Modeling the multi-functionality of African savanna landscapes under global change

Various recent publications have indicated that accelerated global change and its negative impacts on terrestrial ecosystems in Southern Africa urgently demand quantitative assessment and modelling of a range of ecosystem services on which rural communities depend. Information is needed on how these Ecosystem Services (ES) can be enhanced through sustainable land management interventions and enabling policies. Yet, it has also been claimed that, to date, the required system analyses, data and tools to quantify important interactions between biophysical and socio-economic components, their resilience and ability to contribute to livelihood needs do not exist. We disagree, but acknowledge that building an appropriate integrative modelling framework for assessing the multi-functionality of savanna landscapes is challenging. Yet, in this Letter-to-the-Editor, we show that a number of suitable modelling components and required data already exist and can be mobilized and integrated with emerging data and tools to provide answers to problem-driven questions posed by stakeholders on land management and policy issues.German Federal Ministry of Education and Researchhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/1099145xhj2022Zoology and Entomolog

Impact of Agro-environmental measures in the Tuscany Region. Geographic Multi-Criteria Analysis

Agro-environmental policies are taking increasing importance in community strategies and represent the main instrument for financing Rural Development Programs (RDP). The difficulty of assessing real environmental effectiveness is one of the elements characterizing agro-environment measures. This difficulty is essentially related to the problem of identifying suitable parameters for evaluating farms according to their impact on territory. The research aimed at providing an analytical model suitable to different territorial situations. Organic and integrated farms, financed by Tuscany region with Rural Development Plans 2007-2013, were evaluated through the use of Multi-criteria Geographical Analysis. Farms were classified according to their environmental impact, through multidimensional indicators. In particular, a simulation on economic and environmental effects of EU funding budget reductions, using geo-referenced data was conducted. The implemented methodological approach was a helpful tool to assist Policy Makers in their own decisions, in ex-ante, interim, ex-post analysis, and also in the preparation of new measures on programming 2014-2020

Thực trạng sản xuất và định hướng quy hoạch sử dụng đất nông nghiệp tại huyện Ba Tri, tỉnh Bến Tre

Nghiên cứu nhằm đánh giá thực trạng sản xuất nông nghiệp và định hướng quy hoạch sử dụng đất tại huyện Ba Tri, Bến Tre. Nghiên cứu sử dụng phương pháp điều tra thu thập số liệu, đánh giá thích nghi đất đai FAO và mô hình toán để xây dựng kế hoạch sử dụng đất tối ưu. Kết quả đánh giá thích nghi đã chia đất nông nghiệp của huyện Ba Tri thành 3 vùng thích nghi đáp ứng cho 5 kiểu sử dụng đất đai hiện tại như lúa 3 vụ, chuyên màu, chuyên dừa, chuyên tôm và muối. Đề tài đã đề xuất được phương án kế hoạch quy hoạch sử dụng đất với tối ưu hoá tổng thu nhập và định hướng cho sản lượng sản phẩm nông nghiệp bố trí cho 5 kiểu sử dụng đất: Vùng I thích nghi cho lúa 3 vụ, chuyên dừa khoảng 12.091 ha. Vùng II thích nghi cho lúa 3 vụ, chuyên màu khoảng 4.475 ha. Vùng III thích nghi cho chuyên màu khoảng 4.983 ha. Vùng IV thích nghi cho lúa 3 vụ khoảng 1.572 ha. Vùng V thích nghi cho chuyên màu, chuyên dừa khoảng 507 ha. Vùng VI thích nghi cho chuyên tôm khoảng 5 ha. Vùng VII thích nghi cho chuyên tôm, muối khoảng 2.143 ha. Kết quả nghiên cứu giúp địa phương hoạch định chính sách tốt nhất cho quy hoạch kế hoạch sử dụng đất nông nghiệp trong tương lai. Thêm vào đó, chính quyền địa phương cần có chính sách hỗ trợ vốn và kỹ thuật cho nông dân để tăng hiệu quả sản xuất nông nghiệp

Sistemas de soporte de decisiones (SSD) aplicados a la formulación de políticas públicas agrarias

