The Biofuel Crops in Global Warming Challenge: Carbon Capture by Corn, Sweet Sorghum and Switchgrass Biomass Grown for Biofuel Production in the USA

This research evaluates potential carbon capture of sweet sorghum, switchgrass, and corn grown in Portageville, Missouri, from 2007 to 2009. Our results showed that corn grain C content averaged 43%, whereas C grain captured was 1.3–4.7 Mg C ha−1 depending on year and N rate. N fertilization significantly increased C capture, but not C content of grain. C capture by switchgrass depended on cultivars and harvest date. Switchgrass cv. Alamo biomass contained 46% C compared to 44% C for Blackwell\u27s. Alamo maximum C capture depended on year, being 9.8 Mg C ha−1 in 2008 and 13.4 Mg C ha−1 in 2009. C is equivalent to 32.3–49.6 Mg CO2 ha−1, while Blackwell captured 3.7–4.4 Mg C ha−1. C in sweet sorghum biomass ranged from 42 to 45%, whereas total C capture ranged from 3.2 to 13.8 Mg ha−1 according to year, soil, and N rate. The highest C capture appeared in loam. Sweet sorghum aboveground biomass showed 82% C captured in the stalk. When converted into CO2, C captured by sweet sorghum was equivalent to 12–51 Mg CO2 ha−1. In addition to their biofuel potential, corn, switchgrass, and sweet sorghum can substantially contribute to environmental cleaning by capturing a significant amount of CO2

Palm Oil Mill Solid Waste Generation and Uses in Rural Area in Benin Republic: Retrospection and Future Outlook

Palm oil is one of the major oil crops in the world, producing important vegetable oils in the world oil and fats market. Its production generates solid wastes whose sustainable management is crucial for the oil chain development in oil palm producing countries. Benin Republic is a small oil palm producing country where oil palm plays social, cultural, and economic roles for farmers. This chapter analyzes the linkage between improvement of palm oil process extraction and palm oil mill solid waste (POMSW) management for sustainable palm oil production. Composed mainly of fibers, the two kinds of POMSW are empty fruit bunches (EFBs) and press mesocarp fibers (PMFs), which are rich in units’ fertilizers and are renewable energy. POMSW in Benin Republic is used in agriculture, in cosmetic, or as energy. The upgrade of traditional mills generates POMSW use as a boiler fuel to reducing wood necessity and increasing farm profit. As this use is not sustainable, research must be made to generate electricity with POMSW and its use for crop fertilization, to ensure environment protection, enhance contribution to food security, restore degraded soils, and increase earnings of producers of rural areas

Inventaire, structure morpho-métrique et importance des varans sacrés de Kandi (Nord-Est Bénin)

Les sites naturels sacrés regorgent d’espèces traditionnellement protégées. Cette étude menée de juin 2013 à décembre 2013 à Kandi (milieu soudanien) a permis de décrire les espèces de varans et d’analyser la structure morpho-métrique des varans sacrés. Les observations directes, les enquêtes ethnozoologiques semistructurées sur 74 chefs de ménage et chasseurs et, les mesures corporelles des varans capturés ont signalé la présence de Varanus exanthematicus et Varanus niloticus différenciés à partir de la taille (87% des enquêtés), forme (61%), couleur (59%) et tempérament (52%). V. niloticus était sacré pour l’ethnie dominante "Batonu". 84% des captures étaient mâtures, pesaient en moyenne 1484 g pour 111,3 cm de long. La longueur moyenne du museau-cloaque était de 44,7 cm et la queue 65,3 cm. Ils étaient plus courts et moins lourds que V. niloticus du Lac Tchad (milieu sahélien) pouvant traduire une adaptation phénotypique. La longueur de la queue (LQ) et du museau-cloaque (LMC) s’ajustent dans le modèle LQ=1,19LMC + 11,74 (R²=0,73 ; N=37). La longueur totale (L) et la masse corporelle (MC) s’ajustent dans l’équation MC=0,03L - 1,42 (R²=0,81 ; N=37). Toutefois, leur statut écologique doit être analysé en incluant la symbiose hommes-varans.© 2015 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Mots clés: Varans, richesse spécifique, données biométriques, KandiEnglish Title: Inventory, morpho-metric structure and importance of sacred monitor lizard of Kandi (Northeastern Benin)English AbstractSacred natural sites abound in traditionally protected species. This study led from June 2013 to July 2013 at Kandi (Sudanese area) has enabled to describe the species of monitor lizards and to analyze the morpho-metric structure of sacred monitor lizards. Direct observations, semi-structure and ethnozoological surveys on 74 heads of household and hunters, and body measurements of monitor lizards captured have indicated the presence of Varanus exanthematicus and Varanus niloticus differentiated from size (87% of investigated), form (61%), color (59%) and temperament (52%). V. niloticus was sacred for “batonu” the dominant ethnic. 84% of the captures were matures, weighed on the average 1484 g and 111.3 cm long. The average of snout-vent-length (SVL) was 44.7 cm and the tail (TL) 65.3 cm. They were more shorts and less  heavy than V. niloticus of Lake Chad (sahelian environment). It can express phenotype adaptation. Tail length and snout-vent-length fit in the model TL=1.19SVL + 11.74 (R²=0.73; N=37). Total length (L) and body mass (BM) fit in the equation BM =0.03L – 1.42(R²=0.81; N=37). Therefore, their status must been analyzed including the symbiosis human-monitor lizards.© 2015 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved.Keywords: Monitor lizards, specific richness, biometrical data, Kand

