Impact of land management practices on water use strategy for a dryland tree plantation and subsequent responses to drought

The natural conditions, climate change and socio-economic challenges related to the transformation from a socialistic society towards a market-driven system make the implementation of sustainable land management practices in Mongolia especially complicated. Forests play an important role in land management. In addition to providing resources and ecosystem functions, Mongolian forests protect against land degradation.We conducted a literature review of the status of forest management in Mongolia and lessons learned, with special consideration to halting deforestation and degradation. We grouped our review into seven challenges relevant to developing regionally adapted forest management systems that both safeguard forest health and consider socio-economic needs. In our review, we found that current forest management in Mongolia is not always sustainable, and that some practices lack scientific grounding. An overwhelming number of sources noticed a decrease in forest area and quality during the last decades, although afforestation initiatives are reported to have increased. We found that they have had, with few exceptions, only limited success. During our review, however, we found a number of case studies that presented or proposed promising approaches to (re-)establishing and managing forests. These studies are further supported by a body of literature that examines how forest administration, and local participation can be modified to better support sustainable forestry. Based on our review, we conclude that it is necessary to integrate capacity development and forest research into holistic initiatives. A special focus should be given to the linkages between vegetation cover and the hydrological regime.

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Applying the Soil Water Assessment Tool to 5th Canadian Division Support Base Gagetown

Water Quality Research Journal ◽

10.2166/wqrjc.2014.012 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 49 (4) ◽

pp. 372-385

Author(s):

Shawn Burdett ◽

Michael Hulley ◽

Andy Smith

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Soil Water ◽

Land Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Quality Model ◽

Sediment Yields ◽

Soil Water Assessment Tool ◽

Water Assessment

A hydrologic and water quality model is sought to establish an approach to land management decisions for a Canadian Army training base. Training areas are subjected to high levels of persistent activity creating unique land cover and land-use disturbances. Deforestation, complex road networks, off-road manoeuvres, and vehicle stream crossings are among major anthropogenic activities observed to affect these landscapes. Expanding, preserving and improving the quality of these areas to host training activities for future generations is critical to maintain operational effectiveness. Inclusive to this objective is minimizing resultant environmental degradation, principally in the form of hydrologic fluctuations, excess erosion, and sedimentation of aquatic environments. Application of the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was assessed for its ability to simulate hydrologic and water quality conditions observed in military landscapes at 5th Canadian Division Support Base (5 CDSB) Gagetown, New Brunswick. Despite some limitations, this model adequately simulated three partial years of daily watershed outflow (NSE = 0.47–0.79, R2 = 0.50–0.88) and adequately predicted suspended sediment yields during the observation periods (%d = 6–47%) for one highly disturbed sub-watershed in Gagetown. Further development of this model may help guide decisions to develop or decommission training areas, guide land management practices and prioritize select landscape mitigation efforts.

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Analyzing Factors Affecting the Sustainability of Land Management Practices in Mecha Woreda, Northwestern Ethiopia

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13137007 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (13) ◽

pp. 7007

Author(s):

Habtamu Nebere ◽

Degefa Tolossa ◽

Amare Bantider

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Land Management ◽

Land Degradation ◽

Quantitative Data ◽

Management Practices ◽

Short Term ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Decision Making Processes ◽

Household Heads ◽

The Impact

In Ethiopia, the practice of land management started three decades ago in order to address the problem of land degradation and to further boost agricultural production. However, the impact of land management practices in curbing land degradation problems and improving the productivity of the agricultural sector is insignificant. Various empirical works have previously identified the determinants of the adoption rate of land management practices. However, the sustainability of land management practices after adoption, and the various factors that control the sustainability of implemented land management practices, are not well addressed. This study analyzed the factors affecting the sustainability of land management practices after implementation in Mecha Woreda, northwestern Ethiopia. The study used 378 sample respondents, selected by a systematic random sampling technique. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the quantitative data, while the qualitative data were qualitatively and concurrently analyzed with the quantitative data. The sustained supply of fodder from the implemented land management practices, as well as improved cattle breed, increases the sustainability of the implemented land management practices. While lack of agreement in the community, lack of enforcing community bylaws, open cattle grazing, lack of benefits of implemented land management practices, acting as barrier for farming practices, poor participation of household heads during planning and decision-making processes, as well as the lack of short-term benefits, reduce the sustainability of the implemented land management practices. Thus, it is better to allow for the full participation of household heads in planning and decision-making processes to bring practical and visible results in land management practices. In addition, recognizing short-term benefits to compensate the land lost in constructing land management structures must be the strategy in land management practices. Finally, reducing the number of cattle and practicing stall feeding is helpful both for the sustainability of land management practices and the productivity of cattle. In line with this, fast-growing fodder grass species have to be introduced for household heads to grow on land management structures and communal grazing fields for stall feeding.

