Land Utilization Efficiency Research Articles

Spatial Coordination Analysis and Development Methods of the Catering Sector in Yongkang City

The catering sector is recognized as a crucial driver for stimulating domestic consumption and fostering sustained economic growth. A scientifically informed spatial planning of the catering sector in county-level cities can help mitigate the overconcentration or excessive dispersal of resources, thereby enhancing the efficiency of land and commercial resource utilization, reducing waste, and promoting sustainable development within a county’s economy. This study focuses on Yongkang City, located in central Zhejiang Province, as a case study. Using Python 3.1 software to extract point-of-interest (POI) data, spatial analysis techniques such as standard deviation ellipses and kernel density estimation are employed to elucidate the spatial distribution characteristics of the catering sector, comprehensive transportation, and public services in Yongkang City. Furthermore, a coupling coordination degree model is utilized to quantify the coupling coordination degrees between the catering sector and comprehensive transportation (D1), as well as between the catering sector and public services (D2), ultimately assessing the overall coupling coordination degree among the three sectors (D3). Based on the analysis results, the coupling coordination degrees are categorized into five levels, followed by a detailed evaluation of the catering sector’s development across different subdistricts. The findings indicate a certain degree of spatial imbalance in the distribution of the catering sector in Yongkang City, with the western region exhibiting a more favorable development trajectory. Notably, Dongcheng Subdistrict achieved the highest coupling coordination degree (0.993), while the northern region, hindered by underdeveloped economic conditions and limited transportation infrastructure, exhibited the lowest coordination degree (0.098). Considering the unique developmental characteristics and current conditions of each subdistrict, this study advocates for the formulation of a long-term sustainable development plan for the catering sector in Yongkang City. The findings of this research may offer valuable insights for other regions and countries, thereby promoting the sustainable advancement of the catering sector.

A Gaussian interval type-2 fuzzy characterization method based on heterogeneous big data and its application in forest ecological assessment

The under-forest economy is a new agricultural and forestry production mode. It can improve the utilization efficiency of forest land and make full use of forest resources, forest space, and forest ecological environment through different forms of industries such as understory planting and breeding. The under-forest economy has important ecological and economic benefits, significant to rural revitalization and industrial structure adjustment. It has been widely discussed by people in recent years. The forest ecological security level is a core factor to be considered in selecting sites for the under-forest economy. In practice, some forest ecological security evaluation indexes usually show heterogeneous forms. To comprehensively evaluate the level of forest ecological security, this study constructs a new multi-indicator fuzzy evaluation method based on heterogeneous big data. Firstly, a new linguistic scale function is defined to realize the consistent conversion of multi-granularity linguistic information. A Gaussian interval type-2 fuzzy aggregation formula for heterogeneous large-scale data is proposed. This formula is used to describe the differences in evaluation information between individuals caused by different knowledge backgrounds of evaluators. Then, the Gaussian interval type-2 fuzzy cross-entropy is defined, and it is verified to satisfy the excellent properties. This cross-entropy is applied to determine the objective weights of evaluation indexes. Considering the risk-averse psychology of experts and combining the prospect theory, the MULTIMOORA method in the Gaussian interval type-2 fuzzy environment is proposed. Finally, the applicability of the constructed Gaussian interval type-2 fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method (GIT2FCE) is verified through a case study conducted on the site selection of the under-forest economic industry.

Effects of Industrial Structure on the Green Utilization Efficiency of Urban Land: A Case Study of the Bohai Rim Region, China

