Modelling spatial variation and environmental impacts of land use change in the exploitation of land-based renewable bioenergy crops

Spatial factors are of particular importance to the sustainability of land based energy crops, due both to the need to minimise feedstock transport, and to the importance of cultivation site attributes in determining key environmental impacts. This study uses geographical information system (GIS) mapping to identify sites suitable for the cultivation of Miscanthus or short rotation coppiced (SRC) SRC willow for co-firing with coal or generation of combined heat and power (CHP). Modelling using an adapted version of DayCent was performed for typical sites to assess variation in yield, nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, evapotranspiration (ET) and change in soil organic carbon (SOC) according to soil properties, hydrologic regime and previous land use. Development of the DayCent model as part of this research gave improved simulation of the impacts of tillage on soil porosity, and resultant N2O emissions from soil, and improved simulation of growth of SRC willow following coppicing management, leading to improved yield predictions. For land use change from arable to perennial cultivation, increased SOC was simulated, along with reduced N2O emissions, particularly on soils prone to anoxia. However, in general, benefits of cultivation of Miscanthus and SRC willow for energy are maximised when the crops are grown at sites where high yields are achieved, and used to generate CHP, since this minimises the land area required per unit energy generated. Further model development work and additional field data for model verification are necessary for firmer conclusions on the change in net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions following land use change. Additionally, indirect land use change may negate perceived benefits, and locations are difficult to predict or identify in a complex global system. Given the magnitude of identified variations in yields and changes in N2O emissions, spatial variation in benefits of bioenergy cultivation should be a factor in decisions to provide economic support for cultivation. However, calculations suggest that emissions offset by replacing energy generation from fossil fuels may have greater impact on GHG savings per gigajoule (GJ) than cultivation site attributes. Since total energy conversion efficiency may be in the region of 30% for electricity-only generation and up to 90% for CHP generation, planning feedstock supply chains to maximise efficiency of feedstock end use is therefore beneficial

Operational Research: Methods and Applications

Throughout its history, Operational Research has evolved to include a variety of methods, models and algorithms that have been applied to a diverse and wide range of contexts. This encyclopedic article consists of two main sections: methods and applications. The first aims to summarise the up-to-date knowledge and provide an overview of the state-of-the-art methods and key developments in the various subdomains of the field. The second offers a wide-ranging list of areas where Operational Research has been applied. The article is meant to be read in a nonlinear fashion. It should be used as a point of reference or first-port-of-call for a diverse pool of readers: academics, researchers, students, and practitioners. The entries within the methods and applications sections are presented in alphabetical order. The authors dedicate this paper to the 2023 Turkey/Syria earthquake victims. We sincerely hope that advances in OR will play a role towards minimising the pain and suffering caused by this and future catastrophes

Operational Research: Methods and Applications

Throughout its history, Operational Research has evolved to include a variety of methods, models and algorithms that have been applied to a diverse and wide range of contexts. This encyclopedic article consists of two main sections: methods and applications. The first aims to summarise the up-to-date knowledge and provide an overview of the state-of-the-art methods and key developments in the various subdomains of the field. The second offers a wide-ranging list of areas where Operational Research has been applied. The article is meant to be read in a nonlinear fashion. It should be used as a point of reference or first-port-of-call for a diverse pool of readers: academics, researchers, students, and practitioners. The entries within the methods and applications sections are presented in alphabetical order

Proposed Implementation of a Cottonwood Management Plan Along Six Priority Segments of the Missouri River

