Conversion of boreal forests to agricultural systems: soil microbial responses along a land-conversion chronosequence

BACKGROUND

Boreal regions are warming at more than double the global average, creating opportunities for the northward expansion of agriculture. Expanding agricultural production in these regions will involve the conversion of boreal forests to agricultural fields, with cumulative impacts on soil microbial communities and associated biogeochemical cycling processes. Understanding the magnitude or rate of change that will occur with these biological processes will provide information that will enable these regions to be developed in a more sustainable manner, including managing carbon and nitrogen losses. This study, based in the southern boreal region of Canada where agricultural expansion has been occurring for decades, used a paired forest-adjacent agricultural field approach to quantify how soil microbial communities and functions were altered at three different stages post-conversion (< 10, > 10 and < 50, and > 50 years). Soil microbial functional capacity was assessed by quantitative PCR of genes associated with carbon (C), nitrogen, and phosphorous (P) cycling; microbial taxonomic diversity and community structure was assessed by amplicon sequencing.

RESULTS

Fungal alpha diversity did not change, but communities shifted from Basidiomycota to Ascomycota dominant within the first decade. Bacterial alpha diversity increased, with Gemmatimonadota groups generally increasing and Actinomycetota groups generally decreasing in agricultural soils. These altered communities led to altered functional capacity. Functional genes associated with nitrification and low molecular weight C cycling potential increased after conversion, while those associated with organic P mineralization potential decreased. Stable increases in most N cycling functions occurred within the first decade, but C cycling functions were still changing 50 years post conversion.

CONCLUSIONS

Microbial communities underwent a rapid shift in the first decade, followed by several decades of slower transition until stabilizing 50 years post conversion. Understanding how the microbial communities respond at different stages post-conversion improves our ability to predict C and N losses from emerging boreal agricultural systems, and provides insight into how best to manage these soils in a way that is sustainable at the local level and within a global context.

Taming the wicked problem of climate change with "virtuous challenges": An integrated management heuristic

Climate change is widely regarded as a "wicked problem" due to its complexity, interconnectedness, and the numerous stakeholders involved in finding a solution. The wickedness of climate change is further compounded by effects which are often nonlinear and uncertain, making it difficult to predict and manage its impacts. This paper builds on the growing body of knowledge on wicked problems by proposing an integrated heuristic that facilitates management in diverse economic and sociopolitical contexts by capturing the origins and dynamics of contemporary global socioenvironmental wicked problems and their potential resolution. The heuristic can also serve as the basis for a holistic wicked problem macro-theory. It is recognised that wicked problems such as climate change amplify into crisis states due to poverty and rigidity traps embedded within a system panarchy, which impede effective action for adaptation and mitigation. The concept of the "virtuous challenge" is embedded within the heuristic as a vital link in governance to enable effective leadership in the management of contemporary wicked problems through focused incremental transformation and a shift to an "agrowth" imperative. It is acknowledged that collaboration between stakeholders in the Global North and Global South is necessary for successful responses to virtuous challenges.

Navigating Agricultural Expansion in Harsh Conditions in Russia: Balancing Development with Insect Protection in the Era of Pesticides

As the world's population continues to increase, ensuring food security becomes a major problem. This often leads to the expansion of agricultural production, even in harsh conditions and becomes a key problem for many countries, including Russia. However, such expansion may entail certain costs, including the potential loss of insect populations, which are vital for ecological balance and agricultural productivity. The development of fallow lands in these regions is necessary to increase food production and increase food security; it is important to balance this with protection from harmful insects and sustainable farming methods. Research into the effects of insecticides on insects is an ongoing challenge, and new, sustainable farming methods are needed to ensure that protection from harmful insects and sustainable development can coexist. This article discusses the use of pesticides to protect the well-being of mankind, the problems of studying the effects of pesticides on insects and the vulnerability of insects to pesticides in regions with harsh conditions. It also discusses successful methods of sustainable agriculture and the importance of the legal framework governing the use of pesticides. The article emphasises the importance of balanced development with insect protection to ensure the sustainability of agricultural expansion in harsh conditions.

