Land, Volume 13, Issue 5 (May 2024) – 101 articles

Clarifying the relationship between urbanization and farmland abandonment in urban agglomerations (UAs) is crucial to guide the formulation of arable land management policies and strategies for sustainable urban development. Despite numerous studies confirming the correlation between farmland abandonment and certain urbanization factors, the exploration of the patterns and underlying mechanisms of farmland abandonment in China’s UAs remains worthy of systematic investigation. In this study, we conducted an analysis of the spatiotemporal trends in farmland abandonment and examined the key drivers of farmland abandonment in four representative Chinese UAs—Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH), Chengdu–Chongqing (CC), Pearl River Delta (PRD), and Yangtze River Delta (YRD). Our findings reveal that farmland abandonment has been intensified with increasing fragmentation and aggregation patches across these UAs. Abandonment experience was the main driver of continuous abandonment. Moreover, natural conditions persistently influenced farmland abandonment in the BTH, while land urbanization and economic urbanization were predominant drivers in the CC. The abandonment in the PRD was mainly driven by population urbanization, while the abandonment in the YRD was primarily driven by economic urbanization and land urbanization. The research findings provide data support and scientific explanation for land policy-making in these typical UAs under different development strategies. Full article

Lowland tropical rainforests provide an abundance of biodiversity as well as dynamic and stable ecosystems. These forests include tropical peat forests in various locations and forest types that have vegetation structure and composition characteristics, and carbon stocks that still need to be explored more deeply. Research on the structure and the composition of the vegetation and carbon stock in the old secondary peat forest was carried out in the protected areas of Bukit Batu, Riau Province, and Muara Merang, South Sumatra Province. Based on a 1-hectare permanent plot established in Bukit Batu and Muara Merang, 25 subplots of 20 m by 20 m were established in each location for measurement purposes. The results showed that Bukit Batu and Muara Merang had 42 and 36 species belonging to 26 and 20 families, respectively. Bukit Batu had a species diversity index (H’) of 2.93, and the dominant tree species were Palaquium xanthochymum with an importance value index (IVI) = 66.27%, Eugenia sp. (IVI = 32.76%), and Litsea sp. (IVI = 18.39%). The Muara Merang location had a species diversity index (H’) of 2.82, and the dominant tree species were Eugenia sp. (IVI = 60.88%), Alseodaphne insignis (IVI = 26.34%), and Adenanthera pavonina (IVI = 22.11%). In Bukit Batu, forest stands with a diameter of ≥10 cm contained a biomass of 178.10 tonnes/ha and carbon stock of 83.70 tonnes C/ha, which is equal to 307.20 tonnes CO₂/ha. Meanwhile, in Muara Merang, it was 190.41 tonnes/ha and 89.49 tonnes C/ha, which is equal to 328.44 tonnes CO₂/ha. This research, especially that in Bukit Batu, Riau Province, enriches the data and information available to date and is very useful in supporting restoration practices in Riau Province’s Giam Siak Kecil Biosphere Reserve, which was designated by UNESCO as part of the Man and Biosphere Program. Full article

Ecological networks in mountainous regions are vital for enhancing ecosystem functionality and ensuring regional ecological stability, alleviating the contradiction between land use and ecological development in rapid urbanization. However, the complexity of mountains and the need to establish a connection between ecosystem services and human well-being present significant challenges in constructing ecological networks. This study proposes an idea that identifies and derives an optimal scenario for ecological networks, integrating insights from ecosystem services and network analysis. The aim of the ecological network is to improve and protect the ecosystem’s stability while better guiding sustainable development in mountainous regions’ urban and rural areas. This study uses qualitative evaluation methods and a graph theory model to obtain the ecological network’s sources and links. The results indicate that (1) 58 important ecological source areas were identified, with a total area of 5746 km², mainly covered by woodland and water bodies. (2) An optimal and feasible scenario comprising 5 horizontal and 14 longitudinal corridors was established. Corridors rely primarily on the river system and mountains. (3) A total of 5 key ecological function areas and some ecological zones in important urban development areas were identified. Control measures for these ecological lands were proposed to enhance the effectiveness of ecosystem service construction. It can be concluded that identifying and deriving an optimal scenario of ecological networks in mountainous regions from the perspectives of ecosystem services and network analysis is feasible. Full article

