Reorienting land degradation towards sustainable land management: linking sustainable livelihoods with ecosystem services in rangeland systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, M S; Stringer, L C; Dougill, A J; Perkins, J S; Atlhopheng, J R; Mulale, K; Favretto, N

2015-03-15

This paper identifies new ways of moving from land degradation towards sustainable land management through the development of economic mechanisms. It identifies new mechanisms to tackle land degradation based on retaining critical levels of natural capital whilst basing livelihoods on a wider range of ecosystem services. This is achieved through a case study analysis of the Kalahari rangelands in southwest Botswana. The paper first describes the socio-economic and ecological characteristics of the Kalahari rangelands and the types of land degradation taking place. It then focuses on bush encroachment as a way of exploring new economic instruments (e.g. Payments for Ecosystem Services) designed to enhance the flow of ecosystem services that support livelihoods in rangeland systems. It does this by evaluating the likely impacts of bush encroachment, one of the key forms of rangeland degradation, on a range of ecosystem services in three land tenure types (private fenced ranches, communal grazing areas and Wildlife Management Areas), before considering options for more sustainable land management in these systems. We argue that with adequate policy support, economic mechanisms could help reorient degraded rangelands towards more sustainable land management. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Measuring ecological function on California's rangelands

Science.gov (United States)

Porzig, E.

2016-12-01

There is a need for a better understanding of ecosystem processes on rangelands and how management decisions influence these processes on scales that are both ecologically and socially relevant. Point Blue Conservation Science's Rangeland Monitoring Network is a coordinated effort to collect standardized data on birds, vegetation, and soils on rangelands throughout California. We work with partners, including private landowners, land trusts, state and federal agencies, and others, to measure bird and plant abundance and diversity and three soil dynamic properties (water infiltration, bulk density, and organic carbon). Here, we present data from our first two years of monitoring on over 50 ranches in 17 counties. By collecting data on the scope and scale of variation in ecological function across rangelands and the relationship with management practices, we aim to advance rangeland management, restoration, and conservation.

Integrating the Indigenous Knowledge of Borana Pastoralists into Rangeland Management Strategies in Southern Ethiopia

OpenAIRE

World Bank

2005-01-01

Pastoralists' indigenous knowledge (IK) about ecology and social organization led to rangeland-management strategies appropriate to deal with the erratic rainfall in African drylands. Herd mobility was traditionally practiced as the key strategy to make use of the scattered rangeland resources on a large scale.

Linking ecosystem services with state-and-transition models to evaluate rangeland management decisions

Science.gov (United States)

Lohani, S.; Heilman, P.; deSteiguer, J. E.; Guertin, D. P.; Wissler, C.; McClaran, M. P.

2014-12-01

Quantifying ecosystem services is a crucial topic for land management decision making. However, market prices are usually not able to capture all the ecosystem services and disservices. Ecosystem services from rangelands, that cover 70% of the world's land area, are even less well-understood since knowledge of rangelands is limited. This study generated a management framework for rangelands that uses remote sensing to generate state and transition models (STMs) for a large area and a linear programming (LP) model that uses ecosystem services to evaluate natural and/or management induced transitions as described in the STM. The LP optimization model determines the best management plan for a plot of semi-arid land in the Empire Ranch in southeastern Arizona. The model allocated land among management activities (do nothing, grazing, fire, and brush removal) to optimize net benefits and determined the impact of monetizing environmental services and disservices on net benefits, acreage allocation and production output. The ecosystem services under study were forage production (AUM/ac/yr), sediment (lbs/ac/yr), water runoff (inches/yr), soil loss (lbs/ac/yr) and recreation (thousands of number of visitors/ac/yr). The optimization model was run for three different scenarios - private rancher, public rancher including environmental services and excluding disservices, and public rancher including both services and disservices. The net benefit was the highest for the public rancher excluding the disservices. A result from the study is a constrained optimization model that incorporates ecosystem services to analyze investments on conservation and management activities. Rangeland managers can use this model to understand and explain, not prescribe, the tradeoffs of management investments.

Livestock-rangeland management practices and community perceptions towards rangeland degradation in South Omo zone of Southern Ethiopia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Admasu, T.; Abule, E.; Tessema, Z.K.

2010-01-01

A survey was conducted in Hamer and Benna-Tsemay districts of the South Omo zone of Ethiopia, with the objectives of assessing the range-livestock management practices and perceptions of the different pastoral groups (Hamer, Benna, and Tsemay) towards rangeland degradation. This information is

USDA internet tool to estimate runoff and soil loss on rangelands: rangelands hydrology and erosion model

Science.gov (United States)

Rangelands are the most dominant land cover type in the United States (770 million acres) with approximately 53% of the nation’s rangelands owned and managed by the private sector, while approximately 43% are managed by the federal government. Information on the type, extent, and spatial location of...

Carbon fluxes on North American rangelands

Science.gov (United States)

Tony Svejcar; Raymond Angell; James A. Bradford; William Dugas; William Emmerich; Albert B. Frank; Tagir Gilmanov; Marshall Haferkamp; Douglas A. Johnson; Herman Mayeux; Pat Mielnick; Jack Morgan; Nicanor Z. Saliendra; Gerald E. Schuman; Phillip L. Sims; Kereith Snyder

2008-01-01

Rangelands account for almost half of the earth's land surface and may play an important role in the global carbon (C) cycle. We studied net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of C on eight North American rangeland sites over a 6-yr period. Management practices and disturbance regimes can influence NEE; for consistency, we compared ungrazed and undisturbed rangelands...

75 FR 8036 - Monitor-Hot Creek Rangeland Project

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-23

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Monitor-Hot Creek Rangeland Project AGENCY: Forest... Rangeland Project area. The analysis will determine if a change in management direction for livestock grazing is needed to move existing resource conditions within the Monitor-Hot Creek Rangeland Project area...

A systematic review of US rangeland social science

Science.gov (United States)

Rangeland science aims to create knowledge to sustain rangeland social-ecological systems over the long term. Range science has made substantial progress on understanding ecological dynamics of rangeland systems and the management practices that sustain them, and these findings have been systematica...

Maintaining ecosystem services through continued livestock production on California rangelands

Science.gov (United States)

Barry, S.; Becchetti, T.

2015-12-01

Nearly 40% of California is rangeland comprising the largest land type in California and providing forage for livestock, primarily beef cattle. In addition to forage, rangelands provide a host of ecosystem systems services, including habitat for common and endangered species, fire fuels management, pollination services, clean water, viewsheds, and carbon sequestration. Published research has documented that most of these ecosystem services are positively impacted by managed livestock grazing and rancher stewardship. Ranchers typically do not receive any monetary reimbursement for their stewardship in providing these ecosystem services to the public. Markets have been difficult to establish with limited ability to adequately monitor and measure services provided. At the same time, rangelands have been experiencing rapid conversion to urbanization and more profitable and intensive forms of agriculture such as almond and walnut orchards. To prevent further conversion of rangelands and the loss of the services they provide, there needs to be a mechanism to identify and compensate landowners for the value of all products and services being received from rangelands. This paper considers two methods (opportunity cost and avoided cost) to determine the value of Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) for rangelands. PES can raise the value of rangelands, making them more competitive financially. Real estate values and University of California Cooperative Extension Cost Studies, were used to demonstrate the difference in value (lost opportunity cost) between the primary products of rangelands (livestock production) and the products of the converted rangelands (almond and walnut orchards). Avoided costs for vegetation management and habitat creation and maintenance were used to establish the value of managed grazing. If conversion is to be slowed or stopped and managed grazing promoted to protect the ecosystem services rangelands provide, this value could be compensated through

Adaptive management for complex communal rangelands in South ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Many of the intransigent problems facing the world arise in complex systems. In this paper, I propose that communal rangelands in South Africa be recognised as complex social–ecological systems and that one of the reasons that development initiatives have had little impact on improving livelihoods and rangeland ...

State and transition models: Theory, applications, and challenges. In: Briske, D.D. Rangeland Systems: Processes, Management and Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

State and transition models (STMs) are used for communicating about ecosystem change in rangelands and other ecosystems, especially the implications for management. The fundamental premise that rangelands can exhibit multiple states is now widely accepted. The current application of STMs for managem...

Water conservation for semi-arid rangelands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willis, W.O.

1983-01-01

Water deficiency is most often the cause for low forage production on rangelands in semi-arid and arid regions. Water conservation methods have been developed but additional research is needed to develop the best management practices for various climatic regions. Poor management is another major cause of low rangeland production. Better management, including the application of research findings, depends on attitudes, policies, adaptability of findings, resources for implementation and a good understanding of the governing biotic and abiotic factors. (author)

A Dynamic Model of California's Hardwood Rangelands

Science.gov (United States)

Richard B. Standiford; Richard E. Howitt

1991-01-01

Low profitability of hardwood rangeland management, and oak tree harvesting for firewood markets and forage enhancement has led to concern about the long-term sustainability of the oak resource on rangelands. New markets for recreational hunting may give value to oaks for the habitat they provide for game species, and broaden the economic base for managers. A ranch...

Rangeland and water resources

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Session B3 Management for sustainable use — Rangeland and water resources. ... The theme of optimsing integrated catchment management will be treated ... land system, catchment, basin), with a focus on law, policy and implementation.

Weather-centric rangeland revegetation planning

Science.gov (United States)

Hardegree, Stuart P.; Abatzoglou, John T.; Brunson, Mark W.; Germino, Matthew; Hegewisch, Katherine C.; Moffet, Corey A.; Pilliod, David S.; Roundy, Bruce A.; Boehm, Alex R.; Meredith, Gwendwr R.

2018-01-01

Invasive annual weeds negatively impact ecosystem services and pose a major conservation threat on semiarid rangelands throughout the western United States. Rehabilitation of these rangelands is challenging due to interannual climate and subseasonal weather variability that impacts seed germination, seedling survival and establishment, annual weed dynamics, wildfire frequency, and soil stability. Rehabilitation and restoration outcomes could be improved by adopting a weather-centric approach that uses the full spectrum of available site-specific weather information from historical observations, seasonal climate forecasts, and climate-change projections. Climate data can be used retrospectively to interpret success or failure of past seedings by describing seasonal and longer-term patterns of environmental variability subsequent to planting. A more detailed evaluation of weather impacts on site conditions may yield more flexible adaptive-management strategies for rangeland restoration and rehabilitation, as well as provide estimates of transition probabilities between desirable and undesirable vegetation states. Skillful seasonal climate forecasts could greatly improve the cost efficiency of management treatments by limiting revegetation activities to time periods where forecasts suggest higher probabilities of successful seedling establishment. Climate-change projections are key to the application of current environmental models for development of mitigation and adaptation strategies and for management practices that require a multidecadal planning horizon. Adoption of new weather technology will require collaboration between land managers and revegetation specialists and modifications to the way we currently plan and conduct rangeland rehabilitation and restoration in the Intermountain West.

Grazing management, resilience and the dynamics of a fire driven rangeland system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Anderies, J.M.; Janssen, M.A.; Walker, B.H.

2002-01-01

We developed a stylized mathematical model to explore the effects of physical, ecological, and economic factors on the resilience of a managed fire-driven rangeland system. Depending on grazing pressure, the model exhibits one of three distinct configurations: a fire-dominated, grazing-dominated, or

Stakeholder Theory and Rangeland Management: The Importance of Ranch Income Dependence

Science.gov (United States)

Elias, S.; Roche, L. M.; Elias, E.

2016-12-01

The California drought beginning in 2012 has been driven by reduced precipitation and record high temperatures. Hydrologic drought in the Southwest United States is projected to become the new climatology of the region. While ranchers are considered naturally adaptive, often adeptly altering management based upon conditions, the projected increased aridity may challenge rangeland management. Certain rancher characteristics are likely to impact how well ranchers adapt. Based on Stakeholder Theory (ST), we hypothesize that the extent to which ranchers are dependent on their ranches as a source of income would serve as a predictor of several key variables related to ranching adaptation and success. Data were obtained from 507 ranchers throughout the State of California via the Rangeland Decision-Making Survey implemented by University of California, Davis in 2010, just prior to the unprecedented California drought. Consistent with the ST urgency facet, results of linear regression analyses indicate the more dependent ranchers are on their ranches for their income, the more aware they are of USDA ranching initiatives (β = 0.19, p < .001) and state ranching initiatives (β = 0.10, p < .05). In addition, more dependent ranchers are more likely to use multiple and diverse sources of information about ranching (β = 0.18, p < .001), are more likely to realize the severity and extent of the most recent drought's impacts (β = 0.18, p < .001), and were more likely to have a drought management plan in place during the most recent drought (β = 0.18, p < .001). These findings are important in relation to both outreach/extension efforts and rangeland research. Outreach/extension efforts should take into account that people less dependent on their ranches are less aware of resources, as well as, less prepared to adapt to drought. Researchers should control for the extent to which ranchers are dependent on their ranches for income in order to ensure more accurate findings.

Using remotely sensed imagery to monitor savanna rangeland deterioration through woody plant proliferation: a case study from communal and biodiversity conservation rangeland sites in Mokopane, South Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Munyati, C

2011-05-01

Full Text Available rangeland, whereas the communal rangelands were getting more opened up by livestock trampling. Rangeland management practices of fire utilisation, stocking levels and stock concentration account for the differing trends. Lightly grazed and heavily grazed...

State-and-transition model archetypes: a global taxonomy of rangeland change

Science.gov (United States)

State and transition models (STMs) synthesize science-based and local knowledge to formally represent the dynamics of rangeland and other ecosystems. Mental models or concepts of ecosystem dynamics implicitly underlie all management decisions in rangelands and thus how people influence rangeland sus...

Bridging Drought – Resilience in Rangeland Management in Times of Climate Change

OpenAIRE

Isele, Judith

2014-01-01

Organic livestock farming in semiarid regions greatly depends on the sustainable management of the natural rangeland as the resource for livestock sustenance. High stock density in combination with short grazing and long recovery periods achieve effective rainfall utilisation and considerably higher fodder production resulting in a high degree of resilience in drought situations.

Future scenarios of impacts to ecosystem services on California rangelands

Science.gov (United States)

Byrd, Kristin; Alvarez, Pelayo; Flint, Lorraine; Flint, Alan

2014-01-01

The 18 million acres of rangelands in the Central Valley of California provide multiple benefits or “ecosystem services” to people—including wildlife habitat, water supply, open space, recreation, and cultural resources. Most of this land is privately owned and managed for livestock production. These rangelands are vulnerable to land-use conversion and climate change. To help resource managers assess the impacts of land-use change and climate change, U.S. Geological Survey scientists and their cooperators developed scenarios to quantify and map changes to three main rangeland ecosystem services—wildlife habitat, water supply, and carbon sequestration. Project results will help prioritize strategies to conserve these rangelands and the ecosystem services that they provide.

Criterion IV: Social and economic indicators of rangeland sustainability (Chapter 5)

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel W. McCollum; Louis E. Swanson; John A. Tanaka; Mark W. Brunson; Aaron J. Harp; L. Allen Torell; H. Theodore Heintz

2010-01-01

Social and economic systems provide the context and rationale for rangeland management. Sustaining rangeland ecosystems requires attention to the social and economic conditions that accompany the functioning of those systems. We present and discuss economic and social indicators for rangeland sustainability. A brief conceptual basis for each indicator is offered,...

Rangeland Brush Estimation Toolbox (RaBET): An Approach for Evaluating Brush Management Conservation Efforts in Western Grazing Lands

Science.gov (United States)

Holifield Collins, C.; Kautz, M. A.; Skirvin, S. M.; Metz, L. J.

2016-12-01

There are over 180 million hectares of rangelands and grazed forests in the central and western United States. Due to the loss of perennial grasses and subsequent increased runoff and erosion that can degrade the system, woody cover species cannot be allowed to proliferate unchecked. The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has allocated extensive resources to employ brush management (removal) as a conservation practice to control woody species encroachment. The Rangeland-Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) has been tasked with determining how effective the practice has been, however their land managers lack a cost-effective means to conduct these assessments at the necessary scale. An ArcGIS toolbox for generating large-scale, Landsat-based, spatial maps of woody cover on grazing lands in the western United States was developed through a collaboration with NRCS Rangeland-CEAP. The toolbox contains two main components of operation, image generation and temporal analysis, and utilizes simple interfaces requiring minimum user inputs. The image generation tool utilizes geographically specific algorithms developed from combining moderate-resolution (30-m) Landsat imagery and high-resolution (1-m) National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) aerial photography to produce the woody cover scenes at the Major Land Resource (MLRA) scale. The temporal analysis tool can be used on these scenes to assess treatment effectiveness and monitor woody cover reemergence. RaBET provides rangeland managers an operational, inexpensive decision support tool to aid in the application of brush removal treatments and assessing their effectiveness.

Rangelands: Where Anthromes Meet Their Limits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nathan F. Sayre

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Defining rangelands as anthromes enabled Ellis and Ramankutty (2008 to conclude that more than three-quarters of Earth’s land is anthropogenic; without rangelands, this figure would have been less than half. They classified all lands grazed by domestic livestock as rangelands, provided that human population densities were low; similar areas without livestock were excluded and classified instead as ‘wildlands’. This paper examines the empirical basis and conceptual assumptions of defining and categorizing rangelands in this fashion. Empirically, we conclude that a large proportion of rangelands, although used to varying degrees by domesticated livestock, are not altered significantly by this use, especially in arid, highly variable environments and in settings with long evolutionary histories of herbivory by wild animals. Even where changes have occurred, the dynamics and components of many rangelands remain structurally and functionally equivalent to those that preceded domestic livestock grazing or would be found in its absence. In much of Africa and Asia, grazing is so longstanding as to be inextricable from ‘natural’ or reference conditions for those sites. Thus, the extent of anthropogenic biomes is significantly overstated. Conceptually, rangelands reveal the dependence of the anthromes thesis on outdated assumptions of ecological climax and equilibrium. Coming to terms with rangelands—how they can be classified, understood, and managed sustainably—thus offers important lessons for understanding anthromes and the Anthropocene as a whole. At the root of these lessons, we argue, is not the question of human impacts on ecosystems but property relations among humans.

Introduced and invasive species in novel rangeland ecosystems: friends or foes?

Science.gov (United States)

Belnap, Jayne; Ludwig, John A.; Wilcox, Bradford P.; Betancourt, Julio L.; Dean, W. Richard J.; Hoffmann, Benjamin D.; Milton, Sue J.

2012-01-01

Globally, new combinations of introduced and native plant and animal species have changed rangelands into novel ecosystems. Whereas many rangeland stakeholders (people who use or have an interest in rangelands) view intentional species introductions to improve forage and control erosion as beneficial, others focus on unintended costs, such as increased fire risk, loss of rangeland biodiversity, and threats to conservation efforts, specifically in nature reserves and parks. These conflicting views challenge all rangeland stakeholders, especially those making decisions on how best to manage novel ecosystems. To formulate a conceptual framework for decision making, we examined a wide range of novel ecosystems, created by intentional and unintentional introductions of nonnative species and land-use–facilitated spread of native ones. This framework simply divides decision making into two types: 1) straightforward–certain, and 2) complex–uncertain. We argue that management decisions to retain novel ecosystems are certain when goods and services provided by the system far outweigh the costs of restoration, for example in the case of intensively managed Cenchrus pastures. Decisions to return novel ecosystems to natural systems are also certain when the value of the system is low and restoration is easy and inexpensive as in the case of biocontrol of Opuntia infestations. In contrast, decisions whether to retain or restore novel ecosystems become complex and uncertain in cases where benefits are low and costs of control are high as, for example, in the case of stopping the expansion of Prosopis and Juniperus into semiarid rangelands. Decisions to retain or restore novel ecosystems are also complex and uncertain when, for example, nonnative Eucalyptus trees expand along natural streams, negatively affecting biodiversity, but also providing timber and honey. When decision making is complex and uncertain, we suggest that rangeland managers utilize cost–benefit analyses

Rangelands Vegetation under Different Management Systems and Growth Stages in North Darfur State, Sudan (Range Attributes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed AAMA Mohamed

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted at Um Kaddada, North Darfur State, Sudan, at two sites (closed and open for two consecutive seasons 2008 and 2009 during flowering and seed setting stages to evaluate range attributes at the locality. A split plot design was used to study vegetation attributes. Factors studied were management systems (closed and open and growth stages (flowering and seed setting. Vegetation cover, plant density, carrying capacity, and biomass production were assessed. Chemical analyses were done for selected plants to determine their nutritive values. The results showed high significant differences in vegetation attributes (density, cover and biomass production between closed and open areas. Closed areas had higher carrying capacity compared to open rangelands. Crude protein (CP and ash contents of range vegetation were found to decrease while Crude fiber (CF and Dry matter yield (DM had increased with growth. The study concluded that closed rangelands are better than open rangelands because it fenced and protected. Erosion index and vegetation degradation rate were very high. Future research work is needed to assess rangelands characteristics and habitat condition across different ecological zones in North Darfur State, Sudan.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ije.v3i3.11093 International Journal of Environment Vol.3(3 2014: 332-343

The Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy Actionable Science Plan: U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington D.C.

Science.gov (United States)

Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy Actionable Science Plan Team

2016-01-01

The Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy (hereafter Strategy, DOI 2015) outlined the need for coordinated, science-based adaptive management to achieve long-term protection, conservation, and restoration of the sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystem. A key component of this management approach is the identification of knowledge gaps that limit...

Effects of different management regimes on soil erosion and surface runoff in semi-arid to sub-humid rangelands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oudenhoven, van A.P.E.; Veerkamp, C.J.; Alkemade, Rob; Leemans, Rik

2015-01-01

Over one billion people's livelihoods depend on dry rangelands through livestock grazing and agriculture. Livestock grazing and other management activities can cause soil erosion, increase surface runoff and reduce water availability. We studied the effects of different management regimes on soil

Influence of forest and rangeland management on anadromous fish habitat in Western North America: economic considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

William R. tech. ed. Meehan

1985-01-01

Although many effects of forest and rangeland management on anadromous fisheries are difficult to measure, economic methods for the evaluation of costs and benefits can be helpful. Such methods can be used to address questions of equity as well as efficiency. Evaluations of equity can show who bears the costs and who captures the benefits of management actions, but...

Vegetation - Herbivory Dynamics in Rangeland Ecosystems: Geospatial Modeling for Savanna and Wildlife Conservation in California and Namibia

OpenAIRE

Tsalyuk, Miriam

2014-01-01

Rangelands cover about half of Earth's land surface, encompass considerable biodiversity, and provide pivotal ecosystem services. However, rangelands across the globe face degradation due to changes in climate, land use, and management. Moreover, since herbivory is fundamental to rangeland ecosystem dynamics, shifts in the distribution of herbivores lead to overgrazing and desertification. To better understand, predict, and prevent changes on rangelands it is important to monitor these landsc...

Global view of remote sensing of rangelands: Evolution, applications, future pathways [Chapter 10

Science.gov (United States)

Matt Reeves; Robert A. Washington-Allen; Jay Angerer; E. Raymond Hunt; Ranjani Wasantha Kulawardhana; Lalit Kumar; Tatiana Loboda; Thomas Loveland; Graciela Metternicht; R. Douglas. Ramsey

2015-01-01

The term "rangeland" is rather nebulous, and there is no single definition of rangeland that is universally accepted by land managers, scientists, or international bodies (Lund, 2007; Reeves and Mitchell, 2011). Dozens and possibly hundreds (Lund, 2007) of definitions and ideologies exist because various stakeholders often have unique objectives...

Heat dosage and oviposition depth influence egg mortality of two common rangeland grasshopper species

Science.gov (United States)

Rangeland fire is a common naturally occurring event and management tool, with the amount and structure of biomass controlling transfer of heat belowground. Temperatures grasshopper eggs are exposed to during rangeland fires are mediated by species specific oviposition traits. This experiment examin...

The role of fire in managing for biological diversity on native rangelands of the Northern Great Plains

Science.gov (United States)

Carolyn Hull Sieg

1997-01-01

A strategy for using fire to manage for biological diversity on native rangelands in the Northern Great Plains incorporates an understanding of its past frequency, timing and intensity. Historically, lightning and humans were the major fire setters, and the role of fire varied both in space and time. A burning regime that includes fires at various intervals, seasons...

The Role of Rural Communities in Conservation of Rangelands in Mahneshan Township

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kobra Karimi

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the action of rangeland-depended livestock holders regarding rangeland conservation, including protection and rehabilitation activities and to analyse relevant influencing factors, using a mixed method of survey and case study. The data were collected through analysing existing documents, focus groups, semi-structured and structured interviews using questionnaires submitted to 204 rural livestock holders in the Mahneshan Township. The quantitative data were analysed using SPSS and AMOS software. According to the results farmers’ knowledge regarding the role, importance and factors affecting rangeland degradation was relatively high, however they had a low level of knowledge and action about mechanical conservation techniques. The action of livestock holders in terms of biological conservation activities and grazing management showed a positive and signifincat corrletaion with variables such as implementing of rangeland projects, their interaction with external institutions, participating in extension training courses, education level and irrigated and rainfed agricultural land size. Moreover, based on a path analysis, 37% of the variance of the farmers’ actions regarding the rangeland conservation was explained by the variables such as rangeland rehabilitation actions, farmers’ conservation knowledge, farmers’ interaction with natural resources experts, beekeeping, and participating in extension training courses. Promotional and extension activities and farmers’ interaction with experts have a positive effect in enhancing farmers’ knowledge and actions for sustainable rangeland use and conservation.

Interpreting and Correcting Cross-scale Mismatches in Resilience Analysis: a Procedure and Examples from Australia's Rangelands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John A. Ludwig

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Many rangelands around the globe are degraded because of mismatches between the goals and actions of managers operating at different spatial scales. In this paper, we focus on identifying, interpreting, and correcting cross-scale mismatches in rangeland management by building on an existing four-step resilience analysis procedure. Resilience analysis is an evaluation of the capacity of a system to persist in the face of disturbances. We provide three examples of cross-scale resilience analysis using a rangeland system located in northern Australia. The system was summarized in a diagram showing key interactions between three attributes (water quality, regional biodiversity, and beef quality, which can be used to indicate the degree of resilience of the system, and other components that affect these attributes at different scales. The strengths of cross-scale interactions were rated as strong or weak, and the likely causes of mismatches in strength were interpreted. Possible actions to correct cross-scale mismatches were suggested and evaluated. We found this four-step, cross-scale resilience analysis procedure very helpful because it reduced a complex problem down to manageable parts without losing sight of the larger-scale whole. To build rangeland resilience, many such cross-scale mismatches in management will need to be corrected, especially as the global use of rangelands increases over the coming decades.

Climate impacts on agriculture: Implications for forage and rangeland production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Izaurralde, Roberto C.; Thomson, Allison M.; Morgan, Jack; Fay, Philip; Polley, Wayne; Hatfield, Jerry L.

2011-04-19

Projections of temperature and precipitation patterns across the United States during the next 50 years anticipate a 1.5 to 2°C warming and a slight increase in precipitation as a result of global climate change. There have been relatively few studies of climate change impacts on pasture and rangeland (grazingland) species compared to those on crop species, despite the economic and ecological importance of the former. Here we review the literature on pastureland and rangeland species to rising CO2 and climate change (temperature, and precipitation) and discuss plant and management factors likely to influence pastureland and rangeland responses to change (e.g., community composition, plant competition, perennial growth habit, seasonal productivity, and management methods). Overall, the response of pasture species to increased [CO2] is consistent with the general response of C3 and C4 type vegetation, although significant exceptions exist. Both pastureland and rangeland species should exhibit an acceleration of metabolism and development due to earlier onset of spring green-up and longer growing seasons. However, in the studies reviewed here, C3 pasture species increased their photosynthetic rates by up to 40% while C4 species exhibited no increase in photosynthesis. In general, it is expected that increases in [CO2] and precipitation would enhance rangeland net primary production (NPP) while increased air temperatures would either increase or decrease NPP. Much of this uncertainty in response is due to uncertain future projections of precipitation, both globally and regionally. For example, if annual precipitation changes little or declines, rangeland plant response to warming temperatures and rising [CO2] may be neutral or may decline due to increased water stress. This review reveals the need for comprehensive studies of climate change impacts on the pasture ecosystem including grazing regimes, mutualistic relationships (e.g., plant roots-nematodes; N

Earth observation for rangeland monitoring

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Ramoelo, Abel

2012-10-01

Full Text Available .kashan.co.za] INTRODUCTION Grass nitrogen (N), as an indicator of rangeland quality, plays a crucial role in understanding the distribution, densities and feeding patterns of both wild herbivores and livestock. Zebras and livestock in the grazing and agricultural lands... ? How can grass nitrogen be mapped for assessing and monitoring of rangeland quality at wider or regional scales? ? Conventional point-based techniques for assessing rangeland quality proved to be expensive, laborious and time consuming...

The challenge of integrated rangeland monitoring: synthesis address

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The utility of monitoring and its guiding principles will only work effectively where good environmental governance is practiced by users and producers affecting rangeland ecosystems. Keywords: adaptive management, complex, environmental governance, human impacts, multi-scale, socio-ecological. African Journal of ...

Multi-scale wind erosion monitoring and assessment for US rangelands

Science.gov (United States)

Wind erosion is a major resource concern for rangeland managers. Although wind erosion is a naturally occurring process in many drylands, land use activities, and land management in particular, can accelerate wind-driven soil loss – impacting ecosystem dynamics and agricultural production, air quali...

Livestock systems and rangeland degradation in the new World Atlas of Desertification

Science.gov (United States)

Zucca, Claudio; Reynolds, James F.; Cherlet, Michael

2015-04-01

Livestock systems and rangeland degradation in the new World Atlas of Desertification Land degradation and desertification (LDD), which are widespread in global rangelands, are complex processes. They are caused by multiple (but limited) number of biophysical and socioeconomic drivers that lead to an unbalance in the capacity of the land to sustainably produce ecosystem services and economic value. Converging evidence indicates that the key biophysical and socioeconomic drivers include agricultural or pastoral land use and management practices, population growth, societal demands (e.g., urbanization), and climate change (e.g., increasing aridity and drought). The new World Atlas of Desertification (WAD) describes these global issues, documents their spatial change, and highlights the importance of these drivers in relation to land degradation processes. The impacts of LDD on the atmosphere, on water and on biodiversity are also covered. The WAD spatially illustrates relevant types of livestock and rangeland management systems, related (over-under) use of resources, various management activities, and some of the common features and transitions that contribute to LDD. For example, livestock grazing in marginal areas is increasing due to competition with agricultural encroachment and, hence, vulnerable lands are under threat. The integration of stratified global data layers facilitates identifying areas where stress on the land system can be linked to underlying causal issues. One of the objectives of the new WAD is to provide synthesis and tools for scientists and stakeholders to design sustainable solutions for efficient land use in global rangelands.

Session B1 Management for sustainable use — Rangeland auditing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Social, economic and cultural needs, values and expectations will be examined together with the biophysical technologies and approaches which underlie auditing in rangeland science. Adaptive frameworks which enhance sustainable strategic responses, and the state of art in scale dilemmas will be addressed. A hybrid ...

Book title: Rangelands systems: Processes, management and challenges - Chapter title: Invasive plant species and novel ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Rangelands represent the dominant land use systems in many countries of the world and provide sociological and cultural benefits to millions of people in both rural and urban areas. The undesirable impacts of rangeland weeds have been recognized for well over 100 years and infest between 41 and 51 ...

Weather-centric rangeland revegetation planning

Science.gov (United States)

Semiarid rangelands in the western United States have been or are being invaded by introduced annual weeds that negatively impact ecosystem services and pose a major conservation threat. Rehabilitation and restoration of these rangelands are challenging due to inter-annual climate and sub-seasonal ...

Scale effects on runoff and soil erosion in rangelands: observations and estimations with predictors of different availability

Science.gov (United States)

Runoff and erosion estimates are needed for rangeland management decisions and evaluation of ecosystem services derived from rangeland conservation practices. The information on the effect of scale on the runoff and erosion, and on the choice of runoff and erosion predictors, remains scarce. The obj...

Session B1 Management for sustainable use — Rangeland auditing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

We need to monitor the capacity of healthy rangeland to support a broad suite of ecosystem services for a wide range of stakeholders — in a fair, objective and representative way. ... A hybrid session structure will be utilised: distilling wisdom from relevant posters; formal presentations; and stimulating structured debate.

The Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model: A dynamic approach for predicting soil loss on rangelands

Science.gov (United States)

In this study we present the improved Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM V2.3), a process-based erosion prediction tool specific for rangeland application. The article provides the mathematical formulation of the model and parameter estimation equations. Model performance is assessed agains...

Conserving biodiversity on native rangelands: Symposium proceedings

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel W. Uresk; Greg L. Schenbeck; James T. O' Rourke

1997-01-01

These proceedings are the result of a symposium, "Conserving biodiversity on native rangelands" held on August 17, 1995 in Fort Robinson State Park, NE. The purpose of this symposium was to provide a forum to discuss how elements of rangeland biodiversity are being conserved today. We asked, "How resilient and sustainable are rangeland systems to the...

Exploring the invasion of rangelands by Acacia mearnsii (black ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Reducing A. mearnsii canopy could promote grass production while encouraging carbon sequestration. Given the high AGB and clearing costs, it may be prudent to adopt the 'novel ecosystems' approach in managing infested landscapes. Keywords: grassland, invasive plants, landscape ecology, rangeland condition ...

Presidential address - 1999 Towards a national rangeland policy ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

There are some problems with the publication of the journal, but Council hopes to have our ... The first is that all agencies funded through DACST will be reviewed ... to improve our understanding of management issues in communal rangeland. ... All current programmes to rehabilitate degraded land contain budgets for the ...

Vulnerability of amphibians to climate change: implications for rangeland management

Science.gov (United States)

Karen E. Bagne; Deborah M. Finch; Megan M. Friggens

2011-01-01

Many amphibian populations have declined drastically in recent years due to a large number of factors including the emerging threat of climate change (Wake 2007). Rangelands provide important habitat for amphibians. In addition to natural wetlands, stock tanks and other artificial water catchments provide habitat for many amphibian species (Euliss et al. 2004).

Multi-agency Oregon Pilot: Working towards a national inventory and assessment of rangelands using onsite data

Science.gov (United States)

Paul L. Patterson; James Alegria; Leonard Jolley; Doug Powell; J. Jeffery Goebel; Gregg M. Riegel; Kurt H. Riitters; Craig. Ducey

2014-01-01

Rangelands are lands dominated by grasses, forbs, and shrubs and are managed as a natural ecosystem. Although these lands comprise approximately 40 percent of the landmass of the continental United States, there is no coordinated effort designed to inventory, monitor, or assess rangeland conditions at the national scale. A pilot project in central Oregon with the U.S....

Rangeland monitoring and assessment: a review

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Ramoelo, Abel

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Rangelands provide vast landscapes for grazing and foraging for livestock and wildlife. Services of rangelands are diverse and generally provide food for millions of the world’s population, especially the rural and sometimes poor communities...

DEVELOPMENTS IN MONITORING RANGELANDS USING REMOTELY-SENSED CROSS-FENCE COMPARISONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. D. Kilpatrick

2012-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a new method for the use of earth-observation images to assess relative land condition over broad regions, using a cross-fence comparison methodology. It controls for natural spatial and temporal variables (e.g. rainfall, temperature soils, ecosystem so that we can objectively monitor rangelands and other areas for the effects of management. The method has been tested with small and large scale theoretical models, as well as a case study in South Australian rangelands. This method can also be applied in other systems and experiments such as field trials of crop varieties as a robust spatial statistic.

Ecological site-based assessments of wind and water erosion: informing accelerated soil erosion management in rangelands

Science.gov (United States)

Webb, Nicholas P.; Herrick, Jeffrey E.; Duniway, Michael C.

2014-01-01

Accelerated soil erosion occurs when anthropogenic processes modify soil, vegetation or climatic conditions causing erosion rates at a location to exceed their natural variability. Identifying where and when accelerated erosion occurs is a critical first step toward its effective management. Here we explore how erosion assessments structured in the context of ecological sites (a land classification based on soils, landscape setting and ecological potential) and their vegetation states (plant assemblages that may change due to management) can inform systems for reducing accelerated soil erosion in rangelands. We evaluated aeolian horizontal sediment flux and fluvial sediment erosion rates for five ecological sites in southern New Mexico, USA, using monitoring data and rangeland-specific wind and water erosion models. Across the ecological sites, plots in shrub-encroached and shrub-dominated vegetation states were consistently susceptible to aeolian sediment flux and fluvial sediment erosion. Both processes were found to be highly variable for grassland and grass-succulent states across the ecological sites at the plot scale (0.25 Ha). We identify vegetation thresholds that define cover levels below which rapid (exponential) increases in aeolian sediment flux and fluvial sediment erosion occur across the ecological sites and vegetation states. Aeolian sediment flux and fluvial erosion in the study area can be effectively controlled when bare ground cover is 100 cm in length is less than ~35%. Land use and management activities that alter cover levels such that they cross thresholds, and/or drive vegetation state changes, may increase the susceptibility of areas to erosion. Land use impacts that are constrained within the range of natural variability should not result in accelerated soil erosion. Evaluating land condition against the erosion thresholds identified here will enable identification of areas susceptible to accelerated soil erosion and the development of

Ecological site‐based assessments of wind and water erosion: informing accelerated soil erosion management in rangelands.

Science.gov (United States)

Webb, Nicholas P; Herrick, Jeffrey E; Duniway, Michael C

Accelerated soil erosion occurs when anthropogenic processes modify soil, vegetation, or climatic conditions causing erosion rates at a location to exceed their natural variability. Identifying where and when accelerated erosion occurs is a critical first step toward its effective management. Here we explored how erosion assessments structured in the context of ecological sites (a land classification based on soils, landscape setting, and ecological potential) and their vegetation states (plant assemblages that may change due to management) can inform systems for reducing accelerated soil erosion in rangelands. We evaluated aeolian horizontal sediment flux and fluvial sediment erosion rates for five ecological sites in southern New Mexico, USA, using monitoring data and rangeland-specific wind and water erosion models. Across the ecological sites, plots in shrub-encroached and shrub-dominated vegetation states were consistently susceptible to aeolian sediment flux and fluvial sediment erosion. Both processes were found to be highly variable for grassland and grass–succulent states across the ecological sites at the plot scale (0.25 ha). We identified vegetation thresholds that define cover levels below which rapid (exponential) increases in aeolian sediment flux and fluvial sediment erosion occur across the ecological sites and vegetation states. Aeolian sediment flux and fluvial erosion in the study area could be effectively controlled when bare ground cover was 100 cm in length was less than ∼35%. Land use and management activities that alter cover levels such that they cross thresholds, and/or drive vegetation state changes, may increase the susceptibility of areas to erosion. Land use impacts that are constrained within the range of natural variability should not result in accelerated soil erosion. Evaluating land condition against the erosion thresholds identified here will enable identification of areas susceptible to accelerated soil erosion and the

A RANGELAND GRASSHOPPER INSURANCE PROGRAM

OpenAIRE

Skold, Melvin D.; Davis, Robert M.

1995-01-01

The incidence of benefits and costs from controlling rangeland grasshoppers on public grazing lands poses problems of economic efficiency and distributional equity. Public grasshopper control programs operate like public disaster assistance. However, grasshopper infestations are an insurable risk. This article proposes a rangeland grasshopper insurance program which reduces the economic inefficiencies and distributional inequities of the existing program.

Effects of land use change and management on SOC and soil quality in Mediterranean rangelands areas

Science.gov (United States)

Parras-Alcántara, Luis; Lozano-García, Beatriz; Requejo, Ana; Zornoza, Raúl

2017-04-01

INTRODUCTION Rangelands in the Iberian Peninsula occupy more than 90,000 km2. These rangelands were created from the former Mediterranean oak forests, mainly composed of holm oak and cork oak (Quercus ilex rotundifolia and Quercus suber), by clear-cutting shrubs, removing selected trees and cultivating. These man-made landscapes are called 'dehesas' in Spain and 'montados' in Portugal. Between 1955 and 1981, more than 5,000 km2 of dehesas was converted from pastureland to cultivated land. This process has been accelerated since 1986 owing to subsidies from the European Common Agricultural Policy (Parras-Alcántara et al., 2015a). The role that natural rangelands play in the global carbon cycle is extremely important, accounting for 10-30% of the world's total soil organic carbon (SOC), in addition, SOC concentration is closely related to soil quality and vegetation productivity (Brevik, 2012). Therefore, to study the land use and management changes is important, particularly in Mediterranean soils, as they are characterized by low organic carbon content, furthermore, the continuous use of ploughing for grain production is the principal cause of soil degradation. Therefore, land use decisions and management systems can increase or decrease SOC content and stock (Corral-Fernández et al., 2013; Parras-Alcántara et al., 2014, 2015a and 2015b; Parras-Alcántara and Lozano-García, 2014) MATERIAL AND METHODS A field study was conducted to determine the land use change (Mediterranean evergreen oak woodland to olive grove and cereal, all of them managed under conventional tillage and under conservationist practices) effects on SOC stocks and the soil quality (Stratification Ratio) in Los Pedroches valley, southern Spain. RESULTS Results for the present study indicate that management practices had little effect on SOC storage in dehesas. The stratification ratio was >2 both under conventional tillage and under organic farming, so, soils under dehesa had high quality

Developing an operational rangeland water requirement satisfaction index

Science.gov (United States)

Senay, Gabriel B.; Verdin, James P.; Rowland, James

2011-01-01

Developing an operational water requirement satisfaction index (WRSI) for rangeland monitoring is an important goal of the famine early warning systems network. An operational WRSI has been developed for crop monitoring, but until recently a comparable WRSI for rangeland was not successful because of the extremely poor performance of the index when based on published crop coefficients (K c) for rangelands. To improve the rangeland WRSI, we developed a simple calibration technique that adjusts the K c values for rangeland monitoring using long-term rainfall distribution and reference evapotranspiration data. The premise for adjusting the K c values is based on the assumption that a viable rangeland should exhibit above-average WRSI (values >80%) during a normal year. The normal year was represented by a median dekadal rainfall distribution (satellite rainfall estimate from 1996 to 2006). Similarly, a long-term average for potential evapotranspiration was used as input to the famine early warning systems network WRSI model in combination with soil-water-holding capacity data. A dekadal rangeland WRSI has been operational for east and west Africa since 2005. User feedback has been encouraging, especially with regard to the end-of-season WRSI anomaly products that compare the index's performance to ‘normal’ years. Currently, rangeland WRSI products are generated on a dekadal basis and posted for free distribution on the US Geological Survey early warning website at http://earlywarning.usgs.gov/adds/

Rangeland Use Rights Privatisation Based on the Tragedy of the Commons: A Case Study from Tibet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yonten Nyima Yundannima

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Rangeland use rights privatisation based on a tragedy of the commons assumption has been the backbone of state policy on rangeland management and pastoralism in China. Through an empirical case study from Pelgon county, Tibet Autonomous Region in China, this paper provides an empirical analysis of rangeland use rights privatisation. It shows that the tragedy of the commons is not the correct model to apply to Tibetan pastoralism because pasture use in Tibet has never been an open-access institution. Thus, when the tragedy of the commons model is applied as a rationale for rangeland use rights privatisation, the result is not what is intended by the policy, but rather a misfit to features of pastoralism and thus disruption of the essence of pastoralism, i.e. mobility and flexibility. The paper further shows that a hybrid institution combining household rangeland tenure with community-based use with user fees is a restoration of the pastoralist institution. This demonstrates the capacity of pastoralists to create adaptive new institutions congruent with the interdependent and integrated nature of pastoralism consisting of three components: pastoralists, livestock, and rangeland.

Meeting wild bees' needs on rangelands

Science.gov (United States)

Some arid rangeland regions, notably those with warm dry climates of the temperate zones, host great diversities of native bees, primarily non-social species among which are many floral specialists. Rangeland bee faunas are threatened indirectly by invasive exotic weeds wherever these displace nat...

Current situation of rangelands in Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Alicia Melgoza-Castillo

2006-01-01

Rangelands are natural areas with certain characteristics that make them unsuitable for agriculture. They include several types of vegetation such as deserts, grasslands, shrubs, forests, and riparian areas. Cattle ranching, along with the products and services it engenders, is a prime activity that rangelands have traditionally supported.

Science framework for conservation and restoration of the sagebrush biome: Linking the Department of the Interior’s Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy to long-term strategic conservation actions

Science.gov (United States)

J.C. Chambers; J.L. Beck; J.B. Bradford; J. Bybee; S. Campbell; J. Carlson; T.J. Christiansen; K.J. Clause; G. Collins; M.R. Crist; J.B. Dinkins; K.E. Doherty; F. Edwards; S. Espinosa; K.A. Griffin; P. Griffin; J.R. Haas; S.E. Hanser; D.W. Havlina; K.F. Henke; J.D. Hennig; L.A. Joyce; F.M. Kilkenny; S.M. Kulpa; L.L. Kurth; J.D. Maestas; M. Manning; K.E. Mayer; B.A. Mealor; C. McCarthy; M. Pellant; M.A. Perea; K.L. Prentice; D.A. Pyke; L.A. Wiechman; A. Wuenschel

2017-01-01

The Science Framework is intended to link the Department of the Interior’s Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy with long-term strategic conservation actions in the sagebrush biome. The Science Framework provides a multiscale approach for prioritizing areas for management and determining effective management strategies within the sagebrush biome. The emphasis...

Assessing the impacts of livestock production on biodiversity in rangeland ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Alkemade, Rob; Reid, Robin S.; van den Berg, Maurits; de Leeuw, Jan; Jeuken, Michel

2013-01-01

Biodiversity in rangelands is decreasing, due to intense utilization for livestock production and conversion of rangeland into cropland; yet the outlook of rangeland biodiversity has not been considered in view of future global demand for food. Here we assess the impact of future livestock production on the global rangelands area and their biodiversity. First we formalized existing knowledge about livestock grazing impacts on biodiversity, expressed in mean species abundance (MSA) of the original rangeland native species assemblages, through metaanalysis of peer-reviewed literature. MSA values, ranging from 1 in natural rangelands to 0.3 in man-made grasslands, were entered in the IMAGE-GLOBIO model. This model was used to assess the impact of change in food demand and livestock production on future rangeland biodiversity. The model revealed remarkable regional variation in impact on rangeland area and MSA between two agricultural production scenarios. The area of used rangelands slightly increases globally between 2000 and 2050 in the baseline scenario and reduces under a scenario of enhanced uptake of resource-efficient production technologies increasing production [high levels of agricultural knowledge, science, and technology (high-AKST)], particularly in Africa. Both scenarios suggest a global decrease in MSA for rangelands until 2050. The contribution of livestock grazing to MSA loss is, however, expected to diminish after 2030, in particular in Africa under the high-AKST scenario. Policies fostering agricultural intensification can reduce the overall pressure on rangeland biodiversity, but additional measures, addressing factors such as climate change and infrastructural development, are necessary to totally halt biodiversity loss. PMID:22308313

Phenomapping of rangelands in South Africa using time series of RapidEye data

Science.gov (United States)

Parplies, André; Dubovyk, Olena; Tewes, Andreas; Mund, Jan-Peter; Schellberg, Jürgen

2016-12-01

Phenomapping is an approach which allows the derivation of spatial patterns of vegetation phenology and rangeland productivity based on time series of vegetation indices. In our study, we propose a new spatial mapping approach which combines phenometrics derived from high resolution (HR) satellite time series with spatial logistic regression modeling to discriminate land management systems in rangelands. From the RapidEye time series for selected rangelands in South Africa, we calculated bi-weekly noise reduced Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) images. For the growing season of 2011⿿2012, we further derived principal phenology metrics such as start, end and length of growing season and related phenological variables such as amplitude, left derivative and small integral of the NDVI curve. We then mapped these phenometrics across two different tenure systems, communal and commercial, at the very detailed spatial resolution of 5 m. The result of a binary logistic regression (BLR) has shown that the amplitude and the left derivative of the NDVI curve were statistically significant. These indicators are useful to discriminate commercial from communal rangeland systems. We conclude that phenomapping combined with spatial modeling is a powerful tool that allows efficient aggregation of phenology and productivity metrics for spatially explicit analysis of the relationships of crop phenology with site conditions and management. This approach has particular potential for disaggregated and patchy environments such as in farming systems in semi-arid South Africa, where phenology varies considerably among and within years. Further, we see a strong perspective for phenomapping to support spatially explicit modelling of vegetation.

Remote sensing applications for monitoring rangeland vegetation ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Remote sensing techniques hold considerable promise for the inventory and monitoring of natural resources on rangelands. A significant lack of information concerning basic spectral characteristics of range vegetation and soils has resulted in a lack of rangeland applications. The parameters of interest for range condition ...

Problems in implementing improved range management on ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Keywords: Africa; Australia; Livestock development; Pastoral communities; Rangeland development; Rangeland systems; Sustainability; development; ecology; holism; pastoralism; range management; strategies; environment; water; health; crop production; rangelands; resource management; north africa; holistic approach ...

Conserving rangeland resources. | Mentis | African Journal of Range ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... goal-attainment, (5) try to correct departures, and (6) align individual and societal interests by manipulating market-forces. Keywords: altruism; conservation; Conservation implementation; Conservation properties; human activity; Human values; philosophy; Range resources; rangeland; Rangelands; Science philosophy

Applying a dryland degradation framework for rangelands: the case of Mongolia.

Science.gov (United States)

Jamsranjav, C; Reid, R S; Fernández-Giménez, M E; Tsevlee, A; Yadamsuren, B; Heiner, M

2018-04-01

slightly (33-53%) or moderately (25-40%) degraded. We conclude that very severe livestock-induced rangeland degradation is overstated in Mongolia. However, targeted rangeland restoration coupled with monitoring, adaptive management and stronger rangeland governance are needed to prevent further degradation where heavy grazing could cause irreversible change. Given the broad applicability of our degradation framework for Mongolia, we suggest it be tested for application in other temperate grasslands throughout Central Asia and North America. © 2018 The Authors Ecological Applications published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Ecological Society of America.

Towards a remote sensing based indicator of rangeland ecosystem resistance and resilience

Science.gov (United States)

Understanding ecosystem resistance and resilience to disturbance and invasive species is critical to the sustainable management of rangeland systems. In this context, resistance refers to the inherent ability of an ecosystem to resist disturbance, while resilience refers to the capacity of an ecosys...

Pastoral Decision-Making: An Empirical Investigation of Rangeland Use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacPeak, J.

1999-01-01

Recent research in range ecology suggests that the process of resource degradation in African arid and semi-arid rangelands may be less reliant on how many animals are kept on the rangeland than on where these animals are kept. Analysis of pastoralist land use decisions indicated that rangeland condition influences livestock keeping. However, it was found that food and income production strategies, herd characteristics play critical roles in livestock keeping decisions

Emerging issues and challenges in conservation of biodiversity in the rangelands of Tanzania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jafari Kideghesho

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Tanzania rangelands are a stronghold for biodiversity harbouring a variety of animal and plant species of economic, ecological and socio-cultural importance. Efforts to protect these resources against destruction and loss have involved, among other things, setting aside some tracks of land as protected areas in the form of national parks, nature reserves, game reserves, game controlled and wildlife management areas. However, these areas and adjacent lands have long been subjected to a number of emerging issues and challenges, which complicate their management, thus putting the resources at risk of over exploitation and extinction. These issues and challenges include, among other things, government policies, failure of conservation (as a form of land use to compete effectively with alternative land uses, habitat degradation and blockage of wildlife corridors, overexploitation and illegal resource extraction, wildfires, human population growth, poverty, HIV/AIDS pandemic and human-wildlife conflicts. In this paper, we review the emerging issues and challenges in biodiversity conservation by drawing experience from different parts of Tanzania. The paper is based on the premise that, understanding of the issues and challenges underpinning the rangelands is a crucial step towards setting up of plausible objectives, strategies and plans that will improve and lead to effective management of these areas. We conclude by recommending some proactive measures that may enhance the sustainability of the rangeland resources for the benefit of the current and future generations.

Sustaining working rangelands: Insights from rancher decision making

Science.gov (United States)

Grazed rangeland ecosystems encompass diverse global land resources, and are complex social-ecological systems from which society demands both goods (e.g., livestock and forage production) and services (e.g., abundant and high quality water). In the dialogue on rangeland conservation and sustainable...

The interconnectedness between landowner knowledge, value, belief, attitude, and willingness to act: policy implications for carbon sequestration on private rangelands.

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Seth L; Ma, Zhao

2014-02-15

Rangelands can be managed to increase soil carbon and help mitigate emissions of carbon dioxide. This study assessed Utah rangeland owner's environmental values, beliefs about climate change, and awareness of and attitudes towards carbon sequestration, as well as their perceptions of potential policy strategies for promoting carbon sequestration on private rangelands. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews and a statewide survey of Utah rangeland owners, and were analyzed using descriptive and bivariate statistics. Over two-thirds of respondents reported some level of awareness of carbon sequestration and a generally positive attitude towards it, contrasting to their lack of interest in participating in a relevant program in the future. Having a positive attitude was statistically significantly associated with having more "biocentric" environmental values, believing the climate had been changing over the past 30 years, and having a stronger belief of human activities influencing the climate. Respondents valued the potential ecological benefits of carbon sequestration more than the potential financial or climate change benefits. Additionally, respondents indicated a preference for educational approaches over financial incentives. They also preferred to work with a private agricultural entity over a non-profit or government entity on improving land management practices to sequester carbon. These results suggest potential challenges for developing technically sound and socially acceptable policies and programs for promoting carbon sequestration on private rangelands. Potential strategies for overcoming these challenges include emphasizing the ecological benefits associated with sequestering carbon to appeal to landowners with ecologically oriented management objectives, enhancing the cooperation between private agricultural organizations and government agencies, and funneling resources for promoting carbon sequestration into existing land management and

Rangeland dynamics in South Omo Zone of Southern Ethiopia: Assessment of rangeland condition in relation to altitude and Grazing types

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Terefe, A.; Ebro, A.; Tessema, Z.K.

2010-01-01

A study was undertaken in Hamer and Benna-Tsemay districts of the Southern Ethiopia with the objective to determine the condition of the rangelands for grazing animals as influenced by altitude and grazing types. The rangelands in each of the study districts were stratified based on altitude and

New Tools to Estimate Runoff, Soil Erosion, and Sustainability of Rangeland Plant Communities

Science.gov (United States)

Rangelands are the largest land cover type in the world. Degradation from mismanagement, desertification, and drought impact more than 50% of rangelands across the globe. The USDA Agricultural Research Service has been evaluating sustainability of rangeland for over 40-years by conducted rangeland r...

Principles of optimizing animal production from rangeland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stubbendieck, J.; Waller, S.S.

