Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Deforestation For Pasture Development – Has It Been Worth It?, W. H. Burrows

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Differing scenarios leading to deforestation for pasture development in savanna (woodland) and closed forest communities in the tropics – sub-tropics are compared and contrasted. Australian and Brazilian examples are highlighted. No simple answer is given to the question of whether deforestation for pasture development has been worth it, since both commercial and non-commercial values have equal validity and need to be taken into account. These issues are addressed in the context of land assigned by governments for agricultural purposes. It is concluded that technology and ecological understanding are now available to maintain sustainable production from converted forest systems. However emphasis …

Back To The Future – Pastoral Land Use In A Forest Land – Sustainability Challenges For The 21St Century, J. Morgan Williams

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

To contribute meaningfully to a session entitled “Deforestation” with a proposed paper title of “Trees in Pastoral Zones; Landuse Standards in the 21^st Century” necessitates I carefully define the scope of my contribution. My paper will draw on my experiences as an ecologist working in the pastoral lands of New Zealand in roles that have led me to delve increasingly into what constitutes sustainability (of people, land and economy) for a tiny multicultural nation maturing amidst the remnants of a unique Gondwanaland ecosystem. As New Zealand’s Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE) I now examine a very wide range …

Carbon Accumulation In Soils Under Brachiaria Pastures In The Atlantic Forest Region Of The South Of Bahia, Brazil, R. M. Tarré, R. Macedo, R. B. Cantarutti, C. De P. Rezende, J. M. Pereira, E. Ferreira, B. J. R. Alves, S. Urquiaga, R. M. Boddey

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The objective of this study was to investigate the change in carbon stocks in soil following deforestation of the Atlantic forest in the South of Bahia State (Brazil) and replacement with productive pastures of Brachiaria humidicola either in monoculture or with the introduction of the forage legume Desmodium ovalifolium. Carbon stocks in the 0-30 cm layer were 44.5 Mg ha^-1 under the original forest and found to be approximately 42 Mg ha^-1 C 10 years later. At this time pastures of B. humidicola with or without the presence of D. ovalifolium were formed and grazed continuously for …

Potential Role Of Native Bush In The Chaco For Mitigation Of Dryland Salinity In Grassland, A. Glatzle, R. Schultze-Kraft, R. Mitlöhner

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

There is a zone of some 3.000.000 ha with an elevated dryland salinity risk in the Paraguayan Chaco due to a shallow saline ground water table. Evidence is shown of the crucial role native bush seems to play in keeping the water table at a low level and reducing therefore the risk of soil salinisation. In this paper a planned field experiment is outlined to define the tolerable level of deforestation and pasture establishment for a sylvopastoral production system in the Chacoan zone prone to dryland salinity.

A Nanoscale Shape-Discovery Framework Supporting Systematic Investigations Of Shape-Dependent Biological Effects And Immunomodulation, Wei Zhang, Hender Lopez, Luca Boselli, Paolo Bigini, André Perez-Potti, Zengchun Xie, Valentina Castagnola, Qi Cai, Camila P. Silveira, Joao M. De Araujo, Laura Talamini, Nicolò Panini, Giuseppe Ristagno, Martina B. Violatto, Stéphanie Devineau, Marco P. Monopoli, Mario Salmona, Valeria A. Giannone, Sandra Lara, Kenneth A. Dawson, Yan Yan

Articles

Since it is now possible to make, in a controlled fashion, an almost unlimited variety of nanostructure shapes, it is of increasing interest to understand the forms of biological control that nanoscale shape allows. However, a priori rational investigation of such a vast universe of shapes appears to present intractable fundamental and practical challenges. This has limited the useful systematic investigation of their biological interactions and the development of innovative nanoscale shape-dependent therapies. Here, we introduce a concept of biologically relevant inductive nanoscale shape discovery and evaluation that is ideally suited to, and will ultimately become, a vehicle for machine …

A Mathematical Model For Transport And Growth Of Microbes In Unsaturated Porous Soil, Harihar Khanal, Andrei Ludu, Ramesh Chandra Timsina, Kedar Nath Uprety

Publications

In this work, we develop a mathematical model for transport and growth of microbes by natural (rain) water infiltration and flow through unsaturated porous soil along the vertical direction under gravity and capillarity by coupling a system of advection diffusion equations (for concentration of microbes and their growth-limiting substrate) with the Richards equation. (e model takes into consideration several major physical, chemical, and biological mechanisms. (e resulting coupled system of PDEs together with their boundary conditions is highly nonlinear and complicated to solve analytically. We present both a partial analytic approach towards solving the nonlinear system and finding the main …

