Research on Evaluation and Optimization of Regional Land Use Structure Efficiency

[Objective] The purpose of this study is to judge the rationality of land use structure from new perspectives and method. [Method] The theory of data en- velopment analysis （DEA） has been employed in this article. A case study of evalu- ation of land use structure for Wujin district in 2012 is provided to illustrate the ap- plication of this research model. At the micro perspective, land use efficiency has been analyzed by use of data envelopment analysis model. The optimization and adjustment direction in land use structure has been pointed out from the view point of land use efficiency. [Result] The result has shown that the research method based on information entropy and data envelopment analysis model can effectively overcome the drawback of traditional evaluation techniques. Compared with the tra- ditional methods, the new optimization model based on a structure of the multi-crite- ria factors and objective weighting method can evaluate the rationality of land use structure more comprehensively.

Integrating landscape ecological principles and land evaluation for sustainable land use

Many existing methods for appraisal of agricultural areas and farming systems are short of dynamics and spatial analysis. The main objective of this paper is to merge approaches in classical land evaluation, largely based on soil science, and newer approaches in landscape ecology, which are rather based on the relationships between spatial patterns (physiography, land use and farming system design, vegetation etc.) and processes (farming activities, scale changes, geomorphological processes, bio ecological processes). Rapid changes in rural areas have an impact on both processes and patterns. Planning for sustainable use of these areas should include the assessment of the interrelations between these patterns and processes.

Discussion on the Index System of Intensive Land Use Evaluation in Development Area

The establishment of evaluation index system is the key to the evaluation of intensive land use.On the basis of expounding connotation,characteristics and the principle of establishing evaluation index system,and as for the problems existing in Evaluation Regulation(Trial)of Intensive Land Use in Development Area,regarding the evaluation index system of intensive land use in the development area,in the light of the connotation of intensive land use in development area,coupled with the practical situation of the land use in China's development area,after referring to the research achievements of domestic and abroad scholars,some suggestions are put forward in order to improve and perfect the evaluation index system of intensive land us in development area.

Ecological Safety Evaluation of Land Use in Ji'an City Based on the Principal Component Analysis

According to the ecological safety evaluation index data of land-use change in Ji'an City from 1999 to 2008,positive treatment on selected reverse indices is conducted by Reciprocal Method.Meanwhile,Index Method is used to standardize the selected indices,and Principal Component Analysis is applied by using year as a unit.FB is obtained,which is related with the ecological safety of land-use change from 1999 to 2008.According to the scientific,integrative,hierarchical,practical and dynamic principles,ecological safety evaluation index system of land-use change in Ji'an City is established.Principal Component Analysis and evaluation model are used to calculate four parameters,including the natural resources safety index of land use,the socio-economic safety indicators of land use,the eco-environmental safety index of land use,and the ecological safety degree of land use in Ji'an City.Result indicates that the ecological safety degree of land use in Ji'an City shows a slow upward trend as a whole.At the same time,ecological safety degree of land-use change is relatively low in Ji'an City with the safety value of 0.645,which is at a weak safety zone and needs further monitoring and maintenance.

Evaluation of the Economical and Intensive Use of Industrial Land in Chizhou Economic and Technological Development Zone

Based on the subdivision of industrial land in Chizhou Economic and Technological Development Zone,this paper builds the evaluation indicator system for the economical and intensive use of industrial land in the development zone,to analyze the current situation of economical and intensive use of industrial land. The results show that the levels of economical and intensive use of industrial land vary in the development zone; the factors affecting the intensive degree of various industries also vary; the industry in Chizhou Economic and Technological Development Zone is still in the transition phase from inefficient use to low level of use to intensive use.