Agriculture in the Baksan Gorge of the Central Caucasus, Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia

No agriculture is possible without soil. This article reviews available data on the soils of the Baksan Gorge located in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Russia. The research objective was to collect and analyze information on the soil composition and crop yields in this region of the Central Caucasus. The review covered the last five years of scientific publications cited in Scopus, Web of Science, and Elibrary. It also featured contemporary and archival documents on the soil composition and periglacial agriculture in the Baksan Gorge. The agriculture and cattle breeding started in the Central Caucasus in the first millennium BC when the local peoples began to develop these lands as highland pastures and, subsequently, for agricultural farming. During the second millennium BC, crop production became one of the most important economic sectors in the Central Caucasus. Corn, barley, wheat, and millet were the main agricultural crops in the Baksan Gorge. Millet has always been a traditional Kabardian crop, and millet farming occupied the largest flatland areas. Barley was the staple crop in the highlands. Currently, the list of local staple crops includes corn, wheat, and sunflower. Barley, oats, peas, potatoes, vegetables, berries, nuts, grapes, and annual herbs are also popular. The past fifteen years have seen an extensive development of intensive horticulture in the Baksan Gorge. Agricultural ecology and production problems depend on the localization of agriculture in the Central Caucasus. This research reviewed data on the effect of soil composition on the yield and value of agricultural crops in the Baksan Gorge of the Central Caucasus.

Soils and olericultural practices in circumpolar region of Russia at present and in the past

Circumpolar regions are often associated with activities such as reindeer herding, hunting, fishing, and gathering wild foods, but few know that locals have practiced olericulture since ancient times. Under a changing climate, the agricultural frontier will inevitably shift northward, so it is important to understand the current and past patterns of local soil functioning. Olericultural practices in the Arctic region seem difficult due to the harsh climate; however, it is being implemented. In this paper, we report the agricultural practices used by local residents to increase the yield of crops grown in the Yamal region. We also studied the chemical properties and fertility of soils under private gardens (both active and abandoned). At present, the yields of private olericulture in Yamal even exceed those of industrial vegetable-growing farms. It is revealed that private vegetable growers can achieve an increase in soil fertility by increasing the content of nutrients (P2O5 over 1,500 mg kg−1, K2O up to 500 mg kg−1) and organic carbon up to 17%, as well as the regulation of the acid-alkaline regime. It is also found that soil fertility indicators in private vegetable gardens are higher compared to industrial fields. Such soils are not typical for the cryolithozone and can be classified as Anthrosols. Soils of abandoned vegetable gardens can retain a high level of fertility for a long time due to the specific climatic conditions of the Arctic. As a result, the research showed that it is possible to grow vegetables beyond the Arctic Circle by adapting local soils and applying specific practices typical for cryolithozone.

Climate change opportunities reduce farmers' risk perception: Extension of the value-belief-norm theory in the context of Finnish agriculture

Global agriculture faces severe challenges due to climate change. For boreal agriculture, climate change might also bring opportunities as the growing season lengthens, if the risks of climate change are managed properly. Agricultural production is a source of greenhouse gases, while agricultural land has also a great possibility to mitigate climate change as a carbon sink. Farmers are the central group for implementing these actions. Their views and beliefs contribute to their corresponding pro-environmental agricultural behavior. This research is based on the theory of value-belief-norm (VBN) as a predictive model of pro-environmental agricultural behavior. We extend the theory by studying how opportunities caused by climate change affect pro-environmental behavior in agriculture and present differences between farmer groups and experiment with the longitudinal possibilities of the theoretical model. Based on the structured survey responses from 4,401 farmers in Finland in 2018 and 2000 responses in 2020, we found that all the elements of VBN theory did help to predict intention for climate change mitigation, among which felt possibility to perform mitigation practices was the strongest predictor while risk perception was rather an unimportant one. Furthermore, opportunities caused directly or indirectly by climate change have an effect on Finnish farmer's implementation of mitigation practices. Therefore, future efforts in agricultural research and policy in Finland should concentrate to bring forth concrete farm-level mitigation practices with proven environmental benefits and the direct and indirect opportunities should be given more attention.

