Flame cap kilns for hazardous fuels reduction and biochar application in the western United States

Forest managers use hazardous fuels treatments to reduce the severity and intensity of wildland fire. Forest managers commonly pile and burn forest residues, an inexpensive approach to treating hazardous fuels. Fire danger and air quality restrictions increasingly limit the ability of forest managers to burn piles of forest residue. Further, pile burning often consumes organic soils and reduces future productivity of forest stands. A novel approach to this challenge is the use of low cost flame-cap biochar kilns to reduce hazardous fuels while making biochar in forest settings from excess woody biomass. A primary benefit of this approach is accessibility; almost anyone can do it, often with materials and equipment on hand. This method allows for small-scale biochar production across a wide variety of uses and users. Instead of open pile burning of forest residues, we put the fire in a box, or a flame-cap kiln, which reduces damage to the soil and protects air quality. We apply a fraction of the biochar on-site while a portion is available for application on nearby agricultural lands. This reduces wildland fire hazard by converting forest residues into biochar, and the addition of biochar to the soil can increase the drought tolerance of remaining vegetation. The Utah Biomass Resources Group (UBRG) conducted seven hands-on kiln workshops in Utah with more than 200 attendees. We have successfully pyrolyzed five different forest feedstock types including two invasive tree species. By creating methods for biochar production that land managers can easily access, the use of biochar can grow, which may lead to increased carbon sequestration, increased soil productivity, and improved air quality. While these small-scale kilns have reduced hazardous fuels by approximately 20 semi-truck loads, the UBRG is scaling-up this approach to increase the pace and scale of hazardous fuels reduction by these methods. The UBRG recently received a Public Lands Initiative Grant to scale up this approach from kilns that measure 1.5 meters across, to kilns that are six meters across. Parallel efforts are ongoing in Oregon, Nevada, and North Dakota using a variety of kiln designs that depend on repurposed local materials; this is an important regional development in biochar production. Other important benefits of this approach include the cost reduction of feedstock preparation by avoiding the expense and energy necessary for chipping and/or grinding feedstock material. We safely deployed these kilns in close proximity to heavy fuels loads, urban infrastructure, homes, and ecologically sensitive locations such as within Stream Management Zones. Meanwhile, the UBRG is testing the efficacy of using locally produced biochars as an animal feed amendment by investigating the behavioral and physiological response of sheep when given access to biochar. Humans use activated carbon to ease ingestion and as a poisoning antidote. Biochar can enhance the efficiency of nutrient utilization, reduce environmental impacts, increase rates of detoxification, and reduce the presence of xenobiotics to promote animal health, welfare, and productivity. This research fills a knowledge gap regarding how locally produced biochars influence animal performance

Tannin-Containing Legumes and Forage Diversity Influence Foraging Behavior, Diet Digestibility, and Nitrogen Excretion by Lambs

