Role Of Land Use Research Articles

Deciphering land‐use influences on boreal lakes to guide landscape planning

Abstract Changes in natural land cover have been pronounced in the last 12,000 years, and land use has intensified in the last century owing to anthropogenic pressures on landscapes. This trend has led to concomitant changes in the abiotic templates and biotic communities of different ecosystems embedded in a landscape. Deciphering the role of land use is key to understand ecological change in boreal landscapes. These landscapes are characterized by large numbers of lakes that have been affected by various anthropogenic factors, of which land use has considerable direct and indirect effects on lakes. In this review, we focus on land use impacts on boreal lakes in a historical perspective. We will consider lake features related to abiotic conditions, biological communities and ecosystem services, and provide potential solutions for planning lake management and conservation in a landscape setting. More specifically, we propose a novel way to characterize lake abiotic, biotic and ecosystem service features by applying the alpha, beta and gamma concept used widely in ecological research. Finally, we highlight situations where this approach could be a valuable addition to existing means to identify lakes that should be reserved for ecosystem services (‘lake‐sharing’) and those that are vital for protecting aquatic biodiversity (‘lake‐sparing’).

Role of land use in China’s urban energy consumption: based on a deep clustering network and decomposition analysis

Role of land use in China’s urban energy consumption: based on a deep clustering network and decomposition analysis

The effects of urban land use on energy-related CO2 emissions in China

Land use change caused by urbanization is widely believed to be the primary way human activities affect energy use and, thus, CO2 emissions (CEs) in China. However, there is a limited understanding of the role of land use with detailed categories in energy-related CEs is still absent. This paper aims to narrow the knowledge gap using multi-dimension metrics, including land use scale, mixture, and intensity. These metrics were derived from three years of sequential POI data. A GWR analysis was carried out to examine the associations between land use change and energy-related CEs. Our results show that (1) the scale of most land use types exerted a bidirectional effect on CEs, demonstrating apparent spatiotemporal heterogeneity; (2) land use mixture of mature city agglomerations had a significant suppressive effect on CEs, suggesting mixed land use be advocated in the urbanization process; (3) Land use intensity had a bi-directional association with CEs in most cities, but its adverse effect gradually spread from the west to the northeast. Therefore, systematically regulating land transaction to control land scale, appropriately interplanting biofuel plants, and utilizing renewable energy are encouraged to reduce energy footprints and mitigate CEs in China. The findings and conclusions of this paper enhance our knowledge on the relationship between land use and CEs and present the scientific basis for policy-making in building low-carbon cities in the context of rapidly urbanizing China.

Analysing the role of land use and land cover changes in increasing urban heat phenomenon in Chandannagar city, West Bengal, India

Analysing the role of land use and land cover changes in increasing urban heat phenomenon in Chandannagar city, West Bengal, India

Land use as a major factor of riverine nitrate in a semi-arid farming-pastoral ecotone: New insights from multiple environmental tracers and molecular signatures of DOM

The nitrogen contamination in rivers has become significant concern in arid and semiarid areas due to water resource shortage and extensive anthropogenic activities in relation to land-use changes in China. As a major nitrogen species, identifying driving factors, transformation and sources of nitrate is crucial for managing nitrogen pollution in rivers. In this study, nitrate sources and transformations were deciphered using physicochemical variables, molecular signature of dissolved organic matter and coupled isotopes of nitrate under different land use types in the Yang River, a typical farming-pastoral ecotone in the semi-arid area of North China. The results of river water showed a significant positive correlation between NO3− concentrations, δ15N-NO3− values and percentage of urban land and cropland, which confirmed the critical role of land use in the variations of riverine nitrate. The correlation between dissolved organic matter composition (aliphatic and lignin-like compounds) and NO3−/Cl− ratios as well as Cl− concentrations verified the effect of agricultural activities on nitrate source and transport. The variation in water chemical variables and dual isotopes of nitrate in river and soil extracts (δ15N-NO3− and δ18O-NO3−) was indicative of the concurrence of in-soil nitrification process and assimilation, whereas denitrification was inhibited under aerobic conditions in the semiarid area. The Bayesian model revealed that about 60% of nitrate was derived from non-point sources (manure, soil organic nitrogen and chemical fertilizer) and 36% from sewage. Although urban is not the major land-use type in the farming-pastoral ecotone, sewage contributed to about 36% of nitrate. The source identification of nitrate stresses the importance of the management of non-point pollution and demand for sewage treatment facilities in the farming-pastoral ecotone. This multiple-tracer approach will help gain deeper insights into nitrogen management in semi-arid areas with extensive human disturbance.

