primary productivity, soil conservation, water retention, flood regulation, and forest recreation index. Our results revealed that urban expansion levels significantly impacted all ecosystem services. In either increase zone or rapid increase zone, we found lowered values of crop production, net primary productivity, soil conservation, water retention, and flood regulation, while both aquatic production and forest recreation index increased in all zones from 1990 to 2010. Across the levels of urbanization, urban expansion level was always negatively correlated with provisioning services. This result suggests local governors should improve crop production per unit area and increase the cultivated land area to guarantee food security. In addition, urban expansion level had positive correlations with the trade-offs between flood regulation and forest recreation index, and those among crop production, freshwater supply, and net primary productivity. Therefore, policy-makers should effectively maintain the land use balance among ecological protection, agriculture development, and urban expansion to better coordinate relationships between development and protection. In acquiring quantitative knowledge of how urban expansion level drives ecosystem changes, our findings may help guide future sustainable urban planning with respect to ecosystem services, urban development, and human welfare benefits.

scholarly journals Quantifying the Spatial Integration Patterns of Urban Agglomerations along an Inter-City Gradient

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 5000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiliang Wan ◽  
Chuxiong Deng ◽  
Tao Wu ◽  
Rui Jin ◽  
Pengfei Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Landscape Planning ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Landscape Composition ◽  
Urban Agglomeration ◽  
Metropolitan Region ◽  
Sustainable Urban Development ◽  
Spatial Integration ◽  
Urban Agglomerations ◽  
Urban Rural

Understanding the integration process of urban agglomeration is essential for sustainable regional development and urban planning. However, few studies have analyzed the spatial integration patterns of metropolitan regions according to the impacts of landscape ecology along rail transit corridors. This study performed a comprehensive inter-city gradient analysis using landscape metrics and radar charts in order to determine the integration characteristics of an urban agglomeration. Specifically, we analyzed the evolution of spatial heterogeneity and functional landscapes along gradient transects in the Changsha–Zhuzhou–Xiangtan (CZT) metropolitan region during the period of 1995–2015. Four landscape functional zones (urban center, urban area, urban–rural fringe, and green core) were identified based on a cluster analysis of landscape composition, connectivity, and fragmentation. The landscape metric NP/LPI (number of patches/largest patch index) was proposed to identify the urban–rural fringe, which revealed that the CZT region exhibited a more aggregated form, characterized by a single-core, continuous development, and the compression of green space. The integration of cities has resulted in continued compression and fragmentation of ecological space. Therefore, strategies for controlling urban expansion should be adopted for sustainable urban development. The proposed method can be used to quantify the integration characteristics of urban agglomerations, providing scientific support for urban landscape planning.

scholarly journals Assessment of Environmental Water Security of an Asian Deltaic Megacity and Its Peri-Urban Wetland Areas

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2772
Author(s):  
Subham Mukherjee ◽  
Pradip Kumar Sikdar ◽  
Sukdeb Pal ◽  
Brigitta Schütt
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Urban Water ◽  
Urban Wetlands ◽  
Ambient Water ◽  
Monsoon Period ◽  
Urban Wetland

