Land-use portfolios and the management of private landholdings in south-central Indiana

In the study of land-use and land-cover change as an important contributor to regional environmental change, linking household level land-use decisions to particular land-cover patterns has been an enduring challenge. The frequent conflation of land use and land cover has been appropriate and fruitful in regions where extractive activities are common, but the decoupling of household characteristics from land-cover choices in exurban landscapes may require that the two be treated separately. This research employs the concept of a land-use portfolio, defined as a unique combination of land use types, and land cover derived from remote sensing to examine the relationship between land use and land cover at the parcel scale. Data on the type and spatial organization of land use were collected for individual parcels through sketch maps constructed by land owners and then described quantitatively using GIS and spatial metrics from landscape ecology. The results of this analysis suggest that in the naturally forested region of south-central Indiana, parcels are frequently managed as multiple types of land use thereby supporting the portfolio approach. Generally, land-management complexity is related to land-cover fragmentation, but the strength of this relationship varies across portfolio types. In addition, substantial amounts of forest land cover occur in non-forest land uses further supporting the need to treat the two separately to accurately link land use intentions and land cover outcomes.     

Multi-scale land cover dynamics of semiarid scrubland in Baja California,Mexico

Land use and cover changes trigger multi-factorial responses with tangible and intangible effects. Driving forces governing changes are scale-, place- and time-dependent; because of their complexity, a multi-scalar analysis is required to determine conjoint causation. Studies using multi-scalar approach in semiarid scrubland ecosystems are scanty. This paper investigates land use changes on the largest semiarid scrubland ecosystem of Mexico, the Baja California Peninsula, using a multi-scalar analysis approach. It further provides insight into the likely underlying causes for land use trends. Multi-temporal databases were compiled for 1978, 1990, 2000 and 2003 from various sources; population was projected for the same years. Land cover processes were validated through intensive fieldwork. Map overlapping with the aid of geographic information systems allowed computation of land cover transformation rates. New algorithms were developed to better understand land cover trends. Multi-variate analysis was also performed to provide a synthetic statistical overview. Results showed that land cover change occurred at different times, at variable scales, due to distinct drivers. As a consequence, the current regional scenario has been shaped by distinguishable socio-economic changes. The semiarid scrubland ecosystems in the Baja California Peninsula experienced contrasting trends detectable only at site and local scales. Regionally, the replacement of original vegetation (scrubland) for other land cover category is following trends similar to those in the rest of Mexico and most semiarid ecosystems worldwide. These findings support the hypothesis that land use and cover changes must be analyzed at different times and scales to deeply understand underlying forces.     

基于Dyna-CLUE模型的太湖流域建设用地空间扩张模拟

从区域尺度模拟建设用地空间扩张是理解和解释区域土地利用变化过程与趋势的有效途径之一。基于Dyna-CLUE模型,通过1985年以来5个时段太湖流域遥感影像数据及自然与社会经济数据提取先验转换规则,模拟未来太湖流域在耕地保护、生态保护与综合保护3种不同情景模式下建设用地空间增长过程。结果显示：3种模拟情景下Kappa 系数均大于0.75,具有较高的一致性,表明Dyna-CLUE模型在太湖流域建设用地空间扩张模拟中有较强的适用性;3种情景下,综合保护情景下建设用地扩张模拟精度最高;2020与2030年流域建设用地扩张均以大城市周边为主导,其中2010～2020年扩张总量位居前列的城市依次为上海、嘉兴、无锡和湖州等,而2020～2030年依次为嘉兴、苏州、上海和无锡等。2020年、2030年建设用地空间扩张模拟结果基本符合太湖流域建设用地空间扩张的趋势。研究方法及模拟结果相对可靠,以期为未来太湖流域城市化进程中的土地利用规划实施,特别是土地利用宏观需求的空间配置提供一定的借鉴与参考     

山区县域生态系统安全因子遥感和GIS分析--以重庆市忠县为例

数据的高效获取和信息的实时提取,长期以来一直是困扰区域生态安全研究领域和地学过程研究领域的瓶颈和难题。在对案例研究区——重庆忠县地区TM卫星遥感数据进行波谱信息特征分析的基础上,通过人机交互目视判读解译和模型模拟自动信息提取等多种有效技术和方法,实现用遥感影像数据对山区县域生态环境系统安全因子体系中的3个主要因子：土地覆被、水土流失强度、植被盖度等进行数据提取,并用GIS技术对这些指标因子数据进行空间分析。这在一定程度上解决了中尺度山区县域生态环境系统安全评价指标因子数据提取与地学分析的技术和方法难题。通过GIS空间分析,揭示出忠县部分生态安全因子的时空分异特征,为山区县域生态环境退化评价和生态恢复研究提供了一种新的方法尝试。     

