The National Land Credit Program in Brazil has succeeded in providing land access to over 68,000 rural workers in just over 20 years. However, the program faces the challenge of defaulting on part of the contracts. Quantifying default on land credit is important to understand the reasons for it and propose improvements. This study sought to quantify the default rate and explore its causes. To do so, public databases on the status of contracted operations were analyzed, followed by interviews with agents directly involved with the beneficiaries, using the Iramuteq software. The results obtained demonstrate that 37 % of its active beneficiaries are lagging on payments, both with financial agents and those listed in active debt with the Federal Government. According to the perceptions of the interviewed actors, the causes are varied, with particular emphasis on the maximum financing limit, which is considered insufficient for purchasing suitable property in some regions, and successive renegotiations, which end up discouraging others from fulfilling their payments as agreed by granting significant discounts for settlement. Furthermore, there is a perception that post-contracting is crucial for the success of the program, especially with the provision of technical assistance and the supply of resources for productive investments. As recommendations and lessons learned, the research shows that land credit must be worked on in conjunction with other public policies such as encouraging production through other lines of rural credit, technical assistance, infrastructure conditions, among others.
{"title":"An analysis of default rates and their causes in Brazil’s land credit program","authors":"Rosilene Schardosim Roos, Mauro Delgrossi, Armando Fornazier","doi":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107514","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107514","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The National Land Credit Program in Brazil has succeeded in providing land access to over 68,000 rural workers in just over 20 years. However, the program faces the challenge of defaulting on part of the contracts. Quantifying default on land credit is important to understand the reasons for it and propose improvements. This study sought to quantify the default rate and explore its causes. To do so, public databases on the status of contracted operations were analyzed, followed by interviews with agents directly involved with the beneficiaries, using the Iramuteq software. The results obtained demonstrate that 37 % of its active beneficiaries are lagging on payments, both with financial agents and those listed in active debt with the Federal Government. According to the perceptions of the interviewed actors, the causes are varied, with particular emphasis on the maximum financing limit, which is considered insufficient for purchasing suitable property in some regions, and successive renegotiations, which end up discouraging others from fulfilling their payments as agreed by granting significant discounts for settlement. Furthermore, there is a perception that post-contracting is crucial for the success of the program, especially with the provision of technical assistance and the supply of resources for productive investments. As recommendations and lessons learned, the research shows that land credit must be worked on in conjunction with other public policies such as encouraging production through other lines of rural credit, technical assistance, infrastructure conditions, among others.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17933,"journal":{"name":"Land Use Policy","volume":"153 ","pages":"Article 107514"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143579457","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 : 2025-03-06DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107526
Hanabeth Luke
Social survey research is often used to achieve an improved understanding of land and natural resource management. The question for many land agencies and organisations working to support farmers and other rural landholders is how to gain this information in a scientifically rigorous and cost-effective way. This paper summarises findings from a purposeful review of survey methods applied for understanding rural landholders, including how land and natural resource management may be changing around the globe. Social surveys play a crucial role in understanding the complexities of land management, with survey methods evolving over time as they adapt to technological advancements and shifting research paradigms. Key findings of this review underscore the significance of pre-testing, drawing on diverse sampling techniques, and tailored survey methods to uphold data integrity and enhance response rates. Effective survey design, coupled with integration of conceptual models and identity constructs, can enrich insights into land management practices. Embracing mixed methods and leveraging AI for data integration offer promising avenues for future research, albeit with ethical considerations and challenges in data integration. Previous reviews are extended to describe four main eras in social survey research for natural resource management, being: 1) the Invention Era (1930–1960); 2) the Expansion Era (1960–1990); 3) the Integration Era ('Designed Data' + 'Organic Data') (1990s to 2022); and 4) the Brave New Era (2022 to present). Prioritising longitudinal studies and expanding survey research globally can inform evidence-based policymaking, addressing critical gaps in knowledge as land and natural resource management continues to evolve and respond to changes and challenges worldwide.
