Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

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The Applications of ‘N Offset’ Mechanism in the Evaluation of Reactive Nitrogen Emissions Reduction in a Typical China’s Urban Agglomeration

Received: 21 May 2018    Accepted: 7 July 2018    Published: 6 August 2018
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Abstract

The rapid development of urbanization, resulting in direct and indirect emissions of anthropogenic reactive nitrogen to environment during nitrogen consumption, had brought the huge ecological pressure and serious environmentally pollution. Took a typical China’s urban agglomeration (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei agglomeration) as example, this study constructed quantitative analysis of reactive nitrogen emissions and an evaluation index for annual reactive nitrogen removal efficiency of this region by employing data envelopment analysis. After that, this study attempted to put forward reactive nitrogen reduction countermeasures based on ‘N offset’ mechanism for the collaborative development. The results showed that, during urbanization from 2004-2014, the total reactive nitrogen emissions by Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei agglomeration presented slightly decreased with fluctuation. Hebei province was the main contributor to nitrogen emission, occupying 79-84% and 74-79% of nitrogen loss to atmosphere and hydrosphere. The main sources of regional emissions were agricultural activities primarily, and then turned to industrial activities and residential livelihood. The differences existed in the impacts of urbanization on reactive nitrogen emission intensity of each region. The annual emission intensity of this agglomeration was 5.8 t N/km2. Beijing city owned the highest of emission reduction efficiency. The reduction in the emissions intensity of Hebei province and the improvement in emission reduction efficiency of Tianjin city were supposed to be the keys for overall low-nitrogen urbanization within agglomeration. The nitrogen-reduction countermeasures accompanied by corresponding pecuniary compensation, basing on collaborative ‘N offset’ mechanism, would contribute to the reciprocity among Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei agglomeration towards sustainable development.

DOI 10.11648/j.eeb.20180302.11
Published in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (Volume 3, Issue 2, June 2018)
Page(s) 5-15
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Urbanization, Reactive Nitrogen, Data Envelopment Analysis, Nitrogen Offset, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Agglomeration

References
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    Xian Chaofan, Wang Liyan, Lu Fei, Zheng Hua, Ouyang Zhiyun. (2018). The Applications of ‘N Offset’ Mechanism in the Evaluation of Reactive Nitrogen Emissions Reduction in a Typical China’s Urban Agglomeration. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 3(2), 5-15. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.eeb.20180302.11

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    Xian Chaofan; Wang Liyan; Lu Fei; Zheng Hua; Ouyang Zhiyun. The Applications of ‘N Offset’ Mechanism in the Evaluation of Reactive Nitrogen Emissions Reduction in a Typical China’s Urban Agglomeration. Ecol. Evol. Biol. 2018, 3(2), 5-15. doi: 10.11648/j.eeb.20180302.11

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    AMA Style

    Xian Chaofan, Wang Liyan, Lu Fei, Zheng Hua, Ouyang Zhiyun. The Applications of ‘N Offset’ Mechanism in the Evaluation of Reactive Nitrogen Emissions Reduction in a Typical China’s Urban Agglomeration. Ecol Evol Biol. 2018;3(2):5-15. doi: 10.11648/j.eeb.20180302.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.eeb.20180302.11,
      author = {Xian Chaofan and Wang Liyan and Lu Fei and Zheng Hua and Ouyang Zhiyun},
      title = {The Applications of ‘N Offset’ Mechanism in the Evaluation of Reactive Nitrogen Emissions Reduction in a Typical China’s Urban Agglomeration},
      journal = {Ecology and Evolutionary Biology},
      volume = {3},
      number = {2},
      pages = {5-15},
      doi = {10.11648/j.eeb.20180302.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.eeb.20180302.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.eeb.20180302.11},
      abstract = {The rapid development of urbanization, resulting in direct and indirect emissions of anthropogenic reactive nitrogen to environment during nitrogen consumption, had brought the huge ecological pressure and serious environmentally pollution. Took a typical China’s urban agglomeration (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei agglomeration) as example, this study constructed quantitative analysis of reactive nitrogen emissions and an evaluation index for annual reactive nitrogen removal efficiency of this region by employing data envelopment analysis. After that, this study attempted to put forward reactive nitrogen reduction countermeasures based on ‘N offset’ mechanism for the collaborative development. The results showed that, during urbanization from 2004-2014, the total reactive nitrogen emissions by Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei agglomeration presented slightly decreased with fluctuation. Hebei province was the main contributor to nitrogen emission, occupying 79-84% and 74-79% of nitrogen loss to atmosphere and hydrosphere. The main sources of regional emissions were agricultural activities primarily, and then turned to industrial activities and residential livelihood. The differences existed in the impacts of urbanization on reactive nitrogen emission intensity of each region. The annual emission intensity of this agglomeration was 5.8 t N/km2. Beijing city owned the highest of emission reduction efficiency. The reduction in the emissions intensity of Hebei province and the improvement in emission reduction efficiency of Tianjin city were supposed to be the keys for overall low-nitrogen urbanization within agglomeration. The nitrogen-reduction countermeasures accompanied by corresponding pecuniary compensation, basing on collaborative ‘N offset’ mechanism, would contribute to the reciprocity among Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei agglomeration towards sustainable development.},
     year = {2018}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - The Applications of ‘N Offset’ Mechanism in the Evaluation of Reactive Nitrogen Emissions Reduction in a Typical China’s Urban Agglomeration
    AU  - Xian Chaofan
    AU  - Wang Liyan
    AU  - Lu Fei
    AU  - Zheng Hua
    AU  - Ouyang Zhiyun
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    JF  - Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
    JO  - Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
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    EP  - 15
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2575-3762
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.eeb.20180302.11
    AB  - The rapid development of urbanization, resulting in direct and indirect emissions of anthropogenic reactive nitrogen to environment during nitrogen consumption, had brought the huge ecological pressure and serious environmentally pollution. Took a typical China’s urban agglomeration (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei agglomeration) as example, this study constructed quantitative analysis of reactive nitrogen emissions and an evaluation index for annual reactive nitrogen removal efficiency of this region by employing data envelopment analysis. After that, this study attempted to put forward reactive nitrogen reduction countermeasures based on ‘N offset’ mechanism for the collaborative development. The results showed that, during urbanization from 2004-2014, the total reactive nitrogen emissions by Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei agglomeration presented slightly decreased with fluctuation. Hebei province was the main contributor to nitrogen emission, occupying 79-84% and 74-79% of nitrogen loss to atmosphere and hydrosphere. The main sources of regional emissions were agricultural activities primarily, and then turned to industrial activities and residential livelihood. The differences existed in the impacts of urbanization on reactive nitrogen emission intensity of each region. The annual emission intensity of this agglomeration was 5.8 t N/km2. Beijing city owned the highest of emission reduction efficiency. The reduction in the emissions intensity of Hebei province and the improvement in emission reduction efficiency of Tianjin city were supposed to be the keys for overall low-nitrogen urbanization within agglomeration. The nitrogen-reduction countermeasures accompanied by corresponding pecuniary compensation, basing on collaborative ‘N offset’ mechanism, would contribute to the reciprocity among Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei agglomeration towards sustainable development.
    VL  - 3
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Author Information
  • State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

  • State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

  • State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

  • State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

  • State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

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