This document discusses various methods for assessing soil quality and health, including the use of indicators and indices. It proposes that a combination of indicators capturing different soil properties and functions are needed to adequately characterize soil quality, as no single attribute can reflect all soil functions. Several specific soil quality indices are described, including the soil microbiological degradation index, general soil quality index, carbon management index, and QBX index, each of which synthesizes multiple indicator measurements into an overall score. Challenges in selecting appropriate indicators and designing sampling methods are also noted.
Diversity and ecology of macrofauna in land use mosaics embu and taita distri...CSM _BGBD biodiversity
This study evaluated the effect of different land use types on macrofauna diversity in Embu and Taita, Kenya. Soil samples were collected using various methods to study macrofauna groups such as earthworms, termites, ants, and beetles. The results showed that macrofauna density was generally higher in arable systems than forests. Forests had higher densities of millipedes and woodlice than agroecosystems. Low diversity and density were found in coffee, tea, and mixed agricultural systems. Some macrofauna groups correlated with soil chemical properties. Embu had lower macrofauna diversity than Taita. The study demonstrated that land use intensification can impact macrofauna diversity
PK06:Distribution of Soil Organisms in Diverse Tropical Ecosystems: The Impac...CSM _BGBD biodiversity
Peter Okoth presented on the distribution of soil organisms in diverse tropical ecosystems and the impact of land use on diversity. The study aimed to better understand the relationship between soil organisms and different land uses, and to use that knowledge to support ecosystem services. The hypothesis was that soil biological diversity decreases with land use intensification and change, from forests to croplands. Samples were collected from sites in several countries representing a land use gradient, and were analyzed for macro/meso fauna and microbes. Results showed significant differences in organism distributions between land uses, and relationships between certain organisms and soil chemical properties.
The document provides guidelines for using managed grazing to protect riparian areas. It discusses how unmanaged grazing can degrade riparian areas by compacting soil, selectively grazing plants, trampling streambanks, and depositing manure in streams. However, managed grazing that rotates livestock between small paddocks, provides alternative water sources, and allows for adequate rest periods between grazings can help maintain riparian vegetation and water quality while supporting agricultural operations. The guidelines aim to help farmers and ranchers identify locally appropriate practices to protect these environmentally sensitive areas.
Smallholders’ agriculture at the tropical forest margin in cameroon opportuni...World Agroforestry (ICRAF)
This document discusses smallholder agriculture at the tropical forest margin in Cameroon and opportunities to promote agroforestry using a landscape approach. Smallholder farmers are a major driver of deforestation as they practice slash and burn agriculture and depend on forest resources. However, fallows and agroforests provide ecosystem services like carbon storage and biodiversity conservation. A landscape approach is needed to address production, ecosystem services, biodiversity, livelihoods, policies and institutions across scales in these complex landscapes. Research is analyzing the implications of land use change on environmental services and exploring entry points for agroforestry interventions.
Participatory natural resources management through multiple interventions at ...ILRI
1. The paper discusses participatory natural resource management interventions in central Ethiopia to reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility and land productivity. This includes soil and water conservation structures, agroforestry, composting, introduction of improved crop varieties and livestock forages.
2. Empirical research was also conducted including runoff assessments and characterization of local plant species. Farmers research groups were established to introduce technologies and build capacity.
3. Lessons showed that introducing high value cash crops and linking to markets encouraged participation in natural resource management. However, free grazing limits long term investments like tree planting. Strong partnerships were built but methodologies to promote innovations need strengthening.
Forest restoration efforts in Singapore aim to:
1) Restore "non-forest" sites back to their former state by planting over 100,000 trees across sites like the Central Nature Reserve since 1991.
2) Establish viable habitat for native flora and fauna through maximum diversity planting methods using a variety of primary and secondary forest species.
3) Create green connectors and buffer zones by removing invasive weeds, assessing soil conditions, selecting native tree species, and maintaining planted sites for at least 5 years.
This document provides information on gardening and habitat restoration with native wildlife species in mind. It discusses key habitats and species for the Willamette Valley ecoregion of Oregon, threats they face like invasive species and land use changes, and recommended conservation actions. These include maintaining existing oak woodlands, controlling invasive plants, and restoring habitat elements like native plants, snags, and downed logs to provide food, cover, and other needs for native species. The document cautions that habitat work should avoid creating ecological traps or supporting invasive or undesirable species, and encourages maintaining wildlife's natural behaviors.
Diversity and ecology of macrofauna in land use mosaics embu and taita distri...CSM _BGBD biodiversity
This study evaluated the effect of different land use types on macrofauna diversity in Embu and Taita, Kenya. Soil samples were collected using various methods to study macrofauna groups such as earthworms, termites, ants, and beetles. The results showed that macrofauna density was generally higher in arable systems than forests. Forests had higher densities of millipedes and woodlice than agroecosystems. Low diversity and density were found in coffee, tea, and mixed agricultural systems. Some macrofauna groups correlated with soil chemical properties. Embu had lower macrofauna diversity than Taita. The study demonstrated that land use intensification can impact macrofauna diversity
PK06:Distribution of Soil Organisms in Diverse Tropical Ecosystems: The Impac...CSM _BGBD biodiversity
Peter Okoth presented on the distribution of soil organisms in diverse tropical ecosystems and the impact of land use on diversity. The study aimed to better understand the relationship between soil organisms and different land uses, and to use that knowledge to support ecosystem services. The hypothesis was that soil biological diversity decreases with land use intensification and change, from forests to croplands. Samples were collected from sites in several countries representing a land use gradient, and were analyzed for macro/meso fauna and microbes. Results showed significant differences in organism distributions between land uses, and relationships between certain organisms and soil chemical properties.
The document provides guidelines for using managed grazing to protect riparian areas. It discusses how unmanaged grazing can degrade riparian areas by compacting soil, selectively grazing plants, trampling streambanks, and depositing manure in streams. However, managed grazing that rotates livestock between small paddocks, provides alternative water sources, and allows for adequate rest periods between grazings can help maintain riparian vegetation and water quality while supporting agricultural operations. The guidelines aim to help farmers and ranchers identify locally appropriate practices to protect these environmentally sensitive areas.
Smallholders’ agriculture at the tropical forest margin in cameroon opportuni...World Agroforestry (ICRAF)
This document discusses smallholder agriculture at the tropical forest margin in Cameroon and opportunities to promote agroforestry using a landscape approach. Smallholder farmers are a major driver of deforestation as they practice slash and burn agriculture and depend on forest resources. However, fallows and agroforests provide ecosystem services like carbon storage and biodiversity conservation. A landscape approach is needed to address production, ecosystem services, biodiversity, livelihoods, policies and institutions across scales in these complex landscapes. Research is analyzing the implications of land use change on environmental services and exploring entry points for agroforestry interventions.
Participatory natural resources management through multiple interventions at ...ILRI
1. The paper discusses participatory natural resource management interventions in central Ethiopia to reduce soil erosion, increase soil fertility and land productivity. This includes soil and water conservation structures, agroforestry, composting, introduction of improved crop varieties and livestock forages.
2. Empirical research was also conducted including runoff assessments and characterization of local plant species. Farmers research groups were established to introduce technologies and build capacity.
3. Lessons showed that introducing high value cash crops and linking to markets encouraged participation in natural resource management. However, free grazing limits long term investments like tree planting. Strong partnerships were built but methodologies to promote innovations need strengthening.
Forest restoration efforts in Singapore aim to:
1) Restore "non-forest" sites back to their former state by planting over 100,000 trees across sites like the Central Nature Reserve since 1991.
2) Establish viable habitat for native flora and fauna through maximum diversity planting methods using a variety of primary and secondary forest species.
3) Create green connectors and buffer zones by removing invasive weeds, assessing soil conditions, selecting native tree species, and maintaining planted sites for at least 5 years.
This document provides information on gardening and habitat restoration with native wildlife species in mind. It discusses key habitats and species for the Willamette Valley ecoregion of Oregon, threats they face like invasive species and land use changes, and recommended conservation actions. These include maintaining existing oak woodlands, controlling invasive plants, and restoring habitat elements like native plants, snags, and downed logs to provide food, cover, and other needs for native species. The document cautions that habitat work should avoid creating ecological traps or supporting invasive or undesirable species, and encourages maintaining wildlife's natural behaviors.
Richard Thackway_A system for tracking anthropogenic changes in condition of ...TERN Australia
Richard Thackway developed the VAST-2 system for tracking anthropogenic changes in the condition of Australia's plant communities over time. VAST-2 uses a framework of 22 diagnostic attributes across 10 attribute groups and 3 condition components (regenerative capacity, vegetation structure, and species composition) to document changes at sites relative to pre-European reference states. Case studies applying VAST-2 show changes in vegetation condition associated with various land uses and management practices over historical time periods. VAST-2 engages collaborators to synthesize information on vegetation transformations and supports reporting on progress toward vegetation condition targets.
This document discusses biodiversity loss in Thailand from a global perspective. It notes that biodiversity loss leads to a homogenization process where high abundance species become low abundance. One of the main causes of biodiversity loss is habitat destruction from factors like land use changes, exotic species introduction, pollution, and climate change. The document also lists 48 indicators that can be used to assess the status, trends, threats to, and conservation of biodiversity components. It describes how the GLOBIO 3 global biodiversity model can be used to show biodiversity loss over time on the global level and per biome.
