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Lade GE, Comito J, Benning J, Kling C, Keiser D. Improving Private Well Testing Programs: Experimental Evidence from Iowa. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:14596-14607. [PMID: 39105748 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c02835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
Approximately 23 million U.S. households rely on private wells for drinking water. This study first summarizes drinking water behaviors and perceptions from a large-scale survey of households that rely on private wells in Iowa. Few households test as frequently as recommended by public health experts. Around 40% of households do not regularly test, treat, or avoid their drinking water, suggesting pollution exposure may be widespread among this population. Next, we utilize a randomized control trial to study how nitrate test strips and information about a free, comprehensive water quality testing program influence households' behaviors and perceptions. The intervention significantly increased testing, including high-quality follow-up testing, but had limited statistically detectable impacts on other behaviors and perceptions. Households' willingness to pay for nitrate test kits and testing information exceeds program costs, suggesting that the intervention was welfare-enhancing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel E Lade
- Macalester College, 1600 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55105, United States
- Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, Iowa State University, 518 Farmhouse Lane, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
| | - Jacqueline Comito
- Iowa State University, 518 Farmhouse Lane, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
| | - Jamie Benning
- Iowa State University, 518 Farmhouse Lane, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
| | - Catherine Kling
- Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, Iowa State University, 518 Farmhouse Lane, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
- Cornell University, 616 Thurston Ave, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - David Keiser
- Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, Iowa State University, 518 Farmhouse Lane, Ames, Iowa 50011, United States
- University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, United States
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2
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Scherzinger F, Schädler M, Reitz T, Yin R, Auge H, Merbach I, Roscher C, Harpole WS, Blagodatskaya E, Siebert J, Ciobanu M, Marder F, Eisenhauer N, Quaas M. Sustainable land management enhances ecological and economic multifunctionality under ambient and future climate. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4930. [PMID: 38858378 PMCID: PMC11164979 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48830-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The currently dominant types of land management are threatening the multifunctionality of ecosystems, which is vital for human well-being. Here, we present a novel ecological-economic assessment of how multifunctionality of agroecosystems in Central Germany depends on land-use type and climate. Our analysis includes 14 ecosystem variables in a large-scale field experiment with five different land-use types under two different climate scenarios (ambient and future climate). We consider ecological multifunctionality measures using averaging approaches with different weights, reflecting preferences of four relevant stakeholders based on adapted survey data. Additionally, we propose an economic multifunctionality measure based on the aggregate economic value of ecosystem services. Results show that intensive management and future climate decrease ecological multifunctionality for most scenarios in both grassland and cropland. Only under a weighting based on farmers' preferences, intensively-managed grassland shows higher multifunctionality than sustainably-managed grassland. The economic multifunctionality measure is about ~1.7 to 1.9 times higher for sustainable, compared to intensive, management for both grassland and cropland. Soil biodiversity correlates positively with ecological multifunctionality and is expected to be one of its drivers. As the currently prevailing land management provides high multifunctionality for farmers, but not for society at large, we suggest to promote and economically incentivise sustainable land management that enhances both ecological and economic multifunctionality, also under future climatic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friedrich Scherzinger
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Jena-Halle-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Schädler
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Jena-Halle-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, Halle, 06120, Germany
| | - Thomas Reitz
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Jena-Halle-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Soil Ecology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, Halle, 06120, Germany
| | - Rui Yin
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Jena-Halle-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, Halle, 06120, Germany
- Institute for Biology, Leipzig University, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Harald Auge
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Jena-Halle-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, Halle, 06120, Germany
| | - Ines Merbach
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, Halle, 06120, Germany
| | - Christiane Roscher
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Jena-Halle-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, Leipzig, 04318, Germany
| | - W Stanley Harpole
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Jena-Halle-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, Leipzig, 04318, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany
| | - Evgenia Blagodatskaya
- Department of Soil Ecology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4, Halle, 06120, Germany
| | - Julia Siebert
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Jena-Halle-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marcel Ciobanu
- Institute of Biological Research, Branch of the National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, Str. Republicii 48, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Fabian Marder
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Jena-Halle-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Jena-Halle-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
- Institute for Biology, Leipzig University, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Martin Quaas
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Jena-Halle-Leipzig, Puschstr. 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Economics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
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Blakney AJC, Morvan S, Lucotte M, Moingt M, Charbonneau A, Bipfubusa M, Gonzalez E, Pitre FE. Site properties, environmental factors, and crop identify influence soil bacterial communities more than municipal biosolid application. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 926:171854. [PMID: 38522550 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Reducing the environmental impact of Canadian field crop agriculture, including the reliance on conventional synthesised fertilisers, are key societal targets for establishing long-term sustainable practices. Municipal biosolids (MSB) are an abundant, residual organic material, rich in phosphate, nitrogen and other oligo-nutrients, that could be used in conjunction with conventional fertilisers to decrease their use. Though MBS have previously been shown to be an effective fertiliser substitute for different crops, including corn and soybean, there remain key knowledge gaps concerning the impact of MBS on the resident soil bacterial communities in agro-ecosystems. We hypothesised that the MBS fertiliser amendment would not significantly impact the structure or function of the soil bacterial communities, nor contribute to the spread of human pathogenic bacteria, in corn or soybean agricultural systems. In field experiments, fertiliser regimes for both crops were amended with MBS, and compared to corn and soybean plots with standard fertiliser treatments. We repeated this across four different agricultural sites in Quebec, over 2021 and 2022. We sampled MBS-treated, and untreated soils, and identified the composition of the soil bacterial communities via 16S rRNA metabarcoding. We found no indication that the MBS fertiliser amendment altered the structure of the soil bacterial communities, but rather that the soil type and crop identities were the most significant factors in structuring the bacterial communities. Moreover, there was no evidence that the MBS-treated soils were enriched in potential human bacterial pathogens over the two years of our study. Our analysis indicates that not only can MBS function as substitutes for conventional, synthesised fertilisers, but that they also do not disrupt the structure of the resident soil bacterial communities in the short term. Finally, we suggest that the use of MBS in agro-ecosystems poses no greater concern to the public than existing soil bacterial communities. This highlights the significant role MBS could potentially have in reducing the use of conventional industrial fertilisers and improving agricultural production, without risking environmental contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J C Blakney
- Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale, Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, 4101 Sherbrooke East, Montréal, QC H1X 2B2, Canada.
| | - Simon Morvan
- Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale, Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, 4101 Sherbrooke East, Montréal, QC H1X 2B2, Canada
| | - Marc Lucotte
- GEOTOP & Institut des Sciences de l'environnement, Université du Québec à Montréal, 201, Avenue du Président-Kennedy, Montréal, QC H2X3Y7, Canada.
| | - Matthieu Moingt
- GEOTOP & Institut des Sciences de l'environnement, Université du Québec à Montréal, 201, Avenue du Président-Kennedy, Montréal, QC H2X3Y7, Canada
| | - Ariane Charbonneau
- GEOTOP & Institut des Sciences de l'environnement, Université du Québec à Montréal, 201, Avenue du Président-Kennedy, Montréal, QC H2X3Y7, Canada
| | - Marie Bipfubusa
- Centre de Recherche sur les Grains, Inc. (CÉROM), Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil, QC J3G 0E2, Canada
| | - Emmanuel Gonzalez
- Canadian Centre for Computational Genomics, McGill Genome Centre, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Frédéric E Pitre
- Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale, Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, 4101 Sherbrooke East, Montréal, QC H1X 2B2, Canada
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Luo L, Cohan DS, Gurung RB, Venterea RT, Ran L, Benson V, Yuan Y. Impacts assessment of nitrification inhibitors on U.S. agricultural emissions of reactive nitrogen gases. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 359:121043. [PMID: 38723497 PMCID: PMC11261242 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Fertilizer-intensive agriculture leads to emissions of reactive nitrogen (Nr), posing threats to climate via nitrous oxide (N2O) and to air quality and human health via nitric oxide (NO) and ammonia (NH3) that form ozone and particulate matter (PM) downwind. Adding nitrification inhibitors (NIs) to fertilizers can mitigate N2O and NO emissions but may stimulate NH3 emissions. Quantifying the net effects of these trade-offs requires spatially resolving changes in emissions and associated impacts. We introduce an assessment framework to quantify such trade-off effects. It deploys an agroecosystem model with enhanced capabilities to predict emissions of Nr with or without the use of NIs, and a social cost of greenhouse gas to monetize the impacts of N2O on climate. The framework also incorporates reduced-complexity air quality and health models to monetize associated impacts of NO and NH3 emissions on human health downwind via ozone and PM. Evaluation of our model against available field measurements showed that it captured the direction of emission changes but underestimated reductions in N2O and overestimated increases in NH3 emissions. The model estimated that, averaged over applicable U.S. agricultural soils, NIs could reduce N2O and NO emissions by an average of 11% and 16%, respectively, while stimulating NH3 emissions by 87%. Impacts are largest in regions with moderate soil temperatures and occur mostly within two to three months of N fertilizer and NI application. An alternative estimate of NI-induced emission changes was obtained by multiplying the baseline emissions from the agroecosystem model by the reported relative changes in Nr emissions suggested from a global meta-analysis: -44% for N2O, -24% for NO and +20% for NH3. Monetized assessments indicate that on an annual scale, NI-induced harms from increased NH3 emissions outweigh (8.5-33.8 times) the benefits of reducing NO and N2O emissions in all agricultural regions, according to model-based estimates. Even under meta-analysis-based estimates, NI-induced damages exceed benefits by a factor of 1.1-4. Our study highlights the importance of considering multiple pollutants when assessing NIs, and underscores the need to mitigate NH3 emissions. Further field studies are needed to evaluate the robustness of multi-pollutant assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Luo
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Daniel S Cohan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA.
