Articles

Rangeland water requirement satisfaction index under rainfall variability and predicting future rainfall scenarios: implication for availability of feed resources

Rangeland ecosystems provide multiple ecosystem services, including feed resources for wild and domestic herbivores in semi-arid areas. However, under the ever increasing environmental changes, the impact of r...

Authors: Hassen M. Ahmed, Zewdu K. Tessema, Adugna Tolera and Diriba Korecha

Carbon stocks and sequestration potential of dry forests under community management in Tigray, Ethiopia

Forests form a major component of the carbon (C) reserves in the world’s ecosystems. However, little is known on how management influences C stocks of woody vegetation, particularly in dry areas. We developed ...

Authors: Negasi Solomon, Emiru Birhane, Tewodros Tadesse, Anna C. Treydte and Kiros Meles

Understanding livestock production and sustainability of grassland ecosystems in the Asian Dryland Belt

Companioned by economic development, a dietary shift toward higher meat consumption is seen in developing countries and transitional economies, where the demand for livestock production has been increasing in ...

Authors: Jiaguo Qi, Xiaoping Xin, Ranjeet John, Pavel Groisman and Jiquan Chen

Influence of the interaction of calcium carbonate particles with surfactants on the degree of water pollution in small rivers

The influence of the interaction of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) and surface-active substances (SAS; surfactants) with different chain lengths and cationic and anionic hydrophilic centers has been analyzed.

Authors: Petru Spataru, Francisco Fernandez, Joseph W. Sista, Tudor Spataru, Oxana Spinu and Igor Povar

Determinants of farmers’ adoption of land management practices in Gelana sub-watershed of Northern highlands of Ethiopia

Soil erosion is the major environmental problem in Ethiopia. In response to this problem, the country has been in continuous struggle to adopt land management practices. Therefore, the objective of this study ...

Authors: Birhan Asmame Miheretu and Assefa Abegaz Yimer

Ecological fitness of brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), to rice nutrient management

The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), is a notorious insect pest of rice. Nutrient supplementation can alter plant biochemical compositions which may indirectly affect o...

Authors: Md. Mamunur Rashid, Mahbuba Jahan, Khandakar S. Islam and Md. Abdul Latif

Perceptions and attitudes of local people towards participatory forest management in Tarmaber District of North Shewa Administrative Zone, Ethiopia: the case of Wof-Washa Forests

Since the last few decades, the government of Ethiopia has introduced and adopted participatory forest management (PFM) in different regions of the country. However, there is a lack of research dealing with pe...

Authors: Solomon Ayele Tadesse and Demel Teketay

Plant species composition and diversity depending on piospheres and seasonality in the southern rangelands of Kenya

Scarcity of water in the rangelands of Kenya has led to the introduction of piospheres. Previous research has however produced contrasting results on the effects of piospheres and seasonality on Shannon-Wiener...

Authors: S. O. Jawuoro, O. K. Koech, G. N. Karuku and J. S. Mbau

Effect of piospheres on physio-chemical soil properties in the Southern Rangelands of Kenya

Water-based interventions haphazardly introduced in the drylands of Kenya have led to the introduction of piospheres used as concentration mounts. Not much is known about the effect of these piospheres on soil...

Authors: S. O. Jawuoro, O. K. Koech, G. N. Karuku and J. S. Mbau

Perception and attitude of pastoralists on livestock-wildlife interactions around Awash National Park, Ethiopia: implication for biodiversity conservation

Pastoral livestock share grazing areas and watering points with wildlife around the protected areas in Eastern Africa. This causes a high degree of livestock-wildlife interactions, leading to conflicts between...

Authors: Yihew Biru, Zewdu K. Tessema and Mengistu Urge

Phosphate uptake and translocation in a tropical Canna-based constructed wetland

Considering the problem of eutrophication of the water bodies, phosphate removal from water has emerged as a research of topical interest. The present study aims to investigate the efficacy of Canna lily-based co...

Authors: Anil Kumar Haritash, Sarbari Dutta and Ashish Sharma

Spatial and temporal analysis of forest cover change in Falgore Game Reserve in Kano, Nigeria

Multi-temporal land-use and land-cover data provides a historical vehicle for determining and evaluating long-term trends in bio-physical landscapes. Land-use and land-cover assessment and mapping is one of th...

Authors: Muhammad Sabiu Suleiman, Oliver Vivian Wasonga, Judith Syombua Mbau and Yazan Ahmed Elhadi

Quantifying the short-term dynamics of soil organic carbon decomposition using a power function model

Soil heterotrophic respiration (R _h, an indicator of soil organic carbon decomposition) is an important carbon efflux of terrestrial ecosystems. However, the dynamics of soil R ...

