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Published on: July 24, 2016
The effects of environmental and socioeconomic factors on land-use changes: a study of Alberta, Canada
Xiaofeng Ruan1, Feng Qiu2, Miles Dyck3
1Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H1, Canada. xruan1@ualberta.ca.
Abstract:
Various environmental and socioeconomic issues have been attributed to land-use changes, and therefore, the underlying mechanisms merit investigation and quantification. This study assesses a comprehensive series of land-use conversions that were implemented over a recent 12-year period in the province of Alberta, Canada, where rapid economic and population growth has occurred. Spatial autocorrelation models are applied to identify the comprehensive effects of environmental and socioeconomic factors in each conversion case. The empirical results show that the impacts of key environmental and socioeconomic factors varied in intensity depending on the type of land-use conversion involved. Overall, land suitability for agricultural uses, road density, elevation, and population growth were found to be significant predictors of land-use changes. High land suitability, low elevation, and moderate road density were associated with land conversion for agricultural purposes.
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