Analyzing the Patterns, Trends and Dynamics of the Land-Use Changes in Azores Region: From 1990 to 2018

The remarkable richness and singularity of the Azorean Region (located 38° North) and its landscapes require a sharp, well-defined, and comprehensive planning policy. Bearing in mind the significance of this issue in the enlightenment of sustainability, planning strategies should be based and supported by different studies and thematic domains to understand the problem thoroughly. Using GIS (Geographic Information Systems), the present article enables us to identify the dynamics and patterns of the evolution of the Land-Use Changes in the Azores Region from 1990 to 2018. In aggregate, the Azores islands showed growth in artificial surfaces and forest and seminatural land-uses by essentially decreasing agricultural areas—most resulting from the economic and social development strategy pursued by several Azorean governments. Moreover, this study permits us to reinforce that the Azores Archipelago’s land-uses has undergone multiple changes—marked by increasing and decreasing periods. In fact, some of these reducing dynamics are disturbing. They require closer monitorization by regional government actors to give protection, preservation, and conservation to these incomparable ultra-peripheral landscapes, environments, ecosystems, and the region as a whole.

Download Full-text

Land-Use Changes in the Canary Archipelago Using the CORINE Data: A Retrospective Analysis

Land ◽

10.3390/land9070232 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. 232 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

José Manuel Naranjo Gómez ◽

Sérgio Lousada ◽

Jacinto Garrido Garrido Velarde ◽

Rui Alexandre Castanho ◽

Luís Loures

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Sustainable Development ◽

Information Systems ◽

Geographic Information Systems ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Land Uses ◽

Sustained Development ◽

Governance Strategy ◽

Peripheral Areas ◽

Agricultural Areas

The relationships between territorial governance and the pursuit of sustainable development are evidenced to be critical. Exploratory tools, like Geographic Information Systems (GIS), enable us to comprehend the patterns, dynamics, and parameters of land-use changes over the years. The results from such studies could be used in the design of a sustainable territorial governance strategy. Contextually, a study has been conducted based on the changes that occurred in land uses in the Canary Archipelago in the years 1990, 2000, 2012, and 2018 using CORINE (Coordination of Information on the Environment) data. Even if most of the land uses have been stable over the analyzed period, the investigation shows a decrease in agricultural areas. By contrast, it is possible to verify an increase in semi-natural areas and urban agglomerations. Moreover, the authors believe that an assessment of the land-use changes on these ultra-peripheral areas will also enable us to disclose some obstacles and opportunities for sustained development.

Download Full-text

Changes in Coastal Agricultural Land Use in Response to Climate Change: An Assessment Using Satellite Remote Sensing and Household Survey Data in Tien Hai District, Thai Binh Province, Vietnam

Land ◽

10.3390/land10060627 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 627

Author(s):

Duong H. Nong ◽

An T. Ngo ◽

Hoa P. T. Nguyen ◽

Thuy T. Nguyen ◽

Lan T. Nguyen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Land Use ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Household Survey ◽

Extreme Weather Events ◽

Agricultural Land Use ◽

Landsat 8 ◽

Land Uses

We analyzed the agricultural land-use changes in the coastal areas of Tien Hai district, Thai Binh province, in 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020, using Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 data. We used the object-oriented classification method with the maximum likelihood algorithm to classify six types of land uses. The series of land-use maps we produced had an overall accuracy of more than 80%. We then conducted a spatial analysis of the 5-year land-use change using ArcGIS software. In addition, we surveyed 150 farm households using a structured questionnaire regarding the impacts of climate change on agricultural productivity and land uses, as well as farmers’ adaptation and responses. The results showed that from 2005 to 2020, cropland decreased, while aquaculture land and forest land increased. We observed that the most remarkable decreases were in the area of rice (485.58 ha), the area of perennial crops (109.7 ha), and the area of non-agricultural land (747.35 ha). The area of land used for aquaculture and forest increased by 566.88 ha and 772.60 ha, respectively. We found that the manifestations of climate change, such as extreme weather events, saltwater intrusion, drought, and floods, have had a profound impact on agricultural production and land uses in the district, especially for annual crops and aquaculture. The results provide useful information for state authorities to design land-management strategies and solutions that are economic and effective in adapting to climate change.

