Private Land Research Articles

Long-term patterns of post-fire harvest diverge among ownerships in the Pacific West, U.S.A.

Abstract Post-fire harvest (PFH) is a forest management practice designed to salvage value from burned timber, mitigate safety hazards from dead trees, reduce long-term fuels, and prepare sites for replanting. Despite public controversy and extensive ecological research, little is known about how much PFH occurs on private and public lands in the U.S. Pacific West, or how practices changed with shifting forest policy and increasing area burned over the last three decades. We mapped PFH across 2.2M burned hectares in California, Oregon, and Washington between 1986-2017 and used time series intervention analysis to compare trends in area, rate (% of burned area harvested), and mean patch size between private (0.5M ha) and federal (1.6M ha) forest land and across a gradient of burn severity. Harvest rates varied by ownership (4.9% federal, 18.6% private, 8.0% overall), and practices evolved and diverged over the study period. PFH area and rate declined across all ownerships in the mid-1990s during a period of reduced fire activity. As area burned increased between the early 2000s and late 2010s, PFH area rebounded and surpassed late-1980s levels, while rates remained relatively low. On federal lands, PFH practices shifted in the early-to-mid 1990s towards lower rates (10.3% to 3.8%) and smaller patches (6.0 to 3.3 ha), following policy changes and increased litigation. PFH rates on federal lands decreased at all levels of burn severity, with the largest decreases (6.2% to 1.2%) in forests with low tree mortality (i.e. fire refugia). Conversely, private PFH rates and mean patch sizes more than doubled in forests burned at very low-to-moderate severity. Our results highlight how PFH practices have shifted with policy, socio-economic pressure, and increasing area burned over 31 years in the Pacific West. A similar area of post-fire harvest is now dispersed over larger fires, with practices diverging substantially between ownerships.

Economic effects of wild boar damage to crops in protected areas of Nepal

Human wild-boar conflict is one of the prominent issues in Nepal, especially in areas adjacent to protected areas. Wild boars cause substantial damage to the agricultural crops and affect the lives of rural farmers through economic loss. However, the extent of this loss varies across protected areas. Thus, this study aims to compare the economic loss due to crop damage by wild boar between two protected areas with different management regimes; Shuklaphanta National Park (ShNP) and Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve (DHR). We used a questionnaire survey and descriptive statistics to characterize and compare the pattern of human wild boar conflicts between ShNP and DHR. Altogether, the two protected areas experienced a crop damage of 87,035.78kg with an estimated economic loss of 26,389 USD in our study. The most damaged crop in the ShNP was paddy whereas that in DHR was potato. We recorded a higher crop damage and economic loss in ShNP than in DHR. However, the severity of conflict is higher in DHR with around 8% of the total production damaged by wild boar. Although the government declared wild boar an agricultural menace in 2023 and permitted killing on private lands, local communities should also apply other mitigation measures to prevent wild boars from entering crop fields. Additionally, the potential introduction of trophy hunting in ShNP (already permitted in DHR), following comprehensive studies, could help reduce economic losses associated with human-wild boar conflicts. Such combined efforts could create a more sustainable approach to managing wild boar populations while safeguarding local agriculture and livelihoods.

Optimal investments in private land conservation depend more on landholder preferences than climate change

Abstract Effective private land conservation strategies that consider both landholder preferences and future climatic conditions are critical for preserving biodiversity and ecosystem services. Yet, the interaction and relative importance of these factors for conservation planning performance is unknown. Here, we assess the importance of considering landholder preferences and climate change for prioritising locations for conservation tenders to recruit landholders for conservation covenants. To achieve this we develop a planning framework that accounts for the tender process to optimise investment across regions and apply it to koala-focused tenders in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, exploring four planning approaches that consider or are ignorant to landholder preferences or climate change. We find that optimal investments depend more on landholder preferences than climate change, and when landholder preferences are ignored, there is little benefit in accounting for climate change. Our analysis reveals new insights into this important interaction.

