Special Issue "Rural–Urban Gradients: Landscape and Nature Conservation"

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Urban Contexts and Urban-Rural Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. María Fe Schmitz
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: cultural landscape; social–ecological systems; landscape heritage; biocultural diversity; protected areas; nature-based tourism; landscape structure
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals
Dr. Cristina Herrero-Jáuregui
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution; Complutense University of Madrid; Madrid 28040; Spain
Interests: social-ecological systems; landscape metrics; land use changes; cultural landscapes; rural development; urban ecology
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals
Dr. Cecilia Arnaiz-Schmitz
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution; Complutense University of Madrid; Madrid 28040; Spain
Interests: social-ecological systems; urban–rural gradients; land planning; simulation scenarios; landscape structure; global change; socioeconomic models
Special Issues and Collections in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, progressive urban expansion related to the increase in the size of cities and human settlements has motivated a growing interest in understanding urban–rural gradients and their associated social-ecological processes. This concept represents a variation gradient of human influence from urban to rural systems that gives rise to different landscape patterns and human development. The gradual transformation of the territory generates systems in transition from traditional rural systems to urban consolidation, through a complex peri-urbanization process which frequently softens the demarcation line between urban and rural areas and makes the urban–rural fringe difficult to identify. This process affects valuable rural cultural landscapes, which are critical at the interface between nature and culture, tangible and intangible heritage, and biological and cultural diversity, and are fundamental to the identity, lifestyle, and well-being of local populations. However, many rural landscapes are at risk of transformation due to the influence of urban development. As corrective measures, land use planning schemes include regulatory strategies based primarily on the establishment of protected area networks, whose socio-ecological effectiveness has sometimes been questioned.

The journal Land presents a Special Issue entitled “Rural–Urban Gradients: Landscape and Nature Conservation”, which is open to researchers interested in this field. Specific topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Urban expansion and biodiversity variation;
  • Edge cities and periurban–rural landscape;
  • Tensions between urban growth and nature conservation;
  • Social-ecological patterns and processes along rural–urban gradients;
  • Social-ecological sustainability at the urban–rural fringe;
  • Transformation and resilience of the urban–rural divide;
  • Protected areas and governance systems related to urban–rural linkages;
  • Implications of urbanization processes on land conservation and rural development;
  • Rural–urban gradients and ecosystem services supply.

Prof. Dr. María Fe Schmitz
Dr. Cristina Herrero-Jáuregui
Dr. Cecilia Arnaiz-Schmitz
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 papers will be 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 1800 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

  • Gradient approach
  • Rural–urban divide
  • Effectiveness of protected areas
  • Ecosystem services supply
  • Urban expansion
  • Rural cultural landscapes
  • Social-ecological resilience

