Indigenous and local communities can boost seed supply in the UN decade on ecosystem restoration

The UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration is poised to trigger the recovery of ecosystem services and transform structural injustices across the world in a way unparalleled in human history. The inclusion of diverse Indigenous and local communities to co-create robust native seed supply systems is the backbone to achieve the goals for the Decade. Here we show how community-based organizations have co-developed native seed supply strategies for landscape restoration from the bottom-up. We draw on the interconnections over two decades of seed networks in Brazil and the emerging Indigenous participation in native seed production in Australia. From an environmental justice perspective, we provide a participatory seed supply approach for local engagement, noting local geographical, social and cultural contexts. Meeting large-scale restoration goals requires the connection between local seed production and collaborative platforms to negotiate roles, rights and responsibilities between stakeholders. An enduring native seed supply must include a diversity of voices and autonomy of community groups that builds equitable participation in social, economic, and environmental benefits.     

Quaternized Chitosan for Ecological Treatment of Bauxite Mining Effluents

One of the major concerns of mining companies is the safety of their tailing dams. Among the cares required to operate such a dam, a proper treatment of the effluent composing its waste stands out, since that, waste must be treated before returned to the environment. In the process of bauxite beneficiation, the effluent level of turbidity is the discard parameter that deserves attention. In this work, quaternized chitosan (TMC_Cl^?) derivative with cationic charge was synthetized and investigated to be used as coagulant in bauxite treatment for tailing dam effluent. The chitosan (CHT) was quaternized by methylation reaction. The quaternized chitosan structure was characterized by the following techniques: FTIR Spectroscopy and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Its thermal stability was analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis. After quaternized chitosan was obtained, analysis with aluminum sulfate, protonated and quaternized chitosan were executed in jar-test apparatus. The tests were conducted in order to find the optimum pH, velocity gradient, coagulant and alkalizer dosages, as well as coagulation, flocculation and decantation time. The studied coagulants showed good results and reduced the effluent turbidity to levels below determined by legislation. By comparing the coagulants, it was possible to state that quaternized chitosan presented higher reduction of effluent turbidity levels; the tests were performed in the same conditions.     

Conditions for successful local resource management: lessons from a Brazilian small-scale trawling fishery

Conditions for successful common-pool resources management institutions have been systematized by Elinor Ostrom as a set of “design principles for robust governance”. The comparison of two attempts to developing a local informal managing institution for shrimp trawling, 30 years apart (the late 1970s and 2010 attempts), and in the same community (therefore, the same socioecological system—SES) in Southern Brazil, provides a convenient ground to test the hypothesis that the degree of success of each attempt is related to the degree of adherence to Ostrom’s principles. Moreover, the comparison allows investigating how conditions and changes in the SES affect management institutions. Our institutional analysis showed that the 1970s attempt followed a local rule that best fitted almost all principles, which may explain its relative success and longer-lasting activity. However, changes such as the emergence of new technologies and increased fishing activity gradually led to an erosion of the local rule. A low level of group cohesion, regional socioeconomic changes, increased fishing effort, and lack of legal provisions for fishers to develop local managing institutions were the main factors that led to institutional failure in the two evaluated attempts. Additionally, the lack of ability to adapt to changing conditions weakened the continuity of the management regime. Although Brazil has created new fishery co-management policies, strategies to enable institutions at local levels are urgently needed for improved performance.     

Aminocyclopyrachlor sorption-desorption and leaching from three Brazilian soils

This study aimed to evaluate the sorption-desorption and leaching of aminocyclopyrachlor from three Brazilian soils. The sorption-desorption of ¹⁴C-aminocyclopyrachlor was evaluated using the batch method and leaching was assessed in glass columns. The Freundlich model showed an adequate fit for the sorption-desorption of aminocyclopyrachlor. The Freundlich sorption coefficient [K_{f (sorption)}] ranged from 0.37 to 1.34 µmol ^(1–1/n) L^1/n kg^?1 and showed a significant positive correlation with the clay content of the soil, while the K_{f (desorption)} ranged from 3.62 to 5.36 µmol ^(1–1/n) L^1/n kg^?1. The K_{f (desorption)} values were higher than their respective K_{f (sorption)}, indicating that aminocyclopyrachlor sorption is reversible, and the fate of this herbicide in the environment can be affected by leaching. Aminocyclopyrachlor was detected at all depths (0?30 cm) in all the studied soils, where leaching was influenced by soil texture. The total herbicide leaching from the sandy clay and clay soils was <0.06%, whereas, ～3% leached from the loamy sand soil. The results suggest that aminocyclopyrachlor has a high potential of leaching, based on its low sorption and high desorption capacities. Therefore, this herbicide can easily contaminate underground water resources.     

Adsorption studies of the herbicide simazine in agricultural soils of the Aconcagua valley, central Chile

Simazine is a s-triazine herbicide that has been applied worldwide for agriculture. This herbicide is the second most commonly detected pesticide in surface and groundwater in the United States, Europe and Australia. In this study, simazine adsorption behaviour was studied in two agricultural soils of the Aconcagua valley, central Chile. The two studied soils were soil A (loam, 8.5% organic matter content) and soil B (clay-loam, 3.5% organic matter content). Three times higher simazine adsorption capacity was observed in soil A (68.03 mg kg⁻¹) compared to soil B (22.03 mg kg⁻¹). The simazine adsorption distribution coefficients (K_d) were 9.32 L kg⁻¹ for soil A and 7.74 L kg⁻¹ for soil B. The simazine adsorption enthalpy in soil A was −21.0 kJ mol⁻¹ while in soil B the adsorption enthalpy value was −11.5 kJ mol⁻¹. These results indicate that simazine adsorption process in these soils is exothermic, governing H bonds the adsorption process of simazine in both the loam and clay-loam soils. These results and the potentiometric profiles of both soils, suggest that simazine adsorption in soil A is mainly governed by simazine–organic matter interactions and in soil B by simazine–clay interactions. The understanding of simazine sorption–desorption processes is essential to determine the pesticide fate and availability in soil for pest control, biodegradation, runoff and leaching.     

The ability of Helianthus annuus L. and Brassica juncea to uptake and translocate natural uranium and 226Ra under different milieu conditions

Seedlings of Helianthus annuus L. (HA) and Brassica juncea (BJ) were used to test the effect of the pH, the presence of phosphates, and the addition of ethylene-diamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA) or citrate on the uptake and the translocation of uranium isotopes ((238)U, (235)U, and (234)U) and (226)Ra. The results indicated that the presence of phosphates generally reduces the uptake and transfer of uranium from the roots to the shoots of HA. In the case of BJ, while phosphate enhanced the retention of uranium by roots, the translocation was poorer. Likewise, for (226)Ra, the best translocation was in the absence of phosphates for both species. The addition of citrate increased the translocation of uranium for both species, but had no clear effect on the transfer of (226)Ra. The effect of EDTA was much more moderate both for uranium and for (226)Ra, and for both plant species. Only noticeable was a slightly better uptake of (226)Ra by BJ at neutral pH, although the translocation was lower.     

Behavior, distribution and variability of surface ozone at an arid region in the south of Iberian Peninsula (Seville, Spain)

In order to improve our knowledge of the surface ozone in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, annual, monthly, weekly and daily ozone concentrations have been closely monitored in the Seville metropolitan area highlighting those episodes that exceed the European Ozone Directive. A three-year period (2003-2005) and eight ozone stations were used; five of them located in the city's busiest areas and the rest in adjacent zones ( approximately 25km). In addition, the wind regime was also studied in order to understand the main characteristics of the surface atmospheric dynamics. The lowest ozone concentrations 17-33microgm(-3) took place in January while the highest 57-95microgm(-3) occurred in June. The ozone concentration week-weekend differences from May to September indicate that this phenomenon does not affect the ozone stations analysed. Daily cycles show minimum values between 7:00 and 8:00 UTC and maximum at noon, exceeding 90microgm(-3) during summer months. From March to October the ozone concentrations were above the target value for the protection of human health, especially during the summer months, with values up to 30% over the limit. The information threshold has been exceeded at all ozone stations studied but with greater frequency in the stations far from the city centre. In addition, at these latter stations the alert threshold was also exceeded on six occasions. This study in the city of Seville indicates that the high ozone levels are due to local atmospheric effects, mainly since the ozone air masses may undergo recirculation processes. The ozone is transported to the city from the S-SW, having a major impact in the NE areas.     

Residues of organochlorine pesticides and PCBs in some Brazilian municipal solid waste compost

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), listed as per the Stockholm Convention (alpha -HCH, beta -HCH, gamma -HCH, p,p'-DDT, o,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDE, aldrin, endrin, dieldrin, PCBs 28, 52, 118, 138, 153, and 180), were analyzed in municipal solid waste (MSW) compost samples from three different Brazilian composting plants located in three S?o Paulo State cities: Araras, Araraquara and S?o Paulo (Vila Leopoldinha). Quantitative and qualitative analyses were carried out using gas chromatography electron capture detection (GC-ECD) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) (Ion Trap, electron impact ionization), respectively. The samples were analyzed in triplicate and the target POPs were not detected by GC-ECD. Twelve pollutants were identified in two samples when qualitative analysis (GC-MS) was used (beta -HCH, gamma -HCH, p,p'-DDT, o,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD, and p,p'-DDE, PCBs 28, 118, 138, 153 and 180). The composting process has advantages such as urban solid waste reduction and landfill life-span increase, however the MSW compost quality, which can be utilized for agricultural purposes, should be evaluated and be controlled. This kind of study is the first step in making available information to answer questions regarding MSW compost for sustainable agricultural use, such as the pollutants accumulation in soil and in groundwater, and plants uptake.