Response of ecosystem carbon storage to land use change from 1985 to 2050 in the Ningxia Section of Yellow River Basin,China

Regional sustainable development necessitates a holistic understanding of spatiotemporal variations in ecosystem carbon storage(ECS),particularly in ecologically sensitive areas with arid and semi-arid climate.In this study,we calculated the ECS in the Ningxia Section of Yellow River Basin,China from 1985 to 2020 using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs(InVEST)model based on land use data.We further predicted the spatial distribution of ECS in 2050 under four land use scenarios:natural development scenario(NDS),ecological protection scenario(EPS),cultivated land protection scenario(CPS),and urban development scenario(UDS)using the patch-generating land use simulation(PLUS)model,and quantified the influences of natural and human factors on the spatial differentiation of ECS using the geographical detector(Geodetector).Results showed that the total ECS of the study area initially increased from 1985 until reaching a peak at 402.36×10^(6) t in 2010,followed by a decreasing trend to 2050.The spatial distribution of ECS was characterized by high values in the eastern and southern parts of the study area,and low values in the western and northern parts.Between 1985 and 2020,land use changes occurred mainly through the expansion of cultivated land,woodland,and construction land at the expense of unused land.The total ECS in 2050 under different land use scenarios(ranked as EPS>CPS>NDS>UDS)would be lower than that in 2020.Nighttime light was the largest contributor to the spatial differentiation of ECS,with soil type and annual mean temperature being the major natural driving factors.Findings of this study could provide guidance on the ecological construction and high-quality development in arid and semi-arid areas.

Spatiotemporal variations in ecosystem services and their trade-offs and synergies against the background of the gully control and land consolidation project on the Loess Plateau,China

Studying the spatiotemporal variations in ecosystem services and their interrelationships on the Loess Plateau against the background of the gully control and land consolidation(GCLC)project has significant implications for ecological protection and quality development of the Yellow River Basin.Therefore,in this study,we took Yan'an City,Shaanxi Province of China,as the study area,selected four typical ecosystem services,including soil conservation service,water yield service,carbon storage service,and habitat quality service,and quantitatively evaluated the spatiotemporal variation characteristics and trade-offs and synergies of ecosystem services from 2010 to 2018 using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs(InVEST)model.We also analysed the relationship between the GCLC project and regional ecosystem service changes in various regions(including 1 city,2 districts,and 10 counties)of Yan'an City and proposed a coordinated development strategy between the GCLC project and the ecological environment.The results showed that,from 2010 to 2018,soil conservation service decreased by 7.76%,while the other three ecosystem services changed relatively little,with water yield service increasing by 0.56% and carbon storage service and habitat quality service decreasing by 0.16% and 0.14%,respectively.The ecological environment of Yan'an City developed in a balanced way between 2010 and 2018,and the four ecosystem services showed synergistic relationships,among which the synergistic relationships between soil conservation service and water yield service and between carbon storage service and habitat quality service were significant.The GCLC project had a negative impact on the ecosystem services of Yan'an City,and the impact on carbon storage service was more significant.This study provides a theoretical basis for the scientific evaluation of the ecological benefits of the GCLC project and the realization of a win-win situation between food security and ecological security.

Exploring the Spatiotemporal Changes and Driving Forces of Ecosystem Services of Zhejiang Coasts,China,Under Sustainable Development Goals

Ecosystem services(ESs)refer to the continuous provisioning of ecosystem goods and services that benefit human beings.Over recent decades,rapid urbanization has exerted significant pressure on coastal ecosystems,resulting in biodiversity and habitat loss,environmental pollution,and the depletion of natural resources.In response to these environmental challenges,the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)were proposed.Given the pressing need to address these issues,understanding the changes in ESs under the SDGs is crucial for formulating specific ecological strategies.In this study,we first analyzed land use and cover change in the Zhejiang coasts of China during 2000–2020.Then,we investigated the spatiotemporal configuration of ESs by integrating carbon storage(CS),soil retention(SR),habitat quality(HQ)and water yield(WY)using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs(InVEST)model.The driving mechanisms of ESs,which varied by space and time,were also explored using the Geo-detector method.The results revealed that,over the past two decades:1)the Zhejiang coasts have experienced a significant increase of 2783.72 km^(2) in built-up land areas and a continuous decrease in farmland areas due to rapid urbanization;2)owing to higher precipitation,extensive vegetation cover,and reduced anthropogenic disturbances,forests emerge as a crucial land use type for maintaining ecosystem services such as HQ,CS,WY,and SR;3)ESs have generally declined across the entire Zhejiang coasts,with a significant decrease observed in the northern areas and an increase in the southern areas spatially;4)the expansion of built-up land areas emerged as the primary factor affecting ecosystem services,while the vegetation factor has been increasingly significant and is expected to become predominant in the near future.Our study provides insights of understanding of ecosystem service theory and emphasizing the importance of preserving biodiversity for long-term sustainable development,and valuable scientific references to support the ecological management decision-making for local governments.

