Modelling nitrogen cycles of farming systems as basis of site- and farm-specific nitrogen management

The paper describes a model designed for analysing interrelated nitrogen (N) fluxes in farming systems. It combines the partial N balance, farm gate balance, barn balance and soil surface balance, in order to analyse all relevant N fluxes between the subsystems soil–plant–animal–environment and to reflect conclusive and consistent management systems. Such a system approach allows identifying the causes of varying N surplus and N utilisation.The REPRO model has been applied in the experimental farm Scheyern in southern Germany, which had been subdivided into an organic (org) and a conventional (con) farming system in 1992. Detailed series of long-term measuring data are available for the experimental farm, which have been used for evaluating the software for its efficiency and applicability under very different management, yet nearly equal site conditions.The organic farm is multi-structured with a legume-based crop rotation (N₂ fixation: 83 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹). The livestock density is 1.4 LSU ha⁻¹. The farm is oriented on closed mass cycles.The conventional farm is a simple-structured cash crop system based on mineral N (N input 145 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹). Averaging the years 1999–2002, the organic crop rotation reached, with regard to the harvested products, about 81% (6.9 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) of the DM yield and about 93% (140 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) of the N removal of the conventional rotation. Related to the cropped area, the N surplus calculated for the organic rotation was 38 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ versus 44 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for the conventional rotation. The N utilisation reached 0.77 (org) and 0.79 (con), respectively. The different structure of the farms favoured an enhancement of the soil organic nitrogen stock (35 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) in the organic crop rotation and caused a decline in the conventional system (−24 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹). Taking account of these changes, which were substantiated by measurements, N surplus in the organic rotation decreased to 3 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, while it increased to 68 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in the conventional system. The adjusted N utilisation value amounted to 0.98 (org) and 0.69 (con), respectively.     

A framework for the management of sand dune systems in Wales

The Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) is developing a management framework with the primary aim of restoring favourable conservation status to the sand dune resource of Wales. It will take onboard the requirements of both national and international conservation legislation and will also help CCW integrate its responsibilities for biodiversity, geodiversity, landscape, access and recreation for this habitat. In order to achieve certain conservation goals it will be necessary to have in place a variety of different types of management ranging from non- or minimal intervention through to intensive single species management and habitat re-creation. However, it will not provide a comprehensive framework for all aspects of site management, but only those that are deemed to be of strategic importance, and have significance within an all-Wales perspective for their nature conservation importance.     

人工湿地植物床-沟壕系统水质净化效果

嘉兴市石臼漾湿地以仿拟自然界的植物床-沟壕系统为主要结构单元,以人工湿地生态根孔技术为核心净化技术,将河网源水主要水质指标提高了一个类别.为探索该系统以及根孔净化技术的优化途径,于2010年5～10月在湿地内构建了16个并联的植物床-沟壕单元,以正交设计手段研究根孔构筑方式、植物组合和强化介质3种因素对人工湿地植物床-沟壕系统水质净化效果的影响.综合考虑水质净化效果、工程施工难易程度、建设及运行维护成本等情况,推荐人工湿地植物床-沟壕系统的优化途径为:根孔构筑方式采用上、下两层秸秆填埋方式,植物组合优选芦苇+菰,在植物床局部采用适量方解石作为强化介质.比较了中试强化区和大工程区的水质净化效率,结果显示:强化后的植物床-沟壕系统具有进一步提升湿地水质净化效果的潜能,对总氮、总磷、氨氮等水质指标去除率提高幅度约为20%～40%.因此在保证湿地处理水量的前提下,控制大渠过水量、增加植物床-沟壕系统内根孔区的过流量可以发挥该系统更好的水质净化效果.     

