Land Management Strategies Research Articles

The hidden impact of policy changes on remnant vegetation in Queensland, Australia

Habitat loss is a key driver of species extinction, demanding effective policies to regulate land clearing and mitigate this threat. This study examines the impact of policy changes on the availability of vegetation for clearing in Queensland, Australia, focusing on three policy variants from 2012, 2015, and 2019. Our analysis highlights significant shifts in remnant vegetation availability. In 2015, the introduction of permissions for clearing native vegetation for agricultural and pastoral production resulted in an additional 84 million ha of remnant vegetation becoming available for clearing. Furthermore, changes made in 2015 decreased riparian buffer zones, further expanding the extent of remnant vegetation on which clearing for specific purposes is permissible. Between 2015 and 2019, we identified five policy changes with substantial implications for vegetation management, including revoking permission for establishing broad acre cropping or grazing properties and removing thinning as a relevant clearing purpose. While the 2019 guidelines provide increased protection for remnant vegetation, it's crucial to note that all policy changes took place within a relatively brief period. Sudden policy changes can disrupt existing land management practices and strategies, potentially leading to confusion and challenges in adapting to new regulations and requirements. Our findings underscore the need to consider the ecological effects of rapid policy changes, as underestimating their overall impact on vegetation can have far-reaching implications for species preservation and ecosystem health.

Analysing Decadal Land Use Land Cover Dynamics in the Sub-Upper Krishna Basin of Maharashtra, India Using Remote Sensing and GIS

Aims: This study was conducted to examine Land Use Land Cover (LULC) dynamics in Maharashtra’s sub-upper Krishna basin from 2009 to 2019 using remote sensing and geographical information system (GIS), focusing on water bodies, vegetation, soil, settlements, and their changes.
 Study Design: Employing remote sensing and GIS for LULC mapping (2009-2019) the study used a maximum likelihood classifier in supervised classification, identifying six land use categories: water bodies, open shrubs, forests, agricultural land, settlements, and fallow land.
 Place and Duration of Study: It was conducted in the sub-upper Krishna basin, Maharashtra, over ten years’ data (2009-2019).
 Methodology: The study utilised satellite remote sensing and GIS tools for LULC mapping. A supervised classification was applied with a maximum likelihood classifier to categorize land. The changes in water bodies, open shrubs, forests, agricultural land, settlements, and fallow land were analysed using GIS approach.
 Results: It was seen that, over the decade, fallow land decreased by 3.03%, while agricultural land and settlements grew by 7.32% and 4.3%, respectively. Tree cover increased by 9.85%, water bodies by 0.93%, and open scrubland decreased by 1.77%. Institutional factors, easier water access, and technological and economic factors drove these changes.
 Conclusion: The study advocates the effective use of satellite remote sensing to monitor LULC changes, identifying key drivers, including institutional and technological factors, contributes to sustainable development planning. The findings aid predictions for future land use changes, supporting effective land management and conservation strategies in the region.

Cellular automata-based simulators for the design of prescribed fire plans: the case study of Liguria, Italy

