Land Transformation Research Articles

The Impact of Cultivated Land Fragmentation on Farmers’ Ecological Efficiency of Cultivated Land Use Based on the Moderating and Mediating Effects of the Cultivated Land Management Scale

To date, scholars have increasingly focused on the reduction in crop yields caused by cultivated land fragmentation, yet its effects on the ecological efficiency of cultivated land use are often overlooked. This oversight leads to land resource waste and environmental pollution. It is essential to explore this problem to achieve moderate-scale farming operations and promote the green transformation of agricultural land. This study theoretically analyzed the mechanisms by which cultivated land fragmentation and management scales influence the ecological efficiency of cultivated land use. Based on 2023 household data from Changde and Shaoyang, China, empirical tests were conducted using the stochastic frontier analysis method, Tobit model, and structural equation model. The research results indicate that: (1) The mean ecological efficiency of cultivated land use among the total sample households was 0.822, and the eco-efficiency in the plains was slightly lower than that in the hilly areas. (2) The scale of cultivated land management played a moderating role in the impact of cultivated land fragmentation on ecological efficiency, with differences observed between topographical types. The scale of management can offset part of the negative impact of cultivated land fragmentation on the ecological efficiency of cultivated land use. (3) Regarding the impact of cultivated land fragmentation on the ecological efficiency of cultivated land use, cultivated land management scale changes play a complete mediating role. These findings help provide policy implications to improve the ecological efficiency of cultivated land use. Policy support should be strengthened by promoting moderate-scale cultivated land operations, enhancing the comprehensive remediation of cultivated land fragmentation, and developing skilled farmers for long-term environmental sustainability.

Assessment of land dynamics transformation into tea plantations using support vector machine

Precisely monitoring land use dynamics and spatial distributions is essential for sustainable development and long-term land management. Tea is one of the leading beverage crops cultivated in Bangladesh, expanding rapidly in northern districts and forcing land use change. This study aims to decipher the expansion of tea cultivation and land dynamics transformation to tea land areas in the northern region of Bangladesh by using Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS surface reflectance images. The supervised support vector machine (SVM) method was used for classification purposes, resulting in three classified maps for the years 2004, 2013 and 2022, having overall accuracies of 91.43 %, 98.67 %, and 98.48 % and kappa coefficients of 89.51, 98.37, and 98.13, respectively. The images were classified into six land use classes: agriculture, tea cultivation area, settlement, waterbody, bare land, and forest. Land transformation results reveal that overall tea land increased by 41.08 % from 2004 to 2022, experiencing a downward trend during 2004–2013, while from 2013 to 2022, a dramatic rise of 70.01 % (equal to 4683.60 ha) tea cultivation area was found in Panchagarh district. The bare land was among the most highly transformed land classes into tea plantations, followed by the forest area. This study provides evidence of transforming underutilized land class into a profitable land use practice, i.e., tea plantation. Thus, cutting-edge technologies would be imperative in land transformation detection for sustainable land management and policy implications for the sustainable development of small landholding livelihoods and the tea industry.

Heavy metals in homestead soil: Metal fraction contents, bioaccessibility, and risk assessment

Rapid urbanization in China has led to the disappearance of countless villages and the transformation of homestead land into cultivated land or grassland. The quality of homestead soil (HS) plays a pivotal role in land-use conversion and reuse strategies, so the current state of heavy metal pollution in HS deserves attention. This study determined the fraction contents, bioaccessibility, risks, and affecting factors of Hg, As, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn in HS by comparing them with soil in cultivated land (CS), grassland (GS), homestead-converted cultivated land (HCS), and homestead-converted grassland (HGS). Results demonstrate that the contents of the six metals exceed background values, especially for Cd and Hg, resulting in significant pollution and elevated ecological risk. Distinct from the dominant residual fraction of other metals, the extractable fraction of Cd shows the highest proportion, which also contributes most to the high values of the Risk Assessment Code and extreme pollution conditions in HS, GS, and CS. Moreover, pH shows predominantly negative relations with the effective available and potentially available contents, while the effects of organic carbon fractions are notably the opposite. Furthermore, CS and GS suggest higher non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks than in the converted soil. This study indicates that HS has a lower metal accumulation risk compared with cultivated land and grassland, and homestead conversion seems to restrict the bioaccessibility of metals in soil.

