Traditional Land Use Research Articles

Endemic time-spaces of Finland: from wilderness lands to ‘vacant production spaces’

Traditional land use and occupancy of the wilderness lands of Finnish pre- and early- historic communities has not received much discussion in contemporary geographical debates. This article explores such occupancies and analyses transformations to present land use through two case studies: the Lake Kuivasjärvi basin in Western Finland and the Linnunsuo marsh-mire in Eastern Finland. Environmental justice provides the analytical framing through which the processes of change are analysed within each case by using historical geographical data and reviewing literature. Both locations were communally used by occupying villages prior to the advent of the industrial era. Yet the forestry and peat production industries that were pursued in the twentieth century ignored this historical use and saw them as ‘vacant spaces’ to be developed. In Linnunsuo, a post-production space has developed since the end of the peat production.

Effects of local climate, landscape structure and habitat quality on leafhopper assemblages of acidic grasslands

Abstract Grassland biodiversity is severely threatened by recent land-use change. Agricultural intensification on the one hand, and cessation of traditional land use on the other, have caused habitat loss, fragmentation and often a deterioration in habitat quality of the remaining habitat fragments. However, knowledge about the different environmental effects on species richness is still limited, in particular for under-sampled groups like leafhoppers (Auchenorrhyncha). Our study therefore aims to analyse the impact of local climate, landscape structure and habitat quality on leafhopper assemblages. Several environmental factors were assessed and species richness of leafhoppers was sampled on 30 acidic grassland patches in Central Germany. We used generalised linear models (GLM) to determine the variables that influence species richness. Both landscape structure and habitat quality had a strong influence on the number of leafhopper species. At the landscape scale, a high diversity of open land cover types positively affected species richness. Furthermore, species richness increased with decreasing cover of arable land in the surroundings of a habitat fragment. The best predictor at the habitat scale was the structural diversity, which had a positive impact on the numbers of leafhoppers. Local climatic conditions and patch area played a minor role and had an effect only on threatened species. We recommend establishing a great variety of different structural types within a patch in order to promote species-rich leafhopper assemblages. In addition, conservationists should focus their efforts on the maintenance of different types of grasslands in the surroundings of habitat fragments.

“If You Got a Forest, You Got Gold.” The Joys and Woes of Forest Use in Gyimes (Eastern Carpathians, Romania)

All over the world, rural communities developed mainly stable and sustainable, traditional (extensive) land use systems to manage natural resources. Resource management and related traditional ecological knowledge based on understanding of the functioning of the ecosystem help local communities to maintain important resources, like forests. Forest plays an important socio-economic role in the life of rural communities. Wood is one of the most elemental raw materials used in households, but its non-timber benefits play just as important a role. We examined sustainable use of forests in a Csángó community in Gyimes region (Eastern Carpathians, Romania), providing insights into attitudes within folk forestry towards natural resources, driving forces, and changes in human relations with the forest. Wood as a raw material is a resource that largely determines the daily life of the Csángó community, while non-timber products (e.g., forest grazing, forest fruits, herbs) play a complementary, yet important role in Gyimes life. The survey of forest flora and vegetation confirms that Gyimes farmers are familiar with the plant species that reach significant coverage in the canopy, shrub and herbaceous layers, they are well versed in the forest types occurring in the landscape, their dynamics, their most characteristic stages in the succession after felling. Overuse is an undisputed and acknowledged part of the forest-management, threatens social-ecological system-flexibility. As long as natural systems are able to renew themselves (forests can regenerate), there is chance for the further use of this important resource and in a broader context there is chance for the survival of the local community as well.

