Land

16 pages, 6472 KB

Open AccessArticle

Soil Nutrients and Ecological Stoichiometry Under Different Land Use Types in the Western Songnen Plain in China

by Wanting Dai, Jinbao He, Guanhong Dong, Jian Zhao, Hongbo Liu, Bilige Siqin, Yongxin Mao, Yandong Pei and Fanpeng Kong

Land 2026, 15(8), 1460; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15081460 - 13 Aug 2026

Abstract

Understanding soil nutrients and stoichiometry across land-use types is essential for semiarid ecosystem management. We selected 130 sampling sites across four land-use types (dryland, paddy field, grassland, and forestland) in the Western Songnen Plain of China. We measured soil pH, nutrients (SOC, TN, [...] Read more.

Understanding soil nutrients and stoichiometry across land-use types is essential for semiarid ecosystem management. We selected 130 sampling sites across four land-use types (dryland, paddy field, grassland, and forestland) in the Western Songnen Plain of China. We measured soil pH, nutrients (SOC, TN, TP, TK, and TS), trace elements (Mn, Zn, Cu, F, Se, and Cl), and oxides (MgO, CaO, Fe₂O₃, SiO₂, and TiO₂). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pearson correlation analysis, and redundancy analysis (RDA) were used to assess nutrient concentrations, stoichiometric ratios, and their environmental drivers. Our results showed that soils were generally alkaline, with the highest pH in grassland. Dryland had significantly higher SOC (12.47 g/kg), TN (1.05 g/kg), and TP (0.22 g/kg) than grassland (9.58, 0.79, and 0.19 g/kg, respectively). Forestland had the highest TK (23.18 g/kg). Most total nutrient concentrations were positively correlated with trace-element concentrations, except for TK. The C:N of paddy field (12.38) was significantly lower than those of grassland (14.24) and forestland (14.42), while both N:P (10.92) and N:K (0.13) were significantly higher than those in grassland (8.63, 0.11). The P:K of dryland (0.0137) was significantly higher than those in grassland (0.0108) and forestland soils (0.0106). RDA identified SOC and TP as common major factors associated with variation in nutrient stoichiometry, explaining 96.1%, 34.8%, 94.1%, and 93.2% of the variation in dryland, paddy field, grassland, and forestland, respectively. In addition, trace elements and oxides also explained the variation to varying degrees. This study provides a basis for sustainable land-use management in semiarid regions. Full article

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16 pages, 3592 KB

Open AccessPerspective

The Chilean Invisible Reconstruction in Post-Fire Recovery: Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Soil Security Challenges Amidst an Extractive Economic Model

by Carolina G. Ojeda

Land 2026, 15(8), 1459; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15081459 - 13 Aug 2026

Abstract

Current post-fire recovery strategies in Mediterranean Chile primarily emphasize discernible outcomes, such as residential reconstruction and expedited reforestation. In this context, neglecting soil degradation remains a critical geographical oversight. This perspective proposes the integration of a soil security framework as an “invisible reconstruction” [...] Read more.

Current post-fire recovery strategies in Mediterranean Chile primarily emphasize discernible outcomes, such as residential reconstruction and expedited reforestation. In this context, neglecting soil degradation remains a critical geographical oversight. This perspective proposes the integration of a soil security framework as an “invisible reconstruction” to mitigate the unacknowledged deterioration of the five soil dimensions (capacity, condition, capital, connectivity, and codification) within fire-affected territories. Also, this study advocates for nature-based solutions as instruments for territorial management, asserting that soil should be classified as an essential infrastructure within national disaster risk policies during the recovery phase. A strategic roadmap and an organizational map are presented for public planners and researchers, facilitating a transition from immediate recovery to an integrated reconstruction paradigm centered on soil security. The proposed approach aims to reconcile the disparities between soil, vegetation, and anthropogenic reconstruction in fire-prone regions characterized by extractive economic models. Full article

(This article belongs to the Collection Collection for the International Association for Landscape Ecology (IALE))

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21 pages, 2108 KB

Open AccessArticle

Post-Disaster Planning, Compound Climate–Displacement Vulnerability, and Urban Resilience Governance in Lagos, Nigeria: A Systematic Review

by Gbenga Akinlolu Shadare

Land 2026, 15(8), 1458; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15081458 - 13 Aug 2026

Abstract

Lagos, Nigeria (population c.18.3–25 million), occupies a position of compound exposure at the intersection of accelerating climate hazards, recurring displacement and urban fragility, and governance constraints that have amplified rather than mitigated disaster risk. Conventional single-hazard planning paradigms have been demonstrably insufficient to [...] Read more.

