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Agrodiversity and Sustainable Land Management
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Agrodiversity and Sustainable Land Management

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2020) | Viewed by 22963

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Chun Sheng Goh

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
United Nations University, Institute for Advance Sustainability Studies, Jingumae 5-53-70, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8925, Japan
Interests: sustainability; sustainable development; bio-economy, bio-energy; bio-production; agriculture; forestry; land-use; land management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Large-scale land exploitation to jumpstart backward economies is often accompanied by massive environmental impacts. This typically starts first with uncontrolled timber extraction, then massive monoculture expansion and finally land degradation and abandonment. Alternative development strategies for economic growth in the land-use sectors (especially agriculture and forestry) to prevent the exacerbation of environmental degradation are urgently needed. These strategies, which may be collectively framed as bio- or eco-economy strategies, include but are not limited to emphasizing agrodiversity, improving productivity, promoting eco-tourism, developing downstream activities, etc. However, the interconnected nature of economic productivity and conservation means that no single strategy is a perfect solution, but a combination of them may produce a better outcome. Furthermore, the existence of multiple stakeholders with different interests and values means that an ‘optimal’ combination would be highly influenced by local dynamics. Reconciling economic development and conservation requires serious thinking of the suitability of the strategies in a wider canvas of reality, i.e., the on-ground agro-ecological, sociopolitical, and economic conditions. This Special Issue of Sustainability is seeking papers that identify and analyze strategies that synergistically tackle environmental, economic, and social goals in transforming land-based economies for sustainability. Importantly, these strategies can be connected to ongoing policy development and applied in practice. Papers emphasizing how to deal with the local context and regional interactions will be given priority.

Dr. Chun Sheng Goh
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Sustainable land management
  • Land-use strategies
  • Agrodiversity
  • Bio-economy
  • Eco-economy
  • Bio-production
  • Sustainable agriculture
  • Sustainable forestry

