scholarly journals Envisioning the Future of Mosaic Landscapes: Actor Perceptions in a Mixed Cocoa/Oil-Palm Area in Ghana

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kwabena O. Asubonteng ◽  
Mirjam A. F. Ros-Tonen ◽  
Isa Baud ◽  
Karin Pfeffer
Keyword(s):  
Oil Palm ◽  
Spatial Configuration ◽  
Landscape Composition ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Mosaic Landscape ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
The Future ◽  
Mosaic Landscapes ◽  
Mapping Process

AbstractThe future and benefits of mosaic landscapes have been a source of scientific and societal concern due to increasing population growth, climate change, urbanization, and expanding agricultural commodities. There is a growing call for integrated landscape approaches in which landscape actors discuss trade-offs between different land uses with a view to reaching a negotiated decision on the allocation of land uses. Yet, the operationalization of such approaches is still in its infancy, and integrated methodologies to visualize actors’ landscape visions are still scarce. This study therefore presents a participatory spatial scenario-building methodology that uncovers local perceptions of landscape dynamics and needed actions in a mixed cocoa-oil-palm landscape in Ghana’s Eastern Region. The methodology visualizes landscape actors’ perceived plausible changes and desired future landscapes, and is designed to trigger discussions on actions needed to achieve these desired futures. Findings show that farmers and institutional actors are aware of their landscapes with future preferences coming close to actual landscape composition and spatial configuration, and that—contrary to common assumptions—only those in the oil-palm-dominated landscape who already experienced the drawbacks of increasing landscape homogenization desire a mosaic landscape. The paper concludes that the collective mapping process makes actors aware of challenges at landscape level and increases farmers’ negotiation power through active engagement in the process and visualization of their knowledge and visions. Application of the methodology requires dedicated funding, political will, and capacity to apply it as an ongoing process, as well as monitoring feedback loops.

scholarly journals Using Participatory Spatial Tools to Unravel Community Perceptions of Land-Use Dynamics in a Mine-Expanding Landscape in Ghana

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane J. Aggrey ◽  
Mirjam A. F. Ros-Tonen ◽  
Kwabena O. Asubonteng
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Food Crop ◽  
Mosaic Landscape ◽  
Rural Landscapes ◽  
The Future

AbstractArtisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in sub-Saharan Africa creates considerable dynamics in rural landscapes. Many studies addressed the adverse effects of mining, but few studies use participatory spatial tools to assess the effects on land use. Hence, this paper takes an actor perspective to analyze how communities in a mixed farming-mining area in Ghana’s Eastern Region perceive the spatial dynamics of ASM and its effects on land for farming and food production from past (1986) to present (2018) and toward the future (2035). Participatory maps show how participants visualize the transformation of food-crop areas into small- and large-scale mining, tree crops, and settlement in all the communities between 1986 and 2018 and foresee these trends to continue in the future (2035). Participants also observe how a mosaic landscape shifts toward a segregated landscape, with simultaneous fragmentation of their farming land due to ASM. Further segregation is expected in the future, with attribution to the expansion of settlements being an unexpected outcome. Although participants expect adverse effects on the future availability of food-crop land, no firm conclusions can be drawn about the anticipated effect on food availability. The paper argues that, if responsibly applied and used to reveal community perspectives and concerns about landscape dynamics, participatory mapping can help raise awareness of the need for collective action and contribute to more inclusive landscape governance. These findings contribute to debates on the operationalization of integrated and inclusive landscape approaches and governance, particularly in areas with pervasive impacts of ASM.

scholarly journals Environmental, Economic, and Social Consequences of the Oil Palm Boom

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 321-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matin Qaim ◽  
Kibrom T. Sibhatu ◽  
Hermanto Siregar ◽  
Ingo Grass
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Economic ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Environmental Goods ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Drastic Increase ◽  
Mosaic Landscapes

Rising global demand for vegetable oil during the last few decades has led to a drastic increase in the land area under oil palm. Especially in Southeast Asia, the oil palm boom has contributed to economic growth, but it has also spurred criticism about negative environmental and social effects. Here, we discuss palm oil production and consumption trends and review environmental, economic, and social consequences in different parts of the world. The oil palm expansion has contributed to tropical deforestation and associated losses in biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Simultaneously, it has increased incomes, generated employment, and reduced poverty among farm and nonfarm households. Around 50% of the worldwide oil palm land is managed by smallholders. Sustainability trade-offs between preserving global public environmental goods and private economic benefits need to be reduced. We discuss policy implications related to productivity growth, rainforest protection, mosaic landscapes, land property rights, sustainability certification, and smallholder inclusion, among others.