1983-01-01

Increasing world population is one of the dominant factors escalating demands for the world's natural resources. Range and forage resources, which are used primarily for food and fibre, could be more efficiently used if management techniques were improved. The principles of managing forage resources are directly associated with both the growth and development of plants and the actions and needs of the grazing animal. An understanding of the effects of environmental factors and herbage removal (frequency, intensity and season of defoliation) on growth and regrowth of plants is the first step towards optimizing animal productivity from rangelands. Most potential changes will fit into three categories: (1) increase the quantity of forage, (2) improve the quality of forage, and (3) improve use of forage. The principles of grazing management can be separated into four intricately related categories: (1) proper degree of grazing, (2) proper season of grazing, (3) proper kind of livestock, and (4) proper distribution of grazing. Grazing management is affected by the manner in which both improvements and manipulation of vegetation affect forage yield and quality. The adaptation and application of existing knowledge to individual locations will be one step towards optimizing animal production from rangeland. Some of the problems may be solved through better dissemination of present knowledge through existing educational programmes, while others will require expanded programmes of information dissemination. A third group of problems may also be solved with present technology, but the solutions are not currently economical. Some of the problems will be solved only through expanded research. These research efforts need to be directed towards grazing or browsing animals, plant resources and the interaction between plants and animals. Application of nuclear techniques will be an integral part of this research. (author)

Transcending Landscapes: Working Across Scales and Levels in Pastoralist Rangeland Governance.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Lance W; Ontiri, Enoch; Alemu, Tsegaye; Moiko, Stephen S

2017-08-01

Landscape approaches can be subjected to mistakenly targeting a single "best" level of governance, and paying too little attention to the role that cross-scale and cross-level interactions play in governance. In rangeland settings, resources, patterns of use of those resources, and the institutions for managing the resources exist at multiple levels and scales. While the scholarship on commons offers some guidance on how to conceptualize governance in rangeland landscapes, some elements of commons scholarship-notably the "design principles" for effective governance of commons-do not seem to apply neatly to governance in pastoralist rangeland settings. This paper examines three cases where attempts have been made to foster effective landscape governance in such settings to consider how the materiality of commons influences the nature of cross-scale and cross-level interactions, and how these interactions affect governance. In all three cases, although external actors seemed to work appropriately and effectively at community and landscape levels, landscape governance mechanisms have been facing great challenges arising from relationships beyond the landscape, both vertically to higher levels of decision-making and horizontally to communities normally residing in other landscapes. The cases demonstrate that fostering effective landscape-level governance cannot be accomplished only through action at the landscape level; it is a task that must be pursued at multiple levels and in relation to the connections across scales and levels. The paper suggests elements of a conceptual framework for understanding cross-level and cross-scale elements of landscape governance, and offers suggestions for governance design in pastoralist rangeland settings.

Transcending Landscapes: Working Across Scales and Levels in Pastoralist Rangeland Governance

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Lance W.; Ontiri, Enoch; Alemu, Tsegaye; Moiko, Stephen S.

2017-08-01

Landscape approaches can be subjected to mistakenly targeting a single "best" level of governance, and paying too little attention to the role that cross-scale and cross-level interactions play in governance. In rangeland settings, resources, patterns of use of those resources, and the institutions for managing the resources exist at multiple levels and scales. While the scholarship on commons offers some guidance on how to conceptualize governance in rangeland landscapes, some elements of commons scholarship—notably the "design principles" for effective governance of commons—do not seem to apply neatly to governance in pastoralist rangeland settings. This paper examines three cases where attempts have been made to foster effective landscape governance in such settings to consider how the materiality of commons influences the nature of cross-scale and cross-level interactions, and how these interactions affect governance. In all three cases, although external actors seemed to work appropriately and effectively at community and landscape levels, landscape governance mechanisms have been facing great challenges arising from relationships beyond the landscape, both vertically to higher levels of decision-making and horizontally to communities normally residing in other landscapes. The cases demonstrate that fostering effective landscape-level governance cannot be accomplished only through action at the landscape level; it is a task that must be pursued at multiple levels and in relation to the connections across scales and levels. The paper suggests elements of a conceptual framework for understanding cross-level and cross-scale elements of landscape governance, and offers suggestions for governance design in pastoralist rangeland settings.

Une Exception Francaise: Les Grandes Ecoles (A French Exception: The Great Schools).

Science.gov (United States)

Kimmel, Alain

1996-01-01

Examines the role of exceptional schools in France that have produced famous personages such as Charles de Gaulle and Jean-Paul Sartre. The schools reviewed include L'Ecole Nationale d'Administration, L'Ecole Polytechnique, L'Ecole Normale Superieure, L'Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales, Saint-Cyr, and L'Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris.…

IDESSA: An Integrative Decision Support System for Sustainable Rangeland Management in Southern African Savannas

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Hanna; Authmann, Christian; Dreber, Niels; Hess, Bastian; Kellner, Klaus; Morgenthal, Theunis; Nauss, Thomas; Seeger, Bernhard; Tsvuura, Zivanai; Wiegand, Kerstin

2017-04-01

Bush encroachment is a syndrome of land degradation that occurs in many savannas including those of southern Africa. The increase in density, cover or biomass of woody vegetation often has negative effects on a range of ecosystem functions and services, which are hardly reversible. However, despite its importance, neither the causes of bush encroachment, nor the consequences of different resource management strategies to combat or mitigate related shifts in savanna states are fully understood. The project "IDESSA" (An Integrative Decision Support System for Sustainable Rangeland Management in Southern African Savannas) aims to improve the understanding of the complex interplays between land use, climate patterns and vegetation dynamics and to implement an integrative monitoring and decision-support system for the sustainable management of different savanna types. For this purpose, IDESSA follows an innovative approach that integrates local knowledge, botanical surveys, remote-sensing and machine-learning based time-series of atmospheric and land-cover dynamics, spatially explicit simulation modeling and analytical database management. The integration of the heterogeneous data will be implemented in a user oriented database infrastructure and scientific workflow system. Accessible via web-based interfaces, this database and analysis system will allow scientists to manage and analyze monitoring data and scenario computations, as well as allow stakeholders (e. g. land users, policy makers) to retrieve current ecosystem information and seasonal outlooks. We present the concept of the project and show preliminary results of the realization steps towards the integrative savanna management and decision-support system.

Analytical approaches to quality assurance and quality control in rangeland monitoring data

Science.gov (United States)

Producing quality data to support land management decisions is the goal of every rangeland monitoring program. However, the results of quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) efforts to improve data quality are rarely reported. The purpose of QA and QC is to prevent and describe non-sampling...

An Integrated Social, Economic, and Ecologic Conceptual (ISEEC) framework for considering rangeland sustainability

Science.gov (United States)

William E. Fox; Daniel W. McCollum; John E. Mitchell; Louis E. Swanson; Urs P. Kreuter; John A. Tanaka; Gary R. Evans; H. Theodore Heintz; Robert P. Breckenridge; Paul H. Geissler

2009-01-01

Currently, there is no standard method to assess the complex systems in rangeland ecosystems. Decision makers need baselines to create a common language of current rangeland conditions and standards for continued rangeland assessment. The Sustainable Rangeland Roundtable (SRR), a group of private and public organizations and agencies, has created a forum to discuss...

ECOL Book Catalog.

Science.gov (United States)

Minneapolis Public Library, Minn. Environmental Conservation Library.

This catalog represents the collection of the Environmental Conservation Library oF Minnesota (ECOL) as of September 1973, when it contained over 2,800 titles of books and government documents, augmented by periodicals and substantial numbers of pamphlets, papers, brochures, and related materials. The catalog includes an author and main entry…

Revolutionary land use change in the 21st century: Is (rangeland) science relevant?

Science.gov (United States)

Herrick, J.E.; Brown, J.R.; Bestelmeyer, B.T.; Andrews, S.S.; Baldi, G.; Davies, J.; Duniway, M.; Havstad, K.M.; Karl, J.W.; Karlen, D.L.; Peters, Debra P.C.; Quinton, J.N.; Riginos, C.; Shaver, P.L.; Steinaker, D.; Twomlow, S.

2012-01-01

Rapidly increasing demand for food, fiber, and fuel together with new technologies and the mobility of global capital are driving revolutionary changes in land use throughout the world. Efforts to increase land productivity include conversion of millions of hectares of rangelands to crop production, including many marginal lands with low resistance and resilience to degradation. Sustaining the productivity of these lands requires careful land use planning and innovative management systems. Historically, this responsibility has been left to agronomists and others with expertise in crop production. In this article, we argue that the revolutionary land use changes necessary to support national and global food security potentially make rangeland science more relevant now than ever. Maintaining and increasing relevance will require a revolutionary change in range science from a discipline that focuses on a particular land use or land cover to one that addresses the challenge of managing all lands that, at one time, were considered to be marginal for crop production. We propose four strategies to increase the relevance of rangeland science to global land management: 1) expand our awareness and understanding of local to global economic, social, and technological trends in order to anticipate and identify drivers and patterns of conversion; 2) emphasize empirical studies and modeling that anticipate the biophysical (ecosystem services) and societal consequences of large-scale changes in land cover and use; 3) significantly increase communication and collaboration with the disciplines and sectors of society currently responsible for managing the new land uses; and 4) develop and adopt a dynamic and flexible resilience-based land classification system and data-supported conceptual models (e.g., state-and-transition models) that represent all lands, regardless of use and the consequences of land conversion to various uses instead of changes in state or condition that are

Meeting wild bees' needs on Western US rangelands

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James H. Cane

2011-01-01

Rangelands are areas that are too arid, or with soils too shallow, to support either forests or cultivated agriculture, but that nonetheless produce enough vegetation for livestock grazing. Some arid rangeland regions, notably those with warm, dry climates in temperate zones (e.g., the warm deserts of the United States and adjacent Mexico, parts of Australia, South...

Modeling vegetation heights from high resolution stereo aerial photography: an application for broad-scale rangeland monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Gillan, Jeffrey K; Karl, Jason W; Duniway, Michael; Elaksher, Ahmed

2014-11-01

Vertical vegetation structure in rangeland ecosystems can be a valuable indicator for assessing rangeland health and monitoring riparian areas, post-fire recovery, available forage for livestock, and wildlife habitat. Federal land management agencies are directed to monitor and manage rangelands at landscapes scales, but traditional field methods for measuring vegetation heights are often too costly and time consuming to apply at these broad scales. Most emerging remote sensing techniques capable of measuring surface and vegetation height (e.g., LiDAR or synthetic aperture radar) are often too expensive, and require specialized sensors. An alternative remote sensing approach that is potentially more practical for managers is to measure vegetation heights from digital stereo aerial photographs. As aerial photography is already commonly used for rangeland monitoring, acquiring it in stereo enables three-dimensional modeling and estimation of vegetation height. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and accuracy of estimating shrub heights from high-resolution (HR, 3-cm ground sampling distance) digital stereo-pair aerial images. Overlapping HR imagery was taken in March 2009 near Lake Mead, Nevada and 5-cm resolution digital surface models (DSMs) were created by photogrammetric methods (aerial triangulation, digital image matching) for twenty-six test plots. We compared the heights of individual shrubs and plot averages derived from the DSMs to field measurements. We found strong positive correlations between field and image measurements for several metrics. Individual shrub heights tended to be underestimated in the imagery, however, accuracy was higher for dense, compact shrubs compared with shrubs with thin branches. Plot averages of shrub height from DSMs were also strongly correlated to field measurements but consistently underestimated. Grasses and forbs were generally too small to be detected with the resolution of the DSMs. Estimates of

Application of MODIS Land Products to Assessment of Land Degradation of Alpine Rangeland in Northern India with Limited Ground-Based Information

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Masahiro Tasumi

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Land degradation of alpine rangeland in Dachigam National Park, Northern India, was evaluated in this study using MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS land products. The park has been used by a variety of livestock holders. With increasing numbers of livestock, the managers and users of the park are apprehensive about degradation of the grazing land. However, owing to weak infrastructure for scientific and statistical data collection and sociopolitical restrictions in the region, a lack of quality ground-based weather, vegetation, and livestock statistical data had prevented scientific assessment. Under these circumstances, the present study aimed to assess the rangeland environment and its degradation using MODIS vegetation, snow, and evapotranspiration products as primary input data for assessment. The result of the analysis indicated that soil water content and the timing of snowmelt play an important role in grass production in the area. Additionally, the possibility of land degradation in heavily-grazed rangeland was indicated via a multiple regression analysis at a decadal timescale, whereas weather conditions, such as rainfall and snow cover, primarily explained year-by-year differences in grass production. Although statistical uncertainties remain in the results derived in this study, the satellite-based data and the analyses will promote understanding of the rangeland environment and suggest the potential for unsustainable land management based on statistical probability. This study provides an important initial evaluation of alpine rangeland, for which ground-based information is limited.

Ecologic, Economic, and Social Considerations for Rangeland Sustainability: An Integrated Conceptual Framework

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel W. McCollum; H. Theodore Jr. Heintz; Aaron J. Harp; John A. Tanaka; Gary R. Evans; David Radloff; Louis E. Swanson; William E. III Fox; Michael G. Sherm Karl; John E. Mitchell

2006-01-01

Use and sustainability of rangelands are inherently linked to the health and sustainability of the land. They are also inherently linked to the social and economic infrastructures that complement and support those rangelands and rangeland uses. Ecological systems and processes provide the biological interactions underlying ecosystem health and viability. Social and...

Ecohydrologic impacts of rangeland fire on runoff and erosion: A literature synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Frederick B. Pierson; C. Jason Williams

2016-01-01

Fire can dramatically influence rangeland hydrology and erosion by altering ecohydrologic relationships. This synthesis presents an ecohydrologic perspective on the effects of fire on rangeland runoff and erosion through a review of scientific literature spanning many decades. The objectives are: (1) to introduce rangeland hydrology and erosion concepts necessary for...

A description of rangeland on commercial and communal land ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Analysis of a Landsat TM image from a rangeland near Peddie, Eastern Cape, revealed differences in two vegetation indices (normalised difference vegetation index, NDVI, and moving standard deviation index, MSDI) between communal and commercial rangeland. It was suggested that the difference in the MSDI reflected ...

Threats to Mediterranean rangelands: a case study based on the views of citizens in the Viotia prefecture, Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Kyriazopoulos, Apostolos P; Arabatzis, Garyfallos; Abraham, Eleni M; Parissi, Zoi M

2013-11-15

Rangelands in Greece constitute a very important natural resource as they occupy 40% of the total surface. Not only is their forage production essential for the development of extensive livestock farming, but also they play a key role in outdoor recreational activities, protection from erosion, provision of water supplies and biodiversity conservation. However, land use changes, inappropriate management and wildfires threaten their existence. The research was conducted among the citizens of Viotia prefecture, an area close to Athens, Greece, using personal interviews with a structured questionnaire in 2008. The aim was to record citizens' opinions regarding the threats to rangelands. The results suggest that the main threats as perceived by the respondents, are land use changes especially for urban development, and wildfires. The application of cluster analysis highlighted the differentiation among the respondents in ranking these threats. The more ecologically aware citizens recognised that mismanagement, abandonment and agriculture also threaten rangelands. These threats can have a considerable impact on the lives of the local people. Policy makers and managers should take the opinions of local citizens into consideration, and engage them in decision making so that sustainable management policies could be applied. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introducing cattle grazing to a noxious weed-dominated rangeland shifts plant communities

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Josh S. Davy

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Invasive weed species in California's rangelands can reduce herbaceous diversity, forage quality and wildlife habitat. Small-scale studies (5 acres or fewer have shown reductions of medusahead and yellow starthistle using prescribed grazing on rangelands, but little is published on the effects of pasture-scale (greater than 80 acres prescribed grazing on weed control and plant community responses. We report the results of a 6-year collaborative study of manager-applied prescribed grazing implemented on rangeland that had not been grazed for 4 years. Grazing reduced medusahead but did not alter yellow starthistle cover. Medusahead reductions were only seen in years that did not have significant late spring rainfall, suggesting that it is able to recover from heavy grazing if soil moisture is present. Later season grazing appears to have the potential to suppress medusahead in all years. In practice, however, such grazing is constrained by livestock drinking water availability and forage quality, which were limited even in years with late spring rainfall. Thus, we expect that grazing treatments under real-world constraints would reduce medusahead only in years with little late spring rainfall. After 10 years of grazing exclusion, the ungrazed plant communities began to shift, replacing medusahead with species that have little value, such as ripgut and red brome.

Alcances y limitaciones del concepto de huella ecológica

OpenAIRE

Higueras García, Esther

2013-01-01

Alcances y limitaciones del concepto de huella ecologica .- Antecedentes, Objetivo y definición de huella ecológica .- Cálculo de la huella ecológica .- Factores no recogidos por el indicador .- Reflexiones finales

Reflexões sobre o paradigma da economia ecológica para a gestão ambiental

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Maurício Fuks

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Este estudo ressalta a ausência de conhecimento sobre a economia ecológica por parte do crescente número de profissionais formados em Gestão Ambiental. O autor realiza uma síntese dos princípios e fundamentos da economia ecológica, especialmente por meio das ideias de dois dos seus principais pensadores (Georgescu-Röegen e Boulding e indica porque conhecer as ideias principais dessa escola de pensamento é fundamental para profissionais de Gestão Ambiental. Argumenta-se que esses profissionais não podem prescindir da economia ecológica, sob pena de caírem na ilusão do mito da hipótese win-win e terem uma visão incompleta das dificuldades de estabelecermos uma sociedade sustentável.his study draws attention to lack of knowledge regarding Ecological Economics amongst the growing number of professionals graduating in the field of Environmental Management. The author offers a synthesis of the main principles of Ecological Economics, with particular focus on two of its main thinkers (N. Georgescu-Röegen e K. E. Boulding and indicates why such knowledge is of fundamental importance for Environmental Management. The paper argues that environmental managers cannot ignore Ecological Economics; else they may fall prey to the myth of the win-win hypothesis and thus have an incomplete perception of the difficulties involved in establishing a sustainable society.

The GEOGLAM Rangelands and Pasture Productivity Activity: Recent Progress and Future Directions

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Guerschman, J. P.; Held, A. A.; Donohue, R. J.; Renzullo, L. J.; Sims, N.; Kerblat, F.; Grundy, M.

2015-12-01

Rangelands and pastures cover about a third of the world's land area and support livestock production which represents ~40% of global agricultural gross domestic product. The global consumption of animal protein shows a clear increasing trend, driven by both total population and per capita income increases, putting a growing pressure on the sustainability of grazing lands worldwide. Despite their relevance, rangelands have received less attention than croplands regarding global monitoring of the resource productivity and condition. The Rangelands and Pasture Productivity (RaPP) activity is a component within the Global Agricultural Monitoring initiative established under the Group on Earth Observations (GEOGLAM) in 2013. GEOGLAM RaPP is aimed at providing the global community with the means to monitor the world's rangelands and pastures on a routine basis, and the capacity to produce animal protein in real-time, at global, regional and national levels. Since its launch two years ago GEOGLAM RAPP has made progress in the four implementation elements. These include: 1- the establishment of community of practice; 2- the development of a global monitoring system for rangeland condition; 3- the establishment of pilot sites in main rangeland systems for satellite data products validation and model testing; and 4- integration with livestock production models. Three international workshops have been held building the community of practice. A prototype monitoring system that provides global visualisations and querying capability of vegetation cover data and anomalies has been established. Pilot sites, mostly in areas with long records of field measurements of rangeland condition and productivity have been proposed for nine countries. The link to global livestock models, including physical and economic components, have been established. Future challenges for GEOGLAM RaPP have also been identified and include: better representation of the areas occupied by rangelands

Valuation of rangeland ecosystem services

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Gascoigne, W.R.

2011-01-01

Economic valuation lends itself well to the anthropocentric orientation of ecosystem services. An economic perspective on ecosystems portrays them as natural assets providing a flow of goods and services valuable to individuals and society collectively. A few examples include the purification of drinking water, reduced risk from flooding and other extreme events, pollination of agricultural crops, climate regulation, and recreation opportunities from plant and animal habitat maintenance, among many others. Once these goods and services are identified and quantified, they can be monetized to complete the valuation process. The monetization of ecosystem goods and services (in the form of dollars) provides a common metric that allows for cross-comparison of attributes and evaluation of differing ecological scenarios. Complicating the monetization process is the fact that most of these goods and services are public and non-market in nature; meaning they are non-rival and non-exclusive and are typically not sold in a traditional market setting where monetary values are revealed. Instead, one must employ non-market valuation techniques, with primary valuation methods typically being very time and resource consuming, intimidating to non-economists, and often impractical. For these reasons, benefit transfer methods have gained popularity. This methodology harnesses the primary collection results of existing studies to make inferences about the economic values of non-market goods and services at an alternative policy site (in place and/or in time). For instance, if a primary valuation study on oak reestablishment on rangelands in southern California yielded a value of $30 per-acre associated with water regulation, this result can be transferred, with some adjustments, to say something about the value of an acre of oaks on rangelands in northern portions of the state. The economic valuation of rangeland ecosystem services has many roles. Economic values may be used as input

Ecological evaluation of rangeland quality in dry subtropics of Azerbaijan

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Gasanova, A. F.

2014-12-01

The results of ecological evaluation of soil-landscape complexes of winter rangelands of Gobustan with the use of energy criteria are discussed. The diagnostic characteristics of soil fertility and correction coefficients for the thickness of texture of soil horizons, soil salinization, soil erosion, and microelemental composition of soils have been used to separate the soils of winter rangelands into several quality groups. A larger part of the soils belongs to the medium quality group with the mean weighted quality factor (bonitet) of 52. Special assessment scales have been suggested for the differential ecological assessment and monitoring of the rangelands. In the past 40 years, the area of steppe landscapes has decreased from 22.7 to 12%, whereas the area of semideserts has increased up to 64%. The area of best-quality soils within the studied rangelands had decreased by three times, and their average quality factor has decreased from 92 to 86.

Comparative Assessment of Goods and Services Provided by Grazing Regulation and Reforestation in Degraded Mediterranean Rangelands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Papanastasis, Vasilios P.; Bautista, Susana; Chouvardas, Dimitrios; Mantzanas, Konstantinos; Papadimitriou, Maria; Garcia Mayor, Angeles; Koukioumi, Polina; Papaioannou, Athanasios; Vallejo, Ramon V.

2017-01-01

Several management actions are applied to restore ecosystem services in degraded Mediterranean rangelands, which range from adjusting the grazing pressure to the removal of grazers and pine plantations. Four such actions were assessed in Quercus coccifera L. shrublands in northern Greece: (i)

The Role of Rangelands in Diversified Farming Systems: Innovations, Obstacles, and Opportunities in the USA

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Nathan F. Sayre

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Discussions of diversified farming systems (DFS rarely mention rangelands: the grasslands, shrublands, and savannas that make up roughly one-third of Earth's ice-free terrestrial area, including some 312 million ha of the United States. Although ranching has been criticized by environmentalists for decades, it is probably the most ecologically sustainable segment of the U.S. meat industry, and it exemplifies many of the defining characteristics of DFS: it relies on the functional diversity of natural ecological processes of plant and animal (reproduction at multiple scales, based on ecosystem services generated and regenerated on site rather than imported, often nonrenewable, inputs. Rangelands also provide other ecosystem services, including watershed, wildlife habitat, recreation, and tourism. Even where non-native or invasive plants have encroached on or replaced native species, rangelands retain unusually high levels of plant diversity compared with croplands or plantation forests. Innovations in management, marketing, incentives, and easement programs that augment ranch income, creative land tenure arrangements, and collaborations among ranchers all support diversification. Some obstacles include rapid landownership turnover, lack of accessible U.S. Department of Agriculture certified processing facilities, tenure uncertainty, fragmentation of rangelands, and low and variable income, especially relative to land costs. Taking advantage of rancher knowledge and stewardship, and aligning incentives with production of diverse goods and services, will support the sustainability of ranching and its associated public benefits. The creation of positive feedbacks between economic and ecological diversity should be the ultimate goal.

Very High Resolution Panoramic Photography to Improve Conventional Rangeland Monitoring 1994

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Rangeland monitoring often includes repeat photographs as a basis for documentation and although photographic equipment and electronics have been evolving rapidly, basic rangeland photo monitoring methods have changed little over time. Ground based digital photography is underutilized, especially s...

Estimating Rangeland Forage Production Using Remote Sensing Data from a Small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS)

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, H.; Jin, Y.; Devine, S.; Dahlgren, R. A.; Covello, S.; Larsen, R.; O'Geen, A. T.

2017-12-01

California rangelands cover 23 million hectares and support a $3.4 billion annual cattle industry. Rangeland forage production varies appreciably from year-to-year and across short distances on the landscape. Spatially explicit and near real-time information on forage production at a high resolution is critical for effective rangeland management, especially during an era of climatic extremes. We here integrated a multispectral MicaSense RedEdge camera with a 3DR solo quad-copter and acquired time-series images during the 2017 growing season over a topographically complex 10-hectare rangeland in San Luis Obispo County, CA. Soil moisture and temperature sensors were installed at 16 landscape positions, and vegetation clippings were collected at 36 plots to quantify forage dry biomass. We built four centimeter-level models for forage production mapping using time series of sUAS images and ground measurements of forage biomass and soil temperature and moisture. The biophysical model based on Monteith's eco-physiological plant growth theory estimated forage production reasonably well with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.86 and a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 424 kg/ha when the soil parameters were included, and a R2 of 0.79 and a RMSE of 510 kg/ha when only remote sensing and topographical variables were included. We built two empirical models of forage production using a stepwise variable selection technique, one with soil variables. Results showed that cumulative absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR) and elevation were the most important variables in both models, explaining more than 40% of the spatio-temporal variance in forage production. Soil moisture accounted for an additional 29% of the variance. Illumination condition was selected as a proxy for soil moisture in the model without soil variables, and accounted for 18% of the variance. We applied the remote sensing-based models to map daily forage production at 30-cm resolution for the

Earth stewardship on rangelands: Coping with ecological, economic, and political marginality

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Rangelands encompass 30-40 percent of Earth's land surface and support 1-2 billion people. Their predominant use is extensive livestock production by pastoralists and ranchers. But rangelands are characterized by ecological, economic, and political marginality, and higher-value, more intensive land ...

Discussion of submitted posters for Section 2.3 (Rangeland Germplasm Resources)

Science.gov (United States)

As part of the IX International Rangeland Congress held in Rosario, Argentina, a total of 70 posters from 17 countries were submitted to Section 2.3 (Rangeland Germplasm Resources). These posters documented research conducted in five major regions of the world: South America, North America, Africa...

Evaluating Structural and Functional Characteristics of Various Ecological Patches in Different Range Conditions (Case Study: Semi -Steppe Rangeland of Aghche-Isfahan

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F. Jafari

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Rangeland condition assessment plays an important role in determining range health and applying appropriate management programs. This study aimed to evaluate the structure and function of a semi-steppe rangeland using Landscape Function Analysis technique (LFA in different land conditions in western Isfahan province, Iran. For this purpose, 4, 3 and 7 sites in different rangeland condition classes including very poor, poor, and moderate were selected respectively. In each site, a 30-meter transect was established and all kinds of patches and inter patches were identified and their lengths and widths were recorded. Also, in each ecological patch, 11 indicators of soil surface characteristics with three replications were measured, and their status was scored according to LFA method. The functionality indices of all the sites including soil stability, infiltration and nutrient cycling were measured. According to the statistical analysis results, most of the structural characteristics (number of patches, patch length, patch area index, landscape organization index and functional indices (infiltration, stability and nutrient cycling status varied significantly (α= 5% between rangeland sites with moderate and very poor condition. The changes of these structural and functional characteristics were not significant between range sites with moderate and poor, and also poor and very poor range conditions. According to the findings of this study, patch types' functionalities did not vary significantly in both rangeland sites with moderate and very poor conditions. The nutrient cycling index in patches formed by ‘forb, shrub and grass’ with poor range condition was significantly more than ‘forb’ and ‘grass’ patches. The study of range site functionality can assist managers in identifying possible ecological thresholds and prioritizing the sub-catchments and vegetation types for implementing range improvement practices.

From "Ecoles Superieures de Commerce" to "Management Schools": Transformations and Continuity in French Business Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Blanchard, Marianne

2009-01-01

Part of the national system of grandes Ecoles, French Business schools have known radical changes since the 1980s, notably in size, and have become more attractive to students both at a national and an international level. As a consequence, the French elitist system has been questioned by the competition of foreign--especially Anglo-Saxon--models.…

Asymmetric ecological and economic responses for rangeland restoration: A case study of tree thickening in Queensland, Australia

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Ecological and economic thresholds are important considerations when making decisions about safeguarding or restoring degraded rangelands. When degradation levels have passed a threshold, most managers figure it is either time to take action or too late to take action depending on the particular c...

A nature-based approach for managing the invasive weed species Gutenbergia cordifolia for sustainable rangeland management.

Science.gov (United States)

Ngondya, Issakwisa B; Munishi, Linus K; Treydte, Anna C; Ndakidemi, Patrick A

2016-01-01

The invasive weed species Gutenbergia cordifolia has been observed to suppress native plants and to dominate more than half of the entire crater floor (250 km 2 ) in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA). As this species has been found to be toxic to ruminants it might strongly impact animal populations in this ecologically diverse ecosystem. Hence, a nature-based approach is urgently needed to manage its spread. We tested two Desmodium spp extracts applied to G. cordifolia and assessed the latter's germination rate, height, fresh weight and leaf total chlorophyll content after 30 days in both laboratory and screen house experiments. Seedling germination rate was halved by Desmodium uncinatum leaf extract (DuL), particularly under higher concentrations (≥75 %) rather than lower concentrations (≤62.5 %). Likewise, in both laboratory and screen house experiments, germination rate under DuL treatments declined with increasing concentrations. Seedling height, fresh weight and leaf total chlorophyll content (Chl) were also most strongly affected by DuL treatments rather than D. uncinatum root extract, Desmodium intortum leaf extract or D. intortum root extract treatments. Generally, seedlings treated with higher DuL concentrations were half as tall, had one-third the weight and half the leaf Chl content compared to those treated with lower concentrations. Our study shows a novel technique that can be applied where G. cordifolia may be driving native flora and fauna to local extinction. Our data further suggest that this innovative approach is both ecologically safe and effective and that D. uncinatum can be sustainably used to manage invasive plants, and thus, to improve rangeland productivity.

75 FR 33239 - Rangeland Allotment Management Planning on the Fall River West and Oglala Geographic Areas, Fall...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-11

...The USDA, Forest Service, will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) analyzing the management of rangeland vegetation resources, which includes livestock grazing, on the National Forest System (NFS) lands within the Oglala Geographic Area (OGA) of the Oglala National Grassland on the Pine Ridge Ranger District and the West Geographic Area (WGA) of the Buffalo Gap National Grassland on the Fall River Ranger District of the Nebraska National Forest (Analysis Area) areas as mapped by the 2001 Nebraska National Forest Revised Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). A Notice of Intent (NOI) for this project was published February 22, 2008 (73 No. 36 FR 9760- 9762). More than six months have elapsed since the projected draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) date in that original NOI. This revised NOI is being issued to update the project schedule. There will be a record of decision (ROD) for each geographic area. Proposed management actions would be implemented beginning in the year 2012. The agency gives notice of the full environmental analysis and decision-making process that will occur on the proposal so interested and affected people may become aware of how they may participate in the process and contribute to the final decision.

EVALUATION AND MAPPING OF RANGELANDS DEGRADATION USING REMOTELY SENSED DATA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Majid Ajorlo

2005-05-01

Full Text Available The empirical and scientifically documents prove that misuse of natural resource causes degradation in it. So natural resources conservation is important in approaching sustainable development aims. In current study, Landsat Thematic Mapper images and grazing gradient method have been used to map the extent and degree of rangeland degradation. In during ground-based data measuring, factors such as vegetation cover, litter, plant diversity, bare soil, and stone & gravels were estimated as biophysical indicators of degradation. The next stage, after geometric correction and doing some necessary pre-processing practices on the study area’s images; the best and suitable vegetation index has been selected to map rangeland degradation among the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI, Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI, and Perpendicular Vegetation Index (PVI. Then using suitable vegetation index and distance parameter was produced the rangelands degradation map. The results of ground-based data analysis reveal that there is a significant relation between increasing distance from critical points and plant diversity and also percentage of litter. Also there is significant relation between vegetation cover percent and distance from village, i.e. the vegetation cover percent increases by increasing distance from villages, while it wasn’t the same around the stock watering points. The result of analysis about bare soil and distance from critical point was the same to vegetation cover changes manner. Also there wasn’t significant relation between stones & gravels index and distance from critical points. The results of image processing show that, NDVI appears to be sensitive to vegetation changes along the grazing gradient and it can be suitable vegetation index to map rangeland degradation. The degradation map shows that there is high degradation around the critical points. These areas need urgent attention for soil conservation. Generally, it

Improving Field-Based Experimental Research to Compliment Contemporary Management

Science.gov (United States)

Rangeland management has long been described as both a science and an art (Stoddart et al. 1975). Certainly, the management of rangeland resources, especially during the last half of the 20th century, can be characterized as practices commonly informed by science. There are a number of management...

Three-dimensional framework of vigor, organization, and resilience (VOR) for assessing rangeland health: a case study from the alpine meadow of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yuan-yuan; Dong, Shi-kui; Wen, Lu; Wang, Xue-xia; Wu, Yu

2013-12-01

Rangeland health assessments play an important role in providing qualitative and quantitative data about ecosystem attributes and rangeland management. The objective of this study is to test the feasible of a modified model and visualize the health in a three-dimensional model. A modified Costanza model was employed, and eight indicators, including the biomass, biodiversity, and carrying capacity [associated with the vigor, organization, and resilience (VOR)] were applied. An entropy method was also developed to calculate the weight of each indicator, and a three-dimensional framework was applied to visualize the indicators and health index. The conceptual model was demonstrated using data from a case study on the alpine rangeland of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, one of the globally important grassland biomes being severely degraded by natural and human factors. The health indices of four grassland plots at different levels of degradation were calculated using a modified approach to measuring their VOR. The results indicated that the least disturbed plot was relatively healthy compared to the other plots. In addition, the health indices presented in the three-dimensional VOR framework decreased in a consistent manner across the four plots along the disturbance gradients. Such rangeland health assessments should be integrated with management efforts to insure their long-term sustainable use.

Grazing exclusion, substrate type, and drought frequency affect plant community structure in rangelands of the arid unpredictable Arabian Deserts

Science.gov (United States)

El-Keblawy, Ali; El-Sheikh, Mohamed

2017-04-01

Grazing and drought can adversely affect the ecology and management of rangeland ecosystems. Several management actions have been applied to restore species diversity and community structure in degraded rangelands of the unpredictable arid environment. Protection from grazing is considered as a proper approach for restoration of degraded rangelands, but this depends on substrate type and sometime is hindered with water deficiency (drought). In this study, the effect of protection from grazing animals on species diversity and plant community structure was assessed after a dry and wet periods in both sandy and gravelly substrates in the Dubai Desert Conservation reserve (DDCR), United Arab Emirates. Two sites were selected during November 2012 on the two substrate types (fixed sandy flat and gravel plain) in the arid DDCR. An enclosure was established in each site. Plant community attributes (plant cover, density, frequency, species composition, and diversity indices) were assessed in a number of permanent plots laid inside and outside each enclosure during November 2012, April 2014 and April 2016. The results showed that protection improved clay content, but decreased the organic matters. Interestingly, the protection reduced the concentrations of most estimated nutrients, which could be attributed to the high turnover rate of nutrients associated grazing and low decomposition of accumulated dry plants of non-protected sites. Protection significantly increased all plant community attributes, but the only significant effect was for plant density. Plant density was almost twice greater inside than outside the enclosures. During the dry period, protection resulted in significantly greater deterioration in cover, density and all diversity indices in gravel, compared to sandy sites. Most of the grasses and shrubby plants had died in the gravel plains. However, plant community of the gravel plains was significantly restored after receiving considerable rainfalls. The

Fodder Biomass Monitoring in Sahelian Rangelands Using Phenological Metrics from FAPAR Time Series

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Abdoul Aziz Diouf

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Timely monitoring of plant biomass is critical for the management of forage resources in Sahelian rangelands. The estimation of annual biomass production in the Sahel is based on a simple relationship between satellite annual Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI and in situ biomass data. This study proposes a new methodology using multi-linear models between phenological metrics from the SPOT-VEGETATION time series of Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR and in situ biomass. A model with three variables—large seasonal integral (LINTG, length of growing season, and end of season decreasing rate—performed best (MAE = 605 kg·DM/ha; R2 = 0.68 across Sahelian ecosystems in Senegal (data for the period 1999–2013. A model with annual maximum (PEAK and start date of season showed similar performances (MAE = 625 kg·DM/ha; R2 = 0.64, allowing a timely estimation of forage availability. The subdivision of the study area in ecoregions increased overall accuracy (MAE = 489.21 kg·DM/ha; R2 = 0.77, indicating that a relation between metrics and ecosystem properties exists. LINTG was the main explanatory variable for woody rangelands with high leaf biomass, whereas for areas dominated by herbaceous vegetation, it was the PEAK metric. The proposed approach outperformed the established biomass NDVI-based product (MAE = 818 kg·DM/ha and R2 = 0.51 and should improve the operational monitoring of forage resources in Sahelian rangelands.

Plant/life form considerations in the rangeland hydrology and erosion model (RHEM)

Science.gov (United States)

Resilience of rangeland to erosion has largely been attributed to adequate plant cover; however, plant life/growth form, and individual species presence can have a dramatic effect on hydrologic and erosion dynamics on rangelands. Plant life/growth form refers to genetic tendency of a plant to grow i...

Climate change and North American rangelands: Assessment of mitigation and adaptation strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Linda A. Joyce; David D. Briske; Joel R. Brown; H. Wayne Polley; Bruce A. McCarl; Derek W. Bailey

2013-01-01

Recent climatic trends and climate model projections indicate that climate change will modify rangeland ecosystem functions and the services and livelihoods that they provision. Recent history has demonstrated that climatic variability has a strong influence on both ecological and social components of rangeland systems and that these systems possess substantial...

Incorporating biodiversity into rangeland health: Plant species richness and diversity in great plains grasslands

Science.gov (United States)

Symstad, Amy J.; Jonas, Jayne L.

2011-01-01

Indicators of rangeland health generally do not include a measure of biodiversity. Increasing attention to maintaining biodiversity in rangelands suggests that this omission should be reconsidered, and plant species richness and diversity are two metrics that may be useful and appropriate. Ideally, their response to a variety of anthropogenic and natural drivers in the ecosystem of interest would be clearly understood, thereby providing a means to diagnose the cause of decline in an ecosystem. Conceptual ecological models based on ecological principles and hypotheses provide a framework for this understanding, but these models must be supported by empirical evidence if they are to be used for decision making. To that end, we synthesize results from published studies regarding the responses of plant species richness and diversity to drivers that are of management concern in Great Plains grasslands, one of North America's most imperiled ecosystems. In the published literature, moderate grazing generally has a positive effect on these metrics in tallgrass prairie and a neutral to negative effect in shortgrass prairie. The largest published effects on richness and diversity were caused by moderate grazing in tallgrass prairies and nitrogen fertilization in shortgrass prairies. Although weather is often cited as the reason for considerable annual fluctuations in richness and diversity, little information about the responses of these metrics to weather is available. Responses of the two metrics often diverged, reflecting differences in their sensitivity to different types of changes in the plant community. Although sufficient information has not yet been published for these metrics to meet all the criteria of a good indicator in Great Plains Grasslands, augmenting current methods of evaluating rangeland health with a measure of plant species richness would reduce these shortcomings and provide information critical to managing for biodiversity.

El sector de los alimentos ecológicos: Regulación y etiquetado ecológico = The organic food sector: Regulation and ecological labeling

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María Belén Aguirre García

2016-06-01

Full Text Available El sector de los alimentos ecológicos y la evolución de su normativa están experimentando continuos cambios y ampliaciones acordes con los flujos económicos y comerciales de nuestros días. El objetivo del artículo, desde una metodología descriptiva, es reflejar esta evolución, presentando la regulación vigente, que es exhaustiva y abarca ámbitos diversos: sistemas de producción agraria ecológica, control y certificación de operadores, comercialización y etiquetado de los alimentos ecológicos. Asimismo, se abordan las diferentes caracterizaciones en la actualidad del etiquetado de los alimentos ecológicos en Europa, en España y en las Comunidades Autónomas.   The organic food sector and the evolution of its regulations are undergoing continuous changes and extensions in line with the economic and commercial flows of our day. The objective of the article, from a descriptive methodology, is to reflect this evolution, presenting the current regulation, which is exhaustive and covers different areas: ecological agricultural production systems, operator control and certification, marketing and labeling of organic food. It also addresses the different characterizations of organic food labeling in Europe, Spain and the “Comunidades Autónomas”.

Current stage of the restoration of Chernozems in rangeland ecosystems of the steppe zone

Science.gov (United States)

Rusanov, A. M.

2015-06-01

The results of two rounds of soil and geobotanic surveys of rangeland ecosystems in the steppe zone are presented. The same sites with southern chernozems (Calcic Chernozems) under steppe plant communities at different stages of pasture degradation were investigated at the end of the 1980s, when they suffered maximum anthropogenic loads, and in 2011-2013, after a long period of relative rest. In the 1980s, degradation of soil physical properties in rangeland ecosystems under the impact of long-term unsustainable management was noted. At the same time, it was found that the major qualitative and quantitative properties of humus in the chernozems were preserved independently from the level of pasture degradation. The following period of moderate grazing pressure had a favorable effect on the soil properties. Owing to the good characteristics of the soil humus, the restoration of the physical properties of chernozems-including their structural state, water permeability, and bulk density-took place in a relatively short period. It is argued that the soil bulk density is a natural regulator of the species composition of steppe vegetation, because true grasses (Poaceae)-typical representatives of the steppe flora-have a fibrous root system requiring the soils with low density values. The improvement of the properties of chernozems is related to the development of secondary ecosystems with a higher portion of grasses in place of damaged rangelands and to the increase in the area of nominal virgin phytocenoses.

Ladrillos ecológicos una estrategia didáctica

OpenAIRE

Leiva Deantonio, Dolly Elizabeth; Reyes Roncancio, Jaime Duván

2017-01-01

Se presentan los resultados de la investigación desarrollada para incorporar una conciencia-ecológica-práctica en relación con la utilidad de los envases plásticos y el empaque de productos alimenticios que se generan diariamente en una institución educativa pública de la ciudad de Bogotá. El proceso metodológico de corte cualitativo involucró la participación de los estudiantes en la exploración del tipo de desechos plásticos y su adaptación como ladrillos ecológicos, fomentando acciones con...

Restoring Degraded Rangelands in Jordan: Optimizing Mechanized Micro-Water Harvesting Technique Using Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM)

Science.gov (United States)

Continuous population growth, recent refugee movement and migration as well as boundary restrictions and their implications on the nomadic lifestyle are additive pressure on rangelands throughout the Middle East. In particular, overgrazing through increased livestock herds threatens the Jordanian ra...

Resource analysis of the Chinese society 1980-2002 based on exergy-Part 4: Fishery and rangeland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, B.; Chen, G.Q.

2007-01-01

This fourth part is the continuation of the third part on agricultural products. The major fishery and rangeland products entering the Chinese society from 1980 to 2002 are calculated and analyzed in detail in this paper. The aquatic production, mainly relying on freshwater and seawater breeding, Enhancement policy of fishery resources, including closed fishing season system, construction of artificial fish reefs and ecological fish breeding, etc., is discussed in detail. The degradation of the major rangeland areas, hay yields and intake rangeland resources by the livestock, are also described associated with the strategic adjustment and comprehensive program to protect rangeland resources during the study period

Determining RUSLE P-factors for stonebunds and trenches in rangeland and cropland, Northern Ethiopia

Science.gov (United States)

Taye, Gebeyehu; Poesen, Jean; Vanmaercke, Matthias; Van Wesemael, Bas; Tesfay, Samuel; Teka, Daniel; Nyssen, Jan; Deckers, Jozef; Haregeweyn, Nigussie

2017-04-01

The implementation of soil and water conservation (SWC) measures in the Ethiopian highlands is a top priority to reduce soil erosion rates and to enhance the sustainability of agroecosystem. Nonetheless, the effectiveness of many of these measures for different hillslope and land use conditions remains currently poorly understood. As a result, the overall effects of these measures at regional or catchment scale remain hard to quantify. This study addresses this knowledge gap by determining the cover-management (C) and support practice (P) factors of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), for commonly used SWC measures in semi-arid environments (i.e. stone bunds, trenches and a combination of both). Calculations were based on soil loss data collected with runoff plots in Tigray, northern Ethiopia (i.e. 21 runoff plots of 600 to 1000 m2, monitored during 2010, 2011 and 2012). The runoff plots were installed in rangeland and cropland sites corresponding to a gentle (5%), medium (12%) and steep (16%) slope gradients. The C and P factors of the RUSLE were calculated following the recommended standard procedures. Results show that the C-factor for rangeland ranges from 0.31 to 0.98 and from 0.06 to 0.39 for cropland. For rangeland, this large variability is due to variations in vegetation cover caused by grazing. In cropland, C-factors vary with tillage practices and crop types. The calculated P-factors ranged from 0.32 to 0.74 for stone bunds, from 0.07 to 0.65 for trenches and from 0.03 to 0.22 for a combination of both stone bunds and trenches. This variability is partly due to variations in the density of the implemented measures in relation to land use (cropland vs rangeland) and slope angles. However, also annual variations in P factor values are highly significant. Especially trenches showed a very significant decline of effectiveness over time, which is attributable to their reduced static storage capacity as a result of sediment deposition (e.g. for

Land use and soil organic matter in South Africa 1: A review on spatial variability and the influence of rangeland stock production

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Pearson N.S. Mnkeni

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Degradation of soil as a consequence of land use poses a threat to sustainable agriculture in South Africa, resulting in the need for a soil protection strategy and policy. Development of such a strategy and policy require cognisance of the extent and impact of soil degradation processes. One of the identified processes is the decline of soil organic matter, which also plays a central role in soil health or quality. The spatial variability of organic matter and the impact of grazing and burning under rangeland stock production are addressed in this first part of the review. Data from uncoordinated studies showed that South African soils have low organic matter levels. About 58% of soils contain less than 0.5% organic carbon and only 4% contain more than 2% organic carbon. Furthermore, there are large differences in organic matter content within and between soil forms, depending on climatic conditions, vegetative cover, topographical position and soil texture. A countrywide baseline study to quantify organic matter contents within and between soil forms is suggested for future reference. Degradation of rangeland because of overgrazing has resulted in significant losses of soil organic matter, mainly as a result of lower biomass production. The use of fire in rangeland management decreases soil organic matter because litter is destroyed by burning. Maintaining or increasing organic matter levels in degraded rangeland soils by preventing overgrazing and restricting burning could contribute to the restoration of degraded rangelands. This restoration is of the utmost importance because stock farming uses the majority of land in South Africa.

Invasive Plants on Rangelands: a Global Threat

Science.gov (United States)

Invasive plant species are spreading and invading rangelands at an unprecedented rate costing ranchers billions of dollars to control invasive plants each year. In its simplest form, the invasion process has four primary stages, including introduction, establishment, spread and colonization. Th...

An Application of BLM's Riparian Inventory Procedure to Rangeland Riparian Resources in the Kern and Kaweah River Watersheds

Science.gov (United States)

Patricia Gradek; Lawrence Saslaw; Steven Nelson

1989-01-01

The Bakersfield District of the Bureau of Land Management conducted an inventory of rangeland riparian systems using a new method developed by a Bureau-wide task force to inventory, monitor and classify riparian areas. Data on vegetation composition were collected for 65 miles of streams and entered into a hierarchical vegetation classification system. Ratings of...

Restauración ecológica en la meseta central de Costa Rica

OpenAIRE

Barrientos Llosa, Zaidett; Monge-Nájera, Julian

2016-01-01

Debido al impacto negativo del ser humano sobre los hábitats terrestres y acuáticos, actualmente es necesaria la restauración ecológica de hábitats degradados. Suele confundírsele con la reforestación y la sucesión natural. La restauración ecológica es una actividad tecnológica que recupera en un ecosistema dañado el suelo, el agua, el aire y las especies que lo habitaron originalmente. Resumimos los hallazgos aplicables a la restauración ecológica en Costa Rica, con énfasis en la Meseta Cent...

Botanical Criteria of Baharkish Rangeland in Quchan, Khorasan ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ADOWIE PERE

University of Mashhad International Campus, Mashhad, I.R of IRAN ... ABSTRACT: Rangelands are natural ecosystems containing a range of resources of genetic ..... Ecology of world vegetation. .... Science Journal of Islamic Azad University,.

Agricultural, Runoff, Erosion and Salinity (ARES) Database to Better Evaluate Rangeland State and Sustainability

Science.gov (United States)

Rangelands comprise approximately 40% of the earth’s surface and are the largest land cover type in the world. Degradation from mismanagement, desertification, and drought impact more than 50% of rangelands across the globe. The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has been evaluating means of r...

Rangeland resource trends in the United States: A technical document supporting the 2000 USDA Forest Service RPA Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

John E. Mitchell

2000-01-01

This report documents trends in America's rangelands as required by the Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974. The Forest Service has conducted assessments of the rangeland situation for 30 years. Over this period, rangeland values and uses have gradually shifted from concentrating upon forage production and meeting increasing demand for red meat to a more...

Rehabilitation of community-owned, mixed-use rangelands: Lessons from the Ewaso ecosystem in Kenya

Science.gov (United States)

Globally, 10-20% of arid and semi-arid rangelands have been classified as severely degraded (UNCCD 1994; MEA 2005), and in sub-Saharan Africa specifically, 70% of rangelands are considered moderately to severely degraded (Dregne 1992; UNCCD 1994). Given that these drylands make up 43% of Africa’s la...

Recovery of rangelands : the functioning of soil seed banks in a semi-arid African savanna

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tessema, Z.K.

2011-01-01

Rangelands in Africa provide important forage resources for herbivores; particularly perennial grasses provide grazing for domestic and wild herbivores. However, semi-arid African rangelands experience severe vegetation and soil degradation due to heavy grazing, causing negative impacts

Una filosofía ecológica en Rodolfo Kusch

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Henry Armando Alfonso Salgado

2010-01-01

Full Text Available En su obra filosófica, el pensador argentino Rodolfo Kusch busca desentrañar el pensamiento del indígena y del campesino para poner en evidencia ese aferrado espíritu ecológico de América que está tan arraigado al suelo y a la vida. El suelo no se reduce a los cuatro puntos cardinales, tampoco se divide en suelos diferentes (el suelo es la extensión, sino que indica la situación, anclada en la categoría de “estar”, en la tierra. El pensamiento ecológico de América debe buscarse como una raíz muy profunda sin utilizar la fuerza, puesto que la vida se encuentra arraigada en lo más profundo de la tierra y no debe arrancarse por mediaciones que desnaturalicen los procesos mis- mos de estar en la tierra. De esta forma, el pensar ecológico-cosmológico se convierte en la matriz o en el fundamento de toda una filosofía cosmológica indígena que, a su vez, es la gestora de otras estructuras como la política, la arquitectura, la economía, la religión y otros ámbitos de su organización cultural, bien sea como imperio, civilización o comunidad organizada. Así su concepción cósmica-ecológica es la base o raíz que nace de la semilla sobre la cual se gestan los principales imperios americanos.

Opportunities and obstacles for rangeland conservation in San Diego County, California, USA

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Kathleen A. Farley

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Working landscapes such as rangelands are increasingly recognized as having high conservation value, providing a variety of ecosystem services, including food, fiber, habitat, recreation, open space, carbon storage, and water, in addition to a broad range of social benefits. However, conversion of rangelands to other land uses has been prevalent throughout the western United States, leading to greater attention in the conservation community to the importance of collaborating with private landowners. The level of interest in collaborative conservation among private landowners and the types of conservation programs they choose to participate in depend on the social, economic, and environmental context. We used GIS analysis and interviews with ranchers to evaluate rangeland conversion and participation in conservation programs among ranchers in San Diego County, California, USA, which is part of a biodiversity hotspot with high plant species richness and a large number of endemic and rare species. We found that > 25% of rangelands were converted to other uses, primarily urbanization, over the past 25 years while the area of public rangeland increased by 9%. Interviews revealed that ranchers in San Diego County have had limited involvement with most conservation programs, and a critical factor for nonparticipation was providing programs access to private land, along with other issues related to trust and social values. Among ranchers who had participated in conservation programs, the payment level and the agency or organization administering the program were key factors. Our results provide insight into factors influencing whether and when ranchers are likely to participate in conservation initiatives and illustrate that private and public land conservation are strongly linked and would be more effective if the two strategies were better integrated.

A temática ambiental e o ensino de biologia: o professor enquanto sujeito ecológico

OpenAIRE

Campos, Daniela Bertolucci de [UNESP

2007-01-01

Professores são potencialmente educadores ambientais no ensino formal, mas para que atuem como tal é necessário que ocorra um processo de identificação pessoal e profissional com o ambiental durante a sua trajetória de vida. Segundo Carvalho (2004), professores que passam a cultivar idéias e sensibilidades ecológicas em sua prática educativa estão sendo portadores dos ideais do sujeito ecológico. O sujeito ecológico representa um tipo ideal, que possui um conjunto de atributos e valores ecoló...

The Rangeland Vegetation Simulator: A user-driven system for quantifying production, succession, disturbance and fuels in non-forest environments

Science.gov (United States)

Matt Reeves; Leonardo Frid

2016-01-01

Rangeland landscapes occupy roughly 662 million acres in the coterminous U.S. (Reeves and Mitchell 2011) and their vegetation responds quickly to climate and management, with high relative growth rates and inter-annual variability. Current national decision support systems in the U.S. such as the Interagency Fuels Treatment Decision Support System (IFT-DSS) require...

Sustentabilidade Ecológica do Espeleoturismo na Serra da Bodoquena, Mato Grosso do Sul

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Heros Santos Lobo

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Resumo O presente artigo apresenta uma análise da estrutura e produção do espeleoturismo na Serra da Bodoquena, sob o enfoque do ideário de ecoturismo e da sustentabilidade ecológica. A metodologia de pesquisa incluiu levantamentos documentais e de campo em cavidades naturais turísticas. As discussões apresentam aspectos técnico-metodológicos como caminhos viáveis para um espeleoturismo com princípios ecológicos e conservacionistas. Conclui-se que o espeleoturismo pode se firmar não somente como um segmento, mas também como uma nova forma de se fazer o turismo na Serra da Bodoquena. Para tanto, deve identificar novas possibilidades de procedimentos de gestão e manejo ambiental que possam ir além dos paradigmas e modelos vigentes. Palavras-chave: ecoturismo; espeleoturismo; gestão ambiental; Bonito-MS. Abstract This article presents the results of an analysis of the structure and production of speleotourism at Serra da Bodoquena, based on the precepts of ecotourism and ecological sustainability. The methodology included a survey of documents and fieldwork in natural cavities exploited for tourism. The discussion presents a technical-methodological approach for a speleotourism based on ecology and conservation. The study concludes that speleotourism can be established, not only as a specific market segment, but also as a new kind of tourism in the Serra da Bodoquena. Hence new opportunities for environmental management and control of impacts that may exist beyond the paradigms and current models should be identified. Keywords: ecotourism; speleotourism; environmental management; Bonito-MS. Resumen El presente artículo muestra un análisis de la estructura y producción del espeleoturismo en la Serra da Bodoquena, desde el enfoque de la ideología de ecoturismo y de la sostenibilidad ecológica. La metodología de investigación incluyó investigación documental y de campo en cuevas naturales turísticas. Las

Comparison of LANDSAT-2 and field spectrometer reflectance signatures of south Texas rangeland plant communities

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, A. J.; Escobar, D. E.; Gausman, H. W.; Everitt, J. H. (Principal Investigator)

1982-01-01

The accuracy was assessed for an atmospheric correction method that depends on clear water bodies to infer solar and atmospheric parameters for radiative transfer equations by measuring the reflectance signature of four prominent south Texas rangeland plants with the LANDSAT satellite multispectral scanner (MSS) and a ground based spectroradiometer. The rangeland plant reflectances produced by the two sensors were correlated with no significant deviation of the slope from unity or of the intercept from zero. These results indicated that the atmospheric correction produced LANDSAT MSS estimates of rangeland plant reflectances that are as accurate as the ground based spectroradiometer.

