The destination of arable land in a marginal agricultural landscape in South Portugal: an exploration of land use change determinants

The spatial mismatch between population growth and settlement expansion is at the base of current models of urban growth. Empirical evidence is increasingly required to inform planning measures promoting urban containment in the context of a stable (or declining) population. In these regards, per-capita indicators of land-use change can be adopted with the aim at evaluating long-term sustainability of urbanization processes. The present study assesses spatial variations in per-capita indicators of land-use change in Rome, Central Italy, at five years (1949, 1974, 1999, 2008, and 2016) with the final objective of quantifying the mismatch between urban expansion and population growth. Originally specialized in agricultural productions, Rome’s metropolitan area is a paradigmatic example of dispersed urban expansion in the Mediterranean basin. By considering multiple land-use dynamics, per-capita indicators of landscape change delineated three distinctive waves of growth corresponding with urbanization, suburbanization, and a more mixed stage with counter-urbanization and re-urbanization impulses. By reflecting different socioeconomic contexts on a local scale, urban fabric and forests were identified as the ‘winner’ classes, expanding homogeneously over time at the expense of cropland. Agricultural landscapes experienced a more heterogeneous trend with arable land and pastures declining systematically and more fragmented land classes (e.g., vineyards and olive groves) displaying stable (or slightly increasing) trends. The continuous reduction of per-capita surface area of cropland that’s supports a reduced production base, which is now insufficient to satisfy the rising demand for fresh food at the metropolitan scale, indicates the unsustainability of the current development in Rome and more generally in the whole Mediterranean basin, a region specialized traditionally in (proximity) agricultural productions.

Download Full-text

Historic and Simulated Desert-Oasis Ecotone Changes in the Arid Tarim River Basin, China

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13040647 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 647

Author(s):

Fan Sun ◽

Yi Wang ◽

Yaning Chen ◽

Yupeng Li ◽

Qifei Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Markov Model ◽

River Basin ◽

Arable Land ◽

Current Trend ◽

Ecological Crisis ◽

Tarim River ◽

Tarim River Basin ◽

Desert Oasis

The desert-oasis ecotone, as a crucial natural barrier, maintains the stability of oasis agricultural production and protects oasis habitat security. This paper investigates the dynamic evolution of the desert-oasis ecotone in the Tarim River Basin and predicts the near-future land-use change in the desert-oasis ecotone using the cellular automata–Markov (CA-Markov) model. Results indicate that the overall area of the desert-oasis ecotone shows a shrinking trend (from 67,642 km2 in 1990 to 46,613 km2 in 2015) and the land-use change within the desert-oasis ecotone is mainly manifested by the conversion of a large amount of forest and grass area into arable land. The increasing demand for arable land for groundwater has led to a decline in the groundwater level, which is an important reason for the habitat deterioration in the desert-oasis ecotone. The rising temperature and drought have further exacerbated this trend. Assuming the current trend in development without intervention, the CA-Markov model predicts that by 2030, there will be an additional 1566 km2 of arable land and a reduction of 1151 km2 in forested area and grassland within the desert-oasis ecotone, which will inevitably further weaken the ecological barrier role of the desert-oasis ecotone and trigger a growing ecological crisis.

Download Full-text

Dynamics of soil organic carbon in the steppes of Russia and Kazakhstan under past and future climate and land use

Regional Environmental Change ◽

10.1007/s10113-021-01799-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Susanne Rolinski ◽

Alexander V. Prishchepov ◽

Georg Guggenberger ◽

Norbert Bischoff ◽

Irina Kurganova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Land Use ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Arable Land ◽

Future Climate ◽

Future Climate Change ◽

Climate Scenarios ◽

The Impact

AbstractChanges in land use and climate are the main drivers of change in soil organic matter contents. We investigated the impact of the largest policy-induced land conversion to arable land, the Virgin Lands Campaign (VLC), from 1954 to 1963, of the massive cropland abandonment after 1990 and of climate change on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in steppes of Russia and Kazakhstan. We simulated carbon budgets from the pre-VLC period (1900) until 2100 using a dynamic vegetation model to assess the impacts of observed land-use change as well as future climate and land-use change scenarios. The simulations suggest for the entire VLC region (266 million hectares) that the historic cropland expansion resulted in emissions of 1.6⋅ 1015 g (= 1.6 Pg) carbon between 1950 and 1965 compared to 0.6 Pg in a scenario without the expansion. From 1990 to 2100, climate change alone is projected to cause emissions of about 1.8 (± 1.1) Pg carbon. Hypothetical recultivation of the cropland that has been abandoned after the fall of the Soviet Union until 2050 may cause emissions of 3.5 (± 0.9) Pg carbon until 2100, whereas the abandonment of all cropland until 2050 would lead to sequestration of 1.8 (± 1.2) Pg carbon. For the climate scenarios based on SRES (Special Report on Emission Scenarios) emission pathways, SOC declined only moderately for constant land use but substantially with further cropland expansion. The variation of SOC in response to the climate scenarios was smaller than that in response to the land-use scenarios. This suggests that the effects of land-use change on SOC dynamics may become as relevant as those of future climate change in the Eurasian steppes.