scholarly journals Land Use Demands for the CLUE-S Spatiotemporal Model in an Agroforestry Perspective

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1097
Author(s):  
Georgios Mamanis ◽  
Michael Vrahnakis ◽  
Dimitrios Chouvardas ◽  
Stamatia Nasiakou ◽  
Vassiliki Kleftoyanni
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Lower Bound ◽  
Economic Benefit ◽  
Rural Landscape ◽  
Quantitative Prediction ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Environmental Benefit ◽  
Land Protection ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
The Future

Rural landscape evolution models are used as tools for the analysis of the causes and impact of land use changes on landscapes. The CLUE-S (the Conversion of Land Use and its Effects at Small regional extent) model was developed to simulate the changes in current land use, by using quantitative relationships between land uses and driving factors combined with a dynamic modeling of land use competition. One of the modules that build the “CLUE-S” is the non-spatial subset of the model that calculates the temporal evolution of the land use/cover under several socio-economic scenarios. The purpose of this research was to estimate the demands of land use in the area of Mouzaki, Thessaly plain, Greece with the ultimate goal of using them in the non-spatial module of the CLUE-S to predict the evolution of land uses in year 2040. These estimations are the quantitative prediction of the spatial change for all land use types at the aggregate level. Three models of forecasting the future land cover in the area were simulated, in order to obtain a clear view of the different land uses in the future. We distinguished three model-scenarios for calculating the demand-forecasts: (a) business as usual (BAU) scenario, that deals with a linear projection of the current land use demands, (b) rapid economic development (RED) scenario, and (c) ecological land protection (ELP) scenario. In the BAU scenario the land use demands for the year 2040 were calculated using linear interpolation utilizing historical data from 1960 to 2020. In the RED scenario, the demands were calculated by maximizing the economic benefit of land uses, and in the ELP scenario the demands were calculated by maximizing the environmental benefit of land uses. Furthermore, a multi-criteria analysis was performed to find the trade-offs between economic benefit maximization and environmental benefit optimization. It was found that the agricultural lands reach their maximum area under the RED scenario, while reaching their lower bound for the ELP scenario. The same goes for agroforestry systems. The grasslands reach their lower bound under the ELP scenario, while they achieve a higher value under the RED scenario. Concerning the silvopastoral woodlands, although an increase is foreseen under the BAU scenario, it appears that they reach their lower bound in the other two scenarios, RED and ELP. Forests receive intermediate values and cover a larger area under the ELP scenario compared with the RED scenario. The expected forest cover under the BAU scenario is higher. Moreover, sparse and dense shrublands receive their lower bound for both optimization scenarios, while the settlements reach the upper bound for the RED scenario and the lower one under the ELP scenario.

The Russian Far East: from a depressed region to the territory of the future

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ol'ga Nikolaychuk
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Russian Far East ◽  
Far East ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
The Far East ◽  
The Future ◽  
Bilateral Cooperation ◽  
Far Eastern ◽  
The Russian Far East

The monograph presents the search for solutions to the problems of the Far Eastern region. The proximity of China and the remoteness from the center of Russia make us look for effective measures to overcome the problems of settling the Far East in the context of sustainable economic development of modern Russia. The paper analyzes the problems of the Far East: in industry, agriculture, forestry, energy problems, environmental problems, and provides recommendations for their solution. Considerable attention is paid to migration problems. The experience of China is studied through the prism of bilateral cooperation with Russia. It is intended for students, masters, postgraduates, researchers dealing with issues of macroeconomic regulation and forecasting.

The Future of the Nigerian Agricultural Industries: A Case Study of Oil Palm Production in Edo State

2013 ◽  
Vol 824 ◽  
pp. 561-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
U.J. Udosen ◽  
A.P. Ugboya
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
The Future ◽  
Edo State ◽  
Agricultural Industries ◽  
Fresh Fruit Bunches ◽  
Planting Materials