Analisis Perencanaan Pengelolaan Keuangan Desa (Studi Kasus pada Desa Glagahwero Kecamatan Panti Kabupaten Jember)

This study aims to analyze the financial planning and management in Glagahwero Village, Panti Subdistrict, Jember Regency. Based on the Village Law and related regulations such as Ministry of Home Affairs Regulation (Permendagri) No. 20 of 2018 and No. 114 of 2014, this research highlights the steps involved in the planning, execution, and reporting of village finances. A qualitative approach was used with a case study involving interviews with village officials and analysis of relevant documents. The results show that the village's financial planning aligns with current regulations, though challenges remain in its implementation, such as limited understanding of new regulations among village officials and social issues related to the use of private land. This study emphasizes the importance of improving regulatory understanding and increasing community participation in the village financial planning process to achieve optimal transparency and accountability.

A spatially explicit assessment of factors shaping attitudes toward African elephant conservation.

Conservation plans that explicitly account for the social landscape where people and wildlife co-occur can yield more effective and equitable conservation practices and outcomes. Yet, social data remain underutilized, often because social data are treated as aspatial or are analyzed with approaches that do not quantify uncertainty or address bias in self-reported data. We conducted a survey (questionnaires) of 177 households in a multiuse landscape in the Kenya-Tanzania borderlands. In a mixed-methods approach, we used Bayesian hierarchical models to quantify and map local attitudes toward African elephant (Loxodonta africana) conservation while accounting for response bias and then combined inference from attitude models with thematic analysis of open-ended responses and cointerpretation of results with local communities to gain deeper understanding of what explains attitudes of people living with wildlife. Model estimates showed that believing elephants have sociocultural value increased the probability of respondents holding positive attitudes toward elephant conservation in general (mean increase=0.31 [95% credible interval, CrI, 0.02-0.67]), but experiencing negative impacts from any wildlife species lowered the probability of respondents holding a positive attitude toward local elephant conservation (mean decrease=-0.20 [95% CrI -0.42 to 0.03]). Qualitative data revealed that safety and well-being concerns related to the perceived threats that elephants pose to human lives and livelihoods, and limited incentives to support conservation on community and private lands lowered positive local attitude probabilities and contributed to negative perceptions of human-elephant coexistence. Our spatially explicit modeling approach revealed fine-scale variation in drivers of conservation attitudes that can inform targeted conservation planning. Our results suggest that approaches focused on sustaining existing sociocultural values and relationships with wildlife, investing in well-being, and implementing species-agnostic approaches to wildlife impact mitigation could improve conservation outcomes in shared landscapes.

Imperfection of land system in agriculture, possible consequences and the ways to correct them

Significant transformations occurred during the land reform by January 1999. The monopoly of state ownership over land was abolished, and reorganizations of collective and state farms were carried out, alongside the privatization of land. Since 2002, the turnover of agricultural land has been regulated by Federal Law No. 101-FZ of July 24, 2002, "On the Turnover of Agricultural Land." Ownership, use, and disposal of land plots that are in shared ownership can only be carried out in accordance with the decisions of the participants in the shared ownership. However, the procedure for allocating land plots against the shares of land is lengthy, costly, and prone to corruption. Imperfect land legislation and incompetence in the courts hinder the completion of land transformations. This article discusses the issues of shared land ownership related to multi-contour land plots and methods to overcome these challenges.

