Land Area Size Research Articles

The Response of Carbon Stocks to Land Use/Cover Change and a Vulnerability Multi-Scenario Analysis of the Karst Region in Southern China Based on PLUS-InVEST

Quantitatively revealing the response of carbon stocks to land use change (LUCC) and analyzing the vulnerability of ecosystem carbon stock (ECS) services are of great significance for maintaining the carbon cycle and ecological security. For this study, China’s Guizhou Province was the study area. Land use data in 2000, 2010, and 2020 were selected to explore the impacts of LUCC on carbon stocks in multiple scenarios by combining the PLUS and InVEST models and then analyzing the vulnerability of ECS services. The results show that forest land plays an important role in improving ECS services in karst plateau mountainous areas. In 2000–2020, forest land expansion offset the carbon stock reduced by the expansion of built-up land, greatly improving the regional ECS function. Following the natural trend (NT), the total carbon stock in Guizhou Province will decrease by 1.86 Tg; however, under ecological protection (EP) measures, the ECS service performs a positive function for LUCC. Focusing on socioeconomic development (ED) will increase the vulnerability of the regional ECS service. In the future, the forest land area size should be increased, and built-up land should be restricted to better improve the service function of ECS in karst plateau mountainous areas.

Oil Palm Production and Economic Development in Nigeria: A Study of Isiala-Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State

This study examines the profitability of oil palm production and its determinants in Isiala- Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria. The qualitative paper, which is quantitative inapproach adopts a two-stage sampling technique for data collection and analysis. Five oil palm-producing communities were purposively selected out of which a random sample of 400 households where chosen for the study. The research instrument was a questionnaire. Out of the 400 copies of the questionnaire administered analysis was basedon 315 that were retrieved. Using profitability analysis and a linear regression model, this study showed that the average profitability ratio of oil palm production in the area was N2.71 but was statistically not significant. The most important endogenous factors determining oil palm production and profitability in the area include number of children, size of land area cultivated, number of employees and output. The study recommends, among other things, the urgent amendment of the provision of the 1978 Land Tenure Act and the allocation of more land area for agricultural purposes especially for oil palm production.

Clusterization of Agroforestry Farmers using K-Means Cluster Algorithm and Elbow Method

Proper policy is crucial to support the development of forest areas. Therefore, good planning based on supporting data is crucial. All information considering farmers’ conditions and interests in Talang Mulya Village, situated around Wan Abdul Rachman Forest Park, is urgently needed. So far, policies and programs launched have only been general and inappropriate to implement for the whole farmers. The main objective of this research was to perform fast agroforestry farmers clustering with differences in the main characters to each other using the K-means clustering algorithm and Elbow method based on 10 variables of social and land cultivation conditions. Results showed that agroforestry farmers in Talang Mulya Village could be best divided into 4 clusters with the proportion of 30%, 40%, 23.3%, and 6,67% for clusters 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. Agroforestry farmers were dominated by farmers with the specific characteristics of the lowest number of families working on the land and the cultivated main plant species with a sufficient level of formal education, family dependents, farming experience, household members that help in the farm, size of land area, expenditure and income from land cultivation, and maintenance activities. The research results could be used as a consideration for determining specific and targeted activity programs to increase the cultivation capabilities and welfare of farmers in Talang Mulya Village. Keywords: Agroforestry, Elbow Method, K-means Clustering, Tahura Wan Abdul Rachman, Talang Mulya Village

