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Brigitta Schütt
Physical Geography, Institute of Geographical Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Malteserstraße 74-100, 12249 Berlin, Germany

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Journal article
Published: 24 June 2021 in Land
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Current landforms are the basis for understanding past geomorphodynamics and human activities. Based on multiple materials and methods, including geomorphometric analyses of a digital elevation model and visual interpretations of satellite images, different landscape units of the Bakırçay and Madra River catchments in the environs of ancient Pergamon are described. The area was mainly shaped by tectonics that formed a horst-and-graben structure; small Miocene horsts and NE-trending subgrabens in the Kozak and Yunt Dağı Mountains were separated by the NEE-trending Plio-Pleistocene Bergama Graben. The asymmetry in relief, drainage network, and sediment accumulation between the Kozak Mountains to the north and the Yunt Dağı Mountains to the south of the lower Bakırçay plain characterize the Pergamon Micro-Region. The regional relief characteristics, with wide flat basin and plateau areas, are suitable for agriculture. Complemented by its richness in natural resources, the Pergamon Micro-Region became a preferred settlement area, with evidence of human impact since the Hellenistic–Roman period at the latest. As a consequence of settlement activities, several landscape engineering measures were implemented simultaneously with a parallel change in morphodynamics.

ACS Style

Xun Yang; Fabian Becker; Daniel Knitter; Brigitta Schütt. An Overview of the Geomorphological Characteristics of the Pergamon Micro-Region (Bakırçay and Madra River Catchments, Aegean Region, West Turkey). Land 2021, 10, 667 .

AMA Style

Xun Yang, Fabian Becker, Daniel Knitter, Brigitta Schütt. An Overview of the Geomorphological Characteristics of the Pergamon Micro-Region (Bakırçay and Madra River Catchments, Aegean Region, West Turkey). Land. 2021; 10 (7):667.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Xun Yang; Fabian Becker; Daniel Knitter; Brigitta Schütt. 2021. "An Overview of the Geomorphological Characteristics of the Pergamon Micro-Region (Bakırçay and Madra River Catchments, Aegean Region, West Turkey)." Land 10, no. 7: 667.

Journal article
Published: 20 May 2021 in Remote Sensing
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In recent years, modeling gully erosion susceptibility has become an increasingly popular approach for assessing the impact of different land degradation factors. However, different forms of human influence have so far not been identified in order to form an independent model. We investigate the spatial relation between gully erosion and distance to settlements and footpaths, as typical areas of human interaction, with the natural environment in rural African areas. Gullies are common features in the Ethiopian Highlands, where they often hinder agricultural productivity. Within a catchment in the north Ethiopian Highlands, 16 environmental and human-related variables are mapped and categorized. The resulting susceptibility to gully erosion is predicted by applying the Random Forest (RF) machine learning algorithm. Human-related and environmental factors are used to generate independent susceptibility models and form an additional inclusive model. The resulting models are compared and evaluated by applying a change detection technique. All models predict the locations of most gullies, while 28% of gully locations are exclusively predicted using human-related factors.

ACS Style

Robert Busch; Jacob Hardt; Nadav Nir; Brigitta Schütt. Modeling Gully Erosion Susceptibility to Evaluate Human Impact on a Local Landscape System in Tigray, Ethiopia. Remote Sensing 2021, 13, 2009 .

AMA Style

Robert Busch, Jacob Hardt, Nadav Nir, Brigitta Schütt. Modeling Gully Erosion Susceptibility to Evaluate Human Impact on a Local Landscape System in Tigray, Ethiopia. Remote Sensing. 2021; 13 (10):2009.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Robert Busch; Jacob Hardt; Nadav Nir; Brigitta Schütt. 2021. "Modeling Gully Erosion Susceptibility to Evaluate Human Impact on a Local Landscape System in Tigray, Ethiopia." Remote Sensing 13, no. 10: 2009.

Journal article
Published: 04 March 2021 in Sustainability
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Achieving urban water security requires sustaining the trade-offs between the exploitation of water/environmental resources and ecosystem services. This achievement not only reduces the pollution and contamination in the environment, level of water stress, but also secures good ambient water quality and future for people’s well-being and livelihoods. Changes in land use and land cover and growth of impervious structures can immediately generate severe ecological and social issues and increase the level of natural or manmade risks, affecting the condition of ecosystem services within and in the vicinity of an urban region. As a result of these transformations and further exploitation, due to the growing anthropogenic pressure, surface water and groundwater quality can be deteriorated compared to ambient water quality standards (for both chemical and biological pollutants). Based on land use and land cover (LULC) data retrieved from remote sensing interpretation, we computed the changes of the ecosystem service values (ESV) associated with the LULC dynamics, water quality and, finally, urban water security during the pre- and post-monsoon periods of 2009, 2014 and 2019 in Kolkata, an Asian deltaic megacity, and its peri-urban wetlands named East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW). The area under wetlands reduced comprehensively in 2009–2019 due to the conversion of wetlands into various other classes such as urban settlement, etc. The quality of surface water bodies (such as rivers, lakes, canals and inland wetlands) deteriorated. The groundwater quality is still under control, but the presence of arsenic, manganese and other metals are a clear indication of urban expansion and related activities in the area. As a result, there was a change in the ESV during this timeframe. In the pre-monsoon period, there was an increase in total ESV from US$53.14 million in 2009 to US$53.36 million and US$59.01 million in 2014 and 2019, respectively. In the post-monsoon period, the ESV decreased from US$67.42 million in 2009 to US$64.13 and US$61.89 million in 2014 and 2019, respectively. These changes can be attributed to the peri-urban wetlands and the benefits or services arising out of them that contribute more than 50% of the total ESV. This study found that the area under wetlands has reduced comprehensively in the past 10 years due to the conversion of wetlands for various other uses such as urban expansion of the Kolkata City, but still, this peri-urban wetland supports the urban water security by providing sufficient ecosystem services. In conclusion, the transformation in extent of the water-related ecosystem is a crucial indicator of urban water security, which also measures the quantity of water contained in various water-related ecosystems. Quantitative analysis of the LULC change, hence, is important for studying the corresponding impact on the ecosystem service value (ESV) and water quality that helps in decision-making in securing urban water future and ecosystem conservation.

