The Loess Plateau is one of the most severely eroded areas in the world. The complexity of the multiple challenges facing the Loess Plateau entails the support of scientific and systematic innovations in land use. Based on technological innovation cluster (TIC) theory, this paper develops a self-circulation structure model for the TIC to analyze the hierarchical structure of the land-use innovations in the Loess Plateau. Then, employing the self-circulation structure model and taking the “Gully Land Consolidation Project” (GLCP) as a case study, this paper proposes one TIC-driven sustainable land use mode (TSLUM). A TIC has been developed among innovations in the TSLUM. The structure of TSLUM consists of three types of innovations: basic, related, and infrastructure innovations. Basic innovations are generally radical innovations that breed related, and infrastructure innovations. Diffusion-based and reversal-based mechanisms govern the evolution of the TSLUM. These two clustering mechanisms integrate with each other and jointly promote the development of the TSLUM in a self-circulation way. Furthermore, the TSLUM exhibits multiple functions, such as optimizing gully-slope interaction mechanism, providing continuous driving forces, consolidating the achievements of the “Grain for Green Project”, bolstering rural livelihoods, and fostering some feasible ways for food security. The results obtained will be useful for advancing sustainable land use and regional sustainable development in the Loess Plateau via TICs effectively and systematically.

中文翻译：

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TIC驱动的黄土高原土地可持续利用模式——以延安市沟壑土地整理项目为例

黄土高原是世界上水土流失最严重的地区之一。黄土高原面临的多重挑战的复杂性需要土地利用科学化、系统化创新的支撑。基于技术创新集群(TIC)理论，建立TIC自循环结构模型，分析黄土高原土地利用创新的层次结构。然后，采用自循环结构模型，以“沟壑土地整理项目”（GLCP）为案例研究，提出了一种TIC驱动的可持续土地利用模式（TSLUM）。TSLUM 的创新中开发了 TIC。TSLUM 的结构由三种类型的创新组成：基础创新、相关创新和基础设施创新。基础创新通常是催生相关创新和基础设施创新的激进创新。基于扩散和基于反转的机制控制着 TSLUM 的演化。这两种集群机制相互融合，以自循环的方式共同推动TSLUM的发展。此外，“退耕还林工程”还具有优化沟坡互动机制、提供持续动力、巩固“退耕还林工程”成果、保障农村民生、培育粮食安全可行途径等多重功能。所得成果将有助于通过TIC有效、系统地推进黄土高原土地可持续利用和区域可持续发展。