Proportion Of Arable Land Research Articles

Natural Resource Management in Depopulated Regions of Serbia—Birth of Rural Brownfields or Final Abandonment

Numerous research studies have long established the causes and consequences of the depopulation of certain regions in Europe, but it seems that there are no systematic approaches to implementing the policy of managing abandoned areas. Following years of demographic decline in settlements, the 2022 census revealed depopulated clusters in Serbia—regions with 20 or fewer residents or even no inhabitants at all. The areas of depopulated settlements are growing territorially from the south towards the north. This paper adopts a broader interpretation of brownfield land, defining it as any previously used land that is no longer employed for commercial purposes, serving as the theoretical foundation. Although they seem economically hopeless, some depopulated clusters have become the subject of research for the exploitation of mineral resources such as gold, copper, zinc, uranium, lithium and coal. The main problem is that depopulated clusters have acquired an ecological stability that would be disrupted by the opening of mines and massive construction. The changes in land use were analyzed using time series data and a formal database of natural resources from these communities. The primary methodological framework was based on the correlation between population size, utilized areas, and the ecological stability coefficient. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the proportion of arable land within a spatial unit and its depopulation rate while also examining how arable land and mineral resources could influence the potential revitalization of rural wastelands in Serbia’s depopulated areas. The primary findings indicate a significant correlation between population decline and changes in the natural environment of abandoned clusters, as well as the significant potential of clusters as rural brownfields. While it is natural to continue with ecological and green space projects, the current liberal and centralized mining management policy can create major problems for the remaining population.

Main characteristics of French farms adopting cereal–legume intercropping: A quantitative exploration at the national and local levels

CONTEXTCereal–legume intercropping is a diversification practice that offers many advantages, especially in low-input systems. However, its adoption remains low on European farms, as technical and economic barriers hinder its development. In recent years, an increase in the proportion of arable land cultivated with cereal–legume intercrops has been observed in France. Three areas in particular – in Western, Eastern and Southern France – seem to be particularly dynamic. OBJECTIVEThis study aimed (i) to identify the main farm characteristics associated with the presence of cereal–legume intercrops at the national level in France and (ii) to highlight more specific characteristics that could explain the particular dynamics observed in each focus region. METHODSWe analysed data from the 2020 French Agricultural Census for 43,968 farms representative of the French arable crop, livestock, and mixed crop–livestock farming systems. Through a literature review, we identified key factors linked to the presence of cereal–legume intercrops and related them to 42 variables in the census. At the national level, the most important of these variables were identified and interpreted using a balanced random forest and a classification and regression tree (CART). We tested the CART obtained at the national level in the Western, Eastern, and Southern areas and conducted a random forest analysis for each area to identify local particularities. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONAt the national level, the presence of cereal–legume intercropping was strongly linked to organic farming and the presence of livestock, especially ruminants. These intercrops were prevalent on farms with high feed autonomy for the cattle and sheep. Additionally, they were commonly observed on farms with grain storage, possibly indicating feed autonomy, on-farm transformation, or marketing outside of agricultural cooperatives. The belonging to a farm machinery cooperative was also strongly associated with cereal–legume intercropping, likely because these cooperatives give farmers access to specific machinery and provide opportunities for knowledge exchange regarding their practices. Similar characteristics were identified at the local level; organic farming was pivotal in the Western and Eastern areas, followed by feed autonomy for cattle. In the Southern area, however, on-farm grain storage capacity was dominant, likely due to longstanding efforts to achieve feed autonomy. SIGNIFICANCEThis exhaustive study on French farms identified key farm characteristics strongly linked to cereal–legume intercrops adoption. This insight is critical for promoting this practice, whether through national public policies or local farming support services. The methodology proposed can be easily reproduced to investigate other farming practices at different spatial scales.

