Untangling the increasing elevation of cropland in China from 1980 to 2020

The redistribution of cropland to areas of higher elevation in China has long affected agricultural development and could seriously threaten national food security. However, there is currently little research reported on this phenomenon, which may limit the improvement of cropland protection policies. To fill this gap, we analyzed the spatiotemporal characteristics and driving mechanisms of increased cropland elevation in China during the period 1980–2020. The average cropland elevation in China increased by 17.38 m from 1980 to 2020. The gravity center of the cropland area and average cropland elevation in China moved to the northwest by 81.00 km and 51.47 km, respectively. The amount of newly added cropland in eastern China was less than that in occupied regions; however, the average elevation of newly added cropland was greater than that of occupied cropland, though the opposite phenomenon was observed in western China. Slope, temperature, land-use intensity, population, economic density, and distance to main roads were the main factors affecting the redistribution of cropland to areas of higher elevation. The effects of these major driving factors exhibited significant spatial and temporal variations in China. This study has important implications for improving existing cropland protection policies and developing more effective cropland management systems in China.