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20 pages, 3737 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Ageing Urban Population Prognostic between 2020 and 2050 in Transylvania Region (Romania)

by Raisa Țăruș, Ștefan Dezsi and Florin Pop

Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9940; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179940 - 4 Sep 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2806

Abstract

Population ageing represents a dramatic scenario and a progressive process inducing major changes in the dynamics of the population and especially in the age structure. The ageing population process is a phenomenon relevant to define not only demographic but also social, cultural, and [...] Read more.

Population ageing represents a dramatic scenario and a progressive process inducing major changes in the dynamics of the population and especially in the age structure. The ageing population process is a phenomenon relevant to define not only demographic but also social, cultural, and territorial transformations in relation to the urban settlements. In this article, we present a case study regarding the ageing process persistent in urban areas from the counties of the Transylvania region. The present study emphasizing the evolution of the older adults age group between 2015 and 2019, drawing a forecast model for the prognosis period 2020–2050. The tendencies of the population decline process are revealed by the outcomes of the ageing index, outlining some long-term effects of population ageing over the years. The study of this phenomenon reveals an important framework at the regional level of Transylvania and points out the means to determine its existence in other regions or countries, since it affects the urban population evolution and its dynamics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Growth and Demographic Dynamics)

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18 pages, 2234 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Recession, Local Fertility, and Urban Sustainability: Results of a Quasi-Experiment in Greece, 1991–2018

by Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir, Gianluca Egidi, Rosanna Salvia, Luca Salvati, Adele Sateriano and Antonio Gimenez-Morera

Sustainability 2021, 13(3), 1052; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031052 - 20 Jan 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2416

Abstract

Fertility is a spatially non-stationary property of regional demographic systems. Despite the wealth of quantitative (micro–macro) information delineating short-term population dynamics in advanced economies, the contribution of economic downturns to local fertility has still been under-investigated along urban–rural gradients, especially in low-fertility contexts. [...] Read more.

Fertility is a spatially non-stationary property of regional demographic systems. Despite the wealth of quantitative (micro–macro) information delineating short-term population dynamics in advanced economies, the contribution of economic downturns to local fertility has still been under-investigated along urban–rural gradients, especially in low-fertility contexts. Recent studies have assumed suburban fertility rates as systematically higher than urban and rural fertility rates. This assumption (hereafter known as the “suburban fertility hypothesis”) has been grounded on stylized facts and spatial regularities in advanced economies that reflect a significant role of both macro (contextual) and micro (behavioral) factors that positively influence fertility in suburban locations. To test the suburban fertility hypothesis at the macro-scale, the present study compares gross fertility rates from seven regional units of the Athens metropolitan area between 1991 and 2018. A refined spatial analysis of gross fertility rates during an economic expansion (1999–2008) and recession (2009–2018) was carried out in 115 urban, suburban, and rural municipalities of the same area. Experiencing sequential waves of economic expansion and recession, Athens’ socio-demographic dynamics were considered a sort of “quasi-experiment” for Southern Europe, linking late suburbanization with the multiple impacts of (rapid) economic downturns. Compared with both urban and rural locations, a higher fertility rate in suburban municipalities (15–20 km away from downtown Athens) was observed during the study period. However, a subtle distinction was observed during the economic expansion versus the recession. In the first period, the highest birth rates were recorded in industrial locations west of Athens, hosting economically disadvantaged communities with a relatively young population structure. With the recession, the highest fertility was associated with residential and service-specialized (wealthier) locations east of Athens, attracting resident population from neighboring areas, and better responding to crisis. The results of our study document how recent urban expansion and economic downturns have intrinsically shaped fertility dynamics, with implications for urban sustainability and social cohesion of metropolitan regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Growth and Demographic Dynamics)

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25 pages, 2134 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modeling Urban Growth and Socio-Spatial Dynamics of Hangzhou, China: 1964–2010

by Jian Feng and Yanguang Chen

Sustainability 2021, 13(2), 463; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13020463 - 6 Jan 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3381

Abstract

Urban population density provides a good perspective for understanding urban growth and socio-spatial dynamics. Based on sub-district data of the five national censuses in 1964, 1982, 1990, 2000, and 2010, this paper is devoted to analyzing of urban growth and the spatial restructuring [...] Read more.