Agroforestry of Jelutong on Peatlands: A Lesson Learned from Central KalimantanGlobalEnvironmentCentre
The document discusses agroforestry of jelutung trees on peatlands in Central Kalimantan. It finds that growing jelutung in various agroforestry systems is a technically feasible way to rehabilitate degraded peatlands. Local communities have established seed sources that can provide over 100 million seeds per year. Different agroforestry patterns using jelutung are described, and growth measurements show the trees grow well. Microclimates in jelutung agroforestry systems are found to be better than in agricultural monocultures. The development of jelutung agroforestry is concluded to be a promising approach for peatland rehabilitation
This document provides information on basic soil improvement techniques for sustainable farmers. It discusses useful resources like the SARE publications website and books on cover crops and soil biology. The document then covers topics like the soil texture triangle, understanding a soil's physical properties, using web soil survey, improving soil structure, the role of organic matter, landscape effects on organic matter, and interpreting soil test results. It emphasizes understanding the living components of soil like bacteria, fungi, and soil food webs.
This document discusses various economic techniques and methods for valuing ecosystem services provided by the Bijagual, Giligual and Daintree (BGBD) landscape. It provides examples of applying techniques like total economic valuation, direct market valuation, replacement cost, and travel cost methods to estimate the economic value of specific ecosystem services provided by microorganisms, macroorganisms and mesofauna in BGBD. Case studies from Indonesia, India and Africa demonstrate how these techniques have been used to value services like nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubilization, soil structure formation and biological nitrogen fixation. Challenges with valuation are also acknowledged.
This document describes a study testing the Miyawaki method of forest restoration in Mediterranean environments. The Miyawaki method was applied to two sites in Sardinia, Italy using local native species. After 11 years, species survival rates were 37% and 19.69% for the two sites respectively, showing higher diversity and growth than traditional reforestation methods. The results suggest the Miyawaki method could be an effective tool for forest restoration in Mediterranean regions if adapted to local conditions through improvements like adding soil amendments and reducing pioneer species.
OP20: TOWARDS A FRAMEWORK FOR VALUING THE SOIL BIOTA & ITS DIVERSITY:APPROA...CSM _BGBD biodiversity
This document discusses approaches for valuing the soil biota and its diversity. It argues that an economic valuation is needed to 1) give reality to the soil biota that society and decision makers will accept and 2) properly assess optimal agricultural management practices. It lays out a framework to link agricultural interventions to impacts on soil organism abundance, diversity, and processes, and the resulting agricultural and environmental benefits. This framework aims to establish rules of proof for valuing managing the soil biota as an economic option. It also discusses requirements for applying an economic value, like demonstrating and measuring benefits, and examples of valuing outcomes from direct or indirect management.
This study examined the impacts of different landscape treatments on plant species richness within road corridors and adjacent ecosystems. It found that road verges had higher species richness than adjacent fields. Species richness was higher on soil slopes treated with the new post-guideline approach compared to the pre-guideline approach. On rock slopes, species richness did not differ significantly between the pre-guideline planted approach and the post-guideline natural recolonization approach. The soil seed bank contributed additional plant species, particularly on naturally recolonized slopes. Lower soil fertility was associated with higher species richness, suggesting the new landscape treatments help prevent establishment of invasive species.
Mekong ARCC Climate Change Adaptation and Impact Study on Natural and Agricul...Mekong ARCC
The document outlines a climate change impact and adaptation study for natural and agricultural systems in the Mekong River Basin. The study aims to identify vulnerabilities to climate change related to water resources, food security, livelihoods and biodiversity. It will assess adaptation strategies to inform community projects. The study will use zoning, trend analysis, vulnerability assessments, and the identification of adaptation options to achieve its objectives. Climate and hydrological modeling will be employed to project future conditions and threats.
Evaluation of Land Suitability for Stone Pine (Pinus pinea) plantation in Leb...IJEAB
Stone pine (Pinus pinea) is a typical Mediterranean tree well adapted to drought and high temperatures. It is a species of great interest and economical importance in Lebanon and has a strong beneficial impact on the local communities from the marketing of its edible nuts. This tree is threatened by human activities and fire that are leading to its degradation. Therefore, the aim of this study is to delineate and map the suitability of soils for the plantation and extension of the stone pine. For this purpose, the adopted research methods were composed of the following three steps: (1) identifying through available data and traditional methods the ability of the lands to be planted with stone pine (2) identifying the various factors influencing the growth and fruiting of the treeand (3) transforming and integrating all the data into geo-referenced thematic maps and introducing them into the Geographic Information System (GIS) suitable for delimiting Lebanese areas suitable for planting stone pines. The obtained results were presented in a form of 10 thematic maps (GIS layers) that represent the influence of each ecological factor on the land suitability for afforestation by stone pine. A final thematic map that illustrates the most suitable areas for Pinus pinea plantations was generated by superimposing the 10 GIS layers.
This work package focuses on studying the impacts of different road landscape treatments on biodiversity within road corridors and adjacent ecosystems. It involves assessing how plant and animal diversity differs among road verges that used pre-guideline and post-guideline planting methods, and how road biodiversity interacts with surrounding landscapes. Field studies are analyzing the effects of landscape treatments along roads on species communities, habitat connectivity, and genetic variation. A long-term experiment is also testing how natural recolonization, hay strewing, and seed mixes influence biodiversity. The goal is to provide guidance on landscape designs that promote biodiversity in Irish road networks.
Risks of Cryogenic Landslide Hazards and Their Impact on Ecosystems in Cold E...Universität Salzburg
Research focuses on monitoring landscapes downgrading in specific conditions of Arctic ecosystems with cold climate conditions (marshes, permafrost, high humidity and moisture). Specific case study: cryogenic landslides typical for cold environments with permafrost. Area: Yamal Peninsula. Aim: analysis of the environmental changes caused by cryogenic landslides in northern land- scapes affecting sensitive Arctic ecosystems. Thaw of the permafrost layer causes destruction of the ground soil layer and activates cryogenic landslide processes. After disaster, vegetation coverage needs a long time to recover, due to the sensitivity of the specific northern environment, and land cover types change. ILWIS GIS was used to process 2 satellite images Landsat TM taken at 1988 and 2011, to assess spatiotemporal changes in the land cover types. Research shown ILWIS GIS based spatial analysis for environmental mapping.
Alice Maria NUNES "Restoration trials and management in a highly degraded sit...Global Risk Forum GRFDavos
This document summarizes research on restoration trials in a highly degraded quarry site in southern Europe. It discusses using a functional approach to understand land degradation and improve restoration. One trial involved thinning Aleppo pine plantations, which increased the density of species that promote nutrient cycling, soil improvement, and ecosystem resilience. A second trial tested hydroseeding mixtures on slopes. Outcomes depended on site conditions, with the native mixture performing better. The research demonstrated that functional traits are important for species selection and that management can promote recovery of ecosystem functionality in degraded drylands.
This document discusses how agroforestry can be mainstreamed in biodiversity conservation efforts. It outlines several ways that agroforestry contributes to biodiversity conservation by reducing pressure on natural forests, providing habitat, and serving as a benign land use matrix. The document argues that landscape-scale approaches that integrate protected areas, agroforestry, and other land uses are needed. It provides examples of agroforestry practices that embody conservation principles like maintaining genetic diversity and enhancing ecological processes. Finally, it proposes several options for mainstreaming agroforestry, such as linking it to conservation planning, expanding agroforestry options, and strategic alliances between agroforestry and conservation organizations.
This document summarizes a study that evaluated different techniques for revegetating land in Bangka Island, Indonesia that had been mined for tin. Ten local tree species were planted at different densities (1m x 1m, 2m x 2m, 4m x 4m) in plots with various soil amendment treatments. The highest survival and growth rates were found with a planting density of 10,000 seedlings per hectare (1m x 1m spacing) combined with a legume cover crop. Species like Hibiscus tiliaceus, Ficus superba, Calophyllum inophyllum, and Syzygium grande showed the most potential for revegetating sandy tin tailings based on their high
An investigation of the vegetation dynamics on ArideRobert Gavan
This document provides an investigation of vegetation dynamics on Aride Island since 1976, with a focus on the prevalence of Pisonia grandis trees. The investigation aims to observe changes in herbaceous diversity, tree demographics, and the continued dominance of P. grandis. Permanent vegetation plots established in 1976 will be revisited and new plots added. Data on plant cover, tree abundance, and canopy structure will be collected and analyzed using diversity indices and other statistical methods. Based on past reports, herbaceous diversity is expected to have declined as woodland has expanded. Tree diversity in the understory is also expected to be low due to shade tolerance of dominant species, while mid-upper canopies may be more diverse
Tracking the effects of land use and management on vegetation conditionRichard Thackway
This document outlines a methodology called VAST-2 (Vegetation Assets States and Transitions) for tracking changes in vegetation condition over time due to land use and management practices. VAST-2 scores 22 indicators of regenerative capacity, vegetation structure, and species composition for a site against a pre-settlement reference state. Case studies applying VAST-2 to sites in Cumberland State Forest in NSW from 1941-2012 are presented. Lessons learned include that VAST-2 is useful for engaging stakeholders, synthesizing information to understand vegetation transformation, and reporting progress towards vegetation targets.
Natural Capital is the stock of natural ecosystems, species, freshwater, land, minerals, and atmosphere that combine to sustain life on Earth. The Natural Capital Declaration is a finance-led initiative to account for and embed natural capital considerations within investment, banking, and loan decisions. It centers on four commitments: understanding impacts and dependencies on natural capital, embedding natural capital in financial products and services, working towards integrated reporting and disclosure, and integrating natural capital in accounting and decision making. The goal is to facilitate methodologies and standards to operationalize these commitments and create more sustainable finance sector practices.
This document discusses acid sulfate soils (ASS), including potential ASS, actual or active ASS, and post-active ASS materials. It mentions that acid sulfate soils are formed by the oxidation of iron sulfides like pyrite in low-lying coastal areas. The table shows estimates of acid sulfate soil areas in various regions around the world, with Indonesia, Australia, and Brazil having the largest estimated areas. It also describes some of the wetland areas in Sri Lanka's southwestern coastal belt that contain acid sulfate soils, and notes that acid sulfate soils can adversely impact the environment if not properly managed.
