Observations of river flow, river quality and solar radiation were collated to assess the degree to which light and nutrients may be limiting phytoplankton growth at seven sites in the River Ouse catchment in NE England under average conditions. Hydraulic information derived from river network model applications was then used to determine where river water has sufficient residence time above the tidal limit to facilitate bloom development. A nitrate model (NALTRACES) was developed to estimate the impact of land management change on mean river nitrate concentrations.

The dry and wet deposition of radionuclides released into the atmosphere can be intercepted by vegetation in terrestrial ecosystems. The aim of this study was to quantify the interception of wet deposited ¹³⁴Cs and ⁸⁵Sr by spring oilseed rape (Brassíca napus L.) and spring wheat (Tríticum aestívum L.). The dependency of the intercepted fraction (f) on total above ground plant biomass, growing stage and the Leaf Area Index (LAI) was quantified. A trial was established in Uppsala (east central Sweden), with land management in accordance to common agricultural practices.

Short sediment cores taken from (i) a recently regenerated salt marsh (Plentzia estuary), (ii) an incipient marsh and (iii) a pristine marsh (Urdaibai estuary), have been interpreted for evidence of environmental impacts and sea-level change on the basis of microfaunal and geochemical determinations and historical land management data. Under the current relative sea-level rise scenario, it might be expected that salt marsh ecosystems lose their ability to keep up with tidal flooding and drown following a transgressional pattern where marsh vegetation replaces woody plant species.

Land management practices such as conservation tillage and optimum irrigation are routinely used to reduce non-point source pollution and improve water quality. The calibrated and validated SWAT-IRRIG model is the first modified SWAT version that reproduces well the irrigation return flows (IRF) when the irrigation source is outside of the watershed. The application of this SWAT version in intensive irrigated systems permits to better evaluate the best management practices (BMPs) in such systems.

For more than 20 years there has been conflict arising from different points of view concerning the role of the introduced honeybee. There is a strong prima facie argument, and some supporting evidence, that introduced honeybees are likely to adversely affect the environment. Some land management agencies have consequently adopted a policy of removal of hive honeybees from areas devoted primarily to conservation.

Livestock grazing potentially has substantial influence on fuel characteristics in rangelands around the globe. However, information quantifying the impacts of grazing on rangeland fuel characteristics is limited, and the effects of grazing on fuels are important because fuel characteristics are one of the primary factors determining risk, severity, continuity, and size of wildfires.

The western prairie fringed-orchid is a rare North American orchid restricted to a few remnants of wet to mesic tallgrass prairie. It is federally listed in both Canada and the United States and both countries have developed a recovery plan for the species. Two key management objectives are to monitor population trends and identify beneficial management practices. We used 21 y of data from the Manitoba metapopulation to assess effects of weather and land management on this species. Our results suggest the metapopulation in Manitoba is relatively stable.

Irrigated agriculture experienced a water supply shock during a drought in southern India in 2002-2003. In this paper, hotspots of agricultural change were mapped and put in the context of hydrology and water management. Time series of MODIS imagery taken every eight days before (2001-2002) and during (2002-2003) the supply shock were combined with agricultural census data to document changes in cropping patterns in four large irrigation projects in the downstream sections of the Krishna and Godavari River basins (total command area 18,287km²).

In the mountainous region north of Amman, Jordan, Cenomanian calcareous rocks are being monitored constantly for their mass wasting processes which occasionally cause severe damage to the Amman–Irbid Highway. Satellite remote sensing data (Landsat TM, ASTER, and SRTM) and ground measurements are applied to investigate the anatomy of landslides along the Dead Sea Transform Fault System (DSTFS), a prominent strike-slip fault. The joints and faults pertinent to the DSTFS match the architectural elements identified in landslides of different size.

Benefits ascribed to the revegetation of farming landscapes include enhancement ofbiodiversity, reduction in the advance of dryland salinity, sequestration of greenhousegases, control of soil erosion, greater protection of agricultural activities from adverseweather conditions and an improved aesthetic value of rural lands. In this paper,economic analyses were performed to determine the net benefits to landholders ofcarrying out revegetation.

There are many, often competing, options for Sustainable Land Management (SLM). Each must be assessed – and sometimes negotiated – prior to implementation. Participatory, multi-stakeholder approaches to identification and selection of SLM options are increasingly popular, often motivated by social learning and empowerment goals. Yet there are few practical tools for facilitating processes in which land managers may share, select, and decide on the most appropriate SLM options.