Abstract:[Objective] The coupling relationships and change mechanisms between rural land consolidation projects and rural beautification construction were studied in order to provide a theoretical basis for implementing plans for land consolidation projects in the context of rural beautification construction. [Methods] Eleven rural land consolidation projects at Jingbian County of Shaanxi Province were selected as cases. An evaluation index system for rural land consolidation projects and an evaluation system for rural beautification construction were established. The entropy weight method was used to determine the index weight. The relative coefficient evaluation method was used to process the basic data and to calculate index scores. A correlation analysis curve was determined using Sigmaplot 10.0 software to estimate a regression model in order to explore the coupling relationship between rural land consolidation projects and rural beautification construction. [Results] ① Coupling relationships between economic benefit and village appearance, living standard, rural civilization, and production development followed the order of living standard ＞ production development ＞ rural civilization ＞ village appearance. The coupling relationship between economic benefits and village appearance was not significant; ② Coupling relationships between grain production capacity and village appearance, living standard, rural civilization, and production development followed the order of production development ＞ living standard ＞ rural civilization ＞ village appearance. As grain production capacity increased, village appearance score initially increased, then decreased, and finally increased, but the fluctuation range was narrow (between 50 and 70). The change trend between grain production capacity and both living standard and rural civilization increased with increasing grain production capacity score, and living standard initially decreased and then increased. ③ The coupling relationships between cultivated land grade and village appearance, living standard, rural civilization, and production development followed the order of production development ＞ living standard ＞ rural civilization ＞ village appearance. The relationships between cultivated land grade and village appearance, rural civilization, and production development initially decreased, then increased, and finally decreased. The fluctuation ranges were 50—70, 20—80, and 30—80 points, respectively. The coupling relationship between cultivated land grade and village appearance was the lowest. [Conclusion] Through the analysis of the coupling function curve and the correlation coefficient, it can be concluded that for rural land consolidation, economic benefits, grain production capacity, and cultivated land have good coupling relationships with living standard and production development for the evaluation index of rural beautification construction, followed by the relationship with rural civilization. The coupling relationship with village appearance needs to be further improved to provide new solutions for subsequent land consolidation project innovations and system innovations that will ultimately achieve mutual benefits between the two systems.

Abstract:[Objective] The effects of rock fissure angle on the in-situ shear characteristics of the base material under different plant root systems were studied, in order to provide a scientific reference for water and soil conservation and ecological restoration.[Methods] The samples were cured for 90 days under three conditions:plant-free, bermudagrass and multi-flowered magnolia. The in-situ shear test of the substrate was carried out under the angle of 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75° and 90° between the rock crack and the vertical direction of shear.[Results] ①The shear strength and residual shear strength of bermudagrass and magnolia root-substrate composites were significantly greater than those of non-rooted substrates. The average increase in shear strength was 33.87%-65.18% and 44.94%-73.65% respectively. ② The shear strength of samples without plant substrate reached the peak value when the displacement was 8-11 mm, while the bermudagrass root-substrate composite and the multifloral magnolia root-soil composite reached the peak value when the displacement was 20-36 mm. The root system could lag the peak displacement of the vegetation concrete, and root-containing substrate sample could withstand greater deformation. ③ For the same plant, different distribution of rock fissures had different effects on the soil consolidation ability of the root system. As the fissure angle increased, its shear strength increased first and then decreased. When the fissure angle was 60°, its shear strength reached maximum.[Conclusion] The root system can significantly enhance the shear strength of the vegetation concrete substrate and increase the residual shear stress. The distribution of different cracks has different effects on improving the shear strength of the substrate, but the effect of crack distribution on residual shear strength is not obvious.

Abstract:[Objective] The variation of runoff curve number after the gully land consolidation project (GLCP) was studied to explore the appropriate flow generation parameters, and to provide scientific support for the safety of GLCP and the consolidation of achievements in ecological construction. [Methods] Based on the physical scale model, the influence of GLCP on the runoff curve number under different vegetation cover conditions was investigated. [Results] Under the same vegetation coverage, the runoff curve number decreased with the increase of the land consolidation proportion. Compared with the unconsolidated basin, the runoff curve number decreased by 6.77 when the consolidation proportion was 20%. The decreasing rate of runoff curve number increased firstly and then decreased with the increase of land consolidation proportion, and the decrease rate reached the maximum when the consolidation proportion increased from 0.5% to 5%. Under different vegetation coverage, the runoff curve number decreased with the increase of consolidation proportion, and the decreasing rate of runoff curve number reached the maximum at the vegetation coverage of 50%. Vegetation coverage had great effects on the runoff curve number of the gully land consolidation area, and the runoff curve number decreased by 0.22 in the gully land consolidation area when the vegetation coverage increased by 1%. [Conclusion] The GLCP could change the hydrological characteristics of basin under layer and has significant effects on the runoff curve number.

