last news from legato-project.net http://www.legato-project.net Sun, 05 Apr 2026 09:20:56 +0200 WebDesign LTD. FeedCreator http://www.legato-project.net/news.php?n=220 18 May 2017

A new LEGATO-funded article looks into the links between plant diversity and community composition of rice agroecosystems in Vietnam and the Philippines. Abstract: Aims: The knowledge of rice weed communities, their diversity, composition, dynamics and distribution is still inadequate. We present information on the plant diversity of rice fields in major Southeast Asian centres of rice cultivation, the prevailing life forms, the plant communities, the main environmental drivers, and phytogeographic patterns that shape these communities. Study area: Seven different regions of Vietnam and the Philippines, including lowland and mountain areas (0–1390 m a.s.l.). Methods: Altogether 115 vegetation relevés using the Braun-Blanquet method were recorded during wet and dry seasons between 2013 and 2015. Soil samples were collected and farmers of surveyed rice fields were interviewed. Vegetation surveys were designed to detect possible effects of soil properties, climate, altitude, geographic location, landscape heterogeneity, seasonality, management and intensity of cultivation, and structural parameters on the paddy vegetation. Hierarchical cluster analysis UPGMA was applied and NMDS ordinations were performed to visualize differences in plant community composition along the different gradients. Results: We found 113 vascular plant species, with annual hydrophytes and therophytes being the prevailing life forms. Sixty of the recorded species appear to be globa...]]> Thu, 18 May 2017 10:00:00 +0200 http://www.legato-project.net/news.php?n=219 07 December 2016

Being one of 12 regional projects in the global "Sustainable Land Management Programme" of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, LEGATO aims to make its research results and reccomendations widely available for re-use. In order to disseminate the knowledge gained in these research projects to stakeholders, the project has noow contributed to a book titled "Making sense of research for sustainable land management" within the framework of the WOCAT approach (World Overview of Conservation Approaches & Technologies, www.wocat.net). Part 1 of the book tries to synthesize the major research results on land management, mitigating climate change, protecting biodiversity, and ways to bridge gaps between research and practice. Part 2 includes case studies from the different projects. LEGATO has contributed a technology on "Ecological engineering for biological pest control in lowland rice agroecosystems" which was compiled by Leo Marquez as well as an approach on "Entertainment-education for ecological engineering" compiled by Monina Escalada (see p. 263-270). These case studies are also fed into the WOCAT knowledge databases (https://www.wocat.net/en/knowledge-base). The book is available for free download on the WOCAT website at: https://www.wocat.net/makingsense High resolution book (16.5 MB): https://www.wocat.net/fileadmin/user_upload/WOCAT_Glues.pdf Low resolution book (11.1 MB): https://www.wocat.net/fileadmin/user_upload/WOCAT_Glues_low_version...]]> Wed, 07 Dec 2016 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.legato-project.net/news.php?n=218 12 September 2016

Science advances society and fosters sustainability, so why not involve everyone in building a better future? Culminating in the first citizen science workshop for arthropods to take place in the Philippines, one of the main objectives of the 5-year, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) coordinated research project, LEGATO, was also to find ways to engage society in collecting research data and applying research findings in practice. The workshop titled "Flying beauties" took place in August 2016, the second day of the Final LEGATO Meeting, at the Kinakin Primary school, Banaue Municipality, Ifugao Province, Philippines. If focused on butterflies and dragonflies and their roles in the surrounding natural and agricultural landscape. This workshop was the culmination of several weeks of active preparation together with the different groups of participants, and, in fact, only the set off of the Flying Beauties citizen science competition that will be open until the end of the year. Thirty students from two local schools and their teachers, alongside a group of senior citizens and tour guides, had the unique chance to take part in an event, where important project results presentation was combined with on-field data collection and testing of findings. Butterflies and dragonflies are not only attractive insects, but also in the spotlight of LEGATO research due to their relevance for building sustainable rice ecosystems. It comes as no surprise that these two animal groups were ...]]> Mon, 12 Sep 2016 10:00:00 +0200 http://www.legato-project.net/news.php?n=217 15 August 2016

