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Land, Volume 5, Issue 1 (March 2016) – 6 articles

Cover Story (view full-size image): As calls for bolstering ecosystem services from croplands have grown more insistent during the past two decades, the search for ways to foster these agriculture-sustaining services has become more urgent. In this context, we examine, by means of a meta-analysis, the argument that small-scale, mixed crop-livestock farming—a common livelihood among poor rural peoples—leads to environmentally sustainable agricultural practices. Mixed crop-livestock farms do exhibit more sustainable practices, but, contrary to predictions, a small scale of operation does not predict sustainability. Many smallholders use sustainable practices, but others practice a degrading, input-scarce agriculture. The link between mixed crop-livestock farming and sustainable agriculture argues for agricultural policies that promote mixed crop-livestock livelihoods. View the paper
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1065 KiB  
Article
Do Smallholder, Mixed Crop-Livestock Livelihoods Encourage Sustainable Agricultural Practices? A Meta-Analysis
by Thomas K. Rudel, Oh-Jung Kwon, Birthe K. Paul, Maryline Boval, Idupulapati M. Rao, Diana Burbano, Megan McGroddy, Amy M. Lerner, Douglas White, Mario Cuchillo, Manuel Luna and Michael Peters
Land 2016, 5(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5010006 - 06 Feb 2016
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 9974
Abstract
As calls for bolstering ecosystem services from croplands have grown more insistent during the past two decades, the search for ways to foster these agriculture-sustaining services has become more urgent. In this context we examine by means of a meta-analysis the argument, proposed [...] Read more.
As calls for bolstering ecosystem services from croplands have grown more insistent during the past two decades, the search for ways to foster these agriculture-sustaining services has become more urgent. In this context we examine by means of a meta-analysis the argument, proposed by Robert McC. Netting, that small-scale, mixed crop-livestock farming, a common livelihood among poor rural peoples, leads to environmentally sustainable agricultural practices. As predicted, mixed crop-livestock farms exhibit more sustainable practices, but, contrary to predictions, a small scale of operation does not predict sustainability. Many smallholders on mixed crop-livestock farms use sustainable practices, but other smallholders practice a degrading, input-scarce agriculture. Some large farm operators use soil-conserving, minimum-tillage techniques while other large operators ignore soil-conserving techniques and practice an industrialized, high chemical input agriculture. The strength and pervasiveness of the link in the data between mixed crop-livestock farming and sustainable agricultural practices argues for agricultural policies that promote mixed crop-livestock livelihoods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Changing Land Use, Changing Livelihoods)
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2008 KiB  
Article
Simulating Littoral Trade: Modeling the Trade of Wine in the Bronze to Iron Age Transition in Southern France
by Stefani A. Crabtree
Land 2016, 5(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5010005 - 05 Feb 2016
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 6424
Abstract
The Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France is well known today for producing full-bodied red wines. Yet wine grapes are not native to France. Additionally, wine was not developed indigenously first. In the 7th century B.C. Etruscan merchants bringing wine landed on the shores [...] Read more.
The Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France is well known today for producing full-bodied red wines. Yet wine grapes are not native to France. Additionally, wine was not developed indigenously first. In the 7th century B.C. Etruscan merchants bringing wine landed on the shores of the Languedoc and established trade relationships with the native Gauls, later creating local viticulture, and laying the foundation for a strong cultural identity of French wine production and setting in motion a multi-billion dollar industry. This paper examines the first five centuries of wine consumption (from ~600 B.C. to ~100 B.C.), analyzing how preference of one type of luxury good over another created distinctive artifact patterns in the archaeological record. I create a simple agent-based model to examine how the trade of comestibles for wine led to a growing economy and a distinctive patterning of artifacts in the archaeological record of southern France. This model helps shed light on the processes that led to centuries of peaceable relationships with colonial merchants, and interacts with scholarly debate on why Etruscan amphorae are replaced by Greek amphorae so swiftly and completely. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agent-Based Modelling and Landscape Change)
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1060 KiB  
Article
Evaluating the Potential of the Original Texas Land Survey for Mapping Historical Land and Vegetation Cover
by Indumathi Srinath and Andrew C. Millington
Land 2016, 5(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5010004 - 04 Feb 2016
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 5727
Abstract
This paper reports on research to evaluate the potential of Original Texas Land Survey (OTLS) to generate information that can be used to quantitatively map historical vegetation cover and analyse pertinent aspects of vegetation ecology. Research was conducted in Brazos County in east-central [...] Read more.
