Article
Food Science & Technology
Peter Potapov, Svetlana Turubanova, Matthew C. Hansen, Alexandra Tyukavina, Viviana Zalles, Ahmad Khan, Xiao-Peng Song, Amy Pickens, Quan Shen, Jocelyn Cortez
Summary: High-resolution satellite observations are essential for monitoring global progress towards Sustainable Development Goals. The study shows that global cropland area increased by 9% in the first two decades of the twenty-first century, while per-capita cropland area decreased by 10%. This was primarily due to agricultural expansion in Africa and South America, leading to conflicts with the goal of protecting terrestrial ecosystems. Despite a decrease in per-capita cropland area, per-capita annual cropland net primary production increased by 3.5% due to intensified agricultural land use.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Qiangyi Yu, Mingtao Xiang, Zhanli Sun, Wenbin Wu
Summary: This study tests the hypothesis that cropland use intensity measured by different indicators may differ, using empirical evidence from a major breadbasket in Southern China. The results confirm the inconsistency among intensification indicators, suggesting the need for a better understanding of the multidimensionality of cropland intensification process for policy implications.
AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Hang Chen, Yongzhong Tan, Wu Xiao, Tingting He, Suchen Xu, Fei Meng, Xinhui Li, Wenying Xiong
Summary: The process of urbanization and infrastructure construction has led to the occupation and loss of high-quality cropland, while complemented cropland with higher altitudes and slopes has become an important resource. However, the efficiency of this newly added cropland is not given enough attention. This study assessed the use continuity and efficiency of complemented cropland and explored its impact on food production.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jose I. Ochoa-Brito, Aniruddha Ghosh, Robert J. Hijmans, Shijo Joseph
Summary: This study used Landsat satellite data and government statistics to analyze the changes in cropland distribution in continental Ecuador between 2000 and 2016. The analysis showed that cropland density was highest in the coastal lowlands and the Andes at elevations between 2500 and 4400 meters. Cropland expansion was most pronounced in the Paramo, Choco Tropical Rainforests, and Western Montane bioregions, while no expansion was detected in the Eastern Foothill forests bioregion. The satellite data and government data exhibited discrepancies, with the satellite data better for estimating relative change and the government data potentially providing more accurate absolute numbers, especially in challenging areas like the Amazon.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yang Liu, Meagan S. Mauter
Summary: Reducing global carbon emissions will require various industrial sectors to use energy more efficiently and operate intermittently. The water sector lacks high-resolution energy quantification tools for complex water systems. Introducing marginal energy intensity (MEI) as a metric can guide optimal implementation of water efficiency and conservation programs.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaowei Chuai, Mengyao Xia, Mei Zhang, Helen Huifen Cai, Xin Ye
Summary: Although industrial land only covers a small area, its impact on the economy and environment is significant. The uneven development in China results in varying levels of industry efficiency. This study examined industrial land use and efficiency among provinces, and found that provinces along the coastline and developed regions tend to have higher industrialization and efficiency. Through domestic trade, China was able to save land by transferring industrial land from developed regions to less efficient regions. However, there are still inequalities among provinces, with Heilongjiang, Gansu, and Guangxi facing disadvantages. Suggestions for achieving harmonious industry development and enhanced efficiency include implementing efficiency-based land use policies, optimizing industry and energy structure, improving technology, and providing appropriate compensation.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ziqi Meng, Jinwei Dong, Erle C. Ellis, Graciela Metternicht, Yuanwei Qin, Xiao-Peng Song, Sara Lofqvist, Rachael D. Garrett, Xiaopeng Jia, Xiangming Xiao
Summary: This study uses 30-m cropland maps to show that cropland expansion in protected areas accelerated dramatically from 2000 to 2019, compared with the expansion of global croplands, threatening the aspirations of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Economics
Hongyun Zheng, Wanglin Ma, Xiaoshi Zhou
Summary: This study explores the impact of renting-in cropland on machinery use intensity using an innovative ETPR model and analyzes how machinery use intensity affects wheat yields and net returns. Results show that renting-in cropland significantly increases self-owned machinery use intensity, while having a negligible impact on purchased machinery service use intensity. Increasing machinery use intensity can significantly enhance wheat yields and net returns, indicating the importance of considering stakeholders' land transfer status in policies promoting agricultural mechanization and land productivity.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Charlie C. Nicholson, Neal M. Williams
