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The article reads The Stone Virgins as a text underlined by an Indigenous poetics that situates the land as a speaking subject and an archive of memory. Its critical foci are African feminist conceptions of the entanglement of human and nonhuman matter and their implications for current conceptions of the archive. The article suggests that, rather than incorporating into the postcolonial national archive the excluded voices of women and ethnic minorities, The Stone Virgins makes legible minority practices of memory making that the archive does not recognize. To account for these practices and their literary representation, the article draws a comparison between the novel's poetics of land and Indigenous poetics across other Anglophone spheres. The comparison is based in the convergence of Black and Indigenous conceptions of the coconstitutionality of the human and nonhuman. The comparison provides a new critical model for reading postcolonial aesthetic formations that engage nonhuman beings. It furthermore speaks to larger conversations regarding the "ontological turn" of criticism oriented to animist and new materialisms, as it addresses a mode of reading the land in African writing attuned to Indigenous systems of knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the challenges faced by the Osage Nation post-Civil War, including land loss, resource depletion, and conflicts with settlers and other tribes. Topics discussed include Osage livelihood, treaty negotiations, and struggles on their new reservation, highlighting governmental neglect and infringements on Osage rights and lands.

Different mechanisms act to structure metacommunities. Among them, the most studied are those related to environmental and spatial drivers. Also, most studies on metacommunities are based on data obtained in snapshot surveys, hindering the test of other potential mechanisms, including historical effects. Here, we quantified the relative importance of different sets of variables that could potentially structure zooplankton communities in 39 small reservoirs in Midwest Brazil. In addition to local environmental, spatial, and land use variables, as a proxy for potential priority effects, we tested the effect of earlier zooplankton composition on (later) zooplankton metacommunity structure. The relative importance of these sets of explanatory variables varied over time. However, earlier zooplankton community data were, in general, the most consistent predictors (especially for microcrustaceans) of zooplankton community structure. This result may indicate the role of historical effects on later zooplankton metacommunity structure. Our results highlight the importance of considering multiple surveys and past community data in spatiotemporal studies aiming to unveil the determinants of zooplankton metacommunity structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most species-rich communities consist of a limited number of common species and many rare species. This widespread ecological pattern can arise due to the predominance of either niche-based or neutral-based processes in community structuring. We tested two hypotheses related to this pattern for an anuran metacommunity composed of 35 species distributed in 187 ponds in the South Brazilian grasslands: (1) for common species, niche processes should prevail over neutral ones because common species evolved under a wider range of ecological filters than rare species; (2) for rare species, neutral processes should prevail because rare species are more prone to ecological drift and dispersion limitation. We found that the densities of both common (i.e., the 25% higher density ones) and rare (i.e., the 75% lower density ones) species depended mostly on pond structure and land use, indicating a similar response to niche-based processes in both groups of species. The importance of pond descriptors and type of land use, however, differed between the two groups, confirming that common and rare species represent ecologically distinct groups within the metacommunity. In addition, neutral processes—related to dispersion limitation or not—influenced both species groups, but the spatial filters selected explained a smaller portion of the variation in species densities compared to environmental descriptors. Our findings showcase the prevalence of niche processes in structuring communities of common and rare species of anurans in subtropical grasslands and indicate the variables of pond structure and land use that are relevant to guide conservation practices for the metacommunity of anurans in the South Brazilian grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest–grassland ecotone (FGE) has essential ecological and economic value. Unfortunately, it is impacted greatly by environmental changes and anthropogenic disturbance, and is considered one of the most severely threatened biomes in China. To protect Chinese FGE, identifying its exact boundary and exploring its landscape structure dynamic are badly needed, especially on nationwide scale at one‐year temporal resolution. Here, we mapped the annual FGE distribution of China from 1990 to 2020, investigated its changing trends of area, location and landscape patterns, and revealed the underlying driving factors. Our results showed that FGE area over the 31 years totaled 1 011 870 km2, covering about 10.54% of China's land. The FGE area first increased from 1990 and peaked in 1999, and then kept decreasing until 2020. The FGE gravity center has moved accumulatively 590.15 km over the 31 years, with the net moving distance of 228.76 km southwestward. From 1990 to 2020, forest area increased continuously while grassland and cropland area decreased, but these three landscape types had been dominating the FGE. The increase in forest area was largely converted from grassland. The decline in grassland mainly resulted from its conversion into cropland and forest. Meanwhile, the conversion of cropland to grassland supplemented grassland loss to a certain extent. At landscape level, the total area with decreased fragmentation is larger than that with increased fragmentation. Returning Farmland to Grassland Project and land reclamation were primary drivers for changes of fragmentation in the northern and middle part of the FGE, while temperature and precipitation were primary drivers in southern part. Our results will improve the understanding into the dynamic trends of distribution and pattern of FGE at nationwide scale, and thus help to optimize the designing of ecological projects and protective schemes for FGE as a unique and integral biome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into the factors influencing the willingness of rural land transfers in different terrain areas, aiming to promote the improvement of land transfer institutions and accelerate the process of scale farming. Based on rural survey data from Anhui and Qinghai provinces in China, this research uses geographical detector and Binary Logistic Model to explore the differential factors affecting the willingness of farmers to participate in land contract transfer in the first and third terrain areas of China. The study examines four dimensions, including individual characteristics, family endowments, social support strategies, and geographical environment. The findings reveal the following: (1) By comparing the mean values, standard deviations, and coefficients of variation of the data from both provinces, it is evident that the indicators of individual characteristics, family endowments, social support strategies, and geographical environment differ significantly between the two provinces. This indicates substantial disparities in the basic attributes of farmers and their living environments. (2) The single-factor explanatory power significantly influencing farmers' willingness to engage in land transfer varies considerably and is statistically significant at the 1% level. The types of interaction between two factors mainly include dual-factor enhancement, nonlinear enhancement, single-factor nonlinear attenuation, and nonlinear attenuation. (3) There are commonalities and differences in the factors that significantly influence farmers' willingness to participate in land transfer in the two provinces. Common factors influencing farmers' land transfer willingness in both provinces include: the educational level of household heads, the health status of household heads, the number of family laborers, the