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The construction of high-standard farmland has emerged as a prominent strategy to increase the total arable land area and augment cultivated land quality. This paper endeavors to scrutinize the policy impacts of this measure on elevating cultivated land quality and increasing land area in China. We employ an instrumental variable model with two-way fixed effects to quantitatively analyze the impact of the construction of high-standard farmland on the area and quality of cultivated land, based on panel data from 30 sample provinces in China from 2009 to 2018. Our results indicate that for every additional 10,000 hectares of high-standard farmland construction, the cultivated land area per person increased by 0.004 hectares, and the overall quality improved by 0.004 grade. The mechanism analysis further shows that constructing high-standard farmland indirectly alleviates cultivated land quality by reducing farmers' use of chemical fertilizers, plastic film, and pesticides. The results imply that the ongoing construction of high-standard farmland remains a pivotal element in ensuring the sustainable utilization of cultivated land resources and achieving food security and agricultural modernization goals in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geochemical evaluation of land quality was carried out in Wenchuan-Maoxian valley of Sichuan. The results showed that the overall soil environmental quality in the study area was mainly composed of risk-free soil, accounting for 95. 47% of the total area of the study area. The soil nutrients were generally abundant and relatively abundant, with only phosphorus and potassium being lacking in some areas;the overall quality of soil environment was good. The soil quality in the study area was mainly high-quality soil, accounting for 86. 69% of the total area of the study area;the research area had abundant green food production areas and green selenium rich land resources, with 4 971. 7 and 238. 3 hm² respectively. The results of geochemical evaluation of land quality had important guiding significance for land use, planning and layout, development of modern agriculture, and protection of cultivated land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examines the issue of land utilisation in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in India. As per the government, over half of the land is lying vacant in SEZs. The related issues of low proportion of functional SEZs, de-notification of notified SEZs, and notification of few new SEZs co-exist. The government has also proposed to bring a new SEZ law. The effectiveness of new law with respect to land utilisation will be known when it will come into force. The need is to understand the current level of utilisation and that too in spatial terms. In the near absence of state wise analysis, the study investigates levels of land utilisation in SEZs at the state level. The analysis is also carried out with respect to sectors and promoters (private and government). The factors in terms of accessibility and land quality have also been assessed. In general, results indicate similar levels of utilisation across different categories of analysis. At an all India level, the utilisation of SEZ land is about 37 per cent. Within processing area around 45 per cent land is lying vacant. SEZs are not found to be affected by locational disadvantage in terms of accessibility and land quality. The paper raises the question relating to the need for new SEZs when established ones show low levels of utilisation. The setting up of new SEZ units in already existing SEZs and linking incentives and conditions to quantum of exports, investment achieved, and location of SEZs in unproductive lands are the best possible strategy to ensure land utilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: to develop a concept for generating an algorithm for ensuring environmental safety based on a cybernetic approach when involving previously irrigated lands in circulation. Materials and methods. The research methodology is based on general scientific cognition methods – analysis, synthesis, abstraction, modeling. The working hypothesis was the assumption of the effectiveness of managing the environmental sustainability of irrigated lands, including newly involved ones, by creating an abstract cybernetic model. Results. The re-introduction previously irrigated lands that have undergone anthropogenic environmental “pressure” into circulation, requires a careful assessment of the resource potential, the technologies used, the competencies of operating personnel and many other dynamic indicators that can negatively affect the ecological capacity of the irrigated landscape. With a large number of interdependent connections of various physical nature inherent in the reclaimed territory, the optimal method for constructing an algorithm for developing control environmental decisions is cybernetic modeling, the methods of which (synthesis, abstraction) make it possible to create the irrigated land quality control system. Conclusions. The complexity of the hydro-reclamation impact on the agricultural landscape elements and its reaction to it can be represented abstractly, through the creation of an expanded cybernetic environmental-reclamation unit, taking into account the regulated resources that can be used, unregulated environmental conditions, the quality of the environment obtained after the reclamation impact, regulated through restrictive forced connections, using the developed path (algorithm). With a high degree of abstraction, it allows creating an algorithm for the formation of control actions with their adaptation to the specific conditions of the irrigated agricultural landscape.

