scholarly journals Saving the Planet with Appropriate Biotechnology: 5. An Action Plan

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-60
Author(s):  
Peter Petros ◽  
◽  
Matthias Heilweck ◽  
David Moore ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Capture ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Bivalve Mollusc ◽  
Blue Carbon ◽  
Water Filtration ◽  
Industrial Carbon ◽  
Mussel Farm

We evaluate suggestions to harness the ability of calcifying organisms (molluscs, crustacea, corals and coccolithophore algae) to remove permanently CO2 from the atmosphere into solid (crystalline) CaCO3 for atmosphere remediation. Here, we compare this blue carbon with artificial/industrial Carbon dioxide Capture & Storage (CCS) solutions. An industrial CCS facility delivers, at some cost, captured CO2, nothing more. But aquaculture enterprises cultivating shell to capture and store atmospheric CO2 also produce nutritious food and perform many ecosystem services like water filtration, biodeposition, denitrification, reef building, enhanced biodiversity, shoreline stabilisation and wave management. We estimate that a mussel farm sequesters three times as much carbon as terrestrial ecosystems retain. Blue carbon farming does not need irrigation or fertiliser, nor conflict with the use of scarce agricultural land. Blue carbon farming can be combined with restoration and conservation of overfished fisheries and usually involves so little intervention that there is no inevitable conflict with other activities. We calculate that this paradigm shift (from ‘shellfish as food’ to ‘shellfish for carbon sequestration’) makes bivalve mollusc farming and microalgal farming enterprises, viable, profitable, and sustainable, alternatives to all CCUS industrial technologies and terrestrial biotechnologies in use today.

scholarly journals Soil Quality in the Poganis, Ramnei and Doclin Hills Measures of improvment

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (7) ◽  
pp. 2463-2470
Author(s):  
Lucian Nita ◽  
Dorin Tarau ◽  
Simona Nita ◽  
Alina Heghes ◽  
Radu Bertici ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Soil Formation ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Scientific Work ◽  
Basic Information ◽  
High Demand ◽  
Soil Resources ◽  
Genetic Types ◽  
Improvement Measures ◽  
Formation And Evolution

The purpose of current research is part of the current scientific work and practice regarding the accumulation of knowledge on the structure and characteristics of the edaphic envelope and its quality in order to establish measures for its improvement. The researched issue covers an area of 113940 ha (of which 77039 ha, 67.61% are agricultural land), located in the Poganis, Ramnei and Doclin hills, namely Barzavei Plain. The paper provides basic information and methodological elements regarding the classification and evaluation of soil resources, thus integrating itself in the broader field of complex studies of natural resources and their valorisation thus assuring the environmental protection. This research takes place at a time when there is a high demand of education in soil-related issues from its perspective as a basis for the existence of human communities, component and support of terrestrial ecosystems. From this perspective, the physico-geographic conditions of soil formation and evolution are briefly, but succinctly presented, mentioning the way in which the particularities of the area within the space taken into consideration, of only 113940 ha as a stretch, determine a great diversity of ecological conditions. They are generated by the variability of the factors (cosmic-atmospheric and telluric-edaphic), for which the main processes of formation and evolution have achieved a different development and intensity, the result of which are different genetic types of soils (related or totally different) in constant evolution and demanding specific improvement measures.

scholarly journals Quantification of carbon stock under different land use regimes of Chitwan district, Nepal

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 13-19
Author(s):  
A. Poudel ◽  
H. L. Shrestha ◽  
R. M. Bajracharya
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Profile ◽  
Carbon Stock ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Combustion Method ◽  
Community Forest ◽  
Soc Density ◽  
Carbon Stock Density ◽  
Global Carbon

Carbon sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems is gaining a global attention, including Nepal, to address the issues of climate change. Since, the quantification of carbon stock under different land use systems with focus on both biomass and soil profile is lacking, objective of this paper is to quantify carbon stock in biomass and in soil profile under different land use regimes, namely community forest, leasehold forest and agricultural land of Chitwan district. The carbon stock in biomass was calculated using the standard allometric equations, and Dry Combustion Method was used to determine the Soil Organic Carbon (SOC). The carbon content in above ground tree biomass (AGTB) was found to be higher (81.25 t/ha) in community forest than in leasehold forest (80.09 t/ha). The carbon stock in above ground sapling biomass (AGSB) was calculated only for the community forest, and was found to be 3. 67 t/ha. Similarly, the density of leaf litter, herbs and grasses (LHG) was also found to be higher (9. 25 t/ha) in the community forest in comparison to leasehold forest (6.45 t/ha). Further, the root carbon stock density was also higher (16.25 t/ha) in the community forest than in the leasehold forest (16.02 t/ha). However, the SOC density was highest in the agricultural land (73.42t/ha) followed by the community forest (66.38 t/ha)and the leasehold forest (52. 62 t/ha). Overall, the carbon stock was highest in the community forest (176.8 t/ha) then in leasehold forest (155.18 t/ha) followed by the agricultural land (73.42 t/ha). Hence, this study shows that well managed community forest can contribute significantly in offsetting global carbon emission.