Abstract:[Objective] The carbon emissions in the process of land consolidation projects was scientifically measured, in order to provide support for the implementation of low-carbon land use and the realization of carbon peaking and carbon neutralization goals.[Methods] The carbon emission mechanism in the construction process of land consolidation project was analyzed according to specification of PAS2050 in the field of international architecture. Based on the carbon emission coefficient method, the budget quota of land consolidation project was converted into carbon emission quota, and the total carbon emission of the land consolidation project was measured and calculated according to the idea of construction project budget.[Results] ① The carbon emission quota of land consolidation project was based on the relevant budget quota given in the budget quota of land development and consolidation project. The carbon emission coefficient method was used to calculate the carbon emission of a certain amount of manpower, materials and machinery contained in each budget quota, and then convert it into carbon emission quota, so as to finish the calculation of the total carbon emission. ② According to specification of PAS2050, the space-time boundary, object boundary, element boundary and carbon source type of carbon emission of land consolidation project were clear. Based on these, the total carbon emission of the case would be calculated as 194 225.95 kg.[Conclusion] The carbon emission quota method has a good application prospect in the systematica comprehensive and accurate calculation of carbon emission in the construction process. Through compiling the standard of carbon emission quota of land development and consolidation project, developing the software of carbon emission quota of land consolidation project and optimizing and adjusting quota, the carbon emission quota method is applied in land consolidation practice, which would be beneficial to promoting energy conservation and emission reduction of land consolidation.

Abstract:[Objective] The characteristics of soil nutrient changes after gully control and land consolidation were investigated in order to improve the land consolidation methods, take the proper cultivation management measures and increase the nutrient utilization efficiency of the loess hilly and gully region.[Methods] Taking the typical land-consolidation project in Yanan City, Shaanxi Province as the research object, soil samples at different locations of the gullies before and at 2, 3 a and 6 a after the consolidation were collected, and the change characteristics of soil organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium were analyzed based on the statistical analysis method. The comprehensive evaluation of soil nutrients was performed by matter-element model.[Results] ① The soil nutrient level in the study area was generally low, except for the available potassium. The variation of soil nutrients in the gully was relatively large, belonging to moderate degree of variation. After the land consolidation, the variation coefficient of soil nutrients tended to decrease. ② Soil organic matter content decreased at first and then increased with the increase of project implementation within 6 years after the gully consolidation, and the content of soil organic carbon was lower than that before consolidation. Soil total nitrogen and available phosphorus increased at first and then decreased, which was higher than those before years. Soil available potassium decreased continuously after consolidation. ③ Three years after the land consolidation, the soil nutrient evaluation level in the study area returned to the level before remediation, and had the potential to continue to improve.[Conclusion] Compared with slope land consolidation, soil nutrients could recover faster following the gully land consolidation in the loess hilly and gully region. According to the variation characteristics of soil nutrients in different locations, the grain yield could be increased through adjusting the spatial layout of crops and implementing different management strategies.

Abstract:[Objective] The performance of farmland consolidation project and its influencing factors from the perspectives of farmers was analyzed, in order to provide a basis for improving the performance level of farmland consolidation project.[Methods] Factor analysis, importance-performance analysis (IPA) methods, obstacle degree model and questionnaire survey were used to diagnose the performance and its influencing factors of farmland consolidation project.[Results] From the perspectives of farmers, the performance of farmland consolidation project was explained by the factors of final management and maintenance satisfaction, the early stage satisfaction, social benefit satisfaction, ecological benefit satisfaction, economic benefit satisfaction and construction satisfaction. The measurement value of farmland consolidation project performance was 3.742 1, which was in the level of good, and the project result performance level was higher than the process performance level. The important factors impacting project performance level mainly included the supply of funds for the final management and maintenance satisfaction, the improvement degree of later management and maintenance measures, the system of later management and maintenance, the clarity degree of later management and maintenance, the consultation with farmers opinions in the stage of planning, the adoption degree of farmers opinions in the stage of the decision making, the adoption degree of farmers opinions in the stage of planning, the consultation with farmers opinions in the stage of the decision making, biodiversity conservation, agricultural scale production, and production cost reduction.[Conclusion] The performance level of farmland consolidation project can be effectively enhanced by futher strengthening the later management maintenance, improving the farmers effective participation, promoting the ecological construction of farmland consolidation, and carrying out the appropriate scale operation of agriculture combined with farmland consolidation.

