abstract: Climate change is increasing global surface temperatures, intensifying droughts and increasing rainfall variation, particularly in drylands. Understanding how dryland plant communities respond to climate change-induced rainfall changes is crucial for implementing effective conservation strategies. Concurrent with climate change impacts on drylands is woody encroachment: an increase in abundance of woody plant species in areas formerly dominated by grasslands or savannahs. For example, the woody plant, Prosopis velutina (velvet mesquite), has encroached into grasslands regionally over the past century. From an agricultural perspective, P. velutina is an invasive weed that hinders cattle forage. Understanding how P. velutina will respond to climate change-induced rainfall changes can be useful for management and conservation efforts. Prosopis velutina was used to answer the following question: Is there a significant interactive effect of mean soil water moisture content and pulse frequency on woody seedling survival and growth in dryland ecosystems? There were 256 P. velutina seedlings sourced from the Santa Rita Experimental Range in southern Arizona grown under four watering treatments where mean and pulse frequency were manipulated over two months. Data were collected on mortality, stem height, number of leaves, instantaneous gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, biomass, and the leaf carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio. Mortality was low across treatments. Pulse frequency had less impact across response variables than the mean amount of water received. This may indicate that P. velutina seedlings are relatively insensitive to rainfall timing and are more responsive to rainfall amount. Prosopis velutina in the low mean soil moisture treatments lost a majority of their leaves and had greater biomass allocation to roots. Prosopis velutina’s ability to survive in low soil moisture conditions and invest in root biomass can allow it to persist as drylands are further affected by climate change. Prosopis velutina could benefit ecosystems where native plants are at risk due to rainfall variation if P. velutina occupies a similar niche space. Due to conflicting viewpoints of P. velutina as an invasive species, it’s important to examine P. velutina from both agricultural and conservation perspectives. Further analysis on the benefits to P. velutina in these ecosystems is recommended. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Plant Biology and Conservation 2020

The nutritional value for the following species have been determined: P.pallida, P.laevigata var. andicola, P.flexuosa, P.nigra, P.alba of the genus Proposis. To obtain this purpose surveys were done about the use and consumption of the Carob Tree in the High and Central Valleys of the Cochabamba Department. As a result of the surveys it was determined that the consumption of the pods made up for 54% of human nourishment. The species that were consumed the most were P.pallida and P.laevigata var. andicola. Within the uses of these leguminous pods, the pods are directly consumed in their raw form and on a lesser scale in their cooked form. It was also observed that a minority use it as flour which is then ingested principally in the form of pito and api. Afterwards a chemical bromatologic analysis was done and it was determined that there was a high content of carbohydrates and fiber, a relatively good percentage of protein and a low ethereal extract, standing out more than the minerals calcium and iron. It was also determined that the highest content of protein and ethereal extract show P.laevigata var. andicola and P.nigra, the fiber P.laevigata var. andicola, and P.pallida calories. The species with the most concentration of the minerals phosphorus, iron, and calcium were P.pallida and P.nigra. The biological tests for the protein quality performed for the two species that were the most consumed show poor results of Real Digestibility (Dr), Net Use of Real Protein (UNPr), Real Biological Value (VBr), and the Relation of the Efficiency of Protein (PER). These are considerably becoming better through a thermic process (toasted 10min). The leguminous cereal complementation (corn-carob tree), favorably increased all of the biological indexes. The species P.pallida showed superiority compared to the results obtained for P.leavigata var. andicola. In the meantime these species can be considered a good energy source and with the combination of cereals can effectively cover caloric protein deficiencies.

