Best practices in sustainable land management

Examples from the SPI report
In 2017, UNCCD’s Science Policy Interface (SPI) published a report showcasing several dozen examples of individual sustainable land management (SLM) best practices selected from scientific journal articles, research papers and SLM databases (including WOCAT). This information is categorised by land use type and technology group.
The WOCAT global database on SLM
The WOCAT database is one of the largest SLM global databases. The database contains around 2500 SLM practices from 136 countries, in twelve different languages, including best practices reported by UNCCD Parties.
Best practice examples
Native trees, shrubs and grasses planted through participatory action. One part of the agave is planted in continuous lines to create a green wall to control soil and water runoff and the other part is planted in staggered. In addition, other native plants are planted between the lines of agave, to be used as food, fodder and/or medicinal products.

A soil bund is a structural measure with an embankment of soil or stones, or soil and stones, constructed along the contour and stabilized with vegetative measures, such as grass and fodder trees. The height of the bunds depends on the availability of stones. Bunds reduce the velocity of runoff and soil erosion, retain water behind the bund and support water infiltration. It further helps in ground water recharging.

The purpose is to deal with the regular floods, which are a natural event and happen regularly. Trees are planted in lower catchment areas to stabilize the riverbank, ensure water quality in the river by retaining sediments from nearby fields, and to trap agricultural chemicals. The technology can be considered a revegetation measure and can be applied to several land use types.

The cascading rock Irrigation channel is constructed with stones on rocky slopes to capture surface water runoff from the mountains and channel it to the valley floor, where it can be utilised for human use such as drinking water, sanitation, and irrigation. The uneven surface of the rock channel slows the pace of the water, thus preventing scouring at the foot of the channel. The channel also provides a suitable environment for the cultivation of trees, which in turn can help reduce water and wind erosion on the slopes, preventing rock and debris movement onto the cultivated lands in the valley.

Protection and reforestation of degraded arid lands in central and southern Tunisia using native tree species able to tolerate extreme droughts and persist on the edge of the Sahara desert. The purpose of afforestation is the rehabilitation of degraded drylands and restoration of the original forest-steppe ecosystem in the Bled Talah region, which suffered for over a century from over-exploitation of natural resources and intensification of agricultural activities. A national park was created in 1980 covering an area of approximately 16,000 ha, with three integral protection zones, two agricultural zones and two buffer zones. Note: For this SLM technology case, the SPI report on Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change, refers to: Murthy, I.K., Alipuria, A.K. and Ravindranath, N.H. 2012. Potential for increasing carbon sink in Himachal Pradesh, India. Tropical Ecology 53(3), 357-369, and Agrawal, A.. 1996. Reforestation in Ecuador’s Dry Forest. Desert Plants, pp 12-14.

Afforestation activities, led by the government, after a fire that resulted in the loss of 33’000 ha of forests, strong erosion processes and hindered vegetation regrowth. A machine was used to open a planting hole and cover it again, which loosened the soil. Seedlings of Pinus Halepensis were planted manually and arranged linearly. The afforested area covered around 100 ha (not continuously), while other forest areas grew naturally. The main purpose of afforestation was to reduce soil erosion by planting trees, which increases soil stability and enables forest regrowth. Other purposes included improving the potential wood extraction in the future and improving the visual landscape.

The main purposes of thinning dense pine forests are the prevention of fires by reducing the fuel load and its continuity, and to improve pine regeneration by eliminating the competition between different species. As a result, the quality of the plants is improved and the amount of dead or sick plants is reduced, which is essential to ensure a healthy forest. This also leads to a higher resistance to pests which in turn again decreases the risk of fire. Vegetation removal produces fresh vegetation growth, therefore more diverse and nutritious fodder is provided to animals in the cleared areas. On average the forest is thinned until reaching a density of 800-1200 trees/ha. Dead or sick plants and some fire-prone shrubs are removed, whereas some species are kept to promote a more fire-resistant vegetation composition. Part of the tree and shrub residues is used to cover the soil as mulch, which results in ecological benefits, such as increasing soil moisture, erosion prevention, enhancement of nutrient cycling. Note: For this SLM technology case, the SPI report on Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change, refers to: Jucker, M., Liniger, H., Valdecantos, A., and Schwilch, G., 2016. Impacts of Land Management on the Resilience of Mediterranean Dry Forests to Fire. Sustainability, 8, 981: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su8100981.

Firebreaks act as a barrier to stop or slow the progress of fires and allow firefighters to better position themselves to operate. Gaps of vegetation of about 5 to 7 meters are created at a distance of every 50 to 75 meters along the contour line of the forested areas. Note: For this SLM technology case, the SPI report on Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change, refers to: Xanthopoulos, G., et al. 2006. Forest fuels management in Europe. In ‘Fuels Management – How to Measure Success’, 28–30 March 2006, Portland, OR. (Eds PL Andrews, BW Butler) USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Proceedings RMRS-P-41, 29–46.

Assisted cork oak regeneration by acorn seeding and seedling plantation from a plant nursery, involving careful husbandry and protection from grazing. Good quality acorns and seedlings are required and seedlings should come from the same region where they are planted and be certified by the authorities. Small, woody plants are cleared and the soil is prepared by deep ploughing to loosen the topsoil and allow easier root growth. Cork oak regeneration ensures the continued existence and development of the forest. It conserves soil and water and fights against desertification. Other benefits include cork production, wood production, fodder production and better soil cover. The technology also positively impacts the socio-economic development of local populations by providing landscape, welfare and recreation.

A community-led reforestation effort that led to the legal protection of a forest area and improved water quality and quantity from the microbasin located within the forest area. The community-led ensures the quantity and quality of the water supply and the legal protection of the forest area. Communities using the micro-basin agreed to make the area a protected forest area and stop using it for other purposes (such as grazing or agriculture). Community greenhouses were established to produce native tree species seedlings, which are then transplanted in the field over time. Note: For this SLM technology case, the SPI report on Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change refers to: Wendland, K.J., et al. 2015. Protected Area Effectiveness in European Russia: A Postmatching Panel Data Analysis. Land Economics, 91 (1), 149–168. ISSN 0023-7639; E-ISSN 1.