Five years of irrigated rice cultivation research reached its pinnacle at the Final LEGATO Conference, which took place from 6 to 11 August 2016 in Banaue, Philippines. LEGATO is a BMBF (German Federal Ministry of Education and Research) funded project, coordinated by the Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Germany. The international team of scientists presented results from dedicated studies covering a wide range of rice cultivation aspects in Southeast Asia, ranging from the influence of Silicon availability in soils on rice production and the contribution of pollinators and soil organisms to biodiversity and nutrient provisioning, towards discussing the importance of the socio-cultural context for sustainable development or ecotourism in the study regions. Rice is an important crop and staple food in the Southeast Asian region; however, the growing pressures of our changing world pose difficulties on its production. LEGATO research focuses on providing guidelines for optimising rice ecosystem functions and services given the local socio-cultural conditions and their stabilisation under future global and particular land use change, which will particularly affect South and Southeast Asia. As an important contribution to rice cultivation studies, research on the effects of Silicon (Si) was able to highlight the benefits of this element for the health of rice crops. Having tested the effects of Si fertilization on Si uptake and growth of rice and on decomposability of the pr...]]> Mon, 15 Aug 2016 10:00:00 +0200 http://www.legato-project.net/news.php?n=216 05 August 2016

LEGATO will hold its Final Conference from 6 to 11 August 2016 in Banaue, Philippines. The event will feature results and outcomes from the 5-year research venture which aimed at promoting the long-term development of sustainable irrigated rice cultivation in Southeast Asia, with focus also on the risks arising from global change. LEGATO stands for 'Land-use intensity and Ecological Engineering - Assessment Tools for risks and Opportunities in irrigated rice based production systems'. As an important crop and staple food in the Southeast Asian region, rice faces multiple challenges posed by the growing pressures of our changing world. The project results focus on providing guidelines for optimising rice ecosystem functions and services given the local socio-cultural conditions and their stabilisation under future climate and land use change, which will particularly affect South and Southeast Asia. During the Final LEGATO Conference, partners will present their studies ranging from the influence of Silicon concentrations in plants on rice production or the contribution of pollinators and soil organisms to biodiversity and nutrient provisioning, towards discussing the importance of the socio-cultural context for sustainable development or ecotourism in the region. A dedicated citizen science day will engage students from a local school into a one day field trip where they will have the chance to look at butterflies and dragonflies and learn about their role and importance in rice production...]]> Fri, 05 Aug 2016 10:00:00 +0200 http://www.legato-project.net/news.php?n=215 09 May 2016

A new LEGATO research article, published in Ecology & Society looks at the resilience and adaptability of rice terrace social-ecological systems. The article uses as a case study the local community’s perception in Banaue, Philippines. Abstract: The social-ecological systems of rice terraces across Southeast Asia are the result of centuries of long-term interactions between human communities and their surrounding ecosystems. Processes and structures in these systems have evolved to provide a diversity of ecosystem services and benefits to human societies. However, as Southeast Asian countries experience rapid economic growth and related land-use changes, the remaining extensive rice cultivation systems are increasingly under pressure. We investigated the long-term development of ecosystem services and the adaptive capacity of the social-ecological system of rice terrace landscapes using a case study of Banaue (Ifugao Province, Northern-Luzon, Philippines). A set of indicators was used to describe and assess changes in the social-ecological state of the study system. The resilience of the rice terraces and the human communities that maintain them was examined by comparing the current state of the system with results from the literature. Our findings indicate that, although the social-ecological system has not yet shifted to an alternative state, pressures are increasing and some cultural ecosystem services have already been lost. Original Source: Castonguay, A. C.,...]]> Mon, 09 May 2016 10:00:00 +0200 http://www.legato-project.net/news.php?n=214 21 April 2016