Abstract Background Socio-economic changes in recent decades have resulted in an accumulation of fuel within Mediterranean forests, creating conditions conducive to potential catastrophic wildfires intensified by climate change. Consequently, several wildfire management systems have integrated prescribed fires as a proactive strategy for land management and wildfire risk reduction. The preparation of prescribed fires involves meticulous planning, entailing the identification of specific objectives, verification of prescriptions, and the definition of various scenarios. During the planning phase, simulation models offer a valuable decision-support tool for the qualitative and quantitative assessment of different scenarios. In this study, we harnessed the capabilities of the well-established wildfire simulation tool , to identify areas where prescribed fires can be performed, optimizing the wildfire risk mitigation and the costs. We selected a case study in the Liguria region, Italy, where the model is utilized operationally by the regional wildfire risk management system in emergency situations. Results Initially, we employed the propagation model to simulate a historical wildfire event, showcasing its potential as an emergency response tool. We focused on the most significant fire incident that occurred in the Liguria region in 2022. Subsequently, we employed to identify optimal areas for prescribed fires with the dual objectives of maximizing the mitigation of wildfire risk and minimizing treatment costs. The delineation of potential areas for prescribed fires has been established in accordance with regional regulations and expert-based insights. The methodology put forth in this study is capable of discerning the most suitable areas for the implementation of prescribed burns from a preselected set. A Monte Carlo simulation framework was employed to evaluate the efficacy of prescribed burns in mitigating the spread of wildfires. This assessment accounted for a variety of conditions, including fuel loads, ignition points, and meteorological patterns. The model was utilized to simulate the progression of wildfire spread. Conclusions This study underscores the utility of in offering both quantitative and qualitative insights that can inform prescribed fire planning. Our methodology has been designed to involve active engagement with subject matter experts throughout the process, to develop scenarios grounded in their expert opinions. The ability to assess diverse scenarios and acquire quantitative information empowers decision-makers to make informed choices, thereby advancing safer and more efficient fire management practices.

Who should deliver agri-environmental public goods in the UK? New land managers and their future role as public good providers

Agri-environmental policies in the UK stand on the threshold of significant change, with wide acceptance that radical changes are needed to ensure a better delivery of public goods in future. The UK’s departure from the EU presents an opportunity to fully realise the “Public Money for Public Goods” principle in the new suite of Environmental Land Management schemes. A likely priority will be the delivery of conservation goals at a landscape scale, which will require the recruitment of a broader range of actors and institutions than at present, including an emerging group of what we call in this paper ‘new land managers’. Understanding the changing dynamics of rural land occupancy, and the characteristics and motivations of these new land managers, will be essential in the future for the effective delivery of these public schemes. Data on land market trends is nevertheless patchy and poorly researched. For this paper, we drew on a survey of land agents in England, all of whom were members of the Central Association for Agricultural Valuers (CAAV), in order to gather information and reflections on contemporary land markets. A key finding is that agricultural policy reform and retrenchment is seen by many of these experts as a significant driver of future change. Taken together with other interacting factors such as the overall tax burden on businesses and the economic and personal situation of farmers and their succession status, many of our respondents predicted significant structural change, with more land coming on to the market for resale. At the same time, increasing demand for land from “lifestyle/non-farming landholders” and the growing presence of people entering the market interested in enroling land for carbon sequestration and natural capital improvements, will mean a shift in the types of individuals and organisations holding land. Those holding and managing land in coming years are likely to comprise an ever more diverse and fragmented community of land owners and occupiers The task for policymakers then, is to deliver a suite of interventions specifically tailored to the various types of landholders in order to engage them effectively into public goods delivery under ELMs.

Using statistical models to depict the response of multi-timescale drought to forest cover change across climate zones

Abstract. The interaction between forest and climate exhibits regional differences due to a variety of biophysical mechanisms. Observational and modeling studies have investigated the impacts of forested and non-forested areas on a single climate variable, but the influences of forest cover change on a combination of temperature and precipitation (e.g., drought) have not been explored, owing to the complex relationship between drought conditions and forests. In this study, we use historical forest and climate datasets to explore the relationship between forest cover fraction and drought from 1992–2018. A set of linear models and an analysis of variance approach are utilized to investigate the effect of forest cover change, precipitation and temperature on droughts across different timescales and climate zones. Our findings reveal that precipitation is the dominant factor (among the three factors) leading to drought in the equatorial, temperate and snow regions, while temperature controls drought in the arid region. The impact of forest cover changes on droughts varies under different precipitation and temperature quantiles. Precipitation modulates forest cover's impact on long-term drought in the arid region, while temperature modulates the impact of forest cover changes on both short- and long-term drought in the arid region as well as only on long-term drought in the temperate region. Forest cover can also modulate the impacts of precipitation and temperature on drought. High forest cover leads to a combined effect of precipitation and temperature on long-term drought in arid and snow regions, while precipitation is the only dominant factor in low forest cover conditions. In contrast, low forest cover triggers a strong combined effect of precipitation and temperature on drought in the temperate region. Our findings improve the understanding of the interaction between land cover change and the climate system and further assist decision-makers to modulate land management strategies in different regions in light of climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Towards the hydrological effects of land use change in karst area, a case study in Lijiang River Basin, China

