Landscape Transformation Research Articles

Transformation of the coffee-growing landscape in central Veracruz, Mexico: collaboration, markets, and farmer characteristics mediate the effects of the coffee-leaf rust outbreak

Transformation of the coffee-growing landscape in central Veracruz, Mexico: collaboration, markets, and farmer characteristics mediate the effects of the coffee-leaf rust outbreak

Morphological changes of river Bank Erosion and channel shifting assessment on Arial Khan River of Bangladesh using Landsat satellite time series images

The continuous processes of erosion and deposition in rivers are intricately linked to changes in land use and land cover (LULC), reflecting dynamic landscape transformations. This study investigates the rate of riverbank erosion, channel shifting, and the impact of erosion on LULC dynamics along the Arial Khan River. Utilizing GIS and remote sensing techniques, we analyzed time-series satellite images from 1993 to 2024 within a 2 km buffer zone of the floodplain. Supervised classification methods were applied for LULC analysis, with results validated using confusion matrices to assess classification accuracy. ArcGIS 10.8 was employed to analyze channel centerline migration, while NDVI analysis assessed vegetation health. The study reveals that between 1993 and 2024, 5142.60 ha were lost to erosion, while deposition affected 4756.52 ha, with erosion surpassing deposition overall. The river shifted an average of 0.66 km during this period, with higher migration rates in Muladi Upazila compared to Babuganj Upazila. Settlement areas expanded significantly from 137.82 ha in 1993 to 2768.68 ha in 2024, while agricultural land declined substantially. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers to address erosion severity in confluence zones and lay the groundwork for sustainable land management practices.

Approaches to Urban Landscape Transformation vs. Heritage

Cities are systems composed of urban and natural landscapes with intangible and tangible layers, continuously developing and overlapping [...]

Survey of Transformer-Based Malicious Software Detection Systems

In the recent past, the level of cyber threats has changed drastically, leading to the current transformation of the cybersecurity landscape. For example, emerging threats like Zero-day and polymorphic malware cannot be detected by conventional detection methods like heuristic and signature-based methods, which have proven useful in the identification of malware. In view of this shift in the cybersecurity paradigm, this study proposes to discuss the utilization of transformer models to improve malware detection effectiveness and the accuracy and efficiency in detecting malicious software. In this regard, this study adopts the application of transformers in identifying different forms of malicious software: ransomware, spyware, and trojans. Transformers are endowed with the ability to handle sequential data and capture intricate patterns. By employing deep learning techniques and conducting thorough contextual analysis, these models enhance the detection process by identifying subtle indications of compromise, which traditional methods may overlook. This research also explains the challenges and limitations related to the application of transformer-based models in real-world cybersecurity settings, which include computing requirements and large-scale labeled datasets’ requirements. By the end, the article suggests potential future research avenues in order to improve and integrate these models into cybersecurity systems.

Spatial production and evolution of commercial ports in the ocean shipping era: A case study of modern Fuzhou and Xiamen in Fujian province, China

Commercial ports are vital regional intersections in the era of globalization, relying on maritime networks and local convergence to facilitate the movement of goods, people, and ideas. The term “The Five Treaty Ports” marks the beginning of foreign territorial leases for trade in China. During this period, the spatial planning and infrastructure development of commercial ports dynamically responded to the rapid progress of globalization. This article uses the commercial port cities of Fuzhou (Foochow) and Xiamen (Amoy) as case studies, examining how advancements in shipping technology influenced the evolution of port spaces. It traces the transformation of urban port spatial landscapes through the “sailing ship era,” “steamship era,” and “oil tanker era.” These eras not only carried the enlightenment of mercantilist ideas and featured characteristics of “industrialization for the nation,” but also reflected the significant influence of capitalist “market expansion” ideas in spatial configurations. Furthermore, the article argues that the spatial representation of modern commercial ports embodies the collaborative forces of mercantilism, colonialism, and capitalism, promoting globalization through trade. This research aims to explore the evolution of modern commercial port spaces, analyze the progressive transition from mercantilism to capitalist production modes, and ultimately enhance understanding of the globalization process within port spaces.

