Temperate grasslands and the services they provide are threatened with severe degradation from human-driven land use changes. Among the worst affected services is pollinator support with grassland degradation contributing to the global decline in insect abundance due to habitat loss and a lack of floral resources. This has prompted conservation organizations to support pollinator conservation on working landscapes by increasing floral resources, but gaps remain in the consistent establishment of native forbs in intensively managed agricultural areas. We evaluated factors that influence native forb establishment during seed-based enrichment planting of tall fescue-dominated cattle pastures in two separate experiments: one testing a range of site preparation treatments with different seasons of sowing and comparing their effects on tall fescue suppression and seeded native plant establishment and the other investigating the effects of seed rate and pre-seeding cold stratification on native forb establishment on separate plots. For the site preparation experiment, we observed a mean target plant density of 0.12 target plants per m2 (SD = 0.247) The greatest target plant stem density (P < 0.0001) and species richness (P < 0.001) was in plots treated with a 2% glyphosate solution and sown with native seeds in early summer with the next five best treatments composed solely of fall sown replicates. For the seed and stratification experiment, we observed a mean target plant density of 88 target plants per m2 (SD = 73.9). Higher seeding resulted in greater target plant abundance in plots (P < 0.0001) with a seed rate of 56 kg/ha-1 resulting in almost three times as many target plants compared to 2.24 kg/ha-1. Pre-seeding stratification resulted in an increase in target plant abundance (P < 0.01). Target species richness was consistent between treatment levels. Results suggest that native forb establishment can be enhance by eliminating pasture grasses prior to seeding and the use of high seeding rates sown in the fall or using stratified seed. / Master of Science / Temperate grasslands and the services they provide are threatened with severe degradation from human-driven land use changes. Among the worst affected services is pollinator support with grassland degradation contributing to the global decline in insect abundance due to habitat loss and a lack of floral resources. To reverse this decline, conservation groups are encouraging the use of native plants throughout the landscape especially on farms and ranches to provide more resources for insect pollinators. One exciting opportunity exists in planting wildflowers into tall fescue-dominated cattle pastures that occupy millions of hectares of land in the Southeastern United States to provide food for pollinating insects. However little information exists on how to successfully establish wildflowers as much expertise is based on work done in the tallgrass prairie region of the Midwest. This study's goal was to investigate what control wildflower establishment by evaluating the success of an existing establishment experiment testing several site preparation techniques and different sowing seasons. A separate experiment was set up looking at the effect different seed rate and cold moist stratification had on establishment success of wildflowers. For the site preparation experiment, establishment was low for all treatments with a mean target plant density of 0.12 target plant per m2 (SD = 0.247). Summer sown 2% glyphosate had the highest wildflower richness and abundance at 0.35 target plants per m2 (SD = 0.247) and fall sown treatments were found to have higher sown wildflower abundance and richness than summer sown treatments. For the seed and stratification experiment, we observed a mean target plant density of 88 target plants per m2 (SD = 73.9). Target plant abundance did change between treatment levels with the highest and second highest seed levels yielding nearly three times and twice as many sown wildflowers as the lowest treatment respectively. Stratification resulted in an increase in sown wildflower abundance and sown wildflower richness did not differ significantly between treatment levels. Results suggest that native forb establishment can be enhance by eliminating pasture grasses prior to seeding and the use of high seeding rates sown in the fall using stratified seed.

Over the last century, much of the United State prairie pothole region has been converted to cultivated cropland. Concerns have been raised on government subsidized crop insurance effect on grassland to cropland conversion in the United States. Most grassland in the United State prairie pothole region are privately owned making a vivid understanding of landowners’ response to crop insurance subsidies important to facilitate effective design of prairie pothole conservation programs. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of land use conversion with the removal of crop insurance subsidies in the United States prairie pothole region. Government subsidies on crop insurance was determined to have a measurable impact on Conservation Reserve Program land acreage within the United States. It was estimated that a 15% reduction in the net returns to cropland resulted in about 274,000 increase in the land acreage of the Conservation Reserve Program. In Conclusion, the removal of crop insurance subsidies was predicted to slow down but not stop the conversion of grassland to cropland in the United States prairie pothole region.

