Land Management Strategies Research Articles

Native annual forbs decline in California coastal prairies over 15 years despite grazing.

Livestock grazing is often used as a land management tool to maximize vegetation diversity in grassland ecosystems worldwide. Prior research has shown that cattle grazing benefits native annual forb species in California's coastal prairies, but drought and increasing aridity may alter this relationship. In 2016 and 2017, we resurveyed the vegetation structure, native annual forb cover, and native annual forb richness in ten grazed and ungrazed prairies that were originally measured in 2000 and 2001 along a 200-km gradient from Monterey to Sonoma counties in California. We found that grazed prairies continued to have significantly lower vegetation height and thatch depth than ungrazed prairies, and that shrub encroachment over the 15-year period was significantly greater in ungrazed prairies. Furthermore, grazed prairies continued to have greater native annual forb richness (4.9 species per site) than ungrazed sites (3.0 species per site), but native annual forb richness declined by 2.8 species per site in grazed prairies and 0.1 species per site in ungrazed prairies between survey periods. We suggest that severe drought and increasing aridity may be driving declines in native annual forb richness in grazed prairies. The species we recorded only in earlier surveys were disproportionately wetland-associated and had higher average specific leaf area than species that remained through the second survey period. Finally, the cover of native annual species increased regardless of whether prairies were grazed, suggesting that the high precipitation in 2017 may have benefitted the native annual forb species that persisted at sites between surveys. Our study shows that weather conditions affect the outcomes of land management strategies.

Using stable water isotopes to understand ecohydrological partitioning under contrasting land uses in a drought‐sensitive rural, lowland catchment

AbstractVegetation plays an essential role in water partitioning, as it strongly influences evapotranspiration, infiltration and water retention. To analyse the influence of vegetation on water partitioning under innovative land management strategies, we used stable water isotopes as natural tracers to monitor precipitation, soil water and groundwater fluxes over the growing season of 2021 (March–October). We selected eight plot sites with four contrasting land covers and soil types in the drought‐sensitive Demnitzer Millcreek Catchment (DMC) in NE Germany. The land use types include forest, grassland, and arable with the latter being subdivided into conventional (e.g., crops) and innovative (e.g., agroforestry) sites. Two weather stations, a flux tower, and in situ soil moisture monitoring complemented our isotopic data with a hydroclimatic context. The year of 2021 had near‐normal precipitation totals compared to the prolonged drought of 2018–20. Soil water storage was highest at the agricultural sites, while lowest at the forest, though this reflected both the influence of soil properties (as forests dominated sand soils while crops loam soils) and the greater evapotranspiration from forests. We also estimated soil water ages and found the greatest isotopic variability and fastest turnover of water in the upper soils of arable sites. The forest soil water had the most limited variability in isotopic composition and tended to be older, revealing lower levels of groundwater recharge. Conventional and innovative cropping sites were similar to each other, likely due to the early tree development stage in agroforestry schemes under the latter. Our investigation revealed the forest sites are potentially most vulnerable to limited water availability in the DMC and land use changes in agricultural land lacked major differences in ecohydrological fluxes over the study year. The study further underlines the need for long‐term observations of recent adaptive land use changes and drought‐sensitive vegetation to improve our understanding and evolve drought resilient land management strategies considering time lags in impacts and non‐stationarity.

From Wooded Savannah to Farmland and Settlement: Population Growth, Drought, Energy Needs and Cotton Price Incentives Driving Changes in Wacoro, Mali

Land includes vegetation and water bodies and provides the basis for human livelihoods through primary production, food and freshwater supply, and multiple other ecosystem services. The last three decades have recorded frequent drought events as well as rapid population growth, which has often resulted in adverse land use and land cover change (LULCC) in the Sahel of Sub-Saharan Africa. In order to propose sustainable land management strategies, it is a prerequisite to investigate the rate of LULCC and its driving factors in specific locations. This study investigated the case of Wacoro municipality in Mali using a combined approach of remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems, and focus group discussions. Satellite images and local people’s perceptions on LULCC and drivers were collected and analyzed for the years 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020. We found that the study area faced a rapid decrease in wooded savannah that was degraded and converted to shrub savannah and later to farmland and settlement. Changes were directly or indirectly related to the rapid population growth, high cotton price (which encouraged cropland expansion), drought, firewood extraction, and charcoal production, which was exacerbated by poverty. We suggest promoting integrated land management strategies that consider current and future livelihood needs and preserve the environment for the benefits of future generations. New agricultural policies, such as cotton price incentives, should always be accompanied by an assessment of their potential environmental impacts and design of adequate mitigation measures.

