Land Use Options Research Articles

The potential of Vachellia kosiensis (Acacia kosiensis) as a dryland forestry species in terms of its water use, growth rates and resultant water-use efficiency

The potential of the country’s numerous indigenous tree species to address challenges facing the commercial forestry industry in South Africa is under-explored. Relevant issues include the rising demand for timber and non-timber forest products due to population and economic growth, minimal available land for expanding traditional commercial forestry operations, and known streamflow reduction impacts associated with introduced plantation tree species. However, little is known about the water use and corresponding growth rates of indigenous tree species, and consequently their potential as an alternative form of forestry and sustainable resource use. In this study, the water use, growth rates and resultant water-use efficiency of Vachellia kosiensis (Acacia kosiensis) (dune sweet thorn) were quantified within a mature stand of these trees situated on rehabilitated dune mining land in the Richards Bay area of South Africa. Hourly sap flow rates were measured over a two-year period in five trees, and tree heights and stem circumferences were recorded periodically throughout the monitoring period, to derive biomass increments. Rates of growth and water use were used to calculate water-use efficiency, defined as mass of utilisable (stem) wood produced per unit of water transpired. Results were compared with similarly sampled data for introduced plantation species, including Eucalyptus, Pinus and Casuarina. Results showed that the indigenous V. kosiensis trees used less than half the water used by introduced plantation species. The growth rates of individual V. kosiensis trees were unable to compete with introduced species; however, their higher tree density nevertheless yielded a mean annual increment of 10.3 m3 ha−1 y−1 (7.2 t ha−1 y−1). Furthermore, their correspondingly low water-use rates indicated that the indigenous trees had similar biophysical water-use efficiency values compared with genetically improved introduced tree species and highlighted their potential as an attractive land-use option in appropriate locations within water-constrained or dryland areas.

Application of the ecosystem service concept for climate protection in Germany

The implementation of the ecosystem services (ES) concept in planning and administration has gained momentum in Germany, so far the focus has been on landscape planning. We extend this research by exploring other legal domains such as urban planning and climate protection strategies and focus on climate protection and the use of renewable energies. This study analyzes all existing (n=13) climate protection laws and their drafts on federal state level in Germany, assessing their implicit and explicit use of the ES concept. 26 communal climate protection concepts on local level were also examined. Additionally, the sector of urban planning was considered through analysis of the climate protection amendment of the German Building Code (BauGB).Results show both biotic and abiotic ES to already be a significant part of other planning domains besides landscape planning. The sector of climate protection addresses mostly abiotic ES both implicitly and explicitly to implement and strengthen the use of renewable energies. Consequently, a specific category of ES related to renewable energies is introduced in this paper: REES (renewable energy ecosystem services). On the federal state level, REES are clearly highlighted with a strong strategic focus on mitigation and the promotion of renewable energies. In contrast, regulative ES in connection with adaptation measures were more frequently addressed on the local level. Still, REES were most frequently named when addressing measures, stakeholder and target groups. An enhanced incorporation of abiotic ES into classification systems seems necessary to enable a fair and balanced representation of biotic and abiotic services in evaluation studies or in the trade-off analysis of different land-use options.

Nineteenth-century land-use legacies affect contemporary land abandonment in the Carpathians

Historical land use may shape landscapes for centuries into the future, but it remains unclear how much land-use legacies affect contemporary land use. Knowing for how long and how strongly land-use legacies affect agricultural systems is important for contemporary land-use planning and conservation. We assessed the effect of nineteenth-century agricultural legacies for contemporary agricultural abandonment by integrating historic maps and satellite imagery in the Carpathian region. We modeled the choice of agricultural land, and the legacies of Habsburg and Socialist regimes, while controlling for agro-ecological, accessibility and sociopolitical variation. Farming during the Habsburg era was concentrated in agro-ecologically suitable areas, but socialist agricultural expansion occurred mostly in less suitable areas, leading to subsequent abandonment. In addition, our results showed that historic land use affected abandonment even 100 years later. Although legacies diminished over time, their effects were amplified when political transformations occurred, likely due to land tenure systems, land owner attitudes, cultural values and differences in land improvement over time. Taken together, land-use legacies and shifts in political systems can constrain current land management and possible future land-use options, suggesting that contemporary land-use decisions can affect future land use for decades and even centuries.

