Relationship Between Land Use and Land Degradation

Dear Colleagues,

(1) Introduction, including scientific background and highlighting the importance of this research area.

Land degradation has emerged as one of the most pressing global environmental challenges of the 21st century, threatening food security, biodiversity, and sustainable development. Recognizing its far-reaching impacts, the United Nations incorporated the concept of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) into its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDG Target 15.3). As the most direct manifestation of human activities, land-use changes—such as deforestation, agricultural expansion, and urbanization—are widely regarded as primary drivers of land degradation processes. In turn, degraded land imposes severe limitations on land-use activities by diminishing soil fertility, hydrological functions, and ecosystem resilience, creating a feedback loop that exacerbates environmental decline. With escalating population growth and intensifying anthropogenic pressures, the interactions between land-use changes and land degradation are expected to intensify. Despite growing awareness of this issue, comprehensive analyses of the spatiotemporal patterns, feedback mechanisms, and future long-term trajectories characterizing land use–land degradation relationships are still lacking. These knowledge gaps hinder policy formulation and land management strategies, constraining socio-economic development and human well-being, particularly in vulnerable regions. To address these challenges, integrated environmental and societal impact assessments are urgently needed to unravel the complex dynamics between land-use changes and land degradation. Such insights are vital for guiding sustainable land management and achieving LDN targets.

(2) Aim of the Special Issue and how the subject relates to the journal scope.

For this Special Issue, we seek contributions that examine the complex dynamics between land-use changes and land degradation processes, focusing on multidisciplinary approaches to assessing spatiotemporal patterns, feedback mechanisms, and sustainable land management strategies for the achievement of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets.

(3) Suggested themes and article types for submissions.

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

• Land degradation assessment and driving mechanisms;
• Impacts of land-use changes on land degradation;
• Land-use changes and their environmental impacts;
• Impacts of land degradation on land use;
• Coupling relationship between land use and land degradation;
• Ecosystem service assessment and driving mechanisms;
• Ecosystem service trade-offs in vulnerable regions.

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

Dr. Dajing Li
Prof. Dr. Hongqi Zhang
Dr. Fang Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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.

• land-use/cover change
• land degradation
• desertification
• human activities
• ecosystem services
• ecologically fragile regions
• sustainable development