Weather Radars Reveal Environmental Conditions for High Altitude Insect Movement Through the Aerosphere

High-flying insects that exploit tropospheric winds can disperse over far greater distances in a single generation than species restricted to below-canopy flight. However, the ecological consequences of such long-range dispersal remain poorly understood. For example, high-altitude dispersal may facilitate more rapid range shifts in these species and reduce their sensitivity to habitat fragmentation, in contrast to low-flying insects that rely more on terrestrial patch networks. Previous studies have primarily used surface-level variables with limited spatial coverage to explore dispersal timing and movement. In this study, we introduce a novel application of niche modelling to insect aeroecology by examining the relationship between a comprehensive set of atmospheric conditions and high-flying insect activity in the troposphere, as detected by weather surveillance radars (WSRs). We reveal correlations between large-scale dispersal events and atmospheric conditions, identifying key variables that influence dispersal behaviour. By incorporating high-altitude atmospheric conditions into niche models, we achieve significantly higher predictive accuracy compared with models based solely on surface-level conditions. Key predictive factors include the proportion of arable land, altitude, temperature, and relative humidity.

Land-use determines the distribution of large branchiopods in climatically homogeneous northern Pannonia

Land-use determines the distribution of large branchiopods in climatically homogeneous northern Pannonia

The impact of land use change on food security under the background of rapid urbanization - a case study of Xiamen city

Abstract China has undergone a long period of rapid urbanization from 2000 to 2020, resulted in huge conversion of arable land into built-up areas. This situation has raised concerns regarding food security, including issues like reduced food supply and challenges to achieving food self-sufficiency, particularly in certain regions and during special period. To address these issues, this study focuses on Xiamen, a rapidly urbanizing coastal city in China, and examined both the food supply and demand. On hand of the supply, this study mainly analyzed the attributes of the food availability, indicators like the food production (FP) of the ecosystem service value (ESV), per capita grain production, imports and exports along with food price were calculated. The findings revealed a significant expansion of built-up areas in Xiamen, mostly at the expense of arable land. The declining arable land coupled with population growth due to rapid urbanization contributed to a decrease in per capita grain production, drop to 6 kg in 2018, which is merely 1% of China’s average. A comparison of per capita grain production across various regions, as well as changes in China’s grain import and export, highlighted a notable discrepancy between urbanization rates and food security in Xiamen. It has become challenging for Xiamen to rely on outside for sustained food import. Therefore, it is imperative for Xiamen to implement a range of measures and policy interventions to ensure a certain level of food self-sufficiency and protect basic arable land.

Potential Reduction of Spatiotemporal Patterns of Water and Wind Erosion with Conservation Tillage in Northeast China

Conservational tillage (NT) is widely recognized globally for its efficacy in mitigating soil loss due to wind and water erosion. However, a systematic large-scale estimate of NT’s impact on soil loss reduction in Northeast, China’s primary granary, remains absent. This study aimed to investigate the spatial and temporal variability of soil erosion under NT compared to conventional tillage (CT) in the black soil region and to analyze the underlying mechanisms driving these erosions. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and the Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ) models were employed, incorporating previously published plot/watershed data to estimate the potential reduction of water and wind erosion by NT in this region. Results indicated that under CT practices, water- and wind-induced soil losses were widely distributed in the arable land of Northeast China, with intensities of 2603 t km−2 a−1 and 34 t km−2 a−1, respectively. Furthermore, the erosive processes of water and wind erosion were significantly reduced by 56.4% and 91.8%, respectively, under NT practices compared to CT. The highest efficiency in soil conservation using NT was observed in the mountainous regions such as the Changbai Mountains and Greater Khingan Mountains, where water erosion was primarily driven by cropland slopes and wind erosion was driven by the wind speed. Conversely, the largest areas of severe erosion were observed in the Songnen Plain, primarily due to the significant proportion of arable land in this region. In the plain regions, water-induced soil loss was primarily influenced by precipitation, with light and higher levels of erosion occurring more frequently on long gentle slopes (0–3°) than on higher slope areas (3–5°). In the temporal dimension, soil loss induced by water and wind erosion ceased during the winter under both tillage systems due to snow cover and water freezing in the soil combined with the extremely cold climate. Substantial reductions were observed under NT from spring to autumn compared to CT. Ultimately, the temporal and spatial variations of soil loss under CT and NT practices were established from 2010 to 2018 and then projected onto a cropland map of Northeast China. Based on this analysis, NT is recommended as most suitable practice in the southern regions of Northeast China for maintaining soil health and crop yield production, while its suitability decreases in the northern and eastern regions.

