Land use change and gully formation over the last 200 years in a hilly catchment

Gully erosion can be widely observed on cultivated hillslopes in Hungary. Loose sediments covering two thirds of the total area of the country are prone to gully erosion.A detailed study of gully formation was carried out in the Rakaca catchment (58 km²), northeastern Hungary. The objectives include (1) a detailed survey of the present gullies, (2) an explanation of differences in gully distribution within the catchment, (3) clarification of the role of influencing factors like slope gradient, vegetation cover and soil type and (4) a study of changes of gully distribution and development in time over the last 200 years based on the comparison of topographic maps.The present gully distribution was first surveyed by applying 1:10 000 topographic maps and aerial photographs. The total length of the network is 70.9 km, i.e. 1.22 km/km². Distribution inhomogeneities within the catchment can well be explained by differences in slope gradient and vegetation cover.The rate of increase of the gully length per unit area (1 km²) calculated for different time periods shows the following trends: (1) until 1860, when more than 50% of the catchment was forested, it was 5 m year⁻¹ km⁻²; (2) between 1860 and 1920, when forest area dropped to almost 25% and agricultural land use was extended to slopes steeper than 25%, it still remained at roughly 5 m year⁻¹ km⁻²; (3) after 1920, with 24–25% forest cover and with the extension of farming activity to the steepest slopes, it reached 10 m year⁻¹ km⁻².It could be shown that gully erosion on cultivated slopes leads to the development of gully systems in 50–60 years even if slope gradient is below 12%.To prevent further development of gully systems, it is suggested that at least 30% of the area should be forested and slopes steeper than 17% should not be cultivated at all.     

Use of landslide-dammed lake deposits and pollen tracing techniques to investigate the erosional response of a small drainage basin in the Loess Plateau, China, to land use change during the late 16th century

A major landslide that occurred in 1569 in the Huangtuwa gully catchment within the Rolling Loess Plateau region of China, resulted in the creation of a landslide-dammed lake at the outlet of the small 0.1 km² tributary valley of the Houxiaotan Gully. All the sediment transported to the outlet of this catchment was deposited in the lake. After about 30 years the dam failed and the lake deposits were dissected as the stream cut down to its former base level. Substantial remnants of the sediment deposits that accumulated over the ca. 30 year period are, however, preserved as terraces near the outlet of the catchment and a vertical section through these sediment deposits was investigated using stratigraphic and pollen tracing techniques. Individual flood couplets could be clearly distinguished and these permitted the establishment of a chronology for the sediment deposits and the estimation of the sediment yields associated with individual events and individual years. Pollen analysis undertaken on samples collected from the individual flood couplets also provided information on the variation of the pollen content of the sediment and the proportion of Artemisia pollen during the period represented by the deposits. Interpretation of the information assembled from the sediment section has made it possible to reconstruct the erosional history of the Houxiaotan catchment during the 31 year period following the landslide. The average sediment yield of the catchment in the late 16th century was very similar to its present-day sediment yield. The sediment yield from the catchment and the relative contribution of the inter-gully areas, as compared to the gully system, declined immediately after the landslide as a result of abandonment of the cultivated land within the catchment. The restoration of cultivation in the catchment after about 17 years resulted in an increase in sediment yield from ca. 9000 t km^− 2 yr^− 1 to ca. 30,000 t km^− 2 yr^− 1 and a substantial increase in the proportion of sediment contributed by the cultivated inter-gully areas. Scope exists to apply a similar approach to the sediment deposits that accumulated in other former landslide-dammed lakes within the Rolling Loess Plateau region of China, in order to develop an improved understanding of the erosion history of the region.     

