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Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Management, and Policies

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A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land, Biodiversity, and Human Wellbeing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 January 2024) | Viewed by 17659

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Prof. Dr. Jianjun Zhang

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Guest Editor

School of Land Science and Technology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
Interests: land use and sustainable development; land economy and real estate valuation; landscape ecology and low-carbon utilization; urban management and land use allocation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Feng Xu

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Guest Editor

School of Public Administration, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Wuhan 430074, China
Interests: rural/urban land use; interaction between land use and urbanization; influencing mechanism of land use change; spatial, non-spatial statistical methods; machine learning techniques
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Guangqing Chi

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Guest Editor

Department of Agricultural Economics, Sociology, and Education, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Interests: environmental demography; socio-environmental systems; population-infrastructure dynamics; computational and spatial analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Yongheng Rao

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Guest Editor

School of Public Administration, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Interests: land use change; sustainable land uses; anthropogenic disturbances in land use; landscape ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since the last Special Issue "Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Interactions, and Management" was launched, it has received active attention from many of our colleagues. Researchers have focused extensively on land use in numerous fields, ranging from physical geography to regional economics, land use management, sociology, planning, and others. A relevant umbrella theme is the relationship between land use change and anthropogenic disturbance. Land use change is related to biodiversity, ecosystem services, human livelihoods, and wellbeing. Thus, it is essential to discuss the entire process of land use change from the perspective of anthropogenic disturbance and further uncover the most effective path for land use management. This is why we have instigated the 2nd Special Issue of “Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Management, and Policies”.

The new Special Issue still aims to provide a collection of papers that critically evaluate the links between land use and anthropogenic disturbance and draw further attentions to land use management and policies. Examples include but are not limited to the mechanism of land use change, land use impacts on community health and wellbeing, and anthropogenic disturbance on land use. We welcome manuscripts from the natural and social science disciplines using any methods (quantitative, qualitative, GIS, remote sensing, or experimental).

Papers may address such topics as but are not limited to:

Land cover/use change simulation and prediction;
Relationships between land use and ecosystem services;
Land use and carbon emissions;
Sustainable land management approach;
The role that anthropogenic disturbance plays in land use change;
Land use and land cover change mapping;
Land resource management;
Land use policy.

Prof. Dr. Jianjun Zhang
Prof. Dr. Feng Xu
Prof. Dr. Guangqing Chi
Dr. Yongheng Rao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

land use change
human behavior
rural/urban land use
land use policy
human–nature conflicts
sustainable development
environmental impacts
spatial planning

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 10268 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Scenario Analysis of Carbon Emission Changes Resulting from a Rural Residential Land Decrement Strategy: A Case Study in China

by Feng Xu, Guangqing Chi and Huan Wang

Land 2024, 13(1), 51; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010051 - 01 Jan 2024

Viewed by 1121

Abstract

Greening the unused or inefficient land surface is of vital importance to increase the carbon pool in environmentally fragile but depopulated rural areas. A proactive land-use strategy, rural residential land decrement (RRLD), is triggered by rural land abandonment and can contribute to greening the land surface. A RRLD can be designed and implemented according to the specific regulations and rules and linked to regional environmental change. However, the carbon consequences of implementing multi-scenario RRLDs remain unknown. Thus, this study exemplifies a rural county of China, proposes a framework that illustrates how spatial zoning, decision model, and prediction techniques jointly determine the RRLD, and accounts for the associated carbon emissions under three scenarios. The results demonstrate that half of the 2012.23 hectares of RRLs were recommended for conversion to farming or gardening use. Under the scenarios of agricultural priority, compact ecological priority, and complete ecological priority, the change of carbon emission capacity in one township could be up to 77.41 tCO₂ yr⁻¹, −172.32 tCO₂ yr⁻¹, and −209.07 tCO₂ yr⁻¹. The total change of Fang’s carbon budget ranged from −1179.91 tCO₂ yr⁻¹ (sequestration) to 461.53 tCO₂ yr⁻¹ (emission). The findings provide a practical paradigm for utilizing land-use strategies to improve the carbon-related environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Management, and Policies)

