Estimation of Costs and Benefits of the Community Rainforest Reforestation Program in North Queensland

This paper reports the experiences in a study designed to estimate the total economic value of a reforestation program in North Queensland. The Community Rainforest Reforestation Program was commenced in 1993, with stated objectives relating to timber production, protection of degraded land, improvement in water quality and workforce training. The various perceived cost and benefit contributions of this program have been identified with the aid of surveys of landholders and local government. Estimates have been derived of program costs and, where possible, of the level of benefits within identified categories. On the basis of this analysis, the CRRP appears to be marginally justifiable in economic terms. Within the resources available for the study, some program benefits could not be valued, including the 'social healing' value following the bitter local controversy over World Heritage listing, and the research value gained from growing a wide variety of species of high-quality tropical rainforest timbers in plantations. © 2002 Economic Society of Australia (Queensland) Inc

Chemical signatures of the Anthropocene in the Clyde Estuary, UK: sediment hosted Pb, 207/206 Pb, Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH), Polyaromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) and Polychlorinated Bipheny (PCB) pollution records

The sediment concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Pb and 207/206Pb isotope ratios were measured in seven cores from the middle Clyde estuary (Scotland, UK) with an aim of tracking the late Anthropocene. Concentrations of TPHs ranged from 34 to 4386 mg kg−1, total PAHs from 19 to 16 163 μg kg−1 and total PCBs between less than 4.3 to 1217 μg kg−1. Inventories, distributions and isomeric ratios of the organic pollutants were used to reconstruct pollutant histories. Pre-Industrial Revolution and modern non-polluted sediments were characterized by low TPH and PAH values as well as high relative abundance of biogenic-sourced phenanthrene and naphthalene. The increasing industrialization of the Clyde gave rise to elevated PAH concentrations and PAH isomeric ratios characteristic of both grass/wood/coal and petroleum and combustion (specifically petroleum combustion). Overall, PAHs had the longest history of any of the organic contaminants. Increasing TPH concentrations and a concomitant decline in PAHs mirrored the lessening of coal use and increasing reliance on petroleum fuels from about the 1950s. Thereafter, declining hydrocarbon pollution was followed by the onset (1950s), peak (1965–1977) and decline (post-1980s) in total PCB concentrations. Lead concentrations ranged from 6 to 631 mg kg−1, while 207/206Pb isotope ratios spanned 0.838–0.876, indicative of various proportions of ‘background’, British ore/coal and Broken Hill type petrol/industrial lead. A chronology was established using published Pb isotope data for aerosol-derived Pb and applied to the cores

Effects of organic supplement on growth, leaf chlorophyll and nitrogen index of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) cultivated in crude-oil- contaminated soil in Nigeria

A field study was conducted in the 2015-2016 cropping season to investigate the effect of soil amendment on the growth, leaf chlorophyll and nitrogen index of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) cultivated in crude oil contaminated soil located at Ikot Ada Udo, Ikot Abasi Local Government Area LGA) of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The soil samples were amended with organic supplement (palm bunch ash, PBA and dried poultry litter, DPL) singly and in combination using three different cassava cultivars (TMS 30572, NR 8082 and Local variety) where the growth parameters, chlorophyll content and nitrogen index were monitored at eight (8) weeks intervals for twenty-four (24) weeks. The mean results obtained showed that plant height, leaf area and stem girth increased with increase in the number of weeks with PBA+DPL and DPL amended soil showing significant increase in plants height as compared to the PBA amended soil and the control soil. The same trend was observed with other growth parameters. For the plant varieties, growth in TMS 30572 was significantly higher than others except for the 8th week where the local variety was highest with NR 8082 being the least in all growth parameters. After 16 weeks of sprouting, plots treated with PBA had higher number of Nodes and Leaf Nitrogen Index while plots treated with DPL had higher Chlorophyll A and B contents. This study recommended that varieties TMS 30572 and the Local (Nsak Idaha) should be planted on a crude-oil-polluted site and the soil should be amended with organic nutrients to improve the crop growth performance.Keywords: Soil Amendment, Leaf Chlorophyll, Nitrogen Index, Manihot Esculenta Crantz and Contaminated Soi

Heavy metals accumulation in leaves and tubers of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) grown in crude oil contaminated soil at Ikot Ada Udo, Nigeria

Pot experiment was set up to assess the levels of heavy metals accumulation in leaves and tubers of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) grown in crude oil contaminated soil in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. Three cassava cultivars were used for the study viz: NR-8082, TMS-30572 and a Local variety (LV). The crops were planted in pots and nurtured to maturity. They were then assessed for the concentrations of the following heavy metals: Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, Zn and Fe in both the leaves and tubers using standard laboratory procedures. Data analysis was carried out using the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and significantly different means were separated using the Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT). The analysis revealed that TMS accumulated the highest quantities of these metals, followed by NR and lastly, the local variety (V), this being a function of biomass production. Transfer Factors also proved the order of accumulation of this heavy metal as: TMS > NR > LV. Generally, the order of prevalence of heavy metal in both the leaves and the tubers was: Fe > Zn > Ni > Pb > Cd > Cr. This study revealed that crude oil pollution is increasingly raising the levels of heavy metals in the soils of Niger Delta and these metals are being taken up by plants including cassava, which is the most important staple food crop of the area. Consequently, crops farmers are advised against cultivating at crude oil contaminated sites for the risk of accumulation of heavy metals in plant tissues.Keywords: Cassava, Heavy Metal, Crude Oil, Contamination Soil, Accumulatio

