Implementation of a mandatory programme on Intensive Forest Monitoring in Slovenia

From May 1st 2004, Slovenia will have the obligation to follow the legislation that is in force in the EU. This includes the implementation of an Intensive Monitoring of its Forest Ecosystems. “Senter” contracted Alterra Green World Research to execute the project: “Implementation of the mandatory programme on Intensive Monitoring in Slovenia”, from January 1st 2003 till 31 December 2004. During this project the following results have been achieved: (i) eleven plots have been selected in a careful way with clear aims and criteria., (ii) the infrastructure in the field and laboratory has been build-up successfully, (iii) a Quality Assurance and Quality Control (Q(A/QC) programme has been implemented, (iv) a database is being set up, (v) the organisational structure is in place, (vi) there is a clear international imbedding and (vii) there is a long term commitment of the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment. The mandatory programme on Intensive Forest Monitoring in Slovenia has a large potential to evaluate impacts of elevated nitrogen inputs, high ozone exposure and climate chang

‘Good Farmers’ in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evolving Narratives

In this paper the example of cocoa production in Ghana is used to explore how the narratives portraying African farmers have changed over the last 70 years. These evolving narratives are explored through the notion of a ‘good farmer’. The argument is that over this period the image of African farmers has been progressively rehabilitated, from ignorant and tradition-bound to skilled and research-minded. Over the same time period the image of formal research and extension was undermined. With the recent renewed interest in agriculture, narratives around African farmers are again evolving: ‘good farmers’ are now increasingly being defined as those who approach their farming as a proper business.DfI

Implementation of a mandatory programme on Intensive Forest Monitoring in Slovenia

From May 1st 2004, Slovenia will have the obligation to follow the legislation that is in force in the EU. This includes the implementation of an Intensive Monitoring of its Forest Ecosystems. “Senter” contracted Alterra Green World Research to execute the project: “Implementation of the mandatory programme on Intensive Monitoring in Slovenia”, from January 1st 2003 till 31 December 2004. During this project the following results have been achieved: (i) eleven plots have been selected in a careful way with clear aims and criteria., (ii) the infrastructure in the field and laboratory has been build-up successfully, (iii) a Quality Assurance and Quality Control (Q(A/QC) programme has been implemented, (iv) a database is being set up, (v) the organisational structure is in place, (vi) there is a clear international imbedding and (vii) there is a long term commitment of the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment. The mandatory programme on Intensive Forest Monitoring in Slovenia has a large potential to evaluate impacts of elevated nitrogen inputs, high ozone exposure and climate chang

Intensive monitoring of forest ecosystems in Europe; 2: atmospheric deposition and its impacts on soil solution chemistry

In order to gain a better understanding of the effects of air pollution and other stress factors on forests, a Pan-European programme for intensive and continuous monitoring of forest ecosystems has been implemented in 1994. Results of this intensive monitoring programme presented in this paper are related to the surveys on atmospheric deposition and soil solution chemistry, focusing on data for 1997. Both bulk deposition and throughfall of N was higher than that of S at nearly all the plots, especially in Western Europe. The average calculated total N deposition was approximately twice as large as S. Approximately, 55% of the considered plots received an N input above 1000 molc ha-1 yr-1 (14 kg ha-1 yr-1), being a deposition level above which the species diversity of the ground vegetation may decrease. The total input of acidity ranged mostly between 200 and 4000 molc ha-1 yr-1. The deposition of sulphate, nitrate and calcium was significantly higher in the central/eastern part of Europe, but NH4 was slightly higher in western Europe. A highly significant positive correlation of atmospheric deposition and rainfall was observed for most ions. The concentrations of nitrate in soil solution exceeded the EU ground water quality criterion of 800 mmolcm-3 in the subsoil at 9% of the plots. Al/(Ca Mg K) ratios exceeded a critical ratio of 1.0 in approximately 30-39% of the plots, depending on the layer considered. The concentration of potentially toxic Al in the subsoil was strongly related to the concentration of sulphate and nitrate in soils with a base saturation below 25% or a pH below 4.5, indicating that Al release is the dominant buffering process in acid soils. Above a base saturation of 25% and a pH level of 4.5, there was a strong relationship between Ca and strong acid anions, indicating that the acidity is mainly neutralised by the release of base cations in less acidified soils. The variation in concentrations of major ions in the soil solution could be, to a large extent, explained by differences in atmospheric deposition and meteorological conditions

Intensive monitoring of forest ecosystems in Europe; 2: atmospheric deposition and its impacts on soil solution chemistry

In order to gain a better understanding of the effects of air pollution and other stress factors on forests, a Pan-European programme for intensive and continuous monitoring of forest ecosystems has been implemented in 1994. Results of this intensive monitoring programme presented in this paper are related to the surveys on atmospheric deposition and soil solution chemistry, focusing on data for 1997. Both bulk deposition and throughfall of N was higher than that of S at nearly all the plots, especially in Western Europe. The average calculated total N deposition was approximately twice as large as S. Approximately, 55% of the considered plots received an N input above 1000 molc ha-1 yr-1 (14 kg ha-1 yr-1), being a deposition level above which the species diversity of the ground vegetation may decrease. The total input of acidity ranged mostly between 200 and 4000 molc ha-1 yr-1. The deposition of sulphate, nitrate and calcium was significantly higher in the central/eastern part of Europe, but NH4 was slightly higher in western Europe. A highly significant positive correlation of atmospheric deposition and rainfall was observed for most ions. The concentrations of nitrate in soil solution exceeded the EU ground water quality criterion of 800 mmolcm-3 in the subsoil at 9% of the plots. Al/(Ca Mg K) ratios exceeded a critical ratio of 1.0 in approximately 30-39% of the plots, depending on the layer considered. The concentration of potentially toxic Al in the subsoil was strongly related to the concentration of sulphate and nitrate in soils with a base saturation below 25% or a pH below 4.5, indicating that Al release is the dominant buffering process in acid soils. Above a base saturation of 25% and a pH level of 4.5, there was a strong relationship between Ca and strong acid anions, indicating that the acidity is mainly neutralised by the release of base cations in less acidified soils. The variation in concentrations of major ions in the soil solution could be, to a large extent, explained by differences in atmospheric deposition and meteorological conditions