Sustainable Intensification and Large-scale Operation of Cultivated Land Use at the Farmers’ Scale:A Case Study of Shandong Province,China

Sustainable intensification of cultivated land use(SICLU) and large-scale operations(LSO) are widely acknowledged strategies for enhancing agricultural performance.However,the existing literature has faced challenges in precisely defining SICLU and constructing comprehensive indicators,which has hindered the exploration of factors influencing LSO within the SICLU framework.To address this gap,we integrated self-efficacy theory into the design of an index framework for evaluating SICLU.We subsequently employed econometric models to analyze the significant factors that impact LSO.Our findings reveal that SICLU can be divided into four key dimensions:intensive management,efficient output,resource conservation,and ecological environment optimization.Furthermore,it is crucial to incorporate belief-based cognitive factors into the index system,as farmers’ understanding of fertilizer and pesticide application significantly influences their willingness to engage in LSO.Moreover,we identify grain market turnover as the most influential factor in promoting LSO,with single-factor contribution rates reaching 70.9% for cultivated land transfer willingness and 62.5% for the total planting areas.Interestingly,unlike irrigation and agricultural machinery inputs,increased labor inputs correspond to larger planting areas for farmers.This trend may be attributed to reduced labor availability because of rural labor migration,whereas the reduction in irrigation and agricultural input is contingent on innovations in production practices and the transfer of cultivated land management rights.Importantly,SICLU dynamically influences LSO,with each index related to SICLU having an optimal range that fosters LSO.These insights offer valuable guidance for policymakers,emphasizing farmers as their central focus,with the adjustment of input and output factors as a means to achieve LSO as the ultimate goal.In conclusion,we propose research avenues for further enriching the SICLU framework to ensure that it aligns with the specific characteristics of regional agricultural development.

Spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of cultivated land conversion in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,northern China

Protection and optimization of cultivated land resources are of great significance to national food security.Cultivated land conversion in northern China has increased in recent years due to the industrialization and urbanization of society.However,the assessment of cultivated land conversion in this area is insufficient,posing a potential risk to cultivated land resources.This study evaluated the evolution and spatiotemporal patterns of cultivated land conversion in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,China,and the driving factors to improve rational utilization and to protect cultivated land resources.The spatiotemporal patterns of cultivated land conversion in Inner Mongolia were analyzed using the cultivated land conversion index,kernel density analysis,a standard deviation ellipse model,and a geographic detector.Results showed that from 2000 to 2020,the trends in cultivated land conversion area and rate in Inner Mongolia exhibited fluctuating growth,with the total area of cultivated land conversion reaching 7307.59 km^(2) at a rate of 6.69%.Spatial distribution of cultivated land conversion was primarily concentrated in the Hetao Plain,Nengjiang Plain,Liaohe Plain,and the Hohhot-Baotou-Ordos urban agglomeration.Moreover,the standard deviational ellipse of cultivated land conversion in Inner Mongolia exhibited a directional southwest-northeast-southwest-northeast distribution,with the northeast-southwest direction identified as the main driving force of spatial change in cultivated land conversion.Meanwhile,cultivated land conversion exhibited an increase-decrease-increase change process,indicating that spatial distribution of cultivated land conversion in Inner Mongolia became gradually apparent within the study period.The geographic detector results further revealed that the main driving factors of cultivated land conversion in Inner Mongolia were the share of secondary and tertiary industries and per-unit area yield of grain,with explanatory rates of 57.00%,55.00%,and 51.00%,respectively.Additionally,improved agricultural production efficiency and the coordinated development of population urbanization and industry resulted in cultivated land conversion.Collectively,the findings of this study indicated that,from 2000 to 2020,the cultivated land conversion in Inner Mongolia was significant and fluctuated in time,and had strong spatial heterogeneity.The primary drivers of these events included the effects of agriculture,population,and social economy.