arable land area, the differentiation of agricultural management objectives, the proportion of agricultural operating income, labor service economy, and relocation policies. Factors showing different influences include: the age of household heads, school-age children, the number of family members engaged in different occupations, the proportion of income from off-farm employment, minimum guarantee policies credit support, location distance, and terrain undulation. Therefore, in formulating land transfer policies, the government should prioritize significant driving factors influencing farmers' decision-making behavior in different regions. It is essential to develop and implement land transfer policies tailored to local conditions with the primary goal of safeguarding the rights and interests of the principal stakeholders, thus achieving sustainable land utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When nutrient level in the soil surpasses vegetation demand, nutrient losses due to surface runoff and subsurface leaching are the major reasons for the deterioration of water quality. The Lower Mississippi river basin (LMRB) is one of the sub-basins that deliver the highest nitrogen loads to the Gulf of Mexico. Potential changes in episodic events induced by hurricanes may exacerbate water quality issue in the future. However, uncertainties in modeling the hydrologic response to hurricanes may limit the modeling of nutrient losses during such events. Using a machine learning approach, we calibrated the land component of the Energy Exascale Earth System model (E3SM), or ELM, version 2.1, based on the water table depth (WTD) of a calibrated 3D subsurface hydrology model. While the overall performance of the calibrated ELM is satisfactory, some discrepancies in WTD remain in slope areas with low precipitation due to the missing lateral flow process in ELM. Simulations including biogeochemistry performed using ELM with and without model calibration showed important influences of soil hydrology, precipitation intensity, and runoff parameterization on the magnitude of nitrogen runoff loss and leaching pathway. Despite such sensitivities, both ELM simulations produced reduced WTD and increased runoff and accelerated nitrate-nitrogen runoff loading during Hurricane Ida in August 2021, consistent with the observations. With observations suggesting more pronounced effects of Hurricane Ida on nitrogen runoff than the simulations, we identified factors for model improvement to provide a useful tool for studying hurricane-induced nutrient losses in the LMRB region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity is a major challenge facing many regions worldwide, especially arid and semi‐arid areas that are increasingly vulnerable to climate change. This study aimed to project water availability in the Amu Darya Basin (ADB) of Central Asia under four Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase Six (CMIP6) during two upcoming periods (2020–2059 and 2060–2099). The study used a robust machine learning approach, namely a Random Forest (RF) model, to simulate Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) Terrestrial Water Storage (TWS) data from precipitation and maximum and minimum temperatures (Tmax and Tmin). It then incorporated precipitation, Tmax and Tmin from four selected CMIP6 GCMs, into a water storage model to project spatiotemporal changes in water availability across the basin. The study also evaluated the relative impacts of land use and population on TWS. Results indicate an increase in TWS by approximately 4 cm in the basin's eastern, northwestern and southwestern regions in both future periods, while a decrease by approximately −4 cm in the remaining areas. These projections suggest that TWS will decline in densely populated regions and increase in certain intensively cultivated areas. The most pronounced increase in TWS is anticipated in the snow‐covered Tundra climate zone of the basin. This is attributed to the melting of glaciers, which contributes to runoff in the tributaries of the Amu River. The findings highlight the importance of considering climate change and socioeconomic factors when projecting water availability in arid and semi‐arid regions. The projected changes in TWS have important implications for water resources management in the ADB, particularly in densely populated and intensively cultivated areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mangrove ecosystems exhibit significant carbon storage and sequestration. Its capacity to store and sequester significant amounts of carbon makes this ecosystem very important for climate change mitigation. Indonesia, owing to the largest mangrove cover in the world, has approximately 3.14 PgC stored in the mangroves, or about 33% of all carbon stored in coastal ecosystems globally. Unfortunately, our comprehensive understanding of carbon flux is hampered by the incomplete repertoire of field measurement data, especially from mangrove ecosystem-rich regions such as Indonesia and Asia Pacific. This study fills the gap in greenhouse gases (GHGs) flux studies in mangrove ecosystems in Indonesia by quantifying the soil CO2 and CH4 fluxes for different land use types in mangrove ecosystems, i.e., secondary mangrove (SM), restored mangrove (RM), pond embankment (PE) and active aquaculture pond (AP). Environmental parameters such as soil pore salinity, soil pore water pH, soil temperature, air temperature, air humidity and rainfall are also measured. Results: GHG fluxes characteristics varied between land use types and ecological conditions. Secondary mangrove and exposed pond embankment are potential GHG flux sources (68.9 ± 7.0 and 58.5 ± 6.2 MgCO2e ha− 1 yr− 1, respectively). Aquaculture pond exhibits the lowest GHG fluxes among other land use types due to constant inundation that serve as a barrier for the release of GHG fluxes to the atmosphere. We found weak relationships between soil CO2 and CH4 fluxes and environmental parameters. Conclusions: The data and information on GHG fluxes from different land use types in the mangrove ecosystem will be of importance to accurately assess the potential of the mangrove ecosystem to sequester and emit GHGs. This will support the GHG emission reduction target and strategy that had been set up by the Indonesian Government in its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and Indonesia's 2030 Forest and Other Land Use (FOLU) Net Sink. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because land is an entity that possesses both biophysical and geophysical features, it can be subdivided into several land covers and put to a variety of diverse uses. In this study, transformation matrices are generated using JAXA map data in order to conduct an analysis of the inter-land variability. In Hanoi, data collection took place over the course of four years (1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020). According to Vietnam's legislation, this timeframe is also equivalent to three phases of land use planning (LUP). According to the findings, the area of land used for urban development is expanding at a quick rate in this metropolitan region (by more than 13%), but the area used for rice production has experienced a significant decline (by approx. 23%). However, the pattern is not consistent from one planning period to the next. The research results are also linked to land use practices in Hanoi in the discussion section. This points to the compatibility with the current state of Vietnam's linear economic growth in recent times, as well as negative issues, such as land waste and forecasts of spatial changes in Hanoi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Degraded peat has a high potential for use in agricultural production, especially food crops. The water table, which impacts the production of greenhouse gases (GHGs), is the main problem concerning peat utilization. The study aimed to determine the production of greenhouse gases at various peat water levels. The study was conducted in a laboratory setting utilizing the soil column of undisturbed peat soil. The factorial experiment was arranged in randomized block design, with three replicates, with the first factor was peat cropping use: Maize (Zea mays L.), pineapple (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.), and scrubs. The second factor was water level (0, 10, 20, 30 cm depth). Variables measured were GHG flux (CO2 and CH4), pH, redox potential, total C content, and ash content. The peat cropping use interacted significantly with the peat water level on the potential for CH4 and CO2 production and the value of global warming potential. Water table depth significantly increased CO2 flux and global warming potential (GWP) in all three peat cropping uses. The lowest GWP at a 0 cm peat water level was 944 (pineapple use), 961 (maize use), and 1097 mg CO2e m-2 d-1 (scrub use). Peat for pineapple cultivation produces the lowest CO2 production and GWP compared to maize cultivation and scrubs. The negative relationship between redox potential and GWP is significant in peat for scrub. The relationship between pH and GWP is significant in peat for pineapple and scrub. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beans are a traditional grain crop consumed by humans that is of great importance for food security and farmers in terms of income in Brazil. Paraná is one of the largest bean-producing states in the country, but the area needed for its production is being lost, changing the dynamics of bean cultivation, and generating social and economic impacts. The objective of this study was to verify the spatiotemporal and economic dynamics of bean production in Paraná. For this purpose, using mainly data from the 2006 and 2017 agricultural censuses, the location quotient, the Hirschman–Herfindahl Index (HHI), the Williamson coefficient (V w), exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA), and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied. From the results, it was possible to verify that there was a 13.95% reduction in the number of municipalities that specialized in bean production, from 98 municipalities in 2006 to 86 in 2017. Most specialized municipalities produced black beans or a combination of other colored beans. The HHI revealed that the specialized municipalities accounted for the most income from bean production. The V w indicated that the economic development of the central-eastern and southeastern Paraná mesoregions was related to bean production. Based on the ESDA, it was found a statistically significant and positive presence of spatial concentration in 2006 (Moran' I = 0.36) and 2017 (Moran' I = 0.51). Based on the PCA, it was possible to identify two main components that together explained 71.52% of the data variability. The reduction in the planted area, the decrease in the number of specialized municipalities, and the concentration of income from bean production in some municipalities make it difficult to reduce regional disparities in Paraná, and in addition, these factors increase concern about food security; thus, public policies are needed to reduce such impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a study of bioclimatic dynamics and land use in the region of Tlemcen (north-west of Algeria). GIS (geographic information system) and satellite images (LandSat) were used to conduct a diachronic study based on a series of satellite images from the years 2000 and 2019 to demonstrate changes in the study area while highlighting the importance of environmental conditions, including climate and anthropogenic impact on dynamic vegetation cover. Bioclimatic synthesis has shown an improvement in the rainfall regime and an evolution towards higher bioclimatic atmospheres between the two periods (1985–1999) and (2004–2018). Land use in the study area is under the influence of strong anthropogenic pressures and is experiencing a decline in forest areas from 28.74 to 17.49% but also in agricultural land and lawns from 38.61% to 27.67% in favour of built-up areas which increased from 0.81% to 1.09% but mainly to the benefit of bare soil: an ultimate stage of degradation whose surface area increased from 31.59% in 2000 to 53.46% in 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the significant agrarian transformations in India's Himalayan region of Kashmir, which is witnessing a rapid transition into commercial farming and, simultaneously, an increasing trend of deagrarianisation. The study uses a mixed-method approach to investigate why farmers adopt commercial farming in this region and how the processes of deagrarianisation, reconfiguration of land use, and deepening commodification have become inevitable for many small and medium-scale farmers as a result of this process. In the analysis, our empirically tested theoretical model confirms that institutional factors in terms of state support work as a significant driver toward commercialisation. We then argue that combined with the stimulus of the state, a vigorous process of neo-extractivism is being promoted, which renders the substantive changes in agrarian transitions by displacing the subsistence sector. The study highlights that this contemporary commercialisation is altering the social and physical landscape and driving broader forms of dispossession and consolidation of farmlands at micro-levels. Furthermore, it raises questions about the fundamental role of the Indian state's neo-extractivist policies in a politically contested region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades, the United States Department of the Interior's land acquisition regulations included an "Alaska Exception" that barred acquisition of land into trust in Alaska apart from those acquisitions made for the Metlakatla Indian Community. Although the "Alaska Exception" was initially removed from the regulations in 2014, the fight continues over land-into-trust acquisitions within Alaska. Throughout these debates, the state of Alaska has consistently opposed land-into-trust acquisitions. This Practitioner Guide provides an overview of the recent history of land-into-trust acquisitions in Alaska and analyzes the juxtaposition of the intent behind Alaska's "State Recognition of Tribes" in House Bill 123 and the continuing state opposition to land-into-trust applications. Specifically, this Practitioner Guide argues that, without state collaboration and cooperation with Tribal Nations on landinto-trust issues, House Bill 123, which was meant to signify "the State's desire to foster engagement with Alaska Natives and tribal organizations," ultimately rings hollow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2009, Guangdong province initiated a programme of regenerating its blighted urban neighbourhoods, outdated industrial plants and dilapidated villages (also known as "three-old redevelopment"), which continues today. While the academic attention focuses mainly on the city and project levels, few studies give a full and up-to-date account of the overall programme. This paper documents the background, purpose, scope, policy framework, project types, implementation modalities and initial outcomes of the programme. Unlike most urban regeneration projects around the world, the Guangdong programme – the largest coordinated effort in the global history of urban regeneration – is primarily driven not by the potential increases of land value but by an urgent need to find solutions to the conflict between the local demand for urban land and the rigid national land use control. The expected land value increases are harnessed to attract the participation of market players at the project level. The Guangdong experience opens up a new way for urban spatial development in China, especially at a time when China further strengthens national land use control under the newly established national territorial planning system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron–manganese solid waste was used to enhance the efficacy of sludge composting, and the humification process and physicochemical properties of the compost were systematically investigated. Iron–manganese slag was added to the composting reactor, the temperature was increased to 69.5°C, and the thermophilic phase was extended to 110 h. Meanwhile, the composting products maintained relatively higher dissolved organic carbon, NH4+-N, protein, and polysaccharide. After composting for 15 days, the humic and fulvic acid ratios in the system with the addition of iron–manganese smelting slag (named as R2) were at least 25% higher than those in the control group, the seed germination index increased to 108%, and the nutrient composition of the composting product reached 8.2%, which was higher than the 6.8% in the raw sludge. Except for arsenic, other heavy metal contents in the R2 system were lower than the Class A limits stipulated by the Chinese Agricultural Sludge Pollutant Control Standard. When iron–manganese slag was added to the sludge piles, microbial