Urban population density provides a good perspective for understanding urban growth and socio-spatial dynamics. Based on sub-district data of the five national censuses in 1964, 1982, 1990, 2000, and 2010, this paper is devoted to analyzing of urban growth and the spatial restructuring of the population in the city of Hangzhou, China. Research methods are based on mathematical modeling and field investigation. The modeling result shows that the negative exponential function and the power-exponential function can be well fitted to Hangzhou’s observational data of urban density. The negative exponential model reflects the expected state, while the power-exponential model reflects the real state of urban density distribution. The parameters of these models are linearly correlated to the spatial information entropy of population distribution. The fact that the density gradient in the negative exponential function flattened in the 1990s and 2000s is closely related to the development of suburbanization. In terms of investigation materials and the changing trend of model parameters, we can reveal the spatio-temporal features of Hangzhou’s urban growth. The main conclusions can be reached as follows. The policy of reformation and opening-up and the establishment of a market economy improved the development mode of Hangzhou. As long as a city has a good social and economic environment, it will automatically tend to the optimal state through self-organization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Growth and Demographic Dynamics)

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27 pages, 8056 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Spatial Pattern of Migration Population in Egypt and Its Flow Field Characteristics from the Perspective of “Source-Flow-Sink”

by Zhishan Ma, Susu Zhang and Sidong Zhao

Sustainability 2021, 13(1), 350; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010350 - 2 Jan 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3922

Abstract

Based on the provinces as the spatial nodes of population migration, a “Source-Flow-Sink” analysis framework of population migration flow in Egypt was established by “Source-Sink” Theory and Flow Field Theory to study the migration population in Egypt. It reveals the spatial pattern of [...] Read more.

Based on the provinces as the spatial nodes of population migration, a “Source-Flow-Sink” analysis framework of population migration flow in Egypt was established by “Source-Sink” Theory and Flow Field Theory to study the migration population in Egypt. It reveals the spatial pattern of the migration population in Egypt and its flow field characteristics and provides theoretical basis for the formulation of population development policies and regional spatial governance planning. The results show that: (1) there are significant spatial differences in the size and rate of migration in Egypt. In 2017, the migration population in Egypt exceeded 2.2 million in total, with a migration rate of 2.33%, and the extreme multiple reached 80 and 12. (2) According to the spatial pattern of geographical distribution, the Source System is divided into five types: axis type, layer type, fan type, oblique symmetry type, and scattered jump type. There are only three types in Sink System, namely wide area coverage type, local development type, and scattered jump type. Source Places lie in the middle, Sink Places are symmetrical from east to west, and Exchange Places are concentrated along the Mediterranean coast in the north of Cairo on the whole, with the initial formation of a “core-periphery” spatial pattern. (3) The interprovincial population migration flow in Egypt is dominated by neighborhood penetration and polarization of high-rank nodes (capitals or regional economic centers), giving rise to 7 modes of central system spatial structures and 3 modes of pole-core interaction. The central system of flow fields with clear priorities and the streamline channel network with layered trunks and branches basically take shape, overall characterized by stepped runoff from east to west, and local convection from south to north. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Growth and Demographic Dynamics)

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29 pages, 5118 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Restrictions of Historical Tissues on Urban Growth, Self-Sustaining Agglomeration in Walled Cities of Chinese Origin

by Haosu Zhao, Bart Julien Dewancker, Feng Hua, Junping He and Weijun Gao

Sustainability 2020, 12(14), 5849; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12145849 - 21 Jul 2020

Viewed by 2966

Abstract

This article uses a fractal observation to help delineate the constraints placed by multiple city walls on the growth of historical East Asian cities. By applying advanced technologies from economic geography and fractal indices, a staged scaling process within urban dimension coherence can [...] Read more.