{"title":"Designing social surveys for understanding farming and natural resource management: A purposeful review of best-practice survey methods","authors":"Hanabeth Luke","doi":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107526","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107526","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Social survey research is often used to achieve an improved understanding of land and natural resource management. The question for many land agencies and organisations working to support farmers and other rural landholders is how to gain this information in a scientifically rigorous and cost-effective way. This paper summarises findings from a purposeful review of survey methods applied for understanding rural landholders, including how land and natural resource management may be changing around the globe. Social surveys play a crucial role in understanding the complexities of land management, with survey methods evolving over time as they adapt to technological advancements and shifting research paradigms. Key findings of this review underscore the significance of pre-testing, drawing on diverse sampling techniques, and tailored survey methods to uphold data integrity and enhance response rates. Effective survey design, coupled with integration of conceptual models and identity constructs, can enrich insights into land management practices. Embracing mixed methods and leveraging AI for data integration offer promising avenues for future research, albeit with ethical considerations and challenges in data integration. Previous reviews are extended to describe four main eras in social survey research for natural resource management, being: 1) the Invention Era (1930–1960); 2) the Expansion Era (1960–1990); 3) the Integration Era ('Designed Data' + 'Organic Data') (1990s to 2022); and 4) the Brave New Era (2022 to present). Prioritising longitudinal studies and expanding survey research globally can inform evidence-based policymaking, addressing critical gaps in knowledge as land and natural resource management continues to evolve and respond to changes and challenges worldwide.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17933,"journal":{"name":"Land Use Policy","volume":"153 ","pages":"Article 107526"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143551831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-27DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107516
Edward Percy, Alison Bailey, Anita Wreford, Gary Owen Garner
The intensity at which rural land is producing consumable goods has, over the last century, increased to meet the demand of growing world populations, and been enabled by advancing technology. For the land to produce more from a fixed resource, more nutrients have been applied, and the surpluses are finding their way into waterways. This generates undesirable consequences for the environment. Policymakers have acted by implementing regulation that encourages or forces a change of behaviour from farmers. Freshwater regulation implemented in New Zealand, while good for the environment, is perceived to have negatively affected farm productivity, profitability, and land values. This study tests this perception and finds that farmers who are making the farm management and land transaction decisions are more positive than negative about how freshwater regulation is affecting their farm business and respective land values. Most participants in the study were favourable about the improvements they had made to their farms as a result of the rules and the efficiencies gained. Over half of the participants considered the changes had been positive or had no effect on land value. It was also found that these farmers were doing everything they could to remain compliant with freshwater rules, but no more, regardless of whether doing more would be good for the environment, instead saving some strategies for possible future changes to regulation.
{"title":"The effect of freshwater regulation on farmland values in New Zealand – ‘Dairy farming in Selwyn Waihora, Canterbury’","authors":"Edward Percy, Alison Bailey, Anita Wreford, Gary Owen Garner","doi":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107516","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107516","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The intensity at which rural land is producing consumable goods has, over the last century, increased to meet the demand of growing world populations, and been enabled by advancing technology. For the land to produce more from a fixed resource, more nutrients have been applied, and the surpluses are finding their way into waterways. This generates undesirable consequences for the environment. Policymakers have acted by implementing regulation that encourages or forces a change of behaviour from farmers. Freshwater regulation implemented in New Zealand, while good for the environment, is perceived to have negatively affected farm productivity, profitability, and land values. This study tests this perception and finds that farmers who are making the farm management and land transaction decisions are more positive than negative about how freshwater regulation is affecting their farm business and respective land values. Most participants in the study were favourable about the improvements they had made to their farms as a result of the rules and the efficiencies gained. Over half of the participants considered the changes had been positive or had no effect on land value. It was also found that these farmers were doing everything they could to remain compliant with freshwater rules, but no more, regardless of whether doing more would be good for the environment, instead saving some strategies for possible future changes to regulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17933,"journal":{"name":"Land Use Policy","volume":"153 ","pages":"Article 107516"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143509384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-25DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107517
Łukasz Musiaka , Paweł Sudra , Tomasz Spórna
The scale of destruction of many historical cities due to the warfare of World War II and the varied directions of spatial transformation during the post-war political and economic uncertainty period in Poland was unprecedented. As a result, in many cities, we are confronted with a significant differentiation in the character of the development of central areas and numerous spatial and functional problems. The main objective of the study is to present the results of a comparative study of the varied forms and effects of rebuilding the historic centres of small towns in northeastern Poland after World War II. Small towns were selected because of their peripheral character to the large centres rebuilt in the first place. Out of a group of 17 towns in the Warmian-Masurian voivodeship destroyed in at least 70 %, three case studies with different land use policy approach were chosen. The paper proposes an original research model based on different spatial scales of analysis and quantitative and qualitative research methods of the built-up area. For this purpose field studies, graph method, built-up areas and planning document analyses based on contemporary and archival materials in a GIS environment were used. The results allowed for the classification of the directions of the post-war urban recovery and construction of case-study models of reconstruction based on neointegration (Węgorzewo), conditional restructuring (Lubawa) and the model of an unbuilt-up town (Kisielice). Our findings indicate that the negative consequences of the spatial transformations (e.g., spatial chaos, lack of a functional and spatial centre, unbuilt quarters and limited effectiveness of planning and revitalisation tools) are still felt today despite the corrective measures taken. They also suggest a need for local and regional debate on the needs and possibilities for further revitalisation of the study area and a recovery programme developed at the national level.