Mid-Pleistocene aridity and landscape shifts promoted Palearctic hominin dispersals

Population expansions and contractions out of and into Africa since the early Pleistocene have influenced the course of human evolution. While local- and regional-scale investigations have provided insights into the drivers of Eurasian hominin dispersals, a continental-scale and integrated study of hominin-environmental interactions across Palearctic Eurasia has been lacking. Here, we report high-resolution (up to ∼5-10 kyr sample interval) carbon isotope time series of loess deposits in Central Asia and northwest China, a region dominated by westerly winds, providing unique paleoecological and paleoclimatic records for over ~3.6 Ma. These data, combined with further syntheses of Pleistocene paleontological and archaeological records and spatio-temporal distributions of Eurasian eolian deposits and river terraces, demonstrate a pronounced transformation of landscapes around the Mid-Pleistocene Climate Transition. Increased climate amplitude and aridity fluctuations over this period led to the widespread formation of more open habitats, river terraces, and desert-loess landscapes, pushing hominins to range more widely and find solutions to increasingly challenging environments. Mid-Pleistocene climatic and ecological transitions, and the formation of modern desert and loess landscapes and river networks, emerge as critical events during the dispersal of early hominins in Palearctic Eurasia.

Assessing the driving forces of landscape change in the perspective of Polish residents

Over past 20 years analysis of driving forces of landscape change have become a popular research topic, but there is still insufficient amount of research on this issue in the countries of Eastern Europe. This is all the more important as a number of factors have accelerated changes in the landscape in the countries that have joined the European Union in recent years. The results of the research presented in the article concern the identification of those forces that significantly influenced the shape of changes from the perspective of residents living in different types of municipalities from the Lower Silesia region. The research approach used was to identify the landscape transformations that took place in the 3 time intervals 2005–2010, 2010–2015, 2015–2020, and then to present them in the form of a questionnaire to the inhabitants of the 6 municipalities that lived in the study area during the study period, asking them to identify which of the indicated phenomena or processes contributed to the indicated landscape transformations. The driving forces most often indicated by residents of the analyzed municipalities can be categorised as political forces (40.66 %), socio-economic forces (20.74 %) and cultural forces (16.61 %). However, the results showed differences in the reported drivers of landscape change depending on the type of landscape in which the changes occurred. In urban landscapes, the proportion of cultural drivers increased significantly, in contrast to agricultural or forest landscapes where natural and political forces were more important.

Identification of Anthropogenic Impact and Indicators of Landscape Transformation in the Fatala River Basin (Republic of Guinea)

The aim of this study is to identify the main factors of anthropogenic impact and indicators of landscape transformation in the Fatala River Basin in the Republic of Guinea. Our fieldwork in the Boke and Kindia regions was the main source of materials and data. The landscape and ecological situation of nine key study plots were characterized. These key plots make up a representative series of transformed and natural landscapes. We complemented our fieldwork with Landsat satellite image analysis. We learned that the main factors of anthropogenic impact in the Fatala River Basin are the systematic burning of vegetation, mechanical disturbances of soil and vegetation cover, the depletion of fertile topsoil, grazing, and the littering of the landscape with household waste. The indicators of landscape transformation are deforestation, changes in the natural vegetation cover, and mechanically disturbed lands. We identified five main stages of agro-landscape development, starting from the clearing of a plot by burning vegetation (stage I) and ending with the completion of the agricultural activity in the plot and its abandonment to restore the topsoil (stage V). The limiting factors of nature management are elevation differences, the rapid restoration of vegetation cover, and rocky/gravelly substrate. It is possible to identify transformed landscapes in large or hard-to-reach regions using satellite images. Thus, natural or quasi-natural landscapes can be identified based on the lower surface temperature relative to the surrounding lands. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and normalized difference moisture index (NDMI) could be useful for identifying agricultural pasture plots within a tropical forest using long-term satellite data series. We revealed a tendency for landscape deterioration in the middle and upper parts of the Fatala River Basin, while vegetation cover is being restored in the lower part of the basin. Finally, we propose some measures to rehabilitate transformed landscapes and increase the efficiency of agricultural production in the study region.

