Characteristics and driving factors of abandoned cultivated land in the hilly regions of southern China:A case study in Longnan,Jiangxi Province

The abandonment of cultivated land in southern China was gradually obvious.This research aims to provide a reference for solving the abandonment of cultivated land in hilly regions and promote rural development in China.We examined Longnan county located in the hilly regions of southern China as an example,where abandoned cultivated land is very common.We analyzed its land use data with a field survey to identify the abandoned cultivated land and geospatial characteristics.From the two aspects of social and natural factors,we analyzed the factors driving cultivated land abandonment with the help of Geodetector.The results showed that in 2019,the total area of the abandoned cultivated land in Longnan county was 4,962.35 hm^(2),covering 39.51% of this region.Among the topographic factors,the abandonment rate is positively correlated with elevation and slope gradient,but not with slope direction.Among the land parcel conditions,the abandonment rate is positively correlated with the access to road network and cultivation distance from settlement.At the county level,the abandonment of cultivated land in study area was affected by multiple factors,among which,the direct factor was the reduction in the labor force,such as the decrease of farming laborers and the increase of female population,which made farming unsustainable.Changes in production factors also promoted transformations in farmers’motivation to engage in production,such as the decrease of grain crops and the increase of cash crops,which was the indirect factor affecting cultivated land abandonment.The development of the rural nonagricultural industry affected farmers’enthusiasm,such as the decrease of farming households,which was the fundamental factor leading to cultivated land abandonment in this area.

Moderate scale and realization potential of new citrus-planting business entities in hilly and mountainous areas in China

The natural and economic conditions of agricultural resources vary greatly in China,especially in hilly and mountainous areas.The phenomenon of land fragmentation has become increasingly prominent,so that large-scale operations cannot be fully achieved in a short period of time,and the centralized and continuous scale of operations cannot be realized in China.In addition,with increasingly strict farmland protection and agricultural land use control systems,the issues of nongrain production and nonagricultural cultivated land use have become increasingly restricted.Thus,it is quite necessary to determine the appropriate scale of operations and the means to achieve moderately scaled operations for the new business entities.On the basis of microsurvey data for 108 new citrus-planting business entities in the modern agricultural park in the Chongqing's Jiangjin District,an area with long citrus-planting history,we measured the moderate scale of new citrus-planting business entities to maximize profit using a translog growth model.According to the projection pursuit model,we evaluated the suitability conditions of citrus planting in garden land,woodland,grassland,and general cultivated land in the study area.We then explored the potential for new moderate-scale business entities within different farming radii.The results showed that large-scale planting conditions of citrus in garden land,forest land,grassland,and general cultivated land in the study area were suitable,and the proportion of high-suitable and mediumsuitable land was 73.42%.Under the existing social and economic conditions,the moderate scale of new citrus-planting business entities in the study area was 1.8–2.7 hm^(2).In particular,its rankings from large to small were agricultural enterprises(17.19–25.78 hm^(2)),farmer cooperatives(16.88–25.33 hm^(2)),big growers and breeders(6.39–9.59 hm^(2)),and family farms(5.02–7.53 hm^(2)).In the sample of 108 households,only 47.22%of the entities achieved moderate-scale operation,of which 25%of the entities achieved a scale greater than moderate operation.However,52.78%of the entities achieved a scale of less than moderate operation.These entities would have to transfer the surrounding adjacent garden land,forest land,grassland,or general cultivated land to achieve largescale land management.The land area of the adjacent gardens in a 1000 m farming radius could meet the moderate-scale operation demand of the vast majority of new business entities.For the vast majority of new business entities,the land area of the adjacent woodland,grassland,and general cultivated land could supplement the garden land to achieve moderate-scale operation in a 500 m farming radius.If the land area with moderate suitability and high suitability is prioritized,the land area in the adjacent gardens in the 1000 m farming radius could meet the moderate-scale operation demand for the vast majority of new business entities.Within the 500 m farming radius,the vast majority of new business entities have achieved moderate-scale operations if the land area adjacent to forest land,grassland,and general arable land was supplemented by gardens;however,a few entities could not achieve moderate-scale operations.From the village perspective,gardens were prioritized.Sixteen villages had planting areas and planting suitability that exceeded the average level of the study area,accounting for 23.53%.If combined with the reserve potential of the garden land,eight villages could improve their potential,accounting for 11.76%.Therefore,the conditions of large-scale citrus planting in the study area should be further improved,and the scale expansion of new citrus-planting business entities should receive additional scientific guidance.

