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Indicators Engineering for Sustainable Land Transformation and Soil Conservation

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A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 February 2023) | Viewed by 38510

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Prof. Dr. Bernardino Romano

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Department of Civil Engineering, Construction, Architecture and Environment, University of L’Aquila, Monteluco di Roio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Interests: urban and environmental planning; territorial analysis and diagnosis; indicators engineering
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Dr. Francesco Zullo

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil, Construction-Architectural and Environmental Engineering, University of L’Aquila, Piazzale E. Pontieri, 1, Monteluco di Roio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Interests: sustainable land planning; land uptake; land use changes; spatial analysis; GIS; remote sensing; ecological networks
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, the importance of indicators engineering (IE) for sustainable land use is fundamental, particularly to governance and land planning processes. IE has to be able to design sets of indicators capable of capturing any change in land use, using a multi-criteria approach, in accordance with the governance and control powers of the various administrative bodies (municipalities, regions, reclamation agencies, civil protection agencies, parks, and reserves), thus ensuring the utmost interoperability and transparency of information. The correct and widespread use of official indicator panels helps to set up correlation platforms that provide warnings when certain thresholds are reached, thus making it possible to implement adaptive control actions with a view to achieving the desired results of plans and programmes. Yet, today, speed has become an essential aspect of planning. “Slow” planning is of no use and is already dated when ready to be implemented. Fast planning can help to overcome pressing issues in an adequate amount of time, ensuring consistency with the strategic level of governance. In fast planning, geographical information systems (GISs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and remote sensing (RS) play a key role by establishing the previously described multi-indicator and multi-criteria procedures at a multi-scale level.

This Special Issue aims to provide a collection of papers that propose or demonstrate the use of IE in planning processes and soil conservation actions and introduce control techniques to modulate outcomes according to the expectations of stakeholders and public authorities. As such, this Special Issue encourages multidisciplinary collaborations involving the design of parameters that should be included in regional technology-assisted platforms for the control and governance of land transformation in order to make the pursuit of improved land planning more efficient than what it is today.

Prof. Dr. Bernardino Romano
Dr. Francesco Zullo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

indicators engineering
sustainable land use
land use change monitoring
soil conservation
decision support systems
spatial analysis
adaptive control actions
fast planning

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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27 pages, 7243 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Urban Equity as a Challenge for the Southern Europe Historic Cities: Sustainability-Urban Morphology Interrelation through GIS Tools

by Montaña Jiménez-Espada, Francisco Manuel Martínez García and Rafael González-Escobar

Land 2022, 11(11), 1929; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11111929 - 29 Oct 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2799

Abstract

At a local level, public authorities’ decision making has a significant influence on the development, structure and spatial configuration of the city. For this reason, it is considered essential to combine political positions with urban sustainability criteria, particularly in cities that have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The objective of this research is based on establishing an analysis of the formal relationship between sustainability and spatial morphology in the city of Cáceres, taking into account the urban planning conditions in two areas of study: The Historic Centre (PCH) and the city as a whole. The methodology applies a series of urban indicators from four different fields, namely land use, public space, mobility, and urban complexity, with later GIS analysis using a 1 ha grid pattern. Results show correlation exists between historical zones and the degree of some indicators like density, compactness, acoustic comfort or street proportion, and streetscape, while others seem to depend on further conditions. The case of Caceres provides new findings in the Human Heritage Cities research field for Spain and Southern Europe. Grid pattern analysis has shown to be useful to most of the indicators, although some would require different approaches in the future. The authors consider the use of geoinformation tools as an opportunity for mid-sized and similar historical cities’ policymakers, with our ultimate goal being achieving further equity in urban quality conditions. In conclusion, it is considered that there is a knowledge gap regarding the existence of multiple open data sources belonging to different public administrations and the transformation of these data into useful parameters for their practical application at the citizen level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indicators Engineering for Sustainable Land Transformation and Soil Conservation)

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20 pages, 6896 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Roads on Environmental Protected Areas: Analysis and Comparison of Metrics for Assessing Habitat Fragmentation

by Manuel Sánchez-Fernández, Juan Miguel Barrigón Morillas, David Montes González and José Juan de Sanjosé Blasco

Land 2022, 11(10), 1843; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11101843 - 19 Oct 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2319

Abstract

The present study focuses on evaluating the effect of fragmentation caused by road infrastructures on a territory with singular characteristics such as low population density and a high proportion of its surface area protected by the Natura 2000 network. Based on the IFI, [...] Read more.