Biogeographical Origins of Caatinga Squamata Fauna

ABSTRACTAimSeveral lines of evidence have noted that open vegetation biomes in the Neotropics are younger than moist forests, leading us to question which historical processes shaped the current species distribution patterns in these new biome formations. Here we investigate the temporal patterns of speciation and colonisation from surrounding biomes (Amazonia, Atlantic Forest and Cerrado) in the Caatinga historical assembly of squamate species, to understand the role of geomorphological events and climate change in driving its diversification.LocationNeotropics.TaxonSquamata (snakes, lizards and amphisbaenians).MethodsWe used a phylogenetic tree and occurrence data for 459 squamate species distributed throughout four different biomes (Amazonia, Atlantic Forest, Cerrado and Caatinga) to reconstruct ancestral geographic ranges using the R package BioGeoBEARS. We used BAMM to estimate the rates of species diversification.ResultsOur results indicate that the current diversity patterns of squamates in the Caatinga were a result of pervasive faunal exchanges from adjacent biomes since the Paleogene, with similar numbers of dispersal events in each source area. The Neogene period was determinant in the diversification process, leading to the current assembly patterns of this group in the Caatinga.Main ConclusionsThe landscape transformation and climate change that increased aridity in northeastern Brazil probably shaped the diversification of dry‐adapted squamates in the Caatinga, like tropidurid lizards. However, the Pleistocene climatic fluctuations associated with the highly heterogeneous gradients of topography, geology, soils, climatic conditions, and different vegetation physiognomies could have facilitated faunal exchange with their neighbouring forested biomes, explaining the current presence of some typical forested lineages inside the Caatinga domain and help us to clarify the current distribution patterns of squamates in this region.

Immigration speeding social landscape transformations: the case of Portugal

This article presents the significant and rapid transformation that Portuguese society is currently undergoing. A high level of immigration has been registered over the last several years. This is a significant wave that has never been experienced in the country before and represents an opportunity to meet labour force needs in different economic sectors and a chance to improve demographic sustainability. Traditionally known as a welcoming society, with a favourable integration approach, this is a test moment to confirm this perception of Portugal. The article examines the main data and trends of this transformation, discusses citizens’ perception of immigration compared with the situation of other European societies, and highlights difficulties that are already emerging. The article also discusses the role of public policies on the topic.

Placemaking and the dynamic transformation of urban landscapes: a comprehensive exploration

ABSTRACT In contemporary urban development discourse, the transformative capacity of public art, particularly murals within placemaking paradigms, is a significant area of interest. This paper explores the dynamic interplay between public art and urban settings, focusing on murals as catalysts for urban revitalization. By fostering local economic growth, community participation, and socio-spatial well-being, murals play a pivotal role in urban transformation. Despite their impact, the contribution of murals in Balkan urban landscapes remains underexplored. To address this gap, the paper examines the power of murals through the ‘Street B’ initiative in Pristina, Kosovo. An evaluative framework is introduced to assess murals’ roles in regeneration and placemaking, affirming their significance in transforming urban spaces. Additionally, the regulation of public spaces and artistic creativity, emphasizing the need for clear guidelines and metrics to integrate public art into urban strategies are addressed. By advancing this dialogue, the research enriches existing literature and underscores the aesthetic and socio-functional value of murals in urban change.

Landscape burning facilitated Aboriginal migration into Lutruwita/Tasmania 41,600 years ago.