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Drivers of Carbon Storage from a Sustainable Development Perspective: A Case Study of the Region along the Middle and Lower Yellow River, China

Carbon storage (C-storage) is a critical indicator of ecosystem services, and it plays a vital role in maintaining ecological balance and driving sustainability. Its assessment provides essential insights for enhancing environmental protection, optimizing land use, and formulating policies that support long-term ecological and economic sustainability. Previous research on C-storage in the Yellow River Basin has mainly concentrated on the spatiotemporal fluctuations of C-storage and the investigation of natural influencing factors. However, research combining human activity factors to explore the influences on C-storage is limited. In this paper, based on the assessment of the spatiotemporal evolution of C-storage in the region along the Middle and Lower Yellow River (MLYR), the influences of anthropogenic and natural factors on C-storage were explored from the perspective of sustainable development. The findings reflected the relationship between socio-economic activities and the ecological environment from a sustainable development perspective, providing important scientific evidence for the formulation of sustainability policies in the region. We noticed the proportion of arable land was the highest, reaching 40%. The increase of construction land because of the fast urbanization mainly came from arable land and grassland. During the past 15 years, the cumulative loss of C-storage was 71.17 × 106 t. The high-value of C-storage was primarily situated in hilly areas, and the area of C-storage hotspots was shrinking. The aggregation effect of low-value C-storage was strengthening, while that of high-value C-storage was weakening. The dominant factors (q > 0.5) influencing the spatiotemporal variation of C-storage in the region along the Middle Yellow River (MYR) were temperature and precipitation, while the primary factor in the region along the Lower Yellow River (LYR) was temperature. Overall, meteorological factors were the main determinants across the entire study area. Additionally, compared to the MYR, anthropogenic factors had a smaller impact on the spatiotemporal evolution of C-storage in the LYR, but their influence has been increasing over time.

Lowland forest fragment characteristics and anthropogenic disturbances determine alien plant species richness and composition

Loss of habitat and biological invasion are the main threats to biodiversity. In intensive agricultural or urban landscapes, forest fragments, even if they are small and isolated represent biodiversity refugia. Environmental variables such as landscape structure, abiotic conditions and anthropogenic disturbance affect the biodiversity of the fragments. In this study, we explored plant species richness in 48 forest fragments embedded in predominantly agricultural landscapes on the alluvial plains of the Mura and Drava rivers in NE Slovenia. We determined several forest fragment characteristics such as perimeter, area, shape complexity, length and proportion of edge shared with adjacent land-cover types and anthropogenic disturbance indicated by the presence of footpaths and waste disposed in fragments. The abiotic condition of these fragments was assessed by Ellenberg indicator values. We built generalized linear models and ordination analyses to assess the importance of environmental variables for the richness and composition of alien plant species and other ecologically meaningful plant groups. Shape complexity had a consistent positive effect on the richness of native and alien plants species. Major drivers of alien plant composition in forest fragments included adjacent land-cover and urbanization level. An increasing proportion of arable land along the forest fragment perimeter negatively affected the richness of alien plants, while the effect of urban areas was positive. Our results confirmed that forest fragments in the rural–urban matrix represent biodiversity refugia and support native plant species; however, they are not resistant to invasions; instead invasion depends on the land-cover type in the surroundings of a given forest fragment.

