10 research outputs found
Biodiversity Recovery and Transformation Impacts for Wetland Biodiversity
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methods for land use take both occupation and transformation impacts into account. However, for wetlands and impacts from water consumption, it is so far not possible to account for transformation impacts. It is our goal to close this research gap, by determining wetland recovery times and developing characterization factors for transformation. To do this, we conducted a meta-analysis of 59 studies analyzing biodiversity recovery in wetlands subject to passive and active restoration. Generalized linear models were fitted to the biodiversity data and age, along with other wetland characteristics (such as elevation, latitude, or climate class), and were used as predictor variables. The results indicate that elevation, latitude, type of wetland, and restoration method have the strongest effect on recovery speed. Recovery times vary from less than one year to a maximum of 107 years with passive restoration and 105 years with active restoration. Corresponding transformation characterization factors vary between 10â14 and 10â2 species-eq·year2/m3. Finally, recognizing the relevance of this work to real-world policy issues beyond LCA, we discuss the implications of our estimated restoration times on the feasibility of âbiodiversity offsettingâ. Offsetting utilizes restoration to replace biodiversity value lost due to development impacts. Our work can help stakeholders make informed decisions on whether offsetting represents a legitimate policy option in a particular context
Biodiversity recovery and transformation impacts for wetland biodiversity
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methods for land use take both occupation and transformation impacts into account. However, for wetlands and impacts from water consumption, it is so far not possible to account for transformation impacts. It is our goal to close this research gap, by determining wetland recovery times and developing characterization factors for transformation. To do this, we conducted ameta-analysis of 59 studies analyzing biodiversity recovery in wetlands subject 20 to passive and active restoration. Generalized linear models were fitted to the biodiversity data and age, along with other wetland characteristics (such as elevation, latitude or climate class), were used as predictor variables. The results indicate that elevation, latitude, type of wetland and restoration method have the strongest effect on recovery speed. Recovery times vary from less than one year to a maximum of 107 years with passive restoration and 105 years with active restoration. Corresponding transformation characterization factors vary between 10-14 and 10-2 species-eq·year2/m3. Finally, recognizing the relevance of this work to real-world policy issues beyond LCA, we discuss the implications of our estimated restoration times on the feasibility of âbiodiversity offsettingâ. Offsetting utilizes restoration to replace biodiversity value lost due to development impacts. Our work can help stakeholders make informed decisions on whether offsetting represent a legitimate policy options in a particular context
New Chemical Dopant and Counterion Mechanism for Organic Electrochemical Transistors and Organic Mixed IonicâElectronic Conductors
Abstract Organic mixed ionicâelectronic conductors (OMIECs) have varied performance requirements across a diverse application space. Chemically doping the OMIEC can be a simple, lowâcost approach for adapting performance metrics. However, complex challenges, such as identifying new dopant materials and elucidating design rules, inhibit its realization. Here, these challenges are approached by introducing a new nâdopant, tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBAâOH), and identifying a new design consideration underpinning its success. TBAâOH behaves as both a chemical nâdopant and morphology additive in donor acceptor coâpolymer naphthodithiophene diimideâbased polymer, which serves as an electron transporting material in organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs). The combined effects enhance OECT transconductance, charge carrier mobility, and volumetric capacitance, representative of the key metrics underpinning all OMIEC applications. Additionally, when the TBA+ counterion adopts an âedgeâonâ location relative to the polymer backbone, Coulombic interaction between the counterion and polaron is reduced, and polaron delocalization increases. This is the first time such mechanisms are identified in dopedâOECTs and dopedâOMIECs. The work herein therefore takes the first steps toward developing the design guidelines needed to realize chemical doping as a generic strategy for tailoring performance metrics in OECTs and OMIECs