Three Millennia of Vegetation, Land-Use and Climate Change in SE Sicily

This study presents the first Late Holocene marine pollen record (core ND2) from SE Sicily. It encompasses the last 3000 years and is one of the most detailed records of the south-central Mediterranean region in terms of time resolution. The combined approach of marine palynology and historical ecology, supported by independent palaeoclimate proxies, provides an integrated regional reconstruction of past vegetational dynamics in relation to rapid climatic fluctuations, historical socio-economic processes, and past land-use practices, offering new insights into the vegetation history of SE Sicily. Short-term variations of sparse tree cover in persistently open landscapes reflect rapid hydroclimatic changes and historical land-use practices. Four main phases of forest reduction are found in relation to the 2.8 ka BP event, including the Late Antique Little Ice Age, the Medieval Climate Anomaly, and the Little Ice Age, respectively. Forest recovery is recorded during the Hellenistic and Roman Republican Periods, the Early Middle Ages, and the last century. Agricultural and silvicultural practices, as well as stock-breeding activities, had a primary role in shaping the current vegetational landscape of SE Sicily.

Dependência, pressão e recuperação de recursos florestais no Parque Nacional do Limpopo (Moçambique)

The general perception is that forest resources exploitation can cause the degradation and loss of resources and biodiversity, promoted by landscape fragmentation and pressure over habitats. But such assumption might not be adjusted to situations where long term exploitation by traditional communities is based on management strategies adapted to recovery, adjusting pressure to kept resources available. In this work, we assess the recovery of the Mopane woodlands considering different land use practices and stand development stages on areas explored by local communities. In detail, we want to explore: i) changes on stem size across plant comunities dominated by Mopane (Kirk ex Benth ex J. Leonard); ii) relationships between the variation in stem size across communities and the associated land use practices and vegetation stand development stage. To answer those questions, an inventory was carried out to collect data from 50 temporary circular plots of different sizes spatially nested, covering four stand development stages. Each nested circular plot was composed of a large plot (0.02 ha), an intermediate plot (0.04 ha), and an inner plot (0.01 ha) for counting stems of different DBH. Data was analysed using Excel, Two-Way Indicator Species Analysis (TWINSPAN) and CANOCO, and several parametric and non-parametric tests. TWINSPAN analysis, using stem counts, grouped the 1746 stems from 29 species (with Mopane as one species) into 5 communities and 10 sub-communities, based on indicator species and eigenvalues (level of stability). This study was carried out in the Limpopo National Park (LNP), in Mozambique, a conservation area established in 2001 and part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP) since 2002. Acording to the results, population structure (size class distribution of trees) of Mopane communities showed variation related to stand development stage, as expected. The initial stages show good regeneration, indicating that recovery is not hampered by the exploitation regime in use, a critical aspect once ecosystem dynamics of Mopane woodland has a deep influence on the way that local communities manage harvesting of Mopane products for different uses, and traditional uses do also have influence on recovery dynamics. So, management of such resource is critical to ensure sustainable resource use and guarantee provision for future generations. For that, a zonation of Mopane woodlands within the Park, considering different land uses, might enhance a quick system recovery on specific areas and contribute to woodland productivity, good quality products and reduce used areas, promoting habitat conservation.

From Private to Common: Coevolution of Land-Use Practices and Property Rights

In the concluding chapter, we synthesize the results and discuss how changing land-use regimes among Sami in interior northwest Fennoscandia interrelated with the development of property rights between 1550 and 1780. During this period, a new tenure system, reindeer pastoralism, developed. For households that had amassed large reindeer herds, it became crucial to access both large pastures in the mountains and in the boreal forest to have enough grazing. This led to the establishment of common-property regimes in both the mountains and the boreal forest, where grazing became a CPR. The emergence of this kind of common-property regime is best described as a bottom-up process as it assumes that local users design and implement institutions for common use that all or most users adhere to.

Land Use Practices along Saadani-Wami-Mbiki Wildlife Corridor and their Implications to Wildlife Conservation

Saadani-Wami-Mbiki wildlife corridor has been facing conservation threats as a result of various land-use practices (LUP) carried out in and around the corridor. The understanding of changes happening in the corridor over time is important for establishing the management baseline data. This study aimed at identifying land use practices along the Saadani-Wami-Mbiki wildlife corridor and their implications to wildlife conservation. Specifically, the study sought to determine the rate of land cover changes in the corridor between 1975 and 2011 and the effects associated with land use practices on wildlife conservation. The land sat imageries of 1975, 1995, and 2011 were used to assess the rate of vegetation cover changes as a result of various land use practices carried out along. The household survey and Key informants' interview methods were used to obtain socio-economic data which were analyzed using SPSS while GIS data were analyzed using the ERDAS IMAGINE 9.1 and ArcGIS 9.3 programs. In the past 36 years (1975-2011), the cultivated land increased by 25%, settlement by 13%, open forest by 10% while closed forest and grassland decreased by 18% and 3% respectively. Shifting cultivation, overgrazing, charcoal burning, settlements, and poaching were identified as major land use practices threatening wildlife conservation within the corridor. Based on the results, it was recommended that, the Government should formulate a land use management plan and introduce a community-based natural resources management strategy to improve natural resources utilization and reduction of human stress to the corridor.

