Journal of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Management

Mapping the salinity status of agricultural soils between Kırıkhan-Kumlu in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey with Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Kübra Gürler — 2024-02-26

In this study, it was aimed to determine the salinity status of agricultural soils between Kırıkhan-Kumlu in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey by mapping with Geographic Information Systems (GIS). For this purpose, a total of 60 soil samples were taken from 0–20 and 20–40 cm depths and from 30 different points to represent the agricultural soils of Kırıkhan-Kumlu region in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey. In the soil samples, pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and exchangeable cation (ECC) values were determined to determine some soil properties. Total salt, salinity class, sodium adsorption rate (SAR), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) and soluble cations (Na, Ca and Mg) were determined to determine the salinity status of the soils.
According to the results of the research; as a result of the analysis carried out to determine the salinity status of the soils; pH values were determined between 6.91–7.98; total salt content between 0.02–0.13%; SAR values between 0.023–0.044 me/100 gr; ESP values between 0.35–2.96%; soluble Na content between 0.019–0.034 me/100 gr; soluble Ca content between 0.018–0.245 me/100 gr and soluble Mg content between 0.037–0.113 me/100 gr. In addition, by applying the ESP-SAR regression relationship of the soils, it was revealed that the soils tended to alkalize towards the lower layers. The salinity values obtained as a result of the study were transferred to the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) environment and interpolated by Kriging method and a salinity map of the study area was created. In conclusion, as a result of the research conducted in the soils of the study area in the Eastern Mediterranean region, it was determined that all of the agricultural soils of Kırıkhan-Kumlu region were classified as non-saline and that the soils did not have any problems in terms of salinity.

A polypropylene-degrading Psychrobacillus strain isolated from a landfill

Yunhan Li — 2024-02-29

Polypropylene (PP) is one of the most widely used plastics around the world. However, PP is recalcitrant to degradation under natural conditions, and its accumulation is increasingly threatening the environment. The stain LICME-ZWZR-10 was isolated from a landfill using PP as its sole carbon source. It was found to share 99.50% genetic similarity with Psychrobacillus sp. AK 1817. Upon incubation with Psychrobacillus sp. LICME-ZWZR-10, PP particles developed a rough surface with depressions and cracks, which were discerned through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). At a moderate temperature of 20 °C, this strain successfully degraded PP particles with an average diameter of 850 μm, leading to a 9±0.40% reduction in particle weight over a span of 30 days. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) released the emergence of carbonyl and ether-based functional groups on PP. Furthermore, genomic analysis unveiled the presence of a laccase-encoding gene in Psychrobacillus sp. LICME-ZWZR-10, suggesting its potential involvement in the biodegradation of PP.

Understanding the dynamics of urban heat island as a function of development regulations

Vandana Srivastava — 2024-03-04

This study is the first-ever attempt to relate the tools of development control like Floor Space Index (FSI/FAR), ground area covered by building footprints (BFs), and proportions/configurations of open areas, with their impact on the surface urban heat island (SUHI) which modulates the air temperatures. In the case of the Indian megacity Mumbai, statistical analysis of the land surface temperatures (LST) and its correlation with the selected development indicators, reveals that for an FSI increase of 1.0 to 1.8 the SUHI is found to be–2.5 °C less and when BFs reduced from 90% to 42% SUHI was also reduced by –2.5 °C. Highrise development with a large plot size is desirable whereas low-rise development with FSI 1.0 on small plot sizes exhibits the highest SUHI. Open spaces without vegetation do not reduce SUHI. The correlation of development regulations with SUHI intensity will help urban planners to make more informed decisions.

The assessment of scenic attractiveness on coastal ways: a case study of Persembe-Bolaman (Ordu-Turkey)

Pervin Yesil — 2024-03-06

The biophysical characteristics of the areas that can be seen while travelling on motorways have an impact on the perception of the landscape. Highways provide diverse landscape experiences to travellers according to their natural and cultural qualities. Especially coastal ways that combine with nature and the sea have a high potential for scenic attractiveness. This study aims to analyse the scenic attractiveness of coastal ways using GIS and RS techniques. Persembe-Bolaman coastal way in the Black Sea Region of Turkey was selected as a case study. Three road features and seven viewshed features that are assumed to affect landscape attractiveness on the Persembe-Bolaman coastal road were selected. The data set of these features was categorised into three clusters by k-means clustering, one of the unsupervised learning algorithms. The most attractive cluster in terms of scenic attractiveness was selected by determining the characteristics of the clusters. In conclusion, it was found that the scenic attractiveness was the highest in Cluster-1, which corresponds to 46.3% of the selected route.