This paper aims to track the evolution of urban morphology studies, focusing on a graphical understanding of transformation phenomena in historical and contemporary city fabrics. It points out similarities in urban morphology studies by authors like Aldo Rossi, Carlo Oswald W. Ungers, Hans Kollhoff, Saverio Muratori, Gianfranco Caniggia, and Giancarlo de Carlo. These studies developed within a supportive cultural environment, aligning with analogical procedures and anticipating the contemporary concept of urban acupuncture. Urban acupuncture denotes episodic and locally impactful interventions countering grand, self-celebratory architectural projects. These interventions are promoted both by liberal and capitalist culture as well as by socialist-inspired culture. Lastly, these interventions, promoted by various cultural backgrounds, highlight the multi-scale nature of urban morphology studies and urban acupuncture projects. Each change in form corresponds to a morphological adaptation and a redefinition of urban rules and grammar usable in projects with territorial significance. Today, enhanced by digital tools, these studies confirm insights and syntheses, presenting urban acupuncture interventions in real-time socio-economic flows and dynamics. Full article

In the context of ongoing global urbanization, the disparity in urban development, marked by the dual phenomena of urban sprawl and urban shrinkage at the regional level, has become increasingly evident. In this vein, two land-related governance strategies—smart growth (SG) and smart shrinkage (SS)—emerge as potential remedies to these challenges, targeting urban expansion and shrinkage, respectively. This study bridges the gap in the fragmented discourse surrounding SG and SS by conducting a comprehensive comparative review on the respective literatures. Utilizing the Scopus database, our research employs trend analysis, text and topic mining, time node analysis, and regional analysis, augmented by qualitative reviews of seminal papers. The findings reveal a notable shift in research focus, with interest in SS surging around 2010 (the number of SS-related papers published after 2010 accounts for 92.3% of the total number of the entire study period) as attention to SG waned, suggesting an impending paradigm shift in urban sustainability. The analysis indicates that SS research lacks the disciplinary diversity, thematic breadth, and empirical depth of SG studies, underscoring a need for a more robust theoretical foundation to support urban sustainability. Furthermore, while both SG and SS derive from environmental science foundations, SG predominantly addresses the physical and landscape attributes of urban areas, whereas SS focuses more on socio-economic dimensions. Our findings point to an intrinsic link between SG and SS, which could lay the groundwork for their integration into a unified theoretical framework to better advance urban sustainability. Full article

Tracing the historical development of soil salinization and monitoring its current status are crucial for understanding the driving forces behind it, proposing strategies to improve soil quality, and predicting future trends. To comprehensively understand the evolution of research on the remote sensing inversion of soil salinity, a scientific bibliometric analysis was conducted on research from the past two decades indexed in the core scientific databases. This article analyzes the field from various perspectives, including the number of publications, authors, research institutions and countries, research fields, study areas, and keywords, in order to reveal the current state-of-the-art and cutting-edge research in this domain. Special attention was given to topics such as machine learning, data assimilation methods, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing technology, soil inversion under vegetation cover, salt ion inversion, and remote sensing model construction methods. The results indicate an overall increase in the volume of publications, with key authors such as Metternicht, Gi and Zhao, Gengxing, and major research institutions including the International Institute for Geoinformatics Science and Earth Observation and the Chinese Academy of Sciences making significant contributions. Notably, China and the USA have made substantial contributions to this field, with research areas extending from Inner Mongolia’s Hetao irrigation district to the Mediterranean region. Research in the remote sensing domain focuses on various methods, including hyperspectral imaging for salinized soil inversion, with an increasing emphasis on machine learning. This study enriches researchers’ knowledge of the current trends and future directions of remote sensing inversion of soil salinization. Full article

Military service members (MSVMs) suffer from mental and physical health ailments upon returning home from enlistment. Due to the enormity of these different and complex ailments, many unique therapeutic methods, like therapeutic gardens, have been utilized on MSVM populations to improve their overall wellbeing. Therapeutic gardens are built following a set of guidelines meant to serve general populations instead of target populations. There has been little research on the preferences of landscape design elements in therapeutic gardens by MSVMs. To determine if landscape design elements can be optimized for therapeutic gardens that serve MSVMs, a series of questions with pictures pertaining to preferences were created in an online survey that was released to civilians on social media and MSVMs through U.S. military organizations (N = 366, 90.6% completed). The average respondents were male, Caucasian, and 25–35 years old. The majority of MSVM respondents were or had enlisted in the Army branch, and were currently active duty, or honorably discharged. MSVMs and civilians had overall similar preferences of utilities and garden elements. While commonalities were found among the two respondent groups, with a preference for clear walkways, lighting wild and natural views, there were differences. In contrast to civilians, MSVMs also overwhelmingly preferred fences and gates, and the creation of privacy and prospect views instead of refuge views. Results indicate that an increased line-of-sight in fenced-in areas may make MSVMs more comfortable in therapeutic garden settings. These differences may assist urban planners and landscapers in the building of green spaces tailored to target populations like MSVMs and to illustrate the importance of building inclusive spaces for populations of concern. Full article

