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SFB 564: C4.1 - Impact of land-use intensification on land -use dynamics and environmental services of tropical mountainous watersheds

Project

Rural areas

This project contributes to the research aim 'Rural areas'. Which funding institutions are active for this aim? What are the sub-aims? Take a look:
Rural areas


Project code: DFG SFB 564
Contract period: 01.01.2006 - 01.01.2009
Purpose of research: Basic research

Changing socio-economic conditions and the introduction of new technologies are rapidly altering land use in Vietnam and Thailand. In both countries farmland is often characterized by relatively steep slopes and is thus highly susceptible to land degradation by soil erosion. Intensification of agricultural systems has led to higher systems productivity but with associated increased resource use and degradation/pollution risks. The goal of this subproject is to comprehend the biophysical linkages and drivers of land-use changes in upland areas of Vietnam and Thailand and their impact on systems productivity, sustainability and environmental services. This can be only assessed by an approach, integrating the various systems and processes at stake and looking at their interconnectivity at landscape level. Of special interest is thus quantification and modelling of the interrelationships and feedback mechanisms between agricultural components within these complex ecosystems. Subproject C4.1 will develop a spatially explicit, integrated dynamic biophysical model for land use change impact assessment (LUCIA) to understand systems relationships at the landscape level and subsequently link this landscape model to the multi-agent-system (MAS) model of G1.2 (Innovations and Sustainability Strategies). In Vietnam, subproject C4.1 will investigate how nutrient and carbon losses and associated soil degradation in uplands will impact on lowland paddy rice and fish production systems. In North Thailand, an existing crop/tree model will be improved to assist in assessing the impact off-season fruit production technologies or management options on plant productivity, resource use and carbon sequestration and its modules integrated in the MAS model. The integrated biophysical and MAS models will allow assessing alternative options so that policy-relevant conclusions can then be drawn regarding the promotion of improved conservation and management systems, adapted to both the local populations and systems of governance in tropical humid mountainous watersheds from Thailand and Vietnam.

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