land management is a holistic approach …

Land management is the process of managing the use and development (in both urban and rural settings) of land resources. Land resources are used for a variety of purposes which may include organic agriculture, reforestation, water resource management and eco-tourism projects. Land provides an environment for agricultural production, but it also is an essential condition for improved environmental management, including source/sink functions for greenhouse gasses, recycling of nutrients, amelioration and filtering of pollutants, and transmission and purification of water as part of the hydrologic cycle. The objective of sustainable land management (SLM)<a href="http://www.ciesin.org/lw-kmn/slm/slm.html#1">1</a> is to harmonise the complimentary goals of providing environmental, economic, and social opportunities for the benefit of present and future generations, while maintaining and enhancing the quality of the land (soil, water and air) resource (Smyth and Dumanski, 1993). Sustainable land management is the use of land to meet changing human needs (agriculture, forestry, conservation), while ensuring long-term socioeconomic and ecological functions of the land.