A new LEGATO article, published in the journal Land looks at the relationships between cultural ecosystem services and landscape conservation. Abstract: In the past few years, there has been a growing amount of research on economic quantifications and valuations of ecosystem services (ES) in agricultural systems. However, little attention has been given to cultural ESs (CES) in general and their link to the landscape in particular. This paper tries to tackle this gap with a case study on the Ifugao Rice Terraces of the Philippines. The study aims to understand the interrelations between the different CESs and their relationships with the landscape. Besides contributing to knowledge about the degradation of the rice terraces, this study was conducted in order to discuss at a theoretical level how CESs and their relationship with the landscape must be addressed in ES management and policy decisions. The methodological approach includes a combination of semi-structured interviews (n = 60) and a perception survey (n = 66). The results reveal that CESs, apart from being interrelated, are also responsible for and affected by the degradation of the rice terraces, which is why they are important factors to consider in ecosystem conservation. This paper finally provides policy recommendations for the empirical case and demonstrates the importance of connecting CES analysis with landscape studies looking at agricultural systems. Original Source: Tilliger, B.; Rodríguez...]]> Thu, 21 Apr 2016 10:00:00 +0200 http://www.legato-project.net/news.php?n=213 02 February 2016

The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ)is offering a PhD Position (m/f) in the subject of Plant functional traits as indicators for ecosystem services Project start: 1st July 2016. Working time 50% (19.5 hours per week), limited to 3 years. Duties: - Identify the links between plant functional traits and functional diversity and the provision of key ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes - Model the response of plant communities, their traits, functional diversity and related ecosystem services to changes in agricultural land use - Suggest ways to manage agricultural landscapes in a way that maximizes both functional diversity and key ecosystem services - Highlight consequences of decisions made under different societal priorities Candidate profile: - Diploma or MSc degree in biology, ecology, geoecology, geography or a related discipline - Expertise in modern concepts of ecology - Experiences with plant ecology are preferable - Skills in the analysis of functional traits are advantageous - Experiences in GIS are advantageous - Expertise in modern statistical methods and readiness to become acquainted with the statistical environment “R” - Ability to work in a team - Fluency in written and spoken English To apply and for more information go to: https://recruitingapp-5128.de.umantis.com/Vacancies/682/Description/2?customer=5128]]> Tue, 02 Feb 2016 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.legato-project.net/news.php?n=212 11 January 2016

What do people value, why and how? This should be a leading question in sustainability research, but putting it into practise can be tricky. A new paper published in the journal Ecosystem Services looks at how to improve stakeholder participation in the research on and governance of ecosystem services (ESS) as a stepping point to more comprehensive and participatory research practises. Stakeholder participation in the governance of ecosystem services (ESS) is conceptually necessary, especially in the light of the failure of monetary valuation to provide assessment instruments suitable as policy guidance. To answer the Whys and Hows of ESS research real involvement and participation of stakeholders has proven to be a more valuable tool. Building upon experience from transdisciplinary research projects in Asia, Africa and Europe, the new paper argues that successful participation depends on the specific socio-cultural context and requires different means and modes of participation during different project phases. The paper provides a useful overview of tested methods, with their pros and cons listed. Alongside the challenges on the basis of different projects experiences, the research also outlines the ways in which good project coordination can help for such difficulties to be anticipated and handled. The main conclusions and recommendations are extracted in five core lessons, with regards to: - Participation; - Target groups; - Integration; - Managing; - Limits to economic va...]]> Mon, 11 Jan 2016 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.legato-project.net/news.php?n=211 04 January 2016

The Wealth Accounting and the Valuation of Ecosystem Services (WAVES) Partnership has published an update on its activities, including information on country projects and publications from the Philippines and Australia. The Philippines' WAVES team has released the findings of the Laguna Lake Basin and the Southern Palawan experimental ecosystem accounts, which underscore the need to strengthen national and local policies and the enforcement of environmental laws and regulations to protect natural ecosystems, manage scarce natural resources, and promote sustainable development. Findings from the Laguna Lake Basin conclude that: rapid and unplanned urban sprawl are major contributors to the degradation of the lake; household waste accounts for around 81% of lake pollution; and an increasing population along the lakeshore and greater soil erosion have increased flood risks. The results are expected to inform environmental impact assessments and cost-benefit analyses in order to strengthen ecosystem and natural resource management, as well as assist in preventing further degradation through policies aimed at strengthening water resource management, improving water quality, and aligning development plans and planning laws. The final technical report on the experimental ecosystem accounts was released in December 2015: http://www.wavespartnership.org/en/knowledge-center/waves-annual-report-2015 Read more: http://nr.iisd.org/news/waves-partnership-updates-on-results-of-ecosystem-accounting-in-th...]]> Mon, 04 Jan 2016 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.legato-project.net/news.php?n=210 05 November 2015

