Land Resource Depletion Research Articles

Research on the Driving Factors and Prediction Model of Urban Underground Space Demand in China

The development and utilization of urban underground space (UUS) have emerged as critical strategies to address the challenges posed by urban population growth and land resource depletion. Accurate prediction of UUS demand serves as the cornerstone for scientifically planning underground space and promoting sustainable urban development. In this study, statistical analysis methods were used to investigate the relationship between potential driving factors and UUS demand based on collected data from 16 cities in China. The identification of primary driving factors involves correlation, path, and determination coefficient analyses. Subsequently, univariate regression, multiple linear regression, and LASSO regression methods are employed to construct prediction models for UUS demand. Additionally, the link between historical data and UUS demand in each city was studied separately. The findings reveal that GDP per km2 and GDP per capita comprehensively capture the influence of urban population, economy, and transportation on UUS demand. Notably, GDP per km2 makes the most significant contribution to the proposed regression models, followed by GDP per capita. The application of LASSO regression proves effective in selecting potential factors while maximizing data utilization, presenting itself as a valuable auxiliary tool for UUS planning.

Vegetation restoration restrains rill erosion on slag heaps in high-altitude goldfields

Soil erosion leads to soil degradation and depletion of land resources, posing a significant threat to industrial production and ecological sustainability. In high-altitude regions, rill erosion is the main form of soil erosion in mining areas, however, our understanding of morphology and developmental characteristics of rills and the mechanisms influencing them remains limited. In this study, data were collected from 96 rill plots across two gold mines in the eastern Tibetan Plateau according to vegetation restoration modes (natural restoration (CK) and planted with Elymus dahuricus (ED), Medicago sativa (MS), and multi-plant mixed (Avena fatua L. + Elymus dahuricus + Medicago sativa + Oxytropis coerulea, MM)) and restoration periods (1 year, 3 years, 4 years, and 6 years). We investigated the variations of 7 indicators that can reveal rill morphological and developmental characteristics across different restoration modes and restoration periods, and utilized a partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) to analyze the effects of 15 indicators from topography, soil, and vegetation on rill erosion modulus (REM). The results indicated that artificial vegetation restoration effectively restrained rill development, notably by decreasing the frequency of wider (>15 cm) and deeper (>10 cm) rills when compared to CK plots. Planting MM and ED exhibited greater efficacy in controlling rill erosion than planting MS. However, the effectiveness of planting ED in controlling rill erosion gradually weakened with time, while MM consistently maintained a strong inhibitory effect. Topographic features, soil texture, and vegetation significantly influenced the REM through direct or indirect effects. Plant root functional traits were the main driving factors in reducing REM, affecting not only REM directly but also influencing vegetation-induced soil properties to indirectly effect REM.

Current state of the land resources of Sumy region: problems and priority directions of their protection

Purpose. To assess the ecological condition of the Sumy region's soils and to develop priority directions for the protection of land resources of any form of ownership. Methods. The theoretical method of system analysis, comparison and generalization were used in the framework of the conducted research. Current legal acts and research by scientists on land use problems served as the theoretical basis. Statistical data on the state of land resources of the Sumy region served as an information base for the analysis and comparison of phenomena. Results. The ecological condition of the agricultural lands of the Sumy region was analyzed. Weaknesses in the existing soil protection system of the region were identified. Modern land use in most cases is not rational. Excessive plowing of agricultural land leads to depletion of land resources, depression of rural areas, disruption of the natural process of soil formation. Measures to improve and preserve the land cover and its rational use in the Sumy region are proposed. The use of analytical studies allows to thoroughly characterize the economic potential of agricultural lands of the Sumy region, to determine the prospects for their use, reproduction and increase in fertility, which corresponds to the interests of the state, territorial communities, their population and economic entities on the land. The land reform, which is being carried out in Ukraine, sets itself the main task of opening a free land market, is a nationwide phenomenon and relies on the support of the rural population.The work also deals with the issues of land management, land management planning taking into account rational nature management and the land protection system. Conclusions. Land protection is becoming increasingly important as it affects the protection of the natural environment, including forests, waters, subsoil, wildlife and atmospheric air. Improving the state of land resources is a prerequisite for increasing the volume of agricultural production and creating an effective agricultural land market in Ukraine. Therefore, it is important to implement an effective model of land relations and build a perfect legal framework to ensure rational land use.