Comparing the climate change mitigation potentials of alternative land uses: Crops for biofuels or biochar vs. natural regrowth

Using biomass from dedicated crops for energy production and natural vegetation regrowth are key elements in future climate change mitigation scenarios. However, there are still uncertainties about the mitigation potentials that can be achieved by the different land-based systems and how they perform relative to each other. In this study, we use harmonized future land use datasets to identify global land areas dedicated to second generation bioenergy crop production in 2050 under different climate scenarios. We then assess the global climate change mitigation potentials of using biomass for producing bioethanol with (BECCS) or without carbon capture and storage, biochar, or a synthetic fuel (e-methanol). For the latter, the electricity required to produce hydrogen for e-methanol synthesis is sourced from either wind power or the projected average electricity mix in 2050. Mitigation potential from natural regrowth on the identified land is also quantified. For all the cases, we modelled emissions of greenhouse gases from the life-cycle stages and use parameterized models to estimate local biomass growth rates. The identified land areas range from 1.95 to 13.8 million hectares and can provide from 30 to 178 mega ton (Mt) dry biomass annually from dedicated crops. Climate change mitigation potentials range from 11 to 257 MtCO2-eq. yr−1, depending on technological option and land availability. The largest mitigation is delivered by BECCS, but e-methanol can achieve similar findings when hydrogen is sourced from wind power. If hydrogen is produced from grid electricity, e-methanol can result in net positive emissions. E-methanol can also deliver more final energy than bioethanol (4.04 vs. 1.27 EJ yr−1). Natural vegetation regrowth can generally achieve higher mitigation than bioethanol, but less than biochar. An optimal combination of BECCS and natural vegetation regrowth can achieve a larger mitigation, up to 281 MtCO2-eq. yr−1, indicating that integrated solutions can help to achieve successful land management strategies for climate change mitigation.

EXAMINING THE ECOSYSTEM SERVICE VALUES DUE TO LULC CHANGES: A CASE STUDY ON COX'S BAZAR, BANGLADESH

Ecosystem services can reveal information on how an ecosystem works with all of its components. However, natural ecosystems are under enormous strain globally as a result of rising demand. This study attempts to analyze Ecosystem Service Valuation (ESV) for the Cox's Bazar district, one of the most important tourist destinations that has had considerable Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) changes over the last few decades. Due to considerable tourist demand, this ecologically critical natural resource base, particularly forests, wetlands, and sea beaches, suffers and changes on a regular basis, affecting the ecological balance. LULC-induced changes in ecosystem components and the function's value would eventually alter ecosystem service values. Urbanization is expected to accelerate, particularly in emerging countries, having an impact on both the regional and local levels.Assessing the effects of different land-use scenarios on subsequent changes in ecosystem service has significant implications for sustainable development. This study included six different LULC classes and their effects on ESVs. LANDSAT satellite-derived imagery from year 2000 to year 2021 were utilized and computed at ten-year intervals. The results reveal which LULC classes are more likely to change and how ESV changes throughout this time span. This research would help with sustainable land management and tourism strategy by minimizing encroachment on forests, coastal areas, and wetlands.