Vegetation restoration on degraded rangelands through the use of microcatchment and brush packs in the communal areas of the Eastern Cape

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Lesoli, MS

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Rangeland degradation results in declining functional capacity, increased poverty, and food insecurity. Major changes in rangeland surface morphology and soil characteristics have a drastic effect on the primary productivity of the rangeland...

Effects of climate change on rangeland vegetation in the Northern Rockies Region [Chapter 7

Science.gov (United States)

Matt C. Reeves; Mary E. Manning; Jeff P. DiBenedetto; Kyle A. Palmquist; William K. Lauenroth; John B. Bradford; Daniel R. Schlaepfer

2018-01-01

Rangelands are dominated by grass, forb, or shrub species, but are usually not modified by using agronomic improvements such as fertilization or irrigation (Lund 2007; Reeves and Mitchell 2011) as these lands would normally be considered pastures. Rangeland includes grassland, shrubland, and desert ecosystems, alpine areas, and some woodlands (box 7.1). This chapter...

Marco para el análisis del tema ecológico en la literatura venezolana

OpenAIRE

María De los Ángeles Martín Hernández

2016-01-01

El propósito del artículo es sistematizar las premisas teóricas que constituyen la base fundamental para el abordaje analítico de los textos literarios con tema ecológico. Se conjugan y sintetizan los planteamientos hallados en la revisión bibliográfica realizada, relacionados con definiciones y caracterizaciones de la vinculación actividad literaria-tema ecológico en el contexto venezolano; se organizan consideraciones que explican la adopción del adjetivo “ecológico” y las vinculaciones eco...

Contrasting watershed-scale trends in runoff and sediment yield complicate rangeland water resources planning

Science.gov (United States)

Berg, Matthew D.; Marcantonio, Franco; Allison, Mead A.; McAlister, Jason; Wilcox, Bradford P.; Fox, William E.

2016-06-01

Rangelands cover a large portion of the earth's land surface and are undergoing dramatic landscape changes. At the same time, these ecosystems face increasing expectations to meet growing water supply needs. To address major gaps in our understanding of rangeland hydrologic function, we investigated historical watershed-scale runoff and sediment yield in a dynamic landscape in central Texas, USA. We quantified the relationship between precipitation and runoff and analyzed reservoir sediment cores dated using cesium-137 and lead-210 radioisotopes. Local rainfall and streamflow showed no directional trend over a period of 85 years, resulting in a rainfall-runoff ratio that has been resilient to watershed changes. Reservoir sedimentation rates generally were higher before 1963, but have been much lower and very stable since that time. Our findings suggest that (1) rangeland water yields may be stable over long periods despite dramatic landscape changes while (2) these same landscape changes influence sediment yields that impact downstream reservoir storage. Relying on rangelands to meet water needs demands an understanding of how these dynamic landscapes function and a quantification of the physical processes at work.

Hydrologic ramifications of an increased role of wildland fire across the rangeland-dry forest continuum

Science.gov (United States)

The increased role of wildland fire across the rangeland-dry forest continuum in the western United States (US) presents landscape-scale consequences relative runoff and erosion. Much of the Intermountain West now exists in a state in which rangeland and woodland wildfires stimulated by invasive che...

Bio solids Effects in Chihuahuan Desert Rangelands: A Ten-Year Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wester, D.B; Sosebee, R.E; Fish, E.B; Villalobos, J.C; Zartman, R.E; Gonzalez, R.M; Jurado, P.; Moffet, C.A

2011-01-01

Arid and semiarid rangelands are suitable for responsible bio solids application. Topical application is critical to avoid soil and vegetation disturbance. Surface-applied bio solids have long-lasting effects in these ecosystems. We conducted a 10-year research program investigating effects of bio solids applied at rates from 0 to 90 dry Mg ha -1 on soil water infiltration; runoff and leachate water quality; soil erosion; forage production and quality; seedling establishment; plant physiological responses; nitrogen dynamics; bio solids decomposition; and grazing animal behavior and management. Bio solids increased soil water infiltration and reduced erosion. Effects on soil water quality were observed only at the highest application rates. Bio solids increased soil nitrate-nitrogen. Bio solids increased forage production and improved forage quality. Bio solids increased leaf area of grasses; photosynthetic rates were not necessarily increased by bio solids. Bio solids effects on plant establishment are expected only under moderately favorable conditions. Over an 82-mo exposure period, total organic carbon, nitrogen, and total and available phosphorus decreased and inorganic matter increased. Grazing animals spent more time grazing, ruminating, and resting in bio solids-treated areas; positive effects on average daily gain were observed during periods of higher rainfall. Our results suggest that annual bio solids application rates of up to 18 Mg ha -1 are appropriate for desert rangelands.

Seasonal food habits of swift fox (Vulpes velox) in cropland and rangeland landscapes in western Kansas

Science.gov (United States)

Sovada, M.A.; Roy, C.C.; Telesco, D.J.

2001-01-01

Food habits of swift foxes (Vulpes velox) occupying two distinct landscapes (dominated by cropland versus rangeland) in western Kansas were determined by analysis of scats collected in 1993 and 1996. Frequencies of occurrence of prey items in scats were compared between cropland and rangeland areas by season. Overall, the most frequently occurring foods of swift foxes were mammals (92% of all scats) and arthropods (87%), followed by birds (24%), carrion (23%), plants (15%) and reptiles (4%). No differences were detected between landscapes for occurrence of mammals, arthropods or carrion in any season (P ≥ 0.100). Plants, specifically commercial sunflower seeds, were consumed more frequently in cropland than in rangeland in spring (P = 0.004) and fall (P = 0.001). Birds were more common in the swift fox diet in cropland than in rangeland during the fall (P = 0.008), whereas reptiles occurred more frequently in the diet in rangeland than in cropland during spring (P = 0.042). Variation in the diet of the swift fox between areas was most likely due to its opportunistic foraging behavior, resulting in a diet that closely links prey use with availability.

Monitoring of livestock grazing effects on Bureau of Land Management land

Science.gov (United States)

Veblen, Kari E.; Pyke, David A.; Aldridge, Cameron L.; Casazza, Michael L.; Assal, Timothy J.; Farinha, Melissa A.

2013-01-01

Public land management agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), are charged with managing rangelands throughout the western United States for multiple uses, such as livestock grazing and conservation of sensitive species and their habitats. Monitoring of condition and trends of these rangelands, particularly with respect to effects of livestock grazing, provides critical information for effective management of these multiuse landscapes. We therefore investigated the availability of livestock grazing-related quantitative monitoring data and qualitative region-specific Land Health Standards (LHS) data across BLM grazing allotments in the western United States. We then queried university and federal rangeland science experts about how best to prioritize rangeland monitoring activities. We found that the most commonly available monitoring data were permittee-reported livestock numbers and season-of-use data (71% of allotments) followed by repeat photo points (58%), estimates of forage utilization (52%), and, finally, quantitative vegetation measurements (37%). Of the 57% of allotments in which LHS had been evaluated as of 2007, the BLM indicated 15% had failed to meet LHS due to livestock grazing. A full complement of all types of monitoring data, however, existed for only 27% of those 15%. Our data inspections, as well as conversations with rangeland experts, indicated a need for greater emphasis on collection of grazing-related monitoring data, particularly ground cover. Prioritization of where monitoring activities should be focused, along with creation of regional monitoring teams, may help improve monitoring. Overall, increased emphasis on monitoring of BLM rangelands will require commitment at multiple institutional levels.

Assessing Rangeland Attributes On Semi-Arid Zone Of North Darfur State Sudan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed Almontasir A. M. Mohamed

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract The study was conducted over a two years period of 2012 and 2013 at three sites of Alfashir locality Ummarahik 25km north of Alfashir Fashar in eastern part of Alfashir about 5km and Berka 30km west of Alfashir Western Sudan in semi-arid zone. The aim of this study was to assess rangeland attributes. Measurements of plant density vegetation cover range production and carrying capacity were assessed. Results showed that total forage production was low and inadequate to satisfy requirements of livestock for inhabiting the area average range production all over the area was found to be 50.68 kgha and 59.21 kgha for the seasons 2012 and 2013 respectively. The average ground cover was about 34.71 and 42.41 for two seasons. The average plant density for the first season was 27.1 plantm2 while the average plant density for the second season was 29.4 plantm2. The study concluded that unwise utilization and exploitation of the rangelands particularly by man causes range deterioration and serious reduction in range production in both quantity and quality so the study suggested that improvement and rehabilitation such lands rangelands should be done. Further research work is needed to assess rangeland attributes across different ecological zones in North Darfur State.

China's Rangelands under Stress : A comparative study of pasture commons in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ho, P.P.S.

2000-01-01

China's economic reforms have exacerbated the problems of over-grazing and desertification in the country's pastoral areas. In order to deal with rangeland degradation, the Chinese government has resorted to nationalization, or semi-privatization. Since the implementation of rangeland policy has

Forests, rangelands and climate change in Southern Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Naidoo, Sasha

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This paper provides an analysis of the implications of climate change for forests and rangelands in southern Africa. The extent of the resources and their economic and social functions and drivers of change is outlined. The vulnerability...

Runoff and soil erosion from two rangeland sites

Science.gov (United States)

Historically over 50 years of rainfall/runoff research using rainfall simulators has been conducted at various rangeland sites in the West, however these sites rarely have consecutive yearly measurements. This limits the understanding of dynamic annual conditions and the interactions of grazing, pla...

Grasshopper (Orthoptera: Acrididae) community composition in the rangeland of the northern slopes of The Qilian Mountains in northwestern China.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, T; Liu, Z Y; Qin, L P; Long, R J

2015-01-01

In order to describe grasshopper (Orthoptera: Acrididae) species composition, diversity, abundance, and density of four rangelands types, we compared the grasshopper community composition and dynamics in the rangeland of the northern slopes of the Qilian Mountains. In total, 55 grasshopper species were collected from 2007 to 2009, representing three families and six subfamilies. The subfamily Oedipodinae was dominant, followed by Gomphocerinae and Catantopinae. Species abundance varied among rangeland types (RTs). The greatest abundance of grasshoppers was found in mountain rangeland, while the lowest abundance of grasshoppers was caught in alpine shrublands. Three species (Chorthippus cf. brunneus (Thunberg) (Acrididae), Chorthippus Dubius (Zubovski), and Gomphocerus licenti (Chang) were broadly distributed in the four RTs and constituted 7.5% of all grasshoppers collected. Ch. dubius was very abundant in desert rangeland and alpine shrubland. Bryodema dolichoptera Yin et Feng Eremippus qilianshanensis Lian and Zheng, and Filchnerella qilianshanensis Xi and Zheng (Pamphagidae) were endemic to the region of the Qilian Mountains. Species similarity between RTs ranged from 17.8 to 51.6 based on the Renkonen index. Similarly, the Sörensen index indicated a wide separation in species composition among RTs. The abundance of the eight most common species showed obvious differences among RTs and years. On average, mountain rangeland had the highest density values in 2007 and 2008, and alpine shrubland supported the smallest density. The densities in desert and mountain rangeland in 2007 were significantly higher than in 2008, while alpine rangeland and shrublands did not present obvious differences among years. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.

Una mirada actual del modelo ecológico de Florence Nightingale

OpenAIRE

Germán-Bes, Concepción

2011-01-01

Introducción: La celebración del centenario de Florence Nightingale y la iniciativa de la Fundación Index de la lectura continuada en voz alta, nos ha permitido reflexionar en la obra “Notas de Enfermería”, cuyo objetivo se ha centrado en los contenidos ecológicos de la misma. Método: Realizamos un “análisis de contenido” del texto buscando lo ecológico y ambiental y se han contrastado con las posibles influencias o concordancia con autores de su época y con lo que son hoy los conceptos de sa...

Multiscale sagebrush rangeland habitat modeling in southwest Wyoming

Science.gov (United States)

Homer, Collin G.; Aldridge, Cameron L.; Meyer, Debra K.; Coan, Michael J.; Bowen, Zachary H.

2009-01-01

Sagebrush-steppe ecosystems in North America have experienced dramatic elimination and degradation since European settlement. As a result, sagebrush-steppe dependent species have experienced drastic range contractions and population declines. Coordinated ecosystem-wide research, integrated with monitoring and management activities, would improve the ability to maintain existing sagebrush habitats. However, current data only identify resource availability locally, with rigorous spatial tools and models that accurately model and map sagebrush habitats over large areas still unavailable. Here we report on an effort to produce a rigorous large-area sagebrush-habitat classification and inventory with statistically validated products and estimates of precision in the State of Wyoming. This research employs a combination of significant new tools, including (1) modeling sagebrush rangeland as a series of independent continuous field components that can be combined and customized by any user at multiple spatial scales; (2) collecting ground-measured plot data on 2.4-meter imagery in the same season the satellite imagery is acquired; (3) effective modeling of ground-measured data on 2.4-meter imagery to maximize subsequent extrapolation; (4) acquiring multiple seasons (spring, summer, and fall) of an additional two spatial scales of imagery (30 meter and 56 meter) for optimal large-area modeling; (5) using regression tree classification technology that optimizes data mining of multiple image dates, ratios, and bands with ancillary data to extrapolate ground training data to coarser resolution sensors; and (6) employing rigorous accuracy assessment of model predictions to enable users to understand the inherent uncertainties. First-phase results modeled eight rangeland components (four primary targets and four secondary targets) as continuous field predictions. The primary targets included percent bare ground, percent herbaceousness, percent shrub, and percent litter. The

Impact of Rangeland Degradation on Soil Physical, Chemical

African Journals Online (AJOL)

major threats to enhance a sustainable pastoral-livestock production in Ethiopia. ... overall negative impact on the soil physical and chemical characteristics, demanding ... chemical properties (Gemedo et al., 2006) as well as the rangeland .... parameters such as life forms (annuals and perennials), plant forms (woody plant,.

Rangeland Ecosystem Services: Nature's Supply and Humans' Demand

Science.gov (United States)

Ecosystem services are the benefits that society receives from nature and they include the regulation of climate, the pollination of crops, the provisioning of intellectual inspiration and recreational environment, as well as many essential goods such as food, fiber, and wood. Rangeland ecosystem se...

Sediment budgets and source determinations using fallout Cesium-137 in a semiarid rangeland watershed, Arizona, USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritchie, Jerry C.; Nearing, Mark A.; Rhoton, Fred E.

2009-01-01

Analysis of soil redistribution and sediment sources in semiarid and arid watersheds provides information for implementing management practices to improve rangeland conditions and reduce sediment loads to streams. The purpose of this research was to develop sediment budgets and identify potential sediment sources using 137 Cs and other soil properties in a series of small semiarid subwatersheds on the USDA ARS Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed near Tombstone, Arizona, USA. Soils were sampled in a grid pattern on two small subwatersheds and along transects associated with soils and geomorphology on six larger subwatersheds. Soil samples were analyzed for 137 Cs and selected physical and chemical properties (i.e., bulk density, rocks, particle size, soil organic carbon). Suspended sediment samples collected at measuring flume sites on the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed were also analyzed for these properties. Soil redistribution measured using 137 Cs inventories for a small shrub-dominated subwatershed and a small grass-dominated subwatershed found eroding areas in these subwatersheds were losing -5.6 and -3.2 t ha -1 yr -1 , respectively; however, a sediment budget for each of these subwatersheds, including depositional areas, found net soil loss to be -4.3 t ha -1 yr -1 from the shrub-dominated subwatershed and -0.1 t ha -1 yr -1 from the grass-dominated subwatershed. Generally, the suspended sediment collected at the flumes of the six other subwatersheds was enriched in silt and clay. Using a mixing model to determine sediment source indicated that shrub-dominated subwatersheds were contributing most of the suspended sediment that was measured at the outlet flume of the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed. The two methodologies (sediment budgets and sediment source analyses) indicate that shrub-dominated systems provide more suspended sediment to the stream systems. The sediment budget studies also suggest that sediment yields measured at the outlet of a

Géographie de l´Ecole et géographie à l´Ecole. (Etude du fichier des thèses de 1990 à 1994.)

OpenAIRE

Chevalier, Jean-Pierre

1997-01-01

La décennie des années 90 est marquée par un développement des travaux de thèses en géographie portant soit sur l´Ecole, soit sur la didactique de la discipline. Certaines font de l´Ecole un objet géographique, d´autres étudient l´enseignement de la géographie, ce sont ces dernières qui relèvent de préoccupations plus proprement didactiques. Nous distinguons donc “géographie de l´Ecole” et “géographie à l´Ecole”. Nous avons étudié le fichier des thèses soutenues et des sujets de thèses dépos...

Yield Response of Mediterranean Rangelands under a Changing Climate

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Daliakopoulos, Ioannis N.; Panagea, Ioanna S.; Tsanis, Ioannis K.; Grillakis, Manolis G.; Koutroulis, Aristeidis G.; Hessel, Rudi; Mayor, Angeles G.; Ritsema, Coen J.

2017-01-01

Understanding the Mediterranean rangelands degradation trends is a key element of mitigating their vulnerability and enhancing their resilience. Climate change and its inherent effects on mean temperature and the precipitation variability can regulate the magnitude, frequency and duration of

Remote sensing data in Rangeland assessment and monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamid, Amna Ahmed; Ali, Mohamed M.

1999-01-01

The main objective of the paper is to illustrate the potential of remote sensing data in the study and monitoring of environmental changes in western Sudan where considerable part of the area is under rangeland use. Data from NOAA satellite AVHRR sensor as well as thematic mapper Tm was used to assess the environment of the area during 1982-1997. The AVHRR data was processed into vegetation index (NDVI) images. Image analysis and classification was done using image display and analysis (IDA) GIS method to study vegetation condition in time series. The obtained information from field observations. The result showed high correlation between the information the work concluded the followings: NDVI images and thematic mapper data proved to be efficient in environment change analysis. NOAA AVHRR satellite data can provide an early-warning indicator of an approaching disaster. Remote sensing integrated into a GIS can contribute effectively to improve land management through better understanding of environment variability.(Author)

A fuzzy multi-objective linear programming approach for integrated sheep farming and wildlife in land management decisions: a case study in the Patagonian rangelands

Science.gov (United States)

Metternicht, Graciela; Blanco, Paula; del Valle, Hector; Laterra, Pedro; Hardtke, Leonardo; Bouza, Pablo

2015-04-01

Wildlife is part of the Patagonian rangelands sheep farming environment, with the potential of providing extra revenue to livestock owners. As sheep farming became less profitable, farmers and ranchers could focus on sustainable wildlife harvesting. It has been argued that sustainable wildlife harvesting is ecologically one of the most rational forms of land use because of its potential to provide multiple products of high value, while reducing pressure on ecosystems. The guanaco (Lama guanicoe) is the most conspicuous wild ungulate of Patagonia. Guanaco ?bre, meat, pelts and hides are economically valuable and have the potential to be used within the present Patagonian context of production systems. Guanaco populations in South America, including Patagonia, have experienced a sustained decline. Causes for this decline are related to habitat alteration, competition for forage with sheep, and lack of reasonable management plans to develop livelihoods for ranchers. In this study we propose an approach to explicitly determinate optimal stocking rates based on trade-offs between guanaco density and livestock grazing intensity on rangelands. The focus of our research is on finding optimal sheep stocking rates at paddock level, to ensure the highest production outputs while: a) meeting requirements of sustainable conservation of guanacos over their minimum viable population; b) maximizing soil carbon sequestration, and c) minimizing soil erosion. In this way, determination of optimal stocking rate in rangelands becomes a multi-objective optimization problem that can be addressed using a Fuzzy Multi-Objective Linear Programming (MOLP) approach. Basically, this approach converts multi-objective problems into single-objective optimizations, by introducing a set of objective weights. Objectives are represented using fuzzy set theory and fuzzy memberships, enabling each objective function to adopt a value between 0 and 1. Each objective function indicates the satisfaction of

Rangeland restoration for Hirola, the world's most endangered antelope

Science.gov (United States)

Rangeland restoration can improve habitat for threatened species such as the hirola antelope (Beatragus hunteri) that inhabit savannas of eastern Kenya. However, restoration success likely varies across soil types and target restoration species, as well as according to restoration approach. We teste...

Rangeland degradation in two watersheds of Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darwish, T; Faour, G.

2008-01-01

A complex and rugged nature characterizes the Lebanese mountains.The climatic pattern prevailing in the country, deforestation and man made erosion caused increased rangeland degradation. The purpose of this study was to monitor two contrasting watersheds, representing the Lebanese agro-ecological zones, to analyze the vegetation dynamics and trace the state of rangeland degradation. The Kfarselouane (205 km2) and Aarsal (316.7 km2) watersheds are located in the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountain chain and characterized by sub humid and semi-arid climate respectively.Using multitemporal spot vegetation images between 1999 and 2005 to analyze the normalized differential vegetation index (NDVI) revealed some improvement of the vegetation cover over recent years in Kfaselouane with a steady state in Aarsal. The NDVI trend curve inclines in spring and declines in summer and fall. Judging by the time scale amplitude change and highest magnitude between the peak and lower NDVI level in Aarsal, an increased vulnerability to drought is observed in the dry Lebanese areas. Comparing land cover/use in Aarsal area between 1962 and 2000 using aerial photos and large resolution Indian satellite images (IRS) showed wood fragmentation and slight increase of the degenerated forest cover from 1108 ha to 1168 ha. Landuse change was accompanied by a simultaneous increase of cultivated lands (mostly fruit trees) from 932 ha to 4878 ha with absence of soil conservation and water harvesting practices. On the contrary, grasslands decreased from 29581 ha to 25000 ha. In Kfarselouane, the area of grassland was invaded by forestland where rangeland decreased from 8073 ha to 3568 ha and woodland increased from 5766 ha to 11800 ha. Forest expansion occurred even at the account of unproductive land which decreased from 2668 ha to 248 ha, while cultivated lands did not reveal any substantial change. Based on animals' seasonal feeding pattern, a mismatch between land carrying capacity and grazing

Ecology and Conservation of Acacia senegal in the Rangelands ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ecology and Conservation of Acacia senegal in the Rangelands ofLuwero and Nakasongola Districts. Jacob Godfrey Agea, Joseph Obua, Sara Namirembe, Mukadasi Buyinza, Daniel Waiswa. Abstract. No Abstract. Full Text: EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL ...

Advances in modeling soil erosion after disturbance on rangelands

Science.gov (United States)

Research has been undertaken to develop process based models that predict soil erosion rate after disturbance on rangelands. In these models soil detachment is predicted as a combination of multiple erosion processes, rain splash and thin sheet flow (splash and sheet) detachment and concentrated flo...

Integrating Science and Land Management for the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) in Southwestern Rangelands

Science.gov (United States)

Goodrich, D. C.; Heilman, P.; Nearing, M.; Speath, K.; Hernandez, M.; Wei, H.; Holifield-Collins, C.; Kautz, M.; Nichols, M.; Barlow, J.; Guertin, P.; Burns, S.; Stone, J. J.; Weltz, M.; Metz, L.; Norfleet, L.; Duriancik, L.; Johnson, M.

2013-12-01

Farm Bill legislation enacted by Congress in 2002 directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assess of the benefits and efficacy of conservation practices provided by a variety of USDA programs. Benefits include improved agricultural production, reduction of erosion and associated nutrient losses, improved water quality, improved soil resilience, and improved habitat among others. To conduct the assessment, the USDA initiated CEAP or the Conservation Effects Assessment Project in 2003, which included a national assessment complemented by small watershed studies. The national assessment started in eastern and midwestern cultivated croplands and has now progressed to western rangelands. This presentation will discuss the challenges of assessing the effects of rangeland conservation practices in a period of unusually hot and dry climatic conditions in the Cienega Creek Watershed (CCW) located southeast of Tucson, Arizona. As is common in the western U.S., the CCW consists of a patchwork of private and public lands in the west with much of the public lands leased for grazing cattle. The watershed also has high recreational value and provides many ecosystem services, including wildlife habitat qualities and flood protection to Tucson. A combination of monitoring, modeling, and remote sensing was utilized in the assessment. Conservation spending in the watershed ramped up in 1997. However, the 16-year period from 1997-2012 contains almost half of the 23 driest seasons (lowest 20 percentile) from the 117-year observed precipitation record. Initial results indicate that Landsat remotely sensed images can be effectively used to estimate both green and senescent canopy cover. This enabled detection of the impacts of drought and changes in canopy cover from practices such as prescribed fire and mechanical brush removal. Cienega Creek Watershed - Land Ownership

Natureza, ecologia e cultura: bases para uma abordagem ao projeto ecológico

OpenAIRE

Silva, Paula Gomes da

2013-01-01

A sensibilidade ao contexto natural, mais tarde identificado como contexto ecológico, constitui um aspecto fundamental da arquitectura paisagista. Simultaneamente, a criação de espaços de paisagem como produto cultural, motivado e apreciado no âmbito de convenções estéticas é também uma das características fundamentais da profissão. A dupla ligação à natureza (ciência) e à cultura (arte) tem sido motivadora de profundos conflitos. O projecto ecológico, que se consolidou como uma corrente proj...

Ranch business planning and resource monitoring for rangeland sustainability

Science.gov (United States)

Kristie A. Maczko; John A. Tanaka; Michael Smith; Cindy Garretson-Weibel; Stanley F. Hamilton; John E. Mitchell; Gene Fults; Charles Stanley; Dick Loper; Larry D. Bryant; J. K. (Rooter) Brite

2012-01-01

Aligning a rancher's business plan goals with the capability of the ranch's rangeland resources improves the viability and sustainability of family ranches. Strategically monitoring the condition of soil, water, vegetation, wildlife, livestock production, and economics helps inform business plan goals. Business planning and resource monitoring help keep...

Ecology and utilization of desert shrub rangelands in Iraq

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Thalen, Derk Catharinus Peter

1979-01-01

When grazing is the accepted land use, vegetation is the key resource. The present study deals with the desert shrub rangelands of lraq, which contain the major characteristics of such an area, having been under grazing for many centuries. Emphasis is given to the ecology and utilization of the

Effects of Soil Management Practices on Water Erosion under Natural Rainfall Conditions on a Humic Dystrudept

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vinicius Ferreira Chaves de Souza

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Water erosion is the main cause of soil degradation and is influenced by rainfall, soil, topography, land use, soil cover and management, and conservation practices. The objective of this study was to quantify water erosion in a Humic Dystrudept in two experiments. In experiment I, treatments consisted of different rates of fertilizer applied to the soil surface under no-tillage conditions. In experiment II, treatments consisted of a no-tillage in natural rangeland, burned natural rangeland and natural rangeland. Forage turnip, black beans, common vetch, and corn were used in rotation in the treatments with crops in the no-tillage during study period. The treatments with crops and the burned rangeland and natural rangeland were compared to a bare soil control, without cultivation and without fertilization. Increasing fertilization rates increased organic carbon content, soil resistance to disintegration, and the macropore volume of the soil, due to the increase in the dry mass of the crops, resulting in an important reduction in water erosion. The exponential model of the ŷ = ae-bx type satisfactorily described the reduction in water and soil losses in accordance with the increase in fertilization rate and also described the decrease in soil losses in accordance with the increase in dry mass of the crops. Water erosion occurred in the following increasing intensity: in natural rangeland, in cultivated natural rangeland, and in burned natural rangeland. Water erosion had less effect on water losses than on soil losses, regardless of the soil management practices.

The value of milk in rangelands in Mandera County, Kenya

Science.gov (United States)

Ngugi, Keziah; Ertsen, Maurits

2015-04-01

Lack of water over expansive regions in Greater Horn of Africa created the rangelands and rangelands created pastoralism. Pastoralism involve keeping of large livestock herds and movement in search of resources, mainly water, pasture, medicine and wild foods. Several studies have been done in the last century and findings pointed at pastoralism being primitive and unsustainable. It has been predicted it would die in the last century but in the rangelands, pastoralism lives on and it is resilient. This study is based in Mandera, a pastoralism county in Kenya that neighbors Ethiopia to the North and Somalia to the East. The study sought to investigate contribution of milk to pastoralism resilience. Interviews were conducted in the field among the pastoralists, women groups, transporters, traders, government officials and consumers of milk. These information was corroborated with actual field investigations in the expansive rangelands of Mandera County. Pastoralists rarely slaughter or sell their livestock even when the animals waste away during droughts. This is because they have been through such cycles before and observed livestock make tremendous recovery when the right conditions were restored. Rangelands lack infrastructure, there are no roads, schools, telephone or hospitals. Pastoralists diet is comprised of rice, wheat and milk. It was established milk was the main source of income among pastoralists in Mandera County. From milk, the pastoralists make income that is used to purchase the other foodstuffs. Milk is available on daily basis in large quantities owing to the large number of livestock. Unfortunately, every pastoralist household produce copious amounts of milk, thus no local demand and transport infrastructure is nonexistent, making sale of milk a near impossible task. The findings showed the pastoralists have established unique routes through which milk reach the markets in urban centers where demand is high. Urbanization sustain pastoralism. These

A potential to monitor nutrients as an indicator of rangeland quality using space borne remote sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramoelo, A; Madonsela, S; Mathieu, R; Van der Korchove, R; Kaszta, Z; Wolf, E; Cho, M A

2014-01-01

Global change consisting of land use and climate change could have huge impacts on food security and the health of various ecosystems. Leaf nitrogen (N) is one of the key factors limiting agricultural production and ecosystem functioning. Leaf N can be used as an indicator of rangeland quality which could provide information for the farmers, decision makers, land planners and managers. Leaf N plays a crucial role in understanding the feeding patterns and distribution of wildlife and livestock. Assessment of this vegetation parameter using conventional methods at landscape scale level is time consuming and tedious. Remote sensing provides a synoptic view of the landscape, which engenders an opportunity to assess leaf N over wider rangeland areas from protected to communal areas. Estimation of leaf N has been successful during peak productivity or high biomass and limited studies estimated leaf N in dry season. The objective of this study is to monitor leaf N as an indicator of rangeland quality using WorldView 2 satellite images in the north-eastern part of South Africa. Series of field work to collect samples for leaf N were undertaken in the beginning of May (end of wet season) and July (dry season). Several conventional and red edge based vegetation indices were computed. Simple regression was used to develop prediction model for leaf N. Using bootstrapping, indicator of precision and accuracy were analyzed to select a best model for the combined data sets (May and July). The may model for red edge based simple ratio explained over 90% of leaf N variations. The model developed from the combined data sets with normalized difference vegetation index explained 62% of leaf N variation, and this is a model used to estimate and map leaf N for two seasons. The study demonstrated that leaf N could be monitored using high spatial resolution with the red edge band capability

A synoptic review of U.S. rangelands: a technical document supporting the Forest Service 2010 RPA Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Matthew Clark Reeves; John E. Mitchell

2012-01-01

The Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 requires the USDA Forest Service to conduct assessments of resource conditions. This report fulfills that need and focuses on quantifying extent, productivity, and health of U.S. rangelands. Since 1982, the area of U.S. rangelands has decreased at an average rate of 350,000 acres per year owed mostly to conversion to...

Ecosystem water availability in juniper versus sagebrush snow-dominated rangelands

Science.gov (United States)

Western Juniper (J. occidentalis Hook.) now dominates over 3.6 million ha of rangeland in the Intermountain Western US. Critical ecological relationships among snow distribution, water budgets, plant community transitions, and habitat requirements for wildlife, such as sage grouse, remain poorly und...

Parameterization of erodibility in the Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model

Science.gov (United States)

The magnitude of erosion from a hillslope is governed by the availability of sediment and connectivity of runoff and erosion processes. For undisturbed rangelands, sediment is primarily detached and transported by rainsplash and sheetflow (splash-sheet) processes in isolated bare batches, but sedime...

Amazônia socioambiental: sustentabilidade ecológica e diversidade social

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deborah Lima

2005-08-01

Full Text Available ESTE ARTIGO baseia-se no emprego de um conceito central do discurso ambientalista - o de sustentabilidade ecológica - para construir um quadro analítico da diversidade socioambiental da Amazônia contemporânea. O exercício consiste em um ordenamento geral de categorias sociais segundo seu comportamento ambiental. Este é o ponto de partida para uma análise dos fundamentos históricos, econômicos e culturais da sustentabilidade ecológica atribuída a cada segmento social. A análise mostra a complexidade da interação entre múltiplos fatores que explicam o comportamento ecológico particular de cada um dos seguintes segmentos sociais considerados: a povos indígenas de comércio esporádico, b povos indígenas de comércio recorrente, c povos indígenas dependentes da produção mercantil, d pequenos produtores "tradicionais", e latifúndios "tradicionais", f latifúndios recentes, g migrantes/ fronteira, h grandes projetos e i exploradores itinerantes. Com este exercício, alguns estereótipos consagrados são contrariados, como aqueles que relacionam baixa sustentabilidade ecológica com pobreza, ou alta sustentabilidade ecológica com identidade indígena. Concluímos mostrando a importância de prosseguir com análises de amplo espectro para entender a diversidade socioambiental da Amazônia.WITH ONE of the central concepts of environmental discourse - that of ecological sustainability - we analyse the social diversity of contemporary Amazonia, presenting classification of Amazonian social segments according to the degree of environmental sustainability of their productive activities. With no intention of covering all of Amazonian social diversity, we identify nine of its main segments: Indians of sporadic commerce, Indians of recurrent commerce, Indians dependent on mercantile production, traditional peasants, traditional ranchers, recently established ranchers, frontier migrants, large scale entrepreneurial projects, and itinerant

Use of biosolids to enhance rangeland forage quality.

Science.gov (United States)

McFarland, Michael J; Vasquez, Issaak Romero; Vutran, MaiAnh; Schmitz, Mark; Brobst, Robert B

2010-05-01

Biosolids land application was demonstrated to be a potentially cost-effective means for restoring forage productivity and enhancing soil-moisture-holding capacity on disturbed rangelands. By land-applying aerobically digested, anaerobically digested, composted, and lime-stabilized biosolids on rangeland test plots at rates of up to 20 times (20X) the estimated nitrogen-based agronomic rate, forage yields were found to increase from 132.8 kg/ha (118.2 lb/ac) (control plots) to 1182.3 kg/ha (1052.8 lb/ac). Despite the environmental benefits associated with increased forage yield (e.g., reduced soil erosion, improved drainage, and enhanced terrestrial carbon sequestration), the type of forage generated both before and after biosolids land application was found to be dominated by invasive weeds, all of which were characterized as having fair to poor nutritional value. Opportunistic and shallow rooting invasive weeds not only have marginal nutritional value, they also limit the establishment of native perennial grasses and thus biodiversity. Many of the identified invasive species (e.g., Cheatgrass) mature early, a characteristic that significantly increases the fuel loads that support the increased frequency and extent of western wildfires.

Agroforestry potential of Acacia senegal in the rangelands of luwero ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Agroforestry potential of Acacia senegal in the rangelands of luwero and Nakasongola districts. Jacob Godfrey Agea, Joseph Obua, Sara Namirembe, Mukadasi Buyinza, Daniel Waiswa. Abstract. No Abstract. Full Text: EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT.

Session A6 Rangelands as dynamic systems — Fragmentation of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Biological complexity in rangelands arises from spatially-linked ecological states and processes. Herbivores, humans and other agents integrate distinct spatial units into complex systems by moving among and exploiting these units. Spatial heterogeneity plays a central role in the structure and function of grazed ...

Bajo el signo del miedo ecológico global: la imbricación de lo sagrado en la conciencia ecológica europea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jose Manuel Echavarren

2010-01-01

Full Text Available La situación de crisis ecológica actual ha provocado un clima de miedo que afecta a amplios sectores de la sociedad. En el presente artículo se estudia cómo el miedo medioambiental influye en las actitudes y prácticas ecocéntricas por parte de la población europea, y cómo se imbrica a su vez con una interpretación sagrada del medio. La religión se puede considerar una respuesta cultural a miedos colectivos, y aquí se analiza cómo reacciona ante los nuevos miedos medioambientales del cambio de siglo. En particular interesa el caso de la ecorreligiosidad de nuevo cuño denominada por Giner y Tàbara Piedad Cósmica. Los datos se extraen de la encuesta ISSP Environment del año 2000, trabajando sobre una muestra de trece países europeos. Los resultados muestran que el miedo medioambiental es un activador de la conducta ecológica y que la Piedad Cósmica en particular destaca por su compromiso medioambiental.

Geospatial Data as a Service: The GEOGLAM Rangelands and Pasture Productivity Map Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, B. J. K.; Antony, J.; Guerschman, J. P.; Larraondo, P. R.; Richards, C. J.

2017-12-01

Empowering end-users like pastoralists, land management specialists and land policy makers in the use of earth observation data for both day-to-day and seasonal planning needs both interactive delivery of multiple geospatial datasets and the capability of supporting on-the-fly dynamic queries while simultaneously fostering a community around the effort. The use of and wide adoption of large data archives, like those produced by earth observation missions, are often limited by compute and storage capabilities of the remote user. We demonstrate that wide-scale use of large data archives can be facilitated by end-users dynamically requesting value-added products using open standards (WCS, WMS, WPS), with compute running in the cloud or dedicated data-centres and visualizing outputs on web-front ends. As an example, we will demonstrate how a tool called GSKY can empower a remote end-user by providing the data delivery and analytics capabilities for the GEOGLAM Rangelands and Pasture Productivity (RAPP) Map tool. The GEOGLAM RAPP initiative from the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and its Agricultural Monitoring subgroup aims at providing practical tools to end-users focusing on the important role of rangelands and pasture systems in providing food production security from both agricultural crops and animal protein. Figure 1, is a screen capture from the RAPP Map interface for an important pasture area in the Namibian rangelands. The RAPP Map has been in production for six months and has garnered significant interest from groups and users all over the world. GSKY, being formulated around the theme of Open Geospatial Data-as-a-Service capabilities uses distributed computing and storage to facilitate this. It works behind the scenes, accepting OGC standard requests in WCS, WMS and WPS. Results from these requests are rendered on a web-front end. In this way, the complexities of data locality and compute execution are masked from an end user. On-the-fly computation of

A review of climate change effects on terrestrial rangeland birds

Science.gov (United States)

D. M. Finch; K. E. Bagne; M. M. Friggens; D. M. Smith; K. M. Brodhead

2011-01-01

We evaluated existing literature on predicted and known climate change effects on terrestrial rangeland birds. We asked the following questions: 1) How does climate change affect birds? 2) How will birds respond to climate change? 3) Are species already responding? 4) How will habitats be impacted?

Determining termite diversity in arid Namibian rangelands – a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Three methods of sampling termite diversity in arid rangelands were tested in Namibia during the wet (March) and dry (October) seasons of 1998. Six sites were chosen: one pair on each of three farms representing a gradient of land use intensity. At each site, two adjacent plots of 1 ha each were sampled: one plot by a ...

Ambiente ecológico e mundo vivido: aproximações possíveis entre a fenomenologia de Merleau-Ponty e a Filosofia Ecológica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabrina Balthazar Ramos Ferreira

2017-05-01

Full Text Available O problema mente-corpo esteve na base das discussões filosóficas ao longo de grande parte da história do pensamento ocidental. Com relação à Filosofia da Mente, inúmeros foram os trabalhos que divergiram quanto à separação ou não entre a mente e o corpo, a constituição de ambos ou mesmo a existência do primeiro. Nesse trabalho, abordaremos a posição de Maurice Merleau-Ponty quanto ao dualismo em sua obra A Fenomenologia da Percepção, sua saída para superá-lo e a intrínseca relação do homem com o mundo. Quanto a este último aspecto, buscaremos estabelecer um diálogo com a ideia de ambiente ecológico, abordada pela Filosofia Ecológica, apontando os fatores em comum entre os dois pensamentos filosóficos.

Implicancias ecológicas de la priorización económica en el paisaje cultural. Determinante de orden y sustentabilidad

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diego Subercaseaux-Ugarte

2013-01-01

Full Text Available La aproximación sistémica y la transdisciplinariedad son fundamentales para tratar la situación ecológica-territorial actual. El paisaje cultural corresponde a un objeto de estudio epistemológicamente adecuado ante la problemática de la sustentabilidad. La racionalidad económica prioriza la maximización del lucro económico frente al diseño del paisaje cultural (dimensión económica. Se definen 16 principios propios del determinante de orden económico, donde se identifican sus efectos en la estructura del paisaje y las consecuencias ecológicas. Sucede una disminución de la conectividad y de la diversidad ecológica del paisaje cultural, de su potencial de resiliencia y restauración, un desacoplamiento entre la autopoiesis y la adaptación, y así una disminución de su adaptabilidad ecológica. Esto finalmente genera una insustentabilidad de los servicios ecológicos vitales para nuestra sociedad.

Innovative Approaches by Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal Library

OpenAIRE

Dumont, Richard; Dupuis, Marie-Helene; Focault, Luc; Hiller, Marc; Proulx, Madeline

2005-01-01

Librarians are better able to respond to the needs of their end users while supporting the goals of their institution. This is illustrated through five recent initiatives undertaken by the Library of Ecole Polytechnique in direct support of institutional research activities: Master’s and Ph. D. students develop information skills through the preparation of a portfolio on their research topic. This assignment forms part of an information literacy laboratory within a research methodology cour...

Tècniques de maneig de pomera (Malus domestica Borkhausen) en agricultura ecològica

OpenAIRE

Alins Valls, Georgina

2009-01-01

En la darrera dècada, la superfície en agricultura ecològica a Europa ha experimentat unfort augment, però la producció de fruita dolça encara no arriba a l'1% de la producció totaldegut a les dificultats tècniques que comporta. La producció de pomes en agricultura ecològica planteja tota una sèrie de reptes com l'elecció de la varietat, el control de plagues, malalties i flora arvense i l'aclarida, entre altres. El treball realitzat en aquesta tesi ha tingut com a objectiu incrementar el con...

International entrepreneurship and effectuation: the Yaguara Ecológico Coffee case

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Paula Porto

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of the entrepreneur and the characteristics of the internationalization process for Yaguara Ecológico, a small Brazilian coffee producer, in the light of different theoretical approaches. A literature review was done with special attention given to the theories of International Entrepreneurship and Effectuation. This paper deals with the International New Venture phenomenon (OVIATT; McDOUGALL, 1994, and in order to understand the importance of entrepreneurs in a company's internationalization process, the Effectuation theory was chosen that offers alternatives to describe how they think and behave when starting a new venture (PERRY et.al., 2012. The research method used a single case study and in-depth interviews were conducted with company managers. The results suggest that the theories offer explanations for the company's internationalization activities; however, some characteristics of this trend did not adhere to the theoretical propositions.

Power and limitation of soil properties as predictors of rangeland health and ecosystem functioning in a Northern mixed-grass prairie[Abstract

Science.gov (United States)

Soil properties are thought to affect rangeland ecosystem functioning (e.g. primary productivity, hydrology), and thus soil variables that are consistently correlated with key ecosystem functions may be general indicators of rangeland health. We summarize results from several studies in mixed-grass...

Performance and effects of land cover type on synthetic surface reflectance data and NDVI estimates for assessment and monitoring of semi-arid rangeland

Science.gov (United States)

Olexa, Edward M.; Lawrence, Rick L

2014-01-01

Federal land management agencies provide stewardship over much of the rangelands in the arid andsemi-arid western United States, but they often lack data of the proper spatiotemporal resolution andextent needed to assess range conditions and monitor trends. Recent advances in the blending of com-plementary, remotely sensed data could provide public lands managers with the needed information.We applied the Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model (STARFM) to five Landsat TMand concurrent Terra MODIS scenes, and used pixel-based regression and difference image analyses toevaluate the quality of synthetic reflectance and NDVI products associated with semi-arid rangeland. Pre-dicted red reflectance data consistently demonstrated higher accuracy, less bias, and stronger correlationwith observed data than did analogous near-infrared (NIR) data. The accuracy of both bands tended todecline as the lag between base and prediction dates increased; however, mean absolute errors (MAE)were typically ≤10%. The quality of area-wide NDVI estimates was less consistent than either spectra lband, although the MAE of estimates predicted using early season base pairs were ≤10% throughout the growing season. Correlation between known and predicted NDVI values and agreement with the 1:1regression line tended to decline as the prediction lag increased. Further analyses of NDVI predictions,based on a 22 June base pair and stratified by land cover/land use (LCLU), revealed accurate estimates through the growing season; however, inter-class performance varied. This work demonstrates the successful application of the STARFM algorithm to semi-arid rangeland; however, we encourage evaluation of STARFM’s performance on a per product basis, stratified by LCLU, with attention given to the influence of base pair selection and the impact of the time lag.

Session A5 Rangelands as dynamic systems Role of wildlife in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Rangelands in southern Africa are increasingly being used for conservation, ecotourism, game farming and hunting. This impacts people's livelihoods and the state of natural resources. Complimentarity and competition between wildlife and domestic livestock can be explored. Theme: This session focuses on ecosystem ...

Temperament affects rangeland use patterns and reproductive performance of beef cows

Science.gov (United States)

• The American beef industry is paying more attention to cattle temperament, but studies examining relationships between temperaments and grazing behavior or animal performance on rangelands are limited. • We studied range beef cow temperaments using the behavioral syndromes framework. Cows classifi...

IMPACT OF WOODY PLANTS SPECIES ON SOIL PHYSIO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES ALONG GRAZING GRADIENTS IN RANGELANDS OF EASTERN ETHIOPIA

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Mohammed Mussa Abdulahi

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In the lowlands of arid and semiarid rangelands woody plants plays an important role in soil fertility maintenance, providing food, medicine, cosmetics, fodder, fuel wood and pesticides. A better understanding of the interaction of woody plants on their immediate environment is needed to guide optimum management of native vegetation in the production landscapes. However, the impact of woody plant species on soil properties remains poorly understood. This study evaluates the impact of two dominant woody plant species (A. senegal and B. aegyptica on soil physico-chemical properties along grazing gradients in rangelands of eastern Ethiopia. Six trees of each species were selected from light, moderate and heavy grazing sites.  Soil sample data at two depths (0-15 and 16-30 cm were collected from under and open areas of A. senegal and B. aegyptica from each grazing sites, and analysed for nutrient contents. The nutrient status of soil under both woody species was significantly higher especially with regard to soil organic matter (4.37%, total nitrogen (0.313%, and available phosphorus (11.62 than the open grassland with soil organic matter (3.82%, total nitrogen (0.246%, and available phosphorus (10.94 mg/Kg soil for A. Senegal. The soil organic matter (3.93%, total nitrogen (0.285%, available phosphorus (11.66 mg/Kg soil were significantly higher than open grassland with soil organic matter (3.52%, total nitrogen (0.218%, available phosphorus (10.73 mg/Kg soil for B. aegyptica. This was more pronounced in the top 15 cm of soil under A. senegal woody plant species and on the light and moderate grazing site. Therefore, this tree has a significant effect on soil fertility improvement in resource poor rangelands and as a result, it is important to retain scattered A. senegal and B. aegyptica plants in the lowlands of eastern Ethiopia.

Analysis reveals potential rangeland impacts if Williamson Act eliminated

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William C. Wetzel

2012-10-01

Full Text Available California budget cuts have resulted in dramatic reductions in state funding for the Williamson Act, a land protection program that reduces property taxes for the owners of 15 million acres of California farms and rangeland. With state reimbursements to counties eliminated, the decision to continue Williamson Act contracts lies with individual counties. We investigated the consequences of eliminating the Williamson Act, using a geospatial analysis and a mail questionnaire asking ranchers for plans under a hypothetical elimination scenario. The geospatial analysis revealed that 72% of rangeland parcels enrolled in Williamson Act contracts contained habitat important for statewide conservation goals. Presented with the elimination scenario, survey respondents reported an intention to sell 20% of their total 496,889 acres. The tendency of survey participants to respond that they would sell land was highest among full-time ranchers with low household incomes and without off-ranch employment. A majority (76% of the ranchers who reported that they would sell land predicted that the buyers would develop it for nonagricultural uses, suggesting substantial changes to California's landscape in a future without the Williamson Act.

Cuidado ecológico: o significado para profissionais de um hospital geral Cuidado ecológico: el significado para profesionales de un hospital general Ecological care: meaning for health care professionals from a general hospital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marli Terezinha Stein Backes

2009-01-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Compreender à luz do pensamento complexo, o significado do cuidado ecológico e como este vem sendo associado à prática de profissionais que trabalham em um hospital geral. MÉTODOS: Estudo descritivo de natureza qualitativa realizado com 15 profissionais que atuam em três diferentes setores: Serviço de Lavanderia, Serviço de Nutrição e uma Unidade de Internação. Os dados foram coletados por meio de um questionário semi-estruturado e submetidos à análise de conteúdo proposta por Bardin. RESULTADOS: As categorias encontradas foram: Significando o cuidado ecológico, Salientando a importância do cuidado ecológico para a prática profissional e Medidas preventivas em saúde associadas ao cuidado ecológico. CONCLUSÕES: O estudo evidenciou que existe uma preocupação geral, ainda que incipiente, a respeito da problemática ambiental. A preocupação principal está relacionada à separação, reciclagem e destino adequado do lixo, mesmo que alguns profissionais tenham sinalizado para a importância de medidas preventivas como a lavagem das mãos, utilização de produtos biodegradáveis, entre outros.OBJETIVO: Comprender a La luz del pensamiento complejo, el significado del cuidado ecológico y cómo éste viene siendo asociado a la práctica de profesionales que trabajan en un hospital general. MÉTODOS: Estudio descriptivo de naturaleza cualitativa realizado con 15 profesionales que actúan en tres diferentes sectores: Servicio de Lavandería, Servicio de Nutrición y una Unidad de Internamiento. Los datos fueron recolectados por medio de un cuestionario semi-estructurado y sometidos al análisis de contenido propuesto por Bardin. RESULTADOS: Las categorías encontradas fueron: Significando el cuidado ecológico, resaltando la importancia del cuidado ecológico para la práctica profesional y Medidas preventivas en salud asociadas al cuidado ecológico. CONCLUSIONES: El estudio evidenció que existe una preocupaci

Estudios ecológicos en salud ambiental: más allá de la epidemiología

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Luis C. Blanco-Becerra

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Los estudios ecológicos se caracterizan por tener como unidad de análisis a las poblaciones, y constituyen una fuente importante y frecuente de información comprobada en salud ambiental. En esta revisión se resumen los fundamentos de los estudios ecológicos, partiendo de la premisa de que es posible hacerlos con métodos cuantitativos, cualitativos o mixtos. Se presenta la lógica que subyace a su diseño, y su papel en la exploración de la causalidad, las variables y las categorías de análisis, los principales diseños y las técnicas de recolección de datos. Igualmente, se dan ejemplos de estudios ecológicos llevados a cabo en América Latina, y se discuten algunos de los problemas metodológicos frecuentes y las posibles vías para abordarlos. Por último, se resalta la relevancia de los estudios ecológicos cuantitativos y cualitativos en salud ambiental como una forma de superar el individualismo conceptual y metodológico hegemónico, que resulta insuficiente para el estudio de la salud en las poblaciones.

25 CFR 166.307 - Will the grazing capacity be increased if I graze adjacent trust or non-trust rangelands not...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... § 166.307 Will the grazing capacity be increased if I graze adjacent trust or non-trust rangelands not... trust or non-trust rangeland in common with the permitted land. Grazing capacity will be established... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Will the grazing capacity be increased if I graze...

La huella ecológica del cultivo del olivo en España y su aplicabilidad como indicador de agricultura sostenible

OpenAIRE

López Bermúdez, Francisco; Alonso Sarriá, Francisco; Conesa García, Carmelo; Hernández Laguna, Enrique; Álvarez Rogel, Yolanda

2004-01-01

El cultivo del olivo ocupa vastas superficies en las tierras mediterráneas constituyendo parte esencial de su paisaje. Es el principal cultivo arbóreo mediterráneo y de España, con grandes repercusiones ecológicas, socio-económicas y culturales. Con el objetivo de determinar la sostenibilidad ecológica del cultivo, y el riesgo de desertificación, se aplica el cálculo del indicador de huella ecológica (HE), se lo compara con la biocapacidad (BP) del olivar en el campo español y ...

Reality of rangeland degradation mapping with remote sensing: the South African experience

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Wessels, Konrad J

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Globally there is an urgent need for standardized, quantitative measures rangeland degradation. Over the past 10 years in South Africa (SA), significant research efforts have been directed at this challenge, using diverse methods and data...

Efectos ecológicos del fenómeno ENOS en Colombia

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Yesid Carvajal

2014-06-01

Full Text Available El fenómeno ENOS, tiene un sustancial efecto sobre las variaciones del clima a nivel mundial; por lo tanto, no sorprende que sus efectos tengan un impacto ecológico y socioeconómico fuerte, alterando la seguridad alimentaria de los países a nivel mundial. Ante este panorama, es comprensible que haya despertado el mayor interés mundial, no sólo en los especialistas en meteorología y oceanografía sino también entre biólogos, ecólogos, físicos, matemáticos, agrónomos, hidrólogos, economistas, sociólogos y planificadores, entre otros. En el presente documento, se muestra algunos de los principales efectos ecológicos en Colombia durante las fases extremas cálida (El Niño y fría (La Niña, indicando que es una necesidad urgente, orientar la investigación en sus causas, consecuencias e impactos.

Riesgo ecológico del sulfato de bario

OpenAIRE

Paredes Espinal, Christian Edgardo

2016-01-01

Se desconoce el efecto del sulfato de bario en los ecosistemas acuáticos donde se realizan actividades hidrocarburíferas y que vienen incrementándose a nivel nacional. Por tal motivo, se evaluó el riesgo ecológico del sulfato de bario empleando la respuesta ecotoxicológica de doce organismos no destinatarios a fin de conocer los posibles efectos que este compuesto pudiera estar ocasionando a los organismos relacionados a los ecosistemas marinos y epicontinentales donde se desarrollan activida...

Conciencia social y ecológica en el consumo

OpenAIRE

José Raúl Luyando Cuevas

2016-01-01

La presente investigación se propone utilizar una concepción diferente del consumo que ayude a amalgamar la principal corriente teórica con el paradigma de la sustentabilidad. A este nuevo enfoque lo denominamos consumo con conciencia social y ecológica. La pretensión es que se pueda utilizar para transitar hacia una producción más sosteni- ble en el corto plazo.

Salinity mobilization and transport from rangelands: assessment, recommendations, and knowledge gaps

Science.gov (United States)

The purpose of the salinity project is to improve the understanding of sources and transport mechanisms in rangeland catchments that deliver dissolved solids (salts) to streams within the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB) through a review of relevant literature on what is known about the impact of r...

Prescribed Fire Effects on Runoff, Erosion, and Soil Water Repellency on Steeply-Sloped Sagebrush Rangeland over a Five Year Period

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, C. J.; Pierson, F. B.; Al-Hamdan, O. Z.

