The impact of two decades of land-use changes in potential ecosystem services supply in a Portuguese municipality - Coimbra

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inês Amorim Leitão ◽  
Carla Sofia Santos Ferreira ◽  
António José Dinis Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Positive Potential ◽  
The Impact

<p>Land-use changes affect the properties of ecosystems, and are typically associated with decreasing ability to supply services, which in turn causes a decrease in the social well-being. Urbanization is identified as one of the main causes of ecosystem degradation, once it is considered an artificial space that replaces natural areas.This study investigates the impact of land-use changes during 20 years (1995-2015) on the potential supply of ecosystem services in Coimbra municipality, central Portugal. The assessment was based on the evaluation performed by 31 experts familiar with the study area, through questionnaires. The experts ranked the potential supply of 31 ecosystem services, grouped in regulation, provisioning and cultural services, for the several land-uses existent. Experts performed a qualitative evaluation, considering ‘strong adverse potential’, ‘weak adverse potential’, ‘not relevant’, ‘low positive potential’ and ‘strong positive potential’. The qualitative evaluation was converted into a quantitative classification (-2, -1, 0, 1, 2). Quantitative values were then used to develop an ecosystem services quantification matrix and to map the information in the study area, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). An urban expansion from 14% to 18% was recorded over the last 20 years. Agricultural land decreased 8% due to conversion into forest (4% increase) and urban areas (4% increase). This has led to a decrease in the supply of provision (e.g. food) and regulation services (e.g. flood regulation). In fact, over the last years, recurrent floods have been increasingly noticed in Coimbra city. On the other hand, the growth of forest areas has led to an increase in general ESs supply. The adverse impacts of urbanization were partially compensated by enlarging the benefits provided by forest areas, which is the land-use with greatest ESs potential supply. In order to support urban planning and develop sustainable cities, it is essential to quantify the potential supply of ecosystem services considering local scale and characteristics.</p>

scholarly journals Assessment of Potential Supply of Ecosystem Services in Coimbra Municipality

Proceedings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Leitão ◽  
Ferreira ◽  
Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Positive Potential ◽  
Environmental Pressures ◽  
Quantitative Classification ◽  
Natural Systems

Land-use changes driven by human activities affect natural systems. Urbanization, forest monoculture and intensive agriculture are changing the functioning of many biotic and abiotic processes. This tends to decrease the ability of ecosystems to provide services, which leads to several problems particularly in cities. This study investigates the ability of urban areas with great population and environmental pressures, to supply ecosystem services. The study was carried out in Coimbra municipality, through the assessment of regulation, provisioning and cultural services. The quantification of ecosystem services was based on the evaluation performed by experts familiar with the study area, through questionnaires. A total of 31 questionnaires were completed. The experts ranked the potential supply of 30 ecosystem services for the 33 existent land-uses. based on a qualitative evaluation: “strong adverse potential”, “weak adverse potential”, “not relevant”, “low positive potential” and “strong positive potential”. The qualitative evaluation was converted into a quantitative classification (−2, −1, 0, 1, 2). The values were used to develop an ecosystem services quantification matrix and to map the information in the study area, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Despite the limited ecosystem services provided by urban areas, agricultural fields and especially green spaces are relevant for the provision of resources essential for human survival and well-being. The methodology used in this work is still useful for the quantification of ecosystem services in cities with characteristics associated with the Mediterranean climate. This type of studies are important to (i) anticipate problems originated from the loss of ecosystem services, (ii) identify good and bad practices of land use changes, (iii) the role of connectivity in maintaining biotic and abiotic processes, and (iv) develop practices that promote the sustainable development of societies.

