Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Policy impacts on regulating ecosystem services: looking at the implications of 60 years of landscape change on soil erosion prevention in a Mediterranean silvo-pastoral system

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Landscape Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Context

Policy decisions form a major driver of land use change, with important implications for socially and environmentally susceptible regions. It is well known that there can be major unintended consequences, especially where policies are not tailored to regionally specific contexts.

Objectives

In this paper we assess the implications of 60 years of agricultural policies on soil erosion prevention (SEP) by vegetation, an essential regulating ecosystem service in Mediterranean Europe.

Methods

To assess these implications we produced and analysed a time series of land cover/use and environmental conditions datasets (from 1951 to 2012) in relation to changing agricultural policies for a specific region in the southern Portugal. A set of indicators related to SEP allowed us to identify that land use intensification as increased soil erosion in the last 60 years.

Results

Particularly in the last 35 years, as a consequence of headage payments for cattle, the agricultural policy had a significant effect in the density and renewal of the tree cover, resulting in drastic effects for the provision of the SEP service. These are more significant after 1986, coinciding with the implementation of several Common Agricultural Policy instruments focused on increasing the modernization and productivity capacity of farm systems.

Conclusions

The results show some unintended effects of agricultural policy mechanisms on ecosystem service provision and highlight the need for context-based policies, tailored to the environmental constrains and potentials of each region.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Almeida M, Guerra C, Pinto-Correia T (2013) Unfolding relations between land cover and farm management: high nature value assessment in complex silvo-pastoral systems. Geogr Tidsskr J Geogr 113:1–12. doi:10.1080/00167223.2013.848611

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amore E, Modica C, Nearing MA, Santoro VC (2004) Scale effect in USLE and WEPP application for soil erosion computation from three Sicilian basins. J Hydrol 293:100–114. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2004.01.018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arnaez J, Lasanta T, Errea MP, Ortigosa L (2011) Land abandonment, landscape evolution, and soil erosion in a Spanish Mediterranean mountain region: the case of Camero Viejo. L Degrad Dev 550:537–550

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Avillez F, Finan T, Josling T (1988) Trade, exchange rate and agricultural pricing policies in Portugal. The World Bank, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Braat LC, de Groot R (2012) The ecosystem services agenda:bridging the worlds of natural science and economics, conservation and development, and public and private policy. Ecosyst Serv 1:4–15. doi:10.1016/j.ecoser.2012.07.011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brouwer F, van der Heide M (2009) Multifunctional rural land management: economics and policies. Earthscan, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Brouwer F, van Ittersum M (2010) Environmental and agricultural modelling. Integrated approaches for policy impact assessment. Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Buckwell AE, Haynes J, Davidova S, Courboin V, Kwiecinski A (1994) Feasibility of an agricultural strategy to prepare the countries of central and eastern Europe for EU accession. DGI-EC, p 97

  • Bugalho MN, Caldeira MC, Pereira JS, Aronson J, Pausas JG (2011) Mediterranean cork oak savannas require human use to sustain biodiversity and ecosystem services. Front Ecol Environ 9:278–286. doi:10.1890/100084

  • Buller H, Wilson G, Höll A (2000) Agri-environmental policy in the European Union. International Library of Politics and Comparative Government, Ashgate, p 291

  • Capolongo D, Diodato N, Mannaerts CM, Piccarreta M, Strobl RO (2008) Analyzing temporal changes in climate erosivity using a simplified rainfall erosivity model in Basilicata (southern Italy). J Hydrol 356:119–130. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2008.04.002

  • Cardoso JC (1965) Os solos de Portugal sua classificação, caracterização e génese: 1-A sul do rio tejo. Lisboa

  • CEC (2006) Thematic strategy for soil protection. Communication from the commission to the council, the European parliment, the European economic and social committee and the committee of the regions. Comission of the European communities. Brussels, COM 2006/231

  • Chapin FS, Carpenter SR, Kofinas GP, Folke C, Abel N, Clark WC, Olsson P, Smith DMS, Walker B, Young OR, Berkes F, Biggs R, Grove JM, Naylor RL, Pinkerton E, Steffen W, Swanson FJ (2010) Ecosystem stewardship: sustainability strategies for a rapidly changing planet. Trends Ecol Evol 25:241–249. doi:10.1016/j.tree.2009.10.008

