Landscape Ecological Security Assessment of Low-Slope Hilly Region in Lu County,China

Low-slope hilly land( LSHL) refers to regions with relatively lower altitude,smaller topographic changes and gentler slopes. Exploitation and utilization of such areas is acting as an efficient approach to release the intensity in land utilization for mountainous areas in China, and needs further study. By summarizing related domestic concepts regarding LSHL,and taking Lu County of Sichuan province as the sample,this paper defined the scope of LSHL and extracted a total coverage of 331. 71 km2 LSHL.Then based on the landscape ecological security patterns theory,we have established the landscape ecological security pattern of Lu County by the minimum cumulative resistance model,targeting to achieve ecological land protection. Moreover,LSHL of different landscape security levels is further classified through overlay analysis on the current utilization status of the LSHL. The LSHL is classified into four categories, including prioritized development type,moderate development type, limited development type and prohibited development type. Their scopes of areas are 108. 72,97. 03,68. 36 and 57. 60 km2 respectively. In addition,respective land utilization and exploitation plan for LSHL are proposed according to the analysis of characteristics of each type. The result has provided scientific references for the definition,establishment of landscape ecological security pattern as well as the appropriate exploitation and utilization of the LSHL.

Rescuing agroforestry as strategy for agriculture in Southern Brazil

Knowledge about agricultural ecosystems, as well as about ecological and social interactions that occur in an agricultural context, is essential to promote a balanced environment for production. Incorporating the forest landscape into farming systems has promoted the development of integrated production systems such as agroforestry. However, many aspects of the relationship between farming and the forest landscape have changed since the modernization of agriculture introduced by the Green Revolution. The objectives of this review are：（1） to contribute to the understanding of the changes in cultivation strategies and in the dynamics of agricultural systems,particularly in the context of farming in Santa Catarina State, Brazil;（2） to contribute to the understanding of agroforestry systems as a strategy to reintroduce the element of forestry into agricultural production systems; and（3） to compile a list of forest plant species that could be used in agroforestry. The approach adopted in this manuscript seeks to highlight the potential of agroforestry systems to conserve natural resources and thereby to support agricultural development by connecting environmental conservation with income for farmers.