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18 pages, 1147 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Local Government Environmental Attention and Urban Land Green Use Efficiency in China: The Intermediary Role of Industrial Restructuring

by Xinhai Lu and Xiangqian Tao

Land 2024, 13(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010021 - 22 Dec 2023

Viewed by 965

Abstract

Local governments in China have decision-making authority over urban land use, and their level of environmental attention influences the green use of urban land. However, the impact of local government environmental attention on urban land green use efficiency and its mechanisms remain unclear. This study utilizes panel data from 284 cities from 2003 to 2020 in China and employs fixed effects models and mediation analysis to investigate the pathways through which local government environmental attention affects urban land green use efficiency. The main results are as follows: (1) Through a series of significance tests, local government environmental attention has a significant positive influence on urban land green use efficiency in cities. (2) Further research suggests that both the quantity and quality of industrial structure upgrading act as intermediaries between local government environmental attention and urban land green use efficiency, while the rationalization of industrial structure plays a partial masking role rather than acting as an intermediary. (3) Furthermore, a regional heterogeneity analysis indicates that the impact of local government environmental attention on urban land green use efficiency is significant in the central region but not in the eastern and western regions. Based on these research findings, this study provides valuable policy insights aimed at contributing to green land use and sustainable development in Chinese cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Management, and Policies)

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23 pages, 7423 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatiotemporal Changes and Influencing Factors of Rural Settlements in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River Region, 1990–2020

by Xiaowei Yao and Di Wu

Land 2023, 12(9), 1741; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091741 - 07 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 880

Abstract

China has experienced rapid urbanization, causing dramatic changes to the patterns of urban and rural land use relationships. This paper analyzes the spatiotemporal characteristics of rural settlements in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River region (MRYRR) using remote sensing monitoring data from 1990 to 2020 and reveals the influencing factors of spatiotemporal changes. The research found that (1) the overall increase in the quantity of rural settlements in the MRYRR between 1990 and 2020 was 504.70 km². The area of transfer of other land use types to rural settlement was 1382.57 km², of which 78.55% came from arable land and 16.62% came from forests; the area of rural settlement transfer to other land use types was 867.24 km², of which 66.27% was reclaimed as arable land and 8.48% was transferred into urban built-ups. Changes in different stages and regions are diversified. (2) The spatial layout of rural settlements showed no significant differences in the MRYRR between 1990 and 2020, with a cluster distribution of “five main nuclei and many secondary nuclei” and a spatial distribution of “gathering in the north and east, while scattered in the south and west”. (3) The level of fragmentation of rural settlements in the MRYRR has greatly decreased since 1990, with the average patch size expanding significantly. The patch complexity of rural settlements fluctuated moderately, but the connectivity between patches continued to increase, and their distribution became more clustered. (4) Social and economic factors, including rural electricity consumption, the output value of the primary industry, net income per rural resident, urbanization rate, and the effective irrigated area, most strongly impacted the changes in rural settlements in the MRYRR. The research can be utilized as a guide for reconstructing the pattern of rural land use to promote sustainable rural revitalization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Management, and Policies)

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16 pages, 1222 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Understanding the Role(s) of Social Networks in the Transition from Farmers’ Willingness to Behavior Regarding Withdrawal from Rural Homesteads: A Research Study Based on Typical Regions of Sichuan Province

by Yutong He and Peng Tang

Land 2023, 12(8), 1505; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081505 - 28 Jul 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 780