Summary: The study examines how cropland heterogeneity affects pesticide use and finds reduced pesticide application frequency and intensity in landscapes with greater diversity. It also observes that pesticide class has a more consistent impact on landscape patterns, and that the effect is more pronounced for perennial crops compared to annual crops.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xin Lan, Zhiyong Liu, Ting Yang, Linyin Cheng, Xiaojun Wang, Wei Wei, Yang Ge, Xiaohong Chen, Kairong Lin, Tongtiegang Zhao, Xin Zhang, Guoyi Zhou
Summary: Long-term cultivation activities have caused severe soil erosion on the Chinese Loess Plateau. The Grain for Green Project has effectively alleviated the soil erosion problem on the plateau. However, the positive effect of cropland in ecological restoration has been underestimated, hindering a comprehensive evaluation of its impact.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Jose M. Mogollon, Alexander F. Bouwman, Arthur H. W. Beusen, Luis Lassaletta, Hans J. M. van Grinsven, Henk Westhoek
Summary: Efficient and targeted use of phosphorus is crucial in avoiding environmental issues caused by population growth and increased food demand. Global projections indicate a significant amount of new arable land will be needed by 2050, but with proper phosphorus management, cropland expansion can be avoided while improving productivity levels.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
T. Zou, X. Zhang, E. A. Davidson
Summary: This study aims to meet the growing food demand and address challenges of phosphorus pollution and depletion of phosphorus reserves by improving phosphorus use efficiency. By examining the historical trajectories of phosphorus budget and phosphorus use efficiency by country and crop type, the study reveals the potential and variations in improving phosphorus use efficiency.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Julia M. Schneider, Florian Zabel, Wolfram Mauser
Summary: This article investigates the trade-offs between food security, climate protection, and biodiversity conservation resulting from land-use change, and provides a global dataset to improve the comparability and output of land-use models.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jingyu Lin, Jinliang Huang, Christina Prell, Brett A. Bryan
Summary: This study highlights the impacts of land-use change on freshwater ecosystem services flows, providing detailed information on water supply to beneficiaries within a watershed. It emphasizes the importance of integrated watershed management and decision-making processes for promoting the sustainability of freshwater ecosystems.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
D. P. Hennessy, L. Shalloo, H. H. E. van Zanten, M. Schop, I. J. M. De Boer
Summary: Current food consumption patterns pose challenges for the agriculture sector to provide sufficient food in the future, with competition between livestock and crop production diminishing global food supply. Research evaluating refined metrics to quantify feed-food competition in livestock systems in Ireland indicates that the land-use ratio (LUR) is more suitable for representing this competition, with dairy beef showing more efficiency in producing human digestible protein.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Franz Schug, David Frantz, Dominik Wiedenhofer, Helmut Haberl, Doris Virag, Sebastian van der Linden, Patrick Hostert
Summary: This study assessed the dynamics of material stock and its relation to population in Germany using Landsat imagery and a spatial resolution of 30 m. The results showed that material stock and population in Germany grew by 13% and 4% respectively, with highly variable spatial patterns. The reunification of East and West Germany in 1990 led to a rapid growth of material stock per capita in East Germany, despite a decline in population. Possible over- or underestimations of stock growth due to methodological assumptions require further research.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Philipp Semenchuk, Gerald Kalt, Lisa Kaufmann, Thomas Kastner, Sarah Matej, Giorgio Bidoglio, Karl -Heinz Erb, Franz Essl, Helmut Haberl, Stefan Dullinger, Fridolin Krausmann
Summary: By quantifying the global biodiversity footprint (BDF) of Vienna's biomass consumption, we found that food consumption (58%), biomass for material applications (28%), and bioenergy consumption (13%) contribute significantly to the loss of biodiversity. Although Vienna's per capita biomass consumption is above the global average, the per capita BDE in Vienna is roughly equal to the global average, indicating that Vienna sources its products from regions with efficient production systems and relatively low native species richness. It is concluded that dietary changes offer a key leverage point to reduce the urban BDF, while expanding the use of biomass for material and energy may increase the BDF and requires appropriate monitoring.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Claudine Egger, Andreas Mayer, Bastian Bertsch-Hoermann, Christoph Plutzar, Stefan Schindler, Peter Tramberend, Helmut Haberl, Veronika Gaube
Summary: European farm households will face challenging conditions in the coming decades due to climate change. This study assesses the interrelations between climate change, agricultural price and subsidy schemes, and farmers' decision-making. By integrating individual learning into a simulation model, the study explores how farmers in Eastern Austria can navigate future scenarios of water scarcity and drought risk. The results show that adaptive learning moderates the decline in active farms and farmland, but increases the workload of farmers, highlighting the need for labor support.
