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Land use change and soil depth lead to subsequent changes in soil physicochemical properties in the northern highlands of Ethiopia. These changes in soil properties indicate a shift in soil fertility levels. The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts of different land use types and soil depths on soil fertility status in Dende Kebele, West Gojjam Zone, Ethiopia. The study utilized a randomized complete block design (RCBD) experimental design, with various land use categories serving as treatments. The study area was purposefully divided into three land use types (Eucalyptus plantation, grazing, and cropped land) and two soil layers (0–20 and 20–40 cm) with three replications. A total of 18 composite soil samples were collected for laboratory analysis. The interaction between land use types and soil depth had a significant impact (p < 0.001) on particle size distribution, field capacity (FC), permanent wilting point (PWP), pH, organic carbon (OC), and exchangeable (K+ and Na+) and available micronutrients. The soil texture within the study area was classified as clay. The soil had low to medium bulk density (BD), very high total porosity (TP) and medium available water holding capacity (AWHC). The pH ranged from strongly to moderately acidic with low to medium levels of OC and TN. Available phosphorus (AP) was extremely low, while exchangeable Mg+2 and Ca+2 were high, and Na+ was low to medium. Levels of Fe, Mn, and Zn were high, while Cu levels were low to medium. Overall, the findings suggest that soil fertility was higher in Eucalyptus plantation soils compared to cropped land, highlighting the importance of soil fertility management for sustainable agriculture in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study examines the effects of land-use types and slope position on selected soil physico-chemical properties in the Ageza Watershed, Northwestern Ethiopia, focusing on soil fertility depletion and its impact on agricultural productivity. Materials and methods: The experiment utilized a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications, involving three land-use types and slope positions. A total of 27 soil samples (both disturbed and undisturbed) were collected, prepared, and analyzed for selected physico-chemical properties following standard laboratory procedures. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA with SAS software. Results: Significant variations in most soil physico-chemical properties were observed across land-use types and slope positions. Soil bulk density, organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (Av. P), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and exchangeable bases significantly (P ≤ 0.001) differed among the land-use types and slope positions. The main effects showed significant (P ≤ 0.05) differences in sand, silt, and clay contents across the land-use types. However, pH did not show significant differences (P > 0.05). Soil bulk density, silt content, Av. P, exchangeable bases, and CEC all showed significant (P ≤ 0.01) differences among the slope positions. Forest land had the highest values for clay (46.11%), OC (6.08%), Av. P (20.60 mg/kg), CEC (33.89 cmol (+) kg-¹), and exchangeable cations: Ca²+ (23.72 cmol (+) kg-¹), Mg²+ (4.40 cmol (+) kg-¹), K+ (1.18 cmol (+) kg-¹), and Na+ (0.77 cmol (+) kg-¹). Grazing land exhibited higher silt and bulk density, while cultivated land had higher sand content. Lower slope positions recorded the highest values for clay (47.33%), silt (20.77%), pH (4.90), Av. P (16.61 mg/kg), Ca²+ (20.10 cmol (+) kg-¹), Mg²+ (3.73 cmol (+) kg-¹), K+ (1.00 cmol (+) kg-¹), Na+ (0.66 cmol (+) kg-¹), and CEC (28.71 cmol (+) kg-¹), while bulk density was higher in the upper slope position. Conclusion: Land-use types and slope positions significantly influence variations in soil physico-chemical properties and overall soil fertility status. Forest preservation and management are essential to improve the soil fertility in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Shenyang Agricultural University is the property of Journal of Shenyang Agricultural University Editorial Department 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.)

Cultivated land ecological compensation (CLEC) is an important way to solve regional development imbalance and cultivated land problems, and the scientific quantification of the ecological value of cultivated land is the key to CLEC. This study quantified the total amount and urgency of CLEC in China's main grain-producing region using the cropland ecological footprint (EF) and ecosystem service value (ESV) methods. Furthermore, this study analyzed the comprehensive zoning of CLEC considering natural and economic development. The results showed that the spatial distribution of EFs and the ecological carrying capacity of cultivated land in Henan Province are similar, presenting the spatial characteristics of being high in the southeast and low in the northwest; the cultivated land in most of the counties and districts is in a state of ecological surplus, and the cultivated land resources are sufficient to support their own consumption needs. Henan Province as a whole is an ecologically compensated region, with a compensation amount of CNY 1.39 billion, and the total amount of compensation is in a positive value of 94.94%. The Southwest Yu and North Yu economic zone of Henan are the areas of high and low values of cultivated land compensation. The priority compensation region is the most extensive and widely distributed type in the five regions of Henan Province, accounting for 55% of the counties and districts. The degree of compensation is most urgent in the Huanghuai, Southwest Yu, and North Yu economic zones. This study's findings provide new ideas for the development of differentiated ecological compensation policies, and provide references for the participation of multiple market participants and the diversification of compensation forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Agro-Environment Science is the property of Journal of Agro-Environment Science Editorial Board 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.)

The effective allocation of labor and cultivated land resources to ensure food security is a global concern. Understanding the relationship between rural labor off-farm employment and the eco-efficiency of cultivated land use (ECLU) is critical, yet current research in this area remains insufficient. This study explores the dynamics between off-farm employment and ECLU using the North China Plain as a case study, analyzing panel data from 2001 to 2020 through spatial econometric models. The findings reveal significant temporal expansion and spatial differentiation in off-farm employment, with growth rates gradually slowing and spatial disparities diminishing. The average ECLU initially declined from 2001 to 2003, followed by fluctuating increases, with a notable acceleration in growth after 2017. A "U-shaped" relationship between off-farm employment and ECLU was identified, with a turning point at an off-farm employment ratio of 40.73%, occurring around 2003–2004 based on regional averages. Before this threshold, off-farm employment negatively impacted ECLU, while beyond this point, the impact became positive. The study also observed significant spatial spillover effects of off-farm employment on ECLU in the North China Plain. These findings underscore the complex interplay between rural labor migration and agricultural productivity. To maximize the benefits of off-farm employment, policies should encourage the reinvestment of income into sustainable agricultural practices. Furthermore, the significant spatial spillover effects call for enhanced regional coordination and tailored policy interventions to optimize labor allocation and improve ECLU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the coordination of agricultural water resources (W), cultivated land (L), and the ecoenvironment (E) system is crucial for sustainable agriculture in the North China Plain (NCP). However, the synergistic effects of this composite system remain unclear. Coupling coordination degrees (CCDs) of 53 cities in the NCP for the years 2011, 2015, and 2020 were evaluated using the TOPSIS model, and the coupling coordination model, combined with the analytic hierarchy process and entropy weight method. The evaluation results were further analyzed to identify obstacle factors. The findings reveal the following: (1) The comprehensive development level showed a fluctuating upward trend, with closeness values ranging from 0.418 to 0.574 in 2020, indicating an improvement of 14.6–52.3% compared to 2011. The coefficient of variation (CV) for each province rose from 12.65% in 2011 to 13.64% and subsequently declined to 9.12% by 2020. (2) Between 2011 and 2020, CCDs of the W–L–E composite system exhibited a consistent upward trend. In 2020, regions with intermediate or better coordination accounted for 34.0%, and were primarily located in Jiangsu Province, the southern part of Anhui Province, the northwestern part of Shandong Province, and the municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin. (3) In 2011 and 2015, significant obstacle factors included the water quality compliance rate and the per capita disposable income of rural residents, although these were not primary obstacles in 2020. The water supply modulus and multiple cropping index were major obstacle factors in 2011, 2015, and 2020. Developing water-appropriate cropping patterns based on regional water resource endowment is the essential path for the sustainable and coordinated development of water, land, and ecology in the NCP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The West Liaohe Plain (WLP) is an important ecological barrier in northern China. Due to the increase in irrigation water since 2004, the groundwater level has continued to decline in the WLP. To investigate the regional groundwater imbalance, ecological effects, and their influence factors, the regional groundwater balance and its mutual feedback relationship with land use in the WLP were analyzed by using the methods of groundwater level measurement and long-term monitoring, the spatial correlation analysis, water balance analysis, land use transfer matrix, and contribution to groundwater level change. The results show that the groundwater level in the WLP in 2020 decreased by an average of 2.23 m compared with that in 2004, with a groundwater storage decrease rate of 10.90×108 m3 per year (average value). The large decline of groundwater level occurs in the centralized irrigated area in the central part, in particular in the Keerqin District, Tongliao City. The contribution of groundwater extraction to the groundwater level decrease is 33% in the WLP and more than 50% in the Keerqin district. In the area with a groundwater level decrease, the groundwater level depth increases from 4.71 m to 8.34 m, resulting in grassland degradation and coverage reduction. The sustainable extraction of groundwater in WLP is 24.28×108 m3/a. Increased groundwater extraction for agricultural irrigation is the main reason for the groundwater level decrease. To prevent the continuous groundwater level decline, comprehensive management methods, such as improving the capacity of water-saving irrigation, adjusting the planting structure, introducing water from the outer watershed, and reducing the amount of groundwater extraction are suggested. This study can provide technical support for regional agricultural cultivation planning and groundwater management and protection.