Download Full-text

Twenty-Three Years of Land-Use Changes Induced Considerable Threats to the Main Wetlands of Sardinia and Sicily (Italy) along the Mediterranean Bird Flyways

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d13060240 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 240

Author(s):

Alessandro Ferrarini ◽

Marco Gustin ◽

Claudio Celada

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Habitat Degradation ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Natura 2000 ◽

Global Level ◽

Natura 2000 Network ◽

Stopover Sites ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Agricultural Areas

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.

Download Full-text

Hedgerows and Enclosures in Rural Areas: Traditional vs. Modern Land Use in Mediterranean Mountains

Land ◽

10.3390/land10010057 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 57

Author(s):

Fernando Allende Álvarez ◽

Gillian Gómez-Mediavilla ◽

Nieves López-Estébanez ◽

Pedro Molina Holgado ◽

Judith Ares Barajas

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Economic Benefits ◽

Main Role ◽

Land Uses ◽

Social Ecological ◽

The Social ◽

Mediterranean Mountains ◽

Agroforestry Practices

The present paper highlights the importance of hedgerows and enclosures in the mountains of Central Spain. Now, these landscapes have suffered profound variations in terms of agroforestry practices, especially in the Mediterranean mountains where the characteristic multifunctional has largely been lost. The article analyzes land uses changes, dynamics, and their morphological features between the first half of the 20th Century (1956) and the second decade of the present time (2019). The paper was divided into three sections. First, the identification of land uses using orthophotograph and aerial photograph; after that the info was checked with fieldwork. Eleven categories were identified according to the dominant use and land use changes and size of land parcels were taken into consideration. Second, the configuration and the information collected through the type and intensity of change in land uses made it possible to recognise and quantify their distribution and trend between these two dates. Also, the kernel density algorithm available in the Arcgis 10.5 software was used to obtain density and changes in land parcels. Finally, an overview is given of the main role that this agroforestry plays due to the social, ecological, and economic benefits that they provide for allowing sustainable development.

Download Full-text

Land–Use Changes Influencing C Sequestration and Quality in Topsoil and Subsoil

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy9090520 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (9) ◽

pp. 520 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Benjapon Kunlanit ◽

Somchai Butnan ◽

Patma Vityakon

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Humic Acid ◽

Humic Acids ◽

Soil Depth ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Rice Paddy ◽

C Sequestration ◽

Land Uses ◽

Intergovernmental Panel ◽

Soc Stocks

Soil capacity as a major carbon (C) sink is influenced by land use. Estimates of soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration have mostly focused on topsoils [0–30 cm official Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) soil depth]. We investigated SOC stocks and their quality as influenced by land-use changes. Soil samples were collected from five soil depths down to 100 cm of three adjacent fields each representing a different land use—forest, cassava, and rice paddy—in Northeast Thailand. Sequestration of SOC in topsoils under all land uses was higher, as indicated by SOC stocks (59.0–82.0 Mg ha−1) than subsoils (30–100 cm) (27.0–33.0 Mg ha−1). The soil profile (0–100 cm) of the forest had higher stocks of SOC and humic acid (115.0 and 6.8 Mg ha−1, respectively) than those of cultivated land uses [paddy (100.0 and 4.8 Mg ha−1, respectively) and cassava (87.0 and 2.3 Mg ha−1, respectively)], which accounted for an average 30% increase in SOC sequestration over those with only topsoil. Topsoils of the forest had higher humic acid content but narrower E4:E6 ratio [the ratio of absorbances at 465 nm (E4) and at 665 nm (E6)] of humic acids (2.8), indicating a higher degree of humification and stabilization than the cultivated soils (3.2–3.6). Subsoil C was higher quality, as indicated by the lower E4:E6 ratio of humic acids than topsoils in all land uses.

