Conservation Of Rural Areas Research Articles

Land clearance and social capital in mountain agro?ecosystems: the case of Opuntia scrubland in Ayacucho, Peru*1

Opuntia scrublands are important ecological–economic systems in rural Andean areas. They provide goods for peasants' diet and animal feed, as well as cochineal insects, a highly valued source of dyes. Land clearance on these scrublands promotes changes in land use, from nonproductive wilderness to cochineal and fruit harvest areas, grazing lands, and fuel–wood supply zones. Here we empirically explore the role of social capital on land clearance, based on a case study of the Humanga region of Ayacucho, Peru. The literature on social capital is showing evidence of the positive effect of social capital on development actions and on environmental conservation in rural areas of developing countries such as participatory forest management. Here, the notion of social capital is captured by the idea that some features of social organization, such as networks, facilitate coordination and cooperation within the peasant communities that help in managing different economic activities, both on- and off-farm. The habilitation of the scrublands in the Andean mountain environment could be generating negative externalities as a consequence of altering the vegetation cover such as soil erosion. Because the benefits arising from land clearance activities are obtained by cochineal collecting households and the negative environmental effects are costs imposed upon noncochineal collectors, the social capital associated with scrubland habilitation could be perverse from an agro–environmental viewpoint and a revision of some government policies and of some NGOs actions for rural development through the promotion of various community networks in this deprived area could be needed.

Landscape structure and bird species richness: implications for conservation in rural areas between natural parks

Regional planning is bound to play an increasing role in nature conservation policies because much biodiversity is located outside natural parks and other protected areas. Differences in landscape structure between natural parks and surrounding areas may affect their respective species richness and may provide seasonal habitats that enhance total biodiversity. To test these ideas, we analyzed patterns of bird species richness, and its associated conservation value in a largely forested rural area that lies between the natural parks of Sant Llorenç del Munt and Montseny (Catalonia, NE Spain). Relationships of species richness with spatial gradients ( X and Y Universal Transversal of Mercator (UTM) coordinates) and with altitude and landscape variables were tested by stepwise multiple regression analysis. Regressions were performed separately for both breeding and wintering species, and considering both all species and only several dominant ecological groups (forest, forest-cropland and cropland species). Bird species richness and its associated conservation value were higher in the study area than in the surrounding borders of natural parks. Cropland and forest-cropland species concentrated outside the natural parks, whereas forest species were uniformly distributed. Total bird species richness was mainly related to landscape diversity and to abundance of open habitats like croplands and shrublands. Cropland species were the most dependent on the abundance of crops and on landscape diversity, whereas forest and forest-cropland species exhibited weak correlations with landscape variables. Most forest species were year-round residents, whereas forest-cropland and cropland species exhibited seasonal shifts in the number of species, mainly because of interchanges with other areas. Results indicate that rural areas play a role complementary to the surrounding natural protected areas in the conservation of bird species richness at different scales. Implications for the design and optimization of ecological networks in the perimetropolitan area of Barcelona are discussed.

Water Quality Conservation in Rural Areas

Lake Biwa is a most precious national resource. We have been conducting various countermeasures to preserve the environment of the Lake in Shiga Prefectur.We have been at the forefront, and continue to lead the nation in active water quality conservation programs conducted in rural areas.In this report, I present an outline of the representative projects including an inner lakes water purification project and the workings of a circuratory irrigation system installation.Moreover, the results of these environmental preservation projects and our future direction to restore the water quality in rural areas as well as of the Lake are also discussed.

On Water Quality Conservation in Rural Areas

On Water Quality Conservation in Rural Areas

New directions for West German agricultural policy. The example of Schleswig-Holstein

Since 1988 as a means of controlling levels of agricultural surplus the European Community has offered subsidies to farmers to set aside their land for non-agricultural purposes. The origins of this policy lie firmly in the Federal Republic of Germany where a set-aside policy has been in existence since 1985 in some regions. An important feature of the German programme has been the efforts to improve rural environments once land has been set aside. This is known as Extensivierungsförderung and was first introduced in Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany. Following the German example the European Commission has proposed the closer integration of set-aside policy and environmental conservation in rural areas within the EC. This paper traces the background of the Extensivierungsförderung programme in Schleswig-Holstein and examines the reactions of the farming community and farmers' institutions to it. Preliminary evidence suggests that the programme has had greatest impact in the western marshlands where small-scale dairy farms predominate, while on the other hand there has been little interest shown by those fanning large cereal holdings in the more productive eastern areas of the region.