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The agro-pastoral transitional zone (APTZ) in northern China is a typical ecologically vulnerable zone and a comprehensive geographical transitional zone. Its land use pattern has significant type diversity and spatial interlocking, which is always related to the play of ecological barrier functions and the sustainability of social-ecological systems. Accurately grasping the spatial competition relationship and comprehensive geographical effects of land types of APTZ in northern China is a key proposition for achieving coordinated and sustainable development between humans and land. To explore the spatial competition mechanism and comprehensive geographical effects of land use in the research area, this study focuses on revealing the evolutionary characteristics of land use patterns based on the center of gravity migration model. Based on the process of land use center of gravity migration, the spatial competition relationship of land types is explored to reveal the evolutionary trend and basic characteristics of land use in the APTZ. The results show the following: (1) Cultivated land and meadow are the main land types of the APTZ in northern China, accounting for up to 70% of the total regional area. The spatial competition between the two land types is the main contradiction in regional land use competition. (2) Drifting of the center of gravity of cultivated land towards the northwest direction is an important land use migration feature of the APTZ in northern China. Between 1980 and 2020, the center of gravity of cultivated land shifted by about 2 km to the northwest, and the center of gravity of grassland shifted by 8–10 km to the southwest. (3) The center of gravity of arable land and grassland in the entire region is constantly approaching, which has decreased from 70.95 km in 1980 to 61.38 km in 2020. The intensification of their interweaving has led to more intense land use competition. Grasping the basic characteristics and driving mechanisms of land type competition is an important means to achieve sustainable spatial governance. (4) The scale differentiation and regional differentiation characteristics of gradient effects are significant, and it is essential to prevent the risk of mismatch between land use and natural endowments in the northeast and north China sections. The research has surpassed the traditional method of analyzing land use competition, and by introducing a centroid model to analyze the spatial mechanism of land use competition, it has expanded the methodology for expanding research in the field of land science and provided basic references for regional sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating and evaluating the quantity and spatial distribution of arable sandy land in arid and semiarid sandy areas is of great significance for the sustainable development and utilization of sandy land resources and the maintenance of the stability of the structure and function of regional ecosystems. Based on the characteristics of sandy soil, being without structure and susceptible to wind erosion, this study used the limiting factor exclusion method to investigate and evaluate arable sandy land in arid and semiarid areas. All sandy soils were taken as the evaluation objects of arable sandy land (including visible sandy land and invisible sandy land). On the basis of following the principle of ecological protection, the evaluation indicators and limiting factor exclusion evaluation methods of arable sandy land were determined. The results of Hangjin Banner are as follows: the total area of the visible sandy land and the recessive sandy land was 1.2 × 106 hm2; the visible sandy land accounted for 42.6%, and the invisible sandy land accounted for 57.5%. However, only 7.7% of the sandy land was suitable for farming, which is the current cultivated land of bare sand and sandy soil, extremely-low-coverage grassland, inland tidal flats, and other saline-alkali land. Even if these arable sandy lands are to be used sustainably after reclamation, reasonable ecological protection, irrigation engineering measures, and field protective farming measures must be taken. It is hoped that this study can provide a valuable reference for the sustainable development and utilization of arable sandy land and desertification control in arid and semiarid areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surge in non-grain production on farmland (NGPF) poses significant threats to food security and land sustainability, particularly in hilly regions. However, there remains a lack of clarity on how to effectively balance grain and non-grain production in relation to land remediation. Using Wannian County as a case study, we investigate the evolution of this by leveraging high-precision land surveys and satellite imagery. Through the application of bootstrapped partial linear regression models, we identify key influencers behind each type of NGPF. In proposing land remediation solutions, we integrate the results of NGPF and land quality evaluations to identify mismatches between non-grain production and land attributes (i.e., topography, geology, soil, and land use). Our findings reveal a substantial growth in NGPF, expanding from 3838.72 ha to 5659.64 ha (2010–2020), and predominantly occurring on farmland with favorable natural conditions and connected locations such as proximity to roads, town centers, and industrial plants. Surprisingly, the basic farmland protection policy shows limited effectiveness in curbing NGPF, except for garden operations. We identify 1674 NGPF patches suitable for conversion to grain production and provide land remediation suggestions tailored to