Theory and case of land use transition promoting ecological restoration in karst mountain areas of Southwest China

Abstract

Land use transition (LUT) impacts regional land use and the ecological environment. To reveal LUT and its ecological effects in karst mountain areas (KMA) of Southwest China, this paper first constructs a correlation model between LUT and ecological restoration in the region and carries out an example verification in the typical KMA, the Huajiang Canyon. The study demonstrates that: (1) LUT has occurred in KMA of Southwest China, mainly, the area of sloping cropland has decreased, and the forest land has increased. Land use patterns have shifted from traditional farming to modernized economic and fruit forestry; (2) The driving forces of LUT in KMA of Southwest China can be summarized into three factors: socio-economic, natural, and policy, among which natural factors are the basic conditions of LUT, socio-economic factors play a decisive role in the process of LUT, and policy factors provide policy guarantee for LUT; (3) LUT in KMA of Southwest China has curbed land degradation, promoted ecosystem restoration, and made a certain contribution making China greener, which is conducive to achieving the goal of sustainable development. This paper explores the characteristics of LUT and its driving forces in KMA of Southwest China from the coupling analysis of LUT and ecosystem, reveals the effects of LUT in KMA of Southwest China, and provides some theoretical references for the balance between high-quality development and ecological protection in KMA of Southwest China from the perspective of LUT.