Land Reserve Research Articles

Love and Loss: The Malay Reserve Land Predicament in Malay Novels

Malay Reserve Land is a topic that has been discussed less since COVID-19 hit the world. It is not just a simple issue about land and property; Malay Reserve Land is also a matter of Malay privilege in Malaysia. As a country with increasing pluralisation, diversification and practice of liberal economy, sustaining this special right is becoming a challenge. Historically, the practice of land possession in Malay customary law is strongly influenced by Islamic law. According to the teachings of Islam, real ownership belongs to Allah Almighty. However, after the British colonised Peninsular Malaysia for nearly 200 years, new land laws were endorsed to deal with the problems in land management that hindered their political and economic interest. Since then, the Malays have faced numerous problems to manage their special land. The following article, based on an indepth reading of the selected Malay novels, provides the various voices of love negotiating with hate and the feeling of loss. Data from newspapers and academic articles in the last 10 years have shown that the main issue is the decreasing size of Malay Reservation Land. The findings of the textual analysis reveal the authors’ voices of disenchantment in their novels related to the actual depletion of Malay Reserve Land throughout the 108-year-long journey.

Agricultural frontiers and environment: a systematic literature review and research agenda for Emerging Countries

AbstractDespite having the largest land and water reserves for agriculture on the planet, intensive agricultural production in emerging countries has stimulated research around the world, especially due to the numerous environmental impacts caused by the expansion of agricultural frontiers. Motivated to analyze the literature on the transformations brought about by the development of intensive agriculture since the middle of the twentieth century, this study analyzes the main studies on the interference of agricultural frontiers on the environment in emerging countries over the last 30 years (1993–2022). To do so, the Systematic Literature Review methodology was used, with the CIMO planning approach and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) reporting guideline. The analysis initially included 14,366 scientific articles from a wide range of subjects in the social and natural sciences, available on the Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics), ScienceDirect (Elsevier), and Google Scholar databases. One of the most significant findings of this study is that there is no specific framework to analyze the relationship between the agricultural frontier and the environment in developing countries; however, literature has mainly been concerned with measuring the impact of intensive agriculture on natural resources, as well as verifying how local socio-economic factors and/or public policies affect populations’ behavior regarding this relationship between the environment and agricultural production. The data also revealed that Brazil is the “country of origin” of the literature on agricultural frontiers and the environment, especially due to studies on the Amazon rainforest, followed somewhat distantly by studies on South America in general and the island regions of Indonesia and Malaysia. There is also a lack of studies on European economies in transition, emerging African countries and Russia, or on the agri-environmental impact of the demand for food in populous countries such as India and China. Finally, in addition to country-specific suggestions, this systematic literature review suggests directions and implications for future research.

Assessing the contribution of China's grain production during 2005–2020 from the perspective of the crop-water-land nexus

Water shortages and diversion of arable lands to other uses represent systemic risks to global agricultural production. However, few studies have comprehensively assessed blue-green water and land resources performance in crop cultivation and grain production. This study establishes a crop-water-land nexus accounting framework that distinguishes between blue and green water. Contributions of water and land resources to increases in grain production in China in the years 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020 were evaluated based on provincial-scale crop-water-land nexus accounting. China produced 580.4 Tg of grain using 805.1 × 103 km2 yr−1 of arable land per year, 76.1 % of which was accounted for by 13 major grain-producing provinces. Annual water consumption in grain production was estimated to be 614.3 × 109 m3, including 183.0 × 109 m3 blue and 431.3 × 109 m3 green water. Albeit with significant spatial variation, land and water resource inputs increased over time. Excluding agronomic improvements, blue water, green water and arable land jointly contributed 65.4 % of the national increase in grain production (185.5 Tg) from 2005 to 2020. Irrigated cropland in major grain-producing provinces dominated grain production increases and national level shifts in water resources over the period studied. The marginal efficiency of blue water (0.784 kg m−3) in grain production was greater than that of green water (0.071 kg m−3). Reclaiming reserve land, upgrading irrigation technology and improving rainwater use efficiency in the provinces along a southwest to northeast axis (e.g., from Heilongjiang to Yunnan), are effective approaches for the country to continue to increase food production in the future.

