Abandonment Of Cultivated Land Research Articles

Factors Determining Concurrent Reclamation and Abandonment of Cultivated Land on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau has important functions, such as water and soil conservation, wind and sand control, carbon fixation, and biodiversity protection. Agricultural development on the Tibetan Plateau not only maintains local food security but is also related to the important ecological functions in China and Asia. This study analyzed the spatial distribution of reclaimed and abandoned cultivated land in the Yarlung Zangbo–Lhasa–Nyangqu River (YLN) region on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau from 2000 to 2020 using high-resolution remote sensing data. Additionally, this study explored the factors influencing spatial distribution patterns using a landscape pattern index and correlation analysis. The results showed that: (1) From 2000 to 2020, cultivated land reclamation and abandonment coexisted in the YLN region. The total areas of reclaimed and abandoned cultivated land were 558.57 and 196.85 km2, and their growth and abandonment rates were 25.47 and 8.29%, respectively. (2) Apparent regional differences existed in the distribution of reclaimed and abandoned lands. The reclaimed land was concentrated in the northeast and southwest of YLN, whereas abandoned land was scattered, with relatively higher fragmentation than in the former. (3) Climate and location affected the spatial distribution of both land types, with precipitation, aspect, and SOM having less influence and temperature, elevation, slope, traffic conditions, and farming radius having relatively prominent influence. (4) Socioeconomic factors were the main factors driving changes in cultivated land area in the region, wherein grain output and the number of livestock positively impacted reclamation and abandonment, relatively more significantly for reclamation. This study helps to understand the land use changes and their impacts in the YLN region on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is of great significance for formulating appropriate sustainable development strategies and land management policies, and ensuring the sustainable development of local ecological environment and cultivated land resources utilization.

Does Institutional Social Insurance Cause the Abandonment of Cultivated Land? Evidence from Rural China.

At present, the world’s countryside needs to be revitalized urgently, and cultivated land is the critical factor in promoting the countryside’s revitalization. The reduction of uncultivated land contributes to the efficient use of rural land resources, contributing to global rural revitalization. This study uses data from 3938 Chinese peasant households conducted in 2014 and the OLS method to investigate the quantitative impact of institutional social insurance on cultivated land abandonment. The empirical results point to the following conclusions: (1) Institutional social insurance will weaken the social insurance function of land, which will lead to the generation of peasant households’ cultivated land abandonment. More specifically, for every 1% increase in the level of institutional social insurance of peasant households, the area of cultivated land abandoned increased by 0.002 mu; (2) The influence of institutional social insurance on peasant households’ cultivated land abandonment is heterogeneous, that is, endowment insurance can weaken the social insurance function of land more than medical insurance, and households with a higher proportion of pensioners are more likely to abandon cultivated land. This study’s conclusions may help understand the relationship between institutional and non-institutional social insurance and provide a reference for the effective use of cultivated land resources in the global rural revitalization.

Changes in seed germination strategy along the successional gradient from abandoned cropland to climax grassland in a subalpine meadow and some implications for rangeland restoration

Various plant successional gradients on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau are created by overgrazing of rangelands and by abandonment of cultivated land. A key point for restoration of these grasslands is the germinability of seeds that are sown in the field. Thus, information on how germination strategies change during succession will be helpful in restoring the grasslands in different successional stages. We sampled subalpine meadows abandoned from agriculture for 1, 5 and 15 years and an undisturbed (climax) meadow. Seed germination of species of communities in different successional stages and the climax were tested in the laboratory under different conditions. Change in germination strategy from the pioneer stage to climax was analyzed at the community level. Our results indicated that 1) at the community level, germination of species in the pioneer stage of succession (SS) is significantly different with that of those in the later SS; 2) species in the pioneer SS germinated better at 10-25℃ than those in the later (5 and 15 years) stages and in the climax; 3) the optimal temperature range for germination for the 1-year-old and climax communities (15-25℃) is wider than that of the 5- and 15-year-old communities (20-25℃); 4) germination of species in the 5- and 15-year-old communities had a significant positive response to alternating temperature and wet-cold storage but the 1-year-old and climax communities did not; 5) the SS has different effects on the diversity index for a single germination trait (FDrao), depending on the kind of trait, however, the diversity for the suite of seed germination traits (FRic) tends to decrease with progression of succession; 6) both species richness and phylogenetic diversity increase with progression of succession. Thus, the seed germination strategy changed with the progression of succession, and it was correlated with changes in vegetation density and height along the successional gradient. This research can give us some guidelines for grassland restoration by adding seeds.

