Increasing natural disturbances in conifer forests worldwide complicate political decisions about appropriate land management. In particular, allowing insects to kill trees without intervention has intensified public debate over the dual roles of strictly protected areas to sustain ecosystem services and to conserve biodiversity. Here we show that after large scale bark beetle Ips typographus infestation in spruce Picea abies forests in southeastern Germany, maximum nitrate concentrations in runoff used for drinking water increased significantly but only temporarily at the headwater scale.

The 'Research to Reality Project' assisted beef producers in the Burdekin catchment of north Queensland to develop practical responses to a range of production and grazing land management challenges. The project involved three groups of beef producers encompassing 19 enterprises, 680000ha of land and the management of 162000 cattle. The project was founded on a continuous improvement and innovation approach, and included an employed industry champion and multi-disciplinary project team who used a range of extension methods to identify, develop and implement on-property projects.

Hydrologic and water quality models are increasingly used to determine the environmental impacts of climate variability and land management. Due to differing model objectives and differences in monitored data, there are currently no universally accepted procedures for calibration and validation in the literature. In an effort to develop accepted model calibration and validation procedures or guidelines, a special collection of 22 research articles that present and discuss calibration strategies for 25 hydrologic and water quality models was previously assembled.

Increasing land degradation and concomitant low agricultural productivity are important determinants of rural poverty in the hillside areas of Honduras. Using data at the levels of the farm household, parcel and plot, we develop an econometric modeling framework to analyze land management decisions and their impact on crop productivity. Our econometric model allows for endogenous household decisions regarding livelihood strategy choice, use of labor and external inputs, and participation in organizations.

In the light of the Japanese government's intensive efforts to decontaminate areas affected by radioactive Caesium from Fukushima dai-ichi nuclear power plant, I create a framework for assessing the merits of management options. In particular I consider delayed intervention as a possible policy. Delay can be optimal because allowing the natural decay of radiation can lower significantly the costs of achieving targets for exposure. Using some benchmark data for Japan I estimate that optimal delay is positive for most reasonable parameter values.

Astragalus microcymbus (Fabaceae) is a rare forb endemic to Gunnison County, Colorado. For 17 years, Denver Botanic Gardens and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (Colorado State Office) have monitored four populations of this candidate species under the ESA in the South Beaver Creek Natural Area. Large, statistically significant population declines have been documented, as have prolonged dormancy, episodic fruit production, and herbivory.

The loss of habitat and biodiversity worldwide has led to considerable resources being spent on conservation interventions. Prioritising these actions is challenging due to the complexity of the problem and because there can be multiple actors undertaking conservation actions, often with divergent or partially overlapping objectives. We explore this issue with a simulation study involving two agents sequentially purchasing land for the conservation of multiple species using three scenarios comprising either divergent or partially overlapping objectives between the agents.

AIM: Setting realistic population targets and identifying actions for site and landscape‐level recovery plans are critical for achieving the global target of doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022. Here, we estimate the spatially explicit densities of wild ungulate prey across a gradient of disturbances in two disjunct tiger habitat blocks (THBs) covering 5212� km², to evaluate landscape‐wide conditions for tigers and identify opportunities and specific actions for recovery. LOCATION: Western Terai Arc Landscape, India.

We evaluate the outcomes and consequences of a decade‐long restoration project in a Hawaiian lowland wet forest as they relate to long‐term management actions. Our initial study was designed both to promote native biodiversity and to develop knowledge that would enable land management agencies to restore invaded forests. Our premise of success followed the prevalent perception that short‐term management, such as removal of invasive species, ideally translates into long‐term and sustainable restoration.