Increase In Cultivated Land Research Articles

Analysis of land use land cover change dynamics in Habru District, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

This study examines spatiotemporal changes in Land Use Land Cover (LULC) patterns within Habru District, Amhara Region, Ethiopia, between 1985 and 2021. Employing Landsat imagery and a supervised classification approach, we mapped six LULC classes: water body, settlement area, cultivated land, bare land, shrub land, and forest land. Ground control points (GCP) were obtained through field observations to ensured image accuracy. Complementing the remote sensing analysis, focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews were conducted to understand local perspectives on LULC changes. The analysis revealed significant LULC transformations over the study period. Between 1985 and 2021, there was a significant increase in cultivated land and settlement areas, which expanded from 12.27 % to 0.23 %–42.12 % and 2.58 % of the total area, respectively. Conversely, shrub and forest lands saw a marked reduction during the same period, declining from 71.52 % to 12.88 %–45.35 % and 7.06 % of the total area, respectively. Water body area showed a minor increase, while bare land exhibited negligible change. Agricultural land and settlement area expansion, population growth, land tenure insecurity, economic challenge, and climatic change were identified as key drivers of observed LULC changes. Our findings underscore the urgency of implementing multifaceted interventions to address these drivers and promote sustainable resource use practices. Such actions are critical for safeguarding Habru District's natural resources and ensuring the long-term viability of ecosystem services.

Spatial zoning and effect evaluation of county high-standard farmland siting delineation for sustainable cultivated land use in China: A case study in Dali, Shaanxi

High-standard farmland construction is critical for sustainable land use and food security in China. Currently, scientific siting delineation for high-standard farmland at the county level is lacking. Delineation through evaluation and zoning is essential to improve land productivity. This study focuses on Dali County in Shaanxi Province, Fenwei Plain. It analyzes cultivated land changes using the land use transfer matrix and the PLUS. By integrating macro “township-parcel-grid” and micro “farmer” perspective, it establishes a comprehensive evaluation system for high-standard farmland delineation. We delineate construction zones and evaluate potential effect of high-standard farmland. The results reveal that: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the cultivated land area generally decreased. The permanent basic farmland positively contributes to the increase of cultivated land. Land use simulation in 2030 results show that the urgency for land consolidation. (2) The delineated high-standard farmland area in Dali is 85,081 hm2, with comprehensive evaluation index values ranging from 0.2229 to 0.5970, indicating that Dali has the potential for continuous construction of high-standard farmland. (3) This study zones high-standard farmland construction according to the difficulty and time sequence. Delineated high-standard farmland can play potential effect of agglomeration and demonstration, sustainable and coordinated development and grain production capacity increasing. We offer a scientific method for delineating zones of high-standard farmland within county, providing recommendations for sustainable high-standard farmland construction. It serves as a reference for the gradual conversion of all permanent basic farmland to high-standard farmland in China.

Assessment and Driving Factors of Wetland Ecosystem Service Function in Northeast China Based on InVEST-PLUS Model

Wetland ecosystem service function provides and maintains the Earth’s life system, which supports human and social development. However, in recent years, with the intensification of human social activities, the wetland area in northeast China has been reduced, and wetland ecosystem service function has been damaged. This paper evaluates the ecosystem service function of wetlands in northeast China based on the InVEST model, taking 40 prefecture-level cities as the evaluation unit, calculating the carbon stock, soil retention, and habitat quality of the wetlands in the study area and analyzing the drivers of changes in ecosystem service function using the PLUS model. The following results were obtained: temporally, the wetland carbon stock decreased from 754 Tg in 2000 to 688 Tg in 2020; the wetland soil retention increased from 24,424 Tg in 2000 to 33,160 Tg in 2010, and then decreased to 28,765 Tg in 2020; and the quality of wetland habitats was roughly unchanged. The wetland habitats in the study area were categorized into 5 types, classified as I, II, III, IV, or V, and the spatial changes in the 40 prefecture-level cities in northeast China were analyzed. The driving factors affecting the change in the wetland ecosystem service function were further analyzed, mainly focusing on changes in the wetland area itself. The influence of other land-use types and the influence of related policies were analyzed in three aspects, among which the GDP and spatial density of the population are social factors, and the elevation and slope are natural factors that provide larger contributions to the change in wetland area. The reduction in forest and grassland areas and the increase in cultivated land and construction land areas have a negative effect on the ecosystem service function of wetlands, and the implementation of relevant wetland protection policies promotes the ecosystem service function of wetlands. According to the problems faced by wetlands in different regions, the government formulates strategies that are in line with local development, with a view to implementing wetland ecological development in the northeast region in the new context, which will help to realize intensive land use and stimulate the vitality of the region.

