As rubber plantations expand in the highlands of Southeast Asia, what happens to local farmers?

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Dynamics of Shifting Cultivation Landscapes in Northern Lao PDR Between 2000 and 2009 Based on an Analysis of MODIS Time Series and Landsat Images

The rotational nature of shifting cultivation poses several challenges to its detection by remote sensing. Consequently, there is a lack of spatial data on the dynamics of shifting cultivation landscapes on a regional, i.e. sub-national, or national level. We present an approach based on a time series of Landsat and MODIS data and landscape metrics to delineate the dynamics of shifting cultivation landscapes. Our results reveal that shifting cultivation is a land use system still widely and dynamically utilized in northern Laos. While there is an overall reduction in the areas dominated by shifting cultivation, some regions also show an expansion. A review of relevant reports and articles indicates that policies tend to lead to a reduction while market forces can result in both expansion and reduction. For a better understanding of the different factors affecting shifting cultivation landscapes in Laos, further research should focus on spatially explicit analyse

Socio-Economic Perspectives on Shifting Cultivation Landscapes in Northern Laos

Despite the rapid agricultural transition that has occurred in the past decade, shifting cultivation remains a widespread agricultural practice in the northern uplands of Lao PDR. Little information is available on the basic socio-economic situation and respective possible patterns in shifting cultivation landscapes on a regional level. On the basis of a recent approximation of the extent of shifting cultivation landscapes for two time periods and disaggregated village level census data, this paper characterizes these landscapes in terms of key socioeconomic parameters for the whole of northern Laos. Results showed that over 550,000 people live in shifting cultivation regions. The poverty rate of this population of 46.5% is considerably higher than the national rural rate. Most shifting cultivation landscapes are located in remote locations and a high share of the population comprises ethnic minorities, pointing to multi-dimensional marginality of these areas. We discuss whether economic growth and increased market accessibility are sufficient to lift these landscapes out of povert

A global view of shifting cultivation: Recent, current, and future extent

Mosaic landscapes under shifting cultivation, with their dynamic mix of managed and natural land covers, often fall through the cracks in remote sensing–based land cover and land use classifications, as these are unable to adequately capture such landscapes’ dynamic nature and complex spectral and spatial signatures. But information about such landscapes is urgently needed to improve the outcomes of global earth system modelling and large-scale carbon and greenhouse gas accounting. This study combines existing global Landsat-based deforestation data covering the years 2000 to 2014 with very high-resolution satellite imagery to visually detect the specific spatio-temporal pattern of shifting cultivation at a one-degree cell resolution worldwide. The accuracy levels of our classification were high with an overall accuracy above 87%. We estimate the current global extent of shifting cultivation and compare it to other current global mapping endeavors as well as results of literature searches. Based on an expert survey, we make a first attempt at estimating past trends as well as possible future trends in the global distribution of shifting cultivation until the end of the 21st century. With 62% of the investigated one-degree cells in the humid and sub-humid tropics currently showing signs of shifting cultivation—the majority in the Americas (41%) and Africa (37%)—this form of cultivation remains widespread, and it would be wrong to speak of its general global demise in the last decades. We estimate that shifting cultivation landscapes currently cover roughly 280 million hectares worldwide, including both cultivated fields and fallows. While only an approximation, this estimate is clearly smaller than the areas mentioned in the literature which range up to 1,000 million hectares. Based on our expert survey and historical trends we estimate a possible strong decrease in shifting cultivation over the next decades, raising issues of livelihood security and resilience among people currently depending on shifting cultivation

Forest, agriculture, and migration: contemplating the future of forestry and agriculture in the middle-hills of Nepal

Nepal has experienced rapid transitions in forest and agricultural practices over the last several decades. This study compares surveys of forest cover, land use, demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of six sites in Sindhu Kabhre and Palanchok Districts conducted in 1992 and 2017. We correlated these transformations with changes in forest cover as documented with remotely sensed images. We found that forest cover has increased tremendously; farmers are less reliant on forests and forest products, and occupational multiplicity, where households create a nexus of activities, some on farm and others elsewhere, may offer a stable situation for the future of these villages