Addressing Rural Decline: China’s Practices in Rural Transformation and Farmers’ Income Growth

In the context of global rural decline, fostering endogenous momentum through rural transformation to increase farmers’ incomes is a challenge that nations worldwide must address. This study utilizes the 2022 “China Rural Micro-Economic Data” to construct a multidimensional rural transformation index system at the village level, encompassing demographic, land, industrial, social, digital, and ecological transformations. This study evaluates the levels of rural transformation across 15 surveyed provinces in China. Furthermore, it empirically examines the impact of rural transformation on farmers’ incomes, the underlying mechanisms, and the heterogeneity of different transformation models. The findings are as follows: (1) Coastal economically developed regions exhibit higher levels of rural transformation, while inland agricultural provinces show significant lag; (2) Rural transformation effectively promotes the upgrading of agricultural value chains, increases farmers’ market participation, and enhances their access to financial services, thereby boosting farmers’ incomes; and (3) The impact of different transformation models on farmers’ incomes varies significantly; industrial, social, and demographic transformations contribute most prominently to income growth. While digital transformation shows some positive effects, it remains relatively limited. Land and ecological transformations have yet to demonstrate a significant positive impact on farmers’ incomes.

ANALISIS FAKTOR-FAKTOR PENDORONG PERUBAHAN POLA SPASIAL TERHADAP DRAINASE PERKOTAAN DI KECAMATAN DENPASAR BARAT

Changes in spatial patterns, especially the transformation of land from green open spaces to built-up areas, have caused various impacts on the environment and urban drainage systems. This study analyzes the driving factors of spatial pattern change on urban drainage in West Denpasar District, with a special focus on Padangsambian Kelod Village and Pemecutan Kelod Village. This study aims to identify and understand the factors that contribute to changes in the drainage system in the region. The research methods used include collecting spatial data through satellite imagery and thematic maps, field surveys for direct observation, and interviews with residents and related stakeholders. The collected data was then analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively to identify spatial change patterns and their driving factors. The results show that the change in spatial patterns towards urban drainage in West Denpasar District is driven by several main factors, including rapid population growth, intensive infrastructure development, and land use change from agricultural to residential and commercial. These factors have led to increased surface runoff, decreased drainage capacity, and increased flood risk in the region. This study concludes that a more integrated and sustainable drainage management approach is needed to overcome the challenges posed by changes in spatial patterns. The recommendations submitted include increasing drainage capacity, implementing environmentally friendly development practices, and increasing public awareness about the importance of maintaining urban drainage systems.

Measuring ecological effects and policy mechanisms of urban land use transition – a case study of Xi'an, China