SUSTAINABLE USE OF LAND RESOURCE AND ITS EVALUATION IN COUNTY AREA—A Case of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China

Sustainable use of natural resources is different from sustainable development. As the most important natural resource, sustainable use of land resource is the essential guarantee of sustainable development. The nature of sustainable use of land resource is to retain the quantity and productivity of land resource from generation to generation.The evaluation of sustainable use of land resource is an important method to ensure land use to get onto the sustainable track. Furthermore, building index system is the key of the evaluation. In view of tendency of the evaluation indexes chosen so widely, the evaluation indexes should include only three kinds in the researches on the evaluation of sustainable use of land resource. The first is the stock and structure index of land resource, viz. Areas quantity structure of land resources. In China, it is especially paid attention to the per person index of land quantity and rate between cultivated land and farmland. The second is the productive index of land, which includes the productivity, potentiality, stability and renewal situation of land. The third is the sustained index of land environment. On the evaluation research of area level, we should lay particular emphasis on statistic indexes. With a case of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in China, the evaluation index system of sustainable land use in county area has been built in this thesis. Using the weighted average method to calculate the means of sustainable land use in each county, according to the land using situation, all counties in the autonomous region have been divided into three types. (1) Sustainable Pattern contains 18 counties, which have higher land resource productivity, stronger sustained abilities of land environment .The economic benefits of land using in these counties are obviously higher. These counties have gotten highly intensive farming, and they are all in the good circumstance. (2) Basically Sustained Pattern contains 48 counties, which productivity of land resource is of middle level. In part of counties and cities, the stock of land resource inclines to lower level, but their land using potentialities are still greater. Through changing land using pattern, these counties can rapidly enter in a good circumstance. (3) Critically Sustained Pattern contains 14 counties, which are mostly in the karst mountain areas. They have less stock of land resource, lower productivity and more extensive cultivation. The productivity of land renewing has been hindered, so it urgently need to be renovated. At last, the writers have explored the basic ways of sustainable use of land resource in Guangxi, China — (1) Retain the stock of land resource and strictly manage farmland uses. (2) Strengthen the value accounting of land resource, and control the farmland occupation of non agricultural construction. (3) Depend on technology advanced, optimize the land using structure, and promote the productive level. (4) Carry out land management all round, and improve the ecological environment of land resource. (5) Enhance evaluation researche and land monitoring, and promote the sustainable utilization level of land resource.

Characterization and Evaluation of Natural Resources for Land Use Diversification Planning: A Case Study in a Block of Meghalaya Using RS &GIS Technique

Characterization and evaluation of land resources of Mawryngkneng block was carried out using IRS-P6 LISS III and LISS-IV data. Five major physiographic units namely structural hills, denudational hills, plateau and intermontane valley were identified. Visual interpretation of satellite data indicated that 32.2% of the total geographical area (TGA) is under dense forest followed by wastelands (28.8%), open forest (16.1%), cultivated area (13.6%), built up area (8.2%) and water body (0.9%). Ten soil series were tentatively identified and the soils belonged to 2 orders (Ultisols and Alfisols), 3 sub orders (Udult, Udalf and Humult), 6 great groups, 8 sub groups. The soils are moderately acidic, deep to very deep and texture varies from sandy clay loam to clay. The soils are very rich in organic carbon. The availability of nitrogen is medium to high and phosphorus availability is low to medium whereas potassium availability is low in the entire study area. The soils were grouped into land capability class II & III and the soils were moderately to marginally suitable for orange and marginally suitable for pine apple. An action plan with suggested land use and interventions has been prepared by using all land resource information generated under the study. The action plan includes areas for afforestation, intensive cultivation in the existing cropped areas with soil conservation measures like mulching, zero tillage etc. and orange and pine apple plantation in open scrub lands which are cultivable wastelands. This might help the farmers and the planner in better management of land resources for sustained productivity.

