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Land
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Advances in Land Consolidation and Land Ecology (Second Edition)
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Advances in Land Consolidation and Land Ecology (Second Edition)

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Systems and Global Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 2466

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yanmei Ye

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
Interests: land consolidation and land ecology; land space planning; land management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Xiaobin Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Management, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
Interests: land consolidation; land institutions; property rights
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Climate change, population increase, urbanization, industrialization, land use pattern change, and diversified demands for land resources are leading to complex land governance and ecological issues. Land consolidation and land ecology are two interrelated fields that are essential for addressing these issues and promoting sustainable land use and regional development. This special issue aims to bring together multidisciplinary contributions in the fields of land consolidation and land ecology, highlighting the importance of their integration for sustainable land management practices. By providing insights into these topics, the issue aims to foster further development in land conservation and management efforts through land consolidation and land ecology. The cross-disciplinary nature of the contributions makes this issue an important source of knowledge for researchers, policy-makers, and practitioners.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Land consolidation and land ecology policies and practices for sustainable land use;
  • Land ecology and environmental sustainability;
  • The impact of land consolidation on land ecology and the landscape construction in land consolidation;
  • The effectiveness of existing land consolidation and land ecology models;
  • The role of technology and digital solutions in land consolidation and land ecology;
  • Integrated land consolidation planning and management approaches;
  • The socioeconomic impacts of land consolidation and land ecology;
  • The orientation and guidelines for designing legal frameworks and strategies of land consolidation and land ecology;
  • Technical methods and practical experience of land ecological protection and restoration;
  • Effects of land property rights on land consolidation and land ecology.

We welcome contributions from a wide range of disciplines, including land management, geography, agriculture, environmental science, urban planning, sociology, and economics. We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Prof. Dr. Yanmei Ye
Dr. Xiaobin Zhang
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • land consolidation
  • land ecology
  • sustainable land use
  • landscape construction
  • nature resource management
  • cross-disciplinary contributions
  • technology-driven solutions
  • land property rights
  • rural development
  • land ecological restoration

