Spatial Patterns and Characteristics of Urban–Rural Agricultural Landscapes: A Case Study of Bengaluru, India

Globally, the agricultural landscape is the most exposed due to urbanisation. Therefore, finding the spatial and temporal patterns of changes in agricultural landscapes is essential for sustainable development. This study developed a workflow to address this information gap and determine the spatial...

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Main Authors: Jayan Wijesingha, Thomas Astor, Sunil Nautiyal, Michael Wachendorf
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Land
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/2/208
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author Jayan Wijesingha
Thomas Astor
Sunil Nautiyal
Michael Wachendorf
author_facet Jayan Wijesingha
Thomas Astor
Sunil Nautiyal
Michael Wachendorf
author_sort Jayan Wijesingha
collection DOAJ
description Globally, the agricultural landscape is the most exposed due to urbanisation. Therefore, finding the spatial and temporal patterns of changes in agricultural landscapes is essential for sustainable development. This study developed a workflow to address this information gap and determine the spatial patterns and characteristics of agricultural landscapes along an urban–rural gradient. The workflow comprised three steps. First, remote sensing data were classified to map crop types. Second, landscape metrics were used to examine the spatial patterns of agricultural land cover concerning urbanisation levels. Finally, unsupervised clustering was applied to categorise agricultural landscape types along the urban–rural interface. The workflow was tested using WorldView-3 satellite data in Bengaluru, India. It identified four major herbaceous crop types (millet, maize, pulses, and cash crops) and woody plantations as agricultural land cover. An analysis revealed that agricultural land cover increased from urban to rural areas, with diverse patterns in transition zones. The cluster analysis characterised four agricultural landscapes. The findings imply that changes in an agricultural landscape along an urban–rural gradient are not linear. The newly developed integrated workflow empowers stakeholders to make informed and well-reasoned decisions, and it can be periodically implemented to maintain the ongoing monitoring of urbanisation’s effect on food systems.
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spelling doaj-art-2a636a0329e64e00a88a4494b8d572922025-08-20T02:44:50ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2025-01-0114220810.3390/land14020208Spatial Patterns and Characteristics of Urban–Rural Agricultural Landscapes: A Case Study of Bengaluru, IndiaJayan Wijesingha0Thomas Astor1Sunil Nautiyal2Michael Wachendorf3Grassland Science and Renewable Plant Resources, Universität Kassel, Steinstraße 19, DE-37213 Witzenhausen, GermanyGrassland Science and Renewable Plant Resources, Universität Kassel, Steinstraße 19, DE-37213 Witzenhausen, GermanyCentre for Ecological Economics and Natural Resources, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Nagarabhavi, Bengaluru 560072, IndiaGrassland Science and Renewable Plant Resources, Universität Kassel, Steinstraße 19, DE-37213 Witzenhausen, GermanyGlobally, the agricultural landscape is the most exposed due to urbanisation. Therefore, finding the spatial and temporal patterns of changes in agricultural landscapes is essential for sustainable development. This study developed a workflow to address this information gap and determine the spatial patterns and characteristics of agricultural landscapes along an urban–rural gradient. The workflow comprised three steps. First, remote sensing data were classified to map crop types. Second, landscape metrics were used to examine the spatial patterns of agricultural land cover concerning urbanisation levels. Finally, unsupervised clustering was applied to categorise agricultural landscape types along the urban–rural interface. The workflow was tested using WorldView-3 satellite data in Bengaluru, India. It identified four major herbaceous crop types (millet, maize, pulses, and cash crops) and woody plantations as agricultural land cover. An analysis revealed that agricultural land cover increased from urban to rural areas, with diverse patterns in transition zones. The cluster analysis characterised four agricultural landscapes. The findings imply that changes in an agricultural landscape along an urban–rural gradient are not linear. The newly developed integrated workflow empowers stakeholders to make informed and well-reasoned decisions, and it can be periodically implemented to maintain the ongoing monitoring of urbanisation’s effect on food systems.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/2/208agricultural land cover (ALC)urban–ruralWorldViewlandscape analysisBengaluru
spellingShingle Jayan Wijesingha
Thomas Astor
Sunil Nautiyal
Michael Wachendorf
Spatial Patterns and Characteristics of Urban–Rural Agricultural Landscapes: A Case Study of Bengaluru, India
Land
agricultural land cover (ALC)
urban–rural
WorldView
landscape analysis
Bengaluru
title Spatial Patterns and Characteristics of Urban–Rural Agricultural Landscapes: A Case Study of Bengaluru, India
title_full Spatial Patterns and Characteristics of Urban–Rural Agricultural Landscapes: A Case Study of Bengaluru, India
title_fullStr Spatial Patterns and Characteristics of Urban–Rural Agricultural Landscapes: A Case Study of Bengaluru, India
title_full_unstemmed Spatial Patterns and Characteristics of Urban–Rural Agricultural Landscapes: A Case Study of Bengaluru, India
title_short Spatial Patterns and Characteristics of Urban–Rural Agricultural Landscapes: A Case Study of Bengaluru, India
title_sort spatial patterns and characteristics of urban rural agricultural landscapes a case study of bengaluru india
topic agricultural land cover (ALC)
urban–rural
WorldView
landscape analysis
Bengaluru
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/2/208
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AT thomasastor spatialpatternsandcharacteristicsofurbanruralagriculturallandscapesacasestudyofbengaluruindia
AT sunilnautiyal spatialpatternsandcharacteristicsofurbanruralagriculturallandscapesacasestudyofbengaluruindia
AT michaelwachendorf spatialpatternsandcharacteristicsofurbanruralagriculturallandscapesacasestudyofbengaluruindia