The diploma thesis deals with the topic of birds of the agricultural landscape of the Rakovník district, covering an area of 930 km2, which is situated about 35 km west of Prague. The work focuses mainly on the occurrence of the Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) in this area. Between 2016 and 2018, a total of 19 sites were visited on which the occurrence of the Northern Lapwings had been monitored in the previous years. The Northern Lapwing was found only at four of these sites. The successful breeding of three Lapwing chicks was observed at one of the monitored sites - near the village Petrovice (11th May 2017). The diploma thesis analyzes the data obtained by monitoring the areas with proven (even non-nesting) occurrence of Northern Lapwing and is compared with the census of Milan Tichai from 2012 to 2016. The comparison shows that the numbers of the Northern Lapwing nesting in the Rakovník landscape are dwindling, even though the birds still pass through the area in relative abundance in migration. E.g. there were three cases of successful nesting recorded in the monitored localities in 2014, but only one at the time of my observation in 2017. The occurrence of the Northern Lapwing in the studied area is related to the state of the Rakovnik agricultural landscape. At the end of the thesis are...

<p>Water governance in South Africa is challenged by natural as well as socially constructed water scarcity. 15 years after the transition from Apartheid to the new democratic era, this paper shows that water resources are still distributed along racial lines. Based on a case study in rural KwaZulu Natal, results indicate that outcomes of water policies which aimed at redressing historic inequalities have not yet been able to create the expected benefits for the disadvantaged black farming community. This paper uses an ecosystem service (ESS) approach to assess how those benefits that are derived from different water-related ecosystem services (WES) developed in the smallholder community and its adjacent commercial farming area. The change in the distribution of water for household use, water for irrigation, water flow regulation and water for scenic beauty is further discussed in regards to its response to water policies on local and national level. Hereby, the paper addresses the research need to provide insight into ESS responses to policy outcomes, which in turn is expected to reveal challenges and opportunities for policy makers to incorporate the complex yet important interactions between social and ecological systems into their decision making. Practically, this paper contributes by making gaps in ESS utilization between smallholder and commercial farmers explicit. Focusing on the material aspects of equality, i.e. the redistribution of water resources is argued to be neither feasible nor unequivocally desirable in the near future. Rather, I encourage capacity building to increase possibilities of the smallholder farmers to effectively use existing resources.</p>

The modern disconnect between agricultural producers and consumers in Canada is a result of an increasingly smaller percentage of society taking part in the ‘making’ of food. Fruit breeding —the practice of selectively breeding two fruit varieties to create a genetically superior offspring— is a scientific process found at the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in Summerland, B.C. Canada that orchardists use to produce more while investing less. This thesis attempts to reveal the fruit breeding process by establishing an architectural procession through the agricultural landscape in order to reconnect consumer and producer. Further, the design of this thesis explores the development of an architecture of place in order to establish a deeper connection with the fruit breeding process for the visitor.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Waikato, 2004. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Feb. 7, 2006). Includes bibliographical references (p. [349]-374).

Thesis (doctoral)--Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 191-200). Also available online.

Communities of epigeic beetles were monitored on five localities, which were found in South Bohemia in Písecku. There were places located in agriculture landscape, which is affected by human activities. Selected localities were composed of biocenters and biocorridors. There were forest localities (spruce monoculture, age 60-70 years), edge of the forest, corn field and two groves with different sizes. The method of pitfall trapping was used for sampling. There were found 2409 specimens of epigeic beetles (15 families and 70 species). The highest number of epigeic beetles was found on both groves. There were found 864 individuals in smaller grove and 684 individuals of beetles in larger grove. Activity of beetles in the other localities was lesser. There were found 403 individuals on field, 333 individuals in the edge of forest and least number of beetles (125 individuals) was found in forest. Species´ spectrum of epigeic beetles was divided into three groups according by the sensitivity to antropogenic impacts (relict, adaptable and eurytop species). There were found only two last groups according by the sensitivity to antropogenic impacts of three (relict undetected). There were 51 eurytop species (E) and 19 adaptable species (R2). Counted index of antropogenic influence on communities of epigeic beetles proceeds in low values (communities are relatively strongly influenced by human). Forest habitat was affected least and corn field habitat was affected most. Groves are very strongly influenced by human too, but its values are better than values on field. Groves thus have a positive impact on communities of epigeic beetles and it can be compared with the edge of forest.