The Missouri River originates in the Rocky Mountains of south-central Montana and flows approximately 2,341 miles through seven states, ending at its confluence with the Mississippi River near St. Louis, Missouri. The plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides) was once the dominant floodplain vegetation in the Missouri River ecosystem (Corps 2006a). Natural cottonwood regeneration has largely ceased along the Missouri River following the construction of the Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System (System) and Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project (BSNP). The reduction in the number of young cottonwoods to replace older cottonwoods concerns biologists because a variety of plant and wildlife species, including some protected species, are associated with cottonwoods. Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) depend on the adjacent cottonwood forest for nesting, roosting, and wintering habitat along the Missouri River. Past and ongoing U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) operations to serve Congressionally authorized project purposes, including flood control, have restricted overbank flooding causing the reduction of existing stands and new cottonwood establishment. The degradation of cottonwood forests will likely continue in the future and result in additional impacts to bald eagles. In response, the Corps and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), in partnership with tribal nations, states and other agencies, are working to restore a portion of the Missouri River’s natural form and function in order to recover Missouri River species provided protection under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). The Missouri River Recovery Program (MRRP) implements the USFWS 2003 Amended Biological Opinion (BiOp) on the Corps operation of the System, BSNP, and Kansas River Tributary Reservoirs (KR) Projects. Pursuant to Section 5018 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (WRDA 2007) the Corps, in consultation with the Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee (MRRIC) is preparing a long-term and comprehensive Missouri River Ecosystem Restoration Plan (MRERP). The MRRIC includes representatives from Basin Tribes, states, and a diverse range of basin stakeholders. When complete, the MRERP will identify management actions to recover federally protected Missouri River species, mitigate losses of terrestrial and aquatic habitat, and prevent future declines of species. The Cottonwood Management Plan (CMP) is part of the MRRP. Ultimately, this plan may also inform the long-term MRERP. The MRRP incorporates the requirements of the Missouri River BSNP Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Project on the Lower River (Mitigation Project) with the actions required by the 2003 Amended BiOp (Appendix A). The Mitigation Project was authorized by Section 601(a) of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1986 (Public Law 99-662). Title VI of the 1986 WRDA authorizes the Mitigation Project in accordance with the plans and subject to the conditions recommended in the Missouri River BSNP Final Feasibility Report and Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Plan (Corps 1981). The intent of the originally authorized Mitigation Project was to restore, preserve, and develop 18,200 acres of existing public lands and acquire and develop 29,900 acres of non-public land. A total of 48,100 acres of land in the four affected states, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri, would be acquired, restored, preserved, and developed for the Mitigation Project. Allocations of the acreage by affected states are presented in the report entitled Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Project, Reaffirmation Report (Corps 1990). In the WRDA of 1999 (Public Law 106-53) Congress authorized the acquisition and development of an additional 118,650 acres for the Mitigation Project, increasing the total acreage to 166,750 acres. The key recovery initiatives for the MRRP include habitat construction and restoration, hatchery support, flow modification, and an integrated science program that informs an overall adaptive management strategy. The CMP is part of the habitat creation recovery initiative of the MRRP

Cottonwood Management Plan/Programmatic Environmental Assessment Proposed Implementation of a Cottonwood Management Plan Along Six Priority Segments of the Missouri River

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) proposes to preserve existing stands and reestablish new stands of plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides) at selected public/government lands along the Missouri River in accordance with the Cottonwood Management Plan (CMP). The Proposed Action is the implementation of the CMP. The goal of the plan is to be a living document that preserves, creates, or restores cottonwood habitats along the Missouri River and meets the requirements of the USFWS 2003 Amended Biological Opinion (BiOp) concerning the bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). The principal immediate focus of the CMP includes measures in the following segments: • Segment 4: Garrison Dam to Lake Oahe Headwaters near Bismarck, North Dakota (RM 1389.9 – RM 1304.0) • Segment 6: Oahe Dam to Big Bend Dam (RM 1072.3 – RM 987.4) • Segment 8: Fort Randall Dam to Niobrara River (RM 880.0 – RM 845.0) • Segment 9: Niobrara River to Lewis & Clark Lake, including the Lake (RM845.0 – RM 811.1) • Segment 10: Gavins Point Dam to Ponca, Nebraska (RM 811.1 – RM 753.0) • Segment 13: Platte River mouth to Kansas City, Missouri (RM 595.5 – RM 367.5) The programmatic Environmental Assessment (EA) evaluated the potential impacts of cottonwood management along the Missouri River; however, site-specific environmental review, in the form of EAs, are anticipated in the future prior to implementation of the techniques suggested in the CMP in any segment

Operational research:methods and applications

Throughout its history, Operational Research has evolved to include a variety of methods, models and algorithms that have been applied to a diverse and wide range of contexts. This encyclopedic article consists of two main sections: methods and applications. The first aims to summarise the up-to-date knowledge and provide an overview of the state-of-the-art methods and key developments in the various subdomains of the field. The second offers a wide-ranging list of areas where Operational Research has been applied. The article is meant to be read in a nonlinear fashion. It should be used as a point of reference or first-port-of-call for a diverse pool of readers: academics, researchers, students, and practitioners. The entries within the methods and applications sections are presented in alphabetical order

2022-2023 Graduate School Catalog

Graduate students from more than 67 counties are providing outstanding leadership during the pandemic, as they conduct vital research to inform public health, contribute to the greater good, and stimulate the economy. Their scholarship spans 140 programs - from biomedical engineering to business administration, from history to horticulture, and from marine sciences to music performance

Operational Research: methods and applications

This is the final version. Available on open access from Taylor & Francis via the DOI in this recordThroughout its history, Operational Research has evolved to include methods, models and algorithms that have been applied to a wide range of contexts. This encyclopedic article consists of two main sections: methods and applications. The first summarises the up-to-date knowledge and provides an overview of the state-of-the-art methods and key developments in the various subdomains of the field. The second offers a wide-ranging list of areas where Operational Research has been applied. The article is meant to be read in a nonlinear fashion and used as a point of reference by a diverse pool of readers: academics, researchers, students, and practitioners. The entries within the methods and applications sections are presented in alphabetical order. The authors dedicate this paper to the 2023 Turkey/Syria earthquake victims. We sincerely hope that advances in OR will play a role towards minimising the pain and suffering caused by this and future catastrophes