  • Chiesura A, de Groot R (2003) Critical natural capital: a socio-cultural perspective. Ecol Econ 44:219–231. doi:10.1016/S0921-8009(02)00275-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costa A, Pereira H, Madeira M (2009) Landscape dynamics in endangered cork oak woodlands in Southwestern Portugal (1958–2005). Agrofor Syst 77:83–96. doi:10.1007/s10457-009-9212-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costa A, Madeira M, Lima Santos J, Oliveira  (2011) Change and dynamics in Mediterranean evergreen oak woodlands landscapes of Southwestern Iberian Peninsula. Landsc Urban Plan 102:164–176. doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2011.04.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crossman ND, Burkhard B, Nedkov S, Willemen L, Petz K, Palomo I, Drakou EG, Martín-Lopez B, McPhearson T, Boyanova K, Alkemade R, Egoh B, Dunbar MB, Maes J (2013) A blueprint for mapping and modelling ecosystem services. Ecosyst Serv 4:4–14. doi:10.1016/j.ecoser.2013.02.001

  • De Vente J, Poesen J, Verstraeten G, Van Rompaey A, Govers G (2008) Spatially distributed modelling of soil erosion and sediment yield at regional scales in Spain. Glob Planet Chang 60:393–415. doi:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2007.05.002

  • Diodato N, Bellocchi G (2007) Estimating monthly (R)USLE climate input in a Mediterranean region using limited data. J Hydrol 345:224–236. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2007.08.008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diodato N, Bellocchi G (2010) MedREM, a rainfall erosivity model for the Mediterranean region. J Hydrol 387:119–127. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2010.04.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eigenbrod F, Armsworth PR, Anderson BJ, Heinemeyer A, Gillings S, Roy DB, Thomas CD, Gaston KJ (2010) The impact of proxy-based methods on mapping the distribution of ecosystem services. J Appl Ecol 47:377–385. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2664.2010.01777.x

  • Erskine WD, Mahmoudzadeh A, Myers C (2002) Land use effects on sediment yields and soil loss rates in small basins of Triassic sandstone near. Catena 49:271–287

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferreira DB (2001) Evolução da paisagem de montado no Alentejo interior al longo do Século XX: dinâmica e incidências ambientais. Finisterra XXXVI:179–193

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisher B, Turner RK, Morling P (2009) Defining and classifying ecosystem services for decision making. Ecol Econ 68:643–653. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2008.09.014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fistikoglu O, Harmancioglu NB (2002) Integration of GIS with USLE in assessment of soil erosion. Water Resour Manag 16:447–467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Godinho S, Guiomar N, Machado R, Santos P, Sá-Sousa P, Fernandes JP, Neves N, Pinto-Correia T (2014) Assessment of environment, land management, and spatial variables on recent changes in montado land cover in southern Portugal. Agrofor Syst. doi:10.1007/s10457-014-9757-7

  • Guerra C, Pinto-Correia T, Metzger MJ (2014) Mapping soil erosion prevention using an ecosystem service modeling framework for integrated land management and policy. Ecosystems 17:878–889. doi:10.1007/s10021-014-9766-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haines-Young R, Potschin M, Kienast F (2012) Indicators of ecosystem service potential at European scales: mapping marginal changes and trade-offs. Ecol Indic 21:39–53. doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2011.09.004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hauck J, Görg C, Varjopuro R, Ratamäki O, Jax K (2013) Benefits and limitations of the ecosystem services concept in environmental policy and decision making: some stakeholder perspectives. Environ Sci Policy 25:13–21. doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2012.08.001

  • Jiang Z, Huete AR, Chen J, Chen Y, Li J, Yan G, Zhang X (2006) Analysis of NDVI and scaled difference vegetation index retrievals of vegetation fraction. Remote Sens Environ 101:366–378. doi:10.1016/j.rse.2006.01.003

  • Jones N, de Graaff J, Rodrigo I, Duarte F (2011) Historical review of land use changes in Portugal (before and after EU integration in 1986) and their implications for land degradation and conservation, with a focus on Centro and Alentejo regions. Appl Geogr 31:1036–1048. doi:10.1016/j.apgeog.2011.01.024

