Earth, Volume 2, Issue 4 (December 2021) – 25 articles

The growing global demand for soybean production combined with its increased market value could result in a new supercycle for this commodity. For Brazilian agribusiness, there has been an opportunity to increase exports, particularly in soybean production, in recent years, and therefore, soybean production has been expanding more and more across the states of the Brazilian Amazon. Soybean is the most important grain crop among temporary crops in the Brazilian Amazon; in 2019, it reached a value of USD 21.78 billion, using a planted area of 124,947 km² (about 55% of the planted area). At the same time, overall deforestation increased significantly in recent years: 10,897 km² in 2019 and 9811 km² in 2020. To study these changes, economic, social, and environmental sustainability indicators were identified and analyzed using a regression model, and changes in the main economic and socio-environmental indicators were observed that identified a strong positive correlation between agricultural GHG emissions and soybean-planted area. The impact on the local population was also analyzed between the years 2000 and 2019, and there was a mismatch between the population growth rate and the growth rate of the harvested area, which resulted in the displacement of the populations to the cities, and identified a strong positive correlation between the unemployment rate for young people and the soybean-planted area. In this context, this paper presents an analysis of the correlation between soy expansion and the main economic indicators and socioenvironmental impacts in the Brazilian Amazon. Full article

The present paper offers a view regarding the challenge induced in the environment by the productive structure of countries. Economic complexity, which links the productive structure of a country with its knowledge, labour, and sophistication, seems to raise new challenges for the environment’s preservation and quality. The debate on this linkage in existing literature is at a beginning, stimulating the mind of scholars, researchers, and policy makers. The relationship between economic complexity and the environment is multi-faced and creates unimagined challenges for humanity in its path toward social and economic progress. The paper reviews the main dimensions of the linkage between economic complexity and the environment, including moderating factors of this connection as they are reported in the existing literature. Full article

A survey on household solid waste generation and physical composition was conducted in Hanoi City, the capital of Vietnam. The study sampled 110 households in specific areas with different population density and household scale. Household solid waste was classified into 13 main categories and 25 sub-categories. The results showed that average generation rate of waste in Hanoi City is 0.63 kg per person per day with a slightly higher rate in rural areas than urban ones. The largest proportion was food and garden waste at 78.9% followed by plastic and paper. Plastic waste was segregated into plastic and nylon, and nylon was double that of plastics in household solid waste. Compared to previous studies, this study found a higher portion of organic matter in the waste characterization that could be attributed to the changes in lifestyle patterns associated with COVID-19. This situation provides challenges and opportunities for introducing biomass technology to recover energy. Full article

This review paper considers the disjuncture between the rapid pace of climate change and the more sluggish ability of cities to fully implement effective strategies of climate change adaptation and mitigation. We will refer to this as the ‘slow city–quick climate change’ dilemma. Climate change is accelerating, quickly rendering obsolete previous urban forms inadequate, while structural adjustments to cities are slower moving. Cities around the world were largely built for previous climate regimes. In the short to medium term, there is a mismatch between the climate regime that cities were designed for and the climate regime they now inhabit. The paper is divided into four parts: a brief review of climate change in general; climate change in cities; a review of climate change adaptation and mitigation in cities; and finally, a discussion of urban futures in the time of climate regime change. Full article

Earthquakes are one of the most catastrophic natural phenomena. After an earthquake, earthquake reconnaissance enables effective recovery by collecting data on building damage and other impacts. This paper aims to identify state-of-the-art data sources for building damage assessment and provide guidance for more efficient data collection. We have reviewed 39 articles that indicate the sources used by different authors to collect data related to damage and post-disaster recovery progress after earthquakes between 2014 and 2021. The current data collection methods have been grouped into seven categories: fieldwork or ground surveys, omnidirectional imagery (OD), terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), remote sensing (RS), crowdsourcing platforms, social media (SM) and closed-circuit television videos (CCTV). The selection of a particular data source or collection technique for earthquake reconnaissance includes different criteria depending on what questions are to be answered by these data. We conclude that modern reconnaissance missions cannot rely on a single data source. Different data sources should complement each other, validate collected data or systematically quantify the damage. The recent increase in the number of crowdsourcing and SM platforms used to source earthquake reconnaissance data demonstrates that this is likely to become an increasingly important data source. Full article

