Land | Editor’s choice Articles

19 pages, 871 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Effect of Policy and Technological Innovations of Land Tenure on Small Landholders’ Credit-Worthiness: Evidence from Ethiopia

by Shewakena Aytenfisu Abab, Feyera Senbeta and Tamirat Tefera Negash

Land 2023, 12(5), 1055; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051055 - 12 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1961

Abstract

Since the early 2000s, Ethiopia has been implementing one of the largest land certification and digitalization programs in Africa, underpinned by technological and policy innovations. The reform indicates a promising avenue for increasing the collateralization of land use rights for smallholder households who [...] Read more.

Since the early 2000s, Ethiopia has been implementing one of the largest land certification and digitalization programs in Africa, underpinned by technological and policy innovations. The reform indicates a promising avenue for increasing the collateralization of land use rights for smallholder households who have been credit constrained. However, there is scant evidence to what extent these reforms have influenced access to credit. To help generate new insights and fill this gap, the study employed administrative data generated from 11 districts’ digital land registers, survey data from 2296 households in 19 districts, key informant interviews, and policy and legal framework review. Descriptive and inferential statistics complemented by qualitative explanations are employed to analyze the results of the study. The results revealed that accessibility of information from the digital rural land registers increased the credit-worthiness of small landholders and reduced transaction costs and risks. The reform related to collateralization of land use rights also incentivizes financial institutions to establish new loan products for small landholders. The study concludes that while the two-stage land certification programs allow smallholders to possess documented land rights, their credit-worthiness may likely remain negligible without further technological and policy innovations. This implies two policy issues: the need to reform secured transaction laws and digitalizing registries for higher land rights trade ability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land, Innovation and Social Good 2.0)

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18 pages, 4372 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Warm-Season Ground Surface Temperature—Surface Air Temperature Difference over China Mainland

by Yiwen Long and Guoyu Ren

Land 2023, 12(5), 1057; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051057 - 12 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1543

Abstract

Examining large-scale characteristics of the difference between ground surface temperature (GST) and surface air temperature (SAT) and its long-term trend will help understand land surface energy exchange and the effect of land-atmosphere interaction on climate change and variability. Based on a homogenized monthly [...] Read more.

Examining large-scale characteristics of the difference between ground surface temperature (GST) and surface air temperature (SAT) and its long-term trend will help understand land surface energy exchange and the effect of land-atmosphere interaction on climate change and variability. Based on a homogenized monthly dataset of GST and SAT from 1961 to 2018, this study analyzes the spatial distribution and long-term trend of the difference between ground surface temperature and surface air temperature (GST–SAT) in the warm season (April to October) over China mainland. The results show that the warm-season mean GST–SAT in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the northwestern deserts have the largest GST–SAT. On average, the GST–SAT in China is the greatest in summer, with the maximum monthly value occurring in July. During 1961–2018, the warm-season mean GST–SAT undergoes a significant increasing trend (0.04 °C/10yr, p < 0.01), with the largest increase seen in mid-late spring (April and May), and the smallest increase in August. Spatially, the GST–SAT increases significantly in the northern region, decreases slightly in the southern region, and remains unchanged in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The warm-season mean GST–SAT is significantly positively correlated with altitude and sunshine duration (R = 0.50, 0.40; p < 0.05), and significantly negatively correlated with relative humidity and precipitation (R = 0.48, −0.42; p < 0.05), in the country on a whole in the analysis period. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Land–Climate Interactions)

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21 pages, 3045 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

China’s Urban and Rural Development Significantly Affects the Pattern of Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production

by Tian Zhang, Jian Peng and Xiaoshu Cao

Land 2023, 12(5), 1062; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051062 - 12 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1515

Abstract

Increasing human activities have greatly influenced the ecosystem and the use of ecological resources, and the unbalanced urban–rural development in China (urban and rural areas being two major bases of human activities) has always been accompanied by heterogeneous ecological effects. Human appropriation of [...] Read more.

Increasing human activities have greatly influenced the ecosystem and the use of ecological resources, and the unbalanced urban–rural development in China (urban and rural areas being two major bases of human activities) has always been accompanied by heterogeneous ecological effects. Human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP) is an integrated indicator quantifying the human domination of productivity and harvest in the biosphere. Identifying the unbalanced constraints of urban and rural development on HANPP has become necessary for improving human–land relationships. This study analyzed the spatial distribution and regional differentiations of the HANPP in China in 2015 and investigated how HANPP and its components responded to unbalanced regional urban–rural development. The results show that the total amount of HANPP was 2.68 PgC and gradually decreased from the southeast to the northwest of China in 2015, representing 60.33% of the NPP_pot. In addition, HANPP_luc, harvest through cropland, livestock grazing, and forestry contributed 60.70%, 29.86%, 8.53%, and 0.91%, respectively, to the total HANPP, with HANPP_luc playing the dominant role in 21 provinces. There was a significant differentiation (p < 0.05) in the spatial distribution of HANPP (gC/m²), HANPP_harv (gC/m²), and HANPP_luc (gC/m²), especially between the Huanyong Hu Line and the western–eastern part of China, fundamentally resulting from uneven regional development. In addition, biomass production–consumption decoupling existed in most regions in China, 17 provinces were identified as consumption type, and a universal positive correlation (p < 0.05) was identified between the production–consumption ratio of occupied biomass and HANPP_harv (%HANPP). Different drive mechanisms were found between urban–rural development and HANPP, and each HANPP index was more likely to be affected by urban economy (UE), rural population (RP), and rural agricultural technology (RA) in China. The higher regional average nighttime light intensity, the proportion of the built-up area, and the urban road area corresponded with a large HANPP_luc value. Conversely, HANPP would decrease as the proportion of urban green spaces increased. Furthermore, HANPP (%NPP_pot) and HANPP (gC/m²) mostly depended on the rural development index, while HANPP_luc and HANPP_harv were mainly controlled by urban and rural development, respectively. Our findings help understand, first, how unbalanced regional development influences human-induced biomass occupation, the comprehensive urban ecological construction, and rural ecological restoration and, second, that the overall planning of urban–rural integration development must be strengthened to face greater ecological pressures in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking the Man-Land Relations in China)

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30 pages, 12116 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Measuring Access to Services of General Interest as a Diagnostic Tool to Identify Well-Being Disparities between Rural Areas in Europe

by Mar Ortega-Reig, Carsten Schürmann, Adrian Ferrandis Martínez and Andrew Copus

Land 2023, 12(5), 1049; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051049 - 11 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2161

Abstract

The gradual reorientation of rural policy paradigms away from competitiveness and economic growth and towards well-being and sustainability creates a need for more appropriate diagnostic tools to assess disparities and policy outcomes. One of the most cited determinants of rural well-being is access [...] Read more.

The gradual reorientation of rural policy paradigms away from competitiveness and economic growth and towards well-being and sustainability creates a need for more appropriate diagnostic tools to assess disparities and policy outcomes. One of the most cited determinants of rural well-being is access to Services of General Interest. Areas with relatively poor access to services can be described as “inner peripheries”, and peripherisation literature provides helpful insights into the challenges faced and policy needs. This paper presents a methodology for modelling and mapping access to a suite of ten key services, covering all of Europe at a 2.5 km grid square level. The approach is intrinsically relative, comparing the travel time to services from each grid square with the average for surrounding regions. Maps are provided for 2017 and 2021, and changes between these dates are described. ‘Inner peripheries’ are found in every country, their configuration being influenced not only by geographical features, but also by service delivery practices. Further analysis explores patterns of risk, identifying areas in which service provision is in a precarious position. The results presented are rich in practical policy implications, not least the suggestion that, in terms of patterns of well-being, local roads are at least as important as trunk infrastructure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Territorial Impact Analysis of Rural Policies: Approaches, Methods and Results from a Multidisciplinary Point of View)

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21 pages, 6322 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

On Farmland and Floodplains—Modeling Urban Growth Impacts Based on Global Population Scenarios in Pune, India

by Raphael Karutz, Christian J. A. Klassert and Sigrun Kabisch

Land 2023, 12(5), 1051; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051051 - 11 May 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2988

Abstract

Emerging megacities in the global south face unprecedented transformation dynamics, manifested in rapid demographic, economic, and physical growth. Anticipating the associated sustainability and resilience challenges requires an understanding of future trajectories. Global change models provide consistent high-level urbanization scenarios. City-scale urban growth models [...] Read more.

Emerging megacities in the global south face unprecedented transformation dynamics, manifested in rapid demographic, economic, and physical growth. Anticipating the associated sustainability and resilience challenges requires an understanding of future trajectories. Global change models provide consistent high-level urbanization scenarios. City-scale urban growth models accurately simulate complex physical growth. Modeling approaches linking the global and the local scale, however, are underdeveloped. This work introduces a novel approach to inform a local urban growth model by global Shared Socioeconomic Pathways to produce consistent maps of future urban expansion and population density via cellular automaton and dasymetric mapping. We demonstrate the approach for the case of Pune, India. Three scenarios are explored until 2050: business as usual (BAU), high, and low urbanization. After calibration and validation, the BAU scenario yields a 55% growth in Pune’s population and 90% in built-up extent, entailing significant impacts: Pune’s core city densifies further with up to 60,000 persons/km², adding pressure to its strained infrastructure. In addition, 66–70% more residents are exposed to flood risk. Half of the urban expansion replaces agriculture, converting 167 km² of land. The high-urbanization scenario intensifies these impacts. These results illustrate how spatially explicit scenario projections help identify impacts of urbanization and inform long-term planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Urban Contexts and Urban-Rural Interactions)

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12 pages, 3190 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Urban Grassland Afforestation as a Public Land Management Tool for Environmental Improvement: The Example of Krakow (Poland)

by Miłosz Podwika, Krystyna Ciarkowska and Katarzyna Solek-Podwika

Land 2023, 12(5), 1042; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051042 - 10 May 2023

Viewed by 1347

Abstract

Afforestation can play a significant role in greenhouse gas emission reduction through increased carbon (C) sequestration in the biomass and soil. However, its environmental effects, especially through changes in soil characteristics as a result of afforestation, are still poorly understood. In this work, [...] Read more.

Afforestation can play a significant role in greenhouse gas emission reduction through increased carbon (C) sequestration in the biomass and soil. However, its environmental effects, especially through changes in soil characteristics as a result of afforestation, are still poorly understood. In this work, we studied the response of grassland soils derived from two different parent materials to afforestation. We measured the basic soil properties, including pH, C accumulation, nutrient contents and enzyme activity, in soils from grasslands and mature forests. We focused on the parameters associated with organic matter and the changes resulting from afforestation. We established that in the humus layers, habitat played a more important role in creating the soil properties, including organic-C accumulation, than land use (forest vs. grassland). We created models to explain the C storage in the soils, which indicated the substantial role of certain conditions in promoting the stabilisation of the organic matter, such as pH, and the amount of clay, humines and residue. We determined negative changes in the soil properties when compared with grassland and forest soils, but we found increased C storage, which counteracts the increased emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The results of our work may be of use for afforestation planners and urban managers. Full article

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14 pages, 2184 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Storage and Stability of Soil Organic Carbon in Two Temperate Forests in Northeastern China

by Dongwei Liu, Shanlong Li, Weixing Zhu, Yongyang Wang, Shasha Zhang and Yunting Fang

Land 2023, 12(5), 1019; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051019 - 6 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2964

Abstract

Forests worldwide store large quantities of carbon (C), particularly in soils as soil organic C (SOC). In northeastern China, two dominant forest types, secondary mixed forest (MF) and larch plantation forest (LF), cover extensive areas. However, we lack an understanding of the patterns [...] Read more.

