Considerable hype and debate are currently surrounding the potential of biochar (charcoal created through the burning of biomass in low oxygen environments) in climate change mitigation and agriculture. This report attempts to summarise the arguments, assumptions and interests in the biochar debate and offer reflections on its prospects. The report begins by outlining what it calls the triple-win of biochar. The production of biochar can be tuned to release bioenergy or biofuels in the form of syngas and bio-oil, thus providing decarbonised biomass fuel.

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, conserving and enhancing forest carbon stocks, and sustainably managing forests (REDD+) are emerging as a central policy instrument to halt land-use related emissions from developing countries.

Thousands came together in "Hopenhagen" from 7-18 December 2009 for what was the most covered and talked about of any United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNF CCC) Conference of the Parties (COP) to date. Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD-plus)1 was one of few issues on which progress was made. However, implications of the wider negotiations for REDD-plus are not yet clear.

Does climate change drive conflict over land use in Mali?

This study investigates the alleged relationship between climate change and conflicts, using the Inland Delta of the Niger River in Mali as a case study, where this region is an African hotspot area in terms of land use conflicts.

The author emphasises that, despite the clear climate developments in the region throughout the last century, researchers are much less sure about future changes. Moreover, the paper finds that:

Many opportunities exist for mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through better management of trees and soils. There is potential for both direct mitigation through better management of carbon in agricultural landscapes and indirect mitigation through reduced pressure on carbon stored in forests, peatlands, and wetlands. Effectively harnessing these opportunities will take bold action in climate change negotiations.

Agriculture and climate change are inextricably linked. Agriculture is part of the climate change problem, contributing about 13.5 percent of annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (with forestry contributing an additional 19 percent), compared with 13.1 percent from transportation. Agriculture is, however, also part of the solution, offering promising opportunities for mitigating GHG emissions through carbon sequestration, soil and land use management, and biomass production.

This paper examines the past, present, and future use of the concept of historical range and variability (HRV) in land management. The history, central concepts, benefits, and limitations of HRV are presented along with a discussion on the value of HRV in a changing world with rapid climate warming, exotic species invasions, and increased land development. This paper is meant as a reference on the strengths and limitations of applying HRV in land management.

Az egyre növekvő energiafelhasználás, világnépesség és éhezés olyan, több évtizede megoldatlan problémák, amelyeket a klímaváltozás és az ez által kialakult szélsőséges időjárási viszonyok tovább súlyosbítottak, a napjainkban tapasztalható gazdasági válság pedig még inkább megnehezítheti megoldásukat.A megújítható energiaforrások szerepének növelésében katalizátorszerepet betöltő Európai Unió már a 80-as évek elején megoldást keresett a túltermelés következtében felhalmozódott szántóföldi termékek felhasználására.

Modern global temperature and land cover and projected future temperatures suggest that tropical forest species will be particularly sensitive to global warming. Given a moderate greenhouse gas emissions scenario, fully 75% of the tropical forests present in 2000 will experience mean annual temperatures in 2100 that are greater than the highest mean annual temperature that supports closed-canopy forest today. Temperature-sensitive species might extend their ranges to cool refuges, defined here as areas where temperatures projected for 2100 match 1960s temperatures in the modern range.

Munkánkban összehasonlító vizsgálatokat végeztünk az őszi árpa fejlődési szakasza¬inak klimatikus igényeiről. A becsült meteorológiai jellemzők átlagosan nem mutatnak nagy változást a közeljövőre – jóllehet a század végére már igen –, de eloszlásuk alakulása a mezőgazdaságban komoly következményekkel járhat. A növény szempontjából azonban az éves és havi átlaghőmérséklet, illetve csapadékösszegek elemzése helyett sokkal több információhoz juthatunk, ha a növény fejlődési szakaszait külön-külön vizsgáljuk.

We examined the relationship of breeding birds to elevation across and within four adjacent mountain ranges in the central Great Basin, a cold desert in western North America. Data came from 7 years of point counts at elevations from 1,915 to 3,145 m. We focused on eight passerine species that in this region are associated frequently with Pinus monophylla-Juniperus spp. (pinyon-juniper) woodland.