Article Agronomy
An Overview of Permanent Grassland Grazing Management Practices and the Impacts on Principal Soil Quality Indicators
Filippo Milazzo, Richard M. Francksen, Mohamed Abdalla, Simone Ravetto Enri, Laura Zavattaro, Marco Pittarello, Stanislav Hejduk, Paul Newell-Price, Rene L. M. Schils, Pete Smith, Tom Vanwalleghem
Summary: Grasslands are threatened by unsustainable management practices and climate change, which can lead to degradation. This article focuses on soil quality indicators (SQIs) and their importance in assessing the sustainability of grassland management practices. Two potential solutions are discussed, including adopting sustainable grazing management plans (GMPs) and developing novel grassland species to improve resilience to drought and erosion. Sustainable soil management in grasslands can enhance ecosystem services and increase resilience to anthropogenic changes.
AGRONOMY-BASEL (2023)
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Article Agronomy
Soil Health Evaluation of Farmland Based on Functional Soil Management-A Case Study of Yixing City, Jiangsu Province, China
Rui Zhao, Kening Wu
Summary: In this study, soil health evaluation was conducted considering both soil productivity and ecological environmental effects. Five functions from the perspective of functional soil management were summarized, with basic and restrictive indicators selected for each function. The evaluation system was tested and verified in Yixing City, China, showing a positive correlation between food production stability index and soil health index.
AGRICULTURE-BASEL (2021)
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Article Environmental Sciences
Multivariate evaluation of watershed health based on longitudinal pasture management
A. J. Ashworth, S. Katuwal, P. A. Moore, P. R. Owens
Summary: The aim of this study is to identify effective systems-level conservation pasture management practices, and it found that rotational grazing and riparian buffer strips are the best management strategies to prevent pasture system degradation, maintain carrying capacity, and reduce anthropogenic pressure on soil and water systems.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT (2022)
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Article Environmental Sciences
Vegetation, water infiltration, and soil carbon response to Adaptive Multi-Paddock and Conventional grazing in Southeastern USA ranches
Steven I. Apfelbaum, Ry Thompson, Fugui Wang, Samantha Mosier, Richard Teague, Peter Byck
Summary: The study finds that Adaptive Multi-Paddock (AMP) grazing results in higher vegetation biomass and plant species diversity. Invasive perennial plant species increase with AMP grazing in the south, while they increase with conventional continuous grazing in the north. Surface water infiltration and soil organic carbon stocks are higher on AMP grazed ranches.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (2022)
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Article Soil Science
Using soil quality indicators to assess their production and ecological functions
Jaroslava Janku, Marketa Kosanova, Josef Kozak, Tomas Herza, Jan Jehlicka, Mansoor Maitah, Jan Vopravil, Karel Nemecek, Daniel Toth, Karel Jacko, Radim Vacha, Jana Polakova
Summary: The project evaluated the soil quality in the Central Bohemian Region in the Czech Republic. Soil characteristics, climate data, and land use information were used to select soil quality indicators. Soil suitability for land use and planning was determined based on these indicators. The study also revealed a decrease in soil quality with increasing depth. The results can serve as a basis for soil valuation in the Czech Republic.
SOIL AND WATER RESEARCH (2022)
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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences
Water ecological security assessment and spatial autocorrelation analysis of prefectural regions involved in the Yellow River Basin
Meng Qiu, Qiting Zuo, Qingsong Wu, Zhenlong Yang, Jianwei Zhang
Summary: This paper constructs a water ecological security evaluation index system based on the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model to comprehensively understand the water ecological security status of the Yellow River Basin. The study evaluates the water ecological security index (WESI) of 62 cities in the Yellow River Basin using the single index quantification-multiple indices syntheses-poly-criteria integration (SMI-P) method, and analyzes the regional characteristics through spatial autocorrelation analysis. The findings reveal that the overall water ecological security of the Yellow River Basin is relatively poor, with significant spatial autocorrelation and a slow upward trend in the security index. Wetland area and the greening rate of built-up areas are important factors influencing water ecological safety.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS (2022)
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Article Agronomy
Management of Residues from Fruit Tree Pruning: A Trade-Off between Soil Quality and Energy Use
Angela Libutti, Anna Rita Bernadette Cammerino, Massimo Monteleone
Summary: Bioenergy from fruit tree pruning is a significant renewable energy source in the EU, but farmers face a dilemma between using pruning for energy or for soil conservation.
