Objective The persistent cropland loss and grain yield reduction caused by cropland abandonment cannot be ignored. Clarifying the spatial distribution and driving mechanisms of cropland abandonment is essential for formulating scientific cropland protection policies. Methods By integrating land use trajectory analysis, spatial correlation analysis, and geographically weighted regression (GWR) model, the spatiotemporal dynamics of cropland abandonment in China over the past three decades were revealed, hotspots of abandonment were identified, and driving factors were analyzed. Results 1) From 1992 to 2020, a total of 562 826 km2 of cropland was abandoned, with an annual average abandoned area of 19 408 km2 and abandonment rate of 1.10%. The annual abandoned area and abandonment rate of cropland generally exhibited a fluctuating upward trend, with the most significant increase occurring between 2005 and 2008, rising by 69%. In 2017, both the abandoned area and abandonment rate reached historical peaks of 30 488 km2 and 1.76%, respectively. 2) The number of hotspots of abandoned cropland area and abandonment rate increased by 40% and 59%, respectively. Notably, Southwest China has emerged as a concentrated hotspot where both the scale and intensity of cropland abandonment were prominently high, while Northeast China, although a hotspot of abandoned area due to its large cropland resources, did not exhibit a particularly prominent abandonment rate. 3) A combination of 4 natural environmental factors and 5 socioeconomic factors could explain 68% of the spatial variation in the cropland abandonment rates. Slope (mean coefficient=0.50) and nighttime light index (mean coefficient=-0.30) were identified as the most influential natural and socioeconomic factors on abandonment, respectively. Due to significant regional disparities in resource endowments across China, the driving factors of cropland abandonment varied markedly among different regions. Conclusion Cropland abandonment in China results from the combined effects of natural and socioeconomic factors. The mountainous areas of Southwest China should be prioritized for abandonment mitigation, emphasizing comprehensive soil and water conservation measures and promoting centralized, contiguous farmland management through land transfer.
LIUL, SUNW L, WANGG G, et al. The influence of cultivated land "improving quality and expanding capacity" on grain production in China[J].Journal of Natural Resources,2024,39(11):2601-2618.
ZHAOX Y, SUNC Q, CUIR G, et al. China's cultivated land threshold from the perspective of food security[J].Resources Science,2024,46(12):2355-2366.
[5]
ZHANGM X, LIG Y, HET T, et al. Reveal the severe spatial and temporal patterns of abandoned cropland in China over the past 30 years[J].Science of the Total Environment,2023,857:e159591.
[6]
GUOA D, YUEW Z, YANGJ, et al. Cropland abandonment in China: Patterns, drivers, and implications for food security[J].Journal of Cleaner Production,2023,418:e138154.
[7]
CHENH, TANY Z, XIAOW, et al. Assessment of continuity and efficiency of complemented cropland use in China for the past 20 years: A perspective of cropland abandonment[J].Journal of Cleaner Production,2023,388:e135987.
[8]
YES J, RENS Y, SONGC Q, et al. Spatial patterns of county-level arable land productive-capacity and its coordination with land-use intensity in China's mainland[J].Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment,2022,326:e107757.
[9]
XUJ L, GAOJ, DE HOLANDAH V, et al. Double cropping and cropland expansion boost grain production in Brazil[J].Nature Food,2021,2(4):264-273.
[10]
HANZ, SONGW. Abandoned cropland: Patterns and determinants within the Guangxi karst mountainous area, China[J].Applied Geography,2020,122:e102245.
[11]
ZHANGT T, YANGJ Y, ZHOUH, et al. Abandoned cropland mapping and its influencing factors analysis: A case study in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region[J].CATENA,2024,239:e107876.
XIONGM S, LUX J, LIUL, et al. Spatial and temporal evolution of cultivated land use types in Guangdong Province and its driving mechanism[J].Southwest China Journal of Agricultural Sciences,2024,37(9):2106-2119.
