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The Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna delta is one of the most populous deltas in the world, threatened by diverse environmental stressors, including salinity intrusion, causing adverse consequences on livelihood adaptation. Shrimp farming has been recognized as one of the most practiced livelihoods among various livelihood opportunities. Growing global demand and higher economic returns encouraged many farmers to convert their agricultural land to shrimp farms by intruding saline water into the farmlands to produce shrimps. In this study, we investigated whether the growing trend of shrimp farming influences the migration aspirations of the vulnerable coastal communities in Bangladesh. The study employed qualitative interviews with individuals in four villages in southwest coastal Bangladesh. Satellite images were analyzed to detect land-use changes and changes in soil salinity in the last 28 years, confirming a rapid increase in shrimp farms. Results from the qualitative interviews indicate that poor people with limited resources cannot produce paddy on their land because of increased soil salinity caused by shrimp farming. Such a situation leads them to aspire to migrate. Thus, our analysis contributes to the discourse on “aspiration and capability” in environmental migration by adding the impacts of land-use changes on livelihoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relentless march of urban expansion has ushered in profound and transformative alterations in land-use changes and recording huge environmental decline in the domain of metropolitan areas. This current study, as a beacon of exploration, strives to unfurl the intricate nature of urban expansion and spatio-temporal mosaic of land use dynamics evolution in Kolkata Metropolitan Region. The population data was gleaned from Census of India and annals of Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority documents. Similarly, temporal satellite images have been used for this study, which were downloaded from the Landsat Archive Level 1 data products of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earth Explorer. Multi-temporal satellite images were analysed with the aid of Geographical Information Systems and the insightful inspection of Remote Sensing spatial data analysis methods. The maximum likelihood supervised classification methods were used for categorization of specific land cover and land use pattern. The analysis in the study identified the changes in the land-use patten and the land-cover by deploying post-classification change detection and GIS-based spatial analysis methods. After scrutinising the study outcomes, it was found that built-up areas had been drastically increased. The tapestry of fallow land, agricultural land, open space, natural vegetation cover, and wetlands have been sacrificed at the expense of the rapid growth of the built-up area. The study result shows the land use and land cover change; in 1991, the built-up area was 18.9%, and in 2021 it reached 48.5%. This study manifested that the swift surge in the built-up area and in the tendrils of urban expansion took place from 1991 to 2021. Focus Group Discussions complemented with in-depth interview results threw light on the direct correlation between urban expansion and unequivocal shifts in the pattern of land use in the metropolitan region. Kolkata Metropolitan Region's planning system should work on comprehensive framework that would be in harmony with the exacerbated vulnerability of land to environmental deterioration stemming from urban sprawl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest fires represent a significant intersection between nature and society, often leading to the loss of natural resources, soil nutrients, and economic opportunities, as well as causing desertification and the displacement of communities. Therefore, the objective of this work is to analyze the multitemporal conditions of a sixth-generation forest fire through the use and implementation of tools such as remote sensing, photointerpretation with geographic information systems (GISs), thematic information on land use, and the use of spatial indices such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Normalized Burned Ratio (NBR), and its difference (dNBR) with satellite images from Sentinel-2. To improve our understanding of the dynamics and changes that occurred due to the devastating forest fire in Los Guájares, Granada, Spain, in September 2022, which affected 5194 hectares and had a perimeter of 150 km, we found that the main land use in the study area was forest, followed by agricultural areas which decreased from 1956 to 2003. We also observed the severity of burning, shown with the dNBR, reflecting moderate–low and moderate–high levels of severity. Health and part of the post-fire recovery process, as indicated by the NDVI, were also observed. This study provides valuable information on the spatial and temporal dimensions of forest fires, which will favor informed decision making and the development of effective prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroforestry practices evolve with the development of basic and advanced facilities, changes in natural and artificial factors of land, and land use trade-offs. This study aims to examine the farmers' socioeconomic characteristics and perception of land use changes that define optimal agroforestry practices in Khost Province, Afghanistan. Data were collected from 662 farmers and analyzed using univariate Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA). The results found that forest and vegetable products, including fruits, berries, herbs, mushrooms, wild animals, oils, wood, honey, okra, eggplant, carrot, cucumber, pine nuts, pepper, and timber, have different impacts in terms of satisfaction with basic and advanced facilities, knowledge of land use changes, satisfaction with natural and artificial resources of land, and barriers to and economic benefits of land use. The limitations of this study included an absence of exogenous factors in the model such as climate change, financial conditions, market fluctuations, regulatory system, the area in which this study is selected, research design, and current condition of endogenous factors. Overall, this study defined a set of optimal agroforestry practices (expressed as crops and products) based on the farmers' perception of land use changes in Khost Province, Afghanistan. This study provided useful insights for policymakers and development practitioners to promote agroforestry practice adoption and improve the socioeconomic development of agroforestry-dependent communities. Future works could explore the implications of agroforestry practices on the socioeconomic development of other dependent communities in Afghanistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simulating floods and creating vulnerability maps are essential in urban watershed management systems. The present research aimed to simulate floods and assess floodplain risk in the Khalkai watershed located in Gilan Province, Iran. This river is characterized by extensive agricultural areas and urban areas that become flooded during most rainy seasons. Hence, an accurate assessment of flood extent and behavior is necessary. This study employs HEC-HMS, HEC-RAS, and MIKE 21 for advanced hydrodynamic modeling, focusing on two-dimensional (2D) capabilities essential for urban areas and flood is simulated with probability return periods of 50, 100, and 500 years. The research objectives include comparing HEC-RAS and MIKE 21 to identify the most effective flood simulation model, evaluating the impact of hydrological and hydraulic factors, the influence of GPS topographic mapping compared with DEMs extracted from satellite images and assessing land-use changes on flood behavior. Model accuracy is validated against historical flood data, revealing that MIKE 21 effectively addresses challenges related to grid resolution and flood delineation. Results indicate that while HEC-RAS provides a broader extent of flooding, both models offer critical insights into flood depth and flow characteristics. This research contributes to enhanced flood risk management by illustrating the implications of land-use changes on flood events, offering valuable insights for policymakers in mitigating future flood impacts and developing sustainable urban strategies. Highlights: Manning's Roughness variations highlight the coefficient's critical role in model calibration and accuracy. The MIKE 21 model simulate lower flood extent and high peak discharge versus Hec Ras with the same depths ranging simulation. As dem accuracy is important in determining river cross section the MIKE21 software favor HEC-RAS due to flexibility mesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marginal areas in economically advanced countries are a critical issue that European and national policies have been addressing for some time. These areas are affected by depopulation, infrastructural gaps and labor systems that do not reach the corresponding national levels and where often agriculture still plays a critical role. In Italy, despite the fact that the National Strategy for Inner Areas (SNAI) has been active for about a decade with the aim of increasing the territorial cohesion of these fragile areas, rather limited results have been achieved in terms of halting economic marginalization and demographic decline. In this specific context, our work is aimed at analyzing land use changes, the loss of ecosystem services and demographic trends in a Mediterranean region (Irpinia—Southern Italy) on district and municipal scales in the last 30 years (1990–2018) to capture current, subtle socio-economic dynamics. The analysis carried out has indicated a substantial increase in urban areas due to the development of new industrial areas and discontinuous urban fabric (urban sprawl) at the expense of natural areas (mainly meadows and shrublands). The agricultural areas have remained substantially unchanged in terms of extension, with a slight increase in heterogeneous agricultural areas and an expansion of high-value crops (vineyards), that are the most suitable for multifunctional agriculture activities (experiential and rural tourism). The analysis of the demographic trend has highlighted a widespread phenomenon of depopulation, with the exception of those municipalities who economically orbit around the provincial capital of Avellino. The municipalities in depopulation are mostly located in the inner areas characterized by a more rugged morphology and infrastructural gaps. Unexpectedly, most of municipalities show a significant anticorrelation among the population and agricultural areas which is an indicator of social and economic phenomena as complex as they are underestimated. As a final step, this analysis highlights also a loss of carbon storage mainly attributable to the soil sealing of large areas. This study can help to comprehensively understand the conditions of marginal areas in Mediterranean Europe over recent decades in the light of the main socio-economic dynamics to better direct efforts towards the containment of the human capital hemorrhage, consisting of persistently negative natural and migratory rates, and the sustainable empowerment of these geo-economic peripheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevention of ecological risks is a critical determinant influencing sustainable development. Driven by rapid socio-economic development, the ecosystems of mountainous cities within agro-pastoral transition zones are increasingly vulnerable to complex disturbances, constituting a significant threat to sustainable development and human well-being. To help achieve sustainable development, it is essential to conduct research on addressing and mitigating ecological risks from the perspective of collaborative management networks in mountainous cities. Taking Zhangjiakou as the study area, this paper employed the land use transfer matrix and standard deviation ellipse methods to analyze the dynamic land use changes. Additionally, using Fragstats 4,2 to calculate the landscape indices with land use data, this paper evaluated the landscape ecological risk (LER) from 2000 to 2020. Furthermore, the social network analysis (SNA) method was utilized to explore the spatial correlation characteristics of the LER. The findings indicate that: (1) Cultivated land and grassland were the predominant land use types in Zhangjiakou. During 2000–2020, Zhangjiakou experienced significant changes in land use, dominated by the transfer among cultivated land, forestland, and grassland. It indicated that the issue of unstable ecological land use continued to exist. Affected by human activities, construction land showed a consistent upward trend, primarily concentrated in the urban built-up areas and areas along the Jing-Zhang Railway. (2) The LER of Zhangjiakou was predominantly characterized by low risk, medium risk, and high risk levels. In the transitional areas and foothills, the LER was relatively higher. During 2000–2020, Zhangjiakou showed a declining trend of LER. This suggested that the ecological protection policies in Zhangjiakou were effective, leading to an improvement in the local ecological environment. (3) The LER in Zhangjiakou demonstrated a spatial clustering pattern that exhibited an upward trend, which was supported by both spatial autocorrelation and the SNA analysis. In the LER collaborative management network, Xuanhua, Qiaodong, Qiaoxi, Wanquan and Zhangbei consistently upheld pivotal roles. Based on the number of inward and outward connections, 16 counties in Zhangjiakou were classified into four categories and three zones accompanied by corresponding recommendations. The findings of this study can serve as a valuable reference for subsequent landscape pattern optimization and ecological restoration in Zhangjiakou. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Mapping the production of Ecosystem Services (ES) is imperative for sustainable ecosystem management. Likewise, incorporating expert knowledge enhances ES research. Here, we calculate eight multi-temporal ES indicators for mainland Portugal using a spatial modelling approach. These indicators are then integrated into the novel ASEBIO index—Assessment of Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity—which depicts a combined ES potential based on CORINE Land Cover, using a multi-criteria evaluation method with weights defined by stakeholders through an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Outputs from the modelling show how ES have changed in Portugal in relation to land use changes, including trade-offs between 1990 and 2018. The composed ASEBIO index is compared against the stakeholders’ valuation of ES potential for the year 2018. The results reveal a significant mismatch between the ES potential perceived by stakeholders and the models, with stakeholder estimates being 32.8% higher on average. All the selected ES were overestimated by the stakeholders. Drought regulation and erosion prevention have the highest contrasts, while water purification, food production and recreation are the most closely aligned among both approaches. Providing the first national overview about the status of multiple ES over a 28 year-period, our findings highlight potential disparities between data-driven and stakeholder-based evaluations. Therefore, we suggest the need for integrative strategies that consider scientific models with expert knowledge for more effective ES assessments and land-use planning. This approach could help bridge the gap between data-driven models and human perspectives, resulting in more balanced and inclusive decision-making.

