scholarly journals Increasing neonicotinoid use and the declining butterfly fauna of lowland California

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 20160475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew L. Forister ◽  
Bruce Cousens ◽  
Joshua G. Harrison ◽  
Kayce Anderson ◽  
James H. Thorne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Observational Data ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Negative Association ◽  
Northern California ◽  
Butterfly Fauna ◽  
Marked Decline ◽  
Insect Populations

The butterfly fauna of lowland Northern California has exhibited a marked decline in recent years that previous studies have attributed in part to altered climatic conditions and changes in land use. Here, we ask if a shift in insecticide use towards neonicotinoids is associated with butterfly declines at four sites in the region that have been monitored for four decades. A negative association between butterfly populations and increasing neonicotinoid application is detectable while controlling for land use and other factors, and appears to be more severe for smaller-bodied species. These results suggest that neonicotinoids could influence non-target insect populations occurring in proximity to application locations, and highlights the need for mechanistic work to complement long-term observational data.

scholarly journals Soil carbon response to land-use change: evaluation of a global vegetation model using observational meta-analyses

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 5661-5675 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvia S. Nyawira ◽  
Julia E. M. S. Nabel ◽  
Axel Don ◽  
Victor Brovkin ◽  
Julia Pongratz
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Observational Data ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Carbon Gain ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Global Vegetation

Abstract. Global model estimates of soil carbon changes from past land-use changes remain uncertain. We develop an approach for evaluating dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) against existing observational meta-analyses of soil carbon changes following land-use change. Using the DGVM JSBACH, we perform idealized simulations where the entire globe is covered by one vegetation type, which then undergoes a land-use change to another vegetation type. We select the grid cells that represent the climatic conditions of the meta-analyses and compare the mean simulated soil carbon changes to the meta-analyses. Our simulated results show model agreement with the observational data on the direction of changes in soil carbon for some land-use changes, although the model simulated a generally smaller magnitude of changes. The conversion of crop to forest resulted in soil carbon gain of 10 % compared to a gain of 42 % in the data, whereas the forest-to-crop change resulted in a simulated loss of −15 % compared to −40 %. The model and the observational data disagreed for the conversion of crop to grasslands. The model estimated a small soil carbon loss (−4 %), while observational data indicate a 38 % gain in soil carbon for the same land-use change. These model deviations from the observations are substantially reduced by explicitly accounting for crop harvesting and ignoring burning in grasslands in the model. We conclude that our idealized simulation approach provides an appropriate framework for evaluating DGVMs against meta-analyses and that this evaluation helps to identify the causes of deviation of simulated soil carbon changes from the meta-analyses.

scholarly journals Environmental and landscape significance of steppe mega-projects

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. V. Levykin ◽  
A. A. Chibilev ◽  
Yu. A. Gulyanov ◽  
M. M. Silantieva ◽  
G. V. Kazachkov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Industrial Complex ◽  
Cumulative Impact ◽  
Ecological Problems ◽  
Kulunda Steppe ◽  
Positive Effect

For the development of fundamental bases of strategy of rational steppe land use and its realization we analyzed the most significant steppe megaprojects - "Stalin's plan to transform the nature of forest steppe and steppe", the Virgin Lands Campaign of 1954-1963, Agrarian Reform of the 1990s. Both specific consequences of each project and their cumulative impact determining the modern appearance of steppe landscapes and their agro-ecological problems are established. The Altai Territory, primarily the Kulunda steppe, is considered a special arena of megaprojects in the steppes of Siberia, bearing all the features of the old-developed region, where the most positive effect of these projects was achieved. The interrelation between the main problems of modern steppe land use and the results of the considered megaprojects has been presented. The main problems of agrarian steppe land use have been revealed. Taking into account modern tendencies of development of agrarian and industrial complex three most probable scenarios of development of steppe agriculture landscapes are considered. They are neo-wildland, stagnation, and optimization scenario with adaptation of agricultural lands structure to natural-climatic conditions and requirements of market conditions, with concentration of intensive agriculture on the best lands and transformation of low-productive lands into long-term managed steppe fodder lands of adaptive animal husbandry.

Ecosystem Services for Environmental Sustainability

2022 ◽  
pp. 12-30
Author(s):  
Bhavya Kavitha Dwarapureddi ◽  
Swathi Dash ◽  
Saritha Vara
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Chief Factors ◽  
Gathering Data

Many of the most valuable contributions of ecosystems to human wellbeing are ecosystem services and are generally underrepresented in assessments. Indirect and direct factors including biophysical dynamics like soil properties, changing climatic conditions, plant functional structures, and anthropogenic activities like changes in land use and land degradation reduce ecosystem services. It is challenging and important to identify these factors and also to estimate their relative contributions to the degradation of ecosystem services. The chapter is an attempt to identify all these important factors and also suggest ways to enhance ecosystem services. Furthermore, incorporation of local knowledge would enable quantifying ecosystem services at a greater spatial resolution and also help in identifying chief factors influencing ecosystem service delivery. Furthermore, a long-term program needs to be established for gathering data towards streamlining ecosystem services wherein involvement of stakeholders is necessary for designing payments for these programs.

