scholarly journals Tillage-induced wind erosion in semi-arid fallow lands of Central Anatolia, Turkey  

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (No. 3) ◽  
pp. 144-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Başaran ◽  
O. Uzun ◽  
S. Kaplan ◽  
F. Görmez ◽  
G. Erpul

Wind erosion and resultant dust emissions create significant risks for land degradation and ecosystem health in arid and semi-arid regions. In these regions, fallowing constitutes a major component of conventional agriculture. The present study was conducted to determine wind erosion quantities and agricultural activity-induced mass transport from fallow lands and to assess the correlations of mass transport with climate and soil characteristics. Experiments were conducted over the fallow lands of two adjacent agricultural enterprises (Altinova and Gözlü, Turkey). Sediment flux was measured with passive traps in wet and dry seasons (Q<sub>t</sub>WET and Q<sub>t</sub>DRY). Mass transport in wet and dry seasons was respectively measured as 11.38 and 11.40 kg/ha in Altinova and as 31.61 and 19.71 kg/ha in Gözlü. Both the differences between mass transport of the enterprises and the differences between Q<sub>t</sub>WET and Q<sub>t</sub>DRY of each enterprise were found to be significant (P &lt; 0.05). Pearson’s correlation analysis for the correlations of mass transport with soil characteristics revealed significant correlations with electrical conductivity and soil lime content (r = 0.721 and –0.635) (P &lt; 0.05). Total mass transport from the fallow lands of both enterprises throughout a 7-month period of measurement was estimated at 600 t. Based on current findings it was concluded that fallowing should be abandoned and sustainable soil and land management practices from conventional agriculture like minimum tillage or crop rotations should be introduced.  

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (24) ◽  
pp. 25156-25168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joyce Ortiz-Hernández ◽  
Carlos Lucho-Constantino ◽  
Liliana Lizárraga-Mendiola ◽  
Rosa Icela Beltrán-Hernández ◽  
Claudia Coronel-Olivares ◽  
...  

1998 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 261 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. K. Borrell ◽  
R. M. Kelly ◽  
D. E. Van Cooten

Summary. A number of field experiments were undertaken in eastern Indonesia with the aim of improving rice production in this semi-arid region. The objectives of these studies were to examine the effects of irrigation method (raised beds under saturated soil culture v. flooded system), irrigation frequency (daily v. twice weekly) and genotype (traditional v. improved) on rice yield and components of yield, and to examine the response of rice growth on raised beds to sowing time and nitrogen fertilisation. Recent studies in northern Australia have demonstrated that rice can successfully be grown under saturated soil culture. In the Australian studies, grain yield and quality were maintained, yet saturated soil culture used 32% less water than the flooded control in both wet and dry seasons. Higher efficiencies of water use for rice production with saturated soil culture in semi-arid tropical Australia suggest that similar benefits may be realised with this method of irrigation in West Timor. The experiments in West Timor were undertaken within a low-external-input system, and all experiments were affected by drought. The central issue is one of aligning crop growth with water availability to ensure adequate quantity and quality of grain production at the end of the season. On this basis, a number of practical strategies for improving rice production under water-limited conditions in West Timor are suggested. First, time of sowing in the wet season is important, with early-sown crops escaping end-of-season drought. Significantly, the improved genotype (cv. Lemont) was only able to fill its grain adequately if sown early in the wet season, thereby avoiding drought during grain filling. Second, providing soils are sufficiently deep, rice can successfully be grown under saturated soil culture in West Timor. Importantly, preparation of raised beds before the wet season enables rice crops to be sown early, maximising the use of rainfall for crop production. Twice weekly irrigation of rice on beds was found to be more efficient than irrigating daily or flooding the bays. Third, no differences in grain yield were found between the improved short-statured genotype (cv. Lemont) and the taller traditional genotype under the low-external-input system, although differences in components of yield were observed in the wet and dry seasons. There is some evidence that the traditional genotype filled grain better when water was limiting during grain growth by restricting vegetative production and enabling the crop to finish.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 639-643
Author(s):  
M.M. Ogunbambo

Smoke-drying Clarias gariepinus (catfish) provides animal protein and a source of livelihood in Lagos, Nigeria. Changes occurring to seasonal and mineral compositions of smoke-dried catfish using local Traditional Drum Kiln (TDK) and a newly constructed Eco-Friendly Kiln (EFK) fitted with a flame, drying and electronic components was carried out in this study. The smoke-drying process was carried out in both wet and dry seasons and smoke-dried catfish samples stored at ambient and adjusted refrigerated temperatures of 28 and 4 0C. The smoke-drying procedure was  standardized at 60 - 80 0C and kiln lasted 24 ± 3 hours. Moisture content results showed a significant difference when the catfish samples were smoke-dried using TDK and EFK and stored in ambient and controlled temperatures in both wet and dry seasons while crude protein, lipid, ash and crude fibre values were significantly different when stored only in dry season. Mineral elements phosphorus, sodium, copper, magnesium and iron showed a significant difference when stored at both temperatures and seasons using both kilns. Mineral elements were found to be most stable in smoke-dried catfish samples when stored at controlled temperatures. This work proved that standardizing smoke-drying process using both kilns resulted in good quality smoke-dried catfish but showed that higher biochemical values were obtained when EFK is used. Key words: Nigeria, Smoke-drying Kilns, Seasons, Ambient, Controlled Temperatures


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phetmanyseng Xangsayasane ◽  
Khamtai Vongxayya ◽  
Senthong Phongchanmisai ◽  
Jaquie Mitchell ◽  
Shu Fukai

2016 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 888-897 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. R. C. C. Xavier ◽  
F. Scherner ◽  
D. C. Burgos ◽  
R. C. Barreto ◽  
S. M. B. Pereira

