scholarly journals Conservation of Ecosystem Services in Argiudolls of Argentina

Agriculture ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 649
Author(s):  
Marcelo Germán Wilson ◽  
Alejandro Esteban Maggi ◽  
Mario Guillermo Castiglioni ◽  
Emmanuel Adrián Gabioud ◽  
María Carolina Sasal
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Aggregates ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Water Erosion ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Structure Stability ◽  
Organic Carbon Content ◽  
Water Losses ◽  
Sequence Composition

Mollisols are a fundamental component of global agricultural production. In the Argentine Pampas region, 65% of the Mollisols belong to Argiudoll great group. These soils have an agricultural aptitude, with limitations given mainly by varying thickness of the top horizon A as a result of the severity of water erosion depending on its site in the landscape layered on an argillic B horizon. Over the last three decades, Pampean agriculture has been widespread because of a modern technological matrix characterized by transgenic crops, and increasing use of fertilizers and pesticides. Large changes have taken place in crop sequence composition, toward the disappearance of pastures and the rapid expansion of soybean monoculture due to the upward trend of the international price of this commodity. This review contributes to an alertness regarding the significance of the soil degradation problem, in terms of decline in soil fertility and structural condition, decrease in size of soil aggregates, surface and subsurface compaction, decrease in organic carbon content, soil and water contamination, reduction of infiltration rate and structure stability, causing an increase in water losses through surface runoff and water erosion and lost ecosystem services. Additionally, a set of sustainable land management practices and legal aspects is shown.

scholarly journals  Influence of terrain attributes and soil properties on soil aggregate stability

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (No. 3) ◽  
pp. 111-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Zádorová ◽  
O. Jakšík ◽  
R. Kodešová ◽  
V. Penížek
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Soil Aggregates ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Structure Stability ◽  
Organic Carbon Content ◽  
Terrain Attributes ◽  
Erosion Processes ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Curvature Index ◽  
Elevation Model

  The study on the relationship between the soil aggregates stability assessed using water stable aggregate (WSA) index and the selected terrain and soil properties was performed on a morphologically diverse study site in Chernozem soil region of Southern Moravia. Soil analyses and detailed digital elevation model processing were the main methods adopted in the study. The soil structure stability is negatively influenced by the soil material removal from the steep parts of the back-slope and re-deposition of the mineral loess material at the base of the slope. The highest aggregates stability was identified in the upper flat parts of the study plot, undisturbed by erosion processes, and at the concave parts of the back-slope with intensive accumulation of organic matter. Statistical analysis showed a significant dependence of aggregates stability on organic carbon content and plan curvature index.

scholarly journals Fruit Tree-Based Agroforestry Systems for Smallholder Farmers in Northwest Vietnam—A Quantitative and Qualitative Assessment

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 451
Author(s):  
Van Hung Do ◽  
Nguyen La ◽  
Rachmat Mulia ◽  
Göran Bergkvist ◽  
A. Sigrun Dahlin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Knowledge Exchange ◽  
Fruit Trees ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Fruit Tree ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Forage Grass ◽  
High Investment

Rapid expansion of unsustainable farming practices in upland areas of Southeast Asia threatens food security and the environment. This study assessed alternative agroforestry systems for sustainable land management and livelihood improvement in northwest Vietnam. The performance of fruit tree-based agroforestry was compared with that of sole cropping, and farmers’ perspectives on agroforestry were documented. After seven years, longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.)-maize-forage grass and son tra (Docynia indica (Wall.) Decne)-forage grass systems had generated 2.4- and 3.5-fold higher average annual income than sole maize and sole son tra, respectively. Sole longan gave no net profit, due to high investment costs. After some years, competition developed between the crop, grass, and tree components, e.g., for nitrogen, and the farmers interviewed reported a need to adapt management practices to optimise spacing and pruning. They also reported that agroforestry enhanced ecosystem services by controlling surface runoff and erosion, increasing soil fertility and improving resilience to extreme weather. Thus, agroforestry practices with fruit trees can be more profitable than sole-crop cultivation within a few years. Integration of seasonal and fast-growing perennial plants (e.g., grass) is essential to ensure quick returns. Wider adoption needs initial incentives or loans, knowledge exchange, and market links.

scholarly journals Integrating constraint effects among ecosystem services and drivers on seasonal scales into management practices

2021 ◽  
Vol 125 ◽  
pp. 107425
Author(s):  
Shengkun Li ◽  
Xiaobing Li ◽  
Huashun Dou ◽  
Dongliang Dang ◽  
Jirui Gong
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Constraint Effects

Obama's Bag: High Quality with No QC at Barrington

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (01) ◽  
pp. 115-142
Author(s):  
William Brown ◽  
Lin Guo
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Culture ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Employee Motivation ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Open Door Policy ◽  
Potential Influence ◽  
Entry Barrier ◽  
High Productivity ◽  
Company Culture ◽  
Soft Management

This case describes an American leather firm in China that has obtained a reputation for high productivity, excellent quality without QC inspectors, and very low turnover, in spite of offering only industry average compensation. Though many scholars and practitioners contend that “soft” management practices are ineffective in a high power distance country such as China, Barrington has successfully adapted programs such as “character first” and “open door policy” to create a high-involvement culture with a mix of control and commitment human resource management practices. Barrington now faces the need for rapid growth in a highly competitive, low entry barrier niche market, and management is concerned about how to maintain the intimate company culture. The teaching notes provide background for reviewing Barrington's challenges in evolving a healthy corporate culture and management-labor relationships within the context of China's unique historic, cultural and political contexts dynamics. Yet another perspective upon these challenges is given by briefly addressing the similar experiences of China's Asian neighbors, as well as the implications of some scholars' arguments that, even in the West, commitment HRM may be more prevalent in theory than in practice. After discussing Barrington's HRM practices of control, commitment, or hybrid, and their potential influence upon employee motivation and job satisfaction, students argue the pros and cons of the rapid expansion strategies that Barrington is considering to cope with intensifying competition and their potential influence upon the firm's company culture.

Impact of soil water erosion processes on catchment export of soil aggregates and associated SOC

Geoderma ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 294 ◽  
pp. 63-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shoucai Wei ◽  
Xiaoping Zhang ◽  
Neil B. McLaughlin ◽  
Xuewen Chen ◽  
Shuxia Jia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Aggregates ◽  
Water Erosion ◽  
Erosion Processes
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