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Life Cycle Assessment Of Calcium Oxide Pretreatment Of Corn Stover With Carbon Dioxide Neutralization For Ethanol Production, Jikai Zhao, Danyi Feng, Juhee Lee

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

This work used life-cycle assessment (LCA) to determine the environmental and human health impacts of four ethanol production scenarios (S1: CaO pretreatment + H2SO4 neutralization + C6 yeast fermentation; S2: CaO pretreatment + CO2 neutralization + C6 yeast fermentation; S3: CaO pretreatment + H2SO4 neutralization + C6/C5 yeast fermentation; and S4: CaO pretreatment + CO2 neutralization + C6/C5 yeast fermentation), with the functional unit being 1 kg of 95 % ethanol. The LCA results showed that the total ozone depletion, global warming potential, smog, acidification, eutrophication, and ecotoxicity values were comparable when CO2 or H2SO4 were used to adjust the …

Maintaining Grassland Plant Diversity While Controlling Woody Plant Encroachment, James Stubbendieck, Kay L. Kottas, S. J. Tunnell, S. J. Palazzolo

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The tallgrass prairie region of the United States is a fragmented grassland ecosystem. Much of the 1 to 2% of the remaining prairie is being degraded by invading woody plants, which frequently results in a shift from grassland to woodland. Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra L.), a shrub native to the region, can rapidly increase in density and become dominant in the plant community. Prescribed fire alone is not a constraint to this resprouting species (Stubbendieck et al., 2003). Herbicides are useful tools for managing woody plants in grasslands, but the negative response of desirable plants to herbicides is …

Do Species And Functional Diversity Indices Reflect Changes In Grazing Regimes And Climatic Conditions In Northeastern Spain?, F. De Bello, J. Leps, M. T. Sebastià

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Understanding the mechanisms that maintain biodiversity in various ecosystems enables the development of management practices that prevent degradation (Canals & Sebastia, 2000). Each diversity index reflects some compositional properties and could be influenced differently by stress and disturbance factors (Magurran, 2004). In this study, we aim to reveal 1) which management practices and environmental factors affect biodiversity in rangelands of northeastern Spain and 2) the relationship between species diversity and functional diversity (SD and FD).

Impact Of Grazing Regimes On Mean Sward Height: Implications For The Management Of Bird Habitats In Agricultural Landscapes, M. Tichit, D. Durant, E. Kernéïs

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grazing in wet grasslands is a key process to manage foraging and nesting habitats for waders. Grazing has positive and negative effects related to the importance of sward conditions for these species and to nest-trampling by cattle. For settlement and nesting, lapwings need a short sward ( ≤ 10cm; see Durant et al., this congress). However, when lapwings settle in early spring, grasslands seldom are grazed yet, due to low soil carrying capacity. We studied the effect of autumn and winter grazing regimes on sward structure in early spring, and the effect of grazing regime in early spring on …

Soil Carbon Sequestration Under Three Years Of No-Till Forage Cropping Systems, D. H. Min, J. D. Deyoung, Richard Leep

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The effects of reduced tillage on soil organic carbon (SOC) are generally well established (Chan et al., 2002; Cabardella & Elliott, 1992). The effects of different crops are also somewhat understood (Drinkwater et al., 1998). However, many of these studies are done in the laboratory to study the effects of crop residues on SOC. Many forage-based systems have very little crop residue returned to the field. What residue does return is often in the form of manure or compost, which is usually broken down much more rapidly than most crop residues. The objective of this study is to …

Number And Viability Of Seeds Recovered From Faeces Of Ruminant Animals, Alaba O. Jolaosho, Olufemi S. Onifade, O. M. Arigbede, Jimoh A. Olanite, T. O. Akinola

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Ruminants play a significant role in the dissemination of plant seeds as a result of ingested seeds during grazing on pasture escaping digestion that are voided with the faeces and returned to the seed bank (Russi et al., 1992).