The U.S. EPA has identified pathogen indicators as a leading cause of impairments in rivers and streams in the U.S. Elevated levels of bacteria in streams draining the agricultural watersheds cause concern because they indicate the potential presence of pathogenic organisms. Limited understanding of how bacteria survive in the environment and are released from fecal matter and transported along overland flow pathways results in high uncertainty in the design and selection of appropriate best management practices (BMPs) and in the bacterial fate and transport models used to identify sources of pathogens. The overall goal of this study was to improve understanding of the fate and transport mechanisms of two pathogen indicators, E. coli and enterococci, from grazed pasturelands. This goal was addressed by monitoring pathogen indicator concentrations in fresh fecal deposits for an extended period of time. Transport mechanisms of pathogen indicators were examined by developing a method to partition between the attached and unattached phases and then applying this method to analyze runoff samples collected from small box plots and large transport plots. The box plot experiments examined the partitioning of pathogen indicators in runoff from three different soil types while the transport plot experiments examined partitioning at the edge-of-the-field from well-managed and poorly-managed pasturelands. A variety of techniques have been previously used to assess bacterial attachment to particulates including filtration, fractional filtration and centrifugation. In addition, a variety of chemical and physical dispersion techniques are employed to release attached and bioflocculated cells from particulates. This research developed and validated an easy-to-replicate laboratory procedure for separation of unattached from attached E. coli with the ability to identify particle sizes to which indicators preferentially attach. Testing of physical and chemical dispersion techniques identified a hand shaker treatment for 10 minutes followed by dilutions in 1,000 mg L-1 of Tween-85 as increasing total E. coli concentrations by 31% (P value = 0.0028) and enterococci concentrations by 17% (P value = 0.3425) when compared to a control. Separation of the unattached and attached fractions was achieved by fractional filtration followed by centrifugation. Samples receiving the filtration and centrifugation treatments did not produce statistically different E. coli (P value = 0.97) or enterococci (P value = 0.83) concentrations when compared to a control, indicating that damage was not inflicted upon the cells during the separation procedure. In-field monitoring of E. coli and enterococci re-growth and decay patterns in cowpats applied to pasturelands was conducted during the spring, summer, fall and winter seasons. First order approximations were used to determine die-off rate coefficients and decimal reduction times (D-values). Higher order approximations and weather parameters were evaluated by multiple regression analysis to identify environmental parameters impacting in-field E. coli and enterococci decay. First order kinetics approximated E. coli and enterococci decay rates with regression coefficients ranging from 0.70 to 0.90. Die-off rate constants were greatest in cowpats applied to pasture during late winter and monitored into summer months for E. coli (k = 0.0995 d-1) and applied to the field during the summer and monitored until December for enterococci (k = 0.0978 d-1). Decay rates were lowest in cowpats applied to the pasture during the fall and monitored over the winter (k = 0.0581 d-1 for E. coli and k = 0.0557 d-1 for enterococci). Higher order approximations and the addition of weather variables improved regression coefficients (R2) to values ranging from 0.81 to 0.97. Statistically significant variables used in the models for predicting bacterial decay included temperature, solar radiation, rainfall and relative humidity. Attachment of E. coli and enterococci to particulates present in runoff from highly erodible soils was evaluated through the application of rainfall to small box plots containing different soil types. Partitioning varied by indicator and by soil type. In general, enterococci had a higher percent attached to the silty loam (49%) and silty clay loam (43%) soils while E. coli had a higher percent attached to the loamy fine sand soils (43%). At least 50% of all attached E. coli and enterococci were associated with sediment and organic particles ranging from 8 – 62 μm in diameter. Much lower attachment rates were observed from runoff samples collected at the edge-of-the-field, regardless of pastureland management strategy. On average, 4.8% of E. coli and 13% of enterococci were attached to particulates in runoff from well-managed pasturelands. A second transport plot study found that on average only 0.06% of E. coli PC and 0.98% of enterococci were attached to particulates in runoff from well-managed pasturelands, but percent attachment increased slightly in runoff from poorly-managed pasture with 2.8% of E. coli and 1.23% of enterococci attached to particulates. Equations to predict E. coli and enterococci loading rates in the attached and unattached forms as a function of total suspended solids (TSS), phosphorous and organic carbon loading rates appeared to be a promising tool for improving prediction of bacterial loading rates from grazed pasturelands (R2 values ranged from 0.61 to 0.99). This study provides field-based seasonal die-off rate coefficients and higher order approximations to improve predictions of indicator re-growth and decay patterns. The transport studies provide partitioning coefficients that can be implemented into NPS models to improve predictions of bacterial concentrations in surface waters and regression equations to predict bacterial partitioning and loading based on TSS and nutrient data. Best management practices to reduce bacterial loadings to the edge-of-the-field from pasturelands (regardless of management strategy) should focus on retention of pathogen indicators moving through overland flow pathways in the unattached state. Settling of particulates prior to release of runoff to surface waters might be an appropriate method of reducing bacterial loadings by as much as 50% from highly erodible soils. / Ph. D.

