IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/zbw/espost/176550.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring the effects of drastic institutional and socio-economic changes on land system dynamics in Germany between 1883 and 2007

Author

Listed:
  • Niedertscheider, Maria
  • Kuemmerle, Tobias
  • Müller, Daniel
  • Erb, Karl-Heinz

Abstract

Long-term studies of land system change can help providing insights into the relative importance of underlying drivers of change. Here, we analyze land system change in Germany for the period 1883–2007 to trace the effect of drastic socio-economic and institutional changes on land system dynamics. Germany is an especially interesting case study due to fundamentally changing economic and institutional conditions: the two World Wars, the separation into East and West Germany, the accession to the European Union, and Germany's reunification. We employed the Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production (HANPP) framework to comprehensively study long-term land system dynamics in the context of these events. HANPP quantifies biomass harvests and land-use-related changes in ecosystem productivity. By comparing these flows to the potential productivity of ecosystems, HANPP allows to consistently assess land cover changes as well as changes in land use intensity. Our results show that biomass harvest steadily increased while productivity losses declined from 1883 to 2007, leading to a decline in HANPP from around 75%–65% of the potential productivity. At the same time, decreasing agricultural areas allowed for forest regrowth. Overall, land system change in Germany was surprisingly gradual, indicating high resilience to the drastic socio-economic and institutional shifts that occurred during the last 125 years. We found strikingly similar land system trajectories in East and West Germany during the time of separation (1945–1989), despite the contrasting institutional settings and economic paradigms. Conversely, the German reunification sparked a fundamental and rapid shift in former East Germany's land system, leading to altered levels of production, land use intensity and land use efficiency. Gradual and continuous land use intensification, a result of industrialization and economic optimization of land use, was the dominant trend throughout the observed period, apparently overruling socio-economic framework conditions and land use policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Niedertscheider, Maria & Kuemmerle, Tobias & Müller, Daniel & Erb, Karl-Heinz, 2014. "Exploring the effects of drastic institutional and socio-economic changes on land system dynamics in Germany between 1883 and 2007," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 28, pages 98-108.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:espost:176550
    DOI: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2014.06.006
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/176550/1/Niedertscheider_2014_land_system_dynamics.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2014.06.006?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kohlheb, Norbert & Krausmann, Fridolin, 2009. "Land use change, biomass production and HANPP: The case of Hungary 1961-2005," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 292-300, December.
    2. Musel, Annabella, 2009. "Human appropriation of net primary production in the United Kingdom, 1800-2000: Changes in society's impact on ecological energy flows during the agrarian-industrial transition," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 270-281, December.
    3. Kastner, Thomas, 2009. "Trajectories in human domination of ecosystems: Human appropriation of net primary production in the Philippines during the 20th century," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 260-269, December.
    4. Kuskova, Petra & Gingrich, Simone & Krausmann, Fridolin, 2008. "Long term changes in social metabolism and land use in Czechoslovakia, 1830-2000: An energy transition under changing political regimes," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1-2), pages 394-407, December.
    5. Krausmann, Fridolin & Erb, Karl-Heinz & Gingrich, Simone & Lauk, Christian & Haberl, Helmut, 2008. "Global patterns of socioeconomic biomass flows in the year 2000: A comprehensive assessment of supply, consumption and constraints," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 471-487, April.
    6. Vaclav Smil, 1999. "Detonator of the population explosion," Nature, Nature, vol. 400(6743), pages 415-415, July.
    7. Karl-Heinz Erb & Simone Gingrich & Fridolin Krausmann & Helmut Haberl, 2008. "Industrialization, Fossil Fuels, and the Transformation of Land Use," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 12(5-6), pages 686-703, October.
    8. Erb, Karl-Heinz & Haberl, Helmut & Jepsen, Martin Rudbeck & Kuemmerle, Tobias & Lindner, Marcus & Müller, Daniel & Verburg, Peter H & Reenberg, Anette, 2013. "A conceptual framework for analysing and measuring land-use intensity," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 5(5), pages 464-470.
    9. Kuemmerle, Tobias & Erb, Karlheinz & Meyfroidt, Patrick & Müller, Daniel & Verburg, Peter H & Estel, Stephan & Haberl, Helmut & Hostert, Patrick & Jepsen, Martin R. & Kastner, Thomas & Levers, Christi, 2013. "Challenges and opportunities in mapping land use intensity globally," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 5(5), pages 484-493.
    10. Schwarzlmüller, Elmar, 2009. "Human appropriation of aboveground net primary production in Spain, 1955-2003: An empirical analysis of the industrialization of land use," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 282-291, December.
    11. Scott Rozelle & Johan F.M. Swinnen, 2004. "Success and Failure of Reform: Insights from the Transition of Agriculture," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 42(2), pages 404-456, June.
    12. Erb, Karl-Heinz & Krausmann, Fridolin & Gaube, Veronika & Gingrich, Simone & Bondeau, Alberte & Fischer-Kowalski, Marina & Haberl, Helmut, 2009. "Analyzing the global human appropriation of net primary production -- processes, trajectories, implications. An introduction," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 250-259, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Johannes Schmidt & Nik Usmar & Leon Westphal & Max Werner & Stephan Roller & Reinhard Rademacher & Peter Kühn & Lukas Werther & Aline Kottmann, 2023. "Erosion Modelling Indicates a Decrease in Erosion Susceptibility of Historic Ridge and Furrow Fields near Albershausen, Southern Germany," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-11, February.
    2. Jänicke, Clemens & Goddard, Adam & Stein, Susanne & Steinmann, Horst-Henning & Lakes, Tobia & Nendel, Claas & Müller, Daniel, 2022. "Field-level land-use data reveal heterogeneous crop sequences with distinct regional differences in Germany," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 141, pages 1-12.
    3. Jena, Ananta Kumar, 2024. "Tree plantation for implementing the land utilization policies incorporate with sustainable development towards environmental concerns in Assam, India," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    4. Gelas Rubakula & Zhanqi Wang & Chao Wei, 2019. "Land Conflict Management through the Implementation of the National Land Policy in Tanzania: Evidence from Kigoma Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-12, November.
    5. Chen, Aifang & Li, Ruiyun & Wang, Honglin & He, Bin, 2015. "Quantitative assessment of human appropriation of aboveground net primary production in China," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 312(C), pages 54-60.
    6. Zhang, Yanjie & Pan, Ying & Li, Meng & Wang, Zhipeng & Wu, Junxi & Zhang, Xianzhou & Cao, Yanan, 2021. "Impacts of human appropriation of net primary production on ecosystem regulating services in Tibet," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    7. Grešlová, Petra & Štych, Přemysl & Salata, Tomasz & Hernik, Józef & Knížková, Ivana & Bičík, Ivan & Jeleček, Leoš & Prus, Barbara & Noszczyk, Tomasz, 2019. "Agroecosystem energy metabolism in Czechia and Poland in the two decades after the fall of communism: From a centrally planned system to market oriented mode of production," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 807-820.
    8. Qing Huang & Fangyi Zhang & Qian Zhang & Hui Ou & Yunxiang Jin, 2020. "Quantitative Assessment of the Impact of Human Activities on Terrestrial Net Primary Productivity in the Yangtze River Delta," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-16, February.
    9. Tian Zhang & Jian Peng & Xiaoshu Cao, 2023. "China’s Urban and Rural Development Significantly Affects the Pattern of Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-21, May.
    10. Johanna Kramm & Melanie Pichler & Anke Schaffartzik & Martin Zimmermann, 2017. "Societal Relations to Nature in Times of Crisis—Social Ecology’s Contributions to Interdisciplinary Sustainability Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-12, June.
    11. Ropero, R.F. & Aguilera, P.A. & Rumí, R., 2015. "Analysis of the socioecological structure and dynamics of the territory using a hybrid Bayesian network classifier," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 311(C), pages 73-87.
    12. Mosquera-Losada, M.R. & Santiago-Freijanes, J.J. & Rois-Díaz, M. & Moreno, G. & den Herder, M. & Aldrey-Vázquez, J.A. & Ferreiro-Domínguez, N. & Pantera, A. & Pisanelli, A. & Rigueiro-Rodríguez, A., 2018. "Agroforestry in Europe: A land management policy tool to combat climate change," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 603-613.
    13. C. Brannon Andersen & R. Kyle Donovan & John E. Quinn, 2015. "Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production (HANPP) in an Agriculturally-Dominated Watershed, Southeastern USA," Land, MDPI, vol. 4(2), pages 1-28, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kohlheb, Norbert & Krausmann, Fridolin, 2009. "Land use change, biomass production and HANPP: The case of Hungary 1961-2005," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 292-300, December.