This article uses a fractal observation to help delineate the constraints placed by multiple city walls on the growth of historical East Asian cities. By applying advanced technologies from economic geography and fractal indices, a staged scaling process within urban dimension coherence can be applied to both indices. In this study, a discovery is proposed based on the urban organism concept that is capable of indicating a proportional intra-urban structure from a fundamental wall-bounded urban element (local specificity) to other greater walled spatial properties (global variables). This local specificity potentially performs approximate scaling regularities, and spatially denotes an average historical threshold of urban growth for its overall size, with similar scaling law constraints. This finding involves territorial, urban planning, and ancient architectural perspectives, providing a historical and local response to the expansion of contemporary cities. By employing growing fractal estimation, data processing enables the logarithmic city size to be obtained by measuring each wall’s specific features using the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method. On the basis of two-dimensional allometric scaling patches, a spatial unfolding mechanism is utilized to reproduce these dynamic changes with city walls as a result of the human trajectories in time geography. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Growth and Demographic Dynamics)

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20 pages, 1838 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Population Estimates from Orbital Data of Medium Spatial Resolution: Applications for a Brazilian Municipality

by Járvis Campos, José Irineu Rangel Rigotti, Emerson Augusto Baptista, Antônio Miguel Vieira Monteiro and Ilka Afonso Reis

Sustainability 2020, 12(9), 3565; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12093565 - 27 Apr 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3317

Abstract

In recent decades, there has been an increase in the search for more detailed information on population dynamics, given the growing demand for more sustainable economic, social, and environmental planning. The dissemination of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has contributed to the development of [...] Read more.

In recent decades, there has been an increase in the search for more detailed information on population dynamics, given the growing demand for more sustainable economic, social, and environmental planning. The dissemination of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has contributed to the development of methodologies for the field of population estimates for small areas. To support more sustainable policies, this study aims to evaluate the capacity and contribution of the orbital images (Landsat ETM+) for the production of post-census population estimates for the municipality of Contagem, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Firstly, models were built using the average of the reflectance of the spectral bands of the Landsat 7 ETM+ for each special intra-municipal unit, called the census sector, as explanatory variables for the population density. Secondly, this study constructed models that use the reflectance and the distributed population at the level of the pixels of the images. All models were tested through internal validation procedures, external validation, and comparative analyses with post-census estimates. Internal validation presented excellent results (below 7%), while in external validation, the method at the level of the pixels presented consistent results, below 1% relative error. These results provide useful clues and can help policymakers in the development of more sustainable and effective public policies, insofar as population estimates are extremely important for the planning of any society. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Growth and Demographic Dynamics)

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15 pages, 972 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Agglomeration Effect of Skill-Based Local Labor Pooling: Evidence of South Korea

by Taelim Choi

Sustainability 2020, 12(8), 3198; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083198 - 15 Apr 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2871

Abstract

Since workplace skills present diverse dimensions of a worker’s ability, it has recently received renewed interest by researchers examining the growth of cities. The purpose of the paper explores the advantage of regional concentrations of workers specialized in different types of skills. Specifically, [...] Read more.

Since workplace skills present diverse dimensions of a worker’s ability, it has recently received renewed interest by researchers examining the growth of cities. The purpose of the paper explores the advantage of regional concentrations of workers specialized in different types of skills. Specifically, the analysis estimates the agglomeration effects of skill-based labor pooling on wage levels and wage growth in South Korea. To this end, it constructs skill-based labor pool indices for cognitive, social, technical, and physical skills at a provincial level. The indices show an uneven geographical distribution in varying degrees across four types of skills. The regression results indicate that the urban wage premium of skill-based local labor pooling varies according to types of skills. The greatest magnitude of benefit is incurred by workers in cognitive-skill-oriented occupations and moderate benefits are found in technical- and physical-skill-oriented occupations. An urban wage premium is non-existent in social-skill-oriented occupations. In addition, the wage growth model with job mobility shows that the urban wage premium immediately affects workers who change jobs and relocate to denser areas. As high-wage occupations earn higher wage premiums when workers in these occupations are concentrated, it supports patterns of the polarization of both skills and their effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Growth and Demographic Dynamics)

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13 pages, 881 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rapidity of Change in Population Age Structures: A Local Approach Based on Multiway Factor Analysis

by Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir, Sirio Cividino, Gianluca Egidi, Rosanna Salvia and Luca Salvati

Sustainability 2020, 12(7), 2828; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072828 - 2 Apr 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2749

Abstract

In the light of complex adaptive system thinking, population age structures in Europe have increasingly reflected the interplay between ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ socioeconomic dynamics driven by natural population growth and migration. Assuming the importance of demographic dynamics shaping regional growth in recent times, [...] Read more.

