Environmental and economic impacts and trade-offs from simultaneous management of soil constraints, nitrogen and water

2019 ◽  
Vol 222 ◽  
pp. 960-970
Author(s):  
Shreevatsa Kodur ◽  
Uttam Babu Shrestha ◽  
Tek Narayan Maraseni ◽  
Ravinesh C. Deo
Author(s):  
Victoria Broje ◽  
Nazgul Utegen

ABSTRACT Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA) and Spill Impact Mitigation Assessment (SIMA), a broader version of NEBA, are structured approaches used by response decision-makers and stakeholders during oil spill preparedness and response to compare available oil spill response options and identify those that have best potential to reduce environmental and socio-economic impacts and facilitate fastest recovery. The process comprises four stages: evaluate data, predict outcomes, balance trade-offs and select the best response options. This paper describes a case study of Spill Impact Mitigation Assessment conducted for shallow waters of North Caspian Sea. As a part of this analysis several steps were undertaken: - Environmental conditions in the area were characterized and critical environmental and socio-economic resources were identified;- Trajectory modeling was conducted for different seasons to evaluate oil fate and behavior with and without response techniques;- Impacts of a base scenario (no response) was compared to impacts of scenarios where different response techniques were used;- SIMA methodology was used to rank response techniques based on their ability to minimize environmental and socio-economic impacts;- Optimal combination of response options for each scenario was selected. This case study demonstrated how SIMA methodology could be applied even in challenging locations requiring careful analysis of environmental and socio-economic tradeoffs to ensure that selection of response strategies is supported by best available science.


2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (12) ◽  
pp. 2624-2636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael I.L. Kennedy ◽  
Van A. Lantz ◽  
David A. MacLean

This study evaluated the long-run economic impacts of four alternative forest management strategies on New Brunswick’s Crown land forests: two volume-based strategies focused on business as usual (BAU) and intensive (INT) timber volume production and two value-based strategies focused on forest manufacturing sector contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) and government surplus (GOV). These were defined within an extended wood supply model that incorporated both economic indicators (logging sector profit, government surplus, forest manufacturing sector shipments, and forest manufacturing sector GDP) and timber supply indicators (harvest levels, operable growing stock, and products). Results showed that a number of indicator trade-offs emerge under each strategy. For instance, the GOV strategy produced the highest present value government surplus value (at $1.2 billion, exceeding INT, BAU, and GDP strategies by $352 million, $302 million, and $169 million, respectively) and logging sector profit (at $2.4 billion, exceeding BAU, INT, and GDP strategies by $4 million, $11 million, and $8 million, respectively) over an 80 year planning horizon. However, this strategy also produced the lowest forest manufacturing sector contribution to GDP (at $12.8 billion, below the GDP, INT, and BAU strategies by $4.3 billion, $1.6 billion, and $1.4 billion, respectively) and the lowest annual softwood volume harvest, operable growing stock, and silvicultural investment of all strategies. Thus, although these findings emphasize that value-based strategies can produce some favourable economic outcomes, a number of trade-offs emerge that need to be further investigated before such strategies can be supported.


2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (19) ◽  
pp. 5752-5763
Author(s):  
Frederik J T van der Bom ◽  
Alwyn Williams ◽  
Michael J Bell

Abstract Root architecture is a promising breeding target for developing resource-efficient crops. Breeders and plant physiologists have called for root ideotypes that have narrow, deep root systems for improved water and nitrate capture, or wide, shallower root systems for better uptake of less mobile topsoil nutrients such as phosphorus. Yet evidence of relationships between root architecture and crop yield is limited. Many studies focus on the response to a single constraint, despite the fact that crops are frequently exposed to multiple soil constraints. For example, in dryland soils under no-till management, topsoil nutrient stratification is an emergent profile characteristic, leading to spatial separation of water and nutrients as the soil profile dries. This results in spatio-temporal trade-offs between efficient resource capture and pre-defined root ideotypes developed to counter a single constraint. We believe there is need to identify and better understand trade-offs involved in the efficient capture of multiple, spatially disjunct soil resources. Additionally, how these trade-offs interact with genotype (root architecture), environment (soil constraints), and management (agronomy) are critical unknowns. We argue that identifying root traits that enable efficient capture of multiple soil resources under fluctuating environmental constraints is a key step towards meeting the challenges of global food security.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith L Capper ◽  
Thiago B De Carvalho ◽  
Andrew S Hancock ◽  
Ocilon G Sá Filho ◽  
Isaac Odeyemi ◽  
...  