AbstractThe adoption of Sustainable Land Management (SLM) depends, among others, on land fragmentation and soil characteristics. From the factors, land fragmentation is a worldwide trait that result from various institutional, political, historical, and sociological factors which influence farmers perceptionperception on SLM practice. Henceforth, this study was carried out to investigate the effects of land fragmentation and land quality on Sustainable Land Management (SLM) in the upper Lake Tana basin of Dera Woreda. Data on land fragmentation were collected using GPS and GIS tools, and a survey was conducted on 194 farm households, 1,059 parcels, and FGD to secure data on socioeconomic issues and insight of respondents on land fragmentation and associated variable. Simple descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to analyze socioeconomic, demographic and the perception of farmers about land-related factors. Analysis of land fragmentation using the Simpson index indicated 74%, implying that there is a high degree of land fragmentation in the study area. A multivariate probit (MVP) model was used to analyze the effect of land fragmentation and related factors on the interdependent investment decisions of SLM practices (Bunds, Manure, permanent erosion control and chemical fertilizer) using a multiple household level survey. The MVP model analysis indicates that farmers use two or more practices at plot level by considering substitution and complementarity effects of the practices. The results also revealed how land quality (e.g., slope and soil depth), land fragmentation (Simpson index, parcel size and distance from homestead) influence farmers’ investments in SLM practices. The overall results indicate that farm land fragmentation hinders SLM investments, and land quality parameters also improve or hinder the decisions about investments. Policy makers should consider these various land associated factors in designing and implementing SLM policies and programs.

In this paper we attempt to evaluate the results of the database building process executed within the framework of the project HAS-RCH "Lendület" Ten Generations. Instead of the regional approach used in our previous studies, this paper focuses on other dimensions of inequalities. Using data from the 18th-century conscriptions and censuses aggregated at settlement level, we seek to analyze the differences in the socio-economic-demographic behaviour of different ethnic and religious groups before the reform era, and to trace, which linguistic-religious groups were over- and under-represented among the most underdeveloped settlements. We also investigated how the development level of the basic cultural infrastructure or the quality of land related to other socio-economic indicators, and what socio-economic-demographic differences characterized settlements of different legal status/ population/hierarchical level in the 18th century. Finally, we examined if distance from the market left any imprint on socio-economic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use change reflects fundamental transformations in society. To better understand factors contributing to current land use changes in Alabama, we expand on existing land use studies by employing a generalized least-square method nested in a system of equations for the analysis. We correct for endogeneity issues in our paper by incorporating a control function technique. Using repeated land use data from 1990–2018, we focus on analyzing factors affecting land use changes among timberland, agricultural, urban, and conservation land use types. Our results reveal that land quality factors influence land allocation and land use decisions. We also indicate that population density is a driver for replacing timberland for urban development and agricultural purposes. We show that interest rates are important factors in timberland use decisions as timberland investments are sensitive to capital cost. We provide a basis for future simulations of nationwide land use changes under different economic and policy scenarios, as we offer new insights and contribute to the existing knowledge into public policies that are related to land use planning and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of Sustainable Land Management (SLM) depends, among others, on land fragmentation and soil characteristics. From the factors, land fragmentation is a worldwide trait that result from various institutional, political, historical, and sociological factors which influence farmers perceptionperception on SLM practice. Henceforth, this study was carried out to investigate the effects of land fragmentation and land quality on Sustainable Land Management (SLM) in the upper Lake Tana basin of Dera Woreda. Data on land fragmentation were collected using GPS and GIS tools, and a survey was conducted on 194 farm households, 1,059 parcels, and FGD to secure data on socioeconomic issues and insight of respondents on land fragmentation and associated variable. Simple descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to analyze socioeconomic, demographic and the perception of farmers about land-related factors. Analysis of land fragmentation using the Simpson index indicated 74%, implying that there is a high degree of land fragmentation in the study area. A multivariate probit (MVP) model was used to analyze the effect of land fragmentation and related factors on the interdependent investment decisions of SLM practices (Bunds, Manure, permanent erosion control and chemical fertilizer) using a multiple household level survey. The MVP model analysis indicates that farmers use two or more practices at plot level by considering substitution and complementarity effects of the practices. The results also revealed how land quality (e.g., slope and soil depth), land fragmentation (Simpson index, parcel size and distance from homestead) influence farmers' investments in SLM practices. The overall results indicate that farm land fragmentation hinders SLM investments, and land quality parameters also improve or hinder the decisions about investments. Policy makers should consider these various land associated factors in designing and implementing SLM policies and programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainable livelihoods framework (SLF) is a comprehensive way to study agricultural issues. So far, to our best knowledge, no study has applied the SLF to examine the influence of land quality on land use intensively. The current research examines the effects of land quality on farmers’ decision-making on land use in Vietnam by modifying the sustainable livelihoods framework and using the fixed effects regression model. The method controlled the household and commune-level unobserved invariant characteristics and resulted in more robust estimates than pooled Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) estimation. The sample is a five-wave panel dataset of 2008-2016 with 1,534 farm households. The results reveal that land quality affects land-use choices through several aspects of land quality. More specifically, regarding topography, plot fertility level, plot locations, and soil and water conservation, results show that their effects reflect the cultivating practices for each land-use type in the sample. Findings also show that the irrigation system positively affects rice production in Vietnam. Policymakers should consider various aspects of land quality when designing policies and programs relating to land use, irrigation distribution, and especially the master plan for agricultural production and rural development. Flexible guidance for land uses of each type is closely connected with land quality in each region that may be most suitable for sustainable agriculture development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Marginal land has received wide attention for its potential to produce bioenergy feedstocks while minimizing diversion of productive agricultural land from food crop production. However, there has been no consensus in the literature on how to define or identify land that is marginal for food crops and beneficial for bioenergy crops. Studies have used different definitions to quantify the amount of such land available; these have largely been based on assumed biophysical thresholds for soil quality and productivity that are unchanging over space and time. We discuss the limitations of these definitions and the rationale for considering economic returns and environmental outcomes in classifying land as marginal. We then propose the concept of “socially” marginal which is defined as land that is earning close to zero returns after accounting for the monetized costs of environmental externalities generated. We discuss a broad set of criteria for classifying land as socially marginal for food crops and suitable for bioenergy crops; with these criteria, this classification depends on spatially varying and time‐varying factors, such as climate and market conditions and policy incentives. While there are challenges related to identifying this marginal land, satellite and other large‐scale datasets increasingly enable such analysis at a fine spatial resolution. We also discuss reasons why landowners might choose not to convert bioenergy‐suitable land to bioenergy crops, and thus the need for policy incentives to support conversion of land that is socially beneficial for bioenergy crop production.

