The carbon life cycle assessment of the production of shelterbelt species in Saskatchewan

Non-Peer ReviewedShelterbelt tree and shrub adoption has been a major landscape management practice on agricultural land in Saskatchewan throughout the 1900s. Shelterbelt trees were distributed to landowners, free of charge, from 1901 to 2002 by the Canadian government's prairie shelterbelt centre, which was located in Indian Head, Saskatchewan. Though the shelterbelt centre at Indian Head closed in 2013, many other shelterbelt centres and forestry nurseries still exist to serve this purpose. Saskpower's Shand Greenhouse, operated out of Estevan, Saskatchewan, provides approximately 500,000 seedlings a year, both free of charge for those eligible and for purchase. Shelterbelt tree and shrubs are important for carbon sequestration and storage efforts within Saskatchewan and Canada, however it is important to note the carbon produced in the production of these seedlings. Using data collected from Shand Greenhouse and an LCA software program (SimaPro), the overall carbon produced by this stage of the shelterbelt life cycle can be determined. With this information, the net carbon balance of shelterbelt production and use will be better understood. This may serve as beneficial information regarding future decision-making for individual landowners and governmental policies regarding the production as well as the removal/retention of shelterbelt trees

Public and private benefits from Shelterbelt Centre activities

Non-Peer ReviewedThe Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada – Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (AAFC–PFRA) Shelterbelt Centre was established at Indian Head in 1901 and since then has been a major source of tree seedlings to prairie farmers and to other eligible interested agencies. The Centre has distributed over 576 million tree seedlings. On farms, these shelterbelts have become an important resource, both to the producers as well as to the society as a whole. A survey of producers attending the Shelterbelt Centre Field Day in 2003, indicated that shelterbelts lived up to their expectations and that both society and producers derive benefits from them. They affect the producers and society in a variety of ways – some directly and others indirectly through ecosystem functions. Based on the study, this value to the society (other than land owners) of the shelterbelts established since 1981 could exceed $150 million, and can even be as high as$940 million. Major benefits accrue from carbon sequestration, wildlife habitats and related activities, and from energy conservation. These benefits, although apparent to most of us, are difficult to estimate precisely, and require better data and an interdisciplinary approach

Magnetic properties of Hydrogenated Li and Co doped ZnO nanoparticles

The effect of hydrogenation on magnetic properties of Zn0.85Co0.05Li0.10O nanoparticles is presented. It was found that the sample hydrided at room temperature (RT) showed weak ferromagnetism (FM) while that hydrided at 400oC showed robust ferromagnetism at room temperature. In both cases reheating the sample at 400oC in air converts it back into paramagnetic state (P) completely. The characterization of samples by X-ray and electron diffraction (ED) showed that room temperature ferromagnetism observed in the samples hydrogenated at RT is intrinsic in nature whereas that observed in the samples hydrogenated at 400oC is partly due to the cobalt metal clusters.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Benefits of federal community pastures on the prairies

Non-Peer ReviewedIn the wake of widespread soil erosion, during the 1930s, the federal governments passed the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) act, establishing the agency, and through it a system of community pastures in the three prairie provinces. At present, PFRA operates 87 such pastures. The major motivation for this program was to reduce soil erosion through some careful land management practices, thereby enabling them to be a source of summer pasture for cattle grazing. This was seen as fostering greater economic security, stability and diversification in the region. Over time, many other uses of community pastures have emerged. Although grazing and breeding function has remained prominent, many other uses have become important enough so as not be totally ignored. Some of the notable uses include: wildlife and waterfowl habitats, recreational activity, preservation of biodiversity, preservation of fragile ecosystems, conservation of heritage sites, research activity, among others. In order to determine these uses, a survey of PFRA community pastures was undertaken during the summer of 2000. The results of this survey indicate that although grazing and breeding activities are still the major economic activities on these community pastures, the Canadian and the Prairie society benefits from these pastures in a significant manner. This study suggests that the PFRA community pastures are more than a place for farmers to leave their cattle for the summer period; they provide several benefits to local communities, and other members of the society through ecosystem functions, and other use and non-use related activities

HIV infection among pregnant women attending an integrated counseling & testing centre at Agra: comparison with studies in other regions of India

Background: HIV in pregnant women has become an important focus of HIV research because of its role in the spread of HIV infection, particularly, among children. The aim of this seven year (2005-2011) observational study was to determine the prevalence, trend and risk factors associated with HIV infections among pregnant women presenting to ICTC at Agra.Methods: The socio-demographic data like age, marital status, literacy status, profession, locality of residence and index of gravity were analysed in the context of symptoms at the time testing.Results: 433 pregnant women were screened for HIV and VDRL infections. 5.7% were HIV-positive and 14.3% were VDRL-reactive. HIV-positivity ranged between 2-5% whereas that of VDRL ranged from 8-12%. During 2011, there was a surge in HIV-positivity (11%) and VDRL reactivity (24%).Conclusions: There is an urgent need to perform surveys of HIV and other co-infections like HBV, HCV and STD prevalence among pregnant women to assess the true extent of the problem. Cost-effective treatment regimens and HIV prevention programmes for low-risk group clients are urgently needed in most parts of the country. This is the first review of HIV and other co-infections among pregnant women in different regions of the country

Factors that influence shelterbelt retention and removal in prairie agriculture as identified by Saskatchewan producers

Non-Peer ReviewedThe role of shelterbelts in prairie agriculture is changing. Traditionally, shelterbelts were promoted and adopted for soil stabilization and protection of farm infrastructure, equipment, and livestock from harsh weather elements; however, advances in production technology, larger scale operations, and the removal of a subsidy (distribution of free seedlings) have changed the context in which shelterbelts are currently being maintained, planted, or removed. This research identified the factors that are influencing producer’s management decisions related to retention and adoption of shelterbelts in the early 21st century in Saskatchewan, Canada. In the summer of 2013, surveys were conducted with producers from throughout the province of Saskatchewan (and several from Alberta). From the surveys, costs, benefits, and factors influencing producer’s management decisions, related to shelterbelts in the farm operations, were identified. Survey results show that 40% of the produces removed shelterbelts from their operations. Reasons for such decisions included: high labor requirements, difficulty in the operation of large equipment, and loss of land for production. Those who did not remove shelterbelts recognized their non-economic values more than those who removed them. Shelterbelts have the potential to play a major role in climate change mitigation by sequestering significant amounts of atmospheric CO2 into the soil and as biomass carbon in aboveground and belowground biomass of planted shelterbelt trees or shrubs within the agricultural landscape, both presently and in the future. As a result, understanding the context in which producers are making decisions related to this agroforestry practice will be important from a policy perspective