Evaluation of shallow geothermal energy resources in the Beijing-Tianjin- Hebei Plain based on land use

To discover the characteristics,distribution and potential of shallow geothermal energy in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Plain area.This paper,based on a large amount of data collection and field investigations,evaluateed the shallow-layer geothermal energy in the study area through the analytic hierarchy process and comprehensive index method.Based on suitability zoning results superimposed with 1:100000 land use data,the study area is divided into encouraged,controlled,restricted and prospective mining areas regarding the development of shallow geothermal energy,and the economic availability of shallow geothermal energy in the encouraged and controlled areas are evaluated.The results show that the shallow geothermal energy in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Plain can meet the heating and cooling demand of 6×10^(8) m2 of buildings,equivalent to 1.15×10^(7) t of standard coal,thus reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 2.73×10^(7) t and reducing sulfur dioxide emissions by 1.95×10^(5) t.According to the development and utilization mode,the energy demand level and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development plan,the development and utilization of geothermal resources in the plain area has two types:Urban concentrated mining areas and rural scattered mining areas.The scale and level of intensive utilization of regional geothermal resources are of great significance.

LAND EVALUATION AND RATIONAL STRUCTURE OF LAND-USE IN DESERT STEPPE AREA IN NINGXIA HUI AUTONOMOUS REGION

Located in the middle and north part of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, the desertsteppe area includes the whole of Shizuishan, Huinong, Pingluo, Taole, Helan, Yingchuan,Yongning, Lingwu, Qingtongxia, Wuzhong, Zhongning, and Zhongwei counties and thenorth part of Yanchi, Tongxin counties. This region has an area of 32020 km^2. The popula-

Water, land, and energy use efficiencies and financial evaluation of air conditioner cooled greenhouses based on field experiments

High temperature and humidity can be controlled in greenhouses by using mechanical refrigeration cooling system such as air conditioner(AC)in warm and humid regions.This study aims to evaluate the techno-financial aspects of the AC-cooled greenhouse as compared to the evaporative cooled(EV-cooled)greenhouse in winter and summer seasons.Two quonset single-span prototype greenhouses were built in the Agriculture Experiment Station of Sultan Qaboos University,Oman,with dimensions of 6.0 m long and 3.0 m wide.The AC-cooled greenhouse was covered by a rockwool insulated polyethylene plastic sheet and light emitting diodes(LED)lights were used as a source of light,while the EV-cooled greenhouse was covered by a transparent polyethylene sheet and sunlight was used as light source.Three cultivars of high-value lettuce were grown for experimentation.To evaluate the technical efficiency of greenhouse performance,we conducted measures on land use efficiency(LUE),water use efficiency(WUE),gross water use efficiency(GWUE)and energy use efficiency(EUE).Financial analysis was conducted to compare the profitability of both greenhouses.The results showed that the LUE in winter were 10.10 and 14.50 kg/m^(2) for the AC-and EV-cooled greenhouses,respectively.However,the values reduced near to 6.80 kg/m^(2) in both greenhouses in summer.The WUE of the AC-cooled greenhouse was higher than that of the EV-cooled greenhouse by 3.8%in winter and 26.8%in summer.The GWUE was used to measure the total yield to the total greenhouse water consumption including irrigation and cooling water;it was higher in the AC-cooled greenhouse than in the EV-cooled greenhouse in both summer and winter seasons by almost 98.0%–99.4%.The EUE in the EV-cooled greenhouse was higher in both seasons.Financial analysis showed that in winter,gross return,net return and benefit-to-cost ratio were better in the EVcooled greenhouse,while in summer,those were higher in the AC-cooled greenhouse.The values of internal rate of return in the AC-and EV-cooled greenhouses were 63.4%and 129.3%,respectively.In both greenhouses,lettuce investment was highly sensitive to changes in price,yield and energy cost.The financial performance of the AC-cooled greenhouse in summer was better than that of the EV-cooled greenhouse and the pattern was opposite in winter.Finally,more studies on the optimum LED light intensity for any particular crop have to be conducted over different growing seasons in order to enhance the yield quantity and quality of crop.

Performance Evaluation of Land Use Regulation

This article makes a quantitative study on economic performance of arable land protection and land use regulation with dummy variable model.It is shown that land use regulation is favorable for economic growth and protection of arable land and that there are still some problems in the implementation of land use regulation.Thus,it puts forward corresponding suggestion.