The impact of land use change, climate change and reservoir construction on ecosystem services in a Mediterranean catchment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joris Eekhout ◽  
Carolina Boix-Fayos ◽  
Pedro Pérez-Cutillas ◽  
Joris de Vente
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Low Flow ◽  
Reservoir Construction ◽  
The Impact

<p>The Mediterranean region has been identified as one of the most affected global hot-spots for climate change. Recent climate change in the Mediterranean can be characterized by faster increasing temperatures than the global mean and significant decreases in annual precipitation. Besides, important land cover changes have occurred, such as reforestation, agricultural intensification, urban expansion and the construction of many reservoirs, mainly with the purpose to store water for irrigation. Here we study the impacts of these changes on several ecosystem services in the Segura River catchment, a typical large Mediterranean catchment where many of the before mentioned changes have occurred in the last half century. We applied a hydrological model, coupled with a soil erosion and sediment transport model, to study the impact of climate and land cover change and reservoir construction on ecosystem services for the period 1971-2010. Eight ecosystem services indicators were defined, which include runoff, plant water stress, hillslope erosion, reservoir sediment yield, sediment concentration, reservoir storage, flood discharge and low flow. To assess larger land use changes, we also applied the model for an extended period (1952-2018) to the Taibilla subcatchment, a typical Mediterranean mountainous subcatchment, which plays an important role in the provision of water within the Segura River catchment. As main results we observed that climate change in the evaluated period is characterized by a decrease in precipitation and an increase in temperature. Detected land use change over the past 50 years is typical for many Mediterranean catchments. Natural vegetation in the headwaters increased due to agricultural land abandonment. Agriculture expanded in the central part of the catchment, which most likely is related to the construction of reservoirs in the same area. The downstream part of the catchment is characterized by urban expansion. While land use changed in more than 30% of the catchment, most impact on ecosystem services can be attributed to climate change and reservoir construction. All these changes have had positive and negative impacts on ecosystem services. The positive impacts include a decrease in hillslope erosion, sediment yield, sediment concentration and flood discharge (-21%, -18%, -82% and -41%, respectively). The negative impacts include an increase in plant water stress (+5%) and a decrease in reservoir storage (-5%). The decrease in low flow caused by land use change was counteracted by an increase in low flow due to reservoir construction. The results of our study highlight how relatively small climate and land use changes compared to the changes foreseen for the coming decades, have had an important impact on ecosystem services over the past 50 years.</p>

scholarly journals Linking Social Perception and Provision of Ecosystem Services in a Sprawling Urban Landscape: A Case Study of Multan, Pakistan

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 654 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Manzoor ◽  
Aisha Malik ◽  
Muhammad Zubair ◽  
Geoffrey Griffiths ◽  
Martin Lukac
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Sprawl ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Urban Ecosystem ◽  
Arid Zones

Urban sprawl causes changes in land use and a decline in many ecosystem services. Understanding the spatial patterns of sprawl and exploration of citizens’ perception towards the sporadic urban expansion and its impacts on an ecosystem to deliver services can help to guide land use planning and the conservation of the urban ecosystem. Here, we spatially examined land use changes in Multan, Pakistan, and investigated public perception about urban sprawl and its impacts on the quality and provision of ecosystem services, using a survey instrument. The spatial analysis of the historical land cover of Multan indicated an exponential expansion of the city in the last decade. Large areas of natural vegetation and agricultural land were converted to urban settlements in the past two decades. The citizens of Multan believe that the quality and provision of ecosystem services have declined in the recent past and strongly correlate the deteriorating ecosystem services with urban sprawl. Education and income levels of the respondents are the strongest predictors of urban ecosystem health literacy. Citizens associated with laborious outdoor jobs are more sensitive to the changes in ecosystem services. We concluded that the rapidly expanding cities, especially in the tropical arid zones, need to be prioritized for an increase in vegetation cover, and economically vulnerable settlements in these cities should be emphasized in climate change mitigation campaigns.

scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF URBAN EXPANSION ON AGRICULTURAL LAND USE CHANGES IN ALIGARH, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA

2019 ◽  
Vol XLII-3/W6 ◽  
pp. 381-384
Author(s):  
S. Khan ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Uttar Pradesh ◽  
Agricultural Land Use ◽  
Land Use Intensity ◽  
Patterns And Processes ◽  
The Impact