Geospatial Insights into Greece’s Desertification Vulnerability: A Composite Indicator Approach

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas Index (ESAI) is a comprehensive tool for assessing the susceptibility of areas to desertification. This index analyzes various parameters that are vital for environmental health. Through this index, factors such as human activities, geology, soil quality, vegetation and climate patterns are scrutinized. The analysis assigns weights to each participating factor. Thus, the index is derived from the aggregation of four categories (vegetation, climate, soil quality and management practices), and each of them is independently assessed to understand ecological health. In this way, the level of vulnerability to desertification is effectively measured. The application of the index in Greece (for a period of 20 years, 1984–2004) showed signs of environmental degradation and identified many areas with a high risk of desertification. Notably, there was a substantial increase in cultivated land within rural areas, contributing to shifts in the environmental landscape. Furthermore, this period is distinguished as the driest in the last century, with a peak between 1988 and 1993. The consequential rise in irrigation demand, driven by the simultaneous growth of crops and the intensification of agricultural practices, underscores the intricate interplay between human activities and environmental vulnerability.

Quantifying LULC Changes in Constantine, Algeria Using Google Earth Engine

The objective of this research is to analyze land use changes in the municipality of Constantine over a thirty year period (1993 – 2023) using Landsat satellite data provided through the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform and a supervised classification approach. Five land cover classes were mapped at six key dates: water bodies, green spaces, built-up areas, bare soil and agricultural land. The quantified changes highlight a considerable reduction in bare soil in favor of an increase in cultivated land, as well as an expansion of artificial surfaces during certain periods (2008 to 2023). These dynamics reflect the processes of urban sprawl and peri-urbanization at work in this territory. The results obtained demonstrate the potential of remote sensing through GEE for detailed spatio-temporal monitoring of land use. Coupled with other data, this approach contributes to a better understanding of territorial evolutions and provides valuable information for sustainable land use planning.

Ecosystem service valuation and multi-scenario simulation in the Ebinur Lake Basin using a coupled GMOP-PLUS model

The Ebinur Lake Basin is an ecologically sensitive area in an arid region. Investigating its land use and land cover (LULC) change and assessing and predicting its ecosystem service value (ESV) are of great importance for the stability of the basin's socioeconomic development and sustainable development of its ecological environment. Based on LULC data from 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020, we assessed the ESV of the Ebinur Lake Basin and coupled the grey multi-objective optimization model with the patch generation land use simulation model to predict ESV changes in 2035 under four scenarios: business-as-usual (BAU) development, rapid economic development (RED), ecological protection (ELP), and ecological–economic balance (EEB). The results show that from 1990 to 2020, the basin was dominated by grassland (51.23%) and unused land (27.6%), with a continuous decrease in unused land and an increase in cultivated land. In thirty years, the total ESV of the study area increased from 18.62 billion to 67.28 billion yuan, with regulation and support services being the dominant functions. By 2035, cultivated land increased while unused land decreased in all four scenarios compared with that in 2020. The total ESV in 2035 under the BAU, RED, ELP, and EEB scenarios was 68.83 billion, 64.47 billion, 67.99 billion, and 66.79 billion yuan, respectively. In the RED and EEB scenarios, ESV decreased by 2.81 billion and 0.49 billion yuan, respectively. In the BAU scenario, provisioning and regulation services increased by 6.05% and 2.93%, respectively. The ELP scenario, focusing on ecological and environmental protection, saw an increase in ESV for all services. This paper can assist policymakers in optimizing land use allocation and provide scientific support for the formulation of land use strategies and sustainable ecological and environmental development in the inland river basins of arid regions.