The opportunity costs of worthless land: The nexus between national parks and glacier ski resorts in the Alps

This paper discusses the development of national parks and glacier ski resort in high mountain landscapes of the Alps formerly regarded as wild, and therefore worthless, lands. Surprisingly, both land uses are often located in direct neighbourhood, indicating that they share the same spatial requirements. While national parks aim at the preservation of unspoiled landscapes free from human influences, glacier ski resorts represent a high-tech type of tourism to extend the skiing season (summer skiing). As these land-use options appear mutually exclusive, sometimes sharp conflicts resulted from their spatial collision and raised questions about their pros and cons. Against this background this paper investigates why, where and when such land-use conflicts occurred in the Alps, how they were handled and how the situation looks today. Using the two case studies of the Hohe Tauern (Austria) and the Vanoise (France), both of which experienced highly controversial and emotional debates at a time, we trace the different solutions pursued, including the total ban on infrastructure development in favour of conservation as well as the partial violation of national parks by glacier ski resorts. However, such conflicts did not arise in every glacier ski resort and have receded since the 1980s anyway as a result of a fall in demand for summer skiing and the closure of several resorts.

Inter- and transdisciplinary scenario construction to explore future land-use options in southern Amazonia

Inter- and transdisciplinary scenario construction to explore future land-use options in southern Amazonia

Improving, Restoring, and Managing Natural Resources on Rural Properties in Florida: Sources of Financial Assistance

Interested in conserving natural resources, such as wildlife habitat, or protecting the agricultural heritage of your land? Both federal and state governments have technical and financial assistance programs to help rural landowners achieve natural resource goals. These challenges are addressed through land rentals, technical assistance, cost-shares, and incentive payments and include both time-limited and permanent land-use options. This revised 8-page fact sheet informs landowners about government programs available to help conserve natural resources. Written by Chris Demers, Martin B. Main, and Mark E. Hostetler, and published by the UF School of Forest Resources and Conservation, November 2016. SS-FOR-23/FR156: Improving, Restoring, and Managing Natural Resources on Rural Properties in Florida: Sources of Financial Assistance (ufl.edu)

The effectiveness of the zoning of China's protected areas

Increasing human numbers and aspirations threaten protected areas worldwide. China faces especially strong pressure since many people live inside protected areas. It has sought to balance human needs and conservation goals within them by creating mixed zoning schemes loosely based on UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme. These include strictly-protected core zones, buffer zones allowing limited human use, and experimental zones that examine different land-use options. To test the efficacy of this zoning, we employed field surveys and remote sensing to assess the penetration of agricultural and urban land into 109 national nature reserves in China for 2000 and 2010. Human disturbance was lowest in core zones and highest in experimental zones in both 2000 and 2010. Over this period, 82% of the reserves were unchanged or had decreased human disturbance. Nonetheless, overall human disturbance increased by 7%, 4%, and 5% in the core, buffer and experimental zones respectively. Almost all the increase in the core zone was in four wetland reserves, where human actions converted large areas to agriculture. Some 58% of reserves experienced some human disturbance in core zones in 2010, demonstrating a need for more effective zoning. The findings have broader implications for protected area management globally because they highlight the strengths and weaknesses of zoning for balancing human needs and species conservation.

Exploring limits and trade-offs of irrigation and agricultural intensification in the Ruamahanga catchment, New Zealand

ABSTRACTIrrigation schemes enable agricultural intensification or change to more profitable land uses, but may also lead to adverse environmental effects (e.g. nitrate leaching). Decision-makers face the challenge of assessing potential intensification options and comparing their advantages and disadvantages. We used the Land-Use Management Support System (LUMASS) to assess land-use development scenarios for the potential irrigable areas Black Creek and White Rock in the Ruamahanga catchment. Our results show that intensification and expansion of dairy farming and arable cropping increased production levels, but also nitrate leaching and greenhouse gas emissions. A higher production increase was associated with a higher environmental footprint. However, increasing the number of land-use conversion options reduced the environmental footprint while achieving the same agricultural production. Optimizing the match of land use and the landscape’s potential to provide ecosystem services increased the operating surplus while maintaining the environmental footprint. The presented modelling approach can provide decision-makers with evidence-based guidance for spatial planning and policy development on agricultural and environmental limits of land-use development.

