tion, conservation of soil water may result in greater soil evaporation, especially if the top soil layers remain wetter, and the full benefit of sustained plant physiological activity will be lost. Therefore, the relative benefit of the two traits depends on temporal pattern in the rainfall and severity of the drying event. Experimental and simulation studies are presented in the book to indic...

epizoochory and endozoochory are well-known mechanisms by which seeds are dispersed by animals. since, livestock gather around the watering-points to rest and drink, we expected to find that seeds would be frequently moved to the areas surrounding watering-points, resulting a higher soil seed density (and diversity) closest to the water. we investigated this issue by assessing soil seed bank de...

In dryland cropping systems, optimal yields require that nutrient supply matches the soil’s yield potential supported by available moisture. Conservation tillage systems that leave at least 30 percent of the soil surface covered by residue dramatically increase moisture retained in the soil compared to crop-fallow systems. This enables producers to plant two, three, or four consecutive crops, o...

We assessed impacts on water use achieved by implementation of controlled experiments relating to four water conservation strategies in four towns within the Ipswich watershed in Massachusetts. The strategies included (1) installation of weather-sensitive irrigation controller switches (WSICS) in residences and municipal athletic fields; (2) installation of rainwater harvesting systems in resid...

In the United States, government sponsored conservation programs are under increasing pressure to quantify the environmental benefits of practices they subsidize. To meet this objective, conservation planners need tools to accurately predict phosphorus (P) loss from agricultural lands. Existing P export coefficient based tools are easy to use, but do not adequately account for local conditions....

Climate change has resulted in increased vulnerability of smallholder farmers in marginal areas of Zimbabwe where there is limited capacity to adapt to changing climate. One approach that has been used to adapt to changing climate is in-field water harvesting for improved crop yields in the semi- arid regions of Zimbabwe. This review analyses the history of soil and water conservation in Zimbab...

soil erosion is one of the most important forms of land degradation that threatens continued and sustained agricultural production in ghana. the most severely affected areas are the three northern regions especially upper east region, where large tracts of land have been destroyed by water erosion leading to soil depth reduction and decline in soil fertility. this study was carried out in talen...