Abstract Simulating floods and creating vulnerability maps are essential in urban watershed management systems. The present research aimed to simulate floods and assess floodplain risk in the Khalkai watershed located in Gilan Province, Iran. This river is characterized by extensive agricultural areas and urban areas that become flooded during most rainy seasons. Hence, an accurate assessment of flood extent and behavior is necessary. This study employs HEC-HMS, HEC-RAS, and MIKE 21 for advanced hydrodynamic modeling, focusing on two-dimensional (2D) capabilities essential for urban areas and flood is simulated with probability return periods of 50, 100, and 500 years. The research objectives include comparing HEC-RAS and MIKE 21 to identify the most effective flood simulation model, evaluating the impact of hydrological and hydraulic factors, the influence of GPS topographic mapping compared with DEMs extracted from satellite images and assessing land-use changes on flood behavior. Model accuracy is validated against historical flood data, revealing that MIKE 21 effectively addresses challenges related to grid resolution and flood delineation. Results indicate that while HEC-RAS provides a broader extent of flooding, both models offer critical insights into flood depth and flow characteristics. This research contributes to enhanced flood risk management by illustrating the implications of land-use changes on flood events, offering valuable insights for policymakers in mitigating future flood impacts and developing sustainable urban strategies.

This study contributes to understanding ecological changes in land use following slash-and-burn land clearing. This study aimed to compare the richness and density of plant species and soil fertility in farmland cultivated for one year (1 Y), three years (3 Y), and five years (5 Y) after slash-and-burn, with the conditions in the secondary forest (SF) in Berau Regency of East Kalimantan. Understory plant taxon types, numbers, and soil organic matter were measured in each region using a series of nested plots. The size of each observation plot was 20 x 100 m. Data on understory vegetation composition was collected using 1 x 1 m mini plots at 20 sampling points and divided into five blocks, with a 10 m spacing between sampling points on each property. Understory vegetation species and cover percentage, litter cover percentage, open soil percentage, and soil fertility were measured for each observation plot. The results showed that the land cover percentage increased each year during the 5 years transition from secondary forest to farmland. Furthermore, within the 5 years, there was a change in understory species, particularly the presence of grasses and sedges at 3 and 5 years after the land use change. However, the transition from secondary forest to farmland within 5 years did not alter soil organic matter and total nitrogen.

The Kashmir Himalayas, a region of immense ecological importance, have experienced profound degradation due to land use changes, raising concerns about sustainability. This degradation has significant global implications, including carbon loss, soil quality deterioration, habitat destruction, and loss of biodiversity. This study investigates various key land uses, including economically vital cash crops such as apples and saffron, the socially significant staple food crop rice, as well as forest and pasture systems. The findings reveal that forests and pastures maintain significantly better physical, chemical, microbial, and enzymes activities, and exhibit greater soil nutrient reserves and soil organic carbon (SOC) pools. Specifically, forest soils contain 20.21%, 28.22%, and 34.49% higher total organic carbon (TOC) stocks compared to apple, saffron, and paddy-oilseed soils, respectively. A soil quality index (SQI) was computed using principal component analysis (PCA) based on over 30 soil indicators, including soil nutrients, carbon pools, and various physical, chemical, and biological properties. The SQI ranking is as follows: forest (1) > pasture (0.87) > apple (0.80) > saffron (0.67) > paddyoilseed (0.53). This ranking suggests that the conversion of natural ecosystems to cultivation negatively impacts soil nutrient reserves, microbiome diversity, SOC stocks, and overall soil quality. The land use changes in the Kashmir Himalayas result from a complex interplay of natural forces, demographic shifts, and economic pressures. This research provides valuable insights into comparative soil quality under economically and socially relevant crops based on diverse soil properties. The findings can guide land use planning in Kashmir Himalayas and similar regions beyond geographical boundaries, aiming to preserve the ecologically fragile environment, ensure food security, bolster the economy, and promote long-term sustainability in the face of a changing climate. The significance of this study lies in its relevance to similar regions grappling with land use changes, making its findings pertinent to the global scientific community and holding promise for the development of sustainable practices and policies worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last few decades, there has been a significant increase in global meat consumption, which has had a notable impact on countries that produce raw materials, such as Argentina. Since the introduction of GM soybeans in 1996, the Argentine agricultural system has undergone major transformations. This study aims to investigate the impacts of industrial agricultural expansion in central Argentina on cattle production within the Paraná River Delta and we explore how relocating livestock to the delta’s wetlands, areas less suited for agriculture, affects both socio-ecological systems and wetland health. This case is a significant example of a situation that is also occurring in other raw material–producing countries of the Global South and illustrates how decisions made for one territory have collateral damages on others. By analyzing commodity production’s interconnection with livestock farming, we gain crucial insights into nuanced impacts of land use alterations in this area. We hypothesize that transferring livestock to these marginal lands significantly disrupts local environments by altering hydrological patterns and species diversity, leading to ecological degradation. Our findings underscore significant shifts in hydrological regimes due to water management practices, stakeholder conflicts, and hydroclimatic variability linked with agricultural and livestock modifications. Highlighting these challenges helps us understand how preserving socio-ecological dynamics becomes paramount for sustainable development in this region. Finally, this study advocates for enhanced governmental and local community engagement in territorial planning and governance while emphasizing a need for incorporating local expertise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of rural settlements into commuter towns in the hinterland of large cities, coupled with intensive agriculture and climate change, may negatively affect the prosperity of these areas. The presented analysis focused on randomly selected rapidly growing settlements in the Prague metropolitan area, examining their development with a focus on the peripheral parts of such settlements. Settlement margins constitute a specific part of rural settlements as it typically contributes to the rural character by providing the gradual gradient between the settlement and the open landscape. The representation of water-absorbing and non-water-absorbing areas and their suitability for the development of taller vegetation along the margins of three randomly selected suburbanised settlements in the hinterland of Prague are analysed from the perspective of the possibility to maintain the traditional character of the settlement margins. Historical maps, aerial photographs, spatial planning documents, and data on current land use and landscape cover were used for the analysis of the settlements' development over the last approx. 200 years. In order to determine whether an area is water absorbing or not, a manual approach was used for historical maps and a machine learning process for present orthophoto maps. The automated machine learning classification process could be utilised, because the used orthophoto imagery includes a near-infrared portion of the spectrum (i.e. NIR imagery). We have observed the trend of decreasing plot size and of reduction in the water-absorbing surfaces suitable for planting taller vegetation, especially in the twenty-first century residential developments, which disrupts the traditional rural character of these settlements. The utilisation and stabilisation of the current vegetation in the historical areas, together with the creation of the vegetation belts along the margins of the newly developed areas, could improve the environmental quality of these settlements, promote ecosystem services, and increase biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslide susceptibility maps (LSMs) are valuable tools typically used by local authorities for land use management and planning activities, supporting decision-makers in urban and infrastructure planning. To address this, we proposed a refined method for landslide susceptibility assessment, which comprehensively considered both static and dynamic factors. Neural network methods were used for susceptibility analysis. Land use and land cover (LULC) change and InSAR deformation were then integrated into the traditional susceptibility zoning to obtain a refined susceptibility map with higher accuracy. Validation was conducted on the improved landslide susceptibility map using site landslide data. The results showed that the LULC were proven to be the core driving factors for landslide occurrence in the study area. The GRU model achieved the highest model performance (AUC = 0.886). The introduction of InSAR surface deformation and land use and land cover change data could rationalize the inappropriateness of traditional landslide susceptibility zoning, correcting the false positive and false negative areas in the traditional landslide susceptibility map caused by human activities. Ultimately, 12.25% of the study area was in high-susceptibility zones, with 3.10% of false positive and 0.74% of false negative areas being corrected. The proposed method enabled refined analysis of landslide susceptibility over large areas, providing technical support and disaster prevention and mitigation references for geological hazard susceptibility assessment and land management planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) has been paid great emphasis for its linkage to the nutrient cycling as well as the global climate changes. Despite the extensive changes in land use, climate, and field management practices that have profoundly affected SOC in Shaanxi Province, few studies have investigated the vertical dynamics of SOC across different soil depths. In this paper, we investigated vertical (0–100 cm with 20 cm intervals) changes of SOC based on soil surveys conducted in 1980s and 2010s in Shaanxi Province as well as three subregions (LP, GP, and QM) by using Geographic Regression Weighted Kriging (GRWK) method. The results indicated that the first four soil layers received 0.87, 0.79, 0.48, and 0.34 g/kg SOC increments, respectively, while SOC decreased by 0.49 g/kg in 80–100 cm. Spatially, most of study area received slight SOC increment (0–2 g/kg) among all soil layers, significant (>4 g/kg) SOC increments were distributed in the junction area of three subregions, while significant (<−4 g/kg) SOC decrement area was occurred in the western QM. SOC was increased in first four soil layers and decreased in 80–100 cm in LP relating to the implement of revegetation program that many cultivated land changed into grassland and forestland. SOC was increased in first two layers and decreased in last three layers in GP relating to the intensive agricultural activities, and it was decreased in the top layers and increased in sublayers in QM due to decreasing trend of NDVI in the western QM. Even several anthropogenic and environmental variables were highly related to SOC dynamics in Shaanxi, human activities were significantly controlled SOC changes than the natural factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streams constitute the water supply of the watersheds and provide the transfer of energy along the course of water, ensuring water biodiversity. Due to the different uses of the earth, the benthic community is being suppressed. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of changes in land use on the abundance, richness, and diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates in subtropical streams, considering the physical and chemical variables of streams seasonally. In total, 144 samples were collected between February 2022 and November 2023 at 12 sites distributed in a watershed in southern Brazil, four sites for each land use. Herein, 83.520 individuals were identified, comprising 67 taxa. There was a decrease in richness along the forested–rural–urban gradient and a greater abundance in the urban environment, without the significant influence of seasonality. We conclude that the diversity of benthic macroinvertebrate in the streams is influenced not only by environmental variables but also by the spatial distribution between streams. The proximity of the streams generates a similarity in dominance. This study contributed to understanding the relationships of the environment with the benthic community and considering the spatial distribution among the streams sampled in future investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Kerala, human-elephant conflicts (HEC) are reported in almost all parts of the Western Ghats region, exceptionally high in Wayanad. In recent years, there has been a notable surge in HEC occurrences throughout the state, leading to the loss of property, animals, and life. The dependency of humans on enclosures, the transformation of natural areas into plantations, and the fragmentation of natural ecosystems are the main reasons for the escalating conflict between people and elephants. As a result, it is necessary to study the suitability of habitat for elephants and ensure their conservation. The study aims to identify suitable elephant habitats in the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary using geospatial data based on their known association with environmental variables. This study employs the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), an approach to determining the weightings of individual parameters in assessing habitat suitability. The analysis findings indicated that the central portion of the study area within the Sultan Bathery (43.63 sq. km), range represents the most suitable area for elephant habitat followed by Kurichat (33.59 sq. km) and Tholpetti (19.45 sq. km). The final output of the study, the Habitat Suitability Map was validated by adding the human-elephant conflict locational data, which illustrates that the Kurichiat range recorded the highest HEC conflict (50%), followed by Muthanga (29%), Sulthan Bathery (12%), and Tholpetti (9%). The map could assist in managing, conserving, and protecting forest resources and aid in decision-making activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring of land use changes and destruction of vegetation as one of the dominant parameters in soil erosion is one of the important issues for assessment and control in natural resource management. The Hyrcanian forests of Gilan province, over the past years, have deteriorated due to neglect and have taken on a different face. So; The purpose of this research is to reveal the changes in land use and the destruction of forest cover and its effects on soil erosion in the watershed of Ghaleroodkhan Fuman. For this purpose, the changes in land use that took place between 1371 and 1402 were extracted using Landsat images and object-oriented classification techniques and were classified (agriculture, forest, pasture, water, and residential). In the next step, by identifying the effective factors in the erosion of the area and preparing the information layers of each criterion in GIS, the standardization of the layers was done using the fuzzy membership function, the weighting of the criteria using the CRITIC method and the final modeling was done using the MARCOS multi-criteria analysis method. The study of the changes in watershed use shows that the forest cover in 1992, with an area of 222.17 square kilometers, had the largest area among the land uses, and in 2023, its area decreased to 205.03 square kilometers. Also considering the results; Residential use with an increase of 27.17 square kilometers has changed the most during the 30 years of study. According to the erosion zoning map, respectively; The area of the floor with very high and high erosion potential has increased from 18.04 and 31.05 percent in 1992 to 22.52 and 32.34 percent in 2023. According to the obtained results, it is possible to reduce the forest cover and convert it into residential areas, agricultural lands, and pastures, as well; He considered the conversion of agricultural lands to residential areas and the increase of residential and agricultural use in the boundaries and riverbeds as the most important factors involved in increasing the soil erosion potential of the basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities affect all ecosystems, within that the grasslands have often been subject to intensive modification due to agricultural use and fragmentation. The result is a biodiversity crisis, on which detailed agri-environment schemes can help. For the compilation of perspective schemes, it is crucial to know the minimal area that can provide habitats for stable, species-rich insect assemblages in optimal land use. This research aimed to collect detailed data for phrasing patch-size centric conservation strategies on orthopteran assemblages, being an umbrella taxon, in two areas of the Pannonian Ecoregion. In narrow (radius = 25 m) and broader (r = 50, 75, 100 m) environments of the assemblages, we have searched for that habitat patch size, where the primary vegetation characteristics (cover, height, composition) affect the main features of the orthopteran assemblages and relative abundances of the species to the highest degree. According to our results, ecotype diversity of orthopteran assemblages showed the strongest correlations with average maximum grassland height and density at the finest studied scale (r = 25 m). Still, the vegetation heterogeneity significantly determines the life-form diversity of the assemblages in the larger habitat patches. Consequently, a minimum of one hectare-sized well-managed habitat patches are needed to conserve diverse, species-rich orthopteran assemblages. Specific conservation implications are adequate for preserving the main characteristics of the minimal-sized grassland patches under global warming are simulate the traditional low-intensity land use (dominated by mowing diversified both spatially and temporally). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study contributes to understanding ecological changes in land use following slash-and-burn land clearing. This study aimed to compare the richness and density of plant species and soil fertility in farmland cultivated for one year (1 Y), three years (3 Y), and five years (5 Y) after slash-andburn, with the conditions in the secondary forest (SF) in Berau Regency of East Kalimantan. Understory plant taxon types, numbers, and soil organic matter were measured in each region using a series of nested plots. The size of each observation plot was 20 x 100 m. Data on understory vegetation composition was collected using 1 x 1 m mini plots at 20 sampling points and divided into five blocks, with a 10 m spacing between sampling points on each property. Understory vegetation species and cover percentage, litter cover percentage, open soil percentage, and soil fertility were measured for each observation plot. The results showed that the land cover percentage increased each year during the 5 years transition from secondary forest to farmland. Furthermore, within the 5 years, there was a change in understory species, particularly the presence of grasses and sedges at 3 and 5 years after the land use change. However, the transition from secondary forest to farmland within 5 years did not alter soil organic matter and total nitrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Songhuajiang River basin (SRB) in Northeast China underwent obvious changes in land use in recent years, which might lead to intense changes in basin hydrology and water conservation. Therefore, to evaluate the effects of land use changes on the hydrological cycle and associated water conservation in the SRB, a calibrated Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used. The model auto-calibration was conducted using the SWAT-CUP (SWAT Calibration and Uncertainty Procedures) tool. Results revealed that calibration of three crop yields of corn (Zea mays L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.), and soybean (Glycine max L.) during the study period (2001–2018) had the Percent BIAS (PBIAS) values of −8.7 %∼3.0 %, 6.2 %∼19.7 %, and −8.7 %∼7.2 %, respectively in 15 zones. Good agreements were obtained for simulated results of streamflow in comparison with measured data from 12 hydrological stations, in which the overall Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) values for the calibration (2009–2012) and validation (2013–2015) periods were 0.60 and 0.64, respectively, and the overall PBIAS values were 7.7 % and 15.4 %. For the land use changes, the hydrological cycle of corn to rice (all hydrological variables change by more than 18 %) was more complex and intense than that of corn to soybean (all hydrological variables change not exceed 5 %). According to the simulation results of water conservation, this study found that the implementation of the policy-driven replacement of corn with soybean in the SRB was feasible. As for the economy-driven conversion from corn to rice, it is necessary to consider the substantial impacts on the hydrological cycle and the decline in water conservation. Based on simulation results, it is not recommended that producers in the Western SRB promote corn to rice conversion.

