Download or read book Woody Plants in Agro Ecosystems of Semi Arid Regions written by Henk Breman and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a quantitative analysis of the role of woody plants in semi-arid regions, for the aSSessment of their benefits in agrosylvopastoralland-use systems with productive and sus tainability objectives. The insights presented and conclusions drawn allow the additional benefits of woody plants for specific climatic and physical site conditions and land-use systems to be estimated. The Sahel and Sudan zones in West Africa, on which the book focusses, represent resource-poor conditions, whose ecological dynamics have been relatively well studied. The role of woody plants in this region, as assessed in this book, is extrapolated to other semi-arid regions, leading to general conclusions on agroforestry's potential as an option for sustainable land use in semi-arid regions. The origins of this book go back to 1982, when the Club du Sahel requested that available data on woody plants in the Sahel region be synthesised, to provide basic information to enable better attention to be given to woody plants in rural development programmes. We are grateful to the Club du Sahel for this challenge. Various people contributed to studies used in this book. The preliminary inventory of the data available was made by Frits Ohler; later his work was continued by Franciska Dekker.
Download or read book Rangeland Systems written by David D. Briske and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-04-12 with total page 664 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is open access under a CC BY-NC 2.5 license. This book provides an unprecedented synthesis of the current status of scientific and management knowledge regarding global rangelands and the major challenges that confront them. It has been organized around three major themes. The first summarizes the conceptual advances that have occurred in the rangeland profession. The second addresses the implications of these conceptual advances to management and policy. The third assesses several major challenges confronting global rangelands in the 21st century. This book will compliment applied range management textbooks by describing the conceptual foundation on which the rangeland profession is based. It has been written to be accessible to a broad audience, including ecosystem managers, educators, students and policy makers. The content is founded on the collective experience, knowledge and commitment of 80 authors who have worked in rangelands throughout the world. Their collective contributions indicate that a more comprehensive framework is necessary to address the complex challenges confronting global rangelands. Rangelands represent adaptive social-ecological systems, in which societal values, organizations and capacities are of equal importance to, and interact with, those of ecological processes. A more comprehensive framework for rangeland systems may enable management agencies, and educational, research and policy making organizations to more effectively assess complex problems and develop appropriate solutions.
Download or read book Agroforestry Parklands in Sub Saharan Africa written by Jean-Marc Boffa and published by Food & Agriculture Org.. This book was released on 1999 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This document attempts to present the current state of knowledge on agroforestry parkland systems. These systems, which for many local populations are very important for food security, income generation and environmental protection, are found primarily in the semi-arid and sub-humid zones of West Africa. The document first provides a thorough description of their distribution and diversity and discusses different ways of classifying them. It also presents data on current trends in parkland development and assesses determining factors. The document then provides an in-depth analysis of biophysical tree-soil-crop interactions and the factors regulating them, and describes various improved parkland management techniques. It goes on to examine the strength and limitations of institutional arrangements as well as the constraints imposed by Sahelian forest policies on the sustainable management of parklands. The production, use and marketing of parkland products is reviewed with an emphasis on their contribution to food security, local and national income as well as social values. Overall costs and benefits of the practice of parkland agroforestry are evaluated. In conclusion, the document identifies crucial research needs and promising avenues for promoting sustainable management of parkland systems.
Download or read book Global Deforestation written by Christiane Runyan and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2016-04-18 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A concise but comprehensive interdisciplinary examination of global deforestation for a broad audience of scientists and policymakers.
Download or read book Savannas and Dry Forests written by Andrea Berardi and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-05-15 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Parched landscapes, biodiversity loss, encroaching deserts and deforestation are some of the environmental crises taking place in tropical savannas and dry forests throughout the world. To date, much research into these regions has treated humans as 'outside' or as an 'impact' only. However, over and over again, examples show that, in fact, humans are not external factors, but integral components of these systems. Humans are key determinants of savannas and dry forests, affecting patterns and processes, as well as impacts on natural resources. Unless we understand the human-environment relationship in these regions, we will never truly identify the causes or be able to provide solutions. This book therefore focuses on the roles of the past, present and future human perceptions and actions on savannas and dry forests. It examines how the views of local farmers, NGO workers, government officials and international scientists differ on the links between the social and ecological components of savannas. It deals with these multiple perspectives by using systems diagramming and conceptual modelling to provide a clearer and more explicit understanding and to promote better communication between the various actors concerned.
