Pub Date : 2025-12-20DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107909
Aya Khamassi, Maria Helena Guimarães, Fraj Chemak, Amélie Bourceret, Mélanie Requier-Desjardins, Stelios Rozakis
{"title":"Challenges of soil health restoration in Tunisian cereal production systems: an analysis through the social-ecological systems framework (SES)","authors":"Aya Khamassi, Maria Helena Guimarães, Fraj Chemak, Amélie Bourceret, Mélanie Requier-Desjardins, Stelios Rozakis","doi":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107909","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107909","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17933,"journal":{"name":"Land Use Policy","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145785811","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-15DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107886
Nibret Sefiw, Arragaw Alemayehu, Belaynesh Kebede
{"title":"Corrigendum to “Conflict in land acquisition for cooperative housing development in Woldia, Ethiopia” [Land Use Policy, 154 (2025) 107575]","authors":"Nibret Sefiw, Arragaw Alemayehu, Belaynesh Kebede","doi":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107886","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107886","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17933,"journal":{"name":"Land Use Policy","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145760370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-13DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107908
Hadi Beygi Heidarlou, David Lopez-Carr, Stelian Alexandru Borz
This study examines forest cover changes and the role of governance and policy in shaping land use dynamics in the ecologically sensitive Arasbaran forests of northwest Iran. We compare two land governance regimes: protected areas (PR) under the Department of Environment (DoE) since 1971, and previously unprotected areas (PUPR) managed by the Natural Resources Organization until their reclassification as protected in 2013. Using Landsat satellite imagery, we assess forest cover changes over two time periods (1984–2013 and 2013–2024) and apply Generalized Linear Models (GLM) to evaluate the socio-environmental drivers of deforestation and forest recovery. Findings reveal a net forest expansion in both areas, with PR showing gradual improvement across the two periods and PUPR recovering 2446.96 ha post-2013. While PUPR experienced significant deforestation before 2013 due to weaker enforcement, the transition to DoE management and associated policy reforms led to marked improvements in forest cover. Deforestation was closely associated with proximity to settlements and forest edges, indicating human pressure as a key factor. The improved model performance after the policy-driven governance shift highlights the critical role of institutional capacity and regulatory frameworks in shaping land use outcomes. These results underscore the importance of long-term, well-enforced conservation policies in reversing deforestation trends. The study offers actionable insights for evidence-based policymaking, forest governance, and land use planning in protected and transitioning areas. More broadly, it contributes to global discussions on how policy interventions and institutional change can enhance forest resilience and support sustainable development goals in biodiversity-rich landscapes.
{"title":"Conservation policies effectiveness in Arasbaran Biosphere Reserve: Insights from GLM-based forest cover change","authors":"Hadi Beygi Heidarlou, David Lopez-Carr, Stelian Alexandru Borz","doi":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107908","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107908","url":null,"abstract":"This study examines forest cover changes and the role of governance and policy in shaping land use dynamics in the ecologically sensitive Arasbaran forests of northwest Iran. We compare two land governance regimes: protected areas (PR) under the Department of Environment (DoE) since 1971, and previously unprotected areas (PUPR) managed by the Natural Resources Organization until their reclassification as protected in 2013. Using Landsat satellite imagery, we assess forest cover changes over two time periods (1984–2013 and 2013–2024) and apply Generalized Linear Models (GLM) to evaluate the socio-environmental drivers of deforestation and forest recovery. Findings reveal a net forest expansion in both areas, with PR showing gradual improvement across the two periods and PUPR recovering 2446.96 ha post-2013. While PUPR experienced significant deforestation before 2013 due to weaker enforcement, the transition to DoE management and associated policy reforms led to marked improvements in forest cover. Deforestation was closely associated with proximity to settlements and forest edges, indicating human pressure as a key factor. The improved model performance after the policy-driven governance shift highlights the critical role of institutional capacity and regulatory frameworks in shaping land use outcomes. These results underscore the importance of long-term, well-enforced conservation policies in reversing deforestation trends. The study offers actionable insights for evidence-based policymaking, forest governance, and land use planning in protected and transitioning areas. More broadly, it contributes to global discussions on how policy interventions and institutional change can enhance forest resilience and support sustainable development goals in biodiversity-rich landscapes.","PeriodicalId":17933,"journal":{"name":"Land Use Policy","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":7.1,"publicationDate":"2025-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145760371","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-13DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107907
Tong Liu, Renfu Yao