The establishment of Tasmanian Palawa/Pakana communities ~40 thousand years ago (ka) was achieved by the earliest and farthest human migrations from Africa and necessitated migration into high-latitude Southern Hemisphere environments. The scarcity of high-resolution paleoecological records during this period, however, limits our understanding of the environmental effects of this pivotal event, particularly the importance of using fire as a tool for habitat modification. We use two paleoecological records from the Bass Strait islands to identify the initiation of anthropogenic landscape transformation associated with ancestral Palawa/Pakana land use. People were living on the Tasmanian/Lutruwitan peninsula by ~41.6 ka using fire to penetrate and manipulate forests, an approach possibly used in the first migrations across the last glacial landscape of Sahul.

The Importance of Pocket Parks on Air Quality: A Comparative Approach

Population growth, increasing construction, and impervious surfaces are among the factors leading to the deterioration of the natural balance. Increasing population density has led to a gradual decrease in green areas for living spaces, transport routes and car parks. In addition, the rate of urbanisation and related environmental problems are one of the biggest threats to the sustainability of open green spaces. Accurate identification of problems, such as air, water, and soil pollution is critical to addressing current environmental problems and preventing future problems. Air pollution poses a significant threat to the global community and has sequential impacts on health systems, ecosystems and economies in both developed and developing countries. Cities are home to 50 per cent of the world's population and are expected to reach 70 per cent by 2050. The rapid urbanisation process leads to the transformation of natural and semi-natural landscapes into impervious surfaces and increased heat absorption rates. This study focuses on Jumeirah Island in Dubai. This artificial island is home to many businesses that support social life. Each café in these areas is located with public green areas in front of it and its own open spaces. In the study, 40 measurement points were established in two contrasting environmental conditions and air quality measurements were made manually. The stations are divided into blue and red stations and have contrasting characteristics. While the red measurement points have more green areas, water elements, qualified landscape texture, the blue measurement points have these characters to a lesser extent. Thanks to this comparison, the effect of vegetation texture and pocket parks on air quality in the study area was analysed. As a result of the analyses, the air quality in both areas was found to be good and acceptable, while the results at the red measurement points were found to be of better quality than the blue measurement stations. As a result of the study, the effect of water elements, qualified landscape design and vegetative texture on air quality has been proved with numerical data.

Where It Should Always Be

“Where It Should Always Be, ” is a powerful poem written by Carlos Andres Olivera Caballero. The poem delved into the complex interplay between urban spaces and social movements. It illustrates how public spaces, often overlooked, became crucial arenas for the expression of communal identity, resistance, and aspirations for a just society. Set against the backdrop of a city undergoing turmoil, the poem is narrated through the experiences of a young individual witnessing the transformation of everyday urban landscapes into sites of collective action and contestation. It captures the essence of public space as a platform for civic engagement, where the community’s fight for equality, dignity, and freedom is articulated and enacted. Through vivid imagery and emotive storytelling, the poem reflects on the role of public spaces in shaping social dynamics, highlighting their potential to foster solidarity, empower marginalized voices, and challenge structures of power. It emphasizes the solidarity of resonates the reader’s interest in urban cmovements underlining thepoem’son message of community empowerment.

Mapping the global regulatory terrain in digital banking: a longitudinal study across countries

Purpose This study aims to comprehensively understand the regulatory landscape and digital transformation (DT) within the banking sector, anchored in the theory of national innovation systems. Design/methodology/approach Using insights from a comprehensive literature review, an innovative framework is introduced to categorize regulators and digital banking attributes across 88 countries. The study uses k-means clustering to analyze the digital banking and regulatory status of 88 countries, tracing their evolution over two distinct timeframes. Findings The cross-country analysis spanning 2014 and 2022 reveals compelling trends in regulatory rankings and digital banking across diverse nations. These findings shed light on the dynamic interplay between regulatory environments and technological innovation. Originality/value This research contributes to knowledge by establishing a robust framework for understanding regulator dynamics in digital banking across a wide spectrum of countries. It offers valuable insights for academia, practitioners and policymakers by elucidating the complex relationship between the regulatory landscape and DT, shaping discourse and implications in this field, and informing strategic decision-making and policy formulation in the global financial landscape.

