Search Results (594)

The intensification of anthropogenic pressures, particularly those related to agriculture driven by increasing demands for food and cash crops, generates negative environmental externalities. Assessing these externalities is essential to better identify and implement measures that promote the environmental sustainability of rural landscapes. This study aims to develop a multi-criteria assessment method of the negative environmental externalities of rural landscapes in the northern Benin agricultural basin, based on satellite-derived data. Starting from a 12-class land cover map produced through satellite image classification, the evaluation was conducted in three steps. First, the 12 land cover classes were reclassified into Human Disturbance Coefficients (HDCs) via a weighted sum model multi-criteria analysis based on nine criteria related to the negative environmental externalities of anthropogenic activities. Second, the HDC classes were spatially aggregated using a regular grid of 1 km² landscape cells to produce the Landscape Environmental Sustainability Index (LESI). Finally, various discretization methods were applied to the LESI for cartographic representation, enhancing spatial interpretation. Results indicate that most areas exhibit moderate environmental externalities (HDC and LESI values between 2.5 and 3.5), covering 63–75% (HDC) and 83–94% (LESI) of the respective sites. Areas of low environmental externalities (values between 1.5 and 2.5) account for 20–24% (HDC) and 5–13% (LESI). The LESI, derived from accessible and cost-effective satellite data, offers a scalable, reproducible, and spatially explicit tool for monitoring landscape sustainability. It holds potential for guiding territorial governance and supporting transitions towards more sustainable land management practices. Future improvements may include, among others, refining the evaluation criteria and introducing variable criteria weighting schemes depending on land cover or region. Full article

Investigating the coevolution between ecosystem services (ES) and human well-being (HWB) holds significant implications for achieving the sustainable operation of human–environment systems. However, limited research has focused on ES-HWB interactions in ecotourism-dominated counties. To address this gap, this study takes Chun’an County in Zhejiang Province, China, as a case study, with the research objective of exploring the processes, patterns, and mechanisms of the coevolution between ecosystem services (ES) and human well-being (HWB) in ecotourism-dominated counties. By integrating multi-source heterogeneous data, including land use data, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and statistical records, and employing methods such as the dynamic equivalent factor method, the PLUS model, the coupling coordination degree model, and comprehensive evaluation, we analyzed the synergistic evolution of ES-HWB in Chun’an County from 2000 to 2020. The results indicate that (1) the ecosystem service value (ESV) fluctuated between 30.15 and 36.85 billion CNY, exhibiting a spatial aggregation pattern centered on the Qiandao Lake waterbody, with distance–decay characteristics. The PLUS model confirms ecological conservation policies optimize ES patterns. (2) The HWB index surged from 0.16 to 0.8, driven by tourism-led economic growth, infrastructure investment, and institutional innovation, facilitating a paradigm shift from low to high well-being at the county level. (3) The ES-HWB interaction evolved through three phases—disordered, antagonism, and coordination—revealing tourism as a key mediator driving coupled human–environment system sustainability via a pressure–adaptation–synergy transmission mechanism. This study not only advances the understanding of ES-HWB coevolution in ecotourism-dominated counties, but also provides a transferable methodological framework for sustainable development in similar regions. Full article

The rising demand for sustainable protein is driving interest in insects as a raw material for advanced food ingredients. This review collates and critically analyses over 300 studies on the conversion of crickets, mealworms, black soldier flies, and other farmed species into powders, protein isolates, oils, and chitosan-rich fibers with targeted techno-functional roles. This survey maps how thermal pre-treatments, blanch–dry–mill routes, enzymatic hydrolysis, and isoelectric solubilization–precipitation preserve or enhance the water- and oil-holding capacity, emulsification, foaming, and gelation, while also mitigating off-flavors, allergenicity, and microbial risks. A meta-analysis shows insect flours can absorb up to 3.2 g of water g⁻¹, stabilize oil-in-water emulsions for 14 days at 4 °C, and form gels with 180 kPa strength, outperforming or matching eggs, soy, or whey in specific applications. Case studies demonstrate a successful incorporation at 5–15% into bakery, meat analogs and dairy alternatives without sensory penalties, and chitin-derived chitosan films extend the bread shelf life by three days. Comparative life-cycle data indicate 45–80% lower greenhouse gas emissions and land use than equivalent animal-derived ingredients. Collectively, the evidence positions insect-based ingredients as versatile, safe, and climate-smart tools to enhance food quality and sustainability, while outlining research gaps in allergen mitigation, consumer acceptance, and regulatory harmonization. Full article

