Silvopasture Research Articles

‘A City’s Paradise’: preserving the remainder of Box Hill, voluntary social action and Country Life, 1919–1936

ABSTRACT Land was first purchased at Box Hill, Surrey, on the North Downs, to save a famous viewpoint in 1914. Safeguarding the remainder of Box Hill from development necessitated public appeals in 1919, 1923, 1926 and 1935. Led by the largely autonomous Box Hill Management Committee, and often supported by Country Life, voluntary social action in Surrey and London was mobilised to preserve adjoining land for the National Trust by accretion, intent on avoiding spoliation by villas on winding drives, extensive tree felling, streets of bungalows, and highway construction. Sub-national piecemeal protection and voluntary vigilance sustained delight in the country by subscribers who affirmed their familiarity with Box Hill, where views, trees and sequestered spaces on low and high ground offered quiet enjoyment amid common nature. Using sources which originated in the hill’s management, complemented by Country Life and newspaper reports, the article evaluates the interrelationship of locality and nation during the subscription appeals, with reference to private acts of informal benevolence and personal sense-impressions of Box Hill. The importance of providing respite from congested districts, on unembellished former wooded pasture in its natural state, is explored before sufficient national political consensus arose for the statutory protection of open country. In 1944 the Greater London Plan demanded that remaining unspoiled chalk country should be taken into public possession.

Estimating Energy Concentrations in Wooded Pastures of NW Spain Using Empirical Models That Relate Observed Metabolizable Energy to Measured Nutritional Attributes

Wooded pastures serve as a traditional source of forage in Europe, where forest grazing is valued as an efficient tool for maintaining the diversity of semi-natural habitats. In a forest grazing setting with diverse diet composition, assessing the energy content of animal diets can be a difficult task because of its dependency on digestibility measures. In the present study, prediction equations of metabolizable energy (ME) were obtained performing stepwise regression with data (n = 297; 44 plant species) on nutritional attributes (Acid Detergent Fiber, lignin, silica, dry matter, crude protein, in vitro organic matter digestibility) from 20 representative stands of Atlantic dry heathlands and pedunculate oak woodlands. The results showed that the prediction accuracy of ME is reduced when the general model (R2 = 0.64) is applied, as opposed to the use of the specific prediction equations for each vegetation type (R2 = 0.61, 0.66, 0.71 for oak woodlands; R2 = 0.70 heather-gorse dominated heathlands, R2 = 0.41 continental heathlands). The general model tends to overestimate the ME concentrations in heaths with respect to the observed ME values obtained from IVOMD as a sole predictor, and this divergence could be corrected by applying the specific prediction equations obtained for each vegetation type. Although the use of prediction equations by season would improve accuracy in the case of a Winter scenario, using the general model as opposed to the prediction equations for Spring, Summer or Fall would represent a much smaller loss of accuracy.

Genomic structure and diversity of oak populations in British parklands

Societal Impact StatementThe largest populations of veteran oak trees in Europe are found in British parklands: managed wood pastures up to 1000 years old. Here, we present genomic evidence that parkland oak populations harbour considerable diversity and grew from local seed sources. We found some evidence for natural regeneration of offspring and for hybridization between pedunculate and sessile oak. We detected signatures of past gene flow between these two species and few regions of high differentiation within their genomes. Future expansion of this dataset may allow us to test for a genomic basis of acute oak decline, a syndrome of particular concern in parkland environments.Summary The two predominant oak species in Europe, Quercus robur (English or pedunculate oak) and Quercus petraea (sessile oak), have a long history of human intervention. In Britain, a common management regime is parklands, often surrounding country houses. Little is known about how seeds were sourced for parkland oak populations nor the genetic diversity that they contain. We sequenced the whole genomes of 386 trees from four British parkland sites to characterize the nuclear and chloroplast genetic structure and diversity of oak parkland populations. We assembled the chloroplast genomes and matched these to restriction enzyme fragment chloroplast haplotypes found in previous studies of ancient woodlands. We found over two million high‐quality nuclear single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), allowing us to identify 360 Q. robur, 10 Q. petraea and 16 hybrid individuals with confidence. We identified 81 coding regions exhibiting strong differentiation between the two species. We found evidence for selective sweeps in Q. robur near some regions containing genes with putative involvement in stress tolerance. We detected a few very close relatives within some sites, suggesting natural regeneration or local seed planting. There was little differentiation among the Q. robur populations at the four sites. Chloroplast genomes found in each parkland tended to be similar to those of local ancient woodlands, suggesting that they were derived from local seed sources.