Ten representative pedons from the Bulia micro watershed of Gorontalo Province, Indonesia, were characterized and classified to determine its land quality (LQ) class. Angular blocky, sticky, plastic consistencies and a hard consistency prevailed in the soil structure. In the alluvial plains the soil texture is dominated by the clay fraction, while in the hills and volcanic mountains the sand fraction is dominated. The soils in the Bulia micro watershed also have acid to neutral reaction, with the range of very low to high OC (organic carbon) levels, the reserve of exchangeable bases was dominated by Ca2+ in two series patterns, namely: Ca2+ > Mg+ > Na+ > K+ and Ca2+ > Na+ > Mg+ > K+, cation exchange capacity (CEC) ranged from low to very high, and the base saturation varied from moderate to very high. The alluvial plain is represented by Inceptisol in P1 and Typic Humustepts (P7), also by Oxic Humustepts (P3), then Mollisol on P4 (Typic Argiudolls) and Typic Haplustolls (P6), Alfisol on P5 (Typic Paleustalfs). Entisol on P2 (Typic Ustipsamments) was found in volcanic mountains and P9 (Typic Paleustolls) P8 (Ultic Paleustalfs), P10 (Inceptic Haplustalfs) are typical of volcanic hills. On the alluvial plains the land was categorized as the LQ class II, III and IV, the volcanic mountains were the LQ class IV, while the land on the volcanic hills was categorized as the LQ class VI. River bank erosion on the land river terraces can be held by the manufacture of gabions, talud, cliff reinforcement plants and terraces. The soil temperatures and high clay content can be regulated by mulching and organic materials.

Copyright of Geology & Resources is the property of Geology & Resources Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A total of 453 topsoil samples are collected at a density of 1.12 cores per square kilometer in Gaoqiao Town of Wuding County. The heavy metal elements such as As, Cr, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Ni and Zn are evaluated for soil environment geochemistry. The soil quality is assessed as first and second grades, with the first-grade area of 350 km², accounting for 84.95%, and the second-grade area of 62 km², making up 15.05%. Cu and Cd in some parts of the area show abnormal but do not reach pollution levels. The contents of nutrient elements such as N, P and K are evaluated for soil nutrient geochemical grading, with about 378 km² above medium level, occupying 91.74%. The nutrient-deficient parts are close to densely-populated area, therefore it is inferred that the evaluation unit is seriously affected by human activities. From the above, the land quality geochemical evaluation for Gaoqiao Town shows a relative balance, with high-quality area about 101 km², accounting for 24.51%, good area 224 km² (54.37%), medium area 80 km² (19.42%), and no inferior area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of an economically developed management system for the country's agro-industrial complex cannot be considered only from the point of view of a separate science. Land resources are the source of profit, which is involved in almost all sectors of society. Land preservation and improvement is required to ensure an economic security and competitiveness of each region of the Russian Federation). The dynamics of changes in the areas of Svetloyarsky district of the Volgograd region in the context of municipalities is analyzed. The actual deviation of the area of Privolzhsky rural settlement amounts to 2,3 % of the statistical data. The boundaries and areas of the used plots of arable land in the Raigorod settlement do not coincide with the data of the state cadastral registration, the discrepancy of only one land plot is 422,44 hectares. By implementing GIS-technologies, the data were obtained for 2355 arable land plots, whereof the irrigated land area amounts to 52138 hectares, instead of the potentially possible 19455 hectares, that exceeds the settlement's capabilities by 2,7 times according to the statistical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of soil health requires complex evaluation of properties and functions responsible for a broad range of ecosystem services. Numerous soil quality indices (SQI) have been suggested for the evaluation of specific groups of soil functions, but comparison of various SQI is impossible because they are based on a combination of specific soil properties. To avoid this problem, we suggest an SQI-area approach based on the comparison of the areas on a radar diagram of a combination of chemical, biological and physical properties. The new approach is independent of the SQI principle and allows rapid and simple comparison of parameter groups and soils. Another approach analyzing the resistance and sensitivity of properties to degradation is suggested for a detailed evaluation of soil health. The resistance and sensitivity of soil properties are determined through comparison with the decrease of soil organic carbon (SOC) as a universal parameter responsible for many functions. The SQI-area and resistance/sensitivity approaches were tested based on the recovery of Phaeozems and Chernozems chronosequences after the abandonment of agricultural soils. Both the SQI-area and the resistance/sensitivity approaches are useful for basic and applied research, and for decision-makers to evaluate land-use practices and measure the degree of soil degradation.