The integration of artificial intelligence into sustainable agriculture holds significant potential to transform traditional agricultural practices. This transformation of agricultural practices through AI directly intersects with several critical sustainable development goals, such as Climate Action (SDG13), Life Below Water (SDG 14), and Life on Land (SDG 15). However, such implementations are fraught with multifaceted challenges. This study explores the technological, organizational, and environmental challenges confronting top management in the agricultural sector utilizing the technological–organizational–environmental framework. As interest in AI-enabled sustainable initiatives continues to rise globally, this exploration is timely and relevant. The study employs an interpretive case study approach, drawing insights from a carbon sequestration project within the agricultural sector where AI technologies have been integrated to support sustainability goals. The findings reveal six key challenges: sustainable policy inconsistency, AI experts lacking farming knowledge, farmers’ resistance to change, limited knowledge and expertise to deploy AI, missing links in the existing system, and transition costs, which often hinder the achievement of long-term sustainability outcomes. This study emphasizes the importance of field realities and cross-disciplinary collaboration to optimize the role of AI in sustainability efforts. Full article

The construction and development of digital infrastructure have emerged as a crucial indicator of national competitiveness, which holds significant importance in driving the sustained growth of the national economy and the comprehensive advancement of society. This paper explores the impact of digital infrastructure on farm households’ scale management, aiming to reveal the role and potential of digital technology in agricultural modernization. Additionally, it seeks to offer a scientific foundation for the government to formulate agricultural policies and advance agricultural modernization. Using the OLS (Ordinary Least Squares) model, moderating effect model, and other methods, this study investigates how digital infrastructure affects farm households’ scale management based on micro-level research data of 2510 farm households from the CRRS (China Rural Revitalization Survey). The following conclusions are drawn: Firstly, the enhancement of digital infrastructure can motivate farm households to expand the land management area and increase the unit output of land. Secondly, farm households’ digital literacy positively moderates the effect of digital infrastructure on their land unit output; moreover, digital skills training for farm households exhibits a positive moderating effect on the influence of digital infrastructure on their management area. Finally, there is a heterogeneity in the impact of digital infrastructure on farm households’ scale management. Specifically, the promotion of farm households’ scale management is stronger in plain areas and weaker in hilly and mountainous areas; stronger for middle-aged and older and small-scale farm households; and weaker for youth groups and large-scale farm households. Based on this, this paper suggests increasing the investment in digital infrastructure construction, improving farm households’ digital literacy, carrying out digital skills training, and formulating differentiated regional policies for reference. Full article

The common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) supports one of the most valuable small-scale fisheries in Portugal, particularly in the Algarve region, with substantial socioeconomic implications. This species holds significant potential for human consumption due to its low lipid content, favorable fatty acid profile, high-quality protein, and essential microelements. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive characterization of octopus specimens landed in two key Algarve fishing areas—Barlavento/Windward (Alvor Harbour) and Sotavento/Leeward (Fuzeta Harbour). We assessed their nutritional value, focusing on protein quality, lipid indexes, trace minerals, and essential vitamins, as well as overall safety and quality. All regulated contaminants and additional potential risks were also evaluated, yielding fully satisfactory safety results. The research was conducted within the framework of the European Sea2See project, which aims to enhance consumer trust and acceptance of sustainably harvested or farmed seafood in Europe. Our findings demonstrate that Algarve octopus is a nutritionally rich seafood product, promoting cardiovascular health and general well-being. Full article

Coastal blue carbon ecosystems (traditional types such as mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass meadows; emerging types such as tidal flats and mariculture) play pivotal roles in capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide. Reliable assessment of the spatial and temporal variation and the carbon storage potential holds immense promise for mitigating climate change. Although previous field surveys and regional assessments have improved the understanding of individual habitats, most studies remain site-specific and short-term; comprehensive, multi-decadal assessments that integrate all major coastal blue carbon systems at the national scale are still scarce for China. In this study, we integrated 30 m Landsat imagery (1992–2022), processed on Google Earth Engine with a random forest classifier; province-specific, literature-derived carbon density data with quantified uncertainty (mean ± standard deviation); and the InVEST model to track coastal China’s mangroves, salt marshes, tidal flats, and mariculture to quantify their associated carbon stocks. Then the GeoDetector was applied to distinguish the natural and anthropogenic drivers of carbon stock change. Results showed rapid and divergent land use change over the past three decades, with mariculture expanded by 44%, becoming the dominant blue carbon land use; whereas tidal flats declined by 39%, mangroves and salt marshes exhibited fluctuating upward trends. National blue carbon stock rose markedly from 74 Mt C in 1992 to 194 Mt C in 2022, with Liaoning, Shandong, and Fujian holding the largest provincial stock; Jiangsu and Guangdong showed higher increasing trends. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was the primary driver of spatial variability in carbon stock change (q = 0.63), followed by precipitation and temperature. Synergistic interactions were also detected, e.g., NDVI and precipitation, enhancing the effects beyond those of single factors, which indicates that a wetter climate may boost NDVI’s carbon sequestration. These findings highlight the urgency of strengthening ecological red lines, scaling climate-smart restoration of mangroves and salt marshes, and promoting low-impact mariculture. Our workflow and driver diagnostics provide a transferable template for blue carbon monitoring and evidence-based coastal management frameworks. Full article

