GIS-Based Assessment of Soil Chemical and Physical Properties as a Basis for Land Reclamation in Toshka Area, Aswan, EGYPT

The accurate assessment of soil properties is a crucial factor for composing and implementing reclamation plans. The main objective of this study was to evaluate soil chemical and physical properties and calculate the chemical and fertility index for assisting land reclamation in Toshka area. The Toshka area is located between latitudes 31°32'N and 31°36'N and longitudes 32°40'E and 32°60'E. GIS was used to select 16 sites. The results revealed the soil has undesirable characteristics. The soil pH ranged from slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline. Furthermore, it was characterized as saline (with a ECe of 4.65 - 11.45 dS⋅m−1) and moderately calcareous soil (with CaCO3 at 11.85% - 17.20%). The soil had a low soil organic matter content which did not exceed 0.18%. The soil was dominated by a sandy loam texture (62.50%) followed by a sandy clay loam texture (18.75%). The bulk density, total soil porosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity values varied with 1.38 - 1.55 Mg⋅cm−3, 41.85% - 48.45% and 1.20 - 3.34 cm⋅h−1, respectively. The chemical index ranged from low to moderate quality. The correlations between the parameters osculated between negative and positive. Therefore, the soil may be reclaimed if the soil properties are improved and crop selection is optimized for this soil.

Evaluation of Land Reclamation and Implications of Ecological Restoration for Agro-pastoral Ecotone: Case Study of Horqin Left Back Banner in China

The agro-pastoral ecotone has been recognized as the main distribution area of reserved land resource for cultivation. Accordingly, clarifying this assumption, as well as concerting land reclamation and ecological restoration, is important to ensure food security and environmental improvement in the agro-pastoral ecotone. We selected Horqin Left Back Banner(HLBB) as the subject of our case study. The landscape ecological security pattern of this area was determined using the minimum cumulative resistance model. Over-cultivation, quantity of reserved land resource for cultivation, and changes in landscape indexes before and after land use adjustment were then analyzed. Over-cultivation is a serious problem in the agro-pastoral ecotone. Reserved land resource for cultivation is less than that considered previously, and the area of reserved land resource for cultivation in HLBB only accounts for 11.50% of total uncultivated land. With regard to changes in landscape indexes, the adjusted land use pattern is effective for anti-desertification. The compensation standard for abandoned cultivated land should be improved and the comprehensive results of ‘Grain for Green' should be evaluated to further implement ecological restoration in the agro-pastoral ecotone.

Optimization and Control in the Low-carbon Reclamation of Damaged Land in Mine Areas

The process of exploiting mining land is the process of carbon increasing. The goal of top-level design of the mine land reclamation is not clear, which causes the reducing of carbon sink capacity. The mine land reclamation program targeted poorly, which is bad for the control of overall carbon resource and emission. According to the requirements in regional division of encouraged, restricted and prohibited development, in various regions, multiple objectives were set as to maximize economic benefits and not to reduce the carbon sinks level of mine area, using Markov process optimization land-use structure, and based on the land type and characteristics, by floating changing, increasing or decreasing, land exploitation structure was adjusted to meet the need of low-carbon mine land exploitation.

Reclamation-oriented spatiotemporal evolution of coastal wetland along Bohai Rim,China

Coastal wetlands are located in the ecotone of interaction between the land surface and sea,and anthropogenic activities extensively interfere with these wetlands through the reclamation of large tidal wetlands and destruction of the function of the ecosystems.In this study,we investigated the dynamic evolutionary characteristics of the Bohai Rim coastal area over the past 40 years using the Modified Normalized Difference Water Index,the fractal dimension,object-oriented classification,the land-use transfer trajectory,and regression analysis.Additionally,we quantified and monitored the evolution of reclamation and analyzed the correlation between reclamation and coastal wetlands based on 99 Landsat-2,-5,and-8 images(at 60 m and 30 m spatial resolution) over the period 1980–2019.The results are as follows.(1) The coastline of the Bohai Rim increased by 1 631.2 km from 1980 to2019 with a zigzag variation.The artificial coastline increased by 2 946.1 km,whereas the natural coastline decreased by 90%.(2) The area of man-made wetlands increased by 3 736.9 km~2,the area of construction land increased by 1 008.4 km~2,and the natural wetland area decreased by 66%.The decrease of tidal flats is the main contributor to the decrease of natural wetland area(takes account for 91.1%).Coastal areas are affected by intense human disturbance,which was taken place across a large area of tidal flats and caused the landscape to fragment and be more heterogeneous.The coastal zone development activities were primarily concentrated in the southern Laizhou Bay,the Yellow River Delta,the Bohai Bay,the northern Liaodong Bay,and the Pulandian Bay.The solidified shorelines and increase in sea level have resulted in intertidal wetlands decreasing and impaired wetland ecology.(3) There is a good agreement between reclamation and the size of the coastal wetlands.Both land reclamation and the reduction in coastal wetland areas are significantly related to the population size,fishery output value,and urbanization rate.In summary,human activities,such as the construction of aquaculture ponds and salt pans,industrialization,and urbanization,are the primary forces that influence the environmental changes in the coastal region.This study is beneficial for establishing and improving the systems for the rational development and utilization of natural resources,and provides theoretical references for restoring wetland ecology and managing future reclamation activities in other coastal zone-related areas.

