Availability Of Land Resources Research Articles

Evaluation of carbon sink and photovoltaic system carbon reduction along roadside space

As China's photovoltaic (PV) sector experiences rapid growth, the availability of land resources has become a pivotal policy focus, driving the need for comprehensive research and strategic planning for roadside PV initiatives. Utilizing a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making approach, combined with GIS spatial analysis and a modular design framework, our study quantitatively compared the carbon reduction capabilities of PV systems against the carbon sequestration potential of various vegetative arrangements along the roadside space. The roadside space analysis modular considers a range of factors including topography, meteorology, and construction costs. We examined the spatial distribution of suitability for PV installation and vegetation establishment along the provincial expressway network in China. The results revealed that Inner Mongolia stood out as the frontrunner in carbon reduction potential within high-suitability zones for PV construction, achieving an impressive 4.845 million tons of carbon reduction—nearly four times greater than that of Shaanxi Province. In contrast, the carbon sequestration attributed to vegetation greening in areas less suited for PV development revealed a higher propensity in the southeastern provinces. Guangdong led the charge with an impressive annual carbon sequestration of 2.89 million tons. This was closely followed by Yunnan, Sichuan, Hebei, Guizhou, and Henan, each achieving carbon sequestration amounts exceeding 2 million tons. These results offer valuable quantitative support and practical recommendations for achieving low-carbon objectives in the construction of China's expressways.

The impact of twisted wind on pedestrian comfort around two non-identical-height buildings in tandem arrangement: a wind tunnel study

Due to the impact of urbanization, an increasing number of buildings are being constructed near hilly terrains because of the limited availability of land resources. The influence of twisted wind profile (TWP) on pedestrian-level wind comfort surrounding two tandem non-identical-height buildings, with a height ratio H1/H2 ranging from 3:1 to 1:0.33, was investigated by wind tunnel experiment with two twist angles (13 ° and 25 °), and compared with the conventional wind profile (CWP). The assessment of thermal comfort was based on Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) using wind velocity measured from the wind tunnel and observation results. Both the mean and gust wind velocities were investigated and compared with wind assessment criteria. The results reveal a significant disparity in the mean and gust wind fields for various H1/H2 under both CWP and TWPs, with the influence of twist being more pronounced for step-up building configuration (H1<H2). The influence of TWPs on the low wind velocity region demonstrated contrasting patterns for buildings with step-up and step-down configurations. The pedestrian level wind environment varies significantly with H1/H2 under CWP and TWPs in the passage between the two tandem buildings, categorized as “Sitting long” for identical-height buildings and modified to “Strolling” and “Walking fast” for step-up building configuration. The twisted wind shifts the “Sitting short” area toward the direction of the approaching twisted wind flow and amplifies the “Strolling” area on the other side. The twisted wind can diminish the thermal comfort surrounding the two tandem structures during summer while enhancing the thermal environment in winter.

Barriers and opportunities to agrihood development in growing cities of the Rocky Mountain region: A comparative case study

Rapid urbanization and peri-urban development are driving land use change across the globe, result­ing in lands being converted from agricultural uses to housing development. Sustainable, multifunc­tional land use in urban and peri-urban areas is needed to balance the requirements of producing food in a way that protects environmental resources and of providing housing to a growing population. An agrihood is a planned development model that incorporates food production within a community to help address goals of nutritious food security while providing social, economic, and environmental benefits. Agrihoods may offer an alternative land use for integrating food production in new housing developments for the sustainable development of rapidly urbanizing cities. A com­parative case study, using semi-structured, qualita­tive interviews with key informants from two cities (Bozeman, Montana, and Longmont, Colorado), highlighted four key barriers to agrihood develop­ment in two cities in the Rocky Mountain region of the U.S: labor; ownership and governance struc­tures; resource availability; and land use regulation. Concerns for water and land resource availability reflect general barriers to agricultural expansion in the Rocky Mountain region, while the other identi­fied barriers reflect the structural and legal limita­tions preventing agrihood development and expan­sion. To reduce these barriers, policy interventions and incentives provided at municipal, state, and federal levels, informed by community advocates in support of local food production, will be essential.