Greenways are networks of green corridors of various widths that have attracted increasing scholarly and policy interest due to their economic influence on proximate property values. However, most existing studies have focused on community-scale greenway projects. On the urban scale, in particular, there is a lack of understanding of the heterogeneity of greenway economic influences on property values. In Chengdu, China, the recently developed Jincheng Greenway is a special case, characterized by large-scale green spaces and value capture policies. Through hedonic pricing analysis, we examined the influence of the Jincheng Greenway on proximate properties based on 106,328 transaction records of preowned apartments between January 2017 and December 2020. Empirical results show that apartments along greenways have higher prices compared with apartments 500 m away. However, proximity to a greenway does not necessarily lead to higher prices because apartments located 500 m–1 km from a greenway will benefit more from greenways than those located within 500 m. Moreover, compared with the assumed increment in the value capture policies, the actual increases were smaller than the policy expectations. As a result, both the increase in property value and the areas influenced by the greenway deviated from what was anticipated in the original land value capture policy. From this perspective, this study contributes to examining the economic benefits of citywide greenway projects in the Chinese context and provides essential evidence for future land value capture policies related to greenway development. Full article

The 2020–2021 COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on the daily lives of everyone, including local communities and entire societies. Under the influence of this new experience, the importance of the services and benefits provided by forests and other green spaces has increased. A very large role in this aspect was played by media messages promoting the idea of being close to nature as a remedy for malaise and stress, and pushing the thesis that the risk of spreading the virus outdoors is lower than it is indoors. Thanks to media messages, as well as government responses (i.e., lockdown, temporary bans on entering the forest), public attention has been directed toward forests, generating greater interest in forest management and conservation issues, as well as in nature and forestry education. The purpose of our research was to determine how the pandemic affected the frequency of visits to the forest and how it changed the public’s views on the role of forests. The research material consists of the results of a questionnaire survey (online and traditionally way) carried out in Poland from September to October in 2020. A total of 1402 people were surveyed. The results show that nearly 52% of respondents increased their use of forest recreational services during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also found that more than 80% of respondents agreed with statements that the forest is a safer space than, for example, parks or squares, and it is more difficult to contract the virus there. Men were more likely to agree with this statement than women (1.51), respondents without children (1.45), respondents over the age of 31 (1.72), and respondents with more than primary or secondary education (1.37). Also, more than 80% of respondents said that the social functions of the forest (e.g., recreational) had gained importance as a result of the pandemic. The social functions of the forest gained importance primarily among respondents with higher education (2.40), and among respondents who had visited the forest rather infrequently (several times a year) for recreational purposes before the pandemic (1.72). Those with children were more likely to agree with the statement that the economic functions of the forest have lost their importance (1.43), as were those who had formerly visited the forest several times a year (1.53). With regard to the statement “the slowdown of the economy has contributed to the improvement of the environment,” there were no statistically significant differences in the views of respondents in terms of their socio-demographic characteristics. Full article

Based on big data, a new public space evaluation method is proposed. Using programming technology to collect visitor reviews from the travel website TripAdvisor to build a database, based on the data of 99,240 words in 1573 visitor reviews in 10 years, the connection between data and reality is established through systematic data classification and visualization. Following an assessment of the Kimbell Art Museum’s functionality, architectural design, and landscape design, along with visitor feedback, a new evaluation methodology was formulated for application to public buildings with landscapes. By utilizing the unique advantages of big data, it provides convenient and efficient analysis methods for public spaces with similar data foundations and opens the way for the optimization of the built environment in the information age. Full article

The agro-pastoral transitional zone (APTZ) in northern China is a typical ecologically vulnerable zone and a comprehensive geographical transitional zone. Its land use pattern has significant type diversity and spatial interlocking, which is always related to the play of ecological barrier functions and the sustainability of social-ecological systems. Accurately grasping the spatial competition relationship and comprehensive geographical effects of land types of APTZ in northern China is a key proposition for achieving coordinated and sustainable development between humans and land. To explore the spatial competition mechanism and comprehensive geographical effects of land use in the research area, this study focuses on revealing the evolutionary characteristics of land use patterns based on the center of gravity migration model. Based on the process of land use center of gravity migration, the spatial competition relationship of land types is explored to reveal the evolutionary trend and basic characteristics of land use in the APTZ. The results show the following: (1) Cultivated land and meadow are the main land types of the APTZ in northern China, accounting for up to 70% of the total regional area. The spatial competition between the two land types is the main contradiction in regional land use competition. (2) Drifting of the center of gravity of cultivated land towards the northwest direction is an important land use migration feature of the APTZ in northern China. Between 1980 and 2020, the center of gravity of cultivated land shifted by about 2 km to the northwest, and the center of gravity of grassland shifted by 8–10 km to the southwest. (3) The center of gravity of arable land and grassland in the entire region is constantly approaching, which has decreased from 70.95 km in 1980 to 61.38 km in 2020. The intensification of their interweaving has led to more intense land use competition. Grasping the basic characteristics and driving mechanisms of land type competition is an important means to achieve sustainable spatial governance. (4) The scale differentiation and regional differentiation characteristics of gradient effects are significant, and it is essential to prevent the risk of mismatch between land use and natural endowments in the northeast and north China sections. The research has surpassed the traditional method of analyzing land use competition, and by introducing a centroid model to analyze the spatial mechanism of land use competition, it has expanded the methodology for expanding research in the field of land science and provided basic references for regional sustainable development. Full article

