The North American mid-continent population of Lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens L.) has increased by ca. 7% per year, largely as a result of geese feeding on agricultural crops in winter and on migration. We describe the long-term effects of increasing numbers of geese at an arctic breeding round (La P6rouse Bay, Manitoba) on intertidal salt-marsh vegetation. Between 1985 and 1...

As a result of the boron refining process, the Rio Tinto Borax site in California has experienced boron contamination, leading to desertification and the loss of local vegetation. Increasing industrial demand for the energy reduction ability of boron promotes continued mining. As such, the development of an effective and low-cost method for long-term reclamation is important. To establish this ...

Salt marshes provide valuable ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, water purification and coastal protection (Barbier et al., 2011; Duarte 2013; Shepard 2011). The combination of these natural ecosystems with hard engineering like seawalls or dikes for the purpose is known ecosystem-based defence (Figure 1a). Considering projected rise in sea level increase storm intensity (IPCC, 20...

With the exception of the undesirable characteristic of summer dormancy and the accompanying low aesthetic value, crested wheatgrass has many desirable characteristics in semiarid environments, making it a promising candidate for lower water use turf. Using a population of 27 half-sib families, this study characterized the underlying genetics of turf quality (based on a 1–9 rating scale) of cre...

-The zone of natural Yacutia grasslands is situated between 60-64"N and 130-135"E. Vegetation of the meadow-steppe occupies vast glades dispersed in woodlands. These glades are inhabited by a dozen grasshopper species, three of which (Chorthippus albomarginatus, Aeropus sibiricus, and Omocestus haemorrhoidalis) are of economic importance. Most (up to 98%) of the grasshopper population consists ...