63 research outputs found
Grasslands and Shrublands of the Mediterranean Region
No full textThe Mediterranean Region extends to the 1.6% of the world’s land surface and more than the half of the Mediterranean-type ecosystems of the world. The remarkable species richness in the Mediterranean Region mainly originates from an exceptional habitat diversity and the presence of several natural barriers facilitating the segregation and differentiation of local taxa and biocoenoses. In this article, we deal with the habitats characterized by grasslands and shrublands that clearly show the adaptations to what could be called “the Mediterranean syndrome”, i.e., the intrazonal Mediterranean grasslands and shrublands (MG&S). The main driving forces of the adaptive radiation and high biodiversity that characterize the MG&S are geographical segregation and appearance of new lands, climatic variability, substrate heterogeneity, species-specific plant- animal interactions and short generation times. MG&S are of paramount importance for delivering a wide array of ecosystem services. Apart from their importance for the maintenance of biodiversity, they play a major role in providing high quality forage for both livestock and wild animals; they support communities of insects with major roles in the ecosystem services of control and pollination; they sustain apiculture, and contribute to the prevention of erosion processes and maintenance of the water cycle; they buffer the negative impacts from fertilizers and pesticides and display highly significant aesthetic and recreational values. However, major threats to the provision of ecosystem services mostly originate from climate change, and recent land use changes (such as: “coastalization,” unbalanced grazing activities and abandonment of traditional practices). To mitigate the adverse effects of land use changes, the management of MG&S may be based on four principles; (a) ecosystem sustainability, (b) natural regeneration, (c) multifunctionality, and (d) protection
STRUCTURAL-PROPERTIES OF A-SI AND A-SI-H BY EXAFS
No full textA comparative EXAFS study of the first-shell signals of c-Si, a-Si and a-Si : H is presented. First-neighbour coordination, distance and Debye-Waller factor are reported and discussed
Indigenous knowledge and practice for climate change adaptation
No full textAvailable online on ScienceDirect and as part of the Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences.The evidence for the Anthropocene suggests that the first modernity is in trouble. Alternative socio-ecological relationships need to inform a second, sustainable modernity. Indigenous people, such as the Anangu of north-west South Australia, have learnt to manage risks and natural resources within the extreme environments of the Central Australian desert. Examples are drawn from 5 years of climate change adaptation research with Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara communities to highlight learning that could help to evolve adaptation of modernity to climate change. Management of landscapes, fire, water, heat and human mobility could all be informed by Indigenous knowledge in an era defined by rapid environmental change.Douglas K. Bardsle
Temperate Subhumid Grasslands of Southern South America
No full textTemperate subhumid grasslands extend in the eastern part of South America. This region represents one of the most diverse,largest and less transformed grassland areas in the world. The grasslands occupy the vast and continuous plains of central eastern Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil that surround the Río de la Plata estuary. For this reason, they are referred to as the Río de la Plata grasslands. These grasslands, despite its apparent physiognomic homogeneity, hold high diversity of species, having grasses as the dominant life form except for few scattered shrubs and trees, and show a year-round photosynthetic activity. In this article we describe structural and functional characteristics of the vegetation of the Río de la Plata grasslands. We give an overview on biogeography, ecosystem functioning and services, human appropriation of primary production, disturbances, land use change, biological invasions and conservation status.Fil: Oyarzabal, Mariano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura; ArgentinaFil: Andrade, Bianca. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Pillar, Valério D.. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Paruelo, José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura; Argentin
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