Elevated Risk of Ecological Land and Underlying Factors Associated with Rapid Urbanization and Overprotected Agriculture in Northeast China

Abstract

Ecological land with considerable ecological value can be regarded as an important indicator in guaranteeing ecosystem function and sustainable development. Generally, the urbanization process has been considered to be the primary factor affecting ecological land use. However, the influence of agricultural development, particularly in a typical farming area, has rarely been studied. In this paper, we present a method to assess the ecological risk of ecological land (ELER) in a black soil area in northeastern China. Furthermore, the underlying factors were detected using the geographically weighted regression model, which took into account conditions of natural elements, the urbanization process, and grain production conditions. The results indicate that ecological land experienced remarkable changes with an evident loss and decline from 1996–2015. The ELER progressively increased in the concentrated farming area and the western agro-pastoral ecotone, and the ecological land in the eastern forest area was always at a high risk level. According to the regression coefficients, the relationships between influence factors and ELER could be better explained by the variables of elevation, slope, proportion of rural residential area, and ratio of cultivated land area to residential area. To summarize, agricultural occupation and urban expansion were verified as the two main causes of ecological land loss, as well as elevated risks. In light of the current situation, measures such as policy adjustment and ecological restoration should be taken to avoid risk and optimize land use.

Spatial–Temporal Evolution and Correlation Analysis of Ecosystem Service Value and Landscape Ecological Risk in Wuhu City

“…By using ArcGIS 10.2 software and considering relevant studies [24,25] and computing efficiency, a 5 km × 5 km grid was used to conduct grid resampling of Wuhu city's landscape types, and 304 evaluation units were formed. Based on the evaluation unit, the ecosystem service value and landscape ecological risk index were calculated and assigned to the centre point of the evaluation unit; then Kriging interpolation was carried out to analyze the spatial pattern distribution characteristics.…”

Reclamation of Cultivated Land Reserves in Northeast China: Indigenous Ecological Insecurity Underlying National Food Security

“…As a consequence, northeast China could be considered as an area characterized by little occupation but massive compensation activity. When confronted with this noteworthy agricultural expansion, northeast China, serving as one of the country's most crucial grain bases, needs to reconsider the position of local ecological security and direct it towards the development of sustainable agriculture [23,28]. Unlike the supply of food and raw materials on a worldwide scale, many ecosystem services, such as water conservation and soil retention, are more localized and crucial for indigenous agroecosystems [22,29].…”

“…Even if cultivated land is considered as the bottommost of the resources on which humans survive, it fails to contribute to crucial ecosystem services that could only be provisioned by natural resources [21,22]. What is more, an agroecosystem without supports from natural resources or appropriate ecological preservation will be acknowledged as unsustainable [20,23]. Therefore, in order to ensure both food and ecological security, the gains and losses through reclamation in the regions characterized by massive loss of cultivated land reserves must be weighed.…”

Reoccupying Ecological Land for Excessively Expanded Rust Belt Cities in Traditional Grain Bases: An Eco-Economic Trade-Off Perspective

“…The remaining land was classified as cropland (C) and construction land (CL). More details are given a previous study that we conducted [30].…”

“…However, the market reform and industrial structural transformation since 1990s has caused severe urban decline and formed large numbers of rust belt cities, which are currently facing common dilemmas that constrain urban development [29]. First, the industrial production activities in most rust belt cities consume vast natural resources and decreased the quantity and quality of ecological land, implying low land use efficiency and an irrational land resource arrangement [30]. Second, accompanying the recession of traditional industries, a certain amount of abandoned land and underutilized land was left behind, especially in the built-up areas and peri-urban areas, posing an obstacle to urban renewal and economic recovery [31].…”