The green utilization of urban land is a critical component of regional high-quality development. Enhancing the green utilization efficiency of urban land (GUEUL) is of great significance to improving the quality of ecological environment and achieving a green lifestyle and low-carbon production. With the process of urbanization, the industrial structure is constantly adjusted, which has an impact on the structure and efficiency of urban land utilization. Taking 43 cities in the Bohai Rim region as an example, the super-efficiency slack-based measure model with undesirable outputs (super-SBM-undesirable model) was employed to evaluate the GUEUL from 2006 to 2021, and the panel quantile model was used to explore the impact of industrial structure on GUEUL. The results showed that the GUEUL in the Bohai Rim region appeared a fluctuating upward trend from 0.664 in 2006 to 0.837 in 2021. High-value zones shifted from western Liaoning province and southern Shandong province to a “C”-shaped belt around the coastline and expanded continuously, while low-value zones decreased significantly. Furthermore, the influence of industrial structure on GUEUL was significantly positive, but there were significant differences among different efficiency levels. Industrial structure upgrading exerted the most significant effect on GUEUL improvement in low-value zones, while industrial structure rationalization was dominant in high-value zones, and the influence of industrial structure technologization was more significant in medium-low-value zones. Therefore, differentiated industrial structure adjustment policies should be formulated based on the actual condition of each city to improve GUEUL.

Redevelopment of Underutilized Land in Cities Based on the Perspective of Relevant Stakeholders

As urbanization continues to advance, the issue of redevelopment of low utility land in cities has gradually become the focus of widespread attention. The existence of low utility land leads to irrational allocation of urban resources, low land utilization efficiency, and brings challenges to sustainable urban development. This paper comprehensively analyzes the main causes of low utility land in cities and analyzes them from the perspectives of stakeholders at different levels, and at the same time, it proposes a series of solutions tailored to the local conditions by comparing the problems in urban redevelopment in Guangzhou and London, because different cities have different policies, laws or development pattern which may infect the management of low utility land differently. Meanwhile, this paper also explores the solution to the problem of inefficient land use through effective urban planning, policy adjustment and cooperation among stakeholders to promote sustainable urban development. Finally, this paper gives some problems and challenges that need further attention in the future.

QTL Detection of Salt Tolerance at Soybean Seedling Stage Based on Genome-Wide Association Analysis and Linkage Analysis.

The utilization of saline land is a global challenge, and cultivating salt-tolerant soybean varieties is beneficial for improving the efficiency of saline land utilization. Exploring the genetic basis of salt-tolerant soybean varieties and developing salt-tolerant molecular markers can effectively promote the process of soybean salt-tolerant breeding. In the study, the membership function method was used to evaluate seven traits related to salt tolerance and comprehensive salt tolerance at the soybean seedling stage; genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) was performed in a natural population containing 200 soybean materials; and linkage analysis was performed in 112 recombinant inbred lines (RIL) population to detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) of salt tolerance. In the GWAS, 147 SNPs were mapped, explaining 5.28-17.16% of phenotypic variation. In the linkage analysis, 10 QTLs were identified, which could explain 6.9-16.16% of phenotypic variation. And it was found that there were two co-located regions between the natural population and the RIL population, containing seven candidate genes of salt tolerance in soybean. In addition, one colocalization interval was found to contain qZJS-15-1, rs47665107, and rs4793412, all of which could explain more than 10% of phenotypic variation rates, making it suitable for molecular marker development. The physical positions of rs47665107 and rs47934112 were included in qZJS-15-1. Therefore, a KASP marker was designed and developed using Chr. 15:47907445, which was closely linked to the qZJS-15-1. This marker could accurately and clearly cluster the materials of salt-tolerant genotypes in the heterozygous population tested. The QTLs and KASP markers found in the study provide a theoretical and technical basis for accelerating the salt-tolerant breeding of soybean.

Water-land-energy efficiency and nexus within global agricultural trade during 1995–2019

Agricultural product demand driven by population and economic growth poses challenges to water, land, and energy utilization, and this increasing local demand is largely met through trade. However, the efficiency and nexus pattern of the water, land, and energy embodied in agricultural trade are not well understood. This study uses the multi-regional input–output framework to analyze agricultural water, land, and energy utilization efficiency of resource footprints per unit economic output as well as their transfer and nexus pattern in global agricultural trade for 1995–2019. The results show that many international agricultural trade paths are inefficient in the water, land, and energy resource use because the agricultural products in these paths are exported from relatively low- to high-efficiency economies/regions. However, these inefficient transfer paths show an increasing trend over the study period. Regarding the water-land-energy nexus, conflicts are prevalent in land-energy and water-energy couplings. Most trade paths are conducted to alleviate the pressure on a specific resource, inadvertently increasing the pressure on other resources. Although agricultural trade is important for meeting global food demands, it is not consistently beneficial to the local environment when considering agricultural resources use efficiency. This study is expected to improve our understanding of agricultural trade impacts to the agricultural resources and support the sustainable development of global agriculture.

