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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of extreme weather conditions on runoff, nutrient, and soil loss from agriculture‐dominated catchments at different locations in Norway.

Four catchments have been selected to study the potential effects of climate change on runoff and nutrient loss. The catchments are part of the Agricultural Environmental Monitoring Programme in Norway (JOVA) and represent different climatological conditions, agricultural production systems/practices, and soil types. Different characteristics were calculated on the basis of existing measurements and evaluated with respect to climate change.

In four selected catchments, climate change is predicted to lead to an increase in runoff. Under similar land use and tillage methods, this will most likely lead to an increase in nutrient and soil loss. Milder winters as a consequence of climate change might lead to extreme runoff conditions and severe erosion, caused by a combination of frozen soil, snowmelt, and intense rainfall. Existing large diurnal variations in discharge have to be taken into consideration in the future design of hydrotechnical implementations. Information about the potential effects of climate change on runoff generation, the magnitude of the different hydrological flow paths, and their potential effects on nutrient and soil loss processes is necessary in choosing the right mitigation measures.

Long time series on runoff and water quality (such as those collected in small agriculture‐dominated catchments as part of the Agricultural Environmental Monitoring Programme in Norway (JOVA)) are rare, but indispensable in evaluating the potential effects of climate change on nutrient and soil loss.

Erosion is the main cause of soil and water degradation, which demands investments for the recovery of such natural resources. The purpose of this paper is to quantify and spatialize soil losses in a municipality with large areas of monoculture of sugarcane.

The Universal Soil Loss Equation was applied for the identification of areas susceptible to erosion in the municipality of Jahu, SP, Brazil. Soil maps, statistical census data from Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, radar images from SRTM, rainfall data from Fatec-Jahu hydrometeorological station and digital satellite images from Landsat 5 TM were used for the analyses. Four basic parameters were evaluated: topography of the terrain, rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, and soil use and management factors. The analyses were conducted in the Geographic Information System (ArcView software).

The results show most of the municipality (91 percent) consists of areas of erosion potential. However, the remaining 9 percent can potentially produce 40 percent of the sediment load, which indicates the need for conservation practices and environmental recovery for a reduction in the erosion process acceleration.

In view of the expansion of sugarcane culture in the cities of São Paulo, the results show the importance of a master plan for new areas of sugarcane planting and the need for restoration of riparian vegetation in the surrounding streams and springs for the reduction of erosion.

The purpose of this study is to quantitatively evaluate five erosion control measures at a residential development area in Louisiana, USA in order to provide Best Management Practices (BMPs) that have been tested in the field with demonstrated cost‐effectiveness.

A total of six testing sites at a nine‐degree slope were used in parallel to study five erosion control measures with one being the control site (no protection). Soil erosion rate was quantified using the erosion bridge method. Soil underlying the study area was analyzed for surface runoff potential. Precipitation was monitored using a Sigma rain gauge. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Student Newman‐Keuls Post‐Hoc ANOVA analysis were conducted to evaluate statistical significance of erosion control effectiveness. Ratio of soil erosion rate reduction to cost of each control measure is also analyzed.

All erosion control measures studied were very effective in reducing soil erosion for soils with high runoff potential, ranging from 75 percent to about 100 percent reduction in soil erosion rate. The most effective soil erosion protection was observed by Geojute fabric and Curlex blanket with greater than 90 percent reduction in soil erosion rate. However, after factoring‐in cost, straw bedding was observed to be five times as cost‐effective as Geojute fabric and Curlex blanket. The most cost‐effective measure is temporary seeding using perennial rye grass. For each dollar spent, about 12 tons of soil per acre per year will be prevented from eroding.

The study evaluated erosion control measures in the field with quantitative cost‐effectiveness analyzed. Besides enforcement, providing practical and cost‐effectiveness control measures that have been tested in the field is critical for actual implementation of erosion control measures.

This paper explores through Schumacher's perspective on ‘the proper use of land’: the reasons for, and the means and consequences of, monitoring soil condition in managing agricultural landscapes sustainably. This particular perspective illustrates its argument with soil monitoring initiatives operating at various scales within the global agricultural context. Schumacher's land management goals are health, beauty and permanence, yet productivity is the goal most land managers focus on. The chosen indicators for soil monitoring need to reflect these goals. Hence, the indicators of choice for monitoring soil condition are attributes that can be: easily measured, improve soil productivity or protect the soil. Often attributes that have intrinsic ‘beauty’ (value), maintain ‘health’ (function) in ecosystems and are difficult to measure are ignored as soil condition indicators. The usefulness of information gained through monitoring soil condition is to make decisions that will be relevant for varied audiences and at different points in the decision-making process.

This paper aims to build a theoretical model of the impact of farmers’ adoption behavior of soil and water conservation measures on the agricultural output to analyze the impact of farmers’ adoption behavior of soil and water conservation measures on agricultural output.

