Pre-Columbian landscape impact and agriculture in the Monumental Mound region of the Llanos de Moxos, lowland Bolivia

We present a multiproxy study of land use by a pre-Columbian earth mounds culture in the Bolivian Amazon. The Monumental Mounds Region (MMR) is an archaeological sub-region characterized by hundreds of pre-Columbian habitation mounds associated with a complex network of canals and causeways, and situated in the forest–savanna mosaic of the Llanos de Moxos. Pollen, phytolith, and charcoal analyses were performed on a sediment core from a large lake (14 km2), Laguna San José (14°56.97′S, 64°29.70′W).We found evidence of high levels of anthropogenic burning from AD 400 to AD 1280, corroborating dated occupation layers in two nearby excavated habitation mounds. The charcoal decline pre-dates the arrival of Europeans by at least 100 yr, and challenges the notion that the mounds culture declined because of European colonization. We show that the surrounding savanna soils were sufficiently fertile to support crops, and the presence of maize throughout the record shows that the area was continuously cultivated despite land-use change at the end of the earthmounds culture. We suggest that burning was largely confined to the savannas, rather than forests, and that pre-Columbian deforestation was localized to the vicinity of individual habitation mounds, whereas the inter-mound areas remained largely forested.

Impact on agriculture from recent changes in the U.S. tax code (diesel fuel tax) [microform] : hearing before the Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives, One Hundredth Congress, second session, March 17, 1988.

"Serial no. 100-70."

The impact on agriculture of the drawdown of shallow watertables

The promoters of the large groundwater developments implemented in the 1970's paid little attention to the effects of pumping on soil moisture. A field study, conducted in 1979 in the Tern Area of the Shropshire Groundwater Scheme, revealed that significant quantities of the available moisture could be removed from the root zone of vegetation when drawdown of shallow watertables occurred. Arguments to this effect, supported by the field study evidence, were successfully presented at the Shropshire Groundwater Scheme public inquiry. The aim of this study has been to expand the work which was undertaken in connection with the Shropshire Groundwater Scheme, and to develop a method whereby the effects of groundwater pumping on vegetation can be assessed, and hence the impacts minimised. Two concepts, the critical height and the soil sensitivity depth, formulated during the initial work are at the core of the Environmental Impact Assessment method whose development is described. A programme of laboratory experiments on soil columns is described, as is the derivation of relationships for determining critical heights and field capacity moisture profiles. These relationships are subsequently employed in evaluating the effects of groundwater drawdown. In employing the environmental assessment technique, digitised maps of relevant features of the Tern Area are combined to produce composite maps delineating the extent of the areas which are potentially sensitive to groundwater drawdown. A series of crop yield/moisture loss functions are then employed to estimate the impact of simulated pumping events on the agricultural community of the Tern Area. Finally, guidelines, based on experience gained through evaluation of the Tern Area case study, are presented for use in the design of soil moisture monitoring systems and in the siting of boreholes. In addition recommendations are made for development of the EIA technique, and further research needs are identified.

Cara e coroa: O PRONAF B e os impactos na ocupação rural do município de Ceará-Mirim

The present work deals with study on the National Program of Reinforcement of Familiar Agriculture, Group B, referring it offers of agricultural credit the agriculturists who possess familiar prescription until R$ 2,000, 00, and its impact in the agricultural occupation of the city of Ceará-Mirim. From theoretical referencial regarding the agricultural occupation, it collects of data, application of questionnaires between the beneficiaries of PRONAF B and interviews with the involved actors, it was made possible ascertainment of the hypothesis of that the program in this modality of credit, is capable to provide only to the maintenance or diversification of the occupation in the familiar unit and not it generation of remunerated occupation not familiar. This research disclosed to the diverse possibilities of use of the credit and its impact in the agricultural occupation, exactly when it is deviated for other purposes not waked up next to the financial institution, generating impacts not waited, however positive. When destined to the waked up end, still new forms appear of way occupation to complement it the deriving familiar prescription of the main activity. Unable to discard the rise even though very small and informal, non-family gainful occupation. The knowledge is added of that exactly ahead of the easinesses of access to the social base of the program, many familiar agriculturists still find difficulties in the approval of the which had credit, on the other hand, the requirements of the financial institutions

