Resumen de Analysis of influencing factors of cultivated land fragmentation based on hierarchical linear model: A case study of Jiangsu Province, China
Weiyi Xu, Xiaobin Jin, Jing Liu, Yinkang Zhou
Cultivated land fragmentation (CLF) is a common phenomenon of land use in the world, which has an essential effect on agricultural production. Given the limitations of single level in the previous study on the influencing factors of CLF, this study utilizes hierarchical linear model (HLM) to explore the influencing factors of CLF from township and county levels in Jiangsu Province, and puts forward policy suggestions for relieving the CLF. The results indicate that the spatial distribution of CLF shows obvious characteristics in Jiangsu, which gradually increases from north to south. Besides, hierarchical structure exists in the CLF, and 43 % of the differences in CLF come from townships, 57 % from counties. Furthermore, the CLF is affected by multilevel factors, average patch area, GDP, the proportion of secondary and tertiary industries, population density, and road accessibility are the dominant factors at the township level, which explain 76 % of CLF affected by townships, and the main factors at the county level include average patch area, GDP, land use intensity, and urbanization rate, which explain 64 % of CLF affected by counties. Ultimately, a positive interaction with county-level overall guidance and township-level specific implementation should be established to alleviate the CLF. Specifically, at the county level, we should scientifically formulate overall planning of land use, and arrange land consolidation projects according to local conditions, readjust and optimize the economic structure, coordinate kinds of land demands and revitalize inefficient urban land. At the township level, while strictly implementing county-level policies, we should also promote land consolidation projects focusing on basic farmland construction and rural residential land readjustment, and pay attention to the overall layout of agricultural production factors, optimize industrial structure, and orderly transfer rural surplus laborers. This study provides a new perspective for the research on the influencing factors of CLF, and also has important guiding effect on formulating land policies to alleviate the CLF and accelerate sustainable utilization of cultivated land.