Based on the field survey data of 808 farmers households in three provinces (regions) of the Loess Plateau, this paper using the endogenous switching regression model to analyze the effect of farmers’ adoption behavior of soil and water conservation measures on agricultural output.

Soil erosion has a significant negative impact on agricultural output, and soil erosion has a significant positive impact on farmers’ adoption of soil and water conservation measures. Farmers adopt soil and water conservation measures such as engineering measures, biological measures and tillage measures to cope with soil erosion, which can increase agricultural output. Based on the counterfactual hypothesis, if farmers who adopt soil and water conservation measures do not adopt the corresponding soil and water conservation measures, their average output per ha output will decrease by 2.01%. Then, if farmers who do not adopt soil and water conservation measures adopt the corresponding soil and water conservation measures, their average output per ha output will increase by 12.12%. Government support and cultivated land area have a significant positive impact on farmers’ adoption behavior of soil and water conservation measures.

The research limitation is the lack of panel data.

Soil erosion has a significant negative impact on agricultural output, and soil erosion has a significant positive impact on farmers’ adoption of soil and water conservation measures. Farmers adopt soil and water conservation measures such as engineering measures, biological measures and tillage measures to cope with soil erosion, which can increase agricultural output.

The conclusion provides a reliable empirical basis for the government to formulate and implement relevant policies.

The contributions of this paper are as follows: the adoption behavior of soil and water conservation measures and agricultural output are included into the same analytical framework for empirical analysis, revealing the influencing factors of farmers’ adoption behavior of soil and water conservation measures and their output effects, enriching existing research. Using endogenous switching regression model and introducing instrumental variables to overcome the endogenous problem between the adoption behavior of soil and water conservation measures and agricultural output, and to analyze the influencing factors of farmers’ adoption behavior of soil and water conservation measures and its impact on agricultural output. Using the counter-factual idea to ensure that the two matched individuals have the same or similar attributes, to evaluate the average treatment effect of the behavior of soil and water conservation measures, to estimate the real impact of adaptation measures on agricultural output as accurately as possible and to avoid misleading policy recommendations.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the investment pattern, adoption behaviour, attitude of farmers towards conservation compliance programmes and the extent of participation of farmers in soil conservation projects in the Western Ghats of India.

For the present study, multistage purposive sampling was followed. The sample respondents were identified for the survey in all the five categories of watersheds (very high, high, medium, low and very low priority watersheds) in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu at the rate of 50 farm respondents in each category. Since the investment among the five categories of watersheds did not show any significant differences, the sample farmers were post stratified as marginal, small, medium and large farmers based on farm size for further analysis.

The investment analysis showed a benefit cost ratio (BCR) of 1.03 for staggered trenches for tea to 1.40 for bench terrace for carrot. For annual crops, the BCR for bench terrace varied from 1.03 for cabbage to 1.32 for carrot. Among the soil conservation technologies, in tea plantation, stone wall had the highest net present value (NPV) of Rs. 74,335. Staggered trench had the lower NPV Rs. 19,237 among all conservation structures. The results of the contingent valuation showed that cropped area, farm size, on-farm income positively and significantly influenced the willingness to pay (WTP) towards soil conservation. Family size and age of the farmer negatively influenced the WTP of the respondents significantly. The multinomial logit model indicated that staggered trench had direct impact on productivity. In tea plantation, staggered trench adoption was influenced by area under plantation crops, farm size, educational level and land slope. The participation index was very low (<30), indicating the poor participation of farmers in soil conservation programmes.

The results of the study reveal the appropriateness of the soil conservation technologies for the select soil type as well as the specific socioeconomic conditions of the farmers undertaking conservation compliance programs in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. Understanding the farmer’s perceptions and adoption behaviour is important in making the whole programme a successful one. Hence the results of the study may not be generalized for other study zones, unless otherwise, the agro-ecological zone is similar to the site where the study was conducted.

The study suggested that adoption of conservation technologies should be promoted in a big way to conserve natural resources like soil and enhance economic returns. It is also advocated that institutions should provide only guidance for community participation not on community governance and the role should be involving the real stakeholders/beneficiaries under participatory mode to achieve the goal of soil conservation. The bottom-up approach should be adopted to address the real issues involved in conservation compliance programmes.

The outcome of the study advocates the economic viability of conservation technologies adopted by the crop farmers. The project results also advised the farmers, institutions and the enforcements authorities, the strategies to be adopted to minimize soil loss and increase crop productivity by adopting the appropriate conservation compliance programs. The results also revealed that conservation of soil and water not only conserved the precious natural resources but also had far reaching effect on the yield of croplands, which would be reflected on the food and nutritional securities of the local communities at the micro level and the nation as a whole at the macro level.

The research outcome is based on the field level research done by the authors in the Western Ghats of India. The primary data collected from the respondents were analysed and used for drawing inferences and conclusions.

