BIOECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF SELECTED CONSERVATION PRACTICES ON SOIL EROSION AND FRESHWATER FISHERIES1

ABSTRACT: Farmers can generate environmental benefits (improved water quality and fisheries and wildlife habitat), but they may not be able to quantify them. Furthermore, farmers may reduce their incomes from managing lands to produce these positive externalities but receive little monetary compensation in return. This study simulated the relationship between agricultural practices, water quality, fish responses to suspended sediment and farm income within two small watersheds, one of a cool water stream and one of a warm water stream. Using the Agricultural Drainage and Pesticide Transport (ADAPT) model, this study related best management practices (BMPs) to calculated instream suspended sediment concentrations by estimating sediment delivery, runoff, base flow, and streambank erosion to quantify the effects of suspended sediment exposure on fish communities. By implementing selected BMPs in each watershed, annual net farm income declined $18,000 to $28,000 (1 to 3 percent) from previous levels. “Lethal” fish events from suspended sediments in the cool water watershed decreased by 60 percent as conservation tillage and riparian buffers increased. Despite reducing suspended sediments by 25 percent, BMPs in the warm water watershed did not reduce the negative response of the fisheries. Differences in responses (physical and biological) between watersheds highlight potential gains in economic efficiency by targeting BMPs or by offering performance based “green payments.”     

DRY AND WET WEATHER FLOW NUTRIENT LOADS FROM A LOS ANGELES WATERSHED1

Effective watershed management requires an accurate assessment of the pollutant loads from the associated point and nonpoint sources. The importance of wet weather flow (WWF) pollutant loads is well known, but in semi‐arid regions where urbanization is significant the pollutant load in dry weather flow (DWF) may also be important. This research compares the relative contributions of potential contaminants discharged in DWF and WWF from the Ballona Creek Watershed in Los Angeles, California. Models to predict DWF and WWF loads of total suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand, nitrate‐nitrogen, nitrite‐nitrogen, ammonia‐nitrogen, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, and total phosphorus from the Ballona Creek Watershed for six water years dating from 1991 to 1996 were developed. The contaminants studied were selected based on data availability and their potential importance in the degradation of Ballona Creek and Santa Monica Bay beneficial uses. Wet weather flow was found to contribute approximately 75 percent to 90 percent of the total annual flow volume discharged by the Ballona Creek Watershed. Pollutant loads are also predominantly due to WWF, but during the dry season, DWF is a more significant contributor. Wet weather flow accounts for 67 to 98 percent of the annual load of the constituents studied. During the dry season, however, the portion attributable to DWF increases to greater than 40 percent for all constituents except biochemical oxygen demand and total suspended solids. When individual catchments within the watershed are considered, the DWF pollutant load from the largest catchment is similar to the WWF pollutant load in two other major catchments. This research indicates WWF is the most significant source of nonpoint source pollution load on an annual basis, but management of the effects of the nonpoint source pollutant load should consider the seasonal importance of DWF.     

Co-pyrolysis of swine manure with agricultural plastic waste: Laboratory-scale study

Manure-derived biochar is the solid product resulting from pyrolysis of animal manures. It has considerable potential both to improve soil quality with high levels of nutrients and to reduce contaminants in water and soil. However, the combustible gas produced from manure pyrolysis generally does not provide enough energy to sustain the pyrolysis process. Supplementing this process may be achieved with spent agricultural plastic films; these feedstocks have large amounts of available energy. Plastic films are often used in soil fumigation. They are usually disposed in landfills, which is wasteful, expensive, and environmentally unsustainable. The objective of this work was to investigate both the energetics of co-pyrolyzing swine solids with spent plastic mulch films (SPM) and the characteristics of its gas, liquid, and solid byproducts. The heating value of the product gas from co-pyrolysis was found to be much higher than that of natural gas; furthermore, the gas had no detectable toxic fumigants. Energetically, sustaining pyrolysis of the swine solids through the energy of the product gas could be achieved by co-pyrolyzing dewatered swine solids (25% m/m) with just 10% SPM. If more than 10% SPM is used, the co-pyrolysis would generate surplus energy which could be used for power generation. Biochars produced from co-pyrolyzing SPM and swine solid were similar to swine solid alone based on the surface area and the ¹H NMR spectra. The results of this study demonstrated the potential of using pyrolysis technology to manage two prominent agricultural waste streams (SPM and swine solids) while producing value-added biochar and a power source that could be used for local farm operations.     