ABSTRACT Measuring ecological effects and policy mechanisms of urban Land Use Transition (LUT) is the key to understanding regional environmental changes and achieving sustainable urban developments. This paper illustrates and demonstrates a formal method for measuring the ecological effect of LUT characterized by Ecological Security Index (ESI) and Ecosystem Value (ESV), and enhanced with a correlational analysis between the ecological effect model and urban policy mechanism. Using Xi'an, a major capital city of western China as a case study, based on multi-temporal Thematic Mapper (TM) remote sensing images, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and relevant statistical data, the results show that the method using ESI and ESV, together with the Land Use Transition Probability Matrix (LUTPM) can comprehensively measure the ecological effects of LUT process in Xi'an from 2000 to 2020. The results show that due to the impact of urban expansion, regional construction land increased significantly (by 67.07%), while farmland decreased considerably (by 13.12%). The farmland and forestland around the main urban area of Xi'an were centrally converted into construction land, yet the mutual transition of other types of land was relatively scattered. The total amount of ESV has slightly increased from 40.1 billion yuan to 42.8 billion yuan, and the proportion of ecological service function value presents a decreasing trend in regulation function (65%), support function (22%), supply function (9%), and cultural function (4%). The ESI value slightly decreased from 0.517 to 0.512, and overall it is still in a state of ecological security. The trend of ESV and ESI decreasing from mountainous areas to plains indicates that high-intensity human activities in plain areas have had a significant impact on the ecological environment. The correlation analysis between policy mechanisms and ecological effects indicates that ecological protection policies have improved the ecological environment and maintain ecological security (high ESV-high ESI mode), and may also have limited economic activities and been detrimental to the security of urban composite ecosystems (high ESV-low ESI mode). Spatial expansion policies have driven the rapid growth of construction land and threatened ecological security (low ESV-low ESI mode). Zoning adjustment policies have led to the transformation of ecological land to construction land, threatening ecological security and reducing ESV (low ESV-low ESI mode), and may also have promoted industrial upgrading and economic development, providing economic assurance for improving ecological security (low ESV-high ESI mode). These comprehensive findings provide valuable insights for understanding the ecological effects and policy mechanisms of LUT in Xi'an for achieving sustainable urban development, and demonstrate and explore a novel method to more appropriately and effectively measure LUT by combining ESV and ESI.

Leveraging machine learning for analyzing the nexus between land use and land cover change, land surface temperature and biophysical indices in an eco-sensitive region of Brahmani-Dwarka interfluve

This present study aims to evaluate land use and land cover changes using five machine-learning algorithms in Google Earth Engine. The performance of these machine learning algorithms was evaluated using user accuracy, producer accuracy, overall accuracy, and kappa coefficient. Additionally, it seeks to understand the evolving pattern of land surface temperature and its correlation with biophysical characteristics in the Brahmani-Dwarka interfluve region from 1991 to 2021. The results demonstrate that RF algorithms outperform other algorithms in terms of performance, with RF algorithms averaging an 86 % overall accuracy and a Kappa coefficient of 0.82, while GTB comes in second with an 85 % overall accuracy and a Kappa value of 0.81. SVM performed moderately, while CART and MD algorithms struggled to perform in this study. The analysis of land transformation from 1991 to 2021 indicates that the stone crushing industry, built-up, and waterbodies have shown an upward trend, while vegetation and fallow land have decreased in their geographical extent. The results of the LST analysis indicated the study area had an LST rise of 8.72 °C over the last 30 years, or 0.29 °C per year, with the stone crushing and mining activities exhibiting the highest increase of 11.67 °C. Further, correlation analysis reveals LST has a highly significant positive correlation with NDBI and NDBaI and a very significant negative correlation with NDVI, MNDWI, and NDLI throughout the study period. The findings emphasize the importance of long-term planning and environmentally friendly development, ensuring responsible stone crushing activities, sustainable techniques, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable utilization of natural resources.

Analysis of Temporal and Spatial Carbon Stock Changes and Driving Mechanism in Xinjiang Region by Coupled PLUS-InVEST-Geodector Model