Context: The process of formulating agricultural public policies is very complex due to the large number of variables involved in the process. That is why the development of decision support systems (DSS) help to improve this process. The article reviews the developments that have been made regarding the subject. Method: The method was to conduct a bibliographic review in several scientific databases, looking for developments of DSS systems applied to the process of formulating agricultural policies. When determining which DSS systems have been developed, a qualitative and descriptive analysis of the systems was carried out.Contexto: El proceso de formulación de políticas públicas agrarias es muy complejo por la gran cantidad de variables que intervienen en el proceso. Por eso el desarrollo de sistemas de soporte de decisiones (SSD) ayudan a mejorar dicho proceso. El artículo revisa los desarrollo que se han realizado con respecto al tema. Método: El método fue realizar una revisión bibliográfica en varias bases de datos científicas, buscando desarrollos de sistemas SSD aplicados al proceso de formulación de políticas agrarias. Al determinar cuales sistemas SSD se han desarrollado, se procedió a realizar un análisis cualitativo y también descriptivo de los sistemas.  Resultados: Se encontraron 30 sistemas SSD aplicados a la formulación de políticas agrarias, donde la mayoría están enfocados al proceso de producción agrícola y su relación con el medio ambiente. Conclusiones: La más relevante es la necesidad de generar sistemas SSD que determinen posibles comportamientos futuros de los interesados, al desarrollar potenciales políticas agrarias. Ajustadas a las características propias de los países ubicados en la zona tropical

A modeling framework for assessing adaptive management options of Finnish agrifood systems to climate change

Improved assessment methods for agriculture production systems are needed to identify the risks and opportunities related to global changes in climate, markets and policies, and the consequences of alternative options of coping with and mitigating the changes. This paper presents the AGRISIMU modelling framework developed for ex-ante assessment of alternative policy and management options meant to support farms and agrifood sector adapt to climate change, maintain biodiversity and reduce nutrient emissions under Finnish conditions. The modelling framework represents a novel approach to the integration of data and output from several existing models like a dynamic regional sector model of Finnish agriculture, a farm-level optimisation model, a dynamic crop growth simulation model and models describing the nutrient dynamics in agricultural systems and a hydrological rainfall-runoff model. The framework is particularly aimed for Nordic conditions and to serve as an assessment tool that considers multiple factor and scale interactions

Integration of Systems Network (SysNet) tools for regional land use scenario analysis in Asia

This paper introduces the approach of the Systems research Network (SysNet) for land use planning in tropical Asia with a focus on its main scientific-technical output: the development of the land use planning and analysis system (LUPAS) and its component models. These include crop simulation models, expert systems, GIS, and multiple goal linear programming (MGLP) models for land evaluation and optimization. LUPAS was designed as a decision support system (DSS) for strategic land use planning. Integration of LUPAS components in four case studies was performed in a network with national research teams and local stakeholders. This network allowed iterative evaluation and refinement of LUPAS for scenario analysis on technical and policy changes. Several interactive sessions with stakeholders led to more detail in scenarios (goals and constraints), model features and databases. To facilitate negotiation among stakeholders, the MGLP user interface (UI) was developed. In interactive sessions, goal restrictions are tightened to quantify trade-offs between conflicting goals. Choice and degree of tightening reflect the specific priorities for sustainable land use. The development of LUPAS is exemplified for one case study, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. Weak points of the system include inadequate spatial differentiation of socio-economic characteristics, scarce database for quantifying perennials and mixed cropping systems, and insufficient consideration of long-term effects of production technologies on resource quality. However, a promising perspective for effective policy support lies in the possible link of the regional LUPAS approach with farm household model

Integration of Systems Network (SysNet) tools for regional land use scenario analysis in Asia

This paper introduces the approach of the Systems research Network (SysNet) for land use planning in tropical Asia with a focus on its main scientific-technical output: the development of the land use planning and analysis system (LUPAS) and its component models. These include crop simulation models, expert systems, GIS, and multiple goal linear programming (MGLP) models for land evaluation and optimization. LUPAS was designed as a decision support system (DSS) for strategic land use planning. Integration of LUPAS components in four case studies was performed in a network with national research teams and local stakeholders. This network allowed iterative evaluation and refinement of LUPAS for scenario analysis on technical and policy changes. Several interactive sessions with stakeholders led to more detail in scenarios (goals and constraints), model features and databases. To facilitate negotiation among stakeholders, the MGLP user interface (UI) was developed. In interactive sessions, goal restrictions are tightened to quantify trade-offs between conflicting goals. Choice and degree of tightening reflect the specific priorities for sustainable land use. The development of LUPAS is exemplified for one case study, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. Weak points of the system include inadequate spatial differentiation of socio-economic characteristics, scarce database for quantifying perennials and mixed cropping systems, and insufficient consideration of long-term effects of production technologies on resource quality. However, a promising perspective for effective policy support lies in the possible link of the regional LUPAS approach with farm household model