Identidade rural e agricultura familiar :O Pronaf B sob a ótica dos beneficiados

This work has for objective to analyze the perception of benefited of Pronaf B Programa Nacional de Fortalecimento da Agricultura Familiar, in relation to the results that are presented concerning this program. For this, it is presented hypothesis of that the familiar agriculturists, fit in the norms of credit of Pronaf B, have a peculiar perception on the end item of this program, produced from inherent characteristics to the agricultural reality where they live. Ahead of this, I broke myself of estimated of that the searched familiar agriculturists are more socially vulnerable to the inaqualities the agricultural areas. For this research, they had been used, mainly, theoretical reflections of studious of the campesinato, familiar agriculture and of researchers of the impacts of Pronaf B in the agricultural way. The empirical data of the research had been gotten, through the application of questionnaires with the benefited ones and interviews with the mediators of this program in the two searched cities, Apodi and Antônio Martins, in the Rio Grande do Norte, who proportionally withholds the biggest contract number of Pronaf B in the state. The conclusion of the research ratifies the initial hypothesis of that the perception on the results of Pronaf B for benefited its is peculiar, and points stops beyond the economic results, such as: the rise of auto-esteem; the rescue of the citizenship feeling and as impact in autoconsumo of the families of the agriculturists benefited for Pronaf B

A biotecnologia vegetal como alternativa para a cotonicultura familiar sustentável

This paper aims to describe the familiar cotton culture in the districts of Tangará and Triunfo Potiguar, located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. It relates specific problems that small cotton agriculturists face in the cotton production and sale as well as their perception in relation to public policies that have been put into practice in these districts. The research revealed soils with potentiality for the cotton culture, but that are not being cultivated for anything else but subsistence, not being able to become productive, specifically through the cotton culture. That activity should be practiced so that it preserves the environment and the familiar farmers themselves, since it was verified they are constant1y exposed to health problems due to insecticides use. In what refers to fomentation policies it was observed that bureaucracy delays the liberation of the money destined to production, seeds delivery and other actions related to production and commercialization. Some procedures such as information and training about productivity development and attention with the environrnent and infrastructure are recommended. The results indicate lack of investments, rural credit and technical help, main1y in Triunfo Potiguar. There is unanimity, from the rural farmers of that district in what refers to the desire of improving the production and remaining in that activity. In this sense, the contribution of this research for the most appropriate culture production can be materialized through the technique of tissue's culture, aimed at obtaining plants that are resistant to diseases. The data indicated that the hormonal supplementations used induced regenerative calluses making in vitro morphogenesis possible in alI tested varieties. The use of the activated coal antioxidant was efficient, reducing oxidation, however not suppressing it. The results lead to an opportunity for the familiar tàrmers from Rio Grande do Norte enlarge the cotton culture, because to obtain plants that are resistant to diseases implies in insecticides reduction, propitiating smaller impact to the atmosphere and less cost

La agricultura familiar en la región pampeana argentina. La utilización de los factores de producción y su relación con nuevas dinámicas familiares

