Population Shrinkage and Spatio-Temporal Changes in Cultivated Land Use Efficiency in China’s Agro-Pastoral Ecotone

Revealing the level of cultivated land use efficiency and its influencing factors in the northern agro-pastoral ecotone from the perspective of population contraction can provide a decision-making reference for ensuring national food security and promoting the implementation of rural revitalization...

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Main Authors: Lu Chen, Ning Zhao, Zhixun Zhang, Yun Zhang, Wenjie Zuo, Youshuo Wang, Bin Wu, Monika Stanny, Yuheng Li, Guoming Du
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Land
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/1/63
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author Lu Chen
Ning Zhao
Zhixun Zhang
Yun Zhang
Wenjie Zuo
Youshuo Wang
Bin Wu
Monika Stanny
Yuheng Li
Guoming Du
author_facet Lu Chen
Ning Zhao
Zhixun Zhang
Yun Zhang
Wenjie Zuo
Youshuo Wang
Bin Wu
Monika Stanny
Yuheng Li
Guoming Du
author_sort Lu Chen
collection DOAJ
description Revealing the level of cultivated land use efficiency and its influencing factors in the northern agro-pastoral ecotone from the perspective of population contraction can provide a decision-making reference for ensuring national food security and promoting the implementation of rural revitalization strategies. In this paper, using the stochastic frontier production function and a Tobit regression model, we reveal the current situation of rural population shrinkage in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China and the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of cultivated land use efficiency, and identify influencing factors based on the perspective of “human–land”. The results show the following: (1) The rural population in all provinces and counties in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China showed a continuous loss trend. The southwest was a hot spot area for rural population reduction, and the northeast was a cold spot area for rural population reduction. (2) During 2000–2020, the cultivated land use efficiency in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China showed a fluctuating upward trend, rising from 0.595 in 2000 to 0.754 in 2020. Spatially, the cultivated land use efficiency in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China showed the characteristic of being higher in the northeast and lower in the southwest, and the cultivated land use efficiency in some counties in the central and southwestern parts showed a downward trend. (3) The cultivated land use efficiency in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China is comprehensively affected by multiple factors. The following factors were determined, presented in descending order of the absolute value of influence degree: proportion of the population over 65 years old > multiple cropping index > proportion of cultivated land area > proportion of rural population > average years of education > population change rate. Based on these results, this paper puts forward measures to improve cultivated land use efficiency in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China from the perspective of population shrinkage, so as to provide references for ensuring national food security and promoting rural revitalization.
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spelling doaj-art-d38845fdd9db4485980ea7be1a43e70e2025-01-24T13:37:45ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2025-01-011416310.3390/land14010063Population Shrinkage and Spatio-Temporal Changes in Cultivated Land Use Efficiency in China’s Agro-Pastoral EcotoneLu Chen0Ning Zhao1Zhixun Zhang2Yun Zhang3Wenjie Zuo4Youshuo Wang5Bin Wu6Monika Stanny7Yuheng Li8Guoming Du9School of Public Administration and Law, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, ChinaSchool of Public Administration and Law, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, ChinaDepartment of Economics, New York University, New York, NY 10012, USASchool of Public Administration and Law, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, ChinaSchool of Public Administration and Law, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, ChinaSchool of Public Administration and Law, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, ChinaSchool of Public Administration and Law, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, ChinaInstitute of Rural and Agricultural of Development, Polish Academy of Sciences, 00-330 Warsaw, PolandInstitute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, ChinaSchool of Public Administration and Law, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, ChinaRevealing the level of cultivated land use efficiency and its influencing factors in the northern agro-pastoral ecotone from the perspective of population contraction can provide a decision-making reference for ensuring national food security and promoting the implementation of rural revitalization strategies. In this paper, using the stochastic frontier production function and a Tobit regression model, we reveal the current situation of rural population shrinkage in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China and the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of cultivated land use efficiency, and identify influencing factors based on the perspective of “human–land”. The results show the following: (1) The rural population in all provinces and counties in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China showed a continuous loss trend. The southwest was a hot spot area for rural population reduction, and the northeast was a cold spot area for rural population reduction. (2) During 2000–2020, the cultivated land use efficiency in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China showed a fluctuating upward trend, rising from 0.595 in 2000 to 0.754 in 2020. Spatially, the cultivated land use efficiency in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China showed the characteristic of being higher in the northeast and lower in the southwest, and the cultivated land use efficiency in some counties in the central and southwestern parts showed a downward trend. (3) The cultivated land use efficiency in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China is comprehensively affected by multiple factors. The following factors were determined, presented in descending order of the absolute value of influence degree: proportion of the population over 65 years old > multiple cropping index > proportion of cultivated land area > proportion of rural population > average years of education > population change rate. Based on these results, this paper puts forward measures to improve cultivated land use efficiency in the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China from the perspective of population shrinkage, so as to provide references for ensuring national food security and promoting rural revitalization.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/1/63population shrinkageagro-pastoral ecotone in northern Chinacultivated land use efficiencyrural revitalization
spellingShingle Lu Chen
Ning Zhao
Zhixun Zhang
Yun Zhang
Wenjie Zuo
Youshuo Wang
Bin Wu
Monika Stanny
Yuheng Li
Guoming Du
Population Shrinkage and Spatio-Temporal Changes in Cultivated Land Use Efficiency in China’s Agro-Pastoral Ecotone
Land
population shrinkage
agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China
cultivated land use efficiency
rural revitalization
title Population Shrinkage and Spatio-Temporal Changes in Cultivated Land Use Efficiency in China’s Agro-Pastoral Ecotone
title_full Population Shrinkage and Spatio-Temporal Changes in Cultivated Land Use Efficiency in China’s Agro-Pastoral Ecotone
title_fullStr Population Shrinkage and Spatio-Temporal Changes in Cultivated Land Use Efficiency in China’s Agro-Pastoral Ecotone
title_full_unstemmed Population Shrinkage and Spatio-Temporal Changes in Cultivated Land Use Efficiency in China’s Agro-Pastoral Ecotone
title_short Population Shrinkage and Spatio-Temporal Changes in Cultivated Land Use Efficiency in China’s Agro-Pastoral Ecotone
title_sort population shrinkage and spatio temporal changes in cultivated land use efficiency in china s agro pastoral ecotone
topic population shrinkage
agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China
cultivated land use efficiency
rural revitalization
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/1/63
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