AGRONOMY-BASEL (2021)
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Article Agronomy
The economic value of sustainable soil management in arable farming systems-A conceptual framework
M. C. Kik, G. D. H. Claassen, M. P. M. Meuwissen, A. B. Smit, H. W. Saatkamp
Summary: Soil quality is crucial for agricultural productivity, farm resilience, and environmental quality. Sustainable soil management may involve short-term financial sacrifices but leads to long-term benefits. Understanding soil quality and integrating it with production management is essential for maximizing the Economic Value of Land.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY (2021)
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Article Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Land-use changes and management impact on soil quality indicators in tropical ecosystem
Evelyn O. Obidike-Ugwu, Bitrus Bege, Joseph O. Ariwaodo, Oddy E. Nwafor
Summary: This study investigated the impact of land use changes and management on soil quality indicators in the Kyayya area of Nigeria's Guinea Savanna Agro-ecological Zone. The results revealed that the conversion from forested land to cultivated land led to a decrease in soil organic carbon and organic matter, as well as a slightly acidic soil pH and low available phosphorus content. The findings highlight the importance of national policies to protect remaining forested areas and promote agroforestry practices for food security.
ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY (2023)
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Article Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Organic maize and bean farming enhances free-living nematode dynamics in sub-Saharan Africa
Janet G. Atandi, Noah Adamtey, Agnes W. Kiriga, Edward N. Karanja, Martha W. Musyoka, Felix M. Matheri, Chrysantus M. Tanga, Danny L. Coyne, Komi K. M. Fiaboe, David Bautze, Solveig Haukeland
Summary: The present study evaluated the community structure and diversity of free-living nematodes (FLN) in a field setting. The findings suggest that organic farming systems have a positive impact on FLN populations and diversity, improving soil health and fertility.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT (2022)
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Article Environmental Sciences
Objective indicators contribute more than subjective beliefs to resident willingness to pay for ecosystem services on the Tibetan Plateau
Rui Zhang, Bojie Fu, Kevin Wang, Wenwu Zhao
Summary: Effective ecosystem management on the Tibetan Plateau requires broad public support, especially from residents. Research shows that objective indicators play a key role in influencing residents' willingness to pay, along with the influence of subjective perceptions. Therefore, enhancing and satisfying the sociodemographic and socio-economic attributes of indigenous residents is crucial for achieving sustainable management.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (2021)
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Review Medicine, General & Internal
Quality indicators for transition from paediatric to adult care for adolescents with chronic physical and mental illness: protocol for a systematic review
Katherine Bailey, Stephanie Lee, Thomas de Los Reyes, Lisha Lo, Jan Willem Gorter, Alene Toulany
Summary: This systematic review aims to identify quality indicators for successful transition to adult care across chronic physical and/or mental illnesses. The extracted quality indicators will offer insights that can be used to measure and evaluate transition success across conditions, and will be disseminated through various channels including workshops and peer-reviewed publications. Further prioritization of quality indicators will be conducted through a Delphi study involving patients, caregivers, and providers.
BMJ OPEN (2021)
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Article Biodiversity Conservation
Corn response to selected soil health indicators in a Texas drought
Kabindra Adhikari, Douglas R. Smith, Harold Collins, Richard L. Haney, June E. Wolfe
Summary: The relationship between soil health and crop yield is complex, with weaker correlation between soil health value and corn yield. In Texas Blackland soils, soil health and its indicators can explain the variability in drought-year corn yield. Further research is needed to verify this relationship in different soil types and management scenarios.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS (2021)
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Article Environmental Sciences
Effect of organic farming on the restoration of soil quality, ecosystem services, and productivity in rice-wheat agro-ecosystems
Azad S. Panwar, Meraj A. Ansari, Natesan Ravisankar, Subhash Babu, Ashisa K. Prusty, Prakash C. Ghasal, Jairam Choudhary, Mohammad Shamim, Raghuveer Singh, K. J. Raghavendra, Debashis Dutta, Amrit L. Meena, Gautam V. Chauhan, Majhrool H. Ansari, Raghavendra Singh, C. S. Aulakh, D. K. Singh, P. B. Sharma
Summary: Excessive use of hazardous agrochemicals and inorganic fertilizers has negative impacts on environmental outcomes, but a 15-year long-term field experiment in the rice-wheat system of Indo-Gangetic Plains showed that organic crop management can improve soil quality, increase productivity, and enhance soil microbial biomass and nutrient content, leading to better system resiliency and sustainability.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (2022)
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Article Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Relating nematode community structure to different kikuyu-ryegrass pasture establishment methods
Pieter A. Swanepoel, Caro Kapp, Antoinette P. Malan, Sheila G. Storey, Sigrun B. Ammann
Summary: The study assessed the impact of soil tillage on nematode community structure in high N-input and irrigated pastures in South Africa. There was no clear and predictable pattern in the nematode community structure in relation to tillage, and the lack of indicative information may be due to the systems' ability to recover from soil disturbance within a relatively short period of less than a year. The pre-treatment soil analyses showed a low overall mean nematode density.
JOURNAL OF PLANT DISEASES AND PROTECTION (2021)
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