Cultivated land resources have restricted the agricultural production and economic development in China, particularly with the ever-increasing urbanization and population. There are the spatiotemporal variations of cultivated land in different regions, due to the different natural and social economic conditions. However, only a few quantitative studies have been focused on the distribution of cultivated land use under various terrain and climate in the field of geography. Furthermore, the data accuracy of most studies cannot accurately reflect the spatial change of cultivated land. Taking Ngari Prefecture as the research area, the purpose of this study was to explore the spatiotemporal differentiation and distribution of cultivated land resources under different terrain and climate. Farmland data was collected in 2005, 2013 and 2020. Google Earth highresolution imagery was then utilized to visually interpret with a resolution of 0.49-8.26 m. Kernel density estimation, spatial and buffer analysis functions in ArcGIS software were also used to identify the spatiotemporal differentiation and influencing factors of farmland. The results showed that: 1) In terms of spatial change, the scattered and fragmented cultivated land was more concentrated in the valleys of the southwestern part of Pulan County and the central part of Zada County. The small patches were dominated in the cultivated land. The cultivated land was also more concentrated in Pulan Township of Pulan County, Xiangzi Township of Zada County, Shiquanhe Town of Gar County and Ritu Town of Ritu County, compared with different townships. Meanwhile, the cultivated land was distributed mainly in the spatial area with an altitude of 3500-4500 m, a slope of 0-6°, a slope to the southwest, an average annual precipitation of 0-25 mm, an average annual temperature of 0-5°C, and a distance of less than 200 m from roads and rivers. 2) In terms of temporal change, the cultivated area was aggregated in a multiregional manner from 2005 to 2020, indicating a general trend of growth. The reason was attributed to the influence from the geographic location, natural environment, population increase, non-agriculturalization, and market demand. Specifically, the cultivated land area of Zada and Pulan counties in the south increased slowly or even declined, while there was the significant increase in the Gaer and Ritu counties in the north. 3) The cultivated land area was continued to expand in the future, in order to meet the demand of market and employment. There was the smaller increase in the south, together with the small decrease. An outstanding increase was found in the north. Therefore, the mechanization, the output value per unit area and the high-quality agriculture should be improved to focus on the environmental carrying capacity of regional arable land, soil quality and sustainability. In general, the farmland was also dominated by the location and hydrothermal conditions, particularly the influence from the population, non-agricultural development and market demand. The distribution and area changes of farmland were greatly varied in different regions. This finding can also provide a strong reference for the current status of land use, agricultural land planning and sustainable development of cultivated land in Ngari Prefecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use conflicts (LUCs) have become a significant global issue. Accurately identifying potential LUCs is crucial for mediating these conflicts, optimizing land use structure, and enhancing land use function. The necessary conditions of LUCs are land use multi-suitability (LUMS), land resource scarcity (LRS), and diversity of demands (DD). However, few studies have approached LUC identification from these three dimensions simultaneously. In addition, when assessing the diversity of demand, only human needs are considered and wildlife needs are ignored. In order to address this gap in the research, this paper constructs a novel framework for LUC identification and proposes an induction-oriented governance path. LUMS was evaluated from three aspects: construction suitability, cultivation suitability, and ecological suitability. LRS is measured from three dimensions: construction land, cultivated land, and ecological land scarcity. The DD is expanded into human and wildlife demand diversity. By analyzing the combination of LUMS, LRS, and DD, LUCs are classified using the potential LUC identification Rubik's cube model, and corresponding governance paths are suggested. In Shandong Province, potential LUCs are relatively high, with strong, medium, and weak conflicts accounting for 27.39%, 57.10%, and 13.06%, respectively. Potential strong conflicts are mainly distributed in the metropolitan suburbs and in the western plain of Shandong Province. Cultivated land is the main potential land use conflict space. The new framework of LUC identification proposed in this paper can effectively identify potential LUCs. Our research provides scientific reference for sustainable land use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bulletin of Soil & Water Conservation is the property of Bulletin of Soil & Water Conservation 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.)

On the basis of comprehensive consideration of the positive and negative ecological values of cultivated land, the ecological service value equivalent factor method and alternative market method were used to estimate the ecological value, and combined with an improved ecological footprint model, the quantification of ecological compensation for cultivated land was achieved. The results showed that from the perspective of ecological value of cultivated land, the ecological positive value and negative value of cultivated land in Xuzhou City showed a trend of "rapid increase" to "gradual decrease". The positive ecological value of cultivated land far exceeded its negative value, accounting for 3.246.44 times the negative value. From the perspective of ecological footprint and compensation of cultivated land, the ecological carrying capacity of cultivated land in Xuzhou City showed a trend of first decreasing, then increasing and then decreasing. However, the ecological footprint of cultivated land had always been decreasing, and the compensation value of cultivated land showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphological classification of erosion gullies is crucial to assessing their development status and potential hazards. Investigating erosion gullies classification and distribution in cultivated land is essential for comprehensive erosion control and preventing soil and water loss on slopes. The current literature lacks definitive indicators for a comprehensive gully morphology classification system in cultivated land, resulting in incomplete classification outcomes. This study presented a comprehensive framework for organizing morphological indicators, consolidating the essential requirements for managing cultivated land gullies in Northeast China's black soil regions. It employed systematic classification and information science methodologies. Through the combination of indicators which were obtained through remote sensing interpretation, all possible types of cultivated land erosion gullies were covered as much as possible. This framework classified area indicators into five classes, widths into four grades, and lengths into five types, creating a "class + grade + type" method for erosion gullies in cultivated land. The method was empirically evaluated in black soil agricultural zones to confirm its applicability and effectiveness. The findings showed that: 1) Erosion gullies were characterized by small areas, substantial widths, and short lengths in Hailun city's cultivated lands. In the "class + grade + type" framework, class I and II were the most common primary categories. Notably, class II grade 4 tiny gullies (Ⅱ4T) and class II grade 4 small gullies (Ⅱ4S) dominated the secondary and tertiary classifications. These erosion gullies were generally poorly developed and could be effectively controlled by developing high-standard farmland. 2) The morphological distribution of erosion gullies was significantly influenced by terrain elements. Special attention was required for gullies in areas at elevations of 180～<240 m, slope lengths of 35～<55 m, slopes of 2°～6°, and on southwestern slopes. Less developed gullies in these regions, such as class I grade 4 tiny gullies (Ⅰ4T), class II grade 4 small gullies (Ⅱ4S), and class II grade 4 tiny gullies (Ⅱ4T), were prone to advancing to more developed stages like class IV grade 4 medium gullies (Ⅳ4M) and class V grade 4 medium gullies (Ⅴ4M). The study recommended timely and comprehensive prevention and control measures, along with farmland construction, to mitigate potential damage. 3) The “class + grade + type” method developed in this study accurately and intuitively elucidated the morphological features and hazards of cultivated land erosion gullies. This method offered practical advantages, including easy indicator acquisition and simple operation. This research validated that relying on a single morphological index was insufficient for nuanced gully identification. Instead, the robust classification system using area, length, and width indicators demonstrated high adaptability in Hailun city. This innovative method provided a valuable reference for the integrated management of gullies and cultivated land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting the green utilization of cultivated land in Northeast China is an important way to practice the concept of green development and promote the protection of black land. The super efficiency SBM model including non-expected output and the Tobit model were comprehensively used to quantitatively measure the spatial and temporal distribution pattern and influencing factors of green utilization efficiency of cultivated land in 40 prefecture-level cities, Northeast China from 2012 to 2021. The results show that ① from 2012 to 2021, the overall green utilization efficiency of cultivated land in Northeast China is relatively high, while the efficiency of each region in Northeast China begins to fluctuate and decline after 2018, and then rebounds after 2020; ② the spatial difference of green utilization efficiency of cultivated land in Northeast China is significant, and its distribution pattern gradually changes over time, showing the evolution characteristics of "high in the east and low in the west", "high around, low in the middle", and "high in the north and south, low around" during the study period; the proportion of grain crop rotation area and the total power of agricultural machinery per unit of crop sown area have a significant negative impact on the green utilization efficiency of cultivated land in Northeast China, and the level of scientific and technological development has a significant positive impact; however, the influence intensities of factors are different in different regions. The suggestions should be standardized and guided in policies and institutions, technical support and empowerment should also be provided, so as to improve the green utilization efficiency of cultivated land in Northeast China through practical measures and realize the sustainable use of black land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Hydrogeology & Engineering Geology / Shuiwendizhi Gongchengdizhi is the property of Hydrogeology & Engineering Geology 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.)

This study aimed to explore the stress among crop farmers, focusing on the causes and types of stress. Farming has always played a crucial role in Pakistan's economy. However, it can be a stressful occupation, with farmers facing various stressors. The data was collected from the crop farmers of the District Rawalpindi. The sample size consisted of 60 crop farmers with an age range of 35 to 55 years. All participants were male, owned some cultivated land and were personally involved in farming. Interviews were based on open-ended questions to check the prevalence of stress among crop farmers. The result of the study indicated that small-scale crop farmers faced more stress than largescale crop farmers. The major stressor reported by crop farmers was inclement weather conditions, and they often used a talking coping strategy. The study suggests implementing stress management programs and revising agricultural support policies to reduce stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective]The aim of this study is to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics, mitigation strate-gies and the evolving characteristics of the cultivated land function loss under rapid urbanization, which is pivotal for enhancing regional farmland conservation and guaranteeing food security. [Methods]This study developed a comprehensive evaluation framework from the tri-dimensional perspective of'use-capacity-reserve'. This was built upon a functional loss typology analysis for cultivated lands in swiftly urbanizing areas. This framework gauged the extent of functional loss and anticipates associated risks. Specific control measures tailored to each loss level were also suggested. Jiangyin, a county-level city in Jiangsu Province, was used as a case study. [Results](1)Recognizing the evolving nature of cultivated land's functional loss, we classified its primary types and derived quantitative tools for measuring its extent and associated risks during rapid urbanization, offering vital theoretical underpinnings to harmonize farmland conservation with economic progress. (2)In Jiangyin City, a significant portion of non-food crops is cultivated on lands that have lost their original function, spanning 267 villages. Production capacity loss is limited to 59 villages. With respect to reserve loss, medium and low-risk categories impact 104 and 115 villages, respectively. (3)According to our evaluation framework, Jiangyin experienced a predominant secondary level function loss, affecting 71. 17％of its villages. Forward-looking strategies, including agricultural infrastructure enhancement, agricultural spatial layout optimization, and risk monitoring augmentation, must be tailored to varying loss degrees. [Conclusion]The phenomenon of functional loss in arable land exhibits stage-specific characteristics in terms of occurrence time, influencing factors, and manifestations. Its spatiotemporal patterns vary in both separate and integrated dimensions. The tailored strategies can provide decision-making support for promoting regional cultivated land protection and utilization, improving monitoring and early warning systems for functional risks, and optimizing space layout of national territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strategic optimization of cultivated land's spatial structure is essential for enhancing agricultural production's efficiency and sustainability. Consolidating contiguous cultivated land areas can increase economies of scale, reduce costs, and minimize ecological edge effects. Additionally, upgrading infrastructure and enhancing connectivity among these areas promote the efficient distribution and marketization of agricultural resources. This study adopted a "pixel-neighborhood-patch" approach to comprehensively evaluate the area, shape, structure, and connectivity of cultivated lands. It established a framework for assessing cultivated land agglomeration and connectivity. The research explored the spatial and temporal dynamics and optimization strategies for the cultivated land layout in Jiangsu Province from 2000 to 2020.The results indicated that the degree of cultivated land agglomeration in Jiangsu Province generally exhibited a downward trend, particularly in areas that experienced rapid economic development and urbanization. The province decreases from the central to the north and south, and 98.94% of the counties decrease to varying degrees. The connectivity of cultivated land showed significant regional differences. The connectivity in the southern region was significantly weakened, while the central to northern regions formed a connectivity advantage belt with Baoying County and Suyu District as the core. Considering the current status and trends, Jiangsu Province was divided into six regional types. The proposed optimization strategies for cultivated land, tailored to regional characteristics, included regional management, infrastructure improvement, ecological edge effect management, and technical information support. These strategies aimed to enhance the utilization efficiency and ecological stability of cultivated land, thereby promoting the healthy and sustainable development of the agricultural ecosystem. This study established a novel framework to assess the degree of agglomeration and connectivity in cultivated land, covering aspects from area, shape, and structure, to the geographical obstacles, transportation network, and agricultural management intensity that affect the connectivity of cultivated land. This framework provided a comprehensive and precise perspective on optimizing cultivated land management. Through this framework, key cultivated land protection and utilization areas can be effectively identified and targeted management strategies can be implemented. Furthermore, the research framework offers significant reference and applicability for other regions, supporting the adoption of more scientific and systematic approaches to farmland management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying the impact of urbanization on changes in the soil organic matter (SOM) content of farmland plays an important role in determining the influence mechanism of urbanization regarding regional environmental change. Taking the farmland in Yushu City, northeast China, as the research area, in May 2019, 68,393 sample plots (each plot: 60 m × 60 m) were set up in farmland and sampled to measure the SOM content of each plot while combining image data from the same period in the study area (resolution: 60 m). This investigation was based on 17 levels divided by the size of areas occupied by residences, using residential areas as the center and a radius of 60 m. Through a gradually buffered extrapolation method combined with mathematical functions, the influence of rural urbanization on the changes in SOM content was revealed. These results showed that the slope of the linear function between the SOM content and the residential area level was greater than zero and that with the continuous advancement of urbanization, the SOM content had an increasing trend. When urbanization advanced to the stage of larger cities, large-scale mechanized production led to land degradation. When urbanization advanced to the stage of towns, intensive cultivation was beneficial for land restoration. The findings of this study provide a reference basis for future studies of the relationship between rural urbanization and agricultural mechanization around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AimsThis study examines the effects of land-use types and slope position on selected soil physico-chemical properties in the Ageza Watershed, Northwestern Ethiopia, focusing on soil fertility depletion and its impact on agricultural productivity.Materials and methodsThe experiment utilized a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications, involving three land-use types and slope positions. A total of 27 soil samples (both disturbed and undisturbed) were collected, prepared, and analyzed for selected physico-chemical properties following standard laboratory procedures. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA with SAS software.ResultsSignificant variations in most soil physico-chemical properties were observed across land-use types and slope positions. Soil bulk density, organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (Av. P), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and exchangeable bases significantly (P ≤ 0.001) differed among the land-use types and slope positions. The main effects showed significant (P ≤ 0.05) differences in sand, silt, and clay contents across the land-use types. However, pH did not show significant differences (P > 0.05). Soil bulk density, silt content, Av. P, exchangeable bases, and CEC all showed significant (P ≤ 0.01) differences among the slope positions. Forest land had the highest values for clay (46.11%), OC (6.08%), Av. P (20.60 mg/kg), CEC (33.89 cmol (+) kg-¹), and exchangeable cations: Ca²+ (23.72 cmol (+) kg-¹), Mg²+ (4.40 cmol (+) kg-¹), K+ (1.18 cmol (+) kg-¹), and Na+ (0.77 cmol (+) kg-¹). Grazing land exhibited higher silt and bulk density, while cultivated land had higher sand content. Lower slope positions recorded the highest values for clay (47.33%), silt (20.77%), pH (4.90), Av. P (16.61 mg/kg), Ca²+ (20.10 cmol (+) kg-¹), Mg²+ (3.73 cmol (+) kg-¹), K+ (1.00 cmol (+) kg-¹), Na+ (0.66 cmol (+) kg-¹), and CEC (28.71 cmol (+) kg-¹), while bulk density was higher in the upper slope position.ConclusionLand-use types and slope positions significantly influence variations in soil physico-chemical properties and overall soil fertility status. Forest preservation and management are essential to improve the soil fertility in this region.