Lagos, Nigeria (population c.18.3–25 million), occupies a position of compound exposure at the intersection of accelerating climate hazards, recurring displacement and urban fragility, and governance constraints that have amplified rather than mitigated disaster risk. Conventional single-hazard planning paradigms have been demonstrably insufficient to address the structural drivers of this vulnerability, which emerge from the interaction among biophysical exposure, colonial spatial legacies, post-independence governance deficits, and inequities within the global climate finance architecture. This article employs a structured, systematic literature review of 74 peer-reviewed, institutional and policy sources, conducted through a transparent three-stage protocol involving keyword-based Boolean searches of Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and the African Journals OnLine (AJOL) database, title–abstract screening, full-text eligibility assessment against pre-specified criteria, and thematic synthesis using a combined deductive–inductive coding framework, reported in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Thematic analysis yields four principal findings: Lagos’s flood and displacement cycles are products of structurally produced vulnerability; compound climate–displacement dynamics are systematically underestimated by single-hazard frameworks; nature-based solutions, community-led upgrading, and participatory governance show measurable effectiveness under enabling governance conditions; and transformative resilience approaches are constrained by political economy and land tenure dynamics. An original Integrated Urban Resilience Framework (IURF) incorporating five pillars is proposed and conceptually benchmarked against twelve comparable Global South frameworks. Post-disaster urban futures in rapidly urbanising megacities require technically rigorous, politically grounded, and ecologically integrated planning frameworks. The IURF offers a replicable conceptual scaffold for cities facing compound climate–displacement risk, subject to future empirical testing. Potential applications of the framework for state planning agencies, multilateral and bilateral funders, community organisations, and comparable West African coastal cities are specified, and the limitations of the review are set out in full. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Post-Disaster Urban Futures: Disruptive Planning, Design and Resilience in Climate Crisis and Conflict)

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19 pages, 37435 KB

Open AccessArticle

Non-Linear Impacts and Spatial Variations in Multidimensional Built Environments on E-Shopping Decisions: Evidence from Shanghai

by Ruihua Yang, Chasong Zhu, Yangfan Zhang and De Wang

Land 2026, 15(8), 1457; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15081457 - 13 Aug 2026

Abstract

While e-commerce has transformed consumption patterns, online shopping behavior remains influenced by the physical environment. Using Shanghai as a case study, this research applies machine learning, SHAP analysis, and K-Means clustering to examine the nonlinear impacts and spatial variations in the built environment [...] Read more.

While e-commerce has transformed consumption patterns, online shopping behavior remains influenced by the physical environment. Using Shanghai as a case study, this research applies machine learning, SHAP analysis, and K-Means clustering to examine the nonlinear impacts and spatial variations in the built environment on e-shopping. The findings reveal that: (1) E-shopping expenditure follows a long-tail distribution and displays a concentric spatial pattern, peaking between the Outer and Suburban Rings while decreasing within the Inner Ring and beyond the Suburban Ring. (2) Built-environment factors exhibit non-linear effects, with local shopping potential and transit distance playing dominant roles. Indicators such as store density and delivery facility coverage show inverted U-shaped threshold effects, indicating a shift from complementarity to substitution between offline and online retail. (3) The urban space can be clustered into three sub-district types—traditional residential, single-function, and mixed-use—each with distinct e-shopping patterns and drivers. This research highlights the spatial mechanisms shaping digital consumption, providing empirical evidence for context-specific retail planning in megacities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Land Innovations – Data and Machine Learning)

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22 pages, 1331 KB

Open AccessArticle

Land-System Comparability for Pilot-Zone Learning: A Contribution-Structure Audit of China’s Urban-Rural Integration Pilot Units

by Yinglu Luo, Xiji Jiang, Mengba Liu and Dan Ye

Land 2026, 15(8), 1456; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15081456 - 12 Aug 2026

Abstract

Composite indicators support policy comparison by compressing multidimensional information, but different indicator configurations can appear similar in aggregate. This study develops and applies a contribution-structure audit to China’s 86 county-level urban-rural integration pilot units. Using 2019–2023 multi-source spatial data, we apply principal component [...] Read more.

Composite indicators support policy comparison by compressing multidimensional information, but different indicator configurations can appear similar in aggregate. This study develops and applies a contribution-structure audit to China’s 86 county-level urban-rural integration pilot units. Using 2019–2023 multi-source spatial data, we apply principal component analysis (PCA) to indicators of economic-activity change, built-up expansion, public-service facility nodes, and transport-service nodes. Along the dominant axis, built-up and economic-activity changes oppose facility- and transport-node changes, enabling different indicator configurations to occupy nearby composite positions through compensation. Across all 3655 pairs among the 86 units, composite-position and contribution-structure distances constructed from the same standardized indicators and PCA weights are positively associated (Pearson

r = 0.543

), reflecting their internal alignment. The baseline Q25/Q75 same-zone strict screen identifies 11 pairs in which close composite positions coexist with divergent contribution structures. Such pairs also appear in alternative checks that vary screening thresholds, regional composition, POI variables, and distance definitions. Their counts and identities change across specifications. This finding supports inspecting contribution structures when selecting apparently similar cases. For comparative learning among pilot units, the audit identifies cases requiring contextual evidence on institutions, implementation, and outcomes before their experiences are assessed for replication. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban–Rural Migration and Rural Development in Global Megacity Regions)