Forests worldwide store large quantities of carbon (C), particularly in soils as soil organic C (SOC). In northeastern China, two dominant forest types, secondary mixed forest (MF) and larch plantation forest (LF), cover extensive areas. However, we lack an understanding of the patterns and the mechanisms of SOC storage and stabilization in MF and LF, especially in deep soil layers. This research aims to illustrate the vertical distribution and mineral protection of SOC over soil depth; we also used δ¹³C values of soil fractions to evaluate SOC stability. Samples from the surface litter (O_i), organic layer (O_a+e), and 0–40 cm mineral soils were collected from both MF and LF plots. We used two different methods to separate bulk soils into distinguished fractions: (1) macro- and micro-aggregates and the non-aggregated fraction, and (2) particulate organic matter (POM) and mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM). The C concentrations, C stocks, and δ¹³C of all soil fractions were determined. Our findings were as follows: (1) SOC was mainly stored in mineral soils and was 13.6% lower in LF (8609 ± 1180 g C m⁻²) than MF (9969 ± 2084 g C m⁻²). (2) In both MF and LF, the SOC stock was mainly stored in aggregates (averaged 92.7%); macroaggregates dominated in the surface layers (O_a+e layer and 0–10 cm) but microaggregates dominated in the deep layers (10–20 cm and 20–40 cm). In mineral soils, MAOM was the dominant fraction of the C stock (averaged 81.6%). (3) The proportion of C distributed in microaggregates and MAOM increased from O_a+e to the 20–40 cm layer. (4) The C/N ratios and δ¹³C values of MAOM were smaller and heavier compared to those of POM. Our study demonstrated that in both forests, aggregate formation and mineral association predominantly contributed to SOC storage, and large stocks of SOC were distributed in the deep soil. The increasing proportion of SOC in microaggregates and MAOM along the soil depth, most likely derived from microbial turnover and microbial necromass, influenced SOC stability in both forest types. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Effects on Carbon Storage and Greenhouse Gas Emissions)

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22 pages, 2631 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Land Use Structure Optimization and Ecological Benefit Evaluation in Chengdu-Chongqing Urban Agglomeration Based on Carbon Neutrality

by Zhi Wang, Fengwan Zhang, Shaoquan Liu and Dingde Xu

Land 2023, 12(5), 1016; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051016 - 5 May 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2494

Abstract

Optimizing land use structure in urban agglomerations is essential to mitigating climate change and achieving carbon neutrality. However, the studies on low-carbon (LC) land use in the urban agglomeration based on carbon neutrality are still limited and lack the consideration of the optimized [...] Read more.

Optimizing land use structure in urban agglomerations is essential to mitigating climate change and achieving carbon neutrality. However, the studies on low-carbon (LC) land use in the urban agglomeration based on carbon neutrality are still limited and lack the consideration of the optimized land ecological benefits. To reduce land use carbon emissions (LUCEs) and improve the ecological benefits of urban agglomerations, we constructed the framework of land use structure optimization (LUSO) under carbon neutrality. Then, in view of land use quantity structure and spatial distribution, we compared the results of LUCEs and the ecological benefits of the Chengdu–Chongqing urban agglomeration (the CCUA) in 2030 under different scenarios. The results showed that in 2030, the LUCEs of the CCUA is 3481.6632 × 10⁴ t under the carbon neutral scenario (CN_Scenario), which is significantly lower than the baseline scenario (BL_Scenario) and 2020. In the CN_Scenario, the land use/cover change (LUCC) in the CCUA is more moderate, the aggregation degree of the forestland (FL), grassland (GL), wetland (WL), and water (WTR) patch area deepens, and the overall landscape spreading degree is increased, which is more conducive to play the ecological benefit of carbon sink land. The results can provide a reference for the more efficient use of land resource areas and the formulation of land use and spatial planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural Land Use Transformation and Agricultural Sustainable Development II)

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25 pages, 1306 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Comparative Analysis of Neighborhood Sustainability Assessment Systems from the USA (LEED–ND), Germany (DGNB–UD), and India (GRIHA–LD)

by Swati Bahale and Thorsten Schuetze

Land 2023, 12(5), 1002; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051002 - 3 May 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2903

Abstract

Neighborhood sustainability assessment systems support the planning of sustainable and resilient cities. This research analyses, compares, and evaluates three neighborhood sustainability assessment systems (NSA) of (i) the German Sustainable Building Council for Urban Districts (DGNB–UD), (ii) the USA Leadership in energy and environmental [...] Read more.

Neighborhood sustainability assessment systems support the planning of sustainable and resilient cities. This research analyses, compares, and evaluates three neighborhood sustainability assessment systems (NSA) of (i) the German Sustainable Building Council for Urban Districts (DGNB–UD), (ii) the USA Leadership in energy and environmental design for Neighborhood Development (LEED–ND), and (iii) the Indian Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment for Large Developments (GRIHA–LD). The theoretical background, certification types, process, and evaluation methods of the three NSAs are discussed. The qualitative and quantitative comparative analysis and evaluation methods of the NSAs included identifying and assessing ten weighted essential urban sustainability themes. Indicators under each theme were identified and compared in the NSAs. The comparison showed the importance of particular themes based on assigned weights. LEED–ND focuses on “transportation” and “site planning”, while DGNB–UD addresses all dimensions of sustainability in a balanced manner. GRIHA–LD has limitations concerning social, economic, and governance concerns. The research results define differences and similarities in international neighborhood sustainability assessment and illustrate the quality and quantity differences of sustainability and resilience aspects addressed by the three existing NSA systems as a starting basis for the future improvement of existing and development of new land sustainability and resilience assessment systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Resilience and Urban Sustainability under Climate Change)

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17 pages, 4149 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Changes of Desertification and Its Driving Factors in the Gonghe Basin of North China over the Past 10 Years

by Hong Jia, Rui Wang, Hang Li, Baijian Diao, Hao Zheng, Lanlan Guo, Lianyou Liu and Jifu Liu

Land 2023, 12(5), 998; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12050998 - 1 May 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2044

Abstract

Desertification is one of the most severe environmental and socioeconomic issues facing the world today. Gonghe Basin is located in the monsoon marginal zone of China, is a sensitive area of climate change in the northeastern of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China, desertification [...] Read more.

Desertification is one of the most severe environmental and socioeconomic issues facing the world today. Gonghe Basin is located in the monsoon marginal zone of China, is a sensitive area of climate change in the northeastern of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China, desertification issue has become very severe. Remote sensing monitoring provides an effective technical means for desertification control. In this study, we used Landsat images in 2010 and 2020 to extract desertification information to constructed the Albedo-NDVI feature space in the Gonghe Basin. And then analyzed temporal and spatial evolution of desertification and its driving factors using Geodetector in the Gonghe Basin from 2010 to 2020. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) Albedo-NDVI feature space method can accurately classify desertification information with accuracy of more than 90%, which was benefit to quantitative analysis of desertification. (2) The desertification situation in the Gonghe Basin had improved from 2010 to 2020, especially in the west of the basin, desertification land area decreased by 827.46 km², and desertification intensity had been obviously reversed. (3) The changes of the desertification in the Gonghe Basin from 2010 to 2020 was affected by both natural and human factors, and the influence of human activities on desertification reversal had increased gradually. The results indicate that the desertification status in the Gonghe Basin had been effectively controlled, and can provide useful basis for the desertification combat in the Gonghe Basin. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking the Man-Land Relations in China)

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19 pages, 3119 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceReview

The Anthropocene in the Aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark Schelde Delta Area: Geological History, Human Resilience and Future Landscape Management

by Sjoerd Kluiving and Ronald Waterman

Land 2023, 12(5), 990; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12050990 - 29 Apr 2023

Viewed by 2192

Abstract

In north-western Europe, the Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt rivers have created a large river delta over the past 3 million years. Geological phenomena in the Scheldt region in north-western Belgium and in the southern Netherlands testify from a highly dynamic landscape, showing a [...] Read more.

In north-western Europe, the Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt rivers have created a large river delta over the past 3 million years. Geological phenomena in the Scheldt region in north-western Belgium and in the southern Netherlands testify from a highly dynamic landscape, showing a range from very old (50 MY) to very young (recent) geological processes. The great diversity in geological processes and resulting landscapes is unprecedented on a global scale and has had its impact on the region’s cultural and economic history, shaping today’s reality in the global polycrisis. However, the area is usually observed by people as a flat and featureless type of terrain, although sometimes, unexpected elevation differences and sharp contrasts in landscapes occur alternating with omnipresent waterways. Therefore, here, the seven most conspicuous landforms are reviewed and presented in conjunction with the geological history of the area, including the typical lowland theme of the human battle against water. This study aims to (a) reconstruct the Tertiary and Quaternary to Holocene Dutch–Flemish Schelde Delta history, (b) review a cultural history that evolves into the present of the Anthropocene, and (c) project the desired future for sustainable landscapes in the aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark Schelde Delta between plural landscape management scenarios of Revitalised Land- and Waterscape and Improved Biodiversity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Resilience in Historical Landscapes)

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18 pages, 1721 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Nitrogenous and Phosphorus Soil Contents in Tierra del Fuego Forests: Relationships with Soil Organic Carbon, Climate, Vegetation and Landscape Metrics

by Guillermo Martínez Pastur, Marie-Claire Aravena Acuña, Jimena E. Chaves, Juan M. Cellini, Eduarda M. O. Silveira, Julián Rodriguez-Souilla, Axel von Müller, Ludmila La Manna, María V. Lencinas and Pablo L. Peri

Land 2023, 12(5), 983; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12050983 - 28 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2207

Abstract

Soil nitrogen (SN) and soil phosphorus (SP) contents support several ecosystem services and define the forest type distribution at local scale in Southern Patagonia. The quantification of nutrients during forest surveys requires soil samplings and estimations that are costly and difficult to measure. [...] Read more.

Soil nitrogen (SN) and soil phosphorus (SP) contents support several ecosystem services and define the forest type distribution at local scale in Southern Patagonia. The quantification of nutrients during forest surveys requires soil samplings and estimations that are costly and difficult to measure. For this, predictive models of soil nutrients are needed. The objective of this study was to quantify SN and SP contents (30 cm depth) using different modelling approaches based on climatic, topographic and vegetation variables. We used data from 728 stands of different forest types for linear regression models to map SN and SP. The fitted models captured the variability of forest types well (R²-adj. 92–98% for SN and 70–87% for SP). The means were 9.3 ton ha⁻¹ for SN and 124.3 kg ha⁻¹ for SP. Overall, SN values were higher in the deciduous forests than those in the mixed evergreen, while SP was the highest in the Nothofagus pumilio forests. SN and SP are relevant metrics for many applications, connecting major issues, such as forest management and conservation. With these models, the quantification of SN and SP stocks across forests of different protection status (National Law 26,331/07) and national/provincial reserve networks is possible, contributing to the determination of nutrient contents at landscape level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Carbon-Nitrogen-Water Relations in Forests)

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21 pages, 2236 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Mixed Land Use as an Intrinsic Feature of Sprawl: A Short-Term Analysis of Settlement Growth and Population Distribution Using European Urban Atlas

by Alessia D’Agata, Giovanni Quaranta, Rosanna Salvia, Margherita Carlucci and Luca Salvati

Land 2023, 12(5), 972; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12050972 - 27 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1739

Abstract

This study investigates the land-use/population mix over time as the base to derive an indicator of urban sprawl. Land-use individual patches (provided by Urban Atlas, hereafter UA, with a detailed spatial geometry at 1:10,000 scale) were associated with the total (resident) population based [...] Read more.