Human-environment dynamics in European treeline ecosystems: a synthesis based on the DPSIR framework

CR Climate Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials CR 73:17-29 (2017) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01454 Human-environment dynamics in European treeline ecosystems: a synthesis based on the DPSIR framework A. P. Kyriazopoulos1, O. Skre2,*, S. Sarkki3, F. E. Wielgolaski4, E. M. Abraham5, A. Ficko6 1Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, Democritus University of Thrace, 193 Pantazidou str., 68200 Orestiada, Greece 2Skre Nature and Environment, Fanaflaten 4, 5244 Fana, Norway 3Cultural Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities, PO Box 1000, University of Oulu, 90014 Oulu, Finland 4Department of Bioscience, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway 5Laboratory of Range Science, Department of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece 6Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources, University of Ljubljana, Vecna pot 83, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia *Corresponding author: oddvar@nmvskre.no‑Advance View was available online May 18, 2017 ABSTRACT: The state of, and changes to, altitudinal and polar treeline ecosystems and their services in selected mountain regions in Europe were analyzed using the drivers-pressures-state-impacts-responses (DPSIR) framework. The analysis was based on 45 responses of experts from 19 countries to 2 semi-structured questionnaires on treeline ecosystem services (ESs), stakeholders and the DPSIR factors, and 11 case study descriptions of best management practices. The experts recognized climate and land-use changes as the main drivers, resulting in various pressures that contrasted among the regions. The impacts of the pressures were mainly considered as negative (e.g. loss of biodiversity, root rot diseases, moth and bark beetle outbreaks, wild fires, decrease of (sub)alpine grasslands, browsing), but also as positive (e.g. increase in forested area). The influence of climate warming, altered precipitation regimes, a longer growing season, annual variation in winter climate and increased ground-level ozone concentrations were considered less critical for recent treeline dynamics than land abandonment, increased tourism and livestock pressure. Current policy responses to emerging pressures and stakeholder demands were considered insufficient and incoherent. Mitigation, adaptation and restoration actions were rare and with no evident long-term impact. We conclude that (1) locally-specific human-environment interactions have greater influence on treeline dynamics than global warming; (2) ecological and social sustainability of the treeline areas can be enhanced by simultaneously promoting traditional land use and regulating tourism development; (3) ES users should look for new opportunities arising from environmental change rather than trying to sustain current levels of ESs indefinitely; and (4) to safeguard the unique ecological and social values of treeline areas, more coherent and proactive policies are needed. KEY WORDS: Mountain forests · DPSIR framework · Climate change · Land-use change · Ecosystem services · Disturbances · Biodiversity Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Kyriazopoulos AP, Skre O, Sarkki S, Wielgolaski FE, Abraham EM, Ficko A (2017) Human-environment dynamics in European treeline ecosystems: a synthesis based on the DPSIR framework. Clim Res 73:17-29. https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01454 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in CR Vol. 73, No. 1-2. Online publication date: August 21, 2017 Print ISSN: 0936-577X; Online ISSN: 1616-1572 Copyright © 2017 Inter-Research.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR SPATIAL PLANNING AND FOREST MANAGEMENT IN INDONESIA: SECURING THE BASIC RIGHTS FOR ADAT PEOPLE

Limited transparency, accountability, and participation in policy formulation as well as implementation mainly based on economic considerations, all lead to failure to attain sustainable forest management (SFM). Along with the reluctance of policy makers and lacking stakeholder capacity, less accurate data bases has also indicated a constraint in the development of appropriate action. The issues have been more complicated where they were correlated with economic imperatives, vested interest, ownership issues and the basic rights of indigenous communities living inside or adjacent the forest. Forest destruction will be no end without securing customary land and territorial rights. To cope with these issues, the concept of fair governance has been promoted as an alternative to the traditional pattern of administration. In this paper, we propose a theoretical framework for policy development in order to attain SFM while respecting the rights of the adat people. We show that adaptive governance, adaptive management, and participatory learning are strategic approaches in governance reform to achieve sustainable forest management securing the customary rights and traditional land use of forest dependent people.

Estimating doses from Aboriginal bush foods post-remediation of a uranium mine

This paper presents a calculator to facilitate assessments of ingestion doses from Aboriginal bush foods. The calculator combines information on traditional diet and land use with radionuclide concentration ratios and ingestion dose coefficients to estimate doses. The calculator was applied to the planned remediation of Ranger uranium mine to derive a set of scaling factors between radionuclide activity concentrations in environmental media and ingestion dose from bush foods. The scaling factors can be used to estimate doses from bush foods once the post-remediation radiological conditions of the mine and surrounding environment are known.

