Causal Analysis of Ecological Impairment in Land Ecosystem on a Regional Scale: Applied to a Mining City Daye, China

Kai Guo, Yiyun Chen, Min Chen, Chaojun Wang, Zeyi Chen, Weinan Cai, Renjie Li, Weiming Feng and Ming Jiang
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Kai Guo: School of Geography and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Yiyun Chen: School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
Min Chen: Guangzhou Urban Planning & Design Survey Research Institute, Guangzhou 510060, China
Chaojun Wang: Jiangsu Vocational College of Medicine, Yancheng 224005, China
Zeyi Chen: School of Resource and Environmental Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
Weinan Cai: School of Geography and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Renjie Li: School of Geography and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Weiming Feng: School of Geography and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Ming Jiang: School of Geography and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China

Land, 2021, vol. 10, issue 5, 1-21

Abstract: We adopted a weight of evidence approach to establish a causal analysis of an impaired land ecosystem on a regional scale; namely, Daye, a traditional mining city in China. Working processes, including problem statements, a list of candidate causes, and a conceptual model were developed to represent a causal hypothesis for describing land degradation. Causal criteria were applied to integrate multiple lines of evidence. Then, various pieces of evidence were scored to either strengthen or weaken our causal assumptions. Results showed that habitat alteration, heavy metal accumulation, organic pollutants, water eutrophication, and nutrient runoff were the probable causes of land ecosystem impairment in Daye. Meanwhile, noxious gas, toxicants, altered underground runoff, atmospheric deposition, and acid rain were identified as possible causes. The most unlikely causes were altered hydrology, altered earth surface runoff, and soil erosion. Soil salinization, soluble inorganic salts, biological species invasion, and pathogens were deferred as delayed causes due to lack of adequate information. The causal analysis approach was applied to identify the primary causes of land degradation and implement accurate protective measures in an impaired land ecosystem.

Keywords: regional causal analysis; weight of evidence; multiple causes; land ecosystem (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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