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Closed depressions are common landscape features across glaciated landscapes. Erosion and runoff from depression hillslopes may result in phosphorus (P) accumulation near the bottom of the depression, with this "legacy P" potentially at risk of loss to surface waters when drained via tile drainage. We assessed spatial patterns of soil P within a tile‐drained watershed in northeastern Indiana as a function of landscape position and agricultural management practices. Paired soil samples (depression bottom vs. hillslope contributing area) were collected from agricultural (n = 14) depressions at four depths (0–60 cm). Water‐extractable phosphorus (WEP), Mehlich‐3 extracted phosphorus (M3‐P), total phosphorus (TP), Hedley P fractions, and other physical and chemical characteristics were determined. To assess the risk of P loss, P desorption from surface soils (0–5 cm) was quantified using flow‐through experiments. Results showed that WEP, M3‐P, and TP were 2–10 times greater in the depression bottom compared to hillslopes across all depths. Long‐term management practices such as P application history and tillage influenced the magnitude of soil P concentration, degree of P saturation, and vertical stratification of soil P. Flow‐through experiments highlighted that the risk of P loss was highly dependent on M3‐P concentration for both hillslope and depression soils. Findings therefore indicate that closed depressions may act as hotspots for P cycling and loss in tile‐drained watersheds. Including low‐lying depressional areas as part of a routine soil sampling strategy combined with variable rate P application could lessen P accumulation in depressions and reduce P loading to surface waters. Core Ideas: Phosphorus accumulation in closed depressions of a tile‐drained watershed was assessed.WEP, Mehlich‐3 extracted phosphorus (M3‐P), and total P were significantly greater near the depression bottom compared to hillslopes.Topography and agricultural management influenced P accumulation within depressions.Phosphorus desorption during flow‐through experiments showed that P loss was dependent on M3‐P concentration.Soil sampling in depressions combined with variable rate P application could reduce the risk of P loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the course of the postglacial period has managed to add degrade a substantial portion of the world's potential agricultural land. The soil loss and degradation that has repeatedly impacted regional societies around the world resulted from agricultural practices that increased the physical loss of soil (erosion), reduced soil organic matter, changed pH (acidification) or salinity, and disrupted or altered communities of soil life. In the coming century, as continued soil degradation threatens global food security while the global population keeps rising it is imperative that farmers develop and adopt soilhealth building (regenerative) practices to solve a problem that has plagued societies throughout history. Growing evidence suggests that agricultural systems that combine cover crops, reduced tillage, and diverse crop rotations can reduce erosion, enhance soil health and rebuild soil organic matter to cultivate beneficial soil life and harvest both economic and environmental benefits. In the coming post-oil world, global food security would benefit from a global effort to promote soil restoration to help addresses the challenge of sustainably feeding the world, increase soil-based carbon sequestration, protect on-farm biodiversity and reduce off-farm water pollution. Because soil security sets a solid foundation for global food security, agricultural policies and subsidies should be reformed to encourage farmers to adopt regenerative, soil-building practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amidst the agricultural landscape of Ghana lies a complex interplay of practices governing the use of approved pesticides and adherence to safety standards among farmers. By analysing data gleaned from 400 farmers through the multistage sampling technique, our aim is reveal the multifaceted influences that shape farmers' decisions in the use of approved pesticides and safety compliance. Age, education, marital status, farm ownership, experience, farm size, access to equipment and services, cooperative membership, secondary occupations, and income, significantly influence farmers' choices in the use of approved pesticides. Furthermore, compliance with safety protocols is found to be influenced by factors such as farm size, access to extension services, and the perceived relative advantage of pesticides. We advocate for policies that promote the use of approved pesticides and prioritise safety standards in agricultural practices. This may include strengthening regulatory frameworks, incentivising sustainable farming practices, and enforcing penalties for noncompliance with safety regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background This study aims to study, through a socio-systemic approach, the cohabitation between agricultural land and gold panning, if not the occupation of agricultural land by gold panning. To this end, we decided to focus on the case of the rural commune of Bancoumana, Kati circle, Koulikoro region, an agricultural area par excellence, but faced with the invasion of gold panning. This commune, located on the outskirts of Bamako, is experiencing a desire for its land suitable for agriculture (cereals, citrus fruits, fruits and vegetables). Through this study, we ask the question of how agriculture coexists with gold panning? What are the effects and impacts of one on the other? What measures or arrangements have been taken by the politicaladministrative authorities to protect agricultural land from gold panning? How are these measures perceived by the populations, particularly farmers? Goal and Objectives: Study the cohabitation between agricultural land and gold panning. This involves studying the effects, if not the impacts, of one on the other. Methodology: To carry out the study, our approach is based on empirical research methods. First, we carry out a documentary analysis in order to pose the problem of the study. Secondly, we carry out field surveys using individual and collective interview guides with the stakeholders concerned, in particular farmers, gold miners, local and regional authorities, and managers of farmers' defense NGOs. For the analysis of the data collected in the field, we favored the analysis of thematic content according to our centers of interest. The data collected in the local "Bambara" language were transcribed into French for this purpose. Results: The results of the study reveal that the idleness of rural and urban young people explains their rush to gold panning areas. It also shows that gold panning seriously impacts agriculture, particularly family farming. The impacts are of several orders. Encroachment or invasion on agricultural areas, flight of agricultural labor, decline in agricultural productivity, decline in agricultural income and land conflicts between farmers and gold miners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honey bees exhibit age polyethism and thus have a predictable sequence of behaviors they express through developmental time. Numerous laboratory studies show exposure to pesticides may impair critical honey bee behaviors (brood care, foraging, egg-laying, etc.) that adversely affect colony productivity and survival. There are fewer studies that examine the impacts of pesticides in natural field settings, especially given the challenges of implementing treatment groups and controlling variables. This study helps address the need for impact studies on pollinators under field conditions to assess the consequences of chemical overuse and dependency in agricultural and urban landscapes. To assess the impact of systemic pesticides in a natural field setting on worker bee behavioral development, observation hives were established to monitor changes in behaviors of similarly aged workers and sister queens within 2 experimental groups: (i) colonies located near point-source systemic pesticide pollution (pesticide contaminated treatment), and (ii) colonies embedded within a typical Midwestern US agricultural environment (control). In this study, worker bees in the contaminated environment exhibited important and biologically significant behavioral differences and accelerated onset of hive tasks (i.e. precocious behavioral development) compared to similarly aged bees at the control site. Queen locomotion was largely unaffected; however, the egg-laying rate was reduced in queens at the contaminated (treated) site. These results show that environmental pesticide exposure can disrupt colony function and adversely affect worker bee behavioral maturation, leading to reduced worker longevity and decreased colony efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In pursuing advancing solar energy systems, this research uniquely occupies a position at the intersection of photovoltaic (PV) efficiency, innovative design and aesthetic integration into urban landscapes. This study explores the potential of thin solar cells applied to spherical and hemispherical surfaces and the influence of temperature variations throughout the day. By conducting a comprehensive analysis of voltage–current diagrams, the study deciphers the intricate interconnections of spherical geometries and their response to external thermal impacts, elucidating their subsequent effects on energy conversion efficiency. Moreover, it delved into the dynamics of connecting multiple spherical modules, unveiling their potential to form artistic and utilitarian constructs such as solar trees and architectural embellishments. The findings indicate that while spherical configurations provide superior aesthetics and a power generation profile comparable to solar tracking systems, hemispherical configurations offer a 32% increase in efficiency compared with the spherical configuration and a notable reduction in land footprint. This research underscores the importance