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Land Resources (land + resource)
Selected AbstractsThe Assessment of Land Resources: Achievements and New ChallengesGEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2002Donald A. Davidson It is surprising that despite all the pleas and policies regarding the development of sustainable land use systems, there is still considerable ignorance regarding the nature and significance of land resources. This paper traces the development and achievements of land evaluation during the 20th century, with particular reference to soils. The most active period was between 1950 and around 1980 with the development of soil and land capability surveys, methodological advances initiated with the FAO Framework for Land Evaluation, and regional land resource assessments. Thus there were considerable achievements in land evaluation by the early 1980s, and subsequently there have been important advances in the subject through the application of GIS, spatial analysis, modelling and fuzzy set algebra. Since the late 1990s there has been a phenomenal rise in interest in soil quality assessment. Considerable debate has focussed on definition, and methods of assessment and monitoring. The latter part of this paper discusses the major challenges to the development and application of land evaluation. The inadequacy of much soil survey data in terms of variables, quality, spatial coverage and scale is emphasised. Also, there is a continuing need to highlight the centrality of land resource issues in any attempt to develop sustainable land use systems. [source] The Governance of Rural Land in a Liberalised WorldJOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 3 2007Ian Hodge Abstract Liberalisation of agricultural policies reduces the influence of policy on land-use decisions, but environmental policy objectives remain. Governance provides an approach that recognises the role of institutions and collective action. The formulation of environmental policy objectives in terms of the provision of public goods raises questions as to the role of economic valuation and as to whether the definition of ,goods' may misdirect policy attention. An alternative approach relates to ecosystem services and sees management issues in terms of ecosystem resilience and the adaptive governance of socio-ecological systems. Governance involves a mix of regulation, markets, government incentives and collective action. Regulation sets the domain within which markets operate and social judgements as to property rights are required as a basis for exchanges. Depending on commodity prices, agri-environment schemes may be required either to reduce agricultural production intensity or to keep land under production. The diffuse nature of the environmental benefits and costs of land uses, the complexity of ecosystems and the need to co-ordinate land management decisions indicate a role for local adaptive co-management of land resources. Governments play a major role in supporting the institutional framework within which this can take place. [source] Farmland degradation in the mountains of Nepal: a study of watersheds ,with' and ,without' external interventionLAND DEGRADATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 6 2002G. B. Thapa Abstract Amidst growing concerns about farmlands conservation, this paper examines the status of farmlands in two mountain watersheds ,with' and ,without' external intervention, located in the western hills of Nepal. Information was obtained from a household survey and group discussions conducted during April to September 1999. The severity of soil erosion from farmers' perspectives, density of landslides, soil nutrient balance and change in crop yield have been adopted as indicators of the status of the land. Results of the analysis indicate that land resources in both watersheds are undergoing degradation, though the causes and extent of degradation vary from one type of land to another. Upland crop terraces, locally called bari, are undergoing degradation most seriously under the combined influence of severe soil erosion, landslide and the depletion of soil nutrients. In particular, soil erosion has severely affected nearly half of the upland crop terraces in both watersheds due to a number of natural and anthropogenic factors ranging from weak geological structure to arable agriculture. Landslide and nutrient depletion have affected all types of farmlands except homesteads in both watersheds. Overall, the extent and intensity of land degradation is relatively high in the non-project area, as farmers were not provided with necessary technical and financial support. A broad strategy has been outlined for effective conservation of farmlands. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The direct and indirect impacts of population growth and economic development on maize (Zea mays L.) diversity in highland GuatemalaAREA, Issue 1 2009Michael K Steinberg This paper discusses the impacts of population growth and economic development on maize diversity in highland Guatemala. In the context of this discussion, economic development specifically refers to the recent expansion of the non-traditional agricultural exports (NTAEs). Population growth and economic development (i.e. NTAEs) are linked because as land has become scarce in highland Guatemala, due to the poor distribution of land resources and rapid population growth over the past 50 years, many farmers have turned to non-traditional economic strategies such as new crops that produce more income per unit of land. These new crops have improved the economic conditions of many farming families, but it has come at a cost regarding the maintenance of local maize varieties and household food security. [source] | ||||||||||