Population Changes Of Invasive Annuals In California Annual And Perennial Grasslands, Richard King

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Some non-native annual forbs and grasses can be invasive in California's annual grassland region. Taeniatherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski and Centaurea solstitialis L. can spread quickly, become nearly monospecific stands, and reduce carrying capacity for livestock and wildlife. Centaurea also can be toxic to horses. Lathyrus hirsutus L. is less invasive, but the seed is toxic to various livestock. Since 1991, the author has raised beef cattle on 16 ha of predominantly annual grassland where these 3 species occur, and a family member has raised cattle on approximately 40 ha of adjacent property. Surface soils in this hilly land are …

The Effect Of Sheep Grazing At Two Stocking Rates On The Seedling Recruitment Of Grassland Forbs, Johannes Isselstein, Markus Kowarschik, S. Bonn, M. Hofmann

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Limitations for seedling recruitment are major constraints to maintain and enhance plant species diversity in productive grasslands (Bakker & Berendse 1999). Grass sward condition plus species-specific requirements for germination and survival determine the recruitment success. Therefore, a field experiment investigated the establishment of oversown seeds from wildflower forbs in relation to grass sward management.

A Basis For Designing Policies To Optimize Soil Carbon Sequestration In Southeastern Us Grasslands, Joel R. Brown, D. L. Faulkner

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Increasing the amount of carbon (C) stored in terrestrial ecosystems is an important part of most national greenhouse gas (GHG) management strategies. Among the policy and program options available to achieve increased C sequestration, improved management of grasslands offers an attractive option to both reduce atmospheric concentrations of C and enhance environmental co-benefits (soil quality, water quality, food and fibre production, and wildlife habitat). In the United States, incentives for applying improved land management practices come primarily via federal government conservation programs administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). While private sector markets offer opportunities to increase the …

The Nature Of Sequestered Carbon In Different Irish Mineral Soils, C. M. Byrne, D. Fay, J. A. Ferreira, M. H. B. Hayes

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Humic substances (HS) provide the major sinks for carbon (C) in soils. Although HS have a degree of resistance to microbial degradation, they are degraded in time. Humin, the HS component in association with the soil mineral colloids, has greatest resistance to degradation. To understand the extent to which soil can be a sink for C it is important to know the soil mineralogy, and to be aware of aspects of the structures of the humic components. Enhanced biological oxidation occurs in soils in long term cultivation. Its effects can be observed by comparing the amounts and compositions of the …

Impact Of Soil Amelioration On Weed Ecology And Control, Catherine Borger, Arslan Peerzada Dr, Gaus Azam Dr

Experimental Summaries - Plant Research

The project focussed on three main findings from the literature review:

1. Weed ecology in response to changes in soil characteristics.
2. Soil movement and weed seed burial following use of varying strategic tillage implements; and
3. Management of weeds in the years directly after amelioration.

The work highlighted that weed growth was either less impacted by changes to soil properties than crop growth, or weed growth and competitive ability were favoured by the same amelioration techniques that favour crop growth. Following amelioration, improved growth of competitive weed species needs to be considered in weed management plans.

Research was conducted on weed seed …

Flow Generation And Propagation From Headwater Wetlands To Downstream Waters, Leanne Marie Stepchinski

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Headwater wetlands are connected to one another and to downstream waters by dynamic hydrologic flowpaths, functioning as integrated hydrologic networks at the watershed scale. Headwater wetlands perform a variety of hydrologic lag, sink, and source functions, including flow generation and propagation, thereby contributing to the natural flow regimes of downgradient waters. The functions of individual wetlands and their contributions to hydrologic connectivity and subsequently to the natural flow regime have been widely studied and are well understood. Comparatively, the functions and hydrologic connectivity within wetland complexes as a whole and their collective subsequent contributions to the natural flow regime of …

Dna Barcoding Reveals Occurrence Of Cardiocephaloides Sp. (Digenea: Strigeidae) Infecting The Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax Carbo (L. 1758) In Mwanza Gulf, Lake Victoria, Fred D Chibwana

Tanzania Journal of Science

Cormorants (Pelecaniformes) are widely distributed worldwide, occurring as coastal birds in inland waters and marine environments, and have been implicated in the transmission of some aquatic parasites. As such, the objective of the present work was to investigate the occurrence and morphological variations in Cardiocephaloides (Digenea: Strigeidae), parasites of the great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo. The Cardiocephaloides specimens used for molecular analysis (DNA barcoding (cox1) region) were obtained from the intestines of the great cormorants collected from Mwanza Gulf in Lake Victoria. Morphological examination of Cardiocephaloides specimens showed the possible co-existence of four morphospecies belonging to the genus Cardiocephaloides. However, detailed …