Multi-Temporal Change of LULC and Its Impact on Carbon Storage in Jiangsu Coastal, China

Coastal is the coupling of socio-economic and fragile ecosystems area existing development and protection problems, with lots of reserve land resources (i.e., bottomland and tidal flats). Analyzing and predicting the carbon storage changes caused by land use/land cover (LULC) on the Jiangsu coast were critical for revealing the potential problems of land surface changes and sustainable development. Then, we utilized the single dynamic degree and transfer in/out contribution, exploring the characteristics of LULC change in the study area from 1980 to 2018. Using the InVEST model, PLUS-LEAS model, and PLUS-Markov chain module, we assessed the spatiotemporal of the study area at the county level to reveal the LULC change strategy and driving factor contribution, as well as the composition of LULC and carbon storage in 2036. The results show that the LULC structure in the study area significantly changed from 1980 to 2018, in which the tidal flat and high coverage grassland decreased by 552.84 km2 and 383.71 km2 while the reservoir ponds and urban residential land increased by 1210.69 km2 and 101.70 km2. The major driving factor of LULC change has shifted from a single-factor to multi-factor coupling, and the influence contribution of human activity increased by 6.73%, especially the population. The carbon storage of study areas showed a significant decrease trend during 1980–2010, followed by a slight increase during 2010–2018. High-density carbon storage was mainly distributed in Lianyungang and Nantong and presented a decreasing trend along the coastline extending inland. The dry land and reservoir ponds are the main composition of LULC types in 2036, and the carbon storage increased to 2.39 × 108 t. In addition, more than decades of LULC change will cover part or all of the land use change process and trends, especially high-covered grasslands, so we suggest a 10-year LULC change to analyze coastal areas with lots of tidal flats and bottomlands. Therefore, this study can provide reference and theoretical guidance for ecologically sustainable development and future LULC evolution in coastal cities.

Current state, peculiarities and opportunities for the development of urban agriculture in different territories of Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)

The development of urban agriculture is an inevitable trend for future cities, including Ho Chi Minh City, since it is one of the most important aspects for sustainable urban development aimed to ensure food security and other socio-economic and environmental benefits. The purpose of the article is to explore the issues of zoning of the existing areas in Ho Chi Minh City as well as assessing and analysing their characteristics and the level of capacity to develop urban agriculture as a basis for efficient operation of the land reserve and other city resources. In order to properly develop urban agriculture in Ho Chi Minh City, it is necessary to distinguish the features of each area of the city for efficient use of land and spaces. The present article provides some criteria and methods for zoning of the existing Ho Chi Minh City areas, evaluating and analysing their distinctive characteristics as well as the levels of urban agriculture development resource. The obtained results can serve as a basis for applying urban agriculture design models suitable for each area.

Evolution and Prediction of Urban Fringe Areas Based on Logistic–CA–Markov Models: The Case of Wuhan City

The urban fringe is the transitional area from rural form to urban form, and it is also the urban space reserve land in the Territorial Spatial Plan. However, few researchers predict its overall evolution and guide the implementation of the Territorial Spatial Plan. This study attempts to explore the dynamic evolution law of urban fringe, analyze its driving factors, predict its future development, and put forward management suggestions for the implementation of the Territorial Spatial Plan. In this paper, the land use data of Wuhan in 2000, 2010 and 2020 are applied to delimit the urban fringe area of Wuhan by means of a sliding t-test. Fifteen driving factors are selected from three dimensions, natural factors, socio-economic factors and traffic accessibility, and brought into the Logistic model to explore the driving factors of its spatial evolution. The CA–Markov model is used to predict the fringe area of Wuhan in 2035. The results show that the transformation of rural hinterland into urban fringe is obviously affected by the distance from railway stations, highways, commercial centers and urban main roads. It is predicted that the outer boundary of Wuhan’s fringe area in 2035 will be basically the same as the planned urban development boundary. In order to realize the intention of land space planning, the development and construction of the northwest of the Huangpi District, the East Lake Scenic Area, and the west side of the Jiangxia District should be restricted. From the perspective of the evolution of the fringe area, this paper puts forward some management suggestions for the implementation of the Territorial Spatial Plan and makes a beneficial attempt in theory and method to understand the development characteristics of the fringe area and promote the implementation of the Territorial Spatial Plan.