Reinforcement losses in soil stabilisation due to decomposing roots of Chrysopogon zizanioides and Chrysopogon nemoralis

AbstractQuantifying evolutions of the biomechanical properties and mechanical root reinforcement to soil with the duration of root decomposition is important to land management strategy and to soil stabilisation purposes. However, the variations of these properties of the roots of herbaceous species, especially following herbicide application in agriculture practices, have rarely been studied. This study aims to measure the effects of root decomposition due to herbicide on the root biomechanical properties and root reinforcement provided by two contrasting vetiver species (Chrysopogon nemoralis and Chrysopogon zizanioides). We applied herbicide (i.e., propanil) to four treatments of each species, considering four different durations of decomposition (7‐, 28‐, 56‐ and 112‐days since herbicide application). The biomechanical properties were measured by uniaxial tensile tests, whereas the root reinforcement to poorly graded sand (SP) was quantified by direct shear tests. Root decomposition significantly reduced mean root tensile strength, secant modulus and breakage strain of C. nemoralis and C. zizaniodes roots after 112 days since the herbicide application. Significant negative power correlations between root diameter and root strength (or root secant modulus) (R2 = 0.39–0.86; p‐value < 0.05) were identified. Root decomposition did not change the shape of these correlations, but they shifted downwards as roots decomposed. The root reinforcement also declined with the decomposition duration, in terms of root cohesion and maximum dilatancy within the study period. C. nemoralis displayed greater and quicker loss of both the root biomechanical properties and root reinforcement to soil than C. zizanioides.

Regenerative agriculture — the practices involved and its position within modern agricultural systems

Agriculture alone produces 10% of UK greenhouse gas emissions, despite constituting less than 1% of gross domestic product (GDP). Climate mitigation targets set by the United Nations Paris Climate Agreement look to land management strategies to limit global warming below 2°C. At present, it is estimated that a minimum of 40% of earth's farmed land is poorer in quality than it was in the 1970s. Simultaneously three quarters of the earth's species are being lost within a short geological time frame described as the sixth, mass extinction event. Unlike the past five mass extinction events, the cause this time is exclusively the result of human activities, of which land use change associated with agriculture is one. Increasingly the argument for changing how we farm is gathering momentum. This article aims to provide a review of regenerative agriculture practices, and a reasoning as to why it should play a part in a sustainable farming future. The green revolution enabled the planet to keep feeding an expanding global population with production of cereal crops often tripling with only a 30% increase in land use; what is now needed is an ability to maintain production while providing part of the solution to the twin global threats of climate change and biodiversity loss.

Land use and land cover changes in coastal and inland wetlands cause soil carbon and nitrogen loss

AbstractAimNatural wetlands are widely considered important for mitigation of climate change, but they have been impacted by land use and land cover change (LULCC), often resulting in ecosystem degradation and significant changes in soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics. However, the impact of various LULCC types on wetland soil C and N dynamics remains unclear.LocationGlobal.Time period1982–2021.Major taxa studiedWetland.MethodsWe present a global meta‐analysis using a database of 487 sites compiled from the literature, demonstrating the response of soil C and N concentrations and stocks in coastal wetlands, riparian wetlands and peatlands to various types of LULCCs, including agricultural lands, drained wetlands, aquaculture ponds, pastures and constructed wetlands.ResultsThe conversion of coastal wetlands, riparian wetlands and peatlands to most LULCC types decreased the mean soil C and N concentrations and stocks by 17.8 ± 10.3, 25.3 ± 13.4 and 23.2 ± 6.3%, respectively. The loss of wetland soil C owing to LULCC is estimated to cause a potential CO2 emission of 1.8–22.8 Mg CO2 equivalent emission/ha/year, except for conversion to constructed wetlands. The soil C and N contents were more sensitive to LULCCs, relative to the stocks. We also found that the patterns of soil C and N variations were closely related to the conversion time since completion of LULCC. After LULCC, the response of soil C and N variables was sensitive to changes in plant biomass, soil water conditions, bulk density, pH and NH4+‐N concentration, with the major controlling factors varying with the conversion age.Main conclusionsOur results highlight the important role of LULCC in triggering soil C and N loss in natural wetlands, which enhances the greenhouse effect. As such, our study calls for sustainable land management strategies aiming at wetland conservation as a powerful tool to mitigate climate warming.