快速城镇化地区土地利用变化的地形梯度特征分析——以榆次区为例

为探讨快速城镇化地区——山西省晋中市榆次区不同地形梯度上的土地利用变化特征,本研究以2000年、2008年和2016年3期影像和ASTERGDEM为数据源,分析2000—2016年间土地利用变化的时空特征,选用坡向、坡度变率、地形起伏度、地形位指数和土地利用类型分布指数对土地利用的地形梯度分布特征和变化过程进行分析。结果表明:1)2000—2016年,榆次区建设用地主要向西北方向扩张,主要分布在地形起伏度30m、坡度变率2°、阳坡和半阳坡及地形位为1～3级的地区。土地利用以建设用地、耕地和未利用地为主,其中耕地所占面积最大,2000年、2008年和2016年的平均比例为46.91%。2000—2008年建设用地面积增加43.07 km2,未利用地面积减少37.33 km2; 2008—2016年未利用地面积减少221.00 km2,而耕地面积和建设用地面积分别增加170.61 km2和37.36 km2。2)在坡度变率、地形起伏度和地形位梯度上,建设用地、耕地和水域主要分布于低梯度带,而林地和未利用地分布于中高梯度带;建设用地和耕地在平地、阳坡和半阳坡呈分布优势,林地在阴坡和半阴坡具有分布优势,而未利用地的优势分布区为阳坡和半阳坡;2000—2016年耕地的主要分布区向地形起伏度30 m、坡度变率为2°～15°、地形位为4～11级的区域扩张。榆次区土地利用变化地形梯度差异明显,地形因素、人类活动、政策因素、交通和区位为其主导因素。该研究结果为区域城镇化过程中的土地合理规划利用提供科学依据,为生态环境治理提供决策支持。     

Impacts of historical land use changes on erosion and agricultural soil properties in the Kali Basin at Lake Balaton, Hungary

Historical land use changes may have significant impact on erosion and agricultural soil properties, including soil degradation by acidification, nutrient leaching and organic matter depletion. The Kali Basin study area, a small catchment of high landscape value located in a national park at Lake Balaton, Hungary, with its historical agricultural records, together with the available unique historical land use data for the last 200 years, provides an opportunity to study and model impacts of historical land use changes on erosion and agricultural soil properties. Comparison of long-term land uses with present soil degradation indicator parameters showed that permanent arable land use has led to degradation of both the physical and chemical properties of soils in the Kali Basin. Application of the SEDEM/WATEM distributed erosion and sediment transport model showed that, despite the low overall sediment export from the catchment, land use changes introduced by property ownership and agricultural changes have decreased average soil erosion in the catchment but increased relative sediment export to Lake Balaton. This is due to changes in the land cover pattern that allow more sediment transported to the river system. The overall conclusion of this study is that besides the size and area proportion of land use types, land use pattern seems to be equally important in soil erosion and degradation processes, thus land use pattern is a key factor for landscape planning and development in the Kali Basin. A relationship between the sociological and agro-ecological reasons for the recorded land use changes is also shown in this study.     

基于CA-Markov模型的黄土塬区黑河流域土地利用变化

研究黄土高原的土地利用变化,可为其生态建设提供重要的决策依据。基于CA-Markov模型,分析了黄土高塬沟壑区黑河流域1985－2000年土地利用变化的趋势、速度、类型及其与地形的关系,并模拟了2015年土地利用情景。结果表明,黑河流域以耕地和中覆盖草地为主;1985－2000年林地和农地减少,草地和建设用地增加,其他类型变化很小;林地和草地相互转化与耕地转出是两大变化类型;土地利用变化主要发生在沟壑区。CA-Markov模型模拟的2000－2015年土地利用将保持1985－2000年的变化趋势,因此,需加强耕地保护措施,推进退耕还林草工程,促进区域可持续发展。     

蒙阴县土地利用动态与耕地变化驱动力分析

 基于1987、1997和2007年的TM影像,利用土地利用动态度模型和主成分分析法,对蒙阴县1987—2007年的土地利用时空变化特征及耕地变化驱动力进行研究。结果表明:在时间序列上,20年间该区土地利用结构发生了明显变化,林地、城镇村及工矿交通用地面积增加,耕地等其他用地面积减少;在空间上,各类土地利用变化在呈现明显的区域分异,耕地减少去向被开发为林地和城镇村及工矿交通用地的面积较多;驱动耕地变化的因素是经济总量增长、社会发展和农业发展。研究成果可指导蒙阴县土地利用规划,为其生态环境保护提供参考。     

