The Activities and Aspirations of the Estonian Grassland Society

The aim of the Estonian Grassland Society (EGS) is to develop the flow of grassland-based knowledge between different stakeholders and multidisciplinary research and to create international contacts. The EGS is a non-profit organisation and more than 100 interdisciplinary researchers, plant breeders, advisors and farmers are actively involved in the work of the society. The interdisciplinary activities are becoming more and more attractive and important and bring together different target groups. At present seminars, which are focused on the adaptation producers to the EU rules and support system for farmers are attractive. Nowadays the essential goal for the EGS is to find solutions for integrating efficient grassland management and biodiversity, including socio-economic aspects. Novel approaches to combine the benefits for wildlife and the grass producer will be highlighted in the future EGS activities

Changes in Grass Quality of Coastal Meadows in Estonia

In Estonia the reason for reduction in coastal meadows and expansion of the stands of the common reed (Phragmites australis) is the discontinuation of traditional use of grasslands which were previously grazed and cut. Phragmites australis usually produces dense and monospecific stands at the waterline, where species richness is low. It can survive in ungrazed shore meadows, but it suffers from grazing (Tyler, 1969). The investigated Phragmitetum australis association had been influenced by grazing activities, but it remained rather sparse and due to that had relatively low productivity, reaching 3.11 t DM/ha. Traditionally coastal meadows have been used for grazing and have given stable quality of feed and good animal performance. The quality of fodder is an important factor for farms using the coastal areas for grazing. The aim of the study was to determine the changes in quality of the different plant associations in the coastal area

How environmental managers perceive and approach the issue of invasive species: the case of Japanese knotweed s.l. (Rhône River, France)

We would like to thank Springer for publishing our article. The final publication is available at http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10530-015-0969-1International audienceStudying the perceptions of stakeholders or interested parties is a good way to better understand behaviours and decisions. This is especially true for the management of invasive species such as Japanese knotweed s.l. This plant has spread widely in the Rhône basin, where significant financial resources have been devoted to its management. However, no control technique is recognized as being particularly effective. Many uncertainties remain and many documents have been produced by environmental managers to disseminate current knowledge about the plant and its management. This article aims at characterizing the perceptions that environmental managers have of Japanese knotweed s.l. A discourse analysis was conducted on the printed documentation produced about Japanese knotweed s.l. by environmental managers working along the Rhône River (France). The corpus was both qualitatively and quantitatively analysed. The results indicated a diversity of perceptions depending on the type of environmental managers involved, as well as the geographicalareas and scales on which they acted. Whereas some focused on general knowledge relating to the origins and strategies of colonization, others emphasized the diversity and efficacy of the prospective eradication techniques. There is a real interest in implementing targeted actions to meet local issues. To do so, however, these issues must be better defined. This is a challenging task, as it must involve all types of stakeholders

The Role of Trust in Public Attitudes toward Invasive Species Management on Guam: A Case Study

Public attitudes toward invasive alien species management and trust in managers’ ability to effectively manage non-native species can determine public support for conservation action. Guam has experienced widespread species loss and ecosystem transformation due to invasive species. Despite Guam’s long history with invasives and efforts to eradicate them, we know little about the sociological context of invasive species. Using focused group discussions, we explore public attitudes toward invasive species management. Respondents expressed support for management activities and a desire to participate directly in conservation actions. Participants also expressed frustration with government institutions and lack of confidence in managers’ abilities to control invasive species. Perceptions of managers’ trustworthiness, communication with managers, and positive personal experiences with managers were related to positive attitudes about management and support for existing initiatives

Drivers of risk perceptions about the invasive non-native plant Japanese knotweed in domestic gardens

This is the final version of the article. Available from Springer Verlag via the DOI in this record.How people perceive risks posed by invasive non-native plants (INNP) can influence attitudes and consequently likely influence behavioural decisions. Although some drivers of risk perception for INNP have been identified, research has not determined those for INNP in domestic gardens. This is concerning as domestic gardens are where people most commonly encounter INNP, and where impacts can be particularly acute. Using a survey approach, this study determined the drivers of perceptions of risk of INNP in domestic gardens and which risks most concern people. Japanese knotweed Fallopia japonica, in Cornwall, UK, where it is a problematic INNP in domestic gardens, was used as a case study. Possible drivers of risk were chosen a priori based on variables previously found to be important for environmental risks. Participants perceived Japanese knotweed to be less frequent on domestic property in Cornwall if their occupation involved the housing market, if they had not had Japanese knotweed in their own garden, if they did not know of Japanese knotweed within 5 km of their home, or if they were educated to degree level. Participants who thought that the consequences of Japanese knotweed being present on domestic property could be more severe had occupations that involved the housing market, knew of Japanese knotweed within 5 km of their home, or were older. Although concern about the damage Japanese knotweed could do to the structure of a property was reported as the second highest motivation to control it by the majority of participants, the perception of threat from this risk was rated as relatively low. The results of this study have implications for policy, risk communication, and garden management decisions. For example, there is a need for policy that provides support and resources for people to manage INNP in their local area. To reduce the impact and spread of INNP we highlight the need for clear and accurate risk communication within discourse about this issue. The drivers identified in this study could be used to target awareness campaigns to limit the development of over- or under-inflated risk perceptions.This project was funded as part of the Wildlife Research Co-Operative between the University of Exeter and the Animal and Plant Health Agency

Influencia del choque térmico y pre-brotación en el rendimiento de la patata

Thermal shock and pre-sprouting increase the initial development of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants, allowing for earlier harvests. Growing early potatoes without pre-sprouting is not economically viable under Nordic climatic conditions. The aim of this research was to determine how seed tuber pre-planting treatments (untreated, thermal shock and pre-sprouting) influence time to emergence, mean tuber weight, the number of tubers per plant, and yield (including yield dynamics). The main findings of this work were that thermal shock shortened the time to emergence by 2-5 days, while pre-sprouting shortened it by 7-12 days. In addition, thermal shock significantly increased the number of tubers produced, although their mean weight was lower than that of the tubers produced by the pre-sprouted plants. The presprouted tubers provided a very early harvest of large tubers; the harvest time for the thermal shock-treated tubers was a little later. The untreated seed tubers were the last to produce harvestable plants.El choque térmico y la pre-brotación temprana incrementa el desarrollo inicial de plantas de patata (Solanum tuberosum L.), lo que permite una recolección más temprana. El cultivo de patatas tempranas sin pre-brotación no es económicamente viable en las condiciones climáticas de los países nórdicos. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar qué tratamiento de presiembra de tubérculos para semilla (sin tratar, choque térmico y pre-brotación) influyen en el tiempo de emergencia, el peso medio del tubérculo, el número de tubérculos por planta, y el rendimiento, incluyendo la dinámica del mismo. Se encontró que el choque térmico de los tubérculos acortó el tiempo de emergencia en 2-5 días y la pre-brotación entre 7-12 días. Además, el choque térmico incrementó el número de tubérculos, aunque su peso fue menor que los tubérculos producidos mediante pre-brotación. Un rendimiento muy temprano es posible con tamaño grande de tubérculo aplicando pre-brotación, siendo el periodo de recolección de tubérculos tratados con choque térmico algo posterior. Los tubérculos sin tratar fueron los que mostraron una menor producción

Influence of the thermal shock and pre-sprouting on potato tuber yield

Thermal shock and pre-sprouting increase the initial development of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants, allowing for earlier harvests. Growing early potatoes without pre-sprouting is not economically viable under Nordic climatic conditions. The aim of this research was to determine how seed tuber pre-planting treatments (untreated, thermal shock and pre-sprouting) influence time to emergence, mean tuber weight, the number of tubers per plant, and yield (including yield dynamics). The main findings of this work were that thermal shock shortened the time to emergence by 2-5 days, while pre-sprouting shortened it by 7-12 days. In addition, thermal shock significantly increased the number of tubers produced, although their mean weight was lower than that of the tubers produced by the pre-sprouted plants. The presprouted tubers provided a very early harvest of large tubers; the harvest time for the thermal shock-treated tubers was a little later. The untreated seed tubers were the last to produce harvestable plants