Land

Although we are in an era of enormous global commitments to ecological restoration (the UN Decade on ER; the Bonn Challenge), little attention has been paid to the importance of sustained commitment to individual restoration initiatives and few resources have been dedicated to monitoring, especially the long-term and broad-scale evaluations that would allow us to understand how basin-scale restoration can result in complex spatiotemporal patterns. Remote sensing offers a powerful tool for evaluating restoration initiatives focused on water management in arid regions, where changes in vegetation growth can be tracked visually with measures like the generalized difference vegetation index (GDVI). In this paper, we evaluate the Comprehensive Treatment Program of the Shiyang River Basin (CTSRB), a landscape restoration initiative in China’s northwest, using a widely available remote sensing tool, showing how it can reveal the causes of fluctuating changes in restoration success. We focus on spatiotemporal variation, studying a time series from 2001 to 2020 using regression, trend, and stability analyses for six different divisions of the study region (the study area as a whole, the irrigated areas, the periphery of the irrigated regions, and the districts of Ba, Quanshan, and Hu) to evaluate the effects of the restoration initiative. The study period was divided into four equal-length phases based on the implementation timeline of the CTSRB, which includes one pre- and post-intervention interval and two stages of the CTSRB. We found that the CTSRB has played a positive role in the restoration of vegetation in the Minqin Basin, especially desert vegetation. However, the positive effects were not obvious in the first CTSRB period, which was characterized by a decline in vegetation growth likely caused by the strategy of “close the pumping-wells, transform the land”, which reversed a greening trend caused by the unsustainable irrigation of wasteland prior to the project’s initiation. During the second phase of the CTSRB, vegetation in the regions of “transform the land” gradually improved, and the growth of desert vegetation gradually improved and expanded as a result of more water flowing out of agricultural zones. The rate of vegetation recovery slowed down during the final phase of the CTSRB, and some areas even experienced a decline in the GDVI. Overall, our findings show that the CTSRB, by integrating water management and allowing for uninterrupted ecological restoration, drove complex regional changes in the GDVI, including successful restoration of desert vegetation. The spatiotemporal variable we observed underscores the importance of long-term commitment to arid land restoration initiatives and the importance of even longer-term monitoring using tools like remote sensing. Full article

Unveiling the variation mechanism of vegetation net primary productivity (NPP) and elucidating the underlying drivers of these changes is highly necessitated for terrestrial carbon cycle research and global carbon emission control. Taking Henan Province, renowned as the anciently central China and current China’s foremost grain producer, as an example, this study employed the Theil–Sen Median Trend Analysis to evaluate the spatiotemporal characteristics and trends of NPP. Correlation Analysis and Residual Analysis were used to explain the drivers of NPP dynamics. To deepen the inquiry, the Geodetector method was employed to scrutinize the multifaceted effects and interplay among diverse variables influencing NPP. The result showed demonstrated that approximately 85.72% of the area showed an increase in NPP, covering a broad geographical distribution. Notably, 89.31% of the province has witnessed a positive human-driven NPP change. It means human activities emerged as a driving force with a positive effect on vegetation NPP, consequently fostering an increasing trend of NPP. Among climatic factors, the correlation between NPP and precipitation was stronger than that between the temperature and NPP, the determined power of factors in Henan Province was population density, (0.341) > GDP (0.326) > precipitation (0.255) > elevation (0.167) > slope (0.136) > temperature (0.109), and a single factor had a lesser interaction effect than two factors. The implications of these findings extend beyond the realms of research, potentially offering valuable insights into the formulation of targeted ecosystem restoration measures tailored to the distinct context of Henan Province, and also expect to provide crucial references for carbon emission control in China and across the world. Full article

