Grazing land
Definition of components and capitals in grazing lands
Authors: Concepción L. Alados, Geoff WilsonEditor: Alexandros Kandelapas
Editor's note: text for this article derived from D212-2.
Natural capital
Natural capital is the set of stocks that provide ecosystem services of relevance for human welfare. Ecosystem services are the direct and indirect goods that provide benefit to humans and are derived from ecosystem functions. The main components of natural capital relevant in grazing lands are climate, vegetation, soil and water.
| Capital conceptual definition |
Components | Characteristics (variables) |
| Natural capital is durable natural stock or assets that provide flows of services over time (IISD 2008). |
Climate |
Climate Quality index Aridity Precipitation Temperature Slope aspect Evapotranspiration |
| Vegetation | Vegetation cover class ANPP Nutritive value Species Diversity Functional diversity |
|
| Soil | Organic carbon Mineral carbon Total Nitrogen content Mineral nitrogen content Organic nitrogen content?? C/N ratio Bulk capacity |
|
| Water | Soil water content Water balance Water quantity/quality |
Source: LEDDRA Partners 2012
Economic capital
Economic capital is the key foundation of financial and economic well-being of a society. In its broadest sense, ‘capital’ refers to stock or assets which are durable and which provide a flow of services over time. The Table below summarizes the economic capital components and their related characteristics, operational measures, assessment methods and techniques in grazing land.
| Capital conceptual definition |
Components | Characteristics (variables) |
| Economic capital is durable stock or assets that provide flows of services over time. | Produced | Quantity of production or Value of goods Value of services |
| Financial | Subsidies Remittances Bank deposits Disposal income |
|
| Landesque | Ditches, dams, wells,; electric fences etc. | |
| Physical | Factories, farm structures, livestock housing, barns, fences, roads, railways, etc. | |
| Technology |
Presence of various types of technologies by sector (farming, transport, electricity, telecommunications, manufacturing, etc. | |
| Animal (Livestock) | Number of animals Types of animals |
|
| Plant | Flora composition, Fodder crops etc. |
Source: LEDDRA Partners 2012
Social capitalIn order to encompass the various dimensions of social capital within the LEDDRA approach, an aggregate and a specific concept of the term are used. Social capital, as an aggregate term, is comprised of complex social processes, political arenas, institutions, regulations and cultural factors. It includes the following components: demographic (the structural demographic features of a socio-ecological system), human (the skills and knowledge available in a society), cultural (society’s historical memory and experience, the arts, ideological standpoints of a society, traditions, habits, values), social (connectedness, trust, reciprocity and exchanges) and institutional (i.e. organisational ability, institutions, trust in institutions and processes). Each of the components of social capital is shown in the Table below.
| Capital conceptual definition |
Components | Characteristics (variables) |
| Social capital is a resource to collective action that concerns the ability and willingness of community members to participate in actions directed to community objectives and to processes of engagement. | Demographic | Structural demographic characteristics of an area |
| Human | Knowledge Skills Competency Experience |
|
| Cultural | Attitudes Beliefs Spiritual aspects Traditions Values Cultural identity N.B. Variation between study sites may exist in the spatial level (regional or community) at which identity is experienced and expressed |
|
| Social |
Connectedness Networks and groups Trust Reciprocity and exchanges |
|
| Institutional | Common rules Norms Sanctions Governance |
Source: LEDDRA Partners 2012
References
- IISD (2008). The Natural Capital Approach. A Concept Paper. http://www.iisd.org/
- Bourdieu, P. (2008). The Forms of Capital. Readings in Economic Sociology. Blackwell Publishers Ltd: 280-291.
- Thampapillai, D. and Uhlin, H.-E. (1997). Environmental capital and sustainable income: basic concepts and empirical tests. Cambridge Journal of Economics, 21: 379-394.