Composted sewage sludge and steel mill slag as potential amendments for urban soils involved in afforestation programs

This study aimed to assess the impacts of composted sewage sludge and steel mill slag on urban soil fertility and tree growth. The research was conducted in an urban area (Botucatu, State of São Paulo, Brazil) characterised by extremely unfertile urban soils and with high production of these wastes. Plant growth, soil physico-chemical properties, and chemical composition of leafs were analysed during a 12-month field experiment. Principal factor analysis (PFA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) were applied in the evaluation of the investigated soil-plant system. The results showed that soil fertility was increased by the combination of applied waste materials, which provided good conditions for full plant development and maintenance. PFA showed that the variability of the investigated model was mainly due to the role of soil organic matter as source/sink of soil heavy metals. CCA showed that the investigated soil-plant system was characterised by time-dependent evolution, with an equilibrium reached during the final stages, suggesting that the obtained results may be realistic from a long-term perspective. This study provides evidence that composted sewage sludge and steel mill slag are acceptable alternatives for improving urban soil quality and tree growth. The reuse of these wastes could provide a low-cost alternative for their complex and expensive management and disposal with, additionally, the possibility of turning currently bulky refuse material into a commodity.     

Application rate and plant species affect the ecological safety of sewage sludge as a landscape soil amendment

Recycling sludge as a soil amendment has become a viable option for sludge disposal. However, such application can lead to soil pollution because of its enrichment in contaminants, especially heavy metals. To identify an effective means to ensure the ecological safety of sewage sludge landscape utilization, a glasshouse experiment was conducted by mixing sewage sludge at 0%, 15%, 30%, 60%, and 100% (V/V) amendment ratios to landscape soils and planting five common landscape plants (Aphelandra ruellia, Syngonium podophyllum, Schefflera odorata, Alocasia macrorrhiza, and Dianella ensifolia). Sludge amendment significantly improved fertility and moisture retention capacity of soil, but dramatically increased the contents of Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn. Compared with lateritic red soil (CK), sludge amended-soils increased the relative growth rate of landscape plants and enhanced their nutrient uptake and heavy metals accumulation. A rate of 30% or less of sludge application showed positive growth effects for all five landscape plants, and did not cause potential ecological risks of heavy metals to landscape soils. However, rates of 60% or higher posed very high potential ecological risk in multiple metals, particularly in Cd. Interestingly, S. odorata, A. ruellia and A. macrorrhiza could alleviate the ecological risks of Cd, Cu and Zn, respectively, and these results were confirmed by data of relative changes in heavy metal contents in post-experiment soil. Our results suggest that attention to reducing the environmental risks of heavy metals in sludge utilization as landscape soil-amendments should not only be paid to controlling the application dosage of sludge but also to planting suitable plant species.     

Sewage sludge and refuse composts as peat alternatives for conditioning impoverished soils: Effects on the growth response and mineral status of Petunia grandiflora

A glasshouse pot experiment is described comparing the growth reponse, nutritional , status and heavy metal content of Petunia grandiflora in an impoverished acid sandy soil amended with peat or composted sewage sludges and refuse. The composts consistently out-performed peat as soil améliorants because of greater nutrient availability. However, results indicated that rates of application of composts to soil should be adjusted according to the conductivity of the applied material and the salt tolerance characteristics of the plant species to be grown to avoid detrimental effects on plant growth. There were no phytotoxic effects on plant growth due to contamination of the composts with heavy metals irrespective of the level of incorporation into soil, indicating that proposed lower metal limits for composts compared with sewage sludge would be unnecessarily restrictive to compost use. Composted sewage sludges and refuse are shown to have considerable potential for use in the amenity and landscape industry for improving impoverished soils.     