A Linear Programming Model to Biophysically Assess Some Ecosystem Service Synergies and Trade-Offs in Two Irish Landscapes

Ecosystem service provisions are becoming more frequently used to assess land-use related conflicts in recent decades. This study investigates the current spatial and research information available to quantify ecosystem services relative to forest land-use planning in Ireland. A model is developed using the linear-programming method in Remsoft’s Woodstock platform. This model is applied to two case study areas in Ireland: Western Peatlands and Newmarket. Each case study area was chosen to assess a unique issue in the Irish and European context on the provision of ecosystem services. Western Peatlands was chosen to assess the effects of forest and alternative land-use options and Newmarket was chosen to investigate the effect of afforestation. The synergies and trade-offs of biophysically optimising the provisions of each ecosystem service are presented and discussed. The study quantitatively determines that trade-offs among provisions of some ecosystem services are required when optimising an ecosystem service while other ecosystem services are synergistic when the provision of a single ecosystem service is optimised.

Land-use response to drought scenarios and water policy intervention in Lijiang, SW China

As a part of the Asian highlands, Lijiang, in the northwest of Yunnan Province, China, is threatened by climate-induced drought and an increasing water demand by tourism development. Understanding local farmers’ land-use options in response to drought and policy intervention is crucial for future adaptation strategies. We assessed farmers’ land-use options and the socio-economic factors affecting decisions under drought and water policy scenarios using household surveys. From the total of 174 households surveyed, whether under a drought scenario or a drought scenario with water policy intervention, we found that respondents preferred land-use options focusing on four choices: keep current pattern; keep crops, but reduce areas; abandon farming; rent out farmlands. Findings suggest that there is a growing pattern of agricultural abandonment for urban jobs as a strategy to cope with climate change impacts. The results identified a total of five socio-economic factors that have a significant effect on the households’ land-use options. These factors are important for the households’ land-use decisions and could prevent people from altering their livelihood strategies. We provide some specific recommendations which could enhance local households’ potential adaptation to drought, as well as for effective management of water to prevent potential conflicts in the design or implementation of water policy with the local community.

Gender specific land-use decisions and implications for ecosystem services in semi-matrilineal Sumatra

Abstract Gender specificity with respect to land-use options and responsiveness to agents that offer related investment opportunities is poorly understood. We combined agent-based modeling and experimental role playing games to compare land-use preferences and decisions between men and women in a landscape dominated by rubber agroforests in Sumatra, Indonesia. Ecosystem service delivery can be influenced by gender specific land-use preferences, especially in areas under conservation agreements. The research methods were designed to examine gender aspects of three ‘bounds’ of human nature ( bounded rationality, bounded willpower and bounded self-interests ) in relation to land-use decisions. Rice fields (mostly owned and inherited by females) provide part of local staple food needs in the study area, whereas rubber agroforests provide income in addition to resources for local use and rubber and oil palm monocultures are fully market oriented. In both the model and game exercises, men preferred the status quo rice production in combination with agroforest land uses, but women preferred the conversion of agroforest to more financially profitable monoculture systems, with increased carbon emissions as side effect. Although both genders exhibited similar preferences for ecosystem service provision, regulatory ecosystem services (i.e., climate and water regulation) were reduced by women’s landuse choices. Thus, ecosystem service tradeoffs are potentially greater in women-dominated landscapes under these circumstances. Furthermore, gender-specific limitations and socio-cultural contexts (i.e., matrilineal societies) may influence the flow of ecosystem services as well as landscape patterns.

Exploring local consequences of two land-use alternatives for the supply of urban ecosystem services in Stockholm year 2050

Ecosystem services (ESs) are gaining ground in urban policy as a key to attaining sustainable cities. However, strategic and land-use planners need operational and accessible tools to better understand the consequences of policy and planning measures. Based on a study of the City of Stockholm and its surrounding region, we argue that spatially explicit land-use mapping is a good base for modeling and visualizing the supply of urban ESs provided by different patterns of Service Providing Units. By adding more detailed characteristics of land use through the concept of Service Providing Elements (SPEs), and by assessing synergies and trade-offs between these attributes, implications for the supply of ESs at different scale levels could be identified and discussed. Detailed land-use mapping and ES modeling were applied to two future land-use alternatives. The supply of eight urban ESs was found to vary significantly between the two alternatives depending on the ratios of different SPEs, even within identical land-use classes. One of the land-use alternatives had significantly higher potential for food and energy provision, much higher air cooling and air quality regulation capacity especially in densely built areas, showed less surface sealing, and provided better conditions for mental recreation. The exception was supply of physical recreation opportunities, where the other land-use option had an advantage. These differences became more accentuated when we zoomed in on two local urban areas. Based on these findings, our main conclusion is that, in order to provide planning and policy-making with an adequate knowledge base, it is necessary to move beyond land-use classes, as defined by European data sets like Urban Atlas, and toward tools capable of capturing more detailed aspects of land use and its relations to the supply of urban ESs. This should be made a priority, especially in early stages of planning and policy formation, and also used to support development of urban by-laws, procurement arrangements, neighborhood and building certification, etc. The approaches used in the study can serve as a valid starting point for further development of such tools and methods compatible with planners’ ordinary working modes. However, to make such progress possible, the ecosystem service research community needs to step up to the challenge of delivering locally specific and useful data on how urban land-use links to ES supply, including synergies and trade-offs between different ESs.

