Integrating disciplinary research into an interdisciplinary framework: A case study in sustainability research

The complexity of today’s research problems increasingly demands that scientists move beyond the confines of their own discipline. In this special issue, the basics of a transdisciplinary framework are established and problems analyzed in a specific discipline are successfully integrated in this transdisciplinary network. The intent has been to go beyond only statements about the importance of enabling early stage researchers to work across disciplinary boundaries, and to show that important discoveries are being made at the intersection of disciplines. Embedding various research projects in a more global framework can meet the demands of an interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary approach (especially for early stage researchers) and contribute significantly to sustainable research.     

A study on the orbit of air temperature movement

In this paper, we describe an air temperature movement by mapping its time series to the polar coordinates: the value of the time series is plotted on the radial coordinate and the time on the angular coordinate. In this way, both the yearly and daily air temperature movements from five different locations of China are used to demonstrate that, in an intuitionistic view, air temperature movement is neither random nor chaotic, but has its own orbit. We then propose an elliptic orbit model for the air temperature movement. Our proposed model provides quite good results when it is applied to the evaluation of yearly air temperature movements in eight locations in various parts of the world, and the evaluation of daily air temperature movements in five locations in Hunan Province of China on December 17, 2005. Results show that our approach provides a concise and helpful model for air temperature analysis.     

Evaluation of the Industrial Source Complex short-term model in a large-scale multiple source region for different stability classes

The original Industrial Source Complex Model (ISCST, 90346) and its latest version, the ISCST2 (92090), are evaluated for the 1- and 24-hour averaging periods, using six statistical parameters. The confidence limits on two parameters were obtained using the bootstrap, jacknife, seductive, and robust resampling techniques. Evaluation is conducted in a multiple point source environment and in all the different stability categories, using a year of meteorological data, emission inventory of the Lucas County, in Toledo, Ohio, and monitoring data from two nearby stations for the year 1987. This was representative of a real time situation in which the ISCST is generally applied for regulatory work. The sensitivity analysis shows that the ISC is a poor performing model in the 1-h and 24-h averaging period, neutral and stable categories, and modifications to it are necessary in order to improve its performance. Its performance changes depending on the chosen paired values. A better relative performance is observed in the unstable category relative to the neutral and stable categories. Improved model performance may be achieved by applying modifications to the physics on which the model is based.     

Monitoring of methoxychlor residues in the Athabasca River system in northern Alberta after treatment for control of black fly larval populations

Methoxychlor (2,2-bis(p-methoxyphenyl)-1,1,1-trichloroethane) was used in the Athabasca River in northern Alberta for the control of black fly larvae, Simulium arcticum, during May to July of 1981 to 1987. Samples of river water and sediment were analyzed for methoxychlor residues each year as part of Alberta Environment's program to assess environmental impact and monitor compliance with issued permits. During 1985 fish samples were also collected at various sites downstream and upstream of the point of application of methoxychlor. This paper summarizes the residue data obtained by analysing these fish, sediment and water samples collected from the Athabasca River system during the years 1981 to 1987.     

Time dependent influx and efflux of phenol by immobilized microbial consortium

Phenol, like many other organic solvents, is toxic to micro-organisms even at low concentrations. However, some micro-organisms can withstand this toxicity to a certain concentration. To observe the uptake mechanism of phenol, bacteria were isolatedfrom a petroleum refinery effluent and identified. Study was carried out to understand the effect of varying sub-lethal concentrations of phenol, on all the isolated individual bacterial cultures. Out of the bacteria isolated, Serratia liquefaciens was found to tolerate phenol concentration up to 1500 mg l^-1. A microbial consortium of the isolated bacteriawas formulated and immobilized. Individual cultures were also immobilized and uptake of phenol by the immobilized micro-organisms was observed in a nutrient-rich and nutrient-stressed medium containing phenol as a sole source of carbon. A time-dependent uptake of phenol was exhibited by the micro-organismsin nutrient-stressed medium, after which a sudden increase in phenol concentration occurred in the extracellular medium, till it reached back to the initial concentration. This was attributedto an active efflux mechanism adopted by the micro-organisms to withstand the toxic shock.     

Assessing land use impacts on flood processes in complex terrain by using GIS and modeling approach

A distributed hydrologic modeling and GIS approach is applied for the assessment of land use impact in the Steinsel sub-basin, Alzette, Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg. The assessment focuses on the runoff contributions from different land use classes and the potential impact of land use changes on runoff generation. The results show that the direct runoff from urban areas is dominant for a flood event compared with runoff from other land use areas in this catchment, and tends to increase for small floods and for the dry season floods, whereas the interflow from forested, pasture and agricultural field areas contributes to the recession flow. Significant variations in flood volume, peak discharge, time to the peak, etc., are found from the model simulation based on the three hypothetical land use change scenarios.     

Application of a checklist for quality assistance in environmental modelling to an energy model

Large, complex energy models present considerable challenges to develop and test. Uncertainty assessments of such models provide only partial guidance on the quality of the results. We have developed a model quality assistance checklist to aid in this purpose. The model checklist provides diagnostic output in the form of a set of pitfalls for the model application. The checklist is applied here to an energy model for the problem of assessing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Use of the checklist suggests that results on this issue are contingent on a number of assumptions that are highly value-laden. When these assumptions are held fixed, the model is deemed capable of producing moderately robust results of relevance to climate policy over the longer term. Checklist responses also indicate that a number of details critical to policy choices or outcomes on this issue are not captured in the model, and model results should therefore be supplemented with alternative analyses.     

Soil properties and crop productivity as influenced by flyash incorporation in soil

Field experiments were carried out during 1996–97at Gulawathi, Muthiani and Salarpur Villages, IARI Farm, NewDelhi and NCPP Campus, Dadri to evaluate changes in soilcharacteristics and growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.),mustard (Brassica juncea L.), lentil (Lence esculentaMoench.), rice (Oryza sativa L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) byvarying amounts of flyash addition (up to 50t ha^-1) in soils atsowing/transplanting time of crops. Flyash addition in areasadjoining NCPP Thermal Power Plant, Dadri, Ghaziabad, U.P.ranged from 5–12 t ha^-1 yr^-1 in 1995–96. Shoot and root growthand yield of test crops at different locations after flyashincorporation resulted in beneficial effects of flyashaddition in most cases. The silt dominant texture of flyashimproved loamy sand to sandy loam textures of the surfacesoils at the farmers' fields. The increased growth in yield ofcrops with flyash incorporation was possibly due tomodifications in soil moisture retention and transmissioncharacteristics, bulk density, physico-chemical characterssuch as pH and EC and organic carbon content. The response offlyash addition in the soil on soil health and cropproductivity needs to be evaluated on long-term sustainableaspects.     

A Simulation of Temporal and Spatial Variations in Carbon at Landscape Level: A Case Study for Lake Abitibi Model Forest in Ontario,Canada

Using a case study of the Lake Abitibi Model Forest (LAMF), this study aims to assess the temporal and spatial variability in carbon storage during 1990–2000, and to present a comprehensive estimation of the carbon budget for LAMF's ecosystems. As well, it provided the information needed by local forest managers to develop ecological and carbon-based indicators and monitor the sustainability of forest ecosystems. Temporal and spatial carbon dynamics were simulated at the landscape level using ecosystem model TRIPLEX1.0 and Geographical Information System (GIS). The simulated net primary productivity (NPP) and carbon storage in forest biomass and soil were compared with field data and results from other studies for Canada's boreal forests. The results show that simulated NPP ranged from 3.26 to 3.34 tC ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in the 1990s and was consistent with the range measured during the Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Studies (BOREAS) in central Canada. Modeled NPP was also compared with the estimation from remote sensing data. The density of total above-and belowground biomass was 125.3, 111.8, and 106.5 tC ha⁻¹ for black spruce, trembling aspen, and jack pine in the LAMF ecosystem, respectively. The total carbon density of forested land was estimated at 154.4 tC ha⁻¹ with the proportion of 4:6 for total biomass and soil. The analysis of net carbon balance of ecosystem suggested that the LAMF forest ecosystem was acting as a carbon sink with an allowable harvest in the 1990s.