Assessment of semi-natural habitats and landscape features on Irish farmland: New insights to inform EU Common Agricultural Policy implementation

Concerns over the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services in farmland have prompted the development of agri-environment policy measures aimed at reducing farming pressure and maintaining semi-natural habitats in farmed landscapes. However, further knowledge is needed to guarantee successful agri-environment measures implementation. The current study assessed the quantity and the quality of semi-natural habitats in farms across a gradient of farming intensities in two contrasting regions in Ireland. Policy protection seemed fundamental for semi-natural habitats preservation. Habitats not protected by agricultural policy relied on extensive farming and are in danger of disappearing if they are intensified or abandoned. Due to the lack of policy incentives for habitat quality, no correlations were found between farming intensity and share of semi-natural habitats with habitat quality. Therefore, extensive farming and retention of habitats alone may not reverse the decline of farmland quality and biodiverisity and, thus, measures incentivising the environmental quality may be more successful.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01344-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

常规施肥条件下农田不同途径氮素损失的原位研究:以长江中下游地区夏玉米季为例

为了解农田常规施肥条件下的不同途径氮素损失特征,本文通过田间原位试验同步研究了长江中下游地区夏玉米生长季氮肥施用后的农田N2O排放、NH3挥发、氮渗漏和地表径流的变化.结果表明,在复合肥为基肥,尿素为追肥,基追肥氮素水平均为150 kg·hm-2的条件下,整个玉米生长季N2O排放系数为3.3%,NH3挥发损失率为10.2%,氮渗漏和地表径流损失率分别为11.2%和5.1%.此外,基肥施用以氮素渗漏损失为主,而追肥氮素损失以氨挥发和渗漏为主,表明不同途径化肥氮素损失主要受氮肥品种影响,玉米季追肥可改用低氨挥发氮肥品种以减少氮素损失.     

Influence of agricultural activities, forest fires and agro-industries on air quality in Thailand

Annual and monthly-based emission inventories in northern, central and north-eastern provinces in Thailand, where agriculture and related agro-industries are very intensive, were estimated to evaluate the contribution of agricultural activity, including crop residue burning, forest fires and related agro-industries on air quality monitored in corresponding provinces. The monthly-based emission inventories of air pollutants, or, particulate matter (PM), NOx and SO₂, for various agricultural crops were estimated based on information on the level of production of typical crops: rice, corn, sugarcane, cassava, soybeans and potatoes using emission factors and other parameters related to country-specific values taking into account crop type and the local residue burning period. The estimated monthly emission inventory was compared with air monitoring data obtained at monitoring stations operated by the Pollution Control Department, Thailand (PCD) for validating the estimated emission inventory. The agro-industry that has the greatest impact on the regions being evaluated, is the sugar processing industry, which uses sugarcane as a raw material and its residue as fuel for the boiler. The backward trajectory analysis of the air mass arriving at the PCD station was calculated to confirm this influence. For the provinces being evaluated which are located in the upper northern, lower northern and northeast in Thailand, agricultural activities and forest fires were shown to be closely correlated to the ambient PM concentration while their contribution to the production of gaseous pollutants is much less.     

沂蒙山区典型小流域降雨径流的磷素输出特征

以沂蒙山区孟良崮小流域为研究对象,通过监测2010年自然降雨条件下流域出口污染物的流失状况,选取降雨量>2mm的10场降雨,分析降雨径流特征对磷素流失的影响.结果表明,次降雨径流中总磷(TP)、颗粒态全磷(PP)、水溶性全磷(DP)、水溶性无机磷(DIP)浓度变化与流量变化过程不一致,浓度峰值均出现于流量峰值之前,而磷素通量与流量变化过程较为一致,且两者呈较好的线性关系;次降雨径流TP、PP、DP、DIP的浓度最大值及平均浓度(EMCs)差异均较大,其主要受降雨量、最大雨强和平均雨强影响,与降雨历时无显著相关关系,而浓度最小值差异较小;TP以PP流失为主,DP以DIP流失为主,DIP/DP的动态变化与降雨历时、降雨量、最大雨强和平均雨强均无显著相关关系,而PP/TP的动态变化与最大雨强显著相关.DIP、DP、TP的输出受地表径流(DR)和基流(BF)的影响较大,DIP/DP的动态变化及DIP、DP、TP的EMCs与DR/TR(地表径流/总径流量)存在多项式关系,而PP/TP的动态变化和PP的EMCs受DR/TR影响较小.     