Achieving urban water security requires sustaining the trade-offs between the exploitation of water/environmental resources and ecosystem services. This achievement not only reduces the pollution and contamination in the environment, level of water stress, but also secures good ambient water quality and future for people’s well-being and livelihoods. Changes in land use and land cover and growth of impervious structures can immediately generate severe ecological and social issues and increase the level of natural or manmade risks, affecting the condition of ecosystem services within and in the vicinity of an urban region. As a result of these transformations and further exploitation, due to the growing anthropogenic pressure, surface water and groundwater quality can be deteriorated compared to ambient water quality standards (for both chemical and biological pollutants). Based on land use and land cover (LULC) data retrieved from remote sensing interpretation, we computed the changes of the ecosystem service values (ESV) associated with the LULC dynamics, water quality and, finally, urban water security during the pre- and post-monsoon periods of 2009, 2014 and 2019 in Kolkata, an Asian deltaic megacity, and its peri-urban wetlands named East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW). The area under wetlands reduced comprehensively in 2009–2019 due to the conversion of wetlands into various other classes such as urban settlement, etc. The quality of surface water bodies (such as rivers, lakes, canals and inland wetlands) deteriorated. The groundwater quality is still under control, but the presence of arsenic, manganese and other metals are a clear indication of urban expansion and related activities in the area. As a result, there was a change in the ESV during this timeframe. In the pre-monsoon period, there was an increase in total ESV from US$53.14 million in 2009 to US$53.36 million and US$59.01 million in 2014 and 2019, respectively. In the post-monsoon period, the ESV decreased from US$67.42 million in 2009 to US$64.13 and US$61.89 million in 2014 and 2019, respectively. These changes can be attributed to the peri-urban wetlands and the benefits or services arising out of them that contribute more than 50% of the total ESV. This study found that the area under wetlands has reduced comprehensively in the past 10 years due to the conversion of wetlands for various other uses such as urban expansion of the Kolkata City, but still, this peri-urban wetland supports the urban water security by providing sufficient ecosystem services. In conclusion, the transformation in extent of the water-related ecosystem is a crucial indicator of urban water security, which also measures the quantity of water contained in various water-related ecosystems. Quantitative analysis of the LULC change, hence, is important for studying the corresponding impact on the ecosystem service value (ESV) and water quality that helps in decision-making in securing urban water future and ecosystem conservation.

scholarly journals Analysis on Ecological Protection of Urban Wetland

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pengfei Ye ◽  
Xiaoying Hao ◽  
Yifei Cao
Keyword(s):  
Social Service ◽  
Evaluation System ◽  
Wetland Area ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Wetland Ecosystems ◽  
Ecological Protection ◽  
Mode Of Operation ◽  
Urban Wetland ◽  
Original Species ◽  
The City

ABSTRACT Urban wetland is an important ecological infrastructure of the city, which is an important natural system that depends on the sustainable development of the city. It has many ecological and social service functions. Urban wetland ecosystems are currently facing serious pollution, wetland area is reduced, biodiversity is seriously damaged, biological invasion led to the disappearance of the original species and other issues, for these issues proposed to create wetland parks, the establishment of nature reserves, the use of bioremediation of wetlands, Effective wetland information and evaluation system, strengthen legislation enforcement, regulate eco-tourism, strengthen international cooperation, change the mode of operation and other effective measures to restore and protect.

scholarly journals Valuing Ecosystem Services for Sustainable Landscape Planning in Alpine Regions

2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrienne Grêt-Regamey ◽  
Ariane Walz ◽  
Peter Bebi
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Landscape Planning ◽  
Alpine Regions ◽  
Sustainable Landscape

scholarly journals An Overview of Ecosystem Service Studies in a Tropical Biodiversity Hotspot, Sri Lanka: Key Perspectives for Future Research

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 540
Author(s):  
Chaya Sarathchandra ◽  
Yirga Alemu Abebe ◽  
Iresha Lakmali Wijerathne ◽  
Sasith Tharanga Aluthwattha ◽  
Sriyani Wickramasinghe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Ecosystem Service ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Species Introduction ◽  
Related Research ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Service Category ◽  
Tropical Biodiversity ◽  
Published Evidence

Tropical island countries are often highly populated and deliver immense ecosystem service benefits. As human wellbeing depends on these ecosystems, proper management is crucial in the resource-rich tropical lands where there is less related research. Though ecosystem service and biodiversity studies are a promising path to inform the ecosystem management for these mostly developing countries, published evidence of using ecosystem service studies in decision making is lacking. The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of ecosystem services and related research in Sri Lanka, examining trends and gaps in how these studies are conceptualized. Out of the considered 220 peer-reviewed articles, the majority of articles (48.2%) were terrestrial and forest related while coastal ecosystems were considered in 33.2% of studies. In most studies, the ecosystem service category studied was provisioning (31.5%) followed by regulatory service (28.7%). Studies investigating and quantifying ecosystem services, pressures on ecosystems, and their management were fewer compared to studies related to biodiversity or species introduction. Moreover, studies investigating the value of ecosystem services and biodiversity to the communities or involvement of stakeholders in the development of management actions regarding the ecosystem services were rare in Sri Lanka, and an intense focus from future studies in these aspects is timely and necessary.

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