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> India's urbanization has resulted in a significant change in many regions for both agricultural land and agricultural land use. However, there is limited understanding about the relationship between the two primary changes occurring to India's agricultural land – the urban expansion on agricultural land and agricultural land use intensity. Our primary goal here is to examine agricultural land change patterns and processes, and their main driving forces in Aligarh region (Uttar Pradesh) during the time periods from 2011 to 2018. We have conducted a remote sensing and GIS based analysis of change pattern using multi-temporal Landsat imageries for the years 2011 and 2018 by investigating the magnitude of changes in agricultural land use intensity across the district in a geographical perspective. Our study captured gradual decrease in the agricultural land in Aligarh district. The results also show that urban expansion is associated with a decline in agricultural land use intensity. The region experienced agriculture transition, and the urban expansion trend persisted till 2018. In terms of the drivers, we believe that the population and economic factors are most influential in shaping urban centers, while lower incentive and climatic shifts are the key drivers of decrease in agricultural land. Our study highlights the drastic effects of socio-economic and climatic changes on links between urbanization, and agricultural land which implies that urban land expansion is highly likely in future and consequently, will create pressure on the country's food security.</p>

scholarly journals LAND USE CHANGES IN RURAL TOWN: A CASE STUDY OF KUALA NERANG, KEDAH

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdul Ghapar Othman ◽  
Nurul Hanisah Jizan
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Gis Applications ◽  
Rural Town ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas

Urbanization is the process of transforming a characteristically rural society into an urban one. The urban population is growing at an increasing rate while the rural population is declining, giving rise to imbalances in the development between urban and rural areas. The government’s strategy is to distribute the development to the major settlement centres in the rural areas, which are experiencing the same effects of urbanization as the urban areas in terms of changes to the use of land, especially the reduction of agricultural land and the increase in built-up areas. This study used the method of overlay in GIS applications to investigate land use changes, the speed of urban expansion and direction of development that has taken place from the period 2001 to 2018 in the town of Kuala Nerang, Kedah. This town has undergone a change in its status from a main settlement centre to a district administrative centre. Agricultural lands, which were targeted for development in the rural areas, have been converted into built-up areas. The speed of urban expansion has been slow, although some areas have recorded a higher rate. The development is moving towards the west along the main road connecting the major towns in this part of the state. The functions of the district administrative centre have influenced land use changes.

scholarly journals Spatial-Temporal Changes and Driving Factors of Land-Use Eco-Efficiency Incorporating Ecosystem Services in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 728
Author(s):  
Yahong Liu ◽  
Hailian Sun ◽  
Lei Shi ◽  
Huimin Wang ◽  
Zhai Xiu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Land Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Temporal Changes ◽  
Driving Factors ◽  
Stirpat Model ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
The Impact

With rapid urbanization in China, the dramatic land-use changes are one of the most prominent features that have substantially affected the land ecosystems, thus seriously threatening sustainable development. However, current studies have focused more on evaluating the economic efficiency of land-use, while the loss and degradation of ecosystem services are barely considered. To address these issues, this study first proposed a land use-based input–output index system, incorporating the impact on ecosystem services value (ESV), and then by taking 30 provinces in China as a case study. We further employed the super-efficiency slacks-based model (Super-SBM) and the Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology (STIRPAT) model to explore the spatial–temporal changes and driving factors of the evaluated land-use eco-efficiency. We found that the evaluated ESV was 28.09 trillion yuan (at the price of 2000) in 2015, and that the total ESV experienced an inverted U-shaped trend during 2000–2015.The average land-use eco-efficiency exhibited a downward trend from 0.87 in 2000 to 0.68 in 2015 with distinct regional differences by taking into account the ESV. Our results revealed that northeastern region had the highest efficiency, followed by the eastern, western, and central region of China. Finally, we identified a U-shaped relationship between the eco-efficiency and land urbanization, and found that technological innovation made great contributions to the improvement of the eco-efficiency. These findings highlight the importance of the ESV in the evaluation of land-use eco-efficiency. Future land development and management should pay additional attention to the land ecosystems, especially the continuous supply of human well-being related ecosystem services.

