Search results for "FOREST"
showing 10 items of 3780 documents
Agro-ecological benefits of faba bean for rainfed Mediterranean cropping systems
2017
This paper reviews the main results from a set of experiments carried out in a semiarid Mediterranean environment during the past 25 years on faba bean (<em>Vicia faba</em> L.), a crop traditionally grown in southern Italy and Sicily under rainfed conditions. These experiments focused on the residual effects of faba bean on subsequent crop(s) and assessment of the nitrogen (N) balance during the crop cycle, paying attention to both the environmental release of N (losses via volatilisation and denitrification) and estimates of N2 fixation as influenced by tillage system, intercropping, and presence/absence of mycorrhizal inoculum. Faba bean relied on N2 fixation more than other g…
Contribution to the knowledge of Mediterranean wetland vegetation: Lemnetea and Potamogetonetea classes in Western Sicily
2021
The freshwater aquatic vegetation of the Lemnetea and Potamogetonetea classes in Western Sicily was surveyed and analyzed. 85 lakes and small pools were investigated collecting 147 phytosociological unpublished relevés to integrate the very scarce available data (only 3 relevés). By applying statistical analyses on abundances data and on the bases of physiognomy and dominant species, two alliances (Lemnion minoris and Stratiotion) and four different coenoses have been identify for the Lemnetea class; while 11 associations, assigned to two orders (Potamogetonetalia pectinati and Callitricho hamulatae-Ranunculetalia aquatilis) and four alliances (Potamogetonion, Nymphaeion albae, Ranunculion …
The critical period of weed control in faba bean and chickpea in Mediterranean areas
2013
Weeds are often the major biological constraint to growing legume crops successfully, and an understanding of the critical period of weed control (CPWC) is important for developing environmentally sustainable weed management practices to prevent unacceptable yield loss. Therefore, we carried out two field experiments to identify the CPWC for two grain legume crops traditionally grown in Mediterranean areas: chickpea and faba bean. The experiments were conducted at two sites both located in the Sicilian inland (Italy). In chickpea, when weeds were left to compete with the crop for the whole cycle, the grain yield reduction was on average about 85% of the weed-free yield, whereas in faba bean…
Heat requirements for loquat fruit development may be assessed with a Beta model approach
2018
In Mediterranean areas, loquat trees (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) typically bloom in fall and fruits develop during the winter period, reaching their ripening in spring. So far, little interest has been driven towards models capable of estimating heat requirements for the accomplishment of fruit development in the winter period. In this work, we verified whether in Mediterranean areas the heat accumulation (GDH) needed for loquat fruit growth, may be precisely described using a Beta model, a flexible mathematical function which, in the past, has been successfully used in peach. BBCH phenological stages of ‘Algerie’ trees were recorded in two experimental sites: Palermo, Italy (38°04’N, 13°2…
A ricardian analysis of the impact of climate change on permanent crops in a mediterranean region
2019
This is the first study which explores the impact of climate change in Sicily, a small Mediterranean region of Southern Europe. According to research, Mediterranean area has shown large climate shifts in the last century and it has been identified as one of the most prominent “Hot-Spots” in future climate change projections. Since agriculture is an economic activity which strongly depends on climate setting and is particularly responsive to climate changes, it is important to understand how such changes may affect agricultural profitability in the Mediterranean region. The aim of the present study is to assess the expected impact of climate change on permanent crops cultivated in Sicilian r…
Carbon storage of Mediterranean grasslands
2016
Secondary grasslands are one of the most common vegetation types worldwide. In Europe, and in the Mediterranean basin, human activities have transformed many woodlands into secondary grasslands. Despite their recognized role in the global carbon cycle, very few data are available for estimating the biomass of Mediterranean grasslands. We developed linear regression models in order to predict the biomass of two native Mediterranean grasses (Ampelodesmos mauritanicus and Hyparrhenia hirta) and an invasive alien grass (Pennisetum setaceum). Ampelodesmos mauritanicus is very common throughout the Mediterranean basin, mostly on north-facing slopes, H. hirta characterizes thermo-xeric grasslands,…
Discrimination of fish populations using parasites: Random Forests on a ‘predictable’ host-parasite system
2010
SUMMARYWe address the effect of spatial scale and temporal variation on model generality when forming predictive models for fish assignment using a new data mining approach, Random Forests (RF), to variable biological markers (parasite community data). Models were implemented for a fish host-parasite system sampled along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of Spain and were validated using independent datasets. We considered 2 basic classification problems in evaluating the importance of variations in parasite infracommunities for assignment of individual fish to their populations of origin: multiclass (2–5 population models, using 2 seasonal replicates from each of the populations) and 2…
Agronomic Evaluation and Chemical Characterization of Sicilian Salvia sclarea L. Accessions
2020
Clary sage (Salvia sclarea L.), known for its aromatic and medicinal properties, belongs to the Lamiaceae family. Although the species grows wild throughout Sicily, knowledge of its production and qualitative properties is limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the agronomic behavior of the species over two years of testing and to characterize the chemical properties of its wild counterparts in order to identify the most promising accessions for cropping or for use in breeding programs. Tests were carried out during 2008, 2009, and 2010. During the first year, the plot was established. Subsequently, the main parameters for bio-agronomic evaluation were taken in 2009 and 2010. Regard…
Seasonal effects on mortality rates and resprouting of stems treated with glyphosate in the invasive tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swin…
2015
Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is regarded as invasive within urban and natural areas worldwide. Efficient methods to control it are significantly needed if we are to limit its well-known environmental and economic impacts. Up to now the use of herbicides has proven necessary since following mechanical damage, Ailanthus vigorously resprouts. However, the seasonal response of Ailanthus stems, treated with herbicides, has never been assessed. We compared the control efficacy recorded in autumn, winter and summer in an abandoned suburban citrus grove in Sicily, under Mediterranean-climate conditions. Glyphosate was injected within drill holes made in knee-high cut trees. Tree mortality a…
Jellyfish blooms perception in Mediterranean finfish aquaculture
2017
7 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables, supplemental material https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2016.11.005