Effects of development interventions on pastoral livelihoods in Turkana County, Kenya

Turkana County has a long history of drought and development interventions and remains one of the poorest counties in Kenya. In Turkana, livelihoods are increasingly under threat because of climate change, conflict, and the changing land use and management. There are complex interactions between the multiple drivers of change in landscapes and livelihoods in the region. The question addressed here is: How have external development interventions contributed to the changing pastoralist livelihoods in Turkana? This study is specific to the lower part of the Turkwel River basin, particularly the Nanyee irrigated area in Turkwel, Loima sub-County of Turkana County. This article examines the external development interventions during the colonial, post-independence, and contemporary periods to reveal the ways that land use practices and livelihoods have changed across these periods. Land use practices are changing due to the growing human population, droughts, urbanization, and dispossession of grazing areas through state and donor-supported interventions. It is suggested in this article that the change from a system of customary, unrestricted grazing to one of enclosed pastures has threatened pastoral territories, as well as cultures and livelihoods over the past six decades. The new set of development interventions introduced by international and national actors have failed to support local livelihoods, instead joining the list of existing problems that undermine pastoralism, including drought, livestock diseases, and cattle rustling.

Ensemble Modeling on Near-Infrared Spectra as Rapid Tool for Assessment of Soil Health Indicators for Sustainable Food Production Systems

A novel total ensemble (TE) algorithm was developed and compared with random forest optimization (RFO), gradient boosted machines (GBM), partial least squares (PLS), Cubist and Bayesian additive regression tree (BART) algorithms to predict numerous soil health indicators in soils with diverse climate-smart land uses at different soil depths. The study investigated how land-use practices affect several soil health indicators. Good predictions using the ensemble method were obtained for total carbon (R2 = 0.87; RMSE = 0.39; RPIQ = 1.36 and RPD = 1.51), total nitrogen (R2 = 0.82; RMSE = 0.03; RPIQ = 2.00 and RPD = 1.60), and exchangeable bases, m3. Cu, m3. Fe, m3. B, m3. Mn, exchangeable Na, Ca (R2 > 0.70). The performances of algorithms were in order of TE > Cubist > BART > PLS > GBM > RFO. Soil properties differed significantly among land uses and between soil depths. In Kenya, however, soil pH was not significant, except at depths of 45–100 cm, while the Fe levels in Tanzanian grassland were significantly high at all depths. Ugandan agroforestry had a substantially high concentration of ExCa at 0–15 cm. The total ensemble method showed better predictions as compared to other algorithms. Climate-smart land-use practices to preserve soil quality can be adopted for sustainable food production systems.

Physicochemical and Bacteriological Water Quality Parameters in Relation to Land-use Practices at a Rural Catchment, Mbinga District, Tanzania

Data on physicochemical water quality parameters and contamination levels is crucial for protection and sustainable utilization of water resources. This study assessed the physicochemical water quality parameters, faecal coliform bacteria and nutrient loads in water at a catchment used for municipal supply in Mbinga District, Tanzania. Samples were seasonally collected from three areas characterized by distinct geographical features, settlement patterns and land-use practices, and analyzed using standard analytical protocols. Data were subjected to paired-sampled t-test and cluster analysis. The parameters varied as follows: pH (4.75–6.83); temperature (16.4–26.2 ºC); electrical conductivity (14.6–121.1 µS/cm); total dissolved solids (7.0–23.2 mg/L); total suspended solids (BDL–35.5 mg/L); dissolved oxygen (8.6–23.8 mg/L); turbidity (0.1–68.1 NTU); faecal coliform (<1–76 FC/100 mL); nitrite (BDL–0.09 mg/L); nitrate and sulphate were not detected. Spatial variations were associated with land-use disparities. Comparison to risk-based regulatory thresholds for drinking water revealed the levels to be within the acceptable limits, with a few exceptions. Observed seasonal trends indicated an overall decrease in water quality during the wet season. Generally, results showed that water quality at the catchments satisfies requirements for domestic uses. However, the potential contamination risks from human activities call for regular monitoring. Keywords: Physicochemical parameters; faecal contamination; water quality; surface water; Mbinga District

Resin Use by Stingless Bees: A Review

Stingless bees (Meliponini) are highly social bees that are native to tropical and sub-tropical ecosystems. Resin use is vital to many aspects of stingless bee colony function. Stingless bees use resin to build essential nest structures, repel predators, and kill would-be invaders. Furthermore, resin-derived compounds have been found to enrich the cuticular chemical profiles of many stingless bee species, and resin may play an important role in shaping the microbial communities associated with stingless bees and their nests. Despite its importance for colony function, previous reviews of resin use by stingless bees are lacking. This topic grows increasingly urgent as changes in beekeeping and land use practices occur, potentially diminishing stingless bees’ ability to incorporate resin into the nest environment. In this article, we review existing literature on resin use by stingless bees and discuss potential areas of future research.

Rethinking the Landscape: Emerging Approaches to Archaeological Remote Sensing

An emerging arena of archaeological research is beginning to deploy remote sensing technologies—including aerial and satellite imagery, digital topographic data, and drone-acquired and terrestrial geophysical data—not only in support of conventional fieldwork but also as an independent means of exploring the archaeological landscape. This article provides a critical review of recent research that relies on an ever-growing arsenal of imagery and instruments to undertake innovative investigations: mapping regional-scale settlement histories, documenting ancient land use practices, revealing the complexity of settled spaces, building nuanced pictures of environmental contexts, and monitoring at-risk cultural heritage. At the same time, the disruptive nature of these technologies is generating complex new challenges and controversies surrounding data access and preservation, approaches to a deluge of information, and issues of ethical remote sensing. As we navigate these challenges, remote sensing technologies nonetheless offer revolutionary ways of interrogating the archaeological record and transformative insights into the human past. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Anthropology, Volume 50 is October 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.