The Effect of a Disturbance Corridor on an Ecological Reserve

Zink, Thomas A.; Allen, Michael F.; Heindl-Tenhunen, Bärbel; Allen, Edith B.

doi:10.1111/j.1526-100x.1995.tb00098.x

Cited by 53 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…It has been reported that the pipeline corridor is inhabited mainly by an alien plant community with low similarity to the resident community (Zink et al 1995), consistent with our inference. Furthermore, there were similar variations in the vegetation coverage and species similarity.…”

Section: Sensitivity Of Vegetation To Pipeline Construction Disturbancesupporting

confidence: 92%

Potential effects of large linear pipeline construction on soil and vegetation in ecologically fragile regions

Xiao

Wang

Shi

et al. 2014

Environ Monit Assess

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Long-distance pipeline construction results in marked human disturbance of the regional ecosystem and brings into question the safety of pipeline construction with respect to the environment. Thus, the direct environmental impact and proper handling of such large projects have received much attention. The potential environmental effects, however, have not been fully addressed, particularly for large linear pipeline projects, and the threshold of such effects is unclear. In this study, two typical eco-fragile areas in western China, where large linear construction projects have been conducted, were chosen as the case study areas. Soil quality indices (SQI) and vegetation indices (VI), representing the most important potential effects, were used to analyze the scope of the effect of large pipeline construction on the surrounding environment. These two indices in different buffer zones along the pipeline were compared against the background values. The analysis resulted in three main findings. First, pipeline construction continues to influence the nearby eco-environment even after a 4-year recovery period. During this period, the effect on vegetation due to pipeline construction reaches 300 m beyond the working area, and is much larger in distance than the effect on soil, which is mainly confined to within 30 m either side of the pipeline, indicating that vegetation is more sensitive than soil to this type of human disturbance. However, the effect may not reach beyond 500 m from the pipeline. Second, the scope of the effect in terms of distance on vegetation may also be determined by the frequency of disturbance and the intensity of the pipeline construction. The greater the number of pipelines in an area, the higher the construction intensity and the more frequent the disturbance. Frequent disturbance may expand the effect on vegetation on both sides of the pipeline, but not on soil quality. Third, the construction may eliminate the stable, resident plant community. During the recovery period, the plant community in the work area of the pipeline is replaced by some species that are rare or uncommon in the resident plant community because of human disturbance, thereby increasing the plant diversity in the work area. In terms of plant succession, the duration of the recovery period has a direct effect on the composition and structure of the plant community. The findings provide a theoretical basis and scientific foundation for improving the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of oil and gas pipeline construction as it pertains to the desert steppe ecosystem, and provide a reference point for recovery and management of the eco-environment during the pipeline construction period.

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Section: Sensitivity Of Vegetation To Pipeline Construction Disturbancesupporting

confidence: 92%

Potential effects of large linear pipeline construction on soil and vegetation in ecologically fragile regions

Xiao

Wang

Shi

et al. 2014

Environ Monit Assess

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“…3). Soil disturbances and roads can further increase mortality rates of organisms or serve as conduits for exotic invasions, which can competitively extirpate native species [42,140].…”

Section: Proximate Impacts On Biodiversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental impacts of utility-scale solar energy

Hernandez

Easter

Murphy-Mariscal

et al. 2014

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

508

316

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Greenhouse gas emissions Land use and land cover change Photovoltaic Renewable energy a b s t r a c t Renewable energy is a promising alternative to fossil fuel-based energy, but its development can require a complex set of environmental tradeoffs. A recent increase in solar energy systems, especially large, centralized installations, underscores the urgency of understanding their environmental interactions. Synthesizing literature across numerous disciplines, we review direct and indirect environmental impacts -both beneficial and adverse -of utility-scale solar energy (USSE) development, including impacts on biodiversity, land-use and land-cover change, soils, water resources, and human health. Additionally, we review feedbacks between USSE infrastructure and land-atmosphere interactions and the potential for USSE systems to mitigate climate change. Several characteristics and development strategies of USSE systems have low environmental impacts relative to other energy systems, including other renewables. We show opportunities to increase USSE environmental co-benefits, the permitting and regulatory constraints and opportunities of USSE, and highlight future research directions to better understand the nexus between USSE and the environment. Increasing the environmental compatibility of USSE systems will maximize the efficacy of this key renewable energy source in mitigating climatic and global environmental change.

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“…which could alter the structure of local plant community (Zink, Allen, HeindlTenhunen, & Allen, 1995;Petherbridge, 2000;Elsinger, 2009). It is difficult for an ecosystem to recover completely from this type of disturbance (Desserud et al, 2010).…”

Section: Characteristic Analysis Of Each Indexmentioning

confidence: 99%

The vegetation recovery pattern and affecting factors after pipeline disturbance in northwest China

Xiao

Shi

Wang

et al. 2016

Journal for Nature Conservation

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a b s t r a c tPipeline construction has severe disturbance on local ecosystems, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Vegetation recovery along the pipeline is crucial for ecosystem management and eco-environment restoration. In this study, three typical regions with different backgrounds and engineering characteristics in northwest China were selected to analyze vegetation recovery pattern after pipeline disturbance by using comparative analysis and RDA analysis. The results showed that vegetation condition in the zone 10 m from the pipeline was worse than construction area above the pipeline, and was identified as a key area in which vegetation restoration needs to occur. Rainfall and total sunshine duration were found to be key factors affecting vegetation recovery. Additionally, recovery duration also played important roles in vegetation recovery. The affecting factors can be divided into two categories: environmental factors; and, engineering factors. Environmental factors contribute more to the differences of vegetation in different regions, while the engineering factors may play a more important role in relation to vegetation recovery within a region. In general, the effects of pipeline construction on vegetation pattern were confined to 300 m from the pipeline based on this study. However, artificial measures may hasten the vegetation recovery process. This research could provide scientific guidance for ecological restoration and environmental management for the construction of linear projects.

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The Effect of a Disturbance Corridor on an Ecological Reserve

Cited by 53 publications

References 6 publications

Potential effects of large linear pipeline construction on soil and vegetation in ecologically fragile regions

Potential effects of large linear pipeline construction on soil and vegetation in ecologically fragile regions

Environmental impacts of utility-scale solar energy

The vegetation recovery pattern and affecting factors after pipeline disturbance in northwest China

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