Land use/land cover (LULC) change is one of the most important indicators of environmental transformation and regional landscape dynamics. Monitoring these changes is essential for understanding the impacts of urbanization, agricultural activities, and land conversion processes on semi-arid environments. This study aims to investigate the spatio-temporal LULC dynamics of Yozgat Province, Türkiye, between 2000 and 2024 using multi-temporal Landsat satellite imagery and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)-based spatial analysis techniques. Multi-temporal Landsat-5 TM, Landsat-7 ETM+, and Landsat-8/9 OLI images with 30 m spatial resolution were obtained from the USGS Earth Explorer platform. Image preprocessing, clipping, classification and temporal change detection analyses were performed in ArcGIS/ArcMap 10.8. Four major land use classes were identified: agriculture, settlement, bare land and vegetation/water. Multi-temporal classification results were compared to quantify long-term land transformation patterns. The classification accuracy was evaluated using confusion matrix analysis, Overall accuracy and Kappa metrics. The results revealed significant changes in the spatial structure of Yozgat Province over the 24-year period. Settlement areas exhibited the most substantial increase, rising by 114.38%, indicating strong urban growth and infrastructure expansion. In contrast, bare land decreased by 54.13%, suggesting progressive conversion into agricultural and built-up surfaces. Agricultural land remained relatively stable with a moderate increase of 9.08%, while vegetation/water areas increased by 67.72%. The most pronounced transformation periods were identified between 2006–2012 and 2012–2018, during which major land conversion processes occurred. The findings demonstrate that urban expansion and the reduction of bare land are the dominant drivers of landscape transformation in Yozgat Province. This study provides valuable scientific evidence for sustainable land use planning, regional environmental management, and future GIS-based monitoring studies in semi-arid regions of Central Anatolia. The results demonstrate that remote sensing and GIS techniques provide reliable tools for long-term monitoring of LULC dynamics in semi-arid environments.

Agricultural land transition in rapidly urbanizing coastal regions poses significant challenges for sustainable land use planning and long-term food security. This study examines the driving forces behind agricultural land conversion in Cilegon City, Banten Province, Indonesia as one of Southeast Asia's most industrialized coastal cities by integrating Remote Sensing (RS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) with structured local knowledge elicitation. Land cover classification was performed using Random Forest machine learning applied to multi-temporal Landsat imagery (2011 and 2023), revealing substantial encroachment of non-agricultural land uses. Through pairwise comparison interviews with six domain experts, AHP weighting assigned the highest influence to rainfall (18%), soil quality (15%), and road accessibility (14%) as transition drivers. The resulting transitional suitability map, validated against observed land cover change, achieved an overall accuracy of 88.70% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.86, demonstrating the model's strong predictive capacity. The findings underscore that environmental, infrastructural, and socio-economic factors collectively govern land conversion dynamics. This study contributes a replicable, participatory spatial framework that bridges objective geospatial data with community-embedded knowledge, supporting more inclusive, evidence-based urban planning and agricultural land management in fast-growing coastal cities. Keywords: analytical hierarchy process, coastal city, land use change, local knowledge, remote sensing.

