http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/land_management/ Land management issues. Read summaries and critiques of recent government reports as well as the latest relevant scientific research. en-us Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:05:01 EST Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/land_management/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111083055.htm Because land use changes are responsible for 50 percent of warming in the US, policymakers need to address the influence of global deforestation and urbanization on climate change, in addition to greenhouse gas emissions, experts urge. Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111083055.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102204438.htm As African leaders prepare to present an ambitious proposal to industrialized countries for coping with climate change in the part of the world that is most vulnerable to its impacts, a new study points to where and how some of this money should be spent. The study projects that climate change will have highly variable impacts on East Africa's vital maize and bean harvests over the next two to four decades. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102204438.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121456.htm A recent assessment finds some positive trends among indicators of biodiversity loss in China -- notably, growth in forest coverage and improvements in marine ecosystems. However, other indicators, such as the rate of discovery of invasive species, are worsening. Many animals are under growing threat. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102121456.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022141126.htm Scientists have identified an important but fixable error in legal accounting rules for bioenergy that could, if uncorrected, undermine efforts to reduce greenhouse gases by encouraging deforestation. They propose a fix that accounts for the direct and indirect land use impacts of biofuels. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022141126.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026123944.htm For years, international policy on the environment and biodiversity has not just been the concern of governments. Countless other organizations and their mutual strategic alliances also play a significant role. Without them there would be no sustainable fish in the supermarket and no FSC wood at the DIY center. However, a Dutch researcher has discovered that only a small proportion of these 'partnerships' make a substantial contribution to biodiversity. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026123944.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921091833.htm A new report by leading food and sustainability scientists calls for Europe to take a new approach on food security, prioritizing health and sustainability in research and using a holistic view when making policy. Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921091833.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916123513.htm Levels of chloride, a component of salt, are elevated in many urban streams and groundwater across the northern United States, according to a new government study. Chloride levels above the recommended federal criteria set to protect aquatic life were found in more than 40 percent of urban streams tested. The study was released today by the US Geological Survey. Elevated chloride can inhibit plant growth, impair reproduction, and reduce the diversity of organisms in streams. Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916123513.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090907162320.htm Aquaculture, once a fledgling industry, now accounts for 50 percent of the fish consumed globally, according to a new report by an international team of researchers. And while the industry is more efficient than ever, it is also putting a significant strain on marine resources by consuming large amounts of feed made from wild fish harvested from the sea, the authors conclude. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090907162320.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908125122.htm Among likely voters surveyed across the nation, about nine in 10 support the federal government adopting additional food safety measures, and 64 percent believe that imported foods are often or sometimes unsafe, according to a new poll. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908125122.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902133635.htm A lot of variables come into play when selecting a site for environmental conservation that yields benefits to people nearby such as wildlife needs, species and vegetation uniqueness, and costs to the government or community. When faced with a choice, researchers found that society and the environment can be better off if conservation agents choose sites that are closer to people because people are more willing to financially support something close to them. Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902133635.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902112119.htm Investing in restoration and maintenance of the Earth's multi-trillion-dollar ecosystems -- from forests and mangroves to wetlands and river basins -- can have a key role in countering climate change and climate-proofing vulnerable economies. Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902112119.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901150953.htm A new report gives clear guidelines on how the government can help businesses "go green." Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901150953.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090828150735.htm New research shows that ecological restoration in areas of environmental degradation can help reverse global biodiversity losses, as well as promoting recovery of ecosystem services. However the research also showed that measures of biodiversity and ecosystem services are higher in pristine land, freshwater and marine systems than in restored systems. Examples of ecosystem services include improved water quality and increased carbon storage, services which benefit human well-being. Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090828150735.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090826215020.htm Finding economical and practical solutions for conserving endangered carnivores is a continuous challenge for conservationists. In a new paper, a team of Brazilian researchers define global conservation priorities that encompass socioeconomic and life-history factors for endangered carnivores. Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090826215020.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820161142.htm Impoverished fishermen along the coast of tropical African countries like Mozambique and Madagascar may have only a few more years to eke out a profit from one of their nations' biggest agricultural exports. Within a few decades, they may no longer have a livelihood at all. That's because swampy mangrove forests – essential breeding grounds for fish and shellfish in these countries – are being destroyed by worsening pollution, encroaching real estate development, and deforestation necessary to sustain large-scale commercial shrimp farming. Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820161142.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820161325.htm Live in an expensive city? Think you pay too much in federal taxes? If so, a study in the current issue of the Journal of Political Economy finds that you're exactly right. Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820161325.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813083333.htm Young people working on conservation projects are often coerced into "grunt" activities like digging holes or picking up litter and gain little from environmental volunteering, according to research at the University of Exeter. Wed, 19 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813083333.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817201948.htm A policy forum argues that 25 years of health care reforms in Mexico have increased insurance coverage but have not resulted in greater efficiency and have not significantly reduced health inequities despite their costs in a country that has huge divisions between the rich and the poor. Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817201948.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803185722.htm If the federal government implements a 2007 legal interpretation of the Endangered Species Act, the likely result will be a reduction in the number of species listed for protection, scientists say. Researchers analyzed potential effects of a legal memorandum issued in March 2007 by the Department of the Interior, which, among other points, advised the US Fish and Wildlife Service that only an endangered species' current range need factor into whether the species is listed for protection. Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803185722.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090716113252.htm A group of 34 US Nobel Laureates is calling on President Obama to urge Congress to include the president's proposed $150 billion Clean Energy Technology Fund in the climate legislation it is considering. The climate bill approved by the House in June falls far short of this goal, they told the president in a letter sent to the White House July 16. Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090716113252.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090715131600.htm Forty years ago, on July 20, 1969, the United States achieved an historic first when Apollo 11 Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to land on the moon. Armstrong's now famous words, "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," fulfilled the challenge set out nearly a decade earlier by President John F. Kennedy to land a man on the moon. Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090715131600.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707111749.htm Comprehensive regulation of gun sellers appears to reduce the trafficking of guns to criminals, according to a new study. The study is the first to incorporate measures of the enforcement of gun sale laws into a study of the effectiveness of those laws. Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707111749.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629200802.htm People are more likely to enroll in conservation programs if their neighbors do -- a tendency that should be exploited when it comes to protecting the environment, according to results of a new study. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629200802.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615171612.htm Contrary to common belief, Brazil's policy of protecting portions of the Amazonian forest from development is capable of buffering the Amazon from climate change, according to a new study. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615171612.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618084302.htm The British Climate Act is flawed and comprised of unrealistic and unobtainable targets, according to one expert. Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618084302.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617123441.htm NIST, DOD, the intelligence community and the Committee on National Security Systems has released the first installment of a three-year effort to build a unified information security framework for the entire federal government. Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617123441.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608182433.htm Only 11 percent of wildfire mitigation efforts undertaken as a result of a long-term federal fuels-reduction program to cut down catastrophic wildfire risk to communities have been undertaken near people's homes or offices in the past five years, says a new study. Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608182433.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604181251.htm A new report provides compelling evidence that paying to conserve billions of tons of carbon stored in tropical forests could also protect orangutans, pygmy elephants, and other wildlife at risk of extinction. The study is one of the first to offer quantitative evidence linking the drive to reduce carbon emissions from forests with the push to preserve threatened mammal biodiversity. Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604181251.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602204259.htm A new study has found that by 2050, hotter conditions, coupled with shifting rainfall patterns, could make anywhere from 500,000 to one million square kilometers of marginal African farmland no longer able to support even a subsistence level of food crops. However, the land, on which some 20 to 35 million people currently live, may still support livestock. Fri, 05 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602204259.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528142817.htm Cutting down forests for agriculture vents carbon dioxide into the air just as industries and fossil fuel burning does. But policymakers debate whether to include terrestrial carbon in plans to stabilize atmospheric greenhouse gases. A new study suggests that failing to include land use changes could lead to massive deforestation and higher costs for limiting carbon emissions. Also, improvements to agricultural technology could be as important as for energy in a carbon-limited future. Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090528142817.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090517152601.htm Local and regional government websites represent a significant privacy concern for the electorate, according to a new article. However, research suggests that a standard privacy policy could address concerns over fair use of information. Fri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090517152601.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090427075412.htm The future of Mediterranean forests seems unclear because of the major environmental and social changes now and in the future. However action can be taken to prevent further damage to the forests and to improve their image. Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090427075412.