Abstract

Promoting withdrawal from rural homesteads (WRH) is a significant way of enhancing the efficient use of homesteads, improving the living standards of farmers, and promoting new urbanization. Social networks provide farmers with necessary resources and play an important role in the practices of WRH. Based on a literature review, this paper divides farmers’ social networks into the emotional social network, the economic social network, and the political social network and analyzes the impacts of social networks on farmers’ willingness and behavior regarding WRH using the binary logistic regression model, based on the data of 299 peasant households in Sichuan Province. The following finds are established: (1) the economic social network significantly and negatively affects farmers’ willingness and behavior regarding WRH, while the political social network has a positive impact on farmers’ willingness and behavior regarding WRH; (2) the emotional social network significantly and positively affects farmers’ willingness regarding WRH, but it does not have a significant effect on farmers’ behavior regarding WRH; and (3) the economic social network and political social network exhibit opposite influences on the transition from farmers’ willingness to behavior regarding WRH. We conclude that social networks play a vital role in affecting farmers’ willingness and behavior regarding WRH. The research suggests that expanding the scope of farmers’ interactions and social networks can be helpful in implementing WRH. The employment training system and social security system should also be improved. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Management, and Policies)

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17 pages, 5515 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Examining the Impact of China’s Poverty Alleviation on Nighttime Lighting in 831 State-Level Impoverished Counties

by Yiguo Shen, Xiaojie Chen, Qingxin Yao, Jiahui Ding, Yuhan Lai and Yongheng Rao

Land 2023, 12(6), 1128; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061128 - 25 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1068

Abstract

China’s poverty alleviation projects have made significant contributions to global poverty eradication. This study investigates the impact of China’s poverty alleviation projects on nighttime lighting in 831 state-level impoverished counties using the “NPP-VIIRS-like” dataset and discusses the difference of land use change under different nighttime light clusters in order to provide reference for future policy formulation and implementation. Our results show that the growth of total intensity of nighttime lighting (GRTNL) and the year-on-year growth rate of total intensity of nighttime lighting (YGRTNL) in China’s impoverished counties are 103.74% and 9.69% from 2013 to 2021, respectively, which are both higher than the average levels of all counties (67.16%, 6.77%) and non-poor counties (64.68%, 6.56%) in China during the same period. Additionally, we discovered that impoverished counties that lifted out of poverty earlier had significantly higher nighttime lighting intensity than those later. Regional analysis reveals that the growth of nighttime lighting intensity shows a trend of decreasing from the central (1550.89 nW·cm⁻²·sr⁻¹) to the eastern (924.57), western (762.57), and northeastern regions (588.07), while the growth rate decreases from western regions (282.46%) to the eastern (189.13%), central (178.56%), and northeastern (108.07%). We also identified that Gini coefficient of nighttime lighting has a trend of “slow and short-term rise-rapid and continuous decline”. Moreover, nighttime lighting growth had similar trends with land use change, especially construction land. Overall, our study provides novel insights into the relationship between poverty alleviation effects and nighttime lighting in China’s impoverished counties, which could inform future policy-making and research in this area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Management, and Policies)

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21 pages, 3931 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment and Prediction of Landscape Ecological Risk from Land Use Change in Xinjiang, China

by Yaqi Cheng, Wei Song, Hao Yu, Xi Wei, Shuangqing Sheng, Bo Liu, He Gao, Junfang Li, Congjie Cao and Dazhi Yang

Land 2023, 12(4), 895; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040895 - 16 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1401

Abstract

Land use change has significant impacts on the regional and global environment; thus, in-depth research on the associated ecological risks is necessary for promoting ecological restoration and sustainable development. Xinjiang, China, is characterized by a fragile ecological environment, and this study aimed to predict the land use change in the region in 2030 under different scenarios, including natural development, ecological conservation, and urban development, by using the PLUS model based on land use data from 2000, 2010, and 2020. Based on the landscape structure of regional ecosystems, we developed a comprehensive ecological risk assessment framework by utilizing a combination of landscape disturbance index, vulnerability index, and loss index. This framework allowed us to evaluate the spatiotemporal patterns and variations of landscape ecological risks under different scenarios in 2030. The study results indicate the following: (1) During the period from 2000 to 2020, the primary landscape type in Xinjiang was unused land. However, significant changes were observed in the area of cultivated land, mainly due to the conversion of grassland and construction land. The expansion of construction land during the urbanization process resulted in a decline in ecological landscapes, such as grassland, thereby weakening the ecosystem’s stability. (2) Under different simulation scenarios, the urban development scenario primarily led to the conversion of unused land into construction land, which is beneficial for economic development. On the other hand, the ecological conservation scenario resulted in a modest increase in construction land and a transformation of unused land into forest and grassland, which aligns with the principles of sustainable development. (3) Different scenarios in 2030 result in varying degrees of changes in each landscape type in Xinjiang, with the spatial distribution characteristics of landscape ecological risks remaining similar to those observed in 2020. Notably, under the urban development scenario, the area of lowest and medium risk areas decreases significantly while the area of higher and highest risk areas increases substantially. Conversely, under the ecological conservation scenario, the area of the lowest risk areas experiences a more significant increase. (4) Overall, the spatial differences in the ecological risk of Xinjiang’s landscape are significant, with HH and LL clustering types predominating and presenting a polarization pattern. The distribution pattern is low in the north and high in the central and southern parts of the study area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Management, and Policies)