Real-time variabilities in microplastic abundance and characteristics of urban surface runoff and sewer overflow in wet weather as impacted by land use and storm factors

Urban surface runoff (USR) and drainage system overflows during wet weather (WWF) play a key role in shaping water pollution. Particularly, the impact of large amounts of microplastic pollution on urban water bodies is unclear. We conducted an in-field investigation in six central urban drainage systems along Suzhou Creek in the Shanghai megacity of China and identified the impacts of storm factors and land use on the real-time dynamic changes in microplastic abundance and characteristics in USR and WWF. Microplastic abundances ranged from 228.3 ± 105.4–4969.51 ± 348.8, 309.3 ± 144.3–5195.8 ± 425.5, and 130.0 ± 30.0–8500.0 ± 1241.0 particles/L in the traffic and residential catchment USR, and the WWF, respectively. Under similar storm factor conditions, we observed correlations between environmental factors and microplastic abundance, especially the polymer type, verifying the significant role of land use. The microplastic abundance were 90.2 particles/L higher in the traffic catchment USR than in the residential catchment USR. Notably, we found unique microplastic polymers comprising ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer and thermoplastic elastomers in the residential and traffic catchment USR, respectively. However, land use had a minimum impact on the size and shape of microplastics: small-sized and film microplastics dominated in both USR types. We found statistical evidence of the widespread correlations between microplastic abundance and storm factors (accumulated storm depth and WWF flow) in both USR and WWF. The first flush phenomenon of microplastic dynamics was found in both USR and WWF. Microplastic characteristics also changed dynamically with storm time. With heavy storm factors, polypropylene and small-sized (<1 mm) microplastics in USR events increased and then decreased. This was also true for WWF events in granular and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics. Our results can facilitate the targeted mitigation of emerging pollutants to enhance stormwater management strategies and prevent future contamination.

Changes in quantity and quality of dissolved organic carbon in purple soil: Roles of land use and soil depth

AbstractDissolved organic carbon (DOC) is the substrate for microbial activities and regulates the biogeochemical cycle of carbon. Considerable areas of croplands have been converted to secondary forest and economic plantation following the implementation of Grain‐for‐Green Program projects in China, markedly altering the quantity and quality of topsoil DOC. However, the extent and magnitude of these land use changes affecting soil DOC remain largely unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of different land uses and soil depths on topsoil DOC quantity and quality. Soil samples were collected from secondary forest (SF), orchards/plantations (OP), and cropland (CL) at 0–5, 5–10, 10–15, and 15–20 cm soil depths, respectively, from a representative purple soil hillslope, Southwest China. Soil DOC concentration and related UV–visible absorbance characteristics were determined to assesss respectively the quantity and quality of DOC. Results showed that DOC concentration was 44% lower in the OP than in the SF and CL. Higher ratios of UV absorbance value at 254, 260, and 400 nm to DOC concentration (i.e., SUAV254, SUVA260, and C:C ratio), electronic conductivity (EC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil organic carbon (SOC), and total nitrogen (TN) concentration were found in the OP rather than in the SF and CL. The SUAV254, SUVA260, SOC, and TN concentration were the highest at 0–5 cm soil depth. DOC concentration showed negative relationships with most UV absorbance values, SUAV254, SUVA260, and C:C ratio. Soil EC, CEC, and pH were closely correlated with the DOC concentration and its UV–visible variables. Our results indicated that DOC was relatively richer in aromatic and humic substances in the OP, providing valuable information for sustainable ecological restoration and land use management.

