Human expansion into Asian highlands in the 21st Century and its effects

Chao Yang, Huizeng Liu, Qingquan Li (), Xuqing Wang, Wei Ma, Cuiling Liu, Xu Fang, Yuzhi Tang, Tiezhu Shi, Qibiao Wang, Yue Xu, Jie Zhang, Xuecao Li, Gang Xu, Junyi Chen, Mo Su, Shuying Wang, Jinjing Wu, Leping Huang, Xue Li and Guofeng Wu ()
Additional contact information
Chao Yang: Shenzhen University
Huizeng Liu: Shenzhen University
Qingquan Li: Shenzhen University
Xuqing Wang: China Geological Survey
Wei Ma: Chongqing Jiaotong University
Cuiling Liu: Shenzhen University
Xu Fang: Shenzhen University
Yuzhi Tang: Shenzhen University
Tiezhu Shi: Shenzhen University
Qibiao Wang: Anhui Zhonghui Urban Planning Survey & Design Institute
Yue Xu: Shenzhen University
Jie Zhang: China Agricultural University
Xuecao Li: China Agricultural University
Gang Xu: Wuhan University
Junyi Chen: Nanjing Normal University
Mo Su: Shenzhen Urban Planning and Land Resource Research Center
Shuying Wang: Shenzhen University
Jinjing Wu: Shenzhen University
Leping Huang: Shenzhen University
Xue Li: Shenzhen University
Guofeng Wu: Shenzhen University

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Most intensive human activities occur in lowlands. However, sporadic reports indicate that human activities are expanding in some Asian highlands. Here we investigate the expansions of human activities in highlands and their effects over Asia from 2000 to 2020 by combining earth observation data and socioeconomic data. We find that ∼23% of human activity expansions occur in Asian highlands and ∼76% of these expansions in highlands comes from ecological lands, reaching 95% in Southeast Asia. The expansions of human activities in highlands intensify habitat fragmentation and result in large ecological costs in low and lower-middle income countries, and they also support Asian developments. We estimate that cultivated land net growth in the Asian highlands contributed approximately 54% in preventing the net loss of the total cultivated land. Moreover, the growth of highland artificial surfaces may provide living and working spaces for ∼40 million people. Our findings suggest that highland developments hold dual effects and provide new insight for regional sustainable developments.

Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-32648-8

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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32648-8

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