The Effect Of Dairy Cow Genotype On Modelled Greenhouse Gas Emissions Derived From Pasture Based Milk Production Systems, Dan K. Lovett, L. Shalloo, P. Dillon, Frank O'Mara

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

A three-year systems comparison study was undertaken to see if progressively increasing the genetic potential for milk production of the dairy cow is desirable within pastoral based systems of spring milk production (Kennedy et al., 2002). The production data was inputted into the Moorepark Dairy System Model (MDSM) (Shalloo et al., 2004) to describe the economic, biological and production efficiency of each system. Output was then used to model whole farm greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Lovett et al., in press) from the nine systems studied (three concentrate levels by three genotype levels). Only the genotype effects are …

Methane Of Animal Origin In Cattle Fed High Or Low Tannin Sorghum Silage, T. T. Berchielli, S. G. Oliveira, M. P. Pedreira, O. Primavesi, M. A. Lima, R. Frighetto

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The harmful or beneficial effects associated with the presence of tannin in plants depends on its concentration and form. One of these beneficial effects is the reduction of the production of methane in the rumen (Woodward et al., 2001). This study financed by FAPESP aimed to evaluat the effect of diets containing low or high tannin sorghum silage supplements on dry matter intake (DMI) and methane production in cattle.

Field Measurements Of Ruminal Methane Of Cattle Grazing Tropical Grasses, M. P. Pedreira, O. Primavesi, M. A. Lima, R. Frighetto, T. T. Berchielli

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Ruminal methane production represents energy losses from ingested feed that should be utilised to maintain body weight or to generate products. Quantitatively, daily methane production varies according to amount and quality of ingested dry matter (DM), as well as physiological status of the animal.

Hedgerow Systems And Livestock In Philippine Grasslands: Ghg Emissions, D. B. Magcale-Macandog, E. Abucay, R. G. Visco, R. N. Miole, E. L. Abas, G. M. Comajig, A. D. Calub

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Hedgerow systems are widely adopted in the smallholder farms in the sloping grassland areas of Claveria, Mindanao, Philippines. The system is effective in addressing soil erosion problems and in conserving the topsoil. Gmelina arborea and Eucalyptus deglupta are two fast-growing timber species that are planted in hedgerow systems while maize is planted in the alley areas in between the hedgerows. Livestock holdings are widespread in Claveria, with 74% of the households having livestock. Cattle and carabao are the most common livestock in smallholder farms providing draught power for land preparation and transportation. In hedgerow systems, fodder tree leaves and crop …

The Effect Of Soil Type And Climate On Modelled Greenhouse Gas Emissions Derived From Pasture Based Milk Production Systems, Dan K. Lovett, L. Shalloo, P. Dillon, Frank O'Mara

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The ability of spring calving dairy farmers to exploit herbage production can be limited by soil type and climatic conditions. Previous work, using the Moorepark Dairy System Model (MDSM) (Shalloo et al., 2004) demonstrated differences in terms of biological and production efficiency for two contrasting sites. This study models whole farm greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Lovett et al., in press) from two dairy systems, the Moorepark Standard System (MSS, Co. Cork) and the Kilmaley Standard System (KSS,Co. Clare), classified as lower and high rainfall (1025 and 1614 mm yr) and free draining versus poor draining respectively.

Quantification Of Co2 Exchange In Grassland Ecosystems Of The World Using Tower Measurements, Modeling And Remote Sensing, Tagir Gilmanov, M. W. Demment, B. K. Wylie, K. Akshalov, D. D. Baldocchi, L. Belelli, J. A. Bradford, G. G. Burba, R. L. Coulter, W. A. Dugas, W. E. Emmerich, L. B. Flanagan, A. B. Frank, J. Fuher, M. R. Haferkamp, M. B. Jones, D. A. Johnson, T. Laurila, A. Lohila, T. P. Meyers, P. C. Mielnick, J. A. Morgan, M. Nasyrov, C. E. Owensby, M. S. Pekour, K. Pilegaard, A. Raschi, N. Z. Saliendra, M. J. Sanz, P. L. Sims, R. H. Skinner, J. F. Sousanna, A. E. Suyker, L. L. Tieszen, Z. Tuba, R. Valentini, S. B. Verma, E. A. Laca

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grasslands cover significant areas in nontropical regions, perform essential biogeochemical functions and represent important natural and agricultural resource. Nevertheless, in contrast to forests and agroecosystems, no flux measurement-based global summary of their CO₂ exchange, sequestration potential, and role in mitigation of the greenhouse effect were available.