This study investigates the land-use/population mix over time as the base to derive an indicator of urban sprawl. Land-use individual patches (provided by Urban Atlas, hereafter UA, with a detailed spatial geometry at 1:10,000 scale) were associated with the total (resident) population based on official statistics (census enumeration districts and other public data sources), providing a comprehensive mapping of the spatial distribution of population density by land-use class in a representative case study for the Mediterranean region (metropolitan Athens, Greece). Data analysis adopted a mix of statistical techniques, such as descriptive statistics, non-parametric curve interpolation (smoothing splines), and exploratory multivariate statistics, namely hierarchical clustering, non-metric multi-dimensional scaling and confirmative factor analysis. The results of this study indicate a non-linear gradient of density decline from downtown (dominated by compact settlements) to peripheral locations (dominated by natural land). Population density in agricultural land was locally high and increasing over time; this result suggests how mixed land use may be the base of intense sprawl in large metropolitan regions. The methodology implemented in this study can be generalized over the whole sample of European cities included in Urban Atlas, providing a semi-automatic assessment of exurban development and population re-distribution over larger metropolitan regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Progress in Urbanisation Dynamics Research Ⅱ)

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20 pages, 8866 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Computational Decision Support for Socio-Technical Awareness of Land-Use Planning under Complexity—A Dam Resilience Planning Case Study

by Andreas Tolk, Jennifer A. Richkus, F. LeRon Shults and Wesley J. Wildman

Land 2023, 12(5), 952; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12050952 - 25 Apr 2023

Viewed by 1615

Abstract

Land-use planning for modern societies requires technical competence as well as social competence. We therefore propose an integrative solution enabling better land-use planning and management through better-informed decision-making. We adapt a method developed for cross-disciplinary team building to identify the stakeholders and their [...] Read more.

Land-use planning for modern societies requires technical competence as well as social competence. We therefore propose an integrative solution enabling better land-use planning and management through better-informed decision-making. We adapt a method developed for cross-disciplinary team building to identify the stakeholders and their various objectives and value systems. We use these results to populate artificial societies embedded into a dynamic data analytics framework as a tool to identify, explore, and visualize the challenges resulting from the different objectives and value systems in land-use planning and management. To prove the feasibility of the proposed solution, we present two use cases from the dam resilience planning domain, show how to apply the process and tools, and present the results. The solution is not limited to such use cases but can be generalized to address challenges in socio-technical systems, such as water resource evaluations or climate change effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Land Systems Mapping and Monitoring under Global Environmental Changes)

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20 pages, 571 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Impact of Government Support and Social Networks on Peasants’ Effective Participation in High-Standard Farmland Construction: Evidence from Yancheng City, China

by Huawei Zheng, Kunyu Lou, Yuanyuan Yang, Han Wang and Yong Lu

Land 2023, 12(5), 955; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12050955 - 25 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1720

Abstract

The effective participation of peasants can raise the quality of high-standard farmland construction (HSFC) in China. How to avoid inefficient participation is an urgent issue that needs to be solved in the field of HSFC. However, the factors that influence peasants’ effective participation [...] Read more.

The effective participation of peasants can raise the quality of high-standard farmland construction (HSFC) in China. How to avoid inefficient participation is an urgent issue that needs to be solved in the field of HSFC. However, the factors that influence peasants’ effective participation in the HSFC remains to be further studied. This study used factor analysis and a comprehensive evaluation method to calculate social networks and the level of peasants’ effective participation in HSFC based on a survey dataset of 347 peasants in Yancheng City, China. The influence of information support, incentive support, constraint support, network interaction, network trust, and network norms on the level of peasants’ effective participation in HSFC was analyzed using an ordered logistic model. The results of the study indicate that: (1) The overall level of peasants’ effective participation in the HSFC is at a “medium” level, and the level of peasants’ effective participation needs to be further raised. (2) Government support considerably influences peasants’ effective participation in HSFC. Information support, incentive support, and constraint support significantly impact peasants’ effective participation in HSFC. (3) Social networks possess a significant positive impact on the level of peasants’ effective participation in HSFC, with the core variables contributing to peasants’ effective participation in the order of network interaction, network trust, and network norms. (4) Peasants’ cognition significantly impacts peasants’ effective participation in HSFC. Therefore, to enhance the level of peasants’ effective participation in HSFC, it is suggested to further improve government information support, incentive support, and constraint support; strengthen network interaction, enhance network trust, improve network norms, and effectively play the role of social networks; and to strengthen peasants’ education and training. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural Land Use Transformation and Agricultural Sustainable Development II)

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23 pages, 21144 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Modeling of Gully Erosion in Ethiopia as Influenced by Changes in Rainfall and Land Use Management Practices

by Tadesual Asamin Setargie, Atsushi Tsunekawa, Nigussie Haregeweyn, Mitsuru Tsubo, Mauro Rossi, Francesca Ardizzone, Matthias Vanmaercke, Sofie De Geeter, Ayele Almaw Fenta, Kindiye Ebabu, Mesenbet Yibeltal, Mulatu Liyew Berihun, Dagnenet Sultan, Benedict Nzioki and Taye Minichil Meshesha

Land 2023, 12(5), 947; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12050947 - 24 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2838

Abstract

Gully erosion is one of the most extreme land degradation processes that exhibit spatial and temporal variation depending on topography, soil, climate, and land use and management characteristics. This study investigated the impact of changes in rainfall, land use/land cover (LULC), and land [...] Read more.

Gully erosion is one of the most extreme land degradation processes that exhibit spatial and temporal variation depending on topography, soil, climate, and land use and management characteristics. This study investigated the impact of changes in rainfall, land use/land cover (LULC), and land use management (LUM) practices on gully erosion in two midland watersheds (treated Kecha and untreated Laguna) in the Upper Blue Nile basin of Ethiopia by using the LANDPLANER model in combination with intensive field measurements and remote sensing products. We simulated gully erosion under past (in 2005), present (in 2021), and three potential future curve number conditions, each time under four rainfall scenarios (10, 30, 60, and 100 mm) using the dynamic erosion index (e), static topographic (esp), and erosion channel (esp_channel) thresholds. Density plot analyses showed that gullies frequently occur in low-lying gentle slope areas with relatively higher curve number values. The best predictions of gullies identified through true positive rates (TPR) and true negative rates (TNR) were achieved considering the static esp_channel > 1 for Kecha (TPR = 0.667 and TNR = 0.544) and the dynamic e > 0.1 for 60 mm of rainfall in Laguna (TPR = 0.769 and TNR = 0.516). Despite the 10 mm rainfall having negligible erosion-triggering potential in both watersheds, the 60 and 100 mm rainfall scenarios were 4–5 and 10–17 times, respectively, higher than the 30 mm rainfall scenario. While the LULC change in the untreated Laguna watershed increased the impact of rainfall on gully initiation by only 0–2% between 2005 and 2021, the combination of LULC and LUM significantly reduced the impact of rainfall in the treated Kecha watershed by 64–79%. Similarly, the gully initiation area in Kecha was reduced by 28% (from 33% in 2005 to 5% in 2021) due to changes in LULC and LUM practices, whereas Laguna showed little increment by only 1% (from 42% in 2005 to 43% in 2021) due to LULC change. In addition, the future predicted alternative land use planning options showed that gully initiation areas in Laguna could be reduced by 1% with only LULC conversion; 39% when only LUM practices were implemented; and 37% when both were combined. These results indicate that LUM practices outweigh the impact of LULC on gully erosion in the studied paired watersheds. Overall, LANDPLANER successfully simulated the spatio-temporal variation of gully erosion with scenario-based analyses and hence can be used to predict gullies in the study area and other data-scarce regions with similar agro-ecological settings. Full article

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18 pages, 3826 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Sustainability Consequences of Making Land Change Decisions Based on Current Climatology in the Brazilian Cerrados

by Daniel S. Silva and Eugenio Y. Arima

Land 2023, 12(4), 914; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040914 - 19 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2926

Abstract

Brazil is one of the largest suppliers of commodities in the world, partly due to the agricultural expansion in the Brazilian savannas (also known as Cerrado) that began in the 1970s. However, as areas with better soil and climate for agriculture become scarce, [...] Read more.

Brazil is one of the largest suppliers of commodities in the world, partly due to the agricultural expansion in the Brazilian savannas (also known as Cerrado) that began in the 1970s. However, as areas with better soil and climate for agriculture become scarce, farmers have been advancing to the ecotone between the savanna and xeric shrubland, where precipitation is less reliable for rainfed agriculture. The expected increase in temperature will lead to extended drought periods, with negative consequences for surface and groundwater resources. This study explores the hazards associated with making land-use decisions based on current climatology in regions where projected increases in temperature and reductions in water availability are anticipated to pose significant challenges to rainfed agriculture in the Brazilian Cerrado biome. We modeled future farmland expansion and how that matches with future climate change predictions (2016–2046). According to our estimates, at least 129 thousand km² of cropland and 418 thousand km² of pastures will be added in places with projected higher annual temperatures ranging from 26–30 °C. This is equivalent to ~60% of the current agricultural areas, and a novel agro-climatology will emerge for the Cerrado biome. Therefore, we discuss the agro-environmental policies that are pushing and pulling farmland expansion in the Cerrado. For instance, payments for environmental services could support the conservation of native vegetation on private land in regions with the highest temperature increases and deforestation risks. Moreover, in areas with expected reduced water yields, such as in the western Cerrado, the protection of riparian vegetation and strict regulation of water use could mitigate future risks to agriculture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Global Savanna Variation in Form and Function: Theory & Practice)

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17 pages, 33463 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Vulnerability of Wheat Crops to Flooding Outweighs Benefits from Precision Farming and Agroecology Practices: A Case Study in Central Italy

by Enrico Santangelo, Claudio Beni, Loredana Oreti, Adriano Palma and Marco Bascietto

Land 2023, 12(4), 915; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040915 - 19 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2105

Abstract

This study aimed at testing whether the integration of precision farming (PF) and agroecological practices could influence wheat yield in the short term on soils exposed to varying degrees of risk from flooding. The study embraced two years (2018–2019 and 2020–2021) of wheat [...] Read more.

This study aimed at testing whether the integration of precision farming (PF) and agroecological practices could influence wheat yield in the short term on soils exposed to varying degrees of risk from flooding. The study embraced two years (2018–2019 and 2020–2021) of wheat cultivation in Central Italy. A two-way factorial grid with agronomic practice (two levels: agroecology vs. conventional on-farm management) and soil vulnerability to flooding (three levels: extreme, mild, non-vulnerable) as factors was set up. The agroecology level included a number of agroecology practices (rotation, use of nitrogen-fixing crops, mulching, and reduction in chemical fertilization). Crop phenology and photosynthetic activity of wheat was monitored by remotely-sensed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Grain yield was estimated at twenty sampling points at the end of year 2. A flooding event occurred during year 2, which led to significantly lower photosynthetic activity compared to year 1 in extremely vulnerable plots regardless of agronomic practices. Grain yield measurements confirmed that vulnerability was the sole factor significantly affecting yield. The study concludes that food security on vulnerable land can be guaranteed only when precision farming and agroecological practices are coupled with water management techniques that strengthen the resilience of vulnerable soils to floods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Land–Climate Interactions)

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21 pages, 2273 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Periphery and Integrated Planning: Coping with Rural and Touristic Challenges across Scales in the German Wadden Sea Region

by Nora Mehnen, Ingo Mose, Peter Schaal, Frans Sijtsma, José Muñoz-Rojas, Mariia Fedoriak and Per Angelstam

Land 2023, 12(4), 904; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040904 - 18 Apr 2023

Viewed by 2397

Abstract

Rural landscapes face multiple challenges, but they can be attractive for developing nature-based tourism. Encouraging place-based participatory governance in local communities represents a relevant transdisciplinary landscape approach. In this study, we map (1) rural and touristic challenges and (2) coping strategies in peripheral–rural [...] Read more.

