Land Use Transition Research Articles

Study on the overall performance of e-waste dismantling industry polluted cultivated land utilization from a holistic view

The utilization of heavy metal-organic polluted cultivated land caused by the e-waste dismantling industry was affected by multi-dimensional factors. Thus a comprehensive evaluation of these multi-dimensional impacts was necessary for the technical selection and solution of cultivated land utilization. This study attempted to conduct a total benefit simulation analysis on the redevelopment of polluted cultivated land, which was of great significance to decision-making. With a systematic framework designed including the casual relations between components, a system dynamics model was constructed to simulate the technological, economic, and ecological benefits of different polluted cultivated land-used modes, along with which a questionnaire was designed to investigate and analyze the associated social effects. Based on these, the total benefits of the land-use mode were evaluated and optimized within the framework of the “technological-economic-ecological-social” evaluation system. This study included microscale, mesoscale, and macroscale, with multi-dimensional and complex influencing factors, and had advanced research value. The results of the system dynamics model simulation showed that remediation plants played a decisive role in pollutants removal. The flower industry had the highest net present value, but its ecological performance was poor. The overall analysis showed that the scenario of utilization after remediation had the highest performance score, which was attributed to high pollutant removal, low cost, and high carbon sink. This study was meaningful for providing research ideas of comprehensive benefits of polluted cultivated land utilization and also helpful for decision-making. This paper also provided research ideas for other industries such as contaminated site remediation and sewage sludge treatment.

Frontier Constellations: A History of Land-use Regimes in Paraguay’s Pilcomayo River Basin

ABSTRACT The Paraguayan Chaco is increasingly known for the extreme rates of forest loss caused by the rapid expansion of cattle ranching and crop farming over the last few decades. Knowledge of its twentieth-century land-use history, however, remains limited. In this article, I address that gap by discussing land-use dynamics since the 1900s in the Pilcomayo River basin, a part of the Chaco that borders Argentina and Bolivia, and hosts a great diversity of actors and land uses. Using the concept of land-use regimes, I show that the area, once characterized by what can be called an Indigenous mixed-use regime, transitioned to a land-use regime dominated by livestock herding by Argentine Criollo settlers after the Chaco War (1932–35), and then again to one of large cattle ranches managed by absentee owners toward the end of the twentieth century. No land-use regime ever completely dominated the area, however, and I use this fact as a starting point to then discuss how using the concept of land regimes can help direct attention to the coexistence of regimes in space and to their relationships in a way that helps refine our understanding of land-use transitions.

Landscape Ecological Risk and Drivers of Land-Use Transition under the Perspective of Differences in Topographic Gradient

Human activities have caused different degrees of land-use change on different topographic gradients, with impacts on the landscape and ecosystem. Effectively preventing and addressing ecological risk (ER) and achieving harmonious coexistence between humans and nature are important aspects of sustainable development. In this study, we used Gansu Province as an example, adopted five periods of land-use data in 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020, and used the geoinformatic Tupu method and the terrain distribution index to study land-use changes under different topographic gradients, and then constructed the landscape ecological risk assessment (LERA) model based on the landscape pattern index to analyze landscape ecological risk (LER) spatiotemporal changes under different topographic gradients, and finally explored the LER driving factors using the geodetector model. The results showed that (1) the dominant land-use types were unused land and grassland, accounting for approximately 74% of the land. The situation of transferring and changing each type was more drastic. The distribution and changes in cropland and built-up land were easily found in low topographic gradient areas with low elevations and small slopes; the distribution and changes in woodland, grassland and water areas were easily found in high topographic gradient areas with high elevations and large slopes. (2) The landscape ecological risk index (LERI) was 0.018, 0.019, 0.019, 0.019 and 0.020, respectively, with spatial expressions of high in the northwest and low in the southeast. Low LER was concentrated in high topographic gradient ecological reserves; high LER was concentrated in low topographic gradient human interference areas and high topographic gradient natural environmental complex areas. (3) Natural factors mainly acted on the LER on moderate and high topographic position gradients; socioeconomic factors mainly acted on the LER on low topographic position gradients. Human interference interacted with natural factors more than human interference alone on LER. This study can provide a scientific basis for ensuring ecological security and sustainable development in areas with complex topography and geomorphology.

