Biodiversity and ecological long-term plots in Southern Patagonia to support sustainable land management: The case of PEBANPA network

This study was conducted with the objective of determining the returns to sustainable land management (SLM) at the national level in Bhutan. The study first uses satellite data on land change (Landsat) to examine land use change in 1990–2010 and its impact on sediment loading in hydroelectric power plants. The study then uses the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to analyze the impact of land use change and land management on sediment loading. The results from the land use change and SWAT analyses are used to assess the economic benefits of SLM. We estimate the benefits and costs of SLM practices and compare them with the land-degrading practices that are most prevalent in Bhutan—that is, business as usual. An analysis of the drivers of adoption of SLM practices is also done to draw conclusions about strategies that Bhutan could use to enhance adoption of SLM practices. The land cover change results show that the vast majority of forested areas remained as such between 1994 and 2010. SWAT results show that with long-term SLM practices such as contouring, increased forested cover and density, terracing, and other SLM practices, soil erosion from forested area could be reduced by 50 %. Analysis of returns to SLM practices showed that citrus orchards are the most profitable enterprises in 13 of the 20 districts (dzongkhag), but they require farmers to wait for at least six years before the first harvest. Improved pasture management is the second most profitable enterprise—underscoring the potential role it can play to meet the growing demand for livestock products as household incomes increase. Returns to community forest management are low but profitable at a 10 % discount rate. Considering the drivers of SLM adoption, our research shows an inverse relationship between returns to land management and their corresponding adoption rates. The factors that increase adoption of SLM were land security, access to extension services, and roads. In summary, Bhutan’s policies and its cultural and historical background have set the country on the path to becoming a global green growth success story. Results of this study vindicate the country’s efforts to invest in sustainable land and forest management and highlight the additional policies and strategies that will enhance achievement of Bhutan’s SLM objectives.

The study of sustainable land use reflects the interdisciplinary characteristics of land science, geography, ecology and sustainability science. In recent years, research on sustainable land use has rapidly increased in scope and speed around the world. To discuss the trends, research power distribution, key areas, research hotspots and international cooperation in sustainable land use research in the past 20 years. This paper used the Bibliometrix and Biblioshiny software packages to entire process of bibliometric analysis and visual display of sustainable land use research papers from 1990 to 2019 (data update time is May 10, 2019). (1) The amount of publications in the field of sustainable land use from 1990 to 2019 increased with time and entered a period of rapid growth after 2013. (2) From the perspective of research power, the influence of developed countries in the field of sustainable land use is significantly stronger than that of developing countries. (3) Through high-frequency keyword analysis, land use change, land degradation, and sustainable land management are hotspots in the field of sustainable land use. (4) The themes of sustainable land use have changed greatly in various periods, and some of the themes have strong continuity. In order to promote the development of sustainable land use, this paper proposes to integrate strong sustainability theory, landscape ecology theory, and geographical design concepts into this field, thereby greatly expanding the theoretical space. Also, this paper proposes to improve the scientificity of the evaluation indicators and use emerging technologies to timely monitor the status and evolution of land use, which can provide scientific basis and decision-making reference for the formulation of sustainable land use strategies, policies, and countermeasures.

Chapter 2 - Soil Mapping and Processes Modeling for Sustainable Land Management

A fundamental prerequisite for the survival of human society is sustainability. Due to the cumulative effects of violent conflicts and environmental issues, the topic of sustainable land use (SLM) is becoming increasingly important. Globally, there are many different approaches and definitions of sustainable land use development and management that are based on a range of factors. The majority of definitions emphasize that socioeconomic growth that upholds the values of sustainable land use and honors the region’s natural, cultural, historical, and prospective resources is necessary for sustainable development. This article employs bibliographic analysis and case study methodology to synthesize concepts of sustainable land management (SLM) relevant to post-war reconstruction efforts in Ukraine. The study reveals the specific significance and acuteness of land relations issues for postwar reconstruction operations within the sustainability vector, as well as its contribution to attempts to avert social and economic entropy. One important aspect of sustainable land use management is the creation of optimal landscape-ecological solutions for spatial land use planning. It is shown that a conceptual framework for building sustainable land relations in post-war context of Ukraine’s reconstruction, should have its foundation in strong institutional support, a participatory approach to planning processes, as well as inclusive, multilevel, and multistakeholder partnerships.