Long-term annual soil nitrogen surplus across Europe (1850–2019)

Worldwide surface waters suffer from the presence of nitrogen (N) compounds causing eutrophication and deterioration of the water quality. Despite many Europe-wide legislation’s, we still observe high N levels across many water bodies in Europe. Information on long-term annual soil N surplus is needed to better understand these N levels and inform future management strategies. Here, we reconstructed and analysed the annual long-term N surplus for both agricultural and non-agricultural soils across Europe at a 5 arcmin (≈10 km at the equator) spatial resolution for more than a century (1850–2019). The dataset consists of 16 N surplus estimates that account for the uncertainties resulting from input data sources and methodological choices in major components of the N surplus. We documented the consistency and plausibility of our estimates by comparing them with previous studies and discussed about possible avenues for further improvements. Importantly, our dataset offers the flexibility of aggregating the N surplus at any spatial scale of relevance to support water and land management strategies.

A comparison of soil characteristics from four land covers around a coal mining concession area in South Kalimantan

Understanding soil characteristics is important to determine the alternative strategies of land management, particularly those related to the scheme of soil and water conservation. This study investigated soil characteristics from four land covers around the coal mining concession area located in South Kalimantan. A soil survey was conducted using a purposive sampling method with three replicates in each land cover. Soil samples that were taken at depths of 0-10 cm, 11-20 cm, and 21-30 cm, were composited before being brought to the laboratory to quantify their characteristics, such as texture and organic carbon content. Data analysis was processed using a non-parametric test with a significant level of 5%. Comparison average of soil characteristics between land covers was evaluated using the Kruskal-Wallis test and followed by Nemenyi-test. Results found that soil characteristics from four land covers significantly differed in texture and organic carbon content. The highest sand fraction was noted in shrubs (67.23±0.86%), while the greatest silt fraction was recorded in plantation forests (29.71±2.84%). Compared to other land covers, the clay content in plantation forests and reclamation area was relatively equal by around 53-54%. On another side, The highest soil organic carbon was found in plantation forests with ranging of (4.44±0.14%) followed by natural forests (4.24±0.62%), shrubs (3.38±0.09%), and reclamation area (1.14±0.09%). These findings indicated there were high variations of soil characteristics from different land covers around the coal mining concession area. Therefore, it is recommended for managers to apply adaptive strategies in supporting soil conservation efforts based on the soil characteristics in each site.

Geosite Assessment in the Beigua UNESCO Global Geopark (Liguria, Italy): A Case Study in Linking Geoheritage with Education, Tourism, and Community Involvement

The inventory and the assessment of geosites plays a very important role in highlighting scientific, geotouristic, and geoeducational potential, as well as the ability to identify any criticalities and vulnerabilities of the geological heritage of a territory. Within a geopark, these assessment activities are also crucial for developing land management strategies and policies that not only meet the need to protect geological and natural heritage, but also to promote sustainable economic development of the area and local communities. The Beigua UNESCO Global Geopark (Liguria, Italy) includes fifty-four sites known for their significant geological values. In this work, we have combined a study aimed at the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of 10 of the 54 sites with the results of an analysis of the educational, touristic, and land management activities that have been developed on these sites from 2011 to 2021. The quantitative assessment of the ten selected sites reveals their high scientific value and considerable touristic and/or educational potential. Thus, they represent not only scientific geological heritage to be preserved but also a significant tourism resource for the geopark territory. This is confirmed by the great success of geotouristic and geoeducational initiatives developed in the park over the last ten years, and by the growing involvement of the local communities, institutions, entrepreneurial activities, as well as environmental, sports, and cultural associations. These results highlight some important aspects for the management of geological heritage and associated values within a geopark.