Changes in the spatial patterns of human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP) in Europe 1990–2006

Understanding patterns, dynamics, and drivers of land use is crucial for improving our ability to cope with sustainability challenges. The human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP) framework provides a set of integrated socio-ecological indicators that quantify how land use alters energy flows in ecosystems via land conversions and biomass harvest. Thus, HANPP enables researchers to systematically and consistently assess the outcome of changes in land cover and land-use intensity across spatio-temporal scales. Yet, fine-scale HANPP assessments are so far missing, an information important to address site-specific ecological implications of land use. Here, we provide such an assessment for Europe at a 1-km scale for the years 1990, 2000, and 2006. The assessment was based on a consistent land-use/biomass flow dataset derived from statistical data, remote sensing maps, and a dynamic global vegetation model. We find that HANPP in Europe amounted to ~43 % of potential productivity, well above the global average of ~25 %, with little variation in the European average since 1990. HANPP was highest in Central Europe and lower in Northern and Southern Europe. At the regional level, distinct changes in land-use intensity were observed, most importantly the decline of cropland areas and yields following the breakdown of socialism in Eastern Europe and the subsequent recovery after 2000, or strong dynamics related to storm events that resulted in massive salvage loggings. In sum, however, these local dynamics cancelled each other out at the aggregate level. We conclude that this finding warrants further research into aspects of the scale-dependency of dynamics and stability of land use.     

国内外可持续发展评价方法对比分析

国际、国内很多组织都对可持续性评价方法进行过研究分析,但大多是特定的案例研究.目前国内外对可持续发展评价方法没有一个全面系统的分析比较,使得不同地区比较起来很困难.本文对各种评价方法如环境可持续性指数法、生态足迹法、能值分析法和指标综合评价法的来源、理论和应用作了介绍.得出各方法适用范围:可持续性指数法适合于国家间的综合评价;生态足迹和能值分析法适合于各种范围,包括国家、区域、地区和小系统;指标体系综合评价法对于小范围更合适.同时对各种方法的优势和缺陷进行了分析讨论,得出:可持续性指数法信息量大,但是计算复杂;生态足迹法计算过程简单,但是缺失一些可持续性信息;能值分析法考虑问题全面,但是其原理涉及热力学知识,很难被一些学者认同;指标体系评价法变通性较大,可随着评价系统的变化而进行调整,但是主观性较强.通过分析指出不同方法适用范围并指出每种分析方法的优势和不足,为以后选择合适的分析方法评价对象的可持续性提供依据.     

Exploring the linkages between river water chemistry and watershed characteristics using GIS-based catchment and locality analyses

A typology of land characteristics for the Humber catchment in central/eastern England is identified in relation to land use, hydrology and demographic, topographic and geological characteristics, using GIS and statistical analyses. Empirical relationships between land characteristics and water quality were examined in relation to the spatial variability in water quality across the Humber catchment. Analyses of relationships between land characteristics and water quality were undertaken at two hierarchical scales: (1) individual catchments and (2) localities of 10 km radius draining to each sampling site. The importance of urban and agricultural sources was identified, together with a hydrological component linked to dilution of point source inputs and mobilisation of specific sediment-associated contaminants in higher-energy (higher-flow) environments. High-solubility (dissolved) chemical determinands (such as B, Cl and SO₄), which undergo conservative transport through the river network, show the strongest linkages with land characteristics at the catchment scale. Cr, Zn and Ca show stronger correlations with land characteristics at the locality rather than the catchment scale, indicating that the concentrations of these determinands are more closely linked to the availability of localised sources. This work provides a starting point for investigating how changes in land use and management of drainage basins might impact river water quality at the regional scale and fluxes to the coastal zone, by providing a mechanism for examining linkages between regional-scale land characteristics and river water quality. The next step requires development of the approach within a more rigorous statistical framework and the extension of the regional analysis within a wider national and international context. Electronic Publication     

Assessing the sustainability of agriculture: a case of Mae Chaem Catchment, northern Thailand.

