[go: up one dir, main page]
More Web Proxy on the site http://driver.im/
Next Issue
Volume 6, March
Previous Issue
Volume 5, September
You seem to have javascript disabled. Please note that many of the page functionalities won't work as expected without javascript enabled.
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.9
3.2
Journals
Land
Volume 5
Issue 4
share announcement
From the start of 2016, the journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers to identify articles. If you are required to add page numbers to a citation, you can do with using a colon in the format [article number]:1–[last page], e.g. 10:1–20.

Land, Volume 5, Issue 4 (December 2016) – 16 articles

Cover Story (view full-size image): Cost-effective and practical methods to quantitatively verify the impacts of responsible forest management on safeguarding biodiversity are increasingly sought in tropical production forests. In order to meet this societal need, Fujiki et al. (2016) have developed an algorithm to map the index of tree-species composition using Landsat satellite data for elucidating the spatial patterns of forest degradation/intactness. They applied this algorithm to six Bornean forest management units where selective logging was being implemented. They could successfully map a tree-species composition index for each pixel over the entire area and elucidate the status of logged-over forests with a high accuracy. Mean index values correlated with management regimes, which implies that their methods would be useful for verifying the management impacts on safeguarding biodiversity. View this paper
  • Issues are regarded as officially published after their release is announced to the table of contents alert mailing list.
  • You may sign up for e-mail alerts to receive table of contents of newly released issues.
  • PDF is the official format for papers published in both, html and pdf forms. To view the papers in pdf format, click on the "PDF Full-text" link, and use the free Adobe Reader to open them.
Order results
Result details
Section
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
1167 KiB  
Article
Greenhouse Gas Implications of Peri-Urban Land Use Change in a Developed City under Four Future Climate Scenarios
by Alison Rothwell, Brad Ridoutt and William Bellotti
Land 2016, 5(4), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5040046 - 16 Dec 2016
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4555
Abstract
Present decisions about urbanization of peri-urban (PU) areas may contribute to the capacity of cities to mitigate future climate change. Comprehensive mitigative responses to PU development should require integration of urban form and food production to realise potential trade-offs. Despite this, few studies [...] Read more.
Present decisions about urbanization of peri-urban (PU) areas may contribute to the capacity of cities to mitigate future climate change. Comprehensive mitigative responses to PU development should require integration of urban form and food production to realise potential trade-offs. Despite this, few studies examine greenhouse gas (GHG) implications of future urban development combined with impacts on PU food production. In this paper, four future scenarios, at 2050 and 2100 time horizons, were developed to evaluate the potential GHG emissions implications of feeding and housing a growing urban population in Sydney, Australia. The scenarios were thematically downscaled from the four relative concentration pathways. Central to the scenarios were differences in population, technology, energy, housing form, transportation, temperature, food production and land use change (LUC). A life cycle assessment approach was used within the scenarios to evaluate differences in GHG impacts. Differences in GHG emissions between scenarios at the 2100 time horizon, per area of PU land transformed, approximated 0.7 Mt CO2-e per year. Per additional resident this equated to 0.7 to 6.1 t CO2-e per year. Indirect LUC has the potential to be significant. Interventions such as carbon capture and storage technology, renewables and urban form markedly reduced emissions. However, incorporating cross-sectoral energy saving measures within urban planning at the regional scale requires a paradigmatic shift. Full article
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Schematic of research approach.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Life cycle inventory (LCI) for the housing and food systems contained within scenarios.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>GHG emissions impact (kg CO<sub>2</sub>-e) per area of peri-urban (PU) land transformed for housing under the four future scenarios at time horizons 2050 and 2100. Contributions are displayed from the components: new housing in existing urban location; new housing in greenfield location; replacement lettuce; and iLUC.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>GHG emissions (kg CO<sub>2</sub>-e yr-1) per area of PU land transformed normalised for population change, under the four future scenarios at time horizons 2050 and 2100.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>GHG emissions (kg CO<sub>2</sub>-e yr-1) per kg of displaced lettuce under the four future scenarios at time horizons 2050 and 2100.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Percent contribution of infill housing on existing urban land; new housing in greenfield locations; replacement of PU lettuce; and indirect land use change to GHG emissions per area of PU land transformed for the four future scenarios at time horizon 2100.</p> Full article ">
1948 KiB  
Article
Large-Scale Mapping of Tree-Community Composition as a Surrogate of Forest Degradation in Bornean Tropical Rain Forests
by Shogoro Fujiki, Ryota Aoyagi, Atsushi Tanaka, Nobuo Imai, Arif Data Kusma, Yuyun Kurniawan, Ying Fah Lee, John Baptist Sugau, Joan T. Pereira, Hiromitsu Samejima and Kanehiro Kitayama
Land 2016, 5(4), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5040045 - 11 Dec 2016
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 6138
Abstract
Assessment of the progress of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets set by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the safeguarding of ecosystems from the perverse negative impacts caused by Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Plus (REDD+) requires the development of spatiotemporally [...] Read more.