Rural landscapes face multiple challenges, but they can be attractive for developing nature-based tourism. Encouraging place-based participatory governance in local communities represents a relevant transdisciplinary landscape approach. In this study, we map (1) rural and touristic challenges and (2) coping strategies in peripheral–rural municipalities, and we (3) discuss the need for integration of local and regional-level actions. Two island and two mainland municipalities with different demographic profiles and different degrees of touristic specialization in the German Wadden Sea Region were selected as case studies. Through meetings and interviews we mapped perceived challenges and analyzed policies and other coping strategies. We then discuss the need for integration at multiple scales. Island municipalities were more exposed to tourism development challenges than mainland municipalities. Securing public services and welfare, and the sustainable conservation of ecological green infrastructures were particularly challenging. Applying a participatory approach was a coping strategy at the local level. However, there is a need for activities at multiple scales. In coping with rural development challenges, local level participatory approaches and regional planning complement each other. Combination and integration of local and regional-level concepts should be encouraged to support collaborative learning through evaluation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversifying Forest Landscape Management Approaches)

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25 pages, 9057 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Biogeophysical Effects of Land-Use and Land-Cover Changes in South Asia: An Analysis of CMIP6 Models

by Juliana Freitas Santos, Udo Schickhoff, Shabeh ul Hasson and Jürgen Böhner

Land 2023, 12(4), 880; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040880 - 13 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3600

Abstract

The identification of the biogeophysical effects due to land-use, land-cover, and land- management changes (LULCC) is yet to be clearly understood. A range of factors, such as the inclusion of an interactive ocean model component, representation of land management, transient LULCC, and accountability [...] Read more.

The identification of the biogeophysical effects due to land-use, land-cover, and land- management changes (LULCC) is yet to be clearly understood. A range of factors, such as the inclusion of an interactive ocean model component, representation of land management, transient LULCC, and accountability for atmospheric feedback, potentially shifts how models may detect the impacts of the land surface on the climate system. Previous studies on the biogeophysical effects of LULCC in South Asia have either neglected one of those factors or are single model results. Therefore, we analyzed the outputs from 11 models, participants of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project in its Sixth Phase (CMIP6), which derived from experiments with and without LULCC and compared the two simulations with respect to changes in near-surface temperature and total precipitation means. The CMIP6 simulations, to a certain extent, accounted for the elements previously overlooked. We examined the grid cells that robustly indicated a climatic impact from LULCC. Additionally, we investigated the atmospheric feedback and the dominant fluxes with their associated land surface variables involved in the changes in temperature and precipitation. Our results indicated that the biogeophysical effects from LULCC favored surface net cooling and surface net drying over the robust areas at all seasons. The surface net cooling was strongly influenced by the decrease in available energy and the increase in latent heat and total evapotranspiration. Surface net drying was highly promoted by local hydrological processes, especially in areas outside the monsoon core. The study also revealed that non-local sources might influence precipitation in some parts of South Asia, although this was inconclusive. Our research presented similar results to previous studies but with different magnitudes, which highlighted the added value of CMIP6-GCMs simulations but also their pitfalls. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Land Systems and Global Change)

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19 pages, 11033 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Determining the Extent of Soil Degradation Processes Using Trend Analyses at a Regional Multispectral Scale

by Mohamed A. E. AbdelRahman, Mohamed R. Metwalli, Maofang Gao, Francesco Toscano, Costanza Fiorentino, Antonio Scopa and Paola D’Antonio

Land 2023, 12(4), 855; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040855 - 10 Apr 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3008

Abstract

In order to ensure the sustainability of production from agricultural lands, the degradation processes surrounding the fertile land environment must be monitored. Human-induced risk and status of soil degradation (SD) were assessed in the Northern-Eastern part of the Nile delta using trend analyses [...] Read more.

In order to ensure the sustainability of production from agricultural lands, the degradation processes surrounding the fertile land environment must be monitored. Human-induced risk and status of soil degradation (SD) were assessed in the Northern-Eastern part of the Nile delta using trend analyses for years 2013 to 2023. SD hotspot areas were identified using time-series analysis of satellite-derived indices as a small fraction of the difference between the observed indices and the geostatistical analyses projected from the soil data. The method operated on the assumption that the negative trend of photosynthetic capacity of plants is an indicator of SD independently of climate variability. Combinations of soil, water, and vegetation’s indices were integrated to achieve the goals of the study. Thirteen soil profiles were dug in the hotspots areas. The soil was affected by salinity and alkalinity risks ranging from slight to strong, while compaction and waterlogging ranged from slight to moderate. According to the GIS-model results, 30% of the soils were subject to slight degradation threats, 50% were subject to strong risks, and 20% were subject to moderate risks. The primary human-caused sources of SD are excessive irrigation, poor conservation practices, improper utilisation of heavy machines, and insufficient drainage. Electrical conductivity (EC), exchangeable soil percentage (ESP), bulk density (BD), and water table depth were the main causes of SD in the area. Generally, chemical degradation risks were low, while physical risks were very high in the area. Trend analyses of remote sensing indices (RSI) proved to be effective and accurate tools to monitor environmental dynamic changes. Principal components analyses were used to compare and prioritise among the used RSI. RSI pixel-wise residual trend indicated SD areas were related to soil data. The spatial and temporal trends of the indices in the region followed the patterns of drought, salinity, soil moisture, and the difficulties in separating the impacts of drought and submerged on SD on vegetation photosynthetic capacity. Therefore, future studies of land degradation and desertification should proceed using indices as a factor predictor of SD analysis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Measurement of Within-Field Spatial Variability for Evaluating Soil Degradation)

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23 pages, 2969 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Managing the Conflict of Human–Wildlife Coexistence: A Community-Based Approach

by Stilianos Tampakis, Veronika Andrea, Thomas Panagopoulos, Paraskevi Karanikola, Rallou Gkarmiri and Theodora Georgoula

Land 2023, 12(4), 832; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040832 - 5 Apr 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4383

Abstract

One of the most recent and pressing issues for policymakers to address is the presence of wild boars in urban and rural areas. Their aggressive spread and invasion of human-populated areas have created an alarming problem as the coexistence of wild boars and [...] Read more.

One of the most recent and pressing issues for policymakers to address is the presence of wild boars in urban and rural areas. Their aggressive spread and invasion of human-populated areas have created an alarming problem as the coexistence of wild boars and people poses serious threats to human life and property. Human-caused factors, such as residential zone expansion and land use change, have exacerbated this problem. Furthermore, natural factors, such as predator reduction and climate change effects, create favorable conditions for population growth. This study sought to gain insights into citizens’ perspectives on a current issue, specifically wild boar colonization and coexistence in urban and rural settings. Between September 2021 and November 2022, a survey was conducted in two communities of northern and central Greece, addressing 800 citizens in total. Obtained through hierarchical log-linear analysis, factor analysis and two-step cluster analysis, the findings indicate that rural citizens appear to be more concerned about agricultural production losses and the high risk of road accidents, while the invasion-level perception was high in both areas. Intensive hunting has gained widespread acceptance as a management tool for wild boar populations in both urban and rural areas, while anthropocentric (EGO) and ecocentric (ECO) social groups have emerged. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Urban Contexts and Urban-Rural Interactions)

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19 pages, 2738 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Satellite-Based Carbon Estimation in Scotland: AGB and SOC

by Chun Ki Chan, Carla Arus Gomez, Anish Kothikar and P. M. Baiz-Villafranca

Land 2023, 12(4), 818; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040818 - 3 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3073

Abstract

The majority of state-of-the-art research employs remote sensing on AGB (Above Ground Biomass) and SOC (Soil Organic Carbon) separately, although some studies indicate a positive correlation between the two. We intend to combine the two domains in our research to improve state-of-the-art total [...] Read more.

The majority of state-of-the-art research employs remote sensing on AGB (Above Ground Biomass) and SOC (Soil Organic Carbon) separately, although some studies indicate a positive correlation between the two. We intend to combine the two domains in our research to improve state-of-the-art total carbon estimation. We begin by establishing a baseline model in our study area in Scotland, using state-of-the-art methodologies in the SOC and AGB domains. The effects of feature engineering techniques such as variance inflation factor and feature selection on machine learning models are then investigated. This is extended by combining predictor variables from the two domains. Finally, we leverage the possible correlation between AGB and SOC to establish a relationship between the two and propose novel models in an attempt to outperform the state-of-the-art results. We compared three machine learning techniques, boosted regression tree, random forest, and xgboost. These techniques have been demonstrated to be the most effective in both domains. This research makes three contributions: (i) Including Digital Elevation Map (DEM) as a predictor variable in the AGB model improves the model result by 13.5 % on average across the three machine learning techniques experimented, implying that DEM should be considered for AGB estimation as well, despite the fact that it has previously been used exclusively for SOC estimation. (ii) Using SOC and SOC Density improves the prediction of the AGB model by a significant 14.2% on average compared to the state-of-the-art baseline (When comparing the R2 value across all three modeling techniques in Model B and Model H, there is an increase from 0.5016 to 0.5604 for BRT, 0.4958 to 0.5925 for RF and 0.5161 to 0.5750 for XGB), which strengthens our experiment results and suggests a future research direction of combining AGB and SOC as a joint study domain. (iii) Including AGB as a predictor variable for SOC improves model performance for Random Forest, but reduced performance for Boosted Regression tree and XG Boost, indicating that the results are specific to ML models and more research is required on the feature space and modeling techniques. Additionally, we propose a method for estimating total carbon using data from Sentinel 1, Sentinel 2, Landsat 8, Digital Elevation, and the Forest Inventory. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Global Perspective in Soil Carbon Sequestration and Climate Change)

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13 pages, 1199 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Supporting the Global Biodiversity Framework Monitoring with LUI, the Land Use Intensity Indicator

by Joachim H. Spangenberg

Land 2023, 12(4), 820; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040820 - 3 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3273

Abstract

Biodiversity loss has been identified as one of the environmental impacts where humankind has been trespassing over planetary boundaries most significantly. Going beyond the pressures causing damages (calling them ‘direct drivers’) and analysing their underlying driving forces, IPBES, the Intergovernmental Science–Policy Platform for [...] Read more.

Biodiversity loss has been identified as one of the environmental impacts where humankind has been trespassing over planetary boundaries most significantly. Going beyond the pressures causing damages (calling them ‘direct drivers’) and analysing their underlying driving forces, IPBES, the Intergovernmental Science–Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, also identified a series of indirect drivers. The Montreal–Kunming Global Biodiversity Framework, GBF, including its suggested monitoring approach, is intended to and claims to be a policy response to such analyses. However, to assess the human impact on ecosystems as a basis for planning conservation and restoration, as foreseen in the GBF, monitoring ecosystem typologies (in the GBF with reference to the UN statistical standard SEEA ES, which, in turn, refers to the IUCN ecosystem classification) is not enough. It needs to be complemented with data on the severity of human impacts and on the history of places, i.e., how and when the current ecosystem status was brought about. In this conceptual paper, we suggest LUI, a deliberately simple ordinal scale index for land use intensity changes, to address these two gaps. It is based on the hemeroby concept, measuring the human impact as deviation from naturalness. This makes it an information collection and presentation tool for those working in landscape planning and management. LUI’s simple and intuitively understandable structure makes it suitable for citizen science applications, and, thus, for participative monitoring when extensive statistical data gathering is not feasible and past data are not available. Of course, it can also be used as a simple tool for communicating when detailed statistical data series are available. While the aggregate index is expected to communicate well, its components are more relevant to motivate and help policy makers to prioritise their decisions according to the severity of recent anthropogenic ecosystem disturbances. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Land – Observation and Monitoring)

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17 pages, 1157 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

A Framework for Data-Driven Agent-Based Modelling of Agricultural Land Use

by Giacomo Ravaioli, Tiago Domingos and Ricardo F. M. Teixeira

Land 2023, 12(4), 756; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040756 - 27 Mar 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5217

Abstract

Agent-based models (ABMs) are particularly suited for simulating the behaviour of agricultural agents in response to land use (LU) policy. However, there is no evidence of their widespread use by policymakers. Here, we carry out a review of LU ABMs to understand how [...] Read more.