With economic and social development, the inevitable conflict between growing populations and land use change has become increasingly prominent. In karst areas, such as the Lijiang River Basin (LRB) in South China, land use has undergone rapid and intense changes over the past few decades due to urbanization and agricultural development. Assessing the hydrological effects of future land use change scenarios in karst areas is essential for estimating potential flood risks. In this study, we constructed hydrological models for the LRB based on a widely used hydrological model (SWAT, Soil and Water Assessment Tool), analyzed the runoff coefficient (Rc) at event scale, and evaluated the hydrological effects under future land use scenarios in 2100 based on five shared socio-economic pathways (SSPs). The results indicate that the simulated streamflow effectively replicated the hydrographs of the LRB. The model exhibited good performance, as evidenced by daily streamflow simulation with NSE greater than 0.65 and PBIAS within the range of ± 15 %. This demonstrates the applicability of SWAT in karst areas. The analysis of storm events revealed that severe storms in the LRB mainly took place between April and July and in November, with relatively long durations and high Rc values. Under all five SSP-based future land use scenarios, it is predicted that flood risk will increase in the LRB. Notably, the severity of flood events during the dry season is expected to escalate, with Rc potentially increasing by up to 16 %. To address environmental degradation and achieve sustainable development, it is imperative to adopt appropriate environment-friendly land use practices and implement effective land management strategies.

Spatiotemporal evolution of cropland in Northeast China’s black soil region over the past 40 years at the county scale

This study investigates the 40-year spatiotemporal evolution of cropland in Northeast China’s black soil region at the county scale. Utilizing land use/cover maps from 1980 to 2020 with a 30 m × 30 m resolution, we employed various analytical methods, including mathematical statistics, GIS spatial analysis, land use transition matrix, landscape pattern analysis, and hotspot analysis. The findings of this study are as follows: (1) Cropland area expanded by 51,976.76 km2 from 1980 to 2020, mainly concentrated in the Sanjiang Plain, Songnen Plain, and Liaohe Plain. Notably, areas near prefecture-level city locations experienced a decrease in cropland, while regions farther from cities witnessed an increase. (2) Cropland primarily transitioned from woodland, grassland, and unused land to cropland, covering substantial areas. Conversely, cropland was converted mainly into woodland, built-up land, and grassland. (3) Over the same period, cropland in the region exhibited increased elevation and slope, with average altitude rising by 2.06 m and average slope increasing by 0.0369 degrees. (4) The study revealed an increase in cropland proportion, predominance, and aggregation, alongside more irregular shapes and reduced subdivision. These findings highlight significant changes in the cropland landscape in Northeast China’s black soil region and offer insights for policy recommendations and land management strategies. The research findings of this paper can offer valuable insights for the protection and utilization of cropland in the region. They can provide scientific references for the formulation of policies related to China’s food security.

Analysis of Land Suitability for Maize Production under Climate Change and Its Mitigation Potential through Crop Residue Management

Land Suitability Analysis (LSA), under the impact of climate change, is a fundamental approach to the design of appropriate land management strategies for sustainable crop production and food security. In this study, the FAO framework was used to assess the impact of climate change on land suitability for maize in Flanders, Belgium. The current LSA revealed the marginal suitability for maize cultivation, characterizing most of the agricultural land in Flanders and identifying precipitation as the most limiting factor for maize suitability. The LSA, under two climate change scenarios, was based on climate projections from several CMIP5 Global Circulation Models, transformed into future land suitability projections and assembled into a multi-model ensemble (MME) of projected suitability changes. The results indicate an average reduction in projected suitability of approximately 7% by 2099 under the high-emission scenario. The potential of the Soil-Improving Cropping System (SICS) to mitigate the impacts of climate change on land suitability was statistically significant under both low- and high-emission scenarios. This research provides valuable insights into the MME modeling of climate change impacts on land suitability and its associated uncertainty, with the application of SICS as a potential long-term mitigation measure to promote sustainable agricultural practices.

