Effects of Livestock Grazing and Well Construction on Prairie Vegetation Structure Surrounding Shallow Natural Gas Wells

Short and sparse vegetation near shallow gas wells has generally been attributed to residual effects from well construction, but other mechanisms might also explain these trends. We evaluated effects of distance to shallow gas wells on vegetation and bare ground in mixed-grass prairies in southern Alberta, Canada, from 2010 to 2011. We then tested three hypotheses to explain why we found shorter vegetation and more bare ground near wells, using cattle fecal pat transects from 2012, and our vegetation quadrats. We evaluated whether empirical evidence suggested that observed patterns were driven by (1) higher abundance of crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) near wells, (2) residual effects of well construction, or (3) attraction of livestock to wells. Crested wheatgrass occurrence was higher near wells, but this did not explain effects of wells on vegetation structure. Correlations between distance to wells and litter depth were the highest near newer wells, providing support for the construction hypothesis. However, effects of distance to wells on other vegetation metrics did not decline as time since well construction increased, suggesting that other mechanisms explained observed edge effects. Cattle abundance was substantially higher near wells, and this effect corresponded with changes in habitat structure. Our results suggest that both residual effects of well construction and cattle behavior may explain effects of shallow gas wells on habitat structure in mixed-grass prairies, and thus, to be effective, mitigation strategies must address both mechanisms.     

Fertilizer Management in Watersheds of Two Ramsar Wetlands and Effects on Quality of Inflowing Water

Two field experiments were carried out in the watersheds of two Ramsar wetland areas, Lakes Koronia and Volvi (area A) and Lakes Mikri and Megali Prespa (area B), to study the effect of application of N fertilizer on wheat yields, the quality of runoff water, and the quality of stream water. The treatments were a combination of two methods of fertilizer application (total amount in fall, and 2/3 in fall + 1/3 in spring) at three rates (0, 100, and 200 kg N/ha) with four replications. Concentrations of NH₄ ⁺, NO₃ ⁻, NO₂ ⁻, P, and Cl⁻ and pH were determined in all water samples. Runoff water quality was not influenced by fertilizer application in either area. Chemical parameters for water did not differ along the selected watercourses in area B, while in area A they were higher in the samples taken near Lake Koronia than in the samples taken upstream, indicating that the watercourses are polluted downstream by nonagricultural sources. The differences in wheat yields between the 100 and 200 kg N/ha application rates were not high. These results call for better fertilizer management in order to achieve better yields and to diminish the possibility to have negative effects to the environment.     

Hydrologic and Phosphorus Export Behavior of Small Streams in Commercial Poultry‐Pasture Watersheds1

Romeis, J. Joshua, C. Rhett Jackson, L. Mark Risse, Andrew N. Sharpley, and David E. Radcliffe, 2011. Hydrologic and Phosphorus Export Behavior of Small Streams in Commercial Poultry‐Pasture Watersheds. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 1‐19. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00521.x Abstract: Few watershed‐scale studies have evaluated phosphorus export in streamflow from commercial poultry‐pasture operations. Continuous streamflow and mixed‐frequency water quality datasets were collected from nine commercial poultry‐pasture (AG) and three forested (FORS) headwater streams (2.4‐44 ha) in the upper Etowah River basin of Georgia to estimate total P (TP) loads and examine variability of hydrologic response and water quality of storm and nonstorm‐flow regimes. Data collection duration ranged from 18 to 22 months, and approximately 1,600 water quality samples were collected. Significant (p < 0.1) inverse relationships were detected between peak flow response variables and both drainage area and fraction of forest cover. Order‐of‐magnitude differences in TP and dissolved reactive P (DRP) concentration were observed between AG and FORS sites and among AG sites. TP yields of FORS sites ranged from 0.01 to 0.1 kg P/ha. Yields of AG sites ranged from 0.031 to 3.17 kg P/ha (median = 0.354 kg P/ha). With 95% confidence intervals, AG yields ranged from 0.025 to 13.1 kg P/ha. These small‐watershed‐scale yields were similar to field‐scale yields measured in other studies in other regions. TP yields were significantly related to area‐weighted Mehlich‐1 soil test P concentrations (p = 0.0073) and base‐flow water sample P concentrations (p ≤ 0.0005). Water quality sampling during base‐flow conditions may be a useful screening tool for P risk‐based management programs.     

Responding to a Public Health Objection to Vaccinating the Great Apes

Capps and Lederman, in a paper published in this journal in 2015, argued that, at the time, the dismal circumstances of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa was an opportunity to revisit public health responses to emergent infectious diseases. Using a One Health lens, they argued for an ecological perspective—one that looked to respond to zoonoses as an environmental as well as public health concern. Using Ebola virus disease as an example, they suggested shared immunity as a strategy to vaccinate both humans and great apes. Since then, vaccination as a conservation strategy in this case has been debated and at least one great ape vaccination trial has been proposed: some, however, are less convinced of the ethical arguments to pursue vaccinating wild animals. Using this opportunity, we review Capps and Lederman’s arguments and directly respond to the plausible objections to them.     

Design and evaluation of a local analytic-deliberative process for climate adaptation planning

In the midst of rapidly proliferating engagement efforts around climate adaptation, attention to the design and evaluation of decision support processes and products is warranted. We report on the development and evaluation of a process framework called the Vulnerability, Consequences, and Adaptation Planning Scenarios (VCAPS) process. VCAPS is a systematic approach to integrate local knowledge with scientific understanding by providing opportunities for facilitated, deliberative learning-based activities with local decision makers about climate change vulnerability and adaptation. We introduce the conceptual basis of the process in analytic-deliberation, hazard management, and vulnerability. Our evaluations from eight coastal communities where the approach was applied point to four assets of VCAPS: it promotes synthesis of local and scientific knowledge; it stimulates systems thinking and learning; it facilitates governance by producing action plans with transparent justifications; and it accommodates participant time constraints and preferences.     

Production of soybean ethanol-based biodiesel using CaO heterogeneous catalysts promoted by Zn,K and Mg

This article focuses on the optimization of the production of fatty acid ethyl esters from soybean oil using CaO-based heterogeneous catalysts. Three different catalytic promoters were evaluated: Magnesium, zinc, and potassium. The reaction has evaluated the promoter content (promoter to calcium molar ratio), catalyst load, alcohol to oil molar ratio, and temperature. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to evaluate the influence of each variable on the yield of biodiesel. The addition of K₂O or MgO in the catalyst has enhanced the yield in fatty acid ethyl esters, while the use of ZnO as a promoter was not successful.     

Application of the pressure-state-response framework to perceptions reporting of the state of the New Zealand environment

The Pressure-State-Response framework for environmental reporting was used as a basis to develop a long-term study of people's perceptions of the state of the New Zealand environment. A postal survey of 2000 people, randomly drawn from the New Zealand electoral roll was used to gather data--an effective response rate of 48% was achieved. A range of different resource sectors was examined. We report on New Zealand's air, native animals and plants, and marine fisheries, as well as New Zealand compared to other developed countries. Respondents generally considered that in terms of pressures, states and responses, New Zealand was performing better than other developed countries and that for the resources examined here overall performance was in the adequate to good range, except for marine fisheries. The survey appears to be a useful tool for linking perceptions data into State of the Environment reporting. It also helps identify policy issues where perceptions do not match other scientific evidence or management initiatives. Such findings can be important for the successful implementation of policy measures.     