Coordinating the relationship between ecological security and food security and promoting sustainable agricultural development are of great significance for improving people’s well-being and ensuring social stability. To protect farmland, the Chinese government has implemented the farmland rotation and fallow system (FRFS) since 2016, and this study regards farming households’ participation in the FRFS as a quasi-natural experiment. Based on the China Rural Revitalization Survey (CRRS) data in 2020 and 2022, we empirically investigate the impacts and intermediate mechanisms of FRFS on grain production and assess the implementation effects of FRFS by using the Cross-sectional Linear Regression model, the Mediation model, the Propensity Score Matching method, and the Instrumental Variable (IV) method. The study finds that in the short term, the implementation of the FRFS has a weak and manageable negative impact on the grain production of participating farming households, with an average reduction of 4.8–5.7 % compared to non-participating farming households’ grain production. In the long term, not only does the FRFS promote a sustained increase in grain production, but it also improves soil fertility and reduces the use of agricultural chemical fertilizers, achieving a win-win situation for both ecological security and food security. Mechanism analysis shows that the increase in grain production per unit of sown area is the primary pathway through which the FRFS facilitates the growth in total grain production. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the impact of the FRFS on grain production is influenced by factors such as the proportions of farmland rotation and fallow, village terrains, locational characteristics, the accessibility of agricultural production services, and the level of rural governance. Further analysis reveals that the FRFS not only does not diminish the income of participating farming households but also has a potential positive impact on enhancing their income. The findings of this study provide empirical evidence for relevant government departments to further optimize the FRFS.
{"title":"Has China’s farmland rotation and fallow system contributed to an increase in grain production?","authors":"Tong Liu, Renfu Yao","doi":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107907","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107907","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coordinating the relationship between ecological security and food security and promoting sustainable agricultural development are of great significance for improving people’s well-being and ensuring social stability. To protect farmland, the Chinese government has implemented the farmland rotation and fallow system (FRFS) since 2016, and this study regards farming households’ participation in the FRFS as a quasi-natural experiment. Based on the China Rural Revitalization Survey (CRRS) data in 2020 and 2022, we empirically investigate the impacts and intermediate mechanisms of FRFS on grain production and assess the implementation effects of FRFS by using the Cross-sectional Linear Regression model, the Mediation model, the Propensity Score Matching method, and the Instrumental Variable (IV) method. The study finds that in the short term, the implementation of the FRFS has a weak and manageable negative impact on the grain production of participating farming households, with an average reduction of 4.8–5.7 % compared to non-participating farming households’ grain production. In the long term, not only does the FRFS promote a sustained increase in grain production, but it also improves soil fertility and reduces the use of agricultural chemical fertilizers, achieving a win-win situation for both ecological security and food security. Mechanism analysis shows that the increase in grain production per unit of sown area is the primary pathway through which the FRFS facilitates the growth in total grain production. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the impact of the FRFS on grain production is influenced by factors such as the proportions of farmland rotation and fallow, village terrains, locational characteristics, the accessibility of agricultural production services, and the level of rural governance. Further analysis reveals that the FRFS not only does not diminish the income of participating farming households but also has a potential positive impact on enhancing their income. The findings of this study provide empirical evidence for relevant government departments to further optimize the FRFS.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17933,"journal":{"name":"Land Use Policy","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 107907"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145750234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-11DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107874
Arnan B. Araza , Wesley Gagarin , Ma. Christina Corales , Chad Patrick Osorio , Marlo D. Mendoza , Rico Ancog
Rapid urban expansion in the Philippines has intensified the pressure on agricultural lands, raising concerns about national food security and environmental sustainability. This study presents a national-scale spatial analysis of agricultural land conversion to built-up areas between 2003 and 2019, using high-resolution Earth Observation (EO) maps. The map validation based on expert-labeled reference data yielded 81% user accuracy, while correlation and bivariate mapping revealed a strong relationship (r 0.89) between cropland loss (ha) and built-up expansion (ha), with hotspots identified in Central and Southern Mindanao, and Central Luzon. Conversions showed a moderate association with agricultural land area (r 0.38), which may correspond to provinces with large areas for high-value crop production with intact economic value. Around 31% (3,228 out of 10,397 ha) of converted cropland to built-up fell within legally protected zones under the Network of Protected Areas for Agriculture and Agro-Industrial Development (NPAAAD), indicating possible governance and enforcement gaps. Almost 80% of the conversions within NPAAAD are mostly agro-industrial and alluvial lands characterized as high-value and road-accessible, thus being vulnerable also to urban and industrial projects. The findings underscore the urgency of enacting the National Land Use Act (NaLUA) to institutionalize spatial planning and safeguard agricultural lands from unregulated conversion. The findings of this study alongside mapping of specific land-uses following the conversions nationwide are deemed helpful inputs for mandated local land use planning.