The enduring effects of sowing legume-rich mixtures on the soil microbial community and soil carbon in semi-arid wood pastures

The enduring effects of sowing legume-rich mixtures on the soil microbial community and soil carbon in semi-arid wood pastures

Woodland Grazing: Untapped Resource to Increase Economic Benefits from Forestland

Abstract The southeastern United States offers a tremendous opportunity for expanding woodland grazing technology for small ruminants in its almost 60 percent woodland. Like in many other states, Alabama alone has 23 million acres of woodland. Conversely, livestock owners face a daunting challenge to forage their animals for about seven lean months each year. Raising animals on concentrates, of course, is economically unfeasible for small-scale producers. Woodland grazing is an untapped practice that boosts economic, social, and environmental benefits to woodland owners. The objectives of this study were to diversify household cash flow for woodland owners and simultaneously promote forage-based livestock production systems. The study was conducted at Tuskegee University from 2017 to 2020 in 6 acres of woodland (southern pines and non-pine species). Meat goats (8 Wethers) and hair sheep (5 Rams) were grazed rotationally for 6 months (May–Oct.) until they consumed 50% of the available foliage. They were not fed any supplement feed while grazing in woodlands. The feeding cost was estimated using four scenarios: sack/pellet, hay, sack/pellet and hay, and woodland grazing holding health, management, minerals and water costs constant. Feeding cost was 58–204% lower, and labor cost was 50–100% less in woodland grazing compared to conventional feeding systems. Extrapolated data reveal that woodland owners may generate about $9,947.00 more cash flow annually from 50 acres with woodland grazing than without grazing. Moreover, the system approach strengthens knowledge, attitude, awareness, skill, and motivation of the family members and community as a percolation effect. Besides, the environmental benefits (controlling unwanted and invading species and aesthetic pleasure) increase the economic value. Results reveal that woodland grazing can open an enormous economic opportunity to all forestland owners by upholding annual cash flow while trees are growing and making the total returns from woodlands much higher than the monocropping-timber.

Fra grænselandet mellem to kulturer

Fra grænselandet mellem to kulturer

Allelopathic Effects of Three Herb Species on Phytophthora cinnamomi, a Pathogen Causing Severe Oak Decline in Mediterranean Wood Pastures

The ability of three herbaceous plants (Diplotaxis tenuifolia (L.) DC., Eruca vesicaria L. and Raphanus raphanistrum L.) from Iberian wood pastures to reduce Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands pathogen populations through allelopathic relationships is studied. The inhibitory capacity of their aqueous root extracts (AREs) on mycelial growth and production of P. cinnamomi reproductive structures is analysed in vitro. In addition, Quercus seedlings were grown in infested by P. cinnamomi-soils and with the presence or absence of allelopathic and susceptible herb species to the pathogen to assess the defensive chemical response of Quercus seedlings through their leaf phenolic compounds. Results show a strong inhibitory capacity of AREs on P. cinnamomi activity in vitro and a protective effect of these herb species on Quercus plants against P. cinnamomi in vivo. D. tenuifolia would be especially suited for biological control in the pathogen suppression.

Assessing the Potential of Participatory Modeling for Decolonial Restoration of an Agro-Pastoral System in Rural Zimbabwe

Colonialism has devastated the lifeways, more-than-human relations, and collective stewardship practices of Indigenous people. Decolonial restoration may be assisted by collaborative methods like participatory modeling, but further careful evaluation is needed to ensure that these methods that have the potential to connect ways of knowing actually do secure long-term benefit for Indigenous life and land. In this study, we engage in a mixed-methods analysis to assess our participatory modeling of a Zimbabwean agropastoral system. The Muonde Trust, a community-based research organization, partnered with international researchers from outside the community to create an agent-based model (ABM) representing the dynamics of land use in Mazvihwa Communal Area, Zimbabwe. Using interviews and participant observation during modeling workshops, Muonde and their allies assessed the immediate increases in confidence and self-efficacy for members of the research team (during workshops), intermediate-term changes in local land-use policy and management discussions (months to years later), and long-term changes in on-the-ground land use (up to four years later). We find that the model successfully assisted the Muonde Trust in working with local leaders to create policies allowing recultivation of fallow fields rather than further deforesting woodland grazing areas. This success is due to the involvement of the community at key times in the modeling process, resulting in a model that felt accessible and that Muonde (as a key information broker) could use to bring the community together to discuss collective management. Though aspects of our process still relied on colonial tools and power structures, the community in Mazvihwa finds the model useful and feels ownership over it.