Este artículo tiene un doble objetivo. Por un lado, conocer cuál es la relación que guarda la agricultura familiar de la región pampeana argentina con los distintos factores de producción intentando verificar si es factible encontrar en estas unidades una forma particular de organizar el trabajo, relacionarse con el recurso tierra y/o capitalizarse (invertir en tecnología) que diferencie a la agricultura familiar de otras formas de producción. Por el otro, indagar acerca de los procesos de cambio que se han venido produciendo en las dinámicas de estas familias, con comportamientos y valores "modernos" característicos de familias urbanas, para analizar sus efectos sobre la organización de la unidad productiva. Todo ello, en el contexto de esta región cada vez más especializada en la producción agrícola e inserta en circuitos de comercialización mundiales. En este sentido, primero se observan los rasgos que presenta el vínculo de este tipo de unidades con los distintos factores de producción (tierra, capital y trabajo) y, a continuación, se propone un análisis acerca de las modificaciones atravesadas por las familias involucradas que han venido influyendo en la forma de tomar decisiones por parte de la unidad productiva. En cuanto al abordaje metodológico, se realizó una encuesta a productores familiares a partir de una muestra del total de establecimientos agropecuarios en el partido de Junín, ubicado en el noroeste de la provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina, así como también se realizaron entrevistas a productores y a esposas e hijos de productores del partido.

La agricultura familiar en la región pampeana argentina. La utilización de los factores de producción y su relación con nuevas dinámicas familiares

Este artículo tiene un doble objetivo. Por un lado, conocer cuál es la relación que guarda la agricultura familiar de la región pampeana argentina con los distintos factores de producción intentando verificar si es factible encontrar en estas unidades una forma particular de organizar el trabajo, relacionarse con el recurso tierra y/o capitalizarse (invertir en tecnología) que diferencie a la agricultura familiar de otras formas de producción. Por el otro, indagar acerca de los procesos de cambio que se han venido produciendo en las dinámicas de estas familias, con comportamientos y valores "modernos" característicos de familias urbanas, para analizar sus efectos sobre la organización de la unidad productiva. Todo ello, en el contexto de esta región cada vez más especializada en la producción agrícola e inserta en circuitos de comercialización mundiales. En este sentido, primero se observan los rasgos que presenta el vínculo de este tipo de unidades con los distintos factores de producción (tierra, capital y trabajo) y, a continuación, se propone un análisis acerca de las modificaciones atravesadas por las familias involucradas que han venido influyendo en la forma de tomar decisiones por parte de la unidad productiva. En cuanto al abordaje metodológico, se realizó una encuesta a productores familiares a partir de una muestra del total de establecimientos agropecuarios en el partido de Junín, ubicado en el noroeste de la provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina, así como también se realizaron entrevistas a productores y a esposas e hijos de productores del partido.

La agricultura familiar en la región pampeana argentina. La utilización de los factores de producción y su relación con nuevas dinámicas familiares

Este artículo tiene un doble objetivo. Por un lado, conocer cuál es la relación que guarda la agricultura familiar de la región pampeana argentina con los distintos factores de producción intentando verificar si es factible encontrar en estas unidades una forma particular de organizar el trabajo, relacionarse con el recurso tierra y/o capitalizarse (invertir en tecnología) que diferencie a la agricultura familiar de otras formas de producción. Por el otro, indagar acerca de los procesos de cambio que se han venido produciendo en las dinámicas de estas familias, con comportamientos y valores "modernos" característicos de familias urbanas, para analizar sus efectos sobre la organización de la unidad productiva. Todo ello, en el contexto de esta región cada vez más especializada en la producción agrícola e inserta en circuitos de comercialización mundiales. En este sentido, primero se observan los rasgos que presenta el vínculo de este tipo de unidades con los distintos factores de producción (tierra, capital y trabajo) y, a continuación, se propone un análisis acerca de las modificaciones atravesadas por las familias involucradas que han venido influyendo en la forma de tomar decisiones por parte de la unidad productiva. En cuanto al abordaje metodológico, se realizó una encuesta a productores familiares a partir de una muestra del total de establecimientos agropecuarios en el partido de Junín, ubicado en el noroeste de la provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina, así como también se realizaron entrevistas a productores y a esposas e hijos de productores del partido.

