20
M. García-Martín et al.
This knowledge can help to protect and manage valuable landscapes in a rapidly
changing world and regulate undesirable land use changes (Lieskovský and Bürgi
2018). Finally, there has been a focus on analysing how current trends would evolve
in the future under different political, environmental and socioeconomic scenarios
(Verburg et al. 2013a; Stürck et al. 2018; Verkerk et al. 2018). In this sense, the implementation of transdisciplinary projects has been discussed as a promising approach
in land use science in order to address complex multifaceted “real-world problems”
and to design strategies and solutions for sustainable development (Zscheischler
et al. 2017). Transdisciplinary approaches are defined as a collaborative process of
knowledge production that involves scientists from different disciplines and societal
actors to address highly complex, real-world problems (e.g. Pohl 2008; Wickson
et al. 2006). Transdisciplinary research has become a widespread research approach
in sustainability science and is increasingly promoted by research programmes and
agencies (e.g. Future Earth). It can develop collaborative research approaches in land
use science to bring promising means of initiating change in the current course of
action (Zscheischler et al. 2017).
The study of agricultural and forestry changes has become particularly exhaustive, not only because agriculture and forestry are the most extensive land cover
types in Europe, but also because they have significant impacts on the provision of a
wide range of services (regulating, provisioning and cultural) (van Vliet et al. 2015)
and on the environment at large (Levers et al. 2016). The study of agricultural and
forestry intensification has gained attention (Levers et al. 2014, 2016; van der Sluis
et al. 2016) under the assumption that knowledge on the processes and trade-offs of
intensification is necessary to mitigate its negative impacts in a context of rapidly
changing resource demand (Erb 2012; van der Sluis et al. 2016). While some areas
face processes of intensification, land use disintensification and abandonment are also
important landscape change processes occurring in Europe (Plieninger et al. 2016).
“Disintensification” refers to changes to reduce the intensity of land management
and the contraction of agricultural land, including abandonment (see van Vliet et al.
2015); while “abandonment” describes the abandonment of any area previously used
for agricultural purposes, including croplands and grazing areas (see Benayas et al.
2007). Both intensification and its counterpart have important social and ecological consequences, and have become equally important in sustainable landscape
management research (Alcantara et al. 2012; Levers et al. 2016; Plieninger et al.
2014).
Considering the different objectives and questions addressed, Bürgi et al. (2017)
identified three main approaches to landscape change research:
• Local case studies to grasp the specifics of a place and its development, which
is essential for the systematic understanding of local changes. Research usually
takes place via oral history interviews, local texts and historical maps (e.g. Bürgi
et al. 2017; Lieskovský and Bürgi 2018).
• Large-scale analyses to search for the main trends and processes over large areas
using European spatial and statistical data analysis (e.g. Kuemmerle et al. 2016)
and broad-scale narratives (e.g. Jepsen et al. 2015).
M. García-Martín et al.
This knowledge can help to protect and manage valuable landscapes in a rapidly
changing world and regulate undesirable land use changes (Lieskovský and Bürgi
2018). Finally, there has been a focus on analysing how current trends would evolve
in the future under different political, environmental and socioeconomic scenarios
(Verburg et al. 2013a; Stürck et al. 2018; Verkerk et al. 2018). In this sense, the implementation of transdisciplinary projects has been discussed as a promising approach
in land use science in order to address complex multifaceted “real-world problems”
and to design strategies and solutions for sustainable development (Zscheischler
et al. 2017). Transdisciplinary approaches are defined as a collaborative process of
knowledge production that involves scientists from different disciplines and societal
actors to address highly complex, real-world problems (e.g. Pohl 2008; Wickson
et al. 2006). Transdisciplinary research has become a widespread research approach
in sustainability science and is increasingly promoted by research programmes and
agencies (e.g. Future Earth). It can develop collaborative research approaches in land
use science to bring promising means of initiating change in the current course of
action (Zscheischler et al. 2017).
The study of agricultural and forestry changes has become particularly exhaustive, not only because agriculture and forestry are the most extensive land cover
types in Europe, but also because they have significant impacts on the provision of a
wide range of services (regulating, provisioning and cultural) (van Vliet et al. 2015)
and on the environment at large (Levers et al. 2016). The study of agricultural and
forestry intensification has gained attention (Levers et al. 2014, 2016; van der Sluis
et al. 2016) under the assumption that knowledge on the processes and trade-offs of
intensification is necessary to mitigate its negative impacts in a context of rapidly
changing resource demand (Erb 2012; van der Sluis et al. 2016). While some areas
face processes of intensification, land use disintensification and abandonment are also
important landscape change processes occurring in Europe (Plieninger et al. 2016).
“Disintensification” refers to changes to reduce the intensity of land management
and the contraction of agricultural land, including abandonment (see van Vliet et al.
2015); while “abandonment” describes the abandonment of any area previously used
for agricultural purposes, including croplands and grazing areas (see Benayas et al.
2007). Both intensification and its counterpart have important social and ecological consequences, and have become equally important in sustainable landscape
management research (Alcantara et al. 2012; Levers et al. 2016; Plieninger et al.
2014).
Considering the different objectives and questions addressed, Bürgi et al. (2017)
identified three main approaches to landscape change research:
• Local case studies to grasp the specifics of a place and its development, which
is essential for the systematic understanding of local changes. Research usually
takes place via oral history interviews, local texts and historical maps (e.g. Bürgi
et al. 2017; Lieskovský and Bürgi 2018).
• Large-scale analyses to search for the main trends and processes over large areas
using European spatial and statistical data analysis (e.g. Kuemmerle et al. 2016)
and broad-scale narratives (e.g. Jepsen et al. 2015).