Diversification of rice-based cropping system and their impact on energy util...P.K. Mani
The document evaluates different rice-based cropping systems in West Bengal, India. It finds that the rice-potato-lady's finger system (T4) produced the highest system yield and productivity, as well as the greatest net return and benefit-cost ratio. The rice-potato-sesame system (T3) had the highest energy productivity and fuel energy use efficiency. Overall, the document concludes that the best cropping systems were rice-potato-lady's finger and rice-potato-sesame.
Richard Thackway_A system for tracking anthropogenic changes in condition of ...TERN Australia
Richard Thackway developed the VAST-2 system for tracking anthropogenic changes in the condition of Australia's plant communities over time. VAST-2 uses a framework of 22 diagnostic attributes across 10 attribute groups and 3 condition components (regenerative capacity, vegetation structure, and species composition) to document changes at sites relative to pre-European reference states. Case studies applying VAST-2 show changes in vegetation condition associated with various land uses and management practices over historical time periods. VAST-2 engages collaborators to synthesize information on vegetation transformations and supports reporting on progress toward vegetation condition targets.
This document discusses biodiversity loss in Thailand from a global perspective. It notes that biodiversity loss leads to a homogenization process where high abundance species become low abundance. One of the main causes of biodiversity loss is habitat destruction from factors like land use changes, exotic species introduction, pollution, and climate change. The document also lists 48 indicators that can be used to assess the status, trends, threats to, and conservation of biodiversity components. It describes how the GLOBIO 3 global biodiversity model can be used to show biodiversity loss over time on the global level and per biome.
Agroforestry of Jelutong on Peatlands: A Lesson Learned from Central KalimantanGlobalEnvironmentCentre
The document discusses agroforestry of jelutung trees on peatlands in Central Kalimantan. It finds that growing jelutung in various agroforestry systems is a technically feasible way to rehabilitate degraded peatlands. Local communities have established seed sources that can provide over 100 million seeds per year. Different agroforestry patterns using jelutung are described, and growth measurements show the trees grow well. Microclimates in jelutung agroforestry systems are found to be better than in agricultural monocultures. The development of jelutung agroforestry is concluded to be a promising approach for peatland rehabilitation
This document provides information on basic soil improvement techniques for sustainable farmers. It discusses useful resources like the SARE publications website and books on cover crops and soil biology. The document then covers topics like the soil texture triangle, understanding a soil's physical properties, using web soil survey, improving soil structure, the role of organic matter, landscape effects on organic matter, and interpreting soil test results. It emphasizes understanding the living components of soil like bacteria, fungi, and soil food webs.
This document discusses various economic techniques and methods for valuing ecosystem services provided by the Bijagual, Giligual and Daintree (BGBD) landscape. It provides examples of applying techniques like total economic valuation, direct market valuation, replacement cost, and travel cost methods to estimate the economic value of specific ecosystem services provided by microorganisms, macroorganisms and mesofauna in BGBD. Case studies from Indonesia, India and Africa demonstrate how these techniques have been used to value services like nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubilization, soil structure formation and biological nitrogen fixation. Challenges with valuation are also acknowledged.
This document describes a study testing the Miyawaki method of forest restoration in Mediterranean environments. The Miyawaki method was applied to two sites in Sardinia, Italy using local native species. After 11 years, species survival rates were 37% and 19.69% for the two sites respectively, showing higher diversity and growth than traditional reforestation methods. The results suggest the Miyawaki method could be an effective tool for forest restoration in Mediterranean regions if adapted to local conditions through improvements like adding soil amendments and reducing pioneer species.
OP20: TOWARDS A FRAMEWORK FOR VALUING THE SOIL BIOTA & ITS DIVERSITY:APPROA...CSM _BGBD biodiversity
This document discusses approaches for valuing the soil biota and its diversity. It argues that an economic valuation is needed to 1) give reality to the soil biota that society and decision makers will accept and 2) properly assess optimal agricultural management practices. It lays out a framework to link agricultural interventions to impacts on soil organism abundance, diversity, and processes, and the resulting agricultural and environmental benefits. This framework aims to establish rules of proof for valuing managing the soil biota as an economic option. It also discusses requirements for applying an economic value, like demonstrating and measuring benefits, and examples of valuing outcomes from direct or indirect management.
This study examined the impacts of different landscape treatments on plant species richness within road corridors and adjacent ecosystems. It found that road verges had higher species richness than adjacent fields. Species richness was higher on soil slopes treated with the new post-guideline approach compared to the pre-guideline approach. On rock slopes, species richness did not differ significantly between the pre-guideline planted approach and the post-guideline natural recolonization approach. The soil seed bank contributed additional plant species, particularly on naturally recolonized slopes. Lower soil fertility was associated with higher species richness, suggesting the new landscape treatments help prevent establishment of invasive species.
Mekong ARCC Climate Change Adaptation and Impact Study on Natural and Agricul...Mekong ARCC
The document outlines a climate change impact and adaptation study for natural and agricultural systems in the Mekong River Basin. The study aims to identify vulnerabilities to climate change related to water resources, food security, livelihoods and biodiversity. It will assess adaptation strategies to inform community projects. The study will use zoning, trend analysis, vulnerability assessments, and the identification of adaptation options to achieve its objectives. Climate and hydrological modeling will be employed to project future conditions and threats.
Evaluation of Land Suitability for Stone Pine (Pinus pinea) plantation in Leb...IJEAB
Stone pine (Pinus pinea) is a typical Mediterranean tree well adapted to drought and high temperatures. It is a species of great interest and economical importance in Lebanon and has a strong beneficial impact on the local communities from the marketing of its edible nuts. This tree is threatened by human activities and fire that are leading to its degradation. Therefore, the aim of this study is to delineate and map the suitability of soils for the plantation and extension of the stone pine. For this purpose, the adopted research methods were composed of the following three steps: (1) identifying through available data and traditional methods the ability of the lands to be planted with stone pine (2) identifying the various factors influencing the growth and fruiting of the treeand (3) transforming and integrating all the data into geo-referenced thematic maps and introducing them into the Geographic Information System (GIS) suitable for delimiting Lebanese areas suitable for planting stone pines. The obtained results were presented in a form of 10 thematic maps (GIS layers) that represent the influence of each ecological factor on the land suitability for afforestation by stone pine. A final thematic map that illustrates the most suitable areas for Pinus pinea plantations was generated by superimposing the 10 GIS layers.
This work package focuses on studying the impacts of different road landscape treatments on biodiversity within road corridors and adjacent ecosystems. It involves assessing how plant and animal diversity differs among road verges that used pre-guideline and post-guideline planting methods, and how road biodiversity interacts with surrounding landscapes. Field studies are analyzing the effects of landscape treatments along roads on species communities, habitat connectivity, and genetic variation. A long-term experiment is also testing how natural recolonization, hay strewing, and seed mixes influence biodiversity. The goal is to provide guidance on landscape designs that promote biodiversity in Irish road networks.
Risks of Cryogenic Landslide Hazards and Their Impact on Ecosystems in Cold E...Universität Salzburg
Research focuses on monitoring landscapes downgrading in specific conditions of Arctic ecosystems with cold climate conditions (marshes, permafrost, high humidity and moisture). Specific case study: cryogenic landslides typical for cold environments with permafrost. Area: Yamal Peninsula. Aim: analysis of the environmental changes caused by cryogenic landslides in northern land- scapes affecting sensitive Arctic ecosystems. Thaw of the permafrost layer causes destruction of the ground soil layer and activates cryogenic landslide processes. After disaster, vegetation coverage needs a long time to recover, due to the sensitivity of the specific northern environment, and land cover types change. ILWIS GIS was used to process 2 satellite images Landsat TM taken at 1988 and 2011, to assess spatiotemporal changes in the land cover types. Research shown ILWIS GIS based spatial analysis for environmental mapping.
Alice Maria NUNES "Restoration trials and management in a highly degraded sit...Global Risk Forum GRFDavos
This document summarizes research on restoration trials in a highly degraded quarry site in southern Europe. It discusses using a functional approach to understand land degradation and improve restoration. One trial involved thinning Aleppo pine plantations, which increased the density of species that promote nutrient cycling, soil improvement, and ecosystem resilience. A second trial tested hydroseeding mixtures on slopes. Outcomes depended on site conditions, with the native mixture performing better. The research demonstrated that functional traits are important for species selection and that management can promote recovery of ecosystem functionality in degraded drylands.
This document discusses how agroforestry can be mainstreamed in biodiversity conservation efforts. It outlines several ways that agroforestry contributes to biodiversity conservation by reducing pressure on natural forests, providing habitat, and serving as a benign land use matrix. The document argues that landscape-scale approaches that integrate protected areas, agroforestry, and other land uses are needed. It provides examples of agroforestry practices that embody conservation principles like maintaining genetic diversity and enhancing ecological processes. Finally, it proposes several options for mainstreaming agroforestry, such as linking it to conservation planning, expanding agroforestry options, and strategic alliances between agroforestry and conservation organizations.