Authors: Weiping Zhou, Jinhong He, Dafeng Hui and Weijun Shen

Sources and dynamics of sedimentary organic matter in Sundarban mangrove estuary from Indo-Gangetic delta

Mangrove forests are highly productive ecosystems distributed along the tropical coast line. Nutrient biogeochemistry of mangroves are primarly driven by both allochthonous and autochthonous sources. Character...

Authors: M. Bala Krishna Prasad, Alok Kumar, A.L. Ramanathan and Dilip Kumar Datta

Tree species determine soil seed bank composition and its similarity with understory vegetation in a semi-arid African savanna

The presence of larger trees in semi-arid African savannas creates sub-habitats, which influences on herbaceous plant communities grown under their canopies differently from opened areas. Knowledge of seed ban...

Authors: Zewdu Kelkay Tessema, Belay Ejigu and Lisanework Nigatu

Influence of agriculture and aquaculture activities on the response of autotrophic picoplankton in Laguna Macapule, Gulf of California (Mexico)

The lagoon is a component of coastal zones, whose populations of autotrophic picoplankton (APP) remain largely unstudied. These lagoons display high-nutrient productivity and additionally may also be subjected...

Authors: Aída Martínez-López, Cristian Hakspiel-Segura, Diana Cecilia Escobedo-Urías and Bárbara González-Acosta

Potential influence of wildfire in modulating climate-induced forest redistribution in a central Rocky Mountain landscape

Climate change is expected to impose significant tension on the geographic distribution of tree species. Yet, tree species range shifts may be delayed by their long life spans, capacity to withstand long perio...

Authors: John L. Campbell and Douglas J. Shinneman

cffdrs: an R package for the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System

The Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System (CFFDRS) is a globally known wildland fire risk assessment system, and two major components, the fire weather index system and the fire behavior prediction system,...

Authors: Xianli Wang, B. Mike Wotton, Alan S. Cantin, Marc-André Parisien, Kerry Anderson, Brett Moore and Mike D. Flannigan

Effect of Eucalyptus expansion on surface runoff in the central highlands of Ethiopia

Land use/land cover change can affect the ecological processes of an area such as hydrological cycle. The change in the condition of water resources of an area could be a good indicator of changes in ecosystem...

Authors: Daniel Jaleta, Boniface P. Mbilinyi, Henry F. Mahoo and Mulugeta Lemenih

Short-term prediction of NO₂ and NO _x concentrations using multilayer perceptron neural network: a case study of Tabriz, Iran

Due to the health effects caused by airborne pollutants in urban areas, forecasting of air quality parameters is one of the most important topics of air quality research. During recent years, statistical model...

Authors: Akbar Rahimi

Erratum to: Mechanisms on inhibition of photosynthesis in Kandelia obovata due to extreme cold events under climate change

Authors: Chunfang Zheng, Jianwu Tang, Jinong Chen, Weicheng Liu, Jianbiao Qiu, Xin Peng and Yong Ye

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community assembly in the Brazilian tropical seasonal dry forest

Here, we compare the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) community composition in soils from the root zone of the exotic invasive species Prosopis juliflora (EXO soils) and soils from the root zone of the native ...

Authors: Tancredo Augusto Feitosa de Souza and Helena Freitas

Social-ecological transformations of Inner Mongolia: a sustainability perspective

Sustainability requires the reconciling of human needs with the healthy natural ecosystem, which should be achieved within the grand course of industrialization and modernization. Systematic transitions on dem...

Authors: GuangHua Xu and JianGuo Wu

Modelling impacts of acid deposition and groundwater level on habitat quality and plant species diversity

We quantified the effects of the site factors pH and nitrate (NO₃) concentration in soil solution and groundwater level on the vegetation of terrestrial ecosystems for the Netherlands in response to changes in at...

Authors: J. Kros, J. P. Mol-Dijkstra, G. W. W. Wamelink, G. J. Reinds, A. van Hinsberg and W. de Vries

Flowering and seeding patterns in pure and mixed Nothofagus forests in Southern Patagonia

Variation in reproductive phenology among species is an important mechanism for maintaining species coexistence. In mixed forests, the impact of limiting (biotic and abiotic) factors on tree reproductive succe...

Authors: Mónica Toro Manríquez, Luciana Mestre, María Vanessa Lencinas, Álvaro Promis, Guillermo Martínez Pastur and Rosina Soler

Mechanisms on inhibition of photosynthesis in Kandelia obovata due to extreme cold events under climate change

Mangroves that grow at the latitudinal extremes of their distribution are susceptible to extreme cold events. Successive enhancement of low temperature stress (seLTS) is a typical characteristic of extreme col...