Pasture lands of Kazakhstan: rational use

The goal is to find ways to solve problems of pasture use in Kazakhstan using GIS technologies; conduct monitoring of pastures based on remote sensing of land (ERS); identify the condition of pasture lands using the NDVI index. Methods – analytical, economic-static, monographic, abstract-logical. Results – space monitoring was carried out, their degradation was assessed using remote sensing based on images received from the Planet satellite through the portal https://www.planet.com/. It has been established that pastures in the category of agricultural lands account for 45.1%, reserve lands 66.6 million hectares, which can be considered as a reserve for agricultural use. The cultural and technical level of pasture lands is characterized by the indicators of overgrazing, stoniness, forest cover and bush cover. Based on the research, it was concluded that used pasture lands are located mainly around rural settlements (Rural Settlements). Grazing of livestock on remote and distant pastures is impossible due to the lack of pasture infrastructure. As a result, pasture lands near the RS are under excessive pressure, which leads to a reduction in the number of livestock and, accordingly, livestock products. The analysis showed that since 2012, the total area of pasture land in reserve lands has decreased by 20 thousand hectares and increased in the category of agricultural land. Conclusions – pasture land use requires a revision of the institutional framework for pasture management. Competence on these issues must be transferred from district executive bodies to local government. It has been determined that due to non-compliance with animal grazing standards, pastures are trampled, resulting in a decrease in their productivity and a decrease in size. An effective tool is a system of remote monitoring of pastures, combined with ground surveys of land. This, in turn, allows us to objectively assess the condition of pasture lands at various scales. The republic has a huge potential of natural pastures, which is not sufficiently used to create a sustainable food supply and obtain environmentally friendly and cheap livestock products.

Action-oriented planning methods as a tool for improving regional governance in Switzerland: Evidence from the Sisslerfeld area

Faced with challenges such as rapid transformation of existing settlements, reorganisation of mobility patterns, and climate change mitigation management, the governance of spatial development in Switzerland demands institutional and procedural innovations, particularly noticeable at the regional scale. Although cantons, the middle-governmental tier between the federal and communal authorities (municipalities), play a coordinating role supported by numerous formal and informal planning instruments, the small size of the institutional territory, coupled with administrative decentralisation of the country and autonomy of the lowest administrative levels, often challenges a multi-governmental and multi-sectorial approach to regional spatial development. Against the concepts of regional governance, regional planning and the action-oriented planning, and using the mixed-method research approach (focusing on documentary analysis and ethnographic methods), the article critically assesses a planning method – test planning – applied in the process of creating a development vision of Sisslerfeld, the largest land reserve in the Swiss canton of Aargau. Research results highlight the potential and limitations of informal collaborative procedures and elucidate the approaches of critical actors in an effort to achieve joint institutional action.

Theory, Measurement, and Psychometric Properties of Risk and Protective Factors for Drug Misuse Among Adolescents Living on or near the Cherokee Nation Reservation

A team of tribe-based behavioral health specialists and university-based researchers partnered to implement a cluster randomized trial for the prevention of drug misuse among adolescents attending public high schools on or near the Cherokee Nation Reservation in northeastern Oklahoma. The conceptual framework, which guided intervention and measurement design for the trial, incorporates indigenous knowledge and worldviews with empirically-based frameworks and evidence-based practices. Our goal is to serve multicultural youth, families, and schools and to provide a model of effective strategies for wide dissemination. This paper presents the conceptual model, survey design, and psychometric properties of scales to measure risk and protective factors for substance misuse. The survey includes common measures drawn from the PhenX Toolkit on substance use patterns—adolescent module, measured with standard items from the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study and items harmonized across ten NIH-funded research projects with diverse samples of youth. In our trial, brief (20-minute) self-report questionnaires were administered to 10th grade students in fall 2021 (n = 919, 87% response rate) and spring 2022 (n = 929, 89% response rate) in 20 participating high schools on or near the Cherokee Nation Reservation. The sample primarily fell into the following three categories of race/ethnicity identification: only American Indian (AI-only, 29%), AI and another race/ethnicity (AI+, 27%), and only White (35%). Results indicate that risk and protective factor scales were reliably and validly measured with 10 scales and 10 subscales. There were minimal differences between youth who identified as AI only, AI+, and White only, especially for the main scales, which provide confidence in the interpretation of trial outcomes across demographic groups. Study results may not be generalizable to AI/AN youth who live and attend school in more homogenous reservation lands, or alternatively, live in large diverse metropolitan areas.