Dynamic Evaluation of Rationality of Land Use Structure in the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan Area

The rationality of land use structure was evaluated with dynamic TOPSIS method based on changing data of land use from 2008 to 2011 in the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan area. The results showed that during 2008- 2011,the rationality of land use structure was totally high,the dynamic value hi of Changsha,Zhuzhou,Xiangtan and the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan area was 0. 7954,0. 7821,0. 8245 and0. 8186,respectively; the value Ci( tk) reflecting the rationality of land use structure at different time points was rapidly increased,and the gap between regions was not big and shrinking. According to the grey relational analysis,the change of different land use types had different effects on the rationality of land use structure: transportation land,the land for cities,towns and villages and the land for mining and industry are most highly correlated with the rationality of land use structure,while arable land,woodland,water area and water conservancy facility land have also an important impact on the rationality of land use structure; controlling the excessive growth of transportation land,the land for cities,towns and villages and the land for mining and industry,protecting arable land,forest land,water area and water conservancy facility land,and moderately increasing the garden plot,plays a decisive role in optimizing the land use structure in the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan area.

Ecological Suitability Evaluation on Agricultural Land in Western Jilin Province Based on Fuzzy Mathematics

[Objective] This study was to evaluate the ecological suitability of agricultural land in western Jilin Province, with the aim to provide basis for the effective application of agricultural resources and the structural adjustment of land use. [Method] The evaluation index system was constructed based on fuzzy mathematic method according to the principles of systematic, dominant, effectiveness and feasibility; based on law of tolerance, reasonable evaluation criteria were determined according to the ecological amplitude of crops; based on GIS processing, the initial data completed the mathematical operation by using the VBA program in Excel. [Result] The area of agricultural land grade I was 5 512 km2, grade II of 25 985 km2, grade Ill of 7 907 km2, and area of land not suitable for agriculture was 6 312 km2. According to the evaluation results, the key areas for land use adjustment were Zhenlai County, Da＇an County, Tongyu County and western Changling County. The directions of land use adjustment included improving irrigation and drainage conditions, governing land salinization and conversion of cropland to forest and grassland. [Conclusion] This study provided basis for the effective application of agricultural resources and ecological environment construction in western Jilin Province.

Method for Evaluating the Degrees of Land Use Sustainability of Mountainous County and its Application in Yunnan Province,China

The evaluation of sustainable land use is the key issue in the field of studying the sustainable land utilization. In general analysis, the sustainable land use is evaluated respectively from its ecological sustainability, economic sustainability and social sustainability in China and other countries in recent years. Although this evaluation is an important work, it seems insufficient and hard to comprehensively reflect the whole degree of land use sustainability. Thus, to make up this deficiency, this paper brings forward the evaluation indexes, which make it possible to quantitatively reflect the whole degree of land use sustainability, namely, the concept of ＂degrees of overall land use sustainability＂ （Dos）, and research and measurement development of the method of and calculation in Dos. Taking the evaluation of the degree of land use sustainability in county regions of Yunnan Province as the actual example for analysis, results are basically as follows： 1） The degree of land use sustainability （Dos） is the ration index to organically and systematically integrate the degree of ecological friendliness （DeF）, the degree of economic viability （Dev） and the degree of social acceptability （Dsa）, able to comprehensively reflect the whole sustainability degree of regional land use 2） Based on the value of Dos, the grading system and standard for the sustainability of land use may be established and totally divided into five grades, namely, the high-degree sustainability, middle-degree sustainability, low-degree sustainability, conditional sustainability and non-sustainability. Meanwhile, the standard for distinguishing sustainability grades has also been confirmed so as to determine the nature of sustainability degrees in different grades. This makes the possibility for the combination of nature determination with ration in research result and provides with the scientific guideline and decision-making gist for better implementation of sustainable land use strategy. 3） The practice in evaluation of sustainability degree in county regional land use in Yunnan shows that the value of the degree of land use sustainability （Dos） of whole Yunnan Province is only 58.39, belonging to the grade of low-degree sustainability. Two thirds of counties in the whole province represent the grade of ＂conditional sustainability＂ and ＂non-sustainability＂ in the sustainability of land use. Among these counties, 11.11 % shows ＂non- sustainability＇. The lowest degree of land use sustainability appears especially in the middle plateau mountain region of Northeast Yunnan, where the value of Dos in most counties （districts） is below 40 %, belonging to the grade of ＂non-sustainability＂. The sustainability degree in the karst mountainous region in lower-middle plateau mountain region in Southeast Yunnan is generally low and the value of sustainability degree （Dos） in most of the counties （cities and districts） is below 55. The value of sustainability degree （Dos） in most of the counties （cities and districts） in the north, west, northwest and southwest parts of Yunnan is below 55. This article also analyzes the reasons of low degree of sustainability in land use in Yunnan and puts forward the countermeasures to increase the degree of sustainability in land use in the whole province.

