This paper focuses on irrigation schemes under rotational water supply in arid and semiarid regions. It presents a methodology for developing plans for optimum allocation of land area and water, considering performance measures such as productivity, equity and adequacy. These irrigation schemes are characterized by limited water supply and heterogeneity in soils, crops, climate and water distribution network, etc.

Understanding the process of agricultural land expansion and its impact on soil properties is crucial for land management and environmental health. A desert–oasis ecotone is typically located between an oasis at the lower reach of inland rivers and neighboring desert in arid regions, and acts as an interactive zone between irrigated farmland and the natural desert ecosystem. The arid region of northwest China has experienced dramatic land exploitation since the 1960s and soil salinization has been a serious environmental problem ever since.

A geoinformatics-based land suitability assessment approach was used to examine the prospects for precision farming in the Savanna River basin in Nigeria. The procedure involved the overlay analysis of land use, land cover characteristics interpreted on Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery and physico-chemical soil properties and nutrient attributes in line with FAO suitability guidelines and models. The empirical analysis revealed areas of high, moderate and marginal suitability for the cultivation of maize, yam, cassava and oil palm in the basin.

Greenbelts are the best-known growth management policies in Germany. As part of its regional plans, they attempt to keep undeveloped areas permanently open, thus avoiding sprawling, i.e., land consumptive forms of urban development. However, the effectiveness of such land use designations in terms of guiding and limiting urban growth has rarely been the subject of in-depth research. This is the first study to present a GIS-based analysis of the restrictiveness of greenbelt designations in Germany and their impact on urban spatial structure and land use.

The magnetic susceptibility (χ) of soils varies with the slope position due to some factors such as texture, drainage class, and land use. Limited information is available about the magnetic susceptibility properties of semi arid regions of southwestern Iran. This study attempts to link χ and Fe oxides of the soils to landforms, soil characteristics, and land use (paddy and dryland soils) on the same parent materials. Ten representative pedons were taken along a NE–SW transect in different physiographic units in the Yasouj Plain.

The land use changes of İzmir Çeşme Coasts are determined by using remote sensing techniques in the period of 38 years. Temporal and spatial changes of land use are analyzed based on 3 land use maps which show 8 land use categories using the topographical maps and aerial photos in 1957-1976-1995. The dominancy of land use categories are calculated depending on grid map (1km x 1km). Each period of grid maps and land use maps are analyzed by spatial intersection method in GIS.

Channel changes are the consequence of changes in sediment yield from the slopes and in the connectivity between slopes and channels because of distinct land use and climate impacts. In this study, we investigated the characteristics and evolution of a short reach in the headwater of the Ijuez River, central–southern Pyrenees. Assessment of a series of sedimentary and geomorphic structures confirmed major changes to the valley bottom, mainly related to changes in the intensity of human activity.

Construction associated to land development, such as roads and railroads, promote severe land degradation. Cutslope sediment yield is one of the major pollutants on waters close to the road and railroad network. To estimate road impact, soil erosion (E), sediment yield (SY) and morphological evolution of a railroad cut in Palencia (Spain), were studied using erosion nails, during the periods 1998–1999, 1999–2000 and 2000–2010. Data from two sample plots were analyzed by an ANOVA for repeated measures.

The Dividalen (Sami: Dieváidvuovdi) valley in Troms county, North Norway, is well known for its old-growth pine forest, a biodiversity hotspot for dead wood-inhabiting fungi and lichens. The majority of the valley is protected within the Upper Dividalen Landscape Conservation Area and National Park. A general conception is that until the mid-nineteenth century when agriculture and forestry entered the valley, the landscape was entirely untouched by man and only used as a pathway for Sami and their reindeer herds on their annual migrations between Sweden and the Norwegian coast.

Study of land use/cover change and its driving forces is one of the most significant fields in global environmental change research. Karst land is a type of important and unique terrain on the Earth's surface because of its extensive distribution, impressive landforms, and high ecological fragility. Recently, more and more researchers have realized that irrational land use practices are leading to a series of alarming environmental issues including rocky desertification in karst areas.