In order to investigate the difference in particle size distribution of soil along an urban–suburban–rural–desert (USRD) gradient in an arid zone, surface soil (0–20 cm) samples were gathered at the urban, suburban, rural, and desert gradients in Urumqi, a northwestern Chinese city. Laser diffraction technology was adopted for determining the particle size distribution of the soil. Comparisons were made regarding the particle size distribution traits and soil properties in different gradient zones based on parameters such as the mean particle size (M_G), fractal dimension (D_v), sorting coefficient (ơ_G), kurtosis (K_G), and skewness (SK_G). Results indicate that (1) particle size distribution in the urban, suburban, and rural soils was mainly sand particle sizes, whereas the desert soil was mainly composed of silt particle sizes. The average D_v value ranking for soil in each gradient is desert > suburban > urban > rural. (2) The width and peak of the soil particle size frequency curve ranged within 0–500 μm, and the width and peak of the soil particle size frequency curve of each gradient were different. (3) The M_G of rural soil was the highest, whereas the M_G of desert soil was the lowest. The ơ_G values of the surface soil of each gradient were all greater than 4.0, and the sorting performance was extremely poor. The SK_G of the desert and urban soil particle size showed extremely positive and negative skewness, respectively, while the SK_G of the rural and suburban soil particle size showed extremely negative skewness. The K_G values of the particle sizes of the rural and suburban soils exhibited narrow and medium peaks, whereas those of the urban and desert soils exhibited very broad and flat peaks. (4) The D_v of the soil in each gradient was strongly influenced by the soil particle size distribution, with the clay content of the soil playing a dominant role. Finally, the fractal dimension was identified as an indicator of the characteristics of the fine particle matter content in the soil structure. The novel contribution of this work is to clarify the fractal differences in the particle size distribution of soil along an urbanization gradient. The present research findings can offer fundamental information relating to the characteristics of soil particle size distribution along an urbanization gradient zone. Full article

Illegal waste is a global problem with negative impacts on human health and the environment. This article focuses on detection using remote sensing of sites of demolition and construction waste. We hypothesise that construction and demolition waste represent a human modification of terrain and, as a result, will be sensible to detection using visualisation models of terrain, specifically DEM (digital elevation model). To this effect, we start with a DEM of 0.25 m per pixel developed using data from the second iteration of the PNOA LiDAR project by the Spanish National Geographic Institute (IGN). We evaluate seven modelling tools of the Relief Visualisation Toolbox (RVT) for the visual detection of waste. The study area includes the city of Mérida (Extremadura, Spain). Our fieldwork identified 494 points of illegal waste in this area. These points were classified according to five categories in relation to land use, and we established a total of 14 areas with a surface area of 450 m by 450 m. Our results suggest that three of the seven models employed allow us to differentiate with clarity what is anthropic from the natural terrain and, in some scenarios, the location of construction and demolition waste. The LD model was the one with the best results, allowing an increase in the number of locations of illegal dumping of CDW in the study area. Full article

Research Objectives: Considering the complex challenges arising from urbanization, population growth, and the consequential strain on China’s cultivated land resources, we integrate insights from advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The primary objective is to quantitatively assess the cultivated land-holding responsibility of local governments in China from a fairness perspective. Our aim is to integrate the cultivated land responsibility ownership amount into the compensation mechanism for cultivated land protection, thereby promoting fairness, cultivated land conservation, and sustainable agricultural development across Chinese provinces while ensuring efficient agricultural product distribution. Research Methodology: Beyond a traditional literature review and model analysis, we incorporated AI technology for data analysis and model optimization. Findings: ① The findings demonstrate a surplus in both food security and ecological security within cultivated land. ② In-depth analysis via AI revealed that the provinces with the largest surplus include Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Hubei. ③ With the precision provided by AI, we delineated the minimum value of the cultivated land responsibility ownership amount for each province. Eleven provinces met this criterion, primarily located in the northeast and central regions and including Yunnan in the west. ④ From a fairness perspective, coupled with AI insights, we established a compensation mechanism for cultivated land protection that is better suited to the Chinese context. Based on this mechanism, the national average compensation standard was calculated to be 26,900 CNY per hectare. The highest standards were observed in Shanghai, Beijing, and Jiangsu, while the lowest were in Shanxi, Heilongjiang, and Gansu. Full article