Authors: Chunfang Zheng, Jianwu Tang, Jinong Chen, Weicheng Liu, Jianbiao Qiu, Xin Peng and Yong Ye

Applications of structural equation modeling (SEM) in ecological studies: an updated review

This review was developed to introduce the essential components and variants of structural equation modeling (SEM), synthesize the common issues in SEM applications, and share our views on SEM’s future in ecol...

Authors: Yi Fan, Jiquan Chen, Gabriela Shirkey, Ranjeet John, Susie R. Wu, Hogeun Park and Changliang Shao

Perception and attitude of pastoralists on the use and conservation of rangeland resources in Afar Region, Ethiopia

Community perception plays a significant role in rangeland resource management. Traditional rangeland management practices by the pastoral communities are based on accumulated knowledge in connection to their ...

Authors: Minyahel Tilahun, Ayana Angassa, Aster Abebe and Alemayehu Mengistu

Effects of holistic grazing management on milk production, weight gain, and visitation to grazing areas by livestock and wildlife in Laikipia County, Kenya

Grazing is an important management tool for maintaining healthy ecosystems and improving rangelands productivity. However, its effectiveness for this purpose is dependent on timing and frequency of grazing, as...

Authors: Priscilla K. Lalampaa, Oliver V. Wasonga, Daniel I. Rubenstein and Jesse T. Njoka

Groundwater recharge rates and surface runoff response to land use and land cover changes in semi-arid environments

The effects of land use and land cover (LULC) on groundwater recharge and surface runoff and how these are affected by LULC changes are of interest for sustainable water resources management. However, there is...

Authors: S. O. Owuor, K. Butterbach-Bahl, A. C. Guzha, M. C. Rufino, D. E. Pelster, E. Díaz-Pinés and L. Breuer

Estimating farmers’ stated willingness to accept pay for ecosystem services: case of Lake Naivasha watershed Payment for Ecosystem Services scheme-Kenya

Lake Naivasha watershed is recognized for its contribution to Kenya’s national gross domestic product from the export of horticultural products. Commercial horticultural investment downstream depends mainly on...

Authors: J. M. Nyongesa, H. K. Bett, J. K. Lagat and O. I. Ayuya

Interlinking climate change with water-energy-food nexus and related ecosystem processes in California case studies

Global climate change creates critical challenges with increasing temperature, reducing snowpack, and changing precipitation for water, energy, and food, as well as ecosystem processes at regional scales. Ecos...

Authors: Qinqin Liu

Surface storm flow prediction on hillslopes based on topography and hydrologic connectivity

Hillslopes provide critical watershed ecosystem services such as soil erosion control and storm flow regulation through collecting, storing, and releasing rain water. During intense rainstorms, rainfall intens...

Authors: Dennis W. Hallema, Roger Moussa, Ge Sun and Steven G. McNulty

Land tenure and landscape change: a comparison of public-private lands in the southern High Plains

Long-term drought in the southern Great Plains increases the vulnerability of coupled human-environment systems at a variety of scales. Developing better understandings of the dynamics at regional scales will ...

Authors: Todd D. Fagin, Jacqueline M. Vadjunec, Nicole M. Colston, Kathyrn Wenger and Amy Graham

Initial response of fish trophic niche to hydrological alteration in the upstream of Three Gorges Dam

Damming is one of the dramatic impacts to river food webs due to habitat fragmentation and changes in the hydrological regimes. The world’s largest dam, the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), has been constructed in the ...

Authors: Jianzhu Wang, Lei Li, Jun Xu and Binhe Gu

Invasion by Conyza sumatrensis alters soil microbial community structure in urban ecosystems

Whether invasive plants stimulate or inhibit the soil microbial diversity is still an open question. Despite large-scale invasion by Conyza sumatrensis (Retz.) E. Walker in the urban ecosystems of the Srinagar ci...

Authors: Nazima Rasool, Zafar A. Reshi, Damase P. Khasa, Mudasir Roshan and Manzoor A. Shah

Recovery of photosynthesis, sucrose metabolism, and proteolytic enzymes in Kandelia obovata from rare cold events in the northernmost mangrove, China

Understanding how mangroves respond to rare cold events has implications for both restoration and conservation under climate change scenarios. This study investigated the responses of photosynthesis and activi...

Authors: Chunfang Zheng, Yong Ye, Weicheng Liu, Jianwu Tang, Chengnian Zhang, Jianbiao Qiu and Jinong Chen

Differential responses of carbon and water vapor fluxes to climate among evergreen needleleaf forests in the USA

Understanding the differences in carbon and water vapor fluxes of spatially distributed evergreen needleleaf forests (ENFs) is crucial for accurately estimating regional or global carbon and water budgets and ...