Assessing path-dependent urban growth with geographically weighted regressions

Urban growth may exert remarkably intense environmental impacts, e.g. as far as land resource depletion, pollution, and rising temperatures in built-up areas are concerned. The relationship between urban expansion and environmental degradation is complex and depends on spatial heterogeneity of biophysical conditions, closely intertwined with inherent transformations in settlement forms and socioeconomic functions. Understanding past urbanization patterns contributes to delineate future trajectories of urban development supporting environmental plans that mitigate the negative environmental externalities of economic growth. The present study adopts a spatially explicit approach based on Geographically Weighted Regressions (GWR) to evaluate density-dependent population growth as a key dimension of urban development – and the consequent environmental pressure – along one century (1920–2020) encompassing a cycle from urbanization to re-urbanization in the Athens' metropolitan region (Central Greece). Density-dependent regulation of population growth was particularly intense at the end of the ‘urbanization’ phase and during ‘suburbanization’, being less intense with ‘counter-urbanization’ and negligible with ‘re-urbanization’. Density-dependent regulation of population dynamics demonstrated to be an important dimension of metropolitan expansion in heterogeneous socioeconomic contexts, causing a locally differentiated impact on the surrounding (natural and semi-natural) environments.

Total factor productivity of China’s marine economy: A meta-analysis

With the rapid development of the global economy and the depletion of land resources, the ocean has gradually become a new area for human society to seek resources and space utilization. In China, the marine economy also has become an essential part of the national economy. Therefore, it is crucial to evaluate marine productivity to understand China’s marine industry’s input-output status and development level. We conducted a meta-analysis using 622 observations from 33 primary empirical studies to quantify the discrepancies in measurement findings and identify the influencing factors of total factor productivity (TFP) growth in the marine industry. The results indicate that: (1) In the existing literature, the mean TFP growth of China’s marine economy at the provincial level is 1.002, which is lower than that at the national level (1.022); (2) The time span of the data, the estimation model, the evaluation indicator, and the journal’s rank all have a significant effect on the estimation results of the marine economic TFP growth, whereas the year of publication does not affect the estimation results; (3) The TFP growth of China’s marine economy peaked during the Ninth Five-Year Plan period, after which it began to decline year after year; (4) The TFP growth of the marine economy in the Yangtze River Delta region and Circum Bohai Sea region is significantly higher than that in the Pan-Pearl River Delta region; (5) Economic factors such as gross ocean product, level of opening-up, level of marine science and technology, and industrial structure all have an impact on the marine economic TFP growth. Accordingly, the following insights were obtained: In terms of marine economic development policies, we should continue to enhance the investment in marine environmental governance, strengthen the construction of marine ecological civilization, and pay attention to synergistic regional development, opening up to the outside world, scientific and technological innovation, and industrial structure optimization. In addition, the follow-up study should use long-period sample data as much as possible, pay attention to the parametric SFA model, and strip the negative environmental impact by constructing a green evaluation index system.

ASSESSMENT OF BIOFUEL PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES FROM MICROALGAE AND ORGANIC WASTE

Today, the processing of organic matter, such as organic waste or microalgae, is an important way to renewable energy sources. To maintain a prosperous life of the population, it is critical that renewable sources of energy be found. Problem statement. In the near future, mineral and organic reserves of the earth's interior will cease to meet the growing energy needs of civilization. Already today, technologies have emerged that allow the production of fossil fuels based on many plant species. But the cultivation of such crops leads to depletion of land resources. In other words, the top and thin fertile layer of humus is gradually depleted, which can lead to the use of millions or billions of hectares of arable land. And here to replace usual terrestrial cultures come microalgae. Research methodology. The study was based on the analysis of theoretical studies and comparison of different types of biological fuels from plant-type and microalgae, at the economic, environmental and social levels. Results and discussion. Biodiesel from microalgae is a third generation fuel obtained by processing vegetable raw materials. It is known that algae are characterized by a high content of fatty acids, which are the basis for the production of biodiesel. Microalgae are very cheap and, at the same time - highly productive raw materials. One hectare of microalgae produces 30 times more biofuel than one hectare of soybeans. At the same time, biofuel from algae is 5-10% more energy-intensive than biodiesel from vegetable oils. In addition, microalgae grow quite rapidly. For example, algae, which is 80% composed of substances similar in origin to oil, grows in 10 days, while the same algae, which is 30% composed of substances similar in origin to oil, grows in only 3 days. Another advantage of using algae is the fact that, unlike growing other types of plant materials, they do not need to be fed and fertilized - they use carbon dioxide (CO2) for growth. The higher the concentration of carbon dioxide, the faster they are cultivated. Thus, the cultivation of microalgae can solve several problems: the problem of the greenhouse effect; the problem of employment of sown areas; the problem of shortages of traditional fuels and many other equally important problems. Conclusion. Organic susstance as microalgae have been experimented as a potential feedstock for biofuel generation in current era owing to its’ rich energy content, inflated growth rate, inexpensive culture approaches, the notable capacity of CO2 fixation, and O2 addition to the environment. The implementation of the technology of biofuel production from organic waste also warns of danger, first of all for people. By reducing free waste, use it as a secondary material and benefit from it. Integrated waste management technology includes successive steps that take into account the environmental, economic and social spheres of life.

