Agricultural Land Development Research Articles

Piezometric depth modeling of groundwater using monthly variables of precipitation and water consumption (case study: Sarab Plain aquifer)

The growth of the world population and the problem of food supply have led to the development of agricultural land, particularly in the Third World and in Iran, and thus to a sharp increase in water consumption regardless of the existing water resources. On the other hand, the ever-increasing growth of industries and factories, regardless of the impact on the environment, together with the increase in water consumption, has disturbed the balance of the environment and caused climate change with rising temperatures and increasing pollution. Unfortunately, the management of water resources and the environment is incompatible with the development of agricultural land and the development of industries, and therefore in most countries of the world a situation has arisen in which surface and groundwater resources are at risk. The two main variables, precipitation and water consumption, control groundwater levels. The area studied in this research is the Sarab Plain aquifer located in East Azerbaijan province, Iran. In the Sarab Plain and other plains of Iran, indiscriminate harvesting has led to a significant decline in the groundwater level (in other words, piezometric depth) and subsidence of the plain. The area under cultivation of various agricultural crops such as beans, cucumbers and alfalfa and gardens is about 38,176 ha, irrigated by 739 licensed wells. Agricultural uses on the one hand and industrial and animal uses on the other led to a progressive lowering of the piezometric level of the plain. The average water consumption from the table is currently 53 million cubic meters per year, while the amount of renewable water is 35.81 million cubic meters per year. The data used in the study are monthly precipitation from 19 rain gauge stations, monthly piezometric codes from 78 piezometers converted to piezometric depth, and monthly water consumption from 1886 consumable wells between 2007 and 2022. Individual regression relationships were created between the piezometric depth variable and consumption and precipitation variables. In the first step, a general hybrid exponential relationship between piezometric depth, consumption and precipitation was found. The correlation coefficient value between the calculated and observed piezometric depth was 0.69. Furthermore, the root mean square error and Kling-Gupta were 2 m and 0.57, respectively. In order to apply the hybrid exponential relationship to predict piezometric depth in the coming years, it was necessary to predict precipitation and consumption. To predict monthly precipitation based on its periodicity, the Thomas and Fiering (T&F) consumption forecasting method was used. 20% of the data was compared with calculated data. The result showed, R = 0.815 and RMSE = 0.07 mm between calculated and observed data. Additionally, to predict consumption in the coming years, a suitable regression relationship between consumption and time was constructed, showing a correlation of 0.97 and a root mean square error of 0.0008 mcm with observations. In the second step, precipitation and consumption were predicted for the next 3 years (2023–2025) and piezometric depth were determined for this period by applying them in the hybrid model. The forecast for the next three years shows that the upward trend of the piezometric level will continue. The application of the regression method resulted in a final equation, which is particularly important in view of the stabilization of the piezometric level of the reservoir. This method has no particular limitations and is an appropriate method when accurate consumption water and precipitation statistics are available. The only limitation that can be considered with this method is the movement around the average values and does not take into account the positional fluctuations. This work is new because it calculates groundwater simultaneously using two parameters: precipitation and water consumption. Other similar studies did not use groundwater consumption data.

Agricultural land management and rural financial development: coupling and coordinated relationship and temporal-spatial disparities in China

The integrated development of agricultural land and finance not only promotes rural financial innovation and breaks the bottleneck of agricultural financing but also facilitates agricultural land transfer and scaled operations. This leads to the advancement of the effective growth of contemporary agriculture. The reform of the 'separation of three rights' in agricultural land promotes land circulation, which, in turn, offers an institutional guarantee for the tandem development of rural finance and agricultural land management. This paper measures the comprehensive development index of agricultural land management and rural finance in 30 provinces of China from 2005 to 2020. In light of this, it calculates the degree of coupling and coordination between China's agricultural land management and rural financial development. The Dagum Gini coefficient, kernel density, and the Moran index were used to analyze regional differences and patterns of agglomeration. The study found that the degree of coupling coordination between China's agricultural land management and rural finance is increasing annually. However, there remains a significant gap in achieving high-quality coupling. Notably, the growth rate of rural financial development exceeds that of agricultural land management, and hypervariable density is a major source of regional variation. There is polarization in the coupled development of farmland management and rural finance. Provinces in the eastern and central regions tend to be located in the high–high agglomeration (H–H) in terms of the level of development of agricultural land and financial integration, while the western region tends to fall in low–low aggregation (L–L).