Spectral wave modelling is widely used to simulate large-scale wind–wave processes due to its low computation cost and relatively simpler formulation, in comparison to phase-resolving or hydrodynamic models. However, some applications require a time-domain representation of sea waves. This article proposes a methodology to transform the wave spectrum into a time series of water surface elevation for applications that require a time-domain representation of ocean waves. The proposed method uses a generated phase spectrum and the inverse Fourier transform to turn the wave spectrum into a time series of water surface elevation. The consistency of the methodology is then verified. The results show that it is capable of correctly transforming the wave spectrum, and the significant wave height of the resulting time series is within 5% of that of the input spectrum. Full article

In recent years, the scientific community has paid particular attention to the analysis of extreme events, such as heat waves, droughts, and intense rain events that have caused loss of human life and significant economic damage. Climate-related extremes generally produce large impact on infrastructures, especially on those with insufficient design, while some infrastructures may become inadequate under the effects of severe extremes. In the particular case of airports, the increase in frequency and severity of extreme weather events will worsen their deterioration rate. This work presents an analysis of the expected climate variability over Napoli Capodichino Airport, using climate projections generated by the Regional Climate Model COSMO-CLM. Simulations were performed over Italy, employing a spatial resolution of approximately 8 km. The time period simulated was 1979–2100, and, in particular, the CMIP5 historical experiment (based on historical greenhouse gas concentrations) was used for the period 1979–2005, while, for the period 2006–2100, two different simulations were performed, employing the Representative Concentration Pathways IPCC RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 greenhouse gas concentrations. The meteorological situations over the airport have been analyzed, along with the identification of conditions that could cause relevant impact on airport environment. In particular, extreme summer temperatures may exceed design standards, leading to heat damage to surfaces, while runways or aprons may have trouble due to the surface melting during peak heat periods. Long term changes in the directions of wind can adversely affect the usability of runways, while changes in wind shear could modify strength and frequency of clear-air turbulence. Analyses have been performed considering suitable Extreme Events Indicators (EWI), both on past trends and on numerical projections over future periods, with the aim of contributing to the definition of a risk assessment methodology based on the combination of the frequency and of the severity of meteorological hazards. Full article

The health of human-being and our planet are incessantly interlinked, and such links often exist in the context of cities. This article articulates urban intelligence as an essential capacity for cities to be more adaptive and responsive to face the risks in the context of climate change and global pandemics. Urban intelligence includes data intelligence, design intelligence, and crowd intelligence, which collectively contribute to planetary health with better understandings in cities’ complex physical-environmental-technical-social dynamics. In the long run, urban intelligence supports cities by enabling a better conceptual understanding of human-earth conflicts, transdisciplinary research in the science of the cities, and governmental collaborations at the local and global scale. Full article

The City of Palma de Mallorca has been historically affected by flood events, with the latest flood of great magnitude occurring in 1962. After decades without large flooding events, since the start of the 21st century, 28 floods have been identified within the city boundaries. As change in the spatial location of these events has been observed, a research to identify where the floods are located nowadays and which causes can be related to such distribution has been undertaken. Six types of floods were identified and the events classified accordingly, with the deficient planned infrastructures, flat urban areas without defined drainage and coastal sectors the three most common types. The results highlight the importance of the urban sprawl and malpractices related to flood risk areas, thus increasing the occurrence of floods of less spatial impact but with greater disturbance on the daily activity of the city inhabitants. Nevertheless, some uncertainties are identified in this research, demonstrating the need of further investigations. Full article