Migrations agricoles, dynamique de dégradation du couvert forestier et émergence de systèmes agro-forestiers à base de cacaoyer dans la Sous-préfecture de Bléniméouin (Ouest-ivoirien)

Expansion of cultivation camps, dynamics of degradation of forest cover and emergence of cocoa-based agro-forestry systems in the Sub-prefecture of Bléniméouin (Western Côte d'Ivoire) The Sub-prefecture of Bléniméouin is part of the western forest region of Côte d'Ivoire, home to the new pioneer fronts of the country for the past two decades. Due to its natural potential (maintenance of a few scraps of primary forest, hot and humid climate, etc.) and its very dynamic plantation economy, this territory is experiencing strong land pressure which results in agricultural migrations and the expansion of cultivation camps. Alongside the dwindling of land reserves, new agroforestry practices have been emerging since the end of the 2010-2020 decade. Thus, the objective of this study is to analyze the agrarian and landscape changes induced by the expansion of cultivation camps in the said Sub-prefecture. To achieve this objective, a multi-date analysis based on the exploitation of Landsat images (TM 1980, ETM+ 2000 and Oli/Tirs 2021) coupled with S.I.G was adopted and supplemented by field observations. The results reveal significant regressive forest cover dynamics. From 1980 to 2021, the area of ​​primary forest has increased from 6499 ha or 29% of the space to 1360 ha or 6%. The area lost by the forest has been converted mainly into areas of perennial crops (60%), food crops (37%) and bare soils (3%). Faced with land saturation, rural people are developing new agro-forestry techniques combining cashew, cocoa and rubber orchards in order to create more ecological conditions beneficial to all kinds of crops (food crops and perennials).

Suitability Evaluation and Engineering Matching for Agricultural Development of Barren Grassland in Mountainous Area: A Case Study of County Scale

Barren grasslands are an important reserve resource of cultivated land in mountainous areas. The exploitation of barren grassland for agricultural use has played a role in ensuring food security and people’s livelihood in many countries and regions. The suitability evaluation of agricultural-use development, based on the conditions of barren grassland itself and the engineering matching, can not only ensure the sustainable development of agriculture but also avoid the ecological negative effects caused by excessive engineering. According to the research, the agricultural development of barren grassland needs to be evaluated from the two angles of natural suitability and engineering suitability, and an innovative “index level serial number summation method” is proposed. The suitability of barren grassland for agricultural use development was divided into three categories: barren grassland suitable for cultivation, barren grassland suitable for forestry, and barren grassland suitable for prataculture. The barren grassland suitable for cultivation was selected for type division and engineering-accurate matching. Taking Tang County as a research area, an example was provided through a combination of theoretical research. According to the characteristics of barren grassland in Tang County, the evaluation indexes of natural suitability and engineering suitability were selected, and the suitability of barren grassland for agricultural development was evaluated and graded. A classification system for the utilization of barren grassland suitable for cultivation is constructed, the required engineering types are explored to eliminate the main limiting factors, and the utilization types are matched with the engineering combination types. The barren grassland suitable for cultivation in the study area can be divided into 37 types, which can match eight engineering combinations. This study proposes a systematic method for the identification, classification, rating, and engineering matching for arable land reserve resources. The study can provide the basis for the effective utilization and accurate development of land resources.