Cultivation and dynamic cropping processes impart land-cover heterogeneity within agroecosystems: a metrics-based case study in the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta (USA)

ContextCultivation and crop rotation, influenced by federal policy, prices, and precipitation, are significant sources of land-cover heterogeneity. Characterization of heterogeneity is required to identify areas and trends of stability or change.ObjectivesWe analyzed a land-cover time series within a prominent agroecosystem in the US, the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta (the Delta), as a case study of which metrics capture dynamics of landscape composition, configuration, connectivity, and context.MethodsAn assessment of land cover- from 2008 to 2021- was conducted and analyzed for potential differences among three Farm Bill eras. Twelve out of 23 metrics (including three new ones presented herein) examined were useful in characterizing land-cover heterogeneity.ResultsAlthough there was no increase in cultivated land, > 72% of the Delta experienced changes in land-cover type, and ~ 3% of the Delta was stable monoculture. Configurational metrics varied across years for soybeans, cotton, and rice, indicating prevalence of field-level changes in composition; connectivity metrics revealed isolation of upland forest and rice. The amount of corn was positively associated with the previous year’s commodity prices and negatively with precipitation whereas soybean acreage was lower in high-precipitation years and more dependent on commodity prices. Farm Bill effects were mixed among categories, whereas CRP generally declined.ConclusionsThe Delta experienced land-cover change with no net loss or gain of cultivated lands. Using 12 metrics that captured temporal shifts in spatial patterns, we characterized this agroecosystem as a shifting mosaic. Our approach may be useful for identifying areas of spatio-temporal heterogeneity or stability, with implications on resource management.

Simulation and Evaluation of Runoff in Tributary of Weihe River Basin in Western China

Model simulation plays a significant role in the water resources cycle, and the simulation accuracy of models is the key to predicting regional water resources. In this research, the Qianhe tributary at the Weihe River basin in Western China was selected as the study area. The tributary was divided into 29 sub-basins and 308 hydrological response units according to the spatial raster data and attribute data of the hydrology, meteorology, topography, land use, and soil types. On this basis, a soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model for runoff simulation and evaluation of this region was established. A sensitivity test and parameter calibration were then executed on 15 parameters involved with surface runoff, soil flow, and shallow underground runoff. The simulation results demonstrate a calibration and verification error of 3.06–10.08%, with very small uncertainties throughout the simulation, whereas they exhibit relatively large errors in the simulation of the dry period (winter) but, in contrast, quite small errors in the rainy period (summer). In addition, the simulated runoff with a low value is overestimated. When the annual, monthly, and daily runoff are 4–13.5 m3/s, 4–69.8 m3/s, and 40–189.3 m3/s, respectively, the relative error is smaller, and the simulation results are more accurate. The sensitive parameters predominantly affecting the runoff simulation of the basin include soil evaporation compensation, runoff curve coefficient, vegetation transpiration compensation, and saturated hydraulic conductivity in this region. In the case of hypothetical land use change scenarios, we observe a great reduction in simulated runoff in arable land, woodland, and grassland, while we observe an increment in construction and residential land and wasteland. The annual and monthly runoff are increased by above 54.5%. With the increase in cultivated land and forestland, the annual and monthly runoff decrease by 24.6% and 6.8%, respectively. In the case of hypothetical scenarios under 24 climate combinations, if the precipitation remains unchanged, the increase and decrease in temperature by 1 °C leads to a decline and increment of runoff by −0.72% and 5.91%, respectively. With regard to the simulation for the future under the RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 climate scenarios, downscaling was employed to predict the runoff trend of the future. In short, this study provides a method for runoff inversion and water resources prediction in small mountainous watersheds lacking hydrological and meteorological observation stations.

