Land | Special Issue : Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Interactions, and Management

Editorial

6 pages, 215 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Editorial for Special Issue “Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Interactions, and Management”

by Feng Xu, Guangqing Chi, Yongheng Rao and Jianjun Zhang

Land 2022, 11(9), 1522; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11091522 - 9 Sep 2022

Viewed by 2038

Abstract

Land use has become a highly attractive research topic for understanding human–environment interactions in the Anthropocene [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Interactions, and Management)

Research

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16 pages, 3140 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identifying Ecosystem Service Trade-Offs and Their Response to Landscape Patterns at Different Scales in an Agricultural Basin in Central China

by Kun Li, Junchen Chen, Jingyu Lin, Huanyu Zhang, Yujing Xie, Zhaohua Li and Ling Wang

Land 2022, 11(8), 1336; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11081336 - 17 Aug 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1637

Abstract

Identifying relationships among multiple ecosystem services (ESs) at different scales and the factors affecting such relationships is the foundation for sustainable ecosystem management. A case study was conducted in the Sihu Lake Basin, an agricultural basin in Central China, to examine the interactions [...] Read more.

Identifying relationships among multiple ecosystem services (ESs) at different scales and the factors affecting such relationships is the foundation for sustainable ecosystem management. A case study was conducted in the Sihu Lake Basin, an agricultural basin in Central China, to examine the interactions among ESs across different scales and the responses to landscape pattern changes (2000–2020). The results indicate that (1) agricultural land and wetlands were converted into construction land and gradually decreased in size; forestland and artificial channels gradually increased in size. (2) ESs had spatial heterogeneity in their strength at the grid and county scales. (3) Most relationships between ESs were synergistic at the grid and county scales, and most correlations increased as the scale increased due to landscape consistency. (4) The landscape metrics explained approximately 45.56–61.06% of the variations in ESs, and the main influencing factor was agricultural land. Our results demonstrated that the construction of rivers and channels, dense and widely distributed agricultural land and construction land were more positively correlated with increasing crop production and nitrogen export, whereas forestland exhibited a stronger contribution to increasing carbon storage and water yield. These findings explore appropriate management methods for agricultural development and ecological conservation in agricultural basins. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Interactions, and Management)

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15 pages, 1939 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Agricultural Services: Another Way of Farmland Utilization and Its Effect on Agricultural Green Total Factor Productivity in China

by Qinhang Xu, Peixin Zhu and Liang Tang

Land 2022, 11(8), 1170; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11081170 - 27 Jul 2022

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 3055

Abstract

Improving agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP) is an important aspect of sustainable agricultural development. Agricultural services, a new way of farmland utilization in agricultural production, solved the problem of ‘who and how to farm’ in the context of labor off-farm migration. The [...] Read more.

Improving agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP) is an important aspect of sustainable agricultural development. Agricultural services, a new way of farmland utilization in agricultural production, solved the problem of ‘who and how to farm’ in the context of labor off-farm migration. The literature has analyzed different factors that affect AGTFP, but there is a relative dearth of research into agricultural services and AGTFP. Therefore, based on the panel data of 31 provinces from 2011 to 2020, this study firstly measured carbon emissions in agricultural production and then took it as an unexpected output to measure the AGTFP by using the global Malmquist–Luenberger (GML) productivity index. Finally, the effect of agricultural services on AGTFP and its decomposition were empirically verified. The main findings are as follows: (1) Between 2011 and 2020, agricultural carbon emissions increased from 85.63 million tons to 90.99 million tons in the first five years and decreased gradually to 78.64 million tons in 2020; the government policy significantly affects carbon emissions reduction. (2) AGTFP has been increasing for the past decade, and the average growth rate of AGTFP reached 1.016, and agricultural services promoted AGTFP growth significantly, in which technological progress was the crucial driving factor. (3) Taking the Heihe–Tengchong line as the demarcation, the improving effect of agricultural services on AGTFP in the eastern region is better than the western region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Interactions, and Management)

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19 pages, 33073 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Grain Productivity Coupled with Farmers’ Behaviors Based on the Agro-Ecological Zones (AEZ) Model

by Tao Sun, Jie Guo and Minghao Ou

Land 2022, 11(8), 1149; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11081149 - 26 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3005

Abstract

This study presents a method that dynamically embeds constraints of farmers’ management and input levels to improve a traditional agro-ecological zones (AEZ) model to solve the problem of overestimation of grain production capacity. The proposed method is applied to Yuanjiang county in central [...] Read more.

