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Conservation of Bio- and Geo-Diversity and Landscape Changes

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 July 2022) | Viewed by 27596

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Prof. Dr. Alexandru-Ionuţ Petrişor

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Doctoral School of Urban Planning, “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urbanism, 010014 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: environmetrics; systems ecology; spatial ecology; geostatistics; urban ecology; landscape ecology; land cover and use; land cover and use changes; sustainable spatial development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Adrian Ursu

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Geography and Geology, University “Alexandru Ioan Cuza”, 700506 Iași, Romania
Interests: land use/land cover changes; image processing; satellite image analysis; digital mapping; natural and environmental risk assessment through remote sensing; urban sprawl and remote sensing; heritage and remote sensing
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Dr. Ilinca-Valentina Stoica

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Geography and Interdisciplinary, Centre for Advanced Research on Territorial Dynamics, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
Interests: urban expansion process; spatial planning; territorial governance; rural development; post-socialist dynamics; socio-economic disparities; small towns
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Rio Convention on Biological Diversity has established biodiversity as a key concept governing the development policies of most countries towards assuming responsibility for the environment. Many scientists equate biodiversity (and also geo- and eco-diversity) with the ecological infrastructure of our planet. The convention has also recommended measures dealing with the conservation of biodiversity, as well as the measures needed to ensure that the future development is made in a way that does not affect the biodiversity. At the same time, as part of the “global changes”, land cover and use changes are a major threat to biodiversity. The Special Issue deals with the relation of the two, and with the factors able to affect it, such as drivers and possibilities to control it. We welcome pure and applied research, as well as comparative studies. Examples of possible topics include:

Impact of the land cover and use changes on bio-, geo-, and eco-diversity: drivers and means of controlling or mitigating it;
Impact of the land cover and use changes on the natural protected areas: drivers and means of controlling or mitigating it;
Spatial planning tools for preventing the land cover and use changes within and around the natural protected areas at different spatial scales;
Natural hazards and bio-, geo-, and eco-diversity: human influence on their relationship;
Local development challenges in natural protected areas.

Dr. Alexandru-Ionuţ Petrişor
Dr. Adrian Ursu
Dr. Ilinca-Valentina Stoica
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

biodiversity
eco-diversity
geo-diversity
land cover and use changes
planning
natural protected areas
local development

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

28 pages, 8713 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Do the New Residential Areas in Bucharest Satisfy Population Demands, and Where Do They Fall Short?

by Mihaela Preda, Iuliana Vijulie, Ana-Irina Lequeux-Dincă, Marta Jurchescu, Alina Mareci and Alexandru Preda

Land 2022, 11(6), 855; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land11060855 - 06 Jun 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2612

Abstract

In recent years, Bucharest’s residential dynamics have thrived, fueled by growing demand and an insufficient housing fund. This study aimed to analyze the residential satisfaction of those living in newly built dwellings. Its objectives were to identify the characteristics of three new residential areas and analyze the satisfaction level among residents regarding both their dwellings and neighborhoods. The investigation employed direct observations during the fieldwork phase (through observation sheets and mapping methods) and surveys (through questionnaires with residents and interviews with developers). Its results highlighted spaces that exhibit an increase in residential constructions, with a tendency to expand toward suburban areas, without necessarily meeting legislative requirements. When measuring the population’s residential satisfaction level, the study observed a general satisfaction regarding dwellings’ modernity and price but noticeable differences within the sample residential nuclei. The solutions proposed by residents mainly target authorities, who were held responsible for developing the urban infrastructure prior to granting building permits, as well as for vetting developers better and requiring them to respect the legislation. Hence, scientists, local authorities, real-estate developers and the local population represent the beneficiaries of the current study’s results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation of Bio- and Geo-Diversity and Landscape Changes)

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18 pages, 3671 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Fine-Scale Present and Historical Land Cover on Plant Diversity in Central European National Parks with Heterogeneous Landscapes

by Radomír Němec, Marie Vymazalová and Hana Skokanová

Land 2022, 11(6), 814; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land11060814 - 31 May 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1512

Abstract

As the human population grows, the transformation of landscapes for human uses increases. In recent homogeneous and predominantly agricultural landscapes, land-cover and management changes are considered the main drivers of vascular plant diversity. However, the specific effects of land-cover classes across whole heterogeneous landscapes are still insufficiently explored. Here, we investigated two floristic surveys realised in 1997 and 2021, accompanied by fine-scale land-cover classes detected in 1950, 1999 and 2018, to reveal the impact of historical and present land cover on the pattern of species composition and species richness in the bilateral Podyjí and Thayatal National Parks. Multi-dimensional analyses revealed that the species composition was driven by the fine-scale historical land cover, the overall species richness was mostly affected by the river phenomenon and the present richness was mostly affected by increased soil nutrients. In well-preserved protected areas, it is especially desirable to restore disappearing land-cover classes with traditional or compensatory management to retain plant species richness, which is a key factor of biodiversity. However, management plans should also take into account the increasing amount of nitrogen in soils from long-term continual deposition, which can strongly impact the species richness, even in national parks with low current deposition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation of Bio- and Geo-Diversity and Landscape Changes)