ACS Style

Subham Mukherjee; Pradip Sikdar; Sukdeb Pal; Brigitta Schütt. Assessment of Environmental Water Security of an Asian Deltaic Megacity and Its Peri-Urban Wetland Areas. Sustainability 2021, 13, 2772 .

AMA Style

Subham Mukherjee, Pradip Sikdar, Sukdeb Pal, Brigitta Schütt. Assessment of Environmental Water Security of an Asian Deltaic Megacity and Its Peri-Urban Wetland Areas. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (5):2772.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Subham Mukherjee; Pradip Sikdar; Sukdeb Pal; Brigitta Schütt. 2021. "Assessment of Environmental Water Security of an Asian Deltaic Megacity and Its Peri-Urban Wetland Areas." Sustainability 13, no. 5: 2772.

Journal article
Published: 05 December 2020 in Water
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The water crisis can alternatively be called a governance crisis. Thus, the demand for good water governance to ensure effective water resources management and to attain specific water goals is growing. Many countries subscribe to the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach to achieve this goal. The Integrated Water Resources Management approach aims to ensure a process that promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land, and related resources in a drainage basin to maximise economic and social welfare equitably without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems. The design of the Integrated Water Resources Management approach, including its pillars and principles, aspires to good water governance and effective resource management. However, empirical studies examining this hypothesis and analysing the impact of the Integrated Water Resources Management approach on water resources governance are limited, especially in developing countries. Therefore, we characterised and compared the water resources governance aspects of two catchments in Uganda’s Lake Albert basin. One of the catchments was exposed to integrated water resources management projects, while the other had no exposure to integrated water resources management projects. Some of the factors that supported the comparability of the two sites included spatial proximity linking into a related hydrological and social-economic setup, common water needs and belonging to the same water administration zone. Comparing both areas led us to analyse whether there was a difference in water resources governance actions, as well as in the quality of water resources governance, under the same overall water management and administrative zone. The data were based on field surveys using questionnaires and information guides in both catchments. The results show that the performance of water resources governance is markedly better in the catchment with Integrated Water Resources Management practices than the base catchment unaffected by these practices. Key themes examined include water resources governance styles, water resources governance systems presence, functionality, the performance of good governance principles, and water resources management effectiveness. The findings contribute to the aspirations for the promotion of integrated water management approaches for improved water resources governance, and the concept that the effectiveness of water resources management measures depends on governance effectiveness. Water governance is significant, as it spells out the power, rights, decisions, and priorities relating to given water resources and communities.

ACS Style

Juliet Katusiime; Brigitta Schütt. Integrated Water Resources Management Approaches to Improve Water Resources Governance. Water 2020, 12, 3424 .

AMA Style

Juliet Katusiime, Brigitta Schütt. Integrated Water Resources Management Approaches to Improve Water Resources Governance. Water. 2020; 12 (12):3424.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Juliet Katusiime; Brigitta Schütt. 2020. "Integrated Water Resources Management Approaches to Improve Water Resources Governance." Water 12, no. 12: 3424.

Journal article
Published: 21 October 2020 in Water
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This study aims to analyze the dependence of reservoirs (locally called tanks or wewas) in the headwaters of the Aruvi Aru catchment on precipitation and thus to evaluate their efficiency. The Aruvi Aru is located in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka, and numerous human made reservoirs characterize the study area. The methodology is based on the application and correlation of climatic and hydrological drought indices. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is applied to precipitation data at different time scales and the Standardized Water-Level Index (SWLI) is applied to water-level data of five major tanks in the catchment. The results show that near normal present-day average precipitation is appropriate to fill the investigated tanks. The precipitation of the previous 6–12 months has the highest impact on water-level changes. A moderate to strong positive correlation between SWLI and SPI point to other factors besides precipitation affecting the water level of the tanks. These are: (i) catchment size together with the buffering capacity of the upstream catchment and (ii) management practices. As the overall conclusion of our study shows, the tanks functioned efficiently within their system boundaries.

ACS Style

Robin Saase; Brigitta Schütt; Wiebke Bebermeier. Analyzing the Dependence of Major Tanks in the Headwaters of the Aruvi Aru Catchment on Precipitation. Applying Drought Indices to Meteorological and Hydrological Data. Water 2020, 12, 2941 .