low-quality farmland with specific natural barriers, thus complementing the demand for regional non-grain production. This study thereby innovatively proposes nature-based land remediation strategies to address the non-grain production dilemma by tailoring NGPF and land quality, offering valuable insights for sustainable farmland management in China and beyond. [Display omitted] • Various non-grain productions compete for high-quality farmland in hilly regions. • Basic farmland policy played a weak role in curbing NGPF. • The '3-level' land classification demonstrates its suitability for NGPF remediation. • Demands for Grain and non-grain production can be mutually compensated based on land quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With rapid socioeconomic and population growth, high-quality arable land resources are decreasing daily, especially in arid areas, which makes arable land reserve resources an important way to supplement arable land. How to accurately evaluate cultivated land reserve resources is of great significance to socioeconomic development and sustainable land use in arid areas. Therefore, this study selected Hangjin Banner as a typical area and calculated the regional maximum available irrigation water based on the principle of regional water balance. Then, the "irrigation area check algorithm" was used to evaluate the amount of cultivated land reserve resources, and policy recommendations were proposed for the development and utilization of cultivated land resources. The results showed that Hangjin Banner had no cultivated land reserve resources under the current irrigation method and had cultivated land reserve resources under the efficient water-saving irrigation method, but only in the southern zone during normal and partially abundant water years. Therefore, we believe that arid areas should adhere to the "set land by water" principle, the allocation of water resources should be optimized, and cultivated land resources with high quality should be utilized based on the actual regional conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land consolidation is of significance in the construction of ecological civilization put forward by Chinese Government and to be carried out in the future development. So studying spatial-temporal change and future development of land consolidation's newly increased cultivated land is important to investigate the role of land consolidation in ecological construction of China. This paper analyzed spatial-temporal changes of newly increased cultivated land from land arrangement, land exploitation, and land reclamation from 2001 to 2011, using the method of weighted gravity center model, which displayed moved direction and moved distance of land consolidation's newly increased cultivated land. The results showed that the newly increased cultivated land of land consolidation was 3.2×106 hm2 from 2001 to 2011. The majority of newly increased cultivated land, accounting for 63.2% was derived from land exploitation. The newly increased cultivated land area from land arrangement and land reclamation accounted for 21.8% and 15.0% of the total newly increased cultivated land, respectively. The zone analysis of newly increased cultivated land of land consolidation was conducted based on the classification of China into 4 regions of East zone, West zone, Middle zone and North-east zone. The newly increased cultivated land from land arrangement was mainly distributed in East zone with 53.8% of the total from 2001 to 2008. East zone and west zone were the main distribution zones of newly increased cultivated land from land exploitation. They were 37.9% and 33.0% of the total from 2001 to 2008. Land discarded by factories and damaged mines, which was the object of land reclamation, had uncertainty in distribution and happening, so the proportion of newly increased cultivated land from land reclamation changed significantly among inter-zones and inter-annuals. The weighted gravity center of newly increased cultivated land area from land arrangement moved to west from 2001 to 2011. Comparing with 2001-2006 and 2007-2009, the moved average distance of 2010-2011 to the west were 769.59 and 603.44 km, respectively. The weighted gravity centers of newly increased cultivated land area from land exploitation during 2001 to 2006 were located in north and west of our country's geographic gravity center, with the tendency of moving to north from west, and it showed a trend of moving to west from east from 2007 to 2011. There were uncertainties in the moved direction of weighted gravity center of newly increased cultivated land area from land reclamation from 2001 to 2011. Based on the analysis above, we reckon that, at the background of ecological construction and relatively stable cultivated land quantity in China, the proportion of newly increased cultivated land from land exploitation should be decreased by the means of reducing land exploitation projects in land consolidation plan, and the related actions, for example, the reasonable layouts of land exploitation projects should be considered to prevent that weighted gravity center of newly increased cultivated land from land exploitation moves to west of China; the improvement of land quality and construction of fertilized farmland should be strengthened through land arrangement, which will be the main direction of land consolidation; and, land reclamation should play a more important role in repairing the damaged ecological environment with increasing cultivated land area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversity and differentiation have become the hallmarks of contemporary Chinese rural settlements. Spatial differentiation