O presente trabalho foi conduzido com o objetivo de avaliar a nutrição da Urochloa brizantha (Syn. Brachiaria brizantha) cv. Marandu para P, Mg e S através do desenvolvimento das plantas, sintomas visuais e índices espectrais das bandas do visível. Os experimentos foram conduzidos em casa de vegetação localizada no campus da FZEA/USP. As plantas foram cultivadas em solução nutritiva, onde foram fornecidas as seguintes doses de P, Mg e S: 6%, 20%, 100% e 200% do recomendado, em blocos casualizados. As imagens digitais de scanner das folhas diagnósticas foram processadas e classificadas utilizando MATLAB® R2012b com pacote de ferramentas para processamento de imagens. Foram utilizados vetores de características baseados nas bandas do visível, sendo calculados os seguintes índices: excesso de verde; vermelho normalizado; verde normalizado; e razão verde-vermelho. Na classificação foi utilizado classificador bayesiano. As doses de P, Mg e S causaram aumento significativo (P&lt;0,05) no acúmulo de massa seca da parte aérea (MSPA) e nos teores foliares dos nutrientes dosados. As doses de P, S e Mg promoveram manifestações dos sintomas de deficiência característicos que se traduzem em modificações no perfil de coloração das folhas. A Porcentagem de Acerto Global (PAG) e o índice Kappa atingiram valores acima de 80% e 0,81, respectivamente, sendo consideradas classificações excelentes. As melhores classificações foram obtidas quando se utilizou mais de um índice como vetor de característica. Índices espectrais do verde e do vermelho são bons descritores do status da nutrição do P, Mg e S no capim-marandu. / The present study was conducted to assess the nutrition of Urochloa brizantha (SYN. Brachiaria brizantha) CV. Marandu to P, Mg and S through the development of plants, Visual symptoms and spectral indices of the visible bands. The experiments were conducted in a greenhouse located on the campus of the FZEA/USP. The plants were grown in nutrient solution, where they were provided the following doses of P, Mg, and S: 6%, 20%, 100% and 200% of the recommended, in randomized blocks. The digital images from scanner diagnostic sheets were processed and classified using MATLAB ® R2012b with package of tools for processing images. Characteristic vectors were used based on bands of the visible, being calculated the following indexes: excess Green; standard red; standardised Green; Red-Green ratio. The classification has been used Bayesian classifier. The doses of P, Mg, and S have caused significant increase (P &lt; 0.05) in acúmul shoot dry mass (MSPA) and foliar nutrient levels dosed. The doses of P, S and Mg promoted demonstrations of characteristic deficiency symptoms that result in changes in the profile of colouring of leaves. The Global hit Percentage (PAG) and the Kappa index reached values above 80%, and 0.81, respectively, being considered excellent ratings. The best ratings were obtained when using more than one index as a feature vector. Spectral indices of green and Red are good descriptors of the nutrition status of P, Mg and S marandu grass.

