Technological driving forces of LUCC

Technology is immanent within each human enaction of land. However, technology is endogenized to different degrees. That means those who are involved in the development and usage of technology, are able to understand, to adapt, or to maintain that technology. For those who are not involved, technology often is a ‘black-box’: something that is difficult to understand. Research on land use/cover change (LUCC) and technology (so-called ‘technological driving forces’) brings about the same situation. In reality many technologies that are relevant for LUCC research (agricultural production methods, infrastructures, management algorithm) are endogenized to a high degree. That means they are adapted and reworked by a multiplicity of issues and peoples. However, for researchers that investigate LUCC it is not possible to understand a variety of relevant technologies in detail. This is especially the case when for quantitative research designs that encompass a number of cases.

Technological driving forces of land use change

The term ‘technological driving forces (Tech DF)’ classifies one of several so-called interdependent forces causing land-use/cover change (LUCC). Thereby, Tech DF are being distinguished from political, natural, economic, and cultural driving forces. We understand technology in its broadest sense, including alongside material, and technology, for example social, organizational and cultural issues. Tech DF, then, encompass agricultural production methods, infrastructures, ways of practice and representation, as well as modes of thinking. LUCC addresses changes in the manner and purpose of the manipulation of land, as well as in its biophysical state.

Quantification rationale

Tech DF are important for understanding LUCC. However, Tech DF are seldom considered in quantitative analyses, because of its ‘black-box’ character and because they are difficult to quantify. Quantitative analyses build the majority of current approaches that are aiming at understanding or modelling LUCC. In order to improve the state of representation of Tech DF in quantitative approaches to LUCC we suggest to deduce quantification rationales from conceptualizations. Conceptualizations are abstract ideas or models that address the quality, character, property and causal relationships of something. Applying a conceptualization means that the role of technology for LUCC, for example, is not revealed by explorative case study research, rather it is deduced from theories about technology. Quantification rationales are guidelines in terms of number and type of variables that are corresponding to a certain conceptualization.

Two conceptualizations: technological determinism and contextualism

Conceptualizations can be manifold. Since we were interested in the role of Tech DF in LUCC in our project and since we wanted to benefit from interdisciplinary synthesis, we have employed two existing conceptualizations of the role of technology for environmental and social change, both stemming from the field of history of technology: technological determinism and contextualism. Technological determinism, in short, marks the extreme position that LUCC are induced by technology and are the same worldwide. Technological change itself is merely a matter of technological requirements and improvements. In opposition to this contextualism is the point of view that technology is influencing LUCC, but in a very specific way depending on the context (geography, people, practices). Technological change itself is influenced by LUCC.

Results

From both conceptualizations – contextualism and technological determinism – different quantification rationales can be deduced. We have worked it out for both. Further, based on a contextualism conceptualization of urban medium power networks of German cities and a comparative statistical analysis we could show the relationship between conceptualization, quantification rationale, and quantitative variables.

Ausschnitt aus einem Mittelspannungsnetz. Quelle: Franziska Hasselmann, Torsten Hentschel

The project is based on a Ph.D. thesis (Franziska Hasselmann). A group of colleagues has contributed to this project and its publication: Elmar Csaplovics (TU Dresden), Isobel Falconer (Caledonian Glasgow University), Matthias Buergi (WSL), and Annegret Hersperger (WSL).

Publication

Hasselmann, F.; Csaplovics, E.; Falconer, I.; Bürgi, M.; Hersperger, A.M., 2010: Technological driving forces of LUCC: Conceptualization, quantification, and the example of urban power distribution networks. Land Use Policy 27: 628-637.