ALBERT

Description:    Soil enzyme activities and water stable aggregates have been identified as sensitive soil quality indicators, but few studies exist comparing those parameters within buffers, grazed pastures and row-crop systems. Our objective was to examine the effects of these land uses on the activities of selected enzymes (β-glucosidase, β-glucosaminidase, fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolase, and dehydrogenase), proportion of water stable aggregates (WSA), soil organic carbon and total nitrogen content. Four management treatments [grazed pasture (GP), agroforestry buffer (AgB), grass buffer (GB) and row crop (RC)] were sampled in 2009 and 2010 at two depths (0 to 10- and 10 to 20-cm) and analyzed. Most of the soil quality indicators were significantly greater under perennial vegetation when compared to row crop treatments. Although there were numerical variations, soil quality response trends were consistent between years. The β-glucosaminidase activity increased slightly from 156 to 177 μg PNP g −1 dry soil while β-glucosidase activity slightly decreased from 248 to 237 μg PNP g −1 dry soil in GB treatment during 2 years. The surface (0–10 cm depth) had greater enzyme activities and WSA than sub-surface (10–20 cm) samples. WSA increased from 178 to 314 g kg −1 in row crop areas while all other treatments had similar values during the 2 year study. The treatment by depth interaction was significant ( P  〈 0.05) for β-glucosidase and β-glucosaminidase enzymes in 2009 and for dehydrogenase and β-glucosaminidase in 2010. Soil enzyme activities were significantly correlated with soil organic carbon content ( r  ≥ 0.94, P  〈 0.0001). This is important because soil enzyme activities and microbial biomass can be enhanced by perennial vegetation and thus improve several other soil quality parameters. These results also support the hypothesis that positive interactions among management practices, soil biota and subsequent environmental quality effects are of great agricultural and ecological importance. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-13 DOI 10.1007/s10457-011-9454-8 Authors Bodh R. Paudel, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Johnson Hall, Pullman, WA 99164, USA Ranjith P. Udawatta, Department of Soil, Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Missouri, 302 Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building, Columbia, MO 65211, USA Robert J. Kremer, USDA-ARS Cropping Systems and Water Quality Unit, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA Stephen H. Anderson, Department of Soil, Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Missouri, 302 Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building, Columbia, MO 65211, USA Journal Agroforestry Systems Online ISSN 1572-9680 Print ISSN 0167-4366

Description:    Fallowing can improve crop yields as a result of improved soil fertility and nutrient status. The objective of this work was to determine the effects of fallows and pruning regimes in coppicing fallows on soil moisture and maize yields under conventional tillage (CT) and no tillage (NT). Fallows that were evaluated were coppicing Acacia angustissima , non coppicing Sesbania sesban , natural fallow (NF) and continuous maize. In 2000/2001 season, maize yields were significantly different ( P  〈 0.05) among treatments and were; 1.8, 1.2, 0.7 and 0.5 tonnes per hectare (t ha −1 ) under CT, while under NT yields were 1.3, 0.8, 0.7 and 0.2 t ha −1 for A. angustissima , maize, S. sesban and NF plots respectively. In 2001/2002 season, yields decreased in the order S. sesban  〉 continuous maize 〉 NF 〉  A. angustissima , for both CT and NT. The 2-week pruning regime had significantly higher maize yields when compared to the 1 and 3 week pruning regime during the 2002/2003 cropping season. For the three seasons, CT had significantly higher yields than NT. A. angustissima had significantly higher mean available water at suctions 〈33 kPa for the 0–25 cm depth when compared to other fallow treatments. The bulk of the available water (47–80%) was retained at suction 〈33 kPa for all treatments and depths. There were no treatment differences in water retention at suctions 〉33 kPa for all treatments. It was concluded that improved fallowing increased yields when compared to NF. However, in coppicing fallows competition for water can result in reduced yields when there is rainfall deficiency, thus the need for pruning to manage the competition. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-14 DOI 10.1007/s10457-011-9453-9 Authors G. Nyamadzawo, Department of Environmental Science, Bindura University of Science Education, Box 1020, Bindura, Zimbabwe P. Nyamugafata, Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, University of Zimbabwe, Box MP167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe M. Wuta, Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, University of Zimbabwe, Box MP167, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe J. Nyamangara, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Matopos, Box 776, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe Journal Agroforestry Systems Online ISSN 1572-9680 Print ISSN 0167-4366

