GIS-based modeling of land use systems - Common Agricultural Policy reform and its impact on agricultural land use and plant species richness

An assessment of agricultural policy measures and their sustainability needs to consider economic, social, and ecological aspects. The current paradigm shift of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) from coupled to decoupled transfer payments calls for such an evaluation. Land users have to reevaluate their production program and its spatial allocation. Consequently, agricultural policy influences regional land use patterns and shares of land use systems, which in turn influence regional plant species richness. Connecting land use and ecological models allows to assess socioeconomic and ecologic effects of policy measures by identifying interactions and estimating potential trade-offs. The paper presents the land use model ProLand and the fuzzy expert system UPAL. ProLand models the regional distribution of land use systems while UPAL predicts plant species richness. The models are connected through a GIS and applied to a study area in Hesse, Germany, in order to simulate the effects of changing conditions on land use, economic and social key indicators, and plant species richness. ProLand is a spatially explicit comparative static model that simulates a region’s land use pattern based on natural, socioeconomic, political, and technological parameters. The model assumes land rent maximizing behavior of land users. It calculates and assigns the land rent maximizing land use system for every investigated decision unit, generally a field. A land use system is characterized through crop rotation, corresponding outdoor operations, animal husbandry if applicable, and the relevant political and socioeconomic attributes. The fuzzy expert system derives the values of ecologically relevant parameters from several site specific attributes and land use operations. Land use dependent site characteristics that influence plant species richness are derived from predictions generated by ProLand. Detailed information on crop rotation, fertilization and pesticide strategy, and outdoor operations are considered. The expert system then classifies natural and land use dependent site characteristics into aggregate factors. Based on a set of rules it assigns the number of species to the classes and thus to the decision units. Simulation results for the study area show that the CAP reform causes a rise in grassland area. These land use changes mainly occur in areas currently used for arable farming but with natural conditions favoring grassland. Plant species richness is positively influenced by the increase in extensive grassland area.

Understanding Open Spaces in an Arid City

abstract: This doctoral dissertation research aims to develop a comprehensive definition of urban open spaces and to determine the extent of environmental, social and economic impacts of open spaces on cities and the people living there. The approach I take to define urban open space is to apply fuzzy set theory to conceptualize the physical characteristics of open spaces. In addition, a 'W-green index' is developed to quantify the scope of greenness in urban open spaces. Finally, I characterize the environmental impact of open spaces' greenness on the surface temperature, explore the social benefits through observing recreation and relaxation, and identify the relationship between housing price and open space be creating a hedonic model on nearby housing to quantify the economic impact. Fuzzy open space mapping helps to investigate the landscape characteristics of existing-recognized open spaces as well as other areas that can serve as open spaces. Research findings indicated that two fuzzy open space values are effective to the variability in different land-use types and between arid and humid cities. W-Green index quantifies the greenness for various types of open spaces. Most parks in Tempe, Arizona are grass-dominant with higher W-Green index, while natural landscapes are shrub-dominant with lower index. W-Green index has the advantage to explain vegetation composition and structural characteristics in open spaces. The outputs of comprehensive analyses show that the different qualities and types of open spaces, including size, greenness, equipment (facility), and surrounding areas, have different patterns in the reduction of surface temperature and the number of physical activities. The variance in housing prices through the distance to park was, however, not clear in this research. This dissertation project provides better insight into how to describe, plan, and prioritize the functions and types of urban open spaces need for sustainable living. This project builds a comprehensive framework for analyzing urban open spaces in an arid city. This dissertation helps expand the view for urban environment and play a key role in establishing a strategy and finding decision-makings.Dissertation/ThesisPh.D. Geography 201

Identification Spatial Effects of Space Economy in Peripheral Areas of Sanandaj

Areas around cities are crystallization space organization with natural, social, economic and physical revelation in geographic context to another that inform in context of dynamic interaction of human and environment within economical and social system. In capitalism organizations space formation in order to goals of circulation and accumulation capital and in finally adapted to administrative and political structure and economic base each geographical place in priorities of accumulation of capital will form forms, structure and functions of different. The type of this research is descriptive-analytical and is based on the process of combining multiple methods. Therefore, this research attempt to evaluate the spatial effects of space economy revolution in the peripheral areas of Sanandaj. In this regard, It were identified criteria for space economy revolution in four dimensions social, economic, physical – environmental and infrastructure to identify the most important spatial effects of space economy revolution in the study area, with using multi – criteria decision analysis methods FTOPSIS in each dimension have been recognized. The results show that of the most important spatial effects of Space Economy Revolution in the economic sector include rising land prices, buying and selling land for farming and gardening, reduction in the area under cultivation, increased investment in real estate sector (buy and sell housing). The most important social effects of Space Economy Revolution in social dimension are rural population growth, increasing rural – urban migration and most important physical – environmental effects of Space Economy Revolution in the peripheral villages of Sanandaj include garden and agricultural land conversion to second home, destruction of natural landscapes of villages, and the spread of illegal construction. And in the infrastructure facilities and services dimension, the effects of Space Economy Revolution in the peripheral villages of Sanandaj include improving infrastructure of services, improving access to communication services and development of financial services such as Post Bank and Corporations

