Zeolite from alkali modified kaolin increases NH4+ retention by sandy soil : column experiments

Sandy soils have low water and nutrient retention capabilities so that zeolite soil amendments are used for high value land uses including turf and horticulture to reduce leaching losses of NH4+ fertilisers. MesoLite is a zeolitic material made by caustic treatment of kaolin at 80-95oC. It has a moderately low surface area (9-12m2/g) and very high cation exchange capacity (494 cmol(+)/kg). Laboratory column experiments showed that an addition of 0.4% MesoLite to a sandy soil greatly (90%) reduced leaching of added NH4+ compared to an unamended soil and MesoLite is 11 times more efficient in retaining NH4+ than natural zeolite. Furthermore, NH4+-MesoLite slowly releases NH4+ to soil solution and is likely to be an effective slow release fertiliser.

Pastureland use in the southeastern US: Implications for carbon sequestration

More than 13 Mha of nonfederal land in the southeastern U.S. are devoted to pastureland. Between 1982 and 1992, pastureland increased by 100,000 ha, with nearly 70% converted from cultivated land. We examined the potential for carbon (C) sequestration with improved pasture management and conversion into pastureland from cultivated land. Improved pasture management techniques, such as intensive grazing, fertilization, introduction of improved grass and legume species, and better irrigation systems can lead to sequestration of atmospheric C in soil. Literature values for the influence of changes in pasture management on soil C were summarized for several potential management changes in the Southeast. Soil C sequestration estimates for the Southeast were based on current pasture management practices and evaluated for a range of different adoption rates of improved practices. Conversion into pasture can also potentially sequester significant amounts of atmospheric C in soils. Land-use data from the National Resources Inventory and literature estimates of soil C changes following conversion to pasture were used to estimate historical (1982 to 1992) soil C sequestration in pastures. Potential future sequestration was estimated based on extrapolation of land-use trends between 1982 and 1992. With continued conversion into pasture and improvement of pasture management, southeastern U.S. pasture soils may be a significant C sink for several years.

Land fraud and inappropriate dealings in an electronic environment : An Australian and New Zealand perspective

The thesis presented in this paper is that the land fraud committed by Matthew Perrin in Queensland and inflicted upon Roger Mildenhall in Western Australia demonstrates the need for urgent procedural reform to the conveyancing process. Should this not occur, then calls to reform the substantive principles of the Torrens system will be heard throughout the jurisdictions that adopt title by registration, particularly in those places where immediate indefeasibility is still the norm. This paper closely examines the factual matrix behind both of these frauds, and asks what steps should have been taken to prevent them occurring. With 2012 bringing us Australian legislation embedding a national e-conveyancing system and a new Land Transfer Act for New Zealand we ask what legislative measures should be introduced to minimise the potential for such fraud. In undertaking this study, we reflect on whether the activities of Perrin and the criminals responsible for stealing Mildenhall's land would have succeeded under the present system for automated registration utilised in New Zealand.

Increasing NH4+ retention efficiency of sandy soils by adding a modified kaolin material: Mesolite

Water and ammonium retention by sandy soils may be low and result in leaching of applied fertiliser. To increase water and nutrient retention, zeolite is sometimes applied as a soil ameliorant for high value land uses including turf and horticulture. We have used a new modified kaolin material (MesoLite) as a soil amendment to test the efficiency of NH4+ retention and compared the results with natural zeolite. MesoLite is made by caustic reaction of kaolin at temperature between 80-95°C; although it has a moderate surface area, its cation exchange capacity is very high;(SA=13m2/g,CEC=500meq/100g). A 13cm tall sand column filled with ~450g of sandy soil homogeneously mixed with 1, 2, 4, and 8g of MesoLite or natural zeolite per 1kg of soil was prepared. After saturation with local bore water, concentrated ammonium sulfate solution was injected at the base. Then, bore water was passed from bottom to top through the column at amounts up to 6 pore volumes and at a constant flow rate of 10ml/min using a peristaltic pump. Concentrations of leached NH4+ were determined using an AutoAnalyser. The concentration of NH4+ leached from the column with 0.4% MesoLite was greatly (90%) reduced relative to unamended soil. Under these conditions NH4+ retention by the soil-MesoLite mixture was 11.5 times more efficient than the equivalent soil-natural zeolite mixture. Glasshouse experiments conducted in a separate study show that NH4+ adsorbed by MesoLite is available to plants.

Identifying the spatial scale of land use that most strongly influences overall river ecosystem health score

Catchment and riparian degradation has resulted in declining ecosystem health of streams worldwide. With restoration a priority in many regions, there is an increasing interest in the scale at which land use influences stream ecosystem health. Our goal was to use a substantial data set collected as part of a monitoring program (the Southeast Queensland, Australia, Ecological Health Monitoring Program data set, collected at 116 sites over six years) to identify the spatial scale of land use, or the combination of spatial scales, that most strongly influences overall ecosystem health. In addition, we aimed to determine whether the most influential scale differed for different aspects of ecosystem health. We used linear-mixed models and a Bayesian model-averaging approach to generate models for the overall aggregated ecosystem health score and for each of the five component indicators (fish, macroinvertebrates, water quality, nutrients, and ecosystem processes) that make up the score. Dense forest close to the survey site, mid-dense forest in the hydrologically active nearstream areas of the catchment, urbanization in the riparian buffer, and tree cover at the reach scale were all significant in explaining ecosystem health, suggesting an overriding influence of forest cover, particularly close to the stream. Season and antecedent rainfall were also important explanatory variables, with some land-use variables showing significant seasonal interactions. There were also differential influences of land use for each of the component indicators. Our approach is useful given that restoring general ecosystem health is the focus of many stream restoration projects; it allowed us to predict the scale and catchment position of restoration that would result in the greatest improvement of ecosystem health in the regions streams and rivers. The models we generated suggested that good ecosystem health can be maintained in catchments where 80% of hydrologically active areas in close proximity to the stream have mid-dense forest cover and moderate health can be obtained with 60% cover.

