Agricultural Land
Linking forest conservation and food security through agroecologyBackgroundThis chapter, found in Forest Landscape Restoration: Integrated Approaches to Support Effective Implementation, focuses on Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) in the tropics. Specifically, the authors examine agroecology as an integrated approach for both gaining food security and restoring agro-forest landscapes in post-conflict Colombia. Available with subscription or purchase |
Silvopastoral Systems and their Contribution to Improved Resource Use and Sustainable Development Goals: Evidence from Latin AmericaBackgroundOf the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015, livestock can contribute to the majority of them. Specifically, silvopastoral systems, which integrate cattle intensification and natural processes, is often promoted to achieve the joint economic, social, and environmental focus of the SDGs. Using three established silvopastoral systems in Latin American (Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia) as case-studies, this paper applies an analytical framework in order to determine the systems productivity and the socio-economic benefits. Open access copy available |
Creating space for large‐scale restoration in tropical agricultural landscapesBackgroundThe large-scale degradation and land-use conversion of ecosystems around the world has led to a global push to restore critical environments in order to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem services. One of the biggest challenges to these efforts though, is ensuring that preexisting land-uses are not simply displaced elsewhere. This article explores this problem, turning to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest as a case-study. The authors examine if restoration will lead to a discplacement of cattle production due to land-shortage. Available with subscription or purchase |
Riparian forest recovery following a decade of cattle exclusion in the Colombian AndesBackgroundThroughout Latin America, intensive silvopastoral systems (SPS) have been promoted in the face of large-scale international challenges in order to foster forest restoration and deliver key ecological and economical services. These systems increase cattle production on certain lands while removing cattle from other marginal areas with the aim to restore. While there has been extensive acknowledgement of the value of remnant riparian forests, there has been limited studies have examined how these forest recover on abandoned agricultural lands. This study seeks to fill that gap. Open access copy available |
Partnering with cattle ranchers for forest landscape restorationBackgroundIn order to address land degradation due to agricultural expansion and intensification throughout Latin America, silvopastoral systems are being promoted as a forest landscape restoration (FLR) approach. Yet, the success of these strategies rely on ranchers voluntary participation and full adoption at a regional scale. The author recognizes a knowledge gap in regards to why ranchers are driven to adopt silvopastoral systems and thus seeks to understand this issue through the examination of a cast study in Colombia. Open access copy available |
Native trees and shrubs for the productive rehabilitation of tropical cattle ranching landsBackgroundLatin America, much like the rest of the rest of the world, has experienced significant deforestation rates. In this region, the primary driver has been large-scale land conversion to unsustainable uses, like industrial cattle ranching and agriculture. This article recognizes the deep-rootedness of cattle in Latin American economies and cultures, yet stresses the need to shift the paradigm by adopting intensive silvopastoral systems (ISS) that utilize native species. Available with subscription or purchase |
Pastures and Cash Crops: Biomass Flows in the Socio-Metabolic Transition of Twentieth-Century Colombian AgricultureBackgroundThe authors acknowledge that the appropriation of biomass worldwide has significantly increased over the twentieth century, primarily due to the expansion of industrial agriculture. These trends have caused detrimental issues, including soil erosion, a decline in biodiversity, damage to human health, and deforestation. Using Colombia as a case-study, this article presents a long-term estimation of biomass flows. Open access copy available |
A tree-based approach to biomass estimation from remote sensing data in a tropical agricultural landscapebackgroundDue to increased global dominance of agricultural lands in the tropics, methods to establish biomass and carbon in agricultural areas are necessary for monitoring and modeling global C stocks. Since tropical agriculture often includes some tree cover, the study seeks to develop above ground biomass estimates using landscape-scale surveys with LiDAR in comparison to plot-level data. Available with subscription or purchase |
Carbon Sequestration in Pastures, Silvo-Pastoral Systems and Forests in Four Regions of the Latin American Tropicsbackground77% of agricultural land in the tropical Americas is used for pasture (including silvo-pasture and Argo-silvo-pasture), making carbon stocks in this land type an important consideration. This paper presents three-year research results on the evaluation of soil carbon stocks (SCS) in long-established pasture and silvo-pastoral systems (10-16 years under commercial production), native forests and degraded land in four regions of tropical Americas. Available with subscription or purchase |
Ten Principles for a Landscape Approach to Reconciling Agriculture, Conservation, and Other Competing Land UsesIntroduction"Landscape approaches" in ecological restoration aim to provide tools and concepts for allocating and managing land that both provide social, economic, and environmental objectives in regions in which land use typically compete with environmental and biodiversity goals. This paper outlines the current consensus on landscape approaches. Open access copy available |
