The 1976 outbreak of Hog Cholera in New Jersey: An application of geology to a biological emergency

Hog cholera is a highly contagious virus disease of swine. Since 1962, a Hog Cholera Eradication Program has replaced vaccination as the control mechanism in the U.S. Because the cholera agent requires a live host to thrive, quarantine and herd depopulation are ordered at every U.S. outbreak. The results have been positive and dramatic.The presence of hog cholera was confirmed in Gloucester County, New Jersey, on February 26, 1976. A cooperative State-Federal task force was mobilized to contain and eliminate the infection. Burial would be the disposal technique. For the first time a geologist was requested to augment outbreak control, with responsibility to pinpoint safe burial sites for thousands of animals. USDA emergency policy and procedures limited the options of the assisting geologist, but basic geologic judgments sufficed during appraisals of burial sites. Ultimately, 10 sites were needed and used; other locations proposed during the course of the outbreak were judged hydrogeologically unsuitable and were therefore rejected. Each excavation was sited to minimize potential impact on local aquifers, chiefly by maintaining maximum separation from the water table and by prudent siting within the hydrogeology of the outbreak area.From the first positive confirmation to the end of the active outbreak, a period of four weeks, 15,741 swine totaling over 1 million kg were destroyed and buried. The resulting indemnity was just under $3 million. Because of effective cooperative action during the New Jersey incident, geologic appraisal during large U.S. livestock depopulations now promises to become standard procedure.     

The Role of Livestock Production Ethics in Consumer Values Towards Meat

This study examines the specificvalues held by consumers towards organic andconventionally produced meat, with particularreference to moral issues surrounding foodanimal production. A quota sample of 30 femalesfrom both a rural and an urban area of Scotland(UK), were interviewed. Overall, there was lowcommitment towards the purchase of organicmeats and little concern for ethical issues.Price and product appearance were the primarymeat selection criteria, the latter being usedas a predictor of eating quality. Manyattitude-behavior anomalies were identified,mainly as a result of respondents' cognitivedissonance and lack of understanding regardingmeat production criteria underpinning meatquality marks, e.g., Soil Association label.Responsibilities for ethical issues appeared tobe delegated by the consumer to the meatretailer or government. This raises issuesabout educating consumers and bringingconsumers closer to understanding meatproduction systems. A conceptual framework isproposed that illustrates the significance ofconsumer involvement in how meat-purchasingdecisions are approached in terms of theevaluation of tangible and or intangiblequality attributes. The results also point tothe need for further research into thoseaspects of quality that individuals tend toaddress at the level of the citizen (law),rather than at the point of purchase.     

Natural Behavior, Animal Rights, or Making Money – A Study of Swedish Organic Farmers' View of Animal Issues

A questionnaire study was performed among Swedish organic livestock farmers to determine their view of animal welfare and other ethical issues in animal production. The questionnaire was sent to 56.5% of the target group and the response rate was 75.6%. A principal components analysis (exploratory factor analysis) was performed to get a more manageable data set. A matrix of intercorrelations between all pairs of factors was computed. The factors were then entered into a series of multiple regression models to explain five dependent variables. Respondents were well educated and had long experience of farming. 81% were full-time farmers. They generally had a very positive attitude towards organic animal husbandry. They considered allowing animals their natural behavior a central aim, which is in accordance with organic philosophy. Farmers tended to be less approving of concepts like animal rights, dignity, and intrinsic value. When analyzing correlations between the factors, two groups of farmers emerged that were only partially correlated, representing different attitudes and behavioral dispositions. These may be interpreted as two subpopulations of organic livestock farmers in Sweden: those who saw organic farming as a lifestyle (``pioneer attitude') and entrepreneurs, who considered making money and new challenges more important. Their view of animal welfare differed. While the pioneers considered natural behavior a key issue, this was less important to the entrepreneurs, who also had a more approving attitude towards invasive operations such as castration and were more critical of the organic standards.     

STORMFLOW AND SEDIMENT LOSS FROM INTENSIVELY MANAGED FOREST WATERSHEDS IN EAST TEXAS1

ABSTRACT: Five small (4 ha) forested watersheds in East Texas were instrumented in December 1980 to determine the effect of forest harvesting, mechanical site preparation, and livestock grazing on stormflow, peak discharge rate, and sediment loss. After three pretreatment years, four of the watersheds were treated as follows: (1) clearcutting followed by roller chopping; (2) clearcutting following by shearing and windrowing; (3) clearcutting following by shearing, windrowing, and continuous grazing; and (4) clearcutting followed by shearing, windrowing, and rotational grazing. Clearcut harvesting and all site preparation treatments significantly increased stormflow, peak discharge, and sediment losses over the undisturbed condition. Roller chopping and shearing/windrowing had little impact on sediment loss from these watersheds and appears to be a sound forest conservation practice for gently sloping watersheds (> 8 percent). As applied, livestock grazing had minimal impact on stormflow and peak discharge. The moderately stocked continuously grazed treatment had little impact on sediment loss, but the high stocking density of the rotational grazing treatment increased sediment losses over the undisturbed condition. Sediment losses from these intensively managed forest watersheds, even though significantly greater than from undisturbed conditions, were within the range of sediment losses from undisturbed watersheds in the Southeast, below the range of losses from mechanically prepared watersheds elsewhere, and well below potential losses from pasture and cropland.     