Download Full-text

DAMPAK PERUBAHAN PENGGUNAAN LAHAN PERTANIAN TERHADAP SOSIAL EKONOMI PETANI SEKITAR LOKASI PERTAMBANGAN BANYU URIP KECAMATAN GAYAM KABUPATEN BOJONEGORO

Jurnal Tataloka ◽

10.14710/tataloka.20.1.50-64 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 50

Author(s):

Aziz Bahtiar Rifa’i ◽

Fadjar Hari Mardiansjah

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Arable Land ◽

Mining Area ◽

Agricultural Land Use ◽

Socioeconomic Conditions ◽

Qualitative Approaches ◽

The Impact

This study examines the impact of agricultural land use change into a petroleum mining area to farmers’ socioeconomic conditions around petroleum mining project area in Gayam District of Kabupaten Bojonegoro. The analyses used a mix method, using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The quantitative approach is used to determine the impact of agricultural land use change on the social and economic aspects with the respondent farmers were supported with a scoring method to determine the condition of socioeconomic vulnerability of farmers, while the qualitative approach carried out through in-depth interviews to some informants who have been affected by the project. The results shows that the presence of the petroleum mining industry has not had a positive impact yet on the farmers’ socioeconomic conditions. By the 700 hectares of agricultural land conversion, the agricultural production capacity of the area tends to decrease, including by the decreasing of the productivity of some agricultural land in a radius of 500 m from the fenceof the mining area as they are affected by the fence’s spotlight. The farmers' income also tends to decrease because of the decreasing of their working hours as the big loss of agricultural land in the area. As a result, many farmers should work outside of the area to search replacement of the arable land. These situations lead to a moderate condition of social and economic vulnerability for the farmers, especially for those who still have sufficient assets to meet the needs of their economic.

Download Full-text

Shaping Land Use Change and Ecosystem Restoration in a Water-Stressed Agricultural Landscape to Achieve Multiple Benefits

Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems ◽

10.3389/fsufs.2020.00138 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

Author(s):

Benjamin P. Bryant ◽

T. Rodd Kelsey ◽

Adrian L. Vogl ◽

Stacie A. Wolny ◽

Duncan MacEwan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Agricultural Landscape ◽

Ecosystem Restoration

Download Full-text

Impact of Arable Land to Grassland Conversion on the Vegetation-period Water Balance of a Small Agricultural Catchment (Němčický Stream)

Soil and Water Research ◽

10.17221/7/2010-swr ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 5 (No. 4) ◽

pp. 128-138 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

P. Kovář ◽

D. Vaššová

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Water Balance ◽

Surface Runoff ◽

Arable Land ◽

Vegetation Period ◽

Water Balance Components ◽

Total Runoff ◽

Grassland Conversion ◽

Pronounced Reduction

This paper presents results of decadal (10-day) water balance simulations for the vegetation periods (April to October) of 2001 (normal year), 2002 (wet year) and 2003 (dry year) in the Němčický Stream experimental catchment (3.52 km2). The catchment is a typical agricultural area with a large extent of arable land. This paper shows that the model used (WBCM) is capable of reliably simulating decadal water balance components for the actual land use. The same model is then used to estimate water balance changes brought about when 10% of arable land has been transformed into permanent grassland. It is shown that this land use change results in a pronounced reduction of surface runoff and an increase in subsurface storage over the vegetation periods of all three years. The vegetation period groundwater runoff was only enhanced in the wet year, while the total runoff was reduced in all three years.

Download Full-text

Understanding of Forest Cover Dynamics in Traditional Landscapes: Mapping Trajectories of Changes in Mountain Territories (1824–2016), on the Example of Jeleniogórska Basin, Poland

Forests ◽

10.3390/f11080867 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 867 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Justyna Jaworek-Jakubska ◽

