An analysis of land conversion from sustainable forestry to pasture: a case study in the Bolivian Lowlands

Wood production is one of the most prominent ecosystem services in Turkey. Forest planning has long aimed to provide various ecosystem services, especially wood production, in a sustainable manner. While forestry activities have focused mainly on maintaining wood volume, the economic value of this volume is also important. In this study, we analyzed changes in stumpage value from 1972 onward in a managed forest in Turkey. Assuming constant market and transport conditions, we examined the effects of forest planning on stumpage value over time. Our hypothesis was that stands near roads and on gentle slopes were harvested first, leading to a decrease in stumpage value in later periods. Using Local Moran’s I analysis, we found no significant slope differences among stumpage value groups. However, stands with high stumpage values during the 1972–1993 and 1993–2015 periods were generally located closer to roads. Overall, the stumpage value of the forest increased from 1972 to 2015. Notably, about half of the standing volume was only suitable for fuelwood. When considering forested areas, stumpage values per hectare were €1,386 in 1972, €556 in 1993, and €2,250 in 2015. Despite the larger forest area in 1993 compared to 1972, the stumpage value was lower.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of mining practices used prior to the passage of the 1977 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) on forest productivity and commercial value of reclaimed forest sites. Forest productivity and value of 14 mined and 8 nonmined sites throughout the eastern and midwestern coalfield regions were compared. Forest productivity of pre-SMCRA mined sites was equal to or greater than that of nonmined forests, ranging between 3.3 m3ha-1yr-1 and 12.1 m3ha-1yr-1. Management activities such as planting pine and valuable hardwood species increased the stumpage value of forests on reclaimed mine sites. Rotation-age stumpage values on mined study sites ranged between $3,064 ha-1 and $19,528 ha-1 and were commonly greater than stumpage values on nonmined reference sites. Current law requires that mined land be restored to capability levels found prior to mining. These results should provide a benchmark for reforestation success, potential forest productivity, and timber value for current reclamation activities.

A growing population with increasing consumption of milk and dairy require more agricultural output in the coming years, which potentially competes with forests and other natural habitats. This issue is particularly salient in the tropics, where deforestation has traditionally generated cattle pastures and other commodity crops such as corn and soy. The purpose of this article is to review the concepts and discussion associated with reconciling food production and conservation, and in particular with regards to cattle production, including the concepts of land-sparing and land-sharing. We then present these concepts in the specific context of Colombia, where there are efforts to increase both cattle production and protect tropical forests, in order to discuss the potential for landscape planning for sustainable cattle production. We outline a national planning approach, which includes disaggregating the diverse cattle sector and production types, identifying biophysical, and economic opportunities and barriers for sustainable intensification in cattle ranching, and analyzing areas suitable for habitat restoration and conservation, in order to plan for both land-sparing and land-sharing strategies. This approach can be used in other contexts across the world where there is a need to incorporate cattle production into national goals for carbon sequestration and habitat restoration and conservation.

We present information on the occurrence of colubrid vine snakes (Oxybelis) and dipsadid sharpnose snakes (Xenoxybelis) from the lowlands of Bolivia. These genera have been poorly reported from Bolivia and information presented herein includes nine new record provincials from the departments of Beni, Cochabamba, La Paz, Pando, and Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Moreover, we present the first records of Oxybelis inkaterra Jadin, Jowers, Orlofske, Duellman, Blair & Murphy, 2021 from Bolivia and we extend the known range of this species by approximately 207 km (Río Sipia, La Paz) and 628 km (Campamento Guacharos, Cochabamba) southeast of the type locality (Puerto Maldonado, Peru) in South America. In addition, we present morphometric information, meristic characters, coloration pattern, ecological aspects and natural history for the three species of vine snakes (O. aeneus, O. fulgidus, O. inkaterra) and two species of sharpnose snakes (X. argenteus, X. boulengeri) from the Bolivian lowlands.

ABSTRACTSome sawmills in the U.S. South have begun purchasing prime length sawtimber processed by processors instead of, or in addition to, tree-length sawtimber produced by pull-through delimbers and slasher saws. The goal of this study was to compare volume and stumpage value recovery of two variants of the whole-tree harvesting system: processor and conventional. The processor system used a processor on the landing to produce prime lengths while the conventional system used a loader, pull-through delimber, and slasher saw to produce tree-lengths. Four harvest sites were split, with half of each site harvested with a processor system and the other half by a conventional system. An optimal bucking program was written to estimate theoretical stumpage value for sampled trees under tree-length and prime length specifications. Tree-length specifications resulted in slightly higher theoretical value per tree, assuming mill specifications were followed exactly (p < 0.05). In practice, however, processor crews producing prime lengths recovered greater stumpage value than conventional crews producing tree-lengths. Actual stumpage value of trees produced by processor crews exceeded maximum simulated values by an average of 7%, whereas conventional crews exceeded simulated values by 1%. Variation in timber utilization per hectare was high, but processor crews recovered an additional 16 t ha−1 and 295 USD ha−1 relative to preharvest inventory estimates compared to conventional crews (p > 0.10). Adding processors to logging crews in the U.S. South is a viable option that may increase volume and value recovery, especially when mills demand close adherence to specifications.