Holistic palak cultivation: standardizing media, nutrients in vertical A-frames for extended shelf life efficiency

The cultivation of green leafy vegetables is crucial for improving our nation’s nutritional security. Challenges like limited arable land and excessive fertilizer use have become significant concerns on cultivating in open field. To address these issues, vertical farming technology, with a focus on space optimization and hydroponic integration to manage fertilizer use, is gaining attention. This experiment aims to determine the best growing media and nutrient solutions for palak in an A-framed vertical unit. Three growing media were tested: coir pith (M0), Rockwool (M1), and a 1:1 mix of coir pith and vermiculite (M2). Various combinations of water-soluble fertilizers [Ca (NO3)2, MAP, and SOP] were used for each crop’s nutrient recipe preparation. Optimal yields were achieved when palak were grown in a coir pith and vermiculite mix with nutrient concentrations of 60:50:60 ppm. Despite high yields, green leafy vegetables face rapid spoilage and storage challenges. The study examined factors affecting post-harvest quality, including storage conditions (ambient at 35 ± 5°C, refrigerated at 5 ± 5°C), packing substrates (low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene covers), and gas compositions with modified atmosphere packaging. Results showed that refrigerated storage with low-density polyethylene packing and a gas composition of 6% O2, 5% CO2, and 89% N2 (G2) resulted in the least deterioration in physiological attributes and overall visual quality. This study highlights the potential of vertical farming technology, precise nutrient management, and advanced post-harvest techniques for sustainable production and preservation of green leafy vegetables to meet our nation’s nutritional security needs.

Impact of land-use change on ecological vulnerability in the Yellow River Basin based on a complex network model

The Yellow River Basin in China, which is characterized by significant soil erosion and arid to semi-arid conditions, has experienced severe ecological issues due to prolonged excessive development and land-use changes. Studies on ecosystem vulnerability have become a major basis for supporting the sustainable and healthy development of watershed ecosystems. Based on the land-use data of 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020, this study used a complex network model to identify the key types of land-use transformation in the Yellow River Basin. The cascade failure model was used to evaluate the impact of land-use transformation on ecological vulnerability in the Yellow River Basin of China. The land-use changes in the Yellow River Basin from 2000 to 2020 exhibit significant heterogeneity in both quantity and direction. Among them, the total area of agricultural land showed a downward trend as a whole, and the area rebounded slightly from 2000 to 2015. The growth trend of construction land area is obvious, with a year-on-year increase of 46.81 % in 20 years. Through network identification, we found that ecological land types such as forest, grassland, and dryland are the primary factors contributing to land area outflow. Conversely, artificial land types including urban land, rural residential land, and other built-up land predominantly serve as factors for land area inflow. The Yellow River Basin experiences frequent land-use transitions, resulting in the poor stability of the land transfer network. However, the study reveals that the ecosystem service value increases as the areas of paddy fields, dryland, urban land, rural residential land, and bare land decrease; this trend contributes to mitigating ecological vulnerability. To ensure the overall stability of the ecosystem and implement healthy and sustainable development, the maximum reduction in the areas of dryland, forest, paddy, and grass should be limited to 40 %, 30 %, 50 %, and 50 %, respectively, in future planning and design processes. In conclusion, the land-use transformation in the Yellow River Basin of China has profound implications for ecological vulnerability. The research findings can provide valuable references for future ecological research on areas facing similar challenges in protecting ecological fragility.

Deciphering Land Use Transitions in Rural China: A Functional Perspective

Although research on land use transitions has gradually received widespread attention since its introduction to China at the beginning of the new millennium, the lack of a clear portrayal of the transitional characteristics and pathways of land use at the theoretical level has prevented this research from providing adequate support for the regulation and management of rural land use activities. This study aims to bridge this research gap from a functional perspective, since the transition of land system functions—also known as land use functions—heralds the completion of a regional land use transition. The methods employed included a literature review and theoretical analysis. The results show the following: (1) the relationships between land use morphology, land use multifunctionality, and land use functions transition (LUFT) were identified; (2) the connotation of the multifunctional agriculture transition theory was analyzed, and the applicability and limitations of drawing on the theory for researching the transition of land use functions in rural China elucidated; (3) a method for characterizing LUFT is proposed from the “state” and “quality”; (4) a theoretical framework for the LUFT was constructed and anchored in transition theory; and (5) it was summarized that there are three transitional pathways: weak-strong, strong-weak, and dynamic balance. In conclusion, while theories originating from the West can provide references for Chinese research, the significant difference between their socio-economic backgrounds necessitates reconstructing these theories in the light of the actual situation in rural China. The theoretical construction of land use transitions from a functional perspective can more clearly delineate the process, the trend, and the characteristics of the transitions of rural land use, thus offering valuable insights for the regulation and management of land use.