Abstract Population growth in urban areas changes freshwater ecosystems, and this can have consequences for macrophyte communities as can be seen in the municipalities that border the Capibaribe River, Pernambuco, Brazil. This study reports the effects of urbanization on the composition and structure of macrophyte communities in areas along that river. The following urbanized and non-urbanized sampling sites were chosen: Sites 1 and 2 (municipality of Santa Cruz do Capibaribe), Sites 3 and 4 (municipality of Toritama), and Sites 5 and 6 (metropolitan region of Recife). These sites were visited every two months from January to July 2013 to observe seasonal variation (wet and dry seasons). Thirty-one species were identified. Generally, the non-urbanized sites had a higher number of species. Multivariate analyses indicated significant overall differences between urbanized and non-urbanized areas (R = 0.044; p < 0.001) and between seasons (R = 0.018; p < 0.019). Owing to the large variation in physical, chemical, and biological characteristics between urbanized and non-urbanized areas, we found that urbanization significantly influenced the floristic composition and structure of macrophyte communities.


2002 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 339-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. RAGUSA-NETTO

Figs are a remarkable food resource to frugivores, mainly in periods of general fruit scarcity. Ficus calyptroceras Miq. (Moraceae) is the only fig species in a type of dry forest in western Brazil. In this study I examined the fruiting pattern as well as fig consumption by birds in F. calyptroceras. Although rainfall was highly seasonal, fruiting was aseasonal, since the monthly proportion of fruiting trees ranged from 4% to 14% (N = 50 trees). I recorded 22 bird species feeding on figs. In the wet season 20 bird species ate figs, while in the dry season 13 did. Parrots were the most important consumers. This group removed 72% and 40% of the figs consumed in the wet and dry seasons, respectively. No bird species increases fig consumption from dry to wet season. However, a group of bird species assumed as seed dispersers largely increases fig consumption from wet to dry season, suggesting the importance of this resource in the period of fruit scarcity. The results of this study points out the remarkable role that F. calyptroceras plays to frugivorous birds, in such a dry forest, since its fruits were widely consumed and were available all year round.


2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. 4481-4502 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Hwang ◽  
W. D. Graham

Abstract. There are a number of statistical techniques that downscale coarse climate information from general circulation models (GCMs). However, many of them do not reproduce the small-scale spatial variability of precipitation exhibited by the observed meteorological data, which is an important factor for predicting hydrologic response to climatic forcing. In this study a new downscaling technique (Bias-Correction and Stochastic Analog method; BCSA) was developed to produce stochastic realizations of bias-corrected daily GCM precipitation fields that preserve both the spatial autocorrelation structure of observed daily precipitation sequences and the observed temporal frequency distribution of daily rainfall over space. We used the BCSA method to downscale 4 different daily GCM precipitation predictions from 1961 to 1999 over the state of Florida, and compared the skill of the method to results obtained with the commonly used bias-correction and spatial disaggregation (BCSD) approach, a modified version of BCSD which reverses the order of spatial disaggregation and bias-correction (SDBC), and the bias-correction and constructed analog (BCCA) method. Spatial and temporal statistics, transition probabilities, wet/dry spell lengths, spatial correlation indices, and variograms for wet (June through September) and dry (October through May) seasons were calculated for each method. Results showed that (1) BCCA underestimated mean daily precipitation for both wet and dry seasons while the BCSD, SDBC and BCSA methods accurately reproduced these characteristics, (2) the BCSD and BCCA methods underestimated temporal variability of daily precipitation and thus did not reproduce daily precipitation standard deviations, transition probabilities or wet/dry spell lengths as well as the SDBC and BCSA methods, and (3) the BCSD, BCCA and SDBC methods underestimated spatial variability in daily precipitation resulting in underprediction of spatial variance and overprediction of spatial correlation, whereas the new stochastic technique (BCSA) replicated observed spatial statistics for both the wet and dry seasons. This study underscores the need to carefully select a downscaling method that reproduces all precipitation characteristics important for the hydrologic system under consideration if local hydrologic impacts of climate variability and change are going to be reasonably predicted. For low-relief, rainfall-dominated watersheds, where reproducing small-scale spatiotemporal precipitation variability is important, the BCSA method is recommended for use over the BCSD, BCCA, or SDBC methods.


Mammalia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria B. Salinas-Ramos ◽  
Alejandro Zaldívar-Riverón ◽  
Andrea Rebollo-Hernández ◽  
L. Gerardo Herrera-M

AbstractSeasonality of climate promotes differences in abundance and species composition of parasites, affecting host-parasite interactions. Studies have reported seasonal variation in bat-flies, which are obligate bat ectoparasites. We characterized the bat-fly load of three insectivores [Pteronotus davyi(Gray),Pteronotus parnellii(Gray) andPteronotus personatus(Wagner)] and one nectarivorous [Leptonycteris yerbabuenae(Martínez and Villa-R.)] bat species in a tropical dry forest to test the existence of seasonality in response to the availability of resources during the wet and dry seasons. We collected 3710 bat-fly specimens belonging to six species and two genera from 497 bats. Most of the ectoparasite load parameters examined (mean abundance, mean intensity, richness, etc.), including comparisons among reproductive conditions and sex of the host, were similar in both seasons. Prevalence was the parameter that varied the most between seasons. The six bat-fly species were found in all bat species exceptP. personatus. The latter species andL. yerbabuenaehad four and five bat-fly species in the wet and dry seasons, respectively. This study provides significant information of ectoparasites ecology in relation to seasonality, contributes to the understanding of host-parasite relationships in tropical dry forests and discusses the relevance of the abiotic and biotic factors that could impact host-parasite interactions.


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