{"title":"Still suffering, still on the periphery? Different paths of the town's post-war spatial change. Evidence from north-eastern Poland","authors":"Łukasz Musiaka , Paweł Sudra , Tomasz Spórna","doi":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107517","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107517","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The scale of destruction of many historical cities due to the warfare of World War II and the varied directions of spatial transformation during the post-war political and economic uncertainty period in Poland was unprecedented. As a result, in many cities, we are confronted with a significant differentiation in the character of the development of central areas and numerous spatial and functional problems. The main objective of the study is to present the results of a comparative study of the varied forms and effects of rebuilding the historic centres of small towns in northeastern Poland after World War II. Small towns were selected because of their peripheral character to the large centres rebuilt in the first place. Out of a group of 17 towns in the Warmian-Masurian voivodeship destroyed in at least 70 %, three case studies with different land use policy approach were chosen. The paper proposes an original research model based on different spatial scales of analysis and quantitative and qualitative research methods of the built-up area. For this purpose field studies, graph method, built-up areas and planning document analyses based on contemporary and archival materials in a GIS environment were used. The results allowed for the classification of the directions of the post-war urban recovery and construction of case-study models of reconstruction based on neointegration (Węgorzewo), conditional restructuring (Lubawa) and the model of an unbuilt-up town (Kisielice). Our findings indicate that the negative consequences of the spatial transformations (e.g., spatial chaos, lack of a functional and spatial centre, unbuilt quarters and limited effectiveness of planning and revitalisation tools) are still felt today despite the corrective measures taken. They also suggest a need for local and regional debate on the needs and possibilities for further revitalisation of the study area and a recovery programme developed at the national level.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17933,"journal":{"name":"Land Use Policy","volume":"152 ","pages":"Article 107517"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143480733","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 : 2025-02-25DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107515
Aleksandar Valjarević , Cezar Morar , Ljiljana Brasanac-Bosanac , Tatjana Cirkovic-Mitrovic , Tatjana Djekic , Marija Mihajlović , Ivica Milevski , Golub Culafic , Milan Luković , Liudmyla Niemets , Kateryna Sehida , Gordana Kaplan
Forests and agricultural lands are critical components of the environment, influencing ecosystem stability, biodiversity, and land productivity. In the Republic of Moldova, a country with limited forest cover (11.4 % of its territory), the relationship between forested areas and cultivated land plays a key role in sustainable land management. This study examines the spatial interactions between forest land and two major agricultural crops—sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and grapes (Vitis vinifera) - using remote sensing and GIS techniques. By integrating Google Earth Engine (GEE), CORINE Land Cover data, and cadastral records, we analyze land cover changes from 1996 to 2018, identifying vulnerable areas where deforestation and agricultural expansion intersect. Additionally, fuzzy aggregate AHP and zonal statistical methods are applied to assess land suitability for crop cultivation and reforestation. Our findings highlight regions where sustainable land management policies should be prioritized to balance agricultural development with forest conservation. The study provides actionable insights for policymakers, emphasizing the need for adaptive land-use strategies that account for climate variability, urban expansion, and rural land degradation.
