Greenhouse effect and coastal wetland policy: How Americans could abandon an area the size of Massachusetts at minimum cost

Climatologists generally expect an anthropogenic global warming that could raise sea level 30–150 cm in the next century and more thereafter. One of the impacts would be the loss of coastal wetlands. Although the inundation of adjacent dryland would enable new wetlands to form, much of this land is or will soon be developed. If developed areas are protected, wetlands will be squeezed between an advancing sea and the land being protected, which has already happened in China and the Netherlands, where people have built dikes for centuries. Unlike those countries, the United States has enough land to accommodate the landward migration of wetlands; but governments lack the funds to purchase all the coastal lowlands that might be inundated and the legal authority to prohibit their development. We propose a third approach: allowing property owners to use coastal lowlands today as they choose, but setting up a legal mechanism to ensure that the land is abandoned if and when sea level rises enough to inundate it. Although compensation may be required, this approach would cost less than 1% as much as purchasing the land, and would be (1) economically efficient by enabling real estate markets to incorporate expectations of future sea level rise; (2) constitutional by compensating property owners; and (3) politically feasible by pleasing people who care about the long-term fate of the coastal environment without disturbing people who either are unconcerned about the distant future or do not believe sea level will rise. This article demonstrates that it would be irrational to delay policy formulation until sea level rise projections are more precise. The cost will be small if we act now but great if we wait, and sea level is already rising along most coasts. The US government should develop a strategy in the next three years. The opinions expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of EPA and no official endorsement should be inferred.     

试论畜牧业污染和畜产品公害与绿色环保畜牧业

分析了畜牧业发展给环境带来的影响、环境污染给畜牧业的生产带来的影响以及被污染的畜产品给人类带来的危害；提出了建立绿色环保畜牧业的基本思路。     

Comparison of grassland management systems for beef cattle using self-contained farmlets: effects of contrasting nitrogen inputs and management strategies on nitrogen budgets, and herbage and animal production

Past research on nitrogen (N) inputs, losses and surpluses focused on separate components of grassland management, i.e., grazed or cut swards and the impact of fertiliser or slurry applications. In practice, however, grassland is both grazed and cut for conservation, and N fertiliser is supplied from both organic and inorganic sources. A whole systems approach was used to evaluate the effects of combinations of management strategies designed to reduce N losses on N budgets, and herbage and animal production in South West England. Three systems with contrasting N inputs were compared: CN, conventional mineral N application and broadcast slurry; TN, tactical mineral N application with slurry injection and the early housing of cattle; GC, a mixed grass/white clover sward with no mineral N addition and slurry injection. Comparisons were made on two contrasting soil types: a freely-draining sandy loam (Gleysol, Site 1), and a poorly drained clay (Luvisol, Site 2). 1 ha farmlets were grazed to a target sward height by beef cattle for a 5-year (Site 1) or a 4-year (Site 2) period. Herbage surplus to grazing requirements was cut for silage. On average, 185 kg N ha⁻¹ was applied annually to treatment TN compared with 280 kg N ha⁻¹ for CN. An additional 76, 102 and 67 kg N ha⁻¹ was applied in slurry to treatments CN, TN and GC, respectively. Substantial reductions in N surpluses were achieved for both treatments TN and GC compared with treatment CN (N surpluses ha⁻¹: 254, 168 and 119 kg at Site 1, and 247 kg, 190 and 73 kg at Site 2, for CN, TN and GC, respectively). The highest N input for treatment CN was associated with the greatest animal and herbage production. More land was required for grazing on treatment GC and less herbage was cut for silage so that self-sufficiency was not attained for winter fodder on this treatment. The early removal of cattle on treatment TN did not result in a significant increase in the amount of herbage cut for silage. It was concluded that the combinations of mitigation options used were successful in reducing N surpluses compared with the conventional N management system, but animal and herbage production was reduced.     

Mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) wing-whistles may contain threat-related information for con- and hetero-specifics

Distinct acoustic whistles are associated with the wing-beats of many doves, and are especially noticeable when doves ascend from the ground when startled. I thus hypothesized that these sounds may be used by flock-mates as cues of potential danger. To test this hypothesis, I compared the responses of mourning doves (Zenaida macroura), northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis), and house sparrows (Passer domesticus) to audio playbacks of dove ‘startle wing-whistles’, cardinal alarm calls, dove ‘nonstartle wing-whistles’, and sparrow ‘social chatter’. Following playbacks of startle wing-whistles and alarm calls, conspecifics and heterospecifics startled and increased vigilance more than after playbacks of other sounds. Also, the latency to return to feeding was greater following playbacks of startle wing-whistles and alarm calls than following playbacks of other sounds. These results suggest that both conspecifics and heterospecifics may attend to dove wing-whistles in decisions related to antipredator behaviors. Whether the sounds of dove wing-whistles are intentionally produced signals warrants further testing.     

Do lagoons near concentrated animal feeding operations promote nitrous oxide supersaturation?

Animal wastewater lagoons nearby concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) represent the latest tendency in global animal farming, severely impacting the magnitude of greenhouse gas emissions, including nitrous oxide (N₂O). We hypothesized that lagoon wastewater could be supersaturated with N₂O as part of incomplete microbial nitrification/denitrification processes, thereby regulating the N₂O partitioning in the gaseous phase. The objectives of this study were: (i) to investigate the magnitude of dissolved N₂O concentrations in the lagoon; and (ii) to determine the extent to which supersaturation of N₂O occurs in wastewater lagoons. Dissolved N₂O concentrations in the wastewater samples were high, ranging from 0.4 to 40.5 μg N₂O mL⁻¹. Calculated dissolved N₂O concentrations from the experimentally measured partition coefficients were much greater than those typically expected in aquatic systems (<∼0.6 μg N₂O mL⁻¹). Knowledge of the factors controlling the magnitude of N₂O supersaturation could potentially bridge mass balance differences between in situ measurements and global N₂O models.     