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 261 KiB  
Article
An Empirical Analysis of an Integrated Accounting Method to Assess the Non-Monetary and Monetary Value of Ecosystem Services
by Yubang Liu, Yunan Yan and Xin Li
Sustainability 2020, 12(20), 8296; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208296 - 9 Oct 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2153
Abstract
The process of ecosystem service value evaluation has developed from the use of a single economic value that only accounts for material products to an assessment of ecological value and the value of ecosystem services. However, due to the complexity of ecosystems and [...] Read more.
The process of ecosystem service value evaluation has developed from the use of a single economic value that only accounts for material products to an assessment of ecological value and the value of ecosystem services. However, due to the complexity of ecosystems and different understandings of ecosystem service values, different classification methods of ecosystem services and service values have been developed internationally, and this has resulted in a lack of clarity regarding the correlation between ecosystem service value and various ecosystems. The correspondence between the system and each value type is not clear; therefore, based on an analysis of the inadequacy of domestic and foreign ecosystem service classification systems and methods, this study constructed a new accounting framework for non-monetary ecosystem service functions based on emergy analysis and integrated monetary accounting methods. The practical application of the method was also researched. The research results re-classified the value of ecosystem services, established an accounting method for various ecosystem service values, clarified the principle of addition in accounting, and avoided double counting. In the empirical analysis, a large number of correlation coefficients, parameters, and index values found in the foreign literature were used, so, our method also has value for international use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agrodiversity and Sustainable Land Management)
17 pages, 1845 KiB  
Article
Acid-Modified and Unmodified Natural Clay Deposits for In Situ Immobilization and Reducing Phytoavailability of Molybdenum in a Sandy Loam Calcareous Soil
by Saleh H. Alrashidi, Abdelazeem S. Sallam and Adel R. A. Usman
Sustainability 2020, 12(19), 8203; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12198203 - 5 Oct 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1897
Abstract
Molybdenum (Mo) in basic soils has high bioavailability and plant toxicity. This study aimed to investigate the effect of increasing Mo concentration on its availability and toxicity threshold in alfalfa plants grown in sandy loam calcareous soils, and the potential use of raw [...] Read more.
Molybdenum (Mo) in basic soils has high bioavailability and plant toxicity. This study aimed to investigate the effect of increasing Mo concentration on its availability and toxicity threshold in alfalfa plants grown in sandy loam calcareous soils, and the potential use of raw and acid- modified clay deposits as soil additives to immobilize Mo and reduce its phytoavailability. Raw clay deposits (RCD) were treated with H2SO4 to produce acid-modified clay deposits (AMCD). The first experiment was performed using soils treated with 0, 0.1, 1, 10, 50, and 100 mg Mo kg−1. The second experiment was conducted with soils treated with 10 or 50 mg Mo kg−1 and amended with RCD and AMCD at application rates of 0, 2.5, 5, and 10% (w/w). After harvesting, water-soluble Mo, ammonium bicarbonate-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (AB-DTPA)-extractable Mo, and shoot Mo content as well as dry matter were measured. The results showed that water-soluble Mo, AB-DTPA-extractable Mo, and shoot Mo concentration increased at higher Mo soil addition. AMCD had a stronger influence on Mo immobilization and reduction effect on plant shoots compared to RCD, depending on soil Mo concentration and application rate. Applying AMCD decreased soil pH but increased salinity levels. The shoot dry matter significantly increased in soils amended with RCD and/or AMCD compared to control soils; with the highest improvement recorded for RCD at 10%. It was concluded that AMCD is an efficient immobilizing agent to reduce Mo mobility and its phytoavailability in calcareous soils. Additionally, both AMCD and especially RCD were able to create favorable conditions for plant growth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agrodiversity and Sustainable Land Management)
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15 pages, 1088 KiB  
Article
Hemp Seed Production: Environmental Impacts of Cannabis sativa L. Agronomic Practices by Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Carbon Footprint Methodologies
by Enio Campiglia, Laura Gobbi, Alvaro Marucci, Mattia Rapa, Roberto Ruggieri and Giuliana Vinci
Sustainability 2020, 12(16), 6570; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12166570 - 13 Aug 2020
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 9170
Abstract
This paper evaluated the environmental impacts of different agronomic practices for a hemp seed crop grown in Mediterranean environment. The following agricultural variables have been considered: seven monoecious hemp varieties(Epsilon68 (E68), Fedora17 (F17), Felina32 (F32), Ferimon (Fe), Futura75 (F75), Santhica27 (S27), Uso31 (U31)), [...] Read more.
This paper evaluated the environmental impacts of different agronomic practices for a hemp seed crop grown in Mediterranean environment. The following agricultural variables have been considered: seven monoecious hemp varieties(Epsilon68 (E68), Fedora17 (F17), Felina32 (F32), Ferimon (Fe), Futura75 (F75), Santhica27 (S27), Uso31 (U31)), three plant densities (40, 80, and 120 plants m−2), and two levels of nitrogen (N) fertilization (50 and 100 kg ha−1 of N). Life cycle assessment (LCA) and carbon footprint (CF) methodologies have been applied to evaluate impacts. In all hemp genotypes, the impacts grew by decreasing both N fertilizer and plants densities. The scenario most impacting was E68/F75/S27 genotypes cultivated with 50 kg ha−1 of N fertilizer and 40 plants m−2, while the lowest one was Fe with 100 kg ha−1 of N fertilizer and 120 plants m−2. The highest CF was found for E68/F75/S27 cultivated with 50 kg ha−1 of N fertilizer and 40 plants m−2 (18.720 kg CO2 eq). This study highlighted the most environmentally sustainable agronomic practices to support farmer and decision maker in Cannabis sativa L. cultivation for seed production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agrodiversity and Sustainable Land Management)
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16 pages, 2198 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Land Reuse Structure in Coal Mining Subsided Areas Considering Regional Economic Development: A Case Study in Pei County, China
by Zhen Li, Songlin Wu, Shiwen Zhang, Chaojia Nie, Yong Li and Yuanfang Huang
Sustainability 2020, 12(8), 3335; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083335 - 20 Apr 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2424