Comparative assessment of soil health indicators in response to woodland and silvopasture land use systems

The change in land-use systems due to new management practices and confined agricultural space leads to a major shift in soil health. Soil microbial community composition, enzyme activities, and soil physiochemical properties are considered as important indicators of soil health. Past research has focused on soil health in response to major land-use systems such as forest, pasture, and cultivated land. However, the response of soil health indicators specifically, biological indicators to silvopasture systems remains understated. Therefore, the objective of our study was to assess the impact of silvopasture (SPS) and woodland (WS) land-use systems on the soil health indicators. The study site consists of 5-years-old southern-pine silvopasture developed from existing woodland and 13-years old southern-pine/hardwood mixed woodland plots. Soil samples were collected and analyzed for microbial analysis using the MiSeq platform next-generation sequencing, enzyme assay using a microplate fluorimetric method, and soil physiochemical properties. Significantly higher soil organic carbon (2.6 ± 0.12%), total nitrogen (0.09 ± 0.002%), Mehlich phosphorous (26.9 ± 3.09 mg kg−1), nitrate (4.8 ± 0.24 mg kg−1), and pH (6.5 ± 0.10) were observed in SPS. SPS had a significantly higher acidic phosphatase (169.5 ± 6.59), alkaline phosphatase (43.6 ± 3.39), phosphodiesterase (10.5 ± 0.71), and β-glucosidase (61.7 ± 3.34) activity, measured in nmol g−1 hr−1, as compared to WS. Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria were the most dominant bacterial phyla while Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the most dominant fungal phyla in both systems. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria (43.3%) was significantly higher in SPS while that of Acidobacteria (17.5%) was significantly higher in woodland (WS). Similarly, Basidiomycota were dominant (p < 0.0001) in WS while SPS was dominated by Ascomycota (p < 0.0001). Microbial diversity and the microbial community at the class and genus taxonomic levels were also impacted by the SPS. Copiotrophs and phytopathogens were higher in SPS while oligotrophs, decomposers, and ectomycorrhizae were higher in WS. In conclusion, our study found strong evidence that the nutrient input and vegetation composition in southern-pine SPS led to changes in soil physiochemical properties which further caused a shift in soil microbial community composition in these systems identified by principal component analysis.

Wood Pastures: A Transitional Habitat between Forests and Pastures for Dung Beetle Assemblages

Wood pastures are home to a variety of species, including the dung beetle. Dung beetles are an important functional group in decomposition. Specifically, in terms of livestock manure, they not only contribute to nutrient cycling but are key players in supporting human and animal health. Dung beetles, however, are declining in population, and urgent recommendations are needed to reverse this trend. Recommendations need to be based on solid evidence and specific habitats. Herein, we aimed to investigate the role of an intermediate habitat type between forests and pastures. Wood pastures are key areas for dung beetle conservation. For this reason, we compared dung beetle assemblages among forests, wood pastures, and grasslands. We complemented this with studies on the effects of dung type and season at three Hungarian locations. Pitfall traps baited with cattle, sheep, or horse dung were used in forests, wood pastures, and pasture habitats in spring, summer, and autumn. Dung beetle assemblages of wood pastures showed transient characteristics between forests and pastures regarding their abundance, species richness, Shannon diversity, assemblage composition, and indicator species. We identified a strong effect of season and a weak of dung type. Assemblage composition proved to be the most sensitive measure of differences among habitats. The conservation of dung beetles, and the decomposition services they provide, need continuous livestock grazing to provide fresh dung, as well as the maintenance of wood pastures where dung beetle assemblages typical of forests and pastures can both survive.