Marginal land has received wide attention for its potential to produce bioenergy feedstocks while minimizing diversion of productive agricultural land from food crop production. However, there has been no consensus in the literature on how to define or identify land that is marginal for food crops and beneficial for bioenergy crops. Studies have used different definitions to quantify the amount of such land available; these have largely been based on assumed biophysical thresholds for soil quality and productivity that are unchanging over space and time. We discuss the limitations of these definitions and the rationale for considering economic returns and environmental outcomes in classifying land as marginal. We then propose the concept of "socially" marginal which is defined as land that is earning close to zero returns after accounting for the monetized costs of environmental externalities generated. We discuss a broad set of criteria for classifying land as socially marginal for food crops and suitable for bioenergy crops; with these criteria, this classification depends on spatially varying and time‐varying factors, such as climate and market conditions and policy incentives. While there are challenges related to identifying this marginal land, satellite and other large‐scale datasets increasingly enable such analysis at a fine spatial resolution. We also discuss reasons why landowners might choose not to convert bioenergy‐suitable land to bioenergy crops, and thus the need for policy incentives to support conversion of land that is socially beneficial for bioenergy crop production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the results of assessing the impact of land quality on the competitiveness of agricultural enterprises. Methodology / approach. In this study, we used such methods: econometric modeling (for the study of the relationship between land quality and competitiveness of farms); economic-statistical and monographic (for the assessment and analysis of the impact of land quality on the competitiveness of enterprises); abstract-and-logical (for theoretical generalization and analysis of the research results); graphical (for the visual representation of the revealed dependencies). Our research has been done on a selected sample of agricultural enterprises of districts of Kharkiv, Volyn and Chernihiv region, which represent all the soil-climatic zones of Ukraine. The time range of this study covers the years 2010–2016. Results. This study presents empirical evidence for the impact of land quality on the competitiveness of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine. The obtained results prove the hypothesis of a positive relationship between land quality and the level of competitiveness of agricultural enterprises, however, the degree of influence of land quality differs significantly in different soil-climatic conditions. Unlike the area of inadequate humidification (Kharkiv region), in the zone of sufficient moisture supply (Volyn and Chernihiv region), in absolute and relative terms, the increase in land quality had a greater impact on the sub-index of competitiveness by yield, than the increase in production intensity. At the same time, with a low intensity of production, it is almost impossible to achieve a zone of competitiveness even at high quality land. Originality / scientific novelty. For the first time, one- and two-factor linear and nonlinear (quadratic) econometric models were developed, which made it possible to carry out quantitative assessment of the impact of land quality on the formation of competitiveness of agricultural enterprises in various soil-climatic zones of Ukraine. The provision on the formation of competitiveness of agricultural enterprises on lands of different quality, taking into account the level of production intensity, was further developed. Practical value / implications. The developed econometric models can be used for (i) estimation and forecasting of the level of competitiveness of agricultural enterprises depending on the parameters of land quality and intensity of production; (ii) determining the effect of measures to improve the quality of land on the competitiveness of agricultural enterprises; (iii) determining the impact of land degradation (quality deterioration) on competitiveness of farms; (iv) identification of reserves to improve competitiveness.