AMA Style

Robin Saase, Brigitta Schütt, Wiebke Bebermeier. Analyzing the Dependence of Major Tanks in the Headwaters of the Aruvi Aru Catchment on Precipitation. Applying Drought Indices to Meteorological and Hydrological Data. Water. 2020; 12 (10):2941.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Robin Saase; Brigitta Schütt; Wiebke Bebermeier. 2020. "Analyzing the Dependence of Major Tanks in the Headwaters of the Aruvi Aru Catchment on Precipitation. Applying Drought Indices to Meteorological and Hydrological Data." Water 12, no. 10: 2941.

Journal article
Published: 15 October 2020 in Sustainability
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Urban development without adequate soil erosion control measures is becoming a major environmental concern in developing urban areas across Africa. These environmental disturbances encompass rampart Land Use and Land Cover changes (LULC) due to a high population growth rate and increased economic activities. To understand the influence of accelerated LULC changes and urban expansion as major drivers in landscape degradation in the Epworth district of the Harare Metropolitan Province, the RUSLE model was employed. This considers land use, soil, climate and topography as input parameters in the assessment of the extent and impact of these drivers on soil erosion. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) was used to predict the potential erosion between 1984 and 2018 and soil erosion risk for the years 2000 and 2018. The mean rate of the predicted potential soil erosion was 13.2 t ha−1 yr−1 (1984–2018); areas especially vulnerable to erosion were predicted for foot slope areas with direct tributaries to the major streams and steep sloping zones. The average soil erosion risk was estimated at 1.31 t ha−1 yr−1 for the year 2000 and 1.12 t ha−1 yr−1 for 2018. While the overall potential soil loss decreased between 2000 and 2018, the potential soil loss was observed to increase tremendously in residential areas, which doubled in extent between 2000 and 2018. The findings reveal that about 40% of the Epworth district was threatened by unsustainable soil loss resulting from increased soil erosion risk within the built-up areas.

ACS Style

Andrew K. Marondedze; Brigitta Schütt. Assessment of Soil Erosion Using the RUSLE Model for the Epworth District of the Harare Metropolitan Province, Zimbabwe. Sustainability 2020, 12, 8531 .

AMA Style

Andrew K. Marondedze, Brigitta Schütt. Assessment of Soil Erosion Using the RUSLE Model for the Epworth District of the Harare Metropolitan Province, Zimbabwe. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (20):8531.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrew K. Marondedze; Brigitta Schütt. 2020. "Assessment of Soil Erosion Using the RUSLE Model for the Epworth District of the Harare Metropolitan Province, Zimbabwe." Sustainability 12, no. 20: 8531.

Review
Published: 22 September 2020 in Land
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The relation between human activities, climate variability, and geomorphodynamics in the Mediterranean region is widely discussed. For the western lower Bakırçay plain in the ancient Pergamon Micro-Region, geoarchaeological studies have shown changes in geomorphodynamics primarily on a site-basis. We reconstruct past geomorphodynamics in the area based on a meta-analysis of 108 14C-ages obtained from 25 sediment sequences mainly from colluvial and alluvial deposits by analyzing cumulative probability functions of the 14C-ages. Accounting for biases in the database, we applied different approaches and compared the empirical probability functions with simulated functions. Reconstructed geomorphodynamics in the western lower Bakırçay plain during the Holocene principally coincide with a trend of climate-driven sensitivity to erosion and population dynamics in the eastern Mediterranean, but are also related to the local settlement history. Our data analysis shows that transformations of the Pergamon Micro-Region between the Hellenistic and Roman Imperial times is contemporary to increasing geomorphodynamics that peak in Roman Imperial times. However, a cause–effect relationship between geomorphodynamics and settlement dynamics should be further evaluated. A comparison with data from other settlement centers in Anatolia shows that a coincidence between the peak in geomorphodynamics and a peak in settlement activity are not obvious and may be influenced by soil conservation measures, preferred settlement location, and inherited soil exhaustion.

ACS Style

Fabian Becker; Daniel Knitter; Moritz Nykamp; Brigitta Schütt. Meta-Analysis of Geomorphodynamics in the Western Lower Bakırçay Plain (Aegean Region, Turkey). Land 2020, 9, 338 .

AMA Style

Fabian Becker, Daniel Knitter, Moritz Nykamp, Brigitta Schütt. Meta-Analysis of Geomorphodynamics in the Western Lower Bakırçay Plain (Aegean Region, Turkey). Land. 2020; 9 (9):338.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fabian Becker; Daniel Knitter; Moritz Nykamp; Brigitta Schütt. 2020. "Meta-Analysis of Geomorphodynamics in the Western Lower Bakırçay Plain (Aegean Region, Turkey)." Land 9, no. 9: 338.

