Evaluation and Driving Force Analysis of Cultivated Land Quality in Black Soil Region of Northeast China

Cultivated land is an important natural resource to ensure food,ecological and economic security.The cultivated land quality evaluation(CQE)is greatly significant for protecting and managing cultivated land.In this study,320 counties in the black soil region of Northeast China(BSRNC)represent the research units used to construct the CQE system measuring the soil properties(SP),cultivated land productivity(CLP),ecological environment(EE)and social economy(SE).The total of 19 factors were selected to calculate the integrated fertility index(IFI)and divided into grades.Simultaneously,we used the coupling coordination degree model to comprehensively analyze the spatial pattern of the cultivated land quality(CLQ)in the BSRNC,and use the structural equation model(SEM)to analyze the driving mechanism.The results show the following:1)The CLQ of 262 counties in the BSRNC is in a state of coupling and coordination,and the coupling and coordination degree presents a spatial distribution pattern of‘high in the southwest and northeast,low in the northwest and southeast’.The coordinated development degree of 271 counties is between 0.4 and 0.6,which is in a transitional state between coordination and disorder.2)The CLQ in the BSRNC is generally good,with an average grade of 3.High-quality cultivated land accounts for 58.45%of all counties,middle-and upper-quality cultivated land accounts for 27.05%,and poor-quality cultivated land accounts for 14.49%.3)The SEM analysis shows that the SP,CLP,EE,and SE all influence the CLQ.Among them,the SP has the largest driving force on the CLQ,while the SE has the smallest driving force on it.The results confirm that the main factors affecting the evaluation results are crop productivity level,normalized difference vegetation index,ratio vegetation index,difference vegetation index,and organic carbon content.When implementing protection measures in counties with a low CLQ,considering a balanced coordination of multiple systems and reasonably controlling the quality degradation are important.This study provides the current situation and driving factors of the CLQ in the BSRNC and will play an important role in black soil governance and utilization.

Land Suitability Evaluation for Oil Palm (<i>Elaeis guineensis</i>Jacq.) in Coastal Plains of Southwest Cameroon

Declining yields in oil palm fresh fruit bunch (FFB) have been recorded over the past years in the coastal lowlands of southwest Cameroon and current actual yields are very low (<12 t FFB ha−1•yr−1) compared to the potential yields (25 t FFB ha−1•yr−1). One of the problems limiting optimum oil palm production is lack of detailed pedological information to guide plantation establishment and management. A land suitability evaluation was carried out for some major oil palm producing areas of southwest Cameroon to identify land qualities limiting optimal production. Thirteen sites (9 with sedimentary parent materials and 4 with volcanic parent material) were evaluated using a parametric method. Results indicate that climate was not a major limiting factor for oil palm production in coastal plains of southwest Cameroon. However, soil physical characteristics (mainly clayey texture and poor drainage) and soil fertility constitute limitations to oil palm production. Specifically, limitations in cation exchange capacity (CEC), base saturation (BS), organic carbon (OC) and pH were slight to moderate while K mole fraction was the most severe and the most limiting in all the sites. The fertility limitations were more pronounced in soils derived from sedimentary parent materials where 33% had limitations caused by soil pH and OC compared to none for volcanic soils. In addition, 77.8% of sedimentary soils had limitations caused by CEC compared to 25% for volcanic soils. Considering the overall suitability, soils derived from volcanic parent materials were potentially more suitable for oil palm cultivation ((S3)—50%, (S2)—50%) compared to sedimentary soils ((N)—11%, (S3)—78% and (S2)—11%). Based on the suitability classes of the different soils derived from dissimilar parent materials, appropriate site-specific soil management is needed to improve oil palm yields, especially with emphasis on K fertilization and improved soil water management. Plantation management in coastal plains of South West Cameroon therefore should factor in differences in soil parent material.

Studies on Land Resource Inventory for Agricultural Land Use Planning in Northern Transition Zone of India through Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques

Land suitability analysis is a prerequisite to achieving optimum utilization of available land resources. Hence, a study on land resource inventory for agricultural land use planning was conducted in the Northern Transition Zone of India to determine land capability and develop a suitability map for wheat and sorghum-based on physical and climatic factors of production using remote sensing and GIS techniques. Detailed soil survey information was used for this exercise. Four series (Singhanhalli, Mugli, Bogur and Venkatapur series) were identified and mapped into seventeen mapping units. Land capability classification showed that a greater portion of the study area belonged to class III followed by class IV with limitations of erosion, wetness and varying soil properties. Four land capability classes viz., II, III, IV, and VI, and seven subclasses viz., IIsf, IIItsf, IVs, IVt, IVts, IVtsf and VIt were identified. Major limitations of these subclasses were slope, erosion, depth, texture, coarse fragments, pH, organic carbon and base saturation. Soil suitability assessment revealed that the soils are moderately suitable to permanently not suitable. About 234 ha (31.6%) is moderately suitable, 494 ha (65.0%) marginally suitable and 10.2 ha (1.3%) permanently not suitable for wheat;while 78.5 ha (10.3%) is moderately suitable, 633.4 ha (82.3%) marginally suitable and 32.6 ha (4.3%) permanently not suitable for sorghum respectively. The moderate, marginal and permanent non-suitability was due to moderate, severe and very severe limitations respectively. However, it is possible to achieve potential yield of the crops in the study area if these limitations are addressed.

Assessing and Mapping Land Suitability Units for Maize (Zea mays L) Production Using Integrated DEMATEL-ANP Model and GIS in the Foumbot Agricultural Basin (Cameroon Western Highlands)

Land suitability assessment (LSA) is an essential step in the process of determining environmental limits for sustainable crop production. Up to date, studies on LSA for crop production in Cameroon have been based on empirical methods which are limited as they consider similar singnificance levels for all evaluation criteria and do not consider the interrelationships of criteria in the best-fit models. In the present study a qualitative land suitability evaluation by an integrated multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach and geographic information system (GIS) was tested to assess and map suitable land units for maize (Zea mays L) production in Cameroon Western highland. Eight environmental criteria identified as the most relevant for maize production in the area of interest (AOI) saw their thematic maps prepared using ArcGIS 10.8. The relationship between criteria was considered by the DEMATEL method. The criteria were weighted using the ANP method. Thereafter, the land suitability map was obtained using the weighted overlay analysis (WOA) in ArcGIS. The results obtained indicated that slope has the highest specific weight and consequently the greatest influence on land suitability for maize production in the locality. The land suitability map generated showed that Foumbot’s agricultural land suitability for maize production varies from very high to marginally suitable (99% of the surface area). Specifically, 11% (8056 ha) is very highly suitable, 29% (21,119 ha) is highly suitable, 38% (27,405 ha) are moderately suitable and 20% (14,422 ha) are marginally suitable. The remaining 1% that falls under non suitable class represents 606 ha and is located on the steep slopes around the Mount Mbappit. The kappa analysis reveals a total overall accuracy of 78.67% and a kappa value of 0.7256 with an asymptotic error of 0.058 which is good. Then the model used in this research is highly recommended for future land evaluation works in Cameroon and similar ecosystems around the world.

Ecological Land Suitability for Arid Region at River Basin Scale:Framework and Application Based on Minmum Cumulative Resistance(MCR) Model

As an important and typical arid inland region in China,Shiyang River Basin plays an important role in maintaining the sustainable development of eco-environment,whose ecological land suitability restricts the development of the local human activities.Therefore,Shiyang River Basin was selected as the case study,the minimum cumulative resistance(MCR)model and GIS technique were integrated to create land suitability evaluation map.We calculated the MCR value of ecological source and living source,and divided the whole basin into five partitions according to the difference between ecological source and living source,and analyzed the patterns and characteristics of the ecological land suitability evaluation(ELSE)regions,respectively.The results showed that:1)The suitable ecological land includes prohibited development region and restricted development region,which accounts for 15.45%and 23.35%of the total land area of the Shiyang River Basin,respectively.These two regions mainly distributed high altitude region in the southern Qilian Mountain and low altitude region where had high density of rivers.2)The protection of ecological land requires not only conserving existing ecological land but also focusing on ecological buffer belts around ecological sources and improving ecological land service ability.3)Ecological networks should be constructed through artificial planting trees around the boundary of oasis and ecological restoration region.Buffer greenbelts should also be established between optimized development region and ecological restoration region.

基于LESA综合评价模型的耕地质量定级方法

为准确掌握耕地生产效益水平,进一步满足当前国土管理需要,对耕地质量定级方法进行了研究。选取河南省固始县为研究对象,以LESA综合评价模型为基础,结合耕地质量等别更新成果及相关土地提质工程成果,综合分析评定了耕地质量级别,并以耕地产能为依据验证了定级结果。结果表明:基于LESA综合评价体系,固始县的耕地分为6-13级,级别越高,耕地质量越好。其中,9-13级的耕地自然条件较优,地块规则,利于机械耕作;6-8级的耕地自然质量水平较差,集中连片程度低,耕作较为不便。根据耕地产能对定级结果可靠性进行验证,定级结果符合实际产出。基于LESA综合评价模型的耕地质量定级方法不仅继承和沿用了耕地分等成果,还通过选取工程指标体现了高标准基本农田建设成效,突破原有规程法定级结果仅在县域内可比的限制,为耕地定级方法体系研究提供参考。