Application of NDVI Sentinel-2Ac Imagery for Agricultural Land Development in Food Buffer Area of New Capital City Indonesia

Paser Regency is one of the food buffer areas for the New Capital City (IKN) of Indonesia in East Kalimantan Province. The relocation of the capital to IKN increases the number of populations and food demand as well. To meet food needs in IKN in the future, the development of agricultural land is needed. This study aimed to identify the type and direction of land use in Paser Regency to ensure food self-sufficiency. Sentinel-2 satellite Imagery with the Maximum Likelihood Classification (MLC) method was used in this study. The sentinel data from 2018 to 2022 was analyzed to identify the existing land use types over the past five years. The land use direction was determined based on the existing land use type, soil type, and land slope class. The results with an accuracy value for the overall test of 91.68% and kappa accuracy of 0.86 showed a change in land use from 2018 to 2022. Eight types of main land used were identified such as non-swamp rice fields, swamp rice fields, oil palm plantations, moors, shrubs, forests, settlements, and water bodies. The application of NDVI Sentinel-2Ac Imagery can identify a potential area of 13,249.7 hectares for rice field development and can significantly increase rice production to ensure food self-sufficiency in IKN.

Energetic and highly reliable photovoltaic power source assisted water pump control system design using IoT

The tools used in agriculture are evolving quickly. The advancement of farming technology, farm infrastructure, and manufacturing facilities is ongoing. Numerous photovoltaic (PV) systems may be used in agriculture. These use cases include both standalone installations and larger systems put in place by utilities when they determine that PV technology is the most cost-effective way to meet a specific remote agricultural demand, such water irrigation for fields or cattle. The heart and soul of a solar-powered water pumping system are two solar panels. The solar cell is the smallest component of a photovoltaic panel. Here, we connect the ESP module's outputs to those from sensors installed in the PV panels' controller and water pump. With the use of the GSM module, the main controller unit may show the status of each module, such as whether the motor is on or off, on the administrator's mobile phone. In the event of a motor failure, the malfunctioning component can be identified. Challenges to agricultural land development include transport and road conditions. In this study, we'll look at the numerous options open to the farmer. The primary goal of this study is to develop a solar-powered, Internet of Things (IoT) and GSM-controlled water pump. This reduces the need for human labour (from farmers) in outlying areas. The farmer's mobile device serves as the hub for all activities.

Landslide Susceptibility Mapping using Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing Data in North Luwu, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia

Climate, topography, and rock conditions in Indonesia are relatively diverse, both physical and chemical, these conditions can cause adverse consequences such as floods, landslides, forest fires, and droughts. The Information from Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation on Monday, July 13, 2020, flash floods and flow of debris due to landslides have occurred in Masamba and Baebunta, North Luwu, South Sulawesi Province. The purpose of this paper is to map the distribution of landslide susceptibility area using remote sensing and GIS data. The Method used to analyze the landslide susceptibility estimation model refers to the Indonesian Center for Agricultural Land Resources Research and Development (ICALRD). The parameters used in this model are rainfall, soil type, rock type, slope, land use, and land movement. The ICALRD Landslide Susceptibility Estimation Model in study area shows that there are three classes of landslide susceptibility, such as low, medium, and high susceptibilities. There are six subdistricts which are in medium to high landslide susceptibility, and the others are low to medium landslide susceptibility. The locations of landslides and flash floods that occurred in Masamba and Baebunta indicate areas with medium to high landslide susceptibility.

