Factors constraining the adoption of soil organic carbon enhancing technologies among small-scale farmers in Ethiopia.

Declining soil fertility is one of the major causes of food insecurity and high levels of poverty, both of which tend to hamper economic development in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). To improve soil fertility, the implementation of soil organic carbon (SOC) enhancement technologies has become crucial to slowing land degradation, through increasing SOC, which is the basis of soil fertility. Using data from 381 households from Azuga-Suba and Yesir watersheds in Ethiopia, this study explores the extent of the adoption of technologies that enhance SOC.

Survey data on factors that constrain the adoption of soil carbon enhancing technologies in Ethiopia.

The data described in this paper were collected in two watersheds - Azuga-suba watershed in Angacha woreda (district) of Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP) region and Yesir watershed of Bure woreda (district) of the Amhara region - in Ethiopia. The data were collected from 379 households with the main objective being to assess the factors constraining the adoption of sustainable land management technologies (SLMT) that enhance soil organic carbon sequestration. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire that was designed in SurveyCTO.

Survey data on factors that influence the adoption of soil carbon enhancing practices in Western Kenya.

The data described in this paper were collected in Western Kenya, specifically in Kakamega and Vihiga Counties. The data were collected from 334 households with the aim of assessing factors that facilitate or constrain the adoption of practices that enhance the sequestration of soil carbon. The data were collected through a structured questionnaire that was designed in SurveyCTO.

Quantifying process-based mitigation strategies in historical context: separating multiple cumulative effects on river meander migration.

Environmental legislation in the US (i.e. NEPA) requires defining baseline conditions on current rather than historical ecosystem conditions.

Two challenges for U.S. irrigation due to climate change: increasing irrigated area in wet states and increasing irrigation rates in dry states.

Agricultural irrigation practices will likely be affected by climate change. In this paper, we use a statistical model relating observed water use by U.S.

Projecting water withdrawal and supply for future decades in the U.S. under climate change scenarios.

The sustainability of water resources in future decades is likely to be affected by increases in water demand due to population growth, increases in power generation, and climate change. This study presents water withdrawal projections in the United States (U.S.

Climate change affects winter chill for temperate fruit and nut trees.

Background: Temperate fruit and nut trees require adequate winter chill to produce economically viable yields. Global warming has the potential to reduce available winter chill and greatly impact crop yields.

Methodology/principal Findings: We estimated winter chill for two past (1975 and 2000) and 18 future scenarios (mid and end 21st century; 3 Global Climate Models [GCMs]; 3 greenhouse gas emissions [GHG] scenarios).

Applied climate-change analysis: the climate wizard tool.

Background: Although the message of "global climate change" is catalyzing international action, it is local and regional changes that directly affect people and ecosystems and are of immediate concern to scientists, managers, and policy makers. A major barrier preventing informed climate-change adaptation planning is the difficulty accessing, analyzing, and interpreting climate-change information. To address this problem, we developed a powerful, yet easy to use, web-based tool called Climate Wizard (http://ClimateWizard.

Climatic changes lead to declining winter chill for fruit and nut trees in California during 1950-2099.

Background: Winter chill is one of the defining characteristics of a location's suitability for the production of many tree crops. We mapped and investigated observed historic and projected future changes in winter chill in California, quantified with two different chilling models (Chilling Hours, Dynamic Model).

Methodology/principal Findings: Based on hourly and daily temperature records, winter chill was modeled for two past temperature scenarios (1950 and 2000), and 18 future scenarios (average conditions during 2041-2060 and 2080-2099 under each of the B1, A1B and A2 IPCC greenhouse gas emissions scenarios, for the CSIRO-MK3, HadCM3 and MIROC climate models).

Evaluating aggregate terrestrial impacts of road construction projects for advanced regional mitigation.

This study presents a GIS-based database framework used to assess aggregate terrestrial habitat impacts from multiple highway construction projects in California, USA. Transportation planners need such impact assessment tools to effectively address additive biological mitigation obligations. Such assessments can reduce costly delays due to protracted environmental review.

Comment on "Roadless space of the conterminous United States".

Watts et al. (Reports, 6 May 2007, p. 736) introduced a metric of landscape pattern called roadless volume (RV).

Analysis of Genetic Algorithm for Rule-Set Production (GARP) modeling approach for predicting distributions of fleas implicated as vectors of plague, Yersinia pestis, in California.

More than 20 species of fleas in California are implicated as potential vectors of Yersinia pestis. Extremely limited spatial data exist for plague vectors-a key component to understanding where the greatest risks for human, domestic animal, and wildlife health exist. This study increases the spatial data available for 13 potential plague vectors by using the ecological niche modeling system Genetic Algorithm for Rule-Set Production (GARP) to predict their respective distributions.

Assessing the effects of alternative setback channel constraint scenarios employing a river meander migration model.

River channel migration and cutoff events within large river riparian corridors create heterogeneous and biologically diverse landscapes. However, channel stabilization (riprap and levees) impede the formation and maintenance of riparian areas. These impacts can be mitigated by setting channel constraints away from the channel.