Modelling topographic influences on vegetation vigour in the Cradle Nature Reserve, Gauteng province, South Africa

The study explores topography and vegetation changes in the Cradle Nature Reserve’s landscape, which is characterised by interconnected water infiltration and drainage patterns with geological features such as sinkholes, using indices such as the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), the Topographic Position Index (TPI), the Topographic Ruggedness Index (TRI), and the Topographic Wetness Index (TWI). The high-resolution satellite images, including Sentinal-2A, the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission Digital Elevation Model, and NASSA Power Rainfall, Temperature, and Ground Wetness in the Root Zone-Modern Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2), were analysed using advanced statistical models. The software tools Stata/SE v.13.1, QGIS v.3.36, and ArcGIS desktop v. 10.8.2 were utilised for this analysis. The results emphasise the significance of incorporating topography into ecological research and highlight the necessity of focused conservation initiatives to address habitat suitability and erosion risk in challenging landscapes. Specifically, the results show that the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) has a strong negative correlation with the Topographic Position Index (TPI) (R2 = 0.95), indicating that TPI usually decreases as EVI increases. This relationship is influenced by landscape features such as sinkholes and depressions, which impact plant health. Additionally, the strong positive relationship between EVI and percentage slope gradient (R2 = 0.85) offers valuable insights for environmental studies and land management practices. Additionally, TRI shows a negative correlation with EVI (R2 = 0.94), emphasising the impact of terrain ruggedness on vegetation density. TWI analysis strongly correlates with slope gradients (R2 = 0.96), highlighting topography’s role in hydrological dynamics. Despite these insights, we acknowledge limitations such as scale dependency and the inability to capture fine terrain details. Integrating topographic information into ecological assessments and land management strategies is crucial for promoting conservation, sustainable practices, landscape ecology understanding, and biodiversity preservation decision-making.

Carbon stock potential of preferred woody species for agroforestry in West African Savannah

Agroforestry is a land management strategy with high potential for carbon sequestration. However, the high carbon sequestration potential for agroforestry is still doubtful in many developing countries. This study investigates smallholder farmers’ preferred woody species for agroforestry and their carbon stock potential in West African Savannah. A sample of 345 smallholder farmers was selected across the four area councils within the Nandom Municipality. The plot method was adopted in surveying the woody species on farmlands. A non-destructive biomass estimation method was used by applying an area specific allometric model. A factor of 0.47 was used to convert the biomass of the preferred tree species to carbon. Parkia biglobosa, Acacia sp, Vitellaria paradoxa, Mangifera indica, and Azadirachta indica were the most preferred tree species. The preference for the tree species was based on the socio-economic and environmental benefits smallholders derived from the tree species. Vitellaria paradoxa and Parkia biglobosa were the tree species with the highest carbon stock potential. The study recommends that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, in collaboration with the Forestry Service Commission and Non-Governmental Organisations interested in promoting agricultural activities, should facilitate training smallholder farmers on the nursery and integration of these tree species with their crops.

Evaporation and Transpiration From Multiple Proximal Forests and Wetlands

AbstractClimate change is intensifying the hydrologic cycle and altering ecosystem function, including water flux to the atmosphere through evapotranspiration (ET). ET is made up of evaporation (E) via non‐stomatal surfaces, and transpiration (T) through plant stomata which are impacted by global changes in different ways. E and T are difficult to measure independently at the ecosystem scale, especially across multiple sites that represent different land use and land management strategies. To address this gap in understanding, we applied flux variance similarity (FVS) to quantify how E and T differ across 13 different ecosystems measured using eddy covariance in a 10 × 10 km area from the CHEESEHEAD19 experiment in northern Wisconsin, USA. The study sites included eight forests with a large deciduous broadleaf component, three evergreen needleleaf forests, and two wetlands. Average T/ET for the study period averaged nearly 52% in forested sites and 45% in wetlands, with larger values after excluding periods following rain events when evaporation from canopy interception may be expected. A dominance analysis revealed that environmental variables explained on average 69% of the variance of half‐hourly T, which decreased from summer to autumn. Deciduous and evergreen forests showed similar E trajectories over time despite differences in vegetation phenology, and vapor pressure deficit explained some 13% of the variance E in wetlands but only 5% or less in forests. Retrieval of E and T within a dense network of flux towers lends confidence that FVS is a promising approach for comparing ecosystem hydrology across multiple sites to improve our process‐based understanding of ecosystem water fluxes.