Dynamic Analysis of Supply and Demand Coupling of Ecosystem Services in Loess Hilly Region:A Case Study of Lanzhou,China

The relationship between the supply and demand for ecosystem services(ESs)is a key issue for the rational allocation of natural resources and optimisation of sustainable development capacity.This paper investigateed the dynamic evolution features of supply and demand of four ESs in Lanzhou of China,namely,water supply,food supply,carbon fixation and soil retention services.The crosssectional data of 2005 and 2017 were used for calculating ESs value and its supply and demand through ArcGIS software,InVEST model,elastic coefficient model and coupling coordination model.Results showed that:1)from 2005 to 2017,the supply of water supply services increased,the demand of soil retention services decreased,and the supply and demand of food supply and carbon fixation services increased.The high-value areas of service supply were mainly distributed in the rocky mountain areas in the southeast and northwest with high vegetation coverage,while the high-value areas of demand were mainly distributed in the urban areas and surrounding areas with high population density.2)There were five different types of coupling relations.Water supply service was dominated by a negative coupling type D,which means that the decrease in demand for ESs has had a positive response on the supply of ESs.Negative coupling type C was the main type of food supply and carbon fixation services,which means that the increase in demand for ESs has had a negative response on the supply of ESs.All three services were supplemented by a positive coupling type A,which means that the increase in demand for ESs has had a positive response on the supply of ESs.Soil retention service generally exhibits a positive coupling type B,which means that the decrease in demand for ESs has had a negative response on the supply of ESs.3)Over the past 12 yr,the coordination degree of supply and demand of water supply,food supply and soil retention services decreased,and the coordination degree of carbon fixation service increased.Various types of ES had a low degree of coupling and coordination,showing different characteristics of temporal and spatial evolution.The areas with imbalanced ESs supply and demand were mainly distributed in urban areas dominated by construction land.The research results are valuable to the optimisation of urban and rural ecological environments and the sustainable development of territory space under the framework of ecological civilisation,including similar ecologically vulnerable areas in other developing countries.

Mechanisms of root-soil reinforcement in bioembankments of sloping farmland in the purple hilly area,China

Bio-embankment is an important soil and water conservation measure in the purple hilly area in China,which can effectively improve the ability of cultivated soil layers to resist rainfall erosion and runoff scour.In contrast,the ecological effect of bioembankment depends on the stability of the earth bank.Taking the natural grass bank as a control(CK),the root distribution,root tensile properties and shear resistance of root-soil composites for 3 typical soil and water conservation bio-embankments,namely,Morus alba Linn(Morns),Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim(Zanthoxylum)and Medicago sativa(Medicago)were analysed.The results included the following:(1)The root system of the bio-embankments generally decreased in extent with the soil depth;fine roots in the o-io cm depth were most prevalent and significantly higher than those at the other depths,and coarse roots were mainly distributed in the o-30cm layer.(2)The stress-strain curves of the roots of each bio-embankment were single-peak curves without clear strain softening phenomena.The smaller the root diameters were,the smoother the stress-strain curves,and the lower the capability of the earth bank to resist collapse.The larger the root diameters were,the lower the tensile strength.The average root tensile force was highest for Zanthoxylum(73.91 N),followed by Medicago(68.07N)and Morus(61.88 N),and the average root tensile strength showed the same trend,16.52 MPa for Zanthoxylum,16.08 MPa for Medicago and 13.02MPa for Morus.(3)The bio-embankment measures significantly improved the soil shear resistance,especially under vertical loads of 1oo kPa and 200kPa.The soil internal friction angle showed a significant log-positive correlation with root morphological parameters of root length density(RLD),root surface area density(RSAD) and rootweight density(RWD),while the soil cohesion force showed a positive linear correlation with these parameters.The results provide effective parameters supporting for the design of bio-embankments and promoting the use of soil reinforcement with suitable species selection in protective earth banks for stability in the purple hilly area.

