Conversion Of Pastureland Research Articles

Interseeding Sorghum-Sudangrass into Perennial Cool-Season Western Wheatgrass Pasture

Conversion of pastureland into cropland has occurred at a rapid rate on the Great Plains. A reduction in total acreage of pastureland from this conversion has resulted in a decline of total numbers of beef cows in the same region. One method to mitigate the decline in cow numbers is to increase the carrying capacity of the remaining pastureland acres. To achieve this goal, a study was conducted to introduce warm-season annual grass species into perennial cool-season grass pastures to increase dry matter production during the mid-summer time period that perennial cool-season grasses would be most dormant. An increase in production during this time period could result in a significant overall increase in total land area production.

The Puna Pastoralist System: A Coproduced Landscape in the Central Andes

In mountain socioecological systems, the interaction between nature and people is at the core of planning local long-term sustainable development strategies. Pastoralism is the main traditional socioeconomic livelihood in dryland mountains. It is strongly associated with long-established land use practices that provide essential material and relational contributions, both of which shape human populations and nature. The aim of this work is to characterize the traditional pastoralist system of the Puna (northwest Argentina) in a framework that highlights its diverse values and valuations within nature–people coproductions. We use the conceptual framework of the Intergovernmental Science–Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services as a tool to analyze and understand these socioecological systems. We also identify 3 coproduction types at different steps of the benefit flow from ecosystems to quality of life. Pastoral livelihood persists in the Argentine Puna, cocreating a landscape with natural and anthropic (water sources, grasslands, wildlife, livestock, and techniques) elements interacting through complex mechanisms involving environmental conditions and cultural and economic practices. Some drivers that threaten the system's sustainability are overexploitation and land use change. These are visible as poaching or conversion of pasturelands into mining areas. Finally, we identify a number of knowledge gaps. These include lack of information on some regulatory contributions of nature to people, biodiversity status, and trends and statistical information on Indigenous Peoples and local communities; the flow of relationships; and coproductions related to the local expression of the quality of life. We also highlight the need for spatially explicit information and comprehensive knowledge of drivers and socioecological dynamics of the landscape.

Matrix effect challenges to quantify 2,4-D and fipronil in aquatic systems.

Fipronil and 2,4-D are two main pesticides of sugarcane cultivation in Brazil. While pesticides have helped to improve food quality and quantity, the continuous increase in usage has raised concerns over the unintended negative environmental impacts they introduce. Mesocosm systems are used as surrogate ecosystems to evaluate the fate, transport, and transformation of pesticides. Controlled experimental manipulations on mesocosms simulate the effects of stressors on the environment, in which the studies to evaluate effects on the living organisms and assess pesticide dynamics produce more realistic data than those obtained in the laboratory. However, analytical methods that follow mesocosm studies shall be robust enough towards sensitive variations in analyte concentration and matrix-induced effects of suppression or enhancement of analytical response. An analytical method using solid-phase extraction (SPE) along with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was developed for simultaneous determination of fipronil, 2,4-D, and their respective transformation products in aquatic systems. The method presented instrument quantification limits from 0.1 to 10.0ngmL-1 and recovery values from 14 to 101%, with a maximum relative standard deviation (RSD) value of 12%. In the matrix effect assessment, the majority of matrix proportions showed a statistically relevant matrix effect for all compounds (p < 0.05). The method was further applied to over 500 different samples from mesocosm systems during controlled pesticide application and conversion of pastureland into sugarcane cropland. 2,4-D and fipronil mesocosm concentrations varied from 5ngL-1 to 1.6mgL-1 and 0.3ngL-1 to 56μgL-1, respectively.

Changes in soil organic carbon stock and nutrient status after conversion of pasture land to cultivated land in semi-arid areas of northern Ethiopia

ABSTRACT Conversion of native pasturelands to cultivated land led to a decline in soil fertility resulting in low agricultural productivity. This study attempted to investigate the magnitude and rate of pastureland to cultivated land conversion and the associated impact on selected soil properties. The study was conducted in three villages of Ofla district, northern Ethiopia. Land-use conversion that happened between 1973 and 2015 was investigated using satellite images supplemented by field observation and key informant interview. Cultivated lands with different history of cultivation period (2, 10, 20, 30 and 42 years) since conversion were identified. A total of 54 soil samples were collected from cultivated and pasture lands for soil physico-chemical analysis. Results showed that pastureland conversion to cultivated land increased at a medium rate of 17 ha year−1 and by 46% over the last 42 years. Over the same period, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorous, available potassium and electrical conductivity declined by 65%, 59%, 57%, 70% and 74%, respectively. The continued steady decline in soil quality with increasing period of cultivation shows that the current management practices are not sustainable and calls for urgent solution to reverse the negative scenario.

