68 research outputs found
Influence of climatic variables on crown condition in pine forests of Northern Spain
Producción CientÃficaThe aim of this study was to find relationships between crown condition and
some climatic parameters to identify which are those having a main influence on
crown condition, and how this influence is shown in the tree (crown transparency),
and to contribute to the understanding of how these parameters will affect under
future climate change scenarios
Has Selection for Improved Agronomic Traits Made Reed Canarygrass Invasive?
Plant breeders have played an essential role in improving agricultural crops, and their efforts will be critical to meet the increasing demand for cellulosic bioenergy feedstocks. However, a major concern is the potential development of novel invasive species that result from breeders' efforts to improve agronomic traits in a crop. We use reed canarygrass as a case study to evaluate the potential of plant breeding to give rise to invasive species. Reed canarygrass has been improved by breeders for use as a forage crop, but it is unclear whether breeding efforts have given rise to more vigorous populations of the species. We evaluated cultivars, European wild, and North American invader populations in upland and wetland environments to identify differences in vigor between the groups of populations. While cultivars were among the most vigorous populations in an agricultural environment (upland soils with nitrogen addition), there were no differences in above- or below-ground production between any populations in wetland environments. These results suggest that breeding has only marginally increased vigor in upland environments and that these gains are not maintained in wetland environments. Breeding focuses on selection for improvements of a specific target population of environments, and stability across a wide range of environments has proved elusive for even the most intensively bred crops. We conclude that breeding efforts are not responsible for wetland invasion by reed canarygrass and offer guidelines that will help reduce the possibility of breeding programs releasing cultivars that will become invasive
Assessing Carbon and Nitrogen Partition in Kharif Crops for Their Carbon Sequestration Potential
The Contribution of Soil Aggregates to Carbon Sequestration in Restored Urban Grasslands
Soil carbon sequestration across a chronosequence of tallgrass prairie restorations in the Ozark Highlands region of northwest Arkansas
Climate-Driven Crop Yield and Yield Variability and Climate Change Impacts on the U.S. Great Plains Agricultural Production
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