This document summarizes a study that evaluated different techniques for revegetating land in Bangka Island, Indonesia that had been mined for tin. Ten local tree species were planted at different densities (1m x 1m, 2m x 2m, 4m x 4m) in plots with various soil amendment treatments. The highest survival and growth rates were found with a planting density of 10,000 seedlings per hectare (1m x 1m spacing) combined with a legume cover crop. Species like Hibiscus tiliaceus, Ficus superba, Calophyllum inophyllum, and Syzygium grande showed the most potential for revegetating sandy tin tailings based on their high
An investigation of the vegetation dynamics on ArideRobert Gavan
This document provides an investigation of vegetation dynamics on Aride Island since 1976, with a focus on the prevalence of Pisonia grandis trees. The investigation aims to observe changes in herbaceous diversity, tree demographics, and the continued dominance of P. grandis. Permanent vegetation plots established in 1976 will be revisited and new plots added. Data on plant cover, tree abundance, and canopy structure will be collected and analyzed using diversity indices and other statistical methods. Based on past reports, herbaceous diversity is expected to have declined as woodland has expanded. Tree diversity in the understory is also expected to be low due to shade tolerance of dominant species, while mid-upper canopies may be more diverse
Tracking the effects of land use and management on vegetation conditionRichard Thackway
This document outlines a methodology called VAST-2 (Vegetation Assets States and Transitions) for tracking changes in vegetation condition over time due to land use and management practices. VAST-2 scores 22 indicators of regenerative capacity, vegetation structure, and species composition for a site against a pre-settlement reference state. Case studies applying VAST-2 to sites in Cumberland State Forest in NSW from 1941-2012 are presented. Lessons learned include that VAST-2 is useful for engaging stakeholders, synthesizing information to understand vegetation transformation, and reporting progress towards vegetation targets.
Natural Capital is the stock of natural ecosystems, species, freshwater, land, minerals, and atmosphere that combine to sustain life on Earth. The Natural Capital Declaration is a finance-led initiative to account for and embed natural capital considerations within investment, banking, and loan decisions. It centers on four commitments: understanding impacts and dependencies on natural capital, embedding natural capital in financial products and services, working towards integrated reporting and disclosure, and integrating natural capital in accounting and decision making. The goal is to facilitate methodologies and standards to operationalize these commitments and create more sustainable finance sector practices.
This document discusses acid sulfate soils (ASS), including potential ASS, actual or active ASS, and post-active ASS materials. It mentions that acid sulfate soils are formed by the oxidation of iron sulfides like pyrite in low-lying coastal areas. The table shows estimates of acid sulfate soil areas in various regions around the world, with Indonesia, Australia, and Brazil having the largest estimated areas. It also describes some of the wetland areas in Sri Lanka's southwestern coastal belt that contain acid sulfate soils, and notes that acid sulfate soils can adversely impact the environment if not properly managed.
Diversification of rice-based cropping system and their impact on energy util...P.K. Mani
The document evaluates different rice-based cropping systems in West Bengal, India. It finds that the rice-potato-lady's finger system (T4) produced the highest system yield and productivity, as well as the greatest net return and benefit-cost ratio. The rice-potato-sesame system (T3) had the highest energy productivity and fuel energy use efficiency. Overall, the document concludes that the best cropping systems were rice-potato-lady's finger and rice-potato-sesame.
Bioavailabilty and crop uptake of heavy metals from Sewage sludge P.K. Mani
Application of sewage sludge to agricultural soils can increase the concentration of heavy metals in soil and plants. A study found increasing rates of untreated sewage sludge application from 10 to 80 tonnes/hectare led to a corresponding increase in extractable zinc, copper, lead and cadmium levels in soil. Similarly, Chinese cabbage grown in soils amended with increasing rates of sewage sludge from 5% to 25% showed higher accumulation of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel, copper, and zinc in leaves compared to the unamended control. Several soil properties and plant factors influence the availability and uptake of heavy metals from sludge-amended soils into food crops.
BEHAVIOUR OF HEAVY METALS IN SEWAGE-SLUDGE AMENDED SOILP.K. Mani
Heavy metals in sewage sludge-amended soils can impact food safety when crops uptake the metals. The document discusses:
1) Heavy metal concentrations vary in soils depending on soil properties like pH, organic matter and clay content which influence metal availability.
2) Uptake by plants depends on plant species and cultivars, with some accumulating more metals than others.
3) The transfer coefficient measuring the relationship between soil metal concentrations and levels in plants can identify risks of food contamination. Managing soil properties and plant selection are important for limiting metal uptake into the food chain.
Strategies for sustainable managemnet of degraded coastal land and water for...P.K. Mani
This document summarizes a project aimed at enhancing productivity of degraded land and water resources in coastal regions through integrated approaches. Key activities included land shaping, pond excavation, crop diversification, integrated nutrient management, and farmer training. Baseline surveys assessed initial soil and water quality across 3 villages. Monitoring found that land shaping and pond excavation reduced soil salinity and improved drainage. Crop diversification increased household incomes, employment, and nutritional levels. Training programs empowered over 800 farmers in topics such as vermicomposting, livestock health, and fish cultivation. The project developed environmental and social frameworks to maximize benefits and mitigate negative impacts.
The pictures relate to the life of Subhash Chandra Bose in chronological order. The first picture shows the Scottish Church College where he studied. The second shows the car he fled Kolkata in. The third shows him meeting with Heinrich Himmler in Germany. The fourth shows him with Japanese submarine crew as he traveled from Germany to Japan. The fifth shows the chair used during his time leading the Indian National Army.
Long term effects of fertilizer and organic manures on the productivity of ri...P.K. Mani
Long-term effects of fertilizers and organic manures on rice-wheat cropping system productivity in West Bengal
The study evaluated different fertilizer and organic manure treatments over 16 crop cycles to determine their effects on soil properties, crop yields, and sustainability. Key findings:
1) Combining reduced chemical fertilizers with farm yard manure, green manure, or paddy straw maintained similar crop yields and improved soil organic carbon, nutrients, and quality indices compared to chemical fertilizers alone.
2) Partial substitution of 25% of chemical fertilizers with organic manures was as effective as full application of chemical fertilizers alone in sustaining production levels long-term.
3) Integrated use of organic man
Crop residue management in rice based cropping systemP.K. Mani
Crop residue has important effects on soil quality in rice-based cropping systems. When crop residues are removed, it leads to decreased soil fertility and lower crop production. Incorporating crop residue into the soil improves various indicators of soil quality, including physical properties like aggregation and porosity, chemical properties like soil organic matter and nutrient levels, and biological properties like microbial population and enzyme activity. Proper crop residue management can help sustain soil quality and fertility in rice fields over the long term.
Join a lively conversation about tapping the power of one of our chief assets in the climate struggle: the soil. The panel will discuss the role of farming in adapting to climate change: how vineyards and working lands can contribute to the recovery of resilient landscapes in the face of increasing climatic instability, how mycorrhizal networks regulate nutrient and energy flows, and how those networks are affected by farming practices. The group will also share practical experience on implementing practices on-farm to build soil, increase organic matter and improve the overall health of the landscape on your own property.
This document discusses crop wild relatives and the importance of their genetic resources. It notes that crop wild relatives can serve as a source of novel traits for crop improvement. They share a common ancestry with crops and their genes can be used in traditional breeding. However, many crop wild relatives face threats from climate change and land use changes. The document presents a methodology for analyzing gaps in crop wild relative collections. This involves determining priority taxa, sampling deficiencies, potential distributions, environmental coverage and gaps. The approach aims to prioritize geographic areas for further collecting of crop wild relatives.
Hidden capital: harnessing belowground biodiversity for sustainable agricultu...World Agroforestry (ICRAF)
This document discusses belowground biodiversity and its importance for sustainable agriculture. It notes that human activities over the last 50 years have significantly degraded ecosystems while increasing human well-being. Belowground biodiversity is much greater than aboveground biodiversity but remains poorly understood due to its complexity. Studying soil organisms is challenging but important functional groups include decomposers, symbionts, and those involved in carbon, nitrogen and nutrient transformations. Molecular techniques are revealing greater unknown diversity in soil. Trees can increase the abundance and activity of beneficial soil biota in agricultural landscapes, mediating some of their effects on crops and enhancing ecosystem services. Further research on belowground biodiversity is needed to improve agroecosystem management and soil health.
Crop wild relatives are an important source of genetic diversity for food crops. They can provide traits for increasing crop yields, quality, and stress tolerance. However, many crop wild relatives face threats from climate change and habitat loss that put their long-term survival at risk. A gap analysis was conducted to assess ex situ conservation collections and distribution models of crop wild relatives to determine priority areas for further collecting efforts to capture their remaining genetic diversity. Over 400 taxa were analyzed to identify high, medium, and low priority species for focus on filling conservation gaps.
Jonathan Muriuki presented on evergreen agriculture in East Africa. He discussed how conventional farming is not sustainable and leads to soil degradation. Conservation agriculture with trees (CAWT) and evergreen agriculture were presented as alternatives that maintain soil cover year-round. Evergreen agriculture integrates trees with annual crops to create a "double-story" system. Examples of evergreen agriculture systems in East Africa were provided. Key components needed for successful scaling up were identified as germplasm, characterization of systems, knowledge management approaches, and enabling policies and extension networks.
Demystifying the Role of Agroforestry in Biodiversity Conservation Mohamed I ...World Agroforestry (ICRAF)
This document discusses how agroforestry can be mainstreamed in biodiversity conservation efforts. It outlines several ways that agroforestry contributes to biodiversity conservation by reducing pressure on natural forests, providing habitat, and serving as a benign land use matrix. The document argues that landscape-scale approaches that integrate protected areas, agroforestry, and other land uses are needed. It provides examples of agroforestry practices that embody conservation principles like maintaining genetic diversity and enhancing ecological processes. Finally, it proposes several options for mainstreaming agroforestry, like linking it to conservation planning, expanding options offered to farmers, and strategic alliances between agroforestry and conservation organizations.