Agent-based models (ABMs) are particularly suited for simulating the behaviour of agricultural agents in response to land use (LU) policy. However, there is no evidence of their widespread use by policymakers. Here, we carry out a review of LU ABMs to understand how farmers’ decision-making has been modelled. We found that LU ABMs mainly rely on pre-defined behavioural rules at the individual farmers’ level. They prioritise explanatory over predictive purposes, thus limiting the use of ABM for policy assessment. We explore the use of machine learning (ML) as a data-driven alternative for modelling decisions. Integration of ML with ABMs has never been properly applied to LU modelling, despite the increased availability of remote sensing products and agricultural micro-data. Therefore, we also propose a framework to develop data-driven ABMs for agricultural LU. This framework avoids pre-defined theoretical or heuristic rules and instead resorts to ML algorithms to learn agents’ behavioural rules from data. ML models are not directly interpretable, but their analysis can provide novel insights regarding the response of farmers to policy changes. The integration of ML models can also improve the validation of individual behaviours, which increases the ability of ABMs to predict policy outcomes at the micro-level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Approaches to Land Use/Land Cover Change Modeling)

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18 pages, 545 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Investigating the Factors Influencing the Intention to Adopt Long-Term Land Leasing in Northern Ireland

by Adewale Henry Adenuga, Claire Jack and Ronan McCarry

Land 2023, 12(3), 649; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12030649 - 9 Mar 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2795

Abstract

Short-term land rental agreements such as the traditional conacre system in Northern Ireland offer flexibility between the landowners and the farmers renting the land. However, the uncertainty of tenure linked to such short-term land rental systems does not allow for farmers renting the [...] Read more.

Short-term land rental agreements such as the traditional conacre system in Northern Ireland offer flexibility between the landowners and the farmers renting the land. However, the uncertainty of tenure linked to such short-term land rental systems does not allow for farmers renting the land to make longer-term investment planning and decisions, particularly around sustainable land management practices. Long-term tenancy agreements have been identified as a viable option to cope with short-term uncertainties and improve the environmental management of the land. In this study, we analysed the factors influencing farmers’ intention to adopt long-term land leasing with and without income tax incentives in Northern Ireland. To achieve our objective, we employed ordered logistic regression models complemented with qualitative analysis. The results of our analyses showed that varying factors including risk attitude, pro-environmental behaviour, profit consciousness, having a dairy enterprise, the area of farmland owned, the presence of a successor, and the age and education of the farmer influence farmers’ intention to adopt long-term land leasing. However, variability exists depending on the farmers’ rental status and availability of income tax incentives. It can be concluded from the study that policies aimed at encouraging long-term land leasing should take a holistic approach that incorporates environmental and socioeconomic factors. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues)

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13 pages, 3724 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Global Maps of Agricultural Expansion Potential at a 300 m Resolution

by Mirza Čengić, Zoran J. N. Steinmann, Pierre Defourny, Jonathan C. Doelman, Céline Lamarche, Elke Stehfest, Aafke M. Schipper and Mark A. J. Huijbregts

Land 2023, 12(3), 579; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12030579 - 28 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4008

Abstract

The global expansion of agricultural land is a leading driver of climate change and biodiversity loss. However, the spatial resolution of current global land change models is relatively coarse, which limits environmental impact assessments. To address this issue, we developed global maps representing [...] Read more.

The global expansion of agricultural land is a leading driver of climate change and biodiversity loss. However, the spatial resolution of current global land change models is relatively coarse, which limits environmental impact assessments. To address this issue, we developed global maps representing the potential for conversion into agricultural land at a resolution of 10 arc-seconds (approximately 300 m at the equator). We created the maps using artificial neural network (ANN) models relating locations of recent past conversions (2007–2020) into one of three cropland categories (cropland only, mosaics with >50% crops, and mosaics with <50% crops) to various predictor variables reflecting topography, climate, soil, and accessibility. Cross-validation of the models indicated good performance with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.88–0.93. Hindcasting of the models from 1992 to 2006 revealed a similar high performance (AUC of 0.83–0.91), indicating that our maps provide representative estimates of current agricultural conversion potential provided that the drivers underlying agricultural expansion patterns remain the same. Our maps can be used to downscale projections of global land change models to more fine-grained patterns of future agricultural expansion, which is an asset for global environmental assessments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Approaches to Land Use/Land Cover Change Modeling)

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17 pages, 1175 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Digital Twin for Active Stakeholder Participation in Land-Use Planning

by David Adade and Walter Timo de Vries

Land 2023, 12(3), 538; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12030538 - 22 Feb 2023

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4933

Abstract

The active participation of stakeholders is a crucial requirement for effective land-use planning (LUP). Involving stakeholders in LUP is a way of redistributing the decision-making power and ensuring social justice in land-management interventions. However, owing to the growing intricacy of sociopolitical and economic [...] Read more.

The active participation of stakeholders is a crucial requirement for effective land-use planning (LUP). Involving stakeholders in LUP is a way of redistributing the decision-making power and ensuring social justice in land-management interventions. However, owing to the growing intricacy of sociopolitical and economic relations and the increasing number of competing claims on land, the choice of dynamic land use has become more complex, and the need to find balances between social, economic, and environmental claims and interests has become less urgent. These facts reflect a paradigm shift from top-down, noninteractive, and one-directional policymaking approaches to a more negotiable, bottom-up, deliberative, and responsible one. Geospatial industries claim that digital twin technology is a potential facilitator that improves the degree of stakeholder participation and influences land-use planning. The validity of this claim is, however, unknown. By adopting the integrative literature review, this study identifies where in LUP is stakeholder participation much needed and currently problematic, as well as how digital twin could potentially improve. The review shows that digital twins provide virtual visualisation opportunities for the identification of land-use problems and the assessment of the impacts of the proposed land uses. These offer the opportunity to improve stakeholder influence and collaboration in LUP, especially in the agenda-setting phase, where land-use issues could be identified and placed on the LUP agenda. This relies on the ability and willingness of local planning institutions to adopt digital twins, and stakeholders’ perception and willingness to use digital twins for various land-use goals. Despite the assertion that digital twins could improve the influence of stakeholders in LUP, the focus and the development of digital twins have not accomplished much for those features of the technology that could improve stakeholder influence in LUP. By adopting the principles of the social construction of technology, this study proposes a “technological fix” of digital twins to focus more on improving stakeholder influence on land-use planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land, Innovation and Social Good 2.0)

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18 pages, 46316 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Extrapolation of Digital Soil Mapping Approaches for Soil Organic Carbon Stock Predictions in an Afromontane Environment

by Jaco Kotzé and Johan van Tol

Land 2023, 12(3), 520; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12030520 - 21 Feb 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3776

Abstract

Soil scientists can aid in an essential part of ecological conservation and rehabilitation by quantifying soil properties, such as soil organic carbon (SOC), and is stock (SOCs) SOC is crucial for providing ecosystem services, and, through effective C-sequestration, the effects of climate change [...] Read more.

Soil scientists can aid in an essential part of ecological conservation and rehabilitation by quantifying soil properties, such as soil organic carbon (SOC), and is stock (SOCs) SOC is crucial for providing ecosystem services, and, through effective C-sequestration, the effects of climate change can be mitigated. In remote mountainous areas with complex terrain, such as the northern Maloti-Drakensberg in South Africa and Lesotho, direct quantification of stocks or even obtaining sufficient data to construct predictive Digital Soil Mapping (DSM) models is a tedious and expensive task. Extrapolation of DSM model and algorithms from a relatively accessible area to remote areas could overcome these challenges. The aim of this study was to determine if calibrated DSM models for one headwater catchment (Tugela) can be extrapolated without re-training to other catchments in the Maloti-Drakensberg region with acceptable accuracy. The selected models were extrapolated to four different headwater catchments, which included three near the Motete River (M1, M2, and M3) in Lesotho and one in the Vemvane catchment adjacent to the Tugela. Predictions were compared to measured stocks from the soil sampling sites (n = 98) in the various catchments. Results showed that based on the mean results from Universal Kriging (R² = 0.66, NRMSE = 0.200, and ρ_c = 0.72), least absolute shrinkage and selection operator or LASSO (R² = 0.67, NRMSE = 0.191, and ρ_c = 0.73) and Regression Kriging with cubist models (R² = 0.61, NRMSE = 0.184, and ρ_c = 0.65) had the most satisfactory outcome, whereas the soil-land inference models (SoLIM) struggled to predict stocks accurately. Models in the Vemvane performed the worst of all, showing that that close proximity does not necessarily equal good similarity. The study concluded that a model calibrated in one catchment can be extrapolated. However, the catchment selected for calibration should be a good representation of the greater area, otherwise a model might over- or under-predict SOCs. Successfully extrapolating models to remote areas will allow scientists to make predictions to aid in rehabilitation and conservation efforts of vulnerable areas. Full article

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15 pages, 6754 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Using a Rainfall Simulator to Define the Effect of Soil Conservation Techniques on Soil Loss and Water Retention

by Jakub Stašek, Josef Krása, Martin Mistr, Tomáš Dostál, Jan Devátý, Tomáš Středa and Jan Mikulka

Land 2023, 12(2), 431; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020431 - 7 Feb 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3629

Abstract

In the Czech Republic, the Universal Soil Loss Equation provides the basis for defining the soil protection strategy. Field rainfall simulators were used to define the actual cover-management factor values of the most extensively seeded crops in the Czech Republic. The second purpose [...] Read more.

In the Czech Republic, the Universal Soil Loss Equation provides the basis for defining the soil protection strategy. Field rainfall simulators were used to define the actual cover-management factor values of the most extensively seeded crops in the Czech Republic. The second purpose was to assess rainfall-runoff ratio for different crops and management to contribute to the debate of water retention effectiveness during approaching climate change. The methodology focused on multi-seasonal measurements to cover the most important phenological phases. The rainfall intensity was 60 mm·h⁻¹ for 30 min and a plot size of 16 m². More than 380 rainfall simulation experiments provided data. Soil conservation techniques proved to have a significant effect on runoff reduction. Conventionally seeded maize can reduce the runoff ratio to around 50%. However, cover crops combined with reduced tillage or direct seeding can reduce the runoff ratio to 10–20% for ‘dry’ conditions and to 12–40% for ‘saturated’ conditions. Conventionally seeded maize on average loses 4.3 Mg·ha⁻¹ per 30 min experiment. However, reduced tillage and direct seeding reduce soil loss to 0.6 and 0.16 Mg·ha⁻¹, respectively. A comparison with the original USDA values for maize showed that it is desirable to redefine the crop cover factor. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Land, Soil and Water)

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33 pages, 7301 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Optimal Regional Allocation of Future Population and Employment under Urban Boundary and Density Constraints: A Spatial Interaction Modeling Approach

by David Jung-Hwi Lee and Jean-Michel Guldmann

Land 2023, 12(2), 433; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020433 - 7 Feb 2023

Viewed by 2060

Abstract

This paper develops an optimization modeling framework to select strategies of land development and population and employment densities for a growing metropolitan area. The modeling core involves a non-linear commuting model, which accounts for spatial structure variables and is empirically estimated by Tobit [...] Read more.