Strategies for near-term scale-up of cellulosic biofuel production using sorghum and crop residues in the US

The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) initially set ambitious goals for US cellulosic biofuel production and, although the total renewable fuel volume reached 80% of the established target for 2017, the cellulosic fuel volume reached just 5% of the original goal. This shortfall has, in part, been ascribed to the hesitance of farmers to plant the high-yielding, low-input perennial biomass crops identified as otherwise ideal feedstocks. Policy and market uncertainty also hinder investment in capital-intensive new cellulosic biorefineries. This study combines remote sensing land use data, yield predictions, a fine-resolution geospatial modeling framework, and a novel facility siting algorithm to evaluate the potential for near-term scale-up of cellulosic fuel production using a combination of lower-risk annual feedstocks more familiar to US farmers: corn stover and biomass sorghum. Potential strategies include expansion or retrofitting of existing corn ethanol facilities and targeted construction of new facilities in resource-rich areas. The results indicate that, with a maximum 10% conversion of pastureland and cropland to sorghum in suitable regions, more than 80 of the 214 existing corn ethanol biorefineries could be retrofitted or expanded to accept cellulosic feedstocks and an additional 71 new biorefineries could be built. The resulting land conversion for bioenergy sorghum totals to 4.5% of US cropland and 3.7% of pastureland. If this biomass is converted to ethanol, the total increase in annual production could be 17 billion gallons, just over the original RFS 2022 cellulosic biofuel production target and equivalent to 12% of US gasoline consumption.

Providing Numbers for a Food versus Fuel Debate: An Analysis of a Future Biofuel Production Scenario

AbstractThis study provides a quantitative estimate of grain that would be available for biofuel production under different scenarios of dietary requirements in the world in 2050 based on the projected information available in 2007 on population, productivity increase, dietary requirements, and land use types. Our major findings are as follows: (1) if dietary requirements do not increase by more than 20% from the current level, crop yields from current cropland must increase by more than 57% just to meet dietary demand; (2) the restriction of pastureland for milk and meat production purposes would imply insufficient food production for a moderate diet consumption scenario in 2050; (3) If food demand increases by 20% of the current consumption level, a 60% increase in crop yield and a 16% conversion of pasturelands would meet grain demand and leave surplus grain to supply 23% of liquid fuel demand. We also highlight the potential roles played by biotechnology, research and development fundings, irrigation, and cropping intensity to boost crop production and ultimately make more land available for biofuel production if such an option continues to be considered in future.

Evaluation of the MIKE SHE Model in a Cold Region

Given its rapid urbanization, the Canagagigue Creek watershed, located in Grand River Basin (Ontario, Canada), is subjected to shifting hydrological patterns. Consequently, surface runoff was simulated using a watershed-scale model MIKE SHE. The model was calibrated with four years of data and validated with another four years data. Satisfactory levels of overall correlation (R2) between monitored and model-simulated monthly runoff were: 0.87 and 0.77 for the calibration and validation periods, respectively. Corresponding values of the Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient, 0.86 and 0.75, were similar. The model was also used to simulate different management scenarios, urbanization, deforestation, conversion of pastureland into agriculture, diversification of corn system into cash crops, and application of tile drainage. Urbanization showed little impact on surface runoff as increase in urbanized area was a small fraction of the watershed area. Deforestation considerably increased (11%) the total flow. Change in cropping patterns and installation of drainage system had marginal impacts on the surface runoffs. Overall, the model was able to simulate surface runoff reasonably well on monthly and annual basis, although slightly poorer on daily basis. It was concluded that the model could be used to investigate hydrological behaviour of the watersheds in cold climate.

Life in Reindeer Rhythms: Customary and State Regulation

Many of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the north of the Russian Federation are dependent on reindeer herding for the material basis of their lives, and for their cultural identities. These are threatened by recent changes, especially by the conversion of pastureland to industrial uses and by the dissociation of younger people from nomadic life when schooling. A number of provisions in the laws of the Russian Federation recognise the customary laws of the indigenous peoples of the North, and provide that their traditional environments and ways of life are to be protected, but there are difficulties in making the laws effective. This paper is concerned with research aimed at seeking solutions to these problems, drawing also on examples of indigenous peoples in other countries of the Artic region.Russian Federal law makes provision for both the normative and the institutional recognition of customary laws, but the nature of the customary laws and the mode by which and fields of activity in which they are to be recognised are little known and difficult to determine. A new approach to indigenous peoples’ legal knowledge is required. It is necessary to develop understanding of the customary laws according to which indigenous peoples live, in a certain sense, in equality with wildlife.Self-government and the establishment of self-governing territories at a local level are provided for in Russian legislation, and in some cases offer the best means for development of local customary laws. Work has been carried out to enable representatives of indigenous peoples to develop effective arguments to advance their customary laws through negotiation and litigation. Further, a project based on the study, interpretation and formulation in legal terms of aboriginal culture needs to be developed to enable the legislation on indigenous peoples to become effective.