Developing a regional strategy to address the outbreak of banana Xanthomonas wilt in East and Central Africa: Proceedings of the banana Xanthomonas wilt regional preparedness and strategy development workshop held in Kampala, Uganda, 14-18 February 2005

Proceedings of a workshop to develop a coherent regional and international response for containing the spread of banana Xanthomonas wilt in East and Central Africa and mitigating its impact on rural livelihoods

Vegetation and climate change on the Bolivian Altiplano between 108,000 and 18,000 years ago

A 90,000-yr record of environmental change before 18,000 cal yr B.P. has been constructed using pollen analyses from a sediment core obtained from Salar de Uyuni (3653 m above sea level) on the Bolivian Altiplano. The sequence consists of alternating mud and salt, which reflect shifts between wet and dry periods. Low abundances of aquatic species between 108,000 and 50,000 yr ago (such as Myriophyllum and Isoëtes) and marked fluctuations in Pediastrum suggest generally dry conditions dominated by saltpans. Between 50,000 yr ago and 36,000 cal yr B.P., lacustrine sediments become increasingly dominant. The transition to the formation of paleolake “Minchin” begins with marked rises in Isoëtes and Myriophyllum, suggesting a lake of moderate depth. Similarly, between 36,000 and 26,000 cal yr B.P., the transition to paleolake Tauca is also initiated by rises in Isoëtes and Myriophyllum; the sustained presence of Isoëtes indicates the development of flooded littoral communities associated with a lake maintained at a higher water level. Polylepis tarapacana-dominated communities were probably an important component of the Altiplano terrestrial vegetation during much of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and previous wet phases

A Fisheries Evaluation of the Westside Ditch and Wapato Canal Fish Screening Facilities, Spring 1989 : Annual Report.

We evaluated the effectiveness of new fish screening facilities in the Westside Ditch and Wapato Canal in south-central Washington State. The screen integrity tests indicated that test fish released in front of the screens could enter the canal behind the screens. At Westside Ditch, between 6% and 25% of the zero-age fry passed through the rotary drum screens. The 6% estimate is based on tests with rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss fry. The 25% estimate is based on monitoring chinook salmon 0. tshawytscha fry that were diverted from the river into the irrigation ditch. At Westside Ditch, we estimated that 1.8% of steelhead 0. mykiss smolts and 0.3% of chinook salmon smolts released during tests were descaled. The time required for 50% of the test fish to exit from the Westside Ditch Screen forebay was 3 to 8 h for chinook salmon smolts and up to 28 h for steelhead smolts. Methods used in 1988 were first used at Sunnyside in 1985 and were used in subsequent years at Richland. Toppenish/Satus. Wapato. and Toppenish Creek. The methods and 1985 through 1987 results have been reviewed by the Washington State Department of Fisheries, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Power Planning Council, and the Yakima Indian Nation

Western equatorial African forest-savanna mosaics: a legacy of late Holocene climatic change?

Past vegetation and climate changes reconstructed using two pollen records from Lakes Maridor and Nguène, located in the coastal savannas and inland rainforest of Gabon, respectively, provide new insights into the environmental history of western equatorial African rainforests during the last 4500 cal yr BP. These pollen records indicate that the coastal savannas of western equatorial Africa did not exist during the mid-Holocene and instead the region was covered by evergreen rainforests. From ca. 4000 cal yr BP a progressive decline of inland evergreen rainforest, accompanied by the expansion of semi-deciduous rainforest, occurred synchronously with grassland colonisation in the coastal region of Gabon. The contraction of moist evergreen rainforest and the establishment of coastal savannas in Gabon suggest decreasing humidity from ca. 4000 cal yr BP. The marked reduction in evergreen rainforest and subsequent savanna expansion was followed from 2700 cal yr BP by the colonization of secondary forests dominated by the palm, <i>Elaeis guineensis</i>, and the shrub, <i>Alchornea cordifolia</i> (Euphorbiaceae). A return to wetter climatic conditions from about 1400 cal yr BP led to the renewed spread of evergreen rainforest inland, whereas a forest-savanna mosaic still persists in the coastal region. There is no evidence to suggest that the major environmental changes observed were driven by human impact