Coupling Relationship between Agricultural Labor and Agricultural Production Against the Background of Rural Shrinkage: A Case Study of Songnen Plain, China

Based on panel data from 1995, 2005, and 2015 in the Songnen Plain in Heilongjiang Province, this paper used quantitative and spatial analysis methods to reveal the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and coupling relationship between agricultural labor and agricultural production at the county level against the background of rural shrinkage. The results showed the following: (1) From 1995 to 2015, the agricultural labor population in Songnen Plain increased first and then decreased. The transfer of agricultural labor in the northern and eastern areas was clear, and the agricultural labor population in the central and western areas showed an increasing trend. (2) From 1995 to 2015, the agricultural production showed a growth trend, from the characteristics of “high in the southwest and low in the northeast” to “high in the central areas and low around”, with clear regional differences. (3) The coupling relationship between agricultural labor and agricultural production was diverse, showing a trend of positive development from extensive, lagged, and declining types to growth or intensive types. In some areas, the transfer of agricultural labor brought about an increase in the per capita cultivated land and an intensive transformation of production, but problems such as hollow villages, the abandonment of cultivated land and food insecurity often occurred. In addition, the increase in the agricultural labor population promoted the growth of grain yield and agricultural output value, but the decrease in per capita cultivated land might lead to a decrease in the per capita income. Finally, based on the coupling types and spatial distribution characteristics of agricultural labor and agricultural production, some policy suggestions are proposed for rural revitalization.

Development of an agent-based model for estimation of agricultural land preservation in rural Japan

In rural Japan, the lack of successors for aging farmers has become a serious problem, given that these areas experience a population outflow as well. In response, national authorities have promoted reconsideration and strengthening of regional agricultural management systems. In order to achieve consensus for such a transition, it is important to streamline this agricultural management. In this study, we constructed an analytical simulation model based on multi-agent simulations to support such changes. With this model, we investigated the effectiveness of deliberate organization of agricultural management. First, we collected data on farmer behavioral patterns and intentions. In addition, we gathered data at individual farm level with a field survey, and predicted an initial trend (Trend_Simulation). In order to compare simulations with the Trend_Simulation, we assumed that the future labor force in the model settlement was centralized and performed the work as an agricultural organization (Systematic_Simulation). The results from Trend_Simulation predicted that farmland degradation would occur from 2010 onwards, after which the amount of abandoned cultivated and fallow land would increase rapidly. In contrast, for the Systematic_Simulation, as a result of increased management efficiency through labor force accumulation and joint use of agricultural machines, abandonment of cultivated land would not occur for at least 20 more years. Finally, expansion of management scale per individual farm through land leasing between farms was predicted to decrease gradually in the Trend_Simulation, but to increase in the Systematic_Simulation.

Estimation of the Spatiotemporal Patterns of Vegetation and Associated Ecosystem Services in a Bornean Montane Zone Using Three Shifting-Cultivation Scenarios

Tropical countries are now facing increasing global pressure to conserve tropical forests, while having to maintain cultivated lands (particularly shifting cultivation) for the subsistence of local people. To accomplish the effective conservation of tropical forests in harmony with subsistence shifting cultivation, we evaluated the influence of shifting cultivation on ecosystem services (i.e., biodiversity and carbon stock) at a landscape level based on three land-use scenarios. The study focus was the upland area between the Kinabalu Park and the Crocker Range Park in Sabah, northern Borneo, where local people conduct shifting cultivation for their subsistence. In this area, vegetation patches of various stages of secondary succession admix with shifting-cultivation lands. An earlier study in the same site depicted significant relationships between the stand ages of vegetation patches (which form a sere of secondary succession after the abandonment of cultivated land) and the above-ground biomass (i.e., carbon stock) and species composition of the stands. We incorporated these significant relationships to a stand-age estimation algorithm that had been developed earlier. We first mapped current (as of 2010) spatial patterns of the above-ground biomass and plant-community composition for the whole landscape. Subsequently, we simulated the spatiotemporal patterns of the above-ground biomass and plant-community distribution using three land-use scenarios: (1) reducing the area of shifting cultivation by one half and protecting the rest of the area; (2) shortening the minimum fallow period from 7 to 4 years while maintaining the same area of cultivation; and (3) elongating the minimum fallow period from 7 to 10 years while maintaining the same area of cultivation. Results indicated that land use based on scenario 2 could increase the carbon stock while maintaining the cultivation area. Our methods were effective in mapping the structure and composition of highly dynamic forests at a landscape level, and at predicting the future patterns of important ecosystem services based on land-use scenarios.

