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Human-wildlife conflict is an important factor in the modern biodiversity crisis and has negative effects on both humans and wildlife (such as property destruction, injury, or death) that can impede conservation efforts for threatened species. Effectively addressing conflict requires an understanding of where it is likely to occur, particularly as climate change shifts wildlife ranges and human activities globally. Here, we examine how projected shifts in cropland density, human population density, and climatic suitability-three key drivers of human-elephant conflict-will shift conflict pressures for endangered Asian and African elephants to inform conflict management in a changing climate. We find that conflict risk (cropland density and/or human population density moving into the 90th percentile based on current-day values) increases in 2050, with a larger increase under the high-emissions regional rivalry SSP3 - RCP 7.0 scenario than the low-emissions sustainability SSP1 - RCP 2.6 scenario. We also find a net decrease in climatic suitability for both species along their extended range boundaries, with decreasing suitability most often overlapping increasing conflict risk when both suitability and conflict risk are changing. Our findings suggest that as climate changes, the risk of conflict with Asian and African elephants may shift and increase and managers should proactively mitigate that conflict to preserve these charismatic animals.

Floodplains are unique environments that provide a dynamic link between terrestrial and aquatic systems. Intensification of human activity – particularly agriculture and urbanisation – has resulted in the degradation of floodplains worldwide. Restoration and sustainable management of floodplains requires holistic assessment and compromise between stakeholders to successfully balance environmental, economic, and social benefits. Yet, understanding these complex systems sufficiently to provide evidence-based recommendations is a challenge. We present the lessons learned from establishing an interdisciplinary research-based framework on the agricultural floodplain of Lake Saint Pierre, Québec, Canada, whose mandate was to a) understand and define key environmental, agricultural, and socioeconomic attributes of the landscape, b) quantify the trade-offs and synergies between these attributes across different agricultural practices, regions, and land uses, and c) explore novel agri-environmental management practices to assess their role in sustainable floodplain management. Within this manuscript, we explore the benefits that such an approach offers in evaluating sustainable floodplain land use. We found that an interdisciplinary research-based approach demonstrated important benefits such as knowledge transfer, more efficient use of resources (e.g., personnel, funding), and a flexible yet robust research framework. A framework of individual research projects connected to broader interdisciplinary themes allowed a more holistic synthesis of the floodplain systems and assessment of agri-environmental practices. By implicitly considering spatial and social scales, we conceptualised not just how redistribution of the land use types can meet sustainable management objectives, but also explored how compromises within existing uses can optimise socio-economic, agricultural and environmental dimensions and move towards a sustainable multifunctional landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Decades of intensifying human activities have led to drastic changes in land use and land cover (LULC) in the Poyang Lake Basin (PLB), resulting in significant changes in landscape pattern and ecosystem service value (ESV), thereby affecting regional sustainability. Objectives: We focused on understanding the impact of LULC changes on the landscape pattern and ESV of the PLB and used the Patch-generating Land Use Simulation model (PLUS) to predict LULC changes in 2050. Methods: We evaluated landscape patterns using landscape metrics and calculated ESV using the ecosystem service equivalent factor method. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between landscape patterns and ESV from 1990 to 2020. Then, we combined the PLUS model and the ecosystem service equivalent factor method to calculate the ESV under multiple scenarios from 2020 to 2050. Results: From 1990 to 2020, the LULC of the PLB changed to varying degrees. The PLB has undergone a rapid process of landscape fragmentation, and the total ESV of the PLB has decreased. The total ESV was positively correlated with the CONTAG index and negatively correlated with the SHDI index. Between 2020 and 2050, the ESV of the PLB is projected to decrease under the NDS (nature development scenario) and EDS (economic development scenario) and increase under the EPS (ecological protection scenario). Conclusions: ESV responded to changes in landscape pattern. We recommend that the PLB should increase patch connectivity. Additionally, future development in the PLB should prioritize ecological protection to prevent further declines in ESV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities suffering water scarcity are projected to increase in the following decades. However, the application of standardized indicator frameworks for assessing urban water resource management problems is on an early stage. India is expected to have the highest urban population facing water scarcity in the world by 2050. In this study, the authors assess how the Drivers-Pressures-States-Impacts-Responses framework, a causal framework adopted by the European Environment Agency, can contribute to evaluate water management challenges in cities and apply it to Chennai, India´s fourth-largest urban agglomeration. The framework proved to be a helpful tool for the evaluation of water management challenges in cities by disentangling relationships between environmental indicators and structuring dispersed data that allows a better understanding for policymakers. The main drivers identified in Chennai were population growth and economic development which generated impacts such as loss of aquatic ecosystems, low water table, low water quality, and reduction of biodiversity and human health. As a response, better urban planning, projects for new water infrastructure, and water bodies restoration have been implemented. Nevertheless, Chennai keeps facing difficulties to achieve proper water management. The severe hit of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Indian economy and its future management will be key for achievements related to water management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the impact of climate and land use change on soil erosion is particularly important to the development and management of ecosystems. The purpose of this research was to differentiate the impacts of climate and land use alterations on soil erosion by using the InVEST model in the Anning River basin. The findings indicated a rise in average soil erosion from 42.78 t ha−1·a−1 to 49.84 t ha−1·a−1 over the decade from 2010 to 2020, with climate change accounting for 99.71% of the increase and land use change contributing 0.28%. The findings also indicated that the process of urbanization and the implementation of the Returning Grain to Forestry and Grass (RGFG) strategy were effective in decreasing soil erosion by 1.29 t ha−1·a−1 and 6.60 t ha−1·a−1, respectively. Four management measures were developed based on our results. The results of this study are not only of great significance for the environmental protection of a specific region, but also provide references for the mitigation of soil erosion in other regions of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat fragmentation per se ‐ independent of habitat amount ‐ often increases patch occupancy, possibly because patches are closer together in landscapes with higher fragmentation per se, which should increase dispersal success. Here, we ask whether this effect is influenced by the quality and/or heterogeneity of the landscape matrix, i.e. the non‐habitat portion of the landscape. Specifically, we expect the positive effect of fragmentation per seshould be accentuated when matrix quality is high, reducing dispersal mortality. In contrast, when matrix quality is low, high dispersal mortality should lead to fewer colonisations, and accumulation of extinctions across the smaller patches in a more‐fragmented landscape could lead to negative effects of fragmentation per se. Additionally, matrix heterogeneity could obscure fragmentation effects, as the link between habitat spatial distribution and between‐patch dispersal becomes less predictable. We test these ideas using Glanville fritillary butterfly Melitaea cinxia occupancy data for 4291 habitat patches in the Åland Islands, Finland. Habitat patches for the study species are discrete and well‐defined areas where at least one of the two host species occurs. Adult individuals disperse from habitat patches, spending time in the landscape matrix while searching for new habitat patches. Our predictions were mostly supported. Fragmentation effects were more strongly positive when matrix quality was high; however, we did not see the predicted negative effect of fragmentation per se in landscapes with low matrix quality. As predicted, fragmentation effects on patch occupancy were weaker in landscapes with a more heterogeneous matrix. Our findings may explain why fragmentation effects are often weak. They also suggest that the moderating effects of matrix quality and heterogeneity should be explicitly considered when interpreting effects of habitat fragmentation per se on species distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization-led economic growth drives infrastructure investments and population accumulation in cities, hence exploiting natural resources at an extreme rate. In this context, coastal cities have become vulnerable to climate change-induced extreme weather events and human-made disasters in recent history, where effective measures to improve the resilience of cities are pivotal for developing sustainable living environments. This study proposes a framework for assessing urban resilience to natural disasters (floods) using bottom-up spatial interactions among natural, physical, and social systems within cities and regions. It is noted that seminal studies focus on either the mitigation or adaptation strategies within urban environments to assess disaster resilience, where limited multidisciplinary and operational models hinder evaluations at the city scale. Therefore, urban system interactions and quantifiable parameters proposed in this framework are essential for policymakers and disaster management agencies in the timely allocation of resources to optimize the