6
T. Weith et al.
The chapters in part one focus on the development of different forms of land use
as a result of the interplay between societal demands on land and physical-ecological
conditions. Society is in a situation of ongoing changes and developments. Important framing factors are the social and economic system, population development
and economic driving forces, urbanisation and spatial interrelations. These factors
influence the development of regions and landscapes with their infrastructure, agriculture in its respective intensity, forestry in form and extent, the use of resources and
raw materials as well as the preservation of specific landscapes and their characteristics. The chapters in part one highlight these interlinkages and provide overviews
and current states and drivers of land use change, as well as describing any lack of
knowledge.
The chapter on Landscape change in Europe by García-Martín, Quintas-Soriano,
Torralba, Wolpert and Plieninger provides a first introductory overview of the evolution and change of landscapes throughout history. In this emerging research field
on landscape change in Europe, the authors explain why these changes happen, and
what they fully entail. They embed the evolution of landscapes in an understanding of
complex social-ecological systems and the drivers behind them. In consequence, they
gain a better understanding of complex, dynamic and interlinked change processes
that are characterised inter alia by environmental degradation and increased land use
conflicts. While considering these challenges, the authors provide guidance for codesigned sustainable landscape management. The results are based on a combination
of quantitative analysis with participatory approaches on the one hand, and diverse
spatial and temporal scales on the other to achieve a comprehensive understanding
of past changes and future trajectories.
From an economic point of view, land is a limited and scarce natural resource
that faces competing and rising demands. These demands refer to different types of
land use, such as agriculture, nature and natural resource protection, industrial areas,
human settlements and infrastructure. Land use conflicts have evolved and are driven
by various factors. Based on a previous study, Kirschke et al. focus on the economic
aspects of sustainable land management in the chapter about New trends and drivers
for agricultural land use in Germany. This chapter provides an overview of the
main economic drivers of land use change in Europe, bringing together theoretical
approaches from regional economics, economic geography, agricultural economics,
environmental and resource economics, and infrastructure planning. New developments in agricultural land use in Germany are analysed based on general land use
trends. Indicators for agricultural land use changes that create conflicts include rising
land prices, deteriorating environmental conditions and changing land use structures.
The authors describe major drivers behind this development, which basically reflect
market forces and new policy frameworks such as the Renewable Energy Act (REA)
and particularities related to German reunification.
Besides economic pressure, demographic change is described as one of the central
factors of human influence on land use change. But does demographic change really
contribute directly to land use change? Do changes in population size and composition directly affect changes in land use? Hoffmann reflects in his chapter on Demographic change and land use the questions of (a) whether and to what degree clear
T. Weith et al.
The chapters in part one focus on the development of different forms of land use
as a result of the interplay between societal demands on land and physical-ecological
conditions. Society is in a situation of ongoing changes and developments. Important framing factors are the social and economic system, population development
and economic driving forces, urbanisation and spatial interrelations. These factors
influence the development of regions and landscapes with their infrastructure, agriculture in its respective intensity, forestry in form and extent, the use of resources and
raw materials as well as the preservation of specific landscapes and their characteristics. The chapters in part one highlight these interlinkages and provide overviews
and current states and drivers of land use change, as well as describing any lack of
knowledge.
The chapter on Landscape change in Europe by García-Martín, Quintas-Soriano,
Torralba, Wolpert and Plieninger provides a first introductory overview of the evolution and change of landscapes throughout history. In this emerging research field
on landscape change in Europe, the authors explain why these changes happen, and
what they fully entail. They embed the evolution of landscapes in an understanding of
complex social-ecological systems and the drivers behind them. In consequence, they
gain a better understanding of complex, dynamic and interlinked change processes
that are characterised inter alia by environmental degradation and increased land use
conflicts. While considering these challenges, the authors provide guidance for codesigned sustainable landscape management. The results are based on a combination
of quantitative analysis with participatory approaches on the one hand, and diverse
spatial and temporal scales on the other to achieve a comprehensive understanding
of past changes and future trajectories.
From an economic point of view, land is a limited and scarce natural resource
that faces competing and rising demands. These demands refer to different types of
land use, such as agriculture, nature and natural resource protection, industrial areas,
human settlements and infrastructure. Land use conflicts have evolved and are driven
by various factors. Based on a previous study, Kirschke et al. focus on the economic
aspects of sustainable land management in the chapter about New trends and drivers
for agricultural land use in Germany. This chapter provides an overview of the
main economic drivers of land use change in Europe, bringing together theoretical
approaches from regional economics, economic geography, agricultural economics,
environmental and resource economics, and infrastructure planning. New developments in agricultural land use in Germany are analysed based on general land use
trends. Indicators for agricultural land use changes that create conflicts include rising
land prices, deteriorating environmental conditions and changing land use structures.
The authors describe major drivers behind this development, which basically reflect
market forces and new policy frameworks such as the Renewable Energy Act (REA)
and particularities related to German reunification.
Besides economic pressure, demographic change is described as one of the central
factors of human influence on land use change. But does demographic change really
contribute directly to land use change? Do changes in population size and composition directly affect changes in land use? Hoffmann reflects in his chapter on Demographic change and land use the questions of (a) whether and to what degree clear