Impact of Service Recovery on Customer Satisfaction in Hospitality Industry of Pakistan

The reason behind this research is to identify and assess the outcome of service recovery on customer satisfaction in hospitality industry of Pakistan. The research aimed to highlight the significant relationship between the system recovery and satisfaction of customer. This study has been conducted in two twin cities of Pakistan i.e. Islamabad and Rawalpindi. This study has used two methods of data collection which is primary and secondary data. Furthermore, the questionnaire method technique is used for primary data and whereas for secondary data collection is gathered from online journals and research articles. Convenience sampling has been employed as the sampling strategy for this study. Sample size taken is 240. Results have clearly shown that service recovery has positive effect on customer satisfaction as far as hospitality industry is concerned. Results have also shown that employee empowerment moderates relationship between service recovery and customer satisfaction. This study is of great significance as it provides a plan of action, which if employees of hotels adopt, it will assist them to be at a better position to resolve issues related. Keywords: Service Recovery, Customer Satisfaction, Hospitality Industry

Future of ammonium nitrate after Beirut (Lebanon) explosion

Ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) is a chemical compound that is mostly found as a colorless and/or white to gray crystalline solid, odorless beads, and easily soluble in water. The molecular weight, specific gravity, melting, and boiling point of NH4NO3 are 80.06, 1.725, 169.51 °C, and 210 °C, respectively (Rao, 2014). Higher temperature (>210 °C) easily decomposes NH4NO3 and producing toxic gasses, especially nitrogen oxides, and may also cause an explosion (Han et al., 2015). At room temperature, pure NH4NO3 neither flammable or combustible, but when heated, normally, it is decomposed into non-explosive gases such as oxygen. Nevertheless, it can also be decomposed into explosive material by detonation (Xia et al., 2019). Ammonium nitrate is strongly oxidant that easily detonates under certain circumstances, which include higher temperature (>210 °C), confinement, and impurities (Health Safety Executive, 2004).The authors would like to appreciate the valuable comments from the editors and anonymous reviewers to improve the quality of this study. The authors confirm that no funding was received for his work

Unraveling the Influence of Land-Use Change on δ 13C, δ 15N, and Soil Nutritional Status in Coniferous, Broadleaved, and Mixed Forests in Southern China: A Field Investigation

Natural isotopic abundance in soil and foliar can provide integrated information related to the long-term alterations of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles in forest ecosystems. We evaluated total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), and isotopic natural abundance of C (δ 13C) and N (δ 15N) in soil and foliar of coniferous plantation (CPF), natural broadleaved forest (NBF), and mixed forest stands at three different soil depths (i.e., 0–10, 10–20, and 20–40 cm). This study also explored how soil available nutrients are affected by different forest types. Lutou forest research station, located in Hunan Province, central China, was used as the study area. Results demonstrated that the topsoil layer had higher TC and TN content in the mixed forest stand, resulting in a better quality of organic materials in the topsoil layer in the mixed forest than NBF and CPF. In general, soil TC, TN, and δ 15N varied significantly in different soil depths and forest types. However, the forest type did not exhibit any significant effect on δ 13C. Overall, soil δ 13C was significantly enriched in CPF, and δ 15N values were enriched in mixed forest. Foliar C content varied significantly among forest types, whereas foliar N content was not significantly different. No big differences were observed for foliar δ 15N and δ 13C across forest types. However, foliar δ 13C and δ 15N were positively related to soil δ 13C and δ 15N, respectively. Foliar N, soil and foliar C:N ratio, soil moisture content (SMC), and forest type were observed as the major influential factors affecting isotopic natural abundance, whereas soil pH was not significantly correlated. In addition, forest type change and soil depth increment had a significant effect on soil nutrient availability. In general, soil nutrient availability was higher in mixed forest. Our findings implied that forest type and soil depth alter TC, TN, and soil δ 15N, whereas δ 13C was only driven by soil depth. Moreover, plantations led to a decline in soil available nutrient content compared with NBF and mixed forest stand

Can Different Salt Formulations Revert the Depressing Effect of Salinity on Maize by Modulating Plant Biochemical Attributes and Activating Stress Regulators through Improved N Supply?