| | - Ram B Gurung
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Rodney T Venterea
- Soil and Water Management Research Unit, USDA-ARS, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Limei Ran
- Nature Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Greensboro, NC 27401, USA
| | | | - Yongping Yuan
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711, USA
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Yang J, Li J, van Vliet MTH, Jones ER, Huang Z, Liu M, Bi J. Economic risks hidden in local water pollution and global markets: A retrospective analysis (1995-2010) and future perspectives on sustainable development goal 6. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 252:121216. [PMID: 38335747 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2024.121216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Pollution from untreated wastewater discharges depletes clean water supply for humans and the environment. It poses adverse economic impacts by determining agricultural yields, manufacturing productivity, and ecosystem functionality. Current studies mainly focus on quantity-related water scarcity assessment. It is unknown how low water quality amplifies local water stress and induces cascading economic risks globally. In this study, we estimated both quality and quantity-related water scarcity index (WSI), local economic water scarcity risk (WSR), and cascading virtual WSR evident in global trade markets across 40 major economies from 1995 to 2010. We find developing countries, e.g., India and China, witnessed fast growth in both quantity and quality-related WSI. Major developed economies, e.g., the US and Germany, experienced a modest increase in water stress but alleviated quality-related risks. Local economic risk (WSR) grew from $116B to $380B, with quality-related risks rising from 20 % to 30 %. Virtual economic WSR in global supply chains increased from $39B to $160B, with quality-related risks increasing from 19 % to 27 %. China became the top exporter of economic WSR, ranked above the US, France, and Japan, and the second-largest position as an importer, trailing only the US. We finally conducted scenario modeling by 2030, assuming different progresses on SDG 6 targets. The findings suggest that only the most ambitious progress in both water quality enhancement and efficiency improvement helps to alleviate ∼20 % economic WSR globally. Our findings underscore the necessity for strategies that integrate management of untreated wastewater flows, improved water use efficiency, and diversification of supply chain networks to enhance global economic resilience to water challenges in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianxun Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology (CICAEET), Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China
| | - Jinling Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, China
| | - Michelle T H van Vliet
- Department of Physical Geography, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - Edward R Jones
- Department of Physical Geography, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
| | - Zhongwei Huang
- School of Hydrology and Water Resources, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
| | - Miaomiao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology (CICAEET), Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China.
| | - Jun Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology (CICAEET), Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China.
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6
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Feng R, Li Z, Qi Z. China's anthropogenic N 2O emissions with analysis of economic costs and social benefits from reductions in 2022. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 353:120234. [PMID: 38308993 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
We assess China's overall anthropogenic N2O emissions via the official guidebook published by Chinese government. Results show that China's overall anthropogenic N2O emissions in 2022 were around 1593.1 (1508.7-1680.7) GgN, about 47.0 %, 27.0 %, 13.4 %, 4.9 %, and 7.7 % of which were caused by agriculture, industry, energy utilization, wastewater, and indirect sources, respectively. Maximum reduction rate for N2O emissions from agriculture, industry, energy utilization, wastewater, and indirect sources can achieve 69 %, 99 %, 79 %, 86 %, and 48 %, respectively, in 2022. However, given current global scenarios with a rapidly changing population and geopolitical and energy tension, the emission reduction may not be fully fulfilled. Without compromising yields, China's theoretical minimum anthropogenic N2O emissions would be 600.6 (568.8-633.6) GgN. In terms of the economic costs for reducing one kg of N2O-N emissions, the price ranged from €12.9 to €81.1 for agriculture, from €0.08 to €0.16 for industry, and from €104.8 to €1571.5 for energy utilization. We acknowledge the emission reduction rates may not be completely realistic for large-scale application in China. The social benefits gained from reducing one kg of N2O-N emissions in China was about €5.2, indicating anthropogenic N2O emissions caused a loss 0.03 % of China's GDP, but only justifying reduction in industrial N2O emissions from the economic perspective. We perceive that the present monetized values will be trustworthy for at least three to five years, but later the numerical monetized values need to be considered in inflation and other currency-dependent conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Feng
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China; State Key Laboratory of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
| | - Zhenhua Li
- Xiacheng District Study-Aid Science & Technology Studio, Hangzhou, 310004, China
| | - Zhuangzhou Qi
- School of Economics and Management, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
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Goodkind AL, Thakrar SK, Polasky S, Hill JD, Tilman D. Managing nitrogen in maize production for societal gain. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad319. [PMID: 37881340 PMCID: PMC10597588 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Highly productive agriculture is essential to feed humanity, but agricultural practices often harm human health and the environment. Using a nitrogen (N) mass-balance model to account for N inputs and losses to the environment, along with empirical based models of yield response, we estimate the potential gains to society from improvements in nitrogen management that could reduce health and environmental costs from maize grown in the US Midwest. We find that the monetized health and environmental costs to society of current maize nitrogen management practices are six times larger than the profits earned by farmers. Air emissions of ammonia from application of synthetic fertilizer and manure are the largest source of pollution costs. We show that it is possible to reduce these costs by 85% ($21.6 billion per year, 2020$) while simultaneously increasing farmer profits. These gains come from (i) managing fertilizer ammonia emissions by changing the mix of fertilizer and manure applied, (ii) improving production efficiency by reducing fertilization rates, and (iii) halting maize production on land where health and environmental costs exceed farmer profits, namely on low-productivity land and locations in which emissions are especially harmful. Reducing ammonia emissions from changing fertilizer types-in (i)-reduces health and environmental costs by 46% ($11.7 billion). Reducing fertilization rates-in (ii)-limits nitrous oxide emissions, further reducing health and environmental costs by $9.5 billion, and halting production on 16% of maize-growing land in the Midwest-in (iii)-reduces costs by an additional $0.4 billion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew L Goodkind
- Department of Economics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Sumil K Thakrar
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
- Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Stephen Polasky
- Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Jason D Hill
- Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - David Tilman
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St.Paul, MN 55108, USA
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Yang CW, Lee WC. Parabens Increase Sulfamethoxazole-, Tetracycline- and Paraben-Resistant Bacteria and Reshape the Nitrogen/Sulfur Cycle-Associated Microbial Communities in Freshwater River Sediments. TOXICS 2023; 11:387. [PMID: 37112614 PMCID: PMC10142436 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11040387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Backgrounds Parabens are pollutants of emerging concern in aquatic environments. Extensive studies regarding the occurrences, fates and behavior of parabens in aquatic environments have been reported. However, little is known about the effects of parabens on microbial communities in freshwater river sediments. This study reveals the effects of methylparaben (MP), ethylparaben (EP), propylparaben (PP) and butylparaben (BP) on antimicrobial-resistant microbiomes, nitrogen/sulfur cycle-associated microbial communities and xenobiotic degrading microbial communities in freshwater river sediments. Methods The river water and sediments collected from the Wai-shuangh-si Stream in Taipei City, Taiwan were used to construct a model system in fish tanks to test the effects of parabens in laboratory. Results Tetracycline-, sulfamethoxazole- and paraben-resistant bacteria increased in all paraben treated river sediments. The order of the overall ability to produce an increment in sulfamethoxazole-, tetracycline- and paraben-resistant bacteria was MP > EP > PP > BP. The proportions of microbial communities associated with xenobiotic degradation also increased in all paraben-treated sediments. In contrast, penicillin-resistant bacteria in both the aerobic and anaerobic culture of paraben-treated sediments decreased drastically at the early stage of the experiments. The proportions of four microbial communities associated with the nitrogen cycle (anammox, nitrogen fixation, denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction) and sulfur cycle (thiosulfate oxidation) largely increased after the 11th week in all paraben-treated sediments. Moreover, methanogens and methanotrophic bacteria increased in all paraben-treated sediments. In contrast, the nitrification, assimilatory sulfate reduction and sulfate-sulfur assimilation associated to microbial communities in the sediments were decreased by the parabens. The results of this study uncover the potential effects and consequences of parabens on microbial communities in a freshwater river environment.