ABSTRACT Zooplankton egg banks are crucial in rebuilding zooplankton populations in temporary water bodies when favourable conditions return after dry periods. However, their abundance, viability, and hatching success depend on many factors, with changes in land use and flooding regimes being potentially crucial drivers. Here, we studied a large‐river floodplain to compare the egg banks of soils across a land use gradient and at different elevations, the latter affecting inundation frequency and duration. We performed experimental manipulations at both the ecosystem scale (land use in the floodplain) and in the laboratory (incubation of soils of different origins). Six land use types were considered: (i) natural maple swamp, (ii) natural wet meadow, (iii) old forage cropping, (iv) recently sown forage cropping, (v) agri‐environmental corn/soybean cropping, and (vi) conventional corn/soybean cropping implemented in collaboration with agricultural producers. Egg banks were characterized through both (i) direct egg counts and (ii) by counting the individuals emerging following the incubation of soils in the laboratory, testing the effects of land use and flooding regime (duration, frequency) on hatching success. We found no significant difference in the abundance of resting eggs of different taxa in soils across the land use gradient in frequently inundated sites at low elevation. In contrast, at high elevation, where inundation periods are less frequent and shorter, rotifer and cladoceran egg density varied across land uses, with higher abundance in old forage cropping compared to agricultural cropping. Ostracods, rotifers and copepods were the most abundant taxa that hatched in the laboratory. Their abundance varied across land use types, with natural soils supporting higher abundances than agricultural soils, and forage cropping showing intermediate abundances. Frequently inundated sites (low elevation) had higher abundances of hatchlings than the less frequently inundated (high elevation) sites. Inundation duration in incubators strongly influenced ostracod hatching only, with an overall increase after 2 weeks of inundation and a decrease thereafter for most soil types. Different taxa dominated the egg and hatchling counts. For example, cladocerans were common in the egg bank but not in hatchling samples, while ostracods were absent from the former but dominated the latter. This apparent paradox suggests that egg viability varied along the land use gradient (e.g., due to agricultural practices during summer months), that the cues required for hatching differed across taxa, or that stress (land use) modulates the likelihood that ostracods enter dormancy as eggs versus juveniles/adults. Natural wetland habitats in floodplains favour the resilience of zooplankton communities facing a disturbance (i.e., the dry period) via a high potential recovery through the emergence of resting stages. In contrast, alterations to these habitats due to agricultural intensification in floodplains hampers zooplankton community resilience via decreased emergence success. Agricultural practices leading to changes in soil properties, which influence the viability of resting stages, are the plausible explanations for this phenomenon. It is paramount to conserve natural wetlands and implement sustainable land use practices in floodplains, to allow egg banks to rebuild zooplankton communities in floodplains and sustain their productivity and ecosystem services.

Abstract. Azerbaijan’s soil resources constitute a vital part of the country’s natural capital, playing a key role in maintaining ecological balance, supporting agricultural productivity, and ensuring sustainable development. However, growing anthropogenic pressures, ongoing land degradation, and climate-related impacts have increasingly threatened soil quality and functionality. This study explores soil protection as a strategic focus within the activities of the Soil Museum operating under the Institute of Geography. Although soil conservation has been among the museum’s primary objectives since its establishment, its integration into the institutional framework of the Institute has significantly expanded its scope. Today, the museum functions not merely as a storage space for soil monoliths and scientific collections, but also as a scientific, educational, and informational center where soil is presented as an integral element of the geographical environment. The research particularly emphasizes that soil, as a fundamental component of geographical systems, is closely interconnected with climate, relief, water resources, vegetation, and human activities. This integrated geographical approach enhances the scientific value of the museum by enabling the study of soil diversity within the broader context of natural-territorial interactions that shape landscapes and ecological processes across Azerbaijan. Soil monoliths serve as effective tools for demonstrating soil diversity, environmental conditions, and degradation patterns. The results indicate that soil protection is not only a scientific concern but also a key element of environmental education, public awareness, and sustainable land use. From a geographical perspective, degradation levels vary across regions depending on relief, climate, irrigation practices, and human influence.

ABSTRACT Biodiversity markets are gaining global attention as innovative mechanisms to mobilise private finance for conservation and support nature-positive transitions in sectors such as agriculture. Yet, empirical evidence on their design, effectiveness, and governance remains fragmented. This study presents a systematic review of biodiversity market literature, combining PRISMA-based screening of 671 peer-reviewed articles with bibliometric mapping and thematic synthesis. The review focuses on peer-reviewed studies with accessible full texts, which may have excluded some relevant literature. We traced the evolution of biodiversity market discourse beyond offsets to emerging credit systems, stacked financing models, and nature-positive outcome frameworks. The analysis reveals major challenges, including the absence of robust ecological metrics, inconsistent governance arrangements, and limited attention to equity in market design. It also highlights mounting concerns, raised across the literature, about greenwashing and the credibility of market-based claims. Without robust design and transparent oversight, biodiversity markets risk undermining conservation goals and public trust. Our findings underscore the urgent need for more rigorous, transparent, and evidence-based approaches to ensure biodiversity finance mechanisms deliver real, measurable ecological outcomes. In response, we propose a five-pillar governance framework to guide future biodiversity market development: (1) policy and institutional anchoring, (2) inclusive governance, (3) scientific and ecological integrity, (4) fit-for-purpose financial mechanisms, and (5) place-based implementation. This framework offers practical guidance for designing credible, equitable biodiversity markets that support long-term stewardship and sustainable land use.