What Interactive Web Features Are Most Used, Travis Tyler

Experiential Learning Projects

The use of interactive features in websites has become common place on the internet. People use these tools to help navigate and understand the content related to that website. However, due the large variety of websites it can be tricky to understand what features are best to utilize based on the topic of your site. This paper seeks to address this issue by researching how users interact and utilized different features on different websites. Research is gathered via scholarly articles and direct data gathered from volunteers. This data shows users tend to favor more interactive tools to help with navigation, …

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Npl Site, Trec Inc., A Woodard And Curran Company

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Response To Agency Comments Received December 15 On Silver Bow Creek Butte Area Npl Site 2022 Draft Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Interim Site-Wide Surface Water Monitoring Quality Assurance Project Plan. Consent Decree- Civil Action No. Cv 89-039-Bu-She, Josh Bryson

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Sbc/Butte Area Npl Site Final Bpsou Interim Site-Wide Surface Water Monitoring Qapp 2020 And 2021 Monitoring Period, 10/14/20, Nikia Greene

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

The Circle Of Life: The Mathematics Of Predator-Prey Dynamics, John Butler, Rebecca Brady

Articles

Some animals hunt other animals to feed themselves; these animals are called predators. Animals who are hunted and eaten are known as prey. What do you think would happen if a predator were introduced to an ecosystem where the prey previously lived without fear of being hunted? Would the new predator eat all the prey animals until they go extinct? Actually, the relationship between predator and prey is far more interesting than this. In this article, we show what the predator-prey relationship looks like over time and explain how scientists can make predictions about future population levels, all using basic …

Initial Effects Of Deforestation On Herbaceous Species Composition In Grassy Woodlands Of The Northern Tablelands, Nsw Australia, Chris R. Chilcott, N. Reid, R. D. B. Whalley

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Limited information on the initial effects of clearing and thinning on herbaceous vegetation of grassy temperate eucalyptus forests exists. The aim of this investigation is to study the initial changes in species composition following clearing and thinning. A deforestation experiment was established where clearing, thinning of 50% of canopy cover and control treatments were established. In the open-forests, patterns in herbaceous species composition were strongly influenced by the presence of trees, with weeping wheat grass (Microlaena stipoides) dominant, whereas wiregrass (Aristida ramosa) dominated interspaces and canopy gaps. Immediately following clearing, significant changes in the herbaceous species …

The Influence Of Large Animal Diversity In Grazed Ecosystems, M. G. Murray, D. R. Baird

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Field observations in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania have revealed several modes of grazing system, including migration, sustained-yield grazing and grazing succession which contribute on the one hand to ecological separation of herbivores by habitat choice, but on the other hand to positive association of species on wet season pastures known as hot spots. Drawing from results of experimental field studies, we consider what is known about resource competition and facilitation, the two key ecological processes underlying these grazing systems, and specify the shape of the relationship between species richness and pasture height that is predicted depending on which process …

Grassland Use And Plant Diversity In Grazed Ecosystems, V. A. Deregibus, E. J. Jacobo, O. E. Ansin

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Earth biomes are being deconstructed, through unprecedented rates of species disappearance or invasion (McCann 2000). This, added to the threat of global environmental change and changes in values of a developed society, caused that biodiversity became a topic that has captured the attention of the public as well as the scientific community. Such concern on the importance of biodiversity is based in four basic reasons clearly described by West (1993): (i) morality, that aims for the protection of species; (ii) aesthetics, as people desire to see and appreciate the living parts of nature; (iii) economics and, (iv) the array …

The Effect Of Phosphorus Fertilization On Botanical Composition And Production In Temperate Pastures In Argentina, E. J. Jacobo, A. M. Rodríguez, M. F. Garbulsky, P. Scardoni, V. A. Deregibus

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The objective of this paper is to evaluate floristic changes and above-ground primary production in native grasslands and old pastures dominated by tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) that were fertilized with different levels of phosphorus. For this, aerial biomass was sequentially harvested from November 1998 to October 1999. Above-ground production of native grassland more than doubled (from 3000 to 7300 kg DM/ha) with the highest level of P through the increment of three naturalized species: the winter annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) and two legumes: white clover (Trifolium repens) and lotus (Lotus corniculatus). In …

Determining Pasture Biodiversity With Nirs, K. J. Moore, D. J. Barker

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Research was conducted to assess the potential of using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to determine botanical composition and measures of species diversity in pasture samples. Samples were collected from six hill country (Ballantrae) and two lowland (Aorangi) pastures in New Zealand. Samples were collected in summer (March) and Autumn (May) and subsamples were dissected to determine botanical composition and species diversity. Measures of diversity included species richness, Shannon’s index, and Simpson’s index. Reflectance data were collected from a second subsample that had been dried and finely ground. Calibrations were developed using modified partial least squares. Acceptable calibration equations were …