Buleleng District, Buleleng Regency, Bali is one of the main tourism destinations that offer various types of tourism activities. This region is also included in one of the National Tourism Strategic Areas which will intensify tourism activities and induce land conversion from non-built-up to built-up area to satisfy tourism sector demands. Departing from that background, this paper aims to analyze the land conversion that happens and study the impacts as the foundation in contextualizing sustainable tourism management to this case. For the land conversion analysis, Sentinel-2 satellite imageries capturing 2017 and 2022 images are used and the classification is done using the Semi-Automatic Classification Plugin in QGIS. As a result, satellite imageries show that there was land conversion happening with Banyuasri, Beratan, and Ligundi Villages having the highest land conversion proportion. Land conversion impacts tourists’ thermal comfort and disrupts food security as many agricultural areas were converted. As the paddy field holds a crucial role in the culture of the Buleleng Resident, it may also impact the cultural institution. Sustainable tourism development will control the land conversion and mitigate the negative impact and can be deployed together with the adat institution approach.

Timber resource is a major component of tropical forest and usually undervalued economically. This paper attempts to examine the relationship between economic value and species diversity of a hill dipterocarp forest in Peninsular Malaysia. The rank-abundance curve described a lognormal distribution pattern, indicating high diversity communities. The species diversity indices obtained were high: Fisher’s alpha diversity index ranged from 96.53 to 109.56, Shannon-Weiner index were 5.29 to 5.39, while values of Simpson Index ranged from 134.02 to 151.11. The estimated mean stumpage value per hectare was Malaysian Ringgit RM25 413 and the main contribution was from the family Dipterocarpaceae. The regression analysis showed that the relationship between stumpage value and species diversity was not significant at the 5% level (p>0.05). Timber volume, size of trees and the presence of high timber value have great influence on the stumpage value for a given forest area.

There is a large area of abandoned land that is not taken manage of after plantation activities in the tropic. These abandoned gardens which have been neglected for a long time have important ecological and economic values. This study aims to assess the existence of abandoned land in the tropic from an ecological and economic perspective. The ecological aspects assessed were stand structure, floristic composition, and species diversity. Meanwhile, the economic aspects analyzed were log price, harvesting cost, profit margin, and stumpage value. The vegetation survey was carried out on all woody trees with a diameter at bresst height (DBH) &gt; 5 cm in 10 subplots each sized 20 m × 20 m. A total of.192 trees were recorded of 29 species belonging to 19 genera and 17 families. The most dominant species were Macaranga triloba (Importance Value, IV of 46.16), Macaranga tanarius (IV of 22.97), and Nephelium lappaceum (IV of 20.94). The indexes of diversity, dominance, evenness, and richness in the studied plots were 1.33, 0.06, 0.40, and 5.33, respectively. The means of wood price, logging cost, profit margin, and stumpage value at abandoned land were USD199.55 m-3, USD69.01 m-3, USD25.45 m-3, and USD51.56 ha-1, respectively. The abandoned lands with high ecological and economic value indicate the important role of abandoned lands in the secondary succession process in the tropics.

Dermatophilosis, caused by the Gram-positive, filamentous bacterium Dermatophilus congolensis, is an important skin disease that adversely affects cattle health and productivity. It also affects other domestic and wild animals and occasionally humans. This review provides a detailed overview of the molecular characteristics and resistome profile of D. congolensis, highlighting recent advances in genomic research. We examine the bacterium’s genome architecture, including its genome size, GC content, gene composition, and phylogenetic placement within the Actinomycetales. Key virulence factors are discussed, including proteolytic enzymes, hyphal invasion, zoospore motility, and the gene products of nasp and agac, emphasizing their roles in tissue invasion, pathogenesis, and diagnostic detection. Furthermore, we analyze resistome, focusing on identified antibiotic resistance genes, diverse resistance mechanisms such as efflux pumps and beta-lactamases, and the contribution of mobile genetic elements to horizontal gene transfer. The implications of these molecular insights for accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, and antibiotic stewardship in cattle production are critically evaluated. Finally, we highlight future research priorities aimed at deepening our understanding of D. congolensis biology and improving strategies for disease control. This review underscores the importance of integrating molecular surveillance with antimicrobial monitoring to safeguard cattle health and promote sustainable livestock management.