metabolism facilitated the release of mineral elements, which enhanced the activities of enzymes such as polyphenol oxidase and alkaline protease, and abundant organic matter was released due to cell lysis and extracellular polymeric substance disruption. Some of the substrates were converted into small-molecule products by microbial actions; meanwhile, precursors such as polysaccharides and proteins were maintained at high levels in the sludge compost, facilitating the formation of humic substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water quality trends in streams and rivers are impacted by several factors including land use of the watershed; however, it is unclear what influence changes in the land use of a watershed subsequently have on changes in discharge and water quality in streams and rivers. This study seeks to fill this gap by evaluating the relationship between changes in land use and changes in discharge and water quality at United States Geological Survey (USGS) stream gages over the period of 2008–2016. Using land cover data and discharge and water quality data from 60 USGS gages, regression methods were applied to determine the strength of relationship between land use changes and changes in water quality and quantity. Trends in discharge and water quality were mixed, with a majority of watersheds demonstrating a decrease in dissolved oxygen and turbidity, no overall trend for discharge, and increases in specific conductance. A regression analysis revealed that discharge, turbidity, and specific conductance were correlated with changes in individual land use types with an R2 between 0.12 and 0.25. Combining the influences of multiple land uses in multivariate regression improved the predictions for discharge (R2 0.58) and specific conductance (R2 0.47), highlighting the magnitude for which land cover changes influence trends in water quality. Overall, this study demonstrates the impact that large‐scale land use changes have on surface water quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf decomposition is a key process in stream ecosystems within forested catchments; it is driven by microbial communities, particularly fungi and bacteria. These microorganisms make nutrients and energy bound in leaves available for wider parts of the food web. Leaf‐associated microorganisms are subjected to anthropogenic pressures, such as the increased exposure to nutrients and fungicides associated with land‐use change. We assessed the sensitivity of leaf‐associated microbial communities with differing exposure histories, namely, from pristine (P) streams, and streams impacted by wastewater (W) and agricultural run‐off (vineyards; V). In the laboratory, microbial communities were exposed to elevated nutrient (NO3‐N: 0.2–18.0 mg/L, PO4‐P: 0.02–1.8 mg/L) and fungicide concentrations (sum concentration 0–300 µg/L) in a fully crossed 3 × 4 × 4‐factorial design over 21 days. Leaf decomposition and exoenzyme activity were measured as functional endpoints, and fungal community composition and microbial abundance served as structural variables. Overall, leaf decomposition did not differ between fungicide treatments or exposure histories. Nonetheless, substantial changes in the fungal community composition were observed after exposure to environmentally relevant fungicide concentrations. Elevated nutrient concentrations assisted leaf decomposition, and the effect size depended on the exposure history. The observed changes in the fungal community composition support the principle of functional redundancy, with highly efficient decomposers maintaining leaf decomposition. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:1300–1311. © 2024 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple conflicts of spatial planning are currently intensifying in the context of sustainability transformations. This paper aims to better understand the conflicts involved in planning inter-municipal commercial areas (IMCA) in city-regional constellations. Choosing an explicit conflict perspective integrating different strands of literature, a qualitative in-depth case study using cognitive-affective mapping (CAM) is carried out. The case study analyzes a region comprising a large urban center and multiple smaller surrounding communities in Southern Germany, where several attempts to cooperate have failed, ostensibly due to poor urban-rural relations. Our findings reveal that the situation is more complex: IMCA is hindered by vertical and horizontal governance conflicts and sectoral conflicts of interest. While land use conflicts on where to implement IMCA are hindering concrete projects, a deeper conflict potential lies in the question of whether to plan new commercial areas at all. Albeit IMCA are proposed as the solution for reducing land take and realizing economic growth, the planning of IMCA reflects this global tension on the regional and local level without being able to solve it per se. We conclude that an explicit conflict perspective as well as the CAM method can be fruitful for planning research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grazing lands can be considered a conservation land use providing value to farmers and society. An underappreciated value of these lands may be in C and N storage and cycling. However, soil organic C (SOC) and total soil N (TSN) storage under humid‐temperate zone pastures have not been well characterized. A survey of 31 farms in Virginia USA characterized SOC and TSN depth distributions under a diversity of grassland management scenarios, as well as in comparison with long‐term no‐till cropland and woodland uses on the same farms. Root‐zone enrichment calculations separated management‐controlled SOC and TSN stocks from a baseline condition characterized at 30‐cm depth. Total stock of SOC at 0–30‐cm depth varied from 46 to 88 Mg C ha−1 (5%–95% range from 304 soil profiles) across all land uses. Root‐zone enrichment of SOC was maximized under mature pastures (≥20 years old) at 38.3 ± 1.6 Mg C ha−1, which was not different from that under woodland (39.8 ± 1.2 Mg C ha−1), but was greater than under no‐till cropland (28.3 ± 1.3 Mg C ha−1) and conventional‐till cropland (15.1 ± 5.1 Mg C ha−1). Root‐zone enrichment of TSN was optimized at stocking rate of ~1 Mg live weight ha−1, but was not affected by stocking method, N fertilization history, or low levels of hay feeding. These results suggest that grazed pastures in Virginia are storing significant amounts of SOC and TSN, with at least half due to management‐induced compared with pedogenic‐controlled accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrestrial carbon storage (CS) plays a crucial role in achieving carbon balance and mitigating global climate change. This study employs the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways and Representative Concentration Pathways (SSPs-RCPs) published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and incorporates the Policy Control Scenario (PCS) regulated by China's land management policies. The Future Land Use Simulation (FLUS) model is employed to generate a 1 km resolution land use/cover change (LUCC) dataset for China in 2030 and 2060. Based on the carbon density dataset of China's terrestrial ecosystems, the study analyses CS changes and their relationship with land use changes spanning from 1990 to 2060. The findings indicate that the quantitative changes in land use in China from 1990 to 2020 are characterised by a reduction in the area proportion of cropland and grassland, along with an increase in the impervious surface and forest area. This changing trend is projected to continue under the PCS from 2020 to 2060. Under the SSPs-RCPs scenario, the proportion of cropland and impervious surface predominantly increases, while the proportions of forest and grassland continuously decrease. Carbon loss in China's carbon storage from 1990 to 2020 amounted to 0.53 × 1012 kg, primarily due to the reduced area of cropland and grassland. In the SSPs-RCPs scenario, more significant carbon loss occurs, reaching a peak of 8.07 × 1012 kg in the SSP4-RCP3.4 scenario. Carbon loss is mainly concentrated in the southeastern coastal area and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region of China, with urbanisation and deforestation identified as the primary drivers. In the future, it is advisable to enhance the protection of forests and grassland while stabilising cropland areas and improving the intensity of urban land. These research