Land Management
The Hidden Costs
British Ecological Society Ecological Issues
1. Edition July 2000
72 Pages, Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
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.
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
clear way through. Arguments are well laid out, diagrams are clear
and the brief nature of the text encourages students to dip in and
read!" TEG News, Dec 2001
"The whole product has been put together excellently. A must-buy
for the library."
Mike W. Pienkowski is the author of Land Management: The Hidden Costs, published by Wiley.