of rural settlements' multi-function is important to fully understand characteristics of rural society under rapid social and economic changes in China. Few studies have systematically evaluated the impact of such change on the rural settlements' functions. Based on the "Distance attenuation" principle, and using the county as the regional center, we classified 112 rural settlements of Changzhi city, Shanxi province into four types: urban villages, suburban villages, outer suburban villages and remote villages. Then we recognized multifunctional of the rural settlements as daily life function, agricultural production function, and non-agricultural production function based on different social-economic factors that were carried by corresponding land use types. Finally, we chose indicators from the attributes of the rural settlements to study regional differentiation of rural settlements' functions. Methods of participatory rural appraisal, combined with GIS technology and remote sensing image were used. The results showed that attributes of rural settlements' multi-function changed regularly. With approaching to the county, rural houses and households were improved more frequently along with the improvement of service facilities of the rural settlements. As approaching to the county, the household income from agricultural production decreased, and the households tended to gradually give up agricultural production function. Also when approaching to the county, areas for non-agricultural production were expanded and the contributions of income from non-agricultural production for rural households increased. Finally, we constructed a multi-functional quantitative mathematical equation of rural settlements to measure multi-function dominance of rural settlements based on the index of rural settlements' functions. Comparative advantage function of different types of the rural settlements was remarkable difference. The comparative advantage functions of the urban villages were daily life function and agricultural production function, and these two functions had the location quotient of 1.09 and 1.92, respectively. Similar results were found with the suburban villages (1.04 and 1.11). The comparative advantage function of the outer suburban villages and the remote villages was agricultural production function. Their location quotient reached 1.47 and 1.72, respectively. We suggested that based on this research it was necessary to implement rural residential consolidation considering the multifunctions and their attributes of rural settlements. The proportion of land use within the rural settlements bearing economic activities, especially non-agricultural activities increased in urban villages and suburban villages. The household income was dependent on economic activities of the residences. While in the outer suburban villages and the remote villages, many residences moved out to work in non-agricultural sectors. However, there were still many people engaged in farming in those areas. Based on this study, we suggested that on the one hand, governments at all levels should strengthen the non-agricultural production function of urban villages and suburban villages in order to attract more elements gathering, such as more labor force who came from other areas. On the other hand, governments should strengthen agricultural production of outer suburban villages and remote villages. For the outer suburban and remote villages, daily life function was relatively weak and had no comparative advantage for improvement. Governments should help to repair houses and improve service facilities of these two types of rural settlements so that an evenly developed and harmonious rural society can be built. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the material basis for the development of modern agriculture, well-facilitated capital farmland is the key to ensuring food safety in China By improving the comprehensive productivity of cultivated land and agricultural production conditions, the construction of well-facilitated capital farmland and its effective management and efficient utilization has great significance for food security and the development of modern agriculture. Taking Fujin city of Heilongjiang Province as an example, the paper conducted a study on the well-facilitated capital farmland construction sequence. The main conclusions of the study were as follows: It introduces the Four Quadrant model by a feasibility and spatial stability analysis on a well-facilitated capital farmland construction sequence. It comprehensively determined a well-facilitated capital farmland construction sequence combined with the construction scale and goal orientation. Evaluation of the construction feasibility is mainly used to reflect the feasibility of a well-facilitated capital farmland construction sequence. The evaluation index was selected from three aspects including natural quality, engineering construction, and economic society. It mainly included thickness of effective soil, field area, and the later maintenance funding levels. Spatial stability evaluation is mainly used to reflect the spatial stability after well-facilitated capital farmland is constructed. It selected the distance to the county seat, the distance to the township, the distance to the main roads, the distance to potential geological hazards, population density, local finance income, and other indicators from three aspects including location, ecology, and the construction land expansion force. The cultivated land to be evaluated was divided into three levels including high feasibility, medium feasibility, and low-grade feasibility based on the well-facilitated capital farmland