recovery process. Moreover, spatial planning agencies can adopt resilience mapping to identify the potential risk zones and orient sustainable land use management. Urban resilience can be embodied in spatial strategies with the operational framework proposed here, and future urban growth scenarios can be tested in multiple disaster conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), as an important part of the Belt and Road Initiative, is of great significance for the promotion of sustainable development in the region through the study of land use change and the simulation of future multi-scenarios. Based on the multi-period land use data of the CPEC, this study firstly analyzed the spatial and temporal land use changes in the CPEC from 2000 to 2020 by using GIS technology, and, secondly, simulated the land use patterns of the CPEC under four scenarios, namely, natural development, investment priority, ecological protection, and harmonious development, in 2040 by using the Markov-FLUS model with comprehensive consideration of natural, socio-economic, and other driving factors. The results show the following: (1) The urban land, forest land, and grassland in the CPEC from 2000 to 2020 show an increasing trend, while the farmland, unutilized land, and water area categories show a decreasing trend. In terms of land use transfer changes, the most frequently transferred out is the conversion of unutilized land to grassland. (2) The FLUS model has high accuracy in simulating the land use pattern of the CPEC, and its applicability in the CPEC area is strong and can be used to simulate the future land use pattern of the CPEC. (3) Among the four different land use scenarios, the harmonious development scenario strikes a better balance between infrastructure construction, economic development, and ecological protection, and can provide a scientific basis for future land management in the CPEC, in order to highlight the importance of promoting economic growth and ecological protection and ultimately realize sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion of caatinga vegetation areas into pastures in the Brazilian semiarid region has depleted soil fertility due to degradation. The natural regeneration of the caatinga has been the alternative adopted to restore soil fertility. However, the real effectiveness of this practice in recovering organic carbon (SOC) and nutrient stocks is unknown. This work evaluated the effect of natural regeneration of the caatinga vegetation on the restoration of levels and stocks of SOC, N, and P as a strategy to maintain the sustainability of the environment. We collected soil samples every 5 cm, up to 20 cm deep, in areas of degraded pasture, caatinga in regeneration (10 years), and regenerated caatinga (35 years) to evaluate the levels and stocks of SOC, N, and P. The depth significantly affects the levels and stocks of SOC, N, and P. Stocks and levels of SOC, N, and P were higher in regenerated caatinga > regenerating caatinga > degraded pasture. The regenerated caatinga increased SOC, N, and P stocks by 115%, 110%, and 117%, respectively, compared to the degraded pasture. Although 35 years of regeneration of the caatinga has improved soil fertility, the levels and stocks of SOC, N, and P remain low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study analyzed the fire regime in the highly diverse Paraguayan Chaco, focusing on different aspects of fire patterns, including spatial (area burned) and temporal (frequency) aspects and magnitude (severity). We focused on fire as it is a natural phenomenon that drives ecosystem change and has significant economic, ecological and social impacts of particular concern in vulnerable ecosystems. Using the K-means clustering technique, we identified four distinct fire regimes in the study region: High (H), Moderately High (MH), Moderately Low (ML) and Low (L). On the one hand, the Dry Chaco predominantly featured Low and Moderately High regimes, characterized by a low fire frequency due to arid conditions. On the other hand, the Humid Chaco was particularly affected by agricultural burning, driven by extensive livestock activity and higher biomass productivity. Finally, in the Pantanal, the variations in fire intensity were influenced by flood pulses and rainfall patterns. Our findings highlight the distinct fire regimes across the Paraguayan Chaco and detail the differences in the regimes. The study's findings are valuable for developing efficient management strategies that account for fire behaviour during agricultural burning in this poorly studied region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation is an important component of an ecosystem, fulfilling various ecological functions in areas such as soil and water conservation, climate regulation, and water source maintenance. This study focuses on the Yongding River Basin as a research area. This study used vegetation indices with long time series as a data source in combination with Landsat land use data. This study applied linear trend estimation to analyze the interannual variation trend in vegetation greenness from 2002 to 2022 in the Yongding River Basin and quantitatively analyzed the impact of land use changes on vegetation greenness. The results show that, from 2002 to 2022, the vegetation greenness in the Yongding River Basin has shown an overall increasing trend. The average growth season and the maximum annual normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) growth rates were 0.006/10a and 0.008/10a, respectively, and the area of increased vegetation greenness accounted for 90% of the total area. During the main growth season (April to October) in the Yongding River Basin, the NDVI generally showed a spatial pattern of being higher in mountainous areas and lower in water areas, with the largest coefficient of variation in vegetation in the river water areas, and the most stable vegetation in forest land. In terms of the changes in vegetation greenness, the contribution rate of arable land was between 36.73% and 38.63%, followed by grassland and forest land, with contribution rates of 26.86% to 27.11% and 23.94% to 26.43%, respectively. The total contribution rate of water areas, construction land, and unused land was around 10.18%. This study can provide a theoretical basis for environmental protection and rational land use in the Yongding River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land cover change research is salient in providing information for land use planning and management in urban areas. This study therefore analysed land cover change in four local government areas in Ogun State, Nigeria. Using remote sensing and geographic information system, Landsat images were analysed between 2001, 2013 and 2020 with both unsupervised and supervised image classifications. Results showed that between 2002 and 2013, there was a 41.14% decrease in forest area which further reduced by 41.92% by 2020. Agricultural land increased by 66.47% between 2002 and 2013 but reduced by 43.24% by 2020. Urban areas increased by 108.66% between 2002 and 2013 while by 2020 they had gained 42.19% additional land. It is concluded that the 2005–2025 Ogun State regional planning policy has so far been less than effective due to massive ecological change caused by urban expansion in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron-metamorphic soils of normal moistening were studied in the middle taiga subzone of Karelia. The examined sites comprise arable land, hayfield, 15- and 75-year-old naturally reforested pine stands on former farmland, and 100-year-old pine forest as a control. The effects of different land use types on soil morphology and the main chemical and microbiological characteristics of the upper horizons were analyzed. The stocks of organic carbon (Corg) and microbial biomass carbon (Cmic) in 0–100-cm soil layer and the structure of carbon pools in these sites were studied. Characteristic of the soils of all sites are a uniform accumulative type of carbon distribution and similar values of C/N ratio (16–18). The soils display a low natural fertility and unfavorable agrochemical characteristics, which are considerably improvable by agricultural management. Arable land has the highest Corg (4.9%) and Ntot (0.3%) contents at a low bulk density and neutral pH. The soil under the young forest displays the highest Cmic content (419 mg C/kg); soils of arable land and hayfield, 209–211 mg C/kg; and that under mature forest stands, the minimum (144–175 mg C/kg). The stock of microbial biomass carbon in the 0–100-cm soil layer ranges from 76.5 to 132.4 g C/m2 in the studied land use types and the Cmic content in the forest litter amounts to 12.7–27.4 g C/m2. In the 0–100-cm layer, Corg stock is the maximum in arable land, amounting to 272 t C/ha, and decreases from hayfield to mature forest stand (98 to 39 t C/ha, respectively). The total ecosystem carbon stock is the maximum in arable land (275 t C/ha), which exceeds the stock in mature forest stands (206–221 t C/ha). The Corg stocks in young forest and hayfield are 105–115 t C/ha. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Over the past four decades, major changes have occurred in Australia's pork industry, affecting productivity and environmental performance. Aims: This study determined long-term changes in greenhouse gas and key resource use efficiency indicators. Methods: Life cycle assessment was used to determine impacts at decadal intervals between 1980 and 2010, and are presented alongside results for 2020 and 2022. Key results: Over 42 years since 1980, greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and direct land use change (dLUC), fell by 74% from 11.7 to 3.0 kg CO2-e/kg liveweight. Land use and dLUC emissions declined by 92%. Fossil energy use decreased from 35 to 13 MJ/kg liveweight between 1980 and 2022. Freshwater consumption and water stress fell from 506 L and 671 L H2O-e in 1980 to 52 L and 43 L H2O-e/kg liveweight in 2022, respectively. Land occupation decreased by 42% from 22 m2/kg liveweight in 1980 to 13 m2/kg liveweight in 2022. Over the analysis period, emissions per kilogram of liveweight fell by an average of 1.8% per year, land use and dLUC emissions by 2.2%, greenhouse gas including land use and dLUC emissions by 1.9%, fossil energy use by 1.5%, and freshwater consumption, stress, and land occupation by 2.1%, 2.2%, and 1%, respectively. Between 2010 and 2020, uptake of covered anaerobic ponds resulted in an annual rate of improvement in emissions (excl. land use and dLUC) of 2.9%, however, the rate of improvement fell to 1.4% between 2020 and 2022. Conclusions: Long-term improvements were principally driven by improved herd productivity and feed production systems, and changes in housing and manure management. Herd and system efficiencies