Download or read book Ecological Basis of Agroforestry written by Daizy Rani Batish and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2007-11-15 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Faced with the growing problems of climate change, ecosystem degradation, declining agricultural productivity, and uncertain food security, modern agricultural scientists look for potential relief in an ancient practice. Agroforestry, if properly designed, can mitigate greenhouse effects, maintain ecosystem health and biodiversity, provide food sec
Download or read book Linkages Between Land Management Land Degradation and Poverty in Sub Saharan Africa written by Nkonya, Ephraim and published by Intl Food Policy Res Inst. This book was released on 2008-01-01 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most African countries strive for both poverty reduction and sustainable land management, yet information on the exact relationship between these goals is limited. This report seeks to fill the gap by demonstrating a strong linkage between poverty and land management. Using Uganda as a case study, the authors show that certain policies, such as investments in soil and water conservation and agroforestry, may simultaneously increase productivity and reduce poverty and land degradation. Other strategies, including development of rural roads, non-farm activities, and rural finance, may reduce poverty without significantly affecting productivity or land management. Some policies, however, will likely involve trade-offs among different goals and will need to have their negative impacts minimized. Those in government, NGOs, the private sector, or academia who are concerned about sustainably reducing poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa will benefit from this analysis of how to pursue these key development goals.
Download or read book Integrated Plant Nutrient Management in Sub Saharan Africa written by and published by CABI. This book was released on 2002 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Soil degradation and nutrient depletion have become serious threats to agricultural productivity in Africa. Soils cannot supply the quantities of nutrients required and yield levels decline rapidly once cropping commences. This book addresses these issues and includes papers from an international symposium held at Cotonou, Benin, October 9-12, 2000, organized by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, Nigeria and the Department of Land Management of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium. In five main parts it marks the end of a first phase of collaborative research on "Balanced Nutrient Management Systems for the Moist Savanna and Humid Forest Zones of Africa" and concludes with recommendations, providing essential reading for crop and soil scientists.
Download or read book Twice Humanity written by Amelie Berger and published by Nordic Africa Institute. This book was released on 1998 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: David Sheppard's particular blend of interests single him out as unique among Anglican bishops. An outstanding sportsman as well as a dedicated cleric, many will remember him first and foremost as an English cricket captain. Others will recall his ecumenical strengths and his partnership with the Roman Catholic Archbishop, Derek Warlock, when they were both incumbents in Liverpool.
Download or read book Integrating Ecology and Poverty Reduction written by Jane Carter Ingram and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-02-15 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the past, the science of ecology has frequently been excluded from the development agenda for various reasons. Increasingly however there has been a renewed interest in finding more ecologically sustainable means of development that have required a strong foundation in ecological knowledge (for example EcoAgriculture Partnerships, EcoHealth presented at ESA, and EcoNutrition proposed by Deckelbaum et al). Each of these examples has already taken the critical first step at integrating ecological knowledge with agriculture, health and nutrition, respectively. However, this is only the first step; more attention needs to be placed not only on the role that two fields can play towards poverty alleviation, but on the role of a truly integrated, interdisciplinary approach towards development goals that is firmly grounded in ecological understanding. We feel that a critical look at what ecology can and cannot provide to the development agenda, in light of the Millennium Development goals, is timely and crucial. The introduction and the final section of the book will then integrate the lessons and principles outlined in each of the chapters. All chapter authors will be heavily encouraged to focus on how their sub-discipline in ecology impacts overall human well-being and environmental sustainability.
Download or read book The Social Lives of Forests written by Susanna B. Hecht and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2014-03-04 with total page 508 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Forests are in decline, and the threats these outposts of nature face—including deforestation, degradation, and fragmentation—are the result of human culture. Or are they? This volume calls these assumptions into question, revealing forests’ past, present, and future conditions to be the joint products of a host of natural and cultural forces. Moreover, in many cases the coalescence of these forces—from local ecologies to competing knowledge systems—has masked a significant contemporary trend of woodland resurgence, even in the forests of the tropics. Focusing on the history and current use of woodlands from India to the Amazon, The Social Lives of Forests attempts to build a coherent view of forests sited at the nexus of nature, culture, and development. With chapters covering the effects of human activities on succession patterns in now-protected Costa Rican forests; the intersection of gender and knowledge in African shea nut tree markets; and even the unexpectedly rich urban woodlands of Chicago, this book explores forests as places of significant human action, with complex institutions, ecologies, and economies that have transformed these landscapes in the past and continue to shape them today. From rain forests to timber farms, the face of forests—how we define, understand, and maintain them—is changing.
