Frequency of Fires in the Miombo Woodland of the Gilé National Park. Province of Zambezia

Fires occur in a widespread manner in various types of vegetation cover at national level, and are often associated with human hunting, grazing and above all the practice of itinerant agriculture. With the purpose to propose the map of frequency of fire, remote sensing data was collected from 2014 to 2018, using the Moderate Resolution Image Spectroradiometer (MODIS) of the burned area (MCD64A1), which allowed the construction of the map of frequency and intensity of fires, associated with data collected in 59 plots on field. It was observed that the Gilé National Park (PNAG) records an average fire frequency of 0.38 times/year and the return interval of 5.38 years, and an average fire return interval of 2.62 years. During the study period, the PNAG burned 92.8% of the area, which means that on average for each year it burned about 18.56% of its area, there are no significant differences in relation to the area burned per year (p> 0.942037) but there are significant differences in relation to the area burned per month (p <1.24e-07).

New York City’s Brownfield Redevelopment Program: Economic Catalyst or Taxpayer Giveaway?

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the New York City Office of Environmental Remediation (OER) manage and coordinate brownfield cleanup programs. These are intended to promote environmental restoration and redevelopment of underutilized or abandoned properties that have been affected by the presence or discharges of oil or hazardous substances. This paper seeks to determine whether these programs have achieved the goals and objectives sought by decision makers and if the cost of those achievements in terms of public money subsidies and forgone tax revenue have been commensurate with the realized benefits.The DEC brownfield program offers financial incentives, such as tax credits, as well as regulatory benefits (limited liability protections) to promote alternatives to greenfield development. OER efforts are New York City centric with incentives divided into three sectors: procedural, legal, and financial with a major goal of reducing remedial (cleanup) timeframes. To evaluate the effectiveness of the New York City Brownfield program changes in property values over time were evaluated. The five New York City counties experiencing the two highest percent increases in property values also claimed the highest brownfield credits. Queens and Brooklyn received most brownfield credits during this period but also experienced the most redevelopment. These and other data illustrate a return on the brownfield investment (ROBI) credit of about one to six; or one dollar in brownfield credit stimulating six dollars in project spending. New York City counties’ ROBI is consistent with all other New York State County ROBI’s: roughly six dollars in redevelopment activity being stimulated by one dollar in brownfield credit. The roughly $6 ROBI presented here is similar to ROI’s for other public services such as disease prevention and incarceration intervention.

Sustainable Household Practices for Environmental Sustainability in Informal Settlements: Insights From Kanyama Ward 10, Lusaka, Zambia

This study on sustainable household practices for transforming environmental concerns into environmental solutions in informal settlements was conducted in Kanyama Ward 10, Zones 98 and 100, Lusaka District. The study identified household practices among residents that could contribute to enhancing household environmental sustainability and assessed the costs and resident’s willingness to pay for household greening. Data were collected using structured interviews administered to 145 residents and interview guides for 11 key informants. Quantitative data were analysed using chi-square, two-sample t-test and the Pearson Product Moment correlation, while qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis. The results showed that the major environmental concerns in Zones 98 and 100 of Kanyama Ward 10, prioritised from the resident’s point of view included waste management with 79 % in Zone 100 and 82 % in Zone 98, flooding 67 % in Zone 100 and 80 % in Zone 98 and poor drainage system 51% in Zone 100 and 59 % in Zone 98. Some of the household practices by residents capable of enhancing environmental sustainability were identified as maintaining sanitary home environment at 42 % in Zone 98 and 61% in Zone 100, disposing waste in bins 11 % in Zone 98 and 15 % in Zone 100 and planting trees/vegetables 7 % in Zone 98 and 24 % in Zone 100. Results show that more sustainable household practices in Zone 100 resulted in reduced environmental concerns. There was a significant positive correlation between household practice cost incurred for greening and average monthly income earned by respondents (r = 0.500; p <0.05). This meant that households with higher monthly household incomes spent more on household greening. Furthermore, household income levels had an insignificant effect on the resident’s willingness to pay for household greening (𝑋2=0.781, p = 0.321).In conclusion, resident’s engagement in sustainable household practices and willingness to pay for greening in informal settlements was significantly influenced by their levels of household income as there was a relationship between the level of income and cost of environmental sustainability. Residents’ attitudes towards household greening and levels of income could prove to be either a hindrance or motivating factor in achieving environmental sustainability. As such, the study recommended sensitization, providing entrepreneurship skills and behavioural change campaigns in the area in order to instil the importance of household greening and improve their levels of income.