The Influence Of Local Immigration And Extinction Of Species On Spatial Heterogeneity Of Vegetation In Semi-Natural Grasslands In Japan, Taisuke Yasuda, Masae Shiyomi, T. Egawa, K. Sei, R. Ishikawa, S. Takahashi

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Spatiotemporal variation in the local immigration and extinction of species in a community may form and change the spatial heterogeneity (SH) of vegetation but few studies have evaluated the influences of these processes on SH. SH often occurs in grassland grazed by cattle and sheep. Understanding the formation and dynamics of SH is important because SH profoundly affects local and regional ecological processes. We propose a new way to quantify the effect of the local immigration and extinction of species on SH, and try to clarify the influence of the processes on SH

Cattle Slurry Amended With Nitrification Inhibitors: Effects On Nitrous Oxide, Dinitrogen And Methane Emissions, J. P. Carneiro, L. Cardenas, D. Hatch, H. Trindade, J. Hawkins, David Scholefield, D. Chadwick

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In recent decades, a very intensive dairy farming system has been developed in northern Portugal. Considering the appreciable amounts of slurry generated and the small farm areas for spreading, this activity involves large annual inputs of N with the risk of undesirable consequences for the environment. Emission of greenhouse gases from agricultural sources, such as N₂O (originating from nitrification and denitrification) and CH₄, therefore need to be reduced. The aim of this laboratory experiment was to evaluate the effectiveness of two nitrification inhibitors (dicyandiamide (DCD) and 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP)) in reducing nitrification and subsequent denitrification after …

Methane Production By Cattle Grazed At Two Stocking Rates On A Semi-Natural Grassland, Cesar S. Pinares-Patiño, Y. Rochette, M. Fabre, J.-P. Jouany, C. Martin

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Global warming induced by the human-enhanced concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere is a major environmental concern of our day. Enteric methane (CH₄) is the most important GHG associated with grazing livestock. The emissions of methane may be influenced by environmental conditions and grazing management. Stocking rate (SR), the number of animals per unit of land area, remains the simplest management tool in pastoral farming. However, little is known about the influence of SR on CH₄ emission. The objective of this study was to compare the CH₄ emissions from cattle managed under low and …

Carbon Accumulation Under Brachiaria Pastures In The Brazilian Cerrado In Relation To Their Productivity, R. M. Boddey, S. P. Braz, R. S. M. Dos Santos, B. J. R. Alves, S. Urquiaga

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Vast areas of land within Brazil has been converted from either the native vegetation of the Amazon and Atlantic forests or the native vegetation (NV) of the central savanna region (the Cerrado) to Brachiaria spp pastures. Productive pastures (PPs) in these regions eventually accumulate soil carbon (C) in excess of levels under native vegetation. However the effect of pasture degradation on soil C stocks has not been reported. We compared soil C stocks under both NV and Brachiaria pastures varying in productivity according to the indicators of Oliveira et al. (2004) over 5 sites in the Cerrado region.

Comparison Of Methodological Tools In Tropical Soil Carbon Sequestration Field Research, Bram Van Putten, M. C. Amézquita

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Models play a crucial role in studying complex systems like soil Carbon sequestration processes (Hanson et al., 2001). A Carbon sequestration research project is currently under way in pasture and silvopastoral systems of four Tropical American ecosystems. A main research question is the identification of Land Management Systems (LMS) that exhibit optimal soil Carbon sequestration capacity (identification question). Another main issue is the extrapolation of data in space and time (extrapolation question).

