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Management Treatments (management + treatment)
Selected AbstractsSubstitutes for grazing in semi-natural grasslands , do mowing or mulching represent valuable alternatives to maintain vegetation structure?JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 6 2009Christine Römermann Abstract Question: Which management treatments are suitable to replace historically applied grazing regimes? How and why does vegetation structure change following changes in management? Location: Semi-natural calcareous dry grasslands in southwest Germany. Methods: We analysed changes in floristic and functional composition induced by different management treatments (grazing, mowing, mulching, succession) in long-term experimental sites. First, floristic and functional distances between the initial conditions and the following years were determined. Second, we used RLQ analyses to include data on abiotic conditions, vegetation composition and functional traits in one common analysis. Finally, we applied cluster analyses on RLQ species scores to deduce functional groups. Results: In contrast to the historical management regime of grazing, all alternative management treatments led to changes in floristic and functional composition, depending on their intensity with respect to biomass removal. The distance analyses showed that mulching twice per year and mowing did not lead to strong changes in floristic or functional composition. However, RLQ analysis clearly provided evidence that only the grazed sites are in equilibrium, indicating that vegetation change still goes ahead. Conclusions: The current study clearly shows that RLQ is a powerful tool to elucidate ongoing processes that may remain hidden when separately analysing floristic and functional data. Alternative management treatments are not appropriate to sustain the typical disturbance dynamics of species-rich semi-natural grasslands. The less frequent an alternative management treatment is with respect to biomass removal, the less the floristic and functional structure can be maintained. [source] Quality of life and obesityOBESITY REVIEWS, Issue 4 2001R. L. Kolotkin Abstract Interest in the quality of life of patients with different diseases continues to grow. Recent years have witnessed a dramatic rise in the prevalence of obesity worldwide, stimulating interest in the health and quality of life consequences of this phenomenon. The body of research on the quality of life of obese individuals has grown to a point that a review of this literature is warranted. Numerous studies have demonstrated that obese persons experience significant impairments in quality of life as a result of their obesity, with greater impairments associated with greater degrees of obesity. Weight loss has been shown to improve quality of life in obese persons undergoing a variety of treatments. Further research is needed to clarify whether quality of life differs among subsets of obese persons. Until recently, there has been little standardization of quality of life measures in obesity. The SF-36 has been used in a number of studies of obese persons. Several obesity-specific instruments have also been developed and have shown great promise. The quality of life of obese individuals is an important issue that should be included in weight management treatment and research. [source] Contingency management treatments: controversies and challengesADDICTION, Issue 9 2010NANCY M. PETRY No abstract is available for this article. [source] Balancing fertility management and economics in organic field vegetable rotationsJOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 15 2007Ulrich Schmutz Abstract BACKGROUND: Organic field-scale vegetables are among the most profitable enterprises in organic farming systems. They are also some of the most nutrient-demanding crops, and many organic arable systems with field-scale vegetables are stockless. Without livestock manure inputs, nutrient supply depends on fertility-building crops, which generate only costs and no income. Different strategies of fertility management were compared on a central England research farm. Fertility management treatments consisted of different lengths of fertility building with green waste compost additions. Outputs and inputs in terms of nutrients and economics were monitored for 31 rotations during 1996,2002. RESULTS: N, P and K rotational nutrient balances, as well as C inputs, showed a negative relationship with rotational gross margins. Variable and allocated fixed costs of fertility building were low, between 2 and 5% of variable costs (£0.5,2 ha,1 for 1 kg N ha,1 supplied to the rotation). The intensity of vegetable cropping in these rotations was moderate (25,40% vegetable crops in the rotation) and balancing of fertility management and economics was possible at this intensity without livestock manure or other permitted fertiliser additions. CONCLUSION: Completely stockless systems (in analogy may be called vegan) are possible in organic vegetable production without compromising on fertility or economics. However, for a higher vegetable-cropping intensity (up to 90%) a more sophisticated mix of short-term fertility-building and N-trapping crops will be needed and such rotations may require further external addition of green waste or livestock manure. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Substitutes for grazing in semi-natural grasslands , do mowing or mulching represent valuable alternatives to maintain vegetation structure?JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 6 2009Christine Römermann Abstract Question: Which management treatments are suitable to replace historically applied grazing regimes? How and why does vegetation structure change following changes in management? Location: Semi-natural calcareous dry grasslands in southwest Germany. Methods: We analysed changes in floristic and functional composition induced by different management treatments (grazing, mowing, mulching, succession) in long-term experimental sites. First, floristic and functional distances between the initial conditions and the following years were determined. Second, we used RLQ analyses to include data on abiotic conditions, vegetation composition and functional traits in one common analysis. Finally, we applied cluster analyses on RLQ species scores to deduce functional groups. Results: In contrast to the historical management regime of grazing, all alternative management treatments led to changes in floristic and functional composition, depending on their intensity with respect to biomass removal. The distance analyses showed that mulching twice per year and mowing did not lead to strong changes in floristic or functional composition. However, RLQ analysis clearly provided evidence that only the grazed sites are in equilibrium, indicating that vegetation change still goes ahead. Conclusions: The current study clearly shows that RLQ is a powerful tool to elucidate ongoing processes that may remain hidden when separately analysing floristic and functional data. Alternative management treatments are not appropriate to sustain the typical disturbance dynamics of species-rich semi-natural grasslands. The less frequent an alternative management treatment is with respect to biomass removal, the less the floristic and functional structure can be maintained. [source] Immediate effects of prescribed burning, chopping and clearing on runoff, infiltration and erosion in a shrubland area in Galicia (NW Spain)LAND DEGRADATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2008C. Fernández Abstract The immediate effects of three different fuel management treatments on runoff, infiltration and erosion were evaluated in a mixed heathland in Galicia (NW Spain). The treatments compared were: prescribed burning, shrub chopping and shrub clearing. Rainfall simulations were conducted immediately before and after fuel reduction treatments. A rainfall rate of 67,mm,h,1 was applied for 30,min to each runoff plot. Application of treatments significantly affected runoff and infiltration, but the parameter most affected by treatment was soil erosion, especially after prescribed burning. However, sediment yields measured immediately after treatments were low in all the cases, varying from 32,kg,ha,1 after shrub clearing to 248,kg,ha,1 after prescribed burning. In the rainfall simulation plots subjected to prescribed burning, the maximum temperatures reached at mineral soil surface during burns significantly affected soil losses. The organic layer remaining after treatments and soil moisture contents appeared to be critical variables in controlling runoff and erosion during the first rainfall event following fuel reduction treatments. When the remaining organic layer was removed just after treatments and a new rainfall simulation was carried out, mean infiltration rate trended to decrease and cumulative runoff and sediment yield tended to increase. The above information could be useful for determining whether fuel management prescriptions are compatible with fire hazard reduction and soil conservation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Phenological growth stages of Cynara cardunculus: codification and description according to the BBCH scaleANNALS OF APPLIED BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2010S.V. Archontoulis Cynara cardunculus is a herbaceous perennial crop known from ancient times. During the last three decades this thistle has intensively been researched and recently became a commercial crop for biofuel production. As there is an increasing need for more information on this crop, we present here the phenological growth stages based on the Biologische Bundesanstalt, Bundessortenamt, CHemische Industrie (BBCH) scale and its associated decimal code. Nine principal growth stages have been defined and each principal stage has been subdivided into secondary growth stages. Descriptive keys with illustrations are also provided. A practical use of the scale is proposed, with particular reference to harvest time and management treatments. This scale aims to support farmers and researchers to efficiently plan management practices and experimental treatments. [source] | |||||||||||||