Multifunctional Land Use : Meeting Future Demands for Landscape Goods and Services

Global change, land use policies and EU enlargement affect the driving forces for landscape functioning, land use management and rural development. New demands on landscapes and natural resources call for multifunctional approaches to land development. Tools are required to (i) identify the effects of land management on landscape sustainability and (ii) support the decision-making process on the multipurpose utilisation of landscape resources.

Scientists from across Europe installed the Landscape Tomorrow network to be prepared for new challenges of research on sustainable land development in a European perspective. In this publication they (i) analyse general principles of land use multifunctionality, (ii) highlight the specific requirements and approaches of implementing multifunctional land use from different disciplinary viewpoints, (iii) report on success stories of multifunctional land use from different geographic and political settings, and (iv) discuss modelling and monitoring approaches to scientifically assess the impact of mutlifunctional land use implementation. The book contributes to the scientific basis for future land development strategies and helps supporting land use decision making on the political, planning and management level.