Rangelands play a vital role in supporting livelihoods, biodiversity, and ecological balance across arid and semi-arid regions. However, these fragile ecosystems are increasingly threatened by overexploitation, land degradation, and unsustainable management practices. Understanding the human and behavioral dimensions of rangeland conservation has therefore become an urgent priority. Many of the world's rangelands, including those in Iran, have recently been exposed to destruction and serious damage. Collaboration among various stakeholders (especially pastoralists) in sustainable land use and management is considered a key factor in reducing this degradation. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study tries to identify and analyze the behavioral nudges for the sustainable land use and management in Iran. This research employed a cross-sectional survey design involving 248 pastoralists in Fars Province, southern Iran, selected through simple random sampling. An extended version of the TPB was applied, incorporating two additional constructs-awareness of consequences and moral norms-to enhance its explanatory power in predicting sustainable land use intentions. Behavioral nudges, such as increased awareness of consequences, strengthening moral norms, perceived behavioral control, and attitudes, can lead pastoralists to sustainable land use and management, thereby helping to conserve rangelands. To operationalize the research, a cross-sectional survey of 248 pastoralists with livestock grazing certificates, who were selected using simple random sampling, was used. The results of the research showed that the constructs of attitude towards sustainable land use and management had a positive and significant effect on the intention towards sustainable land use and management (Beta = 0.292; T = 4.239; Sig = 0.001). The direct effects of two variables, awareness of consequences of rangelands' destruction (Beta = 0. 335; T = 3.333; Sig = 0.001) and moral norms of sustainable land use and management (Beta = 0. 323; T = 2.791; Sig = 0.005), were positive and significant on Intention. In addition, the results of this study showed that moral norms not only act as a constructive factor in the intention of the pastoralists towards sustainable land use and management, but also can play a mediating role for some other variables such as awareness of consequences of rangeland destruction. The results of SEM analysis showed that the extended TPB can explain 75% of the variance of pastoralists' behavioral intention, which shows the high explanatory power of the model. These findings provide practical insights for policymakers and land managers by emphasizing the need to design interventions that enhance moral and environmental awareness, promote participatory management, and align behavioral policies with local cultural norms. However, as this study is based on a cross-sectional design, causal inferences should be made cautiously, and future longitudinal research is recommended to validate these relationships over time.

Examines land availability and use in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) as well as the trade-offs among competing uses, by introducing the land cover databases mobilized for this study before describing land use patterns, their determinants, and their evolution over time. The severe scarcity of land in the MENA region remains the critical issue emerging from the analysis. The demographic and climatic trends indicate increasing land demand, and yet land remains under growing stress from climate change. Increasing land scarcity leads to strategic trade-offs about the best use of land to meet competing economic, social, sustainability, and sovereignty objectives. Degradation and desertification, stemming from both climatic and anthropological factors—especially in Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Morocco, and Syria—have high economic costs. If climatic and population trends continue as predicted, agricultural land will become significantly scarcer in the MENA region, falling to a level that could lead to a major crisis if not addressed.