Spatial-temporal heterogeneity in the influence of landscape patterns on trade-offs/synergies among ecosystem services: a case study of the Loess Plateau of northern Shaanxi.

Exploring the role of landscape patterns in the trade-offs/synergies among ecosystem services (ESs) is helpful for understanding ES generation and transmission processes and is of great significance for multiple ES management. However, few studies have addressed the potential spatial-temporal heterogeneity in the influence of landscape patterns on trade-offs/synergies among ESs. This study assessed the landscape patterns and five typical ESs (water retention (WR), food supply (FS), habitat quality (HQ), soil retention (SR), and landscape aesthetics (LA)) on the Loess Plateau of northern Shaanxi and used the revised trade-off/synergy degree indicator to measure trade-offs/synergies among ESs. The multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) model was constructed to determine the spatial-temporal heterogeneity in the influence of landscape patterns on the trade-offs/synergies. The results showed that (1) from 2000 to 2010, the increase in cultivated land and the decrease in forestland and grassland increased landscape diversity and decreased landscape heterogeneity and fragmentation. During 2010-2020, the change range decreased, the spatial distribution was homogeneous, and the landscape diversity and fragmentation in the northwestern area increased significantly. (2) The supply of the five ESs continued to increase from 2000 to 2020. During 2000-2010, FS-SR, FS-LA and SR-LA were dominated by synergies. From 2010 to 2020, the proportion of trade-off units in all relationships increased, and HQ-FS, HQ-SR and HQ-LA were dominated by trade-offs. (3) Landscape patterns had complex impacts on trade-offs/synergies, and the same landscape variable could have the opposite impact on specific trade-offs/synergies in different periods and areas. The results of this study will inform managers in developing regional sustainable ecosystem management strategies and advocating for more research to address ecological issues from a spatial-temporal perspective.

Tele-connecting local consumption to cultivated land use and hidden drivers in China

China faces significant pressure on cultivated land resources due to the accelerated pace of urbanization in recent years. The study of embodied cultivated land offers a new perspective on alleviating pressure on cultivated land between different regions. However, the temporal dynamics characteristic and the intersectoral linkages of embodied cultivated land have rarely been systematically described. Therefore, we applied an environmental extended multi-regional input-output approach to analyze the spatial patterns and flow relationships of virtual cultivated land (VCL) between regional, provincial and sectoral scale in China from 2007 to 2017, considering both temporal and spatial dimensions. Then, we explored the hidden drivers of VCL change using structural decomposition analysis (SDA). Our results showed that trade embodied cultivated land increase by 8.5 % from 2007 to 2017. The flow trend is primarily flowed out from the less developed northwest China but with abundant cultivated land to the more developed regions of the southeast coast. Especially, in 2015, the net outflow of VCL from the northwest region reached 15.82 Mha, which was the maximum value during the study period. In addition, agricultural and construction sector were the major land consumption sector. VCL consumed by the agricultural sector declined 12.51 %, while the VCL consumed by construction sector had a significant growth in 2007–2017. Furthermore, the results of SDA revealed that cultivated land use intensity and per capita final demand were the main factors causing changes in embodied cultivated land. The results can help clarify the responsible parties for land consumption and provide a guarantee for alleviating the pressure on regional cultivated land resources.

Average and heterogeneous effects of smallholder farm sizes on dietary diversity in northern Ghana

AbstractThe relationship between farm size and dietary diversity has recently gained attention among development practitioners and policymakers. To study this issue, we utilized cross‐sectional data from 900 farm households in Northern Ghana. The analysis employs three econometric approaches—ordinary least squares, two‐stage least squares, and instrumental variable (IV) quantile regression. We subjected our estimates to Conley‐Hansen‐Rossi bound tests to assess the validity of total farmland under household control as an IV for farm size, which serves to illustrate the robustness of the causal inferences linking farm size to household dietary diversity. The results show that a 1‐ha increase in cultivated land improves household dietary diversity score by 3.221 units. The effect of cultivated land on dietary diversity is enhanced by market information, use of improved seeds, chemical fertilizers and herbicides, and overall household asset value. In conclusion, the results indicate that farm size increases household dietary diversity when moving along the dietary diversity distribution. This highlights the importance of considering the influence of farm size at different points along the conditional dietary diversity score distribution, as relying solely on mean effects may obscure important counteracting effects.

