The Zagros region of western Iran has been affected by the recent changes both in amount and in structure of forest cover. We evaluated the influence of several driving forces on forest cover and structure, including socioeconomic (urban and rural population and rural income) and climatic (mean annual rainfall and mean annual temperature) variables. We acquired all time series Landsat images of a study site from 1972 to 2009. The images were classified to produce a land cover map of each year.

The main objective of our research was to assess the social needs for the forest roles and propose how forest could further contribute to the sustainable development of the Upper Gorenjska region. The sustainability of hitherto development was assessed with the aid of a model, in which environmental, social and economic indicators were included. On the basis of advantages and disadvantages, social needs for the forest roles became evident, which were in continuation compared with the existing forest role.

The paper describes the main phases and results of a study which is part of a broader research programme aimed at assessing the changes that have occurred in Italian rural landscapes since the Second World War. The research deals with the definition of a methodology suitable for analysing the changes in the rural built environment over wide areas. This methodology focuses on the definition of representative sample areas aimed to reduce survey costs while allowing results to be characterised by a known and provable degree of reliability and precision.

Rural construction land consolidation (RCLC) is an innovative approach to coordinating the outmigration of a rural population and the increase in rural housing land, thereby protecting farmland and ensuring food security, adding to urban construction land quotas, and improving the rural habitat environment in China. Since 2005, several different models or approaches to RCLC have been practiced by local governments.

The primary data used for the investigation were obtained through a questionnaire. One hundred and twenty (120) farmers were randomly selected; their education level, area of cultivation, time of planting, intercropping, varieties grown, fertilizer used, time of picking, packing, transportation and processing were looked at. It was found that out of 120 respondents, 52% were literate, and 48% were

In Bangladesh, agriculture is the most significant source of economic growth, it plays a fundamental role in the fight against poverty. The earning potential of most people is limited by their lack of skills, assets, and access to credit. The only lasting way is to ensure sustainable economic growth by implementing policies to promote financial stability and the efficient use of resources.

The United States (US) and European Union (EU) share many general policy aims for rural areas, but they differ in the ways in which they try to achieve these aims. The principal difference lies in the role envisioned by agriculture in overall rural development. EU policies treat agriculture as a provider of public goods, and many of its 'rural' programmes target agriculture. In the US, very few Federal rural development programs are focused solely on agriculture.

Trees outside forests (TOF) in Nepal's Terai have significantly increased over the past decade. The Chitwan District was one of the focus districts in the Terai Community Forestry Development Project that promoted a tree seedling distribution program. This paper examines the current position of tree integration on farmland and its contribution to livelihoods of rural households in this district.

The migration of young people from rural areas is common in all agricultural regions of Russia, and Altai Krai, located in southwestern Siberia, is no exception. Out-migration, aversion to working in agriculture and the aging of farmers and farm managers are serious problems that raise questions about who will work in agriculture in the future. This paper aims to investigate factors that affect the decisions of agricultural students from Altai Krai to out-migrate or to return to their rural parental municipalities after finishing their university studies.