Study on the Climate Changes Characteristics in the Hilly Region of the Loess Plateau and Its Influence on Agricultural Production

[Objective] The aim was to study the climate changes characteristics in the hilly region of the loess plateau and its influence on agricultural production.[Method] Taking Yan'an City as an example,and by dint of temperature and precipitation in nine meteorological stations from 1957 to 2007 and accumulated anomaly curve,linear regression and relevant analysis,the climate changes characteristics in 51 years in Yan'an were expounded.The climate changes in the hilly region of the loess plateau were studied and its influences on agricultural production were concluded.[Result] The characteristics of climate changes in the hilly region were as follow:high temperature in winter and warm winter trend was clearly;the temperature in spring enhanced fast and the drought disaster was increasing worse;rainy days occurred now and then in autumn.The climate changes had different levels of influences on agricultural production in Yan'an City.Because of rising temperature in winter,facility agriculture was vigorously developed and the apple range expanded;in the meantime,because of rising temperature in spring,drought was worsen and sowing in spring can not proceed;constant rain in autumn damaged the quality of date.[Conclusion] The study provided theoretical basis for the regional agricultural production and agricultural structure adjustment.

Land degradation in the subtropical hilly andmountain regions of South China

Land degradation, caused by water erosion. closely related to inherent vulnerabilities of itseco-environment in South China. Spatial variation of land degradation from top to foot of a slope wasmainly induced by differentiation of surface materials and their erodibility, nutrient and moisture dueto downslope variation of land erosion. It was showed by comparing maps of land degradationbetween the 1950s and the 1980s that changes of land degradation varied from one area to anotherbecause of differences of human activities, including land reclamation and vegetation depletion.

Regularity of Erosion and Soil Loss Tolerance in Hilly Red-Earth Region of China

The observations from 14-yr long-term investigation on the soil-water losses in the sloping redearth (slope 8°- 15°) showed that soil-water losses were closely correlated with land slope and vegetative coverage. Runoff rate in sloping red-earth could be reduced doubly by exploitation, while the soil erosion was enhanced doubly during the first two years after exploitation. Subsequently, it tended to be stable. Soil erosion was highly positively correlated with land slope, I.e. Soil erosion increased by 120 t km-2 yr-1 with a slope increase of 1°. On the contrary, soil erosion was highly negatively correlated with vegetative coverage, I.e. Soil erosion was limited at 200 t km-2 yr-1 below as the vegetative coverage exceeded 60 %. Furthermore, soil erosion was highly related with planting patterns, I.e. Soil erosion in contour cropping pattern would be one sixth of that in straight cropping. Based on the view of soil nutrient balance and test data, it was first suggested that the soil loss tolerance in Q2 red clay derived red-earth should be lower than 300 t km-2 yr-1.

Response of soil respiration to environmental and photosynthetic factors in different subalpine forest-cover types in a loess alpine hilly region

Soil respiration(Rs)is important for transport-ing or fixing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,and even diminutive variations can profoundly influence the carbon cycle.However,the R_(s) dynamics in a loess alpine hilly region with representative sensitivity to climate change and fragile ecology remains poorly understood.This study investigated the correlation and degree of control between R_(s) and its photosynthetic and environmental factors in five subalpine forest cover types.We examined the correlations between R_(s) and variables temperature(T_(10)) and soil moisture content at 10 cm depth(W_(10)),net photosynthetic rate(P_(n))and soil properties to establish multiple models,and the variables were measured for diurnal and monthly vari-ations from September 2018 to August 2019.The results showed that soil physical factors are not the main drivers of R_(s) dynamics at the diel scale;however,the trend in the monthly variation in R_(s) was consistent with that of T_(10)and P_(n).Further,R_(s) was significantly affected by pH,providing further evidence that coniferous forest leaves contribute to soil acidification,thus reducing R_(s).Significant exponential and linear correlations were established between R_(s) and T_(10)and W_(10),respectively,and R_(s) was positively correlated with P_(n).Accordingly,we established a two-factor model and a three-factor model,and the correlation coefficients(R_(2))was improved to different degrees compared with models based only on T_(10) and W_(10).Moreover,temperature sensitivity(Q_(10))was the highest in the secondary forest and lowest in the Larix principis-rupprechtii forest.Our findings suggest that the control of R_(s) by the environment(moisture and tempera-ture)and photosynthesis,which are interactive or comple-mentary effects,may influence spatial and temporal homeo-stasis in the region and showed that the models appropriately described the dynamic variation in R_(s) and the carbon cycle in different forest covers.In addition,total phosphorus(TP)and total potassium(TK)significantly affected the dynamic changes in R_(s).In summary,interannual and seasonal variations in forest R_(s) at multiple scales and the response forces of related ecophysiological factors,especially the interactive driving effects of soil temperature,soil moisture and photo-synthesis,were clarified,thus representing an important step in predicting the impact of climate change and formulating forest carbon management policies.