led to better feed conversion ratio, resulting in lower feed requirements, reduced manure production and lower feed wastage, which reduced manure greenhouse gas emissions. Concurrently, reduced tillage, higher yields, and a decrease in the proportion of irrigation water used for grain production resulted in lower impacts of feed grains. Implications: Ongoing changes and improvements in production efficiency have resulted in large gains in environmental performance in the Australian pork industry but new strategies will also be needed to maintain these trends into the future. Long-term production efficiency gains and changes to production have significantly improved the environmental performance of Australian pork over time. This study was a long-term trends analysis of Australian pork between 1980 and 2022 and found that greenhouse gas emissions and freshwater consumption fell by 74% and 90% over the analysis period. Although novel low carbon production systems were identified, the rate of environmental improvement was found to have slowed since 2010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollinators are fundamental for plant reproduction in natural and agricultural ecosystems. However, their populations are declining worldwide, threatening the functioning of the ecosystem service they provide. The factors driving this change are manifold, but land use changes and interspecific transmission of pathogens between managed and wild bees are prominent. In this context, most research efforts have focused on specific taxa and rarely at the community level, limiting our ability to fully understand the effects of global change on the functioning of plant–pollinator interactions in ecosystems. Here, we investigate the impact of human activities (beekeeping and land use intensity) on the spread of an emergent pathogen Vairimorpha ceranae in Mediterranean wild bee communities inhabiting landscapes with varying levels of anthropogenic disturbance. Plant–pollinator interactions were sampled in nine one‐hectare plots along a gradient of land use (urban structures, croplands and natural vegetation) and beekeeping intensity. We analysed the impact of human disturbances on pollination networks and pathogen prevalence, and applied a network approach to examine whether total effects of species in networks (i.e. direct plus indirect interactions) explain pathogen spread through bee communities. We found that V. ceranae prevalence in honey bees is not a good predictor of the pathogen spread through bee communities. There seems to be a temporal mismatch between pathogen dynamics in managed and wild bees. Networks with more diversity of interactions and more plants showed less pathogen prevalence, but total effect analyses (i.e. combining direct and indirect interactions) failed to explain pathogen transmission across pollination networks. Croplands increased wild bee density, and interactions and species diversity in networks, while shrublands had the opposite effect. Our results highlight the importance of studying pathogen dynamics at the community level and analysing species interaction patterns to improve our understanding of pathogen spread through communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Billions of genomic sequences and records of species occurrence are available in public repositories (e.g. National Center for Biotechnology Information, NCBI and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, GBIF). By implementing analytical tools from different scientific disciplines, data mining these databases can aid in the global surveillance of zoonotic pathogens that circulate among wildlife. We illustrate this by investigating the Hantavirus–rodent system in the Americas, i.e. New World Hantaviruses (NWH). First, we considered the circulation of pathogenic NWH among Cricetidae rodents, by inferring the phylogenetic links among 277 genomic samples of the S segment (N protein) of NWH found in 55 species. Second, we used machine learning to assess the impact of land use on the probability of presence of the rodent species linked with reservoirs of pathogenic Hantaviruses. Our results show that hosts are widely present across the Americas. Some hosts are present in the primary forest and agricultural land, but not in the secondary forest, whereas other hosts are present in secondary forest and agricultural land. The diversity of host species allows Hantavirus to circulate in a wide spectrum of habitats, in particular rural rather than urban. We highlight that public repositories of genomic data and species occurrence are very useful resources for monitoring potential enzootic transmission and spillover of zoonotic viruses in relation with the changes that humans produce in the biosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species distribution models (SDMs) are algorithms designed to infer the distribution of species using environmental and biotic variables and have become an important tool for ecologists and conservation biologists seeking to understand the implications of environmental change.Global datasets of environmental variables at resolutions of a few metres are increasingly available. SDMs fitted using such high‐resolution data allow researchers to investigate how local factors affect species occurrences at unprecedented fine spatial scales.As the spatial resolution of SDMs increases, we see a critical need to consider the characteristics of habitat types within or around raster pixels. In particular, we argue that the effects of habitat patches (EHPs, including habitat area, habitat configuration, and habitat diversity), measured focusing on patches or landscapes, have yet to be fully realized in SDMs.We provide guidelines to incorporate EHPs in SDMs. We explain why this development is important, describe approaches to properly conduct such analyses, and discuss pitfalls we foresee in testing EHPs.Synthesis. Ensuring that SDMs incorporating EHPs are properly designed will be key to increasing model predictive performance and to understanding which environmental factors influence the distribution of species at fine spatial scales. At a crucial time for nature conservation, we foresee that this will be a key step forward to understanding and protecting biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzing the changes in carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems caused by land use changes is a crucial part of exploring the carbon cycle. In addition, enhancing carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems is an effective and environmentally friendly measure to sequester anthropogenic carbon emissions, which is significant for achieving carbon neutrality and curbing global climate change. This paper uses land use data and carbon density tables with the InVEST model to obtain a carbon storage distribution map of China. It further applies land use response elasticity coefficients, Theil index multi-stage nested decomposition, and spatial autocorrelation analysis to examine the spatial-temporal patterns, causes of changes, and evolution characteristics of carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems from 1980 to 2020. The results show that the temporal changes in China's carbon storage generally present an inverted S-curve, with an initial rapid decline followed by a slower decrease. Spatially, it features high levels in the northeast, low levels in the northwest, and a uniform distribution in the central and southern regions. The disturbance of land use type changes on terrestrial ecosystem carbon storage has been effectively mitigated. The significant reduction in grassland area in the Southwest region is the main source of carbon storage loss during the study period, and the encroachment of construction land on arable land in large urban agglomerations is one of the important causes of carbon storage loss. The Theil index multi-stage nested decomposition results indicate that the overall difference in carbon storage in China has decreased, while differences among cities within provinces and among counties within cities have increased. The influence of natural factors on the distribution of carbon storage is weakening, whereas the impact of human activities is becoming more profound, enhancing its influence on the spatial distribution of carbon storage in China. From 1980 to 2000, the carbon density in coastal metropolises generally showed a declining trend. From 2000 to 2020, the carbon density in the central urban areas of eastern coastal city clusters gradually showed an upward trend and continued to expand outward, revealing to some extent the "Environmental Kuznets Curve" characteristic in the development process of urban carbon storage. Therefore, in future ecological construction, the government should fully consider the impact of land management planning on carbon storage in different regions, promote the efficient use and standardized management of land, and strive to cross the "Environmental Kuznets Curve" inflection point of carbon storage as soon as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] Habitat quality is the potential of ecosystems to provide the necessary conditions for species survival and reproduction, and is the key to improving ecosystem functions. Studying the habitat quality of the Yangtze River Basin is of great significance for national major strategies such as green development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the protection of the Yangtze River. [Methods] Based on land use data from 1980 to 2018 in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the InVEST model was used to study the spatiotemporal changes in land use change, habitat quality, and habitat degradation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River from 1980 to 2018. [Results] (1) As the main type of land use in the study area, woodland was decreasing, mainly turning to construction land and water area, which greatly reflected the driving effect of population growth, economic development and environmental protection on the change of land use structure. (2) The overall habitat quality of the study area was at a high level. showing a trend of low in the east and middle, and high in the south, which was consistent with the land use pattern that most of the cities along the Yangtze River in the east and middle of the study area were dominated by construction land, and the south was dominated by woodland and grassland. (3) In the study area, the degree of habitat degradation was higher in the central area and lower in the surrounding area. The change of the degree of habitat degradation showed an upward trend in time, and the areas where the degree of habitat degradation changes were more concentrated in space, such as the urban agglomeration along the river, urban and rural areas and