Dry fruit shell‐derived biochar increases biosorption potential and detoxification of organic pollutants for land safety

AbstractThe increase in water pollution and land degradation ultimately reduces the supply of clean water for the growing population. Biochar produced from dry fruit shells is an effective adsorbent for organic pollutants. It can help reduce soil contamination and water pollution, making it an important option for land safety. For this experiment, dry fruit shell biochar was produced and activated chemically with 1 M KOH to increase the pollutants' removal efficiency. The efficiency of biochar as an adsorber of pollutants was assessed by characterizations of scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared, and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The peak of almond shell biochar was observed between 1033 and 1068 cm−1, while in pistachio, it was observed at 1458–1446 cm−1. Data extracted from XRD showed that most peaks were shifted after activation. For example, in walnut shell biochar, the peak shifted from 11° to 18° after biochar activation. The highest pollutant removal efficiency, such as 92%, 90%, and 87%, was observed in walnut shell biochar at 1, 2, and 3 mLL−1 adsorbate concentration, respectively. Pistachio shell biochar was most effective in the presence of the chemical activator to remove toluene and phenol organic contaminants. An increase in adsorbate concentration decreased the removal efficiency from 50% to 46% in activated almond shell biochar, 58% to 55% in activated pistachio shell biochar, and 55% to 54% in activated walnut shell biochar by 1 gL−1 of adsorbent. Kinetic and equilibrium data with different applied models established that the adsorption process was favorable, and models were fitted to the experimental setup. Biochar prepared from different dry fruit shells and their optimum activation can be used as bio‐sorbent for pollutants' removal and hence improved land development for agriculture and other industrial purposes.

Mitigating Nitrate Concentration Using an Optimal Cropping Pattern Developed by Linking a Soil and Water Assessment Tool with Evolutionary Optimization

The unplanned development of agricultural land and urban areas poses threats to water quality, which can lead to the death of the aquatic species in rivers. The present study developed a novel framework by combining a soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) and evolutionary algorithms to optimize the cultivation pattern at the catchment scale in the Tajan River basin, with the aim of mitigating the environmental impacts of surface runoff from farms. This river basin is located in northern Iran, where quick agricultural development is one of the environmental challenges. We utilized a SWAT to simulate the nitrate concentrations for different crops at the river basin scale by applying the Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficient (NSE) as a measurement index. Then, a novel model was developed to optimize the cultivation pattern by applying different metaheuristic algorithms. Fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) was applied as a decision-making system to select the best optimization algorithm. The results demonstrated that using a SWAT in the optimization model structure is a robust method for the design of an optimal cultivation pattern. The Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficient (NSE) was 0.74, demonstrating the robust predictive skills of the water quality model. The decision-making system indicated that particle swarm optimization and shuffled complex evolution were the best evolutionary algorithms to optimize the cultivation pattern using the proposed method. The proposed method opens a new window regarding the optimization of cultivation patterns in agriculture and provides an environmental-based optimization to design cultivation patterns on the catchment scale.

Сохранение земли, плодородия почв и многолетних трав для рационального природопользования в сельском хозяйстве (к 160-летию со дня рождения Василия Робертовича Вильямса)

Vasily Robertovich Williams is an outstanding Russian scientist of global scale and responsible state approach to his work. He devoted his life to solving the most important problem of ensuring food and environmental security of the country. To achieve this goal, he set and solved the following tasks: scientific support of sustainable development and stability of domestic agriculture, agricultural lands and agricultural landscapes; balance of agriculture, crop production and animal husbandry; increasing soil fertility. His priority was the need to develop soil science in close connection with solving practical problems of obtaining high and sustainable yields of agricultural crops. V.R. Williams introduced many important elements into the Dokuchaev doctrine of soil and soil formation. He discovered new sides in understanding the soil, the importance of perennial grasses in the formation of soil fertility, created a new science about meadows, improved the basics of agricultural landscape management. His scientific works covered a wide range of issues of soil science, biology, geography, agriculture, meadow science, agricultural science. V.R. Williams founded the biological direction in the study of soils, developed the doctrine of the biological cycle of substances, about the essence of a single soil-forming process, about the organic matter of the soil. A significant contribution to the management and rational use of agricultural lands and agricultural landscapes is made by the grass-field farming system of V.R. Williams, which he named after his teachers — "Dokuchaev – Kostychev – Williams".