2014-12-01

Fire is an inherent component of sagebrush steppe rangelands in western North America and can dramatically affect runoff and erosion processes. Post-fire flooding and erosion events pose substantial threats to proximal resources, property, and human life. Yet, prescribed fire can serve as a tool to manage vegetation and fuels on sagebrush rangelands and to reduce the potential for large catastrophic fires and mass erosion events. The impact of burning on event hydrologic and erosion responses is strongly related to the degree to which burning alters vegetation, ground cover, and surface soils and the intensity and duration of precipitation. Fire impacts on hydrologic and erosion response may be intensified or reduced by inherent site characteristics such as topography and soil properties. Parameterization of these diverse conditions in predictive tools is often limited by a lack of data and/or understanding for the domain of interest. Furthermore, hydrologic and erosion functioning change as vegetation and ground cover recover in the years following burning and few studies track these changes over time. In this study, we evaluated the impacts of prescribed fire on vegetation, ground cover, soil water repellency, and hydrologic and erosion responses 1, 2, and 5 yr following burning of a mountain big sagebrush community on steep hillslopes with fine-textured soils. The study site is within the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed, southwestern Idaho, USA. Vegetation, ground cover, and soil properties were measured over plot scales of 0.5 m2 to 9 m2. Rainfall simulations (0.5 m2) were used to assess the impacts of fire on soil water repellency, infiltration, runoff generation, and splash-sheet erosion. Overland flow experiments (9 m2) were used to assess the effects of fire-reduced ground cover on concentrated-flow runoff and erosion processes. The study results provide insight regarding fire impacts on runoff, erosion, and soil water repellency in the immediate and

Fire impact on soil-water repellency and functioning of semi-arid croplands and rangelands: Implications for prescribed burnings and wildfires

Science.gov (United States)

Stavi, Ilan; Barkai, Daniel; Knoll, Yaakov M.; Glion, Hiam Abu; Katra, Itzhak; Brook, Anna; Zaady, Eli

2017-03-01

An unintended fire outbreak during summer 2015 in the semi-arid Israeli Negev resulted in the burning of extensive croplands and rangelands. The rangelands have been managed over the long term for occasional grazing, while the croplands have been utilized for rainfed wheat cropping. Yet, during the studied year, the croplands were left fallow, allowing the growth of herbaceous vegetation, which was harvested and baled for hay before the fire outbreak. The study objectives were to investigate the impacts of fire, land-use, and soil depth on water-repellency and on the status and dynamics of some of the most important organic and mineral soil resources. Additionally, we aimed to assess the severity of this fire outbreak. The soil-water repellency was studied by measuring the soil's water drop penetration time (WDPT) and critical surface tension (CST). A significant effect of fire on soil hydrophobicity was recorded, with a slight increase in mean WDPT and a slight decrease in mean CST in the burnt sites than in the non-burnt sites. Yet, soil hydrophobicity in the burnt lands was rather moderate and remained within the water repellency's lowest class. A significant effect of land-use on the means of WDPT and CST was also recorded, being eleven-fold greater and 7% smaller, respectively, in the rangelands than in the croplands. This is consistent with the almost eightfold greater mean above-ground biomass recorded in the non-burnt rangelands than in the non-burnt post-harvest croplands, revealing the positive relations between available fuel load and soil-water repellency. The effect of soil depth was significant for CST but not for WDPT. Overall, the gathered data suggest that fire severity was low to moderate. Fire was also found to significantly affect the fire severity only slightly increased the soil water repellency, and at the same time, increased on-site availability of some important soil resources. Nevertheless, it is acknowledged that such fires could impose

IsoBank workshop held at IsoEcol10 - University of Tokyo 2016

OpenAIRE

Hayden, Brian

2016-01-01

IsoBank is a repository for stable isotope values and relevant metadata. These slides were presented at a workshop held during IsoEcol10 to refine and design the IsoBank for the needs of a diverse group of researchers.

Evaluación de requerimientos ecológicos para el diseño de regímenes ambientales de caudales fluviales

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Juan Manuel Diez-Hernández

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Las sociedades avanzadas medioambientalmente están reclamando progresivamente una gestión fluvial auténticamente integral, que implemente Planes de Manejo de Cuencas Hidrográficas fundamentados en el paradigma del Régimen Ambiental de Caudales (RAC. Este trabajo sugiere una metodología genérica para establecer RAC confiables, que posibiliten el aprovechamiento hídrico a un coste ecológico admisible. Adicionalmente, plantea los criterios y técnicas preferentes para la evaluación de los requerimientos ecosistémicos de caudal, los cuales componen el RAC mediante el Régimen de Caudales Ecológicos (RCE. La adaptación de estos procedimientos para los ríos de Colombia favorecerá la conservación de su valiosa biodiversidad. / The environmentally advanced societies are claiming progressively an authentically integral fluvial management, that implements Watershed Management Programs based on the paradigm of the Environmental Flows Regime (EFR. This work suggests a generic methodology for the reliable EFR setting, that facilitate the water use with an environmental acceptable cost. Additionally, it outlines the approaches and outstanding techniques for the evaluation of instream flow requirements, which constitute the EFR by means of the Instream Flow Regime (IFR. The adaptation of these approaches to the Colombian rivers will contribute to the conservation of their valuable biodiversity.

Proyecto de una planta industrial de ladrillos ecológicos del tipo suelo-cemento en Arequipa

OpenAIRE

Murillo Salas, Erick Manuel; Murillo Salas, Erick Manuel

2015-01-01

En este trabajo se desarrolló el proyecto de una planta de ladrillos ecológicos en la ciudad de Arequipa. Se fabricó un tipo de ladrillo compuesto de arena-arcilla y reforzado con cemento y se le sometió a tres (3) ensayos de laboratorio para comprobar su resistencia y durabilidad. Actualmente en el Perú no existe ninguna planta para la producción de un ladrillo ecológico por medios industriales. En la ciudad de Arequipa, la gran mayoría de las ladrilleras son artesanales e informales, alg...

La cubierta ecológica como material de construcción

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neila, Javier

2000-06-01

Full Text Available The ecological roof is one with a cover of vegetation with a thin substratum and a layer of low level plants. This type of roof has many advantages including architectural, construction, environmental and aesthetic ad vantages. In order to determine the thermal behaviour of models with ecological roofs, simulations were performed on these and other types of construction in the two areas involved in the study: Maracaibo and Madrid. Five different roofs were created for the study, analysed in four ways: 1 with the building windows closed throughout the whole 24 hours, 2 with the windows closed during the day and open at night; 3 open 24 hours; 4 open during the day and closed at night. The simulation tool used in the study was the "Method of Interior Temperature Evolution Calculation" developed by Javier Neila. The results obtained show that the ecological roof reduces the heat transference in hot seasons, acting as exterior insulation, and preventing heat loss by radiation into space in winter.La cubierta ecológica es un tipo de cubierta vegetal con un substrato de poco espesor y una capa vegetal con plantas de bajo porte. Las ventajas de este tipo de cubierta, abarcan aspectos arquitectónicos, constructivos, medioambientales y estéticos. Para realizar estudios a través de modelos de ordenador con cubiertas ecológicas, primero se determinó el valor de conductividad térmica equivalente del substrato y capa vegetal, utilizando las ecuaciones de balance térmico, lo cual fue comprobado con un ensayo de laboratorio y, con estos resultados, se realizaron simulaciones térmicas en los espacios con cubiertas ecológicas comparándolos con sistemas constructivos de cubiertas utilizados en las dos zonas de estudio: Maracaibo y Madrid. Para el estudio se establecieron cinco alternativas de cubiertas, analizándose de cuatro maneras diferentes: 1 cerrada durante las 24 horas. 2 cerrada durante el día y abierta en la noche ; 3 abierta las 24 horas

Aportaciones de las percepciones socio-ecológicas a la Educación Ambiental

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María del Socorro Aguilar Cucurachi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available En el actual contexto de crisis socio-ecológica surge la necesidad de analizar cómo los grupos humanos le damos significado a la naturaleza, siendo éste el principal objetivo en el estudio de las percepciones. Por su parte, la Educación Ambiental emerge para hacer frente a la crisis actual, al promover actitudes y valores para mitigar sus consecuencias y buscar soluciones. Ante este propósito, estudiar las percepciones constituye un proceso pertinente para comprender las realidades afectadas, así como para construir y evaluar procesos educativos. Argumentamos que el estudio de las percepciones debe ser enmarcado dentro de un esquema interdisciplinario. El presente estudio apunta a tres formas en las que las percepciones contribuyen a la Educación Ambiental: 1 La Educación Ambiental como objeto perceptual y de análisis; 2 La Educación Ambiental, que desde su noción transformadora puede incidir como factor de influencia sobre las percepciones socio-ecológicas, y 3 Las percepciones como una herramienta pedagógica. Valorar las aportaciones del estudio de las percepciones al campo de la Educación Ambiental posibilita la construcción de procesos educativos significativos desde y para las diferentes realidades socio-ecológicas.

Evaluating herbivore management outcomes and associated vegetation impacts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rina C.C. Grant

2011-05-01

Conservation implications: In rangeland, optimising herbivore numbers to achieve the management objectives without causing unacceptable or irreversible change in the vegetation is challenging. This manuscript explores different avenues to evaluate herbivore impact and the outcomes of management approaches that may affect vegetation.

Conciencia social y ecológica en el consumo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Raúl Luyando Cuevas

2016-01-01

Full Text Available La presente investigación se propone utilizar una concepción diferente del consumo que ayude a amalgamar la principal corriente teórica con el paradigma de la sustentabilidad. A este nuevo enfoque lo denominamos consumo con conciencia social y ecológica. La pretensión es que se pueda utilizar para transitar hacia una producción más sosteni- ble en el corto plazo.

Gestión integral del agua desde un enfoque social hacia una economía ecológica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María de los Ángeles Gil Antonio

2015-01-01

Full Text Available El modelo de economía ecológica es un sistema abierto que distingue las interrelaciones entre el sistema económico y el ecológico. En ese sentido, es integral, pues considera aspectos moneta - rios, sociales y ambientales. En lo que respecta al estudio de la disminución en la disponibilidad de agua, este modelo presenta una alternativa, pues daría cuenta de aquellos aspectos relaciona - dos con la gestión integral del agua que apunta a la participación de la sociedad como una opción alterna. El objetivo de este trabajo es mostrar la relación entre la economía ecológica y la gestión integral del agua, tomando en consideración que para ambas el aspecto social es significativo.

Evaluating new SMAP soil moisture for drought monitoring in the rangelands of the US High Plains

Science.gov (United States)

Velpuri, Naga Manohar; Senay, Gabriel B.; Morisette, Jeffrey T.

2016-01-01

Level 3 soil moisture datasets from the recently launched Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite are evaluated for drought monitoring in rangelands.Validation of SMAP soil moisture (SSM) with in situ and modeled estimates showed high level of agreement.SSM showed the highest correlation with surface soil moisture (0-5 cm) and a strong correlation to depths up to 20 cm.SSM showed a reliable and expected response of capturing seasonal dynamics in relation to precipitation, land surface temperature, and evapotranspiration.Further evaluation using multi-year SMAP datasets is necessary to quantify the full benefits and limitations for drought monitoring in rangelands.

Endemic shrubs in temperate arid and semiarid regions of northern China and their potentials for rangeland restoration.

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Jianmin; Yang, Hongxiao; Lu, Qi; Zhang, Xiaoyan

2015-06-03

Some endemic shrubs in arid and semiarid ecosystems are in danger of extinction, and yet they can play useful roles in maintaining or restoring these ecosystems, thus practical efforts are needed to conserve them. The shrubs Amygdalus pedunculata Pall., Amygdalus mongolica (Maxim.) Ricker and Ammopiptanthus mongolicus (Maxim. ex Kom.) Cheng f. are endemic species in arid and semiarid regions of northern China, where rangeland desertification is pronounced due to chronic overgrazing. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that these endemic shrubs have developed adaptations to arid and semiarid environments and could play critical roles as nurse species to initiate the process of rangeland recovery. Based on careful vegetation surveys, we analysed the niches of these species in relation to precipitation, temperature and habitats. All sampling plots were categorized by these endemics and sorted by the non-metric multidimensional scaling method. Species ratios of each life form and species co-occurrence rates with the endemics were also evaluated. Annual average temperature and annual precipitation were found to be the key factors determining vegetation diversity and distributions. Amygdalus pedunculata prefers low hills and sandy land in temperate semiarid regions. Amygdalus mongolica prefers gravel deserts of temperate semiarid regions. Ammopiptanthus mongolicus prefers sandy land of temperate arid regions. Communities of A. pedunculata have the highest diversity and the largest ratios of long-lived grass species, whereas those of A. mongolicus have the lowest diversity but the largest ratios of shrub species. Communities of A. mongolica are a transition between the first two community types. These findings demonstrate that our focal endemic shrubs have evolved adaptations to arid and semiarid conditions, thus they can be nurse plants to stabilize sand ground for vegetation restoration. We suggest that land managers begin using these shrub species to restore

Vulnerability of cattle production to climate change on U.S. rangelands

Science.gov (United States)

Matt C. Reeves; Karen E. Bagne

2016-01-01

We examined multiple climate change effects on cattle production for U.S. rangelands to estimate relative change and identify sources of vulnerability among seven regions. Climate change effects to 2100 were projected from published models for four elements: forage quantity, vegetation type trajectory, heat stress, and forage variability. Departure of projections from...

Improving dynamic global vegetation model (DGVM) simulation of western U.S. rangelands vegetation seasonal phenology and productivity

Science.gov (United States)

Kerns, B. K.; Kim, J. B.; Day, M. A.; Pitts, B.; Drapek, R. J.

2017-12-01

Ecosystem process models are increasingly being used in regional assessments to explore potential changes in future vegetation and NPP due to climate change. We use the dynamic global vegetation model MAPSS-Century 2 (MC2) as one line of evidence for regional climate change vulnerability assessments for the US Forest Service, focusing our fine tuning model calibration from observational sources related to forest vegetation. However, there is much interest in understanding projected changes for arid rangelands in the western US such as grasslands, shrublands, and woodlands. Rangelands provide many ecosystem service benefits and local rural human community sustainability, habitat for threatened and endangered species, and are threatened by annual grass invasion. Past work suggested MC2 performance related to arid rangeland plant functional types (PFT's) was poor, and the model has difficulty distinguishing annual versus perennial grasslands. Our objectives are to increase the model performance for rangeland simulations and explore the potential for splitting the grass plant functional type into annual and perennial. We used the tri-state Blue Mountain Ecoregion as our study area and maps of potential vegetation from interpolated ground data, the National Land Cover Data Database, and ancillary NPP data derived from the MODIS satellite. MC2 historical simulations for the area overestimated woodland occurrence and underestimated shrubland and grassland PFT's. The spatial location of the rangeland PFT's also often did not align well with observational data. While some disagreement may be due to differences in the respective classification rules, the errors are largely linked to MC2's tree and grass biogeography and physiology algorithms. Presently, only grass and forest productivity measures and carbon stocks are used to distinguish PFT's. MC2 grass and tree productivity simulation is problematic, in particular grass seasonal phenology in relation to seasonal patterns

Desastre ecológico y ambiental en Huancavelica

OpenAIRE

Pinto Herrera, Honorio

2014-01-01

El trabajo trata de confirmar, una vez más, que la actividad minera en el Perú afecta los sistemas ecológicos y el medio ambiente. Esto es posible debido al poder de las empresas y a la debilidad y complicidad del Estado. En este sentido, uno de los objetivos de esta investigación es contribuir al conocimiento de un problema nacional, que es la contaminación ambiental a partir de un caso concreto: el derrame de relaves en la mina Caudalosa Chica. Los temas centrales desarrollados abarcan l...

Soil Moisture Variability and its Effects on Herbage Production in Semi-arid Rangelands of Kenya

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Too, D.K.; Trlica, M.J.; Swift, D.M.; Musembi, D.K.

1999-01-01

Results obtained from recent studies focused on rangelands potential as influenced by human activity and climatic factors in the semi-arid and arid pastoral ecosystems of Northern Kenya indicated great temporal and spatial forage production variability. The objective of the studies was to document primary production in relation to water stress (drought), herbivory and direct human activities. Efforts also focused on finding possibilities of increasing productivity while conserving the finite resources for sustainable use. Laboratory, field and numerical methods were employed over several seasons and years. Forb and grass production was more variable than that of the browse (dwarf shrub) layer. Compared to forbs and dwarf shrubs, the grass layer contributed less to the total production in all seasons, indicating that the region had less potential for grazers compared to browsers. Spatial-temporal variation in rangeland carrying capacity reflected the great spatial heterogeneity in vegetation types and production. Similarly, seasonal differences were very evident, with highest estimates in the long rainy and the lowest during the dry and short rainy seasons, respectively. Factors limiting rangeland production potential were identified to be moisture deficiency, resource-use conflicts, an increasing and partially sedentarised nomadic population, overgrazing, tree felling, and land degradation (desert encroachment). Measures that can improve rangeland production potential and provide a better way of life for the inhabitants of the region include: (a) identification of land degradation (e.g. by means of bio-indicators and Geographical Information Systems, GIS); (b) technical interventions (i.e. soil and water conservation, restoration of degraded areas, fodder production); (c) social-economic interventions (i.e. resolution of resource-use conflicts, alleviation of poverty, infrastructure development improvement of livestock marketing channels etc.) and (d) continued

Forage seeding in rangelands increases production and prevents weed invasion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Josh Davy

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Increasing forage productivity in the Sierra foothill rangelands would help sustain the livestock industry as land availability shrinks and lease rates rise, but hardly any studies have been done on forage selections. From 2009 to 2014, in one of the first long-term and replicated studies of seeding Northern California's Mediterranean annual rangeland, we compared the cover of 22 diverse forages to determine their establishment and survivability over time. Among the annual herbs, forage brassica (Brassica napus L. and chicory (Cichorium intybus L. proved viable options. Among the annual grasses, soft brome (Bromus hordeaceus and annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum performed well. However, these species will likely require frequent reseeding to maintain dominance. Long-term goals of sustained dominant cover (> 3 years are best achieved with perennial grasses. Perennial grasses that persisted with greater than 50% cover were Berber orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata, Flecha tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum and several varieties of hardinggrass (Phalaris aquatica L., Perla koleagrass, Holdfast, Advanced AT. In 2014, these successful perennials produced over three times more dry matter (pounds per acre than the unseeded control and also suppressed annual grasses and yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis L. cover.

How could herd mobility be used to manage resources and livestock ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

We consider these scenarios as starting points for discussions on future management options that pastoralists in Namaqualand may wish to consider as the managers of rangeland commons. Keywords: grazing management, herd mobility, Namaqualand, semi-arid. African Journal of Range & Forage Science 2013, ...

Dairy cattle on Norwegian alpine rangelands – grazing preferences and milk quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sickel, H; Abrahamsen, R K; Eldegard, K; Lunnan, T; Norderhaug, A; Petersen, M.A.; Sickel, M.; Steenhuisen, F.; Ohlson, M.

2014-01-01

The results from the study ‘Effects of vegetation and grazing preferences on the quality of alpine dairy products’ will be presented. The main objective of the project was to investigate the connections bet - ween alpine rangeland vegetation, landscape use and grazing preferences of free ranging

Ecology, mobility and labour: dynamic pastoral herd management in an uncertain world.

Science.gov (United States)

Butt, B

2016-11-01

In this review, the author discusses how pastoralism, and its many constituent components, is increasingly being recognised as in tune with the changing political and ecological nature of rangelands. He describes ways in which the literature reflects this changing attitude, outlines how rangelands respond to changes in climate and explores the evolving use of livestock resources. In addition, he describes the growing recognition of factors other than livestock density that affect rangeland vegetation (i.e. density-independent relationships). The author explains how terms such as 'carrying capacity', 'overgrazing' and 'desertification' are often taken out of their social and political context when describing rangeland pastoralism. Next, he describes the growing recognition by the development community of the importance of the mobility model, particularly in relation to changing ecologies and politics. Finally, he outlines how labour, a central focus of pastoral herd management, is a fluid component of pastoral systems in response to changing political and ecological circumstances.

A sustentabilidade ecológica do consumo em Minas Gerais: uma aplicação do método da pegada ecológica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcos Henrique Godoi Gonzalez

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Embora sejam intensas as preocupações com o desenvolvimento sustentável, escassas são as tentativas de se mensurá-lo entre as unidades subnacionais no Brasil. Com o intuito de contribuir para o preenchimento dessa lacuna, este trabalho tem como objetivo principal analisar a sustentabilidade ecológica do consumo da população do Estado de Minas Gerais no ano de 2008 por meio do cálculo de sua pegada ecológica. A análise se baseia nas contribuições mais recentes para tal metodologia, buscando comparar o impacto local e a disponibilidade global de recursos. Concluiu-se que, apesar de estar dentro da própria capacidade de suporte do Estado, em termos per capita, a demanda absoluta por capital natural gera uma pressão excessiva quando comparada à disponibilidade mundial de capital natural, uma vez que, caso a população de todo o mundo mantivesse o mesmo padrão de consumo dos mineiros, seriam necessários 2,64 planetas Terra para sustentá-la.

The economic impact of global climate change on Mediterranean rangeland ecosystems. A Space-for-Time approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fleischer, Aliza; Sternberg, Marcelo

2006-01-01

Global Climate Change (GCC) can bring about changes in ecosystems and consequently in their services value. Here we show that the urban population in Israel values the green landscape of rangelands in the mesic Mediterranean climate region and is willing to pay for preserving it in light of the expected increasing aridity conditions in this region. Their valuation of the landscape is higher than that of the grazing services these rangelands provide for livestock growers. These results stem from a Time-for-Space approach with which we were able to measure changes in biomass production and rainfall at four experimental sites along an aridity gradient. (author)

O psicólogo ecológico no contexto institucional: uma experiência com meninas vítimas de violência

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Clarissa De Antoni

Full Text Available Este ensaio consiste em um relato da experiência de trabalho de um psicólogo ecológico em uma instituição para meninas vítimas de violência, embasada no Modelo Ecológico de Desenvolvimento Humano. É discutida a integração da prática com a teoria, envolvendo desde aspectos relacionados ao cotidiano da instituição e da história de vida das meninas, até a influência cultural e social dos sistemas ecológicos. Os resultados mostraram que a integração destes aspectos levaram à melhoria da qualidade do trabalho dos profissionais e da vida das meninas atendidas.

Análisis de la racionalidad ecológica en agricultores hortícolas de La Plata, Argentina.

OpenAIRE

Gargoloff, Natalia Agustina; Abbona, Esteban Andres; Sarandón, Santiago Javier

2010-01-01

La existencia de una racionalidad ecológica implícita en el manejo de los recursos naturales em agricultores tradicionales, ha permitido la sustentabilidad de los agroecosistemas. Comprender la racionalidad ecológica en agricultores con características diferentes a la agricultura tradicional, podría contribuir a avanzar hacia una agricultura sustentable. Sin embargo, esto no es sencillo debido a la propia complejidad del término y la ausencia de una metodología que permita abordarla. En este ...

AERO: A Decision Support Tool for Wind Erosion Assessment in Rangelands and Croplands

Science.gov (United States)

Galloza, M.; Webb, N.; Herrick, J.

2015-12-01

Wind erosion is a key driver of global land degradation, with on- and off-site impacts on agricultural production, air quality, ecosystem services and climate. Measuring rates of wind erosion and dust emission across land use and land cover types is important for quantifying the impacts and identifying and testing practical management options. This process can be assisted by the application of predictive models, which can be a powerful tool for land management agencies. The Aeolian EROsion (AERO) model, a wind erosion and dust emission model interface provides access by non-expert land managers to a sophisticated wind erosion decision-support tool. AERO incorporates land surface processes and sediment transport equations from existing wind erosion models and was designed for application with available national long-term monitoring datasets (e.g. USDI BLM Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring, USDA NRCS Natural Resources Inventory) and monitoring protocols. Ongoing AERO model calibration and validation are supported by geographically diverse data on wind erosion rates and land surface conditions collected by the new National Wind Erosion Research Network. Here we present the new AERO interface, describe parameterization of the underpinning wind erosion model, and provide a summary of the model applications across agricultural lands and rangelands in the United States.

Study on Rangeland production Potential and its Limitations in the Semi-Arid lands of Northern Kenya

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keya, G.A.; Hornetz, B.

1999-01-01

Results obtained from recent studies focused on rangeland potential as influenced by human activity and climatic factors in the semi-arid and pastoral ecosystems of Northern Kenya indicated great temporal and spatial forage production variability. The objective of the studies was to document the primary production potential in relation to water stress (drought), herbivory and direct human activities. Efforts also focused on finding possibilities of increasing productivity while conserving the finite resources for sustainable use. Laboratory field and numeric methods were employed over several seasons and years. Forb and grass production was more viable than that of the brows (dwarf shrub) layer. Compared to forbs and dwarf shrubs, The grass layer contributed less to the total of production in all seasons, indicating that the region had less potential for grazers compared to browsers. Spatial-temporal variations in rangeland carrying capacity reflected the great spatial heterogeneity in vegetation types and production. Similarly, seasonal difference were very evident, with highest estimates in the long rainy and lowest during the dry and short rainy seasons, respectively. Factors limiting rangeland production potential and were identified to be moisture deficiency, resource-use conflicts, an increasing and partial sedentarised nomadic population, overgrazing, tree felling, and land degradation (desert encroachment). Measures that can increase rangelands production potential and provide a better way of life for the inhabitants of the region include: (a) identification of land degradation (e.g. by means of bio-indicators and Geographical Information systems, GIS); (b) technical interventions (i.e. soil and water conservation,restoration of degraded ares, fodder production); (c)socio-economic interventions (i.e. resolution of resource-use conflicts, alleviation of poverty, infrastructure development, improvement of livestock marketing channels, etc) and (d) continued

Revolutionary land use change in the 21st century: Is (rangeland) science relevant?

Science.gov (United States)

Rapidly increasing demand for food, fiber and fuel together with new technologies and the mobility of global capital are driving revolutionary changes in land use throughout the world. Efforts to increase land productivity include conversion of millions of hectares of rangelands to crop production, ...

Does grazing management matter for soil carbon sequestration in shortgrass steppe?

Science.gov (United States)

Considerable uncertainty remains regarding the potential of grazing management on semiarid rangelands to sequester soil carbon. Short-term (less than 1 decade) studies have determined that grazing management potentially influences fluxes of carbon, but such studies are strongly influenced by prevail...

Fodder Biomass Monitoring in Sahelian Rangelands Using Phenological Metrics from FAPAR Time Series

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Diouf, Abdoul Aziz; Brandt, Martin Stefan; Verger, Aleixandre

2015-01-01

Timely monitoring of plant biomass is critical for the management of forage resources in Sahelian rangelands. The estimation of annual biomass production in the Sahel is based on a simple relationship between satellite annual Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and in situ biomass data....... This study proposes a new methodology using multi-linear models between phenological metrics from the SPOT-VEGETATION time series of Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (FAPAR) and in situ biomass. A model with three variables—large seasonal integral (LINTG), length of growing season......, and end of season decreasing rate—performed best (MAE = 605 kg·DM/ha; R2 = 0.68) across Sahelian ecosystems in Senegal (data for the period 1999–2013). A model with annual maximum (PEAK) and start date of season showed similar performances (MAE = 625 kg·DM/ha; R2 = 0.64), allowing a timely estimation...

Human-modified landscapes: patterns of fine-scale woody vegetation structure in communal savannah rangelands

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Fisher, T

2011-11-01

Full Text Available structure in five communal rangelands around 12 settlements in Bushbuckridge, a municipality in the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve (South Africa). The importance of underlying abiotic factors was evaluated by measuring size class distributions across...

Climate-change adaptation on rangelands: Linking regional exposure with diverse adaptive capacity

Science.gov (United States)

David D. Briske; Linda A. Joyce; H. Wayne Polley; Joel R. Brown; Klaus Wolter; Jack A. Morgan; Bruce A. McCarl; Derek W. Bailey

2015-01-01

The ecological consequences of climate change are predicted to vary greatly throughout US rangelands. Projections show warming and drying in the southern Great Plains and the Southwest, warmer and drier summers with reduced winter snowpack in the Northwest, and warmer and wetter conditions in the northern Great Plains. Primarily through their combined effects on soil...

Management Approaches to Accomplish Contemporary Livestock Production-Conservation Objectives in Shortgrass Steppe

Science.gov (United States)

Traditional rangeland management in the shortgrass steppe has emphasized livestock production with moderate stocking rates, but alternative approaches will be needed to meet production objectives under increasing demands for conservation-oriented management. We investigated the utility of very inten...

Efectos distributivos de los tributos ecológicos. Apuntes metodológicos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomás J. López-Guzmán Guzmán

2005-01-01

Full Text Available El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar una propuesta metodológica para realizar un correcto diseño de un tributo ecológico que evite que determinados grupos sean los más perjudicados con la introducción de una ecotasa. Las pautas metodológicas se centran en el análisis de la estructura básica de un tributo ambiental, la determinación de los grupos de referencia y el análisis de los efectos distributivos. El principal resultado es que la introducción de los tributos ambientales debe tener en cuenta el probable impacto negativo en determinados grupos, sobre todo cuando se grave la energía eléctrica. Por tanto, sería necesario que previo a la introducción de los tributos ecológicos se elaborasen estudios necesarios para evitar su impacto negativo o, en su caso, se abordasen en la misma regulación políticas de compensación y mitigación.

Assessment of CREAMS [Chemicals, Runoff, and Erosion from Agricultural Management Systems] and ERHYM-II [Ekalaka Rangeland Hydrology and Yield Model] computer models for simulating soil water movement on the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laundre, J.W.

1990-05-01

The major goal of radioactive waste management is long-term containment of radioactive waste. Long-term containment is dependent on understanding water movement on, into, and through trench caps. Several computer simulation models are available for predicting water movement. Of the several computer models available, CREAMS (Chemicals, Runoff, and Erosion from Agricultural Management Systems) and ERHYM-II (Ekalaka Rangeland Hydrology and Yield Model) were tested for use on the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The models were calibrated, tested for sensitivity, and used to evaluate some basic trench cap designs. Each model was used to postdict soil moisture, evapotranspiration, and runoff of two watersheds for which such data were already available. Sensitivity of the models was tested by adjusting various input parameters from high to low values and then comparing model outputs to those generated from average values. Ten input parameters of the CREAMS model were tested for sensitivity. 17 refs., 23 figs., 20 tabs

Movement and spatial proximity patterns of rangeland-raised Raramuri Criollo cow-calf pairs

Science.gov (United States)

The objective of this study was to compare movement patterns of nursing vs. nonnursing mature cows and to characterize cow-calf proximity patterns in two herds of Raramuri Criollo cattle. Herds grazed rangeland pastures in southern New Mexico (4355 ha) and west-central Chihuahua, Mexico (633 ha)'' A...

Searls prairie clover (Dalea searlsiae) for rangeland revegetation: Phenotypic and genetic evaluations

Science.gov (United States)

Kishor Bhattarai; Shaun Bushman; Douglas A. Johnson; John G. Carman

2011-01-01

Few North American legumes are available for use in rangeland revegetation in the western USA, but Searls prairie clover [Dalea searlsiae (A. Gray) Barneby] is one that holds promise. Commercial-scale seed production of this species could address the issues of unreliable seed availability and high seed costs associated with its wildland seed collection. To evaluate its...

Promoting Students' Emotions and Achievement--Instructional Design and Evaluation of the ECOLE-Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Glaser-Zikuda, Michaela; Fuss, Stefan; Laukenmann, Matthias; Metz, Kerstin; Randler, Christoph

2005-01-01

Emotions such as interest and anxiety are part of the learning process as well as cognition and motivation. In view of this, educational science should take emotional aspects of instruction into account. The "ECOLE"-approach ("Emotional and Cognitive Aspects of Learning") presented in this paper is a theoretically guided…

Modelo decisional proactivo en sistemas ecológicos (modepec.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro Tolón Estarelles

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Los sistemas económicos y sociales son de tipo ecológico, y se pueden enmarcar en modelos de sistemas complejos de tipo DYSES (Dynamic Social and Economic Systems. No son  explicables o predecibles satisfactoriamente  con modelos determinísticos, pues, en general obedecen a procesos evolutivos de carácter estocástico, respondiendo en su interacción con el medio al segundo principio de la termodinámica en el sentido de la irreversibilidad (falta de simetría temporal y aumento de la entropía. MODEPEC © es un modelo que postula una metodología que asegura  un proceso  de formulación de criterios  para mejorar continuamente la calidad en la toma  de decisiones en sistemas ecológico-social-económicos. Los conceptos esenciales del modelo se enuncian seguidamente: 1-. Existencia de una Ecuación de Estado (EE Un sistema ecológico tiene un  comportamiento dinámico posible de ser representado mediante una ecuación de estado en cualquier intervalo de tiempo dado. 2-. Estimación de una política óptima (PO Es posible estimar  un conjunto óptimo de decisiones (política óptima. 3-. Contrato sobre estado deseable  (CED En la comunidad  social y económica de tipo ecológico, es posible acordar un diseño de estado ideal deseable, constituido a partir de un contrato sustentable a largo plazo entre las partes. 4-. Genotipo Decisional Planificado (GDP Es posible establecer un proceso racional de toma de decisiones, en este caso, el Genotipo Decisional Planificado  (GDP; capaz de asegurar niveles crecientes de calidad en la determinación de criterios para evaluación y adopción de cursos de acción en pos del logro de un estado deseado (ED tomado como propósito o contrato. The economic and social systems are of ecological type, and they are possible to be framed in models of complex systems of type SDES (Social Dynamic and Economic Systems. They are not explicable or predictable satisfactorily with deterministic models, then

The geomorphic legacy of water and erosion control structures in a semiarid rangeland watershed

Science.gov (United States)

Nichols, Mary H.; Magirl, Christopher S.; Sayre, N.F.; Shaw, Jeremy R.

2018-01-01

Control over water supply and distribution is critical for agriculture in drylands where manipulating surface runoff often serves the dual purpose of erosion control. However, little is known of the geomorphic impacts and legacy effects of rangeland water manipulation infrastructure, especially if not maintained. This study investigated the geomorphic impacts of structures such as earthen berms, water control gates, and stock tanks, in a semiarid rangeland in the southwestern USA that is responding to both regional channel incision that was initiated over a century ago, and a more recent land use change that involved cattle removal and abandonment of structures. The functional condition of remnant structures was inventoried, mapped, and assessed using aerial imagery and lidar data. Headcut initiation, scour, and channel incision associated with compromised lateral channel berms, concrete water control structures, floodplain water spreader berms, and stock tanks were identified as threats to floodplains and associated habitat. Almost half of 27 identified lateral channel berms (48%) have been breached and 15% have experienced lateral scour; 18% of 218 shorter water spreader berms have been breached and 17% have experienced lateral scour. A relatively small number of 117 stock tanks (6%) are identified as structurally compromised based on analysis of aerial imagery, although many currently do not provide consistent water supplies. In some cases, the onset of localized disturbance is recent enough that opportunities for mitigation can be identified to alter the potentially damaging erosion trajectories that are ultimately driven by regional geomorphic instability. Understanding the effects of prior land use and remnant structures on channel and floodplain morphologic condition is critical because both current land management and future land use options are constrained by inherited land use legacy effects.

Re-creating the commons and re-configuring Maasai women’s roles on the rangelands in the face of fragmentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caroline S Archambault

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Throughout the world pastoralists today face a particularly daunting challenge of intensified rangeland fragmentation combined with human population growth and climate change. In many pastoral settings, rangelands are undergoing processes of fragmentation due to tenure transformations, as previously communal lands are privatized into individual holdings. Such processes of enclosure have raised concerns over the long-term costs on pastoral communities and on rangeland eco-systems. This paper explores pastoral responses and adaptations to enclosure based on long-term ethnographic engagement in a Maasai community in Southern Kenya that has recently privatized. Detailed family case studies and herd tracking illuminate the ways in which families try to re-create the commons by relying on social networks for free access to resources. In particular, women’s social networks (for example, their kin, affines, friends, or religious associates seem to play an important role. This paper calls attention to the need to better understand women’s changing roles in pastoral governance and production and the implications these new roles have for women’s well-being and for pastoralism in the face of fragmentation.

Metabolismo urbano y apropiación de excedentes ecológicos. De la estepa a la arquitectura burguesa

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Luis Inostroza Pino

2014-05-01

Esta relación entre sociedad y naturaleza, dejó profundas huellas de organización y complejidad en Punta Arenas, conectada metabólicamente con las formas de explotación territorial y apropiación de la estepa. El coirón patagónico y la arquitectura burguesa, principio y fin de la misma cadena productiva, corresponden a las fases inicial y terminal de un proceso de apropiación social de los excedentes ecológicos. Como flujo metabólico, el excedente es ecológico en su origen y social en su evolución.

A review of concentrated flow erosion processes on rangelands: fundamental understanding and knowledge gaps

Science.gov (United States)

Concentrated flow erosion processes are distinguished from splash and sheetflow processes in their enhanced ability to mobilize and transport large amounts of soil, water and dissolved elements. On rangelands, soil, nutrients and water are scarce and only narrow margins of resource losses are tolera...

Composted manure application promotes long-term invasion of semi-arid rangeland by Bromus tectorum

Science.gov (United States)

Composted organic matter derived from sewage treatment facilities or livestock manure from feedlots is often applied to rangelands of western North America to increase soil fertility, forage production, forage quality, and soil carbon (C) storage. This practice can have a number of undesirable side ...

Scales of snow depth variability in high elevation rangeland sagebrush

Science.gov (United States)

Tedesche, Molly E.; Fassnacht, Steven R.; Meiman, Paul J.

2017-09-01

In high elevation semi-arid rangelands, sagebrush and other shrubs can affect transport and deposition of wind-blown snow, enabling the formation of snowdrifts. Datasets from three field experiments were used to investigate the scales of spatial variability of snow depth around big mountain sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata Nutt.) at a high elevation plateau rangeland in North Park, Colorado, during the winters of 2002, 2003, and 2008. Data were collected at multiple resolutions (0.05 to 25 m) and extents (2 to 1000 m). Finer scale data were collected specifically for this study to examine the correlation between snow depth, sagebrush microtopography, the ground surface, and the snow surface, as well as the temporal consistency of snow depth patterns. Variograms were used to identify the spatial structure and the Moran's I statistic was used to determine the spatial correlation. Results show some temporal consistency in snow depth at several scales. Plot scale snow depth variability is partly a function of the nature of individual shrubs, as there is some correlation between the spatial structure of snow depth and sagebrush, as well as between the ground and snow depth. The optimal sampling resolution appears to be 25-cm, but over a large area, this would require a multitude of samples, and thus a random stratified approach is recommended with a fine measurement resolution of 5-cm.

Estudio de Impacto Ambiental de una Granja de Gallinas Ponedoras en Producción Ecológica en el término municipal de Iznalloz, Granada

OpenAIRE

MARTÍNEZ AYALA, ANTONIO JOSÉ

2012-01-01

El proyecto consiste en la construcción de una granja de huevos ecológicos en la comarca de Los Montes situada en la zona norte de la provincia de Granada, con los siguientes fines: -¿Producción de huevos ecológicos cubriendo así, la creciente demanda de la sociedad, cada vez más comprometida con el consumo responsable. -Fomentar la producción de huevos ecológicos respecto a la producción convencional. -¿Favorecer el desarrollo sostenible y el desarrollo local con sist...

High resolution mapping of soil organic carbon stocks using remote sensing variables in the semi-arid rangelands of eastern Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Bin; Waters, Cathy; Orgill, Susan; Gray, Jonathan; Cowie, Annette; Clark, Anthony; Liu, De Li

2018-07-15

Efficient and effective modelling methods to assess soil organic carbon (SOC) stock are central in understanding the global carbon cycle and informing related land management decisions. However, mapping SOC stocks in semi-arid rangelands is challenging due to the lack of data and poor spatial coverage. The use of remote sensing data to provide an indirect measurement of SOC to inform digital soil mapping has the potential to provide more reliable and cost-effective estimates of SOC compared with field-based, direct measurement. Despite this potential, the role of remote sensing data in improving the knowledge of soil information in semi-arid rangelands has not been fully explored. This study firstly investigated the use of high spatial resolution satellite data (seasonal fractional cover data; SFC) together with elevation, lithology, climatic data and observed soil data to map the spatial distribution of SOC at two soil depths (0-5cm and 0-30cm) in semi-arid rangelands of eastern Australia. Overall, model performance statistics showed that random forest (RF) and boosted regression trees (BRT) models performed better than support vector machine (SVM). The models obtained moderate results with R 2 of 0.32 for SOC stock at 0-5cm and 0.44 at 0-30cm, RMSE of 3.51MgCha -1 at 0-5cm and 9.16MgCha -1 at 0-30cm without considering SFC covariates. In contrast, by including SFC, the model accuracy for predicting SOC stock improved by 7.4-12.7% at 0-5cm, and by 2.8-5.9% at 0-30cm, highlighting the importance of including SFC to enhance the performance of the three modelling techniques. Furthermore, our models produced a more accurate and higher resolution digital SOC stock map compared with other available mapping products for the region. The data and high-resolution maps from this study can be used for future soil carbon assessment and monitoring. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Wildlife habitats in managed rangelands—the Great Basin of southeastern Oregon: introduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Chris Maser; Jack Ward. Thomas

1983-01-01

The need for a way by which rangeland managers can account for wildlife in land-use planning, in on-the-ground management actions, and in preparation of environmental impact statements is discussed. Principles of range-land-wildlife interactions and management are described along with management systems. The Great Basin of southeastern Oregon was selected as a well-...

Success of seeding native compared with introduced perennial vegetation for revegetating medusahead-invaded sagebrush rangeland

Science.gov (United States)

Millions of hectares of Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. wyomingensis Beetle &Young) rangeland have been invaded by medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae [L.] Nevski), an exotic annual grass that degrades wildlife habitat, reduces forage production, and decreases biodiversity....

Separating the cows from the trees: toward development of national definitions of forest and rangeland

Science.gov (United States)

H. Gyde Lund

2007-01-01

This paper introduces issues surrounding the need for national definitions of forest and rangeland, and it review types of definitions in use, reviews past agreements and their status, and finally gives recommendations as to what should be done next.

Exploring differences of soil quality as related to management in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

soil, vegetation and biodiversity) and productivity. Vegetation condition in contrasting land-use management systems is well documented in semiarid rangelands, but relatively little information is available on soil quality. This study explores soil ...

Estufas ecológicas ahorradoras de leña

OpenAIRE

Franco, Abelardo

2012-01-01

Unos de los proyectos emblemáticos que desarrolla la Sede Regional de Bocas del Toro, es el de la “Estufa Ecológica Ahorrativa de Leña”. Basada en el modelo Eco-Justa construido en Honduras, es la única estufa de este prototipo construida con ladrillos de arcilla y chimenea en la región. Este Proyecto lo desarrolla la Sede Regional de Bocas del Toro, a través del Ing. Abelardo Franco, docente en el área Ambiental, conjuntamente con la Cooperativa Bananera del Atlántico (COOBANA, R.L.) y el av...

Energy budgets and resistances to energy transport in sparsely vegetated rangeland

Science.gov (United States)

Nichols, W.D.

1992-01-01

Partitioning available energy between plants and bare soil in sparsely vegetated rangelands will allow hydrologists and others to gain a greater understanding of water use by native vegetation, especially phreatophytes. Standard methods of conducting energy budget studies result in measurements of latent and sensible heat fluxes above the plant canopy which therefore include the energy fluxes from both the canopy and the soil. One-dimensional theoretical numerical models have been proposed recently for the partitioning of energy in sparse crops. Bowen ratio and other micrometeorological data collected over phreatophytes growing in areas of shallow ground water in central Nevada were used to evaluate the feasibility of using these models, which are based on surface and within-canopy aerodynamic resistances, to determine heat and water vapor transport in sparsely vegetated rangelands. The models appear to provide reasonably good estimates of sensible heat flux from the soil and latent heat flux from the canopy. Estimates of latent heat flux from the soil were less satisfactory. Sensible heat flux from the canopy was not well predicted by the present resistance formulations. Also, estimates of total above-canopy fluxes were not satisfactory when using a single value for above-canopy bulk aerodynamic resistance. ?? 1992.

Mother-Offspring Interactions in Raramuri Criollo Cattle on New Mexico and Chihuahua (Mexico) Rangelands

Science.gov (United States)

Rangeland beef cows spend approximately six months of a typical year raising their calf. This endeavor is known to significantly alter a dam’s grazing behavior and spatial distribution patterns. The objective of this study was to characterize cow-calf contact events in two herds of Raramuri Criollo ...

Deforestation of "degraded" rangelands: The Argentine Chaco enters the next stage of the Anthropocene

Science.gov (United States)

Twenty years ago I completed my Master’s work in the Chaco forests of northern Argentina. The native forests are, in fact, rangelands. In addition to livestock grazing, there is timber extraction, wildlife harvest (think tegu lizard cowboy boots), and charcoal production. I took part in a project co...

Mapping Erosion and Salinity Risk Categories Using GIS and the Rangeland Hydrology Erosion Model

Science.gov (United States)

Up to fifteen percent of rangelands in the state of Utah in the United States are classified as being in severely eroding condition. Some of these degraded lands are located on saline, erodible soils of the Mancos Shale formation. This results in a disproportionate contribution of sediment, salinity...

Redescubriendo El suelo: Su importancia ecológica y agrícola

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Noé Manuel Montaño

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Redescubriendo el suelo: su importancia ecológica y agrícola es un libro muy completo, actualizado y sin duda será de consulta obligada para quienes hacen investigación edafológica y como material elemental para los cursos de pre- y posgrado de suelo y materias afines, tanto en México como en América Latina.

The influence of grazing intensity on soil properties and degradation processes in Mediterranean rangelands (Extremadura, SW Spain)

Science.gov (United States)

Pulido-Fernández, Manuel; Schnabel, Susanne; Francisco Lavado-Contador, Joaquín

2014-05-01

Rangelands cover vast extensions of land in Spain (>90,000 km2), where a total amount of 13 millions of domestic animals graze extensively their pastures. By clear-cutting shrubs, removing selected trees and by cultivation, these rangelands were created from former Mediterranean oak forests, mainly composed by holm oak and cork oak (Quercus ilex rotundifolia and Q. suber) as tree species, Nowadays this land system is exploited economically in large farms (>100 ha), most of them held on private ownership (80% of total) and dedicated to extensive ranching. Overgrazing is common and the excessive stocking rates may deteriorate soil quality, causing economic losses and environmental damage. Many studies have been developed on the effects of livestock grazing over soil properties and degradation processes, most of them by only comparing extreme cases (e.g. ungrazed vs. grazed or overgrazed areas). The main goal of this study is to contribute to the understanding on how animal grazing affects soil properties and degradation processes. The study is particularly focused on soil compaction and sheet erosion as related to the reduction of vegetation cover by defoliation. Soil properties were analysed from 119 environmental units selected from 56 farms distributed throughout the region of Extremadura (SW Spain). The units are representative of different rangeland types, i.e. scrublands of Retama sphaerocarpa, dehesas (wooded rangelands) and treeless grasslands. Soil surface cover was determined along transects in September 2010 (antecedent rainfall: 413-923 mm) considering the following classes: bare ground, grasses, mosses, litter, stones (<2 mm) and rock outcrops. Farmer interviews were also conducted in order to quantify stocking rates and to assess land management in 12 out of 56 farms. In the farms where transects and farmer interviews could not be carried out, bare soil surface and livestock densities were estimated. Bare soil surface was determined by classifying

Investigating Effects of Participatory Range Management Plans on Species Diversity in Semirum-Isfahan Province

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M. Borhani

2016-05-01

Full Text Available In order to investigate the effects of range management plans on species diversity, richness and evenness in Semirum rangelands, 52 sites (28 with treated plan and 24 without treated plan were selected. The non-parametric indices for species richness (Margalof, Menhinick, Jacknife and counting method and species diversity (Simpson, Camargo, Smith and Wilson and modified Nee were compared in two management plans. The mean comparisons were made by independent T Student Test and Mann-Witheny U Test, and correlation was determined between diversity indices and vegetation parameters. Based on the results there was no significant difference between the two management systems regarding environmental features, while the implementation of range management plans caused significant reduction of stocking rate. Among the studied indices, evenness of species in sites without treated plan was significantly more than the sites with treated plan. The correlation matrix showed that there was a significant positive correlation between species richness and vegetation cover, production of perennial plans, and the rangeland condition and trend, while evenness showed significant negative correlation with these indices. Generally, implementation of range management plans has considerable effect on increasing climax species, dominance of Bromus tomentellus and it causes improvement of rangeland condition and reduction of evenness. This behavior could be explained by the balance between species competition and grazing pressure. Further, succession process of the studied communities demonstrates domination of some desirable species, high production and less diversity.

Mapping Erosion Risk in California's Rangelands Using the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE)

Science.gov (United States)

Salls, W. B.; O'Geen, T. T.

2015-12-01

Soil loss constitutes a multi-faceted problem for agriculture: in addition to reducing soil fertility and crop yield, it compromises downstream water quality. Sediment itself is a major issue for aquatic ecosystems, but also serves as a vector for transporting nutrients, pesticides, and pathogens. Rangelands are thought to be a contributor to water quality degradation in California, particularly in the northern Coast Range. Though total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) have been imposed in some watersheds, and countless rangeland water quality outreach activities have been conducted, the connection between grazing intensity recommendations and changes in water quality is poorly understood at the state level. This disconnect gives rise to poorly informed regulations and discourages adoption of best management practices by ranchers. By applying the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) at a statewide scale, we highlighted areas most prone to erosion. We also investigated how two different grazing intensity scenarios affect modeled soil loss. Geospatial data layers representing the USLE parameters—rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, slope length and steepness, and cover—were overlaid to model annual soil loss. Monitored suspended sediment data from a small North Coast watershed with grazing as the predominant land use was used to validate the model. Modeled soil loss values were nearly one order of magnitude higher than monitored values; average soil loss feeding the downstream-most site was modeled at 0.329 t ha-1 yr-1, whereas storm-derived sediment passing the site over two years was calculated to be 0.037 t ha-1 yr-1. This discrepancy may stem from the fact that the USLE models detached sediment, whereas stream monitoring reflects sediment detached and subsequently transported to the waterway. Preliminary findings from the statewide map support the concern that the North Coast is particularly at risk given its combination of intense rain, erodible soils, and

Optimal grazing management strategies: evaluating key concepts ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Finally, overstocking will override key management initiatives, such as effective recovery periods, leading to rangeland degradation. Thus, in variable climates, stocking rate should be set conservatively to allow easier adaptation of animal numbers to rainfall variability from year to year. We suggest several key concepts that ...

Rangeland monitoring using remote sensing: comparison of cover estimates from field measurements and image analysis

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Ammon Boswell

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Rangeland monitoring is important for evaluating and assessing semi-arid plant communities. Remote sensing provides an effective tool for rapidly and accurately assessing rangeland vegetation and other surface attributes such as bare soil and rock. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of remote sensing as a surrogate for field-based sampling techniques in detecting ground cover features (i.e., trees, shrubs, herbaceous cover, litter, surface, and comparing results with field-based measurements collected by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Range Trent Program. In the field, five 152 m long transects were used to sample plant, litter, rock, and bare-ground cover using the Daubenmire ocular estimate method. At the same location of each field plot, a 4-band (R,G,B,NIR, 25 cm pixel resolution, remotely sensed image was taken from a fixed-wing aircraft. Each image was spectrally classified producing 4 cover classes (tree, shrub, herbaceous, surface. No significant differences were detected between canopy cover collected remotely and in the field for tree (P = 0.652, shrub (P = 0.800, and herbaceous vegetation (P = 0.258. Surface cover was higher in field plots (P < 0.001, likely in response to the methods used to sample surface features by field crews. Accurately classifying vegetation and other features from remote sensed information can improve the efficiency of collecting vegetation and surface data. This information can also be used to improve data collection frequency for rangeland monitoring and to efficiently quantify ecological succession patterns.

Conflict Management Strategies for Rangeland Resources

OpenAIRE

Rasmussen, G.A.

1995-01-01

Metadata only record Numerous strategies have been developed to cope with conflicts. Collaborative processes are one group of conflict management strategies used. When successful these processes have several common features: they are voluntary, build trust, develop a shared vision, and use consensus. These techniques have often led to false expectations because the source of the conflict was ignored or adequately trained facilitators were not used. The source of the conflict (lack of infor...

Ciudadanía ecológica

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Dobson, Andrew

2005-06-01

de los otros dos tipos de ciudadanía. Este artículo explora el modo en que la ciudadanía ecológica completa la arquitectura general de la ciudadanía, antes de perfilar la importancia de la ciudadanía ecológica para el objetivo de lograr el desarrollo sostenible.

Influencing adaptation processes on the Australian rangelands for social and ecological resilience

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Nadine A. Marshall

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Resource users require the capacity to cope and adapt to climate changes affecting resource condition if they, and their industries, are to remain viable. Understanding individual-scale responses to a changing climate will be an important component of designing well-targeted, broad-scale strategies and policies. Because of the interdependencies between people and ecosystems, understanding and supporting resilience of resource-dependent people may be as important an aspect of effective resource management as managing the resilience of ecological components. We refer to the northern Australian rangelands as an example of a system that is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and look for ways to enhance the resilience of the system. Vulnerability of the social system comprises elements of adaptive capacity and sensitivity to change (resource dependency as well as exposure, which is not examined here. We assessed the adaptive capacity of 240 cattle producers, using four established dimensions, and investigated the association between adaptive capacity and climate sensitivity (or resource dependency as measured through 14 established dimensions. We found that occupational identity, employability, networks, strategic approach, environmental awareness, dynamic resource use, and use of technology were all positively correlated with at least one dimension of adaptive capacity and that place attachment was negatively correlated with adaptive capacity. These results suggest that adaptation processes could be influenced by focusing on adaptive capacity and these aspects of climate sensitivity. Managing the resilience of individuals is critical to processes of adaptation at higher levels and needs greater attention if adaptation processes are to be shaped and influenced.

A planning support system for rangeland allocation in Iran : case of Chadegan sub-region

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Farahpour, M.

2002-01-01

Rangelands, like other natural resources are subject to many changes. In Iran, one of the changes is the land tenure reform, that may have significant effects on both the land and the land user. Land tenure changes not only affect the life of the present, but also that of next generations,

Basin wildrye (Leymus cinereus) pooled tetraploid accessions for U.S. Intermountain rangeland reclamation

Science.gov (United States)

Stanford A. Young; Jason Vernon; Nancy Shaw

2013-01-01

Basin wildrye (Leymus cinereus [Scribn. & Merr.] A. Love) is an important perennial, hardy, long-lived, cool season C3 native grass of rangeland plant communities throughout much of western United States and Canada. All classes of livestock and wildlife, including large and small birds and mammals, utilise the grass year round for food and protection due to its 2-3...

O apelo ecológico na propaganda como fator de influência na atitude de compra do consumidor: um estudo experimental

OpenAIRE

Santos, João Maurício

2010-01-01

Este estudo examinou o apelo ecológico utilizado na propaganda como influenciador na atitude de compra do consumidor, tendo em vista que nas duas últimas décadas houve um crescimento nos anúncios que utilizam este tipo de apelo, demonstrando que, pelo surgimento de um novo nicho de mercado, empresas têm se valido do marketing verde e da influência normativa na sua estratégia de marketing. Buscou-se investigar se efetivamente o uso do apelo ecológico na propaganda influencia pos...

