Carbon mitigation potential and costs of forestry options in Brazil,China, India,Indonesia, Mexico,the Philippines and Tanzania

This paper summarizes studies of carbon (C) mitigation potential and costs of about 40 forestry options in seven developing countries. Each study uses the same methodological approach – Comprehensive Mitigation Assessment Process (COMAP) – to estimate the above parameters between 2000 and 2030. The approach requires the projection of baseline and mitigation land-use scenarios. Coupled with data on a per ha basis on C sequestration or avoidance, and costs and benefits, it allows the estimation of monetary benefit per Mg C, and the total costs and carbon potential. The results show that about half (3.0 Pg C) the cumulative mitigation potential of 6.2 Petagram (Pg) C between 2000 and 2030 in the seven countries (about 200× 10⁶ Mg C yr^-1) could be achieved at a negative cost and the remainder at costs ranging up to $100 Mg C^-1. About 5 Pg C could be achieved, at a cost less than $20 per Mg C. Negative cost potential indicates that non-carbon revenue is sufficient to offset direct costs of these options. The achievable potential is likely to be smaller, however, due to market, institutional, and sociocultural barriers that can delay or prevent the implementation of the analyzed options.     

A review of municipal solid waste composition and quantities in Poland

A review of results of the research involving the quantitative and composition analyses of household waste conducted in Poland in recent years is presented in this paper. For these analyses various methodologies have been employed, as there is not one obligatory methodology how to characterise municipal solid waste. The results of the research in large Polish cities indicate great variability, which is difficult to be reasonably explained. This situation is affected by a number of factors, such as various methods and places for sample collection, various methods for tests, fractional character of most of the studies (studies carried out only in some periods during a year). Consequently, it is neither possible to measurably compare their results, nor to generalise them. Hence, within this article only individual data for large cities is provided. It is therefore necessary to standardise methodology for such analyses in Europe, taking into account local variability (such as different housing patterns, climate and waste collection schemes) to allow comparison of results.Reported yearly household waste generation in Polish cities varies from 238 to 309 kg per inhabitant. Biodegradable waste is a strongly dominated fraction in household waste from Polish cities, followed by paper/cardboard and plastics. Historical data shows that waste composition has undergone profound changes, the most significant being an increase of the share of plastics and decrease of fine fraction. The presented data indicates that waste composition strongly depends on the type of housing and its heating system. In the new multi-family buildings with central heating the share of paper and plastics is higher than in old houses with individual heating. In the latter ones the share of fine fraction is higher.     

Vegetation as an indicator of environmental changes

Composition of the vegetation and the properties of its environment are related, as was shown by research. In these, mostly statistical-correlative studies, both the vegetation and some growth factors, such as plant nutrients and moisture supply were analyzed and studied on interdependence. At present the environmental conditions can be estimated in the field from the floristic composition with regard to differences both in the combination of plant species and in their relative biomass production. With a vegetation survey the spatial pattern of the different environmental conditions can be indicated. For instance, the places where moisture supply gradients occur can be detected, also a better understanding is obtained of the environmental equalization and the decreasing number of plant species and spatial diversity. Conclusions can be drawn about changes in the vegetation to be expected, from the combined occurrence of, a terrestrial vegetation indicating an eutrofied environment and a water vegetation indicating a relatively oligotrophic environment. By comparing vegetation recordings of the past and present, environmental changes that have occurred in the same place can be indicated. By vegetations situated in different places in relation with soil profile properties the consequences of environmental changes can be predicted. For instance, lowering of the ground water table and intensifying the agricultural use. On the other hand, measures can be suggested to increase the biological value of land and water, for instance, indication of seepage areas and floristically rich areas in the field.     

Seminal fluid enhances sperm viability in the leafcutter ant Atta colombica

The seminal fluid that accompanies sperm in ejaculates has been shown or suggested to affect sperm competition and paternity success of insects by preventing female remating, inducing oviposition, and forming mating plugs. In Atta leafcutter ants, queens have multiple mates but never remate later in life, although they may live and produce fertilized eggs for several decades. The mating biology and life history of these ants therefore suggests that the major function of seminal fluid is to maximize sperm viability during copulation, sperm transfer, and initial sperm storage. We tested this hypothesis by comparing the viability of testis sperm and ejaculated sperm (mixed with seminal fluid) and found a significant positive effect of seminal fluid on sperm viability. We further quantified this positive effect by adding accessory gland secretion (a major component of seminal fluid) in a dilution series, to show that minute quantities of accessory gland secretion achieve significant increases in sperm viability. Sperm stored by queens for 1 year benefited in a similar way from being exposed to accessory gland compounds after dissection in control saline solution. Our results provide the first empirical evidence that seminal fluid is important for the production of viable ejaculates and that the accessory glands of Atta males—despite their small size—are functional and produce a very potent secretion.     

