MAP 4: Cropland area per capita (2019)

AbstractSpatiotemporally consistent data on global cropland extent is essential for tracking progress towards sustainable food production. In the present study, we present an analysis of global cropland area change for the first two decades of the twenty-first century derived from satellite data time-series. We estimate that, in 2019, the cropland area was 1,244 Mha with a corresponding total annual net primary production (NPP) of 5.5 Pg C year−1. From 2003 to 2019, cropland area increased by 9% and cropland NPP by 25%, primarily due to agricultural expansion in Africa and South America. Global cropland expansion accelerated over the past two decades, with a near doubling of the annual expansion rate, most notably in Africa. Half of the new cropland area (49%) replaced natural vegetation and tree cover, indicating a conflict with the sustainability goal of protecting terrestrial ecosystems. From 2003 to 2019, global per-capita cropland area decreased by 10% due to population growth. However, the per-capita annual cropland NPP increased by 3.5% as a result of intensified agricultural land use. The presented global, high-resolution, cropland map time-series supports monitoring of natural land appropriation at the local, national and international levels.

Download Full-text

Reconstruction of cropland cover changes in the European part of Tsarist Russia from 1500 to 1914 based on historical documents

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-4150 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Zhilong Zhao ◽

Xiuqi Fang ◽

Yu Ye ◽

Chengpeng Zhang ◽

Diyang Zhang

Keyword(s):

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Black Soil ◽

Northern Region ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

European Part ◽

Ecological Impacts ◽

Volga River ◽

Cropland Area ◽

Per Capita ◽

And Migration

To evaluate the climatic and ecological impacts of anthropogenic activities in global change research, it is essential to reconstruct historical land use and land cover change on regional and global scales. In this study, we reconstructed cropland areas for 54 provinces within the European part of Tsarist Russia (ETR) over the periods of 1500-1914 using historical data, including cropland area, population, grain consumption, and grain yield per unit area. The main results are as follows. (1) Total cropland areas and fractional cropland areas of ETR for 11 time sections (1500 AD, 1540 AD, 1585 AD, 1696 AD, 1719 AD, 1725 AD, 1763 AD, 1796 AD, 1856 AD, 1887 AD and 1914 AD) during 1500-1914 were reconstructed, respectively. The total cropland area of ETR increased from 4.26&#215;104 km2 in 1500 AD to 147.40&#215;104 km2 in 1914 AD. The fractional cropland area increased from 2.40% to 29.20%, and the per capita cropland area decreased from 2.58 ha to 1.13 ha during 1500-1914. (2) Cropland expanded from the central and southwest of ETR to the black soil region, surrounding area of the Volga River, Ukraine region, the new Russia region, and the vicinity of Ural for the increase and migration of population. While in the northern region of ETR, cropland area remained stable due to unfavorable climatic conditions throughout the study period. (3) In 1914 AD, the cropland area and fractional cropland area of each province varied from 0.16&#215;104 km2 and 0.76% to 5.65&#215;104 km2 and 76.68%, respectively. (4) The comparisons show that the cropland areas on the ETR in this study for 1500-1914 are higher than those of the HYDE 3.2 dataset. The main reason might come from the underestimation of per capita cropland areas in HYDE 3.2 dataset, which values remained about 1 ha from 1500 to 1920 in that dataset.

Download Full-text

Spatial Distribution of Population Density and Pressure on Sustainable Cropland Use in Shandong Province in China during the 17th-20th Century

10.20944/preprints201705.0133.v1 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Yu Ye ◽

Xueqiong Wei ◽

Xiuqi Fang ◽

Yikai Li

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

20Th Century ◽

19Th Century ◽

Social Vulnerability ◽

18Th Century ◽

Cropland Area ◽

Pressure Index ◽

The Social ◽

Per Capita ◽

The 19Th Century

Cropland area per capita and pressure index on cropland is the important parameters measuring the social vulnerability and sustainability in the perspective of food security in a certain region in China during the historical periods. This study reconstructs the spatial distribution change of cropland area per labor/household and pressure index on cropland during the 17th-20th century by the methods of historical documents, regression analysis, pressure index model and GIS. Then it analyzed the impacting process of climate change and sustainability of cropland use during the different periods. It draws conclusions: (i) the spatial difference of labor/household density was obvious which had the same pattern as cropland distribution during the same periods, which is higher density in three agricultural areas. (ii) Cropland area per capita was relatively higher during the 17th-18th century, which were above 0.4 ha/person in majority counties and distributed homogenously. Till the 19th century and the beginning of 20th century, cropland area per capita in large amount of regions decreased below 0.2 ha/person embodying the increase of social vulnerability and unsustainability at that time. (iii) Pressure index on cropland also showed the similar spatial pattern as cropland area per capita which presented lower threshold than nowadays. During the 17th-18th century there was no pressure on cropland. While, in the 19th century and at the beginning of 20th century, two high value centers of pressure index on cropland appeared in Middle Shandong and the Jiaodong region, pressure on sustainable cropland use increased obviously and a food crisis is probably created. (iv) Higher sustainable extent of cropland use corresponds to cold period, and lower sustainable extent of cropland use corresponds to warm period in Shandong over the past 300 years. The turning point of 1680s from dry to wet attributes to the decrease of sustainable extent of cropland use in Shandong not very distinctively. More and more pressure on sustainability of cropland use finally since the beginning of 20th century would intensify the social conflict and increase the probability of social revolts.

Download Full-text

FIGURE 6. Cropland area per capita by region

FAO Statistical Yearbook 2020 Datasets ◽

10.4060/cb1329en-fig06 ◽

2020 ◽

Keyword(s):

Cropland Area ◽

Per Capita

Download Full-text

FIGURE 6: Cropland area per capita by region

FAO Statistical Yearbook 2021 Datasets ◽

10.4060/cb4477en-fig06 ◽

2021 ◽

Keyword(s):

Cropland Area ◽

Per Capita

Download Full-text

Accelerated global cropland expansion and primary production increase in the 21st century

10.21203/rs.3.rs-294463/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Peter Potapov ◽

Svetlana Turubanova ◽

Matthew Hansen ◽

Alexandra Tyukavina ◽

Viviana Zalles ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Time Series ◽

Primary Production ◽

21St Century ◽

Food Production ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Net Primary Production ◽

Sustainable Food ◽

Cropland Area ◽

Sustainable Food Production ◽

Per Capita

Abstract Spatiotemporally consistent data on global cropland extent is a key to tracking progress toward hunger eradication and sustainable food production1,2. Here, we present an analysis of global cropland area and change for the first two decades of the 21st century derived from satellite data time-series. We estimate 2019 cropland area to be 1,244 Mha with a corresponding total annual net primary production (NPP) of 5.5 Pg C yr-1. From 2003 to 2019, cropland area increased by 9% and crop NPP by 25%, primarily due to agricultural expansion in Africa and South America. Global cropland expansion accelerated over the past two decades, with a near doubling of the annual expansion rate, most notably in Africa. Half of the new cropland area (49%) replaced natural vegetation and tree cover, indicating a conflict with the sustainability goal of protecting terrestrial ecosystems. From 2003 to 2019 global population growth outpaced cropland area expansion, and per capita cropland area decreased by 10%. However, the per capita annual crop NPP increased by 3.5% as a result of intensified agricultural land use. The presented global high-resolution cropland map time-series supports monitoring of sustainable food production at the local, national, and international levels.

Download Full-text