Description:    Alley cropping systems may influence soil water movement and the water budget because of its complex interactions between crop and tree rooting systems. The objective of this paper was to evaluate water balance and water competition in an alley cropping system, consisting of deciduous tree wild jujube ( Choerospondias axillaris ) and economic crop peanut ( Arachis hypogaea ) within subtropical China. Five treatments (20- by 6-m plots) with three replications were included in this study. The treatments were monoculture peanut cropping (P), monoculture younger trees (T1), monoculture older trees (T2), peanut intercropped with younger trees (T1P), and peanut intercropped with older trees (T2P). A multi-layered water balance model, with water movement between soil layers, was implemented by the measurement of soil water potential using sets of tensiometers during the periods from March 1999 to December 2002. The spatial and temporal variations of soil water regime indicated that the trees used soil water below the 60-cm soil depth and alleviated the water stress. The direction of soil water movement indicated that soil water moved to the tree row, which indicated that trees competed with peanuts for water, especially during the seasonal drought period. Water competition was related to the tree spacing and tree age. Compared to the tree monoculture systems, the alley cropping system significantly influenced water budget components and water use patterns, as indicated by the increased evapotranspiration (6–11%), and decreased net drainage (7–45%), water storage (6–29%), and runoff (50–60%). Furthermore, alley cropping systems encouraged the rapid growth of trees, and depressed the biomass and yield of peanuts by 20–50% associated with tree shading effects. The results suggest that competition for water and light must be taken into account when optimizing the alley cropping system. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-17 DOI 10.1007/s10457-011-9458-4 Authors Ying Zhao, State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 821, Nanjing, 210008 People’s Republic of China Bin Zhang, State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 821, Nanjing, 210008 People’s Republic of China Robert Hill, Department of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA Journal Agroforestry Systems Online ISSN 1572-9680 Print ISSN 0167-4366

Description:    The objective of this work was to estimate the abundance, diversity and constancy of families from the order Hymenoptera, such as the seasonality of those through a survey on the insect population in a silvopastoral system. We installed a Malaise-type trap in a Brachiaria decumbens area managed by a silvopastoral system in Coronel Pacheco, MG, from August 2006 to July 2008. The trapped insects were screened, and those of the order Hymenoptera were classified into their respective family categories and quantified. We adopted the methodology of Bodenheimer to calculate the indices of constancy, while other indices were estimated PAST program. We sampled 5841 specimens in total, which included 549 morphospecies and were distributed among 11 families. Of the total specimens sampled, 80% were Formicidae, which besides being the most abundant, was also the most diverse and constant family. When entomophagous insects were analyzed, the highest values for these indices were recorded for the families Ichneumonidae, Braconidae, and Vespidae. Pollinators were less prevalent compared to the total number of sampled individuals. The population density in the Hymenoptera was not correlated between the two sampling years and climate factors. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-7 DOI 10.1007/s10457-011-9449-5 Authors Alexander Machado Auad, Embrapa Dairy Cattle Research Center, Juiz de Fora, MG Cep. 36038-330, Brazil Tiago Teixeira Resende, Embrapa Dairy Cattle Research Center, Juiz de Fora, MG Cep. 36038-330, Brazil Daniela Maria da Silva, Federal University of Lavras, C. P. 3037, Lavras, MG 37200-000, Brazil Marcy das Graças Fonseca, Embrapa Dairy Cattle Research Center, Juiz de Fora, MG Cep. 36038-330, Brazil Journal Agroforestry Systems Online ISSN 1572-9680 Print ISSN 0167-4366