Vegetation Changes In Southeast Australian Temperate Grasslands, D. L. Garden, T. P. Bolger

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

In temperate areas of southeast Australia, the combined effects of tree clearing, grazing, application of fertilizer and the introduction of exotic species have modified the original grasslands. This paper describes these changes and attempts to explain them in terms of ecological principles derived from North American grasslands. Stability of the original grasslands appears to have been due to the lack of disturbance and the slow rates of nitrogen (N) cycling within them. Increased N cycling after disturbance has allowed invasion of species better adapted to higher N status, particularly exotic annual grasses and weeds. The present composition of grasslands, in …

The Effects Of Grazing Management And Fertilization On Grassland Diversity And Productivity, Warren Mcg. King, David R. Kemp

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

The effects of management practices on plant species diversity and productivity within a naturalised grassland was studied as part of a large-scale experiment designed to investigate issues of sustainability in temperate Australia. Fertiliser increased the production but reduced the diversity of the sward. The main decline was in exotic weed species. Strategic grazing resulted in a small increase in pasture diversity but a reduction in productivity. There was a consistent decline in diversity as productivity increased, across all treatments.

Pasture Dynamics After Sodseeding Cool Season Species With Or Without Glyphosate In Subtropical Natural Grasslands, Luciana M. Rizo, E. L. Moojen, Fernando L. F. De Quadros, F. E. Schlick, F. L. Correa

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

This trial was conducted to evaluate vegetation dynamics of natural grasslands fertilized and sodseeded with the cool season species Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), white clover (Trifolium repens) and birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) with or without glyphosate. Treatments that included herbicide spraying on natural vegetation caused a substitution of perennial grasses by undesirable species, and did not show a significant contribution of introduced species. Andropogon lateralis, Paspalum notatum, Paspalum dilatatum and Paspalum plicatulum almost disappeared, and were replaced by Chaptalia nutans and Apium spp, among others.

Soil Biodiversity, Root Herbivory And Carbon And Nitrogen Cycling In Grassland Soils, R. Cook, L. A. Dawson, A. C. Gange, S. J. Grayston, P. J. Murray, A. M. Treonis

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

This paper describes research on the relationships between grassland management practices and the diversity of biological communities in soil. Observations are being made in field trials with applications of nitrogen and lime and of insecticide to an original diverse sward and to a single species grass re-seed. The treatments are designed to produce different degrees of diversity in communities of soil animals and microbes. Assessments are being made over three years of the effects on the populations, activity and diversity of root-feeding animals, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, soil bacteria, fungi and micro fauna, including nonplant feeding nematodes. Associated laboratory experiments assess …

Core Collection Approaches And Genetic Diversity In Flemingia Macrophylla, R. Schultze‐Kraft, M. Peters

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

Core collections are a useful means to optimise the management, including conservation, of forage germplasm collections. Such optimisation is warranted in view of increasingly limited research resources. As there are several potential options to create core collections, a project is presented in which three approaches are compared: (i) based on germplasm origin information; (ii) genetic diversity assessment by agronomic characterisation/evaluation; and (iii) DNA markers. As example-species for the project, the tropical legume shrub Flemingia macrophylla is selected because of its particular multiple-use potential in smallholder production systems. An important diversity descriptor is the content of tannins influencing feed and litter …

Variation Of Agronomic Traits In A World Collection Of Vetch (Vicia Sativa L.), G. Pacucci, C. Troccoli

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

More than 850 accessions of vetch (Vicia sativa L.) representing 16 countries were obtained from the Italian Germplasm Institute and grown in a Southern Italy environment. The five following quantitative characters were analysed: days to harvest, plant dry weight, number of pods per plant, seed yield per plant, and seed yield per pod. The frequencies of various phenotypes were examined for total world collection and for each country in which there was a sufficient number of accessions. Wide phenotypic variability was observed for all characters, and usually within each country. The Shannon–Weaver diversity index (H') was used to examine …

Imaging The Tectonic Components Under The Eastern Mediterranean And Black Sea With Gravity (Satellite) Data, Ceyhan Ertan Toker, Emin U. Ulugergerli̇

Bulletin of the Mineral Research and Exploration

Tectonic structures in the Black Sea and the Levantine Sea were mapped using satellite gravity data. The relationship between Antalya and Cyprus arcs is revealed by the deformation traces of the arc formation. The Cyprus arc which over the slice that disappears from the South of the Anaximander seamounts to the Northeast, can traceable at the western end of the Antalya Bay. The distinction of western and eastern basins in the Black Sea is also mapped. Due to the low spatial resolution, additional studies with higher resolution are required.

