scholarly journals Economic Evaluation of Ecological Restoration of Degraded Lands through Protective Afforestation in the South of the Russian Plain

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1317
Author(s):  
Evgenia A. Korneeva

The latest international climate documents emphasize the great importance of protective forest stands in ensuring the sustainable development of agriculture, and the main requirement is the use of the forest-forming factor by landowners in the interests of improving the environment. In Russia, until recently, the ecological significance of forest plantations was underestimated, which created the ground for discussions about their effectiveness. In this regard, a new approach is proposed that emphasizes the positive impact of forests, including sustainable development, environmental security of the agricultural sector and reducing the degradation of agricultural land. The purpose of the work was an economic assessment and regularities of the dynamics of humus-regulating and nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium (NPK)-regulating efficiency of protective forest plantations on lands with deflation-hazardous soils. By means of a system analysis, the change in the soil cover of land use due to the influence of forest plantations on the balance of soil fertility elements in forested cells is comprehensively analyzed. The different spatial placement of trees from each other under different degrees of deflation in semiarid conditions is modeled. These models are used to determine the nature of the dynamics of soil nutrients in forested areas: in protection zones and outside protection. It is established that the anti-deflationary effect of agroforestry depends on the indicator of the protective forest cover of the land, the level of deflationary danger, and the operational life of the plantings. In semiarid conditions, it increases in proportion to the increase in the protection of land and amounts to EUR 376–EUR 4222 ha−1. With an increase in the intensity of deflation to the level of dust storms, the prevented damage from the loss of soil nutrients increases almost four times. In systems of plantings from early-maturing fast-growing rocks, the anti-deflationary effect is 6–7% higher on an average annual basis than in systems of plantings from long-lasting, slow-growing rocks. The greatest efficiency of forest reclamation in ensuring a positive balance of humus and NPK substances in the soil (EUR 1002–EUR 4222 ha−1) is achieved when placing plantings after 15 H. The study will confirm the need to subsidize the integration of trees into farm systems.

Bioenergy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. V. Roik ◽  
Ya. D. Fuchylo ◽  
O. M. Hanzhenko

Protective forest plantations are an important part of forest-agricultural landscapes and one of the most effective long-term and relatively inexpensive measures to combat wind and water soil erosion. They have a positive effect on the microclimate of the surrounding areas and can significantly increase crop yields. Also, under certain conditions, they can become an important source of bioenergy feedstock. Goal. Development of theoretical bases and practical measures of the use of agroforestry reclamation plantations of Ukraine for energy purposes. Methods. In the course of the research it was envisaged to develop schemes of protective forest plantations on the basis of the analysis of the existing information, long-term production and scientific experience which, at full performance of ecological functions, can be used for obtaining bioenergy feedstock. Results. It is established that for the simultaneous use of protective forest plantations as a source of energy biomass it is necessary to include fast-growing woody plants (willow, poplar, acacia, maple, etc.) in rows or backstage, which are expected to be periodically cut for biomass. Such plants are then intensively restored by growth from stumps. The basis of such plantations for long-term and permanent performance of their protective functions should mainly consists of the rows of oak trees. Conclusions. Protective forest plantations, in addition to the positive impact on the microclimate of the environment and a significant increase in the productivity of agricultural land, can also play an important role as a source of bioenergy feedstock. Today, forest protection plantations are losing their functions for various reasons and need to be reconstructed. At the same time, along with the restoration of protective plantations, it will be possible to obtain about 54.6 million tons of wood for energy needs and form new protective plantations, which, along with improving the ecological environment, will create a reliable feedstock base for bioenergy. The schemes presented in the article can be applied at the stage of restoration and expansion of the field protection system to increase their energy role.


2021 ◽  
Vol 937 (3) ◽  
pp. 032113
Author(s):  
A Kluchkina ◽  
V Tabunshchik

Abstract The article presents the results of a cameral inventory of protective forest plantations of a linear type for any purpose for the steppe agricultural territories of the Crimean Peninsula in 2009 and 2019. As a result of the work, more than 20 thousand objects were identified, a geodatabase was compiled with a set of attributive information for each of the identified objects, indicating the length and quality characteristics of each object. An overview of the data obtained is presented for each of the diagrams, as well as a comparative analysis of the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the identified objects for 2009 and 2019. It was revealed that from 2009 to 2019, 386 objects of the linear type corresponding to the parameters of protective forest plantations in agricultural areas, with a total length of 3.9 thousand were completely destroyed. That is, well-read forest stripes are present in the images for 2009, in the images of 2019 they are already missing.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 35-41
Author(s):  
P.N. Proyezdov ◽  
◽  
D.A. Mashtakov ◽  
A.N. Avtonomov ◽  
◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Richardson ◽  
Samira Al Hinai ◽  
Jesse Gitaka ◽  
Will Mayes ◽  
Mark Lorch ◽  
...  