两种经济体制下职业安全管理总结与探讨

分析了我国加入WTO后职业安全管理存在的新情况,认真回顾总结了计划经济体制下的职业安全管理经验,探讨了市场经济体制下的职业安全管理方法,以最大限度地防止或减少各类事故的发生。     

A DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM TO MANAGE SUMMER STREAM TEMPERATURES1

ABSTRACT: Warm summer stream temperatures due to low flows and high air temperatures are a critical water quality problem in many western United States river basins because they impact threatened fish species’habitat. One way to alleviate this problem is for local and federal organizations to purchase water rights to be used to increase flows, hence decrease temperatures. Presented is a Decision Support System (DSS) that can be used in an operations mode to effectively use water acquired to mitigate warm stream temperatures. The DSS uses a statistical model for predicting daily stream temperatures and a rule‐based module to compute reservoir releases. Water releases are calculated to meet fish habitat temperature targets based on the predicted stream temperature and a user specified confidence of the temperature predictions. Strategies that enable effective use of a limited amount of water throughout the season have also been incorporated in the DSS. The utility of the DSS is demonstrated by an example application to the Truckee River near Reno, Nevada, using hypothetical operating policy and 1988 through 1994 inflows. Results indicate that the DSS could substantially reduce the number of target temperature violations (i.e., stream temperatures exceeding the target temperature levels detrimental to fish habitat).     

A GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM PROCEDURE TO QUANTIFY DRAINAGE-BASIN CHARACTERISTICS1

ABSTRACT: The Basin Characteristics System (BCS) has been developed to quantify characteristics of a drainage basin. The first of four main BCS processing steps creates four geographic information system (GIS) digital maps representing the drainage divide, the drainage network, elevation contours, and the basin length. The drainage divide and basin length are manually digitized from 1:250,000-scale topographic maps. The drainage network is extracted using GIS software from 1:100,000-scale digital line graph data. The elevation contours are generated using GIS software from 1:250,000-scale digital elevation model data. The second and third steps use software developed to assign attributes to specific features in three of the four digital maps and analyze the four maps to quantify 24 morphometric basin characteristics. The fourth step quantifies two climatic characteristics from digitized State maps of precipitation data. Compared to manual methods of measurement, the BCS provides a reduction in the time required to quantify the 26 basin characteristics. Comparison tests indicate the BCS measurements are not significantly different from manual topographic-map measurements for 11 of 12 primary drainage-basin characteristics. Tests indicate the BCS significantly underestimates basin slope. Comparison-measurement differences for basin slope, main channel slope, and basin relief appear to be due to limitations in the digital elevation model data.     

Field bioassessments for selecting test systems to evaluate military training lands in tallgrass prairie. Ecosystem health. V

Ecosystem responses to physical or chemical stress may vary from changes in single organisms to alteration of the structure and function of the ecosystem. These responses to stress cannol be predicted exactly. Ecosystems repeatedly exposed to physical and/or chemical stress can be used to study the separate and combined environmental effects of stress. Such studies also allow the development of procedures to select test systems for the analysis of stress in ecosystems. A preliminary field survey of six military training sites at Fort Riley, Kansas, USA, was conducted to identify and verify ecological test systems for evaluating ecosystem responses to physical and/or chemical stress. Comparisons of these data with data collected concurrently from Konza Prairie Research Natural Area reference sites showed that soil microarthropods, some species of macroarthropods, small mammals, and native earthworm species were negatively affected by stress. In contrast, plant species diversity, plant foliage biomass, soil mycorrhizae, and many soil characteristics were within the boundaries of nominal variations observed on “pristine” Konza Prairie. Introduced European earthworms appeared to be positively affected by training activities. This study provided a test of systematic procedures to support impact analysis, ecological toxicology, and ecosystem risk assessments. This is paper IX in D. J. Schaeffer's “Environmental Audit” series.     

我国VOCs污染治理监管存在的问题及对策

VOCs是细颗粒物(PM_2.5)和臭氧(O3)形成的重要前体物,通过梳理我国VOCs治理相关的法律、政策、标准,并结合重点区域的调研情况,分析了我国VOCs治理监管存在的法律法规与标准体系不健全、执法监管能力建设不足、企业全过程精细化管控不到位等问题,提出应进一步健全法律法规与标准体系,建立智能监管技术与人工智能应用体系,加强全过程精细化管控等对策建议。