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Abstract Fecal sludge (FS)-derived fertilizer material, Fortifer™ was used in farmers' field to cultivate different crops under varying soil and agro-climatic conditions in Ghana. The aim was to (1) create awareness among smallholder farmers for widespread use of Fortifer™ (2) observe the response of crops to Fortifer™ application by farmers in different agro-ecological zones (3) obtain farmers feedback on the FS-derived product to enhance further dissemination across the country. In total 95 farmers in six locations participated in the farmer-led pilots. Fortifer™ containing up to 3.0% nitrogen, 3.6% phosphorus, 1.3% potassium and 44.3% organic matter was applied to tomato, rice, maize and pepper in comparison to inorganic fertilizers at recommended rates. Subsequently, farmers' perception of, and willingness to use the product were studied. Crop yield was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) in the Fortifer™ plots compared to the inorganic fertilizer plots for all the selected crops. Yield was 12% higher for tomato, 27% for rice and maize and 30% for pepper under the Fortifer™ plots. Farmers indicated that, nutrient content was the most important factor they consider when making fertilizer purchasing decision.

Biosolids produced at wastewater treatment facilities are extensively used in agricultural land and degraded mine sites to improve soil health and soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. Many studies have reported increases in SOC due to application of biosolids to such sites. However, lack of a comprehensive quantification on overall trends and changes of magnitude in SOC remains. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to identify drivers with a relationship with SOC stocks. A meta-regression of 297 treatments found four variables with a relationship with SOC stocks: cumulative biosolids carbon (C) input rate, time after application, soil depth and type of biosolids. The cumulative biosolids C input rate was the most influencing driver. The highest mean difference for SOC% of 3.3 was observed at 0–15 cm soil depth for a cumulative C input of 100 Mg ha−1 at one year after biosolids application. Although years after biosolids application demonstrated a negative relationship with SOC stocks, mineralization of C in biosolids-applied soils is slow, as indicated with the SOC% decrease from 4.6 to 2.8 at 0–15 cm soil depth over five years of 100 Mg ha−1 biosolids C input. Soil depth illustrated a strong negative effect with SOC stocks decreasing by 2.7% at 0–15 cm soil depth at a cumulative biosolids C input of 100 Mg ha−1 over a year. Overall, our model estimated an effect of 2.8 SOC% change, indicating the application of biosolids as a viable strategy for soil C sequestration on a global scale. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

This paper presents an application of integrated methodological approach for identifying cost-effective combinations of agri-environmental measures to achieve water quality targets. The methodological approach involves linking hydro-chemical modelling with economic costs of mitigation measures. The utility of the approach was explored for the River Dee catchment in North East Scotland, examining the cost-effectiveness of mitigation measures for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) pollutants. In-stream nitrate concentration was modelled using the STREAM-N and phosphorus using INCA-P model. Both models were first run for baseline conditions and then their effectiveness for changes in land management was simulated. Costs were based on farm income foregone, capital and operational expenditures. The costs and effects data were integrated using 'Risk Solver Platform' optimization in excel to produce the most cost-effective combination of measures by which target nutrient reductions could be attained at a minimum economic cost. The analysis identified different combination of measures as most cost-effective for the two pollutants. An important aspect of this paper is integration of model-based effectiveness estimates with economic cost of measures for cost-effectiveness analysis of land and water management options. The methodological approach developed is not limited to the two pollutants and the selected agri-environmental measures considered in the paper; the approach can be adapted to the cost-effectiveness analysis of any catchment-scale environmental management options.

Sulfonamides (SAs) are one of the most frequently used antibiotics in the veterinary industry, showing high mobility in soils. Objectives of this research were to determine the sorption, distribution coefficients and involvement of different ionic forms of sulfamethazine (SMZ), a representative SAs, and to evaluate the transport of SMZ in biochar treated soils. Biochars were produced from an invasive plant, burcucumber (Sicyos angulatus L), under slow pyrolysis conditions at peak temperatures of 300 degrees C (biochar-300) and 700 degrees C (biochar-700), respectively. The abilities of the biochars to retain SMZ in loamy sand and sandy loam soils were examined under different pHs and SMZ loadings. Soil column experiments were performed with and without biochars addition. Results showed that biochar-700 had a high degree of SMZ retention, with resultant decreased pH in both soils. Modeled effective sorption coefficients (K-D,K-eff) values indicated that the observed high SMZ retention at pH 3 could be attributed to the pi-pi electron donor-acceptor interaction and electrostatic cation exchange, whereas at pH 5 and 7, cation exchange was the main mechanisms responsible. There was no temporal retardation of SMZ in biochar treated soil as compared to the untreated soil. However, biochar-700 treatment achieved up to 89% and 82% increase in the SMZ retention in sandy loam and loamy sand soils, respectively. The overall results demonstrated that burcucumber biochar produced at higher temperature was effective in reducing the mobility of SMZ in the studied soils. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The tsunami of 26 December 2004 struck the Nagapattinam District, Tamil Nadu, India. Sea water inundation from the tsunami caused salinization problems for soil and groundwater in coastal areas of the district, and also induced salt injuries in crops. To document the recovery of the agricultural environment from the tsunami, we conducted observations of the soil, groundwater, and vegetation. Soil electrical conductivity increased sharply after the tsunami, but returned to pre-tsunami levels the following year. Groundwater salinity returned to pre-tsunami levels by 2006. These rapid rates of recovery were due to the monsoon rainfall leaching salt from the highly permeable soils in the area. MODIS NDVI values measured before and after the tsunami showed that vegetation damaged by the tsunami recovered to its pre-tsunami state by the next rice cropping season, called samba, which starts from August to February. From these results, we conclude that the agricultural environment of the district has now fully recovered from the tsunami. Based on the results, we have also identified important management implications for soil, groundwater, and vegetation as follows: 1) due to the heavy monsoon rainfall and the high permeability of soils in this region, anthropogenic inputs like fertilizers should be applied carefully to minimize pollution, and the use of green manure is recommended; 2) areas that were contaminated by sea water extended up to 1000 m from the sea shore and over pumping of groundwater should be carefully avoided to prevent inducing sea water intrusion; and 3) data from a moderate resolution sensor of 250 m, such as MODIS, can be applied to impact assessment in widespread paddy field areas like the Nagapattinam District.