Spatio-temporal Evaluation of Multi-scale Cultivated Land System Resilience in Black Soil Region from 2000 to 2019:A Case Study of Liaoning Province,Northeast China

It is of great significance to systematically analyze the cultivated land system resilience(CLSR) for the black soil protection and national food security.The CLSR is impacted by planting structure adjustment and cultivated land quality decline,posing major hidden dangers to food security.It is urgent to evaluate the CLSR at multiple spatio-temporal scales.This study took Liaoning Province in the black soil region of Northeast China as an example.Based on the resilience theory,this study constructed the CLSR evaluation system from the input-feedback perspective at the provincial-scale and the city-scale,and used the rank-sum ratio comprehensive evaluation method(RSR) to analyze the key influencing factors of CLSR in Liaoning Province and its 14 cities from 2000 to 2019.The results showed that:1) the time series changes of CLSR at the provincial-scale and the city-scale in Liaoning Province were similar,both showing an increasing trend.2) The CLSR in Liaoning Province presented a spatial pattern of ‘high in the west and low in the east’ at the city-scale.3) There were seven and six main influencing factors of CLSR at the provincial-scale and the city-scale,respectively.In addition to the net income per capita of rural households,other influencing factors of CLSR were different at the provincial-scale and the city-scale.The feedback factors were dominant at the provincial-scale,and the input factors and feedback factors were dominant at the city-scale.The results could provide a reference for the utilization of black soil and draw on the experience of regional agricultural planning and adjustment.

Spatiotemporal characteristics of cultivated land use eco-efficiency and its influencing factors in China from 2000 to 2020

Improving cultivated land use eco-efficiency(CLUE)can effectively promote agricultural sustainability,particularly in developing countries where CLUE is generally low.This study used provincial-level data from China to evaluate the spatiotemporal evolution of CLUE from 2000 to 2020 and identified the influencing factors of CLUE by using a panel Tobit model.In addition,given the undesirable outputs of agricultural production,we incorporated carbon emissions and nonpoint source pollution into the global benchmark-undesirable output-super efficiency-slacks-based measure(GB-US-SBM)model,which combines global benchmark technology,undesirable output,super efficiency,and slacks-based measure.The results indicated that there was an upward trend in CLUE in China from 2000 to 2020,with an increase rate of 2.62%.The temporal evolution of CLUE in China could be classified into three distinct stages:a period of fluctuating decrease(2000-2007),a phase of gradual increase(2008-2014),and a period of rapid growth(2015-2020).The major grain-producing areas(MPAs)had a lower CLUE than their counterparts,namely,non-major grain-production areas(non-MPAs).The spatial agglomeration effect followed a northeast-southwest strip distribution;and the movement path of barycentre revealed a"P"shape,with Luoyang City,Henan Province,as the centre.In terms of influencing factors of CLUE,investment in science and technology played the most vital role in improving CLUE,while irrigation index had the most negative effect.It should be noted that these two influencing factors had different impacts on MPAs and non-MPAs.Therefore,relevant departments should formulate policies to enhance the level of science and technology,improve irrigation condition,and promote sustainable utilization of cultivated land.

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.

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.

Spatiotemporal Pattern of Cultivated Land Pressure and Its Influencing Factors in the Huaihai Economic Zone, China

Cultivated land pressure represents a direct reflection of grain security. Existing relevant studies rarely approached the spatiotemporal pattern of cultivated land pressure or the spatial heterogeneity of its influencing factors from the level of economic zones.Taking the Huaihai Economic Zone(HEZ), China for case analysis, this study investigated the spatiotemporal pattern of cultivated land pressure in diverse periods from 2000 to 2018 based on a modified cultivated land pressure index and spatial correlation models. On this basis, it explored the influencing factors of the spatial differentiation of cultivated land pressure in the late stage of the study using geographical detector as well as multi-scale geographically weighted regression model. The results indicated that: 1) in the study period, the global cultivated land pressure index of the study area decreased gradually, but cultivated land pressure increased locally in a significant way, especially in the central and southern Shandong Province;2) the spatial pattern of cultivated land pressure manifested global clustering features. Hot and secondary-hot spots presented a narrowing and clustering trend, whereas cold and secondary-cold spots manifested a spreading and clustering trend;3) average slope, the proportion of non-grain crops, population urbanization rate, and multiple cropping index have significant effects on the spatial differentiation of cultivated land pressure. The former three factors were positively correlated with cultivated land pressure, and the last factor was negatively correlated with cultivated land pressure;and 4) the amount of cultivated land has increased in the central and southern Shandong Province through land consolidation which, nonetheless, failed to improve the grain production. In regards to major grain producing areas similar to the HEZ in China, the authors suggest that great importance should be given to the balance of the quality and quantity of cultivated land, the optimization of agricultural production factors and the rational control of non-grain crops, thus providing a powerful guarantee for grain security in China.