Influenced by climate change, significant alterations in vegetation phenology have been observed globally. Grassland phenology is highly sensitive to climate change. However, research on the variations in grassland phenology and its responses to seasonal climatic changes in arid and semi-arid regions remains scarce. This study, utilizing Solar-Induced Chlorophyll Fluorescence (SIF) data, meteorological station data, and grassland type data, employs trend analysis and time series analysis to explore the trends of seasonal climatic variability and the sensitivity response of grassland phenology in Xinjiang to seasonal climates. The findings reveal the following: (1) The region experiences more pronounced warming in winter and spring than in summer and autumn, with ground temperature increments outpacing those of air temperatures. The summer season registers the peak in precipitation volume and rate of increase, where mountainous zones accrue more rainfall compared to basins and plains. The distribution of sunshine duration is characterized by higher values in eastern areas than in the west and more in the plains than in mountainous regions, potentially due to escalating cloudiness, which has contributed to a diminishing trend in sunshine hours across Xinjiang over the past 20 years. (2) Over the past two decades, the perennial greening phase of Xinjiang grasslands has predominantly occurred in early May, showing an overall trend of occurring earlier by approximately 5.47 days per decade, while the yellowing phase mainly occurs at the end of September and the beginning of October, demonstrating a delaying trend (6.61 days/decade). The average length of the growing season is 145 days, generally showing a slightly increasing trend (11.97 days/decade). (3) In spring, the rise in air and ground temperatures, along with increased sunshine duration, all promote grassland growth, leading to an earlier greening phase. Conversely, in autumn, increases in air temperature, ground temperature, and sunshine duration can inhibit grassland growth, resulting in an earlier yellowing phase. Increased precipitation in summer and autumn can delay the yellowing phase and extend the length of the grassland growing season. This research provides new insights into the factors influencing large-scale grassland phenology and offers references for grassland adaptation to future climate changes. Full article

Urban regeneration is a sound, sustainable urban development strategy globally. In China, promoting urban regeneration has become the national sustainable urban strategy. Under the resource constraint, it is necessary to understand what benefits different types of urban regeneration projects can contribute to urban development. Much research has contributed to evaluating the benefits of urban regeneration on the project scale. The systematic investigation of their effects on surrounding economic vitality, especially the comparison between different types of projects, is relatively downplayed. This paper aims to evaluate and compare the effects of urban regeneration projects on surrounding economic vitality by calculating the change in housing prices. Chongqing is selected as the case city. Based on the housing transaction data from 2015 to 2021, a staggered difference-in-difference method is employed to capture the results. The finding shows that the overall effects are significantly negative, especially within a 400–800 m radius. Higher investment or better project location relates to stronger negative effects. Moreover, the differences in effects among the three types of urban regeneration projects are clearly revealed from diverse perspectives. It provides a valuable reference for policymakers and urban planners to make urban regeneration planning better by considering comprehensive benefits. Full article

Continued urban expansion (UE) has long been regarded as a huge challenge for climate change mitigation. However, much less is known about how UE affects carbon emissions (CEs), especially in the urban agglomerations of the Yellow River Basin (UAYRB), China. In this regard, this study introduced kernel density analysis, the Gini coefficient, and Markov chains to reveal the UE patterns and carbon emissions intensity (CEI) in the UAYRB at the county level, and explored the spatial heterogeneity of the impact of UE on CEI with the geographically and temporally weighted regression model. The results show that both CEI and UE in the UAYRB showed a steady growing trend during the study period. The kernel density of CEI and UE revealed that CEI in the UAYRB was weakening, while the UE rate continuously slowed down. The Gini coefficients of both CEI and UE in the UAYRB region were at high levels, indicating obvious spatial imbalance. The Markov transfer probability matrix for CEI with a time span of five years showed that CEI growth will still occur over the next five years, while that of UE was more obvious. Meanwhile, counties with a regression coefficient of UE on CEI higher than 0 covered the majority, and the distribution pattern remained quite stable. The regression coefficients of different urban landscape metrics on CEI in the UAYRB varied greatly; except for the landscape shape index, the regression coefficients of the aggregation index, interspersion and juxtaposition index, and patch density overall remained positive. These findings can advance the policy enlightenment of the high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin. Full article

