scholarly journals Elemental quantification, chemistry, and source apportionment in golf course facilities in semi-arid urban landscape using portable x-ray fluorescence spectrometer

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. K. Udeigwe ◽  
J. Young ◽  
T. Kandakji ◽  
D. C. Weindorf ◽  
M. A. Mahmoud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Source Apportionment ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
The United States ◽  
Golf Course ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Anthropogenic Influences ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Semi Arid

Abstract. This study extends the application of the portable x-ray fluorescence (PXRF) spectrometry to examination of elements in semi-arid urban landscapes of the Southern High Plains (SHP) of the United States (US), focusing on golf courses. The complex environmental challenges of this region and the unique management practices at golf course facilities could lead to differences in concentration and chemistry of elements between managed (irrigated) and non-managed (non-irrigated) portions of these facilities. Soil samples were collected at the depths of 0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm from managed and non-managed areas of seven different facilities in the city of Lubbock, Texas, and analyzed for a suite of soil properties. Total elemental quantification was conducted using PXRF. Findings mostly indicated no significant differences in concentration of examined elements between the managed and non-managed areas of the facilities. However, strong positive relationships (R2 = 0.82–0.91, p < 0.001) were observed among elements (e.g. Fe and each of Cr, Mn, Ni, and As; Cu and Zn; As and Cr) and between these elements and soil constituents or properties such as clay, calcium carbonate, organic matter, and pH. The strengths of these relationships were mostly higher in the non-managed areas, suggesting possible alteration in the chemistry of these elements by anthropogenic influences. Principal component analyses (PCA) and correlation analyses within the managed areas suggested that As, Cr, Fe, Mn, and Ni could be of lithogenic origin, while Cu, Pb, and Zn were attributed to anthropogenic influences. Only one possible source of element, likely lithogenic, was identified within non-managed areas. As evidenced from the study, the PXRF can be a valuable tool for elemental quantification, and rapid investigation of elemental interaction and source apportionment in semi-arid climates.

scholarly journals Elemental quantification, chemistry, and source apportionment in golf course facilities in a semi-arid urban landscape using a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer

Solid Earth ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 415-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. K. Udeigwe ◽  
J. Young ◽  
T. Kandakji ◽  
D. C. Weindorf ◽  
M. A. Mahmoud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Source Apportionment ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
The United States ◽  
Golf Course ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Anthropogenic Influences ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Semi Arid

Abstract. This study extends the application of the portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) spectrometry to the examination of elements in semi-arid urban landscapes of the Southern High Plains (SHP) of the United States, focusing on golf courses. The complex environmental challenges of this region and the unique management practices at golf course facilities could lead to differences in concentration and in the chemistry of elements between managed (irrigated) and non-managed (non-irrigated) portions of these facilities. Soil samples were collected at depths of 0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm from managed and non-managed areas of seven different facilities in the city of Lubbock, Texas, and analyzed for a suite of soil properties. Total elemental quantification was conducted using a PXRF spectrometer. Findings mostly indicated no significant differences in the concentration of examined elements between the managed and non-managed areas of the facilities. However, strong positive relationships (R = 0.82−0.91, p < 0.001) were observed among elements (e.g., Fe on the one hand and Cr, Mn, Ni, and As on the other; Cu and Zn; As and Cr) and between these elements and soil constituents or properties such as clay, calcium carbonate, organic matter, and pH. The strengths of these relationships were mostly higher in the non-managed areas, suggesting a possible alteration in the chemistry of these elements by anthropogenic influences in the managed areas. Principal component and correlation analyses within the managed areas suggested that As, Cr, Fe, Mn, and Ni could be of lithogenic origin, while Cu, Pb, and Zn could have anthropogenic influences. Only one possible, likely lithogenic, source of the elements was identified within the non-managed areas. As evidenced by the study, the PXRF spectrometer can be a valuable tool for elemental quantification and rapid investigation of elemental interaction and source apportionment in semi-arid climates.

scholarly journals Evaluating management-induced soil salinization in golf courses in semi-arid landscapes