Citizen science shows that small agricultural streams in Germany are in a poor ecological status

Agricultural pesticides, nutrients, and habitat degradation are major causes of insect declines in lowland streams. To effectively conserve and restore stream habitats, standardized stream monitoring data and societal support for freshwater protection are needed. Here, we sampled 137 small stream monitoring sites across Germany, 83 % of which were located in agricultural catchments, with >900 citizen scientists in 96 monitoring groups. Sampling was carried out according to Water Framework Directive standards as part of the citizen science freshwater monitoring program FLOW in spring and summer 2021, 2022 and 2023. The biological indicator SPEARpesticides was used to assess pesticide exposure and effects based on macroinvertebrate community composition. Overall, 58 % of the agricultural monitoring sites failed to achieve a good ecological status in terms of macroinvertebrate community composition and indicated high pesticide exposure (SPEARpesticides status class: 29 % “moderate”, 19 % “poor”, 11 % “bad”). The indicated pesticide pressure in streams was related to the proportion of arable land in the catchment areas (R2 = 0.23, p < 0.001). Also with regards to hydromorphology, monitoring results revealed that 65 % of the agricultural monitoring sites failed to reach a good status. The database produced by citizen science groups was characterized by a high degree of accuracy, as results obtained by citizen scientists and professionals were highly correlated for SPEARpesticides index (R2 = 0.79, p < 0.001) and hydromorphology index values (R2 = 0.72, p < 0.001). Such citizen-driven monitoring of the status of watercourses could play a crucial role in monitoring and implementing the objectives of the European Water Framework Directive, thus contributing to restoring and protecting freshwater ecosystems.

A New Land Use Dataset Fusion Algorithm for the Runoff Simulation Accuracy Improvement: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Basin, China

Monitoring and understanding the development of agricultural management requires fine information on multiple agricultural land use classes. According to the main data bulletin of China’s third national land survey released in 2021, the proportion of arable land in China accounts for 16% of the total land area. After excluding areas that are not suitable for development (slope greater than 25 degrees), the remaining area represents arable land affected by human activities, constituting 96.69% of the total arable land area in the country. Artificially irrigated areas are products of the intertwined interactions between the natural environment and human society. However, the original remote sensing image (China’s land use/cover datasets, CLUDs), which is designed to depict the land use and cover patterns in mainland China, categorizes arable land into two main types: paddy fields and dryland. It lacks a subdivision of artificially irrigated areas. We also found a data discrepancy of more than 10% between the statistical data of rice and the paddy field data in CLUDs. To refine land use data, and then improve the simulation accuracy of the hydrological model, this article proposes a dual-source datasets fusion algorithm, learning based on big data, namely the LUCC statistical data fusion (LUSF) algorithm for integrating the remote sensing-based cropland area dataset and statistics dataset. The runoff simulation results show that, in the Yangtze River Basin, using LUSF datasets, the mean absolute percentage error value of monthly simulated runoff decreased by 0.74%, and the root mean square error value decreased by 0.22 million m3. At the basin scale, the absolute error of the simulated runoff is reduced by an average of 433 million m3 per year, and 36 million m3 every month. The LUSF datasets corrected the canopy interception coefficient effectively; the runoff simulation error was reduced by 2.96 billion m3/a. In the past 40 years, the runoff variation in Dongting Lake and Hanjiang River has been most strongly impacted by changes in the underlying surface. These results reveal that the new data fusion method has some significant improvement over the original method, applicable to the runoff simulation disturbed by strong human activities.

What can we learn from the past? Tracking sustainability indicators for the Swedish dairy sector over 30 years