The current study is aimed at investigating the level of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (BEHP), which pose a potential risk to human health, in soil samples collected from a teff-Acacia decurrerns-charcoal production system (TACP system) in northern Ethiopia. Soil samples were collected from the TACP system and from an adjacent teff monocropping system (TM system) from 0 to 20 cm soil depth. Individual PAHs and total concentrations of PAHs and BEHP generally exhibited no significant variation between the TM and the TACP systems over three rotations. In the land-use systems, the mean concentration of PAHs decreased in the order phenanthrene > fluorene > pyrene > chrysene. Fluorene (22.84–24.69 ng g⁻¹ dry soil), pyrene (21.99 ng g⁻¹), and chrysene (21.79 ng g⁻¹) were detected in the TACP system only, suggesting that they were from charcoal production. The maximum concentration of BEHP recorded in the soil samples was 104.00 µg g⁻¹, which could be attributed to the polyethylene (PE) bags used for planting the Acacia decurrens seedlings of the TACP system. In soil samples, the sum of all PAHs analyzed ranged from not detected (ND) to 170.69 ng g⁻¹, which is below the limits of prevention established by European regulations for soils (3000 ng g⁻¹) and previous studies. Carcinogenic equivalent (BaP-TEQ) and mutagenic equivalent (BaP-MEQ) concentrations calculated for the individual PAHs in the land-use systems ranged from ND to 0.374 ng g⁻¹ and from ND to 0.218 ng g⁻¹, respectively, which is far below many international safety standards. Our results indicate that the charcoal production and the use of the charcoal residues as soil amendment in the TACP system is safe concerning soil contamination by PAHs and BEHP and the risk of cancer and mutation. Full article

Nature-based solutions (NBSs) are considered sustainable, cost-efficient, and resource-efficient land-use management approaches. When analysing NBS business models, two major challenges are commonly identified as slowing down broader NBS implementation: governance and financing barriers. This explorative study aims first to test the applicability of a NBS specific business model template and, second, to provide a clustered NBS business model pilot case study collection, which enables transferable solutions for overcoming the typical implementation challenges to be derived. Methodically, this is achieved by using the Nature-based Sustainability Business Model Canvas (NB S BMC for guided interviews. Twenty-three NBS case studies from proGIreg’s four Front Runner Cities, namely Dortmund, Ningbo, Turin, and Zagreb, are examined. Pestoff’s welfare triangle enables the NBS business models to be clustered. The main business model clusters are public provision, sales, and diversified. NBSs’ governance models are very adaptable to individual NBS cases, of the independent type, and can include a huge diversity of involved stakeholders regarding their functions in the NBS implementation. Our findings highlight adaptable governance models across diverse stakeholder functions and confirm the NB S BMC as a robust framework for understanding NBS business models. These insights extend to land-use practices beyond NBSs, offering a template for innovative urban planning strategies. Full article

The aim of this study was to provide practical suggestions for land use regulation to mitigate the impacts of intense urbanization using integrated modeling. To achieve effective urbanization management, it is essential to quantify the habitats of critical species and predict their dynamics in response to urbanization impacts in the future. In this study, we developed an integrated bird-habitat modeling that combines maximum entropy and patch-generating land use simulation based on a field survey of bird populations to characterize the habitat dynamics of birds in the Yangtze River Estuary (YRE) under urbanization impacts. Our findings revealed the following: (1) The YRE experienced fundamental fragmentation from 2000. (2) The year 2010 was a turning point, and from 2000 to 2037, habitats for all bird species tended to overlap and fragment, and decreased from 66% to 45%, resulting in a loss of about 4340 km². (3) The maintenance of a buffer area of 300 m around built-up areas was crucial for preserving bird habitats. Based on the identified variables, the hotspots of birds’ habitats were prioritized and the regulation measures to mitigate urbanization impacts are proposed in YRE. Full article