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20 pages, 1783 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Land-Use Transition to Rooftop Greenhouse Buildings (RGB): Economic Pull, Institutional Readiness, and a Seven-City International Comparison

by Eunseok Lee and Jonghoon Park

Land 2026, 15(8), 1455; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15081455 - 12 Aug 2026

Abstract

Although rooftop greenhouse buildings (RGBs) have become multifunctional urban infrastructures that turn roofs into productive land, their commercial spread across cities remains highly uneven. This study examines that unevenness by reframing RGB diffusion as a land-use transition pathway shaped by the interplay of [...] Read more.

Although rooftop greenhouse buildings (RGBs) have become multifunctional urban infrastructures that turn roofs into productive land, their commercial spread across cities remains highly uneven. This study examines that unevenness by reframing RGB diffusion as a land-use transition pathway shaped by the interplay of economic demand pull and institutional readiness. It develops this account as a proposition-generating typology rather than a statistical test. Methodologically, the study combines a qualitative thematic synthesis of the RGB literature with a comparative narrative analysis of seven cities across high- and middle-income tiers: New York, Paris, Singapore, Barcelona, Seoul, Bangkok, and Dhaka. The analysis describes an urban-agriculture intensification ladder on which high-intensity commercial RGBs emerge only above specific wealth thresholds. Linking this economic axis to two institutional channels—legal permanence and administrative agility—we construct a land-use typology in which a commercialization gate separates commercialized from research-stage RGBs. It also reveals South Korea as an institutional paradox, where world-class technology coexists with blocked regulatory channels. We conclude with a development-stage-differentiated, transferable land-use policy framework that helps planning authorities align institutional readiness with economic capacity while proactively mitigating green-equity risks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Use Transition Pathways: Governance, Resources, and Policies)

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17 pages, 21684 KB

Open AccessArticle

Carbon Neutrality Potential Embodied in Different Agricultural Management Practices

by Mengdi Li, Jinlong Zhang, Yaoping Cui, Qingfeng Hu and Yuanyuan Li

Land 2026, 15(8), 1454; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15081454 - 12 Aug 2026

Abstract

Agricultural management influences progress towards carbon neutrality through its effects on water consumption, energy use, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, few studies have translated policies across sectors into management scenarios and evaluated their combined consequences for the agricultural carbon neutrality. We quantified [...] Read more.

Agricultural management influences progress towards carbon neutrality through its effects on water consumption, energy use, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, few studies have translated policies across sectors into management scenarios and evaluated their combined consequences for the agricultural carbon neutrality. We quantified the water, energy use, and carbon nexus for wheat, rice, and corn production across the North China Plain using 2018 as a baseline scenario. We then evaluated conditional management scenarios informed by China’s 14th Five-Year Plan. The three crop production generated net emissions of 1.8 × 10¹⁰ kg C yr⁻¹ in 2018, while cropland net ecosystem productivity offset 16.9% of GHG emissions related to crop production. Energy use was positively correlated with GHG emissions (r = 0.74, p < 0.01). The integrated scenario combining a 30% reduction in nitrogen fertilizer, more efficient nitrogen fertilizer production, sprinkler irrigation, and a 50% crop straw return rate reduced the water footprint, energy use, and GHG emissions by 4.9%, 27.6%, and 39.2%, respectively. By contrast, drip irrigation alone reduced the water footprint but increased energy use by 6.8% and GHG emissions by 12.9%. The results show that water saving measures do not necessarily improve the carbon neutrality when their energy requirements are overlooked. These findings also provide more enlightenment for local policy-makers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Water, Energy, Land and Food (WELF) Nexus)

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31 pages, 9145 KB

Open AccessReview

Yield Gaps in Major Crops of India: A Review of Drivers and Sustainable Intensification Pathways

by Prajwal Ghanshyam Dodewar, Ram Swaroop Bana, Yadunath Bajgai, Arpula Sairam, Pothula Srinivasa Brahmanand, Khajanchi Lal, Hide Omae, Twinkle Jena, Ch. Srinivasa Rao and Rattan Lal

Land 2026, 15(8), 1453; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15081453 - 12 Aug 2026

Abstract

India faces large, persistent yield gaps across eight major crops—wheat, rice, maize, soybean, pulses, mustard, cotton, and sugarcane—that collectively limit food security and rural income. This review synthesises evidence from over 100 peer-reviewed studies (1990–2024) to provide the first comprehensive, multi-crop, agro-climatically resolved [...] Read more.