Control Performance Analysis of Mining Ship Heave Compensation System Based on Fuzzy Logic Algorithm

With the depletion of land resources, demands for marine resources mining is increasing, the mining vessels which is known as one of the most important offshore equipment are widely concerned. The motions of wave surges in the marine environment will affect the operation of mining vessels, especially for the heave motion which will cause serious disturbances to the mining vessels during operation, and even the damage of the hull structure and related mining facilities. Hence, it is very necessary to compensate for the heave motion of the mining vessel, and a hydraulic cylinder-based active-passive integrated composite heave compensation system is designed in this paper. Firstly, the structural composition and working principle of the heave compensation system are introduced, and its mathematical model is also established. Secondly, the frequency domain and time domain analysis are carried out using AQWA software to obtain the heave displacement response of the ship under regular and irregular waves of six sea states as the desired compensation displacement. Finally, the controller of the active-passive heave compensation system is designed, and a fuzzy logic control strategy based on Mamdani type is proposed, and the control performance is analyzed. The results show that the accuracy of the fuzzy logic control algorithm is better than the traditional PID control algorithm, and the laws and methods of PID adjustment are obtained, which proves that the fuzzy logic control algorithm has obvious advantages for engineering applications.

Assessing the reproduction of land resources in the context of achieving food security

The article conducted a study of the level of reproduction of land resources in Russia, in the conditions of the formation of food security. It was revealed that the growth of food production in Russia leads to a decrease in the potential of agricultural land. A significant part of the land occupied by agricultural crops is not fertilized. The introduced volumes of nutrients are insufficient for either simple or extended reproduction. Volumes of fertilizers close to simple reproduction are applied to grain and leguminous crops. An increase in the application of potassium would fully allow for the simple reproduction of land occupied by grain crops. The most critical situation has developed with the lands used for growing sugar beets. The lack of nutrients led to the fact that in 2019 the earth lost more than 200 kg of nitrogen and potassium. The identified situation is a threat to both food and national security. If the current trend continues, the yield will show a downward trend, which, even if costs remain at the same level, will lead to an increase in prices, and, accordingly, to a decrease in food availability. In general, there is a pronounced situation of depletion of land resources. Instead of stimulating the introduction of fertilizers and ensuring low prices for them, the country’s leadership is stimulating food exports. This situation is similar to the export of mineral resources and timber. Grain, like oilseeds, is predominantly exported in a non-processed form, which is inherently a low value-added resource commodity. But the main thing is that soil fertility is actually exported, since the applied fertilizers do not even provide simple reproduction.

Land Resource Depletion, Regional Disparities, and the Claim for a Renewed ‘Sustainability Thinking’ under Early Desertification Conditions

The present contribution discusses recent findings in environmental issues dealing with desertification risk and regional disparities in the Mediterranean basin. By focusing on key socioeconomic factors underlying land and soil degradation (population growth, urban sprawl, coastalization, agricultural intensification, and land abandonment), this commentary highlights the intimate linkage between socioeconomic processes, rural poverty, and territorial disparities based on complex dynamics of demographic and economic factors. The increasing complexity in the spatial distribution of land vulnerable to degradation has also been pointed out with special reference to post-war Italy, a Mediterranean country considered as particularly affected in the UNCCD Annex IV, as the results of non-linear biophysical and socioeconomic dynamics. The lack in multi-target and multi-scale policies approaching land degradation and territorial disparities together is finally discussed as an original contribution to the study of Mediterranean desertification.

