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Land
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Land Degradation and Sustainable Land Management
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Land Degradation and Sustainable Land Management

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 May 2022) | Viewed by 29362

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Gergely Tóth

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Institute of Advanced Studies, 9730 Kőszeg, Hungary
2. Institute for Soil Sciences, Agricultural Research Centre, 1139 Budapest, Hungary
Interests: land degradation; soil functions; sustainable intensification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Eva Ivits

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
European Environment Agency, Copenhagen, Denmark
Interests: land use; land use intensity; land take; land recycling; habitats segmentation; carbon sequestration; land and ecosystem degradation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Bozena Smreczak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation—State Research Institute, 24-100 Puławy, Poland
Interests: soil functions and ecosystem services; soil properties; land degradation; sustainable management of agricultural soils
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Land degradation is a major threat to ecosystem functioning and services. Its negative impact locally coupled with off side environmental and social effects presents a major challenge for communities both on local and global levels. Climate change brings additional uncertainty to the dynamics of the land system, regarding biophysical transformations as well as social impacts.

Causes and forms of land degradation are diverse and answers have to be tailor-made accordingly. Site-specific solutions to achieve sustainable management of land span from conservation tillage practices on arable land to best practices of green infrastructure installation in urban and peri-urban environments, just to name some examples.

To this special issue, we invite to submit original papers dealing with land degradation and sustainable land management in local, regional continental or global scale. Concept papers with case study demonstrations and review articles are also welcome.

Papers presenting research results on the following topics are particularly welcome:

  • Land degradation neutrality: mapping, measuring, monitoring
  • Soil threats and land amelioration
  • Soil sealing, land take and optimization of land use along with alternative solutions
  • Land recycling
  • Sustainable soil management practices
  • Sustainable intensification
  • Climate change and land degradation including LULUCF
  • Spatial decision support systems for land use and land management
  • Economic and societal aspects of land degradation

Prof. Dr. Gergely Tóth
Dr. Eva Ivits
Prof. Dr. Bozena Smreczak
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. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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

  • LDN
  • land take
  • soil threats
  • land use planning
  • climate
  • sustainable land use
  • economic impact, social challenges

