Download or read book Quantifying the Ecological Impacts of the Woody Invasive Prosopis Juliflora mesquite in Gantsi District Botswana written by Tshegofatso Chilume and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 133 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Humans have introduced plants into new areas for centuries. These plants can provide food, shelter and other positive benefits. However, introduced plants become invasive plants when they spread uncontrollably and become destructive by transforming the environment of their invaded areas. This is the case with Prosopis juliflora, a woody invasive plant of Central American origin, introduced into the Kgalagadi Desert in the early 1980s. This introduction has tremendously transformed Kgalagadi Desert, improving both its soil and species richness but it has now invaded the adjacent Gantsi District, a place of high economic and ecological value to Botswana. This study assessed the impacts associated with P. juliflora invasion on soil properties and native plants along Hanahai Valley, in Gantsi District. Species richness, density and composition were evaluated in 20 invaded and 20 uninvaded plots. Soil samples were also collected for a range of chemical analyses. A total of 165 plant species were recorded during this study; 158 species in the uninvaded plots and 132 species in the invaded plots, a difference of 26 species. Analysis of P. juliflora invasion association with species richness and abundance in Gantsi District showed that P. juliflora is associated with significantly reduced evenness, richness and density and an altered community composition of associated plants. The presence of P. juliflora was associated with significant increase in values of soil variables including pH, calcium, nitrogen, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium and cation exchange capacity. Moverover, P. juliflora invasion was found to be associated with an increase in invasion index and a decline in dominant native species heights. It remains unclear whether the measured differences between invaded and uninvaded plots were a result of P. juliflora invasion or P. juliflora preferentially invading sites with certain soil and vegetation characteristics. These results provide a baseline on the probable impacts associated with the presence of P. juliflora in Gantsi District, and suggest that management and control measures should be put in place before it spreads further and exerts more pressure on the ecosystem.
Download or read book Bioenergy for Sustainable Development in Africa written by Rainer Janssen and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-11-03 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The work builds on the results of the COMPETE Bioenergy Competence Platform for Africa, which was supported by the European Commission and coordinated by WIP Renewable Energies, Germany. The five sections cover biomass production and use, biomass technologies and markets in Africa, biomass policies, sustainability, and financial and socio-economic issues. This valuable work is, in effect, a single-source treatment of a key energy sector in a part of the world which still has a lot of unrealised potential for development.
Download or read book Biofuels in Africa written by Donald Mitchell and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2010-11-24 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A new economic opportunity for sub-Saharan Africa is looming large: biofuel production. Rapidly rising energy prices are expected to remain high for an extended period of time because of the increasing demand in prospering and populous countries such as China and India, the depletion of easily accessible supplies of crude oil, and concern over global climate change. As a result, there is renewed interest in biofuels as an alternative to fossil fuels. Africa is uniquely positioned to produce these new cash crops for both domestic use and export. The region has abundant land resources and preferential access to protected markets with higher-than-world-market prices. The rapid growth in the demand for transport fuels in Africa and high fuel prices create domestic markets for biofuels. The European Union and the United States have approved legislation that requires large increases in the consumption of biofuels over at least the next decade. Imports are expected to be needed to meet these mandates, thus opening the door to African and other developing countries that can produce biofuels or feedstocks for biofuels competitively. Expanding the production of crops for biofuels will affect the entire rural sector in Africa as resources are shifted away from traditional crops and the prices of all agricultural commodities rise. Even smallholders can participate in producing biofuel crops. To promote the sustainability and significant contribution of this enterprise, Biofuels in Africa provides guidance in formulating suitable policy regimes, which are based on protecting the rights of current land users, developing revenue-sharing schemes with local communities, safeguarding the environment and biodiversity, expanding institutional capacity, formulating new regulations and procedures, and emulating best practices from experienced countries. This volume will be of value to anyone interested in biofuels, including policy makers, development practitioners, private investors, researchers, and the general public. Now that African countries are trying to significantly increase their energy supply systems, biofuels are an attractive option using both dedicated crops and agricultural waste. This book provides guidance for them to develop a suitable policy regime for a significant contribution by biofuels. Professor Ogunlade R. Davidson, Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Sierra Leone Biofuels in Africa is a sorely needed resource for our understanding of the problems of expanding biofuels production in Africa. A high point of the book is a description of the projects that were started in several countries. A very useful book! Professor Jos Goldemberg, University of S o Paulo, Brazil As Africa most likely will play the same role for global biofuels as the Middle East does for oil, this comprehensive book on African biofuels should be compulsory reading for anyone interested in either African development or biofuels. The book captures the essence of long-term drivers and opportunities as well the complex challenges for investors and society of this huge emerging industry. Per Carstedt, Executive Chairman, EcoEnergy Africa
Download or read book Legume Crops written by Mohamed A. El-Esawi and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2019-12-11 with total page 124 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Legumes are flowering plants found in most of the archeological records of plants. Legumes are efficiently used as food crops for humans and animals, pulps for paper and timber manufacturing, sources for fuel and oil production, ornamental plants, and cover crops such as cereals and other staple foods. Additionally, they can be utilized for other purposes, including the production of massive amounts of organic nitrogen. This book reviews the fundamental advances related to the characterization and breeding of legume crops for improved food security. Moreover, it sheds new light on the current research trends and future research directions related to legume crop studies. This book will provoke interest for various readers, researchers, and scientists, who may find this information useful for the advancement of legume productivity.
Download or read book Oceanic Culture History written by Janet M. Davidson and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 704 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Promoting Biofuels written by Jörg Peters and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Interest in biofuels is growing worldwide as concerns about the security of energy supply and climate change are moving into the focus of policy makers. With the exception of bioethanol from Brazil, however, production costs of biofuels are typically much higher than those of fossil fuels. As a result, promotion measures such as tax exemptions or blending quotas are indispensable for ascertaining substantial biofuel demand. With particular focus on developing countries, this paper discusses the economic justification of biofuel promotion instruments and investigates their implications. Based on data from India and Tanzania, we find that substantial biofuel usage induces significant financial costs. Furthermore, acreage availability is a binding natural limitation that could also lead to conflicts with food production. Yet, if carefully implemented under the appropriate conditions, biofuel programs might present opportunities for certain developing countries.
Download or read book The Determination of Weeds of National Significance written by John R. Thorp and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