The performance of community organisers in promotion of community forestry in Leyte Province, Phillipines

A study was conducted to assess the role and effectiveness of community organisers in supporting the development of people’s organisations in achieving community-based forest management objectives in Leyte Province Philippines. Community organisers were found to be effective in forming people’s organisations (POs), motivating people to participate in voluntary activities organised by POs and encouraging cohesiveness among PO members. Community organisers manage to raise the level of environmental awareness and knowledge of members of people’s organisations, develop leadership interest and skills, create various livelihood opportunities and provide direction and facilitate the establishment of large tree plantations. However, the short duration of community organisers’ contracts (typically two years) is insufficient to establish mature and cohesive POs prepared to assume management on their own, including the management of tree plantations. Further, lack of training and funding support, low wages, delayed payment of salaries and limited time to work with people’s organisations, as well as the pressure to produce tangible outputs such the establishment of large tree plantations, prevents them from placing greater emphasis on the development and empowerment of the people

Australian Rainforest Timbers as a Valuable Resource Community Perceptions and Purchase Habits of Rainforest Timber Products

Australia has some of the highest quality cabinet timber species in the world, sourced primarily from tropical rainforests, and this has been a long tradition of using these to produce furniture. Cessation of logging of crown rainforest land has reduced resource supply, but there is now considerable interest in growing rainforest timbers on private land. In order to formulate reforestation policy and industry development, it is desirable to know how the community views these timbers. This study provides the first quantitative description of the public’s perceptions and purchases of Australian rainforest cabinet timber (ARCT) products in North Queensland. It provides information that contributes to understanding the factors affecting the demand for products made from rainforest cabinet timbers. The majority of the North Queensland community consider Australian rainforest cabinet timbers to be vastly superior to composite wood products. Eucalypt species are also considered superior to exotic conifers which are the main species grown by Australian state forest services. Reasons for reluctance to purchase products made from RFTs include high cost but also desire to protect the rainforests and ‘stage of life’. The main purchasing group are clustered on the 25-54 year age category. These findings have implications for government initiatives to promote afforestation with rainforest species

Designing Livelihood Systems Incorporating Trees for Smallholders on Leyte

This paper outlines proposed project activities associated with the design of tree farm based livelihood systems for smallholders on Leyte Island in the Philippines. In activity 3.1, four research questions will be addressed related to identifying livelihood strategies currently implemented by smallholder tree farmers and how these systems relate to food and income security; investigating whether livelihood systems can be developed which better meet the needs of a wider range of smallholders and whether there is potential for incorporating non-timber forest products into livelihood systems. This activity draws upon information collected from tree farms included as part of research in Activities 2.2 and 2.5

Genomic analysis of Anderson typing phages of Salmonella Typhimrium: towards understanding the basis of bacteria-phage interaction

The Anderson phage typing scheme has been successfully used worldwide for epidemiological surveillance of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Although the scheme is being replaced by whole genome sequence subtyping methods, it can provide a valuable model system for study of phage-host interaction. The phage typing scheme distinguishes more than 300 definitive types of Salmonella Typhimurium based on their patterns of lysis to a unique collection of 30 specific Salmonella phages. In this study, we sequenced the genomes of 28 Anderson typing phages of Salmonella Typhimurium to begin to characterize the genetic determinants that are responsible for the differences in these phage type profiles. Genomic analysis of typing phages reveals that Anderson phages can be classified into three different groups, the P22-like, ES18-like and SETP3-like clusters. Most Anderson phages are short tailed P22-like viruses (genus Lederbergvirus); but phages STMP8 and STMP18 are very closely related to the lambdoid long tailed phage ES18, and phages STMP12 and STMP13 are related to the long noncontractile tailed, virulent phage SETP3. Most of these typing phages have complex genome relationships, but interestingly, two phage pairs STMP5 and STMP16 as well as STMP12 and STMP13 differ by a single nucleotide. The former affects a P22-like protein involved in DNA passage through the periplasm during its injection, and the latter affects a gene whose function is unknown. Using the Anderson phage typing scheme would provide insights into phage biology and the development of phage therapy for the treatment of antibiotic resistant bacterial infections

Conducting surveys on forestry attitudes and practices in Leyte Communities, Philippines: Experiences and lessons learnt

A survey of forestry practices and attitudes was undertaken in four communities in Leyte, the Philippines, to improve understanding of the social and economic factors affecting small-scale forestry development. The survey had three main data collection activities — initial focus group discussions (FGDs), household interviews, and reporting and validation FGDs. A team of enumerators was selected for household interviews which consisted of both males and females, to avoid potential problems of unwillingness of people to talk with those of the opposite gender. The interviewers were also required to be able to speak local dialects (Cebuano and Waray Waray), the survey questionnaires being administered in these dialects. Various methods were used to gain the support and assistance of local government units and barangay captains. Some difficulty was experienced by the survey team in the first community due to barangay elections at the time of the survey, and the requirement by the University of Queensland Ethics Committee that respondents sign a consent form. This requirement was found to be not culturally appropriate for the Leyte smallholder communities. Offering goods at the end of the interview was found to be of limited value for encouraging participation in the survey. Provision of food and drinks were found to encourage FGD participants to express their views, but too much alcohol had a negative effect. The importance of providing comprehensive feedback to respondents and involving them and other stakeholders in development of policy recommendations was apparent. These survey experiences provide valuable insights which are not generally available in textbooks on sample surveys, and provide lessons for planning and conducting smallholder community survey into natural resource management issues