234 Woodlands for Expanding the Grazing Opportunity for Small Ruminants in the Southeast: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract Woodlands account for around 60 percent of the land cover in the Southeast and offer a great potential for expanding the grazing opportunity for small ruminants. However, such opportunities and challenges associated with woodland grazing have not been documented well. The objectives of this study were to 1) develop strategies for increasing understory-vegetation biomass and its utilization by small ruminants and 2) identify challenges associated with the use of small ruminants in woodland plots. The study was initiated in 2017 using six woodland plots (0.4-ha each) that consisted of southern pines, as the main timber species, and numerous non-pine species. Each plot was virtually divided into four sections, and each section was randomly allocated to one of the cutting treatments or control. Treatments included the cutting of non-pine species into one of the three heights from the ground surface: 0 m, 0.9 m, or 1.5 m, and the control section did not receive any cut. Samples of understory vegetation were collected during the production period of 2018 and 2019, dried, and weighed. Small ruminants were rotationally stocked in the plots and their behavior (feeding: grazing, browsing; non-feeding: loafing, lying, and debarking) and landscape-use pattern (time spent by animals in different treatments or control in performing various behaviors) monitored. The understory-vegetation biomass increased tremendously in treatments compared to the control (33%-160%), with maximum increment (100%-160%) occurring in the section that received 0-m cut. Animals spent much of their feeding time in sections that received 0-m and 0.9-m cut consuming much of the vegetation available within their reach (goats or goats-sheep mixed: 0–1.5 m; sheep: 0–1.1 m from the ground). They selected dry and less vegetated areas containing shelters and tree shade for resting, visited the least to the control, and did not impose any damage to timber trees.

10 Behavior and Landscape-Use Pattern of Small Ruminants Co-grazed in Woodlands with different Vegetation Characteristics

Abstract Woodland is the major landcover in Alabama (69%) and other states of the Southeast (≈60%). The understory vegetation present in woodlands can be a great feed resource for small ruminants when woodland grazing is practiced well, for which the understanding of animals’ landscape-use pattern is important. The study objective was to determine the diurnal behavior and landscape-use pattern of Kiko wethers and Katahdin rams co-stocked in woodlands. Eight Kiko wethers (77±2.5 kg. LW) and five Katahdin rams (92±4.6 kg. LW) were co-stocked rotationally in three woodland plots (0.4-ha. each) during May–August 2019 in Atkins Agroforestry Research and Demonstration site, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama. Each study plot contained four treatments, where the average canopy height were 0.82 m, 1.34 m, 1.67 m and 1.73 m. The diurnal behavior (grazing, browsing, loafing, lying) and landscape-use pattern of animals were monitored from dawn to dusk when they were in each study plot at each rotation. Diurnal period was categorized into morning (dawn–11:00 am), midday (11:00 am–3:00 pm), and post-midday (3:00 pm–dusk) for the analysis and diurnal behavior and distribution pattern of animals were analyzed in SAS 9.4, GLM procedure with MANOVA option. Animal species differed in their feeding behavior (P &amp;lt; 0.0001), with wethers mostly browsing and rams grazing. Significant interaction effects of animal species and diurnal period occurred on all behavior categories, except loafing and lying (P &amp;lt; 0.0001). Wethers spent less time grazing (84–88%), but more time browsing (90%) during morning and post-midday vs. rams. Animals were actively feeding when the weather was nice and cool, and resting when it was hot. Feeding behavior was dominant during the post-midday period (3 PM–dusk) and lying during midday (11 AM–3 PM). The specific behavior and landscape-use pattern observed in this study can be useful to design and utilize woodland resources more efficiently.

Social Valuation of Mediterranean Cultural Landscapes: Exploring Landscape Preferences and Ecosystem Services Perceptions through a Visual Approach

Mediterranean cultural landscapes have been recognized as multifunctional landscapes that are currently threatened by two opposing trends: rural abandonment and agricultural intensification. Uncovering people’s perceptions of different landscape configurations, and how inhabitants value the contributions of nature to human wellbeing, is essential to understanding current landscape trends. In this study, we analyze the social perception of the cultural landscapes of Sierra Morena (Andalusia, Spain) based on 389 face-to-face visual questionnaires in an attempt to understand individuals’ landscape preferences, the reasons behind those preferences and how those landscapes are perceived as suppliers of ecosystem services by different groups of stakeholders. Four groups of stakeholders were identified that differed in how they perceive and value the cultural landscape. An urban-related group was characterized by their preferences for pine plantations and “green” landscapes, guided mostly by aesthetic criteria. A livestock-related group showed a clear preference for wood–pasture landscapes (dehesas) due to their ability to supply multiple ecosystem services. An environmentally aware group showed preferences for dehesas and Mediterranean forests, mainly guided by ecological criteria. Finally, an olive-related group showed a clear preference for olive grove landscapes as key for the regional economy and their cultural identity. Overall, the local inhabitants of Sierra Morena perceived a higher supply of ecosystem services in moderately disturbed landscapes, such as dehesas and mosaic landscapes, than in highly disturbed ones, such as conventional olive groves and pine plantations, or in less used landscapes, such as the Mediterranean forest. Understanding the differences in valuation/demand for ecosystem services among groups of stakeholders, characterized by their landscape preferences, provides important information with which to identify potential trade-offs and conflicts, thereby providing insights into the improvement of landscape planning and decision making.