Effects of agricultural land use on soil nutrients and its variation along altitude gradients in the downstream of the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin, Tibetan Plateau

Agricultural development in alpine ecosystems can cause significant changes in soil nutrients. With large altitude spans, the combined effect of the two is still unclear in existing research. To answer this problem, this study took the downstream of the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin (YZRB) as the study area, and designed a comparative soil sampling scheme along the altitude gradient. We compared soil nutrient characteristics facility agricultural land (FA) and field cultivated land (FC), using grassland (GL), the main source of agriculture expansion, as a reference. A total of 44 sampling areas were designed within an altitude range of 800–3500 m to reveal the effects of agricultural land development along the altitude gradient on soil nutrients. Research found that the FA significantly improved soil nutrient levels, with most nutrient indicators higher than those of FC and GL (P < 0.05), while the above indicators of FC were only slightly higher than GL. Moreover, the effects of agricultural development decreased with soil depth, and mainly occurred within the 0–30 cm soil layer (P < 0.05). With increasing altitude, most of soil nutrients first decreased and then increased and differences in soil nutrients among different land use modes first expanded and then shrank. This may be related to differences in farmland management methods, vegetation coverage, and temperature under different altitude gradient constraints. Especially in middle-altitude areas, the FA not only breaks through the low-temperature limitations of the plateau, but also has the advantage of large-scale development, which is suggested for future agricultural intensification in the plateau.

Forest Restoration in an Abandoned Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest in the Mae Klong Watershed, Western Thailand

Deforestation for the development of agricultural land is a critical driver of biodiversity loss. We examined the relationships between tree species and environments after the abandonment of a plot of land at the Mae Klong Watershed Research Station, Western Thailand. Vegetation monitoring was conducted every two years on a 16-ha permanent plot established in 2011 until 2019. All trees with diameter at breast height (DBH)≤1 cm were measured. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was performed to investigate the relationships between tree species and environments. We found a total of 199 tree species in the plot, which comprised both pioneer and climax species. The high tree density and low basal area were 1,280 stem/ha and 7.30 m2/ha, respectively. During 2011-2019, the species richness and total tree density were decreased by nine species (from 206 to 197 species) and 83 stem/ha (from 1,120 to 1,037 stem/ha). In contrast, the total basal area increased from 6.41 to 7.26 stem/ha. According to the measured environmental variables, mixed deciduous species such as Pterocarpus macrocarpus and Xylia xylocarpa var. kerrii preferred higher elevations and drier sites compared to dry evergreen species such as Dipterocarpus alatus. Early colonizing species such as Trema orientalis and Ficus species exhibited rapid population decreases, whereas climax species such as Lagerstroemia tomentosa exhibited highly successful regeneration under natural conditions. Artificial reforestation efforts may be required in areas with large disturbance, including the planting of mixed tree species to promote natural regeneration and reduce the recovery period.

Assessing Artificial Recharge on Groundwater Quantity Using Wells Recharge

In arid and semi-arid countries like Iraq, which suffer from water scarcity due to the effects of climate change and decreased surface water flow, groundwater is considered a vital source of irrigation water. This study is concerned with the influence of artificial recharge on the rehabilitation of the unconfined aquifer called Al-Dibdibba, located between the cities of Najaf and Kerbala in central Iraq around 31°550′ N and 32°450′ N and 43°300′ E and 44°300′ E. Due to excessive groundwater pumping rates for irrigation, this aquifer has suffered from groundwater decline and increased salinization during the previous 20 years. By establishing a conceptual model in the groundwater modeling system software (GMS), a numerical model was made to simulate groundwater flow. Artificial recharge using recycled water (tertiary treatment) from Kerbala's primary WWTP was carried out using 25 injection wells. The model was calibrated against historical and observed water level data for periods from 2016 to 2017. Three scenarios to predict how the aquifer would act with artificial recharge of 5%, 8%, and 10% from the total daily outflow of the WWTP in Kerbala (100000 m3/day) were studied. The calibration model met the observed values of groundwater levels with R2 = 0.989 for steady-state simulations and R2 = 0.987 for transient simulations. In the final analysis of the simulation, the results show that the maximum predicted groundwater level was raised by the injection of treated water through 25 wells by 1.05 m for 5000 m3/day, 2 m for 8000 m3/day, and 3 m for 10,000 m3/day recharge pumping rates. In addition, if water were pumped into the aquifer, it might support the development of agricultural lands covering more than 93 km2. So, artificial recharge can be considered one of the important solutions to adaptation to the effects of climate change and desertification in Iraq. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-09-010 Full Text: PDF

