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Land
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Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Utilization Trend of Farmland
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Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Utilization Trend of Farmland

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Use, Impact Assessment and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 December 2025) | Viewed by 2642

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Maoxin Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Public Administration & Law, Fujian Agricultural and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Interests: land use and land cover; cropland abandonment; cropland resilience
Dr. Tingting He

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Advanced Laser Technology Laboratory of Anhui Province, Hefei 230000, China
Interests: environmental science; urban/rural sociology; remote sensing; machine learning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Andong Guo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Public Policy & Management School of Emergency Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Interests: cropland abandonment; land use and land cover; urban heat island; urban morphology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Youpeng Lu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
Interests: land use efficiency; land surface temperature; ecosystem services
Dr. Jose Raul Romo Leon

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Scientifical and Technological Research, University of Sonora, Hermosillo 83000, Mexico
Interests: land use management; remote sensing; spatial analysis; satellite image processing; satellite image analysis; mapping; vegetation mapping; landscape ecology; digital mapping; natural resource management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Farmland is the foundation for guaranteeing food security and promoting sustainable rural development. With rapid urbanisation, industrialisation, and climate change, farmland systems are undergoing profound spatial and functional changes. Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics and utilisation trends of farmland is essential to ensure the long-term sustainability of agriculture, the resilience of ecosystems, and the harmonious development of human–land systems. A growing number of studies have highlighted the importance of the high-resolution and long-term characterisation of farmland changes, particularly in understanding utilisation trends such as fragmentation and marginalisation.

In this Special Issue, we encourage contributions that aim to provide new methods or new models for the governance of farmland. We hope to provide an interdisciplinary platform to advance our understanding of how farmland patterns and uses evolve over time and space, as well as the drivers and policy responses that shape these trajectories.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

  • Monitoring and modelling farmland change using multi-source remote sensing data;
  • Drivers of farmland transformation: urbanisation, climate change, policy, and socio-economics;
  • Trends in land consolidation, fragmentation, and marginalisation;
  • Farmland utilisation efficiency and sustainability assessment;
  • Scenario modelling and policy assessment of optimal farmland allocation;
  • Technological innovations and data-driven tools for monitoring farmland.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Maoxin Zhang
Dr. Tingting He
Dr. Andong Guo
Dr. Youpeng Lu
Dr. Jose Raul Romo Leon
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • farmland change
  • spatiotemporal analysis
  • land use dynamics
  • utilisation efficiency
  • land system sustainability
  • innovative farmland governance