The land quality geochemical evaluation database was mainly based on soil geochemical surveys. During its construction process, geochemical survey data involving atmospheric dry (wet) sediments, irrigation water, fertilizers and crops was simultaneously collected, analyzed and compiled into result maps using MAPGIS. ACCESS was used to manage standardized result data to establish an evaluation database. The database included a basic spatial database involving regional geography, topography, soil type and land use, a spatial evaluation database centered on the sampling layout of the work areas of soil, irrigation water, crops and other media, the distribution and changes of soil chemical elements, the classification of soil pollution and the classification of soil element environment and nutrients, and an evaluation database of various result maps such as land planning map, characteristic agricultural product planting plan suggestion map and fertilization suggestion map. The database realized the scientific and effective management of the samples and corresponding numerous laboratory analysis data, and provides basic information for the geochemical survey and evaluation of the land quality in the evaluation areas and the overall comprehensive research, and an important basis for promoting the adjustment of agricultural economic planning, the development of modern green agriculture and the development and utilization of high-quality characteristic land resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study of the geochemical background value of surface soil is highly significant for understanding the content and distribution of elements in regional surface soil. Based on the statistics of surface soil analysis data of Qingzhou City, the background value and distribution characteristics of surface soil elements in the study site were obtained and compared with those of Weifang City and Shandong Province. The following results were obtained: (1) the distribution of Hg in the surface soil of Qingzhou City was very uneven, and the high values were mostly concentrated in the urban area and its surrounding areas; (2) compared with Weifang City, the three indices of nitrogen, organic matter, and selenium were obviously higher in Qingzhou City, and the selenium-rich soil was mostly distributed in the southern mountainous area; thus, the area should be developed and utilized in combination with tourism resources; and (3) the fluorine content in Qingzhou City was obviously lower than that in Shandong Province, which may be related to the fact that Shandong Province is one of the most serious endemic fluorine areas in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

“Land take” is a process of land-use change in which the agricultural and natural land is taken by residential, industrial, infrastructure and other developments. This change causes the loss of a non-renewable resource, such as the agricultural/natural soil, and the relative natural, cultural and landscape resources. The growing awareness about the loss of ecosystem services related to land take led developed countries to try to reduce the quantity of land taken with new laws and regulations. The European Union has set the goal of zero land take by 2050. It is not only a problem of limiting and slowing down the phenomenon, but it is always clearer that the quality of the land taken has to be assessed and adequately considered during the land-use planning process. In fact, in some cases like in the Lombardy Region, the law focuses not only on reducing the amount of land take, but also on limiting the loss of land with “high qualities”, requiring municipalities to assess the productive, naturalistic and landscape qualities of the territory. In this paper, the authors develop, using the GIS technology, a methodology to define and calculate a composite “Land Quality Index” (LQI). The methodology has been applied to a case study in the Lombardy region and has allowed to assess the quality of the territory in a rigorous and transparent way using available official data. In order to take into account the relative importance that stakeholders and land-use planners can give to the different components of LQI, AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) has been performed ad 4 different scenarios have been developed. LQI can support the land-use planning process in an ex-ante evaluation of different transformations hypotheses and in the definition of “quality-based” quantitative thresholds and monitoring of their trend over the time.

Land degradation neutrality (LDN) has been introduced by United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Studies of LDN has been encouraged worldwide by UNCCD to compact land degradation. The LDN aims to maintain or even improve the land quality over time and therefore, it envisages quantifying the balance between the gains and losses within a given land type and scale. In this regard, a mathematical model was developed to calculate and redress land degradation. The calculations showed that the model is stable within the values of quality indices (1 and 2) and correlation coefficients (0 and 1). • The model calculates a proxy parameter as a representative of land quality using a set of land quality indices and correlation coefficients between those indices. • The model compares the values for proxy variable for initial and degraded conditions, and calculates the gains needed to equalize the two values. • The model is independent of scale and it is easy to use.

Abstract Background The United States (U.S.) suffers from high infant mortality (IM) rates and there are significant racial/ethnic differences in these rates. Prior studies on the environment and infant mortality are generally limited to singular exposures. We utilize the Environmental Quality Index (EQI), a measure of cumulative environmental exposure (across air, water, land, sociodemographic, and land domains) for U.S. counties from 2000 to 2005, to investigate associations between ambient environment and IM across maternal race/ethnicity. Methods We linked 2000–2005 infant data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the EQI (n = 22,702,529; 144,741 deaths). We utilized multi-level regression to estimate associations between quartiles of county-level EQI and IM. We also considered associations between quartiles of county level domain specific indices with IM. We controlled for rural-urban status (RUCC1: urban, metropolitan; RUCC2: urban, non-metropolitan; RUCC3: less urbanized; RUCC4: thinly populated), maternal age, maternal education, marital status, infant sex, and stratified on race/ethnicity. Additionally, we estimated associations for linear combinations of environmental quality and rural-urban status. Results We found a mix of positive, negative, and null associations and our findings varied across domain and race/ethnicity. Poorer overall environmental quality was associated with decreased odds among Non-Hispanic whites (OR and 95% CI: EQIQ4 (ref. EQIQ1): 0.84[0.80,0.89]). For Non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics, some increased odds were observed. Poorer air quality was monotonically associated with increased odds among Non-Hispanic whites (airQ4 (ref. airQ1): 1.05[0.99,1.11]) and blacks (airQ4 (ref. airQ1): 1.09 [0.9,1.31]). Rural status was associated with increased IM odds among Hispanics (RUCC4-Q4:1.36[1.04,1.78]; RUCC1-Q4: 1.04[0.92,1.16], ref. for both RUCC1-Q1). Conclusions This study is the first to report on associations between ambient environmental quality and IM across the United States. It corroborates prior research suggesting an association between air pollution and IM and identifies residence in thinly populated (rural) areas as a potential risk factor towards IM amongst Hispanics. Some of the counterintuitive findings highlight the need for additional research into potentially differential drivers of environmental quality across the rural-urban continuum, especially with regards to the sociodemographic environment.

