Fine‐resolution conservation planning with limited climate‐change information

Climate‐change induced uncertainties in future spatial patterns of conservation‐related outcomes make it difficult to implement standard conservation‐planning paradigms. A recent study translates Markowitz's risk‐diversification strategy from finance to conservation settings, enabling conservation agents to use this diversification strategy for allocating conservation and restoration investments across space to minimize the risk associated with such uncertainty. However, this method is information intensive and requires a large number of forecasts of ecological outcomes associated with possible climate‐change scenarios for carrying out fine‐resolution conservation planning. We developed a technique for iterative, spatial portfolio analysis that can be used to allocate scarce conservation resources across a desired level of subregions in a planning landscape in the absence of a sufficient number of ecological forecasts. We applied our technique to the Prairie Pothole Region in central North America. A lack of sufficient future climate information prevented attainment of the most efficient risk‐return conservation outcomes in the Prairie Pothole Region. The difference in expected conservation returns between conservation planning with limited climate‐change information and full climate‐change information was as large as 30% for the Prairie Pothole Region even when the most efficient iterative approach was used. However, our iterative approach allowed finer resolution portfolio allocation with limited climate‐change forecasts such that the best possible risk‐return combinations were obtained. With our most efficient iterative approach, the expected loss in conservation outcomes owing to limited climate‐change information could be reduced by 17% relative to other iterative approaches.     

Using decision science to evaluate global biodiversity indices

Global biodiversity indices are used to measure environmental change and progress toward conservation goals, yet few indices have been evaluated comprehensively for their capacity to detect trends of interest, such as declines in threatened species or ecosystem function. Using a structured approach based on decision science, we qualitatively evaluated 9 indices commonly used to track biodiversity at global and regional scales against 5 criteria relating to objectives, design, behavior, incorporation of uncertainty, and constraints (e.g., costs and data availability). Evaluation was based on reference literature for indices available at the time of assessment. We identified 4 key gaps in indices assessed: pathways to achieving goals (means objectives) were not always clear or relevant to desired outcomes (fundamental objectives); index testing and understanding of expected behavior was often lacking; uncertainty was seldom acknowledged or accounted for; and costs of implementation were seldom considered. These gaps may render indices inadequate in certain decision-making contexts and are problematic for indices linked with biodiversity targets and sustainability goals. Ensuring that index objectives are clear and their design is underpinned by a model of relevant processes are crucial in addressing the gaps identified by our assessment. Uptake and productive use of indices will be improved if index performance is tested rigorously and assumptions and uncertainties are clearly communicated to end users. This will increase index accuracy and value in tracking biodiversity change and supporting national and global policy decisions, such as the post-2020 global biodiversity framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity.     

A review on calcium-rich industrial wastes: a sustainable source of raw materials in India for civil infrastructure—opportunities and challenges to bond circular economy

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - This study provides an overview of calcium rich industrial wastes usage in construction materials, their properties and different applications...     

Adsorptive Removal of Diuron Herbicide on Carbon Nanotubes Synthesized from Plastic Waste

In this study, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were synthesized from waste polyethylene bottles and their use as an adsorbent for the removal of diuron herbicide from aqueous solution was evaluated. Batch adsorption was performed by varying adsorbent dosage, initial concentration, contact time, and temperature. Kinetic models applied to experimental data indicated that the pseudo-second-order model had the best fit. The equilibrium data were analyzed using different isotherm models. The adsorption capacity of CNTs for diuron removal, determined using the Hill isotherm, was approximately 40.37 mg/g at 303 K. From thermodynamic studies, the values of ΔH° (kJ/mol) and ΔS° [kJ/(mol K)] were calculated as ?17.307 and ?0.0528, respectively, which suggested that the adsorption process was exothermic. The negative values of ΔG° at three different temperatures indicated that adsorption of diuron on CNTs was favorable.