The remote sensing monitoring of land use changes and future scenario simulation hold crucial significance for accurately characterizing urban expansion patterns, optimizing urban land use configurations, and thereby promoting coordinated regional development. Through the integration of multi-source data, this study systematically analyzes the spatiotemporal trajectories and driving forces of land use changes in the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration (PRD) from 1990 to 2020 and further simulates the spatial patterns of urban land use under diverse development scenarios from 2025 to 2035. The results indicate the following: (1) During 1990–2020, urban expansion in the Pearl River Delta urban agglomeration exhibited a “stepwise growth” pattern, with an annual expansion rate of 3.7%. Regional land use remained dominated by forest (accounting for over 50%), while construction land surged from 6.5% to 21.8% of total land cover. The gravity center trajectory shifted southeastward. Concurrently, cropland fragmentation has intensified, accompanied by deteriorating connectivity of ecological lands. (2) Urban expansion in the PRD arises from synergistic interactions between natural and socioeconomic drivers. The Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression (GTWR) model revealed that natural constraints—elevation (regression coefficients ranging −0.35 to −0.05) and river network density (−0.47 to −0.15)—exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity. Socioeconomic drivers dominated by year-end paved road area (0.26–0.28) and foreign direct investment (0.03–0.11) emerged as core expansion catalysts. Geographic detector analysis demonstrated pronounced interaction effects: all factor pairs exhibited either two-factor enhancement or nonlinear enhancement effects, with interaction explanatory power surpassing individual factors. (3) Validation of the Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model showed high reliability (Kappa coefficient = 0.9205, overall accuracy = 95.9%). Under the Natural Development Scenario, construction land would exceed the ecological security baseline, causing 408.60 km² of ecological space loss; Under the Ecological Protection Scenario, mandatory control boundaries could reduce cropland and forest loss by 3.04%, albeit with unused land development intensity rising to 24.09%; Under the Economic Development Scenario, cross-city contiguous development zones along the Pearl River Estuary would emerge, with land development intensity peaking in Guangzhou–Foshan and Shenzhen–Dongguan border areas. This study deciphers the spatiotemporal dynamics, driving mechanisms, and scenario outcomes of urban agglomeration expansion, providing critical insights for formulating regionally differentiated policies. Full article

Lifestyle blocks (LBs) are small rural holdings primarily used for residential and recreational purposes rather than commercial farming. Despite the rapid expansion of LBs over the last 25 years, which has been driven by lifestyle amenity preference and land subdivision incentives, their environmental performance remains understudied. This is the case even though their proliferation is leading to an irreversible loss of highly productive soils and accelerating land fragmentation in peri-urban areas. Through undertaking a systematic literature review of relevant studies on LBs in New Zealand and comparable international contexts, this paper aims to quantify existing knowledge and suggest future research needs and management strategies. It focuses on the environmental implications of LB activities in relation to water consumption, food production, energy use, and biodiversity protection. The results indicate that variation in land use practices and environmental awareness among LB owners leads to differing environmental outcomes. LBs offer opportunities for biodiversity conservation and small-scale food production through sustainable practices, while also presenting environmental challenges related to resource consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and loss of productive land for commercial agriculture. Targeted landscape design could help mitigate the environmental pressures associated with these properties while enhancing their potential to deliver ecological and sustainability benefits. The review highlights the need for further evaluation of the environmental sustainability of LBs and emphasises the importance of property design and adaptable planning policies and strategies that balance environmental sustainability, land productivity, and lifestyle owners’ aspirations. It underscores the potential for LBs to contribute positively to environmental management while addressing associated challenges, providing valuable insights for ecological conservation and sustainable land use planning. Full article