This paper aims to assess agri-environment (AE) scheme options on cultivated agricultural land in England for their impact on agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It considers both absolute emissions reduction and reduction incorporating yield decrease and potential production displacement. Similarities with Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs) introduced in 2015 as part of the post-2014 Common Agricultural Policy reform, and their potential impact, are considered.

A life-cycle analysis approach derives GHG emissions for 18 key representative options. Meta-modelling is used to account for spatial environmental variables (annual precipitation, soil type and erosion risk), supplementing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change methodology.

Most options achieve an absolute reduction in GHG emissions compared to an existing arable crop baseline but at the expense of removing land from production, risking production displacement. Soil and water protection options designed to reduce soil erosion and nitrate leaching decrease GHG emissions without loss of crop yield. Undersown spring cereals support decreased inputs and emissions per unit of crop yield. The most valuable AE options identified are included in the proposed EFAs, although lower priority is afforded to some.

Recommendations are made where applicable to modify option management prescriptions and to further reduce GHG emissions.

This research is relevant and of value to land managers and policy makers. A dichotomous key summarises AE option prioritisation and supports GHG mitigation on cultivated land in England. The results are also applicable to other European countries.

The ecological decline of ancient Near Eastern civilizations and the violent and explosive characteristics of post‐Columbian colonial ecologies might well remain comfortably remote from us in our twentieth century world were it not for the disturbing parallels that such case histories seem to evoke as we consider our contemporary global circumstance. Just as in ancient times and in the age of colonial expansion, it is in the “remote environments,” usually quite distant from the centers of power, that the crucial indicators of environmental catastrophe first become apparent within the system as a whole. These regions are frequently characterized by weak economies and highly vulnerable ecosystems in our time, just as they were in the past. Accordingly, the environmental circumstances in these regions constitute for the modern world a kind of monitoring device that can provide early warnings of ecological instabilities in the global ecosystem.

The authors are committed to providing the Chinese government with a foundation for making decisions that will protect black land and ensure long-term agricultural development.

Using the grounded theory approach, this study investigates the influencing factors affecting the quality of black land in Northeast China and proposes a hypothetical model for the mechanism of the influencing factors on the quality of black land in Northeast China.

The factors influencing the quality of black land include not only soil quality, ecological quality and environmental quality, but also economic quality and management quality, and can be classified into five categories. There are complex influence relationships between various factors and black land quality, with soil quality, ecological quality, environmental quality and management quality having a positive influence on economic quality. Soil quality, ecological quality and environmental quality are all improved as a result of good management. Black land quality is influenced positively by environmental quality, economic quality and management quality.

The quality of black land is a major concern in terms of food production and long-term agricultural development. The black land in Northeast China was chosen as the subject of this study, and the research findings have some limitations. The next step will be to expand from studying the black land in Northeast China to the black land worldwide.

In Northeast China, the quality of the five dimensions of black land must be improved in a coordinated and consistent manner.

The present study aims to determine the residue levels in the soil and water prior to, and after fertilization, as previous soil investigations in Kuwait indicated that different types of fertilizers are used leaving residues in the soil, in order to assist the prospective farmers in choosing environmental sound chemicals for each crop. The importance of the following is to determine the geologic conditions of the soil in such a productive farm area and the effect of the use of fertilizers.

To achieve the study purpose soil and water samples were collected over a wide area and chemical parameters (pH, electrical conductivity (ECe), cations (Ca⁺², Mg⁺²), and anions (CO₃⁻²,HCO₃⁻,Cl⁻)) were obtained via the suitable and most appropriate chemical analyses.

The soils have several levels of calcareous contents along with varying salinity and alkalinity. Before fertilization on average, soil ECe ranges from 0.93 to 4.37 mS/cm, pH from 7.4 to 7.60, cations 8.00 to 36.00 meq/l, and anions from 4.85 to 29.61 meq/l. After fertilization pH ranges from 7.09 to 7.47, ECe ranged from 3.79 to 12.85 mS/cm, cations ranges from 29.75 to 66.36 meq/l, and anions ranges from 15.18 to 63.32 meq/l; showing that ECe, cations and anions average values has increased by almost three to four orders of magnitude. Furthermore, ECe, pH, cations, and anions values have sharply increased with depth. The evidence from this study shows that vertical leaching adversely contributes to the deterioration of the groundwater quality and rate.

The output of this study is intended to be the building block or the nuclei for a data bank on the prevailed agricultural practices in different aspects, and upon which further studies on the southern area of Kuwait will depend.

The farm areas in the southern region of Kuwait state (case study: Al‐Wafrah farms) suffer from misuse and mismanagement of the agricultural lands in different aspects. This paper provides new source of information on the historical record of farm development and the nature, performance and results of the associated agricultural practices in such areas, as so to be the base or the starting point form which further studies can go forth.