This paper presents an agent-based model of shifting cultivation that explains patterns of land use and forest structure beyond the extensive margin of agriculture. The anthropological literature is first examined in order to specify key aspects of farming group preferences vis-à-vis food requirements. Two existing theories of shifting cultivation are then addressed to motivate the present form...

In a wooded region, clearing land of trees is probably the simplest way to expand farmland and provide fuel for a growing population. As long as there is sufficient wooded land people will be able to collect fuel. As land clearance proceeds, it will take more effort to collect fuel. Vegetation Joss may lead to a permanent drop in the water table, increased runoff and wind erosion, and loss of s...

A set of land-cover pattern maps for the Gunma Prefecture was produced to help understand and assess the ecological implications of regional spatial patterns. Covering a total area of approximately 6,360 square kilometers, about 77 percent of this area can be regarded as “vegetation cover”. The land cover map was derived from the supervised classification process with the combined use of TM, SP...

This paper presents an assessment of the potential impact of the EUs biofuel directive on European land use and biodiversity. In a spatially explicit analysis, it is determined which ecologically valuable land use types are likely to be directly replaced by biofuel crops. In addition, it is determined which land use types may be indirectly replaced by biofuel crops through competition over land...

Vegetation plays a key role in reducing ambient temperature, moisture and pollutant capture, energy use and subsequent ground level ozone reduction. In recent years vegetation mapping has become increasingly important, especially with advancements in environmental economic valuation. The spatial information from the remote sensing satellites enables researchers to quantify and qualify the amoun...

This study used archived remote sensing images to depict the history of changes in soil salinity in the Hetao Irrigation District in Inner Mongolia, China, with the purpose of linking these changes with land and water management practices and to draw lessons for salinity control. Most data came from LANDSAT satellite images taken in 1973, 1977, 1988, 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2006. In these years s...

introduction: land use in the overall concept is said to be the type of using land in the current situation which contains all users in different sectors of agriculture, natural resources and the industry. protecting land use is as follows: “prevent the change of application of certain lands by their owners, if their change has negative natural, economic, political, cultural, or scientific effe...

abstract desertification could cause reduction of the ecological and biological potential of land which may occur both naturally and artificially. identifying and evaluating the effective factors in development of desertification is very important for better management of land. the aim of this research is to evaluate the sensitive input parameters in the desertification condition by using of ar...