construction feasibility evaluation model. The area of the highly feasible region was 13.18×104hm2 (22.69% of the total evaluation area), it was mainly in the state farms especially in the Qixing Farm and the Daxing Farm. The moderate feasible area was 22.72×104 hm2 (39.13% of the total evaluation area). It was distributed in the state farm and local government areas and the area was equal. It was mainly distributed in the Daxing Farm and the Qixing Farm of the state farms and Jinshan town of the local government; The low feasible area was 22.18×104hm2 (38.18% of the total evaluation area), all are located in the local government's area except for a little distribution in Qianjin Farm. On the issue of space stability, the area of highly stability, area of moderate stability, and area of low stability of well-facilitated capital farmland construction in Fujin City was 7.58×104hm2, 27.73×104hm2 and 22.77×104 hm2. It occupied respectively 13.06%, 47.73%, and 39.21% of the evaluation area. Highly stable areas were mainly distributed in the farm on the east of Fujin city; moderate stability areas were mainly distributed in the local towns in the south and west of Fujin city; and low stability areas were mainly distributed in the township in the western northern and central areas of Fujin city. The unstable areas were mainly distributed in the Songhua River, Sanhuanpao Nature Reserve, and some important areas of the rivers and city construction expansion area. It was coupled to the feasibility and spatial stability of well-facilitated capital farmland construction by the Four Quadrant model. It determined the well-facilitated capital farmland construction sequence based on the goal orientation of spatial stability priority. Qixing Farm, Hongwei Farm, Qianjin Farm, and Qinglongshan Farm are priority areas of well-facilitated capital farmland construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Diversity, complexity and change have become the hallmarks of contemporary Chinese rural settlements. However, the literature so far has paid insufficient attention to this phenomenon from the standpoint of functional transition and related land-use change. To fill in this gap, this paper explores the functional transition of rural settlement through analyzing land-use differentiation in a transect of Beijing. Land-use changes are presented along the differentiation of land-use structure and use change of rural housing. The results indicate that there is an obvious differentiation of land-use structure from near-urban countryside to the rural hinterland. Besides that, the use change of rural housing also has regional characteristics. They are different responses to the urban sprawl, respectively from the collective economic organization and single rural resident. The regional differentiation implies a functional transition in some rural settlements, including increases of non-agricultural function and urban servicing function. Quantitative evaluation of the functional intensity and its rules on spatial–temporal evolution still need to be approached in the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

For the cultivated land quality comprehensive evaluation there have been relatively abundant research results at present, but most of them tend to judge the suitability of spatial distribution of cultivated land and prime farmland without taking sufficient attention to the ecological security. The cultivated land quality comprehensive evaluation plays an important part as prerequisites and groundwork in demarcating of prime farmland and high-standard prime farmland construction. On the basis of dissecting the concept and method of cultivated land quality evaluation, the paper constructed a cultivated quality comprehensive evaluation system by way of selecting relevant indicators from the natural quality, site conditions, spatial pattern and ecological security of cultivated land through referring to agricultural land classification, agricultural land gradation, cultivated land scale operation and its ecological security. The study aimed at meeting the inner demands for demarcating of prime farmland and made up for the deficiency in the present related researches, then achieved quantitative analysis of various indexes and calculation on the cultivated land quality comprehensive index with the help of GIS. On the above basis, the study divided 5 916 cultivated land parcels into 4 different types according to the similarity theory in Pinggu district: 1) The first one, named as the prior planning type, was up to 4 325.29 hm2 and accounted for 35.06% of regional total cultivated land area, distributed mainly in the western, southern and southwest plains of Pinggu district, mainly in the town of Donggaocun, followed by the towns of Yukou and Mafang, which showed comprehensive optimum in the natural quality, site conditions, ecological security and spatial pattern of cultivated land as the preferred object to be prime farmland or high-standard prime farmland. This type became the core part of cultivated land protected in Pinggu district. 2) The second one, named as the suitable addition type, was 3511.84 hm2 and accounted for 28.47% of regional total cultivated land area, distributed in the west, south and southwest plains of Pinggu district, especially in the towns of Donggaocun, Mafang and Machangying, which showed a sign of cultivated land landscape fragmentation without any restriction in the other three aspects. This kind of cultivated land's quality comprehensive index decreased mainly due to the spatial fragmentation caused by carving up and occupation from the construction land, which weakened the scale effect of modern agriculture. It was effectual to take action of land consolidation or parcel spatial adjustments to promote the concentration and connectivity for the cultivated land of suitable additional type as the object of the prime farmland or high-standard prime farmland. 