This article presents the results of a study assessing changes in climatic resources in various natural zones of the Zhetysu region, Republic of Kazakhstan, conducted based on long-term climate data for the period 1966 to 2024 (from 12 meteorological stations). The study examines current trends in climatic indicators in spatial and temporal aspects that influence agricultural land use within the region. The first part of this study examines current trends in climate indicators from both spatial and temporal perspectives within the Zhetysu Region of the Republic of Kazakhstan; the second part focuses on studying trends in climate indicators using the non-parametric Mann–Kendall test and the Sen’s slope test, as well as Fisher’s t-test. The authors identified divergent trends in relative air humidity and precipitation and detected a steady trend toward an increase in the average annual air temperature across the region. Based on the analysis of time series of climate-forming and climate–environment-forming indicators, a persistent increasing trend in mean annual air temperature was identified, while relative humidity, precipitation, and evaporation exhibited divergent (both positive and negative) trends across the territory of the region. The developed climate–resource-forming models and a series of estimated applied maps of climate indicators for 1966–1975 and 2016–2024 serve as the scientific basis for climate change forecasting and can be used by administrative bodies to improve agricultural land use strategies in the region.

This review provides an exhaustive overview of the main cervid species in Europe, including the red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), fallow deer (Dama dama), moose (Alces alces) and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) regarding the geographic distribution of the species, population trends, habitat preferences, and key biological traits. The review focuses on the environmental factors that influence the well-being of cervids, such as habitat quality, competition, food availability, climate change, contamination and anthropopression. Cervids are considered effective bioindicators of ecosystem stability and environmental contamination due to their status as large herbivores with wide-ranging territories and sensitivity to biotope changes. In addition, the impact of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on the well-being of this taxonomic family is characterized. It is imperative to emphasize the significance of incorporating prey, predators, and humans as a comprehensive ecosystem within which cervids reside. The significance of habitat sharing is well documented, particularly in regard to the definition of predator-prey mechanisms. The insights derived from this research are of particular relevance when seeking to define solutions that optimize human-wildlife coexistence, especially within the context of European highly anthropogenic systems. The review concludes with a view on future perspectives for cervid well-being in Europe and emphasizes the necessity of sustainable land use, pollution mitigation, and the establishment of conservation programs for cervid populations and the ecosystems they represent. Effective management requires long-term monitoring, including significant fluctuations and behaviour of the species.

This study investigates the impact of environmental factors on land use change in Cross River Basin catchment area of Nigeria using geospatial techniques. The findings provide useful insights into land use planning, management regimes, and agricultural practices in the Cross River Basin as a critical component of the Nigerian ecosystem. The elevation distribution suggests characteristic basin morphology with water flowing from elevated peripheries toward central lowlands, which influences drainage patterns, microclimate variations, and land use suitability. Majority of the study area exhibits gentle slopes suitable for various land uses including agriculture and low-density development. Flow accumulation in the vast majority of the terrain exhibits minimal accumulation in the basin area. Total wetness values range from 2.04 to 27.83, with the majority of the terrain exhibiting values between 2.04 and 8.5, indicating low to moderate moisture retention capacity across most of the basin. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index presents values indicating continued vegetation dynamics over the decade, while Bare Soil Index reveals concerning trends, particularly in the northern and eastern sections where its values increased substantially from predominantly negative values in 2015 to widespread positive values by 2020-2025, suggesting sustained vegetation loss, soil disturbance, or land use conversion amongst other findings thus availing stakeholders with relevant data for key policy decisions.