Characterizing Crustose Lichen Communities—DNA Metabarcoding Reveals More than Meets the Eye

Biodiversity inventories are important for informing land management strategies, conservation efforts, and for biomonitoring studies. For many organismal groups, including lichens, comprehensive, accurate inventories are challenging due to the necessity of taxonomic expertise, limitations in sampling protocols, and the commonplace occurrence of morphologically cryptic species and other undescribed species. Lichen communities in arid regions are often dominated by crustose lichens, which have been particularly difficult to incorporate into biodiversity inventories. Here, we explore the utility of DNA metabarcoding for characterizing the diversity of lichen-forming fungi at a typical crustose lichen-dominated site on the Colorado Plateau in the southwestern USA. We assessed the consistency of independent sampling efforts to comprehensively document lichen diversity, evaluated the capability of minimally trained technicians to effectively sample the lichen communities, and provide a metagenomic-based inventory of lichen diversity, including representative sequence data, for a diverse, crustose-dominate lichen community on the Colorado Plateau. Our results revealed that crustose lichen communities in the southwestern USA are more diverse than traditionally thought, and community metabarcoding is a promising strategy for characterizing the lichen-forming fungal diversity more thoroughly than other methods. However, consistently sampling the diversity of crustose lichen communities, even at small spatial scales, remains difficult. Interpreting these results within a traditional taxonomic context remains challenging without the use of vouchers.

Targeted land management strategies could halve peatland fire occurrences in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Indonesian peatlands and their large carbon stores are under threat from recurrent large-scale fires driven by anthropogenic ecosystem degradation. Although the key drivers of peatland fires are known, a holistic methodology for assessing the potential of fire mitigation strategies is lacking. Here, we use machine learning (convolutional neural network) to develop a model capable of recreating historic fire observations based on pre-fire season parameters. Using this model, we test multiple land management and peatland restoration scenarios and quantify the associated potential for fire reduction. We estimate that converting heavily degraded swamp shrubland areas to swamp forest or plantations can reduce fires occurrence by approximately 40% or 55%, respectively. Blocking all but major canals to restore these degraded areas to swamp forest may reduce fire occurrence by 70%. Our findings suggest that effective land management strategies can influence fire regimes and substantially reduce carbon emissions associated with peatland fires, in addition to enabling sustainable management of these important ecosystems.

Drivers and Implications of Land Cover Dynamics in Muger Sub-Basin, Abay Basin, Ethiopia

Research on the landscape level dynamics of land cover and an understanding of the drivers responsible for these changes are useful for formulations of sustainable land management strategies and policy decisions. The pace and magnitude of the LCCs in Ethiopia are threatening the natural ecosystem and creating vulnerability to environmental hazards. This study used a combination of remotely sensed data, field interviews, and observations to examine the dynamics and identify the driving forces of LCC from 1986 to 2020 in the Muger sub-basin, Ethiopia. Multi-temporal satellite images were classified using supervised and unsupervised methods. Information from focus group discussions and the variable ranking method were used to explain the drivers of the observed changes. The study results showed a decline in forest cover from 11.80% in 1986 to 5.90% in 2020, which indicates a loss of 49.90% of the forest cover that existed in 1986. Bare land declined from 1.15% in 1986 to 0.57% in 2020. Similarly, grazing land declined from 1.52% in 1986 to 0.41% in 2020. Wetland also declined from 1.93% in 1986 to 0.31% in 2020. Conversely, during the same period, the proportions of cultivated land, built-up areas, shrubland, and water bodies have risen from 68.86% to 70.44%, from 0.03% to 1.53%, from 14.39% to 20.27%, and from 0.34% to 0.56%, respectively. Population growth and poor agricultural practices were identified as the main causes of LCC in the sub-basin. Therefore, the findings of this study suggest that implementation of comprehensive and integrated basin management policies and strategies will be indispensable to managing the risks and ensuring sustainable development in the larger Abay basin.

