Agricultural Production Zones Research Articles

Integrating ecosystem services trade-off, drivers and zoning into watershed water environment management in Nansihu Lake Basin, China

A series of ecosystem services (ESs) have a significant impact on water environment. How these ESs can be integrated into water environment management in the lens of coupled human and natural system (CHANS) is still lack exploration. This study proposes an integrating framework that connects the ESs with water environment management to facilitate the watershed sustainable development. We employ the InVEST model to evaluate typical ESs in the Nansihu Lake Basin (largest freshwater lake in Shandong, China), and analyze the spatiotemporal characteristics and trade-off of multiple ESs indicators. By revealing the interaction mechanism and key drivers of ESs and conducting ecological functional zoning, we investigate how ESs can facilitate water environment management in the Nansihu Lake Basin. The results indicated that: (1) the high-value areas of agricultural supply service are mainly distributed in the western plain area of the basin while high-value areas of water provision, water purification and soil conservation services are in the mountainous and hilly areas in the eastern part of the basin. (2) There is a significant trade-off between crop supply service and water purification services. Crop and livestock supply services have a greater effect on water purification services (TN) than other services. (3) Crop area sown, total power of agricultural machinery and fertilizer application are the main drivers of water purification services (TN). (4) The basin can be divided into three ecological function zones, the agricultural production zone, the ecological regulation zone and the ecological redline zone. These findings imply that water environment management should be integrated with ESs by strengthening intersectoral collaboration, conducting zoning management in watershed planning and applying differentiated control measures in each zone. This includes optimizing the scale and structure of agriculture, and implementing circular economy and clean production practices. This study explored a comprehensive framework of integrating ESs into water environment management to facilitate the sustainable development of watershed.

Inhibit or promote: Spatial impacts of multifunctional farmland use transition on grain production from the perspective of major function-oriented zoning

Ensuring global sustainable development depends on achieving food security, a goal intrinsically linked to the farmland's grain production capacity. Despite its critical importance, the comprehensive spatial effects of multifunctional farmland use transition (MFFUT) on grain production, particularly from a production-living-ecology perspective, remain insufficiently explored. Addressing this gap, this study employs geospatial analysis techniques and spatial econometric models to examine the spatial impacts of MFFUT on grain production in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain (HHHP), North China, from the perspective of Major Function-oriented Zoning (MFZ) during 2000–2020. The findings reveal an overall upward trend in grain production in HHHP, with main agricultural production zones emerging as significant grain bases. MFFUT considerably enhances local grain production while suppressing production in neighbouring areas. Specifically, Production Function Farmland Use Transition (PFFUT) and Living Function Farmland Use Transition (LFFUT) stimulate grain production in both local and neighbouring areas, whereas Ecological Function Farmland Use Transition (EFFUT) negatively impacts neighbouring areas while simultaneously bolstering local production. The heterogeneous analysis demonstrates that MFFUT promotes grain production in different MFZs but adversely affects neighbouring regions within main agricultural production zones. Further analysis indicates that PFFUT, LFFUT, and EFFUT considerably enhance grain production across various MFZs. However, PFFUT and LFFUT detrimentally affect neighbouring grain production in main agricultural production zones. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers to formulate optimised land use allocation schemes, implement differentiated land use measures, and safeguard food security.

Promoting Peri-urban Agriculture: A Remedy for Climate Change. Case of the Town of Delly Brahim in Algiers

The issue of promoting peri-urban agriculture seems to be an important one in response tothe various current concerns about the future of cities in the face of climate change. At firstsight, these peri-urban agricultural areas, which in the past provided shelter for cities, arenow threatened by urban sprawl and are increasingly losing their function of protectingurban areas from climatic hazards. This question is a priority when considering the future ofagriculture in today's urban sprawl. We are therefore raising a number of concerns linked tomultiple issues: the trampling of green space, agricultural environmental sustainability,territorial impacts and the difficulty of managing rural and urban populations.Around these questions, this research is structured to provide theoretical and practicalknowledge that will enable us to place peri-urban agriculture at the heart of urban concerns,in a perspective of reaction to climate change. The interest of this work is reinforced in thecase of peri-urban areas surrounding the capital of Algiers, such as the commune of DelyBrahim: a concrete example of a territory concerned by the subject. On the one hand, thisperiphery boasts important agricultural production zones in close geographical proximity tothe capital Algiers, and on the other, it plays a fundamental economic, environmental andlandscape role in relation to its region. Between its dense urban residential areas, itsagricultural areas threatened by urban sprawl and its natural areas rich in resources, thisterritory is today confronted with numerous environmental vulnerabilities. The aim istherefore to examine the issue of preserving the agricultural sector and its role in mitigatingclimate change.