findings offer valuable data support for China's land management policy, land space optimisation, and the achievement of dual-carbon targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research focuses on exploring and mapping Ankara's urban points of interest and their values on different urban infrastructure types using geolocated data from Flickr. All publicly available data dated between 2005 and 2021 from Flickr were obtained through application programming interface and the infrastructure types were reclassified as green, blue, grey, and yellow, using the land use and land cover data based on Corine 2018. Spatial patterns for cultural service flow of landscape features and/or landscapes on different urban infrastructure types were mapped using Kernel density estimation in QGIS 3.21. The hotspots were assessed in terms of the cultural services they offered based on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) framework, site visits, and observations. The findings showed that the city core mostly provided cultural heritage, identity, and recreational values. Results for the rural and peri-urban areas indicated that natural landscapes and protected areas stood out for their provision of cultural services, particularly for their recreational values. Our research identified user-intensive geographical clusters and hotspots that could benefit from interventions and enhancement for a more sustainable urban environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use changes are considered a significant cause of amphibian declines worldwide. However, little is known regarding which land uses have more pervasive impacts and which help to supplement the biodiversity conserved in protected areas. In addition, amphibian species respond to a broad array of geographical constraints, which may blur responses to disturbance, depending on the species' natural history.Here, we explored whether functional diversity patterns of amphibian assemblages are linked to human land use while considering spatial autocorrelation and phylogenetic relatedness among species. We surveyed tadpoles along 500 km in coastal wetlands in southern Brazil and quantified four traits related to tadpole habitat use and predator avoidance.Spatial components influenced functional richness to a greater extent than land use. Functional evenness was higher in ponds surrounded by more exotic reforestation, and to a lesser extent an effect of crop area. Functional divergence was also associated with reforestation areas.Our results showed that some land uses (reforestation with exotic species and temporary crops) have more pervasive impacts on tadpole communities. Such changes in amphibian communities occurred even at low levels of landscape change. Our findings highlight that conversion to human land use requires complementary approaches (i.e., tadpole and adult responses) to provide early warning signals about habitat modification effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass production is a key ecosystem process that provides insight into ecological processes such as growth, reproduction, mortality, and energy distribution. Previous studies have considered various fish response measures such as species richness, abundance, and/or biomass as response variables for river ecosystems or the productivity of particular species. However, few studies have investigated how total fish productivity of riverine systems is affected by environmental variables. Here, we identified important abiotic and biotic predictors of fish productivity in wadeable, temperate riverine systems.We investigated the relationships between total stream fish productivity and multiple abiotic and biotic variables in wadeable stream reaches across Ontario, Canada. Variance partitioning was used to evaluate the relative importance of the biotic, landscape, climatic, and geologic variables on total stream fish productivity. A modified bootstrap approach was used for the model‐selection process and to parameterise an empirical fish productivity model.We found that biotic predictors explained more variation in productivity relative to the abiotic variables. The best empirical model included day‐of‐year, growing degree days, latitude, salmonid presence/absence, species richness, and upstream catchment area.Our findings indicate that a combination of both biotic and abiotic variables can provide valuable insight into how ecological processes, such as fish productivity, differ across ecosystems. Species richness and differences in assemblage characteristics may be key determinants of the overall fish productivity in stream systems. Our model can estimate productivity from salmonid presence/absence data and total species richness, instead of fish abundance data, which require larger sampling efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholarly discourse and global policies advocate policy integration across sectors, including land use and transportation. However, African cities lack best practices for transport and land use integration. This paper employed a 'plan quality evaluation framework' and key informant interviews to assess the quality of decentralized plans of the Kumasi Metropolis regarding integrating transportation planning considerations. The integration of transport considerations into the goals and policies of the KMA's plans was weak. Although coordination and implementation arrangements were strong, provisions for monitoring and evaluation were inadequate. Institutional fragmentation, poor inter-departmental coordination, and resource constraints were integration hurdles that needed immediate attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land‐use and climate change are major pressures on terrestrial biodiversity. Species' extinction risk and responses to human pressures relate to ecological traits and other characteristics in some clades. However, large‐scale comparative assessments of the associations between traits and responses to multiple human pressures across multiple clades are needed. We investigated whether a set of ecological characteristics that are commonly measured across terrestrial vertebrates (ecological traits and geographic range area) are associated with species' responses to different land‐use types and species' likely sensitivity to climate change. We aimed to test whether generalizable patterns in response to these pressures arise across both pressures and across vertebrate clades, which could inform assessments of the global signature of human pressures on vertebrate biodiversity and guide conservation efforts. At the species level, we investigated associations between land‐use responses and ecological characteristics with a space‐for‐time substitution approach, making use of the PREDICTS database. We investigated associations between ecological characteristics and expected climate‐change sensitivity, estimated from properties of species realized climatic niches. Among the characteristics we considered, 3 were consistently associated with strong land‐use responses and high climate‐change sensitivity across terrestrial vertebrate classes: narrow geographic range, narrow habitat breadth, and specialization on natural habitats (which described whether a species occurs in artificial habitats or not). The associations of other traits with species' land‐use responses and climate‐change sensitivity often depended on species' class and land‐use type, highlighting an important degree of context dependency. In all classes, invertebrate eaters and fruit and nectar eaters tended to be negatively affected in disturbed land‐use types, whereas invertebrate‐eating and plant‐ and seed‐eating birds were estimated to be more sensitive to climate change, raising concerns about the continuation of ecological processes sustained by these species under global changes. Our results highlight a consistently higher sensitivity of narrowly distributed species and habitat specialists to land‐use and climate change, which provides support for capturing such characteristics in large‐scale vulnerability assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem state transitions can be ecologically devastating or be a restoration success. State transitions are common within aquatic systems worldwide, especially considering human‐mediated changes to land use and water use. We created a transferable conceptual framework to enable multiscale assessments of state resilience and early warnings of state transitions that can inform strategic