Backhaus Norman
Shaping cultural landscapes: Agricultural decision making in the Entlebuch (Switzerland) and Southern Illinois (USA) with particular focus on ecosystem services.
Project Number: CH-6323
| Project Type: |
Master |
| Project Duration: |
01/01/2012 - 12/31/2012 project completed |
| Funding Source: |
other , |
| Leading Institution: |
Universität Zürich |
| Project Leader: |
Prof. Norman Backhaus
Geographisches Institut - Human Geography
Universität Zürich
Winterthurerstr. 190 - Irchel
8057 Zürich
Phone: +41 (0) 44 635 51 72 ; +41 (0) 44 635 51 11
FAX: +41 (0) 44 635 68 48
e-Mail: norman.backhaus(at)geo.uzh.ch
http://www.geo.uzh.ch |
Disciplines:
| |
|---|
| Social geography and Ecology |
Abstract:
Land use change, driven by demands on the land from economic development and growing populations, is putting pressure on natural resources and disrupting biological cycles which are ultimately essential to our well-being. The concept of ecosystem services is trying to sensitize for the problem and helps to pave the way for sustainable develop-ment. It is applied in this research.
Agriculture is a field that has manifold direct impacts on the environment. Therefore it is important to establish understanding of agricultural decision-making, to elaborate sensible and effective policies. To contribute to this goal, the objective of this study is to compare key factors in farmers' decision-making process in two contextually different regions, and thus understand land use decision-making in different systems with similar influences on the landscape. For this purpose, two case studies using mail questionnaire surveys in the Entlebuch (Switzerland) and Southern Illinois (USA) are conducted. It is initially assumed that policy contexts in the two regions are different, but the land use is similar – with mainly small-scale livestock operations. Farmers or individuals that actively shape larger parcels of agricultural land are the surveys' targeting group.
A first research question investigates the structures (context) and the actual land use prac-tices in the study areas. A second research question asks why land use decision-makers manage the land as they do. And in the issue, a final research question scrutinizes whether cultural ecosystem services – the nonmaterial benefits people obtain from ecosystems – are important in agricultural decision-making.
The methods applied involve structured questionnaires with closed questions. Data analy-sis relies mainly on descriptive statistics, but also regression analysis to explain farming intensities – determined primarily by a farm's percentage of ecological compensation strips and assuming that less intensive use is more beneficial to the environment.
As to the results, surveys reach response rates of 24.2% in the Entlebuch and 18.4% in Southern Illinois. Both samples are deemed to be representative. However, while the systems – primarily in terms of agricultural policies – prove to be different, the land use emerges to be unalike as well. Small-scale cow-calf operations dominate in the Entlebuch, but only about a third of the respondents keep livestock in Southern Illinois. There, more than half of the land is in row crops – apparently an increasing development (since prices are currently high). This pertains even more so for full-time farmers which only amount to a fifth of respondents. The rest in Southern Illinois are almost exclusively retired hob-by farmers who operate relatively small farms and often have all their acreage idling in a government conservation program. The bigger a farm, the easier it is to be economical and vice versa. On the contrary and most likely due to the country's agricultural policies, a much larger number of small-scale farmers remain economically productive in the Entlebuch, even part-time farmers who account for about a fifth of respondents there.
In Switzerland, farmers receive ample direct payments for operating their farms less in-tensively, eventuating in extensive land use among the majority of farms. Government influence is weaker in Southern Illinois and conservation programs are voluntary. Com-paratively, a higher percentage runs intensive farms and, not least, this applies to full-time farms.
The main messages from the study are that financial and economic considerations as well as the natural premises, which actually allow certain land uses, are most important in agri-cultural decision-making in either study area – above all for productive farms. Also farm succession is important, especially in Southern Illinois where most respondents are of advanced age. Less intensive land use is essentially contingent upon government financial incentives – even though other research also found different explanations. Farmers them-selves prefer intensive farming which is again tied to profit-maximizing. Particularly in the Entlebuch, farmers perceive a conflict between conservation endeavors and financial well-being what is likely due to strong government involvement and regulations. A similar conflict can indirectly be detected in Southern Illinois.
Another main message is that cultural ecosystem services – mainly spiritual and aesthet-ical values – are of considerable importance in agricultural decision-making. This is appli-cable to almost all the farms in both study areas. The Entlebuch survey evaluation even indicates them to be supportive of extensive farming. Therefore trying to incorporate related aspects into agricultural policies is concluded to be worthwhile.
Publications:
Schoch, Patrick (2012): Shaping cultural landscapes: Agricultural decision making in the Entlebuch (Switzerland) and Southern Illinois (USA) with particular focus on ecosystem services. Master thesis, University of Zürich.
PDF Master thesis
Last update: 1/25/18
Source of data: ProClim- Research InfoSystem (1993-2024)
Update the data of project: CH-6323
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