[14]
DANGX H, GAOS W, TAOR, et al. Do environmental conservation programs contribute to sustainable livelihoods? Evidence from China's grain-for-green program in northern Shaanxi Province[J].Science of the Total Environment,2020,719:e137436.
[15]
CHENH, MENGF, YUZ N, et al. Spatial-temporal characteristics and influencing factors of farmland expansion in different agricultural regions of Heilongjiang Province, China[J].Land Use Policy,2022,115:e106007.
[16]
TUY, WUS B, CHENB, et al. A 30 m annual cropland dataset of China from 1986 to 2021[J].Earth System Science Data,2024,16(5):2297-2316.
[17]
YANGJ, HUANGX. The 30 m annual land cover dataset and its dynamics in China from 1990 to 2019[J].Earth System Science Data,2021,13(8):3907-3925.
[18]
XUY D, YUL, PENGD L, et al. Annual 30 m land use/land cover maps of China for 1980—2015 from the integration of AVHRR, MODIS and Landsat data using the BFAST algorithm[J].Science China Earth Sciences,2020,63:1390-1407.
[19]
POTAPOVP V, TURUBANOVAS A, HANSENM C, et al. Global maps of cropland extent and change show accelerated cropland expansion in the twenty-first century[J].Nature Food,2022,3:19-28.
SUK C, YANGQ Y, ZHANGZ X, et al. Investigation of differential fallow patterns and technical measures for cultivated land in China[J].Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering,2020,36(9):283-291.
[22]
ZENGY, RANL S, FANGN F, et al. How to balance green and grain in marginal mountainous areas?[J].Earth's Future,2022,10(5):e2021EF002552.
CAIF. The subject I on handbook of Chinese economics lewisian turning points: Marks of China's economic development stages[J].Economic Research Journal,2022,57(1):16-22.
LIUT, YANGM, PENGR X. Structure and destination choices of out-migrants from northeast China: Based on long-term comparative analysis of census data[J].Scientia Geographica Sinica,2024,44(6):1016-1025.
LIY L, MAW Q, JIANGG H, et al. The degree of cultivated land abandonment and its influence on grain yield in main grain producing areas of China[J].Journal of Natural Resources,2021,36(6):1439-1454.
CHENX, CHANGC, BAOA M, et al. Spatial pattern and characteristics of land cover change in Xinjiang since past 40 years of the economic reform and opening up[J].Arid Land Geography,2020,43(1):1-11.
LUOS S, WANGX D, LAIQ B, et al. Suitability analysis and spatial optimization of agricultural production in urban areas of southeast hilly area:A case study of Sanming, Fujian Province, China[J].Mountain Research,2022,40(6):932-942.
WEIW, MOC X. Study of spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of evapotranspiration in southeast coastal areas of China based on remote sensing data[J].Water Saving Irrigation,2023(4):9-17.
[35]
CAIT Y, ZHANGX H, XIAF Q, et al. The process-mode-driving force of cropland expansion in arid regions of China based on the land use remote sensing monitoring data[J].Remote Sensing,2021,13(15):e2949.
[36]
CHENH, TANY Z, XIAOW, et al. Risk assessment and validation of farmland abandonment based on time series change detection[J].Environmental Science and Pollution Research International,2023,30(2):2685-2702.
CAOG Z, CHENS C, LIUT. Changing spatial patterns of internal migration to five major urban agglomerations in China[J].Acta Geographica Sinica,2021,76(6):1334-1349.
LIUT, ZHUOY X. A county-level analysis of China's population change: Insights from the 7th population census[J].Population Research,2022,46(6):72-87.
[41]
JIAOY M, LIUZ L, DINGY P, et al. Using a settlement connectivity-based framework to map the farmland abandonment risk: A case study on the World Heritage of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces[J].Land Degradation and Development,2023,34(12):3755-3768.
WUC Y, CHENB W, HUANGX J, et al. Analysis of the proximity and telecoupling mechanism of cultivated land use change: A case study of Yangtze River Economic Belt[J].Geographical Research,2023,42(11):3003-3019.