Effective affordable housing provision in developing economies: An evaluation of expert opinion

AbstractHousing the urban poor is a prevalent challenge in developing economies, regardless of the research attention and policy interventions over the years. It becomes essential to employ innovative approaches in investigating the challenge of affordable housing (AH) provision to achieve effective AH provision in developing economies. It is pragmatic to thoroughly explore expert solutions to the difficult task of housing the urban poor. To achieve this, focus group discussion and semi‐structured interviews with housing experts in Nigeria were conducted in this study. The recordings were transcribed and analysed using NVivo; following descriptive, content and thematic analyses of data we found that deliberate government policies to include the urban poor are the most significant housing solutions consistent across the entire housing supply value chain (HSVC). Major findings are that mainstreaming the use of alternative housing construction materials and strategies, deliberate finance models to target the urban poor and deliberate reservation of some urban land for housing the urban poor are strategies that will enhance AH provision. These are insights into critical solutions to AH constraints and are informative for effective AH provision for the urban poor in Nigeria; an essential ingredient for sustainable development goals. This study is first to explore experts' opinions in relation to HSVC to showcase significant solutions to AH provision challenges. Data from this study are essential for future pro‐poor housing studies. Recommendations are that AH interventions should be informed by research for more effective and sustainable results.

Risk Assessment of Hazardous Materials Transportation for Small and Tribal Communities in Nebraska

Small communities (population < 5,000) and Native American communities in Nebraska, U.S., often lack the means to deal with highway-based crashes involving hazardous materials (HazMat). This research focused on assessing the vulnerability of small and tribal communities in Nebraska to the impacts of highway HazMat crashes. To do so, this paper estimated the expected number and type of HazMat crashes per population in each community. This study statistically analyzed reported HazMat crashes in Nebraska to determine if small and Native American communities experienced a higher crash rate per population and per HazMat vehicle miles traveled (VMT) than large communities and other small communities. Mean HazMat crash rate per population statistically significantly differed between small and large communities, while the mean crash rate comparison between the Native American and other small communities was not statistically significant. For the mean HazMat crash rate per HazMat VMT, neither comparison was statistically significant. For HazMat crashes per population, and per HazMat VMT, small communities had higher mean values than larger communities. Communities on Native American reservation land experienced a lower HazMat crash rate per population than other small communities but HazMat crashes per VMT in Native American communities were higher than in other small communities. Overall, this research provided a widely applicable risk assessment method not only for communities in Nebraska but also across the U.S. without appreciable loss of generality.

Distribution Characteristics of Rainfall Erosivity in Jiangsu Coastal Areas

The issue of regional soil and water loss caused by human activity is particularly severe in coastal regions. Since coastal reclamation areas are a valuable land reserve resource, it is of practical significance to understand the distribution characteristics of rainfall erosion and its impact on soil erosion for the prediction, evaluation, and management of regional soil and water resources. Rainfall erosivity should be updated and estimated from simplified indices. This paper analyzed the observed rainfall data of field runoff plots in Dongtai City, Jiangsu Province, between 2011 and 2017. According to the standard of erosive rainfall in coastal areas, reporting 10.8 mm of rainfall or 7.6 mm·h−1 of I30 (maximum 30 min rainfall intensity), the annual average erosive rainfall frequency in Dongtai City was 37.7 and the annual erosive rainfall was 1082.0 mm on average, which accounted for 51.6% and 90.6% of the total rainfall frequency and the total rainfall, respectively. Moreover, the annual average rainfall erosivity in the region from 2011 to 2017 was 7717.4 MJ·mm·hm−2·h−1. The annual distribution of rainfall erosivity was irregular, with an average monthly erosivity value of 4501.8 MJ·mm·hm−2·h−1. Since the accumulated rainfall erosivity of Dongtai City in the flood season (May to September) accounted for 88.1% of the total rainfall erosivity, it is essential to focus on preventing soil and water loss in the flood season. This paper established a rainfall-based model and a composite model and intensity appropriate for a single event and monthly rainfall erosivity in the region. Both models can be used to calculate the annual rainfall erosivity, but only the composite model based on rainfall amount and intensity is recommended for calculating single and monthly rainfall erosivity levels in Jiangsu coastal areas. The empirical formulas in Jiangsu coastal areas can be updated using more recent rainfall data and assess soil erosion risk accurately.