Three hypotheses on changing river flood hazards

Abstract. There is serious concern that the hazard, or probability, of river floods is increasing over time. Starting from narratives that are sometimes discussed in public, the article addresses three hypotheses. The first suggests that land-use changes, such as deforestation, urbanisation and soil compaction by agriculture, increase flood hazards. This review finds that land-use effects on floods are particularly pronounced in small catchments since soil permeability plays an important role in infiltration at this scale. For regional floods, and the most extreme events, land use is usually not the most important control, since areas of soil saturation play a greater role in runoff generation, which are less dependent on soil permeability. The second hypothesis suggests that hydraulic interventions and structures, such as river training, levees and dams, increase flood hazards. This review finds that hydraulic structures have the greatest impact on events of medium magnitude, associated with return periods of tens to hundreds of years, and that their effects are usually local. Long-term interactions between humans and floods must be taken into account when predicting future flood hazards. The third hypothesis suggests that climate change increases flood hazard. This review finds that, in small catchments of a few hectares, flood hazards may increase due to convective storms. In large catchments, where regional floods occur, changes are not necessarily directly related to precipitation, nor are they directly related to rising air temperatures, but are determined by the seasonal interplay of soil moisture, snow and extreme precipitation via runoff generation. Increases and decreases in flood hazards have been observed worldwide. It is concluded that significant progress has been made in recent years in understanding the role of land use, hydraulic structures and climate in changing river flood hazards. It is crucial to consider all three factors of change in flood risk management and communicate them to the general public in a nuanced way.

Ecology and Its Influences on Land Use and Ownership in Pre-colonial Mwea

For decades, land use and ownership has remained an emotive issue in the modern history of Kenya and more so in frontier areas like Mwea, whose land use and ownership contests date back to the pre-colonial period. The sensitivity of this topic has created interest among scholars of different disciplines who avail information, particularly on the current causes of land-related conflict in Kenya. However, these studies tend to overlook the key role of ecology and geographical features in influencing land use and ownership among African communities. The ecological uniqueness of Mwea was a key factor that not only influenced land use and ownership in the Plain but also land-related conflicts before the advent of British colonizers. In terms of geographical location, Mwea Plain stood attractive to diverse communities and its neighbourhoods. Surrounded by marginal lands, safe for the northern side, the plain with its unique environment of open grassland in some areas, and bushes in others, in addition to the many rivers and streams that watered most parts of the plain, served to attract many communities whose interest was not only to utilize the ecology but to put claim to the land with such a wonderful ecology. Therefore, this paper examines ecology's role in land use and ownership in Mwea in the pre-colonial era.

Identifying the Underlying Factors and Variables Governing Macronutrients in Cultivated Tropical Peatland Using Regression Tree Approach

The capability of machine learning/ML algorithms to analyze the effect of human and environmental factors and variables in controlling soil nutrients has been profoundly studied over the last decades. Unfortunately, ML utilization to estimate macronutrients and their governing factors in cultivated tropical peat soil are extremely scarce. In this study, we trained regression tree/RT, ML-based pedotransfer models to predict total N, P, and K in peat soils based on oil palm/OP and OP+bush datasets. Our results indicated that the dataset might contain outliers, non-linear relationships, and heteroscedasticity, allowing RT-based models to perform better compared to multiple linear regression/MLR models (as a benchmark) in estimating total N and P in both datasets, contrastingly, not in K. The difference of important variables in each RT-based model partially showed the vital role of land use in nutrient modeling in peat. The depth of sample collection, organic C, and ash content became the prominent factor and variables in regulating the entire predicted nutrients. Meanwhile, the distance from the oil palm tree and pH were the salient features of total P prediction models in OP and OP+bush sites, respectively. This study proposed employing ML-based pedotransfer models in analyzing and interpreting complex tropical peat data as an alternative to linear-based regression. Our initial study also shed more light on the development possibility of the pedotransfer models that agricultural practician, researchers, companies, and farmers can use to predict macronutrients, both in tabular and spatial terms, in cultivated tropical peatlands

Effects of land use, meteorology, and hydrology on nutrients, biochemical indexes, and heavy metals in Qingjiang River Basin, China

