Habitat fragmentation threatens the sustainability of ecological restoration. Understanding the variation in intraspecific traits helped to reveal the functional resource-use strategies of plants in response to environmental changes. We sampled different landscape types of forest configurations, where the most widespread species was Robinia pseudoacacia. From each plot, from two to five R. pseudoacacia individuals were selected for further examinations. Plant development and leaf traits—leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), and leaf thickness (Lth)—were measured in 135 individuals in total. The effects of plant development and landscape fragmentation on R. pseudoacacia leaf traits were assessed using linear mixed-effects models. The environmental factors explained the changes in leaf traits of R. pseudoacacia individuals, and the effect of stand type was the most significant. Compared with continuous forests, R. pseudoacacia individuals in fragmented forests adopted a more conservative resource-use strategy, with smaller LA and SLA and larger Lth and LDMC values. With an increase in landscape heterogeneity, SLA increased and LDMC decreased. In conclusion, the occurrence of landscape fragmentation plays a substantial role in inducing changes in leaf characteristics. The restoration of fragmented forests to continuous forests requires the appropriate addition of land-use types and systematic adjustment of landscape configurations.

The Grain for Green Project (GGP) aims to protect and improve the ecological environment, end farming on sloping farmland, and plant trees and restore forest vegetation. China’s GGP has been widely implemented, but its impact on the environment is rarely evaluated from farmers’ perspectives. This study took place in Zhidan and Yanchang Counties, Shaanxi Province. Farmers’ attitudes towards the GGP were investigated through semi-structured interviews to understand their perceptions of changes in ecosystem services and their level of ecological awareness, as well as analyzing which factors had the greatest impact on them. Our results indicate that some farmers are not satisfied with the GGP and are unwilling to participate in future GGPs, which is not only due to the dissatisfaction with subsidies offered but also because the needs of the farmers have been ignored. From the perspective of farmers, the GGP has greatly reduced soil erosion and air pollution but has had no effect on improving water quality and protecting biodiversity. More male farmers are willing to participate, and farmers with higher levels of education are more satisfied with the GGP. We also found that the level of understanding of ecological cognition affected farmers’ attitudes, and farmers with different levels of knowledge differ in their willingness to participate. Our research found that many farmers were dissatisfied with the GGP. To improve this situation, it is necessary to improve the ecological awareness of farmers. At the same time, policy makers should also further understand the needs of farmers in order to make reasonable management strategies.

In recent years, the problem of ecosystem degradation caused by human activities has become increasingly serious. Vegetation restoration is a key means to solve this problem, which has increased. To address the suitability and structural optimization of vegetation restoration in the Loess Plateau (China), the MaxEnt model was used to quantify the impacts of environmental and human activities on the planting suitability of vegetation restoration species at the raster scale. Three layers of trees, shrubs, and herbs with 12 common vegetation restoration species were selected. The factor index system was constructed by combining climatic, ecological, and socio-economic data, and the MaxEnt model predicted land suitability. It was found that human activities significantly increased the unsuitable planting area. This especially affected Robinia pseudoacacia in the tree layer and Amorpha fruticosa in the shrub layer. High and medium suitable areas were mainly sparsely populated areas with close water sources. Through maximum suitability optimization, it was identified that the overall spatial distribution of the three layers in the study area was relatively consistent, and the structural dominance of trees + shrubs + herbs and single herbs in the vertical structure was obvious; these were concentrated in the southwestern and northeastern parts of the study area, respectively. In addition, organic content (OC) and distance from the road to woodland (RW) were the dominant factors affecting land suitability, with a contribution rate of more than 50% and up to 80%. These results provide a scientific basis for optimizing planting structures. They are of significant theoretical and practical significance in guiding vegetation restoration work.

Soybean (Glycine max) is a protein-rich oilseed crop that is extensively used for cooking oil and poultry feed and faces significant challenges due to adverse global climatic conditions aggravated by the ongoing climate crisis. In response to this critical issue, this study was initiated to assess suitable zones for soybean cultivation, aiming to facilitate informed land use decisions within the semi-arid terrestrial ecosystem. Through the utilization of geostatistical interpolation, data layers encompassing soil, irrigation water, land use and land cover, topographic features, and climate information were generated and overlaid based on criterion weightage derived from the Analytic Hierarchy Process. The accuracy of land use and land cover was rigorously evaluated, yielding a 70% overall accuracy and a Kappa (K) value of 0.61, signifying an acceptable level of precision. Validation through the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve for soybean crop suitability demonstrated a highly satisfactory area under the curve of 0.738. The study estimates that out of 172,618.66 hectares, approximately 47.46% of the land is highly suitable (S1) for soybean production, followed by 21.36% moderately suitable (S2), 11.91% marginally suitable (S3), 7.00% currently not suitable (N1), and 12.28% permanently not suitable (N2). Conclusively, the findings suggest that the study area exhibits conducive climatic conditions, optimal soil health, and access to quality irrigation water, all of which have the potential to support soybean crops with improved agronomic practices. This investigation offers valuable insights to both farmers and policymakers concerning irrigation water quality, agricultural productivity, and soil degradation.