Abundant Land Research Articles

Climate Change Economics over Time and Space

With average temperature ranging from −20°C at the North Pole to 30°C at the Equator and with global warming expected to reach 1.4°C to 4.5°C by the year 2100, it is clear that climate change will have vastly different effects across the globe. Given the abundance of land in northern latitudes, if population and economic activity could freely move across space, the economic cost of global warming would be greatly reduced. However, spatial frictions are real: migrants face barriers, trade and transportation are costly, physical infrastructure is not footloose, and knowledge embedded in clusters of economic activity diffuses only imperfectly. Thus, the economic cost of climate change is intimately connected to these spatial frictions. Building on earlier integrated assessment models (IAMs) that largely ignored space, in the past decade there has been significant progress in developing dynamic spatial integrated assessment models (S-IAMs) aimed at providing a more realistic evaluation of the economic cost of climate change, both locally and globally. This review discusses this progress and provides a guide for future work in this area.

Levels and health risk assessment of twenty-one current-use pesticides in urban and riverside waters of the Brazilian Amazon Basin

In Brazil, the favorable weather conditions and abundant land contribute to the thriving agricultural production. Brazilian crops extensively employ pesticides due to their high efficacy, cost-effectiveness, and permissive regulatory framework. However, pesticide use also endangers water resources, animal organisms, and human health. Due to the lack of data on pesticide use in the Amazonas forest-based Brazil, the present study aimed to assess the levels of twenty-one current-use pesticides (CUPs) from five different classes in river waters collected from urban and riverside areas in this region. Moreover, the non-carcinogenic risks associated with water consumption were also characterized. Thirteen CUPs were detected in concentrations above the limit of detection (LOD) in at least one of the water samples, and most pesticides were detected in riverside areas. In contrast, only 18% of the analyzed samples were considered “clean,” with only one compound detected. Fenitrothion showed the highest concentration, with a mean value of 4.86 ng/mL (0.30–14.3 ng/mL). Up to 33% of the samples showed levels of fipronil above the LOD, an issue of environmental and human health concern, mainly because of the adverse effects observed in honeybees. Despite this, the human health risk assessment showed a target hazard quotient below one (HQ < 1) in adults for all substances, suggesting that pesticide exposure through water consumption should not mean risk for the riverside populations. Taking into account the large extension of Brazil, as well as its different agricultural practices throughout the country, it would be of great importance to conduct extensive research in other areas. It would help to gain knowledge in this field and to promote eco-friendly alternatives to mitigate pesticide use and, consequently, to reduce their potential adverse effects on human health and the ecosystems.

Quantitative analysis of big data for land resource classification and zoning at the township level in Northern Shaanxi

To analyze and evaluate the conditions and distribution characteristics of rural land resources in northern Shaanxi. The experiment extracts two terrain feature values, namely slope and undulation, which are highly correlated with land resources. Then, the extraction results of all 302-township level administrative regions in northern Shaanxi are processed, and the scoring results of all township level units are sorted. Based on this, optimization and adjustment are made to form a classification result. The experimental results show that land resources in primary townships are most scarce, mainly distributed in the central and western regions of northern Shaanxi, with 53 in Yan'an and 7 in Yulin; Land resources in secondary townships are relatively scarce, mainly distributed along the Yellow River in the central and southern parts of northern Shaanxi, with 40 in Yan'an and 53 in Yulin; The land resources of third level townships are relatively abundant, generally distributed along the Great Wall, and belong to the transitional zone between windblown sand and grassland areas and hilly and gully areas. Except for one third level township located in Yan'an, all 22 other townships are located in Yulin; The fourth level townships have abundant land resources and are located in the loess plateau landform area in the southern part of northern Shaanxi. They belong to Yan'an Luochuan and three surrounding counties, totaling 17 townships; The terrain of the fifth and sixth level townships is flat, and the land resources are the most abundant. They belong to the sandy and grassy terrain north of the Great Wall in northern Shaanxi. A total of 56 townships are located in 7 county-level administrative regions of Yulin City. The experimental results lay the foundation for the research on optimizing the spatial pattern of rural life in northern Shaanxi, and can also provide support for classified guidance and precise policy implementation for rural revitalization, agricultural industry policy formulation, human settlement environment construction, and ecological environment protection.

