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Ecological Restoration and Sustainable Livelihoods in Vulnerable and Degraded Regions

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability, Biodiversity and Conservation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 6569

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Liangxin Fan

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Guest Editor

1. School of Surveying and Land Information Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo 454003, China
2. Research Centre of Arable Land Protection and Urban-Rural High-Quality Development of Yellow River Basin, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo 454000, China
Interests: rural development; water resource management; Grain for Green; farmer livelihoods; pro-environmental behavior

Prof. Dr. Xiaoshu Cao

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Guest Editor

Northwest Land and Resource Research Center, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China
Interests: transport and land use; urban-rural planning; human-land coupling; travel behavior; urban transport
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Prof. Dr. Xiaohu Dang

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Guest Editor

College of Geology and Environment, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, 710054, China
Interests: ecological restoration; ecosystem services; soil and water conservation; ecological modelling; carrying capacity
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Dr. Lie Xiao

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Guest Editor

College of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an 710048, China
Interests: vegetation restoration; water resource management; soil quality; ecological modelling; ecological stoichiometry
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Globally, approximately 25% of the total land area has been degraded, which affects around 3.2 billion people, primarily rural communities, smallholder farmers and the very poor. Many restoration initiatives, such as the Chinese Grain for Green projects, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), EU Biodiversity Strategy (2011–2020) and others, have been launched in recent decades with the aim of improving ecosystem service and sustainable livelihoods. With the intensive cooperation of governments, scientists and NGOs, the Earth has become greener according to the newest data released from NASA satellites. Restoration initiatives not only return ‘natural capital’ but also contribute to social, financial, and human capital, including through the creation of jobs, thriving environments, and harmonious communities. In turn, residents’ livelihoods (lifestyle, farming, source of income) are affected by the involved restoration project. Unexpected results and income fluctuations may threaten poverty alleviation and the sustainable livelihoods of rural communities. We aim to summarize the current achievements, measures, methods, technology and policies of each restoration case around the globe. In doing so, our hope is to find a global solution for guiding the next stage of restoration through individual cases.

For this Special Issue, we invite research contributions involving analysis and empirical work on farmers’ livelihoods, poverty alleviation and sustainable development in vulnerable or degraded regions. We also encourage empirical research of the achievements, measures, technology and policies of each restoration case around the globe. Original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas covered in these submissions may include (but are not limited to) the following: ecological restoration, Grain for Green, sustainable livelihoods, land degradation, poverty alleviation, human–natural interlaced zones, smallholder farmers and rural development.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Liangxin Fan
Prof. Dr. Xiaoshu Cao
Prof. Dr. Xiaohu Dang
Dr. Lie Xiao
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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

ecological restoration
Grain for Green
sustainable livelihoods
poverty alleviation
human–natural interlaced zone
smallholder farmer
land degradation
rural development

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 5256 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Eco-Environmental Effects and Spatial Heterogeneity of “Production-Ecology-Living” Land Use Transformation: A Case Study for Ningxia, China

by Yaotao Xu, Peng Li, Jinjin Pan, Yi Zhang, Xiaohu Dang, Xiaoshu Cao, Junfang Cui and Zhi Yang

Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9659; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14159659 - 05 Aug 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1408

Abstract

Spatio-temporal changes to the eco-environmental quality index (EQI) and determination of their spatial differentiation characteristics are important bases for land management and ecological environment protection. This study evaluates the changes in EQI and its spatial distribution characteristics with reference to the three dominant functions of land use, namely “production-ecology-living” (PEL), based on the interpretation of land use remote sensing data in 2000, 2010 and 2018. The spatial diversity of ecological environment quality and its driving factors were quantitatively analyzed by gravity center transfer, cold and hot spot analysis, and the GeoDetector model. The results showed that: (1) The transformation of land in Ningxia from 2000 to 2018 mainly manifested by the increase in industrial and mining production land (IMPL), urban living land (ULL) and rural living land (RLL), and the decrease of grassland ecological land (GEL), especially in the north of Ningxia. (2) The ecological environment quality decreased slightly during the research period, but there was an improvement trend in the north. High environment quality values were concentrated in the Liupan Mountain area in the south of Ningxia, while the low values were mainly in the desert areas of Shapotou County and Zhongning County in the west. (3) The interaction between land use intensity and topographic factors led to spatial change in EQI in the research area. Effects of land use intensity are the dominant factor, reflecting the degree of impact of human activities on natural ecosystems. Our results suggest that topographic factors and human disturbances should be fully taken into account in future land and spatial development decisions to minimize human-ecological conflicts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Restoration and Sustainable Livelihoods in Vulnerable and Degraded Regions)

