Uncertainties remain in the potential of forest plantations to sequestrate carbon (C). We synthesized 86 experimental studies with paired-site design, using a meta-analysis approach, to quantify the differences in ecosystem C pools between plantations and their corresponding adjacent primary and secondary forests (natural forests). Totaled ecosystem C stock in plant and soil pools was 284 Mg C ...

Understanding the long-term dynamics of urban vegetation is essential in determining trends in the provision of key resources for biodiversity and ecosystem services and improving their management. Such studies are, however, extremely scarce due to the lack of suitable historical data. We use repeat historical photographs from the 1900s, 1950s, and 2010 to assess general trends in the quantity ...

Background and Purpose: Due to rapidly changing environmental conditions, locally adapted tree populations are likely to experience climate conditions to which they are not well adapted. Common garden experiments provide a powerful tool for studying adaptive responses in changing climates. Out of the 1998 series of international beech provenance trials, one experiment was established in Bucsuta...

Promoting cropland carbon (C) sequestration through straw return has always been the focus of numerous studies. However, there is still a lack comprehensive understanding effects on soil organic (SOC) and inorganic (SIC) sequestration. Therefore, present study aims to investigate long-term SOC SIC across 0–100 cm profile in maize planting Northeastern China. The results showed an increasing tre...

The light deficiency in the canopy is not the main factor limiting maize (Zea mays L.) production but the lower radiation use efficiency (RUE). Conservation tillage planting patterns were used to construct a sustainable agricultural system for soil protection and higher RUE. On these bases, we tried to create more uniform light distribution in crop canopy for increasing radiation use efficiency...

On global scale, community participation in various activities is the core in the quest for sustainable development and environmental protection related issues. Community involvement in tree planting in Kenya is as old as modern agroforestry that started in 1971. However, certain biophysical environmental factors have not worked against the concept of community participation in tree planting. A...

Experiments were conducted at the CSIR-Crops Research Experimental station at Kumasi, Ghana, to determine the effects of seed sorting and planting device on yield of maize in the 2014 major growing season. Two jab planters were used to plant sorted and unsorted seeds. The control treatment was cutlass planting of unsorted seed. One of the jab planters was imported from China; and the other was ...

Eggs of Meloidogyne arenaria race 1 were encapsulated in calcium alginate for use as inoculum to infest peanut field plots. Some eggs within the capsules remained viable up to 10 weeks after preparation. A field site was successfully infested at peanut planting and (or) 6 weeks later. Dual applications of nematode inoculum (at planting and 6 weeks later) were superior to single applications (at...