Non-agriculturalization of cultivated land in densely populated areas at the watershed scale: a case study of the Minjiang River Basin, China

Zero hunger is a top priority in the Sustainable Development Goals, however, millions of people worldwide still face hunger. Over the years, China has experienced rapid population growth, industrialization and urbanization, leading to significant agricultural land loss, which threats the nation’s fo...

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Main Authors: Xi Zhao, Zhongwen Hu, Yinghui Zhang, Jingzhe Wang, Tiezhu Shi, Yanguo Liu, Jie Zhang, Guofeng Wu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: PeerJ Inc. 2025-07-01
Series:PeerJ
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Online Access:https://peerj.com/articles/19722.pdf
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author Xi Zhao
Zhongwen Hu
Yinghui Zhang
Jingzhe Wang
Tiezhu Shi
Yanguo Liu
Jie Zhang
Guofeng Wu
author_facet Xi Zhao
Zhongwen Hu
Yinghui Zhang
Jingzhe Wang
Tiezhu Shi
Yanguo Liu
Jie Zhang
Guofeng Wu
author_sort Xi Zhao
collection DOAJ
description Zero hunger is a top priority in the Sustainable Development Goals, however, millions of people worldwide still face hunger. Over the years, China has experienced rapid population growth, industrialization and urbanization, leading to significant agricultural land loss, which threats the nation’s food supply. Understanding the patterns and driving factors of non-agriculturalization is crucial for its protection. The Minjiang River Basin, the largest tributary of the Yangtze River, is densely populated and experiencing rapid urbanization, making it a typical snapshot of the non-agriculturalization in China. This study comprehensively examines the characteristics and trends in the spatiotemporal evolution of cultivated land in the Minjiang River Basin, along with the drivers of non-agriculturalization. The results reveal the findings: (1) From 1990 to 2020, the cultivated land in the Minjiang River Basin has decreased and mainly concentrated in flat areas. The spatiotemporal evolution of cultivated land exhibits low dispersion and strong directionality, predominantly shifting northward, and the migration of cultivated land can be divided into three stages. (2) A consistent positive spatial correlation is observed in the non-agriculturalization areas of cultivated land in the Minjiang River Basin, with high-high (HH) clustering analysis revealing an aggregation pattern radiating outward from the city center. (3) Population growth and economic factors are the primary drivers of non-agriculturalization in the Minjiang River Basin.
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spelling doaj-art-115dcd6c82bc4b87be2a93fbaa8ca0e22025-08-20T03:51:55ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592025-07-0113e1972210.7717/peerj.19722Non-agriculturalization of cultivated land in densely populated areas at the watershed scale: a case study of the Minjiang River Basin, ChinaXi Zhao0Zhongwen Hu1Yinghui Zhang2Jingzhe Wang3Tiezhu Shi4Yanguo Liu5Jie Zhang6Guofeng Wu7School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, ChinaSchool of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, ChinaSchool of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, ChinaSchool of Artificial Intelligence, Shenzhen Polytechnic University, Shenzhen, ChinaSchool of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, ChinaKey Laboratory of Investigation, Monitoring, Protection and Utilization for Cultivated Land Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources, Chengdu, ChinaCollege of Information and Electrical Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, ChinaZero hunger is a top priority in the Sustainable Development Goals, however, millions of people worldwide still face hunger. Over the years, China has experienced rapid population growth, industrialization and urbanization, leading to significant agricultural land loss, which threats the nation’s food supply. Understanding the patterns and driving factors of non-agriculturalization is crucial for its protection. The Minjiang River Basin, the largest tributary of the Yangtze River, is densely populated and experiencing rapid urbanization, making it a typical snapshot of the non-agriculturalization in China. This study comprehensively examines the characteristics and trends in the spatiotemporal evolution of cultivated land in the Minjiang River Basin, along with the drivers of non-agriculturalization. The results reveal the findings: (1) From 1990 to 2020, the cultivated land in the Minjiang River Basin has decreased and mainly concentrated in flat areas. The spatiotemporal evolution of cultivated land exhibits low dispersion and strong directionality, predominantly shifting northward, and the migration of cultivated land can be divided into three stages. (2) A consistent positive spatial correlation is observed in the non-agriculturalization areas of cultivated land in the Minjiang River Basin, with high-high (HH) clustering analysis revealing an aggregation pattern radiating outward from the city center. (3) Population growth and economic factors are the primary drivers of non-agriculturalization in the Minjiang River Basin.https://peerj.com/articles/19722.pdfSustainable development goalsZero hungerFood securityNon-agriculturalization of cultivated landApatiotemporal analysis
spellingShingle Xi Zhao
Zhongwen Hu
Yinghui Zhang
Jingzhe Wang
Tiezhu Shi
Yanguo Liu
Jie Zhang
Guofeng Wu
Non-agriculturalization of cultivated land in densely populated areas at the watershed scale: a case study of the Minjiang River Basin, China
PeerJ
Sustainable development goals
Zero hunger
Food security
Non-agriculturalization of cultivated land
Apatiotemporal analysis
title Non-agriculturalization of cultivated land in densely populated areas at the watershed scale: a case study of the Minjiang River Basin, China
title_full Non-agriculturalization of cultivated land in densely populated areas at the watershed scale: a case study of the Minjiang River Basin, China
title_fullStr Non-agriculturalization of cultivated land in densely populated areas at the watershed scale: a case study of the Minjiang River Basin, China
title_full_unstemmed Non-agriculturalization of cultivated land in densely populated areas at the watershed scale: a case study of the Minjiang River Basin, China
title_short Non-agriculturalization of cultivated land in densely populated areas at the watershed scale: a case study of the Minjiang River Basin, China
title_sort non agriculturalization of cultivated land in densely populated areas at the watershed scale a case study of the minjiang river basin china
topic Sustainable development goals
Zero hunger
Food security
Non-agriculturalization of cultivated land
Apatiotemporal analysis
url https://peerj.com/articles/19722.pdf
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