Land use and land cover change (LUCC) can modify the physical and thermodynamic characteristics of the land surface, including surface roughness, albedo, and vegetation fraction, among others. These direct changes can result in a series of impacts on regional climate. In this paper, the simulated results over China under the scenario of LUCC using weather research and forecasting model are presented. The period for the simulation is from December 2006 to December 2011. Two experiments are initialized by the LUCC datasets derived from the MODIS data of 2001 and 2008, respectively.

This report exemplifies the short, well-focuses formal survey emphasized in CIMMYT's on-farm research procedures. The survey was done in northern Veracruz, Mexico, where CIMMYT Maize Production Training carries out on-farm experiments. The report summarizes farmers' circumstances, describes management practices in maize, and draws conclusions for research opportunities.

Leading climate change experts within the international scientific community support the use of forest carbon sinks as a climate change mitigation tool. Functioning regulatory and voluntary carbon offset frameworks within the United States recognize forest offsets with varying levels of stringency. Emerging carbon emission reduction legislation outlines a regulatory cap-and-trade system with provisions for significant domestic forest-related offsets.

Previous studies have shown that collective property rights offer higher flexibility than individual property and improve sustainable community-based forest management. Our case study, carried out in the Beni department of Bolivia, does not contradict this assertion, but shows that collective rights have been granted in areas where ecological contexts and market facilities were less favourable to intensive land use. Previous experiences suggest investigating political processes in order to understand the criteria according to which access rights were distributed.

In the conditions of the Republic of Belarus there was analysed the experience of state regulation of agricultural lands rotation in foreign countries. There were determined the key aspects of functioning of developed market of agricultural lands, which should be accounted and controlled by organs of state authority. There were systematized multiple forms and methods of state intervention into market rotation of lands. On this basis there was developed the purpose, tasks and methods of regulation of land rotation for the developing market of lands in the Republic of Belarus.

Riparian zones are an important habitat for a range of bat species and, as a consequence, understanding whether land use practices such as timber harvesting influence their use is important for conservation and management. This small-scale study used bat activity as a measure of the use of riparian and up-slope zones along headwater streams by bats, and to determine whether past timber harvesting influenced the use of these areas by bats by comparing regrowth with no retained riparian buffers and mature forest.

The homegardens represent an important component of the trees outside forests (TOF) in the rural ecosystem which fulfill a range of subsistence and economic needs besides providing many environmental services. The present work was focused on the identification and mapping of rural homegardens as a component of the trees outside forests in the larger landscape of the three districts—Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj, of Barak Valley, Assam, northeast India.

Low-lying coastal areas are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change as they are highly prone for inundation to SLR (Sea-Level Rise). This study presents an appraisal of the impacts of SLR on the coastal natural resources and its dependent social communities in the low-lying area of Vellar–Coleroon estuarine region of the Tamil Nadu coast, India. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) derived from SRTM 90M (Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission) data, along with GIS (Geographic Information System) techniques are used to identify an area of inundation in the study site.

Soybeans (Glycine max) serve as one of the most valuable crops in the world, not only as an oil seed crop and feed for livestock and aquaculture, but also as a good source of protein for the human diet and as a biofuel feedstock. The world soybean production increased by 4.6% annually from 1961 to 2007 and reached average annual production of 217.6 million tons in 2005-07. World production of soybeans is predicted to increase by 2.2% annually to 371.3 million tons by 2030 using an exponential smoothing model with a damped trend.

California ranchers in urban Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, and in rural Tehama County, were surveyed to examine effects of increasing development, land use change, and attrition of the ranching community on their commitment to ranching, and to assess land conservation program acceptability. Questions were about practices, reasons for ranching, and what influences ranching's future. Ranchers share much in common. Most enjoy ranching, "feeling close to the earth," living in a "good place for family life," and the camaraderie in the ranching community.

The population of the medicinal plant, Malabar nut (Justicia adhatoda L.) is shrinking in Dun valley due to habitat fragmentation, invasion by Lantana camara, over-exploitation, and an ever-increasing human population – the most important being the increasing demand on land for agriculture, industries and the urbanization. Predicting potential geographic distribution of the species is important from species and habitat restoration point of view.