Unraveling the Driving Mechanisms Behind Spatial–Temporal Evolution of Low‐Efficiency Cropland in Wildland‐Urban Interface: Evidence From Wuhan, China

Cropland fragmentation and abandonment are critical global issues which have hindered the improvement of cropland utilization efficiency, undermining agricultural sustainability. In the context of rapid urbanization, cropland efficiency, especially within the wildland‐urban interface (WUI), is facing increasing challenges. Taking the WUI of Wuhan city as the research area, this study comprehensively incorporates cropland fragmentation and cropland abandonment to quantitatively evaluate the degree of low‐efficiency cropland. On this basis, the XGBoost‐SHAP model is adopted to systematically explore the driving mechanisms from natural and socio‐economic dimensions. The results show that: (1) During 2004–2024, the WUI expanded significantly, with a stabilizing growth rate since 2014. (2) Cropland fragmentation is the primary manifestation of low efficiency of cropland in the WUI, and cropland abandonment initially increased but later decreased. Both of them exhibit spatial heterogeneity in northern and southern Wuhan. (3) The distribution centroid of low‐efficiency cropland has been shifting to the northeast direction since 2014. (4) Low‐efficiency cropland in WUI stems from complex interactions, with spatial conflict between construction land and cropland playing a dominant role, while the influence of natural factors gradually diminishes over time. This study has important implications for identifying urban fringe areas and optimizing land‐use efficiency.