Assessment of the progress of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets set by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the safeguarding of ecosystems from the perverse negative impacts caused by Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation Plus (REDD+) requires the development of spatiotemporally robust and sensitive indicators of biodiversity and ecosystem health. Recently, it has been proposed that tree-community composition based on count-plot surveys could serve as a robust, sensitive, and cost-effective indicator for forest intactness in Bornean logged-over rain forests. In this study, we developed an algorithm to map tree-community composition across the entire landscape based on Landsat imagery. We targeted six forest management units (FMUs), each of which ranged from 50,000 to 100,000 ha in area, covering a broad geographic range spanning the most area of Borneo. Approximately fifty 20 m-radius circular plots were established in each FMU, and the differences in tree-community composition at a genus level among plots were examined for trees with diameter at breast height ≥10 cm using an ordination with non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS). Subsequently, we developed a linear regression model based on Landsat metrics (e.g., reflectance value, vegetation indices and textures) to explain the nMDS axis-1 scores of the plots, and extrapolated the model to the landscape to establish a tree-community composition map in each FMU. The adjusted R2 values based on a cross-validation approach between the predicted and observed nMDS axis-1 scores indicated a close correlation, ranging from 0.54 to 0.69. Histograms of the frequency distributions of extrapolated nMDS axis-1 scores were derived from each map and used to quantitatively diagnose the forest intactness of the FMUs. Our study indicated that tree-community composition, which was reported as a robust indicator of forest intactness, could be mapped at a landscape level to quantitatively assess the spatial patterns of intactness in Bornean rain forests. Our approach can be used for large-scale assessments of tree diversity and forest intactness to monitor both the progress of Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the effectiveness of REDD+ biodiversity safeguards in production forests in the tropics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity in Locally Managed Lands)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Locations of the six forest management units (FMUs) in this study: (1) Segaliud Lokan, (2) Deramakot, (3) Tangkulap, (4) Sapulut, (5) Roda Mas, and (6) Ratah.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Model fits for all available inventory plots in each FMU. Scatter plots show relationships between predicted and observed scores.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Tree-community composition maps of all FMUs. A color gradation from <b>blue</b> to <b>red</b> indicates a gradient of normalized nMDS axis-1 scores from high to low values as a proxy for canopy tree composition at a genus level.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Histograms of normalized nMDS (non metric multidimensional scaling) axis-1 scores (<b>a</b>) in all FMUs, and (<b>b</b>) in four selected FMUs. (RIL, reduced-impact logging; CL, conventional logging).</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Mean values of normalized nMDS axis-1 scores in all FMUs.</p> Full article ">
4010 KiB  
Article
Integration of ALOS PALSAR and Landsat Data for Land Cover and Forest Mapping in Northern Tanzania
by Dorothea Deus
Land 2016, 5(4), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5040043 - 8 Dec 2016
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 7294
Abstract
Land cover and forest mapping supports decision makers in the course of making informed decisions for implementation of sustainable conservation and management plans of the forest resources and environmental monitoring. This research examines the value of integrating of ALOS PALSAR and Landsat data [...] Read more.
Land cover and forest mapping supports decision makers in the course of making informed decisions for implementation of sustainable conservation and management plans of the forest resources and environmental monitoring. This research examines the value of integrating of ALOS PALSAR and Landsat data for improved forest and land cover mapping in Northern Tanzania. A separate and joint processing of surface reflectance, backscattering and derivatives (i.e., Normalized Different Vegetation Index (NDVI), Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Radar Forest Deforestation Index (RFDI), quotient bands, polarimetric features and Grey Level Co-Occurrence Matrix (GLCM) textures) were executed using Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier. The classification accuracy was assessed using a confusion matrix, where Overall classification Accuracy (OA), Kappa Coefficient (KC), Producer’s Accuracy (PA), User’s Accuracy (UA) and F1 score index were computed. A two sample t-statistics was utilized to evaluate the influence of different data categories on the classification accuracy. Landsat surface reflectance and derivatives show an overall classification accuracy (OA = 86%). ALOS PALSAR backscattering could not differentiate the land cover classes efficiently (OA = 59%). However, combination of backscattering, and derivatives could differentiate the land cover classes properly (OA = 71%). The attained results suggest that integration of backscattering and derivative has potential of utilization for mapping of land cover in tropical environment. Integration of backscattering, surface reflectance and their derivative increase the accuracy (OA = 97%). Therefore it can be concluded that integration of ALOS PALSAR and optical data improve the accuracies of land cover and forest mapping and hence suitable for environmental monitoring. Full article
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Graphical abstract
Full article ">Figure 1
<p>Study area: (<b>a</b>) Lake Manyara basin in northern Tanzania; (<b>b</b>) Lake Manyara basin; (<b>c</b>) Duru-Haitemba and Bereko forest reserve, with the distribution of sampling sites used for selection of training and validation datasets in five wards of Babati district in Manyara region.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Annual average monthly rainfall and temperature variation in Duru-Haitemba and Bereko forest reserve for 2009 (Source: Arusha Meteorological Station).</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Utilized images (<b>a</b>) ALOS PALSAR, RGB: HH, HV, HH-HV; (<b>b</b>) Landsat 5-TM, RGB: 432.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Flow chart of the utilized methodology.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>(<b>a</b>) ALOS PALSAR (HH, HV), Alpha and Entropy responses; (<b>b</b>) Landsat 5 TM surface reflectance profile patterns. The backscattering coefficients, alpha, entropy and surface reflectance values are extracted based on the training samples of various land cover classes under study (<a href="#land-05-00043-f003" class="html-fig">Figure 3</a>).</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>(<b>a,b</b>) Cloude-Pottier decomposition of the training samples of the selected land cover classes (<a href="#land-05-00043-t001" class="html-table">Table 1</a>). Z<sub>1</sub>, Z<sub>4</sub> and Z<sub>7</sub> are characterized by double bounce scattering, Z<sub>3</sub>, Z<sub>6</sub> and Z<sub>9</sub> by surface scattering, and Z<sub>2</sub>, Z<sub>5</sub> and Z<sub>8</sub> by volume scattering. The black dashed polygon indicates the extent of <a href="#land-05-00043-f005" class="html-fig">Figure 5</a>b; a zoomed view of the training samples distribution on the Alpha-Entropy plane.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>Comparison of the overall classification accuracy achieved on different data categories based on the validation samples.</p> Full article ">Figure 8
<p>Land cover map produces based on integration of Landsat TM and ALOS PALSAR data.</p> Full article ">
3141 KiB  
Article
Prediction of Land Use Change in Long Island Sound Watersheds Using Nighttime Light Data
by Ruiting Zhai, Chuanrong Zhang, Weidong Li, Mark A. Boyer and Dean Hanink
Land 2016, 5(4), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5040044 - 7 Dec 2016
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 7213
Abstract
The Long Island Sound Watersheds (LISW) are experiencing significant land use/cover change (LUCC), which affects the environment and ecosystems in the watersheds through water pollution, carbon emissions, and loss of wildlife. LUCC modeling is an important approach to understanding what has happened in [...] Read more.