Orchid diversity along an altitudinal gradient in the central Balkans

Understanding patterns of species diversity along an altitudinal gradient is the major topic of much biogeographical and ecological research. The aim of this study was to explore how richness and density of orchid species and subspecies in terms of different categories of underground organ systems and pollination systems vary along an altitudinal gradient in the central Balkans. The altitudinal gradient of the study area was divided into 21 100-m vertical intervals. Data were analyzed using both non-linear and linear regressions with three data sets (total orchids, orchids of forest habitats, orchids of non-forest habitats) in the case of species richness and three data sets (total orchids—total area, forest orchids—forest area, and orchids of non-forest habitats—non-forest area) in the case of species density. The results showed a hump-shaped pattern of orchid richness and density, peaking at 900–1,000 m. The richness and density of orchids of forest habitats are generally slightly greater than the richness and density of orchids of non-forest habitats in lowland areas, whereas the orchids of herbaceous vegetation types dominating at high altitudes. Tuberous orchids dominate in low and mid-altitude areas, orchids with palmately lobed and fusiform tubers (“intermediate orchids”) dominate at high altitudes, while rhizomatous orchids are predominate in mid-altitude forest stands. Both deceptive and self-pollinated orchids show a unimodal trend with a peak at mid-altitude areas. This study underlines the importance of low and mid-altitude areas for the survival of deceptive orchids and the importance of mid- and high-altitude areas for the survival of rewarding orchids. In addition, forest habitats at mid-altitudes have been shown to be crucial for the survival of self-pollinated orchids. The results suggest that the altitudinal patterns of orchid richness and density in the central Balkans are determined by mechanisms related to land area size and habitat cover, partially confirming the species-area relationship (SAR) hypothesis. This study contributes significantly to a better understanding of the potential impacts of habitat changes on orchid diversity, thereby facilitating more effective conservation planning.

EFFICIENCY OF DAIRY AND BEEF CATTLE FARMS DIFFERING IN LAND AREA SIZE

The increasing size of farms, specialisation and growing scale of production are the primary factors in the improvement of resource utilisation in agriculture. In this context, the aim of this study is to assess and compare the efficiency of resource management in farms differing in land area size and specialising in the production of milk and cattle for slaughter. This assessment was based on data from farms participating in the FADN agricultural accountancy system in 2019. The efficiency of utilised factors of production in the researched farms was evaluated based on indexes of productivity and profitability of land, labour and capital. In dairy farms, the productivity of land was considerably higher and was growing with an increase in their size, whereas in beef cattle type farms it generally deteriorated. Productivity of labour and capital was also much greater and was growing faster in dairy farms. The highest profitability of land was recorded for medium-sized farms of both production types, while the profitability of labour and capital was highest in the largest farms. It needs to be stressed that the income and economic efficiency of farms specialising in the production of cattle for slaughter are determined by financial support within the EU Common Agricultural Policy.

The investment development path theory and small states

Small states, classified as countries with population barely exceeding 1.5 m, encounter special development challenges. Although they share common characteristics of small population and size of land area, they also differ along other characteristics such as geography, remoteness, and dispersion. These have combined to depict them as different from large states and hence could differ from large states regarding responses to macroeconomic indicators such as foreign direct investment. Thus, this paper investigated the stages of Small states within the investment development path (IDP) framework. As a collective, developing Small states depart from the theory of the IDP. As individual Small states, some of the countries also showed stages that are inconsistent with the theory and empirical evidence. Small states need to be studied as a collective and as individual countries.

СОЦІАЛЬНО-ЕКОНОМІЧНІ ФАКТОРИ СТВОРЕННЯ ОБ’ЄДНАНИХ ТЕРИТОРІАЛЬНИХ ГРОМАД В УКРАЇНІ

Реформа децентралізації та процес формування спроможних територіальних громад є пріоритетним завданням уряду України. Реформа має на меті сформувати дієву систему місцевого самоврядування задля створення якісного середовища для життя людей, підвищення якості надання муніципальних послуг та забезпечення сталого розвитку регіонів. Реформа базується на європейських принципах організації місцевого самоврядування, що зумовило добровільний характер об’єднання територіальних громад. Було проведено значну підготовчу роботу з впровадження реформи, зокрема затверджено методику формування спроможних громад, що визначала, які соціально-економічні фактори слід ураховувати при ухваленні рішень про добровільне об’єднання та розробленні перспективних планів. Проте результати реформи станом на серпень 2018 року були не досить задовільними: було створено 753 об’єднані територіальні громади, які об’єднали 3 492 окремі місцеві спільноти, хоча відповідно до перспективних планів, затверджених Урядом для 23 областей, 7 913 наявних громад мали утворити 1 206 об’єднаних територіальних громад. Наше дослідження присвячено аналізові процесу добровільного об’єднання територіальних громад у контексті реалізації реформи децентралізації в Україні та виявленню соціально-економічних факторів, що цьому сприяють.
 У дослідженні було проведено факторний аналіз процесу добровільного об’єднання територіальних громад в Україні в період 2014—2017 рр., на підставі якого визначено соціально-економічні фактори, що є значущими при ухваленні громадами рішення про добровільне об’єднання. Дослідження проводилось за допомогою методу кореляційно-регресійного аналізу зі застосуванням програмного комплексу STATA, було оцінено вплив 24 демографічні та соціально-економічні фактори. Результати дослідження статистичних характеристик економетричних залежностей виявили, що такими факторами є: середній розмір площі землі одного домогосподарства; частка об’єднаних територіальних громад, створених у попередньому році; розмір паїв землі в одному домогосподарстві (своїх та орендованих) і розмір рівня прибутку фермерських господарств у районі.