O presente trabalho foi conduzido com o objetivo de avaliar a nutrição da Urochloa brizantha (Syn. Brachiaria brizantha) cv. Marandu para P, Mg e S através do desenvolvimento das plantas, sintomas visuais e índices espectrais das bandas do visível. Os experimentos foram conduzidos em casa de vegetação localizada no campus da FZEA/USP. As plantas foram cultivadas em solução nutritiva, onde foram fornecidas as seguintes doses de P, Mg e S: 6%, 20%, 100% e 200% do recomendado, em blocos casualizados. As imagens digitais de scanner das folhas diagnósticas foram processadas e classificadas utilizando MATLAB® R2012b com pacote de ferramentas para processamento de imagens. Foram utilizados vetores de características baseados nas bandas do visível, sendo calculados os seguintes índices: excesso de verde; vermelho normalizado; verde normalizado; e razão verde-vermelho. Na classificação foi utilizado classificador bayesiano. As doses de P, Mg e S causaram aumento significativo (P&lt;0,05) no acúmulo de massa seca da parte aérea (MSPA) e nos teores foliares dos nutrientes dosados. As doses de P, S e Mg promoveram manifestações dos sintomas de deficiência característicos que se traduzem em modificações no perfil de coloração das folhas. A Porcentagem de Acerto Global (PAG) e o índice Kappa atingiram valores acima de 80% e 0,81, respectivamente, sendo consideradas classificações excelentes. As melhores classificações foram obtidas quando se utilizou mais de um índice como vetor de característica. Índices espectrais do verde e do vermelho são bons descritores do status da nutrição do P, Mg e S no capim-marandu. / The present study was conducted to assess the nutrition of Urochloa brizantha (SYN. Brachiaria brizantha) CV. Marandu to P, Mg and S through the development of plants, Visual symptoms and spectral indices of the visible bands. The experiments were conducted in a greenhouse located on the campus of the FZEA/USP. The plants were grown in nutrient solution, where they were provided the following doses of P, Mg, and S: 6%, 20%, 100% and 200% of the recommended, in randomized blocks. The digital images from scanner diagnostic sheets were processed and classified using MATLAB ® R2012b with package of tools for processing images. Characteristic vectors were used based on bands of the visible, being calculated the following indexes: excess Green; standard red; standardised Green; Red-Green ratio. The classification has been used Bayesian classifier. The doses of P, Mg, and S have caused significant increase (P &lt; 0.05) in acúmul shoot dry mass (MSPA) and foliar nutrient levels dosed. The doses of P, S and Mg promoted demonstrations of characteristic deficiency symptoms that result in changes in the profile of colouring of leaves. The Global hit Percentage (PAG) and the Kappa index reached values above 80%, and 0.81, respectively, being considered excellent ratings. The best ratings were obtained when using more than one index as a feature vector. Spectral indices of green and Red are good descriptors of the nutrition status of P, Mg and S marandu grass.

Climate change and land degradation, which is defined as the decline in the productive capacity of the land, have profound implications for resource-based livelihoods and food security. In this dissertation, I use remote sensing to improve understanding of how climate variability affects the productivity of global pasturelands and to quantify the spatial and temporal patterns of land degradation in the Southern Cone region (SCR) of South America. In the first chapter, I characterize the sensitivity of global pastureland productivity to climate variability by analyzing the relationship between MODIS enhanced vegetation index and gridded precipitation data. Results show that pasturelands are least capable of withstanding precipitation deficits in Australia, while pasturelands in Latin America recover more slowly after drought compared to other regions. In the second chapter, I use Landsat observations to measure the magnitude, geography, and rate of change in the amount of bare ground, herbaceous and woody vegetation in the SCR since 1999. Paraguay experienced the highest proportional increase in herbaceous cover as a result of agricultural expansion and intensification, while Uruguay experienced the highest proportional increase in woody cover as a result of afforestation. Argentina, the largest and most heterogeneous country in the SCR, experienced widespread land cover changes from deforestation, reforestation, afforestation, and desertification, each of which varied in extent and magnitude by ecoregion. In the third chapter, I assess patterns of land degradation in the SCR using the United Nations Sustainable Development framework. My results show that 67.5% of the SCR experienced changes in land cover properties in the 21st century, with widespread improvement (i.e., increased productive capacity), along with substantial hotspots of degradation caused by expansion of agriculture and systematic decreases in precipitation. Monitoring degradation is necessary to assess ecosystem services, ensure food security, and develop land use policies designed to increase the resilience of land systems to the joint stresses imposed by climate change and a growing global population. The methods, datasets, and results from this dissertation provide an improved basis for creating such policies in some of the world’s most vulnerable and food insecure regions.