Anthropogenic activities are responsible for increases in atmospheric CO₂ and climate change. These increases are partly counterbalanced by natural processes, such as carbon uptake in land surfaces. These processes are themselves subject to climate change, creating a coupled carbon-climate system. I investigated the carbon sink that woody encroachment represents, using a Central Texas savanna as study site, and studied how climatic factors influence this carbon sink. Woody plant encroachment, a worldwide structural change in grassland and savanna ecosystems, alters many ecosystem properties, but the net effect on the carbon balance is uncertain. Woody encroachment represents one of the key uncertainties in the US carbon balance, and demands a more detailed understanding. To come to a process-based understanding of the encroachment effect on carbon dynamics, I analyzed patterns of carbon exchange using eddy-covariance technology. I expected the imbalance between carbon uptake and release processes associated with the encroaching trees specifically, to be responsible for the carbon sink. I also expected that the sink would vary in time, due to strong links between carbon fluxes and soil water in this semi-arid ecosystem. I further studied the ecophysiology of the dominant species, as well as soil respiration processes under different vegetation types, and scaled these findings in space and time. I found that the ecosystem was a significant carbon sink of 405 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹. The encroaching trees increased photosynthesis by 180% and decreased soil respiration by 14%, compared to the grassland, resulting in a strong carbon sink due to the encroachment process. The encroaching process also altered carbon dynamics in relation to climatic drivers. The evergreen species Ashe juniper effectively lengthened the growing season and widened the temperature range over which the ecosystem acts as a carbon sink. The drought resistance of the encroaching trees reduced the sensitivity of this savanna to drought. I conclude that encroachment in Central Texas savannas increased the carbon sink strength by increasing the carbon inputs into the ecosystem. Woody encroachment also reduced the sensitivity to climatic drivers. These two effects constitute a direct effect, as well as a negative feedback to the coupled carbon-climate system. / text

Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-01T12:17:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Aquivototal.pdf: 4458207 bytes, checksum: c998f318cd914a74966cc43b803e4c8d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-02-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / It is estimated that there are 500,000 acres of mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) planted in the Brazilian Northeast, 45% only on State of Paraíba. In State, the wood is used almost exclusively as fuel on drying kilns and firing of ceramic products in brick kilns, generating ash as residue. These ashes contain a high concentration of alkaline metals and earth metals, mainly CaO and K2O. This work studies the use of this residue in the ceramic tiles industry, in substitution to the feldspar. Thirteen mixtures with equal ratios of clay, kaolin and quartz, and the residue (varying from 5% to 20%, still under three granulometric perspectives), and prepared specimens of dimensions 110 mm x 55 mm x 8 mm in uniaxial tool die, with compacting pressure of 15 MPa. The samples were fired in three different temperatures: 1160°C, 1190°C and 1220°C, during 20 minutes, and characterized by means of X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, gravimetric thermal analysis and differential thermal analysis. The results of water absorption, apparent porosity and specific mass, linear shrinkage and flexural strength were also analysed. The specimens with addition of 5 and 10% ash, of granulometric -#35 +#60 (250 μm < particle size < 500 μm), fired in 1220°C, presented results of water absorption of 0.99% and 0.62%, respectively, which according to the ABNT, ASTM and ISO standards can be classified as stoneware tiles, and flexural strength of 23.3 and 23.0 MPa, respectively, being classified as coating materials. / Estima-se que existam 500 mil hectares de algarobeiras (Prosopis juliflora) plantadas no Nordeste, 45% do montante só na Paraíba. No Estado, a lenha é utilizada quase que exclusivamente como combustível nos fornos de secagem e queima de produtos cerâmicos nas olarias, gerando uma cinza como resíduo/subproduto. As cinzas da lenha de algaroba apresentam elevadas concentrações de metais alcalinos e alcalinos-terrosos, principalmente CaO e K2O. O presente trabalho estuda a utilização desse resíduo na indústria de placas cerâmicas para revestimentos, em substituição ao feldspato. Foram definidas 13 formulações com iguais proporções de argila, caulim e quartzo, e o resíduo (variando de 5 a 20%, ainda sob três perspectivas granulométricas), e confeccionados corpos de prova de dimensões 110 mm x 55 mm x 8 mm em matriz uniaxial, com pressão de compactação de 15 MPa. As amostras foram sinterizadas em três níveis de temperatura, 1160°C, 1190°C e 1220°C, com patamar de queima de 20 minutos. Foram realizados ensaios para caracterização das matérias-primas por fluorescência de raios-X, difração de raios-X, AG, DTA e ATG, e analisados os resultados de absorção de água, porosidade e massa específica aparentes, retração linear e tensão de ruptura à flexão. Os corpos de prova com adição de 5 e 10% de cinzas, de granulometria -#35 +#60 (250 μm < tamanho de partícula < 500 μm), sinterizados a 1220°C, apresentaram resultados de absorção de água de 0,99% e 0,62%, respectivamente, o que segundo as normas ABNT, ASTM e ISO podem ser classificados como grês porcelanato, e resistência à flexão de 23,3 e 23,0 MPa, respectivamente, caracterizando-os como materiais de revestimento.