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Cai S, Zhao X, Pittelkow CM, Fan M, Zhang X, Yan X. Optimal nitrogen rate strategy for sustainable rice production in China. Nature 2023; 615:73-79. [PMID: 36813959 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05678-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Avoiding excessive agricultural nitrogen (N) use without compromising yields has long been a priority for both research and government policy in China1,2. Although numerous rice-related strategies have been proposed3-5, few studies have assessed their impacts on national food self-sufficiency and environmental sustainability and fewer still have considered economic risks faced by millions of smallholders. Here we established an optimal N rate strategy based on maximizing either economic (ON) or ecological (EON) performance using new subregion-specific models. Using an extensive on-farm dataset, we then assessed the risk of yield losses among smallholder farmers and the challenges of implementing the optimal N rate strategy. We find that meeting national rice production targets in 2030 is possible while concurrently reducing nationwide N consumption by 10% (6-16%) and 27% (22-32%), mitigating reactive N (Nr) losses by 7% (3-13%) and 24% (19-28%) and increasing N-use efficiency by 30% (3-57%) and 36% (8-64%) for ON and EON, respectively. This study identifies and targets subregions with disproportionate environmental impacts and proposes N rate strategies to limit national Nr pollution below proposed environmental thresholds, without compromising soil N stocks or economic benefits for smallholders. Thereafter, the preferable N strategy is allocated to each region based on the trade-off between economic risk and environmental benefit. To facilitate the adoption of the annually revised subregional N rate strategy, several recommendations were provided, including a monitoring network, fertilization quotas and smallholder subsidies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Cameron M Pittelkow
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Mingsheng Fan
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Frostburg, MD, USA
| | - Xiaoyuan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
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Guillen-Burrieza E, Moritz E, Hobisch M, Muster-Slawitsch B. Recovery of ammonia from centrate water in urban waste water treatment plants via direct contact membrane distillation: Process performance in long-term pilot-scale operation. J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2022.121161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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11
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Reilly EC, Gutknecht JL, Sheaffer CC, Jungers JM. Reductions in soil water nitrate beneath a perennial grain crop compared to an annual crop rotation on sandy soil. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.996586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitrate (NO3--N) leaching into groundwater as a result of high nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates to annual crops presents human health risks and high costs associated with water treatment. Leaching is a particularly serious concern on sandy soils overlying porous bedrock. Intermediate wheatgrass (IWG) [Thinopyrum intermedium (Host.) Barkw. & D.R. Dewey], is a perennial grass that is being bred to produce agronomically and economically viable grain, which is commercially available as Kernza®. Intermediate wheatgrass is a low-input crop has the potential to produce profitable grain and biomass yields while reducing NO3--N leaching on sandy soils compared with common annual row crop rotations in the Upper Midwest. We compared grain yields, biomass yields, soil solution NO3--N concentration, soil extractable NO3--N, soil water content, and root biomass under IWG and a conventionally managed corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation for 3 years on a Verndale sandy loam in Central Minnesota. Mean soil solution NO3--N was 77–96% lower under IWG than the annual crop rotation. Soil water content was greater under annuals compared to IWG early in the growing season, suggesting greater water use by IWG during this time. Interactions between crop treatments and depth were observed for soil water content in Year 3. Root biomass from 0 to 60 cm below the soil surface was five times greater beneath IWG compared to soybean, which may explain differences in soil extractable and solution NO3--N among crops. With irrigation on coarse structured soils, IWG grain yields were 854, 434, and 222 kg ha−1 for Years 1–3 and vegetative biomass averaged 4.65 Mg ha−1 yr−1; comparable to other reports on heavier soils in the region. Annual crop grain yields were consistent with local averages. These results confirm that IWG effectively reduces soil solution NO3--N concentrations even on sandy soils, supporting its potential for broader adoption on land vulnerable to NO3--N leaching.
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12
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Lam SK, Wille U, Hu HW, Caruso F, Mumford K, Liang X, Pan B, Malcolm B, Roessner U, Suter H, Stevens G, Walker C, Tang C, He JZ, Chen D. Next-generation enhanced-efficiency fertilizers for sustained food security. NATURE FOOD 2022; 3:575-580. [PMID: 37118587 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-022-00542-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen losses in agricultural systems can be reduced through enhanced-efficiency fertilizers (EEFs), which control the physicochemical release from fertilizers and biological nitrogen transformations in soils. The adoption of EEFs by farmers requires evidence of consistent performance across soils, crops and climates, paired with information on the economic advantages. Here we show that the benefits of EEFs due to avoided social costs of nitrogen pollution considerably outweigh their costs-and must be incorporated in fertilizer policies. We outline new approaches to the design of EEFs using enzyme inhibitors with modifiable chemical structures and engineered, biodegradable coatings that respond to plant rhizosphere signalling molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Kee Lam
- School of Agriculture and Food, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- ARC Research Hub for Smart Fertilisers, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Uta Wille
- ARC Research Hub for Smart Fertilisers, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- School of Chemistry, Bio21 Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hang-Wei Hu
- School of Agriculture and Food, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- ARC Research Hub for Smart Fertilisers, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Frank Caruso
- ARC Research Hub for Smart Fertilisers, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kathryn Mumford
- ARC Research Hub for Smart Fertilisers, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Xia Liang
- School of Agriculture and Food, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- ARC Research Hub for Smart Fertilisers, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Baobao Pan
- School of Agriculture and Food, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- ARC Research Hub for Smart Fertilisers, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bill Malcolm
- School of Agriculture and Food, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- ARC Research Hub for Smart Fertilisers, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ute Roessner
- ARC Research Hub for Smart Fertilisers, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Helen Suter
- School of Agriculture and Food, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- ARC Research Hub for Smart Fertilisers, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Geoff Stevens
- ARC Research Hub for Smart Fertilisers, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Charlie Walker
- ARC Research Hub for Smart Fertilisers, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Incitec Pivot Fertilisers, North Shore, Victoria, Australia
| | - Caixian Tang
- ARC Research Hub for Smart Fertilisers, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ji-Zheng He
- School of Agriculture and Food, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- ARC Research Hub for Smart Fertilisers, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Deli Chen
- School of Agriculture and Food, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
- ARC Research Hub for Smart Fertilisers, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
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13
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Luo L, Ran L, Rasool QZ, Cohan DS. Integrated Modeling of U.S. Agricultural Soil Emissions of Reactive Nitrogen and Associated Impacts on Air Pollution, Health, and Climate. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:9265-9276. [PMID: 35712939 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c08660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural soils are leading sources of reactive nitrogen (Nr) species including nitrogen oxides (NOx), ammonia (NH3), and nitrous oxide (N2O). The propensity of NOx and NH3 to generate ozone and fine particulate matter and associated impacts on health are highly variable, whereas the climate impacts of long-lived N2O are independent of emission timing and location. However, these impacts have rarely been compared on a spatially resolved monetized basis. In this study, we update the nitrogen scheme in an agroecosystem model to simulate the Nr emissions from fertilized soils across the contiguous United States. We then apply a reduced-form air pollution health effect model to assess air quality impacts from NOx and NH3 and a social cost of N2O to assess the climate impacts. Assuming an $8.2 million value of a statistical life and a $13,100/ton social cost of N2O, the air quality impacts are a factor of ∼7 to 15 times as large as the climate impacts in heavily populated coastal regions, whereas the ratios are closer to 2.5 in sparsely populated regions. Our results show that air pollution, health, and climate should be considered jointly in future assessments of how farming practices affect Nr emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Luo
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Limei Ran
- Nature Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Greensboro, North Carolina 27401, United States
| | - Quazi Z Rasool
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States
| | - Daniel S Cohan
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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14
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Song W, Liu XY, Houlton BZ, Liu CQ. Isotopic constraints confirm the significant role of microbial nitrogen oxides emissions from the land and ocean environment. Natl Sci Rev 2022; 9:nwac106. [PMID: 36128454 PMCID: PMC9477198 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwac106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen oxides (NOx, the sum of nitric oxide (NO) and N dioxide (NO2)) emissions and deposition have increased markedly over the past several decades, resulting in many adverse outcomes in both terrestrial and oceanic environments. However, because the microbial NOx emissions have been substantially underestimated on the land and unconstrained in the ocean, the global microbial NOx emissions and their importance relative to the known fossil-fuel NOx emissions remain unclear. Here we complied data on stable N isotopes of nitrate in atmospheric particulates over the land and ocean to ground-truth estimates of NOx emissions worldwide. By considering the N isotope effect of NOx transformations to particulate nitrate combined with dominant NOx emissions in the land (coal combustion, oil combustion, biomass burning and microbial N cycle) and ocean (oil combustion, microbial N cycle), we demonstrated that microbial NOx emissions account for 24 ± 4%, 58 ± 3% and 31 ± 12% in the land, ocean and global environment, respectively. Corresponding amounts of microbial NOx emissions in the land (13.6 ± 4.7 Tg N yr−1), ocean (8.8 ± 1.5 Tg N yr−1) and globe (22.5 ± 4.7 Tg N yr−1) are about 0.5, 1.4 and 0.6 times on average those of fossil-fuel NOx emissions in these sectors. Our findings provide empirical constraints on model predictions, revealing significant contributions of the microbial N cycle to regional NOx emissions into the atmospheric system, which is critical information for mitigating strategies, budgeting N deposition and evaluating the effects of atmospheric NOx loading on the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Song
- School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University , Tianjin , 300072 , China
| | - Xue-Yan Liu
- School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University , Tianjin , 300072 , China
| | - Benjamin Z Houlton
- Department of Global Development and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University , Ithaca, NY 14850 , USA
| | - Cong-Qiang Liu
- School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University , Tianjin , 300072 , China
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15
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Xi X, Zhang Y. Implementation of environmental regulation strategies for nitrogen pollution in river basins: a stakeholder game perspective. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:41168-41186. [PMID: 35088284 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-18609-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
With the rapid development of modern agriculture, non-point source nitrogen pollution from higher polluting farms has become one of the main contributions to the eutrophication of the watershed. This paper first constructed a tripartite evolutionary game model concerning local governments, higher polluting farms, and consumers, all of which participate in the reduction of nitrogen pollution in the river basin. Secondly, the evolution process of evolutionary stability strategy (ESS) and the impact of critical parameters on the strategies of the three stakeholders were analyzed through numerical simulation. The results demonstrated that (1) six ESSs of the system are determined, only (1, 0, 1) is regarded as the most ideal ESS: regulation by local governments, higher polluting farms adopting not purchasing emission rights, and consumers purchasing green agricultural products. (2) The regulation strategy of local governments depends on comparing political losses with the sum of emission reduction subsidies and the supervision cost. (3) The marginal abatement costs, the price of nitrogen emission permits, nitrogen use efficiency, and the subsidy standard for unit emission reduction are the main factors that affect the ESS of higher polluting farms. (4) The ESS of consumers is significantly affected by low-nitrogen preference, government subsidies, and nitrogen use efficiency. This study suggests that the government should strengthen the supervision of the watershed environment from the aspects of improving the market mechanism of nitrogen trading, establishing a dynamic monitoring system, and innovating a subsidy mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Xi
- School of Economics and Management, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, PR China
| | - Yulin Zhang
- School of Economics and Management, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, PR China.