    2. Pritchard, Rose & Ryan, Casey M. & Grundy, Isla & van der Horst, Dan, 2018. "Human Appropriation of Net Primary Productivity and Rural Livelihoods: Findings From Six Villages in Zimbabwe," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 115-124.
    3. Fangyi Zhang & Lijie Pu & Qing Huang, 2015. "Quantitative Assessment of the Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production (HANPP) in the Coastal Areas of Jiangsu, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(12), pages 1-14, November.
    4. Erb, Karl-Heinz & Krausmann, Fridolin & Gaube, Veronika & Gingrich, Simone & Bondeau, Alberte & Fischer-Kowalski, Marina & Haberl, Helmut, 2009. "Analyzing the global human appropriation of net primary production -- processes, trajectories, implications. An introduction," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 250-259, December.
    5. C. Brannon Andersen & R. Kyle Donovan & John E. Quinn, 2015. "Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production (HANPP) in an Agriculturally-Dominated Watershed, Southeastern USA," Land, MDPI, vol. 4(2), pages 1-28, June.
    6. Musel, Annabella, 2009. "Human appropriation of net primary production in the United Kingdom, 1800-2000: Changes in society's impact on ecological energy flows during the agrarian-industrial transition," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 270-281, December.
    7. Krausmann, Fridolin & Gingrich, Simone & Haberl, Helmut & Erb, Karl-Heinz & Musel, Annabella & Kastner, Thomas & Kohlheb, Norbert & Niedertscheider, Maria & Schwarzlmüller, Elmar, 2012. "Long-term trajectories of the human appropriation of net primary production: Lessons from six national case studies," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 129-138.
    8. Chen, Aifang & Li, Ruiyun & Wang, Honglin & He, Bin, 2015. "Quantitative assessment of human appropriation of aboveground net primary production in China," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 312(C), pages 54-60.
    9. Duarte, Rosa & Pinilla, Vicente & Serrano, Ana, 2014. "The water footprint of the Spanish agricultural sector: 1860–2010," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 200-207.
    10. Fetzel, Tamara & Gradwohl, Markus & Erb, Karl-Heinz, 2014. "Conversion, intensification, and abandonment: A human appropriation of net primary production approach to analyze historic land-use dynamics in New Zealand 1860–2005," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 201-208.
    11. Mahbub, Riasad Bin & Ahmed, Nahian & Rahman, Shupa & Hossain, Mohammad Mosharraf & Sujauddin, Mohammad, 2019. "Human appropriation of net primary production in Bangladesh, 1700–2100," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    12. Gingrich, Simone, 2011. "Foreign trade and early industrialisation in the Habsburg Monarchy and the United Kingdom -- Two extremes in comparison," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(7), pages 1280-1288, May.
    13. Alexander Urrego-Mesa & Juan Infante-Amate & Enric Tello, 2018. "Pastures and Cash Crops: Biomass Flows in the Socio-Metabolic Transition of Twentieth-Century Colombian Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-28, December.
    14. Qing Huang & Fangyi Zhang & Qian Zhang & Hui Ou & Yunxiang Jin, 2020. "Quantitative Assessment of the Impact of Human Activities on Terrestrial Net Primary Productivity in the Yangtze River Delta," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-16, February.
    15. Stephanie D. Maier & Jan Paul Lindner & Javier Francisco, 2019. "Conceptual Framework for Biodiversity Assessments in Global Value Chains," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-34, March.
    16. Krausmann, Fridolin & Gingrich, Simone & Eisenmenger, Nina & Erb, Karl-Heinz & Haberl, Helmut & Fischer-Kowalski, Marina, 2009. "Growth in global materials use, GDP and population during the 20th century," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(10), pages 2696-2705, August.
    17. Kastner, Thomas, 2009. "Trajectories in human domination of ecosystems: Human appropriation of net primary production in the Philippines during the 20th century," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 260-269, December.
    18. Lauk, Christian & Erb, Karl-Heinz, 2009. "Biomass consumed in anthropogenic vegetation fires: Global patterns and processes," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 301-309, December.
    19. Priyanka deSouza & Yadvinder Malhi, 2018. "Land Use Change in India (1700–2000) as Examined through the Lens of Human Appropriation of Net Primary Productivity," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 22(5), pages 1202-1212, October.
    20. Song, Min & Yi, Luping & Hu, Can, 2023. "Building up a compensation-oriented transferable development right mechanism: A theoretical and empirical exploration in Hubei, China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:zbw:espost:176550. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/zbwkide.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.