Animal and Plant Productivity theme is a component of Encyclopedia of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. The theme on Animal and Plant Productivity Science focuses on paths to improvement of animal and plant production systems at all levels from genomes to landscapes. This volume traces efforts to improve agricultural productivity and the increasingly important metrics of resilience and sustainability. It deals with the essential aspects and a myriad of issues of great relevance to our world such as Productivity, Efficiency And Resilience of Crop And Livestock Production; Sustainable Animal Production; Animal Production Systems in the Tropics; Physiology of Growth and Reproduction in Livestock; Evolution of Livestock Improvement; Monogastric Nutrition; Rumen Microbiology; Meat Science; Agroecology: environmentally sound and socially just alternatives to the industrial; farming model; Range and pasture productivity; Sustainable Crop Production: Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Crop Improvement("The Gene Revolution"); Ecological Economics; Agricultural Economics; Integrated Resource Management And Planning. This volume is aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College Students Educators, Professional Practitioners, Research Personnel and Policy Analysts, Managers, and Decision Makers, NGOs and GOs.

This volume on botanical research in tundra represents the culmination of four years of intensive and integrated field research centered at Barrow, Alaska. The volume summarizes the most significant results and interpretations of the pri mary producer projects conducted in the U.S. IBP Tundra Biome Program (1970-1974). Original data reports are available from the authors and can serve as detailed references for interested tundra researchers. Also, the results of most projects have been published in numerous papers in various journals. The introduction provides a brief overview of other ecosystem components. The main body presents the results in three general sections. The summary chapter is an attempt to integrate ideas and information from the previous papers as well as extant literature. In addition, this chapter focuses attention on pro cesses of primary production which should receive increased emphasis. Although this book will not answer all immediate questions, it hopefully will enhance future understanding of the tundra, particularly as we have studied it in Northern Alaska.

This book endeavors to explore the role of different groups of microbes in the biodiversity enrichment, forest productivity, land restoration, agricultural productivity and green technology. In this book emphasis is mainly given on mutualistic interactions especially on plant Mycorrhizae and Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR).

Natural and anthropogenic grasslands such as prairies, meadows, rangelands, and pastures cover more than 40% of the planet’s surface and provide a wealth of ecological services. Grasslands alone store one third of the global carbon stocks and grass roots, through their specific architectures, ensure water cycling and prevent the erosion of fertile topsoil. In addition, grasslands are of vital importance for human food production as vast areas of rangelands and pastures provide feed for livestock. Pastoral legumes mobilize atmospheric nitrogen and improve fertility of arable soils. Not least, grasslands are an essential genetic resource. The three major crop species that feed half of the global population have been bred from wild grasses. Ancestors of our contemporary turf cultivars, common components of urban landscapes and recreation spaces, originated from wild grasslands. Although natural and managed grasslands represent pivotal ecosystems, many aspects of how they function are poorly understood. To date, most attention has focused on grassland primary producers (i.e. forage plants) and mammalian grazers but invertebrates are likely to play an equally, if not more important role in grassland ecosystem functioning. In Australian pastures, for example, the biomass of root-feeding scarab beetles can often exceed that of sheep and plant damage caused by invertebrates is sometimes equivalent to an average dairy cow’s grass consumption. Indeed, grasslands are one of the most densely populated ecosystems with invertebrates being probably the most important engineers that shape both plant communities and the grassland as a whole. In a rapidly changing world with increasing anthropogenic pressure on grasslands, this Research Topic focuses on: 1. How grassland habitats shape invertebrate biodiversity 2. Impacts of climate change on grassland-invertebrate interactions 3. Plant and invertebrate pest monitoring and management 4. Plant-mediated multitrophic interactions and biological control in grasslands 5. Land use and grassland invertebrates 6. Plant resistance to invertebrate pests Given the increasing demand for food and land for human habitation, unprecedented threats to grasslands are anticipated. Resilient to some extent, these key ecosystems need to be better comprehended to guarantee their sustainable management and ecosystem services.

Trophic levels.

Teleconnections is a central concept in the scientific search for an improved understanding of potential linkages between weather and climate anomalies that occur over relatively large distances. The editors of this 1991 volume brought together contributions from experts in the field, which together provide a comprehensive review of this important subject. This book will be of importance to all professional scientists and researchers in climatology and meteorology, particularly those concerned with air-sea interactions and their environmental impacts and the physical basis for and societal responses to forecasting. Graduate students in environmental science, meteorology and climate-related impact assessments will also find the book useful.