A diversidade da Mata Atlântica está constantemente ameaçada devido à perda de habitats provocada pela destruição e alteração dos ambientes naturais. Este fato é muito preocupante, pois os remanescentes florestais da Mata Atlântica encontram-se, em sua maior parte, em pequenos fragmentos altamente perturbados, acarretando em perda de biodiversidade da fauna existente. Muitos estudos demonstraram que mamíferos e aves especialistas (e. g. insetívoros) são muito sensíveis à fragmentação ambiental, tendendo a desaparecer em áreas abertas. A perda destes animais pode alterar a densidade de artrópodes e as taxas de herbivoria, ocasionando um efeito cascata (top- down), que causará influência até na decomposição e ciclagem de nutrientes. Entretanto o estudo de como esse efeito top-down ocorre em diferentes coberturas de solo ainda não foi testado, desta forma, objetivou-se investigar como as taxas de decomposição são modificadas pela exclusão experimental de vertebrados em áreas com diferentes coberturas vegetais na mata Atlântica. Parcelas de exclusão de vertebrados e parcelas controle foram alocadas em áreas com coberturas vegetais de pastagem e floresta, para verificar como ocorre o efeito top-down na decomposição. Utilizaram-se três tipos de serapilheira diferentes, uma gramínea (Brachiaria decumbens), uma espécie pioneira (Tibouchina sellowiana) e uma mistura de folhas de diferentes espécies da floresta primária adjacente. A técnica dos litter bags foi utilizada para avaliar as diferentes taxas de decomposição e foram coletados em intervalos de 16, 36, 71, 181 e 247 dias. O resíduo vegetal foi limpo, seco e pesado para obtenção das massas remanescentes (%) e taxa de decomposição, após isso o material foi triturado e pesado em subamostras para analises de nutrientes e compostos orgânicos (nitrogênio, carbono, fósforo, lignina, celulose e polifenóis). A taxa de decomposição não diferiu entre os tratamentos controle e exclusão de vertebrados, desta forma, não foi possível observar o efeito top-down da exclusão de vertebrados neste estudo, provavelmente devido à elevada biodiversidade da fauna do solo na área onde o experimento foi realizado e sugere-se repeti-lo em uma área menor e mais desconectada, com a finalidade de simular como o efeito cascata ocorre em pequenos fragmentos da mata Atlântica. Além disso, a decomposição foi mais rápida nos litter bags localizados na floresta do que na pastagem e as folhas de gramínea tiveram maior perda de massa do que as folhas de floresta primária e T. sellowiana, possivelmente devido às interações entre nitrogênio, lignina e a relação C:N dos resíduos vegetais. / The diversity of Atlantic forest is constantly threatened due to habitat loss caused by the destruction and alteration of natural environments, and most of the biome is now in small and fragmented areas. This fact is of a great concern, because the remaining areas in Atlantic forest are in small highly disturbed fragments, resulting in loss of biodiversity of the existing fauna, like mammals and birds. Many studies have shown that specialist mammals and birds (e.g. insectivores) are very sensitive to environment fragmentation and tend to disappear in open areas. The loss of these animals is likely to cause an increase in the density of arthropods and rates of herbivory, causing a top-down effect that may even influence the cycling of nutrients. We aimed to investigate how decomposition rates are modified by the experimental exclusion of vertebrates in an area with different land coverage in the Atlantic forest. Vertebrate exclusion plots and control plots were allocated in areas with different land coverage (pasture and forest) to evaluate the top-down effects in decomposition. We used three different kinds of leaves, being one grass (Brachiaria decumbens), one very common primary specie of the area (Tibouchina sellowiana) and a mix of primary forest leaves. Litterbags were used to evaluate the decomposition rate and it was collected during intervals of 16, 36, 71, 181 and 247 days. The vegetal residue was cleaned, dried and weighted to obtain the remaining mass (%) and decomposition rate, after that, the material was milled and weighted in subsamples for analyses of nutritional quality (N, C, P, lignin, cellulose and polyphenols). The decomposition rate was not different for the control and vertebrate exclusion plots, as a result, it was not possible to show the top-down effect in decomposition, possibly because of the high soil biodiversity in the area where the experiment was done. It would be very important to remake this experiment in a smaller and more disconnected area, in order to show how this cascade effect occur in Atlantic forest´s smaller fragments. Furthermore, the decomposition was faster at the forest plots than at the pastureland plots and the grass leaf litter presented the higher decomposition rate than the primary forest leaves and T. sellowiana and it was possibly caused by the interaction between nitrogen, lignin and C:N ratio.