Cultivated land is crucial to food security, social and economic stability, environmental quality, and sustainable urban–rural development in China and around the world. However, most of the current grading systems for evaluating cultivated land quality in China tend to generate homogeneous results and inadequate spatial descriptions mainly due to the use of a composite index method that often fails to recognize the matching relationship between land use needs and the quality of cultivated land. The purpose of this study is to propose a new grading system for evaluating China's cultivated land quality that involves two index systems and a scoring and grading scheme. In the proposed system, cultivated land quality is redefined in terms of production capacity quality and environmental quality, and the minimum limiting factor method and the weighted linear model are coupled for factor scoring and grading. The new system is demonstrated by a case‐study in Yimen Town, a loess plateau region in western China's Shaanxi Province. The results of this study clearly indicate that the new grading system is superior to the current system when compared using two methods: the spatial pattern comparison method and the crop performance validation method. The results are also favorable in terms of matching relationships between the subclasses of cultivated land quality versus soil types and landforms. The new grading system not only helps to better understand the cultivated land quality but also provides a clear direction for science‐based remediation and amelioration of cultivated land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Plant & Soil Science is the property of National University of Life & Environmental Sciences of Ukraine and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Geomatics & Environmental Engineering is the property of AGH University of Science & Technology Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Land take is a process of land-use change in which the agricultural and natural land is taken by residential, industrial, infrastructure and other developments. This change causes the loss of a non-renewable resource, such as the agricultural/natural soil, and the relative natural, cultural and landscape resources. The growing awareness about the loss of ecosystem services related to land take led developed countries to try to reduce the quantity of land taken with new laws and regulations. The European Union has set the goal of zero land take by 2050. It is not only a problem of limiting and slowing down the phenomenon, but it is always clearer that the quality of the land taken has to be assessed and adequately considered during the land-use planning process. In fact, in some cases like in the Lombardy Region, the law focuses not only on reducing the amount of land take, but also on limiting the loss of land with high qualities, requiring municipalities to assess the productive, naturalistic and landscape qualities of the territory. In this paper, the authors develop, using the geographical information system technology, a methodology to define and calculate a composite land quality index (LQI). The methodology has been applied to a case study in the Lombardy region and has allowed to assess the quality of the territory in a rigorous and transparent way using available official data. In order to take into account the relative importance that stakeholders and land-use planners can give to the different components of LQI, analytic hierarchy process has been performed ad 4 different scenarios have been developed. LQI can support the land-use planning process in an ex-ante evaluation of different transformations hypotheses and in the definition of quality-based quantitative thresholds and monitoring of their trend over the time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This geochemical survey and evaluation of land quality in Gaomi city collected 5 surficial samples every 1 km2; each surficial sample consists of several nearby samples. In this survey, 22 elements and ratios are determined, including SOM, N, P, K, B, Mo, Mn. The geochemical background values and other parameters are statistically analyzed and the differences between the geochemical background values of surface soils in Gaomi city, Weifang city, and the Shandong province were studied. It is considered that the uneven distribution of Hg and Mo in the surface soils of Gaomi city may be related to the local pollution caused by human activities. Gaomi city is richer in SOM than Weifang city and Shandong province. Mo, Zn and Co amounts are also lower than those in Weifang and the Shandong province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The systematic decline of land quality due to the mismatch between land quality and land use is called land degradation. It is the consequences of different physical factors but accelerated by human activities. The processes and factors of land degradation are different in different morpho-climatic regions of the world. Present study is primarily concerned in identifying the factors and status of land degradation in a tropical plateau region. Tropical plateaus are one of the most water erosion related land degraded areas of world. Chotanagpur plateau in tropical eastern India is one of the vulnerable soil degraded areas of the tropical environment. The Precambrian geological formation, undulating topography, immature soil, increasing aridity sets natural settings for land degradation in tropical plateau areas. However, induced degradation results from inappropriate land use, clearance of forest land and heavy land pressure related anthropogenic factors accelerates the processes of land degradation. Kangsabati River basin of eastern Chotanagpur plateau bears all of the above characteristics has been taken for present study as a degraded tropical plateau region. Water erosion and vegetal degradation are the major