This paper develops an optimization modeling framework to select strategies of land development and population and employment densities for a growing metropolitan area. The modeling core involves a non-linear commuting model, which accounts for spatial structure variables and is empirically estimated by Tobit regression. This commuting model is then embedded into a non-linear optimization model that allocates increments in the population and employment (activities) to available land, while minimizing the total future commuting costs under various combinations of land expansion boundaries and population and employment densities. The resulting minimum cost surface is approximated via polynomial regression and combined with land development and congestion cost functions to derive the overall optimal strategy. These models are estimated and calibrated with data from the Census Transportation Planning Package (CTPP) and Auditor’s property database, and are applied to the Fredericksburg metropolitan area, Virginia. The results demonstrate that the optimal development densities are very sensitive to the congestion cost function. A land development strategy that allows for limited sprawl might be a smart policy to reduce both regional vehicle mile travel (VMT) and related congestion and pollution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impacts of Land Use Pattern in Metropolitan Area)

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19 pages, 2556 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

A Decision Support Tool for Green Infrastructure Planning in the Face of Rapid Urbanization

by Peta Brom, Kristine Engemann, Christina Breed, Maya Pasgaard, Titilope Onaolapo and Jens-Christian Svenning

Land 2023, 12(2), 415; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020415 - 4 Feb 2023

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 6763

Abstract

Multifunctional green infrastructure, a key component of compact sustainable cities, is challenged by the pressures associated with rapid urbanization. In this paper, we present a method that uses remote sensing, GIS modeling and stakeholder engagement to produce a decision support tool that communicates [...] Read more.

Multifunctional green infrastructure, a key component of compact sustainable cities, is challenged by the pressures associated with rapid urbanization. In this paper, we present a method that uses remote sensing, GIS modeling and stakeholder engagement to produce a decision support tool that communicates the availability and need for green infrastructure benefits. The case study presented is the City of Tshwane, South Africa, a Global South city facing rapid urbanization. We found that this method of mapping green infrastructure benefits can provide simultaneous oversight on multiple objectives for green infrastructure, including climate change adaptation, biodiversity, and equitable distribution of urban green space. We found that low-scoring benefit areas occur in dense urban areas where small-scale nature-based solutions or rehabilitation activities are required. Moderate benefit scores occurred in parts of the city that are vulnerable to urban expansion and densification activities, warranting the careful planning of green infrastructure provision, and that moderate-to-high-scoring areas can be protected as conservation areas. The results are discussed in terms of the role of decision support tools for urban planning practice. Composite indexes can provide important guidance to decision-makers involved in spatial planning and urban upgrading and expansion activities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Land-Use Dynamics and Green Infrastructure Mapping)

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17 pages, 5027 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Planning and Designing Natural and Urban Environments with an Adaptive Visualization Framework: The Case of Pazhou Island, Guangzhou, Pearl River Delta

by Adam Tomkins and Eckart Lange

Land 2023, 12(2), 377; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020377 - 31 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2476

Abstract

In the planning and design of natural and urban environments, visualization plays an increasingly important role. It has become a core component of communication and dissemination within the various formats of project representation, environmental assessment, workshops, and stakeholder involvement in general. However, as [...] Read more.

In the planning and design of natural and urban environments, visualization plays an increasingly important role. It has become a core component of communication and dissemination within the various formats of project representation, environmental assessment, workshops, and stakeholder involvement in general. However, as a practical technology, the outputs of our visualizations are, too often, regarded as a static product rather than as a living and evolving tool in and of itself, often due to the inherent restrictions present in both the analog and digital technologies used in data curation and visualization creation. In this paper, we argue that with the increasing complexity and usability of digital technologies, we are now capable of bringing a heightened level of interactive dynamism to planning and design, improving the communicative power of landscape visualization. We introduce a theoretical adaptive visualization (AV) framework, designed to support project meetings and stakeholder interactions with iterative planning and design elements. To demonstrate the merits of the framework, we develop an augmented reality application following AV principles; we discuss the novel design interactions afforded by integrating alongside traditional analog and digital data sources, in an interactive and dynamic application. This is highlighted by a case study from the Pearl River Delta region, with a focus on planning and design for flood risk mitigation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for Land Planning and Architecture Section)

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24 pages, 2398 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Natural Resources Conflicts on Borderlands by the Five Spheres of Earth System

by Hansol Lee, Jeongeun Son, Suyeon Min, Haeun Lee and Mi Sun Park

Land 2023, 12(2), 389; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020389 - 31 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5292

Abstract

Border regions face challenges managing natural resources, which include forests, wildlife, air, and rivers. This study aims to provide an overview of research on various natural resource conflicts and cooperation in borderlands worldwide, considering the five spheres of the Earth system, namely the [...] Read more.

Border regions face challenges managing natural resources, which include forests, wildlife, air, and rivers. This study aims to provide an overview of research on various natural resource conflicts and cooperation in borderlands worldwide, considering the five spheres of the Earth system, namely the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and anthroposphere. The type, scope, and place of natural resource conflicts in the borderlands were examined and key findings for clarifying the conflicts, cooperation, and geographical characteristics were derived using a systematic review methodology. The results indicate that over the last two decades, the conflicts over the hydrosphere are the most dominant. In the following order, conflicts over the biosphere have been frequently dealt with in transboundary areas. In Africa, dams (the anthroposphere) related to the hydrosphere especially influence and cause conflicts as well as cooperation for benefit-sharing among riparian countries. In North America, governance along the transboundary areas has been developed. “In Asia, several neighboring countries are linked through various types of associations ranging from multilateral organizations to sub-national administrations in order to effectively manage the long and wide-ranging natural resources that exist beyond the borders of the countries”. In Europe, numerous protected areas related to the biosphere have been designated. Therefore, this research helps better understand transboundary conflicts based on natural resources and could contribute to designing natural resource management strategies or models in borderlands. Full article

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17 pages, 9940 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Driving Role of 3D Geovisualization in the Reanimation of Local Collective Memory and Historical Sources for the Reconstitution of Rural Landscapes

by Dimitris Goussios and Ioannis Faraslis

Land 2023, 12(2), 364; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020364 - 29 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3743

Abstract

The dynamics created by the process of territorial construction are partly based on the selective and functional incorporation of heritage. However, in rural areas, retrospection presents particular difficulties due to a lack of appropriate information. Τhis research proposes the implementation of a methodology [...] Read more.

The dynamics created by the process of territorial construction are partly based on the selective and functional incorporation of heritage. However, in rural areas, retrospection presents particular difficulties due to a lack of appropriate information. Τhis research proposes the implementation of a methodology that combines sources, methods, and tools where the extraction of timeless information is based on the use of 3D interactive representations incorporating the active participation of actors and their collective memory. The proposed methodology strives for the compatibility, objectivity, and synergy of information from various sources and historical periods. The scope of this research concerns the mapping of the route and landscapes that were explored and described by the traveller Leake 210 years ago in the Farsala-Almyros area in Thessaly (Greece). The results focus on the reconstruction of the spatial subsystems of land use and exploitation at the beginning of the 19th century. The analysis reveals a production system, organized to use the laws of nature in order to sustainably manage the relationship between humans, animals, and natural resources. At the same time, the comparison with the current space has revealed a serious degradation in the natural environment since then. Finally, this mixed methodology, by combining the “spatialization” of information, virtuality and interactivity, the transition in time and space, and, finally, the “territorialization” of information, forms the basis for the inclusion of the history of places in the modern process of constructing a territorial area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Collection Land Systems in Transition: Challenges, Approaches, and Pathways for a Sustainable Development)

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14 pages, 1484 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Maintaining Agricultural Production by Building Local Distribution Systems in the Northern Area of Japan

by Noriaki Kawasaki, Tamaki Washio, Katsunori Nakamura and Ken-Ichiro Nagahama

Land 2023, 12(2), 320; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020320 - 24 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3170

Abstract

In the field of vegetable farming, it has become a common approach for farmers to advance into the secondary and tertiary industries to increase their income, an initiative known as the sixth industrialization. Under these circumstances, a growing trend is to outsource a [...] Read more.

In the field of vegetable farming, it has become a common approach for farmers to advance into the secondary and tertiary industries to increase their income, an initiative known as the sixth industrialization. Under these circumstances, a growing trend is to outsource a part of the sixth industrialization activities in order to improve consumer satisfaction, strengthen market competitiveness, and avoid investment risks. However, owing to a mismatch between farmers and processors, there are few cases that result in collaboration. Under such circumstances, a new distribution channel called local distribution systems have been born, and its importance is increasing in Japan. This paper demonstrates how a local distribution system for farmers living in rural areas could address this distortion. The concept of local distribution systems has been used since the 1990s, and yet, its significance and importance are still increasing in relevancy in today’s Japanese agriculture. In this study, the subject is an intermediary (Company A) that originated from farmers, so it was able to understand the behavioral principles of farmers and to identify businesses that could not be covered by the management resources of farmers themselves. Through the entrustment of the business, company A could support the production and sales activities of the farmers. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) the company does not directly involve members in the decision-making of sales methods but instead provides a number of options for decision-making, and (2) the needs on the production side will match those on the consumer side and play the role of communication. By building such a collaboration system, the company succeeded in establishing a local distribution system. In the distribution of vegetables, which is characterized as perishable items, it is essential to pursue efficiency and rationality through a wholesale market system to distribute the products from producers to a large number of consumers. However, constraints in the wholes system limit the extent to which this local distribution functions. This paper demonstrates how a local distribution system for farmers living in rural areas could address this distortion. The concept of local distribution systems has been used since the 1990s, yet its significance and importance are still increasing in relevancy in today’s Japanese agriculture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dynamic Agriculture in East Asia: Land-Livelihood Interactions)

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21 pages, 11365 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Mapping and Monitoring Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Rainfed Agriculture Lands of North Darfur State, Sudan, Using Earth Observation Data

by Mohammed B. Altoom, Elhadi Adam and Khalid Adem Ali

Land 2023, 12(2), 307; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020307 - 22 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2830

Abstract

Rainfed agriculture in Northern Darfur is influenced by erratic seasonal and decadal rainfall patterns and frequent droughts. Understanding the spatio-temporal variation in rainfed agriculture is crucial for promoting food security, socio-economic stability and protecting the vulnerable ecosystem. This study aimed to investigate the [...] Read more.

Rainfed agriculture in Northern Darfur is influenced by erratic seasonal and decadal rainfall patterns and frequent droughts. Understanding the spatio-temporal variation in rainfed agriculture is crucial for promoting food security, socio-economic stability and protecting the vulnerable ecosystem. This study aimed to investigate the spatio-temporal dynamics of rainfed agriculture in North Darfur State from 1984–2019 using multitemporal Landsat observation data. Using the random forest technique, the multitemporal images were classified into common land use/land cover classes and rainfed agriculture on goz (sandy) and wadi (seasonal river) lands. Overall accuracies were assessed using a confusion matrix. Overall accuracies were assessed using a confusion matrix has ranging between 94.7% and 96.9%, while the kappa statistics were greater than 0.90. The results showed that the high spatial variability in goz land used for rainfed agriculture increased of (889,622.46 ha) over 1994–1999, while it decreased (658,568.61 ha) over 2004–2009 south of the 232.9 mm isohyet. Rainfed cultivation of wadi lands expanded significantly of (580,515.03 ha) over 2014–2019 and decreased (182,701.8 ha) over 1994–1999, especially in the 362.8–477.2 mm isohyets (beyond the climate-adapted 500 mm isohyet agronomic dry limit). These spatial trends need further investigation as they may exacerbate both regional land degradation and disputes among farmers over scarce wadi lands. This study provides essential spatial data which are lacking owing to ongoing conflicts; this can help decision-makers formulate sustainable land use monitoring systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Land – Observation and Monitoring)

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37 pages, 11649 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Archeological Landscape of the Chanchán Basin and Its Agroecological Legacies for the Conservation of Montane Forests in the Western Foothills of the Ecuadorian Andes

by Christiam Paúl Aguirre Merino, Raquel Piqué Huerta, Lady Nathaly Parra Ordoñez, Verónica Alexandra Guamán Cazho and Walter Oswaldo Valdez Bustamante

Land 2023, 12(1), 192; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010192 - 6 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3708

Abstract

This article shows a set of agroecological practices that were incorporated into the archeological landscape of the Chanchán basin by pre-Hispanic Kañaris societies for 1200 years (240–1438 AD), a millennium before the arrival of the Incas, and that continue to be used in [...] Read more.