M_{eff}

and DIVI metrics, the state of fragmentation of the landscape units (LU) was studied from two different approaches, considering two different protection figures, and the degree of suitability of the metrics used for the objective pursued was analysed. The results show that the expressions proposed for the indicators which measure the fragmentation of landscape units (LU) originated by road infrastructures (IFI,

M_{eff}

and DIVI) assess different causes and consequences in the territory than that proposed for fragmentation originated by urban areas (UFI). The combination of all indicators allows for the identification of shortcomings and strengths of the LU analysed and, consequently, evaluation of the effectiveness of the design of the LU and need for improvement. The outcomes of fragmentation analysis of the LU in the area under study varied depending on the criterion applied and the protection figure considered. A general increasing trend for all indicators was found in terms of the number of LU units and LU surface as the level of fragmentation rises. The results of this study are useful for decision-making on territory and road infrastructures management and new approaches to the organisation of the Natura 2000 network. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indicators Engineering for Sustainable Land Transformation and Soil Conservation)

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23 pages, 11186 KiB

Open AccessArticle

LSTM-Based Prediction of Mediterranean Vegetation Dynamics Using NDVI Time-Series Data

by Christos Vasilakos, George E. Tsekouras and Dimitris Kavroudakis

Land 2022, 11(6), 923; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11060923 - 16 Jun 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3481

Abstract

Vegetation index time-series analysis of multitemporal satellite data is widely used to study vegetation dynamics in the present climate change era. This paper proposes a systematic methodology to predict the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) using time-series data extracted from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The key idea is to obtain accurate NDVI predictions by combining the merits of two effective computational intelligence techniques; namely, fuzzy clustering and long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks under the framework of dynamic time warping (DTW) similarity measure. The study area is the Lesvos Island, located in the Aegean Sea, Greece, which is an insular environment in the Mediterranean coastal region. The algorithmic steps and the main contributions of the current work are described as follows. (1) A data reduction mechanism was applied to obtain a set of representative time series. (2) Since DTW is a similarity measure and not a distance, a multidimensional scaling approach was applied to transform the representative time series into points in a low-dimensional space, thus enabling the use of the Euclidean distance. (3) An efficient optimal fuzzy clustering scheme was implemented to obtain the optimal number of clusters that better described the underline distribution of the low-dimensional points. (4) The center of each cluster was mapped into time series, which were the mean of all representative time series that corresponded to the points belonging to that cluster. (5) Finally, the time series obtained in the last step were further processed in terms of LSTM neural networks. In particular, development and evaluation of the LSTM models was carried out considering a one-year period, i.e., 12 monthly time steps. The results indicate that the method identified unique time-series patterns of NDVI among different CORINE land-use/land-cover (LULC) types. The LSTM networks predicted the NDVI with root mean squared error (RMSE) ranging from 0.017 to 0.079. For the validation year of 2020, the difference between forecasted and actual NDVI was less than 0.1 in most of the study area. This study indicates that the synergy of the optimal fuzzy clustering based on DTW similarity of NDVI time-series data and the use of LSTM networks with clustered data can provide useful results for monitoring vegetation dynamics in fragmented Mediterranean ecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indicators Engineering for Sustainable Land Transformation and Soil Conservation)

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21 pages, 5180 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identifying Degraded and Sensitive to Desertification Agricultural Soils in Thessaly, Greece, under Simulated Future Climate Scenarios

by Orestis Kairis, Andreas Karamanos, Dimitrios Voloudakis, John Kapsomenakis, Chrysoula Aratzioglou, Christos Zerefos and Constantinos Kosmas

Land 2022, 11(3), 395; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11030395 - 8 Mar 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4257