STATUS OF SUSTAINABILITY OF ORGANIC RICE COMMODITIES AS RURAL ECONOMIC POTENTIAL IN BONDOWOSO REGENCY

The complexity of organic farming system problems starts from the increasingly scarce availability of land resources, farmers' business capital which is still very limited and marketing access and the organic rice market chain, population growth continues to increase every year and the low quality of community resources, and knowledge in the application of technology and quality standardization will impact on the sustainability of organic rice commodities. The aim of this research is to analyze the sustainability status of organic rice commodities in terms of ecological, economic and social dimensions. The analytical method used in this research is Rapfish which is modified into RAP-Organic rice using the Multidimensional scaling method. The results of research on the multi-dimensional sustainability status of organic rice commodities including ecological, economic, social and infrastructure &amp; technology dimensions show that organic rice commodities have a fairly sustainable index value with an index value of 73.58, meaning that with this index value all dimensions include: ecological dimension, economic, social and infrastructure &amp; technology influence the sustainability status of organic rice commodities. The implication of the analysis results is that the Regional Government needs to increase attention to organic rice farmer groups regarding the importance of organic rice businesses by making special policies for the development of organic rice businesses to continue to increase the sustainability of organic rice commodities.

Effect of Modifiers on the Disintegration Characteristics of Red Clay

Due to the high degree of weathering, the red clay slope has low anti-disintegration performance, and the clay easily becomes wet and disintegrates after soaking in water. It causes geological problems such as slope collapse caused by soil softening. To study the disintegration characteristics of modified red clay, the disintegration test of red clay modified by using lignin fiber, clay particles and lime was carried out, analyzing the disintegration characteristics of improved red clay from physical and chemical perspectives and analyzing the improvement mechanism of three modifiers with the scanning electron microscopy test. The analysis results show that the water-holding capacity and disintegration resistance of soil mixed with lignin fiber decrease; the disintegration time of reshaped red clay increases with the increase in clay content; and the average disintegration rate of the soil decreases with the increase in clay content. With the increase in lime content, the soil cement increases. The integrity of the soil is enhanced, and its anti-disintegration ability is improved; the saturated moisture content of reshaped red clay increases with the increase in lignin fiber and clay content, while the saturated moisture content of soil decreases with the increase in lime content. The damage analysis shows that the larger the damage factor of soil, the worse its anti-disintegration ability, and the easier the soil disintegrates. The purpose of this paper is to explore the essence of the soil disintegration phenomenon, and on this basis, using high-quality improved materials, to improve the soil, which easily disintegrates. This move aims to significantly enhance the anti-disintegration ability of the soil, thereby improving its resistance to softening and disintegration, thereby effectively improving and maintaining the ecological environment. At the same time, the improved soil will help to improve the utilization rate of the slope and foundation soil, thereby reducing the economic cost of maintenance engineering. Against the current background of sustainable economic, social, and ecological development, it is of great strategic significance to ensure the sustainable availability of land resources in specific areas and maintain their productivity and ecological stability for a long time. The research into this subject not only helps to deepen the understanding of soil disintegration, but also provides strong technical support for the rational utilization of land resources and the protection of the ecological environment.

Роль стандартизації та сертифікації в підвищенні якості продукції аграрного бізнесу та шляхів його товаропросування

The agrarian sector of Ukraine is one of the key components of the national economy, but it faces numerous problems, among which the issues of product quality, standardization and certification occupy an important place. In the context of globalization and integration into world markets, ensuring high quality and compliance with international standards are necessary to increase the competitiveness of Ukrainian agrarian products. This study focuses on the economic analysis of the current state of the agrarian sector of Ukraine in order to identify the main problematic issues and develop promising ways to solve them. Attention is paid not only to technical aspects, but also to methodological frameworks related to standardization and certification processes in the agro-industrial business. Particular attention in the study is paid to integrated marketing strategies, which are an integral part of modern agribusiness. The possibilities and benefits of using modern technologies in marketing communications, including digital marketing, big data analytics and process automation, are studied. The introduction of these technologies makes it possible to reach target markets more effectively, increase consumer awareness of products and strengthen the brand of Ukrainian agrarian producers in the international arena. Technological progress in the financial sector is also an important factor in the development of agrarian business. Innovations in financial technologies, such as blockchain, smart contracts, and financial platforms, can greatly simplify lending, insurance, and financial risk management processes for agrarian producers. In this context, the prospects for the development of the credit system for agrarian business are studied, including the introduction of new financial instruments and support mechanisms. One of the important aspects of the study is the analysis of the consequences of the implementation of the new land policy in Ukraine. Both positive and negative consequences of this policy are considered, in particular its impact on the availability of land resources for agrarian producers, the investment attractiveness of the agrarian sector and environmental sustainability. Possible ways to minimize the negative consequences and maximize the benefits of new reforms in land legislation are proposed. Cooperation between different stakeholders in the agrarian sector, including government agencies, the private sector and research institutions, is seen as a key element in the successful implementation of the proposed measures. In particular, the authors emphasize the importance of creating partnerships and cooperatives, which will facilitate the exchange of knowledge, technology and resources to improve the efficiency of production and marketing of products. By taking a comprehensive approach to analysis and providing practical recommendations, this study aims to promote the further development of the agrarian sector of Ukraine. The developed proposals will help ensure sustainable growth, improve the quality of products, strengthen positions in international markets and improve the standard of living of the rural population. The implementation of integrated strategies, innovative technologies and effective cooperation will be the key to a successful future of Ukrainian agrarian business.