Description:    Large-scale socioeconomic changes in recent decades have driven shifts in the structure of Spanish rural landscapes, particularly in those located at the forest-agriculture interface (FAI), as well as in their wildfire regime. Using data from more than 200 16 km 2 landscape plots in Spain surveyed between 1956 and 2008 through the SISPARES monitoring framework, we assessed the FAI vulnerability to wildfires and identified the main landscape structural factors related to an increased number of wildfire events. We found that the most vulnerable landscapes were those with high road density, high diversity of land uses and, most importantly, with fine-grained forest-agriculture mixtures. Ignition frequency was lower in those landscapes where crops and woodlands coexisted but distributed in large and well-separated patches, and much lower where both land uses were combined within an integrated production and management system (“dehesas”). We discuss the geographical distribution patterns and temporal trends of the different FAI types during recent decades. We conclude that such approach is useful to forecast the mutual interactions between land use pattern changes and wildfire regime in the Mediterranean agroforestry mosaics. This would also provide an ecological base for developing a complementary, cost-effective and durable passive strategy of wildfire management targeted to modify the inherent FAI susceptibility to ignition events. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-19 DOI 10.1007/s10457-011-9423-2 Authors M. Ortega, Unit of Forest Fires, Department of Silviculture and Forest Management, Centre of Forest Research CIFOR, Instituto National de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, INIA, Carretera de La Coruña, km 7.5, 28040 Madrid, Spain S. Saura, Department of Forest Management and Economics, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain S. González-Avila, ECOGESFOR-UPM, Research Group of Ecology and Sustainable Forest Management, Escuela de Ingeniería Forestal y del Medio Natural, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain V. Gómez-Sanz, ECOGESFOR-UPM, Research Group of Ecology and Sustainable Forest Management, Escuela de Ingeniería Forestal y del Medio Natural, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain R. Elena-Rosselló, ECOGESFOR-UPM, Research Group of Ecology and Sustainable Forest Management, Escuela de Ingeniería Forestal y del Medio Natural, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain Journal Agroforestry Systems Online ISSN 1572-9680 Print ISSN 0167-4366

Description:    The implementation of a management-protection program, using suitable cultivation practices, contributes to rehabilitating marginal areas prone to prolonged waterlogging and preserving biodiversity. Three hybrid poplar clones (‘I-488’, ‘Rimini’ and ‘D-64’) were tested to assess their degree of tolerance to waterlogging by imposing four water regimes over a 1 year period: control (C), non-preconditioned (NPr), and two levels of flood preconditioning (Pr 10 and Pr 20 ). During the 2nd year, waterlogging (1.9 ± 0.7 mg/l O 2 ) was imposed on plants from NPr, Pr 10 and Pr 20 treatments for 60 days followed by drainage. Survival rate, dry mass production, net photosynthesis and relative damage to membrane structural integrity were evaluated. The treatment response varied among clones and levels of preconditioning. Less pronounced damage to ‘I-488’ clones in comparison to those of ‘Rimini’ and ‘D-64’ indicates its superior tolerance to waterlogging. Preconditioning treatments (Pr 20 ) and, to a lesser extent (Pr 10 ), significantly improved the ability of the clones to tolerate flooding, suggesting that the application of a Pr 20 preconditioning treatment in the nursery before outplanting would give hybrid poplar clones the morpho-physiological advantages necessary to counteract the arduous conditions on inundated sites. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-10 DOI 10.1007/s10457-012-9487-7 Authors Zoubeir Béjaoui, Institut National de Recherches en Génie Rural, Eaux et Forêts, Rue Hédi Elkarray, Elmenzah IV, BP 10, 2080 Ariana, Tunisia Ali Albouchi, Institut National de Recherches en Génie Rural, Eaux et Forêts, Rue Hédi Elkarray, Elmenzah IV, BP 10, 2080 Ariana, Tunisia Mohammed S. Lamhamedi, Direction de la Recherche forestière, Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune (MRNF), 2700, Rue Einstein, Québec, G1P 3W8 Canada Mejda Abassi, Institut National de Recherches en Génie Rural, Eaux et Forêts, Rue Hédi Elkarray, Elmenzah IV, BP 10, 2080 Ariana, Tunisia Mohamed H. El Aouni, Faculté des Sciences de Bizerte, 7021 Jarzouna, Tunisia Journal Agroforestry Systems Online ISSN 1572-9680 Print ISSN 0167-4366