Metropolitan Housing Development in Urban Fringe Areas-A Case Study of Three Metropolitan Cities of South Africa: Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane

Purpose:The metropolitan cities of Johannesburg,Ekurhuleni and Tshwane play an important role in the economy of the Gauteng province in South Africa.The region constitutes to 22.4 percent of the total population of South Africa and has a strong presence and contributes in areas of manufacturing sector,financial and business services,retail and wholesale trade,etc.The rapid urban population,increase in the informal settlements and socio-economic opportunities has resulted in considerable urban sprawl in and around the urban fringe areas of these metropolitan cities.The urban fringe areas of these metros often come under the influence of rapid urbanization process and pressures.Coupled with the economical and potential land dynamics and lack of priority of spatial development guidelines,these areas attract rapid and haphazard development from communities and developers.Research Design/Methodology:This research is based on a qualitative approach through a comprehensive literature review that included content analysis of key documents on housing sector such as IDPs(Integrated Development Plans),Municipal Annual Reports,Growth Development Strategies,and among other sectoral documents on housing sector.Some of the key priority issues considered in the housing sector included:eradication of housing backlogs,spatial restructuring of housing,provision of choice in terms of location,tenure and housing typology.Findings:The current paper discusses the approaches of metropolitan housing development processes in three metropolitan cities of South Africa from Gauteng region,namely:Johannesburg,Ekurhuleni and Tshwane.The paper discusses the existing housing sectoral scenario along with the fringe areas in three cities with focus on:formal and informal settlements,housing segregation and the backlogs,current institutional arrangements,role of public private participation,and scope for alternate mechanisms.The paper concludes in discussion on sustainable development options for housing development in urban fringe areas.

Spatial pattern of urban-rural integration in China and the impact of geography

Urban-rural integration (URI) is a global challenge that is highly related to inequalities, poverty, economic growth, and other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Existing research has evaluated the extent of URI and explored its influencing factors, but urban-rural linkages are seldom incorporated in evaluation systems, and geographical factors are rarely recognized as the influencing factors. We construct a URI framework including regional economy, rural development, urban-rural linkage, and urban-rural gap. Based on a dataset consisting of 1,669 counties in China in 2020, we reveal the spatial pattern of URI and find a high correlation between the spatial pattern of URI and the relief degree of land surface (RDLS). Using structural equation modeling, we discover that topography has direct ( − 0.18, p < 0.001) and indirect ( − 0.17, p < 0.001) effects on URI. The indirect negative effects are mediated through the infrastructure, and the combination of localized advantages and modern technical conditions could mitigate the negative impact of topography. Finally, we identify 742 counties as lagging regions in URI, which can be clustered into eight types. Our findings could facilitate policy designing for those countries striving for integrated and sustainable development of urban and rural areas.

Countermeasures for Intensive Use of Land from the Perspective of Urban-Rural Integration

This paper analyzes problems of excessive emphasis on expansion of urban land,improper village and town construction,and low land utilization efficiency in urban-rural integration construction.In line with characteristics and principle of intensive land use of urban-rural integration,it puts forward integration of urban-rural land layout,practically exploring connotation,and improving land intensification in many ways.Based on these,it presents countermeasures for intensive use of land from the perspective of urban-rural integration,including stressing function of overall planning of land use in integration and control of urban-rural regional development,raising population,ecological and economic bearing capacity of land on the condition of protecting arable land and focusing on intensive use of land,and promoting healthy,sustainable and coordinated development of industrialization,urbanization and urban-rural integration.

Laws,Defects and Countermeasures on the Circulation of Rural Housing Land——From the Perspective of Farmer Rights Protection

The thesis combs the existing legal provisions about rural housing land from the perspectives of use restriction,means restriction,subject restriction and mortgage prohibition,and finds out their defects,namely,weakening real right,confused knowledge about the integration of house property and land property,the loophole in Land Administration Law,the bans on the rural residents' purchase of housing land and so on.Then the thesis expounds the harms of restricting the circulation of housing land,for example,it will result in underground transaction of housing lands;lead to untenanted lands and waste of resources;bring about financing difficulty for peasants;do harm to the interest of land owners(rural collective economic organizations) and so on.The thesis further proposes to establish the legal lease model to solve the problems in the circulation of housing lands,specifically explains the definition of the legal lease model of housing lands,illustrates its detailed information from the aspects of object,subject and content and elaborates a series of problems involving,how to distribute the rent of housing lands,as well as how to perfect relevant procedures and formalities in the credit circulation of housing lands so as to realize the legitimate and effective circulation of rural housing lands and protect the peasants' interests.

