Atriplex nummularia has been extensively planted in Northern Africa to combat desertification. However, few studies evaluated the effectiveness of these interventions. This study aimed at assessing the dynamic performance of a number of Atriplex plantations located in the Marrakech province in terms of multitemporal dry biomass production. Three SPOT 5 images (2004, 2008 and 2012) and field biomass measurements were integrated to quantify the dry biomass production dynamics of plantations established from 1996 to 2007. Different plant ages covered the whole plant life cycle curve.

Grassland ecological migration project is implemented in Northwest China as an attempt to restore the deteriorative ecosystems. People are relocated from uninhabitable areas to immigrant areas, resulting in land use changes, which would significantly impact the ecological environment. Therefore, it urgently needs quantitative evaluation and analysis of the trends of ecological change in these immigrant areas. We selected Luanjingtan, which is the largest ecological immigrant area in Alxa, Inner Mongolia, as our case.

Organic carbon (OC) sequestration in degraded semi‐arid environments by improved soil management is assumed to contribute substantially to climate change mitigation. However, information about the soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration potential in steppe soils and their current saturation status remains unknown. In this study, we estimated the OC storage capacity of semi‐arid grassland soils on the basis of remote, natural steppe fragments in northern China. Based on the maximum OC saturation of silt and clay particles

Desertification, which affects more than two-thirds of the world's arid and semi-arid regions, is a significant global ecological and environmental problem. There is a strong link between desertification of the drylands and emission of CO₂ from soil and vegetation to the atmosphere. The Horqin Sandy Land is a severely desertified area in China's agro-pastoral ecotone due to its fragile ecology, combined with unsustainable land management.

The thesis explores the extent to which payment for the ecosystem service of carbon sequestration

provided in a value chain context, through an innovative climate change mitigation and adaptation

strategy known as 'carbon insetting', could generate 'win-win' outcomes for all actors.

Drawing on examples of where the concept of carbon insetting has been adopted in coffee and cocoa value chains in Mexico and Honduras respectively, the thesis investigated the feasibility of

The paper tries to provide answers to questions on the status of farm/family forestry in Africa

in terms of opportunities and challenges, their contribution to economic development and

In order to understand farmers’ perceptions of resilience

in socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes

(SEPLS), a participatory field assessment was conducted in

Kenya. A tool developed by the United Nations University-

Institute of Advanced Studies and Bioversity International

was used to elucidate the range of perceptions of risk

faced by five communities living in different agro-ecological

and socio-economic conditions. This paper presents

the practical process of carrying out assessments at the

India has experienced rapid growth in potato production during recent past and the country has almost doubled its potato production during 2003–2013. The potato productivity improved 31.4% over this period of time. However, potato production scenario in southern states of India is quite grim and with the result potato consumers of these states always have to purchase potatoes at very high prices compared to the national average prices.