Release characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) leaching from oil-based drilling cuttings

Drilling cuttings, the primary byproduct from the exploration and mining of shale gas, are potentially hazardous wastes that are associated with the serious depletion of land resources and environmental safety problems. In this work, the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in oil-based residues of shale gas drilling cuttings was studied. Furthermore, a column leaching test was carried out to investigate the leaching behaviour of PAHs. The results showed that (1) the concentrations of 4-ring PAHs were highest among the PAH concentrations detected from the oil-based residues, and the concentration of PAHs decreased with increasing particle size of the residues. (2) The PAH concentration in leachates from all the tested residues differed during the leaching process, and the cumulative amount of each leached PAH accounted for 1.50–3.20% of the total PAHs. (3) The first-order diffusion model (FRDM) was the most applicable model for describing the leaching characteristics of the PAHs, and the leaching rate was initially controlled by surface wash-off and then by diffusion.

Agricultural Innovation: A comparative analysis of economic benefits gained by farmers under climate resilient and conventional agricultural practices

Cotton producers in Pakistan must manage many concerns, for example, climate change, traditional agricultural management practices and depletion of land resources i.e. land, and water have resulted in low productivity and pose the largest challenge ever to the sustainability of cotton production in Pakistan. Sustainable land and water (SL&W) management practices of climate resilient agriculture (CRA) such as irrigation (laser land levelling, bed sowing, and drainage management), soil (minimum tillage), and crop (flood and drought tolerant varieties) management practices are recognized as the most efficient and sustainable, particularly for growing cotton. Using cross-sectional data from cotton-growing districts of Punjab, this study attempted to estimate and compare the economic benefits of SL&W management practices of CRA and conventional agricultural practices. The study also estimated the impact of technical training, SL&W management practices of CRA and changing soil quality to improve cotton productivity and sustainability in Punjab, Pakistan. The economic analysis showed that the adopters of CRA have significantly higher economic benefits from one hectare of cotton compared with non-adopters. The economic benefits of adopters significantly increased after implementing SL&W management practices of CRA. Additionally, this study also explores the SL&W management practices; technical training regarding SL&W management practices of CRA; access to credit; varying soil quality; and other inputs lead to significant variation in cotton productivity. The most important implications are that cotton farmers improved productivity through the SL&W management practices of CRA. Hence, proved that CRA are economically, financially, and environmentally, desirable. The findings of the study in a nutshell also reveal that CRA have an absolute advantage over traditional cotton farming.

The Role of Land Use Management on Land Degradation: The Case Study of Kashidar Basin in Golestan Province, Iran

Land resources are increasingly under pressure and there are many competing interests. However, unsustainable agricultural expansion and urbanization remain the main driving forces in land resource depletion. Suitable land use management on steep slope farmlands can decrease the destructive effects of farming. The main aim of this paper is showing the role of land use management on soil erosion. The EPM empirical model which developed in former Yugoslavia is one of the applicable models for estimating soil erosion and sediment delivery. With the help of this model, changes in the rate of erosion due to the application of different land management methods can be examined. In order to achieve the objectives of this study, Kashidar watershed in Golestan province -Iran was selected. The required maps and parameters of EPM model were determined in the desired area and with the help of Arc-Gis software, the relations and equations presented in this model, the amount of soil erosion in Kashidar watershed was calculated. The rate of soil erosion was calculated under two different management scenarios of rain fed agriculture and agroforestry system. The results of this study shows that changing the land use from dry farming on steep slope to agroforestry can decrease the soil erosion up to 70 percent. Sustainable land management practices are urgently required because of widespread resource degradation from poor land use practices. Climate change impacts are expected to further aggravate the situation.

A New ‘Lexicon’ of Land Degradation: Toward a Holistic Thinking for Complex Socioeconomic Issues

Land degradation is perceived worldwide as a key process of resource depletion, representing a paradigmatic issue in national and supra-national political agendas for the 21st century in both advanced and emerging economies. Trying to delineate a ‘new lexicon of land degradation’, the present study contributes to a holistic thinking of driving forces in local communities and regional contexts through a refined analysis and discussion of (apparent and latent) factors of land degradation. Rethinking the importance of five notions (time, space, scale, systems, and response) having an intimate linkage with land degradation allows a refined understanding of socio-environmental dynamics and the most appropriate actions to combat (or mitigate) land resource depletion. The conclusions summarize the rationale proposed in this work, and provide a brief outlook on future research addressing land degradation, its drivers and consequences.