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jose S (2009) Agroforestry for ecosystem services and environmental benefits: an overview. Agrofor Syst 76:1–10. doi:10.1007/s10457-009-9229-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu C, Frazier P, Kumar L (2007) Comparative assessment of the measures of thematic classification accuracy. Remote Sens Environ 107:606–616. doi:10.1016/j.rse.2006.10.010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Millennium Assessment (2005) Ecosystems and Human Well-being: policy responses. Island Press, Ispra

  • Maes J, Egoh B, Willemen L, Liquete C, Vihervaara P, Schägner JP, Grizzetti B, Drakou EG, Notte A La, Zulian G, Bouraoui F, Luisa Paracchini M, Braat L, Bidoglio G (2012) Mapping ecosystem services for policy support and decision making in the European Union. Ecosyst Serv 1:31–39. doi:10.1016/j.ecoser.2012.06.004

  • Maes J, Hauck J, Paracchini ML, Ratamäki O, Hutchins M, Termansen M, Furman E, Pérez-Soba M, Braat L, Bidoglio G (2013a) Mainstreaming ecosystem services into EU policy. Curr Opin Environ Sustain 5:128–134. doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2013.01.002

  • Maes J, Teller A, Erhard M, Liquete C, Braat L, Berry P, Egoh B, Puydarrieux P, Fiorina C, Santos F, Paracchini M, Keune H, Wittmer H, Hauck J, Fiala I, Verburg P, Condé S, Schägner J, San Miguel J, Estreguil C, Ostermann O, Barredo J, Pereira H, Stott A, Laporte V, Meiner A, Olah B, Royo Gelabert E, Spyropoulou R, Petersen J, Maguire C, Zal N, Achilleos E, Rubin A, Ledoux L, Brown C, Raes C, Jacobs S, Vandewalle M, Connor D, Bidoglio G (2013b) Mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services. An analytical framework for ecosystem assessments under action 5 of the EU biodiversity strategy to 2020. doi: 10.2779/12398

  • Metzger MJ, Rounsevell MDA, Acosta-Michlik L, Leemans R, Schröter D (2006) The vulnerability of ecosystem services to land use change. Agric Ecosyst Environ 114:69–85. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2005.11.025

  • Metzger MJ, Bunce RGH, Leemans R, Viner D (2008) Projected environmental shifts under climate change: European trends and regional impacts. Environ Conserv 35:64–75. doi:10.1017/S0376892908004529

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore ID, Burch GJ (1986) Physical basis of the length-slope factor in the universal soil loss equation. Soil Sci Soc Am J 50:1294. doi:10.2136/sssaj1986.03615995005000050042x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan RPC (2005) Soil erosion & conservation, 3rd edn. Blackwell Publishing, Cornwall

    Google Scholar 

  • Müller F, Burkhard B (2012) The indicator side of ecosystem services. Ecosyst Serv 1:26–30. doi:10.1016/j.ecoser.2012.06.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nedkov S, Burkhard B (2011) Flood regulating ecosystem services—mapping supply and demand, in the Etropole municipality, Bulgaria. Ecol Indic. doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2011.06.022

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson E, Mendoza G, Regetz J, Polasky S, Tallis H, Cameron DR, Chan KM, Daily GC, Goldstein J, Kareiva PM, Lonsdorf E, Naidoo R, Ricketts TH, Shaw MR (2009) Modeling multiple ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, commodity production, and tradeoffs at landscape scales. Front Ecol Environ 7:4–11. doi:10.1890/080023

  • Ojima D, Galvin K, Turner B (1994) The global impact of land-use change. Bioscience

  • Olea L, Miguel-ayanz AS (2006) The Spanish dehesa, a traditional Mediterranean silvopastoral system. 21st Gen. Meet. Eur. Grassl. Fed. Badajoz, pp 1–15

  • Otero I, Boada M, Badia A, Pla E, Vayreda J, Sabaté S, Gracia CA, Peñuelas J (2011) Loss of water availability and stream biodiversity under land abandonment and climate change in a Mediterranean catchment (Olzinelles, NE Spain). Land Use Policy 28:207–218. doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2010.06.002

  • Panagos P, Karydas CG, Gitas IZ (2011) Monthly soil erosion monitoring based on remotely sensed biophysical parameters: a case study in Strymonas river basin towards a functional pan-European service. Int J Digit Earth 37–41