A comprehensive spatially-explicit analysis of agricultural landscape multifunctionality using a New Zealand hill country farm case study

CONTEXTMultifunctionality can refer to the capacity of a landscape to provide a wide range of ecosystem services (ES). Maintaining or restoring multifunctionality in agricultural landscapes is considered an efficient solution to achieve sustainable agricultural production because multiple ES provided by a landscape can support both environmental protection and socio-economic benefits. Quantifying the provision of ES provides fundamental information to measure landscape multifunctionality and inform sustainable land management strategies. Although a large number of studies have been carried out to measure landscape multifunctionality and associated ES, comprehensive spatially explicit assessments at the farm scale are limited. OBJECTIVEThis research applies a wide range of spatial models, tools, and methods to spatially quantify the provision of multiple ES as well as the pattern of landscape multifunctionality in farmed landscapes. METHODSTo quantify the provision of multiple ES provided by the landscape, the bio-physical models provided by InVEST (e.g., Nutrient Delivery Ratio and Sediment Delivery Ratio models) and land use land cover-based assessments using spatial analysis tools in ArcGIS were employed. The Analytic Hierarchy Process was applied to calculate the landscape multifunctionality index which is an integration of multiple ES supply. Hot spot analysis using Getis Ord Gi* statistics was utilised to examine the spatial distribution of multiple ecosystem services. A hill country farm in New Zealand is chosen as a case study because it is a good example of a diverse landscape that is facing significant environmental issues due to intensive agricultural production. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSOur study reveals that the provision of ES and the pattern of landscape multifunctionality is highly variable across the farm. Both positive and negative relationships among ES are found and the interactions between them are mainly reflected in three ES bundles: the agricultural land, the indigenous forest and wetlands, and the mixed land uses. Furthermore, our study demonstrates that the quality of landscape is significantly dependent on the landscape management goals and preferences of the farmer so involving them into the process of ES and landscape multifunctionality assessment at a farm scale is essential step to obtain more comprehensive results. SIGNIFICANCEResults from this study enable important questions to be answered regarding the spatial variation of ES provision and how land use and land management goals relate to the value and quality of landscape multifunctionality. This can provide valuable information to design future multifunctional landscapes and inform decision making in relation to sustainable land use management.

Role of socioeconomy and land management in the evolution of agrosilvopastoral landscapes in Northern Spain: The case study of Redes Biosphere Reserve

Agrosilvopastoral systems are multifunctional, complex, and knowledge-intensive systems with the potential to deliver multiple ecosystem services. However, their future is hindered by socio-ecological factors which influence the dynamics of the associated landscapes by modifying how the natural resources are used over time and across the territory. An integrated analysis of the most influential factors and the associated dynamics urges due to the strategic potential of these systems to provide locally adapted ecosystem services to face both local and global challenges. We investigated the changes in the demography, productive activities and the strategies of land use, and how they influenced the landscape dynamics, in the Redes Biosphere Reserve. Datasets with demographic, socioeconomic, and landscape parameters from 1956, 1985, and 2016 were created. Landscape metrics were calculated for the whole Reserve and for six areas covering the bioclimatic variability. Historical data, interviews with the local population, and repeated images were used to reconstruct the land uses and the landscape maps in each period. The number of inhabitants declined 60% from 1956 to 2016, and only 4.7% are less than 15 years old nowadays. The human group’s capacity to maintain sustainable and productive activities is highly questionable. During the same period, the number of farms decreased by 80% and the herds evolved from multispecific (63% cattle and 37% small ruminants) to monospecific ones (around 88% cattle). The complex land management strategies simplified: subsistence agriculture almost disappeared and the diversity of livestock and agroforestry strategies also decreased. The landscape metrics revealed the most drastic changes in the lowlands associated with the construction of two water reservoirs and the disappearance of croplands and open chestnut forests. At middle altitudes, around 43% of the hay meadows disappeared and the remaining grasslands are only grazed, whereas grazed grasslands declined by 77% at the highest altitudes. Two drivers repeated across the three bioclimatic scenarios: expansion of dense woodlands (average 220%) and shrublands (295%). All these changes led to the reduction of the landscape diversity and the simplification of the mosaic, with possible environmental implications. Integrated approaches including environmental and socioeconomic measures are needed to preserve the landscapes and associated services.