India faces large, persistent yield gaps across eight major crops—wheat, rice, maize, soybean, pulses, mustard, cotton, and sugarcane—that collectively limit food security and rural income. This review synthesises evidence from over 100 peer-reviewed studies (1990–2024) to provide the first comprehensive, multi-crop, agro-climatically resolved yield gap analysis for India. Applying the three-tier framework of potential yield (

Y_{p}

), attainable yield (

Y_{a}

), and farmer yield (

Y_{f}

), exploitable yield gaps are quantified at national and agro-climatic zone level, ranked limiting factors are identified, and projected climate change impacts are assessed. Yield gaps range from 20 to 35% in irrigated rice of the north-western Indo-Gangetic Plain to 60–75% in rainfed cotton and pulses of the semi-arid tropics. Yield gaps of blackgram across 20 major districts average 515 kg ha⁻¹, driven by moisture stress, biotic pressure, and management constraints. Nitrogen management, irrigation access, variety adoption, and sowing-date optimisation collectively explain 80–85% of exploitable gaps, while nitrogen and irrigation alone account for 40–58%. Closing 50% of exploitable yield gaps could add approximately 100 million tonnes of food grain annually without expanding cultivated area, directly supporting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 2). However, climate change is projected to widen yield gaps of rainfed rice by 15–30% by the 2040s under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5. Beyond this crop-by-crop synthesis, the review proposes a constraint-transition framework in which the dominant type of limiting factor shifts predictably from biophysical (water, climate) in the largest-gap rainfed systems to agronomic management (nitrogen, sowing date, variety) at intermediate gap levels and to institutional and socioeconomic constraints (credit, extension, land tenure, gender) as gaps narrow in the best-resourced irrigated systems, thus offering a conceptual lens for prioritising interventions by development stage rather than by crop alone. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Young Researchers in Land, Soil, and Water)

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44 pages, 62926 KB

Open AccessReview

Rural Mining and the Ethics of Material Deconstruction: A Circularity-Based Assessment Framework for Abandoned Rural Built Stock with Cross-Case Insights from Serbia, Slovenia and Greece

by Saja Kosanović, Alenka Fikfak, Evgenia Tousi and Zoe Kanetaki

Land 2026, 15(8), 1452; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15081452 - 12 Aug 2026

Abstract

This paper introduces the concept of rural mining, defined as the systematic recovery and reuse of construction materials from abandoned rural building stock within a circular economy framework. Although rural depopulation and its consequences have been extensively studied, the material dimension of abandonment, [...] Read more.

This paper introduces the concept of rural mining, defined as the systematic recovery and reuse of construction materials from abandoned rural building stock within a circular economy framework. Although rural depopulation and its consequences have been extensively studied, the material dimension of abandonment, the substantial quantities of construction materials embedded in deserted rural settlements, has received comparatively little systematic analytical attention. Three interconnected contributions respond to this gap. First, the paper operationalizes the concept of rural mining, consolidating a term that remains terminologically rare and theoretically underdeveloped. Second, it develops the Rural Mining Potential Assessment Framework (RMPAF), an original ten-criterion analytical tool spanning the material, infrastructural, legal, economic, institutional, cultural, and technological dimensions of rural mining potential. Third, it articulates an ethical foundation establishing the non-negotiable boundaries of rural mining practice. The RMPAF is applied through a comparative assessment of three European national contexts, Serbia, Slovenia, and Greece, revealing that rural mining potential is neither uniform nor straightforwardly derivable from the scale of depopulation alone. Across all three contexts, ownership fragmentation, the absence of legal recognition, and the lack of dedicated policy instruments emerge as shared structural barriers. Development of operational protocols for culturally mediated rural mining and legal recognition of the concept are identified as priority directions for future action. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural Space: Between Renewal Processes and Preservation)

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24 pages, 3863 KB

Open AccessArticle

Diagnosing Urban Green Space Service Mismatch in Built-Up Areas: Typology and Built Environment Differentiation in Shenyang

by Jin Zhang and Li Li

Land 2026, 15(8), 1451; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15081451 - 12 Aug 2026

Abstract

Urban green space (UGS) service mismatch is a key public space issue that needs to be addressed in the renewal of built-up urban areas. Existing studies have mostly evaluated UGS service levels from the perspective of green space supply or accessibility, but have [...] Read more.