Espécies de Melastomataceae Juss. com potencial para restauração ecológica de mata ripária no cerrado

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Lidiamar Albuquerque

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Melastomataceae Juss. é a sexta família em importância no bioma Cerrado, sendo comuns em vegetação secundária. As espé-cies desta família apresentam estratégias de vida e adaptações como grande produção de sementes, dispersão efi ciente de propágulos, altas taxas de germinação e crescimento rápido que podem propiciar a ativação dos processos ecológicos envolvidos na rege-neração natural de habitats perturbados. O objetivo foi caracterizar as espécies de Melastomataceae em vegetação secundária e avaliar seu potencial para uso na restauração ecológica de áreas degradadas de matas ripárias. Este estudo foi realizado na área experimental da Embrapa Cerrados, à margem direita do córrego Sarandi, Distrito Federal, Brasil, em uma área de um hectare, onde foram instadas parcelas e transectos para avaliação dos parâmetros: caracterís-ticas botânicas, ecológicas e reprodutivas, síndromes de polinização e de dispersão de sementes, reprodução vegetativa, riqueza de espécies, abundância, cobertura, fenofases de floração e frutificação. A partir da análise destes parâmetros definiuse os critérios para avaliar o potencial de uso das espécies na restauração ecológica. Entre as 14 espécies da família de Melastomataceae registradas,Miconia chamissoisNaud. (35.42% e 42.53%,Ossaea congestiflora(Naud. Cong. (23.6% e 13.29%,Macairea radulaDC (19.66% e 17.22% eTococa formicariaMart. (6.78% e 3.87% apresentaram maior abundância e cobertura, respectivamente. As espécies estudadas apresentaram, em sua maioria, grande oferta de recursos ali-mentares ao longo do ano, que, associadas a outras características permitiram identifi car o potencial de restaurabilidade de cada espécie avaliada. O potencial para uso na res-tauração ecológica foi alto para as espécies:Miconia chamissois,Miconia ibaguensis,Miconia albicans,Miconia theaezanse Tococa formicaria. Estas espécies podem atuar como nucleadoras

Autecology of Astragalus arpilobus Kar. & Kir, a promised species for restoration of the winter rangelands in the northeast of Iran

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M. Jankju

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Studying the autecology of range plants provides the basic information on their ecological requirements, cultivation methods and the interactions with the prevailing environment. Such information is necessary for a proper range management. Some ecological characteristics of Astragalus arpilobus Kar. & Kir., were studied in the winter rangelands of Northern Khorasan province. It was naturally growing in Jargalan, Bojnourd, where the altitudinal range varied 500-600 a.s.l, slope 20-100%, and the average annual rainfall 236.85 mm. Soil properties were: loamy texture, average organic matter, low fertility, pH 7.32 and EC 2.30 ds.m-1. A. aripilobus started vegetative growth at the early March, flowering during early May, seed production during June, and terminated its yearly growth at early July. The highest nutritive values and forage quality were at the beginning of growth, which was gradually decreased towards the end of growth season. Crude protein (CP, and ash were decreased whereas acid detergent fiber (ADF, natural detergent fiber (NDF, and dry matter (DM increased by the growing season. Seeds were easily established within pots; however, seed germination rate was low (24%, which by sand paper scarification was increased up to 51%. In conclusion, feasibility of seedling establishment, high nutritive value, and concurrence of plant phenology with the time of maximum need to fodder, by livestocks, propose A. arpilobus as a promising forage plant species for restoration of the winter rangelands in Northern Khorasan province.

Meat fatty acid and cholesterol level of free-range broilers fed on grasshoppers on alpine rangeland in the Tibetan Plateau.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Tao; Liu, Zhiyun; Qin, Liping; Long, Ruijun

2012-08-30

Meat safety and nutrition are major concerns of consumers. The development of distinctive poultry production methods based on locally available natural resources is important. Grasshoppers are rich in important nutrients and occur in dense concentrations in most rangelands of northern China. Foraging chickens could be used to suppress grasshopper infestations. However, knowledge of the fatty acid content of meat from free-range broilers reared on alpine rangeland is required. Rearing conditions and diet did not significantly (P > 0.05) affect concentrations of saturated fatty acid (SFA), arachidonic acid, docosahexaenoic acid or the ratio of total n-6 to total n-3 fatty acids. Breast muscle of chickens that had consumed grasshoppers contained significantly (P 0.05) higher than intensively reared birds. Compared with meat from intensively reared birds, meat from free-range broilers had less cholesterol and higher concentrations of total lipid and phospholipids. Chickens eating grasshoppers in rangeland produce superior quality meat and reduce the grasshopper populations that damage the pastures. This provides an economic system of enhanced poultry-meat production, which derives benefits from natural resources rather than artificial additives. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

Weight gain and behavior of Raramuri Criollo versus Corriente steers developed on Chihuahuan Desert rangeland

Science.gov (United States)

Ranchers that raise Criollo cattle must overcome the challenge of lack of markets for weaned calves. Raramuri Criollo (RC) steers are commonly raised for beef and finished on rangelands, while Corriente (CR) are often raised for rodeo sports. No data exist on weight gains and grazing behavior of ran...

Weight gain and behavior of Raramuri Criollo versus crossbred steers developed on Chihuahuan Desert rangeland

Science.gov (United States)

Ranchers that raise Raramuri Criollo (RC) cattle must overcome the challenge of lack of markets for weaned calves. Growing and finishing RC or RC-crossbred steers on rangeland pastures is increasingly common; however, no data exist on their weight gains or grazing behavior. We tracked the weight a...

Moisture, plant-plant interactions and herbivory as drivers of rangeland restoration success in the western US

Science.gov (United States)

Restoration efforts in the western US occur across a diverse array of plant communities and climatic conditions. Restoration is likely constrained by different factors in different locations, but few efforts have compared the outcomes of rangeland restoration experiments across broad spatial scales....

ALUMNO: VARGAS DIEGO, Estimación de la huella ecológica del minifundio en la vereda Pasquilla, Bogotá, Colombia

OpenAIRE

VALERO VARGAS, RAFAEL ERNESTO; BELTRÁN VARGAS, JULIO EDUARDO

2016-01-01

En la actualidad el país no cuenta con un instrumento de gestión ambiental que permita estimar la huella ecológica provocada por las actividades agropecuarias de los minifundios, lo que restringe la formulación de políticas públicas locales de desarrollo agropecuario. En 2014, se midió la huella ecológica de 27 minifundios en la vereda Pasquilla de Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia. La información provino de los productores y fue complementada con revisiones secundarias de las pub...

Hydrologic Impacts Associated with the Increased Role of Wildland Fire Across the Rangeland-Xeric Forest Continuum of the Great Basin and Intermountain West, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, C. J.; Pierson, F. B.; Robichaud, P. R.; Boll, J.; Al-Hamdan, O. Z.

2011-12-01

The increased role of wildland fire across the rangeland-xeric forest continuum in the western United States (US) presents landscape-scale consequences relative runoff and erosion. Concomitant climate conditions and altered plant community transitions in recent decades along grassland-shrubland-woodland-xeric forest transitions have promoted frequent and large wildland fires, and the continuance of the trend appears likely if current or warming climate conditions prevail. Much of the Great Basin and Intermountain West in the US now exists in a state in which rangeland and woodland wildfires stimulated by invasive cheatgrass and dense, horizontal and vertical fuel layers have a greater likelihood of progressing upslope into xeric forests. Drier moisture conditions and warmer seasonal air temperatures, along with dense fuel loads, have lengthened fire seasons and facilitated an increase in the frequency, severity and area burned in mid-elevation western US forests. These changes potentially increase the overall hydrologic vulnerability across the rangeland-xeric forest continuum by spatially and temporally increasing soil surface exposure to runoff and erosion processes. Plot-to-hillslope scale studies demonstrate burning may increase event runoff and/or erosion by factors of 2-40 over small-plots scales and more than 100-fold over large-plot to hillslope scales. Anecdotal reports of large-scale flooding and debris-flow events from rangelands and xeric forests following burning document the potential risk to resources (soil loss, water quality, degraded aquatic habitat, etc.), property and infrastructure, and human life. Such risks are particularly concerning for urban centers near the urban-wildland interface. We do not yet know the long-term ramifications of frequent soil loss associated with commonly occurring runoff events on repeatedly burned sites. However, plot to landscape-scale post-fire erosion rate estimates suggest potential losses of biologically

Infection of Melanoplus sanguinipes Grasshoppers following Ingestion of Rangeland Plant Species Harboring Vesicular Stomatitis Virus▿

Science.gov (United States)

Drolet, Barbara S.; Stuart, Melissa A.; Derner, Justin D.

2009-01-01

Knowledge of the many mechanisms of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) transmission is critical for understanding of the epidemiology of sporadic disease outbreaks in the western United States. Migratory grasshoppers [Melanoplus sanguinipes (Fabricius)] have been implicated as reservoirs and mechanical vectors of VSV. The grasshopper-cattle-grasshopper transmission cycle is based on the assumptions that (i) virus shed from clinically infected animals would contaminate pasture plants and remain infectious on plant surfaces and (ii) grasshoppers would become infected by eating the virus-contaminated plants. Our objectives were to determine the stability of VSV on common plant species of U.S. Northern Plains rangelands and to assess the potential of these plant species as a source of virus for grasshoppers. Fourteen plant species were exposed to VSV and assayed for infectious virus over time (0 to 24 h). The frequency of viable virus recovery at 24 h postexposure was as high as 73%. The two most common plant species in Northern Plains rangelands (western wheatgrass [Pascopyrum smithii] and needle and thread [Hesperostipa comata]) were fed to groups of grasshoppers. At 3 weeks postfeeding, the grasshopper infection rate was 44 to 50%. Exposure of VSV to a commonly used grasshopper pesticide resulted in complete viral inactivation. This is the first report demonstrating the stability of VSV on rangeland plant surfaces, and it suggests that a significant window of opportunity exists for grasshoppers to ingest VSV from contaminated plants. The use of grasshopper pesticides on pastures would decrease the incidence of a virus-amplifying mechanical vector and might also decontaminate pastures, thereby decreasing the inter- and intraherd spread of VSV. PMID:19286779

Infection of Melanoplus sanguinipes grasshoppers following ingestion of rangeland plant species harboring vesicular stomatitis virus.

Science.gov (United States)

Drolet, Barbara S; Stuart, Melissa A; Derner, Justin D

2009-05-01

Knowledge of the many mechanisms of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) transmission is critical for understanding of the epidemiology of sporadic disease outbreaks in the western United States. Migratory grasshoppers [Melanoplus sanguinipes (Fabricius)] have been implicated as reservoirs and mechanical vectors of VSV. The grasshopper-cattle-grasshopper transmission cycle is based on the assumptions that (i) virus shed from clinically infected animals would contaminate pasture plants and remain infectious on plant surfaces and (ii) grasshoppers would become infected by eating the virus-contaminated plants. Our objectives were to determine the stability of VSV on common plant species of U.S. Northern Plains rangelands and to assess the potential of these plant species as a source of virus for grasshoppers. Fourteen plant species were exposed to VSV and assayed for infectious virus over time (0 to 24 h). The frequency of viable virus recovery at 24 h postexposure was as high as 73%. The two most common plant species in Northern Plains rangelands (western wheatgrass [Pascopyrum smithii] and needle and thread [Hesperostipa comata]) were fed to groups of grasshoppers. At 3 weeks postfeeding, the grasshopper infection rate was 44 to 50%. Exposure of VSV to a commonly used grasshopper pesticide resulted in complete viral inactivation. This is the first report demonstrating the stability of VSV on rangeland plant surfaces, and it suggests that a significant window of opportunity exists for grasshoppers to ingest VSV from contaminated plants. The use of grasshopper pesticides on pastures would decrease the incidence of a virus-amplifying mechanical vector and might also decontaminate pastures, thereby decreasing the inter- and intraherd spread of VSV.

A Percepção dos Consumidores Quanto às Características Ecológicas: Análise de Viabilidade Baseada no Modelo Bertolini para Água Mineral

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raquel Adriana Gafuri

2015-12-01

Full Text Available A conscientização quanto às questões ambientais tem influenciado a decisão de compra e os padrões de consumo que podem indicar a disposição em adquirir um produto com características ecológicas. Este estudo de caso pretende averiguar se investimentos em características ecológicas seriam capazes de trazer retornos financeiros positivos para uma indústria de água mineral de 510 ml. Para tal verificação as análises são feitas com base no modelo proposto por Bertolini (2009, que consistiu em identificar as características ecológicas mais percebidas pelos consumidores, avaliar a disponibilidade em adquirir o produto com tais características, analisar a viabilidade econômica do projeto, além de realizar cruzamentos entre as variáveis. Apurou-se que o fator preço ainda se sobrepõe à conscientização ecológica, e que o consumidor está disposto a pagar o mesmo preço tanto para produto ecológico, quanto para produto convencional. Mesmo diante dessas condições, pode-se dizer que a utilização da ferramenta de análise foi capaz de apontar viabilidade para investimentos em características ecológicas para o produto água mineral de 510 ml.

Dimensiones ecológicas de la familia: La situación social de los niños

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Réjean Tessier

1994-06-01

Full Text Available El artículo trata de la situación social de las familias y los niños. El autor usa el paradigma ecológico que intenta comprender el comportamiento como la resultante de un intercambio mutuo y recíproco entre el organismo y el medio. Partiendo de datos estadísticos de la OMS y UNICEF trata de demostrar las consecuencias posibles de ciertas situaciones sociales y del contexto demográfico sobre las oportunidades de desarrollo de los niños. Se destaca la importancia de los diferentes niveles de las dimensiones ecológicas de la familia y se alerta sobre los efectos nocivos que tienen en los niños la pobreza extrema y las condiciones familiares de gran adversidad.

Rangeland livestock production: Developing the concept of sustainability on the Santa Rita Experimental Range

Science.gov (United States)

George B. Ruyle

2003-01-01

The Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER) was established in 1903 at the behest of concerned stockmen and researchers as the first facility in the United States set aside to study range livestock production. At the time, severe overgrazing of the public domain had seriously reduced carrying capacities of Southwestern rangelands. Researchers on the SRER developed and...

Effect of canopy cover and canopy background variables on spectral profiles of savanna rangeland bush encroachment species based on selected Acacia species (mellifera, tortilis, karroo) and Dichrostachys cinerea at Mokopane, South Africa

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Munyati, C

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The proliferation of woody plant species on savanna rangelands (i.e. bush encroachment) degrades rangeland quality, thereby threatening the biodiversity conservation effort as well as pastoral farming. Hyperspectral remote sensing offers...

Combined effects of leaf litter and soil microsite on decomposition process in arid rangelands.

Science.gov (United States)

Carrera, Analía Lorena; Bertiller, Mónica Beatriz

2013-01-15

The objective of this study was to analyze the combined effects of leaf litter quality and soil properties on litter decomposition and soil nitrogen (N) mineralization at conserved (C) and disturbed by sheep grazing (D) vegetation states in arid rangelands of the Patagonian Monte. It was hypothesized that spatial differences in soil inorganic-N levels have larger impact on decomposition processes of non-recalcitrant than recalcitrant leaf litter (low and high concentration of secondary compounds, respectively). Leaf litter and upper soil were extracted from modal size plant patches (patch microsite) and the associated inter-patch area (inter-patch microsite) in C and D. Leaf litter was pooled per vegetation state and soil was pooled combining vegetation state and microsite. Concentrations of N and secondary compounds in leaf litter and total and inorganic-N in soil were assessed at each pooled sample. Leaf litter decay and soil N mineralization at microsites of C and D were estimated in 160 microcosms incubated at field capacity (16 month). C soils had higher total N than D soils (0.58 and 0.41 mg/g, respectively). Patch soil of C and inter-patch soil of D exhibited the highest values of inorganic-N (8.8 and 8.4 μg/g, respectively). Leaf litter of C was less recalcitrant and decomposed faster than that of D. Non-recalcitrant leaf litter decay and induced soil N mineralization had larger variation among microsites (coefficients of variation = 25 and 41%, respectively) than recalcitrant leaf litter (coefficients of variation = 12 and 32%, respectively). Changes in the canopy structure induced by grazing disturbance increased leaf litter recalcitrance, and reduced litter decay and soil N mineralization, independently of soil N levels. This highlights the importance of the combined effects of soil and leaf litter properties on N cycling probably with consequences for vegetation reestablishment and dynamics, rangeland resistance and resilience with implications

Think first job! Preferences and expectations of engineering students in a French `Grande Ecole'

Science.gov (United States)

Gerwel Proches, Cecile N.; Chelin, Nathalie; Rouvrais, Siegfried

2018-03-01

A career in engineering may be appealing owing to the prospect of a good salary and a dynamic work environment. There may, however, be challenges for students wishing to enter their first job. In engineering education, career preparation courses may be included so as to prepare students adequately for their first job, future careers, and to reinforce career decision-making skills. This study explored the first-job preferences and expectations of engineering students at a generalist French 'Grande Ecole' before their compulsory internship. The study ultimately provided insight into ways in which future engineers may best be equipped for their first jobs. A qualitative research study was employed, using four focus groups to collect data, which was analysed thematically. Key findings indicate the resolute importance that engineering students place on having a challenging job, teamwork, independence, opportunities for development, and a participative style of being managed. The research findings may be of value in order to renew an engineering curriculum with better alignment between students' expectations and industry needs.

Bioma cerrado, fragmentação florestal e relações ecológicas com a avifauna

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno Senna Corrêa

2010-12-01

Full Text Available O Bioma Cerrado ocupa grande parte do Brasil central. Destaca-se por apresentar formações savânicas e grande diversidade de aves. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo levantar informações teóricas sobre alguns aspectos ecológicos envolvendo a fragmentação no Bioma Cerrado associada à distribuição de aves. O processo de fragmentação observado nas formações florestais do Cerrado gerou uma série de distúrbios que afetou a distribuição, estabelecimento e comportamento das aves silvestres. A fragmentação influencia diretamente na distribuição dos diversos grupos de aves. Os grupos generalistas, conseguem se deslocar pela matriz antropizada. Já os grupos dependentes de ambientes florestais, dependem de atributos mais complexos de recursos alimentares e condições especiais, para que seu deslocamento seja viabilizado. Por outro lado, a configuração da paisagem, sua estrutura espacial e os graus de conectividade, podem servir como estratégias para propiciar o deslocamento de alguns grupos, dispersores de sementes. Observa-se dessa forma a importância e relevância da presença de corredores ecológicos na conexão de fragmentos, como estratégias essenciais para manutenção do fluxo gênico, da dinâmica ecológica e da manutenção de remanescentes florestais.

Rangelands management in Spanish Natura 2000 sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernando Gallego, A.; Tejera Gimeno, R.; Velázquez Saornil, J.; Núñez Martí, V.; Grande Vega, M.

2009-04-01

Spanish open oak woodlands have had multiple land uses such as firewood extraction and grazing through centuries. Consequently, 20% of the Spanish forest is coppice forest. This particular agrosilvopastoral system is well widespread in the southern and western part of the Iberian Peninsula. As a result of the implementation of Natura 2000 in Spain, many of these habitats have been included in this network listed as "Dehesas" with evergreen Quercus spp. (Sclerophyllous grazed forests -dehesas-). The main goal of Natura 2000 is assuring "favourable conservation status" of natural habitats and species within these areas (Habitats Directive 92/43/ECC). This is the case of the study area, "Dehesa Boyal" (Ávila), which management plan has been carried out in a public forest land. The current situation is a degraded coppice forest, Quercus pyrenaica and Q.ilex, with a shrub encroachment due to previous firewood extraction. Besides, problems such as soil compaction and lack of sexual have been observed presumably related with livestock (180 horses, 1100 goats, 900 sheeps and 190 cows distributed in different seasons). Livestock feed on the acorns and hedge young sprouts making them sprouting again. The shrub encroachment is far from "conservation status" required in Natura 2000. Furthermore, the livestock cannot be removed because it is an important part of this agrosilvopastoral system not only for the landscape but also for its economic importance to local owners. Management plans should consider all of these circumstances and propose an integrated approach. To achieve this goal, the area was accurately classified in age classes by "stands" (oak shrubland, low pole stages, coppice tall shrub and sapling) in each habitat, using Geographic Information Systems (G.I.S), remote sensing techniques and detailed field work. Then, the "conservation status" of each stand is classified in A (Favourable), B (Inconvenient) and C (Unfavourable conservation status) considering some

The usefullness of ERTS-1 and supporting aircraft data for monitoring plant development in rangeland environments

Science.gov (United States)

Carneggie, D. M.; Degloria, S. D.

1972-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Preliminary analysis of ERTS-1 MSS imagery of annual and perennial rangeland in California yields the following observations: (1) Sufficient geomorphological detail can be resolved to differentiate upland and bottomland range sites in the foothill range areas. (2) Dry and green meadowland can be differentiated on MSS band 5. (3) Color composites prepared by NASA-Goddard were useful for locating perennial rangeland with varying amounts of herbaceous ground cover. (4) The ERTS-1 images received and interpreted cover nearly 50% of the state of California and show nearly two-thirds of the annual grassland type. (5) Satellite imagery obtained during the late summer season should be optimum for differentiating grassland from brushland and forested land. (6) The ERTS-1 imagery clearly shows areas which at one time were part of the annual grassland but which are now used for dry land farming (cropping of cereal grains). Similarly, the imagery show areas which have been converted from brushland to grassland.

Estimating climate change effects on net primary production of rangelands in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Matthew C. Reeves; Adam L. Moreno; Karen E. Bagne; Steven W. Running

2014-01-01

The potential effects of climate change on net primary productivity (NPP) of U.S. rangelands were evaluated using estimated climate regimes from the A1B, A2 and B2 global change scenarios imposed on the biogeochemical cycling model, Biome-BGC from 2001 to 2100. Temperature, precipitation, vapor pressure deficit, day length, solar radiation, CO2 enrichment and nitrogen...

Rangeland management and fluvial geomorphology in northern Tanzania.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Brian W; Doyle, Martin W

2014-06-01

Researchers have independently documented the effects of land use on rivers and threats to river management institutions, but the relationship between changes in institutional context and river condition is not well described. This study assesses the connections between resource management institutions, land use, and rivers by integrating social science, geospatial analysis, and geomorphology. In particular, we measured hydraulic geometry, sediment size distributions, and estimated sediment yield for four rivers in northern Tanzania and conducted semistructured interviews that assessed corresponding resource management institutions. Communities managed rivers through both customary (traditional, nonstate) and government institutions, but the differences in the resource management policies and practices of the study rivers themselves were fairly subtle. Clearer differences were found at broader scales; the four watersheds exhibited substantial differences in land cover change and sediment yield associated with the location of settlements, roadways, and cultivation. Unexpectedly, these recent land use changes did not initiate a geomorphic response in rivers. The long history of grazing by domestic and wild ungulates may have influenced water and sediment supplies such that river channel dimensions are more resistant to changes in land use than other systems or have already adjusted to predominant changes in boundary conditions. This would suggest that not all rivers will have the anticipated responses to contemporary land use changes because of antecedent land use patterns; over long time scales (centuries to millennia), the presence of grazers may actually increase the ability of rivers to withstand changes in land use. Our findings point to a need for further interdisciplinary study of dryland rivers and their shifts between system states, especially in areas with a long history of grazing, relatively recent changes in land use, and a dynamic social and

Rangeland management and fluvial geomorphology in northern Tanzania

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Brian W.; Doyle, Martin W.

2014-01-01

Researchers have independently documented the effects of land use on rivers and threats to river management institutions, but the relationship between changes in institutional context and river condition is not well described. This study assesses the connections between resource management institutions, land use, and rivers by integrating social science, geospatial analysis, and geomorphology. In particular, we measured hydraulic geometry, sediment size distributions, and estimated sediment yield for four rivers in northern Tanzania and conducted semistructured interviews that assessed corresponding resource management institutions. Communities managed rivers through both customary (traditional, nonstate) and government institutions, but the differences in the resource management policies and practices of the study rivers themselves were fairly subtle. Clearer differences were found at broader scales; the four watersheds exhibited substantial differences in land cover change and sediment yield associated with the location of settlements, roadways, and cultivation. Unexpectedly, these recent land use changes did not initiate a geomorphic response in rivers. The long history of grazing by domestic and wild ungulates may have influenced water and sediment supplies such that river channel dimensions are more resistant to changes in land use than other systems or have already adjusted to predominant changes in boundary conditions. This would suggest that not all rivers will have the anticipated responses to contemporary land use changes because of antecedent land use patterns; over long time scales (centuries to millennia), the presence of grazers may actually increase the ability of rivers to withstand changes in land use. Our findings point to a need for further interdisciplinary study of dryland rivers and their shifts between system states, especially in areas with a long history of grazing, relatively recent changes in land use, and a dynamic social and

Evaluating soil moisture and hydraulic conductivity in semi-arid rangeland soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitaker, M.P.L.

1993-01-01

The US DOE's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (DOE-OCRWM) Fellowship Program supports various disciplines of academic research related to the isolation of radionuclides from the biosphere. The purpose of this paper is to provide an example of a university research application in the specific discipline of hydrology and water resources (a multi-disciplinary field encompassing engineering and the earth sciences), and to discuss how this research pertains to the objectives of the DOE-OCRWM Fellowship Program. The university research application is twofold: One portion focuses on the spatial variability of soil moisture (θ) and the other section compares point measurements with small watershed estimates of hydraulic conductivity (K) in a semi-arid rangeland soil in Arizona. For soil moisture measurements collected over a range of horizontal sampling intervals, no spatial correlation was evident. This outcome is reassuring to computer modelers who have assumed no spatial correlation for soil moisture over smaller scales. In regard to hydraulic conductivity, point measurements differed significantly from small watershed estimates of hydraulic conductivity which were derived from a calibrated and verified rainfall-runoff computer model. The estimates of saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) were obtained from previous computer simulations in which measured data was collected in the same research location as the present study

Development of the crop residue and rangeland burning in the 2014 National Emissions Inventory using information from multiple sources

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This workbook contains all the activity data, emission factor data, and ancillary data used to compute crop residue burning and rangeland emissions for the 2014 NEI...

Biomass increases go under cover: woody vegetation dynamics in South African rangelands

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mograbi, PJ

2015-05-01

Full Text Available and ranging (LiDAR) data The communal rangelands were surveyed with airborne laser mapping as part of a Carnegie Airborne Observatory (http://cao.ciw.edu/) campaign in April 2008 and April 2012, concur- rently with the collected fieldwork data in 2012. Small... permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Data Availability Statement: All data necessary to replicate the results of this study are contained within the paper and its...

Linking remote-sensing and ecosystem services modeling to support and assess management for regenerative grazing in the South Gobi, Mongolia

Science.gov (United States)

Chaplin-Kramer, R.; Kowal, V. A.; Sharp, R.

2017-12-01

Managing and monitoring supply chain sustainability is a major challenge and opportunity for business, especially in rangelands, heavily managed and often degraded natural systems that provide significant resources and raw materials for production. One of the largest and most threatened rangeland systems in the world is in Mongolia, which has seen a rapid rise in grazing pressure due to increasing global demand for cashmere along with privatization of a formerly government-run livestock industry. A new opportunity is emerging for remote-sensing to improve the management decisions of the producers and their incentive-setters, leading to a more sustainable rangeland system and better outcomes for biodiversity and people in this unique and imperiled landscape. Oyu Tolgoi (OT), the Mongolian subsidiary of the mining company Rio Tinto, in cooperation with Kering, an apparel conglomerate that sources cashmere from the region, are providing financial incentives to improve grazing patterns through a Sustainable Cashmere program, in order to restore the degraded rangeland ecosystem in the Gobi desert region. We present a framework and approach for predicting the effect of changing grazing practices on biodiversity and ecosystem services, which we are developing into decision-support tools for OT, Kering, and their local partner Wildlife Conservation Society to quantify the impacts of their programs and where these interventions will have greatest benefit. Our approach integrates remote-sensing and ecosystem modeling to scale up field monitoring data and forecast future impacts. Our rangeland production model, based on the soil-vegetation model CENTURY and the livestock model GRAZPLAN, predicts biomass production and plant species composition changes, and can feed into ecosystem services models such as soil retention and water regulation in the InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs) software suite. This presents a significant advance in ecosystem

Anfibios de un bosque seco tropical: Reserva Ecológica Arenillas, Ecuador

OpenAIRE

Szekely, József Paul

2016-01-01

Arenillas Ecological Reserve (Reserva Ecológica Arenillas - REA) is located in southwestern Ecuador, close to the Peruvian border, and belongs to the Tumbesian Endemism Region and is one of the last remnants of tropical dry forests at altitudes below 100 m a.s.l. Climate is characterized by a rainy season extending from January to May and a dry season extending from June to December. Few studies on the amphibians from the reserve have been made so far. Over a period of twelve months, from 201...

Evaluation of environmental change in rangelands of Uzbekistan with application of nuclear techniques approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nasyrov, M.G.; Safarov, A.N.; Osmanov, B.S.

2004-01-01

Full text: Desertification and land degradation are a problem of major importance in the arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Deterioration of soil and plant cover has adversely affected nearly 50% of land areas as a result of extended droughts and human mismanagement of cultivated and rangelands. Due to several factors such as soil erosion, overgrazing, collection of plants and other anthropogenic activities the most part of these biomes are under degradation. The problem of assessments of current status of rangelands becomes very important days after days. Therefore, it needs to work out and implement new time and labor saving methods of assessment of current status of natural biomes. Soil erosion is a natural process caused by water, wind, and ice that have affected the earth's surface since the beginning if time. Man's activities often accelerate soil erosion. Soil erosion and its off-site, downstream damages are major concerns around the world causing losses in soil productivity, degradation of landscape, degradation of water quality, and loss of soil organic carbon. Current techniques for assessing soil erosion are (1) long-term soil erosion plot monitoring, (2) field surveys, and (3) soil erosion models (Evans, 1995). Each of this techniques has strengths and weaknesses. Over the last 30 years, research has shown the potential of using radioactive fallout 137 Cs to provide timely and quantitative estimates of soil erosion and redeposition at point, field, and reconnaissance scales. Applications of 137 Cs o provide an independent measurement of soil erosion rates, patterns, and redepositions are well-documented (Ritchie and McHenry, 1990). The unique advantages of the 137 Cs technique to study soil erosion rates and patterns are that it (a) requires only one trip to the field; (b) provides results quickly; (c) allows retrospective assessment of soil erosion rates; (d) provides average losses for 35 to 40 year period thus is less influenced by extreme

Plan de empresa para una granja de gallinas ecológicas

OpenAIRE

Martínez Cañada, Alberto

2014-01-01

Este TFG surge como respuesta a los principales problemas del medio rural: despoblación, envejecimiento poblacional y estancamiento de la economía rural. Así se propone una actividad respetuosa con el medio ambiente, generadora de empleo y revitalizante para el municipio donde se instalará la explotación: la avicultura ecológica de puesta.El estudio se estructura en 4 capítulos; el 1º se centra en el estudio del medio rural, el 2ºes un análisis tecnológico de la explotación, el 3º un análisis...

Effects of feral free-roaming horses on semi-arid rangeland ecosystems: an example from the sagebrush steppe

Science.gov (United States)

Feral horses (Equus caballus) are viewed as a symbol of freedom and power; however, they are also a largely unmanaged, non-native grazer in North America, South America, and Australia. Information on their influence on vegetation and soil characteristics in semi-arid rangelands has been limited by ...

The changing role of shrubs in rangeland-based livestock production systems: Can shrubs increase our forage supply?

Science.gov (United States)

Projected global increases in ruminant numbers and loss of native grasslands will present a number of challenges for livestock agriculture. Escalated demand for livestock products may stimulate interest in using shrubs on western rangelands. A paradigm shift is needed to change the role of shrubs in...

Evaulation of perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium) management in a seasonal wetland in San Francisco Estuary prior to restoration of tidal hydrology

Science.gov (United States)

Herbicide applications have shown potential for control and management of invasive perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium) in rangelands and tidal wetlands. However, reported efficacy of management methods varies widely, and the effects of more recently labeled aquatic herbicides on non-target ve...

Science framework for conservation and restoration of the sagebrush biome: Linking the Department of the Interior’s Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy to long-term strategic conservation actions, Part 1. Science basis and applications

Science.gov (United States)

Chambers, Jeanne C.; Beck, Jeffrey L.; Bradford, John B.; Bybee, Jared; Campbell, Steve; Carlson, John; Christiansen, Thomas J; Clause, Karen J.; Collins, Gail; Crist, Michele R.; Dinkins, Jonathan B.; Doherty, Kevin E.; Edwards, Fred; Espinosa, Shawn; Griffin, Kathleen A.; Griffin, Paul; Haas, Jessica R.; Hanser, Steven E.; Havlina, Douglas W.; Henke, Kenneth F.; Hennig, Jacob D.; Joyce, Linda A; Kilkenny, Francis F.; Kulpa, Sarah M; Kurth, Laurie L; Maestas, Jeremy D; Manning, Mary E.; Mayer, Kenneth E.; Mealor, Brian A.; McCarthy, Clinton; Pellant, Mike; Perea, Marco A.; Prentice, Karen L.; Pyke, David A.; Wiechman , Lief A.; Wuenschel, Amarina

2017-01-01

The Science Framework is intended to link the Department of the Interior’s Integrated Rangeland Fire Management Strategy with long-term strategic conservation actions in the sagebrush biome. The Science Framework provides a multiscale approach for prioritizing areas for management and determining effective management strategies within the sagebrush biome. The emphasis is on sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems and Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). The approach provided in the Science Framework links sagebrush ecosystem resilience to disturbance and resistance to nonnative, invasive plant species to species habitat information based on the distribution and abundance of focal species. A geospatial process is presented that overlays information on ecosystem resilience and resistance, species habitats, and predominant threats and that can be used at the mid-scale to prioritize areas for management. A resilience and resistance habitat matrix is provided that can help decisionmakers evaluate risks and determine appropriate management strategies. Prioritized areas and management strategies can be refined by managers and stakeholders at the local scale based on higher resolution data and local knowledge. Decision tools are discussed for determining appropriate management actions for areas that are prioritized for management. Geospatial data, maps, and models are provided through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) ScienceBase and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Landscape Approach Data Portal. The Science Framework is intended to be adaptive and will be updated as additional data become available on other values and species at risk. It is anticipated that the Science Framework will be widely used to: (1) inform emerging strategies to conserve sagebrush ecosystems, sagebrush dependent species, and human uses of the sagebrush system, and (2) assist managers in prioritizing and planning on-the-ground restoration and mitigation actions across the sagebrush biome.

Assessment of water resource potential for common use of cow and goat by GIS (Case study: Boroujerd Rangeland, Sarab Sefid, Iran)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ariapour, A; Karami, K; Sadr, A

2014-01-01

One of the most important factors to sustainability utilization of natural potential by rangeland grazing suitability is water resources suitability. This study is a model for quantitative, qualitative and spatial distance assessment of water resource's propriety for goat and cow grazing based on geographic information systems (GIS) in Boroujerd Sarab Sefid rangeland, Lorestan province, Iran 2013. In this research from combining three factors such as quantity, quality and water resource's distances; the final model of degree of propriety of water resources for goat and cow grazing is characterized. Results showed that slope factor was the reason of limitation, and it is considered as a limiting factor in propriety of water resources, so in terms of access to water resources for goat grazing, 4856.4 ha (100%) located in S1 classes and for cow grazing, 4023.14 ha (68.6%) located in S1(suitability) classes, 1,187 ha (20.24%) in S2 classes and 654.8 ha (11.16%) located in S3 classes, respectively for both. So according to the results the rangelands in this region are most suitable for goat because of terrain and weather but this, in combination with, cow hasbandry will allow diversity of economic production and stability of incomes

Comprender la realidad sin representaciones: Affordances y psicología ecológica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel Heras Escribano

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Frente al paradigma tradicional en ciencia cognitiva, donde la metáfora del ordenador es la imperante, la psicología ecológica se ofrece como la alternativa más potente en el futuro desarrollo de las investigaciones sobre el fenómeno de la cognición. Dentro de ella, la noción de affordance juega un papel fundamental, aunque el concepto no está exento de polémica.

ECOLE DE RUGBY DE CERN / MEYRIN / ST-GENIS

CERN Multimedia

RUGBY CLUB

2010-01-01

La période de rentrée des classes coïncide également avec la reprise des activités sportives de nos enfants. L’Ecole de Rugby du CMSG Rugby Club, une des plus grandes de Suisse avec près d’une de licenciés de 6 à 18 ans, profite de cette période pour vous informer sur la réelle alternative que représente le Rugby. Pourquoi le rugby pour mon enfant ? Parce qu’il contribue à l’épanouissement harmonieux des enfants et des jeunes, ainsi qu’à la formation de leur personnalité. C’est même le ‘Sport Collectif par Excellence’ selon le Manuel des Castor Juniors ! Le rugby est un sport complet qui sollicite et développe les capacités motrices, intellectuelles, sociales et affectives de celui qui l’exerce. Le rugby...

TIPNIS y Amazonia: Contradicciones en la agenda ecológica de Bolivia

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Ricardo Calla Ortega

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract:The ecological agenda of the government of Evo Morales shows great contradictions. In international meetings it presents itself as the radical defender of the environmental rights of the Latin American peoples. In its own country, it pursues developmentalist policies which are based on the extraction of natural resources. This policy is causing large conflicts within the country. The most striking has been over the construction of a highway through the national park of TIPNIS. The contradiction between its in-ternational position and internal policies, which are far less green, is causing severe damage to the credibility of the Morales government, within and outside the country.Resumen:La agenda ecológica del gobierno de Evo Morales demuestra grandes contradicciones. En los encuentros internacionales se presen-ta como un defensor radical de los derechos ecológicos de los pueblos latinoamericanos. En su propio país está persiguiendo un pro-yecto desarrollista basado en la extracción de recursos nacionales. Esta política está causando grandes conflictos dentro del país. La más llamativa ha sido sobre la construc-ción de una autopista por el parque nacional del TIPNIS. La contradicción entre su pos-tura internacional y una política mucho me-nos verde al interior está dañando aguda-mente la credibilidad del gobierno de Mora-les dentro y fuera del país.

Trilha ecológica do Cavalo-Marinho: Ecoturismo em Barra Grande/PI

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Andrea Geisa Pereira Barbosa

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Na comunidade Barra Grande, localidade do município de Cajueiro da Praia - PI existe uma trilha ecológica muito bem planejada pelos moradores locais da própria comunidade: A Trilha do Cavalo - Marinho. Essa trilha consiste em um passeio ecológico, onde se trabalham comutantemente o turismo, a sustentabilidade e a educação ambiental.  A área de estudo - a localidade Barra Grande - pertence à Área de Proteção Ambiental (APA do Delta do Parnaíba (APA do Delta do Parnaíba, que visa proteger os ecossistemas costeiros, localizados nos estados do Maranhão, Piauí e Ceará. A referente pesquisa tem como principal objetivo inter-relacionar o termo ecoturismo, educação ambiental, sustentabilidade, e a trilha do cavalo marinho, realizado na pequena localidade do Piauí, Barra Grande. A metodologia utilizada no trabalho em estudo foi pesquisa bibliográfica: constituída de um conjunto de obras escritas referente ao turismo, desenvolvimento sustentável, desenvolvimento local sustentável, meio ambiente e educação ambiental e pesquisa de campo não participativa: realizada para obtenção das informações sobre a situação da área de estudo e analisar os aspectos trabalhados pelos moradores tanto na questão de educação ambiental como da sustentabilidade.

Análise de risco ecológico na Lagoa da Vela

OpenAIRE

Abrantes, Nelson José Cabaços

2007-01-01

A Análise de Risco Ecológico (ARE) é um processo sistemático de avaliação da probabilidade de efeitos adversos ocorrerem em resultado da exposição a um ou mais agentes de stress ambiental. No contexto da tomada de decisão relativa aos problemas ambientais, a ARE tem-se mostrado como uma ferramenta fundamental e eficaz, sendo cada vez mais utilizada nos países desenvolvidos. Contudo, em Portugal, o seu uso continua muito limitado e incipiente. A Lagoa da Vela, localizada n...

An overview of the rangelands atmosphere hydrosphere biosphere interaction study experiment in northeastern Asia (RAISE)

Science.gov (United States)

Sugita, Michiaki; Asanuma, Jun; Tsujimura, Maki; Mariko, Shigeru; Lu, Minjiao; Kimura, Fujio; Azzaya, Dolgorsuren; Adyasuren, Tsokhio

2007-01-01

SummaryIntensive observations, analysis and modeling within the framework of the rangelands atmosphere-hydrosphere-biosphere interaction study experiment in northeastern Asia (RAISE) project, have allowed investigations into the hydrologic cycle in the ecotone of forest-steppe, and its relation to atmosphere and ecosystem in the eastern part of Mongolia. In this region, changes in the climate have been reported and a market oriented economy was introduced recently, but their impact on the natural environment is still not well understood. In this RAISE special issue, the outcome is presented of the studies carried out by six groups within RAISE, namely: (1) Land-atmosphere interaction analysis, (2) ecosystem analysis and modeling, (3) hydrologic cycle analysis, (4) climatic modeling, (5) hydrologic modeling, and (6) integration. The results are organized in five relevant categories comprising (i) hydrologic cycle including precipitation, groundwater, and surface water, (ii) hydrologic cycle and ecosystem, (iii) surface-atmosphere interaction, (iv) effect of grazing activities on soils, plant ecosystem and surface fluxes, and (v) future prediction. Comparison with studies on rangelands in other parts of the world, and some future directions of studies still needed in this region are also summarized.

Common garden comparisons of reproductive, forage and weed suppression potential of rangeland rehabilitation grasses of the Great Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Common garden experiments are a means to remove environmental effects. Using 8 species of perennial rangeland grasses, we established a common garden (3 reps x28 plants = 84 plants/species). We found that ‘Hycrest’ crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) and bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria sp...

Estrutura espacial e processos ecológicos: o estudo da fragmentação dos habitats

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Maria Laranjeira

2012-06-01

Full Text Available O presente artigo revê a relação entre alguns conceitos e pressupostos fundamentais para a atual investigação ecológica e biogeográfica que, desde meados de 1980, se tem vindo a centrar no estudo do regime e dos efeitos das perturbações ambientais, naturais e antrópicas, sobre espécies e comunidades biológicas. Salienta-se a afirmação crescente da Ecologia da Paisagem, disciplina que enfatiza a importância da heterogeneidade espacial e das relações recíprocas entre os padrões espaciais da paisagem e os processos ecológicos, sobretudo no contexto de uma perturbação como a da fragmentação dos habitats. A base conceptual e os resultados dos principais modelos de simulação espacial e dos estudos empíricos que permitem destrinçar a importância da perda do habitat relativamente à configuração espacial do habitat são sintetizados e discutidos.

Los Desplazamientos en el Discurso ´Ecológico´: del Naturalismo Social al Sociologismo Natural

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Rosario Rogel Salazar

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Este ensayo ofrece una introducción al desarrollo sustentable que permita, en la medida de lo posible, fomentar una actitud crítica ante la manera en que se analiza hoy la cuestión de la sustentabilidad. El hilo conductor es la búsqueda del sistema conceptual, que ha concebido los problemas ecológicos como “perturbaciones” y que ahora arriba a una postura denominada “desarrollo sustentable”, como nueva construcción utópica del proyecto de la modernidad. Se busca enmarcar el problema como una cuestión epistémica, debido a que ha sido la forma de razonar/conocer lo que ha circunscrito las catástrofes ecológicas a ‘perturbaciones’; es decir, a situaciones a controlar, lo que da pie a la idea de desarrollo sustentable. En síntesis, estas líneas proponen enfrentar el problema de la intervención e interpretación del sujeto en la construcción de proyectos colectivos, en los que se ha ubicado al desarrollo sustentable.

Factores que determinan la resiliencia socio-ecológica para la alta montaña andina

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Samir Joaqui Daza

2014-12-01

Full Text Available El presente artículo de revisión está enmarcado en el desarrollo de una tesis doctoral en Ciencias Ambientales. Analiza los procesos tradicionales de gestión y planificación que han tenido un enfoque disciplinar para enfrentar problemáticas ambientales como el cambio climático en la alta montaña andina cuyo propósito se ha centrado en el manejo o mitigación de los impactos ambientales generados por las actividades antrópicas. Sin embargo, el deterioro ecológico aumenta debido a que las bases conceptuales en las que se fundamentan las herramientas de gestión por lo general son descontextualizadas, asumiendo que las relaciones socio ecológicas se pueden desagregar para ser estudiadas y que los fenómenos de la naturaleza son predecibles y controlables. Considerando lo anterior, se propone la incorporación de teorías complementarias como los socio-ecosistemas, la resiliencia, la transformabilidad, la adaptación y la vulnerabilidad.

Monitoring Forage Production of California Rangeland Using Remote Sensing Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, H.; Jin, Y.; Dahlgren, R. A.; O'Geen, A. T.; Roche, L. M.; Smith, A. M.; Flavell, D.

2016-12-01

Pastures and rangeland cover more than 10 million hectares in California's coastal and inland foothill regions, providing feeds to livestock and important ecosystem services. Forage production in California has a large year-to-year variation due to large inter-annual and seasonal variabilities in precipitation and temperature. It also varies spatially due to the variability in climate and soils. Our goal is to develop a robust and cost-effective tool to map the near-real-time and historical forage productivity in California using remote sensing observations from Landsat and MODIS satellites. We used a Monteith's eco-physiological plant growth theory: the aboveground net primary production (ANPP) is determined by (i) the absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR) and the (ii) light use efficiency (LUE): ANPP = APAR * LUEmax * f(T) * f(SM), where LUEmax is the maximum LUE, and f(T) and f(SM) are the temperature and soil moisture constrains on LUE. APAR was estimated with Landsat and MODIS vegetation index (VI), and LUE was calibrated with a statewide point dataset of peak forage production measurements at 75 annual rangeland sites. A non-linear optimization was performed to derive maximum LUE and the parameters for temperature and soil moisture regulation on LUE by minimizing the differences between the estimated and measured ANPP. Our results showed the satellite-derived annual forage production estimates correlated well withcontemporaneous in-situ forage measurements and captured both the spatial and temporal productivity patterns of forage productivity well. This remote sensing algorithm can be further improved as new field measurements become available. This tool will have a great importance in maintaining a sustainable range industry by providing key knowledge for ranchers and the stakeholders to make managerial decisions.

National projections of forest and rangeland condition indicators: a supporting technical document for the 1999 RPA assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

John Hof; Curtis Flather; Tony Baltic; Stephen. Davies

1999-01-01

The 1999 forest and rangeland condition indicator model is a set of independent econometric production functions for environmental outputs (measured with condition indicators) at the national scale. This report documents the development of the database and the statistical estimation required by this particular production structure with emphasis on two special...

Soils as a Solution: The Potential of Rangelands to Contribute to Climate Change Mitigation

Science.gov (United States)

Silver, W. L.; Ryals, R.; DeLonge, M. S.; Owen, J. J.

2015-12-01

The majority of soil-related climate change research has focused on describing the problem - estimating rates of carbon (C) losses and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from natural and managed ecosystems. More research is needed to explore potential solutions to climate change through mitigation and adaptation. Here we report on an integrated set of studies aimed at critically evaluating the biogeochemical potential of rangeland soils to help mitigate climate change, while improving the sustainability and productivity of food production systems. We explored direct effects through enhanced net primary production (NPP) and soil C sequestration, and indirect effects through diversion of high emitting sources to lower emitting organic matter dynamics. We used a combination of long- and short-term field experiments, modeling, laboratory assays, life cycle assessment (LCA), and meta-analyses in consultation with a diverse group of stakeholders from both the private and public sectors. We found that organic matter amendments held particularly strong potential. Compost amendments increased soil C storage by 0.5-1.0 Mg C ha-1 y-1 in surface soils over 5 y, and increased NPP and water holding capacity. We measured 1.0 Mg of new C ha-1 y-1 over 3 y. Long-term amendment of cattle manure increased surface soil C by 19.0±7.3 Mg C ha-1 relative to unmanured fields. However, field and modeling experiments suggested that manure amendments lead to large nitrous oxide emissions that eventually eliminated CO2e benefits, whereas compost amendments continued to benefit climate for decades longer. An LCA identified a broader range of climate impacts. When scaled to an area of 25% of California's rangelands, new C sequestered following compost amendments (21 million Mg CO2e) exceeded emissions from cattle (15 million Mg CO2e); diverting organics from waste streams to amendments led to additional GHG savings. In collaboration with our partners, our research contributed to the development of

Myrtaceae na Bacia do Rio Caveiras: Características Ecológicas e Usos Não Madeireiros

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Juliano Pereira Gomes

Full Text Available RESUMO Objetivou-se descrever o padrão florístico-estrutural, as características ecológicas e os potenciais das Myrtaceae na bacia hidrográfica do Rio Caveiras. As comunidades de Myrtaceae estudadas localizam-se no Planalto Sul Catarinense, Lages, São José do Cerrito e Urupema. Foram instaladas quatro blocos por município, totalizando 30 mil m2 de área amostral, nos quais todos os espécimes de Myrtaceae com diâmetro à altura do peito (DAP ≥ 5 cm foram amostrados. A estrutura da comunidade de Myrtaceae foi avaliada pelos descritores fitossociológicos e a suficiência amostral foi verificada utilizando-se o método de rarefação. As abordagens ecológicas e indicações de uso não madeireiro basearam-se em bibliografia especializada e base de dados científicos. Foram amostrados 1.480 exemplares de Myrtaceae pertencentes a 21 espécies e 11 gêneros. As espécies mais abundantes foram Myrceugenia euosma, Siphoneugena reitzii e Myrcia palustris, as quais representaram mais de 50% da estrutura da comunidade. Quanto à classificação ecológica, destacou-se o grupo das secundárias iniciais (57%. As espécies amostradas são indicadas para restauração de áreas alteradas, usos ornamentais (100% e fitoterápicos (60%. Apesar da representatividade e potencialidades das Myrtaceae, ainda são necessárias pesquisas para embasar a conservação via plano de manejo.

Managing the unexpected in prescribed fire and fire use operations: a workshop on the High Reliability Organization

Science.gov (United States)

Paul (tech. ed.) Keller

2004-01-01

Fire management, and forest and rangeland fuels management, over the past century have altered the wildland fire situation dramatically, thus also altering the institutional approach to how to deal with the changing landscape. Also, climate change, extended drought, increased insect and disease outbreaks, and invasions of exotic plant species have added complications...

Morphological and molecular characterization of an uninucleated cyst-producing Entamoeba spp. in captured Rangeland goats in Western Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Habsi, Khalid; Yang, Rongchang; Ryan, Una; Jacobson, Caroline; Miller, David W

2017-02-15

Uninucleated Entamoeba cysts measuring 7.3×7.7μm were detected in faecal samples collected from wild Rangeland goats (Capra hircus) after arrival at a commercial goat depot near Geraldton, Western Australia at a prevalence of 6.4% (8/125). Sequences were obtained at the 18S rRNA (n=8) and actin (n=5) loci following PCR amplification. At the 18S locus, phylogenetic analysis grouped the isolates closest with an E. bovis isolate (FN666250) from a sheep from Sweden with 99% similarity. At the actin locus, no E. bovis sequences were available, and the isolates shared 94.0% genetic similarity with E. suis from a pig in Western Japan. This is the first report to describe the morphology and molecular characterisation of Entamoeba from Rangeland goats in Western Australia and the first study to produce actin sequences from E. bovis-like Entamoeba sp. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aspectos biológicos y ecológicos de las garrapatas duras

OpenAIRE

Polanco-Echeverry, Diana Nayibe; Ríos-Osorio, Leonardo Alberto

2016-01-01

Las garrapatas duras son ectoparásitos hematófagos de la familia Ixodidae. Estos ácaros han sido considerados siempre como agentes disruptores de los sistemas ganaderos, en los que se les reconoce como causantes de pérdidas económicas y productivas. Sin embargo, su función ecológica es importante para el equilibrio dinámico del sistema de producción de carne o leche bovina. El conocimiento de su biología y ecología puede ilustrar la toma de decisiones sanitarias que se hagan sobre estos organ...

Revisión del paradigma ecológico de la 'legionella'. Estrategia ecológica y su implicación en salud pública

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Bernardo Ferrer Simó

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Algunos aspectos difícilmente explicados por el modelo ecológico descrito por Rowbothan en 1980, como son: la dosis infecciosa anormalmente baja, las largas distancias en las cuales la bacteria permanece viable en el seno del aerosol difundido, la dificultad de crecimiento en los medios de cultivo estándar, la poca eficacia de los desinfectantes antilegionela en el control de los brotes, la reinfección o sencillamente la ausencia de transmisión persona-persona, son analizados bajo el prisma de la microbiología ecológica. Centrados en la relación bacteria-protozoo, diversos estudios sugieren que la amplificación o crecimiento bacteriano podría tener lugar en dos fases o etapas, funcionalmente distintas, según la proporción o ratio bacteria-ameba (MOI- multiplicity of infection. En una primera fase de crecimiento rápido, en la que esta relación es sustancialmente baja, la entrada de una bacteria de legionela en la ameba originaría una única vacuola, que tras la lisis amebiana, liberaría al medio formas libres infectantes para otras amebas. La segunda etapa, de diseminación o colonización de otros nichos ecológicos, con relaciones MOI altas, se producen varias vesículas de crecimiento en el interior de la ameba que serían expulsadas por la misma sin necesidad de lisar. El enquistamiento de la ameba en esta fase, se produce tras la liberación masiva al medio de las vesículas que hubiera en el interior. Algunos autores sugieren que estas vesículas por sus características de resistencia y “empaquetamiento” de formas de vivas de legionela, constituyen el núcleo infectante en la transmisión de la legionelosis. La presencia de un biofilm específico podría ser determinante en este proceso. Teniendo en cuenta este sistema de relación-interacción ameba-legionela, las medidas preventivas deberían ir encaminadas a mantener la relación MOI baja, siempre en conjunción con bajos niveles de biofilm. En este sentido la adici

¿Conocimiento, medio ambiente o salud? Una investigación sobre los determinantes del consumo de alimentos ecológicos en España

OpenAIRE

López Galán, Belinda Susan; Gracia Royo, Azucena; Barreiro Hurlé, Jesús

2013-01-01

El objetivo de este estudio es determinar los factores que influyen en la intención de compra de alimentos ecológicos de los consumidores españoles. Para ello se ha especificado un modelo de intención de compra basado en la Teoría del Comportamiento Planeado de Ajzen al que se ha añadido el nivel de conocimiento sobre los alimentos ecológicos y la preocupación por la salud y el medioambiente como factores determinantes de la intención de compra. Para estimar el modelo se ha especificado un mo...

Hospitality Management: Learning, Doing, Knowing

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Christopher Muller

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Is there something distinct about the traditional Hospitality Management curriculum? First offered in 1893 at the Ecole Hoteliere Lausanne in Switzerland and launched in the United States at The School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University in 1922, has this course of study evolved over time to focus on both of Meyer's skills - originally based on technical skills but now transforming to emotional skills?

Hospitality Management: Learning, Doing, Knowing

OpenAIRE

Christopher Muller

2016-01-01

Is there something distinct about the traditional Hospitality Management curriculum? First offered in 1893 at the Ecole Hoteliere Lausanne in Switzerland and launched in the United States at The School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University in 1922, has this course of study evolved over time to focus on both of Meyer's skills - originally based on technical skills but now transforming to emotional skills?

