Cropland Abandonment and Influencing Factors in Chongqing, China

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 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.