Area sensitivity of North American grassland birds is a significant conservation concern; yet, its causes are not known. I used point count data from 20 tall-grass prairie patches in Southern Manitoba to assess the relative importance of patch size, edge proximity, and landscape composition on the densities and species richness of grassland songbirds. The degree to which the landscape surrounding point count plots was open, as opposed to forested or urban, had a positive effect on species richness and the densities of most focal species, and was more important than patch size, edge proximity, or habitat amount. These results suggest that landscape openness, not patch size (with which it is usually correlated) drives area sensitivity. Small grassland patches embedded in open landscapes are less susceptible to area sensitivity and may be of high conservation value for grassland birds. / February 2017

In many arid and semiarid regions worldwide, high levels of soil salinity is a key driver of land degradation, as well as a key impediment to re-establishing plant cover. Combating land degradation and erosion associated with soil salinity requires experimental determination of plant species that can grow in soils with high levels of salinity and can be used to re-establish plant cover. Herein, we evaluated the responses of untested candidate cultivars of two halophytic grass species to high soil salinity: alkali sacaton (Sporobolus airoides Torr.) and seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum Swartz). We evaluated the growth responses of both species in a greenhouse under control (no-salt) and various levels of NaCl salinity (EC 8, 16, 24, 32, 40, and 48dSm(-1)) using Hoagland solution in a hydroponics system in a randomized complete block design trial. At all salinity levels, sacaton grass had a greater shoot height, shorter root length, lower shoot fresh and dry weights, and poorer color and general quality compared to seashore paspalum. The shoot fresh and dry weights of both grasses were greatest at the low to medium levels of salinity, with the greatest response observed at EC 16dSm(-1). At the highest level, salinity significantly reduced shoot fresh and dry weights of both grasses. Because growth of both halophytic species exhibited high tolerance to salinity stress and were stimulated under low to medium levels of salinity, both species could be considered suitable candidates for re-establishing plant cover in drylands to combat desertification and land degradation associated with high levels of soil salinity.

Grasslands are the most threatened terrestrial ecosystem in the world, and as they decline the species that depend on them also decline. Variable stocking rates and resting rangeland could be used by range managers to manipulate plant cover and create wildlife habitat. I used generalized linear mixed-models to evaluate how effects of rest on vegetation and songbirds varied based stocking rates previously applied from 2006-2014 in Grasslands National Park, Canada. My results indicate, in the mixed-grass prairie, succession is retrogressive following rest, and both vegetation and songbirds are resilient to grazing. Recovery of songbirds was linked to the recovery of habitat structure. Songbirds with flexible habitat requirements, such as Savannah and grasshopper sparrows, responded rapidly to livestock exclusion. The retrogressive nature of succession in mixed-grass prairie offers managers an opportunity to take chances when attempting to create wildlife habitat with livestock grazing, as risk of irreversible change is relatively low. / October 2016

Rotational grazing is being promoted by some land managers, government agencies, and conservation groups as superior to season-long grazing for improving pasture and cattle production, and for grassland bird conservation; however, the assumed benefits have not been comprehensively studied. In 2011 and 2012, I examined the effects of twice-over rotational grazing on the nesting success of grassland songbirds in southwestern Manitoba, Canada. I monitored nesting attempts and collected structural vegetation data for five species of obligate grassland bird (n=110) and one shrub-nesting species (n=41). Nesting analyses were conducted using logistic exposure models. Twice-over grazing had a significantly negative effect on the nesting success of the ground nesting species, including Savannah sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis). Grazing system did not have an effect on vegetation structure. The results are consistent with other rotational grazing studies, and suggest that twice-over rotational grazing does not benefit grassland songbirds in mixed-grass prairie habitats. / October 2016

This thesis will attempt to scrutinize Günter Grass's message to his people and show his concern for the spiritual health of his country. Each of his three novels bears directly upon political, religious, and moral issues vital to Germany and to the world. The examination is based upon the assumption that Grass as an author is more concerned that Germans see themselves as they are and as they have been than he is concerned with the image of Germany which his novels present to the world. It is, paradoxically, this very special and sincere concern which gives his work universal appeal.

