Eastern Mediterranean ecosystems are prone to desertification when under grazing pressure. Therefore, management of grazing intensity plays a crucial role to avoid or to diminish land degradation and to sustain both livelihoods and ecosystem functioning. The dynamic land-use model LandSHIFT was applied to a case study on the country level for Jordan. The impacts of different stocking densities on the environment were assessed through a set of simulation experiments for various combinations of climate input and assumptions about the development of livestock numbers.

Total phosphorus (TP) concentrations are known to be a significant factor influencing fish populations in Minnesota lakes. Consequently, a primary focus of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to address fish habitat in lakes across the state has been to determine relationships between TP concentrations and watershed conditions in Minnesota lakes. Because phosphorus concentrations in Minnesota lakes vary widely corresponding to differences in geomorphology, nutrient criteria were established by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for specific ecoregions.

PURPOSE: Visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) reflectance measurements may be an alternative technique to identify suspended sediment sources in streams of headwater catchments. In this study, we examined if Vis-NIR reflectance measurements are capable of estimating sediment source contributions to sediment yield and compared this technique with a more conventional (i.e. geochemical) technique.

The European Union Rural Development Policy (RDP) for the period 2007–2013 seeks to establish a coherent and sustainable framework for the future of Europe's rural areas and is closely related to the improvement of living conditions in the countryside involving aspects of housing, the environment, infrastructure, communication, employment possibilities, land management, etc. Such interventions are very welcome in many Central and Eastern European countries where land reform after the collapse of the Soviet regime has resulted in a worrying drift towards rural depopulation.

This paper describes the development and implementation of a method to measure the transaction costs in situations of multiple land-use, where the actions of one actor have negative effects on the other and vice versa (i.e., where the two actors’ usage patterns are interdependent). In situations where more than one agent is using a limited resource, transaction costs arise, which may affect the governance of that resource. For example, in northern Sweden the forestry and reindeer husbandry sectors incur transaction costs during consultations over land-use management.

Intact riparian zones maintain aquatic–terrestrial ecosystem function and ultimately, waterway health. Effective riparian management is a major step towards improving the condition of waterways and usually involves the creation of a ‘buffer’ by fencing off the stream and planting vegetation. Determination of buffer widths often reflects logistical constraints (e.g. private land ownership, existing infrastructure) of riparian and adjacent areas, rather than relying on rigorous science.

Agricultural land use and sugarcane residue management effects on soil bacterial communities at two long-term sites in KwaZulu/Natal, South Africa, were investigated by PCR-DGGE. Land uses at site 1 were maize [M]; pre-harvest burnt sugarcane [SC]; permanent kikuyu pasture [KIK]; pine forest [PF]; wattle forest [W] and undisturbed native grassland [NAT], whereas land managements at site 2 were pre-harvest burning of sugarcane [Bto] or green cane harvesting with retention of a trash mulch [T] (with [F] or without [Fo] fertilizer additions).

The regional variability in the uses of wild yams is assessed according to their availability in relation with land-use and climatic conditions from the South to the North sudanian sectors in Western Burkina Faso. The study involves field studies and modelling of the geographical distribution of yams and seeks correlations between environmental and ethno-biological data. Terrain analysis consists of phyto-ecological surveys and interviews with local inhabitants. A cluster analysis of a multi-date image of data obtained by remote-sensing is used to assess land-cover.

The article examines the use of the fertile layer of soil and its reproduction, shows the qualitative
composition of lands of Stavropol Territory. Some basics mechanism of reproduction of agricultural land are presented. The main methods of reproduction of fertility of the soil – agrotechnical actions (use of rational system of agriculture – optimum crop rotations, chemicalixation, melioration) are proved.