Characteristics of bare rocky land evolution in karst mountain areas of Southwest China based on socio-ecological system perspectives: The case study of Huajiang Canyon

Rock exposure is a prerequisite for the emergence of bare rocky land (BRL), a severe ecological and environmental problem in karst mountain areas (KMA) of Southwest China, severely restricting the region’s sustainable development. An in-depth analysis of the evolution of BRL in KMA of Southwest China based on socio-ecological perspectives is significant for promoting the region’s sustainable development. This paper firstly analyzes the evolution of the social-ecological system and BRL and the transition of human-land relations in KMA of Southwest China, then selects a typical KMA, Huajiang Canyon in Guizhou Province, for a case study and applies ArcGIS to analyze the dynamics of the BRL of Huajiang Canyon in the past 60 years from 1969 to 2020, and reveals the reasons for the evolution of BRL. The results show that: (1) The evolution of BRL in KMA of Southwest China is closely related to the changes in the local socio-ecological environment. (2) The number, spatial distribution, and landscape pattern of BRL in the Huajiang Canyon from 1969 to 2020 underwent significant changes, with the area of BRL transitioning from an expansion phase to an accelerated shrinking phase and with prominent spatial dispersion characteristics. (3) The transition of the BRL of the Huajiang Canyon into forest grassland and economic and fruity forest land, and the transition of land use from production to ecology and eco-economy, have proved the greening of the KMA of Southwest China from a microscopic perspective. (4) This paper shows that the expansion and contraction of BRL areas can reflect the human-land relations in KMA of Southwest China. Finally, the development path proposed in this paper has a certain positive effect on promoting the future sustainable development of the KMA of Southwest China and can also provide a reference for developing other mountainous areas with similar situations.

Half of global islands have reached critical area thresholds for undergoing rapid increases in biological invasions.

Biological invasions are among the threats to global biodiversity and social sustainability, especially on islands. Identifying the threshold of area at which non-native species begin to increase abruptly is crucial for early prevention strategies. The small-island effect (SIE) was proposed to quantify the nonlinear relationship between native species richness and area but has not yet been applied to non-native species and thus to predict the key breakpoints at which established non-native species start to increase rapidly. Based on an extensive global dataset, including 769 species of non-native birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles established on 4277 islands across 54 archipelagos, we detected a high prevalence of SIEs across 66.7% of archipelagos. Approximately 50% of islands have reached the threshold area and thus may be undergoing a rapid increase in biological invasions. SIEs were more likely to occur in those archipelagos with more non-native species introduction events, more established historical non-native species, lower habitat diversity and larger archipelago area range. Our findings may have important implications not only for targeted surveillance of biological invasions on global islands but also for predicting the responses of both non-native and native species to ongoing habitat fragmentation under sustained land-use modification and climate change.

The choice of land-based climate change mitigation measures influences future global biodiversity loss

Climate mitigation is reported to benefit biodiversity globally. However, the impacts of mitigation measures based on large-scale land-use modifications can be concentrated in the regions where they are introduced, resulting in regional mismatches between mitigation efforts and biodiversity benefits. Here, we evaluated the impacts of large-scale deployment of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage and afforestation to attain the climate stabilization target stated by the Paris Agreement on global and regional biodiversity by using an integrated model framework. Our results highlight that climate mitigation efforts can benefit global biodiversity regardless of large-scale implementation of land-based mitigation measures. However, the negative impacts of mitigation measures on biodiversity are concentrated in regions with a higher contribution to land-use change and carbon sequestration. The results imply the need to consider the unequal regional distribution of benefits from climate mitigation, as well as mitigation options that avoid regional biodiversity loss by minimizing land-use change.