Change of cultivated land area and effect on ecosystem service in black soil region in Northeast China: a case study of Lishu County, Jilin Province

It is of great significance to study the influence of spatial pattern change of cultivated land on eco-system service,including the sustainable utilization and ecological protection in black soil region in Northeast China.Taking Lishu County of Jilin Province as the study area,we quantitatively evaluated soil conservation,habitat quality,carbon storage and grain production service,and analyzed the change of cultivated land and ecosystem service pattern in Lishu County from 1990 to 2020 by using Pearson correlation analysis on the correlation between cultivated land change and ecosystem service.The results show that:(1)The cultivated land area of Lishu County was reduced by 19.67 km2,the characteristics of cultivated land change are signifi-cant;(2)the overall change rate of carbon storage,habitat quality,soil conservation and grain production ser-vice in the study area was 10.82%,-0.09%,4.07%and 1.80%,respectively.They all had significant spatial differentiation features;(3)the change of habitat quality,grain production service showed a significant pos-itive correlation with the change of cultivated land area.The change in soil conservation and carbon storage were negatively related to cultivated land area.In order to promote the rational development and utilization of cultivated land in the research area,it is suggested to scientifically carry out the comprehensive utilization of cultivated land reserve resources such as saline-alkali land,strengthen the management and protection of newly added cultivated land at the same time.The results can provide scientific reference for formulating comprehensive land use planning under ecological security conditions.

Distribution Characteristics of Soil Total Nitrogen in Low-efficiency Forest Land in the Northern Windy Desert Area of Jingbian County

[Objectives]The paper was to investigate the distribution characteristics of soil total nitrogen in low-efficiency forest land in the northern windy desert area of Jingbian County.[Methods]The distribution of soil total nitrogen in the 0-40 cm soil layer of 5 towns in the northern windy desert area of Jingbian County was studied through field sampling and laboratory detection.[Results]The average soil total nitrogen contents of Hongdunjie Town,Haizetan Town,Huanghaojie Town,Ningtiaoliang Town,Dongkeng Town and windy desert area in the 0-20 cm soil layer were 0.259,0.224,0.242,0.248,0.431 and 0.275 g/kg,respectively.The soil total nitrogen content in Dongkeng Town was higher than those in other towns,while there was little difference among other regions.The average total nitrogen contents in the 20-40 cm soil layer were 0.239,0.285,0.113,0.262,0.349 and 0.241 g/kg,respectively.The soil total nitrogen content in Huanghaojie Town was slightly lower than those in other towns,while that in Dongkeng town was higher.The variation coefficient of soil total nitrogen content in the survey area was greater than 30%,and there was great difference in spatial distribution.With the increase of soil depth,there was little change in soil total nitrogen content,namely the soil total nitrogen contents in 5 towns and windy desert area were not statistically different in the 0-40 cm soil layer.According to the nutrient grading standard of the second national soil survey,the soil total nitrogen content in the survey area was in the deficiency grade.[Conclusions]The research will provide a scientific guidance for the healthy and sustainable development of vegetation in arid regions.

