A novel, integrated approach to assessing social, economic and environmental implications of changing rural land-use: a case study of perennial biomass crops
A novel, integrated approach to assessing social, economic and environmental implications of changing rural land-use: a case study of perennial biomass crops
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DOI：
10.1111/j.1365-2664.2009.01623.x
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发表时间：
2009-04-01
影响因子：
5.7
通讯作者：
Karp, Angela
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Haughton, Alison J.;Bond, Alan J.;Karp, Angela
对气候变化和能源安全的担忧正在刺激土地利用的变化，这反过来又促使社会、经济和环境做出反应。据预测，在英国的20年内，生物能源作物可能会占据相当大的农村土地面积。其中，专用生物质作物，如芒属(Miscantus spp.)草和短轮柳(Salix spp.)矮牵牛在生长特性和管理上与农田作物有很大的不同。重要的是，在大规模、长期种植之前评估这些差异的潜在影响。我们使用可持续发展评估框架(SAF)方法在英国景观规划中确定利益相关者的愿望(目标)和相关标准(指标)，以种植专门的生物质作物。使用环境和物理限制地图使SAF只关注环境可接受的地点，从而避免不可持续的权衡。这份地图确定了英国310万公顷的土地适合种植，这表明英国政府到2020年制定的110万公顷的目标是可行的。对SAF的评估发现，尽管利益相关者关注生物多样性，但目前的一些生物多样性指标并不合适。蝴蝶丰度被证明是最合适的指标，并且发现柳树和芒属生物质作物的总多度都大于耕地边缘的总多度。确保粮食安全、水供应、能源安全和生物多样性保护的潜在冲突被世界各国政府视为一项关键挑战。决策者能够将不同土地利用情景的绩效与可持续性目标进行比较的方法，对于实现土地资源的优化和可持续利用，以应对所有四个挑战至关重要。以生物质作物种植为例，这项工作说明了可持续性评估框架的潜力，但须确定和商定适当的指标，以确保在可持续土地利用规划本身的更广泛背景下，全面了解大规模、长期的农村土地利用变化对农村土地利用的广泛影响。
Concern about climate change and energy security is stimulating land-use change, which in turn precipitates social, economic and environmental responses. It is predicted that within 20 years in the UK, bioenergy crops could occupy significant areas of rural land. Among these, dedicated biomass crops, such as Miscanthus (Miscanthus spp.) grass and short rotation willow (Salix spp.) coppice, differ significantly from arable crops in their growth characteristics and management. It is important that the potential impacts of these differences are assessed before large-scale, long-term planting occurs.We used a Sustainability Appraisal Framework (SAF) approach to landscape planning in the UK to identify stakeholder aspirations (objectives) and associated criteria (indicators) for the planting of dedicated biomass crops.The use of environmental and physical constraints mapping allowed the SAF to focus only on environmentally-acceptable locations, thereby avoiding unsustainable trade-offs. The mapping identified 3.1 million ha of land in England as suitable for planting, suggesting the UK government target of 1.1 million ha by 2020 is feasible.Evaluation of the SAF identified that while biodiversity was of concern to stakeholders, some current indicators of biodiversity are not appropriate. Butterfly abundance proved the most appropriate indicator, and it was found that total abundance was greater in field margins of both willow and Miscanthus biomass crops than in arable field margins.Synthesis and applications. The potential conflicts of assuring food security, water availability, energy security and biodiversity conservation are recognized as a key challenge by governments worldwide. Methods with which decision-makers can compare the performance of different land-use scenarios against sustainability objectives will be crucial for achieving optimized and sustainable use of land-based resources to meet all four challenges. Using biomass crops planting as an example, this work illustrates the potential of a Sustainability Appraisal Framework, subject to identification and agreement of appropriate indicators, in securing a holistic understanding of the wide-ranging implications of large-scale, long-term changes to rural land-use in the wider context of sustainable land-use planning per se.