The role of green roofs in mitigating Urban Heat Island effects in the metropolitan area of Adelaide,South Australia

Changing an urban environment and replacing vegetated surfaces with low albedo materials is one of the reasons for increasing temperatures in an urban environment and consequently also one of the key causes of urban heat island effects. In this study, an experimental investigation at the micro-scale and also a numerical simulation at the macro-scale of a typical urban environment in Adelaide were conducted to estimate the potential for mitigating the UHI effect. The results showed that existing low albedo materials such as asphalt, metal roofs and brick pavements contribute to the heat island potential. Also, urban development and a lack of natural vegetation contribute to increased temperatures in cities. The ability of two types of extensive and intensive green roofs to reduce the surrounding micro-climate temperature were monitored. The results showed that they have significant cooling effects in summer time and could behave as an insulation layer to keep buildings warmer in the winter. Furthermore, different scenarios of adding green roofs to the Adelaide urban environment were investigated using the Envi–MET model. The scenario modelling of adding green roofs in a typical urban area in Adelaide, Australia, supported the hypothesis that this can lead to reductions in energy consumption in the Adelaide urban environment. Also an increased use of other water sensitive urban design technologies such as green walls and street trees together with the adoption of high albedo materials is recommended for achieving the optimum efficiency in terms of reducing urban temperatures and mitigating urban heat island effects.     

不同施肥措施对灰枣园土壤速效养分含量的影响

为了探讨灰枣生长期内不同施肥处理措施对枣园土壤速效养分含量的影响情况,于2014年3月采用不施肥、常规施肥和施用不同种类生物肥共3大类9种处理进行田间试验,并于同年7~10月在灰枣不同生长期测定了各处理区域土壤中的碱解氮、速效磷、速效钾、有机质这4种养分的含量,研究了不同施肥处理下灰枣不同成熟期土壤各养分的动态变化情况。结果表明,不同处理、不同成熟期土壤各养分含量间均有差异,施用生物肥可以显著提高土壤中各养分的含量。     

1961—2010年东北农作区春小麦需水量的时空变化特征

利用东北农作区58个气象站点1961—2010年的逐日气象数据,基于Simulation of Evapotranspiration of Applied Water(SIMETAW)模型分析气候变化背景下东北农作区春小麦生育期内作物需水量(Crop evapotranspiration,ETc)和灌溉需要量(Evapotranspiration of applied water,ETaw),以及典型站点春小麦的灌溉需求指数(Irrigation demand index,IDI)的时空变化特征。结果表明:近50年来,东北农作区日平均温度呈显著上升趋势,平均降水量下降趋势不明显,平均太阳辐射及作物蒸散量呈显著下降趋势。春小麦生育期作物需水量和灌溉需要量呈下降趋势,其分布均表现为西多东少。50年来春小麦作物生育期需水量下降主要集中于松辽及兴安岭南部地区,东部地区变化趋势不明显;生育期灌溉需要量下降集中于松辽及兴安岭地区,三江平原地区略有增加,长白山地区多年保持平稳。     

Mass balanced based LCA of a common carp-lettuce aquaponics system

An aquaponics system (AS) is an integrated system that combines a recirculating aquaculture system and a hydroponics system (HS). It is designed to recover nutrients released from fish and transfer them to plants to provide a system more environmentally-friendly than the two systems working separately. As a result, several AS are under development, but little information is available about their overall performances. The aim of this study was to assess nutrient-use efficiency and environmental impacts of an AS, specifically a common carp-lettuce AS located in a greenhouse. Nutrient budgets of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) were calculated and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was performed for the AS and for a lettuce Individual Hydroponics System (IHS), similar to the HS of the AS, operating in the greenhouse at the same time. The experiment was performed over a 52-day cycle, which corresponds to the growing time required to harvest marketable lettuce. The nutrient budgets were well balanced, with 24.6% of the N unaccounted-for, most likely due to N2 gas emission, and 6.6% of the P unaccounted-for, most likely due to having underestimated the quantity of sediment. At the beginning of the experiment, N represented 55.9%, 37.1% and 0.1% of the total N input in the formulated feed, stocked fish and lettuce seedlings, respectively. At the end of the experiment, N represented 47.6% and 0.4% of the total N input in the harvested fish and lettuce, respectively. At the beginning of the experiment, P represented 56.94%, 40.20% and 0.03% of the total P input in the formulated feed, stocked fish and lettuce seedlings, respectively. At the end of the experiment, P represented 51.52% and 0.42% of the total P input in the harvested fish and lettuce, respectively. LCA clearly indicated two environmental impact hotspots: the origin of nutrients and energy use. One kg of lettuce growth in the AS clearly had lower environmental impacts than that in the IHS for climate change, acidification, eutrophication, land competition and cumulative energy demand; however, a decrease in water dependence was not observed. The indicator for net primary production use highlighted the dependence of the AS on natural resources, especially fish meal and fish oil. Compared to the use of chemical nutrients in the IHS, the use of nutrients from formulated feed in the AS decreased climate change impact but increased the use of natural resources.     