The impacts in real estate of landscape values: Evidence from Tuscany (Italy)

Using spatial econometric techniques and local spatial statistics, this study explores the relationships between the real estate values in Tuscany with the individual perception of satisfaction by landscape types. The analysis includes the usual territorial variables such as proximity to urban centres and roads. The landscape values are measured through a sample of respondents who expressed their aesthetic-visual perceptions of different types of land use. Results from a multivariate local Geary highlight that house prices are not spatial independent and that between the variables included in the analysis there is mainly a positive correlation. Specifically, the findings demonstrate a significant spatial dependence in real estate prices. The aesthetic values influence the real estate price throughout more a spatial indirect effect rather than the direct effect. Practically, house prices in specific areas are more influenced by aspects such as proximity to essential services. The results seem to show to live close to highly aesthetic environments not in these environments. The results relating to the distance from the main roads, however, seem counterintuitive. This result probably depends on the evidence that these areas suffer from greater traffic jam or pollution or they are preferred for alternative uses such as for locating industrial plants or big shopping centres rather than residential use. Therefore, these effects decrease house prices

Coastal Zone Management in the Mediterranean: Legal and Economic Perspectives

This paper examines existing measures taken to protect the coastal zones of the Mediterranean Sea and assesses their success. A summary of the main pressures facing these zones is given, followed by an analysis of the legislation covering coastal zone development in ten countries: Algeria, Croatia, Egypt, France, Israel, Italy, Malta, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey. We find that not all of these states have legislation specifically covering coastal zones, but there is concern in all areas that the legislation is not working, We also look at the costs and benefits of controlling coastal development. Firstly, a literature review of valuation studies identifies a range of values placed on developed and undeveloped coastline for both users and local property owners. These values were then used in a model to evaluate policy options to control development of a stretch of coastline. The model indicates that a stricter control regime of coastal development may provide significant benefits.Coastal Zone Management, Legislation, Littoral, Mediterranean, Recreation

Estimating the impact of Critical Habitat designation on the values of undeveloped and developed parcels

We use differences-in-differences (DID) estimators to measure the impact that Critical Habitat (CH) establishment had on undeveloped and developed parcel prices throughout the US between 2000 and 2019. In a national-level analysis we found that CH “treatment” had a positive impact on developed and undeveloped parcel sale prices relative to sale price trends in nearby but “untreated” control parcels. The finding that CH treatment had a positive impact on undeveloped parcel prices was surprising as we had hypothesized that the impact of CH on undeveloped parcel prices would be negative due to the additional regulatory costs and development uncertainty the CH regulation imposes on land developers. However, when we used relevant subsets of CH areas to measure CH’s effects we often found results that were inconsistent with the national-level trends. Therefore, the impact of CH on land prices cannot be reduced to a simple, consistent narrative

Farmland Conservation in The Netherlands and British Columbia, Canada: A Comparative Analysis Using GIS-based Hedonic Pricing Models

As a result of urban development farmland in many countries is under pressure. Reasons to preserve farmland are related to cultural heritage, food safety, open space, the environment, but also slowing and restricting development is a reason. To protect farmland countries use different land use policies. This paper will look specifically at two jurisdictions: The Netherlands and a particularly rich farming area in British Columbia, Canada. For these areas we will investigate how the institutions and laws present in these jurisdictions contribute to agricultural land preservation. We will analyse farmland values in a GIS-based hedonic pricing framework to answer this question. This combination enables us to analyse direct impacts of laws and regulations within the hedonic pricing framework. Moreover, we can use farm values to analyse farm survivability, and the level of speculation on farmland in the urban-rural fringe, where farmland is under urban pressure.Hedonic pricing models, zoning policies, Geographical Information System, agricultural land values at the urban fringe

Characterizing Land Use Change in Multidisciplinary Landscape-Level Analyses

Economists increasingly face opportunities to collaborate with ecologists on landscape-level analyses of socioeconomic and ecological processes. This often calls for developing empirical models to project land use change as input into ecological models. Providing ecologists with the land use information they desire can present many challenges regarding data, modeling, and econometrics. This paper provides an overview of the relatively recent adaptation of economics-based land use modeling methods toward greater spatial specificity desired in integrated research with ecologists. Practical issues presented by data, modeling, and econometrics are highlighted, followed by an example based on a multidisciplinary landscape-level analysis in Oregon's Coast Range mountains.Land Economics/Use,