Based on the goal of "dual-carbon" strategy, it is important to explore the impacts of land use change on carbon stock and the drivers of spatial differentiation of carbon stock in Xinjiang. Here, we predicted the land use types in Xinjiang in 2035 under different scenarios and analyzed the impacts of land use on carbon stock, which is of great theoretical and practical importance for policy formulation, land use structure adjustment, and carbon neutrality target achievement in Xinjiang. The coupled PLUS-InVEST-Geodector model was used to explore the spatial and temporal patterns of carbon stock change under the scenarios of rapid development, natural change, arable land protection, and ecological protection in Xinjiang in 2035 and to quantitatively reveal the attribution of influences on the changes in carbon stock from the perspectives of land use change and the combination of nature-socioeconomic-accessibility. The results showed that： ① From 1990 to 2020, the area of arable land and construction land in Xinjiang increased, and in terms of the transfer direction, it was mainly shifted from unutilized land to grassland. ② On the time scale, the carbon stock in Xinjiang showed the fluctuation of "decrease-increase-decrease," with an overall increasing trend. The transfer of unutilized land to grassland was the main reason for the increase in carbon stock； on the spatial scale, the carbon stock in the Altai Mountains in the north, the Tianshan Mountains in the middle, and the Kunlun Mountains in the south was higher, whereas the carbon stock in the Tarim Basin and the Junggar Basin was lower. ③ In 2035, the carbon stock of the natural development and rapid development scenarios decreased by 27.24 Tg and 71.17 Tg compared with 2020, respectively, and the ecological protection and arable land protection scenarios increased by 492.55 Tg and 46.67 Tg. The ecological protection scenario could significantly increase the carbon stock of the Xinjiang Region compared with that in the other scenarios, and the distribution pattern of the carbon stock in the four scenarios was more or less the same as that in 2020. In addition to land transformation, soil erosion intensity was the main driver of spatial differentiation of carbon stocks in Xinjiang （q value of 0.3501）, followed by net primary productivity of vegetation. The results of multifactor interactions showed that the spatial differentiation of carbon stocks in Xinjiang was the result of the joint action of multiple factors. All the factors had a synergistic enhancement under the interactions. The interaction between soil erosion intensity and the net primary productivity of vegetation was the main driver of the spatial differentiation of carbon stocks in Xinjiang.

Optimal location to land banking practices in urban-rural informal land market continuum of Ghana

Land banking practices in complex informal land markets are growing in developing countries. However, the land banking (LB) literature predominantly focuses on publicly driven land banks operating within formal land markets. Against this backdrop, this study investigates optimal locations for LB projects in Ghana's complex informal land markets from the perspective of private and semi-public real estate developers. Utilising a two-stage research process, first, the study developed a conceptual framework by using: (1) suppositions regarding space under economic geography; and (2) theoretical suppositions on the use of LB and its influence on LB locational choices uncovered from an interpretive hermeneutic literature review. The second stage focused on an empirical assessment of the conceptual framework by taking four urbanised regions in Ghana. The case study stage uses primary data from 30 interviewees selected using purposive and snowball sampling, while secondary data comprised land bank inventories from the regional Lands Commissions of the case study regions. Results revealed land title security as the primary factor determining optimal locations for land banks. There are significant challenges related to land title security in urban and inner parts of peri-urban areas. These challenges are aggravating the transformation of agricultural lands into residential lands in developers' preferred land bank locations. Based on the ongoing land transformation occurrences, the study underscores the need for policy responses that enhance title security to encourage developers to diversify their land banking locational preferences beyond solely greenfield sites to a mix of green and urban brownfield sites.

The Effects of Land Use and Landform Transformation on the Vertical Distribution of Soil Nitrogen in Small Catchments

The diversity of land use and consolidation is fundamental to ensuring sustainable development. However, the impact of diverse land uses and consolidation on the well-known shallow accumulation pattern of soil nitrogen (N) remains unclear. This existence of this knowledge gap severely constrains the sustainable production of newly created farmland. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of land use and gully land transformation on the vertical distribution of soil N in agricultural and nature catchments. Methodologically, soil nitrate (NO3−), ammonium (NH4+) and total nitrogen (TN) were measured to a depth of 100 cm in the hillslope forestland, grassland and gully cropland areas of the treated (gully landform reshaping) and untreated (natural gully) catchments on the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP). The results indicated that soil N in the hillslope forestland and grassland exhibited a shallow accumulation pattern, while the vertical distribution of soil N in the gully cropland areas displayed a homogeneous, random or deep accumulation pattern. In the hillslope areas, vegetable cover was the dominant factor controlling N variation in the topsoil. In contrast, in the gully areas, the interaction of landform transformation and hydrology was the primary factor influencing the distribution of soil N. In the treated catchment, soil NO3− exhibited a significant deep accumulation pattern in the newly created farmland through gully landform reshaping. In the untreated catchment, soil NH4+ showed a significant deep accumulation pattern in the undisturbed natural gully. This study provides valuable insights into how land use and gully landform transformation affect the soil N profile. This information is crucial for the sustainable development and scientific management of valley agriculture at the catchment scale.