Salinity is a major constraint in improving agricultural productivity due to its adverse impact on various physiological and biochemical attributes of plants, and its effect on reducing nitrogen (N) use efficiency due to ion toxicity. To understand the relationship between sodium chloride (NaCl) and increased N application rates, a pot study was performed in which the ammonical (NH4+) form of N was applied as urea to maize crops at different rates (control, 160, 186, 240, 267, 293, and 320 kg N ha−1) using two salinity levels (control and 10 dS m−1 NaCl). The results indicate that all biochemical and physiological attributes of the maize plant improved with increased concentration of N up to 293 kg ha−1, compared to those in the control treatment. Similarly, the optimal N concentration regulated the activities of antioxidant enzymes, i.e., catalase activity (CAT), peroxidase activity (POD), and superoxide dismutases (SOD), and also increased the N use efficiencies of the maize crop up to 293 kg N ha−1. Overall, our results show that the optimum level of N (293 kg ha−1) improved the salinity tolerance in the maize plant by activating stress coping physiological and biochemical mechanisms. This may have been due to the major role of N in the metabolic activity of plants and N assimilation enzymes activity such as nitrate reductase (NR) and nitrite reductase (NiR)

Intercropping of peanut–tea enhances soil enzymatic activity and soil nutrient status at different soil profiles in Subtropical Southern China

Intercropping is one of the most widely used agroforestry techniques, reducing the harmfulimpacts of external inputs such as fertilizers. It also controls soil erosion, increases soil nutrientsavailability, and reduces weed growth. In this study, the intercropping of peanut (ArachishypogaeaL.)was done with tea plants (Camellia oleifera), and it was compared with the mono-cropping of tea andpeanut. Soil health and fertility were examined by analyzing the variability in soil enzymatic activityand soil nutrients availability at different soil depths (0–10 cm, 10–20 cm, 20–30 cm, and 30–40 cm).Results showed that the peanut–tea intercropping considerably impacted the soil organic carbon(SOC), soil nutrient availability, and soil enzymatic responses at different soil depths. The activityof protease, sucrase, and acid phosphatase was higher in intercropping, while the activity of ureaseand catalase was higher in peanut monoculture. In intercropping, total phosphorus (TP) was 14.2%,34.2%, 77.7%, 61.9%; total potassium (TK) was 13.4%, 20%, 27.4%, 20%; available phosphorus (AP)was 52.9%, 26.56%, 61.1%; 146.15% and available potassium (AK) was 11.1%, 43.06%, 46.79% higherthan the mono-cropping of tea in respective soil layers. Additionally, available nitrogen (AN) was51.78%, 5.92%, and 15.32% lower in the 10–20 cm, 20–30 cm, and 30–40 cm layers of the intercroppingsystem than in the mono-cropping system of peanut. Moreover, the soil enzymatic activity wassignificantly correlated with SOC and total nitrogen (TN) content across all soil depths and croppingsystems. The depth and path analysis effect revealed that SOC directly affected sucrase, protease,urease, and catalase enzymes in an intercropping system. It was concluded that an increase in the soilenzymatic activity in the intercropping pattern improved the reaction rate at which organic matterdecomposed and released nutrients into the soil environment. Enzyme activity in the decompositionprocess plays a vital role in forest soil morphology and function. For efficient land use in the croppingsystem, it is necessary to develop coherent agroforestry practices. The results in this study revealedthat intercropping certainly enhance soil nutrients status and positively impacts soil conservation.The funding sources include the National Science and Technology Support Grant ofChina (2015BAD07B0503), Forestry Science and Technology Promotion Project of China (No. 122017) and Postdoctoral research funding of Central South University of Forestry and Technology(70702-45200003)

Perspectives of plantation forests in the sustainable forest development of China

Modern forestry is gradually moving towards man-made forests on a large scale. Plantations with advanced forestry system have been introduced with the goal of sustainable forestry development and to enhance social, ecological, and economic benefits. Forest plantations with native and exotic species have been established in China and worldwide with shorter rotation cycles than natural forests. In this paper, we discuss the role and perspectives of plantation forests in the Chinese sustainable forest development, the evolution of various plantation programs, the ecological effects of plantations, and the measures to improve plantation forestry. The Chinese government has given substantial importance to nurturing plantation forest resources through various large scale afforestation programs. In 2019, the total area covered by plantations in China reached 79.54 million ha, with a stock volume of 3.39 billion m³ (59.30 m³ per ha); coniferous forests (26.11 million ha, 32.83%) and broad-leaved forests (26.45 million ha, 33.25%) are the dominant types. Plantations have been primarily distributed in the central and southern parts of the country. Plantations with fast-growing and high-yielding tree species facilitated Chinese afforestation activities and improved the administration of forest production, which effectively boosted the forest industry. Plantation forest resources offer many potential productive, economic, and social advantages, though they are also associated with a loss of biodiversity and climate change makes them likely susceptible to disease and insect attack. Appropriate forest management practices during planning, execution, and maintenance of plantations can contribute to the conservation, promotion, and restoration of biodiversity, with the final aim of attaining a balance between having forest plantations and natural forests.We thank the great help from two anonymous reviews. We also thank our friend Chris Ijeoma for the grammar checking of the manuscript. The funding sources included the Postdoctoral research funding of Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, China (70702-4520 0003