other population agglomerations. [Conclusion] The habitat evolution in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River is in a process of degradation. The process of urbanization makes a large number of woodland, grassland and cultivated land in land use turn to construction land, which leads to the continuous decline of habitat quality, especially the problem of the urban agglomeration. along the Yangtze River. We should develop construction land more reasonably and draw the ecological protection red line, gradually restore and improve the habitat quality of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, and make a positive contribution to the process of the Yangtze River protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As urban spaces expand, changes in land use significantly affect the structure and function of urban ecosystems, particularly with challenges such as green space reduction and uneven distribution. This study focused on the central urban area of Chengdu, China, simulating and forecasting various urban development scenarios for 2035, including cultivated land protection (CP), economic development (ED), ecological priority (EP), and natural development (ND). The construction of green space ecological networks followed a systematic process, incorporating key methods such as ecological source identification, landscape resistance surface construction, and ecological corridor extraction. The connectivity of these ecological networks was assessed using the space syntax. The results indicated that: (1) Construction land expanded across all scenarios, with the ED scenario having the largest area, while the EP scenario resulted in a significant increase in green space. (2) Ecological corridors were established under every scenario, with the EP scenario featuring the most extensive and well-connected network, linking urban green patches with surrounding natural areas. (3) The EP scenario's ecological network displayed integration, choice, connectivity, and depth values that indicate the most complete and stable network structure. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of green space ecological network changes under different urban development strategies, offering valuable insights for optimizing urban green space planning and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global urbanization, population growth, and climate change have considerably impacted water resources, making sustainable water resource management (WRM) essential. Understanding the changes in hydrological components is important for effective WRM, particularly in cities such as Higashi-Hiroshima, which is known for its saké brewing industry. This study used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) with Hydrological Response Units (HRUs) to achieve high spatial precision in assessing the impacts of land use change and climate variability on hydrological components in a suburban catchment in western Japan. Over the 30-year study period (1980s–2000s), land use change was the main driver of hydrological variability, whereas climate change played a minor role. Increased surface runoff, along with decrease in groundwater recharge, evapotranspiration, and baseflow, resulted in an overall reduction in water yield, with a 34.9% decrease in groundwater recharge attributed to the transformation of paddy fields into residential areas. Sustainable WRM practices, including water conservation, recharge zone protection, and green infrastructure, are recommended to balance urban development with water sustainability. These findings offer valuable insights into the strategies for managing water resources in rapidly urbanizing regions worldwide, emphasizing the need for an integrated WRM system that considers both land use and climate change impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mediterranean areas are projected to face increased water scarcity due to global changes. Because a relatively large fraction of the precipitation in Mediterranean areas originates locally, changes at the land surface may further dampen local precipitation. Here, we study the contribution of evaporation to local precipitation for the first time on a scale of approximately 50 km using local evaporation recycling (ELMR) and local precipitation recycling (PLMR), and make a comparison among five Mediterranean climate regions: South West Australia, South West US, central Chile, the Mediterranean Basin, and the Cape region of South Africa. Specifically, this study aims to understand the effects of ecohydrological (dependent on vegetation or the hydrological cycle) and non‐ecohydrological variables on ELMR and PLMR. We find that (a) on average, ecohydrological variables correlate more frequently and more strongly to ELMR and PLMR than non‐ecohydrological variables; (b) ELMR is large over wet areas and PLMR is large over dry areas; and (c) there are differences in underlying factors of ELMR and PLMR among the regions due to differences in wetness, topography, and land cover. The results suggest that in Mediterranean regions, changes in vegetation cover or the hydrological cycle may strengthen the local water cycle through enhancing ELMR. Finally, ELMR and PLMR help to identify where in Mediterranean regions we might enhance the local water cycle through land cover changes. Plain Language Summary: In Mediterranean regions, an increase in evaporation may enhance rainfall locally, contributing to freshwater availability if the evaporation loss is compensated for by the additional rainfall. In this article we study this using two metrics that can provide insight into local rainfall. First, we analyze what fraction of evaporated water rains out within 50 km from where it is evaporated, which is called local evaporation recycling. Second, we analyze the fraction of rainfall that evaporated from within 50 km of where it rains out, which is local precipitation recycling. Although local evaporation and precipitation recycling are generally low, but can peak up to 10%, we find that variables related to vegetation and the hydrological cycle contribute to them. This suggests that specific changes in these variables might strengthen local recycling. Key Points: Local evaporation and precipitation recycling, and their underlying variables, vary among five Mediterranean regions globallyLocal evaporation and precipitation recycling correlate more with ecohydrological variables than with non‐ecohydrological variablesLocal evaporation and precipitation recycling can possibly be used to find areas where land cover changes could enhance the local water cycle [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use change (LUC), including deforestation, agriculture, and urbanization, is a major contributor to climate change (CC). This change in land use has impacts on food, water, and energy systems, creating a complex interconnected web of issues. This study aimed to investigate the global link between LUC and CC from 1990 to 2012. Using time‐series data from the World Bank, LUC was represented by irrigated land, arable lands, and forest areas, while CC was represented by CO2 emissions. Moreover, the relationship between economic growth in high‐income and low‐income countries and LUC and CC was examined in this study. Based on the findings of this study, in low‐income countries, the intensity of LUC is higher in comparison with high‐income countries. Meanwhile, CO2 emissions are increasing in middle‐income and high‐income countries. Economic growth is closely related to CO2 emissions in countries with different levels of income. The study indicated that managing land use is of high importance to mitigate CO2 emissions globally. According to the findings, recent LUC has shown more obvious effects on ecological variables than CC. Although LUC is not inherently directly related to CC, humans change land use, especially in terms of land management, to adapt to CC, and these changes will inevitably bring many environmental impacts. This study contributes significantly to advancing the understanding of the complex relationship between CC and LUC, emphasizing the need for integrated approaches in policy development. These measures are crucial to achieving resilience and meeting global CC reduction targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate and land use change pressures are critical to food production in Social-Ecological Systems (SESs). This study assessed farmers' perceptions of the pressures of climate and land use changes alongside their impacts on food production in Mhahakanumulla Village Tank Cascade System (MVTCS), a SES maintained by traditional agricultural land use systems in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. This study used both rating and ranking scale questions to quantify farmers' perceptions. The tobit regression model was employed to evaluate how farmer perception was influenced by socio-economic factors. The results showed that most of the farmers had experienced that the climate of the MVTCS area had changed over time, and they perceived variability of rainfall patterns as the most prominent and influential climate change. The increased cost of production, wildlife damage, and land degradation were ranked by the farmers as the most impactful factors of food production due to climate change. The farmers rated deforestation and land clearing as the most influential and impactful changes in land use, while wildlife damage and land degradation ranked as the highest impacts on food production due to land use changes. Among the socio-economic determinants, training and income/profit positively influenced farmer perceptions of the severity of both climate and land use change. The level of farmer's adaptation to climate change had a negative association with their perception of the severity of climate change. Household size negatively influenced the perceptions of the severity of climate change while positively influencing perceptions of land use change impacts. Among the spatial determinants, farm size and downstream locations of MVTCS positively influenced perceptions of the severity of both climate and land use change. Thus, the effectiveness of adaptation strategies towards climate and land use change pressures depends on how well they are understood by the farmers. The study findings provide helpful insights for formulating localized land use policies and climate change adaptation strategies in these globally important landscapes with a combination of both top-down and bottom-up approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil loss is a common land degradation process worldwide, which is impacted by land use and climate change. In this study, random forests (RF) were first used to establish a soil loss model at the scale of a small watershed in the hilly‐gully region