Search results for "Agroforestry"

Jute bioblanket as a soil rehabilitation strategy in Sorocaba, Brazil: Soil chemistry and SWOT approaches

2019

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T08:28:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2019-09-01 Soil erosion and the invasion of exotic plant species are major constraints to achieve sustainable development around the world. Currently, we find few products devoted concomitantly to combatting soil erosion as well as the establishment of unwanted exotic plants. In this paper, we introduce a new product, called herein a bioblanket, that protects the soil and impedes the establishment of exotic plant species. This product is of simple design, and to manufacture it, we use two biodegradable materials: jute tissue and grass wastes. We designed this product to combat soil erosion and …

The effect of forest fuel harvesting on the fungal diversity of clear-cuts

2012

Abstract The removal of logging residues and stumps from clear-cuts has become a common forestry practice. Forest fuel harvesting decreases the initially low volume of dead wood in managed forests, but the biodiversity effects are poorly known. We studied the effects of forest fuel harvesting on decomposer fungi on clear-cut Norway spruce stands in central Finland. The number of occurrences and taxa of polypores, saprotrophic agarics and pleurotoid agarics were determined on 10 forest fuel harvested and 10 control clear-cuts 4–5 years after logging. In total, we recorded 148 fungal taxa. The total number of taxa, the number of polypore occurrences, and the number of polypore species within …

Economic evaluation of introduction of poplar as biomass crop in Italy

2014

Abstract Lignocellulosic biomass production deriving from agro forest species, as well as poplar ( Populus spp.), has denoted an increase in last years in UE also thanks to a series of policies aimed at reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and promoting renewable sources. In Italy poplar represents the main agro forest species and it is cultivated according to two different methods: very Short Rotation Coppice (vSRC) and Short Rotation Coppice (SRC). The aim of this paper has been to evaluate the economic feasibility of poplar as energy crop in the southern Italy and specifically to consider its competitiveness with respect to conventional crops. In particular, an economic analysis in a r…

The paradox of the alien plant Leucaena leucocephala subsp. glabrata (Rose) S. Zárate in Sicily: another threat for the native flora or a valuable re…

2020

With this contribution, an updated picture of the rapid expansion of Leucaena leucocephala subsp. glabrata in Sicily is provided. On the one hand, this is a quite worrying sign, as this woody species figures among the world’s worst invasive alien species. On the other hand, the species shows interesting potential for production purposes (for wood, biomass and for feeding livestock), also considering its nitrogen fixation ability. Consequently, the two opposite options to cope with this species, i.e. cultivation and control/eradication, should accurately take into account the possible uses as well as its invasive behaviou.

Yield and profitability of modified spanish bush and Y-trellis training systems for peach

2015

Peach trees trained to modified Spanish bush (MSB) and Y-trellis (Y) were evaluated and compared in the Mediterranean settings of Southern Italy. The observations included two peach (Rich May and Summer Rich) and two nectarine (Big Bang and Nectaross) cultivars. In the MSB system, trees were spaced at 4.5 x 2.5 m (888 trees/ha), whereas in the Y system, trees were spaced at 5.5 x 2 m (909 trees/ha). Costs at planting, yield per tree, fruit size grade, unit price of sold peaches for each size grade, amount and cost of materials and labor for cultural management, and grower's profit were quantified throughout all six years from planting and at full crop (year 4-6). Fixed costs of the MSB syst…

The Italian Almond Industry: New Perspectives and Ancient Tradition

2014

The almond industry in Italy presents a high degree of structural variability that is determined by the jeopardized coexistence of old, traditional orchards and new plantations that differ each other not only in terms of age but also mainly in terms of orchard system. Apulia and Sicily still remain the most important production areas where the 90% of the almond orchards are concentrated. In this southern part of Italy, almond and its derivatives still remain really important. In the last two decades, the Italian almond industry did not show a regular trend, neither with respect to production nor to acreage. An innovative almond industry revealed its consistency year after year since 2000: s…

First assessment of natural regeneration and seed dispersal of Persian walnut (Juglans regia L.) in Mediterranean agroecosystems

2020

Persian walnut (Juglans regia L.), which is native to Central Asia, has been widely cultivated throughout Europe over millennia as a multipurpose tree. However, only recently the naturalization process outside cultivation has been studied, mostly in temperate Europe, with no information regarding the Mediterranean region. Here we provide the first field investigations about the natural regeneration of walnut in two traditional Mediterranean agroecosystems: an irrigated mixed orchard in suburban areas and a non-irrigated prickly pear (Opuntia ficusindica [L.] Mill.) orchard. The natural regeneration densities were statistically different in the two agroecosystems, ranging from 75 individuals…

The agricultural heritage of Lampedusa (Pelagie Archipelago, South Italy) and its key role for cultivar and wildlife conservation

2011

As occurred on many other little Mediterranean islands, agricultural activity at Lampedusa (Strait of Sicily) underwent a very strong decline in terms of surface area during the second half of the last century. In particular, cereal crops have ceased and horticulture is disappearing, while vineyards still occupy a reduced area but are quickly vanishing and currently survive thanks to a small number of old farmers. Here are presented the results of a research carried out by interviewing seven farmers in order to study not only the techniques and the germplasm used in local viticulture, but also the final use of grapes and an evaluation on the connection between traditional farming and agro-e…

I cumuli di pietre denominati “Chirchiari” in Sicilia, tra ecologia e storia.

2010

Fitting the Stocking Rate with Pastoral Resources to Manage and Preserve Mediterranean Forestlands: A Case Study

2015

Pasture practices have affected Mediterranean forest ecosystems for millennia, and they are still quite widespread in mountainous areas. Nevertheless, in the last decades, the stability of forest ecosystems has been jeopardized due to the abandonment of traditional agro-pastoral practices, so that the gradual reduction of open areas due to progressive succession processes has caused a high increase of grazing pressure by livestock and wild ungulates feeding on forest areas. This paper aims at showing a methodological approach for evaluating the effect of applying measures in order to improve the grazing value of grasslands and ecotonal patches and lower the grazing impact on native woodland…