This document discusses how agroforestry can be mainstreamed in biodiversity conservation efforts. It outlines several ways that agroforestry contributes to biodiversity conservation by reducing pressure on natural forests, providing habitat, and serving as a benign land use matrix. The document argues that landscape-scale approaches that integrate protected areas, agroforestry, and other land uses are needed. It provides examples of agroforestry practices that embody conservation principles like maintaining genetic diversity and enhancing ecological processes. Finally, it proposes several options for mainstreaming agroforestry, such as linking it to conservation planning, expanding agroforestry options, and strategic alliances between agroforestry and conservation organizations.
Professor Andrew Lowe poses the question 'How can we help biodiversity adapt to the ravages of climate change?'. Andrew is the director of the Australian Centre of Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity at the University of Adelaide, to find out more about the Centre and its many research activities visit http://www.adelaide.edu.au/environment/acebb/.
State and transition models (STMs) are tools that integrate ecosystem dynamics into management by defining alternative ecosystem states and the transitions between them. Climate relates to STMs by influencing ecological sites and the potential vegetation communities. As climate changes, STMs may need to consider shifting reference states and allow for novel communities. Applying STMs across mixed land uses adds complexity but can help assess conservation value under different land use states.
Overview of Mekong ARCC Climate Change Impact and Adaptation Study for the Lo...Mekong ARCC
This document provides an overview of the objectives and methodology for a climate change impact and adaptation study on natural and agricultural systems in the Mekong River Basin. The study aims to identify climate change impacts and vulnerabilities, define adaptation strategies, and communicate results. Key aspects of the methodology include taking an ecosystem approach, identifying climate change hotspots, analyzing shifts in climate zones, ecosystems and farming systems, and assessing vulnerability through factors like exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. Impacts on water resources, food security, livelihoods and biodiversity will be evaluated.
Sustainable tree-crop-livestock intensification as a pillar for the Ethiopian...africa-rising
Presented by Aster Gebrekirstos (World Agroforestry Center, Nairobi) at the Africa RISING Planning Meeting, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 17-18 September 2012
Modular Ecological Design: A Fruit and Vegetable Polyculture SystemFaiga64c
This document summarizes research on a modular ecological design for a fruit and vegetable polyculture system. Key points include:
1) The goal was to determine an optimal layout that mimics natural systems and can be economically viable for small farmers, using principles of ecological pest management and biodiversity.
2) Preliminary results found that a raised bed configuration with a mixed row layout had fewer pests, highest yields, and best growth. High tunnels also had fewer pests and nicer fruit.
3) The system was estimated to become economically viable at $10 per foot of row once fully established, through applying ecological principles and selling directly to consumers.
This document discusses permaculture design principles for farmers. It originated in the 1980s and focuses on ecological and ethical approaches to agriculture. Some key points include:
- Permaculture emphasizes earth care, people care, and fair share of resources.
- It uses design patterns like zone planning and sector analysis to efficiently arrange elements on the landscape.
- Techniques include forest gardening, perennial food crops, integrated animals, and water harvesting.
- The goal is to create sustainable farm systems that are productive but also regenerate the land and care for the environment and community.
The document discusses intercropping and integrated nutrient management in pulses. It describes the benefits of intercropping such as reducing pests and weeds, conserving soil moisture, and improving soil fertility. Integrated nutrient management involves using soil nutrients, fertilizers, organic manures, compost, and biofertilizers to maintain soil productivity. Adopting these practices can improve crop yields and nutrient use efficiency while maintaining the health of soils. However, some constraints to their adoption by farmers include lack of organic manures, biofertilizers, and knowledge.
This document discusses how tree-cropping systems can be used to reclaim problem soils. It identifies several properties that make tree species suitable for soil improvement, such as high biomass production, nitrogen fixation, and deep root systems. The document also provides an example from Brazil where nitrogen-fixing legume trees have been used successfully to reclaim severely degraded lands. Key aspects of this reclamation method include selecting fast-growing legume tree species and their symbiotic partners, and producing legume tree seedlings that can withstand harsh degraded soil conditions and accelerate the natural succession process.
Long-term ecosystem development and plant diversityelalib
Lecture from ENVT3363: Ecological Processes, third-year course at the University of Western Australia (UWA).
Lecture on long-term ecosystem development, patterns of plant diversity along soil chronosequences, and potential controls over plant diversity
The document provides guidance on writing effective scientific abstracts. It explains that abstracts must summarize the key elements of a paper in a short, concise manner to entice readers to read the full work. Specifically, it recommends that abstracts include: (1) motivation/why the work is important, (2) a clear problem statement, (3) methods used, (4) key results, and (5) conclusions/implications. It also emphasizes the need to choose impactful words, simplify explanations, and consider an abstract as a marketing strategy to attract readers.
Similar to PK05:Soil quality and health:A review (20)
Soil organisms play an important role in carbon sequestration through processes like decomposition, humification, aggregation, and symbiosis. The document discusses how soil microbes and fauna contribute to tearing and cutting fresh litter, decomposition, and increasing soil carbon levels. Studies show soil carbon is correlated with forests and fallow lands that have high abundance and diversity of soil organisms. Increasing soil organisms can accelerate biological nitrogen fixation and decomposition, helping to sequester more carbon in soil and increase agricultural productivity.
Land use and community composition of arbusscular mycorrhizal fungi mabira fo...CSM _BGBD biodiversity
A Presentation made by the Ugandan team During the Closing Conference of the Conservation and Sustainable management of the Below Ground Biodiversity Project
Changes in the diversity of assemblages of ground foraging ants in response t...CSM _BGBD biodiversity
A Presentation made by the Ugandan team During the Closing Conference of the Conservation and Sustainable management of the Below Ground Biodiversity Project
El documento presenta los resultados de un proyecto financiado por el FMAM sobre la conservación y manejo sostenible de la biodiversidad del suelo. Muestra gráficas del número de nematodos encontrados en 300 gramos de suelo por uso de suelo y localidad, con mayores cantidades en selva y menor en maizal. Los sitios con mayor número de nematodos fueron San Fernando y López Mateos.
El documento presenta los resultados de un proyecto financiado por el FMAM sobre la conservación y manejo sostenible de la biodiversidad del suelo. Muestra gráficas del número de nematodos encontrados en 300 gramos de suelo por tipo de uso de suelo y localidad, con mayores cantidades en selva y menor en maizal.
El documento presenta los resultados de un proyecto financiado por el FMAM sobre la conservación y manejo sostenible de la biodiversidad del suelo. Muestra gráficas del número de nematodos encontrados en 300 gramos de suelo por uso de suelo y localidad. Los mayores números se encontraron en selva y los menores en maizal. Por localidad, los mayores números fueron en San Fernando y los menores en Carranza.
Land use effects on litter decomposition in tropical ecosystems in mexicoCSM _BGBD biodiversity
This study analyzed litter decomposition rates in different land uses in Mexico's Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve. Litter bags were placed in forest, agricultural, and pasture sites with varying levels of vegetation cover. After 6 months, the remaining litter weight and carbon/nitrogen content were measured. Pastures generally had the fastest decomposition rates, while maize crops were slowest. The site with the most vegetation cover (Lopez Mateos) saw slower decomposition than areas with less cover. Land use and litter quality influenced decomposition rates more than differences in vegetation cover alone. Further study is needed to understand the effects of microclimate and soil fauna on decomposition in this threatened protected area.
Nematode community structure as influenced by land use and intensity of culti...CSM _BGBD biodiversity
This document appears to be a table containing numerical data across multiple rows and columns with labels such as "Table 3 C", "Land use", "Plantation forest", "Coffee", "Maize", "Napier", and "Natural forest". The table includes values such as "113 23 44" and labels such as "LSD (p<0.05))" and "benchmark sites". The data seems to be measuring and comparing different variables such as nematode maturity index across various land uses.
Diversity of ant species across a gradient of land use types in western ghats...CSM _BGBD biodiversity
The study examined ant diversity across different land use types in Western Ghats of Karnataka, India. Pitfall traps were used to sample ants in natural forest, grassland, cardamom plantation, acacia plantation, coffee plantation, and paddy fields during pre- and post-monsoon seasons. A total of 13 ant species were found, with the highest diversity in natural forests and lowest in paddy fields. Species composition and abundance varied between land use types and seasons. Pheidole was the most abundant genus across all sites.
Abundance and diversity of azotobacter and po4 solubilizing microorganisms i...CSM _BGBD biodiversity
This study examined the abundance and diversity of nitrogen-fixing bacteria (Azotobacter) and phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms in different land use types in Western Ghats of Karnataka, India. The highest populations of Azotobacter and phosphate-solubilizing fungi were found in natural forests, while the lowest populations were found in grasslands and paddy fields. For phosphate-solubilizing bacteria, the highest populations were observed in natural forests and grasslands, and the lowest were in cardamom plantations. The results indicate that native ecosystems like natural forests harbor greater populations of these soil microorganisms important for nutrient cycling compared to agricultural systems.
Studies on microbial inoculation in the preparation of phospho compost using ...CSM _BGBD biodiversity
This document discusses a study on using microbial inoculation to prepare phospho-compost from forest leaf litter. The study involved inoculating leaf litter with a microbial consortium including Trichurus spiralis, Trichoderma harzianum and Pleurotus sp. and comparing it to a control. Results found that the inoculated compost had higher organic carbon, total nitrogen, and NH4-N levels than the untreated control, indicating that microbial inoculation aided in the decomposition process and enriched the compost nutrients.
Farming practices and soil health arbsucular mcorrhizal fungi (amf) in maize ...CSM _BGBD biodiversity
1) Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are widespread soil fungi that form symbiotic relationships with up to 80% of plant species and play key roles in ecosystem and agricultural soil health.
2) A study examined the effects of different soil management practices like inoculation with AMF, application of manure or mineral fertilizers, on maize yield, AMF colonization levels, and soil health in a low-fertility tropical soil.
