Unfolding relations between land cover and farm management: high nature value assessment in complex silvo-pastoral systems

The high nature value (HNV) concept, proposed by the European Environment Agency, recognizes that specific farming systems support high biodiversity levels, mainly as a result of extensive management practices. The Portuguese montado is one of the most significant HNV systems in southern Europe. However, considering the great complexity characterizing these systems both in land management and in landscape structure, a specific context-oriented methodology to assess which montado areas are likely to be classified as HNV farmland is needed. In this sense, the aim of this study is to explore a methodological approach which makes it possible to assess land management pressures through land cover information on these complex silvo-pastoral systems. The proposed methodology was tested through a local case study in a montado area in southern Portugal, assessing the relation between management practices and a vegetation cover index. Results show that in similar montado areas different land management strategies varying in stocking density, but also in type of grazing animals and shrub control practices, configure different vegetation cycles. These results indicate there is a way to develop a straightforward methodology to assess the HNV value of Mediterranean silvo-pastoral systems based on land cover indicators. These would make it possible to assess the HNV of montado areas with direct and objective information and independent of farmer’s surveys or other farm-based data.     

Principles of adaptive-landscape generation and development of soil protection agricultural systems

An analysis is made of the chief causes for degradation of agricultural lands: exhaustive agricultural land use, poor planning quality of land use management, deforestation, low volumes of forest planting and reforestation, and a high degree of plowing of lands. The principles of adaptive-landscape generation and land use practices are substantiated on the basis of a system approach to the exploitation of the natural-resource potential and a package of anti-degradation measures. The structure flowchart is given for the model of adaptive-landscape generation as developed on the basis of assessing the natural-climatic conditions, land resources, the degree of land degradation, and analyzing the set of indicators and criteria for a classification of landscapes. It is found that the key elements of the adaptive-landscape organization of land use on slopes are a typization of lands, the determination of the land use pattern, and the employment of technologies, methods and measures to ensure a normal functioning of agroecosystems. The following groups of lands are identified: gentle near-watershed slopes with a steepness of up to 2–3°; near-network lands, the lower boundary of which runs along the edge of the hydrographic network, and lands on the hydrographic network. The schematic of the organization of a large balka catchment is provided.     

Willingness and Participation of Local Communities to Manage Communal Grazing Lands in the Lake Tana Biosphere,Ethiopia

Sustainable management of communal grazing lands in Ethiopia is crucial to sustain livestock productivity and reduce land degradation. This study was conducted in Dera district, Ethiopia, to assess local communities’ perceptions of the degradation and their attitudes on the management of communal grazing lands. Household surveys, group discussions, and the contingent valuation method were used to gather data. Results indicated that local communities are aware of the degradation and are willing to participate in the management of communal grazing lands by contributing labor and cash. Labor contribution is positively and significantly correlated to total livestock units (TLU) and credit, and negatively correlated with household size and extension service. Significant correlation between the willingness to contribute cash and TLU was also detected. Community participation and discussions, demarcation of boundaries, equity in benefit sharing, and engaging both formal and informal institutions are crucial to sustain and enhance the effectiveness of grazing land management.     

Effects of overgrazing and rainfall variability on the dynamics of semiarid banded vegetation patterns: A simulation study with cellular automata

The effects of factors acting at small scale (grass/grass and grass/shrub biological interactions) and landscape scale (overgrazing and rainfall changes) on the development and permanence of banded vegetation patterns (VB) are assessed with a spatially explicit cellular automaton model. In particular, the influence of two environmental factors that are changing in many VB arid lands (rainfall and grazing pressures) is studied. Three rainfall regimes (representing 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 times the long-term rainfall average), five grazing intensities, two types (reversible and irreversible) of grazing disturbance, two grazing periodicities (chronic and pulse), two levels of grass colonization ability, positive and negative interactions between shrubs and grasses, and the efficiency of endozoochorous seed dispersal are simulated.The results show that the permanence of undisturbed VB depends on the interaction of two factors, rainfall regime and grass colonization ability. Type and intensity of grazing also modify VB cover and permanence; furthermore, long-term overgrazing may convert mixed grass/shrub plant communities to pure scrublands dominated by endozoochorous-dispersed shrubs due to competitive interactions between shrubs and grasses.Besides providing an adequate representation of the system’s dynamics, the model is a useful tool that may be used to explore the consequences of climate change on management scenarios.     