Refined Analysis of Vegetation Phenology Changes and Driving Forces in High Latitude Altitude Regions of the Northern Hemisphere: Insights from High Temporal Resolution MODIS Products

The vegetation patterns in high-latitude and high-altitude regions (HLAR) of the Northern Hemisphere are undergoing significant changes due to the combined effects of global warming and human activities, leading to increased uncertainties in vegetation phenological assessment. However, previous studies on vegetation phenological changes often relied on long-term time series of remote sensing products for evaluation and lacked comprehensive analysis of driving factors. In this study, we utilized high temporal resolution seamless MODIS products (MODIS-NDVISDC and MODIS-EVI2SDC) to assess the vegetation phenological changes in High-Latitude-Altitude Regions (HLAR) of the Northern Hemisphere. We quantified the differences in vegetation phenology among different land-use types and determined the main driving factors behind vegetation phenological changes. The results showed that the length of the growing season (LOS) derived from MODIS-NDVISDC was 8.9 days longer than that derived from MODIS-EVI2SDC, with an earlier start of the growing season (SOS) by 1.5 days and a later end of the growing season (EOS) by 7.4 days. Among different vegetation types, deciduous needleleaf forests exhibited the fastest LOS extension (p < 0.01), while croplands showed the fastest LOS reduction (p < 0.05). Regarding land-use transitions, the conversion of built-up land to forest and grassland had the longest LOS. In expanding agricultural areas, the LOS of land converted from built-up land to cropland was significantly higher than that of other land conversions. We analyzed human activities and found that as the human footprint gradient increased, the LOS showed a decreasing trend. Among the climate-related factors, the dominant response of phenology to temperature was the strongest in the vegetation greening period. During the vegetation browning period, the temperature control was weakened, and the control of radiation and precipitation was enhanced, accounting for 20–30% of the area, respectively. Finally, we supplement and prove that the highest contributions to vegetation greening in the Northern Hemisphere occurred during the SOS period (May–June) and the EOS period (October). Our study provides a theoretical basis for vegetation phenological assessment under global change. It also offers new insights for land resource management and planning in high-latitude and high-altitude regions.

Are there interactions between the urban and rural construction land use transition? Evidence from Jiangsu province in China

The interactive feedback between the transition of urban construction land (UCL) and rural construction land (RCL) lies at the forefront of land use transition (LUT) research, and can shape the intrinsic driving forces for land system sustainable transition and urban-rural integrated development. This study innovatively investigated the interactive feedback between UCL and RCL transition. First, a theoretical analytical framework was proposed. Second, a spatial simultaneous equation model (SSEM) was employed to examine the interactive feedback between UCL and RCL transitions in Jiangsu Province, China, from 2000 to 2020. The main findings were as follows: The interactive feedback between UCL and RCL transitions followed two paths. The first interactive feedback path was driven by the interaction of urban and rural factors, whereas the second was driven by the integrated management of urban and rural land. UCL and RCL transition witnessed a positive interactive feedback relation. Specifically, a 1% increase in UCL transition led to a 0.535% increase in RCL transition, and a 1% increase in RCL transition resulted in a 0.579% increase in UCL transition. The two aspects exhibited complex spatial interaction effects. The UCL transition in the subject city had positive and negative effects on the UCL and RCL transitions of neighboring cities, respectively. The RCL transition had positive effect on the RCL transition in neighboring cities. The key to regulation is to make the mutual feedback pathways unobstructed through innovative policies in terms of both direct and indirect regulation. This study contributes to advance research on LUT and provides scientific evidence for urban–rural integrated development.

Active Soil Organic Carbon Pools Decrease with Increased Time since Land-Use Transition from Rice Paddy Cultivation to Areca Nut Plantations under the Long-Term Application of Inorganic Fertilizer

Many croplands in the tropics of China have been converted over the last decades into areca nut plantations due to their high economic returns. This land-use transition was accompanied by changes in agricultural practices such as soil moisture regimes and fertilizer inputs, which may affect soil organic carbon (SOC) and its fractions, especially in tropical soils with low fertility and high nitrogen loss. Yet, how the time since land-use transition from rice paddy cultivation to areca nut plantations affects soil carbon dynamics and their underlying mechanisms in the tropics of China remains elusive. Here, areca nut plantation soils with different ages (2, 5, 10, 14, and 17 years) and paddy fields in the tropical region of China were investigated. The study result indicates that the contents of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), easily oxidized organic carbon (EOC), light organic carbon (LFOC), and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) decreased significantly with increased time since land-use transition from rice paddy cultivation to areca nut plantations. Similarly, the ratios of DOC/SOC, MBC/SOC, POC/SOC, LFOC/SOC, and EOC/SOC decreased significantly with increased time since land-use transition. Compared with the paddy soil, the carbon pool management index decreased by 36.6–76.7% under the areca nut plantations, concluding that increasing the time since land-use transition from rice paddy cultivation to areca nut plantations with high application rates of chemical fertilizers resulted in reduced soil active carbon fractions and SOC supply capacity. Therefore, agricultural practices such as the use of organic fertilizers should be applied to improve the soil’s ability to supply organic carbon in managed plantation ecosystems in the tropics of China.