Download Full-text

Carbon stocks and dynamics of different land uses on the Cerrado agricultural frontier

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0241637 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (11) ◽

pp. e0241637

Author(s):

Emily Ane Dionizio ◽

Fernando Martins Pimenta ◽

Lucas Barbosa Lima ◽

Marcos Heil Costa

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Cover ◽

Sustainable Agriculture ◽

Soil Carbon ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Carbon Stocks ◽

Land Uses ◽

Rainfed Agriculture ◽

Agricultural Frontier ◽

Soil Carbon Stocks

The largest and most dynamic agricultural frontier in Brazil is known as MATOPIBA, an area that covers part of the Cerrado biome. Within this region, Western Bahia stands out as a large producer of soy and cotton. There are no studies that quantify carbon stocks for different land uses and land cover types in Western Bahia, which hinders comprehension of the role of agricultural expansion in carbon dynamics and the development of sustainable agriculture policies. Here, we evaluate how the land use changes in this region have affected the carbon balance in the aboveground biomass (AGB), belowground biomass (BGB), and soil reservoirs. We collected soil samples for areas with different land uses and land cover types to estimate soil carbon stocks (SCS) and combined remote sensing results and modeling techniques to develop a historical reconstruction of spatial patterns of SCS, AGB, and BGB during the period 1990–2018. The replacement of areas from the forest formations class with pasture and rainfed agriculture reduced the 100 cm depth SCS (SCS100) by 37.3% (p = 0.031) and 30.3% (p = 0.053), respectively. By contrast, the conversion of pasture and rainfed agriculture to irrigated agriculture increased SCS100 by 34% (p = 0.034) and 26.5% (p = 0.022), respectively. Spatial changes in historical carbon stocks are strongly associated with land use changes that occurred between 1990 and 2018. We estimated a non-significant loss of 61.9 Tg-C (p = 0.726) from the total carbon stocks (calculated as the sum of AGB, BGB, and SCS) of which 80% of the losses came from soil stocks, 11% from BGB, and 8% from AGB. These findings reveal the need to monitor carbon stocks in sandy soils to reduce the uncertainties of estimates and support the development of effective sustainable agriculture policies. The best alternatives for reducing carbon losses in the Cerrado are to maintain natural forest cover and to recover soils through sustainable soil management, especially in pasturelands where soil carbon stocks are lowest.

Download Full-text

The Land Use - Land Degradation Nexus in Mediterranean Landscapes – Drivers of Changes And Key Processes at Selected Natura 2000 Sites of Crete, Greece

Journal of Environmental Geography ◽

10.2478/jengeo-2020-0002 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (1-2) ◽

pp. 13-24

Author(s):

Burghard C. Meyer ◽

Fabian Kirsten ◽

Dietmar Sattler ◽

Jürgen Heinrich

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Degradation ◽

Large Scale ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Natura 2000 ◽

Field Work ◽

Research Field ◽

Processes Of Change ◽

Land Uses ◽

Mediterranean Landscapes

AbstractThe land use–land degradation nexus in Cretan landscapes in regions with Natura 2000 sites was analyzed by an explorative expert driven study based on literature, field work and photo documentation methods with the aim of determining status, drivers and key processes of change. Drivers of current land use changes have been worked out by (1) general tourism developments and tourism related land uses; (2) irrigated olive yard developments; (3) fenced large-scale goat pastures and (4) large scale greenhouses. Key processes of change have been identified and qualitatively assessed for 5 regions with NATURA 2000 areas based on a non-ranked set of 11 descriptive indicators. The analysis includes the status-description and the importance assessment of land degradation processes in selected NATURA 2000 sites. Threats and pressures taken from the NATURA 2000 documentation and the land use – land degradation nexus and the analysis are a suitable basis for future land management in order to reach land degradation neutrality. The result of our analysis opens a new research field for a better integration of the normally thematically isolated analysis in geography, biology/nature conservation and agricultural policy analysis about the drivers and processes in landscape systems towards a better understanding the trends in land cover change (e.g. vegetation/soil degradation), the trends in productivity or functioning changes caused by land uses and as well for the trends in carbon stock change.