The impact of fictitious land use changes on water management related ecosystem services in a Hungarian catchment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bence Decsi ◽  
Zsolt Kozma
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Impact

&lt;p&gt;As a result of climate change, improving the efficiency of our water management has become a key social goal in recent decades. In many regions, water management problems are becoming more common as the result of hydrologic extremes, such as water scarcity, drought or floods.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Countries and regions dealing with water problems, like some parts of Hungary, could avoid major damage by land use change. The possibility of land use change is obviously not an option in certain instances, especially in populated areas or areas with major infrastructure (roads, railways, airports, factories, etc.). At the same time, non-populated areas (primarily agricultural land) may be transformed in the future, in the hope of better water management.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Complex, multi-dimensional assessment of ecosystem services can be a step forward in the evaluation and planning of future land use changes with the aim of improving water resources management. The strength of this approach is multi-disciplinarity, which requires the collaboration of representatives of the technical, economic, social and ecological sciences.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In our study, we quantified and mapped the most important water resources related indicators and services of the Zala River basin in Western Hungary. Zala River is the largest sub-catchment of Lake Balaton, Central-Europe&amp;#8217;s largest standing water. The lake has great economic and social importance in Hungary, primarily due to its recreational and cultural services, so it is necessary to have sufficient quantity and quality of water. &amp;#160;The catchment area is 1521 km&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;, land use conditions are dominated by agricultural and forest areas (around 57% and 37% respectively).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For the quantification of ecosystem services indicators, we used the GIS based, static model package InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs). InVEST is suggested to describe the socio-ecological state of several services, under various periods or land use conditions. The strength of the model lies in its solid data requirements and low computational demand. In our work, we mapped the following services and indicators: annual water yield, seasonal water yield, quickflow, nutrient retention, sediment retention and agricultural crop yields.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We examined the impact of different interventions on the ecosystem services. We intervened primarily in areas where agricultural land use is not justified due to different environmental conditions. In these areas, we analyzed the introduction of natural surfaces with afforestation and meadows. We built up a reference (based on a novel LULC map representing actual conditions) and some fictive model variants. These model variants differed in the amount and location of the new semi-natural areas. The variants were compared for two temporal periods: 1980-2010 and 2020-2050 (based on climate models).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We quantified the tradeoffs as a result of a given land use change. As expected, the future negative effects of climate change could be mitigated by increasing semi-natural areas. All ecosystem services would improve except for crop yields. At the same time, however, farmers would be deprived of significant yields in areas, which are excluded from agriculture. Our research highlights that the positive effects or tradeoffs due to land-use change will be needed in the future.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Spatial-Temporal Land Use and Land Cover Changes in Urban Areas Using Remote Sensing Images and GIS Analysis: The Case Study of Opole, Poland

Geosciences ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 312
Author(s):  
Barbara Wiatkowska ◽  
Janusz Słodczyk ◽  
Aleksandra Stokowska
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Satellite Imagery ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Landsat 8 ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Management Procedures

Urban expansion is a dynamic and complex phenomenon, often involving adverse changes in land use and land cover (LULC). This paper uses satellite imagery from Landsat-5 TM, Landsat-8 OLI, Sentinel-2 MSI, and GIS technology to analyse LULC changes in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020. The research was carried out in Opole, the capital of the Opole Agglomeration (south-western Poland). Maps produced from supervised spectral classification of remote sensing data revealed that in 20 years, built-up areas have increased about 40%, mainly at the expense of agricultural land. Detection of changes in the spatial pattern of LULC showed that the highest average rate of increase in built-up areas occurred in the zone 3–6 km (11.7%) and above 6 km (10.4%) from the centre of Opole. The analysis of the increase of built-up land in relation to the decreasing population (SDG 11.3.1) has confirmed the ongoing process of demographic suburbanisation. The paper shows that satellite imagery and GIS can be a valuable tool for local authorities and planners to monitor the scale of urbanisation processes for the purpose of adapting space management procedures to the changing environment.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document