Land-Use Transitions Impact the Ecosystem Services Value in a Coastal Region by Coupling the Geo-Informatic Tupu and Benefit-Transfer Method: The Case of Ningde City, China

Exploring the mechanisms and processes of land-use transitions (LUTs) and their impact on ecosystem services can effectively elucidate the intricate interactions between human and natural systems, which is pivotal for advancing the sustainable development of regional economies and enhancing ecological environments. However, the existing literature lacks comprehensive analysis regarding the spatial and temporal evolution of LUTs, with insufficient integration of the “spatial pattern” and “time process”. Moreover, traditional assessments of the ecosystem services value (ESV) often overlook their negative costs. To address these gaps, this study first utilized the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform and employed the random forest algorithm to conduct supervised classification on Landsat remote-sensing images from the years 2000, 2010, and 2020 within the research area, thereby obtaining land-use data for three distinct periods. And then, we investigated the geographic features of LUTs and their ecological effects in the Ningde City of China from 2000 to 2020. The geo-informatic Tupu model and a newly revised method of benefit transfer were primarily employed for this purpose. The findings indicate the following: (1) Over the study period, the land-use structure of Ningde City predominantly comprised cultivated land and forest land, with continuous decreases in both types and a concurrent increase in built-up land. (2) Significant disparities exist in the spatial distribution of Tupu units, notably with “forest land → cultivated land” and “cultivated land → built-up land” as crucial units influencing ESV changes. (3) The ESV in Ningde City decreased from CNY 1105.54 × 108 to CNY 1020.47 × 108 over 2000–2020, while the ecosystem dis-services value exhibited an opposing trend, rising from CNY 12.68 × 108 to CNY 20.39 × 108. (4) The net ESV in Ningde City showed a decline over the same period, indicating a certain vulnerability in the city’s ecological system structure. This study aims to enhance our understanding of the influence of land-use patterns on ESV, offering valuable insights for regional ecological–environment management and land-use policy formulation, thereby fostering sustainable development in ecological, environmental, and socio-economic dimensions. Furthermore, the results serve as a reference for evaluating net ecosystem services value in other countries/regions.

Land-Use Transitions and Its Driving Mechanism Analysis in Putian City, China, during 2000–2020

Investigating the spatial-temporal evolution of land use and its driving forces provides a scientific basis for policy formulation, land-use structure adjustment, and ecological civilization development. Using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, this study analyzed remote sensing images from 2000, 2010, and 2020 to derive basic land-use data for Putian City and its five districts and counties. These data were then systematically analyzed using methodologies such as Single Land-use Dynamics and Geo-informatic Tupu to reveal the characteristics of land-use transitions (LUTs), and the spatial-temporal evolution pattern over the past two decades in Putian City, China. Subsequently, socioeconomic conditions and macro policies were identified as driving factors to further explore the mechanisms behind land-use evolution in the study area through canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The findings revealed that: (1) The predominant land-use structure in Putian City consisted mainly of cultivated land and forest land, with other land types interspersed within them, while built-up land exhibited continual outward expansion. (2) Various regions within Putian City exhibited varying degrees of abandoned farmland, ultimately transforming into wasteland (grassland) with weed growth, presenting significant challenges for ensuring food security and mitigating the conversion of cultivated land to non-agricultural and non-grain uses. (3) Specific macro-economic development objectives during distinct periods, particularly urban expansion and the growth of the secondary industry resulting from municipal and county mergers, emerged as pivotal factors driving the spatial and temporal evolution of land use and influenced the differential distribution pattern across Putian City. Consequently, this study suggests bolstering scientific planning and implementing effective regulations concerning land use, and it advocates for the efficient utilization of space-time resources pertaining to cultivated land, integrating them with agriculture, culture, and tourism endeavors. Such measures are proposed to ensure the harmonized and sustainable development of the regional ecological economy.