Application of waste mushroom on land reclamation in the refuse dump of Haizhou Open-pit Mines

In order to rapidly increase the degree of maturation of the soil in land reclamation of the refuse dump of the Haizhou open-pit mines, the application of waste mushroomin the process of soil improvement in the dump was studied. Through the research onplant growth, root development and microbial changes in soil and change of physical andchemical characteristics of the plot, the result shows that waste mushroom can increasethe degree of maturation of the soil and improve soil fertility.

Monitoring and analysis of surface deformation in land reclamation area based on SBAS-InSAR technology—take Tianjin port for example

In order to explore the applicability of SBAS-InSAR technology to the deformation monitoring in coastal reclamation areas,this paper,based on 28 Sentinel-1A images,uses SBAS-InSAR technology to obtain the surface deformation information of the Tianjin Port reclamation area from January 2018 to November 2019,which reveals the characteristics of surface deformation in the land reclamation area of Tianjin Port and analyzes the relationship between the subsidence rate and reclamation time and land use type.The results show that the land reclamation area of Tianjin Port has the characteristics of a wide range of subsidence rate,uneven settlement and multiple settlement funnels.The subsidence rate ranges from-74.9 to19.7mm/a and it is inversely proportional to the land reclamation time.The subsidence rate of the early reclamation area is smaller,while that of the newly reclamation area is higher.The subsidence rate varies greatly among different land use types.This study verifies the feasibility of SBAS-InSAR Technology in the deformation monitoring of reclamation areas,and provides ideas for the monitoring and analysis of land subsidence in coastal areas such as coastal zones,islands and tidal flat.

On the Temporary Land Reclamation of Liyang-Guangde Expressway( Anhui Section)

This paper analyzes the temporary land type,distribution and area of Liyang- Guangde Expressway( Anhui section),and based on the natural conditions of regions that the expressway runs through,predicts the degree of damage to different types of temporary land,and designs the reclamation mode according to local conditions.

Evaluation of Four Geomembrane-Mounted PV Systems for Land Reclamation in Southern Arizona

Four different PV （photovoltaic） systems deployed around Tucson Arizona on geomembranes are used to test the feasibility of converting mine tailings and landfills into solar energy generating sites. Differences between these deployed systems include： two types of geomembrane materials, two different module anatomies and two different locations. Module mounting techniques unique to mine tailing sites are described. Several system failures observed during the first two years of operation are explained here in detail. Validated predictions for the operating temperature of these systems and their associated electrical performance are presented. It was determined that PV modules mounted on light-colored thermoplastic with shielded wiring operate at lower temperatures, are structurally stable, and experience fewer wiring failures.

Determination of the Thickness and Medium of Covering Soil for Land Reclamation

Land reclamation is a process of ecosystem reconstruction, for which it is very important to keep co-adaptation between plants and the below ground habitat. In order to keep the co-adaptation among plant species, thickness of covering soil and medium of covering soil to establish a self-regulating ecosystem, the thickness of covering soil of land reclamation for plants in different living forms by synusia structure of plant below-ground habitat and medium of covering soil by ecological factors of plant below-ground habitat were studied. Synusia structure of plant below-ground habitat was recognized through investigation on structure and root of plant community, and ecological factors were determined through soil profile investigation. The thickness and medium of covering soil of land reclamation for the tree, the shrub and the herb were proposed.