Urban green space (UGS) service mismatch is a key public space issue that needs to be addressed in the renewal of built-up urban areas. Existing studies have mostly evaluated UGS service levels from the perspective of green space supply or accessibility, but have paid insufficient attention to the mismatch among population demand, UGS supply, and UGS accessibility, as well as the built environment contexts associated with different mismatch types. Taking the urban core of Shenyang as a case study, this study constructs a UGS service mismatch typology and combines non-UGS built environment indicators, XGBoost, and SHAP to identify the spatial characteristics and nonlinear model-based associations of different mismatch types. The results indicate the following: (1) UGS service problems in the urban core of Shenyang can be divided into five types. Priority Improvement Area, Potential Activation Area, and Resource-rich Area together account for 56.05% of the study area, indicating that the mismatch among demand, resources, and accessibility has a high spatial coverage. (2) Different mismatch types correspond to differentiated built environment profiles. Priority Improvement Area co-occurs with service shortage, weak functional concentration, low development intensity, and weak transit support. Potential Activation Area has relatively good functional and transport foundations, but its UGS service transformation remains insufficient. (3) SHAP results show that public transit proximity, functional concentration, and building form are key indicators associated with model-based type differentiation. The contributions of mean building floor and POI density to Priority Improvement Area decline after exceeding their breakpoints, indicating that, within the model, this type is more likely to occur in areas with insufficient development intensity and functional concentration. By integrating the demand–supply–accessibility relationship, UGS service mismatch typology, and built environment characterization, this study provides a more spatially targeted analytical framework for UGS service diagnosis in built-up urban areas, and supports the shift from uniform green space provision to type-specific service optimization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Urban Contexts and Urban-Rural Interactions)

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19 pages, 4742 KB

Open AccessArticle

Mapping High-Altitude Socio-Ecological Assets: Carbon Storage and Habitat Provision Dynamics in the Páramo of Cajas National Park, Ecuador

by Diego Portalanza, Yoansy Garcia, Klever A. Cevallos-Valdez, Javier Del-Cioppo Morstadt, Carlos Ortega and Fanny Rodriguez-Jarama

Land 2026, 15(8), 1450; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15081450 - 12 Aug 2026

Abstract

High-altitude Andean páramo ecosystems are critical socio-ecological assets that provide key regulating and supporting services, yet they remain highly vulnerable to climate change and anthropogenic pressures. Understanding these services requires frameworks that integrate biophysical capacity with social valuation and demographic accessibility. In this [...] Read more.

High-altitude Andean páramo ecosystems are critical socio-ecological assets that provide key regulating and supporting services, yet they remain highly vulnerable to climate change and anthropogenic pressures. Understanding these services requires frameworks that integrate biophysical capacity with social valuation and demographic accessibility. In this study, we mapped and assessed belowground and aboveground carbon storage and species habitat provision across the altitudinal gradient (3160–4400 m.a.s.l.) of Cajas National Park (PNC), Ecuador, using a spatially explicit socio-ecological approach. Carbon stocks were modeled following The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2019 Refined Guidelines, combining reference soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks with aboveground biomass coefficients. Habitat provision was modeled through a multi-factor suitability index integrating Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), elevation, water bodies, and interpolated climate surfaces. Biophysical supplies were weighted via a Delphi-based expert consultation and integrated with demographic census data (173,672 inhabitants in four adjacent parishes) to estimate actual service capture and effective benefits. Total carbon stocks in PNC were estimated at 1.49 million Mg C, with volcanic Andisols acting as the primary reservoir (97.5% of the total stock). Habitat suitability was highly heterogeneous, with critical refuge patches clustered around the park’s lacustric network and stable microclimatic zones. Socio-ecological mapping revealed that the eastern boundary of the park represents the highest hotspot of effective benefit capture, directly supplying vital water regulation and cultural services to the peri-urban populations of Sayausí and Baños. These results demonstrate the utility of integrating standard IPCC guidelines with the ECOSER protocol, offering a repeatable and transparent framework to guide spatial conservation planning and sustainable land-use zoning in vulnerable high-altitude protected areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eco-Sensitive Areas: Ecosystem Services, Protected Lands, and Current Challenges (Third Edition))

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22 pages, 13659 KB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Advancing Climate-Smart Agriculture: A Global Assessment of Climate Impacts on Crop Yield and Adaptation Effectiveness Across Arid and Semi-Arid Regions

by Kelechi Igwe, Manavjot Singh, Mahekpreet Kaur, Alireza Monavarian, Gloria Ramos, Michael Madin, Ikenna Onyekwelu, Meenakshi Rawat and Vaishali Sharda

Land 2026, 15(8), 1449; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15081449 - 11 Aug 2026

Abstract

Climate change is intensifying crop yield variability across arid and semi-arid regions, yet the effectiveness of widely implemented adaptation strategies remains insufficiently quantified. We systematically reviewed 157 crop modeling studies over two decades (2005–2024) to assess yield responses and adaptation effectiveness for five [...] Read more.