of the Loess Plateau based on the field observation data. Subsequently, the model was used to predict soil loss in the Chabagou watershed under the historical (1990–2020) and future emission scenarios, namely SSP1–2.6 (low‐emission), SSP2–4.5 (medium‐emission) and SSP5–8.5 (high‐emission) (2030–2,100) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phases 6 (CMIP6). In the RF model, the coefficient of determination (R2) and Nash‐Sutcliffe coefficient of efficiency (NS) were both greater than 0.86, and the RMSE‐observations standard deviation ratio (RSR) was less than 0.36. Additionally, the RF‐based model had higher simulation accuracy and robustness than those of the previous soil loss models, indicating its potential for wider applications in simulating soil loss. Compared with soil loss between 1990 and 1999, climate change led to a 35.36% increase in soil loss, while land use change resulted in an 11.13% reduction from 2000 to 2020 in the Chabagou watershed. This reveals that the current land use management could not effectively counterbalance the soil loss caused by rainstorms. Furthermore, compared with the historical period (1990–2020), under SSP1–2.6, SSP2–4.5 and SSP5–8.5 (2030–2,100), the soil loss rates without land use change would be increased by 6.01%, 19.11% and 35.35%, while the soil loss rates with land use change would be changed by −5.88%, +4.41% and +19.12%, respectively. These results help to provide a scientific basis for enhancing the capacity to respond to climate change and mitigation of soil and water loss on the Loess Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the significant biodiversity in the Cerrado, the process of occupation, subsequent economic cycles, and intensification of agriculture in a predatory manner have caused profound alterations in this biome. This study analyzed changes in land use and land cover in the Cerrado of Mato Grosso do Sul between 1985 and 2022 by mapping and also investigating the formation and dynamics of sand dunes in the Bauru sedimentary basin, focusing on the Pardo River watershed. MapBiomas Network data, collection 8, were used for land use and land cover analysis. Arenization foci cartography was conducted using brightness index 2 based on Sentinel-2 satellite images in Sentinel Application Platform software. The historical analysis of land use and cover in the Cerrado of Mato Grosso do Sul revealed a rapid transformation of the landscape, with a drastic reduction of native vegetation and an intensification of large-scale monocultures. Between 1985 and 2022, the Cerrado of Mato Grosso Sul lost 4.6 million hectares of native vegetation (forest formations, savannahs, grasslands, and wetlands), representing 24.54% of this territory. Recent changes in land use include pasture-soybean and pasture-eucalyptus. In the Pardo River watershed, arenization foci cover an area of 17,834.34 hectares, with varying dimensions ranging from less than 1 hectare to 376.41 hectares. The arenization process occurs in different slope compartments, such as the base, slope, and interfluves. The physical and chemical characteristics of Quartzipsamments, such as low organic carbon content in soil, are associated with high rates of surface exposure and weakened load-dependent structures, leading to degradation. Arenization occurs where natural vegetation has been suppressed and soil has been depleted by poorly managed production processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature-based solutions are approaches that draw inspiration from and are supported by nature, offering environmental, social, and economic benefits for enhancing urban resilience and sustainability. One of the greatest land use changes affecting the urban landscape is agricultural land conversion which affects the food security. Urban agriculture will not only generate livelihood opportunity for the urban poor but be the urban lung and heat sink, allow solid and water waste disposal and facilitate eco-cultural community bonding. A vast majority of the global urban dwellers live in the small and medium sized cities. However very little study has been done on urban agriculture in these areas although agricultural loss is more pronounced here. The objective of this paper is to examine through remote sensing data, in a time series between 2011 to 2023, the loss in agricultural land in one such smaller city- Bhubaneswar, which lies on a very fertile agricultural belt. This paper examines the decline of agricultural land in comparison to the rise in built up area within the specified timeframe and goes on to suggest a nature-based solution which makes the city self-sufficient in terms of food security. The research methodology involves mapping the spatial distribution of both the supply and demand for ecosystem services and quantifying the impact of Agriculture land use conversion on agriculture production. It concludes by deriving a framework which will identify the policy and governance interventions required so that the SDG goals 2 and 11.3 are realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] To analyze the impact of land use changes on habitat quality in Jingzhou City from 1980 to 2018. [Method] Using methods such as landscape index, habitat quality index and geographic detector, the landscape index and habitat quality index were calculated to evaluate the level and change trend of habitat quality in Jingzhou City, and to explore the degree and direction of the impact of natural and socio-economic factors on habitat quality. [Result] The land use type of Jingzhou City had undergone obvious changes, mainly manifested as the rapid expansion of construction land and the substantial reduction of cultivated land, leading to the shortage of land resources and the deterioration of ecological environment. The changes of land use spread outward from the urban circle, more in the north than in the south and more in the east than in the west. The overall habitat quality in Jingzhou was high, but showed a decreasing trend, and the decline rate slowed down after 2010. The characteristics of habitat quality patches were fragmentation, diversification and uniformity. The overall habitat quality decreased from west to east. Affected by the nature of shoreline and reclamation, the habitat quality decreased significantly in the areas along rivers and lakes. The main factors affecting the distribution of habitat quality in Jingzhou City were the construction land area, elevation, night light brightness, soil type, slope, etc. The leading factors changed from elevation to construction land area. Natural factors determined the basic pattern of habitat quality, and the location and intensity of human activities lead to the change of habitat quality. [Conclusion] It is suggested that priority should be given to ecological restoration in areas along rivers and lakes where the quality of habitat has been reduced, control and standardize urban construction land, strengthen the construction of urban green space, and build sponge cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying the attribution of climate change and human activities on runoff and suspended sediment load is crucial for formulating future watershed management measures, especially in the ecologically fragile alpine region, which is more susceptible to climate change and human activities. In this study, the temporal changes in runoff‐suspended sediment load and the potential impact factors (i.e., precipitation, potential evapotranspiration (PET), land use/land cover change (LULC) and reservoir operation) were investigated in the Lhasa River Basin (LRB) from 1956 to 2020. In addition, the contributions of those factors to the changes in runoff and suspended sediment load were quantitatively evaluated based on physically‐based Soil and Water Assessment Tools (SWAT). The results indicated that annual runoff and suspended sediment load showed an increasing but insignificant trend during 1956–2020, while annual precipitation and PET showed a significant increasing trend at a rate of 0.94 and 1.07 mm/yr, respectively. LULC mainly presented an increase in forestland area followed by a decrease in grassland and bare land area due to the implementation of ecological projects. Runoff and suspended sediment load changed abruptly at approximately 1995 and 2005 based on three abrupt change identification methods, thus, the study period was further divided into three substages: baseline period (P0, 1956–1994), dramatically increased period (P1, 1995–2004) and slightly decreased period (P2, 2005–2020). The attribution analysis showed that climate change was the dominant contributor to runoff and suspended sediment load increments during P1. LULC caused the decline in runoff and suspended sediment load in both P1 and P2, with their contribution increasing significantly from 0.40% and 4.73% in P1 to 50.24% and 51.79% in P2, respectively. Reservoir operation was the second key factor in runoff and suspended sediment load reduction in P2, contributing 42.07% and 43.72%, respectively. These findings provide the scientific foundation for reasonably allocating water resources and statistical support for the benefit evaluation of implementing ecological projects in the basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past two decades, Addis Ababa has witnessed a relentless transformation in its land use and land cover. Primarily driven by the conversion of agricultural land through extensive expropriation in the city's expansion areas. The study explores the dynamic land use land cover changes and associated land expropriations from peri-urban farmers in the rapidly growing Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The study utilized a time series of global land cover and land-use change datasets (GLAD) covering the years 2000-2020. Moreover, empirical data is gathered through a household survey conducted among 349 systematically selected expropriated farmers across four sub-cities of Addis Ababa. The findings underscore a profound shift in the city's land use and land cover over the past two decades. The built-up area emerges as the predominant land cover, witnessing a substantial increase of 25.28% (13,150.30 ha) over the past two decades. Concurrently, agricultural land and vegetation cover decreased by 15.92% and 9.35%, respectively, indicating a significant outward expansion of the city. This expansive growth, driven by the city's rapid development, has resulted in extensive land expropriations primarily affecting peri-urban farmers. The expropriations were mainly for housing, investment, industrial parks, and infrastructure development. Thus, we urge the city administration to carefully manage the horizontal expansion of builtup areas at the expense of the agricultural land and vegetation cover. Finally, we recommend