Limiting scaring activities reduces economic costs associated with foraging barnacle geese: Results from an individual‐based model

Abstract With increasing numbers of large grazing birds on agricultural grassland, conflict with farmers is rising. One management approach to alleviate conflict allows foraging on dedicated agricultural land (accommodation areas) and nature reserves, combined with scaring on remaining agricultural land. Here, we examine the cost‐effectiveness of these measures by studying the influence on barnacle goose distribution and associated economic damage. We present an individual/agent‐based model of barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) foraging on grasslands in Friesland, the Netherlands. The model is parameterized using field observations and GPS‐tracks and allows simulation of management scenarios, differing in scaring probability and accommodation area size, with different potential management costs. Our model shows that, while yield loss decreases with higher scaring probabilities, costs of damage appraisal increase because geese graze on more fields. With small accommodation areas, achieving high scaring probabilities takes more effort and could result in goose population decline. Total management costs are lowest without scaring activity. Synthesis and applications. Considering costs of active scaring and the need to maintain the barnacle goose population in a favourable conservation status, our model suggests that the most cost‐effective scenario is to prevent disturbance of geese. A high scaring probability could be beneficial if applied in small areas, for example around sensitive crops or airfields. Scaring in large areas could result in costs outweighing benefits and a declining barnacle goose population.

The Role of University Campus Locations in the City Urban Growth: the Case of German Jordanian University in Madaba

Although there are many studies related to Madaba at an urban scale, there is no study for the examination of the relationship between university campus locations at the edges and the urban growth of Madaba in Jordan. This study is the first study investigating the impact of university campuses on the urban growth of Madaba, including a set of critical urban issues involved in the development of the city of Madaba. Due to the rapid urban sprawl of Madaba city, there is an increase in population flow towards the outer suburb of the city which includes the university campus and inequity in the distribution of services in these areas. This increases the urban intensification in the city suburbs and the surrounding areas without preserving and reservation of land uses and urban activities. However, urban changes appeared at the city's edges, which helped to form new urban areas close to the university campuses. These changes gave an opportunity to attract new activities due to the existence of university campuses, which affect the urban growth of the city. Therefore, this study aims to identify the role of university campuses localized at the city edges in developing city urban growth. It focused on investigating the relationship between the university campus locations and the urban growth of the cities. This research depends on the quantitative method. The quantitative method employs statistical data analysis using GIS and a questionnaire survey. The study concludes with a series of recommendations for future decision-makers to overcome the main problems facing the urban growth of the city including university campus localizing at the edges. The study shows that the land uses in the surrounding context of the university campus changed significantly, where it could be concluded that residential (48.88% to 79.16%), commercial (3.03% to 9.56%), and service (3.28% to 5.42%) increased at the expense of agricultural use (36.13% to 4.02%). According to this change, it can be noted that there is a slight increase in the built-up areas, which was 3.30% in 1990 then became 8.30% in 2020. The outcome of this study contributes to improving the decisions made by the parties involved in urban development in Jordan when developing the surrounding context of the university campus located at the city edges.

Institutional Explanations for the Persistence of Poverty on First Nations Reserves in Canada: A Review of the Native American Economic Development Literature

The institutions governing First Nations reserves in Canada are commonly cited as a key barrier to economic development. Despite these claims, few studies have empirically assessed the institutional arrangements governing reserves. Conversely, there is a much larger and more developed literature on Native American economic development and the institutions governing reservations. While there are many important differences between First Nations reserves and Native American reservations, there are several key similarities that allow for comparisons. First, the institutional arrangements governing land, specifically federal trusteeship over land, are broadly similar in both contexts. The restrictions on property, especially the prohibition on using reserve and reservation lands as collateral, also create important similarities in the availability of credit, mortgages, and other banking services. Finally, while Native American tribes generally have more sovereignty over their lands and economies, First Nations are increasingly reclaiming the right to manage their lands and economies with similar levels of autonomy. This review summarizes the Native American economic development literature in these three areas and identifies relevant considerations for First Nations in Canada. The article concludes with a discussion of future research priorities.