Climate change is intensifying crop yield variability across arid and semi-arid regions, yet the effectiveness of widely implemented adaptation strategies remains insufficiently quantified. We systematically reviewed 157 crop modeling studies over two decades (2005–2024) to assess yield responses and adaptation effectiveness for five crops (maize, wheat, rice, sorghum, and barley). Using a predefined set of inclusion criteria across six databases (ProQuest, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, Taylor & Francis Online, and JSTOR) in an independent dual review, the results show that rising temperatures and erratic precipitation substantially reduced maize yields by 20.32% (range = 0.4–63%) and wheat yield by 15% (range = 0.05–64%), followed by rice (14.72%, range = 4–37%) and sorghum (14.54%, range = 1–36%). Localized adaptation partially offset approximately 12–19% of climate-driven reductions. An “adaptation effectiveness gap,” representing the difference between local adaptation benefits and global mean potential, showed that most locations achieved 7% greater than global benchmarks for comparable strategies. East and South Asia, as well as Eastern Africa, underperformed, whereas Europe and North America exceeded the global average. Disparities emanated from data limitations, methodology, and local agronomic conditions. This review offers a transferable framework for guiding effective, region-specific climate adaptation planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water–Food–Land Nexus in Arid Regions: Inefficiencies, Risks, and Sustainable Pathways)

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40 pages, 4472 KB

Open AccessArticle

A Comparative Analysis of Urban Land Use Sustainability Using a Cloud-Based Decision Support Framework with Rule-Based Spatial Analytics: The Cases of Barcelona and Izmir

by Vuslat Salalı

Land 2026, 15(8), 1448; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15081448 - 11 Aug 2026

Abstract

This study presents a comparative analysis of urban land-use sustainability in Barcelona and Izmir using a four-tier Decision Support Framework (DSF) supported by automated Google Earth Engine workflows. The framework integrates open satellite data, cloud-based spatial analysis, and policy-oriented indicators derived from Sentinel-2 [...] Read more.

This study presents a comparative analysis of urban land-use sustainability in Barcelona and Izmir using a four-tier Decision Support Framework (DSF) supported by automated Google Earth Engine workflows. The framework integrates open satellite data, cloud-based spatial analysis, and policy-oriented indicators derived from Sentinel-2 and Landsat imagery. Outputs include LULC classification, NDVI, NDBI, a Sentinel-2-derived relative thermal proxy (sLST), the Composite Environmental Biophysical Index (CEBI), and distance-weighted urban expansion pressure. Classification accuracy reached 86.85% for Barcelona and 91.03% for Izmir. The cities exhibited distinct morphological and environmental profiles. Izmir had higher vegetation density than Barcelona (NDVI: 0.320 vs. 0.142), while harmonized Landsat summer LST values were similar in 2023, with Barcelona slightly warmer than Izmir (39.343 °C vs. 39.146 °C). Accordingly, sLST was used for relative intra-urban thermal assessment rather than absolute inter-city comparison. CEBI indicated higher environmental biophysical performance in Izmir (0.526) than Barcelona (0.446), interpreted strictly within the vegetation, thermal, and built-up components included in the index. Barcelona’s compact urban fabric exhibited stronger expansion pressure, whereas Izmir’s geographically constrained morphology indicated a more controlled growth dynamic. The findings demonstrate the value of transparent cloud-based spatial analytics for reproducible, evidence-based urban planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategic Planning for Urban Sustainability (Second Edition))

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28 pages, 1274 KB

Open AccessArticle

Coordinated Evolution of Urban Functional Upgrading and Industrial Transformation in China’s Resource-Based Cities: Spatiotemporal Patterns, Spatial Spillovers, and Driving Factors

by Ziyi Wang and Debin Ma

Land 2026, 15(8), 1447; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15081447 - 11 Aug 2026

Abstract

China’s resource-based cities are undergoing a dual transition in which industrial restructuring reshapes the economic foundations of urban development, while urban functional renewal, in turn, conditions the capacity and trajectory of industrial transformation. Based on panel data for 102 resource-based cities from 2013 [...] Read more.

China’s resource-based cities are undergoing a dual transition in which industrial restructuring reshapes the economic foundations of urban development, while urban functional renewal, in turn, conditions the capacity and trajectory of industrial transformation. Based on panel data for 102 resource-based cities from 2013 to 2023, this study constructs a dual-system framework of urban functional upgrading and industrial transformation. The entropy method, coupling coordination degree model, spatial autocorrelation analysis, and spatial Durbin model are used to measure synergistic evolution, identify spatiotemporal patterns, and examine driving factors and spatial spillovers. The results show that both systems improved during the study period, but their evolutionary rhythms were not fully synchronized. The level of synergistic evolution increased steadily, although most cities remained at a relatively low coordination stage, with higher values in central areas and lower values in peripheral areas. Significant spatial dependence is observed for urban functional upgrading, industrial transformation, and their synergistic evolution. The spatial econometric results indicate that environmental-regulation attention, population density, human capital, digital infrastructure, and social consumption capacity play differentiated roles, with social consumption capacity showing the most stable positive association. Robustness tests confirm the reliability of the main findings. This study provides empirical evidence for differentiated governance and coordinated transformation in resource-based cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Sustainable Development and Coordinated Governance of Urban and Rural Areas Under the Guidance of Ecological Wisdom—3rd Edition)

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24 pages, 40621 KB

Open AccessArticle

Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Environmental Associations of Vegetation Carbon Sinks in the Middle and Lower Yellow River Basin, China

by Chenyang Li, Lianhai Cao, Haodong Ji, Yanling Xu and Jie Li

Land 2026, 15(8), 1446; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15081446 - 11 Aug 2026

Abstract

Vegetation carbon sinks are an important component of the terrestrial carbon cycle, and net ecosystem productivity (NEP) is widely used to indicate ecosystem carbon-sink strength. However, the long-term dynamics and environmental associations of vegetation carbon sinks in the middle and lower Yellow River [...] Read more.