Phragmites australis is a perennial grass presently invading many intertidal and freshwater wetlands throughout much of the Atlantic Coast of North America. The spread of Phragmites into coastal wetlands is in part determined by available freshwater and nutrients, especially nitrogen, within the watershed where Phragmites populations occur. The Eastern Shore of Virginia is an intensive agricultural area, and watershed landcover may play a major role in Phragmites invasion. Forty-five Phragmites patches were sampled in eight VA Eastern Shore mainland watersheds and on a barrier island. Regardless of watershed landcover characteristics, there was little variation in Phragmites australis patch characteristics along the oceanside of the entire Eastern Shore of Virginia. Phragmites is a generalist with broad environmental tolerances. Thus, successful management and eradication plans may have broad scale application for this invasive grass.

Då Sverige redan nått flera av de energi- och klimatpolitiska målen kan målet om att skapa ett fossilfritt samhälle stå som ytterligare drivkraft för att fortsätta utvecklingen av de hållbara bränslena. Bidrag finns att få för att anlägga våtmarker, minska klimatpåverkan, förbättra naturmiljön och för utvecklandet av ny teknik samt bygga upp anläggningar för biobränsleproduktion. Trots detta har odling av våtmarksgrödor för energiutvinning ännu inte etablerats på energimarknaden. Denna studie är en del i kartläggningen av vad som kan komma att driva utvecklingen av våtmarker som källa till bioenergi framåt, och vilka delar som saknas i det arbetet. Efter intervjuer med intresserade och kunniga aktörer inom ämnet presenteras här de drivkrafter och hinder som påverkar denna utveckling. Drivkrafterna grundar sig i viljan att komma bort från fossila bränslen, att minska utsläppen av näringsämnen samt ge utrymme för biologisk mångfald, samtidigt som åtgärderna kan göra nytta för samhället och hjälpa till att nå klimat- och miljömålen. De största hindren utgörs av att speciella maskiner kan behövas för behandling av våtmarksgrödorna där terrängen är känslig och att mycket stora ytor skulle behövas för att öka lönsamheten. De ekonomiska stöd som finns att tillgå täcker inte heller alla nödvändiga steg i produktionsledet. Eftersom priserna på el och fossila bränslen är låga finns ännu ingen etablerad marknad för denna typ av energikälla och produktionen leder därför inte till någon större förtjänst. Biobränsleproducenter har även svårt att på ett tillräckligt effektivt sätt utvinna energin från grödorna. Detta gör att efterfrågan på energigrödor från våtmarker idag är mycket låg. Trots detta kan våtmarker bidra med en rad viktiga ekosystemtjänster i samband med produktion av energigrödor. Det rekommenderas därför att ett sådant system präglas av förvaltningsfilosofin mångbruk, där en naturresurs syfte är att nyttjas för flera ändamål samtidigt. Detta multifunktionella synsätt kan hjälpa till att öka våtmarkernas roll i uppfyllandet av flera av de nationella klimat- och miljömålen, om dess ekosystemtjänster vägs in tydligare i kalkylerna vid energiproduktion. / Sweden have already reached several of their goals for energy consumption, but the overall goal to become a fossil free society can still be seen as a driving force to keep developing renewable fuels. There is financial support for wetland construction, reduce impact on the climate, improve the natural environment, for developing new techniques and for biomass fuel plants. Still, cultivation of wetland crops for energy extraction are not yet well established on the energy market. After interviews with actors interested and knowledgeable in this field, this study presents driving forces and barriers affecting the development of this energy source. Driving forces comes from the ambition to move away from fossil fuels, decrease emissions of nutrients, make room for biodiversity, and provide services for the society while helping to reach climate and environmental goals. The barriers affecting this development is that special machines might be needed for handling of the crops and also to harvest the sensitive wetlands while large areas would be needed to increase profitability. The financial support available is not enough to cover the costs for production. Also, the prices on electricity and fossil fuels are low, which lowers the profitability for this type of energy source. Bioenergy producers have not yet found an effective way to extract energy from the crops. All of this makes the demand for energy crops from wetlands small. Despite this, wetlands provide several important ecosystem services and it is therefore recommended to use the management philosophy of multiple-use. With a multifunctional view of wetlands, the value of its ecosystem services can be added to the calculations of energy production and increase its role in reaching several national climate and environmental goals.