{"title":"Sustainable land use in Moldova: GIS & remote sensing of forests and crops","authors":"Aleksandar Valjarević , Cezar Morar , Ljiljana Brasanac-Bosanac , Tatjana Cirkovic-Mitrovic , Tatjana Djekic , Marija Mihajlović , Ivica Milevski , Golub Culafic , Milan Luković , Liudmyla Niemets , Kateryna Sehida , Gordana Kaplan","doi":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107515","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107515","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Forests and agricultural lands are critical components of the environment, influencing ecosystem stability, biodiversity, and land productivity. In the Republic of Moldova, a country with limited forest cover (11.4 % of its territory), the relationship between forested areas and cultivated land plays a key role in sustainable land management. This study examines the spatial interactions between forest land and two major agricultural crops—sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and grapes (Vitis vinifera) - using remote sensing and GIS techniques. By integrating Google Earth Engine (GEE), CORINE Land Cover data, and cadastral records, we analyze land cover changes from 1996 to 2018, identifying vulnerable areas where deforestation and agricultural expansion intersect. Additionally, fuzzy aggregate AHP and zonal statistical methods are applied to assess land suitability for crop cultivation and reforestation. Our findings highlight regions where sustainable land management policies should be prioritized to balance agricultural development with forest conservation. The study provides actionable insights for policymakers, emphasizing the need for adaptive land-use strategies that account for climate variability, urban expansion, and rural land degradation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17933,"journal":{"name":"Land Use Policy","volume":"152 ","pages":"Article 107515"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143480734","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 : 2025-02-20DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107505
Karen Richardsen Moberg
The article investigates governance processes’ performance in securing sustainable land use in Norwegian municipalities, drawing on a survey sent out to decision-makers combined with in-depth interviews with decision-makers and local stakeholders. Local governance processes have to date been unsuccessful in securing environmentally sustainable land use in the investigated municipalities for several reasons. First, environmental concerns lose out in goal conflicts with competing societal concerns. Second, the gradual character of processes building down nature makes it difficult to recognise the accumulated environmental cost. Third, forces beyond municipal control drive a certain kind of development at the expense of nature. Fourth, there is limited power and capacity in the land use planning system to govern effectively. Finally, there are inequities in the capacity and power of individual actors to influence local land use, putting the commons and key democratic principles under pressure. The article points to several challenges in the current model of local land use governance when it comes to securing legitimacy and environmental justice, most importantly the issue of current institutions and practices empowering the already powerful, at the expense of the natural resources the system is supposed to safeguard. The discussion questions the ability of the current model of governance to secure environmentally sustainable land use and suggests ways in which land use governance may be changed to better secure sustainable land use.
{"title":"Limits to local democracy in practice? The case of governing sustainable land use in Norwegian municipalities","authors":"Karen Richardsen Moberg","doi":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107505","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107505","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The article investigates governance processes’ performance in securing sustainable land use in Norwegian municipalities, drawing on a survey sent out to decision-makers combined with in-depth interviews with decision-makers and local stakeholders. Local governance processes have to date been unsuccessful in securing environmentally sustainable land use in the investigated municipalities for several reasons. First, environmental concerns lose out in goal conflicts with competing societal concerns. Second, the gradual character of processes building down nature makes it difficult to recognise the accumulated environmental cost. Third, forces beyond municipal control drive a certain kind of development at the expense of nature. Fourth, there is limited power and capacity in the land use planning system to govern effectively. Finally, there are inequities in the capacity and power of individual actors to influence local land use, putting the commons and key democratic principles under pressure. The article points to several challenges in the current model of local land use governance when it comes to securing legitimacy and environmental justice, most importantly the issue of current institutions and practices empowering the already powerful, at the expense of the natural resources the system is supposed to safeguard. The discussion questions the ability of the current model of governance to secure environmentally sustainable land use and suggests ways in which land use governance may be changed to better secure sustainable land use.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17933,"journal":{"name":"Land Use Policy","volume":"152 ","pages":"Article 107505"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143445716","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}
Urban hubs play a pivotal role in advancing urban and transport sustainability. However, despite growing scholarly interest, existing research fails to provide a thorough understanding of their development and evolution. This study addresses this gap by analyzing 624 documents on urban hubs published between 2000 and 2024 through a bibliometric approach. The research synthesizes the concept of urban hubs, examines their effects, and reviews key design elements. It highlights how the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly influenced urban hub planning, particularly in location optimization and spatial design. Through a detailed literature review, the study identifies key research gaps, including the lack of quantitative methods to assess urban hubs’ impacts, the need for demographic and long-term health considerations, insufficient focus on environmental goals like resilience and low-carbon design, and the limited application of AI techniques in generating 3D spatial functions. The study proposes a comprehensive AI-driven research framework that integrates social, economic, and environmental factors to enhance urban hub planning. The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and urban planners, offering a pathway for the future development of sustainable urban hubs.
{"title":"Advancing urban hub planning: A bibliometric analysis of concepts, effects evaluation, and spatial design","authors":"Xiaodong Xu , Shiqi Zhou , Haowen Xu , Zhiqiang Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107507","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107507","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urban hubs play a pivotal role in advancing urban and transport sustainability. However, despite growing scholarly interest, existing research fails to provide a thorough understanding of their development and evolution. This study addresses this gap by analyzing 624 documents on urban hubs published between 2000 and 2024 through a bibliometric approach. The research synthesizes the concept of urban hubs, examines their effects, and reviews key design elements. It highlights how the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) has significantly influenced urban hub planning, particularly in location optimization and spatial design. Through a detailed literature review, the study identifies key research gaps, including the lack of quantitative methods to assess urban hubs’ impacts, the need for demographic and long-term health considerations, insufficient focus on environmental goals like resilience and low-carbon design, and the limited application of AI techniques in generating 3D spatial functions. The study proposes a comprehensive AI-driven research framework that integrates social, economic, and environmental factors to enhance urban hub planning. The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and urban planners, offering a pathway for the future development of sustainable urban hubs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17933,"journal":{"name":"Land Use Policy","volume":"152 ","pages":"Article 107507"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143445715","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 : 2025-02-18DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107504
Jinhoo Hwang , Eunsun Lee , Siwon Jeong , Yoojun Kim , Youngjae Yoo , Sunghoon Cha , Seongwoo Jeon
In response to the escalating climate crisis, this study examined the dynamics of carbon absorption in the Seoul metropolitan area, focusing on the effects of urbanization and forest aging. Urban areas face increasing challenges due to climate change, necessitating a deeper understanding of how land-use changes and natural forest aging impact carbon sequestration. We assessed the spatial distribution and carbon absorption capacity of forests by categorizing the regions into urban centers, clusters, and non-urban areas. Using data from the Korea Forest Service and the National Forest Research Institute of Korea, we analyzed carbon absorption in 2013 and 2022, revealing significant shifts driven primarily by land use changes and forest aging. The results showed that urbanization led to a notable reduction in carbon absorption, with new city developments and unplanned expansions converting carbon-rich natural areas into artificial landscapes. Aging forests exhibit a decline in carbon sequestration, highlighting the need for sustainable forest management practices. This study highlighted the importance of tailoring city-specific strategies to enhance carbon absorption. This provides insights for policymakers to balance development with conservation efforts, ultimately contributing to more effective climate change mitigation in urban regions.
{"title":"Assessing the impact of urbanization and forest aging on carbon absorption in the Seoul metropolitan area of South Korea","authors":"Jinhoo Hwang , Eunsun Lee , Siwon Jeong , Yoojun Kim , Youngjae Yoo , Sunghoon Cha , Seongwoo Jeon","doi":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107504","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107504","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In response to the escalating climate crisis, this study examined the dynamics of carbon absorption in the Seoul metropolitan area, focusing on the effects of urbanization and forest aging. Urban areas face increasing challenges due to climate change, necessitating a deeper understanding of how land-use changes and natural forest aging impact carbon sequestration. We assessed the spatial distribution and carbon absorption capacity of forests by categorizing the regions into urban centers, clusters, and non-urban areas. Using data from the Korea Forest Service and the National Forest Research Institute of Korea, we analyzed carbon absorption in 2013 and 2022, revealing significant shifts driven primarily by land use changes and forest aging. The results showed that urbanization led to a notable reduction in carbon absorption, with new city developments and unplanned expansions converting carbon-rich natural areas into artificial landscapes. Aging forests exhibit a decline in carbon sequestration, highlighting the need for sustainable forest management practices. This study highlighted the importance of tailoring city-specific strategies to enhance carbon absorption. This provides insights for policymakers to balance development with conservation efforts, ultimately contributing to more effective climate change mitigation in urban regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17933,"journal":{"name":"Land Use Policy","volume":"152 ","pages":"Article 107504"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143427873","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-16DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107506
Siwei Hu , Yongsheng Wang , Yansui Liu
Organic agriculture is recognized as a nature-based innovative production system that balances multiple sustainable development goals. However, few studies were conducted to investigate organic agriculture based on coupled human-earth systems. Here we introduced a hierarchical framework consisting of natural basis, management means, and demand objectives to understand organic agriculture. We reported the spatiotemporal patterns of organic agriculture and their socioeconomic and eco-environmental correlates and effects in China. Our study showed that organic production increased from 1.124 to 2.756 million ha in 2014–2021 with the most increase in soybeans, corn, and tea. The number of organic product certificates was higher in northeastern, southwestern, and eastern coastal China, and the fastest-growing occurred in western and south-central China. Of the 14 factors, management means and demand objectives ranked by organic enterprises, organic demonstration areas, food consumptions, pesticide applications, and large-scale farming operations had greater influences on organic agriculture. The interaction of human-environmental factors enhanced their impact. Organic farming increased soil carbon sequestration and reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional farming. Although average organic yields and output values per unit area were lower by 10.5–61.7 % and 5.1–48.9 % respectively for most crops, higher yields of corn, soybeans, and tea, and output values of vegetables were achieved in organic farming. We suggest synergizing organic agricultural system management to foster sustainable land use and rural development.