A Review of Rural Land Capitalization: Current Status and Further Research

Land stands as a crucial factor in the production process. The rational allocation of land resources and the enhancement of land use efficiency play pivotal roles in maintaining stable economic development. Various land use types facilitate the capitalization of land resources through activities such as land transfer, land investment, and large-scale land management. Presently, certain regions grapple with challenges characterized by abundant land resources, insufficient utilization of land elements, and a low degree of utilized land capitalization. To address these issues, scholars employ diverse research methods, delving into land capitalization from various perspectives. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current academic research on land capitalization. It elucidates the conceptual nuances inherent in the process of land capitalization, traces the historical evolution of land capitalization, and establishes a research framework that considers land appreciation, ownership relationships, and functional transformations. By synthesizing and analyzing the existing research on land capitalization, this paper outlines the current status and identifies future research directions. It is concluded that land appropriation, ownership relationships and functional transformations are the three most important elements in the process of land capitalization. The paper proposes objectives for achieving high-quality development while avoiding excessive capitalization and the aim is to propel land capitalization as a catalyst for rural economic development.

The land snail fauna of Batu Kudik, isolated limestone outcrop near Simunjan, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo (Mollusca, Gastropoda).

The present study provides a checklist of land snails collected from Batu Kudik, a small and isolated limestone outcrop in Simunjan, Sarawak. A total of 24 species of land snails, representing 18 genera and 14 families were recorded, including one newly-described subspecies. The most species-rich of the families in Batu Kudik are Diplommatinidae (17%) and Chronidae (17%) with four recorded species from each of the families. Based on our analysis, Plectostomawallaceikudikense subsp. nov., Opisthostomajavanica and Georissapyrrhoderma were identified as the most abundant land snails at this isolated outcrop, whereas Diplommatinaonyx and Everettiaminuta were recorded as the least abundant. All of the land snails at Batu Kudik were exclusively found sheltered between limestone boulders, underscoring the critical role of this outcrop as their refuge for survival. Consequently, conserving this biodiversity-rich limestone area becomes paramount to prevent the local extinction of these land snail species and possibly other organisms that depend on the unique attributes of the limestone for their survival. We also provide detailed descriptions of Plectostomawallaceikudikense, a new subspecies of the genus Plectostoma which is endemic to Batu Kudik. A description of a new subspecies Plectostomawallaceikudikense subsp. nov.

AGRICULTURE IN BRAZIL

Brazil is the largest nation in terms of arable land. It has abundant land and water resources. It is among the few nations with potential to increase agricultural productivity. Access to export markets is crucial for Brazilian agriculture. Brazil is the third biggest exporter of agro-food products after the European Union and the United States. It is now regarded as a top-5 producer of 34 commodities and is the largest net exporter in the world. It is a leading comprehensive exporter of soybean, sugar, coffee, oranges, poultry, beef, cotton, corn, orange juice, and ethanol. The nation is essentially self-sufficient in basic foodstuffs. This paper introduces the reader to the practice of agriculture in Brazil.

An AHP-GIS combination for site suitability analysis of hydrogen production units from CSP &PV solar power plants in Morocco

The main objective of this study is to evaluate Morocco's potential for hosting large-scale solar-based hydrogen production facilities, from both Photovoltaic (PV) and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technologies. To achieve this, a comprehensive approach is employed, combining the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology with Geographic Information System (GIS) software to create precise land suitability maps for two hydrogen production scenarios: PV-based (H2PV) and CSP-based (H2CSP) units. By identifying the highly suitable areas, two reference locations, one for each scenario, are selected based on their exceptional irradiance records. These reference sites serve as focal points for a detailed techno-economic assessment.The results have demonstrated that opting for the installation of H2PV hydrogen units represents the most advantageous strategic choice for Morocco to efficiently producing green hydrogen. This decision is well-supported by several key factors. Notably, the availability of abundant land significantly favors the H2PV scenario, with a considerably larger portion of highly suitable areas compared to CSP (20.3 % compared to 7.4 %). Moreover, a 1 MW of H2PV has the capacity to produce an annual hydrogen output of 48.5 tons/year, with a Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH2) amounting to 4.972$/kg.