Scientific understanding of the changes in the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus is crucial for regional development. As the spatial foundation of human activities, land use plays a pivotal role in shaping WEF nexus relations. However, little research has fully explored the impacts of land use changes within the WEF nexus from the human activities perspective. In this study, a novel theoretical framework was developed according to the logic flow “human activities-land use–WEF nexus”. Based on the LUI, the WEF score, and the ICCD between land use changes and WEF, the WEF score of various scenarios was forecasted using the ARIMA model. The findings revealed the various land use structures and LUI among nine provinces, with more intensive land use in lower reaches. During two decades, a discernible increase in both WEF system scores and ICCD was found in YRB. The WEF scores of all provinces had surpassed the threshold of 0.3 for two decades, and Inner Mongolia grew the fastest from 0.223 to 0.524. The ICCD of nine provinces evolved with fluctuations, from an imminent unbalanced or near coordination level in 2000 to primary coordination or moderate coordination level in 2020. The optimal land use scenarios varied across provinces, attributed to factors such as resource and environmental constraints (Qinghai and Sichuan), specialized agriculture or industry (Gansu, Ningxia, and Inner Mongolia), differentiated zonal characteristics (Shaanxi and Shanxi), and rapid industrialization and urbanization (Henan and Shandong). To attain sustainable development within the YRB, it is imperative to formulate differentiated land use strategies in each province, and universal strategies should also be established for each land use type.