Estimation of Carbon Stocks and Carbon Sequestration Rates in Abandoned Agricultural Soils of Northwest Russia

The fallow agricultural soils of Northwest Russia represent an evolutionary model of the development of ecosystem components in time and space with multidirectional dynamics of agrogenic impact during the long history of agricultural land development. There has been both large-scale land development and uncontrolled conversion of arable lands to a fallow state along with their removal in recent times. All this has led to the formation of a chrono-series of different-age soils with varying degrees of exposure of agrogenic factors. This paper presents a current review of the humus state of fallow soils in Northwest Russia, and examines the main factors (self-restoration, humus transformation, acidification) influencing the transformation of the soil cover under the process of post-agrogenesis. Effective farming techniques aimed at fixing carbon in soils as part of increasing the sequestration potential to mitigate the impact of climate change are considered. The ongoing process of the transition of lands into a fallow state could lead to organic carbon losses and changes in the main physical and chemical parameters, which negatively affects the self-restoration of fallow lands. We offer some recommendations for the effective rewetting of fallow lands in Northwest Russia with the purpose of carbon sequestration in the soil cover.

Assessment and projection of the groundwater drought vulnerability under different climate scenarios and land use changes in the Sanjiang Plain, China

Study RegionA district of the Sanjiang Plain, China. Study focusAiming at assessing the likelihood of groundwater exposure to drought in the present and future, a comprehensive evaluation framework based on the groundwater drought vulnerability index (GDVI) is proposed. Firstly, nine influencing factors are selected in terms of groundwater dependence, hydrogeology, and meteorology, and the current drought vulnerability is assessed by combining the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and random forest (RF) models. Afterwards, by projecting land use and future climate under the shared socioeconomic pathways of SSP1–2.6, SSP2–4.5, and SSP5–8.5, the GDVI is calculated for three future periods, i.e., 2015–2039, 2040–2064, and 2065–2089. New hydrological insights for the regionMore than 30% of the groundwater experiences high and very high vulnerability during the baseline period, concentrated in areas with arable land and a thick clay cover. With rising temperatures and the rapid expansion of paddy fields, areas of high-vulnerability will continue to expand and will exceed 50% by the middle of the 21st century. If the groundwater irrigation and the agricultural land development are not restricted, the groundwater drought will be exacerbated. The proposed evaluation framework can be used in other areas with high groundwater use or where groundwater resources are at risk of depletion, and the findings provide guidance for agricultural development planning and joint surface water-groundwater scheduling.

Impact of water delivery pipeline leakage on collapsible loess foundations and treatment methods

The Yumenkou Eastward-Expansion Water Pumping Project is an important pipeline for water network construction in Shanxi Province, China. This pipeline is vital for the development of cities and agricultural lands along its path. However, the foundation of the water delivery pipeline is mostly located in collapsible loess strata, thereby affecting project safety. To investigate the feasibility of foundation treatment schemes for the water delivery pipeline, a numerical analysis model is proposed in this study based on the analyzes of the leakage of water pipelines and different foundation treatment schemes through laboratory tests, field tests, and numerical simulations. Results show that the deeper the loess layer is, the smaller the collapsible deformation is and the greater the initial collapse pressure is. Furthermore, the deeper the buried pipeline is, the greater the collapsible deformation is after water leakage. A 0.5 m-thick lime-stabilized soil cushion layer is the most economically reasonable solution among the simulated scenarios. The collapsible deformation caused by pipeline leakage can be divided into three stages: start-up, development, and stabilization. Addressing the leakage point during the start-up stage is crucial. The proposed numerical analysis model can provide an important basis for similar engineering designs.

