Economic evaluation of conservation grassland as a measure to control soil erosion in the Czech Republic
Ivo Horák,
Marek Litzman,
Petr Marada,
Lubor Lacina,
Miroslav Dumbrovský,
Jan Vavřina and
Michal Pochop
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Marek Litzman: Department of Economics, Faculty of Business and Economics, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
Petr Marada: Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
Lubor Lacina: Department of Finance, Faculty of Business and Economics, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
Miroslav Dumbrovský: Institute Water Landscape Management, Brno University of Technology, Brno, Czech Republic
Jan Vavřina: Department of Business Economics, Faculty of Business and Economics, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
Michal Pochop: Department of Applied and Landscape Ecology, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
Soil and Water Research, vol. preprint
Abstract:
Conservation grassland significantly reduces soil erosion risk in agricultural landscapes, as shown by a nationwide analysis of over 1.9 million Farmer's blocks (DPBs) records from the Czech Republic (2016-2022). A logit regression model revealed that grassland establishment lowers the likelihood of erosion events by about 64%, with erosion risk strongly influenced by altitude, land use, and management practices. Spatial mapping and soil suitability classification identified nearly 240 00 hectares - mainly along 33 000 concentrated runoff pathways - as suitable for targeted grassland conversion. Despite its soil-protective function, high opportunity costs hinder uptake in economically productive regions. Cluster analysis across EU Member States confirmed a strong link between low permanent grassland share and high erosion exposure. The findings underscore the need for regionally tailored policies, long-term financial support, and flexible land management options to enhance soil resilience and promote sustainable agriculture.
Keywords: cluster analysis; conservation grass management; logit regression analysis; opportunity cost; water erosion (search for similar items in EconPapers)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:preprint:id:33-2025-swr
DOI: 10.17221/33/2025-SWR
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