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 5423 KiB  
Article
Impact of Soil Sealing on Soil Carbon Sequestration, Water Storage Potentials and Biomass Productivity in Functional Urban Areas of the European Union and the United Kingdom
by Gergely Tóth, Eva Ivits, Gundula Prokop, Mirko Gregor, Jaume Fons-Esteve, Roger Milego Agràs and Emanuele Mancosu
Land 2022, 11(6), 840; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land11060840 - 03 Jun 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3774
Abstract
The negative impacts of soil sealing are numerous, from withdrawing fertile soil from biomass production to modifying the microclimate and decreasing biodiversity. Many of the processes are interrelated and propagate further undesirable consequences from local to global levels. Three issues are especially important [...] Read more.
The negative impacts of soil sealing are numerous, from withdrawing fertile soil from biomass production to modifying the microclimate and decreasing biodiversity. Many of the processes are interrelated and propagate further undesirable consequences from local to global levels. Three issues are especially important from the viewpoint of multiscale ecological cycles and consequent environmental impacts. One is soil organic carbon (SOC), the other is soil water management and the third is biomass productivity. In this study, we assessed the lost carbon sequestration potential due to soil sealing in functional Urban Areas (FUAs) of Europe, the potential effect of soil sealing on the topsoil to hold water to its full capacity and the loss of biomass productivity potential. Findings revealed that one-fifth of the area of soil that became sealed between 2012 and 2018 was of high productivity potential, and almost two-thirds was of medium productivity potential. New soil sealing caused a loss of carbon sequestration potential estimated at 4 million tons of carbon of the FUAs and also caused an estimated potential loss of water-holding capacity of 668 million m3. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Degradation and Sustainable Land Management)
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17 pages, 2667 KiB  
Article
Land Degradation Neutrality: State and Trend of Degradation at the Subnational Level in Mexico
by Itzel Arroyo, Virginia Cervantes, Víctor Tamaríz-Flores and Rosalía Castelán
Land 2022, 11(4), 562; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land11040562 - 11 Apr 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2150
Abstract
Identifying degraded lands and degradation trends is essential to determine measures that contribute to avoiding, reducing, and reversing the rate of deterioration of natural resources. In this study, we assessed the state and trend of degradation in Ixtacamaxtitlan, Puebla, Mexico, by determining the [...] Read more.
Identifying degraded lands and degradation trends is essential to determine measures that contribute to avoiding, reducing, and reversing the rate of deterioration of natural resources. In this study, we assessed the state and trend of degradation in Ixtacamaxtitlan, Puebla, Mexico, by determining the spatial and temporal changes of three indicators, Land Cover (LC), Land Productivity Dynamics (LPD), and Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), during the period 2000–2015, using global data proposed by the Convention to Combat Desertification for the implementation of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). The results showed increases in croplands (6.89%) and a reduction in grasslands (9.09%), with this being the transition that presents the most significant extension in the territory. The LPD is the indicator where the most deterioration was observed, and due to negative changes in LC, SOC losses were estimated at more than 7000 tons in the study period. The proportion of degraded land was 19% of approximately 567.68 km2 of Ixtacamaxtitlan’s surface. Although the municipality presents incipient degradation and only a tiny part showed improvement, identifying areas with degradation processes in this work will favor degradation monitoring and the adequate planning and application of restoration measures in the local context to promote the path towards LDN. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Degradation and Sustainable Land Management)
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16 pages, 5557 KiB  
Article
Comparison of the Vegetation Index of Reclamation Mining Areas Calculated by Multi-Source Remote Sensing Data
by Jiameng Hu, Baoying Ye, Zhongke Bai and Jiawei Hui
Land 2022, 11(3), 325; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land11030325 - 23 Feb 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2221
Abstract
Following vegetation reclamation in mining areas, secondary damage may occur at any time, especially in locations that have been mined for decades or even hundreds of years. Effective monitoring strategies are required to accurately assess plant growth and to detect the ecological effects [...] Read more.
Following vegetation reclamation in mining areas, secondary damage may occur at any time, especially in locations that have been mined for decades or even hundreds of years. Effective monitoring strategies are required to accurately assess plant growth and to detect the ecological effects of reclamation. Single satellite monitoring is often difficult to ensure vegetation monitoring needs, therefore multi-source remote sensing is preferred. Different sensor parameters and variation in spectral bands can lead to differences in the type of data obtained, and subsequently, methods for evaluating these differences are required for simultaneous sensor/band use. In this study, NDVI was selected to characterize the vegetation growth of the Antaibao Open-pit Coal Mine Dump by analyzing the correlation between different types of sensors (Landsat 8, HJ, Sentinel-2) and vegetation greenness in order to facilitate satellites’ replacement and supplement. Results show that: (1) Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 satellite have a high relevance for monitoring the vegetation, but the correlation between these two sensors and HJ is relatively low, (2) the correlation between NDVI values varied by vegetation type, tree (R = 0.8698) > combined grass, shrub and tree (R = 0.7788) > grass (R = 0.7619) > shrub (R = 0.7282), and (3) the phenomenon of “Low value is high, high value is low” in the NDVI value with HJ satellite monitoring may have been caused by a weak signal strength and low sensitivity of the HJ sensor. Comparing the correlation of multi-source sensors to monitor the vegetation in the mining areas can be helpful to determine the alternative supplement of sensors through conversion formulas, which are helpful in realizing the long-term monitoring of dumps and detecting reclamation response in mining areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Degradation and Sustainable Land Management)