of striking a balance between aesthetic appeal, efficiency and land utilization, providing valuable insights for the future of PV technology integration into urban and agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated landscape management is a timely answer to China's missions of achieving ' harmony between humanity and nature ' and ' synergistic high-quality development of social-economic-natural complex ecosystems.' It is also a theoretical and practical framework for achieving the goals of ecological restoration, farmer livelihood improvement, and the synergistic improvement of the quality of the natural landscape and the well-being of residents. Following the concept of ecological and livelihood inclusive development and based on the theoretical and practical achievements of integrated landscape management overseas, this study provides a new perspective for the modernization of China's ecological governance system and governance capacity through the analysis of semantic structure, value logic, the theoretical paradigm, the action framework, and the practice of integrated landscape management. The main findings include: First, integrated landscape management is a strategic framework for synergistically achieving the multiple goals of agricultural production, ecosystem conservation, sustainable natural resource management, and human health and well-being. Second, integrated landscape management is a direct manifestation of the concept that ' lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,' a concrete practice of ' production space-living space-ecological space' coordination, the best way to enhance ' ecological security-production security-livelihood security,' and a governance system that achieves ' top-down' and 'bottom-up' integration and adaptation. Third, integrated landscape management is a composite logic of ecological governance with multi-objective synergy, multi-objective dialogue, multi-scale interaction, multi-action connectivity, and multi-link adaptation. Fourth, integrated landscape management is an ecological governance system action consisting of identifying the list of problems and related subjects, clarifying action goals and governance measures, designing management programs and support mechanisms, and implementing integrated actions and assessments. Based on the above conclusions, this study embeds the theoretical paradigm and action framework of integrated landscape management in the context of the operational practice of the Grain to Green Program in China, reflects scientifically on the possible improvement directions of the Grain to Green Program, and provides practical examples for integrated landscape management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to use landscape grass from species-rich orchards for biogas production, thus preserving these very valuable areas for future generations. Since these grass clippings have high lignocellulose content, the substrate has to be pretreated before being fed into the biogas digester. In this study, three different mechanical treatment processes (cross-flow grinder, ball mill and a mounted mower) were investigated and compared with untreated grass clippings. Chemical composition, specific methane yield, degradation kinetics and microscopic images were analyzed. In order to derive recommendations, the harvesting and pretreatment processes were examined in terms of energy demand, additional methane yield, and suitability of the substrate for use in biogas plants, taking into account conservation aspects. Within the pretreatment process, ball milling leads to the highest significant increase in specific methane yield of up to 5.8% and the fastest gas formation kinetics (lag time λBM: 0.01 ± 0.0 d; duration to reach half of total gas production ½M(x)BM: 5.4 ± 0.2 d) compared to the untreated variant (λUT: 1.02 ± 0.2 d; ½M(x)UT: 6.5 ± 0.2 d). A comparison of the energy required for the mechanical disintegration of the substrates with the increased yield of methane during the digestion process shows that the mechanical processing of these substrates appears to be useful. A positive energy balance was achieved for the cross-flow grinder (12.3 kWh tVS−1) and the ball mill (21.4 kWh tVS−1), while the Amazone Grasshopper left a negative balance (−18.3 kWh tVS−1), requiring more energy for substrate pretreatment than was generated as methane surplus. In summary, the pretreatment of landscape management grass is a suitable approach for utilizing agricultural residues efficiently in a biogas plant and thus contributing to sustainable energy production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land cover classification is one of the most common applications of remote sensing and is used for developing and modifying land management policies on agricultural landscapes to achieve conservation and economic goals, such as reducing grassland degradation and improving livestock and crop production. In this study, the grassland classification of the crown lands (public grasslands in Canada) from a newly developed remotely sensed dataset in the Prairie Province of Manitoba (i.e., the Manitoba Grassland Inventory, MGI) was assessed in terms of accuracy by comparison to non‐spatial government records. The analysis consisted of (i) converting non‐spatial records from the provincial crown land database to spatially‐defined parcels by performing parcel delineations using geographic information system (GIS) and R programming tools, (ii) summarising the MGI classification at the same spatial scale, and (iii) comparing the agreement between MGI and the crown land database. The most common land cover types identified were: forest (30%) and shrubland (25%), followed by native (10%) and tame (9%) grasslands. However, the class agreements between woody (i.e., forests and shrublands) and grassy (i.e., native and tame grasslands) vegetation classes were low between these datasets because of their spectral similarities. Based on these results, we suggest additional refinements on both sensor and ground data to improve the classification agreement between these datasets. This study is one of the first attempts to compare ground‐collected government records against a remotely sensed product in Manitoba. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Green Revolution, the management of agrochemicals has become a cornerstone of agriculture, allowing it to expand over terrestrial ecosystems previously deemed unsuitable for cultivation. Such expansion altered the connectedness of aquatic habitats to organisms with complex life cycles by increasing the number of temporary ponds in interfluves. Here, we investigate how spatial isolation and intensification in the use of agrochemicals can interact to increase or decrease the permeability of agricultural fields to these organisms by affecting community structure in temporary ponds.We carried out a field experiment that simulates realistic scenarios of agrochemical contamination at different levels of spatial isolation. We constructed 45 1200‐L artificial ponds in a Savanna landscape in Brazil at three distances from a source wetland (30, 120, and 480 m). The ponds were spontaneously colonized by aquatic insects and amphibians and treated with no agrochemicals (control), fertilizers (as in managed pastures) or fertilizers and a single pulse of the insecticide fipronil and the herbicide 2,4‐D (as in sugarcane fields) following realistic dosages and application schedules.Communities treated only with fertilizers generally exhibited a higher abundance of aquatic insects at the peak of the rainy season, suggesting that fertilization caused bottom‐up effects. However, because low spatial isolation and fertilization favoured different predatory taxa, their insect prey eventually became less abundant in less isolated fertilized ponds. Communities treated with fertilizers and pesticides diverged strongly from other treatments after the application of the insecticide, when a decrease in insect abundance indirectly benefitted amphibian populations. In this case, spatial isolation delayed the recovery of the abundance of several herbivore and detritivore insects in isolated ponds.Synthesis and applications. These results have direct consequences for the emergence of insects and amphibians, possibly affecting important ecosystem services. Such consequences can be controlled by avoiding agrochemical contamination at the peak of most taxa reproductive season or through changes in spatial isolation by deliberately constructing wetlands in interfluves. In all cases, the effects of agrochemicals and isolation must be addressed jointly for a successful management of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green development is an inevitable trend in the modernization of agriculture and rural areas, and promoting the green development of agriculture has always been an important measure for China's sustainable growth. However, due to the influence of diverse regional environments and the wide range of landscapes in China, a largely agricultural country, China is facing ongoing challenges in improving the overall level of agricultural green development and narrowing regional differences, which has recently garnered worldwide attention. This study aims to measure and analyze the agricultural green development level of 30 provinces in China (Tibet, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan are not included in the target areas of this research due to a lack of data). Here, we applied GIS technology, an entropy-TOPSIS (technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution) model, quantitative analysis methods such as global spatial autocorrelation analysis, coldspot and hotspot analysis, and a spatial Durbin model to construct measurement models and index systems, after which we performed a comprehensive spatiotemporal analysis of China's agricultural green development level. Furthermore, the present study also analyzed the factors that influence agricultural green development in China. The present study demonstrated that: (i) between 2005 and 2020, China's overall level of agricultural