Resumo: O experimento foi conduzido na UNESP - Campus de Botucatu, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos ao acaso num arranjo fatorial com três cultivares de Brachiaria brizantha (Marandu, Xaraés e BRS Piatã) e duas alturas de resíduo (15 e 25 cm), no total de seis tratamentos com quatro repetições (parcelas de 20 m2). O período de avaliação foi de um ano (01/12/2007 a 10/12/2008), com a realização de oito cortes, sendo três na primavera, três no verão, um no outono e um no inverno. A produção de massa seca (MS) da Xaraés foi maior no verão e na primavera em relação à Marandu. No somatório do ano a produtividade de MS da Xaraés foi 27,07% superior à Marandu, alcançando valor elevado (20.023 kg/ha), o que demonstra o potencial de utilização deste genótipo, principalmente em sistemas de produção de bovinos de corte mais intensivos. A produção de MS da Piatã nas estações do ano foi semelhante à Marandu, totalizando 17.572 e 15.757 kg/ha, respectivamente. Os dados de produção indicam que a Piatã apresentou a melhor distribuição da forragem produzida ao longo do ano. A produção de forragem das cultivares foi maior na altura do resíduo de 15 cm no verão e inverno, e não diferiu nas alturas de manejo no outono e primavera, demonstrando exigências diferentes de manejo do capim ao longo do ano. Os resultados obtidos confirmam a recomendação e a importância da cultivar Piatã como alternativa de utilização e diversificação das pastagens nos sistemas produtivos. / Abstract: The experiment was conducted in the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science of UNESP - Botucatu Campus. The experimental design was a complete randomized blocks in a factorial arrangement with three cultivars of Brachiaria brizantha (Marandu, Xaraés and BRS Piatã) and two stubble heights (15 and 25 cm), in the total six treatments with four replications (20 m² plots). The evaluation period was of one year (12/01/2007 to 12/10/2008) with eight cuts: three in the spring, three in the summer, one in the fall and one in the winter. The production of dry matter (DM) of Xaraés in summer and spring were higher than Marandu with a total of 27.07% higher DM than Marandu. The total DM production was 20,023 kg/ha, demonstrating the potential of use of the Xaraés cultivar, especially in more intensive systems of beef cattle production. DM production of Piatã in the seasons was similar to Marandu, totalizing 17,572 and 15,757 kg/ha, respectively. The production data indicate that Piatã cultivar had the best distribution of forage produced during the year. The forage production of cultivars was higher in the stubble height of 15 cm in summer and winter, and did not differ for two heights of management in the fall and spring, showing different requirements of grass management during the year. The results confirm the recommendation and the importance of Piatã cultivar as an alternative of use and diversification of pastures in the production systems. / Orientador: Ciniro Costa / Coorientador: Paulo Roberto de Lima Meirelles / Banca: Heraldo César Gonçalves / Banca: Roberto Antonio Rodella / Banca: Cacilda Borges do Valle / Banca: Valdo Rodrigues Hering / Doutor

Die Dissertation "Methoden der Künstlichen Intelligenz in Radarmeteorologie und Bodenerosionsforschung" beschäftigt sich mit der Erfassung des Parameters der potentiellen Erosivität vor dem Hintergrund der Bodenerosionsproblematik Südafrikas. Basierend auf der Betrachtung der Erosivität einzelner Niederschlagsereignisse wird demonstriert, wie durch wissensbasierte Ansätze aus Wetterradardatensätzen flächendeckende Niederschlagsinformationen gewonnen werden können. Diese dienen als Eingangsdaten für ein Erosivitätsmodell, das aus Zellulären Automaten aufgebaut wird. Die Ergebnisse des Erosivitätsmodells werden vorgestellt und diskutiert. / The dissertation "Artificial Intelligence Methods in Radarmeteorology and Soil Erosion Research" discusses the assessment of potential rainfall erodibility in regard to soil erosion processes in South Africa. Knowledge-based approaches are used to derive rainfall information from weather radar data for the recording of erosivity pulses from individual rainfall events. This precipitation data is used as input for a erosivity modell consisting built out of cellular automata. The results generated by the modell are presented and discussed.