This study presents a method that dynamically embeds constraints of farmers’ management and input levels to improve a traditional agro-ecological zones (AEZ) model to solve the problem of overestimation of grain production capacity. The proposed method is applied to Yuanjiang county in central China to evaluate the grain productivity of farmland and analyze its spatial distribution characteristics. Our results indicated that (1) The feasibility of the AEZ method coupled with farmers’ behavior had been verified, and the revised model can better improve the accuracy of the evaluation results. (2) Low-value areas of grain production potential are mainly distributed in the central region, high-value areas are mainly distributed in the southwest and northeast regions, and the spatial differentiation characteristics of production potential and total production capacity are the same. (3) The total grain productivity is 935,800 tons, and the total yield gap is 470,100 tons, which is 1.01 times the actual yield, indicating a large potential to increase grain production under the current technicality. The main contribution of this study is to propose a method to dynamically embed farmers’ behavioral factors into the traditional AEZ model, and apply this method to the actual farmland productivity evaluation in small-scale areas, which improves the reliability of the actual regional productivity evaluation results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Interactions, and Management)

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14 pages, 4479 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Revealing the Land Use Volatility Process in Northern Southeast Asia

by Yongheng Rao and Jianjun Zhang

Land 2022, 11(7), 1092; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11071092 - 17 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1766

Abstract

Frequent land use change has generally been considered as a consequence of human activities. Here, we revealed the land use volatility process in northern Southeast Asia (including parts of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and China) from 2000 to 2018 with LandTrendr in the [...] Read more.

Frequent land use change has generally been considered as a consequence of human activities. Here, we revealed the land use volatility process in northern Southeast Asia (including parts of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and China) from 2000 to 2018 with LandTrendr in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform based on the Normalized Burning Index (NBR). The result showed that land use volatility with similar degrees had very obvious aggregation characteristics in time and space in the study area, and the time for the occurrence of land use volatility in adjacent areas was often relatively close. This trend will become more obvious with the intensity of land use volatility. At the same time, land use volatility also has obvious spillover effects, and strong land use volatility will drive changes in the surrounding land. If combined with the land use/cover types, which are closely related to human activities that could have more severe land use volatility, and with the increase of the volatility intensity, the proportion of the land use type with strong land use volatility will gradually increase. Revealing the land use volatility process has a possibility to deepen the understanding of land use change and to help formulate land use policy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Interactions, and Management)

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19 pages, 3130 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Human Activity Intensity and Its Spatial-Temporal Evolution in China’s Border Areas

by Yi Cheng, Hui Liu, Dongmei Chen and Haimeng Liu

Land 2022, 11(7), 1089; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11071089 - 15 Jul 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3179

Abstract

Monitoring human activities in border areas is challenging due to the complex geographical environment and diverse people. China has the longest terrestrial boundary and the highest number of neighboring countries in the world. In this study, a human activity intensity index (HAI) was [...] Read more.

Monitoring human activities in border areas is challenging due to the complex geographical environment and diverse people. China has the longest terrestrial boundary and the highest number of neighboring countries in the world. In this study, a human activity intensity index (HAI) was proposed based on land cover, population density, and satellite-based nighttime light for a long-term macroscopic study. The HAI was calculated at 1 km resolution within the 50 km buffer zone of China’s land boundary on each side in 1992, 2000, 2010, and 2020, respectively. Results show that human activity is low in about 90% of the study area. Overall, the HAI on the Chinese side is higher than that on the neighboring side, and the intensity of land use on the Chinese side has increased significantly from 1992 to 2020. Among China’s neighbors, India has the highest HAI with the fastest growth. With the changes in the HAI between China and its neighboring countries, four regional evolution patterns are found in the study area: Sino-Russian HAI decline; Sino-Kazakhstan HAI unilateral growth; Indian HAI continuous growth; China and Indochina HAI synchronized growth. Hotspot analysis reveals three spatial evolution patterns, which are unilateral expansion, bilateral expansion, and cross-border fusion. Both the “border effect” and “agglomeration effect” exist in border areas. The HAI changes in border areas not only impact the eco-environment but also affect geopolitics and geoeconomics. The HAI can be used as an instrument for decision-making and cooperation between China and neighboring countries in such areas as ecological protection, border security, and border trade. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Interactions, and Management)

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25 pages, 7784 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of Forest Cover Changes in Vavuniya District, Sri Lanka: Implications for the Establishment of Subnational Forest Reference Emission Level

by Sharaniya Vijitharan, Nophea Sasaki, Manjunatha Venkatappa, Nitin Kumar Tripathi, Issei Abe and Takuji W. Tsusaka

Land 2022, 11(7), 1061; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11071061 - 12 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5330

Abstract

Assessment of forest cover changes is required to establish the forest reference emission level (FREL) at any scale. Due to civil conflict, such assessments have not yet been undertaken in Sri Lanka, especially in the conflict zone. Here, we assessed the forest cover [...] Read more.