Cangzhou is located in the northeast part of the North China Plain; here, groundwater is the main water source for production and living. Due to the serious regional land subsidence caused by long-term overexploitation of groundwater, the monitoring of land subsidence in this area is significant. In this paper, we used the Small Baseline Subsets Interferometric Point Target Analysis (SBAS-IPTA) technique to process the Envisat-ASAR, Radarsat-2, and Sentinel-1A data and obtained the land subsidence of Cangzhou from 2004 to 2020. Additionally, we obtained winter wheat distribution information in Cangzhou using the Pixel Information Expert Engine (PIE-Engine) remote sensing cloud platform. On this basis, we analyzed the relationship between ground water level, winter wheat planting area, and the response of land subsidence according to the land use type and groundwater level monitoring data near the winter wheat growing area. The results show that during 2004–2020, the average annual subsidence rate of many places in Cangzhou was higher than 30 mm/year, and the maximum subsidence rate was 115 mm/year in 2012. From 2004 to 2020, the area of the subsidence funnel showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing. In 2020, the subsidence funnel area reached 6.9 × 10³ km². The winter wheat planting area in the urban area showed a trend of first decreasing, then increasing and then decreasing, and it accounted for a large proportion in the funnel area. At the same time, we studied the relationship between the land subsidence rate and the water level at different burial depths and the response of winter wheat planting area. The results showed that the change of confined water level had a stronger response with the other two variables. Full article

Climate change is expected to affect the agricultural sector in ways that are often unclear to predict. If in the short- and medium-terms farmers may adapt to climate change by adjusting their agricultural practices, in the long-term, these adjustments may become insufficient, forcing farmers to change their farming systems. The extent and direction in which these farming system transitions will occur is still a subject that is underexplored in the literature. We propose a new framework to explore the effect of climate change on the choice of farming system while controlling the effect of other drivers that are also known to influence the farming system choice. Using a spatially explicit farming system choice model developed by a previous study in an extensive agricultural region of southern Portugal, we applied a space-for-time approach to simulate the effect of climate change on the future dynamics of the farming systems in the study area. The results suggest that climate change will force many farmers to change the farming system in a foreseeable future. The extent of the projected changes in farming systems is likely to trigger significant social, economic, and environmental impacts, which should require early attention from policy makers. Full article

The Mogollon Highlands, Arizona/New Mexico, USA, spans a large biogeographical region of 11 biotic communities, 63 land cover types, and 7 ecoregions. This 11.3 M ha region has high levels of beta diversity across topo-edaphic gradients that span deserts to mountain tops. The main stressors affecting the region’s forests and woodlands include climate change, livestock grazing, and frequent mechanical removals of large amounts of forest biomass for fire concerns. We present an ecoregion conservation assessment for robust conservation area design that factors in appropriate wildfire response to protect communities from increasing threats of climate-induced wildfires spreading into urban areas. We focused mainly on maintaining connectivity for endangered focal species (grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) and Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi)) along with protecting mature and old-growth (MOG) forests, Piñon (Pinus spp.)–Juniper (Juniperous spp.) Woodlands, and riparian areas. Over half the region is managed by federal agencies where new protected areas can be integrated with tribal co-management and prescribed burning, defensible space, and home hardening to protect communities from the growing threat of climate-induced wildfires. However, just 9% of the study area is currently protected, and even with the inclusion of proposed protected areas, only 24% would be protected, which is below 30 × 30 targets. The potential grizzly bear habitat, wolf habitat connectivity, and MOG forests (1.6 M ha (14.2%) of the study area; 18% protected) are concentrated mainly in the central and eastern portions of the MHE. There were 824 fires (2 to 228,065 ha) from 1984–2021, with 24% overlapping the wildland–urban interface. Regional temperatures have increased by 1.5 °C, with a 16% reduction in precipitation and stream flow since 1970 that under worst-case emission scenarios may increase temperatures another 3 to 8 °C by the century’s end. The unique biodiversity of the MHE can be better maintained in a rapidly changing climate via at least a three-fold increase in protected areas, co-management of focal species with tribes, and strategic use of fuel treatments nearest communities. Full article

