Southern Agriculture

The political economy of agriculture in Southern Africa

Impacts of Expanded Ethanol Production on Southern Agriculture

This study analyzes the potential impacts of expanded ethanol production on southern agriculture. Results of regression analysis suggest that acreage planted for field crops (corn, cotton, soybeans, and wheat) is inelastic with respect to relative prices. The results provide statistical evidence of potential significant acreage shifts favoring corn over cotton, soybeans, and wheat. Simulations ...

MODIS observed impacts of intensive agriculture on surface temperature in the southern Great Plains

Land use/cover change has been recognized as an important component in regional and global climate. This study provides satellite observed impacts of agricultural activities on near surface climate. Land surface temperature products from NASA’s earth observing system (EOS) Terra and Aqua satellites are used. The intensive winter wheat field in the southern Great Plains greatly modifies the seas...

Emergy-Based Sustainability Assessment and Perspectives of Regional Agriculture in Northern and Southern Italy

In this work, two Italian regions (Emilia Romagna, in Northern Italy, and Campania, in Southern Italy) are compared on the basis of an emergy evaluation carried out over the last 20 years. The regions show very different productive and institutional structures, which affect the overall performance. The Campania region is characterized by the presence of a high number of small productive units (...

Effects of agriculture on wood breakdown and microbial biofilm respiration in southern Appalachian streams

1. Agriculture causes high sediment, nutrient and light input to streams, which may affect rates of ecosystem processes, such as organic matter decay. In the southern Appalachians, socioeconomic trends over the past 50 years have caused widespread abandonment of farmland with subsequent reforestation. Physical and chemical properties of streams in these reforested areas may be returning to pre-...