Land use change and land degradation in China from 1991 to 2001

China has long been experiencing intense land use/cover changes (LUCC). Undesirable land use/cover changes have resulted in widespread land degradation. This study examines the temporal and spatial dynamics of land use change and land degradation as evident from land use survey datasets (1991–2001). Six prominent land degradation processes were identified, namely: desertification, secondary salinisation, loss of agricultural use, deforestation, grassland degradation and loss of wetland. Rates of conversion were calculated and distribution patterns were mapped with the aid of GIS. The results showed that these land use changes have affected the wider environment and accelerated land degradation. It provided a more complete and up‐to‐date picture of China's land degradation which helps to develop improved conservation policies that combat land degradation and promote sustainable land management. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Local faces,global flows: The role of land use and land cover in global environmental change

The emergence of land-use and land-cover change (LUCC) as one of the major themes within the global environmental change research community poses a series of difficult but not insurmountable problems. LUCC takes place incrementally through the operation of sets of human and biophysical forces largely specific to the locale in question, but cumulatively LUCC contributes significantly to global environmental change. Linking LUCC to global change requires the cooperation of the natural and social sciences to bridge the local to global dynamics involved. The International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme and the Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change Programme are undertaking the development of an international research project with such aims in mind. This project seeks to improve understanding of LUCC dynamics by balancing the need for a nuanced understanding at the local level with the need from improved regional and global LUCC models. The rudiments of this effort and some of problems confronting it are outlined here.     

Influence of land use change on soil nutrients in an intensive agricultural region of North China

The pressures of development and major shifts in land use have increased the need to assess the impact of land use change on soil nutrients. This study was conducted in an area with intensive agricultural land use in north China to assess effects of land use change on soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK). Soil samples were collected from rainfed land, irrigated land, virgin grassland and vegetable land in 1980 and 1999. SOC, TN and AP were higher in 1999 than in 1980, and the increases followed the following order: vegetable land > irrigated land > rainfed land, except for AK. Soil nutrient contents were increased when land uses underwent the following changes (except for AK): virgin grassland → rainfed land → irrigated farmland → vegetable land. The SOC, TN and AP fluxes (rate of change in C, N, P and K as kg(ha y)⁻¹) in the transition systems from rainfed land to vegetable land were 518.46, 69 and 3.9 kg(ha y)⁻¹, respectively, which were considerably higher than the transition systems from rainfed land to irrigated land. The SOC, TN and AP fluxes in the transition systems from virgin grassland to irrigated land were 297.83, 56.3, 2.1 kg(ha y)⁻¹, respectively, which were higher than the transition systems from virgin grassland to rainfed land. The study shows that land use intensification can increase soil nutrient contents if accompanied by increased fertilizer application.     

Land use change and soil nutrient transformations in the Los Haitises region of the Dominican Republic

We characterized soil cation, carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) transformations within a variety of land use types in the karst region of the northeastern Dominican Republic. We examined a range of soil pools and fluxes during the wet and dry seasons in undisturbed forest, regenerating forest and active agricultural sites within and directly adjacent to Los Haitises National Park. Soil moisture, soil organic matter (SOM), soil cations, leaf litter C and pH were significantly greater in regenerating forest sites than agricultural sites, while bulk density was greater in active agricultural sites. Potential denitrification, microbial biomass C and N, and microbial respiration g⁻¹ dry soil were significantly greater in the regenerating forest sites than in the active agricultural sites. However, net mineralization, net nitrification, microbial biomass C, and microbial respiration were all significantly greater in the agricultural sites on g⁻¹ SOM basis. These results suggest that land use is indirectly affecting microbial activity and C storage through its effect on SOM quality and quantity. While agriculture can significantly decrease soil fertility, it appears that the trend can begin to rapidly reverse with the abandonment of agriculture and the subsequent regeneration of forest. The regenerating forest soils were taken out of agricultural use only 5-7 years before our study and already have soil properties and processes similar to an undisturbed old forest site. Compared to undisturbed mogote forest sites, regenerating sites had smaller amounts of SOM and microbial biomass N, as well as lower rates of microbial respiration, mineralization and nitrification g⁻¹ SOM. Initial recovery of soil pools and processes appeared to be rapid, but additional research must be done to address the long-term rate of recovery in these forest stands.     