Disaster risk management (DRM) has always been important, but nowadays, with the increasing number of disasters due to climate changes, it is becoming even more so. Every phase of DRM is heavily reliant on geodata. First of all, each disaster occurs at a specific location, and this location contains geodata, which can be used in DRM, e.g., cadastral data, GNSS data, aerial images, topographic data, elevation data, etc. Geodata are important for making faster and more accurate decisions in disaster situations. It is possible to collect these geodata from many different sources, e.g., the public sector, private sector and citizens. Nevertheless, official geodata coming from competent authorities should be the most accurate and reliable. In this paper, we investigate the importance of official geodata in DRM on several examples from recent disasters in Croatia. Official geodata produced by the Croatian State Geodetic Administration (SGA) were used in managing disasters such as floods, forest fires, earthquakes and war. Our research findings show that DRM is an area in which National Mapping and Cadastral Authorities (NMCAs) should focus more on collecting and sharing geodata and provide more dynamic and innovative products. In these challenging times, more and more geodata are becoming available from different sources, besides official ones. With this plethora of geodata, in order to be relevant and competitive, NMCAs must change their business models and offer more attractive and useful services in order to satisfy the increasing user needs and demands. This paper shows that the SGA in Croatia is on the path towards achieving this goal. Full article

Urban beekeeping is gaining salience worldwide. Though beekeeping brings benefits to humanity, it has certain negative aspects. We conducted surveys in eight countries where urban beekeeping is practiced to understand the status of the governance of urban beekeeping. There were a wide variety of rules, ranging from detailed ones to the absence of any. The organizations creating regulations included regional governments, basic governments, and even NGOs. Regulatory items for urban beekeeping were biased toward safety, with few regulations of the other aspects, such as biodiversity conservation and apicultural production. We found a wide range of numerical provisions for this regulation type, with no scientific basis provided, and there is further need for improvements. Full article

A ten-year complete seismological database is evaluated in the present work. These data are provided for events with magnitude M_L ≥ 1.0, which have occurred in Eastern Greece and, more specifically, in Kos Island. Several selection criteria are applied and, hence, a catalog of the seismological records is compiled. Detailed big data (seismological, tide gauge, geodetic stations, accelerometers, etc.) of this region are used and processed in this work. The database consists of approximately 35,000 three-component broadband seismograms from 1198 digitally recorded events. It covers the last ten years of measurements, including records from the 20 July 2017, M_L 6.2, Kos Island, Greece event. The seismological communities can either use this database to conduct new research or improve already existing seismic hazard studies in the region. Full article

According to the United Nations (2020), since the 1980s, the global overall rate of water use has grown by 1% per year, and it is projected that, by 2050, humanity’s water footprint could exceed 30% of current levels. This situation is in stark contrast to the path toward the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 6, “clean water and sanitation”, which also influences Goal 14, “life below water”, and Goal 15, “life on land”. This is because the availability of water directly affects the food security and production capacity of each Country, and therefore its management is a crucial issue worthy of particular attention. Problems related to water security are particularly evident in the Mediterranean area, which is already facing high environmental challenges. It is an area severely affected by global warming; thus, it is one of the most vulnerable environments to climate change globally. It follows that the improper management of water resources could further worsen an already alarming situation. This research aims to study the main water-related challenges that Mediterranean Countries face, highlighting the significant problems that weaken each Country. In this regard, the indicators relating to Goal 6 were considered, to define each Country’s current state. However, for a correct understanding, the main problems these Countries face were researched through a critical review of the literature (Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science). In this way, we were able to underline the effects of human activities on the hydrosphere and the repercussions on various ecosystems, following the drivers-pressures-state-impact-response causal framework. The results suggest that there is still a long way for Mediterranean Countries to progress toward Agenda 2030, as they face problems related to chemical (nitrate, microplastics, heavy metals, pesticides, etc.) and biological (E. coli and other microorganisms) pollution, as well as saline aquifers, absent or obsolete infrastructures, and transboundary basins. Hence, this study aims to provide valuable tools for a better evaluation of water management in Mediterranean Countries. Full article

