Potential of using poultry litter as a feedstock for energy production

The United States is the world's largest poultry producer and the second-largest egg producer and exporter of poultry meat. The annual poultry meat production in the U.S. totals over 43 billion pounds (USDA, 2009). In this 20 billion-dollar industry, about 80% of the production consists of broiler meat while turkey meat accounts for most of the remainder (USDA, 2010). According to the USDA 2007 Census of Agriculture, there are over 320,000 documented poultry farms nationwide, and each year millions of tons of poultry litter/manure are generated through these facilities

Profiling of shelter campers, their attitudes, and perceptions towards environmental impacts of campsite use and management: Evidence from national parks of Sri Lanka

There is a dearth of research describing the campsite user segment and in assessing camp-site users’ perceptions of the bio-physical impacts of campsite use in Sri Lanka. Using a structured questionnaire, we evaluated campsite user characteristics, visitor motivations, behaviors, and how visitor experience is affected by visible biophysical impacts at campsites. Based on underlying visitor motivations derived through a Factor Analysis and Cluster Analysis, we identified three distinct segments of campsite users: Eco-tourists, Prestige seekers, and Adventure seekers. Results indicate that the overall cleanliness of the campsite is an important attribute that affects the visitor experience. The Ecotourist segment reported environmentally desired motives, attitudes and behaviours. However, majority of campsite users belong to the Prestige-seeker and Adventure-seeker segments. Prestige seekers in particular demand better facilities and proper maintenance of campsites. Additionally, Prestige seekers are more attractive as a market segment to target because they are high-income, well-educated individuals with pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors. Recommended management actions include increasing visitor awareness, monitoring, zonation of activity areas, and enforcement of park campsite user policies to ensure enhanced visitor experience

Assessment of chain-of-custody certification costs for sawnwood manufacturers in Peninsular Malaysia

In response to environmental concerns, over the past two decades, many environmental organisations, government entities, wood product manufacturers and other companies in wood products supply chains have developed standards to encourage consumers to purchase wood originating from certified sustainable forests. This paper focuses on the chain-of-custody (CoC) component of certification. A study involving sawnwood manufacturers in Malaysia was conducted to determine an accurate cost of obtaining a Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) CoC certificate. There are three types of costs to obtain a MTCC–CoC certificate: (1) cost to meet CoC standard or requirement (an indirect cost), (2) auditing cost (a direct cost) and (3) surveillance visit cost (a direct cost). Results indicated that the cost to meet CoC standard is the major component involving 96% of the total cost of certification, whereas the auditing and surveillance visit each only involved 2% of the total certification cost. None of the three CoC costs were statistically correlated with company size (as measured by annual sales) but there was a statistically significant relationship between cost of surveillance visit and company size when measured by annual production

Impact Factor: outdated artefact or stepping-stone to journal certification?

A review of Garfield's journal impact factor and its specific implementation as the Thomson Reuters Impact Factor reveals several weaknesses in this commonly-used indicator of journal standing. Key limitations include the mismatch between citing and cited documents, the deceptive display of three decimals that belies the real precision, and the absence of confidence intervals. These are minor issues that are easily amended and should be corrected, but more substantive improvements are needed. There are indications that the scientific community seeks and needs better certification of journal procedures to improve the quality of published science. Comprehensive certification of editorial and review procedures could help ensure adequate procedures to detect duplicate and fraudulent submissions.Comment: 25 pages, 12 figures, 6 table

How previous visits shape trip quality, perceived value, satisfaction, and future behavioral intentions: The case of forest-based ecotourism in Sri Lanka

A better understanding on relationships between future behavioural intentions and its antecedents allow ecotourism operators to manipulate their ecotourism products to optimize customer satisfaction, and improve marketing efforts. Although the relationship between previous visits and future behavioural intentions have been previously studied, less attention has been given on understanding the process of how previous visits interact with other key determinants of behavioural intentions such as trip quality, perceived value, and satisfaction to form future behavioural intentions. This study proposes a model to examine the role of previous visits in predicting future behavioural intentions to participate in ecotourism, and the relationship between previous visits and future behavioural intentions is modelled in a quality-satisfaction domain. Results suggest previous visits, trip quality, satisfaction and perceived value as important predictors of ecotourists’ intention to revisit and recommend the destination, as well as their propensity to engage in ecotourism in the future. Trip quality was the most important determinant of future ecotourism behavioural intentions. Implications of the study are discussed in the perspective of ecotourism marketing

Understanding Ecotourist Behavior: The Case of Forest-based Ecotourism in Sri Lanka

Ecotourism is a fast-evolving sector in tourism. As consumers of ecotourism products become more diverse, ecotourism operators are facing the difficulty of meeting the needs and expectations of a heterogeneous client base. Therefore, a thorough understanding of ecotourist behavior has become important from the ecotourism management and marketing perspectives. Using forest-based recreational areas in Sri Lanka as the geographic focus, this study proposes an ecotourism behavioral model based on Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior, incorporating knowledge and satisfaction as predictors of ecotourism behavior. Results suggest that knowledge, attitudes, social influence and perceived behavioral control are important determinants of an individual's intention to participate in ecotourism, and his/her actual ecotourist behavior. Satisfaction plays a key mediating role in the model by bridging the four determinants: knowledge, attitudes, social influence and perceived behavioral control with behavioral intentions. Knowledge had a significant and positive direct effect on behavioral intentions and behavior. Implications of the study are discussed in the context of ecotourism provider planning and management actions and strategies

Changes in value-added wood product manufacturer perceptions about certification in the United States from 2002 to 2008

Certification is a voluntary mechanism which involves assessing either forest management practices or chain-of-custody tracking through supply chains against a set of standards. Certification is becoming an important market requirement particularly in value-added wood product sectors such as furniture, flooring and millwork. In 2002 and 2008 we conducted national studies in the United States to identify value-added wood industry perspectives and participation in certification and to see what has changed in the industry in the past 6 years. Results show that certification continues to be an important issue for the value-added wood products sector in the U.S. Certification awareness and participation have increased significantly from 2002-2008. The percent of respondents receiving premiums for certified products has increase d significantly from 2002-2008 and the percent of respondents incurring (non-raw material) costs for certified wood raw materials declined. Finally, 97% of respondents in 2008 said that they will continue to sell certified wood products in the future

Laminated Veneer Lumber: A United States Market Overview

Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) is an all-veneer engineered wood product that has appeared in the marketplace as a replacement for increasingly scarce high quality solid-sawn lumber in structural applications. As one possible response to increasing environmental pressures, LVL is considered to be superior to recycled steel and plastic, concrete, stone, and brick in terms of energy requirements to produce. Because this product is a relatively new entrant in the family of engineered wood products, its rapid technological changes and/or new product-market development opportunities are discussed in the context of the product life cycle (PLC). Market growth for LVL is expected to increase, resulting from increased product awareness and acceptance and increasingly attractive in-use price/performance factors

Private landowners' guide to forest certification in the south

After hearing the phrase “forest certification,” many people ask, “what,” “how,” and “why.” This publication helps forest landowners understand forest certification, how it began, why it should be considered, what types of certification systems are available, and the steps necessary to become certified..