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

Article
Application of Suitability Modeling in Establishing a New Bicycle–Pedestrian Path: The Case of the Abandoned Kanfanar–Rovinj Railway in Istria
Land 2021, 10(6), 600; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10060600 - 04 Jun 2021
Viewed by 530
Abstract
This paper presents research on the conversion of the abandoned Kanfanar–Rovinj railway into a bicycle–pedestrian path, with the aim of including it in the existing network of bicycle–pedestrian paths in the Istria County in Croatia. This would enable better connection of the repurposed [...] Read more.
This paper presents research on the conversion of the abandoned Kanfanar–Rovinj railway into a bicycle–pedestrian path, with the aim of including it in the existing network of bicycle–pedestrian paths in the Istria County in Croatia. This would enable better connection of the repurposed railway corridor with the surrounding natural and cultural values and better use of the spatial potential, which would create more favorable conditions for the revitalization of the wider rural environment. In order to identify the existing potential of the area, as well as the impact of the proposed intervention on critical areas, a method of multicriteria analysis was used. The result of the analysis was a model of the suitability of the space, i.e., five value categories that make the space more or less suitable for accommodating new pedestrian and bicycle paths. In order to emphasize the importance of individual spatial contents in the modeling process, the method of weighted linear combination was used. Finally, the nature of the project and its potential impact on the environment have conditioned the selection of the appropriate aspect of the model and of the space’s suitability, which is further used for locating the new pedestrian and bicycle paths. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural–Urban Gradients: Landscape and Nature Conservation)
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Article
Parcel Management and Perceived Ecosystem Services and Disservices in the Exurbs of a Midwestern County in the United States
Land 2021, 10(5), 448; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10050448 - 23 Apr 2021
Viewed by 512
Abstract
Exurban development is a prominent land use in the United States of America, particularly in the Midwest, where much of it occurs on farmland and remnant woodlands. While exurbanization may affect ecosystem services, its impact could be modulated by management decisions made by [...] Read more.
Exurban development is a prominent land use in the United States of America, particularly in the Midwest, where much of it occurs on farmland and remnant woodlands. While exurbanization may affect ecosystem services, its impact could be modulated by management decisions made by residents. We aimed to uncover how exurban residents in a midwestern county perceived ecosystem services and disservices provided by their property based on 26 semi-structured interviews of landowners on parcels between 1 and 20 acres with a pond in unincorporated areas. We found the ecosystem services people associated most with their land are classified as cultural services (dominated by recreation services), while the most common mentioned disservices were classified as regulating disservices. Many ecosystem services that would be categorized as supporting or regulating services were not mentioned by interviewees, including microclimate stabilization, carbon sequestration, disease regulation, and maintenance of genetic diversity. Residents spent an average of 1.4 h/acre each week managing their properties. However, as parcel size and forest cover increased, the residents reported managing less surface area. Our study suggested that residents cultivate landscape features that directly benefit them and view many of the services that benefit regional biodiversity and ecosystem processes as disservices, which, to rectify, may require coordinated landscape-level management or local policies/incentives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural–Urban Gradients: Landscape and Nature Conservation)
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Article
Recreational and Nature-Based Tourism as a Cultural Ecosystem Service. Assessment and Mapping in a Rural-Urban Gradient of Central Spain
Land 2021, 10(4), 343; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10040343 - 30 Mar 2021
Viewed by 576
Abstract
Land management focused from the social-ecological perspective of ecosystem services should consider cultural services in decision-making processes. Nature-based tourism offers a great potential for landscape conservation, local development and the well-being of human populations. However, the subjectivity of recreational ecosystem services has meant [...] Read more.
Land management focused from the social-ecological perspective of ecosystem services should consider cultural services in decision-making processes. Nature-based tourism offers a great potential for landscape conservation, local development and the well-being of human populations. However, the subjectivity of recreational ecosystem services has meant a clear impediment to assessing and mapping them. In this study, an integrated numerical spatial method is developed, which quantifies the supply and demand of recreational ecosystem services and allows mapping their spatial correspondence along a rural-urban gradient. The procedure also allows quantifying the influence of the landscape structure and the presence of protected areas on the degree of coupling between supply of recreational ecosystem services and demand for outdoor recreation and nature-based tourism and reveals that protected areas are hotspots of recreational ecosystem services. The results obtained highlight the usefulness of the methodological procedure developed as a tool for sustainable land planning and management from an integrative social-ecological approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural–Urban Gradients: Landscape and Nature Conservation)
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Article
Defining the Peri-Urban: A Multidimensional Characterization of Spatio-Temporal Land Use along an Urban–Rural Gradient in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Land 2021, 10(2), 177; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10020177 - 09 Feb 2021
Viewed by 1020
Abstract