Abruzzo Periadriatic Area (Central Italy) is sadly acknowledged as highly exposed to geo-hydrological hazards, with small-to-medium size catchments and urban areas strongly affected by natural phenomena. In the present work, the Pescara River basin, hit in the past by several floods and concurrent superficial landslides due to localized and intense rain events, has been studied. A screening of morphometry, land use changes, rainfall datasets, and flooding-related effects on landscape has been carried out, both at the catchment and local scales. A morphometric and geomorphological approach was applied, supported by GIS software and implemented with literature data. It allowed us to derive insights about the interaction between land use changes and geo-hydrological phenomena. Over the past 60 years, the study area underwent increases in built-up areas from ~16 km2 in 1955 to ~67 km2 in 2019 with significant sprawl at low altitude. Rainfall datasets outlined moderate-to-low annual precipitation with occasional heavy rainfall events (>100 mm/d and 30–40 mm/h). Historical and recent events (~35 events over a 100-year period) linked to landscape and geomorphological processes were also counted. Resulting data allowed to implement knowledge about the present-day geomorphological arrangement of the basin, providing information for land management in a changing environment. These findings provide valuable insights for future urban planning, policy formulation, and sustainable development initiatives, readily available to interested stakeholders.

The comprehensive effect of multi-source factors has altered the landscape pattern and ecological processes within the Beijing-Tianjin Sandstorm Source Control Project (BTSSCP) area, resulting in a fragile environment. Scientific evaluation of the landscape ecological risk (LER) in the project area and identification of the drivers of landscape ecological risk are crucial for preventing and resolving ecological risks and protecting the ecosystem in northern China. This study aims to establish an ecological risk assessment framework, analyze the spatiotemporal changes in the LER in the BTSSCP area from 2000 to 2020, evaluate different factors in depth using the Geodetector model, and predict the LER in 2030 under multiple development scenarios using the patch-generating land use model. The results showed that (1) the dominant land use type in the BTSSCP area was grassland, accounting for more than 50 % of the total area, followed by cropland, unused land, and woodland. (2) The average LERI values in the BTSSCP area for 2000, 2010, and 2020 were 0.023, 0.022, and 0.021, respectively. This demonstrates that the LER in the study as a whole was low and steadily declined. (3) The LER in the project area was influenced by multiple factors. Overall, the evolution of the LER in the study area was primarily affected by natural factors, and the amount of interaction among the multiple factors increased over time. Locally, the normalized difference vegetation index and mean annual temperature were both important factors in this area.

Land use changes significantly threaten urban areas, especially in developing countries such as Pakistan, impacting the thermal environment and comfort of human life. The ongoing transformations in cities such as Lahore, the second largest and rapidly expanding urban center in Pakistan, are alarming due to the removal of green cover and the disruption of ecological structures. In response to these concerns, this study was conducted to assess and predict the implications of observed land use changes in Lahore. The analysis employed three Landsat images from 1990, 2005, and 2020, using ArcGIS and Idrisi Selva software. The results show that the built-up area increased almost 100% (16.44% to 32.48%) during the last three decades. Consequently, a substantial shift from low to medium and medium to high degrees of LST was observed. The projections indicate a further 50% expansion of the built-up area, encroaching upon green cover until 2050, shifting more areas under a higher LST spectrum. So, the study concludes that Lahore is facing imminent threats from rapid land use changes caused by higher land surface temperature in the study area, necessitating prompt attention and decisive action. The study area is at risk of losing its conducive environment and the desirable uniformity of the thermal environment. Therefore, it is recommended that green cover be strategically enhanced to offset the rise in built-up areas and ensure a sustainable thermal environment.

