Evaluation of \u3cem\u3eCenchrus ciliaris\u3c/em\u3e Ecotypes for Seed Yield and Related Traits

Cenchrus ciliaris is widely promoted as a choice grass species for reseeding Arid and Semi- arid Lands (ASALs). Due to the high variability in ASAL environments, there is need to evaluate ecotypes of C. ciliaris with potentially higher seed yield and germination that may possibly be selected and promoted for rangeland reseeding initiatives. Nine ecotypes of C. ciliaris collected from selected sites in Kenyan ASALs were evaluated for seed yield and related traits at three KALRO centres (Kiboko, Buchuma and Mtwapa). Buchuma site (208.4 kg ha-1) had higher (p-1, respectively. Seed yield varied among ecotypes at Mtwapa and not at Kiboko and Buchuma. Seed yield was significantly and positively correlated with caryopsis per spikelet (r = 0.78) and, significantly and negatively correlated with percent empty spikelets (r = -0.75). KLF1 ecotype, a high seeder, had the highest mean germination capacity at 71 % and MGD3 had the least with 22.5%. Ecotype MGD3 collected from a seasonally flooded preserved grazing area in agro- ecological zone six recorded the poorest germination characteristics across all sites. Adaptation to the prevailing environmental conditions and management and utilization of grazing lands at sites of ecotype collection may have influenced the observed seed characteristics

Role of Seed Banks in Supporting Ecosystem and Biodiversity Conservation and Restoration

The world is witnessing massive land degradation caused by climate change and various anthropogenic activities. There has been a significant increase in habitat restoration efforts, with demand for seeds to restore these degraded ecosystems in some cases outstripping supply. Traditionally, seeds for restoration activities have mainly been sourced through collections from the wild, but with the growing seed demand, this is increasingly becoming unsustainable. In order to ensure responsible restoration practice, restoration practitioners need to explore other options of economical, ethical and sustainable sourcing of seeds. Ex situ seed banks can leverage their technical and infrastructural capacity to play a greater and more direct role in supporting biodiversity and ecosystem conservation and restoration, particularly through the supply of quality ecologically and genetically suitable seed. In this paper, we review whether ex situ seed banks possess the capacity and competence for supporting habitat restoration and the challenges they are likely to face in these efforts. The review focuses on seed collecting, field-based seed bulking, seed handling and storage, seed quality control as well as experience and capacity in facilitating germplasm exchange. The availability of high-quality germplasm collections of documented provenance and with broad genetic diversity is arguably the greatest resource and asset that seed banks have in supporting habitat restoration

Effect of land use changes on adaptive strategies for smallholder agro-pastoralists in Kenya

A study to characterize existing adaptive strategies and shifts in smallholder agro-pastoralists in relation to changes in land use and land subdivisions was carried out. A total of 48.9% of respondent indicated that there had been a shift in the adaptive strategies where unreliable rainfall, better access to land and water, acquisition of skills, shortage of pastures and proximity to wildlife habitats were the main factors influencing the shifts. Shortage of rainfall, lack of capital in terms of technology resource requirements, predation, livestock diseases and lack of seeds for both pastures and crops were ranked as the major constraints recording 88.9, 55.6, 45.6, 35.6 and 30% of respondents, respectively (N=90). Early planting, use of drought resistant crops, predation control and feed conservation were some of the important agro-pastoral adaptive strategies in the study area. The change in land-use led to increased problems of predation and depredation leading to increased livestock/wildlife and crop/wildlife conflicts. Proximity to infrastructures such as water sources, road networks or transport, access to credit facilities for input acquisition also affected land-use practice

Residential proximity to major roadways and incident hypertension in post-menopausal women

Living near major roadways has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, presumably from exposure to elevated levels of traffic-related air and/or noise pollution. This association may potentially be mediated through increased risk of incident hypertension, but results from prior studies are equivocal. Using Cox proportional hazards models we examined residential proximity to major roadways and incident hypertension among 38,360 participants of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Clinical Trial cohorts free of hypertension at enrollment and followed for a median of 7.9 years. Adjusting for participant demographics and lifestyle, trial participation, and markers of individual and neighborhood socioeconomic status, the hazard ratios for incident hypertension were 1.13 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.28), 1.03 (0.95, 1.11), 1.05 (0.99, 1.11), and 1.05 (1.00, 1.10) for participants living ≤50, >50-200, >200-400, and >400-1000 m versus >1000 m from the nearest major roadway, respectively (p(trend)=0.013). This association varied substantially by WHI study region with hazard ratios for women living ≤50m from a major roadway of 1.61 (1.18, 2.20) in the West, 1.51 (1.22, 1.87) in the Northeast, 0.89 (0.70, 1.14) in the South, and 0.94 (0.75, 1.19) in the Midwest. In this large, national cohort of post-menopausal women, residential proximity to major roadways was associated with incident hypertension in selected regions of the U.S. If causal, these results suggest residential proximity to major roadways, as a marker for air, noise and other traffic-related pollution, may be a risk factor for hypertension

Aviation Noise and Cardiovascular Health in the United States: a Review of the Evidence and Recommendations for Research Direction

In the USA, there is mounting pressure on aviation operators and regulators to address concerns about community impacts of aircraft noise given increasing evidence of adverse health impacts, continuing community complaints, availability of cost-effective programs to reduce exposures to aircraft noise, and more stringent international policies. In the USA, regulation of civil aviation noise is the responsibility of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which requires a “significant body of scientific support,” particularly applicable to the USA, to inform health-based policy and regulatory decisions. However, there have been very few studies investigating the relationship between noise and health in the USA and limited studies across the globe characterizing the effects of aviation noise specifically on cardiovascular health. This review focuses on recent findings on the relationship between aircraft noise and cardiovascular outcomes and directions for future research.Epidemiological studies generally report statistically significant associations between aircraft noise and adverse cardiovascular outcomes, although with limited evidence within the USA. Sleep disturbance, associated with nighttime noise, has been shown to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease given associations with inflammatory markers and metabolic changes. Given numerous cardiovascular markers, the most appropriate choices depend on the ultimate objectives of the individual studies.Given the state of the literature, future research should leverage emerging tools to estimate aviation, railway, and road traffic noise and apply noise estimates to a range of epidemiological study designs and endpoints to inform causal interpretation and help determine potential intervention strategies