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Landscape, Water, Ground, and Society Sustainability under Global Change Scenarios

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Water Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 37560

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Kevin Cianfaglione

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Guest Editor

Faculté de Gestion, Economie et Science (FGES), Université Catholique de Lille, 59800 Lille, France
Interests: plant biology; ecological, biological and chemical traits; vegetation; ecosystems analysis and dynamics; conservation; restoration ecology; land and natural resources management; traditional uses and new applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Angela Curtean-Bănăduc

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor

Applied Ecology Research Center, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Transylvania, Romania
Interests: Freshwater ecology; Bodiversity assessment, monitoring and management; Entomology (Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera, Plecoptera)

Dr. Doru Bănăduc

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor

Applied Ecology Research Center, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, I. Raţiu Street 5-7, 550012 Sibiu, Romania
Interests: aquatic ecosystems ecology; biodiversity; fish; macroinvertebrates; wilderness; human impact; assessment; monitoring; management; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We would like to invite you to contribute to the Special Issue of Sustainability entitled: “Landscape, Water, Ground, and Society Sustainability under Global Change Scenarios”.

Proposal: In this Special Issue, we accept manuscripts focusing on sustainability; study cases and opinion papers about initiatives, definitions, policies, programs and ideas; traditional knowledge and new applications; criticism and new proposals; natural resource uses, conflicts and growth problems; and issues related to global change (changes in, for example, climate, uses, needs, soil occupation, society, public opinion, species composition, and ecosystems).

Aim and scope: Contributions should focus on landscape, water, ground, and societal characteristics under global change scenarios.

The landscape is the visible feature of land, it integrates natural and man-made features (cultural, social, and economic) and dynamics, at different scales. Ground, water, and society primarily determine the characteristics of the landscape. When at least one of these features changes, the landscape changes. Anthropic dynamics on the landscape are intended as the human past, present or mixed activities that influence the landforms, land elements, and biodiversity or the natural dynamics of biological communities and populations.

Water must be understood as an essential component of life, as a part of all living organisms, habitats, and ecosystems, and as an energy resource. Problems related to water may be direct (water resource assessment, monitoring, management, use, impact, etc.) or indirect (soil uses and slope stability, hydrogeological issues, erosion, floods, etc.).

Ground issues are intended to include soil topics; land occupation; substrate for natural species, agriculture, food, and other product sources; and chemical and ecological changes. The problems related to soil degradation are desertification, saltation, erosion, soil sealing, pollution and other noteworthy chemical changes.

Integrated, multi-, or interdisciplinary analyses or considerations are encouraged.

One or more land characteristics should be the object of study. These may be analyzed in a single context or along gradients (geographic, ecological, cultural, etc.) focusing on present, past or future global change scenarios, in terms of natural, anthropic, or mixed dynamics, considering the possible positive and negative impacts or interactions issues and outlooks (i.e., alien and native species issues; policies and land management; conservation and preservation; habitat restoration; uses and policies changes; adaptations, resilience and resistance; wildfire and post-fire issues; energy supply issues; eco-friendly molecules and techniques; land use conflicts; economic and population growth; urbanization and land abandonment; society development).

Dr. Kevin Cianfaglione
Guest Editor

Dr. Angela Curtean-Bănăduc
Dr. Doru Bănăduc
Co-Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Environmental Sustainability
Economical Sustainability
Social Sustainability
Traditional knowledge and new applications
Perceptions
Governance, Assessment and Policies
Uses conflicts
Case study, definitions and theories
Global changes
Assessment, outlooks and ideas

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

6 pages, 369 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Landscape, Water, Ground, and Society Sustainability under the Global Change Scenarios

by Kevin Cianfaglione and Doru Bănăduc

Sustainability 2024, 16(5), 1897; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16051897 - 26 Feb 2024

Viewed by 852

Abstract

The increasing human world population and its hunger for space, ecosystem services, energy, and other natural resources are widely indicated as the main causes of human negative impact, together with the dominant cultural model and the currently predominant economic type of development [...] [...] Read more.