Analysis of the Technical and Economic Performance of Dairy Farms in Algerian Conditions: The Case of the Wilaya of Tizi-Ouzou

The aim of this work is to carry out a comparative study of the costs of milk production for the two zones, plain and mountain, in the region of Tizi-Ouzou. Sixty-four farmers living in both areas were interviewed and surveyed. With an average of 12.5 cows per farm, there was no difference in the number of dairy cows between the two zones (P=0.586). Fodder consumption was 24.8 and 30.9 kg/cow/day in the mountain and plain areas respectively, a significant difference (P&lt;0.0001). Milk productivity was not significantly different (P = 0.202) between farmers in the two areas. The average was 21.7 litres per cow per day. The total cost of producing one litre of milk was 41.05 AD/L and 35.5 AD/L respectively, a significant difference (P &lt; 0.0001) between the two areas. The cost of feeding differs significantly (P &lt; 0.0001) between the two areas. Feed is more expensive in the mountains than in the lowlands (37.62 vs. 30.81 AD/L). The cost of buying hay was the most significant difference in feeding costs (P = 0.002). These costs were 17.43 vs. 12.73 AD/ha, respectively. There is a small difference in the cost of farm labour (P=0.095). It is lower in the mountain area (0.64 vs. 1.19 AD/L) than in the plain area. The main item in the total cost of milk production is the cost of feed. It represents 90 % and 85 % respectively in the mountain and in the plain areas. Forage area is a limiting factor for the development of milk production in the Tizi-Ouzou region. In the context of territorial development, it is proposed to develop fodder and silage production in regions of Algeria where there is an abundance of arable land and to transfer this fodder to dairy basins such as Tizi-Ouzou to feed dairy farms.

Land Abundance, Openness, and Industrialization – ERRATUM

Land Abundance, Openness, and Industrialization – ERRATUM

Theoretical Underpinnings of ‘Land Abundance, Openness, and Industrialization’ How Openness Affects Output Elasticities in a 2 × 2 HOS Model with Product Differentiation – ERRATUM

Theoretical Underpinnings of ‘Land Abundance, Openness, and Industrialization’ <i>How Openness Affects Output Elasticities in a 2 × 2 HOS Model with Product Differentiation</i> – ERRATUM

Low Carbon Economic Dispatch of Rural Distribution Network under High Photovoltaic Penetration

To promote the low-carbon development of the power grid, the penetration rate of distribution photovoltaics in power systems has greatly increased. Some distribution networks may switch roles between energy producers and energy consumers multiple times a day. Especially in rural areas with low loads and abundant land resources, a large number of distributed photovoltaics may increase the energy balancing burden of the transmission system. To address this, the optimal operation of local resources is the key to the local accommodation of photovoltaics. In rural distribution networks, the light industrial load and agricultural load in rural distribution networks have similar electricity consumption behavior, and are suitable for centralized load management. This article proposes a low-carbon economic dispatch model of rural distribution networks under high photovoltaic penetration.. In specific, the light industrial load and the agricultural load are modeled considering their production requirements. Carbon emission costs and photovoltaic consumption costs are incorporated into the dispatch model of the distribution network. The case study is conducted based on a rural distribution network. The results of the case study indicated that the proposed model could increase the photovoltaic absorption rate by 10.96% and reduce carbon emissions by 3.4% for the test system.

Native Diversity of Endotrophic Mycorrhizal Fungi of Forage Grass Species Occurring in Asan River Basin, Mussoorie Hills, Uttarakhand

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) fungi colonize more than 80% of plants on land in which grasses are known to have higher endomycorrhizal colonization. AM fungi are a common group of symbiotic fungi in the order, Glomale of Division, Zygomycota. These fungi are known to benefit growth through increased nutrient uptake especially phosphorus. In this study, a total of 21 grass species collected from the Asan river basin, Mussoorie hills, Dehradun, Uttarakhand were screened for AM fungal root colonization and their mycorrhizal diversity. Traditional method of sieving and decanting was used for isolating mycorrhizal spores whereas for studying colonization rapid staining and clearing method was used. The highest root colonization (95±2.9) and AM spore count (234±3.56) were observed in Phalaris minor whereas Saccharum spontaneum exhibited least colonization (30±0.53) and AM spore count (46.7±14.5), respectively. The Andropogoneae (Sorghum tribe) was observed to be the most diverse tribe in association with endomycorrhizal fungi among the studied grasses. This study confirms that the grass species are highly colonized and dependent on endomycorrhizal association. The diversity and colonization patterns of endotrophic mycorrhizal fungi are described in details in this research paper. The AM fungal association with grass species provides new vistas and insight on the functioning of any grass ecosystem and also helps in harnessing the benefits of AM fungi through their usage in waste and abundant land reclamation programmes.

