scholarly journals Understanding the Impacts of Aggregate Production on Agriculture and Identifying Mitigating Strategies

Author(s):  
Jeff Reichheld and Emily Hehl

Across Ontario, aggregate extraction provides economic stimulus for many rural locales, but these operations significantly alter the landscapes upon which they occur and are often considered a nuisance to adjacent land owners. Especially in Southern Ontario, these operations frequently occur on agricultural land or within close proximity to productive farmland. Given the potentially disruptive nature of aggregate extraction, it is important to understand their impacts on nearby farms so that measures to mitigate these impacts can be developed and implemented. Thus, research is needed that understands the social, economic, environmental and land use impacts of aggregate operations to help ensure that adjacent agricultural operations prosper. This research therefore seeks to identify the farm operator’s perspective on impacts on crop and livestock production, along with corresponding best practices that can be utilized to mitigate these impacts. Additionally, this project will involve a jurisdictional scan to identify social, economic, environmental and land use impacts, as well as quantitative and qualitative research intended to identify impacts on agriculture (such as dust, noise and water) and promising practices that aggregate operators and municipal planners could use to limit these impacts. The goal is to see these best practices implemented early in the planning process to avoid conflict and negative impacts on agricultural production from future aggregate operations. The project is supported by a three-year research grant from OMAFRA.

Author(s):  
Ed Plant ◽  
Sue Capper

There are few standards or regulations to help stakeholders consider land use and development in the vicinity of existing pipeline systems. Land use planning that considers the existence of pipeline systems can support the planning for and provision of emergency services and pipeline integrity. This approach can also promote public safety and awareness through consistent and collaborative stakeholder engagement early in the land use planning process. In 2016, a CSA workshop was held with a variety of stakeholders impacted by land use planning around pipeline systems. The workshop identified that there was a need for consistency across the jurisdictions in the form of a national standard. The main goal of the new CSA Z663 standard is to provide guidance and best practices for land use planning and development. It also addresses roles, responsibilities and engagement of all stakeholders to help establish a consistent approach to land use planning. A review of CSA Z663 will illustrate how this document provides information, guidance and tools that are inclusive to all stakeholders. This paper will also highlight the history and key drivers behind the new CSA Z663 standard and provide an overview of the current scope and content. Finally, the paper will describe future considerations and additions to the standard.


2015 ◽  
pp. 16-25
Author(s):  
V. I. Kiriushin

The objectives relating to the optimization of the environment conservation involve the determination of biotope sensibility, valuation and forecasting of the landscape sustainable development and excessive anthropogenic loads, assessment of ecological risks and possible adverse consequences, analysis of conflicts, choice of methods for protection and development of the territory, determination of proportions between the agricultural lands and priority trends in land use, compromise decision-making and elaboration of methods to bring in correspondence the interests of land owners. These tasks are solved on the basis of landscape functional analysis. The major ecological functions are the following: bioecological (biotopic and biocenotic, bioproduced, bioenergetic, biogeochemical, concentrated, oxidation-reduced, destructed, activated-inhibited, sanitary); atmospheric (gaseous, heat exchanged, hydroatmospheric); lithospheric (relief-forming, lithological); hydrological and hydrogeological ones. Based upon the identification and assessment of ecological functions of landscapes the social-economic functions are determined to meet the requirements of the human society.


1994 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 236 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. McIntyre

Management of variegated landscapes (in which the native vegetation still forms the matrix but has been modified in a variable way) requires strategies to maintain or enhance existing vegetation within the context of human land-uses such as agriculture. Using rangelands in the New England region of New South Wales as an example, spatial patterns of land-use and modification are described. Management principles for conservation of herbaceous communities in areas of pastoral production are suggested, based on the following assumptions: 1) low intensity pasture utilization and management (i.e., limited fertilization, soil disturbance and grazing) is conducive to the maintenance of species richness at a local and regional scale; 2) stratification of management intensity on farms is compatible with viable grazing operations; 3) landscape context is important as effects of management may spread beyond the managed area; 4) spatial arrangement of land-uses could be optimized to maintain or increase diversity. Although our understanding of these issues is incomplete, there is general observational and theoretical support for them. Incorporation of principles derived from these assumptions in the farm planning process is a useful strategy for preserving grassland vegetation in landscapes where opportunities for reserve conservation are limited.