Vegetation carbon sinks are an important component of the terrestrial carbon cycle, and net ecosystem productivity (NEP) is widely used to indicate ecosystem carbon-sink strength. However, the long-term dynamics and environmental associations of vegetation carbon sinks in the middle and lower Yellow River Basin remain insufficiently understood. Based on remote-sensing net primary productivity (NPP) and an empirical heterotrophic-respiration model, annual NEP was estimated for 2001–2024. Theil–Sen trend analysis, the Mann–Kendall test, coefficient of variation, optimal-parameter geographical detector (OPGD), and regression residual analysis were applied. Basin-mean annual NEP increased from approximately 214 to 425 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹, with significantly increasing areas accounting for 89.93% of the study area. Areas with NEP above 300 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹ expanded from 18.51% to 78.86%. Precipitation and solar radiation showed the highest explanatory power for NEP spatial differentiation, with mean q values of 0.538 and 0.490, and their interaction reached 0.722. Comparison with a published NEP product, parameter-sensitivity analysis, and an NPP-based robustness test supported the main temporal patterns and factor rankings. The residual-derived non-climatic component exceeded 40% of the combined component-trend magnitude across approximately 94% of the study area, but should not be interpreted as a direct measure of human activities. These findings support regional carbon-sink monitoring, water-constrained ecological restoration, and land-use management. Full article

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35 pages, 8072 KB

Open AccessArticle

Variable Screening and Rank-Stability Diagnostics for GIS-Based Pre-Transformation Valuation Support in an Istanbul Urban Renewal Area

by Özge Öztan, Aslı Bozdağ, Ahmet Emin Karkınlı, Mustafa Hüsrevoğlu, Fatih Eren, Tahsin Yomralıoğlu, Ramazan Alper Kuçak and Zeynep Ünal

Land 2026, 15(8), 1445; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15081445 - 11 Aug 2026

Abstract

Prioritising properties for early review in dense urban renewal areas is a spatial multi-criteria decision problem in which physical condition, accessibility, environmental quality, and hazard exposure must be weighed before formal appraisal. This study develops a reproducible GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis workflow for [...] Read more.

Prioritising properties for early review in dense urban renewal areas is a spatial multi-criteria decision problem in which physical condition, accessibility, environmental quality, and hazard exposure must be weighed before formal appraisal. This study develops a reproducible GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis workflow for pre-transformation valuation support in Fatih Neighborhood, Esenler District, Istanbul, covering 54 independent property units. A 311-indicator geodatabase was screened for local discrimination, leaving 284 active sub-criteria under 10 retained main criteria. Expert pairwise judgments were converted into weights by six procedures compared under a common log-ratio objective, and the resulting TOPSIS rankings were tested for redundancy, benchmark divergence, judgment uncertainty, and structural robustness. The retained variables carry substantial overlapping spatial information, so the matrix does not provide hundreds of independent evidence signals, and equal within-group allocation concentrates influence in single-variable criteria. The leading priority tier nevertheless remains stable under calibrated weight variation and realistic judgment noise, whereas the wider rank order is sensitive to grouping, weighting, normalisation, and scoring choices. The workflow therefore separates robust priority signals from model-dependent rankings without interpreting the scores as market-value estimates, so that the intensity of field verification and appraisal can follow the reported stability of each unit. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geospatial Solutions for Urban, Rural, and Environmental Challenges)

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32 pages, 433 KB

Open AccessArticle

Population Mobility, Social Capital, and Green Cultivated Land Use: Evidence from Rural China

by Ningning Wei, Ruitong Liu, Yuqi Li and Zhiyuan Tan

Land 2026, 15(8), 1444; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15081444 - 11 Aug 2026

Abstract

Global rural population mobility and structural transition are profoundly reshaping agricultural land use patterns. Amid large-scale rural population out-migration in China, the regulatory mechanisms of traditional acquaintance-based social capital on farmers’ cultivated land use behavior are being reconstituted. Using survey data from 1086 [...] Read more.