green development exhibited a fluctuating upward trend, with significant improvement and enhancement in most provinces. However, the overall level of China's agricultural green development remains low, and differences at the provincial level are particularly prominent, with the main regions displaying the following descending development pattern: Eastern > Central > Western regions. (ii) The level of China's agricultural green development shows clear signs of spatial aggregation, characterized by spatial dependence and heterogeneity. Although this phenomenon is gradually weakening over time, the high levels of agricultural green development in the eastern regions and low levels in the western regions are likely to persist in the near future. (iii) Green agricultural structure, technology supply, agricultural mechanization level, and arable land area are the key factors influencing China's level of agricultural green development. Among these factors, technology supply, agricultural mechanization level, and arable land area have the largest direct impact, whereas green agricultural structure has a positive spatial spillover effect on the level of agricultural green development. Technology supply has both a positive direct impact and a negative indirect impact on the level of agricultural green development. Therefore, further improving technology supply and agricultural mechanization level can directly promote China's agricultural green development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolving customer demands have significantly influenced the operational landscape of agricultural companies, including the transformation of their supply chains. As a response, many organizations are increasingly adopting green supply chain practices. This paper focuses on the initial step of selecting a green supplier, using the case study of the Semberka Company. The objective is to align the company with customer requirements and market trends. Expert decision making, grounded in linguistic values, was employed to facilitate the transformation of these values into fuzzy numbers and subsequently derive rough number boundaries. Ten economic-environmental criteria were identified, and six suppliers were evaluated against these criteria. The fuzzy rough LMAW (Logarithm Methodology of Additive Weights) method was employed to determine the criteria weights, with emphasis placed on the quality criterion. The fuzzy rough MABAC (Multi-Attributive Border Approximation Area Comparison) method was then utilized to rank the suppliers and identify the top performer. The validity of the results was established through validation techniques and sensitivity analysis. This research contributes a novel approach to green supplier selection, employing the powerful tool of fuzzy rough sets. The flexible nature of this approach suggests its potential application in future investigations. The limitation of this study is more complicated calculations for the decision maker. However, this approach is adapted to human thinking and minimizes ambiguity and uncertainty in decision making, and in future research, it is necessary to combine this approach with other methods of multi-criteria analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to obtain land characters and qualities data and to determine land suitability for clove and nutmeg and their spatial distribution in Nusalaut Island, Central Maluku Regency. The results showed that the land suitability for clove are marginally suitable class (S3) with the coverage area is 1452.38 ha or 66.51%, and the limiting factors are water availability and nutrient retention (wa, nr) limiting factors and unsuitable class (N) of 731.52 ha or 33.50 %. While the land suitability for nutmeg are moderate suitable (S2) with root media and nutrient retention (rc, nr) limiting factors and the coverage area is 123.75 ha or 5.66%, S2nr of 409.93 ha or 18.77%, slope (S2eh) limiting factor with the coverage area is 918.7 ha or 42.1% and the unsuitable class (N) with the area of 731.52 ha or 33.50 %. The land suitability of the clove and nutmeg is located in the Other Used-Areas (APL) with the area of 2183.63 ha, while total land units in the study area is 2697 ha. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian communities maintain ecological balance by eliminating pests, providing ecosystem services, and acting as biological indicators, thereby playing a pivotal role in conserving agricultural landscapes’ integrity and stability; thus from an environmental monitoring standpoint, assessment of bird aggregations in various landscapes is necessary. A three-year (2021, 2022 and 2023) bird survey was conducted to document the checklist, density, and diversity of bird species assemblage of agricultural landscapes in the Karnal district of Haryana, India, to obtain the richness of birds in different agricultural habitats. A total of 79 bird species from 36 families and 14 orders were recorded; two bird species (Alexandrine Parakeet and BlackHeaded Ibis) are listed as Near Threatened in the ‘IUCN’ (2010) category. Seventeen avian species with global declining population trends are present in the study area. The Passeriformes order, with 44 species, is the most diverse in the study area. In all habitats, analysis of food and feeding guilds, as well as perching activity, revealed that the insectivorous guild (29) is dominant, followed by Omnivore (25), Carnivore (11), Granivore (7), Frugivore (5), and Nectarivore (2). The results of this study indicate that, in order to enhance the quality of bird habitat in agricultural landscapes, biodiversityfriendly farming practices should be adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mountain Law, No. 197 of July 20, 2018, regulates the methods of protection and sustainable and inclusive development of the mountainous area through the valorization of natural and human resources, improvement of living standards, population stabilization, preservation of cultural identity, and increase in economic power at the local and national levels, all while maintaining ecological balance and protecting the natural environment. The mountainous area of Romania is considered a special, strategic, economic, social, and environmental territory of national interest. Due to limitations in the use of agricultural land caused by altitude, climate conditions, slopes, geological substrate, high costs of works, living conditions, infrastructure, business environment, access to education, and medical services, it is considered disadvantaged. Through the Mountain Law, the approval of the Program for Encouraging Activities in the mountainous area is granted, with an allocation of 1 billion euros over a period of 10 years from its entry into force, from the state budget, through the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. This Program serves as a source of support for performance in the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. There are funding programs for investments in three areas aimed at the residents of the mountainous area: Investments for the establishment of milk collection and/or processing centers; Investments for the establishment of mountain pastures; Investments for the establishment of primary collection and processing centers for forest fruits, mushrooms, and/or medicinal and aromatic plants. Beneficiaries of the investment programs can be individual authorized persons, individual enterprises, family enterprises, producer groups, agricultural cooperatives, legal entities, and legal entities engaged in agriculture and/or the food industry. Eligible beneficiaries, regardless of the type of investment they choose, must cumulatively meet the following conditions: operate in the mountainous area, access only one type of investment once throughout the entire Program period, and not have received similar support under the National Rural Development Program (PNDR) 2014-2020, including during the transition period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on the spatiotemporal variability of soil properties and states within the agricultural landscape is vital to identify management zones supporting precision agriculture (PA). Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic induction (EMI) techniques have been applied to assess soil properties, states, processes, and their spatiotemporal variability. This paper reviews the fundamental operating principles of GPR and EMI, their applications in soil studies, advantages and disadvantages, and knowledge gaps leading to the identification of the difficulties in integrating these two techniques to complement each other in soil data studies. Compared to the traditional methods, GPR and EMI have advantages, such as the ability to take non-destructive repeated measurements, high resolution, being labor-saving, and having more extensive spatial coverage with geo-referenced data within agricultural landscapes. GPR has been widely used to estimate soil water content (SWC) and water dynamics, while EMI has broader applications such as estimating SWC, soil salinity, bulk density, etc. Additionally, GPR can map soil horizons, the groundwater table, and other anomalies. The prospects of GPR and EMI applications in soil studies need to focus on the potential integration of GPR and EMI to overcome the intrinsic limitations of each technique and enhance their applications to support PA. Future advancements in PA can be strengthened by estimating many soil properties, states, and hydrological processes simultaneously to delineate management zones and calculate optimal inputs in the agricultural landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the dispersal and use of corridors by wildlife in wooded patches of an agricultural landscape in New Bussa. The study was undertaken to derive information on the species of wildlife associated with different habitat corridors in both wet and dry seasons in the area, as well as to determine their relative abundance and diversity in the area. The direct/indirect method of census was used. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics (tables), and Analysis of Variance [ANOVA] was used to test if species distribution differed between habitats. The results showed that compared to the dry season, the rainy season had the greatest diversity of mammal species. In both the wet and dry seasons, there are more animal species in fencerows and hedgerows. During the two seasons, it was discovered that Agama agama, Rattus rattus of the Muridae family and Rousettus acguptiacus of the Pteropodidae family, Sciurus spermophilus, Sciurus carolinensis, and Epomophorus ganbianus were quite common in all habitat categories.. The Estrildidae family, followed by the Ardedae family, has the largest relative abundance among the various bird species. While avian species diversity in the three habitat types in the wet and dry seasons indicates substantial species diversity in all habitats, mammal species diversity between habitats was considerably low (P>0.05) in both the wet and dry seasons. Therefore, in the agricultural environment of New Bussa, all habitat corridors with representative samples of animals are valuable for wildlife conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial distribution of soil phosphorus (P) is important to both biogeochemical processes and the management of agricultural landscapes, where it is critical for both crop production and conservation planning. Recent advances in the availability of large environmental datasets together with big data analytical tools like machine learning have created opportunities for evaluating and predicting spatial patterns in complex environmental variables like soil P. Here, we apply a random forest machine learning model to publicly available soil P datasets together with nearly 300 geospatial attributes summarizing aspects of soil type, land cover, land use, topography, nutrient inputs, and climate to predict total soil P at a 100 m grid scale for the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB), USA. The UMRB is one of the most intensively farmed regions in the world and is characterized by widespread water quality degradation arising from P-associated eutrophication. Although potentially complex interacting drivers determine total soil P, the predictive accuracy of our random forest model was relatively high (R2 = 0.58 and RMSE = 129.3 for an independent validation dataset). At the regional scale represented by our model, the variables with the greatest comparative importance for predicting soil P included a combination of soil sample depth, land use/land cover, underlying soil physical and geochemical properties, landscape features (such as slope, elevation and proximity to the stream network), nutrient inputs, and climate-related factors. An important product of this research is a fine-scale (100 m) raster data layer of predicted total soil P values for the UMRB for public use. This dataset can be used to improve conservation planning and modeling efforts to improve water quality in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale farming by agricultural land transfers has been increasingly promoted in recent years, but the possible impacts on crop production, especially cash crops, and soil acidification remain unclear. This study obtained data for 110 banana plantations in Long'an County, China, and categorized them into small (< 0.67 ha), medium (0.67-6.7 ha), and large (> 6.7 ha) to determine banana cultivation, nutrient management, and soil acidification rates on farms of the three sizes. Banana yield per unit area significantly increased with increased farm size, and large farms had the highest average yield (48.9 t·ha-1) with the least variation. Despite a significant increase in organic fertilizer and base cation inputs, nitrogen (N) surplus did not differ significantly with increasing farm size. With large farms, actual soil acidification rate was significantly lower by 19.1 to 24.0 keq·ha-1·yr-1; however, potential soil acidification rate increased with increased overuse of phosphorus. Overall, larger banana plantations used fewer mineral N fertilizers reducing the rate of soil acidification and increasing the H+ buffering provided by organic fertilizers. It is concluded that larger farms deliver the dual benefits of higher, less variable banana yield and mitigation of soil acidification by substituting organic N for mineral N fertilizers, supporting sustainable soil management and food production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscapes combine a physical dimension and intangible aspects related to perception and representation. Agricultural landscapes are the result of a combination of natural (ecological conditions, climate, topography) and agronomic factors (cultivation choices, farming techniques and infrastructure, such as terraces or hydraulic infrastructure), as well as intangible factors (practices, know-how, values). Four example of agricultural landscapes are presented and discussed: landscapes related to a complex irrigation system with historical channels, called bisses, in the canton of Valais, Switzerland; hydraulic infrastructure for water and sediment harvesting - called jessour - in the arid context of Southeast Tunisia; wooded pastures in the Jura karstic mountains in Switzerland; and finally the terraced vineyard of Lavaux (canton of Vaud, Switzerland) inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The description of agricultural and landscape characteristics and the overview of some important management challenges allow proposing four recommendations for the sustainable management of agricultural landscapes: (i) to consider agricultural landscapes as living cultural landscapes, which means that landscape protection needs to go beyond pure conservationist approaches; (ii) to ensure healthy agricultural economy in order to sustainably manage agricultural landscapes; (iii) to consider not only the physical landscape (crops, infrastructure) but also the intangible farming practices and their transmission when speaking of agricultural landscape management; (iv) to adopt systemic approaches including various actors, in particular farmers, to guarantee sustainable management of agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land degradation is a major threat to food security in Sub Saharan Africa. Low infiltration rates in degraded soils increase the risk of surface runoff and decrease soil and groundwater recharge, resulting in further loss of soil fertility, water scarcity and crop failure. Increasing woody vegetation typically enhances soil infiltrability but little is known about how species may have differential effects on the soil hydrological properties. The aim of this study is to understand how woody vegetation and its functional properties affect soil fertility and infiltrability.We measured field‐saturated soil hydraulic conductivity (Kfs) and soil organic carbon (SOC) in 38 plots across agricultural landscapes in Muminji, Kenya. Woody vegetation and land use inventories took place and species functional traits were measured on the 63 most abundant species. We systematically tested the effects of vegetation quantity (aboveground woody biomass and vegetation cover) and quality (functional properties and diversity) on soil health (Kfs as a proxy for soil infiltrability and SOC for soil fertility).We found that both vegetation quantity and quality affected soil health. Aboveground woody biomass increased the Kfs and we found a nearly significant positive effect of vegetation cover on SOC. Woody plants with a low leaf thickness positively affected Kfs and a nearly significant negative effect of wood moisture content on SOC was found.Synthesis and applications. This study demonstrates that the systematic assessment of vegetation can lead to evidence‐based recommendations to guide land restoration. We found that avoiding bare soil and promoting woody plants, while favouring species with thin leaves and avoiding species with a very low wood density and water storage strategy, is beneficial for soil health across agricultural landscapes in East African drylands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wise-use of land resources determines sustainability of environment and human welfare. But, the ongoing land-use change constrains environmental sustainability. Thus, this study aims to quantify past and future land-use change trend with its associated drivers in Koore's agricultural landscape of Southern Ethiopia. To quantify the change trends, geospatial tools were applied. A CA–Markov model was used to predict land-use changes. Relative Importance Index was used to identify major drivers of the change. The result of the study showed agroforestry, built-up and cultivation rise by 192%, 152% and 18% at the expense of natural environment. Population growth and agricultural expansion are among the leading land-use change drivers. CA–Markov model revealed a continued increment of anthropogenically modified land-use classes which adversely affect the sustainability of the landscape. Information on spatiotemporal dynamics has been confirmed as effectual measure for nature conservation, agriculture, urban planners, and policymakers to plan sustainable development actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological restoration of land space is one of the most important contents to promote agricultural production in recent years. The cultivated land is also one of the major carriers in agricultural space. A better tradeoff between cultivated land and forest can greatly contribute to the ecological protection and restoration. However, the agricultural land has been fragmented by rapid urbanization, particularly by the transfer of cultivated to marginal land, and the unreasonable land use. Therefore, it is very necessary to accurately identify the ecological patterns of cultivated land for the decision-making on the high-quality development and the scientific restoration of land space. Taking Jiangxi Province of China as the research area, this study aims to improve the scientific and reasonable zoning of the spatial layout during ecological restoration. The identification angles of cultivated land were set as the