PERFORMANCE LABOR IN AGRICULTURE SECTOR IN JAVA ISLAND USING PANEL DATA 2007-2014

The highest decrease in the number of food crop workers occurred in Java, as many as 2,87 million people in 2007-2014. The age of food crop agriculture workers in Java is dominated by workers aged over 45 years (64,95%). If there is no addition of new workers, then the food crop labor will be increasingly dominated by old age groups which will make it difficult for the agricultural sector to carry out its mandate to improve and maintain sustainable food security. The purpose of this study is to describe the condition of the food crop agriculture subsector from the aspect of labor absorption in Java for the period 2007-2014 and analyze the effect of the regional GDP of food crops subsector, real wages, education, and land area to the absorption power of agricultural food crops subsector on labor in Java. Central Java Province is a province with the largest decrease in the number of agricultural food crop subsector workers compared to the other four provinces on Java island. From the results of the estimation, the fixed-effect model with cross-section SUR is chosen as the best model. The results show that the variable of regional GDP, real wage, and size of land area has a significant and positive effect on the labor absorption of agricultural food crops subsector, while education has a significant and negative effect. Overall this model able to explain variations of this phenomenon by 89,32%. Meanwhile, another 10,68% is explained by other variables not included in the model.

Uncovering trajectories and impact factors of CO2 emissions: A sectoral and spatially disaggregated revisit in Beijing

To clarify trajectories and impact factors for CO2 emissions is critical to emissions reduction, especially at finer sectoral and spatial resolutions. We statistically disaggregated city-level sectoral CO2 emissions to districts of Beijing during 2004–2013 and examined the impact factors using an extended STIRPAT model. Results revealed that CO2 emissions decreased in manufacturing sector, while increased in residential and transportation sectors, which were promising fields for emissions reduction. Spatial dynamics of district-level CO2 emissions indicated that industrial carbon reduction should focus on not only core urban area but also the new merged hotspot districts. The impact estimations indicating by elastic coefficients revealed that population size (0.6, 0.49, 1.06), GDP per capita (0.63, 0.56, 0.8), energy intensity (0.93, 0.86, 0.96) and secondary industrialization level (0.36, 0.8, 0.88) can lead to increase in total, industrial and transportation CO2 emissions, while urban land area size (−0.47, −0.24, −0.81) exerted negative effects on them. In addition, private vehicle ownership (0.45) positively affect transportation CO2 emissions. Residential CO2 emissions were positively influenced by urban land area size (0.44), urbanization level (0.18), population density (0.49) and private vehicle ownership (0.11). Given these findings, policy recommendations for CO2 emissions reduction and mitigation were suggested for low-carbon urban development.

Socio–Economic Factors Determining Conservation and Cultivation of Garcinia kola Heckel—A Medicinal Plant Extinct in the Wild in Benin

Garcinia kola is a multipurpose tree and an important medicinal plant in most Western and Central African communities. The species is highly valued for its edible nuts and its different parts are used for the treatment of diverse ailments. Because of its overexploitation, G. kola is now extinct in the wild in Benin. Conservation and cultivation are crucial for its maintenance. Eliciting determinants that influence farmers’ decisions in maintaining or cultivating the species in their homestead or land would contribute to design effective management policies. A semi–structured survey was carried out with 155 respondents involved in G. kola exploitation to elucidate those determinants. Data collected were related to the socio–economic characteristics of respondents, G. kola ownership and number of individuals owned, current propagation methods and management of the species, willingness to cultivate or in situ conservation of the species. Binomial logistic and Poisson generalized linear models were used to test the effects of land area size, gender, age, and main occupation on respondents’ decision to cultivate and/or to conserve the species in situ and its management. It was found that men were more likely to own G. kola trees than women. Similarly, the likelihood of owning a G. kola tree was higher for farmers than non–farmers, and was positively correlated with respondents’ age. Furthermore, men were more willing to conserve and cultivate G. kola. Our findings suggest that the studied factors are instrumental when designing conservation policies and programs for the species.