This study analyzes oil palm production from 2001 - 2008 in Edo State, with a view of establishing the future of Nigerian Agricultural oil palm industries. The specific objectives were to identify and quantify the factors influencing the production of oil palm, reveal the constraints to the production of oil palm; analyze the viability of oil palm production as an investment and predict the future of oil palm enterprise in Edo State. Three Local Government Areas of high oil palm concentration in Edo State were covered. Ninety selected oil palm producers from nine villages in the study area were selected. Frequency distributions and multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the results. The results showed that for the period under review (2001 - 2008) on a per hectare basis, seedlings cost, and labour cost were significant inputs, positively influencing the production of oil palm in the Edo State. A growth rate of 6.2% and 23.5% were projected for oil palm with reference to palm oil and fresh fruit bunches (FFB), respectively, up to the year 2020, an indication that oil palm production in the State is viable and the future is bright. The study revealed that inadequate storage facilities, poor planting materials and lack of government assistance, among others, are major bottlenecks in oil palm production in Edo State. However, since oil palm production in Edo State is viable, it is an indication that the future of Nigerian Agricultural Industries is bright.

scholarly journals Night Parrots Pezoporus occidentalis at the Ethel River, Western Australia: Continuing opportunities for conserving habitats around rare permanent springs

2021 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 164-171
Author(s):  
Peter Curry ◽  
Charles Nicholson ◽  
Boyd Wykes
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Protective Measures ◽  
The Future ◽  
Under Construction ◽  
Tussock Grasses

The combined records of two 20th-century observers (Martin Bourgoin and Julian Ford) of Night Parrots Pezoporus occidentalis at permanent springs on the Ethel River amount to more published records of this elusive bird over a longer timespan (1912–1964) than anywhere else in Western Australia. Likely Night Parrot habitats persisting in the Ethel River area in 2019–2020 include extensive areas of mature Limestone Spinifex Triodia wiseana with other native perennial grasses, hard spinifex on sandplains, patchy perennial tussock grasses on minor floodplains and chenopod shrublands including perennial saltbush. We evaluate these habitats for their past uses and likely continuing changes that might have affected Night Parrots. With a mine under construction upstream in the sub-catchment headwaters and indications that the species is not extinct in the district, there is an urgent need to raise awareness of a uniquely important area and to survey the area for the species. Monitoring and coordinating protective measures across intersecting land uses is likely to improve the future of rare permanent springs and sensitive habitats.

scholarly journals The SLOSS dilemma of road ecology: Are several small wildlife crossing structures better than a single large?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Olof Helldin
Keyword(s):  
Road Ecology ◽  
Landscape Composition ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Target Species ◽  
Wildlife Ecology ◽  
Crossing Structures ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Wildlife Crossing Structures ◽  
New Research ◽  
Changes Over Time

Crossing structures for large wildlife are increasingly being constructed at major roads and railways in many countries, and current guidelines for wildlife mitigation at linear infrastructures tend to advocate for large crossing structures sited at major movement corridors for the target species. The concept of movement corridors has however been challenged, and pinching animal movements into bottlenecks entail risks. In this paper, I address the SLOSS dilemma of road ecology, i.e., the discussion whether a Single Large Or Several Small crossing structures along a linear barrier would produce the most benefit for wildlife. I point out risks, ecological as well as practical, with investing in one large crossing structure, and list a number of situations where it may be more beneficial to distribute the conservation efforts in the landscape by constructing several smaller crossing structures; for example when the ecological knowledge is insufficient, when animal interactions are expected to be significant, when the landscape changes over time, or when future human development cannot be controlled. I argue that such situations are often what infrastructure planning faces, and that the default strategy therefore should be to distribute rather than to concentrate passage opportunities along major transport infrastructures. I suggest that distributing passage opportunities over several smaller crossing structures would convey a risk diversification, and that this strategy could facilitate the planning of wildlife mitigation. What to choose would however depend on, i.a., landscape composition and ecology, and on relationships among target species. A single large should be selected where it is likely that it can serve a large proportion of target animals, and where the long-term functionality of the crossing structure can be guaranteed. I illustrate how species and regional differences may influence the choice, using the case of ungulates in Sweden. New research is needed to support trade-offs between size and number of crossing structures. Cost-effectiveness analyses of wildlife crossing structures are currently rare and need to be further explored. Camera trapping and video surveillance of crossing structures provide opportunities to analyze details concerning, for example, any individual biases according to sex, age, status and grouping, and any antagonism between species and individuals. Wildlife ecology research need to better address questions posed by road and railway planning regarding the importance of specific movement routes and movement distances.

scholarly journals Demand for provisioning ecosystem services as a driver of change in the Canadian boreal zone1

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maitane Erdozain ◽  
Erika C. Freeman ◽  
Camille Ouellet Dallaire ◽  
Sonja Teichert ◽  
Harry W. Nelson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Cumulative Effect ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Wood Products ◽  
Boreal Zone ◽  
Drivers Of Change ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Provisioning Ecosystem Services ◽  
The Future

