Thinning and prescribed fire treatments reduce tree mortality

USDA FOREST SERVICE - PACIFIC SOUTHWEST RESEARCH STATION

Research News

 

ALBANY, Calif. -- To date in 2020, 1,217 wildfires have burned 1,473,522 million acres of National Forest System lands in California; 8,486 wildfires have burned over 4 million acres across all jurisdictions in California. This current fire activity comes after forests in the region experienced an extreme drought accompanied by warmer than normal temperatures from 2012 to 2015, resulting in the deaths of over 147 million trees, mostly from bark beetles. These dead trees are now adding more fuel to this summer's wildfires, especially in the southern and central Sierra Nevada, where tree mortality was the heaviest.

Frequent fire once kept forests throughout the western US relatively open and prevented excess litter and downed wood from accumulating on the forest floor. After more than a century of fire suppression, many forests became far denser than they once were and more prone to disturbances such as uncharacteristically severe wildfire and drought. A recently released study by USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station research ecologists Eric Knapp and Malcolm North, research entomologist Chris Fettig, along with co-authors Alexis Bernal and Dr. Jeffrey Kane (Humboldt State University) suggests that if forests had been closer to their historic densities, tree mortality would likely not have been as severe. Published in the journal Forest Ecology and Management, the study found that between 2014 and 2018, 34% of trees in unthinned areas died compared with only 11% of trees in thinned areas.

This study compared two different types of thinning - a 'High Variability' method that restored a structure with more of the trees in groups and groups intermixed with small gaps, similar to what forests of California, shaped by fire, once looked like, and a 'Low Variability' method with relatively evenly spaced individual trees. One goal of the 'High Variability' method was to create and accentuate habitat for forest dwelling plant and animal species. Half of the study units were also treated with prescribed fire. The study found both thinning methods were equally effective at reducing tree mortality and increasing tree growth.

"Our findings show that thinning and prescribed fire can produce a diverse forest that not only provides greater variety of habitats but is also resilient to extreme drought," said Dr. Knapp. "Because of these potential habitat benefits and just a more natural look, high variability approaches to forest thinning also tend to have broader support in the community".

The large number of dead trees are adding to a pre-existing fuel problem by falling to the ground and creating more material to burn in areas that are already prone to uncharacteristically severe wildfire. Prescribed fire is one tool for reducing these fuels. "Results from our study demonstrated that trees in areas treated with prescribed fire were less likely to die if the forest was thinned first," said Dr. Knapp.

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https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1bo4e1L%7EGwOHqj

For more information about the study: https://www.fs.fed.us/psw/topics/forest_mgmt/variabledensity/

Headquartered in Albany, California, the Pacific Southwest Research Station is part of the U.S. Forest Service's Research and Development branch developing and communicating science needed to sustain forest ecosystems and other benefits to nature and society. Pacific Southwest Research Station scientists are engaged in research across a network of 14 experimental watersheds, ranges and forests and eight research facilities in California, Hawaii and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands. Research is organized into five research units: conservation of biodiversity, ecosystem function and health, fire and fuels, urban ecosystems and social dynamics, as well as Pacific Islands forestry. For more information, visit fs.fed.us/psw.

 

Cows prefer "live" co-moo-nication, study reveals

If you've ever wondered how to relax a cow, this one's for you

FRONTIERS

Research News

 

IMAGE: RESEARCHER ANNIKA LANGE TAKING PART IN SOME BOVINE BONDING view more 

CREDIT: © INSTITUTE OF ANIMAL WELFARE SCIENCE, VETMEDUNI VIENNA

After months of technology-based communication enforced by COVID-19, many of us are missing a "live" human voice. But we're not the only ones -- a new study reveals that cows also prefer a face-to-face chat. The research, published in Frontiers in Psychology, discovers that cows are actually more relaxed when spoken to directly by a live human, rather than when listening to a recorded voice via a loudspeaker.

"Cattle like stroking in combination with gentle talking," says Annika Lange of the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria. "In scientific contexts, a recording of a human voice speaking gently could be used to relax the animals, because it can be difficult to repeat the same phrases in the same way during experiments."