This study simultaneously addresses two issues: (a) defining what counts as ‘small farms’ in the rose sector, taking the geographical and socioeconomic context into account and (b) whether the requests for certification form barriers for small farms. We focus on small farms, as they are of fundamental importance for social and economic development and significantly contribute to the environmental sustainability of agriculture and land use. An agent-based model is used for analyzing an agricultural production and supply chain. The model identifies the minimum farm size needed to cover increased costs due to sustainability certifications. The model is applied to the case study of rose production in Kenya. Kenya is one of the world’s leading flower producers. Almost all Kenya’s floricultural production is exported, and the export of stem roses accounts for about 80% by weight of Kenya’s floricultural exports. Environmental and social sustainability certification is increasingly required for farms, especially those in developing countries that want to export their products. Our findings suggest that sustainability standards disadvantage small Kenyan rose farms and constitute a further obstacle to their entry into the international rose market. In this specific context, standards limit market access for farms smaller than 4 hectares. The agent-based model proposed in this study can be adjusted to help determine the definition of ‘small farms’ in need of extra support in other sectors. Full article

This study analyzed the changes of land use and land cover (LULC) in New Jersey in the United States from 2007 to 2012. The goal was to identify the driving factors of these changes and to project the five-year trend to 2100. LULC data was obtained from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The original 86 classes were reclassified to 11 classes. Data analysis and projection were performed using TerrSet 2020. Results from 2007 to 2012 showed that the rate of LULC changes was relatively small. Most changes happened to brush/grasslands, mixed forest lands, farmlands and urban/developed lands. Urban/developed lands and the mixed-forest cover gained while farmlands lost. Using a multi-layer perceptron–Markov chain (MLP–MC) model, we projected the 2015 LULC and validated by actual data to produce a 2100 LULC. Changes from 2012 to 2100 showed that urban/developed lands, as well as brush/grasslands, would continue to gain, while farmlands would lose, although the projected landscape texture would likely be identical to the 2012 landscape. Human and natural factors were discussed. It was concluded that the MLP–MC model could be a useful model to predict short-term LULC change. Unexpected factors are likely to interfere in a long-term projection. Full article

Sal (Shorea robusta) forests, a dominant forest type in Nepal, experience different disturbance intensities depending on management regimes. This study compares the impact of disturbance on Nepalese Sal forests, which are managed on three major management regimes: protected area, state-managed forest, and buffer zone community forest. Using a systematic sampling approach, we sampled 20 plots, each covering 500 square meters, and nested plots within each main plot to measure pole and regeneration for each management regime. We recorded forest characteristics including tree species, counts, diameter, height, crown cover, and disturbance indicators. We compared forest attributes such as diversity indices, species richness, and stand structure by management regime using analysis of variance and regression analysis. The forest management regimes were classified into three disturbance levels based on disturbance factor bundles, and the buffer zone community forest was found to have the highest disturbance while the protected forest had the lowest disturbance. Species richness, diversity, evenness, abundance, density and basal area were higher, but regeneration was lower in protected area and state-managed forest compared to the buffer zone community forests. This suggests positive impacts of moderate disturbance on regeneration. The management plan should prioritize the minimization of excessive disturbance to balance forest conservation and provide forest resources to local users. Full article