Land as a resource for biomass production

Soil cover on the area of the West Balkans is very heterogeneous. Due to limited possibilities of increasing arable lands, an issue relating to rational utilization of the existing land reserves has been raised. Namely, an increase of food costs, which coincides with global increase of biofuel production, leads to thinking that fuel production induces an increase of food costs. Suitability of land space for specific purpose utilization is based on long-term economy. This problem would be solved by biomass production on marginal lands, because productive arable lands would be intended for food production. Lands that are suitable for exploitation in intensive agricultural production and appropriate for cultivation are classified into I-IV land capability class, and lands that are less suitable and unsuitable for exploitation (marginal lands) are classified into V-VIII land capability class. In the opinion of most researchers, economic production of wood and grass biomass should be developed on the lands of IV-VIII land capability class. Thereby, there is a high percentage of abandoned and marginal agricultural lands in some countries of the West Balkans. Regarding a high percentage of meadows and pastures, which are mainly on land areas of V-VIII class and insufficient exploitation thereof, the potential of available land areas for crop cultivation for obtaining biomass is very big. They can include even temporarily lost areas (greenfields and brownfields) as well as the areas under powerlines. Land composition has a limited effect on elements concentration in the biomass and on its quality. The crops cultivated for obtaining biomass generally have low demands for nutrients and are adaptable to various land conditions. The reserves of the land organic carbon can be increased by biomass production, and in that way soil fertility can be improved. Whether through biomass production the biodiversity will be improved or decreased, it depends on the mode of utilization of land areas and on the cultivated crop management practice.

Forecast Assessment of Achieving Carbon Neutrality in the Russian Federation in View of Changes in Forestry and Land Use

The article analyzes the problem of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the Russian Federation by 2030 to 70% relative to the 1990 level. It is shown that the Russian Federation is one of the world’s leaders in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while the goals set forth by the European Union to achieve carbon neutrality are currently not confirmed by the availability of resources and actually taken efforts. The Russian and foreign approaches to the formation of input data for calculating and accounting the absorption capacity of forestry are analyzed; the results of carbon dioxide absorption estimates performed using different techniques are given, and the balance of greenhouse gas emissions in the Russian Federation is evaluated taking into account land use, and changes in the land use and forestry. The results of the assessment of carbon dioxide absorption performed on the basis of the methodology developed by the Center for Ecology and Forest Productivity of the Russian Academy of Sciences are several times lower than those obtained using other techniques. The absorption capacity of Russian forests calculated by an international group of scientists exceeds the emission of greenhouse gases in the Russian Federation. According to calculations made by the Russian Research Institute for Silviculture and Mechanization of Forestry (VNIILM) and IIASA, the absorption capacity of forests is slightly less than the greenhouse gas emissions. The problems and prospects of accounting the reserve lands and forests that have grown on abandoned agricultural lands are described. The prospects for reducing greenhouse gas emissions owing to the development of solar and wind power plants are estimated, and the capital costs for the construction of wind and solar power plants are shown with and without taking into account energy storages. It has been determined that the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through the development of wind and solar power plants entails significant financial costs and yields a smaller effect than in taking into account the absorption of carbon dioxide by forests grown on abandoned agricultural lands. Recommendations for achieving greenhouse gas emission targets are formulated, including full-valued consideration of the absorption capacity of reserve forests and farmlands overgrown with forests and shrubs after updating the information of the state forest register.

Based on the Numerical Simulation Analysis of the Impact of Coal Mining in the Land Conservation Area

As China pays more attention to the protection of water resources, there are overlapping areas between the planned reservoir conservation area and planned coal mine field. In the coal mining process, a water-conducting fracture zone is formed after the roof of the goaf is damaged, and cracks also generated on the surface of the mining area. In order to study the effect of coal mining on the recharge of surface water into the reservoir in the land conservation area, FLAC3D and Visual MODFLOW are used to simulate the development law of water-conducting fracture zone and surface subsidence cracks in the roof of the coal seam after coal mining in the land conservation area of the reservoir. Prediction and analysis on the change of the reservoir recharge capacity after coal mining in the land reserve are conducted. The results show that the maximum growth height of the water-conducting fracture zone in the overlying strata of the goaf after coal mining in the secondary land conservation area of the reservoir is not connected with the surface subsidence fracture. However, coal mining induces partial aquifer drainage in the roof of the coal seam, increasing the amount of surface water flowing to groundwater. Therefore, the maximum drop in the water level of the reservoir is 0.19 m, and the maximum recharge of the reservoir is 52,900 m33/a, accounting for 0.89% of the total recharge. It demonstrates that coal mining in the secondary land conservation area has little effect on the recharge of the reservoir. On the basis of good ecological compensation, water saving and comprehensive utilization of mine water, coal mines need to further carry out research on mitigating the adverse effects of coal mining on the reservoir’s land conservation area.