Agroforestry as land use based on planted trees, provides productive and protective(biological diversity, healthy ecosystems, protection of soil and water resources,terrestrial carbon storage) forest functions that societies care about in the debate onsustainable forest management. Yet, the trees planted in agroforestry systems areexcluded in formal definitions and statistics of ‘forestry plantations’ and overlooked inthe legal and institutional framework for sustainable forest management. A paradigmshift is needed in the forestry sector and public debate to redress this oversight. Weexamine five issues that hinder a regreening revolution based on farmer tree planting tocontribute to sustainable forest management. First, issues of terminology for forests,plantations and reforestation are linked to land tenure and land use restrictions. Second,access to high quality planting material of proven suitability remains a challenge,especially at the start of a farmer-tree-planting phase of a landscape. Third,management skill and information often constrain production for high market values.Fourth, overregulation often restricts access to markets for farmer grown timber andtree products, partly due to rules intended to curb illegal logging from natural forests orgovernment plantations. Fifth, there is a lack of reward mechanisms for environmentalservices provided by agroforestry. Current relationships between agroforestry andplantation forestry are perceived to be complementary, neutral or competitive,depending on the ability of (inter)national policy frameworks to provide a level playingfield for the provision to society at large of productive and protective forest functions.In conditions where large-scale plantations operate with substantial governmentsubsidies (direct or indirect, partly justified by environmental service functions), incontrast to non-existent or minimal subsidies for agroforestry, the potential to producewood and simultaneously provide for many forest benefits and ecological services withagroforestry is placed at a disadvantage, to the detriment of society at large
Tag: water management
Water productivity in forestry and agroforestry
Forests are the biggest users of water worldwide and extensive forested areas have been lost or are undergoing conversion to agriculture, creating concerns about loss of hydro logical functions and increasing the competition for scarce water between agriculture, urban centers, industries and wildlife. The challenge is to improve the sustainability and productivity of land and water use, especially for the growing populations of many developing countries. In this chapter we review recent findings on the hydrology of forests and agroforestry systems and indicate how modifications in tree-based systems might increase water productivity. In forestry, the focus of research has moved from the hydro logical functions of upland forest reserves that are close to settlements to a greater recognition of the roles played by upland communi-ties in the management of water resources. A major source of conflict over water resources is the con-trasting perceptions of ‘watershed functions’ between forest managers and local people, which are often based more on myths of forest functions than on science – for example, the idea that forests increase rainfall. These myths continue to dominate the views of policy makers and institutions and should be revised. The challenge is to gain a better insight into how farmer-developed land-use mosaics have modified watershed-protection functions. Priority must be given to the perceptions,experiences and strategies of local communities.Trees on farms have the potential for improving productivity in two ways. Trees can increase the amount of water that is used on farm as tree or crop transpiration. Trees can also increase the produc-tivity of the water that is used by increasing biomass of trees or crops produced per unit of waterused. Plot-level evidence shows that improvements in water productivity as a consequence of modifi-cations to the microclimate of the crop are likely to be limited. Instead, evidence from semi-arid India and Kenya showed that the greater productivity of agroforestry systems is primarily due to the higher amount of water used. Almost half of the total water use occurred during the dry season,when cropping was impossible, and the rest was extracted from soil reserves. This implies a high temporal complementarity between the crop and tree components of the landscape mosaic. Research is needed to examine the impact of the increased water use on the drainage and base flow at the land-scape level. This chapter also describes some of the technical approaches that can be used to improve land and water management, the role of trees and its relation to hydrology and the challenges for rational land-use decision-making.