The fate of amino acid and peptide as affected by soil depth and fertilization regime in subtropical paddies

The effects of land management (grazing intensity) vs. the effects of topography, soil properties, vegetation type, and climate on soil carbon concentration in Southern Patagonia

The impact of different soil orders and land use systems on the distribution of physico-chemical properties is the most critical matter to address in order to maintain sustainable agricultural production. Hence, the present investigation was carried out to study the variation in the physico-chemical characteristics of soil in diverse land use systems (LUSs), i.e., agriculture, horticulture, and forestry, under major soil orders (entisol, inceptisol, and alfisol) in the Majha region of Punjab. A total of 225 depth-wise (at 0–20 cm, 20–40 cm, 40–60 cm, 60–80 cm and 80–100 cm) soil samples were collected from three land-use systems under different soil orders. The mean values of the physico-chemical properties ranged from 6.80–7.50, 7.64–8.34 and 6.94–7.87 for pH; 0.13–0.42, 0.19–0.54 and 0.19–0.46 dS m−1 for EC; 0.14–0.99, 0.21–0.69 and 0.15–0.72% for OC; 0.75–2.07, 1.07–3.32 and 0.93–2.29% for CaCO3; 7.77–41.84, 10.56–40.23 and 7.24–39.51 kg ha−1 for P; and 98.37–334.68, 94.51–230.18 and 93.01–367.39 kg ha−1 for K under different land uses in soil orders entisols, inceptisols and alfisols, respectively. Soil parameters including pH, CaCO3, and phosphorus (P) distribution differed significantly among soil orders; however, soil EC, organic carbon (OC) and available potassium (K) did not. The inceptisols under the agricultural land use system (ALUS) had the highest soil pH, EC, and CaCO3 values. The highest soil OC content was found in entisols under forest land use systems (FLUS), followed by horticultural land use systems (HLUS). The highest values of soil-available phosphorous (P) were found in FLUS under inceptisols, while the highest amounts of soil-available potassium (K) were found in entisols and alfisols under ALUS and FLUS, respectively. Thus, the distribution of physico-chemical properties under different LUSs in each soil order is highly variable and does not follow any particular trend. In general, soil properties such as OC, P, and K content decreased with an increase in soil depth, while pH and CaCO3 values increased with depth in all land uses and soil orders. There was a positive correlation between soil OC and EC, as well as available P and K in the soils investigated. The available P and K are negatively correlated with soil pH and CaCO3 content in the soil. The principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that soil pH and OC were the most variable soil parameters, which influence the availability of other physico-chemical properties under different soil orders and land use systems. Therefore, it is suggested that the land use systems play an important role in the distribution of physico-chemical properties of soil in different soil orders. The results of the study will help students, researchers, and agricultural management staff in managing different land uses for maintaining soil fertility and productivity in alluvial soils of North-western India.

Sustainable land management (SLM) is widely recognized as the key to reducing rates of land degradation, and preventing desertification. Many efforts have been made worldwide by various stakeholders to adopt and/or develop various SLM practices. Nevertheless, a comprehensive review on the spatial distribution, prospects, and challenges of SLM practices and research is lacking. To address this gap, we gathered information from a global SLM database provided by the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) and two bibliographic databases of academic research. Over 1900 SLM practices and 1181 academic research papers from 129 and 90 countries were compiled and analyzed. Relatively better SLM dissemination was observed in dry subhumid countries and countries with medium scores on the Human Development Index (HDI), whereas dissemination and research were both lower in humid countries with low HDI values. Cropland was the main land use type targeted in both dissemination and research; degradation caused by water erosion and mitigation aimed at water erosion were also the main focus areas. Other dominant land use types (e.g., grazing) and SLM purposes (e.g., economic benefits) have received relatively less research attention compared to their dissemination. Overall, over 75 % of the 60 countries experiencing high soil erosion rates (>10 t ha−1 yr−1) also have low HDI scores, as well as poor SLM dissemination and research implying the limited evidence-based SLM dissemination in these countries. The limitation of research evidence can be addressed in the short term through integrating existing scientific research and SLM databases by adopting the proposed Research Evidence for SLM framework. There is, however, a great need for additional detailed studies of country-specific SLM challenges and prospects to create appropriate evidence-based SLM dissemination strategies to achieve multiple SLM benefits.