Factors influencing farmers' willingness to provide private land for a coordinated flood mitigation scheme in the Drin basin

AbstractFlooding poses a significant and recurring threat in numerous regions. The adverse impacts of flooding can be mitigated through risk sharing, such as insurance or risk reduction. However, insurance might not be accessible in underdeveloped markets or in instances where floods are too frequent. Similarly, the necessary funding or land for structural measures might not be available. Alternatively, measures could be implemented on private land, either through individual initiatives or as part of a coordinated effort. This approach was explored in the flood‐prone regions of Albania and North Macedonia. A survey conducted among 124 farmers revealed that 73% of them are willing to allocate land for flood mitigation, provided they receive adequate compensation. Furthermore, certain factors increase farmers' willingness to cooperate. A logit model indicated a positive correlation between expectations of future floods (increased severity and frequency), receipt of ex‐ante financial support, positive perception of the effectiveness of agricultural flood mitigation measures, and age. Those who view flood protection as personal responsibility and those more inclined to pay for flood insurance are less likely to cooperate. The findings could be utilized to identify farmers who are likely to contribute to establishing a coordinated effort on a stable basis.

DEMYSTIFYING AGRICULTURAL POPULISM IN MAASAI RANGELANDS IN THE SOUTHWESTERN KENYA

Agricultural expansion in Kenya’s Amboseli region has resulted in proven negative effects both on native megafauna that use the ecosystem as a dispersal area, as well as on grazing and water resources utilized by local livestock herds. While community conservancy programs supported by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) provide an ecologically sustainable alternative to farming’s increasing popularity, the claim that agriculture is the most profitable land-use option for the region remains dominant –– even as increasingly frequent droughts interrupt agricultural processes. This study presents a comparative analysis of the overall benefit of land-use– agriculture and conservancies– in the Amboseli region. We draw on fieldwork conducted between March - May 2023, in the former Kimana Group Ranch in the Amboseli region of southwestern Kenya. Data was collected through household surveys with 150 landowners, and key informant interviews with leaders and officers of various conservancies and NGOs in the area. We conducted approximate analyses of the annual cash flow reported by each household to compare the profitability of different land-use options. The results of the study show that, while agriculture is by far the most popular land-use option in Amboseli, the region’s traditional pastoralist practices remain the most financially stable and lucrative land-use option. Leasing land for conservation through community conservancies was the second most profitable. Irrigated agriculture, mostly practiced by non-Maasai people, showed relatively short-lived financial returns. We argue that increased farming in Maasai rangelands is fueled primarily by land privatization and the promise of immediate profits –– promises whose benefits are far outweighed by long-term economic and socio-ecological consequences. Considering that indigenous Maasai pastoralism is most sustainable for the semiarid rangeland and that our research indicated agriculture is practiced most by non-Maasai, we argue for an examination of how traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) competes with non-indigenous practices, especially considering that rangelands in East Africa are increasingly becoming fragile due to climate change.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0821/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Stream‐breeding salamander use of headwater stream networks in managed forests of western Washington, USA

Abstract Stream‐associated amphibians are sensitive bioindicators in headwater streams across the Pacific Northwest moist coniferous forests of North America. Much of this landscape is intensively managed for timber. Forest Practice (FP) rules determine harvest prescriptions on most private lands in Washington State and cover over 3.7 million hectares. Under these rules, non‐fish‐bearing headwater streams receive buffers on at least 50% of the stream length, including FP Sensitive Sites that receive 15–17 m radius no‐cut patch buffers. We evaluated how torrent (Rhyacotriton spp.) and giant (Dicamptodon spp.) salamander relative abundance is influenced by headwater stream network features that correspond to FP Sensitive Sites. In particular, we examined how salamander relative abundance in the two most common FP Sensitive Sites, tributary junctions (TJs) and perennial initiation points (PIPs), compared to densities in non‐Sensitive Site stream reaches, hereafter branches. We also evaluated salamander relative abundance and two hydrologic characteristics, dry channel and seeps. We analysed data collected in 2006 and 2007 from 17 amphibian‐occupied, non‐fish‐bearing basins in Western Washington with managed forest ages 30–80. We found no relationship between torrent salamander relative abundance and PIPs and TJs or between giant salamander relative abundance and TJs compared to branches. Consistent with expectations, giant salamander relative abundance was less in PIPs than in TJs and branches, and less in first‐order than second‐ and third‐order streams. Conversely, torrent salamander relative abundance lacked a clear relationship to stream order. Giant and torrent salamander relative abundance showed a negative relationship with the proportion of dry channels, but torrent salamanders were observed in short reaches of surface water located in predominantly dry channels. Importantly, reaches with seeps had 123% (CI: +103% to +146%) and 81% (CI: +49% to +121%) greater relative abundance of torrent and giant salamanders, respectively, than reaches without seeps. Practical implication: Current FP rules protect select side‐slope seeps as another category of Sensitive Sites but may too narrowly define the criteria of seeps to protect the full range of those being utilized by stream‐breeding salamanders. Studies focused on seeps and adjacent stream channel characteristics may better inform features important to stream‐breeding salamanders.

