scholarly journals Changes in forest landscape due to agricultural activities and their influence on natural ecosystems: the eastern Galician mountains

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
I.J. Diaz-Maroto ◽  
M.C. Diaz-Maroto
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Small Areas ◽  
Biodiversity Maintenance ◽  
Major Transformation ◽  
Ancient Times ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Church

Abstract Forest and agricultural landscapes are vital in relation to biodiversity. Protection policies in such areas should include incentives to enable the common landuse practices. Conservation cannot be addressed in the short term because these landscapes have evolved as socio-ecological systems and provide optimal conditions for biodiversity maintenance. They occur in areas where agriculture has not changed significantly as in the eastern Galician mountains. The landscape dynamics has been shaped by human involvement during centuries. We analyzed how the landscape has evolved according to environmental, socioeconomic and historical changes with the aim of proposing actions for its conservation. The study focused on the recovery of natural hardwood forests which have been intensively exploited since ancient times. Over the past few centuries, these forests have been transformed to agricultural land, felled for use in the naval, metallurgical and railway industries, expropriated from the Church, and affected by wildfire; more recently, have been replaced by fast growing species. Today, broadleaved forests cover small areas of rugged land where the topography often precludes other land uses. In conclusion, although the landscape in the study area has undergone a major transformation, now this land is a priority for biodiversity conservation.

scholarly journals Ecological and Economic Aspects of Land Desertification

2019 ◽  
pp. 158-169
Author(s):  
Alexander Rulev ◽  
Gleb Rulev
Keyword(s):  
Russian Federation ◽  
Precision Agriculture ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Adaptive Landscape ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
Processing And Storage

Agricultural lands of the Russian Federation are intensively subjected to degradation and desertification as a result of irrational economic activity, which, against the background of unfavorable climatic factors, led to the destruction of natural ecosystems, degradation of the soil cover and ultimately to the creation of the unfavorable ecological environment. About 65 % of 130 million hectares of arable land, are exposed to water and wind erosion. Only by water erosion, 10 % of arable land lost 30–60 % of fertility and almost 25 % lost 10–30 %. As a result of deflation 25million hectares of agricultural land in the European part of the Russian Federation are degraded to varying degrees. The concept of the anti-degradation arrangement proposes to use environmental-economic geoinformational monitoring. Within the framework of this approach, the development of cartographic and mathematical models in three time environments is proposed: pre-agricultural, modern degraded, and certainly improved condition. The ecological and economic analysis makes it possible to synthesize information flows and analyze the most important degradation processes. The most important tool for implementing ther adaptive-landscape anti-degradation arrangement of agricultural landscapes is precision farming, which consists of several subsystems: decision-making, monitoring, agronomic techniques, specialized equipment, etc. Computer technologies and telecommunications allow to speed up and optimize production by combining technology and people, which helps reduce costs. Precision agriculture is impossible without using modern advances in collecting, processing and storage of various, often heterogeneous, agricultural information.

scholarly journals Kurzumtriebsplantagen – Ergänzung oder Widerspruch zur nachhaltigen Waldwirtschaft? | Short-term rotation plantations – supplement or in contradiction to sustainable forest management?

2008 ◽  
Vol 159 (6) ◽  
pp. 152-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter A. Schmidt ◽  
Denie Gerold
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Management Strategy ◽  
Cultural Landscape ◽  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Intensive Management ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Management Concepts

Sustainability in forestry does not only cover wood production but it serves all functions of the forest. The increasing demand for wood urges a reconsideration of management concepts. To further ensure the principle of sustainability with the forest as a natural tool for resources, all potentials of the cultural landscape for woody biomass production are to be considered with the strategies for a sustainable development. Such a potential is offered by short-rotation plantations at agricultural sites. Management of such plantations in the agricultural landscape must meet minimum standards in respect to ecology and economy but cannot fulfill all criteria for a sustainable forest management. The less intensive management of such plantations compared to other agricultural land-use systems, has favorable effects on the ecosystem services of the landscape, ecological efficiency of the natural environment and biodiversity. According to a differentiated management strategy for woody stands in forest and agricultural landscapes, short-term rotation plantations as an intensive management strategy for woody ecosystems as well as strictly protected areas for nature conservation and forest regulation consider the concept of partial segregation. The allocation of wood by short-term rotation plantations reduces the pressure on the sustainable, ecologically oriented forest management as an integration strategy which should be implemented on the predominant forested area in the future.

scholarly journals Barn Owl (Tyto alba) Diet Composition on Intensively Used Agricultural Land in the Danube Lowland