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424073907.htm The EU promotes the production of biofuels and has set a target of 5.75% share of biofuels in the transport section for all EU Member States by 2010, and a target of 10% to be reached by 2020. Researchers have developed a new method of assessing biodiversity impacts resulting from changing land use due to the production of biofuel crops in Europe, distinguishing between arable (first generation) and woody (second-generation) crop types. The results indicate that more species might suffer from habitat losses rather than benefit from a doubled biofuel target, while abolishing the biofuel target would mainly have positive effects. Sat, 25 Apr 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424073907.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424073734.htm Countries and policy leaders have new guidance on how and when to eliminate malaria, paving the way for the potential global eradication of the deadly disease. Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424073734.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423180242.htm The loss and fragmentation of Texas' farms, ranches and forests is part of a continued trend highlighting the importance of rural lands in maintaining the state's natural resources and economic base. A new study shows that lands classified as farms, ranches and forests declined in 156 of Texas's 254 counties between 1997 and 2006. In all, there was a loss of 2.1 million acres of agricultural lands since 1997, the report notes. Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423180242.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090420103542.htm Invasive species can disrupt natural and human-made ecosystems, throwing food webs out of balance and damaging the services they provide to people. Now scientists have begun to put a price tag on this damage. Ecologists have listed the invasive species that cause the most harm to environment and cost the most money to control. Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090420103542.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090422191722.htm Conservation experts from 24 world-leading organizations including the WWF, Conservation International and Birdlife International have identified one hundred key scientific questions that, if answered, would help conserve global biodiversity. Scientists say if the questions are answered swiftly, it could stem massive biodiversity loss. Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090422191722.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090408170728.htm North America's biological field stations have long been home to a rich legacy of research results, scientists say, making them important places for serendipitous discoveries in the biological and environmental sciences. Wed, 15 Apr 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090408170728.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090409142252.htm Since Congress lifted a moratorium on offshore drilling last year, federal lawmakers have grappled with the issue of how best to regulate US ocean waters to allow oil, wave and wind energy development, while sustainably managing critical fisheries and marine animal habitats. Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090409142252.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090409134758.htm A two-decade surge of legalized gambling is chipping away at US security and military readiness, not just the bank accounts of bettors, a comprehensive new collection of research on the hazards of gambling warns. Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090409134758.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090320092249.htm A new study attempts for the first time to measure the extent and severity of land degradation across the globe and concludes that 24% of the land area is degrading -- often in very productive areas. Land degradation -- the decline in the quality of soil, water and vegetation -- is of profound importance but until now there have been no consistent global data by which to assess its extent and severity. Fri, 27 Mar 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090320092249.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090326150554.htm Climate change will seriously impact public health, but the United States has yet to allocate adequate research funding to understand and prepare for these impacts. A new report suggests that the current knowledge gap is putting multitudes at risk and calls for a major expansion of research to tackle this problem. Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090326150554.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090326100716.htm Specific measures to tackle climate change, such as emissions trading, will only be successful if they are coherently supported by other government policies addressing economic and social issues, says a new report. Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090326100716.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090319102309.htm Two decades after the Exxon Valdez oil spill devastated Alaska's coast, governments and industry in the Arctic would be unable to manage a large oil spill, according to a new report by World Wildlife Fund. WWF renewed its call for a time-out on new offshore oil development in the Arctic until technologies improve to ensure adequate clean-up of an oil spill and called on President Obama to permanently protect Alaska's fish-rich Bristol Bay from drilling. Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090319102309.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090318113614.htm In the last three decades, research across the social sciences has made great advances in the political economy of technological change (also called innovation or R&D). There exists a better understanding how domestic institutions shape R&D and innovation rates. Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090318113614.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090313171312.htm Scientists have explained that the cornerstone Federal disaster relief legislation, the Robert T. Stafford Act, is dangerously out of date, and must be reformed to provide for rapid relief after a catastrophe. Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090313171312.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090312115055.htm Many state and local officials and private organizations are basing decisions -- such as how to build bridges or manage water supplies -- on the assumption that current climate conditions will continue, but that assumption is no longer valid.  Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090312115055.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090217104441.htm Just over a year ago, the US ethanol industry was still in overdrive, fueling a wave of new factories to keep pace with surging demand for the corn-based gasoline additive. But the boom has since stalled amid a deep economic downturn that has stifled demand, one of many threats to the fledgling industry that were forecast in a 2007 study. Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090217104441.htm