Prioritising Conservation Area in Species Management Strategy for The Edible Bornean Giant River Frog Limnonectes leporinus Anderson 1923.

Limnonectes leporinus, the endemic giant river frog, is a riparian (stream dwelling) species that lives along streams with moderate to steep gradients. The most serious threats to the species are deforestation caused by severe clear cutting, which fragments its distribution, and overhunting for local consumption. Excessive landscape modification alters habitat, making it critical for an organism to maintain heterozygozity for the population to be fit to adapt to a changing environment. The goal of this research was to project suitable habitats and predict the potential for habitat connectivity to allow gene flow across the Sarawak landscape. The presence data file and environmental layers were converted into ASCII format using ArcGIS and then used in MaxEnt modelling to generate the map of suitable habitats. To perform the connectivity model, the potential habitat model and genetic attributes of haplotype data were computerised in Circuitscape software. The findings revealed that suitable habitats corresponded to species distribution in lowland areas with sustainable stream networks as breeding sites, while higher elevations were identified as unsuitable habitats. Gene flow data, on the other hand, revealed that connectivity circuits are mostly found in unprotected forest, which includes development areas and private lands. As a result, prioritising conservation areas should include local governments and landowners in proper landscape management as well as species management strategies. This indirectly sustains and protects Borneo's forests, flora and fauna.

Intensification of Silviculture Techniques in Community Forest Management to Realize the Acceleration of SDG's Point 13: Handling Climate Change

Global climate change has become an urgent issue affecting land quality, especially forest areas. Forests are important in mitigating climate change by absorbing carbon and storing greenhouse gases. Community forests, which are managed by communities on private land, have great potential to reduce carbon emissions. However, community forest management is still suboptimal due to limited knowledge of the application of effective silvicultural techniques. This study aims to provide recommendations for community forest management by intensifying silvicultural techniques, such as plant spacing and plant species selection, to reduce fire risk and support climate change mitigation. The method used was a systematic review of 30 relevant scientific articles. The literature used came from books and national and international journal articles accessed through Google Scholar, Springer and ScienceDirect databases. Articles were selected through a selection process based on the relevance of the title, abstract, and overall content. The results showed that a planting distance of 4×4 meters or 4×3 meters is the most optimal for tree growth and allows the implementation of an agroforestry system. In addition, plant species such as Swietenia macrophylla and Gliricidia sepium proved effective as fire barriers due to their evergreen characteristics that can reduce the amount of litter as fire fuel. In conclusion, intensive silvicultural techniques can increase the effectiveness of community forest management in sequestering carbon, reducing the risk of forest fires, and supporting climate change mitigation efforts. This research provides recommendations that community forest managers can apply to improve environmental sustainability.

Optimization of Solar PV System Efficiency in Bangladesh

This paper presents a comprehensive review and analysis of Sarishabari Engreen Solar Plant Ltd., a 3.3 MW grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) system located in Sarishabari, Jamalpur, Bangladesh. The study evaluates the plant's economic and operational performance, revealing a competitive payback period of 10.1 years and a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of 0.11 USD/kWh. These metrics highlight the plant's financial viability, largely due to the low cost of public land used for construction. However, profitability may be challenged if similar projects require significant investments in private land acquisition. Key areas for improvement identified include optimizing the tilt angle and integrating smart automation systems. Additionally, the potential for hybrid renewable energy systems combining solar and wind power is discussed. The paper also provides actionable recommendations for future renewable projects, emphasizing the importance of advanced technologies, and supportive policies. These insights aim to inform the optimization of existing solar PV systems and guide the development of future renewable energy projects in Bangladesh, contributing to the country's sustainable energy goals.