Using a recorded voice means conditions are as similar as possible in each trial, following a concept known as "standardization" -- an important principle of scientific experimentation. However, the team of scientists wanted to find out if cows respond differently to the sound of recorded voices compared to a human talking directly to them. "Our study suggests that live talking is more relaxing for our animals than a recording of a human voice", Lange says. "Interactions may be less positive when they become artificial through standardization".

The team worked with a herd of 28 cattle, comparing the benefits of either stroking the animals while playing a recording of an experimenter's voice, or stroking while speaking to the animals directly. After monitoring the animals' responses during the experiments, they found live talking was the best mood enhancer for their bovine friends.

Heart rate variability was higher when cattle were spoken to directly, indicating they were enjoying themselves. After this treatment, heart rates were lower than after listening to a recorded voice, showing that the animals were more relaxed following the live chat.

How does a chilled cow behave? "When relaxed and enjoying the interaction, the animals will often stretch out their necks as they do when they groom each other," says Lange. "Additionally, it is thought that ear positions may indicate mood: hanging ears and low ear positions appear to be linked to relaxation."

The experiment included only one herd and one playback recording. Lange calls for further research to see if results are also valid for different herds and situations, such as with cows that are more fearful of humans. This will help in further studies on the improvement of cattle-human relationships, an important aspect of animal welfare.

Notes to Editors

Original article: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.579346/full

Corresponding author: Annika Lange, annika.lange@vetmeduni.ac.at

Loop: https://loop.frontiersin.org/people/901494/overview

Frontiers is an award-winning Open Science platform and leading open-access scholarly publisher. Our mission is to make high-quality, peer-reviewed research articles rapidly and freely available to everybody in the world, thereby accelerating scientific and technological innovation, societal progress and economic growth. Frontiers received the 2014 ALPSP Gold Award for Innovation in Publishing. For more information, visit http://www.frontiersin.org and follow @Frontiersin on Twitter.

 

Port engineers need guidance incorporating sea level rise into construction designs

New survey by URI researchers finds rising sea level often not factored into maritime infrastructure design

UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND

Research News

  

 

 

KINGSTON, R.I. - October 13, 2020 - A survey of maritime infrastructure engineers by University of Rhode Island researchers found that the rising sea level is often not factored into designs of ports, breakwaters, fishing piers and other coastal infrastructure.

"If we're making decisions about infrastructure today and expect it to be serviceable for the next 50 to 75 years, we should be thinking about what the environmental conditions will be like towards the end of the infrastructure's life," said Austin Becker, URI associate professor of marine affairs, who studies how ports are preparing for climate change. "And we know that things are going to be very different along our coasts in the coming years."

In 2019, Becker and graduate student Benjamin Sweeney surveyed 85 engineers at consulting firms, port authorities and government agencies with experience working on port infrastructure projects in the United States. They found that 64% do not have a policy or planning document to guide how to incorporate sea level change into their designs.

"The challenge they face is that they aren't receiving concrete, consistent guidance for what they should be doing to integrate sea level rise projections into their work," Becker said. "They need guidance, they want guidance, they don't want to have to go on the whims of their clients, who may not have expertise in this area. They also don't want to have to weigh potentially conflicting guidance from local, state or federal agencies."

Becker said that without guidance, port engineers are more likely to disregard sea level change projections entirely.

"Formal policies or documents can lend credibility and provide the basis for recommendations," wrote Becker and Sweeney in a research paper in the Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal and Ocean Engineering. "Conversely, engineers without the documented support from their organization may be less willing to take the personal and professional risk that comes with making subjective decisions."

Of the 29% of survey respondents that do have formal guidance from a sea level rise planning document, only 9% said they use it for all of their projects.

"That isn't surprising, but it's worrisome," said Becker, a visiting fellow at the U.S. Naval War College. "It's not surprising because of the times we live in; there's so much conflicting information out there about climate change. But scientists understand that sea levels are actually rising and that there will be ramifications, and it's going to make things much more expensive to not factor those changes into designs now."

The survey also examined the factors that influenced whether engineers incorporate sea level rise into their designs. It found that 54% of respondents said they often or always factor in rising sea levels because it is required by their client, and 46% indicated they do so because it is a regulatory requirement.