scholarly journals Trace Elements in Soils of a Typical Industrial District in Ningxia, Northwest China: Pollution, Source, and Risk Evaluation

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1868 ◽  
Author(s):  
Songlin Zhang ◽  
Yuan Liu ◽  
Yujing Yang ◽  
Xilu Ni ◽  
Muhammad Arif ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trace Elements ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Industrial Area ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Pollution Source ◽  
National Standard ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
The North ◽  
Anthropogenic Inputs

Intense industrial activities could result in massive accumulations of trace elements in the soil and risk the terrestrial ecosystems and human health. A total of 119 topsoil samples from a typical industrial area, Huinong District, Ningxia, Northwest China, were collected, and the contents of six trace elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn) were determined. The results indicated that the mean concentrations of Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn were lower than the national standard values of class II, while As and Cd were 2.77 and 3.92 times the corresponding threshold values. Multivariate analyses revealed six metals can be categorized into three principal components (PC). PC1 was As, Cd, and Pb, which originated from anthropogenic inputs. PC2 consisted of Cr and Cu, which originated from the natural geological background. PC3 only included Zn and was mainly due to agricultural impacts. The spatial distribution of six metals greatly varied from local anthropic inputs. For As and Cd, the most heavily polluted area was located in the north and southwest parts of the study area, whereas most Zn was enriched in the southern part, which was mainly agricultural land. The topsoil in this area displayed a moderate environmental risk with the metal pollution order of Cd > As > Zn ≈ Cr ≈ Pb ≈ Cu. Moreover, the contents of trace elements in the industrial land and water were relatively higher than those in other land-use types, indicating a considerable risk of metal migration and accumulation to rivers and the groundwater. It is suggested that effective remediation measures for Cd and As, in particular, should be properly employed for the sustainable development of the soil and groundwater, while reducing the risk of elements to the local residents in Huinong District.

scholarly journals Soil Pollution Management in China: A Brief Introduction

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiankui Li ◽  
Yi Liu ◽  
Sijie Lin ◽  
Yangze Liu ◽  
Yunfeng Xie
Keyword(s):  
Soil Pollution ◽  
Management System ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Risk Control ◽  
Pollution Prevention ◽  
Soil Management ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Control Rules ◽  
Pollution Management

Soil pollution has become a severe environmental issue in China over the past few decades due to rapid industrialization and urbanization. However, traditionally, few laws and regulations have focused on soil pollution in China. In response to this emerging threat, new policies, regulations, and measures have been proposed and implemented in recent years. This paper summarizes the existing law, action plan, regulations, and risk control rules regarding soil pollution prevention in China. Moreover, it compares soil pollution management between China and other developed countries. China has now established a comprehensive soil management system based on risk-based control. Regulations have been formulated for agricultural land, contaminated land, and industrial and mining land. Separate risk control rules exist for agricultural land and development land. Agricultural land can be classified as priority protection, safe utilization, and strict management with respect to soil pollution levels and agricultural products. The risk control rules for development land set different standards for sensitive land and non-sensitive land. Comparisons with developed countries show that their experiences of risk-based control and the “polluter pays” principle have been adopted in China. Additional scientific research and public participation are recommended for future updates to these policies. This study provides a comprehensive introduction to the newly established soil management system in China.

scholarly journals Conserving relics from ancient underground worlds: assessing the influence of cave and landscape features on obligate iron cave dwellers from the Eastern Amazon

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e4531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodolfo Jaffé ◽  
Xavier Prous ◽  
Allan Calux ◽  
Markus Gastauer ◽  
Gilberto Nicacio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Geographic Distance ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Habitat Amount ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
Surrounding Landscape ◽  
Main Factor

The degradation of subterranean habitats is believed to represent a serious threat for the conservation of obligate subterranean dwellers (troglobites), many of which are short-range endemics. However, while the factors influencing cave biodiversity remain largely unknown, the influence of the surrounding landscape and patterns of subterranean connectivity of terrestrial troglobitic communities have never been systematically assessed. Using spatial statistics to analyze the most comprehensive speleological database yet available for tropical caves, we first assess the influence of iron cave characteristics and the surrounding landscape on troglobitic communities from the Eastern Amazon. We then determine the spatial pattern of troglobitic community composition, species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and the occurrence of frequent troglobitic species, and finally quantify how different landscape features influence the connectivity between caves. Our results reveal the key importance of habitat amount, guano, water, lithology, geomorphology, and elevation in shaping iron cave troglobitic communities. While mining within 250 m from the caves influenced species composition, increasing agricultural land cover within 50 m from the caves reduced species richness and phylogenetic diversity. Troglobitic species composition, species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and the occurrence of frequent troglobites showed spatial autocorrelation for up to 40 km. Finally, our results suggest that the conservation of cave clusters should be prioritized, as geographic distance was the main factor determining connectivity between troglobitic communities. Overall, our work sheds important light onto one of the most overlooked terrestrial ecosystems, and highlights the need to shift conservation efforts from individual caves to subterranean habitats as a whole.