Plantations of exotic trees were proposed as an alternative to restore native forests in degraded lands, because they can attract seed dispersers and modulate the microclimate beneath their canopies. However, the large-scale introduction of exotic tree plantations can negatively affect native species by high competitiveness for soil resources and light, while they can also release allelopathic compounds that inhibit the germination and growth of other plants. In this study, we tested the suitability of Eucalyptus camaldulensis plantations to assist the restoration of degraded lands in central Mexico, which were originally covered with oak forests. For this, we sampled soil seed banks within forest remnants and plantations, which showed that the animal-mediated dispersal of oak propagules from forests inwards plantations is reduced. Additionally, we conducted germination trials that evidenced that the leaves of Eucalyptus trees contain allelopathic compounds that inhibit the germination of oaks seeds, also showing that these compounds accumulate in the soil of plantations. We finally conducted field experiments in which soil form forests and plantations were translocated between these two habitats, and acorns were sowed on both soil types. These field experiments revealed that, besides the accumulation of allelopathic compounds in soils of plantations, oak recruitment in these habitats is also impaired by unfavorable microclimatic conditions. Therefore, we conclude that Eucalyptus plantations are not promoting the recovery of native oak forests in central Mexico and, instead, alternative ecological restoration methods should be applied for reaching this aim. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of different management measures of afforestation on SWC (a) and the Pearson correlation coefficient between different impact factors of afforestation and the R (b) in northern China. [Display omitted] • We collected data comprising 1226 observations at 98 sites in northern China to assess the variation in soil water content (SWC) by afforestation. • The SWC has been decreased at rates of 0.6 mm decade–1 and 3.2 mm decade–1 by coniferous forest and broadleaf forest, respectively. • The effects of afforestation on soil water depend on prior land use types, tree taxa and the mean annual precipitation regime. • Afforestation might lead to a soil water deficit crisis in northern China in the long term at the regional scale. Trading water for carbon has cautioned large-scale afforestation in global drylands. However, model simulations suggested that the consumption of soil water could be partially offset by increasing precipitation due to vegetation feedback. A systematic meta-analysis of long-term and large-scale field observations is urgently required to address the abovementioned limitations, and the implementation of large-scale afforestation since 1978 in northern China provides an ideal example. This study collected data comprising 1226 observations from 98 sites in northern China to assess the variation in soil water content (SWC) with stand age after afforestation and discuss the effects of tree species, precipitation and conversions of land use types on SWC. We found that the SWC has been decreased by coniferous forest and broadleaf forest at rates of 0.6 and 3.2 mm decade–1, respectively, since 1978. There is a significant declining trend of SWC with the stand age of plantations, and the optimum growth stage for plantation forest is 0–20 a in northern China. However, we found increases in SWC for the conversion from grassland to forest and in the low-precipitation region, both are corresponding to the increased SWC in coniferous forest. Our study implies that afforestation might lead to a soil water deficit crisis in northern China in the long term at the regional scale but depends on prior land use types, tree taxa and the mean annual precipitation regime, which sheds light on decision-making regarding ecological restoration policies and water resource management in drylands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The rising global population has increased land demand due to the increased need for agricultural and settlement spaces. Land ownership security tremendously impacts environmental sustainability because it influences ecological decisions. Kenya's land ownership and land use changes nexus has not received sufficient attention. Consequently, we explored this research gap in Mwatate Sub County, Taita County, Kenya. Methods: A sample size of 301 households was selected using stratified proportionate and simple random sampling techniques. A cross-sectional survey research design was used, while data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires. The Neo-Malthusian theory was adopted as a theoretical framework. Results: Results revealed that most (85.6%) households had insecure land ownership rights. Most (64.1%) households inherited land and had no Title deeds. Accordingly, findings reveal unsustainable land use practices, including deforestation, tree logging, high fuelwood use, bush clearance for human settlement and cultivation, poor farming methods, and overreliance on agriculture for livelihood. Using a 95% confidence level, Chi-square tests revealed a significant relationship between agricultural land use changes and land ownership security. Our findings concluded that insecure land ownership influenced agricultural expansion, deforestation, clearing of land for human settlement, and the type of farming techniques adopted by farmers. Implications for Conservation: Taita Taveta is a vital biodiversity hotspot that continues to be degraded by human activities. The correlation between land ownership and land use changes established by our study confirms the impending land degradation and threat to biodiversity loss. This is coupled with the concern that approximately 62% and 11% of the county are under a National Park and sisal estates, respectively, implying a growing threat to biodiversity loss and the need for enhanced conservation efforts in the area. This calls for the need to address the constant land issues in the area to incentivize sustainable land use practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions, transportation, and the transformation of land use caused by population growth is a critical problem that requires immediate and urgent interventions, especially in popular tourism destinations where the impact on quality of life is intense. In recent years, while new urban developments have been carried out for higher education institutions, less attention has been paid to the environmental implications of such expansions. Surprisingly, despite a growing interest in climate change action in educational institutions, little is known about the link between Land Surface Temperature (LST) variability and Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI) of university campuses and their host communities. To fill the gaps mentioned earlier, this study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the spatial and temporal variability of the SUHI and the LST within a university campus and its surrounding urban environment. Using Sentinel 3 images and the TsHARP algorithm, the LST was determined, the SUHI was calculated, and the hot spots were obtained in an educational tourism hub; Famagusta, Cyprus. The Panel Data and ANOVA techniques were used for the subsequent analysis of the findings. Findings indicated that due to its low-rise buildings and large green areas, the studied campus not only had little contribution to the creation of SUHI but even minimized its effects on the urban areas attached to it. These findings provide valuable implications for authorities in standardizing criteria for future university establishments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on remote sensing images and measurements of soil organic carbon content (including 28 sample sites, 112 soil samples from forests, grasslands, croplands, and construction lands), methods including Sen's trend analysis, Hurst exponent, partial correlation analysis, and the InVEST model were employed to investigate the spatiotemporal variations in vegetation and carbon storage of the mountainous ecosystem in northeastern Guangdong province. The results show that; (1) The research area exhibits relatively high vegetation coverage, with a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) ranging from 0.14 to 0.95 and an average value of 0.79. From 2000 to 2021, the vegetation coverage of the study region increased. Apart from the city area of Meizhou, the rest showed varying degrees of NDVI increase, especially in mountainous areas, where it showed a trend of rising and subsequently declining with elevation. The Hurst exponent (<0.5) implies a potential declining trend in vegetation changes in the study area. (2) From 2000 to 2020, the carbon storage in the study area displayed a decreasing trend, amounting to a total reduction of 1.33 teragrams (Tg). Land use changes, particularly the conversion of forests and grasslands into agricultural and urban areas, are the primary reasons for the decrease in carbon storage in the study area. The conclusions can serve as fundamental data for investigating the changes in carbon sequestration functionality within subtropical ecosystems in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use and land cover (LULC) change is the variable with the maximum influence on carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems, due to a fundamental alteration of the ecosystem, structure, function, and variability over time. Understanding the dynamics of aboveground carbon stocks in underway constructions and urban expansions is crucial to provide a basis for land use management and planning. The objective of this study was to analyze the spatiotemporal dynamics of aboveground carbon storage and assess how the LULC change is affected by human intervention, as well as how aboveground carbon stocks respond to these changes in the tropical highland landscape of Jatigede. In this study, changes in aboveground carbon stocks were investigated between 2014 and 2021 by using the integrated valuation of ecosystem services and tradeoffs (InVEST) model. The results revealed that the total aboveground carbon stock decreased between 2014 and 2021. Forests showed the greatest decline in the aboveground carbon stock in terms of space. The primary cause of the reduction in the aboveground carbon stock was the conversion of vegetated land to agricultural and urban land cover. The aboveground carbon stock change was also caused by the continuing construction, which resulted in the extension of construction zones. However, an increase in the aboveground carbon stock was mostly observed in mixed gardens that were close to forest areas. The preservation of mixed gardens as a tree-based agroforestry system can be suggested for enhancing the aboveground carbon stock, as mixed gardens play a significant role in carbon storage in the midst of the increasingly massive deforestation due to the expansion of urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural environment consists of flora and fauna, providing valuable services for human livelihood, termed ecosystem services (ES). These ES consist of four significant biomes, of which water is one of the subbiomes. Due to anthropogenic activities, visible changes are seen in land patterns, which has a diverse effect on these water bodies. Monitoring these changes plays a vital role in the present-day scenario. The water availability at the upper Ganga basin (UGB) has the potential to develop the state economy by producing hydropower. Hence, the main aim of this work is to estimate the annual water yield and understand the quantity of water yield produced from each Land Use Land Cover (LULC) class in the study area using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) model. The study captures the impact of LULC changes on water yield for three decades from 1985 to 2014. The results are obtained in pixel-level computations, which are incorporated with the spatial variation of parameters in the model application; it shows that the Evergreen needleleaf forest (ENF) plays a significant role in boosting water yield. The outputs obtained by the model are in good agreement with pixel-level formation. This study helps decision-makers take proper steps to increase water yield of the study area and is ideal for application in mountainous regions and other river basins where quality and quantifying ES are critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use types, land development and utilization intensity within watersheds have changed based on intensifying human activities and climate change, thereby inducing spatiotemporal variations in non-point source pollution (NPS), significantly impacting soil and water quality. This study performed a case study on an ecological environment functional zone at the northern foot of Qinling Mountains, an area strongly affected by human activities and land use changes. It employed an improved potential non-point pollution index (PNPI) model to analyze potential non-point source pollution (PNPS) and associated risk evolution characteristics in watershed over the past 30 years. The results indicate that from 1990 to 2020, the dominant land use categories were forest and arable land, making up 95 % of the entire watershed area. Notably, urban residential land presented the most significant expansion rates and nearly doubled in area between 1990 and 2020, whereas shrubland, grassland, and unused land showed a decreasing trend. With the application of the quantile classification method, PNPS risk values were divided into five categories: very low, low, moderate, high, and very high. A polarized trend in risk was observed, with increases in areas influenced by human activities and rapid expansion of very high-risk regions. Concurrently, the pollution risk in the upstream water source area decreased. In recent years, accelerated urbanization has been the main driver causing expansion of high PNPS risk regions. This study explores the spatial and temporal evolution of PNPS risk in the Heihe Basin by using an improved PNPI model. The improved model is more accurate in calculations and provides a better understanding of the distribution of PNPS, which is an important reference for watershed management and water resource governance.