近40a凯拉库姆库区土地利用/覆盖变化及景观格局分析

为研究近40 a凯拉库姆库区土地利用/覆盖和景观格局时空变化状况,该文以凯拉库姆库区1975年Landsat MSS、1990年Landsat TM、2000年Landsat ETM+和2011年Landsat TM遥感影像为数据源,利用ENVI软件得到各时期的土地利用/覆盖类型转移矩阵,建立土地利用面积变化量、单一土地利用类型动态度以及区域土地利用综合动态度模型;同时,在景观格局分析中采用景观格局数量分析方法,在类型水平和景观水平分别选取不同的指数,系统分析凯拉库姆库区土地利用/覆盖和景观格局变化的时空特征。研究结果显示:近40 a凯拉库姆库区的土地利用/覆盖发生了剧烈变化,建设用地面积呈现出持续增加的态势,低覆盖度草地和未利用地的面积随时间序列呈"V"型变化,而水体、耕地、中覆盖度草地的面积随时间序列呈倒"V"型变化;建设用地和耕地大面积急剧扩张,并伴随着低覆盖度草地、中覆盖度草地和未利用地面积的减少,大量的中覆盖度草地、未利用地转化为耕地,同时部分耕地又转化为建设用地,使得建设用地和耕地面积显著增加,研究区区域土地利用综合动态度呈"V"字型变化,并有逐渐加快的趋势,活跃土地利用/覆盖类型由早期和中期的水体转化为近期低覆盖度草地,稳定土地利用/覆盖类型由早期的耕地和中覆盖度草地,过度到中期未利用地,进而转化为近期的耕地;景观格局分析表明,中覆盖度草地和耕地对整个景观发挥主导作用,与水体相邻的景观要素多,建设用地斑块数目多且相对分散,但有集中分布的趋势,在人类活动的影响下,整体斑块尺度趋于均匀,景观趋于丰富和复杂化,斑块聚集程度减少,破碎度增加。该研究结果为凯拉库姆库区水土地资源可持续开发和利用、生态环境保护提供科学依据。     

Soil microbial community composition and land use history in cultivated and grassland ecosystems of coastal California

Phospholipid ester-linked fatty acid (PLFA) profiles were used to evaluate soil microbial community composition for 9 land use types in two coastal valleys in California. These included irrigated and non-irrigated agricultural sites, non-native annual grasslands and relict, never-tilled or old field perennial grasslands. All 42 sites were on loams or sandy loams of similar soil taxa derived from granitic and alluvial material. We hypothesized that land use history and its associated management inputs and practices may produce a unique soil environment, for which microbes with specific environmental requirements may be selected and supported. We investigated the relationship between soil physical and chemical characteristics, management factors, and vegetation type with microbial community composition. Higher values of total soil C, N, and microbial biomass (total PLFA) and lower values of soil pH occurred in the grassland than cultivated soils. The correspondence analysis (CA) of the PLFA profiles and the canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) of PLFA profiles, soil characteristics, and site and management factors showed distinct groupings for land use types. A given land use type could thus be identified by soil microbial community composition as well as similar soil characteristics and management factors. Differences in soil microbial community composition were highly associated with total PLFA, a measure of soil microbial biomass, suggesting that labile soil organic matter affects microbial composition. Management inputs, such as fertilizer, herbicide, and irrigation, also were associated with the distinctive microbial community composition of the different cultivated land use types.     

