UK-8 :: Competition between land uses (land-use conflicts)

The effects of loss of high quality agricultural land to other land uses, e.g. forestation and to development. There appears to be a lack of research in the UK. There is no research quantification of loss of good quality agricultural land to development.
Some forms of natural capital are non renewable and some are interchangeable. Discerning the scale and nature of capital erosion by some land uses at the expense of others requires a deeper understanding of the natural processes land uses create, foster and hinder.
Specific research questions (following the conceptual model of INSPIRATION)
Demand Many forms of land use are possible on any specific parcel of land but not all are necessarily desirable… there.
Natural capital The forms, nature and immutability of different forms of natural capital need to be mapped and evaluated if loss of one form of capital can be justified by creating another form which offers essential services or enhanced value.
Land management Understanding the site specific springs of natural capital can help inform decisions about the net effect of alternative land use futures.
Net impacts By better understanding the springs of value associated with different land uses, unwanted adverse impacts can be avoided or reduced.
Justification When alternative land uses are competing for the same space, criteria and constraints must be selected to help inform decision making. In the absence of deeper scientific understanding of the link between the environment (including the sub surface environment) and the value or services other criteria will dominate the decision making process.