Characteristics and factors influencing the expansion of urban construction land in China

As a new product of rapid urbanization, the sprawl of urban construction land can objectively reflect urban land use efficiency, which is of great significance to China's new urban construction. This study aimed to summarize the expansion patterns and utilization efficiency of urban construction land in China from the perspectives of the status, speed and trends of expansion, and to uncover the key factors that lead to the differential distribution of the expansion of construction land. It can also provide land management experience for other countries with rapid expansion of construction land. The results show the following. (1) The expansion of China's construction land presents a "point–line–plane" pattern of evolution, forming changing stages of point-like aggregation, linear series and planar spread. (2) China's construction land shows the characteristics of disorderly spread, a low utilization rate and low output efficiency. The speed of expansion presents clear characteristics of being high in the east and low in the west, mostly concentrated in the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta and the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration. Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou have the highest intensity of construction land use. In Shandong Peninsula and eastern coastal areas, the intensity of the construction land use is generally high. In Xinjiang and Xizang, the intensity of construction land use is relatively low. (3) The urban economic level, population size, industrial structure, foreign investment and land policies have significant effects on the spatial distribution of the expansion of construction land.

Maximizing Water Use Efficiency (WUE), Land Utilization Efficiency (LUE) and Competitive Indices of Maize and Soybean Crops Through Intercropping Pattern with Straw Mulching

Maximizing Water Use Efficiency (WUE), Land Utilization Efficiency (LUE) and Competitive Indices of Maize and Soybean Crops Through Intercropping Pattern with Straw Mulching

Interregional Flows of Embodied Carbon Storage Associated with Land-Use Change in China

With the continuous expansion of regional trade, interregional teleconnections have an increasingly pronounced impact on the changes in carbon storage caused by land use in China. Current research in this area remains remarkably limited, however. This study employs land-use data, carbon density data, and a multiregional input–output model to precisely quantify the embodied flow and spatial patterns of land-use carbon storage in China. We found that the carbon storage embodied in interprovincial trade in China accounts for 34.9 percent of total carbon storage, with cropland (44.9 percent) and woodland (43.6 percent) representing the highest proportions within their land-use categories. Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, and Tibet were found to be the most externally driven in terms of land-use-related carbon storage, with outflows exceeding 2,000 Tg C. Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai, on the other hand, were shown to consume up to 90 percent of land-use-related carbon storage inflows, showcasing the strongest external dependence. Additionally, Hunan (1,300.5 Tg C), Hubei (863.4 Tg C), Henan (1,534.6 Tg C), and Shanxi (2,223.6 Tg C) are the provinces where changes in land-use carbon storage are most significant, exerting the greatest influence on changes in China’s total carbon storage. China’s international export of land-use-related embodied carbon storage decreased by 3,964.7 Tg C during the study period, with woodland (1,516.8 Tg C) and grassland (1,505.7 Tg C) being the primary declining land types. Interestingly, as land utilization efficiency continues to rise, over half of the provinces have seen an increase in export trade value, while their corresponding embodied carbon storage has declined. The findings not only unveil the complex dynamics and spatial distribution at work in China’s embodied land-use-related carbon storage but also provide practical insights and directions for achieving carbon neutrality goals.

Application of resource-environmental-economic perspective for optimal water and nitrogen rate under high-low seedbed cultivation in winter wheat