Harnessing Machine Learning Algorithms to Model the Association between Land Use/Land Cover Change and Heatwave Dynamics for Enhanced Environmental Management

As we navigate the fast-paced era of urban expansion, the integration of machine learning (ML) and remote sensing (RS) has become a cornerstone in environmental management. This research, focusing on Silchar City, a non-attainment city under the National Clean Air Program (NCAP), leverages these advanced technologies to understand the urban microclimate and its implications on the health, resilience, and sustainability of the built environment. The rise in land surface temperature (LST) and changes in land use and land cover (LULC) have been identified as key contributors to thermal dynamics, particularly focusing on the development of urban heat islands (UHIs). The Urban Thermal Field Variance Index (UTFVI) can assess the influence of UHIs, which is considered a parameter for ecological quality assessment. This research examines the interlinkages among urban expansion, LST, and thermal dynamics in Silchar City due to a substantial rise in air temperature, poor air quality, and particulate matter PM2.5. Using Landsat satellite imagery, LULC maps were derived for 2000, 2010, and 2020 by applying a supervised classification approach. LST was calculated by converting thermal band spectral radiance into brightness temperature. We utilized Cellular Automata (CA) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) to project potential scenarios up to the year 2040. Over the two-decade period from 2000 to 2020, we observed a 21% expansion in built-up areas, primarily at the expense of vegetation and agricultural lands. This land transformation contributed to increased LST, with over 10% of the area exceeding 25 °C in 2020 compared with just 1% in 2000. The CA model predicts built-up areas will grow by an additional 26% by 2040, causing LST to rise by 4 °C. The UTFVI analysis reveals declining thermal comfort, with the worst affected zone projected to expand by 7 km2. The increase in PM2.5 and aerosol optical depth over the past two decades further indicates deteriorating air quality. This study underscores the potential of ML and RS in environmental management, providing valuable insights into urban expansion, thermal dynamics, and air quality that can guide policy formulation for sustainable urban planning.

The spatio-temporal evolution of spatial structure and supply-demand relationships of the ecological network in the Yellow River Delta region of China

Rapid urbanization has caused unregulated transformation of land use/land cover, further exacerbating the imbalance in ecological supply-demand relationships. Constructing the ecological supply-demand network by integrating natural ecological processes and human ecological demands into a unified spatio-temporal framework and considering their internal dynamic flow characteristics is an effective approach to address this issue. However, there is currently a lack of evaluation methods for the coordination of ecological network supply-demand relationships, which could provide essential guidance and reference. This article takes Yellow River Delta region (YRDR) as an example and utilizes the integrated traditional ecological network paradigm and ecosystem services theory to simulate the ecological supply-demand network for the years 2000, 2010, and 2020 in the study area. Then, a novel evaluation index system for the ecological network supply-demand relationships was proposed from the perspectives of intensity, capacity, and equilibrium. Based on this, combined with a graph-based network structure evaluation system, it reveals the spatio-temporal evolution process of the spatial structure and supply-demand relationship of the ecological network in the study area. The study results showed that: (1) The quantity of elements in the ecological supply network and the demand network show opposite trends, leading to an exacerbation of the spatial imbalance in the arrangement of ecological supply-demand network elements. (2) Although the structural changes in the ecological supply network were significantly greater than those in the ecological demand network, the overall structure of the ecological supply-demand network gradually improved. (3) However, under the coupled influence of imbalanced change in the spatial distribution and connectivity of ecological elements, the overall coordination of the ecological supply-demand relationships within the YRDR's ecological network is gradually deteriorating. (4) The proposed optimization strategy, "Two zones, Three belts, Four corridors", for the ecological security pattern in YRDR can accommodate the ecological process cycle and human ecological demand. This study can provide scientific references for "harmonious coexistence between humans and nature" ecological protection and sustainable development planning under the background of rapid urbanization.