Soil erosion is one of the major emerging threats to the Himalayan ecosystem. There is a dearth of diverse, cost-effective erosion control measures in the region. In the Himalayan region, where agriculture plays a pivotal role in local livelihoods and environmental stability, the management of soil erosion is of paramount importance. Hence, this study investigates the impact of biochar application on soil erosion and its related indices in the temperate Himalayas of India. This study employs a combination of physicochemical analysis and field experiments to assess the influence of biochar on soil erodibility. The research objectives include an examination of the influence of different temperature pyrolyzed biomasses and varying application rates on soil erodibility indices, viz., dispersion ratio (DR), percolation ratio (PR), clay ratio (CR), erosion ratio (ER), and mean weight diameter (MWD), considering two distinct fertilizer regimes. This study yielded quantitative results that shed light on the impact of various soil amendments and application rates on soil erodibility in the temperate Himalayas. Results showed that the mean values of the DR exhibited by amendment levels NB, AB400, AB600, RAC, DW400, DW600, and RDW were 0.37, 0.35, 0.51, 0.44, 0.51, 0.47, and 0.91, respectively. The mean values of DR for different amendment levels varied, with RDW exhibiting the highest erodibility at 0.91, while DW400 and DW600 demonstrated less soil disturbance, making them promising choices for soil erosion mitigation. Notably, the application of pyrolyzed weed residue improved soil erodibility, whereas AB600 resulted in increased soil erosion due to aggregate disintegration, as indicated by the MWD. Aquatic weed residues and apple wood chips applied without pyrolysis increased the soil erodibility, while pyrolyzed residues improved soil erodibility. The DR was 0.41 at the high application rate, 0.48 at the medium rate, and 0.61 at the low application rate. Among application rates, low rates (1 t ha⁻¹) had the highest DR, followed by medium rates (2 t ha⁻¹) and high rates (3 t ha⁻¹). The no-fertilizer level exhibited higher DR (0.49) compared to the fertilized level (0.38). Results inferred that the application of AB400 °C at 3 t ha⁻¹ can be adopted to minimize soil erosion and maintain ecological security in the temperate Himalayas. Full article

Climate change exacerbates thermal experiences in urban environments, affecting the frequency of social activities in public spaces. As climate change is expected to have a greater influence on thermal comfort, effective integration of climatic knowledge and urban design is required. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding urban configurations that are resistant to temperature and promote urban vitality. This study aimed to explore the correlation between urban configuration, thermal environment, and urban vitality. We categorized the urban configuration of Seoul and analyzed the urban configuration type that impacts urban vitality and temperature. We used the number of the de facto population to measure urban vitality. The two-stage least-squares (2-SLS) model was used to address endogeneity concerns related to configuration, temperature, and de facto population. This study shows that de facto population is influenced by both urban configuration type and temperature. Effective design strategies for maintaining de facto population while responding to climate change include a combination of small blocks and high height-to-width ratios (H/W). In contrast, open-space urban configurations negatively impact de facto population. In high-density and high-H/W areas, de facto population increased due to shading effects but decreased when the critical value was exceeded. Urban configurations with high density and deep urban canyons have greater de facto population in winter than in summer. Full article

In the Mediterranean, one of the most fire-prone regions in the world, wildfires are considered a key factor in vegetation distribution, structure, and function. Severe or frequent fires can lead to homogenized plant communities and habitat fragmentation with significant consequences for the ecosystem and plant-dependent animals such as pollinators. Herein, we present the results of a 10-year post-fire study (2013–2022) conducted on Chios Island, Greece. We explored the effects of a large-scale fire on beta diversity patterns of the flowering insect-pollinated plant communities and its turnover and nestedness components in both burned and unburned sites. In addition, we investigated whether the recorded differences in the burned and unburned plant communities were a result of species gains or losses in the post-fire years. Burned communities display higher post-fire beta diversity compared to the unburned ones, due to higher species turnover across all years of reference. Species turnover was highest overall in the burned sites during the second post-fire year and decreased a decade later. In conclusion, Mediterranean flowering insect-pollinated plant communities are rather fire-resilient, implying positive impacts on pollinator diversity and plant-pollinator interactions during regeneration after a wildfire. Full article