{"title":"Land-use conversion from agricultural production areas to built-up areas in the Philippines for decades 2000–2020: Spatial analysis and policy implications","authors":"Arnan B. Araza , Wesley Gagarin , Ma. Christina Corales , Chad Patrick Osorio , Marlo D. Mendoza , Rico Ancog","doi":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107874","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107874","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rapid urban expansion in the Philippines has intensified the pressure on agricultural lands, raising concerns about national food security and environmental sustainability. This study presents a national-scale spatial analysis of agricultural land conversion to built-up areas between 2003 and 2019, using high-resolution Earth Observation (EO) maps. The map validation based on expert-labeled reference data yielded 81% user accuracy, while correlation and bivariate mapping revealed a strong relationship (<em>r</em> <span><math><mo>=</mo></math></span> 0.89) between cropland loss (ha) and built-up expansion (ha), with hotspots identified in Central and Southern Mindanao, and Central Luzon. Conversions showed a moderate association with agricultural land area (<em>r</em> <span><math><mo>=</mo></math></span> 0.38), which may correspond to provinces with large areas for high-value crop production with intact economic value. Around 31% (3,228 out of 10,397 ha) of converted cropland to built-up fell within legally protected zones under the Network of Protected Areas for Agriculture and Agro-Industrial Development (NPAAAD), indicating possible governance and enforcement gaps. Almost 80% of the conversions within NPAAAD are mostly agro-industrial and alluvial lands characterized as high-value and road-accessible, thus being vulnerable also to urban and industrial projects. The findings underscore the urgency of enacting the National Land Use Act (NaLUA) to institutionalize spatial planning and safeguard agricultural lands from unregulated conversion. The findings of this study alongside mapping of specific land-uses following the conversions nationwide are deemed helpful inputs for mandated local land use planning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17933,"journal":{"name":"Land Use Policy","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 107874"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145732705","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-10DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107905
Xianglong Xing , Peng Zhang , Shouzheng Tong , Mingye Zhang , Yuan Xin , Yu An , Geng Cui , Walian Du , Zhuo Yang
The coupling relationship within the food-water-land-ecosystem (FWLE) nexus is critical for the sustainable development of national nature reserves (NNRs). However, there is limited understanding of the trade-offs and synergies within this nexus. Consequently, the challenge of establishing a coordinated FWLE nexus has become increasingly urgent. This study takes the Momoge National Nature Reserve (MNNR) as a case study, utilizing past-present-future land use data, combined with the InVEST model and statistical data, to explore the dynamic evolution, driving factors and interrelationships within the FWLE nexus. The findings reveal significant transformations in land use patterns, including fluctuations observed in grassland and barren land areas, contrasted with a deceleration in the rate of forest and wetland reduction. Notably, the impervious land expanded by 10,463 ha, leading to a decline in habitat quality (HQ) and an increase in water yield (WY). Meanwhile, cropland areas exhibit annual fluctuations but consistently record increasing crop yields. Human activities are identified as the primary driver behind these changes. In scenarios emphasizing future ecological protection and restoration, both crop production (CP) increase, while the percentage of areas with great HQ reaches 39 % and 56 %, respectively, representing ideal FWLE nexus trends. Conversely, in scenarios prioritizing economic development, CP reaches its peak, but this progress coincides with a corresponding decline in HQ, reducing the proportion of areas with favorable HQ to 27 %. Based on these findings, we have constructed a robust FWLE implementation framework that emphasizes effective control of human activities within the protected area and improves ecological quality through measures such as hydrological connectivity and ecological restoration. The insights gleaned from this research hold significant implications for the formulation of management policies governing these invaluable conservation areas.
