Method and timing of grassland renovation affects herbage yield, nitrate leaching, and nitrous oxide emission in intensively managed grasslands

Managed grasslands are occasionally ploughed up and reseeded in order to maintain or increase the sward productivity. It has been reported that this renovation of grassland is associated with a flush of soil organic nitrogen (N) mineralization and with a temporary increase in soil mineral N contents. Here, we report on the effects of method and time of grassland renovation on herbage yield, nitrate (NO3 -) leaching and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission. Field experiments were carried out at three sites (two sandy soils and a clay soil) in the Netherlands for three years. Renovation of grassland increased the percentage of Perennial ryegrass from 48–70% up to more than 90%. However, averaged over three years, dry matter yields were higher for the reference (not reseeded) swards (on average 13.6 Mg ha-1 for the highest N application rate) than for the renovated grasslands (12.2–13.1 Mg ha-1 dry matter). Grassland renovation in April did not increase N leaching in comparison to the reference. However, renovation in September increased the risk of leaching, because mineral N contents in the 0–90 cm were in November on average 46–77 kg N ha-1 higher than in the reference. Contents of dissolved organic N (DON) in the soil were not affected by renovation. Renovation increased N2O emissions by a factor of 1.8–3.0 relative to the reference grassland. Emissions of N2O were on average higher after renovation in April (8.2 kg N2O-N ha-1) than in September (5.8 kg N2O-N ha-1). Renovation without ploughing (i.e. only chemically destruction of the sward) resulted in a lower percentage of perennial ryegrass (60–84%) than with ploughing (>90%). Moreover, N2O emissions were higher after renovation without ploughing than with ploughing. Clearly, farmers need better recommendations and tools for determining when grassland renovation has beneficial agronomic effects. Losses of N via leaching and N2O emission after renovation can probably not be avoided, but renovation in spring in stead of autumn in combination with ploughing and proper timing of fertilizer application can minimize N losses

A holistic multi-methodology for sustainable renovation

A review of the barriers for building renovation has revealed a lack of methodologies, which can promote sustainability objectives and assist various stakeholders during the design stage of building renovation/retrofitting projects. The purpose of this paper is to develop a Holistic Multi-methodology for Sustainable Renovation, which aims to deal with complexity of renovation projects. It provides a framework through which to involve the different stakeholders in the design process to improve group learning and group decision-making, and hence make the building renovation design process more robust and efficient. Therefore, the paper discusses the essence of multifaceted barriers in building renovation regarding cultural changes and technological/physical changes. The outcome is a proposal for a multi-methodology framework, which is developed by introducing, evaluating and mixing methods from Soft Systems Methodologies (SSM) with Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM). The potential of applying the proposed methodology in renovation projects is demonstrated through a case study

Renovating and Expanding Special Collections Facilities at Towson University

In order to provide the university archives at Towson University with more space, the Library undertook a renovation of the archives. This article provides a brief history and overview of the Library and archives and details the renovation project which included some eco-friendly changes

The Appeal of the Green Deal: Empirical Evidence for the Influence of Energy Efficiency Policy on Renovating Homeowners

The Green Deal is a major new energy policy designed to support the diffusion of energy efficiency measures in UK homes. This paper provides one of the first empirical examinations of the Green Deal’s success in influencing homeowners’ renovation decisions. Using a repeated measures design in which households were questioned before and after the Green Deal’s launch in January 2013, we assess the policy’s success in raising awareness of energy efficiency. In particular, we test the effectiveness of the Green Deal’s positioning to overcome barriers to renovation among homeowners already interested in or considering energy efficiency measures. Using the innovation decision process (Rogers 2003) as a conceptual framing of the renovation decision process, we examine whether new information on energy efficiency provided by the Green Deal strengthened intentions and its antecedents. We find that (1) energy efficiency is of potential appeal to all renovators regardless of their attitudes about energy efficiency, (2) energy efficiency opportunities need to be identified in the early stages of renovation when homeowners are thinking about ways to improve their home, and (3) homeowners’ intentions towards energy efficiency are weakened by uncertainty about financial benefits, helping to explain the relatively slow uptake of the Green Deal to-date

Renewal of Buenos Aires city waterfront

This paper reports an analysis of the main phases and factors relevant to the renovation of the coastal area of the city of Buenos Aires. Since the early 1980s, and especially with the country's comeback of democratic life, that area developed along two different paths. The renovation of the docks followed a top-down process carried out by private-public enterprises; it was a successful and lucrative real-state transformation in which contemporary design and aesthetics had precedence. The ecological restructuring of the river front was, however, the outcome of a bottom-up process that involved many actors with conflicting interests quarrelling during two decades. Thanks to the non-government organisation 'Ciudad', who enabled the involvement of otherwise excluded social groups and had ample communitarian support behind its initiatives; the renovation of the coastal strip was successful. The ideologies and policies that have shaped this effort over the years are also discussed in this report.Fil: Faggi, Ana Maria

Why do homeowners renovate energy efficiently?:Contrasting perspectives and implications for policy

This paper contrasts two perspectives on energy efficient home renovations from applied behavioural research on energy efficiency and from sociological research on homes and domestic life. Applied behavioural research characterises drivers and barriers to cost-effective renovations, and identifies personal and contextual influences on homeowners' renovation decisions. Research findings inform policies to promote energy efficiency by removing barriers or strengthening decision influences. Sociological research on domestic life points to limitations in this understanding of renovation decision making that emphasises houses but not homes, energy efficiency but not home improvements, the one-off but not the everyday, and renovations but not renovating. The paper proposes a situated approach in response to this critique. A situated approach retains a focus on renovation decision making, but conceptualises decisions as processes that emerge from the conditions of everyday domestic life and are subject to different levels of influence. This situated approach is tractable for energy efficiency policy while recognising the ultimate influences that explain why homeowners decide to renovate

CONSIDERING THE SCOPE OF DEPRECIATION IN SHEET ROLLING MILLS IN DEVELOPING THE TECHNOLOGY OF THEIR RENOVATION

Consideration of the scope of depreciation in sheet rolling mills in developing the technology of their renovation

Growth Expectations and Decision to Renovate a Golf Course: An Application of a Censored Model with the Simultaneity Test

Golf course renovation and expected business growth were examined. Endogeneity test on the renovation decision and a censored expected growth model rejected the hypothesis of simultaneity and decisions were modeled separately. Key determinants for both decisions were golf facility features, but not respondents' characteristics.Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Architects? We Don\u27t Need No Stinkin\u27 Architects

The author chronicles the participation of the Library staff in the renovation of Pace Law Library