Search results for "Agroforestry"

Economic and Financial Comparison between Organic and Conventional Farming in Sicilian Lemon Orchards

2015

Sicily has a long tradition in citrus fruit cultivations that with vineyard and olive tree represent the main Mediterranean tree crops. In this paper we have evaluated the economic and financial sustainability of lemon production, both in organic farming and in conventional farming

Research strategies for the improvement of cactuspear (Opuntia ficus-indica) fruit quality and production

1995

Abstract Cactus pear ( Opuntia ficus-indica L.) is cultivated worldwide for fruit production either in the subsistence agriculture of dryland areas or as a cash crop. However, little horticultural research has been devoted to this species so far. Research needs related to reproductive biology as well as productivity and orchard management are outlined. A better knowledge of the environmental influence on reproductive biology and fruit quality, the control of fluctuations in plant cropping, as well as the reduction of seed number and size, are the major challenges for future research. Cactus pear will transcend the ethnical markets only if adequate marketing strategies can be promoted and fr…

Landowners’ willingness to promote bioenergy production on wasteland − future impact on land use of cutaway peatlands

2017

Landowners are the key players in bioenergy production on wasteland; such as cutaway peatlands. In this study, the landowner's interest to use cutaway peatlands for bioenergy production was investigated using a survey and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) methods in an area in South Ostrobothnia, Finland. The focus was to identify which different bioenergy production chains are preferred by the respondents: combustion, gasification or biogas production from agriculture, energy-willow short-rotation forestry or forestry based energy crops. Also, the influence of personal environmental values on the selection was measured and the future impacts and barriers for the land use were assessed. …

Planning land use for biogas energy crop production: The potential of cutaway peat production lands

2016

Each year, thousands of hectares of peatland that had been harvested are being released in Finland, which can offer an opportunity to increase energy crops and attain the bioenergy targets for non-agriculture lands. In this study, the Geographic Information System (GIS) method was used to improve the assessment of decentralized renewable energy resources. The amount of peat production lands and future cutaway areas for energy crop production was calculated as a case study by using ArcGIS and the Finnish Topographic database. There are almost 1000 km2 of peat production lands in Finland, and theoretically, approximately 300 km2 of cutaway peatlands could be used for energy crops after 30 yea…

Biopiracy of medicinal plants: Finding fair solutions for the use of natural resources.

2019

Horticultural management of Italian Pistachio orchard systems: current limitations and future prospective

2019

Pistachio production and consumption have strongly increased in the last years due to its capability to grow under limiting conditions, the profitability of this nut in the market and its well claimed healthy properties. The Sicilian pistachio industry is diminutive in comparison to big producing countries such as California and Iran. Its economical profitability is limited by a low productivity per surface area, strong alternate bearing, and long unproductive period, mainly associated with the lack of implementation of innovative management practices. This “traditional” agricultural system is surviving in a highly competitive international market thanks to the unique organoleptic profile o…

Dynamic Animal Populations in Managed Forests: Species Ecological Requirements and Sustainable Harvesting

2015

Forest management has altered forested environments and provoked stress to many natural habitats and biodiversity. The goal of biodiversity management is the long-term persistence of populations in human-modified environments. We demonstrate a spatio-temporal modeling approach to address the relationship between various management objectives and population persistence in the long-term in a commercial forest landscape. We used the flying squirrel (Pteromys volans), the three-toed woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus) and the long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus) as example species. They are all forest species but they have distinctly different habitat requirements. In the model, forest growth, f…

A new list and prioritization of wild plants of socioeconomic interest in Italy: toward a conservation strategy

2021

Wild harvested plants (WHP) and crop wild relatives (CWR), part of the segment of natural diversity that is collectively known as ‘Plant Genetic Resources’, have great socioeconomic importance for humans because they are used either directly or in crop breeding. In order to lay down a solid base for constructing conservation strategies for Italy, an updated annotated list of CWR and WHP was produced for the country including information on known uses. Taxa included in the list were then prioritized using a pragmatic approach based on their value, native status, and need of protection or monitoring.

Pinus halepensis M. versus Quercus ilex subsp. Rotundifolia L. runoff and soil erosion at pedon scale under natural rainfall in Eastern Spain three d…

2017

Abstract Afforestation aims to recover the vegetation cover, and restore natural ecosystems. The plant species selected for restoration will determine species richness and the fate of the ecosystem. Research focussing on the impact of vegetation recovery on soil quality are abundant, especially on fire affected land and where rehabilitation, afforestation and restoration projects were carried out. However, little is known about how different plants species affect soil erosion and water losses, which are key factors that will impact the fate of the afforested land. Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis M.) is the species commonly used for afforestation in the Mediterranean and is very successful whe…

On the mend of bryophyte conservation in Spain: preparing a proposal for the inclusion of bryophytes in national species protection catalogues

2018

The Spanish bryoflora contains 1291 taxa, 272 of them included in the Spanish Red List under any threat category. Although bryophytes show a low rate of endemicity compared to vascular flora, Spanish administration’s responsibility for the conservation of these plants is very high, since the country has 63 exclusive or rare species on a European or world scale. However, the representation of this group of plants in the Spanish legislation on species conservation is merely anecdotal. Royal Decree 139/2011 of 4 February develops a list of wild protected species (LESRPE and CEEA, Spanish abbreviations) and includes only 10 species of bryophytes, all of them from the Directive Habitats and the …