Evaluation Study on the Reclamation Suitability of Occupied Land in the Coal Mine Area——Taking Gouchang Coal Mine in Nayong County of Guizhou as An Example

The suitability evaluation of reclamation land was the premise and foundation for drawing up the land reclamation program.Taking Gouchang coal mine in Nayong County of Guizhou as an example,combining with the actual situation which included the topography,the soil in the mine area and so on,the reclamation land in the mine area was divided into the living area,the production area,the coal yard,the temporary coal gangue yard and other subsidiary facilities district.It determined that the main destruction type in every unit was the occupation,and the destruction degree was severe.Meanwhile referring the suitability evaluation standards of cultivated field and woodland,it finally determined that the reclamation direction of evaluation land which was damaged seriously by the occupation in the mine area was all suitable to the cultivated field and woodland.

Quantitative Simulation of Dynamic Changes in Cultivated Land in Areas of Reclamation and Returning Cultivated Land to Forest or Pastures under RCPs Climate Scenarios

Northeast China as one of important agricultural production bases is an area under reclamation and returning cultivated land to forests or pastures. Therefore, it is of great practical significance in guaranteeing the sustainable development and national food security to study the spatial and temporal variation of cultivated land in Northeast China under future climate scenarios. In this study, based on data of land use, natural environment and social-economy, dynamics of land system（DLS） model was used to to simulate the spatial distribution and changing trends of cultivated land in the typical areas of reclamation and returning cultivated land to forest or pastures in Northeast China during 2010-2030 under land use planning scenario and representative concentration pathways（RCPs） scenarios quantitatively.The results showed that the area of cultivated land had an overall decreasing trend under the land use planning scenario, but the area of upland field increased slightly from 2000 to 2010 and then declined greatly, while the area of paddy field continuously declined from 2000 to 2030. Under the Asia-Pacific Integrated model（AIM）scenario, the total area of cultivated land had a tendency to increase considerably,with the upland field expanding more obviously and the paddy field declining slightly.In addition, the cultivated land showed a greater decreasing trend under the model for energy supply strategy alternatives and their general environmental impact（MESSAGE） scenario compared to the land use planning scenario. Moreover, analysis on the conversion between different land use types indicated that the reclamation and returning cultivated land to forests or pastures was likely to continue under future scenarios, but the frequency of occurrence could decrease as the time goes by. The conclusions can provide significant decision-making information for the rational agricultural planning and cultivated land protection in Northeast China to adapt to the climate change.

Zoning of land reclamation in coal mining area and new progresses for the past 10 years

Coal mining disturbed land is the main sources of land reclamation in China.With the rapid increase of economy and coal production,more and more land has been disturbed by construction and coal mining;thus,land reclamation has become highlights in the past 10 years,and China is boosting land reclamation in mining areas.Disturbance characteristics vary from region to region,according to natural and geological conditions,coal mining area land reclamation was divided into 3 zones,which are eastern,western and southern.Reclamation strategies are focused on prime farmland protection in eastern and ecological restoration in western and southern zones,respectively.Several innovative reclamation technologies and theories for the past 10 years were introduced in this paper,including concurrent mining and reclamation,Yellow river sediments backfilling,self-reclamation,and topsoil alternatives in opencast mines.Besides,in the government regulation and legal system building respect,several important laws and regulations were issued and implemented in the past 5 years,promoting land reclamation management and supervision greatly.Land reclamation is and will still be one of the most important parts of coal industry in the future,and more efforts and funds are expected to get involved.

Suitability evaluation for land reclamation in mining area:A case study of Gaoqiao bauxite mine

Suitability evaluation plays an important role in land reclamation because the choice of evaluation methods affects the accuracy and objectivity of the suitability evaluation results. Furthermore, it influences the decision-making related to land reclamation. An improved method, which is called limit comprehensive conditions method, was developed after different suitability evaluation methods were studied. Based on this method, the reclaimed land of the Gaoqiao bauxite mining area was evaluated. The Gaoqiao mining area was divided into seven evaluation units that were evaluated respectively by selecting evaluation factors and establishing grade standards. The results show that the proposed method is more applicable and easier to handle. Moreover, its evaluation results are more scientific compared with the traditional evaluation methods. The improved method can be beneficial to the rapid monitoring and the effective management of reclaimed land in the opencast mine area.