Land use/land cover (LULC) classification with MODIS time series data and validation in the Amur River Basin

There is a need for improved and up-to-date land use/land cover (LULC) data sets over an intensively changing area in the Amur River Basin (ARB) in support of science and policy applications focused on understanding of the role and response of the LULC to environmental change issues. The main goal of this study was to map LULC in the ARB using MODIS 250-m Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Land Surface Vegetation Index (LSWI), and reflectance time series data for 2001 and 2007. Another goal was to test the consistency of the classification results using relatively coarse resolution MODIS imagery data in order to develop a methodology for rapid production of an up-to-date LULC data set. The results on MODIS land cover were evaluated using existing land use/cover data as derived from Landsat TM data. It was found that the MODIS 250-m NDVI data sets featured sufficient spatial, spectral and temporal resolution to detect unique multi-temporal signatures for the region’s major land cover types. It turned out that MODIS 250 NDVI time series data have high potential for large-basin land use/land cover monitoring and information updating for purposes of environmental basin research and management.     

Explaining NDVI trends in northern Burkina Faso

Many studies have shown a ‘greening of the Sahel’ on the basis of analysis of time series of satellite images and this has shown to be, at least partly, explained by changes in rainfall. In northern Burkina Faso, an area stands out as anomalous in such analysis, since it is characterized by a distinct spatial pattern and strongly dominated by negative trends in Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The aim of the paper is to explain this distinct pattern. When studied over the period 2000–2012, using NDVI data from the MODIS sensor the spatial pattern of NDVI trends indicates that non-climatic factors are involved. By relating NDVI trends to landscape elements and land use change we demonstrate that NDVI trends in the north-western parts of the study area are mostly related to landscape elements, while this is not the case in the south-eastern parts, where rapidly changing land use, including. expansion of irrigation, plays a major role. It is inferred that a process of increased redistribution of fine soil material, water and vegetation from plateaus and slopes to valleys, possibly related to higher grazing pressure, may provide an explanation of the observed pattern of NDVI trends. Further work will focus on testing this hypothesis.     

Land use and land cover change and its driving forces in Maqu County, China in the past 25 years

Maqu County is located in the northeast Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, and it is the main watershed for the Yellow River. The ecosystem there is extremely vulnerable and sensitive to climate change and human activities, which have caused significant deterioration of the eco-environment in this region. In order to restore the ecological environment, a government project to restore the grazing areas to grassland was implemented in Maqu County in early 2004. This study evaluates the effects of that restoration project on land use and land cover change (LUCC), and explores the driving forces of LUCC in Maqu County. In the study we used Landsat images obtained in 1989, 2004, 2009, and 2014 to establish databases of land use and land cover. Then we derived LUCC information by overlaying these layers using GIS software. Finally, we analyzed the main forces responsible for LUCC. The results showed that forests, high-coverage grasslands, and marshes experienced the most significant decreases during 1989-2004, by 882.8 ha, 35,250.4 ha, and 2,753.4 ha, respectively. However, moderate- and low-coverage grasslands and sand lands showed the opposite trend, increasing by 12,529.7 ha, 25,491.0 ha, and 577.5 ha, respectively. LUCC in 2004-2009 showed that ecological degradation slowed compared with 1989-2004. During 2009-2014, high- and moderate-coverage grasslands increased obviously, but low-coverage grasslands, marshes, unused lands, sand lands, and water areas showed the opposite trend. These results suggested that the degradation of the eco-environment was obvious before 2009, showing a decrease in the forests, grasslands, and water areas, and an increase in unused lands. The ecological degradation was reversed after 2009, as was mainly evidenced by increases in high- and moderate-coverage grasslands, and the shrinkage rate of marshes decreased obviously. These results showed that the project of restoring grazing lands to grassland had a positive effect on the LUCC. Other major factors that influence the LUCC include increasing temperature, variation in the seasonal frozen soil environment, seasonal overgrazing, and pest and rodent damage.     