Due to their authentic urban and architectural character, the Medinas of Tunis and Marrakesh became listed among the United Nations educational, scientific, and cultural organization (UNESCO) heritage sites in 1979 and 1985, respectively. Nowadays, the urbanization of the surrounding green areas and the climate change impacts on cities are degrading the Medinas’ livability and their characteristic heritage. On the other hand, scientific knowledge and data about the green system in the dense urban cores of Medinas in the Maghreb region is still not a widely apprehended theme in the scientific domain. This research objective is to initiate nature-based and sustainable solutions in these cities by demonstrating the application of the urban green infrastructure (UGI) approach. As a research methodology, an analysis of the historical green system development in the Medinas is given to highlight their tangible and intangible values. The analysis goes over three periods: first, the medieval Islamic era, then the modern period during the French colony, and the contemporary city as a unique urban landscape. Finally, the study proposes a design guideline to prove the applicability of the UGI in the given historical morphologies by implementing the retained historical values of the historic green heritage in Medinas and the aspects of the site. Full article

New Zealand (NZ), a food-producing, geographically isolated nation has set a domestic dietary guideline of 5 servings a day/person of vegetables. The question “does New Zealand produce enough servings and diversity of vegetables to meet dietary recommendations of 5 diverse servings/day?” was explored. Publicly available data for weight of vegetables produced and hectares of land used in relation to five vegetable diversity groups of white roots-and-tubers, vitamin-A-vegetables, other vegetables, dark-green-leafy vegetables, and legumes were examined. Overall, the equivalent of 11.7 servings of vegetables/day/NZperson was produced. Potatoes, onions, carrots, and squash were produced in the largest quantities (total 7.7 servings/day/NZperson) but most onions, squash, and some potatoes were exported (2.5 servings/day/NZperson). There was inadequate production of legumes, 0.6 servings/day/NZ person (peas and beans) and dark-green-leafy vegetables, 0.03 servings/day/NZ person (silverbeet and spinach). Only 0.2% of the total land area of NZ is used for growing vegetables. Expansion of the area used for vegetables should be considered in the context of sustainable production and irreversible pressures confronting the unique land and soils the land use requires, as well as current environmental impacts of intensive conventional outdoor vegetable production. An environmentally sustainable and diverse supply of vegetables for domestic use needs to be strategically and actively protected. Full article

Bats populations and their habitats are currently threatened globally, but particular declines have been seen across Europe. The contingent valuation method is commonly used to assign an economic value to species conservation through a willingness to pay (WTP) surveys. We carried out face-to-face interviews of a representative to the Greek population sample (n = 1131) and used a multiple-bounded discrete choice approach to estimate WTP for bat conservation. More than half of the Greek population was supportive of bat conservation (54.6%). Mean WTP was estimated at €21.71, and the total amount that could be collected was €105.6 million, after considering the number of taxpayers and the proportion of supportive people. There was an interplay between emotions, with likeability being the most important positive predictor of support, and fear the most important negative predictor of WTP for bat conservation. Among sociodemographics, older participants, with higher education, farmers, and pet owners showed the highest support, while those with higher education, farmers, and consumptive recreationists offered the highest bid for bat conservation. Participants drew information about bats mostly from informal sources, such as friends, movies, novels, and comics. Our study allowed for the estimation of public support and necessary funds for bat conservation, which are valuable for successful conservation management. Findings will also be critical for the design and implementation of effective education and outreach programs, aimed at increasing knowledge about bats and ultimately support for bat conservation actions. Full article

Land use conversion is generally accompanied by large changes in soil organic carbon (SOC). SOC influences soil erodibility through its broad control on aggregate stability, soil structure and infiltration capacity. However, soil erodibility is also influenced by soil properties, clay mineralogy and other human activities. This study aimed to evaluate soil organic carbon as proxy of soil erosion risk in the Nyumba ya Mungu (NYM) catchment in Northern Tanzania. Soil organic carbon (SOC) was measured by an AgroCares scanner from which the soil organic matter (SOM) was derived using the conversional van Bemmelen factor of 1.72. A regression analysis performed between the measured loss on ignition (LOI) values and SOM from the AgroScanner showed a strong positive correlation in all land use classes (LOI_FL R² = 0.85, r = 0.93, p < 0.0001; LOI_CL R² = 0.86, r = 0.93, p = 0.0001; LOI_GL R² = 0.68, r = 0.83, p = 0.003; LOI_BS R² = 0.88, r = 0.94, p = 0.0001; LOI_BL R² = 0.83, r = 0.91, p = 0.0002). This indicates that SOC from the soil scanner provided a good representation of the actual SOM present in soils. The study also revealed significant differences in the soil aggregate stability (WSA) and SOM stock between the different land use types in the Upper Pangani Basin. The WSA decreases approximately in the following order: grassland > forest land > bare land > cultivated > bush land. Land use change can thus potentially increase the susceptibility of soil to erosion risk when SOC is reduced. Since WSA was directly related to SOM, the study indicates that, where formal measurements are limited, this simple and inexpensive aggregate stability test can be used by farmers to monitor changes in their soils after management changes and to tentatively assess SOC and soil health. Full article