restorations and avoid ecosystem collapse. The conceptual framework integrated machine learning predictions with ecosystem state concepts (e.g., state classification, gradients of vulnerability, and recovery potential leading to state transitions) and was devised to investigate possible environmental drivers. As an application of the framework, we generated prediction probabilities of submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) presence at nearly 10,000 sites in the Upper Mississippi River (United States). Then, we used an interpretability method to explain model predictions to gain insights into possible environmental drivers and thresholds or linear responses of SAV presence and absence. Model accuracy was 89% without spatial bias. Average water depth, suspended solids, substrate, and distance to nearest SAV were the best predictors and likely environmental drivers of SAV habitat suitability. These environmental drivers exhibited nonlinear, threshold‐type responses for SAV. All the results are also presented in an online dashboard to explore results at many spatial scales. The habitat suitability model outputs and prediction explanations from many spatial scales (4 m to 400 km of river reach) can inform research and restoration planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food production plays a central role in the health of humanity and our environment. New Zealand produces a large amount of food, but it is unknown if it can produce enough of the right crops in the places to better the health of New Zealanders, profitably, while maintaining New Zealand's primary production exports and meeting ambitions to lower greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions and nutrient losses to water. We tested two scenarios that aimed at delivering a healthy diet while maximising profit and minimising GHGs (climate-focused scenario) or losses of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) to water (freshwater-focused scenario). Land use change was targeted to areas not currently meeting bottom lines for N or P loss but needed to spill over to other areas to meet dietary targets in both scenarios. The maximum cost of the required land use change was about 1% of the primary sector's export revenues, and orders of magnitude less than the estimated savings for the health system from an optimised diet. We conclude that shifting productive land uses can help meet environmental targets for GHGs, N and P while saving money and improving the health of its people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced manufacturing agglomeration (AMA) plays a significant role in supporting regional development, but few studies have examined it on a regional geographic space. In this paper, the relationship between AMA and regional economic‒innovative‒social coupling coordination development (EISCCD) was studied spatially at a fine-grained scale (500 m × 500 m), taking Liangjiang New Area (LJNA), China, as an example. The results showed that (1) the spatial patterns of AMA and EISCCD in LJNA were similar; (2) among the four different combinations, the economic‒social combination had the highest degree of coupling coordination and a more balanced spatial distribution; (3) AMA and the four coupling coordination combinations all showed significant positive relationships, with innovation playing a prominent mediating role; and (4) there was evident spatial heterogeneity in the relationship between AMA and ECICCD. These results demonstrate the possibility of building suburban subcenters with advanced manufacturing. These findings are beneficial for urban and regional planners to monitor the development status at different locations within cities, enabling precise construction and management of various facilities, enhancing land utilization efficiency, and aiding in the realization of a business-friendly and livable urban environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To alleviate the contradiction between supply and demand of urban and rural construction land and improve the utilization efficiency of rural homesteads, the state has issued policies to guide villagers withdrawing their homestead with subsidies or compensation. Previous studies have found that differentiation is one critical factor in villagers' withdrawal from homesteads, but how differentiation affects the villagers' withdrawal is not well interpreted. To explore and examine the homestead withdrawal mechanism, this paper identified and condensed the influence factors of villagers' willingness to withdraw from homesteads from the perspective of differentiation, taking Kuikeng Village in Puning City, China, as an example. The results indicated that: (1) villagers' differentiation has a significant impact on their willingness to withdraw from homesteads, and the higher the income differentiation level, the lower the willingness to withdraw from homesteads; (2) the health status of villagers, whether they are willing to change their identity, the confirmation of homestead rights, the holding period of homestead property rights, and the understanding of homestead exit policy are positively correlated with their willingness to withdraw from homesteads; and (3) villagers' psychosocial characteristics, villagers' differentiation, and government policy characteristics have a significant impact on homestead withdrawal. It is important to guide villagers to withdraw from homesteads and realize rational land use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental change is disrupting mutualisms between organisms worldwide. Reported declines in insect populations and changes in pollinator community compositions in response to land use and other environmental drivers have put the spotlight on the need to conserve pollinators. While this is often motivated by their role in supporting crop yields, the role of pollinators for reproduction and resulting taxonomic and functional assembly in wild plant communities has received less attention. Recent findings suggest that observed and experimental gradients in pollinator availability can affect plant community composition, but we know little about when such shifts are to be expected, or the impact they have on ecosystem functioning. Correlations between plant traits related to pollination and plant traits related to other important ecosystem functions, such as productivity, nitrogen uptake or palatability to herbivores, lead us to expect non‐random shifts in ecosystem functioning in response to changes in pollinator communities. At the same time, ecological and evolutionary processes may counteract these effects of pollinator declines, limiting changes in plant community composition, and in ecosystem functioning. Despite calls to investigate community‐ and ecosystem‐level impacts of reduced pollination, the study of pollinator effects on plants has largely been confined to impacts on plant individuals or single‐species populations. With this review we aim to break new ground by bringing together aspects of landscape ecology, ecological and evolutionary plant–insect interactions, and biodiversity–ecosystem functioning research, to generate new ideas and hypotheses about the ecosystem‐level consequences of pollinator declines in response to land‐use change, using grasslands as a focal system. Based on an integrated set of seven hypotheses, we call for more research investigating the putative pollinator‐mediated links between landscape‐scale land use and ecosystem functioning. In particular, future research should use combinations of experimental and observational approaches to assess the effects of changes in pollinator communities over multiple years and across species on plant communities and on trait distributions both within and among species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The land use change driven by comprehensive management of small watershed can significantly affect the process of sediment yield in the watershed. The aims of this study are to explore the characteristics of land use dynamic change and soil conservation effect in different management stages of Zhifanggou small watershed, and to provide scientific support for the improvement of ecological service function in the Loess Plateau. [Methods] Based on the CSLE model, the spatial and temporal characteristics of land use change and soil conservation effect in the five management periods of the Zhifanggou watershed in the past 80 years were systematically evaluated. [Results] (1) Before