Impact Of Land Use Change Research Articles

Study on the Impact of Land Use Change on Ecosystem Services in the Water Source Area of the Middle Route Project of S-N Water Diversion

The South-to-North Water Diversion Project, a major project in China, is of great significance to alleviate the shortage of water resources in the north, and the ecological environment in the middle water source area has the most critical impact on water quality safety. As a natural resource and asset, ecosystem services in the water source area of the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project not only provide important resources and services for human beings but also are the necessary basis for the survival and development of other organisms on the earth.As an integral part of the earth’s economy, the value of ecosystem services in the water source area of the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project directly or indirectly contributes to human welfare. Scientific use of land resources can promote the upgrading and transformation of ecosystem services in the water source area of the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. Based on this, this paper focuses on the impact of land use change on ecosystem services in the water source area of the middle route of South-to-North Water Diversion and its prevention strategies.

The Impact of Land Use Change on Land Surface Temperature 1990-2020 for Environmental Monitoring in Kapota Island, Wakatobi Regency, Indonesia

The Impact of Land Use Change on Land Surface Temperature 1990-2020 for Environmental Monitoring in Kapota Island, Wakatobi Regency, Indonesia

Multi-Sensor Satellite Images for Detecting the Effects of Land-Use Changes on the Archaeological Area of Giza Necropolis, Egypt

The World Heritage Committee has been meeting to discuss the arrangements of existing World Heritage Sites, and, on 22–26 October, the area from Giza to the Dahshur was included in the list of World Heritage Sites. According to the Egyptian Antiquities Authority (EAA), the groundwater levels at the Pyramids Plateau are too shallow, which threatens the ancient Sphinx and Pyramids in Giza, Egypt. In addition, many geophysical studies have been carried out in the archaeological area of Giza, which prove that the area is facing the risk of a high level of groundwater, specifically threatening the Sphinx. Recent developments in Earth observation have helped in the field of land monitoring such as land use changes, risk observation, and the creation of models for protecting cultural heritage sites. This study aimed to examine the impact of land use changes on on the archaeological sites of the Giza Necropolis area by integrating various data sources including optical satellite imagery and SRTM data during the period of 1965–2019. A historical database of Corona 1965 and Landsat 2009 data was investigated along with the new acquisitions of Sentinel-2 2016 and Sentinel-1 2016 and 2019. In addition, the radar Sentinel-1 SLC data were collected and analyzed for calculating the land subsidence value in the area of interest through two periods between 6–30 July 2016 and 30 July–15 December 2016. Various methods were implemented, including cluster outliers, the Moran index, and spatial autocorrelation to examine the changes in urban masses. Additionally, the relationship between groundwater leakage and land subsidence in the region was investigated. The analysis was carried out using Envi5.3, ArcMap10.6.1, and SNAP6.0 software to extract spatial data from the raw data. The results from our investigation highlighted rapid changes in urban areas between 1965 and 2019. The data obtained and analyzed from optical and radar satellite imagery showed that changes in land use can cause changes in the topographic situation by decreasing the level of groundwater, which adversely affects Egyptian monumental pyramids and the Sphinx. Land use analysis showed that the urban area represented 7.63% of the total area of the study area in 1965, however it reached 32.72% in 2009, approximately half of the total area in 2016, and in 2019, the urban mass area increased to nearly two-thirds of the total area. The annual growth rate between 1965 and 2019 was estimated by nearly 0.642 km2/year. These land-use changes possibly affected the land subsidence value (−0.0138 m), causing the rising groundwater level close to the Sphinx. Using the information obtained from our RS- and GIS-based analysis, mitigation strategies have also been identified to support archaeological area preservation.

