More is better: the diversity and number of soil animals determine leaf decomposition in the forest

Small animals that decompose fallen leaves in the forest form complex food webs and are essential to a functioning ecosystem. A study comprising over 80 forests in Germany and on Sumatra (Indonesia) has now shown that two factors particularly influence this function [..]
-->Press-release; Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, June 6, 2016
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Greenhouse gas mitigation potential from livestock sector revealed
Scientists have found that the global livestock sector can maintain the economic and social benefits it delivers while significantly reducing emissions, and in doing so help meet the global mitigation challenge.
The global livestock sector supports [..]
-->Press-release; Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO; Australia), March 22, 2016
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Plastic for dinner: A quarter of fish sold at markets contain man-made debris
Roughly a quarter of the fish sampled from fish markets in California
and Indonesia contained man-made debris — plastic or fibrous material
— in their guts, according to [..]
-->Press-release; University of California - Davis, September 24, 2015
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Neonicotinoids: foliar spray uses confirmed as a risk to bees
Neonicotinoid pesticides applied as foliar sprays pose a risk to bees, EFSA has confirmed. The Authority has published assessments on the risks to bees from clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam for all uses other than [..]
-->Press-release; European Food Safety Authority, August 26, 2015
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A selection of links to press-releases, news-articles and documents about agriculture and landscape:
- The Philadelphia GSI (Green StormWater Infrastructure) Landscape Design Guidebook of the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) (Article published in the ASLA's 'The Field' website; Asla is the American Society of Landscape Architects).
- Walnuts impact gut microbiome and improve health (News published by the University of Illinois - College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences - CAES; May 3, 2018).
- 'Citrus greening taking over Florida groves, while UF searches for a cure' (Article published by the CBS - Florida website).
- The rose genome deciphered: from the origin of modern roses to the characteristics of their blooms (Press-Release - French National Institute for Agricultural Research, May 3, 2018).
- '4 Things You Should Know about Remote Sensing in Agriculture' (Article published by AgFunder News; San Francisco - California - USA).
- 'State shares of total U.S. irrigated acres, in 2012' (Source: USDA ERS - 2012 Census of Agriculture - State Data, published by the 'Farm Policy' - Twitter page of the University of Illinois, Urbana - Champaigns).
- Ash dieback threatens 95% of all European ash trees - A Research from Earlham Institute (Source: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council - BBSRC; April 23, 2018).
- USGS Scientists Develop New Tool to Determine if Vermiculite Insulation Contains Asbestos U.S. Geological Survey (USGS - April 5, 2018).
- 'Biosecurity Matters - Australia is free from many pests and diseases found around the world.' Some videos published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of Australia.
- Study finds direct evidence of exposure of pregnant women to herbicide ingredient (News-release; University of Indiana press-release, March 22, 2018).
- What do agronomists do? YouTube page of the American Society of Agronomy.
- How to create a continuous thermochemical process that produces biocrude from algae (News bu the Pacific North-West National Laboratory - PNNL-LAB - USA).
- 2017-2018 Florida Citrus Production Guide (Source: University of Florida - Citrus Extensione Service; USA).
- Some graphic suggestion about managing your poultry during the birdmigration season, in order to prevent the spread of the avian-flu (avian-influenza) Article published by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Northern Ireland.
- Coffee requires cancer warning, California judge rules (News published by NBCNews.com, March 30, 2018).
- Farmer guides to Tropical Crops like mango, citrus fruits, pineapple, poultry, dairy, beekeeping. (News published by the National Agricultural Advisory Service of Uganda).
- 'K-State researchers make breakthrough in understanding glyphosate resistance' News published by The Fence Post (newspaper, USA).
- A guide for PhDs and early career researchers interested in a postdoc (Source: ecrLife website - 'Highlighting initiatives to improve the way science is performed and communicated').
- 'Ugandan journalists vow to change rhetoric against science' (Source: International Service for the Aquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications SEAsiaCenter - ISAAA).
- A simple pump operated by a motorbike is the latest innovation for farmers keen on irrigation due to its cost effectiveness Source: FarmBizAfrica.com
- The 19 'Drought and Water Management Tip Sheets', about California-crops drought-management (Source: California Istitute for Water Resources). It has also inspired a video, produced by the UCANR.
- 'Did you know that there are around 50 species of daffodil (Narcissus) but more than 15,000 cultivated varieties? (Source: Twitter-page of KewGardens).
- Secretary Vilsack Announces $36.5 Million for Specialty Crop Research and Extension Investments - United States Departement of Agriculture, August 2, 2016
- New EU study reveals EU would need 19 million more hectares of farm land to produce same amount of food without plant breeding techniques [..] ('.pdf') - - European Farmers European Agri-Cooperatives (Copa - Cogeca), July 28, 2016
- Innovations from Crop Research - SCI, July 28, 2016