paleorthid's Feed

Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from waste and biomass to energy plants -- Gutierrez et al. 23 (2): 133 -- Waste Management & Rese

paleorthid — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 01:39:00 -0500

Following the Kyoto protocol with respect to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases emissions, and EU energy policy and sustainability in waste management, there has been an increased interest in the reduction of emissions from waste disposal operations. From the point of view of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, waste incineration and waste co-combustion are very acceptable methods for waste disposal. In order to achieve very low N2O emissions from waste incineration, particularly for waste with higher nitrogen content (e.g. sewage sludge), two factors are important: temperature of incineration over 900°C and avoiding the selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) de-NOX method based on urea or ammonia treatments. The more modern selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems for de-NOX give rise to negligible sources of N2O. Tagged by paleorthid under pyrolysis, bio-char, biofuel, waste, energy,

Evolution Research - General Evolution News: Metagenomics: Investigating the invisible life in our environment

paleorthid — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 01:32:00 -0500

Data indicates microbes have more difficulty adapting than previously thought. Tagged by paleorthid under soil, biology, genome, rna, ecology, environment, fungi, bacteria, habitat, microbiology, research, science, soil_microbiology,

Opinion: How biofuels could cut carbon emissions, produce energy and restore dead land « Not exactly rocket science

paleorthid — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 01:25:00 -0500

plant diversity and low input biomass for biofuel Tagged by paleorthid under soil, environment, co2, biofuel, research, opinion, science, carbon_sequestration, conservation,

NSCSS News and Views: NSCSS Supports Federal Research Public Access Act

paleorthid — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 11:38:00 -0500

The National Society of Consulting Soil Scientists supports S. 2695, the Federal Research Public Access Act of 2006, as introduced, in that it reflects NSCSS goals regarding the free exchange of information, promoting soil science technology, and eliminating unfair competition from taxpayer supported entities. Tagged by paleorthid under OA, FRPAA, soil, science, research, open, access, news, release, legislation, politics,

transect points: Sombroek's Challenge - Terra Preta Nova

paleorthid — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 01:39:00 -0500

The Godfather of Terra Preta, soil scientist Wim Sombroek (1934 - 2003) enjoyed a lifelong fascination with enhanced soil. The importance of plaggen soil in his native Netherlands impressed him at an early age, and early in the 1960's, he recognized in the Amazonian Dark Earths something familiar and precious. Before his passing, he assembled specific soil scientists challenged them to discover the process for making and sustaining a modern equivalent of the bio-char enhanced terra preta, what he termed terra preta nova. A great opportunity in answering Sombroek's challenge lies is surmounting the opacity of mutualistic rhizospheric species to traditional analytical approaches: only 1% of rhizospheric species are cultureable ala petri dish. We don't have a robust body of culture-independent studies against which to compare Terra Preta, so we are doubly challenged to reverse-engineer the phenomenon. Considering Wim Somboek's many noteworthy accomplishments, the perspective of his international leadership, and the late-in-life timing of his challenge, one senses he is pointing us to a mystery fundamental to understanding soil in new and exciting ways. This happens at a time when the soil science profession is in dynamic transition and sorely in need of a unifying vision. Wim Sombroek has given soil scientists a most welcome and worthy quest. Tagged by paleorthid under terra_preta, microbiology, research, soil_science, bio-char, carbon_sequestration, innovation,

transect points: Black Earth

paleorthid — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 11:31:00 -0500

Peak Energy has a long post on Terra Preta that brings together what has been established on the subject. As of yet, there is no direct mention of the role of glomalin , just a minor mention of the mutualistic fungi that produce it. Glomalin is an unvalidated factor in Terra Preta formation that several of us sense will be demonstrated by soil research as fundamentally important. Spurred on by back40, I am fascinated with bio-char, Terra Preta's key soil amendment. Last summer I constructed a small charcoal retort out of a cracker tin. I used it to produce small pilot batches of low temperature charcoal. Hoping to transform my simple charcoal into a reasonably bio-char-like material, I am currently composting my bits. Tagged by paleorthid under terra_preta, bio-char, soil_science, blog, fungi, glomalin,

transect points: My picks from Vadose Zone Journal

paleorthid — Sun, 17 Dec 2006 12:02:00 -0500

VZJ articles are released to open access 18 months after online publication. These articles, from May 2005, became available on November 13, 2006. (1) Buckingham, 1907: An Appreciation: Buckingham articulated his findings mostly in written prose, without much reliance on mathematics. His foundational ideas are as valid today as when he proposed them. (2) Simplified Method to Estimate [hydraulic conductivity] ... A simple, innovative method is presented to estimate saturated hydraulic conductivity in soil. The only paired data points necessary for this proposed new method are the times when the permeameter is half full and when it reaches empty. Tagged by paleorthid under physics, edaphology, soil, water, vadose, research, open_access,