Diverse combinations of forages with different nutrient profiles and plant secondary compounds may improve intake and nutrient utilization by ruminants. We tested the influence of diverse dietary combinations of tannin- (sainfoin-Onobrichis viciifolia; birdsfoot trefoil-Lotus corniculatus) and non-tannin- (alfalfa-Medicago sativa L.) containing legumes on intake and diet digestibility in lambs. Freshly cut birdsfoot trefoil, alfalfa, and sainfoin were offered in ad libitum amounts to 42 lambs in individual pens assigned to 7 treatments (6 animals/treatment): 1) single forage species (sainfoin [SF], birdsfoot trefoil [BFT], and alfalfa [ALF]), 2) all possible 2-way choices of the 3 forage species (alfalfa-sainfoin [ALF-SF], alfalfa-birdsfoot trefoil [ALF-BFT], and sainfoin-birdsfoot trefoil [SF-BFT]), or 3) a choice of all 3 forages (alfalfa-sainfoin-birdsfoot trefoil [ALF-SF-BFT]). Dry matter intake (DMI) was greater in ALF than in BFT (P = 0.002), and DMI in SF tended to be greater than in BFT (P = 0.053). However, when alfalfa was offered in a choice with either of the tannin-containing legumes (ALF-SF; ALF-BFT), DMI did not differ from ALF, whereas DMI in SF-BFT did not differ from SF (P \u3e 0.10). When lambs were allowed to choose between 2 or 3 legume species, DMI was greater (36.6 vs. 33.2 g/kg BW; P = 0.038) or tended to be greater (37.4 vs. 33.2 g/kg BW; P = 0.067) than when lambs were fed single species, respectively. Intake did not differ between 2- or 3-way choice treatments (P = 0.723). Lambs preferred alfalfa over the tannin-containing legumes in a 70:30 ratio for 2-way choices, and alfalfa \u3e sainfoin \u3e birdsfoot trefoil in a 53:33:14 ratio for the 3-way choice. In vivo digestibility (DMD) was SF \u3e BFT (72.0% vs. 67.7%; P = 0.012) and DMD in BFT tended to be greater than in ALF (64.6%; P = 0.061). Nevertheless, when alfalfa was offered in a choice with either sainfoin or birdsfoot trefoil (ALF-SF; ALF-BFT), DMD was greater than ALF (P \u3c 0.001 and P = 0.007, respectively), suggesting positive associative effects. The SF treatment had lower blood urea nitrogen and greater fecal N/N intake ratios than the ALF, BFT, or ALF-BFT treatments (P \u3c 0.05), implying a shift in the site of N excretion from urine to feces. In conclusion, offering diverse combinations of legumes to sheep enhanced intake and diet digestibility relative to feeding single species, while allowing for the incorporation of beneficial bioactive compounds like condensed tannins into the diet

A Case for Eustress in Grazing Animals

Herbivores grazing in extensive systems are exposed to a series of challenges, rooted in the inherent spatial and temporal variability of their environment that potentially constrain their health, nutrition, and welfare. Nevertheless, in this review, we argue that challenges induced by some biotic (e.g., vegetation) and abiotic (e.g., terrain) factors may also be viewed as “positive” sources of stress or eustress, since they present complex problems, that when solved successfully elicit a greater degree of behavioral plasticity and adaptability in grazing animals. Chemically and structurally diverse landscapes require animals to display complex behaviors and exhibit adaptive capabilities, like building a balanced and safe diet or finding shelter, which ultimately lead to positive emotional states. Thus, maintaining or enhancing the diversity occurring in natural systems represent a management approach that can be used to improve welfare and prepare the animal for an efficient adaptation to future, and potentially unknown, environmental challenges

Comportamiento fitosociológico de Medicago citrina (Font Quer) Greuter (Leguminosae), endemismo mediterráneo-iberolevantino

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Plant diversity, diet selection and animal production

