A framework for allocating conservation resources among multiple threats and actions

Land managers decide how to allocate resources among multiple threats that can be addressed through multiple possible actions. Additionally, these actions vary in feasibility, effectiveness, and cost. We sought to provide a way to optimize resource allocation to address multiple threats when multiple management options are available, including mutually exclusive options. Formulating the decision as a combinatorial optimization problem, our framework takes as inputs the expected impact and cost of each threat for each action (including do nothing) and for each overall budget identifies the optimal action to take for each threat. We compared the optimal solution to an easy to calculate greedy algorithm approximation and a variety of plausible ranking schemes. We applied the framework to management of multiple introduced plant species in Australian alpine areas. We developed a model of invasion to predict the expected impact in 50 years for each species-action combination that accounted for each species’ current invasion state (absent, localized, widespread); arrival probability; spread rate; impact, if present, of each species; and management effectiveness of each species-action combination. We found that the recommended action for a threat changed with budget; there was no single optimal management action for each species; and considering more than one candidate action can substantially increase the management plan's overall efficiency. The approximate solution (solution ranked by marginal cost-effectiveness) performed well when the budget matched the cost of the prioritized actions, indicating that this approach would be effective if the budget was set as part of the prioritization process. The ranking schemes varied in performance, and achieving a close to optimal solution was not guaranteed. Global sensitivity analysis revealed a threat's expected impact and, to a lesser extent, management effectiveness were the most influential parameters, emphasizing the need to focus research and monitoring efforts on their quantification.     

Characterization of the incipient smoke point for steam-/air-assisted and nonassisted flares

Flares are important safety devices for pressure relief; at the same time, flares are a significant point source for soot and highly reactive volatile organic compounds (HRVOCs). Currently, simple guidelines for flare operations to maintain high combustion efficiency (CE) remain elusive. This paper fills the gap by investigating the characteristics of the incipient smoke point (ISP), which is widely recognized as the condition for good combustion. This study characterizes the ISP in terms of 100–% combustion inefficiency (CE), percent opacity, absorbance, air assist, steam assist, air equivalence ratio, steam equivalence ratio, exit velocity, vent gas net heating value, and combustion zone net heating value. Flame lengths were calculated for buoyant and momentum-dominated plumes under calm and windy conditions at stable and neutral atmosphere. Opacity was calculated using the Beer–Lambert law based on soot concentration, flame diameter, and mass-specific extinction cross section of soot. The calculated opacity and absorbance were found to be lognormally distributed. Linear relations were established for soot yield versus absorptivity with R² > 0.99 and power-law relations for opacity versus soot emission rate with R² ≥ 0.97 for steam-assisted, air-assisted, and nonassisted flares. The characterized steam/air assists, combustion zone/vent gas heating values, exit velocity, steam, and air equivalence ratios for the incipient smoke point will serve as a useful guideline for efficient flare operations.

Implications: A Recent EPA rule requires an evaluation of visible emissions in terms of opacity in compliance with the standards. In this paper, visible emissions such as soot particles are characterized in terms of opacity at ISP. Since ISP is widely recognized as most efficient flare operation for high combustion efficiency (CE)/destruction efficiency (DE) with initial soot particles formed in the flame, this characterization provides a useful guideline for flare operators in the refinery, oil and gas, and chemical industries to sustain smokeless and high combustion efficiency flaring in compliance with recent EPA regulations, in addition to protecting the environment.     

Pressurized liquid extraction of six tetracyclines from agricultural soils

Veterinary antibiotics used in agriculture can be introduced into the environment through land application of animal manure, accumulating in soils and groundwaters and posing a significant risk to human health and animal well-being. As the analysis of tetracyclines in soil is challenging due to their strong interaction with soil minerals and organic carbon, the objective of this study was to develop a reliable and reproducible method for quantitative analysis of chlortetracycline and oxytetracycline, and their respective metabolites in soils. A method based on pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) with in-cell clean-up was developed for the extraction of chlortetracycline and oxytetracycline and four likely metabolites from a set of four soils. Optimized conditions included a cell size of 22?mL, soil loading of 5?g, pH of 8.0, methanol:water ratio of 3:1, 50?°C, and two cycles. Soil extracts were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with ion trap mass spectrometry (MS). Recoveries of seven tetracyclines from soil ranged from 41% to 110%. The limits of detection for tetracyclines were 0.08–0.3 µg g^?1 soil, and intra- and inter-day variation ranged from 0.12–0.34%. The proposed PLE method is suitable for quantification of tetracyclines in agricultural soils at typical concentrations expected in contaminated environments.     

Towards enhancing tidally-induced water renewal in coastal lagoons

Environmental Fluid Mechanics - In order to address the problem of limited water renewal in restricted lagoons of moderate size having at least two tidal inlets, a method is proposed to enhance...     

Spatial cost–benefit analysis of blue restoration and factors driving net benefits globally

Marine coastal ecosystems, commonly referred to as blue ecosystems, provide valuable services to society but are under increasing threat worldwide due to a variety of drivers, including eutrophication, development, land-use change, land reclamation, and climate change. Ecological restoration is sometimes necessary to facilitate recovery in coastal ecosystems. Blue restoration (i.e., in marine coastal systems) is a developing field, and projects to date have been small scale and expensive, leading to the perception that restoration may not be economically viable. We conducted a global cost–benefit analysis to determine the net benefits of restoring coral reef, mangrove, saltmarsh, and seagrass ecosystems, where the benefit is defined as the monetary value of ecosystem services. We estimated costs from published restoration case studies and used an adjusted-value-transfer method to assign benefit values to these case studies. Benefit values were estimated as the monetary value provided by ecosystem services of the restored habitats. Benefits outweighed costs (i.e., there were positive net benefits) for restoration of all blue ecosystems. Mean benefit:cost ratios for ecosystem restoration were eight to 10 times higher than prior studies of coral reef and seagrass restoration, most likely due to the more recent lower cost estimates we used. Among ecosystems, saltmarsh had the greatest net benefits followed by mangrove; coral reef and seagrass ecosystems had lower net benefits. In general, restoration in nations with middle incomes had higher (eight times higher in coral reefs and 40 times higher in mangroves) net benefits than those with high incomes. Within an ecosystem type, net benefit varied with restoration technique (coral reef and saltmarsh), ecosystem service produced (mangrove and saltmarsh), and project duration (seagrass). These results challenge the perceptions of the low economic viability of blue restoration and should encourage further targeted investment in this field.     

Larvicidal and pupicidal activities of eco-friendly phenolic lipid products from Anacardium occidentale nutshell against arbovirus vectors

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus are vectors of diseases that constitute public health problems. The discovery of products capable of...     

Combination with catalyzed Fe(0)-carbon microelectrolysis and activated carbon adsorption for advanced reclaimed water treatment: simultaneous nitrate and biorefractory organics removal

A process combining catalyzed Fe(0)-carbon microelectrolysis (IC-ME) with activated carbon (AC) adsorption was developed for advanced reclaimed water treatment. Simultaneous nitrate reduction and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal were achieved, and the effects of composite catalyst (CC) addition, AC addition, and initial pH were investigated. The reaction kinetics and reaction mechanisms were calculated and analyzed. The results showed that CC addition could enhance the reduction rate of nitrate and effectively inhibit the production of ammonia. Moreover, AC addition increased the adsorption capacity of biorefractory organic compounds (BROs) and enhanced the degradation of BRO. The reduction of NO₃^?–N at different pH values was consistently greater than 96.9%, and NH₄⁺–N was suppressed by high pH. The presence of CC ensured the reaction rate of IC-ME at high pH. The reaction kinetics orders and constants were calculated. Catalyzed iron scrap (IS)-AC showed much better nitrate reduction and BRO degradation performances than IS-AC and AC. The IC-ME showed great potential for application to nitrate and BRO reduction in reclaimed water.

