Landscape Change in an Agricultural Watershed: The Effect of Parcelization on Riparian Forest Cover

1996 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
R E Kleiman ◽  
D L Erickson
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Landscape Change ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Agricultural Watershed ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Farm Scale ◽  
Land Use Policies ◽  
Increasing Trends

In this research we address factors contributing to landscape change in a midwestern (USA) watershed. Specifically, the relationship between the parcelization of agricultural land (ownership subdivisions) and changes in amounts of riparian forest cover are explored. The study area is the River Raisin Watershed in southeastern Michigan, which is typical of rural watersheds in the lower Great Lakes region. Two townships within the watershed were sampled from data spanning a 20-year time period. Using land-use and land-cover data for 1968, 1978, and 1988, combined with ownership records for the same years, we determined a relationship between rates of parcelization and changes in forest cover. These findings indicate that increasing trends in riparian forest area follow increases in land parcelization at the township scale. For these two townships, agricultural decline and land-use diversification seem positively related to larger areas and widths of riparian forests. As the number of acres being farmed and the number of farms have decreased, the land has been divided into more and smaller lots and the forests along rivers like the Raisin and its tributaries have increased in area. There are several possible factors at the township and farm scale which may influence this landscape phenomenon, including land-use policies, governmental programs, agricultural mechanization, and agricultural economics.

Implication of Socio-economic Factors on Land Use and Forest Cover Changes in and Around Magamba Nature Reserve in Tanzania

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 108-117
Author(s):  
Solomon Jeremiah Sembosi
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Population Pressure ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
Rural Settlements ◽  
Mountainous Regions ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Socio Economic Factors

Rural settlements in mountainous regions are a typical process that occurs in many places around the world and have a number of implications on the landscape. Among them is a threat it possesses to the conservation and management of Afromontane ecosystems. This study assessed the socio-economic factors that drive the changes in land use and forest cover and the extent of land use and vegetation cover in and around Magamba Nature Reserve. Focus group discussion, direct field observation and household survey were used to acquire socio-economic information that impacts land use and forest cover. Through the use of Remote Sensing and GIS methods Landsat satellite images of 1995, 2008 and 2015 were employed to identify the extent of the changes in land use and forest cover. The perceived factors for the changes include education level, unemployment, landless/limited, landholding, population pressure, expansion of built-up areas and agricultural land at the expense of other land covers. This study revealed the transformation of natural forest and associated vegetation from one form to another. There was a decrease in natural vegetation from 61.06% in 1995 to 26.02% in 2015 and increase in built-up areas by 6.69% and agricultural areas by 4.70%. This study recommends conservation monitoring and strong law enforcement relating to natural resources so as to promote sustainable use of resources to rescue the diminishing ecosystem services.

scholarly journals Land-use-driven stream warming in southeastern Amazonia

2013 ◽  
Vol 368 (1619) ◽  
pp. 20120153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcia N. Macedo ◽  
Michael T. Coe ◽  
Ruth DeFries ◽  
Maria Uriarte ◽  
Paulo M. Brando ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Soya Bean ◽  
Nutrient Inputs ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Small Streams

Large-scale cattle and crop production are the primary drivers of deforestation in the Amazon today. Such land-use changes can degrade stream ecosystems by reducing connectivity, changing light and nutrient inputs, and altering the quantity and quality of streamwater. This study integrates field data from 12 catchments with satellite-derived information for the 176 000 km 2 upper Xingu watershed (Mato Grosso, Brazil). We quantify recent land-use transitions and evaluate the influence of land management on streamwater temperature, an important determinant of habitat quality in small streams. By 2010, over 40 per cent of catchments outside protected areas were dominated (greater than 60% of area) by agriculture, with an estimated 10 000 impoundments in the upper Xingu. Streams in pasture and soya bean watersheds were significantly warmer than those in forested watersheds, with average daily maxima over 4°C higher in pasture and 3°C higher in soya bean. The upstream density of impoundments and riparian forest cover accounted for 43 per cent of the variation in temperature. Scaling up, our model suggests that management practices associated with recent agricultural expansion may have already increased headwater stream temperatures across the Xingu. Although increased temperatures could negatively impact stream biota, conserving or restoring riparian buffers could reduce predicted warming by as much as fivefold.

