Implementation of land and ecosystem accounts at the European Environment Agency

The European Environment Agency has started the implementation of a programme of land use and ecosystem accounts, following the System of Environmental and Economic Accounts (SEEA) guidelines of the United Nations. The purpose is to integrate information across the various ecosystem components and to support further assessments and modelling of these components and their interactions with economic and social developments. This programme reflects the increasing demand for environmental policy integration in Europe, both vertically through thematic policies as well as horizontally across policies in those sectors that contribute most to environmental impacts. The construction of land and ecosystem accounts is now feasible due to continuous improvements in monitoring, collecting and processing data and progress with the development of statistical methods that facilitate data assimilation and integration. The accounts are based on explicit spatial patterns provided by comprehensive land cover accounts that can be scaled up and down using a 1 km² grid to any type of administrative region or ecosystem zone (e.g., river basin catchments, coastal zones or bio-geographic areas). Land cover accounts have been produced for 24 countries in Europe and first results published in the European Environment State and Outlook2005 report of the EEA.¹     

How to overcome the implementation gap in ecosystem services? A user-friendly and inclusive tool for improved urban management

One of the main issues with the concept of ecosystem services is its absence on the ground in concrete operational decision-making contexts; that is, an implementation gap. In this study, we investigated if this gap could be overcome through the use of open-source data and free tools, and the adoption of a short-term participatory process. We tested these methods in the context of a project in the urban metropolitan area of Bordeaux (Communauté urbaine de Bordeaux: CUB) in France. The ecosystem services were defined using a participatory approach involving local stakeholders, and then selected scenarios were simulated to test the impact of various development or conservation plans. The study addressed three main questions: (1) Is it possible to adopt a simple methodological approach that overcomes the implementation gap through the development of a user-friendly and inclusive method? (2) What is the added value of a participatory approach? (3) With regards to four scenarios in this territory, what are the ES trends in the selected biophysical and monetary indicators, and will knowledge of these trends help planners to shape a sustainable trajectory for the territory?     

Compliance of land cover changes with municipal land use planning: Evidence from the Lisbon metropolitan region (1990–2007)

In the past few decades, urbanisation has become a major phenomenon in European cities, thus representing one of the key human land cover changes with socio-economic and environmental impacts. In the Lisbon metropolitan region it is estimated that 17% of natural and farmland have been transformed into artificial areas. Since the end of 1990s, specific EU guidelines have been issued to contain urban sprawl and preserve agricultural land. Spatial planning in Portugal obviously is integrating these assumptions into the statutory land-use master plans. But what is the performance of this land use planning system regarding land cover evolution itself? Based on the Lisbon metropolitan region (LMR), one of the major areas of urban growth in Portugal, we examine spatio-temporal land cover patterns between 1990 and 2007 by integrating cross-matrix analysis, spatial metrics, and gradient analysis. Additionally, we overlay these land cover dynamics with municipal master plans that regulate land development in order to assess the compliance levels of this land-use regulatory system. Results indicate that: artificial areas are growing by coalescence and/or by scattered development along an urban–rural gradient; agricultural land is reducing and fragmentation is increasing to enlarge peri-urban spaces; there are high levels of conversion of agricultural land into urban land in protected areas, thus showing a lack of compliance to the land use regulatory system visible in the existing gaps between the original land-use assignments of the master plan and the actual developments.     

Mapping changes in land use/land cover and prediction of future extension of bowé in Benin,West Africa

Desertification and land degradation are worldwide problems affecting soil, vegetation and the livelihoods of rural populations. Bowal (plural bowé) is a particular form of degraded land that occurs in tropical regions and leads to the exposure of ferricretes, which are unsuitable for farming. Bowé are more common on farmland and degraded savanna. Changes in land use/land cover were used to map a region of 6.7 million ha in northern Benin, West Africa in 1975, 1990 and 2010. The changes observed during these periods (1975–1990, 1990–2010 and 1975–2010) were used to predict the occurrence of bowé in the period up to 2050 using Markovian chain analysis. The results showed a considerable change in land use/land cover during the three periods. The types of land on which bowé occur (farmland and degraded savanna) increased in northern Benin by 5.4% per year during the period 1975–1990 and 9.5% per year during the periods 1990–2010, while the natural vegetation (forest, woodland and tree savanna) decreased by the same amount. The future scenarios also predicted the same trend. In the period 1975–1990, 1.28 million ha (26%) of natural vegetation was converted to degraded savanna and farmland while 2.23 million ha (53%) of natural vegetation was converted to degraded savanna and farmland in the period 1990–2010. Based on the dynamics recorded during the period 1975–1990 and 1990–2010 respectively, a total of 1.28 million ha (26% of the natural vegetation that was present in 1975) and 1.29 million ha (31% of the natural vegetation that was present in 1990) will be converted to farmland and degraded savanna in the study area by 2050.Thus bowalization will persist and increase in the period up to 2050. The natural vegetation could disappear if protection and restoration measures are not taken. It is thus important to take measures to stop the degradation and to implement programs to restore soils on bowé based on the soil and water conservation techniques used on highly degraded West African soils, such as zaï pit and stone rows with grass strips. Some native plants species adapted to bowalization and resistant to climate change in northern Benin (e.g. Asparagus africanus, Andropogon pseudapricus and Combretum nigricans) should be used in association with soil and water conservation techniques on bowé.     