Local and Landscape Drivers of Pond-Breeding Amphibian Diversity at the Northern Edge of the Mediterranean

Abstract: Most amphibian species are highly dependent on available aquatic habitats and their surrounding environments. In this study, we determined which factors influence amphibian diversity in a Mediterranean ecosystem characterized by a mosaic of natural areas and traditional land use. We sampled 60 temporary and permanent ponds in northeastern Portugal, determining amphibian species richness and community composition. At local (5- and 50-m buffers) and landscape (500-m buffer) scales, we analyzed the relationship between these measures and environmental factors describing wetland characteristics, surrounding land cover, habitat heterogeneity, and local road density. Both species richness and community composition were mainly influenced by local factors. Species richness was positively correlated with pond hydroperiod, habitat heterogeneity, and scrub cover within 5 m, and negatively correlated with bare ground coverage and road density within 50 m. Coniferous forest was the only landscape variable ex...

Wildlife Hunting in Eastern Mongolia: Economic and Demographic Factors Infl uencing Hunting Behavior of Herding Households

Much of Mongolia’s rangelands are under state control and managed via traditional land use practices and are habitat for numerous wildlife species harvested for their meat and fur. Political and economic transformations that have been occurring since the early 1990’s continues to affect all aspects of Mongolian society. To cope during periods of economic hardship, many turned to harvesting wildlife resources for income and subsistence and this resulted in precipitous declines of some populations, marmots for example. Interviews with herding households in Mongolia’s eastern steppe region were conducted to better determine how wildlife resources (Mongolian gazelle, Siberian marmot, red foxes, corsac foxes, and gray wolf) are utilized and valued by herding families. Hunting, carried out by 65% of interviewees, returned an average of $103±172 dollars per household. The number of individuals hunted of any particular species during the previous year ranged widely - 46% of households hunted an average of 8±9 Mongolian gazelles (the equivalent of a small cow), 31% hunted 5±5 corsac foxes, 29% hunted 42±47 marmots, 22% hunted 3±3 red foxes, and 17% hunted 3±2 gray wolves. Differences in mean annual income between hunting and non-hunting households were similar ($1,292±1,132 vs. $1,080±1,196) however the median difference was greater ($1,009 vs $749). However, non-hunting households owned significantly more livestock than hunting households (168±183 vs. 93±92 Livestock Units), and the proportion of hunting households living below the poverty line was higher. Households that were larger or had few numbers of livestock were more likely to engage in hunting than smaller households with more livestock. Household and livestock variables were also significant predictors of a households likelihood of hunting Mongolian gazelle, Siberian marmot, and corsac fox, but not for red fox or gray wolf. Wildlife management policies will likely receive greater acceptance and compliance if subsistence hunting needs were incorporated.

The effects of different canopy covers on the herb layer in the forest-steppes of the Grazer Bergland (Eastern Alps, Austria)

The submontane belt of the eastern Alps is dominated by beech forests. However, on rocky and steep south-facing slopes, small vegetation mosaics have developed, which, to a certain degree, are similar to the Pannonian forest-steppes. In spite of their unique conservation importance and threatened status, they have received relatively little scientific attention. In this study we analyzed the spatial pattern of such mosaics. More specifically, our objective was to find out how canopy cover value influences the species composition of the herb layer. According to our results, canopy cover of Pinus sylvestris has a rather limited effect on the herb layer composition and species richness. Thus, in the studied canopy cover range (ca. 5–75% canopy cover), most species occurred under all canopy cover grades. This is presumably a result of the canopy characteristics and branching pattern of P. sylvestris: it can be assumed that the physical conditions of the canopy and intercanopy patches are somewhat similar. This is in sharp contrast with the Pannonian forest-steppes dominated by Quercus pubescens. We conclude that, even though the cessation of traditional land-use may not result in a rapid change of the composition in eastern Austrian forest-steppes, every effort must be made to conserve these valuable habitats.