Changes in the soil and vegetation cover of the Kochubey biosphere station under global warming in recent years

Objectives: The study and long-term observations of changes in the spatial structure of vegetation cover of pasture landscapes of the Kochubey Biosphere Station (KBS) due to global climate warming. Arid pasture landscapes, due to the peculiarities of their spatial structure (the presence of semi-desert vegetation groupings) are a good indicator of modern climatic changes. To achieve this goal, the spatial structure and the current state of the arid landscapes of the Northwestern Caspian Sea in the territory of the KBS have been studied. The analysis of the biological diversity of species was carried out. Also the characteristics of the common features of seasonal dynamics of landscapes were studied. Moreover, trends of climatic changes in the landscape structure of the territory and trends in anthropogenic transformation of arid landscapes of the region were identified. It has been revealed that the main reasons for the reduction of biodiversity are habitat fragmentation, the introduction of alien species, the settlement of native species outside the range, ecotonization and “islandization” of pasture ecosystems, and the displacement of range boundaries. Since the goal of preserving the components of vegetation biodiversity is to reduce the pressures caused by climate change, adaptation measures should be aimed at reducing the rate of fragmentation and degradation of pasture landscapes. Monitoring observations have shown that over the last 20-century period there have been rhythmically repeating changes in climate and soil and vegetation cover, which indicates high mobility of vegetation. It has been established that the contribution of anthropogenic land degradation to desertification is confirmed by a significant linear trend in interannual fluctuations in indicators of pasture digression in the region. It has been established that the contribution of anthropogenic land degradation to desertification is confirmed by a significant linear trend in interannual fluctuations in indicators of pasture digression in the region. Due to excessive pasture digression, “islands” of anthropogenic desertification are formed here, the lifespan of which is determined by human influence and precipitation fluctuations.

Evolving road networks and urban landscape transformation in the Himalayan foothills, India.

The amalgamation of Himalayan and Indo-Burmese biodiversity has made the state of Manipur, India, a unique ecosystem. In addition, the region is a strategic place for the country to establish an economic corridor to Southeast Asia. In recent times, the region has witnessed tremendous infrastructural/road development. Subsequently, forest fragmentation related to urbanization and road expansion has emerged in the Himalayan foothills. The development of roads brought rapid changes in land use and land cover (LULC) and thus subsequent environmental degradation. The current study attempts to understand how the development of road networks has impacted the natural cover in Manipur, India. A spatio-temporal analysis was performed to assess the relationship between the development of road networks and LULC changes using the Landsat satellite images over a decade (2012-2022). The results showed significant changes in the area coverage of LULC categories such as agricultural land, built-up areas, forest, and water bodies with the increase in road density. To have a holistic view, the study area was segregated into three functional zones based on their urban land use pattern, i.e., urban center, peri-urban, and urban peripheral fringes. Urban sprawl in the urban center has led to the rapid conversion of forested lands into built-up areas and agricultural lands in the peri-urban and urban peripheral fringes, respectively. The decline of forest areas to urbanization in peri-urban and urban peripheral fringes calls for conservation and restoration initiatives. The study also emphasizes how different stakeholders can be involved and empowered to strengthen public-private partnerships for conservation and restoration in such sensitive ecosystems. Urban planners and developers should be critical in making informed decisions through understanding ecological concerns in tandem with infrastructural development.

Оценка изменения растительного покрова территории Большой Москвы за двадцать лет с использованием космических снимков