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18 pages, 3566 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Land Use and Ecosystem Services Evolution in Danjiangkou Reservoir Area, China: Implications for Sustainable Management of National Projects

by Linghua Liu, Liang Zheng, Ying Wang, Chongchong Liu, Bowen Zhang and Yuzhe Bi

Land 2023, 12(4), 788; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040788 - 30 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1306

Abstract

The South-to-North Water Diversion Project (SNWDP) is one of the largest cross-basin and cross-region water transfer projects in the world. The Danjiangkou reservoir area, a haven of diverse species, serves as a core water source for the Central Line of the SNWDP. Yet, less research has been conducted on changes in land use and ecosystem services (ESs) in the Danjiangkou reservoir area in the context of the implementation of the SNWDP and other national projects. In this study, we aim to reveal evolutions of land uses and ESs in the Danjiangkou reservoir area and the response of ESs to natural and socio-economic factors. This is essential to enhance the regional sustainable management of the Danjiangkou reservoir area. Based on classified land use maps and the InVEST model, we first analyzed the land use changes and evaluated three typical types of ESs (i.e., water yield (WY), carbon storage (CS) and habitat quality (HQ)) in the Danjiangkou reservoir area during 2000 to 2018. Then, we detected the spatial clustering characteristics and tradeoffs and synergistic relationships of multiple ESs through hot spot analysis and correlation analysis. Finally, we adopt the geographical detector model (GDM) to identify key driving factors of ESs changes. The results show that: (1) During 2000–2018, the area of arable land and woodland decreased by 1.65% and 0.8%, respectively, while the proportion of construction land and water area increased by 1.31% and 1.39%, respectively. (2) The greatest decrease was in WY, decreasing by 59%, while the change in HQ was relatively stable, but showed spatial heterogeneity. (3) The northern, southern and western districts of the reservoir area showed mainly synergies among multiple ESs, while other regions showed mainly trade-offs. (4) Road network density, proportion of construction land and normalized difference vegetation index are the leading factors for ESs variations. These findings can provide reference for formulating more reasonable ecological protection strategies, so as to realize the sustainable management of SNWDP and its headwaters region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Management, and Policies)

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16 pages, 3291 KiB

Open AccessArticle

From Wooded Savannah to Farmland and Settlement: Population Growth, Drought, Energy Needs and Cotton Price Incentives Driving Changes in Wacoro, Mali

by Nagalé Dit Mahamadou Sanogo, Sidzabda Djibril Dayamba, Fabrice G. Renaud and Melanie Feurer

Land 2022, 11(12), 2117; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11122117 - 24 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1713

