PROBLEMS OF BIOMASS ASH UTILIZATION FROM BOILER HOUSES IN UKRAINE

As result of the study, it was estimated that in 2019 in Ukraine the annual biomass ash formation to be utilized, amounted to 132 thousand tons, and in the future, subject to the goals of bioenergy development, it may increase almost 10 times until 2050. The main way to treat biomass ash in Ukraine is to bury it in landfills, partly use in landfills as an insulating material, and partly as fertilizer, mainly in homesteads. In Ukraine, the widespread use of biomass ash is limited by the lack of legal requirements for its utilization, absence of technical requirements for its use in the construction industry, complex procedure of state registration of pesticides and agrochemicals, which puts biomass ash in unequal competitition with the mineral fertilizers. Also, a certain barrier to the use of biomass ash as a fertilizer is its physical and chemical characteristics, which require special methods of its application. The increase in useful utilization of ash requires field research of its effectiveness as a fertilizer, development of different types of fertilizers based on biomass ash for different types of soils and crops and methods of their use with proven efficiency, development of the most efficient utilization methods of the ash, which does not meet the requirements of its use in agriculture, in other industries.

Analysis of the Possibility of Energetic Utilization of Biomass Obtained from Grass Mowing of a Large-Area Golf Course—A Case Study of Tuscany

The mowing of sports fields generates a significant amount of waste biomass which requires appropriate management. On the largest scale, this problem affects golf courses with a grass surface area of up to 100 ha. Currently, the main directions for grass clippings management include composting, grass cycling, and waste. A certain alternative may be the energetic utilization of grass clippings, which not only solves the problem of organic waste management, but also brings measurable economic profits in the form of generated electricity and heat. This paper presents a techno-economic analysis of the application of a micro biogas plant, fed with grass clippings from a golf course project in Tuscany, with a grass surface of 111.21 ha. It has been shown that the annual biomass potential is 526.65 tDM∙year−1 (±45.64 tDM∙year−1), which makes it possible to build a micro biogas plant with an electric power of ca. 46 kW. The potential amount of electricity produced during the year is able to cover 16.95–37.35% (depending on the season) of electricity demand in the hotel resort, which includes two golf courses and practice facilities. The produced heat in the amount of 1388.41 GJ, in turn, is able to cover the annual heat demand in the range of 7.95–17.24% (depending on the season). In addition, the electricity and heat produced exceeds the energy expenditures for mowing, making the energy balance positive. Unfortunately, the analysis showed that the construction of a micro scale biogas plant is economically unprofitable and is characterized (in the period of 10 years) by negative IRR and ROI (−17.74% and −34.98%, respectively). However, it should be emphasized that with the additional income resulting from the avoidance of fees for the export and management of organic waste and the reduction of fertilization costs (fertilization of part of the golf course with digestate), the application of a micro biogas plant may turn out to be economically feasible (NPV > 0).

Features of the formation of zooplankton of the upper Ob in the conditions of the influence of the megapolis

Journal: Рыбоводство и рыбное хозяйство №8 2021, №8, 2021 Based on the data obtained in the study of some hydrobiological sections of the Ob River, located above and below the city. The qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the zooplankton community were considered, and the saprobity index was calculated. The species composition is represented by 34 species from three systematic groups, of which 12 are rotifers (Rotifera), 14 are branchial crustaceans (Cladocera), and 10 are copepods (Copepoda). The highest species diversity was observed above the city — 34 taxa, the lowest below the city — 14. The average number of zooplankton above the city of Novosibirsk is insignificant and reached 761 copies/m³ per year. Most (49%) were copepods (Copepoda). The number of rotifers (Rotifera) was 34% of the total. In the summer, the number of zooplankton was slightly higher than the annual one and amounted to 871 copies/m³. The average annual biomass of zooplankton had low values and was 35.0 mg/m³. The maximum summer values reached 180 mg/m³. In the study area of the Ob River below Novosibirsk, the average number of zooplankton increases to 2,4 thousand copies/m³. The group of oar-footed crustaceans dominated in number, its share reached 91%. The number of branchiform crustaceans was 7%. The average annual zooplankton biomass in the river below the city limits was 99.53 mg/m³. The value of the saprobity index in the area above Novosibirsk was 1.6, which indicates the presence of weak organic contamination and corresponds to beta-mesosaprobic conditions. In the zone below Novosibirsk, the saprobity index was 2.0, which indicates an increase in organic pollution and corresponds to beta-mesosaprobic conditions. An increase in the level of eutrophication contributes to a change in the structure of zooplankton. This is reflected in a significant decrease (2.4 times) in the species diversity of zooplankton and a significant increase in quantitative indicators: abundance — 3.2 times, biomass — 2.8 times.

