Utilisation des méthodes d'extractions chimiques sélectives pour la prospection géochimique en milieu latéritique

L'étude par extractions chimiques sélectives d'échantillons latéritiques (Musongati, Burundi) permet de montrer l'association de différents éléments en traces avec certaines phases porteuses préférentielles. Elle met également en correspondance l'évolution de la cristallinité de la goethite avec le contenu en traces métalliques de ce minéral. Le respect de conditions cinétiques bien précises affine l'interprétation de données de prospection géochimique grâce à la prise en compte du type d'altération ayant affecté les horizons échantillonné

Utilisation des méthodes d'extractions chimiques sélectives pour la prospection géochimique en milieu latéritique

L'étude par extractions chimiques sélectives d'échantillons latéritiques (Musongati, Burundi) permet de montrer l'association de différents éléments en traces avec certaines phases porteuses préférentielles. Elle met également en correspondance l'évolution de la cristallinité de la goethite avec le contenu en traces métalliques de ce minéral. Le respect de conditions cinétiques bien précises affine l'interprétation de données de prospection géochimique grâce à la prise en compte du type d'altération ayant affecté les horizons échantillonné

Processes and partnerships for effective regional surveillance of banana diseases

Crop diseases do not respect country borders and yet preventive measures to curtail the introduction, establishment and spread of diseases are often coordinated on a country-by-country basis. This is because each country has its own mandate to safeguard food security and trade relations. However, knowledge held by researchers and regulatory officials within each country for any given disease can benefit those in neighbouring countries, and this can be reciprocated for other diseases, depending on aggregated disease distribution and experience of methods for effective diagnosis and management. Based on an appreciation of this common goal, national research and regulatory officials from seven countries networked to prioritize which diseases of banana (Musa spp.) were of critical importance and where to undertake spatially designed surveillance exercises around the Great Lakes region of sub-Saharan Africa. Surveys for banana Xanthomonas wilt and banana bunchy top disease were targeted to zones where outbreaks had been reported but not confirmed, and where invasion risk was high as a consequence of proximity to areas or countries known to contain either disease. To ensure that disease diagnoses were precise, field based visual assessments of symptoms were supported by molecular based diagnostics performed under laboratory conditions. Samples were transferred from plants in the field to the laboratory using pathogen DNA capture kits that could be swiftly and safely moved across country borders for analysis at a centralized laboratory to ensure that results from different surveys could be compared. The accuracy of global positioning system (GPS) coordinates recorded as the origin of samples from surveys was validated by comparing the altitude given by the GPS with altitude data provided by digital elevation models. Geographical information system (GIS) maps could then be generated to clearly show the prevalence of banana Xanthomonas wilt and banana bunchy top disease for the zones surveyed. Furthermore, the GIS maps can be used to interpolate different GPS-linked data sets to highlight factors driving disease establishment and spread, such as conducive environmental conditions, and to determine where to prioritize management strategies based on food insecurity measures. The need to prioritize investments across a region is of particular importance in developing countries where capacities for disease surveillance and diagnostics are limited, resulting in inaccurate pest lists and, as a consequence, limited prospects for sustained agricultural trade. If there is political will for regional communication, harmonized diagnostics and reporting mechanisms, the current scenario of fighting fully blown epidemics with exorbitant funds can be averted by coordinated, pre-emptive and thus cost efficient management interventions

Using demand mapping to assess the benefits of urban green and blue space in cities from four continents

The benefits of urban green and blue infrastructure (UGI) are widely discussed, but rarely take into account local conditions or contexts. Although assessments increasingly consider the demand for the ecosystem services that UGI provides, they tend to only map the spatial pattern of pressures such as heat, or air pollution, and lack a wider understanding of where the beneficiaries are located and who will benefit most. We assess UGI in five cities from four continents with contrasting climate, socio-political context, and size. For three example services (air pollution removal, heat mitigation, accessible greenspace), we run an assessment that takes into account spatial patterns in the socio-economic demand for ecosystem services and develops metrics that reflect local context, drawing on the principles of vulnerability assessment. Despite similar overall levels of UGI (from 35 to 50% of urban footprint), the amount of service provided differs substantially between cities. Aggregate cooling ranged from 0.44 °C (Leicester) to 0.98 °C (Medellin), while pollution removal ranged from 488 kg PM2.5/yr (Zomba) to 48,400 kg PM2.5/yr (Dhaka). Percentage population with access to nearby greenspace ranged from 82% (Dhaka) to 100% (Zomba). The spatial patterns of pressure, of ecosystem service, and of maximum benefit within a city do not necessarily match, and this has implications for planning optimum locations for UGI in cities