scholarly journals Determinants of Land Use in Maine with Projections to 2050

1999 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas E. Mauldin ◽  
Andrew J. Plantinga ◽  
Ralph J. Alig
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Soil Characteristics ◽  
Land Area ◽  
Usda Forest Service ◽  
Tax Assessment ◽  
Land Rents ◽  
Land Use Policies ◽  
Percentage Basis

Abstract Data on land use in Maine are assembled from USDA Forest Service inventories, the Census of Agriculture, and other sources. Regression analysis is used to estimate the relationships between land use and determinants of land use such as land rents and soil characteristics. The fitted models are used to project changes in land use to 2050. We project declines in private timberland area, though these losses are small on a percentage basis. Continued declines in agricultural land area and increases in urban land area also are projected. Land use policies that influence land rents such as preferential tax assessment programs can be used to deter socially undesirable land use changes. North. J. Appl. For. 16(2):82-88.

scholarly journals Historical TOC concentration minima during peak sulfur deposition in two Swedish lakes

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 307-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Bragée ◽  
F. Mazier ◽  
A. B. Nielsen ◽  
P. Rosén ◽  
D. Fredh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Lake Water ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Recent Sediment ◽  
Sulfur Deposition ◽  
Subsequent Decrease ◽  
Decadal Scale ◽  
Concentration Changes

Abstract. Decadal-scale variations in total organic carbon (TOC) concentration in lake water since AD 1200 in two small lakes in southern Sweden were reconstructed based on visible–near-infrared spectroscopy (VNIRS) of their recent sediment successions. In order to assess the impacts of local land-use changes, regional variations in sulfur, and nitrogen deposition and climate variations on the inferred changes in TOC concentration, the same sediment records were subjected to multi-proxy palaeolimnological analyses. Changes in lake-water pH were inferred from diatom analysis, whereas pollen-based land-use reconstructions (Landscape Reconstruction Algorithm) together with geochemical records provided information on catchment-scale environmental changes, and comparisons were made with available records of climate and population density. Our long-term reconstructions reveal that inferred lake-water TOC concentrations were generally high prior to AD 1900, with additional variability coupled mainly to changes in forest cover and agricultural land-use intensity. The last century showed significant changes, and unusually low TOC concentrations were inferred at AD 1930–1990, followed by a recent increase, largely consistent with monitoring data. Variations in sulfur emissions, with an increase in the early 1900s to a peak around AD 1980 and a subsequent decrease, were identified as an important driver of these dynamics at both sites, while processes related to the introduction of modern forestry and recent increases in precipitation and temperature may have contributed, but the effects differed between the sites. The increase in lake-water TOC concentration from around AD 1980 may therefore reflect a recovery process. Given that the effects of sulfur deposition now subside and that the recovery of lake-water TOC concentrations has reached pre-industrial levels, other forcing mechanisms related to land management and climate change may become the main drivers of TOC concentration changes in boreal lake waters in the future.

scholarly journals Landscape Change in Mediterranean Farmlands: Impacts of Land Abandonment on Cultivation Terraces in Portofino (Italy) and Lesvos (Greece)

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theo Van Der Sluis ◽  
Thanasis Kizos ◽  
Bas Pedroli
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Landscape Change ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
Landscape Changes ◽  
The Past ◽  
Mediterranean Landscapes ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract The Mediterranean landscape has been rapidly changing over the past decades. Many regions saw a population decline, which resulted in changing land use, abandonment of marginal lands and colonisation by shrubs and tree species. Typical features like farming terraces, olive yards, and upland grasslands have been decreasing over the past 50 years. This results in a declining biodiversity and loss of traditional Mediterranean landscapes. In this paper we assess the landscape changes that took place in two areas, in Portofino, on the Italian Riviera, and Lesvos, a Greek island near the Turkish coast. We compared land use maps and aerial photographs over the past decades to quantify the land use changes in these two areas. Additional information was acquired from farmers’ interviews and literature. We found that changes are related to societal changes in the appraisal of agricultural land uses, and to the urban expansion, tourism and recreation. These diffuse processes are a result of policy measures and autonomous societal transformations. This is confirmed by the results of two interview surveys: between 1999 and 2012 agricultural land use in Portofino regional Park and buffer zone further marginalised, and the associated landscape changes are perceived as a substantial loss of character and identity. This problem is emblematic for large parts of the Mediterranean. Comparing different landscapes reveal similar processes of landscape change, which can be related to similar driving forces. Based on such comparisons, we learn about possible trajectories of change, and ask for a comprehensive approach to land use management.