Terraced farming play several roles, from improving ecosystem services to enhancing associated population livelihoods. In this study, we were interested in evaluating the roles of mountain terraces in controlling floods and erosion risks, in particular in the Ourika watershed, located in the High Atlas mountains of Morocco. Rainfall simulation tests were conducted to measure infiltration, runoff and initial abstraction, while the Cesium-137 isotope technique was used to quantify soil loss. The results highlighted high infiltration for dense forests (78.00 ± 2.65 mm/h) and low for rangelands (27.12 ± 2.82 mm/h). For terraces, infiltration was found to be about 70.36 ± 0.56 mm/h, confirming the role of terraces in promoting infiltration. The runoff coefficient obtained was lowest for dense forests, followed by cultivated terraces, and highest for rangelands (62.71 ± 3.51). Thus, outside dense forests, infiltration and runoff were significantly very high and low, respectively, for agricultural terraces compared to other land use. The assessment of soil erosion rates showed a significant soil loss for rangelands compared to the agricultural terraces, further underlining the role of terraces in soil conservation. Terraces in the Ourika watershed, by increasing water infiltration, reduce the rate of surface runoff, and consequently, flood risks and soil degradation. Full article

Asia is one of the continents that is the most affected by the impacts of climate change. Asian countries need to take climate actions and mitigate emissions from the urban passenger transport sector. Despite some progress in improving urban mobility in Asian cities, greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector continue to rise. Policy makers who are responsible for managing mobilities must play a major role in decarbonizing the transport sector. In this context, this paper reviews the efforts of selected Asian countries and cities towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the urban transport sector. It will analyze their pledges in the Nationally Determined Contributions submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and will review their relevant transport sector strategies, policies, and practices. It will also look at trends in transport sector emissions and air pollution in different cities, including the short-term impacts of COVID-19. Lastly, it reviews governance issues and the roles that institutions should play to implement polices to decarbonize transport. Based on this analysis, this paper offers policy suggestions to accelerate actions, enhance cross-sectoral coordination, and move towards carbon neutrality in the transport sector in Asia. Full article

Bushfires are an integral part of the forest regeneration cycle in Australia. However, from the perspective of a natural disaster, the impact of bushfires on human settlements and the environment is massive. In Australia, bushfires are the most disastrous natural hazards. According to the records of the Parliament of Australia, the recent catastrophic bushfires in NSW and Victoria burnt out over 10 million hectares of land, a figure more significant than any previous bushfire damage on record. After the deadly 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, which killed 173 people in Victoria, public attention to bushfires reached a new peak. Due to the disastrous consequences of bushfires, scientists have explored various methods to mitigate or even avoid bushfire damage, including the use of bushfire alerts. The present study adds satellite imagery and GIS-based semi-real-time bushfire contents to various bushfire warnings issued by government authorities. The new product will disseminate graphical bushfire contents to rural Australians through social media, using Google Maps. This low-cost Media GIS content can be delivered through highly popular smartphone networks in Australia through social media (Facebook and Twitter). We expect its success to encourage people to participate in disaster mitigation efforts as contributors in a participatory GIS network. This paper presents a case study to demonstrate the production process and the quality of media GIS content and further discusses the potential of using social media through the mobile network of Australia while paying attention to mobile blackspots. Media GIS content has the potential to link with the public information systems of local fire management services, disseminate contents through a mobile app, and develop into a fully automated media GIS content system to expand the service beyond bushfires. Full article

