Land evaluation is a process for matching the characteristics of land resources for certain uses using a scietifically standardized technique. The results can be used as a guide by land users and planners to identify alternative land uses. Land Suitability is the degree of appropriateness of land for a certain use. Land suitability could be assessed for present condition (Actual Land Suitability) or after improvement (Potential Land Suitability). Actual Land suitability is a land suitability that is based on current soil and land conditions, i.e. without applying any input. The information is based on physical environment data generated from soil or land resources surveys. The information is based on soil characteristics and climate data related to growth requirements of crops being evaluated. Potential Land Suitability is the suitability that could be reached after the land is improved. The land to be evaluated can be natural (conversion) forest, abandoned or unproductive lands, or land currently used for agriculture, at a sub-optimal level of management in such a way that the productivity can be improved by changing to more suitable crops
Tag: planning
Integrated physical socio-economic and environmental planning vol. 10
Manejo integrado de florestas umidas neotropicais por industrias e comunidades: aplicando resultados de pesquisa, envolvendo atores e definindo politicas publicas: Simposio Internacional da IUFRO, Belem PA, Brazil, 4-7 Decembre, 2000
The book includes a selection of 37 contributions (all in the original language – 16 in Portuguese, 13 in English and 8 in Spanish – but with abstracts in English) presented to the International Symposium “Integrated Management of Neotropical Rainforests by Industries and Communities: Applying Research Results, Involving Stakeholders and Defining Policy”, held in Belem, Brazil, from December 4 – 7 , 2000. The symposium intended to contribute – by providing information and recommendations – to the efforts underway at different levels (local, national, regional) to improve the perspectives for a wider adoption of sustainable forest management in the neotropics. The papers are divided in the three themes of the Symposium: Industrial-scale forest management (16 contributions), Community forest management and extrativism (15) and Means to promote the adoption of sustainable forest management (6). Overall, the papers provide a wide variety of conceptual, methodological and technical aspects related to the planning and implementation of forest management under different conditions, as well as practical experiences, research results and recommendations to improve the quality of forest management by different actors.
Assessing the impact of research in natural resources management
This document presents the salient points from an international workshop, Assessing the impact of research in natural resources management, organized by ICRAF in April 1998 in Nairobi, Kenya. The purpose and specific aims of the workshop are presented on the pages 7-11 (Introduction and Basic concepts). The abstracts of the papers given in plenary are found on pages 12-21 (Outlining the concepts and Abstracts). The main conclusions reached in working group discussions are then developed. Points concerning the expectations of stakeholders in the impact assessment process in natural resources management are presented on pages 22-24 (Defining stakeholder expectations). The framework for assessing the impact of natural resources management research, which emerged from the working group discussions, is synthesized from pages 25 to 29 (Developing a framework for impact assessment). Finally the plan of action derived in the last plenary session of the workshop can be found on pages 30-31 (Action plan and recommendations).
A framework for prioritising nutrient management research in vegetable production in the southern Philippines
This paper describes an approach which has been used to identify and prioritise nutrient management research activities in a project currently being undertaken in the southern Philippines. It has highlighted the potential to improve the productivity and profitability of these systems by reallocating limited capital (fertiliser) resources from phosphorus and potassium to nitrogen based on an application of soil test information and the principles of nutrient budgeting. This approach also has applications for developing broader agricultural research programs in that it can be used as a tool for identifying and prioritising the activities which are likely to be the most successful and establish likely timeframes for impact.
Agroforestry development in Kenya
This publication contains the full proceedings of the Second Kenya National Seminar on Agroforestry, held from 7 to 16 November 1988 at ICRAF headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, as a joint venture between the National Council for Science and Technology (NCST) and the International Council for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF). The Seminar was the second major meeting of its kind in Kenya, the first one was held in 1980, to bring together a wide variety of professionals to highlight trends in agroforestry science and practice, facilitate the exchange of ideas and experience through plenary and working-group discus-sions and field tours, and set general guidelines and make specific recommendations for a national agroforestry research and development strategy for the next decade. The Seminar consisted of plenary sessions in which technical papers were presented. Poster sessions were also included as well as three field tours and five working-group meetings. The main objectives of the working-group meetings were to provide an oppor-tunity to the participants, based on their expertise and on what they gathered from the plenary sessions and field tours, to make specific recommendations on research strategies and priorities,extension strategies and packages, socioeconomic factors, education and training, and institutional issues in agroforestry research and development. The information generated at the Seminar has been provided in two publications, an executive summary and a complete seminar proceedings. The executive summary publica-tion contains an introduction, a list of the most importantrecommendations, summaries of 15 invited papers, and a list of participants. This publication, however, of the complete seminar proceedings contains the executive summary as well as all technical papers presented in the plenary sessions.
A note on the onset of the rains in East Africa
Broadening horizons: institutional, policy and technical innovations for improving NRM and agricultural productivity in the east and central African highlands, phase 3 – 2002-2004. Profile report to ASARECA
The African Initiative (AHI) is a collaborative research iniyiative focusing on key natural resource management(NRM) and agricultural productivity issues in highlands of east and central africa. The founders of AHI choose the intensively caltivated highlands eco-region in 1995 as an area wher partnership could make a difference. The founders were concerned NARI and IARCs.working in the region that expressed the need to improve R$D approches and partnerships as amajor way to increase the impact of research,which has been elusive given limited adoption of ”proven” NRM technologies.In responce to this challange, ASARECA approved the initiation of AHI in 1995, as one of its first new programs. AHI is a relatively unique entity among the 18 networks and programs led by ASARECA as it is ”cross-cutting” in terms of intergrating the technology innovations that many of the other networks distinctively handle; it is the only ”eco-regional”focused program;and it is the only initiative ,that is, where there is need to build the limited research capacity and to work on developing new research areas.AHI is hosted by ICRAF, and facilitates the contribution from a consortium of research organizations that provide a range of expertise aimed at solving the complex resource degradation issues in the highlands.
Agroforestry options for Tanzania
Never before have so many governments, and multilateral and international organizations been so interested in the agricultural sector. At a recent high profile event, where the World Bank launched a global food crisis response facility, the problems in the agricultural sector were likened to a silent tsunami (Zoellick 2008). Ranking low in economic and human development indicators, Tanzania is at high risk of failing to feed herself, with over 70% of its people depending on rain-fed agriculture for their livelihood. Tanzania is listed among the thirteen African countries worst affected by climate change impacts and vulnerability, and having the least adaptive capacities (Thornton et. al. 2006). A review of the status of Tanzania’s Agricultural Sector Development Program notes that the country is lagging in achieving its targets on reducing poverty and food insecurity and in achieving the Millennium Development Goals
Global GAP analysis: priority regions for expanding the global protected-area network
Protected areas are the single most important conservation tool. The global protected-area network has grown substantially in recent decades, now occupying 11.5% of Earth’s land surface, but such growth has not been strategically aimed at maximizing the coverage of global biodiversity. In a previous study, we demonstrated that the global network is far from complete, even for the representation of terrestrial vertebrate species. Here we present a first attempt to provide a global framework for the next step of strategically expanding the network to cover mammals, amphibians, freshwater turtles and tortoises, and globally threatened birds. We identify unprotected areas of the world that have remarkably high conservation value (irreplaceability) and are under serious threat. These areas concentrate overwhelmingly in tropical and subtropical moist forests, particularly on tropical mountains and islands. The expansion of the global protected-area network in these regions is urgently needed to prevent the loss of unique biodiversity.