Description:    Residues of Leucaena ( Leucaena leucocephala (L), Senna siamea (S) and maize stover (M) were tested to evaluate their effect on soil organic matter accumulation and composition under sub-humid tropical conditions. On an Imperata cylindrica (I) dominated grass fallow, a total amount of 30 Mg ha −1 DM were applied within 18 months. Two months after the last application, changes in the light and heavy soil organic carbon fraction (LF and HF) and in the total soil organic carbon content (LF + HF) in the topsoil were observed. All organic materials increased the proportion of the LF fraction in the soil significantly. The increase in HF was 39 to 51% of the increase in total organic carbon, depending on the source of the organic material. The potential of the tested organic materials to increase total soil organic carbon content (including all soil organic carbon fractions) was in the order L 〉 S 〉 M 〉 I, whereas the order of increase of the HF fraction was L = S 〉 I 〉 M. Cation exchange capacity of the newly formed heavy soil organic carbon was highest with L and lowest with M. Ranking of the transformation efficiency of applied plant residues into the heavy soil organic carbon fraction was I 〉 L = S 〉 M. Transformation efficiency of the residues could neither be explained by lignin nor lignin/N ratio, but rather by extractable polyphenols (Folin–Denis extraction). The results show that accumulation of the HF fraction in tropical soils is feasible through the application of large quantities of plant residues, but depends strongly on the composition of the applied materials. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-11 DOI 10.1007/s10457-011-9417-0 Authors Thomas Gaiser, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany Karl Stahr, Institute of Soil Science and Land Evaluation, University of Hohenheim, 70593 Stuttgart, Germany Marc Bernard, Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food, 53177 Bonn, Germany Biau T. Kang, Department of Crops and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA Journal Agroforestry Systems Online ISSN 1572-9680 Print ISSN 0167-4366

Description:    The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of organic amendment on the germination and growth patterns of Jatropha curcas L. on completely barren and degraded land in the Sahelian area of Burkina Faso. Prior to the field trials, laboratory germination tests were undertaken to explore the impact of different pre-treatments on germination of Jatropha seeds. Seeds soaked in water for 24 h had the highest mean rate of germination (86%) while seeds that were pre-treated with sulphuric acid did not germinate. The results of the field experiment showed that plant growth and biomass development were significantly enhanced by organic amendment compared to the control. With direct seeding, 20% of the plants treated with organic manure survived after 2 years, while all seedlings of the control plot perished. In the plantations, 30% of the untreated seedlings remained alive whereas only 5% of the plants survived with amendment. The trials in unfenced plots were decimated by livestock grazing and trampling 2 months after the beginning of the experiment. This emphasizes the need to protect Jatropha plants at an early stage of their development from roaming animals. Organic amendment attracted humivorous termites, which were destructive to the seedlings. The use of pesticides may be necessary to control this problem. When directly seeded, plants of the control plots demonstrated poor growth and became rapidly diseased, further accelerating their decline. The low survival rates (5–30%) and meagre seedling performance, even for the amended plots, may be an indication that Jatropha is unsuited to severely degraded lands like the zippelé , and cannot be expected to give good yields and the claimed environmental and socio-economic benefits. However, we recommend that the performance of Jatropha on the zippelé should be further tested with other soil and water conservation techniques (half-moon, tillage, etc.) that have been shown to enhance crop production and yield on degraded lands in the Sahelo-Sudanian zone of West Africa. The impact of seed provenance on the outcome of this study is unknown. Therefore, further experiments should embrace seeds from different sources, including genotypes that are more adapted to dry conditions and might therefore show improved performance. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-13 DOI 10.1007/s10457-011-9421-4 Authors Tene Kwetche Sop, Biocentre Klein Flottbek and Botanical Garden, University of Hamburg, Ohnhorststrasse 18, 22609 Hamburg, Germany Francois Wenemi Kagambèga, Unité de Formation et de Recherche en Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre, Laboratoire de Biologie et d’Écologie Végétales, Université de Ouagadougou, 03 BP 7021, Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso Ronald Bellefontaine, CIRAD UPR Génétique forestière, 34398 Montpellier, France Ute Schmiedel, Biocentre Klein Flottbek and Botanical Garden, University of Hamburg, Ohnhorststrasse 18, 22609 Hamburg, Germany Adjima Thiombiano, Unité de Formation et de Recherche en Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre, Laboratoire de Biologie et d’Écologie Végétales, Université de Ouagadougou, 03 BP 7021, Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso Journal Agroforestry Systems Online ISSN 1572-9680 Print ISSN 0167-4366