Download Full-text

Pengaruh Perubahan Penggunaan Lahan Terhadap Angka Kesakitan Malaria : Studi Di Provinsi Lampung

Jurnal Sylva Lestari ◽

10.23960/jsl341-10 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 1 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Lirih Wigaty ◽

Samsul Bakri ◽

Trio Santoso ◽

Dyah Wulan S. R. Wardani

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Forest Cover ◽

Landsat Imagery ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Land Uses ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

Dry Land ◽

Community Forests ◽

Malaria Morbidity ◽

The Impact

Ecological disruption as a result of changes in the area of forest cover to other land uses can affect the microclimate and impact toward malaria morbidity. Malaria is an infectious disease caused by protozoa a genus of Plasmodium that transmitted by female Anopheles sp. mosquito vectors. The environmental factors that play a role in the risk to transmission of malaria related to vector breeding places. The purpose of this research is establish the impact of land use changes toward malaria morbidity. This study was conducted from March to September 2015. Dynamics of land use changes in regency/city be identified through interpretation of landsat imagery in 2002, 2009, and 2014 with supervised classification and resulted in percentage of land use, the influence of impact toward malaria morbidity processed using multiple linear regression models. Parameter optimization using statistic software. The result showed that the impact of positive variable that significant toward malaria morbidity are mangrove forest and total population, while impact of negative variable that significant are extensive swamp and health personnel. Variable which not impact that significant toward malaria morbidity are forests, community forests, undeveloped land, dry land, other land uses, population density, precipitation, unhealthyhousing, urban, and physiographic. Keywords : land use, malaria morbidity

Download Full-text

The Challenge of Social Vulnerability Assessment in the Context of Land Use Changes for Sustainable Urban Planning—Case Studies: Developing Cities in Romania

Land ◽

10.3390/land11010017 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 17

Author(s):

Camelia Sabina Botezan ◽

Andrei Radovici ◽

Iulia Ajtai

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Case Studies ◽

Land Use Planning ◽

Vulnerability Assessment ◽

Social Vulnerability ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Residential Areas ◽

Specific Vulnerability ◽

Agricultural Areas

Urban growth triggers massive changes in land use cover, exacerbating extreme natural and technological events. In order for land use planning to be efficient, it requires the integration of comprehensive risk and vulnerability assessment. This paper aims to create a bridge between the existing vulnerability theories and their implementation in land use planning policies and proposes an innovative approach to determine whether the changes in the territorial dynamics of cities draw considerable changes in communities’ social vulnerability. The methodology identifies and selects three case studies from the Urban Atlas inventory, representative of the dynamics of large Romanian cities, taking into consideration the following hazards: earthquakes, floods, and technological hazards. Vulnerability was then assessed by assigning each land use class a specific vulnerability level. The methodology involved assessing the level of vulnerability specific to the situation in 2018 compared to 2006. The results showed that major changes in land use are related to the transition of areas with a low level of vulnerability to areas with a higher level of vulnerability as a result of the urban areas expansion to the detriment of natural and agricultural areas. This is generally translated into a higher degree of vulnerability due to an increased density of artificial elements and of population in the residential areas. The findings of the study of territorial dynamics in the proximity of large industrial operators did not reveal a tendency that differed from the general trend. Although many territorial changes have been observed in the period 2006–2018, it is necessary to extend the analysis, with the issue of the new versions of the Urban Atlas, to confirm the identified trends and to express the up-to-date situation.

Download Full-text

Assessing human and environmental pressures of global land-use change 2000–2010

Global Sustainability ◽

10.1017/sus.2018.15 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Felix Creutzig ◽

Christopher Bren d'Amour ◽

Ulf Weddige ◽

Sabine Fuss ◽

Tim Beringer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Spatially Explicit ◽

Agricultural Expansion ◽

Land Uses ◽

Environmental Pressures ◽

World Regions ◽

Global Land ◽

Spatially Explicit Data

Non-technical summaryGlobal land is turning into an increasingly scarce resource. We here present a comprehensive assessment of co-occuring land-use change from 2000 until 2010, compiling existing spatially explicit data sources for different land uses, and building on a rich literature addressing specific land-use changes in all world regions. This review systematically categorizes patterns of land use, including regional urbanization and agricultural expansion but also globally telecoupled land-use change for all world regions. Managing land-use change patterns across the globe requires global governance.

Download Full-text