TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2016//
TI  - The effects of environmental and socioeconomic factors on land-use changes: a study of Alberta, Canada
JO  - Environmental monitoring and assessment
A1  - Ruan, Xiaofeng
A1  - Qiu, Feng
A1  - Dyck, Miles
SP  - eee446
EP  - eee446
VL  - 188
IS  - 8
N2  - 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.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0167-6369
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5450-9
ID  - ref1
ER  -