Centennial loss of lake wetlands in the Yangtze Plain, China: Impacts of land use changes accompanied by hydrological connectivity loss

Humans have played a fundamental role in altering lake wetland ecosystems, necessitating the use of diverse data types to accurately quantify long-term changes, identify potential drivers, and establish a baseline status. We complied high-resolution historical topographic maps and Landsat imagery to assess the dynamics of the lake wetlands in the Yangtze Plain over the past century, with special attention to land use and hydrological connectivity changes. Results showed an overall loss of 45.6 % (∼11,859.5 km2) of the lake wetlands over the past century. The number of lakes larger than 10 km2 decreased from 149 to 100 due to lake dispersion, vanishing, and shrinkage. The extent of lake wetland loss was 3.8 times larger during the 1930s–1970s than that in the 1970s–1990s. Thereafter, the lake wetland area remained relatively stable, and a net increase was observed during the 2010s–2020s in the Yangtze Plain. The significant loss of lake wetland was predominately driven by agricultural activities and urban land expansion, accounting for 81.1 % and 4.9 % of the total losses, respectively. In addition, the changes in longitudinal and lateral hydrological connectivity further exacerbated the lake wetland changes across the Yangtze Plain through isolation between lakes and the Yangtze River and within the lakes. A total of 130 lakes have been isolated from the Yangtze River due to the construction of sluices and dykes throughout the Yangtze Plain, resulting in the decrease in the proportion of floodplain marsh from 28.3 % in the 1930s to 8.0 % in the 2020s. Furthermore, over 260 sub-lakes larger than 1 km2 (with a total area of 1276.4 km2) are experiencing a loss of connectivity with their parent lakes currently. This study could provide an improved historical baseline of lake wetland changes to guide the conservation planning to wetland protection and prioritization area in the Yangtze Plain.

Assessing the impact of Land use changes on ecosystem services in the Alledighe rangeland, Ethiopia

Understanding the ecological, social, and economic values of protected areas, as well as assessing the services they provide to both humans and the environment is crucial for informing conservation policies and sustainable land management practices. Using the benefits transfer method, changes in ecosystem service values (ESVs) resulting from spatiotemporal land use dynamics were evaluated in the Alledighe Wildlife Reserve (AWR) spanning from 1998 to 2016. Five distinct habitat types, namely grassland, bushland, woodland, riverine forest, and highland forest, were identified across the landscape. The ESVs were estimated using regional and global ESV values. A decline in the extent of grassland, woodland, and riverine forests by 9.9%, 2.4%, and 1.5%, respectively, was observed while bushland and highland forests increased by 10.6% and 3.3%, respectively. The AWR experienced a loss of roughly 145 km2 of grassland habitat. Based on regional and global ESVs, total ESVs in the study area decreased by 28.18% from approximately US$ 180 million to approximately US$ 129 million, and by 40.85% from approximately US$ 496 million to approximately US$ 293 million. As per individual ESV assessment, the total ESV decreased by 41% from around US$ 374.5 million to US$ 264.8 million. Provisioning service declined by 41.6% from US$ 100 million to US$ 70.6 million. Regulating service declined by 42.5% from US$ 242.4 million to US$ 170 million. Supporting service declined by 67% from US$ 5.3 million to US$ 3.2 million, and cultural service decreased by 27.8% from US$ 26.7 million to US$ 20.8 million. The larger ESV change was contributed by the expansion of forestland and bushland across previously grassland-dominated areas. The results of this study could render the value of the rangeland more visible in the decision-making process, as well as provide valuable input for future planning and management interventions of the AWR's pristine rangeland, thereby enhancing ecosystem services and the livelihoods of the surrounding communities.

Spatial–Temporal Assessment of Annual Water Yield and Impact of Land Use Changes on Upper Ganga Basin, India, Using InVEST Model

Spatial–Temporal Assessment of Annual Water Yield and Impact of Land Use Changes on Upper Ganga Basin, India, Using InVEST Model

Mangrove area degradation and management strategies in Indonesia: A review

Coastal communities are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. This study aimed to review the impact of land use change and mangrove degradation on coastal areas and analyze the problems and strategies of mangrove management in Indonesia. Journal data sources were obtained from the Scopus and Google Scholar databases. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method was used in the study. The results indicate that economic activities such as mining, industry, and ponds are the main cause of mangrove damage, which in turn leads to increased disasters, CO2 emissions, and decreased community income. To address this issue, mangrove management strategies that take into account social, economic, and environmental factors are necessary. Successful mangrove restoration requires increased inclusion, community capacity, budgeting, and stakeholder involvement. Government policies regulating sustainable spatial planning, law enforcement, and institutional frameworks are crucial components of mangrove management. The study's results are expected to serve as the foundation for developing sustainable coastal management strategies that enhance the safety of coastal communities from disasters and improve their welfare.