http://transectpoints.blogspot.com/2006/12/invasive-earthworms.html

paleorthid — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 04:30:00 -0500

Research shows that invasive earthworms are damaging forest soils and are a menace to species diversity. The problem is most often associated with formerly glaciated regions, where native populations of earthworms are not present. Comparing soil in front of the invaders to post invasion conditions demonstrates that these worms cause soil compaction, reduced soil fertility, and increased erosion. It appears that these invaders are capable of alterations deep enough into the soil profile to result in a change in soil taxonomic classification at the order level. Other concerns are damage to rhizosphere functions, impairing soil carbon sequestration capacity. Tagged by paleorthid under ecology, edaphology, fertility, forest, fungi, habitat, health, microbiology, pedology, research, soil,

transect points: Soil and Bioavailability of P in Food

paleorthid — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 02:55:00 -0500

Researchers find that soil phosphorus levels may affect plant phytate levels as much as plant breeding. Not only is the phosphorus in low-phytate grain crops more digestible by people, but low-phytate grains free up minerals essential to human nutrition: zinc, manganese and iron. Tagged by paleorthid under agriculture, animal, chemistry, edaphology, environment, farm, feed, health, phosphorus, research, water, soil, waste,

Basque Research: Mixed mortars of calcium and cement in the restoration of buildings

paleorthid — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 12:51:00 -0500

Mixed mortars of calcium and cement in the restoration of buildings The chemist Mikel Arandigoyen Vidaurre, of the Department of Chemistry and Soil Sciences of the University of Navarra, has proved the effectiveness of new formulas for the restoration of buildings. In his thesis, defended at the School of Sciences, he proposes a combination of calcium and cement, which is able to strengthen the qualities of both materials. Tagged by paleorthid under mortar, building, restoration, calcium, cement,

Mechanisms of terroir: how soils affect the taste of wine

paleorthid — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 03:15:00 -0500

The most convincing indications in the scientific literature are that the effect of soil type is through its physical properties, and more specifically, through the water supply to the grapevine. Nevertheless, it’s worth taking a look at recent research on the indirect effects of mineral nutrition on plant physiology. Although it seems clear that there is no direct link between soils and wine flavour, by framing their activities within the context of a soil-focused worldview and trying to get a bit of somewhereness and minerality into their wines, winegrowers might be vastly increasing their chances of making interesting wine. And that’s something the world needs more of. Tagged by paleorthid under soil, terroir,

The Scientist : Is Peer Review Broken?

paleorthid — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 12:06:00 -0500

Despite a lack of evidence that peer review works, most scientists (by nature a skeptical lot) appear to believe in peer review. It's something that's held "absolutely sacred" in a field where people rarely accept anything with "blind faith," says Richard Smith, former editor of the BMJ and now CEO of UnitedHealth Europe and board member of PLoS. "It's very unscientific, really." What's wrong with the current system? What could make it better? Does it even work at all? Indeed, an abundance of data from a range of journals suggests peer review does little to improve papers. In one 1998 experiment designed to test what peer review uncovers, researchers intentionally introduced eight errors into a research paper. More than 200 reviewers identified an average of only two errors. Tagged by paleorthid under peer_review, science,

TaxProf Blog: Congress May Mandate Open Access to Scientific Research

paleorthid — Sun, 12 Mar 2006 11:05:00 -0500

Supporters of open access to scientific research are pressuring the federal government to make open access mandatory, now that data suggest that the National Institutes of Health�s policy merely requesting open access to research it has financed within a year of publication is a failure Tagged by paleorthid under open_access, star2blog, science, research,

What's New? HiMag Fescue

paleorthid — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 07:31:00 -0500

A hardy new grass called "HiMag" may help protect cattle, sheep, and goats from an affliction known as grass tetany. When ruminants�animals with four stomachs�have too little magnesium in their blood, grass tetany can result. Also known as hypomagnesemia, grass tetany causes an estimated $50 to $150 million in livestock production losses each year in the United States. Tagged by paleorthid under science, research, tetany, fescue, grass, forage, animal, nutrition,

