Sustainable land management strategies for the southern Amazon, Brazil, in the light of socio-economic aspects, plant diseases and climate change
The Southern Amazon in Brazil is one of world´s main production regions for agricultural commodities and at the same time a hotspot of tropical deforestation. The thesis aims to develop sustainable land management strategies to ease the conflict between human activities and nature in this sensitive ecosystem. In a simulation study, the biophysical and socio-economic dimension of yield gaps (difference between potential yield and actual yield) was identified. Furthermore, a plant protection application was used to study the spread of pests and plant diseases. Furthermore, the impact of climate change and technological progress on future yields was projected. The thesis shows that improved water and nutrient management, a reduction of socio-economic constraints, early plant disease detection and climate-resilient cultivation systems can result in a sustainable intensification of areas previously cleared. At the same time, more effective control mechanisms are needed to prevent the further expansion of pasture and arable land into the rainforest, as the importance of the Southern Amazon for the global climate and biodiversity stands in extreme contrast to its low agricultural potential.
- Rural development
- sustainability
- climate change
- adaptation to climate change
- land use change
- Amazon region
- transformation research
B.Sc. and B.A.
in Public Administration (with special emphasis on European Studies),
Westfälische Wilhelms Universität Münster, Deutschland und Universität Twente,
Niederlande (2006-2010)
M.A. Governance
and Rural Development, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Brasilien
(2011-2013)
Hampf, A., M. Carauta, A. Libera, E. Latynskiy, L. Monteiro, P. C. Sentelhas, C. Troost, T. Berger and C. Nendel (2018). “The bio-physical and socio-economic dimension of yield gaps in the Southern Amazon – a bio-economic modelling approach.” Agricultural Systems.
Carauta, M., E. Latynskiy, J. Mössinger, J. Gil, A. Libera, A. Hampf, L. Monteiro, M. Siebold and T. Berger (2017). “Can preferential credit programs speed up the adoption of low-carbon agricultural systems in Mato Grosso, Brazil? Results from bioeconomic microsimulation.” Regional Environmental Change 17: 1-12.
Carauta, M., A. Libera, A. Hampf, R. Chen, J. M. d. Silveira and T. Berger (2017). “On-farm trade-offs for optimal agricultural practices in Mato Grosso, Brazil.” Revista de Economia e Agronegócio 15(3).
Göpel, J., J. Schüngel, R. Schaldach, K. H. E. Meurer, H. F. Jungkunst, U. Franko, J. Boy, R. Strey, S. Strey, G. Guggenberger, A. Hampf and P. Parker (2017). “Future land use and land cover in Southern Amazonia and resulting greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soils.” Regional Environmental Change 18(1): 129-142.
Schaldach, R., K. H. E. Meurer, H. F. Jungkunst, C. Nendel, T. Lakes, F. Gollnow, J. Göpel, J. Boy, G. Guggenberger, R. Strey, S. Strey, T. Berger, G. Gerold, R. Schönenberg, J. Böhner, M. Schindewolf, E. Latynskiy, A. Hampf, P. S. Parker and P. C. Sentelhas (2017). “A model-based assessment of the environmental impact of land-use change across scales in Southern Amazonia.” Regional Environmental Change 18(1): 161-173.
Carauta, M., A. Libera, E. Latynskiy, A. Hampf, J. M. d. Silveira and T. Berger (2016). Integrated assessment of novel two-season production systems in Mato Grosso, Brazil. 8th International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software. S. Sauvage, J.-M. Sánchez-Pérez and A. Rizzolli. Toulouse, France: 430-437.
Sentelhas, P. C., R. Battisti, G. M. S. Camara, J. R. B. Farias, A. Hampf and C. Nendel (2015). “The soybean yield gap in Brazil – magnitude, causes and possible solutions for sustainable production.” Journal of Agricultural Science 153(8): 1394-1411.