Many tropical landscapes are today characterized by small forest patches embedded in an agricultural mosaic matrix. In such highly fragmented landscapes, agroforests have already been recognized as refuges for biodiversity but few studies have investigated the potential of non-forested land-use types to contribute to overall biodiversity of functionally important taxa in the tropics.

Land use/land cover monitoring and mapping is crucial to efficient management of the land and its resources. Since the late 1980s increased attention has been paid to the use of coarse resolution optical data. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) has features, which make it particularly suitable to earth characterization purposes. MODIS has 10 products dedicated mainly to land cover characterization and provides three kinds of data: angular, spectral and temporal. MODIS data also includes information about the data quality through the ‘Quality Assessment’ product.

A methodology is developed to relate urban growth studies to distributed hydrological modeling using an integrated approach of remote sensing and GIS. This linkage is possible because both studies share land-use and land-cover data. Landsat Thematic Mapper data are utilized to detect urban land-cover changes. GIS analyses are then conducted to examine the changing spatial patterns of urban growth. The integration of remote sensing and GIS is applied to automate the estimation of surface runoff based on the Soil Conservation Service model.

The aim of this study was to determine suitable lands for agricultural use in the Yusufeli district of Artvin city (Turkey), where the current agricultural land in the district center and 3 villages will be completely inundated while the land in 22 villages will be partially inundated due to three large dams currently being constructed. The “Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)” method, commonly used in land use suitability analysis, was utilized in this study.

Communal land use system has existed in pastoral Afar (as in many other pastoral areas) since time of immemorial accommodating the interests of different user groups. This form of land use system, which has adapted to the harsh environment in which herders raise their livestock, enables efficient utilization of scattered pastoral resources since it accommodates constant mobility of livestock. In contrast to the mobile way of life, which characterizes pastoralism, farming as a sedentary activity is only marginally present in the lowlands of the Afar region.

Land use and land cover change (LUCC) have a significant influence on regional ecosystems and on the carbon cycle. The Sanjiang Plain is one of the largest grain production bases in China, and has experienced rapid land cover change, making it a critical area in which to assess the environmental impact of LUCC and propose strategies for minimizing its impact on net primary productivity (NPP). In this study, land cover was estimated from remote sensing images to quantify LUCC on the Sanjiang Plain from 2000 to 2010.

The spatial and temporal dynamics of tropical forest functioning are poorly understood, partly attributed to a weak seasonality and high tree species diversity at the landscape scale. Recent neotropical rainforest studies with local tower flux measurements have revealed strong seasonal carbon fluxes that follow the availability of sunlight in intact forests, while in areas of forest disturbance, carbon fluxes more closely tracked seasonal water availability.

The Central Asian countries are particularly affected by the global climate change. The cultural and economic centers in this mostly arid region have to rely solely on the water resources provided by the rapidly melting glaciers in the Pamir, Tien-Shan and Alay mountains. By 2030, the available water resources will be 30 % lower than today while the water demand will increase by 30 %. The unsustainable land and water use leads to a water deficit and a deterioration of the water quality.

The article aims to analyze suitability of land selection for cultivation of sugar beet in Slovakia in the period from 2008 to 2012. The results confirmed, that there are enough soils suitable for sugar beet growing in Slovakia. The area of sugar beet cultivation is conditioned by the presence of only two sugar rafineries, which are in operation, in Sered and Trencianska Tepla. The most productive soils in the climatically most suitable areas of Slovakia are chosen for growing sugar beet.

Agricultural land values and cash rental rates in South Dakota, by region and by state, are primary topics of this report. The target audience are farmers and ranchers, landowners, ag professionals (lenders, rural appraisers, professional farm managers), and policy makers interested in ag land market trends. This report contains results of the 2011 Farm Real Estate Market Survey, the 21st annual SDSU survey developed to estimate ag land values and cash rental rates by land use in different regions of South Dakota.