Analysis to the Driving Force Model and Driving Factor on the Utilized Changes of Cultivated Land in Gonghe County

Using gradually regression analysis to establish the driving force model of utilized change of cultivated land in Gonghe County, and using path analysis, correlation analysis, partial correlation analysis and system dynamics method to inspect the effect of driving changing on cultivated land change under different change situations. Driving factors, action mechanism and process of utilized change of cultivated land were analyzed from the county territory scale level. At last, some corresponding policies and measures were put forward.

Analysis to the Driving Force Model and Drives Factor on the Utilized Changes of Cultivated Land in Qinghai Lake Area

Using path analysis, correlation analysis, partial correlation analysis and system dynamics method to study the driving force of cultivated land in Qinghai Lake Area, and using gradually regression analysis to establish the driving force model of utilized change of cultivated land. Driving factors, action mechanism and process of utilized change of cultivated land were analyzed, and the differences during all factors were compared. The study provides some decision basis for sustainable utilization and management of land resources in Qinghai Lake Area.

Inconsistent increasing of climate potential productivity resulting from global warming and land use transitions in the Dongting Lake Basin,from 2000 to 2020

In the face of global warming and increasing impervious surfaces,quantifying the change of climate potential productivity(CPP)is of great significance for the food production planning.Targeting the Dongting Lake Basin,which is a key area for food production in China,this paper uses meteorological data,as well as Climate Change Initiative Land Cover,and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission digital elevation model to investigate the CPP and its changes from 2000 to 2020.The suitability of land for cultivation(SLC),and the land use/land cover change(LUCC)are also considered.The results showed that the CPP varied from 9,825 to 20,895 kg ha^(-1).Even though the newly added impervious surfaces indirectly resulted in the decrease of CPP by of 9.81×10~8 kg,overall,the CPP increased at an average rate of 83.7 kg ha^(-1)a^(-1).Global warming is the strongest driver behind CPP increase,and CPP has played an important role in the conversions between cultivated land and other land types.The structure of land types tends to be optimized against this challenge.

The Estimation of Cultivated Land Threshold Value in Hotan Oasis

[Objective] Water shortage is a key natural factor limiting arid economic development and ecological security.However,the large-scale land reclamation against natural laws has been speeding up water consumption,and the ecological water use which is the primary condition for maintaining ecological security was squeezed.Moreover,the fragile oasis ecosystem would be destroyed dramatically.In order to maintain ecological security,it is urgent to evaluate the threshold value of cultivated land.[Method] The method of water-soil balance was used to evaluate the threshold value of cultivated-land on the premise of allocating downstream ecological water demand.[Result] Under the frequency of 75%（P =75 for short） in Hotan River,the threshold value of cultivated-land in Hotan Oasis would be 13.83×10^4,16.78×10^4and 16.50×10^4hm^2in 2010,2020 and 2030 respectively.Under the frequency of 50%（P=50 for short）,the threshold value of cultivated land in Hotan Oasis would be 14.95 ×10^4,18.08 ×10^4and 17.78 ×10^4hm^2in 2010,2020 and 2030 respectively.If effective measures are not taken to control cultivated-land expansion,the cultivated land area will be 2.78×10^4and 5.07×10^4hm^2more than the threshold values of cultivated land at P =75 in 2020 and 2030 respectively.Even if the efficient water-saving technique are adopted,the water requirement of crop use will increase from 19.77×108to 20.82×108and 21.95×108m3during 2010-2030,and then the ecological water use cannot be guaranteed.[Conclusion] The cultivated-land expansion would threaten the ecological security in Hotan River and Tarim River.Therefore,some strict measures should be taken to protect desert-oasis ecotone,an important constituent of oasis ecosystem which has vital role in maintaining the stability of oasis,and to prohibit cultivated-land expansion.