Abstract

The impact of simulated future climate change on land degradation was assessed in three representative study sites of Thessaly, Greece, one of the country’s most important agronomic zones. Two possible scenarios were used for estimation of future climatic conditions, which were based on greenhouse gas emissions (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). Three time periods were selected: the reference past period 1981–2000 for comparison, and the future periods 2041–2060 and 2081–2100. Based on soil characteristics, past and future climate conditions, type of land uses, and land management prevailing in the study area, the Environmentally Sensitive to desertification Areas (ESAs) were assessed for each period using the MEDALUS-ESAI index. Soil losses derived by water and tillage erosion were also assessed for the future periods using existing empirical equations. Furthermore, primary soil salinization risk was assessed using an algorithm of individual indicators related to the natural environment or socio-economic characteristics. The obtained data by both climatic scenarios predicted increases in mean maximum and mean minimum air temperature. Concerning annual precipitation, reductions are generally expected for the three study sites. Desertification risk in the future is expected to increase in comparison to the reference period. Soil losses are estimated to be more important in sloping areas, due especially to tillage erosion in at least one study site. Primary salinization risk is expected to be higher in one study site and in soils under poorly drainage conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indicators Engineering for Sustainable Land Transformation and Soil Conservation)

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19 pages, 3750 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Comparison, Validation, and Evaluation of the S-world Global Soil Property Database

by Jetse J. Stoorvogel and Vera L. Mulder

Land 2021, 10(5), 544; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10050544 - 20 May 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2553

Abstract

Despite the increased usage of global soil property maps, a proper review of the maps rarely takes place. This study aims to explore the options for such a review with an application for the S-World global soil property database. Global soil organic carbon (SOC) and clay content maps from S-World were studied at two spatial resolutions in three steps. First, a comparative analysis with an ensemble of seven datasets derived from five other global soil databases was done. Second, a validation of S-World was done with independent soil observations from the WoSIS soil profile database. Third, a methodological evaluation of S-world took place by looking at the variation of soil properties per soil type and short distance variability. In the comparative analysis, S-World and the ensemble of other maps show similar spatial patterns. However, the ensemble locally shows large discrepancies (e.g., in boreal regions where typically SOC contents are high and the sampling density is low). Overall, the results show that S-World is not deviating strongly from the model ensemble (91% of the area falls within a 1.5% SOC range in the topsoil). The validation with the WoSIS database showed that S-World was able to capture a large part of the variation (with, e.g., a root mean square difference of 1.7% for SOC in the topsoil and a mean difference of 1.2%). Finally, the methodological evaluation revealed that estimates of the ranges of soil properties for the different soil types can be improved by using the larger WoSIS database. It is concluded that the review through the comparison, validation, and evaluation provides a good overview of the strengths and the weaknesses of S-World. The three approaches to review the database each provide specific insights regarding the quality of the database. Specific evaluation criteria for an application will determine whether S-World is a suitable soil database for use in global environmental studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indicators Engineering for Sustainable Land Transformation and Soil Conservation)

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15 pages, 4435 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Planning Tool Mosaic (PTM): A Platform for Italy, a Country Without a Strategic Framework

by Lorena Fiorini, Francesco Zullo, Alessandro Marucci, Chiara Di Dato and Bernardino Romano

Land 2021, 10(3), 279; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10030279 - 8 Mar 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2670

Abstract

The following work proposes the utilisation of a technical device named “Planning Tool Mosaic” (PTM), defined as a total homogeneous and standardised framework for the principles contained in municipal regulatory plans: the assignment of zoning, legends, and technical rules. The 300,000 km²-broad national territory is divided into nearly 8000 municipalities. Each of them refers to a distinct regulatory plan and then to a distinct regulation on local buildings, infrastructure, and social services. This level of planning tool is the one that has most impact on the territory. This highly fragmented scenario should be driven by upper-level regulation. Although protocols and guidelines are in force, they are almost irrelevant compared to the impact of regulation at the local level. This process is a European example of city planning mismanagement that needs to be brought to the broader attention of the European technical/scientific context. The PTM, though intervening when municipal plans are already in effect, introduces an element of social and political transparency to planning before transformative events occur. It also provides a continuous framework on the probable future of territories, thereby overcoming the current opacity with regard to public cognition of future arrangements. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indicators Engineering for Sustainable Land Transformation and Soil Conservation)

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18 pages, 4350 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Agricultural Land Use Change in Chongqing and the Policy Rationale behind It: A Multiscale Perspective

by Lingyue Li, Zhixin Qi, Shi Xian and Dong Yao

Land 2021, 10(3), 275; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10030275 - 8 Mar 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2943