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Young ◽  
T. K. Udeigwe ◽  
D. C. Weindorf ◽  
T. Kandakji ◽  
P. Gautam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Salinity ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
The United States ◽  
Soil Salinization ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Total Alkalinity ◽  
Golf Course ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Semi Arid

Abstract. Site-specific information on land management practices are often desired to make better assertions of their environmental impacts. A study was conducted in Lubbock, TX, in the Southern High Plains of the United States, an area characterized by semi-arid climatic conditions, to (1) examine the potential management-induced alteration in soil salinity indicators in golf course facilities and (2) develop predictive relationships for a more rapid soil salinity examination within these urban landscape soils using findings from portable x-ray fluorescence (PXRF) spectrometer. Soil samples were collected from the managed (well irrigated) and non-managed (non irrigated) areas of seven golf course facilities at 0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm depths, and analyzed for a suite of chemical properties. Among the extractable cations, sodium (Na) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the managed zones of all the golf facilities. Soil electrical conductivity (EC), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), parameters often used in characterizing soil salinity and sodicity, were in most part significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the managed areas. Water quality report collected over a 22-year period (1991–2013, all years not available) indicated a gradual increase in pH, EC, SAR, total alkalinity, and extractable ions, thus, supporting the former findings. Findings from the PXRF suggested possible differences in chemical species and sources that contribute to salinity between the managed and non-managed zones. PXRF quantified Cl and S, and to a lesser extent Ca, individually and collectively explained 23–85% of the variability associated with soil salinity at these facilities.

scholarly journals Evaluating management-induced soil salinization in golf courses in semi-arid landscapes

Solid Earth ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 393-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Young ◽  
T. K. Udeigwe ◽  
D. C. Weindorf ◽  
T. Kandakji ◽  
P. Gautam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Salinity ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
The United States ◽  
Soil Salinization ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Total Alkalinity ◽  
Golf Course ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Semi Arid

Abstract. Site-specific information on land management practices are often desired to make better assessments of their environmental impacts. A study was conducted in Lubbock, Texas, in the Southern High Plains of the United States, an area characterized by semi-arid climatic conditions, to (1) examine the potential management-induced alterations in soil salinity indicators in golf course facilities and (2) develop predictive relationships for a more rapid soil salinity examination within these urban landscape soils using findings from a portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) spectrometer. Soil samples were collected from managed (well irrigated) and non-managed (non-irrigated) areas of seven golf course facilities at 0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm depths and analyzed for a suite of chemical properties. Among the extractable cations, sodium (Na) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the managed zones of all the golf facilities. Soil electrical conductivity (EC), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), parameters often used in characterizing soil salinity and sodicity, were for the most part significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the managed areas. Water quality reports collected over a 22-year period (1991–2013, all years not available) indicated a gradual increase in pH, EC, SAR, total alkalinity, and extractable ions, thus supporting the former findings. Findings from the PXRF suggested possible differences in chemical species and sources that contribute to salinity between the managed and non-managed zones. PXRF-quantified Cl and S, and to a lesser extent Ca, individually and collectively explained 23–85% of the variability associated with soil salinity at these facilities.

scholarly journals Ecohydrological threats to Colophospermum mopane in southern Zimbabwe

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tendayi Gondo ◽  
Agnes Musyoki ◽  
Aina T. Adeboyejo
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Rural Households ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Agglomerative Clustering ◽  
Colophospermum Mopane ◽  
Hierarchical Agglomerative Clustering ◽  
Arid Landscapes ◽  
Semi Arid

