Ecosystem Services in Agricultural Landscapes: A Spatially Explicit Approach to Support Sustainable Soil Management

Soil degradation has been associated with a lack of adequate consideration of soil ecosystem services. We demonstrate a broadly applicable method for mapping changes in the supply of two priority soil ecosystem services to support decisions about sustainable land-use configurations. We used a landsc...

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Main Authors: Mohsen Forouzangohar, Neville D. Crossman, Richard J. MacEwan, D. Dugal Wallace, Lauren T. Bennett
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2014-01-01
Series:The Scientific World Journal
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/483298
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author Mohsen Forouzangohar
Neville D. Crossman
Richard J. MacEwan
D. Dugal Wallace
Lauren T. Bennett
author_facet Mohsen Forouzangohar
Neville D. Crossman
Richard J. MacEwan
D. Dugal Wallace
Lauren T. Bennett
author_sort Mohsen Forouzangohar
collection DOAJ
description Soil degradation has been associated with a lack of adequate consideration of soil ecosystem services. We demonstrate a broadly applicable method for mapping changes in the supply of two priority soil ecosystem services to support decisions about sustainable land-use configurations. We used a landscape-scale study area of 302 km2 in northern Victoria, south-eastern Australia, which has been cleared for intensive agriculture. Indicators representing priority soil services (soil carbon sequestration and soil water storage) were quantified and mapped under both a current and a future 25-year land-use scenario (the latter including a greater diversity of land uses and increased perennial crops and irrigation). We combined diverse methods, including soil analysis using mid-infrared spectroscopy, soil biophysical modelling, and geostatistical interpolation. Our analysis suggests that the future land-use scenario would increase the landscape-level supply of both services over 25 years. Soil organic carbon content and water storage to 30 cm depth were predicted to increase by about 11% and 22%, respectively. Our service maps revealed the locations of hotspots, as well as potential trade-offs in service supply under new land-use configurations. The study highlights the need to consider diverse land uses in sustainable management of soil services in changing agricultural landscapes.
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institution OA Journals
issn 2356-6140
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publishDate 2014-01-01
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series The Scientific World Journal
spelling doaj-art-46cdfc9be83d44b084ca84b852d858152025-08-20T02:37:50ZengWileyThe Scientific World Journal2356-61401537-744X2014-01-01201410.1155/2014/483298483298Ecosystem Services in Agricultural Landscapes: A Spatially Explicit Approach to Support Sustainable Soil ManagementMohsen Forouzangohar0Neville D. Crossman1Richard J. MacEwan2D. Dugal Wallace3Lauren T. Bennett4Department of Forest and Ecosystem Science, The University of Melbourne, 4 Water Street, Creswick, VIC 3363, AustraliaCommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Ecosystem Sciences, PMB 2, Urrbrae, SA 5064, AustraliaFuture Farming Systems Research Division, Department of Environment & Primary Industries, P.O. Box 3100, Bendigo Delivery Centre, VIC 3554, AustraliaAgriculture Productivity Group, Department of Environment & Primary Industries, 32 Lincoln Square, North Carlton, VIC 3053, AustraliaDepartment of Forest and Ecosystem Science, The University of Melbourne, 4 Water Street, Creswick, VIC 3363, AustraliaSoil degradation has been associated with a lack of adequate consideration of soil ecosystem services. We demonstrate a broadly applicable method for mapping changes in the supply of two priority soil ecosystem services to support decisions about sustainable land-use configurations. We used a landscape-scale study area of 302 km2 in northern Victoria, south-eastern Australia, which has been cleared for intensive agriculture. Indicators representing priority soil services (soil carbon sequestration and soil water storage) were quantified and mapped under both a current and a future 25-year land-use scenario (the latter including a greater diversity of land uses and increased perennial crops and irrigation). We combined diverse methods, including soil analysis using mid-infrared spectroscopy, soil biophysical modelling, and geostatistical interpolation. Our analysis suggests that the future land-use scenario would increase the landscape-level supply of both services over 25 years. Soil organic carbon content and water storage to 30 cm depth were predicted to increase by about 11% and 22%, respectively. Our service maps revealed the locations of hotspots, as well as potential trade-offs in service supply under new land-use configurations. The study highlights the need to consider diverse land uses in sustainable management of soil services in changing agricultural landscapes.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/483298
spellingShingle Mohsen Forouzangohar
Neville D. Crossman
Richard J. MacEwan
D. Dugal Wallace
Lauren T. Bennett
Ecosystem Services in Agricultural Landscapes: A Spatially Explicit Approach to Support Sustainable Soil Management
The Scientific World Journal
title Ecosystem Services in Agricultural Landscapes: A Spatially Explicit Approach to Support Sustainable Soil Management
title_full Ecosystem Services in Agricultural Landscapes: A Spatially Explicit Approach to Support Sustainable Soil Management
title_fullStr Ecosystem Services in Agricultural Landscapes: A Spatially Explicit Approach to Support Sustainable Soil Management
title_full_unstemmed Ecosystem Services in Agricultural Landscapes: A Spatially Explicit Approach to Support Sustainable Soil Management
title_short Ecosystem Services in Agricultural Landscapes: A Spatially Explicit Approach to Support Sustainable Soil Management
title_sort ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes a spatially explicit approach to support sustainable soil management
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/483298
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AT richardjmacewan ecosystemservicesinagriculturallandscapesaspatiallyexplicitapproachtosupportsustainablesoilmanagement
AT ddugalwallace ecosystemservicesinagriculturallandscapesaspatiallyexplicitapproachtosupportsustainablesoilmanagement
AT laurentbennett ecosystemservicesinagriculturallandscapesaspatiallyexplicitapproachtosupportsustainablesoilmanagement