Spatial distribution, sources and human health risk assessment of dissolved heavy metals and metalloids in Yalong River, China

The adverse effects of metal(loid) accumulation on ecological health and human health have attracted widespread attention from the society, and the reduction of species diversity in the whole Yalong River basin due to dam construction. In this study, we investigated the distribution characteristics of metal(loid)s in the whole Yalong River basin from the point of view of metal(loid)s, identified the pollution sources, assessed the risk level, and further evaluated the risk to human health. A total of 9 heavy metals (Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Ag, Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn) and 1 metalloid (As) were investigated and surface water samples were collected from 17 sites along the Yalong River, which were categorized into industrial and agricultural production zones (YL1–5), alpine canyon zones (YL6–12), and alpine meadow zones (YL13–17) based on altitude and habitat. The results indicated that the density of metal(loid) in the alpine meadow area was considerably highest compared to other areas. The Zn content ranged from 64.42 to 84.55 μg/L, the Mn concentration ranged from 7.47 to 20.03 μg/L, and the Pb value ranged from 0.63 to 3.44 μg/L. In other places, the concentrations for Zn ranged from 17.88 to 37.78 μg/L, for Mn they ranged from 2.84 to 12.86 μg/L, and for Pb they ranged from 0.16 to 0.50 μg/L. The main sources of the metal(loid)s were determined by correlation analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) to be from natural factors such as crustal movement, atmospheric deposition, and water-rock washout. The water quality of Yalong River was evaluated by HEI, NI and WQI indices, and the results showed that the overall water quality of Yalong River was "excellent", in which the water quality of the alpine meadow area was better than that of the industrial and agricultural production area and the alpine canyon area. HQdermal, HQingestion and HI values are calculated to expose the harm caused by metal(loid) elements. The results indicate that all of the aforementioned values are below 1, suggesting that the potential harm caused by these elements is minimal. The value of HQdermal tends to be higher than HQingestion. Consequently, skin contact is likely the primary mechanism of exposure. This study provides a reference basis for metal(loid) detection and ecological changes caused by the dam construction process, and provides an important basis for the use and protection of surface water in the Yalong River.

The Spatial Pattern of Polluting Enterprises and the Effects of Local Regulation in the Guanzhong Plain Urban Agglomeration

In the context of actively undertaking the transfer of domestic and foreign industries in the central and western regions of China, local regulatory behaviors influence the spatial distribution of polluting enterprises (PEs). This study examined the Guanzhong Plain urban agglomeration (GPUA), the largest urban agglomeration in the northwest region of China and one of the main regions that undertakes industrial transfer, using kernel density estimation and geographically and temporally weighted regression to explore the spatial pattern characteristics and evolution of PEs and reveal the effects of local regulatory behaviors, including environmental regulation (ER) and local protection (LP). The results indicate that (1) The distribution of the PEs tended towards energy and mineral resources and agglomerated along the development axes, aligning with the strategic positioning of the major function-oriented zones. Agglomerated areas gradually concentrate in key development zones. Major agricultural production zones exit high-density areas, and those adjacent to high-density areas often become secondary agglomeration core areas. Key ecological functional zones do not form high-density areas. (2) Both ER and LP have a positive impact on the distribution of PEs, and the dominant influence shifts from ER to LP. Counties with strict ER have increased the tendency of PEs to exhibit a certain layout due to better pollution treatment facilities and more mature pollution control technologies. The “pollution haven effect” has not yet formed within the GPUA. (3) The role of LP was more prominent in key development zones and major agricultural production zones, whereas the role of ER was more evident in key ecological functional zones. (4) RE and LP have mutually reinforcing effects on the distribution of PEs; the “innovation compensation effect” gradually manifests, but an increase in ER leads to a decrease in regional industrial clustering. This study provides a reference value for understanding the impact of government regulation on the distribution of PEs in underdeveloped areas.