INFLUENCE OF HERBIVORY ON REGROWTH OF RIPARIAN SHRUBS FOLLOWING A WILDLAND FIRE1

Streamside vegetation frequently regenerates faster than upland vegetation following wildland fire and contributes to the recovery of riparian and stream ecosystems. Limited data are available, however, on the post‐fire growth of riparian species and the influence of herbivory on regeneration. To determine post‐fire regrowth of riparian vegetation, height, crown area, crown volume, and browse levels were measured for key riparian shrub species in streamside burned and unburned plots along second‐order streams in western Wyoming. Shrubs in the burned plots were subject to high levels of browse ‐ up to 84 percent of the leaders were browsed ‐ by native ungulates in 2002, the second post‐fire year (September 2001 to September 2002). In summer 2003, the burned watershed was also grazed by livestock, resulting in increased browse levels and decreased shrub heights for several species. In the third post‐fire year, September 2002 to September 2003, four of the six most common species showed no increase in crown area or crown volume, indicating that the combination of native ungulate and cattle browsing suppressed their growth. Potential impacts of grazing on post‐fire recovery of stream and riparian ecosystems are discussed.     

中国畜禽养殖及其粪便污染与治理现状

在人口、收入和城市化等社会经济环境因素的推动下,近些年中国畜禽养殖业得到迅猛发展,同时也产生了生态环境恶化、饲料粮供需差距加大等一系列问题。未来中国畜禽养殖业的发展程度及其相应的环境污染状态,未来饲料粮供需之间矛盾的程度,以及环境和畜禽养殖业协调发展对策等,均需要进一步系统而深入的探讨,从而保障未来中国畜禽养殖业的健康发展。     

辽西畜禽养殖专业村环境质量分析

畜禽养殖业的快速发展和养殖污染治理滞后的矛盾已经成为我国畜禽养殖业发展的瓶颈。对辽西畜禽养殖专业村饮用水、空气指标进行了检测。结果表明,辽西地区畜禽养殖业的快速发展对大气、水体和土壤环境造成了严重污染,需要采取有效治理措施,消除畜禽养殖污染对经济发展的制约。     

深圳农业面源污染与近岸水体富营养化关系研究Ⅰ.农业陆源排污分析

主要从深圳市农业对水体的陆源污染包括农田化肥流失和畜禽养殖业排污等污染源出发,通过对农业化肥施用量和施用强度、畜禽养殖业排污变化趋势分析,估算出二者各自污染物排放量,探讨其与深圳近海水体污染变化趋势间的关系。对相关数据分析表明:(1)深圳市农业化肥流失是深圳近海水体富营养化成因之一,其在1994年之后对近海水体污染程度加大;(2)深圳市畜禽养殖业排污是深圳近海水体富营养化主要成因之一,其在1997年之后对近海水体污染程度加大;(3)农业化肥流失和畜禽养殖业排污主要受农业用地面积、农业政策的影响。     

USR+IOD处理技术在集约化养猪场畜禽污水中的应用

以一个USR+IOD污水处理技术在集约化生猪养殖畜禽污水处理中的应用工程,介绍了工程设计参数与调试监测,验收监测结果表明,出水各项指标均能满足行业排放标准的要求。     

实时控制条件下外加碳源用于低C/N比养殖废水处理中污泥膨胀的控制研究

养殖废水是一类典型的高氨氮废水.在低C/N比进水条件下,生物处理单元内较易出现污泥膨胀现象.采用实时控制技术,建立了序批式反应器(SBR)优化硝化-反硝化控制系统,进行了外加碳源用于低C/N比养殖废水处理中的污泥膨胀控制研究.并探讨了优化控制系统对污泥膨胀的控制机制.结果表明,低C/N比进水条件下,不完全硝化-反硝化过程导致硝酸盐及氨氮的累积是低F/M条件下污泥膨胀的主要原因.根据进水水质变化,实时控制系统自动优化外加碳源投加量,可有效控制由不完全硝化-反硝化反应引起的污泥膨胀.