Neglected Dimensions of Global Land-Use Change: Reflections and Data

Heilig, G.K. (1994). Neglected Dimensions of Global Land-Use Change: Reflections and Data. IIASA Research Report (Reprint). IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria: RR-95-003. Reprinted from Population and Development Review, 20(4):831-859 (December 1994).

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Abstract

The author questions the conventional approach to studying global land-use changes, which is focused on agriculture-related alterations driven by population growth. He argues the need to abandon the oversimplified model of a linear relationship between population growth, increase in food demand, and agricultural expansion and intensification, leading to deforestation and land-cover modification. There are numerous other types of land-cover modification, such as those caused by shifts in lifestyles and food preferences, man-made catastrophes, wars, urban infrastructure expansion, changes in industrial production, fossil resource exploration, and modes of transportation. The author presents FAO data which indicate that a significant proportion of arable land worldwide is cultivated for lifestyle-related products, such as stimulants, sugar, and tobacco. A review of historical trends also shows that changes in land-use patterns were frequently linked to changes in lifestyles.

Item Type: Monograph (IIASA Research Report (Reprint))
Research Programs: World Population (POP)
Bibliographic Reference: Reprinted from Population and Development Review; 20(4):831-859 (December 1994)
Depositing User: IIASA Import
Date Deposited: 15 Jan 2016 02:03
Last Modified: 27 Aug 2021 17:14
URI: https://pure.iiasa.ac.at/4072

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