Measuring bioavailability: from a scientific approach to standard methods

Biological effects are not related to the total concentration of a contaminant in the soil and soil-like materials. Organisms respond only to the fraction that is biologically available. The bioavailable fractions of contaminants are dependent on soil properties and various processes varying with time and on the behavior or the target organism. Bioavailability may be assessed in two complementary ways: (i) by chemical methods (e.g., extraction methods), which determine a defined available fraction of a well defined class of contaminants; and (ii) by biological methods, which expose organisms to soil or soil eluates to monitor effects. Although there is scientific discussion on the concept of bioavailability, the literature gives enough evidence to recognize bioavailability as a promising tool in risk assessment. A large number of methods are available. Under regulatory aspects of soil protection, a risk assessment should be based on the same common concept of determination and assessment of exposure and measuring and assessment of effects. A harmonized framework on bioavailability is necessary to promote the development and introduction of workable (international) standard methods to be used in soil and site assessment. The working group 'Bioavailability' of ISO/TC190-Soil Quality has developed a guidance document for development and selection of methods to assess bioavailability for different target species with regard to several classes of contaminants. The way to this standard, on the border of science and regulation, is described in this article.     

Levels and trends of brominated flame retardants in the European environment

In this paper, we review those data which have recently become available for brominated flame retardants (particularly the brominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD)) in samples from the European environment. Environmental compartments studied comprise the atmosphere, sediments and soils, sewage sludges, and a variety of biological samples and food chains. This is currently a very active research area, and we cite over 70 studies reported in the literature during 2003-04. Findings include that the input of BDEs (especially BDE209) to the Baltic Sea by atmospheric deposition now exceeds that of PCBs by a factor of almost 40 times. Sewage sludge samples from both industrial and background locations show concentrations of BDEs, HBCD and tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBP-A) that are of a similar order, indicating that the major source is from diffuse leaching from products into wastewater streams from users, households and industries generally. Point-sources from industries using BFRs (e.g. the textile industry) also generate local hot-spots. Sediment core studies identified the presence of two of the three PBDE formulations. The penta-mix formulation was clearly present from the beginning of the 1970s, but the deca-mix only appeared in the late 1970s. BDE183, BDE209 and HBCD were detected in peregrine falcons from Sweden and other birds feeding on terrestrial food chains. BDEs are found widely distributed in fish, including those from high mountain lakes in Europe, as a consequence of long-range atmospheric transport and deposition. A temporal trend study in archived freeze-dried mussels from the Seine estuary, France, indicated an exponential increase in BDE concentrations during the period 1982-1993, which levelled off in 1999 and 2001 and then began to decline after 2002. HBCD was detected in liver and blubber samples from harbour seals and harbour porpoises from the Wadden and North Seas, though very few animals yielded positive values for TBBP-A. There are difficulties in comparing data on summation operatorBDE from studies in which different suites of BDE congeners have been determined, and we suggest a common suite which will allow the study of all three commercial PBDE formulations.     

GC-EAG-analysis of volatiles from Brussels sprouts plants damaged by two species of Pieris caterpillars: olfactory receptive range of a specialist and a generalist parasitoid wasp species

Summary. Feeding by Pieris brassicae or P. rapae caterpillars on Brussels sprouts plants induces the emission of synomones that attract natural enemies of the caterpillars, Cotesia glomerata, a generalist parasitoid, and C. rubecula, a specialist on P. rapae. Previous research on this tritrophic system has identified a large number of volatiles in the headspace of herbivore-damaged Brussels sprouts plants, and this paper addresses the question which of these volatiles are perceived by the two parasitoid species. Headspace odors from both P. brassicae- and P. rapae-damaged Brussels sprouts plants were analyzed by coupled gas chromatography electro- antennogram (GC-EAG) detection. Twenty volatiles evoked consistent EAG reactions in the antennae of both species and nineteen of these volatiles could be identified with GC-MS. One component that could not be identified due to its low concentration, evoked EAG responses in antennae of C. rubecula only. Possible consequences for searching behavior of the two parasitoid species are discussed.