Assessments of ecosystem services (ES), aiming at informing decisions on land management, are increasing in number around the globe, but only in a few cases recommendations are then applied by decision-makers in real life. In a new paper published in the journal Ecology and Society a team of researchers aims to bridge the gap between scientific research and policy needs, by providing a new step-by-step problem-oriented approach for informing land-use decisions. Often ES assessments are found to fall short in targeting information needs by decision makers. To improve their applicability in practice, the research team suggests a problem-oriented approach, putting the real-life needs and issues faced by stakeholders at the core of an ES assessment. The scientists compared existing ES assessments concepts with focus on informing land use decisions, identifying opportunities for enhancing the relevance of ES assessments for decision making. Building on extensive experience of four projects in Brazil, China, Madagascar, and Vietnam, they developed a step-wise approach for better focussing ES assessments on the information needs in land use decisions, throughout the decision process: Scoping phase (A): structuring ES information according to land use problems identified by stakeholders, Assessment phase (B): collecting context-specific ES information as needed by decision makers, and assessing relevant management options, Implementation phase (C): Synthesising, integrating and presenting infor...]]> Thu, 05 Nov 2015 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.legato-project.net/news.php?n=209 01 October 2015

Recent research showed that silicon (Si) is an important nutrient enhancing the endurability of rice plants, however, what controls on Si availability in soils still remain poorly studied. Researchers of the LEGATO project tested the effects of Si fertilization on Si uptake and growth of rice and on decomposability of the produced straw in Northern Vietnam. The study was published in the journal Plant and Soil. Silicon quite literally pumps up the strength of a rice plant. Rice takes up Si with the soil solution and forms amorphous Si dioxide bodies within the plant tissue, the so-called phytoliths (literally translated "plant stones"). These phytoliths make the plant stem and leaves stronger and more rigid. Thus, a sufficient Si supply enhances the plants' resistance against heavy rain and wind and against attacks of pests and fungi. Undoubtedly, an indispensable element for sustainable rice production, the processes which control Si availability in the soil remain rather understudied. In their paper Anika Marxen from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ and her team study rice soils in Vietnam in order to understand these processes, providing scientific base for future recommendations for sustainable rice production. Silicon is contained in most soil minerals and mineral weathering slowly releases the important element into the soil solution. In Vietnam, soils are strongly weathered due to high temperatures and precipitation which means that Si availability is very low....]]> Thu, 01 Oct 2015 10:00:00 +0200 http://www.legato-project.net/news.php?n=206 22 June 2015

Continuing global population growth requires an increase in food production. The LEGATO project looks at rice as key staple food for a majority of the human population and the ways in which knowledge about ecosystem services (ES) can help decision makers to improve the sustainability of rice production systems in Southeast Asia. Facing a projected world population of more than 10 billion by the end of this century, but having 868 million people suffering severe food scarcity in the year 2012, explains why intensive research is conducted to enhance food security. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the major staple food for 2.5 billion people worldwide, whereof 557 million people live in Southeast Asia. Today, however, yield increases are slowing down, which brings up questions about future food security. Moreover, in many cases ecosystem structures (including biodiversity) and functions have suffered from a food production approach that is only focused on maximising yields. Approaches that enable a sustainable management of rice cropping systems and the surrounding landscapes are urgently needed. Ecosystem services (ES) offer promising ways to communicate the relevance of biodiversity and functioning ecosystems to decision makers. In a new study seven rice cultivation areas in Southeast Asia were assessed using the ecosystem service 'matrix' approach as a part of the LEGATO project to demonstrate how quantification, valuation and mapping of ecosystem functions and services are suitable means ...]]> Mon, 22 Jun 2015 10:00:00 +0200 http://www.legato-project.net/news.php?n=204 12 May 2015