Comparison of nitrogen nutrition and soil carbon status of afforested stands established in degraded soil of the Loess Plateau, China

The Loess Plateau in China constitutes an area short of soil nitrogen and organic carbon due to local land degradation induced by various factors (i.e. long term changes of land use, climate conditions, and soil properties). The present study aimed to examine the effects of species and land management by afforestation on tree N acquisition capacity and soil N and C availability in degraded soils of the Loess Plateau area. We quantified root N uptake of inorganic and organic N sources as well as soil N and C availability, both at the tree species (i.e. Robinia pseudoacacia L., Juglans regia L. and Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.) and the land management (i.e. arable vs. monoculture vs. mixed afforested stands) levels. Our results indicated that afforestation improved soil N and organic C availabilities compared to abandoned arable land (p<0.05). In particular, the presence of N2-fixing R. pseudoacacia enhanced root N concentrations (ca. 3.0 times) and soil NO3- (ca. 5.4 times), soil total N (ca. 1.9 times) and organic C (ca. 3.4 times) availabilities, but decreased soil NH4+ (ca. −33%), microbial biomass carbon (ca. −74%) and nitrogen (ca. −54%) in the mixed stand compared to J. regia monoculture. Under the experimental conditions applied, the afforested trees preferred organic over inorganic N compounds as well as NO3− over NH4+; J. regia in monoculture had a highest root amino acids N uptake capacities (i.e. 76.6±7.7nmolN (gfw)−1h−1 for glutamine, 90.3±8.9nmolN (gfw)−1h−1 for arginine) compared to other tree species whereas such high uptake capacities were largely repressed in the mixed stand with R. pseudoacacia. Thus, in the Loess Plateau area, the inter-planting system of J. regia with N2-fixing R. pseudoacacia could improve the total soil N and organic C pools as well as plant N cycling compared to traditional arable land use and J. regia monoculture system. This study shows that inter-planting R. pseudoacacia with economic fruit trees can be considered a successful strategy for soil regeneration by afforestation in future land management projects.

Social enterprises with environmental objectives: saving traditional orchards in England and Germany

Social enterprises (SE) re-invest their profits towards a social mission. They have proliferated as post-industrial economies try to meet social need with limited state funding. Scholarship has expanded accordingly, although SEs with primarily environmental objectives have been neglected. This article examines how SEs, in regions noted for wildlife-rich orchards, fund nature conservation by marketing juice and/or cider, thereby attempting to revive economic possibilities for this traditional land use. A common thread between the SEs is their initiation by conservation organisations, and it is possible to group them within models of market intervention. Three models in particular are examined that reveal different approaches and success in orchard conservation. SE scholarship is marked by a wealth of case studies, and to avoid simply adding to this richness, the paper revisits Jen Beckert’s ideas on the social order of markets. His theory that actors strive for stability through forms of co-ordination in dynamic market ‘fields’ is applied to SEs aiming to produce positive conservation outcomes – or environmental order – from their market interventions. Within limits, social order advances understanding of environmental SE by identifying the multiple challenges they juggle, and revealing the environmental outcomes of SE engagement in markets.

Isolating the impact of septic systems on fecal pollution in streams of suburban watersheds in Georgia, United States

The presence of multiple sources of fecal pollution at the watershed level presents challenges to efforts aimed at identifying the influence of septic systems. In this study multiple approaches including targeted sampling and monitoring of host-specific Bacteroidales markers were used to identify the impact of septic systems on microbial water quality. Twenty four watersheds with septic density ranging from 8 to 373 septic units/km2 were monitored for water quality under baseflow conditions over a 3-year period. The levels of the human-associated HF183 marker, as well as total and ruminant Bacteroidales, were quantified using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Human-associated Bacteroidales yield was significantly higher in high density watersheds compared to low density areas and was negatively correlated (r = −0.64) with the average distance of septic systems to streams in the spring season. The human marker was also positively correlated with the total Bacteroidales marker, suggesting that the human source input was a significant contributor to total fecal pollution in the study area. Multivariable regression analysis indicates that septic systems, along with forest cover, impervious area and specific conductance could explain up to 74% of the variation in human fecal pollution in the spring season. The results suggest septic system impact through contributions to groundwater recharge during baseflow or failing septic system input, especially in areas with >87 septic units/km2. This study supports the use of microbial source tracking approaches along with traditional fecal indicator bacteria monitoring and land use characterization in a tiered approach to isolate the influence of septic systems on water quality in mixed-use watersheds.