Integration of aquaponics aystem with water reuse for housing in hot arid climate: BaityKool(BK), a bio-inspired dwelling prototype in Dubai-UAE

In urban areas, there is little space available for vegetation but a potential for food production that merits to be exploited. aquaponics is a coupled system of two technologies of fish farming and soil-less vegetation, a scheme primarily proposed for hot arid regions with limited agricultural land resource availability for sustainable water reuse and food production operation. This research will include the aquaponics system as a provision of food for all occupants of a house in the most environmentally friendly manner possible. In comparison to standard vegetable production, the employment of this form of the aquaponic system results in effective water savings of up to 90% while producing part of the vegetables for salads for the residents of the BaityKool house. This paper presents the technological design of an aquaponic system as well as its architectural integration into a habitat in Dubai-UAE.

Assessment of trends in the development of peasant (farm) enterprises of the Republic of Belarus in the regional aspect

The article provides a detailed analysis of the indicators characterizing the activities of peasant (farmer) enterprises in the Republic of Belarus, assesses the effectiveness of their functioning. The dynamics of their number and availability of land resources that have developed over the 2017–2021 years has been revealed. The list number of employees and the load of agricultural land on each of them has been analyzed. The volume of agricultural production, net profit and the number of unprofitable peasant (farmer) enterprises have been estimated. Together, all this made it possible to identify areas for the development of proposals for their further development.

Predicting the Evolution Trend of Water and Land Resource Carrying Capacity Based on CA–Markov Model in an Arid Region of Northwest China

The evolution of water and land resource carrying capacity significantly impacts optimal water and land resource allocation and regional sustainable development in arid regions. This study proposes a model that combines cellular automaton (CA) and Markov; this model aids in predicting spatial changes in water and land resource availability. In this study, taking the Jingdian Irrigation District in China’s northwest arid region as an example, we used long-series monitoring data and a Landsat dataset to create a raster-weighted fusion of 18 indicators and quantitatively analyzed the carrying status of water and land resources from 1994 to 2018. The CA–Markov model was used to simulate the carrying status of water and land resources in 2018 and to perform accuracy correction. The validated CA–Markov model was used to predict water and land resource carrying status in 2026 and 2034. The results show (1) from 1994 to 2018, the area of “good carrying” zone increased by 10.42%, the area of “safe carrying” zone increased by 7%, and spatially rose in an arc from the town to the surrounding regions. The area of “critical carrying” zone remains almost unchanged. The area of “slight carrying” zone decreased by 5.18% and the area of “severe carrying” zone decreased by 11.99%. (2) Comparing the actual and predicted carrying state of water and land resources in 2018, it was found that the simulation accuracy of “good carrying”, “safe carrying”, “critical carrying”, “slight carrying”, and “severe carrying” reached 98.71%, 92.07%, 95.34%, 94.05%, and 93.73%, respectively. This indicates that the simulation results have high reliability and applicability. (3) The future medium and long-term carrying status of water and land resources are healthy, but this trend is gradually slowing. The “slight carrying” and “severe carrying” zones show the gradual spatial transition from land desertification to soil salinization.

Livestock Business Development Strategy Beef Cattle In Indonesia

Indonesia is a potential country for the development of a cattle breeding business because it is supported by the availability of land resources that are used as feed sources. The success of developing a cattle breeding business is highly dependent on the selection and application of a strategy that is appropriate to the characteristics of the region. The purpose of this study was to determine the development strategy for beef cattle farming in Indonesia. The research approach used is qualitative with data analysis using the Miles and Huberman interactive analysis model. Miles and Huberman's interactive analysis model includes 3 main things, namely data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results of the study with SWOT analysis show that Strength-Opportunities (SO) are more recommended as a beef cattle farming business development strategy in Indonesia