The effects of naturalness,gender, and age on how urban green space is perceived and used

Neighbourhood green space serves an important function for the urban population, and provides valuable ecosystem services for human well-being. In this article, we investigate the effects of naturalness, gender, and age on the activities, aesthetics, and self-reported well-being associated with urban green space. Our findings are based on a postal survey of residents living in close proximity to six different green spaces in the city of Gothenburg, Sweden. It is shown that higher perceived naturalness generated more activities and higher aesthetic values and self-reported well-being for residents living close to urban green spaces. The results also indicated that, regardless of the type of naturalness, women were more active in urban green spaces than were men. Women also saw greater aesthetic value in green spaces than men did, and had higher self-reported well-being associated with the urban green spaces. Finally, older residents were shown to participate in a greater number of nature-related activities than younger residents. Older residents also saw greater aesthetic values and had higher self-reported well-being associated with urban green spaces than younger people did. Seemingly, this poses a considerable planning challenge if areas of perceived naturalness are to be retained in cities, since the present trend is for reduced green spaces in cities and a ‘parkification’ of surviving natural areas. Further, because of the importance of perceived natural areas to the elderly, and in particularly women, distances to urban green areas should not be too great.     

Vegetative growth, flowering and leaf nutrient concentration of boronia as affected by nitrogen level and form

Boronia (Boronia megastigma Nees, family Rutaceae) is an Australian woody shrub, producing strongly scented flowers at nodes. Increasing N levels from 0 to 25 mM in the nutrient solution increased the production of nodes, lateral shoots from these nodes and further nodes on these lateral shoots. With the same level of N, the order of number of node and lateral shoot production by N form was: combined NH₄⁺plus NO₃⁻ > NH₄⁺alone > NO₃⁻ alone. This increase in the number of nodes subsequently translated into increased number of axils initiating flower buds and then into fully developed flowers. However, increasing N levels decreased the percentage of flower buds developing to anthesis and individual flower weight. These decreases were attributed to continued vegetative growth during flower development. Increasing N levels increased the leaf N concentration with the concentration in the order NH₄⁺ + NO₃⁻ > NH₄⁺ > NO₃⁻. Nitrogen form did not affect the leaf tissue concentration of P, K⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺. At lower N levels, the concentrations of these nutrients in the leaf tissue were higher and may have reached toxic levels, causing toxicity symptoms on leaves. At higher N levels, the concentrations of these nutrients were diluted due to increased growth and no toxicity symptoms were produced.     

Aesthetic growth of a native tree species with desirable characteristics for urban green areas in arid and semiarid environments

Having an aesthetic form is one of the desirable aspects of trees used to create or reforest urban green areas, which is often achieved by procedures that require a great effort. The understanding of factors affecting the architecture of plants in natural conditions may be useful to promote a desirable shape during the growth process. Under the hypothesis that trees in high luminosity conditions have a more aesthetical growth, in this study we explore the relationship between plant shape and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) in Bursera fagaroides, a characteristic species of the tropical dry forest and xerophytic shrub-lands useful for urban green areas in semiarid environments. To evaluate trees shape we calculate a symmetry index (I_S) by using two diameters of the crown, perpendicular to each other, and the total height. Measurements were made over three periods (before, during and after the growth period); and PAR was also measured for each tree. Linear regressions were used to analyze the relationship between the symmetry of trees and PAR received during the growth period. The post-growth symmetry of trees showed a positive relationship with the PAR received by trees during the growth period, suggesting that PAR effects can be harnessed to develop post-germination strategies for the production of trees with a more aesthetical growth in the studied species. Effect of PAR on the shape of plants may represent a practical option to promote aesthetical growth of trees and shrubs with importance for creation and restoration of urban green areas.     

Effect of different personal histories on valuation for forest ecosystem services in urban areas: A case study of Mt. Rokko,Kobe, Japan

This study investigated the effect of valuators’ personal history and beliefs on valuation of ecosystem services around Mt. Rokko, which is located near Kobe, a major city in Japan. Special attention was paid to how differences in lifestyle, access to nature, and experiences during childhood influence willingness to pay (WTP) for peri-urban ecosystem conservation. The estimated values (median: 1858 JPY) were relatively higher than in previous case studies including one on the World Heritage forest in the country, but the value was not outlier of the literature. From the simple model estimation, we focused on the effect of individual differences. The full model including information of personal experience with nature revealed differences in WTP among residents. The basic characteristics of age and income were found to have a significant effect. Interestingly, it was also found that certain experiences during childhood had a significant effect on increasing WTP for ecosystem and biodiversity conservation. These findings suggest the importance of considering the diversity of valuators in ecosystem valuation studies under urbanization processes, and it also warns the extinction of experience with nature under on going urbanization for urban ecosystem conservation.     