CONTEXTThe dairy sector has undergone profound transformation over recent decades, resulting in considerably fewer but larger and more specialised farms, with unclear implications across sustainability dimensions. OBJECTIVEThe objective was to develop and employ a framework for assessing sustainability in the Swedish dairy sector to shed light on how recent historical developments (1990–2020) have influenced sustainability outcomes. METHODSUsing a data-driven, multidisciplinary approach, main areas of concern for sustainability in the primary production stages of the dairy sector were identified. These were then populated with indicators to track developments over time and highlight synergies and trade-offs. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSFour areas of concern were identified and populated with eight indicators (listed in brackets): ‘supporting ecosystems’ (semi-natural grassland area, ley area, mean field size), ‘climate impact’ (methane from enteric fermentation), ‘animal welfare’ (veterinary treatments, percentage of culled cows due to diseases) and ‘farm viability’ (competitive wages, farmer age structure). The results showed that area of semi-natural grassland per dairy cow decreased by 27% from 2003 to 2020. Area of ley per cow decreased slightly but the proportion of arable land on dairy farms devoted to ley cultivation increased, due to improved roughage quality enabling an increase in proportion of roughage in feed rations. In terms of climate impact, enteric methane emissions per kg milk decreased by 21%. Regarding animal welfare, veterinary treatments of diseases decreased from 45% to 21% over the 30 years, with declining trends for most recorded diseases except hoof disease. The indicators for farm viability showed that the average dairy farm was unable to pay a wage comparable to the national average throughout most of the period 2004–2020, but a slightly positive trend was observed, although with large year-on-year variability. A rapid change in age structure was seen between 2003 and 2020, with the proportion of land managed by older farmers (+60 years) increasing from 12% to 22%, indicating challenges with demographic viability. SIGNIFICANCETracking changes over time across sustainability dimensions gives important insights into improvements made and challenges that remain to be solved. Overall, developments in the Swedish dairy sector have diminished its capacity to support ecosystems, particularly related to semi-natural grasslands, while reducing its climate impacts and improving animal welfare. An increased specialisation has also resulted in spillover effects where services and impacts have shifted from dairy herds to specialised beef herds. These findings are important in navigating policy processes targeting developments in the dairy sector.

Spatial and temporal driving mechanisms of ecosystem service trade-off/synergy in national key urban agglomerations: A case study of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration in China

Spatial and temporal driving mechanisms of ecosystem service trade-off/synergy in national key urban agglomerations: A case study of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration in China

Impact of urbanization on morbidity of hepatitis A: a national panel study in China during 2005–2018

BackgroundThe effect of urbanization on the morbidity of hepatitis A remains unclear. We aimed to estimate the association between various urbanization-related indices and hepatitis A morbidity in China.MethodsData on the annual morbidity of hepatitis A, urbanization-related measures (i.e., gross domestic product per capita, the number of hospitalization beds per 1000 persons, illiteracy rate, tap water coverage, motor vehicles per 100 persons, population density, and the proportion of arable land), and meteorological factors in 31 provincial-level administrative divisions of Chinese mainland during 2005–2018 were collected from the National Population and Health Science Data Sharing Platform, China Statistical Yearbooks, and the China Meteorological Data Sharing Service System, respectively. Generalized linear mixed models were applied to quantify the impacts of different urbanization-related indices on the morbidity of hepatitis A in China after adjusting for covariates.ResultsA total of 537,466 hepatitis A cases were reported in China during 2005–2018. The annual morbidity had a decline of 79.4% from 5.64 cases to 1.16 cases per 100,000 people. There were obvious spatial variations with higher morbidity in western China. Nationally, gross domestic product per capita and the number of hospitalization beds per 1000 persons increased from 14,040 to 64,644 CNY and from 2.45 to 6.03 during 2005–2018, respectively. The illiteracy rate decreased from 11.0 to 4.9%. Gross domestic product per capita [relative risk (RR) = 0.96, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.92–0.99], and the number of hospitalization beds per 1000 persons (RR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.75–0.83) were associated with the declined morbidity of hepatitis A. By contrast, the increased morbidity of hepatitis A was linked to the illiteracy rate (RR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02–1.06). Similar influential factors were detected for children and adults, with greater effects witnessed for children.ConclusionsPeople in the western region suffered the heaviest burden of hepatitis A in Chinese mainland. Nationally, there was a sharp decline in the morbidity of hepatitis A. The urbanization process was associated with the reduction of hepatitis A morbidity in China during 2005–2018.Graphical

Potential distribution of Melanagromyza sojae in South America and current situation in Argentina

