Search results for "GRI"

Soil structural stability and erosion rates influenced by agricultural management practices in a semi-arid Mediterranean agro-ecosystem

2012

Unsuitable agricultural practices can cause loss in soil quality and erodibility to thus increase or trigger desertification under Mediterranean conditions. A field experiment was performed at the El Teularet-Sierra de Enguera Experimental Station (eastern Spain) to assess the influence during a 5-yr period of different agricultural practices on physical and chemical indicators of soil quality (total and water-soluble carbohydrates, glomalin-related soil proteins (GRSP), total organic carbon, aggregate stability (AS), vegetation cover and soil erosion). The management practices included residual herbicide use, ploughing, ploughing + oats, addition of oat straw mulch and a control (land aban…

CAN HELICICULTURE ACT AS A TOOL FOR EDIBLE LAND SNAILS’ NATURAL POPULATIONS’ MANAGEMENT IN ROMANIA?

2013

ABSTRACT Edible land snails are intensively exploited and the management of natural populations is a complex issue due the variety of factors involved. Two species of the genus Helix are present in our country, Helix pomatia and Helix lucorum, both of them collected since 1956. Although current legislation regulates the exploited amount and the dimension of collected snails, the exploitable amount is not assessed using appropriate ecological studies. The farming of edible snails has evolved in Romania especially during the period 2004-2008, the first farms being financed by the SAPARD Project. The inappropriate documentation on the matter of snail farming had lead to a quick failure of this…

Macronutrient leaching in a fertilized juvenile hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. × P. tremuloides Michx.) plantation cultivated in an agroforestry sy…

2017

Abstract Leaching of macronutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium from soils is of particular interest in the Baltic Sea region because of its adverse effects on water quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate macronutrient leaching in a juvenile hybrid aspen (Populus tremula L. × P. tremuloides Michx.) plantation cultivated in an agroforestry system and fertilized with biogas production residues, wastewater sludge and wood ash in hemi-boreal climate conditions. Analysis of macronutrient concentrations in the soil solution showed that annual macronutrient leaching decreased over time after the establishment of the plantation and application of fertilizers. Moreover, …

Cover crop management and water conservation in vineyard and olive orchards

2021

Abstract Sustainability in orchard crops is an important goal for farmers, decision-makers and consumers. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals emphasize the importance of the soils in the Earth System to achieve sustainability and accomplish the Land Degradation Neutrality Challenge. Within the world agriculture land, olive and vineyards are within the eldest crops in the world, and they are also the ones with the highest degree of soil degradation. Cover crops (CC) are widely accepted as sustainable crop management that reduces soil and water losses, restores organic matter, increases biodiversity and fertility in degraded agriculture soils. The agriculture land must shift into…

Litter contribution to soil organic carbon in the agriculture abandons processes

2015

Abstract. Mechanisms of litter decomposition, translocation and stabilization into soil layers are fundamental processes in ecosystem functioning as it regulates the cycle of soil organic matter (SOM), CO2 emission into the atmosphere, carbon sequestration into the soil. In this study, it was investigated the contribution of litters of different stages of Mediterranean secondary succession on Carbon sequestration, analyzing the role of earthworms on translocation of SOM into soil profile. For this purpose δ13C difference between meadow C4-Csoil and C3-Clitter were used in a field experiment. Four undisturbed litters of different stages of succession were collected (45, 70, 100 and 120 since…

Corrigendum to “Do conservative agriculture practices increase soil water repellency? A case study in citrus-cropped soils” [Soil Tillage Res. 124 (2…

2013

Data from: Effects of undergrowth removal and edge proximity on ground beetles and vascular plants in urban boreal forests

2019

Urban forests are regularly managed for human safety and aesthetic reasons, but they are crucial habitat for many species. Removals of undergrowth occur commonly in these forests, yet the ecological consequences of these operations are poorly understood. We sampled ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) and vascular plants along 20-m edge gradients in Finnish urban forests, in five stands treated 0.5−2.5 years earlier with undergrowth removal and in five untreated stands. We hypothesized that undergrowth removal and edge proximity would benefit opportunistic and open-habitat species, whereas shady-habitat species would be affected negatively. (1) Regarding carabids, diversity and evenness i…

Medio físico y características constructivas de galerías drenantes de aguas subálveas en ambientes semiáridos del sudeste español y Túnez

2021

Draining galleries are water collection systems that occurs frequently in various geomorphic contexts of semi-arid environments. In this article, we study those that take advantage of subalveal waters by means of different construction techniques, mainly 'cimbras' and 'cimbra-zanjas'. A comparison has been made between the Tunisian galleries and those of the Spanish SE that have these two characteristics: the exploitation of subsubalveal waters and surface detritic aquifers, and rainfall characteristics of semi-arid climates, specifically annual total rainfall between 300 and 400 mm. The work analyzes the environmental contexts of the selected galleries, especially geology, geomorphology, r…

An Epidemiological Study to Investigate Links between Atmospheric Pollution from Farming and SARS-CoV-2 Mortality.

2022

Exposure to atmospheric particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide has been linked to SARS-CoV-2 infection and death. We hypothesized that long-term exposure to farming-related air pollutants might predispose to an increased risk of COVID-19-related death. To test this hypothesis, we performed an ecological study of five Italian Regions (Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna and Sicily), linking all-cause mortality by province (administrative entities within regions) to data on atmospheric concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and ammonia (NH3), which are mainly produced by agricultural activities. The study outcome was change in all-cause mortality during March–Apri…

Effects of Air Tightness Tests on Steel Thin-Wall Box Structures with Circular and Rectangular Cross Sections

2019

In this paper, the effects of air tightness tests on steel box structures with rectangular or circular cross sections typical of port cranes (legs, arms, and crosspieces) are analyzed. Legs and arms are generally made with elements with profiles having a square or rectangular cross section, while the diagonal struts are made with profiles having circular cross sections. To verify the air tightness of these elements, a necessary requirement to protect them from corrosion if they are not protected with other protection techniques, air tightness tests are performed. These tests, in the framework of durability tests, must be carried out while maintaining the structure elasticity well below the …