Changes in the land-use landscape pattern and ecological network of Xuzhou planning area

Ongoing rapid urbanization has triggered significant changes in land use, rendering landscape patterns adversely impacted and certain habitat patches degraded. Ecological networks have consequently contracted overall. As such, an investigation into how land-use landscape patterns and ecological networks change over time and space is of major significance for ecological restoration and regional sustainability. Taking Xuzhou Planning Area as a case study, we examined spatiotemporal changes and features of the landscape pattern by employing the land-use change degree, the land-use transition matrix, and quantified landscape pattern indices. An ecological network analysis, which studies the changes in network connectivity and robustness, as well as their causes and contributors, was undertaken to probe into the features and trends of spatiotemporal changes in the land-use landscape pattern and ecological network amid expeditious urbanization. Analysis results unveiled the following: (1) From 1985 to 2020, there was a decline in the area of farmland, forest, and grassland, accompanied by an increase in land for construction, water bodies, and unused land. The southwestern research area witnessed farmland substantially give way to land for construction for this period, and the most dramatic change in land use occurred between 2000 and 2010. (2) The area of dominant patches in the research area shrank, along with more fragmented, complex landscapes. The land for construction was emerging as the dominant landscape by area, whereas patches of farmland, forest, grassland, and water bodies became less connected. (3) The ecological network was densely linked in the northeast, with sparser connections in the southwest. Spatial shrinkage was observed in the research area’s southwestern and central ecological corridors. Overall, the number of ecological sources and corridors rose and subsequently dropped before a rebound. (4) The ecological network grew more connected and robust from 1985 through 1990, as portions of farmland were converted into water bodies, which led to an increase in ecological sources. Given a reduction in ecological sources and corridors in the southwestern and central regions between 1990 and 2010, network connectivity and robustness declined, which was reversed from 2010 onward with the addition of two ecological sources—Pan’an Lake and Dugong Lake. With an optimal ecological network in 1990, however, it deteriorated significantly by 2010. The research area saw the minimum value of its network connectivity indices of network stability index (α), evenness index (β), and connectivity index (γ), in 2010, when its ecological network was highly fragmented and vulnerable, attributing to a strong contrast between the maximal connected subgraph’s relative size and connectivity robustness. The research findings can lay scientific groundwork for addressing ecological issues, restoring landscape patterns, and developing ecological networks amid urbanization.

Understanding the transition of community land use from shifting cultivation to cash cropping in southern Tanintharyi, Myanmar

Abstract Many tropical landscapes have experienced the loss of traditional cultivation practices as they have transitioned to other land use systems. The Tanintharyi Region of southern Myanmar is a landscape experiencing a rapid land use regime shift from traditional subsistence farming to permanent cash crop agriculture. Despite previous research in this region on the expansion of large‐scale agribusiness, such as oil palm and rubber plantations, little is known about how the small‐scale shifting cultivation system practiced by the local Karen ethnic people in Tanintharyi has changed over recent decades or the underlying reasons for this transition. Our study explores this transition process and its drivers from a social and land system change perspective in four villages of Bokpyin Township in Tanintharyi. We investigated the drivers of land cover and land use change by collecting information through focus groups and individual interviews with community members who previously practised shifting cultivation. We also quantified the overall change in land cover and land use through remote sensing analysis of Landsat 8 (2020) and declassified KH‐9 satellite imagery (1976). Prior to a period of civil war in the 1980s, cultivators used a traditional ‘slash‐and‐burn’ agricultural system for subsistence use. The present land use system is dominated by permanent betel nut cultivation, which represents the primary income source for farming households. The reported drivers of the transition to cash crop farming are greater income potential and livelihood security, risk of losing fallow land due to the needs for new cultivation areas for in‐migration and new centralized land use policies and administration after the national ceasefire agreement in 2012. The documented change in land use systems has been paired with a concurrent net loss of forest that, given the conflicted governance within the landscape, seems likely to continue without additional land use planning efforts. Our study contributes to an increased understanding of changes in shifting cultivation systems that are being documented globally. Furthermore, our example of combining qualitative interviews with analysis of historical satellite imagery to detect and explain land use regime shifts can serve as a model for future work in different landscapes. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Impact of pandemic restrictions on travel patterns in urban centres: A case-study of Dublin City, Ireland