scholarly journals Market Building and the Capital Markets Union: Addressing Information Barriers in the SME Funding Market

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Schammo
Keyword(s):  
Information Sharing ◽  
Capital Markets ◽  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
White Paper ◽  
Access To Finance ◽  
Policy Initiatives ◽  
Information Barriers ◽  
Capital Markets Union ◽  
Policy Measures

AbstractThe Capital Markets Union (CMU) is one of the flagship policy initiatives of the Juncker Commission. The Commission’s strategy for realizing a CMU is set out in its White Paper on building a CMU. Besides describing the Commission’s vision of a CMU, the white paper includes an action plan which details the measures that are needed to build a CMU. The aim of this article is to consider the Commission’s measures in one particular area of the action plan. Specifically, this article examines the Commission’s strategy for overcoming information barriers to SME investment. By acting in this area, the Commission’s objective is to facilitate access to finance, but also to diversify sources of funding for SMEs, which are traditionally heavily dependent on bank-based finance. This article evaluates the Commission’s strategy and its prospects of success. After assessing the relevant policy measures, it will argue for a paradigm shift which is based on three pillars: a greater emphasis on market building measures; a greater emphasis on information sharing duties as one mechanism that can help to address information barriers; and a market correcting strategy to dovetail greater market building.

scholarly journals Global maps of cropland extent and change show accelerated cropland expansion in the twenty-first century

Nature Food ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Potapov ◽  
Svetlana Turubanova ◽  
Matthew C. Hansen ◽  
Alexandra Tyukavina ◽  
Viviana Zalles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Net Primary Production ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
First Century ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Cropland Area ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Twenty First Century

AbstractSpatiotemporally consistent data on global cropland extent is essential for tracking progress towards sustainable food production. In the present study, we present an analysis of global cropland area change for the first two decades of the twenty-first century derived from satellite data time-series. We estimate that, in 2019, the cropland area was 1,244 Mha with a corresponding total annual net primary production (NPP) of 5.5 Pg C year−1. From 2003 to 2019, cropland area increased by 9% and cropland NPP by 25%, primarily due to agricultural expansion in Africa and South America. Global cropland expansion accelerated over the past two decades, with a near doubling of the annual expansion rate, most notably in Africa. Half of the new cropland area (49%) replaced natural vegetation and tree cover, indicating a conflict with the sustainability goal of protecting terrestrial ecosystems. From 2003 to 2019, global per-capita cropland area decreased by 10% due to population growth. However, the per-capita annual cropland NPP increased by 3.5% as a result of intensified agricultural land use. The presented global, high-resolution, cropland map time-series supports monitoring of natural land appropriation at the local, national and international levels.

scholarly journals KONDISI SOSIO-AGRARIA LAHAN SAWAH DI KOTA SUKABUMI

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuda Hidayat Mansur ◽  
Endriatmo Sutarto
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Paddy Field ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Social Quality ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Research Analysis