Land use changes and their catchment-scale environmental impact in the Polish Western Carpathians during transition from centrally planned to free-market economics

Land use and land cover changes (LULC) and their impact on potential soil erosion, road density as transfer routes of material and water to channels as well as channel level changes were studied in three catchments (~20 km2 each) in the central part of the Polish Western Carpathians in 1975-2015. It was hypothesised that short-term LULC changes during transition from a centrally planned to a free-market economy are sufficient to modify selected elements of the environment and that these changes can be identified in a measurable way. The analysis of aerial photographs and socio-economic data indicates that during the investigated period, the forest area increased by 20-27%, with a continuous decrease of cultivated land by 89-93% in the three catchments. LULC changes were accompanied by continuous population density growth by 29-50% and a decrease of the population dependent only on agriculture to less than 5%. Analyses confirmed the hypothesis that the environment was significantly modified due to the LULC changes. Abandonment of cultivated land, forest succession and a decrease in used road density, have resulted in lower efficiency of slope wash and sediment transport within the 4th-order catchments. This has led to an interruption of aggradation and initiated channel deepening by approximately 1 cm∙year-1 after the introduction of a free-market economy in 1989.

RURAL AREA TRANSFORMATION: FROM CROPLAND TO MINE FIELDS – ZEMUNIK DONJI MUNICIPALITY (CROATIA) CASE STUDY

This paper analyses socio-economic and land use changes in the Zemunik Donji Municipality of the Republic of Croatia during the 19th and 20th centuries. It also provides an overview of the current suspected landmine areas and civilian casualties in this region and the influence of landmines on population numbers. The Zemunik Donji Municipality is an integral part of Ravni kotari, one of the most important agricultural regions in Coastal Croatia. Throughout history, people living in this region were mostly engaged in agriculture (both cropping and pastoral activities), through which they achieved prosperity. In spite of extensive processes of depopulation and abandonment of cultivated land during the second half of the 20th century in this and other parts of Coastal Croatia, the landscape of the Zemunik area has retained the characteristics of an agricultural region. As a result of the recent Croatian War of Independence, considerable change has occurred within the Municipality with abandonment of agricultural land, and fertile fields becoming landmine fields to pose a major obstacle to economic activity.

STUDY ON GENERATING MECHANISM OF ABANDONED CULTIVATED LANDS BY NATURAL DISASTER IN MOUNTAINOUS AREA

The majorities of previously cultivated lands that have been abandoned are remarkably inconvenient places and constitute a weak point for the community as a whole. This is especially true in the valleys and areas that are in the shadow of mountains, as the production conditions are poor and easily influenced by damage from wildlife. The damage from natural disaster reduces the motivation of farmers to engage in farming, and this paper argues that this is one of the factors behind the generating in cultivated land which is abandoned, which in turn invites more wildlife damage as a part of a vicious cycle. It was clarified that the damage by natural disaster was one of the main drivers in the abandonment of cultivated land, and it was shown that an increase of as little as 3% in repair costs led farmers to abandoned cultivated land which led farmers to lose the desire and ability to continue farm production.

Assessment of the effect of earthquake activity on regional vegetation — High-resolution pollen study of the Ein Feshka section, Holocene Dead Sea

