Land Use Changes for Investments in Silvoarable Agriculture Projected by the CLUE-S Spatio-Temporal Model

Investment in biology-based technological innovations is a key requirement for the development of modern agriculture/forestry. The expansion of innovative biological technologies includes changes in crops/cultivations, such as the transition from intensive monocultures to multiple crops of lower agr...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Stamatia Nasiakou, Michael Vrahnakis, Dimitrios Chouvardas, Georgios Mamanis, Vassiliki Kleftoyanni
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-04-01
Series:Land
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/5/598
_version_ 1797498622945787904
author Stamatia Nasiakou
Michael Vrahnakis
Dimitrios Chouvardas
Georgios Mamanis
Vassiliki Kleftoyanni
author_facet Stamatia Nasiakou
Michael Vrahnakis
Dimitrios Chouvardas
Georgios Mamanis
Vassiliki Kleftoyanni
author_sort Stamatia Nasiakou
collection DOAJ
description Investment in biology-based technological innovations is a key requirement for the development of modern agriculture/forestry. The expansion of innovative biological technologies includes changes in crops/cultivations, such as the transition from intensive monocultures to multiple crops of lower agrochemical inputs with the integration of woody trees/shrubs or animals, represented by Agroforestry. This innovative biological technology is further promoted at the European Union (EU) level by powerful institutions such as the Green Deal and the new CAP, mainly by tools such as ecoschemes and agri-environmental and climate measures (AECMs). The use of integrated regional spatiotemporal models, such as CLUE-S, to predict land use changes in the framework of Agroforestry is rather restricted. This paper examines Agroforestry as a vehicle that can contribute to achieving the rural development of the region of Thessaly, Greece. It sets a time horizon for reviewing the changes that are expected in the most important units of land uses of the rural landscape of the municipality of Mouzaki, western Thessaly plain, in the year 2040, which serves as model land for the region of Thessaly. It examines these changes with the effect of three (3) socio-economic scenarios: (a) a linear operating scenario (business as usual, BAU), (b) an ecological land protection (ELP) scenario, and (c) a rapid economic development (RED) scenario. These scenarios were introduced in the non-spatial module of the CLUE-S spatiotemporal model, while in the spatial module sixteen (16) characteristic landscape parameters were introduced as independent variables. The most important land use units, including traditional silvoarable and silvopastoral woodland systems, were the dependent variables. The simulations of the changes of the land use units showed that under the RED scenario, in the year 2040 the extent of the silvoarable systems is expected to increase significantly (57%) compared to the reference year of 2020, while the rest of the land use units under the other scenarios are mainly regulated by depopulation/abandonment of the rural areas and the processes of natural succession. The fact that the extent of silvoarable systems is increasing, in combination with the favorable institutional environment created by European rural policies, gives impetus to regional rural development through investments in the agricultural sector and mainly in Agroforestry systems.