Environmental-economic efficiency of land use improvement reasoning

Formulation of the problem. In the conditions of fast development of the industry, energetics and transport communications, intensive mining of minerals, active chemicalixation of agriculture there is a fast increase in the level of environmental pollution and first of all soils, that in turn leads to worsening in their qualitative state. The soil is an important unit of ecosystems, the destruction of which has multidimensional value for the stability of the environment. Agrarian transformation of soils traditionally was assessed as progressive. However, scientific analysis shows that extensive agriculture, irrational chemical fertilizer and excessive adding of pesticides led to a significant reduction in fertility, and sometimes loss due to erosion, natural soil cover on large areas. The purpose of the article. The study of intensification of land resources in compliance with environmental principles, which should provide a comprehensive, systematic approach to solving economic, social, environmental and other problems.Methods. The author s own achievements as well as the research results of domestic and foreign investigators made the methodical basis for the article.Results. Ecological agriculture nowadays scientists consider a perspective direction, which allows the use of science-based pesticides and fertilizers without reducing the quality of made production, with compulsory advancing ecologization of processing industry. The result of activation of economic activity in many cases is increasing influence on the environment, ecological balance, soil pollution, depletion of land resources, worsening their useful properties.According to parameters of the regression model, the increase in all investigated factors other than labor costs with deductions, rendered positive influence on the resultant figure. In our case, most (relative to other factors) contributed to his growth increasing costs of seeds and planting materialbecause each additional spent thousand for this trend intensifying per one hundred hectares of arable land (if not the variability of other factors) predetermined increase yield of gross output of one point eighteen thousand UAH on one hundred hectares of arable land.Parameters of the given model demonstrated that increase in all studied factors rendered positive impact on a productive indicator.Scientific novelty and practical significance. One of the main mechanism for regulating ecologisation of land resources is the detection, evaluation and implementation of the highest possible reserves of increase efficiency of this process. This is a reduction of unproductive losses in resource use and saving mode, and the possibility of using scientific and technological progress as the main solution. Using regression models, that were built before, depending on the main indicators of ecological and economic efficiency of using of land resources on the arable land from specific costs, were identified reserves of increase in the investigated agricultural enterprises.

중·일의 해군력 증강과정 분석과한국 해양안보에 대한 함의

With the end of the Cold War, the world as a whole is heading towards a new era of peace marked by the arms control. In contrast, the augmentation of military power is much of a pattern in Northeast Asia as have been shown by the naval power augmentation by the People``s Republic of China(PRC) and Japan. Significant factors of the such pattern are potential conflicts that may occur out of the PRC-Japan maritime disputes, the increasing awareness of continuing regional instability and uncertainties of security environment. The purpose of the thesis is to analyze the cases of naval power augmentation by PRC and Japan, and thereby to draw implications on the Republic of Korea(ROK) security by suggesting the direction of response strategies and building of forces which should be underscored. The result of the research are as follow. Firstly, the four primary factors of the naval power augmentation by PRC and Japan are the threats imposed on each nation; economic strength to make the building of forces possible; the will of the leaders; and strategies and policies. Secondly, the purpose their naval power augmentation is to secure maritime resources due to the depletion of land resources as well as to defend the sea line of communications. The primary assets required to meet this end would be ones operating in the ocean such as aircraft carriers, large ships or submarines. Thirdly, the naval power augmentation by PRC and Japan is accelerating the arms race in Northeast Asia and it seems neighboring countries will also augment their own naval power in light of the maritime disputes as has been seen in the recent disputes around the Senkaku Islands, also known as the Diaoyudao Islands in the PRC. The influence that may have on Korean security environment is the possibility of realization of territorial disputes such as the one between Ieodo Island and PRC, and between Dokdo Island and Japan. The implication on the Korean Peninsula is to face up to the naval power augmentation of the PRC and that of Japan despite the permanent presence of the USFJ under a firm US-Japan Alliance, and thereby build up naval power on a national dimension for the security of ROK

Mechatronic System Design for Science/Work Class ROV

Marine environments cover most of the earth’s surface, and average depth more than 3800m. It is rich in biological resources and mineral resources. With the depletion of land resources, marine resources development and utilization is increasingly apparent. However, accompanied by the development of marine resources such as oil, natural gas from offshore extension to the deep ocean, Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) for its safety, high efficiency, large range of operating depths, work long hours, is increasingly becoming the development of marine resources important tool. In this study, the science/work-class ROV which design by Taiwan Ocean Research Institute (TORI) and Built from Perry is discussed.

