Land use changes in urban pressure areas - threats to food production and landscape qualities

This project focuses on conflicts related to land use changes in urban pressure areas. Threats to future food production and landscape qualities are addressed. The pressure on land resources have increased as a consequence of expanding and new competing a ctivities, i.e. energy production, as well as the need for feeding to a growing human population. The project aims to achieve further knowledge about driving forces to landscape changes and policy strategies for a sustainable land use management in urban pressure areas. Ecological and cultural processes as well as political and social aspects will be integrated in an interdisciplinary approach. Associated objectives are to identify land use change impacts on food production potentials, cultural heritage and biodiversity. The project will be carried out through six work packages addressing the different types of questions within an interdisciplinary frame. A conceptual model and platform for advices to policy strategies regarding land use will be develop ed. This will be performed through basic data organization and evaluation within each discipline, and followed up in the interdisciplinary approach. Finally, a holistic conclusion will be drawn. Agricultural authorities on all levels, departments for plan ning and environmental affairs and policy makers will benefit from the result.