Agricultural Land
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 |
Spatial and temporal deforestation dynamics in protected and unprotected dry forests: a case study from Myanmar (Burma)backgroundThis study looks at deforestation impacts and drivers in a tropical dry forest ecosystem of Myanmar (Burma). The study focuses on the Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS), one of the largest protected areas of dry forest in Southeast Asia, and the surrounding areas that serve as habitat for the endangered Eld’s deer. Available with subscription or purchase |
Les facteurs déterminants le succès de reproduction de la Tourterelle des bois (Streptopelia turtur) dans un milieu agricole Nord-AfricainThe authors provide ecological information regarding the use of trees and agriculture by the turtle dove. They argue for increased research to determine the success of fruit trees on sustaining populations of wildlife.
Open access copy available |
Land Degradation, Less Favored Lands and the Rural Poor: A Spatial and Economic Analysis.BackgroundPrevious studies have examined the differing economic consequences of land degradation for various groups of people, finding that the rural poor of less developed countries rely on some of the most marginal, degraded land. Yet, these studes seignificantly differ in their use of key spatial land and population indicators and the spatially referenced data generated are inadequate for cross-country economic analysis of the impact of land degradation on global poverty. This study aims to rectify these shortcomings. Open access copy available |
Crise de l’économie de plantation et modification du paysage agraire dans l’ancienne boucle du cacao: l’exemple de Daoukro (Economic Crisis of Plantation and Landscape Modification in the Former Cocoa Belt: The Example of Daoukro)backgroundThis article explores the history of agrarian transition in the Ivory Coast's former cacao belt. Conclusions & TakeawaysThe shift away from cacao production to commodities like rubber, rice, cashews and oil palm results in changes in labor conditions and social relations.
Open access copy available |
The Role of Trees in Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture in the TropicsBAckgroundAvailable with subscription or purchase |
Live Fences and Landscape Connectivity in a Neotropical Agricultural LandscapeBackgroundThis article describes the role and importance of live fences in the tropical regions of Central America. The study site covered an area of 4483ha and is located in a wet tropical forest zone in the Province of Heredia, Costa Rica. The landscape is dominated by cattle pasture and possesses a small, fragmented and homogenous structure with small patches of forests. Open access copy available |