Epigeic beetle communities were studied on four types of biomass bales in the cadastral unit Vrbice u Žitné, district Prachatice. Involved were bales a of grass silage stored on the edge of permanent grassland, on hay bales individually placed on permanent grassland , followed by straw bales scattered in the fields of arable land and straw bales stored on the edge of arable land. The first three types of bales were in position only few months (2-3), while straw bales at the fourth position had been more than one year. The sampling method was selected a sieving of detritus. In the bales of hay were found 9 species of 5 families. In hay bales were found 7 species of 4 families. In the straw bales (which spent in position less time - 3 months), were found 10 species of 6 families. In the bales which were in position 13 months, were found 14 species of 4 families. Index of anthropogenic influence on communities demonstrated that the positions are strongly influenced.

The content of this thesis The agricultural management impact on matter losses in the model catchment of the Stropnice river was to observe the quality of surface water and matter losses in five small catchments of Stropnice river. The samples from physico-chemical analysis were medium values from 2001 to 2011. There were observed pH, conductivity and concentrations of main ions and carbon in the surface waters. The results were analysed with multivariate Measures Anova - Tukey HSD post- hoc analyse. For the selected parameters a correlation analysis of the closeness of relationships was performed. There were differences between in sulphates surface water chemism in the upper parts of five streams. In the lower parts of five streams were significant differences between arable soils and meadows. The results confirmed that occurs a positive relation between the chemism of surface water and land use.