3) The results showed that AMF inoculation enhanced maize yield only when combined with farmer practices using manure or mineral fertilizers, and all management practices maintained high levels of AMF colonization, indicating they did not negatively impact
Soil fauna and nutrient management for improving agricultural production thro...CSM _BGBD biodiversity
1) Farmers in Oumé, Côte d'Ivoire are facing decreasing soil fertility due to deforestation for cocoa and coffee farms. A study evaluated the effects of 9-month legume fallows using Pueraria phaseoloides and Cajanus cajan on soil properties, soil fauna, and subsequent maize growth.
2) The study found that legume fallows increased earthworm densities and diversity compared to a natural fallow control. Phytoparasitic nematode densities were also lower under legumes.
3) Maize yields were higher on legume fallow plots compared to the control, though not significantly for grain yield. Total biomass and 100
Diversity of termites along a gradient of land use type in a tropical forest ...CSM _BGBD biodiversity
(1) This study assessed termite diversity along a land use gradient in central western Côte d'Ivoire, including primary forest, fallow land, and areas subjected to different agricultural practices. Termite diversity decreased with increasing land use intensity.
(2) Cluster analysis identified three groups - primary forest and fallow had the highest diversity, moderately disturbed areas had intermediate diversity, and annual crop land had the lowest diversity.
(3) The highest species richness was found in fallow land and primary forest, while annual crop land had the fewest species. Termite diversity can indicate land use changes, with some termite groups adapted to disturbed areas and others characteristic of undisturbed habitats.
Termites diversity along a gradient of land use in a tropical forest margin, ...CSM _BGBD biodiversity
This study assessed termite diversity along a land use gradient in mid-west Côte d'Ivoire. Termite samples were collected from different agroecosystems using standardized methods. Results showed that termite species richness decreased from natural habitats to more intensive agricultural systems. Cluster analysis grouped habitats into three categories based on termite composition: primary and secondary forests, fallows and older agricultural systems; transitional agricultural systems; and annual cropland. The study contributes to understanding how termite diversity responds to changes in land use and habitat modification.
Land use changes the structure of soil bacterial communities in the western a...CSM _BGBD biodiversity
This study assessed the impact of land use changes on soil bacterial communities in the Western Amazon. Soil samples were collected from forest, secondary forest, crops and pasture land. Bacterial communities were analyzed using genetic techniques. The results showed that land use changes significantly altered the structure of soil bacterial communities through impacts on soil attributes like pH and nutrient levels. While many factors influenced community composition, differences in soil properties driven by land use were major determinants of bacterial community structure in this region.
OP25:Soliciting for prominence of belowground biodiversity conservation and m...CSM _BGBD biodiversity
1) The document reviews Uganda's policy framework for belowground biodiversity conservation and identifies gaps in coverage of belowground biodiversity.
2) Key findings include that while several policies address environmental conservation, coverage of belowground biodiversity is minimal. Four policy briefs were developed to address this.
3) Challenges to effective belowground biodiversity conservation in Uganda include lack of awareness, political interference, delays in policy ratification, and inadequate research and infrastructure. Recommendations focus on strengthening the policy framework and increasing capacity for belowground biodiversity management.
The document discusses the need for a national policy on the conservation and sustainable management of below ground biodiversity (BGBD) in Kenya. It provides justification for such a policy by explaining how reduced BGBD decreases agricultural productivity and resilience. It notes that over 90% of crop varieties and 5% of animal breeds are lost each year. The document outlines gaps in existing policy and the benefits a new policy could provide. It analyzes situational factors and proposes a strategic framework with the vision, mission, goals and specific objectives for a BGBD policy in Kenya.
OP26:Socio-Economic Characteristics, Impact Assessment and Policy Analysis of...CSM _BGBD biodiversity
This document summarizes a study on the socio-economic characteristics, impact assessment, and policy analysis of belowground biodiversity (BGBD) conservation projects in Lampung Province, Indonesia. The study examined 160 farmers over two surveys in 2007 and 2009. It analyzed changes in farming practices, knowledge of BGBD conservation, and perceptions. Key findings include improvements in knowledge of BGBD benefits but minimal increases in household incomes. The conclusions call for more landscape-level land use practices and awareness raising to increase economic welfare while conserving soil biota and scaling up BGBD conservation efforts.
Your One-Stop Shop for Python Success: Top 10 US Python Development Providersakankshawande
Simplify your search for a reliable Python development partner! This list presents the top 10 trusted US providers offering comprehensive Python development services, ensuring your project's success from conception to completion.
Dandelion Hashtable: beyond billion requests per second on a commodity serverAntonios Katsarakis
This slide deck presents DLHT, a concurrent in-memory hashtable. Despite efforts to optimize hashtables, that go as far as sacrificing core functionality, state-of-the-art designs still incur multiple memory accesses per request and block request processing in three cases. First, most hashtables block while waiting for data to be retrieved from memory. Second, open-addressing designs, which represent the current state-of-the-art, either cannot free index slots on deletes or must block all requests to do so. Third, index resizes block every request until all objects are copied to the new index. Defying folklore wisdom, DLHT forgoes open-addressing and adopts a fully-featured and memory-aware closed-addressing design based on bounded cache-line-chaining. This design offers lock-free index operations and deletes that free slots instantly, (2) completes most requests with a single memory access, (3) utilizes software prefetching to hide memory latencies, and (4) employs a novel non-blocking and parallel resizing. In a commodity server and a memory-resident workload, DLHT surpasses 1.6B requests per second and provides 3.5x (12x) the throughput of the state-of-the-art closed-addressing (open-addressing) resizable hashtable on Gets (Deletes).
[OReilly Superstream] Occupy the Space: A grassroots guide to engineering (an...Jason Yip
The typical problem in product engineering is not bad strategy, so much as “no strategy”. This leads to confusion, lack of motivation, and incoherent action. The next time you look for a strategy and find an empty space, instead of waiting for it to be filled, I will show you how to fill it in yourself. If you’re wrong, it forces a correction. If you’re right, it helps create focus. I’ll share how I’ve approached this in the past, both what works and lessons for what didn’t work so well.
5th LF Energy Power Grid Model Meet-up SlidesDanBrown980551
5th Power Grid Model Meet-up
It is with great pleasure that we extend to you an invitation to the 5th Power Grid Model Meet-up, scheduled for 6th June 2024. This event will adopt a hybrid format, allowing participants to join us either through an online Mircosoft Teams session or in person at TU/e located at Den Dolech 2, Eindhoven, Netherlands. The meet-up will be hosted by Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), a research university specializing in engineering science & technology.
Power Grid Model
The global energy transition is placing new and unprecedented demands on Distribution System Operators (DSOs). Alongside upgrades to grid capacity, processes such as digitization, capacity optimization, and congestion management are becoming vital for delivering reliable services.
Power Grid Model is an open source project from Linux Foundation Energy and provides a calculation engine that is increasingly essential for DSOs. It offers a standards-based foundation enabling real-time power systems analysis, simulations of electrical power grids, and sophisticated what-if analysis. In addition, it enables in-depth studies and analysis of the electrical power grid’s behavior and performance. This comprehensive model incorporates essential factors such as power generation capacity, electrical losses, voltage levels, power flows, and system stability.
Power Grid Model is currently being applied in a wide variety of use cases, including grid planning, expansion, reliability, and congestion studies. It can also help in analyzing the impact of renewable energy integration, assessing the effects of disturbances or faults, and developing strategies for grid control and optimization.
What to expect
For the upcoming meetup we are organizing, we have an exciting lineup of activities planned:
-Insightful presentations covering two practical applications of the Power Grid Model.
-An update on the latest advancements in Power Grid -Model technology during the first and second quarters of 2024.
-An interactive brainstorming session to discuss and propose new feature requests.
-An opportunity to connect with fellow Power Grid Model enthusiasts and users.
For the full video of this presentation, please visit: https://www.edge-ai-vision.com/2024/06/how-axelera-ai-uses-digital-compute-in-memory-to-deliver-fast-and-energy-efficient-computer-vision-a-presentation-from-axelera-ai/
Bram Verhoef, Head of Machine Learning at Axelera AI, presents the “How Axelera AI Uses Digital Compute-in-memory to Deliver Fast and Energy-efficient Computer Vision” tutorial at the May 2024 Embedded Vision Summit.
As artificial intelligence inference transitions from cloud environments to edge locations, computer vision applications achieve heightened responsiveness, reliability and privacy. This migration, however, introduces the challenge of operating within the stringent confines of resource constraints typical at the edge, including small form factors, low energy budgets and diminished memory and computational capacities. Axelera AI addresses these challenges through an innovative approach of performing digital computations within memory itself. This technique facilitates the realization of high-performance, energy-efficient and cost-effective computer vision capabilities at the thin and thick edge, extending the frontier of what is achievable with current technologies.
In this presentation, Verhoef unveils his company’s pioneering chip technology and demonstrates its capacity to deliver exceptional frames-per-second performance across a range of standard computer vision networks typical of applications in security, surveillance and the industrial sector. This shows that advanced computer vision can be accessible and efficient, even at the very edge of our technological ecosystem.
