Exploring future land use options: combining biophysical opportunities and societal objectives

Abstract

Explorative land use studies that combine biophysical opportunities and societal objectives make stakeholders more aware of land use options. In this chapter, the methodology of such explorative studies is presented for a case study of the northern Atlantic Zone of Costa Rica. The SOLUS framework (explained in Chapter 6) for land use analysis is used: i) a GIS database, ii) the Technical Coefficient Generators PASTOR (Pasture and Animal System Technical coefficient generatOR) and LUCTOR (Land Use Crop Technical coefficient generatOR) to generate alternative and innovative, target oriented land use systems, and iii) a multiple goal linear programming model called GOAL-AZ (General Optimal Allocation of Land use for the northern Atlantic Zone of Costa Rica). GOAL-AZ optimizes for economic surplus, employment, biocide use and N losses by selection of combinations of land use systems, herds and feed supplements. Biophysical constraints of the model relate to the availability of land, and to requirements and availability of feed for cattle. Results indicate that trade-offs exist between economic and environmental objectives and the associated optimum use of resources. In the last part of this chapter, results of GOAL-AZ are compared with those of REALM (Regional Economic and Agriculture Land use Model; see Chapter 6), both being explorative land use models implemented within the SOLUS framework. While the former is a multiple goal model, the latter is a single objective (economic surplus) model, including market mechanisms for products and labor. This chapter will show how economic constraints affect future land use options and how GOAL-AZ sheds light on possible land uses beyond projected economic constraints. The complementarity of both approaches in supporting land use analysis is discussed.