The Canadian boreal zone provides extractive goods and services (provisioning ecosystem services (PrES)) to domestic and global markets and makes a significant contribution to the Canadian economy. The intensity and location of these extractive activities, however, may positively or negatively affect the availability of other benefits that the Canadian and global society receive from the boreal. Where PrES compete, managing these activities along with their impacts to boreal ecosystems becomes a balancing act between the need for resource extraction and the continued availability of the other benefits from ecosystems. Management measures and policies are more likely to succeed if they are designed with foresight, which means accounting for how demand, a key driver of change in the boreal, may change in the future. To help this process, we present three divergent, yet plausible future scenarios based on the analysis of: (i) the capacity of the boreal to provide wood products, fossil fuels, metals and minerals, and hydropower and other renewables; (ii) past trends (1985–2015) and key events in the demand for these PrES; (iii) the interaction of demand for PrES with other drivers of change to the boreal zone; and (iv) the synergies and trade-offs between PrES. We find that historically and currently the capacity of the boreal to provide these PrES exceeds the amount currently supplied. However, the capacity of different PrES and location of extractive activities are spatially dispersed creating a spatial and temporal patchwork of associated risks to local ecosystem integrity and the supply of non-PrES. In addition, these scenarios suggest that the future of boreal PrES is very uncertain and highly dependent on how other drivers of change (namely governance and geopolitics, societal values and climate change) play out in the future. Given the spatial complexity, we find that the cumulative effect of these drivers (e.g., climate change) will determine what paths unfold for different areas of the boreal, and we conclude that careful consideration and planning must be given to ensure that the balance between PrES and non-PrES is maintained.

CMOS DEVICES ARCHITECTURES AND TECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS FOR THE NANOELECTRONICS ERA

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (01) ◽  
pp. 193-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. DELEONIBUS ◽  
B. de SALVO ◽  
T. ERNST ◽  
O. FAYNOT ◽  
T. POIROUX ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Power ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Gate Dielectric ◽  
Low Voltage ◽  
Short Channel Effects ◽  
Short Channel ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Future System ◽  
The Future ◽  
Channel Effects

Innovations in electronics history have been possible because of the strong association of devices and materials research. The demand for low voltage, low power and high performance are the great challenges for engineering of sub 50nm gate length CMOS devices. Functional CMOS devices in the range of 5 nm channel length have been demonstrated. The alternative architectures allowing to increase devices drivability and reduce power are reviewed through the issues to address in gate/channel and substrate, gate dielectric as well as source and drain engineering. HiK gate dielectric and metal gate are among the most strategic options to consider for power consumption and low supply voltage management. It will be very difficult to compete with CMOS logic because of the low series resistance required to obtain high performance. By introducing new materials ( Ge , diamond/graphite Carbon, HiK, …), Si based CMOS will be scaled beyond the ITRS as the future System-on-Chip Platform integrating new disruptive devices. The association of C-diamond with HiK as a combination for new functionalized Buried Insulators, for example, will bring new ways of improving short channel effects and suppress self-heating. That will allow new optimization of Ion-Ioff trade offs. The control of low power dissipation and short channel effects together with high performance will be the major challenges in the future.

scholarly journals Local Perspectives on Ecosystem Service Trade-Offs in a Forest Frontier Landscape in Myanmar

Land ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Feurer ◽  
Andreas Heinimann ◽  
Flurina Schneider ◽  
Christine Jurt ◽  
Win Myint ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Rubber Plantations ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Land User ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Local Perspectives

Extensive land use changes in forest frontier landscapes are leading to trade-offs in the supply of ecosystem services (ES) with, in many cases, as yet unknown effects on human well-being. In the Tanintharyi Region of Myanmar, a forest frontier landscape facing oil palm and rubber expansion, little is known about local perspectives on ES and the direct impact of trade-offs from land use change. This study assessed the trade-offs experienced with respect to 10 locally important ES from land user perspectives using social valuation techniques. The results show that while intact forests provide the most highly valued ES bundle, the conversion to rubber plantations entails fewer negative trade-offs than that to oil palm. Rubber plantations offer income, fuelwood, a good microclimate, and even new cultural identities. By contrast, oil palm concessions have caused environmental pollution, and, most decisively, have restricted local people’s access to the respective lands. The ES water flow regulation is seen as the most critical if more forest is converted; other ES, such as non-timber forest products, can be more easily substituted. We conclude that, from local perspectives, the impact of ES trade-offs highly depends on access to land and opportunities to adapt to change.

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