Are high-impact species predictable? An analysis of naturalised grasses in northern Australia

Predicting which species are likely to cause serious impacts in the future is crucial for targeting management efforts, but the characteristics of such species remain largely unconfirmed. We use data and expert opinion on tropical and subtropical grasses naturalised in Australia since European settlement to identify naturalised and high-impact species and subsequently to test whether high-impact species are predictable. High-impact species for the three main affected sectors (environment, pastoral and agriculture) were determined by assessing evidence against pre-defined criteria. Twenty-one of the 155 naturalised species (14%) were classified as high-impact, including four that affected more than one sector. High-impact species were more likely to have faster spread rates (regions invaded per decade) and to be semi-aquatic. Spread rate was best explained by whether species had been actively spread (as pasture), and time since naturalisation, but may not be explanatory as it was tightly correlated with range size and incidence rate. Giving more weight to minimising the chance of overlooking high-impact species, a priority for biosecurity, meant a wider range of predictors was required to identify high-impact species, and the predictive power of the models was reduced. By-sector analysis of predictors of high impact species was limited by their relative rarity, but showed sector differences, including to the universal predictors (spread rate and habitat) and life history. Furthermore, species causing high impact to agriculture have changed in the past 10 years with changes in farming practice, highlighting the importance of context in determining impact. A rationale for invasion ecology is to improve the prediction and response to future threats. Although our study identifies some universal predictors, it suggests improved prediction will require a far greater emphasis on impact rather than invasiveness, and will need to account for the individual circumstances of affected sectors and the relative rarity of high-impact species.

Impact of compost, vermicompost and biochar on soil fertility, maize yield and soil erosion in Northern Vietnam: A three year mesocosm experiment

Compost, vermicompost and biochar amendments are thought to improve soil quality and plant yield. However, little is known about their long-term impact on crop yield and the environment in tropical agro-ecosystems. In this study we investigated the effect of organic amendments (buffalo manure, compost and verrnicompost) and biochar (applied alone or with vermicompost) on plant yield, soil fertility, soil erosion and water dynamics in a degraded Acrisol in Vietnam. Maize growth and yield, as well as weed growth, were examined for three years in terrestrial mesocosms under natural rainfall. Maize yield and growth showed high inter-annual variability depending on the organic amendment. Vermicompost improved maize growth and yield but its effect was rather small and was only significant when water availability was limited (year 2). This suggests that vermicompost could be a promising substrate for improving the resistance of agrosystems to water stress. When the vermicompost biochar mixture was applied, further growth and yield improvements were recorded in some cases. When applied alone, biochar had a positive influence on maize yield and growth, thus confirming its interest for improving long-term soil productivity. All organic amendments reduced water runoff, soil detachment and NH4+ and NO3- transfer to water. These effects were more significant with vermicompost than with buffalo manure and compost, highlighting that the beneficial influence of vermicompost is not limited to its influence on plant yield. In addition, this study showed for the first time that the combination of vermicompost and biochar may not only improve plant productivity but also reduce the negative impact of agriculture on water quality. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modelling the impact of land use change on water quality in agricultural catchments

Export coefficient modelling was used to model the impact of agriculture on nitrogen and phosphorus loading on the surface waters of two contrasting agricultural catchments. The model was originally developed for the Windrush catchment where the highly reactive Jurassic limestone aquifer underlying the catchment is well connected to the surface drainage network, allowing the system to be modelled using uniform export coefficients for each nutrient source in the catchment, regardless of proximity to the surface drainage network. In the Slapton catchment, the hydrological path-ways are dominated by surface and lateral shallow subsurface flow, requiring modification of the export coefficient model to incorporate a distance-decay component in the export coefficients. The modified model was calibrated against observed total nitrogen and total phosphorus loads delivered to Slapton Ley from inflowing streams in its catchment. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to isolate the key controls on nutrient export in the modified model. The model was validated against long-term records of water quality, and was found to be accurate in its predictions and sensitive to both temporal and spatial changes in agricultural practice in the catchment. The model was then used to forecast the potential reduction in nutrient loading on Slapton Ley associated with a range of catchment management strategies. The best practicable environmental option (BPEO) was found to be spatial redistribution of high nutrient export risk sources to areas of the catchment with the greatest intrinsic nutrient retention capacity.