Abstract
Land subsidence, which has caused large-scale settlement loss and farmland degradation, was regarded as the main constraint for land reclamation in the High Groundwater Coal Basins (HGCBs) in the eastern China plain. Both coal mining and agricultural production are important for regional development [...] Read more.
Land subsidence, which has caused large-scale settlement loss and farmland degradation, was regarded as the main constraint for land reclamation in the High Groundwater Coal Basins (HGCBs) in the eastern China plain. Both coal mining and agricultural production are important for regional development in this area. In general, the land reclamation direction in this area is greatly affected by the adequacy of filling materials and the land use demand of regional economic development. Taking seven coal mining subsided areas in Pei county, located in the eastern China plain, for example, this study proposed an integrated model (including the Limit Condition model, Logistic Regression model, Grey Linear Programming model and the conversion of land use and its effects at small regional extent (CLUE-S) model) to simulate and optimize the post-mining land use structure to meet the economic development needs of Pei county. Then, the post-mining land use structure under different scenarios, which were set based on the subsidence depth, were compared to explore the optimal collapse depth for separating the damaged land into the filling area and non-filling area. The landscape structure, ecological benefits, engineering quantity and reclaimed farmland area were used to compare the reclaimed land use structure of different scenarios. The results showed that the integrated model could efficiently simulate the reclaimed land use structure to meet the land demand for regional development. The optimal collapse depth for separating the damaged area into the filling area and non-filling area was 2.6 m. Currently, the reclaimed land use structure not only needs a low quantity of filling material, but also obtains a good landscape structure and elevated ecosystem services value. Furthermore, the reclaimed urban land was mainly distributed around Pei town, and the reclaimed farmland was mostly distributed in the area between Pei town and Weishan lake, which were consistent with the pattern of urbanization. The study provides valuable information for future land use plans for Pei county and will contribute to the methods of post-mining land reclamation in other HGCBs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agrodiversity and Sustainable Land Management)
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23 pages, 2860 KiB  
Article
Empirical Research on the Process of Land Resource-Asset-Capitalization—A Case Study of Yanba, Jiangjin District, Chongqing
by Weiguo Fan, Nan Chen, Ximeng Li, Hejie Wei and Xuechao Wang
Sustainability 2020, 12(3), 1236; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12031236 - 8 Feb 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2621
Abstract
As an effective land policy that can invigorate rural construction areas and balance urban and rural development, land tickets not only concretely embody the land resource-asset-capitalization process, but also bring economic benefits to the farmers concerned. However, from the perspective of resource-asset-capitalization, the [...] Read more.
As an effective land policy that can invigorate rural construction areas and balance urban and rural development, land tickets not only concretely embody the land resource-asset-capitalization process, but also bring economic benefits to the farmers concerned. However, from the perspective of resource-asset-capitalization, the specific environmental impacts and economic costs of the process in land tickets and the changes in the values of ecosystem services need to be considered. This paper uses land tickets in Yanba, Jiangjin, Chongqing as an example, combined with life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle cost assessment (LCC), and methods for the evaluation of ecosystem services to quantify the environmental load, economic costs, and changes in the value of ecosystem services in the process of land resource-asset-capitalization. Moreover, through this analysis, we attempted to determine the contributions of different environmental indicators and the key links restricting the whole process of land resource-asset-capitalization. On this basis, through a sensitivity analysis, we explored the possibility of reducing environmental impact during the whole process of land resource-asset-capitalization. Through this research, we sought to explore the realization process of land tickets and to enrich the empirical research on land resource-asset-capitalization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agrodiversity and Sustainable Land Management)
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15 pages, 4033 KiB  
Perspective
The Multi-Millennial Olive Agroecosystem of Salento (Apulia, Italy) Threatened by Xylella Fastidiosa Subsp. Pauca: A Working Possibility of Restoration
by Marco Scortichini
Sustainability 2020, 12(17), 6700; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12176700 - 19 Aug 2020
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4179
Abstract
In Salento, the olive agro-ecosystem has lasted more than 4000 years, and represents an invaluable local heritage for landscape, trade, and social traditions. The quarantine bacterium Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca was introduced in the area from abroad and has been widely threatening olive [...] Read more.
In Salento, the olive agro-ecosystem has lasted more than 4000 years, and represents an invaluable local heritage for landscape, trade, and social traditions. The quarantine bacterium Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca was introduced in the area from abroad and has been widely threatening olive groves in the area. The successful eradication of quarantine phytopathogens requires a prompt identification of the causative agent at the new site, a restricted infected area, a highly effective local organization for crop uprooting and biological features of the micro-organism that would guarantee its complete elimination. However, at the time of the first record, these criteria were not met. Interdisciplinary studies showed that a zinc-copper-citric acid biocomplex allowed a consistent reduction of field symptoms and pathogen cell concentration within infected olive trees. In this perspective article, it is briefly described the implementation of control strategies in some olive farms of Salento. The protocol includes spray treatment with the biocomplex during spring and summer, regular pruning of the trees and mowing of soil between February and April to reduce the juvenile of the insect vector(s). Thus far, more than 500 ha have begun to follow this eco-friendly strategy within the “infected” and “containment” areas of Salento. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agrodiversity and Sustainable Land Management)
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