The Dhaleshwari river which flows near Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is currently under threat due to the recent relocation of the Hazaribagh tannery to the Savar area. This study investigated the physicochemical parameters of water quality along with the heavy metal levels in the Dhaleshwari river and performed a comparative analysis among the peripheral rivers around Dhaka City. Surface water quality parameters such as total dissolved solids (TDS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) obtained for the Dhaleshwari river deviated by as much as 90% from World Health Organization (WHO) standards in certain instances due to direct discharge from untreated point sources. Concentrations of toxic metals such as chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), and nickel (Ni) were above the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) standards for heavy metals in surface waters. Strong correlations among the heavy metals indicated significant linear dependences. Based on the physicochemical and toxicity-based characterization, the river system in Dhaka city can be termed as severely polluted with respect to organic and solids discharge, while ecological risk indices (E_RI) indicated disastrously high risk in the Dhaleshwari and Buriganga rivers. The study outcomes emphasize the necessity of frequent investigation while controlling the point and nonpoint urban pollution sources discharging into the peripheral rivers of Dhaka city. Full article

Integration of land cover change with soil information is important for valuation of soil carbon (C) regulating ecosystem services (ES) and disservices (ED) and for site-specific land management. The objective of this study was to assess the change in value of regulating ES from soil organic carbon (SOC), soil inorganic carbon (SIC), and total soil carbon (TSC) stocks, based on the concept of the avoided social cost of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions for the state of South Carolina (SC) in the United States of America (U.S.A.) by soil order (Soil Taxonomy), land cover, and land cover change (National Land Cover Database, NLCD) using information from the State Soil Geographic (STATSGO) and Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO) databases. Classified land cover data for 2001 and 2016 were downloaded from the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium (MRLC) website. The total estimated monetary mid-point value for TSC in the state of South Carolina was $124.42B (i.e., $124.42 billion U.S. dollars, where B = billion = 10⁹) with the following monetary distribution in 2016 and percent change in value between 2001 and 2016: barren land ($259.7M, −9%) (i.e., $259.7 million U.S. dollars, where M = million = 10⁶), woody wetlands ($33.8B, −1%), shrub/scrub ($3.9B, +9%), mixed forest ($6.9B, +5%), deciduous forest ($10.6B, −7%), herbaceous ($4.8B, −5%), evergreen forest ($28.6B, +1%), emergent herbaceous wetlands ($6.9B, −3%), hay/pasture ($7.3B, −10%), cultivated crops ($9.9B, 0%), developed, open space ($7.0B, +5%), developed, medium intensity ($978M, +46%), developed, low intensity ($2.9B, +15%), and developed, high intensity ($318M, +39%). The percent change in monetary values was different from percent change in areas because different soil orders have different TSC contents. The percent changes (between 2001 and 2016) both in areas and monetary values varied by soil order and land cover with $1.1B in likely “realized” social cost of C mostly associated with Ultisols ($658.8M). The Midlands region of the state experienced the highest gains in the “high disturbance” classes and corresponding SC-CO₂ with over $421M for TSC, $354.6M for SOC, and $66.4M for SIC. Among counties, Horry County ranked first with over $142.2M in SC-CO₂ for TSC, followed by Lexington ($103.7M), Richland ($95.3M), Greenville ($81.4M), York ($77.5M), Charleston ($70.7M), Beaufort ($64.1M), Berkeley ($50.9M), Spartanburg ($50.0M), and Aiken ($43.0M) counties. Spatial and temporal analyses of land cover can identify critical locations of soil carbon regulating ecosystem services at risk. Full article