Rainfall erosivity across Austria's main agricultural areas: Identification of rainfall characteristics and spatiotemporal patterns

Study regionTarget area of this study are the main agricultural production zones of Austria. Most important croplands cover the flat to pre-alpine areas concentrated in the north, east, and southeast of Austria. Study focusThe novelty of our study is the spatiotemporal assessment of rainfall characteristics that drive erosivity at the event level as well as the identification of erosive rainfall distribution patterns within the events. Our assessment approach allows the definition of both typical and extreme erosivity. Long-term and high temporal resolution rainfall datasets were used to apply a clustering approach, seasonal and spatial analyses, and rainfall distributions assessment (isopleths) of the identified rainfall types (clusters). New hydrological insights for the regionThree dominant erosive event-types (clusters) were identified that strongly relate with Austria’s seasonality and complex topography. The most erosive rainfall events (cluster C1) are characterized by a high intensity and short duration. C1 events have the largest occurrence frequency in pre-alpine southern Austria and occur from May to September. Unlike the less erosive and more evenly distributed event types (C2 and C3) the highly erosive C1 events have a pronounced maximum rainfall intensity at the onset of the event.

Policy measures effectively reduce soil nitrous oxide emissions with minor trade‐offs in crop yield

AbstractNitrous oxide (N2O) emissions are closely linked to agricultural fertilisation. European and national policy incentives have been set to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; however, only a few evaluations have been conducted. Avoiding such emissions is an important climate change mitigation measure, but it is still uncertain which management measures over a long‐term, best out‐balance crop yield and GHG balances in agricultural systems. We here used the process‐based LandscapeDNDC model to simulate N2O emissions and trade‐offs in yield and soil nitrogen budget for four alternative arable cropping systems in three Austrian agricultural production zones belonging to different climatic regions. We evaluated statistical data on crop rotations and management practices, predominant soil types, and 10‐year daily weather conditions for four cropping systems: (1) conventional farming receiving the maximum allowed nitrogen fertilisation rate (Nmax), (2) conventional farming receiving 15% less fertiliser, (3) conventional farming receiving 25% less fertiliser, and (4) organic farming. Our results showed that soil N2O emissions could be best reduced in wet, high‐yield regions. Reducing nitrogen fertilisation by 15% and 25% mitigated N2O emissions by, on average, 22% and 39%, respectively, while the yield was reduced by 5% and 9%, respectively. In comparison, the same crops grown in the organic cropping system released 60% less N2O, but yield declined on average by 23%. Corn, winter barley, and vegetables showed the highest N2O reduction potential under reduced fertiliser input in conventional farming. In addition to N2O emissions, reduced fertilisation substantially decreased other nitrogen losses into the water and atmosphere. Generally, the soils under all cropping systems maintained a positive mean nitrogen budget. Our results suggest a significant emission reduction potential in certain production zones which, however, were accompanied by yield reductions. Knowledge of the emission patterns from cropping systems under different environmental conditions is essential to set the appropriate measures. In addition, region‐specific measures to reduce soil N2O emissions have to be in line with farmers' interests in order to facilitate the successful implementation of targeted nitrogen management.

Impact of Major Function-Oriented Zone Planning on Spatial and Temporal Evolution of “Three Zone Space” in China

Major function-oriented zone (MFOZ) planning is an important blueprint for the spatial development and protection of the Chinese national territory. The “Three Zone Space” (TZS) perspective, including agricultural space, ecological space, and urban space, is an important principle and method for the transformation and diffusion of MFOZ planning to implement territory planning from the central government to local branches. More than ten years have passed since the release of the MFOZ plan in 2010 in China, but there is still a lack of comprehensive and systematic analysis of the dynamic characteristics of the TZS under the impact of MFOZ planning. Therefore, based on high-resolution remote sensing land use data from 2010 to 2020, this paper systematically analyzes the changing characteristics of the TZS on the national scale by reasonably determining TZS areas in China. The main results are as follows: in 2020, the proportions of ecological space, agricultural space, and urban space in China were 78.635%, 20.083%, and 1.282%, respectively. The TZS areas reflected the spatial pattern of MFOZs in China. From 2010 to 2020, the spatial heterogeneity of the TZS changes was significant. In China, agricultural space and ecological space as a whole showed a decreasing trend, with dynamic degrees of −0.05% and −0.04%, respectively, while urban space showed a significant expansion trend, with a dynamic degree of 4.69%. The temporal change processes of the TZS in the periods of 2010–2015 and 2015–2020 were noticeably different. The agricultural space first showed an increasing trend and then a decreasing trend. The ecological space showed a decreasing trend in the two periods, while the urban space showed a significant expansion trend in the two periods. From 2010 to 2020, the urban spatial structure of the optimized development zones tended to be stable, and the ecological space reduction in the key ecological function zones has gradually been curbed, but the agricultural space in the main agricultural production zones has shown a slight decline. On the whole, the dynamic changes in the TZS from 2010 to 2020 in China are basically in line with the governance objectives of territorial space. The reasonable allocation and development of the “three zone space” is of great significance for protecting the natural and ecological environment.

