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MDPI AG, a publisher of open-access scientific journals, was spun off from the Molecular Diversity Preservation International organization. It was formally registered by Shu-Kun Lin and Dietrich Rordorf in May 2010 in Basel, Switzerland, and maintains editorial offices in China, Spain and Serbia. MDPI relies primarily on article processing charges to cover the costs of editorial quality control and production of articles. Over 280 universities and institutes have joined the MDPI Institutional Open Access Program; authors from these organizations pay reduced article processing charges. MDPI is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics, the International Association of Scientific, Technical, and Medical Publishers, and the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA).
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Displaying 316 - 320 of 1524Insights into the Effects of Study Area Size and Soil Sampling Density in the Prediction of Soil Organic Carbon by Vis-NIR Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy in Two Forest Areas
Sustainable forest land management requires measuring and monitoring soil organic carbon. Visible and near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (Vis-NIR, 350–2500 nm), although it has become an important method for predicting soil organic carbon (SOC), requires further studies and methods of analysis to realize its full potential. This study aimed to determine if the size of the study area and soil sampling density may affect the performance of Vis-NIR diffuse reflectance spectroscopy in the prediction of soil organic carbon.
Land Use Multifunctions in Metropolis Fringe: Spatiotemporal Identification and Trade-Off Analysis
As the transition zone between urban and rural, the metropolis fringe is an area where various functions permeate and compete fiercely with each other. Understanding land use functions (LUFs) and their relationships are crucial for both urban and rural sustainable development. In this study, we established a conceptual framework of land use multifunctions in the urban fringe and proposed an improved evaluation method to quantify LUFs at the grid scale. The bivariate spatial autocorrelation method was used to explore the trade-offs among LUFs.
Research Progress on the Impact of Land Use Change on Soil Carbon Sequestration
Land use change is the most important driving factor of terrestrial carbon stock change. Soil is the largest carbon reservoir of terrestrial ecosystems, and the impact of land use change on soil carbon sequestration is related to major issues such as the global warming process and food security. The research can provide a basis for land managers and policy makers to develop appropriate planning strategies for soil carbon sequestration management. Despite the widespread attention of relevant studies, macro reviews are still lacking.
Developing an Agent-Based Model to Mitigate Famine Risk in North Korea: Insights from the “Artificial North Korean Collective Farm” Model
North Korea experienced a catastrophic famine in the mid-1990s that resulted in millions of deaths. This study aims to build an agent-based model to understand the risk of land degradation and famine in North Korea and explore potential solutions to mitigate this risk. The model concept reflects the general information of collective farms in North Korea, which was set in 1960, and the abstract of the social–ecological system of North Korean agriculture. The model comprises the agent, environment, and external factors.
Active and Passive Carbon Fractions in Contrasting Cropping Systems, Tillage Practices, and Soil Types
The rate of change in the relative amount of active and passive carbon (AC and PC) due to the land management practices (cropping systems combined with tillage) may vary with soil types depending on their level of chemical and/or physical protection from the decomposition but has rarely been directly measured.