This study reports on the development of a curriculum guide to insure some degree of experience uniformity in the first art course available to students in high schools in Mesquite, Texas. Current general education and art education literature as well as curriculum guides from American schools provided the behaviorally oriented framework and objectives, content, and teaching strategies. The guide reflects a balance between the ideal and the real physical environment in which the guide will be implemented. Conclusions include the concepts that teacher education in using behavioral objectives is necessary, that a behaviorally oriented guide will work in Mesquite high schools, that behavioral objectives will facilitate evaluation, and that the trend toward tri-part subject content will increase in art curricula.

The density, diversity, and nest-site selection of riparian breeding birds were studied from 1982 to 1985 in mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and tamarisk (Tamarix chinensis) communites along the Colorado River in northern Arizona. Avian density in tamarisk communities was significantly greater (P=0.052 and 0.024 in 1984 and 1985, respectively) than avian density in native mesquite communities with similar vegetative cover and height attributes. Avian diversity was similar in both communities. Breeding bird densities in tamarisk were higher than those reported from other geographic areas. Vegetation structure and shrub species composition were measured at nest sites of eleven species of riparian birds in a tamarisk community to examine avian habitat relationships. Riparian birds exhibited differences in their choice of nesting habitat. Discriminant analysis indicated that Bell's Vireo (Vireo bellii), Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia) and Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) were relative generalists in nest site selection, while Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) and Northern Oriole (Icterus galbula) were relative habitat specialists. Bell's Vireo and American Coot (Fulica americana) nested in habitats that were the most different. Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) and Yellow Warbler nested in habitats that were the most similar. Willow Flycatcher and Yellow Warbler consistently used habitat most similar to that used by all other species. Nest placement preferences of six riparian passerines were examined in the tamarisk community to test the null hypothesis that nest placement in any given species of shrub was random. Ninety-five of 105 nests sampled were located in tamarisk. Five of the six species of passerines exhibited a significant preference for tamarisk for nest placement. A highly significant preference for tamarisk was shown by the four species with the smallest median frequency of tamarisk in their nesting habitat. The usefulness of tamarisk for nest placement was higher than that reported from other areas.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:33:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 BrunnoFDO_DISSERT.pdf: 1072437 bytes, checksum: ca0f1130c794e389077757530d1d5b66 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-02-13 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / Based on climate data and occurrence records, ecological niche models (ENM) are an important opportunity to identify areas at risk or vulnerable to biological invasion. These models are based on the assumption that there is a match between the climatic characteristic of native and invaded regions predicting the potential distribution of exotic species. Using new methods to measure niche overlap, we chose two exotic species fairly common in semi-arid regions of South America, Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) D.C. and Prosopis pallida (H. ; B. ex. Willd) HBK, to test the climate matching hypothesis. Our results indicate that both species occur with little niche overlap in the native region while the inverse pattern is observed in the invaded region on South America, where both species occur with high climatic overlap. Maybe some non-climate factor act limiting the spread of P. pallida on the native range. We believe that a founder effect can explain these similarities between species niche in the invaded region once the seeds planted in Brazil came from a small region on the Native range (Piura in Peru), where both species occur sympatric. Our hypothesis of a founder effect may be evident when we look at the differences between the predictions of the models built in the native and invaded ranges. Furthermore, our results indicate that P. juliflora shows high levels of climate matching between native and invaded ranges. However, conclusions about climate matching of P. pallida should be taken with caution. Our models based on climatic variables provide multiple locations suitable for occurrence of both species in regions where they still don t have occurrence records, including places of high interest for conservation. / Baseados nas informa??es clim?ticas e nos registros de ocorr?ncia, modelos de nicho ecol?gico (MNE) s?o uma importante oportunidade de identificar ?reas sob risco ou vulner?veis ? invas?o biol?gica. Estes modelos se ap?iam na suposi??o de que existe congru?ncia entre os climas das regi?es nativa e invadida para prever a distribui??o potencial de esp?cies ex?ticas. Utilizando m?todos recentes para medir sobreposi??es entre MNE, escolhemos duas esp?cies invasoras bastante comuns em regi?es semi-?ridas da Am?rica do Sul, Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) D.C. e Prosopis pallida (H. ; B. ex. Willd) H.B.K., para testar a hip?tese da congru?ncia clim?tica. Nossos resultados indicam as duas esp?cies ocorrem com pouca sobreposi??o de nicho na regi?o nativa, enquanto que o inverso se observa na regi?o invadida na Am?rica do Sul, onde as duas esp?cies ocorrem com elevada sobreposi??o de nicho. Algum fator n?o clim?tico pode atuar limitando a dispers?o de P. pallida na ?rea nativa. Acreditamos que um efeito fundador pode explicar estas semelhan?as de nicho encontradas na regi?o invadida uma vez que as sementes plantadas no Brasil vieram de uma pequena regi?o da ?rea nativa (Piura, Peru), onde ambas esp?cies ocorrem em simpatria. Diferen?as entre as previs?es dos modelos constru?dos na regi?o nativa e projetados para a regi?o nativa evidenciam nossa hip?tese do efeito fundador. Al?m disso, nossos resultados indicam que P. juliflora ocorre nas regi?es nativas e invadidas em condi??es clim?ticas bastante congruentes. Entretanto, conclus?es sobre congru?ncia clim?tica entre regi?es nativas e invadidas por P. pallida devem ser tomados com cautela. Os modelos prev?em v?rios locais favor?veis para a ocorr?ncia de ambas as esp?cies em regi?es onde ainda n?o existem registros de ocorr?ncia, inclusive locais de elevado interesse para conserva??o.