Nitrous oxide emission from agricultural soils: Application of animal manure or biochar? A global meta-analysis

Organic amendments (animal manure and biochar) to agricultural soils may enhance soil organic carbon (SOC) contents, improve soil fertility and crop productivity but also contribute to global warming through nitrous oxide (N2O) emission. However, the effects of organic amendments on N2O emissions from agricultural soils seem variable among numerous research studies and remains uncertain. Here, eighty-five publications (peer-reviewed) were selected to perform a meta-analysis study. The results of this meta-analysis study show that the application of animal manure enhanced N2O emissions by 17.7%, whereas, biochar amendment significantly mitigated N2O emissions by 19.7%. Moreover, coarse textured soils increased [ = 182.6%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 151.4%, 217.7%] N2O emission after animal manure, in contrast, N2O emission mitigated by 7.0% from coarse textured soils after biochar amendment. In addition, this study found that 121–320 kg N ha−1 and ⩽ 30 T ha−1 application rates of animal manure and biochar mitigated N2O emissions by 72.3% and 22.5%, respectively. Soil pH also played a vital role in regulating the N2O emissions after organic amendments. Furthermore, > 10 soil C: N ratios increased N2O emissions by 121.4% and 27.6% after animal and biochar amendments, respectively. Overall, animal manure C: N ratios significantly enhanced N2O emissions, while, biochar C: N ratio had not shown any effect on N2O emissions. Overall, average N2O emission factors (EFs) for animal manure and biochar amendments were 0.46% and −0.08%, respectively. Thus, the results of this meta-analysis study provide scientific evidence about how organic amendments such as animal manure and biochar regulating the N2O emission from agricultural soils.The part of work contributed by Muhammad Aammar Tufail, has received funding form the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation program under the Maria Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 722642 (project INTER-FUTUR

Spatial distribution of carbon dynamics and nutrient enrichment capacity in different layers and tree tissues of Castanopsis eyeri natural forest ecosystem

Forest ecosystem carbon (C) storage primarily includes vegetation layers C storage, litter C storage, and soil C storage. The precise assessment of forest ecosystem C storage is a major concern that has drawn widespread attention in global climate change worldwide. This study explored the C storage of different layers of the forest ecosystem and the nutrient enrichment capacity of the vegetation layer to the soil in the Castanopsis eyeri natural forest ecosystem (CEF) present in the northeastern Hunan province, central China. The direct field measurements were used for the estimations. Results illustrate that trunk biomass distribution was 48.42% and 62.32% in younger and over-mature trees, respectively. The combined biomass of the understory shrub, herb, and litter layers was 10.46 t·hm−2, accounting for only 2.72% of the total forest biomass. On average, C content increased with the tree age increment. The C content of tree, shrub, and herb layers was 45.68%, 43.08%, and 35.76%, respectively. Litter C content was higher in the undecomposed litter (44.07 %). Soil C content continually decreased as the soil depth increased, and almost half of soil C was stored in the upper soil layer. Total C stored in CEF was 329.70 t·hm−2 and it follows the order: tree layer > soil layer > litter layer > shrub layer > herb layer, with C storage distribution of 51.07%, 47.80%, 0.78%, 0.25%, and 0.10%, respectively. Macronutrient enrichment capacity from vegetation layers to soil was highest in the herb layer and lowest in the tree layer, whereas no consistent patterns were observed for trace elements. This study will help understand the production mechanism and ecological process of the C. eyeri natural forest ecosystem and provide the basics for future research on climate mitigation, nutrient cycling, and energy exchange in developing and utilizing sub-tropical vegetationThis research was financially supported by research funding from Central South University of Forestry and Technology and the Hunan province finance department (No.70702-45200003