High-low seedbed cultivation (HLSC), a targeted agricultural method for increasing land utilization efficiency in North China Plain, has emerged as a key practice in enhancing sustainable agriculture, particularly in the context of the region’s unique ecological challenges and water scarcity. However, comprehensive analysis of resource-environment-economy for water and nitrogen strategy in HLSC-cultivated wheat was limited. A three-year field experiment with four nitrogen rates (360, 300, 240, and 180 kg ha−1, denoted as N1, N2, N3, and N4) and three irrigation quotas (120, 90, and 60 mm, referred to as W1, W2, and W3) was conducted to investigate effects of water and nitrogen rate on water productivity (WP), agronomic efficiency of nitrogen (AEN), energy use efficiency (EUE), carbon footprint (CF), water footprint (WF), nitrogen footprint (NF), and net benefits of HLSC-cultivated wheat. Results showed that the total energy output in moderate water and nitrogen input (i.e., N3W2) was 328.0×103 MJ ha−1, which was significantly increased by 31.8% compared with lower input (i.e., N4W3) but was decreased by 17.1% compared with higher input (i.e., N1W1). The total energy input, water consumption and grain yield in N3W2 was decreased by 22.3%, 14.4 and 4.1%, relative to N1W1, respectively, and increased by 18.2%, 20.8% and 42.2% relative to N4W3, respectively. This may lead to significant increase in EUE, WP, AEN and net income in N3W2. Furthermore, the CF, WF, and NF increased as the water and nitrogen input increased, whereas minimum CF, WF and NF per unit of yield was obtained N3/N4 or W1/W2 level. 240 kg N ha−1 coupled with 90–120 mm irrigation quota was recommended by TOPSIS for the HLSC-cultivated wheat to best trade-off resource use efficiencies, environmental footprints, and net benefits. Future studies are needed to further assess the scalability and adaptability of HLSC-cultivated wheat across different climatic zones and soil types.

Anti-drift performance of a hoods spray system for soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.)-maize (Zea mays L.) strip intercropping

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.)-maize (Zea mays L.) strip intercropping is a way to enhance land utilization efficiency, water conservation, and nutrient optimization, but there are few dedicated high-efficiency sprayers. Consequently, the objective of this research was to design a spray system tailored for the strip intercropping of maize and soybean and test its performance. The system consisted of 5 soybean units and 4 maize units, the soybean units consisted of nozzles and a hood, and the maize unit consisted of nozzles and booms. The anti-drift performance of the hoods with different heights and the spray deposition on plants were evaluated. The results demonstrated that the droplet drift increased with higher moving speed, spray pressure, and hood height. In the spray system performance experiment, the droplet deposition rates of soybean ranged from 40% to 50%, while for maize, they ranged from 50% to 68%. This spray system, specifically designed for soybean-maize strip intercropping, uses hood spray and hanger booms to isolate different pesticides and offers valuable technical support for enhancing crop yield, environmental protection, and resource conservation.

Analysis of Dynamic Evolution and Driving Factors of Low-Carbon Utilization Efficiency of Cultivated Land in China

In order to cope with global climate warming, measurement of the low-carbon utilization efficiency (LCUE) of cultivated land, considering carbon sink and carbon emission effects, is proposed. To address this, based on the data of 30 provinces in China, this study conducts a LCUE evaluation system by the MinDS-U-M productivity index model in order to analyze the spatiotemporal patterns and driving factors of LCUE with the geographic detector model and GTWR model. The results show the following: (1) Over the past 20 years, the average LCUE value exhibits a slow increasing trend from 2001 to 2021, which ranges from 0.9864 to 1.0272. Provinces with mid-level LCUE ranging from 1.0000 to 1.0990 account for the highest proportion in each period. (2) The annual growth rate of LCUE in the central region is the highest, where the promotion of green technology and farmland protection policies have played important roles. (3) According to the Geodetector analysis, urbanization rate (UR), irrigation index (IR), grain output value (GOV), precipitation (PR), arable land area (ALA), and environmental pollution control (EPC) are important drivers of the spatial difference of LCUE. (4) The GTWR model shows that the positive effects of ALA and SRT have always been concentrated in the main grain-producing areas over time. UR and PR have strong explanatory power for the space/time differentiation of LCUE, especially in eastern coastal regions. IR has an increasing effect on LCUE in the Western region, and the positive effect of EPC on the LCUE is concentrated in the central region. In order to coordinate regional LCUE contradictions, it is suggested to be wary of land resource damage caused by economic development, warn about the impacts of climate change, and strengthen the supervision of land remediation projects in order to achieve sustainable land management.