Influences of zinc loads in urban catchment runoff: Roof type, land use type, climate and management strategies

The contribution of ecotoxic dissolved metals from metallic roofs into urban waterways is a global issue. Identifying the specific origin of dissolved metals is critical to enabling appropriate stormwater management approaches that can provide the intended outcome of cleaner urban waterways. An event load pollutant model, Modelled Estimates of Discharges for Urban Stormwater Assessments (MEDUSA2.0), was used to predict the zinc load contributed from individual roof surfaces, under a wide range of rainfall conditions. Zinc was chosen as the pollutant of most concern given the extensive area of zinc-based roof surfaces, and the prevalence and mobility of zinc within urban waterways. The model categorized each roof by surface material and condition, and was run for individual rain events across multiple years to illustrate the influences on zinc loads from both surface type and rainfall conditions. Scenarios of future management were also assessed through the model to compare their benefits in terms of load reductions against the current baseline loadings. To understand how the load prediction and scenario modelling can provide valuable guidance for stormwater management decision-makers, the model was applied to a large urban catchment in Christchurch, New Zealand. Seven representative subcatchments of the varying proportions of industrial, commercial and residential land use type were also modelled to compare zinc loads generated. Results showed that an individual catchment's composition of roof types was the main driver of zinc load generation rather than the catchment's land use type. The modelled management scenarios demonstrated that reductions of 30% zinc could be achieved by changing only 4–13% of a subcatchment's unpainted zinc-based roof surfaces.

Analysis of the Spatiotemporal Variation of Landscape Patterns and Their Driving Factors in Inner Mongolia from 2000 to 2015

Understanding the spatiotemporal changes in landscape patterns and their driving factors in Inner Mongolia can benefit land use and ecological environment management in this region. This study used the county landscape index and multiple regression analysis to reveal the temporal and spatial evolutions of landscape patterns and their driving factors in Inner Mongolia from 2000 to 2015 with multitemporal land use data. The results showed that (1) grassland was the main landscape type in Inner Mongolia. Grassland and unused land decreased, and cropland expanded from 2000 to 2015. Grassland degradation has slowed since 2005. (2) At the class level, the dominance of grassland decreased, and the degree of landscape fragmentation of cropland, forestland, and grassland increased gradually. At the landscape level, the landscape shape was more complex, the landscape connectivity was worse, and the landscape diversity gradually enhanced. (3) This study revealed that climatic factors influenced the evolution of landscape patterns, and human activities were the key driving factors of landscape-level metrics. The results of this study provide scientific bases for land management strategies.

An insight to calculate soil conservation service

Quantifying soil conservation service is critical for sustainable land management. However, the traditional algorithm includes a gap between barren land and real soil erosion (BSERef), and its paradox is that a mass of barren land rarely exists in ecologically adaptable areas with fertile soils, which might overestimate soil conservation service. This study suggests a practical algorithm to effectively evaluate soil conservation service of different ecosystems. We propose a new algorithm based on the difference between cropland without control practices and real soil erosion (CSERef), which is compared with the BSERef algorithm. Our results show that: (1) a nearly five times smaller mean soil conservation amount of cropland occurred in the CSERef algorithm (3.76×106 t·yr–1) than in the BSERef algorithm (20.04×106 t·yr–1); (2) land use has higher explanatory power for the spatial differentiation of soil conservation rate in the CSERef algorithm (15.93% – 46.34%) than in the BSERef algorithm (5.95% – 44.49%). Our results demonstrate that the BSERef algorithm overestimates the soil conservation service of cropland in ecologically adaptable areas, whereas the CSERef algorithm can effectively assess the influence of land use change induced by anthropogenic activities on soil conservation service. Furthermore, we develop an assessment framework in terms of land use classification system following the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The framework considers that for water bodies, there is no soil conservation service; for non-ecologically adaptable areas (unused land) with vast barren lands and vegetation cover below 5%, the BSERef algorithm is recommended; the CSERef algorithm is suggested to use in ecologically adaptable areas (including woodland, grassland, cropland and construction land). This assessment framework can provide scientific assistance for decision-makers to formulate strategies for sustainable land management.

Effective land management strategies can help climate mitigation in China

Effective land management strategies can help climate mitigation in China