Journal article
Published: 25 June 2020 in Heritage
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Quantitative sediment analyses performed in the laboratory are often used throughout archaeological excavations to critically reflect on-site stratigraphic delineation. Established methods are, however, often time-consuming and expensive. Recent studies suggest that systematic image analysis can objectivise the delineation of stratigraphic layers based on fast quantitative spectral measurements. The presented study examines how these assumptions prevail when compared to modern techniques of sediment analysis. We examine an archaeological cross-section at a Bronze Age burial mound near Seddin (administrative district Prignitz, Brandenburg, Germany), consisting of several layers of construction-related material. Using detailed on-site descriptions supported by quantitatively measured sediment properties as a measure of quality, we compare clustering results of (i) extensive colour measurements conducted with an RGB and a multispectral camera during fieldwork, as well as (ii) selectively sampled sedimentological data and (iii) visible and near infrared (VIS-NIR) hyperspectral data, both acquired in the laboratory. Furthermore, the influence of colour transformation to the CIELAB colour space (Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage) and the possibilities of predicting soil organic carbon (SOC) based on image data are examined. Our results indicate that quantitative spectral measurements, while still experimental, can be used to delineate stratigraphic layers in a similar manner to traditional sedimentological data. The proposed processing steps further improved our results. Quantitative colour measurements should therefore be included in the current workflow of archaeological excavations.

ACS Style

Vincent Haburaj; Moritz Nykamp; Jens May; Philipp Hoelzmann; Brigitta Schütt. On-Site VIS-NIR Spectral Reflectance and Colour Measurements—A Fast and Inexpensive Alternative for Delineating Sediment Layers Quantitatively? A Case Study from a Monumental Bronze Age Burial Mound (Seddin, Germany). Heritage 2020, 3, 528 -548.

AMA Style

Vincent Haburaj, Moritz Nykamp, Jens May, Philipp Hoelzmann, Brigitta Schütt. On-Site VIS-NIR Spectral Reflectance and Colour Measurements—A Fast and Inexpensive Alternative for Delineating Sediment Layers Quantitatively? A Case Study from a Monumental Bronze Age Burial Mound (Seddin, Germany). Heritage. 2020; 3 (2):528-548.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vincent Haburaj; Moritz Nykamp; Jens May; Philipp Hoelzmann; Brigitta Schütt. 2020. "On-Site VIS-NIR Spectral Reflectance and Colour Measurements—A Fast and Inexpensive Alternative for Delineating Sediment Layers Quantitatively? A Case Study from a Monumental Bronze Age Burial Mound (Seddin, Germany)." Heritage 3, no. 2: 528-548.

Journal article
Published: 08 March 2020 in Water
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Water security is essential not only to ensure the availability and accessibility of water for drinking, producing food, washing, but also to maintain both human and environmental health. The 2011 Census of India reveals that 17.4% of urban households in India live in deprived areas in urban landscapes which are designated as slums in the Census dataset. The increasing number of people living in these areas poses serious challenges to the provision of basic urban water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) services. Perceived susceptibility of risks from contaminated water and lack of proper sanitation and hygiene will be addressed in the light of social exclusion factors. This study attempts to assess the present situation of water, sanitation and required hygiene provisions within the areas defined as slums by the Census of India 2011 in Kolkata, India. Based on the results obtained from the datasets from the census, and a household survey, we identified a lack of supplies associated with WaSH provisions in these areas of Kolkata. The WaSH provisions in the slum areas of Kolkata city are facing various issues related to regularity, quality and quantity of supplied water. Additionally, there is poor maintenance of existing WaSH services including latrine facilities and per capita allocation of a sustainable water security among the slum dwellers. By adding to our understanding of the importance of factors such as gender, religions, and knowledge of drinking water in deprived areas, the study analyses the links between both physical and social issues determining vulnerability and presence of deprivation associated with basic WaSH provisions as human rights of slum communities.

ACS Style

Subham Mukherjee; Trude Sundberg; Brigitta Schütt. Assessment of Water Security in Socially Excluded Areas in Kolkata, India: An Approach Focusing on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. Water 2020, 12, 746 .

AMA Style

Subham Mukherjee, Trude Sundberg, Brigitta Schütt. Assessment of Water Security in Socially Excluded Areas in Kolkata, India: An Approach Focusing on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. Water. 2020; 12 (3):746.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Subham Mukherjee; Trude Sundberg; Brigitta Schütt. 2020. "Assessment of Water Security in Socially Excluded Areas in Kolkata, India: An Approach Focusing on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene." Water 12, no. 3: 746.

Review
Published: 23 February 2020 in Sustainability
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Land tenure is given attention in the general discussions on conservation and management of natural resources, but the necessary holistic approach to understand the linkages is less considered. Thus, we considered a watershed as a unit of reference and Integrated Watershed Management as a holistic land and water resources management approach with various roles and touchpoints with land tenure issues. To examine the role of land tenure on the management of natural resources in watersheds, we reviewed and compiled literature that captures watershed issues, integrating aspects of land tenure, and aiming to identify the key land tenure roles, dynamics, and its influences on integrated watershed management. Land tenure is observed playing various roles in watersheds and, thus, also on integrated watershed management as an approach—as a driver of change, influence for investment decisions, an incentive for adoption of practices, and leading to sustainability. Land tenure dynamics range from land tenure security, land tenure forms, land access and acquisition modalities, and how these aspects of land tenure relate with integrated watershed management.

ACS Style

Juliet Katusiime; Brigitta Schütt. Linking Land Tenure and Integrated Watershed Management—A Review. Sustainability 2020, 12, 1667 .

AMA Style

Juliet Katusiime, Brigitta Schütt. Linking Land Tenure and Integrated Watershed Management—A Review. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (4):1667.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Juliet Katusiime; Brigitta Schütt. 2020. "Linking Land Tenure and Integrated Watershed Management—A Review." Sustainability 12, no. 4: 1667.