Rapid ecohydrological changes in semi-arid landscapes are increasingly threatening humanity’s life-support systems and eroding many of the ecosystem services (ESs) upon which humans occupying such regions depend. Knowing which services and ecohydrological changes to be most concerned about is indispensable to maintaining the general health of such ecosystems and for developing effective ecosystem management practices. In the semi-arid regions of southwestern Zimbabwe where a large population of rural households depend on ESs extracted from the Colophospermum mopane tree, such understanding may be critical in reversing potential ES losses that may have catastrophic effects on the lives of many. We surveyed a total of 127 rural households who occupy the semi-arid landscapes of the Colophospermum mopane belt in southern Zimbabwe. We assessed the ecohydrological conditions characterising ecosystems where they obtain ES provisioning goods using a number of ecohydrological variables commonly cited in the literature on ecohydrology. Building on principal component analysis (PCA), we employed a hierarchical agglomerative clustering method to create unique clusters of households that depicted different levels of risks or threats associated with their ES provisioning harvesting practices. Multiple regression analysis was further performed to identify significant ecohydrological cluster-defining variables. Our results showed that spatial differences in ecohydrological parameters resulted in four distinct ES resource thresholds depicting four categories of risks that households face in extracting such resources in nearby landscapes. We concluded by proposing a number of landscape restoration or management practices targeted at reversing potential ES losses and subsequently safeguarding the livelihoods of many who depend on ESs.

scholarly journals Mineralization mechanisms of groundwater in a semi-arid area in Algeria: statistical and hydrogeochemical approaches

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Bouteldjaoui ◽  
M. Bessenasse ◽  
J.-D. Taupin ◽  
A. Kettab
Keyword(s):  
Principal Component ◽  
Chemical Study ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Exchange Reactions ◽  
Mineralization Processes ◽  
Chemical Correlation ◽  
Anthropogenic Processes ◽  
Ain Oussera ◽  
Semi Arid ◽  
Groundwater Mineralization

Abstract The study area of Ain Oussera (3,790 km2) is located in the semi-arid high plains of the Saharian Atlas (200 km south of Algiers). Groundwater investigated in the present study is from the Albian formations which are considered as a major source for drinking and irrigation water. The objective of this study is to identify the different hydrochemical processes controlling the groundwater mineralization. For this purpose, chemical analyses were performed on 31 wells sampled during May 2014. The chemical study (total dissolved solids (TDS), Piper, chemical correlation) allowed the origins of groundwater mineralization to be identified. The dissolution of evaporate minerals, precipitation of carbonate minerals, and ion exchange reactions have been identified as major sources of mineralization processes. Anthropogenic processes due to human activities (sewage effluents and agricultural fertilizers) also contribute to the mineralization of the water. The results of principal component analysis also confirm that both natural and anthropogenic processes contribute to the chemical composition of groundwater in the study area.

scholarly journals Characterization of Intercrop Movement of Lygus hesperus between Cotton and Alfalfa

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-19
Author(s):  
Ram B. Shrestha ◽  
Megha Parajulee
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Movement Behavior ◽  
High Plains ◽  
Lygus Hesperus ◽  
Texas High Plains ◽  
Mark Release Recapture ◽  
Polyphagous Insect

Lygus hesperus Knight (Miridae: Hemiptera), a key pest of cotton in the United States, is a highly polyphagous insect. Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. var. hirsutum) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) are two major field crop hosts of Lygus hesperus in the Texas High Plains. While alfalfa is considered a source of Lygus in cotton, Lygus intercrop movement behavior has not been fully characterized in cotton-alfalfa systems. Understanding the intercrop movement behavior of Lygus may facilitate better decision-making for Lygus management in these crops. A series of studies including a mark-release-recapture study and season-long field monitoring of Lygus were conducted in the Texas High Plains, USA. Season-long field marking and monitoring of Lygus intercrop movement revealed bidirectional Lygus movement and confirmed that Lygus preferred alfalfa over cotton. Net movement of Lygus between cotton and alfalfa was influenced by cotton phenology. A “two-crop/two-marker” field-marking and monitoring approach was successfully applied in characterizing Lygus seasonal intercrop movement. This approach can be used to study the effect of various crop management practices on Lygus intercrop movement and is applicable to other pests and cropping systems.

scholarly journals Efficient Water Use in Residential Urban Landscapes

HortScience ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (7) ◽  
pp. 2081-2092 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolston St. Hilaire ◽  
Michael A. Arnold ◽  
Don C. Wilkerson ◽  
Dale A. Devitt ◽  
Brian H. Hurd ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
The United States ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Climate Control ◽  
Water Supplies ◽  
Aesthetic Appearance