Recent advances in remote sensing provide opportunities to map plant species and vegetation within wetlands at management relevant scales and resolutions. Hyperspectral imagers, currently available on airborne platforms, provide increased spectral resolution over existing space-based sensors that can document detailed information on the distribution of vegetation community types, and sometimes species. Development of spectral libraries of wetland species is a key component needed to facilitate advanced analytical techniques to monitor wetlands. Canopy and leaf spectra at five sites in California, Texas, and Mississippi were sampled to create a common spectral library for mapping wetlands from remotely sensed data. An extensive library of spectra (n=1336) for coastal wetland communities, across a range of bioclimatic, edaphic, and disturbance conditions were measured. The wetland spectral libraries were used to classify and delineate vegetation at a separate location, the Pacheco Creek wetland in the Sacramento Delta, California, using a PROBE-1 airborne hyperspectral data set (5m pixel resolution, 128 bands). This study discusses sampling and collection methodologies for building libraries, and illustrates the potential of advanced sensors to map wetland composition. The importance of developing comprehensive wetland spectral libraries, across diverse ecosystems is highlighted. In tandem with improved analytical tools these libraries provide a physical basis for interpretation that is less subject to conditions of specific data sets. To facilitate a global approach to the application of hyperspectral imagers to mapping wetlands, we suggest that criteria for and compilation of wetland spectral libraries should proceed today in anticipation of the wider availability and eventual space-based deployment of advanced hyperspectral high spatial resolution sensors.

A multiple purpose wetland inventory is being developed and promoted through partnerships and specific analyses at different scales in response to past uncertainties and gaps in inventory coverage. A partnership approach is being promoted through the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands to enable a global inventory database to be compiled from individual projects and analyses using remote sensing and GIS. Individual projects that are currently part of this global effort are described. They include an analysis of the Ramsar sites' database to map the distribution of Ramsar sites across global ecoregions and to identify regions and wetland types that are under-represented in the database. Given the extent of wetland degradation globally, largely due to agricultural activities, specific attention is directed towards the usefulness of Earth Observation in providing information that can be used to more effectively manage wetlands. As an example, a further project using satellite data and GIS to quantify the condition of wetlands along the western coastline of Sri Lanka is described and trends in land use due to changes in agriculture, sedimentation and settlement patterns are outlined. At a regional scale, a project to map and assess, using remote sensing, individual wetlands used for agriculture in eight countries in southern Africa is also described. Land cover and the extent of inundation at each site is being determined from a multi-temporal data set of images as a base for further assessment of land use change. Integrated fully within these analyses is the development of local capacity to plan and undertake such analyses and in particular to relate the outcomes to wetland management and to compile data on the distribution, extent and condition of wetlands globally.

Abstract Despite the interest and willingness of donor communities to support the conservation projects of tropical rainforests, scientific evidence on effective ways of providing such assistance is lacking. Recent evidence on failures of integrated conservation and development projects also highlight the need for more research in this area. Dependency of local communities on forest resources is a major obstacle in implementing forest protection programmes. This paper develops two forest dependency models for Knuckles and Sinharaja forests in Sri Lanka. Data were collected from peripheral villages of Knuckles and Sinharaja forests applying stratified random sampling procedures. Two regression models were developed incorporating nine socio-economic variables. Results show that involvement in non-farm and non-forestry employment, higher agricultural income, higher agricultural productivity, better education and, possibly, the incorporation of local communities into the outside markets can reduce dependency on forest resources. Therefore, the paper suggests rural development with the above components as an alternative strategy for forest protection.