Land use, meteorology, and hydrology can critically influence the water quality in rivers. However, few studies have comprehensively assessed the influences of these factors on nutrients, biochemical indexes, and heavy metals. In this study, water samples were collected monthly from 10 sampling sites in a headwater region of Qingjiang River Basin from 2016 to 2020. Nutrients, biochemical indexes, and heavy metals were analyzed to explore their spatial-temporal distributions, identify the significance of pollution types, and study the effects of land use, meteorology, and hydrology on water quality. The results indicated that there were significant spatial differences for nutrients and biochemical indexes, while significant seasonal differences for heavy metals in the study area. The seasonal Manne-Kendall test suggested there were increasing trends of nutrients, while relatively stable trends of biochemical indexes and decreasing trends of heavy metals during the study period. The principal component analysis showed nutrients were the key pollution type in urban areas, while biochemical indexes were the key pollution type near the dam. The redundant analysis indicated that explained rates of land use compositions on the water quality were in the order: riparian buffer zones > sub-watershed zones > upstream circle buffer zones > Thiessen polygons zones. The explained rates were larger during the wet season than the dry season except for upstream circle buffer zones, which might be the result of diverse influences of the precipitation on different land use types. The classification and regression tree model showed nutrients were more affected by urban compositions, and biochemical indexes were influenced by both the precipitation and agriculture compositions. The nonparametric change point analysis further indicated total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and potassium permanganate index would increase abruptly when urban compositions were above 3.7%, 9.94%, and agriculture compositions were above 36.55% respectively at the 900 m riparian buffer zone. Cu, Pb, and As, however, were more associated with the precipitation, and they might decrease abruptly when the precipitation was above 4.68 mm. The results highlighted the inconsistent role of land use, meteorology, and hydrology on different water quality indexes, which can provide the scientific basis for the management of the water environment in rivers.

The loss of peri-urban agricultural land and the state-local tensions in managing its demise: The case of Greater Western Sydney, Australia

Cities globally have witnessed rapid growth, with the world’s population becoming more urban than rural over the last decade. In Australia, this has led to rapid urban expansion into the peri-urban fringes to provide housing and services for its population. The subsequent loss of agricultural land is largely seen as a market driven process, however increasing attention has been given to the contributory role of land use planning policy, systems, and public actors in specific contexts. This study examines the drivers of peri-urban agricultural land loss in Greater Western Sydney (GWS), one of the fastest growing peri-urban regions in Australia, with a particular attention on the role of government agencies. Drawing together a comprehensive set of quantitative and qualitative data, we chart the various tensions in managing population growth and housing pressures whilst at the same time seeking to protect existing peri-urban agricultural land. The research sheds light on the size, value, and extent of peri-urban agricultural activity in GWS. It then shows the extent to which such land is being converted to more profitable end uses, like housing. It contends that competing housing priorities and private market interests will continue to take precedence, unless the current pro-urbanisation narrative and associated political priorities change. To this end, the study also found evidence that the rapid succession of shocks and stresses experienced in city regions such as Sydney has now led to some fruitful questioning of that agenda, and the placing of urban growth imperatives above the preservation of agricultural and rural lands, and other natural resources.

A prototype machine learning residential land-use classifier using housing market dynamics

There is ample evidence of the role of land use and transportation interactions in determining urban spatial structure. The increased digitization of human activity produces a wealth of new data that can support longitudinal studies of changes in land-value distributions and integrated urban microsimulation models. To produce a comprehensive dataset, information from various sources needs to be merged at the land-parcel level to enhance datasets with additional attributes, while maintaining the ease of data storage and retrieval and respecting spatial and temporal relationships. This paper proposes a prototype of a workflow to augment a historical dataset of real estate transactions with data from multiple urban sources and to use machine learning to classify land use of each record based on housing market dynamics. The study finds that engineered parcel-level attributes, capturing housing market dynamics, have stronger predictive power than aggregated socio-economic variables, for classifying property land use.

Impacts of Different Land Use Scenarios on Future Global and Regional Climate Extremes