Mapping mountain diversity: Ethnic minorities and land use land cover change in Vietnam's borderlands

In the complex agro-ecological conditions of Vietnam's northern borderlands, attempts by ethnic minority farmers to create sustainable livelihoods, along with the impacts of state development policies, have direct consequences for land use and land cover (LULC) change. In this paper we analyse the degree to which LULC has changed and diversified from 1999 to 2009 in Lào Cai Province and the underlying relationships with ethnic minority livelihood diversification strategies. We examine the correlation between LULC diversity and various socioeconomic and biophysical proxies using a spatial autoregressive model. Our findings indicate two major changes in LULC: an increase in closed canopy forest and substantial urban growth. LULC diversity increased between 1999 and 2009, suggesting a transition between land uses and/or a diversification of livelihood strategies. Socioeconomic proxies are significant predictors of LULC diversity in both years, while biophysical proxies are only effective predictors in 2009. In-depth interviews regarding state-led policies and ethnic minority livelihoods reveal some of the underlying mechanisms of such LULC transitions and associations.     

略论农业科技期刊封面设计的地域文化性

地域文化是期刊美术工作者可以深度挖掘的艺术宝藏。文章以《农村新技术》杂志为例,分析了期刊美术设计引入地域文化的重要性,并从突出地方特色、抓典型、求真实等方面作了较全面的论述,说明引入地域文化资源和自然资源对构筑农业科技期刊特色品牌、扩大期刊的知名度和传播力、提升中华文化的世界影响力之意义重大。     

Applying search theory to determine the feasibility of eradicating an invasive population in natural environments

The detectability of invasive organisms influences the feasibility of eradicating an infestation. Search theory offers a framework for defining and measuring detectability, taking account of searcher ability, biological factors and the search environment. In this paper, search theory concepts are incorporated into a population model, and the costs of search and control are calculated as functions of the amount of search effort (the decision variable). Simulations are performed on a set of weed scenarios in a natural environment, involving different combinations of plant longevity, seed longevity and plant fecundity. Results provide preliminary estimates of the cost and duration of eradication programs to assist in prioritising weeds for control. The analysis shows that the success of an eradication program depends critically on the detectability of the target plant, the effectiveness of the control method, the labour requirements for search and control, and the germination rate of the plant.     

常德市土地利用/覆被变化分析

通过GIS空间分析功能,选取常德市的四个县市:桃源县、汉寿县、临澧县、津市市,从土地利用现状、土地利用时空变化、土地利用类型动态度、土地利用程度变化以及土地利用变化区域差异等五个方面对常德市2009年和2012年土地利用、覆被变化进行定量、定性分析比较。研究结果表明:12009-2012年期间,四个县市的城镇、交通水利等建设用地需求持续增加;2 2009-2012年期间,土地利用程度综合指数呈增长的趋势;3常德市2009-2012年间土地利用程度变化不大,并且区域不平衡;4 2009-2012年期间,四个县市中相对变化最大的为临澧县城镇建设用地。     

区域植被覆盖度和水土流失量的时空变异研究  ———以江苏省为例

选取1995、2000、2008年为时间变化单元,以江苏省从北到南的20县市区域为空间变化单元,建立植被覆盖度、水土流失量模型,定量分析江苏省植被覆盖度和水土流失量的时空变化特征。结果表明:(1)江苏省的区域植被覆盖度时间变异较大,随时间的推移总体呈上升的趋势,其中新沂的植被覆盖度最高,扬中的植被覆盖度变化最大。(2)20个县市区域的水土流失量随时间的推移总体上有所增加,而如皋、通州、海门、东台、扬中、泰兴和兴化等区域的土流流失状况有所改善。     

“一带一路”典型区土地利用变化热点区判别与其影响因素

目的 土地利用与覆盖变化是监测区域变化的重要方法,而发生剧烈变化的热点区域更是研究的重要部分,有效识别热点区并分析其影响因素可以为保护土地生态环境、有效利用土地资源提供科学支撑。方法 文章利用欧洲航天局（ESA）气候变化倡议的长期时间序列土地覆盖数据集（CCI-LC）对“一带一路”典型区土地利用与覆盖变化进行分析,根据变化面积、相对变化速率及其聚集程度建立了热点区域的识别方法,并分析了影响因素。结果 （1）根据土地覆盖变化结果表明,1992—2020年“一带一路”典型区内总共有5.46%的面积发生了变化,建设用地净增加面积最多,为24.61万km²,相对变化速率在2000—2010年最高,为76.94%。（2）热点识别结果表明,2000—2010年土地覆盖变化最剧烈,不同时期的热点区域内主要的转型特征不同,1992—2000年主要表现为耕地的增加,2000—2010年主要表现为林地和建设用地面积扩张,2010—2020年主要表现为建设用地面积增多和林地的砍伐与恢复。（3）热点区域集中分布在0~200m的海拔范围内,热点区域内的像元数量随海拔升高不断减少。（4）热带多雨气候区域内热点占比最大,而其他气候类型对热点区域内的像元数量的影响较小。（5）社会经济因素对于热点区域内的像元数量有着显著的影响,其中城市人口数量和国内生产总值最重要,两者结合可以解释全部热点的86.46%。结论 研究探明的热点区域和影响因素可以为“一带一路”典型区土地利用格局演变、区域土地利用规划和土地资源可持续利用提供决策支持。