Global land and water limits to electrolytic hydrogen production using wind and solar resources

Proposals for achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 include scaling-up electrolytic hydrogen production, however, this poses technical, economic, and environmental challenges. One such challenge is for policymakers to ensure a sustainable future for the environment including freshwater and land resources while facilitating low-carbon hydrogen production using renewable wind and solar energy. We establish a country-by-country reference scenario for hydrogen demand in 2050 and compare it with land and water availability. Our analysis highlights countries that will be constrained by domestic natural resources to achieve electrolytic hydrogen self-sufficiency in a net-zero target. Depending on land allocation for the installation of solar panels or wind turbines, less than 50% of hydrogen demand in 2050 could be met through a local production without land or water scarcity. Our findings identify potential importers and exporters of hydrogen or, conversely, exporters or importers of industries that would rely on electrolytic hydrogen. The abundance of land and water resources in Southern and Central-East Africa, West Africa, South America, Canada, and Australia make these countries potential leaders in hydrogen export.

Theoretical Underpinnings of ‘Land Abundance, Openness, and Industrialization’

AbstractThis paper develops a Heckscher−Ohlin model in which the effects on production structure of endowments and changes in trade policies depend in a continuous way on a country's degree of openness to trade. Its main contribution is to show semi-formally how the introduction of product differentiation causes the elasticities of output with respect both to factor endowments and to sectoral trade barriers to vary with import penetration (the share of foreign firms in home markets) and export orientation (the share of foreign markets in home-firm sales).

Land Abundance, Openness, and Industrialization

AbstractWith a modified formalization of Heckscher–Ohlin theory as the basis of a novel econometric specification, this paper uses worldwide data over three decades to estimate how the effects of greater openness on industrialization vary among countries with differing endowments of land relative to labour. The results confirm the theoretical prediction that greater openness reduces manufactured output shares in land-abundant countries, while increasing them in land-scarce countries. The implications of these results for trade and development policy are debatable.

Bacterial abundance of cacao agroforestry, cacao monoculture and secondary forest land uses in north Luwu, South Sulawesi

Expanding the agricultural sector in North Luwu influences land use modification to enhance plantation output. Continuous land use and clearance can jeopardize the survival of native land vegetation, altering C and N cycles, community composition, population, and soil microbial activity. Microorganisms are essential for maintaining the health and quality of the soil. The abundance of soil microorganisms significantly impacts ecosystem function, so it can help boost agricultural output. This demonstrates that data on the abundance and diversity of soil microorganisms can be used to determine soil fertility. However, more information is needed about the diversity of soil microbes in North Luwu. This study seeks to determine the abundance of soil microorganisms, particularly for various land uses. Random soil samples were collected from cacao monoculture, cacao agroforestry, and secondary forest. The C: N ratio and the total number of microorganisms were then measured in the collected soil samples. Cacao agroforestry with the highest C: N ratio had 1.8 x 108 CFU/g of total soil bacterial, the highest bacterial abundance among the three land covers, followed by secondary forest and cacao monoculture with the lowest C: N ratio and lowest bacterial abundance 2 x 107 CFU/g. These results indicated that the soil C: N ratio influences the bacterial abundance of various land uses. The highest abundance of nitrate-fixing bacteria was found in secondary forests and the lowest in cacao agroforestry, even though the %N indicated by both was the same.

Regional Carbon Stock Response to Land Use Structure Change and Multi-Scenario Prediction: A Case Study of Hunan Province, China

Modifications in land use patterns exert profound influences on the configuration, arrangement, and functioning of terrestrial ecosystems, thereby inducing fluctuations in carbon sequestration. Consequently, precise ecological decision-making and an in-depth exploration of the interplay between land use alterations and carbon storage dynamics assume paramount importance in the pursuit of optimal regional land use configurations. In this investigation, we employed the InVEST model to analyze the spatiotemporal variations in land utilization and carbon storage in Hunan Province, based on comprehensive land use data spanning the period from 2000 to 2020. Additionally, the PLUS model was utilized to project the future spatial distribution of carbon storage in Hunan Province until 2040, encompassing diverse development scenarios. The findings of our study are as follows: (1) Land use changes instantaneously impact carbon storage within the study area. From 2000 to 2020, urban construction land witnessed an expansion of 3542 km2, which accounted for an increase from 1.13% to 2.78% of the total land area. Consequently, there was a decline in arable land, woodlands, and grasslands, resulting in a reduction of 3430.25 tons of carbon storage in Hunan Province. (2) The ecological protection scenario is projected to yield the most substantial increase in carbon storage, with an estimated magnitude of 7.02 × 10⁶ tons by the year 2040. According to the natural evolution scenario, the total amount of carbon storage is anticipated to remain similar to that of 2020, with a marginal increase of 2.81 × 10⁵ tons. Under the arable land protection scenario, carbon storage is predicted to decrease by 1.060 × 10⁷ tons. Conversely, the urban development scenario is expected to result in the most substantial reduction of 2.243 × 10⁷ tons of carbon storage. These findings underscore the efficacy of adopting ecological protection and natural development policies in curbing the decline in carbon storage. (3) The geographic distribution of carbon storage areas exhibits a strong correspondence with that of land use. Regions characterized by elevated carbon storage levels exhibit minimal urban construction land, an abundance of compact and contiguous ecological land, and a higher frequency of such land parcels. To enhance regional carbon storage levels and achieve sustainable development goals, future endeavors should prioritize the implementation of ecological protection and natural development policies.

