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The spatial-temporal distribution pattern of China's cultivated land has changed dramatically from 1990 to 2020, and the problem of cultivated land fragmentation has become more prominent. However, the existing research lacks a focus on the two specific land use types, paddy fields and dryland. In this study, the spatiotemporal distribution pattern and the fragmentation driving mechanism of paddy field and dryland during the years 1990 to 2020 were identified by using the center of gravity center migration model, standard deviation ellipse, and land-use dynamic model for the urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River as an example. The results show that there are significant differences in the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of paddy field and dryland in the MRYRUA. Among the provinces and cities, Hubei province and its Xiangyang city showed the most obvious trend of change. The loss and gain of paddy fields and dryland is related to economic and policy contexts in each period. The main driving factor of paddy field and dryland fragmentation is natural condition, whereas a relatively important factor is the per capita disposable income of rural residents. The effects of each factor on paddy field and dryland fragmentation were not independent; any two factor interactions had a stronger effect on paddy field and dryland fragmentation than a single factor. In general, this study provides guidance and references for the main grain-producing areas undergoing rapid urbanization relating to cultivated land conservation, food security, and sustainable agricultural utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore ways to improve the resilience of the agricultural system and rural households in major grain-producing areas in China, a case study was performed in Gaoyangdian Town, which is located in a traditional agricultural area in Henan Province. The process of the adaptive cycle and characteristics of the agricultural system in different phases were analyzed. Additionally, the livelihood resilience of different rural households in the study area was quantitatively evaluated using the CRITIC-TOPSIS method. The study explored the correlation mechanism between the resilience of the agricultural system and farmers′ livelihoods. The results showed that since the 1950s, the agricultural system of Gaoyangdian Town has experienced two complete adaptive cycles. Farmers′ livelihoods gradually diversified from subsistence smallholder farming to large-scale operations and cultivation of new agricultural management entities. Climate change,institutional reform, policy responses, industrialization and urbanization, and technological innovation were the main drivers of the adaptive cycle. Based on the source and proportion of farmers′ income, rural households in the study area were divided into five types：traditional farming, regular earnings, self-employment, social security dependent, and part-time balance. Significant differences in livelihood resilience were evident among these types. The differentiation of farmers′ livelihoods resulted from the joint action of farmers′ independent development ability and external forces, including national policies, market forces, and social relations. Nested scales and mutual influences were observed between the agricultural system′ s resilience and farmers′ livelihood resilience, which manifested as the resilience of the agricultural system as a whole when farmers′ livelihood resilience accumulated to a certain extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial-temporal distribution pattern of China’s cultivated land has changed dramatically from 1990 to 2020, and the problem of cultivated land fragmentation has become more prominent. However, the existing research lacks a focus on the two specific land use types, paddy fields and dryland. In this study, the spatiotemporal distribution pattern and the fragmentation driving mechanism of paddy field and dryland during the years 1990 to 2020 were identified by using the center of gravity center migration model, standard deviation ellipse, and land-use dynamic model for the urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River as an example. The results show that there are significant differences in the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of paddy field and dryland in the MRYRUA. Among the provinces and cities, Hubei province and its Xiangyang city showed the most obvious trend of change. The loss and gain of paddy fields and dryland is related to economic and policy contexts in each period. The main driving factor of paddy field and dryland fragmentation is natural condition, whereas a relatively important factor is the per capita disposable income of rural residents. The effects of each factor on paddy field and dryland fragmentation were not independent; any two factor interactions had a stronger effect on paddy field and dryland fragmentation than a single factor. In general, this study provides guidance and references for the main grain-producing areas undergoing rapid urbanization relating to cultivated land conservation, food security, and sustainable agricultural utilization.