A diversidade da Mata Atlântica está constantemente ameaçada devido à perda de habitats provocada pela destruição e alteração dos ambientes naturais. Este fato é muito preocupante, pois os remanescentes florestais da Mata Atlântica encontram-se, em sua maior parte, em pequenos fragmentos altamente perturbados, acarretando em perda de biodiversidade da fauna existente. Muitos estudos demonstraram que mamíferos e aves especialistas (e. g. insetívoros) são muito sensíveis à fragmentação ambiental, tendendo a desaparecer em áreas abertas. A perda destes animais pode alterar a densidade de artrópodes e as taxas de herbivoria, ocasionando um efeito cascata (top- down), que causará influência até na decomposição e ciclagem de nutrientes. Entretanto o estudo de como esse efeito top-down ocorre em diferentes coberturas de solo ainda não foi testado, desta forma, objetivou-se investigar como as taxas de decomposição são modificadas pela exclusão experimental de vertebrados em áreas com diferentes coberturas vegetais na mata Atlântica. Parcelas de exclusão de vertebrados e parcelas controle foram alocadas em áreas com coberturas vegetais de pastagem e floresta, para verificar como ocorre o efeito top-down na decomposição. Utilizaram-se três tipos de serapilheira diferentes, uma gramínea (Brachiaria decumbens), uma espécie pioneira (Tibouchina sellowiana) e uma mistura de folhas de diferentes espécies da floresta primária adjacente. A técnica dos litter bags foi utilizada para avaliar as diferentes taxas de decomposição e foram coletados em intervalos de 16, 36, 71, 181 e 247 dias. O resíduo vegetal foi limpo, seco e pesado para obtenção das massas remanescentes (%) e taxa de decomposição, após isso o material foi triturado e pesado em subamostras para analises de nutrientes e compostos orgânicos (nitrogênio, carbono, fósforo, lignina, celulose e polifenóis). A taxa de decomposição não diferiu entre os tratamentos controle e exclusão de vertebrados, desta forma, não foi possível observar o efeito top-down da exclusão de vertebrados neste estudo, provavelmente devido à elevada biodiversidade da fauna do solo na área onde o experimento foi realizado e sugere-se repeti-lo em uma área menor e mais desconectada, com a finalidade de simular como o efeito cascata ocorre em pequenos fragmentos da mata Atlântica. Além disso, a decomposição foi mais rápida nos litter bags localizados na floresta do que na pastagem e as folhas de gramínea tiveram maior perda de massa do que as folhas de floresta primária e T. sellowiana, possivelmente devido às interações entre nitrogênio, lignina e a relação C:N dos resíduos vegetais. / The diversity of Atlantic forest is constantly threatened due to habitat loss caused by the destruction and alteration of natural environments, and most of the biome is now in small and fragmented areas. This fact is of a great concern, because the remaining areas in Atlantic forest are in small highly disturbed fragments, resulting in loss of biodiversity of the existing fauna, like mammals and birds. Many studies have shown that specialist mammals and birds (e.g. insectivores) are very sensitive to environment fragmentation and tend to disappear in open areas. The loss of these animals is likely to cause an increase in the density of arthropods and rates of herbivory, causing a top-down effect that may even influence the cycling of nutrients. We aimed to investigate how decomposition rates are modified by the experimental exclusion of vertebrates in an area with different land coverage in the Atlantic forest. Vertebrate exclusion plots and control plots were allocated in areas with different land coverage (pasture and forest) to evaluate the top-down effects in decomposition. We used three different kinds of leaves, being one grass (Brachiaria decumbens), one very common primary specie of the area (Tibouchina sellowiana) and a mix of primary forest leaves. Litterbags were used to evaluate the decomposition rate and it was collected during intervals of 16, 36, 71, 181 and 247 days. The vegetal residue was cleaned, dried and