The Long Island Sound Watersheds (LISW) are experiencing significant land use/cover change (LUCC), which affects the environment and ecosystems in the watersheds through water pollution, carbon emissions, and loss of wildlife. LUCC modeling is an important approach to understanding what has happened in the landscape and what may change in the future. Moreover, prospective modeling can provide sustainable and efficient decision support for land planning and environmental management. This paper modeled the LUCCs between 1996, 2001 and 2006 in the LISW in the New England region, which experienced an increase in developed area and a decrease of forest. The low-density development pattern played an important role in the loss of forest and the expansion of urban areas. The key driving forces were distance to developed areas, distance to roads, and social-economic drivers, such as nighttime light intensity and population density. In addition, this paper compared and evaluated two integrated LUCC models—the logistic regression–Markov chain model and the multi-layer perception–Markov chain (MLP–MC) model. Both models achieved high accuracy in prediction, but the MLP–MC model performed slightly better. Finally, a land use map for 2026 was predicted by using the MLP–MC model, and it indicates the continued loss of forest and increase of developed area. Full article
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Location of the study area.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Maps of the input explanatory drivers.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>(<b>a</b>) Projected 2006 land cover/use map by LR–MC model, (<b>b</b>) actual 2006 land cover/use map, and (<b>c</b>) projected 2006 land cover/use map by MLP–MC model.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Contributions of land cover/use classes to net changes of developed areas at different density levels (Left column (light blue bars) shows the contributions to net change from 1996 to 2001, and right column (light orange bars) shows the contributions to net change from 2001 to 2006).</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>(<b>a</b>) 2006 land cover/use map, (<b>b</b>) transitions around New Haven, CT, and (<b>c</b>) projected 2026 land cover/use map by MLP–MC model.</p> Full article ">
1341 KiB  
Article
Historical and Current Niche Construction in an Anthropogenic Biome: Old Cultural Landscapes in Southern Scandinavia
by Ove Eriksson
Land 2016, 5(4), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5040042 - 23 Nov 2016
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 7352
Abstract
Conceptual advances in niche construction theory provide new perspectives and a tool-box for studies of human-environment interactions mediating what is termed anthropogenic biomes. This theory is useful also for studies on how anthropogenic biomes are perceived and valued. This paper addresses these topics [...] Read more.
Conceptual advances in niche construction theory provide new perspectives and a tool-box for studies of human-environment interactions mediating what is termed anthropogenic biomes. This theory is useful also for studies on how anthropogenic biomes are perceived and valued. This paper addresses these topics using an example: “old cultural landscapes” in Scandinavia, i.e., landscapes formed by a long, dynamic and continuously changing history of management. Today, remnant habitats of this management history, such as wooded pastures and meadows, are the focus of conservation programs, due to their rich biodiversity and cultural and aesthetic values. After a review of historical niche construction processes, the paper examines current niche construction affecting these old cultural landscapes. Features produced by historical niche construction, e.g., landscape composition and species richness, are in the modern society reinterpreted to become values associated with beauty and heritage and species’ intrinsic values. These non-utilitarian motivators now become drivers of new niche construction dynamics, manifested as conservation programs. The paper also examines the possibility to maintain and create new habitats, potentially associated with values emanating from historical landscapes, but in transformed and urbanized landscapes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Anthropogenic Biomes)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Graphical abstract
Full article ">Figure 1
<p>Examples of old cultural landscapes in Sweden. (<b>A</b>) Managed wooded meadow with pollarded trees at Alvena, Province of Gotland. (<b>B</b>) Grazed oak landscape at Herröknanäs, Province of Södermanland. (<b>C</b>) Remnant of former cattle path leading through the infields to outlying pastures at Yttra Berg, Province of Halland. (<b>D</b>) Remnant pasture in a forest landscape at Stora Åsa, Province of Södermanland. Photos: The author.</p> Full article ">Figure 1 Cont.