This paper reports on research to evaluate the potential of Original Texas Land Survey (OTLS) to generate information that can be used to quantitatively map historical vegetation cover and analyse pertinent aspects of vegetation ecology. Research was conducted in Brazos County in east-central Texas. OTLS data are easy to acquire and convert to geo-referenced autecological information. Reconstructing and mapping vegetation and land cover, conducting vegetation- and species-site analyses with to soil-ecological maps, reconstructing vegetation assemblages and forest structure can be easily accomplished. Due to the irregular surveying framework used by OTLS, mapping gradational grassland-savannah ecotone boundaries is impracticable. Full article
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1917 KiB  
Article
Anthropogenic Influences in Land Use/Land Cover Changes in Mediterranean Forest Landscapes in Sicily
by Donato S. La Mela Veca, Sebastiano Cullotta, Sebastiano Sferlazza and Federico G. Maetzke
Land 2016, 5(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5010003 - 26 Jan 2016
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 6289
Abstract
This paper analyzes and quantifies the land use/land cover changes of the main forest and semi-natural landscape types in Sicily between 1955 and 2012. We analyzed seven representative forest and shrubland landscapes in Sicily. These study areas were chosen for their importance in [...] Read more.
This paper analyzes and quantifies the land use/land cover changes of the main forest and semi-natural landscape types in Sicily between 1955 and 2012. We analyzed seven representative forest and shrubland landscapes in Sicily. These study areas were chosen for their importance in the Sicilian forest panorama. We carried out a diachronic survey on historical and current aerial photos; all the aerial images used to survey the land use/land cover changes were digitalized and georeferenced in the UTM WGS84 system. In order to classify land use, the Regional Forest Inventory 2010 legend was adopted for the more recent images, and the CORINE Land Cover III level used for the older, lower resolution images. This study quantifies forest landscape dynamics; our results show for almost all study areas an increase of forest cover and expansion, whereas a regressive dynamic is found in rural areas due to intensive agricultural and pasturage uses. Understanding the dynamics of forest landscapes could enhance the role of forestry policy as a tool for landscape management and regional planning. Full article
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143 KiB  
Editorial
Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Land in 2015
by Land Editorial Office
Land 2016, 5(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5010002 - 23 Jan 2016
Viewed by 3400
Abstract
The editors of Land would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers for assessing manuscripts in 2015.[...] Full article
2830 KiB  
Article
Assessing and Governing Ecosystem Services Trade-Offs in Agrarian Landscapes: The Case of Biogas
by Christian Albert, Johannes Hermes, Felix Neuendorf, Christina Von Haaren and Michael Rode
Land 2016, 5(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/land5010001 - 22 Jan 2016
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 6504
Abstract
This paper develops a method to explore how alternative scenarios of the expansion of maize production for biogas generation affect biodiversity and ecosystem services (ES). Our approach consists of four steps: (i) defining scenario targets and implementation of assumptions; (ii) simulating crop distributions [...] Read more.
This paper develops a method to explore how alternative scenarios of the expansion of maize production for biogas generation affect biodiversity and ecosystem services (ES). Our approach consists of four steps: (i) defining scenario targets and implementation of assumptions; (ii) simulating crop distributions across the landscape; (iii) assessing the ES impacts; and (iv) quantifying the impacts for a comparative trade-off analysis. The case study is the region of Hannover, Germany. One scenario assumes an increase of maize production in a little regulated governance system; two others reflect an increase of biogas production with either strict or flexible environmental regulation. We consider biodiversity and three ES: biogas generation, food production and the visual landscape. Our results show that the expansion of maize production results in predominantly negative impacts for other ES. However, positive effects can also be identified, i.e., when the introduction of maize leads to higher local crop diversity and, thus, a more attractive visual landscape. The scenario of little regulation portrays more negative impacts than the other scenarios. Targeted spatial planning, implementation and appropriate governance for steering maize production into less sensitive areas is crucial for minimizing trade-offs and exploiting synergies between bioenergy and other ES. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agro(Eco)System Services—Supply and Demand from Fields to Society)
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