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape, Water, Ground, and Society Sustainability under Global Change Scenarios)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

39 pages, 1126 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Stepping Stone Wetlands, Last Sanctuaries for European Mudminnow: How Can the Human Impact, Climate Change, and Non-Native Species Drive a Fish to the Edge of Extinction?

by Doru Bănăduc, Saša Marić, Kevin Cianfaglione, Sergey Afanasyev, Dóra Somogyi, Krisztián Nyeste, László Antal, Ján Koščo, Marko Ćaleta, Josef Wanzenböck and Angela Curtean-Bănăduc

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13493; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013493 - 19 Oct 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4198

Abstract

Throughout their history humans “tamed” not only the Danube River basin land, but also the river and its associated wetlands, drastically influencing their characteristic habitats, associations, communities, and species. One of these flagship endemic fish species in this respect is the European mudminnow (Umbra krameri Walbaum, 1792), influenced by Danube Basin geography, history, politics, and ecology. A study about this European community concern species in the context of long term human impact on its specific habitats, with potential synergic negative effects of climate change, was treated as highly needed, in an international researchers group initiative to support the efforts to provide hope for preserving this fish species and its ecosystems, and brought it back from the brink of extinction. All the characteristic inventoried wetlands which were or some of them still are natural, semi-natural, or accidental anthropogenic habitats, reveal an accentuated diminishing trend of this species areal continuity; fragmentation being the force which skewed it drastically untill now, and inducing diminishing the specific habitats quantitative and qualitative characteristics in the Danube Basin where these fish fight for survival. The main categories of human activities which impacted the climate changes in the context of this species’ habitats are: water regulation, pollution, dredging, draining, and introduction of non-native species. Overall, the diverse human impact in a climate changes in the context of this species’ habitats, Umbra krameri wetlands, creates serious perspectives on negatively influencing this at a very high scale and level. All the inventoried wetlands where Umbra krameri still survive can be considered an ecologically managed as a refuge and stepping stone wetlands, especially in the increasing climate change trend situation. Supplementary inventory studies in the field should be done for the identification of some may be unknown Umbra krameri habitats and populations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape, Water, Ground, and Society Sustainability under Global Change Scenarios)

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28 pages, 5646 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Flashforward to Today Made in the Past: Evaluating 25-Year-Old Projections of Precipitation and Temperature over West Africa

by O. U. Charlene Gaba, Yae Ulrich Gaba and Bernd Diekkrüger

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12093; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912093 - 24 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1649

Abstract

While scientists generally generate new projections with the newest models, the paper suggested the use of past projections as a different approach which could be explored and then complement classical approaches. With the idea that today is yesterday’s future, a set of past Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) climate projections (first-AR1, second-AR2 and third-AR3 assessment reports) were compared to gauge-based observations of the last three decades (1990–2016). Why would someone need to check previous models and scenarios when the new ones are currently available? Some in-depth discussion points were raised to answer that question. Monthly and annual precipitation and temperatures were analyzed over West Africa, divided into 3 climatic sub-regions. The results revealed that observed differences are greater at higher latitudes and are strongly scenario dependent. The Business-as-Usual scenario (few or no steps are taken to limit greenhouse gas emissions) appeared to be closest to the observations. The AR1 projections were shown to be disconnected from the observations. AR2 exhibited the best performance, and AR3 presented higher uncertainties in the northern areas. The relative importance and potential implications of the differences between projections and observations on society were appreciated with regard to certain climate and weather-related factors that could greatly influence sustainable development in the region, such as water resources management, agriculture practices and yields, health conditions, and fishery management. Finally, some recommendations to policy and decision makers were given as well as further research topics for the scientific community. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape, Water, Ground, and Society Sustainability under Global Change Scenarios)

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25 pages, 1314 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Humanitarian Assistance in G5 Sahel: Social Sustainability Context of Macrologistics Potential

by Adam Płachciak and Jakub Marcinkowski

Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8862; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148862 - 20 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2145

Abstract

The G5 Sahel works in collaboration with various international organizations and countries, which are responsible for managing logistics activities, financial flows, and technological solutions. Humanitarian assistance holds a critically important role in the region, despite its multiple challenges and limitations in macroeconomic development. This research aimed to examine the macrologistics potential of humanitarian assistance and protection, on both national and transnational levels, in the social sustainability context. Most of the humanitarian emergencies in the region originate from conflicts, food insecurity, and malnutrition. Sahel countries require multiple initiatives to minimize the negative effects of climate change and natural disasters. The state of logistics infrastructure, a wide range of natural and man-made disasters, as well as the macroeconomic situation of the G5 Sahel, result in common problems with the organization of humanitarian logistics from the national and transboundary perspectives. Based on the selected indicators, identified problems of humanitarian assistance and protection in G5 Sahel suggest that the above-mentioned potential of logistics activities requires tightening of transnational collaboration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape, Water, Ground, and Society Sustainability under Global Change Scenarios)

