The Representation of Human-Environment Interactions in Land Change Research and Modelling

Verburg, Peter H.

doi:10.1007/978-94-017-8959-2_8

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…In light of recent advancements in the literature on human-environment relations that emphasise the existence of looping effects between analytical choices, problem framing, and recommended interventions [4,81], explicit consideration is needed with regards to how our choice of system boundaries-be they administrative, spatial geographical, or others-influence our results. This is particularly crucial for the increasing efforts going into the quantification, modelling, and potentially scenario-building of telecoupled systems [11,130,131], but also, as illustrated by our analysis in this paper, for the case study research of telecoupling of local land use change. Since spatial scale categories such as local, regional or global, and national or subnational administrative borders are likely to remain relevant as system boundaries for some studies (especially given issues related to data availability for spatial and statistical modelling), epistemological systems thinking reminds us that such boundaries are neither 'naturally given' nor necessarily the most suitable ones.…”

Section: Discussion: Implications and Solutions For System Boundary Cmentioning

confidence: 92%

On the System. Boundary Choices, Implications, and Solutions in Telecoupling Land Use Change Research

Friis

Nielsen

2017

Sustainability

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Land-based production provides societies with indispensable goods such as food, feed, fibre, and energy. Yet, with economic globalisation and global population growth, the environmental and social trade-offs of their production are ever more complex. This is particularly so since land use changes are increasingly embedded in networks of long-distance flows of, e.g., material, energy, and information. The resulting scientific and governance challenge is captured in the emerging telecoupling framework addressing socioeconomic and environmental interactions and feedbacks between distal human-environment systems. Understanding telecouplings, however, entails a number of fundamental analytical problems. When dealing with global connectivity, a central question is how and where to draw system boundaries between coupled systems. In this article, we explore the analytical implications of setting system boundaries in the study of a recent telecoupled land use change: the expansion of Chinese banana plantation investments in Luang Namtha Province, Laos. Based on empirical material from fieldwork in Laos in 2014 and 2015, and drawing on key concepts from the 'systems thinking' literature, we illustrate how treating the system and its boundaries as epistemological constructs enable us to capture the differentiated involvement of actors, as well as the socio-economic and environmental effects of this land use change. In discussing our results, the need for more explicit attention to the trade-offs and implications of scale and boundary choices when defining systems is emphasised.

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Section: Discussion: Implications and Solutions For System Boundary Cmentioning

confidence: 92%

On the System. Boundary Choices, Implications, and Solutions in Telecoupling Land Use Change Research

Friis

Nielsen

2017

Sustainability

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“…Challenges remain, however, such as incorporating human values and goals in the modeling of land systems for design and planning [78]. Integrating agent based and land change models together may better simulate the complexities of socio-ecological systems [41,79].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Model performance may differ when other regions with different development constraints and pressures is considered. Regional-scale development patterns are the physical manifestation of interacting socio-political decisions [81], environmental driving factors [82], and agent-based decision making [79]. Despite considerable progress, these processes have proven difficult to distill into a computer algorithm.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparing Quantity, Allocation and Configuration Accuracy of Multiple Land Change Models

Pickard

Gray

Meentemeyer

2017

Land

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Abstract:The growing numbers of land change models makes it difficult to select a model at the beginning of an analysis, and is often arbitrary and at the researcher's discretion. How to select a model at the beginning of an analysis, when multiple are suitable, represents a critical research gap currently understudied, where trade-offs of choosing one model over another are often unknown. Repeatable methods are needed to conduct cross-model comparisons to understand the trade-offs among models when the same calibration and validation data are used. Several methods to assess accuracy have been proposed that emphasize quantity and allocation, while overlooking the accuracy with which a model simulates the spatial configuration (e.g., size and shape) of map categories across landscapes. We compared the quantity, allocation, and configuration accuracy of four inductive pattern-based spatial allocation land change models (SLEUTH, GEOMOD, Land Change Modeler (LCM), and FUTURES). We simulated urban development with each model using identical input data from ten counties surrounding the growing region of Charlotte, North Carolina. Maintaining the same input data, such as land cover, drivers of change, and projected quantity of change, reduces differences in model inputs and allows for focus on trade-offs in different types of model accuracy. Results suggest that these four land change models produce representations of urban development with substantial variance, where some models may better simulate quantity and allocation at the trade-off of configuration accuracy, and vice versa. Trade-offs in accuracy exist with respect to the amount, spatial allocation, and landscape configuration of each model. This comparison exercise illustrates the range of accuracies for these models, and demonstrates the need to consider all three types of accuracy when assessing land change model's projections.

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“…Commonly, the more weight that is put on single actors' decisions, the smaller the scale of study will have to be, as larger scale studies inevitably have to include more diverse actors, who are assessed and integrated adequately (Verburg 2014). Relations between the study scale, the approaches chosen, and the role of quantification, data availability, and upscaling therein have recently been discussed by Eiter and Potthoff (2016).…”

Section: Drivers Of Landscape Change: Terminology and Conceptsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The approaches used account for a wide diversity of actors at the local scale, and their motivations, perceptions, and adaptive responses to landscape continuity and change, including landscape stewardship and awareness-raising approaches (e.g., Castella et al 2005, Vallés-Planells et al 2014. Methods include codesign of stewardship options during stakeholder workshops and agent-based models to evaluate alternative landscape futures that represent the diversity and development of agent behavior (Valbuena et al 2010, van Berkel andVerburg 2014). Here, the barriers and opportunities for action within the studied area are central topics of research.…”

Section: Linking Driving Forces Concepts With Research Aims and Spatimentioning

confidence: 99%

From concepts to practice: combining different approaches to understand drivers of landscape change

Kizos¹,

Verburg²,

Bürgi³

et al. 2018

E&S

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ABSTRACT. Landscape change and its drivers have been the focus of a growing body of literature in the past years. Our objective is to present different approaches to studying and understanding landscape change. We sketch the way in which different approaches and existing conceptual models are related to spatial scales and epistemological aims, and discuss complementarity and a range of applications with five specific research approaches from a Mediterranean landscape, including approaches at national and European levels. These include an analysis of historical landscape change, an investigation of decision-making processes, public awareness raising, evaluation of landscape services, and provision of policy support with data from published and unpublished material. The findings indicate that on the issue of complementarity, some models work better together with others. A major difference observed is the role that conceptual models and related approaches provide to the "voice" of stakeholders and actors of landscape change, sometimes contradicting, but often complementary. An important issue that comes up is a need for a plurality of research approaches and underlying conceptualizations of human-environment interactions, as the approaches represent different lenses for looking at the humanenvironmental system that are all abstractions from the full complexity of how decision-making on land use is conducted.

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The Representation of Human-Environment Interactions in Land Change Research and Modelling

Cited by 7 publications

References 69 publications

On the System. Boundary Choices, Implications, and Solutions in Telecoupling Land Use Change Research

On the System. Boundary Choices, Implications, and Solutions in Telecoupling Land Use Change Research

Comparing Quantity, Allocation and Configuration Accuracy of Multiple Land Change Models

From concepts to practice: combining different approaches to understand drivers of landscape change

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