The role of environmental and socio-demographic indicators in the analysis of land use changes in a protected area of the Natura 2000 Network: the case study of Lake Trasimeno, Umbria, Central Italy

Biodiversity loss has multiple causes, but habitat degradation through land-use change is the predominant driver. We investigated the effectiveness of the Natura 2000 network in preserving the main wetlands of the two largest islands of the Mediterranean region, whose conservation is critical for many avian species at European and global level, in a 23-year period (1990–2012). In Sardinia, the surroundings of 22 wetlands were affected by an increase in artificial areas (+64 ha/year) and decrease in agricultural (−54 ha/year) and natural (−17 ha/year) ones. In Sicily, the surroundings of 16 wetlands were impacted by an increase in agricultural areas (+50 ha/year) and decrease in natural and semi-natural ones (−62 ha/year). Results show that the Natura 2000 policies were effective in preserving wetlands (no shrinkages detected in both regions), but their surroundings experienced intense processes of degradation and artificialization in all the sub-periods considered (1990–2000, 2000–2006, 2006–2012), whose effects are now threatening waterbirds and wetland integrity. The enlargement of the existing Natura 2000 sites, the creation of new ones and the speedup of the application of the rules of the Habitats and Birds Directives seem necessary to counteract the rapid land-use changes around these important stopover sites.

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The role of land use changes on the formation and spatial changes of thermal islands – A case study in Ahvaz city, Iran

Sustainable Earth Review ◽

10.52547/sustainearth.1.2.52 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 52-59

Author(s):

Rahman Zandi ◽

Zohreh Roki

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Spatial Changes

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Nature Conservation, Land Use Planning and Exploitation of Ornamental Stones - The Case Study of Cabeça Veada (Portugal)

Key Engineering Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/kem.848.77 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 848 ◽

pp. 77-86

Author(s):

Jorge M.F. Carvalho ◽

João Meira ◽

Célia Marques ◽

Susana Machado ◽

Lia Morais Mergulhão ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Use Planning ◽

Planning Process ◽

Mineral Resources ◽

Natura 2000 ◽

Natura 2000 Network ◽

Natural Park ◽

Ornamental Stones

Cabeça Veada is the name of a relatively small exploitation cluster for ornamental limestones occupying an area of 98 ha in the Portuguese Natural Park of Serra de Aire e Candeeiros, which is also a Natura 2000 Network protected area. Supported by comprehensive geological, mining and environmental studies, a specific methodology was developed in order to address the compatibility between the long term sustainability of this industry with the preservation of existing protected natural values. The obtained land use map should allow the Cabeça Veada mineral resources to be adequately included in the municipal land use planning process.

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Rural-Spatial Restructuring Promoted by Land-Use Transitions: A Case Study of Zhulin Town in Central China

Land ◽

10.3390/land10030234 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 234

Author(s):

Dong Han ◽

Jiajun Qiao ◽

Qiankun Zhu

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Rural Development ◽

Structural Changes ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Central China ◽

Rural Space ◽

Spatial Restructuring ◽

Local Actors ◽

The Impact

Rural-spatial restructuring involves the spatial mapping of the current rural development process. The transformation of land-use morphologies, directly or indirectly, affects the practice of rural restructuring. Analyzing this process in terms of the dominant morphology and recessive morphology is helpful for better grasping the overall picture of rural-spatial restructuring. Accordingly, this paper took Zhulin Town in Central China as a case study area. We propose a method for studying rural-spatial restructuring based on changes in the dominant and recessive morphologies of land use. This process was realized by analyzing the distribution and functional suitability of ecological-production-living (EPL) spaces based on land-use types, data on land-use changes obtained over a 30-year observation period, and in-depth research. We found that examining rural-spatial restructuring by matching the distribution of EPL spaces with their functional suitability can help to avoid the misjudgment of the restructuring mode caused by the consideration of the distribution and structural changes in quantity, facilitating greater understanding of the process of rural-spatial restructuring. Although the distribution and quantitative structure of Zhulin’s EPL spaces have changed to differing degrees, ecological- and agricultural-production spaces still predominate, and their functional suitability has gradually increased. The spatial distribution and functional suitability of Zhulin are generally well matched, with 62.5% of the matched types being high-quality growth, and the positive effect of Zhulin’s spatial restructuring over the past 30 years has been significant. We found that combining changes in EPL spatial area and quantity as well as changes in functional suitability is helpful in better understanding the impact of the national macro-policy shift regarding rural development. Sustaining the positive spatial restructuring of rural space requires the timely adjustment of local actors in accordance with the needs of macroeconomic and social development, and a good rural-governance model is essential.

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