3) The third one, named as the main regulation type, was 2 606.45 hm2 and accounted for 21.13% of regional total cultivated land area, whose spatial distribution presented shifting trend from plains to semi-mountainous regions and their restrictive factors were complicated. The changing slope, weakening location advantage and fragmentation were the main reasons for the decrease of some cultivated land's quality comprehensive indices, which could improve the quality to be prime farmland by diversified means such as land leveling project, soil improvement, spatial adjustment of cultivated land parcel and so on. As for the other one that the quality comprehensive index decreased caused by restriction of ecological security pattern, to improve the comprehensive quality was harder than the former one and whether or not to become the prime farmland depended on the coordinated control between the productive and ecological function of cultivated land. 4) The last one, named as the removal quitting type, was 1 892.12 hm2 and accounted for 15.34% of regional total cultivated land area. This kind of cultivated land was not suitable as the prime farmland because of the intense restriction from the natural quality, site conditions, spatial pattern and ecological security of cultivated land. Those ones in mountainous area should bring about the ecological restoration; meanwhile, the other ones in plains should act as the urban greening function with other prime farmlands. The study results reflect the comprehensive quality of regional cultivated land, which have practical and guidance roles in planning method of the county prime farmland protection zone and high-standard prime farmland construction. Simultaneously, the classification of cultivated land can provide a reference for the functional zoning and regulation of cultivated land, the differential construction and management of prime farmland and the transformation of agricultural modernization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different land-use managements accompany different land-use objectives in the changing phases of household economic development. These management changes lead to a number of changes in soil nutrients such as in soil organic matter (SOM). This article, with support from global positioning system (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS) monitoring, analyses and compares SOM change in an area of urban fringe in north China from 1982 to 2000 and then from 2000 to 2006. SOM increased by 27% (5.43 g kg-1-6.90 g kg-1) during the first period but decreased by 7% during the second. In the first period, with the implementation of the "Household Responsibility System", material inputs, especially of fertiliser was very high when the central household objective was to "have a full stomach". Yields also increased quickly, so there were corresponding increases in the amount of organic materials returned to the fields and SOM also increased during this earlier period. In the second period, household objectives developed making a trade-off between consumption and income above subsistence level. Land-use types evolved from subsistence field cropping to the growing of cash crops. Changing material inputs and managements between the different cropping systems affected soil nutrients such as SOM. SOM decreased in most of the region during this second period. Dynamic monitoring (GPS and GIS) is needed in the region to conduct scientific research on fertiliser use and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The pressures of development and major shifts in land use have increased the need to assess the impact of land use change on soil nutrients. This study was conducted in an area with intensive agricultural land use in north China to assess effects of land use change on soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK). Soil samples were collected from rainfed land, irrigated land, virgin grassland and vegetable land in 1980 and 1999. SOC, TN and AP were higher in 1999 than in 1980, and the increases followed the following order: vegetable land>irrigated land>rainfed land, except for AK. Soil nutrient contents were increased when land uses underwent the following changes (except for AK): virgin grassland→rainfed land→irrigated farmland→vegetable land. The SOC, TN and AP fluxes (rate of change in C, N, P and K as kg(hay)−1) in the transition systems from rainfed land to vegetable land were 518.46, 69 and 3.9kg(hay)−1, respectively, which were considerably higher than the transition systems from rainfed land to irrigated land. The SOC, TN and AP fluxes in the transition systems from virgin grassland to irrigated land were 297.83, 56.3, 2.1kg(hay)−1, respectively, which were higher than the transition systems from virgin grassland to rainfed land. The study shows that land use intensification can increase soil nutrient contents if accompanied by increased fertilizer application. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Coupling ecosystem services is a methodological innovation. • The spatial–temporal variation of landscape ecological risk is significant. • Urbanization, mineral development and policies are important influencing factors. The study aims to clarify the temporal and spatial evolution characteristics of landscape ecological risk in Hailar River basin in recent 30 years, and to serve for scientific formulation of ecological management strategies. In the study, ecosystem services were used to improve the traditional landscape ecological risk assessment method, and the theoretical basis of landscape ecological risk was clarified using the human-nature system method. The results show that, on the spatial scale, the overall landscape ecological risk of Hailar River basin is characterized by high in the middle and low around. The high-risk areas are mainly located in the transition zone of "urban-grassland" and "urban-forest" in the middle of the basin and the main mining areas, which are distributed in strips along the main roads and rivers. Low risk areas are mainly distributed in the Great Khingan Mountains forest area in the east and north of the basin. In terms of time scale, the landscape ecological risk in the edge of the watershed has always maintained a high proportion of low-risk areas (75.35 %), while the area of high-risk areas in the middle of the watershed has experienced a process of first increasing and then decreasing. In terms of ecological governance, high-risk areas should achieve orderly urban construction and orderly development of mineral resources, and establish a classified management system of natural resources. Low risk areas should continue to promote measures to prohibit logging and limit grazing, and establish a supporting ecological compensation mechanism. The conclusion shows that urbanization, mineral development and management, and the implementation of forest and grass policies are the main driving factors for the change of landscape ecological risks in Hailar River basin. The basic principles of zoning control and human land coordination should be adhered to, and the size of cities and towns should be adjusted reasonably to promote the orderly development of mineral resources and the orderly construction of projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Limited information exists on the linkages between soil texture and land use on C storage efficiency. Organic C concentration in soils at the rural–urban interface was measured in 1982, 2000, and 2006 to determine controlling factors and optimal land use type to enhance soil organic C (SOC) storage in benchmark soil textural classes in the North China Plain''s Daxing district. Soil texture was the key to attaining elevated SOC concentrations in different land use types under different management intensities. From 1982 to 2006, the order of increasing SOC concentrations across land use types was fine sand (FS) < sand loam (SL) < light loam (LL) < middle loam (ML), indicating that soil with larger proportions of fine particles has larger storage capacities and rates of SOC accumulation. Since 1982, increased use of inorganic fertilizers, intensive cropping and increased crop yields, and the practice of returning crop residues to the soil have been beneficial to C storage in agricultural soils across the district. Diversification of land uses was extensive since 2000, but only the continuous wheat–maize (WM1982–WM2000–WM2006) system has maintained elevated SOC concentrations across the range of soil texture classes ranging from FS to ML. Differential declines in SOC concentrations were observed in most other land uses that included vegetables, watermelon, fruits, and other cash crops. Conversion of a WM land use type to horticultural land use types was more detrimental to FS soils than to finer-textured SL or LL soils, particularly with the continuous use of low-biomass producing land use types in urban fringe areas in the North China Plain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As a fundamental resource for human beings, cultivated land contributes significantly to the sustainable development of society. Investigating cultivated land stability in semiarid areas with a fragile ecology is essential for stabilizing agricultural production and preserving environmental security. The objective of this study was to evaluate cultivated land stability by combining the growth root normalized difference vegetation index (GRNDVI) and precipitation during the crop growing season from 2015 to 2019 in the Horqin Zuoyihou Banner. The productivity of cultivated land was categorized into five levels by the relative criterion, and the minimum productivity level was chosen to represent the stability level. The results showed that a variation in precipitation was evident across both years and crop growing seasons; approximately 66.78% of the cultivated land was classified as moderately stable, 6.55% was classified as highly stable, 22.14% was classified as marginally stable, 0.91% was classified as extremely stable, and 3.62% was classified as unstable. Extremely and highly stable cultivated lands were dominant at the eastern and southern ends of the region, and marginal and unstable cultivated lands were principally present in the west and north while moderately stable land was distributed extensively. Cultivated land stability was affected substantially by water availability and topography, indicating that cultivated land with high levels of stability was distributed more in areas with abundant water and flat terrain. Marginally stable and unstable cultivated lands should be returned to their previous vegetation covers, with priority given to planting appropriate sandy plants to restore ecological integrity. Such evaluation outcomes are meaningful for optimizing the distribution of cultivated land and facilitating the sustainable utilization of land resources. • The temporal distribution of precipitation during the growing season is crucial. • Cultivated land stability is clearly affected by topography and water conditions. • Optimal land utilization was proposed based on cultivated land stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]