O objetivo desta pesquisa foi verificar a possibilidade da exploração simultânea de pomar de citros com braquiária da entrelinha para produção de silagem. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado com três tratamentos principais quanto ao manejo da braquiária (A: adubação do pomar na linha e manejo da braquiária da entrelinha através de roçadas; B: adubação do pomar na linha, sendo a entrelinha cortada para silagem; C: adubação do pomar na linha e na entrelinha, sendo a braquiária cortada para silagem), com sete repetições, totalizando 21 parcelas de três linhas de citros cada. A linha central foi utilizada para avaliação dos citros, e a entrelinha central para avaliar a braquiária. Foram realizados dois cortes de braquiária na época das águas para avaliação da produção de MS e de atributos químico-bromatológicos (QB). Após o corte, a braquiária foi armazenada de três formas: congelada "in natura"; em minissilos de PVC, sem adição de polpa cítrica, e em minissilos de PVC com adição de polpa cítrica (7, 14 e 21%), com quatro repetições. O material foi ensilado por 35 dias, sendo após aberto e congelado. Avaliou-se, nas amostras congeladas, as características QB: MS, PB, FDN, pH e PT. Fez-se a determinação dos teores de macro e micronutrientes nas folhas de citros e da braquiária, e amostragem do solo da linha e da entrelinha para avaliação da fertilidade. No pomar de citros avaliou-se a produção e as características físicas e tecnológicas dos frutos nas épocas de safra e colheita temporã. Observou-se que a produtividade e as características tecnológicas e físicas dos frutos não foram afetadas pelo manejo da braquiária. No estado nutricional dos citros, observou-se diferença nos teores de cálcio, sendo superiores no tratamento C. Os atributos químicos do solo na linha do pomar não apresentaram diferença entre os tratamentos. Na braquiária, os tratamentos não influenciaram o estado nutricional e os principais atributos químicos do solo. Quanto à produção de MS, nos tratamentos B e C, observou-se diferença entre os mesmos nas duas épocas de corte, com produção de MS 60% superior em C. Nas características QB, houve influência dos tratamentos B e C, da época de corte e da prática de ensilagem em relação a MS, PB, FDN, pH e PT, além de interações entre essas variáveis. Em função dos resultados obtidos quanto à produção e qualidade de citros e da braquiária para ensilagem, conclui-se a viabilidade da exploração desse sistema (pomar de citros e braquiária para ensilagem), desde que seja feita reposição dos nutrientes extraídos através de adubação diferenciada para as duas espécies vegetais. / The objective of this study was to verify the possibility of simultaneous exploration of citrus orchard with brachiaria of interrow for silage production aiming at dairy cow food complementation. The treatment were: A - fertilization of the orchard in the row and manipulation of brachiaria of the interrow by hoeing; B - fertilization of orchard in the row, and having the interrow cut for the silage; C - fertilization of orchard in the row and in the interrow, having the brachiaria cut for silage. The experimental design was randomized blocks with 7 replications, totalling twenty-one parcels with three lines of citrus each. The central line was used for the evaluation of citrus and the central interrow to evaluate the brachiaria. Two cuts of brachiaria were made in the rainy season for the evaluation of dry matter ha -1 and chemical-bromatological attributes production. After cutting, the brachiaria was stored in three different ways: frozen in natura; stored in mini silos of PVC with and without the addition of citric pulp; with four replications. The material was stored in silo for 35 days, and it was opened and frozen afterwards. The following chemical-bromatological characteristics were evaluated within these material dry matter, raw protein, fiber acid detergent, free acidity, and buffer capacity. Macro and micronutrients’ contents in the leaves were determinated, and samples of soil in the row and interrow were taken for the evaluation of soil fertility. In the citrus orchard, the production and the physical and technological characteristics of fruits in two periods (in season and out of season) were evaluated. The results showed that the productivity and the fruits’ technological and physical characteristics were not affected by the way the manipulation of brachiaria in the interrow was conducted. Within the plants’ nutritional state, a difference only for the contents of calcium, which were superior in treatment C, could be observed. The soil’s chemical attributes in the orchard’s line did not present any difference among the treatments. Concerning the brachiaria, the treatments did not have any influence in the nutritional state, nor in the main soil’s chemical attributes. Concerning the production of dry matter, in treatments B and C, a difference between them was observed, in the two seasons of cut, in the production of dry matter: up to 60% for treatment C. Concerning the chemical-bromatological characteristics, there was an influence of the treatments B and C, of the cutting period and of the practice of storage in silos in relation to the contents of dry matter, raw protein, fiber acid detergent, free acidity and buffer capacity in relation; besides the interaction effects among these three variables. Due to the obtained results in relation to the production and quality of citrus and of brachiaria for storage in silos, we can conclude the viability of the exploration of this system (orchard of citrus and brachiaria for storage in silos), as long as the reposition of the extracted nutrients through different fertilization for each vegetal species is executed.