Understanding Sustainability through Traditional Maasai Pastoral Systems in Southern Kenya

In the developed world, we tend to think of sustainability as a newly articulated solution to challenges of environmental resource degradation and issues of social and economic injustice. However, pastoralism as traditionally practiced by the Maasai of southern Kenya is tied closely to the land and responds to climatic variation within the region. In the early 20 th century, colonial policies began to alter traditional land use systems, compromising inherently sustainable arrangements and isolating populations from the land. This trend has continued somewhat in contemporary development practice. As a result of a shift toward privatization of land tenure, traditional pastoral systems are no longer viable. While studying abroad with The School for Field Studies, we became aware of the struggle many Maasai face as they attempt to continue pastoralism in an increasingly hostile environment. Ultimately, development efforts in the region should focus not on implementing exogenous concepts of ‗sustainability‘ but rather on supporting and adapting systems that are already in place. Author’s Note Kaitlyn received an email from Consilience while we were in Kenya. That night, we started talking about sustainability in the context of the Maasai. While we come from different disciplinary backgrounds—Emma is focused on Africana Studies while Kaitlyn‘s background is in Environmental Biology—in Kenya we had both come to understand the inextricable relationship between people and conservation in the developing world. We wanted to share our thoughts on issues of sustainable development, as well as some of the more formative experiences that contributed to our understanding of the complex nature of social and environmental issues in southern Kenya. We‘ve both developed a strong connection to the area. Emma plans to return to southern Kenya and research sustainable agriculture, ultimately working toward a graduate degree in the field. After spending a year in western Kenya studying the behavioral ecology of blue monkeys, Kaitlyn plans to pursue graduate education in the field of conservation biology. She will continue to engage in projects that integrate conservation and development efforts.

Plant and herbivorous insect diversity loss are greater than null model expectations due to land-use changes in agro-ecosystems

The effect of land-use changes on plant diversity is an important issue, as plant diversity is vital to maintaining of threatened insect diversity in agro-ecosystems. Although many studies have examined patterns of a few threatened species, few studies have examined a large number of threatened species while comparing organisms of different trophic levels. Observed and expected community assembly patterns of common and threatened species should be evaluated along land-use gradients in agro-ecosystems, using species richness and red list indicator (RLI). This study examined local and regional diversity of plants and herbivorous insects among abandoned, traditional, and intensified land-use types in semi-natural grasslands and compared observed and expected values via null model analysis. This study showed that the richness and RLI of plants and herbivorous insects were maintained in the traditional land-use. However threatened plants and herbivorous insects at sites of land abandonment and intensified use were significant lower than null model expectations. Although, plant richness, rather than RLI, was responsible for maintaining richness and the RLIs of herbivorous insects, plant richness did not linearly correlate with plant RLIs. Threatened plants did not depend on plant richness, it will be vital to identify and conserve unique environments for diversity of plants and herbivores. In conclusion, we should reintroduce traditional land-use practices in intensified use and abandoned grasslands. National and local governmental support for the appropriate management of semi-natural grasslands is beneficial for biodiversity conservation at both the local (e.g., present study area) and national (Japanese) levels.

Functional response of leaf- and planthoppers to modern fertilisation and irrigation of hay meadows

In the drier regions of the European Alps, traditional land-use of montane and subalpine meadows, i.e. extensively managed with solid manure application and irrigation via water channels, is currently shifting towards application of slurry and aerial irrigation. The impact of these new practices upon biodiversity remains poorly understood and calls for quantitative assessments of their effects. Relying on a full block design, we tested the effects of six management treatments corresponding to an increasing gradient of farming intensification (fertilisation with slurry and/or irrigation with sprinklers) on Auchenorrhyncha (Hemiptera) communities occurring in the inner Swiss Alps. The experimental set up consisted of: control plots (no fertiliser, no irrigation; C-plots); plots that received only fertiliser (F-plots); plots that were only irrigated (I-plots); and plots that received low-, medium- and high-input of fertiliser and water (F+I 1/3-plots; F+I 2/3, F+I 3/3-plots; 3/3 corresponds here to the input level necessary for achieving maximum theoretical hay yield locally). After two years of experimental treatment (2012), plots that were only fertilised or only irrigated showed no change in the population sizes of Auchenorrhyncha, while plots that received low-, medium- and high-input of fertiliser and water harboured significantly higher abundances (1.9, 1.5 and 1.4 times higher, respectively), biomass (1.8, 1.6 and 1.8 times higher, respectively), as well as species richness (+27–30%, on average) than control plots. Abundances and species richness were also higher in plots with low-input of fertiliser and water compared to fertilised only plots. Monophagous and oligophagous species were most abundant in plots with low-input of fertiliser and water. Medium- and high-input treatments (F+I 2/3 and 3/3) increased the number of generalist (eurytopic) species, while only low-input treatment (F+I 1/3) boosted the more specialised (stenotopic) species. This provides support to the hump-shaped diversity-disturbance relationship and guidance for sustainable management of biodiversity-rich mountain hay meadows.

