New Approaches to Land-use Planning

Physical Dynamic Static Dynamic Static Non-linear Linear Non-linear Linear Stable Unstable (explosive) Stable Unstable Unstable (constrained) Stable Steady State Transient Steady State Transient Steady State Realistic representation of social and ecological system behavior Most models found in the management and ecological literature may become state variables in another echelon model. State variables at one echelon may become output variables at another. The literature offers several classifications of models based on views and perceptions of the different authors. Discussion of this matter requires a great deal of time. In Figure 3, we present an early type of classification suggested by Forrester (1961). Selected classes of models will be described later in this paper. Figure 3. A Classification Scheme for Models Source: Adopted from Innis, 1975. It can be concluded that a set of hierarchically interrelated models is necessary to form a precise land-use planning approach; thus it is not reasonable to think about and look for a unique simple model for the purpose. Nevertheless, a specific model is needed which must be capable for integrating the outputs of the set of conjunctive models. Geographical Boundary Quantitative and qualitative states of land and land-based natural resources in an area, as well as their relative independence, play a key role in the decision-making process of an agricultural system. It is, therefore necessary to consider some characteristics regarding the geographic boundaries of areas that have to be used as the blocks for planning. An appropriate geographic boundary needs to have at least the following properties (Moghaddam, 1999): – Absence of external effects; – Relatively uniform climate; – Relatively uniform landscape structure;