Sustainability is not a new concept but rather a prominent concept at the present time. Researchers have categorized sustainability indicators into economic, social, and ecological aspects. Sustainability of agriculture in the context of development efforts has to meet production efficiency, resilience of ecosystems, appropriate technology, maintenance of the environment, cultural diversity, and satisfaction of the basic needs. The research objective of this study is to determine the critical indicators of agricultural sustainability in the Mae Chaem Catchment, northern Thailand. In assessing sustainability, the authors applied the sustainability indicator analysis developed by FAO. The results of the study show that food sufficiency in the Wat Chan subcatchment is the most sustainable aspect of agriculture. The least sustainable facets of agriculture in the Wat Chan subcatchment are land holding size, land tenure, and water shortage. While expansion of agricultural land in the watershed area is not legally permitted, a practice of agroforestry is recommended. Insecure land tenure may result in reduced incentives to improve land productivity. Thus, official recognition of land ownership is required. As the problem of water shortage is most critical in the lower reaches, increased participation in the allocation scheme by downstream villagers should be encouraged. Finally, the construction of a small-scale water storage in the lower part of the catchment to increase water supply should be considered.     

Developing indicators of ecosystem condition using geographic information systems and remote sensing

Improvements in remote sensing technologies and the use of geographic information system (GIS), are increasingly allowing us to develop indicators that can be used to monitor and assess ecosystem condition and change at multiple scales. This paper presents global- and regional-level indicators developed by the World Resources Institute and collaborating partners using remote sensing and GIS. Presented as regional and global maps, these spatial indicators are ideal communication tools to raise awareness of the condition of the Earths ecosystems among different audiences. Global and regional spatial indicators not only inform us about the current condition of, and pressures on, ecosystems, but also about the likely capacity of the ecosystem to continue to provide goods and services to future generations. The increasing focus on integrating socio-economic and biological information with remote sensing and GIS technology can only help to further our understanding and capacity to manage ecosystems in a more sustainable manner.The author researched and wrote this paper while working for the World Resources Institute (WRI).     

An integrative approach to modeling land-use changes: multiple facets of agriculture in the Upper Yangtze basin

Land change science has emerged as a fundamental component of global environmental change and sustainability research. Still, much remains to be learned before scientists can fully assess future roles of land-use/cover changes (LUCC) in the functioning of the Earth system and identifying conditions for sustainable land use. The objective of this paper is to gain a better understanding of the complex interactions of human and natural drivers underlying LUCC. We do so by developing and estimating a novel structural model of land use and using spatially explicit longitudinal observations from the Upper Yangtze basin of China. Our analysis focuses on the multiple dimensions of agriculture—not only cropland use itself, but also grain production, soil erosion, and related technical change—and our data cover 31 counties over four time periods from 1975 to 2000. Our results show that technical change plays an important role in supplying food on a limited cropland; limiting cropland expansion in turn reduces soil erosion, which then benefits grain production in the longer term. It is also found that policies and institutions have significant impacts on land use and the status of soil erosion. Together, these results carry some great implications to sustainable land use and ecosystem management.     

基于景观格局的盐城海岸带土地利用时空变化分析

在GIS和RS技术支持下,以行政区划为评价单元,通过土地利用转移矩阵、景观格局指数对盐城海岸带土地利用变化的主要方式、景观格局特征及时空分异规律进行定量分析。结果表明:2000~2010年,盐城海岸带土地利用类型以耕地、建设用地和水域为主,其中耕地是盐城海岸带的优势类型,虽然近年来呈逐渐下降的趋势,但仍是区域景观基质类型,均占总面积的78%以上;海岸带景观水平趋于破碎化,区域景观格局更加复杂化、分散化和多样化;研究区北部景观水平特征指数较中部、南部为高。自然地理条件、经济发展水平及不同土地利用方式所带来的利益差异是导致盐城海岸带景观格局变化的关键驱动因素。     

Accelerating urban sprawl in depopulating regions: a scenario analysis for the Elbe River Basin

The paper presents a method and results for the generation of future residential land use scenarios for the Elbe River Basin. The challenge of this study is to develop scenarios that consider two processes, accelerated urban sprawl in growth centres while peripheral regions are depopulating. The question is whether the demand for built-up areas can be reduced to achieve the objective of the German sustainability strategy. Current socioeconomic developments of the study area are described, and approaches to calculate residential land use demand are reviewed. Regionalised socioeconomic scenarios of the IPCC-SRES as well as households and housing forecasts are applied to calculate residential land demand for regions. The Land Use Scanner, a spatially explicit land use change model, is then used to allocate the demand on grid-cells within the spatial planning units. The results show a shift of residential developments from urban areas in general to agglomerations leading to a polarisation of developments. Residential land consumption can only be minimised to achieve the sustainable development goals if a strict land use policy with the implementation of higher building densities, activation of inner city quarters and application of effective planning instruments is followed.     