The impact of teleconnections of built-up land on unbalanced regional development and spatial carbon balance

The rapid expansion of built-up land in China contributes to the great differences in regional development, which has impacted balanced regional development. Analysis on teleconnections of built-up land can better understand the mechanism of spatial imbalance, thus promoting the achievement of overall carbon neutrality. We attempt to quantify the degree of unbalanced regional development based on teleconnections of built-up land in China. Results reveal an increase in external dependence in developed regions, with the economic growth in these regions driving the expansion of built-up land in undeveloped regions. Undeveloped regions primarily serve as suppliers of land for the mining and manufacturing industry, while developed regions export substantial land for the service industry. There is considerable variation in the environmental-economic benefits among regions: While each province experiences economic gains from built-up land expansion, differences in land utilization efficiency contribute to a significant development gap among regions. This divergence in development levels exacerbates the unbalanced regional development in China, a trend that is currently widening. It is imperative for developed regions to assume greater responsibility in achieving carbon neutrality. This involves providing economic and technological support to undeveloped regions, fostering a more equitable and sustainable development path.

The Impact of Digital Finance on the Green Utilization Efficiency of Urban Land: Evidence from 281 Cities in China

In the era of digital economy, digital finance, as an innovative financial model, plays an important role in driving urban industrial transformation and development, technological innovation, industrial upgrading and sustainable utilization of energy, and has a significant impact on sustainable urban development. At present, in the process of building a new pattern of Chinese-style modernization in China, it is of great significance to improve the green use efficiency of urban land through digital finance and realize the sustainable use of land resources and the sustainable development of the city. The current study employed 281 Chinese cities from 2010 to 2020 as research samples to investigate the effects of technological financing on the productivity of city land green usage. Based on the ideas of responsible growth and efficient urban development, an assessment index system was developed. Comprehensive empirical tests, such as the Super-SBM model, fixed effect model, and mediation effect model, were implemented in the research. The study’s findings indicate that: (1) Throughout the research period, the benchmark model’s regression outcomes demonstrate that digital banking impacts urban land’s green development efficiency, with positive moderating effects offered by environmental legislation; the optimization of industrial structure has not yet played a positive regulating effect. (2) Urban area green usage performance is more clearly impacted by the extent of use and the degree of digitization, according to the regression results of digital financing heterogeneity. The positive effect of online financial services on a city’s green use efficiency occurs mainly in eastern cities and southern cities, given the results of urban development level difference. In light of resource endowment unpredictability, “non-resource cities” stand to gain more from global finance’s encouragement of resource-efficient urban land use than do “resource cities”. The results of the mechanism test indicate that there is a strong mediating influence from digital finance, city land environmental use productivity, and green technological breakthroughs. In consideration of these results, the following measures are suggested in this paper: (1) Persist in advocating for the transformation of traditional finance into online financing. (2) Intensify the impact of significant variables on the environmentally friendly use of urban areas. (3) Encourage technology creativity and execution through the application of technological economics.

Research on the characteristics and influencing factors of the spatial correlation network of cultivated land utilization ecological efficiency in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, China.

Researching the structural characteristics of the spatial correlation network of cultivated land utilization ecological efficiency is of great significance to China's food security and agricultural green and low-carbon development. Taking 47 cities (autonomous prefectures) in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River as the research object, the ecological efficiency of cultivated land utilization from 2010 to 2020 was measured based on the unexpected output model (Super SBM), and the spatial correlation matrix was constructed using the revised gravity model. The structural characteristics of the spatial correlation network were analyzed using the social network model (SNA), and finally, the factors affecting the spatial correlation network of cultivated land utilization ecological efficiency in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River were analyzed through the quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) model. The results show that: (1) the ecological efficiency of cultivated land utilization in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River has been increasing year by year, but the overall level is low, and there is a large gap among provinces. Sichuan Province has the highest average value of 0.605, and Yunnan Province has the lowest average value of 0.359. (2) The ecological efficiency of cultivated land utilization in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River has broken through the provincial boundaries and has formed an obvious spatial correlation network, but the overall density is low, and the network is still relatively loose, needing further development and improvement. Chengdu, Yibin, Luzhou, and other cities are located in the center of the network and have formed four cohesive subgroups. (3)The differences in the level of agricultural economic development, the rural per capita disposable income, the differences in agricultural mechanization intensity, the regional population differences, and spatial adjacency have an impact on the spatial network of ecological efficiency of cultivated land utilization in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. The difference in the level of agricultural economic development, the rural per capita disposable income, and the differences in agricultural mechanization intensity are negatively correlated, while the regional population differences are positively correlated with spatial adjacency.