holistic and sustainable development strategies, developed collaboratively with local communities and planners, to safeguard the longterm wellbeing of city residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species-rich natural and semi-natural ecosystems are under threat owing to land use change. To conserve the biodiversity associated with these ecosystems, we must identify and target conservation efforts towards functionally important species and supporting habitats that create connections between remnant patches in the landscape. Here, we use a multi-layer network approach to identify species that connect a metanetwork of plant–bee interactions in remnant semi-natural grasslands which are biodiversity hotspots in European landscapes. We investigate how these landscape connecting species, and their interactions, persist in their proposed supporting habitat, road verges, across a landscape with high human impact. We identify 11 plant taxa and nine bee species that connect semi-natural grassland patches. We find the beta diversity of these connector species to be low across road verges, indicating a poor contribution of these habitats to the landscape-scale diversity in semi-natural grasslands. We also find a significant influence of the surrounding landscape on the beta diversity of connector species and their interactions with implications for landscape-scale management. Conservation actions targeted toward species with key functional roles as connectors of fragmented ecosystems can provide cost-effective management of the diversity and functioning of threatened ecosystems. This article is part of the theme issue 'Connected interactions: enriching food web research by spatial and social interactions'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peatlands are complex landscape ecosystems. Since the beginning of the last century, they have been viewed as wastelands, with little or no economic value of note in their natural state. This led to their hidden values, particularly their contributions to human well‐being, and global and local support systems, being completely overlooked in policy and decision‐making, both at national and global levels. In this paper, we highlight some of the complexities relating to Irish peatlands: from their traditional use, to changes in land use relating to national and European policy changes in the last century. We then outline essential supporting components of a framework for their restoration and future sustainable use. Policy relating to agriculture, forestry, and energy has driven most of the land use change in Ireland, particularly since the mid‐1900s, and this has led to dramatic changes in peatland extent and condition, with negative impacts on the flows of ecosystem services and benefits for people. Restoration of peatlands has significant potential to reverse those negative flows and deliver benefits (local and global) for carbon, water, biodiversity, and people. Local communities can, and are keen to, support the delivery of peatland restoration, but they need to be supported by national agencies and policy frameworks that address social, economic, and environmental targets. The act of restoration creates opportunities to re‐connect with peatlands in a positive way, re‐enforcing the intrinsic and reciprocal values of peatlands, and ultimately supporting their sustainable use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reveal the evolution characteristics and driving factors of net primary productivity (NPP) of vegetation in arid regions, with Kashi region as a representative case, this study utilized various remote sensing satellite data, including MOD13A1/Q1, MOD09A1, and MOD17A3, to estimate vegetation NPP in the study area from 2001 to 2020 using the CASA model. The study aimed to express the impact of external driving factors on vegetation NPP from the perspectives of climate change and land use change. The results indicated: (1) Over the past two decades, the overall trend of vegetation NPP in the study area exhibited an initial increase, followed by a subsequent decrease. Specifically, from 2001 to 2015, vegetation NPP increased at a rate of 0.303, while from 2016 to 2020, it decreased at a rate of -0.202. (2) Through trend analysis and significance testing using the Sen+MK method, it was found that 37% of the study area showed a significant increasing trend in NPP, while 73% exhibited a decreasing trend. (3) Precipitation in the Kashi region had a stronger correlation with NPP than temperature. In the southwest region, the Pamir Plateau and Karakoram Mountains showed positive correlations with both temperature and precipitation, with warm and moist airflows promoting NPP in high latitudes. (4) )During the period of 2001-2020, Grassland in the study area degraded at the fastest rate, with a change rate of -2.1%, and the largest increase was observed in farmland, with a change rate of 2.7%; the vegetation NPP decreased by a total of 2748.3 TgC, and the study area shows a decreasing trend in the value of vegetation NPP in the future period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in land use and land cover usually affect the hydrological processes of river flows, sediment transport, and water quality on a global scale. Hence, the objective of this paper was to investigate the effect of Land Use Land Cover (LULCC) on the Hydrology of Rwizi River Catchment located in South-western Uganda using appropriate standard techniques and procedures including Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Model calibration and validation demonstrated good agreement (R² = 0.76-0.86, NSE = 0.75-0.78). LULC analysis revealed significant increases in built-up areas and forestland, with declines in grazing land and wetlands. These changes were driven by socio-economic factors and hydro-climatic influences. The study found strong correlations between LULC types and sediment yield, highlighting the implications for water quality and erosion control. The results show that urban growth raises surface runoff and peak flows as a result of a rise in impervious surfaces, whereas agricultural intensification raises water demand and lowers base flow, especially during dry spells. Deforestation has led to increased sedimentation rates, degrading water quality. These findings underscore the significant anthropogenic and climatic impacts on LULCC dynamics and hydrological processes in the catchment. The study emphasizes the critical need for integrated watershed management strategies to mitigate these impacts and ensure sustainable water management practices. By advancing understanding in hydrological sciences, this research informs policy and management decisions for sustainable development in tropical river basins globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the land use data in the Fujian Delta urban agglomeration from 2000 to 2020, the changing trends of land use and ecosystem service value (ESV) were analyzed in the past 20 years. Taking 2035 as the target year, the CA-Markov model was adopted to simulate the changes in land use and ESV under four scenarios of natural development, economic development, ecological protection and cultivated land protection, so as to discuss the impact of land use change on ESV under different scenarios, and to analyze the synergy/trade-off relationship between different ecosystem service types. It is found as follows. (1) From 2000 to 2020, the changes of land use in the study area were obvious. The area of cultivated land decreased sharply and the area of forest land and grassland decreased slightly, while the construction land expanded in a large scale. Correspondingly, the total ESV in the study area was 228. 134 billion yuan, 225. 854 billion yuan, 219. 682 billion yuan, 217. 581 billion yuan, and 220. 069 billion yuan in 2000,2005,2010,2015 and 2020, respectively, showing a downward trend. (2) Under the four scenarios of natural development, cultivated land protection, ecological protection and economic development, the total ESV of the study area will be 213. 842 billion yuan, 213. 304 billion yuan, 216. 635 billion yuan and 211. 263 billion yuan in 2035, respectively, showing a downward trend. Among them, the total ESV under the economic development scenario is the lowest, the total ESV under the natural development scenario and the cultivated land protection scenario is also greatly reduced, and the ecological protection scenario will effectively delay the downward trend of ESV, with strongest synergy between ecosystem service types, which will be the optimal scenario for land use optimization in Fujian Delta urban agglomeration in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Yellow River water recharge area in Gannan is an important ecological barrier in the upper reaches of the Yellow River. The stable provision of ecosystem services is essential for the sustainable development of the Yellow River Basin. Based on land-use changes from 2000 to 2020, the equivalence factor is corrected by combining net primary productivity (NPP) data and socio-economic factors, the ecosystem services value (ESV) of the study area is calculated for five periods. Through methods such as spatial autocorrelation and centroid model, this study investigates the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics and spatial heterogeneity of ESV from 2000 to 2020. The results show that from 2000 to 2020, the land use/cover change (LUCC) types in the Yellow River water recharge area of Gannan were mainly grassland, woodland and cultivated land. The areas of grassland, woodland, construction land, and waters have increased, while cultivated land has decreased by 448.57 km² at a rate of change of 19%. From 2000 to 2020, the average ESV was 408.785 1 x 108 yuan. The main focus was on regulation services, with hydrological regulation and climate regulation accounting for about 48.69% of the total ESV. Grassland and woodland made the greatest contribution to ESV and are key land types for the total value of ecosystem services. The size of the water area continued to increase, affecting the rise in ESV for water production services, with a cumulative increase of 3.401 3%. Land-averaged ESV showed a strong positive spatial correlation, and spatial clustering was generally stable. The spatial distribution of woodland had an important influence on the spatial pattern of ESV, with areas of higher ESV overlapping with areas of concentrated woodland, while areas of lower ESV were dominated by construction and cultivated land. The research results reveal the spatio-temporal pattern evolution of ESV in the Yellow River water recharge area of Gannan under the background of LUCC changes. The results can provide a basis for spatial planning, economic development, ecological environmental protection and management