Nalanda

About: Nalanda is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Global warming & Agriculture. The organization has 37 authors who have published 110 publications receiving 853 citations. The organization is also known as: Nalanda Mahavihara & Nālandā.

SoilTemp: A global database of near-surface temperature

Abstract: Current analyses and predictions of spatially explicit patterns and processes in ecology most often rely on climate data interpolated from standardized weather stations. This interpolated climate data represents long-term average thermal conditions at coarse spatial resolutions only. Hence, many climate-forcing factors that operate at fine spatiotemporal resolutions are overlooked. This is particularly important in relation to effects of observation height (e.g. vegetation, snow and soil characteristics) and in habitats varying in their exposure to radiation, moisture and wind (e.g. topography, radiative forcing or cold-air pooling). Since organisms living close to the ground relate more strongly to these microclimatic conditions than to free-air temperatures, microclimatic ground and near-surface data are needed to provide realistic forecasts of the fate of such organisms under anthropogenic climate change, as well as of the functioning of the ecosystems they live in. To fill this critical gap, we highlight a call for temperature time series submissions to SoilTemp, a geospatial database initiative compiling soil and near-surface temperature data from all over the world. Currently, this database contains time series from 7,538 temperature sensors from 51 countries across all key biomes. The database will pave the way toward an improved global understanding of microclimate and bridge the gap between the available climate data and the climate at fine spatiotemporal resolutions relevant to most organisms and ecosystem processes.

Ecological considerations in sustainable silvopasture design and management

Abstract: Silvopastoral systems are sustainable production systems characterized by greater biodiversity and multifunctionality, compared with other livestock production methods. The complex functional dynamics, however, make silvopastoralism a difficult construct to design and study. The key design criterion for these complex land use practices is to optimize the use of spatial, temporal, and physical resources, by maximizing positive interactions (facilitation) and minimizing negative ones (competition) among the components, for which the principles of sustainable land use systems are relevant. In this paper we address the cardinal questions, how the general ecological principles common to complex natural systems apply to the design and management of silvopastoral systems and how sound management might be identified with the notion of sustained maximum yield. In particular, we explore (1) spatial and temporal heterogeneity for maximizing resource use efficiency, (2) competitive interactions in perennial systems, (3) structural and functional diversity for resource conservation, and (4) integration of the principles of disturbance ecology in silvopastoral system design.

Poor extraction efficiencies of polystyrene nano- and microplastics from biosolids and soil

Abstract: Extraction and quantification of nano- and microplastics from sediments and soils is challenging. Although no standard method has been established so far, flotation is commonly used to separate plastic from mineral material. The objective of this study was to test the efficiency of flotation for the extraction of nano- and microplastics from biosolids and soil. We spiked biosolids and soil samples with polystyrene nano- and microbeads (0.05, 1.0, 2.6, 4.8, and 100 μm diameter). Different extraction methods (w/ and w/o H2O2 digestion) were tested, and plastic beads were separated from mineral particles by flotation in a ZnCl2 solution. Plastic particles were quantified by UV-Vis spectrometry and gravimetrically. While large beads (100 μm) could be quantitatively extracted (∼100%) from both biosolids and soils, smaller beads had low extraction efficiencies (ranging from 5 to 80%, with an average of 20%). Except for the 100 μm beads, oxidation with H2O2 negatively impacted the extraction efficiencies. For the soil, extraction with water only, followed by flotation in a ZnCl2 solution, resulted in relatively high extraction efficiencies (>75%) for beads larger than 1 μm, but low efficiencies (<30%) for the 0.05 and 1.0 μm beads. Our results indicate that while flotation generally works to separate plastic nano- and microbeads in a solution, the challenge is to quantitatively extract nano- and microbeads from a biosolids or soil matrix. Samples high in organic matter content require removal of the organic matter, but the common method of H2O2 oxidation leads to poor extraction efficiencies for nano- and microbeads.