Analyzing Organic Food Farming Trends in the US Western Region

At a time of mounting fears over the risks of tainted food and the environmental health impacts, people are embracing organic farming in record numbers. The way such alternative food items are displayed in grocery stores in every zone in the country gives credence to the growing acceptance. Since its emergence, organic farming has gained formidable foothold in the Western region where California towers above everyone and other parts of the US. Considering the reasons that originally fueled organic farming and the proliferation across the country, access to more varieties of produces are helping supplement output originating from conventional sources. Further along these lines, elements located within the organic farm structure from size of land area, cropland and food types have increased over time. While the surge in organic farmland use stems from socio-economic forces, ecology and policy factors, very little has been done in assessing the changing trends and the state of organic farm operations using a mix scale technique. Added to that, the guiding standards shaping the regulatory components of organic farm produce and the potentials are barely known. For that, this research will fill that void by focusing on organic farming activities in 10 states in the Western region with emphasis on the issues, trends and factors using secondary data under mix scale techniques of GIS and descriptive statistics. The results point to visible changes in farmland indicators from cropland, food types to output volume in organic farm operations coupled with dispersion of emergent spatial patterns highlighting the extent of organic farmland use and the evolution of other indicators across the states using GIS. Realizing that the changes surrounding organic farming activities in the study area emanate from socio-economic and physical elements, the paper offered seven suggestions to strengthen the sector. The recommendations ranged from the need for a periodic tracking of farm operations to the design of a regional organic land use and food index.

Does Flood Affect Property Values? A Hedonic Analysis of Residential Property Values in Peninsular Malaysia

The hedonic pricing model (HPM) has been used to identify the values of residentialproperty due to flood impact. Most of the previous studies had been conducted usingflood frequency and flood depth to measure flood variables rather than flood duration.The hedonic pricing study presented here investigated the effect of flood duration onresidential property value in Peninsular Malaysia. We measured the housing attributesinvolving location, structural, and neighborhood attributes. We also developed theinteraction variable between flood and structural attributes to determine whether theeffect of flood duration on residential property value differs across house age, size ofland area, and number of bedroom. The results suggest that the sale price of residentialproperty is significantly decreased by 0.015 percent due to flood.

Evaluation of Weed Incidence and Biomass in Coffee Intercropped with Oil Palm in Avenue and Hollow Square Arrangement in Nigeria

Weed incidence and biomass in tree crop plantations are mainly influenced by environmental, farm management practices and cropping systems. Manipulation of intercropping systems to improve weed management in coffee intercropped with oil palm requires a better understanding of spatial and temporal dynamics of weeds. To evaluate the effect of weed incidence and biomass in coffee intercropped with oil palm in avenue and hollow square arrangement, a study was carried out in Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) in two locations. The locations are Idi-Ayunre (7°25'N, 3°24'E) (an alfisol) and Uhonmora (6°5'N, 5°50'E) (ultisol) in rainforest and derived savannah parts of Nigeria respectively. The experiment had three treatments comprising coffee sole (control), coffee with oil palm (Hollow square) arrangement and coffee with oil palm (Avenue) planting. Coffee was planted 3.0 m apart while oil palm was planted 9 m apart. Equal size of land area was used for coffee in each treatment. The experimental design was Randomized Complete Block (RCBD) with three replicates. Data on vegetative growth of coffee, weed incidence and biomass were taken at three-monthly intervals. The result showed that coffee/oil palm (Hollow Square) had the least weed incidence and biomass closely followed by coffee/oil palm (Avenue) planting. The control had the highest weed biomass which was significantly different from Hollow square and Avenue planting at P ≤ 0.05. The morphological parameters on coffee followed the same pattern but Hollow square arrangement was significantly higher than Avenue and control at P ≤ 0.05.