Bi-cropping of castor bean and nutri-millets optimizes system productivity, energy efficiency, and carbon footprint in rainfed alfisols of semi-arid tropics

Intercropping enhances diversity, productivity, resilience, and soil health. To achieve these benefits of the intercropping system, drilling patterns and species mixture play a key role. Therefore, to optimize the productivity, profitability, energetics, and carbon footprint of the castor-based millet intercropping system, a field experiment was conducted for two consecutive kharif seasons (2020 − 2021 and 2021 − 2022) at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka (India). The results revealed that all the crops under monoculture outperformed their intercropping system for seed and stalk/stover yield. Among the different cropping systems, castor + finger millet (2:4) showed highest castor equivalent yield (CEY; 1911 kg ha−1) due to excellent land utilization efficiency (LUE; 106%), land equivalent ratio (LER; 1.13), land equivalent co-efficient (LEC; 0.32) compared to other cropping systems. Castor + finger millet (2:4) was even found superior in terms of monetary returns. Finger millet monoculture showed the highest energy consumption (10,770 MJ ha−1), energy output (96,507 MJ ha−1), and also net energy gain (85,737 MJ ha−1) compared to other cropping systems. However, it was comparable with castor + finger millet (2:4) despite its modest energy consumption (10,530 MJ ha−1). Castor monoculture showed the highest carbon (C) emission (2045 kg CO2-eq. ha−1) and also C output (1760 kg CE ha−1). While, net C gain (1210 kg CE ha−1), C efficiency (3.39 kg kg−1 CE), and C stability index (2.39) were highest in the castor + finger millet intercropping system. Consequently, the adoption of a castor + finger millet (2:4) intercropping system will be a viable alternative for achieving enhanced system productivity, and energy efficiency with lower C-footprints under semi-arid regions.

Cultivated Land Green Use Efficiency and Its Influencing Factors: A Case Study of 39 Cities in the Yangtze River Basin of China

In recent years, the Chinese government has been paying more and more attention to agricultural development and ecological protection. Improving cultivated land green use efficiency (CLGUE) is becoming a crucial issue in promoting the sustainable development of agriculture. This study aims to study the current situation and influencing factors of agricultural production from the perspective of green utilization efficiency of cultivated land. It takes 39 cities in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin in China as an example. The CLGUE values in those 39 cities from 2011 to 2020 were specifically measured, using the Super-SBM model, kernel density estimation and geographic detector method. Their temporal and spatial heterogeneity was described, and the influencing factors were detected at both single and interactive levels. The results showed that (1) from 2011 to 2020, the green utilization efficiency value of cultivated land in the Yangtze River basin showed an upward trend on the whole; (2) there is clear spatial heterogeneity between CLGUE values in the Yangtze River basin cities, and the distribution is as follows: downstream region > midstream region > upstream region; (3) cultivated land resource endowment, socioeconomic development and agricultural production technology are important factors affecting the variability in CLGUE values. However, there are some differences in the degree and direction of influence of different influencing factors on different sample subgroups.