<p>Routine monitoring of available soil nutrients is required to better manage agricultural land<sup>1</sup>, especially in many lower and middle income countries (LMICs). Analysis often still relies on laboratory-based equipment, meaning regular monitoring is challenging.<sup>2</sup> The limited number of in situ sensors that exist are expensive or have complex workflows, thus are not suitable in LMICs, where the need is greatest.<sup>3</sup> We aim to develop a simple-to-use, low-cost analysis system that enable farmers to directly monitor available nutrients and pH on-site, thus making informed decisions about when and where to apply fertilisers.</p><p>We combine nutrient extraction via a cafetiere-based filtration system with nutrient readout on a paper microfluidic analysis device (PAD) employing colour producing reactions that can be captured via a smartphone camera through an app. Image analysis of colour intensity permits quantitation of analytes. We initially focus on key nutrients (phosphate, nitrate) and pH analysis.</p><p>For extraction of phosphate, we mixed soil and water in the cafetiere and quantified the extracted phosphate via phosphomolybdenum blue chemistry. For example, for 5 g of soil, a water volume of about 160 mL led to optimum extraction. Active mixing, by pushing coffee filter plunger up and down, aided extraction. A mixing period of 3 min yielded maximum extraction; this time period was deemed suitable for an on-site workflow.</p><p>Following nutrient extraction, a simple-to-use readout system is required. For this, we developed colourimetric paper-based microfluidic devices; these are simply dipped into the decanted soil supernatant from the cafetiere and wick fluids based on capillary forces. Chemical reagents are pre-stored in reaction zones, created by patterning cellulose with wax barriers. Our devices contain multiple paper layers with different reagents; these are folded, laminated and holes cut for sample entry. Following the required incubation time, the developed colour is captured using a smartphone. This constitutes a portable detector, already available to envisaged end users, even in LMICs. We have previously developed an on-paper reaction for monitoring phosphates in fresh water in the mg L<sup>-1</sup> working range, with readout after an incubation period of 3 min. This method was adapted here to enable storage at ambient temperatures up to 1 week by incorporating additional acidic reagents. Further pad devices were developed in our group for colour-based readout of nitrate, involving a two-step reaction chemistry. Within a relatively short incubation period (≤8 min) a pink coloured was formed following reduction of nitrate to nitrite with zinc and subsequent reaction to form an azo-dye. This system achieved detection in the low mg L<sup>-1</sup> range. Moreover, a pad to monitor pH was developed, employing chlorophenol red indicator, with linear response achieved over the relevant pH 5-7 range.  </p><p>Our analysis workflow combines a simple-to-use cafetiere-based extraction method with paper microfluidic colour readout and smart-phone detector. This has the potential to enable farmers to monitor nutrients in soils on-site. Future work will aim at integrating multiple analytes into a single analysis card and to automate image analysis.</p><p>[1] <em>Europ. J. Agronomy</em>, 55, 42–52, <strong>2014.</strong></p><p>[2] <em>Nutr. Cycling Agroecosyst.,</em> 109, 77-102, <strong>2017.</strong></p><p>[3] Sens Actuators B, 30, 126855, <strong>2019.</strong></p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 89 (10) ◽  
pp. 1044-1051
Author(s):  
Aleksandr S. Rulev ◽  
Anna M. Pugacheva

From acceptance of the 1948 Plan of Field-Protective Afforestation to the present (2019), this article considers the new agroforestry paradigms protracted formation. Scientific achievements from the 1940s, introduced into practice, served as the basis for decisions on natures global transformation. Pilot facilities from the beginning of the 20th century (the Bogdinsky agroforestry stronghold, the Stone-steppe oasis) still serve as reference objects for agroforest reclamation of territories, with a scientific approach that allows them to function productively today. The plans main idea is to combat drought and desertification of steppe lands, erosion processes, and to prevent sand and dust storms. Creation of 5709 thousand hectares of protective forests, afforestation of 1106 thousand hectares of ravines, fixing and afforestation of sand on an area of 322 thousand hectares, and implementation of many planned activities during a short period locate this plan among other ambitious international projects. The authors draw attention to the time of creation and the volume of plantings of paramount importance, that is, state protective forest belts and protective forest plantations. Understanding the importance of agroforestry for modern agricultural landscapes led to formation of sustainable and durable agroforestry systems in subarid landscapes based on a combination of agricultural and landscape-ecological ideologies. Allegedly, considering terrain ecotopes, three-dimensional evaluation of the agrolandscape and a non-linear approach make it possible to create multifunctional, highly productive agroforestry systems in critical agriculture zones.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (520) ◽  
pp. 227-235
Author(s):  
H. I. Нaponenko ◽  
◽  
O. V. Yevtushenko ◽  
I. M. Shamara ◽  
◽  
...  