土地整治驱动下土地利用和景观格局变化研究——以上海市合庆镇为例

基于上海市合庆镇土地整治项目,通过土地利用指数、空间自相关性以及景观格局指数的分析:(1)土地整治带来的区域土地利用变化情况;(2)验证土地整治是否能起到土地集聚的作用;(3)使用景观格局指数分析土地利用空间配置关系。结果表明,整治后的项目区内建设用地明显减少,耕地数量明显增加,并且土地利用程度综合指数等土地利用指数同土地整治活动之间存在相关性。使用全局空间自相关分析方法能够很好地验证土地整治活动对土地产生的集聚效应,并且在5~10m的格网尺度下采用土地利用程度修正模型能很好地反映建设用地和耕地的局部集聚效应。此外,区域由以农业活动和非农业活动并存转向以农业活动为主,"斑块-廊道-基质"的景观结构变化显著。     

长江流域土地利用/覆被变化的大尺度水文效应

土地利用/覆被变化(LUCC)对流域水文过程具有重要的长期影响作用。针对土地利用覆被变化对大型流域水文过程的影响程度,利用构建的长江流域分布式水文模型分析了土地利用变化情景下的水文效应特征。结果显示:分布式水文模型综合考虑了下垫面土壤、坡度、植被等特征,可以较好的反映降水发生后水分在不同土壤、植被和地形条组合件下,蒸散、地表和地下径流等组分的运移过程。根据不同土地覆被类型的径流成分差异,以及长江流域实际可供调节的土地利用方式,流域现有土地利用格局中农林地依然具有较大的转换空间。根据典型流域中预设的农林地转换情景下的径流效应看,各种情景虽然对流域径流总量变化影响较小,但对蒸散、地表径流和基流可以产生显著影响。其中,林地增加使基流最高提升超过15%,同时可使地表径流下降近5%,两者对蒸散的改变在1%左右,对径流总量变化幅度则只有0.7%左右。不同情景下的水文响应模式反映了未来土地利用调整的水文效应,因此可以基于不同的径流效应,开展有利于综合发挥流域持水能力的空间规划,提升林地所占比重。     

城市湖泊地区的土地利用变化--以武汉东湖为例

利用1986、1993、1999年的Landsat TM卫星遥感影像和1981年地形图,借助GIS技术分析了城市湖泊地区—武汉东湖流域1987～1999间土地利用的时空变化及景观结构的变化。土地利用分为水体、针叶林、阔叶林、灌草、裸地、农业用地和城镇用地七种类型。各时期遥感影像分类精度都在85%以上。该流域土地利用变化以城镇大幅度扩展（从占全流域面积的9.1％到29.6％）、农业用地增加(从7.0％到13.9％)和由此引起的林地（从占全流域面积的33.6％到24.3％）、水体（从30.4％到23.8％）面积减少为主要特征。同时流域整体的景观多样性下降、优势度提高,但不同景观组分的碎裂化程度的变化趋势不同。其中,城镇用地等优势景观组分的分布趋于聚集,其他类型多趋于碎裂化。流域的城市化具有方向性。城市的快速扩展对林地、灌草、水体等城市湖泊地区的自然生态系统产生显著影响。流域的土地利用及变化受多种自然、社会因素影响。     

基于邻接关系的土地利用变化空间关联规则研究

空间关联规则可在海量空间数据中挖掘出空间对象之间相互作用、空间依赖、因果或共生的模式。将空间关联规则方法引入土地利用变化时空特征分析中,以浙江省桐庐县2004~2009年的两种典型地类变化(城镇用地的转入、耕地的转出)为例,结合GIS的空间统计和空间分析功能,首先通过土地利用转移矩阵分析土地利用面积变化的整体情况,再采用经典Apriori算法挖掘这两种典型地类变化与其周边邻接的地类变化间的关联性规律。研究表明:(1)桐庐县土地利用呈现明显的非农化趋势,这主要归因于城镇化进程以及其作为特色发展的生态建设;(2)城镇用地的发展主要依靠耕地和农村居民点的转型,表现为集中连片的扩展方式,且城镇用地与交通水利建设用地的发展具有明显的共生现象;(3)耕地的同种转变类型在空间上呈现连片集聚分布,且耕地发展易受相邻地类的驱动或制约,尤其是林地和农村居民点。空间关联规则挖掘能够定量分析在空间邻接的情况下地类间的转变倾向以及变化的关联规律,为土地利用变化时空分析提供有用信息。     

Regional risk assessment for contaminated sites Part 2: Ranking of potentially contaminated sites