More than half of the respondents also said that "a lack of design standards" was the chief barrier to incorporating sea level rise into their infrastructure projects. Other answers included a lack of funding, the client doesn't want sea level rise incorporated, and concerns over the uncertainty of sea level rise projections.

"Regulatory standards and codes remove the burden on engineers to make subjective sea level rise decisions," Becker and Sweeney wrote. "This barrier also renders many of the other barriers less relevant."

Based on the results of the survey, Becker and Sweeney recommend that engineers undertake a life cycle cost analysis that includes sea level rise projections for each project. This methodology can be used to support decision making for climate change adaptation alternatives.

They also suggest that the engineering community collaborate with port authorities and regulatory bodies to create design standards to improve the resilience of port infrastructure.

"Engineers need something they can rely on so they can go to their clients and say, 'this is what we need to follow, and it's not optional,'" Becker said. "The guidance also has to be flexible enough so it can be adapted over time as conditions change, but it gives them something they can hang their hat on today."

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The Sea Level Change Subcommittee of the American Society of Civil Engineers Ports and Harbors Committee served as advisers on this research. The results of the survey will be incorporated into an upcoming planning document the subcommittee is developing that will provide guidance on how engineers and planners can incorporate sea level change into their port infrastructure designs.

 

New global temperature data will inform study of climate impacts on health, agriculture

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

Research News

 

A seemingly small one-to-two degree change in the global climate can dramatically alter weather-related hazards. Given that such a small change can result in such big impacts, it is important to have the most accurate information possible when studying the impact of climate change. This can be especially challenging in data sparse areas like Africa, where some of the most dangerous hazards are expected to emerge.

A new data set published in the journal Scientific Data provides high-resolution, daily temperatures from around the globe that could prove valuable in studying human health impacts from heat waves, risks to agriculture, droughts, potential crop failures, and food insecurity.

Data scientists Andrew Verdin and Kathryn Grace of the Minnesota Population Center at the University of Minnesota worked with colleagues at the Climate Hazards Center at the University of California Santa Barbara to produce and validate the data set.

"It's important to have this high-resolution because of the wide-ranging impacts - to health, agriculture, infrastructure. People experiencing heat waves, crop failures, droughts - that's all local," said Verdin, the lead author.

By combining weather station data, remotely sensed infrared data and the weather simulation models, this new data set provides daily estimates of 2-meter maximum and minimum air temperatures for 1983-2016. Named CHIRTS-daily, this data provides high levels of accuracy, even in areas where on-site weather data collection is sparse. Current efforts are focused on updating the data set in near real time.

"We know that the next 20 years are going to bring more extreme heat waves that will put millions or even billions of people in harm's way. CHIRTS-daily will help us monitor, understand, and mitigate these rapidly emerging climate hazards", said Chris Funk, director of the Climate Hazards Center.

Additionally, the people who are most vulnerable are often located in areas where publicly available weather station data are deteriorating or unreliable. Areas with rapidly expanding populations and exposures (e.g. Africa, Central America, and parts of Asia) can't rely on weather observations. By combining different sources of weather information, each contributes to provide detail and context for a more accurate, global temperature dataset.

"We're really excited about the possibilities for fine-scale, community-focused climate-health data analyses that this dataset can support. We're excited to see researchers use it," said co-author Kathryn Grace.

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A circular economy could save the world's economy post-COVID-19



UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK

Research News


IMAGE: DR TAOFEEQ IBN-MOHAMMED, FROM WMG, UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK
CREDIT: WMG, UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK

The Covid-19 pandemic has challenged all facets of human endeavours, and seven months later the economic effects are particularly being felt

How the world can leverage the positive and negative effects of COVID-19 to build a new, more resilient and low-carbon economy has been analysed by a group of academics led by WMG, University of Warwick

A more sustainable model based on circular economy framework could help the world recover financially from COVID-19, whilst facilitating the attainment of net zero carbon goals

The World's economy is feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic with many industries under threat. A group of researchers from the UK, Malaysia, Nigeria, UAE and Japan, led by WMG, University of Warwick have concluded that adopting circular economy strategies would be the best way for the world's economy to recover, whilst enabling the transition to a low-carbon economy.Dr Taofeeq Ibn-Mohammed

The World Health Organisation declared the COVID-19 pandemic on the 11th March 2020, which saw global supply chains severely disrupted and strained, and the financial market unsettled, resulting in a cross-border economic disaster. Lockdowns and border closures shattered the core sustaining pillars of modern world economies, with the economic shock due to these measures still being weighed across the globe.