AbstractThe Asian soybean stem borer Melanagromyza sojae (Zehntner) (Diptera: Agromyzidae) represents a threat to soybean and chickpea crops in South America. It is known that in the region its population has increased, in part, due to the difficulty in its agronomic management. This is due to the lack of knowledge regarding its biology and the environments that are favorable for its establishment. In this study, we provide a comprehensive database of records of M. sojae, as well as an updated list of its host plants from field surveys, bibliographic review, and online databases. We estimated the suitability and potential distribution of the pest considering environmental information from remote sensors and bioclimatic variables and contrasted these against land‐use cover across South America. In Argentina, M. sojae was found developing on Tithonia tubaeformis (Jacq.) Cass. (Asteraceae), surviving in chickpeas and volunteer soybeans that were affected by winter frost. The most informative models and highest suitability were predicted from vegetation indices and bioclimatic variables, and coincided with sites having a high proportion of arable land. Regarding climate, the greatest suitability occurred in eastern South America, including the southern states of Brazil and Paraguay, where the final models recovered the current known distribution of the species on the continent. However, its extension may be even greater than predicted, due to the wide distribution range of its hosts. This characterization of suitability for M. sojae could be a useful resource to anticipate the regions that are most favorable for its presence and supports the need to consider the distribution of crops and host plants that could act as natural reservoirs to identify sites and streamline efforts to reduce the incidence of the pest.

Agricultural Land Use Changes as a Driving Force of Soil Erosion in the Velika Morava River Basin, Serbia

The erosion potential model was applied to estimate the soil erosion status of rural settlements during the years 1971 and 2011. We used univariate and bivariate local Moran’s I indices to detect and visualize the spatial clustering of settlements with respect to changes in erosion intensity and agricultural land use, as well as their mutual spatial correlation. The study area was differentiated into four statistically significant clusters using the calculated bivariate local Moran’s I indices. The statistical analysis examined the two largest clusters, i.e., the high–high and low–low clusters, and the results of the research indicate that the first four principal components explained 70.50% and 73.47% of the total variance, respectively. In the high–high cluster, the low rates of erosion reduction (average Index Z = 98) in the most significant types of rural settlements were determined according to demographic indicators (i.e., the higher population vitality and population density, the smaller share of the old population and the lower average age of the population) and the large proportion of arable land and Neogene sediments. In the low–low cluster, high erosion reduction rates were detected (average index Z = 64). In this cluster, the more statistically significant influence of natural conditions in combination with demographic–agrarian processes (i.e., the larger share of the old population, the higher average age of the population, the lower vitality index and deagrarization) were decisive factors in changing erosion intensity.

Using the colour of recent overbank sediment deposits in two large catchments to determine sediment sources for targeting mitigation of catchment-specific management issues

Using the colour of recent overbank sediment deposits in two large catchments to determine sediment sources for targeting mitigation of catchment-specific management issues

STUDY ON THE SPATIOTEMPORAL DIFFERENTIATION CHARACTERISTICS OF “MOUNTAINS, RIVERS, FORESTS, FIELDS, LAKES, AND GRASS CITIES” IN THE TAI’AN SECTION OF THE YELLOW RIVER BASIN

The natural environment of the Tai’an section of the Yellow River Basin is complex and diverse, the land use function and structure have distinct regional and cultural characteristics. This article is based on literature review, field research and remote sensing image interpretation to construct an analysis variable database. Based on models such as land use dynamics and transfer matrix, the spatiotemporal differentiation and variation characteristics in this area are analyzed. Discovery: ①As a representative area with significant natural background characteristics of “mountain water field”, forest land, cultivated land, and water bodies constitute the main matrix and corridor of land use. ②Over time, the distribution and composition of the spatial distribution in the Tai’an section of the Yellow River Basin have undergone significant changes. The proportion of arable land, forest land and grassland areas to the total land use area has decreased overall, the proportion of building land, water bodies, and unused land has increased. Over 20s, the spatial distribution structure and composition in the study area have undergone significant changes. ③Between 2000 and 2020, cultivated land and construction land constituted the main body and background of land use conversion in this area. This study can provide reference for promoting the coordinated development in the Tai’an section of the Yellow River Basin.

