Identification of Limiting Factors and Engineering Selection for Agricultural Development of Barren Grassland: A Systems Engineering Approach

Authors

  • Zhaoya Chen

    1. College of Geography and Tourism, Baoding University, Baoding 071000, China; 2. College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
  • Yinuo Zhao

    College of Architecture, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an 710055, China
  • Boan Shi

    Hebei Ruidao Land Planning Consulting Co., Ltd, Shijiazhuang 050090, China
  • Yaheng Chen

    College of Land and Resources, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071000, China
  • Xinxing Zhang

    Department of science and research, Baoding University, Baoding 071000, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v7i4.7788
Received: 17 November 2024 | Revised: 18 February 2025 | Accepted: 26 February 2025 | Published Online: 11 April 2025

Abstract

Agricultural land development is a pivotal strategy for addressing the global food security crisis. Barren grassland, especially those in mountainous regions, constitutes critical areas where cultivation can substantially enhance land resources. This study highlights the necessity for a precise correlation between land development initiatives and constraints in order to optimize efficiency and enhance the effectiveness of such projects, with the core being the seamless integration of land development engineering and techniques to eliminate agricultural constraints. This study employs a systems engineering approach to classify improvement factors into mobile and fixed categories, elucidating the integration methods of constraint factors. Adhering to the Wooden Barrel Principle, these constraints were rigorously analyzed based on soil quality, land topography, water availability, and agricultural infrastructure. An innovative method of engineering type combination is proposed, which effectively explains the correlation between natural factors combination, project type combination, and target factors combination. It provides a convenient way for the selection of barren grassland development projects and lays a foundation for land planning, development project establishment, program selection, engineering design, and budget preparation.  Taking Tang County of China as an example, it is divided into 19 factor improvement areas, a quick reference table of engineering types is established, and 14 main types of engineering combinations are obtained, which lays a foundation for the application of theoretical framework in practice.

Keywords:

Barren Grassland; Land Development; Limiting Factors; Engineering Combination; Engineering Selection; Cultivated Land Reserve Resources

References

[1] GB/T 21010-2017, 2017. Current Land Use Classification.

[2] Dong, Y., Liu, D., Wu, X., 2021. Exploration and practice of exploitation of unused land suitable for cultivation in Yi County, Hebei Province. Agriculture and technology. 41(18), 78–81. DOI: https://doi.org/10.19754/j.nyyjs.20210930022

[3] Hu, Z.Q., 2017. Land Consolidation Science. China Agriculture Press: Beijing, China. pp.18–19.

[4] Qingsheng, L., Jinliang, H., Cui, W., et al., 2017. Land development suitability evaluation of pingtan island based on scenario analysis and landscape ecological quality evaluation. Sustainability. 9(7), 1292. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su9071292

[5] Román-Figueroa, C., Padilla, R., Uribe, J.M., Paneque, M., 2017. Land suitability assessment for camelina (Camelina sativa L.) development in Chile. Sustainability. 9(1), 154. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su9010154

[6] Mcdowell, R.W. , Snelder, T. , Harris, S., et al., 2018. The land use suitability concept: Introduction and an application of the concept to inform sustainable productivity within environmental constraints. Ecological Indicators. 91(AUG.), 212–219. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.03.067

[7] Zhang, Y., Liu, C., Wu, L., 2022. Research on the key points of planning and design for the development of unutilized land for cultivation. Journal of Environmental Ecology. 4(01), 19–24.

[8] Zhang, X., 2020. Study on the land leveling project design in hilly area based on multi-objective programming approach [Master's thesis]. Chongqing, China: China University of Southwest University. pp. 1–8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.27684/d.cnki.gxndx.2020.002484

[9] Niroula, G.S., Thapa, G.B., 2005. Impacts and causes of land fragmentation, and lessons learned from land consolidation in south asia. Land Use Policy. 22(4), 358–372. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2004.10.001

[10] Xu,J., Ji,Y., Ma, T., et al., 2022. Suggestions and adaption evaluation of unused land development in Gansu section of Lanzhou-Xining urban agglomeration. Environmental Protection Magazine. 50(23), 58–63. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14026/j.cnki.0253-9705.2022.23.016

[11] Ding,Y., Kong, X., Sun,Q., 2025. Research on the suitability evaluation of unused land development in Yantai City. Comprehensive Agricultural Development in China. 01, 47–50.

[12] Rana, G., 2003. The international centre for integrated mountain development (icimod). Mountain Research & Development. 23(3), 288–289. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1659/0276-4741(2003)023[0288:TICFIM]2.0.CO;2

[13] Flamenco-Sandoval, A., Ramos, M.M., Masera, O.R., 2007. Assessing implications of land-use and land-cover change dynamics for conservation of a highly diverse tropical rain forest. Biological Conservation. 138(1–2), 131–145. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2007.04.022

[14] Jr, R.G.P., Huffaker, D., Denman, K., 2004. Useful techniques of validation for spatially explicit land-change models. Ecological Modelling. 179(4), 445–461. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2004.05.010

[15] Duivenbooden, N.V., Windmeijer, P.N., Andriesse, W., et al., 1996. The integrated transect method as a tool for land use characterisation, with special reference to inland valley agro-ecosystems in West Africa. Landscape and Urban Planning. 34(2), 143–160. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0169-2046(95)00205-7

[16] Yang, Z., 2010. On the study of land utilization in mountainous areas. Proceedings of the China Natural Resources Society Land Resources Research Professional Committee Conference; July 11 2010; Kunming, Yunnan, China. pp. 13.