Assessment of forest cover changes is required to establish the forest reference emission level (FREL) at any scale. Due to civil conflict, such assessments have not yet been undertaken in Sri Lanka, especially in the conflict zone. Here, we assessed the forest cover changes in Vavuniya District, Sri Lanka, from 2001 to 2020, using a combination of the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform and the phenology-based threshold classification (PBTC) method. Landsat 5 TM data for 2001, 2006, and 2010, and Landsat 8 OLI data for 2016 and 2020 were used to classify forest cover by categories, and their related changes could be assessed by four categories, namely dry monsoon forest, open forest, other lands, and water bodies. With an overall average accuracy of 87% and an average kappa coefficient of 0.83, forest cover was estimated at 57.6% of the total land area in 2020. There was an increase of 0.46% per annum for the entire district between 2001 and 2010, but a drastic loss of 0.60% per year was observed between 2010 and 2020. Specifically, the dry monsoon forest lost 0.30%, but open forest gained 3.62% annually over the same period. Loss and gain of forest cover resulted in carbon emissions and removals of 165,306.6 MgCO₂ and 24,064.5 MgCO₂ annually, respectively, over the same period. Our findings could be used to set the baseline trend of deforestation, based on which, a subnational forest reference emission level can be established as an emission benchmark, against which comparisons of carbon emissions following the implementation of REDD+ activities can be made, and result-based payment can be claimed under the Paris Agreement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Interactions, and Management)

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21 pages, 5516 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Evolution and Response of Space Utilization Efficiency and Carbon Emissions: A Comparative Analysis of Spaces and Regions

by Ruimin Yin, Zhanqi Wang, Ji Chai, Yunxiao Gao and Feng Xu

Land 2022, 11(3), 438; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11030438 - 17 Mar 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3284

Abstract

Space utilization and climate change are related to human survival and development. Identifying the relationship between development and conservation is the foundation of sustainable development. We used the kernel density curve, spatial analysis, and the sensitivity model to study the spatial use efficiency [...] Read more.

Space utilization and climate change are related to human survival and development. Identifying the relationship between development and conservation is the foundation of sustainable development. We used the kernel density curve, spatial analysis, and the sensitivity model to study the spatial use efficiency and carbon emissions evolution characteristics at the provincial and regional levels in China from 1999 to 2019. The results show that a trend of high efficiency and low carbon emissions in southeast coastal cities and towns is gradually forming, and agricultural spaces are moving toward high efficiency and high carbon emissions patterns. The evolution paths of space utilization efficiency and carbon emissions differ significantly across spaces and regions. We also found similarities in how carbon emissions intensity responds to changes in spatial utilization efficiency in the Yangtze and Yellow River basin urban agglomeration. The study provides practical suggestions for the high-quality development of territorial space, ecological environment management, and sustainable development in light of spatiotemporal changes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Interactions, and Management)

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19 pages, 10251 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Priority in Land Supply for Sustainable Transportation of Chinese Cities: An Empirical Study from Perception, Discrimination, Linkage to Decision

by Ke Wang, Jianjun Zhang, Di Zhang and Xia Wu

Land 2022, 11(1), 78; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11010078 - 5 Jan 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2361

Abstract

With the rapid development of China’s economy, alleviating the shortage of land resources has become a significant challenge. Transportation infrastructure is a channel connecting cities, which carries the flow of population and material circulation. The efficient allocation of land used for transportation is [...] Read more.