Abstract

Agricultural land resources have been the central issue for the Chinese government in its attempts to secure food and agricultural sustainability. Yet strict land use control does not protect the agricultural land from erosion by urban expansion. Identifying the specific patterns and mechanisms of the agricultural land conversion, thus, is critical for land management and related decision making. Based on the annual nominal 30 m land use/land cover datasets (called CLUD-A), this study goes below the national/regional level to examine agricultural land conversion in Chongqing from a multiscale perspective. At the metropolis and its subdivision’s scales, the volume of the conversion area has been generally increasing, from 122.40 km² in 1980–1990, 162.26 km² in 1990–2000, and 706.14 km² in 2000–2010, to 684.83 km² in 2010–2015. Such a conversion in the main city area and its surroundings far outweighed that in the rural outskirts, as 68.9% (1990–2000), 92.2% (2000–2010), and 82.7% (2010–2015) of the conversion happened in the former. Moreover, values of Gini coefficients and coefficient of variation (CV) based on the county/district scale (Gini [0.46, 0.64], CV [0.69, 0.99] throughout the four periods) are much lower than those based on the town/village scale (Gini [0.88, 0.94], CV [3.18, 4.47] throughout the four periods), suggesting the uneven extent of spatial distribution of the agricultural land conversion trickles down along with the downscale of administration: the lower the administrative level, the more severe the unbalance. The policy rationale behind this transition is also discussed. This research argues for tangible approaches to a sustainable rural-urban transformation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indicators Engineering for Sustainable Land Transformation and Soil Conservation)

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Review

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24 pages, 12328 KiB

Open AccessReview

Global Open Data Remote Sensing Satellite Missions for Land Monitoring and Conservation: A Review

by Dorijan Radočaj, Jasmina Obhođaš, Mladen Jurišić and Mateo Gašparović

Land 2020, 9(11), 402; https://doi.org/10.3390/land9110402 - 23 Oct 2020

Cited by 46 | Viewed by 6904

Abstract

The application of global open data remote sensing satellite missions in land monitoring and conservation studies is in the state of rapid growth, ensuring an observation with high spatial and spectral resolution over large areas. The purpose of this study was to provide a review of the most important global open data remote sensing satellite missions, current state-of-the-art processing methods and applications in land monitoring and conservation studies. Multispectral (Landsat, Sentinel-2, and MODIS), radar (Sentinel-1), and digital elevation model missions (SRTM, ASTER) were analyzed, as the most often used global open data satellite missions, according to the number of scientific research articles published in Web of Science database. Processing methods of these missions’ data consisting of image preprocessing, spectral indices, image classification methods, and modelling of terrain topographic parameters were analyzed and demonstrated. Possibilities of their application in land cover, land suitability, vegetation monitoring, and natural disaster management were evaluated, having high potential in broad use worldwide. Availability of free and complementary satellite missions, as well as the open-source software, ensures the basis of effective and sustainable land use management, with the prerequisite of the more extensive knowledge and expertise gathering at a global scale. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indicators Engineering for Sustainable Land Transformation and Soil Conservation)

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20 pages, 1169 KiB

Open AccessCase Report

Urban Green Space Composition and Configuration in Functional Land Use Areas in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Their Relationship with Urban Form

by Eyasu Markos Woldesemayat and Paolo Vincenzo Genovese

Land 2021, 10(1), 85; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10010085 - 18 Jan 2021

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 9026

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the compositions and configurations of the urban green spaces (UGS) in urban functional land use areas in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The UGS data were extracted from Landsat 8 (OLI/TIRS) imagery and examined along with ancillary data. The results showed that the high-density mixed residence, medium-density mixed residence, and low-density mixed residence areas contained 16.7%, 8.7%, and 42.6% of the UGS, respectively, and together occupied 67.5% of the total UGS in the study area. Manufacturing and storage, social services, transport, administration, municipal function, and commercial areas contained 11.6%, 8.2%, 6.6%, 3.3%, 1.3%, and 1% of the UGS, respectively, together account for only 32% of the total UGS, indicating that two-third of the UGS were found in residential areas. Further, the results showed that 86.2% of individual UGS measured less than 3000 m², while 13.8% were greater than 3000 m², demonstrating a high level of fragmentation. The results also showed that there were strong correlations among landscape metrics, while the relationship between urban form and landscape metrics was moderate. Finally, more studies need to be conducted on the spatial pattern characteristics of UGS using very high-resolution (VHR) images. Additionally, future urban planning, design, and management need to be guided by an understanding of the composition and configuration of the UGS. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Indicators Engineering for Sustainable Land Transformation and Soil Conservation)

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