High-resolution maps show that rubber causes substantial deforestation

Understanding the effects of cash crop expansion on natural forest is of fundamental importance. However, for most crops there are no remotely sensed global maps1, and global deforestation impacts are estimated using models and extrapolations. Natural rubber is an example of a principal commodity for which deforestation impacts have been highly uncertain, with estimates differing more than fivefold1,2,3,4. Here we harnessed Earth observation satellite data and cloud computing5 to produce high-resolution maps of rubber (10 m pixel size) and associated deforestation (30 m pixel size) for Southeast Asia. Our maps indicate that rubber-related forest loss has been substantially underestimated in policy, by the public and in recent reports6,7,8. Our direct remotely sensed observations show that deforestation for rubber is at least twofold to threefold higher than suggested by figures now widely used for setting policy4. With more than 4 million hectares of forest loss for rubber since 1993 (at least 2 million hectares since 2000) and more than 1 million hectares of rubber plantations established in Key Biodiversity Areas, the effects of rubber on biodiversity and ecosystem services in Southeast Asia could be extensive. Thus, rubber deserves more attention in domestic policy, within trade agreements and in incoming due-diligence legislation

Ethiopia Geographic Base Map: WLRC Land Use/Land Cover 2016 (Overview Map Series) Scale: 1:250,000

The main methodological approach implemented to map the complex landscapes of Ethiopia at the required scales for the MapServer series was the majority and minority concept of landscape segregation that translated into the HICU-based mapping (Homogenous Image Classification Units). The employ ment of such an ‘exclusion-based’ approach (e.g. sub-setting of the Landsat imagery and gradually reducing the minorities/majorities) can be considered as a breakthrough in deriving important land cover information in heterogeneous landscapes, such as the rainfed agricultural area of Ethiopia. Nevertheless, the final land cover was mapped using an approach that combined the automated HICU approach with expert knowledge and visual delimination of units. This approach made it possible to distinguish cultivated land from other land use or land cover classes. Unsurprisingly, the actual amount of cultivated land is considerably larger than that indicated by official statistics in use since the mid-1980s, when the rural population was half its current size. The team also mapped large-scale land use sy stems, inclusive of any foreign direct investments. Results of the study show there has been a considerable expansion and intensification of farming in the past three decades, unfortunately leading to more soil erosion

Participation of older people in recreation movement anda sense of quality of life

An analysis concerns the level of the sense of quality of life among the people 60+. There has been shown the evaluation of sense of satisfaction with life on a global scale and in selected areas of quality of life among older people not participating in physical recreation at all and four weeks after taking up physical recreation. Test results: The vast majority of respondents after the participation in recreation is happy with their physical shape, contact with friends, relationships with family and peace of mind. Adoption of physical activity impact on the perception of the ability to perform the duties of everyday life and consciousness of energy level and the will to manage their own lives, including leisure activities according to their own tastes. Conclusion of the study: Promotion of various forms of physical activities among the elderly can contribute to improvement of their quality of life

High-resolution maps show that rubber causes substantial deforestation

Understanding the effects of cash crop expansion on natural forest is of fundamental importance. However, for most crops there are no remotely sensed global maps1, and global deforestation impacts are estimated using models and extrapolations. Natural rubber is an example of a principal commodity for which deforestation impacts have been highly uncertain, with estimates differing more than fivefold1-4. Here we harnessed Earth observation satellite data and cloud computing5 to produce high-resolution maps of rubber (10 m pixel size) and associated deforestation (30 m pixel size) for Southeast Asia. Our maps indicate that rubber-related forest loss has been substantially underestimated in policy, by the public and in recent reports6-8. Our direct remotely sensed observations show that deforestation for rubber is at least twofold to threefold higher than suggested by figures now widely used for setting policy4. With more than 4 million hectares of forest loss for rubber since 1993 (at least 2 million hectares since 2000) and more than 1 million hectares of rubber plantations established in Key Biodiversity Areas, the effects of rubber on biodiversity and ecosystem services in Southeast Asia could be extensive. Thus, rubber deserves more attention in domestic policy, within trade agreements and in incoming due-diligence legislation