Spatiotemporal Evolution of Carbon Emissions According to Major Function-Oriented Zones: A Case Study of Guangdong Province, China.

Studying the spatiotemporal evolution of carbon emissions from the perspective of major function-oriented zones (MFOZs) is crucial for making a carbon reduction policy. However, most previous research has ignored the spatial characteristics and MFOZ influence. Using statistical and spatial analysis tools, we explored the spatiotemporal characteristics of carbon emissions in Guangdong Province from 2001 to 2021. The following results were obtained: (1) Carbon emissions fluctuated from 2020 to 2021 because of COVID-19. (2) Over the last 20 years, the proportion of carbon emissions from urbanization development zones (UDZs) has gradually decreased, whereas those of the main agricultural production zones (MAPZs) and key ecological function zones (KEFZs) have increased. (3) Carbon emissions efficiency differed significantly among the three MFOZs. (4) Carbon emissions from coastal UDZs were increasingly apparent; however, the directional characteristics of MAPZ and KEFZ emissions were not remarkable. (5) Carbon transfer existed among the three kinds of MFOZs, resulting in the economy and carbon emissions being considerably misaligned across Guangdong Province. These results indicated that the MFOZ is noteworthy in revealing how carbon emissions evolved. Furthermore, spatiotemporal characteristics, especially spatial characteristics, can help formulate carbon reduction policies for realizing carbon peak and neutrality goals in Guangdong Province.

Study on land use conflict identification and territorial spatial zoning control in Rao River Basin, Jiangxi Province, China

The coordinated development of territorial space is a necessary condition for sustainable regional development. In the context of rapid socio-economic development, how to construct a spatial control model to coordinate land use conflicts between agriculture, construction, and ecology has become an urgent problem to be resolved. By taking the Rao River Basin, a typical region with land use conflict issues, as an example, this study developed various land use suitability evaluation systems to identify and evaluate the land use conflict status in 2020 under the three major land use objectives: agricultural production, urban construction, and ecological protection. Then, based on the consideration of ecological priority, the remote sensing ecological index was applied to characterize the ecological quality of the watershed. Afterwards, a framework for spatial control zoning was developed to guide the land use approach within the context of territorial spatial planning by integrating regional ecological quality and land use conflict status. The results found that the spatial distribution of the suitability of agricultural land, construction land, and ecological land in the Rao River Basin exhibited overlap and intersection, causing significant land use conflicts. According to statistics, 36.55 % of the basin was affected by conflict, with medium conflictas the main gradeand agriculture-construction conflict being the most significant with an area of up to 1,397.01 km2. Therefore, it is necessary to develop differentiated management strategies and divide spatial control zones to mitigate land use conflicts according to the basin's current development status. Integrated land use conflicts and ecological quality, the watershed was split into six spatial control zones: eco-dominated zones, agricultural production zones, urban construction zones, priority treatment zones, controlled development zones, and development potential zones. The study results can provide a basis for decision-making on the spatial development of the Rao River Basin and a methodological reference for identifying and mitigating land use conflicts.