{"title":"The significance of food-water-land-ecosystem nexus to management decisions of national nature reserves","authors":"Xianglong Xing , Peng Zhang , Shouzheng Tong , Mingye Zhang , Yuan Xin , Yu An , Geng Cui , Walian Du , Zhuo Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107905","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107905","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The coupling relationship within the food-water-land-ecosystem (FWLE) nexus is critical for the sustainable development of national nature reserves (NNRs). However, there is limited understanding of the trade-offs and synergies within this nexus. Consequently, the challenge of establishing a coordinated FWLE nexus has become increasingly urgent. This study takes the Momoge National Nature Reserve (MNNR) as a case study, utilizing past-present-future land use data, combined with the InVEST model and statistical data, to explore the dynamic evolution, driving factors and interrelationships within the FWLE nexus. The findings reveal significant transformations in land use patterns, including fluctuations observed in grassland and barren land areas, contrasted with a deceleration in the rate of forest and wetland reduction. Notably, the impervious land expanded by 10,463 ha, leading to a decline in habitat quality (HQ) and an increase in water yield (WY). Meanwhile, cropland areas exhibit annual fluctuations but consistently record increasing crop yields. Human activities are identified as the primary driver behind these changes. In scenarios emphasizing future ecological protection and restoration, both crop production (CP) increase, while the percentage of areas with great HQ reaches 39 % and 56 %, respectively, representing ideal FWLE nexus trends. Conversely, in scenarios prioritizing economic development, CP reaches its peak, but this progress coincides with a corresponding decline in HQ, reducing the proportion of areas with favorable HQ to 27 %. Based on these findings, we have constructed a robust FWLE implementation framework that emphasizes effective control of human activities within the protected area and improves ecological quality through measures such as hydrological connectivity and ecological restoration. The insights gleaned from this research hold significant implications for the formulation of management policies governing these invaluable conservation areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17933,"journal":{"name":"Land Use Policy","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 107905"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145732706","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-09DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107901
Qixuan Wang , Jie Ren , Hangying Su , Zirui Chen , Mi Diao
Land use efficiency of urban innovation is critical for sustainable development in transition economies with land constraints. In this context, Free Trade Zones (FTZs) have emerged as a key policy instrument for enhancing innovation performance. Drawing on a panel dataset from 284 Chinese cities between 2010 and 2020, this study investigates the impacts of FTZs on urban innovation intensity, measured by innovation output per unit of construction land, using a difference-in-differences (DID) framework. To mitigate endogeneity concerns, we apply propensity score matching to construct balanced treatment and control groups for the spatial DID models, enabling estimation of both direct and spillover effects of FTZs. The results show that FTZs significantly enhance innovation intensity in host cities, but generate negative spatial spillover effects on their neighboring cities. These findings are robust across a series of robustness tests. Heterogeneity analysis further reveals that the effects vary across regions, FTZ sizes, and administrative levels of cities. Mechanism analysis indicates that FTZs promote innovation through both government-led interventions and market-driven mechanisms. The findings highlight the need for policymakers to not only promote the diffusion of FTZ benefits within host cities but also mitigate the widening regional innovation disparities through coordinated planning and intercity policy alignment.
