Land Management: The Hidden Costs

Land Management: The Hidden Costs
Colin Hindmarch, Mike W. Pienkowski
Paperback
72 pages
July 2000
Mature ecological criticism of agricultural policies is not easy: targets agreed in Biodiversity Action Plans must be achieved within a framework of agricultural and economic policies. Developing a balanced solution is the essence of sustainability. Until recently the hidden costs of high-production systems on biodiversity has been ignored.
This booklet identifies some of the hidden costs of unsustainable production, and also considers examples where conservation management has failed.
The authors argue that sustainable land management is possible, and that conservation and production interests can be satisfied. They go on to show how a sustainable approach can be applied throughout Europe. The approach adopted is the one that has underpinned the development of the European Union Biodiversity strategy and is becoming a compelling force for change in Europe's decision-making processes.
Land managers and planners, ecologists and agriculturalists will, in particular, find this booklet an invaluable resource. However, it will also appeal to those with a more general interest in the issues of land management.
 

Table of Contents

1. Introduction.
2. Land-Use Intensification: The Cost To The Environment:.
The Drive For Productivity.
Habitats And Wildlife.
Overuse And Neglect.
Pollution.
Soil Erosion.
The Loss Of Farm Biodiversity.
Impact Of Land-Use Intensification On Forest Biodiversity.
Landscape Effects Of Intensive Forestry And Farming.
Cultural Effects.
Concluding Thoughts.
3. Biological Conservation : Gaps, Overlaps And Contradictions:.
Complexity And Simplicity In Ecological Interactions.
Attempts To Deal With The Ecological Effects Of Land-Use Intensification.
4. Traditional Land Use Systems; Sustainability, Efficiency And Biodiversity:.
Sustainable Land-Uses.
The Character Of Extensive Land-Uses.
Farming Efficiency And Ecological Complexity.
Habitat Scale Effects Of Optimising Production Within Extensive Systems.
The Marsh Fritillary Butterfly.
The Red-Billed Chough (Pyrrhocorax Pyrrhocorax).
Landscape Scale Effects Of Optimising Production With Extensive Systems.
Concluding Thoughts.
5. Land-Use Reform: A New Harmony Between Human Activity, Economic Forces And The Land:.
Agricultural Support Mechanisms.
Attempts To Control The Adverse Environmental Effects Of Subsidies.
The Need For An Integrated Approach To Conservation And Land Management.
Reduction Of Support For Intensive Production.
Environmentally Neutral Support For Agriculture.
6. Abbreviations