The estimated suitability of land for hemp cultivation in the western region of Romania

In any region of the globe, the cultivation of industrial crops, including hemp, imposes certain conditions related to relief, climate, hydrology, or soil. The interrelations between these factors lead to differentiations regarding the establishment of cultivation zones and implicitly in terms of productivity. This study aimed to identify suitable areas for hemp cultivation and generate favorability maps in western Romania, based on GIS and MCDA techniques. Ten factors, significantly important for hemp cultivation, related to relief, climatic conditions, soil, and human intervention were considered. Following spatial analyses using the Weighted Overlay Analysis (WOA) method, the territory was classified into four zones: Zone I, with highly suitable lands (26%), located in the western half, overlapping with plain areas and river valleys; Zone II, with moderately suitable lands (28%), located in regions of high plains and hilly areas; Zone III, with marginal lands (3%), located in some depression areas, hilly areas, or at the contact with pre-mountainous areas; Zone IV, with unsuitable lands for hemp cultivation, in mountainous areas, under restrictive environmental conditions. The obtained results can be used in land management strategies or by farmers for estimating available land resources.

Assessing the Spatial Variability of Soil Physical Properties of the Lesser Himalayas in India

Understanding the spatial variability of soil properties is crucial for assessing the impact of measures taken to address land surface processes such as soil erosion and water pollution. It is also vital for recommending effective land management strategies. The present study was conducted to assess the spatial variations in soil textural fractions (sand, silt, and clay), bulk density and porosity. Soil samples were collected from 115 randomly selected locations using the Global Positioning System (GPS). The samples were taken at an average depth of 0-20 cm. A thorough examination was carried out in the laboratory to assess the physical properties of the soil. Afterwards, there was an analysis conducted to characterise the physical properties of soil and understand how they vary across different locations. The measured soil properties showed low to very high variability (6.26- 37.2%) for the Coefficient of variation (CV). The spatial dependence of soil properties was observed through the weak to strong nugget-to-sill ratios. Mapping the spatial variability of soil parameters involved using the Ordinary Kriging (OK) approach of Geostatistical analysis. This method helped identify the best-fit models for different soil parameters, such as Spherical for Silt, bulk density and porosity. Exponential for clay; and Gaussian for sand these spatial interpolation maps can be a valuable tool for pinpointing areas of land degradation in the study region and recommending specific land management strategies.

Hydrogeological Implications of Slope and Land Use/Land Cover Distribution in Part of Southern, Nigeria

The study focuses on the hydrogeological implications of slope and Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) distributions in the Aniocha and Oshimili regions of Nigeria. Understanding the spatial variations in these parameters is critical for effective groundwater management and sustainable land use planning in these areas. The aim is to assess the spatial distribution of slopes and LULC types and their impact on groundwater recharge and surface runoff in the study area. The study employs spatial analysis techniques to categorize slope data into five classes and LULC data into seven types for the years 2017 and 2023. The analysis covers Aniocha North, Aniocha South, Ika North, Ika South, Oshimili North, and Oshimili South. The slope analysis reveals that the largest area (1022.73 km²) falls within the 0-1.52° slope category, indicating predominantly flat terrain with high infiltration potential. The LULC analysis shows that in 2017, trees covered the most extensive area (2143.21 km²), which decreased to 1573.76 km² by 2023, indicating significant deforestation. Built areas expanded from 281.76 km² to 391.99 km², reflecting increased urbanization. Flat terrains (0-3.51°) are conducive to groundwater recharge due to their high infiltration rates, whereas steeper slopes (3.51-26.00°) exhibit higher runoff potential, impacting groundwater recharge negatively. The reduction in tree cover and expansion of built areas have significant hydrogeological implications. Deforestation reduces groundwater recharge potential, while urbanization increases surface runoff, potentially leading to flooding and reduced groundwater levels. The study highlights the need for integrated land and water management strategies to balance development with environmental sustainability. Protecting and managing flat areas for groundwater recharge, implementing soil conservation in steeper regions, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices are essential. Urban planning should incorporate green infrastructure to mitigate the impacts of increased impervious surfaces. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of slope and LULC changes over time and their hydrogeological implications, offering valuable insights for sustainable land and water resource management in the Aniocha and Oshimili regions.