With the rapid development of China’s economy, alleviating the shortage of land resources has become a significant challenge. Transportation infrastructure is a channel connecting cities, which carries the flow of population and material circulation. The efficient allocation of land used for transportation is closely related to production and life. By investigating the main factors affecting the priority of the supply of land used for transportation, this paper evaluates the transportation condition of all cities in China from five aspects: dominance, dependence, coordination, accessibility, and land demand for transportation. Furthermore, this paper constructs a multi-objective decision support system for land supply, which aims to find out which cities are in urgent need of the supply of land for transportation and what types of transportation infrastructure need to be focused on. The results of this paper show that most of the cities with high land supply priority are non-provincial capital cities and are important growth poles of regional economic development. The construction of a comprehensive transportation system is the short-term goal of these cities. Most cities with low land supply priority are sparsely populated, in good ecological condition, and far away from the core areas of economic development. The preferred transportation mode of these cities is generally land transportation. The main contribution of this paper is to provide a comprehensive decision support system for the land management department to determine land supply priorities and achieve the sustainable use of land. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Interactions, and Management)

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15 pages, 4411 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Sanjiangyuan Nature Reserve Is Partially Effective in Mitigating Human Pressures

by Linyi Tan, Guancheng Guo and Shicheng Li

Land 2022, 11(1), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11010043 - 28 Dec 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3890

Abstract

Protected areas play significant roles in protecting biodiversity by mitigating human activities. As an indicator for human activities, the human footprint (HF) can be used to assess the effectiveness of protected areas. We developed a HF dataset for the Sanjiangyuan region in China [...] Read more.

Protected areas play significant roles in protecting biodiversity by mitigating human activities. As an indicator for human activities, the human footprint (HF) can be used to assess the effectiveness of protected areas. We developed a HF dataset for the Sanjiangyuan region in China after localizing the global HF model. Then we used it to assess the effectiveness of Sanjiangyuan nature reserve (SNR) in mitigating human pressures. Our results suggest that the HF value for the Sanjiangyuan region was generally low from 1995 to 2015, with a fluctuating increasing trend. The SNR is partially effective in mitigating human pressures. For 2005–2010, the HF values decreased both within and outside the reserve with more decreases for the outside. For the three functional zones of the SNR, our results show that the HF values decreased during 2005–2010 for all of them, with the largest decrease in the experimental area, and increased during 2010–2015, with the lowest increase in the core areas. The results we obtained are consistent with ecological indicator-based assessments. It is a challenge for the government to balance conservation and development in establishing Sanjiangyuan National Park. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Interactions, and Management)

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21 pages, 6387 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cropland Abandonment and Influencing Factors in Chongqing, China

by Han Li and Wei Song

Land 2021, 10(11), 1206; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10111206 - 7 Nov 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3067

Abstract

Cropland abandonment occurs frequently in many countries and regions around the world, particularly in those with poor environmental conditions, such as mountainous regions. In Chongqing county, China, over 76% of the total area is mountainous. Due to the lack of reliable remote sensing [...] Read more.

Cropland abandonment occurs frequently in many countries and regions around the world, particularly in those with poor environmental conditions, such as mountainous regions. In Chongqing county, China, over 76% of the total area is mountainous. Due to the lack of reliable remote sensing monitoring and identification methods, the spatial and temporal distribution of abandoned cropland areas and its underlying causes are poorly understood. Thus, the extent of cropland abandonment in Chongqing, since 2001, was estimated using land use trajectories. The following results were obtained: (1) the cropland abandonment rate was 12.2–15.4% from 2001 to 2020, with an average of 13.3%; (2) hotspots of abandoned cropland were concentrated in the north and southeast. Cropland abandonment was clustered in the northern, southeastern, and southwestern areas; (3) socio-economic factors (including gross domestic product density, population density, and road density) had a greater impact on the spatial distribution of abandoned cropland than environmental factors. Based on the results, the government should strive to reduce production costs associated with poor agricultural infrastructure, sporadic cropland, and higher labor costs by providing grain subsidies, undertaking cropland consolidation, encouraging land transfer, and improving agricultural infrastructure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Interactions, and Management)

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23 pages, 3638 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Simulation of Policy Tools’ Effects on Farmers’ Adoption of Conservation Tillage Technology: An Empirical Analysis in China

by Hongbin Liu, Mengyao Wu, Xinhua Liu, Jiaju Gao, Xiaojuan Luo and Yan Wu

Land 2021, 10(10), 1075; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10101075 - 12 Oct 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2928

Abstract

Conservation tillage technology (CTT) provides a new solution to the problem of cultivated land protection. Using effective policy tools to ensure that farmers adopt conservation tillage technology is crucial to the sustainable utilization of cultivated land resources and the development of agricultural modernization. [...] Read more.

