Native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with grass and legume cover crops established on Oxisol soils in the Colombian piedmont (Meta) were identified morphologically and the ability to colonize was evaluated. The experimental area consisted of cover crops Arachis pintoi (CIAT 18744), Brachiaria brizantha cv. Toledo, B. dictyoneura cv. Llanero, Desmodium ovalifolium cv. Maquenque, Panicum maximum (CIAT 36000), Paspalum notatum, and a chemical control (Glyphosate and mechanical control) established in the rows in a Valencia orange grove.

This study aims to understand the influences of climate change and land surface processes on the variation of in-stream DOC concentrations in coastal rivers crossing different climate zones. Monthly observations spanning multiple years in seven major rivers in four different climate zones within the U.S. were analyzed for correlations between dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and surface air temperature, precipitation, land cover and discharge.

Protected areas are established to conserve unique features and biodiversity of the nature. Accordingly, wherever has one of the natural, ecological and/or cultural values it should be considered a protected area. Kave-Deh No-hunting Area is located on extremely east of Tehran Province in an area of 94,961 ha. Due to rich and diverse land cover, distinctive wildlife species, and unique monuments the area was selected as a case study to examine the possibility of its promotion to the protected area using Spatial Multi Criteria Evaluation (SMCE) Method.

Setophaga cerulea (Cerulean Warbler) has been inadequately monitored along the Roanoke River in North Carolina since a breeding population was discovered there in 1972. Our objectives were to estimate the Cerulean Warbler's current population size and distribution along the river, and evaluate landscape habitat characteristics in the Roanoke River Basin among areas used and unused by the same species.

Woody encroachment is one of the several factors aggravating rangeland degradation in arid and semiarid areas. The goal of this study is to improve our understanding about the relationship between woody encroachment and its potential drivers by analyzing the temporal and spatial pattern of land-cover changes in the lower Omo region of southern Ethiopia. We used a combination of multi-temporal images, as well as climatic and demographic data for the analysis.

Many amphibian populations are declining, and increased understanding of the drivers of amphibian presence and abundance will help in their conservation. In 2005 and 2006 we estimated relative abundance of larvae of two common amphibian taxa, Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) and ranid tadpoles (Northern Leopard Frog Lithobates pipiens and Wood Frog Lithobates sylvaticus), in 75 shallow lakes in prairie and parkland areas in Minnesota.

In the Three Gorges of China, there are frequent landslides, and the potential risk of landslides is tremendous. An efficient and accurate method of generating landslide susceptibility maps is very important to mitigate the loss of lives and properties caused by these landslides. This paper presents landslide susceptibility mapping on the Zigui-Badong of the Three Gorges, using rough sets and back-propagation neural networks (BPNNs). Landslide locations were obtained from a landslide inventory map, supported by field surveys.

Worldwide, changing climates and land use practices are escalating woody-plants encroachment into grasslands, reducing biodiversity and altering ecosystem functions. The loss of alpine grasslands is a major conservation concern as they harbor many rare and endemic species. Alpine meadows in Northwest Yunnan, China, represent a global biodiversity hotspot with high species richness, beta diversity, and endemism. Shrubs have expanded greatly in the region and threaten alpine meadow biodiversity.

With an apparent abundance of idled and under-utilized agricultural land in Northern Ontario, there is interest in the ability of short-rotation forests to supply bioenergy and other possible bioproducts. Once established, Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) plantations can be harvested on (roughly) three-year cutting cycles until about age 22. Purpose-grown plantations such as these could be used as stand-alone sources of fibre or used in conjunction with sources such as natural forests or woody residues.

The classification of remotely sensed images such as aerial photographs or satellite sensor images for deriving ecosystem-related maps (e.g., land cover, land use, vegetation, soil) is generally based on clustering of spatial entities within a spectral space. In most cases, Boolean logic is applied in order to map landscape patterns. One major concern is that this implies an ability to divide the gradual variability of the Earth's surface into a finite number of discrete non-overlapping classes, which are considered to be exhaustively defined and mutually exclusive.

We studied the influence of food abundance, land cover and disturbance on European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris Schreber, 1777) presence in Scotland. Wildcat records were collected using camera trapping, and prey data were assessed through linear transects and small mammal trapping. Surveys were carried out in three study areas in northeast Scotland. Wildcat occupancy was best predicted by a combination of food and land cover variables.

Sub-pixel mapping of remotely sensed imagery is often performed by assuming that land cover is spatially dependent both within and between image pixels. Intra- and inter-pixel dependencies are two widely used approaches to represent different land-cover spatial dependencies at present. However, merely using intra- or inter-pixel dependence alone often fails to fully describe land-cover spatial dependence, making current sub-pixel mapping models defective.