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13 pages, 2570 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Heavy Metal Content and Pollution Assessment in Typical Check Dam Sediment in a Watershed of Loess Plateau, China

by Yongxia Meng, Peng Li, Lie Xiao, Rui Wang, Shutong Yang, Jiangxue Han and Bingze Hu

Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8597; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14148597 - 14 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1214

Abstract

To understand historical trends and assess the ecological risk associated with heavy metal pollution, the concentration of eight species of heavy metals (vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and arsenic (As)) in typical silt dam sediments on the Loess Plateau were analyzed. The radionuclide ¹³⁷Cs was used to quantify rates of erosion, deposition, and heavy metal contamination in the soils of a watershed that supplies a check dam. The sediment record revealed three time periods distinguished by trends in erosion and pollutant accumulation (1960–1967, 1968–1981, and 1985–1991). Heavy metal concentrations were highest but exhibited significant fluctuation in the first two periods (1960–1967 and 1968–1981). From 1985 to 1991, heavy metal pollution showed a downward trend and tended to be stable. The potential risks of heavy metals in silt dam sediments were explored by applying the geo-accumulation index and the potential ecological risk index. The results indicated medium risk associated with Cu and As accumulation, especially in 1963, 1971, and 1986 when the assessed values increased significantly from previous levels. Agricultural practices and high rates of slope erosion may be responsible for the enrichment of As and Cu in soil and the accompanying increase in risk. Land use optimization and the careful use of fertilizers could be used to control or intercept heavy metal pollutants in dammed lands. The results provide the basis for evaluating the current status and ecological risk of heavy metal contamination in dam sediments and for predicting possible heavy metal pollution in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Restoration and Sustainable Livelihoods in Vulnerable and Degraded Regions)

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20 pages, 8801 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of the Human Critical Area (HCA) in the “Three Water Lines” Region of Northwest China and the Impact of Socioeconomic Factors between 2000 and 2020

by Zhiting Chen, Qing Ren, Tian Zhang, Zhewen Kang, Xiaoyan Huang, Peng Li, Xiaohu Dang, Xiaoshu Cao and Mingjiang Deng

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5728; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14095728 - 09 May 2022

Viewed by 2992

Abstract

The Human Critical Area (HCA) is an area that characterizes the surface landscape created by human beings in the Anthropocene. Based on the signatures left by major human activities over the Earth′s surface, this research demarcates an arid inland region of Northwest China, the “Three Water Lines”, into four HCA types: Agricultural Area, Built-up Area, Ecological Area, and Bare Area. This paper explores the HCA′s distribution and changes in the “Three Water Lines” region between 2000 and 2020 with land use/cover data, as well as the impact of socioeconomic factors on the HCA dynamics with statistics sourcing from authoritative yearbooks. To achieve this, the Land Use Transition Matrix is used to investigate the changes in area and distribution, while binary linear regression and stepwise multiple linear regression are applied to examine the single and joint effects of the socioeconomic factors. The main findings are as follows: (i) The four HCA types are distinguished quantitatively and by their distribution patterns. Ecological Area and Bare Area cover most (more than 90% in total) of the territory with extensive and continuous distribution. Agricultural Area is mainly found on the eastern and western parts of the region, with flat terrain, abundant water resources, and moderate temperatures. Built-up Area is the most concentrated but has an unbalanced distribution and the lowest quantity. (ii) Despite some discernible spatial and quantity changes at regional and county levels between 2000 and 2020, the general characteristics in HCA’s structure and distribution pattern have mainly remained consistent. (iii) Transitions between HCA types occur constantly, and the primary source type of the transitions differs from one another. Ecological Area and Bare Area form the sources of the most evident transitions. (iv) Agricultural Area and Built-up Area are more prone influence from some socioeconomic dynamics. By contrast, there is no evidence that socioeconomic factors directly affect Bare Area. As the first empirical study of the newly conceived concept, Human Critical Area, this paper sheds light on the renovation of geographic traditions of studying the evolution of the human-environment system through the lens of human activities-driven landscape changes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecological Restoration and Sustainable Livelihoods in Vulnerable and Degraded Regions)

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