<p>Examples of old cultural landscapes in Sweden. (<b>A</b>) Managed wooded meadow with pollarded trees at Alvena, Province of Gotland. (<b>B</b>) Grazed oak landscape at Herröknanäs, Province of Södermanland. (<b>C</b>) Remnant of former cattle path leading through the infields to outlying pastures at Yttra Berg, Province of Halland. (<b>D</b>) Remnant pasture in a forest landscape at Stora Åsa, Province of Södermanland. Photos: The author.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>(<b>A</b>) Historical human niche construction forming the old cultural landscapes in Scandinavia [<a href="#B27-land-05-00042" class="html-bibr">27</a>]. (<b>A</b>) + indicates “increasing”. (<b>B</b>) Current human niche construction influencing remnants of old cultural landscapes and new habitats resembling old cultural landscapes. The two-way arrows to/from “Species” in (<b>B</b>) reflect that species composition and diversity affect conservation programs and current valuation of landscapes. See the text for an explanation.</p> Full article ">
9599 KiB  
Article
Land Use and Land Cover Change in the Bale Mountain Eco-Region of Ethiopia during 1985 to 2015
by Sisay Nune Hailemariam, Teshome Soromessa and Demel Teketay
Land 2016, 5(4), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5040041 - 17 Nov 2016
Cited by 123 | Viewed by 15975
Abstract
Anthropogenic factors are responsible for major land use and land cover changes (LULCC). Bale Mountain Eco-Region in Ethiopia is a biodiversity-rich ecosystem where such LULCC have occurred. The specific objectives of this study were to: (i) determine which LULC types gained or lost [...] Read more.
Anthropogenic factors are responsible for major land use and land cover changes (LULCC). Bale Mountain Eco-Region in Ethiopia is a biodiversity-rich ecosystem where such LULCC have occurred. The specific objectives of this study were to: (i) determine which LULC types gained or lost most as a result of the observed LULCC; (ii) identify the major drivers of the LULCC/deforestation; and (iii) assess the approximate amount of carbon stock removed as a result of deforestation during the study period. Remote sensing and GIS were used to analyze LULCC. Landsat images acquired in 1985, 1995, 2005, and 2015 were used. Additionally, data from the Central Statistics Agency on cropland expansion, and human and livestock population growth were analyzed and correlations were made. The results showed that forest lost 123,751 ha while farmland gained 292,294 ha. Farmland and urban settlement expansion were found to be major drivers of LULCC. Aboveground carbon stock removed from forest and shrubland was more than 24 million tons. In the future, allocation of land to different uses must be based on appropriate land use policies. Integrating biodiversity and ecosystem values for each land cover as per the UN Sustainable Development Goal (UN-SDG) 15.9 may be one of the mechanisms to limit unplanned expansion or invasion of one sector at the expense of another. Full article
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Map of Ethiopia showing the location of the study area.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Flowchart showing the procedures employed to arrive at the final LULCC map.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>LULC changes in BMER during 1985–2015.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>A comparative map showing the actual LULCC in BMER in 1985 (<b>a</b>) and 2015 (<b>b</b>).</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Deforestation (<b>a</b>) and farmland expansion (<b>b</b>) in BMER between 1985 and 2015.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>LULC types changed to farmland (<b>a</b>) in BMER and area occupied by crops in Bale Zone (<b>b</b>).</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>Human (<b>a</b>) and livestock (<b>b</b>) population growth in the Bale Zone. Data are from the Central Statistics Agency of Ethiopia.</p> Full article ">
8064 KiB  
Article
Accounting for the Drivers that Degrade and Restore Landscape Functions in Australia
by Richard Thackway and David Freudenberger
Land 2016, 5(4), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5040040 - 12 Nov 2016
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 6819
Abstract
Assessment and reporting of changes in vegetation condition at site and landscape scales is critical for land managers, policy makers and planers at local, regional and national scales. Land management, reflecting individual and collective values, is used to show historic changes in ecosystem [...] Read more.
Assessment and reporting of changes in vegetation condition at site and landscape scales is critical for land managers, policy makers and planers at local, regional and national scales. Land management, reflecting individual and collective values, is used to show historic changes in ecosystem structure, composition and function (regenerative capacity). We address the issue of how the resilience of plant communities changes over time as a result of land management regimes. A systematic framework for assessing changes in resilience based on measurable success criteria and indicators is applied using 10 case studies across the range of Australia’s agro-climate regions. A simple graphical report card is produced for each site showing drivers of change and trends relative to a reference state (i.e., natural benchmark). These reports enable decision makers to quickly understand and assimilate complex ecological processes and their effects on landscape degradation, restoration and regeneration. We discuss how this framework assists decision-makers explain and describe pathways of native vegetation that is managed for different outcomes, including maintenance, replacement, removal and recovery at site and landscape levels. The findings provide sound spatial and temporal insights into reconciling agriculture, conservation and other competing land uses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity in Locally Managed Lands)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>(<b>a</b>) Extent of the 10 agro-climatic regions; and (<b>b</b>) location of the 10 sites and the associated plant community type (refer to <a href="#app1-land-05-00040" class="html-app">Tables S1 and S2 in the Supplementary Material</a>).</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Case Study 1: Rocky Valley, Bogong High Plains, cold wet agro-climate region, Poa tussock grassland.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Case study 2: Blundells Flat, Brindabella Range, temperate cool-season wet agro-climate region, eucalypt open forest.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Case study 3: Wirilda, Harrogate, Mediterranean agro-climate region, <span class="html-italic">Callitris</span>, eucalypt low mallee woodland.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Case study 4: Winona, Gulgong, temperate, sub-humid agro-climate region, tussock grassland, eucalypt open woodland.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Case study 5: Potters Flat, Wandoan, sub-tropical sub-humid agro-climate region, <span class="html-italic">Acacia</span> open forest and woodland.</p> Full article ">Figure 7