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16
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Thind MPS, Heath G, Zhang Y, Bhatt A. Characterization factors and other air quality impact metrics: Case study for PM 2.5-emitting area sources from biofuel feedstock supply. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 822:153418. [PMID: 35092782 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we develop a framework and metrics for estimating the impact of emission sources on regulatory compliance and human health for applications in air quality planning and life cycle impact assessment (LCIA). Our framework is based on a pollutant's characterization factor (CF) and three new metrics: Available Regulatory Capacity for Incremental Emissions (ARCIE), Source CF Ratio, and Activity Health Impact (AHI) Ratio. ARCIE can be used to assess whether a receptor location has capacity to accommodate additional source emissions while complying with regulatory limits. We present CF as a midpoint indicator of health impacts per unit mass of emitted pollutant. Source CF Ratio enables comparison of potential new-source locations based on human health impacts. The AHI Ratio estimates the health impacts of a pollutant in relation to the utilization of the source for each unit of product or service. These metrics can be applied to any pollutant, energy source sector (e.g., agriculture, electricity), source type (point, line, area), and spatial modeling domain (nation, state, city, region). We demonstrate these metrics through a case study of fine particulate (PM2.5) emissions from U.S. corn stover harvesting and local processing at various scales, representing steps in the biofuel production process. We model PM2.5 formation in the atmosphere using a novel reduced-complexity chemical transport model called the Intervention Model for Air Pollution (InMAP). Through this case study, we present the first area-source PM2.5 CFs that address the recommendations of several LCIA studies to establish spatially explicit CFs specific to an energy source sector or type. Overall, the framework developed in this work provides multiple new ways to consider the potential impacts of air emissions through spatially differentiated metrics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maninder P S Thind
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, United States; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - Garvin Heath
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, United States.
| | - Yimin Zhang
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, United States
| | - Arpit Bhatt
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, United States
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17
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Measuring Sustainable Intensification Using Satellite Remote Sensing Data. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14031832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Farm-level sustainable intensification metrics are needed to evaluate farm performance and support policy-making processes aimed at enhancing sustainable production. Farm-level sustainable intensification metrics require environmental impacts associated with agricultural production to be accounted for. However, it is common that such indicators are not available. We show how satellite-based remote sensing information can be used in combination with farm efficiency analysis to obtain a sustainable intensification (SI) indicator, which can serve as a sustainability benchmarking tool for farmers and policy makers. We obtained an SI indicator for 114 maize farms in Yangxin County, located in the Shandong Province in China, by combining information on maize output and inputs with satellite information on the leaf area index (from which a nitrogen environmental damage indicator is derived) into a farm technical efficiency analysis using a stochastic frontier approach. We compare farm-level efficiency scores between models that incorporate environmental damage indicators based on satellite-based remote sensing information and models that do not account for environmental impact. The results demonstrate that (a) satellite-based information can be used to account for environmental impacts associated with agriculture production and (b) how the environmental impact metrics derived from satellite-based information combined with farm efficiency analysis can be used to obtain a farm-level sustainable intensification indicator. The approach can be used to obtain tools for farmers and policy makers aiming at improving SI.
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18
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Feng W, Lu H, Yao T, Guan Y, Xue Y, Yu Q. Water environmental pressure assessment in agricultural systems in Central Asia based on an Integrated Excess Nitrogen Load Model. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 803:149912. [PMID: 34482134 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural runoff is the main source of water pollution in Central Asia. Excessive nitrogen (N) inputs from overuse of chemical fertilizers are threatening regional water resources. However, the scarcity of quantitative data and simplified empirical models limit the reliability of grey water footprint (GWF), particularly in undeveloped regions. In this study, we developed an Integrated Excess Nitrogen Load Model (IENLM) to calculate excess N load and evaluate its potential water environmental pressure in Central Asia. The model optimized the biological N fixation and atmospheric N deposition modules by involving more environmental variables and human activities. Results showed that N fertilizer application contributed over 60% to total N input and was mainly responsible for 42.9% increase of total GWF from 101.5 to 145.0 billion m3 during 1992 - 2018. Water pollution level (WPL) increased from 0.55 in 1992 to 2.41 in 2018 and the pollution assimilation capacity of water systems has been fully consumed just by N load from agriculture since 2005. GWF intensity and grey water pollution - efficiency types in all Central Asian countries have improved in recent years except for Turkmenistan. N fertilizer application and agricultural economy development were the main driving factors induced N pollution. Results were validated by riverine nitrate concentrations and the estimates from prior studies. In future, combining the N fertilizer reduction with other farm management practices were projected to effectively improve the WPL. The modeling framework is favorable for N pollution research in data-scarce regions and provides a scientific basis for decision-making for agriculture and water resource managements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Feng
- Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongwei Lu
- Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Tianci Yao
- Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yanlong Guan
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuxuan Xue
- Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Yu
- Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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19
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Shanks CM, Huang J, Cheng CY, Shih HJS, Brooks MD, Alvarez JM, Araus V, Swift J, Henry A, Coruzzi GM. Validation of a high-confidence regulatory network for gene-to-NUE phenotype in field-grown rice. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1006044. [PMID: 36507422 PMCID: PMC9732682 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1006044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) and Water (W) - two resources critical for crop productivity - are becoming increasingly limited in soils globally. To address this issue, we aim to uncover the gene regulatory networks (GRNs) that regulate nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) - as a function of water availability - in Oryza sativa, a staple for 3.5 billion people. In this study, we infer and validate GRNs that correlate with rice NUE phenotypes affected by N-by-W availability in the field. We did this by exploiting RNA-seq and crop phenotype data from 19 rice varieties grown in a 2x2 N-by-W matrix in the field. First, to identify gene-to-NUE field phenotypes, we analyzed these datasets using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). This identified two network modules ("skyblue" & "grey60") highly correlated with NUE grain yield (NUEg). Next, we focused on 90 TFs contained in these two NUEg modules and predicted their genome-wide targets using the N-and/or-W response datasets using a random forest network inference approach (GENIE3). Next, to validate the GENIE3 TF→target gene predictions, we performed Precision/Recall Analysis (AUPR) using nine datasets for three TFs validated in planta. This analysis sets a precision threshold of 0.31, used to "prune" the GENIE3 network for high-confidence TF→target gene edges, comprising 88 TFs and 5,716 N-and/or-W response genes. Next, we ranked these 88 TFs based on their significant influence on NUEg target genes responsive to N and/or W signaling. This resulted in a list of 18 prioritized TFs that regulate 551 NUEg target genes responsive to N and/or W signals. We validated the direct regulated targets of two of these candidate NUEg TFs in a plant cell-based TF assay called TARGET, for which we also had in planta data for comparison. Gene ontology analysis revealed that 6/18 NUEg TFs - OsbZIP23 (LOC_Os02g52780), Oshox22 (LOC_Os04g45810), LOB39 (LOC_Os03g41330), Oshox13 (LOC_Os03g08960), LOC_Os11g38870, and LOC_Os06g14670 - regulate genes annotated for N and/or W signaling. Our results show that OsbZIP23 and Oshox22, known regulators of drought tolerance, also coordinate W-responses with NUEg. This validated network can aid in developing/breeding rice with improved yield on marginal, low N-input, drought-prone soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly M. Shanks
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ji Huang
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Chia-Yi Cheng
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Life Science, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Jui S. Shih
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Matthew D. Brooks
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
- Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Urbana, IL, United States
| | - José M. Alvarez
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
- Centro de Biotecnología Vegetal, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
- Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo–Millennium Science Initiative Program, Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Santiago, Chile
| | - Viviana Araus
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
- Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo–Millennium Science Initiative Program, Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio), Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Joseph Swift
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
- Plant Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Amelia Henry
- Rice Breeding Innovations Platform, International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Gloria M. Coruzzi
- Department of Biology, Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Gloria M. Coruzzi,
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20
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Wen A, Havens KL, Bloch SE, Shah N, Higgins DA, Davis-Richardson AG, Sharon J, Rezaei F, Mohiti-Asli M, Johnson A, Abud G, Ane JM, Maeda J, Infante V, Gottlieb SS, Lorigan JG, Williams L, Horton A, McKellar M, Soriano D, Caron Z, Elzinga H, Graham A, Clark R, Mak SM, Stupin L, Robinson A, Hubbard N, Broglie R, Tamsir A, Temme K. Enabling Biological Nitrogen Fixation for Cereal Crops in Fertilized Fields. ACS Synth Biol 2021; 10:3264-3277. [PMID: 34851109 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Agricultural productivity relies on synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, yet half of that reactive nitrogen is lost to the environment. There is an urgent need for alternative nitrogen solutions to reduce the water pollution, ozone depletion, atmospheric particulate formation, and global greenhouse gas emissions associated with synthetic nitrogen fertilizer use. One such solution is biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), a component of the complex natural nitrogen cycle. BNF application to commercial agriculture is currently limited by fertilizer use and plant type. This paper describes the identification, development, and deployment of the first microbial product optimized using synthetic biology tools to enable BNF for corn (Zea mays) in fertilized fields, demonstrating the successful, safe commercialization of root-associated diazotrophs and realizing the potential of BNF to replace and reduce synthetic nitrogen fertilizer use in production agriculture. Derived from a wild nitrogen-fixing microbe isolated from agricultural soils, Klebsiella variicola 137-1036 ("Kv137-1036") retains the capacity of the parent strain to colonize corn roots while increasing nitrogen fixation activity 122-fold in nitrogen-rich environments. This technical milestone was then commercialized in less than half of the time of a traditional biological product, with robust biosafety evaluations and product formulations contributing to consumer confidence and ease of use. Tested in multi-year, multi-site field trial experiments throughout the U.S. Corn Belt, fields grown with Kv137-1036 exhibited both higher yields (0.35 ± 0.092 t/ha ± SE or 5.2 ± 1.4 bushels/acre ± SE) and reduced within-field yield variance by 25% in 2018 and 8% in 2019 compared to fields fertilized with synthetic nitrogen fertilizers alone. These results demonstrate the capacity of a broad-acre BNF product to fix nitrogen for corn in field conditions with reliable agronomic benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Wen