Maori livestock farming achieving functional integrity

This paper uses a historical analysis of agricultural development to explore functional integrity of the New Zealand rural landscape arising from a national agenda to pursue greater agricultural outputs. The concept of functional integrity is extended by Maori farming as it introduces a further set of functions related to the aspirations of indigenous landholders. A land-use integrated decision-mak­ing framework (IDMF) was developed and applied to four Maori farm case studies that wanted to use land performance to meet their aspirational goals. The IDMF has linked indigenous knowledge with Western science and industry knowledge to form a holistic framework for framing questions, and evaluating and designing land-use options that have the potential to balance multiple out­comes and confer functional integrity. The IDMF provides a framework that will organise multiple activities and coordinate different quantitative and qualitative data sets in a visual format that allows for discussion within a collective deci­sion-making environment. The framework was found to be useful for exploring and making transparent the trade-off between differing functions. This under­standing guides the exploration of strategies that will enable the attainment of several functions simultaneously.

Mapping transition potential with stakeholder- and policy-driven scenarios in Rotterdam City

This paper introduces a mapping approach to identify hot- and hard-spots for sustainability transition in cities by analyzing different stakeholder- and policy-driven land-use scenarios in Rotterdam City, the Netherlands. Rotterdam's sustainability office initiated a knowledge co-production process in which visions and transition pathways for the sustainable and resilient future of Rotterdam, considering existing challenges and opportunities, were co-created. These scenarios were analyzed using a straightforward scenario approach to spatially identify, map and analyze change. By mapping change, trade-offs and synergies between different land-use options among the scenarios, this study disentangles the complexity of a stakeholder co-production process and is able to discover crucial transition areas. Furthermore, multiple urban ecosystem services were valued for each scenario, and environmental impacts could be detected for all of the different visions. The mapping approach applied is a good method to communicate the consequences of induced land-use change back to stakeholders and decision-makers and thus contributes to the visual loop of real co-design. Identifying the hot-spots of change enables attention to be drawn to the most rewarding areas for transition, and moreover, it shows areas in which different visions are not conflicting but rather cross-benefiting each other. Additionally, hard-spots or areas in which existing visions contradict each other show that careful mediation and the revision of change options might be the way to go.

Is aridity restricting deforestation and land uses in the South American Dry Chaco?

ABSTRACTIn this paper, we explored how aridity influences the regional deforestation and land-use patterns (i.e. crops/pastures) in South American Dry Chaco. To do this, we contrasted land use during last decade (2001–2012) with a spatially explicit aridity index, which we complemented with a crop water balance model. Land-use classifications were performed by considering the temporal variability of NDVI from MODIS satellites, showing that 40 and 60% of deforested land was assigned to crops and pastures, respectively. Results indicate that although the regional deforestation pattern was not associated with the aridity gradient, with drier areas similarly deforested as wetter areas, contrasting differences were observed in the use of this land, with crops mostly located (90%) in wetter areas and pastures evenly distributed across the whole aridity gradient. This research highlighted the strong effect of water limitations on the land-use option after deforestation and may help to set the basis for future land-use planning policies.