Nitrous oxide supersaturation at the liquid/air interface of animal waste

Concentrated animal feeding operations around the globe generate large amounts of nitrous oxide (N₂O) in the surrounding atmosphere. Liquid animal waste systems have received little attention with respect to N₂O emissions. We hypothesized that the solution chemistry of animal waste aqueous suspensions would promote conditions that lead to N₂O supersaturation at the liquid/air interface. The concentration of dissolved N₂O in poultry litter (PL) aqueous suspensions at 25 °C was 0.36 μg N₂O mL⁻¹, at least an order of magnitude greater than that measured in water in equilibrium with ambient air, suggesting N₂O supersaturation. There was a nonlinear increase in the N₂O Henry constants of PL from 2810 atm/mole fraction at 35 °C to 17 300 atm/mole fraction at 41 °C. The extremely high N₂O Henry constants were partially ascribed to N₂O complexation with aromatic moieties. Complexed N₂O structures were unstable at temperatures > 35 °C, supplying the headspace with additional free N₂O concentrations.     

水中石油类和动植物油类测定标准的探讨

对水中油类测定的新旧标准---《水质石油类和动植物油类的测定红外分光光度法》（ HJ 637-2012）和《水质石油类和动植物油类的测定红外分光光度法》（ GB/T 16488-1996）作比较，前者的内容中增加了总油的定义，修改了干燥剂的处理条件、样品体积的测量方法及萃取条件和萃取液脱水方式，删除了絮凝富集萃取的内容。试验证明，改进后的方法降低了检出限和空白干扰，样品体积测量更加准确。     

Measuring and modeling nitrous oxide and methane emissions from beef cattle feedlot manure management: First assessments under Brazilian condition

Intensive beef production has increased during recent decades in Brazil and may substantially increase both methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from manure management. However, the quantification of these gases and methods for extrapolating them are scarce in Brazil. A case study examines CH₄ and N₂O emissions from one typical beef cattle feedlot manure management continuum in Brazil and the applicability of Manure-DNDC model in predicting these emissions for better understand fluxes and mitigation options. Measurements track CH₄ and N₂O emissions from manure excreted in one housing floor holding 21 animals for 78 days, stockpiled for 73 days and field spread (360 kg N ha^?1). We found total emissions (CH₄ + N₂O) of 0.19 ± 0.10 kg CO₂eq per kg of animal live weight gain; mostly coming from field application (73%), followed housing (25%) and storage (2%). The Manure-DNDC simulations were generally within the statistical deviation ranges of the field data, differing in ?28% in total emission. Large uncertainties in measurements showed the model was more accurate estimating the magnitude of gases emissions than replicate results at daily basis. Modeled results suggested increasing the frequency of manure removal from housing, splitting the field application and adopting no-tillage system is the most efficient management for reducing emissions from manure (up to about 75%). Since this work consists in the first assessment under Brazilian conditions, more and continuous field measurements are required for decreasing uncertainties and improving model validations. However, this paper reports promising results and scientific perceptions for the design of further integrated work on farm-scale measurements and Manure-DNDC model development for Brazilian conditions.     

A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Animal Experiments with Guidelines for Reporting

To maximize the findings of animal experiments to inform likely health effects in humans, a thorough review and evaluation of the animal evidence is required. Systematic reviews and, where appropriate, meta-analyses have great potential in facilitating such an evaluation, making efficient use of the animal evidence while minimizing possible sources of bias. The extent to which systematic review and meta-analysis methods have been applied to evaluate animal experiments to inform human health is unknown. Using systematic review methods, we examine the extent and quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of in vivo animal experiments carried out to inform human health. We identified 103 articles meeting the inclusion criteria: 57 reported a systematic review, 29 a systematic review and a meta-analysis, and 17 reported a meta-analysis only. The use of these methods to evaluate animal evidence has increased over time. Although the reporting of systematic reviews is of adequate quality, the reporting of meta-analyses is poor. The inadequate reporting of meta-analyses observed here leads to questions on whether the most appropriate methods were used to maximize the use of the animal evidence to inform policy or decision-making. We recommend that guidelines proposed here be used to help improve the reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of animal experiments. Further consideration of the use and methodological quality and reporting of such studies is needed.     

The impact of heavy metal pollution gradients in sediments on benthic macrofauna at population and community levels

The effect of sediment pollution on benthos was investigated in the vicinity of a large sewage treatment outflow at Incheon North Harbor, Korea. Animal size, vertical distribution and standard community parameters were analyzed along a 3 km transect line (n = 7). Univariate parameters showed a general trend of increasing species diversity with increasing distance from the pollution source. Multi-dimensional scaling analysis led to the clear separation of 3 locational groups, supporting gradient-dependent faunal composition. The innermost location was dominated by small sub-surface dwellers while the outer locations by large mid to deep burrowers. Looking for the size-frequency distribution, most abundance species (Heteromastus filiformis) showed the presence of larger size animals with increasing proximity to the pollution source. Meanwhile, species-specific vertical distributions, regardless of the pollution gradient, indicated that such shifts were due to species replacement resulting from a higher tolerance to pollutants over some species.