Programming Foundation Models with DSPy - Meetup SlidesZilliz
Prompting language models is hard, while programming language models is easy. In this talk, I will discuss the state-of-the-art framework DSPy for programming foundation models with its powerful optimizers and runtime constraint system.
zkStudyClub - LatticeFold: A Lattice-based Folding Scheme and its Application...Alex Pruden
Folding is a recent technique for building efficient recursive SNARKs. Several elegant folding protocols have been proposed, such as Nova, Supernova, Hypernova, Protostar, and others. However, all of them rely on an additively homomorphic commitment scheme based on discrete log, and are therefore not post-quantum secure. In this work we present LatticeFold, the first lattice-based folding protocol based on the Module SIS problem. This folding protocol naturally leads to an efficient recursive lattice-based SNARK and an efficient PCD scheme. LatticeFold supports folding low-degree relations, such as R1CS, as well as high-degree relations, such as CCS. The key challenge is to construct a secure folding protocol that works with the Ajtai commitment scheme. The difficulty, is ensuring that extracted witnesses are low norm through many rounds of folding. We present a novel technique using the sumcheck protocol to ensure that extracted witnesses are always low norm no matter how many rounds of folding are used. Our evaluation of the final proof system suggests that it is as performant as Hypernova, while providing post-quantum security.
Paper Link: https://eprint.iacr.org/2024/257
Driving Business Innovation: Latest Generative AI Advancements & Success StorySafe Software
Are you ready to revolutionize how you handle data? Join us for a webinar where we’ll bring you up to speed with the latest advancements in Generative AI technology and discover how leveraging FME with tools from giants like Google Gemini, Amazon, and Microsoft OpenAI can supercharge your workflow efficiency.
During the hour, we’ll take you through:
Guest Speaker Segment with Hannah Barrington: Dive into the world of dynamic real estate marketing with Hannah, the Marketing Manager at Workspace Group. Hear firsthand how their team generates engaging descriptions for thousands of office units by integrating diverse data sources—from PDF floorplans to web pages—using FME transformers, like OpenAIVisionConnector and AnthropicVisionConnector. This use case will show you how GenAI can streamline content creation for marketing across the board.
Ollama Use Case: Learn how Scenario Specialist Dmitri Bagh has utilized Ollama within FME to input data, create custom models, and enhance security protocols. This segment will include demos to illustrate the full capabilities of FME in AI-driven processes.
Custom AI Models: Discover how to leverage FME to build personalized AI models using your data. Whether it’s populating a model with local data for added security or integrating public AI tools, find out how FME facilitates a versatile and secure approach to AI.
We’ll wrap up with a live Q&A session where you can engage with our experts on your specific use cases, and learn more about optimizing your data workflows with AI.
This webinar is ideal for professionals seeking to harness the power of AI within their data management systems while ensuring high levels of customization and security. Whether you're a novice or an expert, gain actionable insights and strategies to elevate your data processes. Join us to see how FME and AI can revolutionize how you work with data!
Northern Engraving | Nameplate Manufacturing Process - 2024Northern Engraving
Manufacturing custom quality metal nameplates and badges involves several standard operations. Processes include sheet prep, lithography, screening, coating, punch press and inspection. All decoration is completed in the flat sheet with adhesive and tooling operations following. The possibilities for creating unique durable nameplates are endless. How will you create your brand identity? We can help!
Connector Corner: Seamlessly power UiPath Apps, GenAI with prebuilt connectorsDianaGray10
Join us to learn how UiPath Apps can directly and easily interact with prebuilt connectors via Integration Service--including Salesforce, ServiceNow, Open GenAI, and more.
The best part is you can achieve this without building a custom workflow! Say goodbye to the hassle of using separate automations to call APIs. By seamlessly integrating within App Studio, you can now easily streamline your workflow, while gaining direct access to our Connector Catalog of popular applications.
We’ll discuss and demo the benefits of UiPath Apps and connectors including:
Creating a compelling user experience for any software, without the limitations of APIs.
Accelerating the app creation process, saving time and effort
Enjoying high-performance CRUD (create, read, update, delete) operations, for
seamless data management.
Speakers:
Russell Alfeche, Technology Leader, RPA at qBotic and UiPath MVP
Charlie Greenberg, host
Digital Banking in the Cloud: How Citizens Bank Unlocked Their MainframePrecisely
Inconsistent user experience and siloed data, high costs, and changing customer expectations – Citizens Bank was experiencing these challenges while it was attempting to deliver a superior digital banking experience for its clients. Its core banking applications run on the mainframe and Citizens was using legacy utilities to get the critical mainframe data to feed customer-facing channels, like call centers, web, and mobile. Ultimately, this led to higher operating costs (MIPS), delayed response times, and longer time to market.
Ever-changing customer expectations demand more modern digital experiences, and the bank needed to find a solution that could provide real-time data to its customer channels with low latency and operating costs. Join this session to learn how Citizens is leveraging Precisely to replicate mainframe data to its customer channels and deliver on their “modern digital bank” experiences.
Discover top-tier mobile app development services, offering innovative solutions for iOS and Android. Enhance your business with custom, user-friendly mobile applications.
The Microsoft 365 Migration Tutorial For Beginner.pptxoperationspcvita
This presentation will help you understand the power of Microsoft 365. However, we have mentioned every productivity app included in Office 365. Additionally, we have suggested the migration situation related to Office 365 and how we can help you.
You can also read: https://www.systoolsgroup.com/updates/office-365-tenant-to-tenant-migration-step-by-step-complete-guide/
The Microsoft 365 Migration Tutorial For Beginner.pptx
PK05:Soil quality and health:A review
1. 5/27/2010
Soil quality and health Defining soil
• Quality: the fitness of soil, to function within its
• Fundamental resources: Air, water and capacity and within natural/managed ecosystem
soil boundaries, to sustain plant/animal (which!)
productivity, maintain/ enhance water/air quality, and
• Interconnections support human health and habitation
• Policy concerns – Federal Soil Protection • Health: promote plant/animal health; ability to
Act, 1999 (Germany) suppress diseases; Bioprotectants-soil food web-
soil biodiversity
• Primary standards (human health) and
• High quality (high SOC) but poor health (abundance
secondary standards (human well being of pathogens)
and sustainability) • Ecosystem/landscape health inclusive of soil health:
resistance/resilience to stresses and disturbances
Ecological functions of soil: dealing with multiplicity
(FAO, 1995; Masto et al., 2007 ) Why indicators
Production function High yields/incomes • Indicators: measurable changes in
ecosystem structure, composition and
Biotic High bioidversity; abundance of
environmental/living beneficial organisms/functions
function
space function • Reduce the information overload
Climate- High levels of carbon stocks/low (oversimplify!)
regulative/storage levels greenhouse gas emissions
function • Document large scale patterns
Hydrologic function Water availability/reduced flood risks • Help determine appropriate actions: early
warning and corrective measures
Waste/pollution High yields/incomes; good human
control function health
Realizing the neglect of soil
The best indicators (Parisi et al., 2005).
biodiversity
• sensitivity (response vs background natural
variability),
• Neglect in conservation inventories
• good correlation with the beneficial soil
functions, • Lack of methodologies that can extract,
• h l f l
helpfulness i revealing ecosystem processes
in li t identify and quantify diversity
• comprehensibility and utility for land managers: • Soil organisms taxonomy – time-
policy relevance and public acceptance consuming, monotonous, painful, IPR
• Simple, cheap and easy to measure Contrasting hypotheses: most species must
• Knowledge of critical limits, thresholds, be redundant versus a significant role for
standards diversity
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2. 5/27/2010
Methodological challenge Forest-farmland linkages
• As a single measurable soil attribute is
unlikely to be correlated with soil
function(s) and measurement of ‘all’ soil
attributes is not practical: minimum
number of indicators (minimum data set)
• a single, affordable, workable soil quality
index is unattainable! (Sojka and
Upchurch 1999)
Earthworm diversity in Himalaya Indicator taxa: an illustration from
Species Colour Size Habitat Functional group
cm3) Himalayan region
Perionyx Dark 5.2 FYM, Vermicompost, Epigeic Indicator feature Indicator of
excavata purple oak forests
Drawida Light 1.9 Agriculture, pasture Endogeic-top soil Perionyx Absence in oak Fire, high intensity of litter
nepalensis grey excavatus forests removal, convex slopes, poor soil
Amynthas Dark 9.5 Agriculture, forests, Endogeic-anecic aggregation
alexandri pink pasture Drawida Abundant Tillage, FYM input, shaded-moist
shaded moist
Metaphire Dark 6.2 Agriculture, forests Endogeic-top soil nepalensis microsites in rainfed agroforestry
anomala red and pasture systems
Metaphire Dark 5.7 Agriculture, forests Endogeic-top soil Metaphire Abundant Irrigated paddy systems on clayey
birmanica brown and pasture
anomala soils
Octochaetona Light 3.1 Agriculture Endogeic-top soil
beatrix pink Collembola with Abundant Low intensity of leaf litter removal
Lennogaster Light 0.4 FYM Epigeic long antennae in forests
sp. brown covered with
Eisenia fetida Dark 1.6 Vermicompost Epigeic dense bristles
red
Cultivated legume diversity in central Himalaya
Scientific name Local name Altitudinal range Nodule Rhizobium- cross inoculation
(mg)
Cajanus cajan Tor 500-1650 m 37 Isolate V. mungo V. V. V.