In the paper, 'A critical analysis of the impacts of COVID-19 on the global economy and ecosystems and opportunities for circular economy strategies', published in the journal Resources, Conservation & Recycling sees a group of researchers led by WMG, at the University of Warwick, critically analysed the negative and positive impacts of the pandemic. To make the world resilient post-COVID-19, the adoption of circular economy framework is recommended for all sectors.

The pandemic had many effects on everyone's lives, from not leaving the house, being infected and possibly hospitalised, and even losing a loved one. It has had a strain on those who were furloughed or even lost their jobs, and the mental health of the populace. Economically, the effects can be felt everywhere due to the colossal financial loss across both the macro and micro levels of the economy, including the global supply chains and international trade, tourism and aviation and many other sectors, hampering the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. However, the pandemic has provoked some natural changes in behaviour and attitudes with positive influences on human health and the planet including:
Improvements of air quality, in fact in the UK it's thought more lives have been saved by the reduced air pollutants compared to the number of people who died with COVID-19 in China, for example.


Reduction in environmental noise and traffic congestions has led to an increase in the number of people exercising outside to enjoy the atmosphere.


Less tourism induced by the pandemic, resulting in less exploitation of the beaches, leading to increased cleanliness.

Decline in global primary energy use. For instance coal use was down 8%, 60% less oil, and electricity plummeted by 20% compared to the first quarter of 2019, leading to record low global CO2 emissions.

Triggering the need for diversification and circularity of supply chains, and evinced the power of public policy for tackling urgent socio-economic crises.

The researchers have examined the impacts of the pandemic and its interplay with circular economy, to evaluate how it could be embraced to rebuild the world's economy.

Dr Taofeeq Ibn-Mohammed, from WMG, University of Warwick comments:

"The pandemic has highlighted the environmental folly of 'extract, produce, use and dump' economic model of material and energy flows, however the short term resolutions to cope with pandemic will not be sustainable in the long-run, as they do not reflect improvements in economic structures of the global economy.

"We therefore propose circular economy adoptions for all industries, with different strategies for each one. For example, embracing the transformative capabilities of digital technologies for supply chain resilience by leveraging: big data analytics for streamlining supplier selection processes; cloud computing to facilitate and manage supplier relationships; and Internet of Things for enhancing logistics and shipping processes.

"The post-COVID-19 investments needed to accelerate towards more resilient, low carbon and circular economies should also be integrated into the stimulus packages for economic recovery being promised by governments, since the shortcomings in the dominant linear economic model are now recognised and the gaps to be closed are known."

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NOTES TO EDITORS

Paper available to view: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344920304869

High-res images available at:

https://warwick.ac.uk/services/communications/medialibrary/images/october_2020/taofeeq_headshot_.jpg

Caption: Dr Taofeeq Ibn-Mohammed, from WMG, University of Warwick
Credit: WMG, University of War
More on this News Release
A circular economy could save the world's economy post-COVID-19

UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK JOURNAL

Resources, Conservation and Recycling

 

Scientists release previously unseen footage showing environmental impacts of pot fishing

UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH

Research News

VIDEO: VIDEO FOOTAGE CAPTURED BY SCIENTISTS SHOWED NUMEROUS SPECIES SUFFERED DAMAGE AS THE POTS WERE HAULED FROM THE SEABED \
https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/news/scientists-release-previously-unseen-footage-showing-environmental-impacts-of-pot-fishing
CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH

The global pot fishing industry could be having a greater impact on corals, sponges and other species found on the seabed than previously thought, according to new research.

Scientists from the University of Plymouth (UK) attached video cameras to pots used by crab and lobster fishermen off the south coast of England.

As the pots were lowered, and later recovered, they recorded any damage caused to the rocky reefs on the seabed and various ecologically important species which call them home.

The resulting footage showed that of the 18 species observed, 14 suffered damage as the pots were hauled from the seabed.