Behavioral Responses of Tabanidae and Stomoxys calcitrans to Unbaited and Baited Nzi and Horse Pal Traps in Southern Sweden

The distribution and species diversity of tabanids and stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans Linnaeus, 1758, in the research area, Hästhult (wood pasture) in Sweden, as well as the behavioral responses of biting flies to visual and olfactory cues were highlighted by this study. Beyond the control of tabanids and stable flies through the Nzi and Horse Pal traps that act as a surrogate host, this study sought to demonstrate the attractiveness of biting flies to these traps by comparing the results of the two periods in which the traps were unbaited and baited. The odor attractants, such as urine (a mixture of more than phenol) and acetone used to increase trap yields, made the difference to the Horse Pal and Nzi traps for S. calcitrans (L) because the number of flies caught was significantly higher. Through this study, Nzi trap with bait and Horse Pal trap with and without bait were tested for the first time as regards the tabanids and S. calcitrans (L) in Scandinavia. Surprisingly, the number of tabanids caught in the Nzi trap was equal in both situations with or without bait. The result underlined the idea that the Nzi trap manages to catch a large number of tabanids even in the absence of attractants. It turns out that the Horse Pal trap was just as effective with and without bait in capturing tabanids. Furthermore, the number of tabanids caught in both traps depended on the type of weather, and the number of stable flies depended on the weather and also the type of trap. The results of this study showed that both the visual and olfactory aspects of the Nzi and Horse Pal traps are always essential, being used successfully in the control of biting flies and optimized for various research purposes.

Do the Stripes on Three-Dimensional Models Overcome the Odor Signals in Tabanids Landing Choice?

Information about the important factors in tabanid flies visual orientation to hosts has been largely derived from experimental modifications of visual traps and decoys. In the present study performed in wood pasture (Hästhult), southern Sweden, three-dimensional striped models resembling the shape of Zebra, Bongo, Kudu and four control models of different homogenous colors (black, white, reddish-brown and brown) were baited with acetone and aged cow urine in order to test the behavioral preferences in terms of visual and olfactory stimuli in host-seeking tabanids. Attraction of tabanid flies to these models (3D) was high, possibly due to the greater visibility from several directions and also from a greater distance. Vision is important in activating, orienting tabanid flies to the host, as well as for their decision whether and where to land. This research revealed that the visual cues such as stripes on striped models became increasingly important in directing tabanids landing and searching behavior at close range. Likewise, the tabanids approach to attractants sources was overridden by visual cues (stripes) at greater extent compared with the more attractiveness to homogenous colors on control models. Moreover, the visual stimuli (stripes) played also a supplementary role, modifying the selection of landing area on striped model (land on homogenous color part in Bongo and Kudu) once alighting responses were initiated by odor. Tabanid species, especially Haematopota pluvialis and Tabanus bromius exhibited a preference for landing mostly on reddish-brown control model when given the choice of other colors. However, the complex interaction of attractants and visual cues (stripes, color, shape) in the later stages of resource location, remains relatively little studied in all species of tabanids.