Change in agricultural land use constrains adaptation of national wildlife refuges to climate change

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHRISTOPHER M. HAMILTON ◽  
WAYNE E. THOGMARTIN ◽  
VOLKER C. RADELOFF ◽  
ANDREW J. PLANTINGA ◽  
PATRICIA J. HEGLUND ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Urban Land Use ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Species Invasions ◽  
Business As Usual

SUMMARYLand-use change around protected areas limits their ability to conserve biodiversity by altering ecological processes such as natural hydrologic and disturbance regimes, facilitating species invasions, and interfering with dispersal of organisms. This paper informs USA National Wildlife Refuge System conservation planning by predicting future land-use change on lands within 25 km distance of 461 refuges in the USA using an econometric model. The model contained two differing policy scenarios, namely a ‘business-as-usual’ scenario and a ‘pro-agriculture’ scenario. Regardless of scenario, by 2051, forest cover and urban land use were predicted to increase around refuges, while the extent of range and pasture was predicted to decrease; cropland use decreased under the business-as-usual scenario, but increased under the pro-agriculture scenario. Increasing agricultural land value under the pro-agriculture scenario slowed an expected increase in forest around refuges, and doubled the rate of range and pasture loss. Intensity of land-use change on lands surrounding refuges differed by regions. Regional differences among scenarios revealed that an understanding of regional and local land-use dynamics and management options was an essential requirement to effectively manage these conserved lands. Such knowledge is particularly important given the predicted need to adapt to a changing global climate.

scholarly journals The Importance of Riparian Forest Cover to the Ecological Status of Agricultural Streams in a Nationwide Assessment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikko Tolkkinen ◽  
Saku Vaarala ◽  
Jukka Aroviita
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Ecological Status ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Riparian Forests ◽  
Independent Effect ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Positive Effect

AbstractForested riparian corridors are a key management solution for halting the global trend of declining ecological status of freshwater ecosystems. There is an increasing body of evidence related to the efficacy of these corridors at the local scale, but knowledge is inadequate concerning the effectiveness of riparian forests in terms of protecting streams from harmful impacts across larger scales. In this study, nationwide assessment results comprising more than 900 river water bodies in Finland were used to examine the importance of adjacent land use to river ecological status estimates. Random forest models and partial dependence functions were used to quantify the independent effect of adjacent land use on river ecological status after accounting for the effects of other factors. The proportion of adjacent forested land along a river had the strongest independent positive effect on ecological status for small to medium size rivers that were in agricultural landscapes. Ecological quality increased by almost one status class when the adjacent forest cover increased from 10 to 60%. In contrast, for large rivers, adjacent forested land did not show an independent positive effect on ecological status. This study has major implications for managing river basins to achieve the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) goal of obtaining good ecological status of rivers. The results from the nationwide assessment demonstrate that forested riparian zones can have an independent positive effect on the ecological status of rivers, indicating the importance of riparian forests in mitigating the impacts of catchment-level stressors. Therefore, forested buffer zones should be more strongly considered as part of river basin management.

scholarly journals Assessing the Impact of land-use types on the groundwater quality: a case study of Mid River Njoro Catchment, Kenya

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Halake Guyo Rendilicha ◽  
Patrick Home ◽  
James M. Raude ◽  
Charles M. M’Erimba ◽  
Stellamaris Muthoka
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Groundwater Quality ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Settlement Area ◽  
Mixed Area ◽  
Land Use Types ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact

The study assessed the impact of land-use types on the groundwater quality of the mid River Njoro catchment, Kenya. Groundwater samples were collected from eight boreholes between the period of October 2017 to February 2018 and analyzed for pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, ammonium, and total phosphorus. These parameters were used to calculate the Groundwater Quality Index (GQI) value of the study area. The concentration maps (“primary maps I”) were constructed using Kriging interpolation of ArcGIS software from the seven groundwater quality parameters. The “primary maps I” were standardized with the KEBS and WHO standards to the “primary maps II” for ease of integration into a GIS environment. The “primary maps II” were then rated and weighted using a polynomial function to generate “rank maps” before calculating the GQI using spatial analyst tools of ArcGIS software. The land use map was prepared from a high-resolution Google earth satellite imagery of 2015. The mean GQI values for the different land use polygons were calculated and compared using GIS techniques. The GQI ranged from 68.38 to 70.92, indicating a high groundwater quality of mid River Njoro catchment. The major land-use types identified include settlement area, forest cover, agricultural land and mixed area. The agricultural land dominated the study area, followed by settlement area, forest cover and finally mixed area. The mean GQI value in each land use type varied minimally and this could be because of the diffuse nature of the land use types of the study area. Settlement area had low GQI, followed by agricultural land, mixed area and the forest cover had the highest mean GQI value, which corresponds to good quality of groundwater. Even though the variation is insignificant in this particular study, it somehow indicates the adverse effects of different land use on the quality of groundwater.

scholarly journals Conversion of agricultural soils in Austria—a case study for a community in Upper Austria

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-76
Author(s):  
Günther Aust ◽  
Franz Heinrich ◽  
Daniel Horvath ◽  
André Musil ◽  
Cecilie Foldal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Soil Survey ◽  
Settlement Area ◽  
Soil Sealing ◽  
Upper Austria

SummaryWe have analyzed the loss of agricultural land in a case study of the community Eggelsberg in the Innviertel in Upper Austria. The trigger for the project was the attribution of Austria as Europe’s leader in soil sealing. We compared the results of the Austrian agricultural soil survey of the 1970s with the actual land use and quantified the land use change. Within half a century, 15% of the agricultural area was converted to settlement area or to other forms of infrastructure. According to the original soil assessment, 96 ha of high-quality cropland, 1,220 ha of medium-quality cropland, 121 ha of low-quality cropland, and 409 ha of grassland were converted. The forest cover remained stable. The highest share of soil sealing was owed to the expansion of the settlement area and the construction of a successful enterprise. Minor contributions were expansions of farm buildings. The loss of agricultural land was reasonable and reflected the needs of the local population. A special protection status because of the future relevance of the agricultural land was not communicated to land managers and is not reflected in the market prices of agricultural products. The relevance of the agricultural land beyond the regional level is not fully recognized.

scholarly journals Influence of land use change on the waterbird community of Sihwa Lake, Republic of Korea

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eunjae Lee ◽  
Junghee Sagong ◽  
Yohan Lee
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Republic Of Korea ◽  
Species Diversity Index ◽  
Barren Land ◽  
Waterbird Species ◽  
Increasing Trends

Abstract Background Land use and development alter mudflat and wetland habitat availability, although mudflats and wetlands provide important stopover habitats for shorebirds during the spring and autumn migrations and support communities of ducks and geese during the winter months in the Republic of Korea. This study investigated land use changes around Sihwa Lake (Republic of Korea) and evaluated the effect of these changes on waterbird community characteristics. Methods We conducted a land-use-change analysis at the medium-resolution level using land cover maps for 2001, 2007, 2009, and 2014. Also, a tidal stream survey was conducted in Sihwa Lake and the surrounding reclaimed mudflats every season for 10 years (2003–2012) to identify the seasonal and interannual variations in waterbird species composition. To determine the total annual waterbird species and population counts, species diversity index, and interspecies variations, a TRIM (trends and indices for monitoring data) analysis was used. Results Wetland area decreased more than 10% while agricultural land, barren land, and grassland area increased more than 10% due to continuous reclamation activities around Sihwa Lake. Barren land later turned into agricultural land or other land use. Sixty-three species and 566,623 individuals were recorded. The number of species, population size, and species diversity index by year and by species showed decreasing trends that were more marked in spring and summer. Furthermore, seasonal and annual variations in waterbird species composition showed decreasing trends in dabbling ducks, herons, grebes, and shorebirds but diving ducks displayed increasing trends. In particular, shorebirds were reduced to a greater extent than other waterbird species because of the reduction and simplification of the intertidal zone, and shallow waters caused by reclamation and road construction. Conclusions Increased development and construction around Sihwa Lake has altered migratory shorebird populations with a general decline in species diversity and population size. The greatest decline was observed in wading birds, while diving duck populations showed increasing trends.

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