Conservation tillage technology (CTT) provides a new solution to the problem of cultivated land protection. Using effective policy tools to ensure that farmers adopt conservation tillage technology is crucial to the sustainable utilization of cultivated land resources and the development of agricultural modernization. This study aims to explore the decision-making and the dynamic influence mechanism involved in using policy tools to influence farmers’ technology adoption behaviors by constructing a theoretical framework. Based on survey data of farmers in Liaoning Province, China, the Agent Belief–Desire–Intention (BDI) model is applied. The results show that the implementation of policy tools promotes farmers’ adoption of CTT, but different types of policy tools have different impacts on the decision-making behavior of farmers; a change in the intensity of the policy tools will also cause differences in farmers’ behavioral responses. In addition, policy tools must be implemented in a timely manner, as the number of farmers adopting CTT reaches the maximum within 2–3 years. Based on the above research results, in order to effectively promote farmers’ adoption of CTT, the government should pay attention to the role of information-inducing policy and set flexible policy subsidies and punishment standards. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Interactions, and Management)

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24 pages, 8418 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Landscapes on the Move: Land-Use Change History in a Mexican Agroforest Frontier

by Carolina Berget, Gerard Verschoor, Eduardo García-Frapolli, Edith Mondragón-Vázquez and Frans Bongers

Land 2021, 10(10), 1066; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10101066 - 9 Oct 2021

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4042

Abstract

An unprecedented magnitude of land-use/land-cover changes have led to a rapid conversion of tropical forested landscapes to different land-uses. This comparative study evaluates and reconstructs the recent history (1976–2019) of land-use change and the associated land-use types that have emerged over time in [...] Read more.

An unprecedented magnitude of land-use/land-cover changes have led to a rapid conversion of tropical forested landscapes to different land-uses. This comparative study evaluates and reconstructs the recent history (1976–2019) of land-use change and the associated land-use types that have emerged over time in two neighboring rural villages in Southern Mexico. Qualitative ethnographic and oral histories research and quantitative land-use change analysis using remote sensing were used. Findings indicate that several interacting historical social-ecological drivers (e.g., colonization program, soil quality, land conflicts with indigenous people, land-tenure, availability of surrounding land where to expand, Guatemala’s civil war, several agricultural development and conservation programs, regional wildfire, Zapatista uprising, and highway construction) have influenced each village’s own unique land-use change history and landscape composition: the smaller village is characterized by a dominating pasture landscape with some scattered agricultural and forest areas, while the larger village has large conserved forest areas intermixed with pastures, agriculture, oil palm and rubber plantations. The differential histories of each village have also had livelihood diversification implications. It is suggested that landscape history research in tropical agroforest frontiers is necessary because it can inform land-use policies and forest conservation strategies that are compatible with local livelihoods and conservation goals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Interactions, and Management)

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17 pages, 6460 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatio-Temporal Variation and Driving Forces of Land-Use Change from 1980 to 2020 in Loess Plateau of Northern Shaanxi, China

by Xue Zhou and Yang Zhou

Land 2021, 10(9), 982; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10090982 - 17 Sep 2021

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3372

Abstract

Land-use cover is undergoing intense change under global climate change and rapid urbanization, especially in the Loess Plateau, where ecological restoration policies like Green for Grain Project (GFGP) have been vigorously implemented since the 1980s. The main objective of this study was to [...] Read more.

Land-use cover is undergoing intense change under global climate change and rapid urbanization, especially in the Loess Plateau, where ecological restoration policies like Green for Grain Project (GFGP) have been vigorously implemented since the 1980s. The main objective of this study was to distinguish the difference of spatio-temporal variation of land-use change in the two study periods of 1980–2000 and 2000–2020 at the county scales. Geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) was employed to handle both the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the driving forces for land use change. The results showed that the quantity of construction land, woodland and grassland experienced continuous growth, but arable land declined substantially. The results of GTWR model showed that the dominant influencing factors of land-use change had temporal and spatial differences in the Loess Plateau. Specifically, the implementation of GFGP and precipitation accelerated the changes in arable land, grassland and woodland. For construction land, its growth was mainly promoted by gross domestic product (GDP) and population, both of which had more obvious positive effects in the last 20 years. The findings provide a scientific basis to put forward countermeasures emphasizing sustainable land use in the Loess Plateau. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Interactions, and Management)

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23 pages, 5792 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Linking Ecosystem Service and MSPA to Construct Landscape Ecological Network of the Huaiyang Section of the Grand Canal

by Feng Tang, Xu Zhou, Li Wang, Yangjian Zhang, Meichen Fu and Pengtao Zhang

Land 2021, 10(9), 919; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10090919 - 31 Aug 2021

Cited by 40 | Viewed by 4153

Abstract

Rapid urbanization and drastic land-use change have led to landscape fragmentation and ecological environment deterioration in the regions along the Grand Canal. Building an ecological network is an important means to improve the connectivity of habitat patches and carry out ecological protection and [...] Read more.