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

28 pages, 15762 KB  
Article
The Spatiotemporal Patterns and Driving Mechanisms of Cultivated Land Conversion to Non-Agricultural Uses in Jiangsu Province, China
by Hao Zhou, Qian Shen, Shu Qian, Majid Gulayozov, Junli Li and Changming Zhu
Land 2025, 14(12), 2347; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14122347 - 29 Nov 2025
Viewed by 356
Abstract
Exploring the spatiotemporal patterns of cultivated land conversion to non-agricultural uses and their evolutionary driving mechanisms is of significant importance for regional cultivated land protection and food security. This study utilizes time-series land use datasets, DEM, meteorological data, and statistical yearbook data to [...] Read more.
Exploring the spatiotemporal patterns of cultivated land conversion to non-agricultural uses and their evolutionary driving mechanisms is of significant importance for regional cultivated land protection and food security. This study utilizes time-series land use datasets, DEM, meteorological data, and statistical yearbook data to construct an assessment model for the rate of cultivated land conversion to non-agricultural uses. Based on this model, the study conducts spatial autocorrelation analysis and locational gradient analysis to systematically investigate the characteristics and driving mechanisms of cultivated land conversion to non-agricultural uses in Jiangsu Province from 2000 to 2023. The study revealed several key findings: (1). The total area of cultivated land in Jiangsu Province has demonstrated a trend of ‘initial continuous decline followed by a slight recovery after 2015.’ Spatially, it exhibits a distribution pattern characterized by ‘continuous reduction around urban areas, with relative stability in the northern core regions’. (2). The temporal pattern of cultivated land conversion to non-agricultural use in Jiangsu Province follows a trajectory of ‘rapid expansion (2000–2015) followed by a gradual slowdown (2015–2023),’ with significant gradient differences observed spatially (‘Southern Jiangsu > Central Jiangsu > Northern Jiangsu’). (3). The conversion of cultivated land to non-agricultural use in Jiangsu Province results from the combined effects of natural constraints, socio-economic driving factors, and agricultural policies. Topographical constraints and urban radiation have emerged as the primary spatial conditions promoting non-agriculturalization, with urban expansion identified as the most direct driving factor of cultivated land conversion in recent years. Conversely, agricultural factors have exerted a relatively weaker influence on non-agriculturalization. These research findings provide a significant scientific basis for formulating differentiated cultivated land protection policies across the province, thereby assisting in achieving a balance between food security and coordinated urban–rural development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Utilization Trend of Farmland)
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24 pages, 29903 KB  
Article
Analyzing Spatiotemporal Patterns of Cultivated Land by Integrating Aggregation Degree and Omnidirectional Connectivity: A Case Study of Daqing City, China
by Yanhong Hang, Zhuocheng Zhang and Xiaoming Li
Land 2025, 14(10), 2000; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14102000 - 6 Oct 2025
Viewed by 578
Abstract
The spatial configuration of cultivated land is crucial for modern agricultural production; therefore, research on cultivated land aggregation and spatial connectivity holds significant importance for enhancing agricultural production efficiency and ensuring food security. This study selected Daqing City, China, as the research area [...] Read more.
The spatial configuration of cultivated land is crucial for modern agricultural production; therefore, research on cultivated land aggregation and spatial connectivity holds significant importance for enhancing agricultural production efficiency and ensuring food security. This study selected Daqing City, China, as the research area and constructed a three-level nested framework of “patch–local–regional” scales. The aggregation degree was calculated through landscape pattern indices and the MSPA model, and connectivity was evaluated using the Omniscape algorithm based on circuit theory to explore the spatiotemporal evolution patterns of cultivated land configuration and analyze their spatial correlations, proposing classified optimization strategies. The results indicate the following: (1) the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of cultivated land aggregation in Daqing City exhibit a spatial pattern of “high in the north and south, low in the middle,” with an overall declining trend from 2000 to 2020; (2) high-connectivity areas are primarily distributed in Lindian County in the north and Zhaozhou and Zhaoyuan Counties in the south, while low-connectivity areas are concentrated in the central urban area and surrounding regions; (3) the aggregation degree and connectivity demonstrate positive spatial correlation, with the Global Moran’s index increasing from 0.358 in 2000 to 0.413 in 2020; and (4) based on the aggregation degree and connectivity characteristics, the study area can be classified into four types: scattered imbalance–isolated dysfunction, regular imbalance–connected dysfunction, scattered improvement–connected optimization, and regular improvement–connected optimization. This study provides new research perspectives for cultivated land protection. The proposed multi-scale aggregation–connectivity research method and classification system offer important reference value for the efficient utilization and management optimization of cultivated land. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Utilization Trend of Farmland)
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15 pages, 11289 KB  
Article
Scale and Dynamic Characteristics of the Yangtze River Delta Urban System from a Land-Use Perspective
by Zhipeng Shi, Weixin Luan, Xue Luo, Qiaoqiao Lin and Zun Liu
Land 2025, 14(9), 1728; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14091728 - 26 Aug 2025
Viewed by 898
Abstract
An in-depth analysis of land use dynamics during the evolution of regional urban systems is crucial for understanding developmental trajectories and promoting coordinated urban growth. This study adopts a land-use perspective, examining the expansion of urban construction land while identifying its source areas. [...] Read more.
An in-depth analysis of land use dynamics during the evolution of regional urban systems is crucial for understanding developmental trajectories and promoting coordinated urban growth. This study adopts a land-use perspective, examining the expansion of urban construction land while identifying its source areas. By integrating Zipf’s law and using urban construction land area as an indicator of urban scale, this research analyzes transformations within the urban system. The findings reveal the following: (1) The total area of urban construction land in the Yangtze River Delta has continued to expand over time, exhibiting an inverted U-shaped curve, with high concentration observed in riverine and coastal zones. (2) Cultivated land serves as the primary source for construction land, contributing on average 77.70% over the past 25 years, amounting to a conversion of 5664.51 square kilometers. Rural residential areas rank second, contributing an average of 11.90%. (3) The rank-size distribution of cities based on urban land area largely aligns with Zipf’s law, albeit with deviations at both ends. The Pareto index increased from 0.803 to 0.897, indicating a trend toward weaker dispersion and greater concentration in urban size distribution. In conclusion, future urban development should emphasize rational expansion grounded in sustainable practices, strengthen farmland protection to ensure food security, and effectively manage rural land transformation to promote efficient land use and ecological balance. These measures will support the balanced and coordinated development of large, medium, and small cities within the urban system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Utilization Trend of Farmland)
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