Livestock Business Development Strategy Beef Cattle In Indonesia

Indonesia is a potential country for the development of a cattle breeding business because it is supported by the availability of land resources that are used as feed sources. The success of developing a cattle breeding business is highly dependent on the selection and application of a strategy that is appropriate to the characteristics of the region. The purpose of this study was to determine the development strategy for beef cattle farming in Indonesia. The research approach used is qualitative with data analysis using the Miles and Huberman interactive analysis model. Miles and Huberman's interactive analysis model includes 3 main things, namely data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results of the study with SWOT analysis show that Strength-Opportunities (SO) are more recommended as a beef cattle farming business development strategy in Indonesia

Numerical Simulation on the Evolution of Tailings Pond Dam Failure Based on GDEM Method

Because of the continuous exploitation of metal minerals and the limited availability of land resources, many tailings ponds have been expanded. It is of great importance to dynamically calculate the critical parameters of flooding and sand velocity after a collapse, and quickly determine the dangerous area downstream on reducing the hidden dangers for an accident. In view of the limitations of the single finite element and discrete element methods for the simulation of tailings pond instability, the authors use the finite element and discrete element coupling method (GDEM) for the first time to carry out a dynamical process for numerical simulation of the evolution of a tailings pond collapse. The sediment movement and submerged range were compared with the results of the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method. The comparison shows that the change in drainage flow at the dam foundation position and the depth change in the downstream sensitive point after the dam break are consistent with the VOF calculation results, which indicates that the GDEM can be used as an effective means for the analysis of tailings dam failure. The calculation results of this method can provide technical support for the determination of dangerous areas downstream of tailings ponds and the safety management of key areas.

KAJIAN ANTROPOMETRI PENGRAJIN TENUN IKAT KHAS MALUKU

Maluku Province is an Archipelago Province which consists of 1412 large and small islands. The availability of land resources in Maluku province is relatively limited. The total population in Maluku Province based on the Maluku Province BPS report until 2018, there were 1,773,776 people, of which ± 25% were categorized as poor. This number occupies an area of 15,899.6 km² or only 7.6% of the total area of Maluku Province. Most of the population of Maluku inhabits the outermost islands in the districts of Southeast Maluku, West Southeast Maluku, and the Aru Islands or the outermost islands which are directly bordered by Timor Leste and Australia. Geographical conditions like this, affect the isolation due to limited transportation facilities and a dry climate, causing the income of the population here to be relatively low, although the potential for small industries and handicrafts has good prospects to be developed. One of the types of small industry that has the potential to be developed is the Maluku Ikat weaving industry, whose marketing has reached the export market. This product is in demand by foreign consumers because of its hand made characteristics, and is part of a creative industry that is very prospective in the future. The problem faced by this industry is its low productivity, on the other hand market demand continues to increase. This is because the work aids used are traditional tools that are not ergonomic according to the worker's body size, resulting in workers working in a sitting position on the work floor. For a work position like this will cause workers to feel tired quickly, and if done for a long time will cause health problems. The stages of the research include the survey process, the industrial selection stage, the measurement of worker anthropometric data and data analysis. The results showed that the anthropometry of workers based on leg height when sitting ranged from 38.15 to 48.99 cm, total height when standing ranged from 139.23 to 160.48 cm, body height when sitting ranged from 91.68 to 120.89 cm, arm length outstretched. (P26) ranged from 46.46 to 64.96 cm and flexed arm length (P16) ranged from 27.530 to 32.756 cm.

Using geographically weighted regressions to explore spatial heterogeneity of land use influencing factors in Campania (Southern Italy)

The progressive artificial covering of originally natural surfaces (land consumption) is a major concern of today’s societies due to the implications for the environment and the availability of land resources. This study aims to explore the local variations in the effects of the main socio-demographic, economic and institutional determinants of land consumption in Campania (southern Italy). Using data from official sources for 2020 at the municipal level, geographically weighted regression was run to address local variations through a set of coefficients as a function of spatial location. One of the main elements of novelty of this study is that it links research on land use influencing factors to such a high level of geographic detail (all 550 Campanian municipalities), while controlling for spatial non-stationarity and morphological characteristics. Understanding how the impact of the determinants varies across municipalities can help local policy makers adopt the regulatory instruments for land use management envisaged by law. The results show that the levels of land consumption are not aligned with the real demand and carrying capacity of several areas of the region, suggesting that: i) knowing the local specificities explaining land consumption is the prerequisite for preserving environmental quality and ecosystem services; ii) better quality local institutions are needed to curb unbalanced land consumption and to guide spatial planning in support of sustainable land management.