Microbial properties of rhizosphere soils as affected by rotation,grafting, and soil sterilization in intensive vegetable production systems

The increased use of rotation, grafting, and soil sterilization has been documented to increase crop yield in intensive vegetable production systems in China. It is believed that these practices can promote changes in the rhizosphere that enhance early growth of plants. A 2-year greenhouse experiment on tomato double-cropping systems was conducted to investigate the effects of different agricultural treatments on microbial properties of rhizosphere soils and tomato fruit yield. The treatments included planting of welsh onion as a cover crop in the summer fallow (SF) period (CW), rotating vegetable chrysanthemum and tomato (CT), planting graft-tomato instead of auto-root tomato (GT), sterilizing soil with calcium cyanamide in the SF period (TC), and fallowing in the SF period (Control). Microbial population was analyzed by dilution plating. In general, microbial populations were higher in CT, GT and TC than in control. Fungal population was higher in TC whereas a high number of bacteria were found in CT. Soil microbial biomass C and N, total microbial population, organic C and total N showed significant positive correlations (P ≤ 0.01) with each others, and tomato yield showed significant positive correlations (P ≤ 0.05) with organic C, total N and total microbial population. In most treatments, CW, GT and TC significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased tomato yield by 8%, 21% and 19% in four growing seasons, respectively. CT significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased tomato yield by 26% in the spring season of 2007. These results suggested that rotation, grafting and soil sterilization could lead to changes in the microbial properties of plant rhizosphere and consequently increase plant yield. Additionally, the responses of plant yield were complex dependent on rhizosphere soil microbes in rotation-, grafting-, and soil sterilization-induced systems.     

印江自治县洋溪镇森林资源特点及林业发展规划

洋溪镇山区脱贫致富的最大优势在于山,提出林业发展措施：（1）采取有效的技术措施把现有的近3335hm2茶园基地管理好,并适度发展鲜果类经济林;（2）加强幼龄林的抚育和林分的封山育林工作;（3）进行山区林业综合开发,大力发展以马尾松、杉木为辅的用材林造林和低产林分改造,以优质烤烟为主产业化建设;（4）利用区位优势,发展森林旅游业。     

ECV304 cells can be used as a general model,tool or target in the research of biomedicine and pharmacology

ECV304 was reported first in 1990 as a spontaneously-transformed and immortalized cell line derived from a Japanese HUVEC. Subsequently, many studies validated that the ECV304 is a permanent endothelial cell line. It has been used widely as an endothelial cell model and an useful research tool in biomedicine and pharmacology. However, several distinct differences exist between ECV304 and HUVEC. Some studies even pointed out that ECV304 is not of HUVEC origin. According to the research data including ours, this reportedly endothelial-derived permanent human cell line ECV304 may be dedifferentiated towards an epithelial phenotype. It is therefore not an appropriate cell line to study endothelial cell biology. But cultured ECV304 cells can still be used as a model, tool or target in the pathophysiological and pharmacological studies, depending on whether or not their functional expression or markers are suitable for the research work.     

Urban green spaces for children: A cross-sectional study of associations with distance,physical activity,screen time,general health,and overweight

This study investigates the associations between: (i) urban green spaces (UGSs), children‘s frequency and duration of physical activity (PA), and screen time (TV viewing and computer use) and (ii) children‘s frequency and duration of PA and their general health and overweight. In this study, ‘children’ includes both younger children and adolescents, ages 1–18. Parent-reported data (n = 422) collected though face-to-face personal interviews between April 1 and May 31, 2015 in the city of Aydin, Turkey were used in the study. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations controlling for children’s sex, age, and parents’ monthly income. Stratified analyses were also conducted to determine differences between sex (boys and girls) and age (1–6, 7–12, and 13–18 years old) groups of children. The findings showed that UGS closeness to home was positively associated with higher frequency of children’s PA (b = −.22, p ≤.001) and less screen time (b = .18, p ≤.001). Results also revealed that children‘s frequency of PA positively correlated with children‘s general health (b = .08, p ≤.05), whereas overweight was associated with only age. In stratified analyses, nearest distance to UGSs was positively associated with both boys‘ and girls‘ frequency of PA. On the other hand, longer distance to UGS was associated with longer screen time for only girls. In regard to age groups, nearest distance to UGSs was related to higher frequency of PA for 1–6 and 7–12 years old, while nearest distance to UGS was associated with longer duration of PA and less screen time for only children ages 7–12. In age groups 13–18, no significant differences between variables of UGSs, PA and health were documented. No sex and age groups showed any significant associations with general health and overweight. The findings of this study suggest that distance to UGSs is important for children‘s PA, screen time, and general health. This study implies that UGSs do not seem to be associated with PA and general health in older age groups and needs further investigations.     