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 225-233
Author(s):  
Tomáš Veselovský ◽  
Kristián Bacsa ◽  
Filip Tulis
Keyword(s):  
Diet Composition ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Common Vole ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Barn Owl ◽  
Food Samples ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Tyto Alba ◽  
The Common

Based on pellets analysis from five localities in south western Slovakia (Malá Mužla, Malé Ripňany, Obid, Opatovský Sokolec and Tešedíkovo), we studied the diet composition of Barn Owl (Tyto alba) in intensively cultivated agricultural lands. A total of 6218 specimens of prey, 17 mammalian and 7 bird species were identified. The main prey species found in all food samples was the Common Vole (Microtus arvalis), varying between 56 % and 67 %. The proportion of synanthropic species (Rattus norvegicus, Passer domesticus) and species inhabiting agricultural landscapes (Crocidura leucodon, Crocidura suaveolens, Mus sp.) increases in localities with a lower ratio of the Common Vole. The results suggest land use affects the diet of Barn Owls, confirming conclusions which have been drawn in previous studies. From faunistic point of view, discovering the Pannonian Root Vole (Microtus oeconomus mehelyi) in the diet from Malá Mužla was important.

scholarly journals Effects of Agricultural Use on Endangered Plant Taxa in Spain

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1097
Author(s):  
José Luis Molina-Pardo ◽  
Emilio Rodríguez-Caballero ◽  
Miguel Cueto ◽  
Pablo Barranco ◽  
Manuel Sánchez-Robles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Legal Protection ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Land Use Dynamics ◽  
Agricultural Use

Agriculture is one of the most widespread human activities and has the greatest impact on terrestrial ecosystems, as it transforms natural ecosystems into artificial landscapes using, in many cases, large amounts of pesticides as well as overexploiting natural resources. Therefore, for effective biodiversity conservation, it is necessary to include agricultural systems in conservation programs. In this work, the 50 plant taxa described for Spain as threatened by agricultural use were selected. These were divided according to the type of threat into those affected by crop extension, intensification, or abandonment. In addition, information was obtained concerning their conservation status, level of protection and functional traits (life form, pollination, and dispersal). Finally, the evolution of land use, in the areas near the populations of the selected species, was identified. The selected taxa belong to 21 families and present different life forms and modes of dispersal or pollination. Forty-six percent are endangered (EN) and most are included in legal protection lists. Nearly three-quarters are threatened by crop expansion and land use dynamics, reflecting an expansion of cultivated areas, which adds further pressure to these species. In addition to agricultural expansion, taxa are also at risk, due to important rates of agricultural land abandonment, and mention agricultural intensification. Nevertheless, conservation measures do exist to promote biodiversity in agricultural landscapes that may help to reverse the negative effect of land use dynamics on selected species, but few are specific to threatened flora. Therefore, if threatened plants are to be conserved in agricultural areas, it is necessary to promote a profound transformation of our socioecological systems. One of these transformative changes could come from the human-nature reconnection.

scholarly journals Agroforestry Systems of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley: Land Use for Biocultural Diversity Conservation

Land ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 24
Author(s):  
Mariana Vallejo ◽  
M. Isabel Ramírez ◽  
Alejandro Reyes-González ◽  
Jairo López-Sánchez ◽  
Alejandro Casas
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Biocultural Diversity ◽  
Semiarid Region ◽  
Agricultural Land Use ◽  
Visual Interpretation ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Human Settlements

The Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, Mexico, is the semiarid region with the richest biodiversity of North America and was recently recognized as a UNESCO's World Heritage site. Original agricultural practices remain to this day in agroforestry systems (AFS), which are expressions of high biocultural diversity. However, local people and researchers perceive a progressive decline both in natural ecosystems and AFS. To assess changes in location and extent of agricultural land use, we carried out a visual interpretation of very-high resolution imagery and field work, through which we identified AFS and conventional agricultural systems (CAS) from 1995 to 2003 and 2012. We analyzed five communities, representative of three main ecological and agricultural zones of the region. We assessed agricultural land use changes in relation to conspicuous landscape features (relief, rivers, roads, and human settlements). We found that natural ecosystems cover more than 85% of the territory in each community, and AFS represent 51% of all agricultural land. Establishment and permanence of agricultural lands were strongly influenced by gentle slopes and the existence of roads. Contrary to what we expected, we recorded agricultural areas being abandoned, thus favoring the regeneration of natural ecosystems, as well as a 9% increase of AFS over CAS. Agriculture is concentrated near human settlements. Most of the studied territories are meant to preserve natural ecosystems, and traditional AFS practices are being recovered for biocultural conservation.