ABSTRACT Increasing attention to the environmental impacts of the transport sector has given rise to a range of studies dedicated to identifying policy instruments that can promote a shift towards more sustainable land use and transport planning. However, little is understood about the calibration of policy instruments to support this shift. This article seeks to illustrate the impacts of instrument calibration in reducing transport emissions and volumes. It does so by studying the evolution of policies for sustainable mobility in the city of Espoo (Finland) from 2013 to 2025. The empirical material highlights the significance of the calibration of policy instruments in the process of transitioning to more sustainable forms of urban mobility.

Understanding the long-term drivers of biodiversity change requires datasets that expand the timescale of ecological observations. Using lake sediments as natural archives, we reconstruct plant diversity change at high temporal resolution across the Swiss Plateau, a key region for European land use history. Contiguous pollen records, from three sites, spanning 7.6 millennia, were constrained by 227 radiocarbon dates and partly annually laminated sequences, yielding decadal-scale chronologies. We examine relationships between palynological richness (PRI), a proxy for plant diversity, and reconstructed land use probability (LUP) across six cultural-historic epochs. Vegetation histories are similar across sites: while beech forests persist throughout, other deciduous trees decline and grassland taxa expand from the Neolithic onwards. Plant diversity responds strongly to land use, increasing with openings, cultivation and fire, and declining during crises such as the Migration Period and the Black Death. Medieval and early modern landscapes support the highest richness, while diversity has declined in recent decades, likely due to industrialised agriculture. Our findings show that humans have been major drivers of plant diversity change in European lowlands for more than seven millennia and that sustainable land use legacies from the past may hold the key to reversing today's biodiversity losses.

Spatiotemporal dynamics and suitability of greenhouse agriculture in China: A GEE-based analysis for sustainable land use planning in Henan Province

Land-use change and surface warming in Uganda’s oil-rich Albertine region (1995–2025): A geodetector analysis

This research develops a water-centric nexus assessment framework for Thailand’s major crops: rice, sugarcane, and cassava, within shared cultivation areas. The framework examines interaction among water use, agricultural productivity, and economic performance, positioning water as the central analytical dimension. A 10-year monthly dataset (2013–2022) from official sources was examined, and farmer interviews confirmed the relevance of variables, cost structures, and adaptive capacity. Applying a system-thinking approach using VENSIM software to construct causal loop diagrams and perform scenario-based analyses rather than full dynamic simulations. The framework integrates three normalized components: water mass productivity, economic water productivity, and water security, into a composite nexus index. Results indicate that sugarcane has the highest water productivity (0.010 tons/m 3 ), followed by cassava (0.004 tons/m 3 ) and rice (0.00031 tons/m 3 ). Sugarcane also demonstrates superior economic water productivity, yielding higher profits per unit of water consumed. Sensitivity analysis reveals that expanding cultivation areas generally reduces water security; however, productivity and water-use efficiency improvements can offset these impacts up to crop-specific land-use thresholds. The sustainable annual expansion rates are estimated at 0.68% for sugarcane and 0.75% for cassava, while rice requires a 0.26% reduction in cultivated area to sustain a positive Water–Economy–Food nexus. Beyond these thresholds, the nexus turns unfavorable. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of demand-side water management, strategic crop allocation, and farmer adaptability in sustaining a stable water-centric nexus. The proposed framework provides a practical decision-support tool for integrated agricultural water management and policy development in Thailand. • Developed a validated WEF Nexus framework using 10 years of real data for Thailand’s agricultural systems. • Sugarcane shows the highest water productivity and economic return, highlighting its resource efficiency potential. • Identified critical crop area thresholds beyond which WEF Nexus stability declines, guiding sustainable land use. • Farmers show moderate-high adaptability, with advanced varieties and controlled irrigation improving system resilience.