Spatial variability of leaf wetness under different soil water conditions in rainfed jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) in the loess hilly region, China

Leaf wetness provides a wide range of benefits not only to leaves,but also to ecosystems and communities.It regulates canopy eco-hydrological processes and drives spatial differences in hydrological flux.In spite of these functions,little remains known about the spatial distribution of leaf wetness under different soil water conditions.Leaf wetness measurements at the top(180 cm),middle(135 cm),and bottom(85 cm)of the canopy positions of rainfed jujube(Ziziphus jujuba Mill.)in the Chinese loess hilly region were obtained along with meteorological and soil water conditions during the growing seasons in 2019 and 2020.Under soil water non-deficit condition,the frequency of occurrence of leaf wetness was 5.45%higher at the top than at the middle and bottom of the canopy positions.The frequency of occurrence of leaf wetness at the top,middle and bottom of the canopy positions was over 80%at 17:00‒18:00(LST).However,the occurrence of leaf wetness at the top was earlier than those at the middle and bottom of the canopy positions.Correspondingly,leaf drying at the top was also latter than those at the middle and bottom of the canopy positions.Leaf wetness duration at the middle was similar to that at the bottom of the canopy position,but about 1.46-3.01 h less than that at the top.Under soil water deficit condition,the frequency of occurrence of leaf wetness(4.92%-45.45%)followed the order of top>middle>bottom of the canopy position.As the onset of leaf wetness was delayed,the onset of wet leaf drying was advanced and the leaf wetness duration was shortened.Leaf wetness duration at the top was linearly related(R^(2)>0.70)to those at the middle and bottom of the canopy positions under different soil water conditions.In conclusion,the hydrological processes at canopy surfaces of rainfed jujube depended on the position of leaves,thus adjusting canopy structure to redistribute hydrological process is a way to meet the water need of jujube.

Effects of Plant Community Type on Soil Methane Flux in Semiarid Loess Hilly Region,Central Gansu Province,China

Methane(CH_(4))is an important greenhouse gas second only to CO_(2)in terms of its greenhouse effect.Vegetation plays an important role in controlling soil CH_(4)fluxes,but the spatial variability of soil CH_(4)fluxes during vegetation restoration in Loess Hilly Region(LHR)is not fully understood.The effects of different plant community types[Medicago sativa grassland(MS);Xanthoceras sorbifolium forestland(XS);Caragana korshinskii bushland(CK);Hippophae rhamnoides shrubland(HR);and Stipa bungeana grassland(SB)]on soil CH_(4)flux in LHR were studied via the static chamber technique.The results showed that the five plant community types were sinks of soil CH_(4)in LHR,the plant community type significantly affected the soil CH_(4)flux,and the average CH_(4)uptake from high to low was in SB,HR,CK,MS,and XS.During the whole study period,the soil CH_(4)flux showed similar interannual variation.The maximum absorption of soil CH_(4)appeared in the growing season,while the minimum appeared in winter.Soil CH_(4)uptake was positively correlated with soil temperature and soil moisture.Soil temperature and moisture are important controlling factors for the temporal variability of soil CH_(4)flux.In LHR,the Stipa bungeana grassland is the more suitable plant community type for reducing soil CH_(4)emissions.In the process of vegetation restoration in LHR,the soil CH_(4)absorption potential of different plant community types should be considered,ecological benefits should be taken into account,and vegetation more suitable for mitigating the greenhouse effect should be selected.

