Research

16 pages, 3258 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Land Use Sustainability Monitoring: “Trees Outside Forests” in Temperate FAO-Ecozones (Oceanic, Continental, and Mediterranean) in Europe (2000–2015)

by Luis G. García-Montero, Cristina Pascual, Alfonso Sanchez-Paus Díaz, Susana Martín-Fernández, Pablo Martín-Ortega, Fernando García-Robredo, Carlos Calderón-Guerrero, Chiara Patriarca and Danilo Mollicone

Sustainability 2021, 13(18), 10175; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810175 - 11 Sep 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1520

Abstract

The global distribution of forest trees is essential for monitoring land-use sustainability. For this reason, FAO developed the Global Forest Survey (GFS), a systematic regional level survey with a homogeneous sampling design. Preliminary results revealed an interest in analyzing “Trees Outside Forests” (TOFs). [...] Read more.

The global distribution of forest trees is essential for monitoring land-use sustainability. For this reason, FAO developed the Global Forest Survey (GFS), a systematic regional level survey with a homogeneous sampling design. Preliminary results revealed an interest in analyzing “Trees Outside Forests” (TOFs). We analyzed more than 11,150 sample GFS plots in temperate FAO-ecozones in Europe through a photo-interpretation approach using FAO’s Collect Earth platform. Our results showed that forest land was the most predominant use of land (41%) in temperate FAO-ecozones in Europe in 2015. Forest IPCC land use followed a moderate upward trend from 2000 to 2015 (0.2%). Trees Outside Forests in temperate FAO-ecozones in Europe accounted for 22% of the inventoried area. Trees Outside Forests represent 30% and 48% of cropland and grassland IPCC land uses, respectively, as well as 75% in settlement uses. Comparing our results with previous studies on the Mediterranean, temperate FAO-ecozone TOFs showed a downward trend in Europe and an upward trend in the Mediterranean area, despite its smaller surface area. The greening of the Common Agricultural Policy may increase the extension of TOFs, although our results may indicate that this effect is not yet evident in the field. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Land Use Policy)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 15122 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Simulation and Analysis of Land Use Changes Applying Cellular Automata in the South of Quito and the Machachi Valley, Province of Pichincha, Ecuador

by René Ulloa-Espíndola and Susana Martín-Fernández

Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9525; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179525 - 24 Aug 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2167

Abstract

Rapid urban growth has historically led to changes in land use patterns and the degradation of natural resources and the urban environment. Uncontrolled growth of urban areas in the city of Quito has continued to the present day since 1960s, aggravated by illegal [...] Read more.

Rapid urban growth has historically led to changes in land use patterns and the degradation of natural resources and the urban environment. Uncontrolled growth of urban areas in the city of Quito has continued to the present day since 1960s, aggravated by illegal or irregular new settlements. The main objective of this paper is to generate spatial predictions of these types of urban settlements and land use changes in 2023, 2028 and 2038, applying the Dinamica EGO cellular automata and multivariable software. The study area was the Machachi Valley between the south of the city of Quito and the rural localities of Alóag and Machachi. The results demonstrate the accuracy of the model and its applicability, thanks to the use of 15 social, physical and climate predictors and the validation process. The analysis of the land use changes throughout the study area shows that urban land use will undergo the greatest net increase. Growth in the south of Quito is predicted to increase by as much as 35% between 2018 and 2038 where new highly vulnerable urban settlements can appear. Native forests in the Andes and forest plantations are expected to decline in the study area due to their substitution by shrub vegetation or agriculture and livestock land use. The implementation of policies to control the land market and protect natural areas could help to mitigate the continuous deterioration of urban and forest areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Land Use Policy)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 1757 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modelling Critical Innovation Factors in Rural Agrifood Industries: A Case Study in Cuenca, Spain

by Francisco José Gallego, José María Díaz-Puente, Daniel Francisco Quesada and Maddalena Bettoni

Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9514; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179514 - 24 Aug 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1678

Abstract

The agrifood industry contributes to sustaining the population and the economic growth in rural areas of Spain. Innovation in the agrifood sector has therefore become a necessity as a means of improving the competitiveness of companies and the territory, thus promoting sustainable rural [...] Read more.