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14 pages, 4159 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Water Sustainability in the Context of Global Warming: A Bibliometric Analysis

by Horea Olosutean and Maria Cerciu

Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8349; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148349 - 7 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2386

Abstract

Sustainable water use is becoming a key problem in the present time, since global warming is having a strong impact on usable water resources. This study aims to provide a systematic bibliometric analysis on water sustainability in the context of global warming, in order to provide a clearer view on the existing research trends and to find eventual gaps in research that can be exploited in the future. The selection and analysis of the most relevant papers discussing the chosen topic pointed out a strong increase in research in the last period, dominated by US scientists and research entities, with researchers focusing on either the present impact of global warning on water sustainability and its effects on water supply and ecosystem functioning, or on problem solving and creating a framework for water sustainability in the context of global warming, or on the future perspectives and potential solutions for achieving water sustainability in the future period. The study pointed out that only 6% of the article regarding water sustainability include information about global warming, with an increasing trend in the latter period in both the number of articles and citations, but the field of study seems to be incipient, with a large number of journals publishing a very low number of articles. The main drawbacks identified were the orientation of a large majority of the studies on present day problems and not on future approaches, the complete lack of studies regarding the role of preserving natural habitats or of spontaneous renaturalization, as well as the relative absence of including cultural aspects in addressing water-sustainability issues. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape, Water, Ground, and Society Sustainability under Global Change Scenarios)

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24 pages, 1633 KiB

Open AccessArticle

From Pollution Control Cooperation of Lancang-Mekong River to “Two Mountains Theory”

by Yuntao Bai, Qiang Wang and Yueling Yang

Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 2392; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042392 - 19 Feb 2022

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 2977

Abstract

“Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets ” (referred to as the “Two Mountains Theory”) plays an important role in the process of controlling environmental pollution. This article introduces this practice with an example of pollution control in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin (LMRB). The research considers that the upstream and downstream countries can carry out water pollution control by imposing fines on enterprises that cause ecological damage and investing in pollution control resources. Firstly, the differential game model of pollution control by individual countries and international cooperation is established. Then, a differential game model of joint pollution control with compensation mechanism is established under the cooperation framework. Finally, the feedback Nash equilibrium of each state is obtained. The study shows that in the process of industrial pollution control by countries in the LMRB alone, due to the one-way externality of water pollution control, the more downstream countries are, the more resources will be invested in pollution control and the fewer fines will be imposed on enterprises that cause ecological damage. At the beginning stage of management, if more pollution control resources are input, fewer countries will participate in cooperation, and the fines for polluting enterprise would be less. When the amount of fines for enterprises is relatively small, the establishment of a river pollution compensation mechanism is not conducive to the input of pollution control resources. On the contrary, it is beneficial for the state to invest in pollution control resources. The coordinated development of economic development and ecological civilization construction is the core purpose of the “Two Mountains Theory”. Therefore, the case of the LMRB fully illustrates the feasibility of the “Two Mountains Theory” based on cooperation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape, Water, Ground, and Society Sustainability under Global Change Scenarios)

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17 pages, 6677 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The Innovative Polygon Trend Analysis (IPTA) as a Simple Qualitative Method to Detect Changes in Environment—Example Detecting Trends of the Total Monthly Precipitation in Semiarid Area

by Mohammed Achite, Gokmen Ceribasi, Ahmet Iyad Ceyhunlu, Andrzej Wałęga and Tommaso Caloiero

Sustainability 2021, 13(22), 12674; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212674 - 16 Nov 2021

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 3840

Abstract

Precipitation is a crucial component of the water cycle, and its unpredictability may dramatically influence agriculture, ecosystems, and water resource management. On the other hand, climate variability has caused water scarcity in many countries in recent years. Therefore, it is extremely important to analyze future changes of precipitation data in countries facing climate change. In this study, the Innovative Polygon Trend Analysis (IPTA) method was applied for precipitation trend detection at seven stations located in the Wadi Sly basin, in Algeria, during a 50-year period (1968–2018). In particular, the IPTA method was applied separately for both arithmetic mean and standard deviation. Additionally, results from the IPTA method were compared to the results of trend analysis based on the Mann–Kendall test and the Sen’s slope estimator. For the different stations, the first results showed that there is no regular polygon in the IPTA graphics, thus indicating that precipitation data varies by years. As an example, IPTA result plots of both the arithmetic mean and standard deviation data for the Saadia station consist of many polygons. This result means that the monthly total precipitation data is not constant and the data is unstable. In any case, the application of the IPTA method showed different trend behaviors, with a precipitation increase in some stations and decrease in others. This increasing and decreasing variability emerges from climate change. IPTA results point to a greater focus on flood risk management in severe seasons and drought risk management in transitional seasons across the Wadi Sly basin. When comparing the results of trend analysis from the IPTA method and the rest of the analyzed tests, good agreement was shown between all methods. This shows that the IPTA method can be used for preliminary analysis trends of monthly precipitation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape, Water, Ground, and Society Sustainability under Global Change Scenarios)