Theology as Work: The Mandatum and the Rights of Labor

Horizons ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-134
Author(s):  
Patrick T. McCormick
Keyword(s):  
Academic Freedom ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Common Good ◽  
Catholic Social Teaching ◽  
Social Teaching ◽  
The Common Good ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Church ◽  
Safe Working

ABSTRACTMany oppose the mandatum as a threat to the academic freedom of Catholic scholars and the autonomy and credibility of Catholic universities. But the imposition of this juridical bond on working theologians is also in tension with Catholic Social Teaching on the rights and dignity of labor. Work is the labor necessary to earn our daily bread. But it is also the vocation by which we realize ourselves as persons and the profession through which we contribute to the common good. Thus, along with the right to a just wage and safe working conditions, Catholic Social Teaching defends workers' rights to a full partnership in the enterprise, and calls upon the church to be a model of participation and cooperation. The imposition of the mandatum fails to live up to this standard and threatens the jobs and vocations of theologians while undermining this profession's contribution to the church.

scholarly journals Effects of a Short-Term Trampling Experiment on Alpine Vegetation in the Tatras, Slovakia

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2750
Author(s):  
Veronika Piscová ◽  
Michal Ševčík ◽  
Juraj Hreško ◽  
František Petrovič
Keyword(s):  
Outdoor Recreation ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Recreational Activities ◽  
Small Areas ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Deciduous Shrubs ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Potential Damage ◽  
Alpine Communities

Over the past decades, outdoor recreation in mountains has become progressively more important and as a result human induced potential damage has increased. Alpine communities are particularly susceptible to human recreational activities, such as tourist trampling. Although there are a number of studies that explicitly assess the effects of trampling on alpine communities, they do not reflect on terrains with a rich topography and the presence of more communities in very small areas. In this study, effects of short-term trampling on some alpine communities in the Tatras, the highest mountains of the Carpathians, were studied experimentally. Vulnerability to disturbance was compared among plant communities in terms of resistance and resilience, which are based on cover measurements. With proximity to trampling intensity, we found a significant decrease in plant cover and abundance of deciduous shrubs, lichens, and mosses. These results demonstrate that human trampling in alpine communities has major negative impacts on lichen and moss abundance and species richness. A short-term trampling experiment required several years of community regeneration. Therefore, management plans should discourage hiking activity off paths and restrict recreational activities.

Reversing the flow of short-term missions within a partnership model: Perceptual outcomes

2020 ◽  
pp. 009182962097237
Author(s):  
Simone Mulieri Twibell
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Partnership Model ◽  
And Function ◽  
Bidirectional Flow ◽  
The Church

Short-term missions provide opportunities for the formation of cross-cultural relationships and joint evangelistic endeavors. Scholars have challenged the typical unidirectional nature of short-term mission and partnership efforts, advocating for a more bidirectional flow of resources. This article analyzes the dynamics of reverse short-term missions with the goal of understanding their contributions from the perspective of the American hosts. The author suggests that reverse short-term missions bridge social capital across social networks and function as “networks of invigoration” by bringing information benefits to their hosts. These types of exchanges have the potential to help the American church reinterpret familiar experiences and see the mission of the church in a new way. Five perceptual outcomes are identified: alteration of perspectives; service opportunities for the hosts; renewal of spiritual commitments; first-hand exposure to a different culture; and contact with faith-mission models.

scholarly journals Analysis of spatiotemporal changes of agricultural land after the Second World War in Czechia

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vít Zelinka ◽  
Johana Zacharová ◽  
Jan Skaloš
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Population Change ◽  
Temporal Analysis ◽  
Second World War ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
German Population ◽  
World War ◽  
Landscape Type ◽  
Second World

AbstractThe term Sudetenland refers to large regions of the former Czechoslovakia that had been dominated by Germans. German population was expelled directly after the Second World War, between 1945 and 1947. Almost three million people left large areas in less than two years. This population change led to a break in the relationship between the people and the landscape. The aim of the study is to compare the trajectories of these changes in agricultural landscapes in lower and higher altitudes, both in depopulated areas and areas with preserved populations. This study included ten sites in the region of Northern Bohemia in Czechia (18,000 ha in total). Five of these sites represent depopulated areas, and the other five areas where populations remained preserved. Changes in the landscape were assessed through a bi-temporal analysis of land use change by using aerial photograph data from time hoirzons of 2018 and 1953. Land use changes from the 1950s to the present are corroborated in the studied depopulated and preserved areas mainly by the trajectory of agricultural land to forest. The results prove that both population displacement and landscape type are important factors that affect landscape changes, especially in agricultural landscapes.

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