Highly dynamic peri-urban areas, particularly in the Global South, face many challenges including a lack of infrastructure, ownership conflicts, land degradation, and sustainable food production. This study aims to assess spatial land use characteristics and processes in peri-urban areas using the case of [...] Read more.
Highly dynamic peri-urban areas, particularly in the Global South, face many challenges including a lack of infrastructure, ownership conflicts, land degradation, and sustainable food production. This study aims to assess spatial land use characteristics and processes in peri-urban areas using the case of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A mixed-method approach was applied, consisting of expert interviews and spatial data analysis, on a local scale along an urban–rural gradient. Expert interviews were conducted during a field study and analyzed regarding the characteristics and processes of peri-urban land development. A GIS-based analysis of land use patterns was applied using satellite imagery and Open Street Map data to identify a number of variables, such as building density and proximity to environmental features. Results show specific patterns of land use indicators, which can be decreasing (e.g., house density), increasing (e.g., tree coverage), static (e.g., house size), or randomly distributed (e.g., distance to river), along a peri-urban gradient. Key findings identify lack of service structures and access to public transport as major challenges for the population of peri-urban areas. The combination of qualitative expert interviews and metrics-based quantitative spatial pattern analysis contributes to improved understanding of the patterns and processes in peri-urban land use changes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural–Urban Gradients: Landscape and Nature Conservation)
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Article
Detection of City Integration Processes in Rapidly Urbanizing Areas Based on Remote Sensing Imagery
Land 2020, 9(10), 378; https://doi.org/10.3390/land9100378 - 08 Oct 2020
Viewed by 959
Abstract
Since China’s reform and development commenced, in the context of rapid urbanization and coordinated regional development, Chinese cities with a close geographic proximity and social ties have gradually formed an integrated city development model. As a new phenomenon in China’s urbanization process, existing [...] Read more.
Since China’s reform and development commenced, in the context of rapid urbanization and coordinated regional development, Chinese cities with a close geographic proximity and social ties have gradually formed an integrated city development model. As a new phenomenon in China’s urbanization process, existing research on China’s integrated cities mainly focuses on typical case studies, and most research has been limited to literature reviews and theoretical analyses. The growing application of remote sensing technology in urbanization research in recent years has provided new opportunities for the analysis of city integration. Therefore, based on multi-spectral Landsat-8 and nighttime light images (SNPP/VIIRS, Suomi National Polar-orbiting Platform/Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite), this paper selects four of the most representative integrated cities with different backgrounds in China to analyze the land-use conversion, plot light fluctuation, and light gravity center shift in the boundary zone between cities. The results show that (1) Guangfo has the highest level of integration and urban expansion is mainly concentrated in the south-central part of the boundary area; (2) Guanshen’s level of integration is second to Guangfo’s and is mainly concentrated in the west; (3) HuSu’s integration is still in the initial stage and its increase in light intensity lags behind the expansion of building land during the study period; (4) although the light intensity and building land area increased significantly during the study period in Xixian, the overall development level of Xixian still lagged behind coastal cities due to the restriction of its geographical location. Our application results expand the data sources for integrated city research and the obtained results can potentially support decision-making and planning in the process of urban development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural–Urban Gradients: Landscape and Nature Conservation)
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Article
Landscape Disturbance Gradients: The Importance of the Type of Scene When Evaluating Landscape Preferences and Perceptions
Land 2020, 9(9), 306; https://doi.org/10.3390/land9090306 - 01 Sep 2020
Viewed by 1322
Abstract
Understanding of people’s landscape preferences is important for decision-making about land planning, particularly in the disturbance patterns that usually occur in rural-urban gradients. However, the use of different types of images concerning the same landscape may influence social preferences and thus perceptions of [...] Read more.
Understanding of people’s landscape preferences is important for decision-making about land planning, particularly in the disturbance patterns that usually occur in rural-urban gradients. However, the use of different types of images concerning the same landscape may influence social preferences and thus perceptions of landscape management and planning decisions. We evaluated landscape preferences and perceptions in four landscapes of southern Chile. We specifically: (1) compared people’s perceptions related to living in, visiting, the scenic beauty, well-being, risks, and level of landscape disturbance; and (2) evaluated the influence of the type of scene (i.e., eye-level or aerial images) in these preferences and perceptions. Preferences and perceptions resulted to be better when using eye-level (4.0 ± 1.1) than aerial (3.7 ± 0.6) images. In general, we observed a negative association between preferences and perceptions and the landscape disturbance; however, it was consistent when using aerial images but was masked when valuing landscape through eye-level images. Implications of these results are relevant because by far, most landscape preference studies use traditional eye-level images. Different types of scenes should be considered in order to embrace the landscape preferences and perceptions of all those involved and help decision-making in landscape planning. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural–Urban Gradients: Landscape and Nature Conservation)
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