Spatiotemporal trends of atmospheric dryness during 1980–2021 in Yunnan, China
Understanding the spatiotemporal patterns and variations in vapor pressure deficit (VPD) is essential for effective water resource management in the face of climate change. VPD serves as a fundamental indicator of atmospheric dryness, directly impacting plant evapotranspiration rates, thereby affecting overall ecosystem functioning. In this study, VPD changes in five subregions and four ecological types of land in Yunnan from 1980 to 2021 were investigated using data from 108 meteorological stations. We found increasing trends in annual VPD that were larger during warmer spring and summer seasons. Among the subregions, the highland subtropical southern broadleaved evergreen forest ecoregion exhibited the largest drying trend (0.04 kPa / decade), while the subtropical (eastern) humid broadleaved evergreen forest ecoregion had the smallest drying trend (0.01 kPa / decade). Among the ecological barriers, the dry-hot valleys had significantly higher increases in VPD compared to other Yunnan regions. Increases in VPD from 1990s to 2000s in several regions of Yunnan exceeded atmospheric drying trends reported elsewhere. Additionally, we documented smaller VPD declines at higher elevations. Across different ecological land types, Shrubland exhibited the largest VPD trend (0.07 kPa / decade), while Forest displayed the smallest (0.03 kPa / decade). Decreased relative humidity through time explained 65% of the increase in VPD in Yunnan, while increasing temperatures accounted for 25%. These findings provide valuable insights into climatic dynamics of Yunnan, with implications for ecological, hydrological, and atmospheric studies.
Agricultural Land Soil and Water Conservation Techniques in Pagar Alam
Pagar Alam farmers actively maintain soil fertility and use Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) techniques in agricultural land management, particularly in upland areas. Short-term soil fertility restoration is focused on the use of chemical fertiliser. Technique options and suitability for preventing erosion and landslide to ensure long-term sustainability are severely limited.
Protected spring and sacred forest institutions at the instrumental — relational value interface
Dependable supplies of clean water, as provided by springs, have attracted human settlements inducing the emergence of local institutions to protect water sources as a common good, often along with surrounding forests or tree cover. Instrumental values of nature as a source of clean water used to be embedded in relational values of sacred forests that implied norms of behavior and sanctions to be feared. The balance between private, communal, and public rights and obligations with regard to clean water access has shifted along with historical development across the world. The mechanistic understanding of springs as part of the full hydrological cycle shifted emphasis from springs as such toward source areas and belowground flows in the wider landscape. Rediscovered relational values of respect for the natural water cycle can synergize with the instrumental values of minimizing negative human impact on water cycles, as part of a bold water action agenda.
In people’s minds and on the ground: Values and power in climate change adaptation
As decisions on climate change adaptation involve stakeholders with different values, beliefs and attitudes (VBA), decision outcomes depend on how stakeholders interact and how power is distributed. In this paper, we explore the VBA of stakeholders involved in three water management projects focusing on dams, micro-reservoirs, or wetlands in a Peruvian watershed facing droughts. We apply a framework with the core ideas of the hydrosocial cycle, the decision context perspective, and the VBA hierarchy to show how stakeholders’ perspectives and power influence practices on the ground. The analysis of VBA reveals three different perspectives on water management held by different stakeholder groups. First, a community-based perspective, frequent among local communities, favors micro-reservoirs managed by communities. Second, an infrastructure-based perspective, frequent among public sector stakeholders, shows a preference for dams managed by the private sector. Third, a nature-based perspective, with a preference for wetlands managed by the public sector, is found across stakeholder groups. In the three water management projects, different power distributions determine which VBA dominate and influence practices on the ground. Dams on the ground represent power from the public and private sectors, while micro-reservoirs represent local grassroot control. In the wetland project, the outcomes of the evolving hydrosocial cycle are still unclear and will depend on how multiple perspectives are considered. Examining and questioning the decision context in which adaptation occurs can help excluded stakeholders achieve more power and agency and tackle the fundamental question of ‘adaptation of what and for whom’.
A systematic review of participatory integrated assessment at the catchment scale: Lessons learned from practice
Participatory integrated assessment (PIA) emerged as a response to conventional integrated assessment methods in the mid-to-late 1990s. PIA is based on the tenet that more inclusive stakeholder involvement may lead to increased accountability and legitimacy in decision-making, greater levels of trust and social learning between participants, and improved quality and relevancy of knowledge outputs. In this paper, we conduct a systematic literature review to update and deepen our understanding of the approaches, methods, opportunities, and challenges associated with PIA as applied at the catchment scale. Of the total 278 studies identified in our literature search, only 37 catchment-level cases presented a clear PIA application. From our review, lessons learnt were drawn in relation to the integration of less-easily quantified areas of social science, entry and exit planning in PIA, boundary work on issue cycles and accounting for the human dimension. We conclude that PIA is a potentially useful approach for navigating the dual social-ecological dimensions of current environmental and resource management issues, especially when projects include tailored objectives and methods, user-friendly outputs, and early and consistent stakeholder involvement. However, we also highlight gaps in the field concerning the integrative reach of PIA, PIA’s real-world impact, and the relationship between PIA processes and outcomes along stages of environmental issue cycles. We conclude that further work is therefore still needed to help advance the field of PIA in both research and boundary work practice.