Journal article
Published: 27 November 2019 in Sustainability
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The coastal strip of the western peri-urban area of Barranquilla in the Atlántico Department (Colombia) is experiencing changes in human-environment interactions through infrastructure, residential, and tourism projects in a vulnerable landscape. In the hilly area, fragments of biodiverse tropical dry forest still exist in various states of conservation and degradation. To understand the interrelated social, economic, and ecological transformations in the area, we analyzed land use change on the local scale including the local community’s perception, because the local community is a key actor for sustainable land use. For the analysis of the interrelated social, economic, and ecological processes, we combined visual interpretation of high-resolution satellite imagery, on-site field land use mapping, and a spatial statistical analysis of the distribution of land use classes with in-depth interviews and a participatory GIS workshop, thus benefitting from the complementary methodological strengths of these approaches. The case study is the rural community of El Morro, which exhibits the typical social, economic, and ecological changes of the coastal strip of the western peri-urban area of Barranquilla. The local community perceives a continuous loss of forest area, but observations from on-site field mapping cannot confirm this linear trend. We observed a gradual replacement of traditional land uses such as smallholder agriculture, charcoal production, and cattle breeding by services for tourism, gated community projects for urban dwellers, and infrastructure projects; these spatial developments have several characteristics of rural gentrification. We conclude that the drivers of environmental degradation have changed and the degradation increased. The development projects of external companies have been rejected by the local community and have induced environmental consciousness among community members. Thus, the local community has become an advocate for sustainable land use in the study area.

ACS Style

Henry Schubert; Markus Rauchecker; Andrés Caballero Calvo; Brigitta Schütt. Land Use Changes and Their Perception in the Hinterland of Barranquilla, Colombian Caribbean. Sustainability 2019, 11, 6729 .

AMA Style

Henry Schubert, Markus Rauchecker, Andrés Caballero Calvo, Brigitta Schütt. Land Use Changes and Their Perception in the Hinterland of Barranquilla, Colombian Caribbean. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (23):6729.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Henry Schubert; Markus Rauchecker; Andrés Caballero Calvo; Brigitta Schütt. 2019. "Land Use Changes and Their Perception in the Hinterland of Barranquilla, Colombian Caribbean." Sustainability 11, no. 23: 6729.

Journal article
Published: 19 October 2019 in Land
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With increasing population growth, the Harare Metropolitan Province has experienced accelerated land use and land cover (LULC) changes, influencing the city’s growth. This study aims to assess spatiotemporal urban LULC changes, the axis, and patterns of growth as well as drivers influencing urban growth over the past three decades in the Harare Metropolitan Province. The analysis was based on remotely sensed Landsat Thematic Mapper and Operational Land Imager data from 1984–2018, GIS application, and binary logistic regression. Supervised image classification using support vector machines was performed on Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI data combined with the soil adjusted vegetation index, enhanced built-up and bareness index and modified difference water index. Statistical modelling was performed using binary logistic regression to identify the influence of the slope and the distance proximity characters as independent variables on urban growth. The overall mapping accuracy for all time periods was over 85%. Built-up areas extended from 279.5 km2 (1984) to 445 km2 (2018) with high-density residential areas growing dramatically from 51.2 km2 (1984) to 218.4 km2 (2018). The results suggest that urban growth was influenced mainly by the presence and density of road networks.

ACS Style

Andrew K. Marondedze; Brigitta Schütt. Dynamics of Land Use and Land Cover Changes in Harare, Zimbabwe: A Case Study on the Linkage between Drivers and the Axis of Urban Expansion. Land 2019, 8, 155 .

AMA Style

Andrew K. Marondedze, Brigitta Schütt. Dynamics of Land Use and Land Cover Changes in Harare, Zimbabwe: A Case Study on the Linkage between Drivers and the Axis of Urban Expansion. Land. 2019; 8 (10):155.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrew K. Marondedze; Brigitta Schütt. 2019. "Dynamics of Land Use and Land Cover Changes in Harare, Zimbabwe: A Case Study on the Linkage between Drivers and the Axis of Urban Expansion." Land 8, no. 10: 155.

Journal article
Published: 08 May 2019 in Sustainability
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The study aims to clarify the relationship between soil organic carbon (SOC) and human activity under arid conditions, in the east area of the Nile Delta, Egypt. SOC is one of the critical factors in food production and plays an important role in the climate change because it affects the physio-chemical soil characteristics, plant growth, and contributes to sustainable development on global levels. For the purpose of our investigations, 120 soil samples (0–30 cm) were collected throughout different land uses and soil types of the study area. Multiple linear regressions (MLR) were used to investigate the spatiotemporal relationship of SOC, soil characteristics, and environmental factors. Remote sensing data acquired from Landsat 5 TM in July 1995 and operational land imager (OLI) in July 2018 were used to model SOC pool. The results revealed significant variations of soil organic carbon pool (SOCP) among different soil textures and land-uses. Soil with high clay content revealed an increase in the percentage of soil organic carbon, and had mean SOCP of 6.08 ± 1.91 Mg C ha−1, followed by clay loams and loamy soils. The higher values of SOCP were observed in the northern regions of the study area. The phenomenon is associated with the expansion of the human activity of initiating fish ponds that reflected higher values of SOC that were related to the organic additions used as nutrients for fish. Nevertheless, the SOC values decreased in southeast of the study area with the decrease of soil moisture contents and the increase in the heavy texture profiles. As a whole, our findings pointed out that the human factor has had a significant impact on the variation of soil organic carbon values in the Eastern Nile Delta from 1995 to 2018. As land use changes from agricultural activity to fish ponds, the SOCP significantly increased. The agriculture land-use revealed higher SOCP with 60.77 Mg C ha−1 in clay soils followed by fish ponds with 53.43 Mg C ha−1. The results also showed a decrease in SOCP values due to an increasing in land surface temperature (LST) thus highlighting that influence of temperature and ambient soil conditions linked to land-use changes have a marked impact on surface SOCP and C sequestration.