Assessing habitat quality at Poyang Lake based on InVEST and Geodetector modeling.

Poyang Lake is an essential natural wetland in the Yangtze River basin and plays a vital role in maintaining the ecosystem function and ecological security in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. However, the relative importance and spatial heterogeneity of the impacts of human activities and land use changes on ecological security needs to be further explored. Here, we analyzed the habitat quality level around Poyang Lake in 2022 and explored the factors of habitat quality change from a geographical perspective. The land use structure changes around the Poyang Lake basin from 2000 to 2022 were quantitatively analyzed, and then the relative importance and spatial heterogeneity of each factor on ecological security changes were investigated using geographic probes. The results show that (1) The worst quality habitat (0-0.1) consists mainly of construction land (1624.9 km2) with an area of 1634.64 km2; (2) Construction land continues to increase with the most significant change, and the dynamic land use attitude is 0.47. Grassland and mudflats have the greatest decrease. The increase in cultivated land in different periods is mainly due to the shift of water surface and forest land; (3) The drivers of habitat quality in Poyang Lake were significantly influenced by the interaction of socioeconomic factors. The explanatory power of population density interacting with the total year-end population and population density interacting with administrative area exceeded 0.84. These values were higher than the explanatory power of each individual factor, indicating that habitat quality was primarily associated with population density, total year-end population, and administrative area. These results suggest that human activities contribute to the degradation of wetlands around Poyang Lake. This study has significant reference value for coordinating human-land relationships in Poyang Lake, optimizing land management policy, and improving the sustainable development of cities.

Land use and land cover changes and their impact on ecosystem service values in the north-eastern highlands of Ethiopia.

The land use and land cover (LULC) changes driven by the growing demands of mankind have a considerable effect on ecosystem services and functions. The study was carried out in the north-eastern highlands of Ethiopia to (1) analyze the effect of LULC changes between 1984 and 2021 and (2) assess the spatiotemporal variations in ecosystem service values (ESVs) and elasticity in response to LULC changes. Using Landsat imageries from 1984 to 2021, the spatiotemporal changes in LULC were evaluated with supervised image classification using maximum likelihood algorithm in ArcGIS software. Six LULC types were subsequently categorized, with overall accuracy and Kappa coefficients above 87% and 0.87, respectively. The ESVs were then estimated based on the Benefit Value Transfer (BVT) approach employing modified conservative value coefficients. The findings revealed a significant increase in cultivated land (9759.1ha) and built-up area (10174.41ha) during the stipulated periods and a drop in other land use types. The forest loss gradually decreased from 4.1% in the second period (1991-2001) to 0.58% in the third (2001-2021), compared to the first of the 1.1% conversion rates. Similarly, the proportion of grassland and water bodies steadily reduced over the stipulated periods, by 1.15% and 2.3% per annum, respectively. The overall loss of ESVs in the study landscape was estimated to be 54.4 million US$ (67.3%), drastically decreasing from 80.3 million US$ in 1984 to 26.4 million US$ in 2021, driven by the declining area coverage of water bodies, grassland, and forestland. Regardless of the loss, the ecosystem functions of hydrological regulation (37.2, 35.0, 6.1, and 5.1 US$ ha-1yr-1), water supply (14.5, 13.6, 2.4, and 2 US$ ha-1yr-1), and food production (9.8, 10.0, 9.1, and 9.9 US$ ha-1yr-1) contributed the most to the total ESV of each year while disturbance regulation and cultural values were the least throughout the study periods. The coefficient of sensitivity (CS) analysis revealed that our estimates were relatively robust. The findings further showed that human-dominated land-uses at the expense of natural ecosystems are the primary drivers of LULC transitions and the ensuing loss of ecosystem services in the region. Thus, this calls for intensive work on more effective land use policies that encourage an integrated management approach, with a focus on safeguarding the sustainability of natural ecosystems.