Cattle pasturing as a traditional form of forest use and conflicts between peasants and forestry administration in the long nineteenth century (the case of Białowieza Primeval Forest)

Abstract The article deals with one of the key resources for peasants of Eastern Europe, wood pastures. Relying on new archival material, we demonstrate that peasant communities, in the spirit of James Scott, consistently sabotaged state efforts to ban livestock pasturing in the forests. The state, over the long nineteenth century, strengthened control over many aspects of the economic life of the village, which gradually made the conflicts of the peasants with the state forest administration more acute. We apply a case study approach to investigate the relations between peasants and the local and metropolitan administration in the Białowieża Forest. A unique feature of the Białowieża Forest is its long and continued history of effective protection measures, which facilitated finding sources on this topic. Our research reveals the motivation in the struggle for control over forest resources between the peasants and the administration, as experts in ‘rational’ forestry. Throughout the long nineteenth century, the peasants used all means of resistance available to them: petitions to the authorities at all levels, sabotage of administrative orders, bribes to forestry personnel and direct violations of orders. These conflicts, which lasted for many decades, demonstrate that peasant communities only partially followed the rules introduced by the state administration, which tried to change the principles of forestry management, making forests more profitable and ‘rational’ from the point of view of the experts of the time. The administration spent significant resources on the control of wood pasturing, but achieved very modest results, both in terms of reducing the number of livestock in the forest and in terms of collecting compensation for damage made by ungulates. The most important changes occurred in the second half of the nineteenth through the early twentieth century and were associated with more consistent and strict control over the traditional forest resources, especially during the final appanage period (1889–1915). If we consider the reaction of the administration to peasant petitions regarding wood pastures, we see sympathy and positive reactions both at the provincial and at the ministerial levels. Obviously, this tolerance was connected with both the shortage of pasture and fodder, and the general paternalistic sentiments of the Russian government. The administration tried not so much to increase the income from wood pasturing as to ‘accustom’ the peasants to the idea that the forests were not public, but rather private, state or appanage property.

Early to late Holocene vegetation and fire dynamics at the treeline in the Maritime Alps

We used pollen, plant macrofossil, and charcoal records to investigate local long-term timberline shifts and changes in vegetation composition in relation to fire activity at the modern upper forest limit (ca. 2,000 m a.s.l.) in the Mont Bego area, Maritime Alps of France and Italy. The area is an important place for Alpine archaeology because it has thousands rock-art carvings whose age cannot be directly assessed. Our new record confirms the occurrence of distinct land use phases (7,450–7,150, 6,200–4,900, and 4,250–3,700 cal bp), as suggested by earlier studies of rock art typology. Moreover, the vegetation reconstruction from macrofossils, with co-dominance of Pinus and Betula, suggests that early Holocene conditions were moister than in drier inner Alpine valleys, where Larix decidua played a more important role, both in the past as well as in modern timberline forests. After 8,000 cal bp, the timberline shifted upwards and mixed Abies alba and Pinus cembra stands established around the study site. These fire sensitive trees were finally replaced during the Bronze Age (around 4,000 cal bp) by L. decidua, which still dominates the subalpine woodlands in the area today. Our study supports the notion that while the range of A. alba has been reduced at the colder end of its natural distribution, that of L. decidua has been widened by land use changes and fire disturbances to create high alpine wood pastures.

Estimación de variables esenciales de la vegetación en un ecosistema de dehesa utilizando factores de reflectividad simulados estacionalmente

&lt;p&gt;Mixed vegetation systems such as wood pastures and shrubby pastures are vital for extensive and sustainable livestock production as well as for the conservation of biodiversity and provision of ecosystem services, and are mostly located in areas that are expected to be more strongly affected by climate change. However, the structural characteristics, phenology, and the optical properties of the vegetation in these mixed -ecosystems such as savanna-like ecosystems in the Iberian Peninsula which combines herbaceous and/or shrubby understory with a low density tree cover, constitute a serious challenge for the remote sensing studies. This work combines physical and empirical methods to improve the estimation of essential vegetation variables: leaf area index (&lt;em&gt;LAI&lt;/em&gt;, m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; / m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; ), leaf (C&lt;sub&gt;ab,leaf&lt;/sub&gt;, μg / cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; ) and canopy(C&lt;sub&gt;ab,canopy&lt;/sub&gt;, g / m&lt;sup&gt;2 &lt;/sup&gt;) chlorophyll content, and leaf (C&lt;sub&gt;m, leaf&lt;/sub&gt;, g / cm&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; ) and canopy (C&lt;sub&gt;m,canopy&lt;/sub&gt;, g / m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; ) dry matter content in a dehesa ecosystem. For this purpose, a spectral simulated database for the four main phenological stages of the highly dynamic herbaceous layer (summer senescence, autumn regrowth, greenness peak and beginning of senescence), was built by coupling PROSAIL and FLIGHT radiative transfer models. This database was used to calibrate different predictive models based on vegetation indices (VI) proposed in the literature which combine different spectral bands; as well as Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) using all bands in the simulated spectral range (400-2500 nm). PLSR models offered greater predictive power (&lt;em&gt;R&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/em&gt; ≥ 0.93, &lt;em&gt;RRMSE&lt;/em&gt; ≤ 10.77 %) both for the leaf and canopy- level variables. The results suggest that directional and geometric effects control the relationships between simulated reflectance factors and the foliar parameters. High seasonal variability is observed in the relationship between biophysical variables and IVs, especially for &lt;em&gt;LAI&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;C&lt;sub&gt;ab&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, which is confirmed in the PLSR analysis. The models developed need to be validated with spectral data obtained either with proximal or remote sensors.&lt;/p&gt;