Impact of Land Use and Land Cover Changes on Ecosystem Services Value in Mwanza City, Tanzania

Ecosystem services are vital services that support life and are the basis for human socio-economic progress. However, changes in land use and land cover (LULC) brought about by urban expansion degrade them. Thus, analysing the impact of land use and land cover (LULC) change on ecosystem service values (ESVs) is crucial for understanding and informing resource policy decisions. This study aims to analyse the impact of land use and land cover changes on ecosystem service values in Mwanza City, Tanzania. To achieve that, the benefits transfer approach was employed to analyse the changes in ESV in response to LULC. We estimated and analysed changes in ESV using satellite image datasets from 1999, 2009, and 2019. The LULC classes that were identified are vegetated land, agricultural land, waterbodies, built-up area, and bareland. The results exhibit that Mwanza City experienced significant LULC changes. While vegetated land, agricultural land, and bareland decreased by 49%, 15%, and 36%, respectively, the built-up area and water bodies increased by 568% and 48%, respectively, during the two decades. The total ESV decreased from 31.35 million US dollars to 26.3 million US dollars between 1999 and 2009 and to 23.96 million US dollars between 2009 and 2019. The waterbodies increased due to the increased volume of water in streams that expanded the floodplains, which resulted from surface runoff attributed to increased paved surfaces as more land was converted into a built-up environment upstream. The built-up area and bareland contributed nothing to ESV. However, the built-up area was the driving force behind the reduction of ESV in other LULC classes, as it was encroaching on them. The study concludes that the decrease in ESV reflects the degradation of ecosystem services due to the change in LULC. Hence, it is recommended that sustainable management of ecosystems be adhered for the proper functioning of the earth’s life-support system.

Modeling the impact of land use changes on the trend of monthly temperature in Basrah province, Southern Iraq

Modeling the impact of land use changes on the trend of monthly temperature in Basrah province, Southern Iraq

Assessing the spatial occupation and ecological impact of human activities in Chengguan district, Lhasa city, Tibetan Plateau

In this study, the ecological impact of human activities and the space occupied by construction and arable land on the Tibetan Plateau were examined, focusing on changes in the net primary productivity (NPP) as a key indicator of ecological health. With the utilization of land use data and multiyear average NPP data from 2002 to 2020, we analyzed the effects of the conversion of zonal vegetation into construction and arable land on carbon sequestration and oxygen release in Chengguan District, Lhasa city. Our findings indicated a marked spatial difference in the NPP among different land types. Regarding the original zonal vegetation, the NPP ranged from 0.2 to 0.3 kg/m2. Construction land showed a decrease in the NPP, with values ranging from 0.16 to 0.26 kg/m2, suggesting a decrease in ecological productivity. Conversely, arable land exhibited an increase in the NPP, with average values exceeding 0.3 kg/m2. This increase suggested enhanced productivity, particularly in regions where the original zonal vegetation provided lower NPP values. However, this enhanced productivity may not necessarily indicate a positive ecological change. In fact, such increases could potentially disrupt the natural balance of ecosystems, leading to unforeseen ecological consequences. The original zonal vegetation, with NPP values ranging from 0.12 to 0.43 kg/m2, exhibited higher ecological stability and adaptability than the other land types. This wider NPP range emphasizes the inherent resilience of native vegetation, which could sustain diverse ecological functions under varying environmental conditions. These findings demonstrate the urgent need for sustainable land use management on the Tibetan Plateau. This study highlights the importance of considering the ecological impact of land use changes in regional development strategies, ensuring the preservation and enhancement in the unique and fragile plateau ecosystem.