Innovative land use planning for natural hazard risk reduction: A consequence-driven approach from New Zealand

The traditional land use planning approach for addressing natural hazards in New Zealand has been based on the likelihood of an event occurring, with little consideration of the consequences associated with natural hazard events. This has led to decisions that place developments and communities at risk. Local government planning authorities who want to transition to risk-based planning face a number of challenges, including: how to satisfactorily define acceptable, tolerable and intolerable risk; how to incorporate the views of stakeholders and affected communities; and how to ensure that potentially controversial decisions over land use options are robust and defensible.This paper describes a practical innovation in land use planning that assists local and regional scale planners incorporate risk into land use planning decisions. Termed the ‘Risk-Based Planning Approach’ (RBPA), the objective of this framework is to provide local government planners with a process that responds to the key challenges they face in adopting a risk-based approach. It includes strategies to guide engagement and communication with key stakeholders both across local government and with affected communities; it supports a full assessment of the consequences, as well as likelihood, of natural hazard events; and it enables natural hazard policies to be monitored for their effectiveness in either holding-the-line or in reducing risks.In this paper we review how the RBPA provides for innovation in land use planning. In particular we note how its development with input from planners has ensured its applicability and consistency with statutory planning requirements and we examine an early case of its use in practice. This case demonstrates how a regional planning agency further innovated based on the RBPA, to provide robust and defensible decisions around acceptable, tolerable and intolerable levels of risk for their region.

Mapping the Digital Terrain: Towards Indigenous Geographic Information and Spatial Data Quality Indicators for Indigenous Knowledge and Traditional Land-Use Data Collection

Mapping spatial information to represent indigenous knowledge (IK) and rights has been taking place since the early 1970s in various parts of Canada. These mapping initiatives continue to be primarily associated with traditional land-use (TLU) studies and have deep roots in participatory methods that include aspects of participatory geographic information systems (PGIS). In the current context of encroaching industrial developments into indigenous homelands and the strengthening of Indigenous rights within Canadian Supreme Court rulings, the role of mapping TLU information is central. Who is conducting the research, what tools are used, and how this information is shared are all key questions being asked in the Indigenous context. As a result, the quality of spatial data has become a critical part of these engagement processes. This paper focuses on the intersections of new methods of TLU/IK data collection, namely a direct-to-digital approach that seeks to minimize misrepresentation and mistranslations of IK. From these intersections, the authors recognize the need to establish Indigenous-led quality indicators that directly address the introduction of new methods into the TLU/IK field. Indigenous geographic information and spatial data quality indicators will better address the current needs of Indigenous communities in the negotiation of resource developments in their territories, and provide a new path forward for enhancing the use of geospatial technologies in Indigenous communities.

Identification of extent, topographic characteristics and land abandonment process of vineyard terraces in the Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region between 1784 and 2010

ABSTRACTThe terracing of vineyards has been a centuries-old traditional land use type in the Tokaj-Hegyalja region (887 km2). However, most of them have since been abandoned and are occupied by dense vegetation. In this study, we mapped the spatial extent of vineyard terraces, based on aerial photos. We classified the terraced fields, considering their topographic characteristics as assessed by topographic factors (slope, exposure and elevation) and the process of abandonment between 1784 and 2010 using historical and contemporary land use maps. Based on the overall map of vineyard abandonment (scale: 1:120,000), the process of the abandonment of terraces can be divided into six consecutive time intervals (1784–1858, 1858–1884, 1884–1940, 1940–1969, 1969–1989 and 1989–2010). Vineyard terraces were found on 590 ha, which were concentrated on hillsides steeper than 17%, on southwestern, southern and southeastern exposures, and lying between 150 and 500 m a.s.l. In the period between 1884 and 1989, 77.8% of the terraces were abandoned, with a particularly intense period of abandonment between 1940 and 1969, which saw a 31.1% decrease in the extent of cultivated terraces.