A GIS-based analysis for sanitary landfill sites in Abuja, Nigeria

The absence of sanitary landfill in Abuja, Nigeria has been a challenge that needs the full attention of the authorities. The improper disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW) on open land is a burden to the government due to the health implications and the socioeconomic issues associated with it. In order to mitigate environmental degradation, health risk concern and public vexation, the study aims at identifying suitable sites for MSW disposal in Abuja Municipal Area Council and Bwari area council of Abuja which meets global specification and standards. The integration of Geospatial data: Landsat-7ETM+, NigeriaSat-X, ASTER-GDEM, base map, soil and geology maps and multi-criteria evaluation, was used to evaluate the relative importance of each criterion in the study. Each map layers were formed by using the spatial analysis potential of the ArcGIS10.1 software and final suitability map was created using the weighted overlay analysis. The results of the analysis identified six potential sites for sanitary landfill; however four out of the six sites were considered due to the land area size of the sites and its non-intersection with the Abuja land use plan. Also, results showed that none of the existing MSW disposal sites met the global standards considered. In view of the ecological and environmental challenges regarding MSW disposal sites in Abuja, this study shows that GIS is an effective tool in MSW management, which will assist decision makers to plan appropriately toward achieving an aesthetic, healthy and sustainable environment.

Influence Factors in Land Use of Wan Abdul Rachman Forest Park

Forest land use is an activity which is committed by the community near the forest to fulfill the needs of their life. This research intended to determine factors that influence land utilization in Wan Abdul Rachman Forest Park. Utilization of forest land was assumed as the number of plant species that planted in forest land. The analysis of this research used multiple linear regressions to test factors that influence the number of plant species. This research showed that the number of plant species was influenced by duration of farming and land area size. It was revaled that longer duration of farming and larger community’s land would increase the number of plant species that has economic values.Keywords: land area, number of plant species, duration of farming, utilization of forest land.

Models for the collaborative management of Africa's protected areas

Africa's protected areas (PAs) are under severe and growing anthropogenic pressure. Resources for PA management are a small fraction of what is necessary in most countries, and many PAs are failing to fulfil their ecological, economic or social potential as a result. Collaborative management partnerships (CMPs), where non-profit organisations partner with state wildlife authorities, have the ability to improve PA management by facilitating long-term financial and technical support. While many have demonstrated success, there are barriers to setting up CMPs, including concern among some states that some partnerships may undermine sovereignty or appear an admission of failure. We interviewed 69 experts from state and non-profit partners about 43 PAs covering 473,861km2 in 16 African countries and analysed responses with principle component analysis to identify how partnerships differ, particularly in how they allocate governance and management responsibility. We identified three main CMP organisational structures: 1) delegated management, where a non-profit shares governance responsibility with the state and is delegated full management authority; 2) co-management, where a non-profit shares governance and management responsibility with the state; and 3) financial and technical support (advisory or implementary), where a non-profit assists the state with aspects of management without formal decision-making authority. Delegated models were associated with higher funding than co-management and financial-technical support partnerships, but models did not differ in PA land area size. Our study identifies the strengths and weaknesses of each model and offers recommendations for implementing successful CMPs, many of which are already playing a significant, positive role in conservation.

THE IMPACT OF THE SELECTED INSTRUMENTS OF THE COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY ON CHANGES IN THE LAND RESOURCES OF THE SMALL FARMS FROM MAŁOPOLSKA PROVINCE

The aim of the study was to identify and evaluate the changes in land resources of small farms in the Małopolskie Province in the years 2004-2015 which were a result of using of selected CAP instruments. In the light of the results of the research, it should be noted that the examined CAP instruments had a relatively small impact on the size of land area. Less than one fifth of the respondents made changes in the land resources. Considering only farms that have increased their area it can be stated that the area of agricultural land of these farms increased by 3.7%. This situation is not favorable, especially in the situation of large agrarian fragmentation of farms in Małopolskie Province.

