<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

Groundwater plays a vital role in global water resources, supporting agricultural, industrial, and domestic water supply systems. However, the long-term sustainability of groundwater is increasingly threatened due to the widespread adoption of irrigation systems especially micro irrigation. Micro irrigation is a widespread agricultural technique that involves water application to crops through drip irrigation and sprinkler systems. This method has gained widespread adoption due to its ability to deliver water efficiently to crops. This review paper examines the impacts of micro irrigation on groundwater sustainability, focusing on its effects on groundwater quantity, quality, and overall sustainability. The findings reveal that micro irrigation can significantly contribute to groundwater conservation by reducing water losses. However, improper management practices, such as over-irrigation or incorrect application rates, can lead to excessive groundwater extraction, depletion of aquifers, and declining water tables. Applying fertilizers and pesticides in micro irrigation systems may lead to groundwater pollution, thereby affecting water quality and posing a risk to human health. This review article emphasizes the significance of appropriate design, installation, and upkeep of micro irrigation systems to minimize potential adverse effects on groundwater. Furthermore, regulatory frameworks, policies, and educational programs are crucial in promoting sustainable groundwater management practices in micro irrigation. The present review highlights the significance of adopting balanced water use practices, enhancing water management techniques, and implementing relevant regulations to ensure the sustainable utilization of groundwater resources in micro irrigation systems.
</abstract>

Sustainable Groundwater Management Through Micro Irrigation: A Critical Review on Challenges and Solutions

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

Soil hazard zonation in watershed is quite significant to take the necessary actions for soil conservation. The present study attempts to identify soil hazard zones for proper soil conservation and prepare a treatment plan for the Bandu sub-watershed of India through morphometric analysis techniques by giving rank based on priority. The result of the prioritization of eighteen micro-watersheds is entirely satisfactory due to the use of fourteen morphometric parameters. The study quantifies the potential soil loss and identifies the soil eroded zone of the sub-watershed using the universal soil loss equation method and the entire region is categorized into three soil hazard zones with varying degrees. Indian Remote Sensing Satellite data have been used to conduct the whole study. The micro-watershed prioritization has been estimated by applying the composite morphometric value. The micro-watershed having 5.625 composite value ranks first for prioritization (most vulnerable with maximum soil erosion) and having 15.875 composite value ranks last for prioritization (least vulnerable with minimum soil erosion). The result also shows that the soil loss ranges from 0-30 tonne/hectare/year with an average soil loss of 0-10 tonne/hectare/year in maximum areas of the sub-watershed. The soil loss map shows that along the Bandu and in some agricultural fields, the central part of the region is susceptible to soil erosion. The scientific approach of this research could be more effective in maintaining sustainable rural planning. The study can be used as a reference work for determining soil hazard zones in any tropical watershed with high soil loss risk.
</abstract>

Soil Erosion Hazard Zonation in Bandu Sub-Watershed, India

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

Preserving landscape connectivity in the Omo-Shasha-Oluwa Forest Reserves is crucial due to human-induced fragmentation, shrinking habitats, and disrupted migration routes for wildlife. From 2014 to 2016, we conducted surveys to gather large mammal presence data, mapping their distribution using the MaxEnt algorithm. Employing Circuitscape software and circuit theory concepts, we predicted connectivity patterns for six large mammal species. Our results consistently showed robust predictive performance, with Area Under the Curve (AUC) values exceeding 0.75 for species distribution models. Notably, we identified suitable habitat patches for seven key species, spanning 1760 km2 for <italic>C. civetta</italic>, 1515 km2 for <italic>T. Scriptus</italic>, 729 km2 for <italic>L. cyclotis</italic>, 1693 km2 for <italic>P. porcus</italic>, 1350 km2 for <italic>C. mona</italic>, 1406 km2 for <italic>P. maxwellii</italic>, and 1379 km2 for <italic>C. torquatus</italic>. Our analysis highlighted distance to human settlements as the most significant predictor for habitat models concerning <italic>T. Scriptus</italic>, <italic>C. civetta</italic>, <italic>P. maxwellii</italic>, <italic>C. torquatus</italic>, <italic>P. porcus</italic>, and <italic>C. mona</italic>, whereas land use type emerged as a critical factor for <italic>L. cyclotis</italic>. Furthermore, examination of maximum current flow patterns revealed varying degrees of connectivity among habitat patches, indicating potential bottlenecks to species movement, particularly across major rivers and in areas affected by human activities. These findings offer crucial insights for conservation efforts, guiding strategies to preserve wildlife metapopulation dynamics in the Omo-Shasha-Oluwa Forest Reserves landscape
</abstract>