Northern Food Systems in Transition: The Role of the Emerging Agri-Food Industry in the Northwest Territories (Canada) Food System

This paper reports the findings of an ethnographic study that involved working with local organizations, food advocates, and communities to develop strategies for expanding the nascent Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada agri-food industry. The NWT represents a unique case study in that the fledging agri-food industry has been recognized for its promise in contributing to the core goals of the transitioning NWT food system. The study is guided by two research questions: (1) How is the promise of the emerging NWT agri-food industry framed within the context of the broader food system? (2) Given this framing of the NWT agri-food industry, how can it contribute to the sustainability of the NWT food system and to the goals of food security, poverty reduction, nutrition, and economic development? Grounded in a food systems approach, we used a correlative, evolutionary SWOT analysis to profile the nascent NWT agri-food industry within the context of the existing NWT food system. Through further thematic analysis, we identify and describe two dominant narratives (agri-food industry business case narrative and agri-food industry implications narrative) and key themes within the narratives based on an adapted food systems framework. The agri-food business case narrative highlights discourse articulating the business or commercial viability for a local agri-food value chain to function, evolve, and expand. The agri-food industry implications narrative envisions the ways in which the emerging NWT agri-food industry may interact within the existing NWT food system, highlighting potential environmental, social, cultural, and political implications of an expanding commercial-based agri-food value chain. Within the two narratives, certain subcomponents of the NWT agri-food system appear to be more prevalent, including climate, soil, and ecosystems, policy/regulations/governance, socio-cultural norms, knowledge, inputs, finance, production, and consumption. We make policy and practice recommendations for co-designing an agri-food industry that serves the multiple goals of the NWT food system. As an exploratory, descriptive-structural analysis the study provides a critical empirical basis for future in-depth, fully integrated synthesis of the complex social, cultural, economic, political, and ecological dynamics shaping Northern food systems in transition.

Morphological features, productivity and pollution state of abandoned agricultural soils in the Russian Arctic (Yamal Region)

Recently, questions about the return of the concept of Arctic agriculture in order to promote sustainable development of the northern regions and ensure food security have been raised more often. The re-involvement of previously-used and abandoned soils into agricultural usage can provide an essential contribution for the development of the Arctic regions. We conducted a comprehensive research of soils with different levels of abandonment in the central part of the Yamal Region (Russia) and compared their morphological features, chemical and physical properties, fertile qualities and the level of contamination with heavy and trace metals to background soils of the region. It has been noted that there are no evident features of cryoturbation processes in the profiles of abandoned agricultucal soils and regular changes in the redox regime, as a consequence of the presence of reductimorphic spots in the soil profiles, have been recorded. Soil organic matter (SOM) stock in the topsoil of abandoned soils is estimated as medium and has a similar level to the stocks of total organic matter in the agricultural soils of the Arctic circumpolar region (Norway, Sweden, and Finland). Statistically significant differences in the content of nutrients between abandoned and background soils were recorded which indicates stability of the soil nutritional state during different abandoned states. Particularly notable are the differences between the content of available forms of phosphorus. The results of the study revealed significant differences between soils of various periods of abandonment and the background soils of the Yamal Region. Abandoned soils can be used for ground and greenhouse agriculture, these soils having a high level of fertility and are not limited for use in agriculture by the level of contamination with heavy and trace metals. According to the character of trace metal contamination, abandoned and background soils are evaluated as uncontaminated on the base of Zc and Igeo indices values. Reuse of the previously abandoned soils can undoubtedly become the basis for increasing agricultural production and ensuring food security in the Yamal Region.