Understanding the diversity of private conservation in the Peruvian Amazon

AbstractGlobal awareness about the threats of ecosystem degradation in the Amazon is growing. While state‐managed protected areas remain key instruments for forest conservation, private actors are increasingly funding and implementing a broad range of conservation initiatives. Private actors are transforming the Amazonian conservation landscape and its governance, however, many aspects of private conservation, especially the diversity of local practitioners and the challenges they face, remain understudied. Drawing on a case study of Madre de Dios in the Peruvian Amazon, we aim to generate a better understanding of private conservation practitioners and their various approaches to conservation on private and public land. We used an extensive review of literature and databases, in addition to 13 semi‐structured interviews with various private conservation practitioners, to map privately conserved areas, and to gather perceptions about challenges, opportunities, and future pathways for private conservation. A total of 590 privately conserved areas, covering over one million hectares, were identified and mapped in Madre de Dios. We find that, while most initiatives are managed by individuals and families, for‐profit companies manage half of the total area privately protected. Furthermore, we find that private conservation initiatives face significant barriers and pressures. These barriers include complex bureaucratic processes, legal contradictions and incoherencies, corruption, weak law enforcement, and financial insecurity. Conservation policies largely favor national and international actors and less so local, grassroots initiatives run by individuals and communities. Finally, we highlight the need for more accessible and inclusive policies that recognize the contribution of less powerful actors, to foster more effective conservation efforts for the future of the Amazon.

An approach to designing efficient implementation of 30×30 terrestrial conservation commitments

AbstractIn response to biodiversity declines worldwide, over 190 nations committed to protect 30% of their lands and waters by 2030 (hereafter, 30×30). Systematic conservation planning and return on investment analysis can be helpful tools for determining where protection efforts could deliver the most efficient and effective reserve design, and supporting decision‐making when trade‐offs among objectives are required. Here, we propose a framework for efficient “30×30” implementation and apply it to the state of California (USA). Because conservation of a region's full suite of biodiversity is the primary objective of the global initiative, we prioritized representation in our analysis. We used Zonation to identify networks that close the gap in representation of major habitat types in California's protected area network and that also conserve the places important for biodiversity or climate change mitigation. We identified networks that are efficient relative to metrics likely to be important in implementation including land acquisition cost, number of transactions, and conservation benefit per hectare, and we illustrate not only trade‐offs associated with these metrics but also differences in the co‐benefits achieved. Five of the eight major habitat types in California are not currently protected at a 30% level statewide, and if representation was achieved solely through private land acquisition, targets could be met for as little as $5.84 billion, with as few as 364 transactions, or with 2.18 million additional conserved hectares. Implementation of 30×30 will likely require more flexibility than a single network design. A “no regrets” action would be to protect properties that were prioritized across all networks and additional implementation should include properties with characteristics of any of the individual networks. Our analytical framework and implementation guidance can be applied to other geographies and jurisdictions to increase the likelihood of both meeting 30×30 targets and delivering the conservation benefits they aim to secure.

Правовое регулирование и реализация механизма компенсации при развитии внутренней газификации регионов Российской Федерации

With the development of internal gas distribution in the Russian Federation, the question inevitably arises of the seizure of private lands of individuals and legal entities, as well as the demolition of buildings, structures and other buildings. However, there is no mechanism for legal withdrawal, which gives rise to the non-legal nature of these legal relations and excessive losses of private law subjects, as a result of which many court proceedings load the judicial system. The mechanism for calculating compensation or a percentage of the surcharge fixed by law in case of losses incurred by citizens and legal entities in the implementation of federal orders for the installation of gas pipelines will help protect the rights and interests of owners and third parties whose interests are violated or restricted.