the vegetation destruction in 1938, the forestland and grassland in the watershed accounted for 88.55%. In 1958, the proportion of forest and grass vegetation decreased by only 32%. In 1978, the land use change was gentle. After the implementation of comprehensive management of small watersheds, the proportion of forest and grass vegetation in 1999 and 2020 was 64.73% and 86.55%, respectively. The proportion of forest and grass vegetation in 2020 was basically the same as that before the destruction in 1938, but the proportion of forestland was still slightly smaller. (2) The amount of soil conservation in the five periods of the watershed was 2.485 × 10~5 t, 1.886 × 10~5 t, 2.288 × 10~5 t, 2.362 × 10~5 t and 2.460 × 10~5 t, respectively. The amount of soil conservation decreased after vegetation destruction, and the amount of soil conservation increased after comprehensive management of small watersheds. Because the area of forestland was still lower than that before destruction, the amount of soil conservation in 2020 was still lower than 0.01% in 1938. (3) Driven by land transfer, the soil conservation of woodland, grassland and cultivated land in different periods increased or decreased by-99.80%～-17.86%, 23.90%～69.18% and-25.06%～664.66%, respectively, compared with that in 1938. [Conclusions] The vegetation coverage of Zhifanggou watershed has been basically restored to the level before the destruction in 1938, indicating that the ecological restoration of the Loess Plateau has achieved remarkable results in Zhifanggou. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] Soil nutrients and their spatial distribution are important ecological factors to ensure ecosystem health. The aim of this study is to analyze the soil nutrients and their spatial characteristics, which is of great significance for soil nutrient management and land sustainable use in this region. [Methods] In this study, different land use types were selected in the semi-arid loess hilly area, and soil nutrients were measured, and analyzed by the geostatistical method. [Results] The results showed that the total soil nutrients of different land uses in the loess hill were at the lower than medium level, and the nutrient content of different land use types in 0—20 cm soil layer was higher than that in 20—40 cm soil layer, showing surface aggregation effect. On the whole, the soil nutrient content showed the order of natural grassland ＞Caragana Korshinskii ＞ apricot ＞bare land ＞terrace ＞grassland, and the soil nutrient content of the natural grassland was significantly higher than that other vegetation types (p＜0.05）. From the spatial distribution of soil nutrients, it can be seen that soil organic carbon content is low in the middle and high in the north and south. Soil available P content was high in the middle and low in the north and south. Soil nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen contents increased gradually from south to north. [Conclusion] The artificial planting of Caragana Korshinskii and apricot was beneficial to improve the comprehensive level of soil quality in this area. Therefore, land conservation measures such as returning farmland to forest (grass) can continuously improve local soil quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective]The aim of this study is to evaluate the ecological environment status of a region, which is of great practical significance for promoting urban construction and economic development, achieving ecological environment protection and sustainable economic and social development in Beijing. [Methods]The remote sensing ecological index(RSEI)coupled with the characteristics of regional greenness, humidity, dryness, and heat was used to explore the temporal and spatial dynamics of eco-environmental quality in Beijing from 1990 to 2020. Sen trend analysis, Manna-Kendall mutation point test, Hurst method, multiple regression, and structural equation model were employed to explore the impact of different environmental factors on the ecological environment quality of Beijing. [Results](1)From 1991 to 2020, the overall ecological environment quality in Beijing showed a decreasing trend. Among them, the ecological environment quality of forest areas showed a trend of 'increasing decreasing increasing', while the ecological environment quality of shrub areas showed a trend of' increasing decreasing increasing decreasing'. The ecological environment quality of grasslands, farmland, wetlands, and impermeable areas showed a trend of 'decreasing increasing decreasing', while the ecological environment quality of wasteland areas had always shown a trend of' decreasing'. (2)The ecological environment quality of impermeable areas was mainly affected by the negative impact of dryness and the positive impact of humidity. Greenness and heat mainly affected them by affecting humidity and dryness. The ecological environment quality of grassland, wasteland, and shrub areas was mainly negatively affected by heat and positively affected by greenness, humidity, and dryness. The ecological environment quality of cultivated land areas was mainly negatively affected by dryness and heat. The ecological environment quality of forest areas was greatly affected by humidity, dryness, heat, and greenness. The ecological environment quality of wetland areas was positively affected by heat, greenness, and humidity, rather than negatively affected by dryness. [Conclusion]The overall direction of policies in maintaining and managing the ecological environment in Beijing is effective. The ecological environment quality in the vast majority of regions is improving, while the ecological environment quality of a few areas has slightly decreased. The targeted policy adjustments should be made to improve the ecological environment quality. However, further standardization of land cover in Beijing and strengthening of natural disaster prevention strategies are still needed in the later stag [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating water and sediment analysis with land use brings significant results in understanding the transformations in the watershed and assessing anthropic actions. We assess water and sediment samples collected in four sites in a countryside urban-farming watershed landscape in Southern Brazil. We performed the land-use, physical–chemical, microbiological, potentially toxic element (Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cr), atrazine, 2.4-D, microbiological contamination analysis, and total organic carbon, nutrients, and granulometry. We also calculate the Water quality index, geoaccumulation index, enrichment factor, and ecological risk potential, with SQGs (TEL and PEL). Our results demonstrate that all the water samples of this study were contaminated with faecal and total coliforms, alerting the effectiveness of treatment at these plants. We found no significant concentrations of pesticides in the water. The concentration of metals in the sediment was in the order of Cu > Zn > Cr > Ni > Pb > Cd, with Igeo = 0–3 for Cu, Zn, and EF < 3 for Cu. The Cu concentration was eight times higher than TEL, Cr, and Cu above TEL at all sites. We found a strong positive correlation between atrazine, 2.4-D, Pb, and nutrients from agricultural activities and higher concentrations at the one site. The Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd, and Cr sources were plantations, forests, and domestic sewage discharges. The results corroborate with the proposition that complete assessments of watersheds including analyses of water, sediment, and land uses are necessary to understand the real effects of anthropic action on this ecosystem and diversity of this environmental. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper makes the case for the connection between making land-use regulatory changes and the process of destruction and redevelopment. Under the capitalist imperative, buildings that do not fulfil the full potential for profit are likely to be demolished (or refurbished) but demolition and new development are not shaped exclusively by the immutable laws of the market as they are mediated and facilitated by specific institutional contexts. Using the case of East Midtown rezoning in New York City, the paper examines the amendments of two land-use regulatory mechanisms: the enlargement of development rights (rezoning or upzoning) and the relaxation of the spatial limitations on the usage of existing unused rights (transferable development rights). While apparently unconnected, upzoning and transferable development rights are part of the regulatory framework that seeks to secure the ongoing generation of the highest-possible profits for private as well as public interests. By examining the choreography of rezoning and transferable development rights, the paper shows how the mechanics of creative destruction work while substantiating an existing body of knowledge on land use policies and practices in New York City. When used together, rezoning and transferable development rights are instrumental in remaking the built environment. Essentially, the rezoning of a 78-block area in East Midtown Manhattan unlocks captured and latent development rights that otherwise could not come about, and demonstrates the necessity of institutional arrangements to make creative destruction actually work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is one of the world's most preserved habitats for wild animals and migratory birds. The area also plays a major role in the spread of infectious animal diseases, in particular, African swine fever (ASF) and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). These outbreaks threaten the livelihood of local livestock farms, not infrequently. In this paper, we explore these relatively under-researched diseases by modeling and mapping ASF and HPAI risks in tandem using MaxEnt, a machine-learning algorithm. The results show robust predictive power with high area under the curve values, of 0.92 and 0.99, respectively. We found that precipitation from spring to early summer and solar radiation in winter were essential in explaining the potential distribution of ASF, but land use contributed little. Thus, understanding only wild boars' habitat preferences may not be sufficient in preventing ASF epidemics. HPAI risks were shaped by precipitation and mean temperature from winter to spring and land use. Areas with high ASF and HPAI risks were primarily found in forest and agricultural lands, respectively. The DMZ included many high-risk areas, indicating that the DMZ could lead to a broader regional spread of ASF and HPAI in the peninsula. Thus, our results highlight the essential role of cross-border collaboration and the combination of environmental and epidemiological insights in strategies to control ASF and HPAI risks within and surrounding the DMZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal displacement of populations due to armed conflicts can substantially impact a region's Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) and the efforts towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The objective of this study was to determine the effects of conflict-driven Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) on vegetation cover and environmental sustainability in the Kas locality of Darfur, Sudan. Supervised classification and change analysis were performed on Sentinel-2 satellite images for the years 2016 and 2022 using QGIS software. The Sentinel-2 Level 2A data were analysed using the Random Forest (RF) Machine Learning (ML) classifier. Five land cover types were successfully classified (agricultural land, vegetation cover, built-up area, sand, and bareland) with overall accuracies of more than 86% and Kappa coefficients greater than 0.74. The results revealed a 35.33% (-10.20 km2) decline in vegetation cover area over the six-year study period, equivalent to an average annual loss rate of -5.89% (-1.70 km2) of vegetation cover. In contrast, agricultural land and built-up areas increased by 17.53% (98.12 km2) and 60.53% (5.29 km2) respectively between the two study years. The trends of the changes among different LULC classes suggest potential influences of human activities especially the IDPs, natural processes, and a combination of both in the study area. This study highlights the impacts of IDPs on natural resources and land cover patterns in a conflict-affected region. It also offers pertinent data that can support decision-makers in restoring the affected areas and preventing further environmental degradation for sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use changes are one of the main factors contributing to the degradation of wetland ecosystems. The objective of this study was to describe land use and land cover (LULC) change in the Boyo Wetland from 1992–2022. We employed remote sensing and GIS to obtain data for this study. As the main data source, Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM), Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) and Operational Land Imager (OLI) images were used. We downloaded Landsat images from the USGS website that were cloud-free. A supervised maximum likelihood classifier algorithm was used for the classification process. Five LULCs are identified, which include farmland, built-up areas, bare land, grazing land, and wetland. For the duration of the research period, the rate of increase in the percent of farmland, built-up, and barren land was observed to be 18.24%, 9.48%, and 4.52%, respectively, while a decreasing pattern was observed in grazing land and wetland by − 19.44% and − 12.79%, respectively. The expansion of agriculture and built-up areas owing to population growth are the primary factors influencing change in the study area. Therefore, a rapid protective measure should be taken to rehabilitate the study wetland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water service area dataset, derived from the National Boundary Dataset for public‐supply water systems in the United States, offers a detailed resolution surpassing county‐level assessments, emphasizing water‐centric land use. Crucial for linking populations and infrastructure to system withdrawals, it supports the creation of a national public‐supply water‐use model, enhancing accuracy in estimating water use and distinguishing between publicly supplied and self‐supplied domestic water use. Integrating tabular water system data strengthens the national water‐use model by enabling tracking of withdrawal locations, source water, and water quality. Evaluated against U.S. Census‐derived population datasets, 16 state‐provided water service area datasets, and two national land use datasets, the study covers 22,849 community water systems, excluding most small systems serving fewer than 1000 people. Robust correlations between water service areas (WSAs) and satellite‐sourced urban and exurban land use types facilitate tracking changes over time. A comparison of state and national datasets for population and WSAs reveals discrepancies ranging from 5% to 73% in state‐level populations and 0% to 167% in state‐level WSAs. Significant differences can be attributed to the exclusion of sizable incorporated and unincorporated areas in the state‐based datasets. Additional comparisons of major metropolitan areas exhibit differences ranging from 2% to 56%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bluff landforms, sought-after for housing and development, present a hazard management challenge due to erosional processes despite the perceived safety of elevated land. This study focuses on the Neuse River Estuary in North Carolina, exploring coastal risk perception and erosion. A survey protocol was developed, and questionnaires targeted 246 residents with property within 100 m of the shoreline and 54 land use professionals in Craven County. To explore the connection of individual experiences with erosion, we use openly accessible LiDAR to quantify bluff retreat and erosion between 2014 and 2020, a period that encompasses Hurricane Florence in 2018. Our findings show: 1) survey results reveal a consensus among residents, with 90% observing alterations attributed to storm impacts, 2) preferences for addressing erosion lean towards structural measures, aligning with existing protection strategies (e.g., bulkheads, rip-rap) as opposed to nature-based solutions, 3) bluff tops are eroding at a higher median rate of -0.59 m per year, compared to -0.19 m per year for high sediment banks, and 4) an overall net volume decrease of approximately -1.89 cubic meters per year for Craven County, slightly more than the overall net loss for the Neuse River Estuary, which was -1.74 cubic meters per year. The findings underscore the need for a cohesive bluff erosion management plan, emphasizing the complexity of challenges and the importance of a holistic approach that combines technical studies with effective risk communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]