KENVO Landscape Performance Scoring (LPS) Exercise
Setting The workshop was conducted at the KENVO office, which is situated fairly centrally in the landscape. Participants had been invited the week before by KENVO leadership. They were informed that morning tea and mid-day lunch would be provided. Method Participants. Participant-informants in the landscape scoring exercise included ‘innovative’ farmers who have emerged from KENVO’s [...]
Integrative and Leverage Indicators
An integrative indicator reveals information about multiple landscape functions and goals for landscape performance (ie; multiple legs of the `ecoagriculture stool’). Land Cover is an integrative indicator. Analyzing patterns of landcover change over time can generate insight into conservation, production, livelihood and institutional performance, and relationships among specific attributes within each category. A leverage indicator [...]
Water pH
pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of water. The range of pH is from 0 – 14, with 7 being neutral. A pH of less than 7 indicates acidity, whereas a pH of greater than 7 indicates a base. Since pH can be affected by chemicals in the water, pH is an [...]
Additional Resources for Landscape Level Planning
BBOP – Landscape Level Planning for Biodiversity Offsets (Summary) CEAA – Regional Environmental Effects Assessment and Strategic Land Use Planning in British Columbia. Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration. Measures of Progress Applegate Partnership. Su Rolle. USDA The Dynamics of Ecosystems, Biodiversity Management and Social Institutions at High Northern Latitudes Community Governance – Results That [...]
Nutrient Composition
Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium (NPK) and many other nutrients are stored, transformed, and cycled through soil. Measuring these nutrients provides a snapshot of the physical chemical composition of the soil. By testing the levels of these nutrients, we can determine whether a soil has abundance or lack of a particular nutrient, and hence, whether or not the soil is balanced and healthy. [...]
Aggregate Stability
Using Aggregate Stability as an Indicator of Soil Fertility/Quality Aggregate stability is defined as “a measure of the extent to which soil aggregates resist falling apart when wetted and hit by rain drops.” If the soil has a low aggregate stability then it is likely to form a crust after a period of heavy rain fail, [...]
Soil Organic Matter
Soil organic matter (SOM) is material that is derived from living organisms including plants and soil fauna. Being a source of mineral nutrients SOM contributes to soil chemical fertility and it acts on soil physical properties through its effect on soil structure. SOM influences the dynamics of pollutants in terrestrial ecosystems by influencing the transport [...]
Crop Yield/Agricultural Productivity
Measures of crop yield are important indicators of productivity and also provide a basis for assessing whether a landscape is supporting the livelihoods of the individuals who farm the land. Measuring crop yield Crop yield commonly is measured in kilograms per hectare (kg/ha). Often this standard weight per area measure is converted from a volumetric unit of measurement that [...]
Water Flow
The amount of water available in a particular system is determined by assessing water flow. Water or stream flow is defined as the volume of water passing down a stream per unit time (e.g., cubic feet of water per second). Measuring Water Flow There are a few simple and cost effective ways to measure water flow: Floats [...]