Methods of Land Management in the Construction of Urban and Rural Integration

With the rapid development of the social economy,the pace of urban-rural integration construction has been accelerating continuously.From the actual situation at this stage,it is necessary to maintain the sound relationship of coordination,interaction and mutual advance between the city and the village.In the process of building urban-rural integration,we should focus on strengthening the development of land management,so as to improve the rationality of land development and utilization,and maximize the value of land while protecting rural farmland resources.The author explores and analyzes the problems existing in the land management work in the urban-rural integration construction.An effective way is put forward to carry out land management work in urban and rural integration construction,which contributes to the improvement of the quality of land management work.

The Group Differentiation of Farmers Whose Land is Expropriated and Community Integration

This paper introduces the status of group differentiation of farmers whose land is expropriated and analyses the forcing of urban community factor and social workers' intervention on community integration of farmers whose land is expropriated.Since individual characteristics factors,external factors,social support and internal factors are different,the understandings of current farmer group whose land is expropriated on social work have great disparity.The obstacles existing in urbanization of farmers whose land is expropriated are concluded as follows.In terms of group constitution,there is a shortage of development-oriented of farmer groups whose land is expropriated,but impoverished groups overabound;in terms of cities,it lacks direct platforms and institutions that provide services for farmers whose land is expropriated.In terms of social work,the degree of social workers intervening in community integration of farmers whose land is expropriated is insufficient.From three aspects:the intervention of social work in integration of different types of communities of farmers whose land is expropriated,social work intervention at level of social policy,and social worker team carrying out the plan of helping others,this paper proposes path selection of intervention of social work in community integration of farmers whose land is expropriated.

The Spiritual Evolution and Integration of the Archetype ＂the Fictitious Land of Peace and Happiness＂ in Chinese Literature and the Archetype ＂the Wilderness＂ in American Literature

The fictitious land of peace and happiness in Chinese literature and the wilderness in American literature are a pair of archetypes which are typical and crystallize collective unconsciousness.Seeming quite different each other,the two archetypes in fact have similar spiritual implication and develop into the exploration of ecological consciousness in the present cultural dilemma and the ecological literature bearing the global literary characteristics which emphasize both aesthetics and ecological consciousness.It shows that cultures of different nations have similarities and can communicate with each other.Only through cultural communication and abandoning the binary opposition of self and non-self can the glorious vision of multi- culture of human beings be formed.

Optimization of Training Program for Land Resource Management Major under the Background of Urban and Rural Integration

With constant deepening of development outlook of urban and rural integration,education circle starts to attach great importance to reform of personnel training program.Since scarcity of land resource and key role of land management in urban and rural integration,it is urgent to optimize the personnel training program for land resource management major.From aspects of optimum objectives,principles,program and implementation effect,this paper discusses training program for land resource management major under the background of urban and rural integration.It is expected to provide reference for cultivating land resource management personnel suitable for development of urban and rural integration.

Study on the Current Situation of Urban Integration of Aboveground Space and Underground Space:Under the Background of China’s Land Spatial Planning

Urban underground public space has a synergistic effect with its surrounding urban aboveground functions or facilities,which reflects the complementarity between underground functions and urban functions.The research analyses the degree of integration through the case study of urban aboveground space and underground space in China.The research method of this paper will give different evaluation criteria to public transport and public space and the influencing factors of space integration.The indicators of public transport include the number of subway lines and underground parking spaces.The evaluation standard of public space is the area of underground space and the number of floors of underground space.The subway entrance and exits are selected as the evaluation index for the aboveground and underground transition space.Through the specific analysis of 7 selected cases,it provides arguments for the research.The average rent in the case is taken as the dependent variable.Through the regression model,the influencing factors of the integration of aboveground and underground space are determined.The purpose of the study is to explore the influencing factors of the integration of aboveground space and underground space,and how to optimize the integration of aboveground and underground space.