Moving to the country: Understanding the effects of Covid-19 on property values and farmland development risk

As human populations grow, one strategy for meeting housing demand is through the development of agricultural land and other open space, which can generate negative externalities. This may be addressed at local, state, or federal levels with land-use planning, including farmland preservation policies. Efficient land-use planning in the presence of competing land uses requires knowledge of development risk, housing preferences, and the full costs of farmland loss. We conduct a national scale hedonic analysis using the ZTRAX program U.S. housing transaction data to investigate how COVID-19 has affected property prices in suburban and rural areas with farmland at high risk of development, for the purpose of understanding the effects of COVID-19 driven shifts in housing location preferences. Our analysis demonstrates that the pandemic caused differential price impacts across the 33 states that we analyzed. Furthermore, our estimates suggest heterogeneous price effects driven by the characteristics of nearby urban areas, with prices appreciating faster on land at risk located near smaller urban areas than those near larger urban areas. Our analysis finds that the spatial pattern of development pressure on agricultural lands, as measured through transaction prices, changed in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Management, Implementation and Effect of Village Fund Allocation on Regional Development During Covid-19 Pandemic

The allocation of Village Funds requires planning, monitoring, implementation, and accountability for its use. The implementation of village development must be in accordance with what has been planned in the planning process and the community. The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the order of various aspects of life, including Indonesia. The health, social, and economic sectors were most significantly affected. The economic sector is experiencing recession both at the global and national levels. Timor Island is one of the islands in Indonesia experiencing this. This problem cannot be separated in encouraging the national economic growth rate. This study aims to determine the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on economic growth in Timor Island, especially Fatuneno Village. Economic growth in Timor Island became the center of attention, which had experienced a contraction to accelerate economic recovery in Indonesia. Utilizing Village Fund Allocation as community empowerment is the main source in developing and advancing village communities, from what is mandated by the central and regional governments prioritizing regional autonomy. The Village Fund allocation is fully utilized for community empowerment and welfare, marked by the development of agricultural land and several infrastructures to make it easier for the community to empower themselves and the environment. Small form so that the village is able to empower the community and village institutions to overcome poverty and reduce inequality, improve development planning and budgeting in the village, and improve village infrastructure development, in order to create a prosperous village.&#x0D; Keywords: management, village fund allocation, village welfare, village development, Covid 19 pandemic

Grassland carbon-water cycling is minimally impacted by a photovoltaic array

Agrivoltaic systems, whereby photovoltaic arrays are co-located with crop or forage production, can alleviate the tension between expanding solar development and loss of agricultural land. However, the ecological ramifications of these arrays are poorly known. We used field measurements and a plant hydraulic model to quantify carbon-water cycling in a semi-arid C3 perennial grassland growing beneath a single-axis tracking solar array in Colorado, USA. Although the agrivoltaic array reduced light availability by 38%, net photosynthesis and aboveground net primary productivity were reduced by only 6–7% while evapotranspiration decreased by 1.3%. The minimal changes in carbon-water cycling occurred largely because plant photosynthetic traits underneath the panels changed to take advantage of the dynamic shading environment. Our results indicate that agrivoltaic systems can serve as a scalable way to expand solar energy production while maintaining ecosystem function in managed grasslands, especially in climates where water is more limiting than light.