in the region, contributing to the high-quality development of the basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of "four waters and four determinations" scientific and quantitative assessment of water conservation capacity is the basis for ensuring high-quality social and economic development and effective protection of the ecological environment. As an important part of the "double evaluation" the evaluation of the importance of ecological protection plays a guiding role in the evaluation of agricultural production and urban construction. Based on the InVEST water yield module, the water conservation volume was obtained by using the terrain index, soil saturation water conductivity and flow velocity coefficient to obtain the water conservation volume, and the temporal and spatial evolution of water conservation in Lanzhou City of Gansu Province, China from 2000 to 2020 was quantitatively evaluated, and the impact of land use type change on it was discussed, and the importance level of water conservation function was divided. The results showed that: (1) From 2000 to 2020, except for the decrease of farmland area, the area of other land use types increased, and the increase of grassland was the most significant. (2) The spatial distribution of water conservation in Lanzhou City was "high-low distribution", and the average unit water conservation was 15.42 mm, and the total water conservation volume was 2.03x108 m³. From 2000 to 2020, the average unit water conservation and total amount in Lanzhou increased, and the increase rate gradually increased. (3) The total water conservation of different land use types in Lanzhou is as follows: grassland>farmland>woodland>impervious surface>bare land>shrubs. Among them, the average unit water conservation capacity of forest land was the largest, while the total water conservation of grassland was the largest. (4) From 2000 to 2020, the area of the generally important and relatively important areas of water conservation function in Lanzhou decreased, and the area of moderately important, highly important and extremely important areas increased. The evaluation and importance classification of water conservation functions can provide scientific reference and guidance for consolidating the existing achievements of returning farmland to forest and grassland, promoting the construction of ecological civilization, and promoting regional economic development in China's arid areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Hubei Minzu University (Natural Science Edition) is the property of Journal of Hubei Minzu University (Natural Sciences Edition) Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Climate change is a major threat to river basins and ecosystems, leading to changes in ecosystems due to rising temperatures, expansion or contraction of specific habitat boundaries, and alterations in the timing of the seasons. This study investigated climate and land use changes to predict future hydrological regime in the Wang River Basin (WRB) and its impact on the ecosystem, focusing on key flow properties such as magnitude, duration, and intensity. The flow properties were studied based on the indicators of hydrologic alteration software and environmental flow components, which were separated into five groups and considered for economic and forest conservation scenarios based on the representative concentration pathway (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) trajectories. The results showed that future climate change in the WRB will involve severe maximum/minimum temperature increases of 2.09-1.95°C and 4.01-4.05°C for RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 respectively, while the annual rainfall trend will decrease during the 2030s and the 2050s and then increase during the 2070s and the 2090s or a change ranging from -1.96 to 6.10% for RCP4.5 and 1.43 to 6.68% for RCP8.5 from 2030s to 2090s. The projected annual discharges for the combined impacts of climate change and land use change during 2030-2090 indicated that the discharge will tend to decrease in the future, especially in the near future (ranging from -9.75 to -12.32%). Furthermore, there will be an increase in the rise and fall rates (120.24-147.11% and 61.24-62.30%). Consequently, these impacts will eventually affect the livelihoods and ecosystems in this river basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural and anthropogenic changes in the composition of tropical forests are expected to alter soil properties. Thus, an understanding of the effects on changes in crop/plant composition on soil properties is needed to choose better land-use options. So, the primary goal of this study was to examine the impacts of land-use change (from shifting cultivation to teak and rubber plantation) on some physico-chemical features (available P, K, N, pH, moisture content (MC), bulk density, organic matter (OM)) of soil. Soil physico-chemical properties were compared to a shifting cultivation land with a 14-year-old teak plantation and a 16-year-old rubber plantation that had previously been used for shifting cultivation. Results showed that soil properties change with the changes of crop/plant composition, such as phosphorus (P), K, and OM was significantly high in teak and rubber plantation than the shifting cultivation area both in surface (0–10 cm) and sub-surface (10–20 cm) soil layers. Teak (3.5689 mg/kg) and rubber (3.5478 mg/kg) plantations exhibited significantly higher mean P content (p < .01) compared to shifting cultivation (3.4678 mg/kg). Shifting cultivation had the maximum K levels (0.2233 meq/100 g), while teak (0.2833 meq/100 g) and rubber (0.2733 meq/100 g) plantations showed significantly higher values (p < .05). Moisture content was 1.13% higher in teak and 1.2% higher in rubber plantations than in shifting cultivation. Furthermore, OM content was significantly higher in teak and rubber plantations (5.2744%, 5.2567%) compared to shifting cultivation (4.5067%). On the other hand, total nitrogen (N) and pH levels showed no significant difference among the land-use types. Finally, the study showed that conversion to teak and rubber plantation could lead to positive change in the soil properties. Hence it suggested that this can be undertaken/chosen as a better land cover option for shifting cultivated land in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) from soil conservation point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluating the impact of large-scale human activities on carbon storage through land use changes is of growing interest in terrestrial ecosystem assessments. The Huaihe River Basin, a vital Chinese grain production area, has undergone marked land use changes amid socio-economic acceleration. Evaluating the impacts of land use change on carbon storage and future carbon sequestration is imperative for regional ecosystem sustainability and Chinese food security, simultaneously, furnishing data support to regional land use planning and decision-making processes. Nonetheless, the mechanisms linking land use changes to carbon storage and the future carbon reservoir responses remain unclear. We utilized a multi-source dataset and representative scenarios, integrating PLUS, InVEST models, and Geodetector to assess land use change impacts on carbon storage in the Huaihe River Basin (2000–2030). The data indicates the following: (1) from 2000 to 2020, cultivated land decreased by 28,344.69 km2, construction land increased by 26,914.56 km2, and other land types changed little. (2) Land use change resulted a carbon loss of 1.17 × 108 t, primarily due to the expansion of construction land. (3) All four simulation scenarios exhibited diminished carbon storage relative to 2020, with the economic development scenario recording the lowest at 4.98 × 109 t and the ecological protection scenario the highest at 5.06 × 109 t. (4) Elevation predominantly drives carbon storage changes, with its interaction with NPP having the greatest impact. The factors synergistically enhance their explanatory power. The research provides a scientific basis for strategies aimed at augmenting regional carbon sequestration and refining low-carbon land management, safeguarding ecosystem stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Abandonment of cultural landscape practices has had a notable impact on grasslands and domestic livestock that depend on them. This affects the prerequisites for sustainable transitions of cultural landscapes, which combine traditional livelihoods and novel ones like tourism. Objectives: The aims of this study were to explore (1) the long-term temporal dynamics of grassland and livestock in a regional gradient from coastal to inland landscapes in Norway and (2) the temporal development of tourism types among regions. Methods: Using three regions as case studies, with 62 municipalities, we analyzed (1) the temporal dynamics of grassland and livestock using agricultural census data from 1918 to 1999 and (2) two tourism types. Kruskal–Wallis and ANOVA were used to examine whether the relative changes in grassland areas and livestock units, respectively, differed significantly among regions. A PCA was conducted to explore relationships between grassland and livestock types. The proportions of tourist categories were compared. Results: The grassland area and thematic resolution of census data declined over time. Grassland areas correlated with domestic livestock units. Multivariate analysis explained 68% of the variation in grassland and livestock types among municipalities. There was a notable increase in the number of tourists, with summer tourism dominating where the cultural landscape was well conserved. Conclusions: Our study underscores the importance of integrating regional historical trajectories for the conservation and use of valuable cultural landscapes, thereby providing sustainable transitions that combine traditional livelihoods and new types as tourism. Additional in-depth studies are needed to understand the detailed drivers of these changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reporting land use changes over time is important for evaluating land resource management. This study applied GIS technology to determine land use fluctuations for the entire mainland territory in Vietnam. In particular, the research focused on two main issues: (1) spatial fluctuations of some main land groups in Vietnam, and(2) the rate of land use change in socio-economic regions in the two periods 2007–2016 and 2016–2020. Research results showed that the Forests land group showed a growth of over 14% and spatial fluctuations took place in all regions, except for two regions with little change in this land group: Red River Delta (RRD) and Mekong River Delta (MRD). Meanwhile, crops decreased by over 16% from 