Comparison of estimates of first-year dairy manure nitrogen availability or recovery using nitrogen-15 and other techniques

Measurements of dairy manure nutrient availability to crops typically show great variability. Approaches that are more accurate are needed to improve manure management and reduce nutrient loss to the environment. In this study, we compared direct (15N recovery) and indirect (difference method [Diff Meth] and fertilizer equivalence [FE] approach) methods of determining first-year dairy manure N availability or recovery during three cropping seasons. A field experiment was conducted on a Plano silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Argiudolls) planted to corn (Zea mays L.). Plots received either manure, fertilizer N, or no N. Microplots receiving 15N-labeled manure were also established each study year. Manure was applied to a new plot each cropping season. Whole-plant N uptake was the best crop parameter to use for FE estimates. Estimates of N availability by relative effectiveness (Rel Eff), which are derived from the Diff Meth, and FE were similar (32 and 41%, respectively) and higher than unlabeled N or 15N recovery measurements because these indices factor in N use efficiency. Measures of the Rel Eff of manure N use were highly affected by control plot N uptake. The FE approach is less influenced by control plots, but it requires the inclusion of several more treatments and use of mathematical functions to describe crop response to N. These limitations are reflected in the wide ranges obtained for N availability estimates (-60 to 148%). Although apparent N recovery by the Diff Meth (14%) or direct measurements of 15N recovery (16%) were close on average, variability tended to be much lower for the 15N method. In addition, the Diff Meth was highly dependent on initial soil conditions. Use of 15N-labeled manure, although more costly and time-consuming, provided more consistent and reliable results.     

Delineation of groundwater contamination around an ash pond: geochemical and GIS approach

The study has investigated the levels of metal contamination in groundwater due to particulate matter fallout and leaching from ash pond and assigned contamination indices for the adjacent localities around an ash disposal site with application of geographic information systems (GIS). Fe, Ba, Cu, Mn, S, Pb, V, and Zn were found to be the major contaminants in groundwater. Enrichment factors (EF) of these elements with respect to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) maximum contaminant levels show high values for Mn, Fe, and Pb in groundwater. The zone of attenuation for Ba, Fe, Cu, Mn, S, and Zn in groundwater is about 600-900 m from the ash pond, while Pb did not show any significant attenuation even at a distance of 1200 m. Tube wells around Rankasingha and Kukurhanga villages are most contaminated whereas open wells of Lachhmanpur, Kaniapada, and Kurudul villages showed higher degrees of contamination.     

Residue level and manure application timing effects on runoff and sediment losses

There is growing interest in evaluating the effects of corn silage harvesting methods on erosion control. Increasing the silage cutting height will increase residue cover and could conceivably minimize off-site migration of sediments compared with conventional silage harvesting. The effects of residue level and manure application timing on runoff and sediment losses from no-till corn were examined. Treatments included conventional corn grain (G) and silage (SL) and nonconventional, high-cut (60-65 cm) silage (SH). Corn harvesting treatments were subjected to different manure application regimes: no manure (N) or surface application in fall (F) or spring (S). Simulated rainfall (76 mm/h; 1 h) was applied in spring and fall for two years (2002-2003), runoff from 2.0- x 1.5-m plots collected, and a subsample analyzed for sediment concentration and aggregate size distribution. Runoff volume was inversely related to residue cover. Manure addition to silage plots reduced spring runoff by 71 to 88%, attributable to an increase in soil organic matter content, compared with SH-N and SL-N. Differences in sediment concentration between SH and SL were not significant. For silage plots, spring-applied manure had the greatest influence on sediment export reducing it by 84 to 93% in spring runoff compared with corresponding N plots. Sediment loads were also 85 to 97% lower from SH-S compared with SL-N in all four seasons. Except for spring 2003, sediment export was lower from G compared with SL. The combination of manure and higher residue associated with high-cut silage often lowered sediment export compared with low-cut silage. Nearly identical aggregate size distributions were observed in sediments from SH and SL plots. High residue levels combined with spring-applied manure led to enrichment in the clay-sized fraction of runoff sediment. Recently applied manure and higher residue levels achieved by high-cutting silage can substantially lower sediment losses in spring runoff when soil is most susceptible to erosion.     

WATER QUALITY PROJECTIONS: PREIMPOUNDMENT CASE STUDY1

ABSTRACT: Recent regulations require impact statements for major water development projects, including reservoirs that will be used for water supply, recreation, and pollution control. A water quantity/quality model was developed and used for making water quality projections of a proposed reservoir in Montgomery County, Maryland. The study area is uncommon in that there is an extensive water quality data base. The results indicate that land use changes will have a significant effect on water quality and that the proposed reservoir will improve the quality of the surface waters downstream from the reservoir. A major effect of land use changes is the increase in the variability of water quality.     