ACS Style

Elsayed Mohamed; Mohamed Abu-Hashim; Mohamed AbdelRahman; Brigitta Schütt; Rosa Lasaponara. Evaluating the Effects of Human Activity over the Last Decades on the Soil Organic Carbon Pool Using Satellite Imagery and GIS Techniques in the Nile Delta Area, Egypt. Sustainability 2019, 11, 2644 .

AMA Style

Elsayed Mohamed, Mohamed Abu-Hashim, Mohamed AbdelRahman, Brigitta Schütt, Rosa Lasaponara. Evaluating the Effects of Human Activity over the Last Decades on the Soil Organic Carbon Pool Using Satellite Imagery and GIS Techniques in the Nile Delta Area, Egypt. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (9):2644.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Elsayed Mohamed; Mohamed Abu-Hashim; Mohamed AbdelRahman; Brigitta Schütt; Rosa Lasaponara. 2019. "Evaluating the Effects of Human Activity over the Last Decades on the Soil Organic Carbon Pool Using Satellite Imagery and GIS Techniques in the Nile Delta Area, Egypt." Sustainability 11, no. 9: 2644.

Journal article
Published: 24 April 2019 in Land
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This contribution provides a first characterization of the environmental development for the surroundings of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Göbekli Tepe. We base our analyses on a literature review that covers the environmental components of prevailing bedrock and soils, model- and proxy-based climatic development, and vegetation. The spatio-temporal scales that are covered are mainly the Eastern Mediterranean region and the Late Quaternary—whereby special attention is given to available data from the close vicinity of Göbekli Tepe. Information on Late Quaternary geomorphodynamics is largely absent for the environs of Göbekli Tepe, we therefore included remote sensing data, different terrain modeling approaches and field-based geomorphological mapping to gain insights into past process dynamics. The findings indicate that the environmental conditions at Göbekli Tepe during its time of occupation differed significantly from today, showing denser vegetation and a wide spread sediment cover. Different hypotheses are developed that aim to guide future research on environmental changes and their variations during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. These activities are crucial for a more profound understanding of the environment of the site, its potential perception by humans and therefore for the development of narratives on their landscape creation motives.

ACS Style

Daniel Knitter; Ricarda Braun; Lee Clare; Moritz Nykamp; Brigitta Schütt. Göbekli Tepe: A Brief Description of the Environmental Development in the Surroundings of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Land 2019, 8, 72 .

AMA Style

Daniel Knitter, Ricarda Braun, Lee Clare, Moritz Nykamp, Brigitta Schütt. Göbekli Tepe: A Brief Description of the Environmental Development in the Surroundings of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Land. 2019; 8 (4):72.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Daniel Knitter; Ricarda Braun; Lee Clare; Moritz Nykamp; Brigitta Schütt. 2019. "Göbekli Tepe: A Brief Description of the Environmental Development in the Surroundings of the UNESCO World Heritage Site." Land 8, no. 4: 72.

Journal article
Published: 11 February 2019 in Sustainability
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The tank-based irrigated agricultural system in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka is one of the oldest historically evolved agricultural systems in the world. The main component of the system consists of a connected series of man-made tanks constructed in shallow valleys to store, convey and utilize water for paddy cultivation. Up to 10,000 tanks originating from the heydays of ancient kingdoms are still integrated in the current agricultural landscape. During the last two millennia, this indigenous system has undergone many changes in technological, management and socio-cultural norms. This research aimed to analyze the current management practices and existing indigenous aspects of the Dry Zone irrigated agricultural system from the viewpoint of farmers who are the main stakeholders of the system. Altogether, 49 semi-structured interviews were conducted in seven villages in the Anuradhapura district and a detailed survey was conducted in the village of Manewa with a mixed research approach. The basic elements of the indigenous landscape, agricultural practices and management structures based on Farmer Organizations were mapped and examined in detail. The analysis of results shows that the sustainability of the indigenous agricultural system is vulnerable to rapid changes due to modernization, market changes, education levels, and inconsistent management decisions. The case study demonstrates the value of preserving indigenous agricultural systems and the negative outcomes of current management interventions that neglect the indigenous system. Therefore, careful interventions and innovations are needed to adapt the tank-based indigenous agricultural system of the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka so as to preserve ecological and socio-economic sustainability.

ACS Style

Nuwan Abeywardana; Brigitta Schütt; Thusitha Wagalawatta; Wiebke Bebermeier. Indigenous Agricultural Systems in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka: Management Transformation Assessment and Sustainability. Sustainability 2019, 11, 910 .

