Factors of land abandonment in mountainous Mediterranean areas: the case of Montenegrin settlements

Evaluation of the efficiency and drivers of complemented cropland in Southwest China over the past 30 years from the perspective of cropland abandonment

Complemented croplands are a crucial component of cropland resources and play a significant role in ensuring national food security. In recent decades, to counter the loss of prime farmland caused by urban construction, the Chinese government introduced a requisition-compensation balance policy, leading to the substantial expansion of new croplands. Therefore, there is an urgent need to determine whether these complemented croplands can be effectively used. Taking Southwest China as a case study, we used high-precision long-term land-use data from 1990 to 2020 to reveal the dynamics of complemented cropland utilization, evaluate the efficiency of complemented cropland utilization from the perspective of abandoned farmland, and identify the factors driving complemented cropland use efficiency based on more than 13 million land parcels. The results showed that: (1) From 1990 to 2020, complemented cropland amounted to approximately 1170.07 × 104 hm2, accounting for 32.67% of the total arable land area in 1990. The potential grain production capacity of these complemented croplands was significantly lower than that of base croplands. (2) The abandonment of complemented croplands was more serious than that of base croplands, and 47.03% of the complemented croplands experienced abandonment at least once during the study period, and the average efficiency of the complemented croplands was 75.61%. (3) The labor population ratio, elevation, and land parcel size played pivotal roles in influencing the complemented cropland utilization efficiency; however, there was substantial variation among the different provinces. Labor replacement, overcoming farming difficulties brought by mountainous terrain, and improving farmers' income are the keys to alleviating cropland abandonment in mountainous areas and improving cropland utilization efficiency. This study provides novel insights into the efficiency assessment and exploration of the mechanisms driving complemented croplands and can provide references for cropland management.

Consumers’ Purchasing Determinants Towards Mountain Food Products

Mountain agriculture is a very important source of ecosystem services, such as cultural heritage, traditional knowledge, and biodiversity. However, traditional farming practices in those areas, particularly dairy livestock, are in sharp decline. For this reason, it is fundamental to find a way to improve sustainability using a holistic approach as indicated by the European Green Deal and Farm to Fork strategies. The “Mountain product” label can be a suitable tool to reach this aim. However, studies on consumers’ opinions concerning mountain food products are scarce. To fill this gap, a logit model was adopted in this study to define factors that influence consumers’ purchase intention toward mountain products. Additionally, the open-ended contingent valuation method was used to estimate consumer willingness to pay for milk labelled “mountain product”. The paper highlighted that consumers are interested in buying mountain products and that they are willing to pay a premium price for these products. However, the “mountain product” label is still poorly recognised and applied. Policy makers and institutions should invest more in the training of farmers, so as to improve their knowledge of this label. Furthermore, it is necessary to advertise this label to consumers to support quality local production.

Degree of Abandoned Cropland and Socioeconomic Impact Factors in China: Multi-Level Analysis Model Based on the Farmer and District/County Levels

At present, abandoned cropland has become a common phenomenon spreading to countries around the world. China has seen widespread abandoned cropland in recent years. However, there are extremely few empirical studies of cropland abandonment and influencing factors nationwide. In this study, survey data from 8071 farmer households in 14 Chinese provinces were used to analyze the degree of cropland abandonment in China and its spatial distribution. A multi-level model was constructed to quantitatively explore the socioeconomic factors affecting the degree of cropland abandonment, at both the farmer and district/county levels. The results show that: (1) the proportion of farmers and the spatial distribution of abandoned cropland are consistent. (2) Chongqing City, Guangdong Province, and Shanxi Province are high-value areas of abandoned cropland, while Shandong, Liaoning, Henan and Jiangsu provinces are low-value areas. (3) Among the differences in cropland abandonment, 68.5% and 31.5% can be explained at the farmer and district/county level, respectively. (4) At the farmer level, all labor and cropland transfer indicators, including land labor quantity per unit area, male agricultural labor ratio, farmers mainly of middle-aged labor, cropland transfer area and cropland subcontract amount, have significant negative effects on the degree of abandoned cropland. There is a significant negative correlation between the value of agricultural operating fixed assets in the agricultural input indicators and the degree of abandoned cropland, but participation in professional, cooperative, economic, agricultural organizations has no significant impact on the degree of abandoned cropland. The per capita disposable income, which represents the quality of life indicator, has a significant positive impact on the degree of abandoned cropland. (5) At the district/county level, the proportion of the total co-working labor force and the transfer rate of cropland are negatively related to the degree of cropland abandonment, and the proportion of the co-working labor force outside the district/county is positively related to the degree of cropland abandonment. In addition, we briefly analyzed the mechanism and process of cropland abandonment from the perspective of farmers’ decision-making. Finally, the policy suggestions to alleviate the abandonment of cropland were put forward from the district/county and farmer level, respectively.