Spatial and Temporal Variations of Land Use and Land Cover In Kadiri Watershed Using Rs & Gis Techniques

The change detection and land use and land cover (LULC) maps are more important powerful forces behind numerous ecological systems and fallow land. It is widely known that land use/land cover (LULC) changes significantly alter watershed hydrology and sediment yields. The impact, especially on erosion and sedimentation, is likely to be exacerbated in regions dominated by high rainfall patterns such as monsoons. RS & GIS technologies are very useful to determine the LULC changes. Present research area Kadiri Watershed of Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, India, drains an area about 240 km2 including 15 villages. The average annual rainfall in this area varies between 600mm to 700mm in which 60%, 35% and 5% of total rainfall occurs in South-West (S-W),North-East (N-E) and in Summer seasons respectively. The current research focuses on demarcating the spatiotemporal LULC changes. These effects directly affect the ecosystem, land resources, cropping pattern and agriculture. LULC assessment and surveillance are essential for long-term planning and sustainable use of natural resources. The LULC maps were prepared for the study area using Landsat-5, Senthinel 2 images pertaining to pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons of 2013, 2017 and 2021. Variations in the extents of agriculture, plantations, scrubs, water bodies, open lands, and built-up areas were noted during these years in the pre-monsoon season, and they ranged from 22 to 35 and 43%, 2 to 3 and 5%, 22 to 28%, 1 to 4%, 52 to 29 and 15%, as well as 1 to 5%, respectively. Similar fluctuations were seen in the post-monsoon season, where they ranged from 29 to 40 and 47%, 3 to 7%, 33 to 30%, 2 to 4%, 32 to 20 and 7%, as well as 1 to 5%. Kadiri watershed, an agriculturally dominant area, has seen an increase in cultivated land due to the conversion of fallow land and open scrub into cropland as a result of good rainfall received during the south-west monsoon during in assessment years and implementation of watershed development activities. These findings highlight the potential impacts of LULC changes in a monsoon-dominated watershed and may contribute to the development of successful LULC-based watershed management strategies for prevention of flooding and sediment loss.

La cadena productiva del mango. Factor clave para el desarrollo local en la zona oriente del Istmo de Tehuantepec, Oaxaca

Objective: To identify the productive chain of mango in the eastern zone of the Istmo de Tehuantepec, Oaxaca. Methodology: Exploratory and descriptive in nature with a mixed approach. Through a documentary analysis and in-depth interviews with producers, as well as producer organizations, packinghouse administrators and the representatives of municipal governments in the area. Results: Four links are identified in the mango production chain: primary production, storage-packaging, processing, and commercialization. In the first, an increase in cultivated land with inputs acquired mainly in the area. Second, a competitive position of the packers with international market is observed. Third, a still incipient processing industry is presented, with a single fruit dehydration company. Fourth, a growing national and international market is notable. Limitations: The study began a few weeks after the end of the harvest period, which prevented observing the economic dynamics that were generated in the area. Conclusions: In the eastern area of the Istmo de Tehuantepec, small producers are required to have greater ownership of the production chain with the intention of achieving fairer income. At the same time, it is necessary to encourage the transformation of the mango, both industrially and by hand in the different links of the production chain. Finally, within the production area, the elements of the production chain that are still outside geographically must be integrated.