Determinación de la calidad ecológica del río Tuluá Valle del Cauca

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César Augusto Bustamante Toro

2014-12-01

Full Text Available En el período comprendido entre febrero y junio de 2011, se realizó un estudio sobre la calidad ecológica del río Tuluá en sus tramos medio y bajo en la jurisdicción del municipio de Tuluá, Valle del Cauca. Se establecieron seis puntos de muestreo donde se colectaron macroinvertebrados acuáticos y se tomaron muestras de agua para los análisis físico-químicos y bacteriológicos. Para los resultados se aplicaron los índices de contaminación acuática (ICOMO, ICOMI e ICOSUS de Viña & Ramírez (1998, el índice biótico de calidad del agua BMWP adaptado por Zúñiga (2004 y los índices ecológicos de diversidad alfa y beta. También se determinó la composición y estructura del ensamble de macroinvertebrados encontrándose 1174 individuos distribuidos en 3 Phyllum, 4 Clases, 12 Órdenes, 25 Familias y 12 Géneros con valores de diversidad entre medios y bajo; en términos físico-químicos y ecológicos los tramos estudiados se encuentran en condiciones que varían entre aguas limpias y de buena calidad hasta aguas muy contaminadas. Es necesario que la autoridad ambiental y la sociedad civil del municipio de Tuluá formulen y apliquen estrategias de saneamiento para la prevención y control de la contaminación de esta importante corriente hídrica que es la principal fuente de abastecimiento de dicha localidad.

Wildfire management in the U.S. Forest Service: a brief history.

Science.gov (United States)

Geoffrey H. Donovan; Thomas C. Brown

2005-01-01

Forest and rangeland fire was once a common land management tool. Native Americans as well as early settlers and prospectors used fire for various purposes. But as the country gradually filled with more settlers, and as forest resources became more precious, fire began to be viewed as more of a problem than a tool.

2nd International Conference on Digital Enterprise Design and Management

CERN Document Server

Krob, Daniel; Lonjon, Antoine; Panetto, Hervé

2014-01-01

This book contains all refereed papers that were accepted to the second edition of the « Digital Enterprise Design & Management » (DED&M 2014) international conference that took place in Paris (France) from February 4 to February 5, 2014 . These proceedings cover the most recent trends in the emerging field of Digital Enterprise, both from an academic and a professional perspective. A special focus is put on digital uses, digital strategies, digital infrastructures and digital governance from an Enterprise Architecture point of view. The DED&M 2014 conference is organized under the guidance of the Center of Excellence on Systems Architecture, Management, Economy and Strategy  and benefits from the supports of both the Orange – Ecole Polytechnique – Télécom ParisTech “Innovation and Regulation” Chair and the Dassault Aviation – DCNS – DGA – Thales – Ecole Polytechnique – ENSTA ParisTech – Télécom ParisTech  “Complex Systems Engineering” Chair.  .

O marketing ecológico como vantagem competitiva Green marketing as a competitive advantage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sérgio Luís Stirbolov Motta

2007-06-01

Full Text Available A competição entre as organizações existe basicamente porque um ou mais players atuais ou potenciais, de um determinado setor econômico, percebem a oportunidade de melhorar sua posição (ou estabelecê-la ou se sentem pressionados por outro player, ou seja, os movimentos de uma empresa repercutem nas demais, numa relação de interdependência. Dessa forma, é constante a busca por alternativas que permitam o desenvolvimento empresarial. Este trabalho aponta um caminho que há algum tempo vem sendo percorrido por empresas, mas apenas nos últimos anos vem ganhando destaque nos meios de comunicação e na consciência dos indivíduos: a gerência de ações de marketing ecológico. A partir dos dados de uma pesquisa exploratória realizada na cidade de São Paulo e dos modelos de vantagem competitiva de Porter e de D'Aveni, pôde-se constatar que a prática de marketing ecológico pelas empresas pode constituir vantagem competitiva, não obstante o fato de esse fenômeno não ocorrer atualmente, pois tanto o conhecimento sobre as questões ambientais quanto as atitudes positivas em relação à preservação ambiental já estão presentes nos consumidores.Organizational competition exists because players or potential ones in an economic sector perceive an opportunity to improve or establish their position and may feel pressured by others. Therefore actions of one company have repercussions on the others, disclosing interdependence. As such, there is a constant pursuit for alternatives that foster company development. This article highlights the management of ecological marketing, an approach that companies have accompanied for some time and which only in recent years has attracted the attention of media and individuals. Based upon an exploratory survey made in the city of São Paulo as well as models of competitive advantage by Porter and D'Aveni, it was shown that green marketing may be of advantage. Although this is not a current practice

Superando los límites medioambientales de la empresa: Un estudio experimental del efecto del posicionamiento ecológico en la actitud hacia la marca

OpenAIRE

Hartmann, Patrick; Forcada Sainz, Francisco Javier; Apaolaza Ibáñez, Vanesa

2004-01-01

Ponencia presentada y defendida en el XI Congreso Internacional de la Asociación de Dirección y Economía de la Empresa (AEDEM), celebrado en París en septiembre de 2002. [ES] La reducción del impacto medioambiental de un producto o de su proceso de fabricación no necesariamente constituye una limitación a la actividad empresarial, sino puede, asimismo, representar una oportunidad estratégica en el marco de una gestión de marcas ecológica. El posicionamiento ecológico se presenta como un...

Modelling tree dynamics to assess the implementation of EU policies related to afforestation in SW Spain rangelands

Science.gov (United States)

Herguido, Estela; Pulido, Manuel; Francisco Lavado Contador, Joaquín; Schnabel, Susanne

2017-04-01

In Iberian dehesas and montados, the lack of tree recruitment compromises its long-term sustainability. However, in marginal areas of dehesas shrub encroachment facilitates tree recruitment while altering the distinctive physiognomic and cultural characteristics of the system. These are ongoing processes that should be considered when designing afforestation measures and policies. Based on spatial variables, we modeled the proneness of a piece of land to undergo tree recruitment and the results were related with the afforestation measures carried out under the UE First Afforestation Agricultural Land Program between 1992 and 2008. We analyzed the temporal tree population dynamics in 800 randomly selected plots of 100 m radius (2,510 ha in total) in dehesas and treeless pasturelands of Extremadura (hereafter rangelands). Tree changes were revealed by comparing aerial images taken in 1956 with orthophotographs and infrared ones from 2012. Spatial models that predict the areas prone either to lack tree recruitment or with recruitment were developed and based on three data mining algorithms: MARS (Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines), Random Forest (RF) and Stochastic Gradient Boosting (Tree-Net, TN). Recruited-tree locations (1) vs. locations of places with no recruitment (0) (randomly selected from the study areas) were used as the binary dependent variable. A 5% of the data were used as test data set. As candidate explanatory variables we used 51 different topographic, climatic, bioclimatic, land cover-related and edaphic ones. The statistical models developed were extrapolated to the spatial context of the afforested areas in the region and also to the whole Extremenian rangelands, and the percentage of area modelled as prone to tree recruitment was calculated for each case. A total of 46,674.63 ha were afforested with holm oak (Quercus ilex) or cork oak (Quercus suber) in the studied rangelands under the UE First Afforestation Agricultural Land Program. In

La Estructura de la Revolución Ecológica en Arquitectura

OpenAIRE

Chinchilla Moreno, Izaskun

2017-01-01

El objetivo que ha guiado, genuinamente, la investigación y la redacción de esta tesis, ha sido ser útil a arquitectos y diseñadores que, por convicción propia o por mediación de terceros, quieren poder idear e implementar arquitectura o productos más ecológicos. La tesis propondrá, a esos profesionales, una hipótesis de fondo: la aplicación profunda de los principios de la ecología a la arquitectura lo cambiaría todo; no se trata de un cambio parcial, se trata de una revolución. En virtud de...

Estimating grass nutrients and biomass as an indicator of rangeland (forage) quality and quantity using remote sensing in Savanna ecosystems

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Ramoelo, Abel

2012-10-01

Full Text Available and grass quantity, respectively. The objective of the study is to estimate and map leaf N and biomass as an indicator of rangeland quality and quantity using vegetation indices derived from one RapidEye image taken at peak productivity. The study...

Fatores ecológicos associados à colonização e ao desenvolvimento de macrófitas aquáticas e desafios de manejo Ecological factors associated to aquatic macrophyte colonization and growth and management challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.M. Thomaz

2002-01-01

Full Text Available As macrófitas constituem-se em uma importante assembléia de ecossistemas aquáticos continentais, mas seu crescimento excessivo pode provocar danos aos usos múltiplos de alguns ambientes. Durante o processo de sucessão ecológica, a maioria dos ecossistemas aquáticos é colonizada, em diferentes graus, pela vegetação aquática. No entanto, explosões populacionais são usualmente decorrentes de ações antrópicas, como introduções de espécies exóticas e alterações de habitats. O conhecimento da ecologia e biologia das espécies de macrófitas que colonizam ecossistemas tropicais ainda é escasso. Entretanto, esse conhecimento é fundamental para a predição do desenvolvimento da vegetação aquática e para subsidiar as medidas de manejo, quando estas forem necessárias. Os métodos de controle e manejo são eficazes em pequenos ambientes e sua aplicação pode ser acompanhada por uma série de impactos ecológicos, nem sempre avaliados apropriadamente. O desenvolvimento de métodos com reduzidos impactos ambientais e que sejam eficientes em grandes ecossistemas é um desafio. Deve-se ainda considerar que, embora em algumas situações o manejo seja necessário no sentido de reduzir uma parcela das populações de macrófitas, em outras ele deveria ser utilizado para estimular a colonização e o incremento desta vegetação.The aquatic macrophytes have been considered an important community in freshwater ecosystems. However, their excessive colonization and growth usually cause serious impacts on multiple use of these ecosystems. Most aquatic environments are colonized at different degrees by aquatic plants in some phase of ecological succession. Nevertheless, massive growth is usually associated with anthropogenic actions such as introduction of alien species and habitats of alterations. Knowledge about ecology and biology of the species that colonize tropical ecosystems is still scarce. This knowledge is fundamental to predict

El marketing ecológico y su integración en la planificación estratégica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoleida Hernández

2012-05-01

Full Text Available El presente trabajo tuvo como objetivo describir la integración del marketing ecológico en la planificación, con el fin establecer los aspectos que integra dicha tendencia y los beneficios que le aporta a las organizaciones, dentro del contexto ambiental. La investigación es de tipo descriptivo-documental, basada principalmente en los aportes realizados por autores como: Chamorro (2001, David (2003, Kaplan y Norton (2000, López (2007, Lorenzo (2002 y Machín (2003. La revisión realizada permitió concluir, que el marketing ecológico como mecanismo necesario en la planificación estratégica de toda organización, acorde con las exigencias ambientales de los clientes y la sociedad en general, debido a que determina los objetivos ambientales: los elementos presentes en el proceso, su integración con la visión estratégica y las estrategias para alcanzarlos, lo cual le permite a la organización direccionarse hacia una economía verde.

Wildlife habitats in managed rangelands—the Great Basin of southeastern Oregon: the relationship of terrestrial vertebrates to plant communities and structural conditions (Part 2).

Science.gov (United States)

Chris Maser; Jack Ward Thomas; Ralph G. Anderson

1984-01-01

The relationships of terrestrial vertebrates to plant communities, structural conditions, and special habitats in the Great Basin of southeastern Oregon are described in a series of appendices. The importance of habitat components to wildlife and the predictability of management activities on wildlife are examined in terms of managed rangelands. ...

Integrated surface management for pipeline construction: The Mid-America Pipeline Company Four Corners Project

Science.gov (United States)

Maria L. Sonett

1999-01-01

Integrated surface management techniques for pipeline construction through arid and semi-arid rangeland ecosystems are presented in a case history of a 412-mile pipeline construction project in New Mexico. Planning, implementation and monitoring for restoration of surface hydrology, soil stabilization, soil cover, and plant species succession are discussed. Planning...

Abandoned seasonal livestock migration reflected by plant functional traits: A case study in Kyrgyz rangelands

Science.gov (United States)

Hoppe, Franziska; Zhusui Kyzy, Taalaigul; Usupbaev, Adilet; Schickoff, Udo

2017-04-01

At least 30% of Kyrgyz pasture areas are considered to be subject to vegetation and soil degradation. Since animal husbandry is the economic basis to sustain people's livelihoods, rangeland degradation presents a threat for the majority of the population. Recently, the usage of plant functional traits as a powerful tool for the characterization of vegetation dynamics in response to anthropogenic and natural disturbances has been put forward. Grazing is one of the most severe disturbances on vegetation, which concerns equally the loss of area and biomass. Because grazing is both depending on and affecting plant functional traits, important insights can be generated, based on this codependency. We hypothesized that the contrasting grazing intensity of summer and winter pastures is reflected by the chosen traits. We used traits such as plant height, flowering start, growth form as well as SLA (Specific Leaf Area) and LMA (Leaf Mass per Area). Based on former phytosociological classification of the main pasture types (summer and winter pastures), community structure and the traits of dominant plant species were analyzed. Our results showed that on winter pastures grazing decreased plant height and SLA and favored plants with an earlier flowering start as well as rosette plants and ascending plants. We conclude that the study of trait composition in relation to anthropogenic disturbances can provide important insights into the mechanism of plant response to grazing in high-altitude rangelands.

Seedbed preparation influence on morphometric characteristics of perennial grasses of a semi-arid rangeland in Kenya

OpenAIRE

Opiyo, Francis EO; Ekaya, Wellington N; Nyariki, Dickson M; Mureithi, Stephen Mwangi

2011-01-01

Semi-arid rangelands in Kenya are an important source of forage for both domestic and wild animals. However, indigenous perennial grasses notably Cenchrus ciliaris (African foxtail grass), Eragrostis superba (Maasai love grass) and Enteropogon macrostachyus (Bush rye grass) are disappearing at an alarming rate. Efforts to re-introduce them through restoration programs have often yielded little success. This can partly be attributed to failure of topsoil to capture and store scarce water to me...

Assessment of Landsat multispectral scanner spectral indexes for monitoring arid rangeland

Science.gov (United States)

Musick, H. B.

1984-01-01

Correlations between spectral indices and vegetation parameters in south-central New Mexico were used to determine the utility of Landsat Multispectral Scanner (MSS) spectral indices in arid rangeland monitoring. In addition, spectral index change for 1976-1980 was calculated from retrospective MSS data and compared with qualitative ground truth in order to evaluate vegetation change detection by means of spectral indices. Brightness index change consistently differentiated between cover increase and decrease, but index change appears to have been offset from true cover change; this may at least partly be attributed to the failure of the methods used to standardize MSS scenes for differences in sensor response. Green vegetation indices, by contrast to brightness indices, failed to consistently differentiate between cover increase and decrease.

Identificación de valores y estilos de vida del consumidor de alimentos ecológicos en la ciudad de Bogotá / Identification of values and lifestyles of organic food consumer at the city of Bogotá

OpenAIRE

Ojeda Arismendy, Diana del Pilar

2011-01-01

Como objetivos del presente trabajo se plantearon: el establecimiento de la percepción y la motivación de compra del consumidor, hacia los alimentos ecológicos en la ciudad de Bogotá, y la identificación a través de los valores y estilos de vida, tanto del consumidor potencial como el actual. Para esto, se realizó una exhaustiva investigación documental, para la producción, la comercialización y el consumo de los alimentos ecológicos. Se evidenció que la producción agrícola ecológica en Colom...

De la comprensión a la aplicación del conocimiento en el diagnóstico ecológico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaime Matus Parada

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Ante la actual crisis socioambiental, los centros de educación superior enfrentan la demanda del conocimiento aplicado en distintos campos. Este texto se refiere al campo de la Biología impartido en la Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Xochimilco (uam-x. El artículo explora el grado de relación que los conocimientos conceptuales pueden presentar con la capacidad de aplicación del conocimiento en un dominio cognitivo específico que posee una naturaleza procedimental, el diagnóstico ecológico. Salvo en los casos de los alumnos más aventajados, los resultados sugieren que los esquemas conceptuales que poseen los alumnos no son suficientes para garantizar un desempeño complejo como el que implica el diagnóstico ecológico. Este hallazgo se ve influido por la naturaleza del dominio cognitivo estudiado, caracterizado por una demanda conceptual relativamente moderada, pero también por un desempeño extremadamente amplio y complejo.

Effects of livestock grazing on grasshopper abundance on a native rangeland in Montana.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Neill, Kevin M; Olson, Bret E; Wallander, Roseann; Rolston, Marni G; Seibert, Catherine E

2010-06-01

Livestock grazing can affect habitat quality for grasshoppers through effects on food and oviposition site availability, microclimate, and other factors. Because of this, some authors have suggested that grazing programs can be used to help manage pest grasshopper populations. In a 6-yr study, we controlled access of cattle to replicated experimental plots on an Agropyron spicatum/Poa sandbergii pasture to create consistent year-to-year differences in postgrazing plant cover, with resultant affects on microclimate. After sampling grasshoppers multiple times after grazing treatments each summer, we found evidence of between-treatment differences in grasshopper abundance for the entire assemblage during 4 of the 6 yr. Some species, including Melanoplus sanguinipes (perhaps the worse rangeland grasshopper pest in the western United States), tended to be more abundant on ungrazed plots, whereas Melanoplus gladstoni often had greater densities on heavily-grazed plots. The effect of grazing on grasshopper densities in this study was lower in magnitude and less consistent among years than in a study we conducted simultaneously at a nearby site where the vegetation was dominated by the exotic species crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum). Our results generally support proposals that grazing could be used to reduce pest grasshopper densities, although the effectiveness of a particular grazing scheme may vary among sites, years, and grasshopper and vegetation assemblages.

Climate change impacts on future carbon stores and management of warm deserts of the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Michell L. Thomey; Paulette L. Ford; Matthew C. Reeves; Deborah M. Finch; Marcy E. Litvak; Scott L. Collins

2014-01-01

Reducing atmospheric CO2 through enhanced terrestrial carbon storage may help slow or reverse the rate of global climate change. However, information on how climate change in the Southwest might affect the balance between CO2 uptake and loss on semiarid rangelands is not easily accessible to land managers.

Impacto ecológico de los Intercambiadores de calor de tubo y coraza; Ecological impact of Shell and tube heat exchangers

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Maida Bárbara Reyes Rodríguez

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Los intercambiadores de calor de tubo y coraza son de los equipos más importantes en la industria. Su diseño termodinámico se basa en el coeficiente global de transferencia de calor y la caída de presión total. En 2007 se estableció una nueva propiedad termodinámica denominada “Entransía”, que expresa la capacidad de un cuerpo de transferir calor. A la pérdida de esa capacidad se le denomina “Disipación de Entransía”. Para evaluar el impacto ecológico de las máquinas térmicas, Angulo-Brown creó en 1991 la llamada función ecológica. En el presente trabajo se combinó la disipación de entransía con la función ecológica y se creó una nueva expresión para evaluar el impacto ambiental de los intercambiadores de calor. Se realizó además la optimización muti-objetivo de estos equipos. Fueron utilizadas como funciones objetivo la función ecológica y el costo. Para realizar la optimización se utilizó el método de los Algoritmos Genéticos.Shell and tube heat exchangers are ones the most important equipment in the industry. Their thermodynamic design is based on the global heat transference coefficient and the pressure drop. In 2007 was settled a new thermodynamic property denominated “Entransy”, which expresses the capacity of a body to transfer heat. The loss of this capacity is denominated “Entransy Dissipation”. For evaluating the ecological impact of thermal machines, Angulo-Brown created in 1991 the “ecological function”. In this paper the“entransy dissipation” and the ecological function were combined and a new expression for evaluating the ecological impact of shell and tube heat exchangers was created. A multi-objective optimization of this equipment wasalso realized. The ecological function and the cost wereused as objective functions. For carry out the optimization the method of the Genetic Algorithms was used.

Faecal near-IR spectroscopy to determine the nutritional value of diets consumed by beef cattle in east Mediterranean rangelands.

Science.gov (United States)

Landau, S Y; Dvash, L; Roudman, M; Muklada, H; Barkai, D; Yehuda, Y; Ungar, E D

2016-02-01

Rapid assessment of the nutritional quality of diets ingested by grazing animals is pivotal for successful cow-calf management in east Mediterranean rangelands, which receive unpredictable rainfall and are subject to hot-spells. Clipped vegetation samples are seldom representative of diets consumed, as cows locate and graze selectively. In contrast, faeces are easily sampled and their near-IR spectra contain information about nutrients and their utilization. However, a pre-requisite for successful faecal near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (FNIRS) is that the calibration database encompass the spectral variability of samples to be analyzed. Using confined beef cows in Northern and Southern Israel, we calibrated prediction equations based on individual pairs of known dietary attributes and the NIR spectra of associated faeces (n=125). Diets were composed of fresh-cut green fodder of monocots (wheat and barley), dicots (safflower and garden pea) and natural pasture collected at various phenological states over 2 consecutive years, and, optionally, supplements of barley grain and dried poultry litter. A total of 48 additional pairs of faeces and diets sourced from cows fed six complete mixed rations covering a wide range of energy and CP concentrations. Precision (linearity of calibration, R2cal, and of cross-validation, R2cv) and accuracy (standard error of cross-validation, SEcv) were criteria for calibration quality. The calibrations for dietary ash, CP, NDF and in vitro dry matter digestibility yielded R2cal values >0.87, R2cv of 0.81 to 0.89 and SEcv values of 16, 13, 39 and 31 g/kg dry matter, respectively. Equations for nutrient intake were of low quality, with the exception of CP. Evaluation of FNIRS predictions was carried out with grazing animals supplemented or not with poultry litter, and implementation of the method in one herd over 2 years is presented. The potential usefulness of equations was also established by calculating the Mahalanobis (H

Tiempo y sucesión ecológica en Ramón Margalef

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Vargas Abarzúa, Esteban

2010-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper we attempt to think about the time in the Margalef’s ecological succession theory. In the classical model of ecological succession, populations succeed each other. Each phases of that succession “as a temporary phase” is merely juxtaposed with the other. It is the clock time, time like “measure” of the clock. Time here is absolute, independent of the process like in Newton. This does not happen in the model of Margalef. He thinks the ecosystem like a process in which energy is transfer and information acumulated. Thus, in the dynamic process of ecosystem appears various phases determined by the intrinsic dynamics of the system. Each ecosystem has its own time.

En este trabajo intentamos meditar la concepción de tiempo en la teoría de sucesión ecológica de Margalef. En un modelo clásico de sucesión ecológica, las poblaciones se suceden unas a otras. Cada fase de esa sucesión “en tanto fase temporal” está meramente yuxtapuesta a las demás fases. Es el tiempo cronométrico, el tiempo como “medida” del reloj. El tiempo es aquí algo absoluto, independiente del proceso como en Newton. Esto no ocurre en el modelo de Margalef. Él piensa el ecosistema como un proceso de transferencia de energía y acumulación de información. Por esto, en el proceso dinámico del ecosistema existen diversas fases determinadas por la dinámica intrínseca del sistema. Cada ecosistema posee así su tiempo propio.

Wildlife habitats in managed rangelands—the Great Basin of southeastern Oregon: the relationship of terrestrial vertebrates to plant communities and structural conditions (Part 1).

Science.gov (United States)

Chris Maser; Jack Ward Thomas; Ralph G. Anderson

1984-01-01

The relationships of terrestrial vertebrates to plant communities, structural conditions, and special habitats in the Great Basin of southeastern Oregon are described. The importance of habitat components to wildlife and the predictability of management activities on wildlife are examined in terms of managed rangelands. The paper does not provide guidelines but rather...

Spatially explicit rangeland erosion monitoring using high-resolution digital aerial imagery

Science.gov (United States)

Gillan, Jeffrey K.; Karl, Jason W.; Barger, Nichole N.; Elaksher, Ahmed; Duniway, Michael C.

2016-01-01

Nearly all of the ecosystem services supported by rangelands, including production of livestock forage, carbon sequestration, and provisioning of clean water, are negatively impacted by soil erosion. Accordingly, monitoring the severity, spatial extent, and rate of soil erosion is essential for long-term sustainable management. Traditional field-based methods of monitoring erosion (sediment traps, erosion pins, and bridges) can be labor intensive and therefore are generally limited in spatial intensity and/or extent. There is a growing effort to monitor natural resources at broad scales, which is driving the need for new soil erosion monitoring tools. One remote-sensing technique that can be used to monitor soil movement is a time series of digital elevation models (DEMs) created using aerial photogrammetry methods. By geographically coregistering the DEMs and subtracting one surface from the other, an estimate of soil elevation change can be created. Such analysis enables spatially explicit quantification and visualization of net soil movement including erosion, deposition, and redistribution. We constructed DEMs (12-cm ground sampling distance) on the basis of aerial photography immediately before and 1 year after a vegetation removal treatment on a 31-ha Piñon-Juniper woodland in southeastern Utah to evaluate the use of aerial photography in detecting soil surface change. On average, we were able to detect surface elevation change of ± 8−9cm and greater, which was sufficient for the large amount of soil movement exhibited on the study area. Detecting more subtle soil erosion could be achieved using the same technique with higher-resolution imagery from lower-flying aircraft such as unmanned aerial vehicles. DEM differencing and process-focused field methods provided complementary information and a more complete assessment of soil loss and movement than any single technique alone. Photogrammetric DEM differencing could be used as a technique to

Las cubiertas ecológicas de tercera generación: un nuevo material constructivo

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Barbero, M.

2008-09-01

Full Text Available In 1994, the first ecological roof in Spain was built as a result of a research process. The structure of the construction, the substrate, and the chosen plants have been modified since then, in order to make the environmental properties optimum and to adapt it to extreme climatic conditions such as Spanish dry summers and frosted winters. All these changes have been tested and the energetic attitude has been studied. The best result is represented by a third generation roof model, called as an ecological garden roof. The present article describes the results obtained from the previous research as well as the final process results.En 1994 se inició una investigación que dio como resultado la construcción de la primera cubierta ecológica en España. Desde ese momento se han realizado modificaciones en su estructura constructiva, en el sustrato empleado y en las plantas empleadas, con la intención de optimizar su comportamiento, adaptándola a las condiciones climáticas que se padecen de España. Todas estas modificaciones han sido ensayadas y se ha evaluado rigurosamente su comportamiento energético. El resultado ha culminado en un modelo de cubierta, ya de una tercera generación, denominada como cubierta ecológica jardín. En este artículo se muestran, tanto los resultados de la investigación previa, como los correspondientes a la fase final que culminó con ese nuevo modelo, considerado como un nuevo material constructivo, plenamente sostenible.

Principios ecológicos en la gestión de los agrosistemas

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García-Álvarez, A.

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Agroecology has as an objective the understanding of the key elements and processes that regulate the function of agrosystems, for their effective management in harmony with the environment. Plant protection has been focused on the concept of control, mainly utilizing chemical or biological arsenals, and more recently, the biotechnological. The application of ecological criteria in plant protection has allowed the implementation of the biofumigation processes, a technique based on the utilization of gases produced during the biodescomposition of organic matter to manage soilborne phytopathogenic organisms. It is hoped that future improvements in agriculture will consider the increasing worries related to the environment, the conservation of the natural resources, public health, and highlighting attention of the importance of agriculture in the elimination of poverty, as well as its contribution to the development of biofuels.La agroecología tiene como objetivo el conocimiento de los elementos y procesos claves en el funcionamiento de los agrosistemas, para su eficaz gestión en armonía con el ambiente. La protección vegetal ha sido enfocada tradicionalmente, bajo el concepto de lucha y control, utilizando arsenales químicos o biológicos y, en estos momentos, biotecnológicos. La aplicación de criterios ecológicos en protección vegetal ha permitido desarrollar procesos como la biofumigación, fundamentada en la utilización de los gases resultantes de la biodescomposición de la materia orgánica para el manejo de organismos patógenos de los vegetales. Es de esperar que el futuro de la agricultura muestre una mayor preocupación por el ambiente, la conservación de los recursos naturales, la salud de las personas y se destaque su contribución a la reducción de la pobreza, así como su aportación al desarrollo de los agrocombustibles.

Indicador espacial del metabolismo urbano. Huella Ecológica de la ciudad de Tandil, Argentina

OpenAIRE

Guerrero, Elsa Marcela; Guiñirgo, Fernando

2008-01-01

Además de problemas urbanos evidentes -contaminación, residuos, etc.-, existe un problema asociado a la propia dinámica del sistema urbano que es de interés: la apropiación creciente de ecosistemas productivos externos destinados a satisfacer los requerimientos del metabolismo urbano de la ciudad de Tandil, Argentina. Se emplea para su cálculo, la Huella Ecológica (HE) (Rees 1996a; Wackernagel 1996) que permite evaluar en términos espaciales –hectáreas- los requerimientos de alimentos, combus...

Humedal urbano en Punta Arenas: Sustentabilidad del Proyecto Parque Ecológico Humedal Tres Puentes

OpenAIRE

Luis Inostroza Pino

2009-01-01

El Humedal Tres Puentes, ubicado en la entrada norte de Punta Arenas, es un espacio relevante desde el punto de vista ecológico y hábitat de una numerosa avifauna, uno de los más importantes de la ciudad. Sin embargo el Humedal está seriamente amenazado, dado su ubicación sobre uno de los principales vectores de crecimiento de la ciudad de Punta Arenas, en terrenos que han adquirido plusvalía paulatinamente, bien por efecto de la obra pública del Estado o por el simple crecimiento vegetativo ...

Rangeland -- Plant response to elevated CO{sub 2}. Progress report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-08-01

An experiment is being designed to examine the influence of elevating CO2 levels on tallgrass prairie rangeland. Changes in biomass production, photosynthesis rates, and species composition (C3 versus C4) over time are to be examined. This report covers the period from August 15, 1988 to January 1, 1989. During this period the authors have had planning meetings in Manhattan, KS, and Washington, DC, with various investigators of the measurement and modeling groups within the elevated CO{sub 2} program. During this period detailed discussions with regard to the methodology were carried out. In addition, short-term experiments and prototype constructions were completed to assess design and materials. Because of changes in the methodology and, to a certain degree, the scope, they are requesting changes in the funding cycle to implement the project at the beginning of the growing cycle of the tallgrass prairie.

A integração da pesquisa ao conhecimento ecológico local no subsídio ao manejo: variações no estoque natural da ostra de mangue crassostrea spp. na reserva extrativista do Mandira, Cananéia-SP, Brasil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ingrid Cabral Machado

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Este estudo teve o objetivo de descrever uma experiência de integração entre conhecimento científico e comunitário no subsídio ao manejo, a partir das avaliações do estoque da ostra de mangue Crassostrea spp. na Reserva Extrativista do Mandira, baseadas em estudos populacionais e no Conhecimento Ecológico Local (CEL e percepção da comunidade. Os dados dos estudos populacionais apresentaram aspectos concordantes com o Conhecimento Ecológico Local, evidenciando variações no estoque de ostras na Reserva.This study aimed to illustrate the experience of integration between scientific knowledge and Local Ecological Knowledge to subside management from the assessments of the mangrove oyster stock in the Mandira Extractive Reserve, based on population studies and on local ecological knowledge and perception of the community. Data from population studies showed features consistent with the Local Ecological Knowledge, providing evidence of variations in the stock of oysters in the Mandira Extractive Reserve.

Appreciation, Use, and Management of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in California's Working Landscapes

Science.gov (United States)

Plieninger, Tobias; Ferranto, Shasta; Huntsinger, Lynn; Kelly, Maggi; Getz, Christy

2012-09-01

"Working landscapes" is the concept of fostering effective ecosystem stewardship and conservation through active human presence and management and integrating livestock, crop, and timber production with the provision of a broad range of ecosystem services at the landscape scale. Based on a statewide survey of private landowners of "working" forests and rangelands in California, we investigated whether owners who are engaged in commercial livestock or timber production appreciate and manage biodiversity and ecosystem services on their land in different ways than purely residential owners. Both specific uses and management practices, as well as underlying attitudes and motivations toward biodiversity and ecosystem services, were assessed. Correlation analysis showed one bundle of ecosystem goods and services (e.g., livestock, timber, crops, and housing) that is supported by some landowners at the community level. Another closely correlated bundle of biodiversity and ecosystem services includes recreation, hunting/fishing, wildlife habitat, and fire prevention. Producers were more likely to ally with the first bundle and residential owners with the second. The survey further confirmed that cultural ecosystem services and quality-of-life aspects are among the primary amenities that motivate forest and rangeland ownership regardless of ownership type. To live near natural beauty was the most important motive for both landowner groups. Producers were much more active in management for habitat improvement and other environmental goals than residential owners. As the number of production-oriented owners decreases, developing strategies for encouraging environment-positive management by all types of landowners is crucial.

Spatial distribution of overland flow and sediment yield in semi-arid rangelands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarah, P.; Lavee, H.

2009-01-01

Feedbacks and mutual links exist among soil, vegetation and water; they enable co-evolution of these features within eco-geomorphic systems, These relations are fragile, especially in semi-arid areas where grazing is the main land use. The simples subdivision of the surface of many semi-arid rangelands is into a two-component mosaic pattern comprising shrub patches interspersed with open spaces, with the former acting s skinks for water and other resources, and the latter as sources. However close observations in areas under grazing in the northern Negev region of Israel suggested that the spatial patterns of surface components is more complicated, and that the open space between shrubs consists of two components: herbaceous areas, separated by trampling routes that support no vegetation. (Author)

Valor ambiental em uma perspectiva heterodoxa institucional-ecológica: an institutional-ecological heterodox perspective Environmental value

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Maurício de Carvalho Amazona

2009-04-01

Full Text Available O presente trabalho discute a perspectiva de valoração ambiental a partir de fundamentos heterodoxos, numa abordagem aqui denominada institucional-ecológica. Inicia-se pela identificação das principais limitações da abordagem neoclássica e suas correspondentes proposições de valoração, particularmente tendo-se em vista o desafio posto pelo critério de Desenvolvimento Sustentável. Em seguida, busca resgatar princípios propositivos de abordagens heterodoxas, particularmente nas formulações do campo teórico institucionalista e do campo teórico da economia ecológica, como elementos de potencial integração analítica para a constituição de uma conceituação heterodoxa de valores ambientais. Por fim, o trabalho propõe, a partir de uma discussão sobre o processo de formação e internalização dos valores ambientais e desse potencial de integração analítica, bases de constituição de uma abordagem institucional-ecológica para interpretação da valoração ambiental e, dentro dessa perspectiva, discute ao final qual o escopo de aplicação dos métodos de valoração correntemente utilizados pela Economia Ambiental Neoclássica.This article discusses an environmental valuation perspective, based on heterodox foundations, in an approach here called institutional-ecological. First, it is identified the main limits of neoclassical approach and its corresponding valuation propositions, specially having in mind the challenge placed by Sustainable Development criteria. After, it seeks to bring up propositive principles from heterodox approaches, particularly from formulations in the institutionalist field and ecological economics field. These are considered elements potentially able to analytical integration for the constitution of a heterodox framework for environmental values. Finally, based on a discussion on the process of environmental values constitution and internalization and on the so claimed analytical integration

El uso de especies vegetales exóticas como una estrategia de restauración ecológica

OpenAIRE

Maglianesi Sandoz, Maria Alejandra

2016-01-01

El presente artículo describe el desarrollo de programas de reforestación en Costa Rica y el uso de especies vegetales exóticas para la recuperación de tierras degradadas en los trópicos. Se lleva a cabo un análisis de las ventajas y desventajas del uso de estas especies en programas de restauración ecológica.

Recruitment and Workplace Integration of Men and Women Engineers in France: The Case of EPF Ecole D'ingénieurs Graduates

Science.gov (United States)

Stevanovic, Biljana

2014-01-01

Based on "First Job" surveys conducted six months after graduation among graduates from 2000 to 2007 and semi-structured interviews, this paper examines the recruitment and workplace integration of women and men graduates from EPF Ecole d'Ingenieurs. The study's findings show that women engineering graduates from EPF generally have more…

Science Framework for the Conservation and Restoration Strategy of the Department of the Interior, Secretarial Order 3336: Using resilience and resistance concepts to assess threats to sagebrush ecosystems and sage-grouse, prioritize conservation and restoration actions, and inform management strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Jeanne C. Chambers; Jeffrey L. Beck; Steve Campbell; John Carlson; Thomas J. Christiansen; Karen J. Clause; Michele R. Crist; Jonathan B. Dinkins; Kevin E. Doherty; Shawn Espinosa; Kathleen A. Griffin; Steven E. Hanser; Douglas W. Havlina; Kenneth F. Henke; Jacob D. Hennig; Laurie L. Kurth; Jeremy D. Maestas; Mary Manning; Kenneth E. Mayer; Brian A. Mealor; Clinton McCarthy; Mike Pellant; Marco A. Perea; Karen L. Prentice; David A. Pyke; Lief A. Wiechman; Amarina Wuenschel

2016-01-01

The Science Framework for the Conservation and Restoration Strategy of the Department of the Interior, Secretarial Order 3336 (SO 3336), Rangeland Fire Prevention, Management and Restoration, provides a strategic, multiscale approach for prioritizing areas for management and determining effective management strategies across the sagebrush biome. The emphasis of this...

Contribuição da fauna silvestre em projetos de restauração ecológica no Brasil Contribution of the wildlife in ecological restoration projects in Brazil

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Wanuza Helena Campos

2012-12-01

Full Text Available O sucesso no processo de restauração e manutenção da dinâmica de um ecossistema é extremamente dependente da capacidade das espécies em promover interações interespecíficas entre as diversas formas de vida. Estas interações criam um cenário favorável à restauração ecológica de ecossistemas degradados. Assim, por meio de revisão de literatura, o objetivo deste trabalho é relatar a contribuição e utilização dos diferentes grupos de animais na execução de projetos de restauração ecológica no Brasil. As aves e mamíferos frugívoros e também outros animais, como os répteis, peixes e insetos, têm se destacado como ferramentas de auxílio aos projetos de restauração ecológica. As técnicas para atração de animais e consequente chegada de propágulos em um ecossistema degradado compreende a utilização de poleiros, que servem de pouso e abrigo para a avifauna e morcegos, e a utilização de abrigos artificiais, que servem para fuga de predadores, descanso e reprodução dos animais. De modo geral, estes estudos são excelentes ferramentas para gerir ações de manejo ambiental em ecossistemas degradados, possibilitando a recuperação da biodiversidade destes ambientes. The success in the process of restoration and maintenance of the dynamics of an ecosystem is highly dependent on the capacity of species to promote interspecific interactions among the various life forms. These interactions create a favorable environment for the ecological restoration of degraded ecosystems. Thus, by review the literature, the objective of this study is to report the contribution and use of different animal groups in carrying out ecological restoration projects in Brazil. The fruit-eating birds and mammals and also other animals such as reptiles, fish and insects have been highlighted as tools to aid environmental ecological restoration projects. Techniques for attracting animals and consequent arrival of seedlings in a degraded

Arquitetura de terra: uma solução ecológica, econômica e auto sustentável / Earth architecture: an ecological, economic and self-sustainable solution

OpenAIRE

Arini, Ruy

2015-01-01

Trabalho enviado em 22 de fevereiro de 2015. Aceito em 25 de fevereiro de 2015.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12957/rdc.2015.15196Resumo Uma habitação construída com arquitetura de terra crua é caracterizada por conforto ambiental, boa resistência à compressão, durabilidade e custo econômico devido ao uso de tijolos e blocos ecológicos, que são curados a frio, eliminando a energia utilizada pelas indústrias para a sua produção e comercialização da cerâmica. O design ecológico de alvenaria permit...

Positives and pathologies of natural resource management on private land-conservation areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Clements, Hayley S; Cumming, Graeme S

2017-06-01

In managed natural resource systems, such as fisheries and rangelands, there is a recognized trade-off between managing for short-term benefits and managing for longer term resilience. Management actions that stabilize ecological attributes or processes can improve productivity in the supply of ecosystem goods and services in the short term but erode system resilience at longer time scales. For example, fire suppression in rangelands can increase grass biomass initially but ultimately result in an undesirable, shrub-dominated system. Analyses of this phenomenon have focused largely on how management actions influence slow-changing biophysical system attributes (such as vegetation composition). Data on the frequency of management actions that reduce natural ecological variation on 66 private land-conservation areas (PLCAs) in South Africa were used to investigate how management actions are influenced by manager decision-making approaches, a largely ignored part of the problem. The pathology of natural resource management was evident on some PLCAs: increased focus on revenue-generation in decision making resulted in an increased frequency of actions to stabilize short-term variation in large mammal populations, which led to increased revenues from ecotourism or hunting. On many PLCAs, these management actions corresponded with a reduced focus on ecological monitoring and an increase in overstocking of game (i.e., ungulate species) and stocking of extralimitals (i.e., game species outside their historical range). Positives in natural resource management also existed. Some managers monitored slower changing ecological attributes, which resulted in less-intensive management, fewer extralimital species, and lower stocking rates. Our unique, empirical investigation of monitoring-management relationships illustrates that management decisions informed by revenue monitoring versus ecological monitoring can have opposing consequences for natural resource productivity and

Abelhas sem ferrão (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Meliponini da Estação Ecológica de Água Limpa, Cataguases-MG, Brasil.

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Hugo Werneck

2014-08-01

Stingless Bees of the Estação Ecológica de Água Limpa, Cataguases-MG, Brazil Abstract. This study carried out a survey of nests of stingless bees present in the Estação Ecológica de Água Limpa (EEAL in the municipality of Cataguases, Minas Gerais. We found twenty-one nests belonging to nine species: Friesella schrottkyi (Friese, Melipona bicolor Lepeletier, Plebeia sp. 1, Plebeia sp. 2, Tetragona clavipes (Fabricius, Tetragona quadrangula (Fabricius, Tetragonisca angustula (Latreille, Trigona hyalinata (Lepeletier, Trigona spinipes (Fabricius. Twenty of the 21 nests were found in arboreal substrate. The fauna of stingless bees observed in EEAL is represented by a low number of species. Although the local vegetation has the potential to provide substrates for nesting and floral resources, the low species richness may be related to the fact that the EEAL is an isolated forest remnant.

Laws, Institutions and Transboundary Pasture Management in the High Pamir and Pamir-Alai Mountain Ecosystem of Central Asia

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Michelle Lim

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Enhanced rangeland governance is a priority for the governments of the post-Soviet Central Asian states of the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan. Major transitional challenges confront the newly independent states of Central Asia. These challenges include the withdrawal of subsidies previously provided by the centralised Soviet government; moves towards privatisation and the conversion of administrative boundaries to international boundaries. In this context transboundary approaches to rangeland management are essential. This paper highlights the challenges for effective pasture management in the Pamir, Pamir-Alai ecosystem; the inadequacies of pasture-related legal instruments and the absence of institutions for the implementation of these instruments. Transboundary management is hampered by the lack of agreements between the two countries and the differences between national level laws and institutions. Meaningful transboundary agreements and the harmonization of national level laws would be a significant step towards achieving sustainable transboundary pasture management. However, on their own these legal tools are insufficient. Long-term effective pasture management in the Pamir, Pamir-Alai ecosystem necessitates that the causes of degradation are addressed. Mountain communities would also need to be convinced of economic and other benefits before current resource-use practices could be expected to change. Institutional and capacity building and adequate funding are also fundamental to ensuring the effectiveness of any legal instruments that are developed and any strategies that are employed.

Multifrequency passive microwave observations of soil moisture in an arid rangeland environment

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, T. J.; Schmugge, T. J.; Parry, R.; Kustas, W. P.; Ritchie, J. C.; Shutko, A. M.; Khaldin, A.; Reutov, E.; Novichikhin, E.; Liberman, B.

1992-01-01

A cooperative experiment was conducted by teams from the U.S. and U.S.S.R. to evaluate passive microwave instruments and algorithms used to estimate surface soil moisture. Experiments were conducted as part of an interdisciplinary experiment in an arid rangeland watershed located in the southwest United States. Soviet microwave radiometers operating at wavelengths of 2.25, 21 and 27 cm were flown on a U.S. aircraft. Radio frequency interference limited usable data to the 2.25 and 21 cm systems. Data have been calibrated and compared to ground observations of soil moisture. These analyses showed that the 21 cm system could produce reliable and useful soil moisture information and that the 2.25 cm system was of no value for soil moisture estimation in this experiment.

Evaluation of Rambouillet, Polypay, and Romanov-White Dorper x Rambouillet ewes mated to terminal sires in an extensive rangeland production system: Lamb production

Science.gov (United States)

Ewe productivity (i.e., total numbers or weight of lamb weaned ÷ number of breeding ewes) is a key indicator of lamb production efficiency. This second-generation study compared various measures of ewe productivity and ewe and lamb performance in an extensive rangeland production system of ewes of 3...

Ordenamiento ecológico y ordenamiento territorial: retos para la gestión del desarrollo regional sustentable en el siglo XXI

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Pablo Wong-González

2010-01-01

Full Text Available América Latina, se reconoce que a pesar de los avances en la materia, la planificación tradicional en general y los programas de ordenamiento ecológico y territorial en particular, éstos últimos como instrumentos de gestión ambiental directamente ligados al uso del suelo, los esfuerzos han sido preferentemente indicativos y no han estado respaldados políticamente con una aplicación eficaz. El objetivo de este ensayo es llevar a cabo una reflexión analítica de las fuerzas generadoras de cambio y megatendencias que están impactando los procesos de planeación territorial y contribuir a la discusión de alternativas. Para ello se toman como referencia los principales programas de ordenamiento ligados al territorio en México: el Ordenamiento Ecológico y el Ordenamiento Territorial. Se argumenta que por sí mismos ambos ordenamientos, debido a su orientación fundamentalmente sectorial urbana- asentamientos humanos el segundo-, no pueden constituirse en sustitutos de una política comprehensiva de desarrollo regionalterritorial sustentable.

Why the dimension matters in ecological models? ¿Por qué importa la dimensión en modelos ecológicos?

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Rodrigo Ramos-Jiliberto

2004-12-01

Full Text Available In this work we discuss the ecological and mathematical significance of system's dimension in continuous-time population dynamics models. We show how the system's dimension reflects the ecological assumptions and affects both the spectrum of dynamic output and mathematical tractability of the models. We stress that the model dimension is not always the same as the number of state-variables, and we also present conditions under which the system's dimension is alteredEn este trabajo discutimos la significación ecológica y matemática de la dimensión del sistema en modelos de dinámica poblacional en tiempo continuo. Mostramos cómo la dimensión del sistema refleja los supuestos ecológicos y afecta el espectro de resultados dinámicos así como la tratabilidad matemática de los modelos. Acentuamos que la dimensión de un modelo no es siempre equivalente al número de variables de estado, y presentamos condiciones bajo las cuales la dimensión del sistema es alterada.

Is "Holisitc Resource Management" the answer for African Rangelands?

OpenAIRE

Bayer, W.; Niamir, M.; A. Waters-Bayer

1987-01-01

Metadata only record In Pastoral Network Newsletter No. 23, mention was made of a workshop on Holistic Resource Management (HRM) held 15-17 December 1986 in Uppsala, Sweden. The workshop was organized on behalf of SIDA by the consulting firm Terra Nova and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Participants were mainly from Swedish universities and development agencies, but also included a few individuals form Denmark, Norway, USA and Germany. The sole lecturer was Mr. Allan Savo...

The Colorado river delta (Mexico: ecological importance and management = O delta do rio Colorado (Mexico: importância ecológica e gerenciamento

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José Luis Fermán Almada

2008-10-01

Full Text Available The Colorado river delta is a unique coastal system in the world, as it combines two important systems: the Colorado river and the Gulf of California. Consequently, the delta is dominated by bilateral interests, and influenced by administrative, political and natural processes, which involve the countries of the United States and Mexico. Located in the northern part of the Gulf of California, under a condition of natural isolation, a series of environmental attributeshave been developed (biotic and abiotic that are only observed in is region. In this work, the development of the bilateral political relations and the most important ecological characteristicsare presented, as well as the management instruments that have been developed for over 80 years. From these issues, the possible scenario for the region is defined, and the development of methodologies for monitoring the effects of these possible tendencies on the natural components of the delta is proposed.O delta do rio Colorado é uma zona costeira única em todo o mundo, porassociar dois importantes sistemas: o próprio rio Colorado e o Golfo da Califórnia. Conseqüentemente, o delta é dominado por interesses bi-nacionais e influenciado por processos administrativos, políticos e naturais, envolvendo os Estados Unidos e o México. Localizado no norte do Golfo da Califórnia, sob uma condição de isolamento natural,desenvolveu-se uma série de atributos ambientais (bióticos e abióticos que só podem ser vistos nessa região. Neste trabalho, são apresentados o desenvolvimento das relações políticas bilaterais e as características ecológicas mais importantes, bem como osmecanismos de gerenciamento que vêm sido desenvolvidos por mais de 80 anos. A partir dessas questões, é definido um cenário tendencial possível para a região, e o desenvolvimento de metodologias para o acompanhamento dos efeitos dessas possíveis tendências sobre os componentes naturais do delta é proposto.

Criando contextos ecológicos de desenvolvimento e direitos humanos para adolescentes

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Ana Paula Lazzaretti de Souza

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Neste estudo descreve-se a aplicação do método de Inserção Ecológica em um programa de intervenção para educação em direitos humanos e protagonismo juvenil para adolescentes em situação de vulnerabilidade social. A criação de um microssistema constituído pelos participantes e pela equipe executora do programa resulta em mudanças positivas de comportamento e respeito às regras, entre outros. Estas transformações surgem em consonância com a proposta da Abordagem Bioecológica do Desenvolvimento Humano, sobre a influência do ambiente. Este estudo reforça a importância da aplicação dos resultados em políticas públicas e sociais.

Traits determining the digestibility-decomposability relationships in species from Mediterranean rangelands.

Science.gov (United States)

Bumb, Iris; Garnier, Eric; Coq, Sylvain; Nahmani, Johanne; Del Rey Granado, Maria; Gimenez, Olivier; Kazakou, Elena

2018-03-05

Forage quality for herbivores and litter quality for decomposers are two key plant properties affecting ecosystem carbon and nutrient cycling. Although there is a positive relationship between palatability and decomposition, very few studies have focused on larger vertebrate herbivores while considering links between the digestibility of living leaves and stems and the decomposability of litter and associated traits. The hypothesis tested is that some defences of living organs would reduce their digestibility and, as a consequence, their litter decomposability, through 'afterlife' effects. Additionally in high-fertility conditions the presence of intense herbivory would select for communities dominated by fast-growing plants, which are able to compensate for tissue loss by herbivory, producing both highly digestible organs and easily decomposable litter. Relationships between dry matter digestibility and decomposability were quantified in 16 dominant species from Mediterranean rangelands, which are subject to management regimes that differ in grazing intensity and fertilization. The digestibility and decomposability of leaves and stems were estimated at peak standing biomass, in plots that were either fertilized and intensively grazed or unfertilized and moderately grazed. Several traits were measured on living and senesced organs: fibre content, dry matter content and nitrogen, phosphorus and tannin concentrations. Digestibility was positively related to decomposability, both properties being influenced in the same direction by management regime, organ and growth forms. Digestibility of leaves and stems was negatively related to their fibre concentrations, and positively related to their nitrogen concentration. Decomposability was more strongly related to traits measured on living organs than on litter. Digestibility and decomposition were governed by similar structural traits, in particular fibre concentration, affecting both herbivores and micro

Percepción local de los servicios ecológicos y de bienestar de la selva de la zona maya en Quintana Roo, México

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Karla Diana Infante Ramírez

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Este estudio evalúa la percepción local sobre los servicios ecológicos y de bienestar de la selva en comunidades de la zona maya del centro de Quintana Roo. Se trabajó con seis unidades de paisaje, las cuales fueron delimitadas con la participación de habitantes de las comunidades y con una revisión de literatura. Para identificar los servicios que perciben las comunidades de la selva, se utilizaron entrevistas abiertas y semiestructuradas, observación participante, entrevistas a profundidad y talleres comunitarios. Los resultados muestran que los entrevistados identificaron servicios de provisión, de regulación y mantenimiento, y culturales. En particular, percibieron más servicios ecológicos en las unidades del “monte alto” y el “acahual de 20 años” o más, mientras que la “sabana” fue identificada como la que menos servicios les proporciona. Además, a partir de la teoría de los estudios de desarrollo, el estudio identifica las tres dimensiones del concepto de “bienestar humano”: la material, la relacional y la subjetiva, y logra presentar la relación de éstas con los servicios ecológicos percibidos por las comunidades estudiadas. Los resultados muestran una clara interacción sociedad maya-naturaleza y son útiles para orientar la toma de decisiones en el manejo de los recursos naturales, tanto a nivel comunitario como gubernamental.

Nueva especie del genero Buenoa Kirkaldy (Hemiptera, notonectidae con clave para especies y notas ecológicas

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Padilla Gil Dora N.

1992-06-01

Full Text Available Se incluyen las especies del género Buenoa encontradas en el Departamento de Cundinamarca con un rango altitudinal entre
los 1728 y 3000 m.s.n.m. y descipción de la especie Buenoa cucunubensis n. sp., además clave para determinar especies y algunos datos ecológicos.Four species of genus Buenoa are recorded from Cundinamarca province in Colombia, Buenos cucunubensis nov. spec. is
described. Also included are key to males, data on distribution and ecological information.

Anurans of the Reserva Ecológica da Michelin, Municipality of Igrapiúna, State of Bahia, Brazil

OpenAIRE

Camurugi, Felipe; Lima, Tasso Meneses; Mercês, Ednei de Almeida; Juncá, Flora Acuña

2010-01-01

We studied the richness and distribution of anuran species on different breeding sites at the Reserva Ecológica da Michelin (13° 50' S and 39° 10' W, approximately 90-400 m above sea level), Municipality of Igrapiúna, Bahia State, Brazil. The reserve includes fragments of Atlantic Rain Forest varying from 140 to 650 ha. Five types of environments were sampled: leaf litter inside forest fragments, streams inside forest fragments, dam on the edge of forest fragment, temporary pond inside forest...

A visão ecológica: uma teia na enfermagem La visión ecologica: un tejido en enfermería Ecologic view: a web in the nursing

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Estela Maria Leite Meirelles Monteiro

2005-06-01

Full Text Available A partir de mudanças revolucionárias em conceitos de realidade ocasionadas pela física e pensamento modernos, nova e consistente visão do mundo surge, influenciada pela transição da física clássica para quântica. É propósito do estudo mostrar o pensamento de Capra favorecendo a disseminação do cuidado ecológico na enfermagem. O novo paradigma pode ser chamado de uma visão ecológica, a partir do entendimento de ecologia num sentido amplo e profundo. A saúde na visão holística e na teia de relações que compreende o pensamento ecológico exige do enfermeiro, em suas áreas de atividades uma percepção crítica concernente ao saber, saber-ser e saber-fazer, comprometido com transformações que afloraram das emoções, do encantamento, dos sentimentos, do cuidar da natureza como premissa para qualidade e existência da humanidade.A partir de los cambios revolucionarios en conceptos de realidad impulsados por la física y el pensamiento moderno, nueva y consistente visión del mundo surge, influenciada por la transición de la física clásica hacia quántica. El estudio se propone mostrar el pensamiento de Capra influenciado la diseminación del cuidado ecológico en enfermería. El nuevo paradigma puede ser llamado una visión ecológica, partiendo de la comprensión de la ecología en un sentido amplio y profundo. La salud, la visión holística del hombre y del tejido de relaciones que abarca el pensamiento ecológico, exige del enfermero en sus áreas de actividad, una percepción crítica en relación al saber, saber ser y saber hacer comprometidos con transformaciones, el afloramiento de las emociones, del encantamiento, de los sentimientos, del cuidado de la naturaleza como premisa para la calidad y existencia de la humanidad.From the revolutionary changes in reality concept, caused by physics and modern thoughts, new consistent vision of the world emerge and it is influenced from the classic physics to quantum physics

Using RapidEye and MODIS Data Fusion to Monitor Vegetation Dynamics in Semi-Arid Rangelands in South Africa

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Andreas Tewes

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Image time series of high temporal and spatial resolution capture land surface dynamics of heterogeneous landscapes. We applied the ESTARFM (Enhanced Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Reflectance Fusion Model algorithm to multi-spectral images covering two semi-arid heterogeneous rangeland study sites located in South Africa. MODIS 250 m resolution and RapidEye 5 m resolution images were fused to produce synthetic RapidEye images, from June 2011 to July 2012. We evaluated the performance of the algorithm by comparing predicted surface reflectance values to real RapidEye images. Our results show that ESTARFM predictions are accurate, with a coefficient of determination for the red band 0.80 < R2 < 0.92, and for the near-infrared band 0.83 < R2 < 0.93, a mean relative bias between 6% and 12% for the red band and 4% to 9% in the near-infrared band. Heterogeneous vegetation at sub-MODIS resolution is captured adequately: A comparison of NDVI time series derived from RapidEye and ESTARFM data shows that the characteristic phenological dynamics of different vegetation types are reproduced well. We conclude that the ESTARFM algorithm allows us to produce synthetic remote sensing images at high spatial combined with high temporal resolution and so provides valuable information on vegetation dynamics in semi-arid, heterogeneous rangeland landscapes.