Download or read book Progress in Botany written by Karl Esser and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 639 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With one volume each year, this series keeps scientists and advanced students informed of the latest developments and results in all areas of the plant sciences. The present volume includes reviews on genetics, cell biology, physiology, comparative morphology, systematics, ecology, and vegetation science.
Download or read book Directions in Tropical Agroforestry Research written by P. K. Ramachandran Nair and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-04-18 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Large areas of the warm, humid tropics in Southeast Asia, the Pacific, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa are hilly or mountainous. Jackson and Scherr (1995) estimate that these tropical hillside areas are inhabited by 500 million people, or one-tenth of the current world population, many of whom practice subsistence agriculture. The region most affected is Asia which has the lowest area of arable land per capita. Aside from limited areas of irrigated terraces, most of the sloping land, which constitutes 60% to 90% of the land resources in many Southeast Asian countries, has been by-passed in the economic development of the region (Maglinao and Hashim, 1993). Poverty in these areas is often high, in contrast to the relative wealth of irri gated rice farms in lowland areas that benefited from the green revolution. Rapid population growth in some countries is also exacerbating the problems of hillside areas. Increasingly, people are migrating from high-potential lowland areas where land is scarce to more remote hillside areas. Such migra tion, together with inherent high population growth, is forcing a transforma tion in land use from subsistence to permanent agriculture on fragile slopes, and is creating a new suite of social, economic, and environmental problems (Garrity, 1993; Maglinao and Hashim, 1993).
Download or read book Eco hydrology written by Andrew J. Baird and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 1999 with total page 421 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Leading ecologists and hydrologists present reviews of the eco-hydrology of drylands, wetlands, temperate and tropical rain forests, rivers and lakes, to offer an overview of the complex relationships between plants and water.
Download or read book The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Physical Geography written by Rebecca Lave and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-04-04 with total page 607 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This handbook is recognition of the need to better integrate physical and human geography. It combines a collection of work and research within the new field of Critical Physical Geography, which gives critical attention to relations of social power with deep knowledge of a particular field of biophysical science. Critical Physical Geography research accords careful attention to biophysical landscapes and the power relations that have increasingly come to shape them, and to the politics of environmental science and the role of biophysical inquiry in promoting social and environmental justice. The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Physical Geography lays out the scope and guiding principles of Critical Physical Geography research. It presents a carefully selected set of empirical work, demonstrating the range and intellectual strength of existing integrative work in geography research. This handbook is the first of its kind to cover this emerging discipline and will be of significant interest to students and academics across the fields of geography, the environment and sustainability.
Download or read book Soilless Culture Management written by Meier Schwarz and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Hydroponics, the method of growing plants without soil, presents a feasible alternative to conventional farming in areas which are short on water supply and limited in agricultural soil. This book will serve as an indispensable guide for students in the agriculture sciences, for agriculture instructors and soilless-culture farmers. It provides up-to-date information on optimal plant nutrition, deficiencies and toxicities of nutrients, plant growth media, optimal root environment, environmental control, carbon dioxide requirements, saline conditions and use of sewage in soilless culture. Other topics include economic aspects of hydroponics, new growth methods and an outlook for the future.
Download or read book Properties and Management of Soils in the Tropics written by Pedro A. Sanchez and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2019-01-10 with total page 685 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The long-awaited second edition of this classic textbook expands on the first edition to include advances made in the last four decades, bringing the topic completely up to date. The book addresses critical issues such as whether humanity can feed itself, and whether it can do so in environmentally sound and sustainable ways. Written from agronomic, environmental, and ecological standpoints, the textbook employs a multidisciplinary approach, including policymaking and plant genetic improvements, as well as ecosystem services, climate change, biodiversity, sustainability and resilience. New chapters in this second edition focus on organic carbon in soil, soil biology, soils in relation to livestock production and forestry, and agroforestry. The new edition will again be the go-to textbook for courses on tropical soils, and a reference textbook for soil and agricultural scientists and development professionals working in the tropics.