- Pivot Bio, Berkeley, California 94710, United States
| | | | - Sarah E. Bloch
- Morrison & Foerster LLP, San Francisco, California 94105, United States
| | - Neal Shah
- Pivot Bio, Berkeley, California 94710, United States
| | | | | | - Judee Sharon
- University of Minnesota─Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401, United States
| | | | | | | | - Gabriel Abud
- Tempo Automation, San Francisco, California 94103, United States
| | - Jean-Michel Ane
- University of Minnesota─Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401, United States
| | - Junko Maeda
- University of Wisconsin−Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Valentina Infante
- University of Wisconsin−Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | | | | | | | - Alana Horton
- Pivot Bio, Berkeley, California 94710, United States
| | | | | | - Zoe Caron
- Pivot Bio, Berkeley, California 94710, United States
| | | | - Ashley Graham
- Olema Oncology, San Francisco, California 94107, United States
| | | | - San-Ming Mak
- Pivot Bio, Berkeley, California 94710, United States
| | - Laura Stupin
- Pivot Bio, Berkeley, California 94710, United States
| | | | | | | | - Alvin Tamsir
- Pivot Bio, Berkeley, California 94710, United States
| | - Karsten Temme
- Pivot Bio, Berkeley, California 94710, United States
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21
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Musacchio A, Mas-Pla J, Soana E, Re V, Sacchi E. Governance and groundwater modelling: Hints to boost the implementation of the EU Nitrate Directive. The Lombardy Plain case, N Italy. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 782:146800. [PMID: 33838379 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The EU Nitrate Directive has been ruling for almost 30 years, nevertheless nitrate concentration in the Lombardy Plain did not decrease. Together with failures of management implementation, a possible cause for such field observations is that management actions were taken without adequately considering the actual hydrogeological dynamics. To consider this aspect, the paper presents a groundwater flow and transport numerical model of a specific area of the Lombardy Plain. The aim of this model is to demonstrate how modelling, as a management tool, can be useful in the governance process. The groundwater model, using well-known MODFLOW-MT3D codes, is based on existing hydrogeological information, while a nitrogen mass balance has been performed at municipal scale to determine the agricultural N surplus to the subsurface. The model adequately reproduces head levels and nitrate concentrations in observation wells for a 10-year simulation period, showing that 4.5% of the N annual input remains stored in the system. The model indicates the efficiency of rivers and springs to export N out from the system at an estimated rate of 77.5% of the annual N inputs. Back to governance, the model shows that management data at municipal level (e.g. irrigation rates, groundwater withdrawal, N net recharge) provide a satisfactory scale for successfully reproducing nitrate evolution. Hence those variables that can be object of debate during a governance process can be treated as input data to the numerical model. Therefore, backcasting exercises can be conducted to check whether the model outcome fits with the expected results of specific management actions. The model highlights how the N mass balance evolves, providing clues on which factors can be managed to reduce nitrate concentrations and meet the Directive's requirements. Numerical groundwater models, as an option to address water management issues, ultimately contribute to solve the information and capacity governance gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Musacchio
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy; Institut Català de Recerca de l'Aigua (ICRA), and GAiA-Geocamb, -Dept. de Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Girona, c/Emili Grahit, 101, 17003 Girona, Spain.
| | - Josep Mas-Pla
- Institut Català de Recerca de l'Aigua (ICRA), and GAiA-Geocamb, -Dept. de Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Girona, c/Emili Grahit, 101, 17003 Girona, Spain
| | - Elisa Soana
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Via L. Borsari 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Viviana Re
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy; Department of Earth Sciences, University of Pisa, Via Santa Maria 53, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Elisa Sacchi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy
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22
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Effects of Decaying Hydraulic Conductivity on the Groundwater Flow Processes in a Managed Aquifer Recharge Area in an Alluvial Fan. WATER 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/w13121649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Groundwater artificial recharge and medium characteristics represent the major factors in controlling the groundwater flow processes in managed aquifer recharge areas. According to the depositional features of alluvial fans, an analogous homogeneous phreatic sand tank aquifer and the corresponding inhomogeneous scale numerical models were established to investigate the groundwater flow under the combined influence of artificial recharge (human activities) and decaying hydraulic conductivity (medium characteristics). In this study, groundwater flow through a managed aquifer recharge area in an alluvial fan was analyzed under the conditions of decaying hydraulic conductivity (K) with depth or length from apex to apron. The results showed that groundwater flow processes induced by artificial recharge were significantly controlled by the increasing decay exponents of K. The decaying K with depth or length in alluvial fan areas expanded the degree of influence of artificial recharge on groundwater flow. With the increase of decay exponents, the flow directions gradually changed from a horizontal to vertical direction. Groundwater age and spatial variability could also be increased by the increasing decay exponents. The residence time distributions (RTDs) of ambient groundwater and artificially recharged water exhibited logarithmic, exponential, and power law behavior. Penetration depth and travel times of ambient groundwater flow could be affected by artificial recharge and decay exponents. Furthermore, with the increase of decay exponents, the thickness of the artificially recharged water lens and travel times of artificially recharged water were increased. These findings have important implications for the performance of managed aquifer recharge in alluvial fan areas as well as the importance of considering the gradual decrease of K with depth and length.
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23
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Compton JE, Pearlstein SL, Erban L, Coulombe RA, Hatteberg B, Henning A, Brooks JR, Selker JE. Nitrogen inputs best predict farm field nitrate leaching in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. NUTRIENT CYCLING IN AGROECOSYSTEMS 2021; 120:223-242. [PMID: 34335077 PMCID: PMC8318121 DOI: 10.1007/s10705-021-10145-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Nitrate leaching is an important yet difficult to manage contribution to groundwater and surface water contamination in agricultural areas. We examine 14 farm fields over a four year period (2014-2017) in the southern Willamette Valley, providing 53 sets of annual, field-level agricultural performance metrics related to nitrogen (N), including fertilizer inputs, crop harvest outputs, N use efficiency (NUE), nitrate-N leaching and surplus N. Crop-specific nitrate-N leaching varied widely from 10 kg N ha-1yr-1 in hazelnuts to >200 kg N ha-1yr-1 in peppermint. Averaging across all sites and years, most leaching occurred during fall (60%) and winter (32%). Overall NUE was 57%. We used a graphical approach to explore the relationships between N inputs, surplus, crop N harvest removal and NUE by crop type. The blueberry site had high inputs and surplus, peppermint had high inputs but also high crop N removal and NUE and thus lower surplus, and most wheat crops had high NUE and evidence of using soil N. Annual N surplus was not well correlated with leaching, and leaching varied more by crop type and inputs. Grass seed and hazelnuts, which are dominant crop types in the southern Willamette Valley, were intermediate in terms of NUE, leaching and surplus. Of all performance metrics, N input was most closely aligned with field-level crop N harvest and nitrate leaching, therefore optimizing N inputs may well inform local efforts to reduce groundwater nitrate contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- J E Compton
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, 200 SW 35 St., Corvallis OR 97333, USA
| | - S L Pearlstein
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, 200 SW 35 St., Corvallis OR 97333, USA
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education postdoctoral participant based at US EPA
| | - L Erban
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Measurement and Modeling, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narragansett, RI, USA
| | | | | | - A Henning
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10, based in Eugene, OR, USA
| | - J R Brooks
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, Pacific Ecological Systems Division, 200 SW 35 St., Corvallis OR 97333, USA
| | - J E Selker
- Department of Biological & Ecological Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis OR, 97331, USA
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24
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Ji W, Xiao J, Toor GS, Li Z. Nitrate-nitrogen transport in streamwater and groundwater in a loess covered region: Sources, drivers, and spatiotemporal variation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 761:143278. [PMID: 33183797 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Water quality is an increasing concern in the dry regions of the world as it affects and reduces the quantity of available water. Our objective was to investigate the sources, drivers, spatiotemporal patterns of nitrate‑nitrogen (NO3-N) transport in the streamwater and groundwater in a dry and a wet season in seven large rivers located in the Loess Plateau of China (640,000 km2, 100 million population), which is a region with marked influence of human activities on streamflow and groundwater. We collected 510 streamwater and groundwater samples and found that NO3-N was significantly lower in the dry season (< 5.0 mg L-1) than the wet season (> 5.0 mg L-1). In the wet season, NO3-N was lower in the streamwater than groundwater; however, the spatial variation in the NO3-N was greater in streamwater, with higher concentrations in two rivers (Wei and Fen). The source characterization using stable isotopes of NO3 from the Wei River showed that chemical N fertilizers and soil organic N contributed ~ 75% of NO3 to streamwater and that soil organic N was the greatest contributor of NO3 to groundwater (~ 60%) than streamwater (< 40%). The spatial pattern of NO3-N was dominated by fertilizer application and varied seasonally with rainfall-runoff and streamflow-groundwater connectivity. Our results showed the complicated patterns and sources of NO3 pollution in streamwater and groundwater and highlight that more emphasis should be placed to prevent and restore the degraded water quality in the dry regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wangjia Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Jun Xiao
- Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Gurpal S Toor
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Zhi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
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25
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Liu LY, Xie GJ, Xing DF, Liu BF, Ding J, Cao GL, Ren NQ. Sulfate dependent ammonium oxidation: A microbial process linked nitrogen with sulfur cycle and potential application. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 192:110282. [PMID: 33038361 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Sulfate dependent ammonium oxidation (Sulfammox) is a potential microbial process coupling ammonium oxidation with sulfate reduction under anaerobic conditions, which provides a novel link between nitrogen and sulfur cycle. Recently, Sulfammox was detected in wastewater treatments and was confirmed to occur in natural environments, especially in marine sediments. However, knowledge gaps in the mechanism of Sulfammox, functional bacteria, and their metabolic pathway, make it challenging to estimate its environmental significance and potential applications. This review provides an overview of recent advances in Sulfammox, including possible mechanisms, functional bacteria, and main influential factors, and discusses future challenges and opportunities. Future perspectives are outlined and discussed, such as exploration of microbial community structure and metabolic pathways, possible interactions with other microbes, environmental significance, and potential applications for nitrogen and sulfate removal, to inspire more researches on the Sulfammox process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu-Yao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Guo-Jun Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China.