  • Pe’er G, Dicks L, Visconti P, Arlettaz R, Báldi A, Benton T, Collins S, Dieterich M, Gregory R, Hartig F, Henle K, Hobson P, Kleijn D, Neumann R, Robijns T, Schmidt J, Shwartz A, Sutherland W, Turbé A, Wulf F, Scott A (2014) EU agricultural reform fails on biodiversity. Science 344(80):1090–1092

  • Pinto-Correia T (1993) Threatned landscape in Alentejo, Portugal: the “montado” and other’agro-silvo-pastoral’ systems. Landsc Urban Plan 24:43–48

  • Pinto-Correia T (2000) Future development in Portuguese rural areas: how to manage agricultural support for landscape conservation? Landsc Urban Plan 50:95–106. doi:10.1016/S0169-2046(00)00082-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pinto-Correia T, Godinho S (2013) Changing agriculture—changing landscape: what is going on in the high valued Montado landscapes of Southern Portugal? In: Ortiz-Miranda D, Moragues-Faus AM, Arnalte-Alegre E (eds) Agric. Mediterr. Eur. between old new Paradig., Research i. Emerald, pp 75–90

  • Pinto-Correia T, Mascarenhas J (1999) Contribution to the extensification/intensification debate: new trends in the Portuguese montado. Landsc Urban Plan 46:125–131

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pinto-Correia T, Primdahl J (2009) When rural landscapes change functionality: constraints and development options for multifunctional landscapes: examples from contrasting case-studies in Portugal and Denmark. In: Brouwer F, van der Heide M (eds) Multifunct. Rural L. Manag. Econ. Policies. Earthscan, pp 213–234

  • Pinto-Correia T, Vos W (2004) Multifunctionality in Mediterranean landscapes-past and future. In: Jongman RHG (ed) new Dimens. Eur. Landsc. Wageningen EU Frontis Series, Springer, New York pp 135–164

  • Pinto-Correia T, Ribeiro N, Sá-Sousa P (2011) Introducing the montado, the cork and holm oak agroforestry system of Southern Portugal. Agrofor Syst 82:99–104. doi:10.1007/s10457-011-9388-1

  • Pinto-Correia T, Machado C, Barroso F, Picchi P, Turpin N, Bousset J-P, Chabab N, Michelin Y (2013) How do policy options modify landscape amenities? An assessment approach based on public expressed preferences. Environ Sci Policy. doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2013.01.016

  • Pinto-Correia T, Menezes H, Barroso LF (2014) The landscape as an asset in Southern European fragile agricultural systems: contrasts and contradictions in land managers attitudes and practices. Landsc Res 39:205–217. doi:10.1080/01426397.2013.790948

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Podmanicky L, Balázs K, Belényesi M, Centeri C, Kristóf D, Kohlheb N (2011) Modelling soil quality changes in Europe. An impact assessment of land use change on soil quality in Europe. Ecol Indic 11:4–15. doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2009.08.002

  • Power AG (2010) Ecosystem services and agriculture: tradeoffs and synergies. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 365:2959–2971. doi:10.1098/rstb.2010.0143

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Prasannakumar V, Vijith H, Abinod S, Geetha N (2012) Estimation of soil erosion risk within a small mountainous sub-watershed in Kerala, India, using Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and geo-information technology. Geosci Front 3:209–215. doi:10.1016/j.gsf.2011.11.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prasuhn V, Liniger H, Gisler S, Herweg K, Candinas A, Clément J-P (2013) A high-resolution soil erosion risk map of Switzerland as strategic policy support system. Land Use Policy 32:281–291. doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2012.11.006

  • Primdahl J, Andersen E, Swaffield S, Kristensen L (2013) Intersecting dynamics of agricultural structural change and urbanisation within European rural landscapes: change patterns and policy implications. Landsc Res 38:799–817. doi:10.1080/01426397.2013.772959

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rabbinge R, van Diepen CA (2000) Changes in agriculture and land use in Europe. Eur J Agron 13:85–99. doi:10.1016/S1161-0301(00)00067-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renwick A, Jansson T, Verburg PH, Revoredo-Giha C, Britz W, Gocht A, McCracken D (2013) Policy reform and agricultural land abandonment in the EU. Land Use Policy 30:446–457. doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2012.04.005