{"title":"Unraveling the impacts of free trade zones on urban innovation intensity: Evidence from China","authors":"Qixuan Wang , Jie Ren , Hangying Su , Zirui Chen , Mi Diao","doi":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107901","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107901","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Land use efficiency of urban innovation is critical for sustainable development in transition economies with land constraints. In this context, Free Trade Zones (FTZs) have emerged as a key policy instrument for enhancing innovation performance. Drawing on a panel dataset from 284 Chinese cities between 2010 and 2020, this study investigates the impacts of FTZs on urban innovation intensity, measured by innovation output per unit of construction land, using a difference-in-differences (DID) framework. To mitigate endogeneity concerns, we apply propensity score matching to construct balanced treatment and control groups for the spatial DID models, enabling estimation of both direct and spillover effects of FTZs. The results show that FTZs significantly enhance innovation intensity in host cities, but generate negative spatial spillover effects on their neighboring cities. These findings are robust across a series of robustness tests. Heterogeneity analysis further reveals that the effects vary across regions, FTZ sizes, and administrative levels of cities. Mechanism analysis indicates that FTZs promote innovation through both government-led interventions and market-driven mechanisms. The findings highlight the need for policymakers to not only promote the diffusion of FTZ benefits within host cities but also mitigate the widening regional innovation disparities through coordinated planning and intercity policy alignment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17933,"journal":{"name":"Land Use Policy","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 107901"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145750233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-09DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107900
Dilnu Chanuwan Wijesinghe , Pingjun Sun , Zhigao Liu
Understanding the development patterns of urban form is crucial for efficient planning in expanding metropolitan areas. This study examines the spatial evolution of urban form in the Colombo Metropolitan Area (CMA) from 1995 to 2024, utilizing Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing technology. Key metrics include the expansion index, landscape index, compactness index, center-of-gravity shift, and standard deviation ellipse (SDE). Logistic regression was applied to identify influencing factors, while FRAGSTAT assessed landscape metrics. The Findings indicated that CMA’s urban form developed by 292.96 km2, with an annual growth rate (AGR) of 3.75 %, signifying rapid development. Spatial evolution extended beyond the core city, with edge expansion accounting for 95.03 % of new development (127.57 km²) between 2014 and 2024. While infill development increased, urban sprawl remained dominant. Landscape fragmentation fluctuated, reflecting dynamic spatial changes. SDE analysis revealed significant expansion in 2014, followed by a slight contraction by 2024, with continued northeastern expansion. The urban center shifted from the northwest to the northeast, marking a transition from the core city to other urban areas, such as Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte and Kaduwela. A logistic regression model identified six key drivers of urban form spatial evolution, highlighting the interplay among socioeconomic, physical, and environmental factors. Moreover, the Colombo Port City has emerged as a key catalyst for urban form transformation, significantly enhancing connectivity and extending its influence across the CMA. The findings support efficient infrastructure development, sustainable land use planning, and a well-rounded approach to urban form and spatial development in the CMA.
{"title":"Spatial evolution characteristics and driving factors of urban forms in the Colombo Metropolitan Area (CMA), Sri Lanka: A geo-informatics approach","authors":"Dilnu Chanuwan Wijesinghe , Pingjun Sun , Zhigao Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107900","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107900","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the development patterns of urban form is crucial for efficient planning in expanding metropolitan areas. This study examines the spatial evolution of urban form in the Colombo Metropolitan Area (CMA) from 1995 to 2024, utilizing Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing technology. Key metrics include the expansion index, landscape index, compactness index, center-of-gravity shift, and standard deviation ellipse (SDE). Logistic regression was applied to identify influencing factors, while FRAGSTAT assessed landscape metrics. The Findings indicated that CMA’s urban form developed by 292.96 km<sup>2</sup>, with an annual growth rate (AGR) of 3.75 %, signifying rapid development. Spatial evolution extended beyond the core city, with edge expansion accounting for 95.03 % of new development (127.57 km²) between 2014 and 2024. While infill development increased, urban sprawl remained dominant. Landscape fragmentation fluctuated, reflecting dynamic spatial changes. SDE analysis revealed significant expansion in 2014, followed by a slight contraction by 2024, with continued northeastern expansion. The urban center shifted from the northwest to the northeast, marking a transition from the core city to other urban areas, such as Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte and Kaduwela. A logistic regression model identified six key drivers of urban form spatial evolution, highlighting the interplay among socioeconomic, physical, and environmental factors. Moreover, the Colombo Port City has emerged as a key catalyst for urban form transformation, significantly enhancing connectivity and extending its influence across the CMA. The findings support efficient infrastructure development, sustainable land use planning, and a well-rounded approach to urban form and spatial development in the CMA.