| | - De-Feng Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Bing-Feng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Jie Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Guang-Li Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
| | - Nan-Qi Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, China
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26
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Metson GS, MacDonald GK, Leach AM, Compton JE, Harrison JA, Galloway JN. The U.S. consumer phosphorus footprint: where do nitrogen and phosphorus diverge? ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS : ERL [WEB SITE] 2020; 15:1-15. [PMID: 35990174 PMCID: PMC9389546 DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/aba781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) are essential nutrients for food production but their excess use in agriculture can have major social costs, particularly related to water quality degradation. Nutrient footprint approaches estimate N and P release to the environment through food production and waste management and enable linking these emissions to particular consumption patterns. Following an established method for quantifying a consumer-oriented N footprint for the United States (U.S.), we calculate an analogous P footprint and assess the N:P ratio across different stages of food production and consumption. Circa 2012, the average consumer's P footprint was 4.4 kg P capita-1 yr-1 compared to 22.4 kg N capita-1 yr-1 for the food portion of the N footprint. Animal products have the largest contribution to both footprints, comprising >70% of the average per capita N and P footprints. The N:P ratio of environmental release based on virtual nutrient factors (kilograms N or P per kilogram of food consumed) varies considerably across food groups and stages. The overall N:P ratio of the footprints was lower (5.2 by mass) than for that of U.S. food consumption (8.6), reinforcing our finding that P is managed less efficiently than N in food production systems but more efficiently removed from wastewater. While strategies like reducing meat consumption will effectively reduce both N and P footprints by decreasing overall synthetic fertilizer nutrient demands, consideration of how food production and waste treatment differentially affect N and P releases to the environment can also inform eutrophication management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geneviève S Metson
- Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- National Research Council, National Academies of Science, Washington, DC, United States of America
- Pacific Ecological Systems Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
- School of the Environment, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, United States of America
| | | | - Allison M Leach
- The Sustainability Institute, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States of America
| | - Jana E Compton
- Pacific Ecological Systems Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - John A Harrison
- School of the Environment, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, United States of America
| | - James N Galloway
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States of America
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27
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A Sustainability Assessment of the Greenseeker N Management Tool: A Lysimetric Experiment on Barley. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12187303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A preliminary study was conducted to analyze the sustainability of barley production through: (i) investigating sensor-based nitrogen (N) application on barley performance, compared with conventional N management (CT); (ii) assessing the potential of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) at different growth stages for within-season predictions of crop parameters; and (iii) evaluating sensor-based fertilization benefits in the form of greenhouse gasses mitigation. Barley was grown under CT, sensor-based management (RF) and with no N fertilization (Control). NDVI measurements and RF fertilization were performed using a GreenSeeker™ 505 hand-held optical sensor. Gas emissions were measured using a static chamber method with a portable gas analyzer. Results showed that barley yield was not statistically different under RF and CF, while they both differed significantly from Control. Highly significant positive correlations were observed between NDVI and production parameters at harvesting from the middle of stem elongation to the medium milk stage across treatments. Our findings suggest that RF is able to decrease CO2 emission in comparison with CF. The relationship between N fertilization and CH4 emission showed high variability. These preliminary results provide an indication of the benefits achieved using a simple proximal sensing methodology to support N fertilization.
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28
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Ng EL, Liang X, Lam SK, Chen D, Weatherley AJ. What are the social costs and benefits of lignite application to reduce ammonia emissions in intensive feedlot? JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 269:110821. [PMID: 32561018 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies demonstrated that lignite application in feedlot can mitigate ammonia (NH3) emission from intensive livestock production, which is an important source of environmental pollution. However, the use of lignite on feedlot requires mining and transport of lignite, which are themselves sources of greenhouse gas and other gaseous pollutants. There is a need for an integrated assessment on the gas emissions to determine the potential impact of those additions to the production chain. Using a case study in Victoria, Australia, carbon dioxide (CO2) and NH3 were identified as key emission changes compared to business as usual (BAU). Social costs and benefits analysis indicated that these changes in emissions translate to social benefits of AUD$11 - $151 and $18 - $256 per cattle per year at lignite application rate of 3 and 6 kg m-2 respectively, while the corresponding social costs of the additional gaseous emissions are AUD$2 - $19 and $3 - $28 per cattle per year per 200 km. Our results indicate that the use of lignite in feedlot to mitigate NH3 can be targeted at feedlots located in proximity to lignite source, population centre and/or vulnerable ecosystems to maximise social benefits and minimise social costs. More broadly, estimating the social costs and benefits of changing manure management practice to mitigate NH3 emission generates information that can be used to evaluate alternative policies for N management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ee Ling Ng
- School of Agriculture and Food, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia.
| | - Xia Liang
- School of Agriculture and Food, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Shu Kee Lam
- School of Agriculture and Food, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Deli Chen
- School of Agriculture and Food, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Anthony J Weatherley
- School of Agriculture and Food, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
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29
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Bryant BP, Kelsey TR, Vogl AL, Wolny SA, MacEwan D, Selmants PC, Biswas T, Butterfield HS. Shaping Land Use Change and Ecosystem Restoration in a Water-Stressed Agricultural Landscape to Achieve Multiple Benefits. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2020.00138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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30
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Monetary Valuation and Internalization of Externalities in German Agriculture Using the Example of Nitrate Pollution: A Case-Study. SUSTAINABILITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/su12166681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Plants are dependent on nitrogen for their growth. However, if more plant nutrients are deposited than the plant can absorb, the excess nitrogen seeps into the soil where it accumulates as nitrate. About 74% of the drinking water produced in Germany comes from groundwater. The legal limit of 50 milligrams of nitrate per liter of fresh water is exceeded frequently in Germany, especially in agricultural areas. High levels of nitrate in drinking water can quickly lead to health issues, under certain conditions. The nitrate problem is omnipresent in Germany. However, studies which determine the externalized costs of nitrogen eutrophication are mostly missing. The present study closes this gap by combining the results of a transdisciplinary investigation from hydrological analyses and environmental-economic calculations. Water samples were taken from a deep well in Hauneck, which is a municipality in Hesse (Germany). Afterwards, an isotope analysis was carried out to determine the groundwater residence time and possible sources of nitrate. Thus, in addition to the sources of pollution, concrete social costs were determined, using a damage cost approach as well as an avoidance cost approach. For Hauneck, it was found that about 54% of the drinking water price is directly linked to the externalization of costs. These are borne via the principle of the common burden. In addition, the isotope investigations have shown that the removal of excess nitrate will continue for decades, which will lead to long term external costs. The paper reveals how the internalization of these costs can contribute to the conservation of water resources.
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31
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Lonsdorf EV, Koh I, Ricketts T. Partitioning private and external benefits of crop pollination services. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Eric V. Lonsdorf
- Institute on the Environment University of Minnesota St Paul MN USA
- Gund Institute for Environment University of Vermont Burlington VT USA
| | - Insu Koh
- Gund Institute for Environment University of Vermont Burlington VT USA
| | - Taylor Ricketts
- Gund Institute for Environment University of Vermont Burlington VT USA
- Rubenstein School for Environment and Natural Resources University of Vermont Burlington VT USA
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32
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Introducing Life Cycle Assessment in Costs and Benefits Analysis of Vegetation Management in Drainage Canals of Lowland Agricultural Landscapes. WATER 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/w12082236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Nitrate pollution remains an unsolved issue worldwide, causing serious effects on water quality and eutrophication of freshwater and brackish water environments. Its economic costs are still underestimated. To reduce nitrogen excess, constructed wetlands are usually recognized as a solution but, in recent years, interest has been raised in the role of ditches and canals in nitrogen removal. In this study, we investigated the environmental and economical sustainability of nitrogen removal capacity, using as a model study a lowland agricultural sub-basin of the Po River (Northern Italy), where the role of aquatic vegetation and related microbial processes on the mitigation of nitrate pollution has been extensively studied. Based on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach and costs and benefits analysis (CBA), the effectiveness of two different scenarios of vegetation management, which differ for the timing of mowing, have been compared concerning the nitrogen removal via denitrification and other terms of environmental sustainability. The results highlighted that postponing the mowing to the end of the vegetative season would contribute to buffering up to 90% of the nitrogen load conveyed by the canal network during the irrigation period and would reduce by an order of magnitude the costs of eutrophication potential.