Desde mucho tiempo los ecólogos han estado interesados en comprender el rol de la diversidad vegetal en el funcionamiento y en la estabilidad de los ecosistemas. Mucho menos atención se le ha prestado al rol de la diversidad vegetal en la selección de la dieta y la producción animal, lo cual constituye el motivo de la presente revisión. En condiciones naturales los herbívoros mamíferos tienden a consumir una amplia diversidad de especies. Una dieta variada, integrada por especies con distinta concentración de nutrientes y toxinas, permitiría satisfacer mejor los requerimientos nutricionales y evitar intoxicaciones y/o trastornos metabólicos (Ej., exceso de ácidos orgánicos o de amoníaco en el rumen). Existe evidencia consistente con la hipótesis que los animales aprenden a integrar sus dietas con alimentos que se complementan nutritivamente. También existe evidencia consistente con la hipótesis que los animales pueden aprender a integrar sus dietas con alimentos de distinta palatabilidad, cuando se fuerza inicialmente el consumo simultáneo de los mismos a los efectos de posibilitar una experiencia nutricional positiva con los alimentos de menor palatabilidad. A partir del conocimiento disponible resulta posible predecir un efecto beneficioso de la diversidad vegetal sobre la producción animal (por individuo y/o por unidad de superficie). El incremento por individuo y por unidad de superficie cabría esperarlo cuando las especies disponibles en la comunidad se complementan nutritivamente. En tanto un incremento por unidad de superficie sería esperable cuando los animales aprenden a integrar sus dietas con especies de alta y baja palatabilidad, realizando una utilización más uniforme de las especies presentes en la comunidad.Since long time ago ecologist has been interested in understanding the influences of plant diversity on ecosystem functioning and stability. Much less attention has received the role of plant diversity on diet selection and animal production, which constitute the aim of the present revision. Under natural conditions mammalian herbivores tend to consume a wide diversity of species. A varied diet, composed of species differing in nutrient and toxin concentrations, may allow to better met nutritional requirements and avoid toxicity and/or metabolic disorders (e.g., excess of organic acids or ammonia in the rumen). Existing evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that animals learn to integrate their diets with nutritionally complementary foods. There is also evidence that support the hypothesis that animals can learn to integrate their diets with foods of different palatability, when they are initially forced to mix them to allow a positive nutritional experience with foods of low palatability. From existing knowledge it is possible to predict a positive influence of plant diversity on animal production (per individual and/or per unit area). The increase per individual and per unit area should be expected when species are nutritionally complementary, whereas an increase per unit area should be expected when animals learn to integrate their diet with palatable and unpalatable species, leading to a more uniform use of plants in a community.Fil: Distel, Roberto Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Centro de Recursos Naturales Renovables de la Zona Semiárida; ArgentinaFil: Villalba, Juan Jose. University of Utah; Estados Unido

Anotaciones sobre la vegetación nitrófila del Archipiélago de Columbretes (Castellón)

Notes on the nitrophilous plata communities of the Columbretes Archipelago (Castellón, eastern Spain)Palabras clave. Vegetación nitrófila, nomenclatura, lberoleyantina, España.Key words. Nitrophilous plant communities, nomenclature, Iberoleyantine, Spain

Interferometric temperature sensor based on a water-filled suspended-core fiber

The performance of water-filled suspended-core fibers as key components of interferometric temperature sensors has been analyzed. Use of water is motivated by simplicity of use and by its thermo-optic and thermal expansion coefficients, which provide a good balance between sensitivity and wide temperature range (limited by the free spectral range of the interferometer). Two suspended core fibers have been tested. With one of them, the sensitivity observed is slightly better than the ones of most interferometers based on liquid-filled photonic crystal fibers, with a linear temperature range of 25ºC. With regard to the other one, its most remarkable feature is its temperature range, not limited by any interferometric property but by water melting and boiling temperatures, as its quotient between free spectral range and sensitivity is higher than 100ºC

Preference for Wheat Straw by Lambs Conditioned with Intraruminal Infusions of Starch

We hypothesized that feed preference depends on the interplay between flavour and postingestive effects, and we tested two predictions based on this hypothesis: (1) lambs acquire preferences for poorly nutritious feeds paired with starch; and (2) preferences persist when starch is no longer administered. Twenty lambs were randomly allocated to two groups and conditioned as follows: on odd-numbered days, lambs in group 1 received onion-flavoured wheat straw and lambs in group 2 received oregano-flavoured wheat straw. On even-numbered days, the flavours were switched and starch (2.5-9.4% of the digestible energy received/d) was infused into the rumen of all animals during straw consumption. Four periods of 8 d of conditioning were performed and on the 9th day of each period all animals were offered a choice between onion- and oregano-flavoured straw. After conditioning, starch administration was suspended and lambs were offered onion- and oregano-flavoured straw at weekly intervals for 8 weeks (extinction). Lambs strongly preferred the flavoured straw paired with starch, and this preference persisted during extinction. Thus, these results suggest that the postingestive effects of energy play an important role in the development of feed preferences of ruminants