Enhancement of conservation knowledge through increased access to botanical information

Herbarium specimens are increasingly recognized as an important resource for conservation science and virtual herbaria are making specimens freely available to a wider range of users than ever before. Few virtual herbaria are designed with conservation use as a primary driver. Exceptionally, Brazil's Reflora Virtual Herbarium (RVH) was created to increase knowledge and conservation of the Brazilian flora. The RVH is closely integrated with the Flora of Brazil 2020 platform on which Brazil's new national Flora is under construction. Both resources are accessible via the Reflora home page and thousands of users move seamlessly between these Reflora resources. To understand how the Reflora resources are currently used and their impact on conservation science, we conducted a literature review and an online survey. We searched for publications of studies in which Reflora resources were used and publications resulting from Brazilian researchers who were part of Reflora's research and mobility program. The survey contained multiple choice questions and questions that required a written response. We targeted Reflora webpage visitors with the survey to capture a wider range of Reflora users than the literature review. Reflora resources were used for a variety of conservation-relevant purposes. Half the 806 scientific publications in which Reflora was cited and 81% of the 1069 survey respondents accessing Reflora resources mentioned conservation-relevant research outputs. Most conservation-relevant uses of the Reflora resources in scientific publications were research rather than implementation focused. The survey of Reflora users showed conservation uses and impacts of virtual herbaria were more numerous and diverse than the uses captured in the literature review. Virtual herbaria are vital resources for conservation science, but they must document use and impacts more comprehensively to ensure sustainability.     

Influence of earthworm bioturbation on metals phytoavailability and human gastric bioaccessibility

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - At the global scale, urban agriculture is increasingly developing in cities due to demographic growth and sustainable food concerns. But, urban soils...     

In situ bioremediation of an aniline spill in an industrial setting

In situ remediation of aniline from soils and groundwater using biological and physical treatments was conducted at the BASF Corporation facility in Geismar, Louisiana. To mitigate the migration of aniline, remediate contaminated soil and groundwater, and determine concentrations, 24 immobilized microbe bioreactors were fixed in the subsoil, and a horizontal recovery well and 7 monitoring wells were installed. Soil and monitoring wells were sampled quarterly to assess bioplug impact on the aniline concentrations. The recovery well was sampled monthly to estimate the pounds of aniline removed from groundwater. Soil pH, composition, and microbial counts were used to estimate the fate and transport. Aniline levels were lowered significantly after remediation and total cancer risk was below levels for industrial sites, as established by State of Louisiana Risk Evaluation/Corrective Action Program guidelines. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Adaptive Targeting: Engaging Farmers to Improve Targeting and Adoption of Agricultural Conservation Practices

Targeting of agricultural conservation practices to cost‐effective locations has long been of interest to watershed managers, yet its implementation cannot succeed without meaningful engagement of agricultural producers who are decision makers on the lands they farm. In this study, we engaged 14 west‐central Indiana producers and landowners in an adaptive targeting experiment. Interviews carried out prior to targeting provided rich spatial information on existing conservation practices as well as producers' preferences for future conservation projects. We targeted six of the most accepted conservation practices using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool and spatial optimization using a genetic algorithm approach. Fairly optimal conservation scenarios were possible with even the most limiting constraints of farmer‐accepted practices. We presented in follow‐up interviews a total of 176 conservation practice recommendations on 103 farm fields to 10 farmers whose lands were targeted for conservation. Primary findings indicated producers were interested in the project, were open to hearing recommendations about their lands, and expressed a high likelihood of adopting 35% of targeted recommendations. Farmers generally viewed the interview process and presentation of results quite favorably, and the interviews were found to build trust and make the targeting process more acceptable to them.     

Vegetation structure constrains primary production response to water availability in the Patagonian steppe

Grassland aboveground net primary production (ANPP) increases linearly with precipitation in space and time, but temporal models relating time series of ANPP and annual precipitation for single sites show lower slopes and regression coefficients than are shown by spatial models. The analysis of several ANPP time series showed lags in the ecosystem response to increased water availability, which may explain the difference between spatial and temporal models. The lags may result from constraints that ecosystems experience after drought. Our objective was to explore the structural constraints of the ANPP response to rainfall variability in a semiarid ecosystem, the Patagonian steppe, in southern Argentina. We designed a 3-yr rainfall manipulation experiment where we decreased water input with rainout shelters during two consecutive years, which included three levels of rainfall interception (30%, 55%, and 80%) and a control. In the third year, we irrigated one-half of the plots of each rainfall-interception treatment. We evaluated the immediate effects of drought on current-year ANPP and the effects of previous-year drought on vegetation recovery after water supplementation. ANPP (g x m(-2) x yr(-1)) was linearly related to annual precipitation input (APPT; mm/yr) along the experimental precipitation gradient (ANPP = 0.13 x APPT + 58.3; r2 = 0.34, P < 0.01), and this relationship was mostly accounted for by changes in the ANPP of grasses. Plant density (D; no. individuals/mm2) was related to the precipitation received during the drought period (D = 0.11 x APPT + 18; r2 = 0.39, P < 0.05). The recovery of plants after irrigation was lower for those plots that had experienced experimental drought the previous years relative to controls, and the lags were proportional to the intensity of drought. Therefore, our results suggest that the density of plants may constrain the recovery of vegetation after drought, and these constraints may determine lags that limit the capacity of the ecosystem to take advantage of wet years after dry years.     

Effect of acid rain on building material of the El Tajín archaeological zone in Veracruz, Mexico

Three limestone slabs (approx. 20 cm2 each) were extracted from the El Tajin archaeological zone in Veracruz, Mexico. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed three components: calcite (81.2%), quartz (17.9%) and feldspar (0.9%). Calcite content by x-ray diffraction analysis was slightly higher than that determined by chemical reaction between the limestone sample and nitric acid. The latter analysis, carried out in triplicate, yielded a calcite content of 77.1%. Mean water absorption, density and porosity of the limestone samples were also determined. Dissolution of limestone samples was investigated using an experimental rainfall simulation chamber, in which the stone samples were irrigated with artificial rain matching the pH and the ionic composition with 40 rainfall samples collected at El Tajin from August 18, 2002, to April 9, 2003. According to calcium and bicarbonate net concentrations found in the effluent of the chamber, a chemical mechanism by which limestone at El Tajin is dissolved by acid rain is proposed. A model used to investigate the air transport pathways corresponding to precipitation events at El Tajin shows that air parcels come mainly from the Gulf of Mexico, although no directional preference is evident for acidic vs. non-acidic events.