Considering that land use and land cover (LULC) change is one of the most important challenges to biodiversity today, we used Copernicus products to analyze LULC changes at the level of the “Nordul Gorjului de Vest” Natura 2000 site (Romania) from 1990 to 2018. The interpretation of the impact of these changes on areas with very high potential for three regulating ecosystem services (ESs) (local climate regulation, regulation of waste, and water purification) was performed. Forest habitats are the major LULC class category in the “Nordul Gorjului de Vest” Natura 2000 site, with broad-leaved forest as the dominant forest class. In terms of areas lost or gained by the different LULC classes for each analyzed time interval, most transformations took place in the period 2000–2006, changes which were also reflected in the overall study period (1990–2018). During this time frame, the conversion of transitional forest shrubs into broad-leaved forest, which is the second largest transition in terms of absolute area changed, led, in terms of contribution rates, to an increase in the areas with very high potential for two of the three analyzed ESs. The conversion of transitional woodland shrub into broad-leaved forest was conductive only to synergy for all the pairwise interactions between the three ESs. Full article

Northwestern Morocco is characterized by highly anthropized landscapes under the combined effect of agricultural intensification, resource overexploitation, urbanization, and tourism, but also local reforestation. Reconstructing the recent changes in vegetation in the region of the lower valley of the Loukkos river near Larache and their relationship to the settlement history are particularly helpful for understanding the processes at work within the landscape construction. The geohistorical approach combines paleoenvironmental, documentary, and historical data. The last few centuries have seen the emergence of wooded stands, in which cork oaks are a structural element. As forests were retreating, parklands intended for agriculture, agroforestry, and herding, like the Spanish dehesa and Portuguese montado, began to emerge. Nearly all of them have disappeared today, but we can identify their legacy and evaluate their cultural significance through comparing them with their counterparts in the Iberian Peninsula, but also in other areas of Morocco. Their deep historical roots give this landscape an evolving heritage character that is directly linked to the communities’ lifestyles, culture, and history. Full article

Carbon emission issues are becoming increasingly severe, and the carbon emissions in shrinking cities, primarily characterized by population loss, are often overlooked and insufficiently studied. This paper focuses on the carbon emissions from county-level administrative units in China’s three northeastern provinces from 2001 to 2017. The study scientifically identified shrinking cities and measured the differences in carbon emission characteristics between growing and shrinking cities using the Theil index. Ultimately, the paper constructs a panel spatial econometric model to analyze the factors influencing them and explore their spatial effects. (1) The total carbon emissions in the Three Northeastern Provinces exhibited an inverted U-shaped trend, increasing from 734.21 million tons in 2001 to 1731.73 million tons in 2017, with the Mann–Kendall trend test showing a significant increase; spatially, this manifests as a significant positive spatial autocorrelation. (2) The region has 138 shrinking cities, accounting for over 50%; regarding carbon emission characteristics, the Theil index has consistently remained above 0.18, indicating significant differences between the carbon emissions of growing and shrinking cities. (3) The panel spatial econometric model results show that the influencing factors of carbon emissions in shrinking cities have unique directions, intensities, and spatial effects. In shrinking cities, aside from localized GDP effects and per-capita GDP acting as a suppressant, the population size has a pronounced inhibitory effect on local and surrounding carbon emissions. The analysis reveals significant differences in the carbon emission patterns and mechanisms between growing and shrinking cities; based on these results, the paper proposes differentiated carbon control strategies. Full article

The whole trusteeship of green agricultural production plays an important role in promoting the protection of black land, and it is particularly crucial to clarify the behavioral characteristics and game relationships of agents involved in the whole trusteeship. This study uses the dynamic evolutionary game method to construct a tripartite evolutionary game model of governments, service organizations and farmers participating in the whole trusteeship of green agricultural production, aiming to come up with effective strategies to promote the widespread application of green agricultural production trusteeship and achieve agricultural green development. The results are as follows: (1) At present, the agricultural production model in Northeast China is dominated by traditional agricultural production and supplemented by green agricultural production. (2) Incentive and punitive measures will encourage agents to adopt positive strategies. (3) In areas with a poor awareness of green agricultural production trusteeship, the government’s incentive and punishment measures for farmers and service organizations are imbalanced. (4) The relatively high cost of trusteeship leads to a lack of market competitiveness, which has a negative impact on service organizations promoting green agricultural production trusteeship. This study provides an effective reference for improving the overall implementation effect of black land protection in Northeast China. Full article