Quercus ilex L. as bioaccumulator for heavy metals in urban areas: Effectiveness of leaf washing with distilled water and considerations on the trees distance from traffic

In recent years the use of plants as bioaccumulators or bioindicators has increased because enable the prediction of pollution for monitoring purposes, even in urban environments where traffic is a major source of heavy metals pollution. In this study we hypothesized holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) a valid trapping species for heavy metals. We also hypothesized that metals capture capacity by deposition on the crown is connected to the surrounding environmental characteristics and the distance of trees from the source of pollution. The study was conducted in the city of Florence. Holm oaks were selected in different sites near to heavy traffic roads. Concentrations of Zn, Pb, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Cr, and Ba were analyzed through two methods: leaf washing with distilled water and leaf unwashing.One-year-old leaves (new leaves) were also compared with previous-year leaves (old leaves). Our results demonstrated the good capacity of this species to capture heavy metals (Pb, Fe, Mn, Cr, and Ba), particularly due to the presence of old leaves, which enhance the crown deposition surface. Washing was effective and it allowed testing the behaviour with regard to microelements: new leaves showed high Cu concentration, while old leaves had high Pb concentration. The dispersion of metals through the atmosphere was assessed through regression analysis, in two comparable gardens: leaves at farther distance from the traffic were richer in Zn, Pb, Mn, and Ba. The physical context of the surrounding environment was probably altering the distribution of heavy metals as barriers to dispersion, which can reach tens of metres from the source of pollution. Therefore, this work suggests that wind modelling and trees distribution and characteristics should be taken into consideration to evaluate the pollutants dispersion, especially for planning of recreational urban green areas.     

Trail corridors as habitat and conduits for movement of plant species in Rocky Mountain National Park,Colorado, USA

Ground-layer vegetation was sampled along selected trail corridors to determine whether corridors provide habitat for certain species and act as conduits for species movement. Patterns of plant species composition were analyzed in relation to distance from trail edge, level of trail use, and distance from trailheads, junctions, and campgrounds. Species composition was significantly affected by distance from trail edge and level of trail use, as species were favored or inhibited by the corridor, depending upon their growth habits. Species composition was also affected by distance from trailheads. These findings, along with the presence of exotic species, indicate that trail corridors in Rocky Mountain National Park function as habitat and conduits for movement of plant species.     

Assessing multiple dimensions of distributional justice: Access,biodiversity and landscape structure of green spaces for multiple social groups of the Metropolitan Region of Santiago de Chile

It is broadly recognized the value of green spaces to human well-being and health, hence several cities are taken actions for improving their existence in urban areas. However, it is also recognized that the distribution of those green spaces is not reaching all communities evenly. Several studies on distributional justice have assess. the disparities on the distribution of green spaces worldwide but they tend to focus on. the quantity or the accessibility from residences to green spaces. We proposed to. assess distributional justice as a multidimensional indicator that incorporates size, quantity, quality, access to biodiversity and distance traveled towards visiting a green. space to enrichen our evaluation of distributional justice and disclose disparities further. from green space availability. By using the Metropolitan Region of Santiago as a case. study we evaluated the distributional justice of green spaces by multiple social groups. based on a combination of surveyed, measured and collected spatially explicit data. Our results disclosed that low social status communities have access to green spaces. of smaller size, more dispersed, on lesser amounts and poorer on bird richness than. higher social status communities. Lower social status communities traveled more to. visit green spaces of higher quality and mostly move only one class up in the social. status. Our research showed larger complexities in distributional justice of green. spaces which should be evaluated and incorporated in decision making towards. greening.     