In the light of complex adaptive system thinking, population age structures in Europe have increasingly reflected the interplay between ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ socioeconomic dynamics driven by natural population growth and migration. Assuming the importance of demographic dynamics shaping regional growth in recent times, a diachronic analysis of local-scale population age structures was developed for 156 districts of Greece between 1971 and 2011. By using appropriate indicators, the analysis was aimed at demonstrating how ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ transitions contribute to socioeconomic change in both urban and rural areas. A comprehensive analysis of change in population age structures between 1971 and 2011 allows identification of latent spatial structures as a result of population re-distribution from urban cores to broader rural regions. Following residential mobility, the empirical results of this study indicate (i) a late phase of urbanization (1971–1981) with population densification and settlement compactness, (i) a rapid suburbanization (1981–1991) consolidating distinctive demographic structures in urban and rural areas, (ii) a mild counter-urbanization (1991–2001) with moderate aging of suburban populations and (iii) a latent re-urbanization (2001–2011) reducing the suburban-urban divide in population age structures. Residential mobility contributed to a more balanced age structure during suburbanization and an increased demographic divide in the subsequent urban waves. A refined analysis of long-term population dynamics in metropolitan regions reflects spatial outcomes and latent aspects of demographic transitions shedding light on the debate over the future development of urban and rural societies in advanced economies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Growth and Demographic Dynamics)

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13 pages, 3869 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Space-Time Analysis of Migrations, Employment, and Housing as A Basis for Municipal Sustainable Urban Planning

by Patricia Abelairas-Etxebarria and Inma Astorkiza

Sustainability 2020, 12(6), 2473; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12062473 - 21 Mar 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2627

Abstract

A close relationship exists between population, the housing market and the level of employment at the local level. On the one hand, the housing market is influenced by local planning decisions and, on the other hand, that market is a significant factor in [...] Read more.

A close relationship exists between population, the housing market and the level of employment at the local level. On the one hand, the housing market is influenced by local planning decisions and, on the other hand, that market is a significant factor in population and economic dynamization. Although there are studies on these variables, it is not common to include their spatial perspective by introducing Geographic Information System (GIS) tools in the analysis. The aim of this study is to analyse space-time associations among the variables migrations, housing prices, and employment prior to and during the economic crisis, in order to adapt sustainable land use policies to be used by land use planning authorities. Bivariate Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (bivariate ESDA) has been used for this purpose. As our main results demonstrate, spatial positive autocorrelation was found between the variables employment in a village before the crisis and housing prices in neighbouring municipalities during it, indicating that people move to live in areas close to their workplace, but not necessarily to the same municipality. The analysis also shows spatial homogeneity of the variable housing prices, accompanied by temporal stability. The results indicate the need to implement sustainable control land use policies, not at the municipality level but at the county level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Growth and Demographic Dynamics)

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16 pages, 756 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Factors Underlying Life Quality in Urban Contexts: Evidence from an Industrial City (Arak, Iran)

by Musa Pazhuhan, Saeed Zanganeh Shahraki, Niloofar Kaveerad, Sirio Cividino, Matteo Clemente and Luca Salvati

Sustainability 2020, 12(6), 2274; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12062274 - 14 Mar 2020

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 7175

Abstract

Cities play a vital role in local development providing a high education level, specialized jobs and advanced services. When assessing living conditions and wellbeing in cities, economic indicators alone are generally unable to evaluate the inherent complexity of the ‘quality of life’ issue [...] Read more.

Cities play a vital role in local development providing a high education level, specialized jobs and advanced services. When assessing living conditions and wellbeing in cities, economic indicators alone are generally unable to evaluate the inherent complexity of the ‘quality of life’ issue in urban environments. With rapid urbanization, shortage of infrastructures and services emerged in metropolitan regions of developing countries, leading to disadvantaged settlements, urban poverty, lower citizens’ satisfaction, and an overall decline in life quality. Based on these premises, the present study illustrates a subjective investigation of life quality in an emerging economy such as Iran, focusing on Arak, the fourth largest industrial pole of the country. Based on a literature review on quality of life in industrial cities of emerging economies, subjective indicators of citizens’ satisfaction on living quality in Arak were identified and quantified using empirical results from a field survey. Results of our study show that the overall satisfaction for living quality in Arak is rather low, reaching the lowest rank in the issues of environmental sanitation and public transportation. Lack of investments in urban infrastructure justifies the low citizens’ perception of life quality in Arak city. The paper concludes outlining the urgent need of homogeneous and comparable macro- and micro-data on multiple aspects of quality of life at both city-level and metropolitan-level in emerging economies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Growth and Demographic Dynamics)