Previous studies on national park conservation have focused mainly on their internal areas, and few studies have focused on national parks and their surrounding areas as unified entities. Therefore, the investigation of land cover and landscape ecological risks in national parks and surrounding areas is essential for overall ecosystem protection and regional sustainable development. This study examines the spatiotemporal evolution of land cover and its landscape ecological risk in Wuyishan National Park, China, and its surrounding areas (WNPSA) from 1990 to 2020. The results show that (1) the land cover of WNPSA from 1990 to 2020 predominantly exhibited a consistent decline in forested areas, paralleled by an augmentation in farmland and impervious surface areas. The center of standard deviation ellipse of impervious surfaces has been progressively moving further south in tandem with the expansion of these surfaces, primarily located within the county town of Fujian Province. (2) The Wuyishan National Park (WNP) areas were dominated by low values of landscape index, and the high value areas in the park were mainly located at the provincial boundary area, with a gradual narrowing during 1990–2020, suggesting a decrease in landscape heterogeneity within the park. High value areas in the surrounding areas mainly occurred in areas with clustered impervious surfaces (e.g., the county town), where part of them located in Wuyishan City have spread to the edge area southeast of WNP. (3) From 1990 to 2020, the lowest-risk areas continue to expand. However, as the medium-risk zone of the adjacent region extends into the edge of the national park, the low risk zone within the national park exhibits a trend from continuous to separate with the neighboring low risk zone. This led to an escalating stress effect on the ecological security of both the adjacent regions and the national park’s boundary areas due to land cover changes. Full article

Coastal areas are fundamental enclaves for economic and recreational development, attracting a large population worldwide. However, these factors have generated significant pressure on the coastal landscape, requiring territorial management strategies to protect and control its degradation. The coastal landscape, composed of abiotic and biotic elements, plays a crucial role in human wellbeing and the conservation of the natural environment. This study focuses on the southeast area of the Ría de Arosa, on the western coast of Galicia, known for its unique geomorphological features such as estuaries. The main objective is to generate high-resolution thematic maps for territorial planning and conservation of the natural and cultural landscape. Using methodologies based on geographic information systems, various factors of the natural environment will be analyzed to obtain objective results, presenting cartography of landscape units, along with quality and fragility landscape maps. In addition, active strategies are proposed such as multiple land uses or the development of geotourism to preserve, exploit, and manage the landscape better. This work contributes to better understanding the vulnerability of the coastal landscape and provides practical tools for its sustainable management in a context of accelerated global change. Full article

The role of modified biochar in enhancing phosphorus (P) availability is gaining attention as an environmentally friendly approach to address soil P deficiency, a global agricultural challenge. Traditional phosphatic fertilizers, while essential for crop yield, are costly and environmentally detrimental owing to P fixation and leaching. Modified biochar presents a promising alternative with improved properties such as increased porosity, surface area, and cation exchange capacity. This review delves into the variability of biochar properties based on source and production methods and how these can be optimized for effective P adsorption. By adjusting properties such as pH levels and functional groups to align with the phosphate’s zero point of charge, we enhance biochar’s ability to adsorb and retain P, thereby increasing its bioavailability to plants. The integration of nanotechnology and advanced characterization techniques aids in understanding the structural nuances of biochar and its interactions with phosphorus. This approach offers multiple benefits: it enables farmers to use phosphorus more efficiently, reducing the need for traditional fertilizers and thereby minimizing environmental impacts, such as greenhouse gas emissions and P leaching. This review also identifies existing research gaps and future opportunities for further biochar modifications. These findings emphasize the significant potential of modified biochar in sustainable agriculture. Full article

Livelihood loss and lower income because of peatland mismanagement are crucial issues that must be resolved in peatland areas. Although many studies have assessed farmers’ livelihoods and income enhancement, progress in addressing these problems remains inadequate. To address this issue, this study aimed to analyze various existing alternative livelihoods in the peatland community in Ogan Komering Ilir District, South Sumatra Province, Indonesia, and analyze scenarios for creating livelihoods and increasing people’s incomes through changes in peat ecosystem management and peatland restoration programs. This study used a survey method conducted in South Sumatra Province’s OKI District, one of the four priority peat-restoration districts in the province. We used three sampling stages, while descriptive, tabulated, and mathematical methods were used for analysis. We analyzed the feasibility of livelihoods that used benefit-cost analysis. The results showed that Sonor cultivation of paddies and catching fish in Rawang (swamp) were the livelihoods of farmers in peatlands. The community has also been processing peatland commodities into other products, such as Purun woven, and Gula Puan (buffalo milk processing). Several alternative livelihood scenarios that are financially profitable and can be developed include salted and smoked fish, Purun woven handicrafts, paludiculture, and agrosilvofishery, which can provide farmers with short-, medium-, and long-term income opportunities. This study can contribute to policymaking by fully considering the role of peat resources in rural livelihoods. Full article