Maciej Filipiak ◽

Anna Napierała-Filipiak

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Land Cover ◽

Forest Cover ◽

Cultural Landscapes ◽

Local Development ◽

Arable Land ◽

Rate Of Change ◽

Aerial Photographs ◽

Depth Analysis

Though on a global scale, for ecological reasons, increased forest cover is universally regarded as positive, on a local scale, the reforestation of arable land may pose threats to cultural landscapes by removing characteristic landscape features. Particularly vulnerable are marginal rural areas, e.g., mountain regions, where most traditional land use systems have survived and which are subject to the most spectacular land use change. The purpose of this article is to draw attention to the issue of the management of forest cover in historical cultural landscapes in mountain territories in Poland within the context of widespread land use change in Eastern Europe. Land cover data were obtained from historical and contemporary aerial photographs, as well as topographic maps from five time points between 1824 and 2016. The study was conducted by means of spatio-temporal forest cover trajectory analysis (LCTA), transition and time–depth analysis, and land cover change calculations that were made by means of ArcGIS. Our research indicates that the rate of change has risen considerably in the last two decades, and the current share of forest cover is much bigger than that reflected in the official data. Eight principal forest cover trajectory types were identified. The biggest area is occupied by woodland of long-term stability. Another large group is constituted by forests created on the basis of arable land and grassland as a result of simple conversion at one point in time, mainly in the years 1824–1886 and 1939–1994. At the same time, a sizeable group is made up by areas that have been subject to unplanned cyclical or dynamic changes during various periods. A very important group is comprised new forests that were created in 1994–2016, predominantly as a result of natural succession, that are often not included in official land classifications. The constant expansion of woodlands has led to a shrinking of historical former coppice woodlands. This indicates that the current landscape management mechanisms in Poland are inadequate for protecting the cultural landscape. The barriers include the lack of intersectoral cooperation and the overlooking of the historical context of landscapes. The present situation calls not only for verification of the existing forest policy but also for increasing the role and engagement of local communities, as well as making comprehensive local development plans, all of which may be helped by the findings of our study and of similar research.

Download Full-text

Land Use Changes in Turkish Territories: Patterns, Directions and Socio-Economic Impacts on Territorial Management

Current World Environment ◽

10.12944/cwe.16.1.11 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 105-122

Author(s):

Sema Yılmaz Genç ◽

Arian Behradfar ◽

Rui Alexandre Castanho ◽

Derviş Kırıkkaleli ◽

José Manuel Naranjo Gómez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Human Activities ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Arable Land ◽

Regional Governance ◽

Design Development ◽

Construction Sites ◽

Landuse Change

Human activities have been changing the Earth's cover at an unparalleled scale. In this regard, and cover mapping is a decisive advantage for several kinds of research. Also, the outcomes from these investigations could be applied to plan a sustainable regional governance policy. This article studied land-use changes in the Turkish Territories in 1990, 2000, 2012, and 2018 using the Coordination of Information on the Environment (CORINE) data. The results showed a significant and gradual land-use change from agricultural to mostly artificial surfaces. The majority of land-use changes are related to industrial and commercial units and construction sites. The most degraded agricultural land uses are non-irrigated arable land and pastures, while there is an increasing trend in permanently irrigated land. This study's outcome can be considered a surveying baseline for the comparative analysis of similar works for different land-use change trends in Europe or worldwide. Landuse change studies are reliable tools to evaluate the human activities and footprint of proposed strategies and policies in a territory. This article also enables us to understand that Turkey's decisive actors should design development policies to encourage industrial investments and agricultural ventures in Turkey and adapt the land-use/land cover strategies to mitigate agricultural land fragmentation.

Download Full-text

Assessing the impact of land-use change for solar park development in the UK: implications for biodiversity and ecosystem services

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-1271 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Fabio Carvalho ◽

Alona Armstrong ◽

Mark Ashby ◽

Belinda Howell ◽

Hannah Montag ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Indicator Species ◽

Ecosystem Service ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Arable Land ◽

Food Plants ◽

Ipcc Report ◽

The Impact

According to the latest IPCC report, 70 to 85% of electricity generation worldwide will need to come from renewable sources of energy by 2050 if countries are to meet internationally agreed greenhouse gas emissions targets. In the rush to decarbonise energy supplies to meet such targets, solar parks (SPs) have proliferated around the world, with uncertain implications for the biodiversity and ecosystem service (ES) provision of hosting ecosystems. SPs necessitate significant land-use change that could disproportionately affect the local environment compared to other low-carbon sources.In Britain, SPs are commonly built on intensive arable land and managed as grasslands. This offers both risks and opportunities for ecosystem health, yet evidence for assessing ecosystem consequences is scarce. Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand how net environmental gains can be integrated into land-use change for solar energy development to address the current biodiversity and climate crises.We used vegetation data from over 70 SPs and 50 countryside survey plots (1 km2) in England and Wales to assess the effects of land-use change for SPs on plant diversity and ES provision. We assessed ten habitat indicator variables (e.g., species richness, larval food plants, forage grasses, bird food plants) associated to functionally important plant species that have the potential to enhance ecosystem service delivery.SPs showed higher diversity of habitat indicator species than arable land and improved grasslands, with vegetation between solar arrays showing higher numbers of species important for ES provision (e.g., N-fixing species important for nutrient cycling) than vegetation under solar panels. Overall, the diversity of habitat indicator species seemed highly dependent on former land-use, showing SPs have the potential to enhance ecosystem services provision if built on degraded agricultural land.Developing this understanding will enable optimisation of SP design and management to ensure delivery of ecosystem co-benefits from this growing land-use.

Download Full-text