From natural gas to green hydrogen: Developing and repurposing transnational energy infrastructure connecting North Africa to Europe

This paper studies the economic and regulatory conditions for the implementation of large-scale projects of production and transport of green hydrogen from North Africa to Europe. The EU has shown a remarkable interest in importing hydrogen from North Africa, to reach climate commitments while compensating for the reduction of gas imports from the Russian Federation. The idea to import green hydrogen from North Africa stems from the potentially low costs of production thanks to the abundance of solar energy and land in desertic areas, and to existing export infrastructure. The paper analyses the cases of Egypt and Algeria and finds that Algeria has a potential cost advantage in transporting green hydrogen to Europe thanks to an overcapacity in its existing gas infrastructure, which could be repurposed. By contrast, Egypt is more competitive in the generation of renewable power, a key input of green hydrogen, thanks to a regulation that attracts investments. Overall, both countries are cost competitive in a similar way, although production of renewable energy is still insufficient to make export infrastructure to Europe viable. Based on their regulatory and political economy differences, the paper suggests ways for the EU to adopt a differentiated approach of cooperation with Egypt and Algeria, which suits their strategic and commercial interests and contributes to boosting their production and transport potential.

IDENTIFICATION OF BARONG CULTURE AS ETHNOPEDADOGIC SOCIAL STUDIES LEARNING

The use of tribal barong culture, especially barong ider bumi (village)—is a symbolic event for the beliefs of the Kemiren people. This barong procession culture has been carried out by regulation as a ceremonial village. And the ceremony of salvation / thanksgiving is a form of gratitude for the abundant land / harvest. However, the problem is that the current generation does not understand the significance of the barong tradition; they just do it every year, with little regard for the purpose of barong. As a result, they can only do so on special occasions because they have a long history. Because each side and shape of the barong has its own uniqueness. The purpose of this paper is to identify local content in barong culture using qualitative research methods using previous sources and interviews with the respondents concerned.

Temporal and Spatial Variations in Landscape Habitat Quality under Multiple Land-Use/Land-Cover Scenarios Based on the PLUS-InVEST Model in the Yangtze River Basin, China

Despite the Yangtze River Basin (YRB)’s abundant land and forestry resources, there is still a dearth of research on forecasting habitat quality changes resulting from various geographic and environmental factors that drive landscape transformations. Hence, this study concentrates on the YRB as the focal area, with the aim of utilizing the Patch Landscape Upscaling Simulation model (PLUS) and the habitat quality model to scrutinize the spatial distribution of landscape patterns and the evolution of HQ under four scenarios: the natural development scenario (NDS), farmland protection scenario (CPS), urban development scenario (UDS), and ecological protection scenario (EPS), spanning from the past to 2030. Our results show that (1) from 2000 to 2020, the construction land in the YRB expanded at a high dynamic rate of 47.86% per year, leading to a decrease of 32,776 km2 in the cultivated land area; (2) the UDS had the most significant expansion of construction land, followed by the NDS, CPS, and EPS, which had higher proportions of ecologically used land such as forests and grasslands; (3) from 2000 to 2020, the HQ index ranged from 0.211 to 0.215 (low level), showing a slight upward trend, with the most drastic changes occurring in the low-level areas (−0.49%); (4) the EPS had the highest HQ (0.231), followed by the CPS (0.215), with the CPS increasing the HQ proportion of the lower-level areas by 2.64%; (5) and in addition to government policies, NDVI, DEM, GDP, and population were also significant factors affecting landscape pattern and changes in habitat quality.