This study examines the complex interdependent relationship between the transformation of cultivated land use and new-type urbanization at the county level within the Fenhe River Basin, highlighting its significant practical implications for the sustainable use of cultivated land and the advancement of high-quality new-type urbanization at the county level in China. Utilizing methodologies such as kernel density estimation, the coupling coordination degree model, and geographic detector methods, this research assesses the comprehensive levels of both cultivated land use transformation and new-type urbanization at the county level. Additionally, it explores the coupling relationship between these two phenomena and identifies their influencing factors. The findings indicate that:(1)There has been a consistent increase in the level of cultivated land use transformation, accompanied by a notable rise in the number of counties reaching high transformation level.(2)The comprehensive level of new-type urbanization at the county level has also shown a steady increase, with the proportion of counties at very high urbanization levels climbing to 43.9%, and these counties exhibit a clustered spatial distribution.(3)The overall level of coupling coordination between cultivated land use transformation and new-type urbanization at the county level has improved, suggesting enhanced coordinated development and reduced contradictions between these two processes. Notably, 90.24% of counties have upgraded their coupling coordination degree to either intermediate or high-levels.(4)The spatial differentiation of coupling coordination levels between cultivated land use transformation and new-type urbanization at the county level in the Fenhe River Basin has evolved from intermediate dissonance to high-level coordination, with this spatial pattern associated with a combination of natural and socio-economic factors. These insights will support the orderly utilization of cultivated land resources and foster the high-quality development of county-level urbanization in the Fenhe River Basin.

ABSTRACT Michoacán possesses extensive forest cover yet has undergone rapid and sustained land use transformations driven by illegal logging and the expansion of the ‘avocado strip’. This study utilized Random Forest (RF) classification of Landsat imagery (1986–2025) to analyze landscape dynamics, identifying Near-Infrared (NIR) and Shortwave Infrared 2 (SWIR 2) bands as the most critical predictors. Change detection analysis revealed severe deforestation: dry forest declined by 4,344 km2 and evergreen forest by 1,698 km2, fueling a corresponding increase in exposed soils (3,270 km2) and croplands (2,158 km2). To assess ecological impacts, MaxEnt was employed to model the distribution of 35 vulnerable species (16 Near Threatened, 10 Vulnerable, and 9 Endangered) with Nighttime Land Surface Temperature in December emerging as the most influential variable. The biodiversity assessment (2000–2025) indicated that the Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) suffered the greatest loss of potential distribution area (exceeding 50%), while the Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) and the Mexican Ground Pit Viper (Agkistrodon bilineatus) exhibited the greatest gains (approximately 50% increase). Given that these threatened ecosystems are poorly represented within current protected areas, these findings underscore an urgent need to integrate conservation strategies into regions undergoing intense agricultural conversion to mitigate further biodiversity loss.

The growing global population and rising food demand have intensified arable land scarcity, posing serious challenges to agricultural sustainability. Marginal lands, a vast underutilized reserve of potential cropland totaling approximately 2.7 billion hectares globally, are ecologically fragile and less productive, yet hold great potential for expanding both food and energy production. This study reviews the global distribution and key characteristics of marginal land, with a focus on current sustainable utilization models. Key challenges such as soil degradation, contamination, and economic constraints are discussed. These issues can be mitigated by adopting innovative approaches, including the conversion of agricultural waste, the application of molecular breeding techniques, the deployment of smart agriculture empowered by AI-driven cultivation practices, and the use of advanced land engineering. Achieving this objective requires collaborative efforts between governments, stakeholders, and farmers. This study provides a theoretical framework and technical support for the sustainable development and use of marginal land.