The article is concerned with solving problems related to the tourism sphere during the pandemic. The study is aimed at a scientific-theoretical substantiating the prospects for sustainable development of tourism of Ukraine in the context of pandemic. Elaboration of the set aim led to the need to solve the following tasks: establish the problems of sustainable tourism development during the pandemic; consider directions of sustainable tourism development; propose an improved concept of sustainable development of tourism of Ukraine during the pandemic. To achieve the aim of the study, general scientific and special methods were used. System analysis is a method that represents a sequence of actions to determine structural links between different elements of the system under study. Synthesis – the process of combining individual things and concepts into one. Induction is a research method in which a general conclusion is based on individual elements. Comparison – the similarities and differences of objects and phenomena are established on significant grounds. In order to effectively manage the sustainable development of tourism in the context of pandemic, according to the authors, cooperation between the State and local authorities, tourist enterprises, tourist infrastructure entities is necessary. Such a mechanism for administrating the sustainable tourism development is presented in the form of a scheme. Based on the concept of sustainable development, the directions of the strategy of sustainable tourism development during the pandemic are proposed. The basis of the proposed program is not only a survival strategy, but also advancing due to future significant changes in consumer preferences. The success of the proposed directions will have a positive influence on changing the social structure of society, will allow to stop the processes of increasing social tension and destabilizing the social system, will form favorable conditions for increasing the mobility of the residents of the country.


Resources ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 116
Author(s):  
Mariusz Jedliński ◽  
Mariusz Sowa

Despite the commonly observed trend towards mechanization and automation of operational processes, the potential benefits of wooden pallets as an essential element of the infrastructure of logistic processes are often overlooked in considerations related to sustainable development. Aspects that are mentioned more often include the very idea of the economy itself (circular economy), characteristics of logistics (green), features of the supply chain itself (sustainable) or expectations towards transport (ecological). The authors believe that the idea of total cost of ownership (TCO) in relation to wooden pallets can be a key component of holistic thinking in terms of sustainable development. In a situation where in relation to logistics, reasonable expectations for developing sustainable supply chains are made, paying attention to such a common logistic facility, namely a cargo pallet, which is given so little attention in research, is, in the opinion of the authors, absolutely justified. Therefore, the article presents an original approach to the problem of aggregation of all costs that cargo pallets generate in their operational life cycle, using the total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis methodology. The main goal of the article, however, is to show that the total cost of ownership of a pallet (not only owning it) can become an effective tool used to significantly reduce the costs of logistic activity of enterprises (as well as whole supply chains) and support the idea of sustainable development in practice. Using the primary data from questionnaire research, the focus was on considerations that were of identification character (cognitive and explanatory considerations), which are typical for basic research that aims to explain given phenomena. Thus, the presented cognitive process covers two main areas, namely: the general theory of sustainable development and the specificity of wooden pallets as carriers used in goods trading in terms of their total costs of ownership.


Author(s):  
Olga Markova ◽  
Valentina Maslennikova

The largest countries of the world are inevitably involved in various global processes, both natural and socio-economic. These countries have common features and characteristic differences in the state of their territorial resources; the study of these characteristics is of interest for the global prospects of sustainable development. A large territory provides a variety of natural conditions and resources for the country; however, not in all countries it is possible to effectively use them in the economy throughout the all country. An analysis of their territorial resources was carried out for the six largest countries of the world according to the following parameters: area, efficiency, environmental load on the territory of the country, number, density, forecast of population growth or decline for 2050, main agricultural land (arable land, pastures, the provision of the population, degradation and pollution of the soils), forest resources (including security per capita, share in the area of countries), fresh water resources (including per capita provision and availability), greenhouse gas emissions, including per capita, the proportion of mammals endangered, proportion of areas of preserved ecosystems. The data obtained was displayed on the maps; a common legend is built for them in tabular form. A number of other parameters of the state of territorial resources and the environment were also studied. In the process of research, the most important cities of these countries were also studied and diagrams showing their similarities and differences in a number of indicators were constructed: area, population and population density, time of foundation, climatic and landscape parameters, the presence of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, high-rise construction parameters. The developed methodology is effective for assessing a variety of data on territorial resources that can be used to build models of sustainable development of the largest countries and regions of the Earth.


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