This study compared concentrations and export of total phosphorus (TP; including dissolved and particulate forms) and nitrogen (N) between quickflow and delayed flow at two adjacent agricultural catchments (Jennings and McLarens Creeks), one of which is undergoing increased urbanization. Annual runoff, frequency of quickflow events in the growing season (GS), and chloride (Cl⁻) concentrations and export were greater at the more urbanized Jennings Creek.

Chongqing Municipality, located on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, is one of China’s four largest megacities, comparable with Shanghai, Beijing, and Tianjin. In recent years, Chongqing and its surroundings have been experiencing severe environmental problems, such as urbanization, pollution, and deforestation, due to the rapid economic development of China’s inland region.

The assessment of freshwater resources in a drainage basin is not only dependent on its hydrologic parameters but also on the socio-economic system driving development in the watershed area; the socio-economic aspect, that is often neglected in hydrologic studies, is one of the novelties of this study. The aim of this paper is twofold: (1) presenting an integrated working methodology and (2) studying a local case of a North African watershed where scarce field data are available.

In many cities worldwide, urbanization is leading to the rapid and extensive fragmentation of native vegetation into small and scattered urban remnants. We investigated the effects of fragmentation on plant species richness and abundance in 30 remnant Banksia woodlands in the rapidly expanding city of Perth, located in the southwestern Australian global biodiversity hotspot.

Studies of urbanization effects in Chinese cities from the aspect of the coupled development of economy and environment are rare due to data limitations. This paper studied Shanghai’s fast urban expansion and examined the dynamic relationship between economic growth and environment consequences at the district level. We extracted data on urban built-up area and land surface temperature from remote sensing images. We analyzed the patterns of urban expansion and land use change and explained the dynamic relationship between economic development and environment conditions.

The role of vegetation analysis by remote sensing (RS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) technology to support plans for sustainable development is discussed through a proposal of an index of ecosystem “integrity” or of regeneration capacity. The index is based on the vegetation “mass” of a given land cover type and the capacity that such mass has to contrast soil erosion. The index is therefore taking into account the effects of human activities and not merely the state of ecosystems in terms of their components.

Dense multi-temporal stacks of Landsat imagery have most commonly been exploited to identify land cover and land use changes (LCLUC) based on detection of abrupt changes in continuous value spectral indices. In this study, a discrete classification approach to LCLUC identification based on stable training sites is tested on a nine-date, 4-year Landsat-7 ETM + time sequence for a study area in Ghana that is prone to cloud cover.

We examined the effect of changes in land use and land tenure on bush encroachment and vegetation condition. An analysis of aerial photographs from three time steps (1949, 1985 and 2004) was used to document changes in woody plant density in different vegetation types on commonage and an adjacent commercial farm in Fort Beaufort, South Africa. Rangeland condition was assessed in different vegetation units of the area and woody plant density was related to distance from urban settlement.

To study the magnitude of land degradation, desertification or resilience in Montenegro throughout the 20th and early‐21st centuries, we rephotographed the landscapes recorded on 48 historical photographs dating back to between 1890 and 1985, and analysed in a semi‐quantitative way the land use and cover changes that had occurred using an expert rating system (six correspondents). Time‐series of hydrology and population density were analysed for the period since 1948 and were compared with the changes observed using repeat photography.

Urbanization represents the most extreme form of land cover transformation and is expected to restrict dispersal of animals, both because of the structural unsuitability of the novel habitat, as well as through mechanisms associated with human activity, such as disturbance. Fragmentation of populations by urbanization is considered to be a significant threat to several endangered bird populations, although isolation has seldom been demonstrated genetically.

Socioeconomic growth and urban change have been an increasing concern for decision makers in recent decades. The monitoring, mapping, and analysis of agricultural land use change, especially in areas where urban change has been high, is crucial. The collision between traditional economic activities related to agriculture in tourist areas such as the Algarve and current demand for tourism infrastructures in urban regions is also leading to loss of economic activity.

China’s economic development over the past three decades has been remarkable due to the establishment of the “Reform and Opening-up” program. Meanwhile, urbanization, one of the most intensive human activities, has significantly changed the land cover across China. Here we used remote sensing data and landscape metrics to explore the spatiotemporal patterns of urbanization in two large Chinese cities, Chengdu (1978–2010) and Chongqing (1976–2010).