Manajemen Irigasi Tradisional pada Sistem Subak Umaya di Desa Talibeng Kecamatan Sidemen Kabupaten Karangasem

Traditional Irrigation Management at Subak Umaya System at Talibeng Village, Sub-district of Sidemen, KarangasemSubak Umaya has a traditional irrigation system of water distribution system called bumbung. Subak generally faces problems of land use, loss of Tri Hita Karana elements and limitations of water. It is interesting to examine these conditions amid the problems of Subak irrigation system. On the initial observation at Subak Umaya showed that not all members use bumbung. The aim of research was to find out the traditional irrigation systems and irrigation water distribution to each member in the Subak Umaya. Data were analyzed by descriptive qualitative method. The research results indicate that the distribution of water in the form of water control system by using a tube/bumbung and cakangan. The rights to water is based on the size of land area. The water needs is based on the cropping pattern of rice - crops - crops. Ngulu-ngasep planting system. Subak implements the system of continuous flow and intermittent flow to water the plant. Conflict over water has never happened. Canals that are the responsibility of Subak begin from the tunnel after Yeh Masin river to tertiary canals. The rituals are held collectively and individually. Sources of funding come from active members and the government. The Subak structure are: pekaseh/ subak’s chief, vice of pekaseh, secretary, treasurer, kelian tempek, and assistant to kelian tempek. Members who use bumbung are 18%, and 82% were taking cakangan. Many members use cakangan for their leniency rules. The specialty of the bumbung is to prevent flooding, because it has a measurable hole. Subak Umaya is expected to save funds to repair the broken channel. Subak should provide intermittent water flow and reapply the bumbung system in order to grow rice simultaneously. Additionally, Subak may make strict rules regarding the use of langki and cakangan.

Carbon emission pinch analysis for sustainable landfill

Renewable energy, energy efficiency and carbon capture and sequestration, are among several initiatives to reduce global carbon emission as an effort to mitigate global warming. Apart from reducing carbon footprint, another alternative to combat global warming is through effective solid waste management for landfill. While landfill is the most common solid waste treatment options in most parts of the worlds, however in densely populated area, as land availability may be scarce, careful planning and targeting is therefore required to reduce the landfilling rate. It is envisaged that an effective solid waste management strategy can reduce the amount of waste channeled to landfill. Since different waste management technologies requires different size of land area and have different carbon emission reduction impact, question that are often asked in correspond to this aspect includes; What is the suitable waste management technology that should be practiced to reduce the carbon footprint? How much land footprint is reduced? What are the carbon emission intensity of a landfill and how much it may contribute to global warming? In order to answer these questions, a new targeting technique based on carbon emission pinch analysis is developed. This technique aims to identify the optimal landfill waste management technologies based on specify carbon emission reduction target. It can also target the footprint of landfill area through graphical representation.

A conjoint analysis of landholder preferences for reward-based land-management contracts in Kapingazi watershed, Eastern Mount Kenya

Unsustainable land-use decisions and agricultural practices have become the key drivers of deteriorating watershed services in developing countries. However, landholders may have little or no incentives to take these impacts into account in their decision-making process. In recent years, reward-based provision of environmental services has emerged as an important market-based incentive for motivating landholders to adopt environmentally friendly land-use changes and agricultural practices. In this regard, for instance, the Pro-Poor Rewards for Environmental Services in Africa (PRESA) project has emerged as a large network to support and facilitate reward mechanisms in Africa. However, in many African rural settings, little is known about landholder attitudes and preferences related to the alternative land-management schemes.Using locally identified sets of six key land-management attributes, this paper applies conjoint methods to evaluate landholder preferences towards alternative land-management schemes aimed at enhancing the provision of watershed services in the River Kapingazi catchment in central Kenya. Data were collected from primary sources through focus groups and a questionnaire based conjoint survey. Three conjoint models were used; a traditional conjoint ratings model, a binary logit model, and an ordered logit model.Results from the focus groups indicated that shortage of water for both domestic use and irrigation was perceived as the most acute environmental problem in the area. Deforestation, poor river bank management and agricultural practices were identified as the major causes of the problem. Results from conjoint models show that the three principal attributes influencing landholder’s ratings and probability of adopting the proposed land management options were 'size of land area to be committed’, 'length of contract period’, and 'granting or prohibiting rights to harvest environmental products from the committed land’. Thus, these attributes should be the focal points in designing land-management contract for watershed services in the study area.