Deconstructing the driving factors of land development intensity from multi-scale in differentiated functional zones

Land development intensity (LDI) is an important indicator of how much human exploitation of land resources. Against the background of rapid urbanization and industrialization, in order to curb the over-occupation of agricultural and ecological space by urbanized space, China has proposed the Major Functional Zoning Planning (MFZP) as a new spatial governance model, which attempts to implement differentiated LDI control according to the functional positioning of different regions. To observe the spatio-temporal evolution and drivers of LDI in the first five years since the implementation of the MFZP, we chose the Yangtze River Delta, the most urbanized region in China, as a case area. The multi-scale distribution pattern of LDI was analyzed by combining macro and micro scales, and a new spatial measurement method integrating global and local regression models was developed to quantitatively deconstruct the natural-human drivers of LDI in different functional zones. Results demonstrate that LDI decreases in a gradient of the urbanized zone (UZ) > main agricultural production zone (MAPZ) > key ecological function zone (KEFZ). In the UZ, LDI is influenced by natural-human multi factors, e.g., terrain conditions (SLP), proportion of cultivated land area (PCL), proportion of ecologically important area (EID), population urbanization rate (PUR), GDP per capita (PGDP), fixed asset investment size per land (FAI) and fiscal expenditure as a percentage of GDP (FD). The LDI in the MAPZ is mainly affected by the facilitating role of PCL, EID, FAI, and the prominent role of FD, while that in the KEFZ is mainly inhibited by SLP, EID, and driven by the PGDP. The diverse drivers of LDI in different functional zones remind us to implement differentiated spatial control according to functional positioning and to adopt refined policy tools of zoning and classification to ensure that land resources within each type of functional zone can be used sustainably.

Downscaling of planetary boundaries and sustainability management: A nexus analysis of water, land and major functions at the national-provincial level

This study introduces planetary boundaries as a global sustainability benchmark to expand the evaluation of the major function zoning. We established the relationship between the resource boundaries and China's sustainability management system while calculating the national and provincial indicators of land and water boundaries and major functions. The results showed that the efficiency of land resources was related to the distribution of forest, grassland, and wetland ecosystems; the efficiency of water resources was related to the basin and economic distribution. Linear downscaling methods are less applicable and effective in studies of planetary boundaries. The provincial water and land boundary are not consistent with the top-down decomposition results of planetary boundaries. The spatial mismatch between regional development and population will lead to the overexploitation of national resources and the environment. For basin regions rich in water resources and biome regions rich in ecological resources, the boundary threshold should be increased for major function clustering based on efficiency advantages. For main agricultural production zones and key ecological function zones beyond the water boundary, water allocation should reduce industrial and residential water use, and improve agricultural and ecological water efficiency to ensure food security and ecological safety. For optimization development zones, industrial transfer to the surrounding areas would optimize the industrial water structure and reduce virtual water consumption.

Direct payments and on-farm employment: Evidence from a spatial regression discontinuity design

Abstract Direct payments are regarded as a suitable instrument to safeguard jobs in the agricultural sector. However, empirical findings to date do not unambiguously support this expectation. We further empirically investigate this research question on dairy farms with a focus on family work. Using a spatial regression discontinuity design, we rely upon selection on unobservables assumptions. The Swiss direct payments system creates a discontinuous jump near the border of agricultural production zones for the amount of public subsidies a farm receives. Using two-stage least squares (TSLS) to estimate the policy-relevant effect, we find that an additional CHF 50,000 can generate a job for a female family worker in the dairy sector. Male employment is not affected. These results show that direct payments can safeguard traditional family farming.

An update of the spatial and temporal variability of rainfall erosivity (R-factor) for the main agricultural production zones of Austria

Rainfall erosivity is one of the key parameters influencing the degree of soil erosion. Due to the high spatiotemporal variability of rainfall erosivity and the influence of a changing climate it is crucial to use spatially well-distributed and temporally current rainfall data. Rainfall erosivity in Austria has been estimated by previous studies with varying rainfall data amounts. This study aimed to create an updated R-factor map for Austria and its main agricultural production zones based on a larger number of rainfall stations and a recent time series. As well as, compare R-factors from previous studies to identify differences in erosivity estimation. Rainfall data from 171 stations throughout Austria were gap-filled and corrected to improve data quality. Rainfall erosivity was calculated for 1995–2015 for the vegetation period and annually and used to establish two linear regressions describing rainfall erosivity as a function of mean rainfall amount. The regressions were applied to the 1 km2 daily rainfall grids from the SPARTACUS dataset to create the spatially distributed rainfall erosivity maps. Differences in the temporal and spatial distribution of rainfall erosivity, erosion index and erosivity density between the main agricultural production zones showed areas at risk of soil erosion and timing of vulnerability. The highest rainfall erosivities were found in the agriculturally important eastern regions of Austria during the summer months. Compared to previous studies, considerable differences in local R-factor estimation were found. The significantly larger number of rainfall stations and an updated time series increased the representativeness of rainfall erosivity estimation in Austria, which can contribute to a more precise soil erosion risk assessment.