Central Otago - Built on gold, growing on grass.

2014 ◽  
Vol 76 ◽  
pp. 15-23
Author(s):  
Barrie J. Wills
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Land Use ◽  
National Economy ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Economic Potential ◽  
District Council ◽  
Definition Of

A warm welcome to our "World of Difference" to all delegates attending this conference - we hope your stay is enjoyable and that you will leave Central Otago with an enhanced appreciation of the diversity of land use and the resilient and growing economic potential that this region has to offer. Without regional wellbeing the national economy will struggle to grow, something Central Government finally seems to be realising, and the Central Otago District Council Long Term Plan 2012-2022 (LTP) signals the importance of establishing a productive economy for the local community which will aid in the economic growth of the district and seeks to create a thriving economy that will be attractive to business and residents alike. Two key principles that underpin the LTP are sustainability and affordability, with the definition of sustainability being "… development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Modelling of Moisture Movement in Wood during Outdoor Storage

2001 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 3-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Baronas ◽  
F. Ivanauskas ◽  
I. Juodeikienė ◽  
A. Kajalavičius
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Finite Difference ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Moisture Movement ◽  
Finite Difference Technique ◽  
Long Term Storage ◽  
Space Formulation ◽  
Term Storage

A model of moisture movement in wood is presented in this paper in a two-dimensional-in-space formulation. The finite-difference technique has been used in order to obtain the solution of the problem. The model was applied to predict the moisture content in sawn boards from pine during long term storage under outdoor climatic conditions. The satisfactory agreement between the numerical solution and experimental data was obtained.

DROUGHT OCCURRENCE UNDER LITHUANIAN CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laima TAPARAUSKIENĖ ◽  
Veronika LUKŠEVIČIŪTĖ
Keyword(s):  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Standardized Precipitation Index ◽  
Vegetation Period ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Precipitation Record ◽  
Calculation Step ◽  
Drought Conditions ◽  
The Standardized Precipitation Index ◽  
June July

This study provides the analysis of drought conditions of vegetation period in 1982-2014 year in two Lithuanian regions: Kaunas and Telšiai. To identify drought conditions the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) was applied. SPI was calculated using the long-term precipitation record of 1982–2014 with in-situ meteorological data. Calculation step of SPI was taken 1 month considering only vegetation period (May, June, July, August, September). The purpose of investigation was to evaluate the humidity/aridity of vegetation period and find out the probability of droughts occurrence under Lithuanian climatic conditions. It was found out that according SPI results droughts occurred in 14.5 % of all months in Kaunas region and in 15.8 % in Telšiai region. Wet periods in Kaunas region occurred in 15.8 %, and in Telšiai region occurrence of wet periods was – 18.8 % from all evaluated months. According SPI evaluation near normal were 69.7 % of total months during period of investigation in Kaunas and respectively – 65.5 % in Telšiai. The probability for extremely dry period under Lithuania climatic conditions are pretty low – 3.0 % in middle Lithuania and 2.4 % in western part of Lithuania.

Interrelationships between municipal spatial policy strategy and airport operation and development. Lodz Airport case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-79
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Nikorowicz-Zatorska
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Urban Planning ◽  
Cultural Development ◽  
The Other ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Spatial Management ◽  
The One ◽  
Surrounding Areas

Abstract The present paper focuses on spatial management regulations in order to carry out investment in the field of airport facilities. The construction, upgrades, and maintenance of airports falls within the area of responsibility of local authorities. This task poses a great challenge in terms of organisation and finances. On the one hand, an active airport is a municipal landmark and drives local economic, social and cultural development, and on the other, the scale of investment often exceeds the capabilities of local authorities. The immediate environment of the airport determines its final use and prosperity. The objective of the paper is to review legislation that affects airports and the surrounding communities. The process of urban planning in Lodz and surrounding areas will be presented as a background to the problem of land use management in the vicinity of the airport. This paper seeks to address the following questions: if and how airports have affected urban planning in Lodz, does the land use around the airport prevent the development of Lodz Airport, and how has the situation changed over the time? It can be assumed that as a result of lack of experience, land resources and size of investments on one hand and legislative dissonance and peculiar practices on the other, aviation infrastructure in Lodz is designed to meet temporary needs and is characterised by achieving short-term goals. Cyclical problems are solved in an intermittent manner and involve all the municipal resources, so there’s little left to secure long-term investments.