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16 pages, 1477 KiB  
Article
Application of Steel Slag for Degraded Land Remediation
by Marina Díaz-Piloneta, Francisco Ortega-Fernández, Marta Terrados-Cristos and Jose Valeriano Álvarez-Cabal
Land 2022, 11(2), 224; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land11020224 - 02 Feb 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2458
Abstract
Land degradation, and especially acidification, are global issues that need to be addressed. A common practice to correct this problem is the use of lime or chemical fertilisers that involve the extraction of raw materials. This study proposes a more sustainable alternative using [...] Read more.
Land degradation, and especially acidification, are global issues that need to be addressed. A common practice to correct this problem is the use of lime or chemical fertilisers that involve the extraction of raw materials. This study proposes a more sustainable alternative using Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) slag. BOF slag is the main waste from the steel industry that is usually accumulated in landfills, which also implies environmental impacts. In this study, a series of laboratory tests have been carried out to analyse the feasibility of using BOF slag for the reclamation of degraded land. For soil acidification, BOF slag will be analysed as a liming agent. On the other hand, the benefits slag can provide as a nutrient source will be tested. As an added value, pre-treated and untreated slag will be compared. The results of these short-time experiments show how BOF slag could be a sustainable alternative as liming agent and amendment. Its use increased the levels of some micro and macronutrients available for plant growth and improved soil quality. It could, therefore, be a sustainable management practice that makes an important contribution to the circular economy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Degradation and Sustainable Land Management)
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13 pages, 4185 KiB  
Article
Drone-Based Identification of Erosive Processes in Open-Pit Mining Restored Areas
by Joan-Cristian Padró, Johnsson Cardozo, Pau Montero, Roger Ruiz-Carulla, Josep Maria Alcañiz, Dèlia Serra and Vicenç Carabassa
Land 2022, 11(2), 212; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land11020212 - 29 Jan 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 5505
Abstract
Unmanned Aerial Systems, or drones, are very helpful tools for managing open-pit mining operations and developing ecological restoration activities. This article presents a method for identifying water erosion processes in active quarries by means of drone imagery remote sensing, in the absence of [...] Read more.
Unmanned Aerial Systems, or drones, are very helpful tools for managing open-pit mining operations and developing ecological restoration activities. This article presents a method for identifying water erosion processes in active quarries by means of drone imagery remote sensing, in the absence of pre-existing imagery or mapping for comparison. A Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with a spatial resolution (SR) >10 cm and an orthophoto with an SR >2.5 cm were generated from images captured with a drone and their subsequent photogrammetric processing. By using Geographical Information Systems tools to process the DEM, a detailed drainage network was obtained, the areas of detected water erosion were separated, and the watersheds in the gullies identified. Subsequently, an estimated DEM before the erosive processes was reconstructed by interpolating the gully ridges; this DEM serves as a reference for the relief before the erosion. To calculate the volume of eroded material, the DEM of Differences was calculated, which estimates the volume difference between the previously estimated DEM and the current DEM. Additionally, we calculated the material necessary for the geomorphological adaptation of the quarry and the slope map, which are two valuable factors closely related to the monitoring of erosive processes. The results obtained allowed us to identify the erosion factors quickly and accurately in this type of mining. In the case of water-filled quarries, it would be important to characterize the subsurface relief. Essentially, the presented method can be applied with affordable and non-invasive materials to create digital grid maps at 10 cm resolution, obtaining data ready for 3D metrics, being a very practical landscape modelling tool for characterizing the restoration evolution of open-pit mining spaces. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Degradation and Sustainable Land Management)
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13 pages, 1677 KiB  
Article
Local Factors Controlling Gully Development in a Mediterranean Environment
by Bruno Martins, Adélia Nunes, Ana Meira-Castro, Luciano Lourenço and Carlos Hermenegildo
Land 2022, 11(2), 204; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land11020204 - 28 Jan 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2664
Abstract
Gullies contribute very efficiently to soil loss and degradation, particularly in Mediterranean environments. While natural factors are involved in gully formation and further development, anthropic action is almost always an element. Knowledge of formation and development factors are important if soil protection strategies [...] Read more.
Gullies contribute very efficiently to soil loss and degradation, particularly in Mediterranean environments. While natural factors are involved in gully formation and further development, anthropic action is almost always an element. Knowledge of formation and development factors are important if soil protection strategies and measures are to be effective. In this paper, we identify the most important factors in the development of gullies in a Mediterranean setting based on a study of the Alva gully (central Portugal). Its development in the last four years is examined, based on a study of the modification of its morphological characteristics. The analysis was based on principal component analysis (PCA) to estimate the correlation between the quantitative characteristics, geomorphological processes, and biophysical variables. The results show that the main factors that seem to control the spatial variation of soil erosion are the soil penetration resistance, slope, slope shape, and vegetation cover. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Degradation and Sustainable Land Management)
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16 pages, 4267 KiB  
Article
Mapping Abandoned Cropland Changes in the Hilly and Gully Region of the Loess Plateau in China
by Yanwei Wang and Wei Song
Land 2021, 10(12), 1341; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land10121341 - 05 Dec 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2838
Abstract