factors of land degradation in Kangsabati basin. The physical factors responsible for land degradation in the studied area includes physiographic formations, edaphic maturity, hydrologic characteristics, and vegetation cover dynamics etc. This land degradation processes is accelerated by different anthropogenic factors like, land use land cover dynamics, deforestation, agricultural pressure. Multispectral remote sensing data, digital elevation data, thematic maps, recorded climatological data, secondary data and field observation have been utilised to understand the different factors of land degradation in a typical tropical plateau region. The less developed soil profile over Precambrian geology with undulated landforms causes high soil erosion in upper plateau proper regions of the basin. High agricultural pressure, forest and groundwater decline with associated land use land cover dynamics creates decline of land quality in lower basin regions of tropical plateau. The varying intensities of land degraded areas for the basin has been identified through the multiplication of different physical and anthropogenic factor overlaying rasters in GIS environment. Before multiplying, each of these input factor rasters has assigned with weightage after considerable importance of land degradation. The lower basin area with accelerated human interference is the most vulnerable land degraded area for the Kangsabati River basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was undertaken to understand the carbon sequestration potential of two popularly grown bamboo species, D. stocksii and D. strictus in different agroclimatic zones. The study sites were from the districts of Bengaluru Rural, Belgaum and Chikmagalur in Karnataka representing semi-arid, sub-humid and per-humid regions respectively. The Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) stock recorded in six plantations from four locations falling in three agro-ecological zones were classified into 0-30 cm and 30-100 cm depth and 0-100 cm depth. The 0-30 cm was considered the dynamic SOC part, 30-100 as the potential SOC part and a combination of these two depths (0-100 cm) indicated the SOC stocks, a land quality indicator. The difference in SOC stock in various depths across agro-climatic zones can be attributed to climate, biomass production, root spread, canopy cover, ground cover, rate of mineralization and fixation in soil solum. Highest SOC content in D. stocksii plantation was found in per-humid region for all the three layers, while highest SOC content in D. strictus plantation was found in sub-humid region for all the layers. Accordingly, D. stocksii can be considered the most economically viable option for per-humid regions, and D. strictus appears to be more effective for managing land degradation and for carbon sequestration particularly in the semi -arid and sub-humid zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land quality index is an important tool for evaluating agro-ecosystem. The aim of this study is to determine and agricultural land suitability classes for Samsun province based on two different land quality indexes model (parametric-AKIg and hierarchy-AKIa) approaches and to create maps of them. Total 995 soil samples were taken from soil surface (0-20cm) in Samsun province covers about 9579 km2. Total data set (TDS) consists of nine land and physic-chemical soil properties (soil depth, slope, texture, pH, EC, lime content, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. In order to generate MDS, principal component analysis was done. Exponential and Gaussian of simple kriging models were used to generate distribution map of the AKIa and AKIg suitability classes in TDS. According to results, about 15% total study area is not suitable for agricultural activities whereas, about 30% of it is suitable and highly suitable for agricultural usage. In addition, Exponential simple of kriging models were used to generate distribution map of the AKIa and AKIg suitability classes in MDS. According to results, about 29.5% total study area was found as suitableand highly suitable for agricultural activities in AKIa model while, about 22.1% of it is suitable and highly suitable for agricultural usages in AKIg model. Moreover, the results of linear correlation and kappa statistical analysis showed that land quality was better estimated using AKIa, compared to the AKIg in TDS and MDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyses of the quantity, quality, and pattern of farmlands are important to adequately understand the changing trajectories of farmlands, and the effectiveness of farmland protection policies in rapidly developing China. In this study, an integrated approach incorporating remote sensing images, random forest (RF) classification, geographic information system (GIS), digital elevation model (DEM), land quality score (SQ), and landscape pattern indices was applied to analyze the features of farmland use change in China, taking the Ningbo region as an example. RF classification was chosen to extract farmland use information from Landsat images; GIS and DEM were applied to quantify changes in farmland areas and their spatial variations; SQ and landscape pattern indices were used to detect changes in farmland quality and pattern. The results showed a trend of decrease followed by increase in farmland quantity, a continuously decreasing trend in farmland quality, and continuously increasing trends in both farmland fragmentation and dispersion in the Ningbo region. Besides, there was also a distinct trend of farmland advancing upwards into hills with slopes larger than 6° and elevations higher than 20 m. Farmland protection policies, represented by the overall land use plans of Ningbo, proved to be effective in protection of only farmland quantity, rather than quality and pattern. Suggestions were given for the optimization of farmland