Search for new phenomena in high-mass final states with a photon and a jet from pp collisions at root s=13 TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search is performed for new phenomena in events having a photon with high transverse momentum and a jet collected in 36.7 fb−1 of proton–proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s√ = 13 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The invariant mass distribution of the leading photon and jet is examined to look for the resonant production of new particles or the presence of new high-mass states beyond the Standard Model. No significant deviation from the background-only hypothesis is observed and cross-section limits for generic Gaussian-shaped resonances are extracted. Excited quarks hypothesized in quark compositeness models and high-mass states predicted in quantum black hole models with extra dimensions are also examined in the analysis. The observed data exclude, at 95% confidence level, the mass range below 5.3 TeV for excited quarks and 7.1 TeV (4.4 TeV) for quantum black holes in the Arkani-Hamed–Dimopoulos–Dvali (Randall–Sundrum) model with six (one) extra dimensions

Factors Affecting Biogas Technology Adoption by Cattle Farmers in Central Java

Cow dung farm waste often creates problems when the waste is not properly managed. Beef cattle farmers as agribusiness entrepreneurs in the Polosiri Village, Semarang Regency had different behaviors in adopting technologies; one of the technologies is biogas. This study aimed to analyze the factors that influence the adoption behavior of biogas technology in the group of beef cattle farmer. A survey was conducted on 40 farmers in Polosiri Village, Bawen Sub-District in Semarang Regency, Central Java. Data were collected through interviews with structured questionnaires and analyzed by multiple regression models. The results showed the behavior of beef cattle farmers in the adoption of biogas technology in the medium category. Factors of income, farm experience, and motivation of farmers are important factors in technology adoption behavior. While the number of livestock and commercial gas usage have no significant effect. It can be concluded that behavior in adopting of biogas technology in farm household depends on the socio-economic condition. Appropriate policies should be formulated to take advantage of the adoption of biogas technologies to improve the sustainability of agricultural productivity

Identifying and addressing knowledge gaps for improving greenhouse gas emissions estimates from tropical peat forest fires

Tropical peatlands are areas of high carbon density that are important in biosphere-atmosphere interactions. Drainage and burning of tropical peatlands releases about 5% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, yet there is great uncertainty in these estimates. Our comprehensive literature review of parameters required to calculate GHG emissions from burnt peat forests, following the international guidelines, revealed many gaps in knowledge of carbon pools and few recent supporting studies. To improve future estimates of the total ecosystem carbon balance and peatfire emissions this study aimed to account for all carbon pools: aboveground, deadwood, pyrogenic carbon (PyC) and peat of single and repeatedly burnt peat forests. A further aim was to identify the minimum sampling intensity required to detect with 80% power significant differences in these carbon pools among long unburnt, recently burnt and repeatedly burnt peat swamp forests. About 90 Mg C ha−1 remains aboveground as deadwood after a single fire and half of this remains after a second fire. One fire produces 4.5 ± 0.6 Mg C ha−1 of PyC, with a second fire increasing this to 7.1 ± 0.8 Mg C ha−1. For peat swamp forests these aboveground carbon pools are rarely accounted in estimates of emissions following multiple fires, while PyC has not been included in the total peat carbon mass balance. Peat bulk density and peat carbon content change with fire frequency, yet these parameters often remain constant in the published emission estimates following a single and multiple fires. Our power analysis indicated that as few as 12 plots are required to detect meaningful differences between fire treatments for the major carbon pools. Further field studies directed at improving the parameters for calculating carbon balance of disturbed peat forest ecosystems are required to better constrain peatfire GHG emission estimates

Tree species that ‘live slow, die older’ enhance tropical peat swamp restoration: Evidence from a systematic review

Funder: Arcus Foundation; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100016681Funder: Darwin InitiativeFunder: European Association of Zoos and Aquaria; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100009167Funder: European Outdoor Conservation Association; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013711Funder: Fundacion BioparcFunder: Ocean Parks Conservation Foundation Hong KongFunder: Orangutan Land TrustFunder: Save the OrangutanFunder: Taronga ZooFunder: The Orangutan ProjectFunder: Ministry of Environment & ForestryFunder: PT Rimba Makmur UtamaAbstract: Degraded tropical peatlands lack tree cover and are often subject to seasonal flooding and repeated burning. These harsh environments for tree seedlings to survive and grow are therefore challenging to revegetate. Knowledge on species performance from previous plantings represents an important evidence base to help guide future tropical peat swamp forest (TPSF) restoration efforts. We conducted a systematic review of the survival and growth of tree species planted in degraded peatlands across Southeast Asia to examine (1) species differences, (2) the impact of seedling and site treatments on survival and growth and (3) the potential use of plant functional traits to predict seedling survival and growth rates. Planted seedling monitoring data were compiled through a systematic review of journal articles, conference proceedings, reports, theses and unpublished datasets. In total, 94 study‐sites were included, spanning three decades from 1988 to 2019, and including 141 indigenous peatland tree and palm species. Accounting for variable planting numbers and monitoring durations, we analysed three measures of survival and growth: (1) final survival weighted by the number of seedlings planted, (2) half‐life, that is, duration until 50% mortality and (3) relative growth rates (RGR) corrected for initial planting height of seedlings. Average final survival was 62% and half‐life was 33 months across all species, sites and treatments. Species differed significantly in survival and half‐life. Seedling and site treatments had small effects with the strongest being higher survival of mycorrhizal fungi inoculated seedlings; lower survival, half‐life and RGR when shading seedlings; and lower RGR and higher survival when fertilising seedlings. Leaf nutrient and wood density traits predicted TPSF species survival, but not half‐life and RGR. RGR and half‐life were negatively correlated, meaning that slower growing species survived for longer. Synthesis and applications. To advance tropical peat swamp reforestation requires expanding the number and replication of species planted and testing treatments by adopting control vs. treatment experimental designs. Species selection should involve slower growing species (e.g. Lophopetalum rigidum, Alstonia spatulata, Madhuca motleyana) that survive for longer and explore screening species based on functional traits associated with nutrient acquisition, flooding tolerance and recovery from fire