Ecological rebuilding and land reclamation in surface mines in Shanxi Province, China

It is well known that the mining industry produces a large amount of derelict land, and causes pollution of water loss and soil erosion as well as other environmental damage in China. As land is under pressure in China, it is now policy to restore or reclaim land despoiled by mining, the aim being to develop sustainable and healthy arable land ecosystems. This paper outlines the principles and approaches of ecological restoration, which have been adopted in Shanxi Province with reference to three typical surface mines. In the research, the principles of ecological engineering and ecological succession are considered as the critical theories of ecological restoration in mine degraded land. Meanwhile, the paper made a comparative research on main links of ecological rebuilding in three surface mines in Shanxi Province, which include new land construction, treatment of toxic substances, control of soil erosion, fertility management, irrigation, ecological planning and the establishment of legislation systems. As the research demonstrated, for successful restoration, new land construction is the fundamental framework, but it must be integrated with ecological engineering including ecological planning, the control of soil erosion and vegetation establishment and ecosystem creation in order to optimise land productivity and soil fertility. In addition, the establishment of the legislation systems and organization of administration are also indispensable aspects of ecological rebuilding in mined land.

Effect of Reclamation Time and Land Use on Soil Properties in Changjiang River Estuary,China

The objective of this study is to analyze soil physical and chemical properties,soil comprehensive functions and impact factors after different years of reclamation.Based on the survey data taken from 216 soil sampling points in the Fengxian Reclamation Area of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River Estuary,China in April 2009 and remotely sensed TM data in 2006,while by virtue of multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA),geo-statistical analysis (GA),prin-cipal component analysis (PCA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA),it was concluded that:1) With the in-crease in reclamation time,soil moisture,soil salinity,soil electric conductivity and soil particle size tended to decline,yet soil organic matter tended to increase.Soil available phosphorous tended to increase in the early reclamation period,yet it tended to decline after about 49 years of reclamation.Soil nitrate nitrogen,soil ammonia nitrogen and pH changed slightly in different reclamation years.Soil physical and chemical properties reached a steady state after about 30 years of reclamation.2) According to the results of PCA analysis,the weighted value (0.97 in total) that represents soil nutrient factors (soil nitrate nitrogen,soil organic matter,soil available phosphorous,soil ammonia nitrogen,pH and soil particle size) were higher than the weighted value (0.48 in total) of soil limiting factors (soil salinity,soil elec-tric conductivity and soil moisture).The higher the F value is,the better the soil quality is.3) Different land use types play different roles in the soil function maturity process,with farmlands providing the best contribution.4) Soil physi-cal and chemical properties in the reclamation area were mainly influenced by reclamation time,and then by land use types.The correlation (0.1905) of the composite index of soil function (F) with reclamation time was greater than that with land use types (-0.1161).

Effects of cluster land reclamation projects on storm surge inJiaojiang Estuary,China

Variations in coastline geometry caused by coastal engineering affect tides, storm surges, and storm tides. Three cluster land reclamation projects have been planned for construction in the Jiaojiang Estuary during the period from 2011 to 2023. They will cause significant changes in coastline geometry. In this study, a surge-tide coupled model was established based on a three-dimensional finite-volume coastal ocean model （FVCOM）. A series of numerical experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of variations in coastline geometry on tides, storm surges, and storm tides. This model was calibrated using data observed at the Haimen and Ruian gauge stations and then used to reproduce the tides, storm surges, and storm tides in the Jiaojiang Estuary caused by Typhoon Winnie in 1997. Results show that the high tide level, peak storm surge, and high storm tide level at the Haimen Gauge Station increased along with the completion of reclamation projects, and the maximum increments caused by the third project were 0.13 m, 0.50 m, and 0.43 m, respectively. The envelopes with maximum storm tide levels of 7.0 m and 8.0 m inside the river mouth appeared to move seaward, with the latter shifting 1.8 km, 3.3 km, and 4.4 km due to the first project, second project, and third project, respectively. The results achieved in this study contribute to reducing the effects of, and preventing storm disasters after the land reclamation in the Jiaojiang Estuary.