Cultivated land’s ecological security ensures human well-being and is critical to global food security. However, the unchecked expansion and excessive exploitation of agricultural resources have led to considerable land degradation issues in China, including soil erosion, contamination, and environmental degradation, raising concerns over the cultivated land ecological security (CLES). Current research on cultivated land (CLES is relatively limited, particularly at the national level across different provinces. In addition, a unified and comprehensive CLES evaluation index system has yet to be formed. To fill this research gap, we construct a CLES evaluation system with 35 indicators from three dimensions of “society-natural-economy” based on the DPSIR model framework and entropy weight TOPSIS model. Simultaneously, we conducted a spatial–temporal analysis of CLES in 31 provinces of China from 2012 to 2021 and applied the obstacle degree model to analyze the main factors impeding the CLES in China. The results showed that: (1) During the study period, the CLES and its subsystems showed a good development trend. Spatially, the CLES in China presents a regional difference of “high in the east and low in the west” and a significant regional difference among provinces. (2) The spatial CLES in different provinces of China presents a significant positive correlation, and the spatial clustering effect of CLES is gradually strengthening. The “High-High” clusters are mainly distributed in the northeast and eastern regions, while the “Low-Low” clusters are mainly located in the western region. (3) From the perspective of the criterion level, the state subsystem and the impact subsystem are the main obstacles hindering the improvement of CLES in China. At the indicator level, the common obstacle factors affecting the enhancement of CLES across provinces in China include soil erosion control intensity, number of green food certifications, per capita agricultural loans, per capita cultivated land area, and per capita grain production. Our research results can provide practical policy reference for further improving the ecological protection of cultivated land.

The distribution information of irrigated cultivated land is important to many studies, including grain yield estimation, water resources management, drought risk assessment, and so on. This study developed a feature variable, called the irrigation probability index (IPI), based on the principle that irrigation can slow down or inhibit the evolution from meteorological drought to agricultural drought. Nebraska, which has a good irrigation information database, was selected as the study area. Combining IPI with the irrigation statistical data and other selected feature variables, irrigated cultivated land in Nebraska was mapped in 2017 using both the spatialization method and remote sensing classification methods (random forest and support vector machine). We verified the effectiveness of IPI in identifying irrigated cultivated land, analyzed the importance of different feature variables for irrigated cultivated land identification, and compared the accuracy of different irrigation mapping methods. The results show that the IPI is significantly correlated with the actual irrigation area, the area of irrigation facilities, and the number of active irrigation wells. It has a better indicative ability of irrigation in areas with a suitable climate or arid areas, than in areas with a humid climate. The crop water stress index (CWSI), IPI, vegetation index (EVI and NDVI), and land surface temperature difference between day and night are the most important feature variables that are used to distinguish irrigated cultivated land from rain-fed cultivated land. There are differences between the recognition accuracies of the three mapping methods in different climatic regions. Overall, the spatialization method had the highest accuracy (overall accuracy = 86.92 %, kappa = 0.74) and the highest similarity with the existing high-resolution irrigation maps. This study provides a direct and useful reference for other researchers to select feature variables and mapping methods in irrigated cultivated land mapping research.

ObjectiveFarmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization in hilly and mountainous areas can alter the landscape pattern, elevation, slope and microgeomorphology of cultivated land. It is of great significance to assess the ecological risk of cultivated land to provide data reference for the subsequent farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization. This study aims to assess the ecological risk of cultivated land before and after farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization in hilly and mountainous areas, and to explore the relationship between cultivated land ecological risk and cultivated land slope.MethodsTwenty counties in Tongnan district of Chongqing city was selected as the assessment units. Based on the land use data in 2010 and 2020 as two periods, ArcGIS 10.8 and Excel software were used to calculate landscape pattern indices. The weights for each index were determined by entropy weight method, and an ecological risk assessment model was constructed, which was used to reveal the temporal and spatial change characteristics of ecological risk. Based on the principle of mathematical statistics, the correlation analysis between cultivated land ecological risk and cultivated land slope was carried out, which aimed to explore the relationship between cultivated land ecological risk and cultivated land slope.Results and DiscussionsComparing to 2010, patch density (PD), division (D), fractal dimension (FD), and edge density (ED) of cultivated land all decreased in 2020, while meant Patch Size (MPS) increased, indicating an increase in the contiguity of cultivated land. The mean shape index (MSI) of cultivated land increased, indicating that the shape of cultivated land tended to be complicated. The landscape disturbance index (U) decreased from 0.97 to 0.94, indicating that the overall resistance to disturbances in cultivated land has increased. The landscape vulnerability index (V) increased from 2.96 to 3.20, indicating that the structure of cultivated land become more fragile. The ecological risk value of cultivated land decreased from 3.10 to 3.01, indicating the farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization effectively improved the landscape pattern of cultivated land and enhanced the safety of the agricultural ecosystem. During the two periods, the ecological risk areas were primarily composed of low-risk and relatively low-risk zones. The area of low-risk zones increased by 6.44%, mainly expanding towards the northern part, while the area of relatively low-risk zones increased by 6.17%, primarily spreading towards the central-eastern and southeastern part. The area of moderate-risk zones increased by 24.4%, mainly extending towards the western and northwestern part, while the area of relatively high-risk zones decreased by 60.70%, with some new additions spreading towards the northeastern part. The area of high-risk zones increased by 16.30%, with some new additions extending towards the northwest part. Overall, the ecological safety zones of cultivated relatively increased. The cultivated land slope was primarily concentrated in the range of 2° to 25°. On the one hand, when the cultivated land slope was less than 15°, the proportion of the slope area was negatively correlated with the ecological risk value. On the other hand, when the slope was above 15°, the proportion of the slope area was positively correlated with the ecological risk value. In 2010, there was a highly significant correlation between the proportion of slope area and ecological risk value for cultivated land slope within the ranges of 5° to 8°, 15° to 25°, and above 25°, with corresponding correlation coefficients of 0.592, 0.609, and 0.849, respectively. In 2020, there was a highly significant correlation between the proportion of slope area and ecological risk value for cultivated land slope within the ranges of 2° to 5°, 5° to 8°, 15° to 25°, and above 25°, with corresponding correlation coefficients of 0.534, 0.667, 0.729, and 0.839, respectively.ConclusionsThe assessment of cultivated land ecological risk in Tongnan district of Chongqing city before and after the farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization, as well as the analysis of the correlation between ecological risk and cultivated land slope, demonstrate that the farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization can reduce cultivated land ecological risk, and the proportion of cultivated land slope can be an important basis for precision guidance in the farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization. Considering the occurrence of moderate sheet erosion from a slope of 5° and intense erosion from a slope of 10° to 15°, and taking into account the reduction of ecological risk value and the actual topographic conditions, the subsequent farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization in Tongnan district should focus on areas with cultivated land slope ranging from 5° to 8° and 15° to 25°.

[Objective] This study aimeds to explore the water supply and demand dynamics of cropland from a planting structure perspective, achieve multi-objective optimization adjustments, and provide theoretical references for the principles of “allocating land based on water resources” and sustainable utilization of cropland resources. [Methods] Taking the Hengshao Arid Corridor as the research area and supported by various data sources including baseline meteorological data, land use, crop planting, and agricultural socioeconomic data, this study employed a crop water balance evaluation model to intricately reveal the water balance trends and irrigation requirements under diverse planting structures across various climate years from 1980 to 2020. A multi-objective optimization model for cropland planting structure was constructed under different irrigation water demand scenarios, incorporating multiple constraints related to water-land-crop. This led to the identification of optimized strategies for cropland planting structure. [Results] (1) Double-season rice and rapeseed have a more reliable water supply throughout their growth periods compared to single-season rice and maize. Rice demands higher water supply, especially during drought years, where the average water demand for double-season rice reaches as high as 608.29 mm. (2) The spatial distribution of effective precipitation and water demand patterns differs for rice and maize, exacerbating the drought situation in the southeastern part of the study area, whereas the water balance for rapeseed remains favorable. (3) The water deficit is more pronounced for double-season and single-season rice, with average net irrigation water requirements of 303.68 mm and 257.00 mm, respectively. Water supply-demand conflicts for drought-tolerant crops are less prominent, reducing the reliance on agricultural irrigation during the planting management process. (4) After optimization of the planting structure, the comprehensive benefits of cropland production can be significantly improved after setting water-saving targets and achieving optimal regulation, especially that the expected grain yield can be increased by 5.12% under the wet-year water constraints of the weighted scenario 3; and the net tax-reduced income from crop cultivation can be increased by 22.34% under the wet-year water constraints of the weighted scenarios 1 and 2. [Conclusion] The planting structure of the Hengshao Arid Corridor should basically remain unchanged in dry years. In normal years, the area of single-season rice can be appropriately increased and the proportion of dry crop planting can be reduced. In humid years, the planting area of grain crops can be significantly increased and the area of rapeseed can be reduced to improve the comprehensive benefits of cropland planting.