Investigating the evolution of landscape patterns in historical subdeltas and coastal wetlands in the Yellow River Delta over the last 30 years: A geo-informatics approach

Historically, the river course and coastline of the Yellow River Delta changed frequently, and many studies focused on these change trends and their driving forces. Few studies have explored the influence of historical river channels and historical coastlines on the response of modern landscape patterns. This study examines the impact of channel migration and coastline evolution on the modern landscape pattern of historical subdeltas and coastal wetlands, utilizing a combination of Geo-informatics and Remote Sensing images in 1989, 1998, 2009, and 2016. The results showed that: (1) Subdeltaic landscapes changed from 1998 to 2016, with slight changes in most landscape types in the Ancient Qing Shui Course Subdelta (AQSD), an increase in building sites by 17% in the Zhimai Course Subdelta (ZMSD), a decrease in the proportion of Phragmites/cogongrass communities by 15.8% in the Diao Kou Course Subdelta (DKSD), and domination by natural landscapes in the Modern Qing Shui Course Subdelta (MQSD). (2) Coastal wetlands also experienced changes, with an increase in cultivated land to 60% in the coastal wetlands of CWI, a decline in natural landscapes, and an increase in artificial landscapes in the coastal wetlands of CWII and CWIII, and domination by natural landscapes but an increase in salt fields and culture ponds by 3.45% in the coastal wetlands of CWIV. (3) Channel migration and coastline evolution influenced the direction of landscape succession, causing the landscape-type centroids in the entire delta to move eastward or northward. (4) Throughout the delta, the human tendency to live by rivers was observed. This was due to the availability of freshwater from these rivers, which led to the expansion of inhabited areas and man-made water bodies along the river banks. Channel migration and coastline evolution aggravated the salinization of coastal wetlands and promoted the salt industry and aquaculture in some estuaries of the Yellow River. In general, human activities play a dominant role in shaping the landscape pattern in the Yellow River Delta, but they were largely restricted to historical channel migration and historical coastline evolution.

Assessing impacts of land use/land cover changes on the hydrology of Upper Gilgel Abbay watershed using the SWAT model

Population and economic growth, and the consequent increase in food demands have put great pressures on environmental resources and they are driving rapid LULC changes. This study is aimed to examine the impacts of land use/land cover LULC changes on the hydrology of the Upper Gilgel Abay watershed. Landsat images (Landsat 5 TM 1986, Landsat ETM+ 2003, and Landsat 8 OLI-TIRS 2021) were categorized into LULC classes following the supervised image classification technique, and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used to evaluate the hydrological impacts of LULC changes. The result of image analysis revealed an increase in cultivated land (11.7%) and a decrease in forest (39.6%), shrubland (17.5%), grassland (5.6%), and water bodies (25%) during 1986–2003 periods. On the other hand, between 2003 and 2021 periods, cultivated land, grassland and water bodies were decreased while woodland and shrubland were grew up. Consequent to the LULC changes taking place between 1986 and 2003 periods, surface runoff (6%) and water yield (1.8%) were increased, but groundwater flow (37.9), lateral flow (4.1), soil water (1.85), and evapotranspiration (2.2%) were decreased at a watershed-scale. In contrast, the average watershed surface runoff and water yield were decreased between 2003 and 2021 time scales, while lateral flow, groundwater flow, soil water, and evapotranspiration increased, owing to the growth of forest and shrubland and the decline of cultivated land. The study also indicated the hydrological impacts of the LULC changes at the sub-watershed scales. The impacts of LULC change on status of hydrological components during 1986–2003 and 2003–2021 periods were different compared with the findings at the watershed scale. The findings suggests improvements of vegetation covers to reduce surface runoff and increase groundwater flow and soil water content in the study area in particular and in the Ethiopian Highlands in general.