Provincial governments across Canada rely on regeneration requirements and penalties to promote reforestation following harvesting. However, little has been written on how to determine optimal levels of penalties for noncompliance such that tenure holders have incentives to further social reforestation objectives. This paper shows how reforestation penalties may be calculated in the case of Alberta. The calculation of the penalty is shown to be dependent on (i) changes in the values of future annual allowable cuts caused by failure to promptly regenerate, (ii) the portion of stumpage values collected with stumpage fees, (iii) nontimber values influenced by reforestation, (iv) differences in private and social discount rates, (v) costs of detecting noncompliance, and (vi) the probability of detecting infractions. In the case of Alberta, (v) and (vi) are minor considerations, as detection costs are low and probability of detection is high. However, values of (i) through (iv) have large potential impacts on the optimal penalties. For example, if (i) annual allowable cuts drop by 99 m3 for a 3-year reforestation delay (vs. an acceptable 2-year delay) on a 783-ha forest, (ii) stumpage fees are $10 below stumpage value, (iii) nontimber values are zero, and (iv) the private discount is 9%, while the social rate is 6%, then the optimal penalty is $49.17CAN·ha–1. However, if we change (ii) and (iv) such that stumpage fees are $30CAN below stumpage value and the private discount is 9%, while the social rate is 3%, then the optimal penalty is $168.58CAN·ha–1. With zero nontimber values, zero monitoring costs, no divergence between public and private interest rates at 9%, and a probability of detection of 1.00, the current penalty of $30CAN·ha–1·year–1 would approximate the optimal amount if stumpage fees were $20CAN·m–3. The variability in values of (i) through (iv) across forests and over time suggests that problems will arise in establishing a constant penalty for all provincial forests and that penalties should be revised as values change over time.

China's rural economic reforms radically altered land tenure in rural China. With the granting of land use rights and residual income rights to farming households between 1979 and 1983, agriculture shifted from a collective-based to a familybased system. Land was not privatized, however. Ownership remained "collective", with local officials, typically at the village level, exercising a major influence over the allocation of land and the way households could use land. The initial land allocations to families were typically based on household size, household labour supply, or both. The central government's policy was that these allocations were supposed to be for 15 years. In some villages, land use contracts have been respected; in other villages, however, local leaders have periodically redistributed land among households and have intervened throughout the reform period to determine how farmers are able to use the land. The initial reforms triggered an unprecedented acceleration of agricultural growth in China. From 1979 to 1984, the gross value of agricultural output increased in real terms at an annual rate of 7.6 per cent, and grain production rose by 4.9 per cent annually.' Empirical studies attribute a significant part of this increase to enhanced incentives, as farmers were able to keep the output and

More than 80 % of the 20 million heads of Nigerian cattle are kept by pastoral households. As such, optimal herd management is important in maintaining human nutrition, livelihoods and socio-cultural balance. This study was conducted to contribute to discussions on emerging challenges of the Nigerian livestock sector and to estimate herd prevalence, relative incidence, case fatality and impact on livelihood of cattle diseases in pastoral areas. Participatory epidemiological approaches: listing; pairwise ranking; proportional piling; matrix scoring and probing were used to collect data through focus group interviews with Fulani herdsmen from selected pastoral areas of the country. The main cattle production problems were as follows: conversion of land used for cattle routes into crop fields, cattle rustling and water scarcity with median scores for impact on livelihood being 19, 17 and 16%, respectively. Animal diseases were fourth in the list of problems, and diseases reported to have significant impacts on livelihood were trypanosomiasis (25%), contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (15%), foot and mouth disease (13%) and fascioliasis (13%). High relative incidence rates were reported for trypanosomiasis (27%), fascioliasis (24%) and foot and mouth disease (19%). Change of land use and rustling indicate weaknesses in the producers' institutional environments. Water scarcity, limited access to veterinary services and substandard drugs supplied by vendors were identified as key factors contributing to persistence and frequent outbreaks of diseases. The paper revealed a greater importance of land constraints and rustling relative to disease and highlighted policy issues on management of natural resources and livestock development given challenges associated with pastoralism and insecurity in Nigeria.

The Forestry and Agriculture Sector Optimization Model with Greenhouse Gases (FASOMGHG) has historically relied on regional average costs of land conversion to simulate land use change across cropland, pasture, rangeland, and forestry. This assumption limits the accuracy of the land conversion estimates by not recognizing spatial heterogeneity in land quality and conversion costs. Using data from Nielsen et al. (2014), we obtained the afforestation cost per county, then estimated nonparametric regional marginal cost functions for land converting to forestry. These afforestation costs were then incorporated into FASOMGHG. Three different assumptions for land moving into the forest sector (constant average conversion cost, static rising marginal costs, and dynamic rising marginal cost) were run in order to assess the implications of alternative land conversion cost assumptions on key outcomes, such as projected forest area and cropland use, carbon sequestration, and forest product output.

Land conversion is a shift in the function of a portion or all of the land area from its original use to another function that has an influence on the land’s potential. Land conversion in the Papua region is most common in other purpose areas (OPAs), which are allocated based on the neemoment’s needs. OPA management in sustaining life support systems may benefit the community and aid in environmental preservation. Growing economic activity has resulted in increased population settlements and pressure on land usage through land conversion. This study used a system dynamics model to examine changes in land conversion caused by the community’s dynamic economic and social activities. The simulated findings until 2040 demonstrate that land conversion contributes considerably to economic growth through land use for agriculture, settlement, industry, infrastructure, and commerce. Through the increased value obtained, this land usage benefits the population’s economy. The region, which does not have an OPA, tends to use the main forested areas to meet the community’s demand for farmland.

Land conversion and urban settlement intentions of the rural population in China: A case study of suburban Nanjing