Public attitudes and perceptions to the West-to-East Pipeline Project and ecosystem management in large project construction

Journal for Nature Conservation

et al. 2016

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.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Journal for Nature Conservation

et al. 2016

“…Natural gas or oil pipeline projects are important for economic development in West China and as energy sources for East China (Chen et al 2012). Inevitably, pipeline installation involves extensive disturbance that may directly and indirectly influence the soil system in the surrounding area (Chen and Gao 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of pipeline construction disturbance on soil properties and restoration cycle

et al. 2013

Environ Monit Assess

Disturbance to the physical-chemical properties of soil caused by pipeline installation was evaluated using two soil quality indices to identify the scale of disturbance and the restoration cycle. The integrated soil quality index (SQI) was used to evaluate soil property changes in different pipeline zones (0, 10, 20, and 50 m from the pipeline) at sites 1 and 2. The soil restoration index (SRI) was used to estimate soil recovery from three pipelines with different recovery periods (2, 6, and 8 years) at site 3. The results showed that the adverse effects of pipeline construction on soil properties mainly occurred in the right-of-way (ROW) areas and the impaired zones were in the order trench> piling and working areas > 20 and 50 m. The soil restoration cycle may be complete within 6 years of construction. At site 3, the SRI in the ROW area of a pipeline after 6 years of restoration was close to 100 %, showing full soil recovery. However, the SRI in the disturbed areas of a pipeline after 2 years of restoration was much lower than that after 6 years of restoration, indicating that the soil was still recovering from the disturbance. The topography may change the intensity of disturbance in different areas due to the movement patterns of heavy machinery and traffic routes. There were local variations in the SQI within the pipeline zones, with flat areas suffering greater disturbance than hilly areas, indicating that topography should be considered in a pipeline's environmental impact assessment.

“…The West-East Gas Pipelines (WEGP) and the Western Crude Oil Pipeline (WCOP), which are important longdistance pipelines in China, reach from northwest to southeast China (Chen et al 2012) and have inevitably brought human disturbance to the construction areas. The West-East Gas Pipeline I (WEGP I) was the first pipeline constructed, passing from the northwest part of China to the southeast.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

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

et al. 2014

Environ Monit Assess

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.