Providing food and other products to a growing human population while safeguarding natural ecosystems and the provision of their services is a significant scientific, social and political challenge. With food demand likely to double over the next four decades, anthropization is already driving climate change and is the principal force behind species extinction, among other environmental impacts. The sustainable intensification of production on current agricultural lands has been suggested as a key solution to the competition for land between agriculture and natural ecosystems.

Reconocer los factores relevantes que impulsan los patrones de diversidad de especies en diferentes escalas de análisis ha sido un tema importante en la investigación ecológica. Exploré factores patrones de diversidad de aves tanto en un paisaje y una escala macro en Ecuador. En el capítulo 2 exploré como la composición y configuración de los paisajes en el noroeste de Ecuador afectan a los patrones de diversidad de aves. La estructura del paisaje explicó más de la variación en la abundancia que en la riqueza.

In the complex agro-ecological conditions of Vietnam's northern borderlands, attempts by ethnic minority farmers to create sustainable livelihoods, along with the impacts of state development policies, have direct consequences for land use and land cover (LULC) change. In this paper we analyse the degree to which LULC has changed and diversified from 1999 to 2009 in Lào Cai Province and the underlying relationships with ethnic minority livelihood diversification strategies.

The deciduous tree species Pterocarpus angolensis occurs in the dry woodlands of southern Africa and grows under a broad range of environmental conditions. It is threatened by overharvesting due to its valuable timber (Blood wood, Kiaat) and by land use changes. Information on the most suitable environmental conditions for the species is often old and anecdotal, while available data on its occurrence refer to range extent and not to distribution.

The ABF programme addresses one of today’s major societal challenges, how to achieve a sustainable and inclusive biobased economy, with high-level scientific research on the thin lines between food and non-food, commodities and waste products, livelihood opportunities and risks, and local and global economy. This book provides insights into the main issues and key questions relating to the biobased economy, reflects on the objectives of the ABF programme, and offers policy recommendations.

Abstract

Los suelos sanos son el mayor almacén de carbono terrestre. Cuando se gestionan de manera sostenible, los suelos pueden jugar un papel importante en la mitigación del cambio climático a través del almacenamiento de carbono y la reducción de las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero en la atmósfera.

Здоровые почвы являются крупнейшим хранилищем углерода земной коры. В случае их рационального использования почвы могут играть важную роль в смягчении последствий изменения климата за счет накопления (связывания) углерода и уменьшения выбросов парниковых газов в атмосферу.

FAO Informative Material for the International Year of Soils (IYS 2015).

Soil erosion due to accelerating runoff in various land cover types pose a serious threat to the long term sustainability of the fragile Himalayan landscape characterized by subsistence farming. Delimitation of high runoff zones, fostering soil erosion in the agricultural dominated watersheds is thus a necessity for watershed managers, NGO’s, urban planners, policy makers, and municipal administrations. The approach is practical, SWAT is a straightforward modeling system using GIS information. The BMP is also a very practical approach to mitigation of runoff accumulation on sub basin.

Water has been identified as a key resource for Nepal's economic growth. Although the country has 225 billion cubic meters of water available annually, less than 7% has been utilized. Climate change is a frequent topic in national development discussions in part because of its possible impact on future water availability. This study assessed the likely impact of climate change on water resources development in the Koshi River basin, Nepal, using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool to generate projections for the 2030s and 2050s.