The study of changes in grassland was conducted on the territory of individual counties of the West Pomeranian Voivodship. Based on data collected in the Valorisation of the Agricultural Production Space of Poland and spatial data (an electronic 1:5000 soil and agricultural map) the basic information on the use of agricultural land in the 70s of the 20th century. Changes in use over time were analysed based on data the Statistics Poland (Pol.: Główny Urząd Statystyczny – GUS), General Geographic Database and The Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture Crop Register (Pol.: Agencja Restrukturyzacji i Modernizacji Rolnictwa – ARiMR). The studies showed that in the West Pomeranian Voivodship, a successive decrease in the share of permanent grasslands (0.9%) and arable lands (1.4%) is observed. There is a spatial variation in the share of permanent grassland in the province’s counties, with a distinction between northern and southern counties. The main direction of change in grassland area is arable land, which applies to counties with the highest share of permanent grassland (PG) and counties with a high share of the best soils and forest direction. Land quality was the main factor determining the direction of grassland changes, with the best PG converted to arable land or for investment purposes. In contrast, the weakest were converted to forestry or spontaneously wooded through abandonment. The main reasons for changes in grassland areas in the West Pomeranian Voivodship were: conversion of use to arable land, afforestation of grasslands, land use for urban planning purposes, leaving land fallow and conversion for constructing fishponds.

Socio-economic changes, technical progress, and a variety of funding and planning interventions have significantly changed land use in Central Europe since World War II. The aim of this study was to illustrate these changes in the Alpine foothills in Bavaria and to calculate the effects of these changes on soil erosion. This was performed in a two-step procedure: a GIS-based orthophoto evaluation and a cause–effect model using the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE). Key findings were that field sizes (+370%) and lengths (+35%) have changed significantly since the 1960s. Moreover, the uninterrupted runoff paths on arable land have increased in length by about 70% on average, with corresponding effects on soil erosion. The discussion shows that the possibilities for erosion control measures in the field are already severely limited due to the effects of the climate crisis and structural changes in agriculture. Furthermore, the often-assumed rule, according to which only a small part of the arable land causes a large share of the eroded material, was largely confirmed. The findings underline the overlapping impacts of land use change and climate crisis on agriculture erosions rates with the need for integrative and adaptive management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the mutual impact of land use change and soil erosion has become a major environmental concern. Therefore, this study tried to investigate the changes in different land uses and evaluate the impacts of land use changes on soil erosion in Givi city. To achieve the goals of the research, first, a land use map was prepared using the object-oriented method for the two periods of 2000 and 2021. Then, according to the natural and human conditions of the area, other effective factors for erosion in the area were identified and the information layers of each of the criteria were prepared by the geographic information system. Evaluation and standardization of layers were done using the fuzzy membership function and weighting of the criteria was done using the CRITIC method. The final analysis and modeling were done using the MABAC method as one of the Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methods. The results showed that the largest area in 2000 is related to good and medium pastures, recording 313.172 and 283.144 square kilometers, respectively. In 2021, the biggest areas are related to poor pastures and barren lands, with 335.077 and 329.815 square kilometers, respectively. According to the 2000 erosion zoning map, 16.34% and 20.36% of the city and according to the 2021 erosion zoning, 22.92% and 25.58% of the city's area are in very high and high erosions, respectively. Decreasing good and average pastures and lands with dense vegetation and turning them into agricultural areas, poor pastures, and man-made and barren lands have had the greatest impact on soil erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carrying out land use statistics through remote sensors and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) allows obtaining not only numerical information but also thematic mapping of land uses. It is an important element for the analysis of territorial dynamics, allowing for interpretations to be made about the functioning and structure of the space to be analyzed, which results in very useful information for researchers or decision makers in general. This article presents the results of the analysis of the mapping of peri-urban land uses obtained by remote sensing in the period 1990-2023, for four neighborhoods in the city of Santa Rosa, La Pampa. The dynamics of the main land uses of the study area are analyzed, through the quantification and spatial distribution of eight identified categories: continuous and discontinuous urban; in the process of urbanization or vacant; industrial, commercial and other non-residential uses; urban equipment; horticultural crops and water. For the study and evolution of spatial distribution patterns of these categories, a cartographic overlay methodology is proposed by using GIS tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon density change and land use change are important factors in the spatiotemporal evolution of ecosystem carbon stock. Accurately assessing regional carbon stock and analyzing its relationship with land use patterns and carbon density change are of great value to regional ecosystem protection and sustainable social and economic development. In order to effectively evaluate the carbon stock in North China, this study divided the target area into 5 sub-regions, and a variety of methods were used to calculate the carbon density in each sub-region over different time periods. The classic InVEST model was selected to evaluate carbon stock evolution under changes in land use and carbon density from 2000 to 2015. The results show that the carbon stock in North China in 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015 were 1.301 × 1010 t, 1.325 × 1010 t, 1.332 × 1010 t and 1.366 × 1010 t, respectively, with a cumulative increase of 6.506 × 108 t. As two main factors, the land use type change and carbon density change showed different influences on the carbon stock of different regions and different ecosystems, but the former had a greater impact in North China during 2000–2015. Converting farmland to forest and grassland and converting bare land to grassland increased carbon stock, while converting farmland to building land reduced carbon stock. In addition, the carbon density of most land use types in each sub-region increased from 2000 to 2015, which further caused the increase in carbon stock. The carbon stock in North China had a significant spatial pattern of high in the east and low in the west, and this distribution pattern is closely related to land use. This research can provide scientific reference for land use management decision-making and sustainable carbon stock function in North China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowing the temporal and spatial changes of land use and the formation of heat islands over time is one of the most important issues in metropolitan planning and policy making. Thus, in this study heat islands and temperature changes and its relationship with land use changes have been monitored over a period of 35 years in two study areas, i.e. the cities of Mashhad and Sari, using the Google Earth Engine platform. For this purpose, the LST was computed and the land use maps of the studied periods were extracted during 8 time steps of 5 years from 1985 to 2020. The aim of this study is to investigate the spatial autocorrelation of heat islands and its relationship with land use in two studied regions with different climatic conditions. The results of temperature monitoring showed an increase in temperature between 1 to 2 °C in all types of land uses during 35 years. This increasing trend of temperature is proportional to the type of land use changes, so that the temperature increase in built-up lands was estimated to be 2 and 1.75 degrees Celsius in the cities of Sari and Mashhad, respectively. The average temperature of the three months of summer in Mashhad city in built-up areas has increased from 34.5°C to 36.25°C and in Sari city from 29.51°C to 31.51°C. while the minimum increase in temperature has occurred in the lands with forest coverage, which is 1.02 °C and 1.19 °C, respectively in the cities of Sari and Mashhad. Conclusively, in both climatic regions, the areas where the changes are in the direction of reducing or removing vegetation and creating residential areas, the temperature increase is the maximum, and the areas where the changes are in the direction of increasing forests and agricultural lands, the temperature increase is the minimum.

