The paper provides data on the fl oristic composition of vegetation in anthropogenic habitats suitable for Erigeron × huelsenii, a spontaneous hybrid between the alien E. canadensis and native E. acris s. str. The study is based on 21 phytosociological relevés (vegetation plots) of 5×5 m size made in 2013–2014 in the Polish part of the Lithuanian Lakeland (north-eastern Poland) using the Braun-...

Land carrying capacity (LCC) explains whether the local land resources are effectively used to support economic activities and/or human population. LCC can be evaluated commonly with two approaches, namely ecological footprint analysis (EFA) and the index system method (ISM). EFA is helpful to investigate the effects of different land categories whereas ISM can be used to evaluate the contribut...

There is considerable and ongoing debate as to the harm inflicted on bees by exposure to agricultural pesticides. In part, the lack of consensus reflects a shortage of information on field-realistic levels of exposure. Here, we quantify concentrations of neonicotinoid insecticides and fungicides in the pollen of oilseed rape, and in pollen of wildflowers growing near arable fields. We then comp...

The levels of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in 27 upper layer (0-25 cm) soil samples collected from the Dagang Oilfield (China) in April 2013 to estimate their distribution, possible sources, and potential risks posed. The total concentrations of PAHs (∑PAHs) varied between 103.6 µg·kg(-1) and 5872 µg·kg(-1), with a mean concentration of 919.8 µg·kg(-1); increased...

Reducing tillage intensity offers the possibility of moving towards sustainable intensification objectives. Reduced tillage (RT) practices, where the plough is not used, can provide a number of environmental and financial benefits, particularly for soil erosion control. Based on 2010 harvest year data from the nationally stratified Farm Business Survey and drawing on a sub-sample of 249 English...

China has recently undertaken a very ambitious biofuel production program. However due to a lack of arable land domestically, this program has necessitated the leasing of arable land elsewhere (e.g., in Africa). This thesis first conducts a policy analysis of China’s biofuel policy using a historical institutionalism ends-and-means framework. The analysis reveals the ways in which China achieve...

Although assistance to farming remains the dominant method for supporting the rural sector in the UK, there has been a shift in policy towards agri-environmental schemes which attempt to reconcile competing demands on the countryside as a simultaneous provider of food, rural livelihoods and environmental goods and services. Many of these issues and challenges facing UK and European agriculture ...

The recent intensification of the arable landscape by modern agriculture has had negative effects on biodiversity. Organic farming has been introduced to mitigate negative effects, but is organic farming beneficial to biodiversity? In this review, we summarize recent research on the effects of organic farming on arable biodiversity of plants, arthropods, soil biota, birds, and mammals. The ecos...

Long-term trends in total solar irradiance (Rs), diffuse irradiance (Rd) and pan evaporation (Epan), from various sites in Ireland, were examined over the last 20–50 years. This information was used to estimate the impact of changes in Rs and Rd on gross primary productivity (GPP) of forest, arable and grassland ecosystems. Analysis of the data indicated a significant (P < 0.0001) reduction in ...

Juha Helenius Department of Applied Biology, PO Box 27, FIN-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland, e-mail: [email protected] Jarmo K. Holopainen MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Plant Production Research, Plant Protection, FIN-31600 Jokioinen, Finland. Current address: Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, University of Kuopio, PO Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland Erja Huusel...