The spread of Covid-19 and implementation of various restrictions changed how and why people travel. The present study analyzed three different modes of transportation, to understand the impact of Covid-19 mobility and land-use restrictions on chosen neighbourhoods in Dublin City, Ireland. Classification analysis, Spatial correlation analysis, and Bayesian change point analysis had been conducted using vehicle, cyclist & pedestrian count data from 44 neighbouring or collocated stations to explore the statistical changes in the traffic system characteristics. Apart from reduction in traffic counts, the other impacts were modal shift, rise in cyclist numbers, and similarity between weekday & weekend patterns observed. Analyses could identify that changes in the statistical aspects of traffic system are congruent with the changes in lockdown measures. Overall, this study presented a set of tools to identify the existence and degree of changes in traffic patterns over time due to any mobility or land-use policy changes.

Unpacking Parco Agricolo Sud through a socio-spatial production perspective

Parco Agricolo Sud is a fringe area shaped by restrictive land use regulations and its proximity to Milan. The result is an accelerated urban-rural transition with high rural spatial qualities that enables the territory to be used and envisioned from different perspectives, often colliding and contested. From that of the citizen, the administration, the farmer, and the entrepreneur. By identifying these interpretations through grounded endeavors, this article attempts to unveil new relations and local narratives shaping this territory that can contribute to reenvisioning its future and pending plan.

Participatory and Spatially Explicit Assessment to Envision the Future of Land-Use/Land-Cover Change Scenarios on Selected Ecosystem Services in Southwestern Ghana

Settlement expansion and commercial agriculture affect landscape sustainability and ecosystem service provision. Integrated landscape approaches are promoted to negotiate trade-offs between competing land uses and their reconciliation. Incorporating local perceptions of landscape dynamics as basis for such negotiations is particularly relevant for sub-Saharan Africa, where most people depend on natural ecosystems for livelihoods and well-being. This study applied participatory scenario building and spatially explicit simulation to unravel perceptions of the potential impact of rubber and settlement expansion on the provision of selected ecosystem services in southwestern Ghana under a business-as-usual scenario. We collected data in workshops and expert surveys on locally relevant ecosystem services, their indicator values, and the probable land-use transitions. The data was translated into an assessment matrix and integrated into a spatially explicit modeling platform, allowing visualization and comparison of the impact on ecosystem service provision of land-use scenarios under rubber plantation and settlement expansion. The results show the capacity of current (2020) and future land-use patterns to provide locally relevant ecosystem services, indicating a decline in capacity of ecosystem service provisioning in the future compared to the 2020 land-use patterns, a threat to the benefits humans derive from ecosystems. This highlights urgent need for policies and measures to control the drivers of land-use/land-cover change. Furthermore, the results emphasize the importance of diversifying land-use/land-cover types for sustainable landscape development. The paper contributes new insights into how spatially explicit and semi-quantitative methods can make stakeholder perceptions of landscape dynamics explicit as a basis for implementing integrated landscape approaches.

Investigation of the long-term supply–demand relationships of ecosystem services at multiple scales under SSP–RCP scenarios to promote ecological sustainability in China's largest city cluster

Ensuring ecological sustainability in urbanizing mega-regions like the Yangtze River Middle Reaches (YRMR) city cluster is crucial. Distinct dynamics in ecosystem service supply and demand (ESSD) have emerged due to land use changes, climate shifts, and policy drivers. Addressing potential imbalances and mismatches necessitates strategic ESSD regulation. However, it remains unclear how the future ESSD relationship will evolve under the combined impact of climate change and rapid urbanization. To improve demand simulation, this study examined causal links between socio-economic factors, land use, and ES demands from 2000 to 2018 using a system dynamics model. Six ES supplies and demands were simulated under the SSP-RCP scenarios in 2018–2050. Imbalances and mismatches in ESSD were assessed at grid, city, and sub-city cluster scales. The results showed sizable deficits in crop production (CP) and nature access (NA) services at three scales. A synergistic relationship between CP supply and water yield (WY) demand suggested that increased agricultural production could strain water resources. Growing demand for carbon storage (CS) and WY would worsen ESSD imbalance. To maintain long-term ESSD balance, strict carbon policies, land-use restrictions, cross-scale collaboration are needed. A tiered zoning approach based on supply-demand bundles can enhance ecosystem management in a socio-ecological context.