An index system constructed for ecological stress assessment of the coastal zone: A case study of Shandong, China

Lu Yu; Xiaoqing Wu; Xilai Zheng; Tianyuan Zheng; Jia Xin; Marc Walther

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.11.084

An index system constructed for ecological stress assessment of the coastal zone: A case study of Shandong, China

J Environ Manage. 2019 Feb 15:232:499-504. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.11.084. Epub 2018 Nov 29.

Authors

Lu Yu¹, Xiaoqing Wu², Xilai Zheng³, Tianyuan Zheng⁴, Jia Xin¹, Marc Walther⁵

Affiliations

¹ Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Geological Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China; Key Lab of Marine Environmental Science and Ecology, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China.
² Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, 264003, China.
³ Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Geological Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China; Key Lab of Marine Environmental Science and Ecology, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China. Electronic address: zhxilai@ouc.edu.cn.
⁴ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany; Applied Environmental Systems Analysis, Dresden University of Technology, Germany. Electronic address: ichbinzty@gmail.com.
⁵ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany; Applied Environmental Systems Analysis, Dresden University of Technology, Germany.

PMID: 30502617
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.11.084

Abstract

Coastal zones, which have high ecological value and environmental function and play a key role in human development, face intense ecological stress from human activities. This study constructed an assessment index system for coastal zones and proposed a coastal ecological stress index (CESI) model. This method was then applied to the Shandong coastal zone. The results showed an increase in ecological stress from 2001 to 2016 and implied a further growth trend. The stress caused by terrigenous pollution was the most prominent, with the ecological stress index showing significant spatial difference. Qingdao exerted the highest ecological stress on the population and economy, while Yantai showed the highest stress on the coastal index. The CESI model effectively reflects the temporal and spatial characteristics of the coastal ecological stress and provides a theoretical basis for the management of different regions.

Keywords: Coastal zone; Ecological stress; Index system; Shandong.

MeSH terms

China
Ecology*
Environmental Monitoring
Humans
Models, Theoretical*