The Rural-Urban Interface : An Interdisciplinary Research Approach to Urbanisation Processes Around the Indian Megacity Bengaluru

Bengaluru is one of the fastest growing megacities in India. As such, it provides an in-situ laboratory for studying rural-urban transitions. While urbanization is most evident in the changing landscape with increasing built-up areas, it comes along with changes in ecosystem functions, new economic opportunities, changes in social organization and individual attitudes and behavior. All of these processes are interlinked and mutually depend on each other. This book attempts to integrate studies from a wide scope of disciplinary perspectives and at different spatial scales under the framework of complex social-ecological systems. Agriculture is the prime example of a system in which humans interact with their biophysical environment, and the production systems in the rural-urban interface are profoundly affected by urbanisation. Intensification and diversification of agriculture are immediate responses to urban pressures and demands, and are linked as much to resource (over-)use as to commercialisation. Yet, little is known about the spatial patterns of agricultural transformation in areas of urban sprawl. The focus of the contributions here is explicitly on the interface, in-between the rural and urban systems. It thus differs from the urban-centered perspective of city planners as well as from the rural predominance in most of the agricultural research. In the present volume this focus is implemented by analysing samples along a spatial gradient representing different stages of urbanization. Ongoing time series analyses and a panel study will complement the spatial approach by a temporal dimension. Preface Contents Part I Introduction 1 The Rural–Urban Interface: An Interdisciplinary Research Approach to Urbanisation Processes Around the Indian Megacity Bengaluru 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Bengaluru as an In Situ Laboratory for Research on Rural–Urban Transitions 1.3 Baseline Characteristics Within the Research Transects 1.3.1 Social Strata in the Survey Sample 1.3.2 Agricultural Households in the Survey Sample 1.3.3 Cropping Practice in the Survey Sample 1.4 Conclusions References Part II Changing Patterns of Land Use and Agriculture 2 Temporal Dynamics of Land Use Change and Spatial Urbanisation Indices in the Rural–Urban Interface of Bengaluru Over the Past Three Decades 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Materials and Methods 2.2.1 Remote Sensing Data and Land Cover Classification 2.2.2 Survey Stratification Index (SSI) and Its Application in the Time Series Analysis 2.3 Results 2.3.1 Distribution of Land Cover Classes Along the Transects in 2016 2.3.2 Land Cover Dynamics Over the Past Three Decades 2.3.3 Consistency of the SSI Calculation 2.3.4 SSI Dynamics 2.4 Discussion 2.5 Conclusions References 3 Urbanisation Effects on Agricultural Production Systems Across the Rural–Urban Interface of Bengaluru 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Materials and Methods 3.3 Results 3.4 Discussion 3.5 Conclusions References 4 Changes in Land Use Pattern Vis-a-Vis Urbanisation and Credit Across the Rural–Urban Interface of Bengaluru 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Data and Methodology 4.3 Results and Discussion 4.3.1 Total Credit Borrowed by Farmers from Different Sources 4.3.2 Enterprise and Crop Diversification by Farmers Across Rural Urban Interface 4.4 Conclusions and Policy Recommendations References 5 Dairy Production in an Urbanising Environment: A Social-Ecological Approach to Understand the Case of Bengaluru 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Methodology 5.3 Results 5.3.1 Similarities and Differences in Dairy Production Along the RUI 5.4 Discussion 5.4.1 A Social-Ecological Approach: The Consumer, the Producer and the Cow in the City 5.5 Conclusions References 6 Capital Formation Across the Rural–Urban Interface of Bengaluru North: An Economic Analysis 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Materials and Methods 6.3 Results 6.3.1 Pattern of Farm Capital Formation 6.3.2 Factors Influencing Capital Formation in Agriculture 6.4 Discussion 6.5 Conclusions References Part III Resource Use, Efficiencies and Tradeoffs in Crop and Livestock Production 7 Crop Production Under Urbanisation: An Experimental Approach to Understand and Model Agricultural Intensification 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Materials and Methods 7.2.1 Setup of the Field Experiments 7.2.2 Determination of Biomass and Soil Nutrients 7.2.3 Instrumentation for Monitoring of Nutrient Flows 7.3 Results 7.3.1 Biomass Yield 7.3.2 Soil Chemical Properties 7.4 Discussion and Conclusions References 8 Effects of Soil Management Practices on Soil Physical Properties and Water Cycle in a Multifactorial Field Experiment 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Materials and Methods 8.2.1 Field Experiments 8.3 Results and Discussion 8.4 Conclusion References 9 Biomass Estimation of Vegetables—Can Remote Sensing Be a Tool for It? 