Zoning management framework for comprehensive land consolidation in oasis rural in arid area: Case study of the Ugan-Kuqa River Delta Oasis in Xinjiang, China

Comprehensive land consolidation (CLC) is a strategy to promote the intensive, efficient, and sustainable use of land, and is of great significance in repairing degraded land in oases, reversing the decline of the countryside, and activating multiple values of land use. However, how to scientifically assess and zoning management of CLC in dryland oases remains an open question. In this study, a comprehensive analytical framework was established to assess the characteristics of land-use transformation and the potential for CLC using remotely sensed and geospatial data and spatial analysis methods, a multi-objective territorial differentiation model, and collaborative path for CLC in oasis villages was proposed. The following key results were obtained. (1) From 2009 to 2018, urban and rural settlements in the hinterland of the Weiku Oasis expanded by 40 km(2), and shrub forests and grasslands in the oasis-desert transition zone shrank substantially by 21.13 km(2). The newly cultivated farmland in the oasis-desert transition zone only offset 62.9% of the occupied farmland in the hinterland of the oasis. (2) The pattern of comprehensive rural land consolidation potential in the Weiku Oasis was consistent with territorial differentiation, with a gradient decrease from the hinterland of the oasis to the desert. The average potential for Comprehensive land consolidation (PCLC) index was 0.31. (3) Three consolidation priorities and six consolidation types were identified for the proposal of 14 combined modes of CLC. Territorial differentiation with respect to the combined modes was discussed. Overall, this study provides useful insights for promoting efficient and sustainable utilization of oasis land resources and implementing zoning management.