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33
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Ahlering MA, Cornett M, Blann K, White M, Lenhart C, Dixon C, Dudash MR, Johnson L, Keeler B, Palik B, Pastor J, Sterner RW, Shaw D, Biske R, Feeken N, Manolis J, Possingham H. A conservation science agenda for a changing Upper Midwest and Great Plains,
United States. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mark White
- The Nature Conservancy Arlington Virginia USA
| | | | - Cami Dixon
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Washington District of Columbia USA
| | | | | | | | - Brian Palik
- USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station Grand Rapids Minnesota USA
| | - John Pastor
- University of Minnesota Duluth Duluth Minnesota USA
| | | | - Doug Shaw
- The Nature Conservancy Arlington Virginia USA
| | | | - Neal Feeken
- The Nature Conservancy Arlington Virginia USA
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34
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Prediction of Early Season Nitrogen Uptake in Maize Using High-Resolution Aerial Hyperspectral Imagery. REMOTE SENSING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/rs12081234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The ability to predict spatially explicit nitrogen uptake (NUP) in maize (Zea mays L.) during the early development stages provides clear value for making in-season nitrogen fertilizer applications that can improve NUP efficiency and reduce the risk of nitrogen loss to the environment. Aerial hyperspectral imaging is an attractive agronomic research tool for its ability to capture spectral data over relatively large areas, enabling its use for predicting NUP at the field scale. The overarching goal of this work was to use supervised learning regression algorithms—Lasso, support vector regression (SVR), random forest, and partial least squares regression (PLSR)—to predict early season (i.e., V6–V14) maize NUP at three experimental sites in Minnesota using high-resolution hyperspectral imagery. In addition to the spectral features offered by hyperspectral imaging, the 10th percentile Modified Chlorophyll Absorption Ratio Index Improved (MCARI2) was made available to the learning models as an auxiliary feature to assess its ability to improve NUP prediction accuracy. The trained models demonstrated robustness by maintaining satisfactory prediction accuracy across locations, pixel sizes, development stages, and a broad range of NUP values (4.8 to 182 kg ha−1). Using the four most informative spectral features in addition to the auxiliary feature, the mean absolute error (MAE) of Lasso, SVR, and PLSR models (9.4, 9.7, and 9.5 kg ha−1, respectively) was lower than that of random forest (11.2 kg ha−1). The relative MAE for the Lasso, SVR, PLSR, and random forest models was 16.5%, 17.0%, 16.6%, and 19.6%, respectively. The inclusion of the auxiliary feature not only improved overall prediction accuracy by 1.6 kg ha−1 (14%) across all models, but it also reduced the number of input features required to reach optimal performance. The variance of predicted NUP increased as the measured NUP increased (MAE of the Lasso model increased from 4.0 to 12.1 kg ha−1 for measured NUP less than 25 kg ha−1 and greater than 100 kg ha−1, respectively). The most influential spectral features were oftentimes adjacent to each other (i.e., within approximately 6 nm), indicating the importance of both spectral precision and derivative spectra around key wavelengths for explaining NUP. Finally, several challenges and opportunities are discussed regarding the use of these results in the context of improving nitrogen fertilizer management.
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Evaluating the holistic costs and benefits of corn production systems in Minnesota, US. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3922. [PMID: 32127588 PMCID: PMC7054304 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60826-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Global agriculture aims to minimize its impacts on environment and human health while maintaining its productivity. This requires a comprehensive understanding of its benefits and costs to ecosystems and society. Here, we apply a new evaluation framework developed by the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for Agriculture and Food (TEEBAgriFood) to assess key benefits and costs on the production side of genetically modified (GM) and organic corn systems in Minnesota, USA. The market value of GM corn is $4.5 billion, and only $31.8 million for organic corn using production data and market prices of 2017. GM corn generates revenue of $1488 per hectare (at $121 per MT), which is significantly lower than the organic corn at $2793 per hectare (at $294 per MT). Using a novel three-stage wellbeing valuation, analysis of the associations between corn production intensity and subjective measures of general health and wellbeing indicates that the total non-financial health cost associated with GM corn is $427.50 per hectare or $1.3 billion annually. We also find that the total annual environmental cost associated with GM corn production is $179 per hectare or $557.65 million within Minnesota. The use of the evaluation framework can help to improve decision making at farm and policy level to develop sustainable agriculture in order to minimize environmental and health related costs to society and economy.
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36
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Paul C, Hanley N, Meyer ST, Fürst C, Weisser WW, Knoke T. On the functional relationship between biodiversity and economic value. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaax7712. [PMID: 32064338 PMCID: PMC6989135 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax7712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity's contribution to human welfare has become a key argument for maintaining and enhancing biodiversity in managed ecosystems. The functional relationship between biodiversity (b) and economic value (V) is, however, insufficiently understood, despite the premise of a positive-concave bV relationship that dominates scientific and political arenas. Here, we review how individual links between biodiversity, ecosystem functions (F), and services affect resulting bV relationships. Our findings show that bV relationships are more variable, also taking negative-concave/convex or strictly concave and convex forms. This functional form is driven not only by the underlying bF relationship but also by the number and type of ecosystem services and their potential trade-offs considered, the effects of inputs, and the type of utility function used to represent human preferences. Explicitly accounting for these aspects will enhance the substance and coverage of future valuation studies and allow more nuanced conclusions, particularly for managed ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carola Paul
- Institute of Forest Management, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
- Department of Forest Economics and Sustainable Land-use Planning, University of Goettingen, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Nick Hanley
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland
| | - Sebastian T. Meyer
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Christine Fürst
- Institute for Geosciences and Geography, Department of Sustainable Landscape Development, Martin-Luther University Halle, 06108 Halle, Germany
| | - Wolfgang W. Weisser
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Thomas Knoke
- Institute of Forest Management, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany
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Thind MPS, Tessum CW, Azevedo IL, Marshall JD. Fine Particulate Air Pollution from Electricity Generation in the US: Health Impacts by Race, Income, and Geography. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:14010-14019. [PMID: 31746196 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b02527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Electricity generation is a large contributor to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution. However, the demographic distribution of the resulting exposure is largely unknown. We estimate exposures to and health impacts of PM2.5 from electricity generation in the US, for each of the seven Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs), for each US state, by income and by race. We find that average exposures are the highest for blacks, followed by non-Latino whites. Exposures for remaining groups (e.g., Asians, Native Americans, Latinos) are somewhat lower. Disparities by race/ethnicity are observed for each income category, indicating that the racial/ethnic differences hold even after accounting for differences in income. Levels of disparity differ by state and RTO. Exposures are higher for lower-income than for higher-income, but disparities are larger by race than by income. Geographically, we observe large differences between where electricity is generated and where people experience the resulting PM2.5 health consequences; some states are net exporters of health impacts, other are net importers. For 36 US states, most of the health impacts are attributable to emissions in other states. Most of the total impacts are attributable to coal rather than other fuels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maninder P S Thind
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of Washington , Seattle , Washington 98195 , United States
| | - Christopher W Tessum
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of Washington , Seattle , Washington 98195 , United States
| | - Inês L Azevedo
- Department of Energy Resources Engineering, School of Earth, Energy and the Environment , Stanford University , Stanford , California 94305 , United States
| | - Julian D Marshall
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , University of Washington , Seattle , Washington 98195 , United States
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Yin Y, Ying H, Xue Y, Zheng H, Zhang Q, Cui Z. Calculating socially optimal nitrogen (N) fertilization rates for sustainable N management in China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 688:1162-1171. [PMID: 31726547 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 06/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Current nitrogen (N) fertilization rates in China have incurred high social costs in the drive to achieve higher yields and economic returns. We conducted an intensive nation-wide investigation to estimate the socially optimal N rate (SOR) for Chinese maize, rice and wheat as a balance between crop productivity, farm income, ecological health and human health. The social cost of N impacts (SCN) was calculated based on 2210 field observations reported in 264 publications. The estimated SCN for three cereal crops grown in China was in the range $142-218 ha-1 at medium N fertilization rates (173-204 kg N ha-1). The net benefits of N use were calculated as the differences between private profitability and the SCN. The minimum N application rate with maximized net benefit was estimated as the SOR calculated from data compiled from 27,476 on-farm year-site trials. The average SOR was in the range 149-160 kg ha-1; values in this range were 18.1-23.7% lower than the privately optimal N rate (POR). The yield losses associated with implementation of the SOR were not significant (p < 0.01) compared with the yield of POR implementation. The POR calculates the minimum N application required to maximize private profitability, i.e., traditional N recommended practice. Compared with the POR, implementation of SOR reduced reactive N losses by 17.8-39.0%, and the SCN by 18.8-30.9%. Finally, we simulated the SOR at the county level for each soil type based on data collected from no-N control plots yields and maximum achieved yields (p < 0.01). Thus, we estimated the SOR at the Chinese county level for three cereal crops using direct on-farm measurements. This study provide updated estimates of optimizing N management to simultaneously address production and pollution problems in China and other similar regions of the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulong Yin
- Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Hao Ying
- Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yanfang Xue
- Maize Research Institute, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Huifang Zheng
- Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; College of Agronomy, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450000, China
| | - Qingsong Zhang
- Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zhenling Cui
- Center for Resources, Environment and Food Security, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
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39
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Simultaneous gains in grain yield and nitrogen efficiency over 70 years of maize genetic improvement. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9095. [PMID: 31235885 PMCID: PMC6591295 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45485-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The competing demands of increasing grain yields to feed a growing population and decreasing nitrogen (N) fertilizer use and loss to the environment poses a grand challenge to farmers and society, and necessitates achieving improved N use efficiency (NUE) in cereal crops. Although selection for increased yield in maize has improved NUE over time, the present understanding of the physiological determinants of NUE and its key components hampers the design of more effective breeding strategies conducive to accelerating genetic gain for this trait. We show that maize NUE gains have been supported by more efficient allocation of N among plant organs during the grain filling period. Comparing seven maize hybrids commercialized between 1946 and 2015 from a single seed company in multiple N fertilizer treatments, we demonstrate that modern hybrids produced more grain per unit of accumulated N by more efficiently remobilizing N stored in stems than in leaves to support kernel growth. Increases in N fertilizer recovery and N harvest index at maturity were mirrored by a steady decrease in stem N allocation in this era study. These insights can inform future breeding strategies for continued NUE gains through improved conversion efficiency of accumulated plant N into grain yield.