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18 pages, 2043 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Severe Drought Monitoring by Remote Sensing Methods and Its Impact on Wetlands Birds Assemblages in Nuntași and Tuzla Lakes (Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve)

by Vasile Jitariu, Alexandru Dorosencu, Pavel Ichim and Constantin Ion

Land 2022, 11(5), 672; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land11050672 - 30 Apr 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2262

Abstract

The present paper aims to highlight the impact of the partial or total drying of the Nuntași and Tuzla lakes (from the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve) as a result of intense drought phenomena on groups of waterfowl that are encountered in this region. Our analysis combined satellite remote sensing techniques with bird observations that were made monthly during the analyzed period, corroborated with the meteorological context of the time interval that was taken into account. The results of the satellite image processing show a partial drying in 2013 and a total drying in 2020 of the Nuntași and Tuzla lakes, which were caused by both natural factors (drought) and anthropogenic factors (inadequate management of the area—e.g.,: communication channels with surrounding lakes are clogged). These situations have led to repercussions for groups of birds, which behave differently depending on their ecology. Pelicans and swans are the most affected birds, they leave the area in the absence of water, whereas gulls and terns are not affected by the decrease in the water surface, they even increase their numbers in such conditions. Our study also shows that from 2010 to 2020 the largest numbers of birds (total numbers of birds), with the exception of pelicans, were recorded in 2013 and 2020, more precisely in the years when the water surface decreased considerably. Another important feature of this paper involves highlighting how fragile an ecosystem can be in the context of climate change, but also how important it is to involve human society in maintaining the adequate conditions for an ecosystem that is part of one of the most important biodiversity hotspots on the planet, the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation of Bio- and Geo-Diversity and Landscape Changes)

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31 pages, 1253 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Could Lavender Farming Go from a Niche Crop to a Suitable Solution for Romanian Small Farms?

by Iuliana Vijulie, Ana-Irina Lequeux-Dincă, Mihaela Preda, Alina Mareci and Elena Matei

Land 2022, 11(5), 662; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land11050662 - 29 Apr 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2669

Abstract

Lavender crops have had an impressive continuous development in recent years, being currently a suitable alternative to other traditional crops because they can yield a high profit per hectare. This can be especially useful in Romania, with its high prevalence of subsistence and semi-subsistence farms. This study aims to analyse the issue of small emergent lavender farms in the context of the current Romanian agricultural background, including the framework mechanisms for implementing the Common Agricultural Policy at a national level. The research uses the qualitative survey method to provide broad, synthetic, analytical insights into small lavender farms/businesses in Romania, considering the perspective of the following two target groups: farm owners and civil servants with agricultural expertise. The main results show that both sample groups agree that lavender farms can be successful and satisfactory solutions. Increasing participation in information and training sessions may improve farmers’ access to financing mechanisms, but both small farmers and civil servants with agricultural expertise identify a series of problems, mainly regarding the absence of a dedicated market for lavender-based products and a lack of labour force, both essential for maintaining the farming–processing–commercialising chain. The authors also conclude that a more flexible and future harmonisation between Romania’s agricultural realities, the Common Agricultural Policy, and the National Rural Development Programme would improve lavender farming’s social and economic impact. Follow-up research may envisage more in-depth market analyses for this emerging sector in Romania, facing obvious competition, but which could also benefit from good practice exchanges in the region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation of Bio- and Geo-Diversity and Landscape Changes)

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20 pages, 1036 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanisms of Change in Urban Green Infrastructure—Evidence from Romania and Poland

by Alexandru-Ionuț Petrișor, Lidia Mierzejewska and Andrei Mitrea

Land 2022, 11(5), 592; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land11050592 - 19 Apr 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2061