ADMINISTRATION OF MEASURES FOR THE RESTORATION OF SOILS TRANSFORMED AS A RESULT OF MILITARY OPERATIONS

The Earth is a wealth of society. Its role in addressing the food problem cannot be overstated. It is known that the population's demand for staple food products doubles on average every thirty years. Therefore, in order to provide enough food for all the people living in the years 2010-2020, the productivity of agriculture needs to be doubled. The solution to this incredibly complex task primarily depends on the efficiency of land utilization. Observations are conducted using ground-based methods, primarily field-based techniques, and remote sensing tools. The establishment of correlation relationships between ground-based and remote sensing methods is carried out on dedicated test sites. The purpose of the article is to provide proposals for implementing measures for the restoration of lands transformed as a result of military actions. The methodology should include modern mathematical support, including principles of database creation, automated data processing and retrieval systems, and methods for real-time and long-term forecasting. For an accurate assessment of such transformations and the implementation of targeted regulation of soil processes, there is a need to organize systematic monitoring services to observe them. The absence of such monitoring can lead to irreversible degradation of the soil cover, which would later require enormous costs and time for restoration. It is clear that from both economic and socio-environmental perspectives, it is more practical and advantageous to prevent adverse changes rather than trying to remedy them later. By processing such information, it is possible to identify optimal natural conditions for various activities, predict both positive and negative factors for agricultural operations, and take measures to reduce the impact of negative factors on human life and activities. It is known that for a long time, observations were only conducted on changes in the state of the natural environment caused by natural factors. Indeed, the state of the biosphere changes under the influence of both natural and anthropogenic factors. However, there is a significant difference in the outcomes of these influences: the state of the biosphere, which constantly changes due to natural causes, usually returns to its previous state. Large balanced ecological systems, geosystems, change extremely slowly under the influence of natural processes. These gradual evolutionary changes occur only over time measured by historical epochs. The deteriorating ecological situation in Ukraine, including the agroecological state of the soil cover, emphasizes the need for the State Agrochemical Service to transition from soil agrochemical surveys to comprehensive soil-agrochemical monitoring of agricultural lands. Such monitoring belongs to the ecological monitoring type and consists of three main components: soil surveys (including laboratory analysis), assessment of their agro-ecological condition, prediction of changes in relevant indicators, and soil fertility management, which refers to the specific properties of soils that distinguish them qualitatively from their parent geological formations.

Study of the Morphological Characteristics of Cultivated Land in Semiarid Sandy Areas

The unique natural geographical conditions and land use patterns in semiarid sandy areas have resulted in a distinct cultivated landscape. Identifying and classifying the morphological characteristics of cultivated land are key to improving land utilization efficiency. This study focuses on the semiarid sandy areas of China. We obtained information on cropland morphology by judging high-precision remote sensing images and landscape pattern analysis, and then determined the spatial clustering characteristics of different plot morphologies through local spatial autocorrelation analysis. The results are as follows: cultivated land can be classified into five main types: simple large plots, complex large plots, simple small plots, complex small plots, and scattered plots, and there are significant differences in morphology between eastern and western plots. In addition, different morphology types of plots formed a variety of aggregation patterns; clustered plots are surrounded by scattered plots, showing a staggered distribution pattern. Farmers and land managers can make more informed decisions regarding irrigation, fertilization, and crop selection, and this knowledge can provide a basis for further optimizing the layout of cultivated land, identifying fragmented cultivated land, and scientifically recovering farmland to ensure more scientific and refined classification management and zoning protection of cultivated land.

A Comparative Analysis of the Interaction between Urban-Rural Construction Land Transition and Population Flow: Dominant and Recessive Perspectives

Population flow caused by rapid urbanization has driven the urban-rural construction land transition. A systematic recognition of their interaction is essential for achieving coordinated and sustainable urban-rural development. We chose Hangzhou, one of the most urbanized cities in China, as the study area to analyze this interaction from the perspectives of dominant morphology and recessive morphology during the period of 2010 to 2020. From the perspective of dominant morphology, a structured analysis method is applied to assess the variation in the internal components. A dynamic land utilization efficiency index is proposed and combined with an original static land utilization efficiency index to comprehensively portray a complete periodicity of urban-rural construction land transition and population flow from the perspective of recessive morphology. Results demonstrate that the path dependence of rural industrialization leads to a seemingly stagnant urban-rural construction land transition in Hangzhou. Meanwhile, the rapid increase in the demographic urbanization rate has been supported by the massive inflow of external migrants. Based on the more stringent dynamic land utilization efficiency index and the more comprehensive combination of static and dynamic indices, the moderate expansion of urban construction land increases the proportion of township-level units of the intensive land utilization pattern while, instead of population loss, the general non-intensive land utilization pattern in rural areas has been driven by the overexpansion of rural residential land.