This article shows a set of agroecological practices that were incorporated into the archeological landscape of the Chanchán basin by pre-Hispanic Kañaris societies for 1200 years (240–1438 AD), a millennium before the arrival of the Incas, and that continue to be used in this landscape by certain indigenous communities of the 21st century. The use of archeobotanical techniques, contrasted with ethnobotanical sources, has allowed us to interpret how these societies structured their cultivation systems, agroecological practices, and landscape management, for the conservation of agroecosystems in the western Andean foothills. Agroecological legacies show how the stability, adaptability, and elasticity of Andean agriculture can be sustained under models of progressive intensification without this causing irreversible environmental damage in the agroecosystems. Kañaris agroecological practices configured the Chanchán landscape as a great cultural artifact, wherein the non-human agency of plants (cultivated and wild) was more than a mere adaptation to the niches culturally constructed by human populations. Non-humans are active subjects in recovering the functional and structural integrity of agroecosystems after a social or ecological disturbance. All this is part of landscape management based on an “Ecological Diversification Model”, where plant species are adapted to the ecotones and ecological floors of the western Andean foothills, to diversify and increase the availability of food crops that are bioculturally appropriate given the present agrobiodiversity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perspectives on Mountain Conservation)

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16 pages, 676 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Contribution of Land Registration and Certification Program to Implement SDGs: The Case of the Amhara Region, Ethiopia

by Ayelech Kidie Mengesha, Reinfried Mansberger, Doris Damyanovic, Sayeh Kassaw Agegnehu and Gernot Stoeglehner

Land 2023, 12(1), 93; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010093 - 27 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3720

Abstract

Land is the key asset in the agricultural sector and hence land policy is one of the key elements that determine whether SDGs are achieved in developing counties or not. In developing countries, land titling programs have been seen as a strategy for [...] Read more.

Land is the key asset in the agricultural sector and hence land policy is one of the key elements that determine whether SDGs are achieved in developing counties or not. In developing countries, land titling programs have been seen as a strategy for addressing SDGs. Even though the government of Ethiopia launched the rural land registration and certification program (LRCP) to secure the land rights of rural households in 1998, currently, there are limited empirical studies to examine the contribution of LRCP in addressing sustainable development goals (SDGs). This study is employed to fill this knowledge gap by assessing how LRCP supports the achievement of the UN SDGs. The research data were collected through key informant interviews, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and reviewing published and unpublished documents. Content analysis, narrative analysis, and SWOT analysis were applied to examine the research data. The study confirms that LRCP improves tenure security, which greatly contributes to the achievements of SDGs, such as SDG 1 (end poverty), SDG 2 (end hunger), SDG 5 (gender equality), and SDG 15 (life on land). The tenure security of rural societies is a key pathway for the achievement of SDGs in Ethiopia since their livelihood mainly depends on agriculture. Therefore, developing countries should focus on land rights to improve the livelihoods of rural societies in particular and to enable sustainable development in general. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimizing the Production-Living-Ecological (PLE) Space for Achieving SDGs at Regional and Global Scales)

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19 pages, 3347 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Multi-Temporal Analysis of Past and Future Land-Cover Changes of the Third Pole

by Munkhnasan Lamchin, Woo-Kyun Lee and Sonam Wangyel Wang

Land 2022, 11(12), 2227; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122227 - 7 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2151

Abstract

In the past few decades, both natural and human influences have contributed to the unpredictable rates of land use and land-cover change (LUCC) in glacially devastated places. Monitoring and identifying the geographic and temporal land-cover changes and driving forces in this unique type [...] Read more.

In the past few decades, both natural and human influences have contributed to the unpredictable rates of land use and land-cover change (LUCC) in glacially devastated places. Monitoring and identifying the geographic and temporal land-cover changes and driving forces in this unique type of area may help to give the scientific basis needed to understand the effects of climate change and human activities on LUCC. The Third Pole is one such landscape that provides inevitable key ecosystem services to over 2 billion people in Asia. However, this important landscape is increasingly being threatened by the impacts of climate change. Policy and program responses to the Third Pole’s mounting socioeconomic challenges are inadequate and lack scientific evidence. Using the land-change model (LCM) and historical data from 1992 onwards, our study attempted to (i) detect the spatial patterns of land use and land-cover changes in the Third Pole from 1992 to 2020; and (ii) project them into 2060. Our analysis shows that the land use and land-cover types in the Third pole are undergoing changes. About 0.07% of the snow and ice have melted in the last three decades, indicating global warming. This melt has resulted in increasing water bodies (0.08%), especially as glacial lakes. This has significantly increased the risk of glacial outburst floods. Other key alpine land-cover types that decreased are bare land (0.6%) and agricultural land (0.05%). These land types represent important habitats for wild flora and fauna, grazing land for livestock, and food for nomads, and their loss will directly degrade ecological services and the health and wellbeing of the nomads. Land cover of forest, shrubs, and scanty vegetation have all increased by 0.3%, 0.02%, and 0.77%, respectively, inducing socio-ecological changes in the Third pole mountains. Further predication analysis showed that snow and ice, along with bare land, will continue to recede whereas forest, grassland, water bodies, shrubland, sparse vegetation, and settlement will increase. These results indicate the increasing impact of global warming that will continue to change the Third Pole. These changes have serious implications for designing adaptation and mitigation interventions in the mountains. We recommend more detailed research to investigate the underlying factors that are changing the Third Pole to develop policy and programs to help humans, livestock, and biodiversity adapt to the changes in these remote and harsh mountains. This will also help to mitigate the effects on downstream communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social, Ecological, and Landscape Resilience in the Face of Climate Change)

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19 pages, 4170 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

The Relative Timing of Population Growth and Land Use Change—A Case Study of North Taiwan from 1990 to 2015

by Hsiao-Chien Shih, Douglas A. Stow, John R. Weeks, Konstadinos G. Goulias and Leila M. V. Carvalho

Land 2022, 11(12), 2204; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122204 - 5 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2733

Abstract

Urban expansion is a form of land cover and land use change (LCLUC) that occurs globally, and population growth can be a driver of and be driven by LCLUC. Determining the cause–effect relationship is challenging because the temporal resolution of population data is [...] Read more.

Urban expansion is a form of land cover and land use change (LCLUC) that occurs globally, and population growth can be a driver of and be driven by LCLUC. Determining the cause–effect relationship is challenging because the temporal resolution of population data is limited by decadal censuses for most countries. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship and relative timing between population change and land use change based on a case study of northern Taiwan from 1990 to 2015. A unique dataset on population was acquired from annually-updated governmental-based population registers maintained at the district level, and land-use expansion data (Residential, Employment, and Transportation Corridor categories) were derived from dense time series of Landsat imagery. Linear regression was applied to understand the general relationship between population and land use and their changes. The strongest relationships were found between population and areal extent of Residential land use, and between population change and Residential areal change. Lagged correlation analysis was implemented for identifying the time lag between population growth and land use change. Most districts exhibited Residential and Employment expansion prior to population growth, especially for districts in the periphery of metropolitan areas. Conversely, the core of metropolitan areas exhibited population growth prior to Residential and Employment expansion. Residential and Employment expansion were deemed to be drivers of population change, so population change was modeled with ordinary least square and geographically weighted regression with Residential and Employment expansion in both synchronized and time lag manners. Estimated population growth was found to be the most accurate when geographic differences and time lags from urban land use expansion were both incorporated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrating Remote Sensing and Geospatial Big Data for Land Use Mapping and Monitoring)

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14 pages, 4159 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Urban Growth Simulation Based on a Multi-Dimension Classification of Growth Types: Implications for China’s Territory Spatial Planning

by Siyu Miao, Yang Xiao and Ling Tang

Land 2022, 11(12), 2210; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122210 - 5 Dec 2022

Viewed by 3147

Abstract

One of the primary aims of China’s territory spatial planning is to control the urban sprawl of local municipals and prevent regional competition and the negative consequences on the environment—which emphasizes the top-down spatial regulation. Indeed, the traditional cellular automaton (CA) model still [...] Read more.

One of the primary aims of China’s territory spatial planning is to control the urban sprawl of local municipals and prevent regional competition and the negative consequences on the environment—which emphasizes the top-down spatial regulation. Indeed, the traditional cellular automaton (CA) model still has limitations when applied to the whole administration area since it may ignore the differences among cities and towns. Thus, this paper proposed a CM-CA (clustering, multi-level logit regression, integrated with cellular automaton) framework to simulate urban growth boundaries for cities and towns simultaneously. The significant novelty of this framework is to integrate several urban growth modes for all cities and towns. We applied our approach to the city of Xi’an, China, and the results showed satisfactory simulation accuracy of a CM-CA model for multiple cities and towns, and the clusters’ effects contributed 74% of the land change variance. Our study provides technical support for urban growth boundary delineation in China’s spatial planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Technologies and Methods in Spatial Planning)

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18 pages, 3707 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Impact of Transhumant Livestock Grazing Abandonment on Pseudo-Alpine Grasslands in Greece in the Context of Climatic Change

by Anna Sidiropoulou, Dimitrios Chouvardas, Konstantinos Mantzanas, Stefanos Stefanidis and Maria Karatassiou

Land 2022, 11(12), 2126; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122126 - 25 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2466

Abstract

Pseudo-alpine grassland ecosystems have started to decline during the past few decades. According to many studies, climate change and abandonment of traditional anthropogenic activities are directly linked to this phenomenon. However, the interaction of these two factors with pseudo-alpine grasslands has not been [...] Read more.

Pseudo-alpine grassland ecosystems have started to decline during the past few decades. According to many studies, climate change and abandonment of traditional anthropogenic activities are directly linked to this phenomenon. However, the interaction of these two factors with pseudo-alpine grasslands has not been studied in Greece. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of climatic change and abandonment of transhumant livestock grazing on pseudo-alpine grassland ecosystems structure and stability in Mt Vermio and Mt Zireia. Geographic Information System data on land use/land cover from 1945 and 2020, as well as climatological and livestock data, have been examined and presented. Landscape metrics were also used to quantify landscape structure changes. Although both mountains’ pseudo-alpine grasslands have reduced in size, Mt Zireia has experienced an upward treeline shift, which seems to be the result of climate change, while in Mt Vermio, the more severe transhumance abandonment caused horizontal tree expansion. There are strong indications that a rise in temperature is the main driver for the upward increase in treeline. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Development and Management Strategies for Climate Change Adaptation)

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25 pages, 2425 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Climate Change and Natural Resource Scarcity: A Literature Review on Dry Farming

by Naomi di Santo, Ilaria Russo and Roberta Sisto

Land 2022, 11(12), 2102; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122102 - 22 Nov 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3665

Abstract

The agricultural sector is facing the challenge of climate change, which is increasing difficulties to the activity and the economic sustainability of the primary sector, also affecting farmers’ revenues. There is a growing need to support policy makers’ decisions and help them develop [...] Read more.

The agricultural sector is facing the challenge of climate change, which is increasing difficulties to the activity and the economic sustainability of the primary sector, also affecting farmers’ revenues. There is a growing need to support policy makers’ decisions and help them develop cross-sectional strategies to support farmers. To this aim and to collect useful information for policy makers and stakeholders for the development of efficient strategies for the management of dryland farming, the paper examines how this issue has been analysed in the literature. A mixed method, based on a systematic literature review and a bibliometric analysis of 79 Scopus documents using VOSviewer software, was applied. Major results highlight the need to implement participatory policy interventions so as to include farmers. It was possible to summarise the main adaptive and technical interventions implemented by farmers. The results indicated the importance of the concept of the resilience of territories and the need to analyse agricultural systems by considering their multifunctionality. The innovativeness of this study relies on its relationships with several policy aspects and not only with purely technical and agronomical features, analysing thus the issue from the under-investigated perspective of the global challenge, contributing to filling this literature gap. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smallholder Farming under External Shocks: New Perspectives and Solutions for Future Crises)

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16 pages, 1302 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Socioeconomic and Environmental Benefits of Expanding Urban Green Areas: A Joint Application of i-Tree and LCA Approaches

by Mariana Oliveira, Remo Santagata, Serena Kaiser, Yanxin Liu, Chiara Vassillo, Patrizia Ghisellini, Gengyuan Liu and Sergio Ulgiati

Land 2022, 11(12), 2106; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122106 - 22 Nov 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3840

Abstract

Green infrastructures deliver countless functions for counteracting climate change, air pollution, floods, and heat islands, contributing at the same time to water and carbon recycling as well as to renewable energies and feedstock provisioning. Properly addressing such environmental problems would require huge investments [...] Read more.