O cultivo florestal do eucalipto foi introduzido no Brasil no início do século XX com o intuito de suprir de matéria prima as fornalhas e ferrovias em construção na época. A produção é destinada para os mais diversos propósitos e está ainda em ascensão, de tal forma que a área plantada ocupa atualmente mais de quatro milhões de hectares no país. Seu avanço, porém, traz consigo preocupações sobre os efeitos de seu cultivo sobre a fauna nativa, pois, embora possua perfil florestal, é ainda uma monocultura. A área do presente estudo localizase no município de Angatuba, Estado de São Paulo, na Bacia do Alto Paranapanema. O presente estudo abrangeu plantios com idades de um ano e quatro meses a quatro anos e dá continuidade ao estudo desenvolvido no início do plantio (0 a 2 anos e 11 meses) na mesma área por Martin et al. (2012), seguindo a mesma metodologia. A coleta dos pequenos mamíferos foi realizada por meio de armadilhas de interceptação e queda (pitfall) distribuídas em grade em trinta unidades amostrais numa paisagem silvicultural, formada remanescentes florestais nativos, capoeira e eucaliptal a partir da metodologia amostral utilizada pelo Programa de Pesquisa em biodiversidade (PPBio), do Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia (MCT). Foram capturadas 11 espécies pertencentes às ordens Rodentia e Didelphimorphia comumente encontradas em ambientes alterados e paisagens agrícolas. Não houve diferença significativa entre os ambientes testados em termos de riqueza de espécies e abundância de indivíduos. Dessa forma, os eucaliptais atuaram como habitat para as espécies e não apenas como matriz permeável. Por esta razão, seu manejo, incluindo práticas culturais (e.g., adubação e controle de plantas \"daninhas\") deverá levar em conta seu uso pela fauna silvestre e não apenas sua rentabilidade. Pesquisas futuras nessa área devem ser por isso, priorizadas a fim de garantir a missão multifuncional da paisagem silvicultural. / Eucalyptus plantation was introduced in Brazil on early twentieth century and it aimed to supply with feedstock the furnaces and railroads under construction at the time. The production had various purposes and is still rising; therefore, currently eucalyptus plantation occupies more than four million hectares in Brazil. Its progress, however, highlights some concerns about the effects of cultivation on the native fauna because eucalyptus plantation is a monoculture although it has forestry profile. The present study area is located in the municipality of Angatuba, State of Sao Paulo, in the Upper Paranapanema Basin. This study sampled plantations aged between one year and four months and four years and continued the study developed on early planting (0-2 years and eleven months) by Martin et al. (2012) in the same area therefore the present study followed the same methodology. The capture of small mammals was conducted using pitfall traps distributed in a grid with thirty sample units in a silvicultural landscape formed by native forest remnants, \"capoeira\" and eucalyptus plantation. This method is based on the sampling methodology developed by Biodiversity Research Program (PPBio) and Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT). We captured 11 species from the orders Rodentia and Didelphimorphia commonly found in disturbed habitats and agricultural landscapes. There was no significant difference between the tested environments in terms of species richness and abundance of individuals. Thus, the eucalyptus plantation acted as habitat to those species and not just as permeable matrix. For this reason, eucalyptus plantation management, including cultural practices (e.g., fertilization and weed control) should take into account its use by wildlife and not just its profitability. Future research in this area should therefore prioritize to ensure the multifunctional mission of silviculture landscapes.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de NÃvel Superior / FundaÃÃo Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Cientifico e TecnolÃgico / A expansÃo da agricultura tem levado à alteraÃÃo nos habitats naturais e à drÃstica reduÃÃo de polinizadores. Uma cultura economicamente importante para o nordeste do Brasil à o cajueiro (Anacardium occidentale L.) devido à sua produÃÃo de castanha, Ãleo e pseudofruto. Entretanto, as alteraÃÃes na paisagem podem estar ocasionando baixo rendimento em sua frutificaÃÃo. Este trabalho teve como objetivo discutir a importÃncia da conservaÃÃo de habitats naturais para o fornecimento de polinizadores ao cajueiro cultivado. Para alcanÃar este objetivo, experimentos foram realizados a fim de observar a importÃncia dos habitats naturais no entorno de plantaÃÃes de cajueiro para a abundÃncia e a riqueza de visitantes florais e consequentemente para o sucesso reprodutivo do cajueiro. O estudo foi desenvolvido no municÃpio de Horizonte â CE entre julho e dezembro de 2011, em plantios de caju prÃximos a fragmentos de vegetaÃÃo nativa. Foram coletados todos os visitantes florais do cajueiro a diferentes distÃncias do habitat natural. Os principais grupos coletados foram abelhas e vespas, com frequÃncia de visitaÃÃo significativamente maior das abelhas. Foi observado o percentual de frutificaÃÃo (razÃo fruto/flor), onde o cajueiro demonstrou dependÃncia dos insetos polinizadores para a produÃÃo de frutos. Como resultado, a qualidade do habitat natural apresentou influÃncia sobre o nÃmero de espÃcies e a densidade dos insetos visitantes do plantio, demonstrando a importÃncia dos serviÃos prestados pelo ecossistema a esses plantios de caju. / The expansion of the agriculture has led to the changes in the natural habitat and the reduction of pollinators. The cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) is an economically important cultivated crop in Northeastern Brazil due to its nut, oil and cashew apple production. However, changes in the landscape may have been causing low fruit set. Our aim was to assess the importance of natural habitats conservation to the provision of pollinators to cultivated cashew orchards. To do so, we observed the importance of the natural areas on the abundance and richness of the floral visitors and the effect of these interactions on the cashewâs reproductive success. We carried out the study in the municipality of Horizonte, CearÃ, from July to December 2011. We collected all floral visitors and reported the fruiting rate (fruit/flower ratio) in cashew crops near fragments of native vegetation at different distances. Our results show that the cashew relies on visiting insects for fruit set. Bees and wasps were the main visitors, with the former being the most frequent. Also, the quality of the natural habitat has great influence on the number of species and density of the visitors in the orchard. Our findings show the importance of ecosystem services to these cultivated cashew orchards.