Landscape degradation at different spatial scales caused by aridification

Meyer, Burghard C.; Mezősi, Gábor; Kovács, Ferenc

doi:10.1515/mgr-2017-0023

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 30 publications

(29 reference statements)

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“…Land degradation is defined by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD 1994) convention as "a reduction or loss, in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, of the biological or economic productivity and complexity of rain fed cropland, irrigated cropland, or range, pasture, forest and woodlands resulting from land uses or from a process or combination of processes, including processes arising from human activities and habitation patterns, such as: soil erosion caused by wind and/or water; deterioration of the physical, chemical and biological or economic properties of soil; and long-term loss of natural vegetation". When focussing on the degradation of cultural landscapes and by widening the definition from land degradation analysis towards the analysis of the landscape degradation "as an irreversible or non-resilient system change to a landscape that affects the landscape system components (i.e., their geo-factors, land use and inter-linkages) and the natural and cultural capacities of the landscape (productive, ecological and social structure, processes and landscape functions" (Meyer et al 2017), the focus of such an analysis in the Mediterranean should be widened into the landscape context -e.g. on the economically very important tourism and agricultural intensification developments in the Cretan contextinto a new land use and landscape pattern and landscape configuration perspective.…”

Section: Landscape Degradation Processes In the Mediterranean Landscapesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Land Use - Land Degradation Nexus in Mediterranean Landscapes – Drivers of Changes And Key Processes at Selected Natura 2000 Sites of Crete, Greece

Meyer

Kirsten

Sattler

et al. 2020

Journal of Environmental Geography

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The land use–land degradation nexus in Cretan landscapes in regions with Natura 2000 sites was analyzed by an explorative expert driven study based on literature, field work and photo documentation methods with the aim of determining status, drivers and key processes of change. Drivers of current land use changes have been worked out by (1) general tourism developments and tourism related land uses; (2) irrigated olive yard developments; (3) fenced large-scale goat pastures and (4) large scale greenhouses. Key processes of change have been identified and qualitatively assessed for 5 regions with NATURA 2000 areas based on a non-ranked set of 11 descriptive indicators. The analysis includes the status-description and the importance assessment of land degradation processes in selected NATURA 2000 sites. Threats and pressures taken from the NATURA 2000 documentation and the land use – land degradation nexus and the analysis are a suitable basis for future land management in order to reach land degradation neutrality. The result of our analysis opens a new research field for a better integration of the normally thematically isolated analysis in geography, biology/nature conservation and agricultural policy analysis about the drivers and processes in landscape systems towards a better understanding the trends in land cover change (e.g. vegetation/soil degradation), the trends in productivity or functioning changes caused by land uses and as well for the trends in carbon stock change.

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Section: Landscape Degradation Processes In the Mediterranean Landscapesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Land Use - Land Degradation Nexus in Mediterranean Landscapes – Drivers of Changes And Key Processes at Selected Natura 2000 Sites of Crete, Greece

Meyer

Kirsten

Sattler

et al. 2020

Journal of Environmental Geography

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“…Present aridification is a worldwide phenomenon threatening regional ecosystems and economies [1][2][3][4][5]. The trends of globally progressing landscape dryness reflect the changes in atmospheric circulation patterns, solar insolation and windiness contributing to regional climate continentality.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Between Sand Dunes and Hamadas: Environmental Sustainability of the Thar Desert, West India

Chlachula

2021

Sustainability

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Extensive geographic areas of the world show a long-term atmospheric moisture deficit. Desertification of Rajasthan is concurrent with the strengthened weather extremality and mean annual air temperature (MAAT) rise over the western part of the Indian subcontinent. The present landscape aridification due to the precipitation decrease and reinforced windiness generates surface-cover dryness, aeolian erosion with a mass sediment transfer, salinity of excessively irrigated lands and groundwater depletion; altogether these pose major geo-environmental threats and settlement risks of the expanding Thar Desert. Livestock-overgrazing of sparse-vegetation contributes to ecological pressure to the fragile wasteland ecosystems with approximately three-quarters of the countryside affected to a certain extent by degradation and >50% exposed to wind erosion. Sand dune stabilisation by the drought-adapted tree plantation, the regional hydrology network regulation and the arid-land farming based on new xerophytic cultigens are the key land-use and mitigation strategies. Specific geomorphic palaeosettings predetermined patterned adaptive forms of the ancient desert inhabitation. Geo- and eco-tourism contributes to the arid-zone socioeconomic sustainability with regard to the rich natural and cultural heritage of the area. This study outlines the main effects of the current climate variations on the pristine and occupied lands of western Rajasthan, and the past and present relief transformations, and reviews the modern anthropogenic responses to desertification.

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“…Soil moisture content is an environmental property which is highly appreciated under the conditions of global climate change. In the Carpathian Basin climate change will primarily involve marked aridification trends (Meyer et al 2017). On agricultural land water availability, in close interaction with other properties like soil structure, aeration, nutrient supply, soil reaction and microbial activity, is vital for crop cultivation (Rodríguez-Ituber & Poparto 2007, Várallyay 2015.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of soil moisture indices and field measurements in hilly agricultural lands of SW Hungary

Nagy

Lóczy²,

Czigány³

et al. 2021

Landsc. environ.

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The retention of surface runoff and the preservation of soil moisture are among the most important water-related ecosystem services. In addition to field monitoring, advanced remote sensing techniques have been devised to reveal soil moisture dynamics on agricultural land. In our study we compare two soil moisture indices, TWI and SAVI, in three agricultural areas with different land use types. The SAVI has been found suitable to point out spatial variation on the moisture conditions of the vadose zone.

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Landscape degradation at different spatial scales caused by aridification

Abstract: Abstract

Cited by 6 publications

References 30 publications

The Land Use - Land Degradation Nexus in Mediterranean Landscapes – Drivers of Changes And Key Processes at Selected Natura 2000 Sites of Crete, Greece

The Land Use - Land Degradation Nexus in Mediterranean Landscapes – Drivers of Changes And Key Processes at Selected Natura 2000 Sites of Crete, Greece

Between Sand Dunes and Hamadas: Environmental Sustainability of the Thar Desert, West India

Comparison of soil moisture indices and field measurements in hilly agricultural lands of SW Hungary

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