Abstract:[Objective] A calculation of land consolidation supply and demand was conducted based on the public perspective, and in order to provide a scientific basis for improving the content of land consolidation.[Methods] From agricultural development, living and ecological environmental improvements, and leisure culture and tourism, the research constructed a supply and demand index system. This revealed the matching degree of land consolidation supply and demand in Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province.[Results] ① The matching degree of agricultural development in Xiaoshan District was high overall (>0.88); The matching degree of living and ecological environment improvement was all above 0.85, and the matching degree of leisure culture and tourism was lower, the lowest was only 0.83. ② Land consolidation overemphasized the supply of agricultural development, while the supply of living and ecological environment, leisure culture and tourism was relatively insufficient, and the lack of mechanism for public demand expression and public participation, resulted in the inability to meet the demand for land products.[Conclusion] The land consolidation supply and demand matching model based on the public perspective and supply and demand theory, can effectively measure the matching degree quantitatively.

Abstract:[Objective] The impacts of farmland consolidation policies on farmers livelihood strategies were studied, in order to provide references and basis for the government land department to formulate a sound farmland management policies.[Methods] A sustainable livelihood framework model was constructed for farmers in the context of farmland improvement, and multiple linear regression model was used to analyze the impact of farmland improvement on farmers livelihood strategies.[Results] ① There was no change in the human capital of the farmer households after the rural land consolidation, the natural capital and social capital had a slight change, and the physical capital and financial capital showed a significant increase. ② To some extent, the implementation of rural land consolidation would promote the transformation of farmers livelihood strategies from traditional agriculture to modern agriculture, and the production and manufacturing livelihood activities would be decreased, while the service-related livelihood activities would be increased significantly.[Conclusion] The implementation of farmland consolidation policy will change the influencing factors of farmers choice of related livelihood activities in modern agriculture, manufacturing and service industries. After farmland consolidation, the quantity and quality of cultivated land are still significant influencing factors for farmers to choose traditional agriculture.

Abstract:[Objective] Considering the problems of uneven settlement, salinization, dam piping, and other disasters caused by the difficulty of new land reclamation and drainage in gully areas of loess hilly regions, the drainage design method of a channel land consolidation project was explored to provide reference for drainage design in related fields in the future.[Methods] The Yangjuangou subbasin in Yanan City, Shaanxi Province, was taken as the study area, based on the design criteria of the stormwater in a small basin. Indoor experimental results were combined with related design specifications. The subsurface drainage method combined gravel and blind ditch, and it was verified by the engineering design through post prototype observation.[Results] ① The new land drainage design had three cross-sectional areas of 1 m×0.5 m, with lengths of 60, 30, and 30 m, and a slope of 6%-10% of the underground blind ditches. The blind ditches were filled with gravel with particle size of 50-80 mm and wrapped with nonwoven geotextile. Blind ditch drainage was collected by the retaining dam in the downstream leeches and was utilized.② Initial monitoring in the field indicated that, in the case of a subrainfall of 54.2 mm, compared with the new land without any engineering measures, the gravel blind ditch drainage project could reduce the increase in soil moisture content and conductivity of new land by 46.81% and 3.61%, respectively.[Conclusion] The drainage design using gravel blind ditch could effectively alleviate the water storage and salinization degree of new land soil in the channel, thereby improving the risk-response capability.

Abstract:[Objective] To establish the niche-fitness evaluation index system for cultivated land consolidation from the perspective of ecological suitability, in order to provide scientific references for making differentiated cultivated land consolidation policies. [Methods] Based on niche theory, 10 indicators from three index layers (potential productivity, spatial pattern, location condition) were used to establish the niche-fitness evaluation index system for cultivated land consolidation of the loess hilly region. Taigu County of Shanxi Province was taken as an example. The niche-fitness value in each research unit was determined by the matching degree between the actual and optimal ecological niche of cultivated land. The standard classification method based on GIS was used to divide the priority of cultivated land consolidation. Finally, cultivated land consolidation modes in different areas were determined. [Results] The niche-fitness value of cultivated land consolidation in the study area ranged from 26.02 to 93.57, and the overall distribution was uneven. According to the niche-fitness evaluation results, the study area could be divided into priority consolidation area, general consolidation area and restricted consolidation area, accounting for 49.50%, 30.28% and 20.22% of the cultivated land area, respectively. The results of division were basically consistent with the present situation of cultivated land utilization in the study area. Through the combination analysis of key indicators, three modes of cultivated land consolidation were identified: transforming slope farmland to terraces, construction and perfection of farmland irrigation and water conservancy, and improving road accessibility. [Conclusion] It is feasible to study the priority of cultivated land consolidation by using niche-fitness model.