The Urban Agglomeration in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River (UAMRYR), serving as a pivotal hub for coordinated economic and ecological development in central China, is characterized by marked ecological fragility and climate sensitivity. Investigating the land use dynamics and ecological benefit changes within this region holds critical strategic significance for balancing regional development with the construction of ecological security barriers. This study systematically analyzed the spatiotemporal variations in land use/land cover (LULC) across the UAMRYR, using multi-source remote sensing data, climatic factors, land conditions, and anthropogenic influences. By integrating the four-quadrant model and the coupling degree model, we developed a remote sensing ecological index (RSEI)–ecological service index (ESI) coupling evaluation framework to assess the spatiotemporal evolution patterns of changes in ecological benefits in the region. Furthermore, we employed Geodetector analysis to identify the key influencing factors driving the RSEI–ESI coupling relationship and their interactive mechanisms. The research findings are as follows: (1) The ecological regional pattern has changed. The area of Quadrant I (RSEI > 0.5 and ESI > 0.5) decreased by 13,800 km², whereas Quadrants II (RSEI < 0.5 and ESI > 0.5) and IV (RSEI > 0.5 and ESI < 0.5) increased by 14,900 km² and 3500 km², respectively. Quadrant III (RSEI < 0.5 and ESI < 0.5) remained relatively stable. This indicates that the imbalance in ecological functional spaces has intensified, affecting key ecological processes. (2) The quantitative analysis of the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of the RSEI and ESI revealed contrasting trends: the RSEI decreased by 0.006, whereas the ESI showed a slight increase of 0.001. (3) The ranking of the driving factors indicated that the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the mean annual rainfall (MAP) were the primary factors driving ecological evolution, while the influence of economic driving factors was relatively weak. This study establishes a three-pillar framework (quadrant-based diagnosis, Geodetector-driven analysis, and RSEI–ESI coupled interventions) to guide precision-based ecological restoration and spatial governance. Full article

Land management decisions and conservation value are heavily influenced by land ownership, land cover, and land use. Our research aimed to examine ownership and land cover distribution, classify landowners based on land cover composition, and evaluate the ability of land cover clustering to be predictive of landowner motivations and behaviors in Maryland, USA. We tabulated a high-resolution land cover map against ownership boundaries, applied hierarchical clustering, and identified five landowner types characterized by a dominant land cover: (1) forest, (2) turf grass, (3) developed, (4) hay/pasture, and (5) crops. We analyzed a landowner survey of 3344 respondents to reveal how clusters predicted recreation, conservation, income, and other motivations. We found a skewed ownership distribution: 95.3% of smaller ownerships (<5 acres) cover 27.3% of the land, while 4.7% of larger owners hold 72.7%. Ownership patterns vary by cover, with forests and wetlands showing bimodal distributions, unimodal for cropland and hay/pasture, and turf grass concentrated in smaller properties. Survey analysis showed that crop, hay/pasture, and forest clusters had income percentages increasing with property size, with crop and hay/pasture accelerating more; conservation interest rose with size for forest and crop, but not hay/pasture; hunting motivation was highest in forest but increased with size similarly across clusters; non-hunting recreation motivation was highest in smaller hay/pasture properties, but decreased with size for all. Although each landowner has unique motivations and goals, our results reveal trends mediated by size of property and land cover that can be used to target outreach and improve conservation outcomes across Maryland’s diverse landscape. Full article

As an important ecological barrier in Northwest China, the health of forest ecosystems in Shaanxi Province is crucial to regional ecological balance and sustainable development. However, forest degradation has become increasingly prominent in recent years due to both natural and anthropogenic pressures. This study aims to identify the spatio-temporal pattern of forest degradation in Shaanxi Province, construct an ecological network, and propose targeted restoration strategies. To this end, we first built a structural-functional forest degradation (SFD) assessment system and used the Landsat-based detection of trends in disturbance and recovery (LandTrendr) algorithm to identify degraded areas and types; subsequently, we used morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) and the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model to construct a forest ecological network and identify key restoration nodes. Finally, we proposed a differentiated restoration strategy for near-natural forests based on the Miyawaki method as a conceptual framework to guide future ecological recovery efforts. The results showed that (1) in 1991–2020, the total area of forest degradation in Shaanxi Province was 1010.89 km², which was dominated by functional degradation (98%) and structural degradation (87.15%), with significant regional differences; (2) the constructed ecological network contained 189 ecological source sites, 189 ecological corridors, 89 key nodes, and 50 urgently restored; and (3) specific restoration measures were proposed for different degradation conditions (e.g., density regulation and forest window construction for functional light degradation and maintenance of the status quo or full reconstruction for structural heavy degradation). This study provides key data and systematic methods for the accurate monitoring of forest degradation, the optimization of ecological networks, and scientific restoration in Shaanxi Province, which holds great practical significance for establishing a robust ecological barrier in Northwest China. Full article

