2011 Oregon county and state agricultural estimates

This report provides a quick overview of Oregon's recent crop and livestock production.Published April 2012. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

Assessing data availability for the development of REDD-plus national reference levels

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Data availability in developing countries is known to be extremely varied and is one of the constraints for setting the national reference levels (RLs) for the REDD-plus (i.e. 'Policy approaches and positive incentives on issues relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries; and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries') under the UNFCCC. Taking Thailand as a case study country, this paper compares three types of RLs, which require different levels of datasets, including a simple historic RL, a projected forest-trend RL, and a business-as-usual (BAU) RL.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Other than the finding that different RLs yielded different estimations on future deforestation areas, the analysis also identified the characteristics of each RL. The historical RL demanded simple data, but can be varied in accordance with a reference year or period. The forest-trend RL can be more reliable than the historical RL, if the country's deforestation trend curve is formed smoothly. The complicated BAU RL is useful as it can demonstrate the additionality of REDD-plus activities and distinguish the country's unintentional efforts.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>With the REDD-plus that involves widespread participation, there should be steps from which countries choose the appropriate RL; ranging from simpler to more complex measures, in accordance with data availability in each country. Once registered with REDD-plus, the countries with weak capacity and capability should be supported to enhance the data collection system in that country.</p

Projecting Land-Use Change and Its Consequences for Biodiversity in Northern Thailand

Rapid deforestation has occurred in northern Thailand over the last few decades and it is expected to continue. The government has implemented conservation policies aimed at maintaining forest cover of 50% or more and promoting agribusiness, forestry, and tourism development in the region. The goal of this paper was to analyze the likely effects of various directions of development on the region. Specific objectives were (1) to forecast land-use change and land-use patterns across the region based on three scenarios, (2) to analyze the consequences for biodiversity, and (3) to identify areas most susceptible to future deforestation and high biodiversity loss. The study combined a dynamic land-use change model (Dyna-CLUE) with a model for biodiversity assessment (GLOBIO3). The Dyna-CLUE model was used to determine the spatial patterns of land-use change for the three scenarios. The methodology developed for the Global Biodiversity Assessment Model framework (GLOBIO 3) was used to estimate biodiversity intactness expressed as the remaining relative mean species abundance (MSA) of the original species relative to their abundance in the primary vegetation. The results revealed that forest cover in 2050 would mainly persist in the west and upper north of the region, which is rugged and not easily accessible. In contrast, the highest deforestation was expected to occur in the lower north. MSA values decreased from 0.52 in 2002 to 0.45, 0.46, and 0.48, respectively, for the three scenarios in 2050. In addition, the estimated area with a high threat to biodiversity (an MSA decrease >0.5) derived from the simulated land-use maps in 2050 was approximately 2.8% of the region for the trend scenario. In contrast, the high-threat areas covered 1.6 and 0.3% of the region for the integrated-management and conservation-oriented scenarios, respectively. Based on the model outcomes, conservation measures were recommended to minimize the impacts of deforestation on biodiversity. The model results indicated that only establishing a fixed percentage of forest was not efficient in conserving biodiversity. Measures aimed at the conservation of locations with high biodiversity values, limited fragmentation, and careful consideration of road expansion in pristine forest areas may be more efficient to achieve biodiversity conservation. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

Agriculture's Stake in Foreign Markets: I. Trends in United States Agricultural Exports

This publication brings together basic statistics describing the trends, importance, and nature of United States agricultural exports and traces some of the broad economic forces that have influenced the export situation

The Farm Labor Situation on Wisconsin Dairy Farms

Contents: Summary --- I.—The Dairy Farm Labor Force (Total labor supply maintained in 1942 – Farm labor force and military service - Activities of the Farm Placement Service in Jefferson County) --- II.--Wage Rates on Wisconsin Dairy Farms (Relation of farm wages to prices of farm products and farm income - Industrial wage rates compete for farm labor) --- III.--Effect of Labor Supply on Production (Price of dairy cows and sale of cows at stockyards – Auction sales – trends in production of milk – Milk prices - Prices of feed, seed, and fertilizer) --- IV.--Potential Sources of Labor Supply (Recruitment of dairy workers from cut-over areas of northern Wisconsin) --- Appendix (Tables)

The Farm Labor Situation on Wisconsin Dairy Farms

Contents: Summary --- I.—The Dairy Farm Labor Force (Total labor supply maintained in 1942 – Farm labor force and military service - Activities of the Farm Placement Service in Jefferson County) --- II.--Wage Rates on Wisconsin Dairy Farms (Relation of farm wages to prices of farm products and farm income - Industrial wage rates compete for farm labor) --- III.--Effect of Labor Supply on Production (Price of dairy cows and sale of cows at stockyards – Auction sales – trends in production of milk – Milk prices - Prices of feed, seed, and fertilizer) --- IV.--Potential Sources of Labor Supply (Recruitment of dairy workers from cut-over areas of northern Wisconsin) --- Appendix (Tables)