Regulation and Mechanisms of Carbon Effects by Land Use Change

Land use change is one of the most direct and significant impacts of human activities on the Earth system. It not only changes the physical characteristics of the land surface, but also affects the energy, water, and material cycles of the Earth, and thus affects the global and regional climate change and ecosystem services. Among them, the impact of land use change on the carbon cycle is particularly important, because the carbon cycle is one of the most basic and critical cycles in the Earth system. It determines the greenhouse effect and climate sensitivity of the Earth, and also affects the biodiversity and productivity. This paper systematically analyzes the impact and mechanism of the carbon effects of land use change on different ecosystem types, different geographic regions, different climate conditions, different land use modes and management measures from different angles and levels, using various methods and models, evaluates the factors such as the size, direction, persistence, and sustainability of the carbon effects of land use change, proposes some evaluation and promotion of management techniques and measures, as well as policy suggestions and institutional designs for the carbon effects, and provides scientific basis and reference suggestions for the optimization and control of the carbon effects of land use change.

Impacts of land use changes on discharge and water quality in rivers and streams: Case study of the continental United States

AbstractWater quality trends in streams and rivers are impacted by several factors including land use of the watershed; however, it is unclear what influence changes in the land use of a watershed subsequently have on changes in discharge and water quality in streams and rivers. This study seeks to fill this gap by evaluating the relationship between changes in land use and changes in discharge and water quality at United States Geological Survey (USGS) stream gages over the period of 2008–2016. Using land cover data and discharge and water quality data from 60 USGS gages, regression methods were applied to determine the strength of relationship between land use changes and changes in water quality and quantity. Trends in discharge and water quality were mixed, with a majority of watersheds demonstrating a decrease in dissolved oxygen and turbidity, no overall trend for discharge, and increases in specific conductance. A regression analysis revealed that discharge, turbidity, and specific conductance were correlated with changes in individual land use types with an R2 between 0.12 and 0.25. Combining the influences of multiple land uses in multivariate regression improved the predictions for discharge (R2 0.58) and specific conductance (R2 0.47), highlighting the magnitude for which land cover changes influence trends in water quality. Overall, this study demonstrates the impact that large‐scale land use changes have on surface water quality.

Watershed hydrological responses to land use land cover changes at Bilata watershed, Rift Valley Basin, southern Ethiopia

Abstract Most anthropogenic activities have a profound effect on land cover that affects the water cycle and, ultimately, the availability of water in the watershed. The idea of this study was to evaluate the hydrological response to land use and land cover change in the Bilata watershed. To achieve this objective, supervised land use land cover classification was applied for the years 2000, 2010, and 2020 using ERDAS IMAGINE 2015. The watershed underwent significant land use and land cover changes from 2000 to 2020. There was an abrupt expansion of agricultural land and a reduction of forest. The SWAT model was applied to evaluate the impact of land use and land cover change on hydrological processes. The calibration and validation of the SWAT model showed that the model has performed well in simulating the hydrology of the watershed with a coefficient of determination, Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency, and per cent of bias greater than 0.6 for both calibration and validation. Due to intensive agricultural expansion and settlement, the surface runoff increased from 172 to 259.5 and 265.0 mm in 2000, 2010, and 2020, respectively. The average streamflow increased from 132 to 134 and 150 m3/s between 2000, 2010, and 2020.

Evaluating the impacts of anthropogenic, climate, and land use changes on streamflow

Abstract Several factors, including natural and human-induced, can affect river discharge. This study aims to examine the influence of land use changes and climate change on the monthly average streamflow time series in the Talar River basin, in northern Iran. To investigate the impact of human factors, namely land use change and point source operations, on monthly average streamflow, the DBEST method was used to detect any breakpoint in the streamflow time series caused by gradual changes in land use and climate. The SWAT model was used to simulate the basin at Kiakola and Shirghah stations, between 2001 and 2020. The land use maps were created for the years 2001 and 2019. Calibration and validation at the Kiakola station showed that the Nash-Sutcliffe model (NSE) had an efficiency of 0.8 and 0.76, respectively, while at the Shirghah station, the same values were 0.84 and 0.75. Findings revealed that human activities, specifically the combined impact of land use change and point source operations, had a 60% influence on the monthly average streamflow of the Talar River. They further showed that the combination of land use and harvesting played the most significant role in the basin's outflow on a monthly scale.