weighted to obtain the remaining mass (%) and decomposition rate, after that, the material was milled and weighted in subsamples for analyses of nutritional quality (N, C, P, lignin, cellulose and polyphenols). The decomposition rate was not different for the control and vertebrate exclusion plots, as a result, it was not possible to show the top-down effect in decomposition, possibly because of the high soil biodiversity in the area where the experiment was done. It would be very important to remake this experiment in a smaller and more disconnected area, in order to show how this cascade effect occur in Atlantic forest´s smaller fragments. Furthermore, the decomposition was faster at the forest plots than at the pastureland plots and the grass leaf litter presented the higher decomposition rate than the primary forest leaves and T. sellowiana and it was possibly caused by the interaction between nitrogen, lignin and C:N ratio.

Naturbetesmarker är ett av de artrikaste markslagen vi har, för att hålla dem öppna med betande djur finns ett miljöstöd från landsbygdsprogrammet utformat för att gynna den biologiska mångfalden. Vildsvinen (Sus Scrofa) har under de senaste årtiondena ökat markant, vilket har lett till stora ekonomiska konsekvenser för lantbruket genom skador på jordbruksmark. Av tidigare forskning kan vi se att skadorna inte påverkar den biologiska mångfalden negativt. Biologisk mångfald är en central del i det miljöstöd som lantbrukarna får för att hålla sina naturbetesmarker öppna. Men vad säger markägarna om vildsvinsproblematiken på naturbetesmark och hur ser de på framtiden? Studien utgår från markägarnas perspektiv, där vi undersöker hur markägarna upplever vildsvinsskador på deras naturbetesmarker och hur skadorna påverkar deras skötsel. Vi undersöker även hur markägarna upplever den rådgivning och stöd som de får från berörd myndighet samt vilka förändringar de vill se i vildsvinsförvaltningen. Vi valde i studien att använda oss av kvalitativa forskningsintervjuer, där sex markägare intervjuades. Resultatet i studien visar att markägarna upplever att det största problemet är att skadorna är tidskrävande och kostsamma att rätta till. Det framkom även kritik mot dagens utformning av miljöstödet och att trycket från vildsvinsstammen måste minska för att man ska orka att hålla sina marker öppna i framtiden. Slutsatsen är att det måste till ett större helhetsgrepp kring vildsvinsförvaltningen för att minska skadorna och mer individuell rådgivning för den enskilda markägaren. / Pasturelands is a land with high biodiversity, in order to keep them open with herbivores, there is environmental support from Landsbygdsprogrammet designed to benefit the biological diversity. Wild boars (Sus Scrofa) have increased markedly in recent decades, which has led to major economic consequences for agriculture and it´s land. From previous research, we can see that the damage does not adversely affect biodiversity. Biodiversity is a central part of the environmental support that the farmers receive to keep their pasturelands open. But what does landowners say about the problems with wild boar on pasturelands and how do they look on the future? The study is based on the landowners ‘perspective, we examine how landowners experience wild boar damage to their pasturelands and how the damage affects their management. We also examine how landowners experience the advice and support they receive from the authority and what changes they want to see in wild boar management. In the study, we choose to use qualitative research interviews, in which six landowners were interviewed. The result of the study show that landowners feel that the biggest problem is that the damage is time-consuming and costly to repair. There was also criticism of today´s design of environmental support and the pressure from the wild boar population must be reduced in order to keep their land open in the future. The conclusion is that there must be a greater holistic approach to wild management to reduce the damage and more individual advice for the individual landowner.