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31 pages, 1388 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fragmented Forest Patches in the Indian Himalayas Preserve Unique Components of Biodiversity: Investigation of the Floristic Composition and Phytoclimate of the Unexplored Bani Valley

by Sumit Singh, Bikarma Singh, Opender Surmal, Mudasir Nazir Bhat, Bishander Singh and Carmelo Maria Musarella

Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6063; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116063 - 27 May 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3709

Abstract

Subtropical and temperate forests are amongst the most threatened habitats of Asia, due to large-scale habitat loss and the fragmentation of landscapes. Inspite of these, the Asiatic regions preserve their endemic biodiversity, and provide a favorable environment for the abundant growth of vegetation. In the Himalayas, many interior regions are still unexplored from a biodiversity perspective, due to remote locations and high snow-clad mountains. In this study, we investigated the unexplored Bani Valley in order to reduce the gap of uninventorized areas of rich biodiversity in the Himalayas and formulate plant conservation and management strategies. Thirteen field expedition tours were undertaken during 2017 and 2020 for data collection in different growing seasons in the study area. All plant species were collected as voucher samples, identified, and deposited in the internationally recognized Janaki Ammal Herbarium (acronym RRLH). GPS points were recorded in order to study the forest types and vegetation components of the study area. A total of 196 plant species belonging to 166 genera and 68 families were identified in Bani Valley, covering a total area of 2651 km². Approximately 70.62% of the species were native and 29.38% were non-native. In total, 46% of species were Indo-Malayan, followed by 22% Palearctic species. In angiosperms, dicotyledon species (68.37%) dominated. Poales were the most dominant order, with 38 species (19.38%). The most abundant families were Poaceae with 29 species (14.79%), Fabaceae (17, 8.67%), Rosaceae, Cyperaceae, and Asteraceae (9, 4.59% each). The life form analysis showed 50% of species as phanerophytes, followed by therophytes (25.77%). The leaf size spectra show mesophyllous species (34.69%) as the dominant group. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants categorized Ailanthus altissima as endangered (EN), Aegle marmelos and Quercus oblongata as near threatened (NT), Ulmus wallichiana and Plantago lanceolata as vulnerable (VU), Taxus baccata and 75 other species as least concern (LC), and 2 species as data deficient (DD). The remaining 113 species of plants had not been evaluated according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This study will help to shape conservation and management plans for threatened species for future implementation, and will help in biodiversity conservation. This study will serve as a database for future reference materials in terms of biodiversity management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape, Water, Ground, and Society Sustainability under Global Change Scenarios)

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17 pages, 2120 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Importance of Keeping Alive Sustainable Foraging Practices: Wild Vegetables and Herbs Gathered by Afghan Refugees Living in Mansehra District, Pakistan

by Ajmal K. Manduzai, Arshad M. Abbasi, Shujaul M. Khan, Abdullah Abdullah, Julia Prakofjewa, Mohammad H. Amini, Muhammad S. Amjad, Kevin Cianfaglione, Michele F. Fontefrancesco, Renata Soukand and Andrea Pieroni

Sustainability 2021, 13(3), 1500; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031500 - 1 Feb 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4918

Abstract

The issue of foraging for wild food plants among migrants and relocated communities is an important one in environmental studies, especially in order to understand how human societies rearrange their practices linked to nature and how they adapt to new socioecological systems. This paper addresses the complexity of Traditional/Local Environmental Knowledge (LEK) changes associated to wild vegetables and herbs across four different groups of Afghan refugees living in Mansehra District, NW Pakistan, since 1985. Via interviews with eighty study participants, forty-eight wild vegetables and herbs were recorded, representing both the past and present wild plant gastronomic heritage. The majority of the quoted wild plant ingredients were only remembered and no longer actively used, thus suggesting an important erosion of LEK. Moreover, the number of wild vegetables and herbs currently used by Afghan Pashtuns engaged in farming activities is much higher than those reported by the other groups. The findings indicate that practiced LEK, i.e., knowledge that is continuously kept alive via constant contact with the natural environment, is essential for the resilience of the biocultural heritage, which is, however, also influenced by the rearrangement of social life adopted by refugees after relocation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape, Water, Ground, and Society Sustainability under Global Change Scenarios)