How Does Topography Affect the Value of Ecosystem Services? An Empirical Study from the Qihe Watershed.

Topographic position indices (TPIs) measure essential impacts on ecosystem service supply capacity. The identification of changes in ecosystem services and value metrics under varying TPIs has become a topical subject of global change research. Multidimensional changes in spatiotemporal and geographical aspects of ecosystem service values (ESVs) are assessed in this article using land cover/use data from 2000–2015. Effects of land-use/cover changes and topographic indices on ESVs are explored using the Chinese terrestrial unit area ecosystem service value equivalence table combined with topographic factors. A sensitivity index is introduced to quantify the robustness of total ESV to land-use/cover and topographic indices. The results show that: (1) The total ESV in the Qihe watershed declined with a change in land-use/cover during the period 2000–2015. The maximum ESV was CNY 1.984 billion in 2005 and the minimum was CNY 1.940 billion in 2010; (2) The response of ESV to land/use cover varied greatly across TPIs, with the most significant change in ESV occurring in the 0.6–0.8 TPI range and the greatest change in a single ecosystem service occurred in water areas; (3) The sensitivity indices of ESVs are all less than 1. The sensitivity indices of unused land and water tended to zero. Woodland sensitivity indices were the highest at 0.53, followed by those of arable land and grassland, owing to the large proportion of arable land and grassland areas in the overall area of land-use categories.

Effects of Farmland Landscape Fragmentation on Agricultural Irrigation in Hotan Oasis

Farmland landscape fragmentation is an important problem affecting the agricultural modernization process in China. However, farmland landscape fragmentation leads to land being wasted and increases management costs, particularly in the dryland’s oasis regions. Therefore, investigating the impact of farmland landscape fragmentation on agricultural irrigation is of great significance in developing oasis agriculture. This paper used the landscape quantitative index (DIVISION), the moving window method, and gradient analysis methods to study the temporal and spatial pattern changes in farmland fragmentation in the Hotan Oasis. Additionally, the impact of fragmentation on irrigation in the oasis was elaborated upon by exploring the relationship between evapotranspiration and its components in farmland fragmentation. The results showed that the farmland area of the Hotan Oasis increased from 1546.19 km2 in 2000 to 2068.23 km2 in 2020, and farmland landscape fragmentation increased with the expansion of the Hotan Oasis. In addition, a significant relationship between farmland fragmentation and evapotranspiration and its components was evident. A lower DIVISION value corresponded to a higher ET value, a lower ETs/ETc ratio, and a higher water use efficiency. When the total farmland area is assumed to remain unchanged, the irrigation water consumption is reduced by 4.82 × 108 m3 according to the size and proportion of arable land with the lowest degree of fragmentation (L1, division value of 0.46). In addition, with the increase in the proportion of farmland, the scale of oasis decreases by 2431.56 km2 for the reduction in field roads, shelterbelt, and bare land. These findings suggest that solving the problem of farmland fragmentation can effectively reduce irrigation water consumption, realize the internal expansion of the oasis through intensive land use, and relieve the pressure of the external expansion of the oasis.

Land loss, confiscation, arability and colonisation: the experience of iwi in Aotearoa New Zealand

This article examines the history of land alienation experienced by Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand across different iwi (tribes), exploring the connection between land loss and arability. The analysis uses geospatial data of Māori landholdings through time and explores the relationship that they have with Land Use Capability, a summary measure of the land’s economic potential. Two related factors are found to determine the variation of land alienation between iwi: (a) the arable profile of Māori land within the rohe (traditional land boundaries or territories) of an iwi and (b) the experience that iwi had with land confiscation. Iwi who held a large proportion of arable land and those that experienced land confiscations were more likely to experience land alienation. These findings reaffirm the historical narrative that Māori land suitable for arable use was targeted for alienation and illustrates the role of colonisation in perpetuating the historic trauma caused by these events.