Urban equilibrium: legal imperatives for sustainable development and habitat preservation in Shenzhen, China

Shenzhen, a bustling metropolis in China, is currently grappling with the delicate balance between urban expansion and environmental preservation. This study finds that the disintegration of habitats due to urban development in Shenzhen city significantly impacts the ecosystem of animals and plants, detrimentally altering their living conditions. The study results reveal that the expansion of construction land in China has surged by an impressive 84.39% between 2000 and 2020, which has come at the cost of diminishing wetlands, farmland, and woodlands by 57.24%, 16.58%, and 1.86%, respectively. Between 1980–2020, the urban expanse of Shenzhen expanded dramatically, growing from 16.0 square kilometres to 850.2 square kilometres. This transformation was primarily driven by the rapid conversion of forested areas, which saw a staggering decrease of approximately 300% to 780 km2 by 2020. Additionally, half of Shenzhen’s expansion can be attributed to the transformation of agricultural land, with an additional 40% stemming from the clearing of forests and approximately 9% resulting from the decrease in water resources. Furthermore, non-urban green spaces, particularly built-up areas, have significantly expanded, now encompassing approximately 60% of the city in 2018. Therefore, based on the existing literature and authoritative legal texts, this study aims to examine the legal frameworks of the Shenzhen government and, along with China’s national legislation, to make room for wildlife and biodiversity conservation in a metropolis like Shenzhen.

Spatio-temporal analysis and prediction of land use landcover (LULC) change in Wular Lake, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

Landsat land use/land cover (LULC) data analysis to establish freshwater lakes' temporal and spatial distribution can provide a solid foundation for future ecological and environmental policy development to manage ecosystems better. Analysis of changes in LULC is a method that can be used to learn more about direct and indirect human interactions with the environment for sustainability. Neural network technology significantly facilitates mapping between asymmetric and high-dimensional data. This paper presents a methodological advancement that integrates the CA-ANN (cellular automata-artificial neural network) technique with the dynamic characteristics of the water body to forecast forthcoming water levels and their spatial distribution in "Wular Lake." We used remote sensing data from 2001 to 2021 with a 10-year interval to predict spatio-temporal change and LULC simulation. The validation of the calibration of predicted and accurate LULC maps for 2021 yielded a maximum kappa value of 0.86. Over the past three decades, the study region has seen an increase in a net change % in the impervious surface of 22.41% and in agricultural land by 52.02%, while water decreased by 14.12%, trees/forests decreased by 40.77%, shrubs decreased by 11.53%, and aquatic vegetation decreased by 4.14%. Multiple environmental challenges have arisen in the environmentally sustainable Wular Lake in the Kashmir Valley due to the vast land transformation, primarily due to human activities, and have been predominantly negative. The research acknowledges the importance of (LULC) analysis, recognizing it as a fundamental cornerstone for developing future ecological and environmental policy frameworks.