<p>Case study 6: Rocky Creek Dam, Big Scrub, sub-tropical moist agro-climate region, lowland sub-tropical rainforest.</p> Full article ">Figure 8
<p>Case study 7: Conkerberry Paddock, Victoria River Research Station, tropical warm season wet agro-climate region, eucalypt open woodland.</p> Full article ">Figure 9
<p>Case study 8: North Molle Island, Molle Group, Cumberland Islands, tropical warm season moist agro-climate region, Imperata and Themeda tussock grassland.</p> Full article ">Figure 10
<p>Case study 9: Wooroonooran Nature Refuge, tropical wet agro-climate region, complex mesophyll vine forest.</p> Full article ">Figure 11
<p>Case study 10: Chadwin paddock, Credo Station, dry agro-climate region, eucalypt woodland.</p> Full article ">Figure 12
<p>Case Studies 1–10 shown in the context of a gradient of landscape alteration levels [<a href="#B3-land-05-00040" class="html-bibr">3</a>] and VAST classes [<a href="#B2-land-05-00040" class="html-bibr">2</a>].</p> Full article ">
634 KiB  
Article
Short-Term Projects versus Adaptive Governance: Conflicting Demands in the Management of Ecological Restoration
by Ian Hodge and William M. Adams
Land 2016, 5(4), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5040039 - 10 Nov 2016
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 6945
Abstract
Drawing on a survey of large-scale ecological restoration initiatives, we find that managers face contradictory demands. On the one hand, they have to raise funds from a variety of sources through competitive procedures for individual projects. These projects require the specification of deliverable [...] Read more.
Drawing on a survey of large-scale ecological restoration initiatives, we find that managers face contradictory demands. On the one hand, they have to raise funds from a variety of sources through competitive procedures for individual projects. These projects require the specification of deliverable outputs within a relatively short project period. On the other hand, ecologists argue that the complexity of ecosystem processes means that it is not possible to know how to deliver predetermined outcomes and that governance should be adaptive, long-term and implemented through networks of stakeholders. This debate parallels a debate in public administration between New Public Management and more recent proposals for a new approach, sometimes termed Public Value Management. Both of these approaches have strengths. Projectification provides control and accountability to funders. Adaptive governance recognises complexity and provides for long-term learning, building networks and adaptive responses. We suggest an institutional architecture that aims to capture the major benefits of each approach based on public support dedicated to ecological restoration and long-term funding programmes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity in Locally Managed Lands)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Funding processes for ecological restoration.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Illustration of a funding programme over four periods.</p> Full article ">
210 KiB  
Review
Evidence for Biodiversity Conservation in Protected Landscapes
by Nigel Dudley, Adrian Phillips, Thora Amend, Jessica Brown and Sue Stolton
Land 2016, 5(4), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5040038 - 4 Nov 2016
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 8575
Abstract
A growing number of protected areas are defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as protected landscapes and seascapes, or category V protected areas, one of six protected area categories based on management approach. Category V now makes up [...] Read more.
A growing number of protected areas are defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as protected landscapes and seascapes, or category V protected areas, one of six protected area categories based on management approach. Category V now makes up over half the protected area coverage in Europe, for instance. While the earliest category V areas were designated mainly for their landscape and recreational values, they are increasingly expected also to protect biodiversity. Critics have claimed that they fail to conserve enough biodiversity. The current paper addresses this question by reviewing available evidence for the effectiveness of category V in protecting wild biodiversity by drawing on published information and a set of case studies. Research to date focuses more frequently on changes in vegetation cover than on species, and results are limited and contradictory, suggesting variously that category V protected areas are better than, worse than or the same as more strictly protected categories in terms of conserving biodiversity. This may indicate that differences are not dramatic, or that effectiveness depends on many factors. The need for greater research in this area is highlighted. Research gaps include: (i) comparative studies of conservation success inside and outside category V protected areas; (ii) the contribution that small, strictly protected areas make to the conservation success of surrounding, less strictly protected areas—and vice versa; (iii) the effectiveness of different governance approaches in category V; (iv) a clearer understanding of the impacts of zoning in a protected area; and (v) better understanding of how to implement landscape approaches in and around category V protected areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity in Locally Managed Lands)
1172 KiB  
Article
The Community-Conservation Conundrum: Is Citizen Science the Answer?
by Mel Galbraith, Barbara Bollard-Breen and David R. Towns
Land 2016, 5(4), 37; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5040037 - 31 Oct 2016
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 6366
Abstract
Public participation theory assumes that empowering communities leads to enduring support for new initiatives. The New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy, approved in 2000, embraces this assumption and includes goals for community involvement in resolving threats to native flora and fauna. Over the last 20 [...] Read more.
