The multifunctional roles of vegetated strips around and within agricultural fields : A systematic map protocol.

Background: Agriculture and agricultural intensification can have significant negative impacts on the environment, including nutrient and pesticide leaching, spreading of pathogens, soil erosion and reduction of ecosystem services provided by terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity. The establishment and management of vegetated strips adjacent to farmed fields (including various field margins, buffer strips and hedgerows) are key mitigation measures for these negative environmental impacts and environmental managers and other stakeholders must often make decisions about how best to design and implement vegetated strips for a variety of different outcomes. However, it may be difficult to obtain relevant, accurate and summarised information on the effects of implementation and management of vegetated strips, even though a vast body of evidence exists on multipurpose vegetated strip interventions within and around fields. To improve the situation, we describe a method for assembling a database of relevant research relating to vegetated strips undertaken in boreo-temperate farming systems (arable, pasture, horticulture, orchards and viticulture). Methods: We will search 13 bibliographic databases, 1 search engine and 37 websites for stakeholder organisations using a predefined and tested search string that focuses on a comprehensive list of vegetated strip synonyms. Non-English language searches in Danish, Finnish, German, Spanish, and Swedish will also be undertaken using a web-based search engine. We will screen search results at title, abstract and full text levels, recording the number of studies deemed non-relevant (with reasons at full text). A systematic map database that displays the meta-data (i.e. descriptive summary information about settings and methods) of relevant studies will be produced following full text assessment. The systematic map database will be displayed as a web-based geographical information system (GIS). The nature and extent of the evidence base will be discussed

Nitrogen and phosphorus losses from a feedlot for suckler cows

The raising of cattle outdoors in winter is becoming more common in temperate areas, although there is little information available on the effects of this practice on forested environments. In this study, the concentrations of ammonium acetate extractable phosphorus (P AAAc )and mineral nitrogen (NH 4-N and NO 3-N) in soil and the quality of percolation water from an open feedlot were studied in eastern Finland in 19972000. In each of four pens (9751300 m2) eight suckler cows were fed in winter from 1995 in the case of the first two pens and from 1996 in the remaining two. The suckler cows usually stayed in the front part of the feedlot. Therefore the nutrient loading was also the highest in this part of the lot. When the pens had been used for 12 winters, the mean contents of PAAAc, NH 4-N and NO 3-N in the surface soil (05 cm)were 14,73 and 3.0 mg l1 respectively, compared to only 3.0, 4.2 and 0.06 mg l1 in the control forested area. In the front part of a 1-m-deep soil layer, the mean amounts of NH 4-N, and NO 3-N were 410 and 28 kg ha1 respectively after 12 years of use of the feedlot. In percolation water, too, the mean concentrations of total phosphorus and total nitrogen were high in the front part: 1.7 28 and 2101400 mg l1 respectively. The minimum requirement is cleaning of the dung, and even then loading may be substantial.

Suosituksia emolehmien laidunnukseen metsälaitumilla ja luonnonniityillä

Tohmajärven niitty- ja metsälaidunkoe toteutettiin vuosina 1994 2005. Tutkimuksessa selvitettiin pysyvän koejärjestelyn avulla maataloustuotannon kannattavuutta ja laiduntamisen ekologisia vaikutuksia. Tähän lukuun on koottu eri tutkimusosioiden keskeisiä tuloksia. Niiden mukaan emolehmien laiduntamisen ja luonnon monimuotoisuuden välillä voidaan saavuttaa sekä karjatalouden että luonnon kannalta hyvin toimiva kompromissi. Hyvä karjataloudellinen tulos ja luonnonhoito vaativat suunnitelmallista laidunnusta. Tutkimustulosten pohjalta on laadittu yleiset suositukset laiduntamisen toteuttamiseksi vastaavan tyyppisillä rehevillä niitty- ja metsälaitumilla. Suositukset ja ohjeet käsittelevät eläintiheyttä, laitumen loppukorkeutta, alueiden hallintaa, laiduntamisen ajoitusta sekä lisärehu- ja kivennäisruokintaa. Luonnonlaitumina käytettävät alueet ovat usein omaleimaisia ja toisinaan myös herkkiä vuosien säävaihteluille, joten suositukset ovat väljiä ja niiden soveltamisen ratkaisee tapauskohtainen arvio. Annettujen suositusten tavoite on toimia lähtöarvoina, jotka tarkentuvat hoitokohteen mukaan ja hoidon edistyessä. Parhaan tuloksen saavuttamiseksi eri toimijoiden viljelijän, maaseutukeskuksen, ympäristökeskuksen ja metsäkeskuksen välinen yhteistyö on aina suositeltavaa, vaikka kyseessä ei olisikaan erityistukikohde.vokMyynti MTT, Tietopalvelut 31600 Jokioine