Protein futures for Western Europe: potential land use and climate impacts in 2050

Multiple production and demand side measures are needed to improve food system sustainability. This study quantified the theoretical minimum agricultural land requirements to supply Western Europe with food in 2050 from its own land base, together with GHG emissions arising. Assuming that crop yield gaps in agriculture are closed, livestock production efficiencies increased and waste at all stages reduced, a range of food consumption scenarios were modelled each based on different ‘protein futures’. The scenarios were as follows: intensive and efficient livestock production using today’s species mix; intensive efficient poultry–dairy production; intensive efficient aquaculture–dairy; artificial meat and dairy; livestock on ‘ecological leftovers’ (livestock reared only on land unsuited to cropping, agricultural residues and food waste, with consumption capped at that level of availability); and a ‘plant-based eating’ scenario. For each scenario, ‘projected diet’ and ‘healthy diet’ variants were modelled. Finally, we quantified the theoretical maximum carbon sequestration potential from afforestation of spared agricultural land. Results indicate that land use could be cut by 14–86 % and GHG emissions reduced by up to approximately 90 %. The yearly carbon storage potential arising from spared agricultural land ranged from 90 to 700 Mt CO₂ in 2050. The artificial meat and plant-based scenarios achieved the greatest land use and GHG reductions and the greatest carbon sequestration potential. The ‘ecological leftover’ scenario required the least cropland as compared with the other meat-containing scenarios, but all available pasture was used, and GHG emissions were higher if meat consumption was not capped at healthy levels.     

Using historical ecology to reassess the conservation status of coniferous forests in Central Europe

Forests cover approximately one‐third of Central Europe. Oak (Quercus) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica) are considered the natural dominants at low and middle elevations, respectively. Many coniferous forests (especially of Picea abies) occur primarily at midelevations, but these are thought to have resulted from forestry plantations planted over the past 200 years. Nature conservation and forestry policy seek to promote broadleaved trees over conifers. However, there are discrepancies between conservation guidelines (included in Natura 2000) and historical and palaeoecological data with regard to the distribution of conifers. Our aim was to bring new evidence to the debate on the conservation of conifers versus broadleaved trees at midelevations in Central Europe. We created a vegetation and land‐cover model based on pollen data for a highland area of 11,300 km² in the Czech Republic and assessed tree species composition in the forests before the onset of modern forestry based on 18th‐century archival sources. Conifers dominated the study region throughout the entire Holocene (approximately 40–60% of the area). Broadleaved trees were present in a much smaller area than envisaged by current ideas of natural vegetation. Rather than casting doubt on the principles of Central European nature conservation in general, our results highlight the necessity of detailed regional investigations and the importance of historical data in challenging established notions on the natural distribution of tree species.     

A field study of interfacial friction and entrainment in a microtidal salt-wedge estuary

Environmental Fluid Mechanics - The interfacial friction and entrainment were investigated in a microtidal salt-wedge estuary. A detailed sampling campaign was conducted in the Rječina River...     

Determination of total and bioaccessible metals in airborne particulate matter from an urban and a rural area at Sarajevo

Airborne particulate matter of up to 10 µm collected at an urban and a rural area at Sarajevo in 2013 and 2014 was acid digested for determination of total concentrations or extracted with synthetic gastric juice for the bioaccessible fractions of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn and determined by graphite furnace and flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The total concentrations of Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and V were higher at the urban site, while those of Cd, Ni, and Zn were virtually equal at both sites. The average bioaccessible fractions exhibited the following trend at both sites: Fe > Zn > Cu > Mn > Pb > Cr > V > Ni > Cd. Enrichment factors and daily intake of metals by inhalation were calculated.     

Occurrence and source of brominated organic compounds in surface waters

Monitoring of organic halogen compounds, measured as adsorbable organically bound bromine (AOBr), in an eutrophic lake, which is influenced by treated waste water, revealed repeatedly high concentrations of organobromine compounds in late summer, whereas five times lower values were measured during the rest of the year. It was possible to reproduce the in situ observed AOBr increase in the laboratory. Batch experiments were performed with lake water from two different lakes and an algae culture. It could be shown that the AOBr production is not limited to strong waste water influenced lakes. Furthermore, the AOBr formation requires light and the presence of algae, and thus is most probably biotic in nature. A low content of nutrients favours the formation of organic bromine compounds. To our knowledge this is the first report about the seasonally occurrence of naturally produced organic bromine compounds in lakes/surface waters.     

Geochemistry and pH control of seepage from Ni-Cu rich mine tailings at Selebi Phikwe,Botswana

Acid mine drainage from mine tailings at Selebi Phikwe, eastern Botswana, has been investigated using a combination of total decomposition, sequential extraction, X-ray diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and SEM analyses of solid phase samples, water analyses, isotopic analyses, and geochemical modeling. The principal ferric phases in the seepage stream sediments are jarosite and goethite, which incorporate Ni and Cu. The Mössbauer spectroscopy (MS) indicated exclusively 3+ oxidation state of iron with typical features of ferric hydroxides/sulfates. A fraction of dissolved sulfate is also sequestered in gypsum which precipitates further downstream. Significant portions of Fe, Ni, and Cu are transported in suspension. Values of pH decreased downstream due to H⁺ generated by the precipitation of jarosite. Values of δ²H and δ¹⁸O indicate evaporation of pore water in the mine tailings before seepage. Values of δ³⁴S(SO₄) are consistent with the oxidation of sulfides, but sample from the seepage face is affected by dissolution of gypsum. No minerals of Ni and Cu were detected and the principal attenuation processes seem to be adsorption and co-precipitation with jarosite. Higher contents of Cu are sequestered in solid phases compared to Ni, in spite of much higher dissolved Ni concentrations. Based on the speciation calculations, seepage water is undersaturated with respect to all Ni and Cu phases and adsorption and co-precipitation with jarosite seems to be the principal attenuation processes. Direct geochemical modeling was able to reproduce downstream pH trends, thus confirming the precipitation of jarosite as the principal pH-controlling process.     

A method for reducing environmental pollution by using essential oils in rodent pest management program

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Strong-smelling plant extracts, such as essential oils, have a variety of feeding effects on mammals. Considering current concerns over long-term...