Andean Land Use And Biodiversity: Humanized Landscapes In A Time Of Change

Some landscapes Cannot be understood without reference., to the kinds. degrees, kinds, degrees, and history of human-caused modifications to the Earth's surface. The tropical latitudes of the Andes represent one such place, with agricultural land-use systems appearing in the Early Holocene. Current land use includes both intensive and extensive grazing and crop- or tree-based agricultural systems found across virtually the, entire range of possible elevations and humidity regimes. Biodiversity found in or adjacent to such humanized landscapes will have been altered in abundance. composition, and distribution in relation to the resiliency of the native Species to harvest, hold cover modifications, and other deliberate or inadvertent human land uses. In addition, the geometries of land cover, resulting flout difference among the shapes, sizes, connectivities, and physical structures of the patches, corridors, and matrices that compose landscape mosaics, will constrain biodiversity, often in predictable ways. This article proposes a conceptual model that alter ins that the Continued persistence of native species may depend as much oil the shifting Of Andean landscape mosaics as on species characteristics, themselves. Furthermore, mountains such as the Andes display long gradients of environmental Conditions that after in relation to latitude, soil moisture, aspect, and elevation. Global environmental change will shift these, especially temperature and humidity regimes along elevational gradients, causing Changes outside the historical range of variation for some species. Both land-use systems and Conservation efforts will need to respond spatially to these shifts in the future, at both landscape and regional scales.Geography and the Environmen

A Fisheries Evaluation of the Wapato, Sunnyside and Toppenish Creek Canal Fish Screening Facilities, Spring 1988 : Annual Report.

We evaluated the effectiveness of new screening facilities at the Toppenish Creek, Wapato, and Sunnyside canals in southcentral Washington State. Screen integrity tests indicated that fish released in front of the screens were prevented from entering the canal behind the screens. Screen efficiency estimates are 99% ({+-}0.6%) for Toppenish Creek, 99% ({+-}0.3%) for Wapato, and 98% ({+-}0.5%) for Sunnyside. During 1987 at the Wapato Canal, we estimated screen efficiency was 97% ({+-}l%). We conducted descaling tests at the Toppenish Creek Screens. We estimated that 0.2% of steelhead Qncorhynchus mykiss smelts released during tests were descaled. None of the fish released through the fish return pipe were descaled. We measured the time required for fish to move through the screen facilities. The time required for 50% of the test fish to exit the Toppenish Creek Screen forebay was 4 to 9 h for rainbow trout fry and up to 39 h for steelhead smelts. The time for 50% of the test fish to exit the Wapato and Sunnyside screen forebays was less than 8 h. As with past studies, exit times varied with canal flow and species. After 39 h at Toppenish Creek, half the steelhead smelts were still in the forebay when canal flows were 20 cfs. At Sunnyside, half the chinook salmon fry exited the forebay in 1 h or less. Methods used in 1988 were the same as those used at Sunnyside in 1985 and in subsequent years at Richland, Toppenish/Satus, and Wapato. The methods and previous results have been reviewed by the Washington State Department of Fisheries, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Power Planning Council, and Yakima Indian Nation

Polymotu : A new concept of island-based germplasm bank based on an old Polynesian practice

The Polymotu concept (poly=many, motu=island) is to use the geographical isolation of special sites for conservation and reproduction of individual varieties of plants, trees and even animals. This concept is mainly derived from previous initiatives in conservation of coconut palms by ancient Polynesians and some contemporary Thais. A quite similar concept has also been used by New Zealanders for conservation of endangered bird species. For instance, when a small island is planted with only one variety of coconut palms, breeding occurs only within this variety and certified seednuts are naturally produced. Conservation is secured by both the geographical isolation of the islands and the availability of certified seednuts. In 2009, the Polymotu concept was included in the global coconut conservation strategy developed by the International Coconut Genetic Resources Network (COGENT) and the Global Crop Diversity Trust. It moves this global strategy towards the involvement of more countries, sites and stakeholders. The Polymotu concept was enriched in 2010 during a visit in Samoa, in order for farmers to diversify their genetic resources and increase their incomes. We are presently launching initiatives to develop Polymotu in various regions: the Kepulauan Seribu National Park at the north of Jakarta, Indonesia; the Fakarava biosphere reserve and the Tetiaroa atoll in French Polynesia, Fiji and Samoa. Factors influencing the acceptance of Polymotu by the various stakeholders are discussed, together with collaborative research to be conducted during implementation of the projects. This paper discusses the origins and precursors of the Polymotu concept; presents the firsts initiatives to launch research actions linked to the Polymotu project, and discusses the need for further research to fully implementation this concept