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Assessment of alternative land management practices using hydrological simulation and a decision support tool: Arborea agricultural region, Sardinia

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences ◽

10.5194/hess-11-1811-2007 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1811-1823 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

P. Cau ◽

C. Paniconi

Keyword(s):

Decision Support ◽

Land Management ◽

Quantitative Methods ◽

Management Practices ◽

Water Movement ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Treated Wastewater ◽

Hydrological Simulation ◽

Support Tool ◽

The Impact

Abstract. Quantifying the impact of land use on water supply and quality is a primary focus of environmental management. In this work we apply a semidistributed hydrological model (SWAT) to predict the impact of different land management practices on water and agricultural chemical yield over a long period of time for a study site situated in the Arborea region of central Sardinia, Italy. The physical processes associated with water movement, crop growth, and nutrient cycling are directly modeled by SWAT. The model simulations are used to identify indicators that reflect critical processes related to the integrity and sustainability of the ecosystem. Specifically we focus on stream quality and quantity indicators associated with anthropogenic and natural sources of pollution. A multicriteria decision support system is then used to develop the analysis matrix where water quality and quantity indicators for the rivers, lagoons, and soil are combined with socio-economic variables. The DSS is used to assess four options involving alternative watersheds designated for intensive agriculture and dairy farming and the use or not of treated wastewater for irrigation. Our analysis suggests that of the four options, the most widely acceptable consists in the transfer of intensive agricultural practices to the larger watershed, which is less vulnerable, in tandem with wastewater reuse, which rates highly due to water scarcity in this region of the Mediterranean. More generally, the work demonstrates how both qualitative and quantitative methods and information can assist decision making in complex settings.

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Effects of land management practices and land cover types on soil loss and crop productivity in Ethiopia: A review

International Soil and Water Conservation Research ◽

10.1016/j.iswcr.2021.04.008 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Gizaw Desta Gessesse ◽

Lulseged Tamene ◽

Wuletawu Abera ◽

Tilahun Amede ◽

Anthony Whitbread

Keyword(s):

Land Cover ◽

Land Management ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Management Practices ◽

Crop Productivity ◽

Land Cover Types

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Effect of natural factors and management practices on agricultural water use efficiency under drought: A meta-analysis of global drylands

Journal of Hydrology ◽

10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.125977 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 594 ◽

pp. 125977

Author(s):

Liuyang Yu ◽

Xining Zhao ◽

Xiaodong Gao ◽

Ruhao Jia ◽

Menghao Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Use Efficiency ◽

Water Use ◽

Management Practices ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Agricultural Water ◽

Agricultural Water Use ◽

Natural Factors ◽

Use Efficiency

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Pollination Potential in Portugal: Leveraging an Ecosystem Service for Sustainable Agricultural Productivity

Land ◽

10.3390/land10040431 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 431

Author(s):

Caroline Wentling ◽

Felipe S. Campos ◽

João David ◽

Pedro Cabral

Keyword(s):

Land Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

Production Systems ◽

Local Level ◽

Well Being ◽

Food Sources ◽

Pollination Services ◽

Pollinator Abundance ◽

Study Results ◽

Administrative Boundary

As urbanization and agriculture increase worldwide, habitats and food sources for wild pollinators are often fragmented or destroyed. As wild pollinators contribute both resilience and variety to agricultural fields, it is desirable to implement land management practices that preserve their well-being and ability to contribute to food production systems. This study evaluates continental Portugal for its change in suitability to host bee’s pollinator species (Apis mellifera) from 1990 to 2018. It uses the InVEST crop pollination modeling tool and CORINE Land Cover, as well as parameterization to produce pollinator abundance and supply maps. These are generalized to municipality boundaries to provide actionable insights to farmers and policymakers and strengthen land management practices. It finds that the potential for pollination services is growing, with averages of both pollinator abundance and supply indices improving by 8.76% across the continental territory in 28 years. The study results are validated using another pollination index derived from a study that is based on expert opinion and field sampling in a sub-region of Portugal. This method of aggregation of model results and comparison of the percent difference by administrative boundary has the potential to better inform both policymakers and farmers about the pollination potential on a local level, as well as inspire interventions for future productivity.

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