Rusong Wang

A pilot ecological engineering project for municipal solid waste reduction, disinfection, regeneration and industrialization in Guanghan City, China

A pilot ecological engineering project for municipal solid waste (MSW) recycling in Guanghan City of China is introduced. It aims to reduce, disinfect, regenerate, industrialize and systematize MSW through combining hardware (technological innovation for MSW treatment facilities), software (institutional reform to divert the government responsibility to citizen-enterprise-government sharing responsibility) and mindware (inducing ecologically compatible behavior). The MSW recycling machinery, disinfecting techniques, integrated composting techniques, and organic and inorganic complex fertilizers, and the integrated management of MSW recycling developed in this project have significant ecological and economic benefits.

Integrating hardware, software and mindware for sustainable ecosystem development: Principles and methods of ecological engineering in China

Abstract Grounded in human ecological philosophy, ecological engineering in China seeks to find an alternative way to realize sustainable development at ecosystem level through total metabolism of resources, systematic coupling of technologies and cultivation of peoples behavior. Here the key is integration of ‘hardware’, ‘software’ and ‘mindware’. Eight design principles of ecological engineering based on eco-cybernetics are discussed, which fall into three categories: competition, symbiosis and self-reliance. The fundamental tasks of ecological engineering are to develop a sustainable ecosystem through the integrative planning of its structure, function and processes by encouraging totally functioning technology, systematically responsible institutions and ecologically vivid culture. A campaign of ecological engineering development in China is introduced, including 29 national comprehensive experimental communities for sustainable development, 51 pilot studies of eco-county development, and 100 ecological demonstration districts. Some fruitful theoretical and applied results have been gained and the case of Dafeng eco-county development is introduced.

Urban forest in China: Development patterns, influencing factors and research prospects

Urban forest is a very important part of urban ecosystems and provides significant ecosystem services. It benefits urban communities environmentally, aesthetically, recreationally and economically. This article reviews the development status, development patterns and influencing factors of urban forest in China. There are four typical development patterns of urban forest in China: the forest city, garden city, ecological economics and forest greenbelt. Social, climatic, economic and other factors influence urban forest development in China. Social factors include government behaviour, laws and regulations, science and technology, education and culture, public awareness and participation, ecological planning and management. Climatic factors include rainfall, temperature and sunlight. Economic factors include urban economic level and funding for urban forest. In future, government, NGOs and the private sector should be considered more in the planning and management of urban forest. The social, climatic and economic factors should be taken into account when improving urban forest management. Research on urban forest from the academic and the management viewpoint should be strengthened. This can improve the development and management of urban forest in China and in other developing countries.

A GIS-based moving window analysis of landscape pattern in the Beijing metropolitan area, China

Quantifying landscape pattern and its change is essential for monitoring and assessment of ecological consequences of urbanization. Using the GIS-based land-use data for 2002, we combined moving window analysis along an urban-rural gradient and around the urban centre with landscape metrics to quantify the spatial pattern of urbanization in Beijing. The results of moving window analysis along the urban-rural gradient indicated that, for class-level metrics, the spatial pattern of urbanization could be quantified using landscape metrics, different land-use types exhibited distinctive spatial signatures, and, for landscape-level metrics, the increase in urbanization in the metropolitan Beijing region has resulted in dramatic increases in patch density (PD), edge density (ED), and patch and landscape shape complexity, and sharp decreases in the largest and mean patch size (MPS), agriculture land-use type, and landscape connectivity. The results of moving window analysis around the urban centre showed that the direction of urbanization could be quantified using the class-level metrics, and landscape-level metrics indicated similar results to gradient analysis. In general, moving window analysis showed that the increasingly urbanized landscape became compositionally more diverse, geometrically more complex, and ecologically more fragmented.

Evidence for the lattice-mismatch-stress-field induced flux pinning in (Gd1 − xYx)BA2Cu3O7 − σ thin films

Abstract By partially substituting Gd with Y in GdBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 − σ thin films, the measured critical current density ( j s ) was increased, while the relaxation rate ( S ) was clearly lowered, which was attributed to the presence of extra pinning centers. The temperature dependence of the true critical current density j c ( T ) and the pinning potential U c ( T ) were determined from the experimental data both for the pure and the substituted thin films by means of a generalized inversion scheme (GIS). It is found that the experimental results for the pure film are close to the predictions of the σl pinning model, while those for the substituted thin film follow the theoretical expressions derived for the single-vortex collectively pinned by the small size stress-field pinning centers, which may suggest that the enhanced pinning in the substituted sample is probably due to the presence of a local stress field induced by the lattice mismatch.