Cropland Abandonment and Influencing Factors in Chongqing, China

Cropland abandonment occurs frequently in many countries and regions around the world, particularly in those with poor environmental conditions, such as mountainous regions. In Chongqing county, China, over 76% of the total area is mountainous. Due to the lack of reliable remote sensing monitoring and identification methods, the spatial and temporal distribution of abandoned cropland areas and its underlying causes are poorly understood. Thus, the extent of cropland abandonment in Chongqing, since 2001, was estimated using land use trajectories. The following results were obtained: (1) the cropland abandonment rate was 12.2–15.4% from 2001 to 2020, with an average of 13.3%; (2) hotspots of abandoned cropland were concentrated in the north and southeast. Cropland abandonment was clustered in the northern, southeastern, and southwestern areas; (3) socio-economic factors (including gross domestic product density, population density, and road density) had a greater impact on the spatial distribution of abandoned cropland than environmental factors. Based on the results, the government should strive to reduce production costs associated with poor agricultural infrastructure, sporadic cropland, and higher labor costs by providing grain subsidies, undertaking cropland consolidation, encouraging land transfer, and improving agricultural infrastructure.

Classification of Mediterranean hedgerows: A methodological approximation

•

Hedgerow network mapping in a continental Mediterranean mountain using GIS and Remote Sensing.

•

Identify the different levels of surface soil moisture provided by images from the satellite Sentinel-2.

•

Analyse of the evolution of hedgerow area from 1956 to the present time from aerial pictures and satellite images and their correlation with surface soil moisture and slope.

•

A classification of hedgerow networks in the Mediterranean region (Central System, Spain).

The present paper addresses the methodology carried out to obtain a new classification of hedgerow networks in the Mediterranean region using GIS and Remote Sensing. A new methodology has been developed due to the need to establish a typification of the hedgerows in this sector of southern Europe, where the variable conditioning the localization, area and type of these landscapes is degree of surface soil moisture. In the continental Mediterranean context, this age-old agricultural system is closely linked to access to, and management of, water resources, which are vital in the dry season. For this reason, we mapped the hedgerow network of a continental Mediterranean mountain, establishing different levels of surface soil moisture provided by images from the satellite Sentinel-2. The results render three types of hedgerows: moist, semi-moist and dry, each one presenting clearly differentiated localizations and characteristics. To this can be added the analysis of the evolution of their area from 1956 to the present time from aerial pictures and satellite images and their correlation with surface soil moisture and slope. We present results on this tested method from the central sector of the Iberian Peninsula, Spain.•

The presented procedure focuses on a new classification of hedgerow networks in the Mediterranean region based on the degree of surface soil moisture.

•

The method stablishes different levels of surface soil moisture provided by images from the satellite Sentinel-2.

•

The procedure allows us to analyze and correlate the evolution of Mediterranean hedgerows with surface soil moisture.

Identification and Evaluation of Landscape as a Precondition for Planning Revitalization and Development of Mediterranean Rural Settlements—Case Study: Mrkovi Village, Bay of Kotor, Montenegro

This paper presents a case study of the village of Mrkovi in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, showing the importance of landscape identification and assessment in planning the revitalization and development of Mediterranean rural settlements. The research revealed the methods of identification and evaluation of different landscape types. Moreover, it showed how such an approach could considerably contribute to the preservation of the space’s identity and quality by taking into account the existing characteristics of the space or the relationship between cultural and natural heritage. The identification of the landscape types was followed by the evaluation of individual elements and assessment of vulnerability in relation to the space’s natural, cultural, and visual quality. The first step in the process of preserving the elements that contribute to the landscape’s identity was the spatial identification of the cultural pattern of traditional terraces with drystone walls. The results of analysis indicate a high risk of degradation of the basic landscape value. The effects of future interventions in the space, especially the planned construction of a tourist resort, can be mitigated if they comply with the guidelines related to the rational use of the space and delimitation of the construction zones. This paper points out the importance of a responsible attitude and planned approach regarding the cultural and natural landscape of Mediterranean rural settlements.