The Measurement and Grading of Pressure on Cultivated Land in City-level in Yunnan Province

For a long time pressure on cultivated land receives much concern be- cause of close relationship with food security. In Yunnan provice,natural conditions of mountain area are poor and the overall quality of cultivated land is ：not high. This paper selected state （city） level as research scale,calculated the pressure index on cultivated land of 16 states （cities） in Yunnan provice,revealed the level of tension states （cities） of cultivated land,provided basic basis for determining amount of culti- vated land of provice and states and developing the policy about cultivated land protection.The study indicated that pressure on cultivated land in Dehong belongs to ＂no pressure＂ grade,in Qujing and Baoshan belong to ＂critical pressure ＂grade,in Yuxi and Zhaotong belong to ＂moderate-pressure＂grade,in Kunming and Nujiang be- longs to ＂high-pressure＂ and in the rest 9 states belongs to ＂low-pressure＂grade.

Coordination of urbanization and cultivated land resources in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area:A case study of Guangzhou City

Guangzhou,a significant hub city in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area,has seen fast social and economic growth as well as steady progress in the degree of urbanization.This research,taking Guangzhou city as an example,aims to provide an understanding of how land resources,urbanization,and spatial planning are coordinated in the study area.It also aims to explore how the coordination degree of land resources,urbanization,and spatial planning changes over time.It seeks to provide effective suggestions for land resource protection,national spatial planning,and urban transformation development to promote the coordinated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area into a world-class Bay Area.

Performance evaluation of ecological compensation policy for cultivated land in China

The paper evaluates the changes in the ecological environment of cultivated land in the major crop-producing areas major crop-producing areas in the past 20 years by constructing an ecological pollution index;and quantitatively analyzes the effects of the existing policies and their main influencing factors by applying the PSM-DID method based on the frequency of policy enactment.The results are as follows:first,the existing ecological compensation policies for cultivated land are effective but not significant in improving the ecological environment in the major crop-producing areas.The economic development level and grain cultivation area of the major crop-producing areas are significantly and positively correlated with the improvement of the arable land ecological environment,while the level of agricultural infrastructure construction is significantly and negatively correlated with the improvement of the arable land ecological environment.Second,the reason for the ineffectiveness of the current arable ecological land compensation policy in protecting the arable land ecological environment in the main grain-producing regions is that the existing arable ecological land compensation policy in China has its own institutional defects and needs to be further improved.At the same time,the level of environmental pollution of cultivated land in the main grain-producing regions is positively correlated with the level of income from cultivated land and cultivated area.

Characteristics of Steep Cultivated Land and the Impact of the Grain-for-Green Policy in China

The Grain-for-Green Policy in China could not only improve China＇s ecological quality, but also influence grain supplies for a short term. Based on data from the detailed nationwide land use survey in 1996 and the steep cultivated land survey update in 2000, a regression model for the driving forces affecting steep cultivated lands was developed, and cluster analysis was used to identify seven steep cultivated land types in order to analyze the grain availability impact of the project with land usage estimates for 2010 and 2030. The results suggested that consecutive days with minimum daily temperature over 10 ℃ and the dominant slope in a county constrained the spatial distribution of steep cultivated lands. In terms of socioeconomic factors, steep cultivated land was a complex interaction of population size, gross domestic production level, and the richness and quality of cultivated lands having slopes less then 15°. The trends for steep cultivated land in 2010 and 2030 were forecast using a driving forces model and China＇s grain security criteria and showed that the Grain-for-Green Policy at the national level would not cause a grain shortage or threaten food security criteria. However, if steep sloped lands were to be retired from production, some regions would need grain supplements as early as 2010. Also, assuming that only 60% of the cultivated land at the national level was needed, population and economic development pressures in 2030 would require some steep cultivated lands to be used for grain production.