Simulation and evaluation of ecosystem service value along the Yellow River in Henan Province, China

The unprecedented growth in population and swift industrial advancements exert considerable strains on the ecosystem, particularly within medium-sized and large urban landscapes. The critical investigation into the intricate links between current and prospective land utilization, as well as the ecosystem service value (ESV), holds considerable empirical relevance for the calibration of land usage frameworks, thereby contributing to the sustainable evolution of extensive urban zones. Utilizing GlobeLand 30 data, the present research probes into the pattern of land transformation and the spatial-temporal dispersal of ESV in Henan’s Yellow River vicinity over a span from 2000 to 2020. For the enhancement of land usage alignment, a Markov-PLUS fusion model was devised to gauge three disparate ESV transition scenarios slated for 2030, namely, natural development scenario (NDS), cropland protection scenario (CPS), and ecological protection scenario (EPS). The principal determinants of land transformation within the 2000–2020 period were recognized as elevation, populace concentration, and atmospheric temperature. Amid the rapid accretion of construction land engulfing substantial cropland and grassland areas, there was an ESV diminution to the tune of 1.432 billion RMB between 2000 and 2020. The ESV’s high-value regions were discerned within relatively undisturbed ecosystem zones, with the lower-value sections identified in cropland and constructed areas, where human interventions exerted pronounced effects on the ecosystem. In accordance with the 2030 land usage simulations and analyses, in contrast to alternative scenarios, the EPS exhibited the least fluctuation in land type alterations in 2030, demonstrated the most pronounced escalation in cold spot concentration, and reached a peak agglomeration level. This underscores that the EPS not only offers a refinement in land utilization configuration but also mediates the equilibrium between economic and ecological considerations. The insights derived from this investigation afford innovative evaluative methods for spatial planning, ecological recompense, and sustainable land exploitation within large- and medium-scale urban domains.

Problems and Countermeasures of Industrial Land Transformation from the Perspective of Transaction Costs

Problems and Countermeasures of Industrial Land Transformation from the Perspective of Transaction Costs

Analysis of the Environmental Benefits and Driving Forces of the Development of the “Production–Living–Ecological Space” Pattern Based on the ERI-ESV Geodetector

Based on five periods of Landsat remote sensing data from 1980 to 2020, this study constructs a landscape ecological risk-ecosystem service value evaluation model and integrates it with a geodetector model to analyse the environmental benefits of the development of the “production–living–ecological space” pattern and its driving factors in the Xuzhou planning area. The results of the study are as follows: (1) Over the past 40 years, the expansion of living spaces has significantly encroached upon adjacent agricultural production areas and ecological spaces, such as forests and grasslands. Specifically, the areas of agricultural land, forests, and grassland have been diminished by 277.39 km2, 23.8 km2 and 12.93 km2, respectively; in contrast, urban and rural living spaces have increased by 238.62 km2 and 58.92 km2, alongside a rise in industrial production areas, water bodies, and other ecological spaces. (2) Throughout the 40-year period, both the landscape ecological risk (ERI) and ecosystem service value (ESV) in the study area have shown a decreasing trend. The proportion of high- and medium-high-risk areas of the ERI have decreased by 5.19% and 7.50%, respectively, while low, lower, and medium ecological risk areas have increased by 6.40%, 3.22% and 3.07%, respectively. In addition, low-ESV areas have increased by 14.22%, while the proportion of high- and medium-high-ESV areas have decreased by 1.16%. (3) There is a significant positive spatial correlation between the ERI and ESV. Regions with dense ecological spaces comprising forests, water bodies, and grasslands, particularly in the northeastern part of the Jiawang District and the southeastern part of the Tongshan District, demonstrate superior regional ecosystem service quality. The ERI and ESV are dominated by “high–high” and “low–high” aggregation. Conversely, in the southwestern part of the study area, the expansion of living space has led to the transformation of some agricultural land, forest land, and grassland into less risky construction land, resulting in a decline in the quality of regional ecosystem services. The local spatial correlation between the ERI and ESV changed from “high–high”, “low–low”, “low–high” agglomeration to “low–low” agglomeration. (4) Key factors influencing the spatial differentiation of the “production–living–ecological space” include the GDP, population density, soil type, and the distance to towns and roads. Among these, the interaction between population density and soil type has the most significant effect on the changes in the pattern of the “production–living–ecological space”.

