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Urban landscapes are increasingly recognized as providing important ecosystem services (ES) to their occupants. Yet, urban ES assessments often ignore the complex spatial heterogeneity and land-use history of cities. Soil-based services may be particularly susceptible to land-use legacy effects. We studied indicators of three soil-based ES, carbon storage, water quality regulation, and runoff regulation, in a historically agricultural urban landscape and asked (1) How do ES indicators vary with contemporary land cover and time since development? (2) Do ES indicators vary primarily among land-cover classes, within land-cover classes, or within sites? (3) What is the relative contribution of urban land-cover classes to potential citywide ES provision? We measured biophysical indicators (soil carbon [C], available phosphorus [P], and saturated hydraulic conductivity [K s]) in 100 sites across five land-cover classes, spanning an ~125-year gradient of time since development within each land-cover class. Potential for ES provision was substantial in urban green spaces, including developed land. Runoff regulation services (high K s) were highest in forests; water quality regulation (low P) was highest in open spaces and grasslands; and open spaces and developed land (e.g., residential yards) had the highest C storage. In developed land covers, both C and P increased with time since development, indicating effects of historical land-use on contemporary ES and trade-offs between two important ES. Among-site differences accounted for a high proportion of variance in soil properties in forests, grasslands, and open space, while residential areas had high within-site variability, underscoring the leverage city residents have to improve urban ES provision. Developed land covers contributed most ES supply at the citywide scale, even after accounting for potential impacts of impervious surfaces. Considering the full mosaic of urban green space and its history is needed to estimate the kinds and magnitude of ES provided in cities, and to augment regional ES assessments that often ignore or underestimate urban ES supply.

Initiatives to repurpose vacant lots to improve people’s well-being are increasing worldwide. Still, little is known about how distinct plant communities influence the provision of ecosystem services in vacant lots. To bridge this gap, we investigated associations in vacant lots between land-cover type, plant diversity (both taxonomic and functional), and composition with soil organic carbon and hydraulic conductivity which are indicators of carbon storage and stormwater runoff control. We sampled plant communities, soil organic carbon, and hydraulic conductivity across 50 sites, three plots per site, in the Greater Quebec City Area, Canada. The sites comprised five land-cover types: lawn, bare soil, low- and high-density herbaceous vegetation, and sparse trees. Soil organic carbon was lowest in bare soil lots, while the lowest hydraulic conductivity was found in lots with sparse trees and high-density herbaceous vegetation. Soil organic carbon was positively correlated with forb and total plant cover, but negatively correlated with functional dispersion. Hydraulic conductivity was positively correlated with taproot frequency and functional dispersion of three traits (lifespan, specific leaf area, and reproductive modes), but negatively correlated with grass and total plant cover. This research highlights the associations between plant functional traits and groups with soil characteristics, uncovering patterns that might be overlooked if only land-cover was considered, such as higher carbon storage and hydraulic conductivity associated with forb-rich meadows with high taproot frequency. We advocate for a trait-focused approach in vacant lot revitalization, particularly when the goal is to enhance local levels of soil-based ecosystem services.

To address the severe urban flooding and the inability of urban road drainage systems to effectively resolve hydrological cycle issues, four types of permeable pavement were designed, combining the advantages of the good infiltration performance and anti-slip performance of permeable asphalt pavement. Based on the SWMM (Storm Water Management Model), road modeling and hydrological quality simulations were conducted, analyzing the surface runoff reduction rate, maximum inlet flow at the convergence node, pollutant reduction rate, and water quality purification of the four different structural permeable asphalt pavements. The results showed that the surface runoff reduction rate of the four pavements ranged from 44% to 100%, the maximum inlet flow reduction rate at the confluence node ranged from 37% to 78%, the reduction rate of the main pipe flow load ranged from 36% to 100%, the reduction rate of the hydraulic load in the pipeline ranged from 25% to 64%, the maximum water storage depth ranged from 90 mm to 177 mm, and the pollutant reduction rate ranged from 28% to 81%. This study provides the optimal combination of permeable asphalt pavements for the selection of urban pavement structures.

Grass swales have emerged as a cost-effective and sustainable stormwater management solution, addressing the increasing challenges of urbanization, flooding, and water pollution. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of 224 publications to assess research trends, key contributors, and knowledge gaps in grass swale applications. Findings highlighted the growing emphasis on optimizing hydrological performance, particularly in response to intensifying climate change and urban flood risks. Experimental and simulation-based studies have demonstrated that grass swale efficiency is influenced by multiple design factors, including vegetation type, substrate composition, hydraulic retention time, and slope gradient. Notably, pollutant removal efficiency varies significantly, with total suspended solids (TSS) reduced by 34.09–89.90%, chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 7.75–56.71%, and total nitrogen (TN) by 32.37–56.71%. Additionally, studies utilizing the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) and TRAVA models have demonstrated that integrating grass swales into urban drainage systems can result in a 17% reduction in total runoff volume and peak flow attenuation. Despite these advancements, key research gaps remain, including cost-effective design strategies, long-term maintenance protocols, and integration with other green infrastructure systems. Future research should focus on developing innovative, low-cost swale designs, refining optimal vegetation selection, and assessing seasonal variations in performance. Addressing these challenges will enhance the scientific foundation for grass swale implementation, ensuring their sustainable integration into climate-resilient urban planning.