Impact of land use and land cover change on environmental degradation in lake Qinghai watershed,northeast Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau

Lake Qinghai, the largest saline lake in China, covers 4234 km² (2007) with a catchment area of 29 660 km² on the northeastern margin of the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau. The ecosystem of the lake is extremely vulnerable and sensitive to global climate change and human interference. However, little information is available on land use/cover change (LUCC) in Lake Qinghai watershed. Using a geographical information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS), this study analysed land use and land cover change pattern in Lake Qinghai watershed between 1977 and 2004 and discussed major environmental issues in this area. LUCC analysis indicated that grassland (63 per cent) and water body (18 per cent) dominated in the watershed and the magnitude of the land use and land cover change was generally low; the percentage of the change of various land types relative to the total area was less than 1 per cent. From 1977 to 2004, cropland, sandy land, bare rock, salinized land, swampland and built‐up areas increased by 0·43, 0·35, 0·24, 0·06, 0·03 and 0·03 per cent of the total area, respectively; in contrast, water body, grassland and woodland decreased by 0·99, 0·22 and 0·05 per cent, respectively. Moreover, the area of LUCC tended to expand from places around the lake to the upper reaches of the watershed during the last three decades. The LUCC transition pattern was: woodland converted to grassland, grassland converted to cropland and water body converted to sandy land. Lake level decline and grassland degradation are major ecological and environmental problems in Lake Qinghai watershed. The level and area of the lake decreased at the rate of 6·7 cm a⁻¹ and 6·4 km² a⁻¹, respectively, between 1959 and 2007, resulting in sandy land expansion and water quality deterioration. Lake level decline and area shrinkage was mainly attributed to climate change, but grassland degradation was mainly resulted from anthropogenic activities (increasing population, overgrazing and policy). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of cropland abandonment and afforestation on soil redistribution in a small Mediterranean mountain catchment

In slopes of Mediterranean mid-mountain areas, land use and land cover changes linked to the abandonment of cropland activity affect soil quality and degradation and soil redistribution; however, limited attention has been paid to this issue at catchment scale. This paper evaluates the effects of cropland abandonment and post-land abandonment management (through natural revegetation and afforestation) on soil redistribution rates using fallout ¹³⁷Cs measurements in the Araguás catchment (0.45 km², Central Spanish Pyrenees). A total of 52 soil core samples, distributed in a regular grid, from the first 30–40 cm and 9 sectioned reference samples were collected across the catchment and soil properties were analysed. Fallout ¹³⁷Cs was measured in a 5 cm sectioned references samples and in bulk grid samples. ¹³⁷Cs inventories were used to estimate soil erosion and deposition rates across the catchment. Results show that the highest erosion rates were recorded under sparsely vegetated sites in the badland area, while the lowest rates were found in the afforested area, but no significant differences were observed between the different uses and covers in soil redistribution rates likely due to a long history of human intervention through cultivation in steep slopes and afforestation practices. However, the recovery of the soil organic matter in afforested areas suggest that afforestation can reduce soil degradation at long-term scale. The information gained achieve a better understanding of soil redistribution dynamics and provide knowledge for effective land management after cropland abandonment of agroecosystems in Mediterranean mountain areas.     