Vermicompost as a substitute for peat in potting media: Effects on germination,biomass allocation,yields and fruit quality of three tomato varieties

Commercial potting media often contain substantial amounts of peat that was mined from endangered bog and fen ecosystems. The main objectives of this study were to assess (1) whether the amendment of 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% (v/v) of vermicompost (VC) to a fertilized commercial peat potting substrate has effects on the emergence, growth and biomass allocation of tomato seedlings (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) under greenhouse conditions, (2) whether possible impacts on seedlings can affect tomato yields and fruit quality even when transplanted into equally fertilized field soil, and (3) whether effects are consistent among different tomato varieties. Amended VC was produced in a windrow system of food and cotton waste mainly by earthworms Eisenia fetida Sav. Vermicompost amendments significantly influenced, specifically for each tomato variety, emergence and elongation of seedlings. Biomass allocation (root:shoot ratio) was affected by VC amendments for two varieties in seedling stage and one field-grown tomato variety. Marketable and total yields of field tomatoes were not affected by VC amendments used for seedling husbandry. However, morphological (circumference, dry matter content, peel firmness) and chemical fruit parameters (contents of C, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, l-ascorbic acid, glucose, fructose) were significantly affected by VC amendments in seedling substrates; these effects again were specific for each tomato variety. Overall, vermicompost could be an environmentally friendly substitute for peat in potting media with similar or beneficial effects on seedling performance and fruit quality. However, at least for tomatoes, variety-specific responses should be considered when giving recommendations on the optimum proportion of vermicompost amendment to horticultural potting substrate.     

Landscape patterns as habitat predictors: building and testing models for cavity-nesting birds in the Uinta Mountains of Utah,USA

The ability to predict species occurrences quickly is often crucial for managers and conservation biologists with limited time and funds. We used measured associations with landscape patterns to build accurate predictive habitat models that were quickly and easily applied (i.e., required no additional data collection in the field to make predictions). We used classification trees (a nonparametric alternative to discriminant function analysis, logistic regression, and other generalized linear models) to model nesting habitat of red-naped sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus nuchalis), northern flickers (Colaptes auratus),tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), and mountain chickadees (Parus gambeli) in the Uinta Mountains of northeastern Utah, USA. We then tested the predictive capability of the models with independent data collected in the field the following year. The models built for the northern flicker, red-naped sapsucker, and tree swallow were relatively accurate (84%, 80%, and 75% nests correctly classified,respectively)compared to the models for the mountain chickadee (50% nests correctly classified). All four models were more selective than a null model that predicted habitat based solely on a gross association with aspen forests. We conclude that associations with landscape patterns can be used to build relatively accurate, easy to use, predictive models for some species. Our results stress, however, that both selecting the proper scale at which to assess landscape associations and empirically testing the models derived from those associations are crucial for building useful predictive models. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Earthworm casts as an alternate carrier material for biofertilizers: Assessment of endurance and viability of Azotobacter chroococcum, Bacillus megaterium and Rhizobium leguminosarum

Vermicast was used with lignite in different combinations (0:1, 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 6:1 and 1:0) as carrier substrate for biofertilizers (Azotobacter chroococcum, Bacillus megaterium and Rhizobium leguminosarum). The viability count of biofertilizer organisms in stored carrier material was individually carried out once in 15 days for a total period of ten months. More than 1 × 10⁷ g⁻¹ viable cells of A. chroococcum, B. megaterium and R. leguminosarum were observed in 4:1, 5:1, 6:1 and 1:0 combination of carrier materials (vermicast:lignite) at the end of 10th month. In case of lignite carrier material, no viable cells were observed in 10⁷ g⁻¹ at the end of 6th month for A. chroococcum and R. leguminosarum and 5th month for B. megaterium. The correlation of viable cells of the biofertilizers was negative with reference to incubation period. The increase of vermicast proportion in carrier materials showed increase in the survival rate. The results of the present study suggest that the vermicasts can be used as an alternate carrier material for A. chroococcum, B. megaterium and R. leguminosarum.