Connecting Habitats: Modelling Landscape Connectivity for Large Mammals in Omo-Shasha-Oluwa Forest Reserves, South-West Nigeria

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

This paper represents an attempt at a detailed analysis of woodland presence and dynamics during the Middle Ages (AD 500-1500), as a contribution to the current debate on large-scale reforestation in the Netherlands. Palynological data for this particular period are scarce and allow only global reconstructions. To widen our search for historical woodland proxies, we investigated the potential of archaeologically excavated tree-trunk wells. We carried out a nation-wide inventory of this type of well, in which the shaft is formed by hollowed-out tree trunks, typically large oak trees. Our suspicion that such trees indicate the local presence of (old) woodland in the past was confirmed by a marked positive correlation with spatial reconstructions based on other sources of information: archaeological (charcoal kilns) and non-archaeological (place names and historical references). The observed correlations suggest that mapping the distribution of precisely dated tree-trunk wells can indeed contribute to achieving fairly detailed reconstructions of medieval woodland cover.
</abstract>

University of Groningen - Centre for Landscape Studies

Sole Survivors: Using Tree-Trunk Wells from Archaeological Excavations to Inform Reconstructions of Medieval Deforestation, and Future Reforestation

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

The main aim of the research is to identify landscape fragmentation (LF) in Slovakia with special emphasis on the contribution of protected areas (PAs) to mitigate the effect of LF. Results are presented in the final raster output (10 m grid). The raster contains 490,321,151 individual 10 m raster grids, with the LF average value of 59.12 % (where 0 represents fragmented landscape, 100 represents fully connected landscape by natural or semi-natural ecosystems) on the national level. Most of the territory of Slovakia falls within the range of values 55 – 65 %, which confirms the presence of significant continuous unfragmented areas. Based on the Ordinary Least Square (OLS) statistics results, there is a positive correlation of lower LF within the PAs network (p &lt; 0.05, Table 1) in comparison to the unprotected part of Slovakia. The results of geographically weight regression (GWR) proved a medium positive correlation (r2=0.36; r2adj=0.36; n=49,003), thus confirming to a certain extent the role of PAs in the mitigation of the effect of LF. On the other hand, the level of protection does not correlate significantly with fragmentation values, where a higher level of protection is not significantly connected with a lower level of LF. For each category of PA, individual statistics of quality and quantity of LF are estimated and subsequently compared with unprotected parts of Slovakia. The comparison of all PAs with each other resulted in 1,132 unique assessments. The overall average value of LF of unprotected parts is still rather high (56.42 %) and it shows that there are still significant areas existing, which are situated in unprotected parts of the country. Spatial analysis revealed, that these important parts are covering 93,065 hectares, and are variously spread across the whole of Slovakia. The average value of LF for these newly identified areas is 68.5 %. As output, the results of this research present a comprehensive national map of the level of LF and lists of PAs ranked according to the overall assessment of LF.
</abstract>

Contribution of Protected Areas to Mitigate the Effect of Landscape Fragmentation in Slovakia

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Journal of Landscape Ecology

The Journal of Landscape Ecology supports integration of knowledge from geo-, bio- and socio-sciences at the ecosystem and landscape level. Great emphasis is given to relationships between nature and culture including knowledge of ancient landscapes. The Journal publishes papers on spatial and temporal heterogeneity especially in the context of climate change and its impacts on terestrial environment across adequate scale hierarchy. Expertise from the spheres of land-use planning and design, habitat and landscape typology, ecosystem management, biodiversity protection and ecological restoration, and rules of ecological processes are promoted. The scope of the journal includes different landscapes and ecosystems of the world.  Why subscribe and read  Journal of landscape ecology publishes articles focused on spatial and temporal heterogeneity in natural and cultural landscape. Journal supports integration of geo-, bio- and sociosciences at the landscape level.  Why submit  Journal of Landscape Ecology is a peer-reviewed scientific journal according to standard procedure.  Rejection Rate   50%   Archiving  Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.  Plagiarism Policy  The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 