{"title":"Understanding organic agriculture based on coupled human-earth systems for sustainable land use and rural development in China","authors":"Siwei Hu , Yongsheng Wang , Yansui Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107506","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107506","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Organic agriculture is recognized as a nature-based innovative production system that balances multiple sustainable development goals. However, few studies were conducted to investigate organic agriculture based on coupled human-earth systems. Here we introduced a hierarchical framework consisting of natural basis, management means, and demand objectives to understand organic agriculture. We reported the spatiotemporal patterns of organic agriculture and their socioeconomic and eco-environmental correlates and effects in China. Our study showed that organic production increased from 1.124 to 2.756 million ha in 2014–2021 with the most increase in soybeans, corn, and tea. The number of organic product certificates was higher in northeastern, southwestern, and eastern coastal China, and the fastest-growing occurred in western and south-central China. Of the 14 factors, management means and demand objectives ranked by organic enterprises, organic demonstration areas, food consumptions, pesticide applications, and large-scale farming operations had greater influences on organic agriculture. The interaction of human-environmental factors enhanced their impact. Organic farming increased soil carbon sequestration and reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional farming. Although average organic yields and output values per unit area were lower by 10.5–61.7 % and 5.1–48.9 % respectively for most crops, higher yields of corn, soybeans, and tea, and output values of vegetables were achieved in organic farming. We suggest synergizing organic agricultural system management to foster sustainable land use and rural development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17933,"journal":{"name":"Land Use Policy","volume":"152 ","pages":"Article 107506"},"PeriodicalIF":6.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143421430","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 : 2025-02-14DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107500
Tommy H.G. Wils , Jan J.H. van den Akker , Mandy Korff , Guido Bakema , Dries L.T. Hegger , Rudi Hessel , Mandy A. van den Ende , Martijn M.W. van Gils , Daan Verstand
Worldwide, peatlands suffer from land subsidence and greenhouse gas emissions due to artificial drainage inducing peat decomposition. Under anthropogenic climate change, these issues require measures to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and protect low-lying areas from increasing flood risk. Tighter control of groundwater levels is required, both within existing agricultural systems and through the development of new agricultural systems suitable for farming under high groundwater levels or inundation. The complexity and value-laden nature of the issue warrants the development of a comprehensive overview of potential and side effects of measures. In this paper such an overview is synthesized based on a mixed-method approach for a special case, The Netherlands. The Dutch peatlands comprise extensive land areas in the low-lying west and north of The Netherlands. The case is exceptional as most of these peatlands lie below sea level, sustain world-class intensive dairy farming and are subject to multiple other environmental, economic and societal challenges. Here, land subsidence increases flood risk, salt-water intrusion and the costs of water management, particularly under global climate change. To mitigate land subsidence, both technical measures and alternative land uses can be envisaged. However, the literature about these is fragmented, complicating a careful identification and selection of measures. To address this knowledge gap, we review 27 technical measures and alternative land use options and synthesize evidence and insights for 15 effects. Technical measures allowing continuation of existing dairy farming provide relatively low-risk interventions for farmers, but will only reduce, not stop land subsidence and greenhouse gas emissions. Alternative land-use options, particularly paludiculture, are in a start-up stage of development and can stop land subsidence. However, more research is required to reduce and control methane and potential nitrous oxide emissions during inundation required for crops such as (narrowleaf) cattail and azolla. Paludiculture can provide ecosystem services related to water management and nutrient status, as well as raw materials for a bio-based economy. Gradual transitions in space and time between farming and nature can be envisaged, providing incentives to diversify land use in the Dutch peatlands. This case study identifies key questions and provides valuable insights for peatland management worldwide. Reducing land subsidence and greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands is feasible, but requires thoughtful interventions that cautiously make and align trade-offs between various interests and uncertainties.
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