Glycine max Safed Bhatt 700-1700 m 19 from/Nodul radiata unguiculata angularis
Glycine max Black Bhatt 1000-1500 m 16 ation in
Macrotyloma uniflorum Gehet 500-2000 m 12 V. mungo Yes No Yes No
Phaseolus vulgaris Rajma 1500 2500
1500-2500 m 12
Vigna angularis Rains 1000-2250 m 11 V. radiata No Yes Yes No
Vigna mungo Urd 500-1750 m 31
V. Yes Yes Yes No
Vigna unguiculata Sontha 500-1750 m 10
unguiculata
Lens culinaris Masoor 500-1500 m 9
Pisum arvense Kong 2200-2650 m 5 V. angularis No No No Yes
Pisum sativum Matar 500-2650 m 8
Vicia faba Shiv Chana 500-1500 m 9
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3. 5/27/2010
2500
Roots Aboveground residues Seeds Nodulation behaviour
Pisum sativum
Phaseolus vulgaris
2000 200
200
Number of nodules
Number of nodules
30 d
150 30 60 90
60 d 150
B io m as s (g /m 2 )
90 d
100 100
50 50
1500
0 0
RA IA PF OF DF RA BF DF RA CF RA IA PF OF DF RA BF DF RA CF
1000 m 2250 m 2800 m 1000 m 2250 m 2800 m
1000
Glycine m ax Glycine soja
Number of nodules
Number of nodules
200 200
30 60 90
150 150 30 60 90
500 100 100
50 50
0 0
RA IA PF OF DF RA BF DF RA CF RA IA PF OF DF RA BF DF RA CF
0 1000 m 2250 m 2800 m 1000 m 2250 m 2800 m
C.caj V.mun V. ang G.max G.sp V.ung M.uni E.cor
Soil quality index Soil organic matter
• Selection: soil properties/indicators constituting • a primary indicator of soil quality and
the minimum data set
• Transformation: bringing all indicators to a health for both scientists and farmers
common measurement scale • the best surrogate for soil health
• Synthesis: combining the indicator scores into
the index • L bil / ti l t / i bi l/t t l
Labile/particulate/microbial/total
• Statistical tools to avoid disciplinary biases in • soil microbial carbon : total organic carbon
expert opinion based approaches (Bachmann
and Kinzel, 1992; Doran and Parkin, 1996). ratio
• QBX index, soil microbiological degradation • Carbon management index
index (MDI),general index of soil quality (GISQ)
• Soil depth
0-10 cm 10-20 cm 20-50 cm 50-100 cm Mean
Soil organic carbon stock
S o il o rg a n ic c a rb o n (% )
• Cm = Cn * B * T * I 2.8
Cm, the amount of soil carbon some time after land use change
Cn, the amount of soil carbon under the original native vegetation
2.4
B, base factor, with values varying from 0.5 to 1.1 depending on 2
environmental factors and the type of agricultural activities - the
lowest values referring to long term cultivated aquic soils or 1.6
degraded land in the tropics and the highest values to improved
c
pasture and rice paddies 1.2
T, tillage factor - higher values (1.1) for no tillage and lower values for
full tillage (0.9-1.0) 0.8
I, input factor accounting for different levels of input from different
residue management systems: 0.8 for shortened fallow under 0.4
shifting cultivation to 1.2 for high input systems, such as those
receiving regular fertilizer additions. 0
RA HG PF OF
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4. 5/27/2010
Land use differentiation in village landscape
Agricultural land use intensification Oak forests Pine forests Rainfed
agriculture
Homegarden
Dominant tree Quercus Pinus Grewia Grewia
Relative area (%) 14 74 11 1
• Population growth, market demand, Tree density (ind/ha) 578 503 107 501
market risks, loss/gain in biodiversity and Irrigation No No No Yes
Tillage No No Less More frequent
ecosystem functions frequent
Manure (t/ha/year) Nil Nil 18 38
• Increase in productivity-lack of agricultural
p y g Leaf litter removal 50-70% 80-90% Nil Nil
land use expansion-increase in Woody litter removal
Lopping
80-90%
20-60%
80-90%
80-90%
Nil
80-90%
Nil
Low intensity
external/modern inputs-decrease in inputs canopy
removal
canopy
removal
canopy
removal
removal all
through the year
during during during
but increase or no change in outputs- winter winter winter
Grazing 1001 LU 513 LU 637 LU Nil
susbstitution of labour, capital or days/ha/yr days/ha/yr days/ha/yr
technology for land Fire Nil Yes Nil Nil
Net primary productivity 12.8 10.9 8.1 10.2
(t/ha/yr)
Annual biomass removal/NPP 53.1 64.2 85.7 84.1
3.5 Methodological puzzles and
3 challenges
2.5
• sample soil from similar depths in different land uses and
2 express SOC as t carbon/ha using bulk density values.
1.5 HG • measure bulk density first and then calculate the
DC A axis 2
1 RA sampling depths in different land uses to obtain the
0.5 PF same mass
• Selection of soil attributes
0 OF
-2 -1 • Sampling design and intensity
-0.5 0 1 2 3 4
• Cordyceps sinensis (ascomycetes growing on
-1 caterpillars)
-1.5 • Application of biodiversity science to the benefit of the
-2 society
DCA axis 1
Carbon management index, CMI,
Change/impact studies
(Blair et al. 1995)
• an indicator of the rate of change of SOM in response to
land management changes, relative to a more stable • repeated measurements on a single site
reference soil:
• Carbon pool index (CPI) = Total C of a given land
• paired sites
use/Total C of the reference land use • chronosequences where neighbouring
• Lability index (LI) = [Labile carbon content of a given
land use/Non-labile carbon content of a given land use] * sites experienced l d use change at
it i d land h t
[Labile carbon content of the reference land use/Non- different times in the past
labile carbon content of the reference land use]
• Carbon management index (CMI) = CPI * LI * 100 (Murty et al., 2002).
• Landscape CMI: sum of the products of multiplication of
the CMI values of different land uses in a landscape and
their relative areas (%) Collard and Zammit (2006)
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5. 5/27/2010
Choosing from the basket of Soil microbiological degradation
enzymes index (MDI)
• Three enzymes viz., phosphomonoesterase, chitinase and phenol
oxidase, as a group reflect relative importance of bacteria and fungi, • the sum of the normalized and weighted
as well as the nature of organic matter complex (Giai and Boerner,
2007). values of the most important parameter
• Phosphomonoesterase (acid phosphatase) activity is often
correlated with microbial biomass (Clarholm, 1993; Kandeler and
Eder, 1993), fungal hyphal length (Haussling and Marschner, 1989)
and nitrogen mineralization (D k et al., 1999)
d it i li ti (Decker t l 1999).
• Chitinase is a bacterial enzyme which converts chitininto
carbohydrates and inorganic nitrogen (Hanzlikova and Jandera,
1993).
• Phenol oxidase is produced primarily by white rot fungi, and is
specific for highly recalcitrant organic matter, such as lignin (Carlisle
and Watkinson, 1994).
General indicator of soil quality
QBX index(Parisi et al. (2000)
(GISQ) (Velasquez et al., 2007).
• PCA analysis of the variables (50) allowing • values based on evaluation of microarthropods’ level of adaptation
to the soil environment life rather than the species richness/diversity:
testing of the significance of their variation Reduction or loss of pigmentation and visual apparatus, streamlined
among land use types; body form, with reduced and more compact appendages, reduction
or loss of flying, jumping or running adaptations and reduced water
• identification of the variables that best retention capacity (e.g., by having thinner cuticle and lack of
differentiate the sites according to the soil
g hydrophobic compounds) are some of the adaptations of
microarthropods to soil environment (Parisi, 1974)
(Parisi 1974).
quality; • the morphotypes varying in terms of their degree of adaptation to
• creation of sub-indicators of soil physical quality, soil quantified as eco-morphological score: eu-edaphic (i.e., deep
soil-living) forms get a score of 20, epi-edaphic forms (surface living
chemical fertility, organic matter, morphology forms) of 1 and Groups like Protura and Diplura have a single value
and soil macrofauna, with values ranging from of 20, because all species belonging to these groups show a similar
0.1 to 1.0; level of adaptation to soil (Parisi et al., 2005).
• combination of all five subindicators into a
general one.
Vegetation attributes as a
Indicator species/taxa
surrogate to the soil quality
• environmental parameters which are expected to regulate soil fauna • Reflect abiotic state of the environment
composition, e.g., climate, soil and vegetation characteristics
• measures inherent to soil fauna community itself, such as higher taxon
richness, indicator taxa and maximum dominance.
• Reveal evidence of impacts or
• only 34-60% of the variance in soil animal richness explained by
environmental variables; Coefficient of variation of soil animal richness
environmental changes
between replicate samples as as high as 60% indicating a high degree of
independence of richness from environmental conditions Ekschmitt et al. • I di t di
Indicate diversity of other species, t
it f th i taxa or
(2003)
• outcome of significant influence of autogeneous dynamics of the population communities (Lawton and Gaston 2001)
under consideration, interaction of this population with predators, parasites
and competitors and by presently indiscernible past conditions (Salt and
Hollick, 1946).
• Focal species, umbrella species, flagship
• positive correlations between species richness of all termites and mean
canopy height, woody plant basal area, ratio of plant richness to plant
species, guilds
functional types, while there was no significant correlation between
individual plant and termite species (Gillison et al. 2003).
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6. 5/27/2010
Soil fertility, land quality and farm level
environmental indicators
• Land quality indicators represent generic directives for the functional role of
land, indicating condition and capacity of land, including its soil, weather
and biological properties, for purposes of production, conservation and
environmental management (Pieri et al., 2000).
• (i) measurable in space, i.e., over the landscape and in all countries (ii)
reflect change over recognizable time periods (5-10 years) (iii) showing
relationships with independent variables (iv) quantifiable and usually
dimensionless (v) cost effectiveness and precison of its measurement and
availability of an interpretative framework to translate it in terms of
identifying sustainable management practices (Sparling et al., 2004).
• (i) the yield gap indicator - a measure of the difference between yields
under optimum management conditions and actual yields of the ‘most
suitable crop’ (Monteith, 1990) (ii) soil nutrient balance indicator - measure
of the rate with which soil fertility changes - net differences between
nutrient inputs and outputs (Stoorvogel and Smaling, 1990).
• Control indicators (those based on farmers’ management practices) and
state indicators (those based on recordings of consequences for the farming
system) (Halberg 1998)
6