The role of fire as a long-term landscape modifier: Evidence from long-term fire observations (1922–2000) in Greece

The objective of this paper is to document the role of fire in shaping the landscape by identifying links between historical fire records and the current landscape indicating that fire favors certain land use/land cover (LULC) types. We geo-referenced fire records taken from 1922 to 2000 in Aitoloakarnania, the largest prefecture -in terms of surface area- of Greece and compared the past LULC classes where fires burned to the present landscape. The outputs indicated a shift of the historic fire ignition points from natural to agricultural-related LULC classes since a significant proportion of fire incidents that, according to the fire records, burnt natural vegetation units is currently located in agricultural landscape units. Additionally, a significant proportion of the fire-affected land cover classes retain their character thus supporting the argument that these classes, especially fire-prone or fire-resistant, have developed mechanisms to cope with fire. In such ecosystems the role of fire is to maintain rather than transform land cover classes.The findings of this research lead us to conclude that fire can be perceived as a long-term landscape modifier in the Mediterranean, although its effects may vary from region to region because of differences in regeneration patterns among the main land cover types, topographic constraints and local fire histories. Historical fire records extending back to the early 20th century proved to provide valuable information that can reveal interesting patterns of fire burning history and explain present land cover and use patterns. This knowledge, documented from historical records, can be used to develop fire management and land cover/land use management planning.     

Integrating models of soil dynamics,animal behaviour and vegetation response for the management of arid lands

As the low return from arid rangelands greatly limits the prospects for the treatment of eroded areas the regulation of grazing to maintain an adequate vegetation cover is essential. Techniques currently being developed to recognise the attributes of eroding systems and to model their behaviour over space and time are outlined here. Such models of the interaction of soils, plants and animals allow land managers to locate critical areas within a landscape.     

快速城市化过程中城市土地覆被的时空动态特征

1990~2005年间,是广州市经济快速发展和城市景观变化最大的时期,以同时段TM影像解译得到广州市的土地覆被类型图,从数量结构、空间信息及位置转移和景观等方面,分析了广州市土地覆被的动态特征.数量结构的研究结果显示:在快速城市化过程中广州市的耕地、林地等自然资源的利用程度在加大,自1995年起,这种变化的趋势开始减缓;土地覆被类型之间的信息与位置的转移变化频繁,并且表现出空间位置分异的特征.景观特征指数分析结果表明:广州市城市土地覆被向破碎化方向发展,城市建设用地呈扩展之势.     

快速城市化过程中城市土地覆被的时空动态特征

1990—2005年间，是广州市经济快速发展和城市景观变化最大的时期，以同时段TM影像解译得到广州市的土地覆被类型图，从数量结构、空间信息及位置转移和景观等方面，分析了广州市土地覆被的动态特征．数量结构的研究结果显示：在快速城市化过程中广州市的耕地、林地等自然资源的利用程度在加大，自1995年起，这种变化的趋势开始减缓；土地覆被类型之间的信息与位置的转移变化频繁，并且表现出空间位置分异的特征．景观特征指数分析结果表明：广州市城市土地覆被向破碎化方向发展，城市建设用地呈扩展之势．     

Assessing the impact of Celaque National Park on forest fragmentation in western Honduras

The effectiveness of parks as management regimes is much in debate. This study examines the effect of establishment of the Celaque National Park, Honduras, in 1987, on limiting deforestation through a comparison with the surrounding landscape using remote sensing, GIS and landscape pattern analysis. Pressure on the park region is found to relate spatially to the locations of towns and roads, with increasing deforestation in the landscape surrounding the park. In contrast, the park has been largely successful in maintaining forest cover. Although the extent of change within the park is not pronounced, the pattern of change is. Expansion of agriculture and coffee production have led to increasing pressure on the park boundaries, with as much as 25% of the landscape surrounding the park experiencing land cover change between 1996 and 2000. This has significant implications for the future of the park.     

番禺区土地覆被及其景观格局时空特征分析

基于覆盖番禺区域4个时相的TM遥感影像,综合运用遥感与G IS技术手段,结合FRAGSTATS景观格局分析软件,从数量结构、空间信息及位置转移和景观指数等方面,分析了番禺区土地覆被与景观格局的动态特征。数量结构分析结果显示,城市化过程中番禺区的耕地、园地、林地等自然资源利用程度在加大,自2000年起,这种变化的趋势开始减缓;番禺区土地覆被各类型之间频繁地发生数量与空间位置的变化,空间位置转换面积大于其数量变化面积,而且集中发生在邻近广州市中心城区的西北地区及南沙区;景观指数分析表明,番禺区土地覆被向破碎化方向发展,景观格局动态变化迅速。     

Deriving indicators of soil degradation from soil aggregation studies in southeastern Spain and southern France

Soil degradation is perceived as a major threat in the Mediterranean region due to changes in land-use and possible future climate change. Soil aggregation parameters are used here to demonstrate their potential as a key-indicator for land degradation studies. The monitoring of these indicators offers a means of establishing the vulnerability and resilience of geo-ecosystems. Soil aggregation stability and distribution were studied on soils with an open shrubby vegetation cover, from several places in southeastern Spain and southern France, by applying drop tests and determining aggregate size distributions. Aspect and vegetation cover were incorporated in the soil sampling. Several indices were derived from these analyses to indicate the degree of soil aggregation. This was done by referencing to a base level of aggregation (bare soil aggregation). It was found that soil aggregates were more stable and were often coarser under vegetation, when compared to their immediate surrounding bare areas. A similar, slightly less clear effect was noted on N-facing exposed slopes when compared to S-facing exposed slopes. Long-term changes were found by studying cultivated land, abandoned fields and land covered by semi-natural vegetation, on comparable substrate and comparable land units. It is clear that soil aggregation and aggregate stability increases with time (years). It is argued that soil aggregation indices can be used as a key-indicator for degradation processes at a fine scale with implications for runoff and sediment generating processes at the hillslope scale.     

中国历史时期森林空间格局网格化重建方法研究——以东北地区为例

具有空间信息的历史土地覆被数据集是研究土地覆被变化气候与生态效应的基础数据。本文在潜在植被数据和现代遥感土地利用数据的基础上,确定了土地垦殖前森林植被可能的分布范围;遴选并量化了影响我国土地宜垦性的主导因子,评估了省域尺度上土地的宜垦性;构建了以土地宜垦性为权重的历史森林覆被网格化重建模型（网格大小为10 km×10km）;重建了我国东北三省1780 年和1940 年网格化的森林覆被。结果表明：基于省域森林面积数据,该方法较好地再现了历史时期森林空间格局;与2000 年遥感有林地空间数据对比分析显示,模型重建结果与遥感数据绝对误差的单样本t 检验相伴概率（双尾）为0.12,大于显著性水平0.05,表明模型重建结果与遥感数据不存在显著性差异,网格化重建方法具有较好的可行性;同时,重建结果准确性评估也表明：1780 年重建结果在县域尺度上的相对误差在-30%~30%之间的县级政区有99个,占县级政区总数（不含无值区）的74.44%,总体误差相对较小。     

Biophysical and Spectral Characteristics of Cool- and Warm-Season Grasslands under Three Land Management Practices in Eastern Kansas

Grasslands are the largest of the Earth's four major vegetation types and are among the most agriculturally productive lands. Grassland management practices alter biophysical factors, such as plant species composition, soil structure and chemistry, and primary productivity. Large-scale changes in land management practices can have significant impacts on available natural resources, therefore impacting a regional socioeconomics. For these reasons, an improved understanding of the geographic distribution of changing land management practices and how these changes affect grassland biophysical characteristics of an area is critical to improve land use planning and practices. This study investigated the spectral characteristics, as measured using satellite remotelysensed data, of three land management practices [grazing, haying, and management under Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)] on areas dominated by cool- and warm-season grasslands. The satellite imagery was acquired in May, July, and September in 1997 over Douglas County, Kansas. Biomass, vegetation cover, and species richness data were collected around the satellite overflight periods. Our results indicate that the biophysical characteristics and spectral reflectances are significantly different among the three management practices over cool- and warm-season grasslands. Interestingly, sites grazed by livestock had the highest species richness and the highest forb cover, although the total cover is almost the same as the other practices, and they have the highest near-infrared reflectance throughout the growing season.     

峰丛洼地石漠化景观演化与土地利用模式

峰丛洼地石漠化景观格局是土壤分布空间格局的制约下,岩溶生态系统对植被强烈依附性条下,由不同类型人类活动决定的。农耕、放牧和砍伐是最主要的破坏峰丛植被的人类活动;缓坡耕地形成轻度石漠化景观;陡坡地形成中度石漠化景观,因坡面土壤流失,演化为更高等级石漠化景观;峰丛陡坡放牧和砍伐都可能直接形成峰丛上部大面积中-强度石漠化景观,出现峰丛坡面石漠化景观分异,产生不同的土地利用模式。     

Albedo-NDVI特征空间及沙漠化遥感监测指数研究

利用遥感数据和野外调查数据分析了沙漠化与地表定量参数之间的关系,提出了Albedo-NDVI特征空间的概念以及基于Albedo-NDVI特征空间的沙漠化遥感监测模型,即沙漠化遥感监测差值指数模型(DDI)。这个模型充分利用了多维遥感信息,指标反映了沙漠化土地地表覆盖、水热组合及其变化,具有明确的生物物理意义。而且指标简单、易于获取,有利于沙漠化的定量分析与监测。     

气候和土地利用变化对塔里木河干流区植被覆盖变化的影响

基于遥感和地理信息系统技术,利用1998—2008年SPOT-VEGETATION归一化植被指数（NDVI）数据对塔里木河干流区1998—2007年植被覆盖的时空变化进行了监测,并从气候变化和土地利用变化双重角度分析了植被覆盖变化的原因。研究表明,塔里木河干流区植被覆盖变化经历了两个阶段:1998—2001年植被覆盖严重退化时期;2002—2007年植被覆盖度由急剧上升到缓慢下降再到持续升高时期,NDVI明显高于20世纪末期水平。塔里木河干流区植被覆盖变化存在显著的空间差异,绿洲农业灌溉区和退耕还林还草生态恢复区的植被覆盖度显著提高,天然草地植被区的植被退化严重。塔里木河干流区植被覆盖变化是气候和土地利用变化共同作用的结果。温度对植被覆盖变化的影响表现为对植被生长年内韵律的控制和秋季植被生长期的延长,年降水量的波动式上升是导致塔里木河干流区植被覆盖变化两个阶段呈现差异的主导因素。     

Small-area estimation of land cover statistics by post-stratification of a national area frame survey

The objective of this paper is to examine a method for estimation of land cover statistics for local environments from available area frame surveys of larger, surrounding areas. The method is a simple version of the small-area estimation methodology. The starting point is a national area frame survey of land cover. This survey is post-stratified using a coarse land cover map based on topographic maps and segmentation of satellite images. The approach is to describe the land cover composition of each stratum and subsequently use the results to calculate land cover statistics for a smaller area where the relative distribution of the strata is known. The method was applied to a mountain environment in Gausdal in Eastern Norway and the result was compared to reference data from a complete in situ land cover map of the study area. The overall correlation (Pearson’s rho) between the observed and the estimated land cover figures was r = 0.95. The method does not produce a map of the target area and the estimation error was large for a few of the land cover classes. The overall conclusion is, however, that the method is applicable when the objective is to produce land cover statistics and the interest is the general composition of land cover classes - not the precise estimate of each class. The method will be applied in outfield pasture management in Norway, where it offers a cost-efficient way to screen the management units and identify local areas with a land cover composition suitable for grazing. The limited resources available for in situ land cover mapping can then be allocated efficiently to in-depth studies of the areas with the highest grazing potential. It is also expected that the method can be used to compile land cover statistics for other purposes as well, provided that the motivation is to describe the overall land cover composition and not to provide exact estimates for the individual land cover classes.