Productivity of intensified crop—fallow rotations in the Trenbath model

Management of crop—fallow rotations should strike a balance between exploitation, during cropping, and restoration of soil fertility during the fallow period. The Trenbath model describes build-up of soil fertility during a fallow period by two parameters (a maximum level and a half-recovery time) and decline during cropping as a simple proportion. The model can be used to predict potential crop production for a large number of management options consisting of length of cropping period and duration of fallow. In solving the equations, the model can be restricted to sustainable systems, where fallow length is sufficient to restore soil fertility to its value at the start of the previous cropping period. The model outcome suggests that the highest yields per unit of land can be obtained by starting a new cropping period after soil fertility has recovered to 50–60% of its maximum value. This prediction is virtually independent of the growth rate of the fallow vegetation. The nature of the fallow vegetation (natural regrowth, planted trees, or cover crops) mainly influences the crop yield by modifying the required duration of fallow periods. Intensification of land use by shortening fallow periods will initially increase returns per unit land at the likely costs of returns per unit labor. When fallows no longer restore soil fertility to 50% of the maximum, overall productivity will decline both per unit land and per unit labor, unless external inputs replace the soil fertility restoring functions of a fallow.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect of snow cover on the distribution of non-migratory sika deer on the top of Mt. Tanzawa,Japan

On the basis of 268 direct sika deer observations and 212 ratio locations of three individuals, the influence of snow on deer distribution was studied. During the period of snow absence or its shallow cover, the deer did not show any preferences towards slope aspect. However, when the snow coverage became deeper, the deer used westerly exposures (having shallower snow cover) more intensively. Later on, when the snow started to melt on the easterly slope aspects deer mostly used those exposures due to relatively abundant food resources.     

The T'OLCHE', a Maya system of communally managed forest belts: the causes and consequences of its disappearance

The T'OLCHE' is a protected forest belt about 10–20 m wide that runs through the Mayan landscape on the limits of the maize fields of the farmers. This study explores its traditional use and management and traces how it has changed in the last 30 years in the study village in Yucatán, Mexico. A major change is in its extent; little remains of the 10–20% of the area it occupied in the past. Two of the causes of this are identified as being a credit programme of the local bank and 1973 state legislation concerning cattle. The causes and consequences of this decline are discussed in relation with other farmer-perceived changes in overall landuse, including a fall in maize yields. The ecological roles of the T'OLCHE' are examined. It is argued that the T'OLCHE' plays an essential role in the regeneration of the fallow vegetation and in the maintenance of biological diversity. The case of the T'OLCHE' suggests the need for a diversified and politicized look on Common Property Resource Management.     

韩国原麝分布区50年间的变迁

在南朝鲜于1999年的2月至12月间,根据有关文献,调查问卷和对原麝的种类,粪便,及其在有雪和无雪的季节里的野外踪迹的调查,作者概述了50年中原麝的数量和分布区的变化。结果表明:从50年代至1999间,原麝(Moschus moschiferus parvipes)的分布区呈明显缩减之势。由于在原麝分布区中大规模地进行公路及林道的建设,导致了其生境片断化和丢失。而且牟取利润的非法猎捕也是造成原麝的种群数量和分布区缩减的主要原因,在高海拔地区的林道也常被盗猎者所利用。为保护韩国原麝资源,急待严格禁止非法猎捕行为。原麝生活习性方面的研究,为合理的保护和管理原麝提供了重要的基础信息。图1参9。     

利用人工授精技术改良半散放马鹿的研究

采用人工授精方法改良半散放马鹿 ,经过改良的马鹿 ,1日龄内主要体尺体重指标优于同期自然繁殖马鹿 ,其中体重增加 17.34% ,体斜长增长 12 .2 6 % ,肩高增加 11.2 7% ,且有较强的抗病能力。公鹿产茸量增加明显 ,初角茸增加 4 4.4 4% ,头锯茸增加 5 2 .0 7% ,2锯茸 6 1.39% ,按鹿茸的生长规律 ,到 5锯时鹿茸产量可提高 1倍     

Fallow enrichment of a traditional slash/mulch system in southern Costa Rica: comparisons of biomass production and crop yield

The slash and mulch system of frijol tapado or covered bean is a pre-hispanic system of bean production found throughout much of Central America. However, land use pressures have forced farmers to shorten the traditional fallow period, thus resulting in decreasing productivity. A potential solution is to enrich the fallow by using leguminous nitrogen-fixing trees. The enriched fallow systems evaluated in this study include both single and mixed species treatments: 1) Erythrina poeppigiana; 2) Calliandra colothrysus; 3) Gliricidia sepium; 4) Inga edulis; 5) Inga edulis and Erythrina poeppigiana; 6) Inga edulis and Calliandra calothrysus; and 7) Inga edulis and Gliricidia sepium. Biomass production of the fallow vegetation is shown to be of greater quality and quantity in all fallow enrichment treatments. However, bean yields did not show a significant response to the fallow enrichment treatments.     