Description:    A pollination experiment was conducted with Parkia biglobosa (Fabaceae) in The Gambia. P. biglobosa is integrated in the farming systems and produces fruit pulp and seeds used in cooking. The species is bat-pollinated, and in areas with few bats the main pollinators are assumed to be honey bees. A higher rate of effective pollination will in many instances increase fruit production, and the aim of this study was to investigate pollination efficiency of different pollinators. Access of flower visiting animals to flowers was controlled by nets with differently sized mesh, using five trees as replicates. The pollinators’ identity, efficiency, and relative effect were determined. Bats, honey bees, and stingless bees were able to pollinate the species. Bat-visited capitula produced more pods, but not significantly more than honey bees. Honey bees were more efficient than stingless bees, resulting in significantly less aborted seeds. The treatment which excluded all flower visitors developed no mature pods, indicating that P. biglobosa was not autonomous autogamous, apomictic, or parthenocarpic, while the treatment with confined honey bees showed that geitonogamy is possible. Sugar content of fruit pulp was analysed and a positive correlation between number of seeds per pod and the sugar content was found. Improved pollination success may thus result in sweeter fruits. We conclude it is important to strive against a pollinator-friendly environment in order to attract bats and bees. Furthermore, we suggest beekeeping in the vicinity of P. biglobosa as a way to increase yield. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-11 DOI 10.1007/s10457-011-9409-0 Authors Kristin Marie Lassen, Forest & Landscape Denmark, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 Frederiksberg, Denmark Anders Ræbild, Forest & Landscape Denmark, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, 1958 Frederiksberg, Denmark Henrik Hansen, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Research Group Entomology, Research Centre Flakkebjerg, 4200 Slagelse, Denmark Camilla J. Brødsgaard, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Research Group Entomology, Research Centre Flakkebjerg, 4200 Slagelse, Denmark Erik Nymann Eriksen, Department of Agricultural Sciences, Section for Horticulture, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Hoejbakkegaard Allé 21, 2630 Taastrup, Denmark Journal Agroforestry Systems Online ISSN 1572-9680 Print ISSN 0167-4366

Description:    The present study was carried out to evaluate variability in fruit characteristics and nutritional quality of Baobab fruits with the aim of providing the background to select trees bearing fruit with desirable characteristics for further utilisation. Vitamin C, total sugar and ash contents were assessed in 178 Baobab fruit samples from 11 sites in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Furthermore the following tree and fruit physical characteristics were recorded: tree height, bark colour, fruit size, pulp weight, seed weight, seed size and pulp colour. The content (mean ± SD) of vitamin C was 4.78 ± 1.02 g kg −1 , sugar 514 ± 72 g kg −1 and fruit weight 293 ± 96 g. There was a significant correlation between annual precipitation of the tree population site and vitamin C content but not with sugar content. For sugar, there were significant positive correlations with latitude and longitude. Negative correlations were found between fruit size and both longitude and latitude with smaller fruits generally being found to the north/east. No relation was found between pulp or bark colour and the sugar or vitamin C content. The contents of protein, lipid, carbohydrates, ash and moisture in the seeds ranged from 156 to 159, 143 to 150, 641 to 652, 44 to 49 and 50 to 55.7 g kg −1 respectively. The variation for vitamin C and sugar found within populations is a first indication that valuable gains could be made by selection of superior trees. Content Type Journal Article Pages 1-9 DOI 10.1007/s10457-011-9406-3 Authors Charles Parkouda, Département Technologie Alimentaire, IRSAT/CNRST, 03 BP 7047, Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso Haby Sanou, Institut d’Economie Rurale (IER), Programme Ressources Forestières Sotuba, BP 258, Bamako, Mali Abasse Tougiani, Institut National de Recherche Agronomique du Niger, BP 429, Niamey, Niger Adama Korbo, Institut d’Economie Rurale (IER), Programme Ressources Forestières Sotuba, BP 258, Bamako, Mali Dennis S. Nielsen, Department of Food Science, Centre for Advance Food Studies, Faculty of Life Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 30, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark Kwaku Tano-Debrah, Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana Anders Ræbild, Landscape and Planning, Centre for Forest, University of Copenhagen, 1958 Frederiksberg, Denmark Bréhima Diawara, Département Technologie Alimentaire, IRSAT/CNRST, 03 BP 7047, Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso Jan S. Jensen, Landscape and Planning, Centre for Forest, University of Copenhagen, 1958 Frederiksberg, Denmark Journal Agroforestry Systems Online ISSN 1572-9680 Print ISSN 0167-4366