Research on the Urban Integration of Land-losing Farmers

Fishbone chart is used to analyze the status of the living ability of land-losing farmers, as well as its causation from the aspects of system layer, social support network, land-losing farmer themselves, and economic layer. Result shows that the system layer includes the unreasonable land compensation, the lack of social security for land-losing farmers, and the employment exclusion of land-losing farmers. Small scale and low heterogeneity are the causations for social support network. Low willingness to become citizens, low cultural quality and difficulty in role change are the causations of land-losing farmers themselves. The low expected return and high living cost are the causations for economic layer. Based on the above analysis, countermeasures to improve the urban-living ability of land-losing farmers are put forward, such as improving the land expropriation system, establishing a multi-level social security system, enhancing the training and employment mechanism of land-losing farmers, and improving the quality of land-losing farmers.

Spatiotemporal Characteristics and Future Scenario Simulation of the Trade-offs and Synergies of Mountain Ecosystem Services: A Case Study of the Dabie Mountains Area, China

Mountain ecosystems play an essential role in supporting regional sustainable development and improving local ecological environments. However, economic development in mountainous areas has long been lagging, and multiple conflicts related to resource assurance, ecological protection, and economic development have emerged. An accurate grasp of the current status and evolutionary trends of mountain ecosystems is essential to enhance the overall benefits of ecosystem services and maintain regional ecological security. Based on the In VEST(Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs) model, this study analyzed the spatiotemporal evolution patterns and the trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services(ES) in the Dabie Mountains Area(DMA) of eastern China. The Markov-PLUS(Patch-generating Land Use Simulation) model was used to conduct a multi-scenario simulation of the area's future development. Water yield(WY) and soil conservation(SC) had overall increasing trends during 2000-2020, carbon storage(CS)decreased overall but slowed with time, and habitat quality(HQ) increased and then decreased. The ecological protection scenario is the best scenario for improving ES in the DMA by 2030;compared to 2020, the total WY would decrease by 3.77 × 10^(8) m^(3), SC would increase by 0.65 × 10^(6) t, CS would increase by 1.33 × 10^(6) t, and HQ would increase by 0.06%. The comprehensive development scenario is the second-most effective scenario for ecological improvement, while the natural development scenario did not have a significant effect. However, as the comprehensive development scenario considers both environmental protection and economic development, which are both vital for the sustainable development of the mountainous areas, this scenario is considered the most suitable path for future development. There are trade-offs between WY, CS, and HQ, while there are synergies between SC, CS, and HQ. Spatially, the DMA's central core district is the main strong synergistic area, the marginal zone is the weak synergistic area, and trade-offs are mainly distributed in the transition zone.

Spatially Heterogeneous Response of Carbon Storage to Land Use Changes in Pearl River Delta Urban Agglomeration, China

Carbon storage of terrestrial ecosystems plays a vital role in advancing carbon neutrality. Better understanding of how land use changes affect carbon storage in urban agglomeration will provide valuable guidance for policymakers in developing effective regional conservation policies. Taking the Pearl River Delta Urban Agglomeration(PRDUA) in China as an example, we examined the heterogeneous response of carbon storage to land use changes in 1990–2018 from a combined view of administrative units and physical entities. The results indicate that the primary change in land use was due to the expansion of construction land(5897.16 km2). The carbon storage in PRDUA decreased from 767.34 Tg C in 1990 to 725.42 Tg C in 2018 with a spatial pattern of high wings and the low middle. The carbon storage loss was largely attributed to construction land expansion(55.74%), followed by forest degradation(54.81%). Changes in carbon storage showed significant divergences in different sized cities and hierarchical boundaries. The coefficients of geographically weighted regression(GWR) reveal that the alteration in carbon storage in Guangzhou City was more responsive to changes in construction land(-0.11) compared to other cities, while that in Shenzhen was mainly affected by the dynamics of forest land(8.32). The change in carbon storage was primarily influenced by the conversion of farmland within urban extent(5.05) and the degradation of forest land in rural areas(5.82). Carbon storage changes were less sensitive to the expansion of construction land in the urban center, urban built-up area, and ex-urban built-up area, with the corresponding GWR coefficients of 0.19, 0.04, and 0.02. This study necessitates the differentiated protection strategies of carbon storage in urban agglomerations.

Creation of New Global Land Cover Map with Map Integration

We present here a new approach to the development of a global land cover map. We combined three existing global land cover maps (MOD12, GLC2000, and UMD) based on the principle that the majority view prevails and validated the resulting map by using information collected as part of the Degree Confluence Project (DCP). We used field survey information gathered by DCP volunteers from 4211 worldwide locations to validate the new land cover map, as well as the three existing land cover maps that were combined to create it. Agreement between the DCP-derived information and the land cover maps was 61.3% for our new land cover map, 60.3% for MOD12, 58.9% for GLC2000, and 55.2% for UMD. Although some of the improvements we achieved were not statistically significant, this project has shown that an improved land cover map can be developed and well-validated globally using our method.