Adaptive Responses of Paspalum oteroi Native Grass to Fertilization and Shading

The aim of this study was to evaluate the Paspalum oteroi native grass and its adaptive responses to shading and foliar fertilization in two pasture systems in the Cerrado-Pantanal transition region. A completely randomized block design with factorial arrangement was adopted to this study: three types of fertilizers [no fertilization – control (C); Foliar fertilizer for pasture (FF) and Soil fertilizer + Foliar fertilizer (SF)] x two pasture systems (WS - with shading, wooded P. oteroi pasture; NS - no shading, exclusive P. oteroi pasture) with four repetitions. P. oteroi seedlings were transplanted in November 2015. Data collection was from May 2016 to September 2016, during dry season. There were differences (p&lt;0.05) in the sward height variables (H), dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) content, dry matter production (DMP) and shoot: root ratio (S:R). In the WS system increased of 8,61% of the CP content and fertilizer SF increased of 8.81% of the CP content. However, in the WS system was observed reduced DM, DMP and S:R and in the FF and SF fertilizers increased leaf area index (LAI), in the latter months of the application. Probably, P. oteroi grass developed adaptation strategies to deal with the environmental conditions to which it was submitted during this study, such as variations in its morphophysiological traits: low shoot / root ratio, height, chemical composition, leaf area index e light interception. In conclusion, P. oteroi showed adaptation to wooded pasture systems, during dry period, however, the use of fertilization depends on economic viability studies.

Formerly coppiced old growth stands act as refugia of threatened biodiversity in a managed steppic oak forest

Forest vegetation is dominated by long-lived species in the tree layer, which facilitates its relatively high inertia and ability to conserve traces of its history in its structure and species composition. Central European lowland forests have been the subject of diverse human use for millennia and some of the present stands still show remnants of historical management forms practised before the onset of modern forestry. In the past decades, biodiversity decline has become a major concern, and restoration of historical uses has been proposed as a nature-friendly alternative for forest management. We explored the consequences of the transformation of an old oak coppice, historically linked to ancient wood pasture system, to oak plantation. We focused on vascular plant species richness and differences in ecological spectra of the plant assemblages, with the goal of evaluating the consequences for biodiversity conservation and identifying possible environmental drivers behind the observed patterns. The study was performed in the best preserved complex of lowland steppic oak forests in the Czech Republic, protected as a Site of Community Importance. We fully inventoried plant species in 135 oak stands classified into three management-age classes: (1) clear-cuts, (2) young growth stands after area-wide site preparation, and (3) old growth stands. For some analyses, old growth stands were divided into those showing signs of past coppicing and the others. We found that species richness was the highest in clear-cuts, the lowest in young growth stands, and intermediate in old growth stands. Clear-cuts showed the highest uniqueness in species composition, with a high share of ruderal species. Young growth stands showed the lowest uniqueness, with a high proportion of competitive species. Old growth stands showed intermediate uniqueness and the coppiced ones had a high share of stress-tolerant species, often of high conservation value. While it is hardly surprising that the establishment of oak plantations has profound effects on biodiversity, we suggest that clear-cutting itself may not be a key issue. Destructive site preparation in clear-cuts, and competition for resources in dense young oak stands are suggested as the main factors threatening the survival of ancient biota of steppic oak forests in our study area. In contrast, continuity of site conditions in formerly coppiced old growth stands facilitates species survival. We suggest that restoration of historical management forms such as coppicing and wood pasture may support this continuity. Where oak planting is still applied, we advise minimising site preparation and applying early thinning of young growth stands.