This study was carried out in the Eastern Plains of Colombia and assessed the impact of agricultural intensification on the structure of earthworm communities. Earthworms were hand-sorted in a variety of agroecosystems of increasing intensity, from natural savanna to pastures and annual crops. An agricultural intensification index was used to rank systems along an intensification gradient, i.e....

Largely influenced by the passage of the Swamp Land Act of 1849, many wetlands were lost in the coastal plain region of the southeastern United States, primarily as a result of drainage for agricultural activities. To better understand the chemical response of soils during wetland conversion, soil core samples were collected from the converted beef cattle pastures and from the natural wetland a...

Restoration of grasslands dominated by tall fescue (Schedonorus phoenix [Scop.] Holub) to native tallgrass prairie usually requires burning, herbicides, or reseeding. We tested seasonal grazing by livestock in winter, combined with cessation of fertilization, as a restoration tool for modifying the competitive dynamics among herbaceous plants to restore tallgrass prairie communities in southeas...

The nonergot alkaloid-producing endo-phyte, AR542, has been shown to improve the persistence and yield of tall fescue pastures without causing the animal disorders commonly associated with tall fescue toxicosis. A 3-yr grazing study was conducted to compare effects of AR542-infected tall fescue pastures with wild type endophyte-infected (E+) tall fescue pastures on cow-calf performance. Replica...

The pasture and animal productivity of established high producing pastures in the Waikato has been compared with newly sown pastures based on recently released herbage cultivars. The established pastures were a mixture of Nui perennial ryegrass, Paspalum dilatatum and Htiia white clover. The new cultivars tested were Ellett perennial ryegrass, Wana cocksfoot and Roa tall fescue, each sown with ...

Land use change is a major threat to global biodiversity. Forest species face the dual threats of deforestation and intensification of forest management. In regions where forests are under threat, rural landscapes that retain structural components of mature forests potentially provide valuable additional habitat for some forest species. Here, we illustrate the habitat value of traditional wood ...