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Land
Special Issues
Land Management Practices for Enhancing Ecosystem Services: Cases and Experiences
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Land Management Practices for Enhancing Ecosystem Services: Cases and Experiences

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Environmental and Policy Impact Assessment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 2888

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Wei Liu

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
College of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
Interests: ecosystem services; human wellbeing; urban ecological management; territorial spatial planning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Le Yin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Geography and Environment, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250358, China
Interests: land use change and its eco-environmental effects; ecosystem services
Dr. Xi Chu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of City Construction, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
Interests: territorial spatial planning; land use management; ecosystem services
Prof. Dr. Jinyan Zhan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Interests: land use/cover change; ecosystem services; environmental impact scenario estimation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Ecosystem services (ESs), the multifaceted benefits that humans derive from nature, form the backbone of our environment's functionality and human wellbeing. These services, encompassing provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural benefits, are crucial for maintaining biodiversity, ensuring food and water security, regulating climate, and providing recreational and spiritual enrichment. With the impacts of climate change and human activities (especially land use change), the supply capacity of different ESs has declined to different degrees, while ES demand placed on the social–economy system has increased sharply, caused the balance between ES supply and demand becoming worse. Therefore, the sustainable management of ecosystem services based on land use has become a paramount concern. This Special Issue on "Land Management Practices for Enhancing Ecosystem Services: Cases and Experiences" seeks to illuminate the diverse strategies and practices implemented globally based on land management to safeguard and enhance these vital services.

The goal of this Special Issue is to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on land management for enhancing ESs. By showcasing diverse cases and experiences, it provides valuable insights into the practical applications of theoretical concepts and highlights the critical role of innovative management practices in sustaining ecosystem health and productivity.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

  • Quantification and driving mechanisms analysis of ecosystem services;
  • Land use change and ecosystem services;
  • Ecosystem service trade-offs/synergy analysis at different spatial scales;
  • Implementation of ecosystem-based management practices;
  • Coordinated development between ecosystems and socio-economic system;
  • Challenges and barriers faced in enhancing ecosystem services;
  • Balance between ecosystem service supply and demand;
  • Land use efficiency evaluation from perspective of the ecosystem services;
  • Land management practices for enhancing ecosystem services;

We look forward to receiving original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Wei Liu
Dr. Le Yin
Dr. Xi Chu
Prof. Dr. Jinyan Zhan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ecosystem service
  • sustainable land use management
  • trade-offs/synergy analysis
  • ecological restoration
  • policy frameworks
  • ecosystem resilience
  • policy implications
  • land use efficiency
  • governance models

