Environmental accounting for ecosystem conservation: Linking societal and ecosystem metabolisms

This paper proposes an approach to environmental accounting useful for studying the feasibility of socio-economic systems in relation to the external constraints posed by ecological compatibility. The approach is based on a multi-scale analysis of the metabolic pattern of ecosystems and societies and it provides an integrated characterization of the resulting interaction. The text starts with a theoretical part explaining (i) the implicit epistemological revolution implied by the notion of ecosystem metabolism and the fund-flow model developed by Georgescu-Roegen applied to environmental accounting, and (ii) the potentials of this approach to create indicators to assess ecological integrity and environmental impacts. This revolution also makes it possible to carry out a multi-scale integrated assessment of ecosystem and societal metabolisms at the territorial level. In the second part, two applications of this approach using an indicator of the negentropic cost show the possibility to characterize in quantitative and qualitative terms degrees of alteration (crop cultivation, tree plantations)for different biomes (tropical and boreal forests). Also, a case study for land use scenarios has been included. The proposed approach represents an integrated multi-scale tool for the analysis of nature conservation scenarios and strategies.Comment: 29 pages including 6 figure

Primordial black hole production during preheating in a chaotic inflationary model

In this paper we review the production of primordial black holes (PBHs) during preheating after a chaotic inflationary model. All relevant equations of motion are solved numerically in a modified version of HLattice, and we then calculate the mass variance to determine structure formation during preheating. It is found that production of PBHs can be a generic result of the model, even though the results seem to be sensitive to the values of the smoothing scale. We consider a constraint for overproduction of PBHs that could uncover some stress between inflation-preheating models and observations.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures. Prepared for the conference proceedings of the 9th Mexican School on Gravitation and Mathematical Physics : Cosmology for the XXI Century: Inflation, Dark Matter and Dark Energ

Personnel, Acknowledgments

Research Center Personnel, Kansas State University Southeast Agricultural Research Center. Acknowledgments: We thank the following individuals, organizations, and firms that contributed to this year’s research programs through financial support, product donations, or services

Research Center Personnel, Acknowledgments

Research Center Personnel, Southeast Agricultural Research Center, Kansas We thank the following individuals, organizations, and firms that contributed to this year’s research programs through financial support, product donations, or services

SEARC Agricultural Research 2017

Southeast Agricultural Research Center, Agricultural Research 2017. Topics include grazing and supplemental feed for beef cattle, forage, pasture, hay, grasses, legumes, tillage, fertilizer, corn, soybeans, wheat, and soil health and variability

A plan for spacecraft automated rendezvous

An automated rendezvous approach has been developed that utilizes advances in technology to reduce real-time/near real-time flight operations support personnel to an acceptable level that is near the minimum without jeopardizing the success of the mission. The on-board flight targeting uses a rule-based system to select the pursuit vehicle phasing orbits and uses precise navigation updates from the pursuit/target spacecraft made possible by the global positioning system receivers/processors on both spacecraft to adjust the phasing orbits and achieve rendezvous. The ascent-to-orbit targeting for the pursuit vehicle has been successfully decoupled from the on-orbit orbit transfer phasing targeting. Typical launch window data have been developed for the heavy lift launch vehicle and cargo transfer vehicle for a Space Station Freedom rendezvous mission

Effects of Cultivar and Distillers Grains Supplementation on Grazing and Subsequent Finishing Performance of Stocker Steers Grazing Tall Fescue Pasture

