Land Management: Data Availability and Process Understanding for Global Change Studies.
Global Change Biology, 23 (2), 512-533, Doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13443
58 Pages Posted: 8 Jan 2019
Karl-Heinz Erb
Alpen Adria University
Sebastiaan Luyssaert
VU University Amsterdam
Patrick Meyfroidt
Université catholique de Louvain - Earth and Life Institute; F.R.S.-FNRS
Julia Pongratz
Max Planck Society for the Advancement of the Sciences - Max Planck Institute for Meteorology
Axel Don
Thünen Institute of Climate-Smart Agriculture
Silvia Kloster
Max Planck Society for the Advancement of the Sciences - Max Planck Institute for Meteorology
Tobias Kuemmerle
Humboldt University of Berlin - Department of Geography; Humboldt University of Berlin - Integrative Research Institute on Transformations of Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys)
Tamara Fetzel
Alpen-Adria-University Klagenfurt
Richard Fuchs
VU University Amsterdam
Martin Herold
Wageningen University and Research (WUR)
Helmut Haberl
Alpen Adria University
Chris D Jones
Met Office
Erika Marin-Spiotta
University of Wisconsin - Madison
Ian McCallum
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Eddy Robertson
Met Office
Verena Seufert
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Steffen Fritz
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Aude Valade
Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE)
Andy Wiltshire
Met Office
A.J. (Han) Dolman
VU University Amsterdam
Date Written: April 2016
Abstract
In light of daunting global sustainability challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and food security, improving our understanding of the complex dynamics of the Earth system is crucial. However, large knowledge gaps related to the effects of land management persist, in particular those human-induced changes in terrestrial ecosystems that do not result in land cover conversions. Here we review the current state of knowledge of ten common land management activities for their biogeochemical and biophysical impacts, the level of process-understanding and data availability. Our review shows that ca. one tenth of the ice free land surface is under intense human management, half under medium and one fifth under extensive management. Based on our review, we cluster these ten management activities into three groups: (1) management activities for which datasets are available, and for which a good knowledge base exists (cropland harvest and irrigation); (2) management activities for which sufficient knowledge on biogeochemical and biophysical effects exists but robust global datasets are lacking (forest harvest, tree species selection, grazing and mowing harvest, N-fertilization); and (3) land management practices with severe data gaps concomitant with an unsatisfactory level of process understanding (crop species selection, artificial wetland drainage, tillage and fire management and crop residue management, an element of crop harvest). Although we identify multiple impediments to progress, we conclude that the current status of process understanding and data availability is sufficient to advance with incorporating management in e.g. Earth System or Dynamic Vegetation models in order to provide a systematic assessment of their role in the Earth system. This review contributes to a strategic prioritization of research efforts across multiple disciplines, including land system research, ecological research and Earth system modelling.
Keywords: Land Management, Global Land Use Datasets, Data Availability, Land-Cover Modification, Process Understanding, Earth System Models
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Karl-Heinz Erb (Contact Author)
Alpen Adria University ( email )
Universitätsstraße 65
Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, 9020
Austria
Sebastiaan Luyssaert
VU University Amsterdam ( email )
De Boelelaan 1105
Amsterdam, ND North Holland 1081 HV
Netherlands
Patrick Meyfroidt
Université catholique de Louvain - Earth and Life Institute ( email )
Place Montesquieu, 3
Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348
Belgium
F.R.S.-FNRS ( email )
Rue d’Egmont 5
Brussels, 1000
Belgium
Julia Pongratz
Max Planck Society for the Advancement of the Sciences - Max Planck Institute for Meteorology ( email )
Bundesstra_e 55
20146 Hamburg
Germany
Silvia Kloster
Max Planck Society for the Advancement of the Sciences - Max Planck Institute for Meteorology
Bundesstra_e 55
20146 Hamburg
Germany
Tobias Kuemmerle
Humboldt University of Berlin - Department of Geography ( email )
Unter den Linden 6
Berlin
Germany
Humboldt University of Berlin - Integrative Research Institute on Transformations of Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys) ( email )
Berlin
Germany
Tamara Fetzel
Alpen-Adria-University Klagenfurt ( email )
Universitätsstrasse 65-67
Klagenfurt, Carinthia 9020
Austria
Richard Fuchs
VU University Amsterdam ( email )
De Boelelaan 1105
Amsterdam, ND North Holland 1081 HV
Netherlands
Martin Herold
Wageningen University and Research (WUR) ( email )
Hollandseweg 1
Wageningen, 6706KN
Netherlands
Helmut Haberl
Alpen Adria University ( email )
Universitätsstraße 65
Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, 9020
Austria
Chris D Jones
Met Office ( email )
Erika Marin-Spiotta
University of Wisconsin - Madison ( email )
716 Langdon Street
Madison, WI 53706-1481
United States
Ian McCallum
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) ( email )
Schlossplatz 1
Laxenburg, A-2361
Austria
Eddy Robertson
Met Office ( email )
Verena Seufert
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology ( email )
Kaiserstraße 12
Karlsruhe, Baden Württemberg 76131
Germany
Steffen Fritz
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) ( email )
Schlossplatz 1
Laxenburg, A-2361
Austria
Aude Valade
Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE) ( email )
Point Courrier 129
Gif-Sur-Yvette, 91191
France
Andy Wiltshire
Met Office ( email )
A.J. (Han) Dolman
VU University Amsterdam ( email )
De Boelelaan 1105
Amsterdam, ND North Holland 1081 HV
Netherlands
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