     

An uptake and elimination kinetics approach to assess the bioavailability of chromium,copper, and arsenic to earthworms (Eisenia andrei) in contaminated field soils

The aim of this study was to determine the bioavailability of metals in field soils contaminated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) mixtures. The uptake and elimination kinetics of chromium, copper, and arsenic were assessed in the earthworm Eisenia andrei exposed to soils from a gradient of CCA wood preservative contamination near Hartola, Finland. In soils contaminated with 1480–1590 mg Cr/kg dry soil, 642–791 mg Cu/kg dry soil, and 850–2810 mg Ag/kg dry soil, uptake and elimination kinetics patterns were similar for Cr and Cu. Both metals were rapidly taken up and rapidly excreted by Eisenia andrei with equilibrium reached within 1 day. The metalloid As, however, showed very slow uptake and elimination in the earthworms and body concentrations did not reach equilibrium within 21 days. Bioaccumulation factors (BAF) were low for Cu and Cr (< 0.1), but high for As at 0.54–1.8. The potential risk of CCA exposure for the terrestrial ecosystem therefore is mainly due to As.

     

Ozone facilitated degradation of caffeine using Ce-TiO2 catalyst

The ozone initiated oxidation of 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine (caffeine), commonly found in wastewaters as model compound is reported using cerium (Ce)/titanium dioxide (TiO₂) as catalyst. The effect of pH and loading of ceria on titania were investigated. Effect of reaction conditions on degradation of caffeine based on their pseudo first-order rate constants were compared. The combination of catalyst Ce-TiO₂ and ozone aeration significantly enhanced the degradation of caffeine compared to uncatalysed ozonation. The oxidation of caffeine ensued via the free radical mechanism, through enhanced ozone decomposition into OH radicals. Ce/TiO₂(0.5?wt%) showed good activity in degradation of caffeine at pH 6, in both natural stream and river water samples showing about 60% total organic carbon removal in 2?h ozonation period. Using liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy, degradation products were analysed. A reaction intermediate and one final product were positively identified. Nano-catalysts with different loadings of Ce on TiO₂ synthesized by sol-gel route were characterized by scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscopy, BET and powder X-ray diffraction spectrum techniques. The results showed that the material retained a highly ordered mesoporous structure and possessed large surface area.     

Improving inferences about private land conservation by accounting for incomplete reporting

Private lands provide key habitat for imperiled species and are core components of function protectected area networks; yet, their incorporation into national and regional conservation planning has been challenging. Identifying locations where private landowners are likely to participate in conservation initiatives can help avoid conflict and clarify trade-offs between ecological benefits and sociopolitical costs. Empirical, spatially explicit assessment of the factors associated with conservation on private land is an emerging tool for identifying future conservation opportunities. However, most data on private land conservation are voluntarily reported and incomplete, which complicates these assessments. We used a novel application of occupancy models to analyze the occurrence of conservation easements on private land. We compared multiple formulations of occupancy models with a logistic regression model to predict the locations of conservation easements based on a spatially explicit social–ecological systems framework. We combined a simulation experiment with a case study of easement data in Idaho and Montana (United States) to illustrate the utility of the occupancy framework for modeling conservation on private land. Occupancy models that explicitly accounted for variation in reporting produced estimates of predictors that were substantially less biased than estimates produced by logistic regression under all simulated conditions. Occupancy models produced estimates for the 6 predictors we evaluated in our case study that were larger in magnitude, but less certain than those produced by logistic regression. These results suggest that occupancy models result in qualitatively different inferences regarding the effects of predictors on conservation easement occurrence than logistic regression and highlight the importance of integrating variable and incomplete reporting of participation in empirical analysis of conservation initiatives. Failure to do so can lead to emphasizing the wrong social, institutional, and environmental factors that enable conservation and underestimating conservation opportunities in landscapes where social norms or institutional constraints inhibit reporting.