Ecological network and emergy analysis of urban metabolic systems: Model development, and a case study of four Chinese cities

Zhang, Yan; Zhang, Yang; Yu, Xiaojing

doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2009.02.001

Cited by 116 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…The indirect flow/direct flow ratio is often superior to 1 for natural ecosystems, which reflects their maturity (Zhang et al, 2009). It is also possible to perform a "network utility analysis", as proposed in 1991 by Patten (Zhang et al, 2009).…”

Section: Ecological Network Analysis (Ena)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental assessment of a territory: An overview of existing tools and methods

Loiseau

Junqua

Roux

et al. 2012

Journal of Environmental Management

164

108

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Section: Ecological Network Analysis (Ena)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental assessment of a territory: An overview of existing tools and methods

Loiseau

Junqua

Roux

et al. 2012

Journal of Environmental Management

164

108

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“…Emergetic ecological footprint also devoted to the external morphological research in terms of virtual land area [17]. Ecological network analysis provides a holistic perspective in tracing emregy flow, illustrating inner structure and interactions of studied city [18].…”

Section: Formal Causementioning

confidence: 99%

Urban Studies Based on Emergy – A Review in Perspective of Causality

Chen

2014

Energy Procedia

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With the pressing environmental problems currently facing the urbanization, urban system in view of biophysics concerning energy and materials flows and related hierarchical structure is necessary to be explored. Emergy as a type of embodied energy is therefore be employed as a powerful tool to solve urban system modeling issues. This paper aims to delineate the recent progress of urban studies based on emergy, and back-cast the threads in terms of Aristotelian causality. The applications of emergy to urban system can be thereby divided into four categories, which may provide a new lens for the urban system planning and management. IntoductionUrban system has been affected by human disturbances severely, with the contradiction of socioeconomical development and environmental conservation being aggravated for decades. The current developing path of city will determine our future in overcoming environmental challenges [1], thus needs a careful consideration of driving forces hiding behind the urban metabolism and how they are linked.As an open system, city organizes and sustains itself by exchanging diverse resource flows with surrounding environment. However, these entering inputs differ greatly in their ability to do work, in terms of the quality and quantity of energy embodied and their flexibility of use [2]. Within all kinds of resources, energy is one of the most significant and essential form flows within the urban system and

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“…It allows analysis of the structural and functional properties of the interaction webs within the system, and can potentially include all ecological components and interactions (Fath et al 2004). As a result, the approach has been widely applied to study natural ecosystems (Andras et al 2007;Baird et al 2009;Christian et al 2009;Heymans et al 2002), but has seldom been used to study socioeconomic systems (Bailey et al 2004a(Bailey et al , b, 2008Chen 2003;Li et al 2009;Zhang et al 2009), especially for urban energy metabolic systems (Zhang et al 2010;Zhao 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Ecological network analysis of an urban energy metabolic system

Zhang

2011

Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess

Self Cite

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Analysis of the structure and function of urban energy metabolic systems is an important tool to facilitate compliance with China's current energy-conservation policy. In this study, we used network throughflow analysis and network utility analysis to analyze the structure of an urban energy metabolic system and the complex relationships among its components. Using weight distributions in the network flow matrix, we determined the system structure; using the sign distribution in the network utility matrix, we determined the relationships between pairs of components. We then developed an ecological network model using Beijing in 1995Beijing in , 2000Beijing in , 2005Beijing in , and 2007 as an example of how the model can be used to understand the system's structure and function. The model's components were the energy exploitation, transformation, consumption, and recovery sectors. Network throughflow analysis revealed that the energy transformation and consumption sectors had high weights (34-45%) in all 4 years, whereas the energy recovery sector had small weights (\5%) and the energy exploitation had low to intermediate weights (which decreased from 23% in 1995 to 11% in 2007). Network utility analysis revealed that the ecological relationships between the energy transformation and exploitation sectors, the energy consumption and transformation sectors, and the energy consumption and exploitation sectors did not change, but that the ecological relationships between the energy recovery sector and other sectors changed greatly. Our analysis of Beijing's urban energy metabolic system provided guidance for optimizing the system's structure and adjusting the relationships among the sectors.

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Ecological network and emergy analysis of urban metabolic systems: Model development, and a case study of four Chinese cities

Cited by 116 publications

References 56 publications

Environmental assessment of a territory: An overview of existing tools and methods

Environmental assessment of a territory: An overview of existing tools and methods

Urban Studies Based on Emergy – A Review in Perspective of Causality

Ecological network analysis of an urban energy metabolic system

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