Species of Prosopis (Mimosaceae), or mesquite, are native to the Americas and introduced in South Africa as agro forestry trees to provide wood, fodder and shade in the late 1800s. In the Northern Cape Province, these trees have been particularly used for their pods by local farmers and local industry. However due to Prosopis’ ability to spread rapidly there has been increasing pressure to step up control of the tree. Due to the costs associated with most control methods biological control has been singled out as the most viable control method worth pursuing. This thesis attempts to explain and shed light on the effects that increased biological control of Prosopis would have on the farming community and Prosopis based businesses in the area. Two hypothetical scenarios were used, the first being a possible 50% reduction in available pods and the other a possible 100% reduction. In an effort to explain these effects data was collected from a series of collection activities in the form of a pilot study and two unique questionnaire surveys. Twenty-seven farmers and one Prosopis based business were interviewed at random with the data analysed and documented. Results showed that the business community is the main user of pods incurring crippling losses in the event of a 50% or 100% decrease in available pods. Using control costs from working for water De Aar long term costs of the presence of Prosopis were estimated and compared to the estimated provincial cost of losing pods giving a cost comparison ratio of (α)270 million : Y(N(15.7million)). Only 48% of the respondents valued pods and 11% had traded in pods, the top concern resulting from the invasion was the loss of underground water. With a 50% decline in available pods, all respondents indicated unchanged effects. However empirical results showed that with a 100% decline in pods estimate losses of R 5 818 per farm are expected. The cost comparison ratio showing the losses farmers bore with Prosopis in the area and the losses they would suffer with a 100% decline in pods was R11 389 + (K): R5 818. In light of the empirical results, policy recommendations that support the introduction of more effective biological control agents have been made with areas for further research identified and discussed.

From the Proceedings of the 1977 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona Academy of Science - April 15-16, 1977, Las Vegas, Nevada / The suitability of treated municipal sewage effluent for the irrigation of deep- rooting plant material for the rehabilitation of copper mine tailings was studied at the Cyprus Pima Mining Company. The effectiveness of treated sewage effluent was compared with well water on the growth and survival of trees, legumes and grasses. The species studied were eucalyptus (Eucalyptus rostrata), native mesquite (Prosopis juliflora), palo verde (Cercidium floridum), desert tobacco (Nicotiana lauca) barley (Hordeum vulgare), perennial rye grass (Lolium perenne), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), and blue lupine (Lupinus augustifolius). Sprinkler and tree -well irrigation methods were used to apply the treated sewage effluent and well water to steep tailing slopes. The treated municipal sewage effluent was found to be a practical irrigation substitute for well water and a good source of plant nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous. Effluent produced better survival and growth than did well water with or without augmentation.