  • Ribeiro PPF, Santos JLJ, Bugalho MNM, Santana J, Reino L, Beja P, Moreira F (2014) Modelling farming system dynamics in High Nature Value Farmland under policy change. Agric Ecosyst Environ 183:138–144. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2013.11.002

  • Rickson RJ (2014) Can control of soil erosion mitigate water pollution by sediments? Sci Total Environ 468–469:1187–1197. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.05.057

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rounsevell MDA, Pedroli B, Erb K-H, Gramberger M, Busck AG, Haberl H, Kristensen S, Kuemmerle T, Lavorel S, Lindner M, Lotze-Campen H, Metzger MJ, Murray-Rust D, Popp A, Pérez-Soba M, Reenberg A, Vadineanu A, Verburg PH, Wolfslehner B (2012) Challenges for land system science. Land Use Policy 29:899–910. doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2012.01.007

  • Santana J, Reino L, Stoate C, Borralho R, Carvalho CR, Schindler S, Moreira F, Bugalho MN, Ribeiro PF, Santos JL, Vaz A, Morgado R, Porto M, Beja P (2013) Mixed effects of long-term conservation investment in Natura 2000 farmland. Conserv Lett 00:n/a–n/a. doi: 10.1111/conl.12077

  • Schäfer RB (2012) Biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services in environmental risk assessment: introduction to the special issue. Sci Total Environ 415:1–2. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.08.012

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scholes R, Reyers B, Biggs R, Spierenburg M, Duriappah A (2013) Multi-scale and cross-scale assessments of social–ecological systems and their ecosystem services. Curr Opin Environ Sustain 5:16–25. doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2013.01.004

  • Schröder C (2011) Land use dynamics in the dehesas in the Sierra Morena (Spain): the role of diverse management strategies to cope with the drivers of change. Eur Countrys 3:11–28. doi:10.2478/v10091-011-0006-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seto KC, Fleishman E, Fay JP, Betrus CJ (2004) Linking spatial patterns of bird and butterfly species richness with Landsat TM derived NDVI. Int J Remote Sens 25:4309–4324. doi:10.1080/0143116042000192358

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shakesby RA (2011) Post-wildfire soil erosion in the Mediterranean: review and future research directions. Earth-Sci Rev 105:71–100. doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2011.01.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swaffield S, Primdahl J (2010) Globalisation and local agricultural landscapes: patterns of change, policy dilemmas and research questions. In: Primdahl J, Swaffield S (eds) Glob. Agric. Landscapes—Chang. Patterns Policy Trends Dev. Ctries. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 245–270

  • ten Brink P, Mazza L, Badura T, Kettunen M, Withana S (2012) Nature and its role in the transition to a green economy. The Economics of Ecosystems & Biodiversity, p 72

  • Van der Knijff J, Jones R, Montanarella L (1999) Soil erosion risk assessment in Italy. Joint Research Center, Ispra

    Google Scholar 

  • Van der Knijff J, Jones R, Montanarella L (2000) Soil erosion risk assessment in Europe. Joint Research Center, Ispra

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Meijl H, van Rheenen T, Tabeau A, Eickhout B (2006) The impact of different policy environments on agricultural land use in Europe. Agric Ecosyst Environ 114:21–38. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2005.11.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wischmeier W, Smith D (1978) Predicting rainfall erosion losses. A guide to conservation planning. US Department of Agriculture, Washington DC

  • Zhang XC, Nearing MA (2005) Impact of climate change on soil erosion, runoff, and wheat productivity in central Oklahoma. Catena 61:185–195. doi:10.1016/j.catena.2005.03.009

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The contributions by MJM were funded by the European Union’s Seventh Program for Research, technological development and demonstration under Grant agreement No. FP7-ENV-2012-308393-2 (OPERAs).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carlos A. Guerra.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (PDF 82 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Guerra, C.A., Metzger, M.J., Maes, J. et al. Policy impacts on regulating ecosystem services: looking at the implications of 60 years of landscape change on soil erosion prevention in a Mediterranean silvo-pastoral system. Landscape Ecol 31, 271–290 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-015-0241-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-015-0241-1

Keywords

Navigation