Hunter-gatherer land management in the human break from ecological sustainability

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Feeney
Keyword(s):  
Population Growth ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Ecological Sustainability ◽  
Is Research ◽  
Hunting And Gathering ◽  
Ecologically Sustainable ◽  
Human Subsistence

Evidence that human societies built on agricultural subsistence have been inherently ecologically unsustainable highlights the value in exploring whether any pre-agricultural subsistence approaches were ecologically sustainable or nearly so. The land management practices of some hunter-gatherer societies have been portrayed as sustainable, even beneficial. Research suggests such practices may fruitfully inform contemporary land management. As a human subsistence foundation, however, they may not have been ecologically sustainable. Figuring centrally in the late Pleistocene shift from immediate-return to delayed-return hunting and gathering, they enabled population growth, helped make possible the development of agriculture, and appear to have caused early environmental degradation. Consistent with this argument is research locating the origins of the Anthropocene near the Pleistocene–Holocene boundary, as societies were taking greater control of food production. It appears then that immediate-return hunting and gathering, which involved little or no land management, was the human lifeway most closely approaching ecological sustainability. Wider recognition of this idea would assist in understanding and addressing today’s ecological challenges.

A framework for evaluating sustainable land management

1995 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 401-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Smyth ◽  
J. Dumanski
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Future Development ◽  
Global Environmental Change ◽  
Sustainable Land Management ◽  
Management Indicators ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Pathway Analyses

Concerns for the effects of global environmental change, caused primarily by the interrelated issues of environmental degradation and population growth, have prompted a consortium of international and national agencies to develop a Framework for Evaluation of Sustainable Land Management (FESLM). The FESLM, based on logical pathway analyses, provides a systematic procedure for identification and development of indicators and thresholds of sustainability. An assessment of sustainability is achieved by comparing the performance of a given land use with the objectives of the five pillars of sustainable land management: productivity, security, protection, viability and acceptability. A classification for sustainability is proposed, and plans for future development of the FESLM are described. Key words: Sustainability, land management, indicators, thresholds, environment, agriculture

Restoring Timbisha Shoshone Land Management Practices in Death Valley National Park

2003 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 302-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. S. Fowler ◽  
P. Esteves ◽  
G. Goad ◽  
B. Helmer ◽  
K. Watterson
Keyword(s):  
Land Management ◽  
National Park ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Death Valley ◽  
Death Valley National Park

Forest Management In Mongolia – A Review Of Challenges And Lessons Learned With Special Reference To Degradation And Deforestation

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Gradel ◽  
Gerelbaatar Sukhbaatar ◽  
Daniel Karthe ◽  
Hoduck Kang
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Hydrological Regime ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Driven System ◽  
The Status

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.

The Issue of Sustainability in Third World Food Production (The Distinguishedl Lecture)

1992 ◽  
Vol 31 (4I) ◽  
pp. 511-534
Author(s):  
Winfried Von Urff
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Third World ◽  
Total Population ◽  
Absolute Number ◽  
Comprehensive Analysis ◽  
World Food ◽  
The Absolute ◽  
The Difference

In spite of the fact that food production in developing countries doubled over the last 25 years undernutrition is still widely spread. At the beginning of the eighties, according to FAO, 335 to 494 million people in developing countries suffered from serious undernutrition the difference being due to different concepts to determine undernutrition on which scientist were unable to find a consensus.) Unfortunately there is no recent comprehensive analysis of the food situation comparable to those of previous World Food Surveys but it can be taken for sure that the absolute number of undernourished has increased. According to unofficial FAO sources a figure of 870 million was estimated for 1990 (22 percent of the total population in developing countries) using the same concept that led to the figure of 494 million in 1979-81 (23 percent of the total population in developing countries) which means that most probably the number of undernourished increased at a rate slightly less than population growth.

Population Growth and Waste Management in Metropolitan Lagos

2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Femi O. Omololu ◽  
Akinmayowa S. Lawal
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Public Private Partnership ◽  
Household Waste ◽  
Waste Generation ◽  
Private Partnership ◽  
The Public ◽  
Lagos State ◽  
Waste Management Practices

This paper examines the influence of population growth on waste generation in Lagos metropolis, African’s most populous urban conglomeration. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the study analyses the pattern of household waste disposal, collection and transportation in Lagos State. It also examines the public-private partnership strategy adopted in waste management. The findings show that population growth significantly influences waste generation and management in Lagos metropolis. As the population increased, the volume of waste generated also increased in each LGA of Lagos State. The public-private partnership strategy has been effective in managing waste, but the Lagos State Waste Management Authority oversight was adjudged as less than satisfactory. The paper concludes that intervention is needed in terms of educating the growing population of the Lagos metropolis on the best waste management practices. It highlights the need for a more efficient and effective publicprivate partnership collaboration to solve this perennial social problem.

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

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.

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

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.

Is food production vulnerable to environmental degradation? A global analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suet-Ling Ching ◽  
Kwang-Jing Yii ◽  
Cheong-Fatt Ng ◽  
Chee-Keong Choong ◽  
Lin-Sea Lau
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Degradation ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Global Analysis

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

2007 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1811-1823 ◽  
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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