Assessment of Carbon Storage Potential and Area under Agroforestry Systems in Gujarat Plains by Co2fix Model and Remote Sensing Techniques

Agroforestry is a traditional and ancient land use practice, having deliberate integration of trees with crop and livestock components. In India, agroforestry practices are prevalent in different agro-ecological zones and occupy sizeable areas. These practices have great potential for climate change mitigation through sequestration of atmospheric CO 2 . Carbon sequestration potential was studied in four districts of Gujarat (Anand, Dahod, Patan and Junagarh), for which field survey was conducted to collect primary data on existing agroforestry systems. The extent of agroforestry area in these districts was estimated by sub-pixel classifier using medium resolution remote sensing data (RS-2/LISS III). By sub-pixel classifier, the highest area under agroforestry was estimated in Dahod (12.48%) followed by Junagarh district (10.95%) with an average of 9.12%. Sapota ( Manilkara zapota ) based agroforestry was also mapped in Junagarh district, which occupied an area of 1.13%. An accuracy of 87.2% was found by sub-pixel classifier in delineation of sapota-based agroforestry in the district. Dynamic CO2FIX model has been used to estimate total carbon (biomass + soils) and net carbon sequestered in existing agroforestry systems. Net carbon sequestered over a simulated period of 30 years in Anand, Dahod, Patan and Junagarh districts was found to be 2.70, 6.26, 1.61 and 1.50 Mg C ha -1 respectively. Total carbon stock in all four districts for baseline and simulated period of 30 years was estimated to be 2.907 and 3.251 million tonnes respectively. Thus, agroforestry systems in Gujarat have significant potential in carbon storage and trapping atmospheric CO 2 into biomass and soils. Hence, CO2FIX model in conjunction with remote sensing techniques can be successfully applied for estimating carbon sequestration potential of agroforestry systems in a district or a region.

Variability of Beryllium‐7 and Its Potential for Documenting Soil and Soil Organic Carbon Redistribution by Erosion

Core Ideas The 7Be technique can quantify soil and SOC redistribution under short‐term erosion. The heavy erosion happened in the up‐middle and down‐middle location of the slope. Depending on the weather, plowing can result in a substantial increase in erosion. Limited understanding of the redistribution of soil and soil organic C (SOC) within landscapes and their corresponding delivery ratios is available. To improve this assignment, the beryllium‐7 (7Be) technique and a simple conversion model were used to estimate soil and SOC redistribution rates on a sloping cropland plot (5 m wide and 15 m long with a slope of 10°) in the hilly red soil region of southern China. Results showed that the soil erosion and deposition rates were relatively consistent with the magnitude of a rainfall event, and the estimated net soil and SOC losses were close to the measured values. These findings suggested the potential of 7Be measurements in quantifying soil and SOC redistribution patterns associated with short‐term erosion from heavy rainfalls. The spatial redistribution patterns of soil and SOC presented alternating erosion–deposition patterns from the slope crest to the bottom. Heavy erosion occurred in the upper‐ and lower‐middle regions of the slope. The estimated net soil and SOC loss were 1.14 kg m−2 and 23.00 g m−2 for tillage from spring to summer (S–S, March–July 2013), clearly exceeding the soil (0.017 kg m−2) and SOC loss (0.43 g m−2)observed for no tillage from summer to winter (S–W, July 2013–January 2014). The sediment delivery rates in the two periods were calculated to be 64.41 and 2.51%, respectively, and the SOC delivery rates were estimated to be 58.17 and 6.48%, respectively. Depending on the weather conditions, tillage can result in a substantial increase in soil and SOC loss under traditional land use.