Multiperspective analysis of erosion tolerance

Erosion tolerance is the most multidisciplinary field of soil erosion research. Scientists have shown lack in ability to adequately analyze the huge list of variables that influence soil loss tolerance definitions. For these the perspectives of erosion made by farmers, environmentalists, society and politicians have to be considered simultaneously. Partial and biased definitions of erosion tolerance may explain not only the polemic nature of the currently suggested values but also, in part, the nonadoption of the desired levels of erosion control. To move towards a solution, considerable changes would have to occur on how this topic is investigated, especially among scientists, who would have to change methods and strategies and extend the perspective of research out of the boundaries of the physical processes and the frontiers of the academy. A more effective integration and communication with the society and farmers, to learn about their perspective of erosion and a multidisciplinary approach, integrating soil, social, economic and environmental sciences are essential for improved erosion tolerance definitions. In the opinion of the authors, soil erosion research is not moving in this direction and a better understanding of erosion tolerance is not to be expected in the near future

Comparison of different methods for determining saturated hydraulic conductivity

Soil saturated hydraulic conductivity is an important parameter for flow and transport related processes in the soil but the different methods of its measurement vary under different field conditions. The performance of three in situ  methods were evaluated at 20, 40 and 80 cm depths on an alluvial floodplain soil classified as fine loamy isohyperthermic aeric Trapaquept. The Guelph permeameter method gave the lowest estimates of saturated hydraulic conductivity, possibly because of small sample size, whereas the Disk permeameter method gave maximum values for saturated saturated hydraulic conductivity with minimum variability, possibly due to large sample size. The estimates of saturated hydraulic conductivity were most comparable for the velocity permeameter and the laboratory method using a constant head permeameter

Characteristics of air travellers and travel processes at Mallam Aaminu Kano International Airport, Kano

A study on passenger behaviour was carried out at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in order to offer meaningful suggestions vital for airport management. Primary data were obtained through questionnaire administration and observations and analysed using the contigency tables. High-ranking civil servants and other respondents withy monthly incomes of more that #50,000 constituted 60%. Age wise, 26-40 age group accounted for 50% of the respondents. On the average, about 88% of the passengers at MAKIA engaged in discussions, watching TV or reading newspapers and magazines in the lounge. It was found that the airport handled 4042 and 1971 domestic and international passengers respectively, comprising 2703 in bound, 2727 out of bound and 583 transit passengers from a total of 58 landings and 65 take off operations during the 15 day-study period. It is envisaged that the findings in this research will assist both the airline carriers and the airport management in effective planning and management

Utilizing urban refuse wastes as soil amendment in sub-Saharan Africa: Prospects and challenges in the Nigerian context

The challenge of effectively managing the huge wastes generated in most Nigerian cities raises serious environmental concerns with environmental pollution and ecological deterioration being the most serious concerns. Most municipal authorities responsible for evacuation of town refuse wastes lack the capacity to effectively manage the huge volumes of wastes generated on daily basis due to a number of reasons prominent of which include population explosion, urbanization, industrialization and economic growth. Application of urban refuse wastes (URW) to crop fields offers means of correcting many of the problems associated with collection and disposal of URW in Nigeria. Utilizing organic solid wastes on agricultural fields is an important way of effectively increasing soil organic carbon sequestration and supplying nutrients for crop plants. Proper sorting and composting of the URW has been shown to not only improve the quality of the wastes as organic amendment, but also help in correcting many of the health and environment related challenges associated with its direct application to agricultural lands. This review presents the results of research findings on utilization of URW as organic amendment and also highlights the constraints, prospects and the sustainability for utilizing URW as bio-fertilizer. It reveals that the average solid wastes generated in most Nigerian cities have a large fraction of organic materials that could easily be utilized as bio-fertilizer. Suggestions on ways to reduce some of the problems associated with land application of URW are proffered. Possible ways for improving the quality of URW intended for use as organic amendment are also suggested