Illegal urbanism has been, and still is, an inherent aspect of the metropolitan fabric of many Spanish cities shaped throughout the twentieth century. The morphology of these complex spaces, with origins in organic growth processes, reflects illegal housing developments through discordant, poorly connected networks, often with significant landscape and environmental impacts. The metropolitan area of Seville, comprising almost 5000 km² and more than 1,500,000 inhabitants, is a paradigmatic space where these facts can be traced, especially in its western sector, where the strong urbanisation dynamics of the last decades have reached and engulfed many of these housing developments. This work establishes an analysis and proposes typologies of the different repercussions of the process in this territory. It does so by drawing on, among other sources, two regional inventories on illegal urbanism, which allow the application of a diachronic perspective and fieldwork with information synchronised to the present time. The main conclusion is that, in addition to explaining the complex metropolitan networks in which they appear (justifying singular forms, asymmetries, and morphologies), the illegal housing developments analysed are an important element for weighing the sociopolitical characteristics of the municipalities in which they are inserted. Full article

Soil health is directly related to sustainable development goals (SDGs) and can be affected by inadequate management practices. In this work, soil edaphic respiration and changes in microbial biomass promoted by cover crops in an integrated crop–livestock system (ICLS) were evaluated using soil health indicators with the respirometry method. The design was completely randomized in a 3 × 6 factorial arrangement, and multivariate principal components analysis (PCA) was performed according to MANOVA. Edaphic respiration was determined based on the respirometry technique. The results showed that edaphic soil respiration was significant in the nine evaluation periods, demonstrating the importance of grass cover in edaphic respiration arising from the biological activity of microorganisms, which is directly related to the amount of soil organic carbon. The cover crops increased soil organic matter and consequently microbial respiratory activity. Full article

The role of public urban green spaces (UGSs) in providing various ecosystem services, especially those related to the physical and mental health of city dwellers, has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. While research has analyzed shifts in UGS visitation and changes in people’s attitudes, there remains a noticeable gap in our understanding of the necessary adaptations required within UGS environments. This paper presents the survey results of Vilnius city residents (Lithuania) conducted in the final days of the quarantine in 2021 and discusses the findings in the broader context of other studies. The survey is centered on preferences for UGS qualities clustered into four groups. The results provide empirical evidence that UGS users highly prioritize ergonomic and ecological characteristics related to comfort and naturalness. However, the preferences differ between those who live close to UGS and those who live further away. In contrast, aesthetic and social qualities are of relatively lesser significance for all. Similar preferences have been identified in international studies, underscoring the global nature of this phenomenon that urban planners must consider when designing or enhancing local UGS. Full article

Green roofs are increasingly recognised as a crucial urban solution, addressing climate change, enhancing energy efficiency, and promoting sustainable architecture in densely populated areas. In this manuscript, the research study delves into the influence of green roofs on energy consumption, focusing on the Treasury Place building in Melbourne, Australia. The utilisation of DesignBuilder and EnergyPlus simulations was explored. Various green roof parameters such as the Leaf Area Index (LAI), plant height, soil moisture, and tree coverage were optimised and compared against base case scenarios. The key findings indicate an optimal LAI of 1.08 for maximum energy savings, with diminishing returns beyond an LAI of 2.5. The soil moisture content was most effective, around 50%, while a plant height of approximately 0.33 m optimised energy reduction. The introduction of 50% canopy tree coverage provided temperature regulation, but increased soil moisture due to trees and their influence on wind flow had an adverse energy impact. These results emphasise the necessity for precise green roof representation and parameter optimisation for maximum energy efficiency. This research offers essential insights for those in urban planning and building design, endorsing green roofs as a pivotal solution for sustainable urban environments. Full article

This article aims to show the transformation of the coast in the extreme northeast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is focused on the Ciutadella de Roses. Data were integrated from the digital elevation model (LIDAR), a geomorphological analysis, and lithostratigraphic and chronological correlations based on eight geological boreholes and twelve radiocarbon datings, along with historical data and archaeological remains found in the surroundings of the Ciutadella. This enabled a hypothesis to be established on the palaeolandscape around the site. The evolution of the shoreline from Ancient Greek times to the modern period is detailed, and evidence of its form at different chronological moments is presented. To sum up, the article defines the evolution of the palaeolandscape in the territory and links it to the historical evolution of the site. In addition, the evolution of the relationship between river courses, the sea and the sea level is explained. Full article