Designing a Sustainable Development Path Based on Landscape Ecological Risk and Ecosystem Service Value in Southwest China

Rapid urban expansion and economic development lead to the deterioration of ecosystems, which not only aggravates regional ecological risks but also leads to the degradation of ecosystem functions. It is of great significance to rationally divide regions and provide targeted management strategies for realizing the sustainability of regional economic development and ecological maintenance. Taking southwest China (Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Chongqing) as an example, land use data from 2000, 2010 and 2020 were used to evaluate the value of landscape ecological risk (LER) and ecosystem services, and comprehensive zoning was divided according to their spatial correlation. The socio-economic development characteristics of each zone were analyzed, and differentiated and targeted sustainable development paths were proposed. The results showed that the overall LER level of southwest China increased, and the gap of internal LER narrowed gradually. The ecosystem service value (ESV) per unit area showed an increasing trend, but the core metropolitan areas and northwest Sichuan had little change. According to the differences in population, industrial structure and land use, the low-ESV zone was densely populated, while the high-ESV zone was sparsely populated, and the population from the high-LER zone gradually migrated to the low-LER zone. The economic development of the low-ESV zone was better than that of the high-ESV zone, and secondary industry was an important driving force of regional economic development. Large-scale forestland can alleviate the LER, but the increase in cultivated land and grassland further aggravated the LER. According to the social and economic characteristics of each zone, this study put forward a differentiated development strategy for southwest China and also provided reference for the coordinated development of ecological protection and social economy in other key ecological regions.

Effects of Climate and Land Use Change on Agricultural Water Consumption in Baicheng County

Changes in climate and land type directly affect the transformation and utilization of regional water resources. To analyze the evolutionary characteristics and drivers of agricultural water consumption (AWC) in arid regions, the Baicheng County is selected as an example. Based on the meteorological and land use/cover data from 1990 to 2020, the Penman–Monteith model and sensitivity method were used for analysis. The results show that: (1) The water consumption of major crops during the growth period was increasing, which was caused by climate change and changes in agricultural planting structure. (2) The sensitivity of AWC to meteorological factors was as follows: mean temperature (1.56) > mean wind speed (0.6) > precipitation (−0.12) > sunshine duration (−0.06). Temperature and wind speed were the dominant factors contributing to increased water consumption in oasis agriculture. (3) The change in land type was more obvious, mainly in cultivated land and urban and rural residential land with obvious growth, while the area of water area, forestland, and grassland showed a decreasing trend. In the past 30 years, the increase in cultivated land has reached 24.32%. The increase in cultivated land area was an important reason for the increase in AWC.

Carbon effect calculation and upgrading strategy of agricultural land consolidation project in urban edge of Three Gorges Reservoir Area.

Under the background of promoting the construction of ecological civilization and the goal of carbon peak and carbon neutralization, it is of great significance to explore the measurement method and improvement strategy of the carbon effect of agricultural land consolidation. Based on a quantitative analysis and the whole life cycle of land consolidation, this study constructed a carbon effect accounting and analysis framework of agricultural land consolidation project from three stages of project initiation and design, project implementation, and operation management. Taking the agricultural land consolidation project in the Shiyan town on the urban edge of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area as a case, this study made empirical analysis and calculation and analyzed the carbon effect and influencing factors in different consolidation stages. The results showed that the overall carbon effect in the project area was a carbon source. The net carbon emission generated by the project construction was 8358t, which was mainly from workers input and concrete carbon emission; the carbon storage brought about by the adjustment of land use structure was 2,378.20t, which mainly came from the carbon storage increment of newly cultivated land; the carbon storage generated by the agricultural ecosystem was 1,100.04t, which was mainly based on the increase of cultivated land and the improvement of cultivated land quality; the carbon emission from agricultural production activities was 18.18t. Research conclusions: ① the carbon source effect of engineering construction is obvious. Artificial input and concrete are the main carbon sources in the hilly area at the edge of the metropolis; ② the adjustment of land use structure is manifested as a carbon sink effect, which mainly comes from the contribution of carbon storage of newly increased cultivated land; ③ the carbon effect of project operation and management may be a carbon source in the short term, and the long-term effect should be exerted; and ④ based on the concept of whole life cycle, promoting ecological land consolidation, optimizing project design, reasonably arranging consolidation projects, and strengthening operation management are effective measures to improve the carbon effect of land consolidation projects, which are conducive to the realization of the “double carbon” goal.