Spatiotemporal variation of soil organic carbon in the cultivated soil layer of dry land in the South-Western Yunnan Plateau, China

The dynamics of soil organic carbon(SOC)in cropland is one of the central issues related to both soil fertility and environmental safety. However, little information is available at county level regarding the spatiotemporal variability of SOC in the southwestern mountainous region of China. Thus, this study aimed to explore spatiotemporal changes of SOC in the cultivated soil layer of dry land in Mojiang County,Yunnan Province, China. Data were obtained from the second national soil survey(SNSS) of 1985 and soil tests for fertilizer application carried out by the Mojiang Agricultural Bureau in 2006. The ANOVA test was applied to determine any significant differences between the datasets, while semivariogram analysis was performed on geostatistics via an ordinary Kriging method in order to map spatial patterns of soil organic carbon density(SOCD). The results revealed that SOCD in the cultivated soil layer significantly decreased from 3.93 kg m^(-2) in 1985 to 2.89 kg m^(-2) in 2006, with a total soil organic carbon stock(SOCS) decrease of 41.54×10~4 t over the same period. SOCS levels fell most markedly in yellow-brown soil at a rate of51.52%, while an increase of 8.70% was found in the analysed latosol. Geostatistical analysis also showed that the recorded changes in SOCD between 1985 and2006 were spatially structured. The decreasing trend might be attributed to the combined action of intense cultivation, major crop residue removal without any protective tillage measures, unreasonable fertilization and natural climatic diversity inducing a large decrease in SOC in the studied cultivated dry land region of Mojiang County. Therefore, management measures such as protective tillage should be undertaken in order to enhance soil C sequestration.

Comparative Study on the Human Driving Force of Cultivated Land and Construction Land Use Change in Hubei Province,China

Change trend of cultivated land and construction land in Hubei Province is analyzed.The years 1998-2003 are the reduction period of cultivated land;the years 2004-2007 are the increase period of cultivated land;the years 1988-2002 are the slow growth period of construction land;and the years of 2003 and 2007 are the increase period of construction land.Based on related social economic statistical data in 1988-2007,human driving forces on cultivated land and construction land in Hubei Province are analyzed quantitatively and comparatively by using SPSS software and mathematical statistics method.Result shows that driving force factors have negative driving effect on cultivated land,and positive driving effect on construction land.Driving force factors have significant differences of driving effects on cultivated land and construction land.Three principal components affecting the changes of cultivated land and construction land are policy,population and economic development level,and gap between urban and rural living standards.The three principal components have different degrees of sensitivity on the two land use types and the effects direction are reverse.The other factor driving abilities are relatively weak,and these factors have relatively stronger driving force on construction land than that on cultivated land.It is put forward that Hubei Province should implement rational allocation of land resources and scientific and rational use in order to ensure land security and to realize the sustainable development of regional economy and society based on the intensive land use,the planning policy constraints,and the agricultural and industrial production.

Livelihood Diversification of Farm Households and Its Impact on Cultivated Land Utilization in Agro-pastoral Ecologically-vulnerable Areas in the Northern China

The relationship between livelihood diversification of farm households and cultivated land utilization has become a core research topic related to global environmental change.Agro-pastoral ecologically-vulnerable areas face challenges such as insufficient ecosystem conservation,low agricultural production,and weak economies.In this study,215 farm households from Zhengxiangbai Banner,Taibus Banner,and Duolun County of Inner Mongolia were surveyed.The sustainable livelihoods framework of the United Kingdom(UK)Department for International Development(DFID)was used to measure the livelihood capital of these farm households.A one-way analysis of variance(ANOVA)was applied to examine the differences in the livelihood capital of different types households,and a correlation analysis was applied to analyze its impact on cultivated land utilization.Results showed that households with non-farming activities accounted for 64.7%of the total surveyed households,and non-farming employment was becoming more prevalent.Physical and financial capital was the driving factors for livelihood diversity.Each livelihood capital had key factors that affected household farmland use behaviors,such as the age of householder,the labor ratio,proportion of income,farmland scale,number of machines,and these had a significantly positive or negative influence on farmland use.Full-time farming households were more likely to transfer the land into cultivation and invest more labor,while non-farming households with high income were likely to transfer farmland out and invest more money to develop efficient farming or improve the employment skills.The results of this study suggest that policymakers need to fully consider livelihood changes of local households.It is effective to strengthen labor training,create farmland market and improve the efficiency of farmland utilization.We hope to achieve a win-win scenario to improve local economies and ecosystem conservation.