Long-term variations of ecological and hydrological parameters governing the natural reproduction of sturgeon are analyzed. It was found that long-term variations of hydrological characteristics are taking place against the background of cyclic development of phases with different water abundance and transformation of the annual redistribution of runoff. The contribution of long-term runoff regulation by the Iriklinskoe Reservoir to water regime variations in the Ural River is considered for its middle reaches. A conclusion is made regarding the need to restore the sturgeon herd in the Northern Caspian Sea. Recommendations are made regarding the priority measures for preserving the potential of sturgeon spawning grounds in the middle reaches of the Ural River.

As a commonly used material in bioretention substrates, natural zeolite (NZ) provides decent adsorption capacity for cation pollutants and heavy metals, but limited ability to remove anion pollutants. Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HDTMA)-modified zeolite (MZ) was used as the bioretention substrate material. The performance of the media including runoff reduction, nitrate nitrogen (NO 3 − -N) removal, ammonium nitrogen (NH 4 + -N) removal, and total phosphorus (TP) removal was assessed by the column experiment. The effects of different levels of modification, ratio of zeolite in the substrate, and rainfall intensity on media performance were investigated. The results indicate that HDTMA-modified zeolite significantly improves the NO 3 − -N (up to 38.2 times of NZ) and TP (up to17.5 times of NZ) removal rate of media and slightly increases the NH 4 + -N (up to 1.5 times of NZ) purification performance of the substrate. Compared with the media with NZ, decline on both runoff volume reduction (maximum decline up to 32.9%) and flow rate reduction (maximum decline up to 29.9%) of the media with MZ were observed. Based on multiple regression analysis, quantitative relationship models between influencing factors and response variables were established (R 2 > 0.793), the level of the effect of influencing factors on response variables was investigated, and the interactions between influencing factors were explored. The main effect analysis found that the degree of modification affects NO 3 − -N and TP removal rate of the substrate the most, and when the amount of HDTMA molecules loaded on the zeolite surface exceeds 0.09meq/g, the modification can no longer improve NO 3 − -N removal efficiency.

The spatially distributed ECOMAG runoff formation model was used to calculate physically based changes in the water regime in the Ural River basin in the XXI century with the use of data of an ensemble of Earth system models and scenarios of anthropogenic impact on the climate system, leading to a considerable decrease in the uncertainty of the existing estimates of the future runoff of the Ural River. Water management calculations for the Ural River were made with the use of the VOLPOW simulation model, which implements the solution of water balance equation by time intervals. The results of variations of the annual and seasonal runoff of the Ural River at different sections were obtained taking into account the effect of the Iriklinskaya Hydropower Station and the Sakmara River under scenarios RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 in the nearest future and in the late XXI century. The current potential of runoff regulation in the Ural River by reservoirs was evaluated, and variants of reservoir operation curves for the optimal use of the available water resources are presented. Variants are proposed for adaptation of the rules of runoff regulation by the Iriklinskoe Reservoir and its operation characteristics under expected climate changes in the XXI century, based on water management calculations with the use of long-term series of daily water inflow, determined by the ECOMAG model under scenarios RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 relative to the base period 1976–2005.

The time variability features of the intra-annual runoff distribution in the Pripyat River basin at the present stage are considered. The study used data from 10 active gauging-stations at the basin area for the period of enabled observations. Changes in the nature of natural runoff regulation of rivers are shown. An increase in the coefficient of natural runoff regulation after the period 1970-1983 for the rivers of the Pripyat River basin was revealed. The relationship between the coefficient of uneven runoff and the share of spring flood was established.

Global climate change has led to more extreme rainfall events. Exploring the different design schemes of rainwater in situ regulation and storage systems in green spaces to cope with extreme rainfall events is critical to cities for combating flood disasters. Using the Gongkang green space as the research object and the XPDrainage software program as the simulation tool, this study explored and evaluated different design schemes of rainwater in situ regulation and storage systems in green spaces and their responses to extreme rainfall events in Shanghai. Based on the simulated results of the runoff curves, paths and ponding area of the Gongkang green space, the ideal number and position of rainwater regulation and storage facilities were determined. Four different schemes were examined: Scheme A (diversion-oriented), Scheme B (infiltration- and detention-oriented) and schemes C and D (comprehensive rainwater regulation and storage systems). From the simulation evaluation, the total runoff volume capture rate of Scheme C reached 100%, 99.8% and 98.2% under one-, three- and five-year return period rainfall events, respectively. For the 210 mm extraordinary rainstorm event, Scheme C’s and Scheme D’s total runoff volume capture rates reached 81.9% and 94.7%, respectively. Therefore, the comprehensive rainwater regulation and storage schemes (schemes C and D) met the runoff control requirements under extreme rainfall events in the Gongkang green space. This study provides a technical reference for the optimal design of a rainwater in situ regulation and storage system in a green space and promotes the construction of resilient cities.

The regional specifics of water use in the transboundary basin of the Ural R. are studied. The diverse problems of dependable water use in the region are caused by the interaction of natural and anthropogenic factors. Considering the space and time variations of river runoff, a possible approach to solving water use problem is runoff regulation. To effectively solve the problem of water use requires the search for an organizational and legal form of institutional interaction within the transboundary basin of the Ural R.