Land degradation neutrality in the Penza region

This study is carried out in order to calculate the neutral balance of the territory of the Penza region using the trend.earth program. In the course of the study, data on current land use, climatic conditions and changes in land cover are collected and analyzed. Using the trend.earth program, modeling of various scenarios of impact on land coverage is carried out in order to determine possible strategies for improving land management in order to achieve a neutral balance. The results of this study can be used to develop practical strategies for the sustainable use of land resources and to reduce the negative impact on the environment in the Penza region. The study of the neutral balance of the territory of the Penza region should take into account the existing rates of change in land cover, including the expansion of agricultural land, loss of forests and changes in water resources. When using the trend.earth program to model possible scenarios, potential impacts on biodiversity, climatic conditions and ecosystem sustainability should also be taken into account. The results of this study will identify potential locations for forest restoration, optimization of agricultural land use and other strategies to achieve a neutral balance in land management. The study will also provide important information for the development of practical recommendations for the sustainable development of the region. In addition, the assessment of the neutral balance of land use using trend.earth will allow assessing potential scenarios of changes in land cover in the context of climate change and economic development. This will allow factors such as carbon stocks, biodiversity conservation and ecosystem sustainability to be taken into account when developing land management strategies.

Soil microbial community variation among different land use types in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China is likely to be caused by anthropogenic activities.

There are various types of land use in the agricultural and pastoral areas of northern China, including natural grassland and artificial grassland, scrub land, forest land and farmland, may change the soil microbial community However, the soil microbial communities in these different land use types remain poorly understood. In this study, we compared soil microbial communities in these five land use types within the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China. Our results showed that land use has had a considerable impact on soil bacterial and fungal community structures. Bacterial diversity was highest in shrubland and lowest in natural grassland; fungal diversity was highest in woodland. Microbial network structural complexity also differed significantly among land use types. The lower complexity of artificial grassland and farmland may be a result of the high intensity of anthropogenic activities in these two land-use types, while the higher structural complexity of the shrubland and woodland networks characterised by low-intensity management may be a result of low anthropogenic disturbance. Correlation analysis of soil properties (e.g., soil physicochemical properties, soil nutrients, and microbiomass carbon and nitrogen levels) and soil microbial communities demonstrated that although microbial taxa were correlated to some extent with soil environmental factors, these factors did not sufficiently explain the microbial community differences among land use types. Understanding variability among soil microbial communities within agro-pastoral areas of northern China is critical for determining the most effective land management strategies and conserving microbial diversity at the regional level.

Soil quality analysis using statistical methods

This paper presents an analysis of soil quality using statistical methods. The study includes correlation analysis to identify key relationships between various soil and environmental parameters, and regression analysis to quantify the influence of these factors. The findings demonstrate how various factors such as geographical and climatic conditions affect soil quality parameters. The findings of the study highlight the effectiveness of integrating statistical methods for more accurate and reliable analysis of soil quality related data. These results can be useful for developing land management strategies and improving agricultural practices.

