Soil microbes are an essential component of most terrestrial ecosystems; as decomposers they are responsible for regulating nutrient dynamics, and they also serve as a highly labile nutrient pool. Here, we evaluated seasonal variations in microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN) as well as microbial activity (as qCO₂) for 16 months with respect to several factors relating to soil moisture and nutrients under different land management practices (plant residue application, fertilizer application) in both clayey (38% clay) and sandy (4% clay) croplands in Tanzania.

Degradation of farmland caused by salinisation is a major environmental issue in Australia. To combat salinisation a community-based approach has been adopted. This paper reviews the nature and effectiveness of this approach, describing its rationale, strengths and weaknesses. The community-based approach is shown to have been highly successful in raising awareness and providing education about the problem of dryland salinity in Australia, and has encouraged group participation in managing the problem.

Heavy losses of 6200 ha of seagrass off the Adelaide metropolitan coast since 1949 have had substantial implications for beach management, fisheries and biodiversity. Here, we describe for managers some promising initial trials to develop a cost‐effective method to rehabilitate some of these lost seagrasses.

We present the different facets of close to nature forestry and the reasons for its practical success. They lie in using free natural processes, the so-called biorationalisation, to achieve multi- purpose aims. This vision is fully in line with promoting good governance, achieving optimal habitat conditions and thus to improve biodiversity. This appears to be the right model for multiple use in mo

We conducted an online survey (n = 3321) followed by five focus groups with Forest Service employees involved in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to explore agency views of how NEPA should be implemented within the agency. We filter these perceptions through the lenses of different functional groups within the agency, each with its own role in agency compliance with NEPA and its own suite of perceived accountabilities.

Protected Landscapes (PLs) are increasingly used in Norway to conserve cultural (human modified) landscapes. In many cases the maintenance of agricultural activities in PLs is required to preserve landscape character. Whilst research exists on land conservation policies in general, the particular effects of PL on management and adjustment of the farms involved have not received attention in the literature. We present results from a questionnaire sent to owners of agricultural land within PLs in Norway.

The destruction of prairies has led to the decline of the ornate box turtle (Terrapene ornate) across much of its range. Land management agencies are considering translocation programs to restore populations to areas from which they have been extirpated. For these conservation efforts to be successful, long-term posttranslocation monitoring is necessary to ensure that translocated individuals behave and use habitat similarly to unmanipulated individuals.

Summary The relationship between woody fuel consumption and fireline intensity was assessed using data collected at controlled fires and wildfires in south-western Western Australia, central Victoria and south-eastern New South Wales. The combined dataset consisted of fires in a range of dry eucalypt forests. Fire behaviour varied from slow, self-extinguishing prescribed burns to intense, fast—moving fires burning under conditions of extreme fire danger. Fireline intensity ranged from 50 kW m⁻ˡ to

Livestock depredations are one of the main challenges in the management of the grey wolf (Canis lupus) and culling of the wolves is a measure often used in an attempt to reduce damages. In the present study we analyzed effects of the legal wolf culling on livestock depredations in Slovenia and made a review of similar studies from other regions. 51 wolves were legally culled and 2,221 attacks on l

Conflict over endangered species conservation on military lands is becoming increasingly important as militaries attempt to balance an increased operational tempo with endangered species conservation. Successfully managing this conflict has major implications for biodiversity conservation given the US military alone manages over 12 million ha of land providing habitat to hundreds of at risk species, 24 of which are endemic to military installations.

Grassland agriculture plays an important role for livestock production and land management throughout the world. It is challenging to estimate the available feed on pasture plots. For this study, a rising plate meter was calibrated in swards of the organic experimental station of Trenthorst in northern Germany to calculate grazing intake of cattle and to determine biomass regrowth.