Community participation in forest and water management planning in Kenya: challenges and opportunities
Forest and water are linked resources that are important to community livelihoods in East Africa. Sectoral reforms in Kenya have decentralized forest and water management functions to local communities through forest and water Acts. It has been argued that problems are more likely to be understood as interconnected, and thus managed more holistically, at the local level. Through case studies on the processes of developing forest and water management plans in two Kenyan ecosystems, we explore the challenges and opportunities for resource management planning at the local level. The questions we addressed are: How is the content of the plans determined? How is gender integrated ? What are the barriers to implementation? How can content and implementation be improved to support joint forest and water management? Despite their close links, water and forest governance is separate, as sectoral approaches nationally trickle down locally. We argue that the process of developing the plans should take an integrated landscape approach. A practical way forward is to improve current processes, by ensuring local participation and generating local ownership through improved facilitation and engagement of community members, including women. This includes the integration of community participants from both spheres into both forest and water management planning.
The effect of soil and water conservation structures on the soil biophysical and chemical properties in the Gidabo sub-Basin, Ethiopian Rift Valley
Soil erosion is one of the global challenges noticed as a cause for unsustainable socio-economic and environmental conditions. Over the last half-century, various soil and water conservation (SWC) practices were introduced in Ethiopia, but the conservation work could not be fully achieved in many areas. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effect and constraints of physical SWC on selected soil biophysical and chemical properties of the Ethiopian rift valley. The primary and secondary data sources were used to answer the intended objectives. The statistical analysis of variance showed that the soil texture of the study area was affected by the type of conservation technologies than agroecology and slope characteristics. However, soil bulk density was not significantly affected at all. The study also showed that the soil biophysical and chemical properties were significantly affected by the variation of agroecology and SWC technologies. The overall result of the study depicted that about 40% of the conservation work failed to maintain soil fertility because the farmers have constraints to adopt and adapt the SWC work. The constraints include small land size, shortage of fuel wood, dependency on food aid, less productivity of the soil, youth migration, and long lasted effect of conservation works. These constraints were seen as causes for inferior agricultural product, food insecurity, famine, migration and frequent drought of the area. The study concluded that the SWC work of the area should focus on variation of agroecology, SWC technologies, and local constraints. Also, the policy of natural resource conservation should consider local constraints to implement the national SWC guideline. Copyright © 2021 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).
Modeling Non-Cooperative Water Use in River Basins
Conventional water use and management models have mostly emulated purposefully designed water use systems where centralized governance and rule-based cooperation of agents are assumed. However, water use systems, whether actively governed or not, involve multiple, independent decision makers with diverse and often conflicting interests. In the absence of adequate water management institutions to effectively coordinate decision processes on water use, water users’ behaviors are rather likely to be non-cooperative, meaning that actions by individual users generate externalities and lead to sub-optimal water use efficiency. The objective of this review is to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of recently proposed modeling systems dealing with non-cooperative water use regarding their ability to realistically represent the features of complex hydrological and socioeconomic processes and their tractability in terms of modeling tools and computational efficiency. For that purpose, we conducted a systematic review of 47 studies that address non-cooperative water use in decentralized modeling approaches. Even though such a decentralized approach should aim to model decisions by individual water users in non-cooperative water use, we find that most studies assumed the presence of a coordinating agency or market in their model. It also turns out that most of these models employed a solution procedure that sequentially solved independent economic decisions based on pre-defined conditions and heuristics, while only few modeling approaches offered simultaneous solution algorithms. We argue that this approach cannot adequately capture economic trade-offs in resource allocation, in contrast to models with simultaneous solution procedures.