Malaria is a life-threatening disease influenced by environmental factors such as temperature, vegetation, water availability, altitude, and rainfall, which shape mosquito breeding and transmission. This study aimed to assess environmental factors influencing mosquito breeding and malaria transmission using geospatial techniques in the Wabi Shebele sub-basin of Ethiopia. Seven key environmental factors: Land use land cover (LULC) types, land surface temperature (LST), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), normalized difference water index (NDWI), normalized difference moisture index (NDMI), elevation, and rainfall were employed to identify factors that influence malaria transmission. The results show that areas with high Land surface tempature (LST), particularly bare land (33.66°C), grassland (31.76°C), and agricultural land (31.42°C) provide favorable conditions for malaria vector breeding. Agricultural land, comprising 24.78%, enhances malaria risk by offering ideal breeding sites. Conversely, forested areas with lower LST (26.98°C) and areas with high NDVI and low NDWI (highland zones) were associated with low malaria risk due to cooler microclimates and limited water availability. The soil moisture index clearly shows that lower elevations are associated with higher soil moisture due to proximity to water bodies, which facilitates malaria vector breeding. Agricultural land, high LST, low elevation, high soil moisture, and moderate to high rainfall are the primary environmental factors facilitating malaria distribution. A malaria control approach in the study area should focus on managing environmental factors, particularly in high-risk areas like agricultural lands and low-elevation zones, while promoting sustainable land use practices to reduce mosquito breeding sites. This finding underscore the utility of geospatial analysis in guiding malaria control, particularly in identifying potential mosquito breeding sites and environmental risk zones for spatially targeted interventions.

Abstract The adoption of the 2030 Agenda marked a global commitment to address interconnected challenges through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) – involving public, private, and civil society actors – have been widely promoted as vital instruments for achieving the SDGs due to their potential for pooling diverse resources and fostering cross-sector collaboration. However, empirical evidence of their effectiveness remains mixed. This study investigates whether MSPs are more synergistic and transformative compared to single-sector partnerships (SSPs), focusing on their integration of economic, environmental, and social dimensions, and their contributions to norm, regulatory, and behavioral change. Using a matched case selection design, we compare MSPs and SSPs registered on the Global Climate Action Portal (GCAP), analyzing their visions, outputs, and outcomes across different thematic areas: sustainable urban mobility, climate-focused finance, energy efficiency and sustainable land use. Findings indicate that differences in synergistic and transformative capacity are more strongly influenced by thematic area than by partnership type. While MSPs occasionally exhibit broader transformative capacity, SSPs – both public and private – also demonstrate significant normative outputs and normative and behavioral outcomes. Notably, integration of all three sustainability pillars is more apparent in stated visions than in realized outputs or outcomes. These findings challenge assumptions about the inherent superiority of MSPs, and underscore the importance of context and thematic focus in shaping partnership performance. By comparing MSPs and SSPs directly, and by evaluating both outputs and outcomes, this study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of what makes partnerships effective in advancing sustainable development.

This study investigates the indicators of gentrification and their applicability across urban, rural, and forestland settings through a systematic literature review guided by the PRISMA framework. Anchored in socio-spatial transformation perspectives, the study synthesizes existing literature to identify recurring patterns and measures of gentrification. A comprehensive search of academic databases and search engines yielded 154 studies, of which 33 relevant publications were selected based on defined inclusion criteria. Data were analyzed through thematic synthesis to determine the most common indicators and their contextual relevance. Findings reveal eleven key indicators of gentrification, with rising housing costs, displacement and marginalization, and demographic changes emerging as the most dominant across settings. Additional indicators include land-use change, shifts in racial or ethnic composition, social and cultural transformation, economic restructuring, and rural landscape changes. These indicators are interconnected and collectively reflect the socio-economic and environmental impacts of gentrification. The study concludes that gentrification is a multidimensional process extending beyond urban areas and recommends context-specific, equitable development frameworks, sustainable land governance, and protection of indigenous and long-standing communities to mitigate adverse impacts. The study aligns with SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 15 (Life on Land) by addressing inclusive development and sustainable land use. It contributes to socio-economic and environmental sustainability by informing policy, promoting equitable resource management, and supporting community resilience in transforming landscapes.

Sustainable land use and agricultural management enhance arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities and soil health