Several of the major processes that result in N loss from soil (nitrification, ammonia volatilization, and denitrification) discriminate against ¹⁵N and fractionate the stable N isotopes, thus δ¹⁵N of ecosystem components has been suggested as an indicator of ecosystem N leakiness. This concept has been applied more successfully to native systems (primarily forest) than to managed systems where N inputs are greater and N cycling processes have potentially been modified.

Land management practices, invasive species expansion, and changes in the fire regime greatly impact the distribution of native plants in natural areas. Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis), a keystone species in the Great Basin, has seen a 50% reduction in its distribution. For many dryland species, reestablishment efforts have focused on direct seeding but achieved only minor success due to irregular seed germination and poor survival.

Restoring natural forests after field abandonment is a land management objective that fosters the recovery of forest biodiversity. We performed seeding and transplanting of native tree species 40 years after the abandonment of an arable field that became dominated by a dwarf bamboo (Pleioblastus chino (Franch. et Sav.) Makino) and by kudzu (Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi). By permutation tests, the removal of competing vegetation (gap creation) significantly increased the survival of three seeded species of Fagaceae and of eight transplanted species.

Efficient land use plays an important role in the context of sustainable agricultural development. Assuming that it will be viable only in cases when individuals employed in agriculture can ensure themselves an income equivalent and not less than the average wage in the national economy. Certain sizes of agricultural area, which are different for every key agricultural sector, are required to achieve it.

Comprehensive maps that characterize the variation in agricultural landscapes across Europe are lacking. In this paper we present a new Europe-wide, spatially-explicit typology and inventory of the diversity in composition, spatial structure and management intensity of European agricultural landscapes. Agricultural landscape types were characterized at a 1km2 resolution based on Europe-wide datasets that represent land cover, landscape structure and land management intensity.

Sixteen organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were investigated in the 80 agricultural topsoil samples of Three Gorges Dam region, China. The concentration of OCPs ranged from 1.26 to 22.15 ng g⁻¹, with a mean concentration 6.49 ng g⁻¹. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) and hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) were predominant compared to other OCPs, with mean concentrations 1.80 and 1.27 ng g⁻¹, respectively, accounting for 28 and 20 % of the total OCPs. Ratio analysis indicated that there is new input of DDTs in this study area.

The influence of re-wetting of pastures on the occurrence of important endoparasites in cattle was monitored over the course of three years. The study was conducted on a peninsula at the German North-Sea Coast. The cattle were stabled from November to April. During summer season, they were kept on pastures included in a nature protection program differentiating between three states of re-wetting. Faecal samples from randomly selected animals were analysed with routine diagnostic methods for the occurrence of Eimeria spp., nematode and trematode eggs and lungworm larvae.

Selected environments ranging from cultivated soils under vines and olive groves to sequential abandonment with forest, meadow and scrub cover were investigated for their impact on relevant physical and chemical properties in the shallow soils of the Cap de Creus Peninsula (NE Spain). Both insufficient agricultural practices and periodical wildfire occurrence in abandoned areas were focused as components triggering degradation processes. Despite that, less fire affected soils under Erica scrubs or meadows were found to be more active in carbon preservation potential.

The Northern Forest spans New York and three New England states and contains over 26 million ac, making it the largest contiguous forest east of the Mississippi. Most of the forestland is privately owned and public access to private land is a time-honored tradition in the region. Residents fear this tradition of open access may be threatened by recent acceleration in land tenure change across the region. We surveyed those who own 1,000 ac or more in the four-state region and found that newer owners were not more likely to post their land.

Coral reefs are threatened globally by the climatic consequences of rising atmospheric CO₂ levels; in many regions they are also threatened locally, for example, by reductions in the water quality of runoff from adjacent catchments. Interaction between global and local pressures makes it possible to use local actions to mitigate the impacts of climate change. To this end, managers and policy-makers are seeking to implement agricultural land management regimes that improve runoff water quality and thereby reduce risks to the Great Barrier Reef.