2007–2020 and appeared heavily in the Northern Midlands and Mountains (NMR), North Central and Central Coast regions (NCR), and Central Highlands region (CHR). Urban land group increased by 3% during 2007–2020. The speed of land use conversion also showed different results between economic regions and inthe two research periods. The results showed that the recent research period witnessed a higher rate of land use conversion in the regions compared to the period 2007–2016. In particular, the NMR region showed that the conversion rate was the largest in both stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid increase in population and economic activities has greatly influenced land use and spatial development. In urban agglomerations where socioeconomic activities are densely concentrated, the clash between ecological protection and economic growth is becoming more evident. Therefore, a thorough quantitative assessment of spatial changes driven by land use dynamics, alongside an examination of temporal and spatial driving factors, is crucial in offering scientific backing for the long-term and sustainable growth of urban agglomerations. This paper focuses on the major urban agglomerations in China's Yangtze River Delta region, examining the spatiotemporal evolution of land use and landscape patterns from 2000 to 2020. By employing the standard deviation ellipse technique, coupled with multiple linear regression and the geographical detector model, we conduct a quantitative assessment of the directional trends in urban construction land expansion as well as the diverse impacts of temporal and spatial factors on this expansion across various periods and regions. The findings indicate that over the past 20 years, construction land in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration expanded in concentrated patches, showing significant scale effects with relatively intact farmland and forest land being increasingly encroached upon. Landscape-type transitions predominantly occurred in cities around Taihu Lake and Hangzhou Bay, with the most significant transition being farmland converted to construction land, resulting in a greater number of patches and more pronounced land fragmentation. Throughout the 20 years, the standard deviation ellipse of construction land in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration expanded and shifted, with the predominant expansion trending from the northwest toward the southeast, and the EN orientation being the most intense expansion area, covering 1641.24 km2. The influence of temporal and spatial driving factors on the expansion of urban construction land differed across various periods and regions. This study thoroughly examines the driving factors that affect the evolution of urban construction land in the region, offering valuable scientific evidence and references for future planning and development of the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration, aiding in the formulation of more precise and efficient urban management and land use strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying spatial and temporal characteristics of land use changes and the driving factors in the Yellow River Basin as well as simulating and predicting future land use is crucial for resource management, ecological protection, and regional sustainable development in the Yellow River Basin. Based on the China Land Cover Dataset (CLCD) of the Yellow River Basin from 1990 to 2021, this study employs various methods such as the Mann–Kendall test and sliding t-test, land use dynamics, the land use transfer matrix, the standard deviation ellipse, the center of gravity migration model, and a geographic detector to explore the spatial and temporal characteristics of land use changes and driving forces in the Yellow River Basin over the past 30 years. Additionally, the study predicts land use types in the study area for the year of 2030 by using the Future Land Use Simulation (FLUS) model. The results show the following: (1) From 1990 to 2021, the area of forest, grassland, water, and impervious surfaces increased significantly, while the area of cropland, shrub, barren land, and wetlands decreased significantly. The most actively changing land use types are cropland, grassland, barren land, and impervious surfaces. (2) The center of gravity for shrub and impervious surfaces shifted westward, while wetlands showed a trend of obvious concentrated distribution, and the remaining land use types exhibited stable directional distributions. (3) Economic factors had a stronger driving effect on land use changes than topographic and climatic factors. The land use changes in the Yellow River Basin are influenced by the coordinated driving forces of multiple factors. (4) In 2030, the main land use types in the Yellow River Basin are still expected to be cropland, grassland, and forest. However, there will be a significant expansion of impervious surfaces and forest land, with substantial encroachment on cropland and grassland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization in the Haihe River Basin in northern China, particularly the upstream mountainous basin of Baiyangdian, has significantly altered land use and runoff processes. The runoff is a key water source for downstream areas like Baiyangdian and the Xiong'an New Area, making it essential to understand these changes' implications for water security. However, the exact implications of these processes remain unclear. To address this gap, a simulation framework combining SWAT+ and CLUE-S was used to analyze runoff responses under different land use scenarios: natural development (ND), farmland protection (FP), and ecological protection (EP). The model simulation results were good, with NSE above 0.7 for SWAT+. The Kappa coefficient for CLUE-S model validation was 0.83. The further study found that from 2005 to 2015, urban construction land increased by 11.50 km2 per year, leading to a 0.5–1.3 mm rise in annual runoff. Although urban expansion continued, the other scenarios, which emphasized farmland and forest preservation, slowed this growth. Monthly runoff changes were most significant during the rainy season, with annual runoff in ND, FP, and EP varying by 8.9%, 10.9%, and 7.7%, respectively. While the differences in annual runoff between scenarios were not dramatic, these findings provide a theoretical foundation for future water resource planning and management in the upstream mountainous area of Baiyangdian and offer valuable insights for the sustainable development of Xiong'an New Area. Additionally, these results contribute to the broader field of hydrology by highlighting the importance of considering multiple land use scenarios in runoff change analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban development of clusters situated along rivers significantly affects the health of the river ecosystems, the quality of urban environments, and the overall well-being of local communities. Ecosystem service supply value (ESSV) measures the delivery of ecosystem goods and services within a specific timeframe in a particular area. Using the lower Yellow River urban agglomeration (Shandong section) as a case, we comprehensively applied land use structure and intensity change analysis, quantitative calculation of ESS, and geographical probe methods to unveil ESS and its mechanism of response to the spatio-temporal evolution of the intensity of land use in urban agglomeration along the river. The key results were as follows: (1) Over the past two decades, farmland and construction land areas have continued to decrease and increase, respectively, with the intensity of land use change being highest from 2005 to 2010. (2) ESS has continued to rise over the past 20 years, with the income in 2020 being 11.142 billion yuan, an increase of 31.13%. The "low-value areas" are mainly concentrated in Liaocheng City, Dezhou City, and Tai'an City, which are characterized by predominantly flat terrains where farmland constitutes the principal land use type. Conversely, "high-value areas" are largely in the counties bordering the Yellow River, including the upper estuary in the north and the rugged, southeastern terrains. (3) Areas with concentrated ESSV were primarily localized in the northern estuary area and along the Yellow River in a scattered point-like pattern. The spatial distribution of hotspots has become increasingly concentrated, transitioning from points to planes. Conversely, cold spots initially increased in number before subsequently decreasing. Waterbody was the most sensitive ESSV-determining factor. (4) The spatial heterogeneity of ESSV emerges as a consequence of the interaction of multiple factors, and among these interactions, those involving NDVI and POP contain the greatest explanatory power. Our findings are expected to offer a scientific foundation for optimizing land spatial patterns and enhancing ecological management in the lower Yellow River region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within scenario-based research of social-ecological systems, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of normative scenarios that define positive outcomes for both nature and society. While several frameworks exist to guide the co-creation of normative scenario narratives, examples of operationalizing these narratives in quantitative simulation modelling are still limited. To address this gap, this paper presents an example of how aspects of normative scenarios can be realized within a spatial model of land use and land cover change. This is achieved through a combination of data-driven approaches to encapsulate scenario-specific differences in local and global scale phenomena, as well as iterative expert elicitation to quantify descriptive trends from narratives. This approach is demonstrated with a case study simulating five scenarios of landscape change (three normative and two exploratory) in Switzerland between 2020 and 2060. The resulting maps of future land use and land cover exhibited distinct variations between the scenarios, notably with regard to the prevalence of areas of heterogeneous semi-natural land, such as alpine pastures and grassland, often considered culturally emblematic of Switzerland. While the simulation results were generally consistent with the outcomes expressed in the scenario narratives, following a process of expert feedback, we reflect that there are clear challenges in leveraging such results to elicit further discussions as to the desirability and plausibility of future scenarios. Specifically, the need to summarize spatial simulations in a manner that is easily interpretable and encourages consideration of the broader patterns of change rather than focusing on fine-scale details. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]