Accurately identifying the spatial characteristics of “non-grain” cultivated land and proposing control measures have positive significance for accurate control of “non-grain” cultivated land. Taking Youjiang District as the research area, this paper identified the spatial characteristics of “non-grain” cultivated land in Youjiang District from the aspects of land type composition, slope distribution, landscape pattern, spatial adjacency, farming distance and transportation convenience. This paper proposed optimization and control measures for different types of “ non-grain” cultivated land to in order to guide cultivated land to grow food. The results show that: The total amount of “non-grain” cultivated land in Youjiang District has reached 308. 38 km², mainly dry land, followed by garden land and forest land. The slope of “non-grain” cultivated land is mainly greater than 6°, and when the terrain slope is less than 25°, the area of “non-grain” cultivated land increases with the increase of slope grade. “Non-grain” cultivated land is fragmented, with high spatial proximity to gardens and woodlands, and strong interaction. The closer to rural settlements (less than 800 m) and roads ( less than 1 200 m), the larger the proportion of “ non-grain” cultivated land, and the spatial distribution of “non-grain”cultivated land is affected by cultivation distance and transportation convenience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] Farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization in hilly and mountainous areas can alter the landscape pattern, elevation, slope and microgeomorphology of cultivated land. It is of great significance to assess the ecological risk of cultivated land to provide data reference for the subsequent farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization. This study aims to assess the ecological risk of cultivated land before and after farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization in hilly and mountainous areas, and to explore the relationship between cultivated land ecological risk and cultivated land slope. [Methods] Twenty counties in Tongnan district of Chongqing city was selected as the assessment units. Based on the land use data in 2010 and 2020 as two periods, ArcGIS 10.8 and Excel software were used to calculate landscape pattern indices. The weights for each index were determined by entropy weight method, and an ecological risk assessment model was constructed, which was used to reveal the temporal and spatial change characteristics of ecological risk. Based on the principle of mathematical statistics, the correlation analysis between cultivated land ecological risk and cultivated land slope was carried out, which aimed to explore the relationship between cultivated land ecological risk and cultivated land slope. [Results and Discussions] Comparing to 2010, patch density (PD), division (D), fractal dimension (FD), and edge density (ED) of cultivated land all decreased in 2020, while meant Patch Size (MPS) increased, indicating an increase in the contiguity of cultivated land. The mean shape index (MSI) of cultivated land increased, indicating that the shape of cultivated land tended to be complicated. The landscape disturbance index (U) decreased from 0.97 to 0.94, indicating that the overall resistance to disturbances in cultivated land has increased. The landscape vulnerability index (V) increased from 2.96 to 3.20, indicating that the structure of cultivated land become more fragile. The ecological risk value of cultivated land decreased from 3.10 to 3.01, indicating the farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization effectively improved the landscape pattern of cultivated land and enhanced the safety of the agricultural ecosystem. During the two periods, the ecological risk areas were primarily composed of low-risk and relatively low-risk zones. The area of low-risk zones increased by 6.44%, mainly expanding towards the northern part, while the area of relatively low-risk zones increased by 6.17%, primarily spreading towards the central-eastern and southeastern part. The area of moderate-risk zones increased by 24.4%, mainly extending towards the western and northwestern part, while the area of relatively high-risk zones decreased by 60.70%, with some new additions spreading towards the northeastern part. The area of high-risk zones increased by 16.30%, with some new additions extending towards the northwest part. Overall, the ecological safety zones of cultivated relatively increased. The cultivated land slope was primarily concentrated in the range of 2° to 25°. On the one hand, when the cultivated land slope was less than 15°, the proportion of the slope area was negatively correlated with the ecological risk value. On the other hand, when the slope was above 15°, the proportion of the slope area was positively correlated with the ecological risk value. In 2010, there was a highly significant correlation between the proportion of slope area and ecological risk value for cultivated land slope within the ranges of 5° to 8°, 15° to 25°, and above 25°, with corresponding correlation coefficients of 0.592, 0.609, and 0.849, respectively. In 2020, there was a highly significant correlation between the proportion of slope area and ecological risk value for cultivated land slope within the ranges of 2° to 5°, 5° to 8°, 15° to 25°, and above 25°, with corresponding correlation coefficients of 0.534, 0.667, 0.729, and 0.839, respectively. [Conclusions] The assessment of cultivated land ecological risk in Tongnan district of Chongqing city before and after the farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization, as well as the analysis of the correlation between ecological risk and cultivated land slope, demonstrate that the farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization can reduce cultivated land ecological risk, and the proportion of cultivated land slope can be an important basis for precision guidance in the farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization. Considering the occurrence of moderate sheet erosion from a slope of 5° and intense erosion from a slope of 10° to 15°, and taking into account the reduction of ecological risk value and the actual topographic conditions, the subsequent farmland consolidation for agricultural mechanization in Tongnan district should focus on areas with cultivated land slope ranging from 5° to 8° and 15° to 25°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultivated land plays a crucial role as the basis of grain production, and it is essential to effectively manage the unregulated expansion of non-grain production (NGP) on cultivated land in order to safeguard food security. The study of NGP has garnered significant attention from scholars, but the prediction of NGP trends is relatively uncommon. Therefore, we focused on Jiangsu Province, a significant grain production region in China, as the study area. We extracted data on cultivated land for non-grain production (NGPCL) in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2019, and calculated the ratio of non-grain production (NGPR) for each county unit in the province. On this basis, Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) and spatial autocorrelation analysis tools were utilized to uncover the spatio-temporal evolution of NGP in Jiangsu Province. Finally, the Patch-Generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model was utilized to predict the trend of NGP in Jiangsu Province in 2038 under the three development scenarios of natural development (NDS), cultivated land protection (CPS), and food security (FSS). After analyzing the results, we came to the following conclusions:(1) During the period of 2000–2019, the NGPCL area and NGPR in Jiangsu Province exhibited a general decreasing trend. (2) The level of NGP displayed a spatial distribution pattern of being "higher in the south and central and lower in the north". (3) The results of multi-scenario simulation show that under the NDS, the area of NGPCL and cultivated land for grain production (GPCL) decreases significantly; under the CPS, the decrease in NGPCL and GPCL is smaller than that of the NDS. Under the FSS, NGPCL decreases, while GPCL increases. These results can provide reference for the implementation of land use planning, the delineation of the cultivated land protection bottom line, and the implementation of thee cultivated land use control system in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