Land Use Changes in Himalaya and Their Impacts on Environment, Society and Economy: A Study of the Lake Region in Kumaon Himalaya, India

The traditional resource use structure in Himalaya has transformed considerably during the recent past, mainly owing to the growth of population and the resultant increased demand of natural resources in the region. This transformation in resource use practices is particularly significant in the densely populated tracts of Himalaya. As a result, cultivated land, forests, pastures and rangelands have been deteriorated and depleted steadily and significantly leading to their conversion into degraded and non-productive lands. These rapid land use changes have not only disrupted the fragile ecological equilibrium in the mountains through indiscriminate deforestation, degradation of land resources and disruption of the hydrological cycle, but also have significant and irreversible adverse impacts on the rural economy, society, livelihood and life quality of mountain communities. It has been observed that the agricultural production has declined, water sources are drying up fast due to decreased ground water recharge and a large number of villages are facing enormous deficit of critical resources, such as food, fodder, firewood and water, mainly due to unabated deforestation. As a result, the rural people, particularly the women, have to travel considerably long distances to collect fodder and firewood and to fetching water. It is therefore highly imperative to evolve a comprehensive and integrated land use framework for the conservation of the biophysical environment and sustainable development of natural resources in Himalaya. The land use policy would help local communities in making use of their natural resources scientifically and judiciously, and thus help in the conservation of the biophysical environment and in the increasing of the productivity of natural resources. The study indicates that conservation of forests and other critical natural resources through community participation, generation of alternative means of livelihood, and employment in rural areas can help increase rural income as well as restore ecosystem services.

Establishment of Rural Housing Land Standard in China

On the basis of rural household survey in 12 provinces of China in 2005,this research built an econometrical model to find the area standard for rural housing land.This standard is expected to facilitate rural housing land administration,efficient and intensive housing land use and policy making.This research concludes:1) according to the household survey data,the average area for rural housing land in China is about 235.26 m 2,and the rural housing land mainly includes unused land(42.89%) and house construction land(37.76%) with the average floor-area ratio of 0.42;2) the indexes in the standard concern the factors such as location,landform,house form,household population and cultivated land area per farmer,which all have significant effects on rural housing land use;3) the reasonable area for rural housing land may be 150 m 2 in average before 2020,and the referential standards in different provinces are 120 m 2,130 m 2,140m 2,150 m 2,160 m 2,170 m 2,190 m 2,200 m 2,210 m 2,220 m 2,230 m 2 and 250 m 2 respectively;and 4) if there are less than two persons or more than five persons in a family,these standards need to be decreased or increased by 7%.When the cultivated land area per farmer is lower than the provincial average,the standards have to reduce by 3.5%.

LAND SUPPLY AND HOUSING PRICE:THE CASE IN HONG KONG

In this study we examine the relationship between land supply and housing price, percentage of land premium in the total government revenue and housing price, with reference to Hong Kong from 1981 to 1994. To do this we employ the Granger causality method to test the underlying hypothesis whether Hong Kong Government adopt high land-price policy. We use the first difference of data to ensure the stationarity in time series with the help of augmented Dick-Fuller unit root test. The results of the paper suggest no strong evidence to support the view that the land control of the government has caused soaringly rising housing prices. The findings also apparently implicate that the government has the revenue-maximizing behavior which is consistent with efficient allocation of resources.

Discussion on Registration Validity Doctrine of Housing Land Use Right

Relationship between the registration and right change of housing land use right is not clearly stipulated in the Property Law. Land registration involves functions of private law and public law. It is partial to only considering private rights dimension when deciding whether registration validity doctrine or registration confrontation doctrine should be implemented in housing land use right. Compilation of land use planning, implementation of land use control and promotion of arrangement project in rural residential area all rely on sound and complete housing land registration data. To clarify housing land right adscription, eliminate hidden troubles causing housing land dispute and promote the establishment of harmonious countryside can never be achieved without housing land registration data. To carry out registration validity doctrine of housing land use right can effectively guide farmers' registration behavior and thus build a perfect registration information system of housing land use right. After the cross-village and even cross-town arrangement in rural residential areas, rural acquaintance society has transformed into semi-acquaintance society and even stranger society. Therefore, housing land use right commending its existence with registration in public form has been a necessary choice in legislation.