key points of agricultural spatial ecological diagnosis, according to the standard on Compilation of Provincial Land Spatial Ecological Restoration Planning (Draft for Comment). Some aspects were considered, including the ecological restoration functions of degraded land, the distribution scope and degree of ecological space stress caused by agricultural development, the landscape connectivity, and the negative impact on the mine ecology. The ecological cultivated land was closely related to the spatial restoration of agricultural production. Four indicators were then identified for the fragmentation of cultivated land, mine damage, soil erosion, and the conflict with ecological land. The index degree was also calculated using Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), landscape index, land use transfer matrix, and GIS spatial analysis on each ecological restoration. Furthermore, the comprehensive index of ecological restoration was constructed using the combination weight. The ecological restoration of cultivated land was divided systematically, according to the division method of watershed, main ecological challenges, and restoration degree. The results show that: 1) The mild erosion of cultivated land was found in the study area during 2000-2018. The total area of soil erosion decreased by 50.98%. But the worse erosion was observed in the upper reaches of Ganjiang River, and the area around Poyang Lake. There was a great increase in the patch density and fragmentation of cultivated land, indicating the discrete aggregation tends. Specifically, the cultivated land was occupied 739.15 km2 of ecological land, such as forest land, water area, and wetland. The cumulative area (13.18 km²) of cultivated land was destroyed by the abandoned mines, such as the building materials, brick clay, and rare earth metals. 2) There was the outstanding spatial differentiation in the comprehensive index of the cultivated land during ecological restoration. Eight river basins and nine types of secondary areas were then subdivided into 38 sub-districts, according to the key restoration of soil and water conservation, the mine ecology, ecological land, and cultivated land connectivity. Two recommendations were given: 1) The Xinjiang and Xiushui basins need to strengthen the soil and water conservation, as well as the mine ecological restoration. 2) The ecological conflict remediation of cultivated land and the mine ecological restoration can be focused on the central areas of Poyang Lake, Raohe River basin, and the upper reaches of Ganjiang River. The finding can provide a strong support to the high-quality development of cultivated land in agricultural space in national land spatial planning. A scientific basis can also be offered to the ecological restoration layout of agricultural space in Jiangxi Province of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous observation and management of agriculture are essential to estimate crop yield and crop failure. Remote sensing is cost-effective, as well as being an efficient solution to monitor agriculture on a larger scale. With high-resolution satellite datasets, the monitoring and mapping of agricultural land are easier and more effective. Nowadays, the applicability of deep learning is continuously increasing in numerous scientific domains due to the availability of high-end computing facilities. In this study, deep learning (U-Net) has been implemented in the mapping of different agricultural land use types over a part of Punjab, India, using the Sentinel-2 data. As a comparative analysis, a well-known machine learning random forest (RF) has been tested. To assess the agricultural land, the major winter season crop types, i.e., wheat, berseem, mustard, and other vegetation have been considered. In the experimental outcomes, the U-Net deep learning and RF classifiers achieved 97.8% (kappa value: 0.9691) and 96.2% (Kappa value: 0.9469), respectively. Since little information exists on the vegetation cultivated by smallholders in the region, this study is particularly helpful in the assessment of the mustard (Brassica nigra), and berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum) acreage in the region. Deep learning on remote sensing data allows the object-level detection of the earth's surface imagery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southern Malawi is continuously affected by tropical cyclone-related floods (TCRFs), which have negative consequences on households' livelihoods, thereby displacing most households to neighbouring communities of Mozambique. The TCRFs have further threatened national, regional, community, and household food security agenda, which is already constrained by poverty, poor agricultural practices, low use of improved varieties, unaffordable inorganic fertilizers, and fragmenting landholding sizes. Accordingly, households have indigenously engineered resilience-based Sustainable Landscape Management (SLM) practices, like intercropping, agroforestry, cover cropping, and soil and water conservation practices, against the adverse effects of TCRFs on-farm productivity. Hence, this study examines the effect of TCRFs and SLM adoption on-farm productivity. While using rigorous endogenous switching regression econometric tools, the study finds TCRFs reducing farm productivity by 27 percent. After SLM adoption, the study observes farm productivity enhancement by 29-126 percent when households adopt at least one SLM practices under varying degrees of TCRFs. Despite the highlighted advantages of SLM adoption, female farmers are less likely to adopt SLM practices because they do not have access to productive resources. Hence, the study proposes the need of gender targeted extension services, accompanied by some seed capital for SLM adoption. Besides, there is need to sensitize farmers on the complementarities between inorganic fertilizer and SLM practices. Lastly, future studies should assess the effect of sustained SLM adoption or dis-adoption and input intensification on farm productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dung beetles are important actors in the self‐regulation of ecosystems by driving nutrient cycling, bioturbation, and pest suppression. Urbanization and the sprawl of agricultural areas, however, destroy natural habitats and may threaten dung beetle diversity. In addition, climate change may cause shifts in geographical distribution and community composition. We used a space‐for‐time approach to test the effects of land use and climate on α‐diversity, local community specialization (H2′) on dung resources, and γ‐diversity of dung‐visiting beetles. For this, we used pitfall traps baited with four different dung types at 115 study sites, distributed over a spatial extent of 300 km × 300 km and 1000 m in elevation. Study sites were established in four local land‐use types: forests, grasslands, arable sites, and settlements, embedded in near‐natural, agricultural, or urban landscapes. Our results show that abundance and species density of dung‐visiting beetles were negatively affected by agricultural land use at both spatial scales, whereas γ‐diversity at the local scale was negatively affected by settlements and on a landscape scale equally by agricultural and urban land use. Increasing precipitation diminished dung‐visiting beetle abundance, and higher temperatures reduced community specialization on dung types and γ‐diversity. These results indicate that intensive land use and high temperatures may cause a loss in dung‐visiting beetle diversity and alter community networks. A decrease in dung‐visiting beetle diversity may disturb decomposition processes at both local and landscape scales and alter ecosystem functioning, which may lead to drastic ecological and economic damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species‐specific responses to landscape configuration and landscape composition have been studied extensively. However, little work has been done to compare intraspecific differences in habitat preferences. Bats have potential as good bioindicator taxa in woodland habitats. Therefore, studying sex differences in responses to woodland and the wider landscape can allow us to gain insight into the relative importance of these habitats for both bats and other taxa. In this study, we aimed to test the predictions that (i) habitat type and connectivity will influence the probability of recording female bats in woodlands and (ii) sex differences in response to habitat type and connectivity will be species‐specific. Bat capture data was collected in 206 woodlands over 3 years in England. The probability of detecting females relative to males was modeled in response to a range of woodland characteristics and landscape metrics for six bat species. We recorded sex differences in responses to landscape features in three species. We found a higher probability of capturing female Myotis nattereri in woodlands that were surrounded by a higher proportion of improved grasslands, whereas female Myotis mystacinus were less likely to be recorded in woodlands surrounded by semi‐natural vegetation. Female Plecotus auritus were more likely to be recorded in isolated woodlands with less connectivity to other woodlands and where agriculture dominated the surrounding landscape. Our findings indicate that sexual segregation occurs across several UK bat species in response to landscape connectivity and composition. Sexual segregation in response to landscape characteristics in bats should therefore be an important consideration in the management of fragmented agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oilseed rape is an ideal model crop of great significance for research on agricultural-tourism integration and multi-functional development of agriculture. This paper explores the application of technologies for agricultural tourism based on rape flowers in rural revitalization of China. It includes perspectives of technologies for colorful rape flowers, flowering time regulation, multi-season blooming and farm landscape, aiming to further utilize the industrial potential of the multiple functions