The agrifood industry contributes to sustaining the population and the economic growth in rural areas of Spain. Innovation in the agrifood sector has therefore become a necessity as a means of improving the competitiveness of companies and the territory, thus promoting sustainable rural development in areas currently characterised by social issues such as depopulation. Meeting this need requires the generation of specific knowledge on innovation in the rural agrifood industry to strategically steer the business management of innovation. This study aims to contribute to further improving the competitiveness of the agrifood industry through the interrelation of critical innovation factors in small and medium-sized agrifood enterprises, thus shedding light on the innovation environment of differentiated local products in depopulated rural regions. The qualitative Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) methodology was used with the participation of entrepreneurs and experts from the sector. The ISM was applied to a case study in Alcarria Conquense, a Spanish region that embodies the current problems of many rural territories. The results show four factors (cooperation, managerial skills, absorptive capacity, and market orientation) are binding variables with a high power of influence and dependence, and a fifth factor, funding, is the most dependent on the others. The work contributes to the literature by revealing the needs and opportunities for a potential strategic planning of rural development that can positively influence the problems of the region through innovation management in this industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Land Use Policy)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 2781 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impacts of Agricultural Land Acquisition for Urbanization on Agricultural Activities of Affected Households: A Case Study in Huong Thuy Town, Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam

by Nhung Pham Thi, Martin Kappas and Heiko Faust

Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8559; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158559 - 31 Jul 2021

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4515

Abstract

Agricultural land acquisition for urbanization (ALAFU) has strongly impacted agriculture in Vietnam during the last decades. Given the mixed data obtained from a survey (with 50 households who lost 50% of their farmland area), in-depth interviews, a group-focused discussion and observation, this study [...] Read more.

Agricultural land acquisition for urbanization (ALAFU) has strongly impacted agriculture in Vietnam during the last decades. Given the mixed data obtained from a survey (with 50 households who lost 50% of their farmland area), in-depth interviews, a group-focused discussion and observation, this study shows the different impacts of ALAFU on each agricultural activity of affected household by comparing before and after ALAFU. Rice cultivation and animal breeding have sharply declined, but potted flower plantation (PFP) has quickly grown and is the main income of 34% of surveyed households. Rice cultivation has declined not only as a result of agricultural land acquisition, which has resulted in the loss of rice land, but also as a result of urbanization, which has resulted in rice land abandonment. Conversely, PFP is growing due to advantages associated with urbanization, such as a good consumer market and upgraded infrastructure. However, whether they are declining or increasing, all agricultural activities have to face challenges related to the shortcomings in agricultural land allocation and agricultural development plans. This study suggests that if ALAFU projects are continued, the government should evaluate agricultural development and forecast farmland abandonment after ALAFU. Simultaneously, they should put more effort into maintaining agriculture in the form of peri-urban or urban agriculture, which is significant for sustainable development in affected communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Land Use Policy)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 288 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experts’ Perception of the Key Drivers of Land-Use/Land-Cover Changes in Serbia from 1990 to 2012

by Tijana Dabović, Bojana Pjanović, Oliver Tošković, Dejan Djordjević and Bogdan Lukić

Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 7771; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147771 - 12 Jul 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1693

Abstract

Negative trends in land use and land cover changes (LULCCs) are embodied in environmental, economic and social problems, keeping entire societies away from sustainable development goals (SDGs). This recognition incites a need for securing comprehensive and transdiciplinary knowledge on the complex interplay between [...] Read more.

Negative trends in land use and land cover changes (LULCCs) are embodied in environmental, economic and social problems, keeping entire societies away from sustainable development goals (SDGs). This recognition incites a need for securing comprehensive and transdiciplinary knowledge on the complex interplay between LULCCs and their drivers. It should inform land use policy makers and produce adequate sustainable social responses. However, fragmentation in both academic and governmental arenas is an important impediment to the needed application of sustainability to land use policy. With this regard, the study offers a transdisciplinary, bottom-up and reproducible framework for understanding key drivers of LULCCs at the national/regional level where sustainable land use policies should be defined. Its main component is the repeated measure ANOVA of the experts’ survey data. The analysis allows aggregation of experts’ different disciplinary, professional and experiential perceptions and produces comparable results. It is tested in Serbia in three sub-periods during post-socialism. Main results confirm that LULCCs and drivers are complexly intertwined and need to be analysed within a comprehensive and transdisciplinary framework. Furthermore, the study should enable the transdisciplinary discussion, learning and knowledge coproduction that are required to inform land use policy makers about the needed trans-sectoral coproduction of policy responses towards SDGs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Land Use Policy)

24 pages, 2125 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modeling and Prediction of Land Use Land Cover Change Dynamics Based on Land Change Modeler (LCM) in Nashe Watershed, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia

by Megersa Kebede Leta, Tamene Adugna Demissie and Jens Tränckner

Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3740; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073740 - 27 Mar 2021

Cited by 125 | Viewed by 7182

Abstract

Change of land use land cover (LULC) has been known globally as an essential driver of environmental change. Assessment of LULC change is the most precise method to comprehend the past land use, types of changes to be estimated, the forces and developments [...] Read more.

