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A Scale-Explicit Framework for Conceptualizing the Environmental Impacts of Agricultural Land Use Changes

Author

Listed:
  • Iago Lowe Hale

    (Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA)

  • Wilfred M. Wollheim

    (Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA)

  • Richard G. Smith

    (Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA)

  • Heidi Asbjornsen

    (Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA)

  • André F. Brito

    (Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA)

  • Kirk Broders

    (Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA)

  • A. Stuart Grandy

    (Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA)

  • Rebecca Rowe

    (Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA)

Abstract

Demand for locally-produced food is growing in areas outside traditionally dominant agricultural regions due to concerns over food safety, quality, and sovereignty; rural livelihoods; and environmental integrity. Strategies for meeting this demand rely upon agricultural land use change, in various forms of either intensification or extensification (converting non-agricultural land, including native landforms, to agricultural use). The nature and extent of the impacts of these changes on non-food-provisioning ecosystem services are determined by a complex suite of scale-dependent interactions among farming practices, site-specific characteristics, and the ecosystem services under consideration. Ecosystem modeling strategies which honor such complexity are often impenetrable by non-experts, resulting in a prevalent conceptual gap between ecosystem sciences and the field of sustainable agriculture. Referencing heavily forested New England as an example, we present a conceptual framework designed to synthesize and convey understanding of the scale- and landscape-dependent nature of the relationship between agriculture and various ecosystem services. By accounting for the total impact of multiple disturbances across a landscape while considering the effects of scale, the framework is intended to stimulate and support the collaborative efforts of land managers, scientists, citizen stakeholders, and policy makers as they address the challenges of expanding local agriculture.

Suggested Citation

  • Iago Lowe Hale & Wilfred M. Wollheim & Richard G. Smith & Heidi Asbjornsen & André F. Brito & Kirk Broders & A. Stuart Grandy & Rebecca Rowe, 2014. "A Scale-Explicit Framework for Conceptualizing the Environmental Impacts of Agricultural Land Use Changes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(12), pages 1-20, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:6:y:2014:i:12:p:8432-8451:d:42687
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Wilhelm, Jennifer A. & Smith, Richard G. & Jolejole-Foreman, Maria Christina & Hurley, Stephanie, 2020. "Resident and stakeholder perceptions of ecosystem services associated with agricultural landscapes in New Hampshire," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 45(C).
    2. Carlos Bautista-Capetillo & Hugo Márquez-Villagrana & Anuard Pacheco-Guerrero & Julián González-Trinidad & Hugo Júnez-Ferreira & Manuel Zavala-Trejo, 2018. "Cropping System Diversification: Water Consumption against Crop Production," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-11, June.

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