Evaluating Land Use/Land Cover Change and Its Socioeconomic Implications in Agarfa District of Bale Zone, Southeastern Ethiopia

A systematic analysis of land use/cover change is so decisive to exactly understand the extent of change and take essential measures to curb down the rate of changes and protect the land cover resources sustainably. This land use/land cover change study was conducted in Agarfa district of Bale zone, Oromia Regional State, Southeastern Ethiopia. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the trends, drivers and its socio-economic and environmental implication in study area. A descriptive research method was employed to achieve the intended objectives of the study. In the three years (1976, 1995, and 2014) Landsat Satellite images and socio-economic survey were the main data sources for this study. ERDAS Imagine and Arch-GIS tools were used to classify and generate land use/land cover maps of the study area. Survey questionnaires, key informant interviews, and field observation were employed to obtain information on drivers and its socio-economic and environmental implication in the district. The results show that the land use/land cover of the study area had changed dramatically during the period of 38 years. A rapid loss of forest land and shrub land cover in the landscape took place between 1976 and 2014. Conversely, agriculture and grazing lands were increased by 30% and 42% respectively at the expense of the lost land use/land cover types. Forest land is the most converted cover type during the entire study period. In the 38 years, forest lands diminished by over 65% of the original forest cover that was existed at the base year (1976). Local climate change, declining agricultural productivity and livestock quantity and quality and scarcity of fuel wood and constructional materials were some of the socio-economic and livelihood impacts of land use and land cover change of the study area. Thus, this finding affords information to land users and policy makers on extent of the change and social forces leading to this changes and its subsequent implication on local socio-economic and environmental conditions of the study area.

Study on Low Hilly Cities Land Suitability Evaluation Method Based on Ecological Considerations—A Case Study of Longfeng New Town in Sichuan

Attention to the development of low hilly cities increases, in order to guide their development towards efficient and ecological land use. This paper takes eco-safety into consideration in the future layout of land for construction, and incorporates ecological security factors into traditional methods of land suitability evaluation based on topographic conditions. Taking the Longfeng New Town in Suining City as an example, the GIS platform is used to superimpose various evaluation factors. The evaluation index system is determined using the combination of the Delphi Technique and AHP. The result of correcting traditional land suitability evaluation is obtained, which provides decision support for improving the scientificity of land use planning and layout.

Land Suitability Assessment and Land Use Change in Fujian Province,China

To present the current status of land quality and distribution and the trends in land use change, the physical suitability of cropland and forestland and the associated changes in Fujian Province were evaluated and analyzed using data obtained from geographical information systems (GIS) and remote sensing (RS).Of the total land area of Fujian Province,first class suitable cropland accounted for only 4.21%, whereas unsuitable cropland accounted for 84.78%. The percentage of first class suitable cropland in the southeastern region (5.32%) was much higher than that in the northwestern area (2.91%).Only 13.63% of the existing cropland area consisted of first class cropland and 70.08% was classified as unsuitable for cultivation.Of the total land area of Fujian Province,the first class forestland comprised 55.25% and the unsuitable forestland (including third class) comprised 21.2%.The percentage of unsuitable forest area in the existing forestland was only 5.5%.From 1996 to 2001, cropland and unused land decreased significantly, whereas forestland and land used for urban and transport increased rapidly.Therefore,the major tasks ahead will be the land development for full grain production potential,the better coordination of allocating land to different uses, and the regulation inappropriate activities that damage agricultural ecosystems.