Effect of Agricultural Comprehensive Development on Increasing Income of Farmers in Jiangsu Hilly and Mountainous Areas

To adapt to rural and agricultural economic development,Jiangsu Province adjusted main task of comprehensive development of hilly and mountainous areas to supporting and promoting agricultural structural adjustment of hilly and mountainous areas and promoting increase of agricultural benefits and farmers' income. Through typical survey,this paper made an objective evaluation of effect of agricultural comprehensive development of hilly and mountainous areas in Jiangsu Province from increasing farmers' income. Results indicated that agricultural comprehensive development investment projects in Jiangsu hilly and mountainous areas are closely coupled with local agricultural production structure; financial funds promote social capital input to construction of economic forest,fruit and grass planting,and livestock raising. Through demonstration and guidance of farmers,it promoted adjustment of agricultural production structure and increased farmers' income. Finally,it came up with pertinent policy recommendations.

Land Use Pattern Analysis of Hilly Areas in Beijing Based on Case Study

In view of the population explosion in urban districts of Beijing City, limited land resources fail to meet needs of citizens, thus it is imperative to plan land uses of its hilly areas reasonably, avoid urban sprawl and figure out the way of sustainable development. Through analyzing land use patterns of hilly areas in Hong Kong and Los Angeles, it is to explore valuable experience for the development of hilly areas in Beijing.

Eco-geological environment quality assessment based on multi-source data of the mining city in red soil hilly region, China

High-intensity and large-scale resource development seriously threatens the fragile ecological environment in the red soil hilly region in southern China. This paper analyzes the eco-geological environmental problems and factors affecting Ganzhou, a mining city in the red soil hilly region,based on field survey and literature. The ecogeological environment quality(EGEQ) assessment system, which covered 11 indicators in physical geography, mining development, geological hazards,as well as water and soil pollution, was established through multi-source data utilization such as remote sensing images, DEM(Digital Elevation Model), field survey and on-site monitoring data. The comprehensive weight of each indicator was calculated through the Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP) and entropy method. The eco-geological environment assessment map was developed by calculating the EGEQ value through the linear weighted method. The assessment results show that the EGEQ was classified into I-V grades from excellent to worse, among which, EGEQ of I-II accounted for 29.88%, EGEQ of III accounted for 32.35% and EGEQ of IV-V accounted for 37.77%;the overall EGEQ of Ganzhou was moderate. The assessment system utilized in this research provides scientific and accurate results, which in turn enable the proposal of some tangible protection suggestions.

AG Channel Measurements and Characteristics Analysis in Hilly Scenarios for 6G UAV Communications

As an important part of sixth generation(6G)integrated space-air-ground-sea networks,unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)communications have aroused great attention and one of its typical application scenarios is the hilly environments.The related UAV air-ground(AG)channel characteristics analysis is crucial for system design and network evaluation of future UAV communications in hilly scenarios.In this paper,a recently conducted channel measurements campaign in a hilly scenario is presented,which is conducted at the center frequencies of 2.585 GHz and 3.5 GHz for different flight trajectories.Based on the measurement data,some key channel characteristics are analyzed,including path loss(PL),shadow fading(SF),Rician K-factor,root mean square(RMS)delay spread(DS),and temporal auto-correlation function(ACF).Finally,the comparison of typical channel characteristics under circular and straight trajectories is given.The related results can provide a theoretical reference for constructing future UAV communication system in hilly scenarios.

SOIL EROSION AND THE WATER & SOIL CONSERVATION IN THE LOESSIAL HILLY AREA OF SOUTHERN NINGXIA

1. General Situation of Soil Erosion The loessial hilly area of southern Ningxia, Situated at the south of Ningxia Hui Au-tonomous Region, middle-upper reaches of the Yellow River, part of Chinese Loess Pla-teau, covers an area of 1500 square kilometers with an annual mean temperature of 5-8℃,a precipitation of 300-500mm of which 70% taking place concentratively during the peri-od between June and September in form of rainstorm, The annual evaporation

Z-Transform Based Instantaneous Unit Hydrograph for Hilly Watersheds

Present study emphasizes the applicability of linear theory concept onto hilly watersheds. For this purpose, Z-transform technique was used to derive the instantaneous unit hydrograph (IUH) from the transfer function of autoregressive and moving average (ARMA) type linear difference equation. Parameters of the ARMA type rainfall-runoff process were estimated by least-squares method. The derived IUH from Z-transform (i.e. ARMA-IUH) has been used to compute the hydrologic response i.e. direct runoff hydrograph (DRH). Fur-ther, the superiority of the proposed approach has been tested by comparing the results through the results obtained from the Nash-IUH. Analyzing the results obtained from ARMA-IUH and Nash-IUH for the two hilly watersheds of North Western Himalayas shows the applicability of the linear theory concept even in turbulent flow conditions which are frequently encountered in hilly terrains under similar conditions of flow.