Global rural population mobility and structural transition are profoundly reshaping agricultural land use patterns. Amid large-scale rural population out-migration in China, the regulatory mechanisms of traditional acquaintance-based social capital on farmers’ cultivated land use behavior are being reconstituted. Using survey data from 1086 farmers in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, this study employs structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis to examine how social capital (social trust, social networks, and social norms) influences farmers’ green cultivated land use transition under population mobility. The results show that all three dimensions significantly promote green transition behavior, with social norms exhibiting the strongest direct effect (β = 0.267), followed by social networks (β = 0.182) and social trust (β = 0.154). Mediation analyses indicate that social networks operate primarily through information acquisition, whereas social trust and social norms function mainly through technology cognition. Multi-group analyses reveal that short-term out-migration significantly strengthens the information transmission function of social networks, while long-term out-migration weakens the binding force of social norms. These findings provide a theoretical basis for understanding the relationship between population mobility and rural land governance, and they offer empirical evidence for formulating differentiated agricultural environmental policies adapted to the characteristics of population mobility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of Population Transition on Land Value and Planning in Rural Areas)

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25 pages, 10558 KB

Open AccessArticle

Methodology for Integrating Isotopic and Nuclear Techniques to Assess Soil and Water Degradation in Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems

by José L. Peralta Vital, Reinaldo Gil Castillo, Francisco H. Martínez Luzardo, Yanna Llerena Padrón, Oscar Díaz Rizo, Emil Fulajtar and José Fabrega Duque

Land 2026, 15(8), 1443; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15081443 - 11 Aug 2026

Abstract

Isotopic and nuclear techniques, including fallout radionuclides (FRNs), fingerprinting (FP), and isotope hydrology (IH), are essential tools for assessing soil and water degradation. However, as in state-of-the-art reviews, isolated application of FRNs, FP and IH limits their potential to address complex, interconnected environmental [...] Read more.

Isotopic and nuclear techniques, including fallout radionuclides (FRNs), fingerprinting (FP), and isotope hydrology (IH), are essential tools for assessing soil and water degradation. However, as in state-of-the-art reviews, isolated application of FRNs, FP and IH limits their potential to address complex, interconnected environmental processes across landscapes. This study proposes a novel methodology based on the concept of Synergistic Convergence to integrate FRNs, FP, and IH into a unified framework for assessing soil and water degradation. Validated through a case study in Cuba’s Hanabanilla sub-basin, the five-stage methodology improves the identification of erosion hotspots, sediment sources, and water resource vulnerabilities. Results demonstrate that combining FRNs (quantifying soil redistribution), FP (tracing sediment sources), and IH (evaluating water dynamics) provides a robust approach for sustainable landscape management, according to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the One Health framework. The integrated methodology proves superior to the non-integrated approach, connecting causes (erosion), drivers (water), and consequences (sedimentation, pollution). The Synergistic Convergence methodology effectively integrates isotopic and nuclear techniques (INTs) (FRNs, FP, and IH), enabling a holistic assessment of soil and water degradation and their interactions within terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change and Soil Erosion: Challenges and Solutions)

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36 pages, 20819 KB

Open AccessArticle

Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Planning: Is the 5% Green Space Guideline for Peri-Urban Residential Development in Thailand Sufficient?

by Sunantana Nuanla-or, Kim N. Irvine, Manat Srivanit and Thongchai Roachanakanan

Land 2026, 15(8), 1442; https://doi.org/10.3390/land15081442 - 10 Aug 2026

Abstract

Rapid peri-urban sprawl is intensifying flood risk by replacing natural landscapes with dense, impervious residential developments. Thailand’s land use regulations require a 5% minimum green space allocation for new housing developments as a measure to promote livability and well-being. Green space also has [...] Read more.

Rapid peri-urban sprawl is intensifying flood risk by replacing natural landscapes with dense, impervious residential developments. Thailand’s land use regulations require a 5% minimum green space allocation for new housing developments as a measure to promote livability and well-being. Green space also has the potential to sustainably manage stormwater runoff, but for Thailand’s peri-urban development, the question remains whether 5% green space is sufficient to reduce flood risk. As such, this study critically evaluates whether this 5% green space guideline is sufficient for peri-urban runoff and flood management in peri-urban Pathum Thani, particularly given the acceleration of Bangkok’s urban sprawl over the past 30 years. Using a multi-scalar framework, we integrated GIS spatial analysis of 164 gated communities (1995–2025) with site-specific PCSWMM hydrologic modeling to test baseline conditions and Nature-based Solution (NbS) interventions against 5-, 10-, 50-, and 100-year design storms. Findings reveal developers generally adhere to the 5% guideline, thereby addressing policy while maximizing salable land space. PCSWMM simulations show the 5% baseline alone does not adequately manage runoff, with localized residential flooding expected for a 5-year design storm under current baseline conditions. Scenario testing indicates a hybrid grey–green infrastructure approach would optimally manage flooding. Given economic barriers to expanding open space, converting roads to permeable pavements offers a possible optimization strategy. Ultimately, static area-based regulations remain insufficient; policies must transition to performance-based volumetric retention targets to mitigate downstream flooding and foster resilient communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Peri-Urban Environment: Searching for Sustainable Planning, Design and Management Solutions)

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