SELECTION WORK TO IMPROVE PRODUCTIVE AND BREWING QUALITIES OF SPRING BARLEY

1970 ◽  
pp. 38-40
Author(s):  
О. V. Levakova ◽  
L. М. Eroshenko ◽  
А. N. Eroshenko
Keyword(s):  
Protein Content ◽  
Spring Barley ◽  
Humus Content ◽  
Stability Index ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Extract Content ◽  
Labile Phosphorus ◽  
Loam Soil

The article presents and analyzes data of competitive varietal testing of promising varieties and lines of spring barley for yield and brewing qualities. Field studies were conducted in 2014–2017 on dark gray forest heavy loam soil. Agrochemical parameters are total nitrogen – 0.24%, humus content in a layer of 0-40 cm (according to Tyurin) – 5.19%, hydrolysis nitrogen – 123.5 mg / kg, salt extract pH – 4.92 mg-eq / 100g; labile phosphorus - 34.6 mg / 100g, labile potassium – 20.0 mg / 100g. The forerunner is winter wheat. Meteorological conditions in the years of research differed from each other and from the average long-term value. Barley samples were assessed by the protein content in the grain (GOST 10846-91), extract content (GOST 12130-77), weight 1000 grains (GOST 10842-89). Ecological plasticity was determined by the method proposed by E.D. Nettevich, A.I. Morgunov and M.I. Maksimenko, stability index (Ľ) by A. A. Gryaznov, indicator of stability level (Puss) by E. D. Nettevich and A. I. Morgunov. The main measure for assessing quality indicators is protein content. Many other biochemical and technological features of grain depend on its level. The experimental data convincingly testify to the significant influence of the soil and climatic conditions on the yield and, especially, on the brewing qualities of barley in the conditions of the Central Region of the Nonchernozem Zone. According to the studied traits, new valuable varieties Nadezhny, Sir, Noble and selection lines 141 / 1-09 h 746, 23 / 1-10 h 784, distinguished by high adaptability and resistance to adverse environmental factors, have been identified.

scholarly journals Soil erosion by snow gliding – a first quantification attempt in a subalpine area in Switzerland

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 3763-3775 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Meusburger ◽  
G. Leitinger ◽  
L. Mabit ◽  
M. H. Mueller ◽  
A. Walter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Sediment Yield ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Water Erosion ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Snow Gliding

Abstract. Snow processes might be one important driver of soil erosion in Alpine grasslands and thus the unknown variable when erosion modelling is attempted. The aim of this study is to assess the importance of snow gliding as a soil erosion agent for four different land use/land cover types in a subalpine area in Switzerland. We used three different approaches to estimate soil erosion rates: sediment yield measurements in snow glide depositions, the fallout radionuclide 137Cs and modelling with the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). RUSLE permits the evaluation of soil loss by water erosion, the 137Cs method integrates soil loss due to all erosion agents involved, and the measurement of snow glide deposition sediment yield can be directly related to snow-glide-induced erosion. Further, cumulative snow glide distance was measured for the sites in the winter of 2009/2010 and modelled for the surrounding area and long-term average winter precipitation (1959–2010) with the spatial snow glide model (SSGM). Measured snow glide distance confirmed the presence of snow gliding and ranged from 2 to 189 cm, with lower values on the north-facing slopes. We observed a reduction of snow glide distance with increasing surface roughness of the vegetation, which is an important information with respect to conservation planning and expected and ongoing land use changes in the Alps. Snow glide erosion estimated from the snow glide depositions was highly variable with values ranging from 0.03 to 22.9 t ha−1 yr−1 in the winter of 2012/2013. For sites affected by snow glide deposition, a mean erosion rate of 8.4 t ha−1 yr−1 was found. The difference in long-term erosion rates determined with RUSLE and 137Cs confirms the constant influence of snow-glide-induced erosion, since a large difference (lower proportion of water erosion compared to total net erosion) was observed for sites with high snow glide rates and vice versa. Moreover, the difference between RUSLE and 137Cs erosion rates was related to the measured snow glide distance (R2 = 0.64; p < 0.005) and to the snow deposition sediment yields (R2 = 0.39; p = 0.13). The SSGM reproduced the relative difference of the measured snow glide values under different land uses and land cover types. The resulting map highlighted the relevance of snow gliding for large parts of the investigated area. Based on these results, we conclude that snow gliding appears to be a crucial and non-negligible process impacting soil erosion patterns and magnitude in subalpine areas with similar topographic and climatic conditions.

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