北京市新建城区不透水地表径流N、P输出形态特征研究

2010年通过对北京市新建城区典型不透水地表径流水样的采集与分析,研究新建城区地表径流水质特征及其N、P输出形态组成,以期为城市地表径流污染的源区控制提供科学依据.结果表明,北京市新建区典型不透水地表屋面和道路地表径流污染初期冲刷效应显著,屋面径流污染负荷的输出主要集中在初期10 mm径流,而道路径流污染负荷的输出主要集中在初期15 mm径流.屋面地表径流TSS、COD、TN、NH4+-N、NO3--N和TP事件浓度均值分别为50.2、81.7、6.07、2.94、1.05和0.11 mg·L-1;道路地表径流TSS、COD、TN、NH4+-N、NO3--N和TP事件浓度均值分别为539.0、276.4、7.00、1.71、1.51和0.61 mg·L-1.屋面径流颗粒态COD、TN和TP分别占20.8%、12.3%和49.7%,道路径流颗粒态COD、TN和TP分别占68.6%、20.0%和73.6%.屋面径流溶解性氮素占总氮87.7%,其中NH4+-N和NO3--N分别占57.6%和22.5%,道路径流溶解性氮素占总氮的80.0%,其中NH4+-N和NO3--N分别占42.1%和35.0%.城市地表径流污染控制应加强NH4+-N和NO3--N的去除.     

基于SWAT模型的三峡库区香溪河非点源氮磷负荷模拟

三峡水库蓄水后,水动力条件改变下营养盐的过量输入导致部分支流库湾水华现象及水体富营养化问题严重.本文以香溪河为研究示范区,基于GIS平台建立流域下垫面空间数据库,以氮磷为研究对象,应用SWAT模型对流域三大主要水系及涉及35个子流域进行2000-2009年径流、营养盐输出模拟研究,并对实测数据和模拟结果进行分析,结果表明:径流模拟结果校验阶段的效率系数0.65和0.86,确定系数是0.78和0.91,模拟效果较好,径流和营养盐负荷受降雨影响呈正相关关系,在丰水年和丰水季节较大,2000-2009年期间TN和TP年均负荷分别是2640.64和300.01 t,在2007年达到最大值,分别是3475.96和399.20 t,在2005年为最小值,分别是2036.72和226.44 t,TN和TP负荷的贡献率高岚水系＞古夫水系＞南阳水系,支流TN和TP输出强度空间差异较大,空间分布差异系数分别是0.34和0.58,TN最大值和最小值是29.39 kg·hm-2·a-1和3.86 kg·hm-2·a-1,TP最大值和最小值分别是4.90 kg·hm-2·a-1和0.54 kg·hm-2·a-1.     

不同粒径地表街尘中重金属在径流冲刷中的迁移转化

在我国快速城市化进程中,街尘及其径流冲刷引起的重金属污染日显突出.通过对北京市城乡道路街尘及其人工降雨模拟径流冲刷过程中不同粒径街尘中重金属的分析,探讨街尘与径流冲刷过程中的粒径效应及不同重金属赋存形态的动态变化规律.结果表明,同一粒径颗粒物从"静态"街尘到"动态"径流中的颗粒物,重金属浓度呈下降趋势.街尘中重金属在径流冲刷过程中,存在溶解与解析现象,颗粒物粒径越小,减少比率越大,5种重金属(Cr、Cu、Ni、Pb、Zn)的减少比率分别为24.3%、56.8%、34.3%、22.8%、27.3%.街尘中的弱酸可提取态比例要略大于径流颗粒物中弱酸可提取态比例,部分以水溶态进入水体中.在径流冲刷过程中,水相溶解态重金属变化不大,水相颗粒态重金属含量随降雨时间径流过程迅速降低.固相颗粒物的重金属浓度随降雨时间总体上呈下降趋势.粒径越小,冲刷率越大,最大为62.1%,最小为4.6%.地表街尘在径流冲刷过程中,小粒径颗粒物具有较强的迁移能力,较容易进入水体造成污染.