Urban-Rural Differences in Cropland Loss and Fragmentation in Jiangsu Province, China

Strategic Insights -

Rapid urbanization in coastal regions has led to significant cropland loss and fragmentation, threatening food security and ecological sustainability in Jiangsu Province, China. A recent study published in Remote Sensing has investigated the urban-rural differences in these processes, using land use data and Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis from 1990 to 2020. The findings reveal stark contrasts in land use change between urban and rural areas, with profound implications for agricultural sustainability and land management policies.

Key Takeaways:

  • Cropland in urban areas decreased by 44.14% between 1990 and 2020, compared to a 5.97% decrease in rural areas.
  • Construction land expanded by 2.61 times in urban areas and 90.14% in rural areas during the same period.
  • 94.36% of newly added construction land originated from cropland, with a significant proportion of rural cropland being converted to construction land in northern Jiangsu and urban cropland in southern Jiangsu.
  • The expansion of construction land has led to continuous fragmentation of cropland, with urban areas experiencing more severe fragmentation than rural areas.
  • The agglomeration of construction land is becoming increasingly pronounced, necessitating differentiated land management policies to balance economic development with agricultural sustainability.

Statistics:

  • 44.14% decrease in cropland in urban areas between 1990 and 2020.
  • 5.97% decrease in cropland in rural areas between 1990 and 2020.
  • 2.61 times expansion of construction land in urban areas between 1990 and 2020.
  • 90.14% expansion of construction land in rural areas between 1990 and 2020.
  • 94.36% of newly added construction land originated from cropland.

Sources:

  • "Urban-Rural Differences in Cropland Loss and Fragmentation Caused by Construction Land Expansion in Developed Coastal Regions: Evidence from Jiangsu Province, China" (Remote Sensing, 2025,17(14):2470)
  • Remote Sensing Journal (http://www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing/)
  • NewsRx LLC. "Nanjing University Researchers Describe Recent Advances in Remote Sensing (Urban-Rural Differences in Cropland Loss and Fragmentation Caused by Construction Land Expansion in Developed Coastal Regions: Evidence from Jiangsu Province, China)" (China Weekly News, August 12, 2025, p 220)