As a form of land marginalization, abandoned cropland has an important impact on food security and the effective supply of agricultural products. With rapid urbanization across the world, large areas of cropland are abandoned in some regions, especially in mountainous and hilly areas [...] Read more.
As a form of land marginalization, abandoned cropland has an important impact on food security and the effective supply of agricultural products. With rapid urbanization across the world, large areas of cropland are abandoned in some regions, especially in mountainous and hilly areas with poor terrain. Due to the fine fragmentation and scattered distribution of abandoned cropland, and considering differences in the abandoned and fallow time of cropland, it is difficult to extract information using remote sensing technology. Therefore, this paper proposes a change in the detection method for extracting abandoned cropland information based on identifying the annual land use trajectory. Based on Landsat satellite data, annual land use was mapped from 2011 to 2020 in Gaolan County, which is located in the hilly and gully region of the Loess Plateau of China, using the random forest classification method. Subsequently, abandoned cropland information in Gaolan County was extracted, based on the land use change trajectory and analysis of the influencing factors of abandoned land. The results showed that: (1) The overall accuracy of land use interpretation in Gaolan County ranged from 86.44% to 95.45%, from 2011 to 2020, with a kappa coefficient of up to 0.93, and the classification results were ideal. (2) The recall of extracted abandoned cropland was 81%, the extraction accuracy of which was relatively high. (3) From 2013 to 2020, the cropland abandonment rate in Gaolan County ranged from 8.41% to 19.65%, with an average of 14.55%, which increased and then decreased. The abandonment rate was highest in 2015 but it then decreased year by year. The average period of abandoned cropland was 4.2 years. (4) The influence factors of the plot scale explain the difference in the spatial distribution of cultivated land abandonment. The higher the slope condition, the lower the soil nutrient content and the greater the possibility of abandonment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Degradation and Sustainable Land Management)
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14 pages, 2883 KiB  
Article
Shelterbelts Planted on Cultivated Fields Are Not Solutions for the Recovery of Former Forest-Related Herbaceous Vegetation
by Nóra Szigeti, Imre Berki, Andrea Vityi and Leonid Rasran
Land 2021, 10(9), 930; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land10090930 - 03 Sep 2021
Viewed by 1544
Abstract
Establishing shelterbelts for field protection is one of the rediscovered agroforestry practices in Europe and Hungary. Several studies have focused on the effects of these plantations on agricultural production. Prior scholarship reveals that shelterbelts enhance the diversity of bird and insect communities but [...] Read more.
Establishing shelterbelts for field protection is one of the rediscovered agroforestry practices in Europe and Hungary. Several studies have focused on the effects of these plantations on agricultural production. Prior scholarship reveals that shelterbelts enhance the diversity of bird and insect communities but generally fail to consider herbaceous cover. Our study aimed to describe the herbaceous vegetation in shelterbelts of different origins, tree species composition, and land management. We investigated surveys in four agricultural landscapes of North West Hungary, where the intensity of the landscape transformation is different. The diversity and species composition of the herbaceous vegetation were analyzed, including plant sociology and forest affinity. Our results highlight the importance of landscape history in herbaceous flora. Shelterbelts planted on cultivated without an immediate connection to former woody vegetation soil are not appropriate for the appearance of forest-related herbaceous species, regardless of tree species composition or the extent of the shelterbelt. On the contrary, the remnants of former woody vegetation are refuges for those herbaceous species that are very slow at colonizing new plantations. These findings expose that protecting existing woody areas is an essential task of agricultural land management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Degradation and Sustainable Land Management)
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12 pages, 903 KiB  
Review
Proposal of a Nomenclature for Hydrogeological Instability Risks and Case Studies of Conservative Soil Tillage for Environmental Protection
by Davide Puccio, Antonio Comparetti, Carlo Greco and Salvatore Raimondi
Land 2022, 11(1), 108; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land11010108 - 10 Jan 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1589
Abstract
In order to implement environmental protection, within the Soil Cadastre, previously proposed as a multipurpose inventory that aims to promote sustainable soil uses, the hydrogeological instability caused by human activities is the focus of this work. These activities can be aimed at sustainable [...] Read more.
In order to implement environmental protection, within the Soil Cadastre, previously proposed as a multipurpose inventory that aims to promote sustainable soil uses, the hydrogeological instability caused by human activities is the focus of this work. These activities can be aimed at sustainable agricultural soil use or the building of roads to allow the access to the fields. The soil’s hydrogeological instability causes the unsustainable use and management of a cadastral parcel. Therefore, the aim of this work is to propose a nomenclature for hydrogeological instability risks, as well as the best practices of conservative soil tillage in case studies, in order to reduce environmental impact. According to the proposed Soil Cadastre, the missing environmental sustainability of a parcel and the reason for this must be communicated to the field owner or manager. In a hilly area of inland Western Sicily, four main risk types of hydrogeological instability were identified: hydrogeological instability (caused only by natural factors); hydraulic-pedological farming instability (crop not suitable for the field for missing or insufficient soil drainage and landslides); hydraulic-infrastructural instability (built up infrastructures unsuitable for the site); hydraulic-infrastructural-pedological-management instability (field improvements changing the downflow line and crop operations not suitable for the soil and climate parameters). The farm owner or manager must be informed about the risk type affecting their fields in order to perform the best practices (i.e., conservative soil tillage), for implementing or restoring a sustainable soil use or management in each cadastral parcel. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Land Degradation and Sustainable Land Management)
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