Paddy field, the paddy planted area, is a very important land since it produces staple food –  rice. Nevertheless, the contradictory condition occurs when agricultural land converted into non-agricultural land. Agricultural land that is not protected is proned to the land conversion, especially in urban areas or the growing city. The study aimed to figure out the strategies for protecting paddy field by identifying the spatial pattern of social quality of paddy field farmers. the research methodology used mixed concurent method by using qualitative and quantitative data and it was analized by cluster analysis. The research analysis used cluster analyisis in order to show the farmer similarity characteristics of each sub-districts. T h e resu lts sh o wed ,  th e fa rm er s’s so cia l rela t io n s g rou p  is fo rm ed  o f six typ e s co m m u n ity,  n a m ely : (1 )  th e farmer owners, (2) the farmers owner also tenant, (3) the farmer owners concurrent collector (middlemen), (4) peasant (5) peasant also farm laborer, and (6) a laborer. Labor, farmers regeneration, and land tenure fragmentation influenced to land use change. The strategies can be implemented to protect sawah in S u kab u m i,  n a m ely: (1 )  b y in crea sin g  th e fa r m er’s  a g rib u sin ess ca p a c ity, (2) Formulating the action plan for regenerating young farmers, (3) by controlling the permission regarded to change of land use, (4) Sukabumi municipal buys the productive ricefields. For further, It seem should be conducted assessment on studying of the study on the Agropolis and Agroedutourism concept in Sukabumi. <br />Keyword: farmer community, paddy field protection strategy, social quality, sosio-agrarian <br /> <br />PENDAHULUAN Latar Belakang  Pendekatan pembangunan selama ini mengedepankan <br />pada pembangunan yang berorientasi pada pertumbuhan ekonomi dengan mengesampingkan faktor-faktor sosial dan hal yang mendasar. Wiradi (2000) menyatakan bahwa pembangunan a la Orde Baru menganut paradigma modernisasi. Paradigma modernisasi bertumpu pada pandangan bahwa secara global, pembangunan itu terdiri dari empat proses, yaitu: (1) penanaman modal untuk meningkatkan produktivitas, (2) proses alih teknologi dari negara maju ke negara berkembang dalam rangka penerapan iptek bagi kegiatan produksi dan jasa, (3) proses munculnya negara-negara, dan organisasiorganisasi politik dan ekonomi skala besar, dan (4) proses urbanisasi (Wiradi 2000).  <br />

scholarly journals Sequestration of macroalgal carbon: the elephant in the Blue Carbon room

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 20180236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorte Krause-Jensen ◽  
Paul Lavery ◽  
Oscar Serrano ◽  
Núria Marbà ◽  
Pere Masque ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Blue Carbon ◽  
Coastal Habitats ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Carbon Burial

Macroalgae form the most extensive and productive benthic marine vegetated habitats globally but their inclusion in Blue Carbon (BC) strategies remains controversial. We review the arguments offered to reject or include macroalgae in the BC framework, and identify the challenges that have precluded macroalgae from being incorporated so far. Evidence that macroalgae support significant carbon burial is compelling. The carbon they supply to sediment stocks in angiosperm BC habitats is already included in current assessments, so that macroalgae are de facto recognized as important donors of BC. The key challenges are (i) documenting macroalgal carbon sequestered beyond BC habitat, (ii) tracing it back to source habitats, and (iii) showing that management actions at the habitat lead to increased sequestration at the sink site. These challenges apply equally to carbon exported from BC coastal habitats. Because of the large carbon sink they support, incorporation of macroalgae into BC accounting and actions is an imperative. This requires a paradigm shift in accounting procedures as well as developing methods to enable the capacity to trace carbon from donor to sink habitats in the ocean.

scholarly journals Can We Use Functional Annotation of Prokaryotic Taxa (FAPROTAX) to Assign the Ecological Functions of Soil Bacteria?

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 688
Author(s):  
Chakriya Sansupa ◽  
Sara Fareed Mohamed Wahdan ◽  
Shakhawat Hossen ◽  
Terd Disayathanoowat ◽  
Tesfaye Wubet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
16S Rrna ◽  
Soil Bacteria ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
N Fixation ◽  
Functional Screening ◽  
Bacterial Taxonomy ◽  
Ecological Functions

FAPROTAX is a promising tool for predicting ecological relevant functions of bacterial and archaeal taxa derived from 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The database was initially developed to predict the function of marine species using standard microbiological references. This study, however, has attempted to access the application of FAPROTAX in soil environments. We hypothesized that FAPROTAX was compatible with terrestrial ecosystems. The potential use of FAPROTAX to assign ecological functions of soil bacteria was investigated using meta-analysis and our newly designed experiments. Soil samples from two major terrestrial ecosystems, including agricultural land and forest, were collected. Bacterial taxonomy was analyzed using Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and ecological functions of the soil bacteria were assigned by FAPROTAX. The presence of all functionally assigned OTUs (Operation Taxonomic Units) in soil were manually checked using peer-reviewed articles as well as standard microbiology books. Overall, we showed that sample source was not a predominant factor that limited the application of FAPROTAX, but poor taxonomic identification was. The proportion of assigned taxa between aquatic and non-aquatic ecosystems was not significantly different (p > 0.05). There were strong and significant correlations (σ = 0.90–0.95, p < 0.01) between the number of OTUs assigned to genus or order level and the number of functionally assigned OTUs. After manual verification, we found that more than 97% of the FAPROTAX assigned OTUs have previously been detected and potentially performed functions in agricultural and forest soils. We further provided information regarding taxa capable of N-fixation, P and K solubilization, which are three main important elements in soil systems and can be integrated with FAPROTAX to increase the proportion of functionally assigned OTUs. Consequently, we concluded that FAPROTAX can be used for a fast-functional screening or grouping of 16S derived bacterial data from terrestrial ecosystems and its performance could be enhanced through improving the taxonomic and functional reference databases.

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