Cropland suitability assessment evolution and outlooks
Abstract Global population growth and accelerated urbanization have triggered a sharp decline in cropland quantity coupled with progressive degradation of its quality. Scientifically and rationally evaluating land suitability has thus emerged as a pressing issue demanding immediate attention, provid...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Discover Sustainability |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-01712-w |
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| Summary: | Abstract Global population growth and accelerated urbanization have triggered a sharp decline in cropland quantity coupled with progressive degradation of its quality. Scientifically and rationally evaluating land suitability has thus emerged as a pressing issue demanding immediate attention, providing critical foundations for sustainable utilization and conservation of arable resources. This study employs a literature review and inductive-deductive approaches to trace the historical development, mainstream frameworks, and assessment methodologies of cropland suitability assessment. Furthermore, against the backdrop of technological transformation, it examines how emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain can be effectively integrated into the cropland suitability assessment process. It is found that (1) due to the evolution of social, economic, technological, and ideological conditions caused by the continuous development of history, the evaluation of the suitability of cropland presents stage characteristics, gradually developing from the initial phase dominated by experience to the phase of spatiotemporal data-driven and intelligence; and (2) in the past, the assessment framework of cropland suitability was mostly constructed based on natural factors such as soil properties, topography, climate, etc., and socio-economic factors such as the construction of farmland infrastructure and the accessibility of transportation networks were not sufficiently considered. Cropland suitability assessment methods are more and more diversified, scientific, and objective; among them, the multi-criteria decision-making method is the most widely used. (3) In the context of intelligence, the future of cropland suitability assessment should follow the development guideline of combination, union, and integration and actively guide the attempted exploration of blockchains, quantum computing, and other emerging technologies in the field so as to promote the innovative development of cropland suitability assessment. This paper not only makes up for the lack of comprehensive research in the field of cropland suitability assessment at the theoretical level but also, more importantly, points out the potential direction and entry point for future related research. |
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| ISSN: | 2662-9984 |