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19 pages, 2067 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Adding the Mureş River Basin (Transylvania, Romania) to the List of Hotspots with High Contamination with Pharmaceuticals

by Alexandru Burcea, Ioana Boeraş, Claudia-Maria Mihuţ, Doru Bănăduc, Claudiu Matei and Angela Curtean-Bănăduc

Sustainability 2020, 12(23), 10197; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122310197 - 7 Dec 2020

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3844

Abstract

Background: The Mureș River Basin is a long-term heavily polluted watershed, in a situation of climate changes with decreasing water flow and related decreasing dilution capacity. Here, a mixture of emerging pollutants such as pharmaceuticals were targeted to reveal potential risks regarding the natural lotic ecosystems. Due to the continuous discharge into the environment, pharmaceuticals are gaining persistent organic pollutant characteristics and are considered emerging pollutants. Based on the hazard quotient, this research highlights the dangerous concentrations of carbamazepine, ibuprofen, furosemide, and enalapril in river water. Results: High levels of four pharmaceutical compounds (carbamazepine, ibuprofen, furosemide, and enalapril) and some of their derived metabolites (enalaprilat, carboxyibuprofen, 1-hydroxyibuprofen, and 2-hydroxyibuprofen) were reported in our study in the Mureș River Basin. Overall, pharmaceutical concentrations were found to be highest in the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, median downstream of the WWTP, and lowest upstream of the WWTP, as was expected. For all pharmaceutical compounds tested, we recorded concentrations above the limit of quantification (LOQ) in at least one of the sites tested. Carbamazepine exhibited the highest mean values upstream, downstream, and at the WWTP. As expected, the highest concentrations for all the studied pharmaceutical compounds were detected in the WWTP effluent. All Hazard Quotient (HQ) values were below one (on a logarithmic scale in base 10), with the highest values in the WWTP and the lowest in the river upstream of the WWTP. The HQ intervals were in the same range for furosemide, carbamazepine, and ibuprofen at each of the three different sites: upstream WWTP effluent, and downstream. The interval for enalapril stands out as having the lowest HQ at all three sites. Conclusions: Based on these results, the large and complex hydrographical system Mureș River Basin was transformed from a grey area, with little information about pharmaceutical contamination, to a hotspot in terms of contamination with emerging pollutants. Pharmaceutical compound concentrations were found to be the highest in WWTP effluents. The WWTP effluent concentrations were among the highest in Europe, indicating that treatment plants are the primary source of water pollution with pharmaceuticals compounds. The detected levels were higher than the safety limit for carbamazepine and ibuprofen. The determined HQ values imply that the measured levels do pose a threat to the environment for the studied pharmaceuticals. Based on the obtained results, human communities can assess, monitor, predict, and adapt in time to these already-present regional challenges and risks for sustainable use of natural resources, including water and associated products and services. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape, Water, Ground, and Society Sustainability under Global Change Scenarios)

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22 pages, 8126 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evolution of Clustering Quantified by a Stochastic Method—Case Studies on Natural and Human Social Structures

by G.-Fivos Sargentis, Theano Iliopoulou, Stavroula Sigourou, Panayiotis Dimitriadis and Demetris Koutsoyiannis

Sustainability 2020, 12(19), 7972; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12197972 - 25 Sep 2020

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4952

Abstract

Clustering structures appearing from small to large scales are ubiquitous in the physical world. Interestingly, clustering structures are omnipresent in human history too, ranging from the mere organization of life in societies (e.g., urbanization) to the development of large-scale infrastructure and policies for meeting organizational needs. Indeed, in its struggle for survival and progress, mankind has perpetually sought the benefits of unions. At the same time, it is acknowledged that as the scale of the projects grows, the cost of the delivered products is reduced while their quantities are maximized. Thus, large-scale infrastructures and policies are considered advantageous and are constantly being pursued at even great scales. This work develops a general method to quantify the temporal evolution of clustering, using a stochastic computational tool called 2D-C, which is applicable for the study of both natural and human social spatial structures. As case studies, the evolution of the structure of the universe, of ecosystems and of human clustering structures such as urbanization, are investigated using novel sources of spatial information. Results suggest the clear existence both of periods of clustering and declustering in the natural world and in the human social structures; yet clustering is the general trend. In view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, societal challenges arising from large-scale clustering structures are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Landscape, Water, Ground, and Society Sustainability under Global Change Scenarios)

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