Instant Insights: Land use change and management

Description

This book features four peer-reviewed reviews on land use change and management.

The first chapter discusses the role of agricultural expansion, land cover and use change in contributing to climate change. It reviews the impacts of land-use change on climate, specifically focusing on carbon emission, surface energy fluxes and the emission of reactive gases from vegetation. The chapter also assesses how to estimate the impacts of land-use change on climate.

The second chapter provides an overview of human-induced land use changes, such as deforestation and intensive agriculture and their consequent impact on the agricultural ecosystem. The chapter focusses specifically on the ways in which land use alteration has impacted the composition and functionality of soil microbiomes within a Brazilian context.

The third chapter considers the range of publicly funded agri-environment schemes created by the UK government to mitigate the effects of climate change and reverse biodiversity decline. The chapter explores how these schemes have evolved alongside the principles of sustainable land management, as well as how they are shaped by the culture of the UK nations within which they develop.

The final chapter addresses the use of riparian forest buffers to link the land and aquatic environment at a landscape level. The chapter reviews the design and function of riparian forest buffers and filter strips as agroforestry practices and their role in performing vital ecological functions as part of the network of watersheds that connect forests, prairies, agricultural and urban lands.

Table of contents

• Chapter 1 - The role of agricultural expansion, land cover and land-use change in contributing to climate change: Catherine E. Scott, University of Leeds, UK;
  • 1 Introduction
  • 2 Impacts of land-use change on climate
  • 3 Estimating the impacts of land-use change on climate
  • 4 Role of the land sector in climate change mitigation
  • 5 Future land-use trajectories
  • 6 Future trends and conclusion
  • 7 Where to look for further information
  • 8 References
• Chapter 2 - Understanding how land-use management affects soil microbiomes: Lucas William Mendes, Alexandre Pedrinho and Thierry Alexandre Pellegrinetti, University of São Paulo, Brazil; and Dennis Goss-Souza, Institute of Paraná, Brazil;
  • 1 Introduction
  • 2 Effects of land-use change on soil microbiome composition
  • 3 Effects of land-use change on soil microbiome functions
  • 4 Effects of land recovery on soil microbiome properties
  • 5 Future Perspectives
  • 6 Where to look for further information
  • 7 References
• Chapter 3 - Implementing sustainable land use change programmes: Liz Lewis-Reddy, ADAS Policy and Economics, UK;
  • 1 Introduction
  • 2 Sustainable land (SLM) management in a British context
  • 3 Evolution of the concept of SLM: from from landscape protection to ecosystem service delivery
  • 4 Challenges and lessons from implementing SLM programmes
  • 5 Building capacity and capability within the farm business
  • 6 Building capacity and capability around the farm business
  • 7 Case study: Pumlumon Project
  • 8 What the future could look like
  • 9 Conclusion and future trends
  • 10 Where to look for further information
  • 11 References
• Chapter 4 - Agroforestry practices: riparian forest buffers and filter strips: Richard Schultz, Thomas Isenhart, William Beck, Tyler Groh and Morgan Davis, Iowa State University, USA;
  • 1 Introduction
  • 2 Riparian forest buffers
  • 3 Riparian forest buffer design and function
  • 4 Special design considerations and management
  • 5 Assessing buffer performance
  • 6 References