Complementary benefits of tourism and hunting to communal conservancies in Namibia

Tourism and hunting both generate substantial revenues for communities and private operators in Africa, but few studies have quantitatively examined the trade-offs and synergies that may result from these two activities. We evaluated financial and in-kind benefit streams from tourism and hunting on 77 communal conservancies in Namibia from 1998 to 2013, where community-based wildlife conservation has been promoted as a land-use that complements traditional subsistence agriculture. We used data collected annually for all communal conservancies to characterize whether benefits were derived from hunting or tourism. We classified these benefits into 3 broad classes and examined how benefits flowed to stakeholders within communities under the status quo and under a simulated ban on hunting. Across all conservancies, total benefits from hunting and tourism increased at roughly the same rate, although conservancies typically started generating benefits from hunting within 3 years of formation as opposed to after 6 years for tourism. Disaggregation of data revealed that the main benefits from hunting were income for conservancy management and food in the form of meat for the community at large. The majority of tourism benefits were salaried jobs at lodges. A simulated ban on trophy hunting significantly reduced the number of conservancies that could cover their operating costs, whereas eliminating income from tourism did not have as severe an effect. Given that the benefits generated from hunting and tourism typically begin at different times in a conservancy's life-span (earlier vs. later, respectively) and flow to different segments of local communities, these 2 activities together may provide the greatest incentives for conservation on communal lands in Namibia. A singular focus on either hunting or tourism would reduce the value of wildlife as a competitive land-use option and have grave repercussions for the viability of community-based conservation efforts in Namibia, and possibly other parts of Africa.

Mopane worm (Imbrasia belina) and rural household food security in Limpopo province, South Africa

Rural households in South Africa are vulnerable to food and income adversity. As a result, they adopt a range of livelihoods strategies, including consumption and trade of woodland resources to improve their living standards. Mopane worms (caterpillars of the Emperor Moth Imbrasia belina) have been identified as important to rural livelihoods, as an alternative land-use option as well as in fulfilling an important food security function. Whilst mopane worms may contribute to food security, this safety-net function needs more critical and quantitative investigation. This study examined the relationship between mopane worm consumption and household’s food security in the Limpopo Province, South Africa using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) and the Tobit regression model based on a household survey of 120 respondents. The result from HFIAS showed that about 52 % of the households were severely food insecure, while others were either mildly or moderately food insecure. Only 16 % of the households were food secure. The Tobit regression model estimates show that proxy variables (i.e. income from mopane worm trade and the frequency of mopane worm consumption) measuring the contribution of mopane worms to rural household food security are statistically significant factors influencing household food insecurity in the study area. Implications for policy are discussed.

The Non-gated Gated Community of Stapleton

ABSTRACTStapleton is an urban infill development with a master plan that calls for many ambitious and benevolent social, environmental, and economic goals: aiming to become a well-integrated, inclusive community; promoting internal diversity by providing an array of land-use and housing options; and integrating externally through fostered connections to surrounding, already established neighborhoods. However, through observations and walking interviews with residents, we have reason to question the fulfillment of these goals. Instead we found several physical and non-physical barriers that clearly divide the community, both internally and externally. This study is intended to advance discourse on community borders, particularly for infill developments integrating into already existing urban fabrics.

Household types as a tool to understand adaptive capacity: case studies from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Bangladesh and India

Supporting smallholder households to adapt to climate variability is a high priority for development agencies and national governments. Efforts to support climate adaptation in developing countries occur within highly dynamic contexts. Macro-level changes in national and regional economies manifest in dynamic local conditions, such as migration, changing household labour dynamics, market access and land-use options. Research aimed at developing adaptation options is often focused on particular activities or industries and struggles to take into account the broader, interrelated suite of household livelihood activities or the non-climate stressors driving change and adaptation. This paper explores the use of household types to (a) understand the diversity of household circumstances and (b) place agricultural adaptation options within the broader context of household livelihoods. Results from application in four countries are discussed, which highlight the utility of the method and identify broader level trends and drivers that are common challenges (experienced differently) across multiple contexts.

The development of aquaculture on the northern coast of Manila Bay (Philippines): an analysis of long-term land-use changes and their causes

This study documents the event chronology and causes of land-use change in a deltaic region of the Philippines since the beginnings of aquaculture in the late nineteenth century. Satellite images and topographic maps spanning the period 1972–2013 were processed to map fishponds and the natural habitats over which they have encroached. Historical archives were consulted and interviews were conducted to understand the historical exploitation of local natural resources and the reasons behind the recorded land changes. Results showed that aquaculture developed in the late nineteenth century and expanded subsequently across the landscape under a succession of forcing factors. The global market, for example, played an early role but a number of land-use changes were also a direct response to changing environmental constraints and natural hazards. These cumulative events have promoted continuous gain in favor of aquaculture, to the detriment of other land-use options.