Living on the edge: population parameters of the wedge clam Donax hanleyanus in its southernmost limit of distribution range, Southwest Atlantic, Argentina

The wedge clam Donax hanleyanus (Philippi, 1845) is a conspicuous member of the sandy beach macrofauna along hundreds of km in the northern coasts of Argentina. Age, growth, mortality and productivity of this species were assessed in its southernmost limit of distribution range (Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina). The von Bertalanffy growth function parameters were SL∞ = 23.23 mm, K = 1.62 year-1, and t0 = 0.08 years. The maximum individual production amounted 7.9 x 10-7 g shell-free wet mass (SFWM)·year-1 at a shell length of 14-16 mm. Individuals between 10- mm and 12- mm contributed the most to the secondary production P of 0.01 g SFWM·m-2·year-1. The mean annual biomass B was of 0.002 g SFWM·m-2·year-1. Annual P/B ratio and mortality coefficient Z were 4.48 year-1 and 4.78 year-1, respectively. Low production and high mortality could be caused by a sharp decrease in habitat quality, given by suboptimal temperatures at the southernmost edge of the species distribution. These results strongly limit its potential in a future scenario of commercial exploitation.

The Impact of Rural Fires on the Development of Invasive Species: Analysis of a Case Study with Acacia dealbata Link. in Casal do Rei (Seia, Portugal)

Biological invasions can affect ecosystems in different ways. Invasive forest species, such as Acacia dealbata Link., affect forests’ productivity, because they compete directly with native species for access to light and nutrients, contributing to the loss of biodiversity. In this study, an area occupied by A. dealbata, located in Casal do Rei (Seia, Portugal) was studied to evaluate the influence of fire in the dispersion of this species, analyzing the historical occurrence of rural fires in the region, as well as through the determination of its annual biomass production and comparing its growth with other species using satellite images. The research shows a competitive advantage for A. dealbata, even when compared to species, such as Eucalyptus globulus and Pinus pinaster, which practically disappeared from the location under study after a significant fire occurred in 2005, while A. dealbata continued to thrive.

Effects of Harvest and Fertilization Frequency on Protein Yield and Extractability From Flood-Tolerant Perennial Grasses Cultivated on a fen Peatland

Paludiculture, and in particular the cultivation of perennial grasses as biomass feedstock for green biorefineries, may be an economic and environmentally sustainable option for agricultural peatlands in temperate regions. However, the optimal biomass quality for protein extraction from flood-tolerant grasses is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to define the combined effect of harvest and fertilization frequency, with one to five annual cuts, on protein yield and extractability for the grasses tall fescue (TF) and reed canary grass (RCG), cultivated on an agricultural fen peatland in Denmark.The content of protein fractions was determined according to the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS). We assessed protein extractability by lab-scale biorefinery techniques using a screw-press followed by acid precipitation of true protein. The two methods were compared to correlate potential extractable protein yields with actual biorefinery outputs. We found the highest annual biomass and crude protein (CP) yields in the two cut treatments, with 13.4 and 15.6 t dry matter (DM) ha−1 year−1, containing 2.9–3.4 t CP ha−1 year−1 for TF and RCG, respectively. The highest neutral-extractable (fractions B1 and B2) true protein yields of 1.1 and 1.5 t ha−1 year−1 were found in the two cut treatments, representing 39% (TF) - 45% (RCG) of total CP. Using biorefining techniques, we were able to precipitate up to 2.2 t DM ha−1 year−1 of protein concentrate, containing up to 39% CP. Significant correlations between methods were found, with a distinct relationship between CNCPS fractions B1 + B2 and CP yield of the protein concentrate, indicating the suitability of the CNCPS as an indicator for extractable protein yields. Biomass and CP yields were not significantly improved beyond two annual cuts. However, timing and harvest frequencies significantly affected plant maturity and consequently extractable CP contents and protein concentrate yields. We conclude that TF and RCG are promising feedstocks for green biorefineries due to high biomass, extractable CP, and protein concentrate yields, and highlight the potential of flood-tolerant grasses, cultivated on wet agricultural peatlands, for an enhanced valorisation beyond the common utilisation for bioenergy.

Predator stomach contents can provide accurate indices of prey biomass

Diet-based annual biomass indices can potentially use predator stomach contents to provide information about prey biomass and may be particularly useful for species that are otherwise poorly sampled, including ecologically important forage fishes. However, diet-based biomass indices may be sensitive to underlying ecological dynamics between predators and prey, such as predator functional responses and changes in overlap in space and time. To evaluate these factors, we fit spatio-temporal models to stomach contents of five Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) predators and survey catch data for predators and Atlantic herring. We identified drivers of variation in stomach contents, evaluated spatial patterns in stomach content data, and produced predator-specific indices of seasonal Atlantic herring biomass. After controlling for spatio-temporal processes and predator length, diet-based indices of biomass shared similar decadal trends but varied substantially between predators and seasons on shorter time scales. Diet-based indices reflected prey biomass more than prey availability, but weak correlations indicated that not all biological processes were controlled for. Results provide potential guidance for developing diet-based biomass indices and contribute to a body of evidence demonstrating the utility of predator diet data to provide information about relative prey biomass.