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19 pages, 2101 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Population Dynamics and Agglomeration Factors: A Non-Linear Threshold Estimation of Density Effects

by Mariateresa Ciommi, Gianluca Egidi, Rosanna Salvia, Sirio Cividino, Kostas Rontos and Luca Salvati

Sustainability 2020, 12(6), 2257; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12062257 - 13 Mar 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3530

Abstract

Although Southern Europe is relatively homogeneous in terms of settlement characteristics and urban dynamics, spatial heterogeneity in its population distribution is still high, and differences across regions outline specific demographic patterns that require in-depth investigation. In such contexts, density-dependent mechanisms of population growth [...] Read more.

Although Southern Europe is relatively homogeneous in terms of settlement characteristics and urban dynamics, spatial heterogeneity in its population distribution is still high, and differences across regions outline specific demographic patterns that require in-depth investigation. In such contexts, density-dependent mechanisms of population growth are a key factor regulating socio-demographic dynamics at various spatial levels. Results of a spatio-temporal analysis of the distribution of the resident population in Greece contributes to identifying latent (density-dependent) processes of metropolitan growth over a sufficiently long time interval (1961-2011). Identification of density-dependent patterns of population growth contributes to the analysis of socioeconomic factors underlying demographic divides, possibly distinguishing between the effects of population concentration and dispersion. Population growth rates were non-linearly correlated with population density, highlighting a positive (or negative) impact of urban concentration on demographic growth when population is lower (or higher) than a fixed threshold (2800 and 1300 inhabitants/km² in 1961 and 2011, respectively). In a context of low population density (less than 20 inhabitants/km²), the relationship between density and growth was again negative, contrasting with the positive and linear relationship observed in denser contexts. This result evidences a sort of ‘depopulation’ trap that leads to accelerated population decline under a defined density threshold. An improved understanding of density-dependent mechanisms of population growth and decline contributes to rethinking strategies of sustainable development and social policies more adapted to heterogeneous regional contexts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Growth and Demographic Dynamics)

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14 pages, 310 KiB

Open AccessCommentary

“Qualifying Peripheries” or “Repolarizing the Center”: A Comparison of Gentrification Processes in Europe

by Samaneh Sadat Nickayin, Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir, Matteo Clemente, Francesco Maria Chelli, Luca Salvati, Federico Benassi and Antonio Gimenez Morera

Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 9039; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12219039 - 30 Oct 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3989

Abstract

Reflecting a broader form of neo-liberal urban policy underlying the progressive return of capital investment, gentrification is a key issue in urban studies. Although earlier definitions of “gentrification” focused mostly on socio-cultural processes, recent works have qualified gentrification as a mixed political–economic issue. [...] Read more.

Reflecting a broader form of neo-liberal urban policy underlying the progressive return of capital investment, gentrification is a key issue in urban studies. Although earlier definitions of “gentrification” focused mostly on socio-cultural processes, recent works have qualified gentrification as a mixed political–economic issue. Clarifying whether inner city gentrification should be supported, controlled, constricted, or prevented is a key debate in urban sustainability and metabolism, contributing to managing and, possibly, enhancing metropolitan resilience. To define the causes and consequences of gentrification, understanding the intrinsic linkage with different social contexts is crucial. There are no universal and comprehensive gentrification processes, displaying similarities and differences at the same time. A comparative analysis of different forms of gentrification and urban change provides basic knowledge to delineate complex, non-linear paths of socioeconomic development in cities, shedding light on the increased socioeconomic complexity and the most appropriate policies to fuel metropolitan sustainability in a broader context of global change. From this perspective, our commentary focuses on the main issues at the base of gentrification in Europe, starting from basic definitions and providing a regional vision distinguishing three “gentrification ideal-types” (northern, eastern, and Mediterranean). The implications of these different socioeconomic processes for the policy and governance of sustainable and resilient cities were discussed, evidencing new lines of investigation to frame (or re-frame) the increasing complexity of urbanization patterns and processes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Growth and Demographic Dynamics)