Revisando a inserção ecológica: uma proposta de sistematização Revisiting the ecological engagement: a proposal to systematization

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Laíssa Eschiletti Prati

2008-01-01

Full Text Available O presente artigo descreve como os quatro conceitos-chave da Teoria Bioecológica do Desenvolvimeno Humano (processo, pessoa, contexto e tempo se fazem presentes na metodologia denominada Inserção Ecológica. Tem o objetivo de proporcionar algumas linhas de ação que podem auxiliar equipes de pesquisa na utilização desta proposta em seus projetos de pesquisa. Para isso, foi realizada uma breve comparação entre a Inserção Ecológica e outras metodologias que valorizam o contexto da investigação, e que partem de referenciais teóricos diferentes. Além disso, são apresentados e discutidos estudos que utilizaram a Inserção Ecológia a fim de estabelecer alguns pontos em comum e definir aspectos que possam ser considerados características fundamentais a essa proposta metodológica.This article describes how the four key concepts of the Bioecological Theory of Human Development (process, person, context and time are present in the Ecological Engagement methodology. The goal is to provide some lines of action that may guide research teams to use this proposal in their projects. A brief comparison is performed between the Ecological Engagement and other methodologies, which value the concept of investigation and have distinct theoretical references. Moreover, other studies that used the Ecological Engagement are presented and discussed in order to establish some common points and to define aspects that may be considered as fundamental characteristics of this methodological proposal.

Sustentabilidade: mantra ou escolha moral? uma abordagem ecológico-econômica

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Clóvis Cavalcanti

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Qual é o tamanho ótimo da escala econômica que a natureza pode admitir? A questão requer que se esteja falando de uma situação em que a economia seja vista como subsistema do ecossistema. É assim que a economia ecológica percebe a realidade e é nessa óptica que se configura o conceito de sustentabilidade ecológica. O impacto ambiental do crescimento sobre os recursos e sumidouros da natureza tem que ser contido dentro de limites. A noção usual de sustentabilidade, porém, dá a impressão de se ter convertido numa espécie de mantra da atualidade, sem maior compromisso. Mudanças no sistema econômico são inevitáveis como forma de adaptação às restrições que o processo econômico confronta. Cabe indagar o que é que se deseja sustentar e em que escala de tempo. À sociedade cumpre escolher a mudança a se fazer: uma escolha moral.What is the optimum scale of the economy compatible with nature? This question asks for consideration of the economy as a subsystem of the ecosystem. Ecological economics adopts that perspective permitting that the concept of environmental sustainability be established. This implies that the environmental impact of growth on the source and sink functions of nature be contained within limits. The usual notion of sustainability, however, gives the impression of having been transformed into a kind of today's mantra, without serious obligations. Changes in the economic system are unavoidable as a means of adaptation to the restrictions that the economic process encounters. This requires knowing what it is to be sustained and in within which time scale. The duty of choosing the changes to be made must be ascribed to society: a moral choice.

Entre la economía política de Karl Marx y la economía ecológica

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Julián Sabogal Tamayo

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Este artículo intenta contribuir a la discusión sobre las diferencias y afinidades entre la economía política de Marx y la economía ecológica. Se centra en las diferencias de objetivos, de temas de estudio y de métodos. También señala los puntos de convergencia y la necesidad de la solidaridad y del aprendizaje mutuo.

De perceptos a frames: cognição ecológica e linguagem

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Paulo Henrique Duque

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Neste artigo, proponho uma abordagem ecológica de cognição e linguagem, demonstrando que os processos de conceptualização parecem emergir da interação organismo-ambiente. Tal abordagem cognitiva exige a coordenação dos dois extremos dessa emergência e a consideração de que o uso da linguagem inevitavelmente envolve tanto os processos iniciais de interação do organismo com o ambiente quanto as estruturas e os processos que emergem dessas interações. De acordo com a abordagem aqui proposta, desenvolvemos conceitos e reorientamos nossos pensamentos sobre o mundo por meio de um mecanismo conhecido como framing, isto é, o recurso discursivo-cognitivo de que dispomos para (remodelar circuitos neurais (ou frames.

Modernización ecológica y políticas ambientales: notas para un debate (Brasil).

OpenAIRE

Olivier, Alejandro Gabriel; Domínguez, Carlos Federico

2011-01-01

El propósito del presente artículo es explorar conceptualmente la teoría de la modernización ecológica. Se trata de demostrar que dicha teoría, inicialmente sustentada por autores tales como Joseph Huber y Marteen Jänicke, y con desarrollos conceptuales más complejos a partir de los trabajos de Arthur Mol y Gert Spaargarem, entre otros, puede conducir a una revisión sustancial en la percepción, en la formulación y en la implementación de las políticas ambientales. El artículo concluye con el ...

Caudal ecológico del río Chambas en la provincia Ciego de Ávila

OpenAIRE

Brown Manrique, Oscar; Gallardo Ballat, Yurisbel; Williams Harriote, Patricio W.; Torres Martínez, Yuneisi

2016-01-01

La investigación se desarrolló en el río Chambas de la provincia Ciego de Ávila con el objetivo de determinar el caudal ecológico mediante cinco metodologías: Curva de Permanencia de Caudales, Rafael Heras, Tennant, Franquet y Perímetro Mojado. Se analizó una serie de 21 años de gastos medios mensuales en el periodo comprendido de 1976 al 1986, obtenidos de la estación hidrométrica Puente Circuito Norte. Los principales resultados demostraron que los caudales promedios del río Chambas present...

PSICAMB: perfil de afinidade ecológica: um estudo sobre os indicadores da postura perante a natureza = Ecological affinity profile: a study on indicators of positions towards nature = Perfil de la conectividad ecológica: un estudio sobre los indicadores de posicionamiento frente a la naturaleza

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Rosa, Daniele da Costa Cunha Borges

2015-01-01

Full Text Available O presente estudo teve o objetivo de propor indicadores de um perfil de afinidade ecológica, avaliar sua relação com a importância dedicada à floresta amazônica e com a consideração do efeito das ações humanas na natureza. Participaram deste estudo 345 sujeitos, de ambos os sexos, com idade superior a 18 anos, das cidades de Manaus – AM e Ceres – GO. Os instrumentos deste estudo são compostos por escalas, que mediram dimensões cognitivas e afetivas na relação com a floresta amazônica e com a natureza no geral. Para análise dos dados foram realizadas análises fatoriais exploratórias, regressões e análises de estrutura de similaridade. Os resultados indicaram que ao avaliar as relações de afeto para com a natureza, as crenças em relação ao ambiente natural e a consideração de consequências futuras é possível identificar uma estrutura que engloba um perfil de afinidade ecológica e um perfil utilitarista

CH4 IPDA Lidar mission data simulator and processor for MERLIN: prototype development at LMD/CNRS/Ecole Polytechnique

Science.gov (United States)

Olivier, Chomette; Armante, Raymond; Crevoisier, Cyril; Delahaye, Thibault; Edouart, Dimitri; Gibert, Fabien; Nahan, Frédéric; Tellier, Yoann

2018-04-01

The MEthane Remote sensing Lidar missioN (MERLIN), currently in phase C, is a joint cooperation between France and Germany on the development of a spatial Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) LIDAR (LIght Detecting And Ranging) to conduct global observations of atmospheric methane. This presentation will focus on the status of a LIDAR mission data simulator and processor developed at LMD (Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique), Ecole Polytechnique, France, for MERLIN to assess the performances in realistic observational situations.

1st international conference on digital enterprise design and management

CERN Document Server

Krob, Daniel; Rowe, Frantz

2013-01-01

This book contains all refereed papers that were accepted to the first edition of the « Digital Enterprise Design & Management » (DED&M 2013) international conference that took place in Paris (France) from February 12 to February 13, 2013. (Website: http://www.dedm2013.dedm.fr/) These proceedings cover the most recent trends in the emerging field of Digital Enterprise, both from an academic and a professional perspective. A special focus is put on digital uses, digital strategies, digital infrastructures and digital governance from an Enterprise Architecture point of view. The DED&M 2013 conference is organized under the guidance of the CESAMES non profit organization (http://www.cesames.net/). and benefits from the support of the "Innovation and Regulation of Digital Services" Chair (Orange, Ecole Polytechnique and Telecom ParisTech) and of the "Complex Systems Engineering" Chair (Dassault Aviation - DCNS - DGA - Thales - Ecole Polytechnique - ENSTA ParisTech – Telecom ParisTech).

Global Operational Remotely Sensed Evapotranspiration System for Water Resources Management: Case Study for the State of New Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Halverson, G. H.; Fisher, J.; Magnuson, M.; John, L.

2017-12-01

An operational system to produce and disseminate remotely sensed evapotranspiration using the PT-JPL model and support its analysis and use in water resources decision making is being integrated into the New Mexico state government. A partnership between the NASA Western Water Applications Office (WWAO), the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer (NMOSE) has enabled collaboration with a variety of state agencies to inform decision making processes for agriculture, rangeland, and forest management. This system improves drought understanding and mobilization, litigation support, and economic, municipal, and ground-water planning through interactive mapping of daily rates of evapotranspiration at 1 km spatial resolution with near real-time latency. This is facilitated by daily remote sensing acquisitions of land-surface temperature and near-surface air temperature and humidity from the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on the Terra satellite as well as the short-term composites of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and albedo provided by MODIS. Incorporating evapotranspiration data into agricultural water management better characterizes imbalances between water requirements and supplies. Monitoring evapotranspiration over rangeland areas improves remediation and prevention of aridification. Monitoring forest evapotranspiration improves wildlife management and response to wildfire risk. Continued implementation of this decision support system should enhance water and food security.

Diseño de un plan comunicacional para la industria de las curtiembres, basado en marketing ecológico

OpenAIRE

Rincón Alvarado, Mónica Lorena

2012-01-01

La trasformación y constante contaminación generada por las actuales empresas, ha generado un impacto en los consumidores que obliga a que las diferentes industrias apliquen cambios en sus actuales formas de producción, es por esto que a través del marketing ecológico se pretende implementar cambios que ayuden a que la industria de los cueros reduzca su actual impacto negativo en el medio ambiente. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas

Regionalización ecológica de la llanura costera norte de Nayarit, México

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Areli González García Sancho

2009-10-01

Full Text Available El estado de Nayarit se localiza al noroeste de la República Mexicana; en su territorio confluyen cuatro importantes Provincias Fisiográficas; Sierra Madre Oriental, Cinturón Volcánico Trans-Mexicano, Sierra Madre del Sur y la Llanura Costera del Pacífico. Cada una de ellas tiene un sustrato geológico específico como repuesta a una génesis diferente, estas características favorecen la existencia de marcadas diferencias de altura en distancias cortas y por tanto un potencial en la variedad geomorfológica y climática, estos aspectos son los responsables de la existencia de una diversidad de paisajes. La Llanura Costera del Pacífico ocupa un pequeño sector localizado al noroeste del estado y representa 445 069 ha, en esta superficie se hace una regionalización ecológica que tiene como punto de partida la caracterización de unidades geomorfopedológicas; de cobertura del terreno y uso del suelo. Con este fin se desarrolló un sistema de clasificación jerárquica que define ambientes, paisajes y subpaisajes geomorfológicos, a los cuales se asociaron datos edafológicos. Por otra parte, se realizó el levantamiento de cobertura y de uso del suelo mediante el empleo de ortofotos digitales, imágenes de satélite, cartografía temática (1:50 000, verificación de campo y descripción de puntos con barrena. Los resultados obtenidos se integraron y analizaron utilizando un sistema de información geográfica ArcView 3.2, de esta manera fue posible identificar 58 regiones ecológicas, agrupadas en 11 subpaisajes, cuatro paisajes geomorfológicos y dos regiones geomorfológicas.

CH4 IPDA Lidar mission data simulator and processor for MERLIN: prototype development at LMD/CNRS/Ecole Polytechnique

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Olivier Chomette

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The MEthane Remote sensing Lidar missioN (MERLIN, currently in phase C, is a joint cooperation between France and Germany on the development of a spatial Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA LIDAR (LIght Detecting And Ranging to conduct global observations of atmospheric methane. This presentation will focus on the status of a LIDAR mission data simulator and processor developed at LMD (Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, Ecole Polytechnique, France, for MERLIN to assess the performances in realistic observational situations.

L’Ecole Sucrière Belge de Glons

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Hendrik Deelstra

2008-09-01

Full Text Available The Belgian sugar school of Glons This article deals with the start in 1889 and the evolution till 1914 of the first Sugar technical school in Belgium located in Glons-Liège. In the literature on the history of sciences in Belgium this school has been unjustly neglected or forgotten. This is probably due to the total destruction of the archives in 1917 by the German occupiers. The history of the creation of a School for sugar chemists and technicians goes back to the early 1880’s, when the need was realised for the creation of such a High Technical School, to support and improve the most important agro-industrial industry in Belgium: the beet-sugar production. However there was at that time no consensus how to create and organize such an Institute. In 1889, E. Nihoul started in Glons a private sugar technical school for the direct training of specialists for all functions in the sugar industry, especially that of sugar chemists. This article describes the history of this school from 1889 till 1914. The school rapidly gained a great reputation and became extremely attractive for students outside Belgium. During the period 1900 till 1914 the school produced 251 qualified specialists of which 80% were foreigners. The school moved to Liège in 1917 and after 1932 involved in fusions with different Technical High Schools to form the now well-known ‘Hautes Ecoles Rennequin Sualem’ in Liège.

Nucleation in tropical ecological restoration A nucleação na restauração ecológica de ecossistemas tropicais

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Ademir Reis

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Ecological theories of facilitation and nucleation are proposed as a basis for environmental restoration in tropical ecosystems. The main goal of this paper is to present restoration techniques based on the concept of nucleation, in which small nuclei of vegetation are established within a degraded land. The nucleation techniques (artificial shelters for animals, planting of herbaceous shrub life forms, soil and seed bank translocation, seed rain translocation, soil and seed rain translocation's seedling set, artificial perches, planting of native trees in groups, and ecological stepping-stones with functional groups promote the landscape connectivity on two flows: inward: receiver connectivity and outward: donor connectivity. The nuclei development represents an alternative for restoration by prioritizing the natural processes of succession. This methodology appears to take long to generate vegetation corresponding to tropical climates, but is fundamental in the formation of communities capable of acting, in the future, as a new functional nuclei within the current fragmented landscape. This strategy also encourages greater integration between the theories and projects of ecological restoration for the development of human resources and to benefit the restoration practitioner.As teorias ecológicas da facilitação e nucleação são propostas como base para a restauração ambiental de ecossistemas tropicais. Nesse "Ponto de Vista" apresentam-se técnicas de restauração fundamentadas no conceito de nucleação, onde pequenos núcleos de vegetação são implantados em uma área degradada. As técnicas de nucleação (abrigos artificiais para animais, plantio de espécies herbáceo-arbustivas, transposição de solo e banco de sementes, transposição de chuva de sementes, blocos de mudas procedentes de transposição de solo e chuva de sementes, poleiros artificiais, plantio de árvores nativas em grupos de Anderson, e trampolins ecol

Crítica ecológica al concepto de Desarrollo y nuevas alternativas desde América Latina

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Ana Luíza Matos de Oliveira

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Este artículo derivado de investigación analiza el concepto de Desarrollo desde sus orígenes, presentando la crítica ecológica a este concepto, en especial por parte de la teoría del decrecimiento, muestra algunas contribuciones de los pueblos originarios a las constituciones de países de tendencia de izquierda en América Latina en los años recientes y problematiza la actual inserción de América Latina en el comercio internacional. Se encontró que contrarrestar a la fuerza económica, política y discursiva del agronegocio y del “progreso”, apoyado en el “desarrollo” no es algo simple. En América Latina hay tensiones entre el concepto de desarrollo convencional e intentos por construir un nuevo camino, un camino latinoamericano. Hay resistencias entre la (reprimarización y la inserción internacional de América Latina, también existen tensiones en el campo, conuna disputa entre el agronegocio como modelo de desarrollo, modernidad y progreso y otras formas de relacionarse con el medio ambiente y con el otro. Se concluye que desde América Latina es posible crear un nuevo camino, no necesariamente en aras de imitar el mundo desarrollado, sino considerando los limites ecológicos y sociales del capitalismo y las contribuciones de los pueblos originarios.

Conhecimento ecológico tradicional no fragmento da planície de inundação do alto rio Paraná: percepção ecológica dos pescadores Upper Paraná River floodplain fishermen’s traditional ecological knowledge: fishermen’s ecological feeling

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Adriana Rosa Carvalho

2002-05-01

Full Text Available O conhecimento ecológico é uma sabedoria popular empírica acumulada pela prática de atividades em ambientes naturais. Alterações nos ecossistemas afetam o estoque dos recursos naturais explorados, bem como a prática tradicional deles dependente. Neste trabalho, é apresentado o conhecimento ecológico tradicional dos pescadores da planície de inundação do alto rio Paraná, regiões de Porto Rico (PR e Porto São José, Estado do Paraná. Um breve relato da teoria de fragmentação de habitats é apresentado, visto que esse ambiente está fragmentado pela construção de barragens de hidrelétricas. Três frases e um provérbio que revelam a dinâmica dos processos ecológicos dentre os pescadores foram anotados e confrontados com o conhecimento científico já reunido sobre a região. As frases demonstram uma interpretação popular em consonância com as descobertas científicas na planície. Essa sabedoria está ameaçada pela fragmentação da planície e pela perda da tradição, devido ao abandono da atividade pesqueira.The ecological knowledge is an empiric popular wisdom stored by the fishermen’s natural environmental practice. Changes in ecosystem affect the explored natural resources as well as the traditional practice dependent on them. This paper aims at presenting the upper Paraná river floodplain fishermen’s traditional ecological knowledge from Porto Rico (PR and Porto São José (PR regions. A brief comment on fragmentation theory is presented because of the floodplain fragmentation imposed by the construction of hydroelectric dams. Three phrases and one proverb, which reveal the dynamics of the fishermen’s ecological process, were registered and confronted with the scientific knowledge of the region. The phrases show a popular and traditional interpretation in agreement with the upper Paraná river floodplain scientific discoveries. The ecosystem fragmentation and loss of tradition, due to the fishery practice

Función ecológica de la Agricultura Familiar (AF) en la legislación argentina

OpenAIRE

Victoria, María Adriana

2017-01-01

Construir una nueva ruralidad en la región pasa por fortalecer la Agricultura Familiar (AF) y, a tales fines, los países están desarrollando políticas públicas y programas para estimular este sector fundamental del agro. Por ello, resulta necesario, analizar la función ecológica que cumple la AF en el contenido de la legislación, de aplicación en las provincias argentinas, a partir del marco doctrinario de la Multifuncionalidad de la agricultura (MFA) o Nueva ruralidad (NR) de la AF, a la luz...

Integración del turismo educativo en la formación de nuevas sociedades ecológicas

OpenAIRE

Hidalgo Arias, Karol; Sandí Delgado, Juan Carlos; Cruz Sancho, Steven

2014-01-01

Este artículo es producto de una investigación realizada a nivel de primaria y secundaria en centros educativos ubicados en los cantones de Pococí y Guácimo, Limón, Costa Rica. Donde el principal objetivo fue alcanzar una integración valida entre el turismo educativo y la formación de nuevas sociedades ecológicas. Con el fin de responder a los objetivos de este estudio, dicho trabajo se llevó a cabo mediante el diseño descriptivo y exploratorio, respondiendo a su vez al enfoque metodológi...

Primary productivity of the Arabian Sea

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Pant, A.

stream_size 13 stream_content_type text/plain stream_name Trop_Ecosyst_Ecol_Manage_1992_255.pdf.txt stream_source_info Trop_Ecosyst_Ecol_Manage_1992_255.pdf.txt Content-Encoding ISO-8859-1 Content-Type text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 ...

Índice de estado limnológico (IEL para evaluar las condiciones ecológicas de las ciénagas del Canal del Dique

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Gabriel Antonio Pinilla Agudelo

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Determinar el estado o salud ecológica de un ecosistema brinda herramientas útiles para su gestión y conservación. En Colombia no se han desarrollado índices que combinen en un solo parámetro las variables físicas, químicas y biológicas de los sistemas acuáticos, de manera que la evaluación de su estado ecológico ha sido fragmentaria o incompleta. En este trabajo se presenta el desarrollo de un Índice de Estado Limnológico (IEL para las ciénagas del Canal del Dique, ecosistemas sometidos a constante presión por parte de las comunidades humanas. Para la construcción de este índice multimétrico se realizó un análisis de componentes principales, se construyeron gráficas de calidad de las variables seleccionadas y se les asignaron valores de importancia. Se empleó la teoría de los multiatributos para construir el IEL, el cual considera 12 variables. Se diseñó una versión simplificada (IEL parcial - IELP en la que se excluyeron 4 de las variables biológicas. Finalmente, se construyó una escala de interpretación de los valores obtenidos con estos índices. El IEL y el IELP se aplicaron a las ciénagas del Canal del Dique para establecer su condición ecológica actual. Los datos muestran que el estado limnológico de la mayoría de ciénagas de esta región es aceptable, lo que sugiere que estos ecosistemas lénticos se encuentran dentro de los límites admisibles de funcionamiento, aunque no están excentos de procesos de deterioro.

Impact of grazing on range plant community components under arid Mediterranean climate in northern Syria

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Niane, A.A.

2013-01-01

Keywords: Rotational grazing, full protection, continuous grazing species richness,

species diversity, soil seed bank, Bayesian methods, Salsola vermiculata, seed

longevity, rangeland management, Syria.

Rangelands represent 70% of the semi-arid and arid

African Journal of Range and Forage Science

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The African Journal of Range & Forage Science is the leading rangeland and pastoral journal in Africa. The Journal is dedicated to publishing quality original material that advances rangeland ecology and pasture management in Africa. Read more abou the journal here.

Soil water repellency and ground cover effects on infiltration in response to prescribed burning of steeply-sloped sagebrush hillslopes

Science.gov (United States)

Rangeland managers and scientists are in need of predictive tools to accurately simulate post-fire hydrologic responses and provide hydrologic risk assessment. Rangeland hydrologic modeling has advanced in recent years; however, model advancements have largely been associated with data from gently ...

Use of local pastoral species to increase fodder production of the saline rangelands in southern Tunisia

Science.gov (United States)

Tlili, Abderrazak; Tarhouni, Mohamed; Cardà, Artemi; Neffati, Mohamed

2017-04-01

Climate changes associated with multiple destructive human activities accelerate the degradation process of the natural rangelands around the world and especially the vulnerable areas such as the dryland ecosystems (Anaya-Romero et al., 2015; Eskandari et al., 2016; Muños Rojas et al., 2016; Vicente-Serrano et al., 2016). The vegetation cover and the biomass production of these ecosystems are decreasing and this is resulting in land degradation due to the soil erosion and changes in soil quality due to the abuse and misuse of the soil resources (Cerdà et al., 2016; Prosdocimi et al., 2016; Keesstra et al., 2016). To cope with such threats, it is necessary to develop some management techniques (restoration, plantation…) to enhance the biomass production and the carbon sequestration of the degraded rangelands (Muñoz-Rojas et al., 2016; Tarhouni et al., 2016). The valorization of saline water by planting pastoral halophyte species in salt-affected soils as well as the marginal areas are considered among the valuable tools to increase the rangeland production in dry areas. In this work, the ability of four plants (Atriplex halimus L. (Amaranthaceae), Atriplex mollis Desf. (Amaranthaceae), Lotus creticus L. (Fabaceae) and Cenchrus ciliaris L. (Poaceae)) to grow and to produce are tested under a field saline conditions (water and soil). Non-destructive method (Vegmeasure) is used to estimate the biomass production of these species. Chemical (crude protein, moisture and ash contents) and biochemical analyses (sugars, tannins and polyphenols contents) are also undertaken. Two years after plantation, the obtained results showed the ability of the four species to survive and to grow under high salinity degree. A strong positive correlation was obtained between the canopy cover and the dry biomass of the four studied species. Hence, the restoration of saline soils can be ensured by planting local halophytes. Acknowledgements. The research leading to these results has

Assessing the Influence of Precipitation Variability on the Vegetation Dynamics of the Mediterranean Rangelands using NDVI and Machine Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Daliakopoulos, Ioannis; Tsanis, Ioannis

2017-04-01

Mitigating the vulnerability of Mediterranean rangelands against degradation is limited by our ability to understand and accurately characterize those impacts in space and time. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is a radiometric measure of the photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by green vegetation canopy chlorophyll and is therefore a good surrogate measure of vegetation dynamics. On the other hand, meteorological indices such as the drought assessing Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) are can be easily estimated from historical and projected datasets at the global scale. This work investigates the potential of driving Random Forest (RF) models with meteorological indices to approximate NDVI-based vegetation dynamics. A sufficiently large number of RF models are trained using random subsets of the dataset as predictors, in a bootstrapping approach to account for the uncertainty introduced by the subset selection. The updated E-OBS-v13.1 dataset of the ENSEMBLES EU FP6 program provides observed monthly meteorological input to estimate SPI over the Mediterranean rangelands. RF models are trained to depict vegetation dynamics using the latest version (3g.v1) of the third generation GIMMS NDVI generated from NOAA's Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensors. Analysis is conducted for the period 1981-2015 at a gridded spatial resolution of 25 km. Preliminary results demonstrate the potential of machine learning algorithms to effectively mimic the underlying physical relationship of drought and Earth Observation vegetation indices to provide estimates based on precipitation variability.

Evaluation of Columbia, USMARC-Composite, Suffolk, and Texel rams as terminal sires in an extensive rangeland production system: I. Ewe productivity and crossbred lamb survival and preweaning growth

Science.gov (United States)

A 3-yr study was conducted to comprehensively evaluate Columbia, Suffolk, USMARC-Composite (Composite), and Texel breeds as terminal sires in an extensive rangeland production system. The objective was to estimate breed-of-ram effects on ewe fertility, prolificacy, and dystocia, and sire breed effe...

Phenology-based, remote sensing of post-burn disturbance windows in rangelands

Science.gov (United States)

Sankeya, Joel B.; Wallace, Cynthia S.A.; Ravi, Sujith

2013-01-01

Wildland fire activity has increased in many parts of the world in recent decades. Ecological disturbance by fire can accelerate ecosystem degradation processes such as erosion due to combustion of vegetation that otherwise provides protective cover to the soil surface. This study employed a novel ecological indicator based on remote sensing of vegetation greenness dynamics (phenology) to estimate variability in the window of time between fire and the reemergence of green vegetation. The indicator was applied as a proxy for short-term, post-fire disturbance windows in rangelands; where a disturbance window is defined as the time required for an ecological or geomorphic process that is altered to return to pre-disturbance levels. We examined variability in the indicator determined for time series of MODIS and AVHRR NDVI remote sensing data for a database of ∼100 historical wildland fires, with associated post-fire reseeding treatments, that burned 1990–2003 in cold desert shrub steppe of the Great Basin and Columbia Plateau of the western USA. The indicator-based estimates of disturbance window length were examined relative to the day of the year that fires burned and seeding treatments to consider effects of contemporary variability in fire regime and management activities in this environment. A key finding was that contemporary changes of increased length of the annual fire season could have indirect effects on ecosystem degradation, as early season fires appeared to result in longer time that soils remained relatively bare of the protective cover of vegetation after fires. Also important was that reemergence of vegetation did not occur more quickly after fire in sites treated with post-fire seeding, which is a strategy commonly employed to accelerate post-fire vegetation recovery and stabilize soil. Future work with the indicator could examine other ecological factors that are dynamic in space and time following disturbance – such as nutrient cycling

Area-wide pest management of locusts and grasshoppers: The striking similarities of problems and solutions in Africa and the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lockwood, Jeffrey A.

2000-01-01

Grasshoppers and locusts are among the most devastating pests of human agriculture. These insects cause serious damage to crops and forage on every arable continent, and their depredations have become the basis for legends, myths, and (in recent times) complex political and economic programmes. No pest problem spans such immense areas, with up to 8 million ha treated for rangeland grasshoppers during outbreaks in the US and 16 million km 2 prone to outbreaks of the Desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria Forskal, alone. The traditional management approach has involved extensive, regionalised control programmes, but recent trends suggest a decentralised future for grasshopper and locust management. Hence, we have a dynamic situation that presents the opportunity for a comparative analysis of the costs and benefits of an area-wide approach to pest management at different scales. As political, cultural, and communication barriers between scientists dissolve, the possibility of learning from one another's experiences (both failures and successes) promises to dramatically accelerate the rate of innovation, progress and discovery in pest management. For example, the recent advances in Reduced Agent-Area Treatments (RAAT, in which insecticide is applied to swaths, separated by untreated swaths or buffers) for management of rangeland grasshoppers in the US (Lockwood and Schell 1997) are based on the adaptation of tactics developed by African, Australian, Asian, and European scientists (Rachadi and Foucart 1996, Musuna and Mugisha 1997, Scherer and Celestin 1997, Wilps and Diop 1997, Launois and Rachadi 1997). The key to successful adaptation of management methods must begin with intellectual modesty and nationalistic humility so that the insights of non-scientists and experts from outside one's country are given respect and serious consideration. It is subsequently necessary to recognise the essential similarities and differences between land use systems and understand the

Estudio Ecológico de Cambios en el Paisaje del Parque Regional de la Cuenca Alta del Manzanares (Madrid)

OpenAIRE

Escribano López, Álvaro

2010-01-01

El presente estudio se encuentra enmarcado dentro de la denominada Ecología del Paisaje, la cual se diferencia de la ecología tradicional por tener en consideración al patrón espacial (Turner y Gardner, 1990; Allen y Hoekstra, 1992). Como su propio nombre indica, la Ecología del Paisaje estudia al propio Paisaje, entendido éste como un conjunto de ecosistemas que interaccionan entre sí. Con mayor precisión, el Paisaje es un nivel de organización de los sistemas ecológicos superior al ecosiste...

Introducción a la Huella Ecológica. Aplicación al análisis de Sistemas agroganaderos

OpenAIRE

David Pérez Neira; Marta Soler Montiel

2012-01-01

La Huella Ecológica puede ser definida como un indicador biofísico que integra el conjunto de impactos que ejerce una comunidad sobre su entorno medido en términos de apropiación de ecosistemas -considerando tanto los recursos necesarios como los residuos generados para el mantenimiento de dicha comunidad. En los últimos años, en la literatura académica esta herramienta también se ha venido utilizando como indicador que mide de impacto asociado a productos, servicios o actividades económicas....

Las áreas naturales protegidas y la investigación ecológica de largo plazo en México

OpenAIRE

M. Maass; E. Jardel; A. Martínez-Yrízar; L. Calderón; J. Herrera; A. Castillo; J. Euán-Ávila; M. Equihua

2010-01-01

Detrás de la actual crisis ambiental está nuestra limitada comprensión de los procesos ecológicos y sociales que operan a escalas espaciotemporales amplias. Esta falta de conocimiento ha desencadenado fallos en los esquemas de manejo y utilización de los servicios y recursos que nos brindan los ecosistemas naturales, lo que a su vez ha provocado su deterioro a escalas globales. Una respuesta de la comunidad académica a este vacío del conocimiento ha sido la formación de grupos de científicos ...

Proyecto de una industria de sidra natural ecológica en la localidad de Aguilar de Campoo (Palencia)

OpenAIRE

Aparicio Corada, Tamara

2016-01-01

Proyecto basado en el diseño e implantación de una industria destinada a la elaboración de sidra natural ecológica situada en el polígono II de la localidad de Aguilar de Campoo (Palencia) . Por las características de situación y comunicación de la zona se pretende ampliar el mercado en este sector y fomentar el desarrollo industrial en ella de una forma eficiente. Se trata de una pequeña industria con una producción alrededor de 10.000 botellas viéndose incrementada durante la vida ...

La perspectiva ecológica y la hipermediatización social

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo Andrés Vizer

2015-01-01

Full Text Available La “ecología” de los medios no debe ser concebida como una especie de entorno que nos rodea y del cual somos el “centro”, sino como un sistema de producción, circulación y consumo en el cual son los individuos, en tanto consumidores y (realimentadores del sistema, los que conforman su “entorno”. Un abordaje ecológico de los medios tradicionales (radio, cine y televisión introduce a los públicos consumidores como su entorno, y no al contrario (¿quién consume a quién?. Un entorno, un mercado que a través de prácticas de consumo realimenta al sistema de medios. Por otro lado, en los sistemas digitales, todos somos parte de él, no hay entorno externo, y cada acto de consumo es igualmente un acto de circulación y de producción. Para conocer la incidencia profunda de un dispositivo técnico (sea hard o soft, debemos indagar sobre las múltiples dimensiones interligadas e interactivas dentro del ambiente en el que opera: poder, resistencias, tiempo y espacio, socialidades, lenguajes, símbolos.

Adaptación de la metodología de cálculo de huella ecológica para los cultivos de palma africana usando sistemas de información geográfica: estudio de caso Puerto Wilches Santande

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia Ramírez Cano

2014-06-01

Full Text Available En el municipio de Puerto Wilches el monocultivo de palma africana actualmente es un eje trasversal de la economía, modificando la diversidad de los ecosistemas y cultivos tradicionales de la zona. Por lo cual, el objetivo de esta investigación es medir y evaluar los impactos de los cultivos de palma africana en el lapso de 1987 a 2010 adaptando la metodología desarrollada por Mathis Wackernagel y William Rees y algunos aportes de los desarrollos realizados por Juan Luis Doménech, aunando a estos tecnología satelital e indicadores de biocapacidad y déficit ecológico para conocer los requerimientos de espacios y recursos naturales necesarios para la producción de los derivados de la palma. El análisis de la época arrojó para el año 1987 un indicador de huella ecológica con un valor de 1.255 ha/pc, biocapacidad del cultivo 0.470 ha/pc, déficit ecológico correspondiente a -0.785 ha/pc; se estima un valor del 16 % en cuanto a la producción y uso de recursos. Con relación a los indicadores de sostenibilidad, en 2010 se obtuvieron valores de huella ecológica de 5.492 ha/pc, biocapacidad 1.454 ha/pc y déficit ecológico de -4.038 ha/pc, cifras que evidencian los efectos originados por la implementación del monocultivo en la zona, que para la fecha aumento en un 63 % la producción y uso de recursos naturales. Por lo anterior, es necesario y urgente elaborar e implementar políticas de planificación territorial así como alternativas de producción económica para mejorar la calidad ambiental y social del municipio, deteniendo la acelerada antropización de la región.

San Juan National Forest Land Management Planning Support System (LMPSS) requirements definition

Science.gov (United States)

Werth, L. F. (Principal Investigator)

1981-01-01

The role of remote sensing data as it relates to a three-component land management planning system (geographic information, data base management, and planning model) can be understood only when user requirements are known. Personnel at the San Juan National Forest in southwestern Colorado were interviewed to determine data needs for managing and monitoring timber, rangelands, wildlife, fisheries, soils, water, geology and recreation facilities. While all the information required for land management planning cannot be obtained using remote sensing techniques, valuable information can be provided for the geographic information system. A wide range of sensors such as small and large format cameras, synthetic aperture radar, and LANDSAT data should be utilized. Because of the detail and accuracy required, high altitude color infrared photography should serve as the baseline data base and be supplemented and updated with data from the other sensors.

Fundamentos ecológicos y biogeográficos de la rareza de la avifauna madrileña: Una propuesta de modificación del catálogo regional de especies amenazadas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carrascal, L. M.

2006-05-01

Full Text Available The conservation status of bird species of Comunidad de Madrid is analysed using the ecological breadth of the species, the distribution area, their habitat preferences, and maximum ecological densities in the region. The species which are less widely distributed in Madrid are characterized by their low maximum ecological densities, narrow habitat breadths, and limited distribution in the Iberian peninsular. Another component defining regional rarity shows that large-sized species tend to reach lower densities than small-sized birds. These two gradients of ecological rarity are closely associated with the current categories of threat status in Madrid, and allow the proposal and justification of possible modifications of the regional catalogue for 11 species.

Se analiza el estatus de conservación de todas las Aves de la Comunidad de Madrid utilizando parámetros ecológicos asociados con la valencia ecológica de las especies, la extensión de su área de distribución, sus preferencias de hábitat y las densidades máximas ecológicas en la región. Las especies menos ampliamente distribuidas en la C.A. de Madrid se caracterizan por sus bajas densidades ecológicas máximas, y por ocupar menor variedad de hábitats y tienen una distribución muy restringida a escala peninsular. Otra componente de la rareza regional se relaciona directamente con la talla corporal, de manera que las especies de mayor tamaño tienden a alcanzar menores densidades que las especies más pequeñas. Estos dos gradientes de rareza ecológica se asocian estrechamente con las actuales categorías oficiales de amenaza de las aves de Madrid, y permiten proponer y justificar posibles modificaciones al Catálogo regional para 11 especies (Cuchara Común – ‘De Interés Especial’; Calamón Común – ‘De Interés Especial’; Alcaraván Común – ‘Sensible a la Alteración de su Hábitat’; Paloma Zurita – ‘De Interés Especial’; Torcecuello Euroasi

Conhecimento ecológico tradicional sobre plantas cultivadas pelos pescadores da comunidade Estirão Comprido, Pantanal matogrossense, Brasil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Ferreira de Morais

Full Text Available Esta pesquisa situa-se no campo da etnoecologia e aborda o conhecimento ecológico tradicional (CET sobre plantas cultivadas na comunidade de Estirão Comprido, rio Cuiabá, Barão de Melgaço, Pantanal matogrossense. Foram entrevistados 22 pescadores para a elaboração da lista livre de plantas. Para a análise da lista, foram utilizados: índice de saliência de Smith, análise de consenso cultural, similaridade e dissimilaridade com escalonamento multidimensional e técnica de empilhamento. O programa ANTHROPAC 4.0 foi utilizado para o tratamento estatístico dos dados. Por meio do índice de saliência de Smith, foram identificadas seis rupturas no domínio cultural sobre plantas cultivadas, concentrando-se em 116 etnoespécies. Laranja e milho foram citados com maior frequência e em primeiro lugar na lista, portanto, encontram-se na primeira ruptura da lista livre com índices de Smith 0,728 e 0,711, respectivamente. A análise de consenso cultural mostrou que o CET sobre plantas cultivadas caracteriza um consenso, concentrando-se em 18 etnoespécies. A análise de empilhamento evidenciou que o conhecimento sobre plantas está relacionado aos diferentes tipos de uso. Neste contexto, as possibilidades de uso e manejo aqui evidenciadas podem contribuir para a elaboração de políticas públicas destinadas à conservação da biodiversidade ecológica e cultural.

DESIGN OF LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT TOOL FOR CLIMATE CHANGE RISK IN MONGOLIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Oba

2012-08-01

Nevertheless it needs to consider about management, we have to research information about each management under different conditions of each area in all Mongolia. Thus, it needs to survey livestock management workflows of regional administration and GIS data about rangeland areas and their attributes in order to evaluate their nomadic life and their livestock objectively. It is essential to use some tools that have the function of processing the spatial data. It could cover wide areas and have different abilities for spatial relations. To solve this problem; we analyzed management workflows of herder and regional administration working in Mongolia, and designed a hierarchical structure of tables and data layers with the relational database. With this structure, we developed the structure of a WebGIS tool on the Adobe Flex platform for livestock management visually. It will be also useful for them to improve the accountability of activities. This system is a versatile WebGIS tool which can interact with various spatial scales.

Inacessible Andean sites reveal land-use induced stabilisation of soil organic carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Heitkamp, Felix; Maqsood, Shafique; Sylvester, Steven; Kessler, Michael; Jungkunst, Hermann

2015-04-01

Human activity affects properties and development of ecosystems across the globe to such a degree that it is challenging to get baseline values for undisturbed ecosystems. This is especially true for soils, which are affected by land-use history and hold a legacy of past human interventions. Therefore, it is still largely unknown how soil would have developed "naturally" and if processes of organic matter stabilisation would be different in comparison to managed soils. Here, we show undisturbed soil development, i.e., the processes of weathering and accumulation of soil organic carbon (SOC), by comparing pristine with grazed sites in the high Andes (4500 m) of southern Peru. We located study plots on a large ledge (0.2 km²) that is only accessible with mountaineering equipment. Plots with pristine vegetation were compared to rangeland plots that were constantly under grazing management for at least four millennia. All "state factors"; climate, potential biota, topography, parent material and time; besides "land-use" were, therefore, identical. Vegetation change, induced by grazing management, led to lower vegetation cover of the soil, thereby increasing soil surface temperatures and soil acidification. Both factors increased weathering in rangeland soils, as indicated by the presence of pedogenic oxides, especially amorphous Al-(oxy)hydroxides (oxalate-extractable Al). Higher losses of base cations (K, Na, Ca) and lower pH-values were related to a low base saturation of exchange sites in rangelands. Therefore, rangeland soils were classified as Umbrisol, whereas soils under pristine vegetation were classified as Phaeozeme. All profiles were rich in SOC (100 to 126 g kg-1) with no significant differences in concentrations or stocks. SOC of rangeland soils was, however, less available for microorganisms (proportion of microbial C on SOC: 1.8 vs. 0.6% in pristine and rangeland soils, respectively) and showed higher stability against thermal degradation. Reasons for

Determining grazing capacity in Namibia with the aid of remote ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Namibian rangelands consist of a mixture of herbaceous and woody components. The main source of income is from farming systems with grass production the predominant source of forage. For rangeland managers to utilise this source sustainably, the accurate determination of grazing capacity is vital since it allows ...

La economía ecológica y las formas de propiedad del manglar de la zona norte de Esmeraldas

OpenAIRE

Rosales Estupiñan, Mauricio

1995-01-01

Hay dos problemas urgentes por resolver en la zona norte de Esmeraldas: La pobreza de las comunidades locales, y la conversión (destrucción) de los manglares a camaroneras y sus externalidades. En la zona norte de Esmeraldas se encuentra el sistema de manglar comprendido entre los ríos Mataje y los alrededores de la desembocadura del río Santiago, con un extensión aproximada de 50.000 ha. Los manglares son un sistema ecológico abierto que interactúa con el mar, los estuarios, los esteros y la...

Estudios florísticos y ecológicos sobre las algas de agua dulce de turberas de Tierra del Fuego

OpenAIRE

Mataloni, María Gabriela

1994-01-01

En esta Tesis Doctoral se realizan diversas investigaciones florísticas y ecológicas sobre las algas de turberas de Sphagnum de la provincia de Tierra Fuego. Para ello se condijeron básicamente dos trabajos. en la primera parte se estudiaron ocho ojos de agua pertenecientes a siete turberas ubicadas en el sur de Tierra del Fuego. En cada una de ellas se muestrearon tanto el fitoplancton del agua libre como las algas que viven asociadas a Sphagnum a lo largo de un gradiente ambiental caracteri...

Análise ecológica dos acidentes e da violência letal em Vitória, ES

OpenAIRE

Bastos,Márcia de Jesus Rocha Pereira; Pereira,Jacira dos Anjos; Smarzaro,Dorian Chim; Costa,Everaldo Francisco; Bossanel,Regina Célia Lobo; Oliosa,Durvalina Maria Sesari; Pereira,Joseanny Gomes Poltronieri; Feitosa,Hideko Nagatani; Costa,Marcilene Favarato da; Oliveira,Fabiano José Pereira de; Fávero,Juliana Lopes; Maciel,Ethel Leonor Noia

2009-01-01

OBJETIVO: Analisar o contexto socioeconômico e sua relação com a incidência espacial da mortalidade devido à violência. MÉTODOS: Foi realizado estudo do tipo ecológico no município de Vitória, ES, de 2000 a 2003, sobre a distribuição espacial da mortalidade por acidentes e violência, com base nas informações populacionais e socioeconômicas. Os dados sobre mortalidade foram relacionados a informações como local de residência da vítima, tipo de ocorrência, sexo e raça/cor. A análise das informa...

Estudos ecológicos preliminares e caracterização química dos Cnidaria da costa noroeste portuguesa

OpenAIRE

Gadelha, Juliana Rodrigues

2007-01-01

O levantamento de recursos em espécies marinhas em Portugal ainda é incipiente, considerando que este domínio de investigação tem sido amplamente desenvolvido noutros pontos do globo, pescas, química, bioquímica e farmacologia de organismos marinhos, de modo a obter informações sobre a química de produtos naturais e ecologia química de organismos marinhos derivadas destes organismos. São de realçar a importância das defesas químicas para as relações ecológicas de predação, comp...

Las áreas naturales protegidas y la investigación ecológica de largo plazo en México

OpenAIRE

Maass Moreno, Manuel; Jardel Peláez, Enrique; Martínez Yrízar, Angelina; Calderón Aguilera, Luis; Herrera Silveira, Jorge; Castillo Álvarez, Alicia; Euán Ávila, Jorge; Equihua Zamora, Miguel

2010-01-01

Detrás de la actual crisis ambiental está nuestra limitada comprensión de los procesos ecológicos y sociales que operan a escalas espacio-temporales amplias. Esta falta de conocimiento ha desencadenado fallos en los esquemas de manejo y utilización de los servicios y recursos que nos brindan los ecosistemas naturales, lo que a su vez ha provocado su deterioro a escalas globales. Una respuesta de la comunidad académica a este vacío del conocimiento ha sido la formación de grupos de científicos...

Decision Making in Rangelands: An Integrated Modeling Approach to Resilience and Change

Science.gov (United States)

Galvin, K. A.; Ojima, D. S.; Boone, R. B.

2007-12-01

Rangelands comprise approximately 25% of the earth's surface and these landscapes support more than 20 million people and most of the world's charismatic megafauna. Most of the people who live in these regions of the world herd domestic livestock and some do limited cultivation so they are dependent directly on the environment for their livelihoods. But change is rapidly changing the environments upon which these people depend through such factors as population pressures, land use and land tenure changes, climate variability, and policy changes which fragment their resources and thus their ability to earn a living. How can we understand change in this linked human-environment system? The study of complex biophysical and human systems can be greatly assisted by appropriate simulation models that integrate what is known about ecological and human decision-making processes. We have developed an integrated modeling system for Kajiado, Kenya where land use management decisions have implications for economics and the ecosystem. In this paper we look at how land use decisions, that is, livestock movement patterns have implications for societal economics and ecosystem services. Research that focuses on local behavior is important because it is at that level where fundamental decisions are made regarding events like extreme climate and changes such as land tenure policy and it is here where resilience is manifested. The notion that broad recommendation domains can be identified for a broad set of people and large regions coping with change is becoming increasingly hard to trust given the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the systems we are looking at, and the complexity of the world we now live in. Why is this important? The only way the research community is going to make great progress in attaining objectives that do confer resilience (on social and ecological systems) is through much better targeting ability, a large part of which seem to be intimately entwined with

Fatores ecológicos associados à colonização e ao desenvolvimento de macrófitas aquáticas e desafios de manejo Ecological factors associated to aquatic macrophyte colonization and growth and management challenges

OpenAIRE

S.M. Thomaz

2002-01-01

As macrófitas constituem-se em uma importante assembléia de ecossistemas aquáticos continentais, mas seu crescimento excessivo pode provocar danos aos usos múltiplos de alguns ambientes. Durante o processo de sucessão ecológica, a maioria dos ecossistemas aquáticos é colonizada, em diferentes graus, pela vegetação aquática. No entanto, explosões populacionais são usualmente decorrentes de ações antrópicas, como introduções de espécies exóticas e alterações de habitats. O conhecimento da ecolo...

Determinación de la Huella de Carbono de productos agrícolas en una finca de agricultura ecológica

OpenAIRE

ROIG BENEDITO, MIGUEL

2017-01-01

[ES] La necesidad de paliar el cambio climático hace necesario reducir las emisiones absolutas en todos los sectores, incluso en la agricultura. La determinación de la Huella de Carbono en los productos permite estimar las emisiones de GEI (Gases de Efecto Invernadero) durante el ciclo de vida de los productos agrícolas. El objetivo del presente trabajo es identificar los distintos gases de efecto invernadero que se producen en una explotación de agricultura ecológica. Para ello s...

Contradições da política ambiental por meio de incentivos financeiros: os casos do ICMS ecológico e da CFEM nos municípios do Quadrilátero Ferrífero (Minas Gerais, Brasil)

OpenAIRE

Euclydes, Ana Carolina Pinheiro

2013-01-01

A partir do levantamento dos valores recebidos pelos municípios situados na região do Quadrilátero Ferrífero, em Minas Gerais, em decorrência do ICMS Ecológico, repassado pelo Estado e da Compensação Financeira pela Exploração de Recursos Minerais (CFEM) recebida da União, este artigo relativiza o potencial do ICMS Ecológico para incentivar os municípios mineradores a criarem ou apoiarem unidades de conservação (UCs) em seus territórios. Nesta discussão, trazem-se à tona avaliações técnicas e...

Proyecto de inversión para la construcción de un Hostal Ecológico ubicado en el cantón General Villamil Playas a implementarse a partir del período 2010 – 2011, con participación de la comunidad

OpenAIRE

Tejada Vera, Mariuxi Angelina; Granda González, Cinthia Nathaly

2011-01-01

En la actualidad las personas desean encontrar lugares donde puedan admirar y recrearse con la naturaleza, la flora, la fauna, estudiar, disfrutar tanto con estos elementos naturales, como con la cultura humana propia del lugar es por eso que ahora el turismo ecológico ofrece una mejor calidad de vida para las personas en relación al medio ambiente. El turismo ecológico a nivel mundial es una corriente que desarrolla una actividad conservacionista del patrimonio de los pueblos, las investigac...

Estado ecológico de algunos humedales colombianos en los últimos 15 años: una evaluación prospectiva

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Pablo Rodríguez

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Los humedales desempeñan un papel fundamental desde una perspectiva ecológica y socioeconómica. Contrario a la idea ya obsoleta de lugares insalubres y de poca productividad, hoy son considerados ecosistemas estratégicos, amortiguadores de crecientes, sitios especiales de conservación de biota y cruciales por los servicios ecosistémicos que prestan. Partiendo de una revisión bibliográfica referente al estado ecológico de los humedales en Colombia en los últimos 15 años, se analizó cuáles son los factores, problemáticas e impactos más frecuentes y comunes que se presentan en 29 humedales colombianos. Se aplicó una metodología prospectiva, mediante el software MICMAC®, con el fin de conocer y priorizar los factores que son más sensibles a la transformación del ecosistema y sobre los cuales habría que tomar acciones de mitigación, preservación y/o conservación. Se encontró que los procesos urbanísticos son un factor de alto impacto en el deterioro del humedal. Se pudo comprobar la potencialidad y robustez del software MICMAC® como herramienta de análisis prospectivo, lo cual podría ser usado por las autoridades ambientales para mejorar la toma de decisiones respecto a qué hacer, cómo actuar y qué esperar de los factores y problemáticas que se presentan en los humedales.

The Climate-Population Nexus in the East African Horn: Emerging Degradation Trends in Rangeland and Pastoral Livelihood Zones

Science.gov (United States)

Pricope, N. G.; Husak, G. J.; Funk, C. C.; Lopez-Carr, D.

2014-12-01

Increasing climate variability and extreme weather conditions along with declining trends in both rainfall and temperature represent major risk factors affecting agricultural production and food security in many regions of the world. We identify regions where significant rainfall decrease from 1979-2011 over the entire continent of Africa couples with significant human population density increase. The rangelands of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia in the East African Horn remain one of the world's most food insecure regions, yet have significantly increasing human populations predominantly dependent on pastoralist and agro-pastoralist livelihoods. Vegetation in this region is characterized by a variable mosaic of land covers, generally dominated by grasslands necessary for agro-pastoralism, interspersed by woody vegetation. Recent assessments indicate that widespread degradation is occurring, adversely impacting fragile ecosystems and human livelihoods. Using two underutilized MODIS products, we observe significant changes in vegetation patterns and productivity over the last decade all across the East African Horn. We observe significant vegetation browning trends in areas experiencing drying precipitation trends in addition to increasing population pressures. We also found that the drying precipitation trends only partially statistically explain the vegetation browning trends, further indicating that other factors such as population pressures and land use changes are responsible for the observed declining vegetation health. Furthermore, we show that the general vegetation browning trends persist even during years with normal rainfall conditions such as 2012, indicating potential long-term degradation of rangelands on which approximately 10 million people depend. These findings have serious implications for current and future regional food security monitoring and forecasting as well as for mitigation and adaptation strategies in a region where population is expected

Reciclo-óleo: do óleo de cozinha ao sabão ecológico, um projeto de educação ambiental

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Isabel Morgan Martins

2016-10-01

Full Text Available O consumo de óleo faz parte do dia-a-dia das famílias, restaurantes, indústrias e com ele o descarte incorreto do óleo de cozinha usado (OCU se torna um grave problema ambiental. Quando despejado no lixo comum impermeabiliza e contamina o solo, porque a decomposição aumenta o efeito estufa, na rede de esgoto compromete as tubulações das residências e das cidades e ao atingir os rios forma uma película na água que impede a passagem de luz e oxigênio a flora e a fauna aquática. Objetivo: é promover a educação ambiental para o descarte correto e a reciclagem do óleo de cozinha usado, transformando-o em sabão em barra ecológico, gerando renda e sustentabilidade. Método/ atividades de extensão: o projeto apresenta duas linhas bem definidas à educação ambiental e o desenvolvimento de receitas que transformam do OCU em sabão em barra ecológico. O projeto educa para a consciência e responsabilidade ambiental a diferentes grupos da comunidade, ensina e orienta a importância de dar o destino correto ao OCU, bem como, a reciclagem com sustentabilidade, criando alternativa de geração de renda. Desde 2010, as oficinas foram realizadas em diferentes bairros, escolas e empresas dos municípios da grande Porto Alegre, RS. As receitas foram desenvolvidas no laboratório do campus da ULBRA Gravataí, e apresentam baixo custo, para a fabricação “caseira” do sabão ecológico. O primeiro processo é educar com consciência ambiental. Considerações finais: o reciclo-óleo contribui para o combate à poluição e manutenção dos recursos naturais. Portanto, com ações de educação em saúde é possível refletir positivamente na preservação do meio ambiente, contribuindo, dessa forma, para o desenvolvimento sustentável e para a promoção da saúde das cidades.