Intensity and different genes involved in the resistance of An. gambiae s.l. to pyrethroids in four districts representative of the different agricultural production zones of North Benin, West Africa

The different methods used for the control of An. gambiae s.l. have led to the deployment of several defensive weapons by these vectors. Indoor residual spraying (IRS) implemented annually in the northern part of the country, and the national distribution of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) carried out every 3 years are the main malaria vector control tools deployed by the NMCP. The toxicity of insecticides in these tools results from their interaction with their biological target in the insect. Thus, for the effectiveness of vector control tools in an area, the knowledge of different defense weapons of Anopheles present in the area is essential.The characterization of resistance mechanisms present on samples of pyrethroid-resistant Anopheles gambiae s.l. was carried out in four districts of northern Benin taking into account the different agricultural production zones. The different species, resistance gene and enzyme present in these districts were investigated.High resistance of Anopheles gambiae s.l. in the four communes was observed, surviving a high frequency of the kdr resistance gene. Mosquito mortality rates ranged from 56.80% (95% CI: 50.51 - 62.95) in Kandi, to 70.24% (95% CI: 64.61 - 75.45) in N'Dali with deltamethrin, from 57.14% (95% CI: 51.04 - 63.09) in Kandi, to 74.80% (95% CI: 68.94 - 80.06) in N'Dali with permethrin, and from 59.63% (95% CI: 51.76 - 67.17) in Kandi, to 72.90% (95% CI: 66.24 - 78.89) in Parakou with alphacypermethrin. The lowest frequency of the kdr gene was observed in An. coluzzii 64.00% (95% CI: 56.90 - 70.60) in Malanville and the highest frequency in Kandi in An. gambiae 88.33% (95% CI: (82.70 - 92.60). It should also be noted that An. gambiae s.l. from these four districts also use detoxification enzymes to eliminate pyrethroid toxicity. These are: the communes of Parakou, Kandi and N'Dali for α and β esterases (pα < 0.05 and pβ < 0.05), Kandi, Malanville and N'Dali (p

Spatiotemporal characteristics and influencing factors of agricultural eco-efficiency in Jilin agricultural production zone from a low carbon perspective

Agricultural eco-efficiency is a meaningful index that assesses agricultural sustainable development. Based on the super SBM-DEA approach incorporating agricultural carbon emissions and panel data regression, this study evaluates agricultural eco-efficiency and investigates the influencing factors in the agricultural production zone of Jilin Province. The empirical results show the following. (1) During the observation period, the average agricultural eco-efficiency exhibits a flat "M-shaped" fluctuating trend, a trend of fluctuant growth with phase characteristics, and the agricultural eco-efficiency of each county still has much room for improvement. (2) Significant spatial differences exist in agricultural eco-efficiency across counties. All of the studied counties, except for Nong'an, Huadian, Lishu, Yitong, Gongzhuling, and Qianguo, need to change their input and output structure to optimize agricultural eco-efficiency. (3) The panel data regression estimation results indicate that the agricultural technology extension level, multiple-crop index, agricultural economic development level, agricultural technology extension level, and urbanization level have close correlations with agricultural eco-efficiency. (4) The research findings have important implications for policy makers formulating agricultural environmental policies in accordance with the local conditions of various counties.

Pyrethroid Resistance Intensity in Anopheles gambiae s.l. from Different Agricultural Production Zones in Benin, West Africa.

