Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.9
3.2
Journals
Land
Special Issues
Rural Demographic Changes and Land Use Response
share announcement

Rural Demographic Changes and Land Use Response

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 2006

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yuheng Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Key Laboratory of Regional Sustainable Development Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
2. College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Interests: rural development; resilience; land use change
Prof. Dr. Guoming Du

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Public Administration and Law, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Interests: land use and land cover change; rural development
Prof. Dr. Monika Stanny

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Rural and Agricultural Development, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
Interests: land use and land cover change; rural development and transformation; agricultural geography
Dr. Łukasz Komorowski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Rural and Agricultural Development, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
Interests: land use and land cover change; rural geography

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue on “Rural Demographic Changes and Land Use Response” explores the complex interactions between demographic shifts in rural areas and their consequential impacts on land use dynamics. Rural regions worldwide are experiencing significant demographic changes, including shifts in population size, age structure, migration patterns, and urbanization trends. These demographic transformations influence how land resources are utilized and managed, shaping agricultural practices, natural resource management strategies, urban sprawl, and environmental conservation efforts.

The aim of this Special Issue is to advance our understanding of how rural demographic changes drive shifts in land use patterns and to explore the multidimensional impacts of these changes. Contributions to this Special Issue will examine various aspects such as the socioeconomic implications of altered land use, policy responses and governance frameworks, and technological innovations that influence land management practices.

Researchers and practitioners are invited to contribute original research articles, case studies, and reviews that employ diverse methodologies and theoretical approaches. The overarching goal is to provide insights that can inform sustainable land use planning and management strategies in rural areas amidst ongoing demographic transitions. This Special Issue seeks to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and offer practical recommendations for policymakers, land managers, and communities navigating the complexities of rural demographic changes and their land use implications.

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

Dr. Yuheng Li
Prof. Dr. Guoming Du
Prof. Dr. Monika Stanny
Dr. Łukasz Komorowski
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

  • rural demographics
  • population dynamics
  • land use change
  • rural–urban migration
  • socioeconomic factors

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • 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.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

