Historical review of land use changes in Portugal (before and after EU integration in 1986) and their implications for land degradation and conservation, with a focus on Centro and Alentejo regions

Jones, Nádia; Graaff, J. de; Rodrigo, Isabel; Duarte, Filomena

doi:10.1016/j.apgeog.2011.01.024

Cited by 93 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…The transformation of the agricultural land to urban areas is evident in this study case, as well in other contexts [5,61,62], and reflecting similar changes in Portugal [13,63]. In the area, an increase in landscape fragmentation, accompanied by increased complex cultivation patterns, translates the evolution of the rural areas [64,65] with peri-urbanization and rururbanization processes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

What is the Influence of the Planning Framework on the Land Use Change Trajectories? Photointerpretation Analysis in the 1958–2011 Period for a Medium/Small Sized City

Monteiro

Tavares

2015

Sustainability

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Medium/small sized cities create a polycentric urban system representing the backbone of their territory, characterized by profound changes on land use. The objective of this study is to evaluate the spatial and temporal dynamics of land use in a medium/small city in Portugal during the period 1958-2011, and the relation with the planning framework. The assessment involves land use changes recognition in the period 1958-2011, calculation of the stability grade indicator, and the losses and gains between classes. The rate of artificialization and its relation with the planning framework was also evaluated. The results for the city of Viseu showed a main decrease in annual crops and arable lands, with an increase of the continuous and discontinuous urban fabric. The changes are systematic transitions, marked by planning framework and its typology, objectives and scale enforcement. A plan addressing the city encouraged land use changes in the fringe, while a municipal Master Plan determined sequent transformation in all areas. The land use changes and the artificialization processes enabled the identification of three periods where planning framework was forthright. The study underlines the importance of a planning framework for medium/small sized cities for urban sprawl and artificialization processes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

What is the Influence of the Planning Framework on the Land Use Change Trajectories? Photointerpretation Analysis in the 1958–2011 Period for a Medium/Small Sized City

Monteiro

Tavares

2015

Sustainability

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“…The most common soil types are ferric Luvisols and eutric Lithosols (CNA/SROA, 1978). Agriculture is the largest land use (64 % of total), but thanks to afforestation efforts 'open and new forest' land increased to 22% in 2006 mainly at the expense of 'heterogeneous agricultural land', which consists largely of pasture land under scattered trees (Jones et al, 2011). The farms are predominantly medium to large-sized (ca.…”

Section: 1mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As greening payment is accessible without any extra requirements to farms complying with one of the following conditions: more than 75% of forest cover, more than 5% of permanent crops, more than 75% of permanent pastures or grasses for forage production, we assumed that all farms would have access to both components of Pillar 1 in both research areas. This is a fair assumption based on previous land use assessments (Jones et al, 2011). Greening fixed payment equals 30% of National Envelope (566 million €)/ 3.0858 million eligible ha = 55€/ha).…”

Section: Cap Scenariosmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Targeting the impact of agri-environmental policy – Future scenarios in two less favoured areas in Portugal

Jones

Fleskens

Stroosnijder

2016

Journal of Environmental Management

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Targeting agri-environmental measures (AEM) improves their effectiveness in the delivery of public goods, provided the necessary coordination with other incentives. In less favoured areas (LFA) measures focusing on the conservation of extensive farming contribute to sustainable land management in these areas. In this paper we investigate the implementation of a possible AEM supporting the improvement of permanent pastures coordinated with the extensive livestock and single farm payments actually in place. Through applying a spatially-explicit mixed integer optimisation model we simulate future land use scenarios for two less favoured areas in Portugal (Centro and Alentejo) considering two policy scenarios: a 'targeted AEM', and a 'non-targeted AEM'. We then compare the results with a 'basic policy' option (reflecting a situation without AEM). This is done with regard to landscape-scale effects on the reduction of fire hazard and erosion risk, as well as effects on farm income. The results show that an AEM for permanent pastures would be more costeffective for erosion and fire hazard mitigation if implemented within a spatially targeted framework. However when cost-effectiveness is assessed with other indicators (e.g. net farm income and share of grazing livestock) 'non-targeted AEM' implementation delivers the best outcome in Alentejo. In Centro the implementation of an AEM involves important losses of income compared to the 'basic policy'. 'Targeted AEM' tends to favour farms in very marginal conditions, i.e. targeting is demonstrated to perform best in landscapes where spatial heterogeneity is higher. The results also show the risk of farm abandonment in the two studied less favoured areas: in all three scenarios more than 30% of arable land is deemed to be abandoned.

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“…In 1980-1989, maritime pine was the dominant species (1.3 milion ha; 40%) of Portuguese forest (AFN 2010) as a result of the national afforestation plan that favoured the expansion of this species (Mendes 2007;Jones et al 2011). In the 1970s, due to both socio-economic and demographic factors (e.g.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

An overview of maritime pine private non-industrial forest in the centre of Portugal: A 19-year case study

Alegria

Teixeira

2016

Folia Forestalia Polonica

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Portuguese national policies for forests were developed considering related themes such as climate change, forest health, fire and the protective functions of forests. In Portugal, maritime pine forest is mainly private non-industrial and its area is in decline. Therefore, the aim of this study was two-fold: first, to assess maritime pine forest characteristics over a 19-year period; second, to analyse forest cover change over that period. In the end, the implementation of state policies was explored. A study area highly forested by continuous areas of naturally regenerated maritime pine in the centre of Portugal was used. To assess maritime pine forest characteristics, two sets of inventory data collected in previous studies (1991-1996 and 2007-2010) were used. To analyse forest cover change, the official land cover maps for 1990 and 2007 were used. This study findings highlighted that study area's trends over the past years were the following: first, the decrease of maritime pine forest areas and its management decline (stands less stable, under-stocked, with large amounts of small-diameter poles and enlarged tree size variability); second, the increase of scrubland areas; third, the increase of eucalyptus afforestation with no regard for protection areas; and fourth, the absence of native oaks or introduction of other broadleaves as recommended by the state policies. Therefore, it is argued that there is a need for effective field monitoring actions with regard to the implementation of state policies. Additionally, selective incentives are key to mobilise private non-industrial forest to achieve the goals of state forest policies.

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Historical review of land use changes in Portugal (before and after EU integration in 1986) and their implications for land degradation and conservation, with a focus on Centro and Alentejo regions

Cited by 93 publications

References 23 publications

What is the Influence of the Planning Framework on the Land Use Change Trajectories? Photointerpretation Analysis in the 1958–2011 Period for a Medium/Small Sized City

What is the Influence of the Planning Framework on the Land Use Change Trajectories? Photointerpretation Analysis in the 1958–2011 Period for a Medium/Small Sized City

Targeting the impact of agri-environmental policy – Future scenarios in two less favoured areas in Portugal

An overview of maritime pine private non-industrial forest in the centre of Portugal: A 19-year case study

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