The dwindling role of population pressure in land use change: a case from the Southwest Pacific

Torben Birch-Thomsen; Anette Reenberg

doi:10.1007/978-94-017-8678-2_4

The dwindling role of population pressure in land use change: a case from the Southwest Pacific

Torben Birch-Thomsen, Anette Reenberg

Geography

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Abstract

This paper explores a contemporary coupled human-environmental system on a small island in the South West Pacific. It describes the historical change of the resource management strategies, notably the agricultural land use, in this former subsistence system. Our conceptual mindset draws on Boserup’s classic theories of land use intensification as well as on her more recently proposed heuristic framework to describe development processes that underpin land use system change. We illustrate how land use has become partially disconnected from the local population pressure and therefore remains relatively stable while the larger livelihood portfolio has undergone significant diversification. At present, the agricultural system is a supplement to a range of strategies that support the increasing number of people on the island. This explains why land use patterns continue relatively unchanged while livelihood and food supply strategies have changed.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Ester Boserup’s legacy on sustainability : orientations for contemporary research
Editors	Marina Fischer-Kowalski, Anette Reenberg, Anke Schaffartzik, Andreas Mayer
Number of pages	15
Place of Publication	New York
Publisher	Springer
Publication date	Aug 2014
Pages	45-60
Chapter	4
ISBN (Print)	978-94-017-8677-5
ISBN (Electronic)	978-94-017-8678-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8678-2_4
Publication status	Published - Aug 2014

Series	Human - Environment Interactions
Volume	4
ISSN	2214-2339

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This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1007/978-94-017-8678-2_4

Boserup Book Chapter 4_Birch-Thomsen and Reenberg 2014Final published version, 1.14 MBLicence: CC BY-NC

Cite this

The dwindling role of population pressure in land use change: a case from the Southwest Pacific. / Birch-Thomsen, Torben; Reenberg, Anette.
Ester Boserup’s legacy on sustainability: orientations for contemporary research. ed. / Marina Fischer-Kowalski; Anette Reenberg; Anke Schaffartzik; Andreas Mayer. New York: Springer, 2014. p. 45-60 (Human - Environment Interactions, Vol. 4).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Book chapter › Research › peer-review

Birch-Thomsen, T & Reenberg, A 2014, The dwindling role of population pressure in land use change: a case from the Southwest Pacific. in M Fischer-Kowalski, A Reenberg, A Schaffartzik & A Mayer (eds), Ester Boserup’s legacy on sustainability: orientations for contemporary research. Springer, New York, Human - Environment Interactions, vol. 4, pp. 45-60. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-8678-2_4

Birch-Thomsen T, Reenberg A. The dwindling role of population pressure in land use change: a case from the Southwest Pacific. In Fischer-Kowalski M, Reenberg A, Schaffartzik A, Mayer A, editors, Ester Boserup’s legacy on sustainability: orientations for contemporary research. New York: Springer. 2014. p. 45-60. (Human - Environment Interactions, Vol. 4). doi: 10.1007/978-94-017-8678-2_4

Birch-Thomsen, Torben ; Reenberg, Anette. / The dwindling role of population pressure in land use change : a case from the Southwest Pacific. Ester Boserup’s legacy on sustainability: orientations for contemporary research. editor / Marina Fischer-Kowalski ; Anette Reenberg ; Anke Schaffartzik ; Andreas Mayer. New York : Springer, 2014. pp. 45-60 (Human - Environment Interactions, Vol. 4).

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