MANAGEMENT OF LAND USE EFFICIENCY IN THE CONTEXT OF MARKET CHANGES

The purpose of the article is to study the peculiarities of the use of agricultural land resources, which are one of the determinants of economic development and environmental security of the state. The relevance and importance of the search for development scenarios of agricultural land market, the definition of the content and implementation of state regulation in the sphere of agricultural land use, the presence of a large set of unresolved issues in this area led to the choice of topic. The purpose of the article is to study the development of the agricultural land market in Ukraine. Methodology. Methods of analysis, comparison and generalization of research results, economic, statistical and graphical methods were used to write the article. The source of data for the scientific research were reports and statistical information of the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine and the State Treasury Service of Ukraine. Results. The study showed that the transformation of land ownership relations in the absence of environmental and economic justification of the redistribution of land and territorial resources has led to significant changes in the composition and structure of agricultural land, as well as the ecological imbalance of the land fund. In turn, this has caused many environmental and economic problems in the domestic system of land use, including: excessive parcellation of land, violation of crop rotations, introduction of monoculture and, as a consequence, deterioration of soil quality, reduction of its fertility, increased erosion and land degradation. It is proved that the development of land and legal system should be based on a multilevel model of state regulation of agricultural land markets, which, in contrast to the existing one, provides for the development of a secondary market, land auctions and mortgages, involvement of unclaimed land into market turnover. Practical implications. Since the practice of managing agricultural enterprises in market conditions shows that the main thing is not the availability of land resources, but the efficient use of their potential, so the need to create a reliable economic mechanism to ensure the efficient use of land resources and the protection of land fertility is a priority. The breadth and versatility of land problems, their connection and dependence on socio-economic, political and environmental factors necessitate further study of this issue.

KETERSEDIAAN SUMBERDAYA LAHAN DAN AKSESBILITAS DALAM UPAYA MENDUKUNG PENYELENGGARAAN KETAHANAN PANGAN

This research entitled Land Resources and Accessibility to Support Food Security. This study aims to present information on the availability of land resources and accessibility in an effort to support food security in the Pandeglang Regency. The method used in this research is descriptive research model method with survey techniques. The results showed that the potential and availability of land in Pandeglang Regency is quite extensive, which is dominated by forestry, rice fields and large plantations with mixed forest data of 86,517.33 Ha or about 31% of the area of land use in Pandeglang Regency. Meanwhile, 18.24% of the area of land use in Pandeglang Regency with a land area of 50,888.90 hectares consists of shrubs. The area of rice fields 34,391.28 or about 12.32% of the area of land use and land use is 47,893.65 or 17% of the area of land use. Measurement of the aspect of access to food uses indicators related to the condition of the population, including the percentage of poor people with the number of poor people in Pandeglang Regency 115.90 (thousand people), the percentage of the population without access to electricity with data that almost 100 percent of households use electricity either from PLN or NonPLN, and the percentage of the population not working is around 41.56%. In addition, in the area of Pandeglang Regency there is a cooperative in the agricultural sector which is one of the infrastructure for providing food needs.

Securing food under adverse climate and socioeconomic scenarios in Jiangsu Province, China: Critical role of human adaptation under change

Food security is important for human well-being worldwide. However, changing climate, population growth and shrinking land resources are threatening food security in many regions of the world. Jiangsu Province, China, is one such region. It is a major food-producing region of the country but is witnessing rapid population growth and urbanization that is putting pressure on agricultural water and land resources and threatening food security of the region.This paper interprets the nexus between regional water availability and food security in Jiangsu Province under different climate change and socio-economic scenarios of population growth and land resource availability. Climate change scenarios are generated based on historical data and Global Climate Model (GCM) products. Socio-economic scenarios are generated based on population growth and crop planted area projections.The uptake of water and nutrients are considered as two dominant biophysical processes of crop growth and food production. Complementing it is human agency, including human labor, irrigation and land-preparation machinery, which are the factors behind water and nutrient use efficiencies of crops grown. Two dominant crops are considered, rice and wheat, that contribute to 61.4% of total crops produced in the province.Results show that adaptation by human agency is necessary to ensure that food supply meets at least the demand of the province under all climate change and socio-economic scenarios. Under relatively favorable scenarios, labor could replace land-preparing machinery since the level of food production can be easily maintained with abundant water and land availability. Mechanization in agricultural production significantly increases food production under unfavorable conditions, since it improves water and nutrient use efficiencies and leads to higher crop yields. This demonstrates that human agency plays an important role in securing food under stressful scenarios of drier climate, population growth, and contraction of agricultural lands.

ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES OF USE OF LAND RESOURCES IN UKRAINE AND WORLD

The purpose of the article is to study the economic, social and environmental features of the use of land resources of agricultural enterprises, which is one of the determining factors of economic development and environmental safety of the state. Optimization of the use of land resources in ecological, economic and social aspects is the basis for a favourable territorial environment of natural landscapes. The goal of the article is to study the economic efficiency of the use of land resources in modern conditions, their social and environmental basis. Methodology. To write the article, methods of analysis, comparison, and generalization of research results, economic, statistical and graphic methods have been used. It is clear that research on the efficiency of the use of land resources in agricultural enterprises is a complex and lengthy process. Taking this into account, it is impossible to identify a single indicator that can fully reflect the level of efficiency in the use of land resources. For a more complete characterization of the specified process, a system of both natural and value indicators should be used. Results. According to the results of the study, it has been established that the practice of land use and the state of study of certain problems require further study of the prerequisites for the development of processes of soil degradation caused by the main factors: human economic activity, climatic, relief and ground conditions. Attention is drawn to the efficiency of the use of land resources in agricultural enterprises of Ukraine; the distribution of enterprises in Ukraine is carried out by the size of agricultural land. The role of state financing of enterprises in the sector of agro-industrial development is analysed, and the state of financing of programs to support agro-industrial production in 2019 is considered. The social aspects of land use in Ukraine are processed; they are focused on the quality of food, ensuring the welfare of the population and landscaping of rural municipalities. The program of support of the agro-industrial production sector by providing loans to agrarians has been investigated: in particular, it is planned to allocate 1,200,000,000 UAH for a programme to reduce the cost of loans to enterprises engaged in all types of agricultural activities. Practical implications. Since the practice of managing agricultural enterprises in market conditions shows that the most important thing is not the availability of land resources but the efficiency of using its potential; therefore, the need to create a reliable economic mechanism that will ensure the effective use of land resources and preserve their fertility is a priority. The breadth and versatility of land problems, their connection and dependence on socio-economic, political and environmental factors necessitate further research on this issue.

Urban agriculture in Havana – evidence from empirical research

Abstract The aim of this article is to indicate the features of contemporary urban agriculture present in the contiguously built-up areas of Havana. Using an exploratory and classification approach, the authors draw on fieldwork and a prior analysis of satellite and aerial imagery, first to characterize the spatial distribution of urban gardens and then to point to their main intrinsic features, including the methods and organization of production and the functions performed. The research conducted shows that urban agriculture is distributed across the city in an uneven fashion, with the main concentration in districts of lower-density urban construction, which reflects the availability of land resources intentionally left between buildings by modernist planners. The most common production technique applied is organopónico, or organoponics. However, the material commonly used to construct the bordering walls is asbestos, which may pose a significant threat for both producers and consumers. Two case studies are analyzed to exemplify different approaches to organic food production.

Ecosystem services response to rural-urban transitions in coastal and island cities: A comparison between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, China

Understanding the ecosystem services response to rural-urban transitions is critical for urban planning that aims to achieve sustainable urban development, in particular for coastal and island cities where economic development and the maintenance of ecosystem services are in conflict. In the present study, the responses of ecosystem services to rural-urban transitions in coastal and island cities were investigated and compared taking Shenzhen and Hong Kong, China as case studies. For both cities, the ecosystem service value was quantified using a unit value-based quantification approach, while the urban, peri-urban and rural areas were identified by combining a hexagonal sampling method with cluster analysis. The results suggested that, between 2000 and 2015, the mean value of ecosystem services of rural hexagons was the highest, followed by peri-urban and urban hexagons. For each city, the mean ecosystem service values of the same hexagon type did not differ significantly over time. Both similarities and differences in the response of ecosystem services to rural-urban transitions were detected between the two cities. A persistent downward trend in the value of ecosystem services was observed for both cities, although the decline in Shenzhen was much stronger than in Hong Kong. This was because urban expansion in Hong Kong as an island city was much slower as it was constricted by the availability of land, compared to the extremely rapid urbanization of Shenzhen. The above findings suggested that, compared to island cities where the expansion of urban areas was restricted by the limited availability of land resources, the ecosystem services of coastal cities were more significantly reduced as the urban land continuously expanded to inland remote areas. Correspondingly, towards the maintenance of ecosystem services, specific policy implications for urban planning have been identified for each city.