Exploring eco-construction for local sustainability: an eco-village case study in China

Abstract Eco-construction refers to the application of ecological principles to the development of human ecosystems in order to achieve sustainability. It consists of three components: ecological engineering, ecological institutional reestablishment and ecological cultural remolding. Since 1980, a vigorous campaign for demonstrating eco-construction has appeared in China and many ecopolis, eco-counties, eco-villages as well as eco-families have sprung up all over the country. Among such examples is a demonstrative project ‘The Construction of Grand Shandu Eco-Village System (GSES)’ in Jiande city of Zhejiang Province, which was launched in 1988. The construction of GSES includes the following crucial actions: (1) implementing ecological engineering in environmental protection and the comprehensive utilization of local resources; (2) planning and designing village development ecologically; (3) establishing social institutions to manage man–environment relations; (4) remaking local culture in its dimensions of behavior, i.e. psychology, intelligence and consiousness. The practice of GSES presents a successful case study for achieving village-level sustainability in China.

Environment consumption patterns of Chinese urban households and their policy implications

In the last two decades, sustainable consumption has become one of the most important issues in global sustainable development. Rapid economic development in China has greatly improved peoples living standards, but has also seriously damaged the environment. In this paper, material flow analysis and life-cycle assessment methods were used to analyze environmental consumption patterns of Chinese urban households. Results show that the total household environmental impact (HEI) increased nearly four fold, increasing from 1.85 in the environmental potential index (EPI) in 1985 to 6.40 EPI in 2000. In 1985 and 1990, more than 80% of HEI came from food and housing consumption behaviors. In 2000, transport and housing consumption behaviors have become the main sources of HEI. Climate, economic development, household income, family size, and urbanization rate are main driving forces of household environmental impacts. The increasing consumption demand in the next two decades and its environmental implications are discussed in the last part of this paper.

A qualitative network model for understanding regional metabolism in the context of Social-Economic-Natural Complex Ecosystem theory

Abstract In Social–Economic–Natural Complex Ecosystem (SENCE) theory, regional metabolism is seen as an integral part of a complex network of interconnected natural, economic and societal subsystems. Analyzing regional metabolism within this network assists observers to understand the concept in a broader context. Some qualitative tools such as simple matrix operations have been adopted to explore such networks but related research is highly fragmented. Here the emphasis is put on a qualitative network model (QNM) that integrates the existing tools into a unified analytical framework. The tools in the QNM are organized into three levels: (1) dominance analysis focuses on how to measure the performance of each component of a network; (2) consistency analysis is used to test whether the interactions between network components are contradictory to the desired development direction for regional metabolism; and (3) sustainability analysis returns three sustainability benchmarks for regional metabolism. With the aid of these tools, QNM can comprehensively explore such networks from multiple perspectives. To test the QNM construct, we conducted a case study on the regional metabolism of bio-fuels from locally grown plant crops, a hotspot in regional environmental research. In the case study we screened key components for inconsistent variables, identified the relationships between components, and rated the sustainability of the regional bio-fuel metabolism system suggested by the model. This study demonstrated that our research approach can inform bio-fuel policy making. The QNM is helpful in the understanding of regional metabolism in the broader context of SENCE theory and may be used to improve regional environmental management and policy-making.

Comprehensive urban planning and management at multiple scales based on ecological principles: a case study in Beijing, China

SUMMARY Rapid urbanisation and serious environmental problems have led people worldwide to realise the significance of urban planning and management towards a sustainable environment. Beijing was used as a case study to develop a framework and strategies for sustainable development using ecological principles. At the regional level, Beijing-Tianjin agglomeration and Hebei Province are considered together. At the Beijing administrative level, some important measures are put forward for revision of the Beijing Urban Master Plan. At the Beijing plain level, the future spatial structure of Beijing city and the relationship between settlements, green space and transportation are considered, and three basic development patterns are proposed. At the inner district level, the ecological corridor system is suggested, based on ecosystem services. At the selected area level, a comprehensive strategy and key measures for conservation and renewal of old Beijing city core are provided. Once strategies for Beijing urban development are implemented step-by-step, a vision for future development can be achieved. This paper provides considerations for improvement of urban planning and management in China and other countries.

The nature of the relaxation of resistivity in high-Tc superconductors

Abstract The relaxation of resistivity (Rff(t) in high-Tc is discussed both experimentally and theoretically. The two-kind-of-flux-creep model is proposed. The flux related to the irreversible magnetization part is defined as relaxation flux, which may creep under the Lorentz force of an average transport current density Jt and cause a time-dependent resistivity. The creep of conventional flux under the Lorentz force of Jt causes a time-independent resistivity. A general formula of Rff(t) is obtained. A specific Rff(t) formula is derived from the general one, using the logarithmic U-J relation, which describes quantitatively the experimental data well. Experiments support the proposed model.