[17] Li, P., Tian, Y., Wu, J., Xu, W., 2021. The Great Western Development policy: How it affected grain crop production, land use and rural poverty in western China. China Agricultural Economic Review. 13, 319–348. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/CAER-07-2020-0175

[18] Muchová, Z., Petrovi, F., 2019. Prioritization and evaluation of land consolidation projects—Žitava River basin in a Slovakian case. Sustainability. 11, 2041. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su11072041

[19] Ertunç E., Cay, T., 2017. Determination of optmum irrigation network in land consolidation projects. Journal of International Environmental Application and Science. 3, 161–167.

[20] General Office of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, 2010. Law of the People's Republic of China on Soil and Water Conservation.

[21] Sun L., Tang B., 2012. Application of 3S technology in land rezoning survey. Jiangxi Coal Science & Technology. 136(4), 114–115.

[22] Chen, Z., Guo, N., Chen, Y., 2023. Suitability evaluation and engineering matching for agricultural development of barren grassland in mountainous area: A case study of county scale. Sustainability. 15, 12330. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612330

[23] Cao, Q., Chen, X., Shi, M., et al., 2014. Land use/cover changes and main-factor driving forcein Heihe middle reaches. Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering. 30(5), 220-227. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1002-6819.2014.05.028

[24] Uyan M ., 2016. Determination of agricultural soil index using geostatistical analysis and GIS on land consolidation projects. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. 123(C), 402-409. DOI:10.1016/j.compag.2016.03.019.

[25] Zhang,S., Liu,J., Song,C., et al., 2021. Spatial-temporal distribution characteristics and evolution mechanism of urban parks in Beijing, China. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening. 64, 127265. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127265

[26] Han, C., Liu, Q., Yao, X., et al., 2013. Study on the classification of high standard basic farmland construction types in Qingyuan County, Liaoning Province. Chinese Journal of Soil Science. 44(5), 1041–1046. DOI: https://doi.org/10.19336/j.cnki.trtb.2013.05.003

[27] Zhao, R., Zhang, X., Gabriel, J.L., et a., 2023. Classification of agricultural land consolidation types based on soil security to improve limiting factors adapted to local soil conditions. Land Degradation and Development. 34(11), 3098–3113.

[28] Guo, L., Zhang, F., Qu, Y., et al., 2010. Classification of agricultural land consolidation types based on classification of factors. Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering. 26(9), 308–314.

[29] TD/T1013-2013, 2013. Regulations for Acceptance of Land Development and Consolidation Projects.

[30] TD/T1012-2016, 2016. Code for Planning and Design of Land Development and Consolidation Projects.

[31] Hu, Z., 2010. Land Use Engineering. China Agriculture Press: Beijing, China. pp. 3-15.

[32] Li, S., Hu, C., Pan, R., 2020. Discussion on optimization of cultivated land quality evaluation for land consolidation. Agricultural Development and Equipment. 03, 9+11.

[33] Pašakarnis, G., Morley, D., Malien,V., 2013. Rural development and challenges establishing sustainable land use in Eastern European countries. Land Use Policy. 30(1), 703–710. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2012.05.011

[34] Janetschek, H., Brandi, C., Dzebo, A., et al., 2020. The 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement: Voluntary contributions towards thematic policy coherence. Climate Policy. 20(4), 430–442. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2019.1677549

[35] Kupidura, A., Łuczewski, M., Home, R., et al., 2014. Public perceptions of rural landscapes in land consolidation procedures in Poland. Land Use Policy. 39, 313–319. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2014.02.005

[36] Asiama, K.O., Voss, W., Bennett, R., et al., 2021. Land consolidation activities in Sub-Saharan Africa towards the agenda 2030: A tale of three countries. Land Use Policy. 101, 105140. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.105140

[37] Taszakowski, J., Glowacka, A., 2018. The Influence of Land Consolidation Projects on the Possibility of Implementation of Rural Renewal Projects. Proceedings of the 18th International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM 2018, Informatics, Geoinformatics and Remote Sensing; June 20, 2018; Albena, Bulgaria. pp. 1043- 1050. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5593/SGEM2018/2.2/S09.132

[38] Aslan, Ş.T.A., 2021. Evaluation of land consolidation projects with parcel shape and dispersion.Land Use Policy. 105(2), 105401. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105401

[39] Lazi, J., Marinkovi, G., Borisov, M., et al., 2020. Effects and profitability of land consolidation projects: Case study – the Republic of Serbia. Tehnicki Vjesnik. 4, 1330–1336. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17559/TV-20190401195229

[40] Goran, M., Jelena, L., Slobodan, M., et al., 2019. Integrated assessment methodology for land consolidation projects: Case study pecinci, serbia. Archives for Technical Sciences. 20(1), 43–52. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7251/afts.2019.1120.043M

[41] Muchová, Z., Leitmanová, M., Petrovič, F., 2016. Possibilities of optimal land use as a consequence of lessons learned from land consolidation projects (Slovakia). Ecological Engineering. 90, 294–306. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2016.01.018

Downloads

How to Cite

Chen, Z., Zhao, Y., Shi, B., Chen, Y., & Zhang, X. (2025). Identification of Limiting Factors and Engineering Selection for Agricultural Development of Barren Grassland: A Systems Engineering Approach. Journal of Environmental & Earth Sciences, 7(4), 351–367. https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v7i4.7788

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 4 (April 2025)

Article Type

Article

License

Copyright © 2025 Zhaoya Chen, Yinuo Zhao, Boan Shi, Yaheng Chen, Xinxing Zhang

Creative Commons License

This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC