scholarly journals What Awaits Myanmar’s Uplands Farmers? Lessons Learned from Mainland Southeast Asia

Land ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Jepsen ◽  
Matilda Palm ◽  
Thilde Bruun
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Southeast Asian ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Political Regime ◽  
Market Demand ◽  
Mainland Southeast Asia

Mainland Southeast Asia (MSA) has seen sweeping upland land use changes in the past decades, with transition from primarily subsistence shifting cultivation to annual commodity cropping. This transition holds implications for local upland communities and ecosystems. Due to its particular political regime, Myanmar is at the tail of this development. However, with Myanmar’s official strategy of agricultural commercialization and intensification, recent liberalization of the national economy, and influx of multinational agricultural companies, the effects on upland land transitions could come fast. We analyze the current state of upland land use in Myanmar in a socio-economic and political context, identify the dynamics in three indicator commodity crops (maize, cassava, and rubber), and discuss the state driven economic, tenurial and policy reforms that have occurred in upland areas of mainland Southeast Asian countries in past decades. We draw on these insights to contextualize our study and hypothesize about possible transition pathways for Myanmar. The transition to annual commodity cropping is generally driven by a range of socio-economic and technical factors. We find that land use dynamics for the three indicator crops are associated with market demand and thus the opening of national Southeast-Asian economies, research and development of locally suitable high yielding varieties (HYVs), and subsidies for the promotion of seeds and inputs. In contrast, promotion of HYVs in marginal areas and without adequate agricultural extension services may results in agricultural contraction and yield dis-intensification. The environmental impacts of the transition depend on the transition pathway, e.g., through large-scale plantation projects or smallholder initiatives. The agricultural development in upland MSA follows a clear diffusion pattern with transition occurring first in Thailand, spreading to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. While these countries point to prospects for Myanmar, we hypothesize that changes will come slow due to Myanmar’s sparse rural infrastructure, with uncertainty about tenure, in particular in areas still troubled by armed conflicts, and unwillingness of international investors to approach Myanmar given the recent setbacks to the democratization process.

Land Use, Political Complexity, and Urbanism in Mainland Southeast Asia

2008 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Kealhofer ◽  
Peter Grave
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Political Complexity ◽  
Alternative Approach ◽  
Central Thailand ◽  
Mainland Southeast Asia

Debates about the development of political complexity and cities are typically focused on material cultural correlates and situated within the wider context of the emergence of states. Conventionally, state emergence is linked to agricultural surpluses and a new phase of agricultural intensification. However, this approach remains fundamentally reliant on the preservation of an appropriate and diverse suite of material cultural correlates. For mainland Southeast Asia, archaeological correlates of early political complexity are comparatively impoverished and are dominated by evidence from disparate burial contexts and architecture. In this paper, we employ an alternative approach based on a case study from north central Thailand that uses paleoenvironmental evidence of land use. These data are then related to historical urban development in the region. We suggest that large-scale patterns of agricultural expansion relate directly to increases in political complexity. Our results demonstrate that the long-term development of large-scale agricultural landscapes in this region predates the earliest evidence of monumental cities in central Thailand. We conclude that significant progress in better understanding the emergence of complex societies, both in Southeast Asia and elsewhere, is unlikely to be possible without more systematic integration of archaeological and paleoenvironmental approaches.

Impacts on Wetlands of Large-scale Land-use Changes by Agricultural Development: The Small Sanjiang Plain, China

AMBIO ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 306-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongyu Liu ◽  
Shikui Zhang ◽  
Zhaofu Li ◽  
Xianguo Lu ◽  
Qing Yang
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Sanjiang Plain ◽  
Large Scale Land

scholarly journals Effects of Vegetation Restoration on Soil Erosion on the Loess Plateau: A Case Study in the Ansai Watershed

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6266
Author(s):  
Hui Wei ◽  
Wenwu Zhao ◽  
Han Wang
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Vegetation Restoration ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Local Soil ◽  
Erosion Environment

Large-scale vegetation restoration greatly changed the soil erosion environment in the Loess Plateau since the implementation of the “Grain for Green Project” (GGP) in 1999. Evaluating the effects of vegetation restoration on soil erosion is significant to local soil and water conservation and vegetation construction. Taking the Ansai Watershed as the case area, this study calculated the soil erosion modulus from 2000 to 2015 under the initial and current scenarios of vegetation restoration, using the Chinese Soil Loess Equation (CSLE), based on rainfall and soil data, remote sensing images and socio-economic data. The effect of vegetation restoration on soil erosion was evaluated by comparing the average annual soil erosion modulus under two scenarios among 16 years. The results showed: (1) vegetation restoration significantly changed the local land use, characterized by the conversion of farmland to grassland, arboreal land, and shrub land. From 2000 to 2015, the area of arboreal land, shrub land, and grassland increased from 19.46 km2, 19.43 km2, and 719.49 km2 to 99.26 km2, 75.97 km2, and 1084.24 km2; while the farmland area decreased from 547.90 km2 to 34.35 km2; (2) the average annual soil erosion modulus from 2000 to 2015 under the initial and current scenarios of vegetation restoration was 114.44 t/(hm²·a) and 78.42 t/(hm²·a), respectively, with an average annual reduction of 4.81 × 106 t of soil erosion amount thanks to the vegetation restoration; (3) the dominant soil erosion intensity changed from “severe and light erosion” to “moderate and light erosion”, vegetation restoration greatly improved the soil erosion environment in the study area; (4) areas with increased erosion and decreased erosion were alternately distributed, accounting for 48% and 52% of the total land area, and mainly distributed in the northwest and southeast of the watershed, respectively. Irrational land use changes in local areas (such as the conversion of farmland and grassland into construction land, etc.) and the ineffective implementation of vegetation restoration are the main reasons leading to the existence of areas with increased erosion.

scholarly journals Assessment of the soil loss caused by riverbank erosion in Serbia

2021 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-47
Author(s):  
Marko Langovic ◽  
Slavoljub Dragicevic ◽  
Ivan Novkovic ◽  
Nenad Zivkovic ◽  
Radislav Tosic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
Lateral Migration ◽  
Channel Migration ◽  
Riverbank Erosion

Riverbank erosion and lateral channel migration are important geomorphological processes which cause various landscape, socio-economic, and environmental consequences. Although those processes are present on the territory of Serbia, there is no available data about the soil loss caused by riverbank erosion for the entire country. In this study, the spatial and temporal dynamics of the riverbank erosion for the largest internal rivers in Serbia (Velika Morava, Zapadna Morava, Juzna Morava, Pek, Mlava, Veliki Timok, Kolubara) was assessed using remote sensing and GIS. The aim of this paper is to determine the total and average soil loss over large-scale periods (1923-2020), comparing data from the available sources (aerial photographs, satellite images, and different scale paper maps). Results indicated that lateral migration caused significant problems through land loss (approximately 2,561 ha), especially arable land, and land use changes in river basins, but also economic loss due to the reduction of agricultural production. Total and average soil loss was calculated for five most representative meanders on all studied rivers, and on the basis of the obtained values, certain regularities about further development and dynamics of riverbank movement are presented. A better understanding of river channel migration in this area will be of a great importance for practical issues such as predicting channel migration rates for river engineering and planning purposes, soil and water management and land use changes, environment protection.

scholarly journals WATERS TOWARDS RICE TRADE FLOW IN 14TH CENTURY OF JAVA

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 146
Author(s):  
Riza Afita Surya ◽  
Rif'atul Fikriya
Keyword(s):  
Southeast Asia ◽  
19Th Century ◽  
Trade Flow ◽  
Southeast Asian ◽  
Rice Cultivation ◽  
Water Impact ◽  
14Th Century ◽  
Asian Region ◽  
Mainland Southeast Asia ◽  
Rice Trade

Waters as rain, rivers, and seas are one the most common feature found upon Southeast Asian region. It has been establishing this region significantly distinctive along with others. Water is such profound thing everywhere, but it helds most importantly in Southeast Asia Maritime region, with its long shorelines in relation to it landmass, and with the enormous expanses of surrounding Island of Southeast Asia and abutting the shores of Mainland Southeast Asia. Waters in form such rain, rivers, and seas undoubtly giving a certain pattern of social and economical circumstance towards society. Java was known as the biggest rice producer until 19th century, especially manufactured among Javanese kingdoms. Rice had been the trademark of exchange in Java that was contributed across the land overtime. Here, wet rice cultivation has been a typical technique engaged in Java and remains until presents. This article discusses the water impact towards rice trade in Java during 14th century.

scholarly journals Areal Typology of Mainland Southeast Asia: What We Learn from the Wals Maps

MANUSYA ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 18-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernard Comrie
Keyword(s):  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Southeast Asian ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
The World ◽  
Language Area ◽  
Asian Languages ◽  
Mainland Southeast Asia ◽  
Dividing Line

Mainland Southeast Asia has long been recognized as a classic example of a linguistic area, but earlier characterizations of this language area have typically been intuitive, for instance providing seemingly impressive lists of features known to be shared by Mainland Southeast Asian languages but without considering a list of features on which these languages differ, without explicitly considering the extent to which the features in question are common or rare across the world as a whole. By using the maps in the World Atlas of Language Structures, it is possible to build up a more structured assessment of the extent to which Mainland Southeast Asia constitutes a linguistic area. Many maps show a clear delimitation between Mainland Southeast Asia and the rest of Eurasia, although the precise boundary varies from map to map, as does the presence and location of intermediate zones. The dividing line between Mainland Southeast Asia and Insular Southeast Asia is much less clear-cut, thus providing some evidence for a more general Southeast Asian linguistic area.

scholarly journals Potential Changes of Annual-Averaged Nutrient Export in the South Saskatchewan River Basin under Climate and Land-Use Change Scenarios

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Morales-Marín ◽  
Howard Wheater ◽  
Karl-Erich Lindenschmidt
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
General Circulation Models ◽  
Nutrient Export ◽  
The South ◽  
South Saskatchewan River

Climate and land-use changes modify the physical functioning of river basins and, in particular, influence the transport of nutrients from land to water. In large-scale basins, where a variety of climates, topographies, soil types and land uses co-exist to form a highly heterogeneous environment, a more complex nutrient dynamic is imposed by climate and land-use changes. This is the case of the South Saskatchewan River (SSR) that, along with the North Saskatchewan River, forms one of the largest river systems in western Canada. The SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed (SPARROW) model is therefore implemented to assess water quality in the basin, in order to describe spatial and temporal patterns and identify those factors and processes that affect water quality. Forty-five climate and land-use change scenarios comprehended by five General Circulation Models (GCMs) and three Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) were incorporated into the model to explain how total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) export could vary across the basin in 30, 60 and 90 years from now. According to model results, annual averages of TN and TP export in the SSR are going to increase in the range 0.9–1.28 kg km − 2 year − 1 and 0.12–0.17 kg km − 2 year − 1 , respectively, by the end of the century, due to climate and land-use changes. Higher increases of TP compared to TN are expected since TP and TN are going to increase ∼36% and ∼21%, respectively, by the end of the century. This research will support management plans in order to mitigate nutrient export under future changes of climate and land use.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Contribution of Trees outside Forests and Small Open Areas to the Italian Landscape Diversification during the Last Decades

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Sallustio ◽  
Marco di Cristofaro ◽  
Maaz Hashmi ◽  
Matteo Vizzarri ◽  
Tommaso Sitzia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Trees Outside Forests ◽  
Large Scale Assessment ◽  
Average Size ◽  
Policy And Planning

Land use by humans strongly alters the landscape mosaic, either by reducing or increasing its heterogeneity. One of the most recent and widespread land use changes in Europe has been the spontaneous reforestation of marginal agricultural lands. These primarily affected small landscape patches, such as trees outside forests (TOF) and small open areas (SOA), often represent the most diversifying features of landscape’ structures. Nevertheless, only small-scale studies can be found in the literature and thus it remains a relatively unexplored issue. Integrating inventory and cartographic approaches, this work assesses changes in abundance, coverage, and average size of small patches in Italy between 1990 and 2013. Main results showed an overall increase in number and coverage of small patches during the reference period. The average patch size remains unaltered for TOF but decreases significantly for SOA, due to trees encroachment and canopy cover increasing in forests. Our findings confirm the important changes in Mediterranean land mosaics and contribute to a better understanding of current conditions and recent trends regarding TOF and SOA. The integrated approach has proven to be helpful for the large-scale assessment of small patches dynamics, representing a viable monitoring tool to encourage the inclusion of small patches in landscape policy and planning.

scholarly journals Applications of GIS and Very High-Resolution RS Data for Urban Land Use Change Studies in Mongolia

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Amarsaikhan ◽  
V. Battsengel ◽  
E. Egshiglen ◽  
R. Gantuya ◽  
D. Enkhjargal
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Urban Land ◽  
Urban Land Use ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Topographic Map

The aim of this study is to analyze the urban land use changes occurred in the central part of Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia, from 1930 to 2008 with a 10-year interval using geographical information system (GIS) and very high-resolution remote sensing (RS) data sets. As data sources, a large-scale topographic map, panchromatic and multispectral Quickbird images, and TerraSAR synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data are used. The primary urban land use database is developed using the topographic map of the study area and historical data about buildings. To extract updated land use information from the RS images, Quickbird and TerraSAR images are fused. For the fusion, ordinary and special image fusion techniques are used and the results are compared. For the final land use change analysis and RS image processing, ArcGIS and Erdas imagine systems installed in a PC environment are used. Overall, the study demonstrates that within the last few decades the central part of Ulaanbaatar city is urbanized very rapidly and became very dense.

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