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Gu B, Lam SK, Reis S, van Grinsven H, Ju X, Yan X, Zhou F, Liu H, Cai Z, Galloway JN, Howard C, Sutton MA, Chen D. Toward a Generic Analytical Framework for Sustainable Nitrogen Management: Application for China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:1109-1118. [PMID: 30620872 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b06370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Managing reactive nitrogen (Nr) to achieve a sustainable balance between production of food, feed and fiber, and environmental protection is a grand challenge in the context of an increasingly affluent society. Here, we propose a novel framework for national nitrogen (N) assessments enabling a more consistent comparison of the uses, losses and impacts of Nr between countries, and improvement of Nr management for sustainable development at national and regional scales. This framework includes four key components: national scale N budgets, validation of N fluxes, cost-benefit analysis and Nr management strategies. We identify four critical factors for Nr management to achieve the sustainable development goals: N use efficiency (NUE), Nr recycling ratio (e.g., ratio of livestock excretion applied to cropland), human dietary patterns and food waste ratio. This framework was partly adopted from the European Nitrogen Assessment and now is successfully applied to China, where it contributed to trigger policy interventions toward improvements for future sustainable use of Nr. We demonstrate how other countries can also benefit from the application our framework, in order to include sustainable Nr management under future challenges of growing population, hence contributing to the achievement of some key sustainable development goals (SDGs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Baojing Gu
- Department of Land Management , Zhejiang University , Hangzhou 310058 , PR China
- School of Agriculture and Food , The University of Melbourne , Melbourne , Victoria 3010 , Australia
| | - Shu Kee Lam
- School of Agriculture and Food , The University of Melbourne , Melbourne , Victoria 3010 , Australia
| | - Stefan Reis
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology , Bush Estate , Penicuik , EH26 0QB , U.K
- University of Exeter Medical School , Knowledge Spa , Truro , TR1 3HD , U.K
| | - Hans van Grinsven
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency , PO BOX 30314, 2500 GH The Hague , The Netherlands
| | - Xiaotang Ju
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Plant-soil Interactions of MOE , China Agricultural University , Beijing 100193 , China
| | - Xiaoyuan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture , Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Nanjing , 210008 , P.R. China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Sino-France Institute of Earth Systems Science, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences , Peking University , Beijing , 100871 , P.R. China
| | - Hongbin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Nonpoint Source Pollution Control, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning , Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Beijing 100081 , China
| | - Zucong Cai
- School of Geography Sciences , Nanjing Normal University , Nanjing 210097 , China
| | - James N Galloway
- Department of Environmental Sciences , University of Virginia , Charlottesville , Virginia 22904 , United States
| | - Clare Howard
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology , Bush Estate , Penicuik , EH26 0QB , U.K
| | - Mark A Sutton
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology , Bush Estate , Penicuik , EH26 0QB , U.K
| | - Deli Chen
- School of Agriculture and Food , The University of Melbourne , Melbourne , Victoria 3010 , Australia
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41
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Kaminsky LM, Trexler RV, Malik RJ, Hockett KL, Bell TH. The Inherent Conflicts in Developing Soil Microbial Inoculants. Trends Biotechnol 2019; 37:140-151. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2018.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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42
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Castro LM, Härtl F, Ochoa S, Calvas B, Izquierdo L, Knoke T. Integrated bio-economic models as tools to support land-use decision making: a review of potential and limitations. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10818-018-9270-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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43
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Mandle L, Wolny S, Bhagabati N, Helsingen H, Hamel P, Bartlett R, Dixon A, Horton R, Lesk C, Manley D, De Mel M, Bader D, Nay Won Myint S, Myint W, Su Mon M. Assessing ecosystem service provision under climate change to support conservation and development planning in Myanmar. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184951. [PMID: 28934282 PMCID: PMC5608473 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Inclusion of ecosystem services (ES) information into national-scale development and climate adaptation planning has yet to become common practice, despite demand from decision makers. Identifying where ES originate and to whom the benefits flow-under current and future climate conditions-is especially critical in rapidly developing countries, where the risk of ES loss is high. Here, using Myanmar as a case study, we assess where and how ecosystems provide key benefits to the country's people and infrastructure. We model the supply of and demand for sediment retention, dry-season baseflows, flood risk reduction and coastal storm protection from multiple beneficiaries. We find that locations currently providing the greatest amount of services are likely to remain important under the range of climate conditions considered, demonstrating their importance in planning for climate resilience. Overlap between priority areas for ES provision and biodiversity conservation is higher than expected by chance overall, but the areas important for multiple ES are underrepresented in currently designated protected areas and Key Biodiversity Areas. Our results are contributing to development planning in Myanmar, and our approach could be extended to other contexts where there is demand for national-scale natural capital information to shape development plans and policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Mandle
- Natural Capital Project, Department of Biology and the Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Stacie Wolny
- Natural Capital Project, Department of Biology and the Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | | | | | - Perrine Hamel
- Natural Capital Project, Department of Biology and the Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Ryan Bartlett
- World Wildlife Fund, Washington DC, United States of America
| | - Adam Dixon
- World Wildlife Fund, Washington DC, United States of America
- Department of Geography and Environmental Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Radley Horton
- Center for Climate Systems Research, Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Corey Lesk
- Center for Climate Systems Research, Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Danielle Manley
- Center for Climate Systems Research, Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Manishka De Mel
- Center for Climate Systems Research, Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Daniel Bader
- Center for Climate Systems Research, Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York, United States of America
- NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, New York, United States of America
| | | | - Win Myint
- World Wide Fund for Nature, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Myat Su Mon
- Forest Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
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Isbell F, Gonzalez A, Loreau M, Cowles J, Díaz S, Hector A, Mace GM, Wardle DA, O'Connor MI, Duffy JE, Turnbull LA, Thompson PL, Larigauderie A. Linking the influence and dependence of people on biodiversity across scales. Nature 2017; 546:65-72. [PMID: 28569811 DOI: 10.1038/nature22899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 251] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity enhances many of nature's benefits to people, including the regulation of climate and the production of wood in forests, livestock forage in grasslands and fish in aquatic ecosystems. Yet people are now driving the sixth mass extinction event in Earth's history. Human dependence and influence on biodiversity have mainly been studied separately and at contrasting scales of space and time, but new multiscale knowledge is beginning to link these relationships. Biodiversity loss substantially diminishes several ecosystem services by altering ecosystem functioning and stability, especially at the large temporal and spatial scales that are most relevant for policy and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Forest Isbell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
| | - Andrew Gonzalez
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - Michel Loreau
- Centre for Biodiversity Theory and Modelling, Theoretical and Experimental Ecology Station, CNRS and Paul Sabatier University, 09200 Moulis, France
| | - Jane Cowles
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA
| | - Sandra Díaz
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV-CONICET) and FCEFyN, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Casilla de Correo 495, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Andy Hector
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Georgina M Mace
- Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - David A Wardle
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden.,Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, 639798, Singapore
| | - Mary I O'Connor
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada.,Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - J Emmett Duffy
- Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, Washington DC 20013-7012, USA
| | | | - Patrick L Thompson
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada.,Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Anne Larigauderie
- Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Secretariat, United Nations Campus, Bonn 53113, Germany
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45
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Compton JE, Leach AM, Castner EA, Galloway JN. Assessing the Social and Environmental Costs of Institution Nitrogen Footprints. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 10:114-122. [PMID: 29350221 PMCID: PMC5765845 DOI: 10.1089/sus.2017.29099.jec] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
This article estimates the damage costs associated with the institutional nitrogen (N) footprint and explores how this information could be used to create more sustainable institutions. Potential damages associated with the release of nitrogen oxides (NOx), ammonia (NH3), and nitrous oxide (N2O) to air and release of nitrogen to water were estimated using existing values and a cost per unit of nitrogen approach. These damage cost values were then applied to two universities. Annual potential damage costs to human health, agriculture, and natural ecosystems associated with the N footprint of institutions were $11.0 million (2014) at the University of Virginia (UVA) and $3.04 million at the University of New Hampshire (UNH). Costs associated with the release of nitrogen oxides to human health, in particular the use of coal-derived energy, were the largest component of damage at UVA. At UNH the energy N footprint is much lower because of a landfill cogeneration source, and thus the majority of damages were associated with food production. Annual damages associated with release of nitrogen from food production were very similar at the two universities ($1.80 million vs. $1.66 million at UVA and UNH, respectively). These damages also have implications for the extent and scale at which the damages are felt. For example, impacts to human health from energy and transportation are generally larger near the power plants and roads, while impacts from food production can be distant from the campus. Making this information available to institutions and communities can improve their understanding of the damages associated with the different nitrogen forms and sources, and inform decisions about nitrogen reduction strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana E Compton
- Western Ecology Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, Oregon
| | - Allison M Leach
- Department of Natural Resource & the Environment, The Sustainability Institute, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire
| | - Elizabeth A Castner
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - James N Galloway
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
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