scholarly journals Long-Term Ecosystem Nutrient Pool Status for Aspen Forest Harvest Simulations on Glacial Till and Sandy Outwash Soils

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1556
Author(s):  
Robert P. Richard ◽  
Evan S. Kane ◽  
Dustin R. Bronson ◽  
Randall K. Kolka

Sandy outwash and glacial till soils compose large amounts of public forestland due to historically poor agricultural yields. The outwash soils have low fertility, poor nutrient retention and are restricted from whole-tree harvesting (WTH) in some states, whereas the glacial till has medium nutrient retention and fertility, and is unrestricted from WTH. To assess the long-term sustainability of harvesting, a nutrient budget was constructed from field measurements, the National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) database, and literature values for stem-only harvesting (SOH) and WTH at a 45-year rotation length and 11 rotations were simulated. The budgets showed that SOH and WTH recovery years, or the time necessary for the inputs to match outputs through leaching and one harvest, exceeded common rotation lengths for both soil types under all weathering scenarios, and the average WTH reduced the total available rotations by one harvest. The large variation in soil nutrient pools and harvest removals complicated the ability to identify the difference between SOH and WTH early in the model, but differences became apparent with sequential harvests. The recovery years were 2–20 times the 45-year rotation length under all weathering rates. Taken together, models in this study bridge the gap between short- and long-term studies and bring into question the sustainability of WTH and SOH practices on nutrient-poor soils.

Author(s):  
J.S. Clark

Agroforests and woodlots offer Northland hill country farmers investment and diversification opportunities. Agroforests have less effect on the "whole farm" financial position than woodlots, especially where a progressive planting regime is adopted and where no further borrowing is required. Establishment and tending costs for agro-forests are lower, and returns come much sooner. The proven opportunity for continued grazing under trees established in this manner, apart from a short post-planting period, further enhances the agroforesty option. Even where there is reluctance on a farmer's part to plant trees on high fertility land, the expected financial returns from agroforests on low and medium fertility land will increase the overall long-term profitability and flexibility of the whole farming operation. Woodlots may be more appropriate on low fertility areas where weed reversion is likely. Joint ventures may be worth considering where farm finances are a limited factor. Keywords: On-farm forestry development, Northland hill country, agroforestry, woodlots, diversification, joint ventures, progressive planting regimes, grazing availability.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Harish Gupta ◽  
S. Kiran Kumar Reddy ◽  
Mounika Chiluka ◽  
Vamshikrishna Gandla

AbstractIn this study, we demonstrate the impact of the construction of a mega-dam on the nutrient export regime of a large tropical river into the Arabian Sea. Long-term (11 years) fortnight nutrient parameters, upstream and downstream to Sardar Sarovar (SS) Dam, were examined to determine the periodical change in nutrient fluxes from the Narmada River, India. During this 11-year period, the average discharge of the Narmada River upstream to Rajghat (35.3 km3 year−1) was higher than that of downstream at Garudeshwar (33.9 km3 year−1). However, during the same period, the suspended sediment load was reduced by 21 million tons (MT) from 37.9 MT at Rajghat to 16.7 MT at Garudeshwar. Similarly, mean concentrations of dissolved silica (DSi) reduced from 470 (upstream) to 214 µM (downstream), dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP) from 0.84 to 0.38 µM, and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) from 43 to 1.5 µM. It means that about 54%, 55%, and 96% flux of DSi, DIP, and DIN retained behind the dam, respectively. The estimated denitrification rate (80,000 kg N km−2 year−1) for the reservoir is significantly higher than N removal by lentic systems, globally. We hypothesize that processes such as biological uptake and denitrification under anoxic conditions could be a key reason for the significant loss of nutrients, particularly of DIN. Finally, we anticipated that a decline in DIN fluxes (by 1.13 × 109 mol year−1) from the Narmada River to the Arabian Sea might reduce the atmospheric CO2 fixation by 7.46 × 109 mol year−1.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
I Fronteira ◽  
J Simoes ◽  
G Augusto