농지법상 농업진흥지역의 농지전용에 관한 고찰

Article 121, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution stipulates the principle of tillage in relation to farmland. Ownership of farmland is owned by the person who uses the farmland to farm. On the other hand, Article 122 of the Constitution permits development by stipulating that necessary restrictions and obligations may be imposed in accordance with the law for the efficient and balanced use, development, and preservation of the national land. Representative development laws include the “Act on the Promotion of Exchanges between Cities and Rural Communities” and the “Basic Act on Agriculture, Rural Communities and Food Industry”. It is to improve the quality of life of rural residents and to enhance the economic vitality of rural areas. In order to achieve this goal, agricultural land is converted and developed. In order to stably supply safe agricultural products and high-quality food to the people, warehouses or factories are established. At this time, farmland in the agricultural promotion area, which is an agricultural and forestry area where the price of land is relatively low, is preferred. At this time, farmland development is mostly carried out as a small-scale project. When small-scale farmland is developed, the connectivity of farmland deteriorates, which interferes with the automated farming method of farming, resulting in a decrease in agricultural productivity. And it is causing the reckless development of agricultural land. There is a problem that farmers who need farmland cannot purchase farmland due to the increase in land price due to farmland development, which hinders the improvement of farmers' income. This study examines the basic concept of farmland, the purpose of designation of agricultural promotion areas, and the details of permission (consultation) for farmland conversion. The purpose is to derive problems from the perspective of farmland conservation following conversion permission (consultation), and to present the contents to be improved to help preserve farmland even a little.

농지법상 농업진흥지역의 농지전용에 관한 고찰

Article 121, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution stipulates the principle of tillage in relation to farmland. Ownership of farmland is owned by the person who uses the farmland to farm. On the other hand, Article 122 of the Constitution permits development by stipulating that necessary restrictions and obligations may be imposed in accordance with the law for the efficient and balanced use, development, and preservation of the national land. Representative development laws include the “Act on the Promotion of Exchanges between Cities and Rural Communities” and the “Basic Act on Agriculture, Rural Communities and Food Industry”. It is to improve the quality of life of rural residents and to enhance the economic vitality of rural areas. In order to achieve this goal, agricultural land is converted and developed. In order to stably supply safe agricultural products and high-quality food to the people, warehouses or factories are established. At this time, farmland in the agricultural promotion area, which is an agricultural and forestry area where the price of land is relatively low, is preferred. At this time, farmland development is mostly carried out as a small-scale project. When small-scale farmland is developed, the connectivity of farmland deteriorates, which interferes with the automated farming method of farming, resulting in a decrease in agricultural productivity. And it is causing the reckless development of agricultural land. There is a problem that farmers who need farmland cannot purchase farmland due to the increase in land price due to farmland development, which hinders the improvement of farmers' income. This study examines the basic concept of farmland, the purpose of designation of agricultural promotion areas, and the details of permission (consultation) for farmland conversion. The purpose is to derive problems from the perspective of farmland conservation following conversion permission (consultation), and to present the contents to be improved to help preserve farmland even a little.

From the bottom up – attributes of small vesper bats’ activity sites in an upland ecosystem in Chiapas, México

We studied bats in a natural protected area and the influence zone in Chiapas, México. Focusing on small vesper bats (Vespertilionidae: Myotinae) in water sinkholes, flooded surfaces, and forested locations (sampling sites), our objectives were to: 1) differentiate the sampling sites based on abiotic and biotic variables, 2) compare the relative activity between the contrasting sampling sites, and 3) determine the relative importance of surrounding land covers amounts on the relative activity. We expected the following: 1) that sampling sites would be differentiable based on an interaction of environmental conditions and nocturnal flying insects’ biomass, 2) to find a significantly higher relative activity associated with water bodies as a reflection of potential drinking and feeding supplies, and 3) that forest cover would have a significant association in a positive direction with the relative activity as a reflection of roosting and commuting opportunities. We obtained weather data with a portable station, collected flying nocturnal insects with a passive trap, and recorded bats with ultrasonic detectors. We also used satellite imagery to calculate land covers amounts around the sampling sites. We performed a multivariate analysis to compare sampling sites, and elaborated correlation models of relative activity against surrounding land covers amounts. The only significant variable for differentiating sampling sites was wind speed; in water sinkholes, with lower mean value compared to flooded surfaces and forested locations, along with a comparatively higher percentage of dipterans in the samples. The mean relative activity of bats was significantly higher in water sinkholes, with maximum values reaching 95 %, which we can relate to environmental conditions and resources available. We found associations in a positive direction with forest cover, secondary forest and water surface, and negative with agricultural land and human development. Finally, we argue that some of the water sinkholes meet the criteria of small natural features supported by the unusual activity of the studied bats, and that targeted conservation actions will complement other strategies implemented in the area.