https://doi.org/10.19111/bulletinofmre.975929

Environmental Impacts Of Seawater Desalination On The Marine Environment In The Kingdom Of Bahrain, Waleed Al-Zubari, Alaa Elsadek, Mohamed Khadim

Emirates Journal for Engineering Research

The main water planning and management challenge facing Bahrain is in how to balance water availability and water use on a long-term basis in the face of increasing demands under the least economic and environmental costs and without endangering socio-economic development. To meet escalating municipal water demands desalination is becoming inevitable, which is associated with substantial financial, economic, and environmental costs. In this research, the environmental impact of seawater desalination on the surrounding marine environment is assessed at a government-owned MSF desalination plant (Sitra Power and Water Station (SPWS)). The assessment used a number of environmental indicators, namely temperature and …

Application Of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle In Surface Soil Characterization And Geological Disaster Monitoring In Mining Areas, Long Linli, Liu Ying, Zhang Xuyang, Su Yongdong, Chen Xiaoyang

Coal Geology & Exploration

With the emergence and development of UAVs and the improvement of the miniaturization and intelligence of various sensor, UAVs equipped with sensors have become an efficient tool for obtaining spatial data. Because UAVs are low cost, short revisit period, fast and efficient, light and flexible, simple operation, and high temporal and spatial accuracy of image acquisition, it is widely used in mining land damage monitoring. Using "UAV, Inversion, Soil Monitoring, Surface Collapse, Ground Fissure" as keywords, this paper summarizes the academic papers of the search system in the web of science, CNKI, and Google Scholar from January 2010 to May …

Table Of Contents, The Editors

Coal Geology & Exploration

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Organic Matter Maturity Of Sapropel Coal In Oil Layer A Of Haishiwan Mine Field Of Yaojie Mining Area, Song Xiaozhong, Zhang Bingzhong, Lei Ying, Song Yanqiang

Coal Geology & Exploration

The vitrinite reflectance is recognized as the only comparable evaluation index of organic matter maturity of source rock in the exploration and development of oil and gas, shale gas and coalbed methane resources. Current research was done to determine the organic matter maturity of sapropel coal in oil layer A in Haishiwan mine field more accurately. Coal samples were collected from boreholes and observation of the optical characteristics of reflected light and fluorescence microscopic components were studied under the microscope. It was found that there are two different characteristic vitrinites in sapropel coal in oil layer A. One was fluorescent …

A 3d Seismic Physical Modeling System Of Large Double Triaxial Air-Supported Positioning And Multichannel Data Acquisition And Its Application, Shi Xianxin, Liu Qiang, Hu Jiwu, Wang Pan, Lian Chenguang, Jia Qian, Zhang Miaomiao, Nie Ailan

Coal Geology & Exploration

As an important technology to study seismic wave propagation characteristics, 3D seismic physical simulation is an effective method to understand the propagation law and response characteristics of seismic waves in complex structures. It has the advantages of more realistic results and no limitation on calculation methods and boundary conditions over numerical simulation. Therefore, it has important applications in the research of the basic law of seismic wave propagation, verification of field seismic exploration methods, design optimization of observation systems, etc. This paper presents a 3D seismic physical modeling system of large double triaxial air-supported positioning and multichannel data acquisition, which …

Deformation Characteristics Of Coal Measures And Gas Occurrence Law Of Coal Mines In North China, Wang Wei, Wei Yanzhao, Jia Tianrang, Yan Jiangwei

Coal Geology & Exploration

Gas is not only one of the important disaster-causing factors in coal mines, but also an important clean energy. Understanding the deformation characteristics of coal measures and the occurrence of gas is the basis for coal mine gas disaster prevention and coalbed methane development. Taking the North China coal measures as the research object, taking the tectonic evolution and control as the main line, using the theory of plate tectonics, tectonic evolution and step by step control of gas-occurring structures, the deformation characteristics of the North China coal-measures and the law of coal mine gas occurrence were systematically studied. The …

Plastic Deformation-Based Constitutive Relation Of Coal Damage And Permeability Model, Wu Xuehai, Li Bobo, Wang Xin, Gao Zheng, Li Jianhua, Xu Jiang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Coal and gas outburst induced by mining disturbance is one of the main gas dynamic disasters in coal mine production. In order to systematically explore the evolution characteristics of coal damage and the law of gas seepage under mining disturbance, the whole stress strain–seepage experiment under different gas pressures was carried out. The generalized Hooke's law was modified by considering the effects of gas adsorption and thermal expansion, the plastic deformation-based constitutive relation of coal damage was established, and the piecewise permeability model considering the damage was further constructed. The results shown that the coal permeability can be divided into …