Experience indigenous culture in Arnhem Land, NT

A travel article about a journey to the Cobourg Peninsula, Arnhem Land. "NOW I know I'm back,'' says our guide David McMahon as the scent of wood smoke makes its way into the 4WD. For McMahon, being back means Kakadu and Arnhem Land, and ultimately our final destination in the Northern Territory's Cobourg Peninsula. In the north, one of the first things you need to adjust is your attitude to fire. The indigenous people have long worked with it. The rangers perform controlled burns. The animals have adapted and know how to escape the flames. The smoke trail leads us down the old Jim Jim Rd, our first stretch of dirt track since leaving Darwin. Our destination is the Venture North campsite at Garig Gunak Barlu National Park...

How many fake Sandy pictures were really shared on social media?

Many dramatic images of hurricane Sandy hitting the east coast of the US have been captured but which have been tweeted the most and which are real?

How can land and urban development make houses healthier?

Traditionally, the main focus of the professional community involved with indoor air quality has been indoor pollution sources, preventing or reducing their emissions, as well as lowering the impact of the sources by replacing the polluted indoor air with "fresh" outdoor air. However, urban outdoor air cannot often be considered "fresh", as it contains high concentrations of pollutants emitted from motor vehicles - the main outdoor pollution sources in cities. Evidence from epidemiological studies conducted worldwide demonstrates that outdoor air quality has considerable effects on human health, despite the fact that people spend the majority of their time indoors. This is because pollution from outdoors penetrates indoors and becomes a major constituent of indoor pollution. Urban land and transport development has significant impact on the overall air quality of the urban airshed as well as the pollution concentration in the vicinity of high-density traffic areas. Therefore, an overall improvement in indoor air quality would be achieved by lowering urban airshed pollution, as well as by lowering the impact of the hot spots on indoor air. This paper explores the elements of urban land and vehicle transport developments, their impact on global and local air quality, and how the science of outdoor pollution generation and transport in the air could be utilized in urban development towards lowering indoor air pollution.

Governance and effectiveness in regional planning: an analysis of North American, European, and Australasian practice

Over the past several years, there has been resurgent interest in regional planning in North America, Europe and Australasia. Spurred by issues such as metropolitan growth, transportation infrastructure, environmental management and economic development, many states and metropolitan regions are undertaking new planning initiatives. These regional efforts have also raised significant question about governance structures, accountability and measures of effectiveness.n this paper, the authors conducted an international review of ten case studies from the United States, Canada, England, Belgium, New Zealand and Australia to explore several critical questions. Using qualitative data template, the research team reviewed plans, documents, web sites and published literature to address three questions. First, what are the governance arrangements for delivering regional planning? Second, what are the mechanisms linking regional plans with state plans (when relevant) and local plans? Third, what means and mechanisms do these regional plans use to evaluate and measure effectiveness? The case study analysis revealed several common themes. First, there is an increasing focus on goverance at the regional level, which is being driven by a range of trends, including regional spatial development initiatives in Europe, regional transportation issues in the US, and the growth of metropolitan regions generally. However, there is considerable variation in how regional governance arrangements are being played out. Similarly, there is a range of processes being used at the regional level to guide planning that range from broad ranging (thick) processes to narrow and limited (thin) approaches. Finally, evaluation and monitoring of regional planning efforts are compiling data on inputs, processes, outputs and outcomes. Although there is increased attention being paid to indicators and monitoring, most of it falls into outcome evaluations such as Agenda 21 or sustainability reporting. Based on our review we suggest there is a need for increased attention on input, process and output indicators and clearer linkages of these indicators in monitoring and evaluation frameworks. The focus on outcome indicators, such as sustainability indicators, creates feedback systems that are too long-term and remote for effective monitoring and feedback. Although we found some examples of where these kinds of monitoring frameworks are linked into a system of governance, there is a need for clearer conceptual development for both theory and practice.

Connected digital cities

In the future we will have a detailed ecological model of the whole planet with capabilities to explore and predict the consequences of alternative futures. However, such a planetary eco-model will take time to develop, time to populate with data, and time to validate - time the planet doesn't have. In the interim, we can model the major concentrations of energy use and pollution - our cities - and connect them to form a "talking cities network". Such a networked city model would be much quicker to build and validate. And the advantage of this approach is that it is safer and more effective for us to interfere with the operation of our cities than to tamper directly with the behaviour of natural systems. Essentially, it could be thought of as providing the planet with a nervous system and would empower us to better develop and manage sustainable cities.