Silicon (Si) is the second most abundant element of the earth`s crust after oxygen. It has long been neglected by ecologists, as it is not considered an essential nutrient for plants. However, research of recent years showed that it is beneficial for the growth of many plants, including important crops such as rice, wheat and barley. For instance, Si enhanced the resistance against pests, pathogens and abiotic stresses such as salts, drought and storms. Silicon might, thus, play a crucial role in the development of `sustainable` rice production systems with lower or zero input of harmful pesticides. Researchers from the interdisciplinary LEGATO project on sustainable rice production look in more detail at the cycle of plant-available Si in contrasting regions of Vietnam and the Philippines to provide insights on the importance of this element on rice production. A recent article published in the journal Plant and Soil reports on Si cycling and budgets on the farm level in the Laguna province of the Philippines. The data show that the irrigation water can provide a considerable amount of the Si that is taken up by plants. In rain water, the concentrations of Si were below the detection limit of the analytical method; the researchers, thus, assume that rain is no important Si source for plants. Another major source of plant-available Si is the dissolution of solid soil particles. In a subsequent study, the LEGATO researchers currently focus on the soil processes that determine the pool o...]]> Tue, 12 May 2015 10:00:00 +0200 http://www.legato-project.net/news.php?n=205 12 May 2015

UNEP-WCMC announces the completion of a series of regional, national and sub-national scale spatial analyses to support the design of efficient, effective and environmentally relevant REDD+ strategies and land use policies. In collaboration with global and regional partners, UNEP-WCMC has worked with decision-makers and technical specialists in Africa (the Congo Basin and Uganda), Latin America (Peru) and Asia (China, the Philippines, and Vietnam) to develop mapping tailored to the specific needs of each context. The mapping can be used to assist decision makers in planning for REDD+ and other land use in ways that generate multiple benefits, such as biodiversity and social benefits and climate change adaptation. It can also help to explore potential contributions of REDD+ actions to meeting other international policy commitments, such as the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. A full set of reports on this work, one for each country (or region), is now published and available to download. The work for the reports forms part of the REDD-PAC project (www.redd-pac.org), which aims to develop technical solutions and capacity for designing efficient, effective and environmentally relevant REDD+ strategies and land use policies. It is a collaborative project with the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE) and the Central African Forestry Commission (COMIFAC). The overall project is modelling land use change in Brazil and the ...]]> Tue, 12 May 2015 10:00:00 +0200 http://www.legato-project.net/news.php?n=203 19 March 2015

The international project LEGATO (Land-use intensity and Ecological Engineering - Assessment Tools for risks and Opportunities in irrigated rice based production systems) is organizing its 4th annual conference, entitled "Rice Ecosystem Services in South-East Asian Landscapes - a LEGATO conference" which lasts from 19-24 March 2015 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The conference will bring together experts from 21 research institutions from Germany, Vietnam, The Philippines, UK, Bulgaria and Spain to discuss and present state of the art of research, the main LEGATO results, and future research plans and ambitions. The main topics discussed will include: - evaluation of ecosystem functions and services based on project data - exploring various climate, land-use, and management conditions for sustainable rice ecosystem services - the relevance of biocontrol for pest management - silicon (Si) as a beneficial element for rice plants In a world facing the challenges of growing population and food deficit, there is a clear need for crop productivity increases. Optimising rice ecosystem functions and services in Southeast Asia and their stabilisation under future land use and climate change, is the main focus of LEGATO. "After 4 years of research within LEGATO we now have reached a stage of increasing integration, but especially also a stage of outreach of our results for application in South-East Asian rice landscapes, especially the contra-intuitive reduction of rice pest problems by avoidi...]]> Thu, 19 Mar 2015 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.legato-project.net/news.php?n=202 10 March 2015

Abstract: Straw return has been widely recommended as an environmentally friendly practice to manage carbon (C) sequestration in agricultural ecosystems. However, the overall trend and magnitude of changes in soil C in response to straw return remain uncertain. In this meta-analysis, we calculated the response ratios of soil organic C (SOC) concentrations, greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission, nutrient contents and other important soil properties to straw addition in 176 published field studies. Our results indicated that straw return significantly increased SOC concentration by 12.8 ± 0.4% on average, with a 27.4 ± 1.4% to 56.6 ± 1.8% increase in soil active C fraction. CO2 emission increased in both upland (27.8 ± 2.0%) and paddy systems (51.0 ± 2.0%), while CH4 emission increased by 110.7 ± 1.2% only in rice paddies. N2O emission has declined by 15.2 ± 1.1% in paddy soils but increased by 8.3 ± 2.5% in upland soils. Responses of macro-aggregates and crop yield to straw return showed positively linear with increasing SOC concentration. Straw-C input rate and clay content significantly affected the response of SOC. A significant positive relationship was found between annual SOC sequestered and duration, suggesting that soil C saturation would occur after 12 years under straw return. Overall, straw return was an effective means to improve SOC accumulation, soil quality, and crop yield. Straw return-induced improvement of soil nutrient availability may favor crop growth, which can in turn incre...]]> Tue, 10 Mar 2015 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.legato-project.net/news.php?n=200 26 January 2015