This research investigates the dynamic interplay between land use changes and landscape ecological risks in China’s Jiangsu Province, specifically focusing on the Huai River-Gaoyou Lake region. Leveraging multi-temporal remote sensing data from 2000 to 2020, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of shifting land cover patterns and their implications. Employing geostatistical techniques, we developed a landscape ecological risk assessment model to quantify ecological vulnerabilities. Additionally, we conducted a resident satisfaction survey aligned with the “Production–Living–Ecological” framework to gain insights into societal perceptions of land use dynamics. Our findings reveal significant land use shifts driven by urbanization, industrialization, and agricultural modernization. While farmland areas have decreased, water bodies and artificial surfaces have expanded, reflecting societal demands and economic growth. The landscape ecological risk assessment model highlights localized vulnerabilities, emphasizing the intricate relationship between land use changes and ecological risks. The resident satisfaction survey indicates overall contentment with various aspects of land use, especially in terms of residential comfort and transportation convenience. However, ecological concerns underscore the need for a balanced approach to land management that prioritizes ecological sustainability alongside economic development.

This study proposes an exploratory urban morphology agent-based model (ABM) to simulate the combined impact of the establishment of hub facilities that urban residents can conveniently access, policies for promoting human interactions around them, and the introduction of trams amidst dispersed habitations in peripheral urban areas. The proposed model offers a new perspective on ways to improve the urban environment. It describes a shift from dispersed habitation to concentrated habitation in a bottom-up manner through behavioural changes at the micro level, which lead to productive human interactions in an urban setting. Specifically, the model experimentally demonstrates a trade-off between increased human interactions caused by the introduction of hub facilities that attract a diverse range of activities, and policies that promote such interactions and development amongst dispersed habitation. Additionally, the model suggests that the direction of urban growth is a consequence of collective action, implying that collaborative efforts can facilitate its improvement.

Abstract Urban sprawl is a global phenomenon that has resulted in a substantial impact on ecosystem services. This study assessed how land use changes have affected the ecosystem services in Dhaka and Gazipur districts, two important economic centers of Bangladesh. This study analyzed changes in land use categories and their effects on ecosystem services during a thirty-year period, from 1990 to 2020, using LandSat data and published coefficient values. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis was undertaken to evaluate the ramifications of altering these coefficients on the resultant estimated values. The study revealed that in both Dhaka and Gazipur districts, the expansion of settlement areas and the reduction in tree vegetation cover have led to a significant decline in the overall value of ecosystem services. Over a 30-year timeframe, Gazipur experienced a more substantial loss in tree vegetation cover compared to Dhaka, whereas Dhaka witnessed a greater increase in settlement areas than Gazipur. Remarkably, during the most recent decade (2010–2020), the Gazipur district encountered heightened urban expansion and a more significant reduction in tree vegetation compared to Dhaka. The loss of the entire ecosystem service value was significant, amounting to USD 206.24 million for Dhaka and USD 381.27 million for Gazipur. This loss was primarily attributed to the decline in agricultural land, water bodies, rivers, and a reduction in tree vegetation. The study recommends that a more responsible land-use plan be created to protect tree vegetation, sustainable agriculture, and water bodies, which have the highest ecosystem service value in the study area. Overall, this study highlights the need for sustainable land-use techniques and offers insightful information about how urbanization affects ecosystem services in the investigated areas.

The prevention of ecological risks is a critical determinant influencing sustainable development. Driven by rapid socio-economic development, the ecosystems of mountainous cities within agro-pastoral transition zones are increasingly vulnerable to complex disturbances, constituting a significant threat to sustainable development and human well-being. To help achieve sustainable development, it is essential to conduct research on addressing and mitigating ecological risks from the perspective of collaborative management networks in mountainous cities. Taking Zhangjiakou as the study area, this paper employed the land use transfer matrix and standard deviation ellipse methods to analyze the dynamic land use changes. Additionally, using Fragstats 4,2 to calculate the landscape indices with land use data, this paper evaluated the landscape ecological risk (LER) from 2000 to 2020. Furthermore, the social network analysis (SNA) method was utilized to explore the spatial correlation characteristics of the LER. The findings indicate that: (1) Cultivated land and grassland were the predominant land use types in Zhangjiakou. During 2000–2020, Zhangjiakou experienced significant changes in land use, dominated by the transfer among cultivated land, forestland, and grassland. It indicated that the issue of unstable ecological land use continued to exist. Affected by human activities, construction land showed a consistent upward trend, primarily concentrated in the urban built-up areas and areas along the Jing-Zhang Railway. (2) The LER of Zhangjiakou was predominantly characterized by low risk, medium risk, and high risk levels. In the transitional areas and foothills, the LER was relatively higher. During 2000–2020, Zhangjiakou showed a declining trend of LER. This suggested that the ecological protection policies in Zhangjiakou were effective, leading to an improvement in the local ecological environment. (3) The LER in Zhangjiakou demonstrated a spatial clustering pattern that exhibited an upward trend, which was supported by both spatial autocorrelation and the SNA analysis. In the LER collaborative management network, Xuanhua, Qiaodong, Qiaoxi, Wanquan and Zhangbei consistently upheld pivotal roles. Based on the number of inward and outward connections, 16 counties in Zhangjiakou were classified into four categories and three zones accompanied by corresponding recommendations. The findings of this study can serve as a valuable reference for subsequent landscape pattern optimization and ecological restoration in Zhangjiakou.

Streams constitute the water supply of the watersheds and provide the transfer of energy along the course of water, ensuring water biodiversity. Due to the different uses of the earth, the benthic community is being suppressed. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of changes in land use on the abundance, richness, and diversity of benthic macroinvertebrates in subtropical streams, considering the physical and chemical variables of streams seasonally. In total, 144 samples were collected between February 2022 and November 2023 at 12 sites distributed in a watershed in southern Brazil, four sites for each land use. Herein, 83.520 individuals were identified, comprising 67 taxa. There was a decrease in richness along the forested–rural–urban gradient and a greater abundance in the urban environment, without the significant influence of seasonality. We conclude that the diversity of benthic macroinvertebrate in the streams is influenced not only by environmental variables but also by the spatial distribution between streams. The proximity of the streams generates a similarity in dominance. This study contributed to understanding the relationships of the environment with the benthic community and considering the spatial distribution among the streams sampled in future investigations.

Landslide susceptibility maps (LSMs) are valuable tools typically used by local authorities for land use management and planning activities, supporting decision-makers in urban and infrastructure planning. To address this, we proposed a refined method for landslide susceptibility assessment, which comprehensively considered both static and dynamic factors. Neural network methods were used for susceptibility analysis. Land use and land cover (LULC) change and InSAR deformation were then integrated into the traditional susceptibility zoning to obtain a refined susceptibility map with higher accuracy. Validation was conducted on the improved landslide susceptibility map using site landslide data. The results showed that the LULC were proven to be the core driving factors for landslide occurrence in the study area. The GRU model achieved the highest model performance (AUC = 0.886). The introduction of InSAR surface deformation and land use and land cover change data could rationalize the inappropriateness of traditional landslide susceptibility zoning, correcting the false positive and false negative areas in the traditional landslide susceptibility map caused by human activities. Ultimately, 12.25% of the study area was in high-susceptibility zones, with 3.10% of false positive and 0.74% of false negative areas being corrected. The proposed method enabled refined analysis of landslide susceptibility over large areas, providing technical support and disaster prevention and mitigation references for geological hazard susceptibility assessment and land management planning.