Landscape divergence associated with international borders and economic asymmetries

H. Ricardo Grau; N. Ignacio Gasparri; Ezequiel Aráoz; T. Michell Aide; María Piquer Rodríguez

doi:10.25260/EA.22.32.2.1.1868

Authors

H. Ricardo Grau Instituto de Ecología Regional (Universidad Nacional de Tucumán - CONICET). Yerba Buena, Tucumán, Argentina. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Tucumán, Argentina
N. Ignacio Gasparri Instituto de Ecología Regional (Universidad Nacional de Tucumán - CONICET). Yerba Buena, Tucumán, Argentina. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Tucumán, Argentina
Ezequiel Aráoz Instituto de Ecología Regional (Universidad Nacional de Tucumán - CONICET). Yerba Buena, Tucumán, Argentina. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Tucumán, Argentina
T. Michell Aide Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Puerto Rico. Río Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico
María Piquer Rodríguez Instituto de Ecología Regional (Universidad Nacional de Tucumán - CONICET). Yerba Buena, Tucumán, Argentina. Institute of Geographical Sciences, Freie Universitat. Berlin, Germany

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.22.32.2.1.1868

Keywords:

agriculture expansion, deforestation, forest transition, land cover, land use, transnational comparisons

Abstract

Land cover divergences across international borders reflect how country-level policies influence ecological footprints on the landscape. We identified 30 abrupt transboundary divergences across the globe, with major land cover differences despite similar ecological conditions. Divergences were significantly associated with differences in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) between countries, not with demographic differences. In mountains, unsuitable for mechanized agriculture, wealthier countries have higher forest cover and urbanization, suggesting advanced ‘forest transitions’. Lowlands with rainfed agricultural potential showed more agriculture development on the wealthier side of the border, except when the country´s economy was not based on agriculture. In drylands, wealthier countries showed much more irrigation-based agriculture. Despite globalization, transboundary divergences are unlikely to disappear and may even intensify, thus meriting increased research attention as a distinctive feature of Anthropocene ecology.

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