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  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 4315 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Water-Related Ecosystem Services and Beneficiaries in the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park
by Jeffrey Chiwuikem Chiaka, Qing Yang, Yanwei Zhao, Feni Agostinho, Cecília M. V. B. Almeida, Biagio F. Giannetti, Hui Li, Mingwan Wu and Gengyuan Liu
Land 2024, 13(11), 1804; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13111804 - 31 Oct 2024
Viewed by 484
Abstract
Tropical rainforests are of vital importance to the environment, as they contribute to weather patterns, biodiversity and even human wellbeing. Hence, in the face of tropical deforestation, it becomes exigent to quantify and assess the contribution of ecosystem services associated with tropical rainforests [...] Read more.
Tropical rainforests are of vital importance to the environment, as they contribute to weather patterns, biodiversity and even human wellbeing. Hence, in the face of tropical deforestation, it becomes exigent to quantify and assess the contribution of ecosystem services associated with tropical rainforests to the environment and especially to the people. This study adopted a nuanced approach, different from traditional economic valuations, to estimate the water-related ecosystem services (WRESs) received by the people from 2010 to 2020 in the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park (HTRNP). The study focused on water yield, soil conservation, and water purification using InVEST, the SCS-CNGIS model, and spatial analysis. The results show (1) significant land cover changes within the HTRNP, as forest decreased by 4433 ha and water bodies increased by 4047 ha, indicating the active presence of human activities. However, land cover changes were more pronounced within the 5 km buffer area around the HTRNP, suggesting the effectiveness of the tropical rainforest conservation efforts in place. (2) The water yield of the HTRNP in the years studied decreased by 307.03 km3, based on the water yields in 2010 and 2020, which were 5625.7 km3 and 5318.7 km3, respectively. (3) Change detection showed that runoff mitigation in the rainforest has a negative mean (−0.21), indicating a slight overall decrease in soil conservation and runoff mitigation in the rainforest from 2010 to 2020; however, the higher curve number indicates areas susceptible to surface runoff. (4) The ecological effectiveness of water purification to absorb and reduce nitrogen load was better in 2020 (145,529 kg/year), as it was reduced from 506,739 kg/year in 2010, indicating improved water quality. (5) Population growth is more pronounced in areas with high water yields. Overall, the proposed framework has shown that the water yield potential of the HTRNP can meet the water consumption demands of people and industries situated within the buffer area. However, analysis of the study shows that it does not meet the crop water requirements. This study provides insights for decision makers in identifying potential beneficiaries and the essence of effective area-based conservation measures, and the proposed framework can be applied to any area of interest, offering a different approach in ecosystem services assessment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Management Practices for Enhancing Ecosystem Services: Cases and Experiences)
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26 pages, 14198 KiB  
Article
Exploring Trade-Offs and Synergies in Social–Ecological System Services across Ecological Engineering Impact Regions: Insights from South China Karst
by Lu Luo, Kangning Xiong, Yi Chen, Wenfang Zhang, Yongyao Li and Dezhi Wang
Land 2024, 13(9), 1371; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13091371 - 27 Aug 2024
Viewed by 632
Abstract
Karst ecosystems have become complex social–ecological systems (SESs) as a result of the interventions of large-scale ecological restoration programs, and the ecosystem services (ESs) that provide regional well-being can, to some extent, be described as social–ecological system services (S–ESs). Understanding the relationships among [...] Read more.
Karst ecosystems have become complex social–ecological systems (SESs) as a result of the interventions of large-scale ecological restoration programs, and the ecosystem services (ESs) that provide regional well-being can, to some extent, be described as social–ecological system services (S–ESs). Understanding the relationships among multiple S–ESs and exploring their drivers are essential for effective ecological management in karst areas, especially in regions differently affected by ecological engineering programs. Taking South China Karst (SCK) as a study area, we first identified two regions as comparative boundaries, namely significant engineering impact regions (SEERs) and non-significant ecological engineering impact regions (NEERs). Then we used ES assessment models, Spearman correlation, and optimal parameter geographic detector to identify the supply capacity, trade-offs/synergies, and their drivers of six types of S–ESs in SEERs and NEERs. The findings included: (1) SEERs were predominantly concentrated in the central and southern SCK regions, accounting for 33.98% of the total SCK area, with the most concentrated distribution observed in Guizhou and Guangxi. (2) Within the entire SCK, six S–ESs maintained a relatively stable spatial distribution pattern over time, with the most pronounced increase in soil conservation and a slight decrease in water retention, and the S–ES hotspots were more concentrated within the SEERs. (3) Most S–ES pairs within SEERs were optimized synergistically, with lower trade-off intensity and higher synergy intensity compared to NEERs. (4) S–ES pairs were affected by the interactions between the natural and socio-economic factors, with land use changes playing a crucial role, and natural factors were difficult to predict but cannot be ignored. Based on the results, we propose different SES sustainable development suggestions, with a view to providing theoretical support for the optimization of SES functions and the consolidating of integrated ecological construction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Management Practices for Enhancing Ecosystem Services: Cases and Experiences)
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17 pages, 3943 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Water–Carbon–Ecological Footprint and Its Spatial–Temporal Changes in the North China Plain
by Keyi Lyu, Jin Tian, Jiayu Zheng, Cuiling Zhang and Ling Yu
Land 2024, 13(8), 1327; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13081327 - 22 Aug 2024
Viewed by 711
Abstract
The North China Plain (NCP) serves as the main grain production land in China, functioning as a critical region for ensuring China’s food security. To address the multifaceted challenges confronting food security in the NCP, the study embarked on a comprehensive analysis of [...] Read more.
The North China Plain (NCP) serves as the main grain production land in China, functioning as a critical region for ensuring China’s food security. To address the multifaceted challenges confronting food security in the NCP, the study embarked on a comprehensive analysis of the synergistic interactions between agricultural water usage, carbon emissions, and ecosystem health. By proposing footprint family indicators and using the bottom-up IPCC coefficient approach, this study quantitatively evaluates the spatial–temporal changes of water–carbon–ecological footprints in NCP from 2003 to 2020. Furthermore, a coupling coordination degree model that focuses on the coordination of water–carbon–ecological footprints is established. The findings are as follows: (1) The total water footprint in the NCP showed a striking increasing trend with an increase of 1.52 × 1011 m3, and the carbon footprint increased by 1.27 × 109 t, with significant ecological impacts. (2) The NCP’s ecological footprint exhibited an “M”-shaped trend. The land structure maintained stable with negligible changes in the proportion of ecological footprints. (3) The coupling degree between the footprints of water, carbon, and ecology in the NCP is high, revealing a noteworthy interaction effect. This research can provide data support for effective resources allocation and sustainable social–economic development, offering reasonable insights for China to formulate more scientific policies of green transition in land use and ecological civilization construction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Management Practices for Enhancing Ecosystem Services: Cases and Experiences)
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