Improving decision quality: Making the case for adopting next‐generation site characterization practices

Better site characterization is critical for cheaper, faster, and more effective cleanup. This fact is especially true as cleanup decisions increasingly include site redevelopment and reuse considerations. However, established attitudes about what constitutes “data quality” create many barriers to exciting new tools capable of achieving better characterization, slowing their dissemination into the mainstream. Traditional approaches to environmental “data quality” rest on simplifying assumptions that are rarely acknowledged by the environmental community. Data quality assessments focus on the quality of the analysis, while seldom asking what impact matrix heterogeneity has had on analytical results. Assessments of data quality typically assume that chemical contaminants are distributed nearly homogeneously throughout environmental matrices and that contaminant‐matrix interactions are well behaved during analysis. Yet, these assumptions seldom hold true for real‐world matrices and contaminants at scales relevant to accurate risk assessment and efficient remedial design. For the site cleanup industry to continue technical advancement, over‐simplified paradigms must give way to next‐generation models that are built on current scientific understanding. If reuse programs such as Brownfields are to thrive, the scientific defensibility of individual projects must be maintained at the same time as characterization and cleanup costs are lowered. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers the Triad Approach as an alternative paradigm to foster highly defensible, yet extremely cost‐effective reuse decisions. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

WATER QUALITY SAMPLING SCHEMES FOR VARIABLE FLOW CANALS AT REMOTE SITES1

ABSTRACT: Growing interest in water quality has resulted in the development of monitoring networks and intensive sampling for various constituents. Common purposes are regulatory, source and sink understanding, and trend observations. Water quality monitoring involves monitoring system design; sampling site instrumentation; and sampling, analysis, quality control, and assurance. Sampling is a process to gather information with the least cost and least error. Various water quality sampling schemes have been applied for different sampling objectives and time frames. In this study, a flow proportional composite sampling scheme is applied to variable flow remote canals where the flow rate is not known a priori. In this scheme, historical weekly flow data are analyzed to develop high flow and low flow sampling trigger volumes for auto‐samplers. The median flow is used to estimate low flow sampling trigger volume and the five percent exceedence probability flow is used for high flow sampling trigger volume. A computer simulation of high resolution sampling is used to demonstrate the comparative bias in load estimation and operational cost among four sampling schemes. Weekly flow proportional composite auto‐sampling resulted in the least bias in load estimation with competitive operational cost compared to daily grab, weekly grab sampling and time proportional auto‐sampling.     

Nitrogen use efficiency: A potential performance indicator and policy tool for dairy farms

Escalating fertilizer and feed costs, declining product prices, and increasing regulations to reduce environmental pollution have created new pressures to improve nutrient use in agricultural production. This study provides an overview of factors and processes that impact nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in dairy production, identifies practices that may bridge gaps between actual-NUE obtained on commercial farms and potential-NUE obtained under experimental conditions, and explores the possibility of using NUE as a performance indicator and policy tool for dairy production. Actual feed-NUE varies from 16% to 36% and is impacted by of a range of dairy practices; manure/fertilizer-NUE varies from 16% to 77% and is very site-specific; and whole-farm NUE varies from 8% to 64% and declines as stocking rates increase. Optimal stocking rate and manure nitrogen (N) crediting can enhance NUE, increase farm profits, and reduce N loss from dairy farms. NUE could be used to further engage dairy producers in collaborative assessments of gaps between their actual N use and the biological potential of N use, to develop performance goals for N use in various production components, and to monitor and evaluate the impacts of alternative feed, manure and fertilizer management practices on N use, profitability, and environmental outcomes.     

大型体育赛事对城市旅游的影响研究——以兰州国际马拉松为例

大型体育赛事的举办对城市旅游业发展具有巨大的刺激作用。以兰州国际马拉松为例,采用2000—2013年兰州旅游人数和旅游收入的统计数据,分析比赛前后几年旅游人数及旅游收入的变化。结果表明,兰州国际马拉松赛事对兰州旅游业发展的拉动作用极为明显。在此基础上,提出作为经济欠发达地区的兰州在发展以体育赛事为主的文化创意产业时所面临的问题及对策。     

澜沧江梯级水电站库区水体富营养化研究

根据2008年1—12月对澜沧江下游的漫湾和大朝山水电站库区的水环境监测结果,应用浮游植物指示法、地表水资源质量标准评价、经验TLI法评价、藻类现存量指标法对影响水体富营养化的水环境指标进行了分析。结果表明,两库区水体中,营养盐指标总体处在一种高含量水平,大朝山和漫湾库区水体总氮浓度年变化范围分别为0.345~1.880mg/L和0.340~1.743mg/L,总磷浓度年变化范围分别为0.019~0.139mg/L和0.015~0.111mg/L。TLI综合指数评价表明两库区水体处于贫营养水平。     

温度对沉水植物腐解释放DOM及微生物群落多样性的影响

在5,10,20,35℃下研究了黑藻和马来眼子菜腐解过程中DOM的特性、细菌和真菌群落结构多样性的变化.结果表明,腐解结束时5,10,20,35℃下黑藻的干物质剩余量分别为初始干物质质量的59.13%、43.91%、32.61%和29.57%,马来眼子菜的干物质剩余量分别为初始干物质质量的69.13%、51.3%、30.87%和29.57%.升高温度一定程度上促进了植物有机碳和全氮释放,对全磷无明显影响（P>0.05）.采用平行因子分析法得到黑藻中含有2种类腐殖酸组分C1、C2和1种类蛋白质组分C3,马来眼子菜中含有3种类腐殖酸组分C1、C2和C3.温度升高使得腐解水体中DO和电导率的变化程度加剧,总体上4种温度下2种植物腐解水体中DO均呈现先下降后上升的趋势.通过高通量测序得到腐解前期（0~16d）参与黑藻和马来眼子菜腐解的主要细菌分别为变形菌门（Proteobacteria）和拟杆菌门（Bacteroidetes）;腐解中后期（16~68d）参与黑藻和马来眼子菜腐解的细菌分别以厚壁菌门（Phylum Firmicutes）和变形菌门（Proteobacteria）为主,温度对细菌群落结构无明显影响,而参与2种植物腐解的真菌均以子囊菌（Ascomycetes）最为活跃.