Application of a slow-release fertilizer for oil bioremediation in beach sediment

A 105-d field experiment was conducted to determine the potential of the slow-release fertilizer, Osmocote (Scotts, Marysville, OH), to stimulate the indigenous microbial biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in an oil-spiked beach sediment on an intertidal foreshore in Singapore. Triplicate microcosms containing 80 kg of weathered sediment, spiked with 5% (w/w) Arabian light crude oil and 1.2% (w/w) Osmocote pellets, were established, together with control microcosms minus Osmocote. Relative to the control, the presence of the Osmocote sustained a significantly higher level of nutrients (NH(4)(+)-N, NO(3)(-)-N, and PO(4)(3-)-P) in the sediment pore water over the duration of the experiment. The metabolic activity of the indigenous microbial biomass, as measured using an intracellular dehydrogenase enzyme assay, was also significantly enhanced over the duration of the experiment in amended sediments. The loss of total recoverable petroleum hydrocarbons (TRPH) and biodegradation of total n-alkanes (C(10)-C(33)), branched alkanes (pristane and phytane), as well as total target polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (two- to six-ring), in both the control and Osmocote-amended sediments, followed a first-order biodegradation model. The first-order loss rate of total recoverable petroleum hydrocarbons was 2.57 times greater than that of the control. The hopane-normalized rate constants for total n-alkane, branched alkane, and total target PAH biodegradation in the Osmocote-treated sediments were 3.95-, 5.50-, and 2.45-fold higher than the control, respectively. Overall, the presence of Osmocote was able to significantly enhance and accelerate the biodegradation of aliphatics and PAHs in oil-contaminated sediments under natural field conditions in an intertidal foreshore environment.     

IMPLICATIONS OF ON‐GROUND NITROGEN LOADING AND SOIL TRANSFORMATIONS ON GROUND WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT1

ABSTRACT: This paper presents a modeling approach based on a geographic information system (GIS) to estimate the variability of on‐ground nitrogen loading and the corresponding nitrate leaching to ground water. The methodology integrates all point and nonpoint sources of nitrogen, the national land cover database, soil nitrogen transformations, and the uncertainty of key soil and land use‐related parameters to predict the nitrate mass leaching to ground water. The analysis considered 21 different land use classes with information derived from nitrogen sources such as fertilizer and dairy manure applications, dairy lagoons, septic systems, and dry and wet depositions. Simulations were performed at a temporal resolution of one month to capture seasonal trends. The model was applied to a large aquifer of 376 square miles in Washington State that serves more than 100,000 residents with drinking water. The results showed that dairy manure is the main source of nitrogen in the area followed by fertilizers. It was also seen that nitrate leaching is controlled by the recharge rate, and there can be a substantial buildup of soil nitrogen over long periods of time. Uncertainty analysis showed that denitrification rate is the most influential parameter on nitrate leaching. The results showed that combining management alternatives is a successful strategy, especially with the use of nitrification inhibitors. Also, change in the land use pattern has a noticeable impact on nitrate leaching.     

Real-time, high-resolution quantitative measurement of multiple soil gas emissions: selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry

A new technique is presented for the rapid, high-resolution identification and quantification of multiple trace gases above soils, at concentrations down to 0.01 microL L(-1) (10 ppb). The technique, selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS), utilizes chemical ionization reagent ions that react with trace gases but not with the major air components (N2, O2, Ar, CO2). This allows the real-time measurement of multiple trace gases without the need for preconcentration, trapping, or chromatographic separation. The technique is demonstrated by monitoring the emission of ammonia and nitric oxide, and the search for volatile organics, above containerized soil samples treated with synthetic cattle urine. In this model system, NH3 emissions peaked after 24 h at 2000 nmol m(-2) s(-1) and integrated to approximately 7% of the urea N applied, while NO emissions peaked about 25 d after urine addition at approximately 140 nmol m(-2) s(-1) and integrated to approximately 10% of the applied urea N. The monitoring of organics along with NH3 and NO was demonstrated in soils treated with synthetic urine, pyridine, and dimethylamine. No emission of volatile nitrogen organics from the urine treatments was observed at levels >0.01% of the applied nitrogen. The SIFT method allows the simultaneous in situ measurement of multiple gas components with a high spatial resolution of < 10 cm and time resolution <20 s. These capabilities allow, for example, identification of emission hotspots, and measurement of localized and rapid variations above agricultural and contaminated soils, as well as integrated emissions over longer periods.