Four hundred thirty-two yearling steers grazing tall fescue pastures were used to evaluate the effects of fescue cultivar and dried distillers grains (DDG) supplementation during the grazing phase on available forage, grazing gains, subsequent finishing gains, and carcass characteristics. Fescue cultivars evaluated were high-endophyte ‘Kentucky 31’ and low-endophyte ‘Kentucky 31,’ ‘HM4,’ and ‘MaxQ.’ Steers were either fed no supplement or were supplemented with DDG at 1.0% body weight per head daily in 2009 or 0.75% of body weight per head daily in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 while grazing. Steers that grazed pastures of low-endophyte ‘Kentucky 31,’ ‘HM4,’ or ‘MaxQ’ gained significantly more (P \u3c 0.05) and produced more (P \u3c 0.05) gain/a than those that grazed high-endophyte ‘Kentucky 31’ pastures. Gains of cattle that grazed low-endophyte ‘Kentucky 31,’ ‘HM4,’ or ‘MaxQ’ were similar (P \u3e 0.05). Subsequent finishing gains were similar (P \u3e 0.05) among fescue cultivars in 2009, 2012, 2013, and 2014; however, steers that previously grazed high-endophyte ‘Kentucky 31’ had greater (P \u3e 0.05) finishing gains than those that had grazed ‘HM4’ or ‘MaxQ’ in 2010 and greater (P \u3c 0.05) finishing gains than those that grazed low-endophyte ‘Kentucky 31’ or ‘HM4’ in 2011. Supplementation of grazing steers with DDG supported a higher stocking rate and resulted in greater (P \u3c 0.05) grazing gain, gain/a, and overall daily gain and reduced the amount of fertilizer needed by providing approximately 60 lb/a, 50 lb/a, 50 lb/a, 30 lb/a, 40 lb/a, and 40 lb/a of nitrogen (N) in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, respectively, primarily from urine of grazing cattle

Effects of Various Grazing Systems on Grazing and Subsequent Finishing Performance

A total of 400 mixed black yearling steers were used to compare grazing and subsequent finishing performance from pastures with ‘MaxQ’ tall fescue, a wheat-bermudagrass double-crop system, or a wheat-crabgrass double-crop system in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. Daily gains of steers that grazed MaxQ fescue, wheat-bermudagrass, or wheat-crabgrass were similar (P \u3e 0.05) in 2010, 2016, 2017, and 2018. Daily gains of steers that grazed wheat-bermudagrass or wheat-crabgrass were greater (P \u3e 0.05) than those that grazed MaxQ fescue in 2011, 2012, and 2019. Daily gains of steers that grazed wheat-crabgrass were greater (P \u3e 0.05) than those that grazed wheat-bermudagrass and similar (P \u3e 0.05) to those that grazed MaxQ fescue in 2013. Daily gains of steers that grazed wheat-crabgrass were greater (P \u3e 0.05) than those that grazed wheat-bermudagrass or ‘Max Q’ fescue in 2014. In 2015, daily gains of steers that grazed wheat-crabgrass were greater (P \u3c 0.05) than those that grazed wheat-bermudagrass or Max Q fescue and daily gain of steers grazing wheat-bermudagrass was greater (P \u3c 0.05) than that of those that grazed MaxQ fescue. Finishing gains were similar (P \u3e 0.05) among forage systems in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2018. Finishing gains of steers that grazed MaxQ fescue were greater (P \u3c 0.05) than those that grazed wheat-bermudagrass in 2011 and greater (P \u3c 0.05) than those that grazed wheat-bermudagrass or wheat-crabgrass in 2015. In 2017, finishing gains of steers that grazed wheat-crabgrass were greater (P \u3c 0.05) than those that grazed MaxQ fescue

Effects of Supplementation with Corn or Dried Distillers Grains on Gains of Heifer Calves Grazing Smooth Bromegrass Pastures

Thirty heifer calves grazing smooth bromegrass pastures were used to compare supplementation with 0.5% of body weight per head daily of corn or dried distillers grains (DDG). Daily gains of heifers supplemented with corn or DDG were similar (P \u3e 0.05)

Effects of Interseeding Ladino Clover into Tall Fescue Pastures of Varying Endophyte Status on Grazing Performance of Stocker Steers

Sixty-four yearling steers grazing tall fescue pastures were used to evaluate the effects of fescue cultivar and interseeding ladino clover on grazing gains and available forage. Fescue cultivars evaluated were high-endophyte ‘Kentucky 31,’ low-endophyte ‘Kentucky 31,’ ‘HM4,’ and ‘MaxQ.’ Steers that grazed pastures of low-endophyte ‘Kentucky 31,’ ‘HM4,’ or ‘MaxQ’ gained significantly more (P \u3c 0.05) and produced more (P \u3c 0.05) gain/a than those that grazed high-endophyte ‘Kentucky 31’ pastures. Gains of cattle that grazed low-endophyte ‘Kentucky 31,’ ‘HM4,’ or ‘MaxQ’ were similar (P \u3e 0.05). High-endophyte ‘Kentucky 31’ pastures had more (P \u3c 0.05) available forage than lowendophyte ‘Kentucky 31,’ ‘HM4,’ or ‘MaxQ’ pastures