Salinity Duration Differently Modulates Physiological Parameters and Metabolites Profile in Roots of Two Contrasting Barley Genotypes

Hordeum maritimum With. is a wild salt tolerant cereal present in the saline depressions of the Eastern Tunisia, where it significantly contributes to the annual biomass production. In a previous study on shoot tissues it was shown that this species withstands with high salinity at the seedling stage restricting the sodium entry into shoot and modulating over time the leaf synthesis of organic osmolytes for osmotic adjustment. However, the tolerance strategy mechanisms of this plant at root level have not yet been investigated. The current research aimed at elucidating the morphological, physiological and biochemical changes occurring at root level in H. maritimum and in the salt sensitive cultivar Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Lamsi during five-weeks extended salinity (200 mM NaCl), salt removal after two weeks of salinity and non-salt control. H. maritimum since the first phases of salinity was able to compartmentalize higher amounts of sodium in the roots compared to the other cultivar, avoiding transferring it to shoot and impairing photosynthetic metabolism. This allowed the roots of wild plants to receive recent photosynthates from leaves, gaining from them energy and carbon skeletons to compartmentalize toxic ions in the vacuoles, synthesize and accumulate organic osmolytes, control ion and water homeostasis and re-establish the ability of root to grow. H. vulgare was also able to accumulate compatible osmolytes but only in the first weeks of salinity, while soon after the roots stopped up taking potassium and growing. In the last week of salinity stress, the wild species further increased the root to shoot ratio to enhance the root retention of toxic ions and consequently delaying the damages both to shoot and root. This delay of few weeks in showing the symptoms of stress may be pivotal for enabling the survival of the wild species when soil salinity is transient and not permanent.

SECONDARY PRODUCTION OF Scolelepis goodbodyi (POLYCHAETA: SPIONIDAE) IN A TROPICAL SANDY BEACH IN THE SOUTHWESTERN ATLANTIC, BRAZIL

The secondary production is the result of the functional response of populations subject to various environmental factors. Marine habitats vary in terms of quantity and quality of food supply, and the use of secondary production values, as well as renewal rates (P/B), may be used as estimates for understanding the incorporation of organic matter and energy per unit, population or community in each area. This estimative was performed for the population of Scolelepis goodbodyi in a tropical beach in the Southwestern Atlantic, located in an upwelling area. A comparison of Spionidae and non-spionid populations from different latitudes was also done. The Mass Specific Growth Rate method (MSGR) and the Production/Biomass ratio (P/B) were used to estimate the somatic annual production and average annual biomass. The mean density and biomass were 16.38 ind. m-2 and 2.78 g AFDW m-2,respectively. The secondary production and P/B were 8.3 g AFDW m-2 y-1 and 2.98 y1, respectively. The growth rate in weight was greater for the small size than the large size classes. The largest individuals (W3C = 1.0 mm) showed the lowest biomass and secondary production values. The observed high rates of secondary production and P/B suggest that this S. goodbodyi population can transfer large amounts of biomass to higher trophic levels of the local food web. Studies of the secondary production of spionidae populations in different latitudes, including the population of S. goodbodyi in the beach of Manguinhos, showed variability in their rates probably due to the differences of several factors such as life history and environmental variability

A Method for Assessing Regional Bioenergy Potentials Based on GIS Data and a Dynamic Yield Simulation Model

The assessment of regional bioenergy potentials from different types of natural land cover is an integral part of simulation tools that aim to assess local renewable energy systems. This work introduces a new workflow, which evaluates regional bioenergy potentials and its impact on water demand based on geographical information system (GIS)-based land use data, satellite maps on local crop types and soil types, and conversion factors from biomass to bioenergy. The actual annual biomass yield of crops is assessed through an automated process considering the factors of local climate, crop type, soil, and irrigation. The crop biomass yields are validated with historic statistical data, with deviation less than 7% in most cases. Additionally, the resulting bioenergy potentials yield between 10.7 and 12.0 GWh/ha compared with 13.3 GWh/ha from other studies. The potential contribution from bioenergy on the energy demand were investigated in the two case studies, representing the agricultural-dominant rural area in North Germany and suburban region in South Germany: Simulation of the future bioenergy potential for 2050 shows only smaller effects from climate change (less than 4%) and irrigation (below 3%), but the potential to cover up to 21% of the transport fuels demand in scenario supporting biodiesel and bioethanol for transportation.