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Showing items 1 through 9 of 57.
  1. Library Resource
    Journal Articles & Books
    December, 2012

    The effect of canopy removal, a form of non-lethal disturbance, was assessed for the interaction between two co-occurring American East Coast salt marsh angiosperms, Schoenoplectus americanus (Pers.) Volkart ex Schinz and R. Keller and Distichlis spicata (L.) Greene, in a greenhouse replacement series experiment. In mixture, aboveground production of S. americanus was significantly higher than production of D. spicata. When plant canopy was experimentally removed, this difference was stronger (366±35gm⁻² vs. 139±41gm⁻²; P=0.0033) than when it was left intact (383±44gm⁻² vs.

  2. Library Resource
    Journal Articles & Books
    December, 2013

    This paper presents a bioeconomic analysis of a red deer population within a Norwegian institutional context. This population is managed by a well-defined manager, typically consisting of many landowners operating in a cooperative manner, with the goal of maximizing the present-value hunting related income while taking browsing and grazing damages into account. The red deer population is structured in five categories of animals (calves, female and male yearlings, adult females and adult males).

  3. Library Resource
    Journal Articles & Books
    December, 2013
    Australia, Europe, Northern America

    The environmental consequences of agriculture are of growing concern. One example of these consequences is the effect of agricultural pollutants on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), a world heritage-listed ecosystem lying off the tropical north-eastern coast of Australia. Pollutants from agricultural lands (fine sediments and attached nitrogen (N) mainly from grazing lands, and dissolved N and pesticides mainly from cropping) in catchments draining into the GBR lagoon threaten the health and resilience of this ecosystem.

  4. Library Resource
    Journal Articles & Books
    December, 2010
    Europe

    Understanding the relationships between biodiversity and land-use is a key element for the development of effective conservation strategies. We studied a mid-altitude steppe-like area of Southern France, the Causse de Sauveterre, that has been grazed for many centuries. The decrease of human population during the 20th century, particularly since the end of 2nd World War, and the ongoing changes in agricultural practices may have dramatic effects on many biodiversity components of these landscapes.

  5. Library Resource
    Journal Articles & Books
    December, 2013

    Our knowledge of plant functional group effects on ecosystem processes is relatively well established, but we know much less on how changes in plant phenotypic composition affect ecosystem functioning (i.e., phenotypic functional composition). Understanding phenotypic functional composition (PFC) is relevant in plant communities strongly dominated by a few keystone species, since alteration of phenotypic composition of these species might be a mechanisms by which land management practices such as grazing impact on ecosystem functioning.

  6. Library Resource
    Journal Articles & Books
    December, 2010
    Hungary, Switzerland, Netherlands

    It is now widely accepted that agricultural intensification drives the decline of biodiversity and related ecosystem services like pollination. Conservation management, such as agri-environment schemes (AES), has been introduced to counteract these declines, but in Western European countries these tend to produce mixed biodiversity benefits. Not much is known about the effects of AES in Central and Eastern European countries. We evaluated the effect of reduced stocking rates (0.5cow/ha vs. >1cow/ha) on bees and insect-pollinated plants in semi-natural pastures in Hungary.

  7. Library Resource
    Journal Articles & Books
    December, 2012
    Australia

    Land-use emissions accompanying biomass loss, change in soil organic carbon (ΔSOC) and decomposing wood-products, were comparable with fossil fuel emissions in the late 20th century. We examine the rates, magnitudes and uncertainties for major carbon (C) fluxes for rangelands due to commercial grazing and climate change in Australia. Total net C emission from biomass over 369Mha of rangeland to-date was 0.73 (±0.40)Pg, with 83% of that from the potentially forested 53% of the rangelands. A higher emission estimate is likely from a higher resolution analysis.

  8. Library Resource
    Journal Articles & Books
    December, 2010

    Two long-term (16 year) experiments on intensively managed pastures compared extensive grazing, abandonment and continued intensive grazing and were assessed for impacts on soil parameters, plant nutrient content and ecological indicator values. There was a reduction in soil carbon and nitrogen in the abandoned treatment compared to the intensively managed treatment at the wetter site. At the drier site, extensive grazing resulted in a build up of soil carbon. There was a build up of dead organic matter and a reduction in the nutritive value of the vegetation as grazing was reduced.

  9. Library Resource
    Journal Articles & Books
    December, 2013
    South Africa, Southern Africa

    The net effect of heavy grazing and land degradation on plant diversity and richness is insufficiently understood for incorporation in national biodiversity assessments. A study was undertaken to determine the effects of heavy grazing primarily on richness of vascular plant species across the arid and semi-arid rangeland biomes of South Africa. Major grazing contrasts were systematically identified for sampling in rangelands of Succulent Karoo, Nama-Karoo, Thicket, Grassland, Kalahari dune savanna and Mopane savanna.

  10. Library Resource
    Journal Articles & Books
    December, 2009

    Improper cropping and overgrazing have led to land degradation in semi-arid regions, resulting in desertification. During desertification, vegetation changes have been widely observed, and are likely controlled to some extent by soil water. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in soil physical properties, organic C, and vegetation induced by land-use changes, with special reference to the dynamics of available soil water.

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