This study took the Poyang Lake ecological economic zone as the research area, and using morphological spatial pattern analysis, explored the morphological spatial characteristics of the fragmentation of cultivated land from 2000 to 2020. Furthermore, based on land use transition matrix methods, spillover effect analysis, and landscape pattern index analysis, this study analyzed the spatiotemporal characteristics in which construction land expands by occupying cultivated land as well as the spatiotemporal response of the landscape pattern of the cultivated land. From 2000 to 2020, the degree of cultivated land fragmentation gradually strengthened and the reduction rate of the core area increased from 1.33% to 6.27%. At the same time, it was shown that the regional difference was gradually strengthened from the plain around Poyang Lake to the mountainous and hilly areas, and the expansion of construction land led to the fragmentation of cultivated land. From 2000 to 2020, the area of cultivated land occupied by construction land increased from 268.60 km² to 1 003.26 km², and mainly occurred in areas with a mature road network. The spillover effect of construction land expansion is gradually increasing, and it is more significant in areas with a mature road network. The expansion of construction land has a strong positive effect on cultivated landscape fragmentation, and road construction strengthens this effect. Meanwhile, cultivated landscape fragmentation shows a greater difference with the reduction of road buffer distance. The degree of cultivated land fragmentation is significantly affected by topography and construction land expansion. In addition, the fragmentation of cultivated land mainly occurs in areas with large relief or dense construction land and a mature road network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatiotemporal pattern of non-agriculturalization can be accurately and rapidly captured for the rational formulation of land use and cultivated land protection. Remote sensing imagery has been more precise and efficient for the large-scale dynamic monitoring of cultivated land, with the advancements in feature extraction and classification. There are also different and feature variables during dynamic monitoring of cultivated land. In this study, Sentinel-2 satellite imagery was employed to monitor the non-agriculturalization of cultivated land. The experimental and validation zones were selected from the northern part of Xinjiang, a vital agricultural production base in China. The reclaimed areas were also in the Eighth Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in Shihezi City. The data source was comprised of Sentinel-2 remote sensing images, covering the research area as of July 17, 2022, and August 16, 2020. The images were improved to facilitate the automatic extraction of information, according to the non-agricultural land use on cultivated land. Initially, the spectral indices and gray-level co-occurrence matrix were calculated to obtain 31 features, including spectral, spectral index, and texture features. Subsequently, Pearson correlation coefficients were computed for the eight band features, seven non-red edge spectral indices, and eight red edge spectral indices, leading to the removal of redundant features with weak classification and high correlation. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to extract the first three components of eight texture features. Feature importance scores were ranked using the random forest (RF) with the Gini index, resulting in the selection of optimal features: red, green, blue, narrow NIR (B8A), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), modified soil adjusted vegetation index (MSAVI), red-edge chlorophyll index (Clre), red-edge vegetation index (REDVI), triangular vegetation index (TVI), PCA1, PCA2 and PCA3 of texture features. 12 features and the original were selected to construct five classification schemes, including four optimal combinations (Scheme 1-3 and Scheme 5) and the original (Scheme 4). Seven classification algorithms were then utilized to evaluate: RF, artificial neural network (ANN), minimum distance (MID), maximum likelihood (MAL), mahalanobis distance (MAD), support vector machine (SVM), and Softmax. The results included: 1) The importance ranking of feature variables was as follows: band features, red edge spectral index features, non-red edge spectral index features, texture features. 2) Accuracy improvement depended mainly on the effective selection of multiple feature variables and algorithms. The two-stage model was constructed using Softmax. The highest accuracy was achieved with the optimal combination of feature variables, namely band + spectral index + texture features. The dimensionality of the feature variable was reduced to 12. The overall accuracy, average user's accuracy, average producer's accuracy, and Kappa coefficient were 94.92%, 95.16%, 93.15%, and 0.88, respectively. 3) A comparison of 2020 and 2022 data revealed that there was an area of 146.153 km² transitioning from cultivated land to non-agricultural use, while an area of 123.074 km² was transitioned from nonagricultural to cultivated land. Overall, the cultivated land decreased by 23.079 km² . In conclusion, the non-agriculturalization of cultivated land can provide technical support and references for the extraction of land cover information, particularly for the resource protection and sustainable utilization of cultivated land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the green development of cultivated land (GDCL) and solving the problem of "high consumption and high pollution" caused by the traditional model are of great significance for achieving sustainable use of cultivated land and green agricultural growth. However, the existing consensus on action lacks theoretical support and quantitative analysis. To this end, the objective of this study was to develop a new multidimensional framework considering as an integrated capacity to adaptability‐vitality‐resistance (A‐V‐R) assess GDCL according to the essential requirement of green development. The analytical framework and evaluation system proposed in this study are expected to provide empirical support for the green transition of cultivated land use in China or worldwide. This study determines spatiotemporal differentiation and influencing mechanism of GDCL in China from 2000 to 2020. The results demonstrated that the GDCL level of China was low and characterized by a W‐shaped fluctuation. The regional difference in GDCL is greater than that within the regions and the evolution of different types of regions showed significant path dependence and spatiotemporal inertia. The reason behind this phenomenon is that agricultural technology and socioeconomic development factors such as agricultural mechanization level, urban–rural income equity index and extensively influenced GDCL in different regions. The interaction among driving factors forms a complex multi‐resultant force to construct a comprehensive action mechanism at the GDCL level driven by demand, economy, technology, and ecology. Therefore, this study suggests coordinating the relationship between technological progress, technological diffusion, agricultural total factor productivity, and the GDCL path, in order to effectively reduce the internal and external contradictions of GDCL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Agricultural Outlook (1673-3908) is the property of Institute of Agricultural Information, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences 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.)

Soil erosion, land degradation and climate change are the major environmental threats attributed to low agricultural productivity in Ethiopia. To reduce soil erosion and restore degraded lands, integrated soil and water conservation interventions have been implemented. However, the impacts of the intervention measures were not sufficiently studied due to the lack of baseline information. Therefore, this study was carried out to evaluate and understand the current conditions of biophysical resources in Ferenjua watershed, which is located in Gondar zuria district. In this study, more emphasis was given to the levels of total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorous (P), organic matter (OM), bulk density (BD), pH, moisture, texture and soil erosion. To collect the biophysical data, the watershed was divided into 144 grid-based sampling points with a resolution of 250 m by 250 m. In addition, the data were collected in 8 representative profile pits. Three primary land uses were identified from supervised land use and land cover classification and described as cultivated land (55.08 %), forestland (30.80 %), and grassland (14.12 %). Erosion hotspot map shows that >40 % of the watershed is moderately and highly susceptible to soil erosion. The highest BD (1.36 gm cm−3) was observed at Vertisols-dominated cultivated lands located in the flatlands, whereas, the lowest BD (1.28 gm cm−3) was observed under forestland. Regarding the results of TN, P, and OM, >60 % of the watershed was classified as having low to very low soil nutrient levels. Consequently, development interventions should be considered to restore degraded lands for the sustained use of resources in the watershed.

[Objective] The spatial-temporal evolution pattern and influencing factors of the dominant marginalization of cultivated land in Guizhou Province from 2010 to 2020 were analyzed in order to provide policy guidance for the intensive use of cultivated land in mountainous areas. [Methods] A land use transfer matrix, spatial autocorrelation model, and geographic detector were comprehensively used to systematically determine the overall situation, spatial agglomeration effect, and related influencing factors of the dominant marginalization of cultivated land in Guizhou Province. [Results] ① The dominant marginalization rate of cultivated land in Guizhou Province during 2010—2020 was 10.20%. In general, natural marginalization was the main factor, but economic marginalization developed rapidly. With economic and social development, the dominant marginalization rate of cultivated land continued to accelerate. ② The dominant marginalization level of cultivated land in Guizhou Province during 2010—2020 generally showed a pattern characterized as “higher in the south, lower in the north, and gradually expanding to the west and southeast”. During 2010—2015, the pattern was characterized as “higher in the south and lower in the north”. Duging 2015—2020, the pattern was “higher in the middle surrounded by lower”. ③ Per capita cultivated land area, urbanization rate, vegetation coverage, and other factors were the main influencing factors of the spatial difference in the marginalization of cultivated land in Guizhou Province. [Conclusion] The temporal and spatial evolution of the dominant marginalization of cultivated land in Guizhou Province exhibited significant differences. Natural conditions such as elevation, slope, and vegetation coverage were the basic characteristics of the temporal and spatial differences in the dominant marginalization of cultivated land. Socio-economic factors, such as per capita cultivated land area, urbanization rate, GDP density, etc. were the main driving force behind the rapid development rate of the dominant marginalization of cultivated land.

The growing problem of non-grain production of cultivated land (NGPOCL) has increased food security risk, garnering attention from China and other nations worldwide. Current research predominantly focuses on the internal planting structure of cultivated land. To more comprehensively measure the level of NGPOCL, we categorized NGPOCL into two types: visible non-grain production of cultivated land (VNGPOCL) and invisible non-grain production of cultivated land (INGPOCL). VNGPOCL and INGPOCL scopes were extracted utilizing land use and vegetation index data, exploring their spatial–temporal characteristics and driving factors through spatial feature analysis and multiple linear regression methods. The findings are as follows: (1) The degree of VNGPOCL shifted from mild to moderate, with its rate increasing from 5.16% in 2000–2010 to 10.82% in 2010–2020. Furthermore, the spatial variation in VNGPOCL indicated a growing east–west disparity while showing a reduction in north–south differences, reflecting significant spatial agglomeration effects. (2) There was a dramatic increase in areas classified as having moderate to severe INGPOCL, with the rate rising from 14.24% in 2000 to 41.47% by 2020. The east–west and north–south disparities concerning INGPOCL diminished rapidly, also indicating strong spatial agglomeration effects. (3) The driving factors for VNGPOCL and INGPOCL differed significantly depending on developmental stages. The results contribute valuable insights into accurately characterizing the spatial–temporal features associated with NGPOCL in Hebei Province while enhancing risk management strategies related to NGPOCL.