of agricultural crops, and promote the development of agriculture and rural economy to serve the strategic need of rural revitalization in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their negative environmental impacts, human-modified environments such as agricultural and urban landscapes can have a relevant role on biodiversity conservation as complements of protected areas. Such anthropized landscapes may have endangered, valuable, and nuisance species, although most of them do not fit in any of these categories. Therefore, in such environments we must deal with the same decision-making process concerning the same possible interventions proposed by Caughley (1994) to wildlife management, which are related to biological conservation, sustainable use, control/coexistence, and monitoring. Such decision-making process should be based on good science and good governance. On such context, the first step should be to implement multifunctional landscapes, which keep their primary mission of human use, but incorporate a second but fundamental mission of biological conservation. In this study we present a summary of the research carried out at the Biota Program of Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) in this field since the late 1990's and propose priorities for biodiversity research and governance in multifunctional landscapes for the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural water demand (AWD) and irrigation water demand (IWD) were assessed (2009–2018) over India using geostationary and polar orbiting satellites. A novel concept of satellite based composite crop-coefficient was introduced to address bulk AWD from mixed agricultural landscape. Significant spatio-temporal variation of AWD was observed over India. The decadal mean of annual AWD was found to be 1521 km3 contributing around 52% (789 km3) and 48% (732 km3) in kharif and rabi seasons, respectively. The decadal average IWD over India was found to be 360 km3. At annual scale, around 75% of AWD was found fulfilled by effective rainfall and the rest 25% is the IWD. The decadal trend of AWD and IWD showed significant increasing trend over Indian region. The study provides a baseline reference for regional agricultural water management policy over diverse agro-climatic regions of India with an opportunity to optimize AWD and IWD at different locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multistakeholder platforms (MSPs) are the subject of increasing attention and investment in the domain of collaborative natural resource governance, yet evidence-based guidance is slim on policy and investment priorities to leverage the MSP approach. We provide a comparative analysis of eight landscape-level MSPs spanning seven countries (Peru, Brazil, India, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and a cross-border case from Kenya and Somalia), representing a diversity of resource systems covering forests, rangelands, and multiuse agricultural landscapes. Applying an adapted social-ecological systems framework, our synthesis identifies the influence of these MSPs on patterns of stakeholder interaction and draws implications for the design and organization of MSPs that are both appropriate and effective. From the cases, we distill lessons addressing: (1) how to design an MSP in relation to the governance context, including the fit between institutional and ecological dimensions of the system and with attention to cross-scale linkages; (2) how to implement inclusive processes that address power inequities, including through capacity building and procedural rules; and (3) how to support adaptive learning to expand the MSP's influence over time, including monitoring outcomes, adapting the scope of stakeholder engagement, and investing in MSP durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We suspect that trios are unlikely to be unique to Sarus cranes and that this is an overlooked social unit that requires wider attention in other crane species. First, we describe behaviors of one trio observed (by K. S. G. Sundar) in southwestern Uttar Pradesh between 1999 and 2015 while studying Sarus crane population dynamics (please refer to Sundar, 2011). Proportions of Sarus crane groups that were trios were lower in districts with higher Sarus crane densities (Appendix S1: Figure S4). [Extracted from the article]

Biodiversity in European agricultural landscapes is at stake, with many once widespread species now being endangered, extinct or confined to few areas.So is the Danube Clouded Yellow butterfly, Colias myrmidone, with few populations left in three Eastern European countries, namely Poland, Slovakia and Romania. However, ecological understanding of its relationship to environmental conditions and land‐use practises is piecemeal.Here, we quantify the environmental conditions determining the distribution of C. myrmidone for some of its last known strongholds in Romania.We performed random stratified searches for the butterfly and its hostplant Chamaecytisus sp. in and around three Natura 2000 sites in Transylvania, which we have subdivided into 100 × 100 m grid cells. During 2016–2019, we observed C. myrmidone in 1765 grid cells. Logistic regression modelling related the presence of C. myrmidone and its hostplant to temperature, precipitation, slope, distance to forest, land cover and aspect.The butterfly was more likely to occur with higher temperatures and higher precipitation and was associated with flat and slightly inclined slopes near forests. Furthermore, the probability was higher on grasslands, pastures and in agricultural mosaic landscapes compared to arable land and forests, with a preference for an Eastern and north‐western aspect. We extrapolated these findings to predict potential other areas of occurrences with a precision of 91%.Our resulting map may be useful for conservationists to prioritise assessments and area‐based conservation strategies for safeguarding this highly endangered species also outside the designated Natura 2000 sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problems of atmospheric pollutants are causing significant concern across the globe and in India. The aggravated level of atmospheric pollutants in the surrounding environment poses serious threats to normal living conditions by deteriorating air quality and causing adverse health impacts. Pollutant concentration increases during harvesting seasons of Kharif/Rabi due to stubble burning and is aggravated by other points or mobile sources. The present study is intended to monitor the spatio-temporal variation of the major atmospheric pollutants using Sentinel-5P TROPOMI data through cloud computing. Land Use/Land Cover (LULC-categorization or classification of human activities and natural coverage on the landscape) was utilised to extract the agricultural area in the study site. It involves the cloud computing of MOD64A1 (MODIS Burned monthly gridded data) and Sentinel-5P TROPOMI (S5P Tropomi) data for major atmospheric pollutants, such as CH4, NO2, SOX, CO, aerosol, and HCHO. The burned area output provided information regarding the stubble burning period, which has seen post-harvesting agricultural residue burning after Kharif crop harvesting (i.e., rice from April to June) and Rabi crop harvesting (i.e., wheat from September to November). The long duration of stubble burning is due to variation in farmers' harvesting and burning stubble/biomass remains in the field for successive crops. This period was used as criteria for considering the cloud computing of the Sentinel-5P TROPOMI data for atmospheric pollutants concentration in the study site. The results showed a significant increase in CH4, SO2, SOX, CO, and aerosol concentration during the AMJ months (stubble burning of Rabi crops) and OND months (stubble burning of Kharif crops) of each year. The results are validated with the ground control station data for PM2.5/PM10. and patterns of precipitation and temperature-gridded datasets. The trajectory frequency for air mass movement using the HYSPLIT model showed that the highest frequency and concentration were observed during OND months, followed by the AMJ months of each year (2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021). This study supports the role and robustness of Earth observation Sentinel-5P TROPOMI to monitor and evaluate air quality and pollutants distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural intensification leads to wide ranging changes in habitats along with reduction in nesting site availability and flower resources for wild pollinators. Yet, little is known about the impact of these changes on functional traits of communal ground‐nesting bees.This study assesses the abundance and body size of a common and widespread North American ground‐nesting bee, Agapostemon virescens, throughout three consecutive years at three land use types: (i) unmowed meadows, (ii) conventional pesticide use and mowed agricultural and (iii) organic pesticide‐free mowed landscapes.We found no difference in abundance among the three land use types, but body size of spring bees was smaller at farmlands than meadow sites. Body size also varied among years, and bees were smaller in years that followed warm and dry summer seasons. Spring bees were particularly small at organic farms in years following dry and warm summers.Our results suggest that the smaller size of overwintering bees at agricultural lands could compromise their long‐term survival. This study indicates that a higher frequency of dry and warm summers as a consequence of climate change can impede bee populations in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern agriculture is becoming increasingly pollinator-dependent. However, the global stock of domesticated honeybees is growing at a slower rate than its demand, while wild bees are declining worldwide. This uneven scenario of high pollinator demand and low pollinator availability can translate into increasing pollination limitation, reducing the yield of pollinator-dependent crops. However, overall assessments of crop pollination limitation and the factors determining its