Green infrastructures deliver countless functions for counteracting climate change, air pollution, floods, and heat islands, contributing at the same time to water and carbon recycling as well as to renewable energies and feedstock provisioning. Properly addressing such environmental problems would require huge investments that could be decreased thanks to the further implementation of urban forests. Local administrations are designing participative projects to improve territories and their living conditions. The i-Tree Canopy modelling tool and the life cycle assessment method are jointly applied to evaluate the potential benefits of increasing tree coverage within the boundaries of the Metropolitan City of Naples, Southern Italy. Results highlighted that tree coverage could increase by about 2.4 million trees, thus generating 51% more benefits in pollutants removal, carbon sequestration and stormwater management. The benefits are also explored and confirmed by means of the life cycle assessment method. The potential tree cover is expected to provide a total annual economic benefit of USD 55 million, purchasing power parity value adjusted, representing USD 18 per citizen and USD 99,117 per square kilometre of implemented urban forest. These results can support a potential replication elsewhere and provide a reference for the sustainable improvement of cities by expanding urban green areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Ecosystem Services III)

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24 pages, 3399 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Regional Planning, Land-Use Management, and Governance in German Metropolitan Regions—The Case of Rhine–Neckar Metropolitan Region

by Simin Yan and Anna Growe

Land 2022, 11(11), 2088; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11112088 - 19 Nov 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4908

Abstract

German cities and their hinterlands have a long tradition of cooperation; however, there remains considerable challenges when developing integrated governance models, especially in those metropolitan regions that cross state-boundaries. The Rhine–Neckar Metropolitan Region (MRN), with its unique location of a tri-state intersection, explored [...] Read more.

German cities and their hinterlands have a long tradition of cooperation; however, there remains considerable challenges when developing integrated governance models, especially in those metropolitan regions that cross state-boundaries. The Rhine–Neckar Metropolitan Region (MRN), with its unique location of a tri-state intersection, explored ways out of the governing dilemma and has pioneered cooperative federalism in Germany. To determine how the cross-jurisdictional cooperation is organized and realized in the MRN, and how well this model has worked in terms of regional planning, attributing land resources, and the reality of long-term governance, a series of interviews with involved officials and planners and MAXQDA software were employed to decode the transcribed text content. A second-hand qualitative database, including, but not limited to, meeting memos, protocols, and published works were added to examine our findings. The results indicated that diversified actors, a combined instrument, multiple collaborative contents, and the networked joint decision-making structure have strengthened the governance of the MRN. However, their public association-centered structure raised concerns in terms of inadequate participation of private agents and an excessive pursuit of regional balance as well. Ultimately, this paper discusses the inefficiency challenges facing the MRN and further reflects on the need for, and impacts of, high-level government participation in constituting a regional identity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Governance of Land Use)

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22 pages, 6241 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Spatial Patterns and Intensity of Land Abandonment Drive Wildfire Hazard and Likelihood in Mediterranean Agropastoral Areas

by Michele Salis, Liliana Del Giudice, Roghayeh Jahdi, Fermin Alcasena-Urdiroz, Carla Scarpa, Grazia Pellizzaro, Valentina Bacciu, Matilde Schirru, Andrea Ventura, Marcello Casula, Fabrizio Pedes, Annalisa Canu, Pierpaolo Duce and Bachisio Arca

Land 2022, 11(11), 1942; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11111942 - 31 Oct 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3611

Abstract

In Mediterranean agropastoral areas, land abandonment is a key driver of wildfire risk as fuel load and continuity increase. To gain insights into the potential impacts of land abandonment on wildfire risk in fire-prone areas, a fire-spread modeling approach to evaluate the variations [...] Read more.

In Mediterranean agropastoral areas, land abandonment is a key driver of wildfire risk as fuel load and continuity increase. To gain insights into the potential impacts of land abandonment on wildfire risk in fire-prone areas, a fire-spread modeling approach to evaluate the variations in wildfire potential induced by different spatial patterns and percentages of land abandonment was applied. The study was carried out in a 1200 km² agropastoral area located in north-western Sardinia (Italy) mostly covered by herbaceous fuels. We compared nine land abandonment scenarios, which consisted of the control conditions (NA) and eight scenarios obtained by combining four intensity levels (10, 20, 30, 40%) and two spatial patterns of agropastoral land abandonment. The abandonment scenarios hypothesized a variation in dead fuel load and fuel depth within abandoned polygons with respect to the control conditions. For each abandonment scenario, wildfire hazard and likelihood at the landscape scale was assessed by simulating over 17,000 wildfire seasons using the minimum travel time (MTT) fire spread algorithm. Wildfire simulations replicated the weather conditions associated with the largest fires observed in the study area and were run at 40 m resolution, consistent with the input files. Our results highlighted that growing amounts of land abandonment substantially increased burn probability, high flame length probability and fire size at the landscape level. Considering a given percentage of abandonment, the two spatial patterns of abandonment generated spatial variations in wildfire hazard and likelihood, but at the landscape scale the average values were not significantly different. The average annual area burned increased from about 2400 ha of the control conditions to about 3100 ha with 40% land abandonment. The findings of this work demonstrate that a progressive abandonment of agropastoral lands can lead to severe modifications in potential wildfire spread and behavior in Mediterranean areas, thus promoting the likelihood of large and fast-spreading events. Wildfire spread modeling approaches allow us to estimate the potential risks posed by future wildfires to rural communities, ecosystems and anthropic values in the context of land abandonment, and to adopt and optimize smart prevention and planning strategies to mitigate these threats. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for Landscape Ecology Section)

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23 pages, 5833 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Landscape Transformation in Western Balkans’ Metropolitan Areas

by Isra Hyka, Artan Hysa, Sokol Dervishi, Marijana Kapovic Solomun, Alban Kuriqi, Dinesh Kumar Vishwakarma and Paul Sestras

Land 2022, 11(11), 1892; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11111892 - 25 Oct 2022

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3100

Abstract

Human-caused landscape transformation represents a danger to conserving the Earth’s natural habitats. Landscape fragmentation (LF) caused by transportation infrastructure and urban development poses a threat to human and environmental health by increasing traffic noise and pollution, reducing the size and viability of wildlife [...] Read more.

Human-caused landscape transformation represents a danger to conserving the Earth’s natural habitats. Landscape fragmentation (LF) caused by transportation infrastructure and urban development poses a threat to human and environmental health by increasing traffic noise and pollution, reducing the size and viability of wildlife populations, facilitating the spread of invasive species, and reducing the recreational qualities of the landscape. It is especially noticeable in the metropolitan areas of developing countries due to rapid and unsupervised urban sprawl. In this context, this study aims to protect natural landscapes and biodiversity, promoting forms of sustainable development. To exemplify our aim, we bring a spatio-temporal analysis of landscape change comparing three metropolitan areas in the Western Balkans (WB). First, we compare the land use land cover (LULC) changes in Tirana (Albania), Skopje (North Macedonia), and Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina). The comparison was based on the Urban Atlas (UA) data of 2012 and 2018. The analysis was performed on two levels, at the metropolitan and urban spatial scales. Apart from descriptive statistics about the changes in surface area and patch counts, we used effective mesh size (meff) as a landscape metric to quantify the LF level. Our results show that each city has faced significant LULC change between 2012 and 2018, with a dominant increase in artificial surfaces. Furthermore, the cumulative natural surface area reduction is followed by increased landscape patch counts, indicating an increased LF at both levels. This study enhances public awareness about the landscape transformation trends in the developing metropolitan regions of WB. The respective administrative bodies at both local and central levels are invited to consider our results and adopt proper measurements to reduce the adverse consequences of subsequent spatial development decisions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Cover and Land Use Mapping Using Satellite Image)

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14 pages, 2538 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Urban Avian Conservation Planning Using Species Functional Traits and Habitat Suitability Mapping

by Andrew Tim Man Chin, Jonathan Leo William Ruppert, Namrata Shrestha and Marie-Josée Fortin

Land 2022, 11(10), 1831; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11101831 - 18 Oct 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2640

Abstract

Urbanization adversely impacts biodiversity by reducing the quantity and quality of natural habitat areas. Additionally, the quality of natural habitat depends on its bio-physical characteristics (e.g., natural cover, impervious surfaces, urban tree canopy) as well as the functional traits of species inhabiting them [...] Read more.

Urbanization adversely impacts biodiversity by reducing the quantity and quality of natural habitat areas. Additionally, the quality of natural habitat depends on its bio-physical characteristics (e.g., natural cover, impervious surfaces, urban tree canopy) as well as the functional traits of species inhabiting them (e.g., breeding/foraging habitat requirements). To better plan conservation of regional biodiversity in urbanized landscapes, it is therefore critical to assess the relationship between the landscape and the response of key Functional Trait Groups (FTGs) of species. To identify different FTGs of 116 avian species in the urbanized landscape of the Toronto region (Canada), we conducted a Functional Trait Analysis (FTA) using RLQ-fourth corner analysis. We focused on four species traits (diet, foraging, nesting, and territoriality) to identify the FTGs and their association with natural cover and landscape characteristics (landcover types, patch quality, habitat connectivity). Then, to predict FTG presence in relation to the landscape characteristics, we performed a Habitat Suitability Analysis (HSA). From this analysis, we found 21 avian FTGs with different habitat suitability values that correspond to forested patches and wetlands. The HSA for tree canopy, forest insectivore, and ground-nesting birds (or FTGs) have higher suitability values within forest patches, while aerial insectivores have higher suitability values in older residential neighborhoods indicating the value of the urban tree canopy. This methodological approach shows that by mapping habitat suitability by FTG one can identify strategic conservation areas that target multiple species, shifting efforts from a single species to a community-based functional focus. Our study highlights the conservation value of remnant and/or restored habitat patches in near urban and urban landscapes that help to maximize the persistence of regional avian biodiversity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Landscape Ecology)

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22 pages, 4583 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Land Use and Land Cover Mapping in the Era of Big Data

by Chuanrong Zhang and Xinba Li

Land 2022, 11(10), 1692; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11101692 - 30 Sep 2022

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 10535

Abstract

We are currently living in the era of big data. The volume of collected or archived geospatial data for land use and land cover (LULC) mapping including remotely sensed satellite imagery and auxiliary geospatial datasets is increasing. Innovative machine learning, deep learning algorithms, [...] Read more.

We are currently living in the era of big data. The volume of collected or archived geospatial data for land use and land cover (LULC) mapping including remotely sensed satellite imagery and auxiliary geospatial datasets is increasing. Innovative machine learning, deep learning algorithms, and cutting-edge cloud computing have also recently been developed. While new opportunities are provided by these geospatial big data and advanced computer technologies for LULC mapping, challenges also emerge for LULC mapping from using these geospatial big data. This article summarizes the review studies and research progress in remote sensing, machine learning, deep learning, and geospatial big data for LULC mapping since 2015. We identified the opportunities, challenges, and future directions of using geospatial big data for LULC mapping. More research needs to be performed for improved LULC mapping at large scales. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for Land Innovations – Data and Machine Learning)

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