Urban parks are essential public resources that contribute significantly to residents’ well-being. However, disparities in the spatial distribution and social benefits of urban parks remain a pressing issue. This study focuses on the central urban area of Shanghai, a representative high-density megacity, and its findings hold significant reference value for similar cities, systematically evaluating urban park services from the perspectives of accessibility, spatial equity, and social equity. Leveraging multi-source big data and enhanced analytical methods, this study examines disparities and spatial mismatches in park services. By incorporating dynamic data, such as actual visitor attendance and residents’ travel preferences, and improving analytical models, such as an enhanced Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method and spatial lag regression models, this research significantly improves the accuracy and reliability of its findings. Key findings include (1) significant variations in accessibility exist across different types of parks, with regional and city parks offering better accessibility compared to pocket parks and community parks. (2) Park resources are unevenly distributed, with neighborhoods within the inner ring exhibiting relatively low overall accessibility. (3) A spatial mismatch is observed between park accessibility and housing prices, highlighting equity concerns. The dual spatial-social imbalance phenomenon reveals the prevalent contradiction in rapidly urbanizing areas where public service provision lags behind land development. Based on these results, this study proposes targeted recommendations for optimizing urban park layouts, including increasing the supply of small parks in inner-ring areas, enhancing the multifunctionality of parks, and strengthening policy support for disadvantaged communities. These findings contribute new theoretical insights into urban park equity and fine-grained governance while offering valuable references for urban planning and policymaking. Full article

Cork oak (Quercus suber) woodlands hold significant ecological, cultural, and economic value in the Mediterranean basin, particularly due to cork production, one of the most valued non-wood forest products worldwide. However, cork oak ecosystems are increasingly threatened by climate change, land-use intensification, and rural abandonment, leading to widespread signs of decline. To address these challenges, data-driven and scalable methods are more essential than ever. Satellite-based remote sensing (RS) offers a promising approach for large-scale, cost-effective, and timely monitoring of cork oak forests dynamics and health, but an exhaustive review about this topic is missing. This study reviews 35 peer-reviewed articles published between 2010 and 2025, assessing how satellite RS has been applied to monitor cork oak landscapes. The results show that key research topics include forest disturbances, land cover classification, and forest and environmental variables monitoring. Landsat is the most frequently used satellite mission, and NDVI is the most applied vegetation index. Although machine learning techniques and accuracy metrics are heterogeneous, with results that are difficult to compare, relevant performances have been achieved. For instance, the highest classification accuracy (98%) was reached in mapping cork oak mortality. However, the field remains fragmented, with limited attention to key ecological indicators such as biodiversity, resilience, and ecosystem services. RS for cork oak monitoring is still a relatively young discipline with high potential for development, requiring greater methodological consistency and stronger integration with conservation strategies to support adaptive management in the face of future environmental pressures. Full article

Under the global urbanization context, irrational land use patterns have exacerbated ecosystem imbalance. Developing watershed ecological risk assessment methods based on adaptive cycle theory holds significant scientific importance for flood risk prevention. This study established a watershed ecological risk assessment framework within the adaptive cycle framework, focusing on the Poyang Lake Ecological Economic Zone in the middle-lower Yangtze River Basin. The results revealed that high-risk ecological areas clustered around the Poyang Lake water system with scattered urban distribution, while medium-risk zones dominated the study area. Low-risk regions primarily concentrated in the Yuanhe Plain of southwestern region. The system exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity in “exposure” and “disturbance” risks. Medium–high exposure pixels accounted for 43.3% with a dispersed distribution, whereas disturbance pixels concentrated in Poyang Lake waters and developed urban areas (64.34%), indicating that disturbance exerted a stronger influence on risk assessment outcomes. Governance practices demonstrated that policy preferences may introduce biases into watershed ecological risk evaluations. Multi-scenario simulations using an Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA) algorithm identified risk-uncertain zones in southeastern hilly areas and northern Poyang Lake waters, while distinguishing stable high/low-risk regions unaffected by decision-making influences. These findings provide critical references for formulating sustainable watershed management strategies. Full article