Effectiveness of conservation areas in protecting Shea trees against hemiparasitic plants (Loranthaceae) in Benin, West Africa

Background and aims – The Shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa), a multi-purpose species highly valued for the oil obtained from its seeds, is commonly maintained in the semi-arid parklands in West African Sudanian zone. However, most of the trees were reported to be infested with mistletoes – plant parasites that may lead to death of the Shea tree and these parasites are known to be directly dispersed on their host by birds. This study therefore aimed to assess the potential effectiveness of protected area on preventing mistletoes proliferation on Shea tree individuals. Methods – Infestations in two habitats: land use area (fields and fallows) and protected area of Pendjari hunting zone were compared. Overall 54 plots of 1 ha (100 m × 100 m) with 487 and 252 individuals of Shea tree in land use and protected area respectively were investigated. ANOVA was used to compare Shea tree infestation rate and infestation degree (with regard to diameter and height of infested Shea tree). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed to correlate the habitats with infestation degree. Key results – The results showed that about 80% of Shea tree individuals were infested in the land use area, this rate was significantly higher than the one of 27.3% observed in the protected area. Overall, heavily infested Shea trees had significantly larger trunks and heights, mainly in land use areas. The land use area was shown to be correlated with high and very high Shea tree infestation degrees while the others infestations degrees (very weak, weak and moderate) were correlated with both areas. Conclusions – Shea trees growing in protected areas are better protected against mistletoe plant parasites than those on cultivated land. Various hypotheses to explain this result are discussed

Effect of moisture stress on leaf silicification of three tropical fodder species (Pennisetum purpureum, Panicum maximum Cv. C1, and P. maximum Jacq.) in Republic of Benin (West Africa)

Silica accumulation in plants was found to be influenced by environmental factors and growth conditions. But, the processes and patterns were reported to be extremely complex. To examine whether inter-specifica variations in silica concentration and other traits and relationships exist in responsse to moisture stress, we created different moisture levels in 3 tropical fodder grass species (Pennisetum purpureum, Panicum maximum cv. Cl and P. maximum Jacq.) by watering pots every 3 days (moisture-stressed) or every day (control), from January 4 to March 15, 2002. Leaf biomass of all species was decreased in response to moisture stress and leaves were yellow and wilted. A lower leaf biomass under moisture stress was associated with blades of higher specific leaf area and water content and lower silica concentration in P. purpureum but not in the Panicum accessions. Silica concentration ranged from 2.03% to 5.2% in blades and from 1.95% to 3.4 % in sheaths. P. maximum Cl had the lowest values, while P. purpureum showed the highest values. Increased silica deposition in well watered plants may result from higher transpiration reates. Silica was highly correlated with soluble ash in both species

Effect of defoliation on silica accumulation in five tropical fodder grass species in Benin

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe