Causes and Trajectories of Land-Use/Cover Change

Geist, Helmut; McConnell, William J.; Lambin, Éric F.; Moran, Emílio F.; Alves, Diógenes Salas; Rudel, Thomas A.

doi:10.1007/3-540-32202-7_3

Cited by 123 publications

(88 citation statements)

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“…This raises important questions around how the diversity of ownership and large potential heterogeneity in management practices have influenced forests in the post-socialist era. In broad terms, the process of land cover change is influenced by a wide range of political, economic, social and physical geographic factors, which can function on a range of spatial scales (Turner II et al 1995;Hoshino 1996;Geist et al 2006;Geoghegan et al 1998). Accordingly, given the limitations of national scale centralised forest management programs in Croatia and increasing private ownership, it is important to consider the variety of factors operating from sub-national/regional down to local scales, which may have influenced forest cover change since the demise of socialism.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics and drivers of forest cover change in the post-socialist era in Croatia: evidence from a mixed-methods approach

2016

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Extensive forests in Croatia represent an important biological and economic resource in Europe. They are characterized by heterogeneity in forest management practices dating back to the socialist planned economy of the pre-1991 era. In this study we investigated the difference in rates of deforestation and reforestation in private and state owned forests during the post-socialist period, and the causal drivers of change. The selected region of Northern Croatia is characterised by a high percentage of privately owned forests with minimal national monitoring and control. We used a mixed-methods approach which combines remote sensing, statistical modelling and a household-based questionnaire survey to assess the rates of forest cover change and factors influencing those changes. The results show that predominantly privately owned forests in Northern Croatia have recorded a net forest loss of 1.8% during the 1991-2011 period, while Croatia overall is characterised by a 10% forest cover increase in predominantly state-owned forests. Main factors influencing forest cover changes in private forests are slope, altitude, education structure, population age and population density. The results also show that the deforestation in private forests is weakening overall, mostly due to the continuation of the de-agrarization and de-ruralisation processes which began during socialism.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characteristics and drivers of forest cover change in the post-socialist era in Croatia: evidence from a mixed-methods approach

2016

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“…An important distinction should be made between proximate and underlying drivers of land-use change (cf. Lambin et al 2001, Geist et al 2006. Proximate causes (called also 'direct drivers') involve a physical action (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drivers of grassland loss in Hungary during the post-socialist transformation (1987–1999)

et al. 2012

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The increase in the speed of land-cover change experienced worldwide is becoming a growing concern. Major socio-economic transitions, such as the breakdown of socialism in Europe, may lead to particularly high rates of landscape transformations. In this paper we examined the loss of semi-natural grasslands in Hungary between 1987 and 1999. We studied the relationship between 9 5 potential driving forces and the fate of grasslands using logistic GLMs.Grassland loss was found to be very high (1.31 % per year), which is far higher than either before or after this period. The most influential predictors of grassland loss were environmental and landscape characteristics (soil type, area of remnant grassland patches), and the socio-economic context (distance to paved road, and nearest settlement, human population density). Several 10 processes and relationships can only be understood from a historical perspective (e.g. large extent of afforestation, strong decrease of soil water table). Grassland loss during the study period emerged as a consequence of survival strategies of individual farmers seeking adaptation to the changing environmental and socio-economic conditions, and not urbanization and agricultural intensification which are the main underlying drivers for the ongoing landscape transformations in 15 most parts of the developed world.Though globalization increasingly influences local land use decisions , reconstructing and modelling recent landscape changes cannot be done without a proper understanding of local history and culture. Our analysis shows the importance of large-area yet high resolution landscape change research, which may reveal unexpected patterns of land cover change, undetected at coarser scales. 20Keywords: East-Central Europe, land-cover change, logistic GLMs, proximate and underlying driving forces LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY, 28: (5) pp. 789-803. (2013) 3

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“…The main drivers behind these changes combine population growth, rising demand for agricultural products, dietary changes, agricultural trade and adjustment, dependence on wood energy, recurrent bush fires, etc. [16][17][18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transitions in Land Use Architecture under Multiple Human Driving Forces in a Semi-Arid Zone

Ouédraogo

Mbow

Balinga³

et al. 2015

Land

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Abstract:The present study aimed to detect the main shifts in land-use architecture and assess the factors behind the changes in typical tropical semi-arid land in Burkina Faso. Three sets of time-series LANDSAT data over a 23-year period were used to detect land use changes and their underpinning drivers in multifunctional but vulnerable ecologies. Group discussions in selected villages were organized for mapping output interpretation and collection of essential drivers of change as perceived by local populations. Results revealed profound changes and transitions during the study period. During the last decade, shrub and wood savannahs exhibited high net changes (39% and −37% respectively) with a weak net positive change for cropland (only 2%,) while cropland and shrub savannah exhibited high swap (8% and 16%). This suggests that the area of cropland remained almost unchanged but was subject to relocation, wood savannah decreased drastically, and shrub savannah increased exponentially. Cropland exhibited a null net persistence while shrub and wood savannahs exhibited positive and negative net persistence (1.91 and −10.24), respectively, indicating that there is movement toward agricultural intensification and wood savannah tended to disappear to the benefit of shrub savannah. Local people are aware of the changes that have occurred and support the idea that illegal wood cutting and farming are inappropriate farming practices associated with immigration; absence of alternative cash generation sources, overgrazing and increasing demand for wood energy are driving the changes in their ecosystems. Policies that integrate restoration and conservation of natural OPEN ACCESSLand 2015, 4 561 ecosystems and promote sustainable agroforestry practices in the study zone are highly recommended.

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Causes and Trajectories of Land-Use/Cover Change

Cited by 123 publications

References 0 publications

Characteristics and drivers of forest cover change in the post-socialist era in Croatia: evidence from a mixed-methods approach

Characteristics and drivers of forest cover change in the post-socialist era in Croatia: evidence from a mixed-methods approach

Drivers of grassland loss in Hungary during the post-socialist transformation (1987–1999)

Transitions in Land Use Architecture under Multiple Human Driving Forces in a Semi-Arid Zone

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