Trends of soil degradation: Does the socio-economic status of land owners and land users matter?. (June 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sklenicka, Petr; Zouhar, Jan; Molnarova, Kristina Janeckova; Vlasak, Josef; Kottova, Blanka; Petrzelka, Peggy; Gebhart, Michal; Walmsley, Alena
• Is Part Of: Land use policy. Volume 95(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-06
• Subjects: Famland -- Indicators -- Land tenure -- Land-use policy -- Sustainable agriculture; Land use -- Periodicals; Land use -- Government policy -- Periodicals; Sol, Utilisation du -- Périodiques; Sol, Utilisation du -- Politique gouvernementale -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 333.7305
• DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.05.011
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0264-8377

Abstract

Highlights: Influence of land owner and user characteristics on soil degradation is tested. Land user characteristics are more significant than land owner characteristics. Large farm size and non-family character of user promote soil degradation. Older owners without post-secondary education renting out land promote degradation. Abstract: Land degradation results from natural and from socio-economic factors. However, the socio-economic factors are less adequately understood than the natural factors. In this study, we focus on the impact of the socio-economic status of land owners and land users on soil degradation trends in the Czech Republic over a period of 14–20 years. The trends were monitored using several indicators: soil porosity, cation exchange capacity (CEC), base saturation (BS), and Cu + Zn levels. We have focused on those characteristics of land owners and land users (76% of the land owners included in the study rent out their land) which can be determined without conducting labour-intensive and relatively expensive demographic surveys, therefore, can be used quite easily in subsequent evaluations, e.g. by land conservation authorities. Generally, the influence of land user characteristics has been shown to be more significant than the influence of land owner characteristics. The most significant degradation-promoting characteristics of land users are large farm size and non-family character of the farm. Degradation-promoting characteristics of land owners include older age, absence of post-secondary education, and renting out of their land. The probability of soil degradation is also marginally increased by the owner's gender (male) and by greater distance of the owner's place of residence from the plots studied here.