Hillslope erosion improvement targets: Towards sustainable land management across New South Wales, Australia

Global environmental change and the uncertain fate of biodiversity

A regional project as part of the Transboundary Agroecosystems Management Project (Kagera TAMP) was implemented in the Kagera River basin covering Burundi, Rwanda Tanzania and Uganda. The project was implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the governments of the riparian countries. In Tanzania, the project was conducted in four districts (Bukoba, Karagwe, Missenyi and Ngara) in the Kagera region. The project was implemented to address the causes of land degradation, restore ecosystem health and function and generate a range of global environmental benefits across the Kagera basin. In Tanzania, 10 micro-catchments were selected for project implementation involving 14,282 farmers covering about 3500 ha of land. The type, degree and direct and indirect causes of land degradation in the basin were assessed for different land use systems. Similarly, good practices of sustainable land management and their extent, effectiveness and trends were evaluated. A range of maps were developed and used to select land degradation priority areas for project intervention (hotspots). Successful sustainable land management (SLM) practices were introduced into the curriculum of the Farmer Field School (FFS), and a holistic catchment approach was adopted to address SLM in an integrated and multi-sectoral way. Through adopting this catchment approach (see also a long version of the definition on p. 15), drying water sources were regenerated that provide a reliable water supply for domestic and livestock use. Furthermore, training of extension staff and facilitators for the farmer field schools improved smallholder farmers’ knowledge and skills in applying sustainable land management practices. Cropland management increased the crop yield of bananas, maize, beans, and cassava from 20 % to sometimes more than 60 %. Planting of Cajanus cajan and other types of agroforestry technologies, application of farmyard manure and contouring were superior for improving soil quality and reducing soil erosion by more than 20 % of the covered area. Construction of physical contours and their strengthening with vegetative materials, such as fruit trees, grasses and shrubs, including Cajanus cajan, pineapples, vetiver and lemon grass, improved the soil quality. Improved soil quality also increased household income and improved household and community nutrition, which are short-term SLM benefits. These benefits were powerful incentives that led to wider adoption of SLM practices in all catchments. Soil organic carbon sequestration exceeded 20 %. Grassland carrying capacity was improved from 2.5 to 0.7, 5.0 to 0.4 and 3.3 to 0.7 ha/tropical livestock units (TLU). Grassland biodiversity regenerated with the reappearance of endangered trees, shrubs and grasses that have medicinal, socio-economic and cultural value. A total of 31 technical and three policy recommendations were developed and submitted to policy and decision makers for inclusion in development plans. The main challenges included the low priority given by national and local governments to land degradation issues and the lack of financing for and investment in upscaling of sustainable land management practices, limited attention given to land use conflicts and their management, and land tenure and addressing SLM on a sector basis instead of a multi-sector basis. With the benefits demonstrated in implementing the Kagera TAMP project, communities have been empowered to demand further improvement of their natural resources base.

There continues to be a poor understanding of how transformation and socio-technological change in the specific field of sustainable land use and management can be effectively governed and supported. The aim of this article is to contribute to this knowledge gap by presenting the findings from a comparative case study of nine local innovation projects that sought solutions for sustainable land management (SLM). For each of the nine projects, we examined the (i) problem definitions and framings, (ii) the type and degree of innovation, (iii) the different approaches taken to manage innovation processes, and (iv) the leverage points of these solutions in the governance system of SLM. The results show that SLM innovations start from diverse problem framings and emerge from distinct action fields. We found a broad variety of innovation types following distinct solution strategies that can be clustered into (i) multiple land use, (ii) knowledge-based decision support tools, (iii) co-management approaches, and (iv) new organisations and institutions. All nine projects applied multi-actor approaches to facilitate reflexive processes of social learning and cognitive reframing by embedding experimental innovation management approaches such as real-world laboratories (thus optimising the solution) into larger transdisciplinary and participatory processes (to adjust to societal discourses and normative orientations).KeywordsSustainability innovationTransdisciplinary researchGovernance of land

Soil Bulk Density and Water Infiltration as Affected by Grazing Systems