Analysis of the Spatial Variations of Determinants of Gully Agricultural Production Transformation in the Chinese Loess Plateau and Its Policy Implications

Abstract

Exploring the gully agricultural production transformation and its influencing factors is of considerable significance to the evolution of the human–land relationship and multifunctional transformation of gully agriculture in the context of new development. This paper tries to reveal intensive land use under the background of population contraction in the Chinese Loess Plateau and its transformation trend by defining the gully agricultural production transformation (GAPT). Given the representativeness of land-use change in the loess hilly and gully region (LHGR) was taken as a case study, and ArcGIS spatial analysis techniques and geographically and temporally weighted regression model (GTWR) were used to detect the spatio-temporal differentiation pattern and influencing factors. The results show that: (1) GAPT shifts from the high elevation area of 1000–1300 m to the low elevation area of <1000 m, and the transformation process remains within the range of slope 0–20° and topographic relief between 40 m and 180 m. (2) GTWR coupled with time non-stationary and spatial heterogeneity has a better fitting effect, which verifies its applicability in the study of GAPT. Social and economic factors were the main driving forces of GAPT in Yan’an City in the past 20 years, and they were increasing year by year. (3) The spatial-temporal distribution of the driving factors of the agricultural production transformation in Yan’an City is different. The intensity of the population factor and the slope factor is always in the dominant position, and the high value distribution area of the land average GDP factor forms a funnel-shaped pattern of “core edge” in the north and the central and western regions, and its changes tend to “flow” to the core. (4) The gully agricultural production transformation can reflect the general law of rural land use transition in gully areas, and thereby provide policy ideas for gully development. Overall, this study’s content can provide scientific guidance for the sustainable development of gully agriculture and the revitalization of watershed and land consolidation in gully areas.

Spatiotemporal characteristics of gully farming transformation on the Loess Plateau and implications: A case study of the Yan’an Loess Hilly and Gully Region

“…测度分析 [23] ， 其数学表达式为： [20,24] ， 高程和坡度分别选取 100 m 和 4°的等间隔进行分 域高质量发展目标。参照相关文献 [25,26] 市场高度集约化农业之间的连续体 [27] 。传统平原农 区的耕地利用由于地形、 气候等种植适宜性， 多以 规模化机械化耕作的生产功能为主 [28] ； 东部沿海地 区及大城市郊区则以休闲观光功能为主， 并集中于 农业结构优化、 劳动就业转移、 生态环境改善等方 面 [29] 。延安黄土丘陵沟壑区耕作转型是农民群体的 坡耕地撂荒、 经果林种植等行为， 以及山下治沟造 地发展现代沟道农业和山上植树造林生态退耕的 综合作用结果 [15,30] 。研究区作为中国集农牧交错、 生态脆弱、 经济滞后为一体的特殊区域， 其耕作转 型是农户主体需求的经济效益与政府主导的生态 政策共同作用的结果， 同时也是集约化产业化的多…”

Optimizing field management to promote the ecologicalization of agriculture in loess hilly-gully region, China

“…In loess hilly-gully region, where is ecologically fragile, ecologicalization of agriculture has been widely regarded as the development direction of regional agriculture by which can realize coordinated development of agricultural production and ecology (Qu et al, 2021). Since 1999, the Grain for Green Project (GGP) has greatly improved the eco-environment, while also intensified the contradictions between human and land and between human and grain for the massive decrease of cropland (Chen et al, 2015).…”

“…After years of comprehensive management, it witnessed significant changes of the spatial form of production-ecology, forming a spatial pattern of vegetation restoration on the hill and agricultural production in the gully (Cao et al, 2019). The formation of gully agriculture has laid a good foundation for the sustainable development of regional agriculture (Qu et al, 2021). Improving agricultural production efficiency and promoting ecologicalization of gully agriculture have become a feasible way to coordinate the development of regional agricultural production and ecological conservation (Guo and Liu, 2022).…”

Special Issue Editorial: Mountains under Pressure

“…They show an overall net increase in forest cover across the entire 25-year study period, which they attribute to a trend towards intensified tree-based farming systems. Qu et al (2021) [14] investigate the spatio-temporal differentiation pattern in gully production following the expansion of agriculture in the Chinese Loess Plateau. They report shifts in the agricultural elevational area in the past 20 years; a common trait of many mountain areas driven by social and economic factors.…”