Authors: Pradeep Wagle, Xiangming Xiao, Thomas E. Kolb, Beverly E. Law, Sonia Wharton, Russell K. Monson, Jiquan Chen, Peter D. Blanken, Kimberly A. Novick, Sabina Dore, Asko Noormets and Prasanna H. Gowda

Do green spaces affect the spatiotemporal changes of PM_2.5 in Nanjing?

Among the most dangerous pollutants is PM_2.5, which can directly pass through human lungs and move into the blood system. The use of nature-based solutions, such as increased vegetation cover in an urban landscap...

Authors: Jiquan Chen, Liuyan Zhu, Peilei Fan, Li Tian and Raffaele Lafortezza

Conversion of savanna rangelands to bush dominated landscape in Borana, Southern Ethiopia

Analyzing trends of land use systems and the changes occurred overtime is an effective way of assessing the impacts of land use/land cover (LULC) changes on ecosystem function. It provides important insights f...

Authors: Teshome Abate and Ayana Angassa

Analysis of socio-environmental impacts of the loss of urban trees and vegetation in Lahore, Pakistan: a review of public perception

This paper focused on the process of urbanization in Lahore and its correlation with the loss of urban vegetation and perceived environmental impacts based on local population’s perception through administrati...

Authors: Safdar Ali Shirazi and Jamil H. Kazmi

Eastern wild turkey nest site selection in two frequently burned pine savannas

Reproductive success is a critical factor affecting avian demographics and can be influenced by many factors including nesting chronology, predation risk, and fine-scale nest site selection.

Authors: Andrew R. Little, Nathan P. Nibbelink, Michael J. Chamberlain, L. Mike Conner and Robert J. Warren

Field curing methods and storage duration affect the quality of hay from six rangeland grass species in Kenya

Rangelands are important source of pasture for livestock in Kenya since time immemorial to pastoral households. However, seasonality on forage availability has been a big challenge in meeting animals’ feed req...

Authors: O. K. Koech, R. N. Kinuthia, G. N. Karuku, S. M. Mureithi and R. Wanjogu

Spatial distribution and source identification of heavy metal pollution in roadside surface soil: a study of Dhaka Aricha highway, Bangladesh

In this study, metal pollution and their sources in surface soils were evaluated by pollution indices and multivariate statistical techniques in association with a geographical information system (GIS).

Authors: Fahad Ahmed, A. N. M. Fakhruddin, M. D. Toufick Imam, Nasima Khan, Tanzir Ahmed Khan, Md. Mahfuzur Rahman and Abu Tareq Mohammad Abdullah

A methodological approach to urban land-use change modeling using infill development pattern—a case study in Tabriz, Iran

In recent years, models of land-use change and urban growth have become important tools for city planners, economists, ecologists, and resource managers. In most models, future land-use changes are forecasted ...

Authors: Akbar Rahimi

Application of the buffer theory for evaluating attenuation and natural remediation of ionic pollutants in aquatic ecosystems

The main focus in this review is showing how to use the developed buffer theory for assessing and predicting the long-term phenomena of attenuation and natural remediation of ionic pollutants in contaminated a...

Authors: Igor Povar and Oxana Spinu

Determination of Cu (II) ions using sodium salt of 4-phenylsemicarbazone 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonic acid in natural and industrial environments

The copper content in natural waters usually range from 0.2 to 30 μg/L. The higher concentrations are habitually found in industrial effluents and other contaminated waters.

Authors: Oxana Zagurskaya-Sharaevskaya and Igor Povar

Monitoring and modeling of urban sprawl through remote sensing and GIS in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur is currently experiencing a large-scale urban transformation. This study explores a multi-buffer ring method to investigate the spatial and temporal dynamics of urban growth in the Kuala Lumpur me...

Authors: Mukesh Singh Boori, Maik Netzband, Komal Choudhary and Vít Voženílek

A review on dump slope stabilization by revegetation with reference to indigenous plant

The waste, subgrade ROM and fine dumps of iron ore mines are characterized by high rock fragment contents, low moisture retention capacity, higher bulk density, low nutrients, lower pH and elevated metal conce...

Authors: Vibhash Ranjan, Phalguni Sen, Dheeraj Kumar and Arjun Sarsawat

The invasion of Prosopis juliflora and Afar pastoral livelihoods in the Middle Awash area of Ethiopia

An evergreen shrub, Prosopis juliflora is one of the most invasive species in arid and semi-arid areas. Since its introduction to the Middle Awash area of Ethiopia, it has invaded a huge acreage of grass- and ran...

Authors: Zeraye H. Mehari