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Structural development in Danish agriculture and its implications for farmland nature

Levin, Gregor; Langer, Vibeke and Frederiksen, Pia (2006) Structural development in Danish agriculture and its implications for farmland nature. In: Langeveld, Hans and Röling, Niels (Eds.) Changing European farming systems for a better future: New visions for rural areas. Wageningen Academic Publishers, chapter 5, pp. 424-429.

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Summary

During the last decades, development of Danish agriculture was characterised by concentration of land on fewer and larger farms and consequently increasing farm sizes. On basis of three case studies supplemented by national data we explore relationships between farm size change and farmland nature in terms of field sizes and hedgerow densities. Data point to a significant relationship between farm enlargement and increases in mean field sizes. Furthermore, mean field size is negatively related to densities of hedgerows. For the coming decades, scenarios for Danish agriculture point to a continued increase in farm sizes. We argue for an increased focus on the effects of a continued scale enlargement on farmland nature in terms of changes in field size structure. In order to reduce harmful influences of scale enlargement, we suggest that in relation to changes in field structure, agricultural policies should focus on restrictions on removal of old hedgerows and on subsidies for planting of new


EPrint Type:Book chapter
Keywords:Structural development in agriculture, farm size, farmland nature, field size, field size structure, hedgerow density
Subjects: Environmental aspects
Environmental aspects > Landscape and recreation
Environmental aspects > Biodiversity and ecosystem services
Research affiliation: Denmark > KU - University of Copenhagen > KU-LIFE - Faculty of Life Sciences
Denmark > DARCOF II (2000-2005) > III.5 Nature quality in organic farming
Denmark > AU - Aarhus University > AU, NERI - National Environmental Research Institute
Denmark > Other organizations
Denmark > SOAR - Research School for Organic Agriculture and Food Systems
Related Links:http://www.dmu.dk/Udgivelser/%C3%98vrige+udgivelser/
Deposited By: Levin, PhD Geography Gregor
ID Code:9839
Deposited On:18 Oct 2006
Last Modified:12 Apr 2010 07:34
Document Language:English
Status:Published
Refereed:Peer-reviewed and accepted

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