first_indexed 2024-03-10T03:35:59Z
format Article
id doaj.art-b570d1f5a57e454dba9148a911928a76
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2073-445X
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-10T03:35:59Z
publishDate 2022-04-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Land
spelling doaj.art-b570d1f5a57e454dba9148a911928a762023-11-23T11:46:01ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2022-04-0111559810.3390/land11050598Land Use Changes for Investments in Silvoarable Agriculture Projected by the CLUE-S Spatio-Temporal ModelStamatia Nasiakou0Michael Vrahnakis1Dimitrios Chouvardas2Georgios Mamanis3Vassiliki Kleftoyanni4University of Thessaly, GR-38221 Volos, GreeceDepartment of Forestry, Wood Sciences and Design, University of Thessaly, GR-43131 Karditsa, GreeceDepartment of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University, GR-54124 Thessaloniki, GreeceUniversity of Thessaly, GR-38221 Volos, GreeceUniversity of Thessaly, GR-38221 Volos, GreeceInvestment in biology-based technological innovations is a key requirement for the development of modern agriculture/forestry. The expansion of innovative biological technologies includes changes in crops/cultivations, such as the transition from intensive monocultures to multiple crops of lower agrochemical inputs with the integration of woody trees/shrubs or animals, represented by Agroforestry. This innovative biological technology is further promoted at the European Union (EU) level by powerful institutions such as the Green Deal and the new CAP, mainly by tools such as ecoschemes and agri-environmental and climate measures (AECMs). The use of integrated regional spatiotemporal models, such as CLUE-S, to predict land use changes in the framework of Agroforestry is rather restricted. This paper examines Agroforestry as a vehicle that can contribute to achieving the rural development of the region of Thessaly, Greece. It sets a time horizon for reviewing the changes that are expected in the most important units of land uses of the rural landscape of the municipality of Mouzaki, western Thessaly plain, in the year 2040, which serves as model land for the region of Thessaly. It examines these changes with the effect of three (3) socio-economic scenarios: (a) a linear operating scenario (business as usual, BAU), (b) an ecological land protection (ELP) scenario, and (c) a rapid economic development (RED) scenario. These scenarios were introduced in the non-spatial module of the CLUE-S spatiotemporal model, while in the spatial module sixteen (16) characteristic landscape parameters were introduced as independent variables. The most important land use units, including traditional silvoarable and silvopastoral woodland systems, were the dependent variables. The simulations of the changes of the land use units showed that under the RED scenario, in the year 2040 the extent of the silvoarable systems is expected to increase significantly (57%) compared to the reference year of 2020, while the rest of the land use units under the other scenarios are mainly regulated by depopulation/abandonment of the rural areas and the processes of natural succession. The fact that the extent of silvoarable systems is increasing, in combination with the favorable institutional environment created by European rural policies, gives impetus to regional rural development through investments in the agricultural sector and mainly in Agroforestry systems.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/5/598AgroforestryCLUE-Ssocioeconomic scenariosland use changeinvestment in agriculture
spellingShingle Stamatia Nasiakou
Michael Vrahnakis
Dimitrios Chouvardas
Georgios Mamanis
Vassiliki Kleftoyanni
Land Use Changes for Investments in Silvoarable Agriculture Projected by the CLUE-S Spatio-Temporal Model
Land
Agroforestry
CLUE-S
socioeconomic scenarios
land use change
investment in agriculture
title Land Use Changes for Investments in Silvoarable Agriculture Projected by the CLUE-S Spatio-Temporal Model
title_full Land Use Changes for Investments in Silvoarable Agriculture Projected by the CLUE-S Spatio-Temporal Model
title_fullStr Land Use Changes for Investments in Silvoarable Agriculture Projected by the CLUE-S Spatio-Temporal Model
title_full_unstemmed Land Use Changes for Investments in Silvoarable Agriculture Projected by the CLUE-S Spatio-Temporal Model
title_short Land Use Changes for Investments in Silvoarable Agriculture Projected by the CLUE-S Spatio-Temporal Model
title_sort land use changes for investments in silvoarable agriculture projected by the clue s spatio temporal model
topic Agroforestry
CLUE-S
socioeconomic scenarios
land use change
investment in agriculture
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/5/598
work_keys_str_mv AT stamatianasiakou landusechangesforinvestmentsinsilvoarableagricultureprojectedbythecluesspatiotemporalmodel
AT michaelvrahnakis landusechangesforinvestmentsinsilvoarableagricultureprojectedbythecluesspatiotemporalmodel
AT dimitrioschouvardas landusechangesforinvestmentsinsilvoarableagricultureprojectedbythecluesspatiotemporalmodel
AT georgiosmamanis landusechangesforinvestmentsinsilvoarableagricultureprojectedbythecluesspatiotemporalmodel
AT vassilikikleftoyanni landusechangesforinvestmentsinsilvoarableagricultureprojectedbythecluesspatiotemporalmodel