Abstract

Land includes vegetation and water bodies and provides the basis for human livelihoods through primary production, food and freshwater supply, and multiple other ecosystem services. The last three decades have recorded frequent drought events as well as rapid population growth, which has often resulted in adverse land use and land cover change (LULCC) in the Sahel of Sub-Saharan Africa. In order to propose sustainable land management strategies, it is a prerequisite to investigate the rate of LULCC and its driving factors in specific locations. This study investigated the case of Wacoro municipality in Mali using a combined approach of remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems, and focus group discussions. Satellite images and local people’s perceptions on LULCC and drivers were collected and analyzed for the years 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020. We found that the study area faced a rapid decrease in wooded savannah that was degraded and converted to shrub savannah and later to farmland and settlement. Changes were directly or indirectly related to the rapid population growth, high cotton price (which encouraged cropland expansion), drought, firewood extraction, and charcoal production, which was exacerbated by poverty. We suggest promoting integrated land management strategies that consider current and future livelihood needs and preserve the environment for the benefits of future generations. New agricultural policies, such as cotton price incentives, should always be accompanied by an assessment of their potential environmental impacts and design of adequate mitigation measures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Management, and Policies)

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Review

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25 pages, 5659 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Relationship between Rural Sustainability and Land Use: A Bibliometric Review

by Leng Liu, Bo Liu, Wei Song and Hao Yu

Land 2023, 12(8), 1617; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12081617 - 16 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2017

Abstract

Faced with substantial environmental, societal, and economic challenges, the matters of rural sustainability and land use have emerged as pivotal global concerns. Amidst the rapid phenomenon of urbanization, the escalating requisites for sustenance, energy, and natural resources have engendered profound pressure upon rural landscapes and ecosystems. The attainment of sustainability within rural regions assumes a paramount role, encompassing not only the advancement of these rural domains but also holding pivotal significance in addressing critical global concerns such as climate change, biodiversity depletion, and the eradication of poverty. In order to gain a thorough understanding of the implications associated with rural sustainability and land use, this study undertakes a bibliometric analysis of 1746 articles sourced from the Web of Science database. The analysis unveils a multitude of pivotal revelations. Primarily, the domain exhibits a conspicuous trajectory of expansion in publications spanning the period from 1990 to 2023, thereby alluding to a substantial reservoir of potential for subsequent advancement. Secondly, high-frequency keywords encompass sustainability, land use, agriculture, ecosystem services, and China. Thirdly, the field encompasses four primary research directions, namely the impact of rural land use and land cover changes on biodiversity, adaptive capacity, and vulnerability in rural sustainable development; the interplay between rural land use changes and rural agricultural development; and land management for rural sustainability. Fourthly, the evolution of research hotspots focuses on three main areas: rural sustainability and biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services, rural sustainability and land management and impacts, and the impacts of climate change and human activities on rural sustainability. Finally, future research should focus on sustainable multifunctional agriculture and rural land management, continue to pay attention to the social dimensions of rural sustainability, and emphasize the role of ecosystem services and natural capital in sustainable rural development. The results of this study can provide a reference for grasping the current situation, research directions, and development trends in the field of rural sustainability and land use. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Management, and Policies)

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26 pages, 5723 KiB

Open AccessReview

Review of Land Use Change Detection—A Method Combining Machine Learning and Bibliometric Analysis

by Bo Liu, Wei Song, Zhan Meng and Xinwei Liu

Land 2023, 12(5), 1050; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051050 - 11 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5018

Abstract

Land use change detection (LUCD) is a critical technology with applications in various fields, including forest disturbance, cropland changes, and urban expansion. However, the current review articles on LUCD tend to be limited in scope, rendering a comprehensive review challenging due to the vast number of publications. This paper systematically reviewed 3512 articles retrieved from the Web of Science Core database between 1985 and 2022, utilizing a combination of bibliometric analysis and machine learning methods with LUCD as the main focus. The results indicated an exponential increase in the number of LUCD studies, indicating continued growth in this research field. Commonly used methods include classification-based, threshold-based, model-based, and deep learning-based change detection, with research themes encompassing forest logging and vegetation succession, urban landscape dynamics, and biodiversity conservation and management. To build an intelligent change detection system, researchers need to develop a flexible framework that integrates data preprocessing, feature extraction, land use type interpretation, and accuracy evaluation, given the continuous evolution and application of remote sensing data, deep learning, big data, and artificial intelligence. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Change and Anthropogenic Disturbances: Relationships, Management, and Policies)

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