Traditional fallows in Latin America

Traditional fallow systems of Latin America have not been extensively studied from either a socioeconomic or biophysical viewpoint. Only in the past decade have some of these systems — modified shifting cultivation in the Amazon, the bracatinga (Mimosa scabrella) fallow of southeastern Brazil, the babassu (Attalea spp.) system of the Amazon margins, and short bush fallows mostly for Phaseolus bean (the so-called frijol tapado) — received any attention. Over the past century, traditional cultivators have adopted several legumes such as Mucuna spp., Lathyrus nigrivalis, Canavalia spp., and Senna guatemalensis as green manures or managed fallows in food crop production systems, which have recently been the object of studies by social and biological scientists. Longer, monospecific fallows involving woody legumes have been studied to varying degrees. The legumes include Senna guatemalensis, Mimosa tenuiflora, and Gliricidia sepium. Systems in which crop production is alternated with animal grazing of secondary vegetation include the caatinga of Northeast Brazil, the espinales of Chile, the matorrales of northern Mexico, and the chaco of Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia. A classification is proposed depending on the nature of the species (woody or nonwoody) and their composition (mono- or multispecies) and land management (burned or not). Much work is still needed in more complete characterization, determination of economic importance and potential, understanding the relationships among components, studies of nutrient cycling, and verification of the effects of shorter fallow periods of these systems.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of white-tailed deer on vegetation structure and woody seedling composition in three forest types on the Piedmont Plateau

White-tailed deer (Ododcoileus virginiana) can substantially affect the structure and species composition of a forest. The tolerance of a forest community to browsing may vary by type as a result of varying biotic and abiotic factors of the environment. To date, no studies have compared the effects of browsing among forest communities within a physiographic region. We investigated the effects of browsing on vegetation structure and woody seedling composition in three forest types (oak–hickory, Virginia pine–eastern red cedar, bottomland hardwood) in Manassas National Battlefield Park (MNBP), Virginia, USA. We compared forb cover, vertical plant cover (0–1.5 m tall), and survival of tagged seedlings in 10 exclosed (2 m × 6 m) and 10 unexclosed plots in each forest type during a 5-year period. No differential effects of browsing were found among forest types. In all forest types, deer (67 deer/km²) suppressed forb and vertical plant cover to levels less than would be expected in the absence of deer. Seedling survival rates of most species were significantly reduced by browsing. By the 4th year of the study, box elder (Acer negundo), hickory (Carya spp.), and red maple (Acer rubrum) had been eliminated from unexclosed plots, and red and white oaks (Quercus spp.) dramatically reduced. Ash (Fraxinus spp.), black cherry (Prunus serotina), and hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), although significantly impacted, remained the most abundant species throughout the study. These findings suggest that white-tailed deer may be modifying the structure of the forest interior to the extent that it adversely affects wildlife species dependent on a dense understory to thrive. We predict that the future composition of forests in MNBP will shift towards stands with fewer species and a greater dominance of ash, black cherry, and hackberry, particularly in the oak–hickory and bottomland hardwood forests, where the majority of current dominants are most affected.     

Water balance and maize yield following improved sesbania fallow in eastern Zambia

Sesbania [Sesbania sesban (L.) Merr.] fallows are being promoted as a means for replenishing soil fertility in N-depleted soils of small-scale, resource-poor farmers in southern Africa. Knowledge of soil water distribution in the soil profile and water balance under proposed systems is important for knowing the long-term implications of the systems at plot, field and watershed levels. Soil water balance was quantified for maize (Zea mays L.) following 2-year sesbania fallow and in continuous maize with and without fertilizer during 1998–1999 and 1999–2000 at Chipata in eastern Zambia. Sesbania fallow increased grain yield and dry matter production of subsequent maize per unit amount of water used. Average maize grain yields following sesbania fallow, and in continuous maize with and without fertilizer were 3, 6 and 1 Mg ha⁻¹ with corresponding water use efficiencies of 4.3, 8.8 and 1.7 kg mm⁻¹ ha⁻¹, respectively. Sesbania fallow increased the soil-water storage in the soil profile and drainage below the maximum crop root zone compared with the conventionally tilled non-fertilized maize. However, sesbania fallow did not significantly affect the seasonal crop water use, mainly because rainfall during both the years of the study was above the normal seasonal water requirements of maize (400 to 600 mm). Besides improving grain yields of maize in rotation, sesbania fallows have the potential to recharge the subsoil water through increased subsurface drainage and increase nitrate leaching below the crop root zone in excess rainfall seasons. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Management of pigeon pea in short fallows for crop-livestock production systems in the Guinea savanna zone of northern Ghana

Crop and livestock production in the Guinea savanna zone of northern Ghana has been declining over the past years as a result of increasing pressure on land. To sustain soil productivity, pigeon pea(Cajanus cajan), a leguminous perennial crop was evaluated for its potential as a short duration fallow crop for fodder and grain, and maize (Zea mays)production. It involved comparing a natural fallow (i.e., control) and four improved fallows of pigeon pea pruned annually at 30 cm, 60 cm and 90 cm from the ground, and unpruned pigeon pea over a two-year period. After this time, the land was cleared manually and planted to maize. The highest mean annual biomass of pigeon pea over the two-year period of 6.1 t ha⁻¹ dry matter (DM) was obtained by pruning at 60 cm. The highest leaf litter production and pigeon pea seed yield was obtained from the no pruning treatment. The mean maize grain yield from the improved fallow (3.02 t ha⁻¹) in the first year after clearing was significantly (P < 0.05) greater than that of the natural fallow (1.54 t ha⁻¹). Considering the biomass of pigeon pea from pruning, pigeon pea seed yield and maize grain yield after the pigeon pea, pruning pigeon pea at 60 cm is the most promising regime for crop-livestock production systems. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.