Thesis (MScConEcol (Conservation Ecology and Entomology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: I evaluated the impact of Prosopis invasion and clearing on ecological structure, function and agricultural productivity in heavily grazed Nama Karoo rangeland on two sheep farms near the town of Beaufort West in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. My aims were to (1) determine the effects of invasion and clearing on rangeland vegetation composition, diversity (alien and indigenous species richness) and structure (alien and indigenous species cover), soil vegetation cover (plant canopy and basal cover) and agricultural productivity (grazing capacity), (2) describe the vegetation processes that underlay the invasion and clearing impacts and (3) evaluate the success of clearing in facilitating unaided restoration of ecological structure, function and agricultural productivity in formerly invaded rangeland. I hypothesised that invasion would significantly change rangeland vegetation composition and structure, leading to greater alien species richness and cover and lower indigenous species richness and cover while clearing would lead to lower alien species diversity and cover and greater indigenous species richness and cover. In addition I hypothesized that invasion would reduce rangeland plant canopy and basal cover and grazing capacity while clearing would substantially increase them. Finally I predicted that vegetation composition, alien and indigenous species cover and richness, plant canopy and basal cover and grazing capacity would revert to pre-invasion status and levels within four to six years of clearing. My results suggest that in heavily grazed Nama Karoo rangeland Prosopis invasion (~15 percent canopy cover) and clearing can significantly change rangeland vegetation composition, with invasion leading to greater alien species cover and lower indigenous species richness, while clearing leads to lower alien species richness and cover and greater indigenous species richness and cover. However invasion seems to have no effect on alien species richness and overall indigenous species cover. Clearing appears to facilitate the spontaneous restoration of alien species cover and indigenous species richness within four to six years but not species composition, alien species richness and indigenous species cover. In addition my results also indicate that Prosopis invasion can lower rangeland plant canopy and basal cover and grazing capacity while clearing, even under heavy grazing, can substantially raise them. Clearing however does not seem to facilitate the restoration of rangeland plant canopy and basal cover and grazing capacity to pre-invasion levels within four to six years after clearing. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ek het die impak van Prosopis indringing en verwydering van indringers op ekologiese struktuur, funksie en landbou produktiwiteit in ‘n swaar beweide Nama Karoo gebied op twee skaapplase naby Beaufort-Wes in die Wes-Kaap provinsie van Suid-Afrika geëvalueer. My doelwitte was om (1) te bepaal wat die gevolge van die indringing en verwydering van indringers op die natuurlike plantegroei samestelling, diversiteit (uitheemse en inheemse spesiesrykheid) en struktuur (uitheemse en inheemse spesies bedekking) sal wees, sowel as die effek op plantegroei bedekking (kroon en basalebedekking) en landbou produktiwiteit (weidingkapasiteit), (2) die plantegroei prosesse te beskryf wat onderliggend deur die impakte van indringing en verwydering van indringers veroorsaak word, en (3) die sukses van die verwydering van indringers te evalueer deur die fasilitering van blote restorasie van ekologiese struktuur en funksie en landbou produktiwiteit in voorheen ingedringde gebiede. My hipotese is dat indringing ‘n aansienlike verandering in natuurlike plantegroeisamestelling en struktuur sal veroorsaak, wat sal lei tot groter uitheemse spesiesrykheid en bedekking met minder inheemse spesiesrykheid en bedekking, terwyl die verwydering van indringers sou lei tot minder uitheemse spesie diversiteit en bedekking met 'n groter inheemse spesiesrykheid en bedekking. Verder vermoed ek dat indringing die natuurlike kroon- en basalebedekking en weidingkapasiteit sal verminder, terwyl die verwydering van indringers dit aansienlik sal verhoog. Ten slotte voorspel ek dat plantegroei samestelling, uitheemse en inheemse spesiesbedekking en -rykheid, kroon- en basalebedekking en weidingkapasiteit sou terugkeer na voor-indringing status en vlakke binne vier tot ses jaar na die verwydering van indringers. My resultate daarop dat die indringing van Prosopis (~ 15 persent kroonbedekking) en die verwydering van indringers in swaar beweide Nama Karoo gebiede ‘n aansienlike verandering in die gebied se natuurlike plantegroei samestelling toon, waar indringing gelei het tot groter uitheemse spesiesbedekking en minder inheemse spesiesrykheid, terwyl die verwydering van indringers lei tot minder uitheemse spesiesrykheid en groter inheemse spesiesrykheid en - bedekking. Dit lyk egter of indringing geen effek op uitheemse spesiesrykheid en algehele inheemse spesiesbedekking het nie. Die verwydering van indringers blyk om die spontane herstel van indringerbedekking en inheemse spesiesrykheid binne vier tot ses jaar te fasiliteer, maar nie spesiesamestelling, uitheemse spesiesrykheid of inheemse spesiesbedekking nie. Benewens dui my resultate ook aan dat Prosopis indringing die natuurlike kroon- en basalebedekking sowel as weidingskapasiteit verlaag, terwyl die verwydering van indringers, selfs onder swaar beweiding, die bedekking aansienlik kan verhoog. Verwydering van indringers lyk egter nie asof dit die herstel van die gebied se natuurlike kroon- en basalebedekking en weidingkapasiteit na voor-indringing vlakke toe kan fasiliteer binne vier tot ses jaar na die verwydering van indringers nie.