宁夏中部生态移民区土地利用时空变化分析

通过解译宁夏中部红寺堡区1989年、1999年、2006年、2012年TM遥感影像,获取该区域生态移民前后4期土地利用数据,对1989~2012年以来土地利用变化情况进行了分析。结果表明,各个时间段的土地利用变化差异性显著。1989~1999年,由于大规模的土地开荒和红寺堡灌区的建设,耕地面积持续增加,同时该区域开始有了水浇地,而林草面积相应减少;1999~2006年,由于退耕还林还草政策的实施,耕地中的旱地被逐渐退耕为草地或发展为水浇地,林草面积开始由减少转为增加,区域土地利用开始合理化;2006~2012年,随着生态移民工程和生态建设工程的成熟发展,林草覆盖面积进一步增加,水浇地面积继续稳步增加,而未利用地和旱地面积持续下降。研究结果为区域土地资源的合理利用及生态移民工程的进一步顺利开展提供可靠依据。     

Cause and Consequence in Maize Planting Dates in Germany

An important part of agricultural adaptation is the timing of crop sowing dates, affecting yields and the level of risk incurred during a particular season. Cold stress is especially relevant in maize, Zea mays L., so that the timing of planting in the spring is a tactical response to short‐term weather, but is also subject to strategic planning with regard to longer‐term climate. Both factors compare the potential implications of cold stress to the additional yield obtainable through earlier planting. New cultivars suited to growing conditions in Europe and generally increasing spring temperatures have enabled earlier planting, but it is still dependent on short‐term weather during the planting period. In the context of field‐level decision‐making, a panel regression is used to estimate the relationship between weekly local temperature and precipitation and planting dates at specific sites throughout Germany. Next, localised weather data and planting behaviour are linked to yields at the district (Landkreis) level to show the effects of planting date on yield. Based on these relationships optimal planting dates are explored with some associated costs and benefits. Results show a trend towards earlier planting that follows observed increasing spring temperatures and the availability of more cold‐tolerant cultivars but this advance is buffered by the increasing severity of minimum temperatures during a critical period. Earlier planting potentially increases yield but this is offset by additional management costs and risk. A robust and simple depiction of farmer behaviour in climatic, technological and economic context can help to understand trends in crop management and productivity that effect agricultural landscapes.     

Managing soil quality for humanity and the planet

Rather than a human-centric, the basic strategy of achieving Sustainable Development Goals must be focused on restoring and sustaining planetary processes. The urgency of meeting the demands of the humanity must be reconciled with the necessity of enhancing the environment. Increasing and restoring soil organic matter content of the degraded and depleted soils is critical to strengthening planetary processes.     

Foliage‐applied sodium nitroprusside and hydrogen peroxide improves resistance against terminal drought in bread wheat

Terminal drought is threatening the wheat productivity worldwide, which is consumed as a staple food by millions across the globe. This study was conducted to examine the influence of foliage‐applied stress signalling molecules hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂; 50, 100, 150 μm ) and nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP; 50, 100, 150 μm ) on resistance against terminal drought in two bread wheat cultivars Mairaj‐2008 and BARS‐2009. These stress signalling molecules were applied at anthesis stage (BBCH 61); drought was then imposed by maintaining pots at 35% water holding capacity. Terminal drought caused significant reduction in grain yield of both tested bread wheat cultivars; however, foliage application of both stress signalling molecules at either concentration improved the performance of both bread wheat cultivars. Maximum improvement in 100‐grain weight (12.2%), grains per spike (19.7%), water‐use efficiency (WUE; 19.8%), chlorophyll content index (10.7%), total soluble phenolics (21.6%) and free leaf proline (34.3%), and highest reduction in leaf malondialdehyde contents (20.4%) was recorded when H₂O₂ was foliage‐applied at 100 μm . Foliage application of SNP enhanced the grains per spike, 100‐grain weight and grain yield by 14.9%, 11.3% and 20.1%, respectively, than control. The foliage‐applied stress signalling molecules improved the accumulation of soluble phenolics, proline and glycine betaine with simultaneous reduction in malondialdehyde contents, which enabled wheat plants to sustain the biological membranes under stress resulting in better stay green (high chlorophyll contents) under drought. This helped improving the grain number, grain weight, grain yield, WUE and transpiration efficiency. In crux, foliage‐applied H₂O₂ and SNP, at pre‐optimized rate, may be opted to lessen the drought‐induced yield losses in bread wheat in climate change conditions.     

半地下带保温夹套发酵罐的应用

通过对半地下带保温夹套的发酵罐与普通发酵罐24 h的温度变化和6 d的产气量的对比试验分析,结果表明:采用半地下带保温夹套发酵罐发酵,24 h的温度变化缓慢,受外界温度变化影响小,高温持续的时间较长,利于微生物发酵;产气总量多,持续时间长。