Cultivated land ecological compensation (CLEC) is an important way to solve regional development imbalance and cultivated land problems, and the scientific quantification of the ecological value of cultivated land is the key to CLEC. This study quantified the total amount and urgency of CLEC in China’s main grain-producing region using the cropland ecological footprint (EF) and ecosystem service value (ESV) methods. Furthermore, this study analyzed the comprehensive zoning of CLEC considering natural and economic development. The results showed that the spatial distribution of EFs and the ecological carrying capacity of cultivated land in Henan Province are similar, presenting the spatial characteristics of being high in the southeast and low in the northwest; the cultivated land in most of the counties and districts is in a state of ecological surplus, and the cultivated land resources are sufficient to support their own consumption needs. Henan Province as a whole is an ecologically compensated region, with a compensation amount of CNY 1.39 billion, and the total amount of compensation is in a positive value of 94.94%. The Southwest Yu and North Yu economic zone of Henan are the areas of high and low values of cultivated land compensation. The priority compensation region is the most extensive and widely distributed type in the five regions of Henan Province, accounting for 55% of the counties and districts. The degree of compensation is most urgent in the Huanghuai, Southwest Yu, and North Yu economic zones. This study’s findings provide new ideas for the development of differentiated ecological compensation policies, and provide references for the participation of multiple market participants and the diversification of compensation forms.

Exploring the coordination of agricultural water resources (W), cultivated land (L), and the ecoenvironment (E) system is crucial for sustainable agriculture in the North China Plain (NCP). However, the synergistic effects of this composite system remain unclear. Coupling coordination degrees (CCDs) of 53 cities in the NCP for the years 2011, 2015, and 2020 were evaluated using the TOPSIS model, and the coupling coordination model, combined with the analytic hierarchy process and entropy weight method. The evaluation results were further analyzed to identify obstacle factors. The findings reveal the following: (1) The comprehensive development level showed a fluctuating upward trend, with closeness values ranging from 0.418 to 0.574 in 2020, indicating an improvement of 14.6–52.3% compared to 2011. The coefficient of variation (CV) for each province rose from 12.65% in 2011 to 13.64% and subsequently declined to 9.12% by 2020. (2) Between 2011 and 2020, CCDs of the W–L–E composite system exhibited a consistent upward trend. In 2020, regions with intermediate or better coordination accounted for 34.0%, and were primarily located in Jiangsu Province, the southern part of Anhui Province, the northwestern part of Shandong Province, and the municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin. (3) In 2011 and 2015, significant obstacle factors included the water quality compliance rate and the per capita disposable income of rural residents, although these were not primary obstacles in 2020. The water supply modulus and multiple cropping index were major obstacle factors in 2011, 2015, and 2020. Developing water-appropriate cropping patterns based on regional water resource endowment is the essential path for the sustainable and coordinated development of water, land, and ecology in the NCP.

The effective allocation of labor and cultivated land resources to ensure food security is a global concern. Understanding the relationship between rural labor off-farm employment and the eco-efficiency of cultivated land use (ECLU) is critical, yet current research in this area remains insufficient. This study explores the dynamics between off-farm employment and ECLU using the North China Plain as a case study, analyzing panel data from 2001 to 2020 through spatial econometric models. The findings reveal significant temporal expansion and spatial differentiation in off-farm employment, with growth rates gradually slowing and spatial disparities diminishing. The average ECLU initially declined from 2001 to 2003, followed by fluctuating increases, with a notable acceleration in growth after 2017. A “U-shaped” relationship between off-farm employment and ECLU was identified, with a turning point at an off-farm employment ratio of 40.73%, occurring around 2003–2004 based on regional averages. Before this threshold, off-farm employment negatively impacted ECLU, while beyond this point, the impact became positive. The study also observed significant spatial spillover effects of off-farm employment on ECLU in the North China Plain. These findings underscore the complex interplay between rural labor migration and agricultural productivity. To maximize the benefits of off-farm employment, policies should encourage the reinvestment of income into sustainable agricultural practices. Furthermore, the significant spatial spillover effects call for enhanced regional coordination and tailored policy interventions to optimize labor allocation and improve ECLU.

Cultivated land resources are closely related to national food security, economic development and social stability. Low yield of grain farming has confined to a large number of cultivated lands in recent years, even permanent basic farmland planting cash crops, seedlings, and forest fruits. The “In-out Balance” policy has been released on the farmland to require that "while the cultivated land is converted into forest land, garden land and other agricultural land and agricultural facilities construction land, the same quantity and quality of cultivated land that can be used stably for a long time should be added". At present, most previous studies focus mainly on the implementation path of farmland access balance. Only a few research has been implemented on the performance evaluation. The purpose of this study is to explore the implementation performance and impact of farmland “In-out Balance” policy under scenario simulation. The policy mechanism was promoted to protect the cultivated land. Taking Guangzhou City as an example, the comparison was made to analyze the spatiotemporal pattern of land use under realistic scenarios (policy implementation scenarios) and counterfactual scenarios (inertial development scenarios). The cellular automata (CA) method was also utilized to construct the decision utility function of agricultural land internal conversion, the land use demand prediction model, and the comprehensive model of land use conversion potential. The implementation performance of the policy was forecasted in the future. The results were as follows: 1) The implementation of the policy had effectively reduced the loss of cultivated land in Guangzhou. The area of cultivated land was shifted to non-cultivated land in the policy implementation scenario from 2020 to 2030, which decreased by 20.40 km2. 2) The policy posed a significant impact on the landscape pattern of cultivated and garden land. There was a higher aggregation degree of cultivated land, whereas, a greater fragmentation degree of garden land was found under the policy implementation scenario. 3) The proportion of internal land types in Guangzhou's agricultural land remained balanced in the policy implementation scenario from 2020 to 2030. More garden plots were restored into the arable land. There was the more uniform distribution of land types in different regions. In conclusion, better performance was achieved in the farmland “In-out Balance” policy in Guangzhou in the future. The loss of farmland was effectively reduced to maintain the proportion of the internal structure of farmland. The conversion of garden land to farmland was promoted to maintain the Dynamic equilibrium of the number of farmlands, particularly for the national food security. Four policy suggestions were proposed, including the expanding compensation path of cultivated land, strictly controlling the loss of cultivated land, the implementation of supporting measures, and "double balance" coordinated management. Only two scenarios were considered on the land use pattern in the urban development and cultivated land protection. More complex scenarios under the implementation of this policy can also be considered in future studies. The findings can provide the basis and suggestions for a more comprehensive and efficient implementation of the “In-out Balance” policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Food Science & Technology & Economy is the property of Grain Science & Technology & Economy 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.)

Copyright of Bulletin of Soil & Water Conservation is the property of Bulletin of Soil & Water Conservation 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.)