Land transformation across agroecological zones reveals expanding cropland and settlement at the expense of tree-cover and wetland areas in Nigeria

ABSTRACT Evaluating how land cover is being transformed is essential to identify patterns necessary to infer the change trajectories and the driving factors. This study considers the case of Nigeria, where various natural ecosystems are being converted and for which a current national scale assessment at high spatial resolution is lacking. Producing 30 m Landsat-based time-series data, we analyze change among land cover types (i.e. tree-covered area, grassland, wetland, waterbody, cropland, artificial surface, and otherland) across seven agroecological zones. The annual change intensity was assessed at multi-levels across two time-intervals (i.e. 2000–2013, 2013–2022). Distinguishing between natural land cover and human activity-related land-use, we estimate the extent of change signifying how humans have appropriated natural land cover. Insights from analysis at the interval level reveal that land transformation accelerated from 3.3% in 2000–2013 to 4.5% during 2013–2022 in all agroecological zones (e.g. rainforest, mangrove), except in Sudan savannah and Sahel savannah where speed was higher in 2000–2013 as grasslands were increasingly cultivated. Cropland expanded almost two-fold (22% to 37%), whereas tree-cover declined from 50% to 31% and wetland from 7% to 3.7% over the 23 years. Much loss of natural land cover (e.g. tree-cover, grassland, and wetland) to cropland occurred in 2000–2013 (22%) when most irrigation schemes in Nigeria were established. In contrast, the loss of natural land cover to settlement (0.9%) during 2000–2013 increased to 2.0% in 2013–2022. Of all agroecological zones, the mangrove zone was most disturbed as its persisting land cover areas reduced from 69% to 5% between 2000–2013 and 2013–2022. The amount of persisting land cover was highest in the Sudan savannah at 44% in 2000–2013 and 49% in 2013–2022. Processes of human-appropriated natural land cover in Nigeria are related to urbanization and cropland expansion into natural areas with some instances of natural regeneration, especially in croplands and abandoned settlement areas.

Road Corridors as Real Estate Frontiers: The New Urban Geographies of Rentier Capitalism in Africa

AbstractThis paper draws on research on infrastructure‐led development and urbanisation in Nairobi to explore the new urban geographies of rentier capitalism in Africa. Under the banner of Kenya's Vision 2030 national development strategy, Nairobi's agrarian hinterlands have been transformed by major road building projects. These initiatives have catalysed a peri‐urban property boom characterised by the conversion of agricultural and ranching land into urban real estate and the verticalisation of road corridors. The paper identifies four processes of land transformation driving this real estate market expansion: commodification; speculation; autoconstruction; and assetisation. Adopting a multi‐scalar conjunctural approach, it argues that rentier capitalism in this context is spatialised through the dramatic extension of real estate frontiers along the route of peri‐urban road corridors. Development along these corridors assumes a “grey” character that defies conventional formal–informal distinctions, enabling the extraction of large rentier profits and encouraging the further proliferation of frontier spaces.

Impediments to urban land development and transformation in Tanzania: evaluating conventional approaches and proposing innovative solutions

Urban land development involves converting rural land into urban land suitable for various purposes such as residential, commercial, industrial, mixed-use development, and infrastructure services. The urban land development in Tanzanian cities faces numerous challenges rooted in colonial-era practices and the coexistence of customary and formal land ownership systems. This study thoroughly examines the limitations of conventional land development approaches and their impacts on spatial planning. This study compares traditional land acquisition and development with innovative, self-financing, cost-effective strategies. The study deployed a mixed methodology comprising questionnaire surveys and interviews to address specific objectives for improving urban land development practices. The findings highlight the potential of innovative strategies in catalysing urban development and spatial planning, offering a promising path forward. It emphasises the need to integrate diverse approaches to address infrastructure challenges, enhance spatial planning, and protect the interests of affected communities, thereby fostering a more sustainable and equitable urban landscape.