Concepções de agricultores ecológicos do Paraná sobre alimentação saudável

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Erica Ell

2012-04-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Descrever as concepções de agricultores ecológicos sobre alimentação saudável. MÉTODOS: Estudo com abordagem qualitativa. Entre janeiro e fevereiro de 2007, foram realizadas entrevistas em profundidade com o apoio de um roteiro com 11 mulheres e um homem residentes em comunidade agrícola de Rio Branco do Sul, PR, selecionados aleatoriamente dentre as 20 famílias de agricultores ecológicos desse município. RESULTADOS: Três categorias de análise foram identificadas: "tomada de consciência da alimentação saudável", "capacidade de compra" e "terra saudável". O significado da alimentação saudável para as mulheres agricultoras envolve a ideia de que os alimentos devem ser naturais, sem agrotóxicos nem produtos químicos industrializados. Cotidianamente o consumo de frutas, verduras e legumes somado ao básico feijão, arroz e carne deve ser abundante e a composição do prato deve visar à prevenção de obesidade e doenças crônico-degenerativas. O cuidado com os recursos naturais para garantir a produção de alimentos saudáveis, a segurança alimentar, a sustentabilidade do meio ambiente e a vida futura do planeta integram o conceito de alimentação saudável. CONCLUSÕES: O conhecimento, a autocrítica e o discernimento acompanharam as concepções em relação à alimentação saudável.

Limitations to postfire seedling establishment: The role of seeding technology, water availability, and invasive plant abundance

Science.gov (United States)

Jeremy J. James; Tony Svejcar

2010-01-01

Seeding rangeland following wildfire is a central tool managers use to stabilize soils and inhibit the spread of invasive plants. Rates of successful seeding on arid rangeland, however, are low. The objective of this study was to determine the degree to which water availability, invasive plant abundance, and seeding technology influence postfire seedling establishment...

El plan director de la vega baja de Toledo, España: paisaje patrimonial, ecológico y urbano.

OpenAIRE

Hernandez Aja, Agustin; Roch Peña, Fernando; Moran Alonso, Nerea; Fernandez Ramirez, Cristina

2014-01-01

La Vega Baja de Toledo constituye un gran vacío urbano que, por avatares históricos, se ha mantenido al margen del crecimiento de la ciudad, rodeada por el casco histórico de Toledo, los barrios del ensanche norte y el río Tajo. Su localización privilegiada, junto a la riqueza patrimonial y ecológica del espacio, han sido las bases de la propuesta del Plan Director de la Vega Baja (PDVB). El objetivo del PDVB ha sido articular este vacío y abrirlo a la población, a la vez que proteger y re...

Using avian focal species to inform rangeland management in California oak woodland

Science.gov (United States)

Alicia D. Young; Breanna Owens; Melissa Odell; Corey Shake; Wendell Gilgert; Geoffrey R. Geupel

2015-01-01

Biological knowledge about bird focal species may be used to inform planning, habitat management, and restoration efforts, with the assumption that the implementation of these species-based recommendations will maintain and enhance healthy functioning habitats and the ecosystems services they provide. Point Blue Conservation Science in collaboration with the Natural...

Fusing MODIS with Landsat 8 data to downscale weekly normalized difference vegetation index estimates for central Great Basin rangelands, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Boyte, Stephen; Wylie, Bruce K.; Rigge, Matthew B.; Dahal, Devendra

2018-01-01

Data fused from distinct but complementary satellite sensors mitigate tradeoffs that researchers make when selecting between spatial and temporal resolutions of remotely sensed data. We integrated data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor aboard the Terra satellite and the Operational Land Imager sensor aboard the Landsat 8 satellite into four regression-tree models and applied those data to a mapping application. This application produced downscaled maps that utilize the 30-m spatial resolution of Landsat in conjunction with daily acquisitions of MODIS normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) that are composited and temporally smoothed. We produced four weekly, atmospherically corrected, and nearly cloud-free, downscaled 30-m synthetic MODIS NDVI predictions (maps) built from these models. Model results were strong with R2 values ranging from 0.74 to 0.85. The correlation coefficients (r ≥ 0.89) were strong for all predictions when compared to corresponding original MODIS NDVI data. Downscaled products incorporated into independently developed sagebrush ecosystem models yielded mixed results. The visual quality of the downscaled 30-m synthetic MODIS NDVI predictions were remarkable when compared to the original 250-m MODIS NDVI. These 30-m maps improve knowledge of dynamic rangeland seasonal processes in the central Great Basin, United States, and provide land managers improved resource maps.

Laudato Si” La Encíclica ecológica

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Luz Bettina Villalobos

2015-07-01

Full Text Available El pasado 18 de junio el Papa Francisco de la iglesia Católica Romana, dio a conocer la Encíclica “ Laudato Si” (Alabado sea el Creador, tomado del Cántico de las Criaturas de San Francisco de Asís, reconocido como el patrono de la Ecología. Esta Carta Magisterial, representa un llamado de atención no solo a los cristianos católicos, sino a todos sin importar credo religioso o raza, pues es el llamado a recordar que este planeta es el único que habitamos, es el único que tenemos y que nuestra permanencia en él como humanidad, depende de cuánto lo respetemos y cuidemos. Más que una visión ecológica del grave problema que afrenta la humanidad por el calentamiento global, contaminación de las aguas, agotamiento de las tierras cultivables, es que toda esta problemática recae en una buena parte de la población más pobre del planeta. Urge por lo tanto un cambio de ruta en la vida de los humanos que nos permita ofrecer a las generaciones futuras un lugar habitable, limpio, en paz. Es por ello que esta encíclica propone un diálogo entre todos para afrontar y resolver los problemas que no distinguen, entre países, religiones o razas. Es una gran convocatoria a todo el mundo en pro del cuidado de la Naturaleza, la fragilidad de las interrelaciones que existen entre los factores bióticos y abióticos, que permiten la sustentabilidad de la vida y su evolución

Keep Talking & Monitoring: the importance of longitudinal research & community-based monitoring to support sustainable land management in southern Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Dougill, Andrew; Stringer, Lindsay

2015-04-01

Projects come and go with researchers, development practioners and government staff initiating new forms of community engagement in environmental monitoring and land management practices. We analyse interventions from Botswana and Swaziland and highlight that for benefits to be long-lived and lead to sustainable land management, requires community engagement in project design, implementation and for project outputs to be used in developing community-led environmental monitoring tools that can then help to guide local decision-making systems. We stress the vital importance of continued participatory engagement of researchers with community leaders and key government staff beyond the timeframe of their initial research such that longitudinal research approaches can realise significant benefits to all concerned. In dynamic (non-equilibrium) dryland environments, it is vitally important that research approaches address temporal and spatial variability by mapping patterns of change, using a range of participatory tools to enhance understandings of the causes of land degradation and the opportunities for shifts towards more sustainable land management. Decision-support tools, such as rangeland assessment guides produced for various Kalahari rangeland settings in Botswana (via a UNEP project and affiliated research), provide opportunities to support more sustainable land management. However, at present benefits are not being fully realised as project and research staff move on after projects end. Similarly, findings from mixed farming systems in Swaziland (assessing a JICA-funded project) show problems in maintaining new institutional structures to manage rangeland degradation, whilst issues on arable areas associated with parasitic weeds (Striga asiatica) remain problematic. Findings from longitudinal research in Swaziland also show that community understandings of environmental problems have evolved over 10 years and identify new problems associated with intensified

Modelo integrado das pegadas hídrica, ecológica e de carbono para o monitoramento da pressão humana sobre o planetaAn integrated approach based on water, ecological and carbon footprint for tracking human pressure on the planet

OpenAIRE

de Paulo Rodrigues Silva, Vicente; de Oliveira Aleixo, Danilo; Silveira Rodrigues Almeida, Rafaela; Baracuy da Cunha Campos, João Hugo; Eloi de Araújo, Lincoln

2015-01-01

Modelos de pegadas de carbono ecológicos e de água estão sendo cada vez mais usado para monitorar uso pessoal e doméstico dos recursos naturais. As pegadas humanas são uma séria ameaça global e cada nação está olhando para as opções possíveis para reduzi-las pois suas conseqüências são alarmantes. Este trabalho propõe uma pegada integrada como ferramenta para avaliar os impactos ambientais diretos e indiretos da atividade humana. Com base nas definições das pegadas de carbono, hídrica e ecoló...

Preocupación y conducta ecológica responsable en estudiantes universitarios: estudio comparativo entre estudiantes chilenos y españoles

OpenAIRE

Palavecinos, Mireya; Amérigo, María; Ulloa, Jorge B.; Muñoz, Jaime

2016-01-01

RESUMEN Se discutirán los resultados de un estudio piloto, que forma parte de un proyecto mayor, orientado al análisis transcultural de la preocupación ambiental y su relación con la conducta ecológica. El propósito de este artículo es mostrar los resultados obtenidos de la aplicación del instrumento creado en España para probarlo en la realidad chilena, donde no se contaba con un instrumento pertinente que evaluara estos factores a nivel local. El método contempla la comparación de los resul...

La huella ecológica y los países andinos, una reflexión sobre la sustentabilidad y la biocapacidad

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Deyanira Gómez

2013-09-01

Full Text Available La escasez de los recursos ha llevado a la reflexión respecto a la medición del desarrollo, que ya no puede ser medido únicamente en términos de crecimiento económico como lo hace el Producto Interno Bruto (PIB, sino que es necesario tomar en cuenta los recursos o capital natural con los que cuenta una determinada nación para que desde una perspectiva de sustentabilidad, pueda asegurar la calidad de vida de las generaciones futuras, esta herramienta se la conoce como la Huella Ecológica.

Compartimentação geoambiental no complexo de campo maior, PI: uma área de tensão ecológica

OpenAIRE

Barros,José Sidiney; Castro,Antônio Alberto Jorge Farias

2006-01-01

A região pesquisada, localizada numa área de tensão ecológica, foi submetida a estudos de compartimentação geoambiental de suas unidades, segundo pressupostos da teoria geossistêmica. A vegetação, em manchas ou capões, configura tipos fisionômicos com contatos abruptos ou gradacionais, instalados em solos submetidos a processos de lateritização e ferralitização. Foram analisadas relações entre solo, vegetação, estrutura, florística e diversidade em oito parcelas de 20m x 50m, registrando-se 4...

Impacto turístico, cultural e histórico del circuito turístico ecológico bolivariano Colombia-Venezuela

OpenAIRE

Sánchez Segrera, José Rafael

2015-01-01

El desarrollo de la presente propuesta ha permitido identificar la necesidad que se tiene de dar inicio a la promoción del turismo histórico, a través del Circuito Turístico Bolivariano en los Distritos Turístico, Cultural e Histórico de Santa Marta y Federal de Caracas, a los que une la historia por ser las ciudades en las que nació el 24 de julio de 1783 y falleció el 17 de diciembre de 1830, el Libertador Simón Bolívar. El Circuito Turístico Ecológico Bolivariano Local dentro del Distri...

Mamíferos silvestres de la Reserva Ecológica del Pedregal de San Ángel en Ciudad Universitaria, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D. F. Wild mammals of Reserva Ecológica del Pedregal de San Ángel, Ciudad Universitaria, UNAM, Mexico, D.F.

OpenAIRE

Yolanda Hortelano-Moncada; Fernando A. Cervantes; Aída Trejo-Ortiz

2009-01-01

Se realizó un inventario de las especies de mamíferos que habitan en la Reserva Ecológica del Pedregal de San Ángel (REPSA). Los datos se obtuvieron a partir de registros de colecciones científicas, de recolectas recientes en el área y de consultas en literatura especializada. Los resultados comprenden 628 registros acumulados desde 1943 y corresponden a 33 especies, agrupadas en 28 géneros, 15 familias y 6 órdenes de mamíferos. La ardilla gris (Sciurus aureogaster nigrescens) y el ratón del ...

"Transiciones ecológicas": Estudio del afrontamiento de las crisis vitales migración, encarcelamiento y divorcio desde el enfoque de la Psicología Positiva "Ecological transition": A study of coping with migration, imprisonment and divorce life crisis from Positive Psychology approach

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Isabel María Mikulic

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Este estudio aborda el afrontamiento de distintas transiciones ecológicas como migración, encarcelamiento y divorcio; integrando conceptos de la Psicología Positiva y la Evaluación Psicológica. "Transiciones ecológicas", siguiendo el modelo de Bronfenbrenner, son "aquellos cambios en la posición de una persona dentro del ambiente ecológico en el que está inmersa, como consecuencia de un cambio de rol, de entorno, o de ambos a la vez" (Bronfenbrenner, 1987. Se realizó un estudio exploratorio-descriptivo que permitió analizar el impacto de tres sucesos estresantes migración, divorcio y privación de libertad, a partir de la selección intencional de tres grupos de 30 participantes cada uno y la comparación con un grupo control que no experimentó ninguna de las situaciones mencionadas. Los resultados obtenidos permiten afirmar que existen diferencias significativas en las respuestas de afrontamiento seleccionadas ya que los grupos que atravesaron un suceso vital estresante evidencian mayores puntajes en respuestas centradas en la emoción. Ello confirma que las características específicas de una transición vital, contextualizan e influyen en la selección de respuestas de afrontamiento con las que se afrontan las emociones provenientes de una crisis y se mantiene un equilibrio afectivo (Moos, 1986.This study is focused on different ecological transitions coping, migration, imprisonment and divorce; and integrates concepts from Positive Psychology and Psychological Assessment. Bronfenbrenner (1987 defines an ecological transition as occurring "whenever a person's position in the ecological environment is altered as the result of a change in role, setting or both." Four intentional samples, thirty participants in each, have been analized in this exploratory-descriptive research: a migration sample, b divorced sample, c inmates sample and d control sample. Results show that there are significant differences in the coping responses

ICMS ecológico: conceito e repercussões na conservação ambiental do município de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais

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Gelze Serrat de Souza Campos Rodrigues

2014-11-01

Full Text Available A legislação ambiental brasileira define os instrumentos de intervenção do Estado no planejamento e na gestão ambiental. Um desses instrumentos é o Imposto sobre Circulação de Mercadorias e Prestação de Serviços Ecológico (ICMS Ecológico. Por meio da arrecadação do ICMS (Imposto sobre Circulação de Mercadorias e Prestação de Serviços, os estados podem disponibilizar uma parcela do seu montante aos municípios, com a utilização de diversos critérios, dentre eles o ambiental. Este artigo apresenta o sistema de redistribuição desse imposto, segundo os critérios ambientais, executado no estado de Minas Gerais, e analisa suas implicações na conservação ambiental do município de Uberlândia, oeste de Minas Gerais. Por meio de revisão bibliográfica, pesquisa documental e trabalhos de campo, constata-se a potencialidade desse instrumento e a falta de seu alcance no que tange ao índice de conservação ambiental. Por fim, propõe-se algumas mudanças na normatização estadual, a fim de se atingir o seu objetivo: a melhoria da qualidade ambiental. Abstract ECOLOGICAL GOODS AND SERVICES TAX: CONCEPT AND REPERCUSSIONS IN THE UBERLÂNDIA MUNICIPALITY ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION, MINAS GERAIS The Brazilian environmental legislation sets the intervention instruments of the states on environmental management and planning. One of such instruments is the Ecological Goods and Services Tax. Through this tax fundraising, the states can share part of the total with the cities, by the usage of many criteria, among 76. GeoTextos, vol. 10, n. 2, dez. 2014. G. Rodrigues 75-97 them the environmental criteria. This article shows this tax redistribution system, according to the environmental criteria, executed in Minas Gerais state, and analyses its implications on the environmental conservation of Uberlândia, western Minas Gerais. Through bibliographic revision, documental research and fieldwork, it is noted the potential of such

Estudio de las especies de pulgones y sus enemigos naturales en una finca de horticultura ecológica en Alcàsser, Valencia

OpenAIRE

JIMÉNEZ PÉREZ, IRENE

2016-01-01

En la finca donde se ha realizado este estudio, el principal problema de plagas en los cultivos son los pulgones. Debido a la importancia de estos insectos y la gravedad de los daños que producen, se plantea el siguiente TFC que tiene como objetivos: 1. Identificar las diferentes especies de pulgón que podemos encontrar en determinadas plantas hortícolas a lo largo de un periodo de 6 meses en un cultivo ecológico en el municipio de Alcàsser, Valencia. 2. Determinar la densidad de poblac...

Indicadores ecológicos de hábitat y biodiversidad en un paisaje neotropical: perspectiva multitaxonómica

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Noel González-Valdivia

2011-09-01

Full Text Available El uso de especies indicadoras para caracterizar unidades ecológicas específicas es de gran importancia en la biología de la conservación/restauración. El objetivo del estudio fue identificar desde una perspectiva multitaxonómica, las especies que caracterizan distintas unidades de un paisaje. Así, se diferenciaron dos ecomosaicos: bosque tropical lluvioso y matriz agropecuaria con cuatro unidades de paisaje cada uno. Se incluyeron cuatro grupos biológicos: aves (muy móviles, mariposas frugívoras diurnas (moderadamente móviles, gasterópodos terrestres (poco móviles y árboles (sésiles. La eficiencia de muestreo en los ecomosaicos fue ≥86%. Se registraron 50 especies de moluscos, 74 de mariposas, 218 de aves y 172 de árboles, totalizando 514 especies. Mediante ordenamiento y agrupamiento, se diferenciaron tres tipos de hábitats: bosque tropical lluvioso, vegetación secundaria y potreros con árboles. Aplicando el método InVal (≥50%, se identificaron 107 especies indicadoras, de las cuales 45 fueron árboles, 38 aves, 14 mariposas y diez gasterópodos. De éstas, 35 especies de árboles, diez de aves, cuatro de mariposas y ocho de gasterópodos son indicadoras del bosque. Diez, veintiocho, diez y dos especies (de cada grupo respectivamente caracterizaron a la matriz agropecuaria. En el bosque, los gasterópodos Carychium exiguum, Coelocentrum turris, Glyphyalinia aff. indentata y Helicina oweniana se correlacionaron significativamente (p<0.05 con 90% de las especies indicadoras. Estos gasterópodos pueden, además de diferenciar la calidad del hábitat, ser indicadoras de la biodiversidad del bosque. La vegetación secundaria representó una fase intermedia de perturbación que propicia alta riqueza en la matriz agropecuaria. De manera que se aporta una perspectiva multitaxonómica que incluye el papel de la mesofauna en el monitoreo ecológico de agropaisajes.

Importance of birthcoat for lamb survival and growth in the Romane sheep breed extensively managed on rangelands.

Science.gov (United States)

Allain, D; Foulquié, D; Autran, P; Francois, D; Bouix, J

2014-01-01

to weather conditions at lambing time in short-woolly lambs, whereas no relation was observed in hairy-coat lambs. Heritability estimate of birthcoat type (hairy or woolly) is high (0.88). Genetic correlations between birthcoat type, lamb survival, and live body weight at birth were positive and moderate, suggesting that it would be beneficial to take birthcoat into account as an adaptive trait in any genetic strategies for sheep production in harsh conditions on rangelands.

Multiscale sagebrush rangeland habitat modeling in the Gunnison Basin of Colorado

Science.gov (United States)

Homer, Collin G.; Aldridge, Cameron L.; Meyer, Debra K.; Schell, Spencer J.

2013-01-01

North American sagebrush-steppe ecosystems have decreased by about 50 percent since European settlement. As a result, sagebrush-steppe dependent species, such as the Gunnison sage-grouse, have experienced drastic range contractions and population declines. Coordinated ecosystem-wide research, integrated with monitoring and management activities, is needed to help maintain existing sagebrush habitats; however, products that accurately model and map sagebrush habitats in detail over the Gunnison Basin in Colorado are still unavailable. The goal of this project is to provide a rigorous large-area sagebrush habitat classification and inventory with statistically validated products and estimates of precision across the Gunnison Basin. This research employs a combination of methods, including (1) modeling sagebrush rangeland as a series of independent objective components that can be combined and customized by any user at multiple spatial scales; (2) collecting ground measured plot data on 2.4-meter QuickBird satellite imagery in the same season the imagery is acquired; (3) modeling of ground measured data on 2.4-meter imagery to maximize subsequent extrapolation; (4) acquiring multiple seasons (spring, summer, and fall) of Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery (30-meter) for optimal modeling; (5) using regression tree classification technology that optimizes data mining of multiple image dates, ratios, and bands with ancillary data to extrapolate ground training data to coarser resolution Landsat Thematic Mapper; and 6) employing accuracy assessment of model predictions to enable users to understand their dependencies. Results include the prediction of four primary components including percent bare ground, percent herbaceous, percent shrub, and percent litter, and four secondary components including percent sagebrush (Artemisia spp.), percent big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), percent Wyoming sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata wyomingensis), and shrub height (centimeters

Impact of animal density on cattle nutrition in dry Mediterranean rangelands: a faecal near-IR spectroscopy-aided study.

Science.gov (United States)

Landau, S Y; Dvash, L; Yehuda, Y; Muklada, H; Peleg, G; Henkin, Z; Voet, H; Ungar, E D

2018-02-01

In the context of determining the sustainable carrying capacity of dry-Mediterranean herbaceous rangelands, we examined the effect of animal density on cattle nutrition, which is fundamental to animal performance and welfare. The effects on dietary components of low (0.56 cows/ha; L) and high (1.11 cows/ha; H) animal densities were monitored for three consecutive years in grazing beef cows. In the dry season (summer and early autumn), cows had free access to N-rich poultry litter (PL) given as a dietary supplement. In each season, near-IR spectroscopy (NIRS) was used to predict the chemical composition of herbage samples (ash, NDF, CP, in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and metabolizable energy (ME) content from IVDMD). Near-IR spectroscopy was applied also to faecal samples to determine the chemical composition of the diet selected by the animal, as well as the contents of ash, NDF and CP in the faeces themselves. A faecal-NIRS equation was applied to estimate the dietary proportion of PL. Seasonal categories were green, dry without PL supplementation and dry with it. We found no effects of animal density on nutrition during the green season but effects were apparent when cows consumed dry pasture. Ash content predicted by faecal NIRS was higher in the diet than in plant samples clipped from pasture, which infers that cows ingested soil. Dietary and faecal ash contents were higher (Panimals. During the dry period, dietary contents of ME were higher in L than in H (Panimal health, the above results cast doubts on the long-term sustainability of the higher of the animal densities tested. Although it may be sustainable vis-à-vis the vegetation, treatment H may have exceeded the boundaries of what is acceptable for cow health. Chemical information revealed with NIRS can be used to evaluate whether animal densities are compatible with animal health and welfare standards and can play a role in determining the carrying capacity of Mediterranean rangelands.

La restauración ecológica participativa: Una visión juvenil desde el territorio de Ciudad Bolívar

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Shirley Eliana Camacho-Ballesteros

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Ciudad Bolívar, una localidad de la ciudad de Bogotá, ha aumentado su población de forma acelerada en las últimas décadas, ya que constituye un centro de confluencia para el asentamiento de las personas que emigran de las zonas rurales, principalmente por la búsqueda de nuevas oportunidades o un refugio contra la violencia y el desplazamiento forzado. Tal situación implica el uso de los recursos naturales y territorios de acuerdo con las necesidades en un corto plazo, así como la falta de planificación en el desarrollo de la localidad, por lo cual se establecen en territorios desprovistos de los ambientes naturales, con una menor calidad de vida y de salud, y problemas constantes que surgen dentro de la población. Sin embargo, la niñez y la juventud que viven en estos entornos complejos surgen de la desesperanza, impulsando alternativas y anhelos como una contribución para mejorar su calidad de vida. Esta joven población constituyen los sujetos principales de este artículo teórico, ya que se enfrentan y proponen el tema de la restauración ecológica participativa como mecanismo de planificación, la memoria y la construcción de mejores condiciones para la vida. Desde su experiencia y punto de vista reflexivo, surge una propuesta sobre dónde y cómo llevar a cabo el proceso de restauración ecológica, como una suma de acciones para el fortalecimiento de los valores territoriales y ambientales.

Metodología para determinar la huella ecológica de la construcción de edificios de uso residencial en España

OpenAIRE

Solís-Guzmán, Jaime

2013-01-01

La actividad constructora es en la actualidad una gran consumidora de recursos naturales. Para evaluar este consumo de recursos generalmente se han empleado metodologías relacionadas con el Análisis de Ciclo de Vida. Se plantea en esta comunicación la integración del indicador Huella Ecológica (HE) en el sector edificación, para observar las dificultades y las ventajas que puede generar respecto a otros indicadores. Para ello, se pretende adaptar los conocimientos previos relacionados con el ...

El Plan Director de La Vega Baja de Toledo, España: Paisaje patrimonial, ecológico y urbano

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Agustín Hernández Aja

2014-11-01

El planteamiento general del PDVB ha sido tratar el espacio como un continuo abierto, una sucesión de paisajes con su propio carácter, que alberguen distintos usos y funciones: Desde el jardín clásico que rodearía al circo romano, llegando hasta el río, con una vegetación, mobiliario y recorridos acordes con las ruinas existentes; pasando por el jardín patrimonial del yacimiento, para el que se proponen plantaciones e itinerarios efímeros que cambien a la par que avanzan las excavaciones; hasta el paisaje más puramente agrícola del vivero o paisaje de ribera, de gran valor ecológico en relación con la fauna aviar.

Crítica das forças produtivas: guerra, destruição ecológica e criação do mundo pós-natural.

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André Villar Gomez

2012-09-01

Full Text Available As forças produtivas são uma categoria capitalista e materializam a abstração social baseada no valor. Tal como o processo de valorização, as forças produtivas se desenvolvem sem levar em consideração a satisfação das necessidades humanas e as consequências ecológicas. A produção destrutiva por meio da redução da taxa de utilização dos produtos e os gastos militares crescentes demonstram que o capitalismo passou a destruir riqueza material em larga escala para adequar seus potenciais destrutivos aos estreitos limites de sua forma de riqueza baseada no trabalho abstrato. A aceleração do consumo do mundo, que é uma das manifestações do desenvolvimento tecnológico capitalista, é uma das causas mais importantes da crise ecológica contemporâneia. O mundo pós-natural  consiste na tentativa desmedida e irracional de o capitalismo fugir das "barreiras naturais". A superação da forma social baseada no valor e das forças produtivas tornou-se uma necessidade de primeira ordem.

Avaliação rápida da integridade ecológica em riachos urbanos na bacia do rio Corumbá no Centro-Oeste do Brasil

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Giovanna Gomes Cordeiro

2016-06-01

Full Text Available A urbanização tem ocasionado o lançamento de volumes significativos de efluentes domésticos parcialmente tratados nos corpos hídricos brasileiros causando diversos prejuízos ecológicos para estes ecossistemas. Para avaliar a integridade ecológica de riachos na região de Cerrado do Brasil Central foram selecionados quatro pontos de coleta, considerando o nível de influência antrópica ao qual estão submetidos. Foram analisados parâmetros físicos e químicos da água, o uso da paisagem e a comunidade de macroinvetebrados bentônicos. As coletas foram realizadas em julho de 2015 e foram mensuradas "in situ" as variáveis condutividade elétrica, temperatura da água, pH, oxigênio dissolvido, turbidez, largura e comprimento do riacho e velocidade da correnteza. Em seguida, foram coletadas amostras para o seston, perifíton, macroinvertebrados bentônicos e sedimento depositado. O ponto "Referência" apresentou menor abundância de larvas de Chironomus (Chironomidae: Diptera e maior riqueza taxonômica, além de maior abundância dos grupos taxonômicos Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera e Trichoptera, mostrando ser o sistema mais íntegro dentre os analisados. A sub-bacia delimitada a partir desse ponto mostrou uma maior porcentagem de áreas com vegetação nativa (51%. Os pontos com presença de efluentes domésticos ("ETE" e "Jusante" por sua vez, apresentaram valores mais elevados de condutividade elétrica, turbidez, maior abundância de larvas de Chironomus e menor riqueza de táxons, mostrando elevado impacto em função das atividades antrópicas. A avaliação rápida realizada com a composição da comunidade bentônica e as variáveis físicas e químicas da água foi suficiente na identificação das alterações na integridade ecológica causadas pela influência antrópica na bacia hidrográfica do rio Corumbá.

Examining the role of management practices and landscape context on methane dynamics from subtropical wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

DeLucia, Nicholas; Gomez-Casanovas, Nuria; Boughton, Elizabeth; Yang, Wendy; Bernacchi, Carl

2017-04-01

Globally, wetlands are the largest natural source of atmospheric CH4, an important GHG with a warming potential 25 times stronger than CO2 (IPCC 2008; Forster et al. 2013). In sub-tropical climates where precipitation and temperatures are high, land-use change and agricultural management practices often intersect with extensive wetland systems. The Everglades watershed in South Central Florida represents a large areal extent characterized by a high density of wetlands nested within agricultural fields dominated to a large extent by grazed rangelands. Soils are primarily Spodosols and Histosols and sustain a relatively high water table, even during the dry season. Here, rangelands dominated by native vegetation have been converted to agronomically 'improved pastures' suitable for large scale cattle ranching through high intensive agronomic practices including vegetation homogenization, fertilization and drainage. In this study we first tested the hypothesis that CH4 fluxes from small ephemeral wetlands are indirectly influenced by management practices associated with the agricultural fields in which they are nested. We found that wetlands embedded in agronomically 'Improved' pastures exhibit significantly higher CH4 fluxes compared to wetlands embedded in 'Native' pastures. Next, we sought to determine the mechanisms by which the surrounding landscapes affect methane production processes to better predict how expanding or intensifying agriculture will affect wetland methane fluxes. We focus on substrate supply in the form of substrate quality and quantity available to methanogens as it is a principle control over CH4 production and susceptible to ecosystem perturbations. This research was conducted at the McArthur Agro-Ecology Research Center on Buck Island Ranch, Lake Placid, Florida. Wetland CH4 fluxes were measured using static canopy chambers coupled with infrared gas analysis of CH4, CO2 and water vapor. Additionally, soil manipulation incubations were prepared

Consumo de combustíveis no Brasil e Mato Grosso: estimativa do custo ecológico da emissão de gases de efeito estufa

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Vallência Maíra Gomes

2012-01-01

Full Text Available O principal objetivo deste trabalho foi estimar o nível da emissão de gases deefeito estufa (GEE a partir do consumo de combustíveis fósseis e renováveis noBrasil e no estado de Mato Grosso entre os anos de 2003 e 2010. Uma vezreconhecido o quantum de emissão de GEE, calculou-se o custo ecológico destaemissão a partir dos preços da tonelada de carbono comercializada na BolsaEuropeia do Clima e na Bolsa do Clima de Chicago. A partir deste exercício,estimou-se o peso deste custo ecológico sobre o Produto Interno Bruto do Brasil ede Mato Grosso no período analisado, considerando hipoteticamente a incorporaçãodestes custos externos na matriz produtiva de ambas as referências espaciais.Utilizando a base de dados de consumo de combustíveis do Brasil e de Mato Grossoda Agência Nacional de Petróleo, Gás Natural e Biocombustíveis, foi empregado oMétodo “Top-Down” ou método de referência do IPCC para estimar as emissões dedióxido de carbono. Atrelou-se o preço do carbono nas Bolsas da Europa e dosEstados Unidos à emissão de gases do efeito estufa, para se estimar os custosexternos, chamados aqui também de custos ecológicos. Os resultados mostram queos custos ecológicos estão tendendo a redução neste período, tanto pela contençãoda emissão de GEE frente ao PIB quanto pela tendência negativa dos preços docarbono nas bolsas internacionais.Abstract The main objective of this study was to estimate the level of greenhouse gasesemission (GHG from the consumption of fossil and renewable fuels in Brazil and inthe state of Mato Grosso between the years 2003 and 2010. Once recognized thequantum of GHG emission, was calculated the ecological cost of this emission asfrom the prices of the ton of carbon traded on the European Climate Exchange andon the Chicago Climate Exchange. From this exercise, was estimated the weight ofthis ecological cost on Gross Domestic Product (GDP of the Brazil and of MatoGrosso in the period

Los cariotipos de Cologania grandiflora y Erythrina americana (Leguminosae- Papilionoideae-Phaseoleae de la Reserva Ecológica del Pedregal de San Ángel, México Karyotypes of Cologania grandiflora and Erythrina americana (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae- Phaseoleae of Reserva Ecológica del Pedregal de San Ángel, Mexico

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Fernando Tapia-Pastrana

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Se analizaron citogenéticamente células provenientes de meristemos radiculares de 2 leguminosas, Cologania grandiflora y Erythrina americana, que en la actualidad están incluidas en la flora de la Reserva Ecológica del Pedregal de San Ángel, México, D. F., mediante una técnica de extendido en superficie y secado al aire para determinar los números cromosómicos somáticos. Por vez primera se obtuvieron la morfología cromosómica y otras características cuantitativas de los cariotipos en C. grandiflora (2n= 44= 26m +18sm y en E. americana (2n= 42= 36m + 4sm +2st sat, primeras también en ambos géneros. Cologania y Erythrina se reconocen como poliploides estabilizados y el hallazgo de un único par de cromosomas con satélites (dominancia nucleolar en las especies estudiadas aquí, favorece la opinión de un origen alopoliploide para estos taxa.Meristematic root cells from Cologania grandiflora and Erythrina americana from Reserva Ecológica del Pedregal de San Ángel, Distrito Federal, Mexico, were analyzed cytogenenetically using a surface-spreading and air-drying method. The somatic chromosome numbers were determined. Chromosome morphology and others quantitative features of the karyotypes obtained for first time in C. grandiflora (2n= 44= 26m + 18sm and E. americana (2n= 42= 36m + 4sm + 2st sat and also the first in both genera. Cologania and Erythrina are recognized as stabilized polyploids and the finding of just one pair of chromosomes with satellites (nucleolar dominance in the species analyzed here supports the view of allopolyploid origin of these taxa.

Correlación ecológica entre consumo de bebidas alcohólicas y mortalidad por cirrosis hepática en México

OpenAIRE

NARRO-ROBLES JOSÉ; GUTIÉRREZ-AVILA JESÚS HECTOR

1997-01-01

Objetivo. Determinar la correlación entre consumo de bebidas alcohólicas y mortalidad por cirrosis hepática. Material y métodos. Se efectuó un análisis de correlación ecológica entre el conjunto de variables que integran el patrón de consumo de bebidas alcohólicas investigadas en la Encuesta Nacional de Adicciones en 1993 y la mortalidad por cirrosis hepática, en el periodo 1971-1993 en las ocho regiones en que fue dividido el país. Para determinar el nivel de correlación se utilizaron los co...

La ficción en Internet para trasladar información de actualidad: ¿Diga?, un cortometraje sobre la huella ecológica

OpenAIRE

Velasco Manso, Marta

2017-01-01

¿Diga? es un cortometraje de ficción que traslada información sobre hábitos de consumo responsable con el fin de mostrar su importancia en el medio ambiente y en concreto, en la reducción de la huella ecológica. El cortometraje se enmarca dentro de un proyecto digital, Episodio Piloto, una página web donde albergar producciones breves de ficción junto a información que se pretenda mostrar con ellas. La información ligada a ¿Diga? se traslada mediante un artículo sencillo que explica el concep...

Sistema contábil para gestão da ecoeficiência empresarial Accounting system for company eco-efficiency management

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Cassio Luiz Vellani

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Desenvolvimento Sustentável, Responsabilidade Social Corporativa e Sustentabilidade Empresarial são conceitos que convergem para o mesmo objetivo: integrar os aspectos econômicos, sociais e ecológicos dos negócios. Muitas empresas mantêm ações que visam à proteção ambiental. No entanto, para contribuir para a sustentabilidade do negócio essas atividades devem convergir para a ecoeficiência. Para isso, a ação ecológica empresarial deve atuar sobre os resíduos emitidos pelas operações da própria empresa e os gastos nelas incorridos devem resultar em benefícios econômico-financeiros ao negócio. Nesse contexto, este artigo identifica a seguinte pergunta de pesquisa: em termos contábeis, como podem ser categorizadas as ações ecológicas empresariais para fornecer informações sobre eventos relacionados com a ecoeficiência do negócio? Procura-se responder a essa pergunta por meio de uma Pesquisa Estudo (holístico de Casos Múltiplos (tipo 3 e com a seguinte proposição: as ações ecológicas empresariais (AEE foram classificadas de acordo com suas finalidades, ou seja, tratamento de resíduos próprios, decorrentes de ações internas e ações decorrentes de eventos externos como a preservação de áreas verdes, recuperação de áreas contaminadas, programas de educação ambiental da comunidade externa. Dessa forma, o gestor poderá ter condições para verificar a ecoeficiência do processo operacional propriamente (AEE internas e os aspectos relacionados à gestão ambiental global (AEE internas e externas. São analisados três tipos de materiais e identificam-se 608 exemplos de ações ecológicas mantidas por 181 empresas. A pesquisa empírica deste artigo revela que a proposta está alinhada com a prática e resulta num sistema contábil para a gestão da ecoeficiência das empresas.Sustainable Development, Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Sustainability are concepts that converge towards the same

Prevalence of gastrointestinal nematode infections in goat flocks on semi-arid rangelands of northeastern Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Olivas-Salazar, Raquel; Estrada-Angulo, Alfredo; Mellado, Miguel; Aguilar-Caballero, Armando Jacinto; Castro-Pérez, Beatriz Isabel; Gutiérrez-Blanco, Eduardo; Ruiz-Zárate, Fernando

2018-04-01

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infection in goat flocks on semi-arid rangelands of northeastern Mexico (25° N, 350-400 mm annual precipitation). The study included 668 pluriparous goats from 18 herds in five municipalities of Coahuila and Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Five genetic groups were considered (predominance of Boer, Nubian, Alpine, Saanen, and Toggenburg). Fecal samples were taken from the rectum of each animal to determine the number of eggs per gram (EPG) of GIN. The prevalence of flocks with GIN infections was 88.9%. Similar results were observed for the number of goats infected in the flocks. The Alpine breed presented the highest prevalence and highest EPG loads of GIN, whereas Boer and Nubian were the genetic groups with the lowest (P arid zones of Mexico was found a high prevalence of infections with gastrointestinal nematodes. The municipality and the breed of the animals were factors that showed influence on this prevalence and the level of infection of the goats.

Evaluación de Riesgo Ecológico en la Aplicación de Lodos de Plantas de Tratamiento de Aguas Servidas a Suelos en la Región de la Araucanía

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Carolina Soto

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Los lodos generados en plantas de tratamiento de aguas servidas contienen materiales orgánicos ricos en nutrientes como nitrógeno (N, fósforo (P y potasio (K, además de metales y pequeñas cantidades de otros elementos tales como celulosa, ácidos orgánicos. Los lodos pueden ser considerados como residuos o reciclados mediante la incorporación a suelos. Frente a esta situación de disposición de lodos primarios en suelos, se determinó el efecto de dos muestras de lodos (una ya incorporada en suelo y otra fresca mediante la evaluación de bioensayos de toxicidad en Eisenia foetida durante 14 días, en donde se determinó que las muestras de lodos no presentaban toxicidad y que además existe una independencia entre la concentración y sus efectos en la mortalidad y crecimiento. Sumado a lo anterior, se evaluó las muestras de lodos en base a su contenidos de metales mediante el análisis de riesgo ecológico , en el cual obtenidos los antecedentes referidos a efectos y exposición, se integró la información para estimar el riesgo ecológico para metales pesados, en donde los factores de riesgo para el suelo son como cobre, cadmio, mercurio, níquel y zinc, la estimación del riesgo ecológico en el lodo incluye a todos los metales pesados y finalmente los factores de riesgo para el lodo aplicado en el suelo son todos los metales a excepción de arsénico.

Uma tentativa de caracterização da economia ecológica Outlines for a definition of ecological economics

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Clóvis Cavalcanti

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Partindo do reconhecimento de que toda atividade humana incide no ecossistema quer pelo lado da extração de recursos, quer pelo do lançamento de dejetos sob a forma de matéria ou energia degradada, o processo econômico - que opera dentro de um subsistema aberto envolvido pelo ecossistema global - tem que respeitar limites. Daí, a noção de desenvolvimento sustentável. Na perspectiva da sustentabilidade, o tipo de processo econômico que importa é aquele que produz bens e serviços considerando simultaneamente todos os custos (ou males que lhes são inevitavelmente associados. Esta é a tarefa para um modelo de desenvolvimento novo, e também para uma ciência da economia de fundamentos ecológicos. É aqui que se insere a economia ecológica, com a qual se introduz uma mudança fundamental na percepção dos problemas de alocação de recursos e de como eles devem ser tratados, do mesmo modo que uma revisão da dinâmica do crescimento econômico. Visa-se com o empreendimento obter a unificação sobre bases biofísicas dos sistemas ecológicos e econômicos como categorias interdependentes e coevolutivas. Não se trata de propor uma nova ciência, e sim uma empreitada (ou cometimento entre cientistas naturais e sociais, junto com os atores envolvidos em ações concretas de promoção do desenvolvimento, para chegar-se a novo entendimento da realidade humana, tirando dele lições para fins de análise e política. Chega-se assim a uma verdadeira economia política da ecologia.Considering that all human activity interacts with the environment either by extracting resources or by discarding trash under the form of degraded matter and energy, the economic process - which operates within an open subsystem contained by the global ecosystem - has to observe limits. Hence, the notion of sustainable development. In the perspective of sustainability, the kind of economic process which matters is that which produces goods and services taking

Crisis y nuevos patrones de consumo: discursos sociales acerca del consumo ecológico en el ámbito de las grandes ciudades españolas.

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Luis Enrique Alonso

2014-01-01

Full Text Available La situación de profunda crisis económica que atraviesa España desde hace varios años está teniendo efectos significativos en las formas de relación de la ciudadanía con las prácticas de consumo. Una de las cuestiones más relevantes en este contexto tiene que ver con la posibilidad de un crecimiento de la con - ciencia medioambiental, ante la dificultad creciente para sostener los patrones consumistas de la época del boom, la popularización de nuevas pautas de con - sumo responsable y la creciente preocupación en relación a fenómenos como el cambio climático. En este artículo, nuestro objetivo específico es el de explorar las percepciones sociales en relación al denominado consumo ecológico, desde una perspectiva fundamentalmente cualitativa. Para ello, procederemos a realizar un análisis de los discursos generados en una serie de grupos de discusión, en el marco de una investigación más amplia sobre la relación entre consumo y crisis. Los resultados obtenidos parecen apuntar hacia las dificultades que presentan las opciones de consumo ecológicas de consolidarse en el imaginario del consumi - dor medio español, debido a una serie de razones que se describirán con detalle en nuestro trabajo

Anatomía ecológica de algunas especies del género Paspalum (Poaceae, Panicoideae, Paniceae

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Sandra S. Aliscioni

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Aliscioni, S. S. 2000. Anatomía ecológica de algunas especies del género Paspalum(Poaceae, Panicoideae, Paniceae. Darwiniana 38(3-4: 187-207.El género Paspalum L. presenta un elevado número de especies, con una amplia variabilidadmorfológica y una extensa distribución geográfica. Sus especies crecen en hábitats sumamente diversos,desde ambientes muy húmedos o acuáticos, a lugares secos de suelos arcillosos o arenosos, muchas vecessalinos. Dada la diversidad de ambientes en los que puede hallarse Paspalum, se estudiaron lascaracterísticas anatómico-foliares presentes en el género con la finalidad de interpretar diferentesestrategias adaptativas en distintas especies. Se presenta una descripción general de la anatomía foliar delgénero y se discuten ciertos caracteres anatómicos, interpretando su posible relación con las condicionesdel hábitat

Ecoturismo en la reserva Cuyabeno : realidad y retórica en la relación de los Siona con el turismo ecológico 1994

OpenAIRE

Arrueta, José Antonio

1996-01-01

El Turismo es una actividad que consiste básicamente en visitar lugares en donde buscamos satisfacer demandas relacionadas a información, diversión, conocimiento y placer. El turismo ecológico implica reglamentos de conducta de los visitantes, en relación a la preservación y conservación de los sitios naturales a silvestres que se visita. Incluye la participación de las poblaciones locales de los sitos de reserva como “beneficiarias” del ecoturismo. Estos "principios generales" del turismo ec...

Response of aboveground carbon balance to long-term, experimental shifts in precipitation seasonality is contingent on plant community type in cold-desert rangelands

Science.gov (United States)

Reinhardt, K.; McAbee, K.; Germino, M. J.; Bosworth, A.

2016-12-01

Semi-arid rangelands have been identified as potential carbon (C) sinks. However, the degree of net C storage or release in water-limited systems is a function of precipitation amount and timing, as well as plant community composition. In northern latitudes of western North America, climate models predict increases in wintertime precipitation and decreases in summertime precipitation. In theory, this should boost C storage in cold-desert ecosystems that have deep-rooted woody plants due to greater wintertime soil water storage that enhances summertime productivity. However, there are few long-term, manipulative field-based studies investigating how shrub- and grass-dominated rangelands will respond to changing precipitation patterns. We measured aboveground C pools and fluxes at leaf, soil, and ecosystem scales over the 2014 growing season on plots that had supplemental precipitation added in either winter or summer for 21 years, in shrub- and exotic-bunchgrass-dominated plots. We hypothesized that increased winter precipitation would stimulate aboveground C uptake and storage relative to ambient conditions, in our cold-desert-adapted plant species. We further hypothesized that long-term gains in aboveground C storage due to precipitation manipulations would be greater in plots containing shrubs. Our hypotheses were generally supported: ecosystem C uptake and long-term biomass accumulation were greater in winter- and summer-irrigated plots compared to control plots in both vegetation communities. However, substantial increases in aboveground biomass occurred only in winter-irrigated plots that contained shrubs. Our findings suggest that increases in winter precipitation will enhance C storage of this widespread ecosystem, provided that the ecosystems have resisted conversion to exotic grassland.

Changes in vegetation structure and aboveground biomass in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Changes in vegetation structure and aboveground biomass in response to traditional rangeland management practices in Borana, southern Ethiopia. ... managed by prescribed fire for five years and grazed only post-fire during dry seasons.

Estado ecológico del sistema estuarino del Río Guayas, Cantón Durán, Ecuador: Simulación numérica de su dinámica fluvial y principios ecológicos para el diseño de actuaciones de restauración y/o recuperación

OpenAIRE

Olaya Carbo, Peter

2016-01-01

46 p. El cantón Durán está emplazado en una zona de transición entre el agua dulce del río Guayas y el agua salobre del mar, las principales actividades de la región son la agricultura, ganadería, y las industrias; con la llegada del invierno, la región se somete a inundaciones que producen complicaciones socioeconómicas debido al uso antrópico de áreas inundables, además el río Guayas presenta un pobre estado de conservación ecológico (RQI, Riparian Quality Index=30), debido en gran parte...

Diagnóstico del potencial turístico en las comunidades kichwas asentadas en la zona de amortiguamiento de la reserva ecológica Cotacachi Cayapas.

OpenAIRE

Flores Endara, Apauki Katari

2016-01-01

Determinar el potencial turístico en las comunidades kichwas ubicadas en la Zona de Amortiguamiento de la RECC. Son siete comunidades kichwas ubicadas en la Zona de Amortiguamiento de la Reserva Ecológica Cotacachi Cayapas, tienen recursos turísticos y al estar en un sitio estratégico cerca la Laguna de Cuicocha, se convierte en un potencial para el desarrollo del turismo comunitario. No obstante por el desconocimiento del valor turístico de los habitantes y por entidades tanto públicas y ...

Merging Methods to Manage Uncertainty: Combining Simulation Modeling and Scenario Planning to Inform Resource Management Under Climate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, B. W.; Schuurman, G. W.; Symstad, A.; Fisichelli, N. A.; Frid, L.

2017-12-01

Managing natural resources in this era of anthropogenic climate change is fraught with uncertainties around how ecosystems will respond to management actions and a changing climate. Scenario planning (oftentimes implemented as a qualitative, participatory exercise for exploring multiple possible futures) is a valuable tool for addressing this challenge. However, this approach may face limits in resolving responses of complex systems to altered climate and management conditions, and may not provide the scientific credibility that managers often require to support actions that depart from current practice. Quantitative information on projected climate changes and ecological responses is rapidly growing and evolving, but this information is often not at a scale or in a form that is `actionable' for resource managers. We describe a project that sought to create usable information for resource managers in the northern Great Plains by combining qualitative and quantitative methods. In particular, researchers, resource managers, and climate adaptation specialists co-produced a simulation model in conjunction with scenario planning workshops to inform natural resource management in southwest South Dakota. Scenario planning for a wide range of resources facilitated open-minded thinking about a set of divergent and challenging, yet relevant and plausible, climate scenarios and management alternatives that could be implemented in the simulation. With stakeholder input throughout the process, we built a simulation of key vegetation types, grazing, exotic plants, fire, and the effects of climate and management on rangeland productivity and composition. By simulating multiple land management jurisdictions, climate scenarios, and management alternatives, the model highlighted important tradeoffs between herd sizes and vegetation composition, and between the short- versus long-term costs of invasive species management. It also identified impactful uncertainties related to the

Pimenta pseudocaryophyllus (Gomes Landrum: aspectos botânicos, ecológicos, etnobotânicos e farmacológicos

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A.S.R. D'angelis

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Pimenta pseudocaryophyllus (Gomes Landrum é a única espécie representante brasileira deste gênero de Myrtaceae. Tem sido popularmente utilizada no tratamento de diversas enfermidades, assim como condimento e aromatizante de bebidas, por seu sabor muito similar ao cravo-da-índia. Em menor escala, é empregada em carpintaria e na arborização urbana. Diversos autores analisaram a composição química do óleo essencial da espécie em diferentes regiões do Brasil, encontrando eugenol, metileugenol, (E metilisoeugenol, chavibetol, geranial e neral como composto predominante nos espécimes estudados. Visando ressaltar a importância de P. pseudocaryophyllus como potencial fonte de recursos assim como subsidiar ações de manejo adequado esta revisão apresenta os principais aspectos botânicos, ecológicos, etnobotânicos e farmacológicos da espécie.

Antropología y medio ambiente. Revisión de una tradición y nuevas perspectivas de análisis en la problemática ecológica

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Beatriz Santamarina Campos

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Durante los últimos años la producción etnográfica sobre el conflicto medio ambiental ha generado un volumen considerable de aportaciones. En este artículo se contextualiza, en la tradición antropológica, las distintas perspectivas (la ecológica, la simbólica cognitiva y la política que se han ocupado del entorno, de la construcción de la naturaleza y del papel otorgado a la naturaleza en la distribución de relaciones de poder. Todo para situar a las perspectivas de la ecología simbólica y ecología política como los enfoques, desde nuestro punto de vista, más pertinentes para abordar el conflicto medio ambiental. En un mundo donde se imponen visiones hegemónicas y discursos ecológicos globalizados, basados en una racionalidad político-económica que se pretende única, se hace necesario un análisis crítico para descifrar las claves de nuestra práctica cultural y para poner en práctica todo el conocimiento local aprendido, que permita sacar a la luz otros discursos practicables posibles desde lógicas marginales.

Fatores ecológicos associados à colonização e ao desenvolvimento de macrófitas aquáticas e desafios de manejo

OpenAIRE

Thomaz,S.M.

2002-01-01

As macrófitas constituem-se em uma importante assembléia de ecossistemas aquáticos continentais, mas seu crescimento excessivo pode provocar danos aos usos múltiplos de alguns ambientes. Durante o processo de sucessão ecológica, a maioria dos ecossistemas aquáticos é colonizada, em diferentes graus, pela vegetação aquática. No entanto, explosões populacionais são usualmente decorrentes de ações antrópicas, como introduções de espécies exóticas e alterações de habitats. O conhecimento da ecolo...

Un estudio ecológico del voto socialista en el medio rural-urbano andaluz, 1999-2012

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen Ortega

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Este artículo pretende contribuir a reforzar los estudios electorales en España, ampliando su especialización temática y metodológica, con la realización de un estudio ecológico del voto. En concreto, se exploran, desde un enfoque agregado, las relaciones entre el tipo de hábitat y el voto socialista en los distintos procesos celebrados en Andalucía, desde 1999 hasta 2012. Nuestro análisis empírico comprende dos aproximaciones: la primera ofrece una geografía del voto más descriptiva que explicativa, donde se muestra que tanto la participación como el voto al PSOE se asocia de forma negativa con el grado de urbanización; la segunda, mediante modelos de regresión espaciales, indaga las bases socioestructurales y muestra que el voto socialista se asocia a la inestabilidad y precariedad económica de las localidades ?fundamentalmente tasas de desempleo y de población agraria subsidiada?, especialmente en las elecciones generales y autonómicas.

Estrutura de prática e validade ecológica no processo adaptativo de aprendizagem motora Practice schedule and ecological validity in the adaptive process of motor learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcela Massigli

2011-03-01

Full Text Available O objetivo desse estudo foi investigar o efeito da estrutura de prática no processo adaptativo de aprendizagem motora em função da validade ecológica da situação experimental. Participaram do estudo 104 crianças distribuídas em oito grupos experimentais (dois níveis de validade ecológica x quatro estruturas de prática. A tarefa consistiu em rebater uma bola de tênis de mesa lançada por um equipamento ou pelo experimentador, com o objetivo de acertar um alvo localizado no lado oposto da mesa. O estudo envolveu duas fases: estabilização e adaptação. O desempenho foi analisado por meio da soma dos pontos obtidos em blocos de 10 tentativas. Os resultados mostraram que os efeitos das práticas constante, aleatória, constante-aleatória e aleatória-constante no processo adaptativo de aprendizagem motora foram similares em ambos os níveis de validade ecológica; a prática constante foi a estrutura menos efetiva no processo adaptativo de aprendizagem motora em ambas as situações experimentais.The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different practice schedules in the adaptive process of motor learning in function of the ecological validity of the experimental situation. Participants were 104 children distributed in eight experimental groups (2 levels of ecological validity x 4 practice schedules. The task was to hit a table tennis ball thrown by equipment or experimenter, aiming to hit a target located on the opposite side of the table. The study was carried out in two phases: stabilization and adaptation. Performance was analyzed through the sum of the points achieved in ten trial blocks. Results showed that the effects of constant, random, constant-random and random-constant practice on the adaptive process of motor learning were similar in both levels of ecological validity; constant practice was the less effective schedule on the adaptive process of motor learning in both experimental situations.

Cyanobacterial crusts linked to soil productivity under different grazing management practices in Northern Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Alchin, Bruce; Williams, Wendy

2015-04-01

In arid and semi-arid Australia, the central role of healthy soil ecosystems in broad-acre grazing lands may be attributed to the widespread presence of cyanobacterial crusts. In terms of soil nutrient cycling and stability their role is particularly crucial in a climate dominated by annual dry seasons and variable wet seasons. In this study, we aimed to measure the contribution of cyanobacteria to soil nutrient cycling under contrasting levels of disturbance associated with grazing management. Field sampling was carried out on six paired sites (twelve properties) located across an east-west 3,000 km transect that covered different rangeland types on grazing properties in northern Australia (Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia). At each location paired sites were established and two different management systems were assessed, cell-paddock rotations (25-400 ha) and continuous grazing (200-2,000 ha). Cyanobacterial soil crusts were recorded from all of the twelve sites and cyanobacteria with the capacity to fix nitrogen were found at ten of the twelve sites. The overall diversity of cyanobacteria varied from three to ten species under any type of grazing system. As field work was conducted in the dry season, it is likely that the diversity may be greater in the wet season than the initial data may indicate. The average cyanobacterial soil crust cover across soil surfaces, between grass tussocks, during the dry season was estimated to be 50.9% and, 42.6% in the early wet season. This reflected longer established crust cover (dry season) versus newly established crusts. There was a high level of variability in the biomass of cyanobacteria however; the grazing system did not have any marked effect on the biomass for any one rangeland type. The grazing system differences did not appear to significantly influence the diversity at any location except on a floodplain in the Pilbara (WA). Biological nitrogen fixation by cyanobacteria was recorded at all