protection policies by considering not only quantity and quality but also the farmland pattern in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concentrations of total organic carbon (TOC), total petroleum hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in 84 near-surface soils (5–20cm depth) taken from a 255km2 area of Glasgow in the Clyde Basin, UK, during July 2011. Total petroleum hydrocarbon range was 79–2,505mgkg–1 (mean 388mgkg–1; median 272mgkg–1) of which the aromatic fraction was 13–74 % (mean 44 %, median 43 %) and saturates were 28–87 % (mean 56 %, median 57 %). ∑16 PAH varied from 2–653mgkg–1 (mean 32.4mgkg–1; median 12.5mgkg–1) and ∑31 PAH range was 2.47–852mgkg–1 (mean 45.4mgkg–1; median 19.0mgkg–1). ∑PCBtri-hepta range was 2.2–1052μgkg–1 (mean 32.4μgkg–1; median 12.7μgkg–1) and the ∑PCB7 range was 0.3–344μgkg–1 (mean 9.8μgkg–1; median 2.7μgkg–1). The concentration, distribution and source of the persistent organic pollutants were compared with those found in urban soils from other cities and to human health assessment criteria for chronic exposure to chemicals in soil. Total concentrations encountered were generally similar to other urban areas that had a similar industrial history. Benzo[ a ]pyrene concentrations were assessed against four different land use scenarios (irrespective of current land use) using generic assessment criteria resulting in six of 84 samples exceeding the residential criteria. Isomeric PAH ratios and relative abundance of perylene suggest multiple and environmentally modified pyrogenic PAH sources, inferred to be representative of diffuse pollution. ∑PCB7 concentrations were exceeded in 10 % of sites using the Dutch target value of 20μgkg–1. PCB congener profiles were environmentally attenuated and generally dominated by penta-, hexa- and hepta-chlorinated congeners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land quality is a matter of food safety, ecological security and people's livelihood. Protecting land quality is not only necessary for the development of an ecological civilization, but also for the improvement of land use and protection. At present and for some time to come, the Yangtze River Delta region should, in the course of high-quality economic development, actively draw on the developmental history of developed countries and trends in land quality change, and pay more attention to the comprehensive management of land pollution, destruction, and inefficient useto achieve the integration and coordination of land exploitation and ecological civilization. This study analyzedland quality problems caused by regional development, and the trend and enlightenment of land quality changes in developed countries, at last putting forward ideas and measures of land quality protection during the process of regional integrated development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uptake of energy crop production is slow, even though the returns are competitive with traditional crops, suggesting the existence of barriers to adoption. Danish farm-level data from 2006 to 2013 are used to identify incentive mechanisms and potential barriers to uptake. The results identify land quality, existing farm activities and local markets as important conditions. The influence of farm size and the decisions of neighbouring farmers suggest more subtle barriers: learning costs, uncertainties about future markets and start-up costs. The study thus points towards some of the underlying barriers for the uptake of energy crops and potential new policy directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of the 'zero-net land degradation strategy', the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) guidelines for policy-relevant indicators of land quality, have stressed the importance of comparable indexes' informative value across spatial scales. However, the proliferation of composite indexes of land sensitivity, vulnerability, or exposure to desertification risk, has been occasionally grounded on a systematization of theoretical concepts – both in advanced economies and in emerging countries. Rationalization of the operational approaches to land degradation assessment implies a (spatially explicit) comparison and verification of their outcomes at different (policy-relevant) spatial scales. To answer this issue, we implemented a statistical approach evaluating the coherence and reliability of four composite indexes of land degradation (ES3, ES4, LVI, DSI), with a practical application for Italy, a Mediterranean country classified as 'affected' by UNCCD. Using (municipal) administrative units as the elementary analysis' domain, sequential econometric techniques were used to test the internal (spatially explicit) coherence of the four composite indexes, and the role of information redundancy, for calibration of local-scale land degradation strategies. The outcomes of spatial regressions documented the potential of the four indexes in a short-term assessment of land vulnerability, confirming that such indexes provided a coherent ranking of Italian municipalities based on their intrinsic degree of land degradation. Principal Component Analysis documented the superior informative power of the ES4 index and confirms the appropriateness of an extensive use of the Environmentally Sensitive Area Index (ESAI) at small spatial scales. The proposed framework supports the creation of an index dashboard to monitoring complex environmental phenomena. • Proliferation of land degradation indexes is not reflected in operational approaches. • We evaluate spatial coherence of a panel of composite indices of land degradation. • Results highlight the reliability in a joint use of composite indexes. • We highlighted the role of information redundancy in land degradation strategies. • Results illustrates the superior informative power of the ESAI index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]