Rapid urbanization and drastic land-use change have led to landscape fragmentation and ecological environment deterioration in the regions along the Grand Canal. Building an ecological network is an important means to improve the connectivity of habitat patches and carry out ecological protection and restoration of territorial space, which is of great significance to ensure regional biodiversity and ecological security. In this article, we took the Huaiyang Section of the Grand Canal (Huaiyang Canal) as the study area, used the ecosystem service assessment model, morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), and the landscape connectivity evaluation method to identify ecological sources, then used the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model and the gravity model to extract and grade ecological corridors. Based on these, the ecological network was constructed by combining the identification method of ecological nodes and ecological breakpoints. The aim of this was to provide a reference for the ecological space optimization of Huaiyang Canal and even the entire Grand Canal, the formulation of an ecological protection plan, and the implementation of territorial space ecological restoration. The results showed that the spatial distribution of the water conservation service, soil conservation service, carbon sequestration service, and biodiversity conservation service were significantly different, and the level of ecosystem services showed a trend of continuous degradation from 1990 to 2018. There were 12 ecological source patches comprehensively identified by multiple methods, with a total area of 2007.06 km². In terms of spatial distribution, large ecological source patches were mainly distributed in the central and western areas adjacent to the Grand Canal, while small ecological source patches were scattered in the eastern and southern border regions of the study area. The total length of ecological corridors was 373.84 km, of which the number of the primary ecological corridor, secondary ecological corridor, and tertiary ecological corridor were 9, 7, and 7, respectively, and the suitable width of the ecological corridor was 200–400 m. After optimization, the proposed ecological network was composed of 3 key ecological source patches, 9 important ecological source patches, 23 terrestrial corridors, 10 aquatic corridors, and 18 ecological nodes. Twenty-nine ecological breakpoints were key areas requiring ecological restoration. The overlap rate of the integrated ecosystem service change area and land-use change area was 99%, indicating that land-use change has a significant impact on regional ecosystem services. This study is of great significance for carrying out the ecological protection and restoration of the Huaiyang Canal and adjusting local land-use policies. It also provides a typical case demonstration for identifying an ecological network and formulating ecological restoration planning for other sections of the Grand Canal and cities along the canal. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Interactions, and Management)

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15 pages, 2888 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Differentiation in Cultivated Land Quality between Modern Agricultural Areas and Traditional Agricultural Areas: Evidence from Northeast China

by Quanfeng Li, Wenhao Guo, Xiaobing Sun, Aizheng Yang, Shijin Qu and Wenfeng Chi

Land 2021, 10(8), 842; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10080842 - 11 Aug 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2540

Abstract

Many studies of cultivated land use have focused on evaluating land quality. However, these studies rarely compare cultivated land quality (CLQ) between modern agricultural areas (MA) and traditional agricultural areas (TA). Thus, policymakers sometimes experience difficulties utilizing existing CLQ theories in CLQ improvement, [...] Read more.

Many studies of cultivated land use have focused on evaluating land quality. However, these studies rarely compare cultivated land quality (CLQ) between modern agricultural areas (MA) and traditional agricultural areas (TA). Thus, policymakers sometimes experience difficulties utilizing existing CLQ theories in CLQ improvement, especially in developing countries experiencing the transformation from traditional to modern agriculture. The objective of this study was to build a comprehensive hierarchical framework to compare the CLQ in MA and TA from the multidimensional perspectives of fertility, project, landscape, and ecology. An empirical analysis was conducted in Fujin City, Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China. The results showed that comprehensive CLQ in MA is better than that in TA, but individual cultivated land quality results are not the same as comprehensive quality. Specifically, project, landscape, and ecology quality in MA are better than in TA. However, fertility quality in MA is still worse. Moreover, the CLQ in MA tends to be more consistent in a small range, while the spatial pattern of CLQ in TA is disordered. We then argue that these results should be associated with different management modes and agrarian property systems between MA and TA. Based on our findings, four suggestions were generated to improve CLQ. Overall, this study provides a new comprehensive insight for understanding CLQ, and the framework, method, and findings of this study can help increase the effectiveness of CLQ improvements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Interactions, and Management)

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