Land use change in Asia and the ecological consequences |
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Authors: | Shuqing Zhao Changhui Peng Hong Jiang Dalun Tian Xiangdong Lei Xiaolu Zhou |
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Affiliation: | (1) Institut des sciences de l’environnement, Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Quebec à Montréal, Case postale 8888, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3C 3P8;(2) Institute of Geographical Science and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China;(3) International Research Center of Spatial Ecology and Ecosystem Ecology, Zhejiang Forestry University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 31130, China;(4) International Institute of Earth System Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangshu, 210093, China;(5) College of Life Science and Technology, Central-South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, 410004, China;(6) Institute of Forest Resource Information Techniques, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, China;(7) Canada Centre for Remote Sensing, 588 Booth Street, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1A 0Y7 |
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Abstract: | Viewed within a historical context, Asia has experienced dramatic land transformations, and currently more than 50% of Asian land area is under agriculture. The consequences of this transformation are manifold. Southeast Asia has the highest deforestation rate of any major tropical region. Many of the world’s large rivers and lakes in Asia have been heavily degraded. About 11 of 19 world megacities with more than 10 million inhabitants are in Asia. These land use activities have resulted in substantial negative ecological consequences, including increased anthropogenic CO2 emissions, deteriorated air and water quality, alteration of regional climate, an increase of disease and a loss of biodiversity. Although land use occurs at the local level, it has the potential to cause ecological impact across local, regional and global scales. Reducing the negative environmental impacts of land use change while maintaining economic viability and social acceptability is an major challenge for most developing countries in Asia. |
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Keywords: | Agricultural intensification Deforestation Freshwater habitats degradation Sustainable land use Urbanization |
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