Land use and land cover change (LULCC) alters the character of the land surface and directly impacts the climate. The impacts of LULCC on historical and future climate have been largely investigated, mostly using simulations with or without land use change. However, it is still not clear to what extent the projections of future climate change depend on the choice of land use scenario, which can provide important guidance on using land use and land management as a tool for regional climate mitigation. Here, using ten Earth system models participating in future land use policy sensitivity experiments in Land Use Model Intercomparison Project (LUMIP), we assessed the impact of two different land use scenarios (SSP1-2.6 and SSP3-7.0) on extreme climate. The results demonstrate that the use of different land use change scenarios has a substantial effect on the projections of regional climate extreme changes. Our study also reveals that, compared with other anthropogenic forcings, land use change has a considerable contribution to regional temperature extreme changes, with the contribution ranging from −14.0% to 10.3%, and the contribution to regional precipitation extreme change is larger, with a range of −118.4~138.8%. The global climate effects of land use change are smaller in magnitude than regional effects, with a small (5%) contribution to temperature extreme change. We also found a large spread in the model’s responses to LULCC, especially for precipitation extremes, suggesting that observation-based studies on reducing models’ uncertainties are needed to obtain more robust future projections of regional climate change. Our study highlights the essential role of land use and land management strategies in future regional climate mitigation.

The Role of Land Use Planning in Urban Transport to Mitigate Climate Change: A Literature Review

With the growing urbanisation phenomenon, ambitious policy interventions are needed to limit transport-related greenhouse gas emissions in urban areas. Cities are a predominant source of pollution, with urban transport contributing significantly to emissions. To address climate change, decision-makers must implement appropriate and effective mitigation instruments. This literature review focuses on the different approaches and supporting measures of urban transport land-use planning, such as mixed-used zoning plans and the compact city approach. These solutions can increase the modal shift towards zero emissions transport options. They can also reduce reliance on private vehicles and bring co-benefits and positive externalities to urban residents. Many barriers exist for policymakers, such as financial limitations or institutional immobility. Nevertheless, innovative approaches such as Artificial Intelligence and Mobility-as-a-service provide new perspectives for policymakers and can be helpful in the fight against climate change.

Human–elephant conflict and land cover change in Sri Lanka

Human–elephant conflict (HEC) is a key environmental issue in number of Asian countries, including Sri Lanka. Incidents of HEC have significantly increased in Sri Lanka between 1991 and 2018, with 1734 human deaths reported in this period (281% increase), 4837 elephant deaths (1172% increase), 1053 human injuries (140% increase) and more than 23,000 property damage reports (1406% increase). In this study we present a Sri Lanka wide analysis to explore the role of land use and land cover change (LULCC) in relation to HEC, using official government data and a land cover change dataset (1993–2018) recently developed by the authors using satellite imagery from the Landsat archive. We investigated rates of HEC over time and compared these to rates of LULCC over the same period. We also present spatial analytics of HEC and LULCC, as well as determining hotspots of HEC and LULCC using a kernel density estimator. Annual HEC incidents were found to broadly increase in line with land use change events (r = 0.43, p < 0.05). Human deaths, elephant deaths, human injuries and property damage hotspots show distinct spatial patterns: human deaths and injuries being more concentrated in the North West, Polonnaruwa and Ampara, wildlife regions; while elephant deaths are spread throughout the HEC region and property damage is high in the Central, Polonnaruwa Anuradhapura, North West, and Southern wildlife regions. We found a strong negative correlation between HEC location and distance to LULCC events. In total, 98% HEC occurred within 1 km of an area that experienced recent LULCC Since 2017, the primary HEC hotspots have shifted to the south and east of the country in concert with LULCC. These countrywide perspectives could help inform HEC mitigation strategies in Sri Lanka and other countries facing similar human-wildlife challenges.

Utilization of Organic Waste and Soil Microorganisms in Compost Making and its Application in Hybrid Corn Cultivation in the Middle School Environment in Medan City

The existence of educational institutions is very important and strategic to educate a quality generation. The target of this service program is junior high school in Medan, namely MTs P.P. Raudhatul Hasanah at the Ar-Raudlatul Hasanah Islamic Boarding School in Medan. Waste management and utilization and through the provision of soil microorganisms into compost and its role in land use through hybrid maize cultivation in the MTs P.P. school environment. Raudhatul Hasanah .. In addition, the need for the application of hybrid maize cultivation in the MTs P.P. school environment. Raudhatul Hasanah. Availability of organic waste treatment facilities as a means to process waste into compost. In addition, the USU PPM proposing team will provide multipurpose bins for the MTs P.P. school environment. Raudhatul Hasanah. The proposing team will practice compost processing and safeguarding hybrid corn in the school area. It is expected that later it will provide good direct benefits in the form of good food crops in the form of indirect benefits as knowledge and practice of MTs P.P. students. Raudhatul Hasanah. Partner involvement through community service programs by the community service team of MTs students. P.P. Raudhatul Hasanah is very high. This is indicated by the willingness of MTs school students. P.P. Raudhatul Hasanah was very enthusiastic and the active participation of students who attended the program was very satisfying. In addition this activity also helps MTs school students. P.P. Raudhatul Hasanah in studying and knowing waste management and its use through counseling and demonstrations. The success of the program in schools in MTs P.P. Raudhatul Hasanah Medan is largely determined by the participation of partners at each stage of the activities carried out. Partners namely schools in MTs P.P. Raudhatul Hasanah Medan really helped the implementation of community service programs in the USU community.

Investigating factors influencing takeout shopping demand under COVID-19: Generalized additive mixed models.

The COVID-19 pandemic severely hampered the freedom of shopping travel while increasing individuals’ interest in takeout. Although many studies have examined takeout shopping, the available literature provides insufficient evidence on the factors influencing takeout shopping demand under the COVID-19. In this study, generalized additive mixed models were developed based on sampling data of takeout orders in Nanjing before, during, and post the pandemic to measure the associations between takeout shopping demand and neighborhood characteristics at the business circle scale. The results show that population density, house prices, road density, and catering all have a significant impact on takeout shopping demand, while the roles of land use (residential and company indexes) before and post the pandemic are opposite. Besides, the factors influencing the recovery of the demand before and after the pandemic were analyzed. These findings provide important insights into the development of the takeout industry in the post-pandemic era.

Influence of land cover types and phytoplankton community on the distribution and fate of dissolved organic matter in a typical river located in the semi-arid regions of China

Land use can impact dissolved organic matter (DOM) dynamics directly by changing terrestrial loading in anthropogenic areas, and indirectly by promoting in-situ phytoplankton production due to the high load of nutrients. However, understanding how land use and phytoplankton community interact to affect DOM quantity and quality is deficient. To tease apart the synergistic effects of land use and phytoplankton on DOM dynamics, fluorescence spectroscopy with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) and mediation analysis was performed in this study. PARAFAC produced three components that had two humic-like (C1 and C2) and a protein-like (C3) fluorescent components, significantly related to anthropogenic land-use (cropland + urban area) and phytoplankton concentration (p < 0.05). Through the mediation analysis, the altered C1 and C3 at sites with a higher proportion of anthropogenic land-use appeared to originate partly as a result of the phytoplankton production fueled by a high load of nutrients from anthropogenic run-off (26.6% and 12.5%). These results suggested phytoplankton significantly mediated the effects of land use on microbial humic-like and protein-like DOM. Additionally, Redundancy analysis (RDA) results further showed that Phormidium (Cyanophyta) had a notable influence on the production of the protein-like component via phytoplankton. Conversely, the decreases in terrestrial humic-like C2 were mainly attributed to the reduced terrestrial loading in anthropogenic areas. These findings provide insights into the roles of land use and phytoplankton communities in DOM dynamics and advance our understanding of the mechanisms that drive DOM composition patterns.

Prediction of qualitative parameters concentration in the groundwater resources using the Bayesian approach

The instruments that help decision-makers for evaluating the quality of groundwater resources are necessary. This study introduces a Bayesian network to simulate and predict the nitrate and TDS concentrations as two quality parameters affecting water consumption. For this purpose, various quantitative and qualitative predictor variables were evaluated using different scenarios. For simulation the TDS, the predictor variables were determined with the correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.86 which are sodium chloride, chloride, drawdown, return flow, and precipitation. Nitrate was simulated using concentrations of sulfate, calcium, hardness, electric conductivity, drawdown, aquifer recharge, return flow from consumption, groundwater exploitation, and precipitation according to an R2 of 0.81. Considering the role of land use in the quality of groundwater resources, two zoning methods were used to evaluate the accuracy of zoning. IDW and Kriging methods were used to estimate the prediction results using Bayesian network. Results showed that the Kriging method was a suitable zoning technique for both TDS and nitrate with R2 values of 0.81 and 0.76, and mean squared errors of 43.1 and 2.7, respectively. Combination of the prediction results with qualitative zoning can significantly contribute to the evaluation of land development and improvement.