There are diverse opinions as to what an ecoregional research approach should involve. Ecoregional research is meant to fill gaps in natural resources management research, rationalise overlapping mandates, provide focal points and streamline interactions between NARS (National Agricultural Research Systems) and CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) centres. This paper describes the institutional structure and technical operation of the proposed ecoregional programme in sub-humid West Africa.

In the arid, low biomass producing areas of Ethiopia, Acacia woodlands suffered a severe degradation due to exploitation for various uses, and conversion to grazing and cultivated lands. However, little is known on the impact of agricultural land uses on soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN) stocks, and other soil quality indicators. This study was planned to evaluate SOC and TN stock changes under parkland agroforestry (PAF), managed pastureland (MPL), and treeless cropland (TLCL) regimes by considering the remnant protected woodland (PWL) as a reference.

Climate change impacts food production systems, particularly in locations with large, vulnerable populations. Elevated greenhouse gases (GHG), as well as land cover/land use change (LCLUC), can influence regional climate dynamics. Biophysical factors such as topography, soil type, and seasonal rainfall can strongly affect crop yields. We used a regional climate model derived from the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) to compare the effects of projected future GHG and future LCLUC on spatial variability of crop yields in East Africa.

Se presenta informacion preliminar acerca del proceso y las causas de sucesion de sabanas de Trachypogon vestitus y de Paspalum pectinatum despues de quema y pastoreo, en Carimagua, Colombia. En varios expt. en los cuales se aplicaron diferentes tasas de carga a parcelas con y sin quema, se observo que la cobertura de plantas tendio a ser mayor en las parcelas con quema, a la mayor tasa de carga y al inicio y al final de la epoca seca. La quema y el pastoreo no afectaron el no. de plantas emergentes. Despues de la quema y con tasa de carga baja, T. vestitus predomino en la sabana de P.

Mediante un minisimulador de lluvia se evaluaron los cambios en pérdida de suelo y en algunas propiedades físicas asociadas con el movimiento del agua, en un Inceptisol (Dystric haplustepts) de la zona de reconversión del cultivo de trigo del departamento de Nariño, Colombia (75º 14Ž oeste, 0.5º 10Ž norte, 2.710 msnm, 79% HR, 12ºC). Los tratamientos fueron: Suelo no intervenido a 25% de pendiente (testigo), uso en pastura por 25 años, 25% de pendiente y uso agrícola rotación trigo-maíz (rt-m) de 25, 45 y 70 años de uso, cada uno de estos últimos a 12% y 25% de pendiente.

Successful control of tsetse (Glossina spp.)-transmitted trypanosomiasis in the Ghibe Valley, Ethiopia, appears to have accelerated conversion of wooded grassland into cropland. Land conversion, in turn, may have fragmented wildlife habitat. The objective of this paper was to assess the influence of the expansion of agricultural land-use, brought about by tsetse control, on ecological properties by using bird species richness and composition as indicators of environmental impacts.