This included certain species - including pink sea fans, ross coral, Dead Man's Fingers and boring sponges - recognised as indicators of general health in the marine environment.

The findings go against previous thinking around the damage caused by pot fishing to the seabed, with research carried out until now regarding its potential impact as minimal.

Writing in Marine Environmental Research, scientists say they must now be taken into consideration by authorities and fishing communities, and that managers must balance ecology with social and economic considerations to determine what level of impact is acceptable. This is especially important where potting is occurring within MPAs.

Crustacean fisheries are a very valuable component of the UK fishing industry and are particularly important to coastal communities, with 1,342 vessels fishing with pots and traps in 2016 and the majority of them measuring under 10m and operating in inshore waters.

In 2017, total shellfish landings accounted for 38% of all those by UK vessels, with 34,100 tonnes of crab and lobster (worth almost £100million) landed into the UK. Globally, the industry is present in 48 countries which also have multi-use MPAs within their waters.

Dr Sarah Gall, Lecturer in Marine Conservation at the University of Plymouth, led the research as part of her PhD studies. She said: "This is the first study to quantify the true footprint of potting. Despite finding that areas fished with pots were characterised by species indicative of a healthy reef system, we have not seen the greater abundance, species richness and diversity we might have expected. The footage we obtained shows that 25-30% of seabed species were either damaged or dislodged by potting and we have also highlighted particular concerns about some long-lived and slow-growing species. The future management of pot fisheries will need to address these findings on a site by site basis to ensure the long term health of our rocky reef systems and the sustainability of the potting industry."

The study was carried out in partnership with fishermen operating in the Inshore Potting Agreement (IPA) area, which stretches along the South Devon coastline from Plymouth Sound to Start Point. It was funded by the Devon & Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority and the University's own Marine Institute.

It builds on the University's extensive research into the impact of conservation initiatives such as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which includes a long-running monitoring programme in Lyme Bay, off the Dorset and Devon coast.

That research has previously shown that restricting the amount of inshore potting for crab and lobster within MPAs can generate a "win-win" for both fishermen and the marine environment.

Dr Emma Sheehan, Associate Professor of Marine Ecology, leads the Lyme Bay Project and is senior author on the current paper. She added: "Our ongoing work in Lyme Bay has shown that smaller fishing communities recognise the importance of preventing damage to the environment in order to secure their livelihoods in the long term. In that respect, this study is crucial because it provides the first evidence of a potentially global issue and those in the industry are integral to addressing it. Through working with conservation and coastal managers, we hope a solution could be reached where the interests of industry and the environment can be balanced."

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Austerity's impact on rural poverty has been overlooked, study finds

by Cardiff University

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Researchers at Cardiff University, Queen Mary University of London, and University of Exeter have revealed the significant impact of austerity on rural areas.


The findings, published in the Journal of Rural Studies, provide the most comprehensive account to date of how changes in spending power and service spending have affected rural communities in England and Wales. Using both statistical and qualitative data, the research highlights how austerity has compounded long-standing but often ignored problems of rural poverty.

Academics say the research provides new evidence of the 'hollowing out' of rural local government through the closure of libraries, youth centers and transport services and the ways local authority spending power has diminished through the merger of District Councils and creation of Unitary Authorities. According to analysis, the establishment of Dorset Unitary Authority in 2019 amounted to a loss of £21.7m (-6.59%) in 2019-20 core spending power. Similarly, the creation of West Suffolk District Council in 2019 amounted to a loss of £3.3m, or 16.8%.

Changes which could have a direct and rapid impact on food insecurity are also disproportionately affecting people in rural areas, according to the study.

Jobseeker Allowance claimants in rural areas are more likely to experience higher-level sanctions, the research says. Despite comprising only 12.4% of total sanction referrals made in England between November 2012 and October 2019, rural areas accounted for 17.8% of all known high-level sanctions in that period. These measures lead to an individual's loss of income for 13, 26 or 156 weeks and are imposed if a claimant fails to accept or apply for a job, is dismissed for misconduct, or is deemed to have left employment without good reason.

