322,949 research outputs found
A comparative analysis of functional traits in semi-natural grasslands under different grazing intensities
No full textArticleThe reduction of traditional management practices is a major threat for the conservation of permanent grasslands in many European marginal areas. The ecological importance of grasslands is acknowledged by the European Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC (1992) which includes many natural or semi-natural grassland types, and by the growing attention of society towards functions and services provided by these ecosystems. Nonetheless, the efficiency of conservation policies is questioned also for the lack of local-scale information on trends and state of grasslands hampers the definition of local-tailored schemes. The main objective of this work is to assess the potential of a set of functional traits in discriminating between different management intensities and their capacity to describe the dynamics occurring in semi-natural grasslands. The research was carried out in a hilly area of Tuscany (Italy) on four grassland sites characterized by similar environmental features (soil, climate, topography), and by different management practices for 10 or more years. The survey concerned collection and analysis of different functional traits related to foliar features, litter and botanical composition. The functional traits were able to differentiate the four sites under different management practices, but their effectiveness was different. Results support the possibility to perform a rapid appraisal of grassland successional stages based on leaf functional traits of dominant species and by the assessment of presence of a reduced number of species among those occurring in the community
Benefits for the local society attached to rural landscape: An analysis of residents' perception of ecosystem services
No full textEcosystem services are the benefits for society deriving from ecosystems. The perception of ecosystem services by local residents is relevant to understand the extent to which such services contribute to society and regional development. The objective of this study is to assess the perception of ecosystem services associated to rural landscape by local residents and to use them to respond to two main questions: Are residents able to attribute flows of services from specific landscape elements to the different socioeconomic sectors? Are such perceptions affected by the different landscape features of the area of residency (e.g. rural vs. urban dwellers)? The analysis is carried out using data from a survey (n=295) in a rural area located in North Italy (Po Delta lowlands, Province of Ferrara). The results show that the urban population has a rather generic and positive consideration of ecosystem services associated to rural landscape elements and that perception is largely related to their recreational experience. The rural population has a more complex understanding of services and is more prone to acknowledge disservices associated to specific elements and/or specific socio-economic sectors. Such differences are likely connected to a more direct experience and to the different spatial scales that affect the perception of ecosystem services. The results indicate that cultural services such as recreation and actions linked to the promotion of the territory are commonly acknowledged. On the other hand, initiatives to enhance the awareness of less visible services (e.g. regulation services) would be useful for improving the valorization of specific landscape elements
Perceived benefits from reclaimed rural landscapes: Evidence from the lowlands of the Po River Delta, Italy
No full textThe attention towards residents' perceptions of ecosystem services for an efficient management of rural landscapes is gaining momentum. One noteworthy aspect is the identification of links between perceived supply and societal demand of ecosystem services, as they can disclose leverages to improve rural policies. The objectives of this study are: i) to assess residents' perceptions of ecosystem services attributed to typical landscape elements; and ii) to characterise the perception of different groups of residents. We present the results from a residents' survey based on a phone-questionnaire carried out in a reclaimed coastal area, where vulnerabilities such as anthropic impact legacies and natural hazards are exacerbated. The aim of the questionnaire concerns the collection of information regarding people perception of benefits attached to a set of rural landscape elements and demand for services. The results show that awareness of regulating functions, the presence of disservices and the link with local food production relate with residents' perception of benefits from landscapes. Furthermore, we note that local landscape and the meaning attributed to historical land reclamation initiatives has a lasting influence on the perception of ecosystem services and that of such perceptions are significant for the design of land use policies
Leaf functional traits for the assessment of succession following management in semi-natural grasslands: A case study in the North Apennines, Italy
No full textQuestion: Do leaf functional traits describe variation in the intensity of management in semi-natural grasslands? Location: Mugello, North Apennines, Italy. Methods: In an ecologically homogeneous area, we identified four grassland management practices (three different stocking rates and abandonment for 10 or more years). We measured leaf functional traits (LFT) of three dominant grass species - leaf dry matter content (LDMC), specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf N concentration (LNC) - in two permanent sampling plots per treatment for two consecutive years. Statistical tests and multivariate analysis were employed to compare the traits and analyse their sensitivity in responding to the different management intensities. Results: The robustness of LDMC and SLA in grass species ranking was confirmed. Weighted LDMC and SLA were able to differentiate the most intensely managed site from the others. Conclusions: The results of the weighted LDMC and the weighted SLA encourage further studies aimed at the development of a LFT database for the most common grass species of Apennine semi-natural grasslands. This could be of great help in the development of indicators able to support the formulation of rational management plans for conservation and sustainable animal production. © 2012 International Association for Vegetation Science