Land and forest fires in peatland areas in Indonesia have a widespread negative impact on surrounding communities. Possible vulnerabilities relate to economic, social, ecological, livelihoods, and environmental vulnerability. This study aimed to assess household vulnerability due to land and forest fires in peatland areas in Ogan Komering Ilir District in South Sumatra and observe changes in peat ecosystems in those areas. The study was conducted in three peatland hydrological units (PHUs)—(1) PHU Sungai Sugihan–Sungai Lumpur; (2) PHU Sungai Sibumbung–Sungai Batok; and (3) PHU Sungai Saleh–Sungai Sugihan—covering 300 households as samples. Primary data were collected through structured interviews and analyzed descriptively. The analysis revealed the following: (1) PHU Sungai Sibumbung–Sungai Batok had the highest score for livelihood vulnerability and climate change but the lowest score for social, economic, and ecological vulnerability; (2) PHU Sungai Saleh–Sungai Sugihan had the highest score for economic and ecological vulnerability but the lowest score for livelihood vulnerability; (3) PHU Sungai Sugihan–Sungai Lumpur had the highest score for social vulnerability but lowest score for climate change vulnerability; and (4) the number of household members, toddlers, and elderly, and all economic indicators except land ownership, contributed relatively similarly to social vulnerability in all PHUs. Full article

Current approaches to the provision of shelter, largely driven by national governments and/or the commercial private sector, continue to fall short of what is needed to reduce housing deficits. The number of people without access to adequate housing continues to grow, especially in cities of the Global South. Increasing attention is being paid to alternative models for organizing land and housing delivery, such as those led by, or at least including, civil society. In this paper, we consider two national land and housing programs—the 20,000 Plots Project in Tanzania, and Basic Services for the Urban Poor (BSUP) in India—alongside community-led housing initiatives from each country. We explore the extent to which community participation in housing delivery can have social and environmental advantages when compared to ‘business as usual’ methods and find that, given appropriate state support, community-based, and civil society actors (including organizations of the urban poor) have significant potential to contribute to acquiring land, building homes and improving the quality of life of vulnerable segments of the population. This paper echoes calls for community-led housing to become a recognized part of formal housing policy whilst emphasizing the need for theoretical refinement of the process so as to prevent it from being captured by prevailing market-led narratives. Full article

The act of land transfer in rural areas is an important decision-making mechanism for farmers, to enhance resource allocation efficiency and promote capital mobility, and this act is of strategic importance in promoting the level of agricultural scale and mechanization, land system change, and, thus, the sustainable development of livelihoods and production in China. This study aims to explore farmers’ decision-making mechanisms in the process of land transfer in rural areas, by constructing a theoretical framework. Structural equation modeling was used, based on data from a survey of rural families in the Liaoning Province area of Northeastern China. The main findings are as follows: (1) The seven types of exogenous latent variables, including environmental vulnerability, policy, and five main livelihood assets (natural capital, physical capital, financial capital, human capital, and social capital), are intermediary in farmers’ land transfer behavior, which then positively affect farmers’ livelihood outcomes. (2) Among the exogenous latent variables affecting farmers’ land transfer, human assets have the most significant positive effect, followed by social assets and physical assets, family labor force share, frequency of work information exchange, and number of production tools, greatly affect the corresponding variable. (3) Natural assets play the most important role and have a negative effect on farmers’ land transfer decision; contracted area of land per family is the greatest impacted measurable variable of this. The results of the study suggest that the government should strengthen skills training for farmers, improve the land transfer policy system, and provide appropriate subsidies in a regionally targeted manner. Thus, it can promote the transformation of Chinese-style agricultural modernization and achieve rural revitalization. Full article

Machine learning (ML) is increasingly utilized in Landslide Susceptibility Mapping (LSM), though challenges remain in interpreting the predictions of ML models. To reveal the response relationship between landslide susceptibility and evaluation factors, an interpretability model was constructed to analyze how the results of the ML model are realized. This study focuses on Zhenba County in Shaanxi Province, China, employing both Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) to develop LSM models optimized through Random Search (RS). To enhance interpretability, the study incorporates techniques such as Partial Dependence Plot (PDP), Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations (LIMEs), and Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP). The RS-optimized RF model demonstrated superior performance, achieving an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.965. The interpretability model identified the NDVI and distance from road as important factors influencing landslides occurrence. NDVI plays a positive role in the occurrence of landslides in this region, and the landslide-prone areas are within 500 m from the road. These analyses indicate the importance of improved hyperparameter selection in enhancing model accuracy and performance. The interpretability model provides valuable insights into LSM, facilitating a deeper understanding of landslide formation mechanisms and guiding the formulation of effective prevention and control strategies. Full article

