Agriculture in decline

Agriculture intensifies soil moisture decline in Northern China

Northern China is one of the most densely populated regions in the world. Agricultural activities have intensified since the 1980s to provide food security to the country. However, this intensification has likely contributed to an increasing scarcity in water resources, which may in turn be endangering food security. Based on in-situ measurements of soil moisture collected in agricultural plots...

Decline of the Red-winged Blackbird Population in Ohio Correlated to Changes in Agriculture (1965-1996)

Based on North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data since 1966, Ohio has traditionally hosted 1 of the highest breeding season densities of red-winged blackbirds (Agelnius phoeniceus) of any U.S. state or Canadian province. However, from 1966 through 1996, breeding populations of red-winged blackbirds in Ohio showed a marked decline ( Z % change/yr in birds per route = -3.9), with breeding ...

Perspectives: the decline of domestic animal research in agriculture and biomedicine.

Agriculture modifies the seasonal decline of breeding success in a tropical wild bird population

Habitat conversion for agriculture is a major driver of biodiversity loss, but our understanding of the demographic processes involved remains poor. We typically investigate the impacts of agriculture in isolation even though populations are likely to experience multiple, concurrent changes in the environment (e.g. land and climate change). Drivers of environmental change may interact to affect...

Prehistoric Decline in Freshwater Mussels Coincident with the Advent of Maize Agriculture

During late prehistory, high population densities and intensive agricultural practices of Native American societies had profound effects on the pre-Columbian landscape. The degree to which Native American land use affected aquatic ecosystems is unknown. Freshwater mussels are particularly sensitive harbingers of modern-day ecosystem deterioration. We used data from prehistoric Native American s...