Plant Species Selection and Community Configuration for Residential Areas Based on the Digital Technology

Sunshine is a key ecological factor for plant growth, development, reproduction and their community stability. The SOLWEIG model combined with ArcGIS and, AutoCAD software as a digital platform was used in this paper, and which focus on sunshine duration simulation by these digital technologies. Results show that the maximum sunshine duration is 10 hours, the minimum sunshine duration is 0 hours, and the average is about 4 hours in the sample points of the study area. The order from high to low is N>D>F>B>E>G>K>C>A>L>M (patches of planting area) in sunshine duration, the average highest value is 6 hours and the lowest is 1.6 hours for the 11 greening patches in this study. These results also indicate that the building height and layout is the major factor of influence in the change of sunshine hours when other parameters are stable. On this basis, the research combined with the standard system of sunshine requirements of landscape plants, an empirical analysis of plant selection and community configuration to show through a case of Tongxiang city in Zhejiang province, China. The value of this research is to provide a theoretical method for plant selection and community configuration in urban built-up areas.

State Environmental Expenditures in New England and Their Relationship to Other Programmatic and Political Metrics

State environmental agencies have developed into one of the primary mechanisms by which public health and quality of life is managed and protected within the United States. This analysis attempts to provide some understanding of what economic and political factors may be influencing funding for state environmental agencies in six New England states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The demographic makeup of New England, an area that is relatively well-off, highly educated, socially liberal, and diverse, make it the ideal place to test the relationships between state environmental agency spending and other key economic and political metrics.Financial data sets evaluated as part of this study include state spending on 11 common programmatic areas. Non-financial data sets in this analysis include the percentage of voters casting ballots by political party for Democratic presidential candidates, U.S. Senators, U.S Representatives, and Governors, as well as the composition by political party of the upper and lower houses of state legislatures. A Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient was used to compare each state’s environmental expenditures with the 17 independent variable data sets.Natural Resource spending was positively correlated with Education spending in five states. Total (state) Expenditures also correlate positively with Natural Resource spending. General Revenues, similar to Total Expenditures, positively correlate with Natural Resource spending in five states, suggesting that state environmental agencies are effective bureaucratically in lobbying for and obtaining needed funding. State environmental agencies funding correlated positively with the percent of the electorate voting for the Democratic Presidential candidate in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. This correlation is similar to those noted by other researchers, but the remaining state-level political data sets were less useful in establishing potential relationships.

Pesticide Exposure: The Case of Open-field and Greenhouse Workers

A study was conducted among greenhouse and open field pesticide workers at the Batinah Coast of Oman in 2008 - 2009 to compare their level of pesticide exposure. A total of 74 greenhouse and 79 open field pesticide workers using pesticide mixtures consisting mostly of organophosphates were interviewed. Eighteen self-reported toxicity symptoms were recorded, with 9 and 3 of them being more prevalent among the greenhouse and open field workers, respectively. Although toxicity symptoms were generally higher among the greenhouse workers, it was observed that many of them indulged in smoking and gum chewing during pesticide application and these habits may have contributed to increased exposure. Most of the workers complained of discomfort when using protective devices, therefore it is recommended that protective materials adapted to the climate and socio-economic conditions of the pesticide workers be developed, and that they be encouraged to use them through appropriate educational efforts and incentives.

Socio-economic Impact on Grey Parrot Survival, Implications on the Conservation of the Species in Kom National Park-Mengame Gorilla Sanctuary Complex, South-Cameroon

The main purpose of this study was to assess the perception of local residents regarding the impact of human activities on grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus) in Kom National Park-Mengame Gorilla Sanctuary Complex. Based on that, a structured questionnaire was administered to 400 inhabitants. The analysis shows that the capture of parrots for trade stood at (51.50%) and mechanized logging (68.75%). These were the greatest threats to the nest failure, nest disappearance and conservation of parrots in the complex. Among the methods of capturing birds, the most often are illegal method (74%), the use of rifles (12.25%) and glue traps (27%) are the most destructive methods. Foreigners (70%) are the most involved in the catches and no restrictions are made on the stage of development of the birds collected (eggs, chicks and adults). The living population around the complex seems to have a very low impact on the parrot resource. Strict compliance with the ban on the capture of this bird in Cameroon by CITES in 2016, afforestation or control of logging and improving the standard of living of local residents would contribute to the sustainable conservation of this species in its range.