Abstract

The extent and continuity of green infrastructure can be adjusted by planning. Depending on the sense of the adjustment, the process can lead to a vicious cycle, resulting in poorer urban quality, or to a virtuous planning, thus leading to psychological wellbeing and sustainability. However, socioeconomic circumstances also play an important role in managing green infrastructure. Starting from these premises, the current study aims to take an in-depth look at the mechanisms of change in urban green infrastructure and provide concrete planning recommendations for dealing with the green infrastructure. It is based on a complex approach, combining an ecological design, including geo-statistical analyses of the structure and dynamics of different categories of green infrastructure in all Romanian and Polish cities covered by the Urban Atlas data during 2006–2018, with selected case studies for analyzing the deeper mechanisms and drivers of change in green infrastructure, and focusing on the role of different planning actors. The results indicate that green infrastructure was lost in all the cities analyzed, regardless of the different planning systems of the two countries. Based on this, specific recommendations can be phrased for all stakeholders of the planning process, including planners, local administrations, policy makers, and scientists. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation of Bio- and Geo-Diversity and Landscape Changes)

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21 pages, 4164 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Linking Land Use and Plant Functional Diversity Patterns in Sabah, Borneo, through Large-Scale Spatially Continuous Sentinel-2 Inference

by Leon T. Hauser, Joris Timmermans, Nadejda A. Soudzilovskaia and Peter M. van Bodegom

Land 2022, 11(4), 572; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land11040572 - 13 Apr 2022

Viewed by 1973

Abstract

Global biodiversity losses erode the functioning of our vital ecosystems. Functional diversity is increasingly recognized as a critical link between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Satellite earth observation was proposed to address the current absence of information on large-scale continuous patterns of plant functional diversity. This study demonstrates the inference and spatial mapping of functional diversity metrics through satellite remote sensing over a large key biodiversity region (Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, ~53,000 km²) and compares the derived estimates across a land-use gradient as an initial qualitative assessment to test the potential merits of the approach. Functional traits (leaf water content, chlorophyll-a and -b, and leaf area index) were estimated from Sentinel-2 spectral reflectance using a pre-trained neural network on radiative transfer modeling simulations. Multivariate functional diversity metrics were calculated, including functional richness, divergence, and evenness. Spatial patterns of functional diversity were related to land-use data distinguishing intact forest, logged forest, and oil palm plantations. Spatial patterns of satellite remotely sensed functional diversity are significantly related to differences in land use. Intact forests, as well as logged forests, featured consistently higher functional diversity compared to oil palm plantations. Differences were profound for functional divergence, whereas functional richness exhibited relatively large variances within land-use classes. By linking large-scale patterns of functional diversity as derived from satellite remote sensing to land-use information, this study indicated initial responsiveness to broad human disturbance gradients over large geographical and spatially contiguous extents. Despite uncertainties about the accuracy of the spatial patterns, this study provides a coherent early application of satellite-derived functional diversity toward further validation of its responsiveness across ecological gradients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation of Bio- and Geo-Diversity and Landscape Changes)

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20 pages, 6044 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Spatial and Temporal Evolution and Drivers of Habitat Quality in the Hung River Valley

by Xin Fan, Xinchen Gu, Haoran Yu, Aihua Long, Damien Sinonmatohou Tiando, Shengya Ou, Jiangfeng Li, Yuejing Rong, Guiling Tang, Yanjun Zheng, Mingjie Shi, Mengwen Wang, Xiong Wang and Chunbo Huang

Land 2021, 10(12), 1369; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land10121369 - 11 Dec 2021

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3056

Abstract

The survival and sustainability of regional species is constrained by habitat quality. In recent decades, the intensification of human activities on a global scale has had a profound impact on regional ecosystems and poses a serious threat to regional sustainable development. Scientific measurement of the drivers of habitat quality can provide important support for the development of effective biodiversity conservation and sustainable land-use policies. Taking the Hung River Valley as an example, the InVEST model was used to assess the habitat quality of the study area in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020 and to explore its spatial and temporal variation and distribution characteristics in combination with the spatial autocorrelation model, and the geographically weighted regression (GWR) model was used to explore the drivers of habitat quality change. The results show the following: (1) The overall habitat quality shows an increasing trend during 2000–2020, but the expansion of construction land in the central region plays a dominant role in the degradation of regional habitat quality. (2) The “Guide-Ledu” line is the dividing line of habitat quality in the Hung River Valley, with a general distribution of “south is good, north is bad” and “south is hot, north is cold”. (3) Natural factors such as slope and elevation basically shape the overall distribution pattern of habitat quality, while urbanisation factors such as population density, gross domestic product, and the night-time lighting index are generally negatively correlated with habitat quality. The results of the study can reveal the linkage between ecosystems and land-use change in the context of urbanisation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation of Bio- and Geo-Diversity and Landscape Changes)

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14 pages, 3208 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Landscape Attributes Best Explain the Population Trend of Wintering Greater White-Fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) in the Yangtze River Floodplain

by Sheng Chen, Yong Zhang, Amaël Borzée, Tao Liang, Manyu Zhang, Hui Shi, Bin Chen, Wenbin Xu, Yunwei Song and Lingfeng Mao