Effects Of Tropical Legumes With Contrasting Tannin Contents And Mixtures Of Them On In Vitro Ruminal Fermentation And Methanogenesis, H. D. Hess, F. L. Valencia, P. Avila, C. E. Lascano, Michael Kreuzer

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Previous in vitro experiments have showed that the supplementation of a low-quality grass diet with Arachis pintoi or Cratylia argentea (legumes low in tannins) enhanced ruminal fermentation and methane release, whereas the supplementation with Calliandra calothyrsus (rich in tannins) decreased methane release and suppressed organic matter (OM) degradation and N turnover (Hess et al., 2003). It was hypothesised that a mixture of tanniniferous legumes with legumes free of or low in tannins would result in a methane-suppressing effect but without impairing ruminal nutrient degradation.

A Simulation Study Of Nitrous Oxide Emissions From A Fertilised, Grazed Grassland Site In Ireland, Michael J. Hawkins, J. Connolly, B. Hyde, M. Ryan, R. P. O. Schulte

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from grazed grassland are understood to be strongly influenced by the availability of a mineral N source, soil temperature and soil water content (Skiba & Smith, 2000). We derive an empirical model of emissions based on these factors and use it to simulate daily emissions from a fertilised, grazed grassland site in Wexford, Ireland, under different application schedules and climatic conditions for the period 1994 to 2001, inclusive (Table 1).

Cattle Overwintering Areas In Middle-European Conditions - Important “Point” Sources Of Nitrous Oxide Emissions, M. Šimek, J. Hynšt, P. Brůček, J. Čuhel, D. Elhottová, H. Šantrůčková, V. Kamír

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions in grazed grasslands are strongly influenced by animal excreta (Fowler et al., 1997). In addition, soil compaction caused by animal traffic significantly influences soil physical conditions and thus directly or indirectly impacts on the microbial processes producing N₂O. In the Czech Republic pastures are mostly located in hilly and mountain areas. During the growing season, cattle are typically grazing, while during the winter the animals are concentrated near the animal house on a relatively small plot called an "overwintering area". The objective of this study was to estimate the fluxes of …

Modelling Nitrous Oxide Emissions From Grazed Grasslands In New Zealand, Surinder Saggar, D. L. Giltrap, C. Li, Carolyn B. Hedley, K. R. Tate, S. Lambie

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Spatial and temporal variability are major difficulties when quantifying annual N₂O fluxes at the field scale. New Zealand currently relies on the IPCC default methodology (National Inventory Report, 2004). This methodology is too simplistic and generalised as it ignores all site-specific controls, but is also not sufficiently flexible to allow mitigation options to be assessed. Therefore, a more robust, process-based approach is required to quantify N₂O emissions more accurately at the field level. Denitrification-decomposition (DNDC) is a process-based model originally developed (Li et al., 1992) to quantify agricultural nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions across …

Modelling Effects Of Agricultural Policies On Regional Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Cattle Raising Production Systems In Baden-Württemberg (Southwest Germany), Henry Neufeldt, M. Schäfer, E. Angendt, M. Kaltschmitt, J. Zeddies

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the light of the anthropogenic climate change and the resulting need to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, policies are needed which efficiently abate GHG emissions in the agricultural sector. However, reliable estimates of regional GHG abatement potentials in the agricultural sector are rare because the models do not integrate the economic and environmental effects of different agricultural policies and are generally restricted to a single-gas approach. Coupling an economic sector model with a process-oriented ecosystem model can overcome this gap and thus provide realistic exante information of socioeconomically and environmentally sustainable agricultural policies.

Nitrogen Fluxes In Grassland In Response To Inter-Annual Climate Variability, Pierluigi L. Calanca, Juerg Fuhrer

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Most model studies dealing with the response of grassland dynamics to climate change (e.g. Thornley & Cannell, 1997; Riedo et al., 2000) consider either step changes or a smooth transition in the climatic drivers, therefore neglecting short-term variations. However, the inter-annual variability of the climatic and edaphic elements (Calanca, 2004) can be substantial, with important consequences for the fluxes of nitrogen (N). The objective of this study is to investigate the response of nitrogen fluxes to this type of variability with the help of the Pasture Simulation Model (PaSim), looking at years considerably differing in terms of temperature, radiation …