Evaluating the performance of machine learning approaches in predicting Albanian Shkumbini River's waters using water quality index model

Lule Basha — 2024-03-06

A common technique for assessing the overall water quality state of surface water and groundwater systems globally is the water quality index (WQI) method. The aim of the research is to use four machine learning classifier algorithms: Gradient boosting, Naive Bayes, Random Forest, and K-Nearest Neighbour to determine which model was most effective at forecasting the various water quality index and classes of the Albanian Shkumbini River. The analysis was performed on the data collected during a 4-year period, in six monitoring points, for nine parameters.
The predictive accuracy of the models, XGBoost, Random Forest, K-Nearest Neighbour, and Naive Bayes, was determined to be 98.61%, 94.44%, 91.22%, and 94.45%, respectively. Notably, the XGBoost algorithm demonstrated superior performance in terms of F1 score, sensitivity, and prediction accuracy, the lowest errors during both learning (RMSE = 2.1, MSE = 9.8, MAE = 1.13) and evaluating (RMSE = 0.0, MSE = 0.01, MAE = 0.01) stages. The findings highlighted that Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), Bicarbonate (HCO3), and Total Phosphor had the most positive impact on the Shkumbini River’s water quality. Additionally, a statistically significant, strong positive correlation (r = 0.85) was identified between BOD and WQI, emphasizing its crucial role in influencing water quality in the Shkumbini River.

Green space exposure’s influence on mental well-being during COVID-19 campus lockdowns: a satisfaction mediating pathway

Shaoyou Zhou — 2024-03-12

Recent research indicates that exposure to green space may have positive effects on the mental health of students, potentially mediated by factors such as environmental satisfaction and social cohesion. However, the specific impact of green space exposure on students’ mental health during the COVID-19 campus lockdowns unexplored. To investigate this relationship, a survey was conducted via social media among 346 current students residing on a locked-down campus, assessing their mental well-being, green space satisfaction, social environment satisfaction, subjective exposure and objective exposure to green space. A structural equation model (SEM) was employed to examine the relationships among various dimensions of green space exposure, satisfaction and students’ mental well-being. The findings indicate that subjective exposure to green space has a positive impact on mental well-being and indirectly through social environment satisfaction. Additionally, objective exposure could indirectly influence mental well-being through green space satisfaction and social environment satisfaction.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis of Viola baoshanensis at Baoshan Pb/Zn mine in China

Weiliang Zhong — 2024-03-20

Despite great potential for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in restoration of heavy metals (HMs) polluted lands, limited information is available about the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis of naturally-occurring hyperaccumulators. A preliminary survey was conducted to investigate the AM symbiosis of Viola baoshanensis, a Cadmium (Cd) hyperaccumulator, growing at an abandoned mine. Shoot/root ratios of 1.78 for Cd, and 2.57 for zinc (Zn) indicate that these two metals were preferentially transported from roots to shoots, whereas the ratio of 0.32 for lead (Pb) shows that most Pb was stored in roots. High level of colonization was found in the roots of V. baoshanensis with relative mycorrhizal root length of 69.1%, relative arbuscular richness of 46.9% and relative vesicular richness of 1.7%. Fifteen AMF species were identified from the root zone soil of V. baoshanensis. The dominant AMF genus was Glomus, and the most abundant species were Glomus ambisporum and Claroideglomus etunicatum.

Measuring tourists’ visual perception of gardens around Taihu Lake Rim area based on multi-source data

Wenjie Liu — 2024-03-26

Tourists’ visual preferences are of paramount importance for the local garden environment assessment. However, the diversity of garden elements presents challenges in achieving uniform assessments. This study focuses on 65 modern gardens around Taihu Lake (太湖), utilizing image semantic segmentation and the Semantic Differential (SD) method to evaluate tourists’ visual perceptions, identifying 16 perceptual indicators associated with garden elements. The research findings indicate the following: (1) Modern gardens in different cities (Wuxi, Suzhou, Huzhou) offer distinct visual experiences to tourists. (2) Through quantitative analysis of garden elements and tourists’ visual perceptions, it is revealed that middle and high-rise vegetation, hydrology, architecture, and sketch elements enhance visual aesthetics, while main road and low-rise vegetation elements result in less pronounced perceptions. This study quantitatively explores the complexities in evaluating garden aesthetics and serves as a bridge between qualitative and quantitative aspects for future garden environmental impact assessments.

Effects of sludge pellet mulch on soil physicochemical properties and soil enzyme activities

Qian Mo — 2024-04-17

The drinking-water treatment sludge (DWTS) possesses intricate characteristics, which restrict its broad applicability. To tackle this issue, we employed DWTS obtained from the Minhang District of Shanghai as the primary constituent, blending it with a low-alkaline curing material to produce pelletized mulch. This investigation primarily focuses on evaluating the environmental safety of sludge pellet mulch (SPM) and scrutinizing alterations in soil physicochemical properties at various mulch thicknesses. The outcomes affirm the durability of SPM and the compliance of eight heavy metals with prescribed standards concerning their concentration, pH, and EC values. After applying SPM, noteworthy enhancements were observed in soil moisture, organic matter content, available nutrients, and the activity of four enzymes. Furthermore, a reduction in soil temperature was observed. For urban landscape mulching, SPM within the range of 9.6–28.8 kg/m² emerged as the preferred choice, yielding the most favorable overall soil quality improvements.