Open AccessProviding Context for the Land‐Sharing and Land‐Sparing Debate
Author(s) -
Law Elizabeth A.,
Wilson Kerrie A.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
conservation letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.153
H-Index - 79
ISSN - 1755-263X
DOI - 10.1111/conl.12168
Subject(s) - context (archaeology) , land use , environmental resource management , agriculture , land management , agricultural land , environmental planning , land use, land use change and forestry , environmental policy , inclusion (mineral) , geography , natural resource economics , business , economics , ecology , sociology , social science , archaeology , biology
Agricultural and environmental policies that encourage multifunctional landscapes are referred to as land sharing or land sparing. Numerous assessments of the preferences for either policy exist, but a systematic evaluation of the impact of landscape or decision contexts has not been performed. We assess the impact of multiple contextual parameters using a simple model of landscape change. Past emphasis on different types of species appears warranted, but also important in determining preferences are the proportion of the landscape initially allocated to agriculture, the management intentions for spared land, crop types, and level of policy effectiveness. Variations in objective and decision criteria were less important but still altered the policy preferences under some circumstances. We provide foundational evidence that context warrants explicit inclusion in assessments of agricultural and environmental policy. Our methodological approach is broadly applicable, but generalizations from this case to others should still be made with caution.