Public participation theory assumes that empowering communities leads to enduring support for new initiatives. The New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy, approved in 2000, embraces this assumption and includes goals for community involvement in resolving threats to native flora and fauna. Over the last 20 years, community-based ecological restoration groups have proliferated, with between 600 and 4000 identified. Many of these groups control invasive mammals, and often include protection of native species and species reintroductions as goals. Such activities involve the groups in “wicked” problems with uncertain biological and social outcomes, plus technical challenges for implementing and measuring results. The solution might be to develop a citizen science approach, although this requires institutional support. We conducted a web-based audit of 50 community groups participating in ecological restoration projects in northern New Zealand. We found great variation in the quality of information provided by the groups, with none identifying strategic milestones and progress towards them. We concluded that, at best, many group members are accidental scientists rather than citizen scientists. Furthermore, the way community efforts are reflected in biodiversity responses is often unclear. The situation may be improved with a new approach to data gathering, training, and analyses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity in Locally Managed Lands)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Ecological restoration projects with community participation considered in this study (North Island, New Zealand).</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Visualisation of the dominant words in the goals and objectives of 50 community groups participating in ecological restoration projects. Word size reflects frequency of occurrence.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Proportion of projects achieving ecological restoration milestones (n = 50; italicised numerals within bars indicate the number of groups at each status).</p> Full article ">
11659 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Landscape Composition on the Abundance of Laodelphax striatellus Fallén in Fragmented Agricultural Landscapes
by Zhanyu Liu, Jiquan Chen, Jiaguo Qi, Ranjeet John, Jiaan Cheng and Zengrong Zhu
Land 2016, 5(4), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5040036 - 28 Oct 2016
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4904
Abstract
The spatial distribution of crop and non-crop habitats over segmented agricultural landscapes could be used as a means to reduce insect pest populations. Seven land cover categories such as wheat, rapeseed, vegetable, water, built-up, paved road, and unsurfaced road were extracted from GeoEye [...] Read more.
The spatial distribution of crop and non-crop habitats over segmented agricultural landscapes could be used as a means to reduce insect pest populations. Seven land cover categories such as wheat, rapeseed, vegetable, water, built-up, paved road, and unsurfaced road were extracted from GeoEye satellite images dating from late May to late June of 2010. Three diversity metrics and three evenness metrics were estimated from the abovementioned land cover categories for quantifying the effect of landscape composition on nymphal and adult Laodelphax striatellus Fallén. The degree of correlation between the proportion of crop cover and adjacent spatial scales (r: 0.651–0.983) was higher than the correlation between the proportion of crop cover and nonadjacent spatial scales (r: −0.255–0.896). While the degree of correlation between diversity indices and abundance of L. striatellus decreased gradually when the spatial scales varied from large (>100 m radius buffer) to small (<100 m). Our study suggests that when using natural biological pest control and ecological engineering practices in the rural-urban fringes, the crop field’s width should be less than 200 m and increasing vegetation diversity within such a scale will be helpful to regulate the insect pests under a certain density. Full article
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Map of the study area in the Jiaxing Prefecture of East China where (<b>a</b>) Is showing the positions of the five study sites identified by a density within the circles (<b>b</b>–<b>f</b>); respectively indicate the landscape structures of five study sites with pan-sharpened multispectral (Red: Green: Blue) GeoEye-1 satellite imageries including TongXiang, XinFeng, PingHu, XinHuang, and HaiYan. The dashed line indicates the district administrative level boundary in (<b>a</b>). The red circles show the sampling plots of <span class="html-italic">Laodelphax striatellus</span> in (<b>b</b>–<b>f</b>).</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Land cover map of these five study sites. (<b>a</b>–<b>e</b>) Indicate study sites TongXiang XinFeng, PingHu, XinHuang, and HaiYan, respectively.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Scatterplots of correlation coefficients (R in the vertical axis) between the abundance of <span class="html-italic">Laodelphax striatellus</span> and the diversity indices of agricultural landscapes at four radii patterns (in the horizontal axis). The circle and square represent the nymphal and adult insect stages, respectively. The red, green, and blue colors display the significance of the Pearson’s test at the 0.01, 0.05, and 0.10 levels, respectively. The column represents five study sites from left to right: TongXiang, XinFeng, PingHu, XinHuang, and HaiYan, and the row shows the six diversity metrics from top to bottom: SHDI, SIDI, MSIDI, SHEI, SIEI, and MSIEI.</p> Full article ">
1529 KiB  
Article
Terrestrial Species in Protected Areas and Community-Managed Lands in Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India
by Nandini Velho, Rachakonda Sreekar and William F. Laurance
Land 2016, 5(4), 35; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5040035 - 26 Oct 2016
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 6184
Abstract
Protected areas (including areas that are nominally fully protected and those managed for multiple uses) encompass about a quarter of the total tropical forest estate. Despite growing interest in the relative value of community-managed lands and protected areas, knowledge about the biodiversity value [...] Read more.
Protected areas (including areas that are nominally fully protected and those managed for multiple uses) encompass about a quarter of the total tropical forest estate. Despite growing interest in the relative value of community-managed lands and protected areas, knowledge about the biodiversity value that each sustains remains scarce in the biodiversity-rich tropics. We investigated the species occurrence of a suite of mammal and pheasant species across four protected areas and nearby community-managed lands in a biodiversity hotspot in northeast India. Over 2.5 years we walked 98 transects (half of which were resampled on a second occasion) across the four paired sites. In addition, we interviewed 84 key informants to understand their perceptions of species trends in these two management regimes. We found that protected areas had higher overall species richness and were important for species that were apparently declining in occurrence. On a site-specific basis, community-managed lands had species richness and occurrences comparable to those of a protected area, and in one case their relative abundances of mammals were higher. Interviewees indicated declines in the abundances of larger-bodied species in community-managed lands. Their observations agreed with our field surveys for certain key, large-bodied species, such as gaur and sambar, which generally occurred less in community-managed lands. Hence, the degree to which protected areas and community-managed lands protect wildlife species depends upon the species in question, with larger-bodied species usually faring better within protected areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity in Locally Managed Lands)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Map of the study area, showing transect locations in the four protected areas (grey) and community-managed lands (white).</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Bootstrapped species richness estimates with standard errors across four independent site comparisons. Pakke Tiger Reserve (lower reaches) had the highest species richness, while the community-managed land adjacent to Sessa had the lowest.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Plots showing species evenness in protected areas and community-managed lands. Species rank abundance distribution plots are fitted with lognormal models. Lines and points are trends and species occurrences in protected areas (dark grey) and community-managed lands (light grey). Protected areas of Sessa and Pakke’s lower reaches had higher evenness than their community-managed lands.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Probability of occurrence of terrestrial vertebrates as a function of body mass. Lines represent model predictions and the shaded dark and light grey regions 95% confidence intervals. The occurrence probability of large-bodied species declined more steeply in community-managed lands than in protected areas, at all locations except Sessa. Note that the x-axis is on a log scale.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Average scores for perceived species trends based on key informant interviews. The black dots are means and standard errors for each species in Pakke Tiger Reserve, whereas the grey dots are means and standard errors for each species in the adjacent community-managed lands. The solid lines show the fitted ordinary least-squared prediction for species as a function of increasing body mass, and the shaded polygons are the 95% confidence interval. Note that the x-axis is on a log scale. Community-managed lands showed a negative perceived abundance trend with increasing body mass.</p> Full article ">Figure 6
<p>Graphical comparisons of transect and interview data from Pakke Tiger Reserve showing similar patterns of species abundance with body mass. Solid lines and their shaded polygons represent model fits and 95% CIs, respectively. The x-axis is on a log scale.</p> Full article ">
209 KiB  
Editorial
Introduction: The Continued Importance of Smallholders Today
by Jacqueline M. Vadjunec, Claudia Radel and B. L. Turner II
Land 2016, 5(4), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5040034 - 25 Oct 2016
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 6718
Abstract
Smallholders remain an important part of human-environment research, particularly in cultural and political ecology, peasant and development studies, and increasingly in land system and sustainability science. This introduction to the edited volume explores land use and livelihood issues among smallholders, in several disciplinary [...] Read more.
Smallholders remain an important part of human-environment research, particularly in cultural and political ecology, peasant and development studies, and increasingly in land system and sustainability science. This introduction to the edited volume explores land use and livelihood issues among smallholders, in several disciplinary and subfield traditions. Specifically, we provide a short history of smallholder livelihood research in the human-environment tradition. We reflect on why, in an age of rapid globalization, smallholder land use and livelihoods still matter, both for land system science and as a reflection of concerns with inequality and poverty. Key themes that emerge from the papers in this volume include the importance of smallholder farming and land-use practices to questions of environmental sustainability, the dynamic reality of smallholder livelihoods, the challenges of vulnerability and adaptation in contemporary human-environment systems, and the structural and relative nature of the term “smallholder.” Overall these contributions show that smallholder studies are more pertinent than ever, especially in the face of global environmental change. Additionally, we argue that questions of smallholder identity, social difference, and teleconnections provide fertile areas of future research. We conclude that we need to re-envision who the smallholder is today and how this translates into modern human-environment smallholder studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changing Land Use, Changing Livelihoods)
1216 KiB  
Article
Addressing the Externalities from Genetically Modified Pollen Drift on a Heterogeneous Landscape
by Mattia C. Mancini, Kent Kovacs, Eric Wailes and Jennie Popp
Land 2016, 5(4), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5040033 - 17 Oct 2016
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 5335
Abstract
Genetically modified (GM) crops have single or multiple genes introduced to obtain crop characteristics that cannot be obtained through conventional breeding. Pollen mediated gene flow from GM to non-GM crops causes some crops planted as non-GM to become GM, and this imposes economic [...] Read more.
Genetically modified (GM) crops have single or multiple genes introduced to obtain crop characteristics that cannot be obtained through conventional breeding. Pollen mediated gene flow from GM to non-GM crops causes some crops planted as non-GM to become GM, and this imposes economic losses on farmers who planted a non-GM crop but then have to sell the harvest on a GM market. The economic losses that result when both crops are grown together depend on the institutional arrangements and the type of property rights in place. We analyze how the spatial heterogeneity of a farmer’s fields affects the land allocation between buffers, the GM, and the non-GM crop based on cross-pollination and initial assignment of property rights. Greater spatial heterogeneity reduces the possibility of coexistence of crops on the landscape and increases the economic losses. Buffer zones enforced to reduce cross-pollination result in less coexistence on heterogeneous landscapes. Full article
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Spatial representation of fields from the Voronoi segmentation.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Amount of buffer and landscape profit for +10% and −10% non-GM per acre profitability compared to GM when GM has the property rights (<b>A</b>) and for +10% and −10% GM per acre profitability compared to non-GM when non-GM has the property rights (<b>B</b>).</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>+10% and −10% non-GM profitability compared to GM when GM has the property rights (graph on the <b>left</b>) and +10% and −10% GM profitability compared to non-GM when non-GM has the property rights (graph on the <b>right</b>).</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>GM, non-GM fields, and buffers. GM producers have the property rights, and buffers are created in the non-GM fields. From top to bottom and from left to right are the 5% (<b>A</b>), 1.5% (<b>B</b>), 0.9% (<b>C</b>), and 0.25% (<b>D</b>) thresholds. GM fields are represented with the light grey patterns, buffers are the dark-grey patterned areas, and white areas are the non-GM fields.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>GM, non-GM fields, and buffers. Non-GM producers have the property rights, and buffers are created in the GM fields. From top to bottom and from left to right are the 5% (<b>A</b>), 1.5% (<b>B</b>), 0.9% (<b>C</b>), and 0.25% (<b>D</b>) thresholds. GM fields are represented with the light grey patterns, buffers are the dark-grey patterned areas, and white areas are the non-GM fields.</p> Full article ">
965 KiB  
Review
Drivers of Households’ Land-Use Decisions: A Critical Review of Micro-Level Studies in Tropical Regions
by Elisabeth Hettig, Jann Lay and Kacana Sipangule
Land 2016, 5(4), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5040032 - 13 Oct 2016
Cited by 54 | Viewed by 10022
Abstract
This paper reviews 91 recent empirical and theoretical studies that analyzed land-use change at the farm-household level. The review builds on a conceptual framework of land-use change drivers and conducts a meta-analysis. Results show that the conversion of forests into cultivated land or [...] Read more.
This paper reviews 91 recent empirical and theoretical studies that analyzed land-use change at the farm-household level. The review builds on a conceptual framework of land-use change drivers and conducts a meta-analysis. Results show that the conversion of forests into cultivated land or grassland, mainly used for agriculture or ranching, are most frequently analyzed. Only a small number of studies consider the transition of wetlands for agriculture and few cases deal with the conversion from agriculture into protected zones. Moreover, interactions between drivers add to the complexity of land-use change processes. These interrelationships are conditioned by institutions and policies. In particular, the market-oriented reforms adopted by many developing countries in the 1980s and 1990s seem to have had an important role in altering land use, while impacts of more recent policies need to be better explored. Many studies rely on small samples and face problems of internal validity. Despite these weaknesses, the literature points at micro-level economic growth, for example in income and capital endowments, as a strong catalyst of human induced land-use change. However, the review suggests that—across the different studies and cases—there is considerable heterogeneity in the relationship between these factors and land-use change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Understanding the Patterns, Drivers and Consequences of Agricultural Land Use Change and Land-Use Intensity)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Concept of the micro-level drivers of land-use change. Authors’ concept based on Angelsen and Kaimowitz [<a href="#B9-land-05-00032" class="html-bibr">9</a>], Eakin et al. [<a href="#B3-land-05-00032" class="html-bibr">3</a>] and Liu et al. [<a href="#B2-land-05-00032" class="html-bibr">2</a>].</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Geographical coverage of micro-level case studies on land-use change across (sub)tropical regions in the period 2000–2015.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>Sample size of household data in reviewed case studies. Note: For the graph one study with a sample size of 3554 households has been excluded.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>Micro-level drivers of land-use change (N = 330).</p> Full article ">
3974 KiB  
Article
Mapping Tropical Forest Biomass by Combining ALOS-2, Landsat 8, and Field Plots Data
by Luong Viet Nguyen, Ryutaro Tateishi, Akihiko Kondoh, Ram C. Sharma, Hoan Thanh Nguyen, Tu Trong To and Dinh Ho Tong Minh
Land 2016, 5(4), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5040031 - 27 Sep 2016
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 7443
Abstract
This research was carried out in a dense tropical forest region with the objective of improving the biomass estimates by a combination of ALOS-2 SAR, Landsat 8 optical, and field plots data. Using forest inventory based biomass data, the performance of different parameters [...] Read more.
This research was carried out in a dense tropical forest region with the objective of improving the biomass estimates by a combination of ALOS-2 SAR, Landsat 8 optical, and field plots data. Using forest inventory based biomass data, the performance of different parameters from the two sensors was evaluated. The regression analysis with the biomass data showed that the backscatter from forest object (σ°forest) obtained from the SAR data was more sensitive to the biomass than HV polarization, SAR textures, and maximum NDVI parameters. However, the combination of the maximum NDVI from optical data, SAR textures from HV polarization, and σ°forest improved estimates of the biomass. The best model derived by the combination of multiple parameters from ALOS-2 SAR and Landsat 8 data was validated with inventory data. Then, the best validated model was used to produce an up-to-date biomass map for 2015 in Yok Don National Park, which is an important conservation area in Vietnam. The validation results showed that 74% of the variation of in biomass could be explained by our model. Full article
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1
<p>Location map of the study area with sample plot positions. The RGB color composite (right figure) is based on Landsat 8 OLI data, and the boundary of Yok Don National Park is shown in the yellow polygon.</p> Full article ">Figure 2
<p>Flowchart describing the methodology of this study: (<b>a</b>) pre-processing; (<b>b</b>) modeling; and (<b>c</b>) mapping.</p> Full article ">Figure 3
<p>(<b>a</b>) The relationship between biomass and max NDVI value; (<b>b</b>) the relationship between biomass and σ°<sub>forest</sub> value.</p> Full article ">Figure 4
<p>The validation results for different models: (<b>a</b>) Model 5; (<b>b</b>) Model 6; (<b>c</b>) Model 7; and (<b>d</b>) Model 8. The 1:1 cross plots between the predicted and ground data are shown.</p> Full article ">Figure 5
<p>Biomass distribution map of Yok Don National Park, Central Highlands of Vietnam.</p> Full article ">
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-16
Previous Issue
Next Issue
Back to TopTop