Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Land Degradation and Desertification

Land degradation and desertification have been graded as a major environmental and social dispute in most of the emerging countries. Changes in temperature, wind speed, and precipitation patterns will influence plant biomass production, land use, land cover, soil moisture, infiltration rate, runoff and crop management, and ultimately, land degradation. Close relations between climate change and land degradation processes have been perceived in the past decades. Climate change models and land use models should be combined with hydrologic/erosion models to accurately compute or predict climate change impacts on land degradation. This chapter introduces the advancements in modeling of impact of climate changes in land degradation and need for the critical investigation to better understand and forecast the responses of land degradation processes to a changing climate in the future.

SPATIAL-TEMPORAL CHANGES OF LAND DEGRADATION CAUSED BY NATURAL AND HUMAN INDUCED FACTORS: CASE STUDY OF BULGAN PROVINCE IN CENTRAL MONGOLIA

Land degradation and desertification have been ranked as a major environmental issue for arid and semi-arid regions is a comprehensive concept that depends on many factors. Detecting early land degradation is a significant issue of social and environmental with geographical information system (GIS) and remote sensing methods has been used for the interpretation of spatial-temporal data. In this study, the assessment of the current state of land degradation is influenced by several complexes of the natural and anthropological causes. The results of land degradation assessment carried out for Bulgan province of Mongolia using multi-temporal resourced data as climate condition (vegetation growing season of temperature and precipitation), land use type (density of seasonal camps of herder households, roads, cropland, settlements) and MODIS vegetation product data were used to estimate land degradation change period from 2000 to 2018 and accessed it’s for effecting on degradation over last 19 years. We obtained a prediction of land degradation integrated with indicators and based on the spatial pattern of human influence. One of the main indicators for land degradation was land use type as pasture usage of livestock husbandry in Bulgan province, overgrazing is the most widespread cause of land degradation, particularly around permanent location of herders and livestock affecting about moderately and slightly degraded land is 72.78% of study total area.

Economic Causes and Consequences of Desertification

Land degradation and desertification are composite processes that reflect how components of land capital have worsened over time, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Land degradation is intended as a truly socioeconomic issue because the idea and practice of use (and misuse) of land are socially constructed. In this perspective, soil productivity and land capacity, water consumption and landscape fragmentation, agriculture and sustainable development all reflect the vast ensemble of human-nature interactions. The intrinsic heterogeneity of land degradation processes at the global scale limits the development of mitigation actions. Comprehension of the socioeconomic processes underlying land degradation can benefit from a multidisciplinary approach that considers the intricate feedback between biophysical and economic dimensions. The mutual relationship between economic growth, social inequality, political action, and land degradation provides examples of the interplay among proximate causes and factors underlying desertification.

Remotely Sensed Data for Assessment of Land Degradation Aspects, Emphases on Egyptian Case Studies

Remote sensing and thematic data were used to provide comprehensive views of surface conditions related to land degradation and desertification, considered environmental extremes in arid and semi-arid regions. The current work applies techniques, starting with simple visual analyses up to a parametric methodology, adopted from the FAO/UNEP and UNESCO provisional methodology for assessment and mapping of soil degradation. Egyptian case studies are highlighted to insinuate on studied aspects. Variable satellite imageries (MSS, TM, and ETM) and aerial photographs were utilized to provide data on soil conditions, land cover, and land use. IDRISI and ArcGIS software were used to manage thematic data, while ERDAS IMAGIN was used to process satellite data and to derive the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) values. A GIS model was established to modify the universal soil loss equation (USLE) calculating the present state and risk of soil degradation. The study area is found exposed to slight hazard of water erosion, however, and to high risk of wind erosion. It is also threatened by a slight to high salinization and slight to moderate physical degradation. It is recommended to use a GIS in detailed and very detailed studies for evaluating soil potentiality in agricultural expansion areas.

The Preliminary Study on Bare Spots Under Populus Euphratica Canopy

Land degradation and desertification are the great concern of arid and semiarid areas. In Euphrates poplar forest, there exists large number of bare spots which have been considered as representative of desertification. In this study, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology was used to determine the spatial distribution and extract the bare spots area and morphological characteristics of Populus euphratica stands. Besides, the physical and chemical properties between soils inside and outside of these spots were compared. We found that: (1) the UAV method could be reliably used to extract the area of bare spots and the morphological characteristics of Populus euphratica stands;(2) with Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.673 and 0.894, there were a strong correlation relationship between bare spots area and canopy area in both measured and estimated data rather than other morphological characteristics;(3) electrical conductivity, pH, soil water content, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and soil organic matter has great differences between soils inside and outside of bare spots. These results not only could contribute to further understanding of spatial distribution of bare spots, but also helps to the sustainable management of Populus euphratica forest in arid regions.

Precision Agriculture to Ensure Sustainable Land Use for the Future

Global food security is coupled with the preservation and safe use of arable land resources. Land use competition in terms of commercial land use and urbanization has imparted enormous pressure on soil resources. The arable land of the world is already shrinking due to land degradation and desertification while our efforts to ensure commercial land availability is making the current scenario even worse. Soil degradation has put millions of acres of land as devoid of sustainable use over the past few decades and research shows that situation is going to be worse day by day. Precision agriculture can not only ensure the optimal use of available land but also can increase the restoration potential of global agriculture sectors. Integrated nutrient and pest management along with zero tillage, organic farming, and vertical plantation can be visualized as insurance of land and water conservation for the future. This chapter is an effort to contribute comprehensive information regarding the role of precision farming in the restoration and optimal use of global land resources.

Identifying relevant international forest regimes for South Korea based on their issues

South Korea has focused on bilateral agreements to supply timber since the 1990s which requires cooperation with forest-related international organisations. This study analysed the relationship between South Korean and international forest regimes by identifying the issues these regimes face and analysing South Korea's contribution to these regimes. The study used data from an in-depth content analysis of key policy documents between South Korea and each of the regimes. The results confirm six forest-related international issues: Sustainable Forest Management, Sustainable Development Goals, forest land degradation and desertification, climate change, illegal logging, forest biodiversity, and species conservation. South Korea contributed to these regimes through cooperative initiatives and projects. This contribution, furthermore, directs other countries' participation to confront the issues. Most of the international forest-related issues in South Korea are derived from external elements such as international agreements or governances. South Korea also uses international regimes to encourage national goals.