Using Freedom of Information data, the report also shows that rural authorities are far more likely than their urban counterparts to have closed discretionary Local Welfare Assistance Schemes (LWAS) schemes, which are designed to help people in financial crisis. Just under one in three (9 of 28) rural authorities have done so, compared to one in seven urban authorities (16 of 116).

Dr. Andrew Williams, based in Cardiff University's School of Geography and Planning said: "It is well documented that austerity has hit the most deprived urban areas the hardest, but the impact on rural poverty is often overlooked given difficulties in measurement and idyllic representations of countryside."

Professor Jon May, based at Queen Mary University of London's School of Geography, said: "Beyond the image of 'leafy shire counties' and 'idyllic chocolate box villages', the last decade has seen a steady dismantling of the social infrastructures—bus routes, libraries, youth centers—which many people in rural areas rely on.

"Poverty and food insecurity are rising, as too the number of food banks as a disproportionate number of people in rural England and Wales face some of the worst impacts of austerity."

"Still bleeding: The variegated geographies of austerity and food banking in rural England and Wales" is published in the Journal of Rural Studies.

"This research is not about pitting the needs of the 'rural poor' against their urban counterparts, but highlighting the severity and specificity of the problems austerity poses for people in rural areas in a context where these problems have until now remained largely invisible," says Williams.

Explore further Telehealth bridges and highlights rural health disparities
More information: Jon May et al. Still bleeding: The variegated geographies of austerity and food banking in rural England and Wales, Journal of Rural Studies (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2020.08.024
Provided by Cardiff University

Atmospheric dust levels are rising in the Great Plains

by University of Utah

The hazards of increased atmospheric dust. Credit: Talie Lambert.

Got any spaces left on that 2020 bingo card? Pencil in "another Dust Bowl in the Great Plains." A study from University of Utah researchers and their colleagues finds that atmospheric dust levels are rising across the Great Plains at a rate of up to 5% per year.

The trend of rising dust parallels expansion of cropland and seasonal crop cycles, suggesting that farming practices are exposing more soil to wind erosion. And if the Great Plains becomes drier, a possibility under climate change scenarios, then all the pieces are in place for a repeat of the Dust Bowl that devastated the Midwest in the 1930s.

"We can't make changes to the earth surface without some kind of consequence just as we can't burn fossil fuels without consequences," says Andy Lambert, lead author of the study and a recent U graduate. "So while the agriculture industry is absolutely important, we need to think more carefully about where and how we plant."

The research is published in Geophysical Research Letters and was funded by the Utah Science Technology and Research (USTAR) initiative, the Global Change and Sustainability Center at the University of Utah, and the Associated Students of the University of Utah.

The first Dust Bowl

In the 1930s, a drought blanketed the Great Plains, from Mexico to Canada. This wouldn't have been such a big deal except that in the 1920s Midwestern farmers had converted vast tracts of grassland into farmland using mechanical plows. When the crops failed in the drought the open areas of land that used to be covered by grass, which held soil tightly in place, were now bare dirt, vulnerable to wind erosion.

"The result was massive dust storms that we associate with the Dust Bowl," Lambert says. "These dust storms removed nutrients from the soil, making it more difficult for crops to grow and more likely for wind erosion to occur." After years of drought, dust and hardship, rain finally began to fall again, bringing the Dust Bowl to a close.

"But the damage was already done to the soil," Lambert says. "Some areas have still not fully recovered."

Around the 2000s, the growth in demand for biofuels spurred renewed expansion of farmland to produce the needed crops. In an echo of the 1920s, this expansion replaced stable grasslands with vulnerable soil. Over five years, from 2006 to 2011, 2046 square miles (530,000 hectares) of grassland in five Midwestern states became farmland—an area a little smaller than Delaware.

At the same time, parts of the Great Plains experienced longer and more severe droughts in the 20th century. The future of drought in that region is, so far, uncertain, but the potential for a warmer, drier Great Plains has Lambert and co-author Gannet Hallar, associate professor of atmospheric sciences, bringing up the word "desertification" in relation to the potential future of the region.