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  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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28 pages, 1729 KB  
Article
Is a Self-Organized Structure Always the Best Choice for Collective Members? A Counterexample in China’s Urban–Rural Construction Land Linkage Policy
by Chen Shi
Land 2025, 14(9), 1807; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14091807 - 4 Sep 2025
Viewed by 266
Abstract
Rapid urbanization in developing countries has widened the gap between urban and rural development, due to inefficient land markets and weak institutional systems in rural areas. China’s innovative “Urban–rural Construction Land Linkage” policy was designed to address this imbalance by encouraging rural land [...] Read more.
Rapid urbanization in developing countries has widened the gap between urban and rural development, due to inefficient land markets and weak institutional systems in rural areas. China’s innovative “Urban–rural Construction Land Linkage” policy was designed to address this imbalance by encouraging rural land consolidation and creating a transferable development rights mechanism. While this approach has shown potential in improving the utilization efficiency of existing construction land and continuously supplying urban development space, concerns remain about its actual benefits to villagers and rural development, with some arguing it disrupts traditional livelihoods and favors government interests over rural needs. To respond to this debate, this study investigates two core questions: first, does China’s transferable land development rights (TDR) program genuinely improve rural welfare as intended; second, why does the theoretically preferred self-organized governance model sometimes fail in practice? To address these research questions, this paper develops a new analytical framework combining the IAD framework of Ostrom with the hierarchical institutional framework of Williamson to examine three implementation approaches in China’s TDR implementation: government-dominated, market-invested, and self-organized models. Based on case studies, surveys, and interviews across multiple regions, this study reveals distinct strengths and weaknesses in each approach in improving villagers’ lives. Government-dominated projects demonstrate strong resource mobilization but limited community participation. Market-based models show efficiency gains but often compromise equity. While self-organized initiatives promise greater local empowerment, they frequently face practical challenges including limited management capacity and institutional barriers. Furthermore, this study identifies the preconditional institutional environment necessary for successful self-organized implementation, including clear land property rights, financial support, and technical assistance. These findings advance global understanding of how to combine efficiency with fair outcomes for all stakeholders in land governance, which is particularly relevant for developing countries seeking to manage urban expansion while protecting rural interests. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Land Consolidation and Land Ecology (Second Edition))
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23 pages, 3285 KB  
Article
Spatio-Temporal Evolution Characteristics of Land Consolidation in the Coastal Regions: A Typical Case Study of Lianyungang, China
by Qiaochu Liu, Yonghu Fu, Gan Teng, Jianyuan Ma, Yu Yao and Longqian Chen
Land 2025, 14(9), 1776; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14091776 - 31 Aug 2025
Viewed by 368
Abstract
Understanding the spatio-temporal evolution of land consolidation is essential for optimizing regional land resource allocation and mitigating human–land conflicts during socio-economic development. This study introduced a novel framework for analyzing such patterns in China. Utilizing a two-decade (2002–2022) prefecture-level city dataset of land [...] Read more.
Understanding the spatio-temporal evolution of land consolidation is essential for optimizing regional land resource allocation and mitigating human–land conflicts during socio-economic development. This study introduced a novel framework for analyzing such patterns in China. Utilizing a two-decade (2002–2022) prefecture-level city dataset of land consolidation projects in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, we developed a “land consolidation intensity” metric and applied quantitative techniques—including land use transfer matrices, landscape pattern indices, Sankey diagrams, and standard deviation ellipses—to assess spatio-temporal dynamics and centroid shifts. Key findings included: (1) Land consolidation intensity exhibited distinct stages, evolving from initial development to rapid growth and eventual stabilization, closely aligning with national policy shifts. (2) The primary sources for supplemented cultivated land were ponds, rivers, and tidal flats, followed by grassland, construction land, and forest land, with cultivated land consistently dominating the consolidated landscape. (3) Land consolidation projects distribution concentrated in economic and political centers, with a spatial shift from inland western region towards the eastern coastal region. (4) Gray relational analysis identified economic development as the predominant driver, with policy and social factors providing secondary guidance. This research elucidates the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics of land consolidation at the prefecture-level city and demonstrates the utility of the proposed framework for similar analyses, offering insights relevant to national land use planning and policy formulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Land Consolidation and Land Ecology (Second Edition))
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31 pages, 23687 KB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Ecosystem Services and Human Well-Being in China’s Karst Regions: An Integrated Carbon Flow-Based Assessment
by Yinuo Zou, Yuefeng Lyu, Guan Li, Yanmei Ye and Cifang Wu
Land 2025, 14(8), 1506; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14081506 - 22 Jul 2025
Viewed by 423
Abstract
The relationship between ecosystem services (ESs) and human well-being (HWB) is a central issue of sustainable development. However, current research often relies on qualitative frameworks or indicator-based assessments, limiting a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between natural environment and human acquisition, which still [...] Read more.
The relationship between ecosystem services (ESs) and human well-being (HWB) is a central issue of sustainable development. However, current research often relies on qualitative frameworks or indicator-based assessments, limiting a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between natural environment and human acquisition, which still needs to be strengthened. As an element transferred in the natural–society coupling system, carbon can assist in characterizing the dynamic interactions within coupled human–natural systems. Carbon, as a fundamental element transferred across ecological and social spheres, offers a powerful lens to characterize these linkages. This study develops and applies a novel analytical framework that integrates carbon flow as a unifying metric to quantitatively assess the spatiotemporal dynamics of the land use and land cover change (LUCC)–ESs–HWB nexus in Guizhou Province, China, from 2000 to 2020. The results show that: (1) Ecosystem services in Guizhou showed distinct trends from 2000 to 2020: supporting and regulating services declined and then recovered, and provisioning services steadily increased, while cultural services remained stable but varied across cities. (2) Human well-being generally improved over time, with health remaining stable and the HSI rising across most cities, although security levels fluctuated and remained low in some areas. (3) The contribution of ecosystem services to human well-being peaked in 2010–2015, followed by declines in central and northern regions, while southern and western areas maintained or improved their levels. (4) Supporting and regulating services were positively correlated with HWB security, while cultural services showed mixed effects, with strong synergies between culture and health in cities like Liupanshui and Qiandongnan. Overall, this study quantified the coupled dynamics between ecosystem services and human well-being through a carbon flow framework, which not only offers a unified metric for cross-dimensional analysis but also reduces subjective bias in evaluation. This integrated approach provides critical insights for crafting spatially explicit land management policies in Guizhou and offers a replicable methodology for exploring sustainable development pathways in other ecologically fragile karst regions worldwide. Compared with conventional ecosystem service frameworks, the carbon flow approach provides a process-based, dynamic mediator that quantifies biogeochemical linkages in LUCC–ESs–HWB systems, which is particularly important in fragile karst regions. However, we acknowledge that further empirical comparison with traditional ESs metrics could strengthen the framework’s generalizability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Land Consolidation and Land Ecology (Second Edition))
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Review

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18 pages, 2365 KB  
Review
The Historical and Theoretical Rationale for Ecological Protection and Restoration: Experiences from China
by Xiaotong Han, Zhengfu Bian, Haochen Yu, Shaogang Lei, Yibo Zhao and Yingjie Guo
Land 2025, 14(1), 161; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14010161 - 14 Jan 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 938
Abstract
This study aims to elucidate the historical justification for protection and restoration efforts in China while also examining the theoretical underpinnings of ecological conservation and restoration. Utilizing a literature review method, logical reasoning method, and inductive summarizing method, the historical and theoretical frameworks [...] Read more.
This study aims to elucidate the historical justification for protection and restoration efforts in China while also examining the theoretical underpinnings of ecological conservation and restoration. Utilizing a literature review method, logical reasoning method, and inductive summarizing method, the historical and theoretical frameworks of territorial spatial ecological conservation and restoration are elucidated, leading to the following conclusions: (1) The ecological protection and restoration of national land space represents an advanced form of land remediation; however, they differ in terms of objects, principles, goals, and measures. (2) Territorial space ecological protection and restoration is historically unavoidable due to the current phase of societal development, driven by the natural environment and the necessity to establish an ecological civilization. (3) To implement territorial spatial ecological protection and restoration effectively and rationally, it is essential to comprehend its systematicity, territoriality, dynamics, and scientificity. By clarifying its historical and theoretical rationale, we can achieve a deeper understanding of its current relevance. This can effectively inform practical efforts in territorial spatial ecological protection and restoration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Land Consolidation and Land Ecology (Second Edition))
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