16 pages, 3398 KiB

Open AccessCommentary

Towards Local Forms of Sprawl: A Brief Reflection on Mediterranean Urbanization

by Gianluca Egidi, Sirio Cividino, Sabato Vinci, Adele Sateriano and Rosanna Salvia

Sustainability 2020, 12(2), 582; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12020582 - 13 Jan 2020

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 6159

Abstract

Urban sprawl is a complex phenomenon that requires a comprehensive reflection on the most significant patterns and underlying processes. While the “sprawl” notion parallels hegemonic concepts such as economic competitiveness, social cohesion, and polycentric development, an integrated analysis of sprawl patterns and processes [...] Read more.

Urban sprawl is a complex phenomenon that requires a comprehensive reflection on the most significant patterns and underlying processes. While the “sprawl” notion parallels hegemonic concepts such as economic competitiveness, social cohesion, and polycentric development, an integrated analysis of sprawl patterns and processes in paradigmatic socioeconomic contexts is increasingly required to reconcile different disciplinary visions, contributing to a holistic interpretation of metropolitan change. At the same time, sprawl is an increasingly evident product of local socioeconomic contexts all over the world. A comprehensive investigation of multifaceted, form–function relationships underlying sprawl—based on a quali-quantitative analysis of representative cases—is a crucial pre-requisite of both monitoring and policy actions at multiple spatial scales, from urban/regional to national/continental levels. The present contribution proposes a contextualization of the sprawl notion in Southern Europe—a socioeconomic context characterized by compact and continuous urbanization for a long time. An integrated approach based on a visual analysis of urban and peri-urban landscapes—integrated with an extended literature survey—allows for a definition of a specific sprawl model in Southern Europe, sharing some features with the United States ideal type of sprawl and showing peculiarities with respect to common models of urban dispersion typical of Northern and Western Europe. Policies aimed at containing urban dispersion may definitely benefit from a local-based definition of sprawl, considering the specificity of form–function relationships and the underlying socioeconomic context. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Growth and Demographic Dynamics)

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24 pages, 1823 KiB

Open AccessCommentary

Envisioning Present and Future Land-Use Change under Varying Ecological Regimes and Their Influence on Landscape Stability

by Marcela Prokopová, Luca Salvati, Gianluca Egidi, Ondřej Cudlín, Renata Včeláková, Radek Plch and Pavel Cudlín

Sustainability 2019, 11(17), 4654; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11174654 - 27 Aug 2019

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 4651

Abstract

Climate change plays an important role in shaping ecological stability of landscape systems. Increasing weather fluctuations such as droughts threaten the ecological stability of natural and anthropogenic landscapes. Uncertainty exists regarding the validity of traditional landscape assessment schemes under climate change. This commentary [...] Read more.

Climate change plays an important role in shaping ecological stability of landscape systems. Increasing weather fluctuations such as droughts threaten the ecological stability of natural and anthropogenic landscapes. Uncertainty exists regarding the validity of traditional landscape assessment schemes under climate change. This commentary debates the main factors that threaten ecological stability, discussing basic approaches to interpret landscape functioning. To address this pivotal issue, the intimate linkage between ecological stability and landscape diversity is explored, considering different approaches to landscape stability assessment. The impact of land-use changes on landscape stability is finally discussed. Assessment methodologies and indicators are reviewed and grouped into homogeneous classes based on a specific nomenclature of stability aspects which include landscape composition, fragmentation and connectivity, thermodynamic and functional issues, biodiversity, soil degradation, and ecological disturbance. By considering land-use change as one of the most important factors underlying climate change, individual components of landscape stability are finally delineated and commented upon. In this regard, specific trajectories of land-use change (including agricultural intensification, land abandonment, and urbanization) are investigated for their effects on ecological stability. A better understanding of land-use impacts on landscape stability is crucial for a better knowledge of processes leading to land degradation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Growth and Demographic Dynamics)

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