Eyes in the dusty skies

The focus of the study by Lambert, Hallar and colleagues from the U, the University of Colorado-Boulder and Colorado State University, was to quantify how much the amount of dust in the atmosphere over the Great Plains had changed in recent decades. To do that, they tapped into instrumentation that measures atmospheric haziness from the ground up and from space down. From the ground, the IMPROVE monitoring network is run by several federal agencies and measures the amount of particulate matter in the air at sites, including national parks, around the country. Another ground-based network, the NASA-run AERONET, watches for how much incoming sunlight is blocked by dust and aerosol particles in the air. From space, an instrument called MODIS does the same job, looking at how much light reflected from the surface is similarly blocked by particles.

All together, the data cover years from 1988 to 2018. Dust, they found, is increasing in the atmosphere over the whole of the Great Plains by as much as 5% per year.

"The amount of increase is really the story here," Hallar says. "That 5% a year over two decades, of course, is a hundred percent increase in dust loading. This is not a small signal to find."

Correlating with crop timing

The researchers further found correlations between dust in the atmosphere and crop timings. In Iowa, where soybeans have been a major expanding crop, increases in dust appeared in June and October—planting and harvesting months, respectively, for soybeans. In the southern Great Plains states, where corn is a more dominant crop, dust increases appeared in March and October—again correlating to corn planting and harvesting seasons.

That was remarkable," Hallar says, "in the sense of how clear the signal was."

Are we seeing the beginnings of the second Dust Bowl?

"I think it's fair to say that what's happening with dust trends in the Midwest and the Great Plains is an indicator that the threat is real if crop land expansion continues to occur at this rate and drought risk does increase because of climate change," Lambert says. "Those would be the ingredients for another Dust Bowl."

"This is an example of the need for the agricultural community in the U.S. to think about adapting and mitigating to a changing climate," Hallar says. "So if we become more arid we will need to think about the impacts of land degradation in that changed climate. What we did in the past isn't necessarily what we can do in the future."

Land-cover changes likely intensified Dust Bowl drought
More information: Andrew Lambert et al, Dust Impacts of Rapid Agricultural Expansion on the Great Plains, Geophysical Research Letters (2020).

DOI: 10.1029/2020GL090347
Journal information: Geophysical Research Letters
Provided by University of Utah

First report on the impact of European incubators and accelerators NON MEDICAL

by Politecnico di Torino
  

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

In France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK there are a total of more than 1,200 business incubators/accelerators, with an estimated number of 7,165 employees. The most diffused services offered by these organizations are networking services, physical spaces and shared services, access to finance, managerial training and managerial support.


The Social Innovation Monitor research team, based at Politecnico di Torino, will present for the first time analyses on the ecosystems of incubators/accelerators in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and United Kingdom on 20th of October, at 5 p.m CEST time.

The research has been carried out in collaboration with Enterprise Educators UK Association, German Startups Association, InnovUp, La Boussole des Entrepreneurs, PNICube Association, Spanish Startups Association, UKSPA Association, Experientia, Instilla and Social Innovation Teams (SIT).

According to the research, in the five countries analyzed, there are 1,217 incubators and accelerators, of which 182 are corporate incubators and 227 are university incubators. France has the highest number of incubators/accelerators with a total of 284; followed by United Kingdom with 274, Germany with 247, Spain and Italy respectively with 215 and 197 incubators and accelerators.

The estimated number of employees is equal to 7,165. The highest number of employees in incubators and accelerators has been estimated to be in UK, with 2,164 employees. France follows with an estimated 1,420 employees, then Spain with 1,376, Germany with 1,111 and Italy with 1,094.

The most diffused services offered by these organizations are networking services, provision of physical spaces and shared services, access to finance, managerial training and managerial support. In particular, for French incubators and accelerators, the most important services provided are managerial support and support for the creation of networks; German incubators and accelerators consider as the most important services the same services of French incubators/accelerators with the addition of the provision of shared spaces and services.

The most important offered services for Italian incubators/accelerators are network creation, managerial support, the provision of shared spaces and services, and access to finance, while in Spanish incubators the most important services are related to managerial support and training, access to finance, and the provision of physical spaces and shared services. Finally, incubators and accelerators in U.K. consider more relevant physical spaces, network services, access to finance, managerial training and managerial support.

Another interesting data arising from the report relates to the equity taken by incubators/accelerators in the organizations that they incubate. On average, 17.5% of incubators and accelerators in these five states hold equity shares in organizations incubated.