Soil heavy metal pollution, especially compound pollution, has been widely concerned and studied at home and abroad. However, the analysis of heavy metal accumulation levels and their health risks in soils that have not yet reached the polluted level is relatively lacking. Nearly 20 years ago, an incident of human lead poisoning caused by heavy metals occurred in Hui County, Gansu Province, China. However, the degree of heavy metal accumulation and health risks in farmland soil in the area are still unclear. Thus, 361 surface soil samples and 86 crop samples of arable land were comprehensively and systematically collected from Hui County. The accumulation degree of heavy metals in arable land and crops was characterized by the geoaccumulation index and bioconcentration factor, respectively. The carcinogenicity and non-carcinogenicity risk were analyzed with the human health risk model put forward by the US EPA. The influencing factors of heavy metal accumulation were analyzed by the geographic detectors. The results showed that the geoaccumulation index of heavy metals in the soil of the study area was in the order of Hg>Cd>Pb>As>Cr, among which As and Cr did not accumulate, and one-third of the sampling sites had a moderate accumulation of Hg and Cd; Meanwhile, Cd and Hg were highly enriched in crops. Local residents do not have a non-carcinogenic risk when consuming a single heavy metal element through crops, but there is a non-carcinogenic risk when consuming multiple heavy metal elements. At the same time, the intake of Cd, Cr, and As had significant carcinogenic risks, as order of Cd>Cr>As, and higher in children than in adults. The spatial differentiation of heavy metal accumulation in the study area was significantly affected by factors such as DEM, average temperature and average precipitation during the sampling season, and distance from the railway. Furthermore, the interaction of topography, climate, and anthropogenic factors had a more significant effect on the spatial differentiation of heavy metal accumulation in the study area. This research could provide a scientific basis for precise prevention and control of soil heavy metal pollution and human health protection in the study area and the same situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultivated land makes significant contribution to the land use of arid areas. Analyzing the spatiotemporal evolution of its production – ecological effects can reveal the role of cultivated land changes in regional food production and ecological environmental protection, and provide a reference for achieving synergistic production –ecological protection. Based on land use classification data from four periods during 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020，we used the land use transfer matrix，production hypothesis，and remote sensing ecological index（RSEI）models to reveal production–ecological effects under spatiotemporal evolution of cultivated land in Hotan Region. From 1990 to 2020，the cultivated land area increased by 1 702.63 km2 ; eight counties showed the same trends with different absolute values，in cultivated land area. Reclamation of unused land，forests，and grassland were the main sources of newly cultivated land; the return of cultivated land to forests and grassland，expansion of construction land，and abandonment of cultivated land were the main reasons for decreases in the cultivated land. The level of cultivated land production increased. The proportion of unproductive cultivated land decreased by 12 percentage points and the proportion of medium and medium–high productive cultivated land increased by 14 percentage points. In terms of production effect of cultivated land，the positive effect of unchanged area production（55%）was greater than the negative effect（2%），and the transfer effect of cultivated land（43%）effectively compensated for the lost production effect area. However，the fixed negative effect area gradually increased，whereas the fixed positive effect area gradually decreased. The transfer effect area showed a fluctuating downward trend in terms of the effect of each stage. The study area is mainly dominated by level 3 ecological quality cultivated land. The ecological and environmental quality of cultivated land deteriorated over the study period，with the area of fixed cultivated land decreasing by more than twice the area of improvement，and the area of transferred cultivated land decreasing by nearly 1.4 times the area of improvement. In the phase change，the environmental quality of cultivated land improved in the first 20 years and deteriorated in the last 10 years. This deterioration was caused by the linear deterioration of the environmental quality of fixed and transferred cultivated land. The results of this study demonstrate that changes in cultivated land in the study area have contributed to an increase in regional production， which has in turn led to a gradual deterioration in the ecological quality of cultivated land. Therefore，future spatial planning and land management should emphasize the development of production–ecological integration to optimize the allocation of land resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Urbanization in China was traditionally intended to lead to comprehensive city development. Peasant laborers must achieve psychological and social adaptation to realize individual urbanization. Aims: The aim of this paper is to identify the factors affecting identity status among Chinese rural laborers. Methods: Survey data for this paper is drawn from the Survey Data of Rural Laborers in the Pearl River Delta in 2006 dataset, through the Center for Social Survey, Sun Yat-sen University. Multinomial logistic regression is used to test the data, with identity status as the IV (controlling for demographic factors) and retaining cultivated land and self-meaning as DV. Results: Identity status predicts retention of cultivated land but not self-meaning. Specifically, peasants are more likely to retain land than citizens and non-peasants. Citizens do not demonstrate greater self-meaning than peasants. Conclusions: Rural laborers who identify as peasants are more likely to retain cultivated land which highlights its personal, social, and cultural value. The fact that rural laborers who identify as citizens do not show greater self-meaning suggests that many of the perceived benefits of citizenship may be counteracted by the struggles faced during this transition (such as loss of land and previous social ties). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intermountain basins are the granaries of the karst mountains of southwest China. Revealing the process and trend of land-use transformation in typical mountainous "granaries" is of great significance to optimizing land-use, food security, and rural revitalization in the karst mountains of southwest China. Lianjiang basin in Huishui County is the largest in Guizhou Province of southwest China, and a typical mountainous "granary" is used as a case study area. Based on seven periods of high-definition remote sensing images from 1966 to 2020 and on-the-spot investigation, we adopt the analysis methods of landscape pattern, moving window, and buffer zone and conduct an in-depth study on the spatial evolution of land-use and the land-use transformation law of the typical "granaries" of karst mountainous areas in southwest China from the perspectives of changes in the quantity of land-use, changes in the types of land-use, and changes in the landscape pattern. The results showed that the transformation of land-use in the basin was mainly manifested in the transformation of the function of cultivated land and the diversification of the function of cultivated land. The landscape pattern of the basin was gradually transformed from traditional rural landscape to modern agricultural landscape. The gradient effect of land-use evolution and transformation in the study basin was obvious. Traffic, location, and land resources significantly affect land-use transformation in the basin. Based on the above analysis, this paper proposes that the "granary" basins in karst mountainous areas should optimize the land-use of the basin by the trade-off between regional socio-economic development, ecological protection, and food security. The results of this paper provide a reference for land-use optimization and rural development in the granary-type basins and other similar areas in the karst mountains of southwest China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Food Science & Technology & Economy is the property of Grain Science & Technology & Economy 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.)

[Objective] The temporal and spatial variation of cultivated land productivity in Anhui Province and variation trend was analyzed. [Method] Based on the data set of MOD17A3HGF net primary productivity from 2000 to 2020, the temporal and spatial differentiation characteristics and evolution trend of cultivated land NPP in Anhui Province were explored by using the methods of Theil-Sen Median trend analysis, Mann-kedall test, Hurst index and geospatial analysis technology. [Result] In the past 21 years, the NPP of cultivated land in Anhui Province showed a fluctuating increasing trend [0.331 g/（m~2·10 a）]. In terms of space, NPP of cultivated land mainly showed an increasing trend（93%）, and only 7% of that of cultivated land showed a decreasing trend. Compared with 2000-2010, 43% of trend change types of the cultivated land NPP were degraded in 2010-2020, mainly occurred in Chuzhou, Huainan and Bozhou, and 10% of the trend change types of the cultivated land NPP were upgraded, mainly distributed in Hefei, Xuancheng and Wuhu. In the future, 75% of the cultivated land NPP in Anhui Province will continue to show an increasing trend, which will be distributed in Hefei, Chuzhou, Lu’an and Suzhou. 5% of the cultivated land NPP will show a decreasing trend, which will be still distributed near the urban areas of various cities. 20% of the cultivated land NPP trend is uncertain, mainly distributed in most areas of Northern Anhui. [Conclusion] From 2000 to 2020, the NPP of cultivated land in Anhui Province showed an increasing trend in time and space. The spatial and temporal changes of NPP of cultivated land in cities such as Chuzhou, Huainan and Bozhou were sensitive, while cities such as Hefei, Chuzhou, Lu’an and Suzhou had great potential for cultivated land productivity improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topographic variables derived from digital elevation models (DEM) are the most commonly used predictor in soil organic carbon (SOC) prediction. The predictability of these variates for the spatial heterogenity of SOC is influenced by the size of DEM resolution. This paper aimed to investigate the resolution effect of the topography at multiple DEM resolutions and select the most important predictors and the optimal resolution for SOC prediction in a large-scale and morphologically complex area. The study area, covering 15 600 km2, was located in a mountainous province in China. A total of 3901 soil samples and three machine learning algorithms including random forest, gradient boosted regression tree, and artificial neural network were used to construct the SOC predictive models at resolutions of 30, 90, 150, 210, 270, 330, and 390 m. Topographic factors were derived from the DEM with an original resolution of 30 m and were subsequently resampled to varying resolutions by using the bilinear interpolation algorithm. The importance of each variate in each predictive model was computed for the most important predictor selection, and the determination coefficient (R2) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of each predictive model were computed for the accuracy evaluation. Comparative analysis on point-based topographic representation, the accuracy of predictive models, and the variable importance was conducted among different resolutions to investigate the resolution effect on the SOC prediction and to select the optimal resolution for this study area. The results showed that topography was the key factor influencing the SOC distribution in this large-scale area due to the region's mountainous nature, and the relative contribution of the topography to predict SOC distribution varied with DEM resolutions. Elevation was the most important topographic factor at all DEM resolutions. Accuracies of predictive models built on the three machine learning algorithms were all dependent on DEM resolution, indicating that DEM resolution had an important effect on SOC prediction. Overall, the random forest predictive models outperformed the other two algorithms, and its most accurate result was obtained at the 210-m resolution with an R2 of 0.25 and an RMSE of 4.77 g kg–1. In conclusion, we found that finer resolutions did not necessarily produce more accurate SOC predictions even in a large-scale and morphologically complex area. Therefore, investigating the resolution effect is suggested to select an optimal resolution for the SOC prediction in other regions characterized by similar geomorphological conditions as this study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]