Land 2021, 10(8), 865; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land10080865 - 18 Aug 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2232

Abstract

Biodiversity in the Middle and Lower Yangtze Floodplain has critically decreased during the last several decades, driven by numerous determinants. Hence, identification of primary drivers of animal population decline is a priority for conservation. Analyzing long time-series data is a powerful way to assess drivers of declines, but the data are often missing, hampering effective conservation policymaking. In this study, based on twenty-four years (from 1996 to 2019) of annual maximal count data, we investigated the effects of climate and landscape changes on the increasing population trend of the Greater White-Fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) at a Ramsar site in the Middle and Lower Yangtze Floodplain, China. Our results showed that the availability of a suitable habitat and landscape attributes are the key driving forces affecting the population trend, while the effects of climate factors are weak. Specifically, increasing the area of suitable habitat and alleviating habitat fragmentation through a fishing ban policy may have provided a more suitable habitat to the geese, contributing to the increasing population trend. However, we also observed that the grazing prohibition policy implemented in 2017 at Shengjin Lake may have potentially negatively affected geese abundance, as grazing by larger herbivores may favor smaller geese species by modifying the vegetation community and structure. Based on our results, we suggest several practical countermeasures to improve the habitat suitability for herbivorous goose species wintering in this region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation of Bio- and Geo-Diversity and Landscape Changes)

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13 pages, 4198 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rapid Reclamation and Degradation of Suaeda salsa Saltmarsh along Coastal China’s Northern Yellow Sea

by Jing Zhang, Yan Zhang, Huw Lloyd, Zhengwang Zhang and Donglai Li

Land 2021, 10(8), 835; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land10080835 - 09 Aug 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2654

Abstract

Suaeda salsa saltmarshes are an important coastal wetland habitat of China’s northern Yellow Sea, which plays a critical role in sequestering carbon (blue carbon), protecting shorelines, maintaining biodiversity, and has substantial economic value (e.g., ecotourism). However, the area of S. salsa has been rapidly declining due to several different threats from reclamation and invasive species that impact its natural succession. Here, we map the changes in the distribution of the S. salsa saltmarshes along the northern Yellow Sea of China (NYSC) at 5-year intervals by applying the supervised maximum likelihood method to analyze Landsat images from 1988 to 2018 and investigate the potential impact of three important factors on habitat change by analyzing the temporal changes in S. salsa saltmarshes with other land covers. S. salsa saltmarsh areas have decreased by 63% (264 km² ha to 99 km²), and the average loss of S. salsa saltmarshes was 5.5 km²/year along the NYSC over the past three decades. There have been many dramatic declines in the two main distribution areas of S. salsa saltmarshes with a 77% loss of habitat area in Liaodong Bay (from 112 km² to 26 km²) and a 52% loss in the Yellow River Delta wetland-Guangli-Zhima estuarine wetland (from 137 km² to 65 km²). Land reclamation is the most important impact factor in the loss of S. salsa saltmarshes, while there have been limited effects of natural succession and smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) invasion. In light of the important ecological services and economic value of the S. salsa habitat, emergency conservation actions (e.g., habitat restoration, strictly supervision) are needed to limit the rapid habitat loss, which should include the immediate cessation of extensive land reclamation along the NYSC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation of Bio- and Geo-Diversity and Landscape Changes)

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16 pages, 3180 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Land Use on Avian Diversity in North African Urban Environments

by Hani Amir Aouissi, Alexandru-Ionuţ Petrişor, Mostefa Ababsa, Maria Boştenaru-Dan, Mahmoud Tourki and Zihad Bouslama

Land 2021, 10(4), 434; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/land10040434 - 18 Apr 2021

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 4434

Abstract

Land cover and use changes are important to study for their impact on ecosystem services and ultimately on sustainability. In urban environments, a particularly important research question addresses the relationship between urbanization-related changes and biodiversity, subject to controversies in the literature. Birds are an important ecological group, and useful for answering this question. The present study builds upon the hypothesis according to which avian diversity decreases with urbanization. In order to answer it, a sample of 4245 observations from 650 sites in Annaba, Algeria, obtained through the point abundance index method, were investigated by computing Shannon-Wiener’s diversity index and the species richness, mapping them, and analyzing the results statistically. The findings confirm the study hypothesis and are relevant for planning, as they stress the role of urban green spaces as biodiversity hotspots, and plead for the need of connecting them. From a planning perspective, the results emphasize the need for interconnecting the green infrastructure through avian corridors. Moreover, the results fill in an important lack of data on the biodiversity of the region, and are relevant for other similar Mediterranean areas. Future studies could use the findings to compare with data from other countries and continents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation of Bio- and Geo-Diversity and Landscape Changes)

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