Lidar-based MaxEnt models to support conservation planning for endangered Red-cockaded Woodpeckers in urbanizing environments

Sensitive and intensively managed species require carefully thought-out management plans to promote and maintain specific habitat conditions. Urban features and land-use change must be assimilated into these habitat management plans, as they become increasingly present globally. As a case study, several MaxEnt species distribution models were developed that could enable habitat management efforts for the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker (RCW) in moderate to increasingly urbanized environments. Model development began with a classification of fine-scale, lidar-based habitat indicators with the area normalized at the stand level and developed around known habitat characteristics of RCW. Other explanatory rasters included distance to different urban features, and experimentation with spectral layers outside the visible light spectrum. Models were trained using presence data from a relatively small but comprehensively surveyed population in Montgomery County, Texas, and three compartments that were recently pedestrian surveyed for RCWs on the Sam Houston National Forest. The former is experiencing moderate levels of urbanization, and the latter is in earlier stages. The best performing model predicted RCW presence 94% of the time at a 0.4 probability threshold and resulted in an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.88. Successful model development required a specific combination of steps and data processing, including the use of lidar-based habitat indicators created using data fusion and machine learning classification, land-use features, and non-visible spectra. These methods can provide valuable insights into strategic habitat planning for the RCW and other sensitive species in urbanizing landscapes. This study reinforces what habitat characteristics promote RCW success, while providing valuable insights to guide management activities around urbanization. These could include mapping suitable recruitment areas that remain unoccupied, spatially identifying where habitat quality was lacking or sufficient, and predicting the impact of future land-use change. This case study demonstrates that species distribution modelling can be successfully applied at subpopulation and fine scales, and for the practical purpose of enabling habitat and conservation planning where anthropogenic activities are adding challenging complexities.

Hydro-meteorological response to climate change impact in Ethiopia: a review

Abstract Climate change poses significant challenges to water resources and streamflow in Ethiopia, a country highly dependent on agriculture and vulnerable to environmental shifts. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge on climate change impacts on streamflow in Ethiopia, emphasizing factors driving these changes and drawing insights from relevant studies. The analysis encompasses hydrological responses to climate change, including alterations in precipitation patterns, temperature fluctuations, and changes in water availability. Additionally, the study examines the impact of land use changes on streamflow dynamics. Comparative insights from neighboring countries and river basins further illuminate the broader regional implications of climate change on water resources. According to the previous research reviewed in this paper, climate change, land use change, and increment in extreme events (drought) have affected the stream flow over the last decades. The findings underscore the urgent need for adaptive strategies and sustainable water management practices to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on streamflow and ensure water security in Ethiopia and beyond.

Assessing the impact of land use and land cover (LULC) changes on the surface runoff downstream of an ungauged Bontanga watershed in Northern Ghana

Abstract Anthropogenic activities exacerbated by population growth, demanding land for food production and settlements, have led degradation of the Bontanga watershed. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of land use and land cover (LULC) change on the surface runoff in the Bontanga watershed from 1997 to 2022. LULC change maps for the years 1997, 2002, 2013, and 2022 were generated from Landsat images using ArcGIS, achieving overall accuracies of 92, 91.89, 95.27, and 83.64%, respectively. Surface runoff was estimated using the SCS–CN model. Correlation analysis was employed to identify predominant LULC change classes that impact surface runoff. The agricultural land and built-up area increased by 20.81% and 27.20% causing an increase in the surface runoff by 13.92 and 14.49% from 1997 to 2022. Due to anthropogenic activities, dense forest, grassland, mixed forest and shrub land, mixed shrub and grassland decreased by 20.31, 29.97, 22.51, and 25.58% causing an increase in surface runoff by 14.98, 14.06, 15.78, and 15.05%, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that changes in surface runoff were positively correlated with agricultural land, and mixed forest and shrub and negatively correlated with mixed shrub and grassland, and grassland.