Change of land use land cover (LULC) has been known globally as an essential driver of environmental change. Assessment of LULC change is the most precise method to comprehend the past land use, types of changes to be estimated, the forces and developments behind the changes. The aim of the study was to assess the temporal and spatial LULC dynamics of the past and to predict the future using Landsat images and LCM (Land Change Modeler) by considering the drivers of LULC dynamics. The research was conducted in Nashe watershed (Ethiopia) which is the main tributary of the Upper Blue Nile basin. The total watershed area is 94,578 ha. The Landsat imagery from 2019, 2005, and 1990 was used for evaluating and predicting the spatiotemporal distributions of LULC changes. The future LULC image prediction has been generated depending on the historical trends of LULC changes for the years 2035 and 2050. LCM integrated in TerrSet Geospatial Monitoring and Modeling System assimilated with MLP and CA-Markov chain have been used for monitoring, assessment of change, and future projections. Markov chain was used to generate transition probability matrices between LULC classes and cellular automata were used to predict the LULC map. Validation of the predicted LULC map of 2019 was conducted successfully with the actual LULC map. The validation accuracy was determined using the Kappa statistics and agreement/disagreement marks. The results of the historical LULC depicted that forest land, grass land, and range land are the most affected types of land use. The agricultural land in 1990 was 41,587.21 ha which increased to 57,868.95 ha in 2019 with an average growth rate of 39.15%. The forest land, range land, and grass land declined annually with rates of 48.38%, 19.58%, and 26.23%, respectively. The predicted LULC map shows that the forest cover will further degrade from 16.94% in 2019 to 8.07% in 2050, while agricultural land would be expanded to 69,021.20 ha and 69,264.44 ha in 2035 and 2050 from 57,868.95 ha in 2019. The findings of this investigation indicate an expected rapid change in LULC for the coming years. Converting the forest area, range land, and grass land into other land uses, especially to agricultural land, is the main LULC change in the future. Measures should be implemented to achieve rational use of agricultural land and the forest conversion needs to be well managed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Land Use Policy)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 1505 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Beyond Sustainable Intensification: Transitioning Primary Sectors through Reconfiguring Land-Use

by Karen Bayne and Alan Renwick

Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3225; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063225 - 15 Mar 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2528

Abstract

Internationally there is a desire to transition farming systems towards more sustainable production in response to global and local social and environmental challenges. This transition has often been linked with a movement towards ‘sustainable intensification’ which, although having advantages, has raised questions about [...] Read more.

Internationally there is a desire to transition farming systems towards more sustainable production in response to global and local social and environmental challenges. This transition has often been linked with a movement towards ‘sustainable intensification’ which, although having advantages, has raised questions about a lack of attention to, for example, social and ethical consideration of food and fibre production. Whilst there is general consensus that a transition is required, what is much less clear is what transitioned agricultural sectors would look like in terms of land-use configurations and how such a change can be achieved. Using New Zealand as an example, this paper provides some initial views on what such a reconfiguration may entail. The paper identifies and assesses a range of possible alternative land use configurations that, in general, lead to landscape/regional diversification. The importance of incorporating new high value low intensity (niche) systems into the landscape is highlighted. Development of these niches to achieve scale is shown to be key to the transition process. The joint role of the private (through markets) and public (through policy) sectors in driving the transition is highlighted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Land Use Policy)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 3597 KiB

Open AccessArticle

After the Wildfires: The Processes of Social Learning of Forest Owners’ Associations in Central Catalonia, Spain

by Roser Rodríguez-Carreras, Xavier Úbeda, Marcos Francos and Claudia Marco

Sustainability 2020, 12(15), 6042; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12156042 - 28 Jul 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3720

Abstract

Over the last few decades, according to the Forest Fire Prevention Services of the Catalan Government, a small number of fires (less than 1%) have been responsible for the destruction of more than three quarters of the burnt forest area in Catalonia. However, [...] Read more.

Over the last few decades, according to the Forest Fire Prevention Services of the Catalan Government, a small number of fires (less than 1%) have been responsible for the destruction of more than three quarters of the burnt forest area in Catalonia. However, while these wildfires have transformed many components of the landscape, including its vegetation and soils, they offer landowners the opportunity to learn from past decisions. This article aims to analyze the responses of forest owners in Central Catalonia after the great forest fires of the 1980s and 1990s, including the way in which their objectives and strategies are defined and their actions implemented. By conducting interviews with the members of forest owners’ associations and by means of participant observation at association meetings, we seek to examine the processes of social learning experienced by this collective and to identify the mechanisms used in their efforts to create socio-ecological structures that are less vulnerable to fire. Associationism is unusual in the world of Catalan forest ownership, despite the great number of private forest areas. In our results, however, associationism emerges as a strategy for cooperation, a recognition of the need to link ecological and social structures in the territory, and one which we define as a form of ‘socio-ecological resistance’. Our study highlights that the goals and actions of forest owners’ associations have both an instrumental and emotional component, so that reason, emotion and action have come to form the three vertices of socio-ecological resistance to fire. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Land Use Policy)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Sustainable Land Use Policy

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (8 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI