Expanding Kenya's protected areas under the Convention on Biological Diversity to maximize coverage of plant diversity

Biodiversity is highly valuable and critically threatened by anthropogenic degradation of the natural environment. In response, governments have pledged enhanced protected‐area coverage, which requires scarce biological data to identify conservation priorities. To assist this effort, we mapped conservation priorities in Kenya based on maximizing alpha (species richness) and beta diversity (species turnover) of plant communities while minimizing economic costs. We used plant‐cover percentages from vegetation surveys of over 2000 plots to build separate models for each type of diversity. Opportunity and management costs were based on literature data and interviews with conservation organizations. Species richness was predicted to be highest in a belt from Lake Turkana through Mount Kenya and in a belt parallel to the coast, and species turnover was predicted to be highest in western Kenya and along the coast. Our results suggest the expanding reserve network should focus on the coast and northeastern provinces of Kenya, where new biological surveys would also fill biological data gaps. Meeting the Convention on Biological Diversity target of 17% terrestrial coverage by 2020 would increase representation of Kenya's plant communities by 75%. However, this would require about 50 times more funds than Kenya has received thus far from the Global Environment Facility.     

Elimination of pharmaceutical pollutants by solar photoelectro-Fenton process in a pilot plant

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In this study, the simultaneous degradation of antibiotics (ampicillin, sulfamethazine, and tetracycline; and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories...     

A critical review of state-of-the-art electrocoagulation technique applied to COD-rich industrial wastewaters

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Electrocoagulation (EC) is one of the emerging technologies in groundwater and wastewater treatment as it combines the benefits of coagulation,...     

The contribution of non‐timber forest products towards sustainable rural development: The case of Candelilla wax from the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico

The promotion of development projects based on the commercialization of non‐timber forest products has increased in recent decades, showing a positive contribution to rural development; yet it has led to controversial approaches in resource preservation. This paper examines the case of Candelilla wax from the Chihuahuan Desert in northern Mexico, identifying its potential contribution to poverty alleviation in marginal areas, and its unique opportunity to access potential markets of a wide variety of industries all around the world. In this paper, the authors base their analysis on three main aspects: social, economic and environmental. Potential benefits that could be obtained from the collaboration of private institutions, development organizations, policymakers and rural producers through integrated rural development projects are featured.     

Risk assessment of soils contaminated by mercury mining, Northern Spain

Analytical results of soil samples taken in three different mercury mining sites in Northern Spain are studied to assess the potential adverse health effects of the exposure to trace elements associated with the mining process. Doses contacted through ingestion and inhalation and the dose absorbed through the skin were calculated using USEPA's exposure parameters and the US Department of Energy's toxicity values. The results of the risk assessment indicate that the highest risk is associated with ingestion of soil particles and that the trace element of major concern is arsenic, the exposure to which results in a high cancer risk value for all the sites ranging from 3.3 × 10(-5) to 3.6 × 10(-3), well above the 1 × 10(-5) probability level deemed unacceptable by most regulatory agencies. Regarding non-cancer effects, exposure to polluted soils yields an aggregate hazard index above the threshold value of 1 for all three sites, with As and Hg as the main contributors. Risk assessment has proven to be a very useful tool to identify the contaminants and exposure pathways of most concern in the soils from metal mining sites, as well as to categorize them in terms of action priority to ensure fitness for use.     

A coffee agroecosystem model: I. Growth and development of the coffee plant

This paper is the first of three on the coffee production system consisting of (1) the coffee plant, (2) coffee berry borer (CBB) and (3) the role of CBB parasitoids. A previous simulation model of the coffee plant was developed using data from Brazil where coffee phenology is characterized by distinct seasonal flowering (Gutierrez et al., 1998). In contrast, flowering in Colombia is continuous with low seasonality. To capture the differences in coffee phenology and growth in the two climatic regions, the Gutierrez et al. (1998) model was modified using new data from Colombia.The modifications to the model include:

(1)

The effect of solar radiation on floral buds initiation;

(2)

An age structure population model to track the daily input and development of the floral buds;

(3)

The effect of leaf water potential on breaking dormancy in flower buds, and hence on the timing and intensity of flowering;

(4)

The incorporation of both the vegetative and the reproductive demands to predict the photosynthetic rate.

(5)

The effect of low temperature on photosynthesis and defoliation.

Other aspects of the model were re-interpreted and refinements made to generalize its structure for use across coffee varieties and geographic areas. The model, without modification, realistically simulates field data from Brazil and two Colombian locations having different varieties, patterns of rainfall and hence flowering phenology.The model will be used as the base trophic level for incorporating CBB and high tropic levels effects, and for the analysis of management options in the coffee production system.     

Thorium accumulation in the sedimentary environment of the Vigo Ria (NW Iberian Peninsula)

Thorium levels and their association with Fe, Sc, Ca, and Particulate Organic Carbon (POC) were researched in sediments of the Vigo Ria in order to assess the influence of radioactive gneisses from the neighbouring continental Gali?eiro Complex. Sediment of 50 surface samples and 1 core was analysed by ICP-MS and the results were validated with certificate reference material from marine sediment. It was found that Th accumulates in the middle Ria zone (9-15 mg kg(-1)) as a result of the terrestrial source. The thorium concentration in the Ria (average: 9.4+/-5.1 mg kg(-1)) is not anthropogenically impacted in accordance with its own regional background level (11.4+/-3.5 mg kg(-1)), which is two times higher than the content in earth's crust. Throughout the relationship Th/Fe, Th may be associated with the iron cycle in the Ria, probably through iron oxy-hydroxide scavenging.