Germplasm Acquisition and Distribution by CGIAR Genebanks

The international collections of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) hosted by 11 CGIAR Centers are important components of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s global system of conservation and use of PGRFA. They also play an important supportive role in realizing Target 2.5 of the Sustainable Development Goals. This paper analyzes CGIAR genebanks’ trends in acquiring and distributing PGRFA over the last 35 years, with a particular focus on the last decade. The paper highlights a number of factors influencing the Centers’ acquisition of new PGRFA to include in the international collections, including increased capacity to analyze gaps in those collections and precisely target new collecting missions, availability of financial resources, and the state of international and national access and benefit-sharing laws and phytosanitary regulations. Factors contributing to Centers’ distributions of PGRFA included the extent of accession-level information, users’ capacity to identify the materials they want, and policies. The genebanks’ rates of both acquisition and distribution increased over the last decade. The paper ends on a cautionary note concerning the potential of unresolved tensions regarding access and benefit sharing and digital genomic sequence information to undermine international cooperation to conserve and use PGRFA

Mining of nickel laterites – towards more environmentally responsible operations

Primary mining of technology metal ores is needed to enable effective decarbonisation. The use of nickel in rechargeable batteries is expected to increase global demand for nickel rapidly over the coming years. Over 60% of annual global nickel production originates from nickel laterites, with Indonesia and the Philippines leading the market. Mining of nickel laterite ore can adversely affect the environment through the release of CO2 and potentially hazardous elements (PHE), such as hexavalent chromium, or asbestiform minerals. Through our better understanding of the social and environmental impacts of mining operations and the availability of technologies that can potentially mitigate adverse impact, it is paramount to aim for more responsible mining and metal recovery operations. This study focuses on the Sta Cruz nickel laterite deposit in the Philippines. Through a multi-scale and multi-technique analytical programme and drawing on existing knowledge1,2, we appraise the deposit holistically, focusing on (i) the geochemistry and mineralogy of major commodities and trace metals, such as the platinum group elements; (ii) carbonate forming metals, e.g. magnesium and (iii) the presence and ecotoxicity of PHE and minerals. We use this understanding to assess the potential for a circular economy in mining, via complete utilisation of the ore to maximise the metal output and minimise the waste produced. This includes the removal of CO2 through the formation of carbonate minerals (mineral carbonation). We also investigate the potential of carbonates to immobilise chromium crystallographically alongside the CO2. This aspect of mineral carbonation is currently poorly understood. We have carried out laboratory synthesis of chromium-doped carbonates at ambient P-T conditions, which indicates that the most common magnesium carbonates do not readily accommodate chromium. However, other carbonate-bearing minerals, including those belonging to layered double hydroxides, present a viable alternative. The combined PHE-CO2 mineral carbonation, when implemented at different stages of metal recovery, from ore extraction to processing, could lead to a reduction of the volume and toxicity of waste, collectively contributing to the mitigation of the adverse environmental impact of nickel laterite mining. [1] Acquino et al (2022) Minerals, 12(3) [2] Bacuta et al (1990) Journal of Geochem.Exploration, 3

How to use the world's scarce selenium resources efficiently to increase the selenium concentration in food

The world's rare selenium resources need to be managed carefully. Selenium is extracted as a by-product of copper mining and there are no deposits that can be mined for selenium alone. Selenium has unique properties as a semi-conductor, making it of special value to industry, but it is also an essential nutrient for humans and animals and may promote plant growth and quality. Selenium deficiency is regarded as a major health problem for 0.5 to 1 billion people worldwide, while an even larger number may consume less selenium than required for optimal protection against cancer, cardiovascular diseases and severe infectious diseases including HIV disease. Efficient recycling of selenium is difficult. Selenium is added in some commercial fertilizers, but only a small proportion is taken up by plants and much of the remainder is lost for future utilization. Large biofortification programmes with selenium added to commercial fertilizers may therefore be a fortification method that is too wasteful to be applied to large areas of our planet. Direct addition of selenium compounds to food (process fortification) can be undertaken by the food industry. If selenomethionine is added directly to food, however, oxidation due to heat processing needs to be avoided. New ways to biofortify food products are needed, and it is generally observed that there is less wastage if selenium is added late in the production chain rather than early. On these bases we have proposed adding selenium-enriched, sprouted cereal grain during food processing as an efficient way to introduce this nutrient into deficient diets. Selenium is a non-renewable resource. There is now an enormous wastage of selenium associated with large-scale mining and industrial processing. We recommend that this must be changed and that much of the selenium that is extracted should be stockpiled for use as a nutrient by future generations