영해기점 조사 성과분석

육지자원이 고갈됨에 따라 해양자원에 대한관심이 집중되고 있다. 이에 따라 일본 및 중국과 같은 인접 국가들은 해양 영토를 확장하기 위해 정부차원의 많은 예산을 투입하고 있는 상황이다. 인접국가와의 경계 분쟁 시 정확한 영해기점 산출은 분쟁을 해결할 수 있는 과학적인 자료가 될 수 있다. 따라서, 이들 기점들에 대한 체계적이고도 지속적인 유지관리가 필요한 상황이다. 그러나, 우리나라 영해기점은 10여 전에 관측된 자료로 새롭게 갱신되지 않아 이에 대한 재검토가 필요하다고 할 수 있다. 본 연구에서는 영해기점 성과의 재검토를 위하여, 과거 측량한 성과를 비교 분석하고자 하였다. 연구 결과 제주도 지역에서는 많은 차이를 나타내고 있어 기점에 대한 재조정이 필요할 것으로 판단된다. 본 연구를 통해 영해기점에 대한 지속적인 유지관리가 필요함을 알 수 있었으며, 해양경계에 대한 지속적인 관심은 해양영토의 수호뿐만 아니라 해저자원에 대한 보호측면에서도 필요하다고 하겠다. As the depletion of land resources, the attention about marine resources has been focused on. Neighboring countries such as Japan and China to expand their marine territory invest more governmental money. The exact territorial sea baselines can be the scientific data which cad resolve the dispute between the neighboring countries. So, those territorial sea baselines should be maintained systematically and continuously. Because territorial sea baselines surveyed 10 years ago without updating, the review may be needed. In this study, we compared 2009 year surveying results with past territorial sea baselines results for reviews. As a results, Jeju Island represents a large difference. So, the outputs of territorial sea baselines around Jeju Island should be readjusted. Through this study, the ongoing maintenance of the territorial sea baselines is required. The continuing interest in the maritime boundary, as well as defend in terms of protection for undersea resources are needed.

Methodology of industry scale analysis under the constraint of regional resource capacity using HSY algorithm

This paper develops a methodology of proper scale analysis for regional industry development, which can be used in industry planning with the consideration of regional resource capacities. In the face of different data sources and even data scarcity, alternative methods based on linear programming and quadratic programming algorithms for calculating the resource intensity factors are designed. Based on the empirical study of industrialization, initial scenarios of industry development were set. Using HSY algorithm, sensitive industries that may cause exceeding regional resource capacity can be identified, and the risk of exceeding can be predicted and expressed in probability. Furthermore, a proper scale range can be designed for these sensitive industries according to resource capacity. Taking the case of Dalian city in China, this paper estimated the regional urban development plan, various resources capacities were studied, and land resources were estimated to be the most critical resource for the city. The land resource depletion intensities of different industries are calculated by quadratic programming algorithm. Under the constraint of 427.56 km 2 available industrial land resources, the electronic and power industries have the most significant impact on total land use, if the scale of power industry exceeds 1.27 billion USD, the probability of land resource capacity breakthrough will be 50%.

Population pressure and land resource depletion in southeastern Nigeria

Though the incidence of population pressure on agricultural land is evident in the Awka-Nnewi region of southeastern Nigeria, there are no precise indices for measuring its intensity and evaluating the spatial pattern. Three related indices, namely, farmland size per capita, fallow index and fragmentation index were calculated from field data to aid in the assessment of the severity of land resource depletion. The merit of each index is discussed together with the procedure of calculating and applying it. By applying these indices singly and in combination the spatial pattern of agricultural land depletion is discussed. The analysis shows that some sections of the Awka-Nnewi region are badly depleted and it would need a combined action of the people and the government to salvage the deteriorating agricultural environment.