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Materials and Methods 9.3 Results 9.4 Discussion 9.5 Conclusions References 10 Dairy Farms in an Urbanising Environment: Tradeoffs Between Productivity and Animal Welfare 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Materials and Methods 10.3 Results 10.4 Discussion 10.5 Conclusions References Part IV Food Systems as Outcomes and Drivers of Rural-Urban Transitions 11 Crop Diversity, Dietary Diversity, and Nutritional Intake: Evidence on Inter-Linkages Across the Rural–Urban Interface of Bengaluru 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Data and Methodology 11.2.1 Analytical Techniques Employed 11.3 Results and Discussion 11.4 Conclusions References 12 Food Security and Factors Influencing Food and Calorie Intake Across the Rural–Urban Interface of Bengaluru 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Data and Methodology 12.2.1 Sampling Frame 12.2.2 Analytical Techniques 12.3 Results and Discussion 12.3.1 Status of Food Security in the Rural–Urban Interface of Bengaluru 12.3.2 Factors Influencing Food Security 12.3.3 Factors Influencing Calorie Intake 12.4 Conclusions References 13 Household and Individual Nutrition in the Rural–Urban Interface of Bengaluru 13.1 Introduction 13.2 Materials and Methods 13.3 Results and Discussion 13.3.1 Household Macro- and Micro-nutrient Consumption 13.3.2 Nutritional Status of Children 13.3.3 Nutritional Status of Women 13.4 Conclusions References 14 Nutritional Status of Women Across Rural–Urban Interface of Bengaluru 14.1 Introduction 14.2 Materials and Methods 14.3 Results 14.3.1 Anthropometric Measurements 14.3.2 Nutrient Intake 14.3.3 Prevalence of Non-communicable Diseases 14.4 Discussion 14.5 Conclusions References 15 “Homemade Food is Always Healthy”: The Ambivalence of a Traditionalisation of Diets in Bengaluru 15.1 The Traditionalisation of Diets 15.1.1 The Up- and Downsides of a Traditionalisation of Diets 15.1.2 Traditionalisation of Diets in Bengaluru 15.2 Conclusions References Part V Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functions Under Rural-Urban Transitions 16 Tree Species Diversity in the Southern Transect Across the Rural–Urban Interface of Bengaluru 16.1 Introduction 16.2 Materials and Methods 16.2.1 Indices for Diversity, Biomass, and Importance 16.3 Results and Discussion 16.4 Conclusions Annex References 17 Biodiversity of Birds Along the Rural–Urban Interface of the Indian Megacity Bengaluru 17.1 Introduction 17.2 Materials and Methods 17.2.1 Study Design 17.2.2 Bird Surveys 17.2.3 Statistical Analysis 17.3 Results 17.4 Discussion 17.5 Conclusions References 18 Bee Diversity in the Rural–Urban Interface of Bengaluru and Scope for Pollinator-Integrated Urban Agriculture 18.1 Introduction 18.2 Materials and Methods 18.2.1 Site Selection 18.2.2 Pan Trap Sampling 18.2.3 Assessment of Background Flora 18.3 Results 18.3.1 Bees Species Composition Across the Rural–Urban Gradient 18.3.2 Composition of Floral Abundance of Bee-Supporting Flora Across the Rural–Urban Gradient 18.3.3 Interaction of Bees and Surrounding Flora 18.4 Discussion 18.5 Conclusions References 19 Dynamics of Field Margin Vegetation with Changing Agricultural Landscape Across a Rural–Urban Interface 19.1 Introduction 19.2 Materials and Methods 19.2.1 Study Area and Survey Design 19.2.2 Household Survey on Crop and FMV Management 19.2.3 Field Survey of Crops and Field Margin Vegetation 19.3 Results 19.3.1 Changes in the Agroecological Landscape 19.3.2 Status of Field Margin Vegetation 19.3.3 Use of Field Margin Vegetation 19.4 Discussion 19.5 Conclusions References Part VI Conclusion 20 Dynamics in the Rural–Urban Interface of an Indian Megacity—Synopsis and Outlook 20.1 Introduction 20.2 Synopsis 20.2.1 Changing Patterns of Land Use and Agriculture 20.2.2 Resource Use, Efficiencies and Tradeoffs in Crop and Livestock Production 20.2.3 Food Systems as Outcomes and Drivers of Rural-Urban Transitions 20.2.4 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functions under Rural-Urban Transitions 20.3 Discussion and Outlook References Bengaluru is one of the fastest growing megacities in India. As such, it provides an in-situ laboratory for studying rural-urban transitions. While urbanization is most evident in the changing landscape with increasing built-up areas, it comes along with changes in ecosystem functions, new economic opportunities, changes in social organization and individual attitudes and behavior. All of these processes are interlinked and mutually depend on each other. This book attempts to integrate studies from a wide scope of disciplinary perspectives and at different spatial scales under the framework of complex social-ecological systems. Agriculture is the prime example of a system in which humans interact with their biophysical environment, and the production systems in the rural-urban interface are profoundly affected by urbanisation. Intensification and diversification of agriculture are immediate responses to urban pressures and demands, and are linked as much to resource (over- )use as to commercialisation. Yet, little is known about the spatial patterns of agricultural transformation in areas of urban sprawl. The focus of the contributions here is explicitly on the interface, in-between the rural and urban systems. It thus differs from the urban-centered perspective of city planners as well as from the rural predominance in most of the agricultural research. In the present volume this focus is implemented by analysing samples along a spatial gradient representing different stages of urbanization. Ongoing time series analyses and a panel study will complement the spatial approach by a temporal dimension