基于CA-Markov的河西走廊土地利用变化研究

基于河西走廊1990年、2000年土地利用矢量数据，通过空间叠加和构建土地利用分布与变化的1 km-Grid数据集以研究20世纪90年代土地利用分布与变化的数量特征和空间格局特征，并运用马尔可夫模型和元胞自动机技术对2010年土地利用分布情景进行预测。研究表明：河西走廊以未利用土地和草地为主；20世纪90年代，耕地、城乡工矿居民用地增加，而林地、草地、水域和未利用土地减少；多种土地利用类型的开垦在区域土地利用变化中处于主导地位，其中“草地→耕地”和“未利用→耕地”2个变化类型的规模最显著。主要交通线与大的河流附近人类活动强烈，因而土地利用类型及变化类型比较多样，空间格局复杂。CA-Markov模型模拟结果表明2000～2010年间6个土地利用类型将保持原有的变化趋势和变化速率，因此，迫切需要加强对林地、草地和水域的保护，控制和阻止盲目开垦耕地的行为，推进退耕还林还草工程，促进区域生态环境质量的保护和改善。     

巢湖流域土地利用程度变化及其空间异质性分析

基于GIS和遥感平台提取巢湖流域范围,分析了2000-2013近15年来的巢湖流域土地利用程度及其空间异质性特征。研究表明:①近15年来,巢湖流域的土地利用结构变化较大,呈现"三减一增"的变化趋势,即林地、农地和水体呈下降趋势,建设用地呈上升趋势,其中,农地面积下降明显,建设用地面积增幅较大;②土地利用程度变化两极分化,弱土地利用程度显著下降,强土地利用程度明显增加。分析表明,2000—2013年的近15年间,弱和较弱土地利用程度的流域面积下降3 429 km~2,占总流域面积24.61%;较强和强土地利用程度的流域面积上升729 km~2,占总流域面积5.23%;③土地利用程度空间异质性分析表明,2000年和2013年巢湖流域土地利用程度全局空间自相关的Moran's I值分别为0.802 2和0.753 9,呈显著的正相关关系,表明巢湖流域土地利用程度不是无序的,而是具有明显的空间集聚性;局部空间自相关分析表明,LISA图显示土地利用程度的高高值区主要集聚在以合肥市区为核心的周围,低低值区主要集聚在以西南部的大别山森林地区和中部巢湖及沿湖周边。     

近15年台兰河流域土地利用变化及其生态效应研究

利用 1990、2000 和 2005 年的 TM 影像数据,在 GIS 技术支持下,定量研究了近 15 年来台兰河流域的土地利用变化特征.结果表明:1990-2005 年,台兰河流域耕地和沙地面积均明显增加,分别增加 3.50万 hm~2 和 2.05万 hm~2,而草地和天然林地面积锐减,其中草地净减少 6.00万 hm~2,反映出流域有大面积拓荒的趋势.选择研究区 5 组自然条件相同而土地利用方式不同的代表性样区进行对比研究,结果发现不同土地利用方式对土壤有机质含量及总盐的影响主要发生在 0～25 cm 土层中,剖面中土壤有机质含量及总盐自上而下明显降低.人工甘草地和盐碱地的土壤总盐远高于其他土地利用类型,土壤表层(0～20 cm)有机质含量在几种土地利用类型之间的比较是:经济林＞耕地＞人工甘草地＞改良沙地＞盐碱地.随耕种年限的增加耕地总盐含量降低,有机质含量增加.     

Modelling the effects of land-use change on runoff and sediment yield for a meso-scale catchment in the Southern Pyrenees