Environmental risks are traditionally assessed and presented in non spatial ways although the heterogeneity of the contaminants spatial distributions, the spatial positions and relations between receptors and stressors, as well as the spatial distribution of the variables involved in the risk assessment, strongly influence exposure estimations and hence risks. Taking into account spatial variability is increasingly being recognized as a further and essential step in sound exposure and risk assessment. To address this issue an innovative methodology which integrates spatial analysis and a relative risk approach was developed. The purpose of this methodology is to prioritize sites at regional scale where a preliminary site investigation may be required. The methodology aimed at supporting the inventory of contaminated sites was implemented within the spatial decision support sYstem for Regional rIsk Assessment of DEgraded land, SYRIADE, and was applied to the case-study of the Upper Silesia region (Poland).The developed methodology and tool are both flexible and easy to adapt to different regional contexts, allowing the user to introduce the regional relevant parameters identified on the basis of user expertise and regional data availability. Moreover, the used GIS functionalities, integrated with mathematical approaches, allow to take into consideration, all at once, the multiplicity of sources and impacted receptors within the region of concern, to assess the risks posed by all contaminated sites in the region and, finally, to provide a risk-based ranking of the potentially contaminated sites.     

Regional risk assessment for contaminated sites part 2: ranking of potentially contaminated sites

Environmental risks are traditionally assessed and presented in non spatial ways although the heterogeneity of the contaminants spatial distributions, the spatial positions and relations between receptors and stressors, as well as the spatial distribution of the variables involved in the risk assessment, strongly influence exposure estimations and hence risks. Taking into account spatial variability is increasingly being recognized as a further and essential step in sound exposure and risk assessment. To address this issue an innovative methodology which integrates spatial analysis and a relative risk approach was developed. The purpose of this methodology is to prioritize sites at regional scale where a preliminary site investigation may be required. The methodology aimed at supporting the inventory of contaminated sites was implemented within the spatial decision support sYstem for Regional rIsk Assessment of DEgraded land, SYRIADE, and was applied to the case-study of the Upper Silesia region (Poland). The developed methodology and tool are both flexible and easy to adapt to different regional contexts, allowing the user to introduce the regional relevant parameters identified on the basis of user expertise and regional data availability. Moreover, the used GIS functionalities, integrated with mathematical approaches, allow to take into consideration, all at once, the multiplicity of sources and impacted receptors within the region of concern, to assess the risks posed by all contaminated sites in the region and, finally, to provide a risk-based ranking of the potentially contaminated sites.     

1985年以来江苏省土地利用变化对人类活动程度的响应

利用1985、1995、2005和2008年4期遥感影像解译获取的土地利用变化数据,从土地利用变化速度、转移方向和土地利用程度方面,借助GIS空间分析和图谱分析技术及Ucinet社会网络分析软件,全面定量分析江苏省1985年以来人类活动作用下土地利用时空变化规律。研究表明:(1)1985~1995、1995~2005、2005~2008年3个时段江苏省的土地利用综合动态分别为12.95%、17.17%、15.03%,反应了人类活动对江苏省土地利用变化的影响程度呈现出"缓慢影响—剧烈影响—影响减缓"的倒U型曲线规律;(2)1985年以来,耕地、建设用地和水域之间的空间转移是江苏省土地利用转移的关键,也是人类影响土地利用最主要的表现形式,3种地类的相互转移占所有土地转移流的80%以上,其中耕地转为建设用地所占比例最大,主要分布苏锡常及南京4市的市辖区,以及昆山、江阴等经济发达的县市及苏北的宿迁市、淮安市、徐州市;(3)1985年以来,追求净产出(利润)的增长是土地利用变化的内在动力,导致建设用地增加及耕地减少,使得全省土地利用程度整体水平不断升高;受可驱动的有效资本量控制,经济发达的苏南地区一直是人类活动影响土地利用最为剧烈的区域,而苏北地区随着经济实力的不断提升土地利用受人类活动影响的程度也在逐渐增强。     

Temporal-spatial Characteristics of the Urbanization of Rural Land in Xinjiang

Relying on remote sensor technology, GIS and Land-sat TM digital images, the authors use spatial and statistical analysis to examine the temporal-spatial characteristics of the change caused by urban Construction in Xinjiang＇s rural areas from the end of the 1980s to the end of the 1990s. The primary findings show the following： 1） The urban construction in rural areas has increased drastically. The expansion speed of urban land use has accelerated over the past decade. The sub-land use changes caused by the urbanization of rural are characterized by salient regional differentiation among the three main regions and among the 85 counties of Xinjiang. 2） The shift of land use is mostly characterized by cultivated land and grassland being used for urban and industrial projects. Moreover, this change of land use is characteristic of regional differences. 3） Factors of rural-urban construction land use changes in Xinjiang, are undoubtedly affected by natural environment, social, economic conditions, and to a larger degree by population growth, GDP development and industrial development.