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17933,"journal":{"name":"Land Use Policy","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 107900"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145705007","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-09DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107904
Chunjun Shi , Ping Li , Jingpeng Guo
The Grassland Ecological Compensation Policy (GECP) in China is a herder-centered payment for ecosystem services program designed to restore grassland ecosystems while improving herders’ livelihoods. However, long-term empirical studies assessing the effects of GECP across different grassland types and its socioeconomic impacts on herders remain limited. Based on field surveys conducted among herders in Inner Mongolia in 2010, 2015, and 2018, this study evaluates the policy’s impact on grassland ecosystems and livestock production by Commonality Analysis and Partial Least Squares Path Modeling. The results showed that: (1) The livestock scale significantly decreased only in the meadow steppe, while notable changes in livestock structure were observed across all three grassland types; (2) Sheep or goat populations showed a great decline and large livestock (e.g., cattle) numbers exhibited minimal changes across three grassland types; (3) The policy induced notable shifts in herders’ income and cost structures, with livestock income decreasing by 25.7–45.5 % and non-farm income increasing by 19.7–30.5 %; (4) Although GECP significantly enhanced grassland productivity, its ecological benefits may be partially offset by other socio-economic factor like rising livestock prices, as herders adjust grazing and production strategies in response to market dynamics. These findings suggest that GECP not only improved grassland quality but also reshaped herders' production practices and livelihood strategies. To ensure sustainable grassland management, future policy adjustments should account for regional heterogeneity by considering key factors such as grassland carrying capacity, livestock market fluctuations, and climate variability. Adopting differentiated management strategies tailored to different grassland types will be crucial for balancing ecological conservation and herder welfare.
{"title":"Balancing grassland ecology and herders’ economic benefits: The impact of Grassland ecological compensation policy in Inner Mongolia","authors":"Chunjun Shi , Ping Li , Jingpeng Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107904","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107904","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Grassland Ecological Compensation Policy (GECP) in China is a herder-centered payment for ecosystem services program designed to restore grassland ecosystems while improving herders’ livelihoods. However, long-term empirical studies assessing the effects of GECP across different grassland types and its socioeconomic impacts on herders remain limited. Based on field surveys conducted among herders in Inner Mongolia in 2010, 2015, and 2018, this study evaluates the policy’s impact on grassland ecosystems and livestock production by Commonality Analysis and Partial Least Squares Path Modeling. The results showed that: (1) The livestock scale significantly decreased only in the meadow steppe, while notable changes in livestock structure were observed across all three grassland types; (2) Sheep or goat populations showed a great decline and large livestock (e.g., cattle) numbers exhibited minimal changes across three grassland types; (3) The policy induced notable shifts in herders’ income and cost structures, with livestock income decreasing by 25.7–45.5 % and non-farm income increasing by 19.7–30.5 %; (4) Although GECP significantly enhanced grassland productivity, its ecological benefits may be partially offset by other socio-economic factor like rising livestock prices, as herders adjust grazing and production strategies in response to market dynamics. These findings suggest that GECP not only improved grassland quality but also reshaped herders' production practices and livelihood strategies. To ensure sustainable grassland management, future policy adjustments should account for regional heterogeneity by considering key factors such as grassland carrying capacity, livestock market fluctuations, and climate variability. Adopting differentiated management strategies tailored to different grassland types will be crucial for balancing ecological conservation and herder welfare.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17933,"journal":{"name":"Land Use Policy","volume":"162 ","pages":"Article 107904"},"PeriodicalIF":5.9,"publicationDate":"2025-12-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145732552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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