AMA Style

Nuwan Abeywardana, Brigitta Schütt, Thusitha Wagalawatta, Wiebke Bebermeier. Indigenous Agricultural Systems in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka: Management Transformation Assessment and Sustainability. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (3):910.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nuwan Abeywardana; Brigitta Schütt; Thusitha Wagalawatta; Wiebke Bebermeier. 2019. "Indigenous Agricultural Systems in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka: Management Transformation Assessment and Sustainability." Sustainability 11, no. 3: 910.

Journal article
Published: 06 December 2018 in Land
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Barranquilla is known as a dynamically growing city in the Colombian Caribbean. Urbanisation induces land use and land cover (LULC) changes in the city and its hinterland affecting the region’s climate and biodiversity. This paper aims to identify the trends of land use and land cover changes in the hinterland of Barranquilla corresponding to 13 municipalities in the north of the Department Atlántico. Landsat TM/ETM/OLI imagery from 1985 to 2017 was used to map and analyse the spatio-temporal development of land use and land cover changes. During the investigation period, the settlement areas grew by approximately 50% (from 103.3 to 153.6 km2), while areas with woody vegetation cover experienced dynamic changes and increased in size since 2001. Peri-urban and rural areas were characterized by highly dynamic changes, particularly regarding clearing and recovery of vegetated areas. Regression analyses were performed to identify the impact factors of detected vegetation cover changes. Computed logistic regression models included 20 independent variables, such as relief, climate, soil, proximity characteristics and socio-economic data. The results of this study may act as a basis to enable researchers and decision-makers to focus on the most important signals of systematic landscape transformations and on the conservation of ecosystems and the services they provide.

ACS Style

Henry Schubert; Andrés Caballero Calvo; Markus Rauchecker; Oscar Rojas-Zamora; Grischa Brokamp; Brigitta Schütt. Assessment of Land Cover Changes in the Hinterland of Barranquilla (Colombia) Using Landsat Imagery and Logistic Regression. Land 2018, 7, 152 .

AMA Style

Henry Schubert, Andrés Caballero Calvo, Markus Rauchecker, Oscar Rojas-Zamora, Grischa Brokamp, Brigitta Schütt. Assessment of Land Cover Changes in the Hinterland of Barranquilla (Colombia) Using Landsat Imagery and Logistic Regression. Land. 2018; 7 (4):152.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Henry Schubert; Andrés Caballero Calvo; Markus Rauchecker; Oscar Rojas-Zamora; Grischa Brokamp; Brigitta Schütt. 2018. "Assessment of Land Cover Changes in the Hinterland of Barranquilla (Colombia) Using Landsat Imagery and Logistic Regression." Land 7, no. 4: 152.

Journal article
Published: 01 December 2018 in Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
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Highlights•Average crop yields increase significantly under runoff/floodwater irrigation.•Runoff agriculture lowers the risk of a total crop failure.•Local food production at Jawa was too small to supply its estimated population.•Trade might have been an important branch of Jawa's economy. AbstractLocated in the basalt desert of northeastern Jordan, Early Bronze Age (EBA) Jawa is regarded as one of the major settlements in the Middle East during the 4th millennium BCE. In addition to a sophisticated water storage system, the existence of three complex agricultural terrace systems based on runoff and floodwater irrigation in the close vicinity was recently revealed.This paper investigates the impact of these water management strategies on harvest yields and the scale of the ‘on-site’ crop production at Jawa by applying a crop simulation model (CropSyst). Simulations for the cultivation of winter barley, winter wheat and lentils were performed for the period from 1983 to 2014. To simulate the different runoff irrigation schemes, a curve-number-based rainfall-runoff model was applied. To estimate the number of people that could have been supplied by the local food production, simple calculations based on metabolic calorie requirements and agricultural and pastoral production rates were conducted.This study shows that the runoff farming systems of EBA Jawa are relatively effective under current rainfall conditions. Even during dryer seasons, the simulated crop yields are much higher under runoff irrigation/floodwater irrigation than under non-irrigated conditions. On average the crop yields increase by 1.5 to 6 times, depending on crop type and runoff irrigation level. Moreover, a marked decrease in crop failures could be observed. The total crop and animal production could have satisfied the nutritional requirements of about 500 to 1000 persons per year. Considering the estimated maximum population for EBA Jawa, ranging from 3400 to 5000 people (Helms, 1981), local production did not meet the basic needs of all inhabitants. This indicates that trade might have been an important branch of Jawa's economy in order to supplement food resources. Moreover, former population estimates for ancient Jawa might be overstated.

ACS Style

Julia Meister; Robert Rettig; Brigitta Schütt. Ancient runoff agriculture at Early Bronze Age Jawa (Jordan): Water availability, efficiency and food supply capacity. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 2018, 22, 359 -371.

AMA Style

Julia Meister, Robert Rettig, Brigitta Schütt. Ancient runoff agriculture at Early Bronze Age Jawa (Jordan): Water availability, efficiency and food supply capacity. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. 2018; 22 ():359-371.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Julia Meister; Robert Rettig; Brigitta Schütt. 2018. "Ancient runoff agriculture at Early Bronze Age Jawa (Jordan): Water availability, efficiency and food supply capacity." Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 22, no. : 359-371.