2021 ◽  
pp. 325-330
Author(s):  
V.V. Alakoz

Land legislation - the Land Code of the Russian Federation, the Federal Law " Land Management", the Federal Law "Turnover of Agricultural Lands", the Federal Law "State Regulation of Agricultural Lands Fertility" proclaimed the obligation of state authorities, local governments, legal entities and individuals realize their activities with preservation of land as the most important component of the environment and a natural resource, and carry out measures for the reproduction of the fertility of agricultural lands. There are proclamations, but no effective economic, administrative mechanisms and institutions of enforcement to save productive land and soil fertility. Regulations for the environmentally safe use of separately cultivated plots of arable land, contours of hayfields and pastures with spatial identification of the boundaries of their action on the map for land management have not been established – we can see negative impacts of excessive cultivation of arable land. The proposed measures to ensure the fertility of agricultural lands are aimed not at land use with soil-saving agricultural technologies in the process of agricultural activities when growing crops (in accordance with the established regulations), but at restoration of soil fertility after depletion of agricultural land use through reclamation and other measures for agrochemical services. This article proposes to restore the compulsory land management activities in case of identification of lands with water and wind erosion and other negative impacts with the development of regulations for environmentally safe agricultural land use for each field or part of it, the contour of hayfields and pastures exposed to negative impacts of anthropogenic or natural load. It is easier to prevent than to cure.


2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo Smith ◽  
Bruce D. Pearce ◽  
Martin S. Wolfe

AbstractMeeting the needs for a growing world population calls for multifunctional land use, which can meet the multiple demands of food and fuel production, environmental and biodiversity protection, and has the capacity for adaptation or resilience to climate change. Agroforestry, a land-use system that integrates trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock production, has been identified by the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) as a ‘win–win’ approach that balances the production of commodities (food, feed, fuel, fiber, etc.) with non-commodity outputs such as environmental protection and cultural and landscape amenities. Evidence is now coming to light that supports the promotion of agroforestry in temperate developed countries as a sustainable alternative to the highly industrialized agricultural model with its associated negative environmental externalities. This paper reviews this evidence within the ‘ecosystem services’ framework to evaluate agroforestry as part of a multifunctional working landscape in temperate regions. Establishing trees on agricultural land can help to mitigate many of the negative impacts of agriculture, for example by regulating soil, water and air quality, supporting biodiversity, reducing inputs by natural regulation of pests and more efficient nutrient cycling, and by modifying local and global climates. The challenge now lies in promoting the adoption of agroforestry as a mainstream land use through research, dissemination of information and policy changes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Davis ◽  
Alison Scholl

To reflect Trent University’s academic leadership in environmental and indigenous studies, Trent has undertaken a collaborative campus stewardship and land-use planning process that prioritizes collection of Indigenous Traditional Knowledge (ITK) and engagement with the local First Nations. Trent’s Symons campus is rich in natural and cultural assets, with drumlins, wetlands, woodlands, meadows and farmland, and diverse flora and fauna. A primary goal of the campus plan is to conserve biological diversity, maintain ecological functions, and sustain ecosystem services across more than 560 hectares, whilst enabling campus expansion and joint benefit infrastructure projects to move forward efficiently and effectively. Trent’s experience in bringing ITK to the forefront of campus stewardship and land-use planning warrants critical examination to advance promising practices for conservation of biodiversity through a collaborative approach to planning


2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 66
Author(s):  
R. Kunto Adi

<p>Development of agricultural sector, especiallly for agribusiness sector that problems by large of conversion of agricultural land to used for non agricultural, that cause  acess  farmers  toward  agrarian  resources,  especially  limited  of  land.  Except that,  factors  of  the  lack  of  land  ownership  and  authority,  threatened  of  farmers existance on to become cause of agrarian conflict in rural area that more and more glow.  The  problem  of  agrarian  conflict  trigger  by  more  and  more  increased  of developmnet  activity.  This  condition  will  have  consequence  to  occur  conflict  in utilizing of land. Except that, too much land resources that carry on not yet or to use appropriate with allocation, to much of occur land utilizing that not appropriate with phisically potency of land and appropriate with land use planning of region. Because of that be needed maked grow about important of land utilizing in a plan manner, in order that used optimally, harmonious, balanced, dan sustainable. Because of that be needed efforts land use planning managemet. Land  use planning must be done with participating  of  community  (farmers)  in  decision  making  of  development  policy  in order that used integrative, so effort in land use planning process, from a planning, implementation,  and  supervision.  In  implementation  this  programme,  land  use planning  must  be  with  community  management  approach,  for  actualization  of community  capacity  and  potency  or  community  empowering  approach.  Programme that  become  form  land  use  planning  management  with  character  of  bottom  up approach and used to blue print that not to character of dependency creating, until programme  that  become  from  land  use  planning  management  basic  to  community must be character of empowering, with the result that community especially farmers not only as object, but like  subject, especially for implementation of land use planning process in agribusiness system and business.</p><p> </p><p>Pengembangan sektor pertanian, terutama sektor agribisnis, terkendala oleh banyaknya alih fungsi lahan pertanian ke penggunaan non pertanian, yang mengakibatkan akses petani terhadap sumber daya agraria, terutama tanah, menjadi sangat terbatas. Selain itu faktor kesenjangan penguasaan dan kepemilikan tanah dan terancamnya eksistensi diri para petani pada gilirannya menjadi penyebab utama terjadinya konflik pertanahan di pedesaan yang kian marak. Masalah pertanahan dipicu oleh semakin meningkatnya kegiatan pembangunan akan makin banyak memerlukan tanah ditengah-tengah keterbatasan persediaan akan sumber daya tanah itu sendiri. Hal ini akan berakibat pada terjadinya persaingan dalam penggunaan tanah, semakin menurunnya kemampuan daya tampung suatu wilayah dan mendorong terjadinya penggunaan tanah tanpa memperhatikan kondisi kemampuan tanah serta kelestarian lingkungannya. Dilain pihak, banyak tanah-tanah yang belum diusahakan atau dimanfaatkan sesuai dengan peruntukkannya, dan sebaliknya, banyak terjadi penggunaan tanah yang tidak sesuai dengan potensi fisik tanah dan arahan yang telah digariskan dalam rencana tata ruangnya. Untuk itu perlu ditumbuhkan tentang arti penting penggunaan tanah secara terencana, agar diperoleh manfaat yang optimal, serasi, seimbang dan lestari. Oleh karena itu perlu upaya pengelolaan tata guna tanah atau Penatagunaan Tanah. Penatagunaan tanah harus dilaksanakan dengan melibatkan masyarakat (petani) dalam pengambilan kebijakan pembangunan secara integratif, termasuk juga dalam proses penatagunaan tanah, dari mulai perencanaan, pelaksanaan dan pengawasan. Dalam implementasinya, proses penatagunaan tanah harus dengan pendekatan <em>community management</em> untuk mengaktualisasikan potensi masyarakat <em>(empowering)</em>. Program-program yang lahir dari manajemen penatagunaan tanah bersifat <em>bottom up</em> dan<em> blue print</em> yang tidak bersifat <em>dependency creating</em>, sehingga program yang lahir dari manajemen penatagunaan tanah berbasis masyarakat cenderung bersifat <em>empowering</em>, sehingga masyarakat terutama petani tidak hanya sebagai obyek, tetapi sebagai subyek, dalam implementasi proses penatagunaan tanah dalam sistem dan usaha agribisnis di Indonesia.</p>


Author(s):  
Steven J. Harper ◽  
James D. Westervelt

Brood parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) has negative impacts on a large number of songbird species. Cowbirds are obligate brood parasites, meaning that females lay their eggs in the nests of other species and do not provide care to their offspring. Parasitism by cowbirds often results in reduced reproductive success for the host, sometimes to the exclusion of fledging any of their own young. Clearly parasitism by cowbirds can have a substantial impact on the population dynamics of the host species. Over 200 species of birds are known to be parasitized by cowbirds. Cowbirds breed in shrublands and forests, and especially parasitize host nests located near ecotones, or borders between habitat types. Human land use in general may promote the success of cowbirds; landscapes with forest openings, clearcuts, small tracts of forests, and large amounts of habitat edge have higher parasitism rates than do landscapes with contiguous forest tracts. Cowbirds readily forage in feedlots, overgrazed pastures, and grasslands, and the expansion of agricultural land use over the past century has provided abundant feeding habitat for cowbirds. Large increases in the numbers of cowbirds have been documented and this increase has been implicated as one factor responsible for the decline of a large number of passerines. Compounding their impact is the fact that cowbirds can affect host populations over broad spatial scales. Because they do not protect their young or a nest, they can range large distances in search of suitable feeding areas; researchers have reported maximum daily movements from 7 to 13 km for cowbirds (Rothstein et al., Cook et al., respectively). At Fort Hood, a U.S. Army military installation located in central Texas, cowbirds parasitize the nests of numerous songbird species, including those of the black-capped vireo ( Vireo atricapillus) and the golden-cheeked warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia), two federally endangered species. The black-capped vireo appears to be particularly vulnerable to parasitism. Once her nest is parasitized, a host female often abandons it. The female may then attempt to renest but, when cowbirds are abundant, this nest is also likely to be parasitized.


Author(s):  
Yanka KAZAKOVA-MATEVA

The designation and implementation of Natura 2000 sites faced many challenges across most of the member states in the EC. Some related to consultation and involvement of stakeholders, funding the conservation objectives and providing compensation to land owners, farmers and foresters for restrictions on their land use. The national governments adopted different approaches to address these issues. The aim of the paper is to assess the governance approach for agricultural land in Natura 2000 in Bulgaria with a focus on the contribution of the Natura 2000 compensatory payments. The results suggest that the measure is instrumental in mitigating farmers’ frustration and in providing support to them; although its contribution to the favourable conservation status is still uncertain. Another weakness is the lack of awareness on Natura 2000 location and restrictions as well as on nature-friendly farming practices among farmers.


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