Characteristics of Soil Respiration of Terraces and Slope Farmland in Loess Hilly and Gully Regions

Soil CO_2 emissions of terraces and slope farmland in loess hilly and gully regions were measured by using Infra Red Gas Analysis(IRGA),and the diurnal variation characteristics of soil respiration rate in different slope positions of terraces and slope farmland were analyzed.The results show that the diurnal variation curves of soil respiration rate of terraces and slope farmland in loess hilly and gully regions had a single peak.The soil respiration rate of terraces reached the peak during 13:00-15:00,while the soil respiration rate of slope farmland reached the peak from 11:00 to13:00,and it was the lowest at next 07:00.The daily average of soil respiration rate in slope farmland was 0.86μmol/(m^2·s),accounting for 93.48% of that of terraces.The daily average of soil respiration rate in different slope positions of terraces and slope farmland is shown as follows:the bottom of the slope>the middle of the slope>the top of the slope.At the top of the slope,the daily averages of soil respiration rate in terraces and slope farmland were the same;at the middle and bottom of the slope,the daily average of soil respiration rate in terraces was larger than that of slope farmland.

The Models for the Development of Specialty Agriculture in the Hilly Areas of Southern Ningxia: Are They Truly Effective?

The development of specialty agriculture is of great significance to western China's agricultural structure adjustment,and it's an essential way for the construction of ecological agriculture in Southern Ningxia mountainous area.This paper makes a summary about the development status of specialty agriculture in Southern Ningxia Mountainous Area and put forward the basic benefit goal and problems needing attention.On this basis,the paper studies the development pattern of specialty agriculture in Southern Ningxia Mountainous Area from the aspects of production factors and industry.This paper suggests that the development pattern of specialty agriculture in Southern Ningxia Mountainous Area should combine the regional agricultural pattern and innovative organization structure pattern,demonstration agriculture and market-directing pattern,engineering agricultural pattern and enterprise-driven pattern.The development of specialty agriculture in Southern Ningxia Mountainous Area should promote the three patterns,in order to achieve the construction of ecological agriculture and agricultural structure adjustment.

Landscape Ecological Security Assessment of Low-Slope Hilly Region in Lu County,China

Low-slope hilly land( LSHL) refers to regions with relatively lower altitude,smaller topographic changes and gentler slopes. Exploitation and utilization of such areas is acting as an efficient approach to release the intensity in land utilization for mountainous areas in China, and needs further study. By summarizing related domestic concepts regarding LSHL,and taking Lu County of Sichuan province as the sample,this paper defined the scope of LSHL and extracted a total coverage of 331. 71 km2 LSHL.Then based on the landscape ecological security patterns theory,we have established the landscape ecological security pattern of Lu County by the minimum cumulative resistance model,targeting to achieve ecological land protection. Moreover,LSHL of different landscape security levels is further classified through overlay analysis on the current utilization status of the LSHL. The LSHL is classified into four categories, including prioritized development type,moderate development type, limited development type and prohibited development type. Their scopes of areas are 108. 72,97. 03,68. 36 and 57. 60 km2 respectively. In addition,respective land utilization and exploitation plan for LSHL are proposed according to the analysis of characteristics of each type. The result has provided scientific references for the definition,establishment of landscape ecological security pattern as well as the appropriate exploitation and utilization of the LSHL.

Recommendations for Large-scale Farmland Operation in Hilly Areas Based on Long Tail Theory

At the background of urban and rural integration,this paper analyzed and discussed factors restricting large-scale farmland operation in China's hilly areas from the qualitative perspective. It recognized large-scale farmland operation on the basis of the long tail theory. Finally,it came up with recommendations for developing large-scale farmland operation in hilly areas.