Abstract Informal care represents around 80% of all long term care provided in EU countries. Nevertheless, the needs for this type of care are expected to increase in the coming years in all OECD countries. Portugal is among the OECD countries with the highest ageing index (21.5% of the population was older than 65 years in 2017) due to high life expectancy and low fertility rates. As this demographic trend establishes, Portugal is expected to have more than 40% of the population over 65 years in 2037, and the expected prevalence of dementia is 3%, in 2050. In 2015 there were 2.1% of people over 65 receiving long-term care, representing 52% of all long-term care users. Around 38% were receiving care at home. It is estimated that 287,000 people in Portugal depend on informal carers. The agenda towards the official recognition of informal cares has been push forward in the country. Since 2015, several recommendations have been issued by the Parliament as well as legislative initiatives and a proposal for a Status of the Informal Carer is currently under discussion. We analyse the process of formulation of this policy in terms of sectors and stakeholders involved, definition and scope of informal carer, rights and obligations, role of the person being cared for, formal protection (e.g., labor, social, financial, training) and implementation. Recognition of the informal carer is a sector wide approach. One of the main features is the economic, social and labor protection mainly through reconciliation between work life and caring activities and promotion of the carer’s well being. Notwithstanding, and from a health system perspective, community health teams are to be the focal point for informal carers, supporting and providing specific training whenever needed. Despite its relevance, informal care should not be professionalized and responsibility of care should not be shifted from health services to informal carers. Key messages Needs for informal care are expected to increase in the coming years in OECD countries. Recognition of the informal carer is a sector wide approach.


Author(s):  
Srimathie Priyanthika Indraratne ◽  
Matthew Spengler ◽  
Xiying Hao

Long term cattle manure applications build up nutrient pools and can lead to trace element enrichments in soils. The objectives of this study were to evaluate Cu and Zn loadings in the soil during continuous annual cattle manure applications and determine the time required for soil to return to its pre-manure available Cu and Zn levels after manure is discontinued. The manure application rates were 0, 30, 60, and 90 Mg ha-1 for rainfed and 0, 60, 120, and 180 Mg ha-1 (wet weight) for irrigated plots. While manure was applied for 45 years in some plots, applications were terminated in one subset of treatments after 14 years and in another subset after 30 years to study legacy effects after 31 and 15 years, respectively. Soil samples were collected in the fall of 2003, 2008, 2013, and 2018 and analyzed for available Cu and Zn. Crops were grown in all years continuously with Cu and Zn concentrations measured in both silage and grains harvested. The regression model developed using data collected suggests long legacy effects with recovery time to pre-manure levels ranging from 10-20 years for Cu and 23-41 years for Zn at irrigated and 10-24 for Cu and 21-32 years for Zn under rainfed, respectively. Long term applications of cattle manure could lead to accumulation of Cu and Zn, creating long-lasting legacy effects in soils with the increased environmental risk of leaching to groundwater


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S155-S155
Author(s):  
Selena Caldera

Abstract While family caregiving of the elderly has long been part of the cultural life of most OECD countries, longer life expectancy combined with low fertility rates has increased the share of the population dependent on current workers and minimized the available population of informal caregivers. The demand for expanded public provision of long-term care (LTC) resulting from this demographic shift prompted reforms in many OECD countries in the 1990s and 2000s. Differences in these reforms provide an opportunity to examine how individual choices between formal and informal care types are shaped by the policy context. I use longitudinal data on elders in three OECD countries, Sweden, Germany, and Japan, to examine LTC decisions under three varied approaches to population aging. The direction of LTC reforms in each country has been shaped by the existing model of care provision and financial constraints. In response to cost pressures, Sweden introduced need-based provision, financial devolution, and market-based approaches to its universal care model. Germany and Japan, in contrast, widely expanded restricted LTC coverage through public LTC insurance models. I use three multinomial logistic models of the LTC decision to test how differing policy schemes influence choices between formal and informal care. Using longitudinal Global Gateway to Aging data for each country, I model the LTC decision in each country as a factor of demographic and need characteristics of the elder experiencing limitations, characteristics of their family, and eligibility for publicly-provided LTC.


2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Cheng ◽  
P.S. Grewal ◽  
B.R. Stinner ◽  
K.A. Hurto ◽  
H.B. Hamza

2019 ◽  
Vol 114 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine D. Sprunger ◽  
Steve W. Culman ◽  
Cheryl A. Palm ◽  
Moses Thuita ◽  
Bernard Vanlauwe

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