In mining areas with high groundwater tables, mining subsidence can lead to the inundation of cropland by water, causing damage to cropland and posing a threat to national food security. The implementation of concurrent mining and reclamation techniques can effectively enhance the reclamation rate of cropland. This technique requires engineers to initiate reclamation measures before cropland waterlogging occurs. Therefore, when mining a panel underground, an accurate calculation of the time when cropland becomes waterlogged, known as the theoretical reclamation timing, is crucial. To address this issue, this study proposes a computational method for the theoretical reclamation timing of cropland under the conditions of single-panel mining based on intelligent optimization algorithms. In addition, this paper also proposes an optimization method for the theoretical reclamation timing of cropland within a district based on an intelligent optimization algorithm. Utilizing this method makes optimizing the layout of multiple panels possible, thereby delaying the theoretical reclamation timing for cropland within a district. This approach aims to shorten the duration of reclamation projects and minimize their interference with agricultural activities. Through experimental validation, this paper demonstrates the reliability of these two methods. This study is beneficial for the rational planning of reclamation projects. Full article

Lake sediment records are of great importance for understanding the evolution of watershed environments. Various studies have been carried out to determine the depositional ages of lake sediments and to examine their physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. The aim is to construct the historical vegetation, environment, and climate patterns in Chinese lake watersheds. In this review, we obtained relevant studies on lake sediment records by searching the key word ‘age-depth’ from the following databases: Web of Science and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI, the largest Chinese academic database). We analyzed the literature based on its type (published in a Chinese/English journal or as a Master’s/PhD thesis), period of publication, journal (if published in a journal), key authors, study area, dating scale, and main aims. The results suggest that the lakes in the plateau regions are the most popular research topic, typically covering 100–200 years (short-term) and 500–30,000 years (long-term). The literature focuses on a wide range of topics, from past environmental evolution in watersheds to lake ecology, and it provides a solid foundation for a better understanding of the regional climate change and the preservation of lake environments and ecosystems. In the future, the resulting data obtained from environmental reconstructions with lake sediments will need to be integrated with emerging information processing technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence and meta-analysis) to disentangle the complex interplay between the Earth’s surface processes and global climate change; furthermore, strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration will deepen our comprehension of the man-land relationship and promote the sustainable management of lake ecosystems in the context of global climate change. Full article

This qualitative study explored the perceived relationships between outdoor built environments and sensory sensitivities, focusing on autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. Thirty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants who had lived experience with these focal groups. Through thematic analysis of their narratives, the study uncovered patterns highlighting the perceived relationships between designed landscapes and sensory sensitivities in neurodivergent individuals, encompassing both heightened sensitivity (hypersensitivity) and reduced sensitivity (hyposensitivity). Emergent themes included individual and personal factors, sensory affordances, the benefits of outdoor environments, ambient environmental factors, materiality, spatial design, navigating environments, pedestrian-centric transportation, sensorimotor movement, safety, refuge, human settlement types, social environments, and accessibility plus inclusion. Subthematic patterns within these larger thematic categories were also identified. Study participants revealed significant sensory barriers and sensorially supportive elements of designed outdoor environments, along with promising design interventions. The findings unveil the advantages of designing multi-sensory landscapes tailored to atypical sensory needs, emphasizing the importance of fostering inclusion by designing landscapes that reflect the communities they serve. This concept is encapsulated in the development of the Sensory Responsive Environments Framework (SREF), the emergent theoretical framework of this study. Full article

Digital twins (DTs) are highly valuable tools for urban planning as they provide a virtual replica of the physical city, integrating real-time data and simulations to enhance the decision-making and management processes. The use of DTs expands the possibilities for data integration and visualization in urban contexts. This includes real-time data measurements from multiple sources, such as sensors and IoT devices, facilitating comprehensive insights. DT’s virtual representation helps authorities and planners visualize urban dynamics and improve their understanding of urban ecosystems, energy efficiency, traffic management, emergency response, and more. DT supports the simulation and modeling of different scenarios in an urban built environment, enabling the predictive analysis of transformation decisions and the anticipation of future trends and challenges. This paper highlights the assumptions and ongoing progress in the development of a DT for the city of Turin (Italy), focusing on a range of applications, such as the extraction of built and natural environment features, land use data, road network and pavement quality, and signage, along with continuous model updates over time. Full article