Effects of silviculture on native tree species richness: interactions between management, landscape context and regional climate

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/98148/1/jpe12064.pd

Impacts of intensive agricultural irrigation and livestock farming on a semi-arid Mediterranean catchment

13 páginas, 5 figuras, 2 tablas.Irrigation return flows (IRF) are a major contributor of non-point source pollution to surface and groundwater. We evaluated the effects of irrigation on stream hydrochemistry in a Mediterranean semi-arid catchment (Flumen River, NE Spain). The Flumen River was separated into two zones based on the intensity of irrigation activities in the watershed. General linear models were used to compare the two zones. Relevant covariables (urban sewage, pig farming, and gypsum deposits in the basin) were quantified with the help of geographic information system techniques, accompanied by ground-truthing. High variability of the water quality parameters and temporal dynamics caused by irrigation were used to distinguish the two river reaches. Urban activity and livestock farming had a significant effect on water chemistry. An increase in the concentration of salts (240–541 μS·cm − 1 more in winter) and nitrate (average concentrations increased from 8.5 to 20.8 mg·l − 1 during irrigation months) was associated with a higher level of IRF. Those river reaches more strongly influenced by urban areas tended to have higher phosphorus (0.19–0.42 mg·l − 1 more in winter) concentrations. These results support earlier research about the significant consequences to water quality of both urban expansion and intensive agricultural production in arid and semi-arid regions. Data also indicate that salinization of soils, subsoils, surface water, and groundwater can be an unwelcome result of the application of pig manure for fertilization (increase in sodium concentration in 77.9 to 138.6 mg·l − 1).We acknowledge the financial support of ‘Centro de Desarrollo de Los Monegros’ in the Project ‘Determinación del estado ecológico y restauración del río Flumen a su paso por la Comarca de Los Monegros’.Peer reviewe

Identification and prioritization of areas with high environmental risk in Mediterranean coastal areas: A flexible approach

International audienceInterdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity are the cornerstone for the future management of coastal ecosystemswith many vulnerability and hazard indexes developed for this purpose, especially in the engineering literature,but with limited studies that considered ecological implications within a risk assessment. Similarly, the conceptof prioritization of sites has been widely examined in biodiversity conservation studies, but only recently as aninstrument for territory management. Considering coastal plant diversity at the species and community levels,and their vulnerability to three main potential hazards threatening coastal areas (oil spills, Hazardous and NoxiousSubstances pollution, fragmentation of natural habitats), the objective of this paper is to define an easy-to-use approach to locate and prioritize the areas more susceptible to those stressors, in order to have a practical instrumentfor risk management in the ordinary and extra-ordinary management of the coastline. The procedurehas been applied at pilot areas in four Mediterranean countries (Italy, France, Lebanon and Tunisia). This approachcan provide policy planners, decision makers and local communities an easy-to-use instrument able tofacilitate the implementation of the ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management) process in their territory