Cotton farmers’ intention to adopt biochar as climate change adaptation and sustainable land management strategy in Benin

Innovative agricultural practices represent the future of the world in the sustainable improvement of agricultural productivity. Sustainable farming practices have been recognized and accepted by agricultural development stakeholders, to provide a wide range of social, economic, financial, and environmental benefits. Despite this recognition, the application of these practices in the literature has focused on socio-economic and technical aspects while the psychosocial elements of the application have received limited attention. To contribute to a broad understanding of the concept, this study aims at analyzing the psychosociological motivations of cotton farmers to use biochar as a sustainable land management strategy. Adopting a survey research design, a sample of 528 farmers in Benin (West Africa) was interviewed on the pillars of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) (Attitude, Subjective norms, Behavioral Control) and three other aspects (Climate change perception, Past behavior and Productivity risk perception) for an extension of TPB. The data collected were analyzed using the structural equation model of the SmartPLS 4 program. The results of this study confirmed all TPB relationships except for the construction of the “Attitude" pillar where Perceived ease of use had no significant influence. Apart from the classical TPB factors, perception of climate change and past behavior in adopting new agricultural practices positively affect the application of biochar. However, possible yield decreases at the beginning of biochar use demotivate farmers to take initiatives in this direction. The study notes that the role of a good perception and knowledge of the effects of climate change and the benefits of biochar action are elements to be considered in promoting sustainable cotton farming and agricultural practices.

Properties of soils on fluvio-marin landform and their land management strategy for paddy field in Bataguh swampy area, Kapuas Regency, Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia

Tidal swamp land has strategic and prospective value in sustaining national food resiliency and reserves. This land has the potential for the development of commodity paddy fields. However, this type of tidal swamp has a unique character and influences land management. This research aims to determine soil properties on landform fluvio-marine and its potential for developing lowland rice in Bataguh District, Kapuas Regency, Central Kalimantan. A total of 4 representative soil profiles were identified and characterized in the field and laboratory. Research results show that the lands under study have fine texture. Soils in the surface layer are classified as very acidic to acidic (soil pH 3.3-4.7), has very high organic C levels (5.46-9.37%), potential P moderate (21-40 mg.100g-1), K potential low until moderate (16-21 mg.100g-1), exchangeable Ca low (2.24-3.17 cmolckg-1), exchangeable Mg medium (5.11-8.30 cmolckg-1), soil CEC medium until high (19.63-38.09 cmolckg-1), and base saturation low until high (37-63%). The depth of sulfidic materials or pyrite layer is shallow until deep within 50-85 cm. The sand mineral fraction is dominated by quartz, while the mineral fraction of clay is dominated by kaolinite, followed by vermiculite and illite. The land studied is classified as marginally suitable (S3) for the development of tidal rice fields with a limiting factor for acid to very acid soil reactions (soil pH <5). Balanced fertilization, liming, and micro water management can be done to increase the productivity of this land.

Using remote sensing techniques to delineate SDS “hotspot” source regions

Operational remote sensing (ORS) is an effective tool for hazard zonation of the dust source areas for remediation and vegetation purposes. Various ORS satellite monitoring techniques, including NASA MODIS Aqua/Terra, Landsat and ESA Sentinel, were used to delineate a major sand and dust storm (SDS) “hotspot” area in the Mesopotamia region of southern Iraq. SDS blown from this “hotspot” area is transboundary and travels thousands of kilometres from the source affecting multi-countries, including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar. We applied various ORS datasets to clearly delineate the “hotspot” area with high temporal and spatial resolution. The techniques used include: (1) surface composition analysis and mapping, (2) vegetation mapping, (3) topographic and soil moisture, (4) aerosol optical depth (AOD), and (5) temporal monitoring and trend analysis. ORS identified severe wind erosion located in the top center (hotspot 1) and southwest (hotspot 2) regions of the “hotspot” area. By leveraging these ORS techniques scientists can properly assess and understand the soil structure of areas prone to SDS, delineating factors contributing to soil erosion and SDS generation. This understanding is fundamental for implementing effective land management strategies, conservation efforts, and early warning systems aimed at mitigating the impacts of SDS on both local and transboundary scales.