18 pages, 577 KiB  
Article
Land Titling: A Catalyst for Enhancing China Rural Laborers’ Mobility Intentions?
by Shanshan Mou and Zhongkun Zhu
Land 2025, 14(4), 867; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14040867 - 15 Apr 2025
Viewed by 296
Abstract
Land titling, a critical land institution reform aimed at enhancing tenure security, serves as a pivotal policy instrument to strengthen rural laborers’ mobility intentions. Leveraging a balanced panel dataset from the 2014 and 2016 China Labor-force Dynamic Survey (CLDS), this study employs a [...] Read more.
Land titling, a critical land institution reform aimed at enhancing tenure security, serves as a pivotal policy instrument to strengthen rural laborers’ mobility intentions. Leveraging a balanced panel dataset from the 2014 and 2016 China Labor-force Dynamic Survey (CLDS), this study employs a difference-in-differences (DID) model to evaluate the policy effects of the latest round of land titling on rural laborers’ mobility intentions. The results demonstrate that land titling significantly enhances rural laborers’ willingness to migrate. To ensure robustness, we incorporate individual and year fixed effects, cluster robust standard errors at the household level, and conduct multiple robustness tests, including placebo test, propensity score-matching difference-in-differences (PSM-DID), replacement of dependent variable, clustered adjustment, adding control variables and interaction fixed effects. Mechanism analysis reveals that land titling elevates laborers’ mobility intentions primarily by reducing land reallocation and stimulating investments in agricultural machinery. Heterogeneity analysis further identifies stronger effects in villages dominated by agricultural employment, and among middle-aged laborers. These findings highlight the nuanced role of tenure security in reshaping rural laborer dynamics and provide empirical support for optimizing land-related policies to facilitate structural transformation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural Demographic Changes and Land Use Response)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 3962 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Synergy Between Transport Superiority and the Rural Population System in Yunnan Province: A Temporal and Spatial Analysis for 2013 to 2021
by Qiuchen Hong, Zonghan Zhang, Ruijia Wang, Shuyu Zhou, Yao Dai, Jinmin Hao and Dong Ai
Land 2025, 14(4), 762; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14040762 - 3 Apr 2025
Viewed by 266
Abstract
Yunnan Province, which is located in the mountainous plateau region of China, faces numerous challenges, including the population decline of rural areas. Achieving coordinated development between the transportation and rural population systems is crucial for fostering sustainable growth. In this study, we developed [...] Read more.
Yunnan Province, which is located in the mountainous plateau region of China, faces numerous challenges, including the population decline of rural areas. Achieving coordinated development between the transportation and rural population systems is crucial for fostering sustainable growth. In this study, we developed a rural population pressure state response (PPSR) model and a comprehensive transport superiority (TS) model that considers the influence of aviation. We quantified the rural population system and horizontal transportation superiority across Yunnan’s districts and counties for the period 2013 to 2021, examining their temporal and spatial heterogeneity. Using a spatial autocorrelation model, we also explored the trade-offs and synergy between Yunnan’s TS and PPSR. The main findings are as follows. (1) From 2013 to 2021, the spatial polarization pattern of PPSR in Yunnan Province gradually weakened, and there were different degrees of rural contraction overall. (2) From 2013 to 2021, Yunnan’s TS significantly increased, with aviation conditions having a notably positive impact, further strengthening Kunming’s position as the regional core. (3) In Yunnan, the relationship between TS and PPSR is significant, with a collaborative pattern emerging across districts and counties, reflecting distinct regional characteristics and a degree of polarization. This study provides valuable insights for integrating urban and rural development in plateau and mountainous areas and offers a new perspective for rural revitalization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural Demographic Changes and Land Use Response)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 6487 KiB  
Article
Temporal and Spatial Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Carbon Storage in Black Soil Area Under Topographic Gradient
by Zhaoxue Gai, Wenlu Zheng, Bonoua Faye, Hongyan Wang and Guoming Du
Land 2025, 14(1), 16; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14010016 - 25 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 603
Abstract
Exploring the characteristics and driving factors of carbon storage change in different terrain gradient variations can provide important insights for formulating the agricultural ecological protection policy for regional development. Previous studies have used the fixed value of carbon density to evaluate the change [...] Read more.
Exploring the characteristics and driving factors of carbon storage change in different terrain gradient variations can provide important insights for formulating the agricultural ecological protection policy for regional development. Previous studies have used the fixed value of carbon density to evaluate the change characteristics of carbon storage but ignored the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of carbon storage at the block scale and the impact of policy factors. Thus, this paper takes Sanjiang Plain, Heilongjiang Province, China, as a study area, and the spatio-temporal variation of carbon storage at different topographic gradients was revealed using hot and cold spot analysis and zonal statistics. Through the geographic detector and estimation of the soil carbon density model, the driving factors and intensity of carbon storage spatial distribution are revealed from 1990 to 2020. We conducted analyses on aboveground biomass, underground biomass, and soil carbon storage across three elevation levels (0–200 m, 200–500 m, 500–999 m) to reveal the quantitative distribution features of carbon storage. The study analysis finds that carbon storage indicates a sawtooth evolution during the study period. Carbon storage was dominant at elevation I (range is 0–200 m), slope I (range is 0–2°), and relief amplitude I (range is 0–30 m). Additionally, the carbon storage losses were severe at elevation II (range is 200–500 m), slope II (2–6°), and relief amplitude II (30–70 m). In contrast, the carbon storage losses at elevation III (500–999 m), slope III (6–15°), and relief amplitude III (70–186 m) were insignificant. The spatial pattern of carbon storage varies significantly under different topographic gradients from 1990 to 2020. The most critical driving factors influencing the spatial distribution pattern of carbon storage were land use and annual average temperature. Distance to urban centers and soil texture also moderately influence the distribution of carbon storage. As the topographic gradient increases, the dominant factors of carbon storage gradually change from annual mean temperature and the extent of land use to policy factors and other socio-economic factors. Therefore, this study emphasizes the importance of implementing policies that convert farmland to forests and wetlands and promote the green transformation of agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural Demographic Changes and Land Use Response)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop