Assessing the probability of land submergence for lowland rice cultivation in Africa using satellite imagery and geospatial data

Sub-Saharan African countries are being strongly urged to enhance their rice production, because their rice consumption and importation rates have been rapidly increasing in recent years. Areas planted to rice in Africa are classified agro-ecologically into rainfed upland, rainfed lowland, and irrigated. Rainfed lowland includes extensive areas of unexploited land that has great potential for the promotion of rice growing. For the unexploited rainfed lowlands of Ghana, we have been studying the development of low-cost rice-farming systems that require no large-scale irrigation or land reclamation. For such systems, it is important to select suitable areas where water for rice farming can be obtained naturally; floodwaters offer promise for this purpose. Delineation and mapping of floodwater prone areas suitable for rice production is important for successful utilization of this land resource. Here, we propose a method of assessing flood probability from submergence frequency, as estimated from satellite imagery and geospatial data. ALOS/PALSAR images acquired in May, June, August, and September 2010 were used to classify land and water, and then a submerged-area map was produced. From the results, we were able to accurately detect non-submerged areas and submerged areas with water depths of at least 3?cm. The number of times classified into submerged area was defined as submergence frequency, and it was approximated by distance from reservoirs representing White Volta River, ponds, and swamps. In addition, flood extent derived from reservoirs was simulated using digital elevation model (DEM). Finally, a flood probability assessment map was produced by integration of the estimated submergence frequency and flood extent simulation. The results of a comparison of soil moisture data measured at 69 points in the field and the NDVIs computed by ALOS/AVNIR showed that areas with high potential for flooding retained high levels of soil moisture and were more likely to show less deterioration of vegetation in the dry season. The validation of these results confirmed the adequacy of the flood probability assessment method.     

Structural characterization and visible light activated photocatalytic ability of glass–ceramics prepared from municipal solid waste

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The relationship between local structure and visible-light-activated photocatalytic ability of glass–ceramics prepared from Municipal Solid...     

Ocean acidification reduces biomineralization-related gene expression in the sea urchin, Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus

Although recent studies have demonstrated that calcification in a wide range of marine organisms is profoundly affected by CO₂-induced ocean acidification, the mechanism of this phenomenon is still unclear. To clarify the effects of ocean acidification on the calcification process at the molecular level, we evaluated the expression of three biomineralization-related genes in the sea urchin Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus exposed under control, 1,000, and 2,000?ppm CO₂ from egg to pluteus larval stage. We found that the expression of the gene msp130, which is proposed to transport Ca²⁺ to the calcification site, is suppressed by increased CO₂ at pluteus larval stage. Meanwhile, expression of the spicule protein matrix genes SM30 and SM50 was apparently not affected. The results suggest that the combined effects of ocean acidification on the expression of skeletogenesis-related genes as well as the change in seawater carbonate chemistry affect the biomineralization ability of sea urchins.     

Trans-boundary air pollution over remote islands in Japan: observed data and estimates from a numerical model

Observations of air pollutants were conducted in remote Japanese islands (Oki Island and Okinawa Island) in early spring to clarify the extent of trans-boundary air pollution from the Asian continent. A three-dimensional Eulerian model calculation, which included parameters on emission, transport and transformation of sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides and ammonia, was performed to compile sulfate isosurface concentrations over the observational sites. Concentrations of non-sea-salt sulfate (nss-SO₄²⁻) of greater than 10 μg m⁻³ were observed at Oki after the northeastward passage of low-pressure systems in the Sea of Japan. At these times, the weather showed a typical winter pattern and air pollutants over China were transported southeastward to Japan with the northwesterly wind. The model calculation reproduced the observed variations of nss-SO₄²⁻ concentration well, except for one case in which the model calculation could not reproduce the extremely low nss-SO₄²⁻ concentration observed on 8 March. In Hedo (Okinawa Island), we observed long-lasting (3 days) medium concentrations of nss-SO₄²⁻ (approximately 5 μg m⁻³). Although the model reproduced these observed medium concentrations well, in general the observed results were reproduced better for Oki than for Hedo. Under the synoptic weather conditions of early spring, high concentrations of nss-sulfate were sometimes transported to these remote Japanese islands from areas of continental Asia with a strong outflow of air pollutants.     

日本森林大气中过氧化物的浓度及其对森林植物的影响

为了研究森林衰退的原因,于2000,2001和2002年的8月,分别选择出现森林衰退的日本奥日光白根山落叶树森林和未出现森林衰退的长野县大芝高原红松森林设立监测点,对光化学氧化剂臭氧(O3)和过氧化物的浓度进行监测,同时利用人工气候室对森林植物山毛榉和白桦进行了50′10-9O3、100′10-9O3和50′10-9O3+2′10-9~3′10-9过氧化物(过氧化氢(H2O2)及甲基过氧化氢(MHP))的暴露实验.野外监测结果表明,监测期间奥日光和长野的O3平均浓度相同,奥日光的H2O2及MHP平均浓度均高于长野;大气中的H2O2和MHP总是与O3共存,并且其浓度随O3浓度的增加而增加.暴露实验结果表明,暴露于50′10-9O3+2′10-9~3′10-9过氧化物的山毛榉和白桦出现了不同于O3暴露的叶片伤害症状;与100′10-9O3相比,50′10-9O3+2′10-9~3′10-9过氧化物导致植物出现了严重的叶片伤害和显著的光合速率下降.研究结果表明,除O3外,大气中的过氧化物也是导致森林衰退的原因之一.     

Direct determination of neonicotinoid insecticides in an analytically challenging crop such as Chinese chives using selective ELISAs

ABSTRACT

Easy-to-use commercial kit-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) have been used to detect neonicotinoid dinotefuran, clothianidin and imidacloprid in Chinese chives, which are considered a troublesome matrix for chromatographic techniques. Based on their high water solubility, water was used as an extractant. Matrix interference could be avoided substantially just diluting sample extracts. Average recoveries of insecticides from spiked samples were 85–113%, with relative standard deviation of <15%. The concentrations of insecticides detected from the spiked samples with the proposed ELISA methods correlated well with those by the reference high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The residues analyzed by the ELISA methods were consistently 1.24 times that found by the HPLC method, attributable to loss of analyte during sample clean-up for HPLC analyses. It was revealed that the ELISA methods can be applied easily to pesticide residue analysis in troublesome matrix such as Chinese chives.     

Area-specific temporal changes of species composition and species-specific range shifts in rocky-shore mollusks associated with warming Kuroshio Current

Increases of low-latitude species in various sea areas and poleward shifts of ranges of many species have been reported and linked to warming environments. To examine the generality of these trends for mollusks, we conducted 7 quadrat surveys during 1978–2006 on Pacific rocky shores in Japan (26.6–45.0°N). Results showed that the dominance of southern species increased on 11 of the 15 shores in a southern, warming sea area but on only 1 of the 6 shores in a northern area with no warming trend. The latitudes of species ranges increased on average but showed large interspecific variations which showed a weak, positive correlation with interspecific taxonomic distance. The differences of these results from the previously reported trends are discussed in relation to the unique current patterns in our study area and the phylogenetic constraints of species-specific responses to a warming environment.