AGRONOMY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Karina Reiter, Christoph Plutzar, Dietmar Moser, Philipp Semenchuk, Karl-Heinz Erb, Franz Essl, Andreas Gattringer, Helmut Haberl, Fridolin Krausmann, Bernd Lenzner, Johannes Wessely, Sarah Matej, Robin Pouteau, Stefan Dullinger
Summary: Land use is a major driver of biodiversity loss. This study examines the correlation between human appropriation of net primary production and the decline of species richness in used landscapes across the globe. The findings suggest that human appropriation of net primary production is a useful indicator of heterotrophic species loss in used landscapes.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Giorgio A. Bidoglio, Nathaniel D. Mueller, Thomas Kastner
Summary: In our globalized world, consumption in distant places has a significant impact on local agricultural production. Nitrogen fertilization is widely used in current agricultural systems to improve soil fertility and crop yields, but it also leads to nitrogen loss through leaching and runoff, posing a threat to coastal ecosystems. By analyzing global production, nitrogen fertilization, and trade data, we found that certain countries dominate the global impacts of agricultural production, with cereal and oil crop production being the major contributors to oxygen depletion. Trade plays a crucial role in redistributing the impacts between consuming and producing countries, and it can alleviate pressure on highly affected coastal ecosystems in some importing countries. Taking a holistic food system perspective is essential for reducing the oxygen depletion impacts of crop production.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xiuzhi Chen, Yue Hou, Thomas Kastner, Liu Liu, Yuqian Zhang, Tuo Yin, Mo Li, Arunima Malik, Mengyu Li, Kelly R. Thorp, Siqi Han, Yaoze Liu, Tahir Muhammad, Jianguo Liu, Yunkai Li
Summary: This study identifies and quantifies the flows of physical and virtual nutrients within the global agricultural trade network. The study shows that these flows have varying effects on natural resources in different countries. The findings suggest that reducing inefficient trade flows can enhance resource conservation and environmental sustainability. These results are important for understanding the global nutrient dynamics and improving nutrient use efficiency in a hyper-globalized world.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Harald F. Grabher, Henrike Rau, Samuel T. Ledermann, Helmut Haberl
Summary: More than three billion people rely on solid fuels for household energy in rural areas of low and lower-middle income countries. Energy is used for various purposes including cooking, heating, insect repulsion, illumination, or goods preparation. However, current energy research mainly focuses on cooking, neglecting other energy uses. This paper adopts an energy services perspective to analyze domestic energy use in Ethiopia, finding that households usually combine multiple interconnected energy service needs. The availability and utility of appliances and energy carriers determine the combinations of energy services. Improved cookstoves can reduce energy consumption but limit the combinations of energy services. Understanding the purposes of energy use is crucial for developing sustainable energy solutions.
ENERGY RESEARCH & SOCIAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Franz Schug, Dominik Wiedenhofer, Helmut Haberl, David Frantz, Doris Virag, Sebastian van der Linden, Patrick Hostert
Summary: This study provides high-resolution maps of material stocks in buildings and infrastructures in Austria, showing a 33-year time series. These data are important for studies on societal resource use, transport studies, and land system science.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fabio Sporchia, Alessandro Galli, Thomas Kastner, Federico M. Pulselli, Dario Caro
Summary: Chicken meat production in the EU has significant environmental impacts due to feed consumption. A shift towards poultry meat increases the demand for chicken feeds and its associated environmental burden. Analysis shows that cropland use increased by 17% from 2007 to 2018, while CO2 emissions linked to feed demand decreased by about 45%. The EU chicken meat industry needs to address policy gaps to achieve sustainability targets.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Helmut Haberl, Markus Loew, Alejandro Perez-Laborda, Sarah Matej, Barbara Plank, Dominik Wiedenhofer, Felix Creutzig, Karl-Heinz Erb, Juan Antonio Duro
Summary: The extent and spatial patterns of settlements and infrastructures have a significant impact on the resource demand of national economies worldwide, almost as much as GDP. While built structures at the urban level are known to influence energy demand and CO2 emissions, their role at the national level is often overlooked due to limited data availability. Instead, factors such as GDP are more commonly assessed. In this study, we present national-level indicators to characterize patterns of built structures and find that they are almost equally important as GDP for predicting energy demand and CO2 emissions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Siyi Kan, Bin Chen, U. Martin Persson, Guoqian Chen, Yutao Wang, Jiashuo Li, Jing Meng, Heran Zheng, Lan Yang, Rui Li, Mingxi Du, Thomas Kastner
Summary: Despite global conservation initiatives, unfragmented intact forest landscapes (IFLs) continue to be lost due to various economic activities. Non-agricultural products are major contributors to IFL loss, with over 60% linked to final consumption. Export, primarily from Russia, Canada, and tropical regions, accounts for more than one-third of IFL loss, with logging and mining as the major causes. It is crucial for governments to engage and intervene in supply chains to address the dispersed drivers of IFL loss and their indirect links to individual consumers.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Christian Lauk, Andreas Magerl, Julia le Noe, Michaela C. Theurl, Simone Gingrich
Summary: This article calculates and analyzes the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to agriculture in Austria from 1830 to 2018, revealing the trends and drivers of these emissions. The study finds that agricultural GHG emissions in Austria increased by 69% over this period, from 4.6 Mt. CO2e/yr in 1830 to 7.7 Mt. CO2e/yr in 2018. The increase in agricultural production per capita was the main driver of GHG emissions growth from 1945 to 1985, while decreasing emission intensities of products and a more climate-friendly product mix contributed to emissions reduction after 1985.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hallie Eakin, Nadine Methner, Gina Ziervogel
Summary: There is a growing need to involve private actors in public adaptation in urban systems. Urban administrators have limited control over urban dynamics, and the actions of private actors have a significant influence. A conceptual framework combining cognitive and behavioral theory, institutional analysis, adaptive capacity, and research on urban adaptation governance is used to understand the potential for private provisioning. The case of Cape Town's response to drought illustrates the complex interactions that shape private actors' willingness to engage in public-oriented adaptation.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2024)