The article presents the results of a study of the dynamics of woody vegetation in the territory of Greater Moscow over twenty years (2000–2020). Using Landsat ARD remote sensing data and geoinformation technologies, a series of maps of growth and loss of woody vegetation were constructed based on reflectivity values, brightness temperature, and vegetation indices. When calculating the areas of forests and fields, it was found that over 20 years their area has slightly increased overall. It was found that the increase in woody vegetation in Old Moscow is characteristic mainly of residential areas close to the Moscow Ring Road. In TiNAO, the maximum increases in woody vegetation are evenly distributed across the districts. In nature protected areas, as a rule, there is no significant increase. Losses of woody vegetation in protected areas are associated with their landscape transformation and construction of various structures. The greatest forest losses are observed in the residential areas of Old Moscow, not directly adjacent to the Moscow Ring Road. In New Moscow, there are lines of transport arteries and areas oriented towards development. Of the specially protected natural areas, the greatest forest losses are typical for the Losiny Ostrov National Park. Of the natural and historical parks, Izmailovo, Kuzminki-Lyublino, Tsaritsyno, and Moskvoretsky Park suffered the most. The territories of the specially protected natural areas are mainly characterized by the stability of their tree stands, not distinguished by either strong growth or large losses. An assessment was made of changes in the areas of forest growth and loss in the city as a whole by tree height categories, which found that the greatest growth is typical for categories 5, 7, 9–13 m, and the greatest losses are for categories 12, 18, 19, and 21 m. The territories where the tree height did not change also have a small share in the city area (about 1.5 %). The data obtained can be recommended for studying the history of the city, developing urban planning and environmental protection measures.

Landscape degradation drives metal bioaccumulation in bats from Atlantic Forest cacao region, Brazil

Agricultural landscapes worldwide are heavily sprayed with agrochemicals to increase crop productivity. These agrochemicals release bio-accumulative pollutants such as heavy metals that often persist in the environment with harmful impacts on biota. In a prime endangered Atlantic Forest biome, in Bahia, Brazil, agroforestry of cacao (Theobroma cacao) provides a livelihood for small farmers and suitable habitats for forest species. However, landscape transformation to pasture and monoculture expose vulnerable communities to scarcely evaluated pollutants with unknown effects on the health of humans and animals. We assessed the bioaccumulation of manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), and copper (Cu) by analyzing hair samples of 326 bats representing 28 species across 15 cacao agroforestry and 2 forest remnants. Bats from regions heavily disturbed by pastures and monocultures showed higher levels of Pb (41.20 µg/g) and Mn (0.44 µg/g) compared to those from areas where forest or cacao agroforestry dominates the landscape. Local grassland covers increased Pb bioaccumulation, while forest cover reduced it. Cacao agroforestry appeared to increase Cu exposure, likely due to fungicide use. This study pioneers the evaluation of heavy metal accumulation in bats inhabiting cacao agroforestry and Atlantic Forest remnants, highlighting the need for sustainable agricultural practices to protect wildlife and ecosystem health.

The current policy focus shift from a sectoral to a territorial governance of wildfire reduction is aligned with forest owners’ preferences

Land management for wildfire reduction has been said to require new governance arrangements that ensure the coordination at the local level among landowners and between them and other relevant private and public actors. To promote a shift in the policy approach to wildfire mitigation from the current focus on fuel management, within the forestry sector, to a more effective cross-sectoral landscape transformation, this governance problem takes on even greater importance. Given the diversity of owners within a territory, our main goal is to identify a governance arrangement that match the heterogeneity of owners’ preferences for alternative governance options.Based on a face-to-face survey of 497 owners in a fire-prone region, four types of owners have been identified using a cluster analysis based on management practices and socioeconomic context. Our results show that the type of owner helps explaining their preferences for alternative governance options. Owners that are more active (e.g. regular forest interventions) and have stronger links to the forestry sector, through regular timber sales and participation in forest owner organizations, favor the keeping of individual management over the delegation of management on others or the renting or selling of the land. Although many of these owners see forest organizations alone as the best entities to promote wildfire mitigation, the majority would prefer solutions that also integrate local authorities. Owners that are less active (e.g. no forest interventions) and have weaker links to the sector (no timber sales and no enrollment in forest organizations) consider renting or selling the land, and view a combination of both local authorities and forest organizations as the best solution to promote wildfire reduction at the local level.We conclude that a multi-actor (public-private) territorially-based governance model fits both the required transition in the policy approach and the diverse preferences of different owner types.