Use fuzzy interface systems to optimize land suitability evaluation for surface and trickle irrigation

In this study fuzzy logic system was used for optimization parametric evaluation system in surface and trickle irrigations.This study was performed on a surface area of 5175 ha in fathali region located in Ardabil province of Iran.It was indicated that for trickle and surface irrigation respectively an area of about 2941.35 ha(56.77%)and 159.81 ha(3%)of the lands is“highly suitable”and an area of about 246.43 ha(4.7%)and 312.69 ha(6%)is“moderately suitable”.About 797.1 ha(15.4%)and 2744.17 ha(53.02%)were respectively“marginally suitable”for trickle and surface irrigations.“Currently not suitable”suitability included about 737.58 ha(14.2%)and 1746.05 ha(33.7%)and“Permanently not suitable”suitability matched 458.54 ha(8.86%)and 212.28 ha(4.1%)in the zone under study.According to the results,there is a major difference between the“highly suitable”lands obtained through the two methods and the area of“highly suitable”lands in the trickle method is about 18 times of the area of“highly suitable”obtained through the surface irrigation method.As a result,considering the gradual changes of soil parameters,fuzzy evaluation leads to more accuracy compared to the parametric non fuzzy method.By and large,it can be said that fuzzy method,shows higher qualities about the suitability of lands for trickle irrigation.

The Land- Potential Knowledge System (LandPKS): mobile apps and collaboration for optimizing climate change investments

Massive investments in climate change mitigation and adaptation are projected during coming decades.Many of these investments will seek to modify how land is managed.The return on both types of investments can be increased through an understanding of land potential:the potential of the land to support primary production and ecosystem services,and its resilience.A Land-Potential Knowledge System(LandPKS)is being developed and implemented to provide individual users with point-based estimates of land potential based on the integration of simple,geo-tagged user inputs with cloud-based information and knowledge.This system will rely on mobile phones for knowledge and information exchange,and use cloud computing to integrate,interpret,and access relevant knowledge and information,including local knowledge about land with similar potential.The system will initially provide management options based on long-term land potential,which depends on climate,to-pography,and relatively static soil properties,such as soil texture,depth,and mineralogy.Future mod-ules will provide more specific management information based on the status of relatively dynamic soil properties such as organic matter and nutrient content,and of weather.The paper includes a discus-sion of how this system can be used to help distinguish between meteorological and edaphic drought.

Land suitability assessment for apple(Malus domestica)in the Republic of Korea using integrated soil and climate information,MLCM,and AHP

Apples(Malus domestica)are one of the major fruits cultivated in South Korea and worldwide.To both sustain the productivity of apple trees and preserve the land,a land suitability assessment has been conducted.Two methods were used to analyze land suitability,a Most-Limiting Characteristic Method(MLCM)and an Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP)with integrated soil and climate information based on the FAO classification framework.The most-limiting characteristic analysis showed that almost all areas were classified as marginally suitable(S3)or not suitable(N),which together accounted for 94.54%of the land in the Republic of Korea.On the contrary,AHP showed that S1(34.1%)and S2(44.17%)account for the majority of the land.

Continental-scale assessment of provisioning soil functions in Europe

Introduction:A framework is developed to link major soil functions to ecosystem services assessment.Provisioning soil functions—with primary linkages to ecosystem services—are evaluated on a continental scale in Europe.Methods:We defined major provisioning soil functions combining the approaches proposed by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and the Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection of the European Union.Soil productivity was evaluated by three main land use types(cropland,grassland,forest)using a validated expert model called SoilProd.Models include soil,climate and topographic criteria.Raw material provision capacity of soils was assessed on the basis of(i)organic carbon content and(ii)availability of soil materials for construction.Results:A coherent system of soil function-based ecosystem services was compiled,taking into account major soil functions.We also produced new data on soil-based provisioning ecosystem services,including productivity and raw material availability.The attempts to cover the main human activities requiring materials of soil origin and to map the locations where those materials are available on a continental scale provide new insight to this field of research.Conclusions:Soil-based ecosystem services can be assessed by the evaluation of soil functions which play a role in the production of these services.Quantitative analysis and comparison of the spatial distribution of the investigated soil functions were performed.While crop productivity showed a general trend to increase in a northward and westward direction,local soil quality in most regions—except in the Mediterranean—can compensate for climatic handicaps to a great extent.Comparison of areas with potential for providing ecosystem services by individual soil functions highlights the complexity of decision-making for resource utilization but also the possibilities for optimization and more conscious management.