Comparing the soil quality changes of different land uses determined by two quantitative methods

Soil quality is one of the most important environmental factors in sustaining the global biosphere and developing sustainable agricultural practices. A study was initiated in Wolong Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province, China to elucidate the soil quality changes of natural secondary succession, forest planting and agricultural practices after deforestation in the humid mountainous region. The soil qualities of six land use types (natural forestland, grassland, shrub land, secondary forestland, cultivated land and reforested land) were compared using two quantitative methods: the integrated soil quality index(QI) and soil deterioration index(DI). The QI values of natural forestland, grassland, shrub land, secondary forestland, cultivated land, reforested land were 0.8039, 0.3277, 0.9127, 0.6881, 0.0285 and 0.3183, respectively. The DI values were 0%, -14%, 12%, 1%, -26% and -18% respectively. Both indexes suggested that shrub land can restore soil properties. To compare the two methods more directly, a deduced index QI′ based on QI value was developed. The results showed that DI and QI′had a very high linear correlation coefficient (r=0.9775) despite the values were different. Both methods were efficient in evaluating the soil quality levels and DI was a more simple way in soil quality assessment, while QI could show more ecological meanings.

SUSTAINABLE LAND USE PLANNING BASED ON ECOLOGICAL HEALTH——Case Study of Beiwenquan Town, Chongqing, China

This paper, taking Beiwenquan Town of Beibei, Chongqing as an example, assessed the impacts of land use on ecological health by comprehensive index method, and discussed methodological system of sustainable land use planning based on ecological health. Results indicated that: 1) From 1992 to 2002, land use changes focused on 12 patterns with the total conversion area of 92.11%, which were related to cultivated land, residential and industrial-mining area, and orchard land. Urbanization and economic reconstruction were the leading driving forces. 2) There was obvious difference of the areas of ecotypes driven by land use change in wide valley and mild slope between 1992 and 2002, while there were little or no difference in steep slope and very steep slope. 3) Both of the conditions of ecological health in 1992 and 2002 were sound, and the ecotypes focused on the types of health and sub-health. But, health ecosystem in 1992, with an area of 764.64ha, accounting for 38.51% of the total evaluation area, was better than that in 2002, with an area of 636.10ha, accounting for 34.19% of the total evaluation area. 4) The ecotypes involved into different ranges have already degenerated, due to humankind’s disturbance, while the conditions of ecological health in the same ranges in 1992, regardless of stability and reconstruction, were better than that in 2002. 5) The planning scenario based on ecological health was accorded with the practice condition of Beiwenquan Town: 388.29ha of cultivated land could meet the Beiwenquan demand of food and byproduct; 1045.26ha of forest land area, the Beiwenquan demand of ecological health; and 1004.73ha of the residential and industrial-mining area, the Beiwenquan building demand. 6) Sustainable land use planning based on ecological health had higher useful value, because it not only stood to ecological theory, but also satisfied the developmental demand of society and economy.

Analysis to driving forces of land use change in Lu’an mining area

By selecting impact factors of driving force and formulating evaluation criteria of the impacts, the evaluation system of corresponding driving force impact of land use change was established. Taking Lu'an mining area as an example, the specific impact factors of coal mine were comprehensively evaluated and analyzed in order to carry out qualitative and quantitative analysis for the driving force of mining-land use change. The principal component analysis shows that the social and economic development in mining area from 2000 to 2007 demonstrates continuous accelerate trends, and the impacts of its overall driving force to land use change are increased gradually. The socio-economic factors have more impacts to mining-land use change than those of the natural resources. The main driving force of mining-land use change also include population, technological progress and policy.