In line with the SIM mission of empowering the ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship with a significant social impact, the survey put a focus on incubators that support startups with a social and/or environmental impact. In France and the United Kingdom, the report observes that the startups with a social impact most supported are those in the health and wellness sector, while in Italy and in Germany the majority of supported startup are in the sector of environmental and animal protection. Spain distinguishes itself by the predominance of startups with a social impact in the sector of sustainable tourism and responsible consumption.

The Social Innovation Monitor's research is based on the analysis of the information collected through the questionnaire sent out in the five countries. The research team has identified a total of 1217 European incubators and accelerators, of which 244 responded to the survey.

Professor Paolo Landoni from the Politecnico di Torino, scientific director of the research, says, "We are pleased to see that in all the countries that we have examined, there is a significant number of incubators/accelerators. It is interesting to note that the numbers, especially when compared to the population in each country, are highly comparable. We have to explore this further, but there is the possibility of a coherent model of incubation/acceleration in Europe. We are looking forward to discussing this and other points with our partners and the participants to the upcoming webinar."


University incubators may lead to lower-quality innovation, new study shows
More information: The Public Reports for each country are freely available for download at https://socialinnovationmonitor.com/en/report-incubators/
Provided by Politecnico di Torino

Soluble iron in skies over China's cities could create health risk, study finds

by University of Birmingham

Smog in Beijing. Credit: Lilydjwg - Wikimedia Commons

Industrial and vehicle pollution in the skies above East China's major cities is boosting the amount of atmospheric soluble iron particles—creating health risks for citizens, a new study reveals.

Research indicates that acidic gases emitted from power generation, industry and vehicle exhausts are helping to dissolve insoluble iron particles in Beijing, Handan, Zhengzhou and Hangzhou.

The tiny soluble iron-containing particles created as a result of this can be inhaled by people—causing respiratory illness, as well as being transported by winter winds into the Pacific Ocean, affecting the oceanic ecosystem.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham worked with partners at Zhejiang University, Hangzhou; China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing; Hebei University of Engineering, Handan; and Zhongyuan University of Technology, Zhengzhou—publishing their findings in Environmental Pollution.

Study co-author Zongbo Shi, Professor of Atmospheric Biogeochemistry at the University of Birmingham, commented: "Our research shows that chemical processing is a key reason behind greater amounts of soluble iron in the atmosphere on haze days when atmospheric pollution from man-made sources is higher.

"Acidic 'man-made' pollution helps to dissolve iron out of larger 'mixed' pollution particles—this is concerning because large amounts of tiny iron-containing particles can be inhaled and cause adverse health effects though the generation of oxygen free radicals."

Iron carried in airborne particles is an essential external source for phytoplankton growth in large parts of remote oceans and indirectly affects the seas' capture of planet-warming carbon dioxide, playing a significant positive role in the global carbon cycle and climate. There are natural sources of iron, such as desert dust and soil dust, and anthropogenic (man-made) generators such as fossil fuel combustion and steel industrial activities.

Researchers discovered that concentration of soluble iron particles was higher over the northern cities of Beijing, Handan and Zhengzhou than the southern city of Hangzhou. The experts selected the four cities to represent typical urban environments, with their respective populations of 21.5 million, 9.5 million, 10.1 million and 9.8 million citizens.

Beijing mainly suffers from road traffic pollution with pollutants from surrounding industrial regions, while heavy industry in Handan uses large amounts of energy, resulting in copious emissions of air pollutants. Zhengzhou is a major road, rail and air transport hub suffering from serious vehicle exhaust pollution, as does Hangzhou which is also polluted with contaminants blown in from surrounding industrial regions.

"Large amounts of soluble iron may be the catalyst for creating secondary sulfate particles in East China's polluted atmosphere," added Professor Shi. "We need further research to understand how this situation changes the creation of atmospheric oxygen free radicals which can pose significant health risks."


Iron dissolved by air pollution may increase ocean potential to trap carbon
More information: Yanhong Zhu et al. Iron solubility in fine particles associated with secondary acidic aerosols in east China, Environmental Pollution (2020). 

DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114769
Journal information: Environmental Pollution
Provided by University of Birmingham