Jointly organized by the United Nations University and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), the JSPS–UNU Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme is designed to provide promising, highly qualified, young researchers with the opportunity to conduct advanced research relevant to the main thematic focus areas of the UNU Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS, Tokyo) and UNU Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR, Tokyo), in co-operation with host researchers at Japanese universities and research institutions. This fellowship is aimed at candidates who have completed their PhD degrees in the past six years and also have professional and/or research experience. Fellowships are awarded for a period of 24 months. Applicants must hold a doctoral degree (received on or after 2 April 2009) when the fellowship begins, or be scheduled to receive a doctoral degree before the fellowship begins. The following research projects at UNU-IAS and UNU-CPR are accepting applications for JSPS–UNU Postdoctoral Fellows: • Ecosystem Services Assessment (UNU-IAS) • Governance for Sustainable Development (UNU-IAS) • Water and Urban Initiative (UNU-IAS) • Satoyama Initiative (UNU-IAS) • Peace and Security Policies at the UN (UNU-CPR) • Post-2015 UN Development Framework (UNU-CPR) For more information, please see the fellowship website: http://ias.unu.edu/en/about/fellowships/jsps-unu-fellowship-programme.html#esa]]> Mon, 26 Jan 2015 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.legato-project.net/news.php?n=201 26 January 2015

UNU-IAS offers Postdoctoral Fellowships to recent PhD graduates to provide them with the opportunity to put the knowledge and expertise acquired during their doctoral research to practical policy-relevant use. The purpose of the UNU-IAS Postdoctoral Fellowship is to provide young scholars and policymakers, especially from the developing world, with a multidisciplinary context within which to pursue advanced research and training that are of professional interest to the applicant and of direct relevance to the research agenda of UNU-IAS. Applicants must have obtained a PhD (or at least successfully defended their doctoral dissertation) in an area broadly associated with one of the UNU-IAS thematic focus areas listed below prior to the application deadline of 28 February 2015. The following research projects are accepting applications for UNU-IAS Fellowships: • Ecosystem Services Assessment • Governance for Sustainable Development • Water and Urban Initiative • Satoyama Initiative For more information, please see the fellowship website: http://ias.unu.edu/en/about/fellowships/unu-ias-postdoc-fellowship-programme.html#overview]]> Mon, 26 Jan 2015 11:00:00 +0200 http://www.legato-project.net/news.php?n=199 27 November 2014

Abstract: In developing countries in tropical regions, the poorest segments of the rural population often rely on forests for survival. The creation of off-farm jobs in the tourism sector, construction or manufacturing has been suggested as a potential way to alleviate pressure on tropical forests. Using Sa Pa district as a case study, we evaluated the coupling of human and forest dynamics. The district was opened for international tourism in 1993, which had a large impact on daily life in Sa Pa town and its surrounding communities. Analysis of land cover change for the period 1993–2014, using high-resolution satellite images from three timeperiods and an analysis of covariance, detected possible associations between forest cover change and socio-economic, cultural and biophysical variables at the village level. Between 1993 and 2006, Sa Pa district experienced a net decrease of forest in favour of arable land, while this trend was reversed in the period 2006–2014. However, trends at district level mask substantial heterogeneity at village level. Results show that deforestation is considerably lower in villages that are strongly involved in tourism activities. Marginal agricultural fields with low productivity are also preferentially abandoned. Because of diversification in alternative economic activities, rural households may become less dependent on natural resources and agricultural products for their survival. These results suggest that the creation of off-farm income sources activities...]]> Thu, 27 Nov 2014 11:00:00 +0200