Possible effects of seismic activity in the Dead Sea basin on the regional vegetation distribution are presented in this paper. The palynology was investigated in high resolution at the Holocene outcrop near the Ein Feshkha oasis. Pollen samples were collected from three intervals (A, B, D), with thicknesses of 5–15 cm, containing 1–2 seismites each, and from one undisturbed layer (interval C). All four intervals are from the same Ein Feshkha outcrop section, but from different depths. In two of the intervals (B, C) the main pollen indicators (e.g. Olea, Pinus, Asteroideae, Cichorioideae) show no significant aberrations from the typical pollen fluctuations. Interval A, deposited during the late Byzantine period, shows a decline of Olea percentages immediately after the sedimentation of a breccia layer (interpreted as a seismite). While this decrease in olive percentages predominantly reflects an aridification crisis at the end of the Byzantine period, damage to olive orchards due to earthquake (root damages, collapses of the crowns) and/or the abandonment of cultivated land as a consequence of an earthquake cannot be ruled out. Nevertheless, minor anthropogenic indicators like Vitis or Juglans, which show low abundances in the pollen diagram of Ein Feshkha, as well as other trees and herbs, are not affected by the late Byzantine earthquake. Interval D, deposited during the Hellenistic–Roman period, shows a slight decrease of Olea and an increase of Cichorioideae after the deposition of a seismite. Our hypothesis that earthquakes might have affected vegetation dynamics in intervals A and D is supported by cluster analysis. While the data of this study do not support the use of pollen as a reliable paleoseismic tool in the lacustrine environment of the Dead Sea, some small effects of earthquakes on pollen fluctuations cannot be excluded.

Socioeconomic Dimensions of Changes in the Agricultural Landscape of the Mediterranean Basin: A Case Study of the Abandonment of Cultivation Terraces on Nisyros Island, Greece

Agricultural landscapes illustrate the impact of human actions on physical settings, and differential human pressures cause these landscapes to change with time. Our study explored changes in the terraced landscapes of Nisyros Island, Greece, focusing on the socioeconomic aspects during two time periods using field data, cadastral research, local documents, and published literature, as well as surveys of the islanders. Population increases during the late 19th to early 20th centuries marked a significant escalation of terrace and dry stone wall construction, which facilitated cultivation on 58.4% of the island. By the mid-20th century, the economic collapse of agricultural activities and consequent emigration caused the abandonment of cultivated land and traditional management practices, dramatically reducing farm and field numbers. Terrace abandonment continued in recent decades, with increased livestock grazing becoming the main land management tool; as a result, both farm and pasture sizes increased. Neglect and changing land use has led to deterioration and destruction of many terraces on the island. We discuss the socioeconomic and political backgrounds responsible for the land-use change before World War II (annexation of Nisyros Island by the Ottoman Empire, Italy, and Greece; overseas migration opportunities; and world transportation changes) and after the war (social changes in peasant societies; worldwide changes in agricultural production practices). The adverse landscape changes documented for Nisyros Island appear to be inevitable for modern Mediterranean rural societies, including those on other islands in this region. The island's unique terraced landscapes may qualify Nisyros to become an archive or repository of old agricultural management techniques to be used by future generations and a living resource for sustainable management.

Soil erosion in the Herschel district of South Africa: changes over time, physical correlates and land users' perceptions

Soil erosion in rangelands is widely believed to be caused primarily by overgrazing. The aims of this study, conducted in a severely eroded district under communal tenure, were to establish (1) how the extent and severity of soil erosion have changed over time, (2) how soil erosion varies within the district and what variables correlate with high levels of soil erosion, and (3) how the perceptions of the local people reflect the realities of degradation. Analyses of aerial photographs showed that the extent and severity of erosion increased substantially since 1950, with the area affected by erosion doubling in some areas between 1950 and 1969. Soils derived from alluvium and sedimentary rocks were more eroded than soils derived from basalt and dolerite. Flat or gently sloping areas were most severely affected by erosion. The fact that most of these areas had been ploughed and since abandoned and used for grazing livestock supports people's perception that the abandonment of cultivated land was a major factor leading to increases in severe forms of soil erosion. This suggests that interventions to prevent severe forms of soil erosion should focus on preventing ploughing of marginal land and protecting abandoned lands from grazing.

Competing for Meadows

Abstract The consequences of tourist growth on extensive livestock farming were studied in a valley in the Spanish Central Pyrenees (Upper Esera), characterized by important growth in tourist activity during the last 3 decades. The municipalities with the greatest tourist development experienced the biggest drop in livestock farming (abandonment of cultivated land, decrease in livestock population and farms) because of the competition of tourism for labor and fertile land, which are essential to the maintenance of extensive livestock farming. Low use of pasture resources leads to their progressive loss, owing to the advance of plant succession (substitution of pastures by shrubs), decreasing landscape diversity, and increased fire hazard and soil erosion. We conclude that the current model of tourist development in the Spanish Pyrenees represents serious problems in terms of sustainable development.