Analyzing spatial patterns and driving factors of cropland change in China's National Protected Areas for sustainable management

Bin Du; Sijing Ye; Peichao Gao; Shuyi Ren; Chenyu Liu; Changqing Song

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169102

Analyzing spatial patterns and driving factors of cropland change in China's National Protected Areas for sustainable management

Sci Total Environ. 2024 Feb 20:912:169102. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169102. Epub 2023 Dec 4.

Authors

Bin Du¹, Sijing Ye², Peichao Gao³, Shuyi Ren¹, Chenyu Liu¹, Changqing Song³

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
² Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China. Electronic address: yesj@bnu.edu.cn.
³ Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.

PMID: 38056649
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169102

Abstract

Farming in protected areas frequently challenges ecological conservation goals while supporting local livelihoods. To balance protection and agriculture, a comprehensive understanding of cropland dynamics in protected areas is of paramount importance. However, studies addressing this trade-off are relatively scarce, especially considering explicit Chinese government regulations on population relocation and cropland retirement in National Protected Areas (NPAs). Our study examined the spatial and temporal pattern of cropland in NPAs and explored the covariance between cropland density and species richness. Concurrently, the driving factors of cropland development in NPAs were analyzed using Multiple Linear Regression. The results indicate that the cropland area in NPAs continued to expand, growing from 1.93 to 2.34 million hectares in 2000-2020, with a cropland density of approximately 0.4. Cropland expansion in the northern NPAs, particularly in the resource-rich Northeast (28.12 %) and the Northwest with high marginal agricultural returns (38.26 %), have encroached upon species habitats and aggravated biodiversity loss. Moreover, cities with higher cropland densities in NPAs are usually located at borders, possibly due to decentralized management. The Multiple Linear Regression results show that high cropland density is usually associated with a high population density (β = 0.156) and lower levels of rural education (β = -0.101) and income (β = -0.122). To mitigate the issue of cropland development in NPAs, it is crucial to avoid one-size-fits-all management strategies, strengthen regional legal supervision, adjust fiscal incentives, and promote eco-friendly agriculture. In the north regions, the expansion of cropland in NPAs should be strictly controlled. For the southwest, the positive role of preserving cropland in NPAs for alleviating human-nature conflict and maintaining social stability should be emphasized. This study provides research support for China's exploration of geographically suitable strategies for controlling cropland in NPAs. Moreover, the findings could serve as a reference for the governance of NPAs in other countries.

Keywords: Cropland protection; Eco-friendly agriculture; Ecosystem service; Land use; National Protected Areas; Trade-off.