Land-use change and socio-economic metabolism in Austria—Part I: driving forces of land-use change: 1950–1995

Abstract

This is an analysis of the relationships between changes in land use, land cover and socio-economic metabolism in Austria between 1950 and 1995, covering the period during which Austria's agriculture was industrialized. From 1950 to about 1980, Austria mainly strove to achieve self-sufficiency as an agricultural producer. This goal was met in the 1970s, largely through agricultural intensification. Since then, the primary focus of Austrian agricultural policy has been to reduce agricultural overproduction, to preserve the existing farm structure, as well as to keep as large an agricultural area under cultivation as is possible. As a consequence, since the 1980s yields rose slowly and subsidized fallow covered substantial parts of cropland area. Austria joined the European Union in 1995, after which agricultural policy was, to a large extent, determined by the EU Common Agricultural Policy. From 1950 to 1995 we observe a continuous trend of declining cropland and grassland areas, increases in the areas of built-up and infrastructure land, and a slow increase in forested areas. The segregation of cropland cultivation and livestock husbandry leads to a concentration of cropland in fertile lowlands and of grasslands in the lower alpine regions from which crops are retreating. As a result of livestock being fed increasing amounts of cropland produce and imported protein feedstuffs, there was a disintegration of local nutrient cycles and a rising input of mineral fertilizer. We interpret these changes as a consequence of the massive input of fossil energy into Austria's agricultural system, which allowed a surge in the intensification of transport. We analyze these trends using GIS maps based upon statistic data.