围垦开发下滨海湿地格局演变的自然-人为复合驱动过程

滨海湿地具有重要的生物多样性保护价值及生态功能,围垦开发下经济快速增长的同时滨海湿地生态受损且大面积丧失。探究自然-人为复合影响下格局演变的关键驱动机制,可以为区域的生态保护和高质量发展提供指示。以围垦开发影响剧烈的黄河三角洲为研究区,克服了当前研究中驱动力的时空动态表征以及湿地格局演变的综合驱动时空交互机制研究的不足,研究构建了一套基于土地利用变化轨迹分离自然和人为驱动并表征湿地格局演变的动态驱动过程的方法,为区域尺度有效评估外界干扰对滨海湿地的影响提供了更加全面的支持。结果表明:尽管黄河三角洲滨海湿地格局演变的驱动过程轨迹类型多样,但主要受少数类型影响,以单一围垦开发为主。各驱动过程间存在着不同程度的时空交互,伴随围垦、修复、逆向演替过程的发生和转换,新生湿地的淤积及生态系统演替的自然增长过程被阻断,甚至可能对已修复湿地产生负面影响,区域湿地持续减少;人为驱动过程的影响远大于自然驱动过程,人为、自然及自然-人为复合驱动的湿地格局演变面积占比分别为55.5%、26.1%和18.4%。研究结果指示应严格管控部分生境敏感区的滩涂围垦,未来难以避免的滨海开发活动应由陆向海逐步推进,采用与新生湿地淤长方向一致的“滚动开发”模式,在兼顾经济效益的同时,维护滨海湿地生态系统的完整性和演替的连续性。

Selection of optimal land uses for the reclamation of surface mines by using evolutionary algorithms

A methodology for the selection of the optimal land uses of the reclamation of mined areas is proposed. It takes into consideration several multi-nature criteria and constraints, including spatial constrains related to the permissible land uses in certain parts of the mined area. The methodology combines desirability functions and evolution searching algorithms for selection of the optimal reclamation scheme. Its application for the reclamation planning of the Amynteon lignite surface mine in Greece indicated that it handles effectively spatial and non-spatial constraints and incorporates easily the decision-makers preferences regarding the reclamation strategy in the optimization procedure.

LAND RECLAMATION PROCESS IN NORTHEAST CHINA SINCE 1900

Northeast China is an important agricultural region in China. The NortheastPlain is the largest plain in the country and one of the three famous black soil zones in the world.Despite of fertility of the soil, however, large-scale agricultural development mainly took placesince 1900. The land exploitation and utilization has been fast and intensive in this region sincethen and change in the land-cover process has been remarkable. Both national and internationalresearchers on land use and land cover are paying more attention to these processes in this regionand their implication for local ecological environment. This article discusses the land reclamationprocesses and their main driving forces in Northeast China since 1900. According to the research,the 20th century was the most important period for land reclamation in Northeast China. In theseyears the rate, intensity and quantity of land reclamation have been staggering, and more than 100000km^2 of land was converted into farmland. This magnitude of land reclamation inland is unique inthe world. Research on the land reclamation of Northeast China can provide some data on the effectof human activity on environment. As in many other places in the world, the primary driving force ofreclamation in Northeast China was the increasing pressure of population. In the 20th century thepopulation increased from 10 x 10~6 to 110 x 10~6 in Northeast China and from 400 x 10~6 to 1. 3 x10^9 in China. Population pressure is thus the most important driving force for land reclamation.

Land use change and effect analysis of tideland reclamation in Hangzhou Bay

Since the beginning of the 20th century, tideland reclamation as a huge project has continuously extended from inland to the sea for the socioeconomic development, like Zhejiang, Jiangsu and other coastal regions in China. The increase of land area alleviated the contradiction of supply and demand between human and land, which provided the guarantee for agricultural production and industrial development. However, marine ecological environment has been seriously damaged due to the increasing scale of tideland reclamation. This paper took the Hangzhou Bay in the Yangtze River Delta as a study area to explore the evolution law, socioeconomic effect and eco-environmental effect of reclaimed land from 1985 to 2015. The result showed that as follows:(1) The area of tideland reclamation was 460.67 km^2 with 16.57% cultivated land and 15.93% construction land, and its land use was inefficient;(2) Land use change has spatial and temporal difference, the speed of tideland reclamation had been increasing from 1985 to 2015 in time and the scale of reclaimed land in the southern(84.07%) of Hangzhou Bay was larger than the northern region(15.93%) in space;(3) The evolution law of land use was from tideland to swampland and coastal waters to agricultural facility land, to cultivated land to industrial-mining land to idle land, rural-urban construction land, and formed obviously hierarchical structure;(4) Effect analysis of land use change found that the socio-economic effect had increased but the eco-environmental effect had decreased from 1985 to 2015, it reflected socio-economic effect was acquired through sacrificing eco-environmental effect;(5) It pointed out the existing problems on land extensive inefficient, environmental degradation and economy excessive growth without scientific planning, and offered some suggestions in land comprehensive improvement project, industrial transformation and upgrading and scientific planning and legal safeguardto promote sustainable development in the Hangzhou Bay in the new period.