A comparative cost-effectiveness analysis of biodiversity indicators in grassland farming systems
No full textAgro-environmental policies seek to balance agriculture production and ecosystem services such as biodiversity conservation. Yet the measurement of biodiversity is both time-consuming and costly. It is timely to focus on the cost-effectiveness analysis of biodiversity indicators in order to ensure the optimisation of the scarce funds available for biodiversity conservation. We present a cost-effectiveness analysis of biodiversity indicators performed in two case studies. The work is based on real cost-data from the fieldworks efforts undertaken in the measurement of biodiversity indicators in grassland-based farming systems
Agricultural policies and the emergence of voluntary landscape enhancement efforts: an exploratory analysis of rural tourism using an agent-based model
No full text<div><p>Conservation and enhancement of ecosystem services have become a priority of rural policies. Feedback loops from rural policies on ecosystem service supply have often been highlighted in the literature, but only vaguely investigated. In this paper, we model feedback loops from rural policies through an agent-based model, and we analyse whether feedback loops can indirectly create a system in which voluntarily landscape enhancement emerges from the interactions between farmers and rural tourists. The results suggest that, in certain conditions, feedback loops from policies can be a relevant element to take into account, but that greater attention to the ecosystem service demand is required.</p></div
Environmental and management drivers of alpine grassland vegetation types
No full textCurrent vegetation of alpine grasslands has been shaped by the combination of natural ecological factors (such as climate, soil, topography) and human activities, mainly represented by animal grazing and agricultural practices. An assessment of these factors can explain the present composition of plant communities and help to evaluate the future development of rangeland vegetation. Nowadays, the analysis of the botanical composition of grasslands is of a major importance in order to propose appropriate management plans for the sustainable exploitation of pastoralresources and their future conservation. The main purpose of this work was to assess the relevance of ecological and management factors in alpine grasslands in an area located in eastern Italy, currently used for extensive grazing, and to describe the main factors that affect the characteristics of pasture types. To this aim, about 900 ha of alpine grasslands were surveyed in Val Visdende (northern Veneto, province of Belluno, Italy) by means of 189 linear transects. Some environmental variables (altitude, slope, aspect) and factors related to management (pastoral value, animal excreta, distance from night barns) were collected for each botanical transect. Landolt indicators were calculated in order to evaluate the ecological space occupied by each type. This assessment made it possible to identify the most relevant grassland communities (namely nutrient poor, shrub encroached, nutrient rich and humid pastures) occurring in the studied area, the effectiveness of ecological indicators to describe and to differentiate vegetation groups and the effect of animal management and ecological factors in the discrimination of grassland types
A state-and-transition approach to alpine grasslands under abandonment
No full textThe abandonment of the traditional pastoral practices is acknowledged as the main causes of the shrub-encroachment in the alpine semi-natural grasslands. In this paper, we proposed a state-and-transition approach in order to organize pastoral vegetation in a simple management-oriented framework integrating ecological data. The study sites were chosen in an inner alpine territory where the abandonment of pastoral practices was more evident than in other alpine regions. Cluster and fuzzy analysis applied to botanical data allowed the classification of six pastoral types and the assessment of the main overlaps between them. Non-parametric tests on Landolt nutrients indices, slope and distance from farm allowed the identification of a gradient linked with nutrients and pastoral practices intensity from rich pastures to shrub encroached pastures. Moreover, the implementation of the available information in a state-and-transition model (STM) allowed us to hypothesize the presence of an ecological threshold between grass-dominated and shrub-dominated grasslands and the identification of the at-risk pastoral types in the shrub-encroachment dynamics
Diffusive author(s), cohesive author: Analysis of S/N (1994)
No full textThis study indicates the ways in which various aspects of the author(s) are brought forth in Dumb type’s performance art, the S/N production. Previous research has suggested a non-hierarchical organization of Dumb type and the absence of a “privileged author” in Dumb type’s collaborative work, S/N. However, the results that I have investigated from member’s interviews on the creative process of S/N along with my analysis of the recorded images of S/N, indicate a different aspect of the author(s). First, S/N was created through, so to speak, the collective ideas of the members of Dumb type. Further, S/N has at least nine quotations from previous performances, installations, and printed writings, besides the work-in-progress technique. Explicating one of the “author functions” as given by Michel Foucault, each text has plural subjects of the author. However, it has been revealed from members’ interviews that Teiji Furuhashi had a decision-making role in selecting the members’ ideas within the performance. Since then, S/N has had plural subjects of creation; however, Furuhashi is one of the subjects of creation along with the “privileged author.” S/N has plural authors (diffusive authors) yet at the same time, it has a “privileged author,” Teiji Furuhashi (cohesive author)
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
No full textThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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