Journal article
Published: 27 November 2018 in Water
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The dry-zone water-harvesting and management system in Sri Lanka is one of the oldest historically recorded systems in the world. A substantial number of ancient sources mention the management and governance structure of this system suggesting it was initiated in the 4th century BCE (Before Common Era) and abandoned in the middle of the 13th century CE (Common Era). In the 19th century CE, it was reused under the British colonial government. This research aims to identify the ancient water management and governance structure in the dry zone of Sri Lanka through a systematic analysis of ancient sources. Furthermore, colonial politics and interventions during reclamation have been critically analyzed. Information was captured from 222 text passages containing 560 different records. 201 of these text passages were captured from lithic inscriptions and 21 text passages originate from the chronicles. The spatial and temporal distribution of the records and the qualitative information they contain reflect the evolution of the water management and governance systems in Sri Lanka. Vast multitudes of small tanks were developed and managed by the local communities. Due to the sustainable management structure set up within society, the small tank systems have remained intact for more than two millennia.

ACS Style

Nuwan Abeywardana; Wiebke Bebermeier; Brigitta Schütt. Ancient Water Management and Governance in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka Until Abandonment, and the Influence of Colonial Politics during Reclamation. Water 2018, 10, 1746 .

AMA Style

Nuwan Abeywardana, Wiebke Bebermeier, Brigitta Schütt. Ancient Water Management and Governance in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka Until Abandonment, and the Influence of Colonial Politics during Reclamation. Water. 2018; 10 (12):1746.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nuwan Abeywardana; Wiebke Bebermeier; Brigitta Schütt. 2018. "Ancient Water Management and Governance in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka Until Abandonment, and the Influence of Colonial Politics during Reclamation." Water 10, no. 12: 1746.

Review
Published: 30 July 2018 in Land
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Urban Water Security is essential in urban planning to manage cities’ water infrastructures and strengthen their water stress resilience and adaptive capacities. Decision making, governance and socio-economic factors play important roles in achieving Urban Water Security. Kolkata is a growing megacity in a developing country, which is facing rising pressures on water-environmental provisions due to the rapid population growth and urbanization and resultant governance and infrastructural issues. This review focusses on Kolkata, which is facing critical water issues, as a case study. The study presents an overview of the urban water (in)security and its dimensions in Kolkata city, such as water consumption and distribution in the city along with the changing land use-land cover of the city area, based on the results obtained from the satellite data-based land use-land cover classification, available literature, and documents from public institutions.

ACS Style

Subham Mukherjee; Wiebke Bebermeier; Brigitta Schütt. An Overview of the Impacts of Land Use Land Cover Changes (1980–2014) on Urban Water Security of Kolkata. Land 2018, 7, 91 .

AMA Style

Subham Mukherjee, Wiebke Bebermeier, Brigitta Schütt. An Overview of the Impacts of Land Use Land Cover Changes (1980–2014) on Urban Water Security of Kolkata. Land. 2018; 7 (3):91.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Subham Mukherjee; Wiebke Bebermeier; Brigitta Schütt. 2018. "An Overview of the Impacts of Land Use Land Cover Changes (1980–2014) on Urban Water Security of Kolkata." Land 7, no. 3: 91.

Journal article
Published: 12 June 2018 in Land
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Bogotá, the rapidly growing center of an emerging economy in the northern part of South America, is located within a biodiversity hotspot in the tropical Andes. The surrounding mountains harbor the ecosystems Páramo and Bosque Altoandino whose high water retention capacity serves as a “natural water tower” for the city’s freshwater supply. Since Bogotá is steadily growing, the city spreads into its peri-urban area, thus threatening its proximal ecosystems. In this study, the land use and land cover change (LULCC) of Bogotá’s surrounding area is analyzed with random forest algorithms for the period 1989 to 2016. The basin of the Rio Tunjuelo, a subbasin of the Rio Bogotá, was selected for analysis, as it is typical for the entire area in terms of relief, land use and land cover. A multiple logistic regression analysis is applied to identify different determining factors of the changes. LULCC analysis of the Rio Tunjuelo basin shows an ongoing but abating southward spread of Bogotá’s outer rim, an increase of agricultural land, and decrease of natural vegetation. After an initial heavily spatial spread of urbanization in the early 1990s, the speed of urban spread declined in the past years. Statistical analysis implies that the defined natural vegetation classes must be considered as one spatial entity. The probability for their change increases with decreasing distance to established agricultural areas, which indicates human impact as a relevant factor for LULCC. Generally, the explained deviance (D2) is low and hence it is presumed that the LULCC determining factors are not predominantly found among environmental parameters.

ACS Style

Norbert Anselm; Grischa Brokamp; Brigitta Schütt. Assessment of Land Cover Change in Peri-Urban High Andean Environments South of Bogotá, Colombia. Land 2018, 7, 75 .

AMA Style

Norbert Anselm, Grischa Brokamp, Brigitta Schütt. Assessment of Land Cover Change in Peri-Urban High Andean Environments South of Bogotá, Colombia. Land. 2018; 7 (2):75.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Norbert Anselm; Grischa Brokamp; Brigitta Schütt. 2018. "Assessment of Land Cover Change in Peri-Urban High Andean Environments South of Bogotá, Colombia." Land 7, no. 2: 75.