From libraries to libratories

paleorthid — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 11:44:00 -0500

Abstract: While the eighties of the last century were a time of local automation for libraries and the nineties the decade in which libraries embraced the Internet and the Web, now is the age in which the big search engines and institutional repositories are gaining a firm footing. This heralds a new era in both the evolution of scholarly communication and its agencies themselves, i.e. the libraries. Until now libraries and publishers have developed a digital variant of existing processes and products, i.e. catalogues posted on the Web, scanned copies of articles, e�mail notification about acquisitions or expired lending periods, or traditional journals in a digital jacket. However, the new OAI repositories and services based upon them have given rise to entirely new processes and products, libraries transforming themselves into partners in setting up virtual learning environments, building an institution�s digital showcase, maintaining academics� personal Web sites, designing refereed portals and � further into the future � taking part in organising virtual research environments or collaboratories. Libraries are set to metamorphose into �libratories�, an imaginary word to express their combined functions of library, repository and collaboratory. In such environments scholarly communication will be liberated from its current copyright bridle while its coverage will be both broader � including primary data, audiovisuals and dynamic models � and deeper, with cross�disciplinary analyses of methodologies and applications of instruments. Universities will make it compulsory to store in their institutional repositories the results of research conducted within their walls for purposes of academic reporting, review committees, and other modes of clarification and explanation. Big search engines will provide access to this profusion of information and organise its mass customization. Tagged by paleorthid under open_access, OA,

Copyright Issues in Open Access Research Journals: The Authors' Perspective

paleorthid — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 02:24:00 -0500

This article presents results of a survey undertaken as part of a series of work packages under a joint initiative by JISC and SURF to explore the attitudes of authors in the UK and the Netherlands towards Open Access. These and other results seem to reflect a desire on the part of academics to change the balance of rights within copyright between authors and publishers in scholarly communication journals. Libraries and academic institutes are already taking part in the scholarly communication copyright debate and could use these results to align their positions with the academics' views. Tagged by paleorthid under survey, open_access, science, research, journal, article,

CiteULike: Ameliorating physical and chemical properties of highly weathered soils in the tropics with charcoal â€“ a review

paleorthid — Sat, 25 Feb 2006 02:55:00 -0500

Rapid turnover of organic matter leads to a low efficiency of organic fertilizers applied to increase and sequester C in soils of the humid tropics. Charcoal was reported to be responsible for high soil organic matter contents and soil fertility of anthropogenic soils (Terra Preta) found in central Amazonia. Therefore, we reviewed the available information about the physical and chemical properties of charcoal as affected by different combustion procedures, and the effects of its application in agricultural fields on nutrient retention and crop production. Higher nutrient retention and nutrient availability were found after charcoal additions to soil, related to higher exchange capacity, surface area and direct nutrient additions. Higher charring temperatures generally improved exchange properties and surface area of the charcoal. Additionally, charcoal is relatively recalcitrant and can therefore be used as a long-term sink for atmospheric CO2. Several aspects of a charcoal management system remain unclear, such as the role of microorganisms in oxidizing charcoal surfaces and releasing nutrients and the possibilities to improve charcoal properties during production under field conditions. Several research needs were identified, such as field testing of charcoal production in tropical agroecosystems, the investigation of surface properties of the carbonized materials in the soil environment, and the evaluation of the agronomic and economic effectiveness of soil management with charcoal. Tagged by paleorthid under terra_preta, bio-char, carbon_sequestration, charcoal_addition_to_soil, edaphology, pedology, nutrient_leaching, soil_amelioration, soil_microbiology, sustainable_landuse,

Datasets for Amazonia and the Cerrado (LBA) - The Woods Hole Research Center

paleorthid — Sat, 25 Feb 2006 12:55:00 -0500

Amazonian datasets assembled with funding from NASA. land cover, soil, vegetation, sawmills, rural housing, fire, industrial mining, Tagged by paleorthid under Amazon, datasets,

LiveScience.com - Scientists Promote Benefits of Black Magic Soil

paleorthid — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 09:39:00 -0500

To curb the archaeological destruction in Brazil and improve agriculture production worldwide, researchers have come up with a modern method of creating this black magic earth. Take some normal soil, add a handful of charcoal, a bunch of leaves and a dollop of cow poop. You've got modern-day terra preta, called bio-char. "Bio-char has these very efficient properties of retaining nutrients. It will retain more carbon in the soil better than any uncharred organic matter," Lehmann said. Tagged by paleorthid under terra_preta,

Rainforest researchers hit pay dirt

paleorthid — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 09:33:00 -0500

It shouldn't be there, but it is. terra preta, which may cover 10 percent of Amazonia, was the product of intense habitation by Amerindian populations who flourished in the area for two millennia. What researchers find most remarkable is that instead of destroying the soil, the indigenous inhabitants improved it - something ecologists don't know how to do today. Tagged by paleorthid under terra_preta,