The effect of nitrogen form on rhizosphere soil pH and zinc phytoextraction by Thlaspi caerulescens

The phytoextraction of Zn may be improved by applying N fertilizers to increase the biomass and Zn content of shoots. Rhizosphere-pH change from uptake of different N forms will affect Zn phyto-availability in the rhizosphere and Zn phytoextraction. This glasshouse study examined the effect of N form on Zn phytoextraction by Thlaspi caerulescens (Prayon). The plants were grown in a Zn-contaminated soil (total Zn 250 mg kg-1 soil; pHwater 5.7) and supplied with (NH4)2SO4, Ca(NO3)2 or urea [(NH2)2CO]. The form was maintained by applying the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide. A biodegradable chelator ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS) was included for comparison. The addition of N doubled the shoot biomass. The highest shoot Zn content occurred in the Ca(NO3)2 treatment and was associated with the highest rhizosphere pH. The lowest shoot dry weight occurred in the EDDS treatment. The Zn concentration in the shoots increased as the rhizosphere pH increased. A significant correlation occurred between Ca and Zn concentrations in the shoots. This study demonstrated that Ca(NO3)2 is a more effective treatment than , urea or EDDS for enhancing Zn phytoextraction in a mildly acidic soil.     

A Classification of U.S. Estuaries Based on Physical and Hydrologic Attributes

A classification of U.S. estuaries is presented based on estuarine characteristics that have been identified as important for quantifying stressor-response relationships in coastal systems. Estuaries within a class have similar physical and hydrologic characteristics and would be expected to demonstrate similar biological responses to stressor loads from the adjacent watersheds. Nine classes of estuaries were identified by applying cluster analysis to a database for 138 U.S. estuarine drainage areas. The database included physical measures of estuarine areas, depth and volume, as well as hydrologic parameters (i.e., tide height, tidal prism volume, freshwater inflow rates, salinity, and temperature). The ability of an estuary to dilute or flush pollutants can be estimated using physical and hydrologic properties such as volume, bathymetry, freshwater inflow and tidal exchange rates which influence residence time and affect pollutant loading rates. Thus, physical and hydrologic characteristics can be used to estimate the susceptibility of estuaries to pollutant effects. This classification of estuaries can be used by natural resource managers to describe and inventory coastal systems, understand stressor impacts, predict which systems are most sensitive to stressors, and manage and protect coastal resources.     

Spiking solvent, humidity and their impact on 2,4-D and 2,4-DCP extractability from high humic matter content soils

The 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is a hormone-like herbicide widely used in agriculture. Although its half life in soil is approximately two weeks, the thousands of tons introduced in the environment every year represent a risk for human health and the environment. Considering the toxic properties of this compound and its degradation products, it is important to assess and monitor the 2,4-D residues in agricultural soils. Furthermore, experiments of phyto/bioremediation are carried out to find economic and environmental friendly tools to restore the polluted soils. Accordingly, it is essential to accurately measure the amount of 2,4-D and its metabolites in soils. There is evidence that 2,4-D extraction from soil samples seriously depends on the physical and chemical properties of the soil, especially in those soils with high content of humic acids. The aim of this work was to assess the variables that influence the recovery and subsequent analysis of 2,4-D and its main metabolite (2,4-dichlorophenol) from those soils samples. The results showed that the recovery efficiency depends on the solvent and method used for the extraction, the amount and kind of solvent used for dissolving the herbicide and the soil water content at the moment of spiking. An optimized protocol for the extraction and quantification of 2,4-D and its main metabolite from soil samples is presented.     

Understanding complex drivers of wildlife crime to design effective conservation interventions

In conservation understanding the drivers of behavior and developing robust interventions to promote behavioral change is challenging and requires a multifaceted approach. This is particularly true for efforts to address illegal wildlife use, where pervasive—and sometimes simplistic—narratives often obscure complex realities. We used an indirect questioning approach, the unmatched count technique, to investigate the drivers and prevalence of wildlife crime in communities surrounding 2 national parks in Uganda and combined scenario interviews and a choice experiment to predict the performance of potential interventions designed to tackle these crimes. Although poverty is often assumed to be a key driver of wildlife crime, we found that better-off households and those subject to human–wildlife conflict and those that do not receive any benefits from the parks’ tourism revenue sharing were more likely to be involved in certain types of wildlife crime, especially illegal hunting. The interventions predicted to have the greatest impact on reducing local participation in wildlife crime were those that directly addressed the drivers including, mitigating damage caused by wildlife and generating financial benefits for park-adjacent households. Our triangulated approach provided insights into complex and hard-to-access behaviors and highlighted the importance of going beyond single-driver narratives.     

Building a place‐responsive society through inclusive local projects and networks

This paper presents the story of a project undertaken by researchers who are active participants in the national Australian debate over place and belonging. It arose from the desire to ground this debate, which brings issues of ecological sustainability, reconciliation and multiculturalism together, in more localised action aimed at building a ‘place‐responsive society’. The project was carried out as a case study in a region that combines part of the Sydney metropolitan area and the separate ‘city’ of the Blue Mountains, and involved a consultative committee and then a regional forum of conservationists, environmental educators and community workers. The researchers explored existing place‐oriented initiatives in the region and developed practical projects for the future, most notably a proposal for ‘totemic species’ work within schools involving local Aboriginal people. The research demonstrated, more than anything else, that indigenous Australian approaches to ‘place awareness’ and nature conservation remain highly relevant in contemporary Australia. It also showed that bioregional awareness and the notion of place responsiveness can add value to more traditional approaches to nature conservation and environmental education. There are opportunities to galvanise local action that can integrate community and environmental work and revitalise professional practice in both areas, but the effort involves working constantly with difference and conflict.     

Analysis of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in Houston Ship Channel and Galveston Bay following a large-scale industrial fire using ion-mobility-spectrometry-mass spectrometry

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent organic pollutants of concern because of their ubiquitous presence in surface and ground water; analytical methods that can be used for rapid comprehensive exposure assessment and fingerprinting of PFAS are needed. Following the fires at the Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC) in Deer Park, TX in 2019, large quantities of PFAS-containing firefighting foams were deployed. The release of these substances into the Houston Ship Channel/Galveston Bay (HSC/GB) prompted concerns over the extent and level of PFAS contamination. A targeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based study of temporal and spatial patterns of PFAS associated with this incident revealed presence of 7 species; their levels gradually decreased over a 6-month period. Because the targeted LC-MS/MS analysis was focused on about 30 PFAS molecules, it may have missed other PFAS compounds present in firefighting foams. Therefore, we utilized untargeted LC-ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (LC-IMS-MS)-based analytical approach for a more comprehensive characterization of PFAS in these water samples. We analyzed 31 samples from 9 sites in the HSC/GB that were collected over 5 months after the incident. Our data showed that additional 19 PFAS were detected in surface water of HSC/GB, most of them decreased gradually after the incident. PFAS features detected by LC-MS/MS correlated well in abundance with LC-IMS-MS data; however, LC-IMS-MS identified a number of additional PFAS, many known to be components of firefighting foams. These findings therefore illustrate that untargeted LC-IMS-MS improved our understanding of PFAS presence in complex environmental samples.     

Ecological engineering with high diversity vegetation patches enhances bird activity and ecosystem services in Philippine rice fields

Regional Environmental Change - This study examines the potential for ecological engineering to enhance the beneficial ecosystem services provided by birds in tropical rice fields. Bird activities...     

Quantifying the Impact of Renewable Energy Futures on Cooling Water Use

This article presents an empirically based model, WiCTS ( Wi thdrawal and C onsumption for T hermoelectric S ystems), to estimate regional water withdrawals and consumption implied by any electricity generation portfolio. WiTCS uses water use rates, developed at the substate level, to predict water use by scaling the rates with predicted energy generation. The capability of WiCTS is demonstrated by assessing the impact of renewable electricity generation scenarios on water use in the United States (U.S.) through 2050. The energy generation scenarios are taken from the Renewable Energy Futures Study performed by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy. Results indicate reductions in water use are achieved under these renewable energy scenarios. The analysis further explores the impact of two modifications to the modeling framework. The first modification presumes geothermal and concentrated solar power generation technologies employ water‐intensive cooling systems vs. cooling technology that requires no water. The second modification presumes all water‐intensive cooling technologies use closed cycle cooling (as opposed to once‐through cooling) technologies by 2050. Results based on one of the renewable generation scenarios indicate water use increases by over 20% under the first modification, and water consumption increases by approximately 40% while water withdrawals decrease by over 85% under the second modification.     

SiB3模式对作物区CO2通量的模拟研究

以苏州东山观测站农田为对象,通过使用简单生物圈模式(SiB3),在苏州东山站选取不同植被类型作为模式输入参数进行CO2通量的模拟,并利用苏州东山站2010-04-16~2011-06-30日的观测数据进行对比,讨论不同植被对苏州东山站CO2通量的影响.结果发现,选择玉米作为站点植被类型输入模式模拟的各月CO2通量日变化趋势与观测数据比较一致;而选择普通作物类型输入模式模拟获得的CO2通量,在4月和5月,白天低估CO2通量,6月高估CO2通量;选择茶树类型作为模式植被类型输入的模拟结果,高估5月和6月白天的CO2通量.另外,本研究还使用SiB3模式对每日CO2通量进行模拟,与观测对比后发现,选择的3种植被类型模拟获得的结果能较准确模拟出每日CO2通量的收支,但存在一定偏差.这说明,选择正确的植被类型能够使SiB3模式有效地模拟出CO2通量的日变化,但对时间从小时上升到每日尺度的CO2通量进行模拟时还存在一定困难,需要进一步验证.