Agriculture modifies the seasonal decline of breeding success in a tropical wild bird population

1.Habitat conversion for agriculture is a major driver of biodiversity loss, but our understanding of the demographic processes involved remains poor. We typically investigate the impacts of agriculture in isolation even though populations are likely to experience multiple, concurrent changes in the environment (e.g. land and climate change). Drivers of environmental change may interact to affect demography but the mechanisms have yet to be explored fully in wild populations. 2.Here, we investigate the mechanisms linking agricultural land-use with breeding success using long-term data for the formerly Critically Endangered Mauritius kestrel Falco punctatus; a tropical forest specialist that also occupies agricultural habitats. We specifically focused on the relationship between breeding success, agriculture and the timing of breeding because the latter is sensitive to changes in climatic conditions (spring rainfall), and enables us to explore the interactive effects of different (land and climate) drivers of environmental change. 3.Breeding success, measured as egg survival to fledging, declines seasonally in this population, but we found that the rate of this decline became increasingly rapid as the area of agriculture around a nest site increased. If the relationship between breeding success and agriculture was used in isolation to estimate the demographic impact of agriculture it would significantly under-estimate breeding success in dry (early) springs, and over-estimate breeding success in wet (late) springs. 4.Analysis of prey delivered to nests suggests that the relationship between breeding success and agriculture might be due, in part, to spatial variation in the availability of native, arboreal geckos. 5.Synthesis and applications. Agriculture modifies the seasonal decline in breeding success in this population. As springs are becoming wetter in our study area and since the kestrels breed later in wetter springs, the impact of agriculture on breeding success will become worse over time. Our results suggest that forest restoration designed to reduce the detrimental impacts of agriculture on breeding may also help reduce the detrimental effects of breeding late due to wetter springs. Our results therefore highlight the importance of considering the interactive effects of environmental change when managing wild populations.

Agriculture and the life histories of Mauritius kestrels

Habitat modification for agriculture is one of the greatest current threats to global biodiversity. Studies show large-scale population declines and short-term demographic impacts, but knowledge of the long-term effects of agriculture on individuals remains poor. This thesis examines the short- and long-term impact of agriculture on a reintroduced population of the Mauritius kestrel Falco punctatus, a tropical forest-dwelling raptor endemic to the island of Mauritius, that also utilises agricultural habitats. This population is a particularly appropriate model system, because complete life history data exists for individuals over a 22-year period, alongside detailed habitat and climate data. Agriculture has a short-term detrimental effect on Mauritius kestrel breeding success by exacerbating the seasonal decline in fledgling production. This is partly driven by the habitat-specific composition of the prey community that kestrels exploit to feed their chicks. The fledglings from agricultural territories tend to recruit in agricultural territories. This is largely due to poor natal dispersal and fine-scale spatial autocorrelation in the habitat matrix. Breeders do not respond to agriculture in the breeding territory by dispersing, unless the pair bond is broken. Therefore, individuals originating in agricultural territories tend to recruit, and remain in, agricultural territories throughout their lives. In addition to this, females from agricultural natal territories have shorter lifespans, schedule their peak reproductive output earlier in life, and exhibit more rapid senescence than non-agricultural females. The combination of this long-term effect and the adult experience of agriculture imposed by life history and environmental constraints, leads to a lower mean lifetime reproductive rate compared to females originating in non-agricultural habitats. These results demonstrate that agriculture experienced in early life has a lifelong effect on individuals. The effects can persist in time and space, with potentially delayed effects on population dynamics. These findings are important for understanding species’ responses to agricultural expansion.

Produção familiar e parâmetros de sustentabilidade no Município de Bauru/SP

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Energia na Agricultura) - FCA