The Southern Pre-Pyrenees experienced a substantial land-use change over the second half of the 20th century owing to the reduction of agricultural activities towards the formation of a more natural forest landscape. The land-use change over the last 50 years with subsequent effects on water and sediment export was modelled with the process-based, spatially semi-distributed WASA-SED model for the meso-scale Canalda catchment in Catalonia, Spain. It was forwarded that the model yielded plausible results for runoff and sediment yield dynamics without the need of calibration, although the model failed to reproduce the shape of the hydrograph and the total discharge of several individual rainstorm events, hence the simulation capabilities are not yet considered sufficient for decision-making purposes for land management. As there are only a very limited amount of measured data available on sediment budgets with altered land-use and climate change settings, the WASA-SED model was used to obtain qualitative estimates on the effects of past and future change scenarios to derive a baseline for hypothesis building and future discussion on the evolution of sediment budgets in such a dryland setting. Simulating the effects of the past land-use change, the model scenarios resulted in a decrease of up to 75% of the annual sediment yield, whereas modelled runoff remained almost constant over the last 50 years. The relative importance of environmental change was evaluated by comparing the impact on sediment export of land-use change, that are driven by socio-economic factors, with climate change projections for changes in the rainfall regime. The modelling results suggest that a 20% decrease in annual rainfall results in a decrease in runoff and sediment yield, thus an ecosystem stabilisation in regard to sediment export, which can only be achieved by a substantial land-use change equivalent to a complete afforestation. At the same time, a 20% increase in rainfall causes a large export of water and sediment resources out of the catchment, equivalent to an intensive agricultural use of 100% of the catchment area. For wet years, the effects of agricultural intensification are more pronounced, so that in this case the intensive land-use change has a significantly larger impact on sediment generation than climate change. The WASA-SED model proved capable in quantifying the impacts of actual and potential environmental change, but the reliability of the simulation results is still circumscribed by considerable parameterisation and model uncertainties.     

Land use choices in a changing world

The primary factors which are likely to mould future non-urban land use patterns in Australia are identified. Over the past three decades the rate of increase in land productivity in Australia has been higher than for any other OECD country. Land degradation does not appear to have seriously threatened agricultural output over the last 45 years. However, there is cause for concern that land degradation, attributable to past activities, may only now be exerting a significant impact on productivity in some regions. Many of the services provided by natural resources have been underpriced; consequently, there has been a bias in agricultural research towards technologies that enhance on-site productivity, but which impose excessive external social costs. Underpricing of native trees from state-owned and managed forests appears to have caused excessive exploitation of these forests and lowered the establishment of softwood and hardwood plantations. Many important land use and land cover issues remain unresolved in Australia's rangelands, including questions relating to the optimum grazing pressures, the role of fires in the suppression of unpalatable shrubs and appropriate management strategies for controlling numbers of large kangaroos and rabbits and protecting the natural habitat of threatened species of native animals. The riparian zone, which acts as a crucial buffer between rivers and their catchments, has been one of the most neglected environments in Australia, possibly because river banks, floodplains and wetlands do not fit neatly into the category of land or water. It is widely accepted that the aboriginal peoples must be involved in seeking to achieve the sustainable use of our natural resources. How to achieve the appropriate participation and involvement of aboriginal peoples is a problem that is yet to be fully resolved. In many respects, renewable natural resource systems in Australia are unique. Knowledge creation and application will be a most important resource for the future management of our agricultural forestry and natural resource systems. The solutions to many of the major renewable resource problems do not depend on technology alone. Institutional changes and incentive structures are required that recognize and take account of the pervasive and complex interrelationships between human reactions and responses in their production and consumption activities and the environment.     

Temporal change in land use and its relationship to slope degree and soil type in a small catchment on the Loess Plateau of China

We sought to detect the temporal change (1958–1999) in land use patterns and its relationship to physical landscape parameters in a small catchment in the semi-arid hilly area of the Chinese Loess Plateau. Degree of slope and soil type were selected as stable discriminating parameters that might constrain land use. With the help of GIS and canonical correspondence analysis, the relationship between rural land use distribution or transformation and the selected physical parameters was examined. The land use had undergone a general shift from farmland to woodland or grassland. Canonical correspondence analyses (CCA) indicated that a relationship between land use and the selected physical parameters was evident, farmland coincided with favorable conditions of fertile soil and gentle slope, while grassland and woodland were associated with conditions of poorer soil and steep slope. In the more favorable conditions the main land use change process was the intensification of farming, while in the less favourable conditions it was the abandonment of farmland. A thorough understanding of the relationship between land use temporal or spatial patterns and landscape physical parameters in the Loess Plateau of China, like degree of slope and soil type, will enhance our capability to predict landscape dynamics and lead to more sound and effective land use management strategies.