In the United States, urban population growth, improved living standards, limited development of new water supplies, and dwindling current water supplies are causing the demand for treated municipal water to exceed the supply. Although water used to irrigate the residential urban landscape will vary according to factors such as landscape type, management practices, and region, landscape irrigation can vary from 40% to 70% of household use of water. So, the efficient use of irrigation water in urban landscapes must be the primary focus of water conservation. In addition, plants in a typical residential landscape often are given more water than is required to maintain ecosystem services such as carbon regulation, climate control, and preservation of aesthetic appearance. This implies that improvements in the efficiency of landscape irrigation will yield significant water savings. Urban areas across the United States face different water supply and demand issues and a range of factors will affect how water is used in the urban landscape. The purpose of this review is to summarize how irrigation and water application technologies; landscape design and management strategies; the relationship among people, plants, and the urban landscape; the reuse of water resources; economic and noneconomic incentives; and policy and ordinances impact the efficient use of water in the urban landscape.

scholarly journals A Review of Organic Lawn Care Practices and Policies in North America and the Implications of Lawn Plant Diversity and Insect Pest Management

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 437-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Marshall ◽  
David Orr ◽  
Lucy Bradley ◽  
Christopher Moorman
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Pest Management ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Insect Pest ◽  
The United States ◽  
Urban Landscapes ◽  
Organic Management ◽  
Lawn Care ◽  
Lawn Management

There are ≈40 million acres of turfgrass lawns throughout the United States, most of which are managed under chemical-intensive pest and fertilizer programs. “Organic lawn care” is being adopted more widely; however, unlike the formally defined policies and regulations that govern organic agriculture, the label organic lawn management has not been formally defined and is used to describe a variety of practices. Neighborhoods, cities, states, and provinces across North America are adopting policies regulating the use of pesticides and fertilizers in the landscape. In addition, a small but growing number of public institutions and individual consumers are successfully adopting alternative lawn care methods, including organic lawn care. Although perceived as environmentally friendly, the effects of organic management on insect diversity and pest management remain understudied. Organic lawn management may lead to increased lawn plant diversity, which in agroecosystems has enhanced ecological services provided by beneficial insect species. Effects of vegetative diversity on lawn pest management are less clear. Vegetative complexity and increased plant diversity in urban landscapes may enhance insect predator efficacy. The diversity of predatory insects varies between turfgrass varieties in response to prey populations. Mortality of insectivorous and granivorous ground beetles (Carabidae) while not directly impacted by pest management programs in turfgrass may be indirectly impacted by a reduction in the prevalence of plant species that provide alternative food resources. Previous studies have focused on herbivorous insects as well as predatory and parasitic insects that feed on them. Future studies should assess how lawn plant diversity resulting from organic management practices might impact insect communities in turfgrass.

Scanning x-ray fluorescence microscopy and principal component analysis

1992 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 1752-1753
Author(s):  
Brian Cross
Keyword(s):  
Principal Component Analysis ◽  
Fluorescence Microscopy ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Image Acquisition ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Fluorescence Microscope ◽  
Acquisition Rate ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Speed Up

A relatively new entry, in the field of microscopy, is the Scanning X-Ray Fluorescence Microscope (SXRFM). Using this type of instrument (e.g. Kevex Omicron X-ray Microprobe), one can obtain multiple elemental x-ray images, from the analysis of materials which show heterogeneity. The SXRFM obtains images by collimating an x-ray beam (e.g. 100 μm diameter), and then scanning the sample with a high-speed x-y stage. To speed up the image acquisition, data is acquired "on-the-fly" by slew-scanning the stage along the x-axis, like a TV or SEM scan. To reduce the overhead from "fly-back," the images can be acquired by bi-directional scanning of the x-axis. This results in very little overhead with the re-positioning of the sample stage. The image acquisition rate is dominated by the x-ray acquisition rate. Therefore, the total x-ray image acquisition rate, using the SXRFM, is very comparable to an SEM. Although the x-ray spatial resolution of the SXRFM is worse than an SEM (say 100 vs. 2 μm), there are several other advantages.

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