magnitude are missing. Based on 52 published studies including 30 crops, we conducted a meta-analysis comparing crop yield in pollen-supplemented versus open-pollinated flowers. We assessed the overall magnitude of pollination limitation and whether this magnitude was influenced by (i) the presence/absence of managed honeybees, (ii) crop compatibility system (i.e. self-compatible/self-incompatible) and (iii) the interaction between these two factors. Overall, pollen supplementation increased yield by approximately 34%, indicating sizable pollination limitation. Deployment of managed honeybees and self-compatibility were associated with lower pollination limitation. Particularly, active honeybee management decreased pollination limitation among self-compatible but apparently not among self-incompatible crops. These findings indicate that current pollination regimes are, in general, inadequate to maximize crop yield, even when including managed honeybees, and stress the need of transforming the pollination management paradigm of agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensified agricultural production systems relying on larger field sizes and homogeneous landscapes result in land degradation, biodiversity losses, and impaired ecosystem services, particularly regulating services such as water and climate regulation. A multifunctional landscape composition and configuration promises higher ecosystem functionality by balancing ecological and economic provisioning functionality for food, fuel, and fiber. However, to the best of our knowledge, not much is known about the synergies and trade-offs of different landscape compositions and configurations and landscape designs providing ecosystem functionality in economic and ecological dimensions. We addressed the question whether the ecosystem functionality of agricultural landscapes can be improved at given levels of economic valuation. We quantified potential improvements of ecosystem functionality through multifunctional landscape composition and configuration. We identified agricultural landscapes that provide high ecosystem functionality at their level of economic valuation, given that such regions may serve as role models for a target landscape composition. Using an eco-efficiency approach based on the non-parametric order -m estimator, we quantified potential improvements of ecosystem functionality at the agricultural landscapes scale. We used the 20 km2 hexagonal grid level in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. We described landscape composition and configuration using spatially explicit land cover data from the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS); land value data indicated the economic output of the landscape. We investigated robustness of our results under different grid specifications (10–50 km2) and using subsamples of regions with similar environmental conditions. We found on average high eco-efficiency of agricultural landscapes in the study region. We also found notable improvement potentials in at least one ecological indicator that were spatially clustered. The results suggest the potential for Pareto improvements, i.e., increasing landscape eco-efficiency without sacrificing economic outputs. We present a novel empirical approach to evaluate the eco-efficiency of agricultural landscapes and investigate spatial patterns of eco-efficiency at the landscape scale. We modeled landscapes' potential multifunctionality at a fine regional scale using indicators for landscape composition and configuration based on spatially explicit and highly granular land use and land management data. We relied on publicly available data, and our approach can serve to develop monitoring or policy evaluation at the landscape scale. [Display omitted] • Multifunctional landscape composition and configuration promises higher ecosystem functionality. • We quantify improvement potentials of ecosystem functionality for a given level of economic output. • Eco-efficiency analysis uses granular spatially explicit data to represent economic output and ecosystem functionality. • Agricultural landscapes show spatially clustered improvement potentials in at least one ecological dimension. • Approach can serve to develop and monitor locally adapted policies at landscape scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial water bodies in agricultural landscapes (hereafter 'farm dams') are established primarily to support livestock and crop production but also provide habitats for a wide range of native species. Managing water quality in farm dams is essential to animal production and biodiversity. Farm dam enhancement, which includes restricting direct access of stock to dams, can improve water quality in farm dams, by reducing soil erosion and direct faecal contamination, as well as reducing the trampling, grazing, and browsing of vegetation in the immediate catchment. We tested farm dam enhancement as a tool to improve and maintain water quality in 109 farm dams across 34 farms over three years in the sheep-wheat belt of southeast Australia. Using Bayesian Linear Mixed Models, we found that farm dam enhancement significantly reduced levels of phosphorus, nitrogen, turbidity, thermotolerant coliforms, Escherichia coli , and pH. Furthermore, our study revealed links between dam enhancement, increases in vegetation cover, and improved water quality. Our results show that restoration efforts in the surrounds of dams can have positive results on water quality. They highlight the importance of restoration in agricultural landscapes to both agricultural production and biodiversity. • Managing water quality in farms dams is essential to production and biodiversity. • Dams can be enhanced by restoring vegetation and reducing direct stock access. • Dam enhancement significantly reduced levels of phosphorus and nitrogen. • It also reduced turbidity, thermotolerant coliforms, and Escherichia coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the impact of the effluent from four constructed wetlands on the structure of the macroinvertebrate and macrophyte communities in the receiving watercourses including the river Pesnica and the Sejanci Stream and Pavlovci Stream in NE Slovenia. Macroinvertebrates and macrophytes were sampled on the sites upstream and downstream of the inflows. Selected environmental parameters were also analyzed on each site. Among the measured chemical and physical parameters, the concentration of NH 4 –N in the water was the only one that was changed significantly by the inflow from constructed wetlands (CWs). The metrics obtained on the base of the macroinvertebrate community, including the values of diversity indices, the proportion of sensitive taxa and the saprobic index, revealed no significant statistical differences between the upstream and downstream values. Inflows of effluent also have no detectable impact on macrophytes. The removal of degradable organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended solids from the wastewater in studied CWs was sufficient to support this situation, and this has been encouraging to construct new CWs. • The concentration of NH 4 -N was significantly higher downstream the CWs. • Inflows had no detectable influence on macrophyte and macroinvertebrate communities. • Wider usage of similar CWs is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kettle holes are found in young moraine landscapes and serve as an important habitat for amphibians. The loss of amphibians has been dramatic in recent decades, mainly because of the increase in land use intensity and deterioration of habitats e.g., kettle holes in agricultural landscapes. We monitored amphibian species on three organically managed farms in north-eastern Germany to get an overview of their occurrence and proof of reproduction to develop effective protection strategies. From 2016 to 2020, we investigated 50 kettle holes in cultivated fields. In 2018, we implemented the nature conservation measure 'cutting back dense wooded belts' in six of these kettle holes. Here, we focused on seven species considering four highly endangered species. We found six to seven species in up to 17 kettle holes in the 44 kettle holes without the measure 'cutting back dense wooded belts'. Bombina bombina occurred at the most kettle holes (57%). The number of kettle holes where amphibians reproduced differed strongly. On average, at least one species reproduced at 58% of the kettle holes. Many kettle holes become overgrown with negative effects for amphibians due to the reduction in solar irradiation and higher water consumption. The nature conservation measure increased the number of species on average from two to four and the number of species with reproduction from one to three. It is one of more than 100 measures in the 'Farming for Biodiversity' project that farmers can choose to receive a nature conservation certificate, which can be used for marketing purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural landscapes support multiple functions and are of great importance for biodiversity. Heterogeneous agricultural mosaics of cropland and grassland commonly result from variable land use practices and ecosystem service demands. Switzerland's agricultural land use is considerably spatially heterogeneous due to strong variability in conditions, especially topography and climate, thus presenting challenges to automated agricultural mapping. Nationwide knowledge of the location of cropland and grassland is necessary for effective conservation and land use planning. We mapped the distribution of cropland and permanent grassland across Switzerland. We used several indices largely derived from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery captured over multiple growing seasons and parcel-based training data derived from landholder reporting. The mapping was conducted within Google Earth Engine using a random forest classifier. The resulting map has high accuracy in lowlands as well as in mountainous areas. The map will act as a base agricultural land cover dataset for researchers and practitioners working in agricultural areas of Switzerland and interested in land cover and landscape structure. The map as well as the training data and calculation algorithms (using Google Earth Engine) are freely available for download on the EnviDat platform 10.16904/envidat.205 (Pazúr et al., 2021). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article attempts to define and determine the intangible components of cultural heritage related to the spatial structure of land in a comprehensive way using computational methods. The components were quantified and a method of empirical evaluation of landscape durability was proposed for agricultural areas of significant cultural and historical value with an evident mosaic structure of fields, baulks, ponds, meadows, and forests. This method allows us to identify places more resistant to political transformation and those with greater cultural potential. The paper proposed an integrated approach to the measuring of the degree of preservation of spatial arrangements in the landscape based on a set of objects that describe the spatial land structure. The article classifies areas by the degree of preservation of rural spatial arrangements of land. The spatial analysis employed facilitated a synthetic quantification of the multi-criteria process. Three groups of factors were used: spatial assessment of land-cover type persistence (u), agricultural land structure persistence (w), and persistence of settlement buildings (z). The final results pinpointed areas in need of strategic intervention to sufficiently protect the rural cultural heritage, properly consider them in zoning planning, and ensure their sustainable development. The proposed tool can be used to monitor the degree of changes in the landscape layout structure when multiple time points are analysed as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remnant trees and forest fragments in agricultural landscapes can be important sources of propagules to facilitate forest recovery. However, many studies simply quantify forest cover in the surrounding landscape as a percentage, with little attention given to species composition, and subsequently fail to detect an effect on recruitment patterns. We assessed the relative importance of the spatial distribution and life‐history traits of 77 tree species on recruitment patterns at a landscape scale in a well‐replicated long‐term restoration study in southern Costa Rica. We censused and mapped potential mother trees in a 100‐m buffer surrounding eight replicate restoration plots and quantified respective tree recruits within each plot. We assessed how mother tree abundance, species life‐history characteristics (seed size, dispersal mode), tree size (DBH, height) and distance to restoration plot affected recruitment at coarse (plot: 50 × 50 m) and fine (quadrat: 3 × 3 m) spatial scales. The presence of a mother tree within 100 m of a restoration plot resulted in a 10‐fold increase in potential mean recruitment. Mother tree abundance was also an important driver of recruit density, and particularly so for large‐seeded (≥ 5 mm) zoochorous species with a fivefold increase in recruit density across the observed mother tree abundance range. An interaction between mother tree abundance and proximity demonstrated that the effect of mother tree abundance on recruit density was important but waned with increasing distance from restoration plots. At the fine spatial scale, proximity was uniformly important; height and DBH of the closest potential mother tree also affected recruit abundance but responses differed by seed size. Results highlight the importance of remnant vegetation composition to the recovery of adjacent degraded habitats, underscoring the outsized role nearby remnant forest and isolated trees can play for the persistence of localized biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Wildlife management on a landscape scale is often complex, particularly where different land use practices occur in the same region. This is particularly so for the management of overabundant grazing species (both domestic and native) in a modified landscape, where anthropogenic activities and climatic drivers can influence their distribution and abundance beyond sustainable levels. In Australia's arid rangelands, macropods benefit from pastoral activities including improved pastures, artificial watering points and the removal of apex predators. This paper addresses some of the challenges associated with managing Red Kangaroo (Osphranter rufus) in a conservation context on the privately managed Boolcoomatta Station conservation reserve in the South Australian arid rangelands. We reflect on the history of the region and how anthropogenic activities, associated with an unpredictable climate, have made macropod management so complex. Ecological monitoring at Boolcoomatta Station suggests that, along with the influence of rainfall, grazing by overabundant Red Kangaroo had a negative impact on vegetation and resident avifauna of chenopod plains. Fenced exclosures further demonstrate the grazing impact of Red Kangaroo, with perennial grasses found only where grazing was excluded. The closure of waterpoints (dams) failed to reduce Red Kangaroo impacts on the reserve, despite some evidence that persistence of Red Kangaroo near fenced dams may be reduced in the long term. Results of monitoring and management outcomes at Boolcoomatta highlight the need for an improved framework to manage Red Kangaroo. This should include consideration of improved regional stock management practices in the face of climate change; improving our understanding of the role of apex predators in agricultural landscapes; developing and setting grazing impact thresholds to instigate macropod management; improving and standardizing monitoring methods for assessing impacts; and lastly, consideration of the mental health and social well‐being of land managers in these areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the key driving factors of the gully distribution and development in typical catchment of Mollisol region, visual interpretation, spatial analysis, detailed geomorphological field survey and statistical analysis were used to quantify the catchment properties（12 variables）and influencing factors（6 variables）of gully erosion in typical catchment of Mollisol region based on the satellite image and topographic map. The results showed that the forest area in catchment scale could not effectively control the gully development, and the active gully length in the forestland accounted for 46.2% of the total active gully length. The convergent slope of sub-catchment was a typical landform for gully development, and the gully length accounted for 68.1% of the total gully length. The gully length caused by concentrated surface runoff in convergent slope accounted for 63.0% of the total gully length. The catchment area and slope length were the most important factors affecting the gully length, while catchment slope was a significant factor to gully density. Meanwhile, gully erosion was highly associated with the field tractor road in this study region, and the gully length related tractor road accounted for about 23.3% of the total gully length. Our study highlights that the gully development is closely related to enhanced surface runoff caused by the field tractor road. Therfore, comprehensive soil and water management considering landscapes and agricultural tractor roads in the catchment scale should be the priority issue in gully prevention in Mollisol region of northeast China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agri‐Environmental Schemes (AES) have been proposed to mitigate the impact of agriculture on both taxonomic and functional biodiversity. However, a better knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the loss of agrobiodiversity is needed to implement efficient AES. An unbalanced effort on research towards arable lands compared to permanent crops, and on fauna relative to plants, is patent, which limits the generalization of AES effectiveness.We evaluated the effects of agricultural management and landscape simplification on taxonomic and functional diversity of the ground herb cover of 40 olive groves. We use a recently developed approach based on Hill numbers (rare, common and dominant species based) to analyse taxonomic and functional dissimilarity between farms with contrasting agricultural practices, and its potential attenuation by landscape complexity. We further explore the filtering effect of agricultural intensification on functional traits, and the relationship between functional and species richness across landscapes.We found that taxonomic and functional dissimilarity of herb assemblages between intensively and low‐intensively managed fields was mainly due to rare species. Dissimilarity decreased as landscape complexity increased, evidencing that complex landscapes attenuate the impact of agriculture intensification on herb assemblage composition. Agricultural intensification favoured more functionally homogeneous assemblages and disfavoured the herbs pollinated by insects, while it did not seem to affect wind‐pollinated species.Overall, functional richness increased exponentially with species richness across landscapes, but the latter was insufficient to drive any clear enhancement in functional richness in simple landscapes. In contrast, high species richness accelerated the enhancement in functional richness in intermediate and complex landscapes. These results highlight the functional filtering that intensive agriculture has generated for decades in homogeneous olive‐dominated landscapes.Synthesis and applications. Herb cover is essential to support the fauna of permanent croplands and their sustainable production. Hence, Agri‐Environmental Schemes (AES) in these croplands should promote management practices favouring the diversity and functionality of herb assemblages. Such AES should be particularly prioritized in homogeneous landscapes, where ground herb cover composition and function has long been homogenized to a great extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]