Agricultural production activities usually occur in Benin with the use of a huge amount of insecticides including pyrethroids for pest control. It is therefore important to regularly monitor pyrethroid resistance intensity in Anopheles gambiae s.l., the main malaria vector. This study was conducted in cereal, cotton, rice growing, and urban market gardening areas throughout the country in 2018 and 2019. Females An. gambiae s.l. field-collected as larvae were exposed to deltamethrin 1 × (0.05%), 2 × (0.1%), 5 × (0.25%), and 10 × (0.5%) and permethrin 1 × (0.75%), 2 × (1.5%), 5 × (3.75%), and 10 × (7.5%). Synergist assays were also performed using World Health Organization articles combining piperonyl butoxide (PBO) (4%) + deltamethrin 1 × and, PBO (4%) + Permethrin 1 × . Molecular species and L1014F kdr mutation were identified using PCR. Expression of metabolic enzymes was also assessed through biochemical tests. After exposure to permethrin and deltamethrin 10 × , An. gambiae s.l. displayed mortality rates <98%. Synergist assays induced significantly higher mortality rates than pyrethroids alone (p < 0.05). An. gambiae s.l. complex was composed of An. gambiae s.s., Anopheles coluzzii, and Anopheles arabiensis, with mean frequency of the L1014F kdr mutation >75%. Overexpression of nonspecific α and β esterases was observed in the cereal, cotton, and urban market gardening areas, while an overexpression of mixed function oxidases was observed in the cotton and rice growing areas. Overall, An. gambiae s.l. showed high resistance intensity to both deltamethrin and permethrin. The synergist and biochemical tests performed suggest that PBO long-lasting insecticidal nets may provide a greater control of pyrethroid-resistant mosquitoes.

Analysis of Settlements Patterns in Hatay Province

The settlement patterns that occur by the spatial distribution of the population vary according to the morphological characteristics and economic resources of the region at which they are located. While Hatay is located in Turkey’s south between the Mediterranean Sea, the Amanos Mountains, and the Syrian border, it forms from settlements areas in which are diverse sizes and different shapes. The study aims to examine the impact of geomorphology on settlements and to reveal the relationship between the settlement typologies, economy, and demography. 2018 Corine Land Cover data, 2019 TUIK data, and Hatay Metropolitan Municipality data were investigated within this scope. According to the results, settlement areas of Hatay were classified into four groups with four patterns, while the patterns varied by the existence of economic structure. The pattern distribution was determined as dispersed-clustered in the industrial region, as linear in the tourism zone, and as dispersed in the agricultural production zone. Settlements were also densely affected and transformed by the 2011 Syrian refugee crisis due to the Syrian civil war. In conclusion, while geomorphology, advanced production systems, developed transportation axes, and international relations are effective in Hatay's settlement alterations, so these dynamics should strictly consider in city planning.

PROBLEMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY IN THE CONDITIONS OF INDUSTRIAL AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

The analysis of threats and dangers arising in the field of production and economy is carried out. The urgency of solving the problem of environmental safety of the individual and the state is substantiated. The influence of unfavorable factors on the ecological state of industrial and agricultural production zones is shown. The complex use of a source of х-ray and acoustic radiation, which increases the reliability of information and sensitivity to the detection of an emergency situation, is justified. An automated method of pipeline monitoring is proposed to detect defects and increase the resolution when they are detected.

Evaluating Natural Ecological Land Change in Function-Oriented Planning Regions Using the National Land Use Survey Data from 2009 to 2018 in China

The natural ecological lands, such as forest land, grassland, wetland, etc., constitute the most important factor for maintaining and preserving the earth’s ecosystem, which must be well concerned in the regional function-oriented planning for the sustainability of human economic development. We analyzed and evaluated the change of natural ecological land in the function-oriented planning regions where we applied the major function-oriented zones introduced as a new concept in China. Using the land-use data from 2009 to 2018 that were produced by the National Land Use Survey, we re-classified natural ecological land types into the forest, grassland, wetland, and bare land, and then addressed the changes of natural ecological land types from 2009 to 2018 in the major function-oriented zones. As a result, the area of natural ecological lands generally tended to decrease from 2009 to 2018, while the decreasing trend of natural ecological land areas was controlled after 2015 with the implementation of governmental policies for environment protection and eco-logical projects. Especially, the decrease of forest land area significantly tended to be zero in 2018 in optimal development zones. The decreased areas of natural ecological lands were mostly converted from artificial land from 2008 to 2019. On the other side, the forest lands mostly changed from cropland and grassland in key development zones, agricultural production zones, and key ecological function zones, due to the fact that grassland conversed in afforestation during this period. The evaluation of natural ecological land changes, which could be implemented by using the annual updates of national land-use data in China, is significant to support the government’s spatial regulation design, to reshape the planned regions, and make policies for environmental restoration and protection management.