Abstract Brazilian beef systems contribute 14.9% of global beef production, therefore given climate change concerns, there is a clear need to reduce environmental impacts while maintaining economic viability. This study evaluated the hypothesis that steroid implant use in Brazilian beef cattle would reduce resource use, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and economic costs of production, thereby improving environmental and economic sustainability. A deterministic model based on beef cattle population demographics, nutrition and performance was used to quantify resource inputs and GHG emissions per 1.0 × 106 kg of hot carcass weight (HCW) beef. System boundaries extended from cropping input manufacture to cattle arriving at the slaughterhouse. Beef systems were modeled using herd population dynamics, feed and performance data sourced from producers in four Brazilian states, with additional data from global databases. Implants were used in calves, growing and finishing cattle at low (LI), medium (MI), and high (HI) levels of performance enhancement, compared to nonimplanted (NI) controls. Feed use results were used in combination with producer-derived input costs to assess the economic impacts of implant use, including production costs and returns on investment. Improved FCE, ADG, and carcass weights conferred by implant use reduced the number of cattle and the time taken to produce 1.0 × 106 kg HCW beef. Compared to NI controls, the quantities of feed, land, water and fossil fuels required to produce 1.0 × 106 kg HCW beef was reduced in implanted cattle, with reductions proportional to the performance-enhancing effect of the implant (HI > MI > LI). Implant use reduced GHG emissions per 1.0 × 106 kg HCW beef by 9.4% (LI), 12.6% (MI), or 15.8% (HI). Scaling up the MI effects to represent all eligible Brazilian cattle being implanted, revealed avoided GHG emissions equivalent to the annual exhaust emissions of 62.0 × 106 cars. Economic impacts of implant use reflected the environmental results, resulting in a greater margin for the producers within each system (cow-calf through to finishing). The 6.13% increase in kg of HCW beef produced generates a cost reduction of 3.76% and an increase in the return on invested capital of 4.14% on average. Implants offer the opportunity for Brazilian beef producers to demonstrate their dedication to improving environmental and economic sustainability through improved productivity, although care must be taken to avoid negative trade-offs.


2015 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 83-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Selena Gimenez-Ibanez ◽  
Marta Boter ◽  
Roberto Solano

Jasmonates (JAs) are essential signalling molecules that co-ordinate the plant response to biotic and abiotic challenges, as well as co-ordinating several developmental processes. Huge progress has been made over the last decade in understanding the components and mechanisms that govern JA perception and signalling. The bioactive form of the hormone, (+)-7-iso-jasmonyl-l-isoleucine (JA-Ile), is perceived by the COI1–JAZ co-receptor complex. JASMONATE ZIM DOMAIN (JAZ) proteins also act as direct repressors of transcriptional activators such as MYC2. In the emerging picture of JA-Ile perception and signalling, COI1 operates as an E3 ubiquitin ligase that upon binding of JA-Ile targets JAZ repressors for degradation by the 26S proteasome, thereby derepressing transcription factors such as MYC2, which in turn activate JA-Ile-dependent transcriptional reprogramming. It is noteworthy that MYCs and different spliced variants of the JAZ proteins are involved in a negative regulatory feedback loop, which suggests a model that rapidly turns the transcriptional JA-Ile responses on and off and thereby avoids a detrimental overactivation of the pathway. This chapter highlights the most recent advances in our understanding of JA-Ile signalling, focusing on the latest repertoire of new targets of JAZ proteins to control different sets of JA-Ile-mediated responses, novel mechanisms of negative regulation of JA-Ile signalling, and hormonal cross-talk at the molecular level that ultimately determines plant adaptability and survival.


2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 118-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olive Emil Wetter ◽  
Jürgen Wegge ◽  
Klaus Jonas ◽  
Klaus-Helmut Schmidt

In most work contexts, several performance goals coexist, and conflicts between them and trade-offs can occur. Our paper is the first to contrast a dual goal for speed and accuracy with a single goal for speed on the same task. The Sternberg paradigm (Experiment 1, n = 57) and the d2 test (Experiment 2, n = 19) were used as performance tasks. Speed measures and errors revealed in both experiments that dual as well as single goals increase performance by enhancing memory scanning. However, the single speed goal triggered a speed-accuracy trade-off, favoring speed over accuracy, whereas this was not the case with the dual goal. In difficult trials, dual goals slowed down scanning processes again so that errors could be prevented. This new finding is particularly relevant for security domains, where both aspects have to be managed simultaneously.


2007 ◽  
Vol 62 (9) ◽  
pp. 1073-1074 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kennon M. Sheldon ◽  
Melanie S. Sheldon ◽  
Charles P. Nichols

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