Hot Times in Tectonophysics: Mantle Plume Dynamics and Magmatic Perturbances

Earth’s dynamic lithospheric (plate) motions often are not obvious when considered in relation to the temporal stability of the crust. Seismic radiology experiments confirm that the extreme pressures and temperatures in the mantle, and to a lesser extent the asthenosphere, result in a heterogeneously viscous rheology. Occasionally, magmatic fluid makes its way through the lithospheric plate to the surface, appearing typically as a volcano, fissure eruption, or lava flow. When occurring away from the edges of plate boundaries, these long-lasting suppliers of lava, present over millions of years, are called mantle plumes, or ‘hotspots.’ Conventional definitions of mantle plumes note that they are stationary with respect to each other and the motion of the plates, passively tracing historical plate motion in volcanic formations such as the Hawaiian-Emperor island arc – the Plate Model. In this model, mantle plumes primarily occur as a consequence of lithospheric extension.Recent empirical studies, however, have demonstrated that hotspots are not as geographically consistent as previously thought. They may move in relation to each other, as well as contribute actively toward lithospheric plate motions – the Plume Model. There is a lively, ongoing debate between the Plate and Plume hypotheses, essentially seeking to determine if mantle flow is merely a passive reaction to lithospheric plate motion (Plate Model), or whether plume activity in part drives this motion (Plume Model). More likely, it is a combination of passive and active mantle plume components that better describe the comprehensive behavior of these important and distinctive landscape forming features.

Historical Changes in CO2 Emissions and Removals from Land Use and Land Cover Changes in Sudan Savannah Ecological Zone of Ghana

Assessment of changes in carbon stock from land use and land cover change in necessary for carbon emissions/removals monitoring and enable countries to comply in line with the Good Practice Guidance of IPCC. This study aimed to estimate and map the historical changes in carbon emission and removal from land use and land cover change from 1986 to 2016 in Sudan savannah ecological zone of Ghana. Nested plot design was applied for field measurement, and Random forest algorithm was used to classify images. The zone was stratified into four Districts and each District further stratified into various land use and land cover (LULC) classes. Emission factors were determined for each LULC. Activity data were obtained from the spatial analysis. The overall carbon released from forest degradation and deforestation was found to be 554,684.96 Mg CO2 or 77.19% with 163,956.93 Mg or 31.84% removed. The inter-annual changes exhibited a decrease from 1986 to 1999, 1999 to 2006 and 2006 to 2016 with value being 642,342.79, 545,125.53 and 445,142.17 Mg CO2, respectively. More CO2 was released from forest degradation and in the area where cropland and forest have been converted to shrub/grassland; whereas carbon was removed in the area where shrub/grassland has been converted to cropland and/or forest land. However, more carbon was recorded in cropland compared to forest and shrub/grassland, which explains the difference in emission factor from carbon. Based on this finding reforestation and REDD+ implementation will be an efficient strategy for sustainable development in the Sudan Savannah ecological zone. In addition, farmers should be encouraged to maintain more trees on their farms to compensate for the forest loss.

Phytoremediation Enhancement of Kenaf Plant (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) Grown on Spent Oil Polluted Soil

Oil pollution especially Spent Lubricating Oil is a wide environmental problem in Nigeria. It constitutes potential toxic effects on soil, flora, fauna and humans and also making the environment unsightly. This study assessed the potential of kenaf plant as a phytoremediator grown in spent oil polluted soil for a period of 84 days (12 weeks). Pot experiment was conducted in the Nursery site of the Moist Forest Research Station, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The treatments: amended (with organic manure) and unamended (without organic manure) soils and three pollution levels (0, 3 and 6%) of spent engine oil, each filled in eight-liter plastic pots with 6 kg soil. Growth parameters: plant height, stem diameter and number of leaves were collected and Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) in soil was determined. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA. Results at 12 weeks (84 days) showed amended (control 0%) treatment having highest plant height (112.17 cm), stem diameter (8.92 cm) and number of leaves (178.43), while 6% unamended level of pollution had the lowest plant height (26.78 cm), stem height (1.62 cm) and number of leaves (8.06). Amended soil had the highest total percentage reduction of TPH (75.90, 90.05 and 90.30%), when compared with unamended soil with lowest values (76.88, 85.18 and 82.36%) at 0, 3 and 6 pollution levels, respectively. Reduction of TPH in the phytoremediation process was in this order of pollution levels 6%> 3%> 0%. This study revealed effectiveness of kenaf with organic amendment in remediating Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon in oil polluted soil, hence a good potential phytoremediator.