Multiple isotopes reveal the impact of land use change on nitrate transport and transformation in deep loess deposits

The deep-rooted economic trees decrease water storage but increase nitrate-nitrogen (NO3–N) accumulation in the soil due to the root water uptake and excessive use of fertilizers. Knowing how the NO3 accumulates in the soil and to what extent it can be flushed out or transformed can provide insights on the processes controlling N flux to waterways. We sampled cultivated farmland and orchards with varying ages of apple and peach trees in the loess deposits to > 15 m depth to measure the contents and isotopes of water and NO3 in soils. The novelty of this study is that the water isotopes are used to analyze water and NO3 transport, while the NO3 isotopes are further employed for NO3 source and transformation analysis. The parabolic NO3–N profiles (258–3579 kg N ha−1) were mainly observed within 0–5 m under different land use types. The surface-aggregated NO3 reservoirs under old apple orchard were about six times of farmland due to the overuse of chemical fertilizers, while those of peach orchard were only half of farmland because of less fertilizer inputs and possible root absorption effects. Piston flow resulted in the overall slow water movement and low NO3 flux under different land use types in deep loess deposits. Despite the soil water recharge by precipitation and low surface evaporation, the strong transpiration effects further resulted in no water and NO3 fluxes in the deep layers under old apple orchard. Nitrate reservoirs were mainly contributed by soil organic N (44 % ± 26 %) and ammonium N fertilizer (36 % ± 20 %), but their transformation was dominated by nitrification under old apple orchard and by mineralization in deep layers. The risks of NO3 bombs are temporarily weakened by lower dried soil layers under deep rooted plants; however, with lower water movement rates and limited denitrification potential, NO3 would eventually reach the aquifers in a few hundred years or more. This study provides new insights for clarifying NO3 transport and transformation processes by combing multiple isotopes, and the NO3 bombs would chronically endanger the sustainable development of terrestrial ecosystems and the environment in arid regions.

Simple hydrological models for assessing the impact of forest cover change on streamflow for large catchments with a dry tropical climate

ABSTRACT Hydrological models are widely used to assess the impact of climate variability and land use change on streamflow. However, it is uncertain whether these models are capable of simulating the impact given parameter interactions and inter-annual climate variability for large dry catchments. Two such catchments with extensive land clearing were selected to test three models – AWBM, Sacramento and SimHyd – in terms of their capacity to simulate streamflow during periods of vastly different levels of forest cover. AWBM outperformed others, and thus was further simplified as AWBM_C a with minimum performance deterioration to have only one transferable parameter: the average storage capacity, C a. A reduction of 21–28% in the C a value for the post-clearing period indicates a decrease in the amount of water stored for transpiration and consequently an increase in runoff-generation capacity. AWBM_C a can be used to predict the impact of forest cover change on streamflow with different C a values.

Assessing the Impacts of Climate and Land Use Change on Water Conservation in the Three-River Headstreams Region of China Based on the Integration of the InVEST Model and Machine Learning

The Three-River Headstreams Region (TRHR) serves as the cradle of China’s three major rivers—the Yangtze, Yellow, and Lancang—rendering its water conservation (WC) capacity quintessentially significant for Asian water resource security. This study integrated the InVEST model and random forest model to holistically elucidate the spatiotemporal characteristics and factors influencing WC in the TRHR from 1980 to 2018. The results revealed that the WC growth rate was 5.65 mm/10a in the TRHR during the study period, yet pronounced regional disparities were observed among different basins, especially with the Lancang River Basin (LRB), which exhibited a decrease at a rate of 5.08 mm per decade despite having the highest WC. Through Theil–Sen trend analysis, the Mann–Kendall abrupt change test, and the cumulative deviation method, meteorological, vegetative, and land use abrupt changes in approximately 2000 were identified as the primary drivers for the abrupt surge in WC within the TRHR. Furthermore, precipitation and the aridity index were the core feature variables affecting WC. However, a positive transition in land use patterns post-2000 was also revealed, and its favorable effect on WC was not as significant as the abrupt climatic changes. This study offers new perspectives on managing multidimensional spatiotemporal data and contributes to laying the groundwork for machine learning applications in water conservation. Additionally, it potentially provides useful references for decision-making processes related to ecosystem security.