Peculiarities of application of the simplified mechanism of land privatization

Peculiarities of application of the simplified mechanism of land privatization

The Impacts of Exclusion from Natural Park Districts by Park Re-planning on Prices and Construction Activities of Private Lands<sup>1a</sup>

The Impacts of Exclusion from Natural Park Districts by Park Re-planning on Prices and Construction Activities of Private Lands<sup>1a</sup>

Developing new tools to de‐risk wildlife occupancy on private lands

AbstractPrivate lands support much of the biodiversity in North America, but supporting wildlife can be costly for landowners. Innovative tools are needed to reduce the risks that wildlife pose to private landowners while conserving biodiversity. Here, we present a range of innovative tools that have effectively been used to “de‐risk” wildlife occupancy of private lands in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Lessons learned from these risk reduction strategies inform conservation more broadly by highlighting the importance of economic and risk‐management considerations to wildlife conservation on private lands. Incorporating de‐risking tools into the wildlife conservation toolbox can help conservation practitioners more strategically allocate resources to benefit wildlife and the private lands that help support them.

Factors influencing agroforestry practices adoption in the central river Region of The Gambia

The world's multiple landscape crises have placed agroforestry among the cost-effective nature-based solutions with numerous ecological, social, and economic benefits. This study examined the farmer and land factors influencing the adoption of agroforestry practices in the Gambia's Central River Region. Stratified random sampling was used to collect primary data from 377 households using semi-structured questionnaires and farm-level walkabout observations. The study used purposive and snowball sampling methods to engage different key informants. The results indicated that the agroforestry adoption rate in the study area was 52.3 %. Significant differences between the means of agroforestry adopters and non-adopters were observed. Adopters held more land size 0.66ha vs. 0.55ha, owned more livelihood assets (private land and livestock), and had significantly more fenced lands. The binary regression model established that livelihood assets, land size, land fencing, and gender were positively associated with agroforestry adoption in the study area. Conclusively, land-related factors emerged as more predictable determinants of agroforestry adoption than farmer-related factors. Notably, age and education, though important socioeconomic attributes, remained relatively the same between adopters and non-adopters, and were not statistically significant. The study recommends cross-cutting farmer and land-related policies, as well as other interventions to boost agroforestry adoption. It further suggests a follow-up study to quantify the actual cost and benefits associated with agroforestry adoption in the area.

Land conflicts from overlapping claims in Brazil’s rural environmental registry

Satellite-based land use monitoring and farm-level traceability offer opportunities for targeted zero-deforestation interventions on private lands. Brazil's Rural Environmental Registry (Cadastro Ambiental Rural, or "CAR"), a land cadaster based on self-declaration of property boundaries, was created to monitor compliance with national forest laws. It has become an important enabling measure for sustainable supply chain initiatives like the Amazon Soy Moratorium. However, CAR enrollment is increasingly used to bolster illegal land claims, putting it at the heart of land grabbing dynamics. Self-declaration of properties in the CAR offers a unique situation to study land conflicts and their impact on land use decisions on a large scale. We quantified competing land claims among 846,420 registrations in the Brazilian Legal Amazon and applied a series of generalized linear mixed-effects models. We determined that CAR overlaps are more prevalent on larger registrations, in more densely settled areas, and in areas with less secure land tenure. We tested how landholders respond to land conflicts, finding